Changing Flows

Chapters

Prologue: The Spark of Life
Hearth's Fire
Fire Starter
Hatred's Heat
Burning Cruelty
Deeper into Darkness
A Father's Wrath
In a World Without Emotion
Third Degree Dreams
A White Among the Black
Confrontation
Announcement (Update on Status)

Prologue: The Spark of Life

The speed at which the stallions drew the carriage made Needle Wings squint his eyes as he looked anxiously ahead of the carriage and at how far away the hospital was. They drew the carriage as quickly as possible, but to him it wasn't fast enough. Worried thoughts flashed through his mind only to be overlapped with another scenario. What if we don't make it in time? What if we can't get him out? What if she di- shock and pain ripped across his mind as he thought that, and he crushed that particular scenario out of his head. Cherish is strong, she will NOT die!. The thought didn't reassure him much as he glanced back at his wife.

Her face was a mask of deep pain, and her eyes searched wildly about as she groaned. Every few seconds she would release another groan or ear-piercing scream. Needle moved back over to her slowly, keeping in mind the vehicle's unstable motions. Each scream that went into his ears felt as if they were ripping away small parts of his heart and leaving bleeding holes behind. Tears began to drop down to the carriage floor as he felt an overwhelming feeling of helplessness grip at his mind. He reached for her, wanting to take all of her pain away but after finding himself unable to do anything, he held one of her hooves in his own.

The carriage stopped abruptly but gently, rocking a little as it lost its momentum. A pair of nurses who were on duty outside the emergency entrance turned and rushed into the building. Almost immidiately, a doctor rushed out of the wide double doors and held them open with magic. With another spell, he levitated Cherish gently onto litter that two stallions bore on their backs. Needle watched as they turned away and walked inside, and he was gripped with the urge to follow them. The doctor turned back to face him, his mouth open to say something, but when he took in Needle's appearance he choked off whatever he had been about to say. Needle was all to used to this reaction, and he waited for the doctor to recover from the initial shock.

"Eerm, sir your...."

"Wife, Doctor. She is my wife," Needle Wings supplied smoothly though with a hint of weariness creeping into his tone. He had been used to the unusual looks he got from all the ponies around him and Cherish, but he just let the looks slide off like water. Let them think what they want, Needle thought with a small hint of bitterness.

The doctor pushed his glasses back onto his nose for they had falled down a small amount. "Well sir, your....erm....wife is quite far along in the birthing process, as far as I could tell. Just stay outside the room please, this is a delicate process and we can afford no distractions.". When Needle nodded to him, he galloped back into the hospital, to see to Cherish no doubt. With a small sigh, he walked over to the two stallions who pulled the carriage. They were rubbing at the spots where the harness had bounced and chaffed against their coats. He held out a few bits with his magic, but the older-looking of the two pushed them away with a hoof.

"No thanks nescassary partner, it's our job after all." Surprised at the lack of acceptance of the tip, Needle places the bits back into the small niche between his wings. He smiled a little at their expressions, for it had seemed to them that he had shoved the coins into his skin.

Remembering where he was, he spun around and galloped into the hospital to find the Birthing Ward. He dashed through the hallways of the hospital and around the many ponies that worked there. He heard the sounds of screaming, female screams. His thoughts in disarray, he followed the sounds of the screams until he found the room where Cherish was. A strong-looking nurse was standing guard outside the door and she shot him a look of warning. Needle huffed and sat down on the bench that was across the hallway from the door. The screams continued for what seemed ages, and Needle felt himself falling more and more into the grasp of desperation. Just when he could take no more, the female screams stopped, and another scream, higher pitched, came from inside the room. Needle made no attempt to supress his smile as the nurse opened the door for him.

There on the bed was his beautiful Cherish, panting and covered in sweat. In her arms was a small bundle from which a soft noise was coming from every now and again. She looked up at him with a large smile on her face. He took the small bundle and cradled it in his hooves, minding his jagged hoof edges. He looked into the black-coated foal's bright, silver eyes with a large smile on his face. He muttered but five words to the small foal.

"Welcome to Equestria, Phoenix Flight."

Hearth's Fire

Chapter 1: Hearth's Fire

Needle was drawn from the memory as Cherish, who was snuggling into his side, closed the small book. On the cover the title was written in text that looked as if it was aflame. Our Heart's Fire. The cover image was that of Needle and Cherish holding a small bundle with a midnight black horn sticking out of it with huge smiles that were common on the faces of new parents. The spine was worn and the pages were beginning to yellow with age; seven years was a long time for a book that was constantly looked at. Needle looked down at his wife, a smile spreading across his face as he nibbled at her ears playfully. She squealed at the small jab of sensation that he knew his teeth had produced, and she tried to jump away from him. She would have succeded in escaping if it hadn't been for his jagged hooves holding her in place.

He gently held her down as she struggled to escape his biting. He smiled widely around the tip of the ear is his mouth as she turned up to look at him with pleading eyes. "Needle Wings! That hurts! Can you please let go?" The pleading tone in her voice made his resolve crumble, and he loosened his hold on her. Cherish suddenly flipped him onto the floor, a tough feat to accomplish. She rolled off of the couch on top of him and smiled a playful smile at him as he struggled. "Now it's my turn buggy man."

He flailed around wildly, trying to get his hooves under her so he could push her off but had no sucess. He shuddered at the feel of her warm breath on his normally cold shell, and he felt her teeth scrape against it lightly. The noise that her teeth created as they scratched at the smooth surface made him shiver even harder. Cherish pulled away from his neck, still smiling that smile of hers as she devised her next form of tormenting him. He nearly flinched as he saw something in her eyes that told him it wouldn't be an old trick. How she came up with all of these tricks, he never would be able to find out. She stood up, to fetch something for her game no doubt. Needle never was one to miss opertunities, and he slipped his feet under hers and twisted them together. He smiled at the surprised yelp Cherish made before she fell, and he leaped on top of her, placing his hooves on either side of her body. He leaned down to kiss her again and when their lips connected, it felt like the time she had come to life again.

Dark clouds of memory floated up unbidden and he tried to banish them from his mind. Nothing could erase his happiness now, not a single thing in the world. Except losing her again, said a small voice in his head. He pulled away from her and she gave him a look of confusion. She reached up and touched his face with a hoof, wiping away a tear that he hadn't even known was there. "Needle? What's wrong?"

He took a steadying breath and forced a smile. "Nothing is wrong love. Everything is perfect." Even he could hear the lie on his own voice. He jumped when another hoof came up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him into another kiss.

When the kiss broke, Cherish gave him a knowing look. She crawled out from under him and pulled him over to the couch that they had been sitting on. She sat down and waved a hoof at the spot next to her, indicating that he should sit. He did so, and she pulled him down to lay his head on her lap. Looking up into her face, he saw a shadow of pain cross it, and she leaned down to kiss him again. He felt her tears drop onto his shell as she kissed him and shared his pain. When she pulled away, his world seemed a little bit brighter, the colors all much sharper and thrown into more contrast. "I think about it too Needle. Everyday I do. I try to forget, but I just....can't.". She ran a hoof across her face to wipe away her tears before continuing. "The only thing we can do is try to cover up the feelings, but," she touched his cheek with a hoof, "you don't have to lie to me about it. I will always be there to know the pain too." She tried to continue, but Needle cut her off with a strong hug.

"Cherish, I can never forgive myself for letting you go through what you did. Never will I-" she silenced him by moving out of the hug to give him another kiss, and when she pulled away he found himself unable to remember what he had been saying. "You know Cherish, I hate it when you do that." He kissed her again, just a swift peck on her lips, before stepping off of the couch. He walked over to the window and towards the setting sun. "Hm, Phoenix should have been home by now. It isn't like him to be late coming home from school."

Cherish stepped beside him and looked out of the window with a worried cast to her face. "Do you think he's gotten into some kind of trouble Needle? Oh what if he's hurt? What if-" Needle cut her off by placing a holed hoof on her shoulder.

"Love, I am sure he if perfectly fine. He problably just got lost on the way home again. I'll go out and look for him now." He walked around Cherish to open the door. He kissed her a final time before he closed the door and set out into the darkening town.

He walked with ease through the empty streets of the village, happy for once at not having to endure the stares that his form had always collected when he left home in the day time, not that he particurarily cared what other ponies thought of him. The only three ponies in his life that mattered were Cherish's sister, Bright Light, his love Cherish, and their child Phoenix. He retraced the path that Phoenix would have taken on the way home, and he lit his horn with green fire to light the path. He arrived at the school building, and he saw no sign of his son anywhere. He turned to head back home, and a glint of light caught his eye.

Trotting up to the source of the reflection, he saw some kind of dark blob on the ground, as if something had been burned. There were multiple spots of blackness on the ground, and Needle followed them, increasing the light from his horn to locate them with greater ease. He eventually came across a lake, where the scorch marks entered, and then hoofprints walked out next to it. He followed the still-damp prints in the sand until he came across a still, black figure. He rolled over the limp shape, and recoiled with sudden nausea gripping his body and bile rose to his throat.

The burned and scratched black figure on the ground in front of him was his son's body. Phoenix's normally sleek coat was matted with dried blood and in some places was missing completely. His beautiful silver tail had been cut away at some places, and was darkened with soot in the rest. Needle fought the bile rising in his throat as his survival instincts kicked in and he bent his head down to listen intently at Phoenix's chest. Thank Celestia he's alive! Relief flooded through him as he listened to his son's faint heartbeat.

Wasting no time, he pulled his son onto his back, balancing the limp body with magic and setting off at a gallop for the hospital where Phoenix had been given life those 7 years ago.

Author's note time! This was written completely from my iPad as well as being written in 2 hours in the dead of night, so forgive and point out errors in spelling because this thing has no auto-spell check. And yes, you are all problably very happy to have a sequel because I am very happy to be writing it!

Fire Starter

Chapter 2: Fire Starter

Phoenix Flight was blind, the world around him shrouded in a blackness that was dark as his coat. Pain slashed across the darkness, the flashes of it sending red light cutting through the darkness. He could smell the damp grass the was around him and he could feel the soothing touch of the evening wind on his body. The icyness of the wind made him want to shiver, but he found that he couldn't move his body. He heard hoofsteps approach and then hesitate, as if the pony had been searching for something. The hoofsteps sounded out closer and closer until they stopped somewhere near him. He felt a cold, smooth muzzle dig under his body and flip him over. Pain ripped across his vision and body again, the red nearly overwhelming his mind as he tried to curl inward against the pain but to no avail. He heard a gasp and he felt the hard but gentle touch again near his chest, as if somepony was listening to his heartbeat.

He saw a small tint of green in the blackness and pain shot through his body again. He was set upon a cold, smooth body with strange insect wings pressing against his body. Realization struck him, and he felt relief flow into his body following the initial shock of discovery. He felt a firm and warm touch accompanied with the same green aura, and Phoenix relaxed his mind. Dad's here. I'll be fine now... His mind slowly drifted further into darkness and dimmed sensations. He wouldn't.....let anything.....happen to.....me.

000

She hummed as she walked down the empty street with her horn shining like a miniature sun. Well, they don't call me Bright Light for no reason. she giggled a little to herself at the thought, I wonder at how Cherish has been faring with that Needle Wings, oh and their foal too. It has been far too long since I dropped by to see my baby sister and her little Phoenix. Phoenix Flight was hardly a foal now, but she would always remember him as one. She told herself that the only reason that she wanted to go was to visit her sister, but she knew that reason was only partially true. She was still concerned for her new family's wellfare. The ponies in the town had been reluctant and almost downright hostile to the idea of a changeling living with them, much less the cross between a changeling and a pony. While she never understood it, Bright had accepted their love and had defended them against the glares and muttering from the ponies in town.

She surpressed a yawn as she walked on her normal route that took her by Cherish's home. Having to visit her sister's family at night was pain, but that was the only time her job let her go. Working as one of the ponies who patrolled the streets at night left her too exhausted during the day to do anything besides fall asleep after she tossed off her saddlebags, sometimes even before she could toss them off. Even though Phoenix Wings had destroyed the portal, Needle pointed out that there were many other ways into Equestria and the mayor decided to recruit unicorns with light-based talents or combat skills into the Night Patrol. Since she had both, Bright Light was chosen to lead all of the unicorns of the Patrol, and she did with pride. Even so, it drained her entirely and took her away from her duties as an aunt. Tonight she had assigned her second-in-command, Lightbulb, to take her route halfway so she could have time for a swift visit.

When her light shined against her sister's home, Bright knew instantly that something was wrong. All of the lights were off, and Cherish was standing outside on the front porch. When her light fell upon her sister's face, she increased her pace to a gallop. The pain she saw on Cherish's face told thousands of possible stories, and she was nearly tackled to the ground as Cherish leapt up to hug her around the neck with tears falling from her face. Bright could do nothing but stroke the light-blue earth pony's silver mane as she sobbed.

000

The green light had disapeared, and voices surrounded him along with a white glow. The words were all slowed down, as if they passed through jelly to get into his mind. He couldn't make sense of anything as he felt his body being moved and jarred slightly. Each bump and shake brought another small jab of pain that was soon erased by the white aura. He felt himself come to a stop and felt stabbing sensations on his legs. Less voices were present but they were still muddled and mixed together as he tried to make sense of them. One voice stood out from the others. Where the others were smooth and pleasant sounding, the other voice sounded as if gravel was being dropped onto shatterd glass. It was the voice of his father. Blocking out the outside noise, he grasped at his father's words. They were like an elusive strand of hair as they swirled around his conscious. He finally succeded in his task, and the words instantly came into focus, clearer than the water that falls from the sky.

"Son, I may not have told you this enough but I'll sure as tartarus start now. I love you son, and nothing will ever change that." Phoenix felt a hoof brush his mane gently. "I just wish that we could have....been the same as the rest, but we aren't. I promise you son, I will find who did this to you. I promise." The voice cracked, and small drops of wetness fell onto his face. He wanted more than anything to reach up and comfort his father. He pushed against the blackness, screaming to be let out of the dark cage that surrounded him. His efforts produced no change, and he cried in his own mind with his father. The hoof that was stroking his mane drifted away, and the wetness stopped peppering his face. "I will be back with Mom soon son, just hold on." His ears followed the hollow noises of his father's hooves gallop out of the door. The world fell once again into blackness, and even the sounds faded away as he was drawn further down into the dark void.

His eyes shot open at the sound of his door slamming open. They closed almost as quickly due to the large amount of eye-blinding sunlight in the room. His mother stood over him, glaring at his squinted eyes. She nuzzled him in the blanket, he touch gentle despite her obvious irritation. That was the thing Phoenix liked most about his mom, she was never truly angry, just irritated. When he groaned and rolled over, she put her two front hooves on his side and pushed him off the bed. He yelped as he felt the floor rush up to greet him as he fell. He rolled over and stood up, rubbing his flank as he glared at his mother. "Geez Mom, what was that for?"

His ever-so-loving mother returned the glare in kind, but the attempted effect was ruined by the wide smile on her face. "Oh, well you are running late for your first day of school, and you didn't seem to be able to get out of bed so I lent a helping hoof, or two." His mother giggled at his expression. "Oh come now, if you hurry you can still make it."

He picked up his comb from the dresser, and gave his hair a few flicks with it. His mother nodded approvingly and walked back downstairs. Phoenix rolled his eyes as he set down the comb. She problably thinks I'm gonna try to straighten this thing out. Ain't gonna happen Mom! Every barbershop in town had tried to fix his unruly mane problem, but none so far had had any form of success. He fluttered his wings with anticipation of his first day of school. He winced as a few more parts of them fell off onto the ground. He had always seen other pegasi with their wings made of feathers, but his had always been like Dad's, not that he had any problem with that.

His grooming completed, he kicked the flakes beneath his bed before shooting down the stairs and into the kitchen where a peice of lily-toast was lying on a plate. He practically devoured the meal and guzzled down his drink. His father looked at him from across the table with a bemused expression. As usual, his dad didn't have anything to eat. It was just another one of those things about his dad that Phoenix had accepted in his life without question. His food gone, Phoenix practically bounced with eagerness as he watched his father kiss his mom goodbye and say something in her ear that made her blush. He leapt over to his father and grabbed one of his hooves, pulling him towards the door. "Cmon dad let's go!"

His father chuckled at his enthusiasm and walked outside into the town. He turned towards the school and set off at a steady pace. Phoenix kept up with ease, wishing silently that his father would hurry. All the other ponies on the street looked at them, but he didn't notice the meaning behind their looks. The school building got closer and closer but it seemed to take longer and longer to reach it. After what seemed an age, they arrived at the front doors, and Phoenix felt a hoof fall onto his shoulder. His dad looked into his eyes with a serious expression on his face. "Now son, I need for you to be careful. Don't go picking any fights. Other ponies might tease you, but just ignore them, because you are perfect the way you are.". He planted a big kiss on his forehead, and Phoenix pulled away from him making over-dramatic retching noises.

"Ugh thanks dad! Now don't worry! I'll be fine!" Phoenix shouted the last sentence over his shoulder as he trotted into the school. How wrong he was that day.

Don't you guys just LOVE my cliff-hangers? I sure do! Allright, here's the plan for chapter updates. As you may already know, I have two other longfics that I am working on at the moment. This means that I will be releasing the chapters every 3 days. You all may be groaning right now, but there is a hope for earlier releases! If I happen to finish a chapter for a different story, I will work on the next chapter for THIS one, as it is my most popular. That means after this update, odds are you will have to wait 3 days. Sorry but that's how it is gonna work! Now go read my other stories while you wait!

Hatred's Heat

Chapter 3: Hatred's Heat

Numbness gripped Cherish's body. Blackness surrounded her and the only light she saw was the light of Needle's horn, its green glow shining on the surroundings. The darkness pushed slowly at the light, which was falling further back as it dimmed from its fight with the blackness. It came closer, and began to reach out towards them with tendrils of smoky grey. She screamed as they moved to touch her, flailing at them with her hooves in desperation. They latched onto her hooves and held her still as they flew at her face. She breathed in the dark tendrils and the darkness vanished, replaced by a blurry view of a white-tiled ceiling Needle was sitting over her and holding her hooves with his magic. A doctor was holding a strong scented crystal under her nose and pulled it away as she stopped her flailing. When she began to struggle lighty against the tight grip of the magic, Needle released the bonds and looked away from her. Why is he crying? Did...... Did something happen?

She sat up to look around the room, and reality crashed into her, slamming her back down onto the couch she had been laying on. Tears flowed from her eyes as the visions flashed through her mind, each second played for what seemed an eternity. Needle galloping up to their home with a grim expression on his face. The mad galloping towards the hospital. The hospital's front looming over them as they approached. The stopping to ask questions at the desk while worry was eating at her insides.. Finding the door to the room and the hesitation to open it. Finding her son lying on the bed, battered and broken. Darkness reaching up and pulling her slowly to the ground.

Comforting hooves reached around her as she sobbed, gripping her tightly. She gripped the changeling just as hard, as if he was the only thing holding her down in this world. She felt as if half of her heart had been ripped away. More than half. All of it. Her tears slowly ebbed and she broke away from Needle Wings, standing unsteadily. She walked over to the bed of her son, dry sobs still sounding out. She gazed at the face of her child for a few moments before slowly lowering herself to sit on the bed. She stroked his silver mane gently, keeping her hooves away from the wounds that were on his head. The tears came again as she gazed at her broken son. "How did this happen? Why did this happen?" Her broken voice sounded dead and lifeless, her tone cold and emotionless.

She lay her head down on her son's unmoving body and let the tears slowly fall from her face.

000

The smile that had been wide on his face when he had first entered the building slowly began to fade. He walked in a bubble of space, everypony looking at him with either fear or anger on their faces. His head was bent low to the ground as he trudged through the hallway. A loud ringing noise startled him, and he leapt into a crowd of bulky stallions. The ponies in the group laughed loudy at him on the floor, and the one he collided into turned slowly around. Phoenix tried to scramble backward, fear making his movements uncoordinated and frantic. The large stallion grabbed him with a hoof and pulled him to his feet. With a grunt, the stallion threw him into the wall opposite of their group and guffawed loudly as he smashed into the lockers. Phoenix rolled on the ground in pain and the stallion made to approach him again, but stopped at the sight of the approaching teacher. With a glance to his friends, he leaned back down to hiss into Phoenix's ear. "You got lucky this time, freak." The venom in his voice shocked Phoenix. "Don't do it again."

Phoenix watched them go through teary eyes. Nopony had ever been so mean to him before. Before he could break down in front of the entire school, the teacher who had caused the stallions to leave hesitated before holding out a hoof to haul Phoenix to his feet. The bell rang out again, and this time Phoenix jumped into the teacher. Stumbling away, he steadied himself against the wall and looked at the teacher. His eyes were angry, and when he spoke the anger in his voice made Phoenix flinch. "Oh so we have a troublemaker eh? Well, lets just go to your teacher and tell them about your 'joke' hmm?" He walked up to Phoenix amd glared at him. He shrunk back against the wall as the teacher approached, his eyes full of anger and dislike. "Well?" he barked, making him jump again, "Who is your teacher?"

"I....uh....that is.....I......ummm....l don't....." he stuttered out, fearful of this new threat.

"Spit it out. Who is she?" The glare intensified and made Phoenix shrink back further.

"I don't know!". He never meant to shout the answer, nor did he mean to send out a small flash of green magic to push back the teacher.

The stallion was enraged further, his eyes sparking with a deep rage and dislike. Phoenix trembled and squeaked as he dusted himself off and advanced once more, his steps slow and measured. Phoenix did the only thing he could think of, he ran away from the teacher, not hearing the shouts behind him.

Magic sparked from his horn as his emotions drove him deeper into the school. He threw open the first door around the next hallway and rushed into the classroom. Mutters were passed between the students in the class as he panted with his back up against the door. The teacher looked at him with a shocked expression, her mouth open and the peice of chalk that she had been using lay on the floor. He looked at all the staring faces, and he slowly opened the door and backed out of the room, shivering with fear under all the scrutiny.

And walked straight into the principal of the school, who looked down at him with mild surprise before grabbing him with a hoof and leading him away from the murmering classroom, where the teacher was trying vainly to regain attention. Phoenix was lead into the waiting room and told to sit down and come talk when he was ready. He sat on the stiff chair, breathing calming breaths and slowing his shaking his body. His day was going terribly so far. Well, at least it won't get any worse.. He felt the tears well up as he thought about how his day had been going. One thought kept coming up in his mind, repeating over and over. Why is everypony being so mean to me? Am I....wrong? He sniffled and wiped away his tears, taking another deep and calming breath. He stood up and walked over to the office door, giving it a steady knock.

The soothing voice of the principal called for him to come in. He was sitting behind a large desk with his hooves placed together atop its surface. He gestured for Phoenix to sit down in the chair across he table, and he settled into the noticeably softer chair with a small, nervous smile. "Well Phoenix, what exacly is wrong?". The deep voice seemed to vibrate throughout the room and through his body.

"Well sir, I was just trying to find my classroom, but then I ran into some mean stallions, and then they threw me into a wall, and then I hit the teacher by accident, and then I-". He was cut off by the soothing and deep voice.

"Child, use periods for heaven's sake!" The principal chuckled, an amused tone to his voice. "My we ARE having a bad day today." He walked around the desk and patted the colt's back. "Not to worry young one, no harm has been done. Here is your classroom." The principal pointed to a spot on a poster of the school's map. "I'm afraid that it is almost time for school to end, unfortunately. You will have to stay after school to talk to your teacher about the lesson."

"Oh, ok then." Phoenix's downtrodden face and morose tone made the principal chuckle.

"I'm sure that it won't take that long child, go on to class now." The principal held open the door for him as he rushed out of the office towards his class. The principal was also wrong. Very wrong.

I am not entirely happy at how this chapter had gone, but I tried to fix it up and made it look even worse! Oh well..... Another cliffhanger! Don't worry everpony, you'll find out what happened to Phoenix Flight soon enough! (Next chapter) and I will release that tomorrow!

Burning Cruelty

Chapter 4: Burning Cruelty

Bright Light stood off to one side, leaning against the wall as she observed the grieving family surrounding the bed. She wanted nothing more to comfort her sister and to be there for her, but that was for Needle Wings to do now. She felt like an intruder on the family sadness. She was gripped by the urge to leave the room, but she was also rivited to the spot by her love for them. In the end, her awkwardness won out and she silently opened the door with magic to slip away. In the hallway, she sat down on a bench, wrapping her hooves around herself for comfort as she observed the many nurses and doctors trot through the hallways on seemingly important errands. How can they bear to work here in this place so full of pain and death? She wondered to herself as she watched them pass by.

"Well my dear, that is a simple answer." A soft voice sounded out next to her. She jumped when she realized that she had spoken that thought aloud. The nurse sitting down on the bench sighed and rubbed at her eyes. "I take it you know the ponies in this room here?" She indicated Phoenix's room with a hoof. When Bright nodded, she got up and looked inside the room, curious as to who was actually inside. The nurse returned to the bench with a sad smile on her face. "Us hospital ponies share one reason as to why we work here." A small tear leaked out of the nurses eye. "We work here so that ponies like them," she pointed to the door with her hoof, letting it fall back down to her side afterwards, "bear less of the burden of a loved one that is dying. We give them the hope that they need to keep going, and then if need be the comfort to continue life after the patient passes." She watched a family walk by with a small pegasus in a wheelchair, rolling towards the exit. "We work here to see those smiles, but we also work here to bear part of the pain that the families feel. Does that make any sense?"

Bright nodded her head, and the nurse stood up and stretched. The nurse's voice dropped to a whisper, and Bright had to strain to hear. "Carico di una parte del dolore e rendono meno per gli altri." She patted one of Bright's hooves in farewell and continued down the hallway.

Bright looked down at her hoof where the nurse had touched her, deep in thought. Bear part of the pain and make it less for others... She stood slowly and opened the door with her magic to walk inside. She drew Cherish to her, embracing her sister with her hooves wrapped tightly around her. While she felt the pain of sadness settling in her heart, she felt something else emerge as well; a feeling of purpose.

000

He groaned as the teacher shook his head at the work on the board again. Phoenix picked up the dusty eraser with his magic and wiped the dust from the blackboard. Picking up the peice of chalk which was noticeably much smaller than when he had started, he set about working the problem again. After a few minutes, he stepped back from the board, his new answer scribbled in the white dust. The teacher looked over the problem for a few moment, and then turned to look out of the window. His head low, Phoenix picked up the eraser again and huffed another sigh.

"It is correct. You may go now." The teacher's barking voice made him jump in fright. He set the eraser back down and turned to leave. He felt a hoof touch his shoulder and looked into the teacher's smiling face. He almost recoiled from the teacher's smile, the cold smirk not reaching his eyes. "Be careful going home now." Phoenix nodded and walked through the now-empty and dark hallways of the building. It took all his willpower to not gallop away in fright. Each shadow held another imagined monster that wasn't there. He finally exited the building and let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

The town was aglow with a half-light, the sun was making its way down one side of the horizon and the moon was climbing up to take its place among the stars. He hesitated momentarily before stepping down the school's front steps and onto the cobblestone streets. His slow steps echoed back at him from the buildings, making it sound as if there were hundreds of Phoenix's walking down the street. Suddenly a bright green light flared from behind him, striking the lamp post that was next to him and sending it crashing to the ground.

Blinded, he stumbled backward away from the crashing noise and into a hard object behind him. He leapt forward and galloped away, panting with absolute terror. Another flash of green light wrapped across his legs and pulled him to the ground. He started to scream as blobs of the shadows seemed to move towards him and another flash of green light slashed across his face to silence him. Tears dropped from his eyes as he watched the dark figures approach, and whimpers still escaped his throat. Green fire leapt out from the darkness, encircling him and holding him to the ground. He struggled against the bonds, but could do nothing but whimper as they tightened on his body.

The black figures all stepped into the eerie circle of light cast by the fire. Relief was the first emotion to replace fear, and then confusion replaced that. All of the ponies who had harrassed him that day were standing in the green light with grins on their faces, leering at him on the ground. His teacher was standing the closest to him, and he kicked a small amount of dirt into Phoenix's face. Their smiles were ice-cold and their eyes were like chips of green ice. He shivered in his position, barely able to move or even breathe. Shock shot through his mind as he watched them be engulfed by green flames. He tried to scream, but could only manage to make a tiny sound that nopony heard. The fire dissapated, and in the places of the ponies were six things that looked similar to his father, but with evil and hard faces. The former teacher pulled his head up with a hoof, not caring if the jagged edges cut at Phoenix's chin. After a moment of searching his eyes, the leader dropped Phoenix's head to the street and turned away.

"This is him. Remember our orders; keep him alive." With that, he jumped into the sky and vanished with a a flash of green.

The night seemed to darken as the remaining creatures moved closer to him, chuckling darkly as they reached for him with their hooves. That was when the pain started. His screams died against the gag of scalding fire as they worked. His entire body convulsed with the torture they were enacting on it and his eyes leaked tears onto the ground to mix with his blood. Suddenly the sharp stabs of pain stopped, and his body fell limp to the ground. The group of monsters talked amongst themselves for a moment, but only a few words made it through the haze of pain that shrouded Phoenix's body. Fire. Torch. Kill? What are they....talking about?

He felt himself being lifted into the air again. He floated there like a rag-doll, tossed this way and that with his head flopping limply side to side. The biggest one of the group leered into his face and lit his horn with fire. "Let's see how well you burn eh?" Pain lanced through his side and quickly spread away from the wound. He looked down at where the pain originated from. Green fire was licking up his body, the flames sputtering and flickering. He realized that he could move again, and he galloped blindly away from the laughing monsters. There! He dove into the lake, extinguishing the flames. Water rushed around him as he sank deeper. He saw another flash of green light slice through the water, hissing as it made its way towards him. He could do nothing as it grabbed him and pulled him out of the water.

The shadows loomed over him again, one of them lighting his horn and pointing it at Phoenix again. Another of them pushed the horn down, shaking his head. "This one is nearly dead. Remember our orders."

"Bah, I didn't get to have all my fun! Oh well. Let's go boys." Phoenix watched through his hazy eyes as they all dissapeared in collumns of fire. The one who stopped the others lingered until the rest had gone. Sighing, he turned to Phoenix with regret on his face. Shaking his head, he turned and leapt into the air to follow the others through the green flames. Phoenix lay on the damp grass, his eyes staring at nothing as blackness closed over his vision.

Bit of an author's note: If you have been confused, these parts in these last 3 chapters have been from Phoenix RELIVING what happened to him as he is in a coma. Just to clarify.

Deeper into Darkness

Chapter 5: Deeper into the Darkness

Needle Wings lay in the darkness that encompassed the room. The usual silvery light that steamed in through the window was absent. It was the monthly night that held no moon to light the sky. The only light that shone was from the magical blue lights that floated in the hallways of the hospital, and the occasional Night Patrol member that walked by the hospital with their horns lit brightly. Bright had left the hospital once the sun had fallen below the horizon, apologizing repeatedly for having to go join the Night Patrol in the streets and promising to return as soon as she could.

He looked down at the ball of warmth that was snuggled up next to him on the couch. He smiled as he watched her sleep, breathing in deeply. He reached down with a hoof and began stroking her silvery mane, causing her to twitch and snuggle in closer to him. Having her close to him always reminded him of the first day they were married. He drifted off into the world of memories, recalling to him the days that resided in the past.

A warm wind blew across the ponies gathered in the clearing, all of them watching Needle with differing expressions ranging from curiousity to hostility. He began to sweat from special pores in his carapace, but it had nothing to do with the heat of the day. Oh Chrysali- NO! She is no longer my queen! Celestia, let nothing happen today.. He looked at the pastor, who returned the smile unsteadily. Why is he looking at me as if I have fangs?. He ran his tongue across his teeth, feeling at them. Oh, that's right.... He had to oppress a sigh as he turned back to the aisle. There was a pony waving his hooves in the back row, frantically trying to grab the band's attention. The ponies of the band were all staring at him and he really did sigh as he pointed a hoof towards the back row. They turned and jumped as one, pulling up their instruments and turning their pages of their sheet music.

The music reverberated from the walls of trees that encompased the clearing, but the notes were lost on Needle Wings. All other things faded into nonexistance as he watched her walk slowly down the walkway between the chairs. Her hooves were each fitted into a silver shoe, glimmering brightly in the sunlight. Lines of silver snaked their way up her legs, extending upwards until they met with her body. The dress was a white as pure as freshy fallen snow, flowing over the contours of her body and seeming to float in the breeze behind her. Her cutie mark, two hooves cradling a heart, was framed by the dress, showing off her talent to the entire world. Further up, he saw a necklace of linked rings holding a Sky Sapphire around her throat. It was one of the rarest gems in the world, and this one had been cut to resemble a heart the exact color of her coat. Her face was split with a nervous grin behind the thin veil draped over her face. She looked like an angel had blessed her, more beautiful than she had ever been before.

She stepped up onto the small raised section under the archway looking at the pastor with expectant eyes. The pony before them tore his gaze from Needle and cleared his throat and raised his voice so everypony could hear the words of ceremony.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two individual...er...ponies...into one, the joining of two souls into one complete being..." The words faded into the backround as Needle gazed at his soon-to-be wife, snapping back into reality as his name was spoken. "Needle Wings," the name was said with force; the pastor had noticed his inattention. "will you take Cherish to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish her friendship and love her today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor her, laugh with her and cry with her? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

His gravely voice rang out clear and strong. "I do."

The pasor turned to Cherish. "Cherish, do you take this...erm...pony... to be your partner in life and love? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, remaining faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

Her voice, as beautiful as it was on the first day he met her, answered, "I do."

"It is now time to light the spirit candles, which will bind you together on a level unknown before." The pony lead them over to where the two white candles stood, flanking a larger and more elaborate one. The pastor struck a match and lit Cherish's candle, pulling out another match as he moved towards the other candle. Needle placed a hoof on the pastor's own, pushing the match away from the wick. He pushed a small amount of magic into his horn, producing a small green fire from its tip. Bending his head, he touched the edge of the flame to the candle. When the pastor didn't continue, Needle waved a hoof to get his attention. "Hrm? Oh yes. The candles represent the souls of the ponies who until now have lived separate lives. These souls will now be joined together.". At a gesture, Needle lifted his candle in time with Cherish, and they lit the larger one together. When they set the candles down, the middle fire flared into the sky, the red and green flames intertwined and merging into beautiful patterns of color.

The words that were a year in coming were said by the pastor, and Needle leaned in to Cherish. He lifted the veil to uncover her beaming face and moved even closer breathing in the smell of her body as he approached her mouth with his own. He kissed her deeply, their lips moving together without any direction but further into the kiss. It seemed to seal and lock his soul into happiness and brought with it a flare of light to Needle's heart, which he embraced as part of his own self. The light grew in size, taking on a green tinge and growing warmer.

He snapped back to the world of reality, where the light was coming from green flames surrounding him. The fire was formed and shaped into thick rope-like strands that crossed back and forth around him. It was a cage, and he was inside it. He knew that the bars of blazing fire would be too hard to penetrate after just now awakening, so he observed his situation. Cherish was still atop his body, shuddering a little from the green light that was likely invading her dreams. The room, freshy lit by the green flames, was in total dissaray. Bedsheets were torn and burned, the windows were kicked out, and the whole floor was littered with their belongings.

Standing over the bed and channeling fire into a teleportation circle was a midnight-black creature. Needle followed the circle's path and felt shock pass through his body. That circle is around Phoenix!. Anger soon followed the shock, and he slammed himself against the barrier, only to be tossed back down onto the couch. The changeling ceased his spell casting and turned to the source of the noise. Needle shuddered involuntarily as he gazed into the white eyes, which seemed to gaze into his entire being. The changeling smiled at him with an evil glee and resumed his spell. Needle slammed himself against the barrier again and again with no success.

Needle grew desperate as the green light flashed, indicating that the spell had been completed. The changeling smiled as he walked over to where Needle lay panting. It leaned in to the wires of fire. "Hey there Needle Wings, I've got a message." He jumped back as Needle threw himself at the barrier again. "Fiesty aren't we? Well, Daddy says hi. Just thought you should know."

The creature turned back towards the circle of green, lighting his horn to catylize the spell. Time seemed to slow down for Needle as he watched the horn slowly descend towards the green light and felt a rage envelope his mind. The wires of green fire shattered as he pressed through them, flying through the air to tackle the black monster. Green light flashed in the room as Needle collided with the cold shell of the target of his rage. He felt himself being shoved away, and he collided with the wall on the opposite side of the room. Leaping back to his feet, he looked towards where the bed had been. The ground around it was charred black, the residue of the spell sparkling from the light the fires of their horns cast through the room.

Deadly calmness was all his voice contained as he turned back to the creature who had stolen his son. "You shouldn't have done that."

A Father's Wrath

Chapter 6: A Father's Wrath

"You shouldn't have done that." The cold words seemed to echo in the room, repeating in the silence. The force of them would have sent a regular pony galloping for their life, yet this monster stood in front of him with a calm expression on his face, his silvery eyes betraying no emotion. The changeling with the silver eyes brushed himself off casually, still the utter appearance of calm. Needle stomped a step closer, crushing beneath his hoof a large shard of glass. Rage, burning-hot and ice-cold at the same time, flowed through his veins and his muscles trembled to have their force unleashed against this abomination. "Who are you," his voice was deadly quiet, "and where is my son?"

"What? Do you think that I'd just tell you my name?" The changeling laughed coldly, his ice-white eyes staring straight at Needle. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't do any harm. It's not like anyone besides you will hear it, and you'll be dying soon enough." He flew a little into the air and streched all four of his limbs and dropped back to the ground with a yawn. "Well, I thought you would attack me or something by n-" He jumped back as a beam of green fire shot through where he had been before.

The midnight-black changeling landed on the wall with all four hooves sticking to its surface, a maniacal grin on his face. "Oh yes!" He drug out the last part of that, sending a hissing noise reverberating in the room. "That is more like it!" He dropped off of the wall and landed deftly on his hooves, still appearing completely relaxed. "To answer your question, my name is Shade, and as for where you son is," He put a jagged hoof to his chin. "I told you that message didn't I? Take a guess." The maniacal grin returned as he stepped a little closer to Needle, his eyes glinting in the green light. "Oh yes, he's with Daddy now and there is not-" His hissing voice was silenced as Needle's hoof smashed into his face and he flew backward against the wall.

Needle panted with rage, his hoof extended outwards. He couldn't remember moving at all, but he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was the changeling in front of him, and what he was going to do to it. "Father has him? There truly is nothing I can do, about that.". He stepped closer to the pile of plaster where the changeling lay. "But, Shade, you are wrong when you say that I can do nothing." He placed one of his front hooves on the monster's body, pressing down lightly. "I know what I can do," he leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Kill you...slowly." He pressed down harder, intent on causing deep pain to the creature under him.

Cold laughter, tinged with a small hint of pain, issued from beneath his hoof. "You think...that YOU...can kill ME?" The changeling worked to speak around his laughter. "Oh Chrysalis that is rich! You know, I bet you're gonna sound just like your boy did when we worked him over. Nice and squeaky. Oh yes." The monster's words held a stronger hint of pain, and it hissed as Needle pressed down with more force. "You know, I remember setting him on fire." Weak laughter echoed in the silence. "He made a good candle." The rage that Needle had been working to supress burst forth, flowing across his mind and eliminating rational thought. His horn glowed with green flames, and he reared up to smash his hoof into the thing beneath him.

He brought his hoof down with all of his strength. A loud snapping noise rang out, and he lowered his horn, sending flames to issue forth and scour the ground beneath him. He panted heavily with the effort of maintaining the white-hot flames, but he continued sending wave after wave of fire onto the floor. The flames licked up the walls and wrapped around Needle's jagged hooves but he continued to send out his fury in waves. Exhausted, he sealed off the flow of flames and dropped his head to stare at the floor. The bright flames burned and eventually sputtered out as their fuel was consumed. The floor was scorched black by the fire and grey ashes blew on the wind that drifted in through the hole in the wall.

A spike of pain flashed across his body as a sharp edge was slashed across his back leg. He cried out as he dropped to the ground. Another burning slice slashed over his shoulder, and he flailed wildly with his hooves to fend off the attacker. A cold voice came from the darkness, dripping with malice. "Ohhhh, you've made a bad move Needle. Most ponies who attack me die within seconds, but I'll take my time with you." The razor-sharp edge cut into Needle's side, sending signals of pain to crowd into his mind. "Now you'll get to see why they really call me 'Shade'."

Pain like he had never felt before gripped his mind as the air itself seemed to fill with black razors. The hooves dragged their sharpened edges across his carapace, gouging deep cuts all over his body. He flailed wildly, but the shadows just seemed to bend around his hooves and come at him instantly from another angle. He felt himself driven onto the ground by the pain and a hoof slammed into his back, driving him completely down.

As he hit the ground, the weight was lifted from atop his body. He looked wildly around, searching the darkness for Shade. "Tell me Needle, how does it feel to fight something you can't see?" Needle whipped his head around and fired a weak beam of flames at the sound. Laughter sounded from a different part of the room. "You people are all the same." The voice scoffed. "All of you just rely on your eyes. It's sad really." A sigh sounded from behind him and he leapt at where it had come from. He passed through thin air and crashed back onto the ground. A sigh resounded from the opposite side of the room. "Well, I suppose it's time to end this. Prepare yourself, not like it will help."

Needle clenched his eyes shut, bracing himself for the pain. His breath caught as he heard the air whistle from the holes in his opponent's hooves. He leapt to the side and turned to where the confused changeling was reeling. It cursed and shot off to his left. He brought up his hoof to block the next attack, and he grasped the monster's body with his other hoof and threw it against the wall. He could hear its wings rustle as it stood back up. "Ah...you learn fast don't you? Seems like it was a mistake to tell you that." Its joints creaked as it moved. "That just makes it more interesting. After all, I have done this much longer than you. A few seconds of learning won't save you."

Wings flapped rapidly, filling Needle's ears with the sound they made. The noise came from all sides and the hooves soon flashed at him again. He raised his own to block, but the wings blocked out any other noise as they overwhelmed his ears. A hoof lashed out and caught him under the chin, sending him flying upwards into the air. The wings followed him into the air, and hooves smashed into his chest. He collided with the cold floor tiles as the moster pushed him down against them. "Looks like I win, time to end this." His horn lit with green fire, and he chanted under his breath. Needle opened his eyes and looked at the changeling above him, trying futilely to aim his own horn at the creature. The white eyes looked down at him, a hint of crazed joy deep inside them. "Time to die Needle Wings."

Then a pair of sky-blue hooves bucked into his side and sent him sailing into the concrete support collumn in the wall. The angry pony glared at the crumpled body that she had just incapacitated. "First you take my son away, and then you try to take my Husband too? I don't think so." Needle watched through a pained haze as Cherish stalked over to where Shade lay dazed. "Give a message to your boss for me." He heard the crunching of a shell, and an agonized scream come from where his wife was standing. "Tell him that he had better give me my son back, or I will tear out his insides from his body while he is still living. Tell him that I will break every inch of his shell."

"Why do you think that I'll tell him anything?" Another crunch and snapping noise rang out, followed swiftly by another scream of agony. "All right! I'll do as you ask! Just no more, PLEASE!" The once-calm voice was ragged with pain and pleading. Cherish nodded at the now mutilated changeling before her, and he disappeared in a collumn of fire. Needle stood up slowly and walked over to where it had been moments before. He recoiled in shock. The entire spot was spattered in blood and shell fragments. He shuddered as he looked on the floor in front of his wife. There at her hooves lay a black leg and a insect-like wing, covered with green blood.

Cherish looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Anything wrong Needle?"

He backed a small bit away from her. "No Sweetie, nothing is wro-" Darkness seemed to reach in and drag him down into the world of unconcousness.

In a World Without Emotion

Chapter 7: In a World Without Emotion

He paced on the smooth black rocks of his throne room, the clattering of his hooves echoing back at him from the large walls. He kept his pace slow and steady, breathing in and out evenly. A ruler wasn’t supposed to show anxiety, though he was hard pressed to keep his face composed as he looked back towards the door that served as the entrance for the hundredth time. He paused in his pacing as a soldier walked in, a hopeful smile on his face despite his attempts to keep his composure. The changeling limped into the middle of the room and saluted. “My lord, I have a matter of upmost importance to convey to you.”

“What is it? Speak.” His commanding tone made the changeling’s wings shiver and it backed up a few steps before speaking.

“My lord, it is about the food shortage and the rebellion. Without food, the lings starve and grow anxious. Every passing day yields another hundred joining the ranks of the rebel forces.” The changeling, emboldened by his silence, spoke louder. “I would suggest that we send the…“ His voice petered out as Blade Wings glared at him, slowly descending the steps to stand in front of the soldier.

“Have I not said before that I am awaiting only news of Shade’s arrival?” He backhooved the soldier across the face and sent the unfortunate messenger to the ground. “I am disappointed at this display.” He stomped a hoof into the soldier’s side. “Such incompetence.” His horn lit with green flames as he pointed it with rage at a section of stairs. The fire licked out and exploded against the black stone, sending chunks of rock flying with deadly force around the room. “Give me a single reason why I shouldn’t end you now. I’m feeling a little…generous today.” He slammed his hoof in front of the changeling’s face. “Let’s hear it.”

The changeling looked around with fearful eyes, panic leaking on the edge of his voice as he whispered. “My lord, I…um…I have other news! The hybrid arrived where Shade was to deposit him. Please spare-” His breath caught as Blade Wings’ horn dug into his body and sent flares of pain to his mind.

Blade Wings pulled his head away, turning to walk back up to his throne. “Next time soldier, you would do well to tell me the news I want to hear first.” He didn’t turn until he had reached the tops of the stairs. The scrabbling noise of hooves issued from behind him as the changeling stood up unsteadily. He whipped around and fired a bolt of green magic into the floor next to the soldier, sending rocks flying again. He met the soldier’s eyes coldly. “Do I make myself clear?”

The soldier gulped. “Yes my lord, perfectly clear.” His voice wavered with fear bordering panic.

“Good, now get out of my sight before I decide to destroy you.” The soldier made no attempts to be subtle about his feelings, galloping straight out of the door. “Why is it that my subjects cannot follow orders?” He looked into a bowl of clear liquid; his reflection looked back up at him with weary eyes. “Why?” He bent down to take a sip of the clear substance, and he shivered with ecstasy as the feelings contained in the bowl ran down his throat. He snapped out of his trance as his mouth touched the bottom of the bowl. He sighed regretfully as he kicked it away, watching it shatter against the wall.

“What am I supposed to do?” He asked the empty room. “Let the changelings into Equestria after that stupid Chrysalis went and lost her hold?” He traced his eyes around the carvings on the wall, writing long forgotten in the histories. No changeling besides himself knew what they read. “If they go now, the ponies will exterminate us all.” He stomped a hoof to the ground in frustration.

Ever since Chrysalis got herself killed by the rebels, I’ve been the one stuck with the kingdom. He sighed again as he felt the memories wash over his mind. One might think that being related to royalty was nice, but it was hardly a fun time. He shuddered as the memory of her first “training” visit.

She had appeared in the middle of the night, slamming her hoof against the door. He was awake at the time, taking advantage of being alone in the house and staying up. His parents had gone out hunting, he himself being too young to venture into Equestria. Of course, his parents made him work for his meals. They weren’t like those other posh families out there. Always buying instead of hunting themselves. His parents were traditionalists at heart, always hunting even if they were wounded or sick. He had always admired their persistence.

After he pulled open the door, she walked into the house as if it were her own. She looked over the dark room appraisingly before turning to Blade Wings. “Where are your parents?” Like every other female of their race, Chrysalis spoke with a dual tone. She bore down on him with a lit horn after he didn’t answer. “Boy, where are your parents? Do not make me ask again.”

He shook with fear and worked his mouth, attempting to give an answer to the towering ling before him. “T-they l-l-left hours ago t-to go and h-hunt.” His voice, normally strong and confident, was weak and shaky. He let out a squeak as the changeling leaned towards him and looked into his eyes.

“Do you not know who I am?” She reared back and fired a ball of green flames into the air. “I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Hive and ruler of the things that inhabit it!” Her voice pierced his ears like knives as she shrilly declared herself. She looked down at him as he shook on the ground with fear and he hastily pushed himself up to bow to her on unsteady legs. “That’s better.” She walked further into the house and turned to gesture that he should do the same. He resisted the urge to step back a few steps and reluctantly followed her into the room, illuminated by her green flames.

Green flames erupted into existence in front of him, drawing him out of his reminiscence. He held a hoof up to shield his eyes from the harsh brightness of the flames. Such power. He felt his mood life slightly. That must be Shade, coming back to give a report. He turned and looked over at his kingdom once again, waiting for the changeling to speak. Labored breathing filled the room instead of words, and he whipped around to see a mutilated changeling in front of him. He slowly walked over to the wounded creature, his rage building with every step. “What is the meaning of this Shade?” He looked over the body and recoiled slightly in shock. “What happened?” He said it before he could stop himself. “What could have caused…this?!”

The wounded Shade worked to stand, panting with pain at each movement and failed attempt. He tried to flap his wings but let out a grunt of pain as the muscles manipulated the torn wing. After several minutes, he managed to push himself up to stand on his hooves. He has only 3 legs? What in the name of Chrysalis happened to him? Shade seemed to rest a moment, his breathing ragged with pain. The changeling took a look at Blade Wings and laughed without humor. “Your son…is stronger…than he looks…” Shade collapsed on the floor again, still laughing. “He is…an amazing challenge. I haven’t…felt so alive…in my life.”

Rage consumed Blade Wings’ mind. “You mean to tell me, that after all of my orders and all of this time you’ve been given. Needle Wings is alive?” He restrained his magic, resisting the urge to blast this incompetent fool and scour him from this world.

The laughter rang out again, echoing from the stone walls of the throne room. “Yes…my liege, he is still…alive. I can see…why you wanted me to…fight him. I look forward…to fighting him…again. I feel so alive with…this pain.” The larger changeling rolled the other onto his back, producing a scream of agony from the smaller.

Blade Wings looked into the silvery eyes of his best soldier on the ground in front of him. “No, Shade.” His voice was no more than a whisper, yet it seemed to fill the room. “You won’t fight him again. You won’t get to feel, as you say, alive. You never will again.” Green fire flashed, illuminating the shadows in the room and throwing the walls into sharp relief. Blade Wings turned away, walking back to his throne. “Guards, clean up this mess on my floor.” He sat on the hard throne clapped his hooves together under his chin, deep in thought. What to do next. So many paths to choose from...

Third Degree Dreams

Sorry about taking so long on the update guys! Writer’s block + Vacation don’t mix very well, especially when coupled with trying to run a radio show. Oh well, I’ll stop rambling and let you read the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Third Degree Dreams

The voices of his father and a hissing creature were lost to him, quickly replaced by the noises of howling wind and crackling fire. Even from behind his closed lids, he recognized the green fire that his father makes from his horn. The warm washed over his skin, licking up and down its surface like he was an old friend. He tried to open his eyes, to see the fire that caressed his body in a loving embrace, but they would not open. Instead of moving his eyes, he tried to move his hooves, pushing at the prison that held him still. The walls of his mind seemed as strong as ever, resisting every effort of his to shatter them.

The fire spoke to him softly, whispering words that seemed as if they were just out of hearing. He strained to focus on the sounds, to understand the secrets of the flames. Only syllables came to him, small snippets of a word that faded out before it was completed. The walls of unconsciousness prevented him from reaching towards the words, their sweet sounds beckoning to him from outside. He pushed harder against the unyielding walls, pounding at them with his non-existent hooves. The heat on his body grew, scorching his body as his mind screamed in protest. The words that were whispered were now shouted as the fire roared in his ears. NO HOPE! NO ESCAPE! NO MERCY!

With an agonized scream, Phoenix shoved once more against the wall, the material it was made from shattering into thousands of separate fragments. As each of these shards touched the ground, they disappeared with a hissing noise, sinking into whatever he was standing on. The wind stopped rushing, now blowing lightly over his body and easing the pain of his burns. The flames had disappeared, but their pain lingered and throbbed in time with his beating heart. Though their source was gone, he could still hear the words being whispered lightly in his ear. No hope. No escape. No mercy.

“It appears that Shade was successful.” The voice, which sounded like the edge of a hoof being drawn across a chalkboard, cut through the whispers and echoed against the walls of his mind. The sounds of hooves on stone moved closer to him, making his heart race with every passing second.

“Looks like it, but is he alive?” A hoof nudged into his side and as much as he tried to suppress it, a whimper came from within his throat. “Oh he is. Little thing was playin’ dead.” The hoof returned, this time with much more force behind it. He groaned as the jagged hoof connected, leaving small cuts in the burned skin that only added to the pain. The other voice, a low gravelly tone, laughed cruelly as the hoof kicked again.

“All right, let’s take him to the cell. Stand on your hooves hybrid.” Another hoof dug into his side, pushing him to stand. Once on his own legs, he stumbled into the changeling who had spoken, earning a shove that sent his head into the black granite. More laughter came from the other guard, who hooked his hoof around Phoenix’s neck and dragged him around to stand in front of them.

“Cmon now, move.” Another shove propelled him down the darkened hall, where the air was damp and cold. He shivered as they pushed him further along, the air growing colder to the point where it misted the air in front of him. Without warning, they pushed him into a side corridor and stopped. When he heard their hooves halt, he turned around to look at them fearfully. “Enjoy your stay little thing.” Both of their horns lit with green fire, casting bars of flame to cage him inside the room. Their laughter echoed in the cells as they walked away, and soon he was left with nothing but the fire whispering it’s words in his ears. No hope. No escape. No mercy.

000

A wind blew over her town. Funny, how ever since she became the captain of the Night Guard, she thought of the little village as ‘hers’. She shivered as it passed through the street she had been walking down, her hooves faltering as her body shuddered out of her control. The gusts carried debris along, throwing it into whatever stood in its way; Bright Light was no exception. She cast a small shield spell to block most of the larger objects like the small stones and newpapers, but it didn’t prevent the tiny particles of dirt from hitting her. She winced as the small objects cut into her coat, pelting her body with tiny attacks that would no doubt leave red marks of irritated skin behind.

Oh thank Celestia that my shift is almost over. I hope that filler gets here soon. I’d hate to have to chew somepony out again. Oh wait, no I wouldn’t, because he’d deserve it. She raised a hoof to smother her small giggle as she thought about it. Oh! I could have him explain to Cherish why I couldn’t come and visit. She put her hoof back onto the ground and sighed, wincing at the occasional impact from the debris on her shield. I certainly feel sorry for those of the Night Guard who can’t make shields. They must be get- Just as she thought that, the wind died instantly, practically dropping whatever had been inside of it to the ground the next second. That’s odd, usually it takes a bit for a wind like that to die down.

She let her shield down and continued walking along the dimly lit street, her horn providing the light that illuminated it. She looked side to side, only slightly looking out for any suspicious creatures lurking in the night. She felt something bubble up in her chest, and put a hoof to her mouth to stifle a loud yawn. As much as I do this, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. She reached the end of the road and scanned down the streets that branched out from the intersection. After nodding to herself, she turned around to make her way back down her assigned road. Another gust of wind smacked her in the face, spinning her on her hooves and pushing her down another path. Her world spun on its axis as she sat down hard, holding her head in her hooves. “Oh Celestia my head.”

A sudden crash made her shoot up with alarm, her dizziness instantly obliterated with the sudden shock. Her hooves clicked on the cobblestones as she galloped towards the source of the noise, using her horn to cast the occasional obstruction out of the way with a magical wall of force. The wind howled in her ears and made her eyes water as she ran, but she kept pushing forward. Being captain of the Night Guard meant she was responsible for watching out for the ponies of the town, and she wasn’t one to shrug off duty. She skid to a halt in the middle of another intersection, her head cocked sideways as she listened for another crash. Sure enough, another sound pierced the night and she continued down the road to her left. The hospital!

She stumbled as the white building came into view, panic momentarily taking her mind away from her grasp as she looked at the large hole in the building’s wall. Shaking her head, she picked her way along the broken stones to peer inside the dark room, her horn casting a small amount of light into it. The outline of a body was revealed with her light, another form bending over it and shivering lightly. She stepped over the broken debris, slowly approaching the two figures. Her eyes searched along the floor as she went and she froze as they passed over a hoof and a wing that would have belonged to a changeling. She pulled her head upward to stare at the two ponies that were in the room, trotting over to them wordlessly as she approached. She lifted the black changeling onto the couch and pulled her sister into a hug. “Hush, little sister, I’m here.”

“They got him. They took Phoenix. They took my baby from me.” Cherish’s voice soon lost coherence as she broke down into wordless sobs. Bright Light hugged her tighter and brushed her sister's mane with a trembling hoof, her eyes passing over Needle’s unmoving body as the wet tears stained her coat.

A White Among the Black

Chapter 9: A White Among Black

A black blur was all the warning he had. He moved his head quickly to the side, a rush of wind and a small touch telling him that he had succeeded. Without hesitation, he jabbed out with an attack of his own, smashing it into his opponent’s chin and knocking him to the ground. A rustle of wings from behind alerted him to the other threat, and he dived forward. A loud thud came from where the changeling had dived into the stone. Both of the fighters groaned to themselves as they recovered. He merely watched them calmly as he examined his own hoof, jagged and pitted with holes. “I’m sorry, were you trying to hit me?”

Laughter came from the ring of gathered changelings, all of them wearing some kind of coat of arms on their body to denote their rank. Of course, in things like this, rank pulled no weight. Both of the lings before him were nearly at the top of the military, he himself a simple grunt soldier. They growled at him and spread apart, using the typical strategy of flanking to distract him. As one, they leapt towards the place where he had been moments ago, smacking into each other with a loud cracking noise. More laughter came from the ring of soldiers, intermixed with the occasional cheer for him. He allowed himself a small smile as he watched the two squirm on the ground for a few moments before managing to get to their hooves.

“Hrm. You win this round Saber.” The older of the two smiled grudgingly at him, still grumbling with a gravely tone. “But don’t think we’ll be done. Tomorrow, same time.” He nodded, producing a grunt from the younger of the two. “Come Blade, we must hone our skills further. It is unacceptable that soldiers of our stature were defeated by a grunt.” The younger, Blade, was reluctant to move, but a hoof being dug into his side made him stand up and walk away reluctantly, fire still burning in his eyes. The room was silent until they had left, erupting in cheering after the sounds of their hooves on the stones faded away.

He smiled as the other changelings patted him on the back or bumped their hooves to his. Smiles all directed at him were set below questioning eyes. Why aren’t you an officer? You’re good enough. they all said. He ignored the silent questions as usual and continued on his way to the shower room. Of course, they didn’t’ have real water, but rather heated jets of air. Scalding heat did the same thing scalding water did, burned a lot and cleaned you up. Of course, he could just do the job with his magic, but he had always preferred more physical methods. He was nearing the door when suddenly a Juvenile hopped into his path, his wings flared and his horn lit with green flames. A quiet fell over the crowd as they watched.

“You. You’re the one.” The little creature’s body was trembling slightly as he looked up to Saber. “I-I-I challenge you, t-to a Dance of the Flame.” A large gasp came from the gathered lings as they heard what he had said. Saber himself couldn’t believe his ears at first. A Dance of the Flame? From a Juvenile? I should take him back to his mother, the fool has no idea what he’s demanding. As if he could hear his thoughts, the smaller ling angrily spoke. “I know exactly what it is, if you’re wondering that. I know what I’m doing, and,” He snorted angrily, stomping his hoof into the ground. “I’m going to kill you.”

The eyes from the soldiers shifted to him suddenly, waiting for his response. “Look-“ A hoof smashed into his jaw, cutting off whatever he was about to say as he flew backwards into the fighting ring. Years of training kept him from snapping a wing as he landed on his back, using the momentum to roll backwards onto his hooves. His wings flared as anger surged up inside him. The little spawn wants to fight? So be it. He crouched low as the child leapt into the field, his horn glowing with fire.

He wasted no time as he leapt forward, his hooves extended to tackle his opponent and end the fight quickly. Suddenly a wall of flames leapt into existence before him, driving him back away to his side of the ring. A scarred changeling stepped out from the crowd, his horn maintaining the shield as he cleared his throat, looking straight at Saber with his old eyes. “You heard him, Saber. A Dance of the Flame.” He opened his mouth to object, but as one the crowd stamped their hooves.

“Dance the Dance of the Fire, emerald and crimson. Dance the Dance of Flames, flickering and roaring. Dance the Dance of Death, red and black.” They chanted it over and over, their horns glowing as they formed a large dome over the field. Once it was complete, they all stomped one last time and shouted the last mantra. “The Dance of the Flames has begun!”

Before he could react, a lance of fire pierced his leg. He shouted out in pain as he crumpled to the ground in agony. Small hooves walked up to him, and he looked up into the grim child’s face. “I expected more from you. I honestly did. Goodbye.” Fire lashed over where he had been, his training taking over as he launched himself into the air. He placed his hooves on the shield, using the surface to give more force to his attack. Turning around, he leapt at his opponent. His hoof passed through nothing but air and he tumbled to the ground after landing on his injured hoof. More fire lashed out at him before he could stand, cutting into his body with ease. He lit his horn, the green fire flickering weakly. Fight fire with fire. A shield appeared in front of him as he stood unsteadily, brushing away the green blood that leaked from his wounds.

“You should probably take this seriously, I mean, if you don’t want to die that is. Actually, you’ll still die anyway.” The child’s voice was cold, no emotion leaked into the words as did so many other changeling children. The thing’s eyes were like black chips of ice, its smile as cold as death. “Let’s begin shall we?” Without another warning, the changeling disappeared, wind announcing his departure. Saber spun and blocked with his hoof just in time, the jagged edge inches away from his face. “Come now, surely you can do better.” Where did he learn such vocabulary? He’s nothing more than a child! His idle thoughts cost him, another blow landing on his chest and sending him backward into the wall of energy. Ropes of fire wove around his hooves and pinned him to the wall. The small changeling walked up to him slowly, as if savoring the next moment.

His vision filled with black dots as his head jerked to the side. He turned his head to look at the enraged child before him. “Quit fooling around. I want a fight.” Another hoof connected with his stomach. “Fight. Me. Quit. Wasting. Time.” Each word was accented with another attack, driving home the words with force. Rage built up inside his body, flickering under his heart and roaring to be released. It flowed through his veins, blanking out his mind as it screamed inside his body.

Time seemed to slow as he pulled his hooves from the bonds and grasped his opponent’s head, flipping over him and shoving him into the wall. “That’s more like it.” The words barely registered in his mind as he lit his horn. He drew back his hoof, surrounded in green energy, for the killing blow. The limb seemed to elongate past the jagged edge, green flames forming into something resembling those things that ponies swing around in their mouths. Swords they were called, except theirs were steel, and his was made of rage. With a shout, he drove his hoof forward, aiming for the neck of the stupid creature who had dared challenge him. A loud clashing noise came from the point of contact, the cold energy passing through nothing but the past as it stabbed. He turned around swiftly, bringing the blade up to deflect a bolt of green away from his chest.

He lowered his blade slightly as he scanned the now-empty field. He was alone, alone with a strange rushing noise all around him. Without a word, his hoof shot out and jerked backward, catching on the body of the child. Spinning with a grace known only to experienced fighters, he slammed his blade onto the black form, relishing in the scream of agony that came from it. He jumped away from the dying creature, flicking his blade to clean it of the blood. After his hooves connected with solid stone again, the pained words hit his mind. “Finally. I got my wish to fight you. Goodbye…Father.” The words brought a shock that washed away his anger in an instant. The green shield dissipated as the ground watched with a silent vigil. He slowly turned away from the group and walked out of the door.

Green light lit up from behind him, followed by an intense heat. “The Dance has been finished, the music has ended, and the partners have broken the bond.” The old voice was weary with pain as it completed the ritual. Saber pushed fire into his horn as he walked, surrounding himself in its emerald glow before letting it take him anywhere besides there.

He was only a child. The look of pain from the hybrid changeling filled his vision, engulfing his pained soul with agony. Only a child.

Author's Note Time! Yes, yes, I know this is a little short for a chapter. I'll increase the lengths for the upcoming ones I hope. Hard habits are hard to break y'know?

Confrontation

This chapter will be a little shorter than I want it to be because of real life AND brony stuff that take priority of said chapter. This being said, enjoy the update!

Chapter 10: Confrontation

The guards outside the door made no attempt to stop him as he kicked open the door to the throne room and marched in. Their eyes were filled with something bordering on the edge of pity, but they were trained well not to show it, which was all to the better as his rage wouldn’t handle any pity at the moment. The murmurings of the changelings who had followed him out of the training room rose quickly before getting shut off as the doors swung closed with a loud booming sound that filled the vast chamber.

“Ah, Saber.” The low rumbling speech of the changeling who stood next to the throne was filled with a false fatherly tone. “I was wondering when my greatest fighter would show up.”

His anger ebbed as a small amount of shock coursed through his nerves. Greatest fighter? “You’ve been having me watched.”

The accusation had no effect on the larger changeling that slowly stepped down the stairs that lead up to his throne. Each hoof that touched the ground brought him closer to his prize. “Well of course, how else do you expect for me to gauge who should be my next champion?” There was an undertone in his voice that suggested Saber was to be the champion.

“So you send a child to do your work?” Anger burned with a renewed fire as the changeling approached, each step sending another flare of it through his mind. “A mere child who you knew was to die at my hooves?” He stomped one of his mentioned hooves, still green with the blood of the juvenile that he had slain, into the black tiles. “My child?!”

Silence followed the clattering that was produced from his anger, pressing down on the space like the air over a funeral. A hint of cruel laughter burned in the larger changeling’s eyes before fading into the same false sympathy. “A necessary sacrifice, as a child whose father left him to be trained to be a Shadow Hoof would harbor a certain… animosity towards him.” A hoof was lain on his shoulder, pressing down with a less-than-friendly force. “And now we both know who the best fighter is.” The hoof steered him to look out of the window and onto the harsh landscape that was the kingdom of the changelings. “Think of it, being the second-most powerful being in the land, with no other ling to answer to but me.”

None of the wondering emotions that the words were meant to inspire surfaced, replaced by the boiling fury that ached to be released. He angrily threw off the hoof that was pressing down on his shoulders, whipping around to look into the eyes of the changeling next to him. He had a smile on his face, but the depths of his eyes were like chips of ice. There is no choice. You accept or die they said to him. A smirk formed on his face and a light of confusion entered the king’s eyes. “I want no part of your ‘game of champions’. I’m just a normal grunt, meant for nothing more than grunt fighting.”

Anger of the changeling’s own flashed in the cruel eyes that looked into Saber’s eyes before being smothered with the cruel ice that could freeze oceans. “Are you sure about your choice?” Saber snorted and turned away, slowly walking to the large set of doors that served as the only exit. As his hoof touched one of them, the king’s voice beseeching voice filled the hall once more. “You won’t get this opportunity again.” The frigid implications of the words washed over him, but he cared nothing for what was to come. He turned back to look at the wintery eyes again, his anger filling him with strength.

“Good.” The doors boomed as the shut behind him, a hint of finality finding a way into the rumbling.

000

Blade Wings looked out of the window, taking in the black landscape that was in so many ways similar to his race. Anger sparked in his heart as he recalled the last words of Saber. And that smirk! That little larvae will regret the day he hatched. He smiled as a rustling came from the back corner of the room, as if whatever hid in the shadows meant to be quiet. He turned to look at the golden eyes that shined from a non-existent light. “Catch him, and throw him in the dungeons. I’ll wish to see to him personally.” The eyes bobbed slightly, indicating that the creature had received and understood his orders.

“Yes, my lord.” A flash of black fire followed the rasping of the voice, roaring and whispering at the same time. He turned away from the now-vacant corner, looking out over his kingdom once again. He sent out a tongue of fire to bring the goblet of clear liquid to him, taking a brief sip and allowing himself a smile. “It seems that Saber will require more… incentive."

His words hung in the empty chamber, coupled with the occasional ring of his teeth on metal.

000

The hallways in front of him seemed to blur out of existence as the hurtled past them with wild abandon. Flashes of black-silver fire heated the air around him as he galloped away. Damn them. Bucking Shadow Wings. He leapt into the air as another bolt of flames cut the ground that was under his hooves. He spun in midair, casting a bolt of his own magic into the darkness that pursued him. The black air seemed to spread open and consume the green fire. A feeling of helplessness settled on his heart as he turned around to continue his flight, glancing over his shoulder to watch the ever-approaching black.

Pain slashed across his back as the darkness touched his body, black spots eating away at the corners of his vision as he crashed to the ground, his wings shredded from the touch of the shadow. It took all his effort to keep his hooves balanced as he hit the ground. He gritted his teeth as he turned a corner, his ruined wings sending spikes of pain into his back as the pulled in the wind. The howling wall of death stopped, the individual changelings behind its creation becoming visible as their cloaks of shadow dissipated. “Spread out. He’s here somewhere.” In an instant, they were gone, melding into the shadows like they would walk in normal light.

His building sigh was stopped in his throat as a rushing of wind signaled an arrival. He turned to look into the angry eyes of a female, her wings still encased in shadow as they flared outward. “I found you.” Her hoof punched into his throat, cutting off his shout of rage and his breathing. He gasped and sputtered for air as she circled him slowly. “You know, the boy you killed didn’t deserve to die.” She kicked a hoof into his side, sending more flames of pain licking along his body. “He had a future as one of us.” She flashed a bolt of magic into his hoof, burning another hole through its already pock-marked surface. “A Shadow Wing.” She pulled away a part of the shadow that enveloped her wings and touched to the remains of his own.

Pain like no other filled his mind, driving him to the edge of near-insanity with its intensity. “Why… is… he so… special… to you?” He forced the words out through his gritted teeth.

She lifted away her hoof, bringing his face with her other one to look into her eyes. “Because he was my student.” The pain in her eyes was that of a grieving parent, a feeling of hopelessness and hatred mixing in her twin golden irises that were watery with unshed tears. She lifted the entirety of her magic away from her wings, bringing it to rest in front of his face. “Pity I cannot kill you yet, but my chance will come.” Bitterness filled her tone as she shoved the suffocating cloud forward, the hate-filled words of the changeling following him into the darkness. “And then I will kill you."

000

He had been staring at the green bars of flame for so long that the image of their crossing flares would probably never fade from his memory. He rubbed his hoof against his chest, attempting once more to drive out the heavy feeling that filled his chest and dragged his heart down further. He only felt the colder-than-normal coat of black hair that covered his body, though it was still burnt away in places. The room he was sitting in was freezing, his breath misting in front of his eyes despite the flames that surrounded him. His tears had long since stopped flowing, his aching sadness replaced with a numb feeling of dread and hopelessness.

A ringing filled his ears as a door was opened, soon followed by the sound of a body connecting with the ground. The green flames that surrounded him soon extended themselves to encompass the unmoving form. His hooves scrapped on the floor as he pulled himself over to whatever it was, swiftly recoiling away after he got close enough. The thing on the ground groaned painfully, twitching slightly as it moved to a sitting position with its eyes still closed. “S-s-sir, are you… okay?” His voice sounded dead and hollow, barely projecting past his mouth.

The creature turned to face him, scars crossing different parts of his body. Eyes that were as green as emerald soon opened to look him in the eye, confusion and hunger lighting in their depths.

Announcement (Update on Status)

All right folks, I have some good news...

Aaaaaand you know the rest of the saying, so I'll spare you finishing it.

Well, good news first, however much it doesn't really apply to this story. I've got the lead role in my school play, which is called The Little Luncheonette of Terror. Yay for acting!

However, this comes with a downfall. That's right, bad news incoming. Basically, play rehearsals run for 3 hours after school ends, making it so I have about 4 hours after everything is done to do stuff. However, the program I'm in for school assigns an awfully large amount of homework, averaging about three hours every day. And, you guessed it, that leaves very minimal time for writing or doing anything in the community. Any time that I do write things, I will be keeping my promise to finish Dashed Hopes first. However, this is next in line to be finished.

tl;dr version: Real life is being a bitch, don't expect updates for a good long while.