A man and a woman parted ways at the airport; at least, that was what the world believed. It would be more accurate to say a monster and his servant separated to fight a two front battle. The latter was accompanied by two undetectable guards.

<<You know your duties,>> I thought to my assistant as I walked away without looking back.

<<Yes, my lord. I shall not fail you,>> he declared in return.

<<At times, I will need your full cooperation. You know what that means.>>

I felt him nod. <<Yes, my king. I have no objections to retreating into the darkness of my mind once more for you.>> I was about to interrupt, but he stopped me. <<No, I do this voluntarily and of my own will; you have no need to reimburse me for my services, or for the danger I face. I will gladly do my duties for you.>>

I sent him a faint smile over the link. <<Thank you, Taruke. But you need not fully retreat. Watch, offer your advice, and if Luna’s analysis is correct, there’s something else I need you to do… >>

I quickly explained my plan to him. He nodded as a miniscule smirk appeared on his face. <<Your will be done, in mind, as it is in reality.>> I rolled my eyes. Why did he have to sound so biblical?

Taruke rode in the cab, sitting next to Greed and behind Wrath. I, through Taruke’s senses, enjoyed the fresh, tropical air of Havana, Cuba. It had been too long since I had been to the beach, well before my own transformation. And sadly, neither of us would get to enjoy it now; there was not enough time. Still, I could enjoy the sights of the thriving little city, which had flourished upon the fall of the castro regime shortly after the turn of the century.

When Taruke’s cab arrived, he sashayed into the restaurant that the Prince agreed to meet me in. As a testament to our combined transformation prowess, the form Taruke wore was a modified version of Rosaline, DiVinci’s secretary and right-hand woman. We stripped away the magical beauty provided by the Crystal Curse - easy when you know how it modifies a person - and then increased Rosaline’s natural beauty to the limit of what her genetics said she could be. Add a dab of makeup and tada, one hell of a beautiful woman.

Greed, however, was of the opinion that the skin-tight, shiny, metallic, animated, tiny red dress was what gave Taruke’s figure its allure. I mean, how many dresses actively conform to a person’s body and amplify the jiggle caused by every step? Only one: mine.

I personally felt rather exposed without my bulletproof armor, but Victor had already seen me wear it. Thus, if Taruke wanted to impersonate me properly, he needed it more than I. Besides, It is not like I would stay dead if something happened to me, but Taruke would.

Walking into the restaurant, pheromones pumping, Taruke and his African-American styled bodyguards found Victor and Rosaline already sitting at a table. Victor was idly sipping his wine, lost in thought if the glazed expression was anything to go by. My trio sat down across from him, snapping him to attention, though the change in his expression is subtle.

Upon getting a raised eyebrow, Taruke spoke in a perfect imitation of Rosaline’s voice, “An idea is an interesting little creature, isn't it? Good afternoon, Mr. DiVinci.” Taruke offered out his hand in greeting. For me however, it was a ploy to get something else entirely from the crime lord. “I trust that you are feeling well?”

Victor reached out his hand to reciprocate the gesture. The moment their skins touch, I pounced, using my magic through Taruke to shave off a fragment of Victor’s raw, unformed magic. Neither of them noticed anything more than a slight tingle that lasted less time than the handshake itself. I pulled that fragment into the link, and eventually to myself. 'Oh big man, you don't know everything, do you?'

Oblivious to my inner glee, Victor replied, “Very. King Rex, I am quite pleased with your acceptance to negotiate an alliance between our two factions. Although, I must ask about your... current apparel.”

Taruke replied, “Well, the familiar is comfortable, and you know this face intimately. Rosaline,” he looked at her, “take it as a compliment. You have a beautiful complexion, and it's my way of praising you by copying what comes naturally to you. I mean, have you seen my real face? And besides, you look nice in a tiny red dress.” Honestly, I was not sure whether the flirting was coming from me or Taruke, but it did not matter. Our words did their job.

A mischievous twinkle shone in Rosaline’s eye. “I look good in anything. And sometimes even nothing at all.”

I swore, there must have been a ten-foot pole in DiVinci’s ass for him to be that unreactive to his assistant. Or he could be just that used to having his pole in her ass. ‘Yeah, that’s it,’ I decided in jest. There’s a reason I call him “Big Man,” and it had very little to do with his hat size, yet much to do with his head.

I had Taruke wink. Through him, I declared, “We know.”

I think Victor was desperately trying to think of something else, for he focused on my guards. His mild disgust just harmlessly rolled off Greed and Wrath due to their training-from-hell, but Taruke, the most vulnerable of the trio, had to stop himself from flinching.

“I’m afraid I’m not much one for wasted words and banial pleasantries, so let us get right to the point, shall we? Since I was the one who proposed the alliance in the first place I will defer the opening negotiations to you. Though we have discussed them in short before, please state your terms now.” As Victor spoke, the significantly more cheerful Rosaline pulled out a little recording device. Realizing that that was a good idea, Taruke commanded Change.lng to record the proceedings as well.

“Spoilsport.” Taruke mock-frowned. “Hmmm... Well, for starters, I think we should establish our absolute boundaries. As long as neither crosses these limits, I feel as if we could work amicably together indefinitely, provided that nothing else changes. I'll start. You know this one already, but for the record, I insist that you avoid dark magic around my changelings. Harmony style is fine, as long as you do nothing to harm them. Second, due to the contagion of emotion, I ask you to avoid changeling territory to prevent your influence from... damaging our crops.” Upon seeing Victor’s sour expression, Taruke defensively raised his hands. “Hey, a day or two is fine; just don't move to Atlanta or the likes.”

At that moment, the waiter interrupted. In his thick Spanish accent, he asked, “For you, señora?”

Apologetically, Taruke disengaged himself from the conversation with a simple “Excuse me.” Pulling on the combined memory of over a dozen Spanish speaking changelings, Taruke replied, “Sorprende a los tres de nosotros. Estoy seguro de que un hombre como usted tiene un gusto excelente.”

The waiter, happier than before, replied, “Sí, señora.”

Taruke, upon the waiter’s departure, said, “Sorry, I couldn't keep him waiting. Hmmm... And three, most importantly, do not reveal us to the humans. The day you say 'changeling' to the public is the day we declare war on you. But you're a smart man, and keeping the status quo means that the rules of the game don't change.” Taruke gave a heartwarming, genuine smile good enough to trick even the best humans. How I love the extreme control we changelings have over our bodies. “Now it's your turn to build walls and make testosterone-fueled death threats. Be dominant.” He pretended to speak the next sentence under his breath, but Taruke’s words were intentionally loud enough to be heard by everyone at table. “I like my men that way.”

The faintest of smiles crossed Victor’s generally scowling face. “That shouldn’t be a problem. My boundaries are rather simple, and while I understand that your kind thrives upon deception, there must be honesty on both sides for this alliance of ours to work. First and foremost: no hiding. I’ll have no changelings or thralls infiltrating any of my various organizations for any reason. Any inquiries you may have will simply have to go through the proper channels. On that note, I’ll need you to identify each and every individual changeling already working for me and any attempting to do so in the future, and don’t even consider skipping a few because I have ways of sniffing them out. Rest assured, I won’t strip them of their employment, simply keep an eye on them. Finally, do not meddle in the affairs of myself, my senior staff or my inner circle. I ask this not only out of a need for privacy but for your hive’s safety. Many of our dealings could tend to prove rather... counter-productive to a continued changeling livelihood.”

I know intellectually that I should be taking this more seriously, but I am finding this to be really fun. I also know that his threat was very real, but I half-heartedly wished that he had come up with something more creative. My real body, still on the airplane to Houston, winced as I reevaluated that last thought. Then, my thoughts gravitated back towards Sal and what happened this morning, and I sighed. I do not want to think about it right now.

Those strange thoughts fell within a lull in the conversation, during which DiVinci paused to take a sip of his wine. He swallowed, then spoke, “I trust this is agreeable to you. If you’ve nothing to add, then let us move on to the next order of business. What do you hope to gain from this venture?”

I instruct Taruke to look contemplative, though I’ve already known what I want and could reasonably acquire from Victor. I also expected such a condition from him; if a little exposure saves a lot of pain, then I am supportive of it. Besides, it is not like he could check every single one of his countless employees and every single person every employee ever encounters.

Finally, after a second or two of “deep thought”, Taruke finally replied, “That... is agreeable, on one condition. Your Crystal Curse ensures loyalty to you, yes? It will be to them and only them to which my changelings reveal themselves, and only when prompted. The question will be, 'Have you ever wished to see a world of pure imagination?' The answer will be, 'I already have seen it,' followed by a swift change in eye color.

“As for infiltrators, well, I run my hive a bit differently than Chrysalis does. We royals can influence the degree free will in our hive. Chrysalis grants about 90% free will, which is like having a voice in your head that gives advice from time to time. I keep it at about 95%, which is merely a whisper. My point is if a changeling has a job that so happens to be under your employment, it's theirs for their own reasons, not mine. About 60% of my hive is composed of love collectors, a staggering percentage due to the low energy yield of human emotions. Of that, maybe 25% are deep plants that hold permanent identities, which are what would cause you the most trouble. Trimming down further, we have one, maybe two dozen who even have a chance of interacting with your businesses. Off the top of my head, only Leonardo Ludwig, Carter Long, and Gregory Daniels have had any business with you. Oh, and the latter happens to be the father of my head love collector, Jak. I'm rambling...” Taruke shook his head.

Finally getting to the point, Taruke rhetorically asked, “Now, what do I want? Food, defense, and power, in that order. For food... Rosaline, if you would?”

It was the moment of truth. Would my changelings findings regarding Victor’s summoning crystal be supported or refuted? I prayed to no particular deity for the latter. Rosaline looked to her boss for approval, which he gave. “Gladly,” she replied. The love that suddenly radiated from her, as strangely thick and heavy as it was, invoked bliss within my three changelings. Bliss turned to horror, then anger and despair when they realized that no matter how much love they swallowed, their magic reserves never went up.

Unable to maintain his silence, Greed snarled, “I fuckin’ hate being scammed.”

In unison, Wrath and Taruke growled, “Agreed.”

Offended, Victor frowned and replied, “Scammed. You believe I would scam you?”

<<Yes, actually,>> Greed thought to us.

Ignoring that, Taruke replied to Victor, “Not willingly.” My devoted assistant reached for his unused bread plate. “Though crude, my guard has a point. Perhaps a demonstration is needed.”

The false Rosaline touched his two index fingers to the plate, where two pink drops formed, one clear and one cloudy. Seeing the visible difference between the two almost made me gag; the cloudiness was disgusting. I cannot believe that Taruke, Greed, and Wrath actually swallowed that. “Rosaline's artificial love is, upon tasting, virtually identical to the real stuff, with the exception of a slight metallic aftertaste. But once it's in...” Taruke tipped the plate. The clear drop, as expected, runs like water. The cloudy false love moves like honey. No, on second thought, tar was a more apt description. “Jak described it best. It's like sugar-free candy; it's a tasty treat, but almost nutritionally useless.”

<<That’s one hell of an understatement, Taruke,>> I commented.

<<I know, my lord. Please, just go with it.>>

Yet without missing a beat, Taruke continued speaking. “I could get more directly from Rosaline the old-fashioned way. And now I'm really hungry.” Again, an understatement. “Where is the waiter with our food?”

At the mention of food, the eyes of all three changelings dart to the dark unicorn-man across the table. Compared to the humans we have been feeding off of, he would be like an all-you-can-eat buffet if he would just. Fucking. RELAX! I shook my real head in disappointment. ‘Actually, considering that his magic would come back with time and those huge reserves of his, he is an all-you-can-eat buffet.’

Taruke agreed with my sentiments. “At least you, Victor, would make one hell of a meal, or at least better company, if you would just relax and have fun. Unlike humans, you could give indefinitely, if not all at once.”

Among all the mix of ambient emotions perforating throughout the restaurant, one common and growing element was lust. The lungs made for a far better dispersal mechanism for our sexy smells than skin and sweat, in my humble opinion. Even Mr. Negativity was starting to feel my changelings’ sway.

“I see, though for your own sake I would advise against attempting to feed on me. If past events are any indicator, I’m afraid I’d prove a rather... caustic meal.”

‘Maybe, Victor,’ I thought, ‘or maybe not. Desire is desire, be it for money, power, violence, companionship, or pleasure of the flesh. I know you can feel the lighter emotions. The most powerful dark mages are hedonists; no way would they deprive themselves of pleasure. Thus, the key is to overwhelm your negativity with bliss, and make sure that we are the targets of your affection.’ I chuckled aloud; the person next to me on the airplane gave me a strange look for my random outburst. ‘Your feelings for Rosaline have already weakened your negativity towards me; this is significantly more pleasant than the last time we met. And the longer we talk, the worse for you we get; mere exposure makes you tolerate us more, and our bodies grow tolerant of your brand of hate.’

As I conducted my inner monologue, Taruke listened as Victor spoke. “Now, I believe you had two other requests. Defense and power, if I am not mistaken?”

“Power comes later; I do not need your help yet on that front,” Taruke responded. “Defense, though, I do need your cooperation. I do not care what you do, but our greatest defense is our non-existence in the eyes of the humans. Do your best to keep it that way. However, I could imagine that, with the arrival of new Gatekeepers, magic and eventually changelings might be exposed. When that happens, I'll need your help in the form of two favors. First, help me pass a set of laws to help 'regulate' magic use; note the ironic emphasis. Second, and this is an idea that I encourage you to use too, help me spread a rumor. I want people to think that we are related to the fair folk of European Mythology, if not literally Fae. I especially want emphasis on the 'burnt by iron' part; we act along and ta-da, a fake weakness to give the illusion of control. You could play up the devil act, cringing in fear of religious symbols.” My loyal follower winked. “You know, just in case.”

Victor smirked. A merry twinkle danced in his eyes, like a child on christmas. I suddenly pictured a chibi version of him holding a “My Little Satanic Overlord” playset, and promptly burst out in roaring laughter, possibly due to my need to find happy thoughts. Now all the people on my flight thought I was insane, but I did not care in the least. Then, ‘... and it has Cadance and Shining armor action figures as the pure little ponies defending the Crystal Empire!’

Unaware of the comedy he wrought hundreds of miles away, Victor said, “I always was rather partial to theatrics, and It’d be no small stretch of the truth to play the part of the Dæmon of Shadows.” Victor smiled for a moment at the thought, though after a few seconds his expression became more thoughtful and pensive. After a moment he spoke a little more quietly, as if he was thinking aloud rather than talking to the others at the table. “Yes, that sounds reasonable. I may already have the gears set in motion... “

‘And thus, the evil overlord takes advice from the Evil Overlord List. Yet his potential allies, or perhaps his greatest threat, already knows the truth of his achilles heel. Alas, it does them no good.’

I was having way too much fun with this. Great, now Taruke was annoyed with my antics. <<Yes, Taruke, your king is bored to tears on this cramped, noisy airplane. YES, Taruke, you are currently the most entertaining changeling in the hive right now. Yes, Taruke, sarcasm does taste like salted lemonade.>> For the record, all of that was true.

“Yes, that all sounds agreeable,” Victor said, “and should be easy enough to achieve. As for myself...” He paused, considering his words. “I suppose, in the end, what it all boils down to is rather simple. I want what any man with power wants: more power. I want you to help me achieve this end in various ways. I’m fully aware of just how much Equestria has advanced in the thousand years since Sombra’s banishment, and that you access to the Canterlot Archives.” How did he know that? Was he watching when I told Celestia? “I’d like whatever knowledge you’ve managed to glean from them, and I do mean all of it. Magic, history, sciences, culture, everything. Knowledge is something I covet very highly.”

His gaze flickered to the two drops on the plate. “On that note, I’d also appreciate it if you could ‘lend’ me one of your changeling scientists. I could much benefit from such a particular perspective, and it would go a long way in helping to create a viable solution for your food problem.”

‘Or, you could, you know, relax and let us feed from you. It’s entirely a mindset issue. Yeah, you’re toxic and corrosive normally, but so is battery acid, and you can still get power from both if you use it right.’ Ok, so maybe I was a bit impatient for my first game to progress, but how could I not be? The prize was food!

Did I think with my stomach too much? Gluttony must have been rubbing off on me. Or was it I on her?

Victor continued speaking uninterrupted. “Also, as I’ve stated before, I want your political backing. Equestria has officially acknowledged you as your own sovereign state, and as per this alliance I expect your support for my claiming of the Crystal Throne when it is no doubt inevitably disputed. The same applies to this world, though I expect that I will require a far different method of assistance on our side of The Divide.”

‘My Little Satanic Overlord. Of course.’ My own joke came full circle and bit me in the ass. Still, I had to finish it. ‘Go, little Cadance! Use your love shield action!’

Victor paused to finish his wine, and I noted that he really seemed to like these supposedly dramatic pauses. I had to remind myself that humans, even really smart ones, could not think as many things at once as a changeling royal, and that Victor might actually needed time to compose his thoughts. Then again, so does everyone else, so that is not a bad thing.

“Moving on. The next order of business I’d like to address, while not directly part of our particular alliance per se, I feel bears attention; you mentioned them already.”

He was interrupted by the arrival of the trio’s meal, a fish dish. Flounder, if I am not mistaken. Taruke and his guards dug in with gusto, though they maintained their good manners throughout.

“Gatekeepers. They could rapidly become a major problem if proactive steps are not taken,” Victor said, emphasizing a point that I had long known. I had to restrain Wrath from pointing at Victor himself. “I say we create a new, underground organization, a sort of Council of the Fae, in keeping with the proposed rumors. It’s purpose would be to seek out, monitor, control, organize and if need be support and protect anything ‘supernatural’ around the world.”

‘I already have that.’ Passing the memory of the conversation to a certain group of hard-working changelings, I added, <<Thank you, Silencer Division.>> Several cheers were my reply. If only Victor knew the thoughts we thought while he was talking. I think the idea of an alliance was making me relax more than I should.

“Most notably would be other Gatekeepers,” Victor declared, “all of whom must join, without exception. It will act as a sort of shadow government, writing laws for, such as you mentioned, the use of magic. It will serve as a way to unify us all, no matter how manner more Gatekeepers appear or how they affect the world, and will help keep both us and the humans safe from each other. Should it be needed, it will offer safe haven to any of ilk who need it, especially when the Crystal Empire appears. And though it goes without saying, you and I will be it founders and leading members, if for no other reason than the right of experience and the means to make it a reality.

“Have you anything else to add?”

Taruke paused his eating and lowered his fork. “I have mixed emotions. On the good side, I agree with your proposal on creating magic regulation, but I have an alternate proposal. What if my company publicly 'discovered' a way to cross to the other side and, for a maintenance fee, allowed anyone or anypony to cross? This would be a controlled global introduction to the other universe and give you legal access to a whole new market. Your customers won't be worrying about where their magic potions came from then. While your partner is... indisposed, I have the manpower to create a shipping and tourism empire the likes the world has never seen, and you have goods to sell.”

Victor frowned, looking thoughtful. “I’m... not quite so sure. Such a thing could lead to disastrous results, especially once new Gatekeepers begin cropping up. As much as things have changed recently, I don’t think the world is quite ready for it, and neither is Equestria for that matter. Maybe once ‘The Fae’ become known and the supernatural is accepted as truth we could begin a careful and controlled introduction to the world, but...”

“I think it could speed that acceptance up, and it doesn't mean that we have to expose ourselves. Food for thought...” What the Shadow King did not know was that I was planning to go ahead and expose the two worlds to one another before another Gatekeeper could. It would reduce the shock value if I controlled the reaction, and it would give me a viable excuse to involve the militaries of the world in the event that Victor did what I expected him to do.

Victor, ever frowning, deepened his expression further as his thought for a moment. He grimaced. “Let’s just table this discussion for now. We could further discuss this once we can see what the immediate future holds.”

“Yes.” Taruke paused ever-so-briefly to denote the change in topic. “Well, I planned to share some magic knowledge with any magic-using Gatekeepers. But on the neutral-bad side of things, I'm going to have to limit your access to the archives. You will get most if it, I assure you, but not all. I will not be letting you have any time spells - physics works differently here, so they don't work. At all. Instant death. You will not be getting most of the black archive; some of that stuff makes Nazi death camps look like good family fun by comparison. And, although I'm sure that you would love the spell that makes you orgasm for hours on end, you will not be getting any spells from the changeling private collection.” Taruke’s feminine voice changed from a dangerous tone to practically purring in a split-second. “Although, I could demonstrate some of the more fun ones if either of you are interested.” Wrath snorted in amusement.

“Lastly, the question has always been, do you see too much to get the big picture? I now have my answer, and it is yes. Game two, move two, though I never expected this to be how I use it. We are already on opposite sides of this. If you had asked me to help you conquer the griffins, I would have leapt at the chance. Anyone else, and I would have given a token effort to aid you. But your reputation, merely by association, is to your detriment. No, I will not help you or Sombra take or maintain power in the Crystal Empire; quite the opposite, I intend to obstruct you. All Sombra has to do is walk away, and we can be the best of buddies. But for as long as a dark king sits on the Crystal Throne, you deny two nations, and more importantly, my nation's counterparts, food and safety. And I'm sure that, if angry Equestrians and Changelings are not enough, the Americans would be quite interested in an artifact that can boost the morale of an entire planet. You claim Sombra is sane now? Show me. Even a sociopath knows when to cut his losses."

During Taruke's speech, Victor's anger grew and grew, beating against them like acidic waves. Simply shutting off their passive feeding, as disconcerting as it was, was enough to protect Greed and Wrath from the latter's namesake emotion due to their innate resistance. Taruke was not as lucky. Having not undergone as rigorous of an negative emotion immunization course, the negative emotions that still seeped in burnt away at him. Wrath extended his hand under the table, pushing numbing spells and raw magic into Taruke to ease the pain.

“So I present to you the only three choices you have. One, if for any reason Sombra vacates the throne, you have my full cooperation. Two, if by your inaction, Sombra retains his position, and you provide no aid or hindrance to him, then I will uphold our alliance to the letter and no more; Sombra, not you, will be my enemy. Three, if you aid Sombra in any manner, you will have violated a portion of this alliance you have already agreed upon; A small branch of my hive has taken up permanent residence in Canterlot and Sombra threatens their food supply. Act, and we reciprocate in kind.”

As if the message was not clear enough in words, I decided to punctuate my ultimatum with action. All three of my changelings simultaneously and violently stabbed their fish with their forks. They all took a bite while staring intently at Rosaline. After swallowing with an audible gulp, Greed licked his lips with his extra-long tongue while Taruke and Wrath simply smiled, displaying fangs that were not there an instant ago.

“Food stylists are one of the highest paying freelance jobs in the advertising industry,” Greed commented, as if it was the most normal and appropriate thing to say at that very moment. “I'd think you'd do well in that business, Mr. DiVinci.”

Taruke, picking up on the idea, added in a light and teasing tone, “I know that Nick had an apple shaped ball-gag at one point... Oh beautiful Rosaline, what ever will your boss do? Decisions, decisions... So many good choices. How do you like the odds?”

“ENOUGH!” The Shadow Prince roared. His voice, empowered by magic, was deep and reverberating. It rattled glass and silenced the room.

Fangs retracted and neutral expressions in place, Taruke replied, “...Fine. That is then. This is now. Make your decision when the time comes and stick with it. And for crying out loud, tell the poor girl you love her.” Taruke pointed at Rosaline, who was silently cheering that her boss had come to her aid. “Let her know that we bed bugs won't bite so long as you have any say about it.” Taruke extended his hand towards Victor, this time for a genuine handshake. “Now, are we allies, big man? Friends don't attack friends.”

“Yes, bug,” he spat, “we are allies. But know that if you hurt me or what's mine, I will squash you, in ways more painful than you’ve ever known. Mayhaps you should remember, but Chrysalis was not always the last changeling monarch.”

Now I was confused. Yes, Chrysalis was currently the only monarch in the Equa hive, but only because the ascended royalty still was mortal. Wait, I get it, he wanted me to think he had something to do with their deaths. Well, it seemed that might did not equal historical knowledged.

I smirked. Perfect. Every word that Taruke had spoken had been chosen with extreme care. DiVinci was feeling a powerful, murderous bloodlust directed towards Taruke as a result of the latter’s actions, rather than what my changeling was or just Victor’s general negativity. Let me just change that real quick. Taking control of Taruke’s body, I said, “Is there a crystal fly-swatter with my name on it? Kinky.” I chuckled lightly. Standing up, I dug through the purse that Taruke brought and pulled out a wad of cash. Palming it to obscure it from view, I made sure that Victor could tell I was holding something. “Well, I'll have my people draft up and send you a more formal document that you can read at your leisure. The flight to Las Vegas is a long one, if you are still interested in playing me, which will give you plenty of time. Now, one last thing before I go...”

We, for Taruke was still very much aware and sharing control of the body, swiftly walked around the table. After setting the cash in between Rosaline and Victor’s plates, we suddenly grabbed Victor’s head and planted a deep, passionate kiss on his lips. At first, it felt like kissing an open flame, but that quickly changed. Part chemical, part magical, we felt our Euphoria technique seize hold of him. His struggles against our earth pony-enhanced strength weakened and died out. As we continued to kiss him, he eventually started to return it, his dark magic betraying him and amplifying the passion he felt. Our tongues fought briefly for dominance before we let him into our mouth. Ash, that was what his mouth tasted like, hinted with the supposedly fine wine we would never taste.

But his lust... All this time we had been eating garbage by comparison. The raw magic, flavored by pleasure rather than pain, amplified to the extreme by passion, and textured by mild confusion, it was orgasmic, a symphony of sensation, marred only by the lingering burn of darkness. The tip of his tongue, his sharp teeth, they cut into our mouth, seeking our blood. Yet the very lust we took from him healed the wounds faster than the hate could carve them into our flesh. It was suppose to be a controlled, clinical display of our ability, but it turned into something more.

But all good things must end. I pulled away before they, both Taruke and Victor, lost themselves completely. Taruke, embraced intimately by the one he calls god – he prays to me, worships me, despite my protests – and bombarded by sudden, extreme pleasure and power, almost lost the will to maintain his false skin. Victor, surprised by the rush of pleasure after having been emotionally primed for the last hour, almost lost control of his inhibitions. There is no doubt in my mind that if I had pushed him only a little more, the Shadow King would have stripped Taruke and had his way with him in public.

Still, even in the few seconds of the surprisingly potent kiss, I managed to snag more energy than four or five humans could provide when fully drained. And yet, if my very rough estimates are correct, even ballpark, then we merely took three percent of his reserves. Impressive. 'At the going rate I pay my changelings for their energy collection... Shit, that cash I gave them wasn't enough. And he could do that every day for the rest of his life and not bat an eye at that kind of energy drain. Meh, I won't tell him that just yet.'

Quickly, I distributed the energy to the shared reserves. Taruke turned and walked away, intent on escaping before the situation changed. "Thanks for lunch, big man!" He called out over his shoulder, "Remember, choose wisely."

Taruke walked quickly to the waiter and passed him another, smaller wad of cash. It didn't matter right then that he was overpaying for the meal. Suddenly, Taruke quickly kissed the waiter on the cheek, much to the surprise of just about everyone. The waiter blushed furiously and stumbled slightly when he stepped back. "Muchas gracias por la comida. Está delicioso. Quédate con el cambio, señor," the changeling whispered.

Taruke then did a quick turn, letting my armor's lower part stretch out into a skirt, which twirled a bit before tightening up around his female legs and butt. Fanservice complete, Taruke, Greed, and Wrath rode the high of lusty stares out of the building.

One quick turn on a dime when no one was looking, and the trio vanished into my false world. Another twist after a few minutes of floating in the darkness, and they reemerged next to the newly-appointed Queen Avis, in a low-end apartment on the shadier side of Las Vegas. 'And I'm still stuck on a damn plane because there are no other changelings to serve as an exit point in the whole freaking country of Texas!'

Author's Notes:

*Ding* Have a chapter.

Well, that took forever. Sorry, I can pump out chapters in two-ish days normally, but crossovers take forever. Expect part two sometime in the future.

I used google translate for the Spanish. If you speak it and what I have is wrong, please correct me.
Translations:
-- “Sorprende a los tres de nosotros. Estoy seguro de que un hombre como usted tiene un gusto excelente.” - "Surprise the three of us. I am sure that a man like you has excellent taste."
-- "Muchas gracias por la comida. Está delicioso. Quédate con el cambio, señor." - "Thank you for the food. It's delicious. Keep the change, sir."

Thanks to my editor, Alternate Madness, for his help. Also, go read InfiniteBrony's version of this chapter when he posts it.