“How did you sleep?” Stellar Glow, the small Night Guard, was sitting on the chair in front of Pete's desk.

The human sat up and rubbed his head groggily. He hadn't liked the idea, but Luna had insisted. Every day Stellar Glow came in to check on him. She had even been given explicit time off to do so. The princess was concerned and with good reason. Days passed without a word from Pete to any pony. Food had to eventually be brought to him and the princess had decided that Stellar Glow was the mare to do it. Since then she had been assigned to keep an eye on her captain, trying to get him to come out of the shell he had retreated into.

“Fine.” It was a lie, they both knew, but it made things easier on Pete.

He looked out the window at the sun almost halfway across the sky. Ten, perhaps eleven in the morning. Food was sitting on the desk next to Stellar, which he grudgingly took and started to munch on. Hunger was foreign to him but if he didn't eat Luna might send more ponies to watch over him later. Even his taste was as listless as he was. He wasn't even sure what the food was, but he finished it and sat the platter back down on the desk.

In the corner of the room stood the source of his ire. The sword, his fragment of Nightmare, sheathed and unchanged. A reminder of what he'd done. Reasons didn't matter, Pete knew he wasn't a killer. There would have been no living with himself if he'd killed that griffon, but that still meant he had to live with the fact he wanted to. What would stop him next time? What if there wasn't anything to stop him? He needed the power, he had already decided on that. It was the risks that frightened him. Losing control of himself.

His thoughts were interrupted as Stellar Glow landed on the bed next to him. Her eyes locked on his, demanding his attention. Certainly such a small mare couldn't make him listen, but something prodded him to do so. A look in her eye? Perhaps the attitude, the way she had sat down next to him. Abruptly, forcefully out of character for the small clumsy mare.

“What you were going to do is wrong,” she said firmly. “We don't kill unless we have to and that's the way it is.” After a moment she broke her gaze, “But I understand. Everypony does. Seeing that is horrible, there's no other words for it. If it were up to the average pony your response would be the normal one, but where would it end? When the good guys and the bad guys are doing the same thing to fight each other, who's right?”

Pete understood that. Sometimes the ends justified the means, but not all of the time. A time and a place for everything, and a member of the guard killing criminals wasn't the right time or place. That was the cornerstone of his indecision. Was it right to use that dark weapon just because he thought it could be controlled?

“Just because you almost went to the other side though doesn't mean you should just crawl into a hole!” Stellar Glow started shouting. “You can't just … hide and hope everything gets better, o-or see this as some kind of punishment. You have to go out and prove that you're better than that. You need to pick up your creepy changing sword and show it who's the boss. Bad guys win when the good guys are afraid, and that sword is winning because you're afraid.”

Fear was what it wanted. Pete slowly stood up, shocked at Stellar's words. He was blinded by his own fear and that was what the sword, his Nightmare, wanted. A thought crossed his mind if perhaps Nightmare Moon had taken Luna in much the same way. Fear about the ponies mistrusting her, preying on her worries. Her words came back to him from days before, the darkness could only take hold when he wasn't in control. Asleep, empty, or consumed by a blanking emotion. His rage in the warehouse had numbed his mind just as his worries now had. If something had happened and he'd picked up the sword in that state it could have won. Could have.

Resolved, he stepped forward and grabbed the sword with his right hand. It warped and shivered for a moment and then went still, remaining a longsword. He didn't know if it could hear him, but he mentally told it that he was in control. Pete Powell would conquer this power and make it his own. Nothing came from the blade. No movement or sound or additional changes. At last he set the thing down and turned back to Stellar Glow, crossing the room in just a few steps and hugging her tightly.

“Thank you, Stella,” he whispered, as she blushed and squeaked in his arms.

“Y-you're welcome.”

A knock interrupted the two, Pete letting go to answer the door. A guard in shining gold armor was standing there. Stone faced as ever, a trait the human found more disturbing on a pony than on the British guards of his own world.

“Captain Powell, Princesses Celestia and Luna request your presence in the audience chamber. The Elements of Harmony have already gathered.”

It was time. Pete changed his clothes into his most formal attire, clothing that had been made specially to go under his Night Guard armor, simple, padded, and more form fitting than his usual outfit, and he also grabbed his sword. He thanked Stellar again and went to the audience chamber. More commonly known as the throne room, it was where Celestia and Luna held their respective courts to hear the citizen's issues. Large, easily the largest room in the castle, with stained glass windows almost the length of the walls along both sides. If it weren't for the thrones it would seem more like a cathedral than an audience chamber, which made a certain sense given the ponies in charge. At the far end there was a separate side chamber which the princesses could enter and exit from apart from the large main doors that everyone else came through. Their thrones were seated on a rather tall dais which made the already large alicorns seem even more imposing. On this particular day there were no guards in the room, usually several lined the walls and guarded the doors, and instead the six Elements of Harmony were gathered before the royal sisters. Pete joined them and bowed politely to the princesses, and then stood at ease, Twilight and her friends shooting each other glances at the human's behavior.

“Welcome, Pete.” Luna eyed him coldly as she said this, gauging his mood.

“Thank you, Princess,” he inclined his head, “I'm going to assume this summons means the scouts returned?”

“Indeed they have,” she glanced at Celestia, “and you were right to ask us to investigate.”

Celestia cleared her throat, “It's not often I say this, Pete, so don't make me repeat myself. I'm sorry.” Pete raised his eyebrows. “Yes, I know, it seems like I would be saying that more than frequently, but it's rather rare. The scouts found the trail of destruction you mentioned but couldn't identify the footprints at the scene. After a distance however they became familiar.”

“What were they, Princess?” Twilight tilted her head, likely interested in the unidentified prints as well.

Luna answer, “Hoof prints, Twilight Sparkle. And they went deep into the forest, to a cave.”

“There's gotta be like a dozen caves in that forest,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “and we all know a certain zebra that lives in there. Anypony could have-”

“Changelings were spotted guarding the cave,” Celestia finished, muting the room.

Shape shifting bugs would explain a large creature as well as its unnatural eyes. They could have been disguised to scare off the other creatures of the forest, or perhaps just to blend in.

“What's the plan?” Pete asked with an affirmative nod.

“You and the Elements of Harmony are to follow this map the scouts made to the cave, find out what the changelings are up to, and stop them if possible.” Celestia floated a map down to her student as she spoke.

“And what if we can't stop them?”

Luna looked at Pete with a certain detachment that sent shivers down his spine, and her words gave no comfort either. “I requested you go along with the Elements of Harmony for a reason, Captain. If they are unable to subdue Chrysalis, or whoever may be in charge of the changelings in the cave you are officially sanctioned to use force.”

The mane six went wide eyed and looked at Pete. It was true they had never had a guard accompany them on their missions, Celestia trusted them to complete their duties. Luna's words spoke volumes about how she thought things should be done, and her faith in the Elements of Harmony as a whole.

Captain Powell felt conflicted, but he nodded anyway. He wasn't sure if this was a test or if Luna was actually allowing him to indulge in his actions. He truly hoped it was a test because the latter worried him for many reasons.

“They are invaders, Pete,” Celestia's eyes were compassionate where her sister's were hard. “There is no ambassador here to argue for their crimes, and they have no legal authority to be inside our borders. Part of your job as a guard is what my sister has said. Do not show them fear nor mercy if it comes to that.”

Slowly he nodded again. The Princess of the Sun's speech had not helped him feel any better, but it did seem to confirm his dispatchment was something of a test. Time and place for everything, that's what he had thought that morning, and this was the time and would be the place. Either he could kill the changeling invaders and prove he could be called upon to do more than paperwork and arresting criminals, as expected of a soldier, or he wasn't really fit for duty. Partially he wanted to blame the Princesses for taking him out of training early, but he had signed that contract knowing it meant leaving early. He supposed this time came earlier in most pony's careers, long before they achieved the rank he held. In fact he was still unproven as an actual soldier, and this was to be his test. Protect the Elements, do what he was trained to do if they failed. An appreciation grew in his heart for those that had volunteered for this duty, Wisp, Shade, Stellar Glow. Acknowledged or not they were stronger than he was for signing up knowing what this line of work meant they might have to do.

Pete bowed once again and followed the Mane Six out of the throne room. The mares were talking among themselves about what the changelings could be up to and if it was another plot by Chrysalis. Their human companion was lost still in his own thoughts, his worries had been only momentarily quashed by the small guard he'd become friends with and the job in front of them called for him to be decisive. Earlier he had considered it lucky that Stellar Glow got through to him when she did, now he thought it may have been best to continue hiding.

As the seven boarded the train several took note of the human's silence and at least one noticed his worry. It was decent trip back to Ponyville, coach seating so they could all speak with each other without cramming into a single cabin. Before long the whole group noticed Pete's silence and their eyes fell to one mare to break it. Twilight mouthed to Rainbow Dash, who mouthed back, the pair having a silent argument for several seconds before a decision was made.

“Fine!” Dash shouted, startling Pete. “Pete, what the heck is up with you right now?”

“I, uh, what?”

Applejack rolled her eyes and climbed up on the seat across from Pete, next to Rainbow. “What she's tryin' to say is that you've been quieter than Fluttershy ever since we finished talking with the princesses.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow nodded, “And you weren't exactly normal talking to them either. What gives?”

Pete rubbed his forehead looking for a way to explain. “It's … rough,” he hadn't found the words.

“Well, talk about it.”

With a heavy sigh he explained the events of the night several days ago. Chasing the griffon to the warehouse, using his new powers for the first time, catching the griffon, and finding out what he was smuggling. He warned the group before hand that it wasn't for the faint of heart, but even Fluttershy stayed to listen. The yellow pegasus didn't look well as Pete explained his rage and attempt to kill the griffon, but her reaction wasn't the norm.

“Did you kill him?” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes bright, hoofs digging into the seat.

“I doubt he did, Rainbow, although that would explain his weirdness,” Applejack rubbed her chin with a hoof, “Well his more-weird-than-normal-ness.”

“AJ's right, I didn't. Something happened to my sword. It turned into these dark strands or something. They wrapped around my arms and it freaked me out. I kind of jumped back in shock and then it turned back to normal and I had the Night Guard haul him off.”

“Is it safe?” Twilight looked at the sword, curious and worried.

“Luna said it was,” Pete had decided not to mention the truth of the blade to the Elements. “I'm just worried that I might not be able handle killing something or someone.” The word kill felt awkward to say in front of the bright colorful ponies, but that was what the princesses expected of him.

“Well, you should have killed that griffon,” RD said matter-of-factly, “I would have.”

“Settle down there, Dash,” Applejack put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. “It's easy to say you would but it's a little different when it comes time to doing. I can't say I wouldn't have been seeing red either, maybe I would have too. But if Pete's not comfortable with it or he gets weird in the head after...” She left it hanging in silence for a minute before somepony else spoke up.

“I can see his problem,” Rarity blushed just a little as everyone in the group looked at her. “I mean, it was horrible. Just hearing about it makes my skin crawl, but like Applejack said doing something like that at the drop of a hat? Darling, I can't imagine you were acting on anything other than instinct.”

Twilight nodded, “And that's the problem, isn't it? Humans are traditionally hunter gatherers, like the griffons themselves. We all know the violent tendencies the average griffon has. Not that all griffons are violent and not to say that humans are exactly like them, but there's something in their genetics that pushes them in that direction. Pete's worried he'll … flip some kind of switch he can't turn back off.”

Rainbow Dash laughed, “Seriously? Pete turning into some kind of, what, killing machine? Sure he's lean now and that sword is really creepy, but do you really think if he killed someone in a fight he'd just break and go psycho?”

“I can't answer that myself, Dash.” Pete leaned against the window and looked out at the sky. “I really wanted to kill that griffon. It was in my head that it would feel good to do.”

“Of course it was. Natural reaction to things that threaten the collective's well being are often met with a desire to destroy it.” Twilight said with a smile and a nod that put Pete off.

“What does that mean?”

“Ponies are less individualistic than humans. When something threatens a single pony it's a natural response for the rest of us to become angry about it. It's sort of a wide spread herd mentality. Seeing those mares like that would have sent any pony into a frenzy. They wouldn't have been able to help imagining their friends and family in that position.”

Pete frowned, “Like a wide spread empathy?”

Twilight nodded and smiled again. “Exactly! In fact, it's possible that after living here for so long you've started to adapt to it too. The other humans might have as well.”

“Maybe that's why he did what he did,” Applejack pondered, “and why he thinks it feels so strange. If this empathy is something we only have here then he wouldn't have known what was goin' on.”

“Empathy itself isn't unique to ponies, Applejack.” Pete felt he had to at least say that much. “The way Twilight's describing it though it sounds like it's something different. I mean, humans can feel empathy too but we don't usually do it on instinct. Mostly it's sympathy, feeling bad that something bad happened, we have to work to imagine ourselves in that position unless we've been there before.”

“You'll see the difference for yourself in time,” Twilight chuckled, “Sooner than you expect I think.” She looked at Rainbow Dash with a smirk, and the pegasus blushed.

The rest of the ride was full of small talk that Pete tuned in and out of. He was still going over things in his own mind. Perhaps his outburst was the empathy link Twilight talked about. Four months had gone by after all and if it was as pervasive as she acted then it would explain his feelings and actions. Likely the other members of the Night Guard felt it too, that was why they had been ready to let him do it. Maybe their own rage had channeled into him, he had just been the weakest link. With the least experience with it the strong anger converged inside of him and overwhelmed him. He made a point that he would control himself better in the future.

At last the train rolled into Ponyville station and the seven disembarked, heading straight for the spot outside of town where Pete had encountered the creature before. The scouting party had started their map at that location so it was easiest to follow from there as well. Pete felt a little stunned to see everything changed so quickly. It was well into Autumn now and it shown. Green leaves had changed colors and fallen off the trees all over town. Many ponies were dressed in scarves and some foals were running about with earmuffs on as well. Everfree forest however remained unchanged by the passage of time and its dark green shade drastically conflicted with the fall scenery the group had passed to reach the forest's edge.

Studious Twilight held the map in front of her and guided the group into the thick underbrush. Even though it had been almost a week the trail was clear without a map. Whatever had came through the forest was large and angry. Claw marks were evident on trees, and it has made no attempts to hide its large footprints. Curious, Pete placed his own foot inside and the group was shocked to see it was half the size of the creature's. They looked at each other with worry for a moment but pushed on regardless. Large transformation or not a changeling was a changeling. The Elements had fought plenty before.

After a mile the trail changed drastically. Footprints and claw marks vanished, replaced by much smaller hoof prints and the direction altered significantly. It certainly looked like something had tried to hide a trail, but it felt off to Pete. The way the trails met was too perfect but a changeling shifting back into its normal form was the only way it made sense. There were no other tracks that indicated a separate creature; nothing at indicated that a changeling had crossed paths with a larger creature that had made the trail they followed.

Silently, the human drew his blade and willed it into the dagger. His companions looked at him with worry, but he shook his head for them not to be concerned. With the swiftness granted to him by the dagger he rapidly ascended a tree without a sound and looked at the area from above. Whatever large creature had made a mess in the area that was easier to see from up high. Any markings where the two prints crossed were wiped out by what looked like drag marks on the dirt. He dropped back down and whispered his findings to the Elements.

“It sounds like an amateur attempt to hide the hoof prints,” Twilight speculated quietly. “Changeling drones work on a hive mind. They don't have any individuality so it's difficult to teach them things. It all gets lost in the group and if Chrysalis recalled it before it could finish or if it simply thought it had hidden enough...” She looked at the scene and nodded. “I would say we're lucky the scouts found this trail of hoof prints.”

The other Elements nodded, but Pete remained skeptical. What if they were walking into an ambush? Chrysalis was a deceiver after all. This kind of trick was right up her alley. He kept his dagger drawn, just in case, and felt thankful for its boon to his agility as they proceeded.

By midday they found the cave. Its entrance steep and set into the ground rather than into a mountain or rock formation, looking for all intents and purposes like a hole. On either side were changeling guards, slightly larger than the average pony. Lectures in the boot camp had been dedicated to changeling hives and their drones. These were warriors and warriors only meant one thing.

“Chrysalis is in there,” Twilight muttered, half to herself.

“Those are warrior drones,” Pete explained to the others, “They're basically royal bug guards. Only follow the queen.”

“So what's the plan here, Twi?” Applejack looked ready to charge.

“Certainly something a little less direct?” Rarity looked at her farm friend with shock.

Twilight shook her head, “Hive mind. Unless we can sneak by them undetected, head on is the only way. And I don't see any way around them.” She looked at Rarity with sympathy. “I don't like it either, but if we take one out it will alert them all anyway. It's better if we're ready to fight them all when we go in.”

Pete nodded and changed his sword back to normal, hefting it a couple of times to readjust to the weight. “I'm ready when you all are.”

One by one the mares nodded ready, even Fluttershy, though she was hesitant at best. Twilight gave the signal and the group rushed out from their hiding place. Rainbow Dash and Applejack reached the guards first and knocked them unconscious without a struggle. Immediately after the sound of disturbed foliage could be heard for miles. Changelings spread all across the forest were converging on their fallen brethren.

The cave didn't look inviting. It sloped in steeply and was darker than a moonless night, but the sounds around the group made the silence of the darkness preferable to being surrounded. In pairs, they ran into the cave, half sliding to the bottom which reached a sharp flat angle. Pete stumbled and rolled, standing up moments later thankful he didn't stab himself with his own blade. Rainbow put a wing on his back and looked at him with concern.

“Everypony all right?” he called back to the mares.

“We're in one piece,” Twilight responded, “but I think we have a problem.”

Her horn lit up to display the surroundings of the dark cave, the seven were faced now with three corridors. There was no telling how extensive the cave system was from the mouth, and these three passages could only be the start of a labyrinth. With the changeling horde rapidly approaching above and an unknown ahead of them an impasse was reached.

“We can't split up,” Applejack emphasized her point with a stamp of her hoof, “There's too many changelings.”

“We can't waste time searching each passage together, Applejack. Besides, if we have to double back because of a dead end or a loop we'll be surrounded and inside tight corridors,” Twilight reasoned.

“Twilight's right.” Pete stood up and turned to the ponies, “Applejack, you're with Rarity. Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy. Rainbow, me.” The group looked confused at his reasoning. “That way everyone has someone that can use magic. Worst case, teleport out of the cave and back to Ponyville.”

“That's actually very tactical,” Twilight smiled in approval. “I agree, girls. Split up, search the cave, and if you get into too much trouble, run.”

Still unsure, but with no time left to argue, they split up and took the different halls. Pete and Rainbow ran forward, Applejack and Rarity went left, and Twilight's trio took the right. If luck was on their side, the changelings coming into the cave after them would have to split their numbers evenly as well, lessening their advantage. Pete was aware that if they found Chrysalis it would be a mad dash to reunite the Elements of Harmony to take her down before changeling queen did something drastic. Another fork in the road complicated the captain's plan further.

“Which way?” Rainbow asked, slightly out of breath.

“Not sure,” Pete struggled, breathing much harder than the pegasus next to him.

The sounds of changelings and wings buzzing in the tunnel behind them became louder than before. They had entered the cave and, at least, they had chased down the main tunnel.

“Split up,” the human said at last. “I'll go right, you go left. I know you can move a lot faster than I can. No matter what's down there, come get me as soon as you know.”

“That doesn't sound like a-”

Pete was already moving. Irritated, Dash sped down her side of the cave. Splitting up further defeated the point Pete had made at the entrance, which she wanted to point out. She only hoped now that she could reach the end of her tunnel before the changelings caught up to them and she needed back up.

Captain Powell was confident in his crush's speed however. Even as he ran down the dark tunnel he knew she would catch up to him before the army of bugs reached them. He had seen her fly back on Earth after all. With a thought he changed his sword into the dagger again and sped up, enjoying once more the speed that came from the blade's smaller form. The passage he followed ran deep, steadily twisting and turning, but never sharply. It was like traveling along a worm or a snake. Subtle curves but always going in the same forward direction. Until he came upon a large cavern.

It struck Pete as he approached because there was a green glow coming from the walls. Whether the glow was natural from some kind of reaction in mineral deposits with the air or magical he didn't have time to figure out. The cavern was modeled in an almost twisted mockery of Canterlot's audience chamber, with a throne on the far end, dark stalagmites grew to the ceiling in place of the polished white columns to hold the room together, and there was even a side passage next to the throne.

Pete entered cautiously, not seeing any changelings, queen or otherwise. Aside from the wings and steps from the cave behind him the cavern was quiet. His focus shifted to the side entrance near the throne. If Chrysalis knew what the princesses used theirs for, then it was likely her own chambers were beyond it. He moved between the rocky pillars as he made his way to the passage. His mistake had been losing sight of the throne.

As he came upon the side passage a brighter glow cast his shadow on the wall. Turning, he saw Chrysalis rise from the throne, which he then realized was much lower than he thought. Of course it was, ponies didn't sit on chairs like humans. What he had thought was the seat was actually the Queen, curled up. He felt like a complete idiot as he took a ready stance with his dagger.

“There is no need for that, human.” Chrysalis' voice was slow, almost trance inducing. “I wish to speak with you before you decide we are enemies.”

“We are enemies, I'm the captain of a pony guard.”

“Ah, but you are not yourself a pony. You owe them so very little.”

“Uhh, I'm pretty sure Luna saved my life, or Celestia. One of them. I was basically dead when I-”

“Yes, and what do they ask in return now? That you throw that life away in service of them? What have they given you, a slice of power, the hope for a new life?”

Pete knew that she was wrong, he was doing this, risking his life, for his own reasons. Because he wanted to. Something in her words rang true in his mind though. An echo, like ripples in a pond, bounced between his skull. His minimal power even as a captain did seem limited. He was always at the beck and call of both princesses thanks to his dual titles. Like a puppet they could make dance on command.

He shook his head and stumbled back into a wall. That wasn't right. Chrysalis was the villain.

Is she? Why not hear her out? What's the worst that could happen?

That voice in his mind again. He tried to tell it to shut up but it was gone. How he knew that he didn't know, but he knew when it was and wasn't around. Short bursts, single phrases. It didn't want to talk, just say whatever was on its mind and vanish.

Smiling, the Changeling queen made a motion with her head and a familiar mare stepped out from behind a stalagmite. It looked like Rainbow Dash, only she was standing on her hind legs and there was a collar around her neck. Pete clenched his teeth in anger and felt his knuckles start to ache as he clenched his dagger.

“Humans are bigger, stronger, smarter, apex,” Chrysalis spoke softly in her melodic tone, her words worming into Pete's consciousness. “This is what the ponies should look like. They should imitate you, worship you. Us.” The queen grinned as she said the last word.

A primal feeling swelled inside of Pete. His mind was foggy now for some reason he couldn't put a finger on, and Chrysalis' words were like honey. After all, the princesses had been dumb enough to get trapped in his world for weeks before he stepped in and helped them. They wouldn't have gotten back without him either. He was the only human that could cast magic. He was special and deserved to be treated that way.

That's right. Embrace that feeling.

A figure became clear on the other side of the room, behind the collared pony. It was tall, over six feet easily, muscular, and black like oil without the shine. If not for the glow of the room he would never have known it was there, and the piercing yellow eyes. Whatever the being was it didn't move, and Chrysalis didn't acknowledge its existence. It simply stood and watched.

“We changelings can feel more than just love, you know.” The Queen smiled, “Anger, joy, sadness, lust. No feelings are hidden from us.”

Her attention was suddenly grabbed by a blue blur slamming into the side of the collared Rainbow. The real Rainbow Dash floated where her impostor was standing moments ago, the collared pony changing into a changeling drone and buzzing angrily. With a flash Chrysalis appeared behind Pete, in the tunnel he had been moving towards, and whispered to him.

“Follow me, human, and I shall bring all of your dreams to life.” She turned and trotted down the passage, leaving Pete to stare blankly at Rainbow Dash.

“Why didn't you wait for me?” the pegasus yelled and floated close to Pete.

“I ... need to go after her.”

He turned and followed after Chrysalis, ignoring Dash yelling behind him to call for the others. Chrysalis' voice was still clear in his head. His dreams, power, respect, obedience, she would fulfill them. Doubt was gone from his mind now, so much that he never realized the queen's horn hadn't stopped glowing since he met her. Actually, he found the glow alluring, beautiful even. It was the instrument that would give him everything he deserved.

At the end of the path was another chamber, smaller, but well dug. On the left wall from the passage was a giant ring of stone with a swirling vortex of purple energy. Across from it was Chrysalis who smiled as the human walked over to her side.

“This is what scholars of old called the Well of Souls,” she explained, “It is the magic nexus of this world. And with a single spell I can turn it into my power.”

“Weakening the alicorns,” Pete surmised.

“Exactly. But there is one small problem.” Chrysalis turned towards Pete, “The spell is potent, and I have been very hungry these past several months. So I want you to focus on the one you love, and give that to me. Feed me, human, and you shall have every dark desire in your heart.”

“Pete!”

He turned to see Rainbow Dash and Twilight standing in the passageway, Twilight's horn lit up and ready to fight.

“I don't know what's wrong with him, Twilight.” Rainbow looked at her friend and then back to Pete. “He's acting weird and like, I dunno, soulless.”

The purple unicorn glanced at Chrysalis and fired a blast of energy, which the queen deflected easily.

“She's playing with your mind, Pete! Use your magic, break free.”

Chrysalis laughed, “Magic? My changelings have been studying those humans of yours in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle. Humans are incapable of magic.”

She ignored the changeling and continued yelling at Pete. “Whatever she's told you is a lie. She's going to suck you dry and leave you a blank husk in this cave while she takes over Equestria.”

“That's ...” Pete shook his head and groaned, “What?”

Chrysalis winced and stepped back, “Impossible. Only magic capable beings can fight this spell. Humans can't-”

“Pete's different!” Rainbow floated up, smiling with pride. “And he's way stronger than some stupid bug like you. C'mon, Pete, snap out of it and kick her butt!”

Images flashed in Pete's mind. Rainbow Dash, collared, his feeling of arousal, the mares in the warehouse. Slaves, collared, strapped down, conquered. He groaned and dropped to his knees, clutching his head in his hands. Had he wanted to do that to Rainbow? Shaking he looked up at the pegasus, vaguely aware of her words of encouragement. She trusted him, cared about him, maybe loved him. Definitely loved him, he knew that. And he was about to betray her.

Again his eyes contracted, his muscles tensed, and he stood. Chrysalis shouted as her spell broke, stunning her long enough for Pete to regain his senses. With a roar of anger he spun around and grabbed the changeling by her horn, slamming her head violently against the cave wall several times before letting go and hitting her with a right hook. Any thoughts of retaliation left the queen's mind as the human's onslaught began. Chitin was strong, changelings had skeletons on the outside after all, but Pete wasn't deterred. Fists clenched, sword ignored, he swung repeatedly knocking Chrysalis' head back and forth, advancing as he did. She moved back, trying to escape his reach, trying to recover enough to cast a spell. A glow wrapped around her horn and Pete grabbed it, bringing the changeling incredible pain as he slammed her against the wall again. His knuckles were bloody and this time it was his own. They burned, but he wasn't done. He had been authorized to kill.

Finally remembering what he was allowed to do he lifted his blade and it once again began enveloping his arms. The wounds on his fists healed under the dark touch. Fingers became jagged, rough claws, and he knew that in this form he wouldn't have to worry about hurting himself on anything. Angrily he placed a claw on the rock wall beside him and raked it down, leaving hideous gashes on the stone.

Twilight gasped at Pete's change, not only in demeanor but in the darkness consuming his arms. She could feel the presence of Nightmare Moon in that darkness. Something else had caught her attention as well. Rainbow Dash was looking at Chrysalis with the same kind of bloodlust Pete had when his attack began. A triumphant and confident expression replaced with one of hate and anger. The kind of emotional change that only comes from being deep within the empathy link ponies shared. It was possible that Rainbow Dash and Pete had become that close, but Twilight could feel her own muted rage. She was more reserved than Rainbow was, and more likely to approach things analytically than emotionally. She realized the anger she was feeling wasn't coming from herself, which left her with only one other source.

Chrysalis, desperate, fired the strongest bolt of magic she could manage. Green energy burned the side of Pete's face, but missed him altogether. Another wave of anger coursed through him at the attack and he reached out to grab the queen's horn again. Rumbling filled the air before he could get to his target, the cave beginning to shake around them. Her bolt was not meant for the human. It was a signal. The changeling army had turned their attention to the supports for the cave, intending to bury them all alive.

“Pete,” Twilight shouted, “Stop! We have to leave, now.”

He ignored her. Roaring again he raised a dark claw to finish the queen off. As his arm dropped there was a flash of purple light, and the rumbling stopped. Claw dug into wood, ripping enough of a tree trunk out to topple the plant. Feral, he turned and shouted incomprehensibly, only to see the shocked look of six mares. Fluttershy recoiled and hid behind another tree. Rarity placed a hoof over her mouth and stared, which Applejack mimicked without the hoof gesture. Pinkie's usual smile was replaced by a look of fear and worry. Twilight stepped forward, horn lit, and swallowed nervously.

“Twi … light?” Pete groaned and dropped to his knees. His head hurt. Actually, his entire body hurt. As if his muscles had become too big for his flesh. The adrenaline came down, the anger faded, and eventually so did the darkness on his hands. It coalesced into a sword underneath him and then he collapsed on his side.

“Hey, don't you be dead,” Rainbow Dash shouted, having just collected her own sanity, and darted to the human's side.

“I think we need to get back to town, Twi.” Applejack moved closer to her friend, but never stopped staring at Pete.

“And we definitely need the princess,” she added, her horn glowing to teleport the group.

“I'm telling you, he wasn't just feeling, he was transmitting emotions too!” Twilight was trying to keep her own emotions in check, but her mentor was refusing to listen.

“It's not possible, Twilight. The humans were never capable of the empathy we feel. They had their own empathy, yes, but it wasn't like ours. No matter how long Pete Powell stays here he will never feel it, never be part of it.” Celestia had listened to her student insist on this impossibility for the past hour. She cared deeply for Twilight, she had plans for her, but the mare could be terribly obstinate.

“Rainbow Dash's mood changed the moment Pete regained his senses. I felt it too. It was a horrible anger, Princess. Please, believe me.”

Celestia sighed, “I will keep an eye on him, Twilight. But that is all I can do. We can hardly goad him into another one of these episodes. They seem to take a lot out of him infrequent as they are.”

“That's another thing,” Twilight's attitude changed as she remembered the darkness. “That power, the sword. It's Nightmare Moon, or at least it has the same feeling.”

Celestia nodded after a moment of indecision. “While we were in Pete's world a piece of Luna's Nightmare escaped into your dreams. It sought a new host and it found something in Pete. What it found we don't know, but it seems something drew it from within him turning it into that weapon and in that way granting him power.”

“Luna?” Twilight almost accused.

“No, she was as confused as I was about the power of that weapon. She has allowed him to continue using it however. It's his choice, as she said. I just hope we don't have to seal him away like I did Luna.”

Twilight Sparkle frowned at that possibility. Pete's outbursts could have been because of that piece of Nightmare. Slowly corrupting the once shy and misanthropic human into being a new terror in Equestria. Something she and the Elements would have to deal with. Fighting a former friend. It left a bad taste in her mouth. There had to be another way.

Author's Note

We're now at the half way mark, five days late.