Visionary

by Razorbeam

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Changelings, Original Character, Queen Chrysalis, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 108284

A tale of a changeling's reformation.

After Chrysalis failed to conquer Equestria, she was shamefully stripped of her title of "Queen of the Changelings".

Their people now leaderless, the Changeling race now finds itself in a unique situation. In the struggle for power, one Changeling seizes the attention of his people. Can he overcome his nature, and the nature of his people, to lead them into a better future?

Published 2012-05-10 19:24:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-07-13 22:40:32 UTC

II: Power of Belief

Aurus stood staring at the massive structure. Never had he seen a building as large as the Chamber of the High Council. Equal parts nervous and excited, he quickly made his way inside. Here and there were doors to various side chambers; perhaps living quarters for the councilors, or simply hallways leading around the vast, circular building. All of the stonework was impeccable, carved white pillars contrasting with the majestic, dark marble tile. Of course, in typical changeling fashion, the style would be considered hard on the eyes by any other race; the pillars were angular and jagged, made to look like age-old stone rather than smooth, rounded spires. Even the walls were jagged to a degree, a comfortable and pleasing shape to the creatures who were not so elegant and beautiful themselves.

He lost track of himself while admiring the structure, so much so that he stumbled into a reception desk. A young female changeling looked at him idly, as if it weren't abnormal to simply plow into a solid stone table. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked flatly, a tone clearly practiced in dealing with stupid people on a regular basis.

Aurus painted on his best warm smile. It was best to return rudeness with confident calm, or so he had found. He was above such nonsense, and though the thought was arrogant, it was true. He would never have considered his time valuable enough to treat someone he didn't know with disrespect just for taking it up.

"I'm not sure, miss. The council summoned me here on fairly short notice. My name is Aurus Marz," he said, hoping the name might spur some kind of memory.

He wasn't far off the mark. The female eyed him with more interest suddenly, practically rising out of her chair. "Ah, so you're the one. You're certainly nothing like what I envisioned, but I suppose there's no telling what the council might see in you. Head down the hall to your right, and enter the chamber when you are ready. You're expected, of course," she replied with a warm smile.

It was strange, as if she had turned on a dime from being rude and impatient to almost unbearably pleasant. Aurus did his best to shake it off, keeping his smile safely in place. "Perfect, thank you," he replied, moving off at a rather quick pace. He followed her instructions to the letter, pausing outside the door. After that curious reception, he was even more nervous than before. What in all the possible hells beyond was going on?

Steeling himself with a heavy sigh of determination, he pushed open the doors with his magic. The light from the hallways filtered in, painting a path of illumination directly before him, parted by his long shadow. Streams of light filtered down from above, carving distinct rectangular patches of sunlight on the floor. Green torches burned low on the walls, paled by the sunlight. It all gave the room a serene feel, the lighting similar to that at dusk with portions of the room standing in luminescence more befitting high noon.

He stopped walking suddenly as a cough sounded somewhere in the darker regions of the room near the wall. Torches sprang to life suddenly, many yards ahead of him and several feet above. In front of them stood the silhouettes of various changelings, the green light reflecting off the smooth, shell-like hides of many others that weren't directly in sight. Green eyes stared at him from all sides, some full of intrigue and others full of indifference.

So this was the council. Most impressive, or so he fancied it. It had a certain mystique to it, an archaic feel of ages long gone. Aurus had no doubt that this was perhaps one of the oldest buildings in changeling history, and was likely home to some of the most ancient rituals and rites that his people had ever established. It was only right, he concluded, to be awed in such a presence.

"Greetings, Aurus Marz. Welcome to the Changeling High Council," called a voice directly ahead of him. A pair of deep green eyes blinked in the shadow of a silhouette. The changeling there flitted out of his seat and down, confirming what Aurus had assumed when the male had spoken. He was quite old, older than most of his kind even lived to be these days.

He alighted lightly in front of Aurus, grunting slightly as the impact tweaked his ancient joints. "I am Korrick Varal, the chairman of the council. It is an honor to meet you at last," the old changeling said warmly.

Aurus was experienced with fast-talk and flattery, and this was not it. This old changeling was sincerely thrilled to be meeting him, despite the fact that Aurus had no idea who he was or why. He put those questions aside, certain that they would never have called him all the way out here just to leave them unanswered.

"Greetings, old one," Aurus replied reverently, dipping his head in respect. His grandfather was of a similar age, had always held to the older traditions of the changelings. This way of greeting and elder changeling was all but dead these days, but Aurus took pride in his grandfather's teachings. "The honor is mine."

When Aurus met Korrick's eyes after an appropriate pause, he was pleased to find them wide with surprise.

"Now that is a greeting I have not shared with someone in many, many years," he said, his tone a mixture of shock and respect. "It would seem our information was right after all."

"Information?" Aurus inquired, his eyes betraying all of his curiosity.

"We have been searching these last few days for someone like you... or so we hope. We shall yet see about that," Korrick replied calmly, keeping his answers exceptionally vague. "Before I disclose to you why you are here, you must promise that it will never leave this room without my consent." His tone had shifted from casual to deadly cold, a point Aurus did not miss.

"You have my word," Aurus replied evenly, locking eyes with Korrick to prove the integrity of his word of honor.

Korrick nodded after a moment, satisfied with the honesty in Aurus' eyes. "Very well. It is no secret that Chrysalis failed in her endeavors to subdue Equestria. What few know is that while she claimed it was in the interests of the people, it was only to further her own magical powers. With all of the people's adoration at her disposal, she surely would have become unstoppable. Her failure was a stroke of luck, for I admit the council was too short-sighted to stop her. Had she succeeded, there is no telling what kind of tyranny she might have unleashed upon her own kind. This is not public knowledge, but she is the queen no longer. The council has used its power to strip her of that title," Korrick finished gruffly, clearly full of lingering feelings of shame for their people and anger.

Aurus was somewhat shocked by this news. He had never followed politics deeply, but there was no changeling who had not known about the upcoming invasion, or it's eventual failure. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly. He couldn't fathom any reason that this needed to be disclosed to him.

"Because we need you to understand, Aurus. Do you? Can you see where she failed? It was not because her plans were poorly laid," Korrick said sternly, as if he were a teacher trying to give a lesson.

"Of course I can. She was a tyrant, she used the people when she claimed to be trying to help them. She failed because the only love she had was for herself. How could she expect to win, when she was so weak? We cannot feed on our own narcissism, councilman," Aurus replied cautiously. He knew his words were a perfect expression of his opinion, but he knew from experience that his opinion was rarely common.

Korrick smiled widely, as if he had received the answer he desired. "Tell me, what would you have done instead? If you desired more love for our people, how would you have taken it?" he asked.

Aurus scowled at that, displeased. "Taken? Love is not a commodity. You talk of it like it is money. Even if it was like that, even money is not meant to be stolen. It is meant to be earned. Perhaps it is our lot in life to be liars and thieves because of how we are designed. But I have based my entire life on the belief that love earned is far more powerful than love stolen through trickery or force. Instead of trying to enslave our neighbors or replace them through disguise, I would have appealed to them. Would have become one of them honestly, not just in image alone. There is no better way to be loved, councilman," he finished firmly, the distaste in his tone plain and clear. He didn't flinch at the realization that he was being rude to Korrick; he didn't care. This opinion, his lifestyle, was too deeply rooted in this belief to bear anything so contrary.

Korrick was set back on his hind legs, clearly taken aback and astounded. He tried to speak for several moments, but nothing came out. This was it, their visionary! How could one so young see the value of love so differently? Korrick could not comprehend Aurus' feelings on the matter, was too rooted in his own ways to understand that point of view fully. But even that incomplete understanding of this young changeling's outlook was grand by comparison to the dark ways their kind had lived by for so long.

Korrick bowed his head in sudden shame. "I am sorry, wise Aurus. I didn't mean to make it sound as if love is meant only to be stolen. It is simply the way our people have always done it; you said it yourself that it is in our design. Do you truly believe that the old ways are so terrible?" he asked, his tone holding a hint of hope.

Now it was Aurus who looked astounded. Wise? Certainly not. It was just his opinion and nothing more. "Of course I believe that, Korrick. Why would I have defended it so loudly if I didn't? Can't you see that the old ways are responsible for what happened? It's through them that selfish kings and queens come into their power."

Korrick raised his head and grinned in Aurus' face, his wings buzzing with excitement. "I had hoped you would say that. You are more clever and wise than you know, my boy. Perhaps it is time I told you why you are really here. But first..." he paused, turning to the assembled council. "Brothers and sisters, what say you? Is his vision of our future not correct? You have all seen it too; the old ways are leading us to ruin. It is time for change!" Korrick shouted.

The council echoed it with a resounding cheer, a single shout of agreement and resolve. Korrick resumed his speech, pacing about. "For too long we have let tradition lead us blindly by the mouth. Our days of disgrace must come to a close. Tell me, brothers and sisters; is he the one?" he cried.

The resounding roar of "aye" returned from a hundred throats, shaking the chamber with their enthusiasm and volume.

Korrick turned back to Aurus, whose look of confusion was far beyond anything he had ever worn in all his life. "Councilman?" he asked meekly, clearly shocked at the sudden speech. He shuddered as his body coursed with the energy of infinite approval, all eyes on him as he shuffled uncomfortably from the sudden influx of power from the council's admiration.

"Congratulations, Aurus. You will be our next King."

The council had been thoroughly understanding as Aurus waited in shock, his face a mix of terror and disbelief. At last he had come back to reality, had realized that this was no dream or nightmare.

"Aurus?" Korrick asked politely, once it seemed that the young changeling's mind was back under his own control. "Are you alright, my boy?"

"I... No, councilman," he said at last, steeling himself against his itching, shaking nerves and the sudden energy of his body. His mouth was terribly dry, but he had to force the words out. "Surely you must have been joking?"

"I'm afraid not, Aurus," Korrick replied, now seeming confused. "Aren't you thrilled? Any changeling in your position would be bouncing off the walls with excitement." Indeed, when they had christened Chrysalis as the next queen, she had all but spent the immediate influx of energy casting spells like a mage off the chain.

"I am horrified, councilor. I'm not fit to rule our people!" Aurus cried, now shaking with fear. "I can't wield that power!"

Korrick was shocked. He honestly did not want to rule the changeling race. Did not want power! "Are you mad, boy? Think of the change you could bring us, the light you would be to the people!"

"Think of the ruin I could cause, or the pain for our people when I lead them astray. I am more sane than I have ever been," Aurus countered hard, gritting his teeth to keep them from chattering.

Korrick smiled sadly. Truly he could understand those terrors; anyone with power could. But Aurus wasn't afraid for his own reputation, wasn't concerned with his own magic or greed. His prime fear was that he would fail the people, that he was not fit to help them, to lead them.

"Aurus... that is why it must be you," he said quietly, his tone bittersweet.

"What do you mean?" Aurus asked, calming a bit.

"Any changeling eager to rule is power-hungry, and ill-suited to be the king our people desperately need. It is your very reluctance that speaks volumes in your favor. We need you, Aurus. A changeling who can truly change us all." Korrick was smiling at him warmly, almost pleadingly.

The old changing fell to his knees bowing his head. "Please, Aurus. You must be the one to lead our people to peace."

The council murmured in surprise, for never in his life had Korrick ever bowed to any of the kings or queens of the past. The room was practically vibrating for the myriad whispers that overlapped one another.

Aurus was just as surprised for his part. "Please don't bow to me, Korrick. Don't beg me to do this," he pleaded.

Korrick did not leave his disgraceful prostrate position, but held it firmly. His tone, when he spoke, was determined and unafraid. "If I must lay down my pride to show you how desperately our people need you, then it is a small price to pay."

Many others in the council ring left their seats, flitting down to the floor in front of Aurus. To his horror, they too bowed to him, pleading with him. The energy inside him went mad, flooding his poor body with uncontrollable power. Never had he needed to contain so much of it. It was tearing at his mind, and his body ached as it trembled in an effort to withhold it.

His eyes glowed like fire in the gloom as he gritted his teeth. "Stop... Please..." he begged, his voice little more than a whisper. His tone startled him, shocked him, for it was as if he were speaking in three different voices, all in concert.

Korrick raised his head long enough to sneak a glance at Aurus, curious what had changed in his voice. When he saw his eyes, glowing like an emerald inferno, he smiled sadly. "This is the fate of a king, Aurus..." he said quietly. "The only way to use this much power is for the people... or against it." He lowered his head again, resigned to what might come next. Aurus had repressed the sudden influx of magic dangerously, and there was no telling if he could control it once released.

The council knelt before him, prepared to face their fates in this struggle.

He could stand it no longer, his breath came out as wisps of pure energy, like puffs of steam in the cold. He felt monstrous, dangerous. He was afraid what would become of this energy, with so many gathered helplessly in front of him. It surged through him, making its way to his horn, where it would come forth in some form he had no understanding of. He was no great mage, no excellent student of magic. But he had to try something, anything to stop the devestation.

As the magic left him in a rush, he focused with all his mind, and shouted one simple word. "Rise!" he cried, his triple-voice laced with the magical energy contained within him, filling the room with deafening volume. A green blast exploded out from his horn, the aura splitting into distinct wisps of energy. Each wriggled its way through the air to a kneeling council member, crashing like a wave of water against their hard hides. Each, unable to control themselves, rose to their hooves.

Nothing more happened, nothing terrible or unholy. Aurus dared to watch the entire thing. By the time it was over, he was the only changeling kneeling, though in his case it was from shock and exhaustion.

Korrick, now standing, looked at Aurus with admiration. "Even as you stood there, filled with the power of a god, all you desired was for your people to rise and meet you. And in the end, it is you kneeling before your own power, not us. Can't you see it, Aurus? Even in your desperation, you did not harm us. I can think of no better king than that."

The old councilor extended a porous hoof, and Aurus took it gratefully. He was tired, and his legs shook as he stood, but stand he did.

"I see, councilor... Though I still don't like it," he said with a defeated smile. Korrick smiled back, for he could see in Aurus' eyes the answer he had fought tooth and horn to receive, had bowed and pleaded for.

"What must I do?"

"Absolutely not."

"Your highness, please," Korrick began.

"And stop calling me 'your highness'?" Aurus begged for the umpteenth time. "I'm not even the king yet."

"Fine, Aurus. But you need to meet with the nobles to secure your position. They're honor-bound to respect the council's decision, but without the public eye looking upon you with approval, you won't have the power sufficient to lead them." Korrick and Aurus had met shortly after the little show in the council chamber, in Korrick's private quarters.

"I admit, councilor, that there is a great deal I don't understand about politics. I want you to understand that I want to keep it that way," he said calmly. "I'm not certain I want all of the magical power that comes with the title, nor the attention. Just because you declare me king doesn't change who I am. I've always been a simple changeling."

"Very well. But whether you want it or not, you're bound to receive it. You can feel it, can't you? Even after expending so much energy, the council's adoration still flows through you even now. They respect you as their lord. Unlike other changelings, the king can feel the love of his people no matter where he is, or how much distance separates them. Of course the effect is diminished, but it changes nothing if you have all the nation behind you."

"I don't even know what I want to do with that power yet... Why would I need it?" Aurus asked, pacing about. He didn't like that Korrick was right. His body still felt too full of energy, felt as if more was trickling in every second.

"If you had the power to do anything, what would it be?" Korrick asked curiously.

"I don't know... We're alone, Korrick. Our people are isolated because of how we have treated all the other races. Most recently our failures with the ponies of Equestria. I think the first step for our people is to redeem ourselves," Aurus said at length, minutes of heavy thought kicking out that idea.

Korrick nodded sagely. "A sound plan. But how?" he asked, for even his aged, wise mind could find no way to do so easily. "It is not as if we can simply appeal to them or apologize for our actions. Our military terrorized their capital, after all."

"Under her orders, and nothing more, though certainly the military could do with an education in ethics," Aurus said with a sigh.

"Your high-. Aurus?" Korrick asked, correcting himself quickly.

"It's so strange, Korrick. I'm only speaking my mind, saying the first things that pop into my head. They're opinions and nothing more; just my speculations. The ideas of a young changeling who still has much to learn. But the people, even you, are going to take them to heart as the words of a king. How am I to know that they're right, or wise?" Aurus asked cautiously.

"My boy, even at my age you cannot know your decisions are wise," he chuckled. "I have been swathed in politics since I was no older than you, and still I make decisions I later regret. Nothing is certain until it is tested. I cannot even know that you are the king that will lead us to a brighter future." He smiled as Aurus flinched at that, giving him a comforting look. "I do not have to know it to believe it."

Aurus sighed, convinced enough to continue his thoughts. "We cannot go to them like we did before. A swarm of our kind would only bring chaos on our doorstep. We must approach them slowly, because we have frightened them. You will object, but I wish to go to them alone, and see what healing can be done."

Korrick shook his head. "I don't think that's a good course of action."

"I already said you wouldn't think so. Knowing that, assume I've already taken it into account. Korrick, though I know you little, I value your counsel. But something must be done, and it must be done carefully. Who better than the king of our people to appeal to them humbly? How else are they to know we are sincere?" he asked pleadingly.

Korrick sighed, for he could not fight that logic. "Sadly, I have never in all my years met a changeling better suited to send in search of peace. Still, if you plan to go to them directly, you will need the help of your people. You cannot go there unarmed, my lord."

Aurus frowned. "And why not? If I come into their world brimming with so much magical energy that I can't contain it, what will they think of me? What if what happened back there happens in some pony village somewhere? What if it happens worse? And stop calling me your lord," he grumbled finally, still uncomfortable with titles full of so much respect.

Korrick couldn't repress a grin as Aurus grumbled and shuffled nervously, reminded suddenly just how young he was. "Aurus, there are things that you don't yet understand. You can't contain that energy yet, but your body will... adapt. We are not called changelings simply because we can change how we appear," he said soothingly.

Aurus calmed a bit at that, happy to sink his mind into a new subject for a few minutes to take his mind off the trauma of kingship. "What do you mean 'adapt'?"

"You have seen Chrysalis before?" Korrick asked. When Aurus nodded, he continued. "Did she look anything like your average female?"

Aurus shrugged. "She looked similar, but she was much taller, and certainly seemed more powerful."

Korrick nodded sagely. "Think of your body like a cup, and the magic like water. Too much and it begins to overflow, and you cannot always control where the water goes. In your case earlier today, you willingly tipped the cup, carefully deciding which direction to pour the magic out. Your body begins to change to accommodate more magic as it becomes used to the increased levels. The council refers to it as metamorphosing," he finished quietly. "It is not a subject that we teach you in school, for it's a carefully guarded political secret. Kings and queens always appear to be superior in form to the common folk, for they deal with almost toxic amounts of magic. It's both a blessing and a curse."

"Toxic amounts?" Aurus asked cautiously. "As in, fatal?"

"Yes, unless you are willing to utilize your magic often, or adapt enough to handle the massive influx of positive emotion. If you suppress it long enough, there is no telling what kind of damage it might do to you. It is best to carefully regulate it by practicing magic often," Korrick said quietly. "It affects me too; I'll never have to deal with the levels of magic you will, but between my age and my position on the council, even I have to vent excess energy sometimes."

Aurus nodded, glad to have received that information. "That certainly doesn't make me any more eager to meet these nobles of yours," he muttered.

Korrick laughed. "No, I imagine not. But after what I have seen, I believe you can handle it. Now then, perhaps it is time you stopped being stubborn. Your coronation is only three days away, and you will need all the energy you can get to deal with that stress."

Aurus allowed himself a nervous laugh at that quip, letting it take some of his tension with him. "I still can't keep up with all of this, Korrick. Alright, you win; I'll meet them, and do what I can to impress them. Just one thing."

"Anything, my lord," Korrick said, smirking to show he had knowingly used the title this time.

"Don't expect me to change," Aurus said with a friendly nudge to Korrick's shoulder.

The elder changeling 'oofed' and let out a grumbling laugh. "I wouldn't dream of it, Aurus."

Three days of meeting with politicians, rich changelings, business owners, and various other folk with clout had been just as energizing as draining. As had always been his trend in life, Aurus was ever polite, refusing to be called 'lord' or 'highness' courteously.

As for the part of those he met, they could not have been more pleased with him. Greedy as they were he catered to them in many ways. First, he made them feel good about themselves; as if they did not need to lower themselves in front of him. He treated them like equals, though he was soon to be king of them all. This satisfied their pride.

More importantly, he catered to one of the most base enjoyments of any creature; curiosity. He was sincere in everything he said, a truly kind and gentle heart amidst such a coarse throng of changelings. Nobody he met could place him, could find his angle or his motivation. And all came to the realization that he didn't have one, was exactly as he appeared.

Instead of making him more transparent, everyone was abuzz with talk about this strange new king. He was odd, had a sort of mystique about him, for nobody could relate to him on his own level. Yet everyone felt alive after meeting him, renewed. He charged them with his interest and sincere admiration for their accomplishments. Any time the public met a king or queen before this they felt drained, having to trade their adoration for empty disdain.

This king did not look down on them. This king loved them, all of them, for nothing more than the fact that he had met them. By the time three days had finally passed, Aurus felt sick. He had been expending magic almost constantly, for there was not a single changeling he had met who had not honestly liked him.

It was only to get worse, for the upper crust of changeling society was not wont to keep their mouths shut. They told anyone and everyone of their meetings with the new king-to-be. That he was fascinating, a wonderful changeling to meet, and bound to be a king unlike any they had ever seen. The press caught wind of it, and when news of the coronation ceremony finally hit the front page, the entire nation was in an uproar, everyone eager to see this face they had heard so much about.

Aurus shuffled uncomfortably as he reflected on it all, prancing about behind the stage curtain. His blue lenses blinked in and out of his vision, anything to expend even the slightest amount of energy. Beyond that curtain, he could hear the chatter of thousands, almost the entire nation had assembled to see him. To see the new king. To see the visionary.

He almost hoped they would be unimpressed, if only to stop the aching flow of energy. He stopped and pointed his horn at a large, lead block that had been brought for just such an occasion. He strained his focus to lift the block, expending as much energy as he could muster, even turning the block this way and that. At last he set it down, breathing heavily. He felt more stable now, though the energy still flooded through him.

Korrick had assured him that, once the curtain rose, he would be assaulted with so much positive energy that he would pass out if he were not constantly expelling it. But there was always a feat of strength expected at the coronation for just that purpose. Aside from keeping him conscious and alive, it would serve to impress the people, to show how powerful he truly was.

Aurus didn't like that idea, but he knew he had no say in the matter. It was that or possibly die. His parents had been informed, were seated at a key position in the grand Capital Colosseum, granted a box all their own at stage level. Thousands would be watching from outside on magical screens projected by skilled mages, and hundreds more filled the air like black clouds.

The assembly quieted down as a fanfare rang out, and Korrick could be heard over the resounding echoes of the people bouncing about the stone circle of the colosseum. His voice was magically augmented, reaching even those outside.

"Greetings, my changelings friends! On behalf of all our people and the Council, I welcome you to this glorious occasion! For too long we watched Chrysalis with an idle eye, blind to her greed and malice. Unseated and unfit to rule, she has been locked away!"

Cheers rang out like thunder, shaking the wooden floor under Aurus' hooves.

"But an empty throne would lead us into chaos and disarray, an anarchy so widespread that the Council could not stop it. Fearful of putting another tyrant in the seat of power, we searched long for a true leader! A changeling with wisdom so far beyond the ways of old that only he could lead us into the golden age the council and our people desperately seek!"

Again, thunder in the form of voices, rocking the very core of the structure, all crying out to see him, to see their new king.

Again the lead block flew high, at last coming to rest as he vented the energy needed to stay conscious.

"My friends, welcome our new King, Aurus Marz!" Korrick shouted.

The curtain rose and Aurus exhaled deeply as he prepared himself. The energy hit him like a ton of bricks, yet he managed to move forward to the center of the stage. Positioned all about the colosseum were massive torches he could use to expend his energy, for they were unlit. Carefully, he focused on two at a time, lighting the torches opposite one another in a full circle around the top of the colosseum. The effect was simple but impressive, and vented a substantial amount of the energy he needed to remove.

The rest he used to augment his own voice, instead of receiving help from the mages standing ready nearby. "People, hear me!" he cried loudly, and the effect was nearly deafening as his voice was again infused with an otherworldly quality. The assembled all hushed suddenly, awed and amazed.

"I am honored that you would call me your king. That I can call you my people. You are not my subjects, but my friends. You cannot understand the depths of my adoration for you all. Your fears are my fears, and your hopes my hopes. Each of you is a light in my eye, all of you part of the bright future I see ahead."

He paused slightly, awaiting a reaction. There was none, for everyone was rooted still as stone, hung on his every word. Many trembled, for his words had not been hollow. They were all filled with his love of his people, his unending desire to make them happy and whole, and it energized them, thrilled them.

"I did not ask to be your king. I did not try to woo you, to persuade you, or fight with you. I am here because of you all, because our people needs a change of direction, and a change of heart. The world is afraid of us, and this should not be so! We're not monsters, my friends. Why should creatures who thrive on love be reviled? Our kings and queens of old have led us astray!" he risked a shout, and was nearly knocked flat by the resulting cries of approval.

Changelings hovered in their seats, energized by Aurus' words, and his love for them. They could hardly sit still, and put magical energy into everything they did, their shouts and cheers amplified tenfold.

Aurus turned his attention to his next outlet for magical energy. Overhead, the colosseum could be closed, a stone roof that took twenty skilled mages many minutes to seal, should the weather prove faulty. With nothing present in his mind other than the will to move it, he poured all of his energy into it, drawing it closed. The stone slabs slid out on metal rails, slamming together like a thunder crash overhead in mere seconds. Again, he felt stable, but now it was dark, except for the green light of the torches ringing the dome above.

"I am tired of being hated, of being feared! It is time the world saw us as we are meant to be. It will take time and patience, but I will lead us to the doorsteps of those we once called prey. Instead, we shall call them friends. We will tolerate our own greed and monstrosity no longer. Why should we hide what we are? What good is love and adoration if it is not meant for you? I will not hide us from the world, my friends. The time has come for peace," he finished firmly, seriously. This was the part of his speech that could most likely be disagreed with.

It did not happen. The people could feel a connection to his heart, could feel the truth radiating in him, his words merely conduits for the perfect vision that they could all see blooming in his mind. Nobody cheered, instead they were all ruled by an awed silence as he showed them the image of a world where changelings were adored openly. Even the most stubborn and greedy among them saw the worth in that vision, though it wrestled with their nature. Nature lost out to hope, to the glory of the will of their new king.

"I will go to the people we once called enemies. I will go with all of our sincerity, our desire to know them, and our regret for our tyranny and foolishness. I will not disguise myself, will not hide. From this day forward, the world will see you all and love you all as I do. As a people," he finished softly, warmly. "Thank you, my friends."

The crowd cheered so forcefully that the stone plates above rattled loose, sliding back gently on their tracks, gravity grabbing hold of them. The effect was beautiful as the sun filtered back in, starting as a single beam bathing the stage, then flowing out to encompass all the stadium.

And for his final release of a love he could not even measure, Aurus had no outlet. He stumbled and winced as the magic did its best to consume him. Instead he could feel it changing him, his body doing anything it could to route the power away, contain it better. His horn grew longer, more majestic where changelings were concerned. It became jagged and long, but yet still looked proportionate to his body and skull. His body could not affect any more rapid change, could not stall the magic any longer, and at last Aurus had to let it fly.

The clouds for miles around swirled around, gathering above the stadium. The people cheered, for this was the truest display of their new king's powers, when all of them were cheering his name, adoring him loudly and openly.

The dark blanket overhead roared with lightning, but the bolts were green, not white. A beam shot out from Aurus' horn, piercing the sky above and feeding into the clouds. The gathered storm bulged and whirled around that beam, the lightning arcing to it. At last the beam faded, and the clouds flashed brilliantly once before going dark.

Suddenly it began to rain, thunder roaring overhead. But each drop glowed green, filled to bursting with magical energy. Where they struck the earth, grass sprung to life on barren ground. Where they struck stone, flashes of beautiful green fire burned for a split second.

And where the rain struck a changeling, he or she was filled with magical essence, a rejuvenating and comforting amount that soothed the nerves. The entire nation basked in a storm of bliss, conjured by the might of their king.

"My gift to you, my friends; the power you give me, I share with you. I hope that you can continue to believe in me, as I lead us forward into a new dawn."

Korrick smiled as the rain splashed against him, soothing the aching in his joints, reveling in the storm. Though the sky was dark above, all the world was bright to him now.

"There can be no better king than this," he muttered silently, a phrase he himself could not hear over the roar of the energized crowd.

III: A Change of Scenery

"I suppose I can't talk you out of it, then?" the female changeling asked, her front teeth chomping down on her lower jaw as she awaited the undesirable, certain answer.

"Sorry mom, but this is something I have to do. If it were anyone else, they'd never even take our apology into consideration," Aurus said quietly, reluctantly agreeing to his mother's fears.

"The boy's right, dear," his father chimed in calmly, standing next to Aurus with pride. "We've always known our son wasn't like other changelings... We raised him differently. Don't you think that maybe this might be what he was born for?"

Aurus' mother sighed in defeat, clearly outnumbered. "It's dangerous out there, you know..." she began, but Aurus cut her off with a calm, confident smile.

"I know, mom. But I've always dreamed of going to see the world. Even better if I can change it in the process. It has to be me, and I have to do it alone. Until the other races no longer regard us as monsters, the work rests squarely on me. And I think I'm ready," he finished warmly.

His mother teared up a bit. Aria was too caught up in bragging to her friends that she was now a princess, and had opted to stay out of the adult discussion, so only his mother and father remained to see Aurus off. He had stopped for one final visit at his home in Rikkit, for he would be preparing and departing for his journey from the castle in the capital.

"Just promise me you'll come home safe? I know you're the king now, but you're still my boy, and I worry about you," she said, nuzzling him gently. His father joined in, rubbing his head and smiling with a semi-sad expression.

"I know, and you'll both always be my parents. I love you guys, and I promise I'll be home soon, safe and sound," he vowed, hugging back. A knock at the door brought them apart, and Aurus knew it was his guards, come to collect him.

Smiling and waving, he made his way outside. The door closed behind him on the worried, but still smiling faces of his parents, and he sighed to clear his chest of the already gathering feeling of homesickness.

"Your highness..." one of his guards prompted, buzzing his wings to illustrate that they should be taking off soon.

"Yes, I know. And please, just call me Aurus."

"The council wanted to send you out like a hero, you know. Fanfare and all," Korrick harrumphed, wandering about the royal study. "I put that one away though. It's not much your style, I don't think."

Aurus sighed, sitting on one of the room's many overstuffed couches, doing his best to find some way to get comfortable without drowning in the furniture. "Well, you're right about that much," he admitted, finally giving up and joining Korrick on the floor. "I really don't think I'm cut out to be royalty. My body's not built to handle that much magic; it just makes me feel sick," he grumbled.

Korrick just chuckled slightly. "Well, as I've said, you'll adapt. And you told me yourself you're not very skilled with magic on the whole. Part of it might just be that you don't know how to control it inside yourself, not just when casting it. But there's no better teacher than time or experience."

Aurus nodded, looking out one of the windows to the capital below. It was beautiful city, as far as he was concerned. Nothing was round or boring, nothing simply black and white. Lights dazzled him as sunlight bounced off green glass windows or polished slate roofs. The city was a wondrous maze of colors and shapes, and even from such a lofty perch as this he could not tell where some roads ended and others began.

A part of him didn't want to leave; wanted to stay and revel in the sight of that city. His city now, he realized. He subjugated that greedy notion quickly, however. His city, but his to protect and guide, not to dominate or terrorize.

"Aurus?" Korrick asked politely, sensing no reply coming from his king.

"Sorry Korrick," Aurus replied sheepishly, jumping as he was jolted from his musings. "I was just thinking that it's a long ways to travel... and a long time to be gone. I'd miss it more, but to be honest, things are changed here now. I'll never live the quiet life I used to. Perhaps it's best, even for me, to stay away for a bit. As much as this mission is for the people, Korrick, I know I need it too," he said quietly.

The old changeling looked upon his young king and smiled in understanding. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to sort things out for yourself, Aurus. If you're worried that it's a selfish notion, let that go. In the end, you are doing what is right for all of our kind."

Aurus and Korrick had grown closer in the week or so since the coronation. Aurus had refused to be sly-talked by any other politicians or councilmen, preferring Korrick's wise counsel and good company to all else in the capital. He was beginning to warm up to a few others, but only in the elderly changeling did Aurus find a willing friend, not just a follower. And so it was with a heavy sigh of resignation that Aurus accepted his advice, letting his worries go.

"You're right, of course." Aurus walked over to a low table, Korrick following closely behind. They had outlined their plans on the map that rested there, had decided together the best route for Aurus to take into Equestria. Though the council had argued loudly that he should go to the ponies' capital directly, Aurus had turned them down. It would be better to test the waters in a smaller village. A changeling would be reported to the capital either way, he had pointed out, and so their politicians would learn of him in due time.

The leaders were not who he was most concerned with anyways. It was the common folk who truly needed to understand. So Aurus and Korrick had decided together on a place present on their old, dated maps of Equestria. A small village called Ponyville, not very far from the capital. Aurus was to fly through the Red Gorge, then on past Lone Peak and into Everfree forest. From there he would be on his own, using his best judgement to meet with and engage the populace.

"I'm in for a long flight," he groaned good-naturedly, his eyes taking in the dotted path of his travels for the umpteenth time. The energy that came with his position was bubbling miserably within him, practically begging for that airborne marathon to help let it loose.

Korrick smiled, sensing that perhaps Aurus was a bit eager. "Then maybe it's best if you go now."

Aurus smiled, having desired just such an answer to his problems. "And the council, the people?"

"They know about your mission, and all the nation is waiting with bated breath to see what will become of it. I'll take care of things here in your absence," Korrick assured him.

Smiling, Aurus made his way out onto the balcony. "Thank you, Korrick. I'm lucky to have such a loyal advisor."

"A loyal friend, your majesty," Korrick chuckled, winking one of his blue lenses as Aurus smiled and flared his wings, which had grown larger in the last few days, though not by much. "The rest of our kind and I are behind you. Wherever you might go, you will not be completely alone."

With a nod of gratitude and an eager grin, Aurus was off the ledge of the balcony, diving down out of sight. By the time Korrick reached the railing, Aurus was only a small black dot in the afternoon sky, already making his way far to the east.

Everfree was a beautiful and mysterious place. Aurus loved every uniquely twisted and gnarled tree, every fanged set of eyes in the darkness. He was too enthralled to be fearful, too taken in to be nervous of his mission. It had taken him all of the previous evening to close the distance between their nations, nearly twelve full hours of hard flying. Even so, he felt balanced; neither drained nor overly full of energy. And that suited him just fine.

It was dark still, the morning very early yet. Dawn was a couple of hours off, and though his wings ached and his mind hungered for sleep, he knew he had to make himself a place to lie for the night. That thought at last brought some cautious notions to his mind. It was all well and good while he was alert, but there was no telling what would become of him in such a foreign place if his guard was down.

He could feel the energy of his people, many leagues away, already beginning to fill back up within him. A slow drizzle of magic, pushing the limits within himself back to the fill-line. Ever since the magic had been filtering into his body like that, he had discovered the misfortune that he couldn't sleep unless he expended it. No matter the exhaustion of his mind, he would simply toss and turn all night unless something was done about it.

Between his latest worries and the fear of another sleepless night, he determined that designing a shelter was in order. He wandered about, using his magic to create a light at the end of his horn, until at last he found a cliff deep within the woods, stemming from the wall of one of the many canyons reaching out from Lone Peak in the northeast. A waterfall dropped nearby, a soothing and enjoyable sound. The pool it created filtered off in a shallow stream, fueling the various bogs within the forest with a steady supply of fresh water.

Aurus came to the quiet realization that everything was in equilibrium here, causing the place to hold and never change its form. The bogs existed because the water coming in was equal to the water being consumed or draining out. The wildlife was diverse, because they were dependent on one another. Where something truly independent, such as a changeling or pony society existed, it was rare to find any other creatures, for their dominance often forced out lesser life forms.

He smiled as he considered it, his new home for the time being. He was displeased that his arrival might upset the ancient, careful balance of such a place, but he was determined to affect it all as little as possible. Returning to his work, he found a series of small caves that branched off near the waterfall. Sounds within warned him that these were already inhabited, and he was not overly fond of having questionable neighbors so nearby in the wee hours of the night.

He followed the canyon further in, until at last it reached a small clearing. The ruins of a once grand castle lingered there, deeply scarred by the weathering of time, though still keenly beautiful. It was a different kind of art from that of his own people; sweeping and elegant, all the stonework rounded and smooth, not angular or jagged.

It had a feeling of security about it, an aura of timelessness that kept most things respectfully at bay. Determined that this would be his station, his outpost in foreign lands, Aurus set about with his work. He wandered inside, moving stone slabs and shattered glass aside, piling pieces of once-grand pillars to form the low stone walls of his makeshift house within the ancient castle.

At last, as the pink tinge of dawn stained the world's edge, he had crafted a simple stone dwelling out of the pieces of the past. He had no doubt that this was some ancient pony structure, and so he paid it due respect, careful to have left all of the pieces undamaged as he piled and arranged them. It was little more than ten feet deep in any direction, and only about seven feet high. It boasted no windows on its walls, and only a solitary door, also made of stone, too heavy for most creatures to move on their own. It gave him a sense of security, though he knew the safety of his home was compromised by the roof.

It was made from shards of stained glass windows, fused together by arcane means into a single plate, which rested atop the uneven stone walls of his 'home'. In the morning, it would allow the sun to filter through, waking him and casting beautiful arrays of light all about.

Satisfied, and now magically exhausted, Aurus at last made his way inside. There was no furniture, no adornments. A humble house for the king of his nation. And as he fell into slumber, he could not have been more pleased.

He could see it from the edge of the woods, exactly where his maps had indicated. Even from this distance he could tell that it was a much larger town than he had anticipated. Still, his goals weren't about to change; this community needed to be taught the value of his people, needed to be shown their worth.

He sighed as he felt his heart rate elevating. He was nervous, of course. He knew full well that what he was about to do would be borderline catastrophic. Ponies would likely panic and flee, some might even try to attack him.

He had decided during his flight over that he would simply walk into town. It wouldn't do him any good to expose himself slowly; sightings of a changeling might not be so traumatic to the ponies, but it wouldn't help him accomplish his goals. It did him no favors to simply be seen. He needed to be present among them.

Simply walk into town. He gritted his teeth and willed his knees to stop shaking. He wasn't going to disguise himself, though his instincts begged him to transform himself into the very first pony he met, and then hide them away somewhere. He needed to be himself. Part of all of this was appearing exactly as he was, showing that he had nothing to hide from them.

He willed his legs to move, heading down the dirt road that led from Everfree to Ponyville. It wasn't a long trek, but the possibility of running into somebody on the way nagged at him. That would undo nearly everything he had planned. Again his instincts urged him to disguise himself, at least until he was in town, and again he fought them hard. He kept on at a quick pace, glad to see that this road looked very seldom-traveled.

He knew he could get there faster by flying, but the journey on hoof served two purposes. First, flying into town would cause immediate problems, might get ponies thinking that another invasion was on the way. Walking was more... normal. Secondly, it gave him time to try and settle his nerves.

At last he entered the edge of town. Ponies were everywhere, talking in their customary, lilting language. All changelings were fluent in the languages of other cultures, a mandatory education for infiltrating other societies. He listened idly to what they were saying, letting it take his mind off of things a little. At first nobody paid him any mind. He was black, and black ponies weren't unheard of, and he had a similar shape. If anyone caught him out the corner of their eye, or noticed his outline in the background, they would never notice. Anyone deep in conversation was sure to let him pass by.

That obliviousness was shattered as a pony, out on her daily errands, nearly ran him over. She was a light cream-yellow, her mane fiery orange and curly. Aurus backed up a polite step to let her regain her balance, smiling pleasantly at her to show it didn't bother him. The truth was that it did; he was finally making first contact, and he was more frightened and nervous than he had ever been.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she began, not looking at him and bending down to pick up a bag she had dropped, holding the strap in her mouth. "I didn't mean to-" she stopped abruptly, facing his fanged grin, which in changeling circles would have been considered charming and polite. Judging by the way her eyes widened and the bag fell from her suddenly hanging jaw, that was clearly not a view ponies shared.

The signs were way too obvious for Aurus to ignore, and so he let his smile fade and sighed, mentally preparing for the coming catastrophe.

The mare screamed loudly and turned, running from him, shouting 'changeling' over and over. Everyone in that corner of town immediately latched onto her sudden distress, trying to find the source. When they finally spotted him, they too began shouting and running, all heading to their homes, or joining one of the many groups making their way towards the center of town, instinctively looking for strength in numbers.

Aurus just stood by, heartbroken and ashamed. What had his people done to them? How could simply smiling at a pony cause so much dread and fear? He couldn't even begin to estimate the trauma that the changeling invasion in Canterlot had caused, and he certainly had no idea how much the pony media had allowed the story to evolve. Even ponies who had not been present at the royal wedding had heard tales of changelings and how terrible they were by now.

He followed cautiously, keeping his own pace and letting them run from him. Patience was key here, he knew; it would be the deciding factor. By the time he had reached what he imagined was the center of town, there wasn't a pony in sight. He could hear them though; huddled around corners of buildings or behind locked doors, talking in low panicked voices to one another.

Listening carefully, he began to sort out a few key conversations, most of which were very similar.

"Look at him. He's monstrous!" one older mare whispered to her friends.

"Why is he just standing there?" a younger male asked of nobody in particular.

"Is he the only one?" someone finally chimed, realizing at last that it was just Aurus by himself, standing idly in the center of town.

Aurus had his attention ripped away as a shop bell chimed, the front door swinging open as a grey pegasus with a blonde mane walked out, humming to herself and carrying a paper bag in her mouth. He immediately determined that whoever she was, she hadn't yet caught on to all the chaos. She stopped moving when she realized that it was oddly quiet, and finally noticed him, her golden eyes taking a few seconds to focus on his position.

Aurus braced himself for another panic attack, doing everything in his power to fight his nature and not to smile at her; that seemed to have an opposite effect around here.

He nearly toppled in surprise when all she did was wave, smiling around the bag clamped in her mouth. Confused beyond all reason, but not about to waste this opportunity, he waved back. He was even more fascinated as she began to trot over. Again, he could hear the rushed, confused whispers of hidden ponies.

"What is she doing?"

"Derpy, you idiot..."

She stopped directly in front of him, bending low to set the bag on the ground. When her head came back up, she fixed him with a goofy grin, her eyes not quite in line. Aurus though that the asymmetry was wonderful; unique and interesting. Unable to help himself, he smiled back, infected by her carefree expression.

"Hi there!" she chimed pleasantly.

"Hello," he returned, the accent from his own language somewhat affecting his speech. He didn't have any spells active to alter his voice, since he wasn't currently disguised.

"Wow, you sound funny! Kind of cool though. Sorry if that was rude," she finished suddenly, looking forlornly at her hooves as if she had already resigned herself to being yelled at for pointing out that he talked funny. She stayed like that for a few seconds, clearly expecting a reprimand.

Aurus laughed lightly, smiling wider and more sincerely. "Not rude at all, actually. I'm sure you noticed, but I'm not exactly from around here. What's your name?" he asked politely.

She looked back up at him as if she were confused at first, not quite catching on that he wasn't offended. She finally snatched that little detail up though and grinned, doing a little bounce side to side in her enthusiasm. "Nope, definitely never seen you before. My name's Ditzy, but lots of ponies call me Derpy instead. I don't mind it much. What's yours?"

Derpy? Well, near as he could tell, that word didn't translate to anything, so he just assumed it was some kind of arbitrary thing. Best just to call her by her real name, then. "Nice to meet you Ditzy. My name is Aurus." Pronouncing his name using the pony inflection of the various vowels wasn't that difficult, and in fact they were nearly identical, luckily for him. For many others of his kind, the names didn't translate well.

"Wow, that's a pretty name. Well, I hate to say so, but I have to go. I deliver the mail for Ponyville, and I'm on lunch right now, so I need to get back to it. Nice meeting you though, and I hope we get to talk again sometime soon!" she said cheerfully, her apology very upbeat, as if there was just no way around it and she expected him not to take it personally.

He certainly didn't. He was about to say something to her when a shout from across the way interrupted him.

"Derpy, get away from that changeling!" a purple unicorn shouted, her eyes narrowed dangerously and her horn pointed directly at Aurus, glowing gently. The orange-maned pony Aurus had bumped into earlier was standing behind her, clearly still fearful of him.

Whoever this purple unicorn was, she was likely some kind of guard for the town. It was only natural that somebody had gone to fetch her, Aurus concluded. He was about to tell Derpy to step aside so she wouldn't get caught up in the oncoming mess, but quickly found she could take care of herself. In a way.

"Yep, was just about to!" she called back cheerfully, waving at the purple mare. "We had a nice talk, but I'm on lunch, so I already told him I have to go! You can talk to him now if you want, I'm all done!"

The purple mare brought her head back up, no longer pointing her horn at Aurus. Her expression was caught somewhere between completely confused and stunned.

Figuring that it was all sorted out, Derpy spread her wings and trotted a few paces away before taking off, bag in her mouth once more. "Bye Aurus!" she mumbled around the paper container.

Aurus just waved, thinking it might benefit him to pretend whatever had just happened with the purple mare had never occurred. "Bye Ditzy! Have fun at work, and enjoy your lunch!"

The purple mare down the street actually fell over from surprise, taking a few moments to right herself. Once she was back on her hooves she charged right in, her face once again a mask of skepticism, ready to explode into anger at any moment. "Alright then, what did you do to Derpy?"

"Nothing," Aurus replied sincerely, looking at her without concern. It was best to let her anger fizzle out, not encourage it with a reaction. In the meantime, answering her questions honestly might help to alleviate her concerns some. "Just like she said; we talked. We introduced ourselves, though we didn't get very far past that. Still, she seems like a nice lady, if a bit on the odd side. That's just part of her charm though," he said. He knew that the small-talk was highly unnecessary, but it might help to inject a sense of normalcy between himself and this town guard.

She reeled back like she had been slapped, finally coming back down on her front hooves with an eyebrow quirked. "You just... talked," she stated as much as asked.

"Yes," he replied with a curt nod.

"No terrorizing?" she asked with a slight scowl.

"Well, she was a little forward, but otherwise I'm fine," he replied jokingly, trying to find some way to lighten the mood.

The purple unicorn had no idea what to do with that teasing comment, so instead she took it literally and growled at him. "No, I'm asking if you terrorized her."

He sighed. "Look, the only creature being terrorized here is me," he said, pointing to himself to indicate that she was the tyrant here. He wasn't pleased to be stereotyped so quickly, even though he had expected it.

That backed her off a few steps, and she looked almost sheepish. "W-well then, what about all the ponies hiding?" she stammered, clearly looking for some change of discussion.

"I honestly have no idea. I imagine they're just going by what they've been told about changelings. All I did was walk into town from Everfree forest," he said, putting a hoof over his heart to show he meant it honestly.

The purple mare turned to the orange-maned one and quirked an eyebrow again. "Is that true? He hasn't done anything?"

She shook her head after a moment's thought, clearly surprised by that realization. "No, he really did just walk into town. I bumped into him, but that's not really his fault, I guess," she stammered, her voice going out as the purple pony scowled again, clearly frustrated that there wasn't any trouble at all.

"Then what in the name of Celestia is going on here?" she growled, puffing hot breath out her nose in anger. "You are supposed to be evil," she said, pointing at Aurus as if he had let her down somehow.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just not," he said flatly, insulted despite the fact that he had expected ponies felt that way about his kind. "We're not the monsters you clearly think we are."

She seemed to puzzle over that, her anger abating slightly. "Well if you're not here to make us all miserable, then what do you want?" she asked at length, still being coarse with him. "Who are you, anyways?"

"My name is Aurus, and I'm the new changeling king," he said quietly, loud enough so that only she could hear him. Her eyes went wide at that. "The queen you might remember has been locked away for her misdeeds against your people and mine. You might say I'm her replacement," he finished lamely. He knew that it wasn't a very convincing case, nor did he appear very royal.

She trotted closer, clearly feeling as he did that this discussion didn't need to be overheard by everyone just yet. "Alright then, Aurus, let's suppose that's true. What if you are the changeling king? That still doesn't explain why you're here," she pointed out.

"I'm here on a mission of peace, believe that or not," he said with a small smile. "To try and correct all the damage that Chrysalis caused."

"Then why here? Why not Canterlot?" she asked, unwilling to counter any of his motivations without evidence. He'd been doing a good job of turning everything around on her so far, so that was a road better not tread for now.

"If I walked into Canterlot, do you think they'd be this considerate? You almost magicked me yourself, if I'm not mistaken. And as you can see, I didn't exactly come with anyone to guard me," he said gruffly, looking around to illustrate that he was indeed alone.

"Fair point," she conceded, shaking her head as she realized she had just agreed with him. "You realize that word will still reach them, and when the princesses arrive they might not be so 'considerate', as you put it."

"A risk I'm ready and willing to take. I won't fight you, or them. I just want my chance to appeal to you all on behalf of my people. To show you that we're not all monsters like her," he said with distaste, scowling at his reference to their traitor-queen.

That seemed to convince her a bit. "Are you staying in town?" she asked, clearly not a fan of that notion.

"I have a place that I set up in the ruins of an old castle in Everfree. Not the nicest neighborhood, but I can stay there as the people here get used to me," he pledged.

She nodded. "And what if I told you not to come back?" she asked idly, her eyes now full of curiosity.

"I would anyways. You don't understand what this mission means to my people; this is our hope for a better future. Peace with those we have angered. We're looking to earn the love of your people this time, not to harvest or steal it," he said quietly, his expression and voice both the pinnacle of determination.

The purple mare smiled, as convinced as she could be for the time being. "Alright then. Only one rule; you need to let me know whenever you're in town. I don't trust you yet, and I want to keep an eye on you. My name is Twilight Sparkle," she said, her voice now loud enough for the other ponies, who were all peeking out of their hiding places, to hear her.

"Fine by me. I'm Aurus Marz. I know you might not feel the same, but it's a pleasure to meet you," he said, letting his voice return to normal levels as well.

"You'd be surprised, I think. Just because I'm nervous about you doesn't mean I hate you," she said with a small smile. "Now then, why don't you come with me? I'm interested to hear more about this mission of yours... among other things."

Aurus just nodded, ignoring the sudden mutterings of the now revealed crowds of ponies. No doubt they were wondering why their town guard was offering to escort him around.

As he followed her to the east end of town and into a building that appeared just to be a large, hollow tree, he allowed himself some time to reflect on the events so far.

It certainly could have gone much, much worse.

IV: Proving Oneself

"Wow, it never gets old!" Spike chimed as he looked at a perfect replica of himself, though the other him was not even remotely as excited.

Aurus shifted himself back to normal, smiling slightly. "Well, it does for us; pretending to be something you're not takes a lot of time and energy. Especially when you try to look like someone who's a different size."

"Can we focus please?" Twilight reprimanded the pair, scowling over her shoulder momentarily.

Both the changeling and the dragon shuffled in an oddly similar manner, both looking opposing directions away from Twilight. "Sorry," they replied in unison.

Satisfied that they would be back on track, she went back to what she had been working on; assembling the supplies needed to document the upcoming conversation, and to write a much needed letter to the princess. With a horn-load of writing supplies hovering within her magical aura, she made her way over to Aurus, who was now standing idly at the stumpy table in the center of the tree. She set all the supplies down neatly, organizing everything as each item fell out of her magical influence.

Aurus watched her with an almost jealous expression, one she took careful note of. Twilight kept quiet about it for now, however. There were more important things to address.

"Alright, now before we do anything else I want to know about you. Who you are, where you're from, the whole eight acres," she said, poising a quill over a piece of parchment.

"Um, eight acres?" Aurus asked, unfamiliar with that expression.

"It means I want to know all the details. Even the little ones," she said with a small smile. She didn't trust him or even particularly like him, but the smile came on all the same. She loved teaching, even small things like this; so much so that there was clearly no racial barrier involved there.

"Oh, I get it. Alright, what would you like to know first?" he asked, sitting comfortably on the floor, resting his chin lazily on the edge of the low table. He wasn't keen on being interrogated, but he had to admit that he was just as curious as she was; wanted to know about her just as badly as she did about him. After all, this was the only pony he had truly met, not counting that mail delivery girl.

"Well, you said your name was...?" she inquired, clearly having already forgotten it.

"Aurus Marz," he replied with a sigh, realizing suddenly that this was not likely to get interesting. Still, there was no way around it, so he would have to do what he could to make it worth his while. "And your name?" he asked politely.

"Twilight Sparkle," the purple unicorn replied, never looking away from the paper she was scribbling on. "Age?"

The two of them went back and forth like that. Aurus was amused to find that as long as he could keep her busy writing, her brain would automatically answer his questions. However, if she wasn't occupied with writing down his information and he asked her something, he would only receive a cold scowl. To entertain himself he made a game of it, trying to see how many things he could pull from her for each thing she pulled from him.

By the end of it all, the exchange had been fairly even, as far as he was concerned. Personally he thought her own story was interesting, even though it was vague; she had really come to this town because she had been on an 'assignment' to make friends. Thinking of it like that, it was eerie how similar his own reasons were for being there.

It had also surprised him to know that he was older than her, almost by two full years. She acted so much older than she actually was; a trait Aurus never saw enough of. Most people were too immature for his taste.

"Alright, one last thing for now: how skilled are you, magically? I've read that changelings can do a wide variety of spells, and I need to know what kind of trouble I should be expecting," she said bluntly, and the look in her eyes said she wasn't kidding.

Aurus sat up straighter at that, and actually looked away from her. There it was again, or so she assumed; something about magic made this changeling uncomfortable. "You can do magic, can't you?" she prodded, a twinge of concern entering her voice. As much as it would be better for everyone if he couldn't, it would be so much more boring for her in the long run.

"Yes and no," he replied tersely, clearly not a fan of that line of questioning. He sighed in defeat though, dropping his head back on the table. "All changelings can do magic, but I'm probably one of the least skilled ones out there. I can do a few basic spells, but a lot of my magic happens by accident. I try to avoid using it as much as possible for that reason.... So if you want to know how much trouble to expect, you're not alone, because I'd like to know too," he grumbled.

Twilight couldn't deny a twinge of guilt in her chest, as if somehow she had brought that hurt to the surface on purpose. She let that thought go though, knowing it was false. Still, she felt pity for Aurus. Magic was one of the greatest, most meaningful gifts of her life, a gift that Aurus was supposed to have too. But the unfortunate creature simply wasn't in control of that power, or so it seemed.

In a kind-hearted, purely reactive way, she felt the instinctual urge to try and cheer him up. "Well, how does changeling magic work? I bet you know at least that much, even if you don't have a long list of spells you can use. Either way, you know more than I do about it," she pointed out.

That did seem to get him a bit more interested in the conversation at least. He cleared his throat, and his tone took on the typical school-boy inflection. Bored, easily reciting something he had been told over and over just to answer a teacher's question.

"Changeling magic stems from positive emotion; love is the most powerful, but even simple friendship or approval can generate magical force. The body stores this magic for later use in spell casting, or to be consumed physically as energy." He was concise, giving the textbook answer all changeling children knew inside out.

Twilight scribbled a note, an excited look on her face. Taking down his personal information was a must-have, but it was tidbits like this that really fascinated her, got her gears turning. "How much can you store up? Is there a limit?" she asked, still writing rapidly, her eyes jumping from the paper to Aurus now and then.

His expression took on a pained look, but it vanished so quickly that Twilight wasn't sure she had ever truly seen it. "The average changeling can store small amounts without any trouble. But if the body takes in too much magic at once, it can cause damage to the body or the mind. If a changeling were loved by everyone... it's technically possible that he could be killed from the resulting magical intake," he said, doing his best not to dwell on that little detail as he said it.

"That's amazing! So a changeling could theoretically be loved to death?" she asked, actually dropping her pen and paper in the excitement of that realization. She had her front hooves up on the table and was leaning across it towards him, her eyes hungry for more learning.

"I suppose you could say that," Aurus said, leaning back a bit from the psychotically curious pony. This girl needed a new hobby, or so he thought. "It's really uncommon though; in case you haven't noticed, not very many people like us. Even where I'm from, most changelings are too self-absorbed to even come close to loving anyone to death, as you put it. Only people in positions of power are really in any danger of it..." he trailed off abruptly, realizing what he had just said a little too late.

Twilight couldn't have been happier. "So, you're the king right? Then the amount of magic you're taking in from your people alone must be enormous!" she chimed, turning around and fishing her pen and paper off the floor, scribbling something down before she even got back to her hooves.

Aurus sighed while she wasn't looking, and let his chin sink to the tabletop again. This crazy, curious pony was going to run him into the ground. He was sure of it, and the day had only just begun.

Traveling about town in Twilight's company had a very pleasant effect. He knew that most of the ponies in town were still afraid of him, but as long as she was standing next to him, none of them seemed overly worried. It was clear that everyone trusted her judgment enough to let their own fears go and give him a chance.

After she had finally decided she had learned enough, Aurus had requested that he be allowed to introduce himself to as many ponies as possible. Twilight couldn't really object, as introductions were fairly harmless. By the time sunset had rolled around, Aurus had met half of the town, greeting them all with the same warm, interested smile.

Twilight got the sincere feeling that there was not a single pony he didn't truly enjoy meeting. At last as darkness rolled around, Aurus suggested that they head back to the library. No sense having to catch anyone before bed, or so he had said.

When they were both securely stationed back in Twilight's home, he allowed himself a nervous laugh, flopping to the floor. When Twilight shot him a curious look, he just laughed again, and then sighed heavily. As much as he really did think it would be rude to try and greet someone right before bed, he wasn't sure how much more of that his nerves could have taken.

"It's not easy, trying to meet people you know are afraid of you," he clarified, not at all surprised to find his hooves still shaking from nerves.

Twilight chuckled, having similar memories of coming to Ponyville herself. "It's just as bad when you're afraid to meet them," she admitted at length. Spending the entire day with Aurus had helped to lift a lot of her inhibitions about him. The two had started talking more casually as the hours rolled on, though they still didn't have much to say to each other.

For his own part, Aurus just didn't want to offend her in any way. It was obvious from the way other ponies reacted to her that she held a lot of respect in the community, and aside from being borderline insane where learning new things was concerned, he rather enjoyed her company. She wasn't so different from anyone else he had met, though she was significantly more open minded, and far more compassionate.

"Twilight?" he asked warmly, still sitting where he had landed on the floor.

"Yes?" she asked back, not really addressing him by name. Aurus could deal with that, though in a way he felt hurt by it.

"Thank you for coming with me. I know you just want to keep an eye on me, but I never could have met so many of your wonderful people without you there with me. They would have slammed their doors in my face, or run off in terror. Without your help, I wouldn't be where I am now," he said quietly, his tone low to show how serious he was.

She looked truly taken aback by that. She hadn't been expecting him to thank her, he knew. Perhaps even further, she hadn't been expecting sincerity from him. Deep down he feared she still expected him to be trying to trick her or deceive her. But he could see from her guilty expression that little things like this were making her rethink who he really was; breaking the image of what he was.

"Y-you're welcome. You're right, I'm sure it would have been a lot harder for you without me. I'm... glad I could help," Twilight replied at last, her face red with embarrassment as she fought for the words to reply to the changeling in her home. He was so warm and polite, and it just felt wrong to treat him like a villain every time he spoke to her that way.

"Do you think perhaps you could help me meet the rest of them tomorrow?" he asked. He was glad to feel his heart leap in his chest at the prospect. He was certainly nervous to meet them, still waiting for the heart-crushing feeling of rejection when someone threw the door shut on him. But the thrill of trying, against those odds, left him feeling excited to venture forth, and try his damnedest to befriend this town. "I don't think I can do it without you," he added, unknown to even himself. The words had simply slipped out.

It was her turn to smile at him now, the first time she had looked at him warmly and sincerely. The first time any pony ever had. He wasn't a research project anymore, or a prisoner on a leash; at last, thanks to that earnest request for help, she was beginning to see him as a person.

"Sure, Aurus. After all, you're on a mission to help your people, all on your own. You've got a long way to go before I trust you... But I'm willing to help you. Innocent until proven guilty, right?" she asked, wandering closer to him.

He stood up, feeling that perhaps this would be a good stopping point between them. "That's good enough for me. I need to prove to your people that I can be trusted, just as much as I need to prove it to you. That my people can all be trusted. Someday soon, you will see," he said, turning towards the door. She led him to it, clearly feeling as he did that tonight's discussion was at an end.

He stepped out as she opened the door for him, smiling back over his shoulder. In the gloom, his green eyes glowed faintly as they reflected the moonlight, a deep forest-green illumination against the black of his hide, and the starry night sky. "Goodnight, Twilight. I'll see you tomorrow," he said warmly. Without another word, or waiting for a reply, he spread his large wings and took off into the night, heading west towards Everfree.

Twilight watched him go, slightly surprised that she was looking forward to seeing him again. He was so new, so intriguing, and yet he was familiar, so like other ponies she knew. Perhaps they were wrong after all. Perhaps the changelings weren't monsters at all.

Perhaps, like a young filly from not so long ago, they simply needed friends.

"Goodnight, Aurus," she muttered quietly, for the changeling was long gone. She shut the door and grabbed her supplies from the table with her magic. Once she was in her room, she took the quill up and began to write.

"Dear Princess Celestia..."

Gerd waited impatiently in the moonlight, wandering his way between two spires of red rock, stained black by their own shadows in the gloom. "Late, always late," he grumbled to himself.

He stopped his angry pacing suddenly as he caught the slight sound of insect-like wings on the breeze. At last, his friends were here. Shortly after, five other changelings landed on the canyon floor. Each of them dipped their heads to him in respect.

"Hello, my friends!" Gerd said warmly, but he kept his voice low. This was a secret meeting, after all. "I am glad that you have come; the fate of our nation rested on your dedication, and it warms my heart to see that you have not been lazy in your service to our people."

"What's this about, councilman?" one changeling asked, his tone pleasant. It was obvious that Gerd's silver tongue was working well still, for each of those present felt as if they had already done something more than attending a midnight meeting.

"It is about the council's latest blunder. I don't have the power to call a meeting of the nation, and the council would never agree to one if they knew it was to reveal their latest failure. But my duty is to the people, and they deserve to know the truth. I have called you five here because I trust you with this knowledge, and I know that each of you has the means and the power to ensure that the people know of it, though the council will surely try to deny it," Gerd said, his voice going through all of the proper emotions; anger, gratitude, shame.

The five gathered nodded; they were all powerful nobles, though none of them held the strength of purpose that a councilman did. Still, they were too familiar with the council's inner workings. It was not so different from the workings of any sound business; let good business speak for itself, and keep bad business quiet. But in the case of the council, the only service they provided was to the people.

"Tell us then. What have they done?" one noble asked quietly, eager to do what he could for his country.

"The new king is young and easily swayed. He is full of just purpose, but he has been led astray by the council. It was their idea to send him alone into foreign lands. Without him present, the high councilor, Korrick, has taken charge of the nation's affairs. Simply put, they are using beloved Aurus as a puppet king, to further their own power over the people. I do not know what they have planned, for I am not part of the inner circle of the council. But I would have to be blind not to see what they are grasping at! Whispers are everywhere, even amongst themselves, that Korrick would strive to be the next king when Aurus falls in faraway lands," he said angrily. He knew that the people loved Aurus, and portraying him as a victim would help to stir their anger. It was bad enough that the council was self-serving, but now they would seek to destroy the new king for their own purposes? The people would never stand for that.

This rumor would undo Korrick, and in the right minds and on the right papers, it could spread quickly, like a plague. Gerd had to hide his smug smile to keep up his act.

The five muttered amongst themselves, clearly incited and displeased. At last the spokesman for the group was ready to resume their meeting. "What would you have us do, councilor? How can we stop this madness? How can we save our people, and our king?"

"The public must know of Korrick's treachery. If I speak out against him, I will be locked away as a traitor, and all the people will simply band up behind his banner, following him blindly into the next age of tyranny. But you, my brothers; you could get word to the press, put the idea in the minds of the people anonymously. They will begin to question, to fear Korrick, and they will all watch him more warily. With all eyes on him, the nation cannot possibly remain blind to his actions. Through words alone they can be made to see his treachery," Gerd hissed, pacing about and gesturing for effect, his green eyes alight like fire in the gloom.

The noblemen nodded, pleased with this. "We will do as you ask; the council must not be allowed to lead our people into ruin. The old ones seek to undo the work of young Aurus, a work our people desperately need. Don't worry, councilor; we will take care of this, as you have asked," the spokesman said with a dip of his head.

"Then make haste!" Gerd hissed. "They know that I am against them, and so this secret meeting must be swift, lest they come looking for me. I have faith in you, my brothers," he said, clapping a twisted, jagged hoof on the shoulder of the leading noble. He nodded, his face a stern mask of resolve. Together, he and the rest of the noblemen took flight, heading back fast for the capital.

Gerd couldn't hide his smile any longer, even let out a dark, triumphant laugh. "You see, dear Korrick? The old ways can't be stopped; even now they are still the most effective. After all, how better to show how frail this new vision of our future is, than to shatter it in its prime? All it takes is a little clever hissing and spitting to uproot your plans, and plant my own."

"When all of this is through, who will the people want to see, atop that council chair?"

A beam of orange light filtered through his blue lenses, filling his eyes with a pleasant, dim glow. Aurus yawned, looking around his humbled home. Here and there a few pieces of rock had tumbled out of place, leaving holes in the wall. But the summer air was warm, even in the damp of Everfree's foggy morning. Stretching his back, he felt all the plates of his outer shell settling back into their comfortable places with little popping sounds. A stone floor was of little concern to a changeling, whose thick exoskeleton protected them from even the pointiest of sleeping places.

Using his magic to brush aside the door to his home, he had to cast a second spell to catch it as it nearly flew away, pulling it back. He could feel the magic teeming inside him, much more than he was used to. It should have made him sick, but instead it felt normal, like he had felt as a boy. He hadn't spent any magic yesterday, for fear of scaring the ponies or starting some mess with his guide, Twilight.

He wandered over to a pool nearby, hoping to catch a glimpse of some change. Every time his body adapted a bit more to the magic, he could contain more and more of it, and he was sure that something had altered overnight. A clicking sound on the floor next to him drew his attention, and he caught sight of a piece of black changeling-hide laying there.

"A molt?" he asked idly, picking it up with his magic and looking at it. Sure enough it was a molt, a piece of the hide that changelings shed whenever they had grown too big for their exoskeleton. Normally that meant some part of him had a weak, new piece of shell in place, but after looking over his legs and back, he couldn't find it. He quickly made his way over to the nearby pool, fueled by a little waterfall running down the inside wall of the ruined castle, which was pushed up against the canyon wall.

Looking into it, he got a fairly good glimpse of himself. He was bigger, as he had suspected, though not by much. Maybe an inch or two taller at most, and everything else was proportionate to that all around. He also thought he looked leaner, less round at his chest and stomach.

A harmless enough change, and he certainly couldn't complain; last he checked, females liked taller males anyways. He allowed that thought to bring forth an amused chuckle. He still didn't like the changes, didn't understand them other than knowing that they were an attempt from his body to try and save his life. Still, it would be nice if he could have some say in it.

The sun peeked over the edge of the wall, glancing into his eyes as it burned away the sliver of shade he had been standing in a moment before. Now that it had his attention, he realized that it was probably around ten in the morning; later than he was usually up. The change must have taken it out of him. Still, he didn't need to be to town until noon, a limit he was enforcing on himself, and he wasn't eager to show up full to the top with magic. Once he was in town, he wouldn't be able to use any of it.

He spent about an hour expending magical energy, using simple spells like the one he had used to pick up the piece of molt. Instead, he was of course lifting boulders or dead trees, to waste some of the incoming magical energy. At one point he had even back-tracked to the first waterfall he had found, using magic to try and plug it at the top. The water pressure bested him every time, and on the final try it gushed forth so suddenly that it drenched him, soaking his gossamer wings.

Scowling and wet, he did his best to shake off the water. He spent the remainder of his time waiting for his wings to dry, fanning them in the sun as he idly kicked rocks about the floor of the ruined castle. He had determined that after his success yesterday, flying into town might not be too terrible. After all, over half of the town now knew who he was; even knowing he had a name was a start, for it helped for them to recognize him as another intelligent creature, not some mindless bug.

At last, as noon rolled around, his wings were dry again. He took flight, drifting over the beautiful, gnarled trees and bubbling bogs of Everfree. Birds chirped, frogs croaked, and trees rustled in the breeze. Everything had its own language here, and he reveled in it all, though he couldn't understand its meaning. But it was similar, flying about the canyons of his rocky home, hearing nothing but the clatter of scorpions over stone, or the wind whistling through the twisted rocks.

At last he broke away from the forest and into the open fields surrounding Ponyville. Here and there in the sky he could see flying ponies moving clouds around. They were called pegasi, if he remembered his lessons correctly; just an airborne version of the average earthbound pony. He dropped his altitude a bit, careful to stay out of the elevation that they were all working at.

He was flying along lazily and minding his own business, when a shadow blotted out the sun above him. Curious, he turned over in a quick roll to see what had happened. He was immediately struck in the midsection, and he and whatever had hit him rocketed to the ground with him on the bottom of the pile.

They struck dirt hard just outside of town. Right before he landed, Aurus had the presence of mind to tuck his wings in tight to his sides instead of onto his back, where they would get ruined in the crash. He and whatever had struck him had formed a small crater, hardly wider than Aurus was himself, though it was fairly deep due to the combined weight. Whatever had been sitting on him up until now hopped off.

His ears were ringing and his eyes didn't feel like they were quite on the dot as something blue shouted at him from the edge of the crater, its outline fuzzy. Still, he knew he was alright; being bug-like had its perks, and it would take a lot more than a fall like that to do any real damage. In biology he had learned that half of the reason changelings were so tough was because they often fell out of the sky early in their flying careers. Bug-wings had a rough time lifting a body that size, after all. They were built to survive a fall.

Once he was sure he hadn't had his breath knocked out of him and his eyes felt like they weren't spinning in his head, he rolled over and got back on his hooves, shaking the dirt out of the cracks in his outer shell.

"Why you..." he heard from behind him. He turned just in time to see a light-blue pegasus flare her wings and wind up for another charge. So that's what hit him!

He braced himself for another impact, closing his eyes and squatting low to try and minimize the damage. He didn't have enough time to get out of the way.

"Rainbow, stop!" he heard a familiar voice shout, and he opened his eye in curiosity. What greeted him was a sight he had to try hard not to laugh at. The blue pegasus was hanging in the air nose to the ground, her tail flared out flat behind her in a purple magical haze. She was flailing all of her hooves around and beating her wings, trying to get back right side up in the air.

The magical aura faded and the blue thing, presumably something called 'Rainbow', plummeted to the ground a few feet away. Twilight trotted into sight from Aurus' left, stopping next to him to give him a quick look over.

"You okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she scanned him. Considering the impact crater he was sitting in, she was fascinated to find nothing immediately broken.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is she alright? She hit me pretty hard..." he pointed out, tapping a hoof on his hard shell.

Twilight chuckled to herself, rolling her eyes. "Rainbow runs into things on a regular basis. I'm sure she's fine. In fact-" Twilight was ready to continue, but Rainbow was back on her hooves, and not very happy.

"Twilight, what'd you do that for? I had him right where I wanted him!" she grumbled, glaring at Twilight and shaking dust out of her wings.

"Rainbow, leave him alone. He's not here to wreck the town or anything like that," she said calmly, putting a hoof out to signal the blue pegasus not to try anything funny.

That seemed to confuse Rainbow. "He's not? You're sure about that?" she asked, her eyebrow up high in a curious, skeptical expression.

"To be honest, no, I'm not. But it's a risk I'm willing to take," Twilight said firmly, still standing near to Aurus.

Rainbow looked from her to the changeling she had been prepared to beat the tar out of a few seconds ago, and then back. She shrugged, though the look on her face said she certainly had an opinion about it still. "If you say so. What's his deal, anyways?"

Twilight sighed. "It's a long story. Why don't you round up the other girls and come by the library. I'll explain everything there."

Rainbow smiled and saluted Twilight, launching into the sky. "You got it!" Like a blue cloud with a rainbow trail, she was gone in a flash, rocketing over town.

Twilight turned to Aurus and smiled in apology. "Sorry about that. She can get a little carried away sometimes."

Aurus did his best to smile back. He wasn't hurt physically, but the fact that she had attacked him so quickly, with no warning or reason, left him a little shaken and upset. "It's... alright," he replied at length, getting back to his hooves again.

He was getting the feeling that there was no such thing as an easy day for him anymore.

"Now listen, girls," Twilight started, hushing the mutterings of her friends.

Aurus had never been more nervous in all his life. He was sitting on one side of the library, with five very displeased looking ponies sitting across from him on the other, and the only barrier between him and them was Twilight.

At Twilight's polite request, the other five gave her their attention. The only one who didn't really seem all that skeptical was the bright pink one, though it didn't seem like she was quite all there anyways.

Once she had her audience, Twilight started in on her speech. "This is Aurus Marz. He's the changeling king, no relation to Chrysalis, and he's here to try and change things for his people. Apparently the changelings locked Chrysalis away, because she was evil by their standards too," she finished uncertainly. She looked to Aurus for confirmation on that one.

He nodded, but didn't speak.

Happy just to have her story straight, Twilight kept on. "He's here to make friends and prove that not all changelings are bad."

That seemed to get the attention of the pink one instantly. She looked from Twilight to Aurus suddenly, beaming ear to ear. "Good enough for me!" she chimed happily, jumping up from the floor and bouncing over to him. She stopped right in front of him, throwing a hoof out towards him. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! You can just call me Pinkie."

Aurus smiled and stood up, more than happy to meet someone so receptive. "I'm Aurus Marz, but you can just call me Aurus," he replied, shaking hooves with her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

That simple exchange had an amazing effect on the other four ponies. They all watched the whole thing with mild disbelief, fascinated how normal the greeting seemed. At length, another pony got up, looking to Twilight before doing anything else. The purple unicorn nodded, and so the orange-coated pony made her way over with a shrug.

She also extended a hoof, pulling up right next to Pinkie. "Name's Applejack, though most folks just call me AJ. Nice t' meet ya, partner," she said, the smile she had on caught halfway between unsure and warm.

"Aurus. I'm sorry if I make you nervous, but I'll try and prove that there's nothing to be worried about," he said calmly, shaking her hoof. That seemed to belay some of her fears, having a private, simple conversation with a creature she had every belief was bad.

The other three made their way over as well, Rainbow next in line. He introduced himself to all of them, the quiet yellow one last and least excited to meet him. Twilight actually had to drag her in front of Aurus with her magic to get the greeting through. Once it had been finished, she too seemed as if she no longer feared him outright, though she immediately took a few steps away from him once she was free.

"So then, partner..." Applejack started, eying him critically, "how's it you plan on making friends?"

Aurus shuffled. "Well, introducing myself to everyone is a start. I mean, it helps if they all realize I'm like them; just another creature looking to be a part of the town. You all seemed like you warmed up to me once you realized I wasn't just some growling beast." He knew that point was blunt, but he also knew it was true. He had mixed feelings of guilt and satisfaction as all the ponies, Twilight included, looked embarrassed. Apparently he wasn't too far from the truth with that one.

He continued on, not willing to draw attention to it any further. "I've already met quite a few of them, but I still have a bunch left to meet..."

All of the ponies looked at each other knowingly as Pinkie left the ground in a mad leap, sucking in a deep breath as she was struck by some wonderful idea.

Aurus cringed as all five of the not-pink ponies fixed him with strange looks that were somewhere between intrigued and smug, the look of someone who's about to watch some kind of event at his expense.

"You know what this calls for?" the pink pony cried, excited and grinning like a sickle moon.

Aurus gulped, certain that whatever was called for, it could only mean trouble.

V: Opening the Eyes

Twilight waited outside while Aurus made his way through the door first. The building he was walking into looked like one giant amalgamation of sweets, piled into the shape of a house. Cautiously he pried open a door that appeared to be made out of an enormous sugar-wafer, fearful that he might break it.

It was dark inside, and his gut sank as he began to fear that he had been led on. Here it was, the true hate for his people, about to be poured out onto him full force. Out of the darkness would come hundreds of ponies, all hungry for revenge after what his people had done to their capital. His eyes darted about, looking for any exit other than back past the smugly smiling escort, the false friend who had led him into this horrendous trap.

He was instantly blinded, his blue lenses snapping shut to try and block the flood of light milliseconds too late. He stumbled back, and was nearly lifted from his hooves by a wave of sound, a multitude of voices shouting one single word.

"Surprise!"

As he recovered, trying unsuccessfully to pull himself from his position lying on his back, helping hooves picked him up. When he could see again and his outer eye was out of the way at last, he was looking into the smiling faces of the five ponies he had met in the library earlier, along with Twilight, who was standing next to him.

"That scared the living hell out of me!" he griped, unable to calm the shaking in his knees or the chatter in his jaw. Literally right up until that moment, he had been certain he was about to get massacred.

"Heh heh, yep. I reckon most folks get that reaction their first time," AJ replied with a laugh, smiling at him.

"What in Equestria did you think was going to happen?" Twilight asked, looking at him like he was mad. Who in their right mind was afraid of a party?

"Surprise!" came a call from behind him again, causing him to jump and whirl around. His ears flopped down on his head to block out any shouts that might come afterwards, but there weren't any. Somehow he had lost track of the pink one for a split second, giving her all the time she needed to sneak up behind him and startle him again.

"That never gets old! I love it when people are surprised, but I've never seen anyone as surprised as you! Haven't you ever been to a party before?" Pinkie asked, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Never one where everyone screams at you," he admitted. Still, after all that with his heart racing and his nerves itching, he felt... alive. He realized that everyone had been calling out to him, not trying to startle him. The magic coursing through him told him as much, that it had all been meant in good fun, and in his honor.

And it was always exciting to realize that you weren't about to be stampeded.

"Well, welcome to your first party by Pinkie Pie," Rainbow congratulated, draping a leg casually around Aurus' neck, chuckling to herself. "If you can still hear after the welcome, the rest of the party's a blast."

Aurus smiled, finally understanding this for what it was meant to be. Crowded into the bottom floor of the food-building were umpteen other ponies, some that he recognized from the night before, and others he had yet to meet. Off in the corner a white unicorn with blue hair threw a black disc down onto some device in front of her and gave it a quick turn with her hoof, using her magic to drop a needle onto it. Music began to play, an interesting and fast-paced tune with heavy beats that vibrated the plates of Aurus' shell.

It was nothing like the music he was used to; nothing like any party he had ever experienced. There was no event, nothing glorious they were celebrating. No real occasion, other than the fact that he was in town, and wasn't a monster. Bright colors were everywhere, the entire ordeal was held indoors... How very strange. But he loved all of it.

To them, this was the norm. And it meant a lot to him that they wanted him to not only be a part of it, but to be the source of it.

He turned to Rainbow, who was still smirking at him and leaning on him. "I thought you didn't like me?" he said jokingly, glancing from her face to her leg, draped over his shoulders.

She chuckled. "Hey, if Twilight says to give you a chance, what can it hurt? We already messed up once when we didn't trust her instincts the last time. Besides, anypony who can take a hit like that from me and come back ready for more is cool by me."

He chuckled himself, glad to feel sincere respect flowing from the pegasus. "Well, we're a little tougher than we look," he admitted, smirking at her. She withdrew her leg and patted him on the shoulder to signal she was departing before wandering off to talk to the purple maned one. Aurus thought her name was 'Rarity' or something like that. Ponies had such strange names.

Pinkie took it upon herself to lead him around, helping him introduce himself to everyone in Twilight's stead. He met everyone at the party at least once under her guidance, impressing several ponies by remembering their names. A few of them invited him to share drinks, which thoroughly surprised him. He couldn't feel much coming from them, and so he deduced that they were simply being polite. Even so, that was a good start.

He spent his evening playing games, talking with the party-goers, or simply listening to the music, bobbing his head to the rhythm. He was flooded with energy on one occasion when, bobbing for an apple, he had come up with a fruit stuck to each of his fangs. Unable to see past them, he had nearly tumbled into the bucket when he lost his balance. Everyone had laughed, but the flow of energy insisted that they were laughing with him, not at him. Once he had dislodged the offending apples, he had joined them in their mirth.

It was a wonderful night. While perhaps not everyone liked him, he could feel no more fear or hate. Perhaps it was the party, or the drinks, or maybe even the late hour of the night. But for a moment, he was just another guest. For a time, he was one of them.

All good things came to a close, however; the hour grew late. At last the music was stopped, but instead of someone calling for the party to end, Twilight called for Aurus. He made his way to her, all eyes on him.

She said a short number, thanking everyone for coming and welcoming him so warmly, dealing out the expected closing pleasantries of any party. Instead of simply dismissing the party when she was done, she turned to Aurus.

"I think maybe our guest of honor has something he'd like to say to everypony," she said politely.

Aurus knew this was his chance; the chance to tell everyone why he was really here. Until now he had shown up unwelcome and for reasons unknown to them all. But now they had accepted him, in a way. He owed them an explanation.

"It was a pleasure to meet all of you tonight, and to come to such an amazing party. I've never been to one so magnificent in all my life. But I didn't come to your town to party with you. I came here to get to know you, to show my respect for you, and to someday earn yours in return. I'm here to show you that my people are ready to be a part of your world. To show you that we're not terrible, but that we're willing to befriend you... if you will have us. It's a long road ahead to build trust, but already I can see the possibilities between us."

Many ponies in the crowd were nodding, all listening intently to his heartfelt speech. He could feel a few of them sympathizing, a trickle of energy from the crowd.

"I'm honored to be here, and to have this chance to get to know you all, and to show you the true face of my people. I hope that in the days to come you all and I can share our lives, and get to know one another even more. I value nothing more than your trust," he finished quietly. He looked to Twilight, who nodded, clearly satisfied. Another gesture from her confirmed that it was time to end the party.

"Thank you for such a wonderful evening, my friends. Rest well, and I hope to see you tomorrow," he finished politely, bowing his head in gratitude.

The party filtered out, ponies heading home for the night. The hour was late, but Aurus didn't mind. Between the energy circling in his veins and the exhilaration of such a wonderful night, he was a far cry from tired. Only the six friends remained to see him off. From them all he could feel a slight trickle of constant energy.

He realized that this had been just as much for them as for him; for the six of them to see him in his most basic form, enjoying himself and being real. And from what he could feel flowing from them, he had not disappointed them. There was much work to be done to call them friends yet, he knew. Yet they liked him, if only a little, and that was a start.

A fantastic start.

Bidding them all farewell and thanking them again, the pink one especially, he finally made his way into the night, flying west to Everfree. A long night of expending magic awaited him before he would see any rest; magic well-earned.

"Well, I reckon the wind must'a done it somehow," AJ said, rubbing her chin with a hoof. Little pieces of wood were laying all over, the fence in front of her shattered to bits, with a tree where it shouldn't be; square in the middle of it. Her sheep pen was in shambles thanks to that little freak accident. Luckily none of them had been hurt.

The tree had been awfully old, to be fair. It was only a matter of time before it had to come down one way or another. Still, it was a large oak, and there was no way she was going to move it on her own. Big Mac, who was helping her survey the damage finally reacted to her comment about the wind with a simple 'Eeyup'.

"Think you could haul it out o' there, Big Mac?" she asked, though she knew the answer before he even replied.

"Nnnope," he shot back, giving the solidly planted tree a kick that didn't even shake its leaves.

AJ sighed, not wanting to have to resort to the inevitable. "A'right, well, I spose I'll go and fetch Twi then. If anypony's for moving this here tree, it's gotta be her," she said with a small smile. She was lucky to have such reliable friends. She had no doubt Twilight would happily help her out.

"What happened?" came a recently familiar voice from behind her. She turned to catch Aurus landing nearby, his green eyes taking in the damage.

"Oh, mornin' Aurus," Applejack replied with a sigh. "I reckon it got windy last night and toppled this ol' tree. Right on top of my sheep pen, too. I spose that's my luck for ya," she said with a small laugh.

"Well that's no good. Anything I can help with?" he asked sincerely, smiling as he waited for her answer.

"Well, I was about t' fetch Twilight t' move it for me, so's Mac and I can get t' fixin' it up again. It would be awful kind of ya t' fly off and get her; I reckon you're a might quicker than me, with those wings of yers," she pointed out, nodding at his back.

He folded the mentioned wings tight, making no sign that he meant to take off. "No need to bother her, I'll take care of that for you," he replied casually, like it was no big deal.

AJ looked at him like he was crazy. "You sure you've got the magic t' move that thing, partner? I know ya'll can do spells and the like, but Twi's got a bit more practice..." she said, trying to stay polite.

"Well, you're right about that. Still, I think I can take care of it without spells," he said, eyeballing the tree and trotting closer to it.

Applejack was stunned. "You think you can move that thing? Well shoot, anything's worth a try. Let's see what you got, partner," she said, unable to keep from sounding skeptical.

Aurus prodded around the tree, looking for a good point to drag it from. He found a low branch near the base, splintered from the fall, but still intact enough to use as a pushing point. He pressed his solid chest against the bark and closed his eyes, pulling the magic from his veins into his muscles. He pushed hard, grunting, his back legs crushing the soft earth underneath them.

AJ couldn't believe her eyes, but sure as she was orange, the tree started to move. It slid slowly at first, but once Aurus got it moving, he seemed to have little trouble pushing it well out of reach of the sheep fence. He stopped, checking to see that it was far enough away. "Is that good?" he asked, only breathing slightly heavily.

Big Mac's jaw was hanging open, the stem he had been chewing on falling lazily to the ground. Applejack was in a similar state of shock as the changeling just stood there next to the massive tree like nothing had happened.

"Er, yeah, I reckon that's plenty good where it's at," AJ said quietly. "How in the blue blazes did you get that thing t' move like that? Mac and I together couldn't get that thing t' budge if we tried!"

Aurus trotted over, smiling. "Well, changelings are abnormally strong. We're pretty similar to insects in a lot of ways. Think of how an ant can lift twenty times its own weight... I certainly couldn't have picked the tree up, but pushing it wasn't so bad really. Plus, we can pull the magical energy in our bodies into our muscles to help us when the going gets tough," he finished, looking at the fence.

Applejack was still shocked, but was recovering slightly. "An ant, huh?" she asked, looking at him curiously. "I ain't never seen an ant do nothin' like that."

"It's really just an example. Still our shell makes us a little more durable than most creatures," he said, laughing and giving his head a bump with a hoof. The resulting click-clack made Applejack laugh a bit, finally bringing her back to reality.

"Well, I still can't hardly believe what I saw, but thank you kindly. Twi sure would appreciate it, too," she said. She smiled at him, fully sincere. She looked embarrassed suddenly, looking away from him.

"Don't mention it. Is something wrong?" he asked, catching her look. If she needed him to move the tree again, it really wasn't any big deal, so she might as well just say so.

"Well... T' be honest, I haven't been quite square with you. I know we all had a good time at that party, but I couldn't let it go, you being a changeling and all. I still had my doubts about you, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Nopony who's any kind of bad would have helped me out of such a tight spot," she said, looking at the ground and going red in the face, pawing at the dirt. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Aurus. Can you forgive me?" she asked sadly.

Aurus was filled with magical energy; energy from her sincerity, and her desire for his approval and forgiveness. Kindness at last, true and full from a pony. He just smiled at her as she looked up at him forlornly, doing his best to impart his answer well before he had the words out.

"Of course. I really don't blame you. But I want you to know, I didn't help you to try and get you to like me. Even if you still doubt me, I don't mind. I can see how you interact with all the other ponies, and I just want to be a part of that. Doing my part for you and the rest of the town is just who I am. Just take your time getting used to me. Maybe sometime soon we can even be friends," he said with a warm smile.

Applejack smiled wide, nodding her gratitude. "Partner, we're friends already. Heck, half the ponies I know ain't half as nice as you. I jus' needed t' get that off my chest first. I know it ain't easy to be new in town, 'specially when yer different. You don't have t' go it alone out here, bud," she said with a warm smile, holding out a hoof.

He shook it for the second time, but this time he could feel the energy coursing through him, the real friendship there. Young and budding as it was, it was no less sweet or meaningful.

"Well, I promised Twilight I'd meet up with her anytime I was in town, so I suppose I shouldn't stick around too long," he said after the pause between them had gone on long enough.

"Yeah, reckon that's for the best. I know she's keepin' an eye on you, but I'll be sure an' let her know what you did here today. It's the least I can do. Thanks again Aurus," she said, backing up to give him some takeoff space.

He unfurled his wings as she did so, smiling at her. "No, thank you. You're right, it's not easy being new. Even harder when nobody trusts you. It means more to me than I think you know," he said, dipping his head. He leaped into the air, flaring his wings and buzzing up a few more feet. "I'll see you later!" he called, not wanting to wait for her reply. He knew that the modest pony would just try to downplay the meaning she now held in his life.

As she watched him drift off, she couldn't help smiling. "Adios, partner," she said quietly to herself. After a few moments, she turned back around to the fence, where Big Mac was already at work setting some new boards.

She took one final look at the oak, and the trench in the dirt behind it. The long day's work didn't seem so tough anymore, or so she reckoned.

Something was not right. Korrick was often in this very market, shopping for his family. Yet he had never been received so coldly, had never felt so many eyes on him. Dark whispers filtered around jagged, jade corners everywhere he went this day. The capital was alive with distaste for him. He could feel it in the air, draining the magic out of his blood, making his old bones feel frail.

He quickened his pace, eager to simply get home to his wife. There at least he could feel a sense of normalcy. As he pushed open the door and called out for her, he did his best to keep the worry from his voice.

The elderly female came to help him with the groceries as she always did, smiling and welcoming him home. But her smile was small and uncertain, the magic he could feel flowing from her seemed weak, as if somehow it were leaking out rather than flowing.

Even in his own home things were strange.

"Is something wrong, dear?" he asked, concerned. "Everyone in the city is acting strange. Nobody will look me in the eye, and they feel... different. Full of hate. Even you seem far away," he said, his voice all warm concern.

His wife's smile went sad. "You haven't seen the paper today, have you?" she asked, magicking him a copy.

One glance at it was all he needed to see the problem. There on the front page was an article titled 'Rebuilding Tyranny', and scanning through it, his heart sank. His mind raced for answers as his eyes read the page more thoroughly.

"Tell me it's not true, Korrick," his wife begged, drawing closer to him. Her eyes were full of hurt and worry. "Did you send the king away to die?"

"No, my darling. I would never do such a thing!" he practically shouted, his anger and his fear far too great to regulate his volume. "How could they say such things? Where are these lies stemming from?" he asked of her, his tone now dark and serious.

She smiled again, but her eyes were full of worry. Worry and love, for she believed her husband. She had known him too long to be blind to the truth in his eyes when he denied the rumors. "I don't know, Korrick. People have been whispering about it since yesterday, and now it's in the paper. What's happening, dear?" she asked, frightened.

Korrick didn't look at her, just at the floor, his eyes darting this way and that in panic as he tried to sort it out. He had no idea what had started this, but the signs were too obvious for his old, experienced mind to miss. With Aurus away, there was nobody but the council to maintain order over the people. And if rumors of Aurus' potential demise in faraway lands were starting to circulate so early, along with rumors of Korrick's involvement, there was only one possible outcome.

"It's a 'coup," he said quietly, his eyes going wider as he realized he was right. Any decent uprooting of the throne would target not only the king himself, but all of his advisors. And with Aurus far removed and already in danger in foreign lands, whoever was grabbing for power in the dark would certainly come for those advisors first.

Except in Aurus' case, there was only one advisor he trusted.

"I have to go," Korrick said quietly, choking on the words as his chest and throat tightened with anxiety. "Honey, you have to get out of town."

His wife gasped. A 'coup? How? Why? Everyone loved Aurus, near as she could tell. "Dear, aren't you overreacting a little?" she asked, but her tone said she could only pray that was the case.

He shook his head hard. "I wish I was. It's me that they're trying to blame for all of this. And if I cannot stop it before it becomes out of control, they'll do anything they can to get to me... Including hurting you."

She nodded reluctantly, tears in her eyes. She was afraid; afraid for him, and for her king. Aurus was Korrick's good friend, and if he were to ever return and the 'coup succeeded...

"I have to try and stop this," Korrick said vehemently. He turned for the door, ready to make his way to the council and call an emergency meeting. He was out the door already, things with his wife as squared away as they needed to be before he could deal with other business.

As the door shut behind him, she felt tears running down her shell and through the cracks in her joints. "Please, my love... be safe."

Aurus landed at the library, knocking as he always did. "Twilight, it's me," he called. After a short time where nobody opened the door, he pushed it open himself. It was quiet as usual, but he could hear voices filtering down from upstairs. The doors to the balcony on the second floor were wide open, and outside he could hear Twilight talking with somebody whose voice he didn't recognize.

"Hello?" he called up. He didn't want to be rude, but he at least wanted Twilight to know he was here, and not out somewhere causing havoc like she kept suspecting he would.

"Oh, that's him now," he heard her say to whoever she was talking with. She came back inside quickly, standing at the edge of the second floor landing. She smiled down at him, and Aurus went a little cold in the gut as he noticed a hint of mischief in her expression.

"Good morning," she chimed a bit too cheerfully. Aurus could hear hoofsteps behind her, and knew that he would soon catch sight of her mystery guest.

"Good morning, Twilight. Am I interrupting something?" he asked, shuffling uncomfortably as she kept up her impish, slightly smug smirk.

"Not at all. In fact, you're right on time," she said with a small laugh.

It was at that moment that Aurus caught sight of her. A magnificent, pearl-white alicorn, standing tall next to Twilight on the landing. She was certainly radiant and beautiful, and before she even introduced herself, he knew who she must be, without ever knowing her name.

"Hello, Aurus. I am princess Celestia," she introduced herself warmly. He could feel nothing negative coming from her; only intrigue, which was neutral to his senses. "I've heard quite a lot about you the last few days," she said with a small smile.

Aurus jumped after a pause, realizing with a start that it was his turn to introduce himself. "I suppose that would make me 'King Aurus', though just Aurus is fine," he said with a nervous laugh, trying to cover his breach in etiquette with some humor. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty," he said, meaning every word of it. He had heard quite a bit about her as well; all good things, as far as he could tell. Still, he was no less nervous in her presence.

She laughed, a melodic sound that Aurus rather enjoyed. "No need to be so formal. Please, just Celestia will do," she replied warmly. "Now then, it's a little strange to talk down at you from all the way up here. Why not join us out on the balcony, and we can talk there?" she invited.

Aurus smiled and nodded, making his way up the stairs as Twilight and the princess made their way back outside. He could hear them whispering something together, but couldn't quite make it out. Either way, they both seemed nice enough, so he decided to pay it no mind. It did his aching nerves a measure of good to have his company handled so casually for once. If it weren't for all the magic leaking into him from his home far away, he was sure the stress of meeting everyone would have killed him a long time ago.

He stepped outside and joined them in the warm sun, glad to find them smiling at him. The princess seemed especially warm towards him. Again, he could feel nothing negative coming from her, just a mild curiosity, and a strange tingle of magic that he couldn't quite trace the source of. It was like no other positive emotion he had felt before, whatever it was. Still, it wasn't very strong.

"You're running late today," Twilight pointed out with a little laugh. "Sleeping in or something? Pinkie's parties can sure take it out of you."

"Not exactly. I slept fine, but I had to stop and help Applejack with something before I came over," he said, making it sound as if he had just helped her carry a basket of apples rather than move a gargantuan oak tree on his lonesome. "Since her farm is on the way here, I figured I'd lend her a hoof."

Twilight seemed genuinely surprised. First off, it wasn't like Applejack to accept help from anyone unless she really had to. Which, by proxy, meant that whatever Aurus had done had been quite a big deal.

"What happened?" Celestia asked. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was interested to hear an explicit tale about just how different this changeling really was.

"I guess the wind toppled some old oak tree onto her sheep fence last night. Shattered it all to pieces. She was going to come and get you to move it for her, Twilight, but I figured I could handle it on my own, so I didn't want to bother you," he said with a small smile. Again, as if it were nothing. "I'm glad I didn't, since you had company."

Twi had been to the farm enough times to know precisely which tree they were talking about, and her eyes practically bugged out as she put two and two together. "You mean that oak tree?" she asked skeptically. "I thought you said you weren't very good at magic?"

"I'm not. I just pushed it," he said with a small smile.

"You just pushed a one-ton tree. Just pushed it," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess I'm stronger than I look," he joked, chuckling slightly.

Twilight gave the princess a look that screamed 'I told you so'. The princess sighed in mock defeat, smiling that smile everyone does when they know they're beaten fairly.

Aurus didn't get a bit of it. "Something I'm missing, maybe?" he asked, not happy with being out of the loop.

"Twilight and I had a little wager," the princess admitted. "I've been alive a very long time, and I've seen a lot of strange things in my life. She bet that you would come as a surprise to me, and I didn't believe her. I don't think I could have been more wrong," she said with a warm smile.

There it was again, that weird feeling that came from the princess. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't normal either; whatever the emotion behind it, it was one-way. From her to him, but not the other way around. Perhaps that's what made it strange, he mused; the fact that he had no way of reciprocating it.

"Now then, Aurus," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "Twilight's told me quite a bit, but I want to hear it from you. Why are you here?" She didn't sound angry or bothered by his presence. Just curious.

And so Aurus launched into the longest, most in depth story he could muster about his travels, and the fate of his people. And of his mission to renew them.

By the time mid-afternoon had rolled around, he had it all hashed out. Right down to the smallest details about how the guards had come to retrieve him. He had even gone out of his way to explain the first week on the throne, and his trusted friend Korrick.

Celestia had listened patiently, asking simple questions if he ever got off topic to try and steer him back. Which he always responded to with a nervous laugh and by rubbing his left hoof on his right leg before apologizing. Occasionally there would be a break in the telling while Aurus searched for the words needed to translate certain things. The name of his hometown, for example, was not a pretty translation. It came out to mean something along the line of 'Town in the rocks' by pony standards, but that wasn't exactly an apt description.

They were still talking about his homeland. For the time being it was just him and Celestia on the balcony, since Twilight had gone to help Spike prepare something for lunch.

"What is your nation called? I've always suspected that somewhere out there there was a society for your people. When Chrysalis came and declared herself a queen, my suspicions were confirmed. And now here you are, their king. It doesn't sound like your system is too different from our own," she pointed out. It was all so casual, so simple.

Aurus got the feeling that she really had no doubts about him at all. The fact that he was a changeling and his people had torn up her city apparently had no effect on her opinion of him.

He thought for a moment. This was another tricky translation, and the changeling language didn't exactly roll right off the tongue. He smiled, thinking perhaps he had it. He had long since given up on trying to apologize while he thought of his answers; the princess had berated him for it already.

"Well, in our language it's called T'rahk Enox. Not exactly easy to say. In your language, it would translate simply to 'The Grand Home'. Not very interesting, I'm sure, but that is what we call it," he said with a small laugh, realizing that the name of his nation was rather unimpressive in their language.

Celestia just smiled at him, and shared his small laugh. "I think it's perfect. Our own nation, Equestria, doesn't translate to anything at all. It's just a word, one we all recognize to mean our nation, our home. The only difference is that you actually refer to your nation as a home directly. It makes perfect sense, and I think it's rather beautiful, in its own way."

Aurus was surprised by her logic. The name of their nation had no real meaning? How odd. But she was right, any nation's title implied one thing; the home of its people. So why not call their nation the grand home, if that's what it truly was?

"Tell me about it. I have no doubt that it truly is grand," she said warmly, excited to hear about a faraway land. Probably the only one she had never visited before as a diplomat. One she had never seen.

Aurus smiled, glad to oblige her. "We settled to the west, past Lone Peak, as we call the mountain you see there," he said, pointing to it in the distance. "Nearly four day's walk, and one day and night of hard flying if you can manage to do it in one go. We are surprisingly near to you, for having never been discovered," he mused.

"Well, you might be surprised to know that Canterlot is near the borders of Equestria. Ponyville as well. The capital was originally a military outpost. We had no shortage of enemies when this all began. Back then even the castle was a simple fort to defend our borders," Celestia said idly, smiling at him. "Your nation is further from the center of ours than you think. Our borders rest with Everfree."

"I see. I've been staying in the ruins of an old castle there, until I am more welcome here. Was that once to defend your borders, too?" he asked.

Celestia nodded. "That's right, though the post was abandoned very early into our nation's history."

Aurus pondered that, finding it ironic. He was now living in the ruins of a castle that, long ago, was built to deter creatures like him. Instead, it now served as his home. He realized that they had drifted away from the meaning of this conversation though, so he did his best to let those musings go.

"Well, our home is very different from yours. Out past Lone Peak is a series of gorges, carved in red stone. Our people build their cities at the bottoms of these canyons, since that's where the water is. Not far beyond us is a great desert, and we have a similar climate, so water is valuable to us. The canyons are almost always rough and ragged, subject to landslides in the rainy season. Instead of trees, our landscapes are full of spires of red rock, high points that rain water has eroded into stony pillars. It's quite beautiful to us, though we know others might find the twisted rocks ugly," he said, remembering fondly how not long ago he had spent his afternoons dipping and diving through those jutting spines of stone.

Celestia smiled, and he could feel her enjoyment of his description as she pictured it in her mind. "I think it sounds marvelous. I can't imagine the sunrises or sunsets you must experience with canyon walls on either side of you all the time," she said, though clearly she would try to imagine it anyways.

"It's amazing. Perhaps sometime, when we finally have peace, you can see it for yourself," he said, smiling to show that it was a patient thought, far in the future by his reckoning.

Celestia smiled and nodded. The invitation was welcome, even if it was not to be anytime soon. "I am sure I will. But in the meantime, I would like to personally invite you to my home. Canterlot," she said with a warm smile. "My sister, Luna, would also enjoy meeting you. And there, perhaps she and I can help you with your mission of peace."

Aurus was speechless. He had not expected this, but the magic he felt coming from her buried all of his skepticism in waves of certainty. Here she was, the being he had been most afraid to meet in his travels here. And yet she was welcoming him as a friend into her own home city, the capital of her nation.

He was afraid to accept. There, where all the damage had been caused, he would surely be hated. There he would be weak and helpless to her people. Even her invitation might not be able to save him from their wrath, should they choose to come against him.

She could see the struggle in his face, the nervousness in his eyes. "Aurus, trust me. It will be fine." Her voice was a pillar of certainty in his sea of doubts and concerns. He latched onto it willingly, though it did nothing to lessen the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Alright," he said reluctantly. He was unable to fight her comforting smile, even with the force of his nervousness. "I suppose it can't hurt to try. But I'm... afraid," he admitted, looking away from her and at the ground.

She just laughed, trying to dispel his feelings. "Aurus, if you were not afraid, then your mission would not have meaning. The day you can walk into Canterlot without fear is the day you have succeeded," she pointed out.

That statement hit him like a falling stone, making far too much sense. She was right; if he weren't afraid to fail, then his success was guaranteed, and there was no purpose. Nodding to her as he slowly absorbed that, he was interrupted by her laugh again.

"Let's forget about that for now, and just enjoy our lunch. After all, there's still much I'd like to know."

Korrick rushed into the dark council hall. He had come thinking to assemble them. But instead he had been informed that they were already gathered, and waiting for him.

"Brothers and sisters, I am here," he called, breathing hard from his haste.

"Good to see you, 'brother'," someone in the council called scathingly.

Already? How could this have happened? How could the council already be prepared to stand against him on this, with nothing more than a newspaper for evidence, and the mutterings of a few citizens.

It came to him that this had all started within the council in the first place. He had been too busy of late, keeping things in line for Aurus to pay attention to the subtle talk among his brothers and sisters in this dark hall.

"Who called this meeting?" he asked cautiously. It was his right as chairman to call them, though in the case of an emergency it could be any one of ten or so others.

A female changeling stood, eying him as if he had no place to ask such things. "I did," she proclaimed, floating down to meet him.

"What is the purpose, Morelda?" Korrick asked, recognizing her. She was no true friend of his, just a colleague with a similar hunger for balance and justice.

"The purpose is to determine the rumors circulating about your... involvement in the king's decisions," she said coldly.

This did not bode well. There was little he could say that would absolve him, for Aurus had shunned the company of other nobles and councilors, though he had not offended any of them by doing so. Still, there would be no one to vouch for Korrick's words, except for Aurus himself.

"What do you wish to know?" he asked, doing his best to project calm. If he could not hope to sway them with words alone, then he would have to do everything he could to make them believe the truth.

"Was it you who sent the king away to make peace? It was you, after all, who went in search of someone just like Aurus in the first place," she pointed out.

"I have done no such thing. We chose Aurus because of our desire, all of ours, for change. Our people have been stagnant and wretched for too long. Aurus saw the way, and we saw it in him. It was his decision to venture forth and confront the other nations on his own. An army, he claimed, would have only made matters worse," he said with confidence. There was no reason he should doubt the words of pure truth coming from his own lips.

"Is that so? Tell me, did you know of his plans before his proclamation to the people?" she asked, now walking around him in slow circles.

This was a dangerous question, but again he had to trust in the truth. "Of course. Aurus confided all of his plans and fears in me. I spoke against it as a dangerous course of action, but in the end I could not argue his wisdom. With a heavy heart, I accepted his decision to meet with the other nations alone."

"And how are we to know he was not convinced of this? There are murmurs saying that you bent the king's ear to such a dangerous mission. The young are so easily swayed by heroic and dangerous plans, especially when they are so filled with ideas of justice as our great king." It was clear that Morelda held no ill will towards Aurus, but that she held Korrick accountable for the youth's bold plan.

"And how are you to know that he was? Would you believe the word of a single changeling without just evidence?" he asked, gesturing to himself first.

"Of course not," Morelda scoffed, smirking smugly and thinking her point saved. Korrick had all but said he was not to be trusted.

"Then why would you take the mutterings of hundreds more, all without truth or purpose to back them?" he asked snidely.

This set Morelda back on her hooves, rocked her mind. Clever, clever Korrick. She narrowed her eyes, now angry. "Very well then, Korrick. Until evidence can be found for or against you, the council has no choice but to take you into custody," she declared, stomping a front hoof loudly on the stone tile below.

Korrick was seized immediately, much to his horror. "Morelda, think of what you are doing! Can you not see what is happening? You are aiding exactly that which we vowed to guard the people from!" he pleaded. He was not concerned for his own safety, but the fact that she was arresting him was just one more sign that something terrible was coming.

"The only tyranny I fear today is what people are saying of you, 'brother'. We shall yet see about that. Rest easy, for if what you say is true, you have nothing to fear," she said smugly, thinking she had won.

"You are making a grave mistake," Korrick said sadly, for he feared for his people in the days to come. His sorrowful tone drew her attention, for she had been expecting anger or resistance.

"What are you prattling on about now, 'brother'?" she asked scathingly.

"With all of your eyes on me, you will have none left to watch for the dagger coming in at your back," he said quietly.

"And who holds this dagger, then?" she asked, signaling the guards to drag him away. There was no answer he could give her that would carry enough weight to convince her of his innocence. And so she had no reason to listen. She turned her back on him, for he was dealt with.

As the guards dragged him to the council doors, he sighed. Such arrogance, such self-serving wisdom. To think they could not see such an obvious ploy! Yet they did not know the truth.

"If you will not heed me, then your only hope is for king Aurus to return and save your minds from madness. For the dagger is in the council's own hooves."

Morelda whirled to retaliate, but the doors had already closed behind Korrick and the guards.

VI: Rocks and Hard Places

Korrick coughed as his old lungs were crunched by the impact. He bounced off the stone floor of his cell roughly. The guards closed the door quickly, though he made no move to stand or stop them.

He would not fight it. They were simply holding him, and if his years had taught him anything, it was that truth and patience were partners. In the end they would come to know their mistakes, and so he did not cry out in anger, did not scream about how unfair this was. He had tried to warn them how wrong they were once already, but they were in no hurry to listen.

A mocking laugh behind him drew his attention. He was not alone in his cell.

"Show yourself!" he growled, lighting his horn to reveal the area.

"Now now, no need to be so hostile," came the reply in a voice he dreaded hearing again, accompanied by the face of tyranny.

"Chrysalis?" he asked quietly. She did not look anything like she once had; though magic had long since altered her form, she was the queen no more. Her body was frail and sickly thin. It was built to contain and consume much more magical energy than it would ever see again, leaving her deprived of magic. That, coupled with the terrible treatment prisoners received, had made her weaker than ever, barely recognizable from the once proud monarch.

But it was her.

"Indeed. Nice to see that your old age has not yet eaten your brain alive," she said scathingly. "Now then, what brings you here? Judging by the way the guards handled you, I imagine you didn't come just to say hello."

"There is a 'coup starting against the new king. He is a good friend, and for my closeness I am being punished. By removing me, they weaken him. You cannot tell me you are unfamiliar with such things," he said with a grumble.

"Oh, I had heard that the people do so love dear, sweet Aurus," she spat. "Too bad he's on a mission into hell, the poor, poor boy. Of course you're right, the 'coup doesn't surprise me. After all, you tried to tamper with the nature of our kind," she pointed out with an ironic laugh. "And all you managed to change was where you'll be spending your evenings. In a cage, for tyrants. How the mighty have fallen."

Korrick did his best to contain his anger. Old and weak as he was physically, he still had the love of his wife and his true friends coursing through his veins, and he could crush her like an ant if he so desired. After all, she was in no state to fight him. He suppressed that urge, for it went against everything he was now working to create; it could only lead to destruction of his own ideals, so he took he mocking with a grain of salt.

"But you know, even if I hadn't suspected a 'coup from the beginning, you'd be surprised the things you hear in these dark halls," she said suddenly, snapping him out of his reflection on whether or not to beat the snot out of her.

"What do you mean?" he asked, suddenly interested.

"Well, the guards have very boring jobs. The best part about our people is that the detested are harmless and weak, so there's very little... resistance from criminals like me," she said carefully. "Not much fun for them if they're looking for reactions from prisoners. And let's be honest, these aren't like your snap-to, yes-sir guards over at the council hall. This is the bottom of the barrel for changeling society, the meanest of the bunch," she said, rubbing her snout with a hoof idly.

"To pass the time, they spread the latest gossip around. They think that nobody is listening; or perhaps that nobody who could do anything about it is. But there's not much to do here for me either, and so I've made a habit of eavesdropping when I can," she said, her smirk going sinister in the dark, her green eyes flaring mischievously.

Korrick was more interested than ever. Could she possibly have news darker than the simple tidings of a 'coup? Perhaps she could know who was behind it!

"Tell me what you have heard," he said sternly, and a bit too excitedly.

"Oh, do I have something you want?" she asked, sneering at him. "Yes, after your role in my current state, I'm ever so likely to hand that over to you." Her sarcasm was again trying the limits of Korrick's patience, especially with his mind aching for news that might turn all of this around.

"If it means that much to you, then you will have to trade me something," she hissed, her tone conniving and deadly clever. "Ever since I heard the hunt was on for you, I've been waiting for this moment. And I think I've just the deal for you."

Korrick was reluctant. She was deadly and dangerous; even in a weak body, a strong mind could work wonders. He didn't trust her as far as he could throw her. Still, the thought dawned on him that he could probably throw her a very long distance, things as they were. Times were desperate, the people were in danger, and he needed all the help he could get.

"Very well. What is it you want from me?" he asked carefully.

"I want you to help me leave this place. You still have your magic, and I have the information you desire. Surely my freedom is of less concern to you than the freedom of the people? A small price to pay." Her fanged smile in the dark made him even more nervous still.

But she had a point. Asking her freedom was a very minor thing when held against the possible destruction of their nation at the hands of another tyrant. One more daring and prepared than others who had come before him, whoever he was. One who would lead them to greater ruin.

He wrestled with it, for his core refused to allow this creature to leave this place. He had put her here, it was his work that had at last locked her away. But he too needed to be free to help his king, his people.

"Fine," he growled, clearly not happy with the arrangement, but agreeing to it nonetheless. "I will help you escape. I need to leave here as well. But before we get ahead of ourselves, I need to know that you have information that will serve me enough to risk it. I am not asking for much, but prove to me that your words can be trusted."

She laughed to herself. "Excellent! Escaping is no small feat, I assure you. If it's a demonstration you want, I'll tell you this much. I know the name of the person backing the 'coup. They're doing an excellent job of staying out of the spotlight, from what the guards say. The only reason you're here is because they are behind him. And they know of his plans. Once we are free, you shall have the name... until then, I will disclose this to you."

Korrick bent his ear to her hungry whisper, a dark laugh close on the trail of her words.

"Assassins have already found your dear friend Aurus."

"Today?" Aurus asked, his knees shaking at the idea. "Can't it wait a few days?"

"No, it can't. The longer you sit on it, the worse it's going to get," Twilight shot back, pushing him out the door to the library.

Aurus braced his hooves on either side of the door, refusing to go. "But don't you think I should get to know the people here better first?" he asked, his voice all but begging. It was clear by his tone that what he really meant to ask was 'don't you think we can cancel this thing'.

"No, I don't. And you're going to Canterlot whether you like it or not! The princess invited you, so this is your one shot at showing the whole city what you're really like," she grunted, pushing him harder.

"The whole city?" he asked nervously, his eyes widening and legs going weak at the thought. As a result, Twilight finally forced him out the door, his momentum rolling him end over end a few yards into the street.

When he sat up he was face to face with Rainbow Dash.

"Nice landing. The old 'pushed out the door' gag. That's something I'd expect from Fluttershy, not you," she chided, smirking and helping him to his feet.

The others were there as well, and it became immediately apparent that it was not just he and Twilight making this trip. "Thanks Rainbow. Now let me guess... you're all coming with, aren't you?" he asked, as if that was a terrible idea and he didn't much care for it.

Rarity turned her nose up at his reluctance. "Well certainly. After all, you can't very well expect to impress anypony on your own. It takes a certain flair that you just don't have without us," she said snootily. But her smile afterwards and her wink showed that she only half meant it.

"Yeah, not t' mention it'll be awful hard introducin' yerself around the streets with just Twi. I know she's mighty popular in Canterlot an' all, but there's strength in numbers, partner," Applejack said, smiling at him.

Of all the ponies, he could feel the strongest friendship coming from her. After their little one on one the other day, things seemed to have really settled her mind about him, and for that he was grateful. To be honest, she was the most frightening. That and her brother. Aurus had never seen a stallion that size.

"Well, if the gang's all here," Twilight started, letting that statement hang. The girls all started making their way in the direction of the train station, abuzz with conversation about this latest trip to Canterlot. This was certainly a unique circumstance, and everyone seemed thoroughly excited.

Twilight started making her way as well, until she noticed that Aurus wasn't following her. She turned back to see him trying to sneak back in the direction of Everfree, creeping low to the ground and moving as quietly as he could.

"Ugh... Applejack?" Twilight called ahead, rolling her eyes.

The orange mare looked back and grinned to herself, pulling a coil of rope from under her hat. "I thought somethin' like this might happen," she chuckled. Twilight continued on her way as Applejack went after Aurus, and laughed to herself once she heard him start yelling.

"Applejack stop! I'm not getting on that train! No, leave me alone! No! No!"

The girls ahead all stopped and had to repress laughter as Applejack came ahead at full speed, dragging a lassoed Aurus behind her. He did his best to dig his hooves in, but AJ was simply moving too fast, and in the end he just toppled over backwards as she dragged him into the train, scrabbling his hooves all over the road for something to halt her undeniable pull.

The other girls filtered in behind him, all laughing openly now as the train door shut, sealing his doom.

"You're too dramatic," Rarity said with a small laugh.

All the other mares just stared at her like she had said something incredibly stupid, eyebrows cocked with frowns on their faces.

"Relatively speaking, of course," Rarity clarified with a sheepish smile.

"It's not just the Canterlot trip," Aurus explained, huddled as tightly as he could be in the corner of their train booth.

"Well what else is there?" Twilight asked, clearly confused.

"Let's just say I'm... deathly afraid of trains," he explained quietly, refusing to look out any of the windows.

Rainbow Dash laughed. "And here I thought you were tough. What are you scared of a train ride for?"

Aurus sighed. "Think about it. I'm in a metal box, going who knows how fast-"

"Seventy miles per hour," Twilight cut him off suddenly. Everyone looked at her strangely, and so she clammed up.

"In a metal box, going seventy miles per hour, with two little metal rails keeping it from tipping over and smashing into a tree or something. One of the few things that could literally squash me like a bug," he finished with a shudder, closing his eyes.

Twilight felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry, Aurus. I had no idea you had a phobia of train travel."

Aurus closed his eyes tightly as something rushed way too quickly past the window, threatening to break what little calm he had left. "Look, there's no way around it now, so it's better if we just... don't talk about it," he said quietly, through gritted teeth.

The girls all looked at each other in concern. This was very unlike him; clearly this fear ran deeper than they thought. Twilight wasn't the only one feeling guilty now. AJ nodded to her friends as she made her way to Aurus, giving them the sign that she would take care of it.

"Hey," she coaxed, getting him to open his eyes a crack. "Come on, partner. You can't spend the whole afternoon in that corner."

"Watch me," he grumbled, snapping his eye shut again.

"Don't be that way, Aurus. Look, I'm sorry I dragged ya into this. Literally. But if ya don't pay it no mind, ya might lose track of the fact that yer on a train. Come on then, there's a breakfast car me an' the girls were gonna go see about."

Aurus reluctantly opened his eyes again, looking into hers. Those beautiful, green orbs were only full of sincerity and concern, and he hadn't the strength to turn her offer down. Anything to help him forget and clear his mind was a good start.

Applejack helped him to his hooves once she could see the resolve building in his determined face. "That's better. Now then, what do changelings eat, anyways?" she asked, leading the way behind her friends.

Aurus puzzled over that, ignoring as best he could the click-clack of the train wheels. "To be honest, when they're as hungry as I am; anything," he said with a weak laugh. In all fairness, he wasn't sure if the gnawing feeling in his stomach was still fear, or if it was actually hunger.

Applejack laughed, helping to lighten his mood further. "Well shoot, I guess that makes ya an easy one to buy for back home. Your folks cook much?" she asked, realizing that the small-talk was all that was keeping him sane as they passed by window after window, and even between cars. She laughed again as his outer eye snapped shut on reflex to block out the wind.

At last they arrived at the meal car. The food arrayed smelled wonderful, with doughnuts and fruit piled high on trays. His presence startled a few ponies, but he paid them no mind as they gawked at him. His world was consumed with breakfast. "I can just take anything, then?" he asked, all but drooling, a drop even dripping off his fangs.

Twilight chuckled. "Sure, but don't overdo it. Other ponies still need to eat too."

Aurus smiled, making his way towards the table. He stopped short though and stumbled back as something small and black slammed into the table just ahead of him, sticking out from the side of it. He pulled it out with magic, looking at the object curiously. Applejack wandered closer, since she had seen him almost trip over his own four hooves.

"What's the matter, Aurus? Somethin' wrong?" she asked, trying to get a look at what he was holding.

He was shaking now, his eyes wide as he dropped the toxic dart, recognizing it for what it was. Had he gone another step, it surely would have hit him; their people used these to hunt for a wide variety of creatures back home. Though the venom was not usually fatal, large enough amounts could kill anything over the course of a few painful minutes. And the darts were built to go through the tough shells of scorpions in the canyons. He had no doubt it would have punched through his own.

On instinct he pushed Applejack hard, using all of his changeling strength to get her clear as another dart whizzed in, barely missing her and himself as the dart passed clean through one of the larger holes in his legs. The direction it had come from had put her between Aurus and the shooter. Looking around, his changeling eyes quickly spotted the disguised enemy, leaning around the corner of the next car in line. Realizing he had been spotted at last, the assassin made a break for it.

Aurus pursued, though his mind begged him to run away. Who was this? Why was another changeling trying to kill him? What in all the possible hells beyond was going on? He wanted answers!

"Hey, what's yer problem?" Applejack hollered, but he paid it no mind. Twilight, seeing the seriousness and fear on his face, took off after him, Rainbow Dash in tow. Rarity and the others went to help Applejack back to her hooves before following as well.

What Twilight saw next startled her. Aurus stood facing an undisguised changeling in an empty storage car, the cargo door to the side thrown wide open.

She couldn't understand what Aurus said; his words were strange and otherworldly, full of hisses and clicks. The other changeling simply hissed at him and then jumped out the open car door, buzzing away as the rush of wind swept him up.

Aurus slumped, his legs giving out as the adrenaline left him. The six friends from Ponyville rushed to his side, confused and worried.

"Aurus, what happened?" Twilight asked, her voice thick with concern.

"That changeling... tried to kill me," he said, his eyes wide and his breathing hard.

The six ponies all looked at each other with dread and horror. An assassination? How could they have known Aurus would be on this train? Twilight thought all of this and more as her mind raced.

"So, when you pushed Applejack out of the way...?" Rainbow asked, looking at him curiously.

He only had the strength to nod, no words.

"He saved my life," Applejack said, the realization coming to her as a shocking revelation.

"Twilight, what's happening?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide and voice tight with fear.

The purple unicorn sighed as she locked eyes with Aurus, the two of them coming to the same conclusion. She could feel it in his gaze.

"Girls... it seems somepony in T'rahk Enox isn't very fond of Aurus' mission of peace."

Aurus had bigger problems than his phobia of train travel as he helped the girls search the rest of the train for changelings. He had clarified with Twilight that changelings could, in fact, easily identify one another even when disguised. And so he and the girls were combing car by car, looking for others.

After an hour or so, sweeping through every car several times, they had found nothing. It had simply been that lone assassin.

Aurus had to sit down, finally overcome by his disbelief. "I just don't understand." He hung his head as he tried to think.

Twilight came closer, sitting with him while the other girls talked amongst themselves. None louder than Applejack, who was swearing up and down that she would clobber the next changeling she saw. Not counting Aurus, of course.

"Aurus, are you okay?" she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him if he needed time alone.

"I'm fine. The darts never hit me, or even scratched me. But just listen to them," he said sadly, gesturing with a head shake toward the girls, who were all irate and ready to pounce on the next changeling they saw. "That changeling did something far worse that hitting me with that dart."

Twilight's eyes went sad as she realized what he was referring to. "All of your hard work," she said quietly, putting a hoof on his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, it's not what you think. You're our friend, and someone out there is trying to hurt you. If it had happened to me, and some pony had been the assassin, they'd be just as angry with ponies, too. It will blow over soon," she said calmly, confidently.

Aurus had to trust that. "I hope so. Applejack was right earlier, you know. When she said I can't do this without you; all of you. If any of you leave this train with evil thoughts about my people, then my mission is going to be impossible," he finished quietly, closing his eyes. It was obvious that the discussion was over.

Twilight sighed. She knew he was right, that if even one of her friends decided all over again that changelings in general were bad, the other four would follow. She herself had too much faith in Aurus and his mission to doubt him, but she had to be sure her friends were willing to go the miles they would have to to trust in his mission like she did. With a bit of purposeful anger fueling her steps, she made her way over to her friends.

"Girls, stop," she said firmly, drawing all of their attention. Rainbow opened her mouth, her face dropping into a scowl as she prepared a long and hardly thought out tear-down of changeling kind. Twilight's icy scowl cut her off hard though, and so she shut her mouth.

"I know how we all feel about Aurus, and it's terrible to think he's in danger. But he has a mission to prove to us that his people aren't all evil. I know he's the only one we've seen, and this assassin isn't helping things. But I for one believe in him, and he needs all of you to do the same, or he'll never be able to free his people from this kind of stereotype. He said it himself that he can't do it without us. All of us," she said sternly, stomping her hoof to quell any arguments.

"I know he needs us, Twi. And after what he's done for me, it's the least I can do. But t' be honest, he's the only one of 'em who's supposed t' be here, ain't he? After all, he did come alone," Applejack said, smiling to her friend in a way that begged her not to worry.

"Twi, all we meant by it's that any changeling who's out here besides Aurus probably doesn't mean well for him. He probably don't want t' admit that himself, but it's the truth," she finished firmly.

Fluttershy spoke up next, much to everyone's surprise. "I agree. Aurus is gentle and kind, and I know there are others like him. But the ones who are sneaking around after him aren't like him at all," she finished, her voice losing magnitude as it always did at the end of a statement of her personal opinion.

Twilight nodded, satisfied that her friends didn't hate changelings. They still believed in Aurus' mission. "Thanks, girls. It means a lot to him."

"After what he did for Applejack? Darling, we'd do anything for him. Only a complete gentlecolt would do something like that," Rarity said as if it were completely obvious.

Aurus could hear every word from where he was sitting, but more importantly he could feel the love coming from that group of friends. True friends, no longer on the fence about him at all. His exhaustion vanished along with his confusion as the magic flowed into him, threatening to boil over. He went through a quick exercise he had found did wonders for keeping himself from feeling as if he were about explode; moving the magic around inside himself. He imagined that the magic was a bowl of sand, piled high in the middle. All he had to do was shake it, move it around, to flatten the peak and make all the sand fit comfortably inside.

He stood once he was sure it was under his control, and made his way to his friends. "Sorry about that, girls. I wasn't feeling well, so I needed to sit down for a minute," he said lamely, rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof.

Rainbow Dash just laughed good naturedly. "Dude, you almost got killed, and all you needed to do was sit down for a minute? I take everything back about the whole train phobia thing, you're tough as nails," she said, punching him in the shoulder.

"Thanks. Actually, I need to talk to you guys about something regarding our trip into the city. See, if there're assassins looking for me, I'm worried about my friends and family back home. I don't think they'd kill any of them, but they're in danger all the same. I'm afraid for what might be happening back in T'rahk Enox," he said gravely.

"Whatever do you mean?" Rarity asked, edging closer to hear better.

"Well, the people love me... Even though I'm a new king, the entire nation knows what my goals are and why I'm here. They want to change, and my people are tired of being alone. I can feel it everywhere I go, their love and warm wishes pushing me on to do this and fix things with your people. But there are always bound to be those who like things as they are, or have their own ideas. It doesn't surprise me that somebody else might want the throne," he said, scowling at the thought.

"But since I am well loved, they can't take it from me while I'm away on this mission. The people would revolt and never allow it. The only way to claim it from me would be for news of my death to reach the people, and steal the throne in their grief and disorder. That's why whoever it is tried to kill me. To make sure I never make it home," he said quietly.

He'd been thinking about it all day. Admittedly, he knew very little about politics, but he knew enough that where public opinion was concerned, he was the rightful king. And public opinion was everything in power struggles for his people. He was unstoppable as long as the people loved him.

"Oh my. That's terrible," Fluttershy said quietly, fearfully.

"It could be worse," Aurus said with a comforting smile. "At least this way I'm the only one in any real danger. They could be holding my friends or family hostage instead to try and get to me. But that's not happening yet, so for the time being they're safe. If the assassins continue to fail, however, then they'll resort to that eventually," he said, pacing around and trying to puzzle things out.

He stopped suddenly as an idea hit him, smiling wickedly, his fangs only adding to the mischief in his smirk. The girls all shifted uncomfortably; all except Twilight, who could really appreciate the creative genius in his expression for what it was.

"Girls, I think I have a plan."

Twilight was instantly intrigued. "Let's hear it," she replied, her tone alight with mischievous glee.

"I'm going to disguise myself to get through the city. It won't fool any changelings who are looking for me, but until now I've been walking around like I am now. If it causes a commotion in the city..." he trailed off, knowing Twilight would pick up on it.

"It would draw who knows how many assassins the city might be hiding," she said, thinking it was a clever idea. "But if you were disguised..." she trailed off then, realizing that at last they had both come to the same conclusion, had the same plan.

"We could be looking for them, while they're looking for us, without causing a stir. It will put my plans for meeting everyone on hold for a bit, but once we find one of the assassins, we can catch one. They'll be able to tell me for what I am, but they won't strike in the open again. The dinner car was isolated enough to risk it, but in the city they'll be more careful. Knowing that..." he said, turning the floor over to Twilight.

"We can basically set the stage for the attack ourselves, by making you vulnerable on purpose!" Twilight finished with glee, pounding one hoof into the other as the point drove home for the other five friends.

"And when you've found one?" Rarity asked excitedly, feeling the tension building between Aurus and Twilight almost tangibly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Twilight asked, confused that nopony else was following this train of thought.

"No, it ain't," Applejack said flatly.

"Simply put; if we know who and where he is..." Aurus started with a smirk.

"Then when he comes for Aurus, we'll come for him," Twilight finished.

"You look simply wonderful!" Rarity swooned, giving Aurus the once-over. "Easily the handsomest stallion I've ever seen, and that's saying something."

"I gotta admit, you do like mighty good in that getup," Applejack added, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"You know, I could get used to this," Rainbow said with a smirk.

"Girls, stop it," Twilight glowered.

Aurus just laughed to himself. Most days changelings just copied a target, as it was easier and required less creativity and energy. But Aurus couldn't risk walking the streets with the possibility of running into the very pony he had copied and causing a ruckus. So he had opted for the longer, more difficult option.

He was now in the shape of a tall, silver-coated pegasus. His mane was short and slightly spiky in a rough modification of Rainbow's mane, his tail long and giving the appearance of being wind-tossed in an attractive sort of way. He'd opted for a black mane and tail with a streak of dark blue down the middle, much like the pinkish stripe in Twilight's hair, which it was modeled after. For the cutie mark he had decided on a simple white cloud with a beam of light-blue light punching through it. His eyes were the same color as the ray of light, and so he felt it was fitting.

He had no idea what ponies found attractive in their males, but clearly it was very different from what changeling females looked for.

"So, why a pegasus and not a unicorn? Wouldn't it be easier to disguise your wings?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Well, yes..." Aurus said, shuffling uncomfortably and projecting an embarrassed blush onto his disguise. "But let's be honest, I'm more likely to fly than I am to do magic."

Twilight blushed too, forgetting that he wasn't very confident in his arcane abilities. "Right, sorry. Well, we've talked to everyone on the train, and they all know not to tell anyone about the disguise you're wearing, not even the guards. I'm surprised they agreed to it, honestly."

"Hey, me too. But let's not question it. You told them to spread the word that there was a changeling on the train though, right?" he asked.

That part of their plan was key. It would not only let the assassins know he was in town, but it would also have the guards out on patrol, increasing their chances of picking the time and place of the attack and not having one sprung on them ahead of schedule.

"Of course. The whole city will be talking about it by noon. I hate to think what kind of worry this will put on Princess Celestia or my brother, but we can explain it to them later," Twilight said quickly. "Now then, everyone else knows their parts, right?"

Twilight and Aurus had decided that Rarity and Fluttershy should be the ones to actually accompany him through the city on his search. The other four would follow in two groups of two, watching Aurus for signals if he spotted a changeling. It was important that the assassins not know who all was with him.

Fluttershy was too timid to be part of an 'apprehension' group like the others, and Rarity was the best actor out of all of them, so she would help keep Aurus inconspicuous amongst ponies in town.

Rainbow and Pinkie Pie formed the first group that were in charge of identifying and then capturing the assassin. The other group was Twilight and Applejack, and the hope was that it would be those two who caught the would-be killer.

With nods from all five other ponies, the group of seven made their way off the train in shifts. This plan needed to be, and would be, handled perfectly.

"Oh, let's go in that one next!" Rarity purred, pulling Aurus along to another shop.

He honestly couldn't tell if she was acting and trying to help scout for changelings, or if she was just shopping.

Still, he laughed and kept up the act. "Alright, alright. You girls sure aren't cheap dates," he chuckled. His voice was layered over to be deep and interesting, with most of the inflections upbeat and light-hearted. Many other mares they had wandered past had been looking at his two friends with looks of undisguised jealousy as they dragged him around town.

So far there had been no sign of any changelings, but word was already spreading fast that a changeling had been on the train in from Ponyville. Guards were thick on every corner, some even poking through alleyways.

Perfect.

'None in here' he signaled silently, lifting his left wing and working it in gentle circles as if trying to work a kink out of it. This was apparently very common for pegasi to do at any given time, according to Rainbow.

Twilight and AJ outside took note of it out the corner of their eyes, keeping their faces constant as they carried on a casual conversation on the corner.

It went on like this for several blocks, until at last Twilight saw the signal that Aurus had found one. He fanned his wings out wide, and then draped one over both Fluttershy and Rarity. Had he draped a wing over just Rarity, it would have meant that the other changeling hadn't noticed him yet. Hugging Fluttershy meant that he had been seen as well. A twitch of his tail to the left signaled the changeling was at ground level on the left side of the street.

They'd been practicing for a while on the train.

Keeping up the act, Rarity giggled like a schoolfilly and pressed in close to Aurus while he smiled and said a few sweet nothings to both girls. Fluttershy looked absolutely embarrassed, flushing bright red as Aurus pressed her close, too. The trio made their openly overt way down the street, everypony looking after them. Males were full of jealousy that he had two beautiful girls under his wings, and females were angry that they weren't one of them.

That made spotting the changeling easy enough. He looked after them with eyes narrowed in a way that was not jealous, but malicious. He was a dark green earth pony with a conveniently missing cutie mark. That meant he had to follow on hoof, or risk trying to change form inside the city, which was on high alert for changelings.

Aurus looked over his shoulder and received the 'got him' signal from Twilight, an overly fast nod to Applejack as they kept on their little chat. Those two would tail the changeling comfortably, never losing track of him.

Satisfied, Aurus turned down a side street until he came to a place where he could see Rainbow Dash. Since she was a pegasus also, he had been told that approaching her openly wouldn't draw any kind of unwanted attention, and so he simply walked up to her and Pinkie.

"Hey Rainbow! Long time no see," he said idly, smiling at her and not removing his wings from either of the girls next to him, indicating to her that they'd found their target.

"Heya Cloudhopper!" she called back, smiling widely. "I didn't know you were in town. What's the occasion?"

"Oh you know, just figured it wouldn't be a bad place to bring the girls. We're going to grab lunch soon, actually. Care to join us?" he asked, the meaning of that statement painfully obvious. It was like a bad spy film, and he had to try hard not to chuckle to himself.

"Sure, why not? Pinkie and I were getting hungry anyways. Just a few things we need to finish up before hoof. How about we meet at Joe's?" she asked, as if it was their usual place.

"Sure thing. See you there!" he replied, bumping hooves with her and then turning to leave. Joe's was an inner-city eatery that Rainbow had frequented before, with numerous alleyways behind it that would suit their purpose. He started making his way north, looking for the sign. Rainbow would fly off to arrange things with Twilight, and soon their plan would come to fruition. He found the store and waited outside, making small-talk with Fluttershy and Rarity until he got the last signal he was waiting for.

A whistle somewhere from Applejack was all he needed to hear. "Alright girls, why don't you head inside? There's something I need to take care of quick," he said politely, pulling his wings back to himself and ushering the two on ahead.

"Don't be too long, now!" Rarity called with a wink, practically dragging Fluttershy, who was still blushing wildly.

Aurus couldn't contain a chuckle as he looked at his yellow friend. Clearly she wasn't much for the acting scene. Looking both ways quickly, as if he didn't want to be seen by anyone, he stepped into an alleyway, hoping that Twilight and the others were in position.

He was only a few steps in before he heard hoofsteps behind him, and he felt the nervous twinge of possible failure eating at him. Ending up dead was not part of the plan, and so he prayed everything would go well. He froze in his tracks as a vile chuckle came behind him, the assassin walking a few steps into the alley to avoid being seen from the street.

"King Aurus, I presume," came the unaltered changeling voice behind him, speaking his own tongue.

"An assassin, I would wager," he returned snidely, turning to face the disguised changeling. With his outer eyelids closed, he could tell that it was the same disguise he had been wearing earlier.

"Oh no, you've caught me," the assassin shot back with scathing sarcasm. "Now then, nothing personal... Just business," he said idly, pulling a blow-tube to his mouth after loading a dart.

Aurus didn't blink as the dart left the tube, whistling through the air in a straight line for his chest. 'Figures he would be a better shot than the last one' he thought grumblingly, hoping Twilight knew what she was doing.

The dart stopped in mid air a few feet ahead of him, bathed in pinkish-purple light.

"What in all the possible hells...?" the assassin asked, reeling back as the dart just stopped. "I thought you weren't good with magic!"

"He's not. I am," Twilight said, stepping into the alleyway behind Aurus, her horn glowing as the dart hung suspended.

"Damn!" the assassin swore, dropping his disguise and buzzing his wings hard to fly away. A blue blur with a rainbow trail hit him from above before he had even gotten three feet off the ground, crushing him into the cobblestones.

"And where do you think you're going?" Rainbow asked, stomping her hooves on him for added effect as he struggled.

Another face filled the assassin's unfortunate field of vision as somepony wearing a hat bore down on him. The last thing he saw was her whirling around and smirking before two hooves slammed him hard.

"Nothin' personal. Jus' business."

The assassin woke up tied to a chair in the back of Joe's place. The doughnut maker had agreed to Rainbow and Twilight's request on a few conditions. First, he only housed paying customers, and so the changeling assassin now had a doughnut skewered on his horn. Two, he didn't want any trouble with the guards, so they had to keep it down. And three, they had to clear out through the alley when they were done, the same way they had come in.

He looked into the smugly smiling, doughnut eating faces of four ponies, arrayed in front of him.

Through the gap between one set of two and the other, a fellow changeling, taller and different from the norm, stepped out of the shadows of the storage closet. His eyes were narrowed dangerously, his fangs showing long thanks to his victorious smirk.

"Kind of you to join us... Assassin," he hissed in his own tongue. He was using a tone that even his own people would find sinister, but it set his pony friends on edge as he used it. He felt bad for that, but he couldn't diminish the effect he needed to have on this changeling.

The assassin spat at him, but the spittle never reached him. "Accursed, fake king! You're nothing like the changelings who came before you! Weak and stupid, with designs of peace where war is needed," he hissed back, rocking in his chair.

Aurus hit him hard, knowing that it would hurt but do no real damage to the changeling. His friends all held back their gasps as best they could.

They'd had a discussion where Aurus had stated in no uncertain terms that they would not like what he was about to do. In preparation for it, Twilight had cast a spell that would mask the volume of his exchange with the assassin.

"The changelings they sent after me are trained killers, I'm sure. They won't agree to my demands easily. I'm going to have to use force, and I'm asking you all to look the other way. Please understand that I don't want to do this anymore than any of you want to see it done," he had said sadly.

The sadness was gone, replaced by fake rage and ire. "Weak? Stupid? I have more power than you can fathom in my body. And I have you, trained killer, trapped and helpless in front of me. Not so stupid now as you might think, am I?" he roared in his language, tipping the chair over backwards on purpose. The changeling landed roughly, hitting his head hard, but again doing no real harm.

"Now then, who am I?" he growled at the changeling, lying back down on the floor. He towered over him, in every kind of position to trample him flat if he so chose. And the changeling's shell would never survive that magic-fueled bombardment.

"False king!" The changeling said sternly, though his tone sounded less sure, his voice strained with pain.

Aurus stomped on the floor next to his head in fury, bending low and screaming in the changeling's face. "Who am I?"

"King Aurus!" the changeling wailed, realizing that he had just nearly had his head crushed. The cement floor of the closet next to him showed cracks from Aurus' hoof.

"That's what I thought. Now then, traitor... What should I do with you?" he asked, smirking as Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy pushed the chair up from behind the assassin. They had been put behind the changeling, because Pinkie couldn't keep a straight face, and Fluttershy couldn't look fierce like the other four.

Aurus clicked his tongue as the changeling's now-fearful eyes followed Rainbow Dash, who hoofed over his own blow tube, giving it to Aurus. He slid it into one of the holes in his right hoof, the traditional way of wielding the weapon. It could be carried and used at any time that way, even while walking.

"No, your majesty, please!" he said in terror. Of all the ways to die, the poison in that dart was the worst. It practically melted your insides, felt like fire turning you inside out until the very moment it claimed you. Inside those darts rested agony incarnate.

"Begging?" he asked with a dark laugh. "How unprofessional. Tell me, traitor... Why should I let you live?" he asked, as Twilight dutifully inserted a dart into the tube with her magic. "You have ten seconds."

"I... I..." the assassin stammered, his eyes looking between the ponies for help as he struggled for something to save his life. They all turned up their noses in an act of anger and disgust, looking away from him.

"Ten... Nine... Eight..." Aurus counted idly, lifting the blow tube to his mouth, but not putting it to his lips. He took careful aim at the changeling's chest.

"Please, your majesty, have mercy!" the changeling pleaded, his eyes brimming with tears of fear. Aurus' heart stung badly at that, but he didn't allow it to affect him in this critical time. He alleviated the pain and guilt by reminding himself that he would never fire the dart, and that even if he did, the poison had all been removed anyways.

"Five... four... three..." he counted calmly.

"I can help you stay alive!" the assassin cried fiercely. "I'll do anything! Please, your grace!"

Aurus smirked smugly, lowering the blow tube a few inches and shooting the dart. He watched with a twinge of guilt as the changeling flinched badly. The dart bit harmlessly into the wooden chair, between his legs.

"There there, my faithful servant. I think perhaps you are right; there is something you can help me with," he said with a wicked grin.

The assassin gulped, shaking from his imagined near-death experience. All he could do was nod, for fear that his words would turn to whimpers.

"How would you like to be the one to tell your masters I am dead?"

VII: A Difficult Choice

"No! Please, my lord!" came a feeble cry from the other side of the door, muffled by Twilight's spell. The words were in changeling, of course, but their desperation was clear enough for the five ponies standing with him. Despite the sincere terror in that outcry, his friends all laughed. He joined them, though he had no idea what was going on in there.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave him in there alone with Pinkie Pie?" he asked Twilight, tossing his once-more disguised head in the direction of the storeroom door.

"Oh, he'll be fine. She's just talking his ear off. I'll admit it's torture sometimes, but for the most part it's harmless," she said with a laugh as they heard Pinkie's voice going on and on between breaks in the changeling's wails.

Aurus laughed more wholeheartedly now, coming to understand the 'torture' for what it really was; just Pinkie, being Pinkie. "Alright then, I suppose it can't hurt. I had no idea you girls could be so devious," he added with a chuckle, giving Twilight a friendly nudge.

"Well Rainbow's always been a bit of a ruffian. It was her idea in the first place to use Pinkie as ammunition. The first time we ever had to do that was when Applejack wouldn't cooperate with us after running away from home," Rarity said with a little smirk Applejack's direction. The earth pony flushed bright red, realizing now just how foolish and melodramatic she had been during that whole ordeal.

"T' be fair, I wasn't in the best of places in my own head at the time," Applejack admitted, allowing the honesty to take some of the embarrassment with it. Going with the truth helped her feel a mote of control again.

Another cry from behind them had Aurus shaking his head and smiling sadly to himself. "Well, he apparently has no idea it's harmless. Maybe he's had enough?" he asked, turning back as if to head back inside.

"You know, it's your own fault for calling Pinkie the 'Grand Torture Master' before you left," Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle as she recalled that little exchange.

Aurus laughed too. "Well, I couldn't resist. Besides, we can't go light on him. Now then, I'll send Pinkie out. Why don't you girls go ahead and wait outside? It won't be too long."

The girls all nodded and headed for the door, while Aurus headed for the closet, to put an end to the changeling's screams. A hoof met his before he could turn the handle though, and so he stopped, looking back. Applejack was still there, looking at him with an expression somewhere between disappointment and concern.

"Oh, Applejack. Something wrong?" he asked, giving her a comforting smile.

"Before ya go back in there, I want t' talk t' ya... Alone," she clarified, shuffling uncomfortably even as she said it.

Aurus turned around, realizing that this wasn't just a passing nervousness. Something was really troubling his friend, and he couldn't bear to see her like that. Even in all the short time he had known her, he had come to respect Applejack, perhaps more than any of the other six friends he now had in this faraway place.

He gave her a slightly less enthusiastic smile, allowing her to see that he was concerned, too. "Of course. You can talk to me about anything, Applejack. We're alone now, so why not tell me what's on your mind?"

She shuffled again, not quite looking him in the eye for a few seconds while she gathered her thoughts. At last she sighed, as if she had simply decided that winging it was her best bet. Aurus was happy for that; speaking from the heart always made more sense.

"I've known ya long enough by now t' think I know what's goin' on. I know he's a bad apple, Aurus. But I jus' don't feel right with how you were treatin' him. I don't like seein' you that way. It ain't the Aurus I'm used to. And it was frightenin', t' be honest. My heart almost always knows best, but I need t' hear it from yer own mouth. I need to know ya did what ya did because ya had to... Not because it's how ya are," she said sadly, hanging her head and not looking at him.

He could tell that she believed, wanted to believe at least, that he was completely good. That everything had been an act; but she had her doubts, and she felt horrible for having them, even though her heart told her that Aurus was still the way she had always known him to be; kind and loyal.

"Applejack, I would never hurt him like that unless I had to. He's a killer, and I have no respect for what he does... But I'm not. He's still one of my people, and I love them all. I can't reason with him, though. He's here on a job, and the only thing that will keep him true to my cause for now is to convince him that I'm stronger than he is. And as far as he's concerned, evil and strong happen to be along the same lines," he said with a sigh.

On an impulse, he put a hoof under her chin and lifted her eyes back up to his. He smiled warmly to her, trying to say without words that everything was fine, and nothing had changed. "I don't like it any more than you do. It makes me sick thinking that I have to go in there and pretend to be something I'm not. In hindsight, maybe that makes me a terrible changeling," he said with a little laugh. It warmed his heart to see it bring a small, unstoppable smile to her lips as well.

"But it makes ya a good friend," she said, smiling more fully now. She made no move to push his hoof away from her face at all. She simply stayed, smiling at him for a time as she worked her resolve back up. "Please jus' say ya'll be careful... Ya already went out of yer way once for me and almost got yerself killed because of it. I don't want t' see anything bad happen t' ya, Aurus," she said quietly, looking into his eyes unblinkingly.

His world was a combination of shock and confusion. He was young, to be sure, and had yet to experience much of what it meant to be a changeling. Or even to be alive. He had felt hundreds of emotions; hate, friendship, approval. Love, from his family.

He had never felt what was coming from Applejack as he looked into her wonderful emerald eyes. It filled his being like nothing before. It didn't pack in, or try to burst from him, but instead the magic felt as though it were flowing through him. As if it already knew where to go; straight to his heart. It was pure and strong, the most powerful thing he had ever felt in his eighteen short years of life.

The flow halted almost completely suddenly, slowing to a trickle. Applejack blushed fiercely, pulling away from him gently, but quickly. She wouldn't look at him for a moment, staring straight at her front right hoof, which was pawing slow circles on the shop floor.

Aurus wasn't sure what to make of it. It was new, sudden, and unexpected. It had felt right to him, whatever it was; but judging from the look on Applejack's face as she looked away, she wasn't so sure that it was a good thing to feel. He didn't want to dwell on it, or question her about it. She looked as if she was confused enough as it was, and he didn't even know where to begin. Instead, he decided they could both use some normalcy, something to bring them back to reality.

"Don't worry, Applejack. I won't get myself into anything I can't handle. I promise," he said with one final smile at her. "Thank you. For checking on me, I mean. I couldn't ask for a better friend," he finished calmly, his voice full of sincerity. "Now go on ahead... I'll be out shortly."

Applejack seemed to calm down a bit at that, though he could still feel the trickle of mystery emotion coming from her. "Don't mention it... I'll be waitin' outside," she said politely, giving him a weak half-smile before heading outside.

As soon as the door shut behind her, he could feel the flow speed up. It was as if whatever it was was affected by how close she got to him. As if she was nervous.

Letting it go, Aurus remembered his duty as the changeling hollered from the room behind him. With a sigh, he made his way inside.

"What was that about?" Rainbow Dash asked, a look of utter confusion on her face as Applejack walked out late.

Applejack sighed. She hated this part of her personality. The part that made her a ridiculously terrible liar. In the end, she decided it would just be simpler to give away only part of the truth. She hadn't exactly come to terms with the other part herself.

"I decided I should check on Aurus. Make sure he was okay. It weren't easy for somepony like him t' act that way," she explained idly, glad to see that it didn't violate any truth-telling personal codes.

"Yeah, I bet he had a rough time of it. He's a pretty easy-going guy," she admitted, accepting that.

"Well, he is okay, right?" Fluttershy asked, full of typical concern.

"He don't feel right about it, but he's fine. He knows he did what he had t', t' make sure things go smooth. Still, I'd like to know what he said t' that assassin while we were in there," she said, rubbing her head. "I ain't got a single clue what he's on about."

Twilight nodded her agreement, quirking an eyebrow. "I'm honestly surprised he didn't tell us what he had planned to do once we caught an assassin. Maybe he doesn't have it all figured out himself?" she mused. "Or maybe things with the capture mission just took priority, and so he just hasn't gotten to telling us yet?"

While Twilight puzzled on and on about the possibilities, and Rainbow Dash waylaid the now-outside Pinkie Pie, Applejack made her way over to Rarity.

"Hey, uh, Rarity?" she started, doing her best to fight back the blush coming to her cheeks. "Can I, uh, talk t' ya for a minute?"

The purple-maned pony just smiled like she hadn't a care or clue in the world. "Well of course, Applejack," she said, waiting patiently for her orange friend to start.

"Well, I meant more... private like. I don't think the other girls would be much help," she said, twiddling one front hoof over the other and not making eye contact.

Rarity looked at Applejack mischievously. There were very, very few things the farm pony would need to speak to anypony about, particularly Rarity. "So it's that kind of help, is it?" she asked smugly. As far as she was concerned, it was high time Applejack came to her with something of this nature.

"What d' ya mean, 'that kind'?" Applejack asked, following Rarity around the corner into a more isolated part of the alleyway.

"Dating help, obviously," Rarity said, tossing her fabulous mane about. "I mean, what other private discussion could you possibly need to have with me?"

Applejack sighed, blushing and unable to lie her way out of it. She really wished Rarity hadn't discovered it so soon, or been so blunt about it. "It ain't the datin' I'm so worried about," Applejack admitted sheepishly. "It's more a problem of tellin' the fella. I'm not even sure how my own feelin's are lined up, t' be fair."

"Darling, that's the best time to tell him!" Rarity said, giddy with excitement. "If you wait too long, some other mare will just beat you to the punch. And half the fun of it is getting to know him better and really watch those feelings grow. It's absolutely natural to be worried and nervous when you're unsure, but you can't let these opportunities wander away," she said, waving a hoof and scrunching up her face as if that idea were simply terrible.

"Well, like I said... I dunno, it seems awful sudden. I haven't seen much of him," she half-lied. It was true for the most part; Aurus hadn't been around much on the whole.

"Now you listen here, Applejack; it's not how many times you've seen him, but how much you like seeing him that matters. Now then, I don't mean to pry, but I can't help myself. Who is this mystery stallion of yours?" she asked, her eyes alight with interest as she bit her lower lip in anticipation.

Applejack went weak in the legs as she realized it was lie or die of embarrassment. And lying just wasn't in her nature. Defeated, she sighed and blushed mightily as she tried her best to muster the strength to say it.

"What would ya say if I told ya I had... a bit of a crush on Aurus?" she asked quietly, wincing hard before she could even get a glimpse of Rarity's reaction.

After several seconds of holding her eyes shut and not hearing a sound from Rarity, Applejack opened her eyes a bit.

Rarity was sitting there looking like she was in the process of being hit by a train, her eyes wide and her mouth open in undisguised surprise. She just sat there, not making eye contact with anything in particular, and Applejack wasn't even sure she was breathing. At last she sucked in a deep breath and tipped over backwards.

"That's what I was afraid ya'd say..."

"Now then, I suppose you're convinced that I'm not a good enemy to have," Aurus said idly to the assassin, as if it should have been obvious all along.

The assassin nodded readily, his eyes still wide with terror. "I should never have said such things about you, your grace. You truly are terrible to behold."

Aurus laughed, though he disliked being called terrible. "If you make me to be so, yes, though I do not prefer to be. Now then, my servant... It's time I told you my plans," he said with a smirk in the gloom. He no longer needed to act so vile in front of him; he had already proven that he could be pushed to act darkly. Further illustrations were not needed. Instead of pretending to be evil, what was needed from here on out was simple determination and resolve, a strength of purpose in his tone.

The assassin seemed intrigued. "Your plans for peace? Everyone has heard those, your eminence."

"Not those plans, my friend. Perhaps you misunderstand the purposes of war and peace," Aurus said, picking up a light bulb from a shelf. "Allow me to illustrate for you. See this glass ball? Think of it like a people. The ponies for instance," Aurus said, setting it on the ground in front of himself.

"This is what war does to a people." Aurus stomped on the light bulb, crushing it to dust. He lifted his hoof, and bade the assassin to inspect it. "Look there. Tell me, what do you see that can be salvaged from that?"

"Nothing, my lord," the assassin replied dutifully, though his expression was puzzled.

"Not nothing," Aurus clarified. He swept aside the fragments, and pointed at the floor. "I can still have the floor it was on. The glass ball no longer sits on it. And now it is mine," he said pointedly, setting his hoof on it.

The assassin nodded. This was often the case; wars could be fought to gain control of a territory, to expand their nation.

"That is only one purpose of war, of course. Imagine I had only smashed half of the glass ball. It could still be used for something, but it would not have its full effect," he clarified, pulling out another light bulb from the shelf.

"Now then, picture this glass ball instead. Again, as a people. This is what peace is capable of," he said quietly, using his magic to make the bulb glow. It flared brightly, lighting the entire closet front to back.

The assassin winced from the sudden burst of light. "And what is peace for then? To sting my eyes?" he hissed, snapping his outer lenses shut.

"Calm yourself," Aurus hissed back, floating the lit bulb higher. "Instead of looking at it, look around it. Tell me, is there anything you cannot see clearly, now that peace has reached this people?" he asked smoothly, slyly.

The assassin looked about, his face shifting from confusion to awe as he grasped the metaphor at last. "There is nothing I cannot see, my lord. The entire room is well-lit," he replied sheepishly.

"And what could you see, using the smashed glass ball?" Aurus asked.

"Nothing, my king. I was blind to this darkness," the assassin replied dutifully.

"You are still blind, my friend," Aurus said sadly. "Even now you are only seeing the very simplest of what peace has to offer. It illuminates us, guides us, makes us whole. Only I can see what peace truly is. It is why I am strong, and you are weak," he said pointedly, his eyes narrowing to help drive the point home. "War does not prove a king's strength. Even victory in battle is worthless if it serves our people no purpose but more farmland. Peace is true power."

"It will bring us happiness, will win us love. And through love, we will be stronger than we have ever been. And instead of using that power to crush those who come to adore us in bloody war, why not sow more peace? Why not be even more powerful and wiser still? To crush those that might love you is to weaken yourself to the point of crawling like a worm," Aurus finished his profound speech with a look of disgust at the assassin. "A killer like yourself is already weak by comparison to those who know true love. Tell me, weak one... Have you a mote of love in your life strong enough to untie those ropes holding you there?"

The assassin looked at Aurus as if he had been slapped. Sense! So much sense! How could this young changeling, his king, see things so clearly? How could his words alone paint such a wondrous picture of their people's power and strength? Was it true? Could Aurus truly see clearly because he alone knew peace as it was meant to be?

More importantly, he saw the truth of the assassin's own heart. Never had he loved; he had always been alone. Those that knew him paid him, or worked with him. These would quickly leave him for dead, if their plotting went south. In defiance he tried his best to light his horn and untie the knot at his back, but several attempts left him breathing hard and trapped still.

Aurus looked at him with a look of true compassion now, and pain. "You see, dear servant. Your life of war has left you little. For all your clever tricks and experience, you have no power. Here you are, trapped by the changeling you've come to kill, and unable to do the simplest of tasks to free yourself. Because of the path you have chosen."

The changeling tried to muster some retaliation, some excuse or rebuttal, but nothing came; he felt only despair as he heard the tale of his simple, sad life read back to him in only a few short sentences. He hung his head in defeat, tears coming to his eyes as he realized then and there his ultimate failure as a changeling.

"I am sorry, my lord..." the changeling sobbed, unable to keep the sadness from coming to him. Tears filled his eyes, though he tried his best to fight them, but they came on the wings of his despair, his failure, and his regret. "I am sorry..."

The next thing he felt were the bonds around him loosening, and then falling away as his king stood in front of him, smiling calmly. "I forgive you, my friend," he said warmly, his tone full of compassion. "I can be strong for you, I can play terrible and powerful, but that's not the way I choose to be. I choose instead to show you how to be strong yourself, and to illustrate the values of peace. It's better to be calm and kind than to be angry and vile."

The changeling assassin could feel it flowing into him. The approval of his king, the empathy and compassion as he continued to cry for his failed life. "Please, my lord... Tell me what I should do. Teach me to be strong. I don't wish to be weak and alone anymore."

Aurus smiled warmly. "I'm not your lord anymore. I am simply Aurus, and I am your friend. As long as you honor my friendship and never falter in peace, you will never be alone again. The darkness is ready to let you go," he said warmly as the changeling before him continued his flow of tears. "Are you ready to leave it for the light I can offer you?"

The changeling sniffed, his tears turning from those of sadness and bitter regret to ones of joyous rebirth. "I would follow you out of any darkness my lo-... Aurus," he replied, his lungs shaking his words with their uncertain exhalations, but his words held a tone of determination, and Aurus could feel true respect coming from the assassin. This was no act.

This rebirth was real and whole.

"Then what do you call yourself?" he asked politely.

"I go by Malik," he replied warmly. It was clear that he was not used to introducing himself.

"Come with me, friend Malik," Aurus said, opening the door to the storage closet that had been this creature's hell zone for the last two hours. "There is much that you need to hear, before you are ready to serve me. I will be the one to give you your most vital mission."

Malik smiled warmly, a changed changeling through and through as he walked out that portal. He did not run or try to flee in any way, but simply waited for Aurus as he followed, closing the closet door behind him.

Together they made their way into the alley, where Aurus' other friends waited.

Twilight and the others balked at the sight of the re-disguised ex-assassin. Aurus smiled a pained smile as he watched the inevitable unfold.

Applejack snorted and pawed the ground, ready to charge him. Rainbow was much more prepared, it seemed, for she was already in the air and spiraling their way. "Stand back, Aurus!" she growled, rocketing off.

She came to a sudden halt as her tail was swept up in a glowing purple cloud, dragging her to a stop. Twilight walked up to the sky-blue pegasus, shaking her head. "Rainbow, calm down. Look, he came out with Aurus, so there's got to be a good reason he's not all tied up anymore. Right?" she asked hopefully, looking Aurus' way.

"Thanks Twilight," Aurus replied with a nervous laugh. "Yes, he's with me. He's pledged loyalty to my cause for peace... I know it's hard to believe, but he's a changeling. Changing is what we do best."

Applejack gave up her threatening posture, though she wouldn't have minded clobbering the would-be killer another time or two. "Ya sure he's alright?" she asked skeptically, eying him with concern.

"Sure as I can be. I know that none of you can feel his emotions the way I can. Trust me when I say that his change of heart is real. I'd be able to tell if he were faking this," Aurus replied, giving his friends puppy-dog eyes as they continued to lay their doubts about Malik on the table.

They had a rough time fighting that expression of pure, innocent pleading. With a sigh, they all let it go, Rainbow falling to the ground as Twilight's spell gave out. Ignoring Rainbow's protests, Twilight made her way forward to talk to Aurus.

"Alright then, what's the plan? The girls and I are a little concerned," she said with a worried look. "Please tell me you have some kind of idea?"

Aurus just smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I think I know what to do. At the very least I'm sure how to handle the assassins. Now then, girls; this is Malik. I know he's got a lot to answer for, but he's playing for the right team now. Malik, this is Twilight..." Aurus continued through the list of his female friends, pointing at each in turn and raising his voice so that the other five friends would come forward to meet their new ally.

"I really wish we were meeting under better circumstances," Malik said quietly, his voice hushed with fear and worry. He seemed particularly on edge any time his gaze came across Pinkie Pie.

"Don't we all?" Aurus asked ironically. "Unfortunately, this is just the way things are."

"Nice to meet you, Malik. I hope Aurus' trust is well placed; you've got a long ways to go before you've earned ours," Twilight said politely. She was simply stating the facts to him, not threatening him. She turned back to Aurus after the pleasantries had been taken care of. "So... plan?" she asked, her tone full of urgency.

"Plan. I want you to escort Malik to the castle; we need to meet up with Celestia and let her know what's happened. Unfortunately, he can't travel anywhere near me. If the other assassins see him with me, everything I've come up with will go down the drain. I need you to take him around the city, and make sure he's being watched when you take him to the castle. The other girls and I will get there before you. I need him to be seen following me inside," Aurus said seriously.

Twilight nodded, still unsure what was going on. "I can do that, but I want to know what you have planned. It's not helping us being left in the dark, Aurus," she said worriedly. "You know you don't have to do everything on your own."

Aurus just smiled at her in apology. "I know, and I'm sorry; but with assassins still lurking in the city, I don't feel safe talking here. I'll explain everything once we're inside. The princess needs to hear it all, too."

Twilight and the others all nodded, accepting that. "Let's hurry then," she said, gesturing to Malik. "He's unarmed, right?" she asked, giving him a scowl.

"Of course. He's fine, like I said," Aurus said quickly, urging her on before she made the rest of the girls or Malik any more nervous than they already were. He practically pushed them out of the alleyway.

Once the pair were on their way, he and the other girls made their way out onto the streets, Aurus once more in the guise of Cloudhopper the pegasus.

It had gone well enough. Aurus knew he had been seen entering the castle himself, and Malik clarified that he had been seen following him in. No assassins would question Twilight's presence. She had served her use as Malik's tool for entering the castle, and they would only see it as a testament to his cunning.

All as he had wanted. Aurus and the others had gone straight to Celestia. She and her sister had decided it would be safest to meet in the library, where few guards would bother them. While Celestia had assured Aurus that he would be safe from them in her company, he had erred on the side of caution. For the time being, it was best to go unseen.

The library was dark, the thick velvet shades drawn tight. Dusty books lined every shelf, and those shelves climbed to the ceiling nearly twenty feet high. Ladders on wheels slid along tracks in the shelving to reach the desired tomes. The carpet was thick, though stiff; as though it had somehow become brittle over the ages of inactivity. This corner of the library was almost never used for anything besides storage for old tomes that had long since served their purpose, or been replaced with newer editions.

Their gathering was complete at last, with one additional member Aurus didn't know. He had been told that Celestia had a sister, though he had never seen her. She was resplendent, a trait that seemed to run in the family. She had a dark blue coat, like the sky of midnight, with her mane and tail full of flecks of brilliant light. As if she wore the stars themselves for jewelry.

"Before we get ahead of ourselves... Luna, this is Aurus. The changeling I've been telling you about," Celestia said to her sister, gesturing to the changeling king in front of her. "Though he doesn't quite look the way I described him to you anymore."

It was true. In the short time he had spent in Ponyville, the budding friendship had fed him a slow but steady increase in magical power. He had changed significantly now. He had molted a total of three times, and was nearly as tall as Luna was. His wings were wider and the membrane was thick. His blue hair had grown longer, obscuring his horn in the front, which was twisted and pocked with stylishly placed holes. To any changeling woman he would have been the most handsome creature in the world, with his deep green eyes, tall stature, and long fangs.

"I have heard much about you," she replied, her eyes full of eager interest as she gazed at him. "I am Luna, princess of the night. I did not know that changelings could have such a hunger for peace and friendship, or that they could grow so large. Are all of your people this way?" she asked pleasantly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your grace," Aurus replied smoothly, smiling at her. "Unfortunately there are still those who would rather cause problems for peacemakers like myself... Which is why I'm here meeting you in secret right now." Luna shuffled as he made that rather obvious point. It was clear from the flow of undisguised, warm curiosity coming from her that she had gotten caught up in her interest in him.

"Well then, Aurus... What is it you wish to talk about?" Celestia asked, breaking the awkward moment hanging in the air.

He cleared his throat, clearly preparing for a lengthy tale. "I'm sure you've heard the news that there was a changeling on the train in from Ponyville. You were expecting me, of course, but you had other guests from my homeland in your city long before I was here, it seems." A nod from Malik confirmed his words. "Assassins have made attempts on my life; once on the train, and once in your city. We were prepared the second time, and captured the would-be killer. He's here with us, in fact," he said with a small, nervous laugh.

"I am Malik, your majesties," he said, bowing his head and looking fearful. "It's true that I tried to take Aurus' life, as was my charge; but I failed, and he has taught me a better path of life. Though I have not walked far on it, I am on it all the same. I am an assassin no more," he said solemnly, smiling at the two pony princesses pleadingly.

Celestia smiled back, her expression full of understanding. "It seems Aurus has that effect on his people. A good ruler knows how to guide the hearts of his subjects. If Aurus says that you are changed for the better, then I trust his judgment."

Aurus smiled at her, pleased to hear she was not worried of Malik. After a pause, he decided to continue. "Malik says that there are seven other changelings scouring the city for me. On our way here I was careful to be seen entering the castle. Malik was careful to be seen following."

"This is dire news," Luna said darkly. "Why are they hunting you? Are you not their king?" It was clear to Aurus from that question alone that he had much to explain. Power struggles simply didn't occur among ponykind the way they did among changelings.

"There is a power in my homeland that wishes to see my mission for peace fail. Likely they want the power of the throne themselves, and with me so far removed it should be a simple enough task. Fortunately, the people love me dearly. I can feel it everywhere I go; their hopes and warm wishes rest with me. Even at this distance, my power is secure. For changelings, whoever is loved most dearly by the people is the most powerful. The one who is fit to rule. Suffice it to say that as long as they love me, the throne will be impossible to steal," Aurus said calmly, though his pacing belied his anxiety as he performed small circuits back and forth.

"But I've undertaken a mission into what my people consider enemy territory. Alone. It wouldn't surprise anyone to hear that I'd been killed; they know very little about the nature of your people. If the changelings were to receive news of my death, the usurpers would be in a fine position to steal the attention of our grieving nation, and secure their own power," he said, halting and stomping a hoof as he scowled in anger.

"That is why, though it will cost me my throne... I want news of my death to reach the nation," he said quietly.

The ponies all reacted about as he had expected, looking at one another in shock and confusion.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Luna asked, her tone full of angry confusion. "You will be giving the usurpers exactly what they desire. They will secure their power if you do not fight them!"

"Because I have my family and my friends to worry about," he said with a sad smile. "They haven't harmed them yet; I can feel it, but unless I am reported dead, they will soon be used as bait to lure me out, where the assassins can slay me," he finished, looking to Malik for clarity.

"It's true. We received orders only a day ago claiming that if we had not captured or killed you in three days time, that your family would become involved."

Luna scowled. "How disgusting. These changelings would stop at nothing for power?"

Aurus shook his head and sighed. "I'm afraid not. And the only way to keep them from doing something terrible is to let them have their way... for a time. It's why I was careful to be seen being followed by Malik. He has agreed to relay news of my death to the other assassins. Since he has been seen tailing me into the castle, they will not question him if he returns without my body. All I would need is for your own guards to spread the word that they found me dead in the castle as well. The assassins will hear this, if they are observant, and it will help Malik with his task."

Celestia nodded, thinking that plan made perfect sense. "I can make that happen, but why not return home, and put a stop to this? If you are so well loved, couldn't you rally the people and drive the rebels out?"

Malik shook his head. "Aurus is not powerful enough to do so on his own. The changeling backing the 'coup is called Gerd, and he is a member of the High Council. Killing Aurus was to be the last step in his plan... In short, that means it is already too late. He might be able to keep Gerd from coming into power, but not without causing chaos in the process. Many innocent changelings would die as a result. They have already removed Aurus' friends from power. Korrick, the high councilor himself, is being watched as a possible traitor against Aurus. Though it is an obvious lie to us, the people don't realize the truth. Gerd is clever, and turned the people and the council against Korrick, without ever damaging Aurus' good name; no small feat, I assure you."

The news that Korrick was imprisoned hit Aurus hard. "That makes things more difficult. The council is powerful; they're responsible for electing the next king. Without removing Korrick, they would never have a chance at putting a tyrant like Gerd into power. He's too strong willed and righteous to allow such a thing. No, returning now would only cause problems," Aurus said firmly.

"I will return to free my people from this tyranny. I have to, but I can't leave; my mission here is still for peace. Let the usurper get comfortable on the throne; he won't sit in it long," he said with fiery determination. "When the time comes and I'm ready, I will return and free them from his tyranny."

"But how?" Twilight asked cautiously. "I thought you said the king gets his power from his people? If they think you're dead, how will you have enough power to stop Gerd?"

Aurus sighed. "It requires a bit of faith. Their grief and desire for me to live will keep me strong, for a time. But as they get used to the idea that I am gone, their love for me will fade, and I will be weak. I believe that when I return, alive and well to the surprise of Gerd and his followers, the people will unite behind me again, giving me the strength I need to cast him aside. I have to rely on their true desire for peace. In the end, it's all that will give me the strength to save them," he said nervously. "I know I'm casting a lot into the wind here, but I don't have much choice."

"But I certainly can't do it alone... That's why I need to stay. I can't spend the time I need to, to convince your people to help me. Still, I need your help all the same," he said, turning to Luna and Celestia. "I need allies."

Celestia and Luna looked at each other sadly. What he was asking for simply wasn't possible. The ponies would never unite behind him after what his people had done. Not without years of goodwill to clear out the bad blood between them.

"I am sorry, Aurus," Celestia said quietly. "But our military won't help you. There's simply too much left to fix for them to march with you."

Aurus smiled to her calmly, as if he had known that all along. "I'm not asking you for soldiers, Celestia. I'm asking you for help."

The two sisters looked at each other again in confusion. "What do you mean?" Luna asked, quirking and eyebrow at him.

"All my life I had heard stories about your people. How the unicorns were powerful mages, capable of great magic. In school, we learned that your nation was ruled by two of the world's most powerful magical creatures; a force to be reckoned with. In the history of all my people's research, they have never come across anything as magically skilled as the two of you," he said plainly. It wasn't flattery or anything of the sort; it was the honest truth.

"The changeling ruler is supposed to be a powerful mage; the most powerful our kind can achieve. But I know next to nothing about magic. And if I hope to free my people, that has to change. What I need from the two of you is to teach me the art of magic," he said, his smirk confident and ready.

All the ponies and Malik gasped at that. None of them had expected that his plan would be so complicated, though few knew how truly difficult what he was asking for would be. Twilight and the sisters alone shared the real shock.

"Aurus, unicorn magic and changeling magic are very different... There's no telling how long it could take to learn!" Twilight said, full of concern. "It may be too late by the time you're ready."

"I have to agree... There's no way to know how many months, or even years it could take," Luna said direly, her face a mask of seriousness. "It will not be easy. Are you sure this is the road you wish to take?"

Aurus nodded. "I have to do anything I can to help them. With my people behind me, there isn't a changeling in all T'rahk Enox that could stop me... If only I knew how to control my power. I could drive Gerd out and save them from his dark plan."

"How long are you willing to wait before you act?" Celestia asked, her face all concern. Her eyes roved his face for answers, but all she could see in his eyes was determination.

"To save my people? As long as it takes."

VIII: Countermeasures

The walls practically cried for all the condensation. Moss grew thick on what little Korrick could see through the grate of their cell door, creeping up the walls. It was a luminescent plant which the guards allowed to grow. It saved them the trouble of having to place torches or use magic, assuming enough of it grew to provide sufficient light.

Normally the dry air of T'rahk Enox was hot and parched the throat by breathing alone. But here in the underground cells of the capital's dungeons, the heavier moist air gathered, the water clinging to the cold stone walls. At first it had been a soothing climate change, but Korrick had quickly found that changelings did not do well in cold, damp places. He spent his nights shivering, for he refused to share any warmth with that witch of a companion.

Still, she was a companion all the same. For weeks they had been talking, growing a careful, paper-thin trust between them. Enough so that Korrick was certain that he would have his answers, and she would not betray her end of the bargain.

And she trusted him enough to know that he would keep his promise of crushing her flat if she failed to uphold her end of the deal.

Friendly enough, considering the circumstances. That grim thought echoed around in his head as he quietly continued counting, silently keeping the measure. As it had been for the three days, the new guards in charge of their stretch of the dungeon came by at the precise second he had come to expect. They probably had no idea they were so punctual, he thought grumblingly. They were creatures of habit, nothing more, and certainly terrible guards.

The precise level of terrible he had been waiting for. The plans were laid carefully, and he and Chrysalis had been prepared to spring a week earlier. But a change in the guards had foiled everything for them, and so they had to wait as Korrick once again attuned himself to their schedule.

Everything had to be in perfect place.

Korrick had everything in line. The door was made of a nasty sort of stone that reflected magic of any sort back into the room. Many a prisoner had injured or killed himself trying to break down the door with a spell too strong for his own good. No amount of force could unhinge that heavy slab of black rock. Even attempts to put a spell through the bars would result in failure, as the magic would simply bounce between them, so tight were the spaces involved. The only opening large enough to effectively use magic through was the meal slot. And it could only be opened from outside.

Coincidentally, it was meal time.

The guards came on slowly from the end of the hall. 'Hurry' simply wasn't a word used in this line of work, as it wasn't likely anyone was going anywhere. Korrick hissed to Chrysalis, getting her attention as the guards wandered along loudly, laughing like idiots at some joke nobody was paying attention to.

She nodded from the back, knowing that her place was to stay far removed from the door. Korrick would have precious little time himself to get clear of it when the moment came.

"Alright you sorry chunks of shell, here's your stinking food," one of the guards growled, lowering his head down to open the slot and push the tray through.

The tray rocketed back into his face, loudly cracking his shell as Korrick put his plan into motion.

It was a simple spell that could be used to do most anything; blow out candles, move small objects. All it did was manipulate the particles in the air, moving them around. But in a confined space like the meal slot, it had a very different effect.

The door did its best to repel the magic, and in its defense the spell didn't exit the far side of the food slot immediately, unlike the meal tray that had crushed the idiot guard's face in. Instead the air pressure built up inside the meal slot as the door tried to funnel the spell back inside the cell. Korrick fought with all of his considerable magical knowledge and skill, more than making up for his lack of energy with precision and control.

It could not best him. Its effect was diminished in such an open space as the meal slot, and so Korrick continued to pump the spell in faster than it could be bailed out. In the end, the door began to bulge outward, until the edges of the meal slot peeled back, the stone bending in on itself like hot iron.

Korrick dove clear, covering his head as physics took their toll. The two peeled pieces of the slot came to face each other perfectly for a few moments, bouncing the spell between them like some shining ball-game of death. Each impact pushed the plates out further, wider and wider until at last the spell exploded out into the hallway.

The air-ball ricocheted wildly off of other cell doors and their own, eventually bouncing off the skull of the remaining, completely flabbergasted guard. It hit him with a dull thumping sound, tossing him a few feet to the side, completely out cold.

It had all taken only a few seconds. And aside from the usual noise of a tray hitting the floor, or metal scraping on metal, it hadn't made a sound. The air ball had been completely silent, doing its work in secrecy.

Korrick worked quickly, wasting no time. The door had no locks. Unless the changeling inside could reach the solitary handle outside with magic, there was no need. Fortunately, Korrick now had little trouble doing so. Funneling his spell accurately through the makeshift tunnel in the meal-slot took a few attempts, but at last he had the door swinging open.

He and Chrysalis rushed out into the hall. Adrenaline more than made up for her lack of good health. She waited as Korrick tossed the guards back into the cell, shutting the door on them. As dim-witted as these two were, it would take them days to get the door back open, even with such a large hole in it. And Korrick highly doubted any of the guards here would come rushing to answer their cries for help. Prisoners cried out all the time.

"We have to go," Chrysalis hissed. "I know a way out two halls down. I used to spend much of my time down here when I ran things," she said with a dark little smile, trotting further down the hallway.

"Why am I not surprised to hear that?" Korrick grumbled, following her quickly.

"Don't sound so disappointed." she chided, turning down an intersection and racing through another. No alarms had sounded yet, and their guards were still knocked out from their head injuries. The odds of them being caught by another patrol were slim to none, but speed was of the essence all the same.

"I suppose I shouldn't, but I have to ask," he said cautiously, gaining ground and running next to her. "Where does this little 'exit' of yours lead?"

"To the sewers. Where else?" she asked with a sly little laugh.

Korrick swallowed his distaste, masking it with logic. At least it was better than trying to escape above ground in the middle of the city. The sewer system was extensive, and at the very least they could make their way above in some secluded corner of the capital. Or perhaps even further, somewhere in the outskirts of town.

The two ran like bats out of hell until they came to a grate in the center of an intersection. Korrick threw it aside, practically pushing Chrysalis in as he heard one of their guards finally crying out back the way they had come. He followed her in quickly, replacing the grate behind them.

Freedom had never smelled so terrible.

"Honestly darling, it's been two weeks now and you still haven't told him?" Rarity asked aghast.

"Well judgin' by the look on yer face when I told ya, I can't imagine it's gonna exactly go over well." Applejack paced around the plush parlor that she was sharing with Rarity during her 'vacation'. She and all the girls were staying at the castle while Aurus trained intensively. Nobody besides Twilight or the princesses had seen him in almost five days now.

To make matters worse, what little she had seen of him had felt uncomfortable and awkward. She couldn't talk to him anymore without feeling guilty, as if somehow she was honor-bound to tell him how she felt. After her first admission to Rarity, she'd had plenty of doubts, had even gone through a period of hoping that it was just a phase and that the feeling in her stomach would stop acting up whenever she looked at him.

It didn't.

"Now I admit I was a little shocked," Rarity replied, her eyes narrowing as she laid the emphasis on 'little'.

"Rarity, ya tipped over," Applejack deadpanned, scowling harshly at her friend.

Rarity flush a light rose color and cleared her throat. "Yes, well, I'll have you know I tip over concerning a lot of things." She turned her nose up as if somehow that point was not only contrary, but in her defense. Applejack just smirked at her for her poorly made point, but Rarity pointedly ignored it.

"What I'm getting at is that you're wasting your time. Those feelings aren't going to go away anytime soon; that's simply not how young love works." Rarity scowled and shook her head, stomping a hoof to add credence to her point. "You should march right up to see him on his next break and tell him!"

Applejack looked away from Rarity, blushing and taking a few very small, subconscious steps backward.

Rarity looked at her hard, stalking across the white marble floor to keep up with her uncomfortable retreat. "You're not scared of him, are you?" she asked slyly.

"Well no... I mean yes... I mean..." Applejack stammered, stepping back and dashing her eyes side to side as Rarity backed her into a tapestry next to the bed. It became clear to her that there was no escape from this line of questioning. "It jus' seems wrong!" she practically shouted in her desperation.

That backed Rarity off a bit, giving AJ some breathing room. Still, the white unicorn wore a smug, knowing sort of look. As if she not only understood what Applejack meant, but had suspected as much all along. "Applejack, it only feels that way because you're not being honest with yourself," she said calmly, trotting back over towards her bed and hopping up on it.

"What d' ya mean?" Applejack followed her with a puzzled expression, still blushing from her embarrassing outburst. She took up a place at the end of the bed as Rarity snuggled into the plush mattress, curling her legs under her and getting comfortable.

"What's keeping you from telling him?" Rarity asked in reply, looking her hard in the eyes.

"Well, he's jus' been so busy, an' it hasn't felt like there's been a decent time t' tell him," she said cautiously. It was true enough, but somehow that reason just felt empty to her.

"That's precisely the kind of thing I'm talking about," Rarity huffed, rolling her eyes. "You keep making excuses like that in your head, instead of tackling the real issues."

Applejack puzzled over that. Her, dishonest with herself? It shocked her to find a ring of truth to that. Rationalizing everything wasn't lying outright, but in the end she was just fooling herself and dodging the real reasons she hadn't told him. She wasn't sure how many of them there might be, or what they even really were.

Rarity could see the struggle going on in her friend's eyes as Applejack gazed right through her. "It's perfectly understandable to be nervous and afraid, but you need to talk this out, I think." Rarity patted the bed next to her with a warm and friendly smile.

After only a moment's consideration, Applejack hopped up on the mattress across from her. It was getting strange talking up at her from the floor anyways. "So how d' ya suppose we go about talkin' this through, then?" she asked skeptically. She wasn't so much of a talker as a doer, unlike her purple-maned friend.

"Well, for starters I'll ask you some questions. And all you have to do is answer them honestly," Rarity said with a mischievous little tweak to her smile.

Applejack would have shuffled uncomfortably, had she not been sinking into the mattress for the last few moments. "Alright, but I don't really see how this is gonna help me talk t' him."

"Well, for starters, why do you like him? And I mean details." Her tone was stern, for she knew well in advance that Applejack would try to dodge the interesting answers when put on the spot like that.

"Well, I... I dunno, really. Ever since I've met him he's been kindhearted an' respectful, an' respect goes a long way fer me. Things like that, right?" Applejack asked, clarifying that she was on the right track. If it was just stuff like that that Rarity was looking for, then Applejack had no qualms telling her.

"More or less," Rarity replied slyly, narrowing her eyes and looking at Applejack out the corners of her eyes, as if she expected she was hiding something. Still, she gave the nod to continue, and so Applejack went on, though she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that this little interrogation was eventually going to get uncomfortably personal.

"Well, let's see... He is perty brave, somethin' ya don't find every day in a fella. I mean, the way he saved my life on the train, it's a stroke of luck bein' that he didn't get hurt himself. An' then layin' his life on the line to catch that assassin like that." She was getting into the swing of things, and her tone was getting fonder, her gaze further away as she took the mental trip Rarity had been hoping for; to the deeper part of herself, where her true thoughts and feelings for Aurus were hiding out.

"He's got a way with words, too; somethin' I've never been much good at myself. He's open an' honest, an' he speaks his mind." Applejack sat up a little straighter, her hind end on the bed with her forelegs propping her front end up. She put a hoof to her chin in thought, narrowing her eyes as she delved for more.

She blushed suddenly as she stumbled upon something she wasn't sure she was comfortable admitting to. Rarity had been waiting for exactly that, and had to hide her smile as Applejack stammered to get it out. She knew that if she just let it slip by, Rarity would harass her for that particular detail.

"An'... h-he's mighty strong." She kneaded her front hooves back and forth on the comforter, looking directly at them and not at Rarity as her blush deepened. "There's jus' somethin' enticin' about a fella that can... Well, ya know," she finished lamely, flopping down suddenly and burying her face in the blanket.

"Something about a gentlecolt that can literally sweep you off your hooves? Believe me darling, I know all about that," Rarity said soothingly, doing her best to alleviate Applejack's embarrassment. "It sounds to me like you have a thing for the heroic type. And Aurus certainly fits that description, after everything he's done to get this far. Now then, get your eyes back up here," she said, adding a little mock-sternness to her tone. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Applejack sighed, the little rush of air almost completely muffled as she tried to alleviate the burning in her cheeks. When she had recovered a mote of control, she finally sat back up, though she was still blushing badly, and had trouble meeting Rarity's eyes for very long. After a short pause she cleared her throat and finally spoke up. "Yeah, that... I know it sounds mighty unlike me, but it's nice t' think maybe he's a fella I could lean on. It ain't easy bein' the strong one all the time. An' I meant more than jus' pushin' and pullin'... Anypony else would've given up on this mission of his after what he's been through."

Another pause followed, where Rarity waited patiently, nodding and smiling to show she understood. With no verbal feedback forthcoming, Applejack finished on a lame note. "I don't rightly know what else there is t' say."

Rarity just laughed, but not mockingly. "To be fair, that's much more than I expected. But now I'm going to have to tweak the question a little... What is it you like about him physically?" she asked, her tone teasing. She watched with satisfaction as Applejack lit up like a lamp, shooting up straight.

"Do I really have t' answer this?" she grumbled, looking at Rarity out the top of her eyes, like a puppy that had been scolded.

"Yes. Now come on, this is just a friendly talk. It's not like I'm going to run around telling these things to everypony," she said with a comforting, encouraging smile.

"Pinkie Promise?" Applejack insisted after a slight pause. It was the only way to be sure.

"Well of course. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Rarity said, going through all of the comical actions associated with the little rhyme Pinkie had invented. It had the desired effect, bringing a cautious smile to Applejack's lips.

"Well alright then... T' be honest the first thing that comes t' mind is his eyes. They're downright beautiful; like the green on an apple leaf. I know yer s'posed to look a fella in the eye when you talk to him, but when it's him I can't hardly look away sometimes," she said sheepishly, pawing at the blankets again.

For a first-timer, Applejack was doing surprisingly well, or so Rarity thought. "Believe me, I know all about those eyes of his," she said, gushing over them in a friendly, supportive sort of way. "I'd have trouble looking away from them myself, if he wasn't always so busy looking at you."

Applejack seemed to collect a mixture of discomfort and confidence from that remark; a contrary but all too common pair of feelings in romance. "Then there's those fangs of his... I know most folk find 'em frightenin', but I jus' don't see em that way. I feel like they make his smile more natural; like if they weren't there, he'd jus' look funny," she said with a nervous laugh. Rarity returned it, both out of sincere amusement and support.

"Do you like him better when he's in disguise?" Rarity asked with a wink. It was no secret that his go-to disguise since their arrival was incredibly attractive.

Applejack blushed deeper, but her response was earnest and unwavering. "No, I don't. I don't think it's right, him havin' t' hide himself like that. He's more attractive without all that masqueradin'." Applejack's scowl as she finished only proved that she meant it. "I like him jus' fine the way he is."

Rarity did her best to hide her surprise at that little outburst behind one final, conniving grin. "Well, one last question then I suppose."

Applejack just nodded, the sincere and forthright moment a second ago helping her to regain her confidence in this little interrogation.

"What made you say 'it just seems wrong'? After everything you've told me, what makes him so bad? I've heard only good things from you, and I can't find a single thing wrong with it myself."

Applejack sighed, looking puzzled. "I don't know, Rarity... When I said that, I didn't know half the things I know right now. Shoot, I didn't know 'em until they left my lips," she said with a nervous chuckle. "But I think I understand now... What made it wrong wasn't him, it was me. I was bein' as skittish as a fox-feared chicken because I was confused." Applejack looked ashamed, hanging her head and sighing before bringing her eyes back up.

"But I've got it figured now, thanks t' yer help. If ya hadn't gone askin' all ya did, I never would have got my head straight," she said, smiling warmly and leaning forward to hug Rarity. The two came together in a sisterly embrace, smiling like everything was finally right in the world.

"What are friends for?" Rarity asked with a warm laugh, finally breaking off the hug. "Now then, after all that, what's really keeping you from telling him how you feel?" Rarity coaxed, smiling knowingly as Applejack just shook her head, hopping off the bed. She made her way to the door, determination in her step, obviously intending to go looking for him right then and there, before she lost her nerve.

Looking over her shoulder, Applejack just tipped her hat lower and grinned out from underneath it. "What's really keepin' me? T' be honest, I reckon it's nothin'."

"Well, I guess it could be worse," Twilight said, her smile clearly forced as she looked at the poorly tied knot that Aurus had been working on. It was no kind of recognizable pattern at all, just a jumble of string.

"Like hell it could," he muttered under his breath in changeling. He sighed to himself though, letting the failure go. These first few weeks were going to be much like this, he knew, and patience would serve him well and speed his progress in the long run.

The princesses and Twilight had spent the last two weeks studying his abilities intensively, putting him through a series of basic tests. The most obvious flaw in his use of magic was his lack of control. He could almost always accomplish the desired purpose of a spell, as long as it didn't require much precision. Objectives like threading a needle using magic alone, or opening a door from the opposite side eluded him; simple tasks that any unicorn Twilight's age could do with little trouble. These spells more often resulted in the thread bursting into green flame, or the door being blown off its hinges.

The only other incredibly obvious point they had garnered from the tests was that where raw spell power was concerned Aurus had much to spare. Their gauging of his magical strength had been simple enough. All he had to do was toss a small rock as high as he could, straight up. Based on the time it took to come back down, Twilight could figure out how far it had flown, and then calculate how much spell power Aurus really had pent up in his kingly body. It was a test unicorns went through each year of their magical education, to gauge their growth.

In Aurus' case the rock had never really come back down; the stone had leapt off the ground with such speed behind it that it had caught fire and burned up from air resistance after only a few hundred feet.

After recovering from her shock, Twilight had spent a few days trying to figure out how fast the rock had been going. She had eventually settled on a number, but the conversion was astronomical. Apparently Aurus was capable of flinging the rock nearly ten times the distance of her own most recent attempt, assuming it didn't burn up immediately after launch.

Needless to say the princesses had opted to ignore such trivial things as magical endurance training, or any similar methods of increasing his already obscene level of magical force.

But it was precisely this raw power that doomed him in terms of precision. All his life he had spent only what magic was necessary, lifting grocery bags or opening doors, which wasn't exactly conducive to his experience level. His magical releases at the coronation had been monumental, requiring less precision and more purpose, affecting a wide area. According to Twilight, either he was used to spending hardly any magic at all, or a great deal of it all at once.

Performing a task such as threading a needle required a different approach; the task was, in fact, much more magically intensive than lifting a grocery bag. On top of having to use his magic to lift the thread, he would have to guide one end very carefully. This required numerous magical pushes and pulls, which confused Aurus' habitual understanding of magic. You only pushed a door one way, after all.

Still, the first two weeks had gone better than expected. A few day-long training sessions with Twilight had him threading the needle. He still struggled with tasks like this knot tying experiment though, where he was forced to guide both ends of the string simultaneously.

By the time he had finished reflecting on his progress, Twilight had finally undone his ball of string into a straight line again. "Alright, let's start over from the top again. Just do a simple knot. I think you still need practice on that before you try the bow thing again," she said with a warm, supportive chuckle.

Aurus just smiled in defeat. "Yes ma'am. You know, it's odd to think that this is considered magical training," he said, screwing up his face as he held the string up in front of him. He turned his head this way and that as he fiddled with it, as if somehow that would affect the flight paths of the string's ends. It was comical to say the least, and after much lip chewing and head jerking, he had finally tied a single square knot.

"Well, two days ago you couldn't have done it," Twilight replied with a smile, pulling the string from him and inspecting the work. "I have no doubt you could do this in your sleep if we asked you to tie a steel bar, but what you need to learn is control. The small things in magic are infinitely more important than brute strength." She nodded, satisfied with his handiwork, untying it quickly and passing it back to him.

"I know, I know... Ever since I started working with smaller things like this, it's changed the way I do everything else," he said with a laugh, taking the string and scowling at it as he put it through another circuit of knot making. "I mean, when I used to open a door I would just turn the handle and then push the whole thing. When I was younger, my father used to yell at me for bending the hinges." He chuckled to himself as he finished his second knot, much faster than the previous one.

"But lately I keep thinking of more efficient ways to do even the simplest things. Instead of pushing the whole door, I push just a small part of it, like the handle. It does exactly the same thing, but it requires so much less energy... Not that I don't have it to spare, but it's just embarrassing. I don't like to think I'm a stupid changeling, most days, but I've been using magic wrong my entire life," he said with a sigh that was caught somewhere between regretful and letting it go. He passed the new knot back to Twilight, but she didn't take it. She just untied it without ever looking at it, too absorbed in the conversation.

"That's exactly what I mean. Imagine what you could do with all that energy if you had finesse. To be honest, after what I saw the first week you've improved by leaps and bounds already. I was worried I'd have my hooves full, teaching you," she said with a friendly laugh.

Aurus tied another knot, again faster than before. He wasn't looking at it this time though, but closed his eyes and shared her laugh. Only days prior he couldn't even move the end of the string around unless he was completely undisturbed. But here he was, talking and tying knots at the same time. Twilight knew that the key to any good instruction was to give and take; to criticize and encourage in equal parts. A good student would become cocky if all he received was praise, and downtrodden if scolded. A careful mix was vital.

Aurus responded well to both, but lately Twilight had trouble finding things to critique him on. Most of it was just down to repetition; he understood the laws of magic inside and out now, could recite them on cue any time she asked him. He knew the spells he needed to use, at least for these simple tasks. His knowledge was far from complete, but for the tasks at hoof the best she could do was hold his work to higher and higher standards. She was proud to see him progressing so well, especially on days where he had failed repeatedly. He would simply keep at it until he finally succeeded, refusing breaks and pressing on.

"Ready to try the bow again?" she asked, letting him untie his own string this time.

He just nodded, doing his best to look determined, though in the pit of his stomach he was nervous to fail at such a childish task again. Still, when it came to his mission and his people, his pride was of little consequence. He took a deep breath, letting his worries go and focusing on the string. He worked for a few moments, messing up the second loop twice in a row before finally getting it to stay put. He almost had the bow once, lopsided as it was, but he pulled too hard on one loop, unraveling the whole thing.

Scowling and snorting out a quick puff of frustration, he put the string through the works again. He was more careful as he pulled this time, tightening the knot at the bow's center without pulling an end of the string all the way through. At last he had a bow, though one loop was much larger than the other, and the knot was clearly not centered. Still, he smiled as he presented it to Twilight, as if he had done the unimaginable and deserved a medal for it.

Twilight had seen that fake-smug look enough times in the recent weeks to not think he was actually being prideful. She just looked over the bow with an overly critical eye like she always did, ignoring his false bravado. "Not bad for a first try, but I don't think it would hold up very well," she said with a laugh, untying it in one deft pull and passing it back to him. "I think you can do better."

Aurus just sighed, having expected that reaction; he'd been receiving it for days. "As usual, I suppose I'll just have to try. There's no pleasing you, I hope you know that," he grumbled, scowling at her before going back to his work. It took about the same number of attempts, but he finally made a second one. And again, and again, each bow coming closer and closer to symmetry.

Finally Twilight seemed pleased. Aurus didn't exhibit any signs of magical fatigue; near as she could tell he never had, and never would. Still, unless she gave him breaks now and then, he'd never really master the material. Having him do the same thing over and over non-stop only gave the appearance of progress. The true test was to get him to do it after he'd spent a while not working on it.

"Well, I suppose this will just have to do," she said with mock disappointment. "Anyways, what do you say we break for lunch?"

Aurus just nodded, doing his best not to laugh at her obvious drama. "Sounds like a plan. I'll make you the best bow you've ever seen once I have a full stomach," he said, patting his underside for illustration.

The two shared a laugh and a friendly nod. The terms of lunch breaks had already been argued over once before, and they both knew the drill; back to the library in an hour. Twilight took off to go have her usual training talk with the ever-busy princess Celestia. Aurus just let himself calm down from his training angst, pacing around the same dimly-lit library room they had convened in not long ago as his nerves settled.

The princesses would be taking his training into their own hooves once he was ready for more advanced studies in magic. That could be weeks away, he knew. And even months after that he wasn't sure he would be capable of retaking his nation. There was much to learn, much he felt he had to know before he could feel ready. And even at the rate he was progressing, the numbers weren't flattering.

Still, he kept on day to day by telling himself the same thing; he wasn't letting them down. He was here, in the capital of what were once his enemies. Here, preparing the freedom of his people from a new tyrant. He couldn't come for them now, but someday he would be back. He wasn't abandoning them, but ensuring that he would be the hope they could depend on when at last he returned.

That revelation kept him awake at night lately. So much rested on his shoulders; a humble changeling boy who had never even considered his career. Had never applied himself to his magical studies. He was a prime example of what most changelings would consider mediocrity, and yet they loved him dearly. Desired his success, found purpose in his ideals.

Perhaps it was simply true that the masses were stupid, but Aurus didn't want to believe that. His one true strength in life was his strength of character; his determination and resolve. He had his standards and his ideals, and he would never abandon them, no matter the effort or the cost. Korrick had once told him that that alone made him a strong leader. The fact that he wanted to share those dreams with his people and watch them benefit from it made him more than a strong leader, though. It made him a righteous one.

The glory wasn't important. They needed him, all of them. He had lead the charge into an era of peace, with all the nation behind him. But a spear without its head was useless, and so if he faltered, they all would too.

He sighed, shaking his head and driving himself away from any further thought on the matter. It was just going to consume him again in the later hours, so why dwell on it twice in one day? A grumble from somewhere below him helped to further clear his head, driving any solid thoughts out with a wave of hunger. Chuckling forlornly to himself, he patted his stomach consolingly before making his way out into the hall.

Rounding the corner, he nearly floored Applejack, who was walking at an unnaturally quick pace. The two of them collided hard, Aurus' unstoppable frame not budging an inch despite the solid hit and the fact that she was moving much faster than he was.

As she bounced off of him, heading fast for the stone tile of the library hall floor, Aurus subconsciously caught her with magic. Prior to his intensive training sessions, that catch would have been rough and uncomfortable, more like a push from below to counter the fall. Now it was more fluid, slowing her drop before gently pulling her back to her hooves. He did it almost without meaning to, setting her back under her own power on the stone.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned. A quick look over made it clear enough to him that the bump hadn't done any damage, but had startled her badly. "I'm really sorry about that, I should have heard you coming," he said in apology, dipping his head.

"Shoot, that ain't nothin' compared t' some of the falls I've taken," she replied with a nervous laugh. Aurus could feel that strange feeling coming from her again. The one that filled him top to bottom with warmth, that he had no name for. Whatever it was, he hadn't felt it in days, not since the last time he had seen her. And it was significantly stronger now, flooding him instead of trickling in. "Thanks fer catchin' me, Aurus," she added suddenly, blushing slightly and moving as if she were going to look away from him. She didn't though, but kept up her eye contact.

"Not a problem," he said back, doing his best to smile despite his confusion. "Is something wrong? You look like you're running a fever or something," he said with some concern, though he tried to laugh it off like it was a joke.

Applejack's blush only deepened. "No, no problem... Jus'... Aurus, can we talk?" she asked, pawing the floor gently with her right hoof and lowering her head a bit to try and hide her blush. In the end it just gave her the appearance of being worried, as if she expected him to tell her that talking wasn't an option.

Aurus just looked up and down the hall, double checking that it was empty. Whatever it was she needed to say, she wouldn't be acting like this if it wasn't a private matter. Satisfied that they were alone, he smiled at her sincerely. "We're talking now, aren't we? Besides, what did I tell you before? You can talk to me about anything, Applejack," he said warmly.

That seemed to help her regain some of her composure, and she cleared her throat. "It's been a bit since we last got t' talkin'. I reckon you probably felt that it wasn't quite on the level?" she asked.

Aurus just nodded, recalling those conversations. She had seemed a little off, despite his best efforts to make the conversations natural and friendly. "Yeah, you're right about that. Ever since we captured Malik you've been acting different... Not bad, just not yourself," he clarified as she shuffled at his comment. He wanted to try and explain the weird feeling he was getting from her, but he didn't know how to put it into words. Besides that, ponies didn't experience things the same way as changelings, and it always just got jumbled in translation, so he kept quiet about it.

"Is it something I did?" he asked quietly, sounding concerned. "It's the Malik thing, isn't it?"

She sighed, that single breath coming out shaky. "No, it ain't that. I think ya handled him right fine, and I'm glad it all turned out. It's..." she paused, blushing badly and shifting from hoof to hoof. She broke eye contact with him, as if somehow looking at him just wouldn't let the words come.

"Aurus, I know this is gonna sound mighty strange... But I have feelins' for ya. I can't sit face to face with ya without thinkin' of yerself an' me!" she said loudly and quickly, as if those words were pent up to the breaking point and had to come out in an explosion. She calmed down a bit, at least in tone, as she continued. "You're one heck of a fella, and there ain't a thing I don't like about ya. There's been a couple nights I don't sleep right cuz my mind's running circles 'round itself over this. I'm sorry to spring it on ya like this, but if I don't say it, it jus' ain't fair to ya." She was still looking away from him, down at her hooves and glowing at the cheeks like a fireplace. Her eyes were clamped shut, like she expected to look up any moment and see him glaring at her, like a child admitting she had broken something.

Aurus was shocked. So that's what it was! That feeling coming from her, the one he had never felt before; it was love. Love in its infant form; nothing like the love of family or the people. Love before it even went by that name, pure and noble, even in its incompletion. It stormed his body like a castle under siege, breaking into his heart with such purpose that he was powerless to stop it.

He never would have tried. Nobody had ever given him this feeling. Nobody had ever needed him this way. He had never had eyes for any girl; they had always been selfish and sly, after something he didn't understand in a male. Applejack was the first female he had ever met that didn't set him on edge. That he actually liked being around. She was honest, kind, pure, and concerned about him.

He had been too busy to see her nervousness for what it was. To see her the way he did now. She wasn't just a friend, and those feelings she had weren't just one way. Everything he reflected on about her just solidified it in his own heart, each fond memory of his short span of existence in her life bringing him closer to the undeniable truth. There were feelings in his heart for her, too.

He smiled as he came to realize that. Those feelings were young; new to his mind, though familiar to his heart. But they were real, and like his talent for magic they just needed to be honed. They needed the chance to be seen and understood. To be acted upon. He had always heard that young love was like a hair-trigger trap; you had no idea you were in it until it had sprung.

His smile widened as that analogy sounded all to clearly in his head. He picked her chin up with a hoof, as he had done weeks before. His touch was gentle and careful, bringing her eyes up to his. She opened them slowly, looking away at first, but finally meeting his gaze. His smile never faltered, stayed warm and comforting all the way through it.

"Applejack, you're not alone. You don't have to be afraid to like me... I feel the same way," he said quietly, words meant just for her. "I've never met a girl like you, and never been with anyone before. But I couldn't imagine this happening with anyone else. It just feels right to me," he said comfortingly. The distance between them seemed to close of its own accord, as if space itself felt the need to clear out before something terrible and mushy happened to it.

They paused a comfortable span apart, neither of them realizing they had drawn closer at all. They were both too consumed searching for sincerity and acceptance in the eyes of the other. It was crazy and sudden, felt stupid and rushed, but neither of them cared. They both wanted this chance, to explore this possibility.

Applejack's blush went from burning and embarrassed to warm and happy as she heard the reply she never would have dreamed of. She'd come here to tell him expecting rejection, not reciprocation. She didn't have the words to reply to him; fancy speaking was more his department anyways.

He didn't let her down. The moment passed quietly between them, and at last AJ pulled away gently as he lowered his hoof. His smile never wavered, his eyes didn't deviate from hers. "What do you say we grab lunch?" he asked with a small laugh, taking a short step closer to her. "Just you and me."

She took the cue, stepping forward and falling into a gentle embrace; one as full of gratitude and relief as it was with budding love. She liked the closeness, the idea that she could just have it; had been invited to it.

"That sounds perfect," she replied quietly. She stayed that way a short while, neck to neck with him as she closed her eyes.

Down the hall and around the corner, Rarity smiled to herself as the pair made their way in the opposite direction, heading for the staircase and then into town on their impromptu date.

"That's my girl."

X: Dark Designs and Bright Futures

Korrick stumbled through the dense forest, Chrysalis following by a significant margin. Coming to the east had been a wise move, separating them further from any pursuit. Personally he doubted any would be forthcoming; their lead was simply too great, and the direction they had decided to go was too perilous a trail for the council to trek.

Besides that, they were too busy being tyrannical.

"Slow... down..." came a huffing call from behind him. He turned to watch Chrysalis tripping over a high-grown root, and had to work hard to conceal his smirk. Despite all they had been through together in the last weeks, he still detested her. There was no redemption in his heart where she was concerned. Still, he needed her, and she needed him. More of the latter, really; he already had his answers, knew the name of the rat behind the 'coup. She had held up her end of the bargain.

Gerd would suffer terribly for this.

"Perhaps you should speed up instead?" he called back gruffly. "Somewhat sad really, to find that you can't keep pace with an old codger like me."

"Oh shut it," she grumbled, pulling herself back to her hooves. "I wouldn't be keeping pace with you at all if I didn't have to. If I had my way, I'd have ditched you long ago. But that wouldn't exactly be conducive to my health." She stumbled again, falling head first into some hanging, damp moss that was growing off of one of the many gnarled trees. "Not that this is much better for me!" she hissed, spitting out little fronds of the green stuff.

Korrick chuckled to himself. "It's your own damned fault. Why are you following me anyways?"

"Why do you think?" she muttered, trudging up beside him at long last. "I wouldn't likely last more than a few days in the desert in my condition, and I can't exactly stay at an inn." She poked him hard in the shoulder, looking at him with a haughty expression. "And it's not like you have the guts to get rid of me, for some reason beyond my fathoming. You must be getting soft in your old age." She plodded past him, continuing in the direction they had been heading.

Korrick only laughed. She was partly right; he didn't have the drive to kill her in cold blood. The threat of death had been more to ensure her cooperation than anything. He'd gotten what he wanted, so he could think of no reason to end her life. What he really wanted her to do was suffer for her transgressions and life of disgusting selfishness. Near as he could tell, the dead didn't atone or suffer for anything.

"Besides," she continued, "my odds are much better appealing to this stupid young king than to the council. Gerd Gallock is a carbon copy of his malicious ancestors, so I'll steer clear of him. If what I've heard of Aurus is true, I’d fare more favorably siding with him, at least until the war starts up," she finished smugly, as if she had quite a few other plans in place for that time period. She watched each of her hoofsteps more carefully now after the humiliating moss fiasco.

"What do you mean, 'side with him'?" Korrick asked. There was a distinct possibility that Aurus was dead. She herself had said that assassins were sent for him, and that did not bode well. Korrick was only heading east to find news of his king's fate, nothing more. Likely the ponies would turn him away, but he had to try. "I thought you said assassins had been dispatched?"

"'Dispatched' might be the right word, but you're using it wrong," she chuckled, her tone dark and full of purring maliciousness. "You've never been a king or queen, so you wouldn't understand. The people love him so much more than they ever loved me, but even so a band of assassins wouldn't have fared well against me in my day. What makes you think they had what it took to slay him? More likely it happened the other way around," she smiled wickedly at the thought of murder. "Oh, I do so hope that's the case. It will make him so much more likable then."

"Aurus is no murderer," Korrick insisted sternly. Insults against his king and friend were not well received. But he couldn't deny her logic, or his relief. So it was likely, then, that Aurus still lived. This was good news. "He's certainly a clever one. Perhaps he has managed to evade them all this time..."

"Evading assassins... no small feat," she grumbled, begrudgingly giving that accomplishment its due praise. "If he's not a murderer, at least he's good at something. Just because he's a little wrong in the head doesn't make him stupid. Maybe when he's older he'll abandon all this nonsense about peace."

"I highly doubt that. He's pure through to the bone; corruption won't lay a hoof on him in all his days," Korrick said with proud confidence. "Nothing like you, to be certain."

"Little concern of mine," she spat. "I've no intention of returning home for long. Once I've bargained for my safety with him, I intend to disappear."

Korrick looked around the dense forest of Everfree and thought perhaps this would be a fitting place for a monster like her to live in secret.

"Now then, how much further?" she huffed, her breathing still heavy from the full day of walking in her weakened state. It had been slow going for many days, covering half the ground he could have on his own per hour. At this rate, assuming his memories of the maps were correct, they still had a ways to go.

"Another four or five days, perhaps. Rest whenever you like; I'm in no hurry to walk into a pony city, but eventually we will have to." He looked around for a decent clearing to set camp in. The sun was getting dimmer and dimmer through the canopy overhead, and Everfree was not a gentle place in the dark.

"Tch. You're in no hurry to enter the city?" she grumbled snidely, following him as he spotted a place to rest for the evening.

Korrick just chuckled to himself as he set about using his magic to construct yet another shelter for him and his parasite.

"Don't worry; if anyone would welcome your sorry hide warmly, it's him."

"Stay here, and keep quiet," Korrick muttered gruffly, stumbling his way out of the thick, low foliage ringing the edge of Everfree. The road leading up the hill obviously went somewhere, likely to some pony settlement. He and Chrysalis had spent the last evening in the very shelter Aurus had constructed for his unwelcome travels into Equestria; in the ruins of the old castle. He knew that his king had come this way, down this very road.

He would follow diligently in his hoofsteps.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she huffed angrily, though her voice contained a note of fear. Her experiences with the ponies hadn't left her on the best of terms with them, and they had overpowered her in a state of love-infused magical might. Now, weakened terribly, she wasn't sure what the sly, underhooved equines might do to her.

Satisfied that she would cause no trouble, he began his way down the road. He was too old and tired to let the possible chaos ahead weigh him down. His family was on its own without him now, and he was alone and old out here. If the search for his king claimed him, he was ready. Somebody had to find Aurus and warn him of the dangers of returning home. His king was cut off from contact in this war-zone of diplomacy, and had no idea of the daggers coming in at his back.

Whatever the cost to himself, he had to walk this road and help his lord.

The town came into sight quickly, barely a mile from the fringe of Everfree. Like Aurus before him, Korrick knew the wisdom of walking while in his undisguised form. His performance was identical to that of his king’s only four weeks prior.

He braced himself as he crossed into the town, looking about carefully to secure his escapes if necessary. He waited to be noticed, as Aurus had, but this time it did not take long.

A young pony girl spotted him. Her eyes went wide from what he thought was fear, but in reality it was a happy curiosity, something all too common even in changeling young ones.

"Hey, Mr. Changeling!" she called out, waving a hoof at him and smiling.

Korrick almost fell flat on his face, he had stopped so fast. His jaw was completely slack as he stared in total, dumbfounded shock at the young girl in front of him. Where was the fear? The screaming that he expected, the chaos of a changeling in their midst?

She trotted up to him, still smiling. She was a cute little thing, or so he thought. Those huge, luminous light-green eyes seemed almost too big for her face, framed by her light purple and pink hair. Her white coat was a stark contrast to the grey shells of changeling young, but not in a distasteful way. She continued to look at him with nothing but curiosity.

Korrick looked around, confused. Surely others had noticed him by now? A few were looking his way, but they were just smiling pleasantly as the young girl carried out a perfectly mundane conversation with him. Every other pony seemed like he was just another body in the room, continuing their business in the market square or their own conversations.

It was as if he were a normal sight.

"Mister, do you know Aurus?" she asked, pausing in front of him and cocking her head.

That name snapped him back to reality. Of course, that explained everything! Aurus had already come this way; but to think that his arrival in this town could have had such an impact on a pony community... It was almost unreal. It was far greater than anything he could have expected. While he certainly didn't feel the love every changeling felt when in the company of another, of that simple social unity, he also could not feel fear or hate.

They were comfortably neutral towards him, and that was well beyond his hopes for Aurus' quest, especially so soon after Chrysalis' wanton warmongering.

"Yes, child. I'm a friend of his," he said, bowing his head and smiling at her, his old green eyes full of pure elation. This was a dream, his people's dream, come true. This one conversation was everything to him right now. "I am called Korrick. Tell me, do you know Aurus? Perhaps you have only heard of him?"

"Hi, I'm Sweetie Belle!" she chimed happily, extending a hoof to him instead of bowing her head. Apparently greetings went differently here. Korrick stuck his out as well and they shook. "Um, I kind of know him. He's friends with my sister, but they went to Canterlot before I got to spend very much time with him. Something about talking to the princess," she huffed, as if she had just been getting to know Aurus and had him yanked away.

"But he was really nice! He was helping ponies all over town while he was here, and always talking about how changelings weren't so bad. Everypony else didn't seem to mind him, but they were pretty scared of him when first he showed up," she said with a sheepish smile.

Korrick just laughed, smiling down at her. "That sounds about like him." He did his best to keep his smile steady as he considered her words. Aurus, in Canterlot. If this little town was any indication, perhaps things there were not going so badly as his imagination would have him believe.

Regardless, it was good to know Aurus had survived long enough to reach the city. The assassins had not caught him here in this secluded village, and their work would only have been made more difficult inside the capital.

"I'm sorry miss Sweetie Belle, but do you think there's any way I might be able to reach him? Maybe some way to get a hold of your sister when she travels?" he asked pleasantly. Going to Canterlot himself might push the limits of this new trust Aurus had created. Likely his visit here had been more profound; his impact would be greater in such a small, tight-knit community. His best bet would be to let his king know that he was alive and searching for him.

"Sure!" she squeaked, hopping a few inches in the air. "I can take you to see Spike. He's the one who sends the letters to the princess," she said with a smile. She turned and started down the street, more towards the center of town. Korrick continued to receive curious looks, but he could still feel nothing negative.

As he followed this young, fearless pony child, he knew that his king had been the right choice all along. He muttered to himself through a pleasant smile as he walked along.

"Well done, my friend... Well done."

Applejack ducked a burst of green flame with practiced ease. "Bless ya," she chimed cheerfully, smiling at her patient despite his literally violent sneeze.

"I'm so sorry Applejack," Aurus replied stuffily, rubbing his nose with a hoof as he scrunched up his face.

"Ah shoot, that ain't nothin'." She simply smiled at him as she recalled the last few days of his bed rest. The fire sneezes had been a surprise to be sure, but it was nothing compared to the time he had turned the potted plant in the corner into some kind of vine monster. Or the time that the ceiling light had exploded, raining glass everywhere. Harmless for the most part, though Twilight had had to kill the plant after that particular little fiasco.

"After ya learn to dodge 'em, ya just need t' know they're comin'," she chuckled, waving her tail around. The tip was still singed from a few days ago when she had first discovered his pyroclasmic sneezing.

Aurus shared a laugh with her, though he felt awful about it. Her tail had been so beautiful too. Rarity had offered to trim it up and at the very least remove the blackened bit, but Applejack hadn't taken a single break in caring for Aurus, not even for small things like that.

Things were much better now, though the magic was still churning uncomfortably, and he was having trouble resting. Twilight had refused to let him train until he was sleeping better, claiming exhaustion would only make it more difficult to rein in the excess energy.

Aurus wasn't going to complain. Over the last few days he had never felt weaker in his life. He honestly didn't mind getting a little vacation time, especially since his fever had broken. He was allowed to be up and moving around, but Applejack wasn't giving up on keeping him company and helping him with everything she could. She still watched over him when he slept, which worried him. He appreciated the concern, but it was beginning to show; she was getting more and more tired every day.

Twilight had pulled him aside and mentioned that something similar had happened before. Apparently Applejack was prone to trying to do everything on her own, even if it meant sacrificing all of her time; including time for sleep. Aurus had brought it up before, but every time he mentioned anything along those lines she just changed the subject.

It was worse now, though. Her eyes looked darker and her smile seemed smaller. She was running herself ragged over him, even after he had recovered considerably. This time, he needed to make her see the truth of the matter.

"Applejack... I know I've said it before, but it's really starting to worry me. You look completely exhausted. Maybe you should get some sleep. Believe me, I'll be fine for a few hours while you rest up," he said with a pleasant smile, but it twitched with worry at the edges.

She sighed. "This ain't about me, Aurus. Ya've got a job t' do an' yer people need ya in top shape. An' after everything ya've done fer me, it's my job t' make sure you heal up quick. I can't take my eyes off of ya fer even a minute. Heck, if I do you'll sneeze the place t' ashes," she said, laughing nervously at the end, as if trying to relieve the tension like she had done in the past.

Aurus was just as stubborn as she was, and this time that wasn't going to work. "Applejack, this isn't funny," he said worriedly. "I know you're trying to look out for me, and I know my people need me. But I need you to be in top shape, too. You're running yourself into the ground." His eyes were full to the top with concern, his smile completely gone and replaced with a worried frown.

"Look," she began, a note of frustration in her tone, "ya've done yer part t' keep me safe, an' I wanna do mine. Why can't ya see that?" She scowled at him angrily.

"You're going to collapse at this rate," he said pleadingly, just trying to convince her to listen to reason.

"I don't care!" she snapped, stomping her hoof. "Whether ya like it or not, I'm stayin'. I thought this would make ya happy, but I reckon I was wrong." Her exhaustion was doing funny things to her emotions, he knew, but those words stung all the same; being accused of taking her help for granted, or worse yet throwing it away, burned him.

"Applejack, you're talking from exhaustion... I'm not turning you away, you just need some rest," he tried to put in, but she just scowled harder.

"Ugh! Ya jus' don't understand it, Aurus!" she growled, turning away from him. "I said it once, an' I'll say it until yer better; I ain't leavin', and ya can't make me."

That challenging tone frustrated him. "Why are you being so stubborn and angry with me?" he asked roughly, scowling at her now. "I'm just trying to look out for you. Like I've been doing since I met you. Apparently you forgot that." His tone was harsh due to his frustration with her, and he regretted those words the moment he said them.

The damage was already done though. "Ya reckon I forgot?" she shouted, whirling on him. The two shot each other death glares while she huffed heavily out her nose. "Ya saved my life twice and ya're figurin' I jus' forget all about that? Why in tarnation do ya think I owe it to ya? Of course I remember, ya durned idiot!" She growled in frustration at the end of it.

That insult wasn't exactly doing wonders for Aurus' level of calm. "You're the one who's acting stupid!" he shot back, clenching his teeth. They were both all-in on this fight now, and there wasn't any room for regret, just honest anger over stupid words. "Look at me! Aside from sneezing and waking up in the middle of the night, I'm fine! Have you even looked in a mirror lately?" he asked harshly. "You probably can't even see straight you're so tired. You're the one who needs help, not me."

Applejack just stomped her hoof loudly again, forcing him quiet. "Grah! I can't take no more of this!" she shouted at him, her eyes full of tears. "Ya don't have t' make excuses. If ya don't want me around, then jus' say so!"

Aurus stomped in return, his face a mask of righteous anger, fueled by the flames of worry. "All I've ever done for you is care about you, and I'm not about to stop now!" he roared at her. "If you're just going to stand there and yell at me for loving you, then fine! Go! Hell, if it means you'll get some sleep I'll tell you anything you want to hear! Even if it's a lie," he said, his voice fading to a hushed, angry whisper as his shouting momentum faded out.

She just stood there, shaking slightly, and looking at him with eyes wide from shock. He had yelled at her; had shouted in her face. She'd never seen him mad like that. Her own tired and angry brain couldn't register the concern and worry behind that outburst; all she knew was that it stung. Her own anger and hurt finally brought her out of the trance and back to reality.

"That's the difference between yerself an' me," she said sadly, turning away from him with tears in her eyes. She headed for the open door, fighting somewhere between heartbroken and angry. "I don't lie fer nopony... Not even ya'll."

She stepped out into the hallway, slamming the door hard behind her with a forceful kick. The loud noise deadened Aurus' heavy, shaky sigh. He could feel her anger and hurt clearly through the wall, and it didn't make him happy. The love was still there, but it came and went as her heart wrestled exhaustion and confusion. He still loved her deeply, but her parting words stung him.

"I don't lie for nopony... Not even ya'll."

It was true. They were different like that. Every pair had their strengths and faults, similarities and differences. Aurus would do anything to make sure she was safe and well. Anything at all. Would she? Was she prepared to give up something like her morals for him?

He hoped not. He loved that part about her, but the realization that they were so vastly different in the ways they loved one another worried him.

Sounds from outside the hallway, down the direction Applejack had gone, drew his attention. He couldn't make out words, but he knew that Rarity had run across her orange friend. He could hear Applejack snap at her before presumably running off. A darker part of him took solace in the fact that she was angry enough to take it out on anyone, and not just him.

Soon enough the purple-maned unicorn walked in. She didn't say anything, just shut the door quietly behind her. One look at Aurus was enough to tell her that he needed a moment to cool off.

He just stood there, staring at her quietly, trying to figure out what to say.

"What happened?" she asked gently, comfortingly. She looked at the ground under his hoof where he had stomped. The tile was shattered to bits, and the floor around him was lightly singed, though Aurus couldn't recall conjuring any fire.

Aurus followed her gaze, not shocked to see a little destruction due to his level of anger. It did instill some feelings of remorse in him though. "Applejack and I had a fight," he admitted quietly, not looking her in the eye.

"Aurus, look at me," he heard her say gently. As he finally met his friend's gaze, his nervousness melted. She was just standing there, smiling at him like nothing was wrong at all. He needed that smile; needed to know that things were okay. Right now he was worried what this new rift between himself and Applejack would bring.

"Fights happen between a stallion and a mare," she said simply, taking a seat in one of the two chairs the room had to offer. For the sake of normalcy, Aurus took the other, sitting across from her. "Usually they're just for stupid reasons."

"Not this one," he grumbled, sitting down hard and letting out a rough sigh. "She won't listen to anything I say! Anytime I try to help her or give her advice, she just thinks I don't respect her decisions. And then she got mad at me!"

"Dear, that's just how she is," Rarity replied quietly, smiling sadly as she began to better grasp his frustrations. "She doesn't like taking help from anypony. I've talked with her enough on the subject to know that she does love you, you know. She'll come back around. But part of why she's angry is because she feels inferior, I'm sure."

"What do you mean? I never talk down to her, and I always try to make her feel normal around me as best I can," he said sadly, as if somehow he had done something wrong. "Is it something I said? Why would she feel that way?"

"It's something you did." Rarity pointed a hoof at him for emphasis, but her smile showed that she wasn't being accusatory; just stating facts. "Like I said, she doesn't like taking help. I'm fairly certain that, if she had had time on that train to decide whether or not she wanted you to step in and save her, she would have never asked you to. You saved her without her permission. Nobody is going to fault you for that. She loves you for it, I know she does," Rarity said warmly, but there was a sad tinge to her speech.

"But she can't fight who she is. You helped her, and she never asked for it. She's in your debt, and her nature can't handle that. Every time she looks at you she sees a hero, and a stallion that is superior to her because he stepped in and helped her when she never asked for it. She doesn't like owing people favors, because she's too used to being the strong one.”

Rarity sighed, and put a hoof on Aurus' shoulder. "Ever since you came into her life, you've been the strong one. It's confusing to her, to have somepony carrying her through part of her life. She probably feels like she needs to prove that she's just as strong, to clear the debt she feels like she owes you. But she wrestles with that because she loves you, and she wants to be able to keep depending on you," Rarity finished with a sad smile.

Aurus just sighed. "She doesn't have to prove anything. I know she's strong. When I was sick she was there for me, and that means more than I think she realizes. I'm afraid that she thinks she'll never be able to prove herself to me. That she'll never feel like we're equals. But I can't stop protecting her; the harder she tries, the more she hurts herself," he grumbled to himself quietly.

Rarity just shook her head. "No, I agree. She's always been a little rough around the edges, and not too many things go through that thick head of hers quickly when she's running a temper," she said with a chuckle. "But we all know she needs you. She knows it too. She even said it to me once, you know. 'It's nice, not always having to be the strong one. To have somepony I can lean on'. She meant that, but she doesn't like to think about it."

Aurus fell silent for a short while, pondering that. He smiled gently to himself as an idea came to him. "I think I know what I need to do."

Rarity just smiled, sure that whatever he had in mind, it would be his best shot. There wasn't any advice she could give him that would work better than his own intuition. Applejack was his mare, after all. Who should know better how to handle this mess?

"Thanks, Rarity... I don't know what I'd do without you," he said with an apologetic laugh.

"I imagine you'd probably burn the place down in a fit," she teased, hopping out of her chair. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Best not to let her think on it too long before you force her to change her mind."

Aurus just laughed. She winked at him in a friendly farewell as she made her way out the door and then back down the hall.

Steeling himself for the trek into female territory, Aurus headed his own way.

Applejack kicked the pillow again, watching it fly across the room and bump softly into the wall. It hardly did anything to alleviate her anger, but it felt better to be doing something. Her nerves were itching something fierce, and she couldn't recall a day in her life she had wanted to cry so badly. She kept that in check by reminding herself how angry she was instead.

A knock at the door drew her death-laser gaze. "Yeah, what?" she asked angrily, taking a step closer to better hear the would-be intruder through the thick oak panel.

She could hear whoever it was outside shuffling uncomfortably, and she knew who it was way before he said anything. "It's Aurus. Can I come in?" he asked, his voice muffled by the door.

"Yeah, uh, let me think about that," she said snidely. "Give me one good reason I should let ya in."

"Because I still love you, and I'm sorry," came the calm, quiet reply.

Her heart sort of hiccuped at that, and a blush he couldn't see painted her face scarlet beneath her coat. He was apologizing to her? She wasn't in any hurry to admit it, but deep down she knew that the fight was just as much her fault as it was his. Her hurt wasn't ever going to allow those words to be spoken aloud, but she couldn't lie to herself. Struck dumb by those few, simple words, she was hardly aware of herself undoing the lock and opening the door to the parlor.

Aurus walked in slowly, as if he expected her to change her mind at any second and slam the door on him. He looked her dead in the eyes, and she had a hard time maintaining that gaze. Whatever he had come here to say, he had made up his mind that he was going to say it. But she hadn't made up her mind that she wanted to hear it. His face showed clear regret for their fight, but his eyes were the same strong, emerald orbs she had always adored, filled with purpose.

Her blush hadn't faded yet, and neither had her speechlessness. Every step he took into the room backed her further into it, and so it fell to him to shut the door gently behind him. He locked it so that they wouldn't be bothered for what they had to say. He knew he was taking a risk, that this could become an even bigger fight than it was before. Yet any opportunity to repair the damage was necessary.

"Applejack, I'm sorry," he said again, his expression going sad and full of remorse.

"If that's all ya've got..." she replied quietly, stubbornly trying to hang onto her anger through her blush.

In response he took a step into her, and her blush deepened. They weren't touching, but she could feel the heat from him, his tall form looming over her. It was an oddly enticing feeling of intimidation, as if a part of her would somehow be okay with force after their heated fight earlier. She knew that that would be a fight she couldn't hope to win, as tired as she was, but more than that she knew she was being foolish. This was Aurus, and it would never come to that.

He sat his hindquarters down, his taller form sinking down and bringing his eyes right in line with hers, and only a foot away. He looked her hard in the eyes, his green orbs full of some determination she couldn't understand. He went further, laying down in front of her and bowing his head.

She had to hold back a gasp as she realized what he was doing. Aurus was kneeling at her hooves, hanging his head with true regret and sadness.

"Everything is my fault," he said quietly, no longer looking at her, but at the floor.

"Aurus, don't..." she began, but even she didn't understand what it was she meant to say. Was she going to ask him to get up? Was she going to yell at him?

"When I saved your life, I never meant to put you in my shadow. I never meant to hurt you; I just wanted you to be safe. I didn't know how you felt about it; how you don't like to depend on anyone unless you have to," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry."

Applejack was speechless. He was a king! Why was he humiliating himself like this and bowing in front of her? The only thing she could think of kept echoing in her head.

He really, truly meant it. More than anything, he was sorry, and not just for the fight.

She slid to the floor with him, wrapping her forelegs around him gently. "It's not yer fault... I-it's mine. Fer bein' so stubborn, and so stupid. All ya ever wanted was t' look out fer me. And I took it t' heart in the wrong ways. I forgive ya for the fightin'," she said quietly, pressing her nose into his shoulder to hide the oncoming tears of honest apology. "But can ya'll forgive me fer this?"

"I already have," he replied warmly, though he still sounded nervous. "I can't be angry with you for being who you are. It's the same reason I love you, after all. We both want to be strong, but we both want somebody to lean on... Instead of fighting about who's stronger, why not lean on each other?" he asked quietly.

She took his face in her hooves without warning, and kissed him roughly. He didn't know how to react at first, but finally he returned it, the two of them reconciling everything quietly in that moment of passion.

When at last they broke the kiss off, Applejack was blushing fiercely, but her face didn't seem embarrassed. Rather she looked like she wanted to kiss him again, but didn't know if it was appropriate.

Aurus felt the same exact way, but the rush of blood to his face didn't show through his dark hide.

"I like that," she said quietly. "L-leaning on each other, I mean," she clarified hastily, her blush growing hotter in her cheeks. "I reckon I could go the rest of my life with ya feelin' square, as long as we both agree t' it." She hadn't meant 'the rest of her life' to be a relationship quirk, but everything kept coming out awkward ever since she'd kissed him like that, and it just made her more and more embarrassed.

Aurus just laughed, but his own breathing was shaky from nerves. "I feel the same way. B-but the other part wasn't so bad either," he said, aiming for a joking tone.

She prodded him in the shoulder roughly for bringing the ever-embarrassing 'passionate kiss' scenario back into play. But she couldn't rightly stay mad with him... because frankly she couldn't disagree. Her hoof remained where she had poked at him for his joke, resting gently on his shoulder. She turned her head away from him, too red in the face to look him straight in the eye.

"No, I reckon it wasn't," she replied, but her casual tone failed, leaving her sounding confused.

Aurus chuckled to himself, an idea coming to his head and painting a sort of smug smirk on his face. "You don't sound so sure... Maybe you should try it again, just to be safe?" he asked with a light laugh, to show that he was half-kidding.

Apparently she liked the other half better, because she turned back to face him, her hoof sliding down to his chest as she closed the distance. "Jus' t' be safe," she clarified, but he pulled her the rest of the way before she could hesitate any further. They came together in one more passionate kiss, holding one another gently for a short span before at last breaking apart a short distance.

"And?" Aurus asked teasingly.

Applejack flushed all over again, but she held her tone steady this time and smiled at him. "Not bad at all."

"Glad I'm not alone," he chuckled, letting go of her and getting to his hooves. He helped her up, and smiled gently at her. "I'm glad we sorted this out,” he said fondly.

She nodded, a soft smile on her lips. "Me too, Aurus. Now, I reckon I should take the advice of a good friend, and get some rest... I'm no good t' anypony if I'm too tired t' think," she admitted sheepishly. "You mind returnin' the favor, and watchin' over me while I sleep?" she asked quietly, heading for the bed.

Aurus just smiled, his heart feeling like it was finally back in the right place. "It would be my honor."

Gerd looked deep into the pulsating blue crystal. The rest of his pieces were all played. He now had the board set the way he wanted it, and everything was in his favor. Only one crucial task remained, and it required constant attention.

The council needed to remain oblivious to his ever-growing power. He knew about ‘metamorphosing’, how the magical energies changed the body. The council was sure to have taken that into account, but if his form were to change too much, they would grow suspicious. He needed to limit the energy in his body, but that would mean spending the precious magical energy the people were funneling into him.

Under normal circumstances, of course. But the crystal before him held the key to all his troubles.

It was a family heirloom, one of the few treasures that not even the ever-greedy House Gallock would auction off. None of his ancestors had been able to discover the purpose of the crystal; only one thing was known about it. No matter the magic used on it, it had no effect. All spells cast upon the crystal failed indefinitely, regardless of how powerful.

That little secret had been discovered when his great, great grandfather, Grimsor Gallock, had been attacked by bandits during one of his many excursions in search of rare items. He had found the crystal that same trip, but had refused to part with it. Something about it drew his attention, arrested his imagination.

It was a truly beautiful thing; it was several times longer than it was wide, pointed on both ends. It was jagged and rough; the only facets it sported were seemingly built from nature itself. Were it simply grey, nobody would be able to tell the difference between it and a rough-hewn chunk of rock, but it glowed with an eerie blue light at its core that entranced any who looked at it.

His ancestor had strung the stone around his neck, showing it off to the entire world. When the bandits had attacked, they tried everything they could to subdue his family. All of the other caravaners were stricken dead in the fight, but no matter how they tried, no killing spells ever reached his grandfather. Even objects thrown by magic had simply halted before dropping to the ground.

When his grandfather returned fire, however, the stone had not stopped him. The bandits had all be stricken dead, and Grimsor had returned triumphantly with his prize.

Gerd had been researching the stone more thoroughly. As per family tradition, the crystal was never to leave the estate, mounted in a place of honor in the main hall.

And as per family tradition, Gerd had stolen the damned thing. His father would never have been more proud.

His weeks of service to the council by day were completed with nighttime research on the crystal. Until he could discover something, he had been using it to expend his magic quietly. The stone would dispel anything he threw at it, and he wouldn't need to make a show of venting his excess magical energy.

One evening, he had made a breakthrough. Instead of casting on the stone, he performed a simple spell while holding it. What should have created a light breeze had demolished a solid stone pillar with a torrent of wind.

Gerd had suspected that all the magical energy the stone negated was going somewhere, of course. He never would have suspected that the small, glowing gem itself was the container. This item had been in his family for decades, soaking up spells in their defense, and who could say what its history was beyond that?

Regardless, the stone absorbed magical energy, and whoever held it could pull the energy back out. Would pull the energy back out, without ever meaning to.

His spells hadn't been wasted at all. The energy he had thought he was quietly disposing of was still there, soaked up by this magical sponge. And he could call on it at will, so long as he carried it with him.

He spent more time practicing with it, learning its limits. He could regulate how much he pulled out, though he had yet to figure out how to stop the crystal from activating completely. It always attempted to amplify his spellcasting, and it required significant willpower to prevent it from doing so.

A commodity Gerd Gallock did not find lacking.

He would bide his time, quietly serving the people and garnering their favor, luring them further and further into his corner. Farming their love, until at last he was ready. Until at last he had filled the crystal to its very breaking point, if such a thing even existed. Until it could make him unstoppable.

He laughed darkly to himself as he stroked its surface, feeling the magic seeking to enter his body, a vessel far less full and just as hungry for power.

"Not yet," he whispered to the jewel gently. "But someday soon, you and I will storm across the world like hellfire, and everything we will, will be. Everything we demand will be given to us. And everything we hate will be crushed to dust."

Gerd laughed darkly to himself as the crystal pulsed, as if it too felt the pleasure of his dark desires.

XI: To Train a King

Princess Celestia looked over the letter, clearly written in Spike's claw-writing. It was an interesting note, dictated by one 'Korrick', an apparent changeling friend of Aurus. But something in the letter was amiss.

Your Majesty Celestia,

My name is Korrick, and I have been banished from the changeling lands for backing my king, Aurus Marz. I pray that you find him well, for news has reached my ears that assassins were sent for him. I will try to keep this missive brief, for there is little time.

I need to meet with my king, and see with my own eyes that he is well. There is dark news that I must deliver to him in person. If it would please your grace, I could use an escort. After everything that has happened, I am not certain that myself and my companion should enter your city on our own.

As for my companion, you may not be pleased to admit her. I leave that to your discretion. For now she resides in Everfree, but she is weak and tired; I feel she would not last long in such a harsh wood on her own. You will recognize her by the name of Chrysalis.

Celestia's magical aura stuttered, nearly dropping the letter. That name; everypony in Equestria knew of it by now. The trouble she had caused, the very instigator of the near war between ponies and changelings. Even Spike knew that name, it seemed, for his penning of the moniker was jagged and spattered, as if he had pressed too hard in panic. Celestia continued the letter.

I know that she has caused your people no small deal of trouble, but you have my assurances that she is no threat. She's been dethroned, and her power is gone. She and I will both follow Aurus' example, and not disguise ourselves in your fair city, should you admit us. I know it was his plan to approach you undisguised. If you would be so inclined, please send someone to meet us outside of Everfree.

With great hope,

Korrick.

She pondered this quietly. Admitting that witch into her city was not on the top of her to-do list, but if what Korrick said was true, she had little choice. The weak didn't last long in Everfree, and the ponies of Ponyville would not be forgiving enough to take her in. Traveling with Korrick was her only real hope, no matter how much Celestia loathed her.

Chrysalis. Celestia's jaw clenched at the mere mention of that name, the villain who had disgraced her in battle. She never could have expected such a defeat. It had been centuries since the last time ponies and changelings had fought, and the princess had forgotten much. Reflecting on it, it was no small wonder that she had lost, but it stung no less.

She had a duty to all things living, though. Her damaged pride was a poor excuse to deny a second chance.

She sighed heavily, sealing her decision. Rolling up the letter, she tucked it into her mane, where it vanished from sight. Without any further delay, she trotted out to the balcony of her bedroom, and launched into the morning air, flying fast to the southwest for Ponyville, and Everfree.

Korrick paced about the edges of the forest, as he had done the previous day. He'd expected it to take some time to not only receive, but respond to his letter. Still, he was eager to be at Aurus' side, and to deliver the dire news he had. He had no way of knowing, of course, that Aurus had already received this information.

"What good does it do you to walk in circles, you old tart?" Chrysalis asked dryly, poking her head out of the foliage long enough to give him a sarcastically curious look. "Walk any faster and you'll wear a ring in the dirt."

"Oh be quiet," Korrick grumbled, continuing his routine pacing. It was an old habit he'd developed a long time ago, and he liked to imagine that it aided his thinking process. "It's not as if there's anything else to do while we wait anyways."

"Well, we could be going over our plans to conquer the city," she said slyly, her smile turning into a wicked smirk.

Korrick whirled on her, scowling fiercely.

"Kidding, kidding," she chimed, laughing warmly at his expression. "Good to know that what they say about old people is true; they really have no sense of humor at all." She pulled herself all the way out of the low brush ringing the woods, meeting him out on the road. "All joking aside, it's been two days. I'm getting the feeling that they don't believe your letter."

Korrick sighed, letting his nerves settle from her tasteless joke. "I'm starting to get that feeling myself. Spike hasn't received any return letters either. If the princess is sending anyone, she's keeping it quiet." He looked at his hooves, deep in thought. "Regardless, it's our duty to wait. If there's even a chance that someone will come, we should be ready to depart."

"Well it's not like we brought anything to pack," she said snidely, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She trotted a few steps away, scanning the horizon. She might not have as much magic power as the old codger anymore, but her eyesight was still perfect. "Well well," she chuckled, spotting a speck in the direction they had been expecting.

"You see something?" he asked eagerly, for his old eyes would never have made out that little dot.

"Yes, though it appears to be only one escort. It looks like she trusts you more than I thought," she said, wearing her signature twisted smirk. Korrick had learned quickly that it didn't always mean she was plotting something; just that she was a rotten person.

The two of them waited a short while, the speck finally coming into view for even Korrick's old eyes. Whoever it was, they were flying fast, and straight for them. This was certainly the messenger they had been waiting for. As their escort finally came in for a landing, Chrysalis' eyes went wide. She jumped back behind Korrick as quickly as her legs would take her, her ears slapping flat to her skull. Her wide eyes shifted to a hateful scowl as she watched the white alicorn alighting on the road in front of her.

Korrick's reaction was a little more neutral. He simply gawked at the princess, for he had never laid eyes on her. Stories abounded of course, but she far exceeded all rumors he had heard. He bowed his head without thinking, as if the mere pressure of her presence had forced it. "Your majesty Celestia," he said warmly, his voice containing a note of surprise and wonder. "I certainly didn't expect you to come for us personally."

She only smiled at him, though one look at her showed that she was making a significant effort to ignore Chrysalis for the time being. "It would arouse suspicion amongst the guards if you were to enter the city with anypony other than myself. Especially considering our... guest," she finished quietly. Her tone became careful and distrustful, her eyes shifting to Chrysalis.

"Wonderful to see you, too," the downtrodden female replied snidely.

Celestia sighed, doing her best to ignore her rude and easily destructible changeling nemesis. "Charming as always," she grumbled in return, bringing her focus back to Korrick. "You said in your letter that there wasn't much time? Whatever news you have for Aurus, it must be urgent. I suggest we get back to the castle as quickly as possible. Aurus has been training hard in the ways of magic, and it would do his heart good in this troubling time to know that you are alive. He's told me much about you, Korrick, and you are welcome in my city."

"Thank you, your grace," Korrick replied warmly, dipping his head in gratitude.

Celestia turned her most displeased look possible on Chrysalis. "You, however, are not welcome. I'm accommodating you as a personal favor to Aurus, since I know he wouldn't have turned you away. If you cause any trouble at all in my castle, I will not hesitate to bring you down. And judging by the way you look now, I'd imagine things will go a bit differently this time between us if it becomes a fight," she finished darkly, her scowl a clear threat.

Chrysalis just laughed mockingly. "Do I look like I'm capable of causing any trouble? I couldn't pick up a pebble, much less wreck your pretty little city. And in case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have an army at my back; or if I do, they're not working for me. More likely they'd try to kill me," she said snidely, sneering at Celestia. "You've got nothing to fear from me this time, miss high-and-mighty."

Celestia sighed, stomaching the urge to kick Chrysalis in the teeth. "Very well. Korrick, can she fly?" Celestia asked idly, spreading her wings.

Korrick smiled smugly, thinking he knew where this was going. He spread his own wings, walking up beside Celestia. Neither of them saw the suddenly curious look that came over Chrysalis.

"No, I don't believe she can," he replied with a small laugh. He saw Celestia smile mischievously and turned to watch as a golden aura enveloped the ex-villain.

"What?" Chrysalis asked in panic, flailing about as the magic picked her up off the ground. She eventually gave up though as she realized this was how she would be flying with them. Her legs just dangled limply underneath her as she hung her head low, scowling at Celestia, who was smiling smugly over her shoulder.

"Oh ha ha," Chrysalis snapped, rolling her eyes and looking absolutely ridiculous, hanging there like a ragdoll.

Celestia and Korrick took off, the magical bubble holding Chrysalis following closely behind. The ex-queen gulped, realizing that if the magic failed, it would be a long ways to fall, and her weak wings would never slow her enough to keep her from splattering all over the side of some tree in the woods below, or the rocky foothills below the cliffs of Canterlot.

Celestia didn't miss that, and it only made her mischievous smile deepen. "Oh, don't worry," she said in a sing-song sort of way. "I won't drop you... too far."

Chrysalis wasn't so smug anymore.

"Ha!" Aurus grunted, watching with satisfaction as the boulder in front of him cracked in two. Cleanly, for once. Using air pressure to split rock had been a difficult training exercise to be sure, and one he had thought up himself. Pony magic wasn't built for this kind of 'violent' usage. Anytime the surface of the stone changed angles, the air became hard to control. The 'wind' he was using to try and slice the rock would ricochet wildly, making a very jagged and nasty cut down the center of the boulder. There were infinitely many small corrections that had to be made to keep the air moving in a perfectly straight line. It required continual focus to achieve a cut this clean.

They'd finally outgrown the library room for his training, moving on to larger and more dangerous exercises in the courtyard behind the castle.

"Very impressive!" Twilight called from the side, safe behind a low stone wall. A few of Aurus' attempts had led him to becoming frustrated, and resorting to his old method; brute force. The result had been that the rock blew apart, sending chunks of stone flying about like leaves in a storm. They had just clicked and clacked off of his thick shell, but Twilight had had to warp out of the blast radius to avoid being shredded by the jagged pieces.

She vacated her hiding spot and trotted over, examining it. "A perfectly clean cut; the last two days have really paid off. And you've aced all the other exercises I've given you too," she said proudly, nudging his shoulder. "I think we've finally reached the point where there's nothing else I can teach you. The best thing you can do is continue to practice control. You're already miles ahead of where you were when we started."

Aurus just smiled. His week off from training had worried him. Firstly, he had been out of practice. Secondly, by the time he had recovered completely from his illness, he had a new problem to confront. The energy he had been receiving constantly from home was all but gone, and his once-endless supply of magic now had a very definite limit.

He still had enough to train with though, thanks to his wonderful friends. The love he shared with Applejack was especially potent, constantly filling him. The others also gave him energy, continually supporting him and often coming to watch him train. Even though the love was less in quantity, the quality was far greater than that of mere social love, and it kept him strong enough to continue on.

"I'm glad that you think I'm accomplished and all, but I highly doubt there's nothing else you can teach me," he said modestly.

Twilight just laughed. "I think you're forgetting how young I am. I've had a lot more practice than you, but that's really the only difference. And I've passed that practice on to you. You're ready to move on from the basics and perform spells I couldn't dream of working. Spells that up until now only the princesses could do; even with your people thinking that you're dead, you're still strong enough to be training with them. And I think it's time you did," she said warmly, smiling at him.

Aurus smiled back, and hugged her on a whim. Just a strange urge to embrace his friend who had taught him so much. "Thank you Twilight. I can't begin to explain how much this means to me. You've worked so hard to help me out," he finished, pulling away from the quick hug and keeping his smile in place.

She just laughed, returning the embrace and the smile. "Don't mention it. After all, nopony worked harder than you did to get this far. You should be thanking yourself," she said with a wink.

Aurus opened his mouth to reply, but someone behind him cleared their throat, drawing his attention.

"Good morning Princess," Twilight chimed warmly. Aurus turned to face Celestia, who was a fairly common visitor to his morning training sessions.

"Good morning you two," she replied pleasantly, walking out into the courtyard from the shade of one of the castle's many archways. "Aurus, I've got a little surprise for you," she said with a small, sly laugh.

Aurus was a little puzzled. "A surprise? What do you mean?"

"Come on out," Celestia called over her shoulder, back the way she had come.

Aurus' eyes widened in shock as he gazed upon a countenance he had never expected to see again. There before him stood the old councilor, and his dear friend. "Korrick!" he cried, rushing forward and all but leaping onto the old changeling.

Korrick laughed as Aurus nearly toppled him from his forceful embrace. He returned it warmly, like a grandfather to a grandson he had not seen in ages. "Hello Aurus. It's good to see you, my friend," he said warmly, with gentle tears of joy licking at his eyelids.

Aurus' weren't quite so reined in. "I thought you were dead! When the assassins brought me news of your capture, I thought for certain that Gerd would execute you!" Aurus broke off the hug, wiping away his happy tears, and slapping Korrick solidly on the shoulder, fixing him with an excited smile. "By all that's holy, it's good to see you."

Korrick looked at him in shock. He already knew of Gerd? "The assassins brought you news? But they were sent to kill you!"

Aurus just chuckled. "I managed to capture one, and mastered his heart. I taught him the value of our mission for peace, and now he serves me. With his help, we convinced the other assassins that I was dead, and they returned to Gerd with news of my 'death' only two weeks ago. The assassin I saved is called Malik, and he is the one who told me that Gerd was behind all the trouble back home. I don't know this Gerd person, beyond knowing he's a councilman."

Another form stepped out to greet him, one he barely recognized.

"Well well. The young king is more clever than I thought. Turning a band of assassins away, and creating a friend and spy in the process. Likely your servant Malik is now keeping an eye on Gerd's actions in your name. Who better to watch in secret than a trained assassin?" she chuckled, her eyes full of dark delight. "And here I was worried you would be a disappointment. You really are more devilish than people make you out to be."

"Chrysalis," Aurus said flatly, his face a cautious scowl.

"Your majesty," she replied mockingly, bowing her head in fake respect. "Nice to see you recognize me, though I don't believe we've met before."

"No, we haven't," he replied coldly. "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'm not known to be a liar."

"Oh, so cold," she replied with fake hurt. "I didn't expect my presence to be a great source of joy. But my options were here with you, or back home with Gerd. After what you've been through at his hooves, who do you think is more trustworthy, hmm? I'm not here to convince you I've changed. Believe me, if I had the power, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat," she said with a dark chuckle.

"A fair point... Gerd's not a fan of rivals, I know that first hoof," Aurus said gruffly. "Trying to kill me made that plenty clear. But you're not a threat to him, he wouldn't have any reason to try and take your life. If you ask me, you would have been safer in T'rhak Enox. I'm impressed the princess didn't turn you away."

"It's not about being a threat. It's about being useful," she replied evenly, raising a hoof for emphasis. "Whether you can challenge him or not, if Gerd can't step on you to get where he's going, he'll kill you. There's nothing I can or would offer that scumbag. I realize I'm not exactly the brightest light in history, but compared to that rat I'm a saint. You on the other hoof... There's something I can offer you," she said with a smug smile.

"And what's that?" Aurus asked doubtfully. Korrick was eying her curiously, for this was the first he'd heard of it.

"Tell me, how well do you handle the magic when it's pouring into you?" she asked with a knowing smile. "Let me guess... It just sort of explodes out of you doesn't it? You can't contain that much energy, can you?"

Aurus shuffled under her scrutiny. Of course she would know what he was going through. She had gone through it herself once, otherwise she never would have metamorphosed.

She just chuckled at his hesitant reaction. "I thought as much. Well then, that's why you need me. In exchange for my freedom once this little war between you and Gerd is over, I'll teach you the most valuable lesson you'll ever learn as a king. I'll teach you how to control that magic, no matter how much they send at you. I spent years perfecting that art, and though I highly doubt I ever had the energy you did, the principles are the same. I can teach you how to be unstoppable," she chuckled, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

He didn't seem to notice her wretched touch, lost in thought as he was. "You could do that?" he asked quietly. He reflected on all the times that the painful influx of magic had hurt him, or nearly killed those around him. He remembered vividly the time only a week ago where he had been unable to contain the magic and had nearly killed himself and Twilight.

"And more. Between Korrick and I, we can teach you all there is to know about changeling magic. Learning with ponies is all well and good, but believe me, you need to be learning what your body is meant to handle. Those fluffy pony spells aren't going to be enough to stop Gerd. They're great for defense, but you need firepower."

Aurus found himself nodding. To learn to control the magic was one thing, but to be able to direct it in a fight to overpower his opponent was certainly something ponies couldn't teach him. But if he were to receive training from both the princesses and from the old changeling queen, he would be a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps then he could put away his fears of inadequacy, and become the hero his people needed. It was no secret that Chrysalis had been a powerful fighter during her reign, and had put many challengers to the throne to rest... permanently.

Aurus was no killer, but there was no denying the need for an offensive. Using the cover of his death ruse, he would have the luxury of the first strike against Gerd and his minions, and it would need to be a powerful one.

"Define 'in exchange for your freedom'," he said cautiously.

Chrysalis just chuckled. "It's obvious I have no place in T'rahk Enox. All I ask is that, should you come out the victor, you honor our agreement and protect me. I'll live in exile, but I am weak and will need help. When the time comes, I'll trust you to take care of that. All I want is to disappear and live comfortably," she said quietly, extending her hoof. "A small price to pay, I would think. Do we have a deal?"

Her twisted smile made him nervous, and something felt out of place. But if she betrayed her word, she would be little threat to him. Whatever that itching feeling was at the base of his spine, it would have to wait until she revealed whatever she was really up to. He extended a hoof and shook it with her, not returning her smile at all.

Celestia and Twilight looked at each other in confusion. All they had heard was clicking and hissing, and the next thing they knew Aurus was shaking hooves with one of the worst villains Equestria had ever known.

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Celestia whispered to Twilight, leaning closer to her but still looking dumbfounded at the conversation taking place in some otherworldly language.

"I have no clue," she replied, a similar confused look on her face as she too continued to watch the exchange.

"My last report from Malik claims that Gerd has taken your place as high councilor. Apparently he gave quite a rousing speech about removing the throne from power, and calling me a hero. He made me out to be a martyr, and he's hiding in the shadow of my name until he's strong enough to make a move," Aurus said, scowling darkly. "I don't like being used this way, but it's for the better in the end, since the people will still appreciate me. The council thinks they can puppet him, so at the very least he's being watched, and not just by Malik."

Aurus, Korrick, the princesses, and Chrysalis were gathered in the library room they had been using for secret meetings and training. The other six friends were present as well of course, Applejack right by Aurus' side. When they were in the same place, it seemed as though some weird magnetism constantly drew them to stand in the same spot, regardless of what they were doing. In the end, Aurus had given up fighting that pull to stand by her, and she had never fought it to begin with.

"The fact that they put him in the high seat at all shows they're in no position to control him," Korrick scoffed, pacing about. "If they knew even the slightest thing about him or his house, they never would have stumbled into such an obvious trap. It's him who's watching them, I can assure you of that. His family has eyes everywhere."

"What do ya mean 'house'?" Applejack asked. She didn't want to interrupt, but she was glad to see that even the princesses were nodding in agreement to her question.

"A house is like your family. Not everyone is related though; many families come together under a single name to better their chances of gaining power. My family isn't part of any house, which isn't uncommon. Normally only nobility enter into the house system. The fact that Gerd is in one makes him a dangerous enemy; even when I return and the people come back to my side, he will still have many loyal friends," Aurus said with a sad smile. It was grim news, but he had to answer her question. Everyone deserved to know what they were up against.

Korrick nodded, satisfied with that explanation. "We need to come up with a strategy, to deal with the others in his house. If it were a one on one fight, I have no doubt that you could beat Gerd. With the intensive training you'll be receiving, he won't be any match for you, especially when the people flee him to join you. Still, there's no telling what he and his kin have planned; house Gallock has always been tricky, and their magic isn't always their greatest asset."

Aurus was puzzled by this. "What could be more powerful than their magic? I thought all nobility was highly trained."

Korrick nodded. "This is true, but in the case of house Gallock, their true worth lies in something entirely different.

"Resources," Chrysalis replied darkly. "Gerd's father nearly beat me out for claim of the throne by his reputation and the change in his pocket. He certainly wasn't half my equal in a magical battle, but he knew all the right people, and had many devious tricks up his sleeve. I did battle him once, and nearly lost because of an artifact his family possessed. A staff of some sort that could produce lightning at will; highly dangerous, but it had a limit, and I outlasted him. What you should take away from this is that it's not just Gerd that's dangerous. He could have any number of allies or artifacts at his command, things you've never seen before and have no way of knowing how to counter."

Aurus nodded, logging that information away. "Malik says that Gerd is becoming quite well-liked, yet he doesn't seem to be gaining in power significantly. The council hasn't questioned this yet, but it makes me nervous. I know what it's like to be the people's keeper, and the energy that comes with it. Even if they don't love him the way they loved me, he should still be metamorphosing."

Korrick sighed. "True enough; some change should have been noticed by now. Something is not right, and I fear the council may have made their final mistake. If they don't stop him soon, who knows what will happen? There's no telling where this power of his is going if he's not hanging onto it himself."

Applejack shuffled nervously at Aurus' side. He could feel her worry, for every word only made the task ahead of him darker and more treacherous. It was definitely beginning to sound as if his chances of survival were less than sure, and that was enough to set her nerves to burning with concern.

He placed a hoof behind her mane and stroked it gently, a silent signal that he was not worried, and everything would be fine. She did calm down a bit, but the swirling aura of her concern still fluttered about him.

"I think that's enough dark news for one day; for now we know where we stand as best we can," Aurus said politely, smiling around at everyone to show that he wasn't concerned, despite the fact that he certainly was. He couldn't fool his changeling allies, who would be able to sense his worry easily, but the ponies wouldn't know any better.

"Quite right," Korrick replied, returning his smile. The two of them smiling did wonders for the level of calm in the room, relieving stress lines on the faces of nearly everyone present. "For now, we should get to training you. And the very first thing I think you should learn is that magic control method of Chrysalis'," he finished quietly, looking to the ex-queen.

She stood and walked over to Aurus, nodding her agreement that this lesson was the most vital for now. She looked from Aurus to Applejack, and smiled wickedly. "I'd clear out if I were you, little girl. This could be dangerous."

Applejack opened her mouth to retaliate, her face going from cautious to pissed off in the blink of an eye. "Who're ya callin'-" she began, but Aurus cut her off with a gentle touch and a smile.

"Just let it go, AJ," he pleaded quietly. "She's probably right; there's no telling what kind of trick she's going to teach me, and it might not be safe. Don't take it personally, she's a jerk to everyone."

Applejack straightened her hat and pulled away from Aurus, scowling harshly at Chrysalis. "Fine. But if ya hurt him any, I'll buck you up," she said fiercely, trotting a few paces away to stand with her friends.

"Quite the girl you've gotten yourself," Chrysalis said dryly, so that only Aurus could hear.

"The best around. Mind moving this along?" he asked flatly.

"First things first, I need a bit of energy to show you how this works. Give me what you're comfortable with; it doesn't need to be much," she said, watching Aurus' face go skeptical as she asked for magic. "What do you have to worry about anyways? Not like you couldn't stop me," she pointed out, rolling her eyes. "Do you want to learn or not?"

Aurus just sighed and nodded. Transferring magic was a simple enough task; any changeling could give magic to another by way of touch, though it was impossible to do the opposite. Taking energy out of someone couldn't be done, putting some in could. Aurus put a hoof on her shoulder and concentrated quietly for a moment.

Seconds later a green flash sparked to life between his hoof and her shoulder, glowing and pulsing rhythmically until he pulled away. The light vanished immediately. "Will that be enough?" he asked, not seeming drained at all by the exchange.

Chrysalis, on the other hoof, seemed completely rejuvenated, standing straighter and looking more alert. "Plenty. Now then, listen closely; there's a lot for you to memorize about this strategy for controlling the magical energies inside your body."

Aurus nodded, preparing his mind. Twilight readied a quill and notebook off to the side, her expression almost insane with curiosity.

"When magic enters the body, it goes to a very specific place; it gathers near your heart. Of course it doesn't physically take up space, but in this raw state it is dangerous. The changeling body is designed specifically to pass raw magic around, and to handle it in this unstable form. But imagine that you allow all of the magic to pile up around your heart; it's more than that portion of your body can handle by itself. The rest of your body is still waiting to help contain the magic, but if you panic it will just continue to build up until your heart can't take it anymore, and then it becomes wild magic. The most dangerous form of magic there is, nearly impossible to control. Once it's begun, it can't be stopped," she said darkly.

Aurus took an involuntary step back under her scrutinizing gaze. Wild magic. Like what had happened in the valley.

She smiled, the corners of her mouth turned up in a know-it-all grin. "You've cast it before; I can see it in your eyes. The fear and regret. Helpless in the grasp of your own power."

Aurus just nodded, his countenance darkened by those memories. "I never want to experience that again," he said with determination. "Teach me how to control it."

She smiled, her black heart somehow moved by his determination. "The key is flow. Think of magic like water. You are a glass, trying to contain all the flooding of a thunderstorm. You will overflow. But if you move the energy around, you become more like a river. Every drop added to a stream just vanishes in the flow. The energy is always going somewhere in your body, somewhere new. Push it from your heart, to your legs, to your spine and head, and then back again. Create a ring inside yourself, so that your body can handle it drop by drop, instead of forming pools of magic that overflow uncontrollably," she said, eying him carefully. "Try it."

Aurus did as she asked, pushing the magic about inside himself. It took concentration, and the amount he had was comfortable right where it was. But she was right, it was packed in around his heart, and had been for ever since he could recall. He pushed it with ease, first to one point, then another, and then another. The magical pressure inside him weakened, felt as if it were hardly there at all, yet he knew the energy hadn't vanished. The amount was the same, but it was like she had said; it was a river inside him, easing his burden by taking the drops someplace new.

"That's amazing," he said in disbelief. "How could something so simple be so effective?"

She just laughed. "It's our nature to over-think things, especially something as complex and dynamic as magic. Simplifying it, however, is the best way to understand it. Now then, this technique won't always help you. In the end, moving or not, there's a limit to how much energy your body can hold. But I can promise that the ability to regulate the flow of magic inside you will allow you to contain an unthinkable amount of magic. What you held before exploding the last time was nothing, just a drop in the bucket, compared to what you can actually hold. With practice in this method, that amount will only continue to grow."

"And what happens when the magic overflows anyways?" he asked cautiously.

She smiled smugly, as if that were the question she had been waiting for. "Then, you employ changeling kind's greatest secret; the secret of a true king," she said, chuckling darkly. Her hair fluttered madly as if from some breeze, though they were indoors. Aurus hadn't given her enough to do anything significant, but he still remained on his guard.

Her eyes glowed green, much like his own when the magic overflowed. But instead of something uncontrollable or painful, Chrysalis reared up on her hind legs and stomped the floor with her front hooves harshly. Green sparks of lightning arced down her legs, and raced across the carpet a short distance; nearly five feet away from her. The streams of lightning wound around themselves, drawing lines along the floor. When at last the sparks faded, there was an intricate ring of symbols and lines surrounding Chrysalis, pulsing steadily on the floor.

"I've heard of this before!" Korrick gasped, looking at the pattern, which pulsed with power below her. "This is... a rune!"

Aurus looked at the energy-drawing carefully. "You mean as in 'magic rune'? The old power our people used to wield? I've heard of them in history class, but I thought they were a myth."

"This is no myth," Chrysalis replied, breathing heavily.

Korrick did what he could to curb his amazement. "I too thought that they were merely legends. Back when our people first came into being, it is said that we could not contain our magic. Our power was beyond our control, raging out of us as wild magic. Old lore claims that this is why our homeland is so barren; that our ancestors turned it into a wasteland, unable to contain their magic."

"The legend says that our people created runecrafting, an art form which they used to direct the energy as it came out of their being. They could forge the energy into these runes, binding it in place instead of casting it out of control. From there it is said our ancestors could carefully draw the energy from the runes to cast their spells. I've heard the tale many times, but I never believed it," Korrick said in awe, looking upon the pulsing symbol on the floor.

Chrysalis just smiled wickedly, though her breathing was still labored. "Believe it, old codger. This rune is as real as I am."

Aurus just stared at it in disbelief. "How does it work?" he asked in awe, his face lit by the pulsing glow of the rune.

"The rune is an extension of my body. So long as I am standing in this circle, I can pull energy from it, or put more into it. But if I were to leave it, the energy would dissolve back into the floor, and disperse. Now that the symbol is established, pushing or pulling the magic is as easy for me as moving it through my body. But watch," she cautioned. "I am going to pull the magic into my body, and see what happens to the rune."

Aurus watched intently as the radius of her circle began to shrink noticeably. The energy was visible, racing back into her legs, and her eyes glowed as it entered her, the way they had when she had created the rune.

"If I were to pull it all back, the rune would vanish, and I would have to create a new one. Making the rune takes energy; some force has to hold the magic in place, a complex spell. The energy binding the magic is lost during runecrafting, and can't be retrieved. But it's a small price to pay to avoid losing control of your power. And for a king, the energy involved in creating a rune is practically nothing," she said with a laugh.

"Is the size of the rune dependent on how much energy it holds?" Korrick asked sagely, moving as if to touch it. "And what if another changeling were to enter your circle?"

"Yes, the size of the rune indicates its power. The pattern is different for every changeling, and that makes the rune unique to them. Another changeling would have no effect on my rune, and wouldn't be able to use it. If he tried to create a rune inside my own, it would never work, though there are few who would even know how to make one at all. The area around me is saturated with my energy, and my rune can't be destroyed by anyone but myself. It's one of the most powerful methods of magical manipulation in the world, perhaps in all of history. With this, your power will no longer be a burden; you will be as a god," Chrysalis chuckled darkly, absorbing the rest of her rune.

"I have no desire to be a god," Aurus said harshly, as if somehow she had accused him of being power hungry. "All I want is to save my people and protect the ones I love. If this power will help me do that, then I'll gladly take it; but I won't use this to rule them!"

"You and your ideals," she scoffed, but she dropped it at that. "No matter; if that's your goal, you still need this power. I'm interested to see the rune you can create, Aurus Marz. With such a unique mind, I'm sure the pattern will be something to behold. Come then, let me teach you," she chuckled, and though the spark in her eyes was still one of malicious intent, it was also the spark of undisguised and pure curiosity.

"Very well," Aurus said quietly. "Teach me how to forge a rune."

"Envision the flow of the magic inside yourself in your mind. This is the outer circle of the rune; a rune mimics your body's ability to hold and move magic about, so this ring is key."

Aurus nodded, his eyes closed as he focused. He could see it in his mind's eye; a green ring, turning endlessly inside him, with no clear beginning or end.

"Now, imagine a word. Something that you hold dear, something that gives you purpose and strength. Something you desire more than anything," Chrysalis said quietly, pacing around him in a slow circle. "Imagine it not as a word, but as a symbol; something elegant and beautiful, something only you could recognize the meaning of. Envision this symbol inside your ring; the purpose and drive within the flow." She stopped walking, pausing in front of him.

"Do you see it?" she asked quietly. "Can you feel your power-word within the flow inside you? Driving you to your goals? To your desires?"

"Yes," he replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"Hold the picture of the rune in your head; it is time to create it," she said with glee, inching away from him, to give him room. "Grab all the magic you desire, and push it into your heart. When you are ready, and have all the magic you want, rear back and prepare for the casting!" she ordered eagerly. "When your hooves strike the floor, push the magic out with all your might, and think of nothing but the pattern, your rune!"

Aurus spent a few more moments preparing himself. His friends all held their breath, waiting eagerly to see if he could create the rune he so desired. At last he reared back, sucking in a breath. His eyes glowed like Chrysalis' had, the energy already arcing about his front hooves, green lightning shooting between them. In a flash he slammed his hooves down, forcing the energy out with all his will, his mind consumed with the runic pattern.

The energy raced away from him, cutting across the carpeted floor. Two rings formed first, an inner one around Aurus that was only six feet wide. The outer ring was nearly twelve feet across. The ring in the center sprouted jagged fins, six arcing out like the blades of a saw from the ring in the center, their tips meeting the outer circle. Between each blade was a diamond-shaped marking. This all came into being in the blink of an eye, green energy racing to and fro, drawing the needed lines. At last the energy culminated on the outer edge of the circle, then raced back in, drawing a line through each of the six diamonds that connected to the center ring. At the very last, the green lightning drew a shield-shaped emblem inside the center circle where Aurus stood before the sparks faded into the rune itself.

"Astounding," Korrick said in shock, for it was only the second rune he had ever seen, and Aurus' pattern was far different from Chrysalis'.

"Amazing!" Chrysalis hissed, despite herself. "I've never seen a pattern so complicated and beautiful. Truly this is a work of art. Tell me, what is your power word? What is it you desire so strongly that this represents?" she asked eagerly.

Aurus was breathing hard, and had to raise his head, which had dropped from exhaustion. "I only want to do one thing in my life, Chrysalis."

"And what is that?" she asked, impatiently awaiting the answer that would reveal the source of this beautiful rune.

"To protect."

XII: Unveiling

Morelda slid limply across the dark obsidian floor of the council hall. The remaining council members surrounded the traitor in their midst, leveling their horns and readying their killing magic. Their faces were all masks of determined rage as they let loose blasts of varied destructive forces; fire and air, even shards of the rent stone of the floor rocketed through the air like the arrow of the end-times, carrying all the cataclysmic force of the council's combined might.

The stone shards fell useless to the floor, and the tornado of fire simply funneled into the hungry gem hanging about Gerd's neck, serving only to light his smug grin with its green flame. The gem pulsed madly as it consumed the magic, as if it were somehow berserk with hunger for more.

The council shared a collective grimace, all backing away in disbelief. "How?" cried one angry young councilman, unable to contain his anger and confusion with the same control his elders displayed.

The scribe was the one who answered him, standing calmly and safely at his lord Gerd's side. "Quite simple, really," the old changeling chuckled, his tired eyes in harsh contrast with his devilish tone. "The council never was, and could never hope to be, the match of house Gallock."

Gerd chuckled loudly, craning his neck back and venting his victorious mirth to the dome high above. "My ancestors laid the groundwork tirelessly for this moment, my moment," he said, his tone full of smug cockiness, with his ever-present smirk to match. "The council should have seen the signs, but we were too clever to be caught, and you too stupid to catch us. At last the chosen son of house Gallock stands triumphant. Not even with all your power combined can you hope to match me!"

The council bared their fangs at such a blatant challenge. Though he had already proven once that their magic was of no consequence to him, they had their duty. They had to try, no matter the result, for their duty was to defend the people from exactly this. The tyranny of force, of hate that sought to overtake the people through might alone.

They let loose their wrath again, though it fell short once more, only feeding the gem.

"You fools!" Gerd cried, his eyes glowing with magical energy as he lost himself to the ecstasy of power. With hardly a thought he lashed out with a torrent of air, targeting an older member of the council with all of his fury, a wicked grin spreading wide beneath his hellish eyes.

The air-whip knocked the councilman high and far, slamming him against the wall of the raised ring along the chamber's edge. He crashed into it, his breath leaving him rapidly, and taking flecks of bright-red blood with it. His eyes shot wide, the pupils dilated from pain and shock as the impact shredded his spine, dropping him limply to the floor. He twitched once, trying to choke out some last word before death claimed him, but much like his magical efforts to slay the traitor, it was in vain.

The remaining council members looked to one another in fear.

"You... bastard!" came a growling, angry call. That voice was strained with pain, the words sifted through gritted teeth as Morelda brought herself to her hooves. Two of the younger councilmen rushed to her side, helping her stand. One of her outer-lenses was in place, a stream of blood running down its light-blue curvature. She spat blood as she finally made it upright, glowering at him as best she could. Her breathing was labored, and she was obviously in pain.

"Ah, so you are alive," Gerd replied calmly, not flinching at the insult she threw at him. "I'm glad; I was afraid that the council's eldest member wouldn't have any fight in her. Poor old Korrick would have done so much better than you, I'm sorry to say. At least if you had kept him around you might have stood a chance at halting my schemes. He would have noticed my plotting and saved you, but by your own hooves you turned him into a traitor!" Gerd cackled, treading closer to her. Her once-loyal fellow members fled her side as their unstoppable enemy neared her, leaving her to stand on her own.

Morelda choked on a gasp. "You... The truth! Tell me the truth!" she shouted, struggling to stay on her hooves as he neared.

"The truth? Everything you think you know is knowledge I gave you!" Gerd roared, slapping her hard as he stepped in front of her, dropping her to the floor once more. "Korrick's schemes? My doing, all false. My respect for the council? A farce!" he cried triumphantly. "The only truth I ever gave you was news of your foul king's death! And like good little sheep, you licked from the silver spoon I filled with lies! Without dear Aurus to guide and guard you, you could never have stopped me. A shame that I had him killed, isn't it?" he asked, pacing in a slow circle around his downed adversary and chuckling darkly.

"How... could you?" Morelda growled, struggling futilely to stand before slumping back to the floor. "You are a councilman! You duty was to the people, and you swore an oath to protect them!"

"I am a god!" he roared, circling behind her. "I have no duty to anything or anyone! I swore an oath to protect ants at my hooves, and if I go back on it the ants will know no better. They have their mundane, idiotic lives to busy them, and my betrayal is of little consequence to them, and their concerns are below me!" He stomped a hoof near her head, trying to intimidate her further.

He silently fumed as she made no move to flinch or dodge, simply bore his oncoming attack stoically, though it was all for show. "Without the people you will be nothing. When they recognize you for the monster you are, they will hate you. You saw Chrysalis, what she became. You expect to fare any differently?"

Gerd laughed at her as if she were an idiot. "Even if they left me, I have all the power I could ever need, and they cannot take it from me. I can feel your own hate surging in me as strong as any love, yet have I grown weaker? I am stronger than I have ever been, than anyone will ever be!" He backed away from her a step, locking eyes with her.

"But it's no matter. The people are fools, and fools are easy to control. They will never learn of my betrayal to the council. You and yours have been a thorn in my side long enough, and at last you are the only paper-thin barrier remaining between myself and the perfect power. I will rule T'rahk Enox, and then the world beyond. And they will love me for it. After all," he chuckled, bringing his head low to whisper in her ear, "there will be no council or king left to warn them about me."

Morelda moved to speak, but Gerd kicked her in the side of the head, dropping her fiercely into unconsciousness. "I tire of you, old one. Perhaps you should just accept that the world belongs to me. Now then..." he growled, turning his attention on the remaining council.

"I'm willing to forgive you for your transgressions against me. Even an ant will bite when it is afraid," he said, chuckling and settling into his smug smirk, his eyes alight with victory. "Tell me, little ants..." he asked, looking pointedly at the dead and broken councilman bleeding all over the floor on the other side of the room.

"What is more important, justice or power? Tell me, can you stop power with justice? No matter how you hate me, I can crush you. No matter how badly it wishes otherwise, even the most just ant is just an ant. And if you know what is good for you, you will realize the value of appeasing your new god," he said, standing a bit taller and smiling wickedly.

Silence reigned for a short time, before at last a young councilman, one near Gerd's own age stepped forward. He walked quietly, approaching his enemy, this abomination against peace and righteousness. He stopped in front of Gerd, standing tall and saying nothing.

Suddenly he prostrated himself, closing his eyes. "Forgive me, my lord," he cried loudly, reaching his neck out and kissing Gerd's hoof. "Hail Gerd Gallock!"

The remaining council seemed shocked as Gerd placed his other front hoof atop his new disciple's head roughly, forcing his nose into the floor. The young changeling did not protest or struggle, simply bore the humiliation as his new liege did whatever he pleased.

Unable to fight it, unable to find a way other than death or abandoning their ideals, many of them prostrated themselves. The room filled with resounding cries of "Hail Gerd!" and "Forgive us!" as their fellow councilmen looked at them in horror.

Gerd chuckled as he watched the show, watched all the would-be champions of justice bow to his power. As always there were those who refused to give up their ideals, but they would be made examples of, just like Morelda who lay unmoving and questionably alive on the cold stone floor.

"There is nothing to forgive, my slaves. After all, an ant could not know better. Now then, come join your wise brother here at my hooves, and watch the show. It seems there are still some insects that enjoy the idea of righteousness," Gerd chuckled wickedly, watching with satisfaction as those bowing to him quickly rushed to his side of the room, leaving their former allies behind, trapped between Gerd and the unyielding marble wall of the council hall.

Gerd's wicked laughter was drowned out by the screams resonating off of the dome above as what remained of the council made their last futile struggle for their pitiful lives.

The beam lanced between bubbles of golden light, bouncing off of the curved, translucent surfaces at strange angles. Each new bubble the green light contacted sent it rocketing in some new direction, into the next glowing orb. At last the beam shot back out the way it had come, slamming Aurus hard in the chest.

He gritted his teeth, fangs bared as he dug in his hooves. The impact pushed him back several feet, though his hooves never left the ground, carving twin trenches in the dirt of the courtyard. Smoke rose from his chest, where his shell had halted the attack, his shell smoldering slightly at its outermost layer.

"Are you alright?" Celestia called from across the way, surrounded by her glowing golden bubbles.

Aurus coughed to clear the tension in his chest and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't expecting that... What did you do?" he asked, trotting closer to her to observe her spell.

Aurus had been learning spells rapidly, preparing for the trip home that drew ever closer. Just the past week he had learned the very beam-spell that Chrysalis had used to combat Celestia, much to the pony monarch's disdain. Various others, such as Twilight's force-field spell, Chrysalis' fire portal, and Korrick's myriad air-manipulation spells were now at his horn-tip, ready to be cast on a whim. He could command them with both power and grace, easily guiding the spells to meet his needs.

The past two months had been kind to him where training was concerned, teaching him much. His practice with runes was complete, his own skill with them far surpassing his mentor's own. Chrysalis had long since given up trying to teach him anything more about them, for she had reached the limit of her own meager knowledge.

With such a variety of spells at his command, Aurus had moved on to combat training, learning to battle with his new-found abilities. Though he still had much to learn, he was a force to be reckoned with, and his new arsenal was nothing to scoff at. Still, new spells arose every day in these sparring sessions, like Celestia's latest maneuver.

"I call it 'misdirection'." Celestia said quietly, floating one of the bubbles near him. "It's exactly the same as the force-field spell, which I have used to stop your beam before. But instead of one, I created many smaller bubbles. Like the single force field, the beam bounces off, but by moving the bubbles around, I can bounce the beam in any direction I like. After reflecting it off a few of the orbs, I can even shoot it back the way it came from. It requires much more focus, but much less energy," she said, dispelling it.

Aurus watched the orbs vanish with a look of awe. "That's incredible! Turning your defense into an offense..." he gushed, turning his gaze back to her.

She laughed warmly, amazed that he was unharmed by his own powerful attack. Had it hit her, it would have done no small amount of damage, but that was the risk she took to train him. He couldn't afford to hold back, had to be taught how to fight with his all if he expected to win. "Give it a try yourself. Start with just two orbs, and try to keep them small enough to move easily," she said, hopping up and flapping her wings to move herself away from him, preparing for the next round of sparring.

Aurus did as she asked. He'd made multiple shields before, during lessons where he had trained to protect both himself and an ally simultaneously. After only a couple of attempts he had two easily maneuverable shield-bubbles floating around him, though his were a greenish color.

"Alright, now when the beam comes for you, try to deflect it," she called, aiming her horn.

"Ready!" Aurus called, settling himself lighter on his hooves like Chrysalis had taught him. Movement was a major part of any fight, magical or not, and he had to be ready to dodge or lunge at a moment's notice.

The golden ray of light lanced towards him. Weeks of training had conditioned him to anticipate its path, despite the speed of its travel. Purely on reflex he moved the orb on his right into it. The beam collided, then bent along the curved edge, screaming off in a random direction, Aurus realized immediately that he hadn't even considered where the beam would go after he deflected it, and he watched in horror as it made its way straight for Twilight.

She quickly threw up her own force-field, bouncing the beam harmlessly into the ground in front of her. "Hey, be careful!" she chided, glowering at him.

"I'm sorry!" he called back lamely, unsure of what else to say. "I'll be more careful this time!"

"Ready for another go?" Celestia asked, smiling at him.

"As I'll ever be," he grumbled, moving his orbs into a more manageable position.

The next beam came in at his left, Celestia bouncing it off of one of her own bubbles to send it in at an odd angle he wasn't expecting. But practice had conditioned him against panic, even in the face of possible failure. With a scowl of determination, he pivoted his first orb into place just in time, bouncing the beam to his right just far enough to miss him. His other orb was already in its path, just a hair below the ray of light. The beam struck the curve and rocketed straight skyward, deflected perfectly and harmlessly.

"Magnificent!" Celestia congratulated, clapping her hooves in delight. It never ceased to amaze her how quickly Aurus learned, especially lately now that his confidence and control were much improved.

"Now do five!" Chrysalis called out from her place behind Korrick, snickering at her sudden challenge.

"Shut up woman!" Korrick grumbled, nudging her gently. It was an unspoken rule that nobody was supposed to bother Aurus while he was practicing.

A rule the rotten ex-queen broke frequently.

"Heh, watch me," Aurus called back, conjuring three more bubbles. It was really more for show than anything, but he wasn't expecting what came next.

"Bold, I like that!" Celestia called, firing again.

"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Aurus cried, fumbling for control over the suddenly increased number of orbs. One of them fell lamely to the ground and rolled away from him slowly. He managed to get one in front of the beam, but the other three remained where he had conjured them, forgotten in his need to simply deflect the laser.

The laser hit the first orb, bouncing left directly into the next. It rocketed up over his head before bouncing to the orb on his right. In a final act of defiant irony, the golden ray shot off of that orb and slammed into his ribs, rolling him end over end to his left, where he finally came to a stop next to the shield-ball that had rolled away, lying upside down as the dust settled around him.

Chrysalis tipped over laughing as Celestia rushed to Aurus' side. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, looking him over. "I thought you were ready!"

"Apparently not," he huffed, scrabbling his hooves around until he finally managed to roll over and get up. The orbs under his command had long since vanished once he lost his focus on them. "I guess five's a few too many right now," he chuckled, ignoring the ache on his right side.

Behind the pair of sparring mages, Korrick kicked at Chrysalis as she rolled around laughing. In the foreground, Celestia simply smiled with relief. "Oh good, I thought I really hurt you."

Aurus just chuckled. "No way, I'm tougher than I look. Still, thanks for teaching me such a useful trick. I'm sure I can control five with practice. In the meantime though, do you mind if we take a break?"

Celestia just smiled warmly at him. "Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you take a few minutes? You can spar with Luna next when you're ready."

The two nodded at each other before wandering separate ways. As had become his habit, Aurus made his way to his six friends quickly, eager to spend his meager time between matches with his loved ones.

Particularly Applejack.

The orange mare greeted him with a comfortable peck on the lips, pulling up beside him as he wrapped a foreleg over her neck, giving her blonde mane a gentle stroke. The two of them had grown closer in the last two months. After that first dramatic fight they had had various other disagreements, but all of them were civil and ended in compromise. They were finally growing as a couple, and not as separate individuals, taking the time to be patient and lean on one another.

Much of the drama in their relationship was Aurus' fault, a fact he openly admitted. His training had become almost nightmarish lately, and he was pushing himself harder than ever with less energy than he was used to having. Applejack was often times his only real comfort at the end of the day, even though he loved his other friends dearly. She suffered the brunt of his venting and his temper on the bad days, but she always managed to snap him out of it. He'd tried apologizing before, but she had only scowled at him harder, and so he had long since given up, and simply started accepting her silent and constant forgiveness.

The other five seemed to take the relationship very well, and had stopped making remarks about it quite a while ago. Nobody's teasing had been more frequent than Rarity's, though Rainbow Dash was a close second. Still, it had all been in good fun and the budding couple had recognized the lighthearted fun-poking for what it really was: approval.

"Nice wipe-out," Rainbow Dash chuckled as Aurus and his partner finished their disgusting kissy ritual. "Maybe you should keep your head out of the clouds and stop biting off more than you can chew, loverboy."

"Ha ha, very funny," he replied curtly. "That wipe-out doesn't even come close to some of the times you've crashed, so I wouldn't get too high and mighty," he said with a laugh. The two of them bumped hooves, letting the bash-humor drop for the time being as Twilight trotted over from her conversation with the princesses.

"I can hardly believe your progress lately," she congratulated. "You've only just seen Celestia's deflection spell, yet you're already able to cast it. You're getting better at magic every day. And the way you fight... I've never seen somepony take hits like that, let alone dish them out!"

"Thanks Twi. It feels good to know I'm not the only one who thinks I'm making progress. Still, I can cast the spell just fine, but moving five different orbs is a problem. Heck, I even dropped one when I panicked," he said, using his leg around AJ to support him while he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment with his other front hoof. The strong farm-mare didn't even seem to notice as he put all the weight of his front half on her shoulders to execute the habitual motion he always made when he felt sheepish.

"You'll get the hang of it soon enough. You always have," she said with a smile. She was always so encouraging, and it was uplifting to hear her cheering him on, just like the rest of his friends.

"You'll be bouncing lasers around like crazy in no time," Rainbow said with a confident smile his way.

"And even if all you can do is make the bubbles, I think that's nice. They're very beautiful," Fluttershy added quietly, poking her head out from behind Rainbow, where she had been hiding ineffectively for the last three minutes.

"I agree with Fluttershy. Those green globes would make amazing fashion supplies; it's too bad they're not permanent," Rarity pouted.

Aurus just laughed, feeling rejuvenated as his friends surrounded him, sharing their humor and support with him.

"Aurus, come and practice!" Luna called from a short distance away.

"Well girls, that's my cue," he said with a sigh, rubbing his side. It was no secret that Luna was the more energetic of the two sisters when it came to fighting. For every scratch Celestia put on Aurus' shell, Luna made ten. "Wish me luck!"

His five friends all waved and snickered to themselves while Applejack extracted herself politely from his overlapping leg. "Ya don't need any luck, sugar," she said quietly, kissing him on the lips in farewell. "Ya jus' gotta focus. Don't let her knock ya flat!"

Aurus laughed, turning and waving over his shoulder. "I'll try not to."

Anything he said next was lost as Luna started their sparring match as quickly as she could.

"We are going to test thine armor thoroughly!"

"Ow," Aurus grumbled nonchalantly as Fluttershy massaged his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Aurus," she said soothingly, rubbing a bit more gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Is this better?"

"It's fine Fluttershy, and thanks for doing this. I'm going to be sore tomorrow, but I don't think I'd be able to move it in the morning without your help," he replied with a small smile.

"We are sorry, but we expected you to dodge that one," Luna grumbled defensively, pouting to herself on one of the numerous couches the gang had dragged into the library room.

Aurus just sighed, fighting the urge to follow habit and scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kind of deserved it anyways," he grumbled in such a way that it was clear he only half meant it. During the fight he had gotten frustrated and thrown one of his deflection orbs at her. The unorthodox move had caught her off guard and hit her in the nose, aggravating her.

In the end she had resorted to non-magical combat, flying hard for Aurus and tackling him. The two had rolled around in a fashion more befitting a schoolyard brawl, a ball of shell and fur tumbling end over end.

Needless to say Luna had come out on top.

"Well I thought it was hilarious," Chrysalis added idly, trotting up to another one of the bookshelves, and prying one out with her fangs. She spent much of her time reading lately, since she lacked the energy to spar with Aurus like the princesses.

"We did not ask you," Luna replied snootily.

Aurus chuckled to himself at the casual exchange. Much had happened in the last few months. Though nobody showed any signs of growing close to Chrysalis, everyone's tolerance of her was noticeably improved. Celestia, amazingly enough, was no exception.

"Don't care," Chrysalis mumbled around the book, wandering back to her seat.

"It's been quite a while since we heard from your friend Malik," Korrick put in from his place to Aurus' right. "Do you think something's happened?"

"More likely it's the opposite." Celestia was the one to answer him, a hoof under her chin in thought. "It's possible he's been found out, but it's more probable that he simply hasn't found any new information to report. We would have heard something from him if he suspected he had been discovered."

Korrick nodded, following her logic. "Then Gerd is acting strangely. I would have expected him to make a move by now, he was never the overly-patient type."

"Well it's too risky for us to try and reach him ourselves," Aurus said, his words on the wings of a comfortable sigh as Fluttershy soothed his aches. "There's no telling where he is or what he's doing, so communicating with him could be dangerous. If our enemy can be patient, so can we."

"Wise as always," Korrick said with a laugh, resigning to his king's line of logic. "Still, if it hasn't happened yet, I suspect he will strike soon. Be ready, Aurus. There is no telling what grim news we might receive next."

Aurus' pleasant smile faded into a resigned scowl, the face of one who has long awaited dark tidings and is prepared to face them.

"I know, Korrick. And I promise it will be Gerd who's not ready for me."

Malik trotted along the subtle path in the dust. It was only one pair of hooves wide, but well traveled. The harsh, hot winds of his homeland constantly blew sand across it, obscuring it from the most diligent of eyes each day. But at night the sandstorms settled, leaving it revealed to his trained eyes.

This level of caution was hardly necessary. Gerd was far too consumed with his success lately to pay anyone but himself any mind. He could probably have contacted Aurus in the middle of the council hall itself without being noticed.

Especially after the harsh events that had taken place there today.

His pace quickened subconsciously as he broke into a canter. Midnight was not his usual time to message his king, but this simply could not wait. He had been waiting for the moment to break away and alert his lord since the very second Gerd had summoned him to the council hall.

He and the other assassins had been gathered to look upon the spectacle of his conquering; the council now knelt at his hooves, and marched to the beat of his drum. He, like the other assassins, had knelt as well, had faked his service to this monster. He never could have sworn true fealty to such a creature.

The reasons why were looking at him with dead eyes, mouths open in silent screams, their fangs painted with dried blood.

The corpses on the far side of the room had consumed his every thought. Malik had seen many dead bodies in his life, but none so brutally mangled, or so proudly displayed. Like the carcasses of some prized scorpion hunt, on display to all his underlings. Even as an assassin there had been a modicum of respect for their targets, honor for those they killed. Assassins only faced the strong head-on, but they killed the weak silently and swiftly, making their passing painless and without fear.

Malik shook his head. Gerd was no assassin. He was a murderer, killing with no code or reason other than for his own amusement.

He stopped inside the shallow cave, lighting his horn. Ever since Aurus' guidance, he had been making friends in secret, exploring the possibilities of love and peace on his own. He had all the magic he needed to do simple tasks now, and this time it was an emergency. With all of his haste, Malik opened his mind to the spell that would transport his mind across the void to communicate with his friends in Canterlot.

Lately he had been ordered to send his messages to Korrick, for Aurus was busy with his training. Korrick would then deliver the news to his king.

As the pool of water in front of him finally absorbed the magic, the spell took hold of it. Instead of its own dark depths the pool displayed a different scene, glowing with candlelight, a copy of some room far away.

Malik only hoped that his words would reach Aurus in time to stop the slaughter to come.

Aurus woke with a start to the banging on his door. "Huh, what?" he asked tiredly, his voice not nearly loud enough to be heard over the pounding.

Realizing whatever it was wasn't going to wait, he grumbled his way out of bed and over to the door, pulling it open slowly. He was almost struck square in the nose by Applejack's hoof, which was coming down for another knock.

"Thank goodness yer awake!" she said, her tone full of urgency and worry. "Ya gotta come to the library room quick! Malik's callin', an' it ain't pretty," she said, tears brimming in her eyes.

That sobered him up quickly. "What's happened?" he asked, his own voice becoming infected with her concern. The tears in her eyes worried him deeply.

"There ain't no time t' talk about it!" she said, turning and trotting in place before launching off down the hall. "C'mon!"

Aurus followed in hot pursuit, his heart throbbing with worry and adrenaline. What had happened to distress her so badly? "Malik..." he whispered to himself, concern flooding his veins as surely as the energy driving him down the hall.

The two of them raced into the library room, where the other friends of Ponyville, the princesses, and his changeling allies were assembled. Korrick's face was grim as he looked into the mirror in front of him, its edges glowing with green energy.

"You're certain?" Korrick asked with urgency.

"Yes, there's no doubting it." Came Malik's voice, sounding far away, but still audible.

Aurus pulled up next to Korrick, skidding to a halt in front of the mirror. "Malik, thank all that's holy that you're alive! What's going on? Has something happened?"

Malik's countenance within the mirror's depths shifted in his direction, nodding grimly. "It's started."

"What do you mean? Has Gerd finally made his move?" Aurus asked, his voice rising with anxious anger.

"Yes, and he isn't pulling any punches. Today he took the council by storm. Even their combined might was no match for him. He... he killed over half of them. Crushed them all like insects... I-I've never seen a body so destroyed," Malik went on, his voice showing the beginning signs of hysteria.

"Calm down!" Aurus growled, his own worry for his friend causing his tone to take on a harsh note to better snap him out of it.

"Y-yes, my lord," Malik said, a shuddering sigh helping to stay his nerves. "He drew the assassins to him today, saying it was time that we aided him. That he would be needing our services soon, and that we should be ready as the new council paved the way for his 'godhood'. I'm afraid there will be many more deaths to come... And that your family will no longer be safe. My lord, wherever you are, your people need you!"

Aurus trembled with rage as he looked on his friend's face. The fear and worry deep in Malik's eyes filled him with righteous anger for a changeling who was little more than a shell filled with murderous intent and grandiose, disgusting desire for power.

He bared his fangs, his eyes glowing with barely-withheld magic as he did his best to master his emotions and keep from blowing the room apart. Through his gritted teeth he finally delivered his words, and all in attendance flinched to hear their dear, sweet friend talk in a voice colder than death.

"I will be there, Malik... and Gerd will pay."

Gerd chuckled to himself, safe within the walls of the castle. Why should a god have to return to a humble house? A castle was hardly more fitting, but it would have to do. He laughed again, more loudly this time, declaring his victory to the ceiling above, flipping the gemstone from hoof to hoof with practiced ease.

Moonlight sifted through the tall, arched windows of the king's study. Oh how dead Aurus must be rolling in his grave! The pale luminescence painted Gerd's cocky smirk with stark contrasts, his fangs casting long and sinister shadows on the wall behind him. His green eyes glowed brightly, himself and his gemstone companion the only specks of color in the otherwise black and white world of moonlight and dark stone.

"Ah my friend, we've done it!" he congratulated the gem, smiling as he held it up. He observed its uneven and visually pleasing shape, the many rugged facets as he saw the light of the magic pulsing within. It flickered suddenly as if in reaction to his words.

At a pace as if it were laughing.

Gerd joined it, chuckling darkly again. "Indeed, laugh! With my schemes and your raw power, we're unstoppable. Alone I could have done so much, but with you I can ascend to heights I never thought possible. I'm no idiot, and I know where to give credit when it's due," he said with a wicked smile.

The gem pulsed brightly once, as if in agreement before returning to its usual, quietly glowing state.

"I am a god now, and you are my weapon. All the gods of old had their tools that they used to forge the world, or so it says in the legends. Isn't that what I'm doing? Forging the world to fit my will?" The stone pulsed its agreement silently. "Then I must name you. You are my blade, my hammer and nail as I break down and rebuild this shoddy reality the old ones made for us. It's time they bowed to my superior genius and power, just like the people do now! If there are gods out there, let them tremble as I tear their worthless world apart and make the pieces my own!" he cackled, placing the gem back around his neck.

"What do you say? Zarkoj, 'the hungering one'. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" he asked, emphasizing the name of his tool, the weapon he would use to reforge the world in the fires of his desire.

The gem flashed brightly, as if it could hardly contain its glee, eager to begin unleashing its fury on the insects below.

XIV: A God and a King

It was dark, the full moon overhead out-glowing the myriad stars surrounding it. Those too small or too dim were completely overrun by that gentle, white light. The dunes on the horizon seemed almost otherworldly, reflecting the pale moonlight with their endlessly shifting sands as the relentless desert wind tossed grains from mound to mound.

The stars below Aurus glowed as well, the changeling capital sparkling like a swarm of fireflies in the distance. Standing high nearly six hundred feet above, the flicker of green lamplight was identical to that of the night sky above, as if it were all a reflection in some emerald pool.

No structure glowed more brightly than the massive coliseum, its gargantuan braziers containing private infernos for the sake of challenging the night's darkness. Aurus could see the light glinting off millions of shelled hides, inside and outside the structure. The people were assembled, and even from this distance the yammering of the masses reached him. It was like the echo of terrible sandstorms that had assaulted this land since the beginning of history. Every individual voice clamored into the next, creating a whirlwind of sound that not even the distance could stop in the cold night air.

"What are you going to do?" Twilight asked him quietly, noting the reflection of the green firelight in his intense gaze.

Aurus never looked away, transfixed by his goal; the coliseum. "I will show them all what Gerd really is. And I will undo him in front of them all," he whispered quietly, his tone neither cruel nor cold.

Only certain.

"But you can't get in there. Look at all those people! You'll be spotted in an instant if you try to fly down there. Even in the middle of the night those braziers will illuminate you clear as day," Korrick said with concern.

"Perhaps it's time you told them your plan," Chrysalis said, her tone and expression indicating that she considered this all to have been a wonderful joke that she hadn't wanted to end.

Aurus sighed, closing his eyes and at last breaking his view of his place of destiny. It would not be an easy thing for his friends to hear, but this plan was his only chance to get close to Gerd on that platform.

"My original plan had been to have Twilight teleport me inside. But I can't do that; it would put her in danger, and the people won't recognize her. It would create confusion, and all of my hope rests with garnering their love again before Gerd can attack me. Every second that is delayed is a second we can't afford," he said somberly.

"What are you talking about-" Twilight began, clearly fully prepared to go in there with him, danger or not.

He held up a hoof, stopping her with a heavy sigh. "I'm going in there alone. You will all stay here," he said, bracing himself against the sea of protest he knew was coming.

"Absolutely not!" Rarity cried, scowling at him.

"Are you loco in the cocoa?" Pinkie Pie gasped, failing a bounce and tipping over.

"Are you kidding me?" Rainbow Dash groaned, gritting her teeth in a ferocious snarl.

"But... um... okay..." Fluttershy whispered, amazing Aurus by the sheer fact that he had heard her at all.

"Aurus, you can't be serious," Twilight said with concern, looking at him pleadingly.

He sighed, looking expectantly to the last of his six friends, waiting for the most powerful denial of his plan yet.

Applejack just smiled at him, tears in her eyes. "I ain't no good with magic, sugar. An' I can't fight this battle fer ya."

Everyone, Aurus included, looked at Applejack slack-jawed. The ever-ready earth pony had simply agreed? The king of the changelings shook his head in disbelief, a content smile on his face. At least Applejack understood; this was something only he could do, and even though he loved his friends dearly, it could only end badly for them. The pain in her eyes made it clear that she wanted to argue, just like her friends had, but she was refusing to.

Her resolve to let Aurus do this seemed to bleed into the others, who fell silent and just looked at him sadly.

"But what if you don't come back?" Fluttershy asked quietly, surprising everyone with her soft voice. Even her tender tone was enough to cut through the dead silence of night and sadness.

Everyone shuffled uncomfortably at her words, except for Aurus and Chrysalis. "I will come back," he said quietly, his smile sure and his words soothing as he looked at his shy, yellow friend.

"Pinkie Pie swear!" Pinkie declared, pointing at him and scowling skeptically as if she expected him to falter under such a powerful oath.

Aurus just smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," he replied calmly, working through the motions comically. All of his friends smiled, repressing giggles despite the seriousness of the task ahead. It was them, their group, doing what they always did; playing along, being together. For just a moment, everything was still normal, and nobody was marching into battle.

"Then what's the plan?" Twilight asked, her tone still worried, but accepting.

Aurus and Chrysalis shared a quick glance as the kingly changeling paced over to the edge of the cliff, smiling a devilish smile. "I had Malik bring us up here for two reasons... One is that nobody would be able to spot us in the dark, and so I won't be discovered."

"And the other?" Malik asked, his tone eagerly curious.

Aurus locked his eyes on the faraway stage of the coliseum below, grinning to himself. "Simple, really. In order to use the portal spell, you have to be able to see your destination."

Gerd chuckled to himself, still enjoying the looks of awe he received from the council crowded around him. Even the scribe was shocked by his appearance, and the horn of pure sapphire that now adorned his brow. He and his minions were behind the curtain of the coliseum's grand stage, awaiting the return of the guard, who would come bearing news that the assemblage of the nation was completed.

He arrived that very moment, bowing low in front of Gerd's monstrous form. "My lord god, the people are ready to bask in your presence," he said eagerly, and Gerd could actually feel this wretched, wicked creature's admiration and sincere worship. A changeling after his own heart, one who respected power above all else.

"Well done, slave," he replied, using his magic to bring the bowing creature back to its hooves. "Go and hold your seat among them. Watch the splendor of your god with the rest of those fools, but know that you are in my favor," he said, bidding the changeling to leave. The guard dipped his head repeatedly, thanking Gerd and backing away with eyes clenched shut, as if he were not worthy to look upon such magnificence.

In reality, Gerd's form horrified him to behold it.

Gerd turned to the scribe, his blazing eyes roving over the old creature's shaking form. Even his most trustworthy and respected servant trembled in shock and awe of this body, the body of something far greater than a changeling. "Now, my old servant, it is time that the people saw what a true king... no, what a god, can do."

"Yes, my lord," the scribe said hurriedly, his nervousness clear. He rushed to the side, where those in charge of running the stage stood ready. Outside a fanfare sounded, and the green glow bleeding through the curtains intensified as mages built the fires burning in the braziers even higher for effect. The crowd beyond hushed, and the curtains drew wide.

As he had commanded them, what remained of the council walked before him, heads bowed low and facing him. They moved backward towards the crowd in a semi-circle around Gerd's massive, hulking form. He walked at the center of that procession, his mighty head held high, his burning blue eyes glowing like braziers of their own. True silence reigned now, no longer the excited but hushed whispers of the crowd. Everyone stared in disbelief at the horror, the monstrosity, before them. Never in all their lives had they seen a changeling of such size, or so terribly metamorphosed.

Gerd drank in their shock and their fear, translating it to awe in his mind. Grinning wide, his horribly mutated fangs making his wicked smile infinitely sinister, he spoke at last as the council stopped, kneeling around him.

"Citizens of T'rahk Enox! Tell me, do you not recognize me? Or perhaps you are speechless with awe?" he asked, his voice easily loud enough to reach even outside the coliseum. Mages were projecting images of this spectacle all along the walls of the canyon for those who could not fit into the massive structure.

"Speechless then?" he asked again, grinning evilly. "As you should be. Look upon the true form of Gerd Gallock. The form of your new God!" he roared. On that cue, changeling mages dragged in a massive, covered object. They were clearly struggling with the weight of the item, which towered over even Gerd's mighty form. They dropped it beside him, bowing low before unveiling their burden.

It was the very statue the council had commissioned of Aurus, the perfect emerald likeness of their late king. The people were still stricken dumb by their shock, and so Gerd continued.

"Perhaps you remember my time as high councilor these past months. You might recall the false respect I had for this wretch," he chuckled, putting a hoof around the statue's massive leg in a parody of friendly closeness. The demonic, hungry look in his eyes denied any possible truth the gesture might have contained.

"Mages worked tirelessly for a week to carve this beautiful likeness of our dear, sweet king," he chuckled, emphasizing the sarcasm in his adjectives. "It's the symbol of everything Aurus accomplished. All of his ideals, the wonderment he brought you, and his power."

Gerd's smugly smiling face went wicked as he removed his hoof from the statue. The gem in his forehead flared, and the solid emerald likeness of their last king blew apart into hundreds of thousands of emerald shards. Gerd reacted not at all as the pieces of precious stone bounced off of him, littering the stage.

"His power? Nothing!" Gerd roared as the people gasped, not ready for the complete desecration of such a respected and well-loved king's monument. "When the council declared there would be no more kings, it was not to preserve his idiotic ideals! It was to pave the way for me! Your god! Aurus was an ant, and you are all ants! Everything he represents I can crush with a thought, and everything you held dear about him is worthless in light of the awe that you owe me!"

He cleared his throat, his wicked look vanishing almost instantly, replaced by a politician's grin. "There will be no more kings. And there will be no more council. Look at these men and women you called your leaders, bowing at my hooves. You have no need of them, for even the most powerful changeling pales to a god. And that is what I have become," he said, pacing to the back of the stage, turning his back on the crowd. His speech continued unhindered, however.

"Your god. This people, and all the peoples of the world, are mine. I will guide them into an era of my own choosing, reforging the world in my image!" He called, his voice echoing so that even though he did not face them, they could still hear him.

"Of course there are those of you who will think to fight me. Who think you can destroy me, dethrone me. And to those of you who dare to try, I will give you your chance. Come here and challenge your new god! The council itself was no match for me. Behold!" he growled, and at those words the council ringing the stage rose behind him.

Without hesitation, they fired. They unleashed an incredible display of spellpower; fire, wind, beams of pure energy. All of it lanced for the would-be god's exposed back. The crowd cheered, their horror and fear of this terrible and cruel creature willing the council to destroy him. Their magic grew, fueled by the people's desire to see them succeed, to kill Gerd, and their attacks doubled in magnitude, tripled even.

The council stopped, and the people hushed, waiting for the smoke of the fires to clear and reveal Gerd's destroyed corpse.

Gerd stepped out of that cloud of smoke, the council once more kneeling to him. His smile was smug, his eyes full of wicked delight. "How kind of you to cheer for my victory over death," he chuckled as cries of furious denial began to ring out. He could feel their anger and fear, their hate and desire for his demise.

And it tickled.

"Silence!" Gerd roared, magic behind that command. Everyone who was speaking felt their jaws clench against their will, drowning out their cries of protest and anger. Gerd chuckled to himself on stage as the changelings in the stands raged impotently against the power of his spell.

"I can feel it, you know. Your hatred, your fear. But you have seen you cannot stop me," he said, backing away from the crowd slowly, but still facing them. "Perhaps you are not convinced?"

The scribe came forward, his magic depositing a bound and gagged changeling at Gerd's massive hooves. The elderly female was clearly awake, but unable to move.

Most horrifyingly of all, her horn had been severed, and she could not use her magic to untie herself.

"Councilor Morelda Dugran," He declared to the crowd. "When I declared myself a god before the council, she stood against me. And now, she too kneels before me. But unlike her brothers and sisters who saw the truth of my power and came to serve me willingly, she has refused!"

"I am not a god to be trifled with! Those who deny my will shall see no forgiveness! I will show you all where the path leads for those who defy me!" Gerd growled, Zarkoj glowing like an evening star.

Green fire sparked around Morelda's figure in a circle, the black of the void filling its center. Terrified, Morelda sank into the ground, vanishing from sight.

"What is this?" Gerd roared furiously, for this was not the spell he had cast.

From the very same depths Morelda had vanished into, another form rose from the darkness. The frost blue mane, the twisted, metamorphosed horn, and terrible green eyes full of hate all struck Gerd like stones from a sling, battering his will and resolve as he gazed at a sight he had never expected to see.

Aurus Marz took the stage.

Korrick rushed to the injured changeling's side as she tumbled out of the fire-portal, still bound hoof to hoof. She was awake and shaking with terror, confusion evident in her delirious gaze. The six mares of Ponyville gathered around her as well, Twilight peeling off the ropes with her magic. In their haste to help her, Korrick had not yet had time to discover her identity.

"Morelda?" he asked in disbelief, recognizing her at last.

Her trembling form calmed at his voice slightly, her frightened eyes darting to his familiar face. "K-Korrick?" she asked, clearly in disbelief. "Thank the stars that you are alive!" she practically wept, tumbling into him. Her shock had made her legs weak and worthless, and he was forced to catch her as she cried her fear away.

"Morelda... Morelda, be still," he bade her quietly, calmly. "You are safe now. King Aurus has saved you."

She rose her eyes sharply, the tears there flying away with the force of her motion. "The king is alive?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes. Even now he does battle with Gerd," the old councilman replied steadily, as if there were nothing to fear. "The people will fuel his righteous anger, and Gerd Gallock will fall."

Morelda began trembling again, visibly. "No... No! He can't fight Gerd! No magic he has can even scratch that demon. He's protected by some horrible magic I've never seen before. A gem of some sort," she stammered, doing her best to deliver the vital information, despite her memories of that horrible creature bearing down on her, declaring her death.

"What do you mean?" Korrick asked, nervous fear filling his own voice.

"A stone... a stone that absorbs magic! It's set in his brow, the monster replaced his own horn with it!" she wailed, shaking Korrick gently by the shoulders. "You have to stop him! If you don't call him back, Aurus is going to die!" tears were streaming down her muzzle now, dripping into the hungry dust below her. It was true that her own plans for the council had written the young king off as a failure, and that she had held little love for him once. But he had saved her life, and he was in danger.

The six friends of Ponyville looked at one another with shocked concern. Until now it had always been a possibility.

But this changeling made it sound certain.

"Chrysalis?" Korrick asked hurriedly, his question vague but somehow clear to the changeling woman.

"It's possible. We warned Aurus that the magic of the Gallocks wasn't their greatest weapon. That they might have such artifacts. I have never heard of such a stone, but who's to say they don't have such a thing? If that's the case, then Aurus is in terrible danger... No matter the amount of magical training he received, he'll fail if his spells can't get through," she said, her own tone showing an uncharacteristic amount of worry.

Applejack stomped a hoof, drawing all eyes to her. Her face was a mask of determination, her eyes filled with readiness for the task ahead. "We're goin' to him, Twi," she said sternly, and the purple unicorn nodded, her own mind similarly made up.

"But AJ, you told him you would let him go alone," Rainbow Dash put in unexpectedly, skeptical of the ever-honest Applejack's earlier declaration.

AJ just shook her head and snorted, bringing a mischievous grin to the rainbow-maned pony's face.

"Well I reckon I lied."

Gerd Gallock laughed like a hyena, uncontrollably and wildly as his eyes beheld a sight even his vast and clever mind had not been prepared to see again.

Aurus looked upon the new form Gerd wore with open horror and disgust. But his training in magic had hardened his resolve and willpower, and he buried those fears under his determination. No matter the size or strength of that body, Gerd would be as weak as a plain scorpion when the people realized what was going on.

The stadium was hushed, filled with excited whispers. Those closest to the stage and those viewing the event on the walls of the canyon were spreading the word quickly. The new changeling on stage seemed far too familiar.

Gerd stopped laughing, wiping his tears of insane mirth away. "What an unexpected surprise! The very changeling who started my path to godhood has returned to pay his respects to me. It would seem that your death was slightly... delayed," he declared, smiling wickedly. His burning eyes showed curiosity and intrigue, but his words were controlled. No matter the amazement of seeing his dead adversary, he was too powerful now to be worried.

"Respect? Godhood?" Aurus asked angrily, his own voice similarly grand from magical power. That voice was familiar to the people, but it was not enough to convince them yet. The trickle he felt coming from the crowd was a river being dammed by confusion.

"What you see as godhood is a fragile thing," he continued viciously. "No matter the power you think you have, the love of the people is stronger. The council may not have been able to destroy you, Gerd, but I will."

The people latched onto that. This changeling, fighting that monster alone? A proud and righteous challenge in the defense of the people? Only one changeling could be so powerful, so just.

"Ever the naive fool," Gerd chuckled. "It seems that what the council said about you is true to the bitter end. You truly are a strange one. You think that a king can stop a god?" Gerd roared.

That broke their wall of confusion and doubt. The word king echoed through the canyon, declaring Aurus' identity clearly to all the assembled, and with that recognition came all their love and adoration, their hopes for salvation and his victory.

Their desire to be saved from the injustice and tyranny of Gerd Gallock.

Gerd watched as Aurus stumbled under the magical pressure, just as he had intended. Revealing this weakling for what he was would cause such an influx of power that it would consume him. Gerd wouldn't even have to lift a hoof, at least not until Aurus was lying on the ground, inches from death and begging for his life.

Aurus gritted his teeth, eyes glowing fiercely as he directed the magical force inside him. It was manageable, but painful. Quickly approaching the breaking point.

It was time. Lighting his horn he reared back.

Gerd laughed, shaking his head. "Are you going to attack me already?" he asked, his tone making it clear that he was not concerned in the slightest.

Aurus channeled all of the powerful energy that he could muster into his legs and stomped hard, holding the image of his beautiful, wonderful rune in his mind.

Green lightning raced out from him, across the stage and the grounds of the coliseum, and far beyond. The canyon was lit as brightly as noontime from below, a throbbing green and soothing light that radiated from the massive rune that encompassed the entire city, ringing it in and climbing up the sides of the canyon walls. The rune was nearly a mile wide from end to end, and filled with unimaginable energy.

The energy of adoration, of love, and of salvation.

Gerd looked around in concern until he realized that whatever this spell was, it was doing him no harm. "A pretty show, but worthless nonetheless. Now then, where were we-" he began, but he trailed off as he saw Aurus.

The changeling king was standing firm, unharmed by the magic coursing through his body! The amount flowing into him should have been impossible to contain, should have been toxic. Without Zarkoj, even Gerd could not hope to control that much energy at once. How was he still standing, with that confident smile still on his smug face?

"You worthless ant... I had hoped to see your own power tear you apart. Oh, the irony that would have held!" Gerd said with mock sorrow. "But no matter. Even with all of that power at your command, you are no match for me!" he roared.

The battle of the titans began at last.

Gerd landed the first blow, using the powerful magic of Zarkoj to fuel a mighty stomp of his front-right hoof. Crushing their would-be savior in a single blow would surely show the people his power, much more than killing Morelda ever could have. In Gerd's eyes, it was a fortuitous event that Aurus had returned. What better way to solidify his power and ensure the people's despair? Laughing loudly, he bore down on his enemy.

Aurus threw up a barrier, drawing from his rune and projecting the orb around himself. He stood calmly at its center as the hoof crushed into the magical field above him.

It then punched through it, the field shattering and dissipating as the gem on Gerd's brow flashed brightly, absorbing the spell that held the barrier in place. Aurus dove back as the hoof bore down, the shock-wave of the impact throwing him over backward as Gerd's mighty leg crushed the stage below. When the dust settled and Aurus was back to his hooves, he could see the crater that deadly punch had left.

How had his barrier failed? His spell had been powerful enough to stop nearly any of his own insanely strong magical attacks, let alone a simple physical assault. It didn't make sense!

Gerd walked out of the settling dust towards him slowly. "What's the matter, little king? Aren't your spells strong enough to stop me? A shame I won't even need magic to crush you, but it will be such a grandly humiliating defeat when the people see you stomped into dust by my hooves alone!" he growled, rushing forward again.

His speed was amazing in that powerful body, but it was nothing compared to the days Aurus had spent flying with Rainbow Dash, or the speed of the lasers he had deflected daily in practice. Still, he took an unconscious step back, trying to think of something. The barrier hadn't held for more than an instant, and so he was loathe to depend on that again, at least until he could discover what had happened.

His rear hoof bumped something, drawing his attention for a split second. Littered all over the stage were shards of emerald, sharp as any fang or dart. An idea sparked in his mind.

As Gerd bore down on him a second time, seeking to crush him underhoof, Aurus acted on his plan. Using his magic he drew several shards underneath him in a split second and jammed them all into the floor of the stage, their wicked, spiked tips facing upward. At the last second Aurus jumped aside, watching with satisfaction as Gerd's hoof rocketed into his trap full-force.

Gerd roared in pain as the emerald spikes punched through his hoof and into the tender flesh beneath, drawing dark red blood. So great was the force of his attack that the shards had been forced fully inside his hoof, and not even the ends that had been jammed into the stage were visible as he raised his injured leg to take the weight off of it.

"You little rat," Gerd growled, his teeth gritted against the pain. Zarkoj flared, and magic forced the shards back out, though Gerd winced with the agony of the act. Still holding the bloody spines with his magic, he flung them at Aurus with frightening speed.

Aurus threw up another shield purely out of instinct, putting more energy into it than the previous one. The shards collided with it, ricocheting off of it instantly. Aurus didn't feel the shield weaken even the slightest, despite the power behind those projectiles. His barrier had shattered under Gerd's simple hoof, yet it easily turned aside his powerful magic.

Something wasn't adding up. Even with the people now clearly on his side, Gerd had plenty of magical power. That last attack wasn't lacking at all, yet it had not destroyed his barrier like Gerd's hoof had.

Gerd growled. "You think you can stop me, simply by blocking my attacks? Your power is limited, but mine is endless!" he roared. A blue beam of light lanced out from his jeweled horn, a feature Aurus was just now truly noticing.

Aurus created a deflection array with his shield bubbles organizing them to intercept the beam and redirect it. Seeing that Gerd was still off-balance and holding his injured hoof aloft, Aurus threw one orb out wide to his left. The beam arced around him and into the lone orb on the side, lancing into Gerd from his right. The force of the blow stumbled him to his left, where his injured hoof was no longer present to support him. Unable to brace against the attack, Gerd was thrown sideways, slamming into the back wall of the stage with earth-shaking force. The emerald fragments all across the stage bounced and rattled as Gerd collided with the stone.

The crowd roared with pleased cheers, calling Aurus' name and willing him on in the fight. The powerful energy of love continued to pour into him, and he carefully moved it into his rune, not letting it depart. He scowled as he heard the crunching of stone within the dust cloud that housed the wreckage of Gerd's tumbling roll. That beam had nearly shattered the first few orbs it had hit, and even after a few bounces it still held the force to throw such a massive creature so far.

If such an attack were to hit him directly, Aurus knew that the fight would quickly end. He had to stay on the offensive now that he had gained ground, for even the slightest break in his defenses would be fatal. If he could press Gerd hard enough, he might be able to end the fight before the monster could retaliate properly.

Aurus conjured a gust of wind, blowing the dust aside and revealing his opponent. Gerd had pried himself out of the badly dented and cracked stone wall. The spikes of bone in his back had left deep holes in the rock where his spine had collided with the structure. As he finally wriggled the last of his massive body free, the stone wall crumbled down behind him, no longer having his powerful frame to lend it the support it needed.

Gerd shook his head, clearing the pain from it. Why hadn't Zarkoj stopped that attack? Any spell should have been absorbed instantly, yet the beam had hit him full-force.

The voice in his head he knew to be Zarkoj spoke. "I cannot alter that which you cast through me, master. Be wary of the little thing. If it turns your own might against you, even our powerful body will not be able to withstand the blows."

Gerd's blazing eyes riveted on Aurus, who was readying some spell of his own, and smiled. So that was it. A simple mistake, nothing more. One he would not make twice.

Aurus let fly a barrage of beams, splitting one massive laser over the surface of a shield bubble. That one became five, and those five became twenty-five as they collided with bubbles of their own, dividing into a wide area of effect. The ranged assault rocketed in, and Gerd made no move to evade it or prevent it. Aurus allowed himself a glimmer of cockiness as the beams licked at Gerd's hide.

Yet they did nothing. The rays vanished, confusing Aurus. Gerd laughed at him, loudly, mockingly. "You think you can harm me?" he asked smugly. "Your magic is worthless to me! Only a god can harm me, and I am the only one fit to claim such a title!"

A mighty wind sprang forth from Gerd's body, threatening to lift Aurus from his hooves and throw him into the remaining wall behind the stage. Gritting his teeth, Aurus conjured a barrier in front of himself, splitting the wind to either side of him. But the air pressure was insane, and even with his shield in place the vacuum effect that resulted threatened to suffocate him. The air rushing past him pulled all the air near him with it, and it was only a matter of time before he weakened from lack of oxygen and his barrier fell.

He sucked in a deep breath and gritted his teeth, realizing that he had to act. If he waited he would be flung into the wall in the end, and then Gerd would have all the opening he needed to land a powerful attack. Pulling from his rune and forcing the magic into his legs he forged towards Gerd, pushing his wedge-shaped shield ahead of him like a plow, slicing through the wind.

Gerd's laughter reached him even through the torrent of air. "How idiotic! You think to reach me? What will you do, even if you arrive? I will crush your worthless barrier to nothing and my gale will tear you apart!" he roared. His horn flared and two fireballs were cast into the whirlwind, racing fast for Aurus' barrier.

He knew that his shields would not hold up, not with his lungs burning for air and his concentration split between his need to breathe and to keep his shield in place. Aurus braced for the attack, staring into the oncoming blast with a ready will. It couldn't end like this, and all of his resolve would see him through this nightmarish barrage.

It never came. The winds suddenly stopped, and the fireballs were forced towards the back of the stage by a sudden gale flowing in that direction, where they exploded with a force that shook the stage. Looking ahead, Aurus saw that the stone of the floor had been raised, forming an earthen cage around Gerd, and locking his winds inside it. Looking around, Aurus soon spotted the source of his salvation, and his gasp was not just one for air.

Twilight stood facing Gerd, her horn glowing, forcing the stones to crush in tighter around his powerful body, containing the wind inside. Applejack, Chrysalis, and his other friends stood behind her. She was clearly straining to maintain her container, and each time Gerd punched through a wall she would raise another to replace it. Between gaps in her ready defense, Aurus could hear the monstrous changeling roaring curses.

Korrick approached him swiftly, the old changeling clearly in a hurry.

"Korrick, what are you doing here? I told you all to stay behind!" Aurus growled, his fear for his friends outweighing the logical part of his brain that wanted to thank Korrick for blowing aside those deadly, fiery missiles.

"No time for that!" Korrick shouted back, looking in the direction of the thrashing mess of stone and flesh that currently comprised Gerd Gallock, and Twilight's losing struggle. "She can't hold him long! We had to bring you news and come to your aid. That stone in his head absorbs magic spells! Earlier when your barrier broke apart, didn't you feel it? The magic, being drained?"

Aurus thought rapidly, trying to keep pace and still understand the information. Korrick was right, earlier the barrier hadn't been crushed by force. It had been weakened, drained to nothing! "What are you saying? That my magic is useless?" Aurus shouted furiously, unwilling to accept that, though it was clearly the truth. His earlier attack had proven that much.

"Exactly that!" Korrick growled. "No matter what spells you throw his way, that stone is going to stop it!"

Their time was up as the sound of crunching stone finally overcame all other sounds, the four walls of Gerd's cage at last coming down. Twilight was breathing hard and laying down, her energy completely spent for that one task. She had wrestled with a titan with all her strength, and it had cost her.

Furious, Gerd stalked towards her. "Pony wretch!" he roared, shaking shards of stone from his mane and looking upon her tired form with eyes made of hatred. He raised his injured hoof, pain forgotten in his fury as he crushed down on her.

"Twilight, no!" Aurus roared, reaching toward her. No spell would come, it would be far too late. And even if he did erect a barrier, it would shatter uselessly under that powerful leg.

A rainbow blur shot in front of that attack, and suddenly Gerd reeled back, roaring in agony and shaking his damaged leg to numb the pain. Rainbow Dash landed in front of Twilight, breathing hard and bleeding from one of her legs, a deep gash that was surely causing her more pain that she was letting on. "Don't you lay a hoof on her!" the rainbow pony shouted, fanning out protectively, wings raised to increase her area of guardianship.

Gerd plucked another bloody emerald shard from his leg, looking with disgust at the weakling creature who had so harmed him. She had flown in and stabbed him, gouging herself on the reverse end of the shard in the process. Reckless, yet effective, he had to admit. Still, it would not save her or her friends.

"When I'm through with you, Aurus is next!" He roared, leveling his horn and preparing a spell.

He never got the chance, for Aurus flew in fast from the side, roaring like a lion, the speed and magical energy inside his body compounding with crushing force as he drilled Gerd solidly in the side of skull. The force snapped the massive creature's head to the side, sending him tumbling to the stone in a daze. Aurus could feel the hide beneath his attack cracking from the energy in that single blow.

Growling away the pain with his hatred and rage, Gerd rose back to his hooves. "You..." he hissed, spitting blood and a dislodged fang to the stone below.

"That's right. I'm your enemy, and turning your back on me for even a second is a mistake you can't afford to make! If you want to kill my friends, then you'll have to get through me first!" Aurus rushed Gerd again, punching the badly off-balance behemoth again.

This time Gerd held his ground though, bearing the painful punch with bared fangs. "If that's the game you want to play, then I will show you who the victor is!" he roared, meeting Aurus' next punch with one of his own.

The blow rocked his foreleg, yet the king held firm. Though Gerd was fast, he was too large to keep up with Aurus. Filling his leg with magic, Aurus forced Gerd's attack out wide and rushed through the sudden opening. With a roar of pure force, he drove home with a punch that collided solidly with the end of Gerd's injured leg. The power of that blow shattered the already punctured shell and hoof, exposing the bleeding, tender flesh beneath.

Gerd roared and swatted at him, but Aurus turned it to his advantage. He tucked his wings and stuck out a foreleg, catching the punch purposely. The force pushed that leg, spinning Aurus around like a top, racing through the air for Gerd's head. Using the rotational momentum of his own punch against him, Aurus stuck his rear right leg out and kicked with all his might, crushing Gerd's skull into the stage below with unbelievable force.

Gerd gasped from the pain as the blow sought to claim his consciousness. The punch earlier had cracked his shell, and that kick had shattered a piece of it, exposing the horrifying sight of his jaw muscle underneath, a string of ivory fangs visible on the edges of the sinewy, bleeding mess. Regardless of the agony, Gerd knew that to pass out would mean his death, and so he held on, pushing himself to his hooves. Fighting Aurus physically was clearly not an option.

He was losing.

Magic was his only safe bet, but he was badly outnumbered now. Aurus landed a short distance away, huffing with the effort of his assault and trying to right his spinning vision. Gerd forced himself back upright, similarly winded, his vision a haze of spots from the concussive kick.

Knowing that he had little time to act, Gerd leveled his horn back at Aurus' friends, preparing to decimate them and leave Aurus vulnerable and alone. "You cannot beat a god!" he roared defiantly, conjuring a beam of light that raced for Aurus' ill-prepared companions. "Know despair!"

Aurus watched in horror, seeing the entire spectacle in slow motion as his friend's faces filled with terror. The beam coming for them was unstoppable with Twilight so drained, and Aurus had no time to react, still recovering from his attack.

He watched it happen. One face in the crowd of loved ones showed no fear, only determination and anger. Ahead of the group, directly in the path of the beam, a fire portal sprang to life, and out of it rose Chrysalis. The hate in her eyes remained right until the beam, struck her, exploding with blue light and obscuring her from view. The blast threw her crumpled body toward Aurus, bouncing limply off the stone and rolling to his hooves.

Chrysalis was terribly burned, her hide shattered in numerous places. She was bleeding horribly, yet her eyes still moved, her chest still rose and fell sporadically.

Aurus rushed forward the few meager steps he had needed to cradle her battered form in his legs. "No... No!" he pleaded, watching her choke on blood. Her chest was filling with the fluid, her ribs shattered by the explosion, puncturing her heart.

She was sure to die.

"A-Aurus..." she gagged, spewing his name around the bubble of crimson liquid in her throat.

"Why?" he asked, tears coming to his eyes. "How?"

"I... I never used that energy that you gave me, all those months ago," she said weakly, laughing hollowly. "I was... was saving it for something important... And I found it. Kill him," she whispered hoarsely, and it was clear that those words were carried on her last breath. She smiled a scarlet smile at Aurus before her body shuddered and her life faded, leaving her glazed, dead eyes staring pleadingly into his. Begging him not to waste her sacrifice.

The tears fell freely around his muzzle, his snout pressed to her shattered chest. He wanted so badly to grieve her, for her sacrifice was the most important thing anyone had ever done for him. She had saved the lives of all his friends, but there was no time for that. He had to be strong, for Gerd would surely strike again. Raising his head, his teary eyes became pits of unbreakable resolve. He gently, reverently laid her body aside, standing with his shoulders square and his jaw clenched in fury.

Gerd stood across the stage, leveling his horn for Aurus, who he thought to be grieving and unable to stop the attack. A powerful blast of wind rocked forth, but Aurus threw up a shield just in time to stop it, redirecting it. Still, it rattled the barrier badly, and it was clear that while Gerd was no match for him physically, the reverse was true for magic. Aurus would have to get close to beat him.

Gerd was in full swing now, letting loose barrage after barrage of spells; fire, wind, light. They came too quickly for Aurus to turn them against him, and so the changeling king fought simply to stay alive. He detonated fireballs by launching his own, turned wind aside with barriers and counter-gales, and bounced lasers skyward moment after moment. But every spell inched closer, was even less powerfully misdirected. Though his own magical energy was still powerful beyond belief, Aurus lacked the amplifying power of Zarkoj.

At last the inevitable came to pass. A beam struck him hard, punching through the barrier in front of it. Though weakened by the protective spell it had shattered, the beam still tossed Aurus like he was nothing across the stage.

Seeing his opening, Gerd zipped off fireball after fireball, all rocking Aurus badly. The flames and smoke obscured him from view, leaving his fate to the imagination of his friends as even more explosions shook the stone. All the while the giant changeling behemoth cackled madly, his grin maniacal and fiery eyes filled with demonic delight.

"Filthy ant! Kick and punch as you might, your magic is no match for my power! I will turn you to ash!" he roared, firing one last blast before halting. Eager to see his enemy's charred corpse, he forced the smoke and lingering flames aside.

In the center of the blast area was a dome of horribly battered and charred stone, but no corpse. The stone crumbled down, revealing Aurus still standing, though badly burned and breathing heavily. One of his eyes had its outer lens in place, rerouting a stream of blood, but he still stood.

Gerd just laughed, seeing the weak changeling fighting for his footing. A shame he hadn't died, but perhaps this could be fun. "You truly are a fine opponent! I never would have expected you to last so long, but even gods tire of their toys. You haven't the fight left in you to stop me." Gerd laughed to himself, striding towards the helpless friends of Ponyville, who were busy staring with worry at Aurus. "Before I kill you, I want you to see just how worthless love really is. Your friends will be waiting for you in the hells beyond!"

Aurus tried to move forward, tried to flutter his wings and make haste to aid his friends. But he was injured badly, and his strength was fading. He tumbled to the dusty stone floor of the coliseum's ruined stage, looking frantically at his friends. He had to do something! Anything! But all of his magic was worthless, no spell could reach Gerd.

Any idea, anything at all. His mind raced and time seemed to slow in his desperation. He replayed everything in his head, looking for some way to save them. Everything shot through his mind at the speed of light. His training, the battle...

His mind latched onto Korrick's words to him.

"No matter what spells you throw his way, that stone is going to stop it!"

He was desperate, and his mind formulated a last ditch plan. "Gerd!" Aurus roared, forcing himself to his hooves.

The monster changeling turned, smiling smugly. "Are you going to beg for their lives?" he asked snidely, turning to face Aurus fully.

"No... I'm going to fight for them!" Aurus growled. With all his mental will, he began drawing magic into him from the rune.

Gerd laughed, watching the energy gather. He strode closer to Aurus, presenting a better shot for the attack he saw building there, his arrogance demanding that he make this failure as humiliating as possible. "Gather all the strength you can! You cannot hope to scratch me with your magic!"

Aurus growled through gritted teeth, his eyes glowing furiously as he absorbed the entire massive rune. Green fire sprung from his joints, the magic beginning to leak out beyond his control. "I won't be using my magic!" Aurus roared.

Inside himself, he felt his willpower break.

The magic overtook him as it had in that valley months before. Green tendrils sprouted from his back, his hair and tail erupting in flame. His eyes too burned with green fire, but the flames licking at his flesh did not sear him. The tendrils at his back fanned out, poised like the tails of striking scorpions. Aurus roared in pain, his voice so powerful that it shook the very earth. One canyon wall caved from the shout, crushing buildings on the outskirts, which were thankfully abandoned due to the assemblage Gerd himself had called.

It was excruciating, infinitely more powerful and painful than that first dive into wild magic. But this was Aurus' only plan, his only remaining idea. He surrendered himself fully to the terrible power of the destructive magic, giving it only one point of focus before he withdrew.

Into that wild spell he channeled all of his anger and hate for Gerd Gallock.

The mocking laughter perched on Gerd's lips never came to pass as he took in the powerful display before him. Aurus was a fiery creature of light, facing him down fearlessly. His face held only an expression of unnerving calm, as if he were not even in the battle anymore.

Something was horribly wrong, and Zarkoj trembled. Nervousness and fear began to leak into Gerd's heart, for he had never encountered magic like this, and Zarkoj was afraid.

The crowd looked upon the spectacle, the god of darkness backing away slowly from the god of light that was Aurus Marz.

Gerd could feel his supremacy slipping, ground he could not afford to lose. Mustering his courage, he cried out and cast forth, summoning winds and fireballs, anything he could muster to kill his glowing adversary. "Die!" he roared.

Aurus stood stock still, but the tendrils springing from his body reacted. Eight of them existed, and two lazily destroyed the fireballs long before they could reach Aurus. The gusts of wind racing for him never met their mark, bending around him even though no barrier was in place.

Through it all, Aurus' expression never changed, his eyes glowing like hellfire in the darkness, six tendrils racing along the ground for Gerd's body.

His magic failed! Gerd stood fast, determined that Zarkoj would handle this attack while he kept up his own barrage.

"Flee! Do not let them touch you!" the gem pleaded suddenly, as one tendril reared up before Gerd's massive frame.

Gerd couldn't react in time. The fiery tendril wrapped itself around his neck, burning him and setting the air in his throat to boiling. He tried to cry out, but that tendril of flame crushed his windpipe as if it were nothing, clenching his throat tight.

Four other tendrils laced themselves through the holes in his legs, binding themselves in terrible knots of flame that scorched his flesh and seared his mind with agony. The tendril around his neck began to pull him with horrifying, unyielding strength. Though he struggled against it with all his might, pumping magic from Zarkoj into his limbs, it mattered not at all. The other tendrils pulled his legs, defeating his efforts and toppling him to the stone. Gerd struggled futilely as Aurus' glowing form approached, the remaining three tendrils at the ready, poised over his head.

"How?" Gerd asked pitifully, gasping out that single word through the tentacle's frighteningly powerful grip on his throat. He was helpless at his enemy's hooves.

Aurus' expression did not change from that calm, heartless face. "Gerd Gallock, as king of T'rahk Enox, I sentence you to death, and everlasting torment," he spoke, his voice sounding as if it were more than one, strangely otherworldly.

Even as the words left his lips, the tendrils did their dread work. The one laced through Gerd's back left leg pulled one way, the others all pulling the opposite direction. Sinew and bone cracked and popped, the tendril ripping the leg clean off at the knee with unrelenting force, and throwing the bloody appendage aside.

Gerd could only groan, a horrifyingly sickening sound that was muffled by the tendril around his throat. His agony only intensified as the burning tendrils ripped off his remaining limbs, slithering back around his torso once their separate mutilations were finished. Gerd tried his hardest to scream, his lungs burning for air and his mind delirious with pain. All he could see through the haze of his hellish existence was the tendril coming for his face as it wrapped around Zarkoj, the gem trembling with fear.

"Master!"

His world ended with that final word and the feeling of unimaginable agony as the tendril around his throat pulled down, the one wrapped around Zarkoj pulling away with godlike strength.

Aurus never flinched as the wild magic decapitated the would-be god, spattering his calm face with bright blood.

The tendrils dropped the head of Gerd at Aurus' hooves, his face locked in an eternal scream. Asserting his will back over the magic, Aurus wrestled for control. The tendrils faded as he pushed the magic back out, creating another rune below him to redirect the flow of powerful magic.

He looked with sad eyes on the powerfully destroyed corpse of his enemy. It had been beyond his control, the magic had only done what it was made to do, yet he couldn't deny the twinge in his heart. He had caused such a violent destruction of a living creature, and not even Gerd Gallock deserved the death he received.

His consciousness faded as the astounded hush of the stadium came crashing down, washing over him in a wave of adoration, pure ecstasy at his victory.

Aurus passed into oblivion a hero.

He woke with a start, sitting up fast and gasping for breath. A gentle hoof on his chest laid him back down slowly, and as the glaring sunlight finally faded from his vision, Aurus could see Applejack's tender smile, ringed by the worried faces of his friends. "It's okay, sugar," she said quietly, nuzzling him gently, careful to avoid his burns. "Yer safe... Thanks to ya, we're all safe."

Aurus sighed with relief, smiling warmly at her and raising a hoof to stroke her cheek. "Applejack, I'm sorry," he said quietly, tears coming to his eyes.

Her own waterworks began to run full tilt, and she hugged him roughly, making him hiss in pain as she scraped a few burned areas with her zealous embrace.

"Don't ya dare say yer sorry!" she sobbed, happy tears streaming down his neck and soaking the bandages on his chest. "It was horrible, but if ya hadn't killed him, he'd have killed us all! He'd have killed ya!" she wept, hugging him tighter.

He petted her head as best he could, one of his legs weirdly pinned. "But he didn't... Applejack, we're all alive. Gerd's never going to hurt anyone again."

She sniffed hard, her friends helping her pull herself away from Aurus. She wiped her eyes and smiled down at him. "I know, sugar. Yer friends and yer people owe ya everything."

Twilight edged in, looking Aurus over. "Can you stand?" she asked quietly.

Aurus mentally tested his level of energy and his pain threshold. Nothing seemed to be too terribly damaged, though he clearly had cracked ribs and a broken rear leg from his fight. "Yes, I think so..." he replied quietly. "Why?"

"Because three days ago you killed the first demon in changeling history, and the people are waiting to see their champion," Korrick said, smiling warmly at his king.

"Three days?" Aurus asked in disbelief.

"We were so worried. We tried everything, but you wouldn't wake up," Fluttershy said quietly. "It was frightening..."

Aurus rolled out of the bed carefully, testing his weight on his hooves. Once he was standing and sure of his balance, he patted his yellow friend gently on the head. "I'm sorry to have worried you so much. But you should have known I would come back to you."

He smiled warmly, looking around at all his friends. "After all, I promised."

Malik and Korrick threw open the double doors to the castle's orator balcony. Outside, the roar of all the nation rocked the stone below. The people were gathered on the rim of the cliff, a black sea of roaring throats and buzzing wings, awaiting their king. Their lord, their champion.

Aurus strode forward, and the cheering intensified. The rune below the castle grew, spreading all along the plains as he channeled the adoration into it. He had prepared ahead for this, knowing that the magic would be coming.

"Citizens of T'rahk Enox!" he roared, his bandages removed to give him a more regal appearance for this occasion. "Today we are victorious!" His hoof shot high as the cheers below echoed his declaration of victory. Aurus let the cheer rise for a moment, but not for himself. For them, to let them hear their own shouts of righteous, just conquering of evil. At last he lowered his hoof, bidding the people below to be still and listen.

"Today, we celebrate the dawn of a new age! Not the age of destruction and horror that Gerd Gallock desired, but the age of peace and prosperity that our people deserve! Tyrants and monsters have tormented our people for too long, and at last we have witnessed the triumph of true power! The power of peace and love!"

Another bout of cheering interrupted him briefly before he continued.

"My friends, I have done everything in my power to guide you and protect you. But now it is you who will play the largest part, and fight the truly challenging fight. I will remain to watch you and hold you steady as you show the world that we are ready to be a part of it! To no longer hide, but to be embraced openly! It is time, at long last, to be a people."

Whatever words he had next were washed away in the wonderful, happy outcry of those below, willingly following his words and his desires for peace. They were indeed ready, as he had said. "Hail, King Aurus!" the people cried. They shouted hail over and over, until the very balcony rattled with their shouts.

Aurus raised his hoof for silence and was graced with it immediately. Looking out over the congregation, he smiled warmly.

"Please... Just Aurus."

Epilogue: Only Time Will Tell

Aurus groaned and slumped across the desk, his forelegs stretching hopelessly for the far side as his muzzle pressed into the polished granite surface. The quill clattered down lamely, landing next to him as the magic surrounding it faded. He looked at the stack of papers being set before him with an expression of undisguised disbelief and horror.

"How many more of these are there?" he whined, gazing at the pillar of parchment looming over him, and then glaring at the offending changeling who had condemned him to such a papery fate.

Korrick just laughed, straightening the stack with his magic. "Welcome to politics. Lucky for you, this is the last stack. Sign these and you can take a break."

Aurus muttered something very unflattering as he pulled a sheet off the top, holding it sideways and reading it without removing his cheek from the cool stone of his writing desk. "Expense reports..." he grumbled, noting the symbol for changeling currency marked at the bottom.

"Well of course. The landslide destroyed quite a few homes, so there's the reimbursement for that. And then there's the cost of hiring the mages to repair the canyon wall..."

"I could have done that one myself, and probably saved twice as much time as I'll spend filling out these forms," Aurus huffed, setting the paper down and closing his eyes.

Korrick just chuckled to himself. "That's probably true, but you're in no condition to strain yourself like that. Anyways, the royal treasury isn't even going to notice the expenses. All things considered, the damage was fairly well contained. Why, when I saw you fighting like that I thought for certain..."

Aurus just rolled his eyes and tuned out the old man's recounting of the battle for the umpteenth time. He scribbled his signature on the page lazily, permitting the expenditure listed there without a thought, setting that parchment aside and starting a new pile of finished documents. With a heavy sigh he prepared another one, getting into a steady pace of skimming the documents and signing them before piling them up.

"Oh, I had almost forgotten," Korrick said solemnly, his sudden change from cheerful to serious catching Aurus' attention.

The king sat up immediately, looking at his suddenly somber face with concern. "What is it?"

"I know that you wanted me to gather the people, and I've sent out the summons like you asked. But before the ceremony tomorrow night, I was asked to give this to you," Korrick said quietly, passing a smaller piece of parchment Aurus' direction.

The subject of this chat made Aurus' heart heavy. Tomorrow evening was Chrysalis' funeral, an occasion that any who desired to were welcome to attend. Aurus didn't expect to see many people gather for such a thing, even at his request. He didn't want the people to attend simply because he had asked.

This paper was clearly no legal document. It appeared to be a hastily written letter, the changeling script showing a plainly obvious female tilt to the hoofwriting. His heart sank as he came to realize what this sad missive entailed, yet he read on all the same.

"If you are reading this, then I'm dead and you aren't. Your battle with Gerd was a success, and congratulations are in order. Stopping that wretch is the crowning achievement of your life, and possibly the brightest moment in our people's history. It's strange, but I feel oddly at peace. I feel fulfilled, knowing that my training helped you to triumph over him. That somehow my efforts finally helped the people. I still don't regret what I've done, as that's simply who I am... but it's not who I've seen myself becoming in these recent months.

Something changed, watching you selflessly throw yourself against the odds with no concern for your own life. It was so contrary to everything I once believed, and I admit I was intrigued. Though I'll never be remembered as a good queen, I've come to respect you as a good king. My time is long past, and I don't find any shame in admitting that, at the end of it all, I found myself changing. It's who we are as a people; we're born to become something greater than we were the day before. The people have seen it, I have seen it, and soon the whole world will see it too. I know that you will lead them well, and be the rightful king that our kind has always needed.

In exchange for the training I gave you, all I asked was for my freedom. And now, at last, I have it. Thank you, Aurus, for holding up your end of the bargain. If there is a life beyond this one, I will be waiting there to greet you with pride.

Regards,

Chrysalis."

Aurus didn't have the presence of mind to deny the tears welling in his eyes as they streamed lazily to the tip of his nose, dripping onto the letter and splotching its already rough appearance.

"My lord...?" Korrick asked quietly, bringing Aurus gently back to reality.

"Have you read this?" Aurus asked, his voice hushed with grief.

"No, I haven't... Chrysalis gave that letter to me before we departed from Canterlot on our journey here. In the event that she passed on, her only request was that I give you this letter." He looked at Aurus with a sad expression in his own eyes, repressing his sorrow. "Once, not so long ago, she was a rotten changeling... But she changed, working with us to save the people. Changed for the better, and I don't need to read whatever is in that letter to know that. Whatever is inside it was meant only for you."

Aurus nodded, folding the note and sliding it into a drawer carefully. It was the only item inside, impossible to misplace or forget. He rose slowly from the desk, his paperwork forgotten as he strode to the window overlooking the valley below. In the light of the sunset he could see the flashes of magic as changelings worked to heal the damage to their city below.

"Look at it, Korrick," Aurus said sadly, his voice showing forced strength. "We're rebuilding because of her. If she hadn't acted then, my friends would have died... And I know for certain that I would have given up the fight in my despair. There wouldn't have been any repairs, or any recovery... only more destruction at Gerd's hooves," he said quietly, his long shadow behind him trembling gently from the hot tears he was holding in check. He could still remember her expression, that bloody but peaceful smile. Her faith in him to make good on her demise and kill Gerd.

"She's a hero in my eyes, and I'm afraid the people will never know her that way. The people will never see the change you and I have seen. But they should be made to," he whispered, the breathless words a defense against the tightness in his throat.

A gentle hoof on his shoulder urged the sharing of his burden of sorrow. "I know, my boy," Korrick said shakily, tears in his own eyes now. "As strange as it sounds, I miss her too."

Aurus let out a heavy sigh, gazing out on the beauty of the life she had died to protect. "More than you know, Korrick. She may have been a terrible queen..."

"But she was a wonderful friend."

Aurus looked with shocked joy on the gathering of changelings crowded on the high plains of the desert, joining him in the open evening air to pay their respects. Here and there he could hear the people speaking quietly, recounting how they had watched the queen of old throw herself into Gerd’s attack to save those ponies that the king kept company with. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, were in attendance.

It warmed his heart to see that he had been wrong, that the people had seen her sacrifice, her change. At last the time was nearing, and it was with a much lighter heart that Aurus began the ceremony. His voice was magically enhanced as with any gathering, but the somber note dulled his tone. Arrayed behind him were the friends that had accompanied Chrysalis on this journey, lending their silent support as Aurus began.

“Brothers and sisters, tonight we gather to honor the life of my dear friend, Chrysalis Merkart. Though once she was selfish, she came to change for the better, as have we all. In a selfless act of courage she threw herself into the battle to stop Gerd from destroying my friends. Without her sacrifice, Gerd would have won the day.” His tone trailed off quietly as he openly admitted he would not have had the strength to continue fighting, had such a grim event come to pass.

“She had nothing to gain, and everything to lose, yet she acted with determination and resolve. In exchange for her aid in preparing to face Gerd, I promised her freedom. In the end she claimed it for herself, and for us all. For my part, I choose to remember her as a hero; in all the years of my short life, I’ve never witnessed such bravery or selflessness. Though it’s far too little and too late, I clear Chrysalis Merkart of all accounts against her in T’rahk Enox.”

He paused quietly, turning to face the stone altar behind him. It was raised tall enough for all of the assembled to see, yet the sunset-painted sky was still filled with changelings flying high to get a better look.

“It’s the custom of our people not to bury the dead. The desert is too full of sand, we live among the drifting dunes. Our ashes go to find new land, in death we find a home anew,” he began, the simple rhyme an obvious intro into the ritual of passing for the changeling people, the cue for the assembled to raise their voices and join him in their final farewell.

Their voices overwhelmed his, the somber, low song washing over him like a wave.

“Out past the shifting sands of time,

We send our sister ever west,

The wind will be her steadfast guide,

Into the realm of pleasant rest.

We will remember ever-long,

The legacy and life she left,

With heavy hearts but pleasant song,

She ventures forth with wishes blessed.

Let where she lands be holy ground,

Let water ever swiftly run,

Let those before her loudly sound,

The herald-horn of life now done.

Someday we’ll meet our sister dear,

Within the land of light and life,

And share with her days without fear,

Forever free from pain and strife.

Out past the shifting sands of time,

We send our sister ever west,

The wind will be her steadfast guide,

Into the realm of pleasant rest.”

Aurus gazed with bittersweet eyes on the face of his friend, her eyes peacefully closed. Those who had prepared the body had made her appearance gentle, her forelegs crossed over her chest, wings folded neatly to her back, pressing into the cold stone below her. Her hide glistened with oil, awaiting the spark that would put her at last on the journey across the desert, into the fabled land of after-death.

Aurus let the tears flow freely, their twin rivulets fighting for dominance between happiness for her and sorrow for himself. “Farewell, my friend,” he whispered to the corpse, conjuring a green ball of flame over his head. “Someday I will see you again, but for now the people need their king. Thank you… for everything.”

He gently settled the ball of fire between her crossed hooves, igniting the purifying funeral flame at her breast. The blaze raced around her, the magical fire spreading due to the oil. Those arcane flames would need no fuel other than her flesh to sustain them, and the fire consumed her. Not fiercely, but reverently. They burned her away slowly with not a hiss or crackle, as if the very magic in those wisps of brilliant heat could sense the value of the body they devoured.

The sun finally dipped below the rim of the world, and Chrysalis’ pyre took over the duty of lighting the night. A green glow bathed all of the assembled as they watched the first remnants of her being float softly into the night sky, sailing fast on wings of desert wind into the west.

Twilight Sparkle gazed upon the castle that housed her beloved friend. Even after only a year apart it felt like ages since she had seen him. No matter the number of letters they had written to one another since her return to Ponyville she always missed him.

Her five friends had laughed and chattered the entire trip back to T’rahk Enox, just as excited as she was to see their old friend. None more so than Applejack, who had made several trips on her own since then to come and visit her beloved Aurus. Their relationship hadn’t been diminished by the time they spent apart, but had rather been strengthened. It had served to temper their resolve and patience for one another even further.

For his own part, Aurus made infrequent visits to Equestria on business with the Princesses. The capital of T’rahk Enox was now a destination available for travel via pegasus-drawn carriage, a small step in the larger crusade for peace. The transportation bureau of both nations had readily agreed to the terms, and flights to Equestria were just as common. Changelings and ponies were eager to experience the wondrous lands of their once-enemies first hoof.

Aurus and Celestia had given speeches together in both nations, declaring the treaty of peace between their two realms. If there was throat that hadn’t cheered at any of those glorious occasions, their grumbling had been easily drowned out.

“Can you believe it? Peace at last!” Rarity sighed, leaning comfortably over the wall of the sky-chariot and watching the sandy landscape below zip past.

“It’s everything Aurus could have ever hoped fer,” Applejack agreed, looking around at her friends. “Jus’ last week him an' Luna were goin’ on about settin’ up trade routes an’ currency exchanges. I’ll admit I didn’t follow a bit of it, but I sure as heck know it’s good news.”

The flight carried on until at last the chariot touched down outside the gates of the castle. The six friends disembarked, thanking their drivers and making their way with an eager pace to the guards ahead.

The changelings stationed there smiled in sincere welcome, clicking and hissing up the wall to the gatekeeper. The gates swung wide just as Twilight and her friends reached them, a process they had been through many times.

“Good afternoon girls. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” The changeling shifted his eyes to Applejack and bowed his head gently. “Except for you, your grace. If memory serves it was just last week you were here.”

Applejack flushed as she always did. The guards were always so formal, and though Aurus reprimanded them every time they started using titles like that, it seemed that they simply couldn’t have it drilled out of them.

“Now come on, Birk. We’ve been over this a hunnerd times,” Applejack grumbled, blushing even deeper as her friends looked at her with mocking grins.

“Oh… right,” the guard replied, shifting his glance to the side in embarrassment. “I just can’t help it.”

“It ain’t no trouble, but I ain’t ‘yer grace’. Jus’ Applejack,” she said, her flush fading as she and Birk once again came to that same understanding.

“He always says the same thing. ‘Just Aurus’,” the guard chuckled. “It’s no wonder you two get along. Birds of a feather. Anyways, ‘just Applejack’, what’s the occasion?”

Twilight spoke up as Applejack smiled at the little joke. “Aurus sent for us, saying there was something he needed our help with.”

“Oh right, that business with the council… I haven’t been able to get much information about it; apparently Korrick, Morelda, and the rest of the new council members are under orders to keep whatever they’re doing quiet,” Birk grumbled. He didn’t sound suspicious, just curious. He trusted his king.

“Well, when we find out maybe we’ll let you in on it,” Rainbow Dash put in, winking at the guard. Twilight shot her a dirty look that the rainbow-maned pegasus pointedly ignored.

Birk chuckled and just nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Alright, go on in. He and Korrick have been hanging around the royal library more often than not, so that’s probably where you’ll find them.

Twilight and the others thanked him, making their way inside the castle. “What do you think this business is with the council? It sounds kind of… shifty,” Rainbow piped up.

Twilight just shook her head, unsure of that herself. “I don’t know, Rainbow. But knowing Aurus, it would have to be very important to hide it.”

“Is that what I think it is?” Twilight asked in disbelief, looking at the object floating in the center of the library. Tables littered with open books were almost equally covered in changelings who were poring over the tomes. Council members were running here and there, calling for specific volumes or passing notes to others.

Aurus and Korrick stood in front of the floating gem, the two of them backlit by its glow. The sapphire crystal pulsed angrily, the bottom of its chipped and shredded surface stained crimson from blood.

Korrick sighed, looking at Twilight and begging her to understand. “Unfortunately yes. This is the gem Gerd wore on his brow; Morelda had it removed from the body.”

“Why is it here?” the purple unicorn asked angrily. That thing was a menace, a tool of evil!

“Because we want to study it,” Aurus said bluntly.

That set Twilight back on her hooves. “Study it?”

Aurus nodded, pacing closer to his friend and joining her in staring at the glowing spike of stone. “Yes. We’re searching for a way to destroy it, amongst other things. So far all we’ve been able to discover is that any magic that doesn’t affect it or its wielder directly can still manipulate it… An example being wild magic. That’s how we’ve managed to suspend the gem like that. The floor directly below it is enchanted to negate the gravity of the space above it. Since this doesn’t actually affect the stone, but rather the area beneath it, it can’t absorb the spell.”

Twilight nodded excitedly, getting swept up in the idea of research. It made sense that Aurus would be looking for a way to permanently remove such a powerful threat to the world. Frankly though, she was just hungry for knowledge. “That’s brilliant! That would explain a lot about your battle last year… but how does it work?”

Korrick cleared his throat. “We have a theory that the gem can only absorb magic that touches itself or its wielder, and then only if it’s actually a spell. We think the gem converts the spellwork into raw magic again, basically undoing the spell and converting it back into energy. But in the case of the wild magic that Aurus used to defeat Gerd, there is no structure. Wild magic is raw magic, and we believe it’s impossible for the gem to absorb such volatile energy.”

Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought as her friends stared dumbfounded at the gem, not really following a bit of the conversation. That theory would certainly explain a lot, and as far as anyone was concerned Aurus had already validated it.

“What else are you trying to find out?” she asked, moving the conversation along.

“I’d like to know who created it, and why,” Aurus said quietly. “Think about it, Twi. When somebody designs a weapon that works, they usually make more. Maybe even more destructive than the last model.”

Twilight scowled as that thought rang far too true in her mind.

Aurus nodded, noting her expression. “That was my reaction, too. If we can find out who created this thing, we might be able to locate more like it and destroy them before they can be found by men like Gerd. Changeling history is full of legends about various artifacts from our ages of magical ineptitude and civil war. But this gem is just proof that they aren’t all fairy tales,” he said quietly, his tone grim.

“I need your help, Twilight. Gerd was just the first of many, I’m afraid. There’s no telling how many weapons like this are just waiting to be found by ready wielders. You’re the smartest pony I know, and if anyone can help, it’s you. The council has been working for weeks to translate our legends and knowledge into your language. I know it’s asking a lot, but I want you to stay in T’rahk Enox, and assist me with this” he said, his eyes pleading with her.

Twilight thought to herself quietly. Just one of these things had been enough to give a changeling as powerful as Aurus a run for his money, enough to bring an entire nation under control. The Elements of Harmony were magical artifacts themselves, and there was no denying the power of such items. In the wrong hooves, there would be no end to the trouble it could cause the world.

She nodded just once, a determined expression painted on her face. “I’ll help as much as I can.”

Aurus hugged her tightly, grinning ear to ear. “I knew I could count on you!” he declared excitedly, laughing warmly and squeezing her tight.

She smiled too, hugging him back. “You can always count on me, Aurus,” she replied kindly, falling out of the friendly embrace as it finally faded. Her expression shifted from happy to eager as she used her magic to bring a tome over to herself.

“Let’s get started.”

Applejack paced around the guestroom she always occupied whenever she came to visit Aurus. Now that the business with Gerd was long behind him it seemed like he was actually busier than ever. Still, he had never been bad about making time for her. She chuckled to herself as she recalled one occasion where she had actually helped to hide him when Korrick had been looking for him.

No matter how true it was that he was a king, he was still the same man she had fallen in love with a year ago. The power hadn’t changed him like she had worried it would. The workload hadn’t depressed him or made him more serious. He was still cheerful, still playful. Still the boy-made-king that was only doing what he had to to make his people happy.

Still, things had been weighing on her mind. T’rahk Enox was no further away by sky-chariot than Fillydelphia, but it was a world apart in more ways than distance. She loved spending time with Aurus, but the air here was too dry, the shifting sand to arid to her sensibilities. She was a farmer through and through, and every time she came here the only green she had to look forward to was the torchlight on the walls.

She’d wrestled with the idea of asking him to move to Ponyville with her. After nearly a year and a half together, the idea that she might spend her entire life with him was becoming more and more solid in her mind. But every time she thought about it, she talked herself down. No matter how much he loved her, she knew she couldn’t ask him to leave. He was needed here, and it would be selfish of her to ask him to run away with her just so she could be happy.

A knock at her bedroom door stole her from her thoughts, helping her realize that she had been pacing; a nervous habit she had developed by spending too much time with Twilight and Rarity. Sighing to herself to clear her mind, she put on a smile and called to her visitor.

“Door’s open,” she chimed cheerfully, her grim thoughts forgotten as she noted the blue-maned head already poking through the crack in the door.

“Are you decent?” he asked jokingly, his eyes clenched shut as he nosed his way into the room slowly.

“Oh shush,” she teased back, wandering over to the door as he pushed himself in more fully, opening his eyes and letting the joke drop. The two of them nuzzled each other, a practiced and welcome embrace that always ended in a light peck on the lips.

“I’ve missed you,” he said quietly, shutting the door behind him.

“I’ve only been gone a week or so,” Applejack replied skeptically, looking at his loving expression like she didn’t think he was even hearing himself talk.

“Yeah well, with everything that’s been going on with the artifact research it feels like years,” he groaned, wandering past her to the sofa and slumping down on it.

She followed him over, laughing at his melodrama. “Ya really missed me that much?” she asked, running a hoof through his mane gently as he simply relaxed, his eyes closed in comfort.

“Of course I did,” he replied evenly, smiling happily. “In fact, Twilight’s not the only one I want to stay in T’rahk Enox,” he added suddenly.

Those words took Applejack by surprise. They were too in line with her earlier train of thought for her to consider them a joke. She stopped stroking his mane as his words echoed around in her mind, her brain looking for somewhere to make a conversation out of it without revealing her feelings about this place.

“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly, looking up at her from his laying position and placing a hoof over hers gently, his eyes showing only concern.

“It’s jus’…” she sighed, knowing that she couldn’t lie to him. “I love ya, Aurus. Honest an’ true, I do. But every time I come here, I miss the green on my farm. I’m used t' trees an' grass, sugar, an' out there all I can see is sand. Ain’t nothing grows out there, an’ it feels… empty,” she admitted quietly.

Aurus looked at her sadly, following her gaze out her window which faced south across the desert. He just sighed sadly, nodding his head. “I know, AJ. This place isn’t anything like your home. To be honest, I’ve been afraid that you felt this way for a long time. Still, I had to ask. It’s hard on the days without you, Applejack. Worse at night,” he said with a shaky laugh, his weak attempt at a lewd joke failing miserably to alleviate the sudden melancholy mood.

AJ went back to stroking his mane gently, laying down next to him. “It ain’t so far… We see one another all the time, an’ fer my part it don’t matter how much I gotta walk or ride t’ see ya. But I know the feelin’, Aurus…” she trailed off quietly, silently weighing her desires.

“As empty as them sands are durin’ the day, it’s emptier no matter where I’m at iff’n you ain’t there,” she said quietly, turning his head and kissing him deeply, pulling him out of his sadness and worry with her passion.

Aurus kissed her back in surprise, quickly melting into the moment. It faded slowly, the two of them unwilling to part that wonderful embrace. At last somehow they came apart, Aurus looking into Applejack’s deep green eyes, and seeing clearly all the love held within.

“No matter how much I’ll miss the grass or the rain, I know I’d miss ya more. If me stayin’s what you want, then stayin’s what you’ll get,” she said warmly, hugging him tight and burying her face in his chest. “Because I love ya Aurus, an’ I reckon I don’t want t’ leave ya anymore. Not fer the rest of my days.”

Aurus smiled, containing the happy tears forming in his eyes. He could feel Applejack’s running hot down his chest, and so he squeezed her more tightly, holding her lovingly.

“I never want you to go, Applejack. I love you, too.”

“I think I’ve finally found a way for you to destroy it,” Twilight said excitedly. Three years of research had finally yielded her the breakthrough she had been looking for.

“Are you sure?” Aurus asked, his tone equally zealous. He looked from Twilight’s beaming face to the gem floating in the center of the library with eagerness.

“Definitely. I’ve spent the last two months piecing together small portions of legends that reference gems actively. One thing that seems to keep coming up is about a stranger who carried a blue stone with him. The funny thing is, it doesn’t sound like the stone was ever meant to be a weapon. I think it’s an artifact from the pre-rune era, designed to absorb the magical energy from changelings to prevent outbursts of wild magic. There’s no name for the stranger, of course, but all records point consistently to him arriving from the south,” she finished, looking at the gem.

“The strangest part is that this wanderer doesn’t seem to be a changeling at all,” she said, pointing to a reference in the tome she had in her hooves.

“’The creature came upon the town, striking fear but giving no just cause for it. At last the people approached it, and in its talons it clutched a glimmering stone, which it held aloft. The people, sick from the power of the earth, cast forth as the creature bade them. And lo they were cured of their sickness, the might of the world cleansed from their flesh, making their minds whole’,” Aurus read aloud. He looked to Twilight for clarification, understanding enough to realize why she had thought that this stone was not a weapon.

“Changelings don’t have talons, first off, and this is a direct translation. Whatever the stranger in the legend is, it’s not a pony or one of your people. Secondly, I believe that what we have here is the very same stone the stranger carried. He was using it to cure the people in your land by having them vent their extra magic into the stone. In the beginning I think changelings suffered from magic poisoning almost constantly, like you did after your wild magic experience in the valley,” she said excitedly. “This stone wasn’t made to be a weapon at all; it was a medical tool!”

Aurus nodded, following her logic. “That may be, but I still need to destroy it,” he said flatly, his tone broaching no argument.

“Of course. Just because it wasn’t built to be one doesn’t mean it can’t be used as a weapon. We’ve seen that first-hoof. And besides, the people can handle their own magic now. Over the centuries they’ve adapted, and even during the rune-era this stone would have been obsolete for its intended purpose,” she agreed, looking sadly at the stone. “Still, how ironic. A tool invented to heal was used to destroy.”

“How do we undo it?” he asked solemnly, drawing her out of her mental maze of curiosity.

“Right, sorry about that. This passage here explains that the stranger set up smaller stones in the villages of your people for them to use when he was not around. It says that at night he would come to the villages and drain the energy out of the smaller gems into this one. Once that was done, he had to enchant the smaller gems all over again, or so it sounds like,” she said, pointing to another page in a completely different tome.

“It seems like if any of the stones have their energy completely drained, they simply become a regular gemstone. Up until now we’ve tried shattering it, but it wouldn’t work no matter what we did. But I think if the gem were completely empty, you would be able to destroy it once and for all. For anyone else it would be impossible, and even for you channeling that much energy will be dangerous… This gem has been absorbing the energy of your people for centuries, and there’s no telling how much is stored in there,” she said cautiously.

“A risk I’m willing to take,” Aurus said grimly, looking at the gemstone. “If I can free our nation from the threat of it, so much the better. Still, it worries me. This legend only makes it clearer to me that there might be more of them, and the creature in the tale makes me nervous… What ancient and powerful neighbors might we have once had across the desert to the south?” he paused, sighing away his worries.

“Whatever the case may be, only time will tell. For now, we’ll deal with the problem at hoof,” he said evenly. Korrick had often told him over the years that thinking too far ahead would only make the present impossible to deal with; sound advice that he still had to actively struggle to follow.

Aurus reached out and grabbed the gem, numbing his mind against the hungry energy inside that sought to seduce him. It was not the first time he had handled the gem in the last three years, and his fortitude proved more than a match for the stone’s own will.

Carrying it in his fangs, he and Twilight made their way out of the castle, heading for the sand-swept plains below.

Aurus prepared himself, hammering out his rune below him. The twelve-foot circle was merely a vessel waiting to be filled, to grow and gorge itself on the energy within the gemstone.

Aurus could sense the gem’s fear and concern. It knew that Aurus sought to destroy it, and it held enough intelligence to struggle against that notion. But sadly for the once-proud tool of life the power it had consumed over the ages had corrupted it, mutated its own will and purpose. Though it sought to endure, it could complete no act without the consent of its master.

Aurus’ will was far too strong to be swayed by the promises of power that the gem desperately offered him.

He looked across the plains, wondering if his plan would work. If he could truly destroy this gem this way. But beyond that, he silently pondered his own secret mission. A hope against all hopes for the aftermath of the stone’s destruction, a secret design he had shared with no one.

Twilight stood behind him, her silent support urging him on as he reached his ready point. With a sigh to stabilize his mind and body, he dove into battle with the gem.

His mind clashed with that of Zarkoj, its own consciousness trying to deny him the energy he demanded of it. But Aurus had overcome wild magic and a demon, and he was no meager opponent. The stone’s will shattered and succumbed to his own, and at last the energy began to pour into him.

It raced through him; he became the medium through which the magic leapt from stone to rune, a pipe from one jar of water to another, funneling the energy in.

The rune grew rapidly, endlessly. The edges stretched far beyond Aurus’ vision, reaching out to the horizon. Its green border was obscured by the swirl of heat in the desert sun, a wavy emerald haze in the distance. Though he could not see the end of his titanic symbol, he knew that it only continued to grow as the gem struggled against him.

The mind of Zarkoj grew more and more tired. At last Aurus could feel the feeble consciousness within fading away to nothing, the flow of energy trickling to a halt. The glow within the gem pulsed one final time, and then all light left its depths.

Still holding the gem in his mouth, as he had through the entire ordeal, Aurus bit down hard. He channeled energy into his jaw, strengthening the bone and sinew for the task ahead. Slowly, his mighty muscles trembling with the effort, his fangs finally crunched through the powerful shell of Zarkoj, shattering the gem into myriad shards of simple sapphire stone.

“It’s done,” he said quietly, looking down at his hooves and along the ground. He could barely make out the edge of the shield symbol in the distance, and he silently estimated that his rune must have been nearly fifty miles wide, or perhaps even more. As far as the sands stretched, so did his rune.

“Now what?” Twilight asked, looking with awe at the sheer size of the rune, straining her eyes to see its edge. “This much energy will take a lifetime to bleed off. Absorbing this would simply kill you, there’s no way even you could survive it-“ she trailed off as she watched Aurus spread his wings and launch into the air, flying high. He zipped higher and higher, until at last he could see the outer edge of his creation, many miles away. Blowing sand obscured his vision, yet the line of energy was too thick not to be visible.

Closing his eyes and concentrating hard, he pictured the destination in his mind as he landed thousands of feet below next to Twilight. He sighed with relief as the fire portal opened before him, its destination acceptable to the spell’s requirements. Like Twilight’s teleportation spell, the portal required more energy to use the further the distance covered, yet he knew beyond a doubt that the energy required to traverse such a massive distance would not even impact a rune this size as he drew from it.

He gestured silently, ushering Twilight in and then following her. The two escaped from their sudden field of darkness as they exited the portal. The vast mountains of the north loomed in the beyond, and directly before them lay the line that marked the edge of the mighty rune.

“Is this the edge?” Twilight asked quietly, awed. These mountains hadn’t even been visible through the haze of heat miles away from here where she had stood only moments before.

“Yes. If I had to guess, I would say that this rune is covering nearly half of the desert… Perhaps even more,” Aurus said quietly, running over his plan one last time in his mind before committing to it.

“What are you going to do?” she asked again as he pushed her gently out past the line.

“You remember what Chrysalis said about the runes all those years ago?” Aurus asked with a nervous grin.

“Of course. I even still have the notes,” Twilight said cheerily, sensing something exciting about to happen.

“What happens if I leave this rune?” he asked with a small smile.

Her eyes went wide as she caught on. She bounced up and down eagerly, reaching out and hugging him tightly. “Aurus, that’s brilliant! You’re a genius!” she gushed, letting go of him suddenly.

Without wasting another moment, Aurus stepped past her and beyond the boundary of his runic area.

“If a changeling ever leaves his rune, all of the magic contained in it will sink back into the earth.”

Applejack and the remaining four friends of Ponyville rushed outside, doing their best not to trip over their own hooves as the ground shook mightily. In the distance they could see strong winds swirling, green lightning dancing between the streams of sand they kicked up.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy squeaked, taking off to avoid being toppled by the vibrations in the ground.

“What’s happening?” Rarity asked in a panic, sprawled out to try and keep herself upright.

“This is great!” Pinkie Pie cheered, her voice vibrating as she skidded along the ground, the force of the earthquake shaking her along to some unknown destination at a snail’s pace.

A fire portal opened up nearby, dumping out a very shaken looking Twilight Sparkle. Her eyes were wide and her mane was sticking straight out to one side as if frozen there, her tail in a similar state. Aurus followed behind her, equally disheveled.

“Aurus, what the hay did you do?” Applejack shouted over the roar of the wind.

“Oh you know, just the usual!” he shouted back, laughing nervously. Not far away a resounding crack split the sound of the gale, drawing their attention. Water gushed out like a geyser from the cleft in the stone beyond, flooding the desert around it.

The ground below their hooves began to glow green, brighter than the lines in his rune and covering every square inch of the stone.

“Ya broke the derned ground, ya ninny!” she hollered, stumbling closer to him as best she could, and scowling fiercely all the while.

“Just trust me! I’ve got a good feeling about this!” he replied, watching the events unfold.

More geysers sprung to life in the distance, the winds sweeping aside the dunes. Inside some of them lurked the husks of long-dead trees, petrified and preserved, serving for centuries to hold the sand in place. The winds swept the surface of the desert clean, revealing the sandstone beneath, glowing green with power. Magic took hold of the water spewing forth from the ground, gathering the individual streams into larger rivers.

The powerful streams carved deep trenches in the stone, drifting towards each other. Where the rivers collided they formed lakes, digging deep bowls in the rock before racing on as a new stream to claim some other dry portion of the sand. Overhead, clouds began to gather, bringing rain to add to the torrents.

Where the rain struck the green glowing ground, grass began to spring up. The trees, dead for ages, began to shed their rocky exteriors and grow again, their branches reaching high to claim the rain for themselves, leaves budding and then exploding into life.

The energy of the ages reformed the land with water and wind, bidding grass to grow, soil to become rich, and rain to fall. The earthquakes stopped as thunder echoed above, lightning flashing and lighting the amazing sight of new growth with its green glow. The winds died, piling the sand into rolling hills that the inexplicably powerful magic converted into stone and dirt. Those mounds of sand became grassy knolls, sprouting trees of their own.

It went on for hours, the magic altering the world around them by sheer force of energy. When at last the sun finally came back and the storm subsided, trees and tall grass stretched where once there had been nothing but sand. The sound of roaring rivers and the quiet slosh of lakefronts greeted their ears on the wings of a damp breeze.

Aurus couldn’t hold in his smile as his friends stood, awestruck and gazing up the completely changed landscape. T’rahk Enox was a dry wasteland no more.

“The magic of our ancestors once turned this land to dust… And now that same magic has rolled back time, turning the sands into soil, the stones into trees, and bringing water and life back to this place. This is what true wild magic is like; the magic of creation,” he whispered to his friends, his own tone hushed with awe as he gazed upon the forests and meadows beyond. He could feel the lush grass under his own hooves, could feel the lingering magic there bidding the land to survive, to grow and flourish.

Applejack looked from the land ahead of her into the eyes of her lover. This mighty creature who had slain demons, forged peace, and returned life to the dead land she had called home for the last three years.

“Green enough for you?” he asked with a chuckle, giving her that same warm smile he had been giving her for all their time together.

She broke into a run, her heart and eyes too full of happiness to speak. She barreled into him, and the two of them went tumbling across the grass, holding one another tight, laughing like giddy children. Applejack's hat went tumbling away on its own, forgotten in her elation.

Their roll came to a stop a short distance from their friends, who were looking at the loving couple and sharing in their joy.

Applejack ended up on top of the living pile, smiling happily. She kissed him roughly, deeply, her gratitude and amazement overflowing in that moment of passion.

She pulled away suddenly, looking at him seriously. “Marry me,” she said, the statement neither a question nor a command. Just a fact, something she knew would come to pass.

Aurus chuckled, stroking her cheek gently and kissing her again, more lightly this time.

“It would be my pleasure.”

Author's Notes: Because Nobody Will Stop Me

Alright, so here we are again. Not sure if any of you caught my previous rendition of the 'author's notes' section in HoaD, but since it seemed to be well received, I've decided to start making a habit of it. As per usual, I intend to do my analysis of the plot first, and I'll try to keep you all from clawing your eyes out while reading this. If I'm entertaining enough, maybe you'll even enjoy these. There will probably be typos in here; enjoy that, because I'm not fixing it until my plane lands on the 22nd.

Alright, here we go!

WHY THE STORY WAS THE STORY IT WAS

I don't intend to cover the entire story, just some of the reasoning behind parts that I thoroughly enjoyed. Even so, we'll do that in semi-chronological order, so let's roll back to chapter one.

The entire premise of this story is Aurus. I'd like to take a moment and reflect on that, to better prepare us all for the discussion I'm going to have in the character section. The changeling people? Changing because Aurus is leading them to. Peace? His idea. An idea popularly shared, but his all the same. His character embodies quite literally every moral ideal this story encapsulates, at least in the early chapters. But in case it wasn't made clear, change is a major factor in this story, and so not even Aurus is static enough to remain the sole focal point of the story.

The council makes a point of going the 'want you, need you' route to get Aurus involved in the throne, and he seems to take it surprisingly well, despite his steadfast initial resistance. Though not explicitly explained, Aurus decides to bear the burden of kingship voluntarily because he believes he is capable of bringing about the future Korrick asked him to, or that at the very least it's his obligation to try. He is, of course, a miserable politician. Far too idealistic and big-hearted, doing whatever comes to mind or feels necessitated.

In my personal opinion, much of his confidence is actually an expression of inexperience. He acts readily, exploring the possibilities of his actions on instinct because he has absolutely no contradictory evidence in the past that his ideas won't work. He operates on the old adage 'you don't know until you try', and what many of your perceived as overzealousness, or maybe even overconfidence, I meant to portray as simple optimism and carefree spirit.

Stepping ahead, I absolutely had to use Derpy. Had to. I felt freaking great the entire rest of that chapter because of that little 'welcome to Ponyville' scene with her. The resulting 'no Derpy, no' scene with Twilight was equally fun for me, and together the two accomplished one major thing; they changed the tone of the story for the next few chapters. Using those two to sort of break the ice, I was able to migrate away from the thick of the politics and into a more comfortable setting as Aurus went about his quest for peace on a small scale.

More lighthearted goodness with the train scene, dragging Aurus kicking and screaming into the car. Hilarious, right? Good old slapstick.

Wrong, the poor guy is terrified of trains, and you sick people probably thought it was hilarious. Glad I'm not the only one. Anyways, aside from trying to flaw-out Aurus a little, this scene also served the purpose of introducing a small grim note, directly before the first assassin attack. An overused tactic, where things get just a little worse right before something really shitty happens, but effective nonetheless.

There's nothing much for me to really say about the spy hunt, other than that I enjoyed the living snot out of it. I used so many ideas I had just floating around, mashing them together until I had worked out an elaborate code for the silent communication stuff.

Nomination for best part of the story [pre-finale] is that freaking doughnut. God oh God do I love the doughnut stuck to Malik's head.

Time-skippy goodness, because all the stuff with Malik and Gerd later in the tale is covered in the next section. On to the training montage, which never happened. I didn't do a montage, but I actively split the scenes up so that things were constantly happening out of focus from Aurus. His training time was my cue to really start delving into some of the other characters, particularly Korrick, Chrysalis, and Gerd. The escape from prison scene was a really fun write, and for me it had a 'you have five hours to get out before the bomb explodes, but the room has no door' feel to it. One of those riddles that someone poses to you and you're like 'seriously, how in the bloody hell would I get out of this room?'

I ramble. But they're my author's notes, and if you're reading them that's on you. As the title of this chapter says, nobody is going to stop me.

Big time skip; avatar state fight with Gerd! Not an actual reference, mind you, just a convenient and overused state of being for untold power in any story. I first got the idea to kill Gerd with wild magic early on, and sort of designed Zarkoj around that premise. In the end it really helped to even the gem out, as I was worried after introducing it that I was going to write myself into a corner and be unable to stop it reasonably. But in the end it all worked out.

Killing Chrysalis was just sad for me. I actually liked her. She was snarky, rude, and rather unfriendly on the surface, but at the end of it all she was finally getting somewhere. Unfortunately, I saw very few ways to make her change apparent and powerful enough without offing her, and so I gifted her with a dramatic death that rocked the changeling history books.

And lastly, the reforging of T'rahk Enox and the destroying of Zarkoj. What a wonderfully fun scene to write, and though I know the decapitation of our villain was the climax, its that beautiful falling action that caught me in the heart. I enjoy bringing the desert sands back to life in such a pleasant, albeit it obvious, way. Also, it makes a nice springboard for what you've all been wanting me to say; sequels.

THE CHARACTERS WERE PRETTY NIFTY

Thanks for that, all-caps section header. You're right, the characters were very fun and helped to create a dynamic cast that really kept the story moving.

I'm going to start this section by apologizing, Fluttershy-style. I am very aware that many of the characters, particularly the majority of the Mane Six and Luna, did not get their screentime. I definitely could have made better use of them, but currently I'm pleased with who appeared how often.

Now, on to the main event:

Aurus: You know what's about to happen. I'm going to argue the ups and downs about how he either is or isn't a Gary Stu. Clearly I'm not in this to change your opinion, just to force-feed you mine. Here's my take on it; in the traditional sense, I do not think Aurus is a Gary Stu character.

Some of you are shaking your heads and rolling your eyes, and maybe those of you who forgot to take your meds today are throwing keyboards or something. Just relax and listen to my reasoning. My take on a Gary Stu is that he is a character designed for the sole purpose of being well-liked and all-powerful. Pretty standard, right? Boy, does Aurus ever sound like he fits the bill.

But in many places I make it known that he is not all powerful, or fearless, or sure of himself. For fuck's sake, he's afraid of trains, people. But I digress. While it's true that he had so much raw energy that he was basically 'unstoppable' even from the beginning, it was made very clear that he was clueless as to how to use it. Much of the story focuses on his growth in power, something a real Gary Stu doesn't need at all. His reliance on the other characters to teach him? That's standard character growth any hero in a halfway decent story undergoes. Best part is that if I had done that to Chrysalis or Twilight, nobody would be complaining, strictly because they're not OC. I can't help but feel there's a certain level of stereotyping going on here that OC's are generally Gary/Mary.

In defense of the 'but he's so freaking....grrr, Razorbeam, you know nothing of Gary Stu' people out there, he is abnormally well liked, and he doesn't exhibit a whole lot of hesitation or restraint. So what say we meet halfway, eh? He's not completely Gary Stu, but he could definitely use a personality nerf. Man this character section was long.

Gerd: Stereotypical god-complex villain with a righteous hunger for power that even curls Chrysalis' toes.

Wait...

Anyways, he was so very minor in the beginning, making his appearance not completely unexpected as the bad-guy, but not perfectly predictable. Once he appeared, most of you went 'that makes sense' or 'saw it coming', but the truth of the matter is that between when you last saw him in chapter two and when he finally comes back in chapter six or seven... admit it: you forgot all about him.

His reliance on Zarkoj was the obvious weakness, and all in all he was a wonderfully predictable bad-guy with a relatively unexpected and gory demise that made everyone happy because everything about this guy catered to the douchebag-hating center of your brain.

Korrick: I will say this right now; favorite character. Anytime he was involved he was either doing something boss, something clever, or something right. Honestly, he's more Gary Stu than Aurus at some points. He played the ever-necessary voice of reason and ready guide for the fledgling hero. He reminds me of a grandfather figure of sorts, and I'm excited to make use of him again in the future.

Chrysalis: A nasty little devil-turned-saint that made my writing life interesting. I did my best to redeem her without actually redeeming her. She never realy regretted what she had done, but she wasn't afraid to change moving forward, and that in my opinion shows more growth than what happened to Malik, who completely regretted his life.

Malik: Then again, he was a murderer and she wasn't. He was a fun little character, playing the worm in the apple and relaying the much needed 5W's to Aurus and keeping him posted. The redemption of such a wayward soul was really a turning point in the story where it became clear to not only the reader, but also that characters that Aurus' quest for peace had meaning. He acts well as the 'man who's soul is cleansed' character, and every time he appeared I felt great enjoyment.

I'm not going to hash out any of the Mane Six or minor characters, sorry to say. Last thing I need is to write a 10k word 'author's notes' that you all feel obligated to read.

THE PART I ACTUALLY LIKE WRITING

This is the part where I thank every last one of you for reading and bearing with me on this little adventure. It is also the part where I do this, so that people will stop asking me:

Yes, for the love of Christ yes, there will be a sequel. At least one.

Maybe if I bold it, people will see it.

I love writing for you guys; it's a blast every time I post, waiting for your reactions and watching you all share the same enjoyment reading my story that I get out of writing it. It warms my heart to see you all so pleased and happy, and I hope that the rest of my writing career, both for this marvelous community and the rest of my life to come is just as wondrous and enjoyable.

Every word, smiley, or warm wish I receive from my readers absolutely makes my day. For all of you who want me to continue writing, who keep urging me on to be the best author I can be: thank you. From the bottom of my heart, your support means more than you will ever know. I will always be writing, and I hope that you glorious and supportive viewers will always be reading.

I'll be seeing you again soon. Thank you, for everything.

Regards,

Razorbeam.

I: Out With the Old

For Those Who Love Writing Negative Reviews of Very Old Things:

Just to prepare you, this story is six years old (and some change) at the time of adding this bit. Visionary is not what I would call a masterful work of any measure. I've had nearly seven whole years to collect feedback on this, so let me just declare the negatives I know up front, as it seems people still to this day insist on reading to the end and complaining that it was a waste of their time. If any of the below are beyond your tolerance, I would advise not reading, and perhaps doing something more useful than torturing yourself and then reviewing a three-thousandfold reviewed story.

The main character is overpowered.
The main character is overly fortunate throughout.
The romance is off-pace and not particularly great.
The story is, in fact, six entire years old, and only getting older.
The villain is very stock and not particularly relatable.
I wrote the entirety of the story in about six months, so I made a lot of quick decisions that turned out to not benefit the story.
I have no intention of altering the existing story, as it's a good landmark of where I came from, so no feedback will be incorporated to improve this particular reading experience.

Also, it is even still at least six years old. Enjoy.

"You think you can simply overthrow me?" Chrysalis hissed, defiant to the end. It was clear though that she had lost, hadn't the power to fight back against her people. She sat in the center of a dark room, lit by sparse torches burning green flames.

Along the outer wall ran a raised ring of seats. This was the Changeling High Council, its main chamber almost fifty yards wide, capable of seating thousands if the need arose. For this occasion, the various skylights had been sealed, for no changelings were to interfere with the hearing of the vile queen's failure. In the dim lighting, green eyes glared down at her from all sides, and even before anyone spoke it was clear that their decision was unanimous. She could feel it, the weakness creeping into her body as she consumed the antithesis of love; hatred.

"You've no power here, 'your highness'. Your people no longer have any respect to give you, nor do we owe you any love. Your entire rule has been a blatant waste of time. A trail of endeavors that stirred the hearts of the people, only to end in failure. And we will tolerate it no longer. Your sharp tongue once blinded us to your selfishness and greed, but no more!" the changeling council chairmen growled.

She sat bound in the center of the room, and hung her head in defeat. It was true; her people no longer loved her, no longer respected her. Without that flow of adoration, she was a perfectly useless wreck, her magical power weaker than that of a baby unicorn.

"Take her away!" he roared, finding no retort coming from the downtrodden changeling before him. The guards came and did just that, quickly bowing to the council before retrieving their old monarch. She was dragged off, limp as a ragdoll, weak and ashamed.

"With that out of the way, Master Korrick, perhaps we can now address her... vacancy?" asked another changeling, his wings buzzing noisily, like those of a beetle in flight.

"Perhaps," Korrick replied idly, eying the youth critically. The council member who had spoken up was a new addition, barely past his twenties and hardly considered a wise changeling. He was greedy, as was their nature, but he had a strange desire for political power that most changelings did not possess. Most of Korrick's people were more obsessed with common things; possessions, wealth. Gerd was different. He was a changeling of action, glad to draw attention to himself, even if it was negative. Reputation carried weight in any form, he often said.

Korrick sighed as Gerd continued to stare at him, his glassy blue eyes practically glowing, his fangs seeming longer for the smug curl in his lip.

"Perhaps indeed. Let me guess, you think the council should take control of the throne?" Korrick said snidely, tapping one of his hooves on the metal stand in front of his seat.

"But of course. Who better to lead the changeling race than a collection of their wisest, most dedicated people?" he asked, scoffing as if he thought Korrick a complete idiot.

The older changeling scowled fiercely, baring his fangs and watching with satisfaction as Gerd's smug grin shrank to nothing. "Clearly there are those in the council who are not wise," he huffed. "You know nothing of how politics work, young one. Our people cannot work like that; the council cannot rule. We all have our own goals, our own desires for the people. Our greed will never allow us to sit unified upon the throne. We would fight amongst ourselves like children until this nation had completely fallen under our own indecision."

"Then what do you propose, wise Korrick?" Gerd shot back, growling the word 'wise'. "That the council be dissolved? You make it sound as if we cannot do good for the people!"

"Of course the council is good, you misunderstand. The council's role is to check the decisions of the monarch. To maintain balance. What if the council were the ruler, Gerd? Who would watch its moves? The council must never sit upon the throne. We are the last barrier between our nation and the possibility of tyranny," Korrick replied, his fellow council members murmuring their assent. As always, he had a way with words, an ability to make his point clear and concise.

Gerd scowled. "What, then? Another power-hungry queen, to lead our people to failure?"

Korrick grinned a fanged grin that took Gerd by surprise. "Of course not. But we do need a ruler, someone who can rally the people. Someone who can undo the chaos caused by Chrysalis' failures. We will do as we have always done, and use the council to search for a leader."

"But this time we will be looking for something quite different. Not a king or a queen. A visionary."

"Aurus, wait!" came an all-too-familiar cry from behind him. The young changeling chuckled to himself as he alighted on a spire of rock, sitting by patiently as a smaller changeling in the distance made its way through the air.

Aurus watched with a warm smile as his younger sister did her best to keep up with him. She was five years younger than he was, barely old enough to be out flying like this at all. He himself was eighteen now, the prime age of all changelings. It was the year of his life where he would be expected to be self-sufficient; to get a job, contribute to the nation.

His thirteen year old sister certainly wouldn't be getting a career in the airborne military, he though with a wide grin. "Aria, hurry up! We're going to be late for dinner again!" he called out, his tone warm and patient, despite his words of haste. A few short minutes later she joined him on the pillar, breathing hard.

"It's not fair," she pouted, blinking her glassy blue lenses out of the way and revealing her beautiful green eyes.

"It is so fair. You're still young, and you've only been flying a year now; don't get so discouraged. Come on then, up you go," he said with a small laugh, pulling his sister up onto his back, just between his wings.

"You don't have to carry me!" she grumbled, wriggling about and trying to get off. Her wings buzzed noisily, but did little to lift her off her brother's back.

"Don't be like that, Aria. If you're tired it's okay to let me carry you," he said, looking back and nuzzling her. Their long fangs clicked together once as she twisted to nuzzle him back, letting it go at that.

"Alright, but don't fly too fast; you know how I feel about that," she pleaded.

Aurus smiled and nodded gently. "Whatever you say." He spread his wings and gave them a quick buzz through, carefully checking that she was situated out of the way before he got airborne.

"Aurus?" she asked, just as he poised to jump.

"What is it?" he returned, folding his wings back down.

"Thank you for carrying me," she replied warmly, smiling at him in that charming way that only his younger sister was capable of.

He smiled back, folding his outer lens back into place in preparation for the flight. "Of course, Aria. What is family for?"

"Spike, come on," Twilight grumbled, glowering at the little purple drake over her shoulder. "I asked for that book almost two minutes ago!"

"I'm sorry, Twilight," he huffed, pushing hard on the edge of the wall to scoot the ladder along to the next shelf. "I really don't think we even own it."

"Of course we have the book, this is a library," she grumbled, trotting over. If she wanted something done right, she would have to do it herself. She magicked Spike and the ladder over a few shelves and pointed to the very top of the bookcase. "It should be right there in the history and mythology section. I highly doubt 'Abnormal and Mythical Creatures' got up and walked away since our last re-shelving day."

Spike flushed as he found the book almost instantly, plucking it and pointedly looking away from Twilight's half-smug look as she yanked the tome out of his claws with magic. "Sorry Twi, I guess I should have known," he muttered, climbing his way down the ladder.

Twilight flushed too as she realized her mistake. "I'm sorry too, Spike. I didn't mean to be so short with you, it's just that-"

Spike cut her off with a friendly smile and an upraised claw. "Don't worry about it. After what happened at the wedding, I can understand why you're so eager to learn about the changelings. To be honest, I kind of want to know too. They were really weird looking. And is it true that they feed on love?" he asked, doing his best to puzzle out how that could be remotely filling.

"I'm not sure, Spike. But hopefully this book will have a thing or two to tell us about them," she said, plopping the tome down on her desk. Spike pulled up a chair next to her and scooted closer to get a better look as she turned to the index. "Hmmm. C, c, c... Aha! Changelings, page sixty-five," she cried triumphantly, glad that there was even an entry at all. That was already several steps ahead of her previous research attempts on dragons.

There was a picture of one, jet black with those strange, translucent wings. Twilight could never get over how odd their jagged legs seemed; the holes would have looked unnatural on any other creature, yet somehow they felt fitting for the changeling. The eyes were what really drew Twilight's attention. The diagram showed one eye completely covered by some sort of glassy, blue lens. The other side of it, however, showed a normal eye, with whites, an iris, and a pupil.

Whatever this little excerpt had to say about them, she had no doubt it would be interesting.

Changelings are a race of creatures who primarily feed on love. It is more accurate to say that they benefit magically from it, not that they feed on it. For nourishment they can consume all of the same basic foods that most ponies can, and have been known in cases of near starvation to eat gemstones the way dragons do.

Their nature is to pursue this growth in magical power above all else, which led to their magical adaptation of transformation. By taking the shape of somepony else, they can benefit from all the love that pony receives when they interact with his or her friends. Though seemingly harmless, changelings often resort to trickery or violence to ensure that their ruse is never discovered, allowing them to feed longer on the love of their 'host'.

It is uncommon, but not completely unheard of, for a changeling to develop actual love for the friends and family of its host. In these rare cases it is nearly impossible to distinguish the changeling from the original.

Their physiology is distinctly suited to their task. The entire point of their bodies is to minimize the amount of energy consumed to disguise themselves. From a changeling perspective it's a simple magical feat, but it is still a spell that must be constantly maintained, so energy efficiency is key. Unicorns have been unable to identify or duplicate this transformation spell, leading to the belief that it is some kind of genetic magic. However, it has been discovered that the spell can be easily undone by completely negating any magical effects on a changeling. Changelings are capable of a wide variety of spells, most of which are either offensive in nature, or designed to cause mischief.

The holes in their legs minimize the amount of energy expended to disguise them. The legs, in most cases, are the most utilized appendage of their target, and so require the most energy to disguise from movement to movement. By cutting the visible surface area down, they have less of their own black hide to cover up. A similar property applies to their wings in the case of a pegasus transformation. In all other forms, the transparency of their wings aids them in hiding them.

Their eyes have two sets of lenses, the outer serving as a sort of 'screen'. In their disguised form they project the image of their target's eye onto this outermost layer. The lens can be 'blinked' much like an eyelid, revealing the changeling's true eye. It is suspected that they use their real eyes to recognize one another when disguised. Many times the easiest way to recognize a changeling is to watch the eyes and see if they shift to green, as this occurs whenever a disguised changeling 'blinks' their second lens.

Uniquely designed to be masters of disguise, the changeling is really no more than a highly intelligent, highly adapted leech. Though harmless in most cases, they often tend to cause trouble for their host when they become greedy for more love. For a changeling, love is power, and they can become power hungry just like anypony else. If you ever notice the signs of a changeling in your community, contact the Royal Guard immediately, or a resident unicorn trained in magic negation. This is the quickest way to reveal a hidden changeling. Once discovered, changelings often flee the community en masse.

"Is there anything else?" Spike asked, awed. Changelings were amazing creatures! He had no idea just how developed they really were. The little ones that he had seen in Canterlot hadn't seemed very intelligent, but then nopony had really bothered to stop and talk to one.

"Besides some references, that's all there is. Still, it explains quite a bit," Twilight said with a small smile. She closed up the book and hovered it to Spike, who quickly scampered off to shelve it. "They're not really evil in nature, or so it seems. They're just greedy."

"Sounds like another kind of creature I know," Spike muttered.

Twilight didn't miss those quiet words though, and just giggled at him. "Spike, come on. You only lost control of yourself that one time. Though I admit most dragons seem to have a nasty habit of hoarding things. I can see where you might think they're similar. But changelings aren't after things; they're after magical energy," she said, pacing about.

"You know, Twi, if the changeling queen had succeeded, there's no telling how powerful the changelings might have gotten," Spike put in idly, coming down the ladder.

Twilight stopped pacing, looking at Spike in concern. She hadn't reflected on that train of thought too deeply yet, so caught up in the wedding and the fact that it hadn't happened. Yet, it could happen again, somewhere else. They couldn't rely on her brother every time the changelings got uppity; that was part of the reason she had begun researching them.

Spike's words made her nervous. He was right, there was no telling what might have happened, or what might happen in the future if they struck somewhere else. Her brother's love alone had been enough to overpower even Celestia. Her face went dark as she considered the possibilities.

"Twilight?" Spike asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry Spike," she replied idly, shooting him a quick, and worthless, smile. "It's nothing."

"Uh huh," he replied skeptically, but he didn't press the issue. He knew that look; she was planning something, and she was going to leave him out of it.

"Continue searching!" Korrick growled. The guards simply saluted and left, taking the councilman's anger in stride.

They were doing what they could, and Korrick knew it. Yet the throne could only remain vacant for so long before the public began to notice, and before certain members of the council itself began to get ideas of grandeur. He was interrupted by snickering to his left.

"Something you wish to share, Gerd?" he asked snidely, distasteful as always of his company.

"Only that you are searching for that which does not exist," he put in idly, rolling his green eyes under his blue lenses. He blinked them aside once his rude gesture was over, and put on a know-it-all grin. "This visionary of yours, what is he like?"

Korrick sighed. He had thought long on this since the decree that the council would search for new blood, a bright and brilliant mind to lead their people into a better era. "All I want for our people is for us to live in peace at last. All my youth was consumed with small wars, always ending in our defeat, fleeing from the communities we farmed for love. I am tired of our disgrace!" he grumbled, and many other changelings his age agreed. "Chrysalis is not the first tyrant to lead us into a fruitless war in search of power."

"What then? A warrior?" Gerd scoffed.

"No! We've no use for new battles. Every city we flee, every people we alienate, only weakens us. We need to be led with wisdom, not with force. Anyone can be trained to fight, to make battle plans and strategies. But you cannot teach a changeling to be wise; what we are searching for is more rare than a leader. I only hope that our cries of hope reach the ears of a worthy one soon," Korrick finished tiredly.

"Soon indeed, though I think your sentiments of peace will eventually crumble when the pressure becomes too great. You will eventually appoint another selfish, greedy politician. Perhaps another daughter of a rich house?" Gerd snickered. "Chrysalis was always well loved; beautiful, intelligent, and very cunning. Until recently of course. She rose to her power through the awe and adoration of those around her, until the council finally realized her might. And you expect it to happen some other way suddenly? This is how it has always been! Those who claim the public eye gain the power. It is like that everywhere; for ponies, for gryphons. The only difference is that for us that power is tangible."

Many in the council began to murmur amongst themselves as Gerd's words sunk in. He had a valid point; love in any form was power, and love from the people was essentially what made a changeling fit to rule.

"Silence!" Korrick growled, drawing the desired effect. The room hushed immediately. "I have said it once already; power alone is not enough anymore. Perhaps you have not noticed, but if we continue doing things as we always have, we will continue to grow weaker as a race. If the public does not love the prodigy we find, they will grow to. A wise leader and his people are as one; they will come to see it in time. As will you, Gerd, should you ever develop any respect for wisdom."

"We shall see," the young changeling hissed. "But times have changed, Korrick. Wisdom is now just a synonym for old age."

Korrick rose in anger, mouth opened to speak, when the doors swung open to the council chamber, the guards entering with a slender female changeling.

They answered Korrick's questioning gaze immediately. "She claims to know of someone who fits your description; a rather strange changeling, from what she tells us."

That piqued his interest. Korrick buzzed up and out of his seat, floating down lazily from the raised ring of the council's outer wall. "Tell me, young one, what is your name?" Korrick asked politely.

She scowled as if she felt insulted by the phrase 'young one'. "Farah, Councilman. Your guards have been asking around for news about strange changelings, correct?" she asked rather tersely. It was clear the guards had dragged her here in the middle of something.

"Of course, though I assume they failed to mention the reward for such information," Korrick said slyly, quick to alleviate any negative feelings from the female. He needed her cooperation. "You will be paid half of your year's wages in return for the information, if it proves accurate."

She grinned at that, her green eyes practically glowing. "Very well then, councilman. I went to school with just such a 'strange' changeling. He was an odd sort, never joining in fights or reacting to bullying like most younglings at that age. He was rather removed, only talking when he had something he meant to say. Suffice it to say he was always very calm, and very polite. He was fairly well liked, never put anyone off as far back as I can remember. He had a sort of energy about him that caused people to smile and forget their troubles," her tone went almost fond at that, something Korrick found intriguing.

"Where is he from, Farah?" Korrick asked politely, not interrupting her, but waiting for a sufficient pause.

"He's from my village to the north, Rikkit. Though he's eighteen, he still lives with his family. Just one more unusual thing about him I suppose," she said with a small smile. "You find him sufficiently 'strange' I take it?"

"More than you know, I think," he replied with a sly chuckle. "Of course we must evaluate him, but if he is as you say, you will be rewarded." He kept a critical eye on her. Mentioning withholding a reward like that often led people to show if they were lying or not.

She only smiled, clearly confident in her information. "His name is Aurus. Aurus Marz." She shuffled as the silence grew, Korrick clearly lost in thought. "Councilman?" Farah asked, nudging him gently.

"Ah, terribly sorry," he apologized, smiling at her. "When you get as old as I am, you tend to lose track of time. Have the guards see you out. Once we have had the chance to meet this Aurus, we will call you back. You will be compensated a small amount for your trouble regardless if he fits our needs or not," he finished, his tone warm and placating.

She smiled at that and bowed gently as the guards formed up around her. "Thank you, councilman. Have a pleasant day."

As the guards led her out, Korrick turned back to face the assembly of wise changelings... and Gerd. "You see, my friends; not impossible to find."

"And how are you to know he is the one?" Gerd asked bluntly.

"Where there is one, perhaps there can be more. I only mean to say that these strange, new minds can be found. They do exist, contrary to your fears." Korrick floated back to his seat, leering at Gerd. Once situated, he turned his gaze back to the guards, who were returning from letting Farah out. "You two; head to Rikkit, and find Aurus. Let him know, politely of course, that the council requires his presence."

The guards snapped to and then promptly left. It was a short enough flight, far less than half a day, and so they weren't about to complain.

Korrick smiled to himself as the council murmured hopefully amongst themselves, savoring Gerd's look of angry defeat. Soon, he would prove just how valuable 'old age' could be.

"Alright, bye mom! I'll be back soon with the groceries!" he called back inside before using his magic to shut the door. Aurus didn't mind running errands like this, though he knew most changelings his age would have formulated some excuse to avoid it.

Any reason to fly was good enough for Aurus, even grocery shopping. He loved it, the wind rustling past the thin membranes of his insect-like wings, the slight pressure against his face as his nose and outer eyes deflected the breeze of his flight. He stashed the money in a side pouch his sister had helped him strap on, and finally got airborne.

He rose as high as he could manage in a few short wing beats, then used the momentum of the resulting dive to burst forward, zipping off in the direction of town. He swerved between the jutting spires of rock that his home was known for. They were everywhere, like red spears trying to pierce the sky; or to pierce him. He imagined he was dodging them deftly, making a game of missing them by mere inches.

The fun ended abruptly as the spires gave way to a clearing, a shallow valley below where the town of Rikkit rested. He spiraled down lazily, doing a few short loops or rolls to make the boring descent a little more interesting. At last he alighted on the red stone of the canyon floor, taking off at a gentle trot to absorb the momentum of his landing. He slowed to a walk as the streets got more crowded.

He was greeted with the usual chorus of salutations. Everyone who caught sight of him wished him a good morning, greeted him warmly, all smiling sincerely. Aurus could feel their admiration charging him, as any changeling could, but he paid it no mind. He knew all of them, they were his friends, and they received energy from him, too. It was simply the cycle of things, and he was glad to be a basic part of that. He waved to changelings here and there, stopping to talk to a few even.

By the time he reached the end of the street and had made it into the market row, he felt amazing. His wings itched to spend the extra energy, but he calmly put the feeling away, as he had been doing for years. He'd get to spend it all once he had the bags of groceries to manage. He went stall to stall, following the list and making his purchases. He was just about ready to head home, when he noticed something strange.

Two new changelings were in town, which in and of itself wasn't abnormal. What was odd was that they were wearing the red sash of the Council Guard. Visits from the council were few and far between, and anytime a guard was present it was usually urgent. Any other news, such as hearing decisions, would simply get passed on to the press and handled from there.

Curious, he made his way over to them, wanting nothing more than to know what the big deal was. They were talking to another changeling who nodded at first, but then shrugged. With a sigh, the guards made their way to the next stall, garnering similar reactions. Aurus cleared his throat loudly, stealing their attention.

"Yes?" they inquired, looking as if they were in a hurry.

"Sorry to bother you, but is there something I might be able to help you with?" he asked politely, setting the groceries down with his magic.

The two looked at each other and shrugged. "Maybe, kid. We're looking for a changeling called Aurus. You heard of him?" they asked gruffly, clearly fed up with not being able to find their target.

Aurus smiled, not the least bit concerned with why the council guards would be looking for him. "I'm Aurus, actually. Sounds like I can help after all," he chuckled.

The guards muttered something under their breath, and all Aurus could hear was the word 'strange'. He just held his smile patiently while they discussed whatever it was they were talking about. At last, they turned back to him. "The council has requested your presence, Aurus. Korrick, Council Chairman, would like to meet you personally."

Aurus nearly lost control of his front legs and face-planted. "Me? I don't mean to be rude, but you must be looking for someone else," he replied once he had regained his composure.

"No sir. If you're Aurus Marz, you're the changeling we've come to find," they returned idly. "Once you've finished your business for the day, please report to the Chamber of the High Council as soon as possible," one guard continued, eying the groceries casually. "Have a nice day."

"You too," Aurus replied automatically, his mind abuzz with questions. The council needed him for something? An unemployed, simple changeling? Whatever it was, he was sure they had their reasons. Determined that he could get his answers from them, and that stressing about it was pointless, he picked up the bags with his magic and launched into the air again.

He made his way home and dropped off the goods, letting his family know what had happened. His mother looked genuinely worried, though by contrast his father looked proud. Aurus had never really done anything wrong, so his father assumed it was more likely the opposite; something his son had done right.

Aria, however, was sorrowfully confused. "Why do they want Aurus? What did he ever do?" she asked grumpily.

"Sis, the council isn't bad or anything. They've just got something they need to talk about. Maybe it's just as simple as someone giving them my name by accident. Whatever it is, I'll clear it up," he said with a smile, rubbing her head with a hoof. That seemed to cheer her up a bit.

"Just be careful, dear," his mother said quietly, hugging him close.

"I will be. Don't worry, I'll be back soon," he replied, waving to them from the still open front door. Closing it behind him with magic, he launched into the air. He still had plenty of energy from his morning full of friendly greetings.

And now he finally had a flight long enough to use it all.

IX: Death of Peace

Malik and his assassin 'brothers' flew hard through the gorge. Only a few days prior they had sent word of their success along to Gerd through magical means, and he had bid them to return.

Malik's efforts had gone well. The other assassins had believed his account of the kill, as Aurus had expected. Combined with his own account, the guards of the city had been sent out by Celestia bearing false rumors that they, too, had found the body of a changeling in the castle. It had taken little more than that to convince his 'brothers' of Aurus' demise. They weren't under orders to retrieve the body anyways, since it was meant to look as if the ponies had killed their king in the first place.

It had gone almost too well. Malik was in awe of his king's clever scheme and how effective it was proving. The usurper, Gerd, would be fooled just as the assassins were, for the entire murderous band would vouch for Malik's claim. In the end, Aurus' death would happen just as he had dreamed. Though it would be little more than a rumor.

He had to repress a chuckle to himself as he zipped along at the head of the assassin band, turning deftly to avoid pillars of stone in the gloom. Midnight meetings like this were his lot in life, and this certainly wasn't his first. Gerd would never risk letting his involvement in the king's death reach public ears, and so secrecy was needed.

He felt alive this night. He had new meaning and purpose in life, a cause that he could finally support. Nobody needed to pay him, or sing his praises. He was a cog in the machine of peace, a light he was coming to understand better and better with every passing hour. His service didn't end here, he knew. He would spend the weeks, or even months before Aurus' return keeping constant vigil over Gerd. Watching his every move, and passing those observations to his king.

As much as he desired Aurus' success, he could not completely deny his nature. He loved his role, took a vain pride in it. Peace was good, to be sure, but there was a certain level of power and narcissism that he garnered from his work. It was him, after all, who was carrying the king's will. Doing the dangerous work, acting as a spy for a king whose enemies badly wanted him slain.

He would be a hero.

It felt good, but that prideful involvement was strongly tempered by his zealous belief in the cause he championed. It didn't consume him, but rather drove him to better serve his king. Just one more change in his life, he supposed. He had never taken pride in his work until now.

He and the other assassins dropped low, flying silently to a cave bored out in the side of the gorge by some underground river long ago. This was the expected meeting place.

"Good to see you, my friends," came the call within. A handsome changeling stepped out of the gloom, barely visible in the darkness because of his black hide. His green eyes glowed with excitement however, giving away his position, his ivory fangs showing long in a welcoming grin. "I trust your business went well?"

So this was Gerd. It was no wonder that the one behind the 'coup was this conniving rat. Everything from his smile to the way he carried himself screamed of spoiled, pompous nobility. The kind of mind that had always been on top, and always expected to be.

The kinds of people that assassins killed on a regular basis. That thought itched at Malik, though he had been ordered not to take Gerd's life by Aurus himself.

"Well enough, when you consider the setting. We took his life in Canterlot castle, and so the body could not be retrieved. The guards sounded city alarms, calling that they had found and were taking Aurus' body themselves. There was nothing to be salvaged from it, but his death is certain. Aurus Marz is no more," one of the older assassins said coldly.

"No matter with the body. I have no use for dead weaklings anyways. The fact they kept the corpse will only make my plans easier going forward anyways. Now then, which of you was it? Who put the dart to dear Aurus' thin hide?" he asked excitedly, almost maniacally.

"I did," Malik replied, his tone laced with fake pride for a fake kill. "Weak as you said he was, he succumbed to the poison quickly. He only had enough time to cry out once."

Gerd laughed wickedly, clapping his front hooves together. "Excellent, excellent indeed! You have done well. So well in fact that I intend to pay twice what I offered for this job. You've made my life much, much simpler. As for you, assassin, there's a lofty place for you in the council's new world. While the nation must never know of your dark deed, know that you are a hero to these people. You've freed them from a life of stupidity and laziness. You have my deepest gratitude," Gerd finished, extending a hoof to Malik.

Malik smiled warmly, as if he could receive no greater gift than that praise. In truth his stomach churned in disgust as he took Gerd's hoof, kissing it gently in false fealty. "It is an honor to have served you. I trust you will call on me again when your seat is secured."

Gerd pulled his hoof away gently, smiling wickedly. "Oh, you shall have more work than you can dream of, my friend. Killing a king is no small feat, but there is still much to do."

Malik smiled wickedly too, as thoughts of Aurus' return filled his head, pushing the rage in his throat away. "Indeed there is."

"And it is legitimate?" Morelda asked eagerly. Had Gerd been present, his heart would have leapt to hear such a zealous tone, particularly regarding the letter before her.

"There is no doubting its authenticity. The hoofwriting is a perfect match, and the seal is official. It was penned by the same hooves that once signed the border treaties centuries ago, of that you can be sure." The scribe, a changeling nearly as old as Korrick himself, coughed as he looked over the letter for nearly the thousandth time.

He knew of young Gerd's ambitions; there were few who didn't. He made no secret of his desire to advance within the council, and had been voraciously pursuing that goal ever since his installment amongst the lowest ranks they had to offer. Yet he had no way of knowing just how capable the young changeling had become in his short time within their halls; the letter in his hooves was proof of that, for it had fooled even his old, trained eyes. The scribe would believe that the Canterlot missive was authentic right until the day he died, and never be the wiser.

The scribe had given the letter no second thoughts as it was passed to him by Gerd's father; a changeling he deeply respected. Every society had a high-bred house whose purpose was to garner the unobtainable. Rare and forbidden items, favors with unknown origins... and in this case, letters from far-off lands. The Gallock family had always filled this niche in changeling history, as far back as any scribe could recall, and so it had not surprised him to receive such a letter from them, for only they could possibly have the means to securely bring it from that god-forsaken place called Equestria.

It likely would not have surprised him either to know that he had been duped, if ever he learned of it. Centuries of collecting rarities had given them a unique skill set. Forgery, namely. If a rare item became too rare, house Gallock would simply create perfect replications, and none would be the wiser. Gerd's father was a professional in the trade, and on his son's behalf he had handled the matter of this royal letter personally.

Morelda chuckled darkly. "Then it's true. The king is dead. This could not be better news for the council... Bad enough we have had to tolerate selfish imbeciles prancing about and making a mockery of our people in war, but to have our king walk idly into his own death? Could there have been a greater fool sitting on the throne?" she fumed. The other five councilors shook their heads in agreement. Truly death at the hooves of such an inferior race as the ponies was shameful.

"What are we to do, then? Clearly old Korrick's plan to gather the throne for himself was a waste of time. And all this peace-mongering of Aurus' is no better," grumbled another old councilor. "Has the council grown complacent, to watch two rulers fail so thoroughly? Is the throne doomed at the hooves of all other kings to come?"

"No, brother!" Morelda hissed viciously. "We will no longer sit idly by. We will take the throne under command of the council. T'rahk Enox must be a republic; it is the only way we can survive. We have suffered enough under the mask of unity that we call monarchy. There will be no next king or queen. The throne can rot, for all I care. The council hall is the new seat of power now."

The other five nodded their agreement. Korrick had counseled them against it hundreds of times, but seeing him unveiled as a traitor only made them believe he was selfish and greedy. He had not wanted to share the power, had not wanted the council to sit unified. If they had done so sooner, he never would have had the chance to try and puppet the throne as he had.

His escape from the dungeons had been reported only days prior, but an investigation had shown that they had been gone for some time before his daring flight had been discovered. As if that weren't condemning enough, he had fled in the company of the old tyrant-queen, a so-called enemy. Fleeing under suspicion of treason, with a known criminal in tow.

It was clear where his loyalties lay.

"Mistress, the high-seat is still vacant. If the council is to be made to rule, who can we trust to take such a role?" asked the scribe.

Morelda pondered this. Taking it herself was a dangerous route; sitting there had caused plenty of trouble for old Korrick, and with all the changing powers these days taking that seat was a risky decision. It would lead to immediate suspicion of all her actions, and she could not afford that. She was one of the few who truly looked out for the good of the people, and so she needed to remain where she was; watching and judging. Ready to defend her kind from fools in power.

"What the council needs is a puppet. A figurehead with a sly tongue to woo the people, but under our control. Without appealing to the people there is no way that we can make the changes we require. The nobility will be furious to see the council stealing away their chances at ultimate power; we need one of them, someone from an esteemed house to serve as our scapegoat, should things go badly for us."

The five murmured amongst themselves. Her words carried wisdom, though her design was less than noble. They could see that she was right, however; that for the greater good, the council must be made to rule. And for the safety of the council, a sacrifice needed to be made.

"What of that young one from house Gallock?" the scribe muttered tiredly, his old eyes barely open as he fought his age moment to moment. "Gerd, I think his name was. He's a silver tongued rogue like the rest of his family, and few other houses are so well known, or well liked."

"Yes," hissed another, nodding his assent. "Korrick had little trouble keeping that youth in line himself, and he was not so wise as the rest of us. Aside from fitting the bill, he would be easy to control. The council would be able to continue as it always has, honoring the decisions of its eldest members, behind the safety of the youth."

She thought quietly over that. It was true that while the young were impetuous and unruly at times, they were usually easy enough to compete with in the council hall. She doubted that Gerd, who had been a loyal enough council member, could stir up too much trouble. His other fellow younglings were stupid, more to fill seats and cast votes than to do anything else. Only he showed any real skill at the art of speaking or performing any other social duties.

"Very well. We shall see what he is capable of, at the very least. Call an emergency meeting, make sure the whole nation is made aware. In three days' time, we will have Gerd speak to all of T'rahk Enox, and tell them of Aurus' death. The people loved their king, foolish as he was, but Gerd held no such similar beliefs. It will be a fair test, then, to see if he can put aside his own inhibitions and play on that love to turn the people to the council," she mused, her inflection going up slightly at the end, inviting any criticism.

The councilors were silent, and she smiled to herself gently. "The unlucky young fellow... Ah well, it's for the good of the people. We shall see what he can do in three days' time."

He couldn't contain his dark laugh. It was all too perfect. The scribe had done his part, as his father had requested. If the council were ever to take power, he would ensure that a Gallock sat in the high seat. There had never been a generation where one of his family was not part of the council. And there had never been a generation where the scribes didn't serve house Gallock.

The council on the whole was unaware of this. The scribes' orders were simple enough; to be patient. They had never put a Gallock into power yet, had never drawn attention to their allegiance. They never would have, had the council not made such a drastic decision in leadership change. Funny that it should come to pass in Gerd's lifetime.

Of all the dumb luck.

He chuckled again to himself at the irony. Even for all of his earnest efforts setting the stage for himself, it was still fate that he relied on. Only through the failure of Chrysalis could this chain of events have been started, an occurrence he had had no hoof or say in. It was as if time itself had ordained this. It made sense to him, of course. Who in his family was more deserving? More ambitious or far-sighted? Who else knew how to weave a web of words so thoroughly, or how to stir the hearts of the people into a raging storm of supportive love?

Who else had the potential to become a god?

The murmurs on the far side of the stage curtain from thousands of voices vibrated the air. The nation was assembled; not as thoroughly as for the coronation of foul Aurus, but it would have to do. His purpose was clear; to make the people turn to the council. Morelda, in her foolishness, was ready to deliver the nation right to him, had even placed him in control. Of course the oldling thought that she was in charge, but old age tended to dull the senses. The nation needed a more cunning and alert ruler than some half-dead husk.

Still, if the people came to adore the council as they had come to adore kings and queens, no chair would hold more power than the high seat. There he would absorb the love of the multitudes as he performed his mundane duties; fixing roads, rebuilding homes destroyed from landslides. Spreading the generosity and goodwill of the council, for no payment other than the magical energies he so desperately craved.

And the fools would see it as obedient service to them. How moronic.

A fanfare from the outer edge of the coliseum echoed dully, not fully penetrating the thick velvet curtain of the orator's stand. The yammering of the fools outside quieted to hardly anything, just hushed whispers of confusion. Though it was a sunny day, the roof had been sealed tight, bathing the stadium in darkness. Enormous braziers lined the top and bottom rings, providing sparse green light. It seemed almost surreal, as if looking at everything through a dingy emerald sheet of glass.

It was the perfect setting for such grim news, and Gerd had insisted it be staged this way. It would draw the people further into their grief, making them easier to manipulate, emphasizing their sorrows and dependence on the one strong voice in the world.

His.

The curtain rose, and he stepped forward quietly, his head hung. It had the desired effect, for the whispers turned concerned. Few gatherings started with such obvious regret in the speaker's stance. His very first word carried a tone of pure agony and sorrow.

"My friends... brothers and sisters... Our great king is slain," he said gravely, his voice amplified by magic, but shaking nonetheless.

He paused as the gathering had the desired reaction. Nearly every female put a hoof to her mouth in surprise or hurt, either to hold back sobs or gasps of horror. The murmuring intensified horribly as wails sounded within the crowd. While his reign had been short, it had been meaningful, and Aurus had been well loved, as no king before him had ever been. Truly he had been a beacon to his wretched people.

Disgusting.

"Please, friends. Calm yourselves, and listen well," Gerd all but begged, his tone pleading for their silence. He received it almost instantly. "We have long feared this would be so. When Korrick the Cruel sent our lord away, he intended for him to die. Had the council known, we could have prevented this dire tragedy. But alas, we were blind to his scheming until it was too late," he paused again, seemingly to regain his composure.

"We received word of our great king's death from the pony queen herself. A letter that bears her undeniable mark, and is harsh, full proof that our desires for peace are not to be. While his cause was just and noble, the world was not ready to receive such a wondrous soul. Aurus was a king unlike any other; a changeling of action and purpose, boldly striding forward into a future the rest of us could only dream of. His vision touched us all, even if only for a brief flash. In the end, he achieved his goal, brothers and sisters. In the end, he is at peace," his tone turned to one of bittersweet joy as he painted himself a weak smile.

"My own heart hungers for revenge against our enemies. But we began this cycle, and Aurus knew that. He went willingly into the arms of those who hated him, cherishing the future of our people above his own. It was through our own faults that our king now lies dead in far-off lands, never to be buried in the home he served so zealously. The cycle of hate must be broken; Aurus saw it clearly. He was not wrong, brothers and sisters. We simply were not ready. We have failed him," he said somberly, hanging his head again, this time in shame.

The people muttered amongst themselves, and he could hear the tone of bitter self-anger amidst the chimes of hollow, empty sorrow. They were fully in his thrall; he could feel it. When he ebbed, they ebbed, and when he flowed, they flowed. His every intonation was cause for even greater attention. They were his.

"We must not retaliate! If any one of you, even his own family, had been slain in his stead, he would stay the course of peace. Even if our enemies will not meet us in our quest, we must not meet them in war. He would never have had it any other way," he finished quietly.

"The council fears this action above all else. The throne is now empty and waiting to be filled by a soul ready for war, filled with anger and sorrow. There could be no worse honor to our great lord's memory. And so it is with heavy hearts that the council denies the throne. It ends this day with our last great king; a true hero and champion of the people. A tyrant will never follow in his wake! We will become as he meant for us to be, a nation of the people, for the people," he practically roared, allowing his false anger at the thought of someone tainting Aurus' rule with the stain of tyranny to infect his speech.

The crowd became animated, nodding and murmuring angrily, his tone spreading through them like a contagion. They too wanted to see this legacy preserved; to let Aurus live on in their hearts as the last true king of T'rahk Enox. Cries of agreement rang out from certain corners of the stadium, building into a roaring cheer, washing over him like a storm as he held his head high on the stage.

The aura of magic he felt flowing through him; the approval, the desire for more, to continue his speech... It was pure ecstasy, unlike anything he had ever felt before. Never had he experienced such magic in his life. But unlike pathetic Aurus, he was of nobility; skilled in the magical arts and well trained in manipulating its flow. He was nowhere near experiencing the flow of energy a newly crowned king felt, for their approval was tempered by their sorrow and anger. Still, it did his vile heart good to know that this was only a taste of the true power he would feel.

"The council watches the people now, serving as its guardians. We will not guide the people, but rather listen for their desires. We will temper them when they are rough, polishing them into a golden path to our future. You will lead us now, with your hearts akin to that of our last king. We will build our nation into something grand and wonderful, a jewel that sparkles blindingly in the eye of the world. A bastion of peace in a sea of races ready for war. We sit and wait for your will, brothers and sisters, that we might guide the nation in the name of all the people. As Aurus did," he said solemnly, bowing his head in a mixture of sorrow and gratitude to the crowd.

"The council thanks you, my friends. We are your servants, and we are heartbroken to have brought you such dread news. But we hope that you will look to us with ready eyes when your hearts are healed, so that we can aid you in this troubling time of need. Peace to you all." Gerd said that last line in such a way that it sounded akin to 'farewell'.

To his mild surprise, all the crowd echoed it. "Peace to you, councilor," they replied somberly, their throats raspy with tears both shed and hidden. Keeping his head bowed and eyes closed, Gerd backed away from the edge of the stage as the curtain closed around him. Sighing to himself and relieving the itching feeling of magic unspent, he calmed his nerves.

Morelda came up to him, grinning excitedly. "It would seem you are certainly the proper choice. I could never have expected the people to be so tame in the face of such news. You really are a master of their hearts, young councilor," she congratulated.

"Of course. Would you have expected anything less of house Gallock? We have always served the council in its times of need," he replied politely. "Now then, I believe there is the matter of my title to discuss?"

Morelda simply grinned wickedly. "Oh, there is nothing to discuss. A decision has already been made. Congratulations, High Councilor Gerd. It is my pleasure to serve you," she said with a warm smile and a respectful dip of her head.

While she stood there thinking she had him played for a fool, Gerd simply nodded his head in gratitude. "The pleasure is all mine, mistress. I only hope that I can serve the council well in the coming days of turbulence."

"I am sure you will. There is much for you to do, my lord," she replied, her tone laced with false appreciation.

Gerd only smiled, for she did not realize just how much there truly was to be done.

Malik sighed to himself, every fiber of his being itching to scream the truth to the sky. He had to admit that the usurper's speech had been most convincing indeed, would have had himself fooled had he not already known the truth. That was what irked the ex-assassin most; to know that he too would have failed, had it not been for Aurus' guiding light. To see these people ready and willing to suffer needlessly under the coming storm of darkness that was Gerd Gallock.

How he longed to free them now! To tell them all that their beloved king still lived. Even still, he knew his place, though it pained him. Much gnashing of his teeth would accompany his time home away from his lord's side as he watched events unfold helplessly. Even if he did interfere, he hadn't the wisdom or the power to correct the turn the tide had taken.

He looked about the massive gathering. Word had spread quickly, faster even than news of Aurus' recent coronation. That Gerd had been named high councilor, and would be presiding over the service of Aurus' final ceremony. A burial with no body, the last honor his people could give him.

That the jester sitting in the high seat would even touch a monument to his king filled him with disgust; much less his gravestone, false or not. Still, he had to admit that it was a wondrous monument. Mages had worked tirelessly at it for days, building it from the most precious and sought-after material of changeling kind; emerald. Green was the color of their soul, or so it was often said. There was no changeling who did not adore the deep, verdant hue of such a gem. It had always been a symbol of their nation's wealth and power, the prime among their treasures.

Hundreds of them had been collected, taken from the royal treasury for this occasion. Mages had worked tirelessly to fuse the myriad gemstones into a single pillar of precious crystal, which they had erected in the center of the capital, replacing the old, worn statue of some forgotten monarch in the center of a large fountain. It had towered over the gathering, visible from even the back of the crowd, it's beautiful and jagged surface reflecting the morning light all about the chasm like soothing green waves.

Thousands had come to witness the occasion, and that helped to ease Malik's sickened anger. So many had traveled to bid one final farewell to a lord they had never truly known, yet had seen clear as day. Even in the briefest moment of a changeling's life, Aurus' full character would come to light. He hid nothing of himself, was open and sincere, filling his subjects with the same love and adoration they had poured out on him. It was no wonder they loved him so. Malik smiled warmly to himself as he watched group after group pay their respects, a final honor in service of their king.

He couldn't imagine the brightness in their souls, when the day came and their king returned.

The ceremony dragged on, lasting well into the evening, where the light of the sun painted the canyon walls a blazing orange, slowly shifting to the purple of dusk. The hundreds of thousands before had dwindled to mere hundreds at last, and these were fast-fading as their day of grieving drained them. Before long, even the council had departed, declaring the ceremony finished in the early hours of the night.

Only Malik and Aurus' family remained. His mother was a wreck, destroyed by the loss of her son. His younger sister was just as bad, her young heart badly damaged by such tragic happenstance. The father was doing his best to be strong for his wife and daughter, but his son had been his pride and joy, and so even he was still weeping.

The ex-assassin approached them quietly. Hundreds had offered their condolences to the Marz family, but that was not his purpose. They were alone now, just he and them.

They needn't bear such grief, he knew.

"Lord and Lady Marz," he said pleasantly, his tone eager instead of sad. "It is good to meet you. I have been wanting to meet the honorable parents who raised our good king."

Lady Marz could do little more than nod her acknowledgement, and it was clear to Malik that she was somewhere far away, consumed by her grief. The father smiled to him sadly, but welcomed him all the same. "We are glad to meet you, friend. Tell me, what is your name? How did you know my son?"

"I am nothing more than a humble servant to him," he said, emphasizing the present tense slightly. He looked about, ensuring they were alone in the square, before continuing. "I serve him still. Your son is alive, Lord Marz."

Aurus' mother choked as her breath caught, his father helping support her as her legs went weak with shock. He, too seemed speechless for a moment. "What are you saying? Is it true?" He asked eagerly, though his hasty tone was reined in by his cautious expression.

"I assure you I am not playing with your feelings, Lord Marz. I have come to tell you that there is no cause for your grief," Malik said calmly, pleasantly.

The lady looked at him with hope in her eyes. "How can you know? How can you know that my son is alive? Please, tell me," she begged quietly, on the verge of sobbing again.

Malik sighed, for though he had reconciled his past, he did not wish to talk about it. "Because I am one of the assassins that was hired to kill him," he said sadly. He watched with distaste as her eyes widened in fear. Still he continued.

"I had him in my grasp, or so I thought. But your son proved to be too well guarded by close friends, and I was no match for him. He said things to me when he captured me. Things about the world, and peace. Things about his cause, and things about myself. What I was ordered to do was horrible and sickening, and he has shown me the light," he said solemnly, bowing his head in apology. "Would that I could do it all over again, I would never have chosen the path of a murderer."

"But together your son and I laid a plan to drive the other assassins off his trail, and make him appear dead. I saw him alive with my own eyes not two weeks ago before the rest of the assassin band followed me here, believing I had slain him." Malik smiled up at Aurus' family as he watched the expected unfold.

"Oh, my boy is alive," the mother gasped, her tone hushed. She knew that this was dire news for her baby, that if word of his survival spread he would be in grave danger. Still, she wept with joy and relief. At last she recovered her composure, and her husband took up where her words left off.

"Oh thank all that is holy... To think that our son is well. I cannot thank you enough for this news," he said, bowing his head in gratitude. "But tell me, who was it who hired you? Who was it who wanted to see my son dead?"

Malik smiled darkly. "The very councilor who now commands so much esteem in this dark time. The same one who is making your son's false demise out to be a heroic martyrdom. Gerd Gallock, the high councilor," he said gravely.

The lord and lady exchanged dire looks. This was indeed bad news. House Gallock was a powerful enemy to have. Still, rumor of their son's death would keep him safe from harm, for his enemies wouldn't be on the hunt for his corpse.

Malik watched that silent exchange, taking note of the sad confusion. Why had Aurus not sent them word himself? Why didn't he return and fight house Gallock? His family wondered these things silently, but Malik could see it in the mother's eyes.

"He did it to protect you. Gerd would stop at nothing to see him dead, and would have eventually used you and your family to bring him to ground, where he would kill him. So long as Gerd thinks he is dead, you are safe. And by the time the evil bastard realizes that Aurus is alive, it will be too late for him. The councilor thinks he is the only one playing this game, but already the good king's plans are in motion," Malik said with pride. "You must tell these things to no one. If any were to learn of his survival, it would spell doom for us all. Aurus is the only hope of freedom for all of the people under the council's thrall, and his plans must not be discovered until it is too late to stop him."

The two parents nodded eagerly, knowing that that would be the case. "What will he do? How will he save us from the evil coming into our midst?" his mother asked quietly.

Malik just laughed, a dark sort of chuckle that belied his old nature. But it was not evil or vile, but filled with a zealous support for the violent end of a tyrant.

"He will return in a blaze of glory, and crush the fool councilor like an ant."

"Much better," Twilight congratulated. Aurus was making very good progress controlling his spells more accurately. She now had him throwing rocks through progressively smaller and smaller hoops, focusing now on pinpoint manipulation of magic with use of significantly more force than the string exercises.

In typical fashion he had been struggling at first, then excelling at an incredible pace as he finally grasped the concepts. It was quickly becoming like muscle memory in arcane form; things that he did simply out of habit, abilities he mastered without knowing he had mastered them. Twilight had even taken it upon herself to teach him a few more advanced spells as a reward.

Much fiddling with his own innate magics had given her a better understand of how changeling mages differed from unicorns. Together they had worked out the kinks in some of Aurus' changeling magic, through much practice and theory. He was now able to create green fire at will, though for some odd reason it wasn't hot. Still, the flames would consume nearly anything they touched, so that spell was one of the few they didn't use indoors.

"Thanks. It gets easier every day. I have to say though, I'm lucky to have such an apt teacher," he chuckled, zipping a pebble through a ring barely large enough for it with ease. Truth be told the only reason he was stumbling so badly at the start of these lessons was that his drive to succeed was catching up with him. While he had plenty of magical energy to spare, he still needed his sleep. But thinking of his studies kept him awake and thinking, right there beside his self-doubts and worries for his people.

In the end he would simply stay up, continuing to practice in secret on his own until he was finally tired enough and couldn't take it anymore. He felt exhausted all the time, but used a constant supply of his own magic to make himself seem more energized. It couldn't take the place of bed rest, but for all appearances it was the same.

He lined up another shot, but the stone punched through the ring, and then straight through the wall beyond.

"Woah, easy Aurus! You could hurt somepony like that," she chided, examining the hole in the wall. A sound behind her drew her attention back to him though, and she gasped as she watched him collapse hard.

"Aurus!" She rushed to his side, looking him over. No sign of a toxic dart. She couldn't tell what was wrong, but he was shaking and his eyes and jaw were clenched in pain. "What's happening? What's wrong?" She pleaded for an answer, trying to find some way to help him.

The magic burned his insides like wildfire, begging for release. He knew what was happening. He could feel the grief like some tangible force, bearing down on him, trying to funnel into his body. So news of his death was at last reaching his people.

Their love and regret for his loss were too much for his body. He still did not know how to control this level of magic. A surge this powerful sought only to enter him, but he had no place prepared for it. In the end all it wanted was to burst from him, like too much water in too small a glass.

He shook with his effort as he did his best to contain the magic. If he moved or spoke he wasn't sure what would happen, but he could not stay here. It was only a matter of time before it escaped, and he would not be able to control it then. His heart full of fear, he took the risk of speaking. He opened his eyes, which glowed bright green. No features were visible within, simply an emerald void of energy. Still, he could see the look of shock on Twilight's face as she looked at his transformed eyes, swirling to the brim with magical force that could bring forth calamity at any second.

"Twilight... You have to take me.... Away from here!" He growled through clenched teeth. Every breath was accompanied by wisps of ethereal green fire, scorching the carpet. His body screamed with agony and the desire to let the pent up energy out. He could feel it trying to tear him apart.

Twilight trotted in place in a moment of panic, looking around for help. There was nopony but herself though, and so she did the only thing she could think of to do. Leaping on Aurus' shaking, traumatized form, she held him tight as the two of them vanished in a burst of purplish light.

She tumbled like a ragdoll down the side of some grassy hill, far from Canterlot. This was as far as her spell could take her, and she was breathing hard from the effort. Looking around, she discovered that she was in a valley, possibly on the far side of Lone Peak. A brook ran nearby at the base of a shallow bluff, long grass blew in the wind. A stand of trees nearby was filled with birdsong.

It would have been peaceful, if not for her panic.

She looked around fearfully for Aurus. He had also tumbled down the hill, and was doing his best to get to his hooves. She could tell even from this distance that it was taking him an immense effort just to rise. His face radiated nothing but pure anguish as the magic did terrible things to his body, licking at his soul. She made as if to move towards him, but a voice in her head, Aurus' voice, brought her to a halt.

"Stay back... I don't want you to die," he called to her silently, nearly stumbling in his agony. Her heart was torn to ignore that warning, to run to him and help him stand, but she knew that he was right. That there was no telling what was about to transpire, no guarantee of her safety.

He cried out in pain as the magic finally began to pour out. Tendrils of green flame sprouted from where his wings were, flailing gently as if they were sea plants being tossed about by some unseen current. Clouds above began to close in, thickening and billowing into one another. It became dark as night, so thick was the storm overhead. All she could see was Aurus, glowing like an emerald inferno as the snakelike appendages at his back writhed about.

"Aurus, no!" Twilight cried, realizing that this was only the beginning of some catastrophic magical storm.

At the sound of her voice, one of the tendrils of flame seemed to react, as if it had a mind of its own. It shot up the hill towards her with frightening speed, slithering along the ground like some blazing serpent. In the blink of an eye it was before her, rearing up in preparation to strike, leaving a trail of burning grass and scorched dirt in its wake.

"No!" Aurus roared viciously, groaning with pain as he exerted his will over the magic. The tendril froze mid-lunge for her, blazing mere inches from her face. She could feel no heat, yet her coat singed where a puff of flame licked at it. The tendril shook, as if fighting Aurus' will, and desiring nothing more than to fall upon Twilight and destroy her.

"I said no!" he roared, this time with such fury that the ground shook from his suddenly magically amplified voice. The tendril lashed away from her as if pulled by some unrelenting force. It wrapped itself around the trunk of a tree instead, constricting like some horrible python. The tree groaned and crunched as the tendril pinched its middle, grabbing it firmly. The tree went up in green flames in no time at all as the tendril lifted it like a toothpick, uprooting it with ease.

Without warning it threw the tree up into the air. Its blazing arc was aimed straight for Twilight, who stood frozen in shock and terror as the fiery missile came to claim her.

Another tendril lashed out from Aurus' back, catching the tree deftly and slamming it into the ground far from its mark. "Twilight, run!" came the silent voice in her head. "I can't protect you forever. There is only so much I can control."

The tendrils slammed the ground around him, tearing up the grass and dirt as if throwing a fit. They sailed around aimlessly, striking all that they passed by. Stones melted in their wake, earth shuddered at their blows.

Twilight turned and ran, blindly. The sounds of destruction behind her jarred her ears, shook the ground under her hooves. Her eyes were full of tears of terror and regret. Behind her Aurus was in there! In there, probably dying. And here she was, running like a scared filly. She stumbled, unable to see the very ground in front of her as she simply muscled ahead. She tumbled down the far side of the hill, but quickly got to her hooves and bolted again.

There was nothing she could do.

Aurus watched with horror as his magic turned the world into a nightmare. Fire raged, eating away even at things that should never have burned. He was the only speck of light in the gloom besides those myriad fires of burning trees or torched stones. All around him was a darkness that his tendrils sought to fill with fires of their own.

This spell was far beyond him, consuming so much energy. He had more to spare than it could ever hope to remove. He could never hope to control it, to rein it in. And so he watched helplessly as his weakness ran amok in the valley. The bluff nearby came undone as four of his fiery arms gripped it and pulled, ripping it like paper. The other four continued their wanton destruction of the trees, uprooting them and tossing them about.

Green lightning began to fall all around him, the storm sucking in the excess energy that he vented with every breath. The strike rocked Lone Peak in the distance, charring its surface. Harsh winds blew the ash of his destruction about in fierce dust devils, only darkening the black sky further.

This was true weakness... A lack of control so thorough that he couldn't hope to best his own power. All he could do was cower in his impotence and pray that he could at least steer the damage away from Twilight.

It was the most he could do.

The violent sounds finally stopped. The hammer of lightning strikes in the distance faded as the clouds overhead dispersed. Twilight had hidden in a cave far down the hillside, huddling in rightful fear of that magical barrage. But as it dissipated, she had only one thought on her mind; Aurus.

She rushed to the top of the hill, looking down on a scene that left her gasping for air as she forgot to breathe.

In a perfect line at the top of the hill, life stopped. On one side there was grass, trees, green things. The magic had been halted here, stopped by all of Aurus' significant willpower. But will alone had not been enough to save the valley from his power.

On the far side of that line, all the way to the base of Lone Peak, there was nothing.

The devastation was unlike anything she had ever laid eyes on. All the remained of trees were the still-burning husks of their once proud trunks. Glowing pools of green magma marked where stones had once rested. Where a sea of grass had resided once before, there remained only cracked, parched earth, like baked clay. The stream steamed madly, practically boiling as the water flowing in made contact with the super-heated stone in the affected area. And the bluff was a crumbling pile of ruined slag.

At the base of the hill was Aurus. The dread tendrils had faded, leaving only his body behind. She couldn't tell if he was alive or dead, but she hoped against all hope that it was the former. Her hooves pounded the dusty remains of the valley as she ran hard to his side, screaming for him.

He stirred slightly at her approach. He moved his front hooves weakly, as if he meant to get them under himself and stand as she pulled up next to him.

"Aurus, don't move!" she begged, watching as he failed miserably to stand.

"Twilight..." he replied quietly. "Help me stand."

"You're in no condition to stand," she berated him, though her tone was all concern.

"I have to."

Twilight couldn't fight the determined look in his eyes, though they were still thick with pain. Obediently, she helped him stand on his own four hooves. His legs shook badly, and he would have toppled if not for her support.

As soon as he was upright he made a gagging noise. He dropped his head and retched some thick fluid upon the barren dirt. Twilight had though perhaps it was blood, by the way it had flowed. But it was green and glowing brightly, pulsing with the same light she had seen in his eyes before this apocalypse had fallen on this poor valley.

"Is that...?" she asked in disbelief, watching in amazement as the puddle soaked into the earth. The ground where it vanished immediately sprung to life, grass growing and flowers blooming at an alarming rate. The new vegetation did not vanish, but remained steady and stable even in the unforgiving soil.

"Magic," Aurus confirmed. "My body couldn't relieve enough of it in spell form... and so it found another way. To physically purge it from my body, instead of magically," he gasped, breathing hard after his nauseous fit. Aurus looked with sad eyes on the destruction he had caused. "I couldn't stop it, Twi..." he said sadly.

"Aurus, there was no way you could have controlled that spell. I've never seen anything like that. It was as if it was alive," she murmured consolingly. "This isn't your fault."

"Imagine if this had been your home," he said, choking on the thought. "What have I done?" Tears came to his eyes as he looked upon a scene that had once been beautiful, but was now as a canvas washed clean. His jaw clenched with determination suddenly, his legs locking as he prepared himself for something.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her tone all worry.

"I have to fix this," he huffed, his breathing heavy and labored. "Nothing will ever grow here again if I don't."

"Aurus, don't!" she growled, giving him a gentle shake. "You'll kill yourself! Who will save your people then?" She went for an appeal to logic, but his calm and stubborn smile proved her failure.

"If I can't fix this broken patch of land, how could I possibly save them?" he asked with a smile. "Even if it does kill me, I have to try... Just like I would try for them."

Before she could stop him, his horn lit with brilliant light. The sky darkened again, but this time with clouds of gray, bearing water instead of lighting. A beam shot into the sky from his horn, piercing the clouds that swirled around its brilliant line into the heavens. Like he had done at his coronation, he made it rain magic. He funneled a vast amount into the spell, watching as glowing green drops fell in torrents, soaking into the earth. Slowly, grass began to grow again, trees sprouted, growing taller until they were saplings.

In took little more than a few sparse minutes, and the vegetation was thin and weak. But it was there, growing all the same in a place it never should have grown again. He had done it; had saved this barren stretch of land.

He dropped like a stone, passing out instantly with that thought echoing in the darkness of unconsciousness.

Twilight and the others stood around Aurus. They'd placed him in a bed in Canterlot castle's private sector, where the princesses kept their own rooms and rooms for esteemed guests.

Aurus certainly qualified.

"What happened t' him?" Applejack asked fearfully. She and the others had only just arrived, coming as soon as the guards had told them that an exhausted Twilight had arrived with Aurus out cold on her back.

"He overextended his magical abilities," Twilight said. The more accurate phrase might have been to simply say he had nearly killed himself trying to heal the land he had destroyed.

Applejack didn't need to know that.

"He's gonna be fine though, right?" she asked with concern, getting up in Twilight's face about it.

She could understand that. The two had made no secret of their relationship in the most recent days, and nobody had spoken out against it. The union made sense, and there was not a single fake thing about it. Applejack's concern was purely out of love alone.

"Yes, he will... But it's going to take a long time to recover. He's suffering from a condition unicorns don't get. You remember when he said that if his people ever received news of his death, the resulting magic might overpower him?" she looked from Applejack to Aurus with a sad expression. "That's what happened while we were training today. I teleported him as far away as I could, and if I hadn't the whole city would be destroyed. It was his idea; we all owe him our lives now."

Applejack shook her head in disbelief. "Riskin' his life fer ours. He's always doin' that!" she growled, though it was clear her feigned anger was really something else. "The big... dumb..." her voice faltered as tears sprung to her eyes and she fell into Twilight, crying. "I know ya already said it, but I wanna know he's gonna be fine again."

Twilight stroked her friend's mane consolingly, understanding her outburst of sudden fear and sorrow. "Of course he will, AJ. He's tougher than he looks," she said with a warm laugh, to dispel the orange pony's fears. "He's just exhausted and sick. The magic in his body did some damage to him, but nothing permanent. I call it 'magic poisoning'. He held onto too much of it for too long, trying to protect us, and it's caused a sort of... infection."

Applejack let go and nodded, wiping her face as Twilight continued.

"Any more magic that comes in will only make the symptoms worse. Until his people stop grieving for him and sending him their love, he'll be in a lot of pain," she said sadly. "There's nothing we can do but try and make him comfortable while we wait this out. But it's going to be dangerous; he's exhausted most of the energy, and so I think the city and the castle will be safe. Still, his abilities are out of his control in this state. Anyone near him is in danger," she said, trotting about as if trying to find some way to tend to him without endangering anyone.

"I'll do it," Applejack said fiercely, stomping her hoof before anyone could even hope to argue.

Twilight tried anyways. "But-" was as far as she got.

Applejack just glared at her. "But nothin'. He's my fella, an' besides that he's risked his life fer me twice now, from what ya'll 're sayin'," she said, her tone losing momentum as she looked at her unconscious lover. "It's the least I could do. I reckon that if he were in my place, he wouldn't waste a minute hesitatin'. You gotta let me do this, Twi. I don't care about the risks," she finished sadly.

Twilight just sighed. Applejack and Aurus were quite the pair; both fiercely loyal and stubborn to a fault. "Alright AJ. I'll leave him to you then. Come on, girls. The rest of us need to go spread the news to Celestia and Luna."

As Twilight and the others left the room, Applejack assembled some needed items. Cold water and rags for the fever she could feel even a foot away, as well as a chair to sit with him through the night. She wet the rag and sat next to him, gently mopping his forehead before wringing it out and dipping it again. She let the rag rest on his head, sighing to herself as he muttered, in the grasp of some feverish dream.

"Ya durned fool..."

Applejack shot awake as a splat sounded on the floor next to her. The rag lay there, slipping off of Aurus' smooth hide as he had turned unconsciously in his sleep. She stood from her place next to him, prodding him and moving him around a bit to ensure he would be comfortable. She bent and picked up the rag, heading for the washbasin to rinse it out.

When it was cleaned and ready for use again, she put it back on his head. His sleep didn't look peaceful.

"He'll be in a lot of pain," Twilight had said.

He certainly looked like it. Her heart aching with worry, Applejack turned to head back to her chair. A gentle, blazing hot hoof on her shoulder stopped her.

She turned back to see his green eyes open to slits, barely looking at her. "Applejack," he muttered, his lips turning up in a small, involuntary smile as his eyes drifted back shut.

"Yes Aurus? Does it hurt? Can I get ya anything?" she asked hastily, her voice full of worry.

His eyes were still closed, but he let out a soundless laugh that bobbed his shoulders gently. She had never seen him so weak and helpless. "No, I'm fine," he croaked, his throat sounding dry and sore. "Just stay with me. I've been having the worst nightmares, and I don't want you to go," he finished quietly, his tone full of fear that she might pull away from him.

She did, but only to pull her chair closer. She slid under his foreleg, resting her head on his chest as he smiled, drifting back off to sleep.

Applejack closed her eyes, listening to the thrum of his slow heartbeat and the aching rattle of his breathing. His hide was warm against her cheek, almost too hot, but that didn't matter. He needed her, and she would be there. She too readied to return to sleep, smiling to herself.

"Don't worry, Aurus. I've got ya."

XIII: Setting the Stage

"We're leaving," Aurus growled, his fangs bared and brilliant green eyes narrowed to hateful slits.

"I understand your worry, but your training is not complete!" Korrick said, his tone pleading.

"I don't care! Our people are dying, Korrick!" Aurus roared, his fury and fear for his people overtaking any other thoughts.

Korrick moved to speak, but surprisingly it was Chrysalis who stopped him. "Still your tongue, old man." Though her words were harsh as ever, her tone was strangely calm. "Your king gave you an order. He's right, you know; there's no time left for him to waste here. If Gerd is strong enough to take on the council on his own, then there is no one left to stop him in T'rahk Enox."

That seemed to calm Korrick, for it was strange to hear the tyrant of the past agreeing with Aurus in his mission to protect their people. "What do you care, witch?" he grumbled angrily. "If Aurus goes now, we cannot know he will survive!"

The six friends of Ponyville flinched at those words, and the princesses wore looks of concern. None looked more uncomfortable than Applejack, who looked worriedly from Korrick to Aurus. But her lover was standing tall, his righteous anger alive and well in his eyes, denying the fear of his own possible demise.

"Now you listen!" Chrysalis growled angrily at Korrick, surprising everyone. "I may have been a horrible queen, but I never wanted our people to die! All I wanted was my own power. I didn't kill our own kind, not unless I had to." She didn't show any remorse in her tone, was simply recounting facts. "Gerd has to be stopped, he's a monster who kills for pleasure. I don't love our people, especially not after what they've done to me since my failure... But they shouldn't be made to die, not if Aurus can save them."

The room hushed completely, everyone looking at Chrysalis in disbelief. To stand up for Aurus, to insist he go and save his people... This was absolutely nothing like the Chrysalis that had come to them two months ago.

Even Aurus, in all of his anxious anger, couldn't deny the surprise he felt looking at the ex-monarch. "Chrysalis..."

She whirled on him, her head held high and eyes narrowed as if she dared him to continue that thought. "Don't think for a minute that I've changed. I'm a lot of things, but a murderer isn't one of them, and even I can't condone that. If I had all of my own plans to do over again, you'd best believe I would," she said coldly, looking Aurus dead in the eyes. "But my time is long past. All I can do anymore is watch, and Gerd makes me sick. I don't care if you're ready or not, he has to be destroyed."

Aurus nodded, a slight frown on his face. So even now, Chrysalis was still the same terrible changeling? Even after all this time? True enough she had an abrasive personality and a horribly dark sense of fun. But looking into her eyes, Aurus could tell the truth.

This wasn't just about watching Gerd Gallock burn anymore. Her home, their home, was in danger, and even she was shaken by that.

"I'll tear him apart," Aurus growled vehemently, a promise to Chrysalis and all the others present that Gerd would pay.

"Aurus..." Applejack started, worry clear on her face. This wasn't like him. She had never seen him this angry, this worried.

One look at her softened his gaze and killed the anger in his eyes, bringing a sad smile to his lips. "Oh Applejack... I'm sorry you had to see me this way. But I can't sit by anymore, my people need me. He's killing them, and it could be my family next. Or Korrick's, or anyone's. Even if it costs me my life, I have to go back."

Applejack sighed, shuddering as the breath left her and fighting back the tears of concern. "I know, sugar," she said sadly, smiling weakly at him. "But don't ya think fer one second yer goin' alone."

Aurus moved to argue, scowling and opening his mouth to deny her. But they had been through enough arguments in their new life together, had come to know each other so well. Even through the tears brimming at the edges of her eyes, he could see that unrelenting spark in their beautiful green depths. Looking around, he noted the same determination in the faces of all his friends. Twilight, Rainbow, even Fluttershy.

He simply sighed, knowing he was beaten. He smiled sadly back at Applejack as his other friends closed in around her, grinning calmly as if following him were the obvious choice.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he admitted at last, unwilling to turn his friends away.

Gerd sat atop the obsidian throne of the king, the royal castle now his to command. Here he conducted his schemes with his slaves, giving them their orders. He had many new works in mind for them, and today was no exception as the scribe knelt on the black carpet that led down from the raised seat and across the floor of the great hall.

"Of course," Gerd scoffed at the scribe. "It's time for the people to recognize me as their god. Though I could continue to cater to their simple-minded wants and needs, I have grown tired of their admiration. I crave their fear and awe much more, and I no longer rely on their love for my power."

"Forgive me, my lord," the scribe said quietly. "My simple mind cannot fathom your plans. I will do as you have asked, and gather the people as quickly as possible. And this time, all of T'rahk Enox will be in attendance. But please, your grace, enlighten me. How will you reveal yourself as their god? How will you show your power?"

Gerd chuckled, the high titles and obedience tickling his ego. "Quite simple really. I will show them that I can do whatever I please, that I am above consequence and fear. They will recognize my power and they will bow to me in fear. All the nation will obey me, cowering from the possibility of my undeniable wrath. I will declare the dawn of a new age to them, the age of Gallock," he said, rising from his throne and standing tall.

"In three days time, I will have all the nation bowing before me. Then I will march on the rest of this miserable world, bringing the fires of war in my wake. Soon, all living things will know me as their god. I leave it to you to make the preparations. Don't fail me," Gerd said firmly, glowering down at the scribe. "Now go."

"As you command," the scribe replied, his nose to the floor as he backed away, turning once he had gone a respectable distance and leaving the great hall in haste.

Gerd turned, walking behind his throne and gazing out the massive window behind it. It looked out upon the gorge that the capital was nestled in, the castle's high perch atop the cliffs giving him full view of the insects below. They did not know that their god was watching them, had plans for them.

They would know soon.

Gerd paced about the throne room, his eagerness keeping him from sleep. The moonlight poured through the window, the dusty sheets lending the shafts of light a strange quality. It was almost as if the pale rays were solid, and looking at them he imagined that a god should be able to walk on such moonbeams.

He chuckled to himself, knowing that it was an impossibility. Even for all his power, he knew that he did not possess the idiotic legendary powers of what people once referred to as gods. Irrational, impossible. To walk on a moonbeam was something only a legend could think up, for not even magic, the most powerful force in the world, could make it so.

"The difference, Zarkoj, is that those gods, like their powers, were an impossibility," Gerd chuckled, putting a hoof to the gem hanging around his neck. A gentle pulse of magic against his chest was the stone's way of signaling that it heard him, was always listening to its master.

"But I am real, and the power I possess is undeniable. Even so, I have my limits. A normal creature would not know them, not unless he could experience the same power I now do. To a normal creature, I would appear unstoppable. But we are a pair, you and I..." he said quietly, looking out the grand window to the moon outside. Its pale glow lit the barren earth outside, the plains above the cliff painted white, speckled with the shadows of stones littered about.

"To be separated from you would mean my downfall. Even a god can be slain without his weapon," Gerd muttered. It was a weakness he had long been aware of, but until recently he had taken no heed of it. He could easily kill anyone who tried to take it before they could get near enough to attempt it. Any magic that might yank the gem away would be stopped by Zarkoj, and so he had considered himself invincible from the very beginning.

But it was not so. Even a weakness that could not be exploited was still a weakness, and a god should have no weaknesses.

"All that joins us is a simple chain of gold. Losing you would be akin to losing my own horn, Zarkoj," he said breathlessly, his mind searching for some way to hold the gem to him forever. His own words echoed back to him off of the black marble walls, quiet and barely a whisper.

His eyes widened as he gazed upon the gem hanging around his neck. "My own horn..." he whispered again, looking at it. The shape of the gem, the length, its jagged appearance... It looked just like a changeling horn that had been carved out of smoky ice, pulsing with untold energy.

Zarkoj trembled with excitement about his neck, the gem physically vibrating with the emotion.

Gerd could hardly control himself. His hoof reached up over his head, bracing itself against the back of his horn, trembling slightly. Whether his hoof shook with fear of the pain that was to come, or out of excitement, he couldn't tell. His mind burned with those emotions in equal parts.

He hesitated, looking at the gem, and then up in a futile attempt to see his horn. Would it work? Could it be possible? All magic stemmed from the horn, and for what he was about to do... For any changeling it would be unthinkable! The pain would be unbearable, and his life would be torn asunder. His plans for godhood would fail absolutely.

A feeling came out of Zarkoj, encouraging and supportive. The gem could sense his indecision, his doubts. But Zarkoj knew more of magic than Gerd could ever hope to, and it knew that this would work, imparting that confidence as best it could through its master's thick shell.

Gerd wrestled with that. His fear of this act consumed him, rattled his frame like a leaf in a strong gale. All of his own knowledge and logic begged him not to. But the ultimate power was still beyond him. His fear, his dependence on the gold chain pressing Zarkoj to his chest, held him down from the powerful throne of a true god. His hate for that weakness finally outweighed his logical terror, giving way to a zealous abandonment of his earthly fears.

"I am no simple changeling!" he growled, clenching his teeth and setting his jaw with determination. "I am a god!"

Gerd push hard, and the pain was excruciating. His shell cracked and popped under the pressure, and the bone beneath strained against him. He screamed as his nerves shot fire through him, his eyes watering from the agony. Still he pushed, and Zarkoj pushed with him, filling his foreleg with unimaginable magical power.

Gerd cried out in such a voice that would have raised the dead as his horn finally snapped off, the force pent up behind that push throwing the bloody spike across the throne room floor. It clicked with each bounce off the marble, as if it were nothing more than a skipping stone across a frozen pond.

Gerd breathed hard, blood running down his face, twin streams parting around his muzzle. His legs shook from the tremors of agony, but he was not yet done. There was still more pain to come.

Eager to be done with it, Gerd ripped Zarkoj from the golden chain around his neck. Holding it above his head, he looked at the menacing, jagged spike of sapphire stone.

And he denied his fear with his lust for power.

Gerd crushed the gem into the bloody hole in his shell, the spike crunching through the bone beneath, but not passing through his skull. He nearly passed out from the pain, but the energy flowing through him forced him back awake.

He could feel the power flowing through Zarkoj and into him. Power flowing in through where the horn should be, the outlet of the changeling body's magic. The magic rushing into him sought to escape, to go back against the flow from Zarkoj. But the gem was too strong to allow such a back draft, and the two magical forces collided, melded. The gem and his body lost individuality, the stone fusing with bone as magic fused with magic.

The room shook as the excess energy vented itself, rocketing out of Zarkoj's tip and blasting pillars with rays of bluish light. Everything in Gerd's vision was spinning, a vortex of azure energy as he gritted his teeth to contain his screams. Bone reformed around the crystal horn, his shell regenerating to cover what remained of the hole in his flesh.

Magic rocked through him, spinning around inside his body without control. He stumbled but held his ground as one of his legs molted before his very eyes. The shell blew apart, exposing pulsing flesh beneath. The flesh tore and Gerd screamed as he watched the very bone in his leg grow longer, the flesh rapidly regenerating and sealing back around the extended skeletal structure. The shell replaced itself soon after.

This agony repeated itself in all his legs, a horrific transformation far beyond regular metamorphosis. His neck, his skull, everything grew. His wings became as wide as those of two changelings combined, and he would tower over the throne which once stood a full head higher than him. He writhed in agony on the floor as his body succumbed to the magic of Zarkoj, transforming into something monstrous. Spikes of bone punched through the shell of his back, pieces of his spine that had been transformed by terrible magical power. His hooves had cracked and grown into a horrific, three-pronged amalgamation of shell and hoof. His fangs grew long until they were like blades hanging from his jaw, his eyes burning with an inner blue fire, as if somehow his iris were glass and an azure inferno were trapped beneath.

Gerd collapsed at last as the energy stopped. He was panting heavily, his eyes streaming hot tears of pain. But through his blurry vision he could see the floor next to him lit with a brilliant blue glow, his cheek pressed to the marble tile.

He forced himself to his hooves, his strange new body surprisingly light. He stumbled to the window behind his throne, looking at his reflection.

There, perched on his brow, was Zarkoj. The crystal was unchanged, but the once proud spike at its end was obscured by his head, for the gem was buried deep within his flesh, fused to his bone. He looked at his horrifying appearance, the spikes of bone and massive wings, the horribly twisted hooves. His face pleased him the most, for it had grown demonic, with those terrible eyes and sword-like fangs. His jaw was wider, more powerful, and he had no doubt that he could bite raw stone in two with less effort than a toothpick.

He started to laugh, hoarse from his own screams of agony. This was the form befitting a god! His voice gained volume, becoming maniacal as his burning eyes turned to the moon, as if daring it to contradict the power he now wielded.

"We are one," came a voice in his head. Accompanying that single sentence was a feeling of ecstasy, a tingle in his forehead that filled him with pleasure.

Gerd flexed his powerful legs, marveling at his new size and strength. He was easily twice as large as any changeling, even Chrysalis at the peak of her rule. His body bulged with an unnatural amount of muscle and flesh, barely contained by his form. Moving his eyes and wings, he came to the conclusion that Zarkoj was not in control of his body; that he was still the god, and it was still the weapon.

Turning and laughing again, he gathered the spell he sought to cast in his mind, channeling it through Zarkoj just as he would his own horn.

The resulting fireball blasted one of the room's decorative but sturdy pillars to slag, melting each shard that splintered off of the shattered stone pylon. Gerd chuckled darkly to himself, glad to see that his magic not only still worked, but worked even better than before.

"No, my dear weapon... We are so much more than that."

Aurus and his friends trudged along the path below Lone Peak. It was slow going, for neither Chrysalis nor the non-pegasi among them could fly. They were forced to walk, taking small jumps now and then when Twilight was feeling energetic enough to warp them ahead.

Afterwards she would always feel spent, but time was of the essence, and she refused to stop teleporting them. She would do so as often as she could and, during the lapses between, Aurus would carry her in her weakened state. He wished that he had been able to learn Twilight's warp spell, but sadly it was beyond the abilities of changelings, or so it seemed. It was not the first spell he had been unable to learn, but as of right now it was the only one he regretted not knowing.

If the princesses had come, things would have been moving much more quickly for their troop. Alas, Luna and Celestia had to stay behind; the affairs of their own nation demanded their attention, and Aurus could not blame them.

Even if he had been able to move the group along more quickly, he knew he wouldn't have. It was imperative that he maintain his level of strength, for until the people were made aware of his return it was all he would have to fight with. If they encountered any resistance before he could challenge Gerd, their odds were not very strong.

"Do you need a break, sugar?" Applejack asked, walking next to him as Twilight rode on his back. Aurus had been carrying her for the last few miles now, but had never once complained or slowed his pace.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. She's doing everything she can to get me home quickly, so I don't mind carrying her," he said, looking fondly upon the sleeping face of his dear friend. "And besides, she's not nearly as heavy as you," he teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

"An' just' what do ya mean by that?" Applejack huffed, fixing him with a playful scowl.

"Just that you're more muscular than she is, that's all," he joked, giving her a wink.

She just smiled at him, letting the joke run itself out. "Yer a terrible liar. How much further, do ya reckon?"

Aurus trudged along while his mind worked, kicking his way through a particularly stubborn bush. They'd been walking for two days now, and it had been a full twenty-four hour flight for him, and that was brimming with kingly energy. If he had to venture a guess...

"We're probably only a day out," he said with little confidence, his tone making it clear that that was subject to change. "It turns into desert out past Lone Peak, but then we have to make our way through the canyons to the capital. I'll have a better idea of where we are once Rainbow gets back from scouting ahead."

Applejack sighed, regretting her question. They'd been having a nice, lighthearted moment just a second ago, but now he was thinking about how soon before his battle. She knew he had to keep that in perspective at all times, but she still felt guilty for ruining that.

A thought came to her again, as it had come to her now and then for the last couple weeks. It brought a blush to her cheeks, a happy flush that Aurus couldn't see as he carved the path ahead of her for the rest of his friends to follow.

"Aurus?" she asked quietly, her tone low enough that it wouldn't wake Twilight.

"Yes?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her to make sure everything was alright. Her blushing face made him stop, his previous train of thought completely defeated by his imagination as it sought to uncover the cause of her happy, flushed face. He turned back to face her, careful not to jostle Twilight.

"I was thinkin'... if-" Applejack began. A rustling to her right distracted them both suddenly though. It sounded like something large was coming through the trees, and fast. Suddenly, a flash of light blue blasted out of the branches of a tree, flopping into Applejack. Rainbow Dash and AJ went tumbling end over end together.

Aurus just watched it all happen with a blank expression as his lover and his overzealous flying friend spun away into to brush on his right. This certainly wasn't the first time Rainbow Dash had come in a little hot, and it seemed like she always made a point of aiming for someone. Sighing and shaking his head, he forgot all about what Applejack had been saying as he wandered after them.

The rest of his party had been trailing by a short distance, and had come to investigate the commotion. Fluttershy was first on the scene, ever the worrier.

"Oh... my..." she muttered, and Aurus just nodded his agreement as he watched the scene unfold.

Applejack extracted herself from Rainbow Dash. As soon as she was free, she bit down on the tip of Rainbow's tail and spun her around a quick circuit before letting fly. The disoriented pegasus stood no chance of stopping herself as she tumbled even further into the brush, and out of sight.

"I was in the middle of somethin' important!" Applejack hollered after her, turning her tail on the hole RD had left in the bushes.

A sorry mistake, for Rainbow zipped back out, tackling her. "Oh yeah?" she growled, the two rolling around and bopping each other when they got clear shots.

Twilight started to stir on Aurus' back, and he decided to call the fight before somebody woke her up. Lighting his horn, he projected two bubbles, one over each of the combatants as they readied to run at each other again.

They both collided with the suddenly solid wall ahead of them with an 'oof'.

"Let me at her!" Rainbow growled.

"What's the big idea, Aurus?" Applejack said, her tone equally ready for a fight.

He walked between them, Twilight balanced carefully on his back. He dropped the green shields, smiling at them. Tensions had been high the last couple days. Aurus was normally so carefree and lighthearted, but lately he had been so gloomy, and he knew that it was affecting everyone around him.

Except maybe Chrysalis, who was off to the side laughing to herself about the fight. Korrick, as usual, was kicking at her to get her to shut up, to no avail.

"That's enough, girls. I know things have been uncomfortable the last couple days, but we can't afford to fight," he said firmly, smiling at each of them in turn. "You're being loud, and after everything Twilight's been doing to get us this far, I think we owe her some peace and quiet."

"But she threw me!" Rainbow grumbled, pointing a hoof at Applejack.

"Yeah, an' yerself barreled into me!" she retaliated.

"Enough," Aurus grumbled slowly, scowling at them both alternatingly. They hushed immediately, his stern look defeating their childish anger. He turned his gaze back to Applejack, sighing. "You two are friends, and I'm sure she didn't do that on purpose. She was in a bit of a hurry and couldn't see you through the trees, I'd bet."

Applejack pawed at the ground, looking away from him and knowing he was right.

"As for you," he said sternly, turning to face Rainbow. "I'd have thrown you too. It makes perfect sense. Anyways, nobody got hurt, so let it go."

"I wouldn't have even budged you, though," Rainbow muttered under her breath.

"Now then, what were you in such a hurry for?" he asked, ignoring the angry look she was still shooting Applejack. He couldn't see it, but he knew Applejack was behind him making a similar look.

Rainbow snapped to immediately, slapping her right front hoof into her left. "Oh yeah! I was out flying, and I found the edge of the woods, just like you said. It's only about another mile or so. But it's weird... There was a changeling out there, waiting for us!" she said, her voice full of eagerness. As if she expected a fight.

"A changeling?" Aurus asked, puzzled. Nobody knew they were coming, and it certainly couldn't be Gerd. "Just one?"

"Yup, just one," she clarified, smiling smugly. "Want me to go rough him up?"

Aurus shook his head, raising a hoof to stop her even as she moved to launch back into the air. "No, don't. I don't know who it is, but we'd better not start trouble. Nobody should know we're coming, but if he's here, whoever that is is waiting for us..."

Applejack inched closer, the fight with Rainbow and her earlier conversation with Aurus both forgotten. "What's goin' on, Aurus? Trouble?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Come on, let's go see what this is about."

Aurus peeked out from the brush, looking around. Sure enough, this was the edge. A few yards ahead even the grass stopped, giving way to sand-swept stone. In the distance dunes rose like glimmering hills of glass-speckled canvas, their light-tan hue a welcome and familiar sight on the horizon.

He spotted the changeling to the south of them, several hundred yards away. He signaled everyone to be quiet and follow him, and the entire gang nodded as they shuffled after him through the trees, edging closer to get a better look.

At last they were in the forest right ahead of him. Standing in the bright sunlight, Aurus doubted that this changeling could see them in the dim lighting and dense foliage beneath the forest's canopy.

Twilight had woken up nearly an hour ago, and her eyes widened as she saw him, her expression shifting to curious. "Wait a minute, isn't that-" she started, but Aurus cut her off, completely giving away their position as he tackled Rainbow Dash out of the brush and into the sandy, sparse grass beyond the forest's edge.

"You had me worried sick!" he vented, giving her a shake as he picked her up off the ground.

"What?" she asked, scowling at him. "There's a changeling like I said, isn't there?" She pointed right at the offending lone black spot a few yards away.

"Yes, you bird brain. It's Malik!" he muttered, dropping her and walking away.

"Well how was I supposed to know? You all look the same to me," she grumbled, dusting herself off as she followed Aurus and the rest out to greet their friend.

Malik was still smiling warmly at the humorous scene before him as Aurus approached. "Well, it's good to see you're still in a fun-loving mood. Not so much has changed since I left," he said, raising his hoof in front of him.

Aurus raised his own and they bumped their forelegs together in salute. "It's good to see you, my friend," he said warmly, looking him up and down. "And unharmed to boot. But with things the way they are back home, is it safe for you to be out here looking for me?"

Malik shook his head. "I can't afford not to." He looked about as the other friends closed in, all awaiting his news with looks of concern. "Gerd is calling the nation together tomorrow night. He's going to make a show of his powers and declare his 'godhood', if you can believe that." Malik scoffed at the notion, grinding a hoof in the dirt.

"It's good you're back... I fear he plans for public executions, to show off his power, amongst other things," Malik said quietly, his countenance grim.

Aurus scowled. "The bastard... Then again..." Aurus said, putting a hoof to his mouth as he thought.

"What is it, my lord?" Malik asked eagerly, sensing a plan.

"I was worried it would be difficult to let the people know of my return. Without them behind me, I cannot hope to defeat Gerd. But his display will do that for me!" he said with a victorious chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, confused.

"I'm saying that as he prepares to execute those changelings, I will step in and save them, in full view of all the assembled. He's playing right into my hooves by gathering everyone together. I have to get on that stage before it's too late for those poor souls," he said determinedly.

Malik nodded. "That's going to be difficult, though. Everyone in T'rahk Enox knows your face, and your name. And they all believe you are dead. If you're seen, there'll be no end of commotion, and Gerd will strike you down before you can get anywhere near the coliseum."

Aurus scowled, hoof back to his mouth again as he thought. His eyes lit up with the spark of an idea, and he grinned at Malik. "Tell me, is he leaving the dome open?"

"Dome?" Twilight asked, puzzled.

Malik ignored her, nodding to Aurus. "Yes, my lord. He's taken to doing things with a grandiose sense of style lately, and he intends to hold the gathering under the open evening sky. Why, what good does that do? Even if you were to fly in, he would simply shoot you down."

Aurus chuckled, looking to Chrysalis. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, his wicked smile oddly similar to her own.

"That's a perfect idea," she said back, chuckling darkly.

"Does anybody have any idea what they're talking about?" Malik asked quietly, afraid to interrupt their fit of maniacal laughter.

Twilight and the others shook their heads, looks of surprise on their faces.

Malik just sighed, letting the confusion go as Aurus and Chrysalis finished their little moment. "Well, if you're finished, I suggest we hurry. It's quite a few miles to the capital," Malik said, turning to the northwest.

"No, not that way," Aurus said quietly, pointing straight west, away from the entrance to the canyon network that Malik was heading for.

"My lord?" he asked, confused.

"Get us on the cliffs above the capital."

Aurus chuckled to himself, thinking how ironic that it was as he looked out on the castle across the gorge, lit by the moonlight. Inside rested his enemy, sleeping securely thinking that Aurus was dead. Tomorrow Aurus would prove just how exaggerated the rumor of his death really was.

The top of the cliffs sported hardly any buildings. Only the castle and a few ruined watchtowers remained from the ages of changeling civil war long ago, back at the dawn of their history. They were staying inside one such ruin, for they would be too exposed on the open, blank stone of the plains when morning came.

Aurus was getting used to living in ruins after his experiences three months ago in Everfree.

He sighed to himself, reflecting on that. "Has it really only been three months?" he asked himself quietly, looking out on his home. It felt like years, maybe even decades since he had left. Since he had seen his mother and father, or his wonderful sister.

"It really has," Applejack said, coming up behind him quietly. Everyone else was sound asleep, preparing for the day ahead. The crumbling walls around them sheltered their group from the cold winds of the desert night, keeping them warm and comfortable with the fire burning inside, where the base of the tower once rested.

Aurus had been careful to ensure the fire wouldn't be visible from the outside, and so he was confident that they were safe. Still, he had come out here in the cold to keep watch, just in case.

"I didn't know you were still awake," Aurus said with a small smile, turning to face her.

"I couldn't sleep, what with... ya know," she muttered, shuffling uncomfortably.

Aurus just smiled, walking close to her and hugging her tight. "I'm going to be fine, don't worry. I don't care how powerful Gerd thinks he is... Once the people abandon him, he'll go down without much of a fight," Aurus said confidently, brushing a hoof against her cheek in a loving caress.

"I'm not worried about that," she said quietly, looking at him with concern. "What're ya gonna do t' him?" she asked quietly.

Aurus sighed, having expected this question much sooner than this. He knew she wouldn't like his answer. "Applejack... ponies don't kill other ponies, do they?" he asked sadly.

"No, we don't," she said firmly, scowling at him. "Don't tell me yer plannin' t'-" she started angrily.

He held up a hoof to stop her, smiling at her sadly. "Just hear me out, Applejack."

She sighed and nodded, but he could see the worry and righteous anger still simmering in her eyes.

"Imagine if someone... killed Twilight. Or Fluttershy. Or me," he said quietly.

She reacted with shock, like he had expected. "That ain't happened, an' it ain't gonna," she grumbled fiercely, scowling at him.

"I know, but you have to imagine it to understand," he said sadly. "Come on, Applejack. I can't explain this to you any other way."

She sighed, conceding the point. "Alright, but why? Why would anypony kill Twi?"

"For no reason at all. Imagine somebody just killed Twilight because he could," he said, his tone going dark.

"Nopony would do anythin' like that!" Applejack insisted.

"Gerd does."

Applejack took an involuntary step back. She knew what she had heard Chrysalis say about him killing for pleasure, but she hadn't believed it.

"Would you let somebody like that live? If he were in prison, imagine if he escaped? I'm sure we could catch him again, but how many people would die before that happened? As long as monsters like Gerd are alive, innocent lives are going to end, Applejack," Aurus said quietly, inching closer to her. "That's the ultimate evil, and the punishment for murder in T'rahk Enox is death. Gerd has to die for what he's done," Aurus finished, sighing sadly.

"I-I don't understand," Applejack said sadly. "I know he's wrong, an' he's gotta be stopped... But does killin' him make you any better?" she asked, tears coming to her eyes. "I don't want t' see ya become like him, Aurus!"

"I don't want to kill him," Aurus groaned, pleading with her to understand. "I'm nothing like him at all! He kills because he loves to kill! Don't you see? I have to kill him to protect everyone," he said, tears coming to his own eyes. "I have to."

Applejack looked into his sad eyes, and saw true hurt there. True remorse for what had to be done. Aurus wanted to see Gerd dead, true enough. Everyone did, but he didn't want to be the one to do it. Aurus was the only one who could, and this was a burden on his soul that he had no choice but to accept. The light in his eyes reflected the truth, and she knew that if there were any way or reason to save Gerd's soul, Aurus would have tried first.

She let out a shaky breath, using it to gather her strength and stem her tears. "I know ya don't... An' as much as I hate to say so, yer right. Lots of innocent folk are gonna die if ya don't put him down," she said, smiling sadly at him. "Yer just doin' what yer born t' do, sugar. I ain't gonna stop ya, but that don't mean I'll like it. Ya jus' gotta promise me it won't change ya'. Promise me ya'll still be the same?"

Aurus smiled warmly at her. "I'm no monster, Applejack. I love you, and I love my people. I want to protect them and you, and that will never change. For the rest of my life, I hope I'm never forced to kill again. But know that I will always be the same Aurus. Your Aurus," he said, hugging her tightly.

Applejack hugged him back, satisfied. She let her resolve meld with his, supporting him in this most important task. It was horrible, but he had to do it, and she would help to see him through it all.

In the moment of silence they shared, her question came back to her. Again she flushed hot, and she tensed up.

Aurus felt that and pulled out of the embrace, looking at her curiously. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Ya remember, back in the woods? How I was askin' ya somethin', right before Rainbow crashed into me?" she asked sheepishly, pawing slow circles in the dirt with her left hoof.

Aurus watched her hoof, a nervous reaction that his tough marefriend didn't have often. "Yeah...?" he asked cautiously, unsure what was going on.

"Well... I've been wonderin' fer some time now... But is there any history of one of yer folk marryin' one of mine?" she asked, looking away from him.

Marriage? Aurus was kind of shocked by that idea. He loved Applejack dearly, but a commitment like that took more time than just three months. Still, he couldn't deny that the thought had crossed his own mind, for such were the workings of young love. To think far ahead, to the grandest things their love could offer.

He smiled at her, recalling something he had learned in elementary school long ago. "Actually, there are," he said calmly, letting his tone take the nervousness out of the situation and draw her eyes back to him.

"When I was a boy, I learned about the 'wickdori', which in your language means 'the exiles'. They were changelings who would leave T'rahk Enox by choice, to live a life in a different society. It is said they often leave because of love they find in faraway lands." He smiled at her warmly, lending her his strength through that loving gaze.

"The love between you and I isn't strange, Applejack. Love is love. The only difference is that I don't have to hide myself to live among your people, or for you to love me. For the first time, at least as far as I know, a pony loves a changeling knowing that he's a changeling. Among my people, becoming infatuated with those of another species isn't uncommon, but until now we've never been able to bring them to our home. Until now, we had to hide to find love."

"But... how did yer folk hide with mine? I mean, if they came along an' got hitched, it would... I mean..." she stammered, looking away from him and practically glowing red for all her blushing.

"Go on," he urged, trying to show her that he wasn't embarrassed at all by this.

"Wouldn't they get found iff'n they weren't makin' foals?" she asked, her voice a little louder than usual due to having to force that nervous question out. She had her eyes clamped shut as she asked it, and to all appearances she was even holding her breath.

Her eyes snapped open as Aurus laughed warmly. "Is that what this is about?" he asked, still chuckling.

"Well... yeah," she muttered, her tone going sour. "Ya don't gotta laugh at me..."

"I'm not laughing at you, Applejack," he said, letting out one final, mirthful chuckle. "I'm just glad that that's all you were worried about. Applejack, changelings can reproduce with any race," he said, smiling warmly at her.

"Huh?" she asked, her face a rather unflattering dumbfounded mess of disbelief.

"Well, you do know how reproduction works right? With the egg and the-" he started, but she flushed red hot and stomped on his hoof, causing him to yelp and step back, blowing on his hoof to soothe it.

"Yes, I learned all about that stuff in eighth grade, jus' like everypony else," she muttered angrily, looking at him over her cherry red cheeks.

"Well jeez, it's nothing to get embarrassed about," he muttered under his breath. "Well, when the changeling cells come into contact with the reproductive cells of another race, they adapt. They kind of make an edited copy of the other race's genetics, based on the changelings own genes. Kids are totally possible, and if a changeling and a pony mated, it would be a baby pony," he said with finality, just as if he were ending a biology lesson.

Applejack seemed to calm down due to his professional delivery of the subject matter. "So... iff'n we ever get hitched, we could have foals?" she asked, more to herself than to him. She flushed once she realized she had said it out loud.

Aurus sidled up next to her, hugging her tight. "Yes, Applejack. When the time comes, if we're ready for that, we could," he said comfortingly, stroking her mane to calm her. "And I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see where the years lead us... I don't plan on leaving you, AJ," he said firmly, giving her a tight squeeze.

She smiled, sincerely and fully as he hugged her tight, the two of them under the moonlight. "I don't figure on lettin' ya," she replied teasingly, nuzzling him gently.

The two of them stood there together, secure in one another's forelegs as they forgot about the terrible evening only a day away.