*A week later.*

I was once more at Ribbons side, feeling rather relieved that they had in fact managed to remove that curse from her so she wasn’t in so much pain, and even more relieved that the doctor had said the poison was finally out of her system, and that she would be in a healthy enough condition to leave today. Now I could relax a little bit, having Ribbon suddenly go into shock, or start bleeding internally time after time was wearing me thin. “Good morning sleepyhead!”

“Mmm, at least I have more than just my head.” She replied flatly at my attempt to surprise her, Mafia style, only my head sticking out of my shadow.

“Guess I need to get ‘ahead’ in life?”

“That was bad… What have you been doing in there, anyway? You’re in there a lot.”

“Discovering the extent of my little ‘shadow realm.’ Turns out, it's really malleable.”

“Wait, shadow realm? You never told me you had a whole realm to yourself. How rich are you? I swear, if you’re just mooching off me ‘cause you can...” She glared at me with murderous intent, the effect was ruined however by her smile.

“Uhhh, until a week ago, I never really ventured beyond the entrance, where I always stayed when I was in there, and it’s still pretty empty, just a few things i made, so no, I’m not rich in any sense of the word.”

“I still say you should sell your miasma metal.”

“Really? would you really want to risk that getting into the hands of whoever's trying to kill you?”

“Alright, you have a point. I’m glad I get to leave today, I want to get back to my potions and my forge.”

“If you want, I could show you what I’ve done in here?” I glanced at my shadow.

“Oh? Show me what you made?” Sounding a little excited, she nodded eagerly.

“Okay then.” I gently tightened the grip of miasma around her, before pulling her into my shadow with me.

Once we were inside, I released my grip on her, giggling a bit as she floated helplessly, her wings proving to be of no help. “Sooo, I’m just gonna float here or are we waiting for something?”

“Wait for it...”

“...For what exactly?”

“That.” Soon, the Keeper approached, gliding around Ribbon at a leiserly pace. As it drew closer, a tendril emerged from the side of its body, wrapping around Ribbons torso. Ribbon looked at me in fear.

“...Please tell me you didn’t make this... thing with hentai in mind.”

“I didn’t. but if you want, I could make one for that.” Ribbon didn’t have time to respond. She yelped in surprise when the Keeper yanked her towards itself, retracting the tendril, until ribbon came in contact with its body, becoming stuck fast to its tarry form. Ribbon struggled and buzzed her wings as the Keeper continued on down to the ground, reminding me some what of a fly stuck to fly paper.

“Ew ew ew, let me go you bog monster!” Ribbon struggled to free her forelegs but only managed to sink them in deeper.

“Its better than just floating around.” I said as I smirked at her over the top reaction.

“But it’s grooooss!”

“It also means I won’t have to go looking for you, or anyone else for that matter, in here, I can jsut have you brought to me.” Ribbon kept on trying to break herself free, only managing to cause herself to sink deeper and deeper, until she had gotten to the point only her head was visible. I leaned in and whispered into her ear. “I think the Keeper likes you.” Ribbon gave up her struggle to glare at me, before we reached the ‘ground’, and the Keeper deposited her on it, before gliding off somewhere else.

“So is that the only thing or do I need to worry about more things trying to grab me.”

“That depends. do you want more stuff to grab you?”

“Ok, no sexy times until I’m discharged and feeling stronger.”

“Oh, hey, about time that showed up.” I pointed to a faint bluish green light in the distance, coming closer. The same color as my magic. As it drew closer, the shape of what was giving off the light became apparent, a small smoky black wisp carrying a small lantern that held a bluish green flame, that soon started circling around ribbons head, casting off light.

“What is it?” she asked, Intrigued by the little shadow creature.

“I call it a Wisp. Made it specifically for when you, or Mirage comes here, so you don’t get lost.”

“So it’s just a light that’ll follow us around and lead us places?”

“For the most part. Also gives Mirage something to chase around.”

Ribbon followed the wisp with her eyes for a while before settling back on me. “What else is down here?”

“A few knickknacks, a sword or two, some armor, a few surprises, extra limbs, tried my hoof at making an island…”

“Uh, what was that last one?”

“Yeah, I said it, extra limbs. it kinda freaked me out too, having a functioning limb made out of this stuff.”

“Like what, tendrils like that thing had? An extra pair of goop wings?”

“Yeah, among… other things.”

“I’ll give you credit, you are very persistent. But I’m not in the mood. Could you tack on a couple of tendrils on me?”

“Sure.” I concentrated, raising several orbs of abyssal essence into the air, and shaped them into the same tar like tendrils the Keeper had, before sticking them to Ribbons sides, where they hung limply. At first, all she could do was get them to flop around, managing to smack herself in the face at one point. But, eventually she was able to wipe them around and grabbed me and started using me like a reverse yo-yo. Until she tired to let go of me and found I was stuck to the tendril. Damn I did not realize just how strong this stuff’s grip was. “Umm… I’m kinda stuck.” Ribbon looked at me sheepishly.

“I can’t figure out how to make it let go.”

“C’mon, try. otherwise it’ll ruin a surprise I have for you when you're in the mood.”

She screwed up her face in concentration, and I felt the tendrils peel off me.

“I kinda wanna leave now.” I smiled.

“Okay, just gimme a sec…” I focused, and made the tendrils dissolve back into the essence that made them up, before flying in the direction of the ‘window’ the was the entrance and exit of my shadow.

“Hey! don’t leave me!” Ribbon shouted, jumping and trying to fly after me, but not catching any air under her wings. I Really had to figure out why that was happening.

“Don’t worry, your ride should be there soon!” By the time she responded, I was far enough away I couldn't make out what she was saying, and soon reached the entrance, where I floated and waited. A few minutes later, the Keeper entered my vision, Ribbon stuck to its side.

“I’m not happy about this!”

“Worth it.” The Keeper deposited her, before once more gliding off. I then wrapped a tendril of miasma around Ribbon, and pulled her out of my shadow. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“For you, I had to be carried around by a big blob of goo. Lets just see about signing the discharge papers.”

After getting Ribbon signed out, and making the trip back to the hive, we passed by a familiar unicorn in the tunnels.

“Hello, Loveless.” I said with a small smirk.

“I still hate you, you know, so don’t don’t get all buddy buddy with me.” She then gave Ribbon a rather disappointed look. “And to think you let yourself be attacked, you should have payed more attention, had actual guards with you.”

“Hey, that guy knew what he was doing. And I think he had help, seeing as he somehow knew who Ribbon was disguised as!”

“Yes I heard!” Loveless, or Chrysalis, scowled at me. “If she had a real guard with her to sniff out the hate, she wouldn’t have been attacked! Or the guard would have been poisoned in her stead! The whole thing could have been averted if she had just sent a drone in her place!”

“Do you have any sympathy for her? she just got out of the hospital today, and you’re ragging on her about what she did wrong!”

“She needs to realize her mistakes and let others do somethings for her, she’s too important!”

“You mean like how you did back at the wedding?!” Loveless cringed when I said that. “If I hadn’t felt so bad about just leaving you, you’d still be a vegetable! And really, who know what the rest of the hive, nay, the rest of Canterlot, would have done if they knew you were still alive?! You owe me, and her, your life.” Loveless’ ears folded back, a bit of shame on her face. Loveless scowled at me again.

“That is exactly why I’m ‘ragging’ on her. I would have succeeded if I had another in my place!”

“Hey, we’re starting to draw a crowd.” Loveless and I looked at the end of the hall, some changelings were looking our way, wondering what the commotion was about. More of them were at the other end.

I glared at Loveless. “We’ll finish this later. C’mon Ribbon, Mirage will be glad to see you.”