A Stable Supply of Blood

"To be honest, Caleb, I've been thinking about where these Changelings could've come from, you know?" Gleam gasped as she and her "mentor" rushed through the thick foliage of the Everfree Forest, ducking under low-hanging branches and weaving through clusters of trees as they made a mad dash to Ponyville. It was a long run, but Caleb's new form seemed to have been tailor made for extended bursts of speed because they'd been going at this speed for well over thirty minutes and he didn't even feel a little tired. While being stuck in a body without hands was still a walking exercise in suffering, it did occasionally have some perks.

"That so? Any takers so far?" Caleb mused with obvious disinterest as he jumped over a long tendril of a tree root with ease. Hopefully he could've gotten out before he was put on detective duty, but he had his own suspicions about where these Changelings came from. With the numerous mentions to bringing him back to some sort of hive, they must have had some sort of base location to return to and he wasn't liking where his mind was headed with that line of logic. All of a sudden, his train of thought was scattered like a mound of leaves as the wind howled and twisted around them, striking Caleb across the muzzle and filling the trees with the wild screams of those damned to perish within the forest. His thoughts turned to what would've happened if he and Gleam never met. He couldn't die of old age, but starvation, sickness, and just being torn to shreds were still very viable ways of putting him back in the ground. And who knew how long this forest went on for? That Changeling captain said it went on for hundreds of miles; maybe she was actually telling the truth when she said that. As he lingered on this, the unicorn saw something flash into the corner of his vision. He couldn't make out what it was, all he caught was a glimpse of glowing yellow eyes, but whatever it was it vanished as soon as it appeared. Caleb scowled and dismissed the thought. He could see the tips of rooftops amidst the thinning trees, if they were out of the woods he'd get a much better look at whatever it was out in the open.

But then Caleb started to think: How was he going to fight? If, as the Changeling had told him before he slit her throat open like a stuck pig, using magic at all was akin to blasting off a flare squarely on his location then every time he so much as pulled a weapon from his coat using his telekinesis that would be drawing Changelings to him like moths to a flame. And he might have been quick on his hooves and a more than capable gunslinger, but if his suspicions were correct and they'd turned this town into a breeding nest, it was more than likely crawling with the insectoid freaks. And who knew how many of them would be those horned captains? He almost died in a fight against a single one! Suddenly, Gleam's soft voice shook him out of his momentary stupor.

"No, and that's the problem. I have no clue who would be malicious enough to work with reverted Changelings, or what their reasons for doing so would be. There's nopony in Ponyville especially who I could ever see doing such a horrible thing, but we know there's gotta be somepony on the inside working with them! Why else would they have taken my mom? And where did they take her!?" Gleam said softly, clearly on the verge of bursting into tears as she and Caleb peered into the darkened town. There didn't seem to be much activity, with only a few ponies going about their business under the stale light of the streetlamps that lined the dusty dirt roads, but that was to be expected. It must have been well past midnight by this point, and it wasn't like this was a bustling cityscape either so Caleb wouldn't have been surprised to hear that most activity was done and out by 10:00. "That's why we gotta talk with Ms. Glimmer and her friends! She's the principal of the School of Friendship and they're all really smart, she'd know what to do!"

However, before the two could even take a step within the borders of the town, an audible rustling of leaves and branches reached Caleb's ears. It seemed that whatever caught his gaze in the forest had finally come out to play. A smirk pulling at his muzzle, he turned around to face the new threat with Gleam right behind him, his hind legs tensed and coiled like a spring as he readied himself to pounce, and found himself face-to-face with an unusual sight. It was another pony, but her appearance cloaked in a thick brown hood that covered most of her body. The only details that were visibly clear were her legs, which were marked with distinctive black stripes, and the same uncanny golden eyes Caleb saw watching him on the way through the forest. Had she been following them? If she had, it must have not been for a very long time or she'd only chosen to reveal herself at that moment.

"If you want to stay alive, you'd choose wisely to stay out of that hive," the stranger warned as she raised her hoof towards the town to reinforce her point. Everything about the mare was throwing Caleb for a loop; her voice was thick with an accent he couldn't have possibly discerned and deep as the sea floor. None of the ponies Caleb had talked to, Changeling or otherwise, spoke with such an air of eldritch secrecy. Gleam, however, seemed to recognize the stranger's voice; cocking her head to the side slightly as she racked her brain for where she heard her before. Seemingly unfazed by Caleb's body language and eagerness to throw hooves, she explained further. "For the Changelings you fought within that dark forest have long since started to infest."

"Mmmm, interesting," Caleb smirked. So he was right about the town having been turned into a nest. But despite the stranger having opened with words of advice, sneaking up behind him and dressing like a cultist from the Cabal wasn't exactly what he would consider to be a smart move if she wanted a long lifespan. Most people he'd met wearing such a garb as hers would have been turned into paste. But on the other hand, if she were allied with the Changelings (or the Cabal, for that matter) she would have just gone straight for Caleb's throat just as quickly as he would have gone for hers. Especially if this was some sort of hitman or assassin. "Tell me, stranger, who might you be? Are you friend or foe? Personally, I'm getting the vibe of a foe, and I'd suggest you clear that up before I make the decision for you."

"I insist traveler, keep your weapons low! I am a friend, not some vicious foe!" The visitor said with a stern glare, still not showing Caleb even a hint of fear if she was feeling any at all. She was shockingly courageous, that much was clear. To clear the air of mystery, she raised her hoof to the thick cloth that enshrouded her face in dark shadows and pushed it back to reveal herself: She was an aged, weathered Zebra mare with her mane fashioned into a large, thick white-and-black mohawk; a few streaks of grey marring the color only slightly. Realizing who she was, Gleam lit up like a lantern. "My name is Zecora and I warn you again, ignoring my advice will surely do you in!"

"Ms. Zecora! What are you doing here? And...what do you mean about the town being infested? It looks perfectly fine from here! And besides, how could they have taken over when the Elements of Harmony are protecting us?" Gleam inquired nervously, her soft eyes shifting between the Zebra and the small, rural village behind her, which now looked far less inviting than when they first arrived. The elder merely shook her head and drew her hood back up.

"Ponyville is no longer a safe haven I fear," she whispered solemnly; her golden eyes continuing to glow under the cloak's shadow. Her eyes, they reminded Caleb of his own with how luminescent they were in pitch black darkness. He doubted such a striking detail could be merely chalked up to coincidence or chance. In fact, he doubted that this meeting in and of itself was just happenstance either. Had she been drawn to his supposed magical ability like the Changelings had been? If she knew about the ones he'd encountered in the woods, she must have been in the area when he fought. Like Gleam said, she and her family didn't live very close to the border of Ponyville; she wouldn't have just been out there for no reason. "But I cannot tell you why out here, lest my words reach listening ears."

"And what makes you think I'd be willing to listen in the first place? You're acting like I'd be willing to help you save your town but I'm not under any obligation to do so. I doubt the brat is the most ideal fighting partner either, so it sounds to me like you are shit out of luck," Caleb mused, his cracked lips curling into a cocky smile. Gleam was staring at him with utter appalment at his open refusal to help Zecora, while the eponymous Zebra could only look at him with a blank expression before she began laughing at him. It was quiet at first, before bursting into empty howls. There was no joy or humor to it, her laughter was broken like shards of glass.

"As if you ever had a choice in the matter," Zecora lamented with a dismissive shake of her head. Caleb's smirk started to fade as he realized what she was saying. "But I'm afraid those are dreams I'll have to shatter. You murdered several of their hive and when all is said and done, you're still public enemy number one. They're going to wait until you're out of sight and then snuff you out like a light. And I don't think you'll fare so lucky the next time they challenge you to a fight." He hated to admit it, but Zecora was right. He thought back to how poorly he fought against that commander, and she was a single opponent. If he had access to his full toolkit things would've turned out differently for certain, but as long as he was stuck in this body he was fighting with a serious handicap. And who knew how many they'd send after him next time? Against his better judgement, he was going to have to cooperate.

"Well, if we're going to be making this into a partnership, you'll need to tell me what exactly is in it for me," Caleb said flatly. Personally, he doubted this would be anything so elaborate as them working together. While she wasn't exactly a withered husk of a mare the Zebra wasn't exactly in her prime years anymore either. So he wouldn't be surprised if this would be him doing all of the heavy lifting while she just gave him advice and directions on where to head next. "I'm fine with turning these things into mince meat but that doesn't mean I'm going to be your personal errand boy."

"I am an alchemist and occultist by trade, so my services would be vital for your crusade," Zecora said, flashing Caleb a knowing smile from under that hood. He wasn't certain if his instinct was correct and she could read his dabbling with the unknown and forbidden from his innate magical abilities or if it was some other factor, but it was unnerving all the same. Even the Changelings couldn't have pinned down that much about him, and yet she'd sniffed it out with ease. Who was this Zebra? "And to put backing to my claim, if you come with me I can put an end to your spells attracting Changelings to you like moths to a flame."

"Now you've persuaded me," Caleb said as she turned her back to the duo and started heading back into the Everfree Forest, with the duo hot on her heels. Just thinking about having that restriction lifted was like a weight had been lifted off Caleb's shoulders; he hadn't wanted to risk even grabbing stuff when that was enough to set them off. And the journey leading back to her hut was a short but deathly quiet one. Neither Caleb nor Gleam really had much to say or ask, and being left to ponder in such eerie silence forced Gleam to confront just how isolated she and Caleb had become. But, as bad as things had gotten, at least they did still have Zecora to help them out. Actually, as Zecora pushed past a thick wall of bushes and shrubbery and led the two into the more untamed and wild areas of the Forest where it started to merge with the sludge of the marshes, a thought popped into her head.

"Ms. Zecora, may I ask you a question?" Her soft voice piped up, cutting through the silence like a hot knife through butter. Caleb looked to the sky and watched as the trees overhead continued to grow thicker and larger, blotting out the moon's light in a blanket of winding limbs and broad leaves. No wonder Vulvux had been nervous about travelling out into the Everfree, it seemed like once he stepped off the beaten path they entered an entirely different ecosystem.

"Of course you may," the elder replied with a gentle smile as she pulled her hood back down so she could listen to the small filly before ducking underneath a long, claw-like cluster of twigs and branches that loomed overhead. A thick, rancid smell of rot and sludge had also began to permeate the air with every breath the group took. "We should be far enough into the woods that we need not worry about what we say."

"If the Changelings have taken over Ponyville as thoroughly as you said, why haven't they come after you? I mean, you're really strong and smart, don't they see you as a threat as much as they do Princess Twilight and her friends?" Gleam said as Zecora paused in front of a large, gnarled old tree that had been converted into her abode; with a small door carved out of oak planks being the only betrayal of its true purpose. Well, that and the fifteen or so talismans and voodoo charms that hung from the branches of the tree. Caleb looked up and saw the dried out skull of an animal he couldn't recognize hanging over the entranceway like some sort of nightmarish warning to trespassers about what waited for them if they crossed her. He was starting to like Zecora already. The Zebra raised her hoof to push open the door for her guests, and paused. The air went as still as a grave while she leaned against the door, her shoulders visibly slouching as she solemnly thought over what she could possibly tell the filly when the answer was something she really couldn't understand. And yet, there was no way she could simply lie to her.

"My dear Gleam, the reason why they have not turned me into one of their mindless tools," Zecora said, turning her gaze towards the filly who looked back at her with curiosity glistening like crystal lights in her eyes. "Is simply that they consider me nothing more than a mindless, babbling fool. Not even worth the trouble of subduing, and it is this hateful hubris that will be their undoing. But that's enough about their behavior I detest, step inside if you will," She pressed against the wooden surface and stepped aside for the two as the door swung open with a low, moaning wail. "and be my guests."

Caleb and Gleam stepped inside and began looking around. It was a fairly small and compact home, but considering she seemingly lived by herself that was to be expected. Even still, it seemed to be well-furnished, with numerous shelves carved into the walls that were stocked with potions and bags of ingredients for magical brews he couldn't have possibly recognized. Several tribal relics and masks hung from the walls, casting dark and foreboding shadows into the center of the room as they glowed in the light of the candles that lined the outer edges. But the centerpiece of the room was what caught Caleb's attention first: A large black cauldron filled to the brim with some bizarre bubbling green liquid that was being stoked by a small fire underneath the metal pot. It was filling the small room with a thick, pungent stench that wasn't too different from the stink of a decaying corpse, and a large stirring pole jutted out of its surface. Caleb wondered how long it'd been sitting like this; he assumed she must have been cooking something up when he alerted everyone within a 50 mile radius earlier that day and had rushed out the door to go check it out. Was probably a safety hazard to leave a fire unattended in a house that was literally built into a giant tree.

"Mmmm, horse burgers," Caleb mused as he stood over the cauldron and looked down into its sickly, boiling contents. Gleam came up behind him to see what had caught his attention and wrapped her hoof over her nose as the awful smell hit her like a train. She quickly turned away from the bubbling sludge and looked towards Zecora for an explanation. The Zebra saw her expression and could only laugh as she shut the door behind herself.

"I can assure you two what is boiling in that cauldron isn't for you to eat," Zecora said as she approached the cauldron from the opposite side and started grabbing empty glass vials off the shelf behind her with her teeth, placing them on the ground next to her one by one. As they waited for her to finish, Caleb allowed his eyes to drift into the other only other room in the house. He could make out what appeared to be her bed tucked against the far wall, and as he leaned in a bit closer he could make out some saddlebags and some sort of long pole over there as well. Was she planning on getting out while she still could? She must have been travelling light if that was the case. "And it certainly isn't a brew made from pony meat. What now sits and stirs in my cauldron is for removing charms on the mind, and that rancid smell is just a sign that what I've got cooking is the best you can find."

"Ms. Zecora, were you planning on taking on the Changelings by yourself?!" Gleam said incredulously; staring at the Zebra like she'd just ignited into flame. The Zebra could only manage a weak smile and nod her head affirmatively. That was exactly what she had been planning on doing. "What if you got hurt? When Caleb fought a bunch of them earlier today, they were out for his blood! What could you have possibly done against a whole town full of them?"

"While it's true that if I had gone through with my plan it would not have a happy end to my story," Zecora said as she lifted her roof and ran it through the young filly's soft, emerald-green mane to comfort her. She lifted her head to look up at Caleb before continuing. "But I would much rather have gone down in a blaze of glory. And now that I have a partner, my chances are looking just a little brighter!" The tall stallion just smirked. It wasn't like he really had much of a choice in the matter, but he was never one to turn down an opportunity for gruesome bloodshed.

"Mmmm, that might be true, witch," Caleb growled, his raspy voice echoing through the hollow tree like an empty cavern. Zecora's gaze narrowed at being called something so derogatory, but for the moment she decided it would be best to just let his remark go. The last thing she needed at the moment was to wear thin their already shaky alliance. "But you still owe me what was promised. If we're going to go save the town like you so desperately want, then I implore you to cough up whatever special technique you've got to keep me from alerting every Changeling in the tri-state area."

"That is true," Zecora admitted before grabbing the stirring staff in her teeth and pushing it through the murky green brew a few times to prevent it from stagnating. When she was finished for the moment, she pointed towards a dark brown box carved out of wood tucked underneath one of her shelves, subtly blending in with the surface it rested against. Neither of her guests had even seen that it was there until she pointed it out. "But I still have preparations to do. Under there is what you seek, just be sure to drink from the potion whose color is the most bleak."

"About time," He muttered under his breath. While Caleb was annoyed by her continued insistence to speak exclusively in riddles and rhymes, he was moreso just relieved to finally be getting somewhere. He dropped down onto his haunches, shivering slightly as his bare stomach hit the cold floor, and cupped the small container with his hooves, sliding it towards himself until it rested against his chest. He could hear more of those vials that Zecora seemed to have tucked in every corner of her house clinking around as he moved the box. He wondered how long they had been sitting under that shelf. Did potions have expiration dates? Well, it wasn't like he had any other options to fix this mess he was in unless he wanted to try raiding a Changeling stronghold without magic, and that point he might as well just save them the trouble and stab himself. He wrestled the lid off the box with a soft pop, then both he and Gleam leaned down to get a look inside. Zecora had gone back to her own business, busily stirring the cauldron while her guests examined the box's contents.

Just as Caleb had suspected, there were four or five glass bottles stuffed into the box, each filled up to the brim with some strange liquid; each one a different color. Red, green, a dark purple, a nasty yellow, and the one at the far right corner of the mahogany container that was pitch black like hot tar and was billowing a dark smoke that filled any free space not taken up by the concoction itself. The one that looked the most bleak, huh. It didn't take a genius to figure out which potion he was supposed to drink. As he grabbed the small bottle with his hoof and swiveled it around to get an idea of how thick the substance was, Gleam was staring at him like he'd just lost his marbles.

"Caleb, are you gonna drink that?! I know what Zecora said, but what if there's some awful side effect? What if it turns you evil or something?" Gleam inquired as she looked into the smoldering mess of obsidian that filled the glass bottle. The room went deathly still for a few moments; even the sound of the Zebra pushing her wooden pole through the green sludge faded away into silence as both she and Caleb processed what the filly just said. The eerie quiet was broken when Caleb threw back his head and burst into wild, monstrous cackling and all Gleam could think to do was retreat backward towards Zecora.

"I hate to pop your bubble of sweet ignorance," Caleb said with the widest shit-eating grin ever grinned stretched across his face like a rubber mask and his rancid yellow teeth on full display. Gleam could feel the blood draining from her face when she saw chunks of black chitin stuck in the gaps in his horrid smile. It was in that moment she was eternally thankful to Princess Twilight for not making the moon bright enough for her to see whatever he did to the Changelings, and in that same moment she felt ever so small under his looming frame; a long shadow from the candle behind his back blanketing the small pony. It was under that dark shadow that Caleb's nightmarish appearance was truly illuminated for Triumphant Gleam. His greasy black mane, his withered, leathery hide, the way his eyes glowed in the dark. He didn't look like the grizzled action hero she thought he was, he looked like a monster. "But I didn't get looks like these by delivering puppies to good little colts or by working my days in a soup kitchen. There's blood on these hooves, brat."

"Caleb, that will be enough!" Zecora's voice boomed as her face twisted into a feral snarl, making the small hut tremble as her command echoed off the walls. She leapt down from the small stool she was standing on to reach over the pot to shield Gleam from whatever the unicorn may have decided to do next; her golden eyes hardened like diamonds as she stared her "ally" down. "I swear what I say to you now is no bluff, if you overstep your boundaries I won't be afraid to see to it your life be snuffed." The brief moments of quiet afterward filled Gleam with dread. Zecora looked like she was ready to kill Caleb, while the eponymous stallion just looked...amused, with a catlike grin spread across his face.

"Fine, fine, I'm willing to play nice for now. As much as I hate to admit it, I'll need you as much as you need me, so...bottom's up," Caleb chuckled before grabbing the cork keeping the contents inside the bottle from spilling out onto floor in his mouth and giving a quick tug, yanking it free from its confinement with an audible pop. Without another word, he brought the glass vial to his lips and threw his head backwards; consuming the vile black substance with one clean motion. It was thick, and surprisingly similar to syrup in its texture and how slowly it slid down his throat. But it didn't taste like any syrup Caleb had put on his breakfast before. No, the horrid beverage tasted like he was drinking liquified chalk. But as much as he despised every second of it, he just clenched his teeth shut and swallowed every drop like he was ingesting a bad dose of medicine. As he overcame the heinous flavor, he could've sworn he could see the slightest hint of a smirk on Zecora's face. She was enjoying every moment of his suffering. "Petty bitch. What happens now?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to watch you choke," Zecora mused, her smirk only widening with every word. So she did find his agony amusing, he knew it! Not feeling too amused himself, Caleb reached into his coat with his magic and withdrew his pitchfork. In that moment, he didn't even care about getting consumed by the Changeling horde, he didn't care about surviving the night. He was so unbelievably infuriated that he got led around like a dog by this pseudo-mysterious Zebra only for it to have been all for nothing the only thing on his mind was pinning her to a wall. And he would have broken into a charge and done just that had she not explained further. "Do not feel vexed, that was merely a joke. As well as a test, I was merely making sure that old potion was still working its best."

"Hmmmm, is that so? Does it seem to be working?" Caleb inquired with an arched brow as he lowered his weapon. If it was working as it was supposed to be, he'd be willing to overlook her little "joke", but that Zebra was still treading on very thin ice. She gave him an affirmative nod, and only then did he slip his pitchfork back into his coat. For a brief second, he seriously contemplated showing Zecora his more mystical weapons that he had at his disposal but quickly decided it'd be best to keep those up his sleeve as a little surprise for everyone. Besides, he doubted the gunk he just allowed to slide down his throat would magically also mask the dark enchantments his weapons were charged with. "And seeing as you finally kept your end of the bargain, what's our next move?"

"I'm glad you asked," Zecora said before vanishing around the corner and returning with...a small wooden soup ladle between her teeth. She took a moment to prop it up against the wide base of the pot before continuing. "Triumphant Gleam, if you would hold those flasks. I just need you to keep them steady, my anti-hexing brew is almost ready!" She pointed to the six glass bottles she had gotten out earlier and laid on the floor. The small filly hurriedly grabbed one in her teeth and stood perfectly still while the shaman slowly poured in the sickly green concoction. Once it was filled up to the brim, Zecora pushed a small cork into the bottle to seal it for later use. They repeated this process five more times, until all six vials were filled. Caleb wondered if they would all taste just as disgusting as the one he'd been forced to drink; they certainly looked like they would have. With the six bottles filled and ready for use, Zecora retreated into her bedroom and grabbed the saddlebags Caleb had seen out of the corner of his eye earlier. As she dragged them into the main room, he realized they weren't two separate bags but instead they were connected by a wide strap that was designed to fit over a pony's back. Her movements were nimble and fast as she threw open one of the bags with her muzzle and began stuffing the potions inside with the frantic movements not unlike a killer disposing a body into a ditch.

"Ms. Zecora, I know we probably don't have long to talk, but what happened? How did Ponyville get so overrun with Changelings like you said it was when we have the Elements of Harmony protecting us?" Gleam asked softly. As she was busy prying Zecora for answers, Caleb, to celebrate his newfound freedom, was skimming the rest of the chapters of that beginner's spellcasting guide the filly had given to him earlier that night. Now that he didn't worry about being a Changeling magnet if he so much as sneezed the wrong way, he was eager to arm himself with knowledge. Zecora was silent for a moment, visibly wincing as she reminisced about the events that had transpired a few months ago.

"While this story I will tell, I would like your help preparing a teleportation spell," Zecora said as she grabbed a vial from her shelves and poured the contents into the pot that dissipated the murky green sludge and turned it into a crystal clear liquid like the purest water from a rich mountain spring. After what was just in that cauldron though, neither Caleb nor Gleam were really interested in tasting it to see if it lived up to how it looked. While the Shaman was busy stirring her concoction, she had her two guests running around the hut grabbing ingredients and throwing them into the brew. Herbs and leaves for plants Caleb couldn't even hope to name were thrown into the shimmering depths of the cauldron, all the while Zecora was vigorously stirring away. Only once every ingredient had been gathered did she open up about the situation in Ponyville.

It'd happened three or four months ago, when Fluttershy had come down to her hut and asked Zecora to watch her animals while she and her friends answered a call to action from Canterlot. She told her that Princess Twilight had said in her letter that it could've been a couple weeks, so she wanted the Zebra to keep an eye on things while she was away. Zecora had happily agreed to do so, and had done as asked diligently for the next two weeks, making sure to visit twice every day. But all of the sudden, just as she arrived for her morning visit, Fluttershy had come back home. This was incredibly odd to her; she hadn't visited Zecora to relieve her of her duties, and the yellow Pegasus wasn't the type to just forget something like that.

What was even more bizrre, however, was her behavior. Fluttershy acted like the Zebra was a complete stranger to her, politely asking her to leave before she scared the animals. Confused, but not wanting to cause a scene, Zecora had done as requested and headed back home. A few days later, Zecora had gone into town late at night to buy some supplies and saw a small herd of ponies with torches and lamps, and seeing that they appeared to be under heavy stress she asked them what was going on, and they told her that several residents had gone missing in the night and they were trying to find them, but their efforts had proven fruitless and the Elements were too busy to help. At first, most of the Changelings in town vanished, then when they were gone ponies started to go missing as well. For the next couple days, Zecora had returned to Ponyville to help search, but more ponies were going missing every day until even members of their search party started to disappear. And yet still, no help from the Elements. Zecora, sensing something was going very wrong, decided one night that instead of joining the search efforts again, she was going to stake out the perimeter of the town and look for anything that could be a trail for where all the missing ponies were going, or better yet a culprit behind the foalnappings in the first place.

So, donning her cloak to try and stay hidden amongst the trees and foliage of the Forest, Zecora started to watch and wait with anticipation. And it seemed like ducking out while she still had the chance was a good idea, as after a couple of days with no activity it seemed like the insect infiltrators were getting more courageous; coming out into the night with their pitch-black chitin forms fully exposed under the light of the streetlamps. This was the first time Zecora had seen a Changeling look like that in a long time, and by then it was too late to warn anypony. They had already won. It was a pretty safe bet that the Elements had been subdued or otherwise replaced long before then, which is why they had managed to slip into town so easily.

"But how did that happen, Zecora? The Elements are unstoppable!" Gleam declared defensively as the shaman brought her stirring to a stop. It seemed her teleportation spell was just about done and ready to be used. The Zebra could only shake her head dismissively; she simply didn't have an answer for the filly. Crestfallen, Gleam stared into the surface of the mixture; gazing into her reflection's soft grey eyes. Her mind was swimming with confused thoughts and worrying dread, it was all she could think about. Where was her mother? What happened to the Elements? Were they going to die tonight? She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled away from the pot as she tried to think of anything other than that gruesome possibility. "Are we about ready to go then? Where are we even teleporting to?"

"You are going to be staying right here," Zecora said sternly, the sudden authority in her voice making the Earth pony flinch away a little. The Zebra could be scary when she really wanted to be. "It is far too dangerous for a filly like you, I fear. Caleb and I will be warping directly into the slaughter, as this spell only works between bodies of water. You'd best head home, Triumphant Gleam, and quickly too, before you are seen."

"No! I refuse to do any such thing, Ms. Zecora!" Gleam shot back angrily, stamping her hoof in defiance. Caleb raised a brow in surprise as he watched her stand up for herself. He didn't think Gleam had a bone of resistance in her body with all the hiding she'd done so far. But everyone had their limits, it would seem. "I'm not going home until I can find my mom! She's been missing for over a week ever since she went into town, and I know for a fact the Changelings took her! I-we have proof that they did! B-Besides," Gleam paused for a moment to look over her shoulder at Caleb, who she realized only now had been watching her so intently. He could already tell where she was going with this little speech. "Caleb promised that he would teach me how to fight, he made me his proto-shed!"

"She means protégé," Caleb interjected with an annoyed sigh, cupping his eyes with his hoof as he watched Gleam shoot herself in the foot. If she was trying to win favors with the Zebra it would've probably done her well to have remembered what that word even meant. It also probably wouldn't win any favors to tell her he was just going to put her on dynamite throwing duty. "But that is true, I did tell her I could tutor her on how to fight. I just wasn't aware you had access to such a quick method of teleporting so I figured we'd have more time to get something out of that."

"Listen to me Gleam, I will allow you to come along as a protégé," Zecora said with a sigh of begrudging acceptance. Caleb watched as she disappeared into her bedroom once more, the dark shadows enveloping her form as she dug around looking for her equipment. At first, he figured she was grabbing more alchemist's tools, though he wasn't certain how exactly she was going to brew more of her chemicals in between getting her teeth knocked in. Then he saw the silhouette of that long pole in the corner move around, and as she revealed herself once more he realized what she had gone to retrieve. Grasped tightly in her teeth wasn't any random wooden stick as he'd presumed, it was a spear whose shaft had been carved from a reinforced darkly colored wood and its heavy iron head sharpened to a razor point. She rested it against the wall for a second so she could speak unimpeded. "But I want you to promise me you're going to do as we say."

"I promise, Ms. Zecora," Gleam said solemnly, her gaze drifting to the floor as her thoughts returned to what was going to happen when they stepped through that portal. But she'd already convinced Zecora to let her come along with her, she couldn't just turn back now. Besides, even if Caleb was really scary and awful, he knew how to handle himself and Zecora seemed just as armed to fight as he was. She looked into the pot once more, her resolve to jump inside and face whatever came from the darkness as strong as it could possibly be. "So, are we ready to go? What body of water is this even connected to in the first place?"

"Indeed we are, and I hope you two are ready for a rather chilling shiver," the shaman mused as she slipped her head under the saddlebags strap and slid it onto her back, a practiced movement any experienced traveler had done a hundred times by the time they were reaching their greying years. Once the tan canvas was safely fastened around her, she turned towards her spear that was patiently waiting for her against the wall. And even though Caleb couldn't see her face, he had a feeling in his gut that she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat over there. He already knew whatever her answer was going to be was definitely gonna be a bad time for him. "Because that portal in the cauldron is going to spit us out in the heart of Ponyville: Right in the Mareimack river!"

"Eugh, I hope nopony sees us coming out, we're gonna be drenched!" Gleam winced as the thought. That actually worried Caleb a little. Having taken more than a few dips in the water, he knew from experience that rivers could be quite cold, and he doubted either of them would really be up for a fight if they were too busy sinking down to the riverbed from the shock. Then again, with how confident she seemed about the process, clearly Zecora had done this before. Maybe their fur would protect them from the frigid temperature. Besides, Caleb had been in colder waters than a midsummer nightly swim before. Much, much colder. "But speaking of seeing stuff, how would we even be able to tell the difference between a Changeling in disguise and a pony who was just put under one of their mind control spells? I don't wanna hurt an innocent pony by mistake!"

"The answer is simpler than it seems! Look sharp, those who have been charmed will have their eyes tinted a nasty green!" Zecora said as she rushed over to her homemade portal. Without even the briefest moment of hesitation, the eccentric Zebra climbed up the stool she had used earlier like it was a springboard and leapt into the pot. Despite her clearly being tall enough to stand inside of it with her head and neck high and dry, she and her belongings rapidly sank below the water's surface and disappeared before the duo's eyes without so much as a splash. Caleb and Gleam looked to one another in disbelief, each clearly waiting for the other to follow her into the glistening depths of the cauldron.

"What's the matter, brat? Afraid of a little dip in the river?" Caleb snarked as he followed Zecora's lead and climbed up the stool, silently steeling himself for the plunge as he lingered on that wooden seat for a few brief seconds. It wasn't that he was afraid of drowning or anything as ridiculous as that, he just didn't have the best track record with teleportation and this time was no different. But much like Gleam, who was silently watching his every move, he knew full well there wasn't any chickening out of this one. Even if he wanted to go the long way, their guide through the woods was long gone and waiting for them on the other side. He counted the seconds in his head like he was preparing to throw a bundle of dynamite. Three, two, one. He stepped back a little to ready himself, then ran forward and leaped headwards into the pot.

Just like Zecora before him, the water that filled the cauldron's brim didn't so much as bubble when he dived into it. The act of the teleportation itself was a very strange experience for Caleb. One moment, he was in the shaman's hut and plummeting face-first towards the thick iron bottom of her cauldron like he was falling through the air and for a brief moment he feared that he was about to crack his skull against its surface. But in the next instant, he was staring at the dark, muddy floor of a riverbed and he felt the sudden sensation of cold water all around him; instantly soaking his attire and fur. That was when he realized something: He didn't know how to swim in this body. In his normal human form, he could swim just fine but his ease at adjusting to movement in this Equestrian form had led to the thought slipping his mind until this crucial moment. Thinking quickly and trying not to panic, Caleb clamped his mouth shut as tight as he could and tried to push himself to the water's surface. It was awkward and slow, but he was tediously climbing towards his freedom from a watery grave.

"Zecora!" Caleb called out to the mare waiting for the duo on the grassy riverbank the moment his muzzle breached the river into open air; using the brief second he had to take in a fresh gasp of oxygen before he felt the weight of his sopping wet coat starting to pull him back down like Sisyphus' boulder rolling back down the hill. Shit! He could see that the Zebra had noticed he was in in trouble and was getting something to fish him out of the water, but he sank back below the surface before he could even see what she had grabbed. Was this it? Was this really how he was going to meet his end; sinking to the bottom of a river and drowning to death? If he wasn't so focused on trying to overcome this seemingly inevitable fate, he would have been utterly humiliated with himself.

As he struggled to breach the waters once more, Caleb could see the Zebra ritualist standing over him on the bank with the spear in her mouth as she tried to carefully lower it within his reach to pull him out. As Caleb fought and struggled in vain to draw closer to his lifeline, the lack of oxygen going to his brain was starting to affect him, and in his delirious state of mind he wondered why she didn't just lower the shaft of the spear into the river so he could grab it. But then he remembered: He would have to open his mouth to grab onto it and the last thing he needed right now was to let water into his lungs. Feeling his legs growing weaker with every passing second, the unicorn began to wonder if this truly would be where he died. Freedom from such an awful fate was so close, and yet so far at the same time. The water was crushing his lanky form, and he was beginning to wonder if he should just accept his fate and drown.

Suddenly, Caleb felt something hard pressing against his back. At first, it just felt uncomfortable and annoying, but then whatever was behind him started pushing him towards the surface like a buoyancy device. Despite his immensely good fortune, he wasn't even sure if he would make it to the top in time. His mouth wasn't going to stay wired shut forever; his lungs felt like they were going to burst like a pair of fleshy balloons. He was getting closer to the surface of the river, he could see the spear shaft as clear as day. He just needed to hold out for a second longer, and despite the pain on his insides, he kept his jaw squeezed tighter than a crocodile's bite.

Before he knew it, Caleb breached the surface of the water. Zecora's spear well within his reach now, he took in that sweet breath of fresh air before digging his teeth into the thick wooden surface. Using an impressive amount of strength, she twisted her body to the side and slung the unicorn out of the glistening water and onto the riverbank. As he rolled limply onto the cool, soft grass, Caleb caught sight of Triumphant Gleam pushing through the river's surface before making the short swim towards the shore and climbing onto dry land. As much as he absolutely hated to admit it, this was the second time she had saved his life. She was a lot stronger than he gave her credit for if she was able to carry a full grown stallion underwater. The same for the Zebra; that raw physical strength must have been how she was able to swim with all the gear she had on her back.

"Caleb, have you never gone swimming before?" Gleam inquired with an arched brow as he suffered through a nasty, violent coughing fit to force the water out of his lungs. Once he was finally starting to regain his senses, however, he didn't even bother to give the young filly an answer. He just shot her a nasty glare; the biggest wound he had taken was to his pride. He certainly wasn't going to let slip that he had just forgotten he couldn't swim. "You should have said something before jumping into the portal, I'm sure Zecora would have figured something out that didn't involve you almost drowning."

"Whatever," Caleb muttered in annoyance as he stood back up and tried shaking some of the water out of his coat, which was clinging to his body like an overexcited fan. Eager to change to subject, he turned to Zecora and inquired, "So where are we now? What are we even going to do? The details you gave were somewhere between vague and utterly nonexistent."

"Well, you should count yourself lucky," Zecora mused with a soft chuckle as she pointed off towards the distance, to which Caleb could see the faint, empty glow of street lamps shining through the darkness like a wrecker's lamp luring their ship into a rocky cliffside. "My portal's trajectory was a bit shaky. We were spit out a short ways south of Ponyville, so Gleam and I were the only ones to watch you nearly get yourself killed. As for our next move it needs to be something that'll make a dent. We can't just rush in and save the day, we need to actively work towards freeing the Elements from the Changelings' sway."

"Hmmmm, I assume that's what your potions were for," Caleb muttered as they started the trek towards the silent, eerie town. Even being a complete foreigner to this world, Caleb still felt like the air around them was...off, like they were sitting on the cusp of a wild and untamed storm. As none of them were in a particularly talkative mood, the unicorn's mind started to wonder again. How dangerous were these supposed Elements? He doubted a few blows to the head would be enough to snap them out of whatever mind control spell they had been hit with. If they were so legendarily powerful, it was going to require a healthy amount of magical power to tame them. Which, was actually pretty smart for a bunch of insects. Why kill a powerful foe when you can enslave them instead? Caleb's train of thought came to a screeching halt when he snapped back to reality and realized they were now standing side by side at the entrance to Ponyville; staring into the depths of the hornet's nest. By now, the town had gone deathly quiet; not a soul in sight. But that only made Caleb feel more unsafe and wary. Zecora shifted her spear over to Gleam for a brief second so she could give one final warning.

"Caleb and Triumphant Gleam, we are about to enter the belly of the beast; a place that thrives with Changelings looking for a bloody feast. They are no mindless animals however, and love to cause doubt and to trick, so you must keep your eyes sharp and your movements quick. Once we step inside we will at be at the mercy of the hive, and they will not let us leave their home alive. But like the sun piercing through the vilest weather, we will prevail if we work together."

Despite how shaky their alliance may have been, there was nobody the trio had left to rely on. It was all or nothing, and there was only one way they would succeed: as a team, whether they were willing about it or not. Zecora gently took her weapon back from the small filly beside her, tucking it between her hoof and the side of her torso. Caleb drew from his coat his well-worn pitchfork, keeping it primed and ready to thrust. While Triumphant Gleam hadn't prepared a weapon, she was just as ready to go kick butt. Whether the Changeling hive was ready or not, the Dark Trio stepped forward in perfect synch with each other and a single word passed their lips.

"Together!"