Bloodfang And The Arctic Changelings

“Remind me again what we’re doing here?!” I had to shout over the scream of the frigid winds blasting us, the hard, blowing snow stung my face where it struck. I felt like I was being sand blasted.

I shivered, wrapped myself tighter in the thick Nara Shima pelt coat. Wrapped only in thick skins, my feet were numb and I wondered if they were getting frostbit. The rest of me sure felt like it!

    “We must pass this way to get to our destination," shouted Bloodfang. I just heard  hear her over the wail of that cold, arctic wind.

    “What, we couldn’t go another way? One that was warmer?” I shouted.

Bloodfang paused, gave me a hard look. “You complain too much little monkey," she shouted.

So, what were we doing in the middle of an arctic waste battling freezing cold, wailing winds and sharp, stinging blowing snow?

We had to leave the Everfree. As dangerous as it had been it had become infinitely more so when a seeming hoard of Nara Shima swept into our part of the forest and decided to make their home there.

Bloodfang and I had been frightened and disturbed by this but were willing to stay until, one evening close to sunset, we saw a flock of them circling overhead like vultures looking for a carcass. There were literally dozens of them darkening the skies above our cave home. That’s when she decided it was time for us to move on.

We both understood that a moonless night would be the safest time to leave so we hid in our cave, going out only when and as far from the cave as we had to in order to hunt. It seemed to take forever, but that moonless night finally came and we left as quickly as we could.

Bloodfang had considered flying us out but the loud buzz of her wings would have instantly alerted the Nara Shima and we would have been swarmed and killed so we were forced to run as quietly as we could in order to escape. We moved at night and hid as best we could during the day. We almost didn’t make it. Having been found by a small group of the monsters, they’d instantly attacked and it was everything we could do to fight them off, killing most of them before it was all over.

It had taken four nights of constant travel before we were far enough across the Everfree to be relatively safe again. It was then that Bloodfang decided that we would go north across the top of the world; the shortest but most dangerous way to get to the other side of the planet.

We were now moving through the extreme north of Equus because of that decision. I had no say in it.

As it turned out, she’d traveled quite a lot across the planet and knew of better, safer places to live. I’d learned of this when we’d lay at night snuggled in our cave and she’d tell me about her travels and adventures. Hearing about this I asked her why she chose to remain in the Everfree forest if there were better places to be? She just snorted as if my question was stupid and said nothing.

And, so, here we were moving across the dome of this world struggling to get to a better place with me hoping we didn’t die before we got there. We pressed on.

Another hour passed and I felt myself getting weak from cold, exertion and hunger. I stumbled, almost fell and I wondered how much longer I could go on.

“I’m done!," I shouted, “Go on without me! I’ll just slow you down if you don’t!”

Bloodfang stopped, eyed me.

“You are mine! I will not leave you!”, she shouted back.

I stumbled toward her, began pushing her away, punching her shoulder several times. She didn’t even blink.

“No! Go! Leave! You’ll end up having to carry a dead body!" I groaned.

She scooped me up in her hooves, pulled me tight to her, held me close. The warmth from her body felt like heaven in that deadly cold. I clung as close to her as I could, letting it soak in.

“You are mine. I will not leave you," she whispered to me. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears as she held me, warmed me. I kissed her cheek. She snuggled her face into mine.

Was this it? Was this the end for us? Had we traveled across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra only to die in this desolate place?

I knew I’d be the first to go but I also knew it’d be only a matter of time for Bloodfang as well. With no food, no shelter and having to face that deadly cold, it would only be a matter of time before she fell too. I clung to her loving her more in that moment than I ever had and I had no doubts that she felt the same way.

Several minutes later she pulled away. The cold instantly bit into me and I shuddered violently.

“We must go!," she shouted she turned and continued on. I scrambled after her.

***

Luckily the wind was easing now and, with less blowing snow obscuring our vision we could see further into the distance.

We’d struggled along for what seemed like days but which I knew had only been an hour when we saw cragged, snow swept foothills.

“There will be caves!," she shouted, heartened, “We can take shelter there!”

It looked like paradise to me and, finding new strength, I began moving more quickly forward.

Another eternal forty minutes later and we’d found and stepped into a narrow deep cave. Gathering some large stones Bloodfang piled them in the center of the cave as far away from the entrance as she could. Her horns glowed, a beam shot out and hit the stones. A moment later they glowed brightly.

Falling to the cold cave floor we leaned into the heat feeling instant relief and a return of our strength as we snuggled close and leaned into each other.

“Thanks for not leaving me out there,” I said.

Bloodfang looked at me and closing her eyes she pressed her cheek to mine, snuggled me.

“You are mine. I would not leave you," she cooed. I kissed her face, began stroking her mane.

***

Relaxing in the warmth of the glowing stones it wasn’t long before we started drifting into sleep, something we both badly needed after our arduous and difficult journey to this place.

It was then that I felt Bloodfang’s head snap up. I opened my eyes and looked toward the cave mouth as Bloodfang leapt to her hooves, snarling.

A hooded shadow darkened the cave as a form stepped into the mouth. As I watched it said nothing but pulled back the sleeve of its heavy pelt coat, raised its arm.

Strapped to the wrist was a long, strange thing that looked like an animal skull, a bone horn protruding from the front of it. It began to glow with a black light twinkling with tiny bright stars. It was like seeing a tiny model of the night sky. A weapon? What kind of weapon was this? I rose to my feet and stared.

Bloodfang’s horn began to glow with magic but she was weak from cold and exhaustion. It spluttered dully.

The creature shouted out in a language I’d never heard before. An instant later dozens of skin-clad forms stood behind the first one, blocking the exit and darkening the cave.

“Who are you? What do you want?," I shouted, nervously.

The creature lowered it’s weapon and confidently stepped further into the cave. Reaching up it threw back its hood to reveal a male with large, blue eyes in a snow-white face, pony ears, charcoal-grey mane and a single, cragged and snow white horn on its forehead.

“You’re a changeling?!” I gasped, shocked. This was nothing like any changeling I’d ever seen. Bloodfang said nothing but her stare revealed her own surprise.

“You are Equestrians?” he asked. He wasn’t smiling but stared at us.

“Yes," I said.

“You have come a long way. What brings you here?”

“We’re... Travelers. We’re trying to get to the other side of Equus”

The changeling stepped closer to Bloodfang who was still glaring at him.

“We are not your enemies, sister," he said.

“What... Are you? Why are you here in this wasteland?” she asked.

“That is a tale best told over a good meal and the warmth of a fire," he said. A smile touched his face for the first time. Bloodfang and I looked at each other.

“Come!” he shouted as he spun on his heel and strode toward the cave mouth, barking orders as he went. The others blocking the cave lowered their weapons and stepped aside. We stood staring.

The changeling paused, turned back to us.

“Why do you wait?” he shouted again as if we hadn’t heard him the first time “If you remain here you will die. I hope you’re not stupid enough to let that happen, now come!”

Bloodfang’s horn dulled as her magic faded. We looked at each other for a moment before following the stranger.

***

We soon found ourselves moving toward a large cave entrance guarded by two thickly pelt clad Changelings with odd, spear-like weapons. Those weapons were about six feet long, with sharply pointed tips. The tips glowed with a black light full of stars just like the weapon of the changeling that had found us. The guards stepped out of the way when they saw us coming.

“Who are you?” Bloodfang asked as we entered the cave and began moving down a long, shallow ramp.

“I am Star Storm," he said, “I am ruler of this colony.”

“I am Bloodfang," she said. She  looked at me, “And this is my mate, Rick.”

Star Storm eyed me with disgust.

‘Mate?," he said, “I thought that strange little monkey was your pet! You have odd taste in mates.” I thought he was going to spit on the ground when he said that.

“Hey!," I shouted at him angrily, “Who’re you calling a pet?”

I didn’t care if they were changelings or not. I was not about to be insulted by this guy. I strode up to him, balled my fist and struck him with a full, roundhouse punch on the tip of his jaw. He stumbled, fell backwards on his ass.

The others with him, their faces now fiercely furious, aimed their weapons at us ready to blast us at the slightest sign from their leader.

Star Storm moved his jaw to test it, rubbed h then laughed raucously. The others lowered their weapons and quickly followed suite, laughing with him. I laughed nervously expecting to die.

“So! Perhaps you’re not so weak and helpless after all, little monkey!”  Star Storm chuckled at me as he rose to his feet, stepped back in front of me.

“You may come in handy!”, he grinned, giving me a hard pat on my back before turning and continuing down the ramp, the others following. Bloodfang glanced at me with pride.

A long moment later we approached a very large, well-lit chamber filled with changelings either going about various tasks or simply sitting in groups talking, telling stories or just quietly enjoying the campfires scattered seemingly randomly around the floor of that enormous cave.

Star Storm threw up his hands as we entered.

“Heed me!," he shouted in what sounded oddly like a Royal Voice, something I thought only the princesses could use.

Everyone froze, turned their gaze toward us.

“We have visitors!” he shouted again, “They are strangers to our land but they are harmless. Make them welcome!”

Star Storm waved for us to follow him. As we did so we were crowded by curious but friendly changelings wanting to meet us.

That’s when I first noticed it. Some had pale skin and light a mane, others were darker but had red mane and tail. Looking closer I could see that some had blue eyes, some had the typical green eyes yet others had eyes ranging from brown to pale, bluish white! No, these weren’t like any changelings I’d ever seen, before.

Stepping away from us, Star Storm clapped twice loudly. The claps echoed through the cave. A moment later two young looking changelings ran up to him and bowed.

“Make food, set the dining area," he said. They bowed and ran quickly off.

Just then what was obviously a changeling stepped out of one of the many corridor entrances in the cave and strode toward us. She was tall, taller than most of the others and, although she had a long black tail and mane she was pure white, just like Star Storm, as white as the snow we’d left behind outside. As she drew closer I could see she had bright, vibrant, green eyes. Star Storm smiled warmly when he saw her approaching.

A moment later she was standing with us.

“This is my mate, Full Moon," he smiled, introducing us. I smiled, extended my hand. Her smile faded only slightly as she looked at it, confused. I withdrew my hand.

Bloodfang nodded as her eyes locked on Full Moon’s for a moment, “I am Bloodfang. This is my mate, Rick”

Full Moon’s smile broadened as she looked me up and down but her eyes said she was studying me.

“And a brave little monkey he is, too!”, laughed Star Storm to Full Moon as he slapped my back, “You’ll be amused when I tell you the tale of what he did at the entrance.”

Full Moon’s look changed slightly. Gone now were the cold, studying eyes replaced by a slightly warmer expression.

“Come," she said, gesturing to us, turning, “You’re tired. You need rest. Food will be ready shortly then we can eat.”

Star Storm’s mate led the way as we all entered into the cave, many curious changelings walking close to us looking like they had many questions for us but I also got the impression that they didn’t dare speak as long as Star Storm and his mate were with us.

Just then we heard a disturbance at the main cave entrance. Bloodfang and I turned to see a half dozen pelt clad changelings entering. They were carrying what appeared to be bodies wrapped in thick pelts.

Without a word Star Storm strode toward them.

“Are they alive? Where did you find them?”, shouted Star Storm to the newcomers.

“Barely!”, shouted back one of the newcomers as Star Storm approached them, “we found them by the crags. They’ll need a healer.”

I turned to Full Moon, who was watching.

“What’s going on?”, I asked her.

“They have found us,"  she smiled. She looked relieved.

“Found you? Who? Why?”, I asked, confused.

Just then one of the young fillies Star Storm had given orders to earlier approached us, bowed. Full Moon turned to look at her.

“The meal and the dining area are prepared," she said. Full Moon nodded and the young filly ran off.

“Come!”, she said, turning back to us, “We will eat now. After that you can rest.

A moment later we were sitting on thick, pelt pillows around a low, large iron table joined by dozens of changelings who were eating and either staring at us or talking among themselves, Full Moon sitting to our right. I got the impression they wouldn’t talk to us until Star Storm joined us or they were given permission to do so.

A young filly approached us, laid large iron platters on the table in front of us. I looked down at mine. On the platter was some kind of fish and something else that looked like large, thick strips of oily bacon. I picked up a piece, sniffed at it, nibbled it.

The taste was strong but pleasant, a bit like snake or alligator meat. Some kind of sea animal?

“It is called Sea Monk," smiled Full Moon as she picked up a morsel from her plate, held it up then popped it into her mouth, “we hunt them from a nearby ocean along with fish and other things”

I glanced over to Bloodfang. She was happily wolfing down her meal. Her platter was almost empty. This did not miss Full Moon’s attention. She raised her hands. Two loud claps. A moment later one of the young fillies raced up to her, bowed.

“Bring more for that one," Full Moon said, nodding toward Bloodfang, “make sure she gets her fill.”

The young filly bowed, raced off.

“So! You are like nothing I have ever seen, before. What are you?," Full Moon asked Bloodfang who paused, eyed her for a moment.

Bloodfang swallowed her mouthful with a gulp, looked back at Full Moon.

“I am a Chanequus," she said, “A halfling. My father was a Draconequus and my mother was a changeling. You’re not like any changelings I’ve ever seen.”

“We’re not changelings," Full Moon said. Her face darkened as if we’d insulted her but the sour frown quickly passed. Bloodfang and I stared at her both surprised and confused.

“Since you are new here I will ignore your calling us Changelings. We are not. We are Neomorphs," Full Moon said as if that explained everything. Bloodfang continued to stare, not comprehending.

“You were created by Chrys..," I started to ask.

Full Moon’s hand shot up to interrupt me, her expression a stern warning.

“You will not speak that name here," she growled. “It is forbidden. Doing so is punishable by death!”

I bit my lip, looked at Full Moon. My expression did not go unnoticed. Full Moon's face softened.

“That vile thing is our bitter enemy but, yes, we were created by her," she said, “we were an experiment, something new she planned on using in her vile obsession to destroy Equestria. She hadn’t planned on us rising up and revolting against her.”

“But, how..?”, I asked.

“Star Storm and I escaped, taking those who also wished to escape with us. We found this place and decided to stay. It is very defensible.”

Just then Star Storm joined us, took a seat near us. He seemed pleased. Full Moon looked at him.

“The newcomers are very weak but they will survive," he smiled. Full Moon also smiled, pleased at hearing this.

I stared at Star Storm just no less confused than I was a moment before. He turned, smiled at me.

“Allow me to explain, little monkey," he said, “my mate and I escaped from the hive of the Vile One, the One Who’s Name We Do Not Speak. We took others with us, found this place and founded our colony many decades ago. We've taken in any changelings who wish to be free from the Vile One’s rule”, he said.

“When we are strong enough in numbers we will return to Equestria and destroy that vile witch and all her mindless demon spawn!”, said Full Moon. She licked her lips, her expression was one of hopeful expectation.

Bloodfang looked at them and I saw her smile for the first time since we’d arrived here.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend," she said, looking at them. Star Storm and Full Moon smiled, pleased.

It wouldn’t be long before Bloodfang and I discovered just what that really meant.