Pawprints and hourglassesby RustyKatChaptersThe first tale......Changelings........RustyAbsentiaTrouble on the horizonVlad HarpiscordAn unlikely allyA little closer than friends......Snakes and dragonsSuprisesUndertaker The first tale......It was a warm day in the crystal empire. It was peaceful and with bliss. The shining city blossomed with love and kindness from those who lived within. The light refracted off the crystal structures radiated even the love from the city, as well as a welcoming atmosphere. A single royal guard stood guard at the crystal castle. He was a light purple crystal Pegasus, with ice-blue eyes, and a determined expression. He stood there, his name Rhinestone. A grey-hooded figure approached Rhinestone slowly, turning her head around to see she wasn't being watched, the sharp green and blue eyes looking around. Instead of the soft clip-clop hooves made, hers made a soft, almost soundless noise as she walked. If one looked closely, they would realize she did not have hooves at all, but paws. She stopped right in front of Rhinestone. "Hun... I told you ya didn't have to hide...." began Rhinestone. The figure took off the hood, revealing a squarish muzzle, dark purple fur, a unicorn's horn. Her bi-colored eyes, one ice blue, the other green, looked at him worriedly, as she softly brushed her fusha pink hair out of her face. "A..are you sure? The others may think I'm a monster." She replied in a unique thick wolfish accent. "A monster? They do not understand you." Replied Rhinestone, ears flattened. "I only hide because others would kill me on sight. No one would understand a crystal dragon trying to be like the rest of ponykind.... but they would of a crystal Pegasus." "....True." She flattened her ears. "Hey..... relax. The stress isn't good for the little one." She gave a chuckle. "Maybe she'll grow up to be like you someday." "I'm glad you visited me Crystal. It's kinda boring here." He admitted sheepishly. "Not much happens around here." Crystal paused in what she was going to say. "Very well then. If thee thinks i'm not a monster..... why do I hide?" With her magic, she took off her cloak, and put it away. The sunlight revealed her strong furry build, the fluffy long tail that trailed behind her, and her long fusha mane. Her belly was ever so slightly descended, heavy with the pup she carried within. A pony nearby gasped. "What in celestia's glorious sunlight is that!? "It's my damn marefriend. Now shutup." Replied Rhinestone angrily. The pony went silent, before he rolled his eyes, and after muttering something under his breath, walked off. "Thank you Rhinestone." She purred softly. "How have you been lately? I mean... with the little one and all, I was just concerned." "I could be better..." Crystal replied. "She's been a bit active lately." Rhinestone put a hoof gently on Crystal's belly. "I bet so. A mischievous thing she is.... Maybe she'll be a unicorn, just like you." Crystal chuckled lightly. "Or maybe a dragon like you. Who knows what she'll turn out to be." Rhinestone checked the time on his watch. "Hey, my shift is about over. How about I take you home and make you feel better?" "Sounds wonderful." "But I'll carry you this time. Last time, you were out of breath when we traveled back home to Ponyville. I don't want any harm to our little one." "I just thought of a name for her...... Rusty." "How Unique." Said Rhinestone in a confused tone. She just gets stranger and stranger every day..... I love it. "Rusty it is." He looked around, before he shifted into his dragon form, quickly but gently put Crystal on his back, and took off with a powerful wing stroke. Soon they were cruising among the clouds. "I always liked this form better..." Purred Crystal. "Such sexy scales... hiding under that other disguise." Crystal didn't know what to think of his Pegasus disguise. It was a bit smaller than his dragon form, but it was clever. No one but her and him knew of this secret. Rhinestone gave a small chuckle. "And such long gloriously silky fur you have....".......! He quickly swiveled to the right, narrowly missing a fireball. What in Equestria was that!? A shadow darted again at him, talons out and ready, and he dodged, but just barely. "Dear.... what's going on?" She asked in a panicked tone. He could feel her claws as her grip tightened. The stress isn't good for little Rusty.... He struck the shadowed figure in the chest with a fireball of his own, which was dark purple. The dragon gave a snarl of anger. He was a dark red with pure white spines. His eyes were a glowing dangerous green, and there was a sharp spike at the end of his tail. "Rhinestone...... I told you never to fly in this area again." The voice was deep, full of anger. "This is my territory!" "But Boneknapper.... my house is in that area. Besides, you're scaring my marefriend, and the stress isn't good for the baby." Replied Rhinestone angrily. "I don't give a rat's butt if this is your territory or not." There was complete silence, except for the sound of their wingbeats through the air, and the soft whimpering of Crystal. Finally, after what seemed ages, Boneknapper broke the silence, as he caught sight of Crystal clinging tightly to Rhinestone's scales. "I had forgotten about Crystal.... and your house is indeed in this area. My apologies, Miss Crystal.... I over-reacted." Crystal whimpered, "P...please don't do that again." "Shh.... i'll get you home. Calm down for me, okay?" He turned his attention to Boneknapper. "Goodbye Mr. Boneknapper." "Goodbye." He replied, as he took off again. There was silence on the rest of the journey back home. But finally, he landed, and quickly shifted back to his Pegasus form. He gave a slight wince as he felt the ends of her claws still in his fur. "Sweetie, we're home." "Thank the stars." She replied with a sigh, ears flattened. Rhinestone went inside the house, and gently put Crystal on the soft dark green couch. "Now, you stay here. Is there anything I could get you?" "Yeah... a glass of Gingerale. With the ride you gave me, it was like a roller coaster." She replied sarcastically. "I..i'm sorry. I'll get your drink." He knew that every time Crystal went on a roller coaster, she ended up tossing her cookies. He vowed since last time, never to take her on another. Still, he couldn't help but feel awful for putting her through that. He walked back into the living room, handing her the glass. "Here you are hun." "Thank you." She replied, as she sipped from it sparingly. "Can't that scaly jerk ever leave you alone?" "He has a poor memory Crystal.... he never remembers things he should." He flattened his ears. "I should of never taken you through that......." "That's okay hun." She replied with a light laugh. "If I was a Pegasus instead of a unicorn, I'd kick his ass right back to the place he came from." Changelings........The statement made Rhinestone laugh. "I'd like to see that." He sat down on the couch next to her. "So, I assume you're feeling better?" "A bit." she replied elusively. "I could use a cupcake.... with sprinkles. Rainbow ones." She gave him the puppy eyes. "Could you please?" Rhinestone gave an awkward chuckle. "Sure, whatever you say. I'll go to the bakery and get you one." Her and her weird cravings. "You just sit here and relax." "Not like I have anything better to do, other than wait for Rusty to come into the world." she said sarcastically. "Don't talk like that. I won't be gone that long." He replied unamused. "It's just a few blocks away. I'm not going to take long." "I hope not." He shifted into his dragon form, and left the house, his thoughts going through his head. Rainbow sprinkles this time. He heard himself sigh. I can't believe how weird her cravings are lately...... As he prepared to land, he shifted back into his Pegasus form, and lightly made contact on the ground with all four hooves. He folded his feathery wings, and headed inside the bakery. "Hi Rhinestone." greeted Mr. Cake. "It's Crystal again, isn't it?" "Yeah..... she wants a cupcake, but this time with rainbow sprinkles." Mr. Cake gave a nervous chuckle, as he replied in a low tone, "I know how you feel. It wasn't too long ago that Ms. Cake had Pumpkin Spice and Pound Cake. They can be quite a hooffull." Rhinestone nodded in understanding. "It's a little filly. We've named her Rusty." "What an interesting name." he replied. "Here's your cupcake." he said, as he got the cupcake out of the oven. "I wish luck to you Rhinestone." Rhinestone gave a sigh. "I'm gonna need it." He took off with his Pegasus wings into the cool still air. But when he got home, he found that Crystal wasn't on the couch anymore. He gave a sigh and a disappointed shake of his head. She is so random. "Crystal!" he called as he walked around. "Where are you?" Suddenly a dark figure lunged at him from the shadows. He caught the movement and barely dodged in time to dodge a changeling. "What have you done to her!?" said Rhinestone furiously. The changeling gave a dark evil laugh. "You silly hybrid.... you know what we want.... you give it or she dies." He stepped back to show another changeling holding a silver blade against Crystal's neck. She was tied up very tightly, and by her appearance, she had put up a fight, because her mane was a bit messed up. Her mouth was bound with rope, as well as her body. Her paws were tied together as well. She gave a growl and an evil glare at the changeling holding the knife to her throat. "She puts up quite the fight Rhinestone...., perhaps I'll make her my slave." He gave an evil grin as he looked her over with his compound eyes. There were more muffled curses from Crystal as she struggled in her bindings, giving a look that implied if she got free, he would be in bloody pieces. "How dare you!" he shouted. "I'll make you pay!" He shifted to his dragon form quickly. "I'll never give you the amulet! NEVER!" RustyHe charged at the stallion with fury, but missed. The changeling gave a sly smile. "Very well then.... I shall give you 24 hours to give me the amulet........ Or she will die." Rhinestone watched as the changeling gave a silent signal, and the changeling withheld the knife from the throat of Crystal, before they all teleported off in a flash of black magic. I can't give them the amulet...... I just can't. Too much power is at stake...... plus my family. Rhinestone quickly untied crystal, who by now wasn't in a very good mood. "If I so much as get my paws on them.." she began with a dangerous tone. "Shh. They probally won't be back..." Reassured Rhinestone. I hope so.... for the sake of little Rusty. "Are you okay?" "Yeah..... I will be." she replied, as she began to wash her face with her paws. "Well, on the bright side, we're unhurt." "I see no bright side here." replied Crystal grumpily. "I nearly got killed because of this stupid trinket..." She reached into her thick fur, and withdrew the amulet. It hung on a gold chain, with two winged snakes around the center ruby. The snakes looked like they were locked in an eternal struggle to conquer the other, but the gem was not bigger than her pawpad. The little light made the stone appear a bloody crimson, neatly etched in a gold finish. The snake's eyes were a bone-chilling emerald, and the fangs much longer than a normal snake. "The Eternal Flame Amulet..... why do I even care about this?" said Crystal, as she held it to the light. Let it be known all dragons are drawn to anything shiny...... Rhinestone quickly snatched the amulet. "Mine!" It took him a moment to realize what he had done, and he flattened his ears. "Sorry hun... I just couldn't help myself." he replied sheepishly. "Must be the dragon side of me acting up." Crystal shot him an annoyed look. "Remind me what this stupid bauble does... and why you fight for it." Rhinestone sighed. "Very well then. Long ago, there was a dragon with unheard of powers.... rumored to even be son of the Sun. He was a kind fellow, usually helping as he saw fit. His name was Flarix.... Flarix the Great. A hagsfeind saw the power this dragon possessed, and wondered if she could corrupt him, making their kingdom grow and be unstoppable. With his army and her demons, she would be a god..... and rule this pathetic land. Her name was Yurik, translated in dragon as Witch, and in pony, Chaos. In wolf, her name was Bloodshed......... and everywhere she went, she was feared. So she chose an ambush for when Flarix went to his daily journey, she pounced with her small team of demons. these demons were huge snakes, with very long fangs, and dark feathery crow wings. Flarix was caught off guard, and he uttered a spell that stopped her..... but at a great cost. He would have to sacrifice his life to seal up the tear she had made in the normal world to prevent more Hagsfeinds from entering from The Dim World. With a chant of words and a single movement, he brought a gem from his pocket, and cast the spell. The hagsfeinds were blinded by the purifying light, and those who did not flee were destroyed. Yurik cursed as she fled. "May the next child born of pony and dragon be cursed to bear a child who will suffer an unknown fate!" " Suffer an unknown fate...... He flattened his ears. "It's just a legend hun." purred Crystal. "Please... continue." "If you insist. Now, as he did so, the gem changed. The last two snake demons to leave turned a brilliant gold and solidified around the gem that was their demise.... and solidified, doomed to a life of eternal struggle...." He flattened his ears more. "Are you okay?" Crystal looked a bit rather uncomfortable. "I don't think so...." She flattened her ears. "Perhaps Stable can look Rusty over?" Rhinestone nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'd be more than happy to help you, my dear. Can you climb on my back? If not, I can help you." Crystal stood to her paws, and lit her horn, teleporting on his back. "Something is wrong... I sense it." "Then I shall hurry. Hang on, my indiego sweetheart." He took off outside. Shortly after taking off, he felt Crystal cringe. "You better hurry Rhinestone..... " He increased his speed. Of all the days, Rusty just had to choose this one..... It wasn't long before he landed and rushed into the hospital. The doctors that were chatting quickly went silent. "I see. Good thing you got here so fast." said Stable, as he quickly took Crystal into another room. Rhinestone sat in the lobby pondering his thoughts, when the other doctor sat next to him. It was a white Pegasus with a red scar over one eye, and a black mane, with a neon-green highlight through it. "First time father, eh?" said the doctor. His nametag read, "Dr. Pyros". "Yeah..... you couldn't believe the trouble I've gone through with this. But I hope it'll be worth it to see my little girl." "It's always worth it.... she's in good hooves now. Stable's the best doctor here." Rhinestone did not hear Pyros mutter under his breath faintly, "So far." AbsentiaRhinestone paced and paced, lost in his own thoughts. The only sound was the soft clip-clop of his hooves, and the eerie ticking of the clock on the wall. He did not know how much time had passed, but he saw Dr. Stable come into the lobby. "Rhinestone?" he said casually, as he adjusted his glasses. "You can see Crystal now." Rhinestone followed Dr. Stable into the hospital room, where Crystal held a brand new pup in her paws. The little pup slept on, bundled tight in a blanket. He noticed she was a Pegasus, just like him.... but further look showed little scales down the midsection of her little body, and dark blue scales run down her tiny back. Her mane was a watermelon soft pink, rimmed with red. "Oh, how precious you are, my little Rusty." purred Crystal gently. "She sure is." said Rhinestone gently, as he nuzzled Crystal. "Just like you." A light purple ponywolf stepped into the lobby. Her mane was a prismic rainbow, and her tail a robotic coil. Both front paws were entirely made of metal, the claws making a Scritch-scratch as they traveled across the smooth floor. He deep set yellow and red eyes, along with a single fresh scar only made her look more creepy. As she sat down, Dr. Pyro flinched in surprise. That mare scares me..... As she caught Dr. Pyro's gaze, she gave a dark smile, exposing her long wolf fangs. She watched as Dr. Pyro shuddered. "Rhinestone...... your Daughter's in the lobby..." he said nervously, as he took a step back away from Absentia. Get her away from me...... Rhinestone walked into the lobby. "Oh, hi Absentia. Little Rusty was born today." He said, unable to mask his joy. "I hope she takes after Crystal." "Figures.... What am I, a failure in your eyes?" she said coldly. Her robotic tail twitched in annoyance. "What!? No... you're special too.... " said Rhinestone quickly. You... you just scare everyone..." At his response, Absentia gave an amused chuckle. "You got to admit, I am petty good at that." She watched as Rhinestone's ears flattened. I wish you weren't.... Rhinestone thought. "Do you want to see your new little sister?" "I suppose." said Absentia, as she rolled her eyes, and followed Rhinestone into the room. "Oh, hi sweetie." greeted Crystal, ears flattened. "This is Rusty." Absentia stared for what seemed ages at the little pup. "I see... a great long troubled future ahead of her." said Absentia finally. For some reason, I just know..... bad luck seems to strike this family more than once. "Don't say that Absentia. She may be great someday." scolded Rhinestone, as he gave an annoyed flick of his tail. All went silent as Rusty gave a yawn, and blinked, showing off her two different colored eyes. The left one a bright blue, the right a bright red. Rhinestone gave a chuckle. "I guess she has both our eyes, eh?" "It makes her unique." said Crystal simply. "Very unique indeed." Trouble on the horizonThe days seemed to go by fast in this household. It wasn't long before Rusty had begun to walk by herself.... and get into trouble. Rhinestone flinched as he felt Rusty's sharp but tiny fangs bite into his tail for the 10th time. Why is my tail the best thing to chew on!? He gingerly removed her off of his tail, and went back to the book he was reading. Adorable mischievous little pup..... He wished Crystal was awake from her nap, but she was fast asleep on the couch. Finding herself bored, Rusty bounded around the room to explore some more. It wasn't long before she found something more interesting to play with. A single ball of yarn sat in the wicker sewing basket of Crystal's, a red ball of yarn to be exact. Rusty batted it with a paw, and cocked her head. The sound of it bouncing and the rough texture intrigued her, and soon, she was batting it again, and found herself playing with it. Her tail wagged softly as she played, and Rhinestone gave a long sigh. Not again........ Rusty gave puppy growls and wrestled the yarn ball as she pounced and played with the yarn ball. However, somehow she managed to get herself tangled up, and she gave a small cry of distress, which sounded like a squeak. Rhinestone quickly put his book down, and untangled Rusty with an amused chuckle. She is so cute.... yet so curious. It so happened that he let his Pegasus form slip, as he ended up with claws instead of hooves to help with the tricky yarn. Rusty's eyes widened either in amazement or fear as she looked upon Rhinestone with her red and blue eyes. What was he? Rusty wondered in her tiny head. Could he be what Crystal had described as those creatures with claws and paws, and ran on all fours like a pony, but much furrier, known as a wolf? Or was he something else entirely? Rhinestone watched Rusty's mind swim with confusion, and he flattened his ears. She was going to find out eventually...... Might as well get her used to my half- dragon form. He came out of his thoughts to find Rusty trying to stalk on his tail, trying to be as silent as she could. A very short attention span though.... He shifted to his half-dragon form. The tail became much ropier, and thicker. The soft pony fur was replaced with soft yet hard, dense armor-like scales, and the characteristic white, softly curved horns of a dragon showed at the back of his head. Dark blue soft spines raced down his back, ending only halfway down the back. The sharp black claws tapped gently to get little Rusty's attention. Rusty was utterly surprised. She flattened her ears, and muttered the only word she knew at this point. "Woof." Rhinestone chuckled. "Aren't you so adorable." Rusty reached out a paw, and touched Rhinestone's half fur-scales curiously. It was nothing like she had ever seen before, and it mystified her greatly. Rhinestone watched quietly, as she made an attempt to climb on his back with her already sharp black claws, but she failed miserably, and vocalized this with a soft cry. Crystal, of course, woke with a start. "We're surrounded!" she cried, only to flatten her ears. "It was only a dream Crystal." stated Rhinestone, as he gingerly helped Rusty to his back. I sure hope it is.... she seems to see things in her dreams others can't....... He didn't know that crystal was completely right. Seven changelings waited in the bushes, waiting for the sun to set, so that their black armor would give them an added advantage. They were prepared for Rhinestone and crystal to leave early, or to go somewhere separately. A secret plan was made telepathically from the lead changeling. The leader was a bit darker from the others, if not two shades darker, and he had dark green compound eyes. The color matched his dense shell where his wings lay on top, and he waited patiently, like a tiger waits for it's prey. Finally, the chance came for the changelings. "Hun, I'll be right back. I'm gong to get something from the river for Rusty. I think it would be about time she has tasted what a fish tastes like." They heard Crystal get to her paws, and the door open, then shut behind Crystal, before she begun her trek to the river. Goodness I hope she'll be safe. Rhinestone mused, as he found Rusty playing with his tail. Once again, he felt her sharp fangs in his tail, and he sighed. I'v got to remind myself to get her a chew toy. I'm not sure how much more my poor tail can take of this. The changelings waited until crystal was out of the sight of the other ponies as 4 silently followed her. The other three quietly waited, concealed near the house. Crystal finally reached the river, a cool soft river in the everfree. It was a soft blue, glittering with the little sunlight that reached it. They watched as Crystal tested the water timidly with a paw, before she waited, staring at the water for what seemed ages, before she shot out a paw faster than lightning, catching a small purple fish on the bank. A quick bite silenced the fish's flopping efforts to return to the water, and she used her magic to teleport it home. She wasn't skilled enough in magic to teleport anything bigger, so she sighed, and had started to turn back the way she came, when a sudden soft sound reached her ears, a rustling of a bush. She suddenly froze, eyes darting around for any sign for what may of caused the sound. She sniffed the air, an caught the faint scent of changeling. I knew it! I'm surrounded! She braced herself for the immediate attack. Meanwhile, at home, Rhinestone saw the fish teleport in, landing gently next to him. Well, she got the fish. The new object caught Rusty's attention like a magnet, and she twitched an ear in curiosity. She crouched down and began to stalk it, but when it didn't move, she approached it slowly. when she reached the fish, she sat down, and gave the fish a curious lick, only to realize it tasted funny.... in a good way. Without thinking, she swallowed the fish whole, and began to wash her paws. She learns fast... just the way Crystal eats it. The ambush was quick, the changelings breaking their cover quickly. Outnumbering Crystal, they tried to avoid her furious paws. However, one changeling was hit hard, knocking him down. He got back to his hooves, only for the changeling to knock into him as Crystal flung a changeling away from her with her magic. A changeling knocked Crystal off balance from behind, and while she tried hard to escape, she couldn't. "Should of come with your husband." buzzed an ominous tone of the leader, as he lit his horn. "We have use for you..." Crystal growled low and deep, but it did her no good. A shooting pain burst into her skull, as her vision went dark, and she knew no more, as the changeling knocked her out. Vlad HarpiscordConsciousness finally found Crystal, and she slowly woke with a soft groan. Her head throbbed where the changeling hit it with his hoof, and when she went to put a paw to her head, she found that she couldn't. as her vision cleared, she slowly realized she was tied up to a tall pillar. "Finally you're awake." said a voice. She turned to the source, and saw that a green unicorn stallion was tied up with her as well. His horn was broke off at the tip, and he had some small cuts from possibly a fight. His mane was a dark blue. His eyes were two different colors. One was a dark golden yellow, the other a dark red. He wore a pair of circular glasses on his face, and an unamused expression. "Changelings got you too, eh?" "W..who are you?" asked Crystal, as she struggled to clear her head. "My name is Vlad. Vlad Harpsicord. I'm a scientist who specializes in ancient artifacts." Crystal looked around. It was a dimly lit place, lit only by torches on the wall. It looked pretty barren, yet it dimly reminded Crystal of a broken down castle. She lit her horn to untie herself, but her magic fizzled out as fast as it had come. "Don't bother. They've drugged us. Couldn't escape even if I wanted to." Crystal struggled in the ropes, but it was as if the rope was made of wicker. She gave a sigh. "Hopefully we know what they wish to do to us, miss...." "Crystal. Crystal Shard." Rhinestone watched as Rusty tried hard not to fall asleep.... and she was loosing the battle to stay awake. He twitched an ear. Crystal should be home by now....... I must find her. He put Rusty on his back, and shifted to his Pegasus form, before he walked outside to take off. Suddenly, the hidden figures jumped out of the bushes, catching him off guard. He ducked one channeling's lunge so that it missed, crashing into another changeling, as he took off. Surprisingly, Rusty was still fast asleep, her grip secured by her sharp little claws. He glanced behind him, and saw that the three changelings were following him. He rounded a bend sharply and looked back again. Did I loose them? "What a nice name." said Vlad. "But obviously there must be a reason they wanted to kidnap you." He watched as Crystal managed to free a paw, and reached into the fur around her neck, and pulled out the ancient necklace. "Oh, that explains everything." said Vlad with curiousity. "The Eternal Flame Amulet. The amulet, with enough starpower, can grant the user great powers......." The rope loosened, and it occurred to him that Crystal had begun to untie the rope. "Rumored to even grant the user immortality." "so that's why they want it..." replied Crystal, as she undid the last of the knots. As they got to her paws and hooves, they found their steps were shaky and unsteady. "Here... lean on me." offered Vlad. "Maybe we can find a way out of this place....." Rhinestone breathed a sigh, then cringed as he came face-to-face with a changeling. "I warned you!" it hissed as it raised a hoof to strike. Rhinestone caught the hoof, and flung the changeling away, only to pin it's legs to the ground so it couldn't get away. "I will only say his once..... where is Crystal Shard!?" He morphed into his half dragon form, angered enough that smoke billowed from his scaled nostrils. The changeling struggled feebly under his grip, pure terror in it's compound blue eyes. "T..they... they took her... to the hive!" whimpered the changeling. "P..please don't kill me!" An unlikely ally"Where is the hive?" continued Rhinestone. "I...it's about a couple m...miles from here..." stammered the changeling. "So you're just a scout, eh?" said Rhinestone craftily. "Tell you what... you help me, and I set you free. If you don't.... I fry you where you lay." To emphasize his point, he blew a small cloud of soot from his nostrils. The changeling flinched at this, and meekly changed the subject. "Cute pup you got there. Such a sound sleeper." There was a sigh. "My name is Rita. I do not wish to harm thee or your little ones. I only follow what I am told." "Her name is Rusty." said Rhinestone warily, as he carefully unpinned Rita. "My name is Rhinestone. Don't ever forget it." He looked her over, finally getting a glimpse of his attacker. She was a dark blue changeling with a light red mane and one red eye, which contracted with her blue eye. She picked up her glasses and put them back on her face with an amused expression. "Just a few scratches. I'll be fine. Got thick armor. Claws won't hurt much, but we ain't fireproof." She turned her gaze through her square frames at Rhinestone. "Now.... how can thee be of assistance?" "you're a scout, right? If that's true, you can help me find a way into this hive so that I can find Crystal...." "Oh, I got an idea!" chimed rita. "If you're my prisoner, they'll take you to the prisoner area, and that's probally where your Crystal is...." She flattened her ears. "But I'm afraid that Leader Craig won't be nice to her." "Who is this Craig?" questioned Rhinestone with a hint of anger. Rita gave a sigh. "Leader Craig is the hive master. He dishes out orders, and we must follow them. If we do not..." she shuddered. "Bad thing like this happen." She lifted a wing to show a fresh scar across the underside of the delicate membrane, a cut only claws could make. She cringed as the wound stung from the exposure to fresh air. "Doesn't sound like a great guy." commented Rhinestone, as he came closer. "But I can help you.... if you trust me." "I don't see much progress here." commented Crystal dryly. "I'm sorry... it would be easier if I still had my magic." They used each other for support. Suddenly, Vlad hid them against a wall. "What are y--" Vlad hushed her with a hoof as a guard changeling walked by, seemingly not noticing them hiding behind the wall. "That was a close one." quietly remarked Crystal. "Thanks." "Tell you what... I have a plan... but it won't work if you don't follow it up to par. Are you ready?" Crystal nodded. "We still need to find a way out of here." said Vlad, as he put a hoof to his head. "Before the drug gets any worse affects on us." Rhinestone carefully put the rope around his neck. "So you're gonna lead me in like you beat the scales off of me? Pretty hard to convince when i'm stronger and bigger than you....Plus, me with no scuffs or hurt anywhere." Rita thought this over. This was true.... no one would believe her if he wasn't hurt at all.... But what if..... what if she could have him hurt himself with a doppelganger of himself that looked like a changeling? A little closer than friends......"Woah, wait.... if I get captured... who will watch Rusty?" His eyes narrowed in contempt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vlad and Crystal tried to work out a plan through their fogged brains, but the thoughts simply fizzled out before they sprung up into a plan. "Okay.... there's nothing we can do, except wait for this damn drug to wear off." said Vlad. "But in the meantime..." , He pointed to a nearby cave. "We can hide until they give up the search." "Hide with you!?" The very thought of being alone with someone she just met sprang a few questions of her own. Vlad gave a light chuckle. "That's what I said." In the faint light of the sunset, he finally got a good look to his friend Crystal. The sunlight gently reflected upon her dark coat, making it turn a different shade of blue, and dusted the ends of her mane a light gold. The eyes of red and green searched him for answers, but as they met his, he couldn't help but feel as though he must protect her. He suddenly brought her closer, and shivered as the air temperature lowered by 2 degrees. "It's getting a bit cold out here, and I don't have a thick coat like you do to protect me. You don't mind, do you?" "No...n...not at all." Crystal flattened her ears as they went into the cave, catching the faint smell of worn leather. His grip was firm but soft... and reassuring. It felt safe in his hooves, despite what she thought. She heard herself give a light low purr. "You feel safe, no?" said Vlad with an amused tone. He watched as Crystal fell asleep, before he did as well, relishing in the faint smell of the woods upon her thick luxurious fur. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Well, that's a good question... where is she anyway?" They both looked around, and there was no trace of the little pup who was just dozing moments earlier. "This is bad.... very bad. What if Crystal finds out I lost Rusty!?" His spines on his back arched with alarm. He knew Crystal's temper very well. If she found out about him loosing Rusty..... He gave a shudder. "We have to find her." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Rusty had woken to her father talking to a bug mare. Strange, she thought. What kind of animal is half bug? But as luck would have it, she was suddenly distracted by a small yellow butterfly that had flown closer. She jumped to catch it in her tiny paws, but missed, and chased the butterfly as it began to fly away. She didn't realize how far she had chased it though, before it flew out of her sight. Suddenly, a gasp. "Hey! Dude, look at this!" A changeling picked up Rusty and looked her over with his blue compound eyes. "It's some sort of puppy!" Rusty wagged her tail, oblivious to the obvious danger in front of her, happy to meet someone new. Snakes and dragonsThe more Rusty was around these changlings, the more she began to understand them. To her, they were still bug creatures, but they were her friends. Another butterfly grabbed her attention, for it was a bright red. She batted a paw at the insect just out of her reach, only for it to land on her nose. She shook her head to get it off, before she jumped once in another attempt to catch the butterfly.... only to land on her face. Angered, Rusty gave a hiss, and avoided eye contact at the butterfly, convinced that it was all its fault for her fumble. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Well, I can assume you slept well?" Vlad asked with an akward chuckle. "Yes. My mind seems to have recovered from the..... foginess." She seemed not to know the right word. "Pretell, what do we do next?" Asked Vald. "For I do not know what future lies ahead." "Well..... I must find my mate Rhinestone. He doesn't think when he acts in anger.... and might of gone looking for me." Doesn't sound very smart.... "Okay.... where do you think he may of come?" Vlad saw the fur of Crystal bristle in suprise. "Vlad..... he may of taken my child with him.... what if they kidnapped her and left him somewhere hurt.... or worse....." Vlad put a hoof on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "Do not worry.... I shall help you find them both." "You would? Oh thank you Vlad." She couldn't help but lick his cheek. "Come on.... let's go find Rusty." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rhinestone was furious, knowing that his enemy had set him up. "What do you want from me, you snake?" Undertaker fixed him with a serious stare. "Why the amulet, that'sssss why.... although I think your familly won't mind...." "What have you done to my familly, you wrecked feind!?" "Oh.... just playing a game, thatssssssss all...." He gave an amused laugh. "If you hurt even one single hair on them, I'll burn you to a crisp!" He was fuming with anger to the point where smoke drifted from his nostrils, and his claws flexed. "Awwww...... what'sssssss life without a little fun?" He turned Rhinestone's head around so that he would be forced to stare into Undertaker's eyes. "Don't worry....." He said as he felt Rhinestone struggle ," You won't feel a thing when I get done with you." SuprisesAnother changeling came to see what all the commotion was. "why is there a puppy here?" "That doesn't look like a puppy dude...." "Well, whatever it is, i's simply adorable. What should we do with it guys?" "Can we keep it Cyclone? Pretty please?" A dark blue changeling begged. "I don't think so Shale.... but there's no harm in holdin on to the adorable thing." He held the little pup out to hoof lengh, and felt her purr softly, the tail in a small wag. The bi-polar eyes seemed to search him for an answer as they looked him over once. what is this thing? Looks sort of like a bug.... Rusty cocked her head in confusion as she stared at Cyclone. She was bewildered by his orange and red eyes, his membrane transparent wings, and his chitin, the outer tough armor-like skin unique to changelings. The way she heard these creatures talk, in their clicks, buzzez, wing flitzez, and other strange noises in their native changeling tongue she found quite confusing. But it didn't take her long for her brain to quickly learn how this language worked. Shaping the new words carefully she had heard, she clicked and gave a flitz of her wings, although they went big enough for any other use. "Me Rusty." The words sounded alien to her but she felt a thrill, especially when she saw the other changelings flinch in utter suprise. "Guys! D....did you just hear that!? S...she speaks Changeling!" Undertaker Undertaker Rusty flattened her ears, as she sat down on the grass. The changeling seemed much nervous now, casting a quick look at her, before they contined talking in hushed whispers. Was there something wrong? She did not know. She only hoped they were not mad. "Cyclone..... we can pass her off as a changeling, now that she seems to have learned our language." "Shale, we don't even know a lot about this Rusty. Are you sure she would fit?" "Of course! Have you seen anything like her? They'll think it's one of the nymph's disguises. No dog has a frog tongue and purple fur.... or two-colored eyes....." He watched in amazement as Rusty flicked her tongue out and took an apple off a high branch. "Maybe you could be right.... I just hope this isn't wrong." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rita felt kinda silly as she led her "prisoner" into the main entrance of the hive. Suddenly, a hundred set of eyes were upon her. "Ah.... so you have found me a prissssssoner, eh," hissed a voice. Rita felt herself trembling with fear as a shadowy figure stepped into her field of vision. it was a midnight-black scales shining off the dim light, illuminating faint lines of dark purple stripes. Thick fangs showed every time he said a word, and occasionally his forked bright blue tongue. A single chain hung around his neck, adorned with small gems of various colors. Rita knew who this was. He was only called by his nickname, Undertaker, and he was one of the few giant FireSnakes left in Equestria. "I...um... yes." She nervously looked away. Rhinestone shot a look of hatred at Undertaker. Half-dragons were FireSnakes natural enemy, and Undertaker seemed out of place. Normally FireSnakes were any color except black or white.... "Ssssssso...... you bring me a half-dragon I ssssseeee...." He gave a dark grin, exposing his fangs as he met Rhinestone's gaze. "Exsssssssssselent" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vlad stirred and woke up. To his suprise, Crystal had already been up, judged by him sighting her by the river, cleaning blood off of her claws. He remembered she was a carnivore and gave a small shudder. I'd hate to be a bunny right now..... At his shudder, Crystal spotted him and walked over to him, her claws now clean, and she retracted them, as only a wolf could. "Good morning Vlad. I trust your sleep was well?" She remembered a smigit of last night and shivered.
The first tale......It was a warm day in the crystal empire. It was peaceful and with bliss. The shining city blossomed with love and kindness from those who lived within. The light refracted off the crystal structures radiated even the love from the city, as well as a welcoming atmosphere. A single royal guard stood guard at the crystal castle. He was a light purple crystal Pegasus, with ice-blue eyes, and a determined expression. He stood there, his name Rhinestone. A grey-hooded figure approached Rhinestone slowly, turning her head around to see she wasn't being watched, the sharp green and blue eyes looking around. Instead of the soft clip-clop hooves made, hers made a soft, almost soundless noise as she walked. If one looked closely, they would realize she did not have hooves at all, but paws. She stopped right in front of Rhinestone. "Hun... I told you ya didn't have to hide...." began Rhinestone. The figure took off the hood, revealing a squarish muzzle, dark purple fur, a unicorn's horn. Her bi-colored eyes, one ice blue, the other green, looked at him worriedly, as she softly brushed her fusha pink hair out of her face. "A..are you sure? The others may think I'm a monster." She replied in a unique thick wolfish accent. "A monster? They do not understand you." Replied Rhinestone, ears flattened. "I only hide because others would kill me on sight. No one would understand a crystal dragon trying to be like the rest of ponykind.... but they would of a crystal Pegasus." "....True." She flattened her ears. "Hey..... relax. The stress isn't good for the little one." She gave a chuckle. "Maybe she'll grow up to be like you someday." "I'm glad you visited me Crystal. It's kinda boring here." He admitted sheepishly. "Not much happens around here." Crystal paused in what she was going to say. "Very well then. If thee thinks i'm not a monster..... why do I hide?" With her magic, she took off her cloak, and put it away. The sunlight revealed her strong furry build, the fluffy long tail that trailed behind her, and her long fusha mane. Her belly was ever so slightly descended, heavy with the pup she carried within. A pony nearby gasped. "What in celestia's glorious sunlight is that!? "It's my damn marefriend. Now shutup." Replied Rhinestone angrily. The pony went silent, before he rolled his eyes, and after muttering something under his breath, walked off. "Thank you Rhinestone." She purred softly. "How have you been lately? I mean... with the little one and all, I was just concerned." "I could be better..." Crystal replied. "She's been a bit active lately." Rhinestone put a hoof gently on Crystal's belly. "I bet so. A mischievous thing she is.... Maybe she'll be a unicorn, just like you." Crystal chuckled lightly. "Or maybe a dragon like you. Who knows what she'll turn out to be." Rhinestone checked the time on his watch. "Hey, my shift is about over. How about I take you home and make you feel better?" "Sounds wonderful." "But I'll carry you this time. Last time, you were out of breath when we traveled back home to Ponyville. I don't want any harm to our little one." "I just thought of a name for her...... Rusty." "How Unique." Said Rhinestone in a confused tone. She just gets stranger and stranger every day..... I love it. "Rusty it is." He looked around, before he shifted into his dragon form, quickly but gently put Crystal on his back, and took off with a powerful wing stroke. Soon they were cruising among the clouds. "I always liked this form better..." Purred Crystal. "Such sexy scales... hiding under that other disguise." Crystal didn't know what to think of his Pegasus disguise. It was a bit smaller than his dragon form, but it was clever. No one but her and him knew of this secret. Rhinestone gave a small chuckle. "And such long gloriously silky fur you have....".......! He quickly swiveled to the right, narrowly missing a fireball. What in Equestria was that!? A shadow darted again at him, talons out and ready, and he dodged, but just barely. "Dear.... what's going on?" She asked in a panicked tone. He could feel her claws as her grip tightened. The stress isn't good for little Rusty.... He struck the shadowed figure in the chest with a fireball of his own, which was dark purple. The dragon gave a snarl of anger. He was a dark red with pure white spines. His eyes were a glowing dangerous green, and there was a sharp spike at the end of his tail. "Rhinestone...... I told you never to fly in this area again." The voice was deep, full of anger. "This is my territory!" "But Boneknapper.... my house is in that area. Besides, you're scaring my marefriend, and the stress isn't good for the baby." Replied Rhinestone angrily. "I don't give a rat's butt if this is your territory or not." There was complete silence, except for the sound of their wingbeats through the air, and the soft whimpering of Crystal. Finally, after what seemed ages, Boneknapper broke the silence, as he caught sight of Crystal clinging tightly to Rhinestone's scales. "I had forgotten about Crystal.... and your house is indeed in this area. My apologies, Miss Crystal.... I over-reacted." Crystal whimpered, "P...please don't do that again." "Shh.... i'll get you home. Calm down for me, okay?" He turned his attention to Boneknapper. "Goodbye Mr. Boneknapper." "Goodbye." He replied, as he took off again. There was silence on the rest of the journey back home. But finally, he landed, and quickly shifted back to his Pegasus form. He gave a slight wince as he felt the ends of her claws still in his fur. "Sweetie, we're home." "Thank the stars." She replied with a sigh, ears flattened. Rhinestone went inside the house, and gently put Crystal on the soft dark green couch. "Now, you stay here. Is there anything I could get you?" "Yeah... a glass of Gingerale. With the ride you gave me, it was like a roller coaster." She replied sarcastically. "I..i'm sorry. I'll get your drink." He knew that every time Crystal went on a roller coaster, she ended up tossing her cookies. He vowed since last time, never to take her on another. Still, he couldn't help but feel awful for putting her through that. He walked back into the living room, handing her the glass. "Here you are hun." "Thank you." She replied, as she sipped from it sparingly. "Can't that scaly jerk ever leave you alone?" "He has a poor memory Crystal.... he never remembers things he should." He flattened his ears. "I should of never taken you through that......." "That's okay hun." She replied with a light laugh. "If I was a Pegasus instead of a unicorn, I'd kick his ass right back to the place he came from."
Changelings........The statement made Rhinestone laugh. "I'd like to see that." He sat down on the couch next to her. "So, I assume you're feeling better?" "A bit." she replied elusively. "I could use a cupcake.... with sprinkles. Rainbow ones." She gave him the puppy eyes. "Could you please?" Rhinestone gave an awkward chuckle. "Sure, whatever you say. I'll go to the bakery and get you one." Her and her weird cravings. "You just sit here and relax." "Not like I have anything better to do, other than wait for Rusty to come into the world." she said sarcastically. "Don't talk like that. I won't be gone that long." He replied unamused. "It's just a few blocks away. I'm not going to take long." "I hope not." He shifted into his dragon form, and left the house, his thoughts going through his head. Rainbow sprinkles this time. He heard himself sigh. I can't believe how weird her cravings are lately...... As he prepared to land, he shifted back into his Pegasus form, and lightly made contact on the ground with all four hooves. He folded his feathery wings, and headed inside the bakery. "Hi Rhinestone." greeted Mr. Cake. "It's Crystal again, isn't it?" "Yeah..... she wants a cupcake, but this time with rainbow sprinkles." Mr. Cake gave a nervous chuckle, as he replied in a low tone, "I know how you feel. It wasn't too long ago that Ms. Cake had Pumpkin Spice and Pound Cake. They can be quite a hooffull." Rhinestone nodded in understanding. "It's a little filly. We've named her Rusty." "What an interesting name." he replied. "Here's your cupcake." he said, as he got the cupcake out of the oven. "I wish luck to you Rhinestone." Rhinestone gave a sigh. "I'm gonna need it." He took off with his Pegasus wings into the cool still air. But when he got home, he found that Crystal wasn't on the couch anymore. He gave a sigh and a disappointed shake of his head. She is so random. "Crystal!" he called as he walked around. "Where are you?" Suddenly a dark figure lunged at him from the shadows. He caught the movement and barely dodged in time to dodge a changeling. "What have you done to her!?" said Rhinestone furiously. The changeling gave a dark evil laugh. "You silly hybrid.... you know what we want.... you give it or she dies." He stepped back to show another changeling holding a silver blade against Crystal's neck. She was tied up very tightly, and by her appearance, she had put up a fight, because her mane was a bit messed up. Her mouth was bound with rope, as well as her body. Her paws were tied together as well. She gave a growl and an evil glare at the changeling holding the knife to her throat. "She puts up quite the fight Rhinestone...., perhaps I'll make her my slave." He gave an evil grin as he looked her over with his compound eyes. There were more muffled curses from Crystal as she struggled in her bindings, giving a look that implied if she got free, he would be in bloody pieces. "How dare you!" he shouted. "I'll make you pay!" He shifted to his dragon form quickly. "I'll never give you the amulet! NEVER!"
RustyHe charged at the stallion with fury, but missed. The changeling gave a sly smile. "Very well then.... I shall give you 24 hours to give me the amulet........ Or she will die." Rhinestone watched as the changeling gave a silent signal, and the changeling withheld the knife from the throat of Crystal, before they all teleported off in a flash of black magic. I can't give them the amulet...... I just can't. Too much power is at stake...... plus my family. Rhinestone quickly untied crystal, who by now wasn't in a very good mood. "If I so much as get my paws on them.." she began with a dangerous tone. "Shh. They probally won't be back..." Reassured Rhinestone. I hope so.... for the sake of little Rusty. "Are you okay?" "Yeah..... I will be." she replied, as she began to wash her face with her paws. "Well, on the bright side, we're unhurt." "I see no bright side here." replied Crystal grumpily. "I nearly got killed because of this stupid trinket..." She reached into her thick fur, and withdrew the amulet. It hung on a gold chain, with two winged snakes around the center ruby. The snakes looked like they were locked in an eternal struggle to conquer the other, but the gem was not bigger than her pawpad. The little light made the stone appear a bloody crimson, neatly etched in a gold finish. The snake's eyes were a bone-chilling emerald, and the fangs much longer than a normal snake. "The Eternal Flame Amulet..... why do I even care about this?" said Crystal, as she held it to the light. Let it be known all dragons are drawn to anything shiny...... Rhinestone quickly snatched the amulet. "Mine!" It took him a moment to realize what he had done, and he flattened his ears. "Sorry hun... I just couldn't help myself." he replied sheepishly. "Must be the dragon side of me acting up." Crystal shot him an annoyed look. "Remind me what this stupid bauble does... and why you fight for it." Rhinestone sighed. "Very well then. Long ago, there was a dragon with unheard of powers.... rumored to even be son of the Sun. He was a kind fellow, usually helping as he saw fit. His name was Flarix.... Flarix the Great. A hagsfeind saw the power this dragon possessed, and wondered if she could corrupt him, making their kingdom grow and be unstoppable. With his army and her demons, she would be a god..... and rule this pathetic land. Her name was Yurik, translated in dragon as Witch, and in pony, Chaos. In wolf, her name was Bloodshed......... and everywhere she went, she was feared. So she chose an ambush for when Flarix went to his daily journey, she pounced with her small team of demons. these demons were huge snakes, with very long fangs, and dark feathery crow wings. Flarix was caught off guard, and he uttered a spell that stopped her..... but at a great cost. He would have to sacrifice his life to seal up the tear she had made in the normal world to prevent more Hagsfeinds from entering from The Dim World. With a chant of words and a single movement, he brought a gem from his pocket, and cast the spell. The hagsfeinds were blinded by the purifying light, and those who did not flee were destroyed. Yurik cursed as she fled. "May the next child born of pony and dragon be cursed to bear a child who will suffer an unknown fate!" " Suffer an unknown fate...... He flattened his ears. "It's just a legend hun." purred Crystal. "Please... continue." "If you insist. Now, as he did so, the gem changed. The last two snake demons to leave turned a brilliant gold and solidified around the gem that was their demise.... and solidified, doomed to a life of eternal struggle...." He flattened his ears more. "Are you okay?" Crystal looked a bit rather uncomfortable. "I don't think so...." She flattened her ears. "Perhaps Stable can look Rusty over?" Rhinestone nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'd be more than happy to help you, my dear. Can you climb on my back? If not, I can help you." Crystal stood to her paws, and lit her horn, teleporting on his back. "Something is wrong... I sense it." "Then I shall hurry. Hang on, my indiego sweetheart." He took off outside. Shortly after taking off, he felt Crystal cringe. "You better hurry Rhinestone..... " He increased his speed. Of all the days, Rusty just had to choose this one..... It wasn't long before he landed and rushed into the hospital. The doctors that were chatting quickly went silent. "I see. Good thing you got here so fast." said Stable, as he quickly took Crystal into another room. Rhinestone sat in the lobby pondering his thoughts, when the other doctor sat next to him. It was a white Pegasus with a red scar over one eye, and a black mane, with a neon-green highlight through it. "First time father, eh?" said the doctor. His nametag read, "Dr. Pyros". "Yeah..... you couldn't believe the trouble I've gone through with this. But I hope it'll be worth it to see my little girl." "It's always worth it.... she's in good hooves now. Stable's the best doctor here." Rhinestone did not hear Pyros mutter under his breath faintly, "So far."
AbsentiaRhinestone paced and paced, lost in his own thoughts. The only sound was the soft clip-clop of his hooves, and the eerie ticking of the clock on the wall. He did not know how much time had passed, but he saw Dr. Stable come into the lobby. "Rhinestone?" he said casually, as he adjusted his glasses. "You can see Crystal now." Rhinestone followed Dr. Stable into the hospital room, where Crystal held a brand new pup in her paws. The little pup slept on, bundled tight in a blanket. He noticed she was a Pegasus, just like him.... but further look showed little scales down the midsection of her little body, and dark blue scales run down her tiny back. Her mane was a watermelon soft pink, rimmed with red. "Oh, how precious you are, my little Rusty." purred Crystal gently. "She sure is." said Rhinestone gently, as he nuzzled Crystal. "Just like you." A light purple ponywolf stepped into the lobby. Her mane was a prismic rainbow, and her tail a robotic coil. Both front paws were entirely made of metal, the claws making a Scritch-scratch as they traveled across the smooth floor. He deep set yellow and red eyes, along with a single fresh scar only made her look more creepy. As she sat down, Dr. Pyro flinched in surprise. That mare scares me..... As she caught Dr. Pyro's gaze, she gave a dark smile, exposing her long wolf fangs. She watched as Dr. Pyro shuddered. "Rhinestone...... your Daughter's in the lobby..." he said nervously, as he took a step back away from Absentia. Get her away from me...... Rhinestone walked into the lobby. "Oh, hi Absentia. Little Rusty was born today." He said, unable to mask his joy. "I hope she takes after Crystal." "Figures.... What am I, a failure in your eyes?" she said coldly. Her robotic tail twitched in annoyance. "What!? No... you're special too.... " said Rhinestone quickly. You... you just scare everyone..." At his response, Absentia gave an amused chuckle. "You got to admit, I am petty good at that." She watched as Rhinestone's ears flattened. I wish you weren't.... Rhinestone thought. "Do you want to see your new little sister?" "I suppose." said Absentia, as she rolled her eyes, and followed Rhinestone into the room. "Oh, hi sweetie." greeted Crystal, ears flattened. "This is Rusty." Absentia stared for what seemed ages at the little pup. "I see... a great long troubled future ahead of her." said Absentia finally. For some reason, I just know..... bad luck seems to strike this family more than once. "Don't say that Absentia. She may be great someday." scolded Rhinestone, as he gave an annoyed flick of his tail. All went silent as Rusty gave a yawn, and blinked, showing off her two different colored eyes. The left one a bright blue, the right a bright red. Rhinestone gave a chuckle. "I guess she has both our eyes, eh?" "It makes her unique." said Crystal simply. "Very unique indeed."
Trouble on the horizonThe days seemed to go by fast in this household. It wasn't long before Rusty had begun to walk by herself.... and get into trouble. Rhinestone flinched as he felt Rusty's sharp but tiny fangs bite into his tail for the 10th time. Why is my tail the best thing to chew on!? He gingerly removed her off of his tail, and went back to the book he was reading. Adorable mischievous little pup..... He wished Crystal was awake from her nap, but she was fast asleep on the couch. Finding herself bored, Rusty bounded around the room to explore some more. It wasn't long before she found something more interesting to play with. A single ball of yarn sat in the wicker sewing basket of Crystal's, a red ball of yarn to be exact. Rusty batted it with a paw, and cocked her head. The sound of it bouncing and the rough texture intrigued her, and soon, she was batting it again, and found herself playing with it. Her tail wagged softly as she played, and Rhinestone gave a long sigh. Not again........ Rusty gave puppy growls and wrestled the yarn ball as she pounced and played with the yarn ball. However, somehow she managed to get herself tangled up, and she gave a small cry of distress, which sounded like a squeak. Rhinestone quickly put his book down, and untangled Rusty with an amused chuckle. She is so cute.... yet so curious. It so happened that he let his Pegasus form slip, as he ended up with claws instead of hooves to help with the tricky yarn. Rusty's eyes widened either in amazement or fear as she looked upon Rhinestone with her red and blue eyes. What was he? Rusty wondered in her tiny head. Could he be what Crystal had described as those creatures with claws and paws, and ran on all fours like a pony, but much furrier, known as a wolf? Or was he something else entirely? Rhinestone watched Rusty's mind swim with confusion, and he flattened his ears. She was going to find out eventually...... Might as well get her used to my half- dragon form. He came out of his thoughts to find Rusty trying to stalk on his tail, trying to be as silent as she could. A very short attention span though.... He shifted to his half-dragon form. The tail became much ropier, and thicker. The soft pony fur was replaced with soft yet hard, dense armor-like scales, and the characteristic white, softly curved horns of a dragon showed at the back of his head. Dark blue soft spines raced down his back, ending only halfway down the back. The sharp black claws tapped gently to get little Rusty's attention. Rusty was utterly surprised. She flattened her ears, and muttered the only word she knew at this point. "Woof." Rhinestone chuckled. "Aren't you so adorable." Rusty reached out a paw, and touched Rhinestone's half fur-scales curiously. It was nothing like she had ever seen before, and it mystified her greatly. Rhinestone watched quietly, as she made an attempt to climb on his back with her already sharp black claws, but she failed miserably, and vocalized this with a soft cry. Crystal, of course, woke with a start. "We're surrounded!" she cried, only to flatten her ears. "It was only a dream Crystal." stated Rhinestone, as he gingerly helped Rusty to his back. I sure hope it is.... she seems to see things in her dreams others can't....... He didn't know that crystal was completely right. Seven changelings waited in the bushes, waiting for the sun to set, so that their black armor would give them an added advantage. They were prepared for Rhinestone and crystal to leave early, or to go somewhere separately. A secret plan was made telepathically from the lead changeling. The leader was a bit darker from the others, if not two shades darker, and he had dark green compound eyes. The color matched his dense shell where his wings lay on top, and he waited patiently, like a tiger waits for it's prey. Finally, the chance came for the changelings. "Hun, I'll be right back. I'm gong to get something from the river for Rusty. I think it would be about time she has tasted what a fish tastes like." They heard Crystal get to her paws, and the door open, then shut behind Crystal, before she begun her trek to the river. Goodness I hope she'll be safe. Rhinestone mused, as he found Rusty playing with his tail. Once again, he felt her sharp fangs in his tail, and he sighed. I'v got to remind myself to get her a chew toy. I'm not sure how much more my poor tail can take of this. The changelings waited until crystal was out of the sight of the other ponies as 4 silently followed her. The other three quietly waited, concealed near the house. Crystal finally reached the river, a cool soft river in the everfree. It was a soft blue, glittering with the little sunlight that reached it. They watched as Crystal tested the water timidly with a paw, before she waited, staring at the water for what seemed ages, before she shot out a paw faster than lightning, catching a small purple fish on the bank. A quick bite silenced the fish's flopping efforts to return to the water, and she used her magic to teleport it home. She wasn't skilled enough in magic to teleport anything bigger, so she sighed, and had started to turn back the way she came, when a sudden soft sound reached her ears, a rustling of a bush. She suddenly froze, eyes darting around for any sign for what may of caused the sound. She sniffed the air, an caught the faint scent of changeling. I knew it! I'm surrounded! She braced herself for the immediate attack. Meanwhile, at home, Rhinestone saw the fish teleport in, landing gently next to him. Well, she got the fish. The new object caught Rusty's attention like a magnet, and she twitched an ear in curiosity. She crouched down and began to stalk it, but when it didn't move, she approached it slowly. when she reached the fish, she sat down, and gave the fish a curious lick, only to realize it tasted funny.... in a good way. Without thinking, she swallowed the fish whole, and began to wash her paws. She learns fast... just the way Crystal eats it. The ambush was quick, the changelings breaking their cover quickly. Outnumbering Crystal, they tried to avoid her furious paws. However, one changeling was hit hard, knocking him down. He got back to his hooves, only for the changeling to knock into him as Crystal flung a changeling away from her with her magic. A changeling knocked Crystal off balance from behind, and while she tried hard to escape, she couldn't. "Should of come with your husband." buzzed an ominous tone of the leader, as he lit his horn. "We have use for you..." Crystal growled low and deep, but it did her no good. A shooting pain burst into her skull, as her vision went dark, and she knew no more, as the changeling knocked her out.
Vlad HarpiscordConsciousness finally found Crystal, and she slowly woke with a soft groan. Her head throbbed where the changeling hit it with his hoof, and when she went to put a paw to her head, she found that she couldn't. as her vision cleared, she slowly realized she was tied up to a tall pillar. "Finally you're awake." said a voice. She turned to the source, and saw that a green unicorn stallion was tied up with her as well. His horn was broke off at the tip, and he had some small cuts from possibly a fight. His mane was a dark blue. His eyes were two different colors. One was a dark golden yellow, the other a dark red. He wore a pair of circular glasses on his face, and an unamused expression. "Changelings got you too, eh?" "W..who are you?" asked Crystal, as she struggled to clear her head. "My name is Vlad. Vlad Harpsicord. I'm a scientist who specializes in ancient artifacts." Crystal looked around. It was a dimly lit place, lit only by torches on the wall. It looked pretty barren, yet it dimly reminded Crystal of a broken down castle. She lit her horn to untie herself, but her magic fizzled out as fast as it had come. "Don't bother. They've drugged us. Couldn't escape even if I wanted to." Crystal struggled in the ropes, but it was as if the rope was made of wicker. She gave a sigh. "Hopefully we know what they wish to do to us, miss...." "Crystal. Crystal Shard." Rhinestone watched as Rusty tried hard not to fall asleep.... and she was loosing the battle to stay awake. He twitched an ear. Crystal should be home by now....... I must find her. He put Rusty on his back, and shifted to his Pegasus form, before he walked outside to take off. Suddenly, the hidden figures jumped out of the bushes, catching him off guard. He ducked one channeling's lunge so that it missed, crashing into another changeling, as he took off. Surprisingly, Rusty was still fast asleep, her grip secured by her sharp little claws. He glanced behind him, and saw that the three changelings were following him. He rounded a bend sharply and looked back again. Did I loose them? "What a nice name." said Vlad. "But obviously there must be a reason they wanted to kidnap you." He watched as Crystal managed to free a paw, and reached into the fur around her neck, and pulled out the ancient necklace. "Oh, that explains everything." said Vlad with curiousity. "The Eternal Flame Amulet. The amulet, with enough starpower, can grant the user great powers......." The rope loosened, and it occurred to him that Crystal had begun to untie the rope. "Rumored to even grant the user immortality." "so that's why they want it..." replied Crystal, as she undid the last of the knots. As they got to her paws and hooves, they found their steps were shaky and unsteady. "Here... lean on me." offered Vlad. "Maybe we can find a way out of this place....." Rhinestone breathed a sigh, then cringed as he came face-to-face with a changeling. "I warned you!" it hissed as it raised a hoof to strike. Rhinestone caught the hoof, and flung the changeling away, only to pin it's legs to the ground so it couldn't get away. "I will only say his once..... where is Crystal Shard!?" He morphed into his half dragon form, angered enough that smoke billowed from his scaled nostrils. The changeling struggled feebly under his grip, pure terror in it's compound blue eyes. "T..they... they took her... to the hive!" whimpered the changeling. "P..please don't kill me!"
An unlikely ally"Where is the hive?" continued Rhinestone. "I...it's about a couple m...miles from here..." stammered the changeling. "So you're just a scout, eh?" said Rhinestone craftily. "Tell you what... you help me, and I set you free. If you don't.... I fry you where you lay." To emphasize his point, he blew a small cloud of soot from his nostrils. The changeling flinched at this, and meekly changed the subject. "Cute pup you got there. Such a sound sleeper." There was a sigh. "My name is Rita. I do not wish to harm thee or your little ones. I only follow what I am told." "Her name is Rusty." said Rhinestone warily, as he carefully unpinned Rita. "My name is Rhinestone. Don't ever forget it." He looked her over, finally getting a glimpse of his attacker. She was a dark blue changeling with a light red mane and one red eye, which contracted with her blue eye. She picked up her glasses and put them back on her face with an amused expression. "Just a few scratches. I'll be fine. Got thick armor. Claws won't hurt much, but we ain't fireproof." She turned her gaze through her square frames at Rhinestone. "Now.... how can thee be of assistance?" "you're a scout, right? If that's true, you can help me find a way into this hive so that I can find Crystal...." "Oh, I got an idea!" chimed rita. "If you're my prisoner, they'll take you to the prisoner area, and that's probally where your Crystal is...." She flattened her ears. "But I'm afraid that Leader Craig won't be nice to her." "Who is this Craig?" questioned Rhinestone with a hint of anger. Rita gave a sigh. "Leader Craig is the hive master. He dishes out orders, and we must follow them. If we do not..." she shuddered. "Bad thing like this happen." She lifted a wing to show a fresh scar across the underside of the delicate membrane, a cut only claws could make. She cringed as the wound stung from the exposure to fresh air. "Doesn't sound like a great guy." commented Rhinestone, as he came closer. "But I can help you.... if you trust me." "I don't see much progress here." commented Crystal dryly. "I'm sorry... it would be easier if I still had my magic." They used each other for support. Suddenly, Vlad hid them against a wall. "What are y--" Vlad hushed her with a hoof as a guard changeling walked by, seemingly not noticing them hiding behind the wall. "That was a close one." quietly remarked Crystal. "Thanks." "Tell you what... I have a plan... but it won't work if you don't follow it up to par. Are you ready?" Crystal nodded. "We still need to find a way out of here." said Vlad, as he put a hoof to his head. "Before the drug gets any worse affects on us." Rhinestone carefully put the rope around his neck. "So you're gonna lead me in like you beat the scales off of me? Pretty hard to convince when i'm stronger and bigger than you....Plus, me with no scuffs or hurt anywhere." Rita thought this over. This was true.... no one would believe her if he wasn't hurt at all.... But what if..... what if she could have him hurt himself with a doppelganger of himself that looked like a changeling?
A little closer than friends......"Woah, wait.... if I get captured... who will watch Rusty?" His eyes narrowed in contempt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vlad and Crystal tried to work out a plan through their fogged brains, but the thoughts simply fizzled out before they sprung up into a plan. "Okay.... there's nothing we can do, except wait for this damn drug to wear off." said Vlad. "But in the meantime..." , He pointed to a nearby cave. "We can hide until they give up the search." "Hide with you!?" The very thought of being alone with someone she just met sprang a few questions of her own. Vlad gave a light chuckle. "That's what I said." In the faint light of the sunset, he finally got a good look to his friend Crystal. The sunlight gently reflected upon her dark coat, making it turn a different shade of blue, and dusted the ends of her mane a light gold. The eyes of red and green searched him for answers, but as they met his, he couldn't help but feel as though he must protect her. He suddenly brought her closer, and shivered as the air temperature lowered by 2 degrees. "It's getting a bit cold out here, and I don't have a thick coat like you do to protect me. You don't mind, do you?" "No...n...not at all." Crystal flattened her ears as they went into the cave, catching the faint smell of worn leather. His grip was firm but soft... and reassuring. It felt safe in his hooves, despite what she thought. She heard herself give a light low purr. "You feel safe, no?" said Vlad with an amused tone. He watched as Crystal fell asleep, before he did as well, relishing in the faint smell of the woods upon her thick luxurious fur. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Well, that's a good question... where is she anyway?" They both looked around, and there was no trace of the little pup who was just dozing moments earlier. "This is bad.... very bad. What if Crystal finds out I lost Rusty!?" His spines on his back arched with alarm. He knew Crystal's temper very well. If she found out about him loosing Rusty..... He gave a shudder. "We have to find her." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Meanwhile, Rusty had woken to her father talking to a bug mare. Strange, she thought. What kind of animal is half bug? But as luck would have it, she was suddenly distracted by a small yellow butterfly that had flown closer. She jumped to catch it in her tiny paws, but missed, and chased the butterfly as it began to fly away. She didn't realize how far she had chased it though, before it flew out of her sight. Suddenly, a gasp. "Hey! Dude, look at this!" A changeling picked up Rusty and looked her over with his blue compound eyes. "It's some sort of puppy!" Rusty wagged her tail, oblivious to the obvious danger in front of her, happy to meet someone new.
Snakes and dragonsThe more Rusty was around these changlings, the more she began to understand them. To her, they were still bug creatures, but they were her friends. Another butterfly grabbed her attention, for it was a bright red. She batted a paw at the insect just out of her reach, only for it to land on her nose. She shook her head to get it off, before she jumped once in another attempt to catch the butterfly.... only to land on her face. Angered, Rusty gave a hiss, and avoided eye contact at the butterfly, convinced that it was all its fault for her fumble. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Well, I can assume you slept well?" Vlad asked with an akward chuckle. "Yes. My mind seems to have recovered from the..... foginess." She seemed not to know the right word. "Pretell, what do we do next?" Asked Vald. "For I do not know what future lies ahead." "Well..... I must find my mate Rhinestone. He doesn't think when he acts in anger.... and might of gone looking for me." Doesn't sound very smart.... "Okay.... where do you think he may of come?" Vlad saw the fur of Crystal bristle in suprise. "Vlad..... he may of taken my child with him.... what if they kidnapped her and left him somewhere hurt.... or worse....." Vlad put a hoof on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "Do not worry.... I shall help you find them both." "You would? Oh thank you Vlad." She couldn't help but lick his cheek. "Come on.... let's go find Rusty." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rhinestone was furious, knowing that his enemy had set him up. "What do you want from me, you snake?" Undertaker fixed him with a serious stare. "Why the amulet, that'sssss why.... although I think your familly won't mind...." "What have you done to my familly, you wrecked feind!?" "Oh.... just playing a game, thatssssssss all...." He gave an amused laugh. "If you hurt even one single hair on them, I'll burn you to a crisp!" He was fuming with anger to the point where smoke drifted from his nostrils, and his claws flexed. "Awwww...... what'sssssss life without a little fun?" He turned Rhinestone's head around so that he would be forced to stare into Undertaker's eyes. "Don't worry....." He said as he felt Rhinestone struggle ," You won't feel a thing when I get done with you."
SuprisesAnother changeling came to see what all the commotion was. "why is there a puppy here?" "That doesn't look like a puppy dude...." "Well, whatever it is, i's simply adorable. What should we do with it guys?" "Can we keep it Cyclone? Pretty please?" A dark blue changeling begged. "I don't think so Shale.... but there's no harm in holdin on to the adorable thing." He held the little pup out to hoof lengh, and felt her purr softly, the tail in a small wag. The bi-polar eyes seemed to search him for an answer as they looked him over once. what is this thing? Looks sort of like a bug.... Rusty cocked her head in confusion as she stared at Cyclone. She was bewildered by his orange and red eyes, his membrane transparent wings, and his chitin, the outer tough armor-like skin unique to changelings. The way she heard these creatures talk, in their clicks, buzzez, wing flitzez, and other strange noises in their native changeling tongue she found quite confusing. But it didn't take her long for her brain to quickly learn how this language worked. Shaping the new words carefully she had heard, she clicked and gave a flitz of her wings, although they went big enough for any other use. "Me Rusty." The words sounded alien to her but she felt a thrill, especially when she saw the other changelings flinch in utter suprise. "Guys! D....did you just hear that!? S...she speaks Changeling!"
Undertaker Undertaker Rusty flattened her ears, as she sat down on the grass. The changeling seemed much nervous now, casting a quick look at her, before they contined talking in hushed whispers. Was there something wrong? She did not know. She only hoped they were not mad. "Cyclone..... we can pass her off as a changeling, now that she seems to have learned our language." "Shale, we don't even know a lot about this Rusty. Are you sure she would fit?" "Of course! Have you seen anything like her? They'll think it's one of the nymph's disguises. No dog has a frog tongue and purple fur.... or two-colored eyes....." He watched in amazement as Rusty flicked her tongue out and took an apple off a high branch. "Maybe you could be right.... I just hope this isn't wrong." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rita felt kinda silly as she led her "prisoner" into the main entrance of the hive. Suddenly, a hundred set of eyes were upon her. "Ah.... so you have found me a prissssssoner, eh," hissed a voice. Rita felt herself trembling with fear as a shadowy figure stepped into her field of vision. it was a midnight-black scales shining off the dim light, illuminating faint lines of dark purple stripes. Thick fangs showed every time he said a word, and occasionally his forked bright blue tongue. A single chain hung around his neck, adorned with small gems of various colors. Rita knew who this was. He was only called by his nickname, Undertaker, and he was one of the few giant FireSnakes left in Equestria. "I...um... yes." She nervously looked away. Rhinestone shot a look of hatred at Undertaker. Half-dragons were FireSnakes natural enemy, and Undertaker seemed out of place. Normally FireSnakes were any color except black or white.... "Ssssssso...... you bring me a half-dragon I ssssseeee...." He gave a dark grin, exposing his fangs as he met Rhinestone's gaze. "Exsssssssssselent" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vlad stirred and woke up. To his suprise, Crystal had already been up, judged by him sighting her by the river, cleaning blood off of her claws. He remembered she was a carnivore and gave a small shudder. I'd hate to be a bunny right now..... At his shudder, Crystal spotted him and walked over to him, her claws now clean, and she retracted them, as only a wolf could. "Good morning Vlad. I trust your sleep was well?" She remembered a smigit of last night and shivered.
