The Young Warrior: Eternally Paternal

“Alright, we’re heading to this town.” Fortuna said, laying a map before them as they stopped to rest on the side of an old path. “It’s called Moonshadow Valley.”

“I’ve heard of that place!” Ocellus jumped in, raising her hoof excitedly. “Headmare Twilight said that the last time there was an eclipse, the shadow passed right over the area, back when there were only a few ponies living there. Then it grew in popularity, like Ponyville did, and they named it Moonshadow.”

“Exactly.” Fortuna smiled and rolled up the map. “The town is known for grain exports, and that’s what those mob griffons went to ‘take care of’.”

“Bu’ then the ponies would s’arve, right?” Apex asked.

“Well, they have other resources, but it would make it rather hard for them to keep jobs and trade deals with other towns. Lucky for them, we’re going to help.” Fortuna reassured the little nymph, patting his head.

“How far out from the town are we?” Pharynx asked.

“About an hour or two tops. We’ll rendezvous with Meta and Middy there.” Fortuna turned to face them. “Remember, code names once we’re in town. I only want to hear ‘Transmorpho, Gilded Saber, and Songwing’. You lot should figure some out for yourselves too.”

Pharynx instantly transformed into an unreformed changeling with a purple mane and deep purple eyes, his wings now bright red.

“Swapping color schemes? Really Phar?” Ocellus questioned, raising a brow at him. “That won’t fool anyone.”

“Actually, he’s being smart.” Fortuna smiled and rubbed Pharynx’s head affectionately, making his cheeks pinken. “It’s a common tactic actually. Meta and Middy don’t know who any of you lot are, they’ve only heard of Thorax and Pharynx by name. If you keep yourselves just recognizable enough that Ember and Tempest can remember your disguise without needing the personal scents we can smell, but altering just the slightest things…”

“The bad guys won’ be able to figure ou’ who we are an’ trace us!” Apex finished, jumping into the air and transforming as he landed. The young one had become an unreformed changeling with green wings and a red neckfin, keeping his eyes red too.

“Exactly, little warrior.” Fortuna gave Thorax and Ocellus pointed looks, prompting the flames that quickly surrounded the two.

Thorax turned into an unreformed changeling with a teal mane and black wings, his eyes a dark gold. Ocellus became a standard unreformed female with wide pink eyes and light blue wings.

“Names?” Fortuna questioned immediately.

“Trachus.” Pharynx shot back, and she nodded approvingly.

“Ve’tex.” Apex joined in, climbing onto Pharynx’s back, while Thorax and Ocellus stepped closer.

“I’ll be Cleft.” Thorax glanced at his brother. “Does that work?”

“It should. Seems a little non-changeling but it’ll throw them off. Ocellus?”

“Toxis.”

“That’s going to take some getting used to.” Ember grumbled.

“Well, apologies Blue, but you’ve to adapt.” Fortuna gave her a sympathetic smile. “Code names take getting used to, but sooner or later you’ll have noticed everyone has their own little ‘pattern’ for code names – usually false names have a similar connotation to their actual selves.”

“Conn– what?”

“Nevermind it. Come on you lot, we need to keep moving, we have to be in the town by nightfall so we can make that rendezvous.”

“Lead the way, Fortuna.” Tempest nodded to her respectfully, and she smiled, leading them off.

It was evening by the time they had approached Moonshadow. Fortuna stopped them once they were able to make out the rooftops of the town.

“Transmorpho and Songwing should be nearby.” Fortuna spoke softly. “We have a code phrase that allows us to make sure we are who we say we are.”

“Alright, Trachus and I will stay in the front.” Tempest said, looking around at them. “We have the most experience in battle.”

“Then A– er, Vertex will stay with me directly behind you.” Ember consented.

“Cleft, Toxis, you two will be off to the side.” Fortuna said, nudging the transformed changelings into place. “We’re only planning to meet them here, then they’ll lead us to the location that the griffons are using as a home base. Ember, Tempest, might you have thought of names yet?”

“I’ll go by Storm Wake.” Tempest said, lifting her head. “Simple enough to remember.”

“Slash.” Ember shrugged. “Best I could think of.”

“It works.” Fortuna assured her. “Now, let’s see where my teammates have got to.”

Fortuna stepped to the front of the group, her eyes narrowing as she gazed around at the trees in the valley. Thanks to changeling night vision, Fortuna seemed to zero in on something, right as two figures emerged from the shadows, making their way towards the group. Both Tempest and Pharynx’s haunches rose, ready to defend their friends if needed. But Fortuna held her hoof up to halt them, waiting silently until the creatures were visible.

A pegasus mare with a black coat, soft pink mane, and bright pink eyes was the first to emerge from the darkness. She wore a bandanna that matched her eye color, wings fluttering over a cutie mark of a single sparkling teardrop. The other was a unicorn stallion, his gray coat blending in with the darkness, much like the mare’s had. His eyes were dark blue, and his mane was an off-white shade that seemed to glow in the moonlight, a cutie mark of a stag silhouette on his flank.

“When the shadows fly?” Fortuna asked suddenly, and the two ponies responded in unison.

“The kingdom falls.”

“Right then,” Fortuna smiled to the pair. “It’s good to see you two again.”

“Good to see you too, Saber.” The mare snickered, glancing at the changelings, dragon, and unicorn behind Fortuna. “Are– are they–?”

“They’re with me, Songwing.” Fortuna gestured around at them. “Storm Wake, Trachus, Slash, Vertex, Clef, and Toxis.”

“I assume those are code names?” The unicorn asked, striding forwards with purpose in his steps.

Pharynx didn’t even have to stop to consider. He knew this stallion was his father, this was Metamorphosis. He didn’t even need confirmation in the fact the mare had already transformed into her true form, a changeling female with the same pink mane and eyes, the bandanna still wrapped around her neck.

“I asked them to create some.” Fortuna responded to the stallion. “You could return to your own form, you know, Transmorpho.”

“S-Sorry, I–”

“M-Songwing!” Ocellus stepped forwards, interrupting the stallion. “Gilded Saber told us you were alive, but– but I couldn’t believe it, everyone thought you were killed.”

“I didn’t mean to play dead for so long, believe me.” Midlight smiled sadly. “There was just one thing after another. And by then, it had been years.”

“Nightburn still misses you.” Ocellus whispered, and a tear dripped down the older changeling’s face.

“I miss him too.” She admitted with a smile, as Fortuna rested a hoof on her shoulder.

Pharynx and Thorax paid no attention to this interaction, standing beside Ember and Tempest, Apex settled on his father’s back. Fortuna walked up to Metamorphosis, nudging the concealed changeling gently.

“Come off it, ‘Morpho. They won’t judge, I promise. Look at ‘em.” Fortuna said, as if reassuring the stallion. He took a breath, before letting it out as a swirl of flames surrounded his form.

Whatever Pharynx and Thorax had expected to see, it was not the changeling that stood in the unicorn’s place.