Chapters They were right there. Not a foot from her, but they didn't see her. Duena held her breath while she remained hidden within the thick brush, only able to see the changelings that were hunting her between the leaves and twigs. They talked among themselves quietly, looking around with their weapons drawn. She knew that they sensed her, they knew she was close, but luckily they didn't know how close.
Duena's lungs were beginning to burn the longer she held her breath and it was becoming difficult to keep it up. If she let out a breath now they would surely find her and kill her. She began to wonder if she should have ran from her hive. Maybe her freedom as a 'ling wasn't worth being constantly hunted. Maybe it was better to let her life end there rather than going back to be a slave of the queen again. Maybe if she let herself pass out.
One of the changelings let out a bloodcurdling screech. They found her. Duena clenched her eyes and waited for death to take her, but it never came. Instead she heard the scurrying of hooves and soon she was alone. She opened her eyes and looked through the leaves again; they had left. With a sharp gasp she took a deep breath, sucking in the sweet, life giving air. She stumbled her way out of the thick brush and brushed herself off. They were definitely gone, but why?
Duena let out a sigh, gathered her bearings and began to walk south. At least, she assumed it was south. She really didn't care where she was going, only wanting to get as far away from the hives as possible. A lot of the hives she was aware of were to the west of her own, most of them were small proto-hives but they were everywhere. The area used to be filled with ponies, but after the changelings had made a strong foothold there the ponies were quick to leave. She didn't blame them.
Ponies used to be everywhere near the south and west from the stories she had heard. However for centuries changelings had been slowly pushing further north, raiding small settlements and taking the land for their own, building up a large network of hives. Back then the queen had a major influence over the lesser 'lings. Not so much anymore. A few years back the changelings had launched a major offensive against the capital of Canterlot, hoping to crush it and leave the rest of the land vulnerable, leaving the ponies helpless. No such luck. Ever since the failure of that invasion hives everywhere had been disappearing. It started off with proto-hives, and then larger hives had begun to collapse. It wasn't a year after the failure of the invasion that changelings began to flee. The mental connection between 'ling and queen had snapped, and those who were so lucky ran and were hunted.
Duena considered herself lucky. She was lucky to be alive, lucky to have made it as far that she had. Lucky to feel what freedom felt like. Maybe, just maybe she would be lucky enough to blend in with the ponies and live a good life. Yeah, she would like that. Unfortunately it was a long trip to the nearest settlement, it would take her at least a week of walking north, but it was worth a shot.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar sensation. It was faint, but she could sense the small 'ling pack making their rounds again. If she could sense them they could sense her. A screech echoed through the forest, it was close, but she had time to find somewhere to hide. Only when she looked around she realized that she was in a less dense part of the forest. The thick vegetation hugged the ground, a lot of the brush didn't reach to the particular part of the forest, and trees were scattered about; it wouldn't be too difficult for them to narrow down where she was. Her only option now was to keep moving and hope that they lost connection with her at some point.
Another screech filled the air, this one came from the north. Duena hiss a curse under her breath and slipped behind one of the large trees, trying to spot anything. A large shadow zipped across the forest floor and her eyes gazed upward. Nothing. A realization came over her while she waited for the packs to move on, she only sensed one group of 'lings not two, which meant either the second group was further away than she originally thought, or it was something else. She ruled ponies out, they had no reason to be this far south. The only other thought that came to mind were gryphons, but they were further north than ponies were. Dunea remained where she was, the first group drawing closer to her location.
After several moments of spotting nothing she began to move again, heading north. Even after she changed directions the first group of lings were still tracking her, getting closer with every step she took. Luckily she never sensed another group of 'ling while she moved north, which meant that something else was around. Duena paused behind a tree to look behind her, the group of 'lings were just within sight, coming right at her at a full sprint. "Shit... shit, shit!" Duena cursed when she realized that they had spotted her. She turned tail and bolted into a full sprint away from them; however she didn't get too far, slamming head first into something large and sturdy.
Duena had fallen onto her side, groaning as she tried to sit up again. She paused, something sharp was pressed to her neck threatening to puncture the skin if she moved another inch. She moved her eyes to stare the 'ling dead in the eyes. Her heart skipped a beat when looked into the eyes of a pony rather. A very pissed pony dressed in full armor.
A grin crossed his lips as he pressed the tip of his weapon against her throat harder. "Well, well. Look at you. Today must be your lucky day bug. Get up!" he growled and pulled the spear away from her neck.
As the stallion backed away slightly Duena sat up only to be shoved back several feet. She turned to look at the stallion again but found four other armored ponies standing between her and the group of 'lings that had been hunting her the last few days, each one standing their ground while the pack challenged them.
It wasn't a moment later before a large rock came flying at them at deadly speeds, hitting one of the 'lings square on the head. It didn't even get a chance to give its death rattle as it slumped to the ground. The other two 'lings looked in horror after their friend's head caved in from sheer force of the rock, and the armored ponies took the brief moment of shock to pounce on the remaining pack. One of the 'lings didn't get a chance to react as one of the larger stallions charged at it, sending a spear clean through its side before pulling the weapon free. The warrior 'ling collapsed to the ground while the remaining one managed to pull free of the mass of ponies that tried to collapse on it, running back the direction it had come. It didn't get far however as another rock plummeted from the skies, striking it down into the forest floor with a spray of blood and dirt as its body skidded to a halt.
Duena had been watching in horror at the efficient work of the unknown ponies. Three 'lings quickly dispatched without a moment of hesitation. That left her. Panic began to take over as the group of five began to surround her, a sixth joined them, a pegasus, likely the one that had been hurling rocks down. The largest stallion stepped forward and sat down before taking his helmet off. He looked her over for a moment before letting out a hefty sigh and got up.
"Take her back to camp, get her food and water."
The pegasus she had ran into gave a disappointed grunt. "Common, what makes her different from those three? Why not just kill her? It's not like anyone would miss the fucking thing!" The pegasus was jabbed and hit by the other members of his group. "Ow! Hey, the fuck?!"
"Shut up and carry her ass-hat. Maybe you two will become friends, who knows," the female with the dark brown coat told him before she followed their leader.
The stallion grumbled as he looked down at Duena, giving her a disgusted look before unceremoniously throwing her onto his back. "Try not to fall off, got it?"
Duena nodded her head quietly and held onto whatever bit of his armor she could grab before he began to trudge forward, trailing behind the group and leaving behind the mess they made. "Are you not going to bury them?"
"Why? Bugs don't deserve a burial. They can rot as they are for all I care," the stallion growled under his breath.
Duena shifted uncomfortably on his back before saying, "Well, thank you for saving me," she said, the stallion grunting in reply. "My name is Duena by the way."
He looked over his shoulder at her with an annoyed look on his face. "Did I ask?"
"Oh, no. Sorry." Duena's voice was barely audible while she rested her head on her hooves. "What about you?"
The stallion shrugged. "What about me?"
"Your name."
He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder again. "You ask a lot of questions. Look, it's Jolt. Don't wear it out, alright? Now would you mind, you're giving me a headache kid."
Duena's nose twitched while she looked him in the eyes. Those deep blue crystals held a certain something, a something that Duena wasn't able to put her hoof on and it troubled her, more so than his somewhat aggressive nature towards her. She put those feeling aside, collected herself before saying, "Thank you, it's all I wanted."
"Good. We're almost to camp, so do me a favor will ya?" Jolt asked while he continued towards the group again.
"Oh... sure, what is it?"
"...Er... never mind." He went completely silent after the short exchange of words. Duena could taste it in the air, feel it thicken with his sudden change of demeanor. She wasn't wrong about that something, she knew that much, but she didn't know what that something was that could have been bothering him so much.
She figured it would have been best to remain silent, just as he did. He carried her for what seemed like ages before she could see their camp. From the distance she could already see a fire going, and with the sun falling it wouldn't be long before it was dark. Jolt stopped just feet from the fire before motioning for her to hop off, which she did without hesitation. Not a moment later Jolt stormed off toward the back of the camp and further on, looking as though he intended to get lost within the forest.
No one tried to stop him, a couple even shaking their heads quietly like it was a common occurrence for him to go off like that. Duena didn't pay much more attention to him and instead began to familiarize herself with her surroundings. The camp itself wasn't much, mostly just a fire and a single small wagon. Scattered around the fire were what looked like beds; if you could consider hay-stuffed potato sacks to be beds. Still something was better than nothing.
"Oh, hey! Welcome to our camp, hopefully it's cozy," one of the mares said to Duena.
Duena looked over at her, offering an uncertain smile. "Thank you. It's better than what I've had the past few days."
The mare looked around at everyone else then returned her attention to Duena. "I suppose introductions are in order. Everyone calls me Darling."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Duena," she replied while she got a good look at Darling. She was a pegasus with a light hazelnut brown coat who had a light sprinkle of freckles across her cheeks. Darling's mane was more of a chocolate brown with streaks of the lighter brown here and there. She had it pulled back into a bun however some of the bangs hung down in front of her eyes. Speaking of eyes, Darling's own shimmered a fantastic shade of green that reminded Duena of an emerald she had seen once, however the emerald in her memories was dull in comparison.
Darling smiled at Duena, turning to face the largest of the stallions. "This is Bandit. He's our unit's Commander."
Bandit nodded his head silently in Duena's direction. The stallion stood several inches taller than her, completely towering over her. He had a sturdy build, the muscles weren't defined but it was clear that he had quite a bit of it on him. Much like Darling, Bandit's eyes were green, though his were a darker green like wet moss which contrasted beautifully against his jet black coat. His faded white mane was an unkempt mess of hair that went every which way, looking as though he never bothered to brush it out at the very least.
"Then there's my sister, June. June say hi!"
June, the similar looking mare to Darling looked over at Duena, offering a sarcastic smile. "Well aren't you just the cutest little 'ling I've ever seen! I bet Jolt just looooves you!" Unlike Darling, June was an earth pony. That made three of the earth-bound ponies. June's colors were darker compared to her sister's, nearly identical in every way, the differences were slight. June had purple eyes that held some distance in them. Her mane and tail was the exact same color, however June's had streaks of white curling around and zipping past the chocolate brown.
Duena returned a smile, saying, "Yeah, I think he took to me pretty well."
Darling turned Duena's attention to the next stallion. "Lightning, mind introducing yourself?" Darling asked, getting his attention.
Lightning turned to face Duena and smiled brightly. It was nice to see a genuine smile for once. "Ah, our first rescue! Uh.. sorry that came out wrong. Suppose mare of the hour works better, huh?" he said in a chirpy tone. His coat was a light summer blue, reminding Duena of her time outside of the hive during the summer on a clear day. His eyes were a similar color. Lightning's mane on the other hand was an orange-ish yellow that was slicked back, getting shorter towards the back. "Say, just curious, what does your disguise look like?"
Duena shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. Don't really have one I guess, never been picky about it."
"Ah, perhaps another time then?" Lightning said and gave Duena a pat on the back.
"Thank you, Lightning. Well, last but certainly not least is Grey," Darling said, turning Duena's attention to the last member of the group. "Grey, this is Duena. Why not say hi?"
Grey had already stripped himself of his armor and was resting by the fire. He turned his head to look Duena over and gave a dismissive grunt before resting his head again.
Darling sighed, "Well at least one of us knows how to not be rude. Lightning!"
"You called?" Lightning replied just as he was about to settle in.
"Be a dear, would you?" Darling sung while she nudged Duena towards the stallion. "Go on dear, he will take care of you. Don't get too frisky!"
"W-Wait what?" Dunea stammered while Darling pushed her towards Lightning. She was left standing in front of him feeling uncertain about Darling's implications. Lightning was looking down at her with a grin. "Hey..."
Lightning chuckled and ruffled up her hair. "Ah don't worry, Darling was just joking. Hungry?" Duena nodded her head and Lightning moved toward the wagon. He returned to her side moments later with a few pieces of fruit, giving her one. "So what do you think of everyone?"
Duena shrugged her shoulders while she bit into the fruit, glad that she was able to eat in peace for once. "They're alright I guess. Don't think everyone cares about me."
"They're all tired. Just give 'em time," he said while he wrapped a wing around her and pulled her close to him. He lowered his voice as he pointed to Bandit. "Bandit there has a good heart. Makes sure everyone has what they need, gives everything he owns to make sure we're all well off. But if you look closely you can see how he also distances himself from all of us in small ways."
Duena had been listening closely to Lightning while he spoke. "Why does he?"
Lightning didn't reply immediately as though he himself wasn't entirely sure. "I think he gets lonely, and keeping himself back is his way of getting away from the pain of it. Then again, I could be wrong."
"What about Jolt?"
"What about him?"
Duena looked up at Lightning. "He seemed very uptight."
Lightning nodded his head with a thoughtful hum. "Yes, yes. Unfortunately none of us know what's up with him. He's been like that ever since he joined our unit. He's very aggressive when it comes to changelings and Darling." Lightning chuckled. "He could really care less about everyone else."
"Why's Darling so special to him? Are they together?"
"Something like that, yeah," Lightning said with a nod. "I'd ask her if you have questions about Jolt." He turned his attention to the hay-stuffed sack, fluffing before settling down with a sigh. "Come here Dee," he said, waving her over. Duena looked at him with a questioning stare, uncertain of his intentions. He patted the spot in front of him before she laid on her side beside him. Lightning wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to his chest. "Get some sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Duena made herself comfortable in his hold before his wing blanketed her, keeping her warm against the chilling wind.
Jolt stared blankly in front of himself for several long moments, his short black tail flicked back and forth, mildly annoyed. Darling was beside him, she giggled to herself while she braided the longer locks of his mane for her boyfriend. "Aren't you just the most handsome stallion around?" Darling exclaimed as she finished off another bundle of his mane.
Jolt snorted as a response and rested his head down on his hooves, shifting a couple time to find the most comfortable position while his armor was still on. "Can we leave yet? Already mid-day and we have done nothing but sit here the whole time. We could have been halfway back to town by now and had lunch!"
"Oh shush your mouth, Jolt. All you ever think about is food," Darling said as she rolled her eyes and placed Jolt's helmet back atop of his head. "There, now all the cute mares won't know your mane is braided." Jolt imitated a gagging sound, followed up with muttering 'mares' under his breath. "Oh, come on now. Don't be like that."
"The day I let any mare, besides the ones here now, see my mane braided is the day I die. Of embarrassment," he stated shortly.
Darling shook her head. "You're more of a drama queen than my cousin. I swear you picked it up off from her."
Jolt rolled his eyes and groaned. "Please, don't remind me. I'll have to see her again when we get home, won't I?" Darling hummed in acknowledgment, enticing another groan from Jolt. "Welp, wouldn't want to keep her waiting now, would we?"
"Yes, well," June spoke up from the other side of camp, helping Grey pack up the cart, "we are simply waiting for Lightning and Bandit to get back from their patrol around the perimeter. Once they're back then we may leave. And no snacking until we either stop or get back to town, do I make myself clear, Jolt?"
"Wha-" Jolt stopped, looked defeated for a brief moment. "What do you mean? I haven't had a snack in forever!"
Darling tapped her hooves together. "You mean since last night?"
Jolt opened his mouth but no words came out and he reluctantly backed down, he grumbled something inaudibly under his breath. June shook her head and latched the gate on the back of the cart. "Your father was right Jolt," she started as stepped toward the stallion, "you should really cut back. You're starting to get pudgy," June scoffed and gestured to all of him. Daggers were thrown at her when Jolt silently glared at her from his spot, as he refused to return any words to her.
The sudden shift in emotion startled Duena from her nap, she felt overwhelmed with anger at first before it shifted into strong discontent and resentment. She looked over at the group of four guards-ponies and saw a mix of expressions between three of them. Grey was keeping to himself like he mostly did and seemed completely disinterested in what the other three were conversing about. Her attention shifted over toward the group, she noticed a disgruntled Jolt in the mix along with a mildly concerned Darling. She sighed and attempted to make herself comfortable between the roots of a single tree that seemed to have been made perfectly for her.
The somewhat distant chatter and mild arguments between the three ponies continued on, it made falling asleep difficult for Duena. She shifted and turned to try and find a more comfortable spot, she stomped her hooves on the padding of leaves and moss under her several times before she found a decent position. That had been her life for the past few days. Took a nap, woke up to arguing, napped again and then ate, repeating her mundane schedule several times over until the next day came. It was a nice change of pace from constantly being on the run, so she felt she had no reason to complain. But the longer they sat out in the forest, the antsier she got, unable to shake the sensation of danger encroaching on them. She, much like Jolt, was ready to get a move on sooner rather than later.
Thoughts about the fort that was consistently referenced to and danced around in her mind, she wondered about what the ponies there would be like. She would finally get the chance to try pony cuisine, dive into the culture, learn their languages and explore every inch of the landscape to her heart's content. For once in her life, she could taste freedom. But the fort was just the beginning, a gathering point for several other rescue teams. That meant there would be other changelings there too, ones who were just like her. The sense of being apart of a community made her the most excited.
Her thoughts were promptly cut short by the sound of her name being called. Her ears flicked in the general direction, she attempted to figure out who called for her.
"Duena! Come on, we're getting ready to leave!" It was Darling that called for her.
Duena groaned and stretched, she push herself up before she stretched again. After waking herself up a little, she shuffled over toward the camp where all six of the guard ponies awaited her. Lightning waved a wing at her, Duena letting out a long yawn in return. "Hey."
"We all ready to go?" Bandit's voice rumbled through everyone's light conversation. A collection of murmurs and nods answered him. "Alright, let's get going then. Duena, I want you to stay in the middle of the pack, everyone else stay close, but spread."
Everyone gathered around Duena, keeping a couple of feet distance from each other. June and Bandit stood at the front, Grey and Darling in the rear with their wagon, and Lightning and Jolt on either side of her. The group began to head north, slowly they made their way through the thick underbrush for what felt like forever. June and Bandit stopped a few times to consult a map before they continued on again. Eventually, after what Duena could only assume to be a couple hours, the group came to a lightly beaten path. The grass and bushes were either flattened or no longer existed within the single-pony line that followed further north. From there, their pace picked up from a few paces a second to a brisk walk.
The formation they previously created formed into the single file line the path suggested, Duena still stuck in the middle, only now Lighting was in front of her and Jolt followed pace from behind, Darling and Grey keeping to the far rear. Duena began to count her hoof steps to give herself something to do during the quiet trek through the forest. It wasn't until she counted to around two hundred that she noticed the number of trees was beginning to thin out, and the underbrush seemed to be recently receded. More and more sunlight was able to poke through the canopy high above their heads, making the whole forest seem just a tad more friendly than it perhaps was.
And, much to her pleasure, the further they marched, the less Duena felt that sense of doom looming over them. Everyone else was seeming just a bit more relaxed now as well. Not long after, conversations began to be picked up among the guard ponies, most of it about their ration supplies and talk about getting another unit to relieve their position, possibly even get to go home for a couple weeks and see family. Much of it didn't really interest Duena and she kept her attention on the path ahead of them. Slowly the path started to open up, the forest continued to thin out more and more until the could see several hundred feet out in front of them. By then, the sun had already begun to sink, the sky started to turn a deeper shade of blue.
Once more, June and Bandit pulled the party off to the side in the middle of a small clearing and consulted their map for the first time in what may have possibly been an hour. Duena found herself a spot to sit down and rest her hooves. Dusk quickly started to approach, soon the band of ponies began to unload a few things from the cart and get themselves settled in temporarily. Lightning joined after she helped set up a small campfire to warm up food.
"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, as he kept some distance from her.
Duena canted her head to either side while she thought about her answer. "I don't know. Never thought I would make it this far. Not a lot of distance between changeling and pony controlled territory, is there?"
Lightning shook his head. "Not a lot. That's why units like us are important. We have a dual purpose. First, we act as an early invasion alert. Secondly, you." He paused and dug his hoof into the ground. "Being this far up puts us in a lot of danger. Fortunately, the 'lings have been rather mild the last half year or so."
"You guys sit out here and do nothing for a half year?" Dunea asked, quite surprised.
Lightning chuckled and shook his head. "No, no. Four weeks at most at a time before we exchange with another unit. It does get boring, but I'd rather it be that than anything else if I'm going to be honest. I think the same could be said for everyone else, including Jolt."
Dunea didn't say anything back, she watched the other four with mild interest for a little while. Eventually, she spoke up again. "How long have you been doing this?"
"Me? Two years, give or take."
Duena thought for a moment. "Did you do anything else before this?"
Lightning nodded. "Sure did. I use to be a courier believe it or not. Use to travel the kingdom and beyond, meet interesting creatures and ponies alike. The furthest I've ever gone would be the Zebra Lowlands, several hundred miles to the south-east of Canterlot."
"So you're used to traveling like this?"
"Sure am!" Lightning nodded. "Though, when I was a courier, I was traveling all day, stopping only to sleep or eat. Customers preferred if you delivered things quickly. Sometimes they threw in a little extra with the coin. Something like this isn't really anything to me, just a few hours of walking with a few extra dangers."
Duena shifted uncomfortably at the mere nod toward what the forest around them held. Granted, they were much further from the borders of pony and changeling territory, but that didn't make her feel any more comfortable in that moment. She only hoped that the fort they continued to mention was closer rather than further from where they were. "How much longer do we have until we get back to the fort?"
Lightning didn't answer immediately, he nodded his head to each side a couple times. "We've probably been marching for at least three hours. The trail is about the quarter mark, so I would say we have another two-thirds of the trip to go. Better to stop here and eat so Jolt doesn't get too cranky. Plus, it's a nice little clearing. Plenty of space between the trees, not as claustrophobic as the other camp we settle down at."
"Yeah, it's nice to be able to see out around you," Duena agreed quietly. Another thought crept into her mind while Lightning went silent, he seemed to be enjoying the refreshing scenery. "So, what happens after we get to the fort?"
Again, Lightning didn't answer her, he seemed to be avoiding the question altogether. "Hey, I think the food's ready," he chirped happily and made his way to the small fire with everyone else.
Duena sighed to herself and joined the six ponies as well and a small tin with the bland mush she had quickly become accustomed to, was hoofed over to her. The meal wasn't enough for more than five or six bites of food. It was barely even half of what they normally got, almost certain that the group didn't want to stay put for too long. June had already estimated they would arrive after nightfall, which meant they had several more hours of walking ahead of them.
It didn't take long for everyone to finish off their food and get their tins washed out, the party of seven moving out again. At some point, Duena had lost track of time completely and before she knew it, the sky had gone from a lovely mix of purple and orange, to be almost pitch black. Specks of stars and constellations began to dust the heavens above them, and lanterns were lit to light their way. Everyone was on high alert now, the overwhelming sense of everyone's nervousness made Duena increasingly anxious. The harsh shadows created by the lanterns began to make Duena second guess if they were a changeling or not. However, another few hours passed rather uneventfully.
As they continued to march for another hour, the forest finally began to recede completely and give way to a large open field of nearly chest-high grass. Off in the distance was what Duena could only assume was more lantern light. Moods lightened up as well with the pace of their march getting a bit of a boost, and the only thing that was on Duena's mind at this point was the chance to sleep and feel relaxed for the first time in almost a week. One last stop was made, the walls of the fort now within eyesight in the pitch black night. June and Bandit exchanged a strange and unfamiliar form of communication with another pony on the walls of the fort, the light from the fort's lantern would flicker in a sequence, with the two leaders returning their own for several minutes before the march was allowed to continue.
Minute by minute the deceptively short cobblestone walls of the fort showed themselves to be quite substantial, it stood about five ponies tall with guards patrolling it, barely able to be seen in the darkness until they passed in front of the lanterns. A large wooden and iron double door stood in their way from entering, the maw only beginning to open as they got close. Duena was met with what looked to be a rather lackluster sight. The walls reached around in a circular fashion, the large wall sporting several towers, but not much else. In the far back a small wooden outcropping pushed out from the wall of the fort, fabrics are thrown over to cover an anvil and what she could only assume was a furnace.
The inner walls of the fort were mostly barren, save for a couple towers decorated with two banners. One painted with golds and whites, the other blacks and purples, both depicted a mare with a long pointed horn and wings extending down the long side of the fabrics. The edges of the banners were trimmed with a reflective material, which made the banners shimmer in the torchlight. Within the center of the walls was a large circular stone platform that had a large pillar with a wooden door in the center of it.
"This is it?" Duena whispered as she glanced around at the others, clearing expecting more. No one answered her. They stopped after they made it inside the walls, the gate closed behind them with a thud. A sense of dread suddenly came over Duena when she noticed a line of six guards waited beside them with a seventh standing stoutly in front.
"17th RRU. I'm impressed," the stallion greeted them with a tone that would contradict his comment. "Perhaps the most rag-tag group of ponies I could possibly have under my command find themselves a catch." Neither June or Bandit made a remark to the stallion, they’d rather watch him closely. "You all should know what to do. I'll make my decision in the morning what to do with it."
Duena watched as the line of guards followed the decorated stallion march off to another side of the fort while Darling got Grey untethered from the cart. She snapped over to look at June, unsure of what was going to happen. "What aren't you telling me? What is this?" Again, no response. "Lightning?!"
Lightning hushed her before lowering his head and spoke in a low voice. "Just follow us. It's going to seem bad, but trust me. Please."
Duena shook her head and took a step back, but Jolt was behind her to give her a nudge forward. He gestured forward toward the center platform when she glanced back at him, and, to her surprise, she noticed an apologetic expression on his face. However, that expression quickly shifted as he pushed her forward with significant force, making her stumble while she tried to catch herself.
"Get stepping, bug," he snapped not a moment later. He took Duena's left flank while June took her right, as they led her toward that center area. Two guards opened the door as they approached.
A staircase led downward in a steep slope, the whole length lit up by torches mounted on the walls. It was wide too, going down in several tiered layers. On either wall, there was a hole cut out that led down several more corridors, going deeper and deeper into this underground labyrinth they called a fort. The other four from their group split off their separate ways while the three continued deeper, the air growing musty and dank the further they went. Duena soon found herself having a difficult time breathing by the time they had reached the furthest tier.
Jolt shoved Duena through another doorway that lead down another long hallway, lit by the same torchlight all the way down. At the end of it was a decently sized room with another door at the end of it. A couple of guards stood by the door and opened it as they approached, which led into a hallway that came to a dead end further down. On either side of the narrow passage were small rooms that were barred off by steel with a single door and lock. It quickly occurred to Duena that this was more of a prison than a fort.
Almost every cell they walked past had a changeling in it with a few items crammed in with them. Most of them sat in the back of their cells while a few angrily rattled their doors and spat words at Jolt and June. She didn't recognize any of them, but she could sense the collective sense of anger and dread, the feeling almost being contagious. June stopped them at an empty cell at the end of the block, opened it and gestured them towards it. Duena hesitated.
"Listen, just make this easy on us," June began apologetically, she opened the door wider, "so, please. You just need to trust us."
Duena took one last glance back at Jolt who had his back turned to them. She knew she couldn't run, she had nowhere else to go. With a saddened sigh she stepped into the cramped space, the door squeaked as it shut behind her with a loud clang. June locked the door before she and Jolt disappeared, leaving Duena to the confines of her new home.
June stood before some two-hundred plus changelings and ponies in the open staging area of the fort, the bone-chilling air swept through the slowly blackening sky. Torches were being lit as the sun ducked further behind the horizon, the warm orange hues lighting the entire exterior of the fort. Changelings murmured with curiosity, while guards stood around the parameter of the central area as they kept their eyes on the large group.
"As some of you may have known," June spoke clearly, her voice projected out to her audience, "this place isn't exactly what you had expected it to be. Originally, it was meant to be a sanctuary for incoming changelings fleeing from their hives to take refuge. But it turned into a jail for stocking up on slaves to be sold to the highest bidder." Duena watched as June paused to take in the reactions of the changelings, intrigued by what she had to say. "To those of us guards standing before you, you're more than just capital. A quick sale. You're a citizen full of potential and fulfillment, and we want to help you see to that."
June paced along the upper portion of the wall, with her head kept high and chest puffed out, it emitted an aura of leadership and power from herself. "Now I know there are many of you who have been here for weeks, a few of you just days, but I assure you that each and every single one of you is our main priority. Our goal is to have you all living in the comfort of a protected community," there was a pause, almost a hesitation in her speech as June turned to face the mass of changelings once more, "Or, if you wish, join the ranks of the Equestrian Army or Air Force as allowed by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna themselves. Should you join you will receive pay, retirement benefits, family benefits, food, water, and much more."
At this point, some of the changelings around Duena began to talk among themselves and whispered to each other, either interested or confused by the offers June made while others almost seemed to fall asleep where they sat, presumably from exhaustion. Without another pause, June continued on, "However, there will be more on that tomorrow in the morning. For now, I think it's time you all got some decent rest. If you will follow the four guards by the entrance to the lower areas they will escort you down to the barracks. There we have actual beds, pillows, and blankets. It should be a nice upgrade from your cells." As June finished off her small speech, the guards from the parameters of the wall began to herd the changelings down into the tunnels again.
Changelings and guards alike shuffled down the steps about four at a time, the width of the stairwell allowed them with about an inch of space between each body. They only went down about four levels of steps before they were guided down either the left or right tunnels, Duena found herself going down the right. The tunnel curved off to the left for a little way before several rows of doors on either side came into view. Again Duena slipped off to the right when she had the chance and found herself in a somewhat large room with four rows of six bunk beds, each three beds tall. Each bed, as promised, had a thick mattress with a white, almost deflated pillow and a couple of sheets perfectly folded over the sides of the bunk.
Duena spotted a spot she liked, off toward the back of the room up on the third bunk, she quickly scurried over to the bunk and up the step-ladder that went up the front of the bunks, and pulled herself into the bed before anyone else could. Just as quickly she had claimed her spot, almost every other bed in the room was filled as well with a mixture of changelings and ponies. Duena closed her eyes and took in the energy of the room, she got a feel for how everyone else was feeling. A mixture of relief, anxiety, and apathy. Many of the 'lings, much like herself, just wanted to sleep and be left alone for a while, and that was exactly what Duena planned to do.
Duena woke after perhaps one of her best periods of sleep she had ever had. She let out a satisfied groan as she stretched out on the bunk she had managed to snag the night before, she felt the soft mattress under her rub against her body, her head pressed into the pillow. She turned in her spot, being tangled up in the warm sheets, and hugged them close to herself as she sighed out. She stayed like that for several minutes before her eyes would flutter open, the dimly-lit barracks came into her view. Many of the bunks were empty and left messy compared to how they were found previously. However, Duena wasn't the only one who decided that sleeping in was the best thing in the world. She could see roughly thirty other bodies spread around the room still huddled up in their beds and sleeping soundly, a couple others waking up just as she did.
Duena finally willed herself out of bed and dropped down from the third-bunk up, she stretched once more before she exited the barracks and headed down the hallway toward the stairwell. She found the walk to be fairly relaxing as she took her time to saunter down the passages and nodded to others passing by. A couple times, she was offered a “good afternoon” which seemed odd to her as she considered she had just woken up. She didn't make much of it and continued on her way, soon enough, she found the stairwell and headed upward. One thing immediately struck her- the stairwell had been completely cleared of dead bodies. Where they once were, she saw the guards as they scrubbed down the floors and walls to get the bloodstains out and try to make the place more welcoming. Another thing came to note were the new banners that were lined against the walls of the stairwell. Similar to the banners she had seen outside before, these ones had the emblem of a shield behind the sun and moon with the words “Old Equestrian Regime” stitched underneath.
Duena shoved these changes to the back of her mind and picked up her pace to reach the top of the steps, the doors soon came into view. As she got closer, she could hear the muffled sounds of what sounded like a crowd cheering. Then a voice echoed out as the crowd died down. Duena's pace slowed down as she reached the doors and pushed them open. She was temporarily blinded by the sun bearing down on her but stepped out into the open air. The crowd roared again, this time clearly which peaked Duena's curiosity. Duena shielded her eyes and found her way to the crowd which was gathered around a new platform which hadn't been there the previous night.
The platform took up a good portion of the open ground in the center of the walled-in area, it stood a good two or three feet up off the ground. There was a mare that stood on the platform that Duena hadn't seen before who wore intricately decorative armor as well as two intimidatingly large gryphons. The gryphons stood at least two heads taller than the mare and carried equally large halberds, both of which were fresh with blood on them. "Next!" the mare shouted and the crowd of changelings that surrounded the platform roared. Two ponies were escorted up onto the platform both of which had bags over their heads and chains around their hooves with enough slack to barely allow them to walk.
The two ponies were placed near the center of the platform before the bags were removed, showing their faces to the growing crowd. The mare maneuvered herself around to look one of the stallions in the face. "Quite the audience you've gathered yourself, isn't it?" she taunted him with a wicked smirk. "Bastion Heart, you are faced with charges of the wrongful imprisonment of sanctioned citizens of Equestria, mistreatment of prisoners, torture of prisoners, and ignoring standardized rules of engagement. All of which are considered treason under the rule of the princesses. Your sentence is execution among peers. Kneel and make an example of yourself."
Bastion didn't have the chance to show grace in the face of death as he was immediately forced down onto a stone block, painted crimson red by the blood of others before him. The mare moved to the side as one of the halberd-wielding gryphons took her position. The crowd of changelings began to chant as the halberd was raised high into the air. Duena watched wide-eyed in horror, unable to pull herself away from the spectacle. Her stomach suddenly lurched as the halberd came down on Bastion's neck with a clean thud. Changelings roared as the stallion's body went limp and collapsed to the side, his head dropped down into a large basket below the platform.
Duena finally pulled herself away as she dry-heaved, her body desperately wanted to throw up but she had nothing in her. Death wasn't uncommon for her to see, especially while in the hive. Changelings fought each other all the time while in the hive, sometimes until the other was killed, but something about this deeply unsettled her. It made her physically sick. She wasn't sure if she could listen to another and rushed herself back down into the stairwell, going down well past where she ceased to hear the muffled yells and cheers. She turned down one of the many passageways and sat down, her body still dry heaving. Eventually, she began to settle down and collect herself again trying to focus her mind on other things besides what she had just witnessed.
Eventually, Duena got up and began to wander down to the mess hall and headed down a couple more levels before she turned right. The passageway was clearly marked “Mess hall” on a sign above the entryway much like many of the more important areas to help the changelings find their way around the fort. The scent of food tickled her nose and the memory of the execution quickly disappeared from her thoughts. She entered the large room and could see several rows of long rectangular tables that reached from one end of the room to the other. To her right was the serving line which had several ponies and changelings waiting to get their food. Duena silently joined them, she shuffled with the line as ponies and changelings received their food. Duena was eventually given her tray and without a glance, she hauled it off to a mostly empty length of the table.
Duena threw herself on the bench and her tray clattered to the table, the scent of a fresh meal filled her senses. The tray overflowed with eggs, sausage and a variety of fruits from sliced oranges to grapes and banana, it almost looked too good to eat. Her stomach growled and she decided that it was better off in her stomach anyway and began to scarf down her food. It was hot, perhaps the first hot meal she had in quite some time, and certainly a few steps up from the slop she was eating not a day ago. Duena was so busy eating her meal that she hasn’t noticed that another body sat across from her, until they cleared their throat which finally grabbed her attention. Her eyes shifted upward to meet eyes with her new company.
"Not wasting any time are you?" Star chuckled while he poked at his own tray of food. "How is it anyway? Never had any of this normal pony-food before, looks kinda weird if you ask me." Duena stared at Star for several moments before he noticed. "What? You look surprised."
"I am surprised," Duena gawked before she offered him a sheepish smile. "I mean, it's just I didn't see Jolt let you out last night and I thought maybe you weren't going to be let out..."
Star snorted before he took a bite of his food and chewed slowly. "Nope, they let me out thankfully. I don't know how much longer I could've stayed in that cell. The place was starting to make me claustrophobic." Duena jabbed at her food nervously and looked away from him. She almost felt embarrassed but she wasn't sure why. "So what do you think about the show?"
"Huh?" Duena's eyes shot up to meet Star's once more.
"The executions," Star stated flatly.
Duena's eyes quickly dropped at the mention of the executions. "Oh... I don't know. It seems a bit, uhm... much? You know, I just feel like maybe they could've done something else?" Star didn't say anything for a moment before he simply hummed in agreement. There was a static between them as they sat in an almost awkward silence, the only noise being the sounds of other changelings and guards as the talked among one another. After some time, Duena looked up again and watched Star casually shovel mouthfuls of food into his maw, not minding to chew as another severing as big as the last stuffed his cheeks. "So much for taking your time eating."
Star chuckled under his breath and continued without a pause until his tray was void of everything, save for the mix of fruits which only took up a small portion of the tray compared to the sausage and eggs. "You going to finish?" he asked as he pointed to Duena's half-eaten portion of eggs and sausage. Duena pushed her tray in his direction to which Star thanked her with, "Thanks, Love," before he devoured what was left.
Duena blinked at his response and looked at him with a flat expression. "Love?"
Star nodded his head. "We never gave each other our names, so I gotta have something to call you by."
Duena swelled up with embarrassment at Star's choice of pet name for her, and she was glad her cheeks couldn't turn red. Not that it would have mattered, she was almost certain that Star could sense it. "But, why 'Love'?" Duena demanded, though the way it came out, it sounded more like a whine.
Star looked up to meet eyes with her. "Why'd you start calling me Star?"
"Well..." Duena paused, uncertain how Star would take to her answer. "It was your scars."
A hum of interest rumbled from Star through a mouthful of food. "Really? I don't see the correlation myself, but whatever floats your boat, Love."
"Stop that!" Duena exclaimed, nearly stumbling over her words.
"Awh, poor thing. Getting embarrassed?" Star teased with a toothy grin. Duena leaned back and threw daggers at him from across the table. "Come on, you can't tell me you don't like it even just a little? No? Alright, how about ‘Squirt’ then?"
Duena rolled her eyes and rested her chin on the table. "I liked you better when you only wanted my food and weren't giving me childish pet names."
Star chuckled under his breath and pushed aside both trays. "Okay, fine. Since you don't like my ideas how about you tell me your actual name?"
"It's Duena. You are?"
"Star. It rolls off the tongue better than my actual name trust me," he stated before reaching a hoof across the table. "Glad to meet you under less oppressing terms."
Duena looked at his hoof for a moment before she returned the gesture, the two touched hooves for the briefest of moments. "So what are your plans now that you're free?"
Star leaned back and tapped his chin. "You know, I never really thought about it actually. The natural thing to do seems to be to join the fight. There's a lot of other 'lings like us out there that need our help," he sighed and got stood up from the table. "Just feels wrong to do nothing, you know?"
"Yeah, sure, but-"
Star interrupted Duena. "I mean, what kind of pony does it make you to simply sit here and wait for it all to blow over? It makes you nearly as bad as those ponies who kept us locked up to be sold off!" Duena's heart sank and her stomach knotted up at his words, the way he snarled and said it with such spite and disgust. "You agree, don't you Duena?"
Duena swallowed hard when Star turned to face her, his posture aggressive, and his tone demanded her conformity to his idea. "I mean, yeah, but..." Duena quickly lowered her voice and glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot, "I'm not so sure about all of them. Like June and Lightning both seem genuinely interested in upholding their morals, though the rest I'm not so sure of."
"Then if it were to be the case I'll rip their throats out myself," Star growled which caught a few glances from others around him. He didn't seem to care though and orientated himself toward the entrance to the mess hall. "I'm going to get myself fitted with armor. You gonna come or what?"
Duena opened her mouth to say something but nothing came to mind and awkwardly gawked at him. She quickly collected herself and got up from her seat. "You know what, sure." She didn't have anything better to do with her time anyway, but more importantly, she felt as though this was an opportunity to get on the good side of someone who she felt may be troublesome later on. "So, do you have any idea who that pony and the gryphons are, the ones who were doing the executions?" Duena spoke up suddenly, not entirely sure herself where the interest came from.
Star looked over his shoulder before rolling his head slightly in a sign of uncertainty. "I overheard some guards chatting about them on my way to get food. Apparently, they like to call them the 'Council of Truth', unwanted guests. From what I could gather they are some kind of over the top military police who have a thing for torturing and executing ponies for committing acts of treason. If I had to put my two cents in, I say we're better off for it. Might make this whole slave trade come to a grinding halt when ponies realize they're going to lose their heads literally." Star led Duena into the main stairway and headed further two tiers lower before they headed down the tunnel labeled “armory”. "That being said, I don't know if that lady has a level head on her shoulders herself, so I'd rather keep my distance from them if I had a choice."
Both Star and Duena moved to the side to let a passing line of guards move through the tunnel before they continued on their way to find themselves stuck in a line of changelings all who were waiting to have themselves fitted with armor. "The more of us we can save sooner, the better. Anyone who stands in my way will burn in a slow, painful death. Never mind these... 'Council of Truth' ponies and gryphons." Star shook his head and inched forward as the line did.
Duena didn't say anything and let Star sulk and fester in his ideologies, she felt his anger as it radiated off of him while she was sure his thoughts raced with images of other 'lings being locked up and mistreated. Duena had similar thoughts, but it wasn't enough to make her want to join the equestrian army. She almost felt as though she wouldn't be allowed too with her smaller frame and more fragile body. Then again, she was only shorter than the smallest member of her “rescue” group by an inch or two, but she wasn't sure if she even wanted to join in the first place. It almost felt like she was following Star out of fear of him being disappointed in her. But that's all it took to keep herself in place behind him, inched forward, step by step to join a potential civil war she was only dragged into herself.
Author's Note
So, this section here is probably needed as a forewarning. It's been a year, give or take, since I've really written anything substantial like this, let alone worked on this project at all, and I feel like this chapter is probably weaker than it really should have been. Hopefully you readers still enjoy it.
On a second note, the editor I had for the previous chapters has been inactive for quite a few months and I haven't found myself a new one yet. I've read over this many times over but I've probably missed some stuff, so please forgive any grammatical and spelling errors, which I hope there will be few of.
Anyway, again I hope you enjoy!
Tensions
"First off, let's get some shit straight," Jolt began with his usual snappy tone before shoveling food into his mouth, ungraciously chewing and talking at the same time while jabbing his fork in the direction of Darling who sat opposite of him. "I wasn't drunk off my fucking ass, I had one ale that whole night and you want to tell me I was wasted?! Like, I get it, I'm a lightweight, okay? But, for fuck sake, it wasn't like I was stumbling all over the damn place!"
Darling merely rolled her eyes at him as she rested her cheek on her hoof. "Yeah, whatever. I guess you also didn't break that locket my mother gave me on purpose then?"
Jolt's brow creased, narrowing his eyes at his girlfriend. "You know damn well that wasn't intentional."
"Oh, really now? Is that why you swung it around and threw it at the wall as hard as you fucking could?" Darling snapped back, raising her voice loud enough for the whole room to hear. Fortunately, for all them, the embarrassment was saved by an empty mess hall. "You knew exactly what you were doing when you took it from me, you knew you were destroying something valuable. You knew how much that locket meant to me and you shattered it without a fucking care in the world, and you expect me to believe that you didn't mean too?"
Jolt slammed his hooves against the table with a thundering bang that echoed through the room, making everyone else jump. "Maybe you fucking deserved it you double-crossing bitch," he snarled as his eyes fired up with pure, unadulterated rage. "We wouldn't have the council breathing down our fucking necks and doing an internal investigation on us if it weren't for you. Maybe you want to explain to all of what all that crap was under your mattress? All of our fucking plans detailed out exactly, every fucking step, how we were going to fucking take this place back out their dirty slave-driving hooves? Or what about all of the notes on everyone who was working alongside the council so they would know who to avoid collaborating with so that fucker could get out scotfree? Why don't you make all of our lives easier and just turn yourself in? Or do you really think your alibi is so clean you'll get off without a hitch?"
"You know what? Here," he growled and grabbed Darling's tray of food, tossing it behind him and on to the floor before turning back to her, "Go eat off the floor like those damned lowlife shit eaters who fucking turned this whole program into a shit show."
Darling sat quietly while Jolt berated her, her ears pinned back and eyes fixed to the table even when he threw her food across the room, not so much as budging an inch from her position save for the small shudders that visibly sent waves through her body.
"Jolt, do you mind?" June finally snapped back at him from the other side of the table. "We're all pissed about it, but could you for shut the fuck up for one hour in your miserable life?" Both Bandit and Grey grunted in agreement while Duena and Lightning shared worried glances. "Besides," June would continue, taking on a calmer tone, "We don't know if someone's trying to set her up. In case I have to remind us all, the only ponies we have to trust right now are ourselves. As much as I hate to believe that any one of us would stab the others in the back I have to remind myself it's a possibility, and you all should too, but we need to give each other the benefit of doubt as well until all is said and done."
Jolt furrowed his brows as his attention turned toward June. "Yeah, you'd be the one to protect the traitor, aren't you? What happens when they're done with her? They go after someone else. They're going to go after you, you, all of us! The only one here who's fucking safe is the damned bug, and they're not going to stop until they have someone's head on the chopping block to make themselves feel like they accomplished something," he finished, breathing hard from his incessant need to yell.
Bandit rubbed his temple as he groaned out, "Jolt, stop yelling. They're not going on a witch hunt, it's just one internal investigation on Darling. I've already spoken with Hierarch Silverwing about the situation."
"Oh ho! You know her by name?" Jolt exclaimed with a laugh that Duena could only think of as hysterical. "What, are you two a thing now?"
"You could say something like that," Bandit replied sarcastically before sipping from his drink.
Jolt chuckled for several long seconds before he looked to everyone else. "Well, since we're all sharing secrets now, does anyone else have something that they would like to tell the rest? No? How unfortunate, I was looking forward to learning more about you all," he sneered at them all before he got up from his seat. "Guess I'll fuck off for the night since we seem to be finished."
Everyone watched Jolt head out of the mess hall while he continued to mumble to himself, no one saying a word until the door had closed. Only then did Darling crumple down onto the table and break down into tears with June moving over to comfort her sister shortly after.
"Never seen him get like that before," Lightning said in a low voice, looking between Duena, Bandit, and Grey. "Not towards Darling at least. I thought those two were inseparable?"
Bandit simply shook his head, still rubbing his hooves in circles on the side of his head. "It's giving me a damned headache. You would think the kid's voice would give out from all the yelling he does."
Duena kept quiet all the while, unsure what to say in all the mix, or if she should say anything. It was strange for her, feeling like she was simply watching from the outside despite the fact that over the last week the group had more or less accepted her into their circle. She was in this as much as the rest of them were, but she couldn't shake that feeling of being a ghost among all of it.
"How's your wing holding up?" Bandit would ask Lightning.
Lightning rolled his shoulder with a small grimace as he did. "It's getting better. Still hurts like hell if I move wrong, but the nurse was saying that I should be able to fly again in the next two weeks or so as long as I'm easy on it. Gotta say, that magic the doctor has been working on me has been doing wonders speeding up the healing. Give credit where credit's due. Mnn, speaking of going easy, hope basic was alright, Dee."
Duena looked up at Lightning then back down at her food, stirring it around her plate with a heavy sigh. "Sergeant was a bit of a prick if I have to be honest. Training feels pretty half-assed."
"Ah, as I was afraid it would be," Lightning replied as he took his spoon and placed a parcel of food on it, holding the handle in one hoof while pulling the spoon back with the other. "Incoming," he would chuckle before launching the piece of food in Duena's direction.
She got smacked right in the face, flinching back as she held her hooves out in front of herself to protect herself from any more attacks. "Awh, gross! Come on, that was uncalled for," Duena retched while she wiped her muzzle clean with a hoof.
Lightning had a big grin on his muzzle as he loaded up for another attack. "Completely called for. Someone has gotta raise the morale around here," he said as he hurled food at Duena again, this time with the scraps landing off on the far side of the room. He sighed and dropped the spoon to rest his cheek on his hoof as he turned to look at Darling and June. "Ain't that right, girls?"
"I don't think you're helping all that much, Lightning, but we appreciate the effort," June scolded him while she held Darling close, running a hoof through her mane. "Besides, we all know things will turn out okay. Our family is far too proud to let ourselves succumb to evil as such for a little extra coin on the side."
Darling wiped her face clean of the tears that had streaked down her cheeks. "He's got to be a prick about everything. I do everything I can to be understanding with him."
"That's because he's an asshole," June stated, giving Darling a little bit of room now. "I've been telling you this for the last year and he's only gotten worse since you two first met. None of us know why you put up with him."
Lightning smacked his hooves down on the table, taking a look at everyone. "Well, it's getting late. Why don't we all head to bed before we start digging ourselves into more negative topics? At least, those of us who can go to bed," he finished giving a nod toward Duena. "You've still got a long night ahead of you."
"Yup, night patrol," Duena sighed as she got up from the table and turned to Bandit. "You coming?" Bandit nodded and got up himself with a long groan to join her. "In that case, you have a good night, Lightning," Duena said and turned to the others. "Catch you guys tomorrow."
The rest mumbled their goodnights before heading for the sleeping quarters leaving Duena and Bandit by themselves. "We have four hours to burn. Let's get it over with," Bandit sighed and led Duena out to the main stairway, heading upward.
"I'm going to be honest, I expected the equestrian military to be a lot more rigid," Duena said as she took a spot beside Bandit. "Everything feels so relaxed."
Bandit glanced at her and nodded. "A lot of it comes down to the leadership being executed only a week ago. Most of them were working for the slavers so there isn't anyone around to give directions. Ponies just doing what they want to do, you know? Brass isn't exactly looking to be replacing anyone anytime soon, so chances are everyone will get transferred elsewhere."
"Aah, I see," Duena said as they walked up to the open area inside the fort. The relatively small area was lit with torches once more in the night, giving the base a faint orange glow that blotted out the stars above. Bandit led her over to one of the small stations up against the wall and gave her a lantern. "So what will happen to this place?"
"It'll probably get abandoned in a couple of weeks, the fort is so far out from civilization it's not worth keeping at this point," Bandit said and took a lantern as well, hooking it onto his armor from the wire handle. "It gets expensive teleporting resources to and back here instead of taking the two-month trip."
Duena continued to follow him toward the large set of doors and out into the wilderness that surrounded the fort. Tall blades of grass swayed back and forth in the warm wind, casting long shadows across the landscape from their lanterns. "Yeah, I can imagine." They cut off to the left onto a dirt trail that went around the whole fort they had been down many times before over the course of the week. Faint lights dotted the landscape of other patrols covering a vast amount of ground. "So, you know that Hierarch lady?"
Bandit gave her a side glance and let out a long, frustrated sigh. "It's a long story, kid."
Duena gave him a disbelieving look as she said, "Is it the 'I don't want to talk about it' kind of story, or is it actually a long story?"
The two traded looks for a moment before Bandit quietly nodded his head for a few seconds. "Alright, alright. You have to make me a promise, though. Absolutely nothing I tell you can get out to the anyone else, especially the ponies in our unit. Do I make myself clear?" Duena returned the nod to him while they walked down the slope in the path. "I'm a fairly old horse, been in the military for a good ten years, going on eleven. It's a rather lucrative job even during peaceful times, which, most of those years have been. Of course, save those couple weeks during that big changeling invasion."
Bandit paused for a second, looking around them and took a seat. "I had received a week-long leave of absence just after I had completed basic training. They said it was because I was in the top five of my unit. Of course, I didn't complain. Matter of fact having a short little vacation was nice. It gave me a chance to go back home for a few days, see my girl again before being deployed off to some city I had never been to for grunt work. All of my plans went out the window on the second day of my vacation. I didn't know who the Hierarch was at the time when she approached me, rumors about the council weren't as widespread back then because they mostly did things in the background, so when she asked me if I would be interested in joining an unknown military organization young me was intrigued. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into."
Duena took a spot next to Bandit as he went on, occasionally glancing over to him during her scans of the area. "She spoke of conducting espionage to keep peace within our borders, going off to distant lands to make deals with other countries, help set up embassies, improve relationships with our allies while eliminating those who sought to bring ill will upon our country. All of it sounded exciting. It all came with a catch, though, something I wish I had known before I even agreed to join."
"So, you're apart of the council?" Duena asked, a worried tone creeping into her voice.
Bandit gave a nod and a 'Hmmhmm', his head turning to look at Duena again. "It's not exactly easy to leave the council, as strange as that sounds. Believe me, I've wanted to leave since I could remember, but the Hierarch won't let me. She played with my pride, telling me that she needs me for this project. Promised that when all this is said and done she would finally let me retire. I don't think my retirement is coming anytime soon, unfortunately."
Duena furrowed her brow at that and set her lantern down. "I suppose going AWOL isn't really an option?"
Duena was caught off by the sudden laughter from the stallion who settled down after a few moments, clearing his throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh. No, going AWOL isn't an option. I might as well kill myself if I were considering that option," he sighed as he let his hooves slide forward to rest on his barrel. "It's not an option I want to consider. I have a mare back home waiting for me, and Celestia knows she prays for me to get back alive. Miracle I've made it this far with how disastrous the Parallel project has been."
Duena mirrored Bandit and relaxed, giving a good stretch to her limbs. "I've heard a lot of stuff about the project in other areas around the world. Ponies getting letters back talking about casualty rates."
"Not to mention the issue with the slavers having taken complete control of the whole thing," Bandit added. "That whole point to taking over this fort was to capture or kill one of their leaders, the hippogryph who has been hiding out here for the last few months. We didn't think he found out about our plans, but it turns out we had a couple of rats in our ranks."
"Do you think Darling would stab you guys in the back like that?"
Bandit shook his head almost immediately. "No, no. Darling and June's family have a long history within the equestrian military, at least twenty generations back. I highly doubt either of them are willing to taint that history with such negligence. That being said, it's likely the council won't find enough information to put any direct blame on her and will likely make a request to the princesses to perform an 'interrogation'."
Duena raised a brow at him as he made quotation marks with his hooves. "It's not a normal interrogation, is it? Are they going to torture her?"
"In a way, it is torture, just not in the way most ponies think," Bandit answered as he pushed himself back up onto his hooves with Duena following his direction. He began to stroll further down the narrow pathway, glancing behind to make sure Duena was with him. "It's a very invasive spell that they perform that allows the caster to peer into the memories of the creature they're casting it on. I had to have it done on myself whenever I joined. The Hierarch too. Every one of us has gone through that experience, and I don't think any of them wishes it upon anyone. They're desperate to find that hippogryph character though."
Duena didn't say anything after that and continued to follow down the path, letting the information Bandit had just given her sink in.
"A lot of ponies think the Hierarch is some maniac with a lot of power, but really she's just a mare under a lot of pressure right now," Bandit continued moments later. "The Princesses want results and they're getting impatient. The sooner this whole thing can be flipped over the sooner the Princesses can start recouping losses. It's a lot of taxpayer money going down the drain right now."
"Why don't they just abandon the program altogether?" Duena asked out of curiosity.
Bandit quietly chewed on the question for a few moments before he said, "I'm not really sure. I'm certain they have their reasons, but I couldn't tell you. Maybe they just want that bastard's head on a silver plate. Anyway, let's get this shift over."
Hours later Duena and Bandit headed back inside the compound and loitered around the small outside armory stand that was set underneath the stairs leading up to the upper platforms, casually chatting up the fellow running it after their patrol. "No, I'm telling you! This fuckin' guy jams his spear up into the wall and snaps the thing in half trying to get it out, right? Then he comes to me expecting me to just give him a new one for free like these things grow on trees? He knows they cost at least a hundred bits a pop, and that's if you're buying the cheap ones."
Bandit shook his head. "You know some ponies, they can be that way. Whatcha thinking, Dee?"
"I'm trying to figure out how this is supposed to work," Duena replied, looking at an iron ball with spikes protruding from it.
"Oooh, she's got good taste there, bud," the pony running the stand said with a short laugh. "That there is tail flail. Attaches to your armor, you spin 'round and smack baddies with it."
Duena gave the two stallions a side glance, raising a brow. "Seems a little impractical."
The stallion snickered and sat back against the wall. "She's smart too! It's a novelty item, never seen a pony make any good use out of it, just hang it up with their collection." He paused and looked past them, clicking his tongue. "Looks like you two have trouble headed your way."
Duena and Bandit looked behind them to see the Hierarch strolling toward them from the main stairway. It was the first time Duena had seen the Hierarch without her intricate armor covering her body, instead, a red flowing gown covered her white coat and dragged across the ground. "Bandit, just the stallion I was looking for. We need to talk for a moment," The Hierarch said as she approached and gave a dismissive look to Duena. "Privately."
Bandit furrowed his brow at the Hierarch and sat down. "I'm not really in the mood for pleasantries tonight, Hierarch, so unless privacy is absolutely necessary I'd rather keep this short. I would like to enjoy my night."
The Hierarch natural gaze shifted to a more annoyed one at Bandit's comment before she let out a long sigh. "Very well. Darling and June came and spoke to me earlier about a few things," she said and gestured for the two to follow her. "Darling and I talked about the investigation going on and she understands the weight of our situation here. She offered to undertake an interrogation in order to help speed up the process. I've already had her sign all of the necessary paperwork and had it sent to Canterlot, so approval papers should arrive by the morning. Darling and June also want a transfer out of your unit."
Duena and Bandit both followed the Hierarch while she made her way down the main stairway at a leisurely pace with Duena flanking her left and Bandit her right side. "I can understand her wanting to go through with an interrogation, but a transfer? I'm not sure why either of them would want that, as far as I'm aware they both feel pretty strongly about their positions here," Bandit said with some concern in his tone.
"Neither of them really said why, but I'm not here to dig for information not pertaining to my current mission," the Hierarch said and stopped to stand in one of the many hallways. "I didn't approve or deny their transfer requests because I wanted your opinion on it first, but since I'm working on getting everyone transferred out to different regions that need the help I don't see any issue with having the moved to another area. I'll just have to move your section to a low-threat area until I can get you reliable replacements. One way or another you're losing at least one soldier."
"Let me talk to them tomorrow before the interrogation and I'll you know. Sound good?" Bandit said after a moment of thought.
The Hierarch gave a curt nod. "Let me know if there's anyone here you feel would make a good replacement for either of the two. I'll make a transfer notice as soon as I can. In the meantime I want you and the rest of your unit to start packing tomorrow, you will all be relieved of duties until the move."
Bandit returned the nod before the Hierarch went off her own way and left the two again. "Well, that wasn't the news I was expecting."
"Think it has to do with Jolt?" Duena questioned while she and Bandit went back into the main stairway and walked further down.
"Likely, though, I still want to talk to them. At this point, I'm not going to restrain them since our work here is done and we'll probably be waiting at least a couple of weeks for new orders. So, if they want to leave, they can leave," Bandit said with a heavy sigh. "I'm going to go shower and relax, I'll see you around."
Duena nodded. "Sure, sure. Take care."
Author's Note
Here's the next chapter. Again, I'm still down an editor/proof reader. I've already caught most of the glaring erros but some remain most likely.
Also, shout out to mustangdrew4 for being a relentlessly avid reader of this project despite the large gaps in chapter postings and redos. You're the mvp of this project, thanks for the constant support!
New Home
Everyone waited around anxiously while they waited for Darling and the Hierarch to return, all eager yet equally terrified to hear the verdict the Hierarch had to offer. It had been only half an hour since the two had gone into the chamber alone, yet, it felt as if hours had gone by. Duena was especially concerned. For one, these were the ponies she trusted most out of anyone. They had been there since day one, and in the few weeks they had known each other they had proven to her that not all ponies were out for her. She was scared that if Darling had been working behind their backs this whole time then who else might have been as well?
That particular thought had been racing through her mind ever since the night the papers and booklets were found, even while she busied herself with packing the few items she did own at this point. Darling was perhaps the nicest out of the entire group, save for Lightning when he was around. Darling always had her back, making sure she was taken care of and had everything she needed, even offering her spear so Duena could protect herself while out on patrols. Thinking Darling was working for ponies who sought to do ill things to her only made her stomach flip on itself and sent her head spinning. Duena had to lie down while she waited, feeling like the room was spinning and it was making her nauseous.
"Doin' alright, Dee?" Lightning's soft voice came from behind her.
The rag on her neck was removed before another one damped with cold water replaced it, and Duena gave a slight nod. "I'm holding up. You know you don't have to do this, right? Head's just a little swimmy," she said with a gratuitous sigh.
"Oh, I know I don't. You just looked like you could use it," he replied and sat on the floor beside her, leaning up against the bench Duena was resting on. He let out a heavy sigh as he slicked back his mane and leaned his head back. "You think you know a pony, and sometimes that image in your head is right, sometimes it's wrong. We're all hoping that we were right about her and that she'll come walking out that door with her head high and proud."
Duena gazed at Lightning and offered him a thin smile. "I'm sure she'll be okay. They've been in there a while now."
Lightning nodded, his body sliding down and out a little. "Not too sure how long it takes. Ten, fifteen minutes? An hour? Say, Bandit, you know how long these things take?"
"Hierarch said ten minutes, so soon," Bandit answered from across the room.
Lightning looked back at Duena. "You know, since we're going to be heading into denser territory you're gonna need to not be looking like you."
"Oh yeah? Why can't I go around like this? I think I look fine as it is," Duena mumbled.
"Well," Lightning began as he sank to the floor completely, looking up at Duena from his back, "Unless you want ponies running you down through the streets you should figure a disguise out."
Duena yawned and stretched out her limbs. "I'll figure it out on the train. Maybe you can give me one of your play pony magazines and I'll pick something from there."
Lightning deadpanned and gave her a serious look moments later. "Hey, my personal taste in mares doesn't have to influence your decision."
"Mhmm, alright," she taunted him while she watched as his feather ruffled up. "Besides, I bet you'd like it. I heard rumors that you've got the hots for me." Not a moment later after the words left her mouth every feather on Lightning's body stood on end as he began to sputter and stumble on his words. "Ooo, was I right?" Duena continued and stuck her tongue out at him.
"No! No, you stop that! I do not have a thing for you!" he sputtered as he shot up to his hooves. Lightning only realized he may have said that a bit loud as a few chuckles and giggles came from the others, even Grey who had remained mute for most of the time, and Lightning lowered his head and ears.
Duena simply smirked and raised her brows at him. "Hey, it's not a bad thing if you do. I mean, if I didn't know better I'd say you want to take me out to dinner."
Lightning made himself look bigger while his eyes narrowed at her as he feigned a threatening stance. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't."
"Well, do you?" Duena prodded, now getting a little curious if he really did.
Fortunately for Lightning further embarrassment was saved with the door on the far side of the room opening to reveal the Hierarch and Darling stepping through. Darling looked completely exhausted yet relieved, a faint smile gracing her muzzle as she looked at everyone in the room. "I'm all good guys, just like I said I would be!"
Everyone in the room cheered as they crowded around the two mares. "Nothing was found, and as discussed earlier you will receive two weeks paid leave, so I hope you enjoy your time home," the Hierarch said flatly, seeming a little unhappy that nothing came up. Another pony came out of the room and exchanged a few quiet words with the Hierarch who gave a nod to them. "The Mage's Circle is waiting for us, I hope you're all packed and ready to go."
"Everybody is good to go. We can leave whenever," Bandit answered and motioned for everyone to grab their things.
Duena went back to the bench she was lying on to grab her helmet, spear and the small collection of knickknacks she had in a bag while the Hierarch continued, "I'm sending your team to New Baltimare, there's a little headquarters for the Council you will all be staying at. Penelope should be there to greet you all when you arrive and I've already made her aware of your... friend who'll be going with you." Duena looked over at the Hierarch with a raised brow, and the Hierarch, with a disapproving gaze, nodded. "Yes, you. So, please, try not to get yourself killed. I'll have you know that ponies are quite ravenous when it comes to 'lings."
"She'll be fine," Lightning interjected. He was sat beside the door, leaned up against the wall with his wings lazily resting at his sides. "I think with all of us being around no one will lay a hoof on her without getting through us."
"I would hope so," the Hierarch agreed as she made for the door. "I suppose I should have you all on your way then. Best not keep the Magi waiting much longer."
With that out of the way, everyone save for Darling and June filed out into the hallway, going down a few doors before turning up and into the main stairway, only having to go up three flights before they were on the surface again. Hanging around in the courtyard were about ten ponies who were all wearing similar looking robes. Blue with silver linings that sparkled when the sunlight hit them. It wasn't until Duena saw these ten ponies that she realized that these were the only ten unicorns she had seen since arriving at the compound. It didn't take the mages long to notice the group and the Hierarch, leading them all outside the compound walls off to a little clearing that Duena had patrolled a few times during the night with Bandit.
Lightning stood next to Duena while the magi instructed the group on where to stand and set their belongings. "Ever teleported before?" he said to her in a low voice so as not to interrupt the magi. Duena shook her head, giving him a side glance. "Wish I knew how to explain the feeling to you. The best piece of advice? Keep your hooves on the ground and relax. Might lose your balance since it's your first time. Maybe get sick."
Duena tilted her head and leaned in just a little. "Is that normal for most ponies?"
"Mhh, I'd say so. You get used to it after a couple of times," he said with a nod.
One of the unicorns began giving instruction, although, Duena didn't really listen, instead, closing her eyes to focus on relaxing herself. She peeked an eye open for a moment to watch the robed unicorns for a circle around them as energy began to form around them, the sound a crackling beginning to fill the air around them. She closed her eyes again as them smell of ozone filled her senses, the crackling growing louder and louder until suddenly... POP! It felt as if she had been violently shoved backward, punched in the gut and thrown forward again, landing roughly on her hooves and catching herself before she fell forward.
Hooves grabbed either side of her face and lifted her head up, Lightning coming into view for her. He had a big grin on his muzzle as he said, "Look at that, you survived your first long distance teleportation! And you don't look a bit worse for wear to boot."
Duena groaned and let out a long sigh as she sat herself down. Her breaths were coming out heavy and her heart was thumping rapidly in her chest, the sound of blood rushing through her body pumped in her ears. "I feel worse for wear," she would eventually answer.
"Just give yourself a couple of minutes, Dee, and you'll be feeling like you again, promise," Lightning said and patted her shoulder. "Need me to carry you, or you just wanna sit for a bit?"
She waved a hoof dismissively at him. "I'm fine. I just... wow, that did not feel good."
Lightning chuckled, "Yeah, like I said you get used to it after a couple of times. Though, I'm not sure how often we'll be teleporting like this. That said, welcome to one of the many grand libraries of Equestria!"
Duena took a second to look around the massive circular room they were in. Large marble pillars reached several stories into the air before ending in a glass dome at the top. Other than that, the room was barren of any furniture or decorative pieces on the walls. "Looks... pretty empty for a library," she said with a disapproving tone.
"We're just in the main teleportation section of the library," Bandit spoke up as he walked past the two. "Just so you know, Dee, outside this room you need to look like one of us, so figure yourself something before we head out."
Duena looked at Lightning. "Soooo... wanna bust out that play pony mag for me?"
Lightning gave her an unamused look before he grabbed his bag and flung it over his shoulder. "No, I don't. I don't need you looking like my favorite girl and teasing me while we're out on the job. Besides, you've seen a few mares out over at the compound, try looking like one of them?"
"Well, yeah, but they're not your favorite girl," Duena said with a sarcastic tone while she grabbed a mirror from her bag of random items. Her charcoal body shifted hues along with her once orange mane which also changed lengths while she tried to find a look that she liked. She eventually settled on slightly lighter coat color and a short electric blue mane and tail with her mane flipped over on one side. "What do you think of this look?" she said, spinning in place a couple of times.
"Hmmhmm, not bad. Could use a little work I think, but for now, it'll do," Lightning said with a nod.
"Looks edgy as fuck," Jolt commented as he also passed by.
Lightning managed to smack him over the head which got him a glare in return. "Look who's talking, you have a goofy ass haircut yourself."
Duena shook her head at the boys and collected her stuff, throwing it over her back and followed them toward the set of double doors. "Where we off to now?"
"The council headquarters," Bandit answered as Lightning, Jolt, Grey and Duena gathered behind him. "It's a little bit of a walk if I remember correctly since the last time I was in this city was almost two years ago. Not a huge place and it blends in pretty well with the rest of the city." Bandit opened the doors and led them out into an even larger, yet far busier section of the library.
Duena gawked at the sheer size of the place, the walls reaching far higher than they did in the room they had just left. She counted a total of nine stories. Rows of desks and chairs filled the center area of the bottom floor and were surrounded by dozens upon dozens of bookshelves. The walls of the establishment were bookshelves themselves, requiring ponies to either use magic or ladders to reach books that were high up on the shelves. Wooden staircases led up to the next floor on either corner of the rectangular room. "Woah."
"Ah, see? Told you, Dee," Lightning said as he made his way down the centerline pathway.
"Come on, we can come back later," Bandit told Duena as he nudged her forward.
Duena looked at Bandit only for a moment before she continued to explore the building, looking up to the high ceilings and watching some of the many bodies that were moving about within the library while she haphazardly followed the four stallions. "This is... wow. How many of these are there?"
"Nine," the four stallions answered collectively.
"They all pretty much look like this with some minor variations, but if you've seen one you've seen them all," Lightning continued. "Magi, scholars and normal folk come here alike, and it's completely free. Granted as long as you don't damage anything. Plus, they tend to house a number of other amenities like dueling arenas, tracks, public gardens. Buncha stuff."
Duena finally settled her excitement and formed in close with the group. "That's really cool, I had no idea that you guys had stuff like this. They're basically giant community centers then?" She got a collection of nods as the headed out the front of the large building and into the outside world. Duena was met with the amazing New Baltimare skyline, the bright blue sky pierced by tall skyscrapers that towered over the Grand Library and shading the city from the sun. Gazing further down she could see the tall hedges bordering the outer walls of the library's courtyard that were colored brightly with an arrangement of white and pink blossoms. A large water fountain took the center of the courtyard shooting water several feet into the air before sprinkling back down. Colts and fillies ran back and forth through the grassy areas off to either side screaming and giggling while they played. "It's really... lively."
Bandit glanced back at Duena after hearing the surprise in her tone, a momentary smile crossing his muzzle before he looked forward again. "That's the beauty of the libraries. They bring the community together unlike anything I've seen before, and they provide countless jobs, so overall I think they're a pretty nice asset to have.
The group walked out the main gate of the library and out onto the streets of New Baltimare with Bandit continuing to lead them down the maze of paved sidewalks. Carriages passed on either side of the road with guards helping to direct traffic at intersections. They walked for about fifteen minutes until Bandit pulled them off to the side of a large four-story building that looked like a hotel of sorts. He went up the short flight of stairs and knocked on the door, waiting a few moments before it opened to reveal a mare.
The mare's face lit up not a moment later and she swung the door wide open, moving off to the side. "Come in, come in! You all must be the ponies the Hierarch told me about!" The five guards filed in through the door which led into a wide open lobby area that had two doors leading away on either side and another staircase leading up ahead of them. "I'm Penelope, hopefully, the Hierarch made you aware of who I am a little bit. I hope the trip here wasn't too harrowing!"
"No, the trip was perfectly fine, Penelope, thank you," Bandit answered while he threw his stuff onto the ground and looked around the place. "It's been a few years since I've been here, are you new?"
"I've been serving here as the great librarian for the last year and a half," Penelope answered with grand excitement, the unicorn practically beaming with Bandit's notice. "So, which one of you five is our little bug-friend the Hierarch told me about? I've never gotten to meet a changeling before, you don't know how excited I am!"
Duena had lowered her ears as the unicorn's excitement nearly deafened all five of them as her voice pitched to a squeal, jittering on her hooves as looked between them. "Ah, that'd be me," Duena finally admitted with a sheepish smile.
Penelope pranced in place and ran over to Duena, circling her several times while she practically swooned over her. "My, look at you! I couldn't even tell! Oh, please, may I get a look at you ?" Penelope put a heavy emphasis on the last 'you' making it quite obvious to Duena what she meant. Duena looked at the four stallions with uncertainty, Bandit giving a nod of approval. With a quick cast of the disguise spell, Duena was back to her normal charcoal black body. Penelope's face lit up, even more, the unicorn taking Duena's hoof in her own, running them down Duena's arm. "Simply amazing! I'd never imagined that your hooves would be so soft. I thought changelings had carapace instead of a coat?"
"Well, I am partially pony," Duena said with a nervous chuckle while she pulled her hoof away from Penelope's grasp. "It's not something I really want to get into."
Penelope's excitement seemed to simmer down with this new information, her expression changing from one of pure joy to one of serious curiosity. "Half pony you say? Now, that's an interesting little tidbit right there, isn't it? Though, I suppose with all of the abductions happening over the last ten years I really shouldn't be all that surprised." Penelope softened her expression and looked between the now five guards ponies, offering them all a smile. "Since we've got introductions out of the way, I suppose I should get rules out of the way. Our 'ling friend here knows not to go out without her disguise, correct."
The five guards gave her a collective nod.
"Excellent! We have meals prepared for oh-nine-hundred, thirteen-hundred and nineteen-hundred hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner respectively," Penelope continued as she spun herself around and motioned for the group to follow her, waiting for them all to collect their things. "The cooks follow a strict schedule so if you don't get to eat, that's on you. Next, everyone will have their own room, I don't want anyone sleeping with anyone in my safe house. Curfue is at eighteen hundred, so be back before then if you're out taking care of business."
The group was led up the stairs and down the central hallway at the top that then split off to the left and right just a few feet down. "These will be your rooms for the remainder of your stay. Please, please keep your rooms clean. They don't have to be spotless, but for my sake. Miss 'Ling, this first room to the left will be yours. There's a key on the desk for you to keep so you can lock the room if you wish."
Duena split herself off from the group while Penelope continued to lead the other four down the hall to assign them their rooms. The door was quite simple, just a wooden rectangle painted white with a nob that pushed down to open the door, and a round slotted keyhole just above it. Without any hesitation, Duena pushed the nob down and swung the door open to reveal the rather small room. Off in the back left was a single bed the looked just big enough for one pony to sleep on with a small wooden nightstand set next to it. On the right wall, set center against it was a well crafted wooden desk and chair that had a fairy light lamp sitting on it that was illuminating the room in a soft blue-white glow. She didn't see anywhere to put her armor. The corner would do.
With a soft sigh, Duena set her small bag of belongings in the corner just off to her right and closed the door to begin taking her armor off piece by piece, setting it in a pile next to the rest of her stuff. Once it was all off she unceremoniously threw herself onto the bed, bouncing on it a couple of times before she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. "Welcome home, Dee. You did it. You made it to Equestria." she said to herself with a small smile, closing her eyes. "Now what?"
Duena was startled by the sound of metal clattering to the stone floor of her cell. She quickly jumped up to her hooves and faced the bars of her cell to see an unfamiliar stallion eyeing her. Her breath was heavy, she did her best to breathe in the stale air around them, this guard seeming to have a similarly difficult time breathing this far down. She watched as he shook his head and then stomped his hoof on the stone three times before he walked off to deliver meals to some of the other 'lings in the cell block. Duena didn't hesitate to lunge for the fresh food the instant he walked off, soon devoured what was given to her. Granted, it wasn't much, but it would have to make due.
The meals were much more infrequent than they were when she was out in the field with the so-called rescue team, and the portions were significantly smaller as well. She was sure it had only been day since she was brought down into the cell and she was already feeling exhausted, and time seemed to drag on to make things even worse. The only consistent way to tell the hours were passing were the rotation of guards. Even then she spent as much of her time possible sleeping, and when she wasn't, a rather unsettling 'ling was her company in the cell over.
The wall between them had a small peephole that allowed either to see one another and made for quiet conversation so not to disturb the guards. Duena had caught a couple glimpses of the stallion next door to her. She had nicknamed him Star because of the many scars that dotted his black carapace, it reminded her of the night sky on a moonless night. He had never said anything against it if anything seemed slightly amused by the name. Despite his dark humor, she found him more or less a pleasure to speak to.
"Got anything left over?"
Duena froze and didn't move for a second. She had completely forgotten that they were splitting meals. "I uh..." she cleared her throat and moved back toward the peephole. He was there as he looked back at her with curiosity. "I ate it all... I'm sorry."
Star grunted as he shook his head. "No matter. Honestly can't blame you."
Duena could sense the shift in emotion from Star. Deep frustration filled them both as her companion moved to the back of his cell. Duena followed his example and settled in on the makeshift bed in the far back corner. Things between them went quiet for some hours, the rest of the cellmates made a racket to make up for them. Guards paced up and down the halls, occasionally they pounded on the bars and yelled at 'lings to quiet down. Sleep quickly took over.
"Wake up. Come on, get up!" Duena was jabbed awake by the back end of a spear, being rudely awakened.
Duena groaned and rolled onto her side, she looked up to see the stallion. "What?"
The guard jabbed at her side again. "I said up! On your hooves, let's go. I haven't got all day you know."
Duena let out a long sigh as she slowly stood up and tried to shake the sleepiness away. The guard stepped back to let her out of her cell, another waited for her as well. She was given a nudge forward and she began to walk and headed toward the only door in the whole block. She was led out to the long tiered stairwell. She was taken three tiers up before being herded off toward the right hallway, she followed the long corridor all the way down before she was taken into a room that had a single table, in the middle with pillows for seats on either side of it.
Duena was made to sit on the side furthest from the door, the guards then left the room. Time passed, it seemed to drag on longer and longer the more she waited, but eventually, the door opened up again. Another stallion entered the room followed by two more guards, this new stallion took the seat across from her. One thing about him caught her attention almost immediately. Claws instead of hooves.
"Good afternoon," he greeted Duena cheerfully as he sat down and offered her a toothy smile.
Duena shook her head and sighed. "I wouldn't know."
The stallion's grin disappeared in a heartbeat and his tone took a darker tone. "Yes, I would imagine that would be the case, being locked up like many believe that you should be. I like to think I'm a nice guy, however, that's up to you really." He paused and almost seemed to study Duena for several quiet moments before he turned to one of the guards. "You, get us some tea. Poor girl looks exhausted."
Duena watched as another of the guards hurried out of the room. "You're not a pony?" the question slipped from her lips without a second thought and almost expected to be yelled at. However, the response was a chuckle.
"Not quite. Part gryphon actually," he answered as he showed off one of his claws. "Beautiful little tools aren't they? I can certainly say it makes things far easier in pretty much every way. Especially in dealing with misbehaving 'lings. That's why they like me so much," he stated in a low voice, grinning to himself. Duena shifted nervously in her spot when he stood up and began to circle around the table. "I hear you're fairly mild, though. Skittish at worst."
"Is that so?" Duena answered after she collected herself, she sat up straighter as he moved closer and closer to her.
"My clients like 'lings who behave, and so do I. Now tell me, you behave, don't you?"
Duena kept her gaze forward, her ears rotated around to follow the sounds of his steps around the room. "Depends what you consider behaving." A claw was placed under her chin and made her turn to come face-to-face with him, their muzzles a mere inch away from each other. Her breath caught in her throat as their gazes locked for several seconds before he pulled away and returned to his spot on the other side of the table.
The stallion grinned wickedly at her. "Don't worry, we will find out shortly." Almost as if on queue the guard that was sent out came back with a tray, two cups and a fresh pot of tea. The tray was set in the middle of the table and the now all too eager pony-gryphon hybrid waved the two guards out of the room. "Be gone you two. This is between us. Just you and I, Miss Duena."
Duena became increasingly nervous as the guards left the room. She knew they weren't likely to help her, but, for a brief moment, they made her feel safer. Almost. The aroma of the tea began to assault her nose, it enticed her to simply go for it and quench her thirst with the hot beverage. However, the other half of her instincts told her otherwise, but her gaze didn't move from that central pot.
"Go ahead, Duena. Have a drink," he whispered from across the table as he watched her closely. When Duena didn't move, he stood up, walked around the table once more, and moved in behind her. "I said," he paused to lean in close to her ear, "Have. A. Drink." Duena swallowed but refused to move at all, unsure what he was trying to get at. "Let me try something else then, shall I?" he growled with mild frustration, once more, he returned to his spot. Once there, he reached over and grabbed the pot, he poured each of them a cup before he reached over to place one in front of Duena. "Now, have a drink."
Duena's gaze rested on the cup in front of her but waited a moment to reach out and grab it. She could hear the sound of him writing something down on parchment while she took a sip of the tea. It burned her tongue, but she didn't care, she tilted her head back further and further as she began to chug down the drink without a second thought, she almost forgot that she was being watched. She pulled the cup away from her lips once she was sure she had gotten every last drop and tenderly set the cup back down in front of herself. "Thank you." He scribbled more.
Duena's eyes drifted upward while the stallion continued to write, she took the time to make out his features. He was well groomed, his smokey-white mane thoroughly brushed off to the side to give his piercing purple eyes a clear line of view. His coat was a similar color to that of sand dunes during the high point of the day and it almost seemed to have shimmered in the lighting of the room. Two large wings accompanied his form as well, it seemed almost far too big to be in proportion with the rest of his body. The plumage on each wing was just as groomed as his mane, each feather rested perfectly over the other, from the coverts, all the way down to the primaries and secondary feathers, not a single one out of place.
The stallion's eyes moved up to meet Duena's and her breath caught in her throat once more. "Perhaps you would like some more?" Duena nodded quickly and he reached across to fill her cup again.
"What's the point of all of this? None of it makes any sense," Duena said after she found her voice again.
"The point of this, or all of it?" he retorted as he pulled away, however, he leaned forward with interest.
Duena's eyes went back to the teacup as she took it in her hooves again and pulled it toward her lips. "Both."
He shifted back and let out a long sigh, tapping his claws on the table. "Part of it is for your safety. Not every 'ling is the same and because of that, we lock every 'ling in a cell to ensure that the good ones stay untouched." There was a pause as he leaned over the table more. "Part of it is to determine where you should be sent, where you will be the most useful to the rest of pony kind. Temperament and obedience are two of the biggest factors. My job is to prod and decide whether you get to continue on in the system or..." he trailed off quickly.
Duena's posture shrunk and moved back away from the table. "Or I will end up like Star?"
The stallion's head canted off to the side, a curious expression on his face at the mention of another changeling he seemed to be unfamiliar with. "Who exactly would that be?"
"The stallion in the cell next to me, the one with all of the scars on his face," Duena replied under her voice, almost uncertain that she should have said who she was speaking about.
"Ah, yes," he began with a distasteful tone, "he's been... a mixed bag if you will. Unfortunately for him, his fate is already decided. Perhaps if he had been more like you he wouldn't have gotten stuck in his position," the last sentence left his mouth with something that sounded like a low growl.
Duena looked down past the table at what that meant for her only companion. However, another thought crept into her mind. "Do you have a name?" The question had bugged her since she had arrived.
"Ah, yes, well unfortunately for you I can't tell you that. For my own safety, of course," he stated matter of fact before he sipped from his own cup. "Who knows, perhaps we will end up meeting each other again sometime down in the near future? You seemed well behaved and well mannered. That's rare for captures like yourself to be so docile, so consider yourself lucky."
Duena let what little information he gave her sink in, she thought about the horrors they put Star through. She couldn't imagine him being aggressive with how calm he was with her and even the guards who brought him food, always muttered a thank you even if it couldn't be heard well. She considered the possibility that even the smallest threat or slightly aggressive posture would get one punished. But one word stuck with her, one that was a million times more important to her than anything else. "You say 'captures', not 'rescues'. Why?"
The unnamed stallion leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as a long devilish grin crossed his muzzle once more. "Because in my line of work there is no rescue for you, my dear. You belong to me now... that is until I sell you off elsewhere. And let me tell you, you're worth a lot of coin." He almost seemed to relax as he rested his head in his claws. "I have a lot of clients who would want a mare like you. Fortunately for you, I don't really want to lay a claw on you. Damaging the product and all. I'm sure you understand, don't you?"
Anger began to boil inside of Duena with each word the stallion spoke, she gripped the teacup tighter and tighter until she screamed out and threw the cup at him. He dodged it and the china smashed into the wall behind him. She watched as he shook his head with disappointment, he tisked at her. "Shouldn't have done that, my dear."
"I am not your 'dear', and I'm not some toy you get to pass around to your friends," Duena snapped back as she smacked her hooves down onto the table, it made the tray and teapot rattle for a brief moment.
The stallion's grin disappeared in a heartbeat and Duena suddenly found herself to have reared back as he climbed over the table, he advanced slowly toward her with his wings extended outward aggressively. "I think you want to have a change of heart here in the next few seconds before something happens to you."
Duena continued to back up until she bumped into the wall, nervously, she looked at either side of herself as if an exit would magically appear. No such luck for her. She whipped her head back around to face him, her heart pounded hard as she felt a surge of adrenaline pump through her veins as their eyes met. A claw grabbed her by the throat before she even had the chance to react, and she was pulled in to come face-to-face with him once more. "Let go..." her voice came out in a desperate whisper just as she brought a hoof up to try and pull him away.
His grip on her throat tightened as a laugh escaped from him. "Then submit. Submit like the worthless bug that you are."
Duena's fear quickly turned into anger. She spat in his face before she muttered under her breath, "Fuck you." A second later, she was pushed up against the wall, her back hooves dangled in the air while her forehooves held onto the stallion's legs. He now had both claws around her neck, pressed in deeply to cut off her air completely. All of that anger vanished and panic began to set in, Duena now kicked her back legs helplessly to try and free herself.
The stallion almost enjoyed this, he watched her struggle in his grasp while he choked her while he kept her pinned against the wall. "There you go, get all of that fight out of you now while it's good for you. Learn to fear those who are above you," he stated with pleasure as Duena's movements became more and more desperate with each passing second. He opened his mouth to speak another word before he was interrupted.
The door swung open, two guards stood in the doorway. "Sir, we have a small problem."
There was a frustrated sigh. "I'm busy."
"It requires your attention, sir," the guard replied apologetically.
Duena was suddenly dropped to the ground and she quickly fell into a coughing fit as she tried to gasp for breath. "Grab her and take her back to the cells. I'll deal with her later."
The two guards moved in as the stallion left, they helped her to her hooves before they led her back down into the cells. She was quickly ushered into her designated cell, the door locked behind her as she collapsed in the corner and tried not to cry. She heard a tap on the wall next to her followed by the sound of Star as he tried to get her attention. Duena wouldn't have any of it though, she kept herself quiet in hopes that sleep would quickly take over. It didn't. Hours began to pass by, guards were rotated and out and each group seemed progressively more nervous than the last. The other changelings seemed to notice as well as many of them began to yell and intimidate the guards in hopes that they would get replies, but none of them did.
Another few hours passed and Duena could hear the guards talk amongst themselves in quiet whispers. She got closer to the bars of her cells to try and listen in, but most of what she got was about their relief from their post. The sense of nervousness continued to grow more pronounced as the time between reliefs became longer and longer, and soon the guards began to pace down the whole length of the block. Something was wrong, Duena was almost sure if it.
She watched as one of the guards passed by her cell while she rested uncomfortably against the metal bars. Every little sound almost seemed to make him jump, even the sound of the door near the end of the block opened. He jumped around only to let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward. "Oh, thank Celest- Ach!" his sentence was cut off as a blur of motion charged him, the sound of heavy hooves bashed into the stone before a large beast of bronze smashed the guard up against the wall with a resounding crack. Duena instinctively ran to the back of her cell on what she witnessed. On the opposite side of the block, she could hear a familiar voice.
"Keys! Where are the fucking keys?!" Jolt's voice echoed through while he harassed the second guard.
"I don't know-"
"Bullshit you don't! Tell me now or you're going to end up like your fucking friend over there!" Duena stopped listening when the large pony-like figure passed in front of her cell again, an armored giant almost. Once it had passed, she noticed Jolt still argued with the other guard, he became more frustrated the longer it went on until he had enough. "Grey, just fuck him up, will ya? I'm gonna check the other guard." Jolt's hoof steps got closer to Duena's cell and Duena rushed forward.
"Jolt? Jolt what the hell?"
Jolt didn't answer her and instead patted down the now dead guard. When Duena took a closer look she noticed that most of the Guard's chest plate was completely crushed in. That crack she had heard was most likely the sound of the stallion's rib cage being crushed inward. "Got it!" she heard Jolt almost sing as he procured a keyring from the guard's limp body. "Hey, Grey! Numbers. I need the fucking numbers... oh what the hell? I said 'fuck him up', not stand there and intimidate him for Celestia's sake." Jolt stormed down the hallway only to come back with a note between his teeth. He set it up on the bars before flipping through the keys. "Got it." Duena watched as Jolt forced the lock open and swung the door out for her and gave her a big heroic grin. "No need to thank me!"
"Thank you?" Duena replied, unsure of herself.
"No, I was being serious. Don't fucking thank me," Jolt stated and looked at her as if she was stupid. "Grey. Guard. Here. Now." Duena and Jolt both stood back as the pony covered in head-to-hoof in armor dragged the second guard over and tossed him into the cell, Jolt swiftly closed the door and locked it. "Piece of shit," he snorted before he spat in the guard's direction. Jolt picked up the note after it fell to the ground, he read off the other numbers before going to specific cells and unlocked each of them, letting most of the changelings out and into the block, Grey blocked the exit. Once Jolt had gotten all of the 'lings listed down out of their cells, he spoke up again. "Alright, listen up bugs. Follow big armored guy out to the upper staging area. We have food and water being prepared so just gather up someplace within the walls or something. Honestly, I don't give a fuck."
The large group of freed changelings murmured in confusion but followed Grey out the door either way. Many of them looked as if they had been down in the cells for quite some time, others only a few weeks. Duena followed the pack out into the long stairwell, they took each step one at a time. As they got further up the stairs, she began to notice more and more bodies piling up along the sides of the walking space. She counted two, five, twelve... past that she lost track of how many dead guards there were. Each death looked just as violent as the last, however, there weren't any that she recognized, so she could only assume that the other four she had met outside the fort had made it through these turn of events.
Eventually, Duena and the group of 'lings made it out to the outside area. The smell of fresh air was a big welcome, not to mention the sight of purples and oranges painting the sky as the sun began to set below the horizon. She looked around and could see even more changelings than the ones she was herded with. Several ponies grouped up the changelings into packs, while others handed out food and cups of water and tea, the general mood much lighter than it had been. Duena moved around the walled in area, she escaped the herds to find herself a more open spot and sat down. A guard came by and passed off a cup of warm tea to her and another brought her a couple pieces of fruit. She began to munch down, happy to have a somewhat proper meal for once only to see a familiar mare stood up on the wall. June.
"If I may have all of your attention please, while you settle down. I'm sure many of you are confused about what is happening. My name is June, and I'm here to explain..."