Dark Alleys, Bright Hearts

We find ourselves standing in a sandy pit, surrounded by towering chitinous walls. A gruff voice shouts at us, “Listen up, I don’t want to repeat myself.”

I turn my head, seeing a changeling with red eyes standing on the other side of the pit, though his form is more like that of a zebra than a pony. His exoskeleton is almost five inches thick, and covered in scars. Sprouting from around his body are spiked tendrils, perfect for stabbing.

He narrows his eyes, “I am King Messorem, and I am going to teach you how to fight. I am going to teach you how to kill.”

Mark pauses, “I... don’t think I’m entirely comfortable with killing Celestia. Harming, yes, but not killing.”

Messorem looks over at him, “She would kill you, so you must have no hesitation in striking her down. She will take advantage of every opening you leave her. After all she’s done, she deserves it.”

Mark shakes his head, “I don’t think there’s anything that could justify killing other than hunger.”

Messorem glares, “Do you have any idea what those two sisters have done? You damned pacifists always go on about how everything has good in it. Whatever, you’re no good in a fight anyway.” His horn lights up, and Mark disappears, “Laevus shall convince him that killing Celestia is the best idea.”

I look at where Mark was, “Shouldn’t he learn how to fight?”

Messorem shakes his head, “He would be useless in a fight, and I cannot improve his skills. He’s an assassin at best, and a liability otherwise. He cannot shapeshift, he has no natural weapons, and he is not willing to learn. You, Chrysalis, shall be the main fighter.”

I nod, “If you think it’s wise.”

He nods back, “I do think it is wise. I know it is wise. Now, how good is your shapeshifting?”

I smile, “I can shapeshift into almost any creature and mimic them near perfectly.”

He nods, “Good. How about your weapon shapeshifting?”

I raise an eyebrow, “My what?”

He pauses, “Weapon shapeshifting. Like, turning your leg into a sword. Or sprouting spikes on your body.”

I shake my head, “I’ve never done that before.”

He frowns, “It’s worse than I thought, then. In your current state, you stand no chance in a fight.”

I frown back, “I don’t plan on fighting Celestia directly.”

He steps closer, “How else will you strike at her, then? Are you going to sneak around like a rat?”

I nod, “Yes, I am going to sneak around. I am going to free the others who fought her alone, and we’re going to fight her together. They’re all skilled enough to not need me as a mainline fighter. But in order to free them, I have to sneak, and I don’t usually kill when I sneak.”

He frowns, “You don’t kill? Your type of changeling wouldn’t be accepted back in my day. We were proud warriors, not scurrying rats. How do you take down a guard if not by killing?”

I grin, “We have these things, Messorem, they’re called fangs.”

He nods, “Yes, filled with adrenaline. They are useless unless you tear out an enemy’s throat.”

I shake my head, “They’re filled with an aphrodisiac now, and we’ve learned how to swap that out for something else. I can put a sedative in my fangs and saliva, and knock out a full grown stallion with a single kiss.”

He glares at me, “Then you have lost all our traditions. If you continue on this foolish path of yours, you will be killed like I was.”

I grin, “No, I won’t, because I’m not dumb enough to try and face Celestia alone. I know my strength, Messorem, it seems like you don’t.”

He takes a step closer to me, “I saved your life!”

I chuckle, “No, Nullam saved my life. You decided to monologue and gave your opponent a chance to strike you. And let me tell you something right now, Messorem, I’ve learned that Celestia takes every opportunity she has. It looks like that lesson didn’t stick in you. If not for your ‘saving of my life’, I wouldn’t have allowed Mark to get stabbed.”

He growls, “You are ungrateful-“

I laugh, interrupting him, “As if. Should I be grateful that you decided to get my best friend a new piercing? Should I be grateful that you forcibly took control of me to dodge an attack I would’ve dodged anyway? Should I be grateful that you stabbed Luna and did nothing? Should I be grateful that you decided to give an attempt at snark and humor in the middle of a life or death situation? Let me tell you something, grandpa, your ways are gone. There’s only two masters of snark in combat, and that’s Mark and I. There is no time to hesitate, or was that just your old mind failing? You are old, you are obsolete, and I don’t owe you for shit. So take those tentacles of yours, and go fuck yourself.”

He takes a step back, “You are disrespectful to those with higher authority.”

I smile, “You don’t say? Wow, never could have seen that one coming. Me, the one who cursed out Celestia right in front of her, has a problem with authority. Sorry, but having a crown on your head and a stick up your ass doesn’t mean shit to me. You want me to respect your authority? Respect mine. I am a Queen, I have the exact same authority as you. You see, the problem with you isn’t that you have authority, it’s that you are trying to push your dated ideals onto a modern world. You are trying to turn me into a slave who listens to your every word without a single response. You think I’m a pony, not a changeling, that’s why you think I’ll be so easily manipulated. Well, allow me to return the favor. You’re an asshole, not a changeling. Now fuck off and do your research on the modern world.”

He growls, lighting up his horn and disappearing.