Bellum awoke. Some Thing had Changed.

She blinked slowly, looking around her. Ponies. Laughing, tinkling. A sound like screaming, but it was just boiling water.

She shook her head. Trying to clear it. Those were... memories. Like a dream. Something was happening now, though, something had awoken her.

"Stratus?" A voice said near her. A voice... Rarity. That was Rarity's voice. The Element of Generosity.

"Everything alright dear?" Rarity asked, her glittering blue eyes showing real concern.

Bellum smiled.

"Yes, Miss Rarity. Everything is just fine."

Rarity smiled back, and seemed relieved, "Good. Fluttershy told me about your... weak spells, I was hoping I didn't accidentally trigger one of them."

Bellum laughed softly and moved to get the tea kettle off of her little electric stove, "I see I am the talk of the town!"

Rarity blushed, and quickly waved a hoof to shoo off the comment, "Oh, no, nothing like that! All good things I assure you! In fact, I believe Fluttershy wanted me to invite you to attend our little Hearth's Warming get together! Unless you had other plans, of course."

The mare batted her long, dark eyelashes superficially at Bellum, who had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

This is what passes for subterfuge among your kind, is it? She wondered.

"No, I don't have anything else going on!" She answered cheerfully, moving around the small wooden table and pouring Rarity a drink. It was... tea. Of a sort. Definitely made from herbs. Herbs found here, within her own shop.

Rarity, ever the polite guest, took a sip of her herbal tea.

Bellum smiled.

"I'd heard that you and Scarlet Ember were calling upon one another, is that true?" Rarity said between sips, "Oh, darling, this is positively delightful!"

"Thank you, its a family recipe from overseas," Bellum feigned bashfulness, "And yes. Scarlet and I have been spending more time together recently. Nothing official, but... I like her. She saved my life, you know! Not everyo- pony gets a knight in shining armor like that."

Rarity snorted into her tea, "It's quite funny you say that. Did you know Twilight has a brother named Shining Armor?"

Bellum laughed, "Really? Wow, he must have a complex."

Rarity giggled again and said, "Oh, dear, you are too much! No, he's quite a lovely young stallion. Married now, unfortunately."

Bellum sat across from the white mare, whose eyes were becoming unfocused and cloudy as her words slurred and her tittering laughter elongated.

Why am I so on edge? Bellum wondered, what happened?

She decided that, in the comfort of her own lair, with her target almost fully sedated before her, she could risk a bit of magic. Her eyes began to glow ever so softly green, and to them a brilliant aura sprang out from around Rarity. Violet Generosity, the chief of her emotions, was slowly being devoured by the smoky grey haze of Sleep. There was a hint of Anger there, a hint of Lust, but in such small amounts it barely mattered. Everything was as it should be for first touch. So why-

There was a pounding on the little wooden door that led outside, causing both Bellum and Rarity to jump.

"Good gracious," Rarity breathed, a large swathe of Fear spiking out through her drug-induced haze.

"I'll get it. It is my shop, after all. Please, finish your tea!" Bellum briskly strode from the table with a strength that bellied her body's wispy frame, and pulled the door open sharply.

Outside stood Fluttershy, standing alone in the darkness of early morning.

"Fluttershy?" Bellum asked with concern.

"Something's wrong," said the yellow mare, "I-I... don't know why... I wanted to talk to Twilight but... I ended up here."

The smaller mare shuddered as Bellum placed a soft hoof on her shoulder. A Connection was formed with the Hive-Grub that Stratus had implanted in Fluttershy's neck. The Yellow mare's eyes unfocused and she began speaking and whispering to herself as Bellum reviewed her host's memories.

An attack in the woods. Dead animals. Drained, and blackened corpses.

No... Bellum thought to herself, no, he can't be alive.

This demanded immediate attention. The Hearth's Burning plan would have to wait. She could not afford to have another player in the game while she was still in the delicate setup phase.

With a few quick sips and pushes, Bellum "adjusted" Fluttershy's memories of earlier that morning. She had been in her kitchen, talking to her bunny in a strange voice. She had decided to ignore his little gibbering message, because she wanted so badly to talk a walk in the Everfree with her good friend Stratus Fairweather. She'd seen some dead birds though, so she'd decided to go to the village and spend time with her other friends instead. She would stay away from the forest for now.

When Bellum stepped away, Fluttershy blinked, looking around, seeming at a loss for a moment.

"Did you want to come inside and say hello to Rarity?" Bellum asked sweetly, watching as the young mare's Love began to grow and consume the other emotions around it, tinting and changing her memories to better suit Bellum's purposes. Always useful when the subject wanted everything to be nice and cozy. Made it much easier to convince them that everything was okay, and that they should just relax.

Fluttershy gave a small smile, "Oh, I'd love to, but the snow you see-"

"Yes, the snow just came down and you want to play," Bellum responded with a matronly grin, "go on. I'll see you tonight for the Hearth's Warming get-together yes?"

Fluttershy nodded and headed off. Good. It wouldn't do for her to see Rarity in the state she was about to be in. A moaning, slobbering mess at Stratus' hooves. Bellum shuddered. Sometimes that girl's mind disturbed even her...

But that would have to wait.

"Rarity?" Bellum called as she shut and locked the only exit.

"Mmm? What is it, darling?" Came the dreamily entranced response.

"Could you fetch some flowers for me? They should be on the back shelf." The words meant nothing. They weren't even a good description of what she wanted or where to find it. They would only lead Rarity to her doom.

"Back shelf... yes of course, dear! Give me... but a moment. Ohh, steady on..." There was the sound of thumping and a loud clatter.

Bellum felt a sharp pinching come from her midsection, and the sound of something small and wet slapping to the floor. She looked down to see a freshly fabricated Hive-Grub. Minuscule, compared to normal changeling grubs. But it knew its purpose, as it began inching its way across the floor to Rarity's exposed cerebrum.

Bellum stood at the edge of the Everfree Forest, looking in towards its looming branches. The air was still cold, and the fog around her seeped through her warm coat and scarf. It was a chill she could feel filling her bones.

"I know you're there." She yelled into the woods.

Silence. Too much silence. Bellum had never been around wooded areas very much, but she was fairly sure there were at least supposed to be rustles or perhaps the chirping of insects. Maybe it was just the snow, and the cold. Or maybe it wasn't.

She waited for several moments, watching as the forest sat still and quiet. Then she turned as if to leave.

"Sister..." a whisper came from the woods.

Bellum, without making a single facial expression, turned back to regard the treeline. There, in the underbrush, she could see the light of two glowing green eyes.

Author's Note

Here, the pace picks up a bit. (lol horse puns)

Also happy spooky month!