Author's Note

New chapter finally, thanks for being patient guys. I took some leaps with this chapter that I'm not sure will work too well so let me know what you think of it so I don't pull what I did with Lightning Master.

Finding the Hero Within

I awoke to a loud crash just outside our room but before I could get up to see what it was, I heard the door to our slam shut and with it the sound of the lock being engaged. I sat up and saw my changeling lover appeared to by rather agitated as the last of the toxic green aura of her magic disappear from her horn. "What's up honey?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her towards me as she got comfy against my chest, more specifically right above my heart, and she calmed down immediately.

"Nothing Sweetheart, just that stupid guard from yesterday thinking it was a good idea to bang on our door and shouting about how Celestia and Luna would like us to join them for breakfast so I thought it would be an even better idea to show what happens when a lamp thrown at approximately fifty miles a hour feels like when it strikes your face." She stated with a sweet, innocence smile that makes the deed sound justified.

"Chryssy, what have I told about harming others who deserve it?" I said sternly with the look to match.

"To make sure you're around to watch, and maybe help." She said with her ears pressed up against her head and avoiding my gaze.

*Sigh* "Don't worry your pretty little head my dear, all is forgiven just try to wake me up the next time you're going to hurl a lamp at somebody's face." I said in a gentle tone as I rubbed her back with one hand and petted her head with the other. She looked at me with that smile of her's that I've come to love so much before I steal a kiss from her. I pull her closer to me as I get up out of bed, still having not released the kiss, and walked towards the bathroom while being quiet to make sure that we don't wake up Lily who is somehow still sleeping despite the commotion. Our lips part as we reach the bathroom door, which Chrysalis used her magic to open, and I walk in with her still pressed up against my chest as my left hand rests under her plot, both as support and to grope her which I do to get a little green blush from her.

"Ooh, you tease, remind me why we haven't mated yet." She asks as she presses into my hand on her ass some more.

"Well between training the troops, taking care of the Hive, planning how to to help the changelings be accepted into the rest of Equestria, and, most of all, Lily wanting to be close to me all the time we haven't had to alone time to really get into the more vigorous acts. I think that's also the reason why we've decided that we should just wait until our wedding day since then everything should be settled and we won't have to worry about at two of the items on that list." She only groaned at the explanation, not that I blame her since I was itching for a night alone with my precious goddess but something seems to get in the when we decide to do more than make out. The worse of those distractions being Lily, not that I don't love her or get mad at her for it but that little filly really knows how to be a major cock block.

"I swear one of these days I'll find a way for us to be left alone the entire day in a secluded area where we won't be found and jump you my oh so sexy human lover." Chrysalis stated as she stared at me with a seductive look that promised a good time. Man did I want to take her so badly but it wouldn't do us any good to start anything here since Lily laid behind the door we just came through and I would rather not have to try and explain what me and Chryssy are doing to her at such a young age should we be caught having sex.

"Well you definitely won't hear any complaints from me at that point." I tell her as turn on the water and adjustments to get it to the right temperature. "So I take it your spell is still up around the room?"

"I put it back up after throwing the lamp at that moron." I nod at that before getting undressed as the tub filled up with water. "I have to say though, for someone who doesn't want to risk being caught doing explicit acts by their daughter you sure do have a funny way of showing it." She comments as she watches me take my pants off.

"Hey, we're just taking a bath together and nothing more. If she was a little older than I worry but as of now there isn't really any kind of implications that would run through her head other than solidify the fact that we're to be married someday and that is that." I argue as I turn off the water when it's at the right depth and get in without hesitation. I sigh in relieve as I let the hot water encompass my body before gesturing for Chryssy to join me. She rolls her eyes at the I'm acting before trotting over to the tub and testing the water herself. She obviously found it to her liking as she gets in as well, sitting down in front me as I feel tail graze my dick. I reach around her to pull her into my lap, getting a cute 'eep' from her before she settles down and leans into my embrace. "This is nice." I comment after we sit there cuddling for a bit.

"Mmm, yes it is." She turns around while still within my hold so we're laying belly to belly as she looks up at me with her beautiful green eyes that I always seem to lose myself in. It still amazes me just how these things that had become so foreign and unreachable to me back on Earth have had such an effect on me here in Equestria. I had once had these things with Lacy before everything happened that drove us apart but I understand why the things I felt with her don't hold as much power over me like it does with Chrysalis. I tainted them with the lies I've told myself after that Day and so have tainted the feelings shown in those days as well. The kindness, the selflessness, and carefree attitude I had back then gone thanks to everything that happened from that day onward and I really have no one but myself to blame for how I turned out. All those things are still there though, they've never really gone away, locked up maybe but they are, and always will be, there in my heart. I've been gradually letting come back to the forefront of my heart, mixing it and my new personalty together to see if perhaps if I could go back to being like I was back then but braver and stronger like I am now. Thanks to Chrysalis and Lily that has been made possible since without them I highly doubt I would have bothered trying to integrate something that I once saw as my biggest weakness despite the fact that I would try helping others whenever I could.

I'm brought out of my thinking as a bottle of shampoo floats in front of my face. I grab a hold of it before looking at Chrysalis, seeing her looking at me while her back is turned towards me. "Think you could wash my back Dear?" She asks with an adoring smile.

I chuckle at her use of such a cliche pet name but somehow it makes my heart skip a beat and it makes think about just how loved I am by this goddess of a mare. "Yeah, sure, no problem honey." I reply back which she chuckles at before sitting up straight and looks forward as I put some of the shampoo into my hands and start lathering it on her back, making to scrub a bit harder than I normally would with Lily to make sure to get all of the grime that may have potentially built up on her carapace.

"Oooohhh yes, right there David, that's the spot." She moans out as I hit a particular spot around her shoulder blade and feel the muscles in the area, that were once tense, relax as I worked to get the kinks out. "You sure you don't want to get a job at a spa, because I think you would make a killing with those magic fingers." Chrysalis stated as I started on her scalp and worked on her luscious mane.

"Yeaaahh, no, the only one who gets to feel these fingers are you, Lily, Bonbon, Lacy, as well as the rest of the Hive as long as too many of them don't show up asking for it, but other than that no one else. Even then only you four will any kind of special treatment, each varying of course since my relationship with each of you is different, all of you are close to me but different none the less." I explained to her as I finished her mane and rinsed it off with a bucket full of water that I had set aside while I was working out the tense muscles in her back. When she turned around she gestured for me to do the same, which I did, soon felt her hooves scrubbed me down of my own accumulated filth as she tried to find any of the kinks in my back, to which I already knew she would none.

"You know it always amazes me everything you're willing to do for the Hive despite not being a changeling, and I know it isn't out of obligation for me or Lily, and even more so when every time I try to help you like you help me that I can't seem to find any kind of tension within your musculature despite the situations we find ourselves in." She said as she decide to gently rubbed my back while using her magic to get my hair.

"Well that's because no matter what happens I can relax around you and Lily despite what may be going around us. More so since my last bout of. . . . self incrimination and I realized just how much of an idiot I was being by pulling shit like that." I felt her momentarily before setting herself down as she rinsed off the soap from my body, but before I could turn around to get back into our original position I felt her body rest against my back as her forelegs wrapped around me and she nuzzles the back of my head.

"I still don't think any less of you for what happened David, nor does Lily, Bonbon, or Lacy." She said tenderly as she held me tightly to her so that I may soak in all the love she had to offer. "You're as dear to us as we are to you and I'll be damned if I let anything take you away from me, yourself included." I couldn't help but smile at the fierce determination I heard in her voice in that statement and decided to show her thanks as I quickly turn around and pull her into a kiss. The kiss had only lasted a moment but it seemed that it was all that was need as she gazed into my eyes lovingly after we had broke apart. We were tempted to just stay there gazing into each other eyes but it wasn't meant to be as we heard a knock at the door.

"Mommy! Daddy! I gotta go to the bathrooom!" Lily's whine came through the door. I could only chuckle at that as for as smart as she is for her age and I have to also remember that she is still a growing filly.

"Alright sweetheart, just give me a second to get dressed and we'll be out." I told her as we got out, Chrysalis having already pulled the drain stopper out, and I snatched up my clothes to put them on. I got my underwear and pants on but was unable to get to my shirt before she did as she opened and ran out the door with me right behind her and Lily zooming past us to get in. I chased her around the room as she flew up just out of my reach, laughing at my attempts to catch her. I finally got my chance as she flew away from me again and stopped just near the bed, sticking her tongue out at me, which gave the chance to use the wall next to me as a platform as I launched off of it and into her, getting an 'oof' for my troubles as we landed atop the bed like I had planned.

We were both laughing, once she got the air back in her lungs, from the ridiculousness of the little game she had started but you certainly weren't going to hear me complain. Didn't take long for us to settle down as I laid there atop her, right where her heart rested, and laid my head down to listen to it beating. I had also became aware of a small weight land on my back after a minute or so but didn't do anything about it until I felt Lily nuzzle my cheek from behind me. I returned it before snatching her up and bringing her in between us so that we could both give her a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning Lily, did you sleep well?"

"I slept great daddy." She replied as she gave my cheek a kiss before turning to Chrysalis to do the same to her. I was going to ask her and Chrysalis what they wanted to do before we headed back towards Ponyville but it seems today with interruptions via knocking as once again someone has come knocking on the door in the middle of me trying spend time with my family.

"Who is it!?" I shout towards the door as this was starting to irritate me immensely.

"It's us David, could we please come in?" I heard Luna say from the other side of the door. I sigh as I tell them that the door is open. Her and Celestia walked in smiling as they spot us laying in bed in better moods than from last night's events.

"Nice to see that you three are in high spirits." Celestia said, though there seemed to be a bit of caution in her speech.

"Well it helps when we're stuck with the likes of those ponies that call themselves nobles, especially when we have Lily with us." Chrysalis responded before I could open my mouth to say anything, which I'm kinda glad she did since I would have said something much nastier.

"We apologize for that Chrysalis, David, and Lily but we just had hoped that once they had seen just how much you had changed," Celestia looked at Chrysalis. "How much you wanted to help Equestria despite your past interactions with us and our subjects," She turned her gaze towards me. "And see that changelings aren't born evil," and finally looked towards Lily for a brief moment before it refocuses on all of us. "That their thoughts on not only you three but your hive as well, and we could have gotten more support from them in our campaign to establish changelings into Equestrian society but it seems we've failed in that prospect." Celestia and Luna shoulders slumped as they hung their heads down in shame.

"Well I wouldn't say that princess." I heard a voice come from the doorway. We all turned to look at the uninvited newcomers and immediately identified the voice as belonging to one Fancy Pants and his ...partner, Fleur De Lis, that were standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry to intrude everypony but I had wished to come by to offer my sincerest apologies for the events at dinner last night. I honestly don't understand some ponies nowadays when comes to matters such as this but it's their lost if they're not going to try to understand the decisions of real leaders." Fancy Pants said, stressing the word real, and actually looked genuinely apologetic, same could be said for Fleur as well.

I take a glance at Chryssy and she apparently had done the same as our eyes met and with that single glance we knew what we both had decided. "Well thank you Mr. Fancy, and you as well Ms. Fleur, for your apologies. The three of us greatly do appreciate it though I do hope that you didn't come here to try to convince us to give your fellow nobles another chance to make a good impression." Chrysalis stated with only a nod from me as I agreed with everything she said.

"Oh no, that wasn't our intention at all your majesty. We know just how insufferable those so called nobles actually are. Only reason we are around them is to find those who possess much potential in their respective fields and help them along when they're thrown aside by their employer. Of course there are also those that we also meet by happenstance like Ms. Rarity." I heard Fleur say though I wasn't paying attention as I saw hopping around like she had to go to the bathroom, which she probably did.

"Hey Lily, what's up?" I ask her as Chrysalis was conversing with Fancy and Fleur.

"I gotta go to the bathroom but I didn't want to say anything in front of them." She said as she gestured towards the two nobles. I let out a light chuckle before pushing her towards the direction of the bathroom and told her to go do her business before she had an accident. She took off without hesitation and slammed the door shut on her way in which caused the other occupants in the room towards it before looking at me.

"Don't worry about it, she needed to go but was a bit embarrassed to say anything in front of strangers." I told them before I heard a something that made my turn cold.

"DADDY HELP!!!" Lily's scream was most likely heard throughout the entirety of the castle but I didn't care as I busted through the door without a single thought. There I saw a unicorn with a black cloak covering their body, with only their dark orange muzzle sticking out from under it, holding a knife poised to strike down Lily who was being held up in their magic. I'm not sure whether they didn't see me or was trying to finish what they started but I didn't really care as I ran to intercept the knife that was heading for the top of Lily's head. Once I was in range I stuck my hand out to where the knife was headed and let it stab into it as that seemed to made the unicorn finally notice that it wasn't just them anymore, and judging from the cursing it was stallion.

I backhanded the would be assassin as hard as I could, sending him into the wall near the window and causing him to let go of Lily, who I caught before she had hit the ground. I held her to my chest as she clung to me for dear life as she cried into me. I looked towards where the pony had landed and saw that he hadn't gotten up yet but I still saw that he was breathing meaning that I must've knocked him out. Chryssy was the next one to run in and immediately headed towards us, ignoring the unconscious pony laying in a heap under the window.

"Lily, dear, are you alright?" She asked as she came around to be face to face with Lily. When she didn't answer Chryssy just took the next step and nuzzled her, whispering comforting words, even as Lily went from clinging to me to clinging to her. I brought them both onto my lap as the two of us held her close. As much as I wanted to go ahead and gut the son of a bitch that dared even think about harming my little filly I was much more worried about her.

I looked behind me when I heard hoof steps and saw the princesses make their way into bathroom. After quickly surveying to area, they seemed to have deduced what had happened (not that it was that hard to figure out) and Luna grabbed the mysterious unicorn in her magic and went out, possibly to find a guard to detain the bastard, while Celestia gave me a nod and walked out of the room. I heard her speaking to Fancy and Fleur and figured she was telling them what had happened and probably to leave us be which was made evident as I heard the door shut soon afterwards.

"I knew they hated us but to think that they would send an assassin to kill a filly. . . .David what do you we do now?" Chrysalis asked as she looked at me teary eyed as she cradled Lily close to her as she had fallen asleep. I gave Lily a kiss on the cheek before looking up at Chrysalis and reached towards her and cupped her cheek, pulling her closer as I gave her a kiss to help calm her down a bit.

"We pack up and leave this damn place as soon as possible. If these damn ponies don't want us around then I say we give them what they want, after all it's not like we have any reason to come here since we attended Celestia and Luna's little party and I highly doubt they're making that mistake again. Though before we head out for the train station I'll go to Celestia and demand retribution from those who orchestrated this." I told her as I extended my senses out so as to make sure none of these stupid nobles get any ideas about attacking my family.

"What about the Hive, what's going to keep whoever did this from sending out others to attack the others?" She asked, nuzzling under my chin, to which I wrap an arm around her and hold her close.

"If you can, I would suggest using the hive mind to tell the others of what has happened and warn them to keep on their toes. Except those we explicitly trust, the other ponies should be approached with caution from now on, especially when they're in the Hive. The last thing I want is for anybody to get hurt but at the same time I don't want to progress that has been made in terms of Changeling/Pony relations to be pushed back to square one." Chryssy nodded, as she leaned onto me, laying her head on my shoulder. She didn't have to say a word for me to know that she was absolutely tired all of the bullshit and I couldn't blame her. Being a ruler is one thing, but being the ruler of a race viewed as monsters simply because of their eating habits wasn't 'normal' is another, especially when that race was on the verge of starving to death.

"Come on David, let's get our things and go. I don't to stay here any longer than we need to and risk endangering Lily." Chrysalis stated as she pulled away and stood up before levitating Lily onto her back before she helped me up. I nodded my consent as I went to out into the hall and flagged one of the castle servants to bring over a luggage carrier. After that I went to packing up whatever had been left out from the night before and packed it away and brought the luggage near the door where Chrysalis was waiting patiently, though I could tell she was internally freaking out. I put my on her shoulder which startled her a bit but she looked up at me nonetheless and I gave her a comforting smile that she she returned with her a small grin of her own.

A knock at that the door was heard soon after and was opened to reveal the servant with a bellhop pushing the luggage carrier. "Here is the luggage carrier you asked for sir, along with somepony to assist you." The servant said as he waved towards said pony.

"We only needed the carrier, I'll be carrying out our luggage myself if you wouldn't mind." I stated as I grabbed ahold of the carrier and was dragging it into our room, shooting both the servant and bellhop a glare when they opened their mouths to protest which prompted them to scamper off with their tails between their legs. Chrysalis nuzzled into my side as I was loading to final bag onto the carrier and a quick kiss before strolling out the door and into the hallway. I was close behind her as I pushed the carrier out the door and followed Chrysalis through the corridors of the huge castle. After about ten minutes we made our way into the central hallway that not only lead outside but also to another huge set of double doors that I was guessing was the throne room. Chryssy was already talking to the guards about getting an audience with either of the princesses. They let us in rather quickly and without much hassle though that may have been because of the glare she had, maybe.

We walked in and saw Celestia sitting on the throne while Luna was next to her. When we were at a distance where we could speak to them without having to yell, we stopped and looked at them with far gentler expressions than we have any other pony on our way here.

"We know why you're here," Celestia said as I opened my mouth to speak. "And once we find out who sent that pony to harm little Lily we will contact you on the matter of the punishment, though I wished we didn't have to." Celestia said with a downtrodden expression with her ears pressed against her head.

"THe same could be said for us as well Princess Celestia but it seems not all your subjects believe in the 'magic of friendship' like the ponies of Ponyville do. At any rate we would also like to inform you that we will be advising our hive of this event as well as warning against everypony that tries to gain access into the Hive besides those we trust which means both of you will in fact be welcomed back with open hooves." Chrysalis stated with a sad smile towards the two.

We left after they thanked us for coming as well as informing of what we planned to do once we got back. A few minutes and we were outside and heading towards the train station with Chrysalis and Lily lying on the luggage in the carrier so that she could have a chance to relax and not have to worry about looking back to see if Lily is okay. Didn't take long for us to come within sight of the train station seeing as we just ignore everybody else on the way their.

"David?" Chryssy suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah babe?" I answered while keeping my eyes forwards and ears opened.

"You think we should do something for Lily to help get her mind off of what happened?"

"Yeah, I think we should. I did when we got to the Hive after rescuing and adopting her. It didn't stop whatever nightmares she had but it definitely helped her see that I would always be there to protect her." I said as my mind flashbacked to the days after arriving at the Hive. Even with things being as they were back then I wasn't going to let my little filly suffer through that alone. I showed her all the love she needed and then some as I did everything I could with her as it seemed to brighten up her world more and more everyday until eventually the nightmares stopped and she was able to rest peacefully and became the excitable filly she is today. The events of yesterday and today could have jeopardized that happiness as yesterday's dinner party could have harmed or even killed her and today, being trapped in the bathroom with that assassin must have brought back memories of being trapped in the Everfree all over again.

"David?" I heard Chryssy say as I felt her hoof on my hand. When I looked down I saw that I was crushing the handle of the luggage carrier as Chryssy looked up me worriedly. It was then I also noticed something else, I felt wet streaks running down my cheeks and realized I was crying. "David, it's okay," She said as she stood up and wrapped her hooves around my neck and nuzzled the side of my face. "Lily is safe and well. She may be scared for a while but me, you, Lacy, and Bonny along with the rest of the Hive will be there for her. Same could be said for Celestia and Luna when they find the time from their busy schedules to visit. She won't be alone with dealing with this and has others to turn to. Neither one of you are alone when things like this happens, and never will be if I have anything to say about it." Chryssy said resolutely as kept a firm hold on me as I just nodded silently as I stared at Lily from over her shoulder. Chryssy shifts so that she could give me a kiss before pulling to look me in the eyes with a confident smile as she wipes the tears from my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah you're right Chryss. Lily will be fine with the support from everyone and this will nothing more than just another in the long run but when we get back I'm gonna start training even harder than before to make sure that others like that unicorn aren't even given a chance to even think about going through with trying to harm anyone I care about. I'm also gonna make sure that Lily has at least a grandmother and aunts, even if I got to beat into their heads after we win the war." I said as I felt a fire light up inside me that I haven't felt in a long time. Before it was the flames from my anger that fueled me into pushing myself more than what was humanly possible but once before I had another fire fuel my drive to better myself. It was that same flame that drove me to protect my siblings from some crazed madman on a killing spree when I was only twelve. That day a simple visit to the amusement park turned into a nightmare for a lot of people, my family almost included. That day I discovered just what I could do if I could temper the strength that I usually feel when i'm angry and harness for something more than just defending myself. It was the memory of that day that helps keeps my anger in check and draw upon the strength I do now while I was in the Everfree before the day I rescued Lily. When I get back everybody, but possibly Lacy, will be in for a big surprise because now. . . . I've found the hero within.