The Black Hours

“Everypony get away!” Rainbow Dash shouted, sparing no hesitation as she threw back the cloth and pinned her hooves down on the changeling’s neck. It began to choke under her weight, but it didn’t bother her in the slightest, considering how much she had come to resent the foul creatures.

The small number of civilians nearby heard Rainbow Dash’s warning and dispersed with alarmed screams, or at least backed away some distance from where she stood. Rock Rush, on the other hoof, cantered over immediately, limping slightly from his aching shoulder. He took in a horrified breath as he took in the sight of the changeling under Rainbow Dash’s firm hooves. It was squirming madly, chattering a strange language as its malformed legs flailed around, an unnerving buzz sounding from the movement of its insect-like wings.

“Don’t even think about going anywhere,” Rainbow Dash hissed into its ear, her teeth gritted.

As Rock Rush stepped closer to examine the changeling’s face more closely, its wild chattering began to change into intelligible words. “P-p-please! Mercy! … No… hurt me…!”

It was an extremely alien-like voice: croaky, high-pitched, and even possessed an unnerving growl, as if multiple creatures were talking at the same time.

Ruck Rush snorted in contempt. “Are you seriously asking me for mercy?”

“I – m-mean no harm…” the changeling stuttered, its entire body quivering.

“And why the hell should we believe you?” Rock Rush snarled, hatred evident in his voice.

“I – the only one left.” It paused to let out a strangled cough. “You can sp-spare me…”

“Give me one good reason why we should even consider sparing your life.” As he spoke, Rock Rush scooped up an abandoned knife from the ground and pressed the hem of the blade firmly against the creature’s neck, causing it to let out a terrified shriek. “Your kind are the cause of innocent ponies’ deaths everywhere. You’ve ransacked Equestria; you’ve destroyed the lives and happiness of families without any sympathy. Why should we give you any of our sympathy in return?”

The changeling swallowed hard against the knife, its eyes never leaving Rock’s. “I could – help you stop it…”

The stallion scoffed, not intending to listen to anything the animal had to say. Rainbow Dash, however, was beginning to feel a tiny sense of remorse as she observed the changeling in her clutches. She thought back to her previous meetings with the creatures, remembering most of them to be considerably larger than the one she was looking at. It also had a strangely innocent look in its eyes, as if it had never experienced true life, unlike its relatives.

She sighed to herself – it was a young one.

“Rock Rush…” she began hesitantly.

His eyes lifted to meet hers. “What?” he asked, rather sharply.

“Just... don't do anything you'll regret. This one's a juvenile; I don’t think it’s going to harm anypony.”

He looked at her, dumbfounded. “Rainbow, do you hear yourself? These creatures tore apart a beautiful city, not to mention tore apart innocent lives, and you’re actually prepared to pity them?”

“I don’t pity anypony,” Rainbow Dash retorted, narrowing her eyes. “But think about it: if we just kill a changeling without thinking about it, how does that make us any better than them?”

He opened his mouth to argue, but found his words being held back. He bit his lip with frustration, shaking his head, as he looked between Rainbow Dash and the wide-eyed changeling. “I don’t like this, Rainbow. You never know what could happen, even if only one creature escaped.”

“Well, I'll take that risk then,” Rainbow Dash said firmly. “But we’re not having any more deaths today.” She glanced at the changeling, seeing it shift uncomfortably between her hooves and Rock’s knife. “And you’ve gotta do as your captain commands, Rock. Got it?” Her voice acquired its sharp tone, something she had to use a lot during her time as a captain, even when addressing somepony she called a friend.

Rock inhaled a deep breath, trying to repress aggravation. After a few tense moments, he seemed to acknowledge defeat, reluctantly moving the knife from the changeling’s throat and tossing it angrily to the ground. He met her eyes, eventually regaining his calm composure. “Whatever you say, ma’am,” he said with a nod, and perhaps a ghost of a smile.

She shot him a grateful look, feeling an unspoken connection between them once more, before turning her attention back to the changeling beneath her. She didn’t want it under the impression that she’d gone soft, so immediately pressed her hooves more firmly onto its body, causing it to let out a shocked gasp.

“Now what do you mean “you can help us stop it”, huh?” she demanded with anger. “And you’d better talk quickly.”

The changeling had to take a few long-needed breaths before speaking again, its strange voice chilling Rainbow Dash to the bone. “I – have nothing left. No-one else to – to … just nothing else to live for. Hate all the – v-violence. Don’t want it no more. I – want to help stop it.”

Rock Rush audibly scoffed again, but Rainbow ignored him. She removed her front hooves from the changeling, allowing it some time to desperately inhale air, before lowering herself eye-to-eye with the animal and forcibly bringing its chin up to face her. “You listen to me: I have no reason to believe you. Your kind make me sick; they’ve given me too much trouble in the past, and I don't think you’ll be any different. But you seem... sort of weak compared to the others, and I don’t want to take lives without thinking about it.”

She could glimpse visible sheens of sweat gathering on the changeling’s coarse forehead as it fearfully held her gaze.

“You’ll be our prisoner,” she declared, “for now, at least. Maybe I'll find a use for you, but if not, or if you try anything suspicious,” her snout pressed firmly against the changeling to emphasize her warning, causing it to whimper like a baby animal, “you’re gone. Get me?”

After a tense hesitation, the changeling managed a nod. Rainbow got back to her feet, finally releasing the creature from her grasp, but giving it a swift kick with her back leg for good measure. “Don’t think for a moment that I’ll be nice to you.”

Ignoring the changeling’s groans, she turned to Rock Rush, who stood watching her movements. “Go and get Brisk Shade, will you?” she said. “We’re going to need some shackles.”

He nodded obediently, making his way off. But he then paused in his steps, turning to look uncertainly into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “I really hope you know what you’re doing, Dash.”

She considered his statement for a moment, her eyes wavering thoughtfully, but responded confidently. “Well, I do.”

He gave her a less-than-comfortable smile, before heading off, reassuring some panic-stricken ponies along the way.

In truth, Rainbow Dash was not as comfortable as she was making herself out to be, but she had her reasons, and they were good reasons. She would never go back on any action she took, being a firm believer of having no regrets.

She glared at the changeling as it stared nervously up at her, its fangs grinding with fear. Undeterred, she marched over, tucked it roughly under her shoulder, and dragged it upwards to carry it while in flight. “I’m not letting you escape,” she snarled, staring straight ahead so she could catch up with Rock Rush.

The changeling squirmed in her clutches, its legs scraping across sharp stones as she travelled unnecessarily near to the ground, but she paid no mind. Soon it would be in a secure place, she would have everything under control, and everypony would be safe. At least – she hoped they would be.

Death seemed a better fate than this.

She was lying on the floor, alone and trapped, surrounded only by the steady tip-tap of rainwater falling as droplets from the ceiling. She stared miserably through the bars that contained her – ears drooped, her face feeling dry and tight from condensed air and dirt patches, while her mane was nothing more than a matted mess sticking to her neck.

A pair of green eyes became visible through the darkness, sauntering past her cell and gazing right at her. She wasn’t sure, due to the poor light, but she thought she could see a malicious smile creeping to the figure’s face. “Is everything to your satisfaction – your highness?” a male voice sneered.

She said nothing, but met the green gaze with defiance, determined not to be overpowered. She expressed her anger through a sharp whip of her purple tail.

“It’s such a shame,” the figure said, “a beautiful princess like you, worth so much more, to be locked in a place like this.” There was no true sound of pity in his voice.

“You have only yourself and the queen to blame for that,” the princess retorted.

The figure laughed lightly, his breath appearing in a wisp of thin vapour. “Oh, don’t worry – we have much planned for you yet. You just need to have patience, and it will become known to you in good time.”

The alicorn tried to shift forward, only to be held back by the heavy manacles clamped around her hooves. She sighed with frustration, before addressing the figure again. “I want to know what you’ll do with me. Why can’t you just keep me here and be done with it? I’m nothing when I’m tied up in a cell.”

“Oh, it may seem that way to you, of course, but you possess more power than even you yourself realise. We need to restrain it, and perhaps even use it for ourselves one day.”

She bared her teeth in anger. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“We would dare,” he sneered, visibly smirking. “Love hasn’t worked for us in the past, but perhaps the princess of friendship can show us another way to survive.”

“Like I’d ever help you,” the princess snarled.

The figure chuckled. “We’ll see about that. Good night, princess.”

As she was left alone once again in the darkness, the damp, and the emptiness, the alicorn felt her eyes grow moist. For the first time in her life, she felt completely powerless. This could end up being the worst defeat she had ever suffered. And it was her fault. If only she had done more, as she was expected to do as a princess, maybe none of it would have happened.

But there was hope yet, she reminded herself, forcing her tears back. After all, she was never alone in her battles: there were five very special ponies out there, undoubtedly fighting for peace. Maybe, for once, if she stood aside, and put her faith in them, things would be all right.

For now though, all she had to go to sleep to was a flickering wall lantern, instead of the comforting presence of a friend.