The Black Knight

Chapter Seven

Cultural and Idle Chatter

[Changeling Empire, Kitchen]

“...I seriously can’t take you seriously at this point.” Chrysalis said as she watched the lalafell cook. “I mean does every outfit you have always have those bunny ears?”

“Yes, yes it does.” Jurrita said before pulling out the delicious looking cake. “Now have a taste of Eorzea culinary food. This one is called pIxieberry cheesecake. Learned this recipe from my time in Ishgard, so I figure I will give you something sweet given how I don’t know your species' diet palette.”

“Food-wise, we can eat fruits, vegetables, and meats. But that’s only when we don’t have our main source of food. Which is raw emotion. Specifically, love.” Chrysalis said before taking a piece of the cheesecake as she sniffs it. “This isn’t going to kill me, is it?”

“Not unless you’re allergic to dairies like milk and butter...wait are you?”

“No...just never tried anything like this before.” She said before taking a small bite out of the piece she took. She begins to chew it for a bit before pausing and looking over at the lalafell. “....This is good...really good.”

“I knew you would like it.” Jurrita said before offering the whole cheesecake to her as the queen began to devour it quickly. “Normally I would cook more than just that for you. But given the limited food supply you guys have, I’ll have to hold off on making big meals until we can get more food ingredients.”

“How were you able to make this if that’s the case?”

“I have some ingredients that I have on me before coming here. Not a lot, but just enough to make something like that and this.” The lalafell walks over to her bag to pull out a basket with sandwiches in them.

“Did you just make this?”

“Naw, I made these a while back....well a lot of them. The bag I carry is magical so the food I keep inside here stays perfectly fresh so long as they’re inside said bag. Well, that and other stuff that might go bad over time.” She said before pulling out another basket of sandwiches. “You can give them to your subjects as a means of food for the time being.”

“How many of these do you have?”

“Fifty-thousand of them.” Jurrita answered as Chrysalis blinked in surprise. “What? I made a lot of these as a means to save Gil so I can buy materials to make armor, weapons, and other stuff. I’m not royal or anything like most people are.”

“...F-Fair point.” Chrysalis said as she used her magic to summon ten changeling soldiers into the kitchen.

“You summoned us Queen Chrysalis?” asked a male soldier as she nodded.

“You ten will distribute these sandwiches to the changelings inside the castle and outside. Start with the foals first, then the mares, and last the colts. Oh and don’t forget the prisoners as well. Can’t have them dying on us before Celestia comes here to negotiate with us.” Chrysalis ordered as the soldiers proceeded with taking the basket of sandwiches off and spread them throughout the empire. She looks over at the lalafell who was still pulling out more baskets of sandwiches. “Any chance you can make bags like that for us?”

“Sadly I can’t. I’m only semi-good at making stuff. But seeing how I’m more of a fighter than a maker. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. At least the food you have will help boost morale and keep them from going hungry for the time being.” The queen said before noticing a teenage changeling with long messy blue hair that reached to her feet, a black colored long sleeve shirt, dark green boxer shorts, and a set of headphones around her neck. “Ah, Nightshade. Nice to see you’re awake.”

“Been awake for a while, just been busy reading and...stuff.” Nightshade said before noticing the kitchen being filled to the brim with sandwiches. “...Mother, care to explain why there’s like a month's worth of food here?”

“That would be thanks to me.” Jurrita said as the changeling flinched back a bit from seeing the lalafell before noticing the bunny ears on her head.

“...Mother why is there a mutant rabbit in the kitchen?” The teen asked as it caused Chrysalis to bust out laughing.

“Hey! I’m not a mutant rabbit, kid. I’m a lalafell from the country of Eorzea. And your mother along with her generals are the ones that summoned me to this world to help your race out in this sticky situation you’re in.” She said as the teen looked over Chrysalis with a raised eyebrow.

“So far we managed to take over the border station, get back some of the love potions that the Equestrians gave up but ended up mysteriously missing, and new powers that could help us in negotiations with Celestia.”

“...Please tell me that you didn’t kill anypony important.”

“She didn’t, but I did kill some of the ponies in the border station due to them kidnapping some of the children. Not to mention the spy that you had in your ranks ran off once that was a bust.” Jurrita said which took the teen by surprise. “There are a few things I’ll let slide, but harming children. All bets are off with me.”

“...I’m having a hard time believing that given the way you look...is it wrong that I just want to hug and snuggle you like a toy.” Nightshade said as Chrysalis laughed even harder.

“...I’m about five seconds away from unleashing hell upon you kid. You got one more chance to not piss me off by calling short, child, or something along those lines. Afterwards, I can’t be held responsible for what happens next.”

“I’ll be quiet about it...still odd to see somepony like you offering to assist mother in something like this...what did she offer you?”

“No, I’m here willing to help her in this matter. Can’t just up and leave just when things have gotten interesting, and I’m not one to give up on something like this...Though it’s a bit of a surprise to see the queen would have a daughter. I take it there’s a king here in this place as well?” Jurrita asked as she looked over at Chrysalis who winced at her question. “Touchy subject?”

“I was born out of wedlock. Nuff said.” Nightshade said before taking a sandwich from out of the basket on the counter and began to eat it. “Huh, not bad.”

“Not one of my proudest moments in my life...especially seeing how her father is the colt that you pretty much put in the hospital.”

“And that would be?”

“Prince Shining Armor. Captain of The Royal Guards of Canterlot, and husband to Princess Cadence.”

“Ah...okay...I take it he knows about Nightshade?” Jurrita asked as Chrysalis nodded. “And I take it he wants nothing to do with her?”

“Seems like it seeing how he didn’t reply back in some time. He's either keeping it a secret or chose to ignore it. Which I’m going to ignore seeing how I ruined their wedding and did sleep with him when disguised as Cadence.” Chrysalis said as the lalafell grins. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because we have even more ammunition on us now that we have someone related to Prince Shining Armor. Who if I’m not mistaken is royalty, right?” The lalafell said as the sudden realization dawned on them both. “I do hope you have proof that she is her daughter, even though she was born out of wedlock?”

“I do in fact.” Chrysalis’s horn began to glow as a blue crystal appeared in front of her. “In case I needed some insurance, I was able to use the memory crystal to make a copy of that very night I had sex with him.”

“Ah gross!” Nightshade said in disgust. “Why would you even...never mind, don’t answer that. I don’t even want to know.”

“Gross, but that will do for the time being. With that and the recordings from the border station over the past couple of months to a year, they’ll have no choice but to heed our demands. Less we show this to the public and other nations...please tell me that there’s a way to do that?”

“I do have some spies within Equestria that I can send the stone to if need be. But I’m only doing that if we can’t get back the lands I gave them in the agreement.”

“That’s the plan.” Jurrita said before finishing unpacking the last of the basket sandwiches. “Now then, with that taken care of. I think I’ll take first watch over the Equestrians roaming around the castle. Mainly that pegasus girl with the rainbow-colored hair.” She said before walking off towards the doorway.

“Don’t you need some rest or something?” Chrysalis asked as the lalafell stopped at the doorway and looked over at her. “I’ll be fine. Got the much-needed rest from when I first came here, so I can stay up a bit longer before someone takes over my shift in watching over them.”

“...I’ll call the medics.”

“That would be best. This will give them practice on using white magic...depending on if they do something stupid.” With that, the lalafell walks off and begins her search for Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack.

“You seem to be taking this all surprisingly well, Nightshade.” Chrysalis said as Nightshade scarfed down another sandwich.

“Given how this empire is. I’m used to stuff like this...well expecting the unexpected to be accurate. But that...lalafell creature is something I wasn’t expecting, nor for us to end up going to war with Equestria...You do know that we might not be able to win this?”

“I know.”

“And this won’t be like how it was with the border station incident?”

“It won’t. Unlike before, I’m more level-headed and rational...But if things do go south. I will order Jurrita to take you somewhere safe until the aftermath is over. What you do afterwards is up to you.”

“Heh, I wouldn’t lie and say that I would take revenge on the Equestrians if they killed you on the spot. But for the time being, I’ll wait until I’m strong enough to do that.” She said before taking a basket of sandwiches with her before heading to her room. “I’ll support you to the best of my ability from my room, just be careful mother.”

“I’ll try, but I won’t make any promises.”

[Changeling Empire, Guest Room]

“For Celestia’s sake Rainbow Dash, will you please stop trying to break the bars on the window.” Rarity said as she watched Rainbow Dash trying to break the bars on the windows by pulling them apart.

“You expect us to just sit and wait to be rescued? For all we know they’re setting a trap for Celestia for when she comes to talk to them!”

“I doubt they’ll do that given what we saw around here. I mean, almost all the changelings in this place look like walking sticks with little to no life in them. The only time I saw some kind of life in them was when they were eating sandwiches made by that creature they summoned...it did taste good, not gonna lie.” Applejack said as the pegasus snorted before taking a seat back onto her own bed.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that we’re stuck in this place. What’s worse is that I lost to that pint-size...thing.”

“She’s not a thing Rainbow Dash. She’s a lady from what I can tell...even though she looks like a child.” Rarity answered. “Though I have to say, she does look cute with the bunny ears, and the robe she had on when meeting with me was pretty despite it being black and grey.”

“Still a thing in my book. There’s nothing ladylike about it. Especially after what it did to my wings.”

“First of all. I am not a thing, horse face.” Jurrita said as she entered the room, causing the girls to turn their attention towards the doorway. “I am a lalafell, a race that may be short in size but we make up for it in other means. Nice to see you girls are doing okay for the most part.”

“What do you want? Can’t you see we were busy talking?” Rainbow Dash said as the lalafell looked over at Rarity and Applejack. “I’ll be talking to you two the most given how you’re more reasonable to talk to than the hot-headed idiot.”

“Who are you calling an idiot you-” Before Rainbow Dash could finish, Applejack placed a hand in front of her to silence her before looking at Jurrita

“Is there a reason why you’re here, other than checking in on us?”

“Yep!” She said before moving over to a nearby chair and hops onto it. “I’m going to be your warden for tonight.”

“Aren’t you a bit young to be pretending to be a warden, kid?” Rainbow Dash said as the lalafell threw a knife past the pegasus’s face which caused her to yelp in surprise.

“That’s strike one. Call me short, child, or anything along those lines and I will do more than just throw a dagger at you.” The lalafell said before using her magic to bring the dagger she threw back to her. “Anyway, I’ll be watching you all for tonight until one of the guards takes my shift. But for tonight, I’ll do an all-nighter for their sake.”

“If you don’t mind me asking. Why help the changelings out? Do you know what they did?” Rarity asked.

“Crash a wedding due to trying to gather love due to starvation, and assault on the border station during their imprisonment. While it was wrong of them to do that, it doesn’t excuse the fact that they’re in a state where they could die off from the face of this world within about a month if I hadn’t gotten involved.”

“Then you’re a bigger idiot than Chrysalis is.” Rainbow Dash said as the lalafell gaze turned on the pegasus. “We kicked her butt before, what makes you think she’ll win this?”

“This isn’t about winning anything idiot. This is a matter of survival. Or were the crystals we gave you from the border station not proof enough of what’s been going on here in the wasteland?” she asked which caused them to go silent. “If that wasn’t proof enough, did you notice that many soldiers around here are malnourished? Or how their clothes are torn and worn down to the point that some of the citizens are running around naked or wearing clothes big enough to cover their bodies? Because of your idiot of a princess’s negligence, these changelings are hanging at death's door. Or worse, they’re already at it and just waiting to die so they wouldn’t have to suffer.”

“Hey now, you can’t blame Celestia for-” Before Applejack could finish, the lalafell interrupted her as she noticed the lalafell’s eyes glowing red with anger.

“I am. Because she wasn’t the one keeping track of how things were going and put it to someone else to do it. Who I might add was the one that abducted the children of this empire and abused them both physically, mentally, and sexually. And you have the gull to think this isn’t Celestia’s fault in all this? No, in this situation. Celestia is at fault with this.” She said as her eyes returned to normal while letting out a sigh. “Answer me this, have any of you known what it’s like to go without food for months on end?”

“...What?” Rainbow Dash asked as it took her and the others off guard.

“I’m asking, have any of you known what it’s like to go for months without food? Or more accurately, has anyone experienced anything that the changelings are experiencing right now?”

“Well...no...no we have not.” Rarity answered in a shameful tone as the others looked away with shameful expressions on their faces.

“Which is not a surprise. Granted I’m sure there are ponies in your county that are experiencing hardship of their own, but I’m sure it’s not to the level of this. While you sit at home living your comfortable lives without a care in the world, others are working their asses off trying to survive depending on where they are in this world.”

“Okay, so maybe what’s happening to the changelings is wrong. That still doesn’t change the fact that what they did was wrong.” Rainbow Dash said. “What, you expect us to forgive them for ruining Cadence’s wedding?”

“I couldn’t give a damn about this Cadence pony or her fucking wedding being ruined. This is about the justification of changelings being treated like the scum of the earth.”

“...I mean-”

“Be careful of what you say next pegasus. Because the next words that come out of your mouth will end up costing you more than just broken wings like before.” Jurrita said which caused Rainbow Dash to quickly close her mouth. “Nice to see you’re not that much of an idiot not to learn.”

“...Who hurt you to make you be like this?” Applejack asked as the lalafell turned her attention to her.

“Lots of things made me the way I am...Though being in wars might be part of it...along with some other things.” She said before stretching her limbs a bit. “But I’m not in the mood to tell you three anything about my life story at the moment. After all, you three are enemies to the empire.”

“...Would it be possible to get you to join our side?” Rarity asked as the lalafell raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure Princess Celestia would be willing to...compensate you with whatever it is that you need. Seeing how you’re a...mercenary of sorts?”

“I’m not that kind of sellsword that would sell her services out to anyone with the highest amount of Gil, or whatever this world’s currency is. Plus I’m not being paid anything, this is out of the goodness of my heart.”

“Ha! Goodness of your heart?” Rainbow Dash laughed as she was soon met with another knife darting past her face.

“You and I are not going to get along well. Especially with the way you’re acting.” Jurrita said before using her magic to bring her dagger back over to her. “Now then. I think it should be time for you three to rest for tonight. Tomorrow’s going to be a bit busy if your Princess comes here to talk...let's hope that she comes tomorrow then just wait for who knows how long.” She said before walking over to the glowing stone in the center of the room and taps on it to turn it off. “And remember, I’ll be up all night. So don’t try to do anything stupid and if one of you has to use the bathroom, then I’ll wake you all up so you all can go together.” As the room faded into darkness, the only light that was visible was the piercing red eyes coming from the lalafell as it caused Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity to shiver in slight fear. Mainly due to the fact that this creature, despite being small, was a devil.