A Shadow of Myself

Charlotte was tired of looking at tunnel after tunnel. Tempest seemed like she had some clue which way to go, but every split in a tunnel brought a new stop and more waiting for the mohawked woman to decide which way had more electric charge. It extended the time wandering and extended the time spent in a cramped space with her companions. They were all tired. They were all frustrated, and almost all of them wouldn't stop complaining.

"Why am I carrying this miserable demon pony again?" Starlight, now back in his standard form, moaned as he looked back at Sunset Blessing sleeping on his back. He complained the most out of the group.

"Because you're the only one who can easily do it," Blanche reminded him, not for the first time.

Starlight snorted. "She should walk by herself. It isn't my fault she decided not to sleep for so long. There was no reason for it."

Tempest paused and looked back at them. "She was probably trying to hide from Princess Luna."

Charlotte frowned. "Why would she do that? Luna's her mentor."

Blanche took her turn snorting. "The obvious answer is she didn't want Luna to know about something. That should worry us because it means she's also hiding something from us that we aren't going to like."

Tempest resumed her walk. "We can worry about what the preacher's plotting later. It is unlikely she will tell us if confronted, and I doubt she'll do anything to directly endanger us. If she intends to do significant harm to the population of this world, we can do our best to stop her. Anyway, I'm fairly certain we're almost to our destination. The sensation has gotten strong enough that I don't have to spend much time searching for it anymore."

"Thank God for that," Charlotte muttered. She didn't even care if it sounded like something her other self would say. Her hooves hurt from walking on rocky ground, and she was tired of looking at cave walls.

"It will be good to finally relax. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel tired. I'm not sure if I enjoy feeling it after so long," Rainbow said with a slight groan. That was the closest to a complaint she'd made, aside from some light chiding of her horse for his negative attitude. Pegasi were supposed to dislike being underground, supposedly. It had something to do with not being able to see the sky and not being able to fly. Rainbow bucked that trend by seeming perfectly comfortable in the cave. Of course, she hadn't had the opportunity to use her wings to fly as a pegasus, at least not yet. Maybe her opinions on caves might change after she did.

"You didn't get tired before?" Blanche asked, seeming genuinely curious. "That seems like the most useful adventuring talent I've ever heard of. I know I'd have liked to have had that ability back when I was in tight spots."

"How many tight spots do you get into guarding The Marshmallow?" Charlotte asked. "She doesn't seem the action-packed adventure type. She seems more like the kind of person who stays far away from danger."

Blanche chuckled. "Rebecca and I had an adventure together back in the day. It was brief, but she demonstrated she's not a coward– a complete moron in a combat situation, but not a coward. She may seem like a silly joke, but you'd be surprised how brave she can be– she doesn't think well under those kinds of stresses. She's much more suited for sitting on the sidelines, where she has time to think through her plan of action. However, to clarify, my main adventuring days were before becoming her bodyguard, back when I was a candidate to be a Dreamwarden. I hated it back then, but I admit, after years of relative safety, I miss the danger."

"Danger, right. We're staring at cave walls, in danger of dying of boredom," Charlotte muttered. She shouldn't have said that. She knew this was a dangerous world, but she was just so bored!

Rainbow frowned and looked at her wings. "I know Sunset Blessing wanted me to stay in this form for my protection, but I'm not useful like this. I'm not used to being protected. I am…I was…a hero. I mean, I came to help, but I can't help like this."

Starlight glanced at the unicorn on his back. "I'd wager she just wanted me to haul her around and knew you wouldn't let us be separated. We'll show her that we're more useful than that. We were having adventures before she was even born. You're a hero, not a damsel, and I'm your loyal steed."

Rainbow giggled as she tossed back her mane and flicked her tail dramatically. "I don't seem to need a steed at the moment. I kinda have that covered. How about a hero and her best friend or two heroes?" She paused and put a hoof up to her belly. "My belly is starting to feel funny. I hope nothing is wrong."

"When was the last time you ate?" Blanche asked.

"Um, not sure. I suppose when Sunset Blessing was testing that artificial blood," Rainbow replied.

Blanche turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "I meant actual food. Please tell me you haven't gone days without anything solid in your stomach."

Rainbow blinked. "We haven't eaten in years, not in several decades. Is that what this feeling is? I'm hungry? I don't remember what being hungry is like."

Blanche sighed and sat down. "Everyone, take a break. We have a party member who forgot she needs food to live. Please tell me you packed food in your supplies."

Rainbow blushed. "Well…"

A whiff of smoke drifted off Blanche. The kirin then looked at Charlotte and scowled. "You and Sunset can spare some food from your rations for her."

"Don't be mad at her. She isn't used to this," Charlotte said, protectively stepping beside Rainbow.

Blanche snorted flame. "I'm not mad at her. I'm mad at you two bozos for not ensuring she was adequately prepared."

Charlotte stepped back. "I-"

Tempest stepped between them. "I think it doesn't matter who is at fault for what. She needs to get food, and Blanche needs to calm down." Tempest glared down at the kirin. "Really, you're the current senior elite bodyguard of the Dreamwardens. Keeping a cool and rational head is part of your job. I realize kirin are naturally hot-tempered in a very literal sense. You're not used to your current physiology and instincts, and it can be a lot to adjust to– I underwent a similar adjustment period after becoming human, so I understand but please, make an effort to control yourself. We do not need to add smoke inhalation in a cramped cave to our list of worries."

Blanche's tail slumped, so it was now on the ground, and she lowered her head. "Sorry, Tempest. I've embarrassed myself in front of you."

"Don't act subservient to me," Tempest chastised. "You long ago stopped being my student, and you were competent before I instructed you, but thank you for taking me seriously."

"You were teacher and student?" Rainbow asked curiously.

Blanche flicked her tail. "Briefly. I was a capable fighter, but being a great fighter doesn't automatically mean you know how to bodyguard someone. Tempest taught me those ropes– what to watch for, how to best get Rebecca to safety if needed, how to use a Dreamwarden's Oaths to my advantage to keep her on track. That kind of thing."

Charlotte's ears flicked at that. "You manipulate your Dreamwarden? Isn't that wrong?"

Blanche gave Charlotte a firm look. "Dreamwardens can get hyper-focused on things and neglect other things. You have to reign them in occasionally for everyone's benefit. Part of reigning them in is understanding them as a person, and part is understanding how Dreamwardens as a whole work. I knew Rebecca, the pony, and what motivated her before becoming a bodyguard for her, but I had to learn about The Marshmallow the Dreamwarden and what motivates her. It is not the same. One is a happy pegasus who wants to make people happy and encourage creativity. The other is something that doesn't think like a human, a pony, or anything you may think you know, possesses memories stretching back millions of years, and expects to be obeyed when they give an order. You have to know how to talk to both of those aspects and know you're always dealing with both simultaneously. It isn't easy."

"Phobia Remedy is a kind soul but can be a monster when focused on her goals. I had to learn how to reason with both sides of her. It can be…unnerving to be caught off-guard by her darker aspects," Tempest said grimly.

Charlotte grit her teeth. She knew that monstrous side of Phobia Remedy. The warden had said straight-faced that she was willing to kill Charlotte because Charlotte was a possible threat to her goals. Phobia Remedy the pony was disgusted by the idea, but Phobia Remedy the Dreamwarden was capable of pure ruthlessness. Were all the Dreamwardens like that?

Blanche gestured at Charlotte. "Go ahead and change back so you can get to your food. We don't want her getting sick from not eating."

"Tempest says that we're getting closer. The intuits have food," Charlotte protested.

Blanche started smoking again. "We aren't taking food from a bunch of refugees barely getting by as it is, not when we have our own. Her tracking this way is hardly the most reliable method either, so I won't automatically assume closer means arriving soon. Just do it. We could all use a breather."

"Temper, Blanche," Tempest said calmly. "You aren't even noticing you're spouting off flame."

Blanche went wide-eyed and backed up till her rump hit the cave wall. "Maybe I should revert to being human before I accidentally kill someone. How does this tribe survive?"

"They're fireproof and learn to control their tempers," Tempest said stiffly. "They are also reasonably good at fireproofing other things– to a point, anyway. The fire is much more impressive once they top those extended heat limits. I'm told they once set their village on fire by all of them going nirik at once. That was too much heat. I would have liked to have seen that."

Rainbow gasped. "Why would you want to see that?! That's horrible!"

Tempest shrugged. "It wouldn't have been dangerous to them, they're fireproof, and with no danger involved, I get a kick out of watching others get what's coming to them for not controlling their tempers."

"Didn't your service to Phobia Remedy result from you not controlling your temper?" Blanche asked with a smirk.

Tempest smiled back. "As I said, what people have coming to them. Comeuppance sometimes works out well for everyone. Still, your temper could do us all in. I don't enjoy that."

Charlotte used her horn to set her necklace to human and reverted instantly. She was then down on her hands and knees on the cave floor with a heavy backpack on her back. The sudden weight on her back might have made her lose her balance if she'd been upright. She'd packed much heavier this time around. Thankfully, a lot of that extra was food. Also, thankfully, she didn't have to worry about this weight in pony form. After getting her center of gravity worked out, she sat back and pulled the pack off.

Rainbow came and sat down beside her as she unpacked to get to the food. Charlotte glanced at her. Now that she was human again, Rainbow didn't seem as sexy, but she was still cute and adorable. Was switching back and forth like this going to have long-term effects on her brain? She thought one way as a pony and one way as a human, but how long till those ways started blending into one another? How much had it blended together in Sunset's brain after decades of switching back and forth? Should she ask her other self when she had time?

She pulled out some food ration bars, a mix of nuts, grains, and chocolate. She unwrapped one and passed it to Rainbow. Rainbow, still sitting, grabbed it with her forehooves and sat examining it.

"Is that it?" Rainbow asked. "It seems rather…dry looking."

"It's small, but it's packed with nutrients. We can't count on cooking, and we need to preserve our water," Charlotte explained, then blinked. "Water, almost forgot." She then dug back into her pack and pulled out her canteen.

Tempest suddenly jerked her head and held up a hand. "Everyone be quiet and be on guard. There is a huge source of electricity that is moving towards us. We can't assume it is an Autobot."

Charlotte put her canteen back in her pack, put her backpack back on, and flipped the settings back to pony. She was pretty sure it was an Autobot, but she was sadly helpless as a human. Sunset had at least taught her some basic self-defense as a unicorn, and injuries taken as a pony mostly didn't count.

Starlight unceremoniously dumped Sunset Blessing on the ground.

"Wha-!" Sunset Blessing bleated. She then looked up at the horse in a fury. "You stupid beast! Why did you-"

"We've got something incoming that is registering high on Tempest's electricity detection," Blanche hurriedly interrupted. "We need you up and alert."

"Two somethings. I can feel them clearly now," Tempest said as she looked at the tunnel in front of them and pulled out a gun as Sunset Blessing got to her hooves.

They all stood at the ready. Charlotte and her other self both had their horns lit. Surprisingly, so did Blanche, although Charlotte was pretty sure the temporary kirin had no clue how to use it. Rainbow had stepped back behind Starlight, but she did have her wings instinctively spread. They all stood that way, silently waiting.

Then, something came speeding through the air and past them so fast that Charlotte couldn't even tell what it had been. It had been blue, she thought, or maybe purple?

"What was that?" Rainbow asked.

Before anyone could answer, what looked like a small red tank, smaller than the ponies, came into view. Tempest aimed her pistol at it.

"Grand Slam!" Sunset Blessing said excitedly.

Charlotte looked at her other self, who seemed positively giddy. "Huh?"

Sunset looked in the other direction. "Which means that must have been Raindance that passed by us."

Blanche had a brief flash of flame. "Is that good for us, bad, or unknown?"

Sunset Blessing unlit her horn and stepped towards the tank. "Don't shoot! I am Sunset Blessing. Maybe you've heard of me?" She looked back at Charlotte. "Change back to a human so you can be recognized, girl. Don't you see the Autobot symbol?"

The other small bot returned, flying through the air behind them, but came to a halt in the air, hovering silently. It looked like a weird tiny blue jet, but she could see a small Autobot symbol on it.

Charlotte cautiously did as instructed, again wondering if this constant back and forth would mess up her brain. At least they were dealing with Autobots at the moment.

The small tank made a chhook chhuuuk chhaak chhick sound as it transformed into a mall robot and gazed upon Sunset Blessing curiously.

"So, you're the infamous Sunset Blessing, purveyor of transformation magic, and powerful source of energeon, well-versed in the identities of magic Autobot and Decepticons," Grand Slam said in a loud, boisterous tone. "We are honored that we are among those your encyclopedic knowledge extends to, and even more honored to make your acquaintance. May I note for our report that you recognized me instantly and with great joy?"

The other Autobot landed and transformed back into a robot. "Making a video recording of this. Great stuff!"

Blanche relaxed but grimaced. "Great, we made it to another world filled with fighting robots, and the first ones we run into are the press."

"Journalists, ma'am, journalists!" Grand Slam said haughtily. Then his eyes seemed to run code in some alien script. "You are a female, correct? Your voice inflection suggests it, but I do not wish to get my facts wrong in my report just because I jumped to conclusions. I couldn't take my reputation being tarnished by such a rookie mistake. This is my biggest exclusive I have had in a while."

"Can you look this way, ma'am? I want to get a good recording of your face," Raindance said from behind them.

Rainbow smiled. "They seem friendly."

"Never trust the press," Blanche muttered.

"Journalists!" Grand Slam corrected.

Charlotte Rolled her eyes. "I'm guessing you got the idea of journalists from those old movies, but how do you guys even have journalists if you don't have writing to have journals?"

Grand Slam crossed his arms and held his head high. "Those humans don't have a standardized written script used by all, but transformers do. However, we do an audio and visual recording with commentary."

"Do you two combine to create Slamdance?" Sunset asked eagerly.

Blanche raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you fangirling? Are you seriously fangirling like some little kid?"

Sunset stuck her nose up. "Fanbases are made up of all ages; I'm sure you have things that would excite you, smurfs or something."

Blanche flamed slightly again. "Are you trying to make some sort of assumption about what I like because I'm Flemish? That I like smurfs just because I'm from Flanders? Maybe you like American football, cowboy hats, and hotdogs in cans because you're from the States."

Charlotte had to ask. "Who eats hotdogs from cans? I've never even heard that."

Blanche waved a hoof absently. "Much of Europe cans their sausages. They view hotdogs as American sausages. They aren't aware people in the states don't commonly can their sausages as well, and when you go to buy hotdogs there, they come in cans like any other sausage."

Tempest threw her hands up in frustration. "Why are we discussing this? The questions we should be asking are if these bots will take us to their base and whether our allies are still safe and well."

"For your first query, we will most certainly take you to the base since Prime will be eager to speak with you, as will the intuits," Grand Spam replied. "As for the latter query, we assume yes, but cannot give you a definitive answer since your allies are no longer at the base."

Sunset's joy at seeing transformers dissipated immediately. "Then where are they?"

Andrea stared upward.

"That's big."

It towered over them, stretching so high Andrea couldn't see the jagged and pockmarked spires end as they pushed into the clouds. She didn't think it was even just one such spire but multiple tips. The entire structure was littered with tips branching off it, reaching for the sky.

Scootaloo tilted her head to the side as she stared up at it. "I thought that was a single mountain from a distance, but is that a giant termite mound? I didn't think there were any bugs here. How do you even get a termite mound the size of a mountain?"

"The bugs are still here," Shrieky said as she approached the mass and laid her hand on it. "More than just bugs."

Apple Bloom rubbed her hoof against the ground, which had dry brown grass. "Grass still grows here. Maybe not healthy-like, barely livin', but it's still alive. This place has it rough, but it's better off than the rest of the planet."

Sweetie Belle's ears flattened against her head as she stepped backward. "I'm more concerned with the bugs that made it. How big are they? I've seen a changeling hive before, but a changeling hive is nowhere near this big."

"They're little things, smaller than the joints on my fingers," Shrieky said, holding up her hand and wiggling her stubby fingers, which were maybe three-quarters of the size of Andrea's when she was in human form.

"Ya can see the little holes in the thing. That holds up," Apple Bloom said as she approached it and pointed at an area littered with tiny little holes.

Cadence looked it over critically. "There might be billions, maybe trillions of tiny holes like that, but we can't enter through those. How do we get in?"

"Do we just make our own entrance?" Sapphire asked. "It's a termite mound. It can't be that hard to break into."

"And are the bugs edible?" Josie asked. They all gave her a disgusted look, and she gave them a defensive one back. "What? The fruit the intuits grow underground is sickly, and I'm tired of our rations. I could do with anything else to eat. Hanging out with Rebecca has spoiled me by ensuring I always have good food."

Shrieky threw back her head and groaned. "Ugh, you have to appeal to the guardians of this place. They've been here since the beginning and don't let anyone enter unallowed. They are why the Decepticons haven't tried to take it."

"Who are these guardians?" Cadence asked.

"Grimlock and his band of bots. They are neither Autobot nor Decepticon and can seem a little simple-minded. Don't underestimate them; they aren't to be trifled with."

Andrea blinked. Sunset Blessing was going to freak out when she found out her favorite transformer was guarding this place.