How did I allow this much to change?
Discord placed a flower made out of gems on top of the seamstress grave, then a flower that had its petals shaped like an apple on top of the farmer, then a flower that floated like a cloud hovered on top of the daredevil's grave, balloon flowers bounced around the party pony's grave, and finally ...a swarm of pink butterflies he created would flock there every day to form a bouquet.
The time he spent with them plagued his mind. How could have him been so blind to how time was changing them? Simple really, he couldn't be touched by time.
How much time did I lose with pointless fighting?
"I miss them too," A familiar voice said from behind him. "Those are beautiful. You're very thoughtful."
"Hello there, Twilight," Discord replied while handing a flower with a body that was covered in lavender lights. "I needed to create something. They'll be everywhere in Equestria in a few days. But don't worry, they won't kill other plants."
The lavender unicorn looked different. She had bags under her eyes, which were red as if she had been crying. Her figure had shriveled considerably. It was as if she had stopped eating altogether. Her cheekbones were standing out as the dried-up lips made her look half-dead. Her arms were thin enough for Discord to see the bone's outline. He could only imagine what was underneath her clothes. But above all else, her color. Twilight's lavender coat had the same color shade from when he tricked them out of their elements. Even her eyes were dull.
What happened to her?
"Thank you," Twilight replied while picking up the plant. "I won't worry. Your changes have made Equestria a bit more fun."
"Not as fun as when they were around. I am aware of how obnoxious I was to all of you. But it was all for the sake of having a good time. I have never been a social phenomenon," Discord said as he walked away. "I wish I could see them again."
Discord took a few steps before a wall of magic blocked his path. He looked over his shoulder, Twilight was stating at the ground with teary eyes.
"Some Princess I am. I taught the lesson of learning to let go to so many, but I can't put that to practice," She spoke with a somber tone, her voice was cracking. "I-I can show you a place where we can see them."
Discord's eyes widened at the statement, rushing to Twilight's side, and then he snapped his finger. A blinding flash later and they were at the hall of Twilight's castle. Twilight didn't flinch, her horn fired up. The ground beneath them allowed them to sink, a few seconds after, Discord could see multiple tables with texts in idioms he hadn't seen before.
"I've been too busy to see them slipping away as well. So, when I saw through this," Twilight said while pointing to a big mirror on the corner of the room. "I couldn't help myself."
Discord took a step back and then turned around. The mirror was in front of him now. He looked at the reflection before him, a reflection of his body, nothing more, nothing less. Then Twilight walked up to the mirror and began to charge it with her magic.
Discord felt his eyes fill up with tears as the image of Fluttershy appeared before him. She had a beautiful wedding dress. However, what made Discord tear up was the one standing by her side.
"W-what is this?" Discord asked as he touched the mirror's surface.
"A possibility," Twilight replied as she stared at the image of Discord on a black suit with Fluttershy by his side. "I saw many paths our world could have followed. Texts that appeared as our civilization advanced. Different spells appeared on our land, new species emerged, and so forth. I got so immersed on it that I forgot about the progression of time. Some princess of friendship, right?"
"I felt so useless when the map stopped summoning me. My friends were being all over the country, meanwhile, I was left here to ...warm a crystal seat. I felt so pathetic. That's when I found this mirror. And then ...I guess some habits can resurface at any time. I had to do something. So, I did. How thrilling it was."
She wasted her time as well. However ...
"You said possibilities," Discord muttered as he watched the wedding unveil before his eyes. "Do you think we could alter the variables to make them a reality?"
Looking with the corner of his eye, Discord saw a glint on Twilight's eyes. A small grin appeared on her muzzle as she tilted her head with a sad smile.
"I've thought of it before," Twilight replied with a serious tone. "As far as my studies point out, the mirror generates a safe area that prevents all that is contained within it to be erased by time changes. Therefore I could change things. I could bring them back. I made it all, the mirror was modified to do just that. The map, the mirror, Starlight's spells. I made it all work together. I just need a push to do it. I have t do it. I need them back."
Discord proceeded to snap his fingers as soon as Twilight finished her story. They reappeared before the two monarchs.
"Ladies, I assume you heard all of that?" Discord asked the disappointed looking Princesses.
"Yes. Yes, we have." Discord looked over to the less experienced princess.
Her eyes were filled with tears as she practically broke down in front of them.
"I showed you where to see them again! And you rat me out! I just wanted my time back! I don't want to be here without them! I can't be here without them! I refuse to live without them!"
Twilight was in too deep on her disbelief to notice the guards approaching her. Her attention was directed at Discord as the guards guided her towards the Princesses.
"We will lend our aid to Twilight," Luna said with a sad tone. "We are grateful for your aid, Discord."
"No problem. I'll handle the mirror. That thing won't be causing any issues for any of us. That much I can promise," Discord replied as he made a half-bow. He then proceeded to snap his fingers, which caused him to reappear at the secret lab.
"Clever little pony," Discord replied as he placed his claw on the mirror. "Maybe we should give the past a little nudge?"
Should I? NO. This thing could ruin everything. Or improve it. However, there isn't much I can do to predict the result. On the other hand, I could create the optimal result for me and them. But ...they wouldn't want me to do that. Then again, they wouldn't want Twilight to end up like that. Nor would they want me to play with their lives like this. But if I don't do it, Twilight loses her mind and becomes a threat. She made this so she could get away from the princesses.
Am I trying to convince myself to do it? Or is this the opposite? If I take the first step, I can't come back. There won't be a place to come back. What I had with them will be gone. Or I could send my mind back and then have a new beginning? No, the world back then wouldn't accept change as easily as this one. There would need someone who would stand up to change things and made them accept it. The ones that could do it wanted my head on a silver platter back then. Maybe there is another way?
I could try to change the timelines in the mirror. I don't have to worry about things that didn't happen, right?
"How about making you break free earlier?" Discord said while mimicking Twilight's voice.
"Very well," Discord replied before sending a chaos pulse through the mirror.
The ground shook violently. Discord saw the room's walls disappear while the items within it stood still. The outside of the castle was a twisted version of a chess table. He could see bunnies that seemed to be made of chewing gum were walking upside down on the clouds. A flock of yaks was prancing around while making pirouettes worthy of a world-class ballerina.
"I guess we weren't ready for an earlier awakening. How much did you hasten things up?" Discord mimicked.
"Four months exactly. I was aiming for a year. However, I thought it would be too early so I pushed the deadline back," Discord replied while scratching his beard. That one-sided conversation was the closest thing he could have to a normal talk now. "Perhaps, I can try to send a pulse to give them lasting youth instead of changing my rise."
Another pulse against the mirror. This time aimed at the birth of each of the element bearers. If they were unable to age from the very start, there was a chance to not needing to change anything. The world surrounding the room turned into a blur of paint. The colors spun into a vortex until all that was left was a murky, brown color.
A desolated terrain surrounded their vicinity. The empty land seemed fit for a dead Equestria.
"I recognize this place," "Twilight," said with a half-smile. "I had to jump to this timeline to show my student how wrong she was to play with time."
"Yet, here we are again. Do what I say, don't do what I do. But this is not the outcome we want." Discord replied while placing his hand on the mirror. "Eternal youth is not the way to go then. What should I try next?"
"How about changing your past self?" "Twilight" suggested. "There is a spell that allows you to send a copy of your mind to the past. However, your past self needs to activate a spell as soon as it arrives."
Discord ignored the remark as he continued to stare at the mirror. "How about this?"
Another chaos pulse and the sun above them became eclipsed, then the world fell into a dark, serene night. Big banners with the symbol of the moon took over the decorations of Ponyville. It would seem giving Celestia a boost was a bad idea.
"Not what I wanted, but not too bad either."
Another pulse, Daybreaker was quite the show-off.
"I don't think things could get worse."
Another pulse, Tirek became an ambassador for the crown.
"I can still fix this."
Another pulse, Starlight became Celestia's apprentice and owner of the castle.
"I can get this back in order."
Another pulse, Cozy Glow succeeded in her plans, which led to a strangely peaceful world.
"It isn't so bad, right? No, it's bad."
Another pulse, Chrysalis came around after her first attempt to conquer Equestria and joined forces with the Princesses.
"This is fine. I'm in control."
Another pulse and Sombra became Umbra.
"UNDO!"
Another pulse, Umbra became part of the crystal heart, and then ended up conquering Equestria.
"I SAID UNDO!"
Another pulse and Equos self-destructed after ten years.
"Now you are just mocking me."
The endless loop continued as the world around the room kept shifting. And every time, the element bearers would pass away to give place to new ones. Again and again, the experiment continued. Each time Discord hit a roadblock in a different possibility, he would jump to a new path.
The time within his room continued to flow normally. The scrolls began to age, the white pieces of parchment slowly turned yellow as time took its toll. The smell of aged books and paper saturated the air within the room. It was as if he had returned to the old sections of Canterlot Library.
Years flew by as Discord grew ever closer to his timeline. And with each step, he got less and less convinced that he could pull something off with that method. Until one day he simply stopped trying and sat in front of the mirror.
"This is getting obnoxious. Altering the possibilities is just annoying. There are too many variables to consider in each scenario. If I wanted to see plausible results I would need to try and change things up in my timeline. Not those. I bet Ms. Twilight would have plenty of data for me to analyze and determine the best approach."
"However, I don't feel like searching through her organized mess. So, let's think about this. Based on the experiments, I cannot try to change things from here. The variables are out of my reach. If I was present at the time, however, the world becomes my toy. But! The moment I send myself back I will either be a statue or being threatened to become a statue. Which means ...that I would need to send myself way back. Before the events of my first imprisonment."
"HOWEVER! I was causing trouble even before that. Ponies used to see change as a malevolent force. Therefore, anything I try would be disregarded as just malicious intent. Meaning that I would be turned to stone before anything could be done. BUT! Even If I was encased in stone, I could still be freed way back when. If enough chaos was generated, I could leave a decoy behind while preparing the world for the changes I wanted. However, anything I proposed would be seen as suspicious."
Discord stared at his reflection for a second after saying those words. "Anything I do will be seen as suspicious. What if someone else brought changes while I secure the things that mattered in the background? Yes, that could work. And for optimal cover ...I know exactly when and where to drop the one I need."
"Hello there, folks! Your favorite chatter-box is back. And I am very pleased to know that some spots are still able to tune in!"
The display before his eyes showing multiple dots on different parts of the globe was his window to how many people could be out there. Of course, those could be just automated stations others could have set up. But he had to stay positive. Breaking down was not an option for him at all.
"I have to believe someone out there will hear all the songs I collected."
Looking at the corner of the poorly-lit room, he saw the boxes containing the music sheets he had scavenged from the rubble around the base. Of course, there wasn't much he could recover outside, not without approaching the black and the white holes. The two singularities created a neutral field around the base, the constant pull from the black hole against the constant push of the white hole.
If he wandered too close to either side, he would suffer the effects of the area. Therefore, finding gear or anything from the time before the singularities incident was nearly impossible. Of course, that also meant Arthur wasn't able to search for food.
In short, he had his days counted. Even by systematically keeping the rations to moments when he was in a bad spot, his stock was diminishing. Water being the main issue, a human in optimal conditions can stay without water for about seventy-two hours. However, in his current condition, in the best-case scenario, he could last a day.
"Well, better push some music out there. The question here is which one? Something to cheer them up? Things are rather bleak. In that case, something like that should do the trick."
With a few strokes of a keyboard, he moved down the display until he reached the song. Whoever had set that place up (the body was buried outside the base, the poor guy was crushed by a part of the building that had collapsed) was a real fan of music.
Arthur wasn't complaining about it, though he wished the guy had left the instructions manual in better shape. All he could make out was how to send out signals. However, he didn't know how to tune in to talk to others. But, even if he couldn't receive the signals, if he could send it, maybe other people could have a bit of hope. Knowing that they were not alone could be just what they needed.
It was more than enough for him. Pressing the button, Arthur sent the music to the winds.
As soon as the song started to play, he turned his back on the monitor. He wanted to take another look at the things he had recovered that morning. Some shards seemed to fit together. They seemed to form a picture of a claw, all things considered, it was part of something bigger. He had found a set of eyes made out of the same material before.
Suddenly the sound of static began to act on the "incoming signal" part of the monitors. Arthur hastily put the pieces on the floor and then ran back to the computers. The static was changing volume as if someone was speaking. A red button was flashing, the letters were faded. Therefore, Arthur didn't know what the button
"Hello? Can anyone hear me, over?"
Arthur's heart skipped a beat when he heard that.
"I was right! I was right!"
"Can anyone hear me? Please respond!"
Arthur panicked, he had to do something, the red light was extremely taunting. Should he push it? Or should he try to change the music to show that he was hearing?
"If there is anyone hearing, there should be a button that allows you to speak to me! A two-way radio should have it!"
Arthur didn't even blink. His palm slammed the glowing button, causing the noise to fade a bit.
"HELLO! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! OVER!"
"Yes! We can hear you. So please don't shout. We are glad to hear another person's voice. Where are you now?"
"I'm in a base some other guy built. He was dead when I found him. Over."
"Alright, what is around you? Maybe we can get to you?"
"I'm sorry. But this is a no-go zone. I'm in between two singularities. A black hole, and a white hole. I can't get close to either one without being affected by them, over."
"I see ...how are you holding out? Do you have food and water?"
"I have some rations and water. However, it won't last for long. Moreover, I can't go very far because of the holes, over."
The sound of static returned. He couldn't have lost those people just because of food, right? Now that he thought about it, how many people did they have? Did they know how many were left?
"Hey, are you still there? Over."
"Yes, yes we are."
" "We"? Wait for a moment. How many people are there with you? Over."
"Well ...at least a hundred."
"A-A hundred? Y-you have a hundred people with you? Over."
"Yes. And we aren't the only ones alive as well. From what we gathered, there is about forty percent of the original population still alive and kicking."
"Hold it right there. How can you have an assessment of that? There are tears all over the globe. Therefore, there is no way to travel in between camps. Over."
"I told you we should have been honest right away!"
(I bet I could stand in Twilight's court with my imitations. They wouldn't even notice me.)
A new voice? The first one sounded like a male. The newest addition was more akin to a woman.
"Okay, listen up. There is about forty percent of your kind alive in there. We can asses that using a special method that allows us to see into your world."
"You are kidding. There are that many left? I-I'm not amongst the last?" Arthur asked as his eyes filled up with tears. He dropped to his knees while sobbing like a baby. "I-I was alone for two years. A-and now ...I-I'm so happy.
"Are you sure you want to celebrate before hearing everything?" The man spoke in a menacing tone.
Arthur gulped at the statement. What did this stranger know that he didn't? Were the other people in danger? Was the world decaying faster than he thought?
"Hey, kiddo. As amusing as your face is, we need to talk. Here is the deal: we undo the damage in your world, you help us by coming over here. Simple as that." The male continued.
"What? I'm a med-school student that somehow survived this shit. How am I going to help?! And how am I going to get to where you are?" Arthur asked while frowning.
"You, my friend, are one of the attempts we made to make some changes over on our side. Humans are variables, chaotic ones. We contacted multiple ones trying to convince them to aid us. However, they either dissed us or were too depressed to bother." The female voice explained.
"So, I'm one of the back-up plans. So, tell me why should I bother to help? For all I know, you two might be lying about all of this. And you didn't answer my question on how to get there." He wasn't going to bother with how talking via radio worked if the ones on the other side were just pranking him.
"Look behind you. You'll see some proof that we aren't regular "people." "
(I'm sure I qualify as a monster.)
Arthur stopped for a second. Part of him wanted to humor the request. The rest wanted to shut the thing off and go back to being alone. Those idiots were literarily toying with him at that point. However, the sound of scratching sent a shiver down his spine.
Arthur looked over his shoulder, the piece of art he found with the claw was moving, ON. ITS. OWN. The piece of porcelain had a real claw sticking out of it, and it was scratching the ground. Above it, there was a pair of eyes.
"You ...I'm hallucinating. Ok, I think I need water," Arthur muttered before he felt a splash of cold water hit his face. He could feel it running down his head and dripping on his body. "You have my full attention."
(A bucket of cold water. It Always does the trick.)
"Listen closely. My plan requires some changes to my world."
"Your world? Are you ...talking to me from another planet."
"Yep. In a sense, I am."
"What would you gain from this?"
"I'll be borrowing things from you. As you will be borrowing things from me. Equivalent exchange."
"What do you mean I would be borrowing-?!"
(This is taking too long)
Before Arthur could continue his line of thought, he was yanked out of the ground by his feet. Looking up at his legs, Arthur saw the claw holding his ankle. Arthur tried to break free, however, three other limbs appeared. Each one of them grabbed hold of Arthur's remaining limbs and then dragged him through the walls. He phased through them as if the walls weren't even there.
"LET ME GO! I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS! LET ME OUT!"
The limbs ignored Arthur's pleas as he was brought closer to the black hole. When he was out of reach of the white hole's area of effect, the severed limbs set him free into the singularity. Arthur felt his body stretch as he got closer to its center.
I'm going to die!
"Where am I?! I can't see anything!"
A soul doesn't have eyes, so it can't see.
Discord was floating inside the lab. The preparations for the trip back were ready. All that was left to do was prepare the finishing touches. And one of them was floating right in front of Discord.
Discord held the life of that unsuspecting human in his claws. The creature's body lacked the requirements to live in Equos. Therefore, Discord needed to create a proper vessel. There were many creatures in equos that could be candidates. The easiest option was shoving it inside a pony. The soul would blend in without a hitch inside the body of a pony.
There were two issues with that option, the first if he blended in, there was a chance of the plan not even beginning. Secondly, the easy things weren't fun.
So, based on what I have seen, Humans are very influenced by their emotions. Their bodies are somewhat fluid and, with proper methods, can be changed. A creature fueled by emotions and can alter its body at will. We got a winner.
Placing the soul in the air, Discord began to move his arms around as if he was conducting an orchestra. As if on cue, a green mass began to form in front of him. The mass rearranged itself around the soul, forming the inner organs of a changeling. Then a pink cloud formed above the organs. From it, a white liquid was poured over the organs giving the shape of a changeling.
Finally, Discord took a deep breath before letting out a cloud of black smoke. The smoke attached itself over the creature and voilá. It was a living, breathing changeling. He was about the same size as Luna, only slightly smaller. In comparison to Celestia, he was rather small. However, when compared to regular ponies he would be a giant of sorts. He didn't have a mane. However, like most drones, he had some spikes on his head along with a horn similar to a bug.
The body was on stasis state and saturated with chaotic energy. Discord would need to keep it like that to send him back to the past without any backlash to the changeling's mind. The amount of energy that would be left behind would be enough to send Discord's mind back.
"Now, let's make our play. I promise you, Twilight, we will not let our time with them go to waste," Discord muttered as he opened a tear in the mirror. "Off you go, my pawn."
As soon as the body disappeared, the tear closed while leaving behind a crack all across the mirror's surface.
"I don't think it can take much more of this," Discord said as he snapped his fingers. One of the scrolls within the lab floated his claws. "Out with the new, in with the old."
Celestia stood before the statue of Discord. She had the creature carried from the plains where it faced its defeat to the garden within their temporary fortress. As much as she trusted the Elements of Harmony, something inside her kept telling her to keep the statue within arm's reach.
"You were so powerful. You bested us so many times before this. So, why? Why did you throw in the towel without putting up a fight? That doesn't make sense. What would you have to gain from it?" Celestia muttered while keeping her arms crossed. "Would it be too far off to assume you're aware of what's happening? Yes. It's a ridiculous concept. Stones aren't alive."
Celestia let out a sigh, the day had been long and Luna had already raised the Moon. The court was sun court was done for the day, that meant that problems would be handed to Luna from that point on until the sun rose again. Celestia turned her back to the statue and then headed to her tent.
As she walked away, a cold wind blew from behind her, something deep inside Celestia told her to turn around. However, she dismissed the feeling as paranoia due to exhaustion. Celestia directed her gaze at the constellations above.
Luna outdid herself as usual. This ought to be a calm night.
"PRINCESS!"
Luna almost jumped out of her throne due to the sudden scream. The night court was always quiet, so a guard suddenly yelling out of nowhere like that was unusual. Luna quickly rose from her throne as the guard kneeled before her.
"What has happened to cause such distress?" Luna asked with a calm expression. She had to hide the excitement felt from the sudden change in routine. She had to keep the expression of a calm and collected leader.
"T-There is a giant cocoon attached to our mast!"
Luna raised an eyebrow at that.
Perhaps another prank from our sister? Luna gestured to the guard, asking him to proceed.
"T-There is something inside it. The c-cocoon is pulsating like a heart. What should we do?"
Luna placed her hand on her chin. If that report was real, then their forward base could be in danger. They had just secured what little territory they had, now that? Luna knew she couldn't afford to make a mistake as they tried to reconquer their lands.
"Takes us to it. It is time we learn if we are endangered or not."
Author's Note
What am I doing? I don't know, do you know?
The Pegasus soldier led Luna through the camp by flying. Ground troops gathered around the center mast. Their weapons ready and pointing at the alien green blob. The poor illumination granted from the torches around the camp made it clear that the cocoon was glowing.
How did that get in here? Our guards are posted all around the walls. And then, there are the aerial troops swooping the premises.
Luna flew closer to the mass. As she got closer to it, a familiar sensation began to encircle her body. It was the same unpleasant feeling from when Discord's magic was saturating the world. That cocoon was overflowing with chaotic energy. Luna shielded her body using her magic. A layer of energy surrounded her body with a bluish aura.
We better cut this thing down. The creature inside is either a friend of Discord or its victim.
With a flick of her wrist, Luna summoned a silver sword. The blade could last for half an hour in her current state. Thanks to the current state of affairs, Luna hadn't time to completely recover her body.
"Guards! Get some mages here to levitate this cocoon," Luna ordered, which led to three unicorns to step forward. "We shall cut it now. Levitate it to the ground."
After giving the order, Luna swung her sword downwards, cutting down the mass without damaging the mast. Luna then dismissed the blade, no reason to spend energy on something without knowing if it was a threat or not. Luna hovered to the ground as the guards made way for her landing.
The object had stopped pulsating. Its glow had faded as the sound of something cracking began.
"To all guards! Stand back!" Luna ordered while summoning a wall in front of her body.
Bracing herself for an explosion, Luna closed her eyes while turning her back to the cocoon. And then she waited. And waited. And waited. The crackling sound stopped, the only sound left was that of the flames. Luna opened her eyes in confusion, looking over her shoulder, she spotted the creature within the object laying on the ground.
There was a green liquid that was quickly evaporating into a cloud of green smoke. There was no scent coming from it, by the creature's hooves, Luna saw another cocoon-shaped object. This one, however, wasn't green. The material had a black color, and its contents weren't visible.
Luna dismissed the shield before running a magic search on the object. Much like its outer layer, the inner pocket was covered in chaos magic. Luna kneeled to touch the object. However, before she could reach it, she was yanked back.
"Don't touch it, Sister!"
The one that had pulled her away was Celestia. She grabbed Luna's wrist and then dragged her away from the being and the object.
"We are unharmed, sister. You can unhand us," Luna said as she broke away from her sister's grip. "The creature seems to be dormant."
"That 'thing' is saturated with Chaos energy. Not to mention it looks like a giant insect!" Luna rolled her eyes at the way Celestia shuddered when she said the word "insect". "You know how I feel about those things. We are better off cutting its head and then tossing it outside."
"Oh, so you wish to spill its hemolymph right now? You're quite brave, sister. Who knows how much of its organs shall be spill once we remove the head?" Luna replied with a smile as she watched Celestia's cheeks turn green as she seemed to gag. "That's what we thought. Not to me-?!"
*Click, Clank, Click, Click*
Luna turned around as quickly as she could. The creature's body seemed to expand as if it was breathing. Glancing to her side, Luna saw Celestia standing ready with her hands trembling ever so slightly.
We knew we could count on you.
Luna carefully approached the being. She then reached for the cocoon before tossing it to one of the guards.
"Secure it," Luna ordered with a quiet voice.
When Luna turned her gaze back to the creature, she froze on the spot. One of its eyes was open while it moved frantically as if searching for something.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The scream was deafening. Luna covered her ears while wincing in pain as the creature tried to scramble away. Which led to a meeting between it and a wall of spears. One of the guards jumped to conclusions and tried to impale its head. When the tip impacted against the creature's skin, it slid off to the side while leaving a scratch mark on its surface.
The creature yelped as it raised its hands to the point of impact. However, it froze the moment its hands got in front of its eyes. Its jaw dropped, causing its tongue to roll out. The creature blinked rapidly before trying to shove the muscle back into its mouth. While it was trying to do so, a golden magic blast hit the creature's head, causing it to fall on the dirt.
Luna looked to the side, only to see Celestia's arm extended and stiff. She is handling this better than the stag beetle I brought to her when I was a filly. Calmly reaching for Celestia's arm, Luna placed her hand over it.
"It's okay, sister. Thou hast hit it. Its head has been blasted into pieces," Luna reassured her sister while slowly lowering Celestia's arms. Then proceeded to mentally curse herself for using the archaic language destined for the court. It made her sound arrogant.
That phobia was as adorable as it was terrifying. If Celestia suddenly began to blast every bug she saw, there could be collateral damage. Lots of collateral damage. More than any creature in any part of Equos could handle.
"Princess! It's still breathing!" One of the soldiers screamed.
Luna quickly placed a calming spell over Celestia before she could fire another beam. Luna then made Celestia stare into her eyes.
"It's okay, sister. We shall handle the creature. Go back to your tent. You require rest," Luna said as she gradually removed the spell.
Celestia replied with a nod before walking away. Luna then bobbed her head towards her sister, and a guard followed Celestia. Turning around, Luna approached the creature. There was smoke coming from the point of impact, along with some scorch marks.
How did it survive a direct blast? We need to question this creature. Especially about how it got inside our camp.
"Guard, we wish to interrogate this creature. Lock it up in a separate cage. Better not risk the other prisoners," Luna ordered as she turned to the guard that had taken the cocoon. "We shall return to our tent. Bring the object to us. Commander Dusk!" A brown earth pony with a scar on its neck stepped into the clearing. "Assign a guard to monitor the creature. This guard is also responsible for notifying us if the creature awakens, regardless of the time of day."
The guards saluted her before restraining the unconscious being and dragging it away. The crowd made way for her without hesitation. She still hadn't figured if it was out of respect or fear. There were too many bad dreams to tell the difference yet.
We better secure the information before Tia decides to obliterate the creature.
Arthur felt his head throb as nausea forced him to open his eyes and vomit. A mixture of black and green fluids washed the ground before him. Arthur tried to stand up, causing him to throw up even more. He was barely standing when another urge rushed his stomach. And that caused more fluids to be expelled out of his mouth. His legs gave in which led to him falling on top of the grotesque mixture.
Metal taste, weakness upon losing it. The smell of ...blood. Did something struck me on the head ...Did I suffer a head trauma? If so, I need to get a CT scan. Otherwise my ...why is the headache fading?
The blurriness of his vision was slowly fading. The throbbing feeling in the back of his skull disappeared at the same time. That was not normal, some of the symptoms of dangerous in severe head trauma include vomit more than twice in an hour, nausea, and loss of consciousness.
Arthur dragged himself to the walls of the area he was in, bars were surrounding him. Am I in a cage? Using them as support, Arthur pulled himself off the ground. Just as he was back on his feet, Arthur felt something striking him in between the eyes. It wasn't a strike per se, it felt more like being poked.
"A-away from the bars," A cracking voice spoke as the poking continued. A sour taste made Arthur gag, the issue being the lack of anything in his mouth. Probably from the vomit. "O-or I'll a-attack."
Arthur raised his eyes at the assailer. Some kind of bipedal horse creature stood before him. Orange eyes with a pink coat, wearing light armor. However, what grabbed Arthur's attention was the pair of wings sprouting from its back. The appendices were fully extended as if to make the creature look larger than it was. Arthur pushed his body away from the bars, which caused him to fall on his butt.
He then tried to speak to the creature. However, the moment he opened his mouth, his tongue slid out.
"EEP!" The creature outside screamed as it backed away. The sourness spiked for a second before fading.
The muscle reached halfway through his chest. Arthur kept trying to move it without using his hands. It took him a few attempts, but the muscle started to respond to his commands. A few more minutes of practice and he was able to put it back inside his mouth.
"Thou hast awakened," A somewhat familiar voice commented as he tried to get up again. Now he could taste something a mixture of sour and salt. "We are impressed that thou are still standing after receiving a direct blast from our sister."
So, that's what happened.
Arthur looked towards the voice as he tumbled back to the ground, a blue horse with horns and wings stood before him. It had a mane that was made out of constellations. It was wearing clothes that looked like an armor set for a fantasy game. In other words, a mix of delicate/intricate silk-looking cloth and pieces of plating protecting only vital spots and some joints, while leaving some skin exposed.
"We are Princess Luna, Keeper of dreams and Protector of the Moon," It said before offering its hand to be kissed.
Isn't that the character from ...My Little Pony was it? Celestia's younger sister.
"Forgive me," Arthur said while pointing to his mouth. "But I can't seem to stand up. Moreover, I threw up a few minutes ago. Therefore, I don't think your highness would want my lips anywhere near your ...coat," He finished while crossing his legs. Then his tongue rolled out again, the damned thing was harder to control than he anticipated.
The mare, or at least he assumed it was a mare, seemed to wince at his statement. A foul taste was added to the previously mentioned flavors. Disgust is the same as back home, I guess.
"Very well. We have some questions for thee," The alicorn, was that the right term? The alicorn said while staring at Arthur's eyes. "What matter of creature are thee?"
"With all due respect, your highness, I would love to know it myself. Because last I checked, I wasn't covered in ...I want to say "armor," " Arthur spoke while staring at his hand.
Needless to say that Luna wasn't satisfied with the answer. However, Arthur couldn't help it, he was as clueless as she at that point. But he felt an urge to vomit even stronger than when he woke up.
"Very well, what is thy purpose?" Luna replied with a colder tone.
"Right now? Not dying in all honesty," Arthur replied as he touched his skin. The surface was smooth, soft, and cold. How that withstood a spear attack and a magic blast was a mystery. "Also, I hate to ask since I'm a prisoner, but could you give me something to wash this off me?"
"Thou believes to be in a position to make requests? Answer our question, then we shall ponder about requests."
Arthur winced at the expression on the princess' face. "I am sorry. It's not like I can do much more than that. I was contacted by something. Then I was tossed in here. I don't know the details. All I know is that someone asked me to make changes in exchange for helping my world. However, I neither agreed to the deal or denied it. In short, I was kidnapped."
The Princess scowled at him. From the looks of it, the truth wasn't something she could handle at that moment.
"We can have you executed in a heart-beat. You are saturated with chaos magic. We just defeated Discord, how can we know that you aren't one of its followers?"
Her speech changed. Wait, just defeated Discord? That's ...way before the show started. I think ...wait. He caused havoc, right? Can't I say that I seek asylum from the atrocities he caused?
Arthur took a deep breath. He needed a place to live. "I promise you that I am no ally of Discord. I did not wish to be in this part of the world. I was brought here against my will. And since I don't know how to return, or if returning is even a possibility, I would like to plea for mercy and ask for asylum."
"Asylum? What is that?" The mare asked while tilting her head.
"It means that I'm asking for refuge. A safe place to live. A chance to work and live under your rules. That sort of thing ..." Arthur replied with a bit of confusion in his voice.
"You ...want to live under our banner? Under our rule?" Luna asked him, she looked more confused than Arthur. "Our kingdom isn't even a fraction of what it once was. Yet, you would seek refuge here?"
"Your highness defeated Discord along with your sister, isn't that correct? Is there a safer place to be right now?" Arthur said. Reasoning with her was his best bet of not being executed.
"The griffin kingdom is a force to be reckoned with."
"Yet they lack two goddesses that control the sun and the moon. Your moon could destroy many coastal cities, while Princess Celestia's sun could end life on this planet if she wished. I would say they are the ones that need protecting," Arthur said with caution.
"Flattery shan't grant thee our favor," Luna shot back, with her eyes locked on his. Something sweet got added to the mix, only a droplet, but it was there.
"There is a thin line between stating the truth and flattery. I can assure you that I have no reason to lie or betray you," Arthur replied while tilting his head and trying to smile, as his tongue rolled out of his mouth again. A spike of sour happened again.
Luna's wings sprung open as she took a defensive stance. "You dare to bare your fangs?!"
"Wha-?! NO-NO-NO!" Arthur replied as he backed away and waved his arms in front of him. "I-I was trying to smile! I'm very sorry! Don't attack me, please!"
Arthur stared at the alicorn for several seconds as all of his muscles seemed to tense up. His body felt heavier. Arthur closed his eyes as he braced for an incoming attack.
None came.
The mixture of flavors faded as his body slowly felt lighter. AM I DEAD YET?!
Arthur dared to open his right eye. The princess was gone, and so was the guard. Arthur allowed his body to fall to the side. How did my life get so fucked up? Oh, yeah ...I talked to strangers.
"Can I do something to pass time?" Arthur muttered quietly.
Dawn came as usual, and so did Celestia's time to take over. She entered the tent where their court was held. Her sister seemed concerned about something. Luna was a warrior just like Celestia, however, she wasn't very keen on the idea of killing without need.
"Sister, I came to take over. Is there something we should be aware of?" Celestia asked while standing by Luna's side.
"The creature you assaulted asked for refuge," Luna replied while scratching her chin. "It spoke of seeking asylum. It defined as a safe place to live. It also offered to work and live under our rules."
Celestia shuddered at the thought of the giant insect speaking. "That's ridiculous. W-we can't accept a thing like that into our kingdom! How can we trust anything it says!?"
"It bothers us," Luna replied as she turned her gaze to her sister. "The creature asked us to not attack. It claimed that its objective was "not dying." It also claimed to have been brought here against its will. Should we ...should we trust it?"
"Luna! We cannot trust a creature like that! How could we even hope to-"
"Princess!" A unicorn guard stormed into the tent. She was breathing heavily. "I-I'm sorry! I-I ..."
"Go ahead. Give your report." Luna ordered.
"T-there has been an accident. Five of our workers have been severely injured in a timberwolf attack. We need more ponies," The guard replied while saluting the princesses, her legs were shaking.
"Luna, unless we send our soldiers to the construction site, we won't have any ponies to take their place," Celestia spoke while crossing her arms. "Any suggestions sister?"
Luna grabbed her chin for several seconds. "There is one. The creature asked to work under our banner. That means he has to follow our rules," Luna said with a wicked grin. "We can test his intentions with this. As it stands, he is our prisoner. Because of that status, we can convert him into a slave. Albeit temporary, he would need to his sentence off. We can define his fine as well as the conditions for his work. A controlled experiment to evaluate the intent of this creature."
Celestia felt a shiver run down her spine. Is she considering this?! THAT IS A HUGE INSECT! How is she even considering this?!
"Luna, you can't be serious about this. T-that thing is ..."
"Do you have a better suggestion? To get new ponies, we would have to delay the construction. And that means remaining exposed for more time," Luna replied with her grin widening.
There wasn't a way to oppose that argument. As it stood, their conditions were grim. If they continued out in the open, it would be harder to defend their territory.
"If ...if you wish to do this. I'll ask you to talk to it yourself. I can't stand insects," Celestia shuddered as Luna walked past her.
"Can you please stop with the poking?" Arthur asked as the polearm of a spear kept hitting his shoulder.
"But I'm curious. What is this thing covering your body?" A strange mare asked as she continued to poke his shoulder.
"I want to guess armor. But It wouldn't be soft. Or hardening at the impact. So, your guess is about as good as mine," Arthur replied while trying to keep his cool.
He barely got any sleep in during the night. Whenever he felt drowsiness to take in, a foul taste would make him wake up. His eyes would meet a group of ponies staring at him before walking away. Moreover, the fact he had spent two years on his own didn't help him with the new environment. The sight and sound of so many creatures made his heart race while his head spun like a pinwheel.
In short, he was annoyed.
"Creature!" A familiar voice called out. Arthur lazily raised his eyes, Luna was back, and she had a grin that made Arthur shiver. "Thou has informed us that thou seeks refuge in our kingdom, are we correct?"
"Yes. I announced that." Arthur replied with his ears perking up. "And forgive me for not giving you my name. I am Arthur. It is an honor and pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."
"Then we have a proposal for thee," Luna replied, she didn't seem to bother with Arthur's name.
"Um, sure ...what can I do to help?" Arthur said while dragging himself to the bars.
"Due to an incident with a timberwolf, we have five workers incapacitated. We came here to request your services," Luna replied with her grin widening.
I am so screwed right now. "Er, I'm not a fighter. I never touched a sword, bow, crossbow, dagger, quarterstaff, morning star, mace, longsword, rapier, sickle, scythe, war hammer, and I think your highness understands my position," Arthur replied with a nervous chuckle.
"We are not aware of what those names refer to. But we can safely say that we do not seek thou prowess in combat," Luna replied as she shook her head sideways. "We seek thou arm strength. Thou shall replace the incapacitated workers."
"I think I can do that. If I have the instructions on what I am supposed to do," Arthur said as something in the back of his mind screamed YOU ARE A FOOL.
"There is a catch. We cannot allow thee to wander across our camp without precautions," Luna replied as a guard approached her with irons fitting for a cage. "Therefore, if thou seeks to earn the right to live amongst us, thou shall wear these. They are slave binds. The wrist cuffs shall prevent thee from using your hands when thou has left your work. The collar, on the other hand, shall prevent thee from using magic or attempting to attack any of our own."
Arthur raised an eyebrow at the sight. That deal meant he would need to be their slave until they deemed him trustworthy. Which could mean he would be at their mercy. The other options weren't as enticing either.
How in the fuck am I going to get out of this one?! I can stay here and wait until one of the guards decides to check how resilient I am, or I can work as a slave and try to survive. FUCK YOU!
"I ...I humbly accept your offer." Arthur finally replied.
It took less than a second. The irons disappeared from the guard's hands and then Arthur felt his hands become heavier as something wrapped itself around his neck. Arthur's wrists then slammed together producing a loud metallic sound.
"From this day forward, until we see fit, thou shall be a slave for the two royal sisters of Equestria," Luna's smile was huge. Her eyes were beaming as she opened the cage. "The ponies are waking up. Time for you to work."
Arthur crawled his way out of the cage. When he stood up, he realized that Luna was slightly taller than him, while the mare that was poking him was ...short. Very, very short. Her height made her reach halfway through his torso. Arthur tilted his head, they looked bigger when he was inside the cage. Looking back to it, Arthur realized that the cage was smaller than him.
Did ...did that thing shrink me while I was inside?
"Um, would you be so kind as to give me some pants? I ...I feel rather exposed," Arthur replied while looking up to the princess.
Luna's horn flared up before a pair of pants that seemed to made out of hemp. They were damaged, and at the edge of it, there were ...bite marks.
"Is this ...from one of the workers?" Arthur inquired as he put them on. I guess that underwear isn't a thing for slaves.
"No. Those belonged to a slave that lost his leg to a manticore," Luna replied nonchalantly.
"Ah ...ok then. Can someone lead me to the construction site?" Arthur replied as he dropped his shoulders.
Luna looked at the guard that had been watching over Arthur. The mare straightened up her posture before hastily saluting Luna.
"Follow me, um ...how should I refer to it?" She asked after halting her march.
"Call it whatever it wants. This creature is under probation. If it passes, it shall become a member of our kingdom," Luna replied before taking off.
The mare stood still and stared at Arthur for several seconds.
She can't be serious.
"Call me Arthur. It is simple as that," The mare nodded before leading the way. Arthur followed with his shoulders dropped. "Won't you introduce yourself? You were poking me with a spear after all."
"I was tasked with leading your way, not being amicable."
That attitude took a one-eighty in half a second.
The mare led the way across the camp without whispering a word. Arthur took this opportunity to check his bearings. He had to make the most of the time he would have outside the cage. Knowing how things worked could help him figure out the conditions in which they were living. But of course, any conclusions he made would be speculations. The only way to confirm them would be asking the camp's inhabitants.
The soldiers had a hierarchy of sorts. Some soldier had full plates of armor, while others bore half-plate or leather. The higher you are in the food chain, the better the equipment you get? That sounds a bit unfair. And a bit impractical. Well, it's probably due to lack of resources. Stop! Assuming! Things!
Arthur continued to follow the mare as they left the camp. When he stepped out of the camp, it took about five steps before the scent of feces and urine took over the air. They probably have a latrine or some other place where they evacuate.
The mare took a dirt path led them to a large clearing in the middle of the forest. Piles of stones were organized in the far end of the area. There was some kind of structure starting to take shape in its center. Arthur could sort of make out the skeleton of a building. He was no engineer, but anyone can probably make out the markings on the ground.
"Iron Hat!" The mare shouted at a stallion that had a bunch of bandages wrapped around his head. "Princess Luna sent you a new worker."
The stallion turned around with a frown, that disappeared the moment he laid eyes on Arthur. He seemed confused, and a bit impressed.
"What on Equos did you bring?" Iron asked as he stared straight at Arthur's eyes.
"It's the princesses' new pet," The mare replied with a chuckle. "It's been sent here to help with the construction."
"Hello," Arthur replied with an awkward wave. "I'm Arthur. I have never done this before. But if you tell me what I am supposed to do, I'll get things done."
"Um ...and I'm supposed to ...?"
"Have him aid your construction?" The soldier replied while tilting her head.
"How?" The stallion replied with a confused look.
"Um, Do you need me to do something?" Arthur inquired while trying to hide his annoyance at the scene.
"Go to the corner. Stay away from me and my workers. That's how you help." Iron replied with a frown.
"I'm sorry. But you can't do that," The soldier replied. "These are direct orders from the Princess. You'll have to take him and work with him," She said with a smile on her muzzle. "Good luck."
The stallion turned back with a heinous glare, Arthur suppressed a sigh while trying to brace himself to whatever was coming his way.
I guess she just sealed me one hell of a time of servitude.
And thus, a few weeks of hellish work began. Slaves weren't allowed to rest during work hours. Slaves weren't allowed to have beds. Slaves had to stay in their cages when not working. The good news was the fact he was male and had all of his parts. The bad news was that he was a parasite known as Changeling. As far as he knew, changelings needed love to survive.
But the bad news didn't stop there. Two years of isolation took what social capabilities Arthur had. That meant he was in a pinch. Without emotion, he was going to die. Without anyone to interact with, aside from receiving orders, he wouldn't have his food. Arthur could attempt to forcefully feed off a pony, however, if the images in the old base held he would be in trouble.
Yeah, killing others is a no-no.
The situation only got worse as he realized the hole in his leg. Starting as a depression on the skin, the hole got bigger as Arthur increased his physical load. His main job was carrying the stone blocks into their respective places, however, from time to time he had to help lift considerable numbers of rocks with pulleys that tended to malfunction.
Fate must have hated Arthur, for after the first hole seemed to reach its maximum size, the holes started to multiply. There was also a constant need to vomit plaguing his mind as the days progressed. Arthur also noticed that the food he earned didn't taste like before, it was bland and tasteless.
Neither of the princesses came to see him after the first visit. The guards only paid attention to him when he was in the camp. The workers didn't speak to him in any way.
In summary, Arthur's situation went from bad to worse.
And that went on until a guard came to take Arthur away one night. Arthur had been trying to sleep, and failing miserably at it when the reverberating sound of metal clanks woke him up.
"Come out," The guard ordered while opening the cage. "Your presence is requested at your highness' tent."
After putting on a lot of effort, Arthur managed to get up and walk out of the cage. The guard didn't even hesitate after Arthur was out she led the way as Arthur blindly followed her. When they reached a tent that was larger than any of the other tents, the soldier gestured Arthur to halt.
"Try anything, and we will end your life."
"You are doing that already," Arthur muttered under his breath as he entered the tent.
"We see that thou are yet to clean the stains."
Those were the first words directed at him after he passed through the cloth. There was something sweet in the air.
Does it taste like blueberries?
After his mouth began to water up, Arthur felt his stomach growl. Arthur quickly grabbed his mouth to prevent drooling on the ground.
"I, I haven't exactly had any time to take care of myself, Your Highness," Arthur replied while holding his hands in front of his mouth.
"Oh, we apologize for that. Although reluctantly, the construction chief has spared some words of praise for thy work," The Princess replied while leaning on her hand. "Diligent work, for a bug. We believe the words were."
"I'm glad I pleased someone," Arthur replied while something seemed to be trying to slither its way into his head.
Food.
"We have also noticed that thou hast sustained injuries."
"Hungry."
HUNGER.
"What hast thou said?" Luna inquired while tilting her head. "We could not hear thee."
GIVE ME FOOD!
"I, HIIIISSSSSSS!" Arthur's tongue shot out of his mouth while hissing aggressively. "I, I am so HIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSS."
HUNGRY. NEED. TO. FEED!
Luna could only watch as the creature fell to its knees while desperately trying to remove the collar. Gasping for air, it fell on its side. Its body kept twisting and turning as the holes in its arms grew. However, the worst of it was the fact that one of those holes suddenly began to form on its torso.
WHAT DO I DO?! The collar activated, which means ill intentions. But it should have stopped! Why isn't it stopping?!
"Guh ..."
*Crack*
That sound made Luna's body freeze. Staring back at the creature, Luna saw its body lying limply on the carpet.
Oh, no. What did I do?!
"PRINCESS!" A guard screamed as he entered the tent. After seeing the dead body on the carpet, the guard straightened up his posture. "I shall see to the corpse's removal from the camp. With all due respect, Your Highness, but good riddance."
After that statement, the guard picked up the body and left.
Did, did I just cause its death?
"Long live Discord."
Then everything went black.
I can't believe it worked. Ok, keep it down. Get him out of the camp G9-0.
Trying her best to keep in character, she walked out of the camp while avoiding conversations. She wasn't an infiltrator, which meant she wasn't trained for complex social interactions. All the hive had prepared her for was basic things to lure others away to feed off them.
However, it wasn't like she much choice in the matter. The only one with enough reserves to enter the camp and come out was her. Gaining the forest, she dropped the disguise and ran to their hiding spot.
"So, you found another one," a familiar voice called out from the trees. "Is that the type you've been looking for?"
"He generated the EFF. There is a high chance of him being a tree-born. But he won't last long, get N5-8 and M3-1," G9-0 replied while creating a mattress using leaves and bushes.
"You know Nagira will want to eat it, right?" The voice replied.
"That's why I asked you to get a manticore or a cockatrice, K7-6," G9-0 said while rolling her eyes.
K7-6, the best fighter they had. Keen on keeping others safe while putting herself at risk.
"Relax. I know you think ahead. None of us are going to question you. You've been keeping us alive. I was practicing what I6-9 taught me about teasing," The voice replied before growing silent.
After that, G9-0 carefully placed the unconscious changeling on the ground. The sleep spell worked better than she had hoped. G9-0 had been expecting him to wake up half-way there.
The starvation must have taken its toll.
"G9-0!" Another familiar voice called out from the bushes. "Did you find it?!"
N5-8, good for tending to small wounds, extremely upbeat.
"I guess so, N5-8. Is M3-1 with you?"
"Yep!" She said while pointing at the male beside her.
M3-1, good for dealing with advanced wounds, never spoke to anyone besides N5-8. Luckily they had a good dynamic.
"Did you bring extras-sss today?" Another voice said as a rattling sound came from the tree-tops.
That was Nagira, the current keeper of their home. In exchange for bringing in food, she allowed G9-0 and her group to hide in her hunting grounds.
"He isn't food. And cut the extended 's' sound. You don't need to speak like that," G9-0 shot back while gesturing N5-8 and M3-1 to get closer. "What is happening to him? Besides the starvation that is."
M3-1 approached the body and began examining it. After touching the holes and then running some spells on the unconscious changeling, M3-1 leaned over to N5-8 and whispered something.
"Really? That's bad," N5-8 muttered before turning to G9-0. "M3-1 says that this changeling doesn't have the PARA-EM. He is also suffering from n-poisoning. It's saturating his system and eating his energy reserves. Which might explain why he has so many holes."
"Ok. But how do we treat it?" G9-0 asked while crossing her arms.
M3-1 whispered something to N5-8 again.
"M3-1 says that he can make one PARA-EM. But we need to remove the negative emotions from his system while replenishing his basal levels of positive emotions." N5-8 replied while making an impression of what G9-0 could only assume to be M3-1. "Meaning someone has to suck it out of his system and then vomit that black goo."
"Why are you saying, someone?" K7-6 asked while leaning on a tree. "Can't you do it?"
"This is equivalent of forcefully feeding on a pony. Therefore, to make the most of it, we need a willing gatherer to suck the n-poison out. Through his mouth," G9-0 winced at that phrase.
"Kiss of death?" G9-0 asked while letting out a sigh.
"Kiss of death," N5-8 replied.
Kiss of death was the name of the deadliest thing a gatherer could do. During a kiss with another creature of any kind, they could drain all emotion from their target. As a result, the target becomes an empty husk and then dies. Performing this act has two issues, one is leaving the body in a festering state. The other is that it is incredibly difficult to stop the process.
Looking at the body and then back at her friends, G9-0 let out a sigh as she pressed the base of her jaw. The pressure made her nervousness melt away. Leaning over the stranger's face, G9-0 made her fangs retract.
Please, don't let me kill him.
"Before you begin," N5-8 intervened while placing her hand in front of G9-0. "M3-1 told me to warn you that you should drain enough negative to fill a bucket, and then replenish the positive. He also says that you should keep at it until he starts to wake up."
"It's never easy, is it?" G9-0 muttered under her breath.