Author's Note

Here's to help identify who is speaking just in case you get confused.

Saboru
Lily
Queen Chrysalis

Maybe Things Are Looking Up

So, it's been about three months since I've come to become a part of Chrysalis's Hive and not much has changed. She still hates me from my bout of coldness and I still do everything I can to avoid her like she is the plague. The other changelings don't seem to care either way about me and allow me to help out whenever I feel I should chip in. Of course I've found a babysitter to take care of Lily whenever I go out on the more dangerous jobs like getting rid of any pest that may be trying to break through the walls, which is quite often but that just means that I get to have more fun tearing creatures limb from limb while at the same time obtaining my source of protein besides eggs, not changeling eggs mind you. Though despite all that I still spend most of my time with Lily and have even decided to take up helping out the little nursery they have more than any of the other things I do. It gets Lily some playmates and lets me get to know some of the changeling mares that run the place.

Some odd reason or another they won't tell me their names but are fine with telling anything else whenever I ask, but they don't seem to mind me though so I'm okay with it. Right now though I'm not doing anything for the Hive right now as I'm quite a distance from the settlement at the time being. I overheard some guards talking yesterday while I was helping a breach in the wall from a few crackodiles that decided they wanted in, it's safe to assume that that didn't sit too well with me, especially since me and Lily had been playing around where they decided to come charging in and trying to eat us. The guards I was eavesdropping on had said something about finding some abandoned caravans filled with tons of different metals, both rare and common, fabrics, and weapons, and although I was a little interested in what weapons that lied in there what they mentioned next it what really got me out here. You see hidden it the caravan was a special gem that was imbued with very, very strong magical energy, though they didn't seem to know that. The gem is called discordiant and has the very same chaos magic that Discord himself uses.

They seemed to know what the gem was called but didn't know its magical properties, otherwise I'm sure that Chrysalis or her guards wouldn't have just left it out there. Now you may ask why I'm so interested in these gems, will let me tell you. Those gems can have their magic extracted and transferred to other objects, as long as you know the process in which to do so. I was planning on snatching them myself and used them to make enchanted armor and weapons, grant myself some magical abilities for when I decide to drop by Ponyville, I did have a promise to live up to after all. Luckily I still have the image of my blades that I've drawn in my notebook still engraved into my head just in case I ever had the opportunity to make them real come up without the notebook in my possession. That was always the plan though, for those drawing of mine, for them to come into existence as something more than just simply drawings, though originally I had planned and making a new a video game and putting them in there but I had always hoped that technology would become advanced enough to make them possible but this by far better than using technology. The possibilities for what I could make these weapons do was endless, especially with chaos magic.

"I do have one question for you David, and it might do you good to listen just in case you figured out that you may have jumped the gun here." Saburo said as I was pulled from my thoughts.

"And what's that?"

"How are you planning on keeping Chrysalis from finding out? You know if she discovers that you have these gems and didn't tell her what they can do she's going to beat the living shit out of you, right?"

"That's it, dude I had that figured out awhile ago. All I need to do is relocate the caravan and craft everything there. All I need to do is craft my suit and everything will fall into place after I've learned how to control of the magic it'll give me. Besides how is she going to know, we haven't spoken or seen each other in months. I mean if I have to I'll bring over everything for the to my room and I'll be hunky dory, not like any of them are going to question me about making myself some new clothes after all." I told Saboru, putting his worries in the 'Zero Fucks Have Been Given' list. It's not that I don't value his concern or anything, it's just something I'm really all that worried about at the moment.

"Still say it's risky there is always the chance that she'll find out anyway, or you'll slip up and get caught, kinda going for the second option."

"Well takes for the vote of confidence, asshole."

"Well that's what you get for not really thinking this through. Have you even thought about what you're going to do with Lily, you know kids man. They rat you out without even meaning because they feel they have to share everything exciting that's happened with everyone else even if you tell them that you'll get in trouble if they do, they still do it." Although he did have a point there I believe that I could give Lily the benefit of the doubt. She definitely seemed to pick up on me wanting avoid Chrysalis at all cost and has even warned me she was near whenever I was preoccupied with something partly the reason I bring her along when I was helping out other changelings in the Hive.

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that, after all she wouldn't anything to happen to me just like I don't want anything to happen to her. Plus I think she would feel bad if she was the cause of my pain, don't you remember what happened when this avoid Chrysalis thing started? She thought that she was the reason I went into my mini depression, I could tell how bad they made ME feel just hearing say that." I'm still shocked at how quickly she had taken to calling me daddy from that first day and the feeling it leaves when she does will never get old.

I shook myself from my thoughts after I realized I had been jumping from tree to tree without actually taking in my surroundings. When I did I saw that I had almost gone right past the caravan I was looking for. I took a look at the area around it to see if it really was clear of any danger. I couldn't spot any of the signs that there were traps set up anywhere and it did look as though whoever had been with it had just upped and disappeared, there are no signs of anything really and that left me feeling uneasy.

"Saburo?"

"Yeah, I feel it to, something isn't right here. Be careful approaching it and I keep your senses heightened just in case anything happens." Saboru said as I felt an eerie feeling come over me.

Jumping down from the tree I was sitting in as quietly as I can. There's something here but what it is I don't know. Trekking towards the abandoned caravans with caution I watched the ground as I had Saboru watch the surrounding area for signs of ambush. This eerie feeling.......I've felt it before in a somewhat situation a long time ago, when I was younger, and it didn't end well even though I wasn't the one who had suffered from it. This time is different seeing as I'm the only one here, which was a good thing 'cause then I wouldn't have to hold back if things got that bad.

To closer I got to more the intense the feeling got. I have no idea what lies here but it's strong and it's hungry for blood. Coming around the corner of the biggest wagon there I saw............nothing. There was absolutely nothing here and yet the feeling of immense dread was still here, so what is causing it. I walked into the center of the group of wagons, with my guard still up of course, and examined each one but didn't notice anything out of usual.

Hm, maybe it's coming from th- I thought before Saboru called out.

"David, in the big wagon that you sneaking, there's something in there. I know you can't see any physical signs but there are definitely magical ones there, and they're dark." He sounded worried and there isn't much to break that bravado of his so easily. There was something very dangerous in there but I am an idiot and a psychopath, so of course I'm going in anyway.

Opening the door to the wagon, which appeared to be where whoever was transporting this thing slept, I was met with a truly gruesome sight. All over the wagon laid splatters of blood and severed limbs of ponies and gryphons and judging by some of the sizes of them there were foals in here as well. I studied the seen before as carcasses laid strewn across the floor that is until I came upon the perpetrator. This creature was one I had never seen or read about before and looked like it may have been a demon of sorts. It's grotesque body looked as that of someone that been mangled by an industrial grinder, had two rows of curved bony spikes running down its back, a skinned horses head, and three prong toes and claws and it elongated hands and feet. There was also an eerie glow coming from these strange markings all over its body. I may not know what this thing is but I wasn't going to let it scare me off. I had the power of darkness on my side and I was going to use it to its fullest extent if I had to.

I crept up to the chest I saw so as not to attract its attention yet, I needed to make sure that what I was looking for was here so I didn't end up in a pointless fight against this creature. It was too busy eating to make notice of me so it was easy to get to the chest. I opened it up to find that there were indeed discordiant gems in here. As I was examining them I felt that same presence right behind but before I could turn around I found myself being embedded into a tree. Slightly dazed from the strength of the hit I took, as well as the impact with the tree, I barely noticed this thing coming from the newly created in the trailer. It a moment or two to finally regain my surroundings and just in time too as it tried to impale me with its claws only to impale the tree as Saburo activated my dark state and I used the speed it granted to dislodge myself and get behind the creature.

"Holy shit that was close. A minute sooner and this would have been over before it began." Saburo said more to himself than me but it got me riled up anyway.

"There's no way in hell am I going to allow this thing to finish me off that quickly!" I said as my voice picked up an echo like effect like Chrysalis's, expect, obviously, deeper and more masculine.

I lunged at the creature as it got itself free from the tree and slugged it into another one. I gave it no give from there as I delivered punch after punch, kick after kick, and slash after slash and didn't stop until it was no longer moving as a particular strike drove deep it into the ground. I stood there looking into the hole that the creature was in until I was satisfied that it was dead before turning around and walking back towards the wagon to retrieve the discordiant and bury what's left of this thing's victims. I only took three steps when I felt something grab onto my legs. Looking down I saw its grotesque claws gripping me from underground before I was pulled under. I was brought to a cave deep below the surface and surrounded by pitch black darkness all around, the only source of light being from the hole in which I was dragged here. I stayed put to see if I could find any sign of the demonic creature but was slashed across the chest as I was. From there I fell under assault from seemingly all directions as I tried to protect myself from this thing that had a clear advantage in the dark.

The slashes stopped after about fifteen minutes but not without leaving me covered in gashes everywhere on my form. My wounds were profusely spilling blood as I struggled to stay standing from the blood loss.

Damnit.... this thing has be beat as long as I'm down here without any light. I thought as I tried coming up with a plan.

"Woah, woah, woah, are you saying that you haven't been letting thing make contact on purpose to make it fall into a trap?"

Look at the injuries I've sustained, do you really think that if I had a trap for this thing I would have sprung it already. Shit I'm about to pass out just from the blood loss alone, let alone the fact I'm fighting with my body to keep it standing.

"Please don't tell me you already forgot about the thermal?"

The what?

"Oh sweet mother of christ, your thermal vision that you have in this state you fucking moron. You used it the first time you went ape shit and turned into this remember?"

Wait so you mean that I was seeing red because of I was using thermal vision?"

"Umm, partially. It's not really thermal vision but more of a predator vision thing, almost like Heller's hunter pulses in Prototype 2, but instead of using pulses it is constantly activated and highlights your targets all the time when it is active." Saburo explained as I concentrated on trying to turn on this predator vision as soon as I heard that part about being like Heller's hunter vision.

I closed my eyes to see if that would help and was trying to feel for any changes to my body but after a few minutes of trying I didn't anything I opened my eyes to give up but when I did the cavern looked different. In every direction my gaze pointed I saw red but it was easy to tell what was just emptiness and where the walls were as they were a darker shade. Looking around I noticed a change, a brightly glowing orange blob was circling me and I knew exactly what it was. Finally having my enemy locked on I asked Saburo to activate more of the release to accelerate the healing process and seal up my wounds. I felt myself getting better as the wounds healed and more blood was produced but the creature launched itself at me again before the process can finish and I had to dodge it unless I wanted the wounds to be reopened. My accelerated healing was never a permanent fix in battle as it's similar to stitching up a deep cut, move around too much and they'll reopen by themselves, at least until I was completely healed that is. Because of that I had to make sure I was able to dodge this thing's attacks just barely so as to make sure that I move as little as possible without getting hit.

I wasn't allowed to let myself be fully healed anymore as the bastard made some stalactites above me fall and retreat from my position in the light. Sure I probably should have done that in the first place but I couldn't risk falling into another trap but now I've had enough of this monstrosity and felt that I should end this before I end up fucking myself over. So I grabbed a couple of nearby stalagmites that was nearby as ways of weapons and shields and charged. It did nothing as it appeared confused by my sudden offensive but quickly shook it off as it was going to meet me head on with its claws at the ready. We both increased our speeds as we got closer to blinding before we zoomed past each other. We both just stood there in the same positions, me with my stalagmite blade gripped with both hands, lowered to waist height, and sticking out to the left. The creature had its right claw in the same position as it stood stock still and making no efforts to move. Finally movement was heard as I collapsed to my knees but a thump behind me indicated that the freak against nature had fallen and won't be getting back up. I got up and kicked the damn thing to make sure that it was truly dead this time seeing how I didn't want the process to repeat itself.

"Is it over?" Saburo asked after a minute of staring at the abomination.

"I hope so because I feel like passing out in one of those wagons after that mess, god am I tired!" I yelled as I stretched out my sore limbs.

"Not surprised, you have some fractures and breaks from that first blow that have been limiting you but you can't really feel them thanks to the dark state otherwise I don't think you would still be standing right now. You wouldn't be dead mind you but you'd definitely be hurting a lot worse."

"So I should stay in the dark state until I somewhere save?"

"You should stay this state until you get back to the Hive. You don't have many options for save as long as you're hurt but that won't be for another few hours seeing as you need to get the convoy moved and hidden away. We don't want all of the fighting to be a worthless effort when it can grant you the ability to prevent something from happening again."

I didn't say anything seeing how I was going to do something with the convoy anyway to prevent just that and I already had a place to put it that is on its way to the Hive so I was good but first I had to bury those bodies before anything else. I managed to find a way to climb back up the surface via through a hole in one of the cave walls ,which was where this thing had gotten into the cavern from, and came out of the same place where I had driven it into the ground.

3 hours later

The process of gathering remains and matching body parts to the right bodies, as well as digging graves with wooden crosses for tombstones, was a long and tedious one but I was finally done. There were a few pieces missing to some of the ponies and griffons but most of them was still there as I placed them in the graves. Most may find it useless to be doing this but I believed that these unfortunate souls deserved to have a resting place, doesn't matter if it's in this damn forest or a cemetery, they would be laid to rest somewhere.

After filling their graves and making a short prayer I went about attaching the wagons together and pulling them towards a hiding spots behinds a thicket of trees that could conceal it easily and since it had a natural entrance I could place some big leaves over it to keep it from being discovered.

2 more hours later

The trip there didn't take as long as I thought it was as it only took an hour to get there but the rest of the trip back to the Hive was a different story. Transporting the convoy had taken its toll on my already beaten body so it was hassle walking and even more so as it had gotten dark on the way and the creatures of the came out of their homes. It took everything I had to get my body to run when I ran into a hydra and it took a while to lose it but I had eventually but the trip was made all the harder because of the chase and was practically crawling the rest of the way.

When I finally made it to the gates the guards had not only noticed me but also the state I was when. They immediately sent for help as they brought me in, being careful of my injuries, and kept me awake when I was about to pass out. Once the changelings that ran the Hive's hospital had arrived they immediately began working on me as they cleaned and disinfected my wounds before wrapping them up and applying numbing spell to dull down the pain, and considering how much of it I was feeling, I was extremely grateful to them.

After all that they had brought me down to the medical ward so that I could rest and be looked after. It wasn't long after they had brought me in before Lily came barreling into the room and jumped on me while she cried her eyes out. I did what any parent would do and hugged her tightly while I apologized for having worried her so much from being out so long. She didn't accept it immediately but she did after I let her beat me with her little hooves until she was satisfied then she just laid there and started falling asleep.

"Dumby daddy, you are not doing that again or I am going to beat you up worse next time." Lily said before she entered the realm of dreams.

I couldn't help but laugh at that, "It would seem my little girl is already gaining some of my ideals already. *sigh* Don't worry Lily, if things go as planned then I can make sure that this never does happen again...... to neither of us." I whispered in her ears as I ran my fingers through her mane as I finally allowed myself to slumber.

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"Don't worry David, after today I think that maybe, just maybe, things are going to be looking up for you."