Author's Note

4 months. it's been four months since i took a break from working on this fic, and that's mostly my fault.. i just got so bogged down with other projects, and other real-life drama and things that backed up my work. but my schedule and everything else I should finally be able to get back to work on my longest fic.

now to give you all a little preview: i re-worked a few things in where I was going with this fic, which i hope you all like when I up-load new chapters. But for the time being, I hope you all liked this new chapter!

Chapter 41: Just Get Away From It All.

It’s been week or so since the unfortunate miss-carriage that Zack had at the hospital, and since then the pale purple alicorn has been discharged the mare has been locked away in her room at Twilight Sparkles castle, only leaving it to get food or a new book from the castles library. But not only that but it seems that Zack has been distancing herself from her friends, even Thorax and Spike have been unable to fully see Zack.

And as for Twilight and her friends, each one have started to become worried about the alicorn since none of them have been able to see her, to check up on her to make sure she really was feeling alright. But it seems that what Zack’s psychiatrist said about her developing unhealthy habits might be coming true, and if Twilight and her friends can’t figure out how to help her, then who knows what would happen to Zack.

After all…

One month and a week, or two. That is how long that Zack has been in Equestria, but ever since she was brought to this world, everything seemed to be against her.

Losing her life in her old world, taken away from her friends and family, unable to see them grow and live their lives and be right there with them, enjoying life alongside them. Then she learned that the only reason why she’s here in Equestria, was all because Discord got bored of their time of peace, and decided to bring Zack to Equestria all in the hopes that the former human could entertain him. Even after learning that, and having the way home to her was destroyed, fate continued to play its cruel hand. And the next set cards that fate played was being captured by Queen Chrysalis, imprisoned within the Changeling Hive, and used in horrible ways all just to get back at the ponies who foiled the queens plans. And even after all that, the poor alicorn had to go through such an unbearable mis-carriage, that she had to go through surgery just in order to have the egg sack that was growing inside her to be extracted.

Everyone of Zack’s current circle of friends all worried for the alicorn state of mind. To go through all of this hardship and misfortunate in such short time frame, no one is sure what to expect from Twilight’s look alike anymore. But no matter what the future has in store, Twilight, Thorax, everyone who has been a part of Zack’s time in Equestria will be there for her, help her when she needs it. Even if fate itself plots against them in its continuous game of hardship.

~~~~~

Thorax was exiting the train that just pulled into the Ponyville train station, after being up in Canterlot for a couple of days once again trying to broker peace between the Changeling Hive & Canterlot. However things seem to be going a lot better. The new hive has been fully constructed, and the changelings have even been starting in getting jobs, actually becoming a part of the city’s population. Rather than just refuges that the ponies have to put up with. There are still a good deal of Canterlotian ponies treating Changelings harshly, thankfully though the ponies that actually warmed up to the changelings stood up for them, and helped whenever they were harassed. Or just outright insulted for apparent reason.

As the changeling departed the station and started to make his way to the castle, Thorax started to wander on how he could cheer Zack up this time around. So far whenever Thorax has stopped by to see his friend, Zack has been reclusive and hold up in her room that she doesn’t want to see anyone. When he does see her Thorax notices just how, worn out and tired she looks, even when she tries to give him a smile and assurance she was alright. But Thorax can see through her bluffs. He can see the waves of emotional turmoil that wafts from the alicorn, mixes of greens, blues, purples, reds, and other colors of negative emotions.

And while he hangs out with his friend he tries everything he can to help her, which occasionally works whenever the mare gives him genuine smiles, and grateful responses. But Thorax wishes that he could do more to help her.

“Thorax!” a voice breaks the changeling out of his private train of thoughts, and when he looked for the source he saw Spike waddling over towards him.

“Hey Spike. What are you up to?” the changeling asked as he looked the bags and sacks that the small dragonling was carrying.

“Just getting a few things that we’ve been meaning to get for the castle. You should’ve seen the bags Twilight and Starlight were carrying.” Spike chortled as he re-adjusts his grip on his own luggage.

“Here let me help you with that.” Thorax offered as he held three of the five bags Spike was holding.

“Thanks.” Spike says gratefully as he straightened up. “So how are things going on with the Hive?” the little dragon asked as he & Thorax started to walk. Mostly with Spike leading the way, while Thorax just followed.

“Things are defiantly looking better than before, heck I think one of the nobles is actually thinking of converting an old district into one that Changelings can live in above ground.” the changeling said with a pep in his step.

“Really?! That’s so cool!” Spike cheered as looked up to his buggy friend. “I’m happy to see that things for the changeling Hive are looking up.”

“Yeah, me to.” Thorax’s smile started to falter a little as he looked down at Spike, ears tilted back slightly as he spoke to his friend. “Hey Spike, how has Zack been doing lately?” Spike gave a very small smile to his friend before replying.

“Well she’s actually been going out a bit more, and not being so distant. Heck she even spent a day with Pinkie & the Cakes, and taught them a few recipes she knows from back home.” Thorax genuinely looked surprised to hear that Zack actually engaged in baking since the alicorn doesn’t like sweets.

“Wow.” Was all the chiton equine could say which Spike nodded to. “I’m honestly surprised that Zack would even know any recipes that a baker would know.”

“She said she cooked for her own little sister back home, and for herself and her friends when she was living alone.” Spike retorted as the due entered the western plaza of the market.

The two males continued to talk amongst themselves, with Spike giving Thorax details on the things that Zack taught Pinkie to make, the duo went about in finishing picking up the supplies that Spike was tasked to get. And with Thorax’s assistance the tasks were taken care of quite fast. Once the pair have gathered up the last bit of supplies from Spike’s list, they both headed towards Twilight’s castle while still talking and chatting. Mostly it was about was divided in talking about their alicorn friend, and their respected interest. The later of which was mostly Spike giving Thorax recommendations on what to read, and some activities that the changeling might like, which seems to be going fairly well as Thorax actually like everything that Spike suggested.

The two eventually made it to the castle and proceeded to head to where they need to stock the items they got, starting with the food that either went into the kitchen’s cupboards or fridge. Once the food and kitchen supplies were done with, the two friends went about un-packing and placing the rest of the supplies away, which took nearly a couple of hours since Spike and Thorax had to distribute everything throughout the castle.

“Finally!” Spike said aloud as he collapsed on a cushion in the castle’s library, which Thorax soon followed afterwards.

“I didn’t think that would take so long.” The changeling said as he to flopped down, but directly onto the floor instead of landing on a cushion.

“Just be grateful that the stuff we got was the small stuff. Twilight, and Starlight, are gathering the majority of the castles supplies, and with their magic they’d be able to carry it all no problem.” Spike praised the magic users while he stretches out on the cushion. As the two rested their legs for a bit, Thorax stood back up on his hole-riddled legs and started to make his way to the Library’s entrance.

“Thorax where are you off to?”

“I’m going to go see Zack.” Spike just nodded his head to his friend as he wet back to relaxing on the cushion, while Thorax started to make his way to Zack’s room.

While Thorax started to trot his way through the wide and still vastly empty halls of Twilight’s castle, the changeling started to wander what he and Zack could do together. Ever since she was discharged from the hospital, Thorax has only spent two days with Zack, and most of the time it was mostly just the two of them just being quite and rarely talking. But Thorax didn’t completely mind. He was able to spend time with his first friend, and just enjoy spending time with her. And he could tell by the waves of actual positive emptions that he saw, Zack seemed to greatly appreciate his caring nature, and just his company in general.

Thoughts of when Thorax first meet Zack started to make their way up to the forefront of the changelings mind, and how their friendship started to oddly develop with Thorax providing comfort to the mare, and the pony giving Thorax some to talk to and listen to his problems. But those thoughts were quickly darkened, as the image of Chrysalis started to form in his mind. And then have those images start to warp even further, as he started to image Zack being pinned under the demented queen, eyes full of fear and tears as she begged the queen to leave her alone. Those thoughts started to make the change grit his sharp teeth as anger started to take hold of him, but that anger started to change into remorse as he started to think back to his failed plan. And how he couldn’t be there to help Zack.

Thorax stopped in the middle of the hallway as he brushed his left leg over his right hoof, where the faded puncture wounds and scars used to be.

“I promise Zack, I’ll never let anything bad happen to you again!” Thorax growled more to himself as he lowered his leg, and continued to make his way to Zack’s room.

“I won’t let anything happened to my very first friend!”

Thorax continued to trot through the hallways until he finally reached his desired destination, but something was off. Zack’s room door, was left open just a little bit, when normally it would be shut tight. Approaching the door Thorax perked his ears to see if he could hear something, but there wasn’t any sounds coming from the room. Raising a hoof to the door Thorax gave a few knocks, and waited to see if he would get a response, but after a minute or so of waiting the changeling got no response. Starting to get a little worried Thorax opened the door and found the room unoccupied.

“Zack?” the changeling said loudly as he looked around, hoping that Zack was just out of sight.

“Are you in here?” Still no response. Now Thorax was really starting to get worried.

Rushing out of the room Thorax galloped down the hall back to where he left Spike, hopefully the little dragon can help the changeling find out where Zack has gone. However the changeling was stopped in tracks, when he came crashing into something, and began tumbling a few feet with the object. After coming to a stop a groan left the chitinous equine as tried to get back up to his hooves, but found something was on top of him, and was also wriggling around. And as he tried to get a good look at was on top of him, the side of his face smacked into something soft, warm, and slightly fuzzy. Which was then a startled gasp suddenly popped up, followed by clambering hooves clopping against the crystalline floor.

“Oh my gosh Thorax!” Thorax was finally able to see who he crashed into, and was on top of him. And found that it was Twilight who he bumped and tumbled into, who for some reason seemed to be flustered.

“I’m sorry Thorax I didn’t see you when I was trotting around!” the princess said in a rushed and in an embarrassed manner.

“N-no its my fault. I was the one who was galloping, and didn’t look where I was going.” Thorax apologized to the alicorn. But his mind snapped back to why he was galloping in the first place, and looked towards Twilight with a worried look.

“Twilight I need your help!” the princess’s face instantly went from bashful embarrassment to immediate concern when Thorax asked for her help.

“What’s wrong?”

“I went to go and see how Zack was doing to today, but she’s not in her room.”

“Maybe she’s in the library?” Twilight guessed to which Thorax quickly dismissed with a shake of his head.

“I was just in the library with Spike.” The alicorn then developed a thoughtful expression as she tried to think of something.

“Well if she’s not in her room, or the library, let’s try the kitchen. Maybe she went to go get something to eat.”

The changeling nodded his head as he started galloping off, but this time at a slightly slower speed so he doesn’t crash into anyone else. While Twilight followed by flying after the changeling. The duo managed to make it to the kitchen rather quickly, but when they arrived there was no sign of Zack anywhere. After the kitchen, the alicorn and changeling started to look in other spots that Zack frequencies, like the top floor balcony of the castle, the side conference room on the east side of the castle, and a few other spots. And yet neither of pair still could not find Zack.

“Where could she be?!” Thorax said worriedly as the duo entered the main lobby of the castles.

“Don’t worry Thorax I’m sure Zack is not in danger; we’d just have to—”

“SURPRISE!” both Thorax and Twilight shouted as they jumped when the sudden voice of Pinkie just blared out as the front doors of the castle swung open. “Woops! Sorry guys didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“Pinkie how many times have we all told you to not just burst into a room, and just shout at the top of your lungs.” Twilight scolded her friend as she trotted down towards her, while Thorax kept a hoof to his chest until his heart stopped pounding like a base drum.

“Sorry Twi I just wanted to bring these new snack pies were making!” Thorax looked down to where the two ponies were, and saw Pinkie balancing a tray of what looked like folded pastries. “You got to try these they are becoming a big hit!”

“What’s in them?” Twilight asked as she picked one up in her magic while Thorax flew down to the pair, and just looked at the tray of pastries.

“Some have fruit jam and pieces of candied fruit in them, while some have chocolate & custard in them.” Pinkie explained as she grabbed one of the treats and took a big bite, and showed that she had one that was filled with what smelled like strawberry and banana cream, with pieces of what looked like strawberry.

“And these are just the trial flavors that Zack showed me & the Cakes.”

“Wait Pinkie!” Thorax said as he landed next to Pinkie. “Do you know where Zack is? We looked all over the castle, and we can’t find her.”

“Oh! Well I don’t know where she is, but I can tell you where I saw her go.” Pinkie then trotted back to the door while Twilight and Thorax follow her, while tossing the other half of her snack pie up into the air and eat it when it came back down.

“I saw Zack flying over the town when I went out to get fresh fruit for the snack pies, and she was heading out towards where the White Tails Woods are.”

Without saying anything Thorax took flight and started to fly across town, passing by a few pegasi as he flies over the market place and the park. Leaving the town behind him Thorax continued to fly until he was above the White Tails Woods, and started to look around for any signs of his friend. But as he flew over the forest, and looking for Zack like a mad pony he was still unable to see hide, hair, or even feather of the alicorn. Just as the changeling was about to really have a bad panic attack, the changeling saw something. A faint glowing wisp of wisp smoke, a trail of emotional energy. Following the energy tail Thorax found a large hole in a wide clearing, where it looked like a huge fight took place, but the clearing was quickly ignored when he flew down to the large hole. When he landed a foot from the hole, he heard what sounded like humming coming from it. As Thorax crept up to the edge of the hole and looked down into it, the changeling found Zack! Laying down on a ledge, staring down at the flowing river below, and just humming a little song to herself.

Spreading his wings again the changeling started to fly down to where his friend was, who appears to be off completely in her own little world. Landing on the ledge Thorax started to trot over to Zack, while listening to the little song she was humming.

“Zack?” Thorax said quietly as he tapped the alicorns haunches, causing the mare to give a startled yelp and turning around with a lit horn. “Wait Zack it’s me!”

“Oh! Thorax…” The mare said as her sneer quickly turned into a very calm expression. “Sorry I didn’t mean to freak out on you like that.”

“It’s alright. Do you mind if I sit down with ya?” the mare nodded and scooted over so that Thorax could lay down next to her. “So. What are you doing down here Zack?” the mare didn’t answer the changeling’s question right away as she just looked out into the cavern.

“Honestly, I don’t know Thorax. I just got tired of being in my room, or in town…I just…I just wanted to get away from everything.” Zack said in a slightly tired voice.

“If I was on Earth and I was just bogged down from everything in my life, I’d just go on a camping trip. Just be out in the nice, quiet, and tranquil wilderness to re-charge.” The mare then looked over to Thorax, showing the changeling that she looked like she hasn’t slept in days, as dark bags were under her eyes.

“But I can’t do that here, cause I don’t know if some kind of random monster, or whatever else could just pop out of the woodwork and ruin it.” the changeling scooted over to his friend and gave the mare a comforting nuzzle, which Zack hummed in delight and accepted. As the changeling tried to comfort his friend, a thought came to him.

“If you want Zack maybe I can help you find a nice place for you to just, get away from everything and recharge. Or who knows, maybe Twilight or one of her friends might know of a way to help you.” Thorax offered to help his friend who gave the changeling a thankful smile.

“I’d appreciate that Thorax. But for now, I’m going to stay here for a bit longer. It’s a good a place to just relax when you want to be alone.” the changeling nodded as he and Zack just remained in the wonderous looking cavern, enjoying the peace and quite that it gave the duo.