FEB 6 Saturday.

I see how the Changeling is bandaged after a moment and cringe at it. I probably overdid it, I tried to send a warning, not maim someone. They are also cornered now and I just need them to take the easy option and fly away, then I can deal with this after.

I feel kind of bad and start to focus more on the wound, it's not looking great but from what little I can tell it's not lethal, most of the damage seems to be to the chitin. Shit, now I feel bad about this. My mind wars with itself as the changelings look around themselves and back at me. "W-why do this?" The lead Changeling in the vine circle asks me.

I'm starting to really feel bad as I sort of just attacked them, but I think my reasons are justified. "Look, we'll... If I don't take that one back with us it's on our heads, just like the others, I know you understand that." My thoughts stop at that as that never occurred to me, this is about more than loyalty to them, this is about survival.

I'm not sure who he has me confused with. One of the others looks at the injured Changeling. "What are you doi-" He doesn't get to finish.

"Shut up! Look around you!" He surprisingly chastises them before turning back to me with an almost pleading look. "We need that ling, we can take them and just leave." His tone is neutral and it's clear he's trying to negotiate. It's not hard to see why, if his life is really riding on this.

I piece it together a moment later, he's trying to negotiate and not retreat because if they leave without the injured Changeling they're just as fucked. Which also means they won't fly away and my plan has failed completely. I'm also not planning on giving the injured Changeling to them because I know that won't end well.

If whoever they report to is willing to kill them for failing I can't imagine what they would do to someone who's ran away. A thought occurs to me and I take the same tone again. "Which queen, do you serve?" I don't know much about them, but I remember what Cricket said about them.

He stops and looks at me with confusion. "Queen Cascadia? Why would you ask? ... Who are you?" And I think he just realized I'm not in the know here.

I can't deal with this, at least not alone. I take a small box out of my saddlebags and throw it into the vine circle, it's a simple medical kit. One of them catches it and gives me a wary look before slowly opening it, after they see what's inside it's quickly passed to the lead Changeling.

I stare them down for a moment. "Stay, don't try anything," I warn them and immediately dump more of my dwindling life magic to enclose them in a ball of thorns and vines. One of them almost looks ready to try and fly away, but one of the others stops them.

"Shit! ... Give me that box." The lead Changeling seems to not like the situation in the slightest but focuses on his wounds for now, and I spend a moment growing thornless vines under their hooves, a silent threat. I need to work quickly as I have no idea how long this situation will remain stable. I take out some paper and a quill.

I keep my life senses sharp and attentive as I quickly scribble out my location and a request for help on a piece of paper and silently move it behind me while casting the silenced-area spell around me. Now that they can't hear me I speak out loud to Entropy, "Get this to Celestia, come right back."

Entropy's probably been watching this whole time so she knows it's serious. A few moments later I feel the piece of paper disappear from my field and I deactivate the sound-canceling spell around me. The now captured Changelings seem very on edge but are attending to the injured one for now.

I feel one of the others move to my left and turn my head quickly, it's the deep green stallion they were arguing with earlier. He sees me looking at him and freezes on the spot not moving in the slightest before finding his voice. "I- I need to check on them... Please?" He keeps his tone mostly level but it seems he's just as frightened of me as everyone else now is.

I surveyed the ten others in the square alleyway that forms an open area surrounded completely by tall buildings. I keep up my dead tone, mostly to keep all of them subdued until reinforcements arrive. "Do not try to leave." I keep my words simple while watching the life magic of everyone present.

If they tried to run I don't think I could stop them all, and giving up a little ground now might make them less panicky when the guard arrives.

He nods slowly after a second and takes a slow pace as he checks on each Changeling, talking to each of them quietly while keeping an eye on me and the Changelings in the vine cage. The next few minutes pass at a crawl and I start to feel a little tired from how much magic I've used and the adrenalin still coursing through my veins.

Eventually, I feel the odd feeling Entropy gives off when she teleports, and a few feet behind me I hear some noise before a light breaks the darkness for the first time. At that same moment, my life senses are blinded by the abrupt and sudden appearance of a small sun a few feet away from me.

I nearly fall on my flank but just stagger slightly before turning around, standing behind me are two very alert guards and a pure white unicorn mare, Celestia's pony disguise. :Wellll, I'm fucked: I knew I was going to have to face her about all this, but I didn't expect it so soon.

Within a moment both guards move in front of me and start to look over the situation, while Celestia gives me a very worried look as she looks at my side and the blood on the street not far away. She quickly moves over to me and casts several spells faster than I can react.

The Changelings are taken off guard by the sudden appearance of the guards, and of seeing my cloaked form. But none of them try anything as the two guards stare them down. I'm still on edge from what's happened and I'm also fearing Celestia's wrath a little, but even then I relax some at finally being safe. "I'm fine, it's not my blood." I try to reassure her, but she looks far from reassured at my statement.

Her gaze keeps showing her concern but also shows hardness to them as she looks over me. "That's not any better." Her tone is like stone, cold, hard, and heavy. The tone does not help with the anxiety I'm feeling right now. She turns away from me for a moment and quickly assesses the situation, while I see more guards start to run down the alley towards us.

Celestia turns back to me. "What happened?" Her tone is not a demand, but also not a request. I still feel my anxiety but quickly start to explain as the guards round every one of the changelings up, even the hostile ones once I decomposed the vines surrounding them.

None of them try to run, mostly because there is nowhere to run. The buildings have pegasi guards on them and the alley is full of dozens more guards at this point. Running would be a bad idea so things go far smoother than I thought they would.

I keep my explanation truthful and to the point, while showing a little regret when two guards carry the Changeling I hurt away on a stretcher along with the other injured Changeling. As I explain things I see many emotions break through her mask slightly but in the end she mostly shows worry and slight disappointment.

It hurts to see that look, but I understand it, I did fuck up. "Can she take us back?" The question is directed to Entropy as she rests on my back. By this point, the guards have everything well under control so I can guess we aren't needed here anymore.

I try and force my mind to do some calculations before giving up and just nodding. "She should, but she'll definitely be tired after." Celestia gives me a nod, and Entropy understands us enough for us to both vanish a few moments later.

The Void is blissfully silent, the darkness has always been so calm and quiet. But that ends a moment later when we appear inside Celestia's bedroom. Entropy is definitely tired so she just melds into my shadow and vanishes completely. I just stand there a moment and try to read my mind. I'm not going to enjoy this conversation, but it's needed.

I muster up my courage and turn to Celestia, only to be covered in two forelegs and a pair of large fluffy wings as Celestia takes off her disguise and hugs me. It's a long moment of silence before I reach out my hooves and hug her back. "It will be ok." Her words hold a weight to them that brings a little comfort to me.

We stay like that for several moments before I pull away and take a deep breath. "Celestia?" She backs up a little before looking me in the eye. "I think I need that kick in the flank I once mentioned," I admit and give her a weak smile that shows what little conviction I have in my words.

She stares at me for several moments. "Hhhh, what am I going to do with you?" She asks herself while sighing. "You have done something foolish and shortsighted, I know your reasons but even then, what were you thinking?" Her tone holds a little frustration and disappointment, and it does sting a little to hear.

"The guard, me, or so many other ponies could have helped you solve this, but you ran off and made me worried sick and then I showed up to see blood everywhere. You keep running head first into danger, even if it's for a good reason it's no excuse for risking your life." Her tone is not loud or angry but is definitely chastising.

It's not fun to hear any of this, but this isn't the first verbal lashing I've gotten so I stand and take it. "You ran into something unknown, hurt others, and only then thought to call for help, it was stupid and completely reckless! And the only, SINGLE reason I'm not grounding you, which I CAN do, is because you were trying to help." I can't help but pin my ears back at that thought.

"You had NO Idea who you were attacking or defending! No idea who was at fault, and no idea how badly that could have gone if a SINGLE thing went out of your control." All valid points, harsh, but valid. She's a little more worked up by this point and let it be known.

"I haven't even mentioned that Changeling's leg!" I cringe a little at that. "I know what it's like to act recklessly, but, really! Really Shade?! You could have just threatened them, not put the fear of Tartarus into them!" Her face is downright crossed at this point.

But it softens a second later as she takes a deep breath. "So, you, Shade Evergreen, are going to promise me to not pull something like this again unless you ABSOLUTELY must." I nod quickly. "I want to hear you say it, clearly." That is a straight demand, one of the first she's even asked of me.

"I promise! I won't do ANYTHING like that again unless absolutely needed!" I answer her quickly and precisely for fear of being stuck in my apartment for the next few weeks. I take a deep breath, "And, wel- ... Yes, I did go overboard on that Changeling, and I won't even try to defend it or why I thought it was a good idea at the time." I admit that and can't help but look at the floor.

"Good, now remember that, please." I nod again and look back up to meet her kind eyes. "Now, with that done, are you really ok?" That kind face is back and I can't help but release my held breath.

I shake my head. "No, I just got one mean talking to, but I will be... Thanks, I... I think I needed to hear that." I say honestly as I feel myself sag even more from exhaustion over tonight's events. The silence stretches for a long moment, "What now?" I ask a little aimlessly.

She sighs again. "A lot, you may have done something stupid, but you took some precaution in doing it, thank magic for that. But you've thoroughly involved yourself in this mess, and maybe even in a war to some degree." I let those words settle into me and give her a single slow nod.

I hadn't even thought of that until now. "So, for now, you are to avoid Changelings, for your own safety you need to stay out of this." I just nod again and keep silent. "As for the Changelings, well that remains to be seen. But at a minimum, they will be questioned and detained for now."

That brings out a different feeling of sadness, I dragged those other Changelings into this as well. "They'll be taken care of and cared for, so don't worry." We both know I will regardless, but the words help some. "As for you, well, what do you want to do?"

I stare back for a moment and blink a few times. "How do you deal with the unknown? If you can't know what is right, then what do you do? Because I deal with it through action, oftentimes rash action, and some perspective would be nice." She gives me a lopsided smile and lays down to be at my level.

"There is no one answer to that. So many things must be accounted for and so many things still go wrong. But in the end, I just try my best, the same as you do." She tries to reassure me with a smile and a calm look.

"Then, why are you so much better at it?" I ask back. I don't even know why I'm asking this, I already know the answer, it's obvious to anypony with eyes.

I see that same sad smile I saw last Nightmare Night. "Because I have failed much worse, so, so much worse. But I got back up, and I will the next time I fail. Just as you will." It does bring a little comfort to know she still fails, just as I do. But I knew that already, it just helps in an odd way to hear it spoken out loud.

I can't help it and just chuckle hollowly. "Always the optimist." I stand up and look over to see that Entropy's still recovering, it's going to be a long walk home. "I need a shower, and you have important work-" Before I can finish she stands up and cuts me off.

Her smile shifts to something more upbeat, somehow. "And that's why you're staying here for the night, I'll have a guard take you to a guest room." I don't even bother arguing with her at this point and just nod yet again. "Get some rest Shade, it will help, I promise." Her tone is kind.

I see an opportunity to mess with her and take it, old habits die hard after all. "I'll keep you to that, I expect at least eight full hours." Neither of us laughs, but she keeps smiling at me. "Good night Celestia, and thank you for everything," I say genuinely.

She nods. "And thank you for trying, no matter what. Good night Shade, and don't worry, it's a promise I intend to keep." She walks me to the door and outside a few guards are already waiting with stacks of paper. I silently follow a guard through the palace as my mind tries to wander.

Tonight sucked, and I really need that vacation.

Author's Note

Thank for reading. :}
Current year is 994

I know it might seem a little anticlimactic for this to be how it ends, but honestly I'd have to pull some stupid things out of my --- to make four openly hostile Changelings in a cage a threat.