Daedalus' New World

by Writer of Fantasies

First published 7th of March, 2018

Everything has an opponent. Creation has Destruction, Harmony has Chaos, and Blacklight has Bloodtox. Daedalus, chosen by forces beyond his understanding, must bring balance when others disturb it.

The struggle for balance is an archetypal battle, lasting since time immemorial. Chaos can not be allowed to rule, but neither can Harmony. Sometimes, the strangest of things can fix the most dire of problems.

Unexpected Changes in Location

1-Unexpected Changes in Location

Daedalus stood atop a several story building located in the center of some bustling Pennsylvania city. The greater Evolved couldn't be bothered to remember its name. He was perched on the stone lip of the building that surrounded the roof to prevent people from falling off.

Spread out in front of him were hundreds, thousands, of innocent, carefree individuals going about their daily business. Cars trundled down the streets, people walked on the sidewalk, employees worked in cubicles, and life continued. No one knew it was about to be cut short.

Shapeless, writhing tendrils covered his body and the man was gone, blue jeans, black shirt, white hoodie, and black shoes vanishing to be replaced by a small black rat. It ran to the edge of the building and over the edge, following the natural pathways created by the brickwork, quickly making its way to the ground, past five stories of workers. Reaching the ground level, it ran down the streets and disappeared into a drain, heading into the sewers.

The rat continued through the pipes, the smell of waste and rot ever present throughout the subterranean tunnels, making the being regret its advanced nose. Before long, after navigating the tunnels at a speed no rat had the right to, it arrived in a large, central chamber that was almost entirely devoid of sewage. The rat proceeded to vanish into a mass of tendrils before reforming into the man from before.

As his viral eyes adjusted to the near-black levels of darkness, he became aware of the sound of countless small movements, shuffling and twitching. Then, he could see and his eyes took in what lay in front of him without surprise. Several hundred twisted monstrosities were in front of him, milling about aimlessly. There were three types, all gruesome and grotesque.

The first and most prevalent type were massive, standing easily at six feet, often more. They were horribly over-muscled, looking as if each weighed a ton or more. Each was armored with dense white bone plates erupting straight from the skin of the beasts. They shambled on four legs, each ending in massive hunks of black flesh, but strangely no claws. Red veins snaked across their bodies endlessly, no real beginning or end. These were the Berserkers.

The next group, while nowhere near as large, looking possibly even more terrifying. They were clearly once human, but not so any more. They moved on two legs, twitching sporadically. Four arms sat attached to these beasts' sides, each ending in a clawed hand with massive, foot long claws that gleamed silver. Red flesh pulsed eerily in the darkness. They were called Maniacs and were the source of the twitching movements Daedalus heard.

The final were the most strange, not standing or walking but rather hanging, attached to the ceiling by clawed legs. Looking like large, black dogs, their bladed wings belied their true nature. Short, spiky fur offered a meager defense against bullets, but strong offense with a good charge able to impale a man in a hundred places. Glowing orange eyes stared at the man from the darkness above, revealing the sheer number of the Warpers.

Daedalus nodded approvingly. He agreed with Mercer's wisdom of switching from numbers to fear tactics. Even if Daedalus did hate the man with ever fiber of his own being.

A shadow shifted in the back, the darkness too thick for his eyes to penetrate. He wasn't worried, though. He knew what it was. It was a Reinforcer and would be out in the sunlight soon enough.

His attention was drawn to one of the Maniacs. It was no longer twitching or wandering and seemed to be walking with a purpose. A feral grin adorned its face, razor sharp teeth bared.

Inwardly sighing, Daedalus prepared to speak to the man who had essentially enslaved him.

The Maniac stopped and a voice emitted from it. The voice was two-toned, with the beast's torn vocal cords and scratchy voice overlapping Daedalus's master's dark, charismatic voice.

"I assume the siege is soon to begin?"

The greater Evolved nodded. "Yes sir, I was actually preparing to begin now. The civilians are unaware of my presence and Blackwatch patrols are minimal. They are likely focused on fighting you on the front line.

The Maniac nodded. "Good work. Infectors Jake and Kyle will arrive in two days. I expect the city to have fallen by then."

"Easily done." He assured.

The Maniac nodded again before the grin faded and it went back to twitching and shambled away. The meeting was over and the creature's mind restored.

After the problems caused by a betrayal, Mercer had instilled within all of his creations and servants a sort of 'Hive Mind.' While it wasn't a direct mental connection, it allowed him to take control of anyone exposed to it from anywhere else in the world. Mercer used it to enforce loyalty, even from his more reluctant underlings.

See, Alex Mercer's army of Evolved was separated into two main categories. The first was comprised of the psychopaths who enjoyed killing, enjoyed the feeling of flesh splitting between their claws as the innocent screamed in fear and agony. They followed Mercer's beck and call, causing no problems, and tore apart whoever was in the direction he pointed them.

The second half, the half Daedalus belonged too, were the ones who served Mercer because they were forced to. Their loyalty lied in their fear of death or worse, not enjoyment of evil things. With the addition of the Hive Mind, Mercer was able to bring this half of his army under his complete control. After all, why would a slave to rebel when the master is able to control his very mind?

Pulling himself away from his internal thoughts, Daedalus gave a single command. "Begin."

A great roar echoed through the sewers, out the grates, and into the streets of the city. The entire city ground to a halt, some in fear, others in confusion. One particular children's park was just as silent, fear stopping the playing kids in their tracks. Parents became aware of great thuds emanating from the ground and growing louder.

A massive explosion shook the park as dust and dirt filled the air, obscuring the center of the park. Children screamed in fear but no one saw anything. Parents grabbed their kids and began to make their way out of the park while other, more curious individuals moved to the edge of the dust and tried to peer in.

The dust fell to reveal a massive hole in the ground, extending at an angle underground. The sewers were visible for several dozen feet until darkness took hold and it was impossible to see. One man stepped to the edge of the hole and stared inside. Darkness met his eyes until, rather suddenly, countless pairs of glowing orange eyes appeared. With a startled shout, the man fell back from the edge, stood up, and ran away.

"Fuck that, I'm out! There's something in there!" He shouted.

While his words came close to sparking a panic, most believed him to be imagining things or simply joking. After all, there was unlikely to be anything inside a newly-formed sinkhole. Some were still nervous, though, and edged away from the pit.

With a terrifying screech, black shapes erupted from the darkness and took to the air. The people began to truly panic and ran from the shapes that were far too large to be bats. They took to the air and spread out like a dark cloud, darting to and fro. A menacing roar came from the pit and out came large white things. They charged out, beelining straight for the fleeing humans.

The Berserkers reached the crowd only to begin swinging wildly, shattering bones and pulping people through sheer force of their blows. Men, women, and children were killed, none spared in the face of sheer, bestial brutality.

The crowd was soon gone or dead and none saw as out of the darkness came the Maniacs, clawing up the sides of the pit. Taking great pleasure in the smell of blood and screams of despair, they began laughing, horrible, guttural laughs echoing from their mouths. They charged down the street, tracking the scent of man. Only a few remained, gathering bodies of the dead and piling them together.

All this Daedalus took in as he leaped out of the pit, covered in his viral armor, landing on the edge and staring at the carnage of the park. With a frown, he tore his gaze away from a young girl who had been flattened by the sheer weight of a Berserker, her organs squeezed out of her mouth. As he turned away, a Maniac slung the corpse over its shoulder and dropped it into a pile of other dead.

Daedalus heard the sounds of the pit walls crumbling as the last monster climbed out, its weight alone collapsing the earth. When he turned around, he was greeted to the sight of the Reinforcer pulling its last leg out of the hole.

The monster was eight feet tall, taller then the Berserkers. It was fifteen feet long, shown by the fact that the beast had to collapse the hole further just to get out. With six legs, it walked with a tripod gait, just as ants and beetles did. It was plated in black, chitinous armor that was rated against high-caliber bullets by Mercer himself. Its head was structured similar to an insects, two large mandibles in front of its mouth. Two straight, white horns made of bone created a means of offense for the beast, not counting sheer strength.

Triumphant at escaping the pit, the nightmare released a great foghorn of a bellow that drowned the sounds of screaming and, sparsely, gunshots. The Reinforcer lumbered to a group of bodies, three men, a woman, and the child from earlier. It opened its mouth wide, as if to eat the bodies, only for a sickening squelching sound to be heard as a red liquid sloshed out and landed on the pile. Without another thought, the beast walked away to the next pile, its steps shaking the streets.

With mild perturbed interest, Daedalus watched as the liquid settled into the bodies before they began twitching. Undergoing rapid mutation, they changed drastically before getting up. Four newly-made Maniacs sprinted away, laughter able to strike fear in any man. The fifth, the girl, shuffled slowly away.

The child had been too underdeveloped to allow rapid and extreme mutation, so it was simply reanimated. Still crushed, the Shambler did as its name suggests and shambled after the Maniacs, its damaged body doing it no favors.

Curiosity sated, Daedalus turned away and continued down the street, heading for the nearest source of gunfire. With two days to pacify the city, the Evolved wanted to be done as soon as possible. He felt no desire to torture others, unlike his comrades in Mercer's inner circle.

As he slowly meandered his way to the firefight, he appraised the effectiveness of his forces. Daedalus had not encountered any civilians. More specifically, those that were still living. Piles of corpses lined the streets due to the Maniacs, ready for the Reinforcer to propagate more of their species. The stench of blood and gore was incredibly clear, especially to one with a nose such as his.

Daedalus came around a corner and could suddenly see the source of the gunfire from up ahead. It was the pocket of Blackwatch forces that were stationed here. One was in every city near the infection that had yet to be infected themselves.

The group consisted of a number of soldiers, easily over three dozen, two APCs and a tank, the type of which Daedalus didn't care about. With a sigh, the Evolved joined the fight.

After Mercer killed Heller, he realized the weakness Evolved had against other Evolved. After installing a way for him to overpower any others, Alex Mercer set out making the Evolved more powerful. After fixing that, he then made them even more powerful against Blackwatch, making them almost immune to their weaponry. Suffice to say, it caught the private organization off-guard when their previously-effective weapons suddenly turned useless.

These upgrades were what made it possible to simply stroll up behind an APC and punch it, compromising the armor and allowing Daedalus to start tearing armor plates off. By the time the crew realized what was happening, he was inside the vehicle and killing them. After consuming the bodies and exiting the vehicles, he noticed that several Berserkers were attacking the other APC and destroying it easily.

Daedalus prepared to fight the tank that had just taken notice of the Berserkers when he heard a massive roar. He looked past the tank to see the Reinforcer charging with its horns leveled. The tank crew didn't have time to react before the nightmare hit, its horns tearing a hole through the armor plating, shredding the insides and killing the crew. Daedalus watched as the monster continued on, taking the tank and crushing a large number of the Blackwatch soldiers.

An explosion signaled the detonation of the final armored vehicle before the Berserkers turned on the remaining soldiers and massacred them without trouble. Looking over, Daedalus saw the Reinforcer brace its front right leg against the tank and pull its horns out, then approaching the soldiers to infect them. They would serve as good troops. Their armor, while useless against Redlight or Blacklight, would be effective against the humans.

Daedalus watched in silence as the old and new infected ran off, ready to continue the conquest of the city, bringing down the city and allowing Mercer's control to spread ever-farther. Naturally, most will die before the city is taken, yet will be replaced by even more. When the block was clear, Daedalus began walking toward the center of town. Before he got more than twenty feet, he heard a rustle of movements milliseconds before a massive impact hit his side.

The Evolved was thrown away and into a building, shattering the wall and nearly collapsing the entire thing. He lied still for a moment before getting up easily.

What was that? The Orion programs have been destroyed and there are no other greater infected in the city.

When he took in the sight of what attacked him, his eyes widened. It was a human, not infected, but a human. He had white hair, red and yellow eyes, and a brown suit. He had a satisfied smile as he looked at Daedalus and floated a foot off the ground. The Evolved couldn't help but speak up. "Who the hell are you?"

The thing laughed. "Just call me Disarray. You'll do quite nicely, though."

Disarray snapped his fingers and Daedalus felt all of his energy drain as he collapsed to his knees. The once-human was in disbelief, this shouldn't be possible. He can't feel tired. No matter what he thought, it didn't stop him from passing out, his consciousness fading out.

"Quite nicely, indeed."

Daedalus awoke with a sudden snap, not the gradual awakening of a normal living being. Then again, as a virus, he wasn't normal or living. He sat up, aware of a crumbling stone fortress being his new location. He stood up fully and began pondering both Disarray and his new location.

Before he could get far, he heard shouting. "Discord said its in the castle! This way!"

Several voices responded to the original feminine one, blending together into a cacophony of noise. Sighing, Daedalus shifted his arm into a blade and faced the door, ready to burst into motion and slaughter whatever was there. His surprise was great when, instead of a human coming through the door, a group of horses did instead.

Granted, horses were a rather generic term. They seemed more like ponies of different colors and types. He saw two unicorns, two pegasi, two normal, and two winged unicorns, all female. Not caring for their colors, he darted forward and swung his blade. All he knew was that he greatly desired their abilities, whatever they may be.

The one he chose, a white winged unicorn, was saved only by her speed, and she still was harmed. A blade originally aimed for her throat instead cut the tip of her horn off. She hit the ground with a cry and kicked away, his blade cleaving the ground where she had been. He was hit by another force, this one knocking him into the air. He suddenly stopped, suspended there by a blue aura.

He looked around and spotted the other winged unicorn shout something. His attention, however, was focused on gaining the power of the blue aura shimmering around her horn. He formed a tendril from his chest and shot it forward, but it was caught. He growled at her and then noticed a glow coming from the others.

A rainbow beam descending upon him was all he saw before his vision faded once more.

Celestia walked over to her sister and stared at the being, focusing on its blade. She frowned as she saw the tip of her horn missing. She sighed. Magic may be painful to use now, but she could still use it. The solar mare watched her sister struggle to lift the statue for a moment before approaching her.

"Leave it be, Luna. The Elements clearly don't want it moved."

The blue mare huffed. "You speak truth. It clearly wasn't immune to magic, yet now we can't move it. I'm simply glad Discord managed to sense its arrival. It also surprises me he warned us. This seems like it would be plenty chaotic."

"Remember, Lulu, Discord is reformed. Not only that, but I believe this would be a chaos even he doesn't like. It attacked us without warning or even speaking." Celestia returned.

Luna conceded her point. "I'll set some guards here to watch it."

Her eyes drifted to her sister's horn, specifically the missing tip, and allowed her concern and worry to show for a moment. "Focus simply on healing, dear Tia. I don't want you to hurt more than necessary."

Celestia smiled warmly. "I love you, too."

New Places, New Faces

2-New Places, New Faces

Daedalus awoke sometime later. Unlike a mortal who have forgotten the event that just happened, his unnatural memory made sure he wouldn't forget it any time soon. The Evolved tried to move only to find himself unable to.

When he examined the outer layers of his flesh, he could see that the cells had been turned to stone. Normally, it would've been simple enough to drill through the stone, escape, and leave the stone skin behind. However, something was holding him there. He could feel it, yet none of his senses could detect it.

Magic. He thought with derision. After what he had seen and, yes, experienced, he knew it had to have been magic of all things. Nothing else could have explained the unicorns, the winged unicorns he fought, or the energy the unicorns used.

As he came to the conclusion, he could feel something in his mind. In fact, the feeling was almost identical to what he felt when Mercer entered his mind to order him around. There was just one difference. It held no sense of malice. Whenever Mercer used the Hive Mind connection, it allowed Daedalus to feel some of what the greater Evolved felt, almost always malice, anger, and a sick joy at the death and pain his actions caused.

This entity felt nothing of the sort. Daedalus could only make out a sense of age, contentment, power, and hope. He knew immediately that whatever it was, it was old and powerful. Far too powerful for even Mercer to defeat.

Without warning, a searing pain filled his mind and it took all of his effort to resist blacking out, something he seemed to be doing a lot recently. The pain lasted for several minutes, not even dropping in intensity when Daedalus deactivated his pain receptors. Being trapped in stone and held in place, he couldn't even scream. It had been years since he felt pain, all thanks to his viral nature.

Graciously, the pain ended and Daedalus felt different. Better, in fact. He felt like he did when he lived with his family before the Outbreaks. A spark of panic hit him, then faded as he confirmed he was still an Evolved. Before he could search any further for the change, he heard a voice, not inside his head, but seemingly from the stone itself.

"We are Order. We have taken the liberty to removed the 'Hive Mind' that plagued you. It had influenced you, turning you into something you weren't."

Daedalus still couldn't speak, and so tried to think his questions to the entity. What are you?

"Find Creation and you're purpose will be clear. Now, leave and fulfill Fate."

The magic holding him in place faded and Daedalus immediately dissolved into a mass of tendrils, drilled through the stone, and reformed outside, in his default form without armor. With a single hit, he shattered the stone shell and reabsorbed the flesh he left behind, retaining his usual density and weight.

"Oh, that was fun to see." A cheery voice called out from behind him.

The Evolved whipped around, arm already shifted into a lethal blade, only to pause at the sight that met him. Stark white hair, two toned eyes, and a old brown suit painted a familiar image to Daedalus. He pointed the blade at the creature with a human form and growled out, "Disarray."

The man laughed and used a finger to push the blade down, amazing Daedalus that he wasn't cut by it. After all, with an edge sharp enough to cut through a tank, any force put on it would result in cutting. "Put that away, I'm not your enemy, you know. Especially after I brought you here."

Daedalus raised his brow at that. "Why did you bring me here, wherever here is."

Disarray just smiled. "Me and a couple others decided that you were a decent, not perfect, candidate for a task we need done, two tasks, actually."

"What if I fail them?" The Evolved couldn't help but ask.

"Well, I rewind time and try again with someone else. You are contestant number three, you know." Came the reply.

Daedalus swore he felt an eye twitch, even though it shouldn't be possible. "Rewind time, right. What was with the whole 'stoned' thing?"

"We needed a way for that pest Mercer to stop influencing you. We realized that the way to do that was to remove the link. The whole 'stoned' thing was the only way for it to work. Also, you're taking this quite well."

Daedalus chuckled mirthlessly. "I was the slave of a god who wanted to take over the world with a mutant zombie apocalypse virus. Not too much can surprise me."

Disarray nodded. "Fair enough. Now, I'm about to implant some memories into your head as well as some DNA for you to consume for a disguise. I recommend altering the form a bit as the pony is still alive."

Disarray placed a hand atop Daedalus' head, which he had to prevent himself from consuming out of sheer curiosity. Nothing happened for a moment before the viral being felt memories not his own flow through his mind. They consisted of information on nearly every species of the world, clearly just the ones Disarray thought he needed to know. He was filled in on the existence of magic, the power of the Elements and their danger, the Princesses, other royalty such as Chrysalis, and even the prisoners of Tartarus.

Eventually, the hand was removed and Daedalus found himself being spoken too. "Now, I recommend exploring and trying to get stronger. Also, please refrain from killing those who clearly don't deserve it. I would hate to have to rewind time just to stop you from murdering some random pony."

"Oh, and a final thing. I'll teleport you to the edge of the forest. I strongly recommend making a disguise before entering the town. Less chance of being banished to the moon and all. Ta-ta."

With a snap of Disarray's fingers, Daedalus' surroundings changed drastically from a crumbling stone castle to the edge of a forest, a small town off in the distance. Even farther was a city hanging off the side of a mountain, something that he could only explain as magic.

Turning around, he went deeper into the woods to transform and practice altering DNA for the first time. That, and he needed to think on the meeting he just had. It went way to quickly for his liking and he had understood little of it.

Before long, the natural darkness of the forest was replaced by beams of sunlight piercing the canopy. A small clearing about ten meters in diameter, empty apart from a trunk on the opposite side, would serve him well, especially considering he intended to only use it once.

Crossing the clearing and sitting on the stump, Daedalus first searched for the DNA sample Disarray had supposedly given him. The Evolved had to search through all of the samples he had consumed, looking for one that was distinctly equine. It took him a surprising amount of time to locate it, but once he did, he immediately started studying the genes, specifically the ones involving coat color, mane color, and eye color. He wasn't too concerned with the body structure, so he didn't pay much attention to that.

After studying the genes, he felt he understood enough to make minor alterations. When he was done, the Evolved shifted into the form, having to alter his sitting position to better fit the quadruped he had become.

Looking down, he took in the sight of the silver-coated hooves. Looking over his shoulder, he caught sight of the dark blue tail, the same as his mane. He also put a streak of red and black through it, the prime colors of the virus. He took note of the lack or a horn or wings, which he considered good as he wouldn't know how to use them. He also remembered he had made his eyes an icy blue. He hummed in consideration as he decided whether or not he should delve deeper into the memories he was given.

Ultimately, he decided to go over each of the races in depth, particularly pony, to prevent any simple mistakes. Going through the archives of foreign memories was something hard to describe. They were his own, yet separate as well. He could recall memories at any time as easily as he could if he had been the one to live them out, yet he could easily tell who or what they came from.

Starting with the ponies, he went over all four races, immediately noticing the lack of a cutie mark, making Daedalus glad he did search the memories. Next, he went through the memories on gryphons, Diamond Dogs, dragons, and zebras. Then, he came across the topic of changelings as well as a little addition Disarray had put into the memory.

"The changelings are a rather secretive and covert race. They use their shapeshifting ability to replace ponies and feed off of their love. Every attempt at peace failed, simply due to the peace nearly starving changelings. However, you may be able to create a lasting alliance. After all, you are capable of generating endless amounts of love due to your nature. You may find an alliance worthwhile, or at least their powers."

Daedalus had to admit, Disarray knew him surprisingly well. The Evolved was interested in their powers as it reminded him of his own. He made a mental note to meet them, then checked the info on their queen.

"Queen Chrysalis is the current queen of the Sapphire Hive and has recently attempted to invade Canterlot. Contrary to popular pony belief, she did so for the sole purpose of giving her subjects a home and to prevent them from starving. When she failed, they returned to their Hive in the desert Badlands. She cares for her subjects just as, if not more than, Celestia cares for hers."

Daedalus exited the memory and turned his attention to his flank, the bare fur an obvious discrepancy among ponies. As he looked, he saw color fade into the fur as he manipulated the genes once more. When it was done, a multi-colored DNA double-helix was set in front of an orange biohazard sign. Then, he chose a name based on his abilities, tradition among ponies.

"Gene Splice will work well enough." Daedalus said to himself.

Everything done, he stood up off the stump and took a step forward. He was not expecting his face to meet the ground. Apparently, knowing the way equines walk is not the same as doing it himself. Daedalus sighed and began to practice simply walking.

At first, it was a struggle. Bipeds, with only two legs, have a very simple gait. However, add another two legs into the equation and it changes. Instead of a basic alternating walk, it becomes an opposite alternating walk. For a being who had spent his entire life using a left-right pattern, it was a noticeable struggle to switch to front left - back right pattern.

Eventually, he got better and steadier until he was confident at walking, jogging, and running. More specifically, natural movement. Daedalus knew the moment he tried to run at his full speed, he would likely trip and tumble. While not a concern to him, he was worried about who he would crush if it happened. After all, he did weight several tons.

That thought made him pause. I weigh a ton and am about to enter a town made mostly out of wood. I need to reduce my weight if I intend to not break the floors of every building. Now, how to actually go about it?

Daedalus thought for a moment before shrugging. I'll have to remember this place, then.

Dissolving into a formless mass of black tendrils, he sunk underground and dug out a small chamber. Then, the mass split and one part returned to the surface. The mass reformed into the body of Gene Splice and he walked toward the tree line.

I just left a little over three thousand pounds as a mass of sheer dense flesh. While it has the desired effect of reducing my weight, I'm also far more vulnerable. My outer layer is no longer tougher than steel, but normal flesh.
The human turned pony exited the forest, still deep in thought, and continued to the town in the distance. I'll need to add a set of veins and arteries then fill them with blood. Otherwise, I'll get a cut or something and not notice. Someone, er, somepony, else will realize that I'm not bleeding.

Gah, I'll need to make a heart as well then. They might notice a lack of blood pressure. Who knew how much trouble removing density would cause.

The Evolved made the necessary changed and took note that the blood flow and beating heart could be heard by him. He also was aware he didn't need to mimic body heat as the natural restlessness of the virus made his temperature even greater than a normal living being.

Daedalus snapped out of his thoughts as he entered the town, passing the first house. Remember. They are ponies, not people. It applies to all pronouns, too.

He took note of the thatched roof and wood walls theme most of the town had, idly commenting that if he ever needed this town gone, a little fire would work wonders. The inhabitants, all multi-colored ponies of the three main races, walked around, chatting and going about their business. He got some cursory glances for being a new face, but most went back to their business.

Most. One approached him. She was a purple unicorn with saddlebags. Her similarly-colored mane had a streak through it like his and her curious magenta look just screamed innocence. After all, no sane female would approach a random male stranger unless they lived in a place far removed from such acts.

"Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I run the library. Do you happen to be new in town?" She asked, extending a leg out.

He placed his own hoof against hers and they briefly shook. "Gene Splice, and yes, I am. I arrived quite literally a couple minutes ago. I've never been here before, truthfully."

Her head tilted to the side. "Oh? Where are you from?"

Daedalus smiled at her. "I didn't really live in a town or village. I enjoyed my privacy to the point I moved out and lived on my own in a forest." The lie came easily enough. Four years under the employment of Mercer gave him a mastery over rather unsavory skills.

"What brought you here then, Mr. Splice?" She asked, causing him to chuckle.

"You don't have to use formalities with me. As for why I'm here, well, I grew to miss contact with other ponies so I decided to move again. I heard this town was rather accepting and decided to check it out."

"If I can drop formalities, then you can too, Gene. I'll also be the first to officially welcome you to Ponyville!" She finished with an enthusiastic smile, making the Evolved smile as well.

"Thank you. It seems like a quiet town, which I'd prefer. Do you know where an inn or hotel is, if Ponyville has one?"

"Yep! Just follow this road to the third right, take it, and it'll be on the left. Its called 'The Green Dragon.' You'll recognize it."

"Thank you, Twilight. I'll see you around then." Daedalus replied.

She hummed for a second, then spoke up. "Actually, I need to go that way. Do you mind if I come with you?"

Daedalus shook his head. "Not at all. What do you need to do?"

"The market is that way and I need to pick up some carrots." She said.

They started walking in the direction she indicated earlier before Twilight started talking again, obviously trying to learn more about the town's newest inhabitant. "I couldn't help but notice your cutie mark. I've never seen either symbol before. What do they mean?"

Daedalus took note that either the world knew nothing of DNA and biohazards or, more likely, simply used different symbols. "Well, the colored symbol is know as a DNA strand, which represents life. The orange symbol, a biohazard sign, means hazardous. All together, it shows my fascination of the more dangerous aspects of life."

True enough, except his main interest was consuming them for their powers. "On that note, what does yours mean?"

"It shows my talent in magic. I've always found learning new spells easier than others and loved expanding my repertoire of knowledge." The unicorn spoke with a trace of obvious happiness, proving her words to him.

Before Daedalus could ask more about magic, they were interrupted by a pony running past and bumping into Twilight, her saddlebag being jostled and several coins falling out and tinkling on the ground. While Twilight looked at the retreating form, Daedalus had picked up the coins and examined them front and back, quickly memorizing their design. The weight confirmed they were pure gold, as well.

Twilight felt a tap on her shoulder and took her attention away from the now gone stallion. She looked back to see Gene holding the bits that had fallen out. She grabbed them in her magic and placed them in her bags. "Thank you, Gene."

"No problem. I wonder what that was about." He pondered.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. I didn't even get a good look at him. Oh! There's the inn."

Daedalus brought his attention back forward and agreed with Twilight's presumption that he would recognize it. It had a large dragon, aptly green, figure on the front, right above the name.

The Green Dragon Tavern.

-No dragon's allowed.

Daedalus chuckled, then explained himself at Twilight's look. "Its called The Green Dragon, yet dragons aren't allowed. Its just a little ironic."

She nodded, conceding the point. "I think it was almost burned down by a dragon years before I moved here."

The Evolved shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm going to rent a room, then look for a job."

Twilight nodded. "If you can't find one, I can introduce you to my friends. One of them might be hiring."

Gene entered the building and Twilight continued on to the market. As she did, she paused for a moment. Now, how is he going to pay? I didn't see any saddlebags on him. Did I? Maybe I shouldn't stay up so late studying.

Working and Dreaming

3-Working and Dreaming

Daedalus entered the inn and looked around. The lobby was as he expected for tavern. A bar stood on one side of the room with a door leading to what was likely a kitchen. The rest of the room was filled with tables and chairs, likely for the provided meals or bar goers who didn't want to sit on the stools. A orange mare with a silver mane stood behind the bar, serving the patrons, of which there were four.

Of course, everything was shorter than what the Evolved was used to. The ponies would come up to his stomach, yet the alicorns would come up to his chest with their horns extending past him.

Remembering the alicorns made Daedalus feel a spark of guilt, the first he had felt in a long time. He regretted cutting off the tip of the white one's horn, the one he now knew to be Celestia. His guilt was lessened by the fact that alicorn and unicorn horns would regrow as long as the base is left.

Daedalus approached the bar and was quickly greeted. "Welcome to The Green Dragon. I'm Fire Brand, the barkeep."

"Gene Splice, and I'd like to rent a room. How much is it per night?" Daedalus asked, introducing himself with his fake name.

"Fifteen bits a night." She answered simply.

He assumed that bits were what the currency was called. He, having already memorized the details and makeup of the coins, formed a coin pouch hanging from his leg underneath the bar and filled it with three gold coins. He pulled out the three ten-bit coins and paid for two nights.

Fire took them and placed them somewhere under the counter and levitated a key over. "Room 8, yours for two nights. Breakfast is at six, lunch you're on your own, and dinner at eight."

"Thank you." He said simply.

He went up the stairs to the second floor and found Room 8. He placed the key in, turned it, and opened the door. One thing different between Earth and this world was the fact that most of the native species couldn't actually turn knobs. Due to this, the doors were simple two-way push doors, with locks to prevent them from opening.

He entered the room, letting the door shut behind him. A quick glance was all it took to memorize the room. Light blue walls with a white ceiling prevented monotony. The floor was covered in carpet, clean thankfully. The room held a bed, desk, and small dresser with a door leading to, presumably, the bathroom.

Daedalus took a quick moment to adjust the coin pouch from his leg, which didn't look natural, to around his neck. He formed sixty bits inside it and turned around, leaving. He passed the bar, nodding to the barkeep, and left the building. After stepping out into the sunlight, he thought for a moment. Should I check the town hall or just walk around?

I think walking would be better. It would allow me to learn the layout as well as possibly meet more people.

Daedalus picked a random direction and started walking, keeping an eye out for any hiring signs. If it wasn't for the need to keep up appearances, as well as the need for something to do, I probably wouldn't even get a job. I can form money from nothing and I don't need to eat. I could quite literally spend the next eternity in the forest growing stronger.

The Evolved entertained the idea of doing just that for a moment before dismissing it. No. Not only would it get boring quickly, it would also be an incredibly lonely existence. These ponies may not know the truth about me, but its still contact.

As he was walking, a building caught his eye. It was a medieval blacksmith's forge. It was actually separated into two areas, connected through a door on one side. The main building was obviously the store where tools were requested, displayed, and sold. The other area was a open-air forge, complete with all necessary amenities. What caught his eye was the fact he could see a unicorn mare hammering at something, yet no sound could be heard.

Interested in the possibility of magic being the cause of silence, Daedalus approached the open-air forge, catching the attention of the mare as he neared. She gestured toward the tool, then gestured to wait. He nodded silently, stopped outside, and she continued her work. While it could have come off as rude in another situation, the Evolved knew she couldn't let the metal cool without being finished, otherwise it would need to be reheated and she would have to start over.

He stood in silence and looked around the forge. Up close, he could see the implements better. There were iconic symbols such as the bellows and anvil, as well as the trough, but there were a few devices he didn't recognize. One such device was a large blue crystal pulsing with a gray energy. Daedalus examined it, yet couldn't gleam anything useful. It was a rough, uncut crystal, possibly a precious gem, and was a diamond-blue, but not clear. The gray energy pulsed and swirled within, no discernible pattern to be seen.

The disguised Evolved turned back when he heard someone clear their throat. Beside him was the unicorn mare. Her coat was a dark gray, the same as the energy, with an orange mane. Her mark was a set of hammer and tongs. "May I help you?"

Her voice was a little dry, likely from the heat, but she spoke politely. In reply, Daedalus grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm new in town and was searching for a job. I noticed that there was no sound coming from your forge and couldn't help but be curious. I may be an earth pony, but I've always been fascinated with magic."

She nodded understandingly. "A lot of ponies have been curious about it. This is a small town, clearly, and nopony wanted to be disturbed by banging metal. To fix that, I enchanted the forge to be soundproof, letting no sound out."

"That's actually a pretty smart way to solve the problem. Is the store the same?"

"Nah, its not needed. Nothing loud ever happens there."

Daedalus nodded. "That makes sense. Its less of a work area and more of a display and business area."

The mare nodded and looked him over. "You said you were looking for a job?"

The shapeshifting virus nodded and she continued. "Do you know anything about working metal?"

Daedalus was aware that he was disguised as Gene Splice, a pony who lived alone for years and someone who shouldn't know metalworking. Telling the truth that he did may raise unwanted questions so he went with the safer route. "No, I don't. Its not something I ever learned."

She looked at is flank, something he chose not to comment on, and spoke again. "Your talent isn't related to it. Why don't you follow that?"

He chuckled. "My talent, learning about the more dangerous forms of life, can't be turned into much of a job, unfortunately. Fortunately, though, I have had good luck in learning new things."

She smirked at him. "We'll see about that. Follow me."

She turned and walked into the forge proper, undoubtedly within the boundary of the silencing spell. She led him to the forge where she gave him a pair of tongs, a large block of metal, and then a hammer. She pointed at a forge and spoke. "I want you to make a knife. Not a weapon, but a simple kitchen knife. I will coach you through it and help you, but ultimately it will be your skill that shows me if you should be hired or not. Fair enough?"

Daedalus nodded. "Fair enough."

She lead him over to the forge that was still going, although no metal was in it. She gestured to the coals, then the bellows. "The oldest and simplest way to heat metal to the proper temperature is with exposed coals and introduced air. Place the steel in and work the bellows. The steel should be heated to 2,100 degrees, which is a straw-yellow color. After that, remove it with tongs and I'll explain the next step."

He nodded and grabbed a steel bar she gestured at. It was clearly thicker, yet shorter, than a knife, but was yet to be made. He dropped the steel onto the coals, unconcerned for the sparks and embers. Then, he reared up and pushed the bellows down, introducing air into the forge and causing the coals to heat. The virus pumped the bellows for nearly a half hour before the mare spoke up. "That's good. It'll be another hour before the metal is fully heated. You'll need to work the bellows once more, about halfway though, to heat it properly."

After he nodded, she continued. "While we wait, I suppose we should trade introductions. My name is Coal Dust, obviously due to my coat and profession."

When she extended her hoof, he reciprocated and they shook, he introducing himself. "Gene Splice."

She barked out a short laugh before commenting, "Not even your name involves metalworking. You sure you can do this?"

Daedalus nodded. "I'm sure. If I can learn other things not related to my talent, I'm sure I can learn this."

She smiled and shook her head. "You sure are a strange one. No offense meant."

He grinned back. "None taken."

She gathered her thoughts for a moment before speaking. "Now, after the metal's heated, you'll need to work fast. The steel can't cool too early or you'll have to start again."

"What about cooling too fast?" Daedalus asked.

"If you want the blade to be strong, it needs to cool fast, but not too fast. Too fast, the blade will crack; too slow and it'll be soft. Since we want this to be soft, it'll be left to cool overnight."

"So whoever buys it can sharpen it easily."

She nodded approvingly. "Anyway, because the blade needs to be done fast, I'm going to explain the next few steps so listen closely. First is you'll need to hammer it into the blade shape - you know what it looks like, right?"

When he nodded, she continued. "You'll have to leave about two inches unshaped. That'll be the part put into the handle and encased in plastic. Then, you'll want to hammer it to taper the bladed portion- leave the spine thick. You'll need to hit it just right. If you worry about doing it too hard, start soft and increase your force until it works."

Daedalus nodded, showing he was following what she said as she seemed to slip into a little rant. It was clear that Dust enjoyed teaching another her trade. "While you hammer, try to keep the blade even. That'll make filing it later easier. Also, don't let the blade bend over itself. That will just weaken it."

"The last step tonight will be to anneal the blade. You'll need to heat it to a red hot state, 1,200 degrees, then let it air cool until the red is gone. Repeat it twice more, then let it cool overnight."

"So its easy to file and sharpen tomorrow." Daedalus commented.

She smiled brightly at him. "Good, you were paying attention."

He smiled back. "If I want to learn, I need to."

She nodded, then continued. "Go ahead and start the bellows again. I won't give you any more tips today. I want to see what you can do with a step-by-step."

He nodded and went back to the bellows, beginning to repeat an earlier pattern.

Alpha

Daedalus exited the forge, hearing the voice of Coal Dust call out to him. "Remember to come back tomorrow to finish the knife!"

He looked back and waved. "Don't worry, I will. See you then!"

She nodded and returned to the shop and he continued into the town. He glanced at the sky and saw the sun was near setting and decided to head back to the Inn. As Daedalus walked through town, he caught the eye of an incredibly pink pony, another of the six that used the artifacts against him. The moment their eyes met, she seemed to gasp and run off quickly, leaving behind a rather comical dust trail.

The virus chuckled and mumbled to himself. "I feel like something will come of that."

"You're right about that." A voice laughed from behind and above him. He turned to look and saw the third of the six ponies. She was the cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane. She was flying just above and behind him when she spoke, yet came to hover beside him as they continued walking.

"The name's Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria, only pony to do a Sonic Rainboom, and future Wonderbolt." The mare said, introducing herself.

"Gene Splice. I just got here today." Daedalus said.

I need to pay better attention. I may have heard her behind me, but I didn't realize how close she was. She may not be a threat with how cocky she is, but that doesn't mean others will be the same.

"What made you move to Ponyville?" She asked him.

"I lived alone before this and when I decided to move, I chose here because of the quiet, small-town atmosphere. Its something I enjoy." He said, not entirely lying. Before he moved to the north and got infected, he had lived in a small town in Louisiana.

"Well, it won't be quiet tomorrow. Pinkie is probably setting up a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party for you. Expect to be invited to Sugarcube Corner sometime tomorrow." Rainbow said.

"I assume that was the pink pony I saw?" Daedalus asked.

She nodded. "Yep. She's a little strange, but a good pony. She only wants to make others laugh."

"Certainly seems nice if she throws parties to welcome ponies."

"Yep! I gotta get home, but I'll see you at the party, right?" The mare questioned.

"Yep. Once I know when, I'll be there as long as it doesn't interfere with my possible work." Daedalus said, promising.

The pegasus flew off and Daedalus continued in silence, soon arriving at the Inn. He entered and saw several ponies eating. Fire Brand looked over to him and spoke up. "Dinner's ready if you're hungry."

Inwardly smirking at how much of a mother she sounded like, he shook his head as he replied. "I've already eaten. I'm going to head up to my room now."

She nodded and returned to working the counter as the virus ascended the stairs. He entered his room and lied down on the bed, glad he left behind the greater portion of his weight. Otherwise, the bed would have shattered and he would have fallen through the floor.

As the virus lay in bed, an idea struck him. I haven't slept in years. With all the work Mercer put us to just to stay ahead of Blackwatch, I haven't had the chance. Its been battle after battle for three years now as the northeastern United States was infected. Maybe I can finally sleep.

"To sleep, perchance to dream." Daedalus mumble, quoting Shakespeare's Hamlet, even if the context was wrong.

Daedalus gave off a long, unnecessary exhale as he relaxed, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Beta

Screaming. That was the first thing Daedalus became aware of. It was the sound of hundreds of voices blending together into a perfect cacophony of pain. Next to be noticed was sight.

Daedalus stood in the center of a dying park, in a city he recognized as New York. The screaming came from a circle of people surrounding a single man. Daedalus remembered this day clearly.

Looking around, he saw well over three hundred people on their knees in pain with the man standing and laughing. In fact, he and Daedalus were the only ones not in pain. The virus knew this was the case because it was his dream. His mind had felt the pain once and didn't want to do so again. Daedalus looked closer at the man, even if he didn't need to. He had already memorized the traits and features of Mercer.

This dream was, after all, the memory of the entire Evolved species being given the Hive Mind by Mercer. As the race lay screaming, Mercer laughed as Blackwatch looked on. In fact...

Looking to the remains of nearby buildings, he saw several Blackwatch soldiers, all recording this unprecedented event. Never before had is many Evolved been in one place. Naturally, the private organization wanted to take the chance to kill them all in one go.

Never before had Blackwatch seen the unbridled power of a horde of unrepentant Evolved.

The screaming died down as one by one, the men and women in Mercer's employment stood up, their eyes glazed. Vaguely, Daedalus noticed his own form in the group, making him aware this really was a memory, not a dream. He knew what happened next.

Mercer snapped his fingers and every man in the park shifted weapons and charged out, an ever-expanding circle of death. Nothing would slip through the cracks. Mercer wouldn't allow it.

Right before the Evolved met the Blackwatch, the scene froze. Bullets stopped mid flight, Evolved hung in the air, and Mercer was paused mid laugh. Daedalus, however, was unaffected. Looking around, his eyes locked on to his past self holding a soldier in the air, blade poised to pierce the man's chest

"What is this?" A soft voice called out. "What are you?"

Daedalus turned around to see a larger than average pony behind him. She was a dark blue mare with both a horn and wings. Her mane was ethereal, flowing in a faux wind and sparkling with the night sky. He knew from the memories that Disarray gave him that this was Princess Luna, Maiden of the Night, Diarch of Equestria.

She looked at him with a kind of curiosity and concern he expected from a pony seeing this scene. He turned to fully face her and spoke. "Which would you like answered first?"

She hummed slightly, them replied. "In this order, who are you, what are you, and what is this?"

Daedalus thought for a moment, then replied. "I am Daedalus, I am an Evolved, and this is a turning point in my life."

His eyes drifted back to himself and she followed his gaze to himself, taking note of the blade, the man, and the glazed eyes. "For the better or the worse?"

She watched the Evolved sigh. "Worse. A whole lot worse."

He gestured to another being standing and laughing. "That is Mercer. This was the day he took over our minds and we couldn't fight against him anymore."

She frowned, sadness adorning her features at his hint. "There is a story here, isn't there?"

He nodded. "There is. One that isn't for now."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her. "How about this, I will come to Canterlot in a week's time. There, I will explain myself to you and your sister."

Princess Luna thought for a moment before she nodded, and he continued. "Expect the name Gene Splice."

Her head tilted in confusion. "I assumed you would come yourself."

He smiled and as he did, she was forced from his mind as he woke up.

Party and a Job

4-Party and a Job

Daedalus awoke instantly, as always, and rolled out of bed, landing on four hooves. Taking a split second to smooth the silver coat and dark blue hair, he glanced out the window to see the sun rising.

Turning to the door, he stopped as he saw a piece of paper on the floor, as if it had been slipped under the door. He walked to it and picked it up, noticing the paper was lined with pink. He opened it up and saw the writing was done in pink as well.

Dear Gene Splice,

You've been invited to a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party at Sugarcube Corner, at 7:30 AM. Don't bring anything other than yourself!

~Pinkie Pie

He placed the invitation down before smiling to himself. It seems like Rainbow was right. A party in the morning. Since its so earlier, I should be able to make it easily before I have to meet Dust and finish the knife. Yeah, I'll go. I made a promise too.

He opened the door with a slight smile and walked downstairs, waving at Fire Brand and approaching the counter. "What time is it, Ms. Brand?"

She blinked once, then laughed. "Just call me Fire. Its 7, in the morning, obviously. You got somewhere to be, Gene?"

Daedalus nodded. "Yeah, I've been invited to a party by Pinkie Pie. It's starting in half an hour."

She smiled. "I remember when I had my own party. Truthfully, I've had several. That mare throws a party every chance she gets. You know your way to the Corner?"

He nodded and she continued. "Have fun, then! Give Pinkie my wishes."

"Don't worry, I will." Daedalus said with a smile as he left the Inn. When Daedalus stepped outside, he noticed an immediate lack of ponies. Seven in the morning shouldn't have been as desolate as it was. There should have been ponies around, going about their business, not an abandoned town.

The virus remembered his meeting with Princess Luna and suspected she had something to do with it. Maybe she chose to take care of him, or told the town what he was. Then he remembered the concern she looked at him with, the sadness when she learned he was forced to work for Mercer. He doubted she had anything to do with this.

On guard, he continued through the town, making his way to Sugarcube Corner. He rounded a house and caught sight of the building. Immediately, a curtain jerked as it was closed. Daedalus felt relief flow through him as he realized the party was simply bigger than he expected.

He arrived with more than ten minutes to spare. He stopped outside and listened with his unnatural hearing. He could hear a lot of ponies whispering to themselves before a familiar voice shushed them. "Shush! He might be right outside the door!"

Ironically, she was louder than the others, although quiet enough he shouldn't have been able to hear it, had he been normal. Of course, he wasn't normal. Shrugging, he pushed the door open and stepped into darkness.

Instantly, the lights flickered on. "Surprise!"

"Surprise!" Came an echoing call as Pinkie hopped out from behind a table, making the crowd laugh and the party start.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Daedalus approached Pinkie Pie. Before he could speak, she started talking at a rapid-fire pace. "Were you surprised? I bet you didn't expect so many ponies to come! I hope I got your favorite kind of cake, its chocolate with vanilla frosting! The muffins are banana nut, which I had a feeling you like, so I made plenty."

She likely would have continued if a cyan hoof hadn't covered her mouth, prevented her from speaking. Pinkie tried to continue, but even his hearing could only make out mumbles. Before Daedalus could say anything, Rainbow spoke. "Easy Pinks. You gotta give him time to answer."

Rainbow took her hoof away and wiped it on Pinkie's side. "And don't lick me next time."

She giggled, then snorted, something that made Daedalus crack a smile. "Sorry, Dashie. You know I get excited."

She turned back to the virus, clearly waiting for an answer. "I was surprised, especially since I didn't think this was a surprise party. I do like chocolate and vanilla cake. Banana nut is my favorite, too."

Pinkie's smile was large enough that, for a second, Daedalus thought she was actually an Evolved. Then he realized she was just odd. "I know ponies sometime let it slip out about my parties, so I started inviting them myself, so it isn't a surprise party. But when they get here, I yell 'surprise' anyway because they aren't expecting it!"

Daedalus blinked for a moment. "That's actually rather clever."

She only smiled in reply before a familiar pony approached. "I hope this party wasn't time inconveniently for you, Gene."

Daedalus looked over at Twilight and smiled. "No, it was earlier enough so I won't miss something I need to do later. I doubt this'll last until the afternoon."

Her head tilted, just as Princess Luna's had in his dream the night before. "What do you need to do?"

"Ms. Coal Dust is testing me to see if she'll hire me or not to help her around the shop. I forged a kitchen knife yesterday, and need to finish it up today." He explained.

"Good to hear you aren't forgetful." He heard a feminine voice say as Coal Dust approached. "That's the biggest problem with ponies trying to work for me. They don't pay attention."

Daedalus raised an eyebrow in reply. "I'm a little surprised you're here."

"When I heard the party was to welcome you, I figured why not. You've found a place to stay?" She asked.

"Yep. The Green Dragon Tavern. Nice place, and Fire Brand is pretty helpful." He replied.

"Hey, Gene?" Rainbow asked in the ensuing silence.

"Yeah, Rainbow?"

"Your cutie mark has nothing to do with a blacksmith, does it?" The cyan mare asked.

Daedalus, Twilight, and Dust chuckled at the familiarity of the question, confusing Rainbow. "Sorry, both Twilight and Ms. Dust have asked similar questions. The multi-colored shape is called DNA, representing life. The sign behind it means hazardous, showing my affinity with the more dangerous creatures of the world. Unfortunately, that isn't much of a job, so I'm grateful I'm good at learning things. Ms. Dust has been kind enough to give me a chance at her shop."

Rainbow nodded before Dust spoke. "He's picked up forging rather quickly, although there is more to it. He just needs to finish the blade. If its done well, he's hired.

She turned her attention to Daedalus, addressing the next part to him. "And stop calling me Ms. Dust! Just Dust is fine!"

That made him laugh. "It seems to me, not too many ponies are keen on formality."

Rainbow cocked her head, an action seemingly a trait amongst ponies. "Why do you speak so formally?"

He shrugged. "I've always been. I'm usually not bad about it unless I meet new ponies. I don't want to accidentally offend."

They started laughing, his caution being something uncommon around here. Rainbow Dash was the one to speak first. "In Ponyville, nopony worries about that. We try to be understanding."

In the following silence, Daedalus remembered something Twilight mentioned before. "Hey, Twilight, you mentioned some friends when we first met. I'm a little interested in meeting them."

She smiled brightly at that, glad to see someone interested in making friends. "You've met two, Rainbow and Pinkie. The others are Applejack, a farmer whose family own Sweet Apple Acres, Fluttershy, a veterinarian who lives near the Everfree Forest, and Rarity, a seamstress at the Carousel Boutique. They couldn't make it to the party today, but I'm sure you'll meet them another time."

"Looking forward to it." Daedalus mumbled, thinking of the artifacts they had wielded.

Alpha

Daedalus walked into the blacksmith, slightly excited to continue. The virus had to admit that metalworking was something he actually enjoyed, and was curious as to the differences between human and pony tactics. So far, he had seen no differences.

"Right on time, Gene. I'm not surprised." Dust called out, greeting him. The party had ended a couple hours ago, but even before then she had excused herself earlier to work on a project.

When he approached, he noticed the unfinished blade held in place by some clamps attached to the spine. Next to it was a file, leading Daedalus to suspect the next step, which Dust confirmed with her next sentence. "Next step is to file the blade evenly. Take a close look at it and tell me what you see."

Daedalus did so, noticing some things instantly. The first was that the metal was a duller shade than what you would actually see in a kitchen. The second was that the blade was a little rough. Unlikely anyone could hammer a perfectly straight edge.

"Besides the obvious lack of a handle, I've noticed that the metal is rather dull and that the blade is uneven and rough, not straight and sharp." Daedalus said.

"Sarcasm aside, the fact you noticed the dullness is promising. You didn't even know the step and noticed it. However, first, you'll fix the blade. Take the file and grind it even, as much as you can get, but don't worry about sharpening it."

The virus nodded and used his hoof to grab the file, then pressed against the blade and started filing it, the rough sound of metal scraping metal filling the air. As he filed down the metal, he allowed his mind to drift a little. Specifically, to Princess Luna and his dream.

Did she not recognize me? Granted, I was covered in viral plates when we fought, but I figured she would have recognized the blade, or the general body shape.

Although, how much am I going to tell them? I'm not sure how they'll react to the people I've killed, but they may understand that I had no choice. Perhaps they could even be allies. It would be nice to have friends in high places for if I ever get discovered.

Maybe I should just go for it and reveal it all. It would be nice to get it all off my chest, even if they don't understand it or know what I'm talking about.

Then, my immortality. Under Mercer, that wasn't a concern. My death was as possible as a human's, yet not so much now. Am I doomed to walk this world for eternity? If so, I better get to finding a way to kill my own virus strain.

The silver pony pulled the file away, seeing an almost-perfectly even blade. While it hadn't been sharpened as much as it could have been, the blade did have a noticeable edge. Dust examined it before nodding. "Good work. You see that crystal on the table?"

Daedalus followed her hoof and saw the pulsing gem he had examined before. When he nodded, she continued. "Go tap the blade to it. The magic will harden the metal enough to be durable while still soft enough to flex and be sharpened."

He unclasped the blade and carried it by the tang to the crystal before tapping the point against it, watching in interest as the gray energy coated the metal before fading. Looking closer, he noticed it was no longer dull and had actually before the bright sheen expected of kitchen knives. He was aware of Dust speaking. "Be careful with metal around that. It'll harden any metal touched to it, whether you wanted it hardened or not."

Daedalus turned around and brought the blade back before replying. "Magic certainly is useful. Hard to imagine what Equestria would be like without Unicorns."

She scoffed, but had a smile. "Not as bad as it would be without Earth Ponies."

Then she gestured to a small box made of bricks. "I prepared that earlier. Place to blade in it and let it stay for about an hour. That'll provide the final temper. After that, you'll attach a handle and sharpen it. I can say right now, you're definitely hired. I only had to explain each step once before you did it perfectly."

At that, Daedalus gave a honest smile. "I'm glad. Metalworking is something I've been interested in for a while, but haven't had a chance to learn." Again, not entirely a lie, yet not the whole truth. Daedalus had been interested in it before his infection, and never truly learned it until the day before. He simply had second-hand memories.

Dust waved him over to a table that had a black plastic square. "While that tempers, I'll show you how to make a handle. First, you..."

Beta

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today, Pinkie threw another one of her famous 'Welcome to Ponyville' parties. A new stallion moved to town yesterday and rented a room in the inn.

I met him twice so far and he seems really nice, if a bit formal. In fact, when we first met, he called me 'Ms. Sparkle." He did the same with Rainbow Dash and Coal Dust (town metalworker).

Gene Splice told me he lived in a forest, away from any ponies, most of his life. I don't know how he was able to, ponies are a herd mentality species. This was shown by him saying he grew to miss company and chose to live in a small town.

I feel he'll be a great addition to the town because he's been kind to everypony and already has a job with Coal Dust.

Oh! Before I forget, can you tell me what a 'DNA strand' and 'Biohazard sign' are? They are his cutie mark, but no book I have describe or even mention them. He said they represent life and danger, respectively.

~Your student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia set the letter down with a smile, the golden glow of her magic fading away. It had been a while since she received a letter from her student, and she was glad to hear from her, even if it was about a new stallion in town. Heh, maybe she'll find a nice stallion soon.

The white marble door to her room opened and a familiar dark blue alicorn entered, closing the door behind her with her own blue magic. Luna walked over to her sister with a yawn before sitting down on the white bed, feeling her body sink into the comforter slightly. She then proceeded to flop on her back, wings stretched, hooves in the air, and eyes closed.

Celestia giggled at her sister's actions, then leaned down to nuzzle the blue mare. "Did you sleep well, sister?"

Luna cracked one eye open and gave a grunt, then hummed as Celestia ran a hoof through the feathers in her wing, sparking a unique feeling gifted only to those with the appendages. She smiled up at the alabaster mare above her, receiving a warm one in return, right before Celestia leaned down, the end of her muzzle brushing against Luna's. Soon after, their lips met.

Seconds later, Celestia pulled away, laughing behind her hoof when Luna's muzzle tried to follow. Quelling her humor, she spoke. "You need to attend night court, Lulu."

The Night Maiden flipped over onto her stomach, her hooves folded underneath her, and let her gaze wander over the room. Her eyes soon landed on the letter, and her curious face led Celestia to answer the unasked question.

"Its from my student, Twilight. A new stallion arrived in town. From what I can tell, he's kind, if formal, and has a strange cutie mark." Celestia explained. "They had his 'Welcome to Ponyville' party earlier today and it seems he's already employed."

"Sounds like a good stallion. Mayhaps you are hoping for Twilight to discover another, as of yet unexplored, aspect of friendship? I'm also curious as to what you mean by how cutie mark being strange."

"Well, if he and Twilight discover some feelings, then by all means, I wish them a happy time, as well as another other mares he may court. As for his cutie mark, it apparently consists of a DNA strand and biohazard symbol, neither of which I've heard of before. The biohazard, though, seems rather self-explanatory."

"Dangerous life." Luna said.

"Literally, if it can be taken at face value." Celestia said.

Luna thought for a moment, before realizing that Celestia left out a piece of information. "Pray tell, what is the stallion's name?"

"Gene Splice." The solar sister said after checking the letter again. She noticed the look of recognition on her sister's face. "You know him?"

Try as she might, she couldn't keep the slight tone of jealousy out of her voice at the thought. Luna, of course, noticed and giggled lightly. She leaned forward and kissed Celestia again, then nuzzled her when she pulled away. "Nay, you are mine, and I yours. I would never have a lover without your knowledge, acceptance, and presence."

Celestia blushed lightly, her cheeks turning a light pink. "You would only date a male if it was a herd and I a member?"

She nodded resolutely. "For thousands of years, we have been all the other had. Mortal suitors have grown old and died while we remained together. We may have a relationship that the world wouldn't agree with, but it has kept us away from insanity and loneliness. I will not abandon that for a stallion, even an immortal one."

Luna's words warmed her heart as she moved beside her sister, a wing covering the night mare. They nuzzled, taking comfort in each other's presence as they had for thousands of years, before Celestia leaned in to Luna's ear and whispering, "Now, about Gene Splice."

Celestia giggled again as the dark ear flicked from her breath as Luna spoke. "In the dream world last night, I came across a strange dream. It was structured with the rigidness of a memory rather than the fluid motion of a dream. The 'rememberer,' as it may be, was a species I had never before seen. It was bipedal and looked similar to a minotaur, except smaller and frailer, and with far less hair."

"I spoke to him, questioning him about his species. He didn't answer my questions, only introducing himself as Daedalus. He told me that he'll come her in a week and he'll explain then." Luna said.

"This is good to know, but what does this have to do with Gene Splice?" Celestia interjected.

"The Evolved, as he said he was, said to expect the name Gene Splice."

"And yet, his own name is Daedalus."

"Yes."

Celestia thought for a moment, then continued. "I'll let the guards know that if either arrive, to bring them to me."

She felt Luna shift under her wing. "I would like to be there as well."

She looked down at her sister. "Why? Chances are, he'll come during the day, while you sleep."

Luna huffed. "I don't always sleep during the day, just as you don't always during the night."

Then her eyes softened. "In the memory, I saw himself with a blade."

"So?"

Luna's wing drifted up, lightly brushing the severed tip of the solar mare's horn. "The exact same blade as the one that did this to you. It even was growing from his arm."

Celestia frowned, deep in thought. She stayed that way for a few minutes, then replied. "I believe we should listen to him. The being that attacked did not speak to us, rather try to kill us instantly. Not to mention being turned to stone by the Elements of Harmony. If he was released, and wishes to speak with us, I believe he deserves a chance. I'll have the guards awaken you, and be prepared in case he does try something."

Luna nodded, satisfied. "I'll check the old castle later, to see if the statue has changed. If it has, Daedalus just may be the beast from before."

Luna made her way out of Celestia's wing and off the bed, facing the door. She looked over her shoulder at her sister and spoke. "I really do need to attend night court now. I'll tell you my findings in the morning, so sweet dreams sister."

She received a yawn and smile. "Good night, Luna."

The blue mare flicked her sister's nose with her tail and sauntered away, her flank swaying and wings bobbing as she walked. Then she was gone. Celestia continued to stare at the door before whispering to herself. "Sweet Mother, I love that mare.

Delta

Princess Luna stood in the ruins of her old castle, staring at the previous location of the statue of the beast. Not even a single piece of rubble or dust remained. No magic she had could track the being, nor the statue. In her mind, this proved that Daedalus was the beast that hurt Celestia.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the ground, anger hiding in the teal orbs. "Whenever he shows up, he better apologize and have a bucking good reason for hurting her. If he doesn't, I hope he enjoys gray dust, for that's all he'll see for a thousand years."

Turning, she teleported away, leaving behind the remains of an age long past.

Magical Lesson and Cultural Shock

5-Magical Lesson and Cultural Shock

The hammer struck one final time as Daedalus finished shaping the scythe. It was nearing harvest time and The Hammer and Tongs, which Daedalus discovered was the name of Dust's shop, had received an order from Sunny Hills for several scythes for the wheat and hay harvest. Apparently, their blacksmith was under the weather with the feather flu and couldn't make the tools in time. The farm had contacted Dust and placed the order. In fact, Daedalus had just finished the last blade and only needed to let it cool before he could sharpen it.

It had amused the virus when he learned Equestria had a hay harvest. He had originally envisioned ponies going to nearest field and cutting the grass, then letting it die before eating it. Of course, this was wrong. While hay was dead grass, even in this world, it was not what he thought. Ponies used a magically modified grass that provided better nutrients, lasted longer, and tasted better. This was, of course, referred to as MMO, or Magically Modified Organics. Unlike Earth with GMOs, MMOs were accepted as an all around better substitute, which Daedalus agreed with.

This event led Daedalus to one conclusion. He needed to read up on the world he now found himself in. In fact, he intended to check out several cultural books from the library to learn equine social norms. While he did receive important information from Disarray, he did not learn how to truly act like a pony, nor did he learn physical cues as to a pony's emotional state.

The virus intended to use his story of having lived isolated from ponykind as his excuse to any questions his inquiries would undoubtedly raise.

I also have that meeting with the Princesses in two days. I'll need to let Dust know in advance so she can plan around it. I'm definitely finishing these scythe blades before I leave though.

He approached Dust as she was attaching a handle to a scythe he had finished the day before and tapped her shoulder to get her attention. When she looked over her shoulder at him, he starting speaking. "I've finished the blades so they just need to cool before they can be finished."

She nodded with a small smile on her face. "Having you around the last two days has really been helping. If you don't have anything else you want to work on, I'll get your pay and you can go."

He nodded and she left, returning moments later with his pay. She set they bits onto the counter, totaling sixty, and he added them to the pouch around his neck. Before she returned to her work, he spoke again. "Also, I wanted to warn you I won't be here Thursday. I have some personal business to attend to in Canterlot and likely won't be back until the next day."

She tilted her head slightly. "Today is Tuesday, right?" When he nodded, she continued.

"Yeah, that's fine. The order will easily be done by then, and if I got by ten years alone, I can go a day. Thanks for the warning."

He smiled and nodded his thanks before turning around to leave. Right at the edge of the sound field, she called his name. "Gene?"

He turned back. "Yeah, Dust?"

"The business. Its nothing bad, is it?" She asked, a little concern.

He gave a little chuckle, making her sigh with relief. "No, its nothing bad. Just somepony I have a meeting with to discuss a few things."

"Have fun in Canterlot then!"

He waved back and she turned back to the table she was working at. Seeing she had nothing else to say, he left, the sounds of scraping wood and fire fading behind him. Reaching up, he wiped a little sweat off his face. Annoying.

When he was still normal, Daedalus had a tendency to sweat easily, and he hated it. It was one redeeming quality of the virus when he learned he no longer needed to sweat. However, the forge was constantly hot, and no normal pony could experience that, plus the work, without sweating. To preserve his cover, he had created sweat glands that would work whenever he willed them too.

Having previously decided the next thing he would do, he set out for the library. Then, he changed his course to head to the inn to retrieve his saddlebags he had gotten from Ms. Belle, who was the only pony he had met so far that was fine with his formal nature.

Alpha

Daedalus entered the Golden Oaks Library, not bothering to knock simply because of the fact that it was a public library, a fact that the librarian seemed to agree with. "Finally! Somepony who understands this is a public library!"

Daedalus just chuckled at Twilight's nature. Granted, the virus did understand why other ponies would knock, but he also figured that since the actually living quarters were on the second floor, knocking was unnecessary.

"Good to see you too, Twilight."

The lavender mare blushed lightly as she realized how she had greeted her guest. She then gasped as she realized who it was. "Oh! I didn't realize it was you, Gene."

He simply laughed lightly. "I could tell, don't worry. However, I came to check out some books."

She started in excitement, quickly teleporting directly in front of him with a flash of light and a light pop. Immediately, she began speaking. "What kind of books? History, fiction, science, religion, magic, what?"

Daedalus diverted a part of his bloodstream into his cheeks, mimicking an embarrassed flush. "Books on pony culture and social norms."

Her head tilted, just as he expected, showing her confusion. "You are a pony. Why would you need books on understanding your own species?"

He cleared his throat before answering. "Well, I haven't had any form of contact with other ponies in years, so I wanted to make sure I don't misunderstand anything."

She thought for a moment, her hoof against her chin as she hummed, then spoke. "I suppose that makes sense. You wouldn't want to be caught in an awkward situation. I'll get you one, however be aware that books like these are meant for other species so it might teach interspecies facts as well."

Daedalus nodded. "That's fine with me."

Twilight, using her telekinesis, brought a book from a shelf across the room and floated it over to her desk as she and Daedalus moved to it. She quickly wrote something in a book before levitating the book into his saddlebags, all of which he watched with a contemplative expression.

"There you go! Signed out for two weeks. If you need any longer, come check it out again." She said cheerily.

"Hey, Twilight, may I also borrow a book on magic. I know I can't learn it, and won't understand some things in it, but I'd like to read one anyway." Daedalus asked after a moment of thought.

She nodded, repeating the process and signing another book out, placing it in his other saddlebag to balance the weight. "Anything else?"

When the virus shook his head, she continued. "The first book you requested, I gave you one on pony society. It covers everything from our leadership and social hierarchy to our courting rituals and customs. You never specified what you wanted to brush up on, so that's a good book for a little of everything."

"The other one, for magic, is an apprentice level spell book. It'll explain the process to cast spells as well as the effects of several spells. Do you know the rating of spells?"

Daedalus, once again, shook his head, magic being out of his league. So, she explained. "It goes, in order, from novice, apprentice, adept, expert, and master. Novice is for colts and fillies learning to levitate and manipulate objects. Apprentice spells are spells that, while aren't necessary, are useful and generally learned at a young ago."

"Don't confuse spell rating with spell class. A spell being an adept spell, or being elemental magic, are two different things. Understand?" Twilight asked after ending her little rant.

"Yes, actually. I never realized magic was cut into so many categories. What would you say is the hardest magic to learn?" Daedalus asked curiously.

"Either universal magic which is the power to manipulate our world, like the Princesses, creation magic, which nopony alive can do. Of course, the same goes for their counterparts, reality and destruction magic."

"Counterparts? Wait, I'm taking too much of your time. Nevermind." Daedalus said, then began making a turn for the door.

"No, wait!" Twilight yelled as she teleported in front of him. "My friends aren't interested in this and other ponies don't specialize in pure magic, and I love this subject."

"Are you sure?" Daedalus asked, receiving a near frantic nod in return.

"Come on, lets sit while you get a magic lesson." Twilight said as she teleported cushions in for them to sit on, both taking their seats as the talk resumed.

"Now, about counterparts. Every magic in existence has an opposite. While these magics aren't always directly opposite, they usually adversely interact, causing damages. One example of this is when universal and reality magic interact."

"Universal magic, like the Princesses use, allow them to manipulate our world within a certain set of boundaries. The sun and moon have to set and rise, yet they can change the length of a day. Reality magic, like what Discord does, allows the caster to take an ordinary item and changes it. When these two magics are mixed, they warp and affect their surroundings."

"Dangerously?"

"It can be. The two energies reject each other and detonate, imbuing the surrounding life with minute control over one or the other."

"What are some other types of magic? You mentioned creation and destruction." Daedalus asked, remembering what the Elements of Harmony said. They mentioned finding 'Creation.' Surely they didn't mean creation magic.

"Well, creation magic isn't pure good, just as destruction isn't bad. What if one creates a monster, or destroys a demon? There are ways to use both for either force. However, creation magic is the ability to create anything, similar to reality magic, but far more versatile. It actually creates rather than changes. Destruction magic is the exact opposite. The caster can destroy anything they can see. Living things can resist, but its hard. The affected has to match or best the caster's will to remain in existence. Spellbooks for these four magics do not exist, or at least publicly."

Daedalus hummed before asking a final question. "Last question. Where does magic come from?"

Twilight smiled, happy for the question and the evidence that he actually listened. "Scholars and scientists believed for centuries that our bodies allowed us to perform magic. However, with the advent of the highly experimental soul magic, it was discovered that magic is actually of the soul, not of the body. Our souls absorb energy from the natural leylines of Equis to power our spells."

So, if I don't already have the ability to cast spells, I'll never be able to. Damn it, is worth a try at least. "Thank you, Twilight. You've answered my questions and given me a lot to think about, not including the books."

"Happy to help, Gene. It was nice having somepony actually listen, not fall asleep. If you ever want to learn more, be sure to come back for either a talk or books."

"I will! I'll likely have more questions after reading these books." Daedalus said before leaving, happy to have learned some things and further solidified his friendships.

Beta

Daedalus shut the door behind him and shook his saddlebags off, letting them drop to the floor with a dull thud, courtesy of the books within. Sitting on the bed, he pulled open the bags and removed the two books. Glancing back and forth between the two, he settled on the culture book entitled The Workings of Equine Society.

Cracking open the book, he quickly flipped to the index and skimmed through it. The book was divided into three clear sections. The business, cultural, and courtship sections. Daedalus' eyes were drawn to the final section, firmly believing he would never have need of it. A part of him almost completely discarded this section until his sight drifted to the line below.

Herd Mentality, page 463.

Quickly flipping pages, he arrived at the first chapter of part three of the book and began reading.

"Of all the sentient species across this world, the ponies are the only ones without an even male to female ratio. For reasons unknown, they birth roughly five females for every male. This has led to, as other species call it, 'Herd Mentality.'"

Flipping the page, the virus continued reader, almost not believing what he was reading.

"This has, in time, led to adoption of a polygamous society among ponies. It is common, even expected, for stallions to have several mares as partners. However, to ensure that stallions do not abuse this societal expectation, several laws were passed protecting mares in herds. The next chapter will describe these laws. The chapter after will explain the structure of herds."

Daedalus, with merely a seconds thought, flipped ahead two chapters. While he never suspected this to be knowledge he would use, he was incredibly interested in just how different pony culture was from humans.

"Herds are structured upon the basis of seniority. The first mare that joins a stallion's had is referred to as the Alpha. Her responsibilities will be covered later. The second mare to join is the Beta. She takes the Alpha's place if the Alpha is unavailable. Any mare after has no responsibility but must listen to the Alpha and Beta within reason."

"The Alpha is tasked with ensuring the stallion spends time with each mare, both as a group and personally. She prevents quarrels between herdmates and settles those that arise. If necessary, she brings the mares to the stallion where he may, if necessary, remove one from the herd."

"The Beta, in addition to taking the Alpha's place when needed, also handles the herd's finances as well as runs the household if the herd lives together."

"The stallion, however, has an equally important, if not harder task. He is to keep all members of his herd and satisfied, showing the mares the affection they deserve. Many stallions have tried to take on to many mares and grew to regret it."

Flipping the page once again, Daedalus read the title and saw that the next chapter detailed how to create a herd as well as signs that a mare wants to join a herd. Closing the book, the virus leaned back in bed and glanced out his window to see the moon rising, his thoughts consumed with what he just read.

Herds. Its so different from Earth, and would be condemned there, yet here it is expected. They've even taken great pains to make sure the entire herd is happy. If Earth did the same, it may work better.

I can't think on this anymore. "Its not like I'll ever use it."

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift off into slumber.

Delta

Celestia allowed the scroll to float down and land upon her desk. It was another letter from her student, Twilight. The contents of it were quickly pushing the solar Diarch into an alarming conclusion.

Her door burst open, causing her to spin around shock, magic surging to her horn. Immediately, Celestia dropped out of her chair in pain as the magic forced its way out of the severed tip. Luna, in concern for her sister, rushed over and helped her into a sitting position. "Sister, I am so sorry for that. I didn't mean to startle you so bad."

"Its fine, sister. You had no reason to suspect I would react that way." Celestia said after being helped into the bed, trying to calm her sister. When her words were met with silence, she turned to her head to see Luna with a look of anger.

"Lulu?"

"Daedalus will pay. He hurt you, Tia. You have to be careful with magic and can only cast the weakest of spells."

"It'll heal."

"It should have already healed! Something about that blade isn't right, Celestia!"

"Sister, read the letter on my desk." Was the only reply.

Luna levitated the paper over and began reading it as Celestia moved herself to her sister's side and draped a wing over her. Celestia could feel slightly tensing as she read further down the letter. Eventually, she placed the paper down. "Impossible."

They instantly understood the idea each other was forming, able to read each other after so long. "Think about it, Lulu. He's an Earth Pony interested in magic, needed to read up on his own culture, and conveniently lived somewhere nopony had ever seen him."

"But how, Tia?"

"I don't know, but it seems that Daedalus and Gene Splice are the same pony. He obviously isn't a changeling, but some other form of shapeshifter. He comes the day after tomorrow, so we'll find out soon enough. Now, enough worrying. What will be, will be."

Celestia then flipped Luna over onto her back and lied on top of her. "And besides, that display you did a couple nights ago has made me eager for a taste."

A blue glow covered the doorway, then faded. Adept spellcasters would have recognized it as a soundproofing spell, and a powerful one at that.

Pinkie's Day With a Trip to the Forest

6-Pinkie's Day and The Forest

The sun rose, its light traveling across the vast expanse of space to bring light to the world below it, allowing life to thrive in what would otherwise be a cold, dead world. It also shined straight through the window into Daedalus' eyes.

He rolled out of bed, instantly awake, and surveyed his room. The same room he had lived in for the past six days. There was nothing different, yet he could have sworn something was in there with him. He stopped moving entirely, even his fake heart and lungs, and listened closely.

The floor below was loud, ponies eating breakfast as they discussed their plans for the day. A room over from the lobby, he could hear the sounds of metal clanking as the cook continued to make breakfast. On the same floor as him, he could hear a pony from the neighboring room waking up. Further down the hall, he could hear two lovers whispering words of affection as they woke.

He altered his ears to block out the specific wavelengths of pony speech and focused on what was left. His hearing faded as talking and banging was repaced with the sounds of friction as muscles rubbed against bone, hearts beating, blood pumping, and breathing. There was a source in his room, under his bed.

Turning his head to glare at the inconspicuous gap between the mattress and floor, he allowed his hearing to return to normal, the earlier sounds taking over. In a flash, he had fully turned and flipped the bed, ready to attack whatever had sneaked into his room.

His eyes widened as a pink pony squeaked in surprise at the bed being thrown from over her. She recovered quickly, bouncing in place as she spoke. "Wow, Daedalus, you sure are strong!"

Instantly, his surprised face was replaced with one of minor annoyance. "Pinkie, why are you, wait, Daedalus? You know that's not my name."

With a mask of confusion, his surprise, concern, and tensed muscles were hidden. There was no way she could have known. He hadn't said anything about it, or even given definitive evidence.

Pinkie giggled. "I know its not the name you use, D. What does it feel like being a virus?"

With a snarl, Daedalus was directly in front of her, two tendrils reaching for her as one went to lock and block the door and another closed the curtains. Pinkie tried to jump back in shock and fear, only to stop midair as the two tendrils wrapped around her barrel. Neither were sharp, yet a single thought could cause them to erupt in spikes, impaling the pony in hundreds of places.

"How do you know about that?" He asked fiercely.

"P-please don't hurt me." Was the pitiful, whimpering reply.

Daedalus stared at the cringing pony in his grip before sighing. He let the pony down but kept the exits blocked. "Look, I don't intend to hurt you, but how do you know about what I am. I've told no one."

She looked up at the stallion standing over her as she lied on the ground. Her eyes were drawn to his sides as she watched black tendrils retract into his form. "Its my Pinkie Sense. I can tell things that nopony else can. I know you're a virus and your name is Daedalus, that's it."

With another sigh, he sat down in front of her, his tendrils retreating into his body. "Pinkie, can you keep a secret?"

She perked up at that and sat up to match him. "Yep!"

Shaking his head at her ability to recover from what she just saw, he continued. "Will you promise to keep what you just saw to yourself and not tell anypony?"

"I Pinkie Promise! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She went through motion that matched what she said, closing her eye right before her hoof tapped it. "I never break a Pinkie Promise."

He hummed in amusement. "Reminds me of a promise my kind used. Its a bit more violent though."

"How does it go?"

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a knife in my eye. It means that the one who makes the promise will keep it through death itself." He said.

Pinkie placed her hoof under her chin before replying. "I can understand its importance, but I like mine better."

He chuckled at that. "So do I. Its certainly funnier."

"So what are you?" The pink mare asked.

Blinking at the sudden question and topic change, he opened his mouth, then closed it. "Listen, I don't want to say in case I'm overheard. I'm going to Canterlot tomorrow to tell the Princesses. Will you come with me? You can learn about me and I won't need to risk being overheard."

"Sure, but how do you know you aren't being overheard now?"

His eyes twinkled with amusement as he answered. "Science."

The truth was, the tendril by the door was emitting vibrational waves that were exactly opposite to the sound waves caused by their voices. When the two waves met, they canceled each other entirely. It was something he learned in Physics before he was infected, and was actually the way sound-canceling headphones worked.

Pinkie stood up and the tendrils quickly withdrew into Daedalus' body as he did so as well. She approached him with a smile before embracing him. After a slight hesitation, he returned the hug and whispered into her ear. "Sorry for scaring you, Pinkie."

She giggled lightly before whispering back. "Its fine, Daedalus. I understand. Unless we're alone, I won't call you Daedalus, either."

She let go and stepped back. "If you ever want to hang out, I'll be happy to."

Then she gasped. "How about you come to Sugarcube Corner later and we can spend the rest of the day together? It'll be so much fun!"

"Sure thing, Pinkie."

"I gotta go get things ready, come in an hour!"

"An hour? Wait, Pink, and she's gone."

Shaking his head with a small smile, he quickly put the bed back where it was and made it. Then, he placed his coin pouch around his neck, saddlebags over his back, and headed downstairs.

When he reached the bottom floor, he glanced around to see several ponies eating, as usual. When his sight drifted over the bar, he saw Fire Brand waving him over. He approached the bar and she levitated a letter into the counter.

"Mailmare dropped by and delivered it this morning. Its for you, but she didn't say who from. Go ahead and read it."

He nodded and looked at the rolled up scroll. Seeing that the seal was a hammer, he suspected he knew who it was. Unrolling it and glancing at the bottom, he saw he was right.

He was thankful for a free day, but had no intention to use it to prepare the way she expected. It was convenient, though. "Thanks for keeping this for me."

She nodded with a small smile. "No need for thanks, but its appreciated."

Daedalus nodded, then spoke. "Tomorrow, I'm heading to Canterlot. I should only be there for a day, maybe two, if all goes."

Fire Brand's smile widened at that. "Alright, I won't contact the guards if you don't show up tomorrow night."

He chuckled a little and nodded. "I'll pay for a couple more nights when I come back, unless there's no room."

"Don't worry about that, this inn is only full on Nightmare Night, when ponies come to try to get a look at Princess Luna."

"Good to know, have a good day, Fire."

"You too, Gene." She said as the stallion walked across the room and out the door. She realized something and mumbled to herself as she turned to serve a cider to another mare. "Still hasn't eaten breakfast or dinner here."

Daedalus entered the library to see Twilight levitating several books on the shelves and could hear Spike washing dishes. He coughed lightly and saw Twilight turn around, her face breaking into a grin when she saw him.

"Oh, Gene! Its good to see you. Have you already finished the books you checked out?"

He smiled back at her. "Just the magic one, which I'm returning. The other isn't due for two weeks, right?"

He placed the book on the desk as she checked her ledger, seeing the date. "Thirteen days, yes. Why?"

"I'm heading to Canterlot tomorrow for business and I wanted to make sure I don't miss the deadline. Pinkie's coming, too."

"If you have the time, stop by Donut Joe's. I went there all the time when I lived in Canterlot. I am a little curious as to why Pinkie's going, though."

Daedalus chuckled. "She heard I was going alone and wanted to accompany me. I'm also going to the Corner after this to spend the day with her, her idea."

Twilight laughed as well, smiling at her friend's antics. "Sounds like something she would do. I hope it doesn't bother you. I know some ponies can't take too much of her."

Daedalus shook his head. "It doesn't bother me. She did give me a bit of a scare when I woke up with her under my bed, but she means well."

Twilight gave a firm nod at that. "She always does. She's constantly trying to make ponies laugh. After all, she is the Element of Laughter. Anyway, have fun in Canterlot tomorrow. Coal Dust knows?"

He nodded as he closed his saddlebag. "Yeah, I told her yesterday. She even gave me today off to get ready, although, as I said, Pinkie kind of took over."

She laughed again at that. "You better get going then. She'd be upset if you were late. Have a good day, Gene!"

"You too, Twilight. And you as well, Spike!" Daedalus called out as he made his way to the door.

"Good luck with Pinkie!" Came his reply from the kitchen as the door swung closed.

Daedalus smiled as he saw the townsponies go about their business with smiles on their faces. He set off toward Sugarcube Corner as he thought about his new home. Its so different from Earth, but not in a bad way. Everyone is so friendly and eager to help, especially Pinkie. The mare knows what I am and still wants to be my friend. I love it here.

Then he frowned as a dark thought hit him. Yet what would they do if they all knew what I was. I'd never be able to show Gene's face again. I'd have to start all over.

A small smile came to his face again. Pinkie would recognize me instantly, though. I could definitely count on her as a friend.

Daedalus, within a few minutes, arrived at Sugarcube Corner and entered. The bell above the door rang its greeting as another potential customer entered. Behind the counter stood a blue mare, which Daedalus knew to be Cup Cake.

"Morning, Mrs. Cake. Is Pinkie here?"

The mother of two smiled a little sadly at him. "She's in the back. She won't be able to spend the day with you as wanted. She needs to help prepare for tomorrow if she'll be in Canterlot."

Daedalus hummed slightly as he thought. "Well, why don't I lend her a hoof?"

"You can bake, dear?" She asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Well enough, especially with a pro like Pinkie helping." Came the reply.

She smiled and gestured with her head toward the kitchen. "Go ahead then. I'm sure she'll be surprised."

Daedalus walked into the back to be greeted by the sight of Pinkie dashing around the room, working batches of cupcakes in various stages. Mr. Cake was stuck in the center, being spun around by the party pony's speed. Amused, Daedalus cleared his throat and spoke. "Pinkie."

The blur stopped and she smiled at him, her bright blue eyes shining happily. "Heya, Gene! What are you doing back here? Sorry I'm not able to hang out."

Her eyes turned a little downcast before perking back up. "But you came to me! Are you helping today?"

He smiled, unable to keep said symbol off of his face around her. Her cheer simply was infectious. "I actually am. I offered to help when I heard you were otherwise tied up. Where can I start?"

Carrot Cake looked at the secret virus for a moment before asking an important question. "Do you know how to bake?"

Several memories arose from the Evolved's store of stolen memories, each one from someone who baked either as a job or hobby. "Yes indeed. I know my way around a confectionery shop."

Pinkie bounced past, a tray of pink cupcakes on her back. "Good! You can get started on vanilla-chocolate cupcakes!"

He moved toward one of the counters, spotting the needed ingredients. "How many?"

"Three hundred!"

Daedalus' head snapped back in shock to see Mr. Cake smiling at him. "Think about it this way, if we all finish quickly, you and Pinkie can hang out."

Chuckling, he turned back to his counter and got to work. He quickly began to enjoy a simple, normal task.

Daedalus placed the final tray of cupcakes on the shelf in the magic-powered, walk-in fridge. The spell wrought into the device would ensure that the product would be just as fresh tomorrow, or so Mrs. Cake had told him.

Each tray held two dozen cupcakes and he alone baked six trays worth, plus another dozen. Lining the sides of the fridge, plenty of other pastries were prepared for tomorrow. All the Cakes would need to do is take it out and serve it.

He exited the room, closing the door behind him to see Pinkie wrap her entire tongue around her, cleaning off the sugar and chocolate that had previously coated her. Slightly disturbed, Daedalus shook it off as he approached her. "Well, that was something."

Pinkie giggle-snorted as she replied. "My friends give good advice."

He raised his eyebrow at the seemingly random reply. "Which is?"

"Don't question me. Its just me being me."

He laughed at that. "Words to live by."

Glancing out the kitchen window, he saw that the sun was soon to set. "Seems we won't get that day together after all."

She just smiled. "We're still going to Canterlot, though. Maybe we can visit Donut Joe's after we meet the Princesses."

He chuckled. "Twilight made the same recommendation. Apparently, he's rather famous in the city."

"I can believe it!"

Mrs. Cake then walked in, carrying a small pouch on her back. She walked over to Daedalus and set it on a counter next to him, the bag making a distinctive clinking sound. Daedalus, with a raised eyebrow, asked, "What's this for?"

"For helping out today, dear. You baked nearly two hundred cupcakes by yourself, a feat for somepony whose talent isn't even in baking."

Daedalus shook his head and pushed the bag back. "No thank you, Mrs. Cake. I offered to help under the impression that I wouldn't be paid. That's how volunteering works. Besides, I enjoyed it. Simple, repetitive tasks relax me."

"Are you sure, Gene?" The blue mare asked, looking at him slightly worried.

He smiled in return. "Quite."

She nodded, relenting, and took the pouch back. "Thank you for your help today, Gene."

She left the room, leaving him and Pinkie. He turned to her and started speaking. "I'm going to go. I want to get some things done tonight before we leave tomorrow."

She nodded with the same never-fading smile she always had. "I'll see you at the train station at nine, okay?"

He returned the nod and left, heading for the Everfree Forest. Time for a hunt.

Delta

Daedalus stood on the edge of the canyon in his natural form, that of a human. It was the first time in a week using it, marking his time in this world as the longest time he was ever disguised. He knew Gene Splice would possibly become as much a part of him as his human form was.

Right now, the human was on the edge of Ghastly Gorge, across which was the Everfree. He had found it randomly and the first thing he saw was a Quarray Eel gulping down a deer that passed in front of its hole. The virus had noticed immediately the strong muscles covering the beast and knew it would bring a great increase to his own strength.

After examining his options, he saw that one hole extended out past the cliffside slightly. The roof of the burrow was directly under him, the Eel waiting within.

Daedalus had already retrieved his excess biomass earlier and was now back to full weight, a total of three thousand eight hundred pounds. Due to this, when he stepped off the cliff and reached terminal velocity, he simply smashed through the stone, pulped the Eel with his weight, and continued on to be embedded in stone before the kinetic energy dissipated.

Dissolving and reforming out of the hole he had made, he approached the corpse and quickly devoured it and examined the genes associated with the Eel's muscle development. Isolating the ones that involved the compact arrangement of cells, he implanted them into his virus. Within moments, his muscles began to shift as they rearranged themselves.

At first, his body sagged as the created space had not yet been filled. Then, his skin pulled taunt as muscle cells were produced and filled in the gaps created by the rearrangement. Daedalus, having simply stood still during this procedure, then lifted his arm and grabbed the stone wall. He then proceeded to crush the stone into dust.

I'd say the Quarray Eel gave me a 30% increase on strength by increasing the efficiency of muscle cell placement. Basically, I have more cells within a smaller space. This does not actually mean my muscles are stronger, I just have more of them.

He walked over the hole and quickly jumped across the gorge, sailing fifty feet before he glided the last seventy and latched onto the opposing wall. He dug his feet into the wall with minute tendrils and began to run up the side of the cliff, reaching the top in moments.

He leaped and landed several feet from the edge. The Everfree Forest was now directly in front of him. Daedalus, without hesitation, entered and began walking in a random direction, simply desiring to come across some of the more powerful inhabitants.

As he walked, he thought. So, I have unicorn genes but no clue as to whether or not I can actually use magic. Now that I'm in the Everfree, I might as well test it.

He quickly formed a horn from his head, one that was a deep black in color. As he walked, he searched for any form of unfamiliar energy. As he expected, he found none.

Delving into the information from Disarray, he discovered that once a unicorn earns their cutie mark, they can instinctively reach out and grasp their magic before shaping it into a spell. Before then, a unicorn will cast magic without control, or struggle with casting spells.

Hmm. So the only real way I might be able to use magic is if I get a cutie mark, which is impossible for my species. That's fucking great. I might as well hunt here to gather genes.

Sending out a viral pulse while dissolving the horn, he became aware of two wolves on the move toward him. Probably smelled me. I can't even consume the wolves anyway.

The wolves, which he confirmed as timberwolves, came into sight through the trees and begin howling and growling at him. With a shrug, Daedalus shifted his left arm into a blade.

Darting forward at unnatural speeds, he pulped one from the sheer force his body exerted. His blade sang through the air as the second wolf was bisected. As he expected, Daedalus couldn't consume the wolves as his genes weren't capable of harnessing the materials. He would need the genes of a termite before he could.

A manticore arrived to inspect the commotion only to see a strange being similar to the ground-dogs, except its paw looked strange and very sharp. In its view, the dog thing swung its blade and slashed several trees down and roared at the manticore. The manticore was not cowed by this show and smashed several trees with its tail as it roared back, then charged.

Daedalus met the manticore mid charged and used his powerful muscles to leap clear over the manticore. When he was over the manticore's back, he swung his blade and carved bloody trench down the cat's side, barely missing the spine. The beast recovered and charged again, paws and tail swinging wildly.

He dodged each and every swipe of the rampaging animal. He saw an opportunity and took it, swinging his blade as he jumped, simultaneously cutting the beast's throat and dodging its tail. It fell back as it bled, soon collapsing as it grew still.

Daedalus' leg dissolved into tendrils as it devoured the corpse. When his leg reformed, he continued on, his blade shaking as it integrated the genes and began producing neurotoxins.

Daedalus heard crunching in the distance and charged, coming across two more manticores. He let out a dark laugh as they roared at him.

He charged forward, dropping into a slide as he cut one's leg and punched the other, breaking it. He stopped his slide and stood, watching one buckle with a broken leg and the other collapsing into a heap as the nerve venom did its deadly work. He darted forward again, this time stopping in front of the manticore to dodge a swipe.

The manticore hit him with its tail, knocking him back into a pool of water with a splash. Surfacing, he leaped and grasped its head before tearing it from the shoulders. He landed and instantly consumed the corpse before glancing for the other manticore. He grinned as he saw it struggling to crawl away as its nervous system began to shut down.

He approached it and stomped on its back, shattering the spine and paralyzing the beast from the waist down. A massive roar of pain sounded through the forest. Daedalus grabbed the lion's head and pulled it back, his blade soon placed against its neck. He frowned for a moment before letting it go, turning his blade back into his arm.

A dark grin broke through the frown as he punched into the manticore's chest and ripped out its heart. Instantly, both were consumed as he straightened up and glanced around. Then, he blinked twice and shook his head before mumbling to himself. "Almost lost it there. Need to be more careful."

A cascading sound came from behind Daedalus, causing him to whirl around. Six heads rose from the water, hundreds of gallons of water trailing off with a loud splashing sound. He sighed to himself. "God damn it."

Two hydra heads lunged at him and he leaped back, darting through the trees. The heads quickly lost him and went mad, smashing apart the forest. Another two joined them and that's when he made his move.

Daedalus leaped from the woods and landed upon one neck. He increased the friction of the viral cells in his blade and superheated it before decapitating the hydra, reducing its heads to five. He grew two tendrils from his back to wrap the jaws of another two heads shut.

He then ripped the two heads off and cauterized the wounds with heated tendrils. He leaped off and landed on the shore to see three pissed off hydra heads. Looking to end the encounter, he leaped toward the chest of the beast, dispelling a hundred pounds of mass to exponentially increase his energy right before impact.

He tore through its heart and came out the back, landing on the shore, covered in blood, as the hydra collapsed into the lake, clearly dead. The water turned red as blood surged from the hole. The virus looked down, seeing his body coated in blood before he consumed it all.

Daedalus dissolved into a mass of tendrils as he devoured the hydra, tendrils pulling the severed heads into the body where they, too, were eaten by the man. The water color slowly returned to the natural swamp-green as the blood was filtered from the water. Daedalus wasn't letting it go to was biomatter was biomatter, no matter the source.
Daedalus reformed on the surface, dry, clean, and two thousand pounds heavier. He dispelled his blade and allowed his arm to reform as he went over the new adaptations he had acquired.

Let's see, neurotoxin production from the manticore. Wings as well, but I'll need them much larger since I can't use magic. I also received an overall muscle increase since the hydra could actually turn food into energy rather efficiently. I gained the manticore's reaction time, too. Granted, that was no increase.

Finally, the hydra also upgraded my ability to produce biomass naturally, further reducing my need to eat. I'll have to suppress it now, otherwise I'll had to drop off more weight in the Forest every day. Speaking of that, I now have two and a half tons to leave behind, although I'm taking it to Canterlot.

Turning in the direction he knew the forest edge to be, he set off as the moon reached its zenith in the sky. Luna's light shined down, seeing no evidence of the viral rampage that had happened.

Arriving back in town after shifting into his pony disguise, he quickly made his way to the train station and buried it underground. Come the next morning, he would simply stand in that spot and call it to him. He had already discovered that trains were magical reinforced, something that would help him drastically.

Task complete, he quickly returned to the inn, dissolving into tendrils and climbing in through the window he had left open.

Meeting the Princesses

7- Meeting the Princesses

Princess Celestia watched as her sister, Princess Luna, the Night Maiden, flopped onto her large bed and let out an exhausted sigh, a habit she had quickly formed after her return from banishment. The solar diarch paused in brushing her ethereal mane to smile into her mirror.

"Was Night Court too much for you, sister dear?"

One wing flicked the air, giving the white alicorn her answer, to which she chuckled. "You might not get much sleep today."

Luna's head lifted itself out of the mountain of white pillows, a pair of teal eyes torn between annoyance at being denied sleep and curiosity. "And why is that?"

"Because today is the day that either Gene Splice or Daedalus come to meet us."

The dark blue mare leaped out of bed, using her wings to steady herself. She grumbled to herself before shouting. "Guard!"

The marble door emblazoned with the solar insignia cracked open, a Royal Guard peeking in. "Yes, your highness?"

"Bring me a pot of coffee. Make it black."

"Right away, your majesty."

The door shut and both sisters could hear the guard trotting down the hall, his armored shoes clacking on the marble floor. Luna's tired eyes were drawn to her sister's damaged horn for the hundredth time. "He better apologize."

Celestia sighed as she put her brush down, the slightly painful magic aura fading. She walked over to her sister and rubbed their cheeks together, smiling as she felt Luna return the nuzzle. "Luna, the Elements of Harmony released him. I'm sure that the being coming to meet us is not the same as the one we fought, and indeed severed the tip of my horn."

She felt the night mare shift beside her. "About that, sister. You say that the Elements released him after being trapped for less than a day."

"Yes. What are you getting at?"

Luna looked at her, worry and slight fear showing in her eyes. "What if he broke out?"

Celestia's eyes widened as she sputtered, attempting to form a coherent response. Finally, she managed to do so. "Impossible! Discord himself took a thousand years to break out!"

Luna's reply came swiftly and sadly. "But his powers are exactly opposite of the Elements, making him weak to it. If Daedalus is not of chaos, he may be resistant to them, and could have broken out."

The alabaster mare was silent for several minutes, during which the guard returned with a pot of black coffee, which Luna proceeded to guzzle straight from the pot. Eventually, Celestia spoke. "We will both be meeting him in the center of our guard force. If he is indeed our enemy and has broken free from the Elements, we will do our best to defeat him."

She turned to face Luna fully before giving her a light kiss. "No more of this talk of chaos and combat. We may simply end up spending a day with a friendly being as well as gaining some answers to our questions."

Luna forced back her concern as she smiled at her sister. "You're right. I might be worrying over nothing."

Celestia nodded with a small smile. "And if you do have reason to worry, we'll be prepared because you brought it up."

Luna hummed in satisfaction as Celestia began to preen her dark wings. Celestia's mouth ran over each individual feather as she worked to straighten the bent ones and pluck out the damaged ones.

"Just a few more hours before he arrives."

"I'm so excited I could just scream! Ahhhhh!" Pinkie shouted as she bounced circles around Daedalus, thoroughly annoying several ponies who were not morning ponies.

Daedalus just chuckled. He had arrived at the station half an hour ago, quickly collecting his biomass and returning to full density. Of course, he weighed several thousand pounds now. Fortunately, it seems that pony architecture is either naturally hardy or is enchanted as not even the train platform has collapsed so far.

Pinkie arrived without luggage ten minutes prior, talking loudly and quickly, which the other ponies waiting did not appreciate. The ones who were native to Ponyville didn't mind, but travelers did. "Pinkie, try to tone it down. Its early morning and some ponies are still tired."

Pinkie stopped bouncing and walked to his side, sitting down as he was. "Sorry, Gene. I just like going to Canterlot, especially since we get to see the Princesses!"

Daedalus frowned a little at that. "Right, about that. When we get on the train, I've got something to tell you."

She looked at him curiously, her head tilting to the side. "Is it bad?"

Daedalus shook his head. "Not really. Its just some information you need to know."

Pinkie seemed to take Daedalus' advice and calmed down, patiently waiting for the train. The virus was more than a little surprised that she actually could be calm, although he was impressed.

Soon enough, Daedalus' advanced hearing picked up the sound of the train approaching, quickly growing louder as it neared. A couple minutes later, the train pulled into the station and the doors opened.

Immediately, the train station was filled with ponies disembarking in order to either change trains or to stay in Ponyville. When the crowds thinned, Pinkie and Daedalus boarded the train. Apparently, few ponies were taking the early morning train to Canterlot because they got a car to themselves, a fact that played in Daedalus' favor. He wouldn't need to worry about being overheard. The train's movement would make sure their conversation isn't carried to another train car.

The train itself was, as Daedalus noticed from the outside, incredibly colorful to the point of being almost disgusting. The amount of sheer childish designs made him want to cringe. Interior wise, the train was as he expected. Plush seats, obviously not leather, gave passengers a comfortable place to sit or sleep. All in all, the train was rather as he expected.

Soon after they took their seats, the train began to move with the expected noise and Daedalus turned to face Pinkie Pie, who was sitting across from him and staring out the window, humming to herself.

"Pinkie." The virus called to catch her attention. When she turned to face him with a smile, he continued. "When we meet with the Princesses, you'll see me reveal my true form."

"True form?" She asked with abundant confusion.

Doesn't she know? Oh, right. She only knows I'm viral in nature, not what I can do. "I can shapeshift. This form isn't my real one, just one I use to blend in among Equestria."

Her head titled to the side as she scooted away slightly. "You're a changeling?"

Daedalus calmly shook his head. "Nope. I don't feed on emotion and don't replace ponies. Instead, I don't eat at all and I make my own forms."

He waited for it to sink in, shown by her relaxing a little bit. She may have been friendly to everypony but even she had her fears. The Canterlot Wedding was not a good first impression on the changeling's part.

"I'm telling you this so when I change forms, you won't be scared. My base form walks on two legs and is taller. Maybe as tall as the Princesses, or even more so."

He looked Pinkie in her blue eyes. "What I am about to say is of the utmost importance. When the Princesses see me in my base form, they may attack me. If they do, turn around and run. As fast and as far as you can. I don't want you getting hurt by accident."

She smiled at him, although he could see the undertones of fear and worry in it. "It won't really come to that, will it?"

He sighed heavily, something he tended to do often. "I believe it won't, but it may. If it does, you need to be prepared. Okay?"

Reluctantly, she nodded her consent. When she did, he smiled at her, happy she would at least be safe. Daedalus knew that if he and the diarchs fought, he might not win. The thought didn't scare him. He wasn't concerned. The virus didn't seek death, quite the contrary, but he did believe he deserved it.

"Daedalus?" Pinkie asked, her voice soft.

"Yeah?"

"Are you a good pony?" Came the unexpected question.

"That's, a loaded question, Pinkie. Its hard to answer. I've done things so evil it would drive a pony insane. Yet. I didn't want to. I was forced to. I could have resisted, of course, but I would have died. I chose to be evil over dead. I regret my choice. Does that answer your question?"

Pinkie nodded hesitatingly, a troubled frown on her face. She was silent for the rest of the train ride.

The train pulled into Canterlot Station, the abundant presence of white marble unsurprising to the virus. Architectural columns supported a roof high above their heads, likely to allow other species to visit. The walls were nearly non-existent, allowing many ways into the station. All the white created an almost blinding light as it reflected the sun.

Daedalus and Pinkie exited the station, heading toward the castle. The virus knew he couldn't get lost as the castle could be seen from nearly anywhere in the city. His eyes traced the various ponies, taking note of their clothing, some classy, others bordering pompous. They received few glances, likely from the fact that neither he nor Pinkie were from Canterlot.

As they walked in silence, he contemplated whether he would alter his base form or not. While it would serve no real purpose, and he hadn't really changed it from how he was before his infection, it would hint at his nature. And, if he was honest with himself, it would look cool via unnaturalness, certainly memorable.

Hmm, nothing too drastic like blades or wings or such. Something unnatural, even to a species who have never seen a human. Bioluminescence may work. Something to represent the virus as well. Yes, that'll work.

Having decided the changes he would make, he came back to reality in time to notice they were approaching the front gate of the castle. As the two ponies walked, he looked at Pinkie. "Remember. If a fight breaks out, run."

"You won't hurt them, will you?" She asked, worried.

She may be having second thoughts about trusting me. Oh well. "If they attack me, I don't plan to fight back with intent to hurt them. I plan to escape, nothing more."

She nodded, clearly relieved, and they arrived at the main gate to be halted by two royal guards, their golden armor amusing Daedalus. "State your name and business."

Addressing the one who spoke to him, he answered clearly. "My name is Gene Splice and the mare's name is Pinkie Pie. The Princesses are expecting us."

The guard who hadn't spoken, a unicorn, levitated a list and read over it. He looked to his partner and nodded. The first guard looked back at them and spoke. "Follow me. I'll lead you to a private study."

They began walking before Daedalus asked question. "What was the list for?"

The guard answered the question with a short, simple answer. "All the ponies who have a direct appointment with the Princesses, with the exception of Court."

He nodded and the three continued. As they walked, he took notice of the decor and architecture of the castle. White marble was as popular here as it is in the rest of the city. Windows lined the exterior walls, allowing natural light to filter in. Daedalus theorized that at night, the halls were dark, albeit not a problem for him when the time came.

Before long, they came to a door that was made of a thick wood, emblazoned with a sun and moon, denoting it as a room both Princesses used. The guard opened the door and spoke. "Please wait inside until the Princesses arrive."

They entered the room as the door closed behind them. The virus' hearing perceived the metal clanking of the guard's shoes on the marble floor as he walked away. Turning his attention to the room, he examined it.

The first thing he noticed was a rather large fireplace set against the wall, encased in brick to prevent a fire from spreading. Plush red couches and chairs were spread out across the room, wider than usual to not only accommodate a pony, but also an alicorn. Bookshelves lined two walls, filled with various books of differing sizes. From a glance, he saw they were in several languages as well.

What walls were visible seemed to be made of a dark wood, while the floor was carpeted with a simple blue. To Daedalus, this seemed an odd scheme, but he didn't truly care. Two desks were set between bookshelves where paper and quills were located. Finally, small orbs of light lit the room evenly, rather than the flickering light caused by the fire.

Daedalus took a seat on one of the couches, soon joined by Pinkie. He glanced at her to see her nervously twitching. "Pinkie, relax. Nothing will happen to you. The Princesses will never hurt you."

She looked at him with her blue eyes showing a powerful sadness. "But what if they hurt you?"

He shrugged. "Its good to see somepony cares for me, but they can't. Because of what I am, I can't be killed. I will always recover. What it takes to kill me is nearly impossible."

She nodded and the silence reigned. Daedalus frowned a little for as long as he had know her, she had never been this silent. Granted, this was likely out of her depth and she might have been a little concerned. Forcing the concerns away for the moment, he began preparing for the inevitable questions.

A few minutes after they arrived, the door opened again and the two Princesses walked in. Despite having memories from Disarray that showed what they looked like, he felt the need to examine them a make a personal memory of them.

The lead mare was tall, for a pony, that is. He estimated she would come up to eye level with him, taller than he originally thought. Her damaged horn, of course, would pass him. She was colored primarily alabaster, with a multi-toned pastel mane waving gently, likely by magic. Her mark was of a classic sun emblem, matching what he had seen from around the castle. Her eyes were a soft magenta and were looking at him in curiosity. Finally, her regalia was made of gold, likely solid and heavy, adorned with markings and gems. His eyes were drawn back to her horn and he felt she could sense his regret and guilt.

The younger sister was a dark blue with a black splotch on her flank representing the night. A moon was within the blackness, showing her affinity. Her mane was phantasmal and sparkling with stars, also flowing. She was shorter than her sister, yet not by much. Her teal eyes stared at him with a clear suspicion. Her regalia were made of a dark
metal, possibly meteoric iron.

They sat down in a couch across from he and Pinkie. Daedalus said nothing as they examined him, their eyes eventually drawn to the Element of Laughter. Soon enough, Princess Celestia spoke. "Why have you come as well, Pinkie?"

Before she could answer, Daedalus spoke. "She was the only one to discover me."

Quickly, he dissolved into a mass of tendrils and reformed in his altered base form. He wore his usual clothing of blue jeans and a black shirt, which was covered by a white hoodie. His dark brown hair ended just above his eyes, one of which drew everyone's attention.

Daedalus had altered his right eye to glow a soft orange via his thermal sight. Black veins extended from his pupil all across the eye, hinting at the virus. He took in their surprised looks. Whether it was toward his eye, his form, his powers, or even all three, he couldn't tell. He stayed silent for a moment as he adjusted to the dual vision.

From his left eye, he saw a white alicorn, a blue alicorn, and a pink earth pony seated on red couches. From his right eye, he saw three reddish-orange blotches seated on two purple blotches. Soon enough, he adjusted and stood.

He approached Princess Celestia as he spoke. "My name is Daedalus. Some time ago, I was encased in stone after a short battle. My mind was freed from another's control and I was released. Unfortunately, during the battle, I injured you, however slightly."

He stopped in front of the seated solar mare and looked down into her eyes. "If you will let me, I would like to heal you."

She hesitated for a moments, then nodded. His hand came up and wrapped around her horn, covering the cut tip. From their view, nothing happened for several moments. For him, the opposite was true.

In his viral sight, he sent microscopic tendrils throughout her horn, quickly disconnecting the nerves to prevent pain. Then, he took DNA samples and examined them, but didn't consume them. He isolated the genes that determined the make-up of her horn and began recreating the cells. She felt nothing, but he sensed her horn healing at an incredible speed. Then, he removed all traces of the Blacklight virus from the newly created cells. Finishing by reattaching the nerves, he stepped back after removing his hand.

Two separate gasps sounded out from Princess Luna and Pinkie at the healed horn. With a look of surprised awe, Princess Celestia began to levitate several papers on the desk. She looked at him before speaking. "It doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you, Daedalus."

The gratitude in her voice was sincere, yet he shook his head. "I do not deserve it in this case as I am the one who put you in that position."

Daedalus turned and went back to his seat. "Now, I have no doubt that you have many questions. Let's get started, why don't we?"

Princess Luna was the first one to speak. "Why did you attack us on that night a week ago?"

The virus was quite aware of the rather accusatory voice she had. It became clear to him that she did not like him for what he did. Daedalus wasn't surprised, nor bothered. "That's a rather lengthy story, one you already saw the beginning of."

Her brow arched as she looked at him, prompting him to continue. He looked at Princess Celestia and Pinkie as he spoke. "I will start from the beginning for you two. Princess Luna came across my dream a week ago. Except, it was actually a memory. She saw a large number of beings like me kneeling and screaming in pain. In the middle of us all was one more who was laughing. Then, the group stood. We, for I was one of them, charged others that looked like my species, yet weren't, and began to kill them. I wielded the same blade I wielded against you."

Princess Celestia was the one who spoke in concern as Pinkie scooted away from him a little, something that slightly bothered him. "Why would you do this?"

Daedalus looked down in memory as he sighed. "The one laughing was Alex Mercer. We were his slaves. That was the day he broke our minds and forced us to obey him. I was still under his control when we first met. His orders, the death of all living beings, were still affecting me."

Princess Luna's accusatory stare and Princess Celestia's concerned stare faded into understanding as he spoke. "You were a slave, not only in name, but in mind as well."

He nodded to the alabaster mare. "Yes. Now, before you ask anything else, I would like to tell you a story."

Princess Luna scoffed. "Now is not the time for a foal's story."

He smiled at her. "It is the story of Alex Mercer's past, and of the history of Blacklight."

That perked all three's interest, but it was Pinkie who spoke. "What is Blacklight?"

Daedalus laughed. "Me. Mercer. Greene. Heller. We are all Blacklight. It started as something else, but became a species. Its a long story. However, I may skip some points to not waste time. Wait until the end to ask questions."

Daedalus closed his eyes as he collected his memories. Then, he opened them and began to speak. "It started with Gentek, a company specializing in engineering cures for various diseases. At least, publicly. Secretly, they liked to create biological weapons. It isn't clear if they intended to create Blacklight or if it was a cure gone wrong, or if they discovered it. Blacklight was a virus, one far more advanced than anything the world had ever seen. Gentek had no clue what it would do, so they tested it."

The Princesses eyes widened and Daedalus felt they understood. "They formed a group know as Blackwatch, a private military organization designed to keep Blacklight in check and quarantine it. Then, Gentek released the virus in a town named Hope. The town died. Worse than that, they came back as mutated monsters. Soon after, Blackwatch was deployed. They neutralized the town and captured Patient Zero, the first one infected."

"Unlike the others, Elizabeth Greene didn't die. She became a sort of incubator and controller to the virus. She gained powers. She could control the monsters or create more. She could even create new strains of the virus. She was taken to Gentek labs in Manhattan where she was experimented on for nearly twenty years."

"Over time, new strains of virus had been created. Blacklight was stronger, and Redlight came into existence. Eventually, a man named Alex Mercer came across a vial of Blacklight in the labs. As for how? Its isn't well know. One story says he was a suspicious journalist reporting on a government lab. Another said he was a doctor who worked on the virus and wanted to expose Gentek for their crimes. In one, he's an idiot. The other, a saint. No one was stupid enough to ask him."

"Its accepted that he stole a vial and fled with it. He was cornered by Blackwatch soldiers and killed. As he died, the virus capsule shattered and infected his corpse."

"He couldn't have died if he enslaved you later! Or have you been lying?" Princess Luna asked suddenly.

Daedalus eyed her before answering. "If I can continue, the answer will be clear soon enough."

She grumbled a little, then relented. Smiling, he continued. "Gentek took his body to study. After all, he had been exposed to the newest strain. They wanted to know what it did to him. The next day, two scientists were cutting him open to study his body. They were quite shocked when he gasped and sat up. His wounds healed instantly, and the scientists freaked out and ran. He left, too, and escaped the facility."

"Some time later, Gentek released the new Redlight in Penn Station, an underground subway station. They blamed it on Mercer as thousands died. Now, personally, I think that's a lie. Mercer told us that himself and I think he really did do it, but I'm not sure. I wasn't in the city then. Even then, they discovered that Redlight made the infected monsters specifically while Blacklight made things like Mercer."

"Fast forward a few weeks and the NYZ had gone to hell. Redlight hordes wandered the streets, killing anyone and anything. Blackwatch soldiers executed infected and civilians alike. Gentek kidnapped and experimented on civilians or fed them to captive monsters. Mercer killed everything, including civilians. Bad time to be a civilian. Eventually, Mercer tracked down and freed Elizabeth Greene. She started buffing the virus more, but tried to kill Mercer. That pissed him off and he hunted her down and killed her."

He looked around at the three listening intently. "Now, I need to explain how Redlight and Blacklight works. Redlight is simple. It gets to the body, reproduces, and mutates the host's DNA. All the monsters had once been human, the species I look like. The monsters have no intelligence and simply killed everything but other Redlight."

"Blacklight, however, is infinitely more complex. It enters the body in great numbers and swarms the brain. There, the virus consumes it to become self-aware." The ponies gasped and he smiled.

"Then, it converts the entire body into Blacklight cells. This allows it to rearrange itself to better defend or offend. You saw this with my blade arm. We can also shapeshift to hide in plain sight. We can take DNA samples from others to gain their powers or their body. Finally, if we consume the brain, we gain their memories."

Princess Celestia stood up and flared her wings out. She approached him threateningly while glaring, her repaired horn sparking with magic. She stopped directly in front of Daedalus, anger radiating off of her. "What have you done to Gene Splice."

Daedalus smiled and flicked her nose, causing her to blink and step back. "Be at peace. If you check your census records, there has never been a pony named Gene Splice or with my looks. We can alter existing DNA to make our own disguises. If I consume yours via a hair sample or such, I could make a bright yellow male alicorn form with it."

She blinked repeatedly before backing off. "My apologies. I had feared you had killed and ate a pony."

He waved her off. "Its fine. I understand. For the record, consuming isn't truly eating. Its more along the lines of absorbing."

"Anyway, with Greene's death, Mercer gained her powers. Blackwatch didn't like this and tried to nuke the city. A nuke is a bomb capable of leveling a city. Anyway, he intercepted it over the ocean and detonated it. The world assumed he died. The world was wrong."

"He survived and recovered. He began to buff the monsters even more to bring ruin. In response, the world separated the NYZ into three sections, separated by ocean. The Green Zone had little infection. The civilians lived there. The Yellow Zone had some infection and was a military zone. The Red Zone was hell, Mercer's playground. It was entirely infected. No civilians, little soldiers. No one entered and lived."

"By this point, Mercer was recruiting others to serve him. He picked out psychos that loved killing. Eventually, he infected the wrong person. James Heller. James hated Mercer and tried to kill him. James tore through the Red and Yellow Zones, stopping Mercer's operations. Soon, they met in combat atop a skyscraper. Blackwatch was watching, the world was watching, the infected was watching. By this point, I was infected. I served Mercer out of fear of what he could do. I hoped James would win and save us all. The battle began."

Princess Luna leaped up, clearly engrossed in the story. "Mercer died, the virus was cured, and everything turned out okay!"

Daedalus was amused. "You should already know it didn't. Mercer hadn't broken our minds yet."

She blushed slightly, her dark coat turning a darker purple. He laughed lightly. Good to see she's warming up to me.

"Mercer's loyal psychopaths joined in making it a twenty against one battle. James died and was consumed by Mercer. The Blackwatch spectators were torn apart. The world went to shit."

"The Yellow and Green Zones were overrun quickly. Blackwatch and the army pulled out to fortify other cities. Then, the virus began spreading. Before he sent us Blacklight Evolved out, he changed us. James' betrayal taught him a lesson and he infected us all with a Hive Mind system. At any point, he could take control of our minds and force us to obey."

He nodded to Princess Luna. "The dream you saw."

"We spread out, city after city falling under us. Blackwatch was getting better. They began to counter our numbers advantage so Mercer switched gears. He made the Redlight more diverse, more terrifying, and more powerful. I myself led a horde of Warpers, Maniacs, Berserkers, and a Reinforcer."

"I was subduing a Pennsylvania city when someone named Disarray blindsided me and warped me into this world. I was encased in stone before the Hive Mind was destroyed. Then, I was released. I made a disguise and went to Ponyville. I rented a room in the inn and got a job as a blacksmith. Now you know my story."

They nodded and remained silent. Then, Princess Celestia lit her horn and cast a spell on him, soon repeated by her sister. Then, they smiled at him. The white mare spoke first. "You do not lie. We examined your memories of Mercer and Blacklight to verify what you said. My sister and I would like you to stay in Canterlot for a couple days for us to get to know you better."

Daedalus frowned slightly. "As much as I would like to, I told my employer I would be gone one day."

Pinkie finally spoke up. "I can tell her for you. I came to hear you story and I did. I can't stay because the Cakes need me."

Daedalus looked to her as Princess Luna spoke up. "If you wish to return to Ponyville, I can teleport you, Laughter."

Pinkie stood up and approached him before rearing up to give him a hug. She whispered in his ear as she did. "You aren't a bad pony. You were just forced to do things you didn't want to do. You regret what you did. You're a good pony."

Daedalus smiled and ran a hand across her mane before she backed off and nodded to the lunar diarch. With a flash, she disappeared.

Princess Luna stood up as well as Princess Celestia, who spoke. "Come, let's have lunch while we talk."

Daedalus nodded and stood, quickly shifting into Gene Splice. He was immediately frowned at by two alicorns. Princess Luna was the one who spoke. "Nay, as your true self. The guards and staff will not spread the word."

He nodded and shifted into his base form and followed them out. Princess Luna, curious, asked him a question. "Why does your eye glow?"

Daedalus laughed. "One of my many powers. In this, its thermal sight, the ability to see heat."

Author's Notes:

From this point onwards, I've decided to increase the average chapter length from ~3k to ~5-6k words.

Immortal Bonding

8-Immortal Bonding

White marble halls surrounded the group of three as they walked through the castle toward, Daedalus assumed, the dining room. Guards and maids alike stopped and stared before continuing on their way, likely accustomed to the sight of foreign species.

The virus was discussing some of his abilities with Princess Luna as her sister listened, occasionally asking a question as well. He hid little of what he could do, mostly the extent of his regeneration. After all, if they became enemies, he didn't want them knowing how to kill him.

"You can alter your body's genes? What exactly are genes?" The darker mare asked.

Daedalus laughed as he shook his head. "You ponies have strange technological progress. You don't know about DNA and genes, but you understand cells and atoms."

She pouted as him and he could see a slight smile from the corner of Princess Celestia's mouth. "For us, its not strange."

Daedalus conceded his point. "True. Genes are the blueprints of our bodies. Your genes are why your coat is blue, not orange. Its why you five feet tall, not two or ten. Your genes are unique to you and you alone."

"What about offspring? They usually look like their parents." Princess Celestia asked.

"Well, Princess, that's simple. Half of a child's genes come from the mother and half from the father. This combination makes a new, unique code that defines exactly how the child's body will be."

"And you change this way?"

"The virus allows me to alter myself on a genetic level. My right eye is the most obvious change I have right now. A normal eye can see what's called the 'visible spectrum.' My right eye can see what we call 'infrared,' or thermal radiation. Essentially, I can see heat."

Princess Celestia looked back to examine his eye more. It was somewhat disconcerting to see her staring intently at him, but he couldn't resist the urge to comment. He smirked at her and spoke. "Are you enjoying what you see?"

To his supreme surprise, a pink dusting appeared on her muzzle and she looked forward again. Her sister giggled a little before the solar mare spoke, ignoring the comment. "It must be odd for you. Your eyes are seeing two different things, I assume."

"You are right. My left eye sees you as you are. Yet to my right, you both are reddish blotches. However, my nature is to change, Princess. I adapted to this quickly."

Princess Luna asked a question he was waiting to be asked. "You mentioned this to be the most obvious change. What are the others?"

"Simple enhancements. My muscles are far more efficient and compact than a natural living being, making me hundreds of times stronger. My skin is condensed, making it harder than steel. My eyes can see colors ponies don't have names for. They can see the individual cells in your body, or a spec of dirt miles away. I can hear your muscles moving and your blood from flowing. Lastly, I have no pain receptors in my body."

She scoffed in reply. "'Simple?' Sounds impossible."

Daedalus shrugged. "You have the right to believe what you want. I can choose to believe that the world is flat. Of course, I know otherwise, but you get my point."

Princess Luna glared slightly at him, but it was Princess Celestia who replied. "You don't seem to show much respect for royalty."

"I have respect for both of you, Princess. I am simply blunt by nature. If someone chooses to doubt me, they have the right to do so. I will not argue, especially since I can't prove it. I would have to infect her with Blacklight, a painful and irreversible choice. Particularly, a choice I would not make on a whim."

They rounded a corner and another door loomed directly in front of them. Without hesitation, two guards opened the doors and the group walked through. Inside, large rectangular marble table was capable of seating thirty four. Tapestries depicting the sun and moon emblems hung from the ceiling while windows allowed natural light to filter in.

Thirty two seats were plain, unadorned chairs. At the far head of the table, one chair had Princess Celestia's cutie mark, and the other had Princess Luna's. They took their seats and Daedalus chose to sit on Princess Celestia's side, to her right.

A servant came in and asked the Princesses what they wanted. The solar mare had chosen a simple salad and soup with a slice of cake while the lunar mare requested cinnamon porridge. When the servant turned to Daedalus, he simply shrugged. "Surprise me."

With a moment's hesitation, the stallion left and Daedalus became aware he was being stared at. It was Princess Celestia who asked the question both of them were thinking. "What kind of food do you eat?"

He smiled. "As a human, I could eat fruits, vegetables, some plants, some roots, and cooked meat safely. As a virus, I can eat anything. If I can get some termite DNA, I can eat wood. Once I harvest some genes from Spike, preferably a shed scale to avoid exposing myself, I'll be able to eat rocks, gems, and metal. However, the special thing about me is that, as a Blacklight, I don't need to eat at all."

He received two sets of wide, surprised eyes at that before they spoke in unison. "How?"

"As a virus, I am considered a non-living thing. As a non-living thing, I don't need food, water, or sleep." Daedalus said, smiling at their reactions.

They were silent for a moment before Princess Celestia spoke up. "I would be interested in learning more about you, Daedalus. You treat us with respect, yet also as normal mares. You are a rather curious being."

Daedalus simply smiled. "If you are interested in learning more, perhaps you are willing to play a game."

"Oh?" Was the interest reply. Even Princess Luna was interested.

"Its an old but uncommon game from humanity. Its called 'two truths,' rather self-explanatory. You say two truths about yourself and one lie. Its the goal of others to point out the lie."

They thought for a moment before nodding. Princess Celestia smiled at the idea and spoke. "Why don't you go first?"

Daedalus thought for a moment, then replied. "I'm immortal, I have a Master's degree in Physics, and I have been to the moon."

Princess Celestia raised her eyebrow. "With or without the memories of others?"

"Not counting the stolen memories I have." Daedalus said simply.

Princess Luna began mumbling to herself, yet the virus could hear it. "The degree has to be true. He can't be immortal and been to the moon. Hmm. If his kind can create a virus, they may be able to travel in space. Of the two, its more likely he's been to the moon."

Princess Luna spoke louder as she answered. "The lie is that you're immortal."

He turned to look at the other alicorn. "Your turn."

Princess Celestia, at first, was inclined to agree with her sister. However, she had a feeling that something didn't match. Staying silent, she thought for a moment. He, as a virus, isn't alive. He's not dead or undead, just not alive. Something like that won't age because he doesn't have the capability. He likely can't be killed, either. Not alive means no heart, no lungs, no blood or brain. He's immortal.

"I disagree. You've never been to the moon." She said, confident in her decision.

Daedalus was silent for a moment before smiling. "You're right. I haven't even been in space."

"How are you immortal?" Princess Luna nearly shouted, shocked.

Daedalus just smiled at her sister. "Ask Princess Celestia. I believe she figured it out."

When the night mare turned to look at Princess Celestia, she smiled and spoke. "Luna, what is it that allows ponies to die?"

Her head cocked to the side in confusion. "Nature?"

With a laugh, she shook her head. "No, what event happens when we declare a pony clinically dead and unable to be revived?"

"The brain dies." She said, understanding the question.

She nodded. "Correct. As a virus, Daedalus is not alive. Ergo..."

Princes Luna answered, a look of realization and awe overtaking her face. "He has no brain."

Daedalus nodded. "Or heart, or lungs, or blood, or bones. I'm immortal in the same way a mountain is. What's not alive can't be killed."

Then, he smiled as he continued. "Now, since you figured it out, its your turn, Princess Celestia."

She hummed a bit before she spoke. "I'm three thousand years old, hate cake, and dislike formalities."

Princess Luna scoffed. "I know exactly which one is a lie, but you should answer first, Daedalus."

He smiled. "Its pretty obvious. You don't hate cake. That has a bad lie since you ordered some."

"He's right, sister."

Princess Celestia just smiled. "I hope you take the third choice to heart and call me Celestia, and does that mean you go again?"

Daedalus shook his head. "Nah, we just go in a circle from this point. Princess Luna's turn."

The lunar diarch quickly corrected him. "Just Luna."

He nodded, but before she could continue, the door opened and several servants entered and placed trays in front of them before leaving. Looking down and examining his food, he saw that he had been giving a well done steak, showing they were likely listening. Ignoring the utensils, he formed his index and middle fingers into blades, using one as a knife and the other as a fork.

Slicing a piece, he quickly ate it and nodded at the flavor before looking up to see both Celestia and Luna looking at him in disappointment. "What?"

Celestia spoke what they both thought. "We had hoped to see you consume the food as you mentioned."

Daedalus rolled his eyes. "I do enjoy eating like a normal being sometimes, but if you really want to see, I'll show you."

His hand dissolved into a mass of tendrils before covering and consuming the steak. Afterward, it reformed into his hand, revealing an empty plate. He smiled at the interested eyes that watched him. He gestured toward Luna. "Anyway, its your turn."

She took a spoonful of porridge and ate it while thinking. After swallowing, she spoke. "I'm good at writing, love alcohol, and enjoy helping ponies with nightmares."

Celestia's brow furrowed as she thought. "I'm not sure I know this one "

Luna just giggled. "You shouldn't. I've never shown it. Well, Daedalus?"

"I have no doubt that you enjoy helping ponies, so that isn't the lie. You've had plenty of time to become great at writing and other creative arts, so I have to say that you don't like alcohol."

"Tia?"

"I have to agree. I haven't seen you drink before."

"You both are correct. I can't stand the taste of most alcohol, and I hate getting drunk." Luna said.

"Your turn, Daedalus." She said before continuing to eat, Celestia soon following her lead while he thought.

After a couple minutes, he spoke. "I'm good at cooking, good at baking, and good at painting."

"Painting." Luna said instantly.

"I have to say you can't cook." Celestia said.

"I grew up in a state called Louisiana. Everyone learned to cook there and plenty learned to bake. Before my infection, I had an unsteady hand. I couldn't paint or draw."

"Ha! I got it right, Tia!" Luna shouted while pointing a hoof at her sister.

Celestia stuck her tongue out in reply. "We are tied. We both got one of his right."

Daedalus smiled to himself. They act like real sisters. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a chance to let go like this very rarely. Its rather endearing in a way.

Celestia turned back to him as she spoke with a smile. "I'm still surprised you can cook and bake. I may ask you to make something for us one day."

He laughed a little. "If its food, I hope you like spice. Cajun cooking is filled with it. As for baking, I may know a recipe or two that you would enjoy."

Luna spoke before Celestia had a chance to reply. "If its cake or chocolate, she'll love it, even if its burnt."

Daedalus raised a brow at the blushing mare. "I have a problem, okay? Luna keeps trying to put me on a diet."

"That she breaks by sneaking into the kitchen with invisibility spells."

Daedalus chuckled. "You two really are sisters. Seeing you act like this reminds me of my sisters."

"Oh? Tell us about them." Celestia said.

"Well, they both were younger than me. Melanie is twenty eight while Amaryllis is twenty five. For the record, I'm thirty two. Mel's an artist. She loves drawing and would always tape them to her walls. She often joked that we couldn't be related because of my artistry skills, or the lack thereof."

"Then there's Amy. She followed me when it came to talent. Where as I love Physics, she was amazing at Biology. In high school, she had taken Bio, Bio II, and AP Honors Bio and passed all three with an A average. She got her degree at the same college as I did."

"It was luck we went to the same college, actually. I hadn't gone straight out of school like she did. I traveled a bit. Not the world, just the country. Anyway, when we were in college, I helped her though her required math classes while she helped me through my Biology classes."

"After we graduated, and Mel graduated from an art school, we all met up for a party before going our separate ways. I went to Manhattan to work at a lab, Mel went back to Louisiana, and Amy went on some field study in Australia."

Celestia and Luna shared a look before asking Daedalus a worried question. "Is Melanie safe from Mercer?"

Daedalus laughed. "Oh yeah. Once I got infected, I contacted them. I emptied my bank account into hers and she and my parents fled the country. They crossed an ocean so it at least bought them time if it doesn't save them. Anyway, its your turn, Celestia."

"I can paint, I'm good at math, and I'm good at science." She said instantly, obviously already having planned hers.

"You being good at math is true. It has to be, ruling a country. Taxes and such. I wouldn't be surprised if you were a skilled painter just as your sister is a writer. You aren't good at science."

"Agreed." Luna said. "I already know it."

She laughed and nodded. "The math portion is easy. Its experimentation and deduction I don't like. I prefer it to be straight forward and simple. I am rather decent at painting."

"Don't let her fool you." Luna said. "She's great at painting. I often take inspiration from her paintings, just as she does for what I write. It seems we each have our own unique skills."

"Science, painting, and writing. Your go, Luna."

"I think being cold is better than being hot, I enjoy combat, and diplomacy comes easy to me."

"Hmm. This one's a hard one. I can easily see all three being true." Daedalus said.

"One's a lie, and I know which one." Celestia said with a smile.

Daedalus rolled his eyes, albeit with a smile. "I'm sure. I have to say you don't like combat."

"Disagree. Diplomacy isn't easy for you."

"Celestia is right." Luna said simply before continuing. "I can be diplomatic, but it isn't easy and I don't enjoy it. I prefer being on the field, defending Equestria."

Daedalus nodded. "I can respect that. Same with being cold. Even in winter, I would have my fan on at all times. Granted, even in the dead of winter, we would wear shorts and a shirt in Louisiana."

"Why do you wear clothes, Daedalus?" Celestia asked.

"Well, as I am now, it isn't necessary. Humans wear it because we get cold really easy and also because unlike stallions, we have no sheathe. While I can easily remove that body part, I'm used to being clothed."

Looking closer at the Princesses, he saw them both blushing brightly, causing him to laugh. "You behave like you've never been intimate."

This seemed to strike a nerve with them. Two sets of ears, one alabaster and one dark blue, dropped as two muzzles tilted down, dark red splotches appearing. If it weren't for the specific situation, Daedalus would have laughed at the symmetry of it all. As it was, he was only bewildered. "Really? At your age? Oop, that was probably offensive, apologies."

Celestia shook her head, blush still at full force. "Nay, do not worry. We have long accepted we will forever be of great age. It doesn't bother either of us. Especially when our ponies prove ever so often that we are still beautiful in their wandering eyes."

When she finished, it was Luna who replied to his actual comment. "While both of us have been intimate in a sense, neither of us have ever been with a stallion, or a male of any species, really."

Daedalus leaned back, interested in the conversation. "So you both have been with mares?"

If Daedalus' eyes hadn't been nearly as advanced as they were, he would have missed the instant, worried glance that two sisters gave each other. He paid little attention as Luna answered. "Yes."

Both alicorns became concerned when he straightened from his ever-present partial slouch to give an amused smile to them. "So, this mare, I assume they know you very well?"

They both nodded, blushes darkening. In their present state, they didn't notice his phrasing as their embarrassment combined with concern distracted them. Daedalus took advantage of this state to try to confirm his theory. He quickly sent out a viral pulse and was satisfied when it told him no one was near enough to hear.

"Probably been with you a long time, huh?" His smirked deepened when they both nodded, blushes deepening further.

"Celestia, that dark colored coat and those teal eyes must be heavenly, correct?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "And Luna, the bright colors must be in wonderful contrast to your own, agreed?"

His smile broke into a full grin as they both nodded. Satisfied, he leaned back in his chair as he spoke the sentence he knew would snap them out of it. "So how long have you two been together?"

Their heads snapped up, eyes wide, as two sets of magic instantly cast sound-proofing spells around the room. All three were silent as they stared at each other, one with amusement and two with concern and fear. Eventually, it was Celestia who spoke.

"Daedalus, I beg you, do not share what you have discovered." She spoke with a firm tone that demanded absolute obedience, a voice he felt she rarely used. Naturally, it had no effect on him.

"Why shouldn't I?" He said, tempting her on as him smile faded to stone. He wanted to see her reaction. Not the mask she put on but the true fear underneath. He wanted to see how much Luna really meant to her.

Tears started to form in her eyes, but her face remained firm as she slammed a hoof on the table. "This is a private matter that my ponies do not need to know."

He leaned forward, hand coming to rest on the table near her hoof. "And why shouldn't Equestria deserve to know that her Princesses partake in this sort of relationship."

Her facade broke further as tears rolled down her cheeks. A quick glance told him that Luna was in a similar state. In their mind, their love was about to be exposed to the world, a world who was not ready to accept it. "Because I'll lose my sister."

"And not your crown?"

She snarled as her hoof slammed down again, cracking the marble. "Buck the crown! I would abandon it if I could stay with Luna!"

Daedalus' stony expression faded into a content smile as he leaned back. "Good."

Both mares blinked in shocked confusion. Celestia's anger faded in an instant, replaced by confusion. "What?"

Daedalus' smile grew as he shook his head. "I don't have a problem with your relationship. It makes sense to me, as I'm rather open minded."

Both mares' confusion deepened as they spoke in unison this time. "What?"

He shrugged. "You both are thousands of years old. Throughout that time, you are all the other had. It doesn't surprise me that the familial love you two shared deepened into something more. Honestly, its kind of hot to me. Really hot, actually."

"What!" They shouted together, blushes returning full force.

Daedalus broke out into laughter. While he laughed, they recovered and dried their eyes before staring at him in amazement. The world saw them as perfect goddesses and yet, this man, when he discovered their relationship, had the audacity to provoke them, then call it hot before laughing for several minutes. The alicorns shared a glance, thinking the same thing. It seem they found another immortal who could become a close, trusted friend of theirs.

Daedalus calmed himself before looking at them. "Seriously though, I have no problem with it."

"Then why did you speak like you would expose us or try to blackmail us?" Luna asked.

"I wanted to see if it was love or lust between you two. As it is, its clearly love. No one would abandon a crown for lust." He said, explaining his reasoning.

Luna smiled this before daring to nuzzle her sister, provoking a blush between the two, sparking Daedalus to chuckle. "You two blush like kids with their first love."

"Well, its not often we are capable of showing affection in front of others. You are the second to know and not judge, and the first to instantly accept it." Celestia replied.

"Who's the first?"

"Our adopted niece, Cadence. She is the Lady of Love and sensed our affection quickly. She did not accept it as easily as you did, but grew to understand it." Luna answered.

They were silent before Luna asked another question, one that had her blushing before she even asked it. "Are you honest when you said you find our relationship 'hot?'"

Daedalus chuckled. "Yep. You are both pretty damn hot, sexy even, and with my nature, I have a very active imagination. You can guess where my mind went."

Both mares had intense blushes, blushes that seemed like they would never fade with how often they them during this lunch. Daedalus then noticed that both Princesses had forgotten their meals, but he deemed it a good sign that they enjoyed his company. "You know what? Since this conversation has been embarrassment after embarrassment for you, I'll let you ask three embarrassing questions of me, and I'll answer them truthfully and honestly."

Luna instantly spoke up, asking one of her questions. "What kinks do you have?"

Daedalus raised a brow. "They don't have to be sexual in nature."

She dipped her muzzle down, covering her face with her wing before he continued. "Nevertheless, a deal is a deal."

Thinking for a moment allowed Luna to recover before they both waited in intense interest. "My kinks are unusual ones for most humans, I think. At least, compared to the memories I have. First, during sex, I am intensely dominate. Not to the point of making a girl beg, but definitely holding her down and having my way with her. Second, I find the idea of incestual sisters attractive, especially in a threesome."

The eternal blush on both mares had only deepened as Celestia commented. "You are certainly... blunt, Daedalus."

He nodded. "Yep. I normally can't stand beating around the bush or politicking, although I can do both. Next question."

Celestia asked this one. "This is both of my questions. Do you find ponies sexually or romantically attractive and would you be willing to form a theoretical herd?"

Daedalus closed his eyes just in time to miss the glance Luna gave her sister, one that was met with a sheepish smile. Luna rolled her eyes before smiling as well and performing a half-nod combined with a shrug. "That's... an odd question. As I said, I'm open minded. I've accepted that ponies aren't animals like they are on Earth and that I'm quite capable of seeking a deeper relationship with one. That being said, I'm strange in that body doesn't mean much to me. Personality means more."

"Oh?" Came a unison question.

"Let's see, what's a good way to explain it? I can be sexually attracted to a horribly ugly mare if her personality is good enough for me. Of course, I'm still a man, so an attractive mare with the same personality would be even more appealing to me. Essentially, in the right situation, yes, I could be attracted to a mare."

"As for a herd?" Celestia prompted.

Daedalus hummed slightly before answering. "It would be a struggle, but I think I could adapt and do it. Humans are strictly monogamous and Evolved, being genetic shapeshifters, tend not to care about things like gender."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked.

"If I fell in love with a mare and she asked me to become a woman for her, I would do it. My own gender means nothing to me. However, I can't see myself dating a guy, even with a female body. Why the sudden interest in my romantic beliefs?"

Celestia shrugged lightly, an action that looked rather odd on a pony. "No real reason other than curiosity."

Daedalus looked at her for a moment, doubting the truth of her statement, before moving on. "What's your last question, Luna?"

She smiled mischievously before asking her question. "How attractive do you find my sister and I?"

Daedalus' eyebrow raised substantially before he spoke. "Before I answer, why have you been so interested in these topics? I would assume two Princesses wouldn't speak of this. Its been bugging me for a while."

They both laughed before Celestia answered. "That question has a couple answers. First, we don't get the chance to speak freely and without restraint often. You provide us with a unique opportunity to speak of more natural aspects of life. Second, you've shown you won't judge us for our choices, so we feel a sort of freedom with you that we experience with nopony else."

Luna quickly continued where her sister left off. "Lastly, we are both, at heart, mares. Mares who can be playful and teasing."

Accepting the answer, Daedalus spoke simply. "A simple, blunt answer to your question is that, if you consented, I would have my way with both of you for hours on end before I was satisfied."

The virus smiled internally as both alicorns' heads dipped and were covered with their wings. It seemed he had made them reach a new height of embarrassment, a fact that amused him to no end. He waited several moments before they recovered enough to speak.

"T-truthfully?" The solar mare stuttered out.

"Entirely." Daedalus replied.

She coughed to clear her throat before speaking again. "Let's change topics, why don't we?"

He grinned at the two before nodding. "Sure, why not?"

Immortal Bonding, Pt II

9-Immortal Bonding, Part II

"How the bloody fucking hell was I able to say some of those things without getting arrested." Daedalus mumbled to himself as he walked down the hall.

Currently, he was being led to a large, empty training room by an unnamed guard. After lunch with royalty had ended, they needed to go separate ways. Luna needed to take a nice, long nap while Celestia had to deal with Day Court. The virus had simply asked a guard to lead him to a large empty room.

"I haven't been that carefree with someone in years, even before my infection. God, I can't believe it. Still, it must've really not bothered them since they didn't seem to mind."

He just wanted to test a few things with his viral abilities, maybe do a little practice with some creations. He planned to replicate a Shambler, Maniac, Warper, and, if time and room permitted, a Berserker and Reinforcer.

"Still don't know if that will make them trust me more or less. I'm practically offering to create an immortal unfeeling army in the middle of their country. Only time will tell."

Both Princesses had said they would meet him later that day. He wanted to show them some of the virus' abilities and offer to help defend Equestria if it was ever needed.

"After all, if I'm gonna live here for the foreseeable future, I might as well do as I can to make sure the country stays safe."

Daedalus wasn't sure if the guard escorting him was listening or not, but frankly, he didn't care. Its not like the pony would understand most of what he said.

"Here we are, sir." The guard said as they stopped in front of a rather large door. Daedalus stepped forward and opened it, seeing a room easily a hundred feet, or thirty meters, long and wide. It seemed to be about fifteen feet-- five meters, tall.

Completely empty, the room wasn't made of white marble as he expected. Instead, it was made of some sort of black steel, similar to Luna's regalia. "Its perfect, but what's with the black steel?"

"Black iron, actually. Its a metal formed in the Dragon Range. Rumor is that the powerful greed of dragons corrupt the iron and make it immune to magic. I know it really is immune to magic, but I doubt greed creates it. Anyway, the Princesses tend to use this room for sparring and practicing their abilities."

"Perfect. That's exactly what I am using it for." Daedalus said.

The guard nodded. "Don't overextend yourself. The doctors likely won't know how to help you."

Daedalus simply waved him off. "Thanks for the concern, but I'll be fine. I know my limits."

Close enough.

The guard nodded again. "I must return to my post. If you need to go somewhere, ask any guard or maid. They'll escort you."

Daedalus nodded his thanks. "I'll likely be here until the Princesses return, anyway."

The guard turned and left as Daedalus closed the door behind him. From the inside, it, too, was plated in black iron. He walked to the center of the room and sat down, crossing his legs.

Closing his eyes, he abandoned all mortal senses and focused purely on Blacklight. Viral stalks erupted from his back and spread across the room before they began multiplying. Thinner tendrils began to weave across the floor before five pillars sprouted up and extended to the roof. Three were a couple feet thick while the final two were several times thicker.

And now, I begin.

Princess Celestia sighed softly as the final petitioner exited the throne room. It had been a long session, not only in chronological length, but also the fact that it seemed to drag on forever, a concept she had become familiar with.

It seemed to her that she had enjoyed her time with the strange man named Daedalus so much that any other activity seemed boring and slow.

"Private Sentry?"

"Yes, your majesty?" One of the more recent additions to the guard questioned.

"Do you know where Daedalus is?" She asked.

"I believe he is still in the room you and your sister use to practice."

"Thank you, Private. You are both dismissed." With that, both of the guards stationed at the base of her throne left. She stood up and descended the small staircase before checking to ensure she was alone.

Seeing that she was, she stretched her legs by leaning forward, leaving her hind legs straight. Her wings extended to each side as her neck stretched and she yawned. Before she could return to normal standing, she heard a familiar voice from directly behind her.

"Great view, sister."

With a yelp, she stood and spun around, acutely aware of the fact that her stretching had caused her to subconsciously raise her tail. Sitting on the dark throne next to her own was Luna, who was giving her a teasing smile.

"What would the guards think if they saw you in that position toward your own sister?" The dark mare asked rhetorically as she descended the stairs.

"First, when I began stretching, I was alone in here until you teleported in. Second, don't act like you didn't enjoy the view." Celestia retorted.

Luna just laughed as the two walked toward the door to the throne room. "I never said I didn't. Even so, where are you going?"

"One of my guards informed me that Daedalus was in our training room. I intend to head there to see what he was doing." Celestia said truthfully as she continued to walk.

At that, Luna gained a smile. Celestia, seeing this, gave her a confused look. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just curious as to why you asked him if he could love a pony. Mayhaps you are interested in him?"

Her smile widened as her sister stumbled on a smooth floor before she replied. "Listen to my reasons before you begin to judge, sister."

She laughed again. "Oh, I'm not judging. After he healed you, he showed he wasn't bad. That with his immortality makes me slightly interested in him as well. But go ahead, explain your reasoning."

"While I, naturally, have no feelings for him currently, I do believe that, in the event they develop, we could be quite happy with him. Not only does he respect us while treating us like living beings, he is also immortal and will never succumb to time." Celestia explained. Both alicorns were aware that she started by denying feelings for him. Even Celestia began doubting that she held no feelings for him.

"So you wish to possibly be with him one day. What about our relationship?" Luna asked, dropping her voice into a whisper for the last part

Celestia smiled to her. "Hence the question of a herd. Now, don't get me wrong. If you don't wish to be in a herd with him, or if he won't accept you, then it’s not happening."
She glanced around before continuing with a lower voice. "You are my first and most important love. While I do like the idea of expanding our herd, I will not risk losing you for somepony who may not even make me happy."

Luna smiled warmly before she nuzzled her sister. While they both knew what it meant, any guard or maid would assume it to be simple sisterly affection. "It makes me happy to hear that. When will we ask him?"

Celestia smiled with a slight blush. "Not any time soon. We only just met him. Give him time to adapt to this world and its traditions. Let him get comfortable with us."

Luna nodded before they came across a familiar door. This side was made of white marble, but they both knew the other side was layered with black iron. If Private Sentry had been right, the man of their interest was on the other side of the door.

With merely a moments hesitation, Celestia pushed open the door and they entered. Immediately, they stopped in shock at what they were seeing. The room had been entirely transformed from the solid black room it had previously been.

Pulsing red flesh obscured the walls and floor as five pillars of various sizes stretched from floor to ceiling, which was also covered. Orange spots seemed to be scattered sporadically to provide effective lighting to the room. Sitting in the center of the room was Daedalus with several lines of flesh extending from his back, each connecting with the floor.

"Daedalus, what is this?" Celestia asked as she stopped forward, struggling to keep her balance as she entered the room. The floor she thought was of solid, still flesh was actually moving slightly. Luna followed after, spreading her wings to help her equilibrium.

He turned to face them, revealing his glowing eye to be even brighter. He smiled at them as he spoke. "Ah, its good to see you Celestia, Luna. How was Court and sleep, respectively?"

Celestia smiled at his interest, returning a bump from her sister with her flank. "Nothing serious happened. It was mostly petty squabbles between nobles. Boring, really."

"And I had a rather enjoyable sleep. It was certainly more effective than a pot of coffee."

Daedalus nodded and that before his smiled faded. "I have to apologize to you both."

Two alicorn heads tilted in unison confusion before Celestia asked. "Why is that?"

"I was being way to blunt with you both. I mean, seriously, I discussed sex with you two. That's a little too much. I intend to tone it down."

"No!" They both yelled causing him to lean away slightly.

"No?" He asked in confusion.

"We enjoy the bluntness. Our subjects aren't so calm with us, a fact we long for. We are very happy you talk with us freely, even if its about something like sex. It shows that you respect us as more than leaders. You respect us as living beings." Celestia said, smiling warmly. At her smile, Daedalus couldn't help but smile back. Her smile filled him with a sense of familiarity that he had missed. He, however, simply couldn't remember when he last felt this way.

Luna coughed into her hoof lightly before speaking. "Are we going to ignore what Daedalus did to the room?"

At that, Celestia's eyes widened. "Ah, yes! What did you do?"

Daedalus smiled as he stood, the tendrils covering the walls, floor, and ceiling retreating into his body. However, the five pillars remained before the stalks on Daedalus' back moved to connect with them. "I wanted to make an offer. A favor for a favor, if you'll accept."

Celestia' eyebrow rose slightly, her mood slightly souring as she thought of some of the 'favors' she had been asked for over the years. "Oh?"

"One day, maybe soon, my existence will be revealed to Equestria, or at least Ponyville. When that happens, I may not be accepted. If I'm not, can I count on you to shelter me?" Daedalus asked with a seriousness she had not expected.

"That's it?" Celestia asked in pleasant surprise before she and her sister shared a glance.

"Yeah, that's it." Daedalus said, a small smile forming.

With that, Celestia gave a warm smile as she and Luna stepped forward. They approached on either side of him before leaning in and nuzzling his neck. His eyes widened before he stepped back in shock. Both mares giggled at his reaction before Celestia spoke happily. "You are our friend, Daedalus. Of course we will help you. You don't even need to offer anything in return."

He shrugged. "I wanted to. In return, I will provide extra defense toward Equestria."

Her head tilted as Luna asked. "How so?"

"I'm capable of creating an army. I have created five separate entities that were used to fill the ranks of the viral armies. I wanted to show them to you." Daedalus said.

At this, both Princesses seemed to grow nervous. "They are under your control, correct?"

He nodded to her. "Entirely, Luna. They are incapable of disobeying me. They will do whatever I ask of them, no matter what it is."

Celestia hesitated, then nodded. "Show them to us, then."

He pointed to the second smallest pillar. "Contained within the viral incubator is the weakest of all infected. Known simply as a Shambler, they are the result of the infection of an entity incapable of undergoing massive genetic mutation."

The front of the pillar seemingly melted away as a strange creature walked out. Shaped as a human, it was corded by powerful muscle. It was taller than a pony but shorter than the three of them. Its only ability seemed to be sheer strength.

Daedalus continued speaking. "In Mercer's army, Shamblers are dead people who were too injured to become a true Redlight beast. My version, however, is built from scratch."

"You can create life?" Celestia asked in a breathless whisper, overtaken with awe.

Daedalus smiled slightly in pride. "With proper time and experimentation, yes. However, these aren't my own creations. I simply used a template I already knew. Mercer designed these beasts."

"Speaking of beasts, the next creature is a Warper." The pod dissolved and a small black canine stepped out. Bladed wings sprouted from its back and its hide was covered entirely in small, sharp spikes. Glowing orange eyes completed the fearsome look.

"Capable of flight at simply incredible speeds, these creatures overwhelm any of Blackwatch's air support. They are also capable of delivering punishing charges into enemy armies."

Daedalus gestured to the third pod and it, too, dissolved before the creature stepped out. "This is called a Maniac. These were meant to play upon a man's fear of the truly insane. With great speed and agility as well as beyond razor sharp claws, they would also twitch and laugh in the midst of battle, unnerving foes."

As tall as a Shambler, this creature was clearly more powerful. With two arms ending in large, black claws characterized by silver blades, it was rather terrifying. It seemed to give the disturbed Princesses a grin before stopping.

"Our answer to tanks and other armored units, the Berserker specialized in smashing apart steel with ease. They would also act as mobile shields for our Maniacs, allowing them to close with the enemy."

It was the second quadruped. Its feet were similar to hooves and the entire thing was covered with an armor-like layer of white bone. Black veins covered the Redlight as it stared at the sisters with glaring red eyes.

"Finally, we have the Reinforcer. When Mercer created these, he gave the Maniacs a second purpose. They would pile bodies together for the Reinforcer to regurgitate a virus onto. This virus would rapidly mutate the bodies into more Maniacs. These walking fortresses were capable of taking or dealing massive amounts of damage while replenishing our armies."

The final and largest pod dissolved and the alicorns finally reacted. They gasped in fear and stepped back as the monster took an earth-shuddering step forward. Its white horns gleamed with a vicious tip before their eyes drifted across its plated body. It seemed to be covered in a white bone even denser then the Berserker's. Six massive legs made the monster more like a beetle and its six red eyes gave it a wide range vision.

"That's the five." Daedalus said, placing a hand on Celestia's shoulder. "Are you interested in testing any of them."

She shook her head rapidly, an action mimicked closely by Luna. Chuckling, the five tendrils impaled each of the Redlight infected and consumed them, then consumed the remains of the pods. "Didn't think so. I only wanted to show them to you. So you understand just what kind of force you have fighting for you."

She craned her neck to look at him. "Promise me, Daedalus. Promise me you'll never use them unless you get my or my sister's permission."

He smiled at her, something he thought he did quite often around her. "I swear it. I swear it on my monstrous soul."

She hit him with her wing. "You aren't a monster."

He frowned at her as the mood took a sudden downturn and she realized that this was something he was entirely convinced of. "The people I've killed says otherwise."

Before Celestia replied, Luna spoke. "It says that Mercer was a horrible monster for forcing you to do those things just to survive. Do not blame yourself for the actions of others. I made that mistake by blaming Nightmare Moon's actions on myself."

He looked at her for a long moment before speaking. "How did you forgive yourself?"

She smiled at him as she approached. "I thought of everything I could do to help others with the powers that had almost destroyed the world. Use your virus to help others, Daedalus."

His face softened as he smiled slightly at her. "That is so cheesy it may work."

She also hit him with her wing before she reared up and embraced him. He hugged her back, feeling another pair of wings and hooves wrap about him from behind. He heard two separate whispers in his ears.

"If you ever need help, talk to us."

"We'll always be there for you."

They let him go and stepped back before Celestia spoke. "Come on. Its dinner time."

They led the way out and headed down the hall. As they walked, Daedalus' eyes couldn't help but be drawn to their rumps. It seemed they knew it, too, as they started swaying rather significantly. His eyes snapped forward as they began giggling. He looked into Celestia's magenta eyes and gave her a bright, sincere smile. A smile that she returned.

With a quick slice, Daedalus cut a slice of his steak before eating it. He looked up while lightly tapping his bladed fingers on the plate. "Celestia, Luna, are you two the only royals in Equestria?"

They both smiled before Luna answered. "Nay. We have our adopted niece, as we've said."

"Cadence, the Lady of Love. Although, you never mentioned she was a Princess." Daedalus said.

"Oops. She is an Equestrian Princess though. She also recently married Captain Shining Armor, who became Prince Shining Armor. Finally, we have our adopted nephew, Prince Blueblood."

"What is he like?" Daedalus asked.

"Snobbish." Luna said.

"Luna!" Celestia exclaimed.

"What? Its true."

"That may be so, but he is still our nephew."

"Only because we adopted his ancestors into the family."

"If he's your nephew, why isn't he here?" Daedalus asked.

Celestia sighed as Luna gave her a smug smile. "Because he is rather self centered and specist. We don't want him ruining your time here."

Daedalus shrugged. "Fair enough."

They continued eating for a few minutes before a servant entered and whispered into Daedalus' ear before departing. Daedalus smiled as he stood, drawing the attention of both mares. When they looked at him curiously, he answered their unasked question. "I'll be back in a moment."

Daedalus followed the servant through the door to the kitchen, letting it close behind him. Celestia turned to her sister. "Luna, what do you think he is doing?"

The dark alicorn shrugged. "I don't have an idea."

After a moment of silence, Luna asked her sister a question. "What did you think of Daedalus' creations?"

Celestia thought for a moment before answering. "While I am rather terrified of the creatures themselves, I am happy that he will go to such lengths to protect us."

Luna laughed. "You just want a strong male to protect you."

Celestia blushed a deep red. "You know very well that I like being dominated and he attracts that side of me."

"Just that side?"

"Well, no. All of me, in a way." She said, done trying to delude herself. She was afraid Luna would disapprove, a fear that seemed unfounded.

Luna smiled but didn't reply. Moments later, Daedalus entered the room with a sliver dome covering a tray. He placed the tray on the table and sat in his seat, thinking to himself. So she's attracted to me? I... don't know what to think of that.

He reached forward and pulled the dome off the tray, revealing a plate piled high with fudge brownies. He smiled to them as the smell of rich chocolate filled the room and both mares felt their mouths begin to water. "I told you I can bake. Go ahead, eat some."

They needed no more encouragement as they each took several brownies and began eating them. From the look on their faces, and Celestia's sounds, they quite enjoyed the food. He chuckled at the soft moans she made as the fudge melted in her mouth. After swallowing, she opened her eyes to see Daedalus and Luna looking at her.

She blushed again, a blush that deepened when Daedalus spoke. "That was incredibly sexy."

She was shocked when Luna nodded. "It was."

"Good brownie, by the way." Luna said as she ate another one.

"Thank you."

Before long, the plate was empty with Daedalus only getting two, one of which he hadn't even eaten yet. Both alicorns looked at him in amazement. "Those were amazing!"

He chuckled. "I could tell. Your sounds were quite clear."

She looked away for a moment before she looked back and laughed. "I certainly couldn't hide it. You certainly have baking ability."

Daedalus just waved it off. "All I did was follow a recipe I memorized."

At that, Celestia yawned loudly, her muzzle opening wide. Grabbing the last one, he aimed for a moment and tossed it, grinning as it sailed right into her open mouth. She snapped her muzzle shut when she felt it and blushed as she realized what happened. She hesitated before swallowing it in one go. She licked her lips and winked at him.

Daedalus opened his mouth to speak but closed it. He didn't have any idea what to say to that. He stood up. "I'm going to bed before she makes me lose my self control."

Luna almost choked laughing as her sister covered her face with her wing. The door closed behind him, silencing the sound of laughter.

Luna smiled smugly at her sister. "'Let him get comfortable,' you said, 'Not any time soon,' you said. Then you try to seduce him."

She looked down a little. "I can't help it, Luna. I feel so free around him. The only other time I feel like this is with you."

She heard her sister get up before she was nuzzled in the crook of her neck. "I'm not judging you, Tia. I feel the same with him."

Celestia looked out the window, eyes drifting across the lit up city below the castle. "I wonder what he would say if we ask him to join our herd."

She felt Luna's wing wrap around her. "With the way today went, I don't think he would say no. We need to make sure we don't rush things, though."

Daedalus remained awake in bed, thinking on the day he had.

Today started off normal. We met the Princesses, told my story, and Pinkie went home. Then we had lunch. Since then, its been flirt after flirt between us, constantly teasing. Then I heard they are somewhat interested in me. Why?

Is it just my immortality? Or the way I've treated them? Both? For God's sake, we met each other today! They can't be developing feelings for me already, can they? Love at first sight is complete bullshit.

I'll think more on it tomorrow.

Author's Notes:

Thanks to my Beta Reader BurningDusk who caught errors that I missed entirely.

Last Day in Canterlot

10-Last Day in Canterlot

Daedalus looked around as he entered the training yard. More than six hundred recruits practiced throughout the field. He saw everything from weapons training, hoof to hoof combat, magic combat, and obstacles courses.

Contrary to common belief, the main training grounds for the Royal Guard actually isn't even in Canterlot. Its below the city, near the mountain base. Based in a compound spanning fifteen square miles, the guard had all the space they needed to form, train, and maintain a fully functional army.

The compound consisted of a grid of barracks capable of housing twenty thousand soldiers, more than the entire guard combined. Each barrack contained a communal shower, something ponies didn't mind. Five mess halls were situated in the grid, making for plenty of space to eat.

Sergeants and other officers were housed in buildings that more closely resembled apartments. Another section nearby contained the recreational facilities, including a pool, gym, and various tabletop games, sports arenas, and equipment.

Finally, the training grounds were the largest part. The most notable features were the six training courses, the longest curving for nearly a mile of difficult terrain. Of to one side, ranged magic and archery drills were being performed by the recruits. Lessons on a variety of weapons, hoof to hoof techniques, and even lessons on dealing with other species were being taught in a large, empty field. Lastly, a dirt track circled the entire field.

The virus was only on the grounds because he had awoken to the sound of a guard knocking on his door. She had been sent to inform him that the Captain wished to meet with him. She gave him directions to the field before departing, mentioning her patrol. He had departed soon after leaving a message for the Princesses.

"I must say, I wasn't expecting you to be here so early." He heard a voice say from behind him. Turning to face the speaker, he was greeted with the sight of another guard, this one wearing an armor set with purple highlights.

"Captain Armor." Daedalus said with a nod. "To what do I owe this meeting?"

The guard Captain came to his side and gazed at the trainees. He seemed to gather his thoughts for several minutes. "After you parted from the Princesses, they briefed me on the extent of your abilities and powers. They wanted me to be aware of your kind's capabilities in the event another, more hostile member came to this world. I warned my guards that they were to not engage another Evolved but rather report it."

Daedalus nodded in understanding. It was a smart decision. A Royal Guard would only give amusement to one of the psychopathic Evolved. "That still hasn't answered my question."

Shining looked up and locked eyes with him. "If we come under attack, will the Princesses be able to win?"

Daedalus hummed to himself quietly as he thought. A single swing severed Celestia's horn. If not for magic, they wouldn't have been able to survive my aggression. Even then, the Elements were the objects that contained me, not spells. Its possible they would survive, though, even if only because of magic. That's not counting my help, either.

At the same time, I'm not sure I can kill the Princesses. Harm them, sure, but they are supposedly goddesses. They may be able to survive a lethal wound from me.

"Possibly. Our greatest weakness is magic, so even a unicorn could fight. However, I've noticed that when a pony restrains another, they focus on the limbs."

He nodded. "Standard procedure. A criminal can't fight if all their limbs are restrained."

"True, for a normal criminal. Evolved can grow limbs from any where on our body. When I was corrupted, I almost killed one of your Princesses with this. Fortunately, she reacted and caught the tendril in time."

"However, most importantly, not even the Princesses can stand against an Evolved physically. Your greatest and only advantage is long ranged magic. Anything else is suicide. Remember that."

Shining nodded, a relieved smile on his face. "It may not be what I wanted to hear, but its good news nonetheless. I feared we were defenseless against them."

Daedalus cracked a smile. "Equestria's not that unlucky, Captain."

The two were silent for a moment, watching several guards practice their swordsmanship in a free for all. One, a pegasus, seemed to be a cut above the rest as he took out two opponents in under a minute. The pony was light on his feet, weaving under the swings of his final opponent, an earth pony. He seemed to be waiting for a opportunity.

"Now." Shining said. At the same time, the pegasus slid under a horizontal swing and kicked out the back legs of the earth pony. In a flash, he was standing, sword pointed at the downed pony's throat.

The Captain smiled and walked forward. Daedalus, interested in the stallion, followed. When they neared, Shining spoke. "Well done, Recruit Edge. That was something else."

The pony took his helmet off. Some type of spell broke and the white stallion was revealed to be a blue mare with a red mane. Magical illusions. I knew something was up with the guards.

"Thank you, Captain. May I ask who the being behind you is?" She asked, looking up at him.

"He's a guest of the Princesses. Why don't you introduce yourself?" He said in reply.

She stepped forward and held her hoof up to him as she spoke. "My name is Gleaming Edge, a new recruit to the Royal Guard."

He shook her hoof, introducing himself. "Daedalus, a guest and friend to the Princesses."

Satisfied, she turned her attention back to the Captain as he addressed Daedalus. "Why don't we give these guards a show with swordplay?"

Daedalus just laughed. "I can't wield a sword, Captain."

He was understandably confused at that. "The Princesses informed me you were skilled with a blade."

"Different kind of blade, I'm afraid. While the principle is the same, technique is noticeably different."

"Oh? How so?" Shining asked, intrigued.

Daedalus formed his bladed arm to show the Captain. Shining stepped back as the tendrils appeared but watched in fascination as a large, black blade with a gleaming silver edge formed. Gleaming, however, just gave it a calculating look. "First, Captain, how do you block with a sword?"

"You place to your sword in the path of the enemy weapon, perpendicular to it, of course. You tilt the sword so that the enemy's blade will hit the flat portion of yours, preventing the sharpened edge from gaining a dent in it." He explained.

"Right. My blade is part of me and therefore alive in a sense. This makes it as strong as me. A normal sword won't damage mine, no matter how I block it. Even if I'm fighting another Evolved, I can heal the chips and cracks that form from the blades impacting each other." The virus said, causing the stallion to nod in understanding.

"My blade's weight is also meaningless to me. Swinging it is as easy as swinging your hoof is to you. Also, when fighting normal beings, I don't actually need to hit them with the edge. If I hit them with the flat edge, I can put enough strength behind it to completely crush them. So while I understand a form of swordplay, I am untrained at wielding a normal sword." Daedalus finished.

Shining Armor walked toward the field and levitated a training sword from a nearby rack. "If you can form a blade, you can make it dull. Come on, Daedalus. Show me how you wounded the Princess."

Gleaming started at that and looked at him in shock and slight anger. He smiled down at her before explaining. "I wasn't in control of my body. The Elements of Harmony fixed that."

He stepped toward the Captain as he altered his blade mutation, making it thinner, lighter, and longer. When he finished, it had the size, shape, and the reach of a bastard sword. He stopped fifteen feet in front of the armored stallion, who spoke. "A knockout or yield will be the conditions of this match. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Daedalus called back. The man decided then and there that he would yield if the Captain managed to strike him in a place that would be debilitating or lethal.

Nearby recruits and their trainers noticed the event about to take place and started to form a large circle around the pair. All the while, the two combatants stared and waited for the other to make a move. Daedalus broke the silence, albeit not as expected. He smirked as he spoke. "Real quick, am I limited to just my blade or all my abilities?"

Shining smiled. "All, provided I have the same."

Daedalus chuckled. "I already expected you to use magic. Now, let's begin."

The Captain tensed at that and took a stance, training sword suspended in the air, blocking his face but not his sight. Daedalus, however, stood relaxed. His shifted arm was at his side and his muscles were loose.

On a nearby rooftop, two alicorns were watching the exchange. Luna turned to her sister as she spoke. "Look, sister. You can see the differences in their fighting style."

The solar alicorn gave her sister an exasperated look. "Explain, Luna. You know I'm not as versed in combat as you are. I see nothing of what you speak."

Luna smiled sheepishly before elaborating. "Our Captain is tensed and in a stance he had been trained to use. He is rigid, preferring strength over all else. This reveals his reliance on techniques he has perfected, showing the mark of a trained yet untested warrior."

"Daedalus, however, is relaxed and has taken no stance. His approach is better suited for true battle as he can react much faster and effectively. It also shows his reliance on speed and fluidity rather than strength."

"But what does it mean?" Celestia insisted, slightly irritated.

"It means, sister, than if this were a real battle, Daedalus would likely be the soldier returning home, not Captain Armor."

Down below, Daedalus heard every bit of their exchange. Hearing Luna describe their tactics amused the virus as he thought of something. He spoke quietly to himself, unable to be heard. "He's a Roman and I'm a Greek."

Daedalus dashed forward quickly, yet not his full speed. He ducked under the Captain's guard, a move that would have been impossible had he possessed bones. He swung his blade toward his opponent's front leg, enough strength behind it to bruise. The blade never connected as the stallion leaped to the side and brought his blade to bear, lowering the guard slightly.

Daedalus straightened up and smiled as he thought to himself. This won't be as easy as I expected. I have to swing slower to make sure I don't kill him, giving him time to dodge.

The two alicorns noticed as well. "Luna, is it me or is he swinging slower?"

"Slower. He has to ensure he doesn't put too much force in the attack. That equates to a dull blade and slower swings." Luna explained.

"So, if this were real, the battle would already be over?" Celestia asked, receiving a nod from her sister.

Daedalus circled the guard Captain as he examined the stance. The stallion turned in a circle, always facing the virus but never taking a hoof off the ground, neutralizing the risk of losing his balance.

Daedalus' left arm vanished in a whirl of tendrils before fading into his body. What remained was an altered version of the original whipfist. In this case, it was an actual viral whip, trailing at just over ten feet. Swinging it into the air, he launched it toward the Captain as speeds faster than a mortal eye could follow. With the crack of the sound barrier being broken and a new crack in his armor, Shining was knocked backwards a couple of feet and landed on his side.

Daedalus was on him in a second, ready to administer a chemical combination that would put him out immediately. However, as the chloroform-producing blade neared, a pulse of magic knocked him back and gave Shining time to stand and recover the sword he had dropped.

Daedalus eyed the unicorn, rather impressed at his ability to recover from a hit that visibly cracked his armor. He approached the pony again, ready to end the spar. When he neared, his opponent's horn glowed and three beams were shot at him. Daedalus dunked under one and lifted his leg to avoid the other. The third, however, hit the knee of his leg.

Immediately, the viral cells became unresponsive as they slipped into a coma-like state. The virus was concerned at this new development, yet Blacklight descended upon the affected cells and devoured them before replacing them with more. Daedalus looked at the Captain with surprise. "What kind of spell was that?"

Shining returned the look as he answered. "A simple sleep spell. Why?"

"My virus had an, adverse, reaction to the spell. I must say, Shining, thank you for this. This spar has taught me something about my body's reaction to magic. However, I must end this now."

Shining gave a confident smirk in reply. "You speak as if you can end this."

Daedalus returned the grin. "I can and I have. Look down."

Shining had time to glance downward to see a viral tendril emerge from the ground and pierce his hoof before it injected a chemical concoction into his bloodstream. The Captain had time to blink before he passed out, caught by Daedalus before he could hit the ground. The guards looked on in surprise as he virus retracted the tendril through the ground. He set the Captain down and looked at the guards.

He heard two sets of hooves touch down behind him and knew who it was, even without the guards bowing. "Captain Armor is rather adaptive, however, he underestimated me and didn't take the spar seriously."

"True, but neither did you." He heard Luna say.

Daedalus turned and smiled slightly at the sisters. "True, but I think only you two and other immortals would be able to make me fight seriously. There isn't much to fear when you can no longer die."

Luna smiled excitedly at that. "Mayhaps we should test that one day."

Daedalus laughed before replying. "Another day. The power gap between us is no doubt substantial."

Celestia frowned confusedly. "But you just said-"

Daedalus interrupted as he explained. "I do not fear death from you. You are most likely unable to kill me due to my nature. However, I am likely unable to kill you because of your power. I only have one ability I know can kill you and it might not even work. Those with sufficient power can resist it."

"An impasse." Celestia said. "An endless battle."

Luna cocked her head as she thought of something. "I thought you could absorb powers from others?"

Daedalus nodded his head as he answered. "I was speaking of my current power, but yes, I would be able to absorb your powers and become stronger than you both combined."

He couldn't help but notice the wary look he received from Celestia. She may have believed he wouldn't attack them, but she was still concerned about his potential for power. It was something he expected and was fine with.

"So nothing would be able to beat you?" Celestia asked.

"I didn't say that. Magic is my greatest weakness. I have no resistance to it and can't use it as far as I am aware. If I go rogue, it can be used to subdue me long enough for the Elements to be used." Daedalus explained, alleviating her concerns.

She smiled at him slightly. Part of it was because of the knowledge that, if he turned hostile, Equestria wasn't doomed. The rest was because she recognized that he knew why she asked him that and chose to give her an answer.

The mare continued to take what was, in her mind, discreet glances at Daedalus. She believed he wasn't aware of her actions, but he was. The corner of his mouth twitched with slight amusement as the librarian attempted to disguise her curiosity with the same trick she had been using for some time.

Daedalus had been reading a variety of books in the Royal Library for three or four hours now. After speaking to the Princesses in the field, they had all went separate ways. Luna had gone to sleep, Celestia had gone to hold court, and Daedalus began searching for the library, finding it some time later.

Since his arrival, he had been watched by the librarian, who was undoubtedly curious as to his species. At first, she did so sneakily, even if he did see her. She tried to take peeks through shelves as she returned books to their places. Now, she had lost all pretense of discretion. She had been holding the same open book for an hour now. Sometimes she would forget to flip to pages and remain on the same one for ten minutes at a time.

Of course, it was getting harder for her to see him with the wall of read books slowly building up. The virus had read several dozens books of various subjects at this point. Some were on magic, some were bestiaries, some were books that expanded upon the information Disarray gave him, and others still were general knowledge books.

Looking up from his current book entitled A Unicorn's Guide to Thaumaturgic Transfusion, he looked at the mare with an amused smile. She noticed his gaze immediately and her eyes jerked back to the book, flipping the page.

"Miss? You're reading the book upside-down. I know you've been examining me. Is there anything you want to ask?" Daedalus spoke, his voice making the mare flustered.

The librarian stood up and returned the book to a nearby shelf before walking over. She was a pale blue unicorn mare with a green mane that hung rather low. Her mark was, predictably, a book. She stopped at the table and smiled shyly at him before hesitatingly extending a hoof.

"H-hello. My n-name is Hard C-Cover."

He grasped her hoof and shook it, smiling disarmingly at her. "My name is Daedalus. It is nice to meet you, Ms. Cover."

She shook her head, her shyness fading slightly. "Just C-Cover is fine. There's no need for formality."

He nodded. "I hope you do the same for me, Cover."

She nodded once. "Of course, Daedalus."

The virus' smirk came back as he asked, "I've noticed that you've taken an interest in me. Any particular reason why?"

"Well, I've never seen your kind before. I'm just interested in you."

Daedalus raised a brow and smirked. "Oh? Interested in me?"

She blushed and vigorously shook her head. "No, no, no. Not like t-that. A scientific curiosity of your species. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

Daedalus shook his head. "Go ahead. I don't mind."

Hard Cover smiled brightly and teleported in a notebook and quill. She dipped it into an inkwell and held it over the paper, looking at him with an unrestrained eagerness he would expect from Twilight.

He closed his book, having memorized his page number, and awaited the first question. "Starting off simple, what species are you?"

"I am a human, scientific name being Homo sapiens. We are a race of evolved primates." He explained simply, receiving an understanding nod as she wrote it down. No need to let everyone know of Blacklight.

"Where is your kind from? I've never heard of humans." Cover said.

Daedalus chuckled lightly as he answered. "You couldn't have. I'm not from this world. Through means that I am just now beginning to understand, I was brought here."

She seemed struck with shock as her quill dipped lower. She stared at him, eyes wide and mouth agape, before she recovered and quickly scribbled the information down. "Basic information on your homeworld?"

"70% water and the rest land, there are seven continents and, depending on your source, four or five oceans. We have one moon, ironically named Luna. Our sun is named Sol. Oh, and magic doesn't exist." The virus finished with an amused smile.

The last fact made Cover's head snap up as she stared at him, horrified. "What?"

He nodded. "No human has magic. Instead, we rely on science and technology to improve our lives."

She wrote that, too, down before moving on. "Population?"

"Seven billion humans, give or take." Six point seven once Mercer's done with the U.S.

By this point, she seemed to have been expecting the shock as she immediately asked another. "Countries and rulers?"

"Over two hundred countries and various governments. Dictatorships, Republics, Monarchies, Communism, Socialism, etc." Daedalus answered simply.

Hard Cover looked up and smiled as she thanked him before teleporting the book away and returning to her desk toward the front of the library, on the other side of the room. He blinked at the sudden departure before smiling. She and Twilight would get along well.

Daedalus stood and returned the books to the proper spots with a multitude of tendrils. He had spent the last couple hours reading books on various forms of magic, including Thaumaturgy, a form of magic that relied on an understanding of nature. He felt it to be a magic he could relate to as understanding nature was a physicist's goal.

He waved to Hard Cover as he exited the library only to stop once the door closed. When he separated from the Princesses, he had enhanced his senses to their usual state. This allowed him to hear throughout the entire castle. To his concern, he could faintly hear the sounds of a familiar voice crying softly.

Daedalus immediately turned right and headed for the Lunar wing of the castle as he passed by guards and servants alike. Soon, the white marble gave way to dark basalt. Solar Guards were replaced with Lunar Guards and night-themed banners replaced the previous yellow ones. However, while this section was darker, it was by no means foreboding.

Light streamed in from tinted windows, allowing the hallways to be illuminated without hurting the sensitive eyes of bat ponies. Magical lights danced across the ceiling to mimic stars as they spun in circles. Blue was just as predominate as black, with silver being used for detail work. Before long, Daedalus walked past a branch in the hallway, glancing right as he continued straight. On the other side and out of sight, he stopped and leaned against the wall.

As I suspected. Two guards are stationed outside her door. I highly doubt they would let me in. That bodes a question, though. Why aren't they reacting?

The answer struck him instantly. Her walls must be sound dampening. They likely can't hear it. Either way, how do I get past? Altering the pigments in my exterior cells to reflect all visible light? No, I wouldn't be invisible, I'd be pure black. That would work if it was night, but its near noon. Sleeping gas? Nah, I'd rather not engage her guards.

Fuck it. I'll just tunnel through the basalt and come out on the other side of the door.

Daedalus dissolved into a mass of black tendrils and dug into the basalt floor. He made his way down the hall, under the hooves of the guards, and into Luna's room. He dug up, quickly checking to see he was in the right place with a tendril, then fully emerged and reformed. His eyes immediately switched to a low-light state and the room brightened considerably.

The room was, as he expected, night themed. Accurate constellations and nebulae dotted the roof while banners and artistry depicting the night lined the walls. Black and blue were prevalent themes, but the virus drew his eyes to the crying mare. Luna was in her bed, atop the blanket. She was curled in a ball with her head under her wings and holding her tail in her hoof. He could see the sobs racking her body as she shook.

Daedalus began to approach the bed and she must have heard him for she pulled her head out from under her wing and looked at him. Her reddened eyes widened as she saw him and the sad look on his face. She quickly tried to wipe away the tears before she sat up straight. "What are you doing in my room, Daedalus?"

He stopped in front of her bed. "I heard you crying and came to see what was wrong and, if possible, how I could help."

"I don't know what you think you heard, Daedalus, but it was not crying. Even if it had been, you could not have heard. My room is sound-proof." Luna said stubbornly.

Daedalus tapped his ear. "Sound dampening, apparently. My enhanced hearing heard you from the library."

Her eyes widened in surprise before they quickly returned to their firm stare. "I was not crying."

Daedalus sighed and sat down next to the alicorn mare. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her in her teal eyes. "Don't lie to me, Luna. More importantly, don't lie to yourself. Why were you crying?"

Luna looked away and remained silent. A moment passed, then another. Suddenly, she turned back to Daedalus, tears in her eyes. They quickly began to flow down her face and she buried her head into his shoulder. He softened that part of his body for her and wrapped his arm around her barrel, pulling her into a hug.

The virus said nothing as the night mare cried in his arms. He understood the benefit of letting pent up fear, sadness, and anger dissolve. What remained behind was lighter, happier. So, he held her in silence. For nearly fifteen minutes, she cried, the tears soaking his shoulder. Her heart-wrenching sobs died down before she pulled away and looked at him.

Luna's eyes were redder than before, the recent presence of tears obvious. The brimming tears and shining teal eyes pulled on heartstrings he didn't have and made him grip her just a bit tighter. She hiccupped once and spoke. "Thank thee, Daedalus. It has been a long time since we let our fear out like that. Even longer since somepony other than our sister held us as we did so."

He smiled lightly. "You're speaking Olde Equish again, Luna."

Her muzzle darkened lightly before she laughed, one filled with relief. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "You're very welcome. I couldn't let one of my friends be sad, now could I?"

A smiled played across her muzzle. "No, I suppose not."

Daedalus' smiled faded as he continued. "Would you tell me why you were crying, or it too personal?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'll tell you, just don't laugh."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, I can do that."

She looked down, slightly ashamed. "I have...nightmares."

To her relief, Daedalus didn't immediately start laughing. He didn't laugh at all. He just ran his hand through her mane, a motion that relaxed her, and spoke. "That's perfectly natural."

She looked at him sharply as her voice raised, if only slightly. "I am the Princess of Dreams! I shouldn't have nightmares!"

"You are a mare that has been through incredibly trying times. Your title does not mean you are immune to nightmares, it means you help others' with theirs. But while you help them, who helps you? Celestia?"

Luna looked down again. "Celestia does not know. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to tell her."

Daedalus looked at her, confusion clear on his face. "Why? What are they about?"

She shivered, a full body shake that shook her from the tip of her tail to the point of her horn. "That day. The day she was forced to banish me to the moon. The look of betrayal and pain I could see on her face, a face I only wanted to destroy at the time. Some nights I relive that day. Most of the time, I dream of being trapped on the moon again. I much prefer the latter."

She looked at him, a desperate hope shining in her eyes. "How do you deal with it? I know you've done things you now regret."

Then she looked appalled at what she had said. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like-"

Daedalus silenced her by wrapping his hand around her muzzle. He smiled softly at her as she calmed down. "I know what you meant, Luna. Its fine. Yes, I have plenty that I regret, but I move forward by finding a reason to move forward. Until recently, that reason was to find a way to stop Mercer."

She sniffled a little. "And now?"

He smiled. "To find ways to protect and help my friends, whether they know the truth about me or not."

Luna smiled as she nuzzled him lightly. "That's a good reason."

Daedalus nodded, then continued. "As for your nightmares, it may help to talk to Celestia about it. Yes, it will hurt you both at first, but you'll both begin to heal from it."

"I'm scared." Luna mumbled quietly.

"And that's normal. But Celestia loves you far more than just as a sister. She won't ridicule you or be disappointed you because you have nightmares. Instead, she'll do everything in her power to help you past them."

Luna silently thought to herself for several minutes as Daedalus continued to run his hand through her ethereal mane. It was an interesting feeling as her mane was quite cool, similar to a midnight breeze. He enjoyed the feeling and she seemed to as well as his actions relaxed her.

"I'll tell her. Not today, but I will. You're right, Daedalus. Thank you." Luna said gratefully. She looked up at him, gratitude shining clearly in her eyes. As he smiled back, Daedalus couldn't help but think that she looked beautiful.

Luna looked apprehensive for a moment before her horn lit. Two feathers were plucked from her wings and she gave them to him. When he looked at them in confusion, she smiled. "One for you to consume, another for you to keep."

"Consume? Are you sure you trust me with that?"

Luna smiled. "I do. I may not be as powerful as my sister, but I am still an alicorn. That may help you one day."

He stood slowly as he placed the end of one feather in his hoodie, molding the virus to hold it in place. A dark blue feather now rested over his heart against a white hoodie. "I'll leave you to sleep, Luna. If I hear you have nightmares again, I'll come back, okay?"

She nodded, a small smile on her muzzle. Daedalus turned and walked toward the door. Right before it, he looked over his shoulder. "Good afternoon, Luna."

"Good afternoon, Daedalus." With that, he dissolved into tendrils and sunk into the floor. He reformed himself around the corner and down the hall. When he could see again, he came face-to-face with a surprised Celestia.

Her eyes drifted down to the feather on his hoodie and her eyes widened as she smiled softly. "Luna gave you a feather?"

Daedalus nodded. "Two, actually. One to consume, she said."

Celestia nodded before she frowned worriedly. "I was actually on my way to her room. I thought I felt a spike of fear coming from her. It calmed several minutes ago but I still wanted to check on her. Do you know what happened?"

Daedalus nodded. "A nightmare. I heard her and went to help her. We talked about it for some time. She's likely trying to go back to sleep."

Celestia's ears flattened when she heard that. "I wish she would talk to me about her nightmares."

Daedalus reached out and placed a hand on her shoulders. "We talked about that, too. She should tell you within the next couple days."

She smiled and leaned in, nuzzling his cheek. When she pulled away, a pink blush dusted her face. She used magic to pluck a feather from her wing which she put next to Luna's. Then, she teleported away without saying a word.

Daedalus looked down and touched the two feathers, smiling lightly. He ran his finger across them, enjoying the silky smooth feeling. Maybe I just found a new reason to move on. Two new reasons, actually.

Author's Notes:

As before, Beta Read by BurningDusk

Back in Ponyville

11-Back in Ponyville

The train rumbled down the tracks as it headed back to Ponyville. Daedalus had been deep in thought nearly an hour now after having departed from Canterlot and the Princesses. They had said their goodbyes in the Castle to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to him.

Both alicorn mares smiled sadly at Daedalus. They were going to miss him and he knew it, just as they knew he would miss them. Their feathers were still in place, over his heart. He had noticed the night before that the feathers were tertiaries, the smallest type of feather on birds and, apparently, alicorns.

Daedalus was curious as to why they would glance at their feathers and blush lightly but he felt it wasn't the time to ask. He smiled to the two mares that had gone from his enemies to his friends. "I really don't want to leave so soon."

They smiled back. Luna stepped forward and spoke. "We don't want you to leave so early, either."

Then she closed the distance and embraced him in a hug with both her hooves and wings. It felt like a warm blanket was wrapping around him and he couldn't help but return the hug. To his slight surprise, Celestia stepped forward and embraced him in much the same way. "There will be plenty of time for us to spend time together, though. After all, we have eternity."

Daedalus laughed at that. "There is truth to that, Celestia. I'll always be here, when you want me to be and even when you don't."

They both laughed at that. Celestia spoke with mirth in her voice. "We'll always want you here, Daedalus."

"Even if ten thousand years were to pass." Luna added, agreeing with her sister.

With a final nuzzle from each, they stepped back. Celestia looked at the sun. "Your train is almost here. You should go else you'll be late."

There was a clear sadness to her voice, one so powerful that Daedalus had to try to cheer her up. "I'll be back, you know."

When the two alicorns looked at him, he continued. "Its not like I can just return to Ponyville and forget this. You are two of the three ponies who know about me. I'll be back to spend more time with you two."

They smiled brightly at him and he returned it. When Daedalus turned to go, Luna called his name. "Daedalus."

He looked at her over his shoulder. "No matter what form you take, will you keep the feathers? It will mean a lot to us."

Celestia nodded her agreement and the virus smiled. He shifted into his pony form, the two feathers now behind his ears. "Of course I will."

They both waved with their wings as he exited the castle and made his way to the train station.

Now, an hour or so later, he sat in a train car on his way to Ponyville. Unlike on the way to Canterlot, the car was near full. Ponies sat around him as he looked out the window at the passing scenery. The white and black feathers sat behind his ears. Luna's feather matched his dark blue mane while Celestia's contrasted nicely with it.

Daedalus had first felt strange wearing feathers behind his ears. He had thought it would draw attention to him. However, nopony commented or even noticed them, so he relaxed. The feathers weren't even viral copies. When he normally shifts, his body consumes whatever he is wearing and remakes it to fit his new form.

Instead of doing that with the feathers, which would entail destroying them, he simply moved them each time he shifted. He felt no desire to consume them. In fact, he hadn't even consumed the DNA he received from Luna, nor the DNA he took from Celestia when he was healing her horn. Both were stored in a genetic state within his body. However, he had not integrated the genes into his own viral code. That would force a mutation and Daedalus didn't know how powerful it would be.

Suffice to say, he planned to make a trip to the Everfree to consume the genes and grow his power. When that would be, he did not know.

First thing I have to do when I get back is to speak with Coal Dust and let her know I'll be back to work tomorrow. Then, I'll head to Fire Brand and rent my room again. I'll head back to the Library and borrow the books and give them a thorough read.

Plan in place, Daedalus leaned against the window and closed his eyes. Lulled by the reverberating noise of the train wheels on the tracks, he allowed himself to fall asleep.

"The train will be stopping at Ponyville Station in ten minutes! Please ensure you take all luggage with you!"

Daedalus woke to the sound of the conductor making his way through the cars and alerting the passengers of the impending stop. Daedalus blinked his eyes open and sat up, noticing the significant distance between Canterlot and the train.

Within fifteen minutes, the train came to a complete stop at the Ponyville Station. About half of the ponies in the train car with the virus stood and exited the train, he along with them. When Daedalus stepped into the light, he looked around and locked eyes with a familiar pony.

"Welcome back, Gene!" Pinkie enthusiastically shouted as she bounced over to the virus.

"Thank you, Pinkie. Its good to see you." He replied, thankful that she remembered to use his disguise's name.

She stopped in front of him and wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him into a hug. Surprised, he hesitated a moment before he returned her affection. "Did you enjoy being in Canterlot?"

He nodded with a smile as they parted and began walking. "I sure did. I can safely say both Princesses are now good friends of mine. I even got a gift from them."

He gestured to his ears and she looked, instantly spotting the feathers. Her smile grew much larger. "Wowee! They gave you tertiary feathers? You must have made a really good impression!"

Daedalus blinked and tilted his head, confused. "I understand that they are tertiary feathers, but why do you assume I made a good impression?"

As they passed through one of Ponyville's parks, she stopped and frowned before suddenly smiling again. "I forgot you don't know pony customs that well. Feathers play an important part in pegasus and, apparently, alicorn culture. Pegasi have three types of feathers, primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries. They'll give them to ponies close to them to show how they feel and each feather has a different meaning behind them, all romantic."

"W-what?" Daedalus asked, confused on two ends. First by the educational tone and mood Pinkie had taken and also by what she was explaining to him.

"Tertiaries aren't that significant and it isn't a way of confessing love or anything. They don't mean anything particularly specific, but do have a meaning." Pinkie continued.

Daedalus had a blank, contemplative look on his face as he asked, "What do they mean then? All three feathers, preferably."

"Well, tertiaries are rather simple. I'm going to use Celestia as an example since she gave you one, okay?" When Daedalus nodded his consent, she continued. "Well, when Celestia gave you her tertiary feather, she was saying that she considers you a good friend. She wants to get to know you well and see if anything develops from that."

"Its a friendship request, then." Daedalus simplified.

Pinkie nodded. "With a little bit of a romantic possibility. Secondaries are a little different. They are the pegasus equivalent of asking somepony to officially be their special somepony. If they were the one asked, it can be used as an acceptance instead. It signifies courtship."

"Primaries?"

"Those are the most important because for pegasi and maybe alicorns, they don't regrow. Once a pegasus loses them, that's it. If Celestia were to give you one of her primaries, it would essentially be a proposal or an acceptance to your proposal. Its signifies that the other pony is somepony you love beyond life and would do anything for, including die." Pinkie finished explaining and Daedalus just shook his head at her.

"Pinkie, how do you know this much about pegasi courtship?" He asked, amazed.

She giggled, the educational tone dropping. "Well, love is just another, deeper kind of friendship. I wanted to learn all about it so I asked Fluttershy how pegasi showed their loved for each other."

Then she gave him a sly look. "So what are you going to do about this?"

"What do you mean?" The virus asked, slightly nervous.

"Are you going to try to form a herd with them? They are obviously both interested otherwise you wouldn't have gotten two feathers." Pinkie asked.

"I don't know. Why do you want to know?" He asked quickly.

"Because I like making ponies happy and if you and them become special someponies then you will all be happy." She said just as quickly. Then, she frowned. "Y-you haven't had a relationship before, have you?"

Daedalus shook his head honestly. "Nope."

"How? You're nice to everypony and so respectful. Mares should have are least been interested back home!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Daedalus glanced around and saw that they were alone in the park for the moment. He directed her over to a bench and they sat. "Pinkie, you know my past. As a virus under the servitude of Mercer, romance wasn't a thing. We focused on staying alive, not being happy."

Pinkie cocked her head in confusion. "What about before?"

He shook his head. "As a kid, I cared about my books more than people. I had plenty of friends, but they were at school. Once I got home, I read and that was it. As a teenager, I took an interest in physics and spent my time ensuring I could attend college and earn degree in it. During college, I never paid attention to my classmates, only on the professor. I simply never had the time or desire to date someone."

Pinkie giggled a little. "You sound a lot like Twilight."

Daedalus cracked a smile. "I suppose I do. You have your answer now, though."

She nodded. "I think you should see where things go, just like the feathers say. If you start to like them, then ask them out. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Like I said, love is a deeper type of friendship. If it feels awkward or strange, it's not working."

Daedalus stood up and quickly hugged the pink mare. "Thanks, Pinkie. I have to admit though, I am severely surprised that you know so much about this stuff."

"Its another way of making ponies happy, which is my special talent." She said simply. "I'm not as good as Princess Cadence though, whose special talent is love itself. If you want real advice, ask her. You might need to tell her the truth, though."

Daedalus nodded with a smile. "I might do that one day, then."

Pinkie waved at him before bouncing in the general direction of Sugarcube Corner. Daedalus turned toward where he knew Hammer and Tongs was. As he started walking out of the park, he thought to himself. Maybe I don't need to worry about what the feathers mean and what might come about. Pinkie is right. I should stop trying to control every aspect of my life and live in the present, not the future.

Daedalus, with one less worry, began smiling as he made his way to his employer. Truly a smart mare, even if she doesn't show it often.

Daedalus entered the Hammer and Tongs to see Coal Dust hammering away at a horseshoe. He gave it an odd look, unsure as to what horseshoes were used for in this world.

Coal must have noticed his questioning look as she answered his unasked inquiry. "The Apple family order these special hoof-protectors so they don't hurt themselves during harvest. A decent order always comes in a month or so before harvest season."

She hit the metal one last time before cooling it and setting it aside. She took off the black apron that protected her front and approached the virus. He smiled at her, facing slightly down, as she smiled back. She reached forward and, surprisingly, pulled him into a hug.

"Glad you're back." She said simply. "I hope you enjoyed Canterlot."

He returned the hug with one foreleg and replied. "I did. I even made two new friends."

They parted and stepped back as she continued to smile. "I heard from Pinkie. She said who they were was a secret, though. Will you share?"

When he shook his head, she sighed. "I figured. It was worth a shot, though."

Daedalus laughed lightly. "That is true."

Coal returned the laugh. "Anything you are willing to share?"

He nodded. "I met Captain Armor."

Her eyes lit up in surprise. "Really? He makes orders for blades sometimes. I haven't met him in pony though. What is he like?"

"A little overconfident but he is certainly skilled and respectful. I wouldn't mind getting to know him as well."

Coal nodded and the two fell into a peaceful silence for a moment. It was broken by Coal Dust as she said, "I'm sure you have things you need to do. Don't worry about working, you can return tomorrow. Does that sound fair?"

"Clearly." He said with a thankful smile.

Coal waved him off. "Go on, make sure you have a room to stay in. I'd hate for my employee to have nowhere to stay because he talked to his boss too much."

He laughed lightly as he nodded and left the building, heading for Green Dragon Tavern.

Daedalus fell back into his bed, ready to sleep. He had done everything he needed to do including borrow the books from Twilight and rent a room in the Tavern again. Surprisingly enough, he had gotten the same room. Fire Brand had been interested in his trip as well, though she didn't ask anything.

The virus closed his eyes after a final glance around the room and allowed himself to fall asleep.

"Take everything out of your account and get out of the country, Mel. Others and I are fighting him but it would be so much easier knowing you're safe."

"Jay, are you sure? I want to try to help you! Maybe Amy can find some way to cure Blacklight. She's got a Master's, after all."

"I know Mel, but it isn't safe. If we can't stop him, he'll spread over the country. The army can't do shit against us, you know this. Blackwatch is failing at every corner and its only a matter of time before they fall completely."

"I-I can't. I don't have the money and Mom and Dad don't work anymore. J-Jay, I'm scared. I don't want you to die."

"It'll be okay. I emptied my account into yours so you'll have enough for a house and for you, Mom, and Dad to live comfortably for years. You'll be safe once you're out of here."

"O-okay, Jay. I trust you and love you. We'll be safe. Mom's always wanted to go to England, right? She might enjoy the move. Will you stay in touch?"

"Honestly? I might not be able to. I don't want to bring any attention to you."

"We'll watch the news, then. Maybe we'll hear about you."

"Keep an eye out for the name Daedalus."

"Daedalus? You always did like Greek mythology. Goodbye. I'll see you soon."

"I hope so, Mel. Stay safe and take care of Mom and Dad. Tell Amy I'm sorry I won't be able to go to her ceremony."

The world shifted and time changed around him as he moved with space, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Do it!" The dark voice yelled at him.

"I c-can't."

"Yes you fucking can! If you don't, I'll tear you apart starting with your eyes!" The hated voice threatened.

The feeling of warmth sliding around his extended fingers brought a shiver of disgust to the recently-infected man. The girl couldn't even scream as her throat was cut and spine severed.

"Now, eat."

Again, the fabric of existence changed around him, bringing him to another horror.

"I- It- They- Kill- Damn- All!" He screamed, letting his insanity out as he became a maelstrom of death, dozens of innocent people dying all around him in spades. Moments later, he collapsed, sobs wracking his body. His viral hearing could hear his Master speaking from atop a building.

"Looks like the experiment was a success. Daedalus is now under my control."

"Are you sure, Mercer? It looks like he just snapped under the torment." A familiar sound followed the statement as the speaker was killed without warning.

"I'm sure." Mercer said to the now-dead corpse.

The world shifted faster and more fluidly as he began to lose awareness of his surroundings, surrounded only by memories.

"Kill the bitch. Her daughter, too."

"What about the husband?"

"He watche-

The blade bisected the soldier as he stormed the base, tearing soldiers apart single-handedly. Nothing could or would stop him. He desired more. More death. More fear. More pai-

"Please! I have a daughter and two sons! They depend on me!"

"Where are they? I'll be sure to get them out of this hellhole."

"Fifth and West. Apartment 503. Thank yo-ggack!"

The blade pierced his skull as the man laughed, consuming the corp-

"Where's Daddy?" The little girl asked the scary man.

"In a happy place. You'll be joining him soon."

"Really?" A boy asked.

"Yes, really." Three tendrils sprouted from the floor and speared all three children. "Now, specificall-

"Stop!" A familiar voice yelled, cutting though the very fabric of space and time. One final memory came into focus.

Bang! Bang! Bang! "Why won't you die you piece of demon shit!"

Daedalus brought the gun to his chin again and quickly fired four more shots, each passing through his skull cleanly. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Daedalus snapped awake, instantly reverting to a solid form. He glared at his tendrils as they retracted and formed his arms and legs. He stood on shaky legs and approached the window, throwing it open.

He breathed in the cool, refreshing air as he glared at the world around him. Why? Why do the dreams torture me even now? I've escaped Mercer and the world. I don't kill innocents anymore. I'm not evil. So why do I have these dreams?

Daedalus sighed and lowered his head into the windowsill, not caring if anyone saw him in his base form. He them thought better of it and shifted into Gene Splice after backing away. He returned to his position and stared at the moon. "Who am I kidding? Of course I'm evil. I doubt those dreams will ever end, even if I were to kill Mercer myself."

He stared at the moon, a small memory surfacing. "That was Luna I heard."

He groaned into the night and slammed his muzzle against the wood. "She's likely disgusted by me now. I can expect unicorns busting open my door in the morning to bring me to the dungeons."

As he stared at the wood, he felt something. It was something he had never felt before in his life. It started deep inside his body in a place he couldn't find with his virus and bubbled into his chest and head. There it seemed to pause before continuing into his throat. He opened his mouth to cough and out came-

"Ghosts in my past they haunt me.
All of my sins they plague my mind.
I'm paralyzed with tears in my eyes.

Nothing I do can quell them
But deep in my soul I tell them no!
I'm still ashamed, oh I'm so ashamed.

How can I carry on?
How can I right all my wrongs?
I am torn to my core with regret.

How can I ever atone
For all the things I have done?
Cause I am so burdened down by regret.
I'm filled with regret.

Night after night in torment.
Just when I think I might break free,
I get lost in the pain.

Each day the guilt consumes me.
Part of me feels like I deserve
To remain wracked with pain.

How can I carry on?
How can I right my wrongs?
I am torn to my core with regret.

How can I ever atone
For all the things I have done?
Cause I am so burdened down by regret.
I'm filled with regret,

For all the things I've done,
The pain that I've caused everyone.
I suffer now for my mistakes.
I'll suffer for as long as it takes!

How can I carry on?
How can I right all my wrongs?
I am torn to my core with regret.

How can I ever atone
For all the things I have done?
Cause I am so burdened down by regret.
I'm lost with regret."

His voice echoed into the night and the moon seemed to dim. It was as if Luna had heard his song and been saddened by it.

With a final sigh, Daedalus turned into bed and lied down, refusing to sleep.

Author's Notes:

As always, proofread by Burning Dusk.

This song isn't by me, naturally. It is Regret by Luna Jax.

Afflicted

12-Afflicted

Long ago, in a time forgotten by mortal and alicorn minds alike, several beings walked across the skin of Equis. These beings were as powerful as they were alien, none of them born upon the land they roamed. Each had been brought to Equis by another, given new bodies and new names with which they fulfilled their tasks.

Gaea, Lady of Life, tasked with ensuring all life on the planet had a place. She brought balance between the myriad of species that called Equis home.

Thanatos, Lord of Death, tasked with ensuring the world always had a place for new life. He ferried souls to the realm they needed to go to, whether good or evil.

Tartarus, Lord of the Pit, tasked with punishing all true evil that ever came across his path. He ensured no being stepped out of their bounds.

Hades, Lord of the Underworld, tasked with providing an afterlife to those who did not warrant Tartarus. He, too, punished the wicked, as well as rewarded the good.

Hemera, Lady of the Day, tasked with bringing light to the world so life may see and grow. She guided mortals throughout their lives and gave them the time they needed to grow.

Nyx, Lady of the Night, tasked with bringing coolness and peace to the world. She gave mortals time to rest and prepare for the day ahead.

Aether, Lord of Light, tasked with spreading the good of souls across the world. He spread generosity and love to those who would listen.

Erebus, Lord of Darkness, tasked with spreading the evil of souls across the world. He spread hatred and greed to those who would listen.

Perses, Lord of Destruction, tasked with bringing an inevitable end to all things. He brought ruin across the world as was needed.

Finally, Chaos, Master of Creation, tasked with rebuilding the world from any damage. Their power was great and all encompassing.

A time once existed when all these beings wielded their power to bring balance to existence itself. The times were ripe with knowledge and power, a prolific era never since seen.

Eventually, Chaos fell dormant and without their power, the others fell into disarray. Perses, Tartarus, and Erebus sought to corrupt the world while Hemera and Aether sought to purify it. War raged between these beings, nature fighting against itself. Hundreds of millions of mortals died in the thousands of years of war. Eventually, the war ended. The price was high.

Several had died, others imprisoned. Erebus, Perses, Aether, Gaea, and Chaos were slain. Four were replaced. Tartarus retreated and became a guardian of his own prison. The world was scarred and mortals all but vanished off the face of the world. An agreement was reached. The masters of nature would lock themselves away and remain dormant and allow the world to recover. However, they needed placeholders, objects or beings who would wield a fraction of their power.

The masters chose Spirits to embody their powers and ideas.

Three young unicorn mares, two sisters and one unrelated, became the Spirits of Day, Night, and Darkness. One male, the last of his kind, became the Spirit of Creation. A young larvae, chosen to be the Spirit of Life, was corrupted through her mother's magic. The Spirit of Death, a young unicorn Prince from the far north. Two centaur brothers, Spirits of the Pit and the Underworld. An ancient tree became the Spirit of Light. Balance returned to the world for all forces... all except two.

No mortal became the Spirit of Destruction, though not for lack of looking. It simply was not the time. Now could wield Perses' power.

Though Chaos had a Spirit, no soul claimed the title Master of Creation. It was decided to abandon the pursuit; the proper host had simply not yet been born in any world.

Understanding that it simply was not the time for those two mantles to be claimed, the masters of nature retreated from the world and allowed the balance to uphold itself.

"Power."

"W-Who are you?"

"End."

"What?"

"Nature."

"N-Nothing. I thought I heard something."

"Fate."

"Are you sure? You're lookin' a little pale."

"Destruction."

"Soul, are you okay?"

"Soul?"

"Soul Flare?"

"Perses!"

Slowly yet inevitably, the sun rose. Light filtered in through the now closed window, brightening the room considerably. Throughout the night, Daedalus had done nothing but stare at the wall of his rented room, tracing the grooves of the grain. He remained curled in the ball he had lied down in, not moving a viral muscle as he dwelled on his dreams.

He, too, was confused by the song he had sung the night before. He had never before heard the lyrics, and he distinctly remembered music echoing through the sky, the lack of ponies playing instruments not stopping the sound.

Glancing at the simple wood clock hanging from the wall, he saw the time and uncurled from his position. He stood and soon exited the room and descended the stairs. He, as always, arrived in the common room of the tavern where he was greeted by the sight of several ponies eating breakfast. Turning his gaze slightly, he saw Fire Brand waving him over.

With a small shrug, he walked across the room and sat down at the bar counter. He sent a questioning glance toward Brand's way as she set a cup of steaming black liquid in front of him. He instantly recognized it as coffee even before she spoke. "Coffee. You look like you didn't sleep any last night."

Daedalus grunted and grabbed the mug, sipping the drink and allowing the caffeine to affect his viral cells. "I didn't."

The burst of energy hit him and he felt a portion of his mental lethargy fade away as he sat up straighter. He ignored the concerned look Fire gave him as he continued to drink his coffee.

Eventually, she couldn't remain silent any longer. "Why not?"

Daedalus sighed and set the cup down. "Nightmare."

She huffed at him, annoyed. "That's all you're going to say?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing to say. I get them sometimes. I deal with them. I move on."

She frowned in worry as she pressed on. "You should talk to Princess Luna. She might be able to help you."

"I'm pretty sure she knows. I think I heard her voice in my dream last night, a little while before it ended." Daedalus said.

He threw back his head and drank the rest of the coffee. He stood up and placed four bits on the counter. "In any case, I need to get to work. Have a good day, Fire."

"You too, Gene." Fire said with a sigh as she watched him leave. She could see in his eyes that there were things he hated himself for. She wasn't the only one, either. Both Twilight and Coal knew something was wrong with him and they wanted to help him.

"Ivory! Cover me for a bit! I need to go talk to somepony." Fire yelled to one of the assistant cooks.

"I'm taking pay for however long I cover for you!" Ivory yelled back.

"That's fine!" Fire returned, already heading for the door. As she left, she mumbled to herself. "I just hope Twilight considers it a good enough reason to send a letter to Princess Luna."

Daedalus walked into The Hammer and Tongs to see Coal wheeling a crate of metal toward the forge. He quickly caught with her and held open the door that separated the two sections of the shop.

"Thanks, Gene." Coal said, flashing a smile to the virus.

"Happy to help. What is the metal for?" He asked.

"The Guards requested a new batch of steel swords. We'll be working on them for the next few days." She answered.

"How many swords will we make?"

"Not as many as they need. Because there are so many of them, they split the order between nine or ten blacksmiths. Because Ponyville is so close to the base of the mountain, I get a portion of the business."

Daedalus nodded; it made sense to him. Very few traditional blacksmiths would be able to make an army's supply of swords in a timely manner. "You still never gave me an actual answer."

She glanced at him with a wry smile. "I didn't, did I?"

When he returned her smile with a slight chuckle, she answered. "Thirty. It really isn't that many for us, but when it was just me working here, it took me a few weeks."

"Let's get started, then." Daedalus said as he approached the forge.

The virus exited the forge some six hours later, drenched in sweat his body didn't need to produce. He glanced around to see the streets slowly emptying as the sun began to set. He turned and slowly began to head back toward the Tavern when he heard his, or rather, his disguise's, name being yelled by a familiar voice.

"Gene! Gene!" He turned back to see Twilight running down the road with Spike on her back.

She stopped in front of him and began panting loudly, the run clearly having taken a chunk out of her stamina. He waited for only a few moments as she caught her breath and began speaking as she turned and started trotting.

"Follow me to the Everfree I need your help the others are oin their way hurry up!"

He blinked for a moment before quickly catching up. "Talk slower. What's going on."

"Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were flying above the Everfree looking for Angel when something struck Rainbow and made her crash, getting pinned. She told Fluttershy to come get the rest of us to go help her."

"See? Now I understand what's happening to know how I can help." Daedalus said with Spike emitting a small chuckle. "By why do you need my help? Five ponies seem like enough."

She flushed a dark shade of magenta. "We don't do well in the Everfree. I saw you and figured you know how to navigate and what to avoid since you lived in a forest before. Plus, you're an Earth pony. You and Applejack can buck some Timberwolves if needed."

He considered it for a moment before conceding her point. "Good reason. I can't promise I can help that much though. The Everfree is magical. My home was not."

She nodded firmly. "Anything is better than nothing."

"I agree. Lead the way."

Twilight nodded and began running as fast as she could toward the Forest while Spike hung on to her mane. Daedalus matched her pace easily and limited himself as they ran. Ponies stopped and watched while moving out of the way at the sight of the two ponies. Soon enough, they made it out of Ponyville and Daedalus' eyes could see the edge of the Forest and the four ponies waiting there.

Within a minute, the three reached the edge and halted with the group. Daedalus nodded to Pinkie, who returned it with a smile. Twilight panted, once again completely out of breath, while the virus simply stood and waited, listening for any particular sounds from inside the woods.

Once the unicorn mare recovered her breath, she started speaking. "Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, this is Gene Splice, a friend of mine. He's here to help and is an Earth pony like you, Applejack."

Daedalus turned and nodded to the three, with two returning it. The third, Fluttershy, looked away and hid behind her pink mane. The Evolved internally shrugged and refocused on Twilight's speech.

"-Shy will lead the way to where Rainbow fell. Me, Applejack, and Gene will watch out for any dangerous inhabitants. Rarity, you'll bind any wounds she might have. Pinkie, we might need you to run back and alert the hospital staff."

"So that's why you told me to bring any cloth I didn't like." The white unicorn said, levitating a roll of olive green cloth. She shuddered as she looked at it and put it away. "Bad memories."

Twilight nodded and continued "When we get there, we'll try to find a way to free her from whatever pinned her. Okay? Let's go!"

The five ponies, dragon, and virus ran into the woods, following the lead of Fluttershy who seemed to know exactly where they were going. She weaved around trees, ducked under branches, and jumped over logs, seemingly intent on helping her lifelong friend.

Daedalus, Pinkie, and Applejack had no trouble keeping up. Rarity and Twilight, however, were falling behind. They couldn't twist in time to make the same maneuvers the others made. Daedalus slowed down slightly and spoke. "Twilight, use your magic to move branches and logs out of the way of you two."

She nodded in realization and did so, allowing the two unicorns to catch up to the other three. Before long, Daedalus began to hear labored breathing coming from up ahead as well as scratching and growling. Fortunately, he didn't hear any tearing, screaming, or eating.

Fluttershy lead them right to a clearing where she saw Rainbow go down. Unfortunately, it was now occupied. A Manticore crouched next to a tree with a hollowed out alcove under the roots. His sight allowed him to see Rainbow hiding there as the hybrid tried to dig her out.

They stopped at the edge and Daedalus spoke. "Rainbow's under the tree. The Manticore is trying to get to her. She's safe for the moment, likely the next ten or so minutes."

Twilight turned to Fluttershy. "Can you get the Manticore to go away?"

With wide and slightly tearing eyes, she shook her head rapidly. "He's r-rabid. I can't reason with him."

Daedalus looked closer and saw the erratic, angered movements. He couldn't see the eyes nor the mouth, but assumed they were dilated and foaming. He nodded. "She's right. We'll have to fight."

"F-f-fight!" Fluttershy squeaked out."

Twilight nodded, determined to save their friend. "Who'll help you?"

He turned to the farmer. "Applejack, you can dodge quickly and buck hard. Do you think you can avoid its swipes? They'll be fast, but easy to predict. It won't try to trick you by feinting."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Ah'm willin' to try for Rainbow. What do ya need me tah do?"

"Weave around its strikes and buck its legs, preferably its knees to break them. When it's down, I can finish it." Gene said.

He turned to the unicorn pair. "Whenever you get a chance, hit it in the face with something, like a rock. Enough to distract it for a small moment."

Then he looked at Fluttershy. "When the fighting starts, go to Rainbow. We'll draw it away for you to get there. Pinkie, stay out of it. It'll be up to you to make sure the hospital is ready for whatever injuries she may have."

They nodded and he continued. "Let's start, then."

Daedalus and Applejack ran toward the Manticore who failed to notice either of them. When they neared just a foot or two away, both spun and kicked the raging beast in the back, full force. It reared up and roared in pain before spinning to swipe at them. Applejack was prepared and ducked under the hit while Daedalus simply jumped over the tail. He was right that the Manticore was foaming at its mouth with dilated pupils. It certainly was infected with something.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Fluttershy crawl into the small hole with Rainbow while carrying a small case with a red cross and the roll of cloth. He brought his attention back fully to the beast to see Applejack buck its left leg. Since it was reared up and all its weight on two legs, the muscles gave out and the beast fell.

Daedalus turned and gave a solid kick to the chest, feeling several ribs give out under his strength. He couldn't overdo the kick, though or it would give his strength away. It came as no surprise when the hybrid shakily got back up. "Bring it down once more and I can end this."

The beast seemed to have learned a little as it approached on all fours, only taking one paw off the ground to swipe. Several times it nearly him Applejack if it weren't for the well-placed rock from one of the unicorns. It rarely swiped with its tail, too, preferring to use it in an attempt to pierce one of them, which was easily dodged by a jump to the side.

After some time, and when Applejack seemed to be growing tired from the constant jumping and ducking, Daedalus quickly burrowed a tendril under the ground and tripped the beast. When it impacted the ground, he spun and delivered a significantly stronger kick to its skull, cracking it and immediately killing the beast.

Daedalus turned to look at Applejack who panted and gasped for breath as blood drained from its head and formed a puddle behind Daedalus. "Are you okay, Applejack?"

She nodded, unable to speak. Daedalus heard slight movement from behind him and turned to see Fluttershy and Rainbow exiting the hole. The prismatic mare had several green bandages across her limbs and seemed to have at least one broken leg and a sprained wing. The virus turned to Pinkie and spoke. "Head to the hospital. Several lacerations, broken limb, sprained wing, and possibly more."

She nodded seriously and disappeared leaving dust behind her. He walked over to the mares carefully embracing Rainbow. "Its safe to assume you can't walk."

She nodded, looking down. "Y-yeah. I'm pretty useless."

He shook his head. "You crashed hard in the Everfree and survived a rabid Manticore attack. You have no reason to be ashamed."

She brightened up at that. "You're right! That sounds so awesome when you put it like that! Thanks, Gene."

Rarity spoke next. "I'm very happy you'll be okay, but we need to leave."

Daedalus nodded. "Put her on my back."

She blanched even whiter. "She'll stain your coat, darling!"

"Are you really worried about my coat over Rainbow's life?" Then he glanced back at his rear hooves, which were stained with blood and grey matter from the Manticore. "Besides, I'm already dirty.".

Rarity looked apologetic and Twilight levitated Rainbow onto his back. He failed to so much as shift under her added weight. "Let's go. I already sent Pinkie back to town."

They nodded and began moving rapidly toward Ponyville. This time, Twilight and Rarity lead the group as they used their magic to clear a path. It took longer to leave as it did to arrive, but they soon exited the forest. Several doctors with a stretcher waited at the edge and immediately took Rainbow and teleported to the hospital.

Not much later, the group also arrived in the hospital and took seats in the waiting room. The nurse behind the desk, a white unicorn mare with a gauze wrap as a Cutie Mark, took one look at Daedalus and gasped. She ran up to the Earth pony and started speaking quickly.

"Come with me and we'll have you treated right away!" She shouted.

He looked at her confused, then looked down at himself. As he suspected, splotches of blood and grey matter covered his hind hooves. What he hadn't noticed in the dark of the Everfree was the spots of blood coating his entire body from impacting the Manticore as well as the blood that dripped out of Rainbow's cuts.

Daedalus looked back up her and shook his head. "This blood isn't mine. The spots on my hooves are from the Manticore that was trying to get to Rainbow. The rest is from carrying Rainbow on my back. However, now that its been brought to my attention, do you have a place I can wash up?"

The nurse's eyes had widened when the virus began speaking before returning to normal when he asked his question. She nodded and answered him as she pointed toward a hallway. "Two rights, a left, and the third door of the right is a bathroom."

"Thank you." Daedalus said. He stood up and looked back to Twilight. "Relay any news to me when I return."

She nodded and he quickly followed the directions he had already perfectly memorized. He passed a couple ponies, a mixture of doctors, patients, and nurses, and ended up having to repeat himself thrice more. Eventually, he made it to the bathroom and quickly entered, making sure to close and lock the door behind him.

The bathroom was rather average. A low-rim toilet was placed in the center, likely due to a pony's anatomy. The sink was next to, not below, the mirror. Instead of a small mirror, it was a full-body one extending from the floor to just above head height. Taking advantage of the mirror, he stood in front of it at an angle and examined himself. His silver fur was coated with dried blood from both Rainbow and the Manticore. His hooves were clearly the most stained with blotches of brain matter from the beast's skull.

With a sigh, he devoured all the matter and assimilated the DNA. He didn't gain anything other than a minuscule increase in mass; he had already consumed Manticore DNA. He turned on the sink and began to dot and streak his fur with water to make it seem as if he had cleaned himself through normal means.

How did I not notice the blood? I should have felt it caked on my external cells. Maybe I was too focused on getting Rainbow to safety? Perhaps. I may have to answer questions as to why I walked through town covered in blood.

After thoroughly dabbing his fur with water in the spots where blood had been, paying special attention to his hooves, he increased his surface temperature and allowed the water to evaporate slightly. Then, he dropped it back to the usual. The effect left behind was partially-dried water spots on his fur making it look like he washed himself off and quickly dried off in an effort to hurry back.

He sat down and waited several moments, waiting until a believable time had passed. His mind wandered over the events and his simple error of not noticing the blood. Damn it. Why does such a simple thing bother me? Its not like it will hurt me. Ponies will see it as being more concerned with a friend that my own cleanliness, a fact that is true.

After some thought, he shook his head, thoroughly annoyed with himself. He stood back up and exited the bathroom and followed the reversed directions he had been given. Before long, he made it back to the sterile white waiting room to see only Twilight waiting for him. She smiled at him as he approached her. "How do you feel?"

He shrugged at her question. "Cleaner. Where is everypony?"

"They allowed us to visit Rainbow. Her wounds weren't as bad as we feared. Everypony else went in and I elected to wait for you."

He nodded. "Thank you, Twilight. I would have been a little confused if I came back to an empty room."

She smiled with closed eyes and tilted her head. "No problem!"

He chuckled at the look and continued. "Let's go see her."

She nodded and led the way down several corridors to an opened door. They both walked in and saw Rainbow lying on a bed surrounded by her friends. When they entered, Rainbow looked up and spoke to Daedalus. "I never thanked you for saving me. I couldn't have fought the Manticore even if I hadn't been injured."

He smiled at her. "I'm not the only one to thank. It was a team effort. Even then, we weren't exactly going to let it get you."

She laughed and nodded. "You're right. I'm too awesome to be left. Even then, thank you, all of you."

A chorus answered her. "You're welcome!"

Daedalus laughed along with the others for a moment. When the group calmed, he spoke. "When do you think you'll get out of here?"

Rainbow sighed. "A day, maybe two. They want to wait for my leg and wing to heal a little bit more. My cuts are fine, though."

He nodded, accepting the answer. Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity yawned in unison. It wasn't long until Rainbow spoke up. "Hey. You're all tired, especially after dealing with the Manticore. Go ahead and head home. I'll be fine."

The girls reluctantly nodded while the virus looked at her in slight concern. The slowly exited the room and Daedalus glanced back to see Rainbow staring at the wall with a contemplative look. The door shut behind him the the girls began to leave. He decided to change that. "Hey."

They looked back, each of them with a curious look on their face. Twilight voiced their collective question. "Yeah, Gene?"

"While she heals, try to keep Rainbow company. She needs it."

Rarity blinked a couple times. "Darling, are you sure we are talking about the same pony? Rainbow may be rough at times, but she is still a strong pony."

Daedalus sighed lightly. "I'm sure, Rarity. She's strong but she could have died. She crashed and was targeted by a Manticore while she couldn't do anything to help herself. I have no doubts a part of her believed she would die out there. That leaves an effect on ponies, no matter how strong they are. She'll be fine in time and with her friends."

The girls were silent for a moment as they considered what he told them. None of them wanted to think about what went through Rainbow's mind while she was under the tree, a rabid Manticore clawing at the roots and slowly getting closer to her.

"I'll be by her side no matter what! I Pinkie Promise!" The pink mare shouted suddenly. Daedalus looked at her and she flashed a smile to him. The other mares nodded in agreement and began discussing ways they could help Rainbow.

Twilight looked at Daedalus and asked a question that had been on her mind. "What about you? Will you spend time with her?"

Daedalus nodded. "Yeah. I won't be able to do it as often as you can, but I will. You'll likely help her more since you know her better."

Twilight nodded, thankful he was going to help as well. "Rainbow was right though. Its getting late. You should head back to the Tavern."

Daedalus nodded. "Good night, Twilight."

She smiled. "Good night, rhymer."

Daedalus chuckled lightly and left the hospital, slowly going back to the Tavern. Before long, he arrived at the familiar building as the sun was just beginning to touch the horizon. He walked in the front door and began heading to his room as usual. Unlike normally, Fire Brand called out his name. "Gene!"

The virus looked over and saw Fire waving at him. "Come here a sec. You have a letter."

With a inquisitive look on his face, he walked over to the counter and grabbed the letter. Fire spoke up as he did. "It's from Canterlot as far as I can tell. Princess Luna if the seal is anything to go by. Have a nice night, Gene."

He nodded at her. "You too, Fire. Good night."

He walked up the stairs into his room and sat down on the bed. He opened the letter and began reading.

The letter was short, informal, and got to the point. Daedalus supposed that since they knew each other, Luna didn't have to remain concerned about trivialities as formality. He stared at the paper, considering his options. Finally, he decided to just give it a chance.

He placed the letter on the nightstand and lied down on the bed. Instantly, he allowed himself to fall asleep.

The world around him faded into view and he became aware that he was in his base form. Daedalus turned and took in the sights of Denham Springs, Louisiana. Specifically, North Park. North Park as he remembered it, particularly. No doubt it had changed in the twenty some odd years since he had been there. The slides, swings, fields, courts, picnic tables, and even the rock climb were all there, exactly as it had been when he last went.

"What is this place?" He heard a familiar melodious voice ask from behind him. Daedalus turned to see the Night Beauty herself behind him, taking in the foreign, concrete sights. She looked as she had in Canterlot. Her mane still amazed him while her wings brought a majestic feel to her presence. Her coat was clearly brushed, giving Daedalus a desire to ran his hand over her fur.

Daedalus shook his head to dislodge the thoughts from his mind. Luna gave him a small smile as if she knew what he had been thinking.

Focusing on her question, he answered it. "This is North Park in my home town."

"A park? Its made mostly of stone!" Luna nearly shouted.

He waved at her to follow him and started walking. They walked down the concrete sidewalks toward a section of the park Daedalus knew well. "Concrete, actually. Its a man-made type of stone that humans use to made sidewalks and other structures."

She nodded, following along with his explanation. "In most cities, there's so much concrete and so little nature that we have given them the term 'concrete jungles.' While these trees, grass, and fields don't seem like much to you, this is pretty rare for humans."

"How can humanity alter the world like this? Its horrible!" Luna exclaimed.

"Not really. Sure, to a pony who spent centuries surrounded by an untameable forest, this seems pretty bad. Humans though, can be considered creatures of order just as easily as creatures of chaos."

"I've never heard of a species referred to as both." The alicorn said.

He glanced back at her, a smile adorning his features. "You've never heard of humans before, have you?"

"Touché." Came the reply.

"Humans are chaotic with our capability of violence. Not all humans are violent, but all are capable of it if the situation demands it. Even the most pacifistic human will fight to save his or her family. In the same sense, humans are order-based. They seek their surroundings to be ordered and methodical, always knowing the outcome and what will happen. Humans are quite truthfully gray beings."

"Daedalus, why do you sometimes refer to yourself as a human and sometimes don't?" Luna asked.

He stopped and turned to face her. She was surprised at the conflicted look he had before he answered. "Because some parts of me still want to be human. Others have fully embraced the monster I became."

Her mood plummeted and she stepped forward, embracing Daedalus with her hooves and wings. She buried her muzzle in the crook of his neck and pulled him down to the ground where she held him, soon mumbling into his neck. "You aren't a monster."

The virus sighed and brought his hands up. One ran soothingly through Luna's mane while the other wrapped around her barrel and returned her hug. "Luna, what's the definition of a monster?"

"Why does that-"

"Answer me, Luna."

"A strange or unnatural creature." She said.

"Which is exactly what I am. I may not be evil, not inherently, but I am a monster."

She tightened her grip around him in response. She leaned over until they both fell on their sides. Luna used the new position to her advantage and wrapped him in a larger, more complete hug. She ended up lying on his chest with her face by his, legs and wings wrapped fully over him. "I used to consider myself a monster or a demon. Something the world would be better off without."

She nuzzled the bottom of his jaw, carefully minding her horn. His breath caught at the sensation and his arms returned to their position around her as she continued. "My sister, my friends, and even my guards worked to convince me that a monster is exactly what I'm not. It took time, a lot of it, but they proved to me I wasn't a monster."

"Why are you telling me this?" Daedalus asked her.

"Because starting today, I'm going to work to convince you that you aren't a monster." Luna said firmly, nuzzling his neck again.

Daedalus smiled at her desire. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Every night, we will meet here, in your dreams. We will speak with each other and learn about each other. You'll show me things you did on Earth and I'll show you things I do in Equestria. That is how I learned and its how you'll learn." She said.

Daedalus couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him. "You'll be my friend, then?"

She nodded once. "Yep!"

Daedalus said nothing in reply and they simply lied there. Luna listened to his breathing before a thought struck her. "Daedalus?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you make yourself seem so, alive, for lack of a better term." Luna asked.

"It makes me feel normal. I know I don't need anything that I use to. I don't even need a form. It just makes me happy and makes moments like this far more enjoyable. After all, you wouldn't be as comfortable if I was as hard as steel, cold, and silent, now would you?" Daedalus ended with a teasing remark to the mare on his chest.

She blushed a deep indigo and decided not to reply, only pushing her muzzle deeper into his chest. She felt the vibrations as he laughed. "Thought so."

His hands started stroking her back like they were earlier and she sighed in contentment, her heart fluttering. She looked up and opened her eyes, seeing his icy eyes staring up at the sky. She followed his gaze and gasped. Countless stars and nebulae stretched above them, a myriad of creation and color painting existence itself. Luna was speechless, lost in a sight she had only seen on the moon where it was tempered with bitterness. "H-how?"

"This is just one of many sights from the Hubble Space Telescope, a telescope orbiting the Earth and taking pictures of things we can't see from the ground." He explained.

"Its beautiful."

"It is, isn't it?" Daedalus' eyes drifted toward Luna, a mare whose eyes were locked on the heavens. Her teal eyes shimmered in the starlight and he felt a stirring in his heart.

Thank the gods I don't have a human brain. This would be so complicated if I had a human's reservations about other species.

Suddenly, all at once, the stars went out. Daedalus started and sat up suddenly, Luna still attached to his chest. She giggled and nuzzled the side of his neck again. "Its okay. Your dream is ending."

She stood up and backed away slightly to let him stand, which he did. "This was a good first night in helping with your nightmare."

He looked at her with a confused stare. "You helped with my nightmare?"

She smirked playfully at him. "You didn't have a nightmare, now did you?"

He laughed. "You make a good point."

The edges of the park began fading from view and the details of the world blurred. He looked to Luna. "Details go first, then the world itself."

He nodded and they watched as the fading world neared him. When it was moments away from fading completely, Luna stepped forward and planted a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. She stepped back, smiled, and was gone.

Daedalus rolled out of bed, bright light shining in through the window.

I didn't get to show her the pool.

Author's Notes:

Once again, Beta Read by Burning Dusk.

Meeting a Changeling

13-Meeting a Changeling

Daedalus headed downstairs and exited the building with a wave to Fire. As he had nearly every morning since arriving in Ponyville, he began to head toward the Hammer and Tongs. Not even a fifth of the way there, he remembered that Coal had given him the day off. Daedalus stopped, stumped, and tried to think of what to do. Eventually, he decided to just wander around and hope to find something. He really didn't have any plans for the day.

The viral being walked through the quaint town, waving and nodding at ponies in greeting. Without fail, his greeting was returned. It was simple things like this that made him realize how different ponies are from humans. Whenever he walked down the street in any city before his infection, no one greet another. It wasn't even under the excuse of not knowing each other, they simply ignored all around them.

"Gene!" Daedalus heard his name called from behind him. Immediately, he had a small sense of déjà vu from the day before. He turned and Twilight approaching him from the other end of the street. He started walking to meet her.

"Good morning, Twilight. How are you today?" He asked with a slight smile.

She returned the smile with cheerfully spoken words. "I'm good! You?"

"I'm fine as well. I'm simply wandering around to try to find some way to spend my day. I forgot that Coal gave me today off."

"Would you like to come with me?" Twilight asked.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just heading over to Rarity's to ask if she'll weave a small bag for me." She told him.

Twilight started walking and after a moment's thought, Daedalus began following. "A bag? What for?"

"I'm experimenting with transdimensional storage spells. I think I've got it down but I need a bag to test it on." The unicorn explained.

My god, its a bag of holding.

"Something like that would have numerous uses, wouldn't it? Well, if it works like I'm thinking."

Twilight glanced at him for a moment, then looked ahead again to make sure she didn't bump into nopony. "How do you think it works?"

"With the spell, it will turn a normal bag and exponentially increase its interior dimensions, allowing it to hold far more than visually expected." Daedalus explained his opinion.

Twilight stopped and stared at him, having to look up just slightly due to his larger frame. "That's..."

"Completely wrong?" He supplied.

"Completely right!" Twilight exclaimed. "You have a strong understanding of the effects of magic, even if you can't grasp the process. How did you know about the transdimensional rift?"

Daedalus laughed and started walking again. "When I was little, me and a group of friends would play a tabletop game. It was called Dungeons and Dragons."

She smiled a little with a light look of recognition. "Are there all kinds of die, character sheets, species, and classes?"

Daedalus' eyes widened slightly. "Yeah... Do you have it here?"

She nodded, then amended her answer. "Well, its similar. Its called Ogres & Oubliettes here and I only know about it because my brother plays."

"Brother?"

"Captain Shining Armor."

Twilight saw Daedalus' eyes light up in recognition. "I met him in Canterlot."

"You did? How has he been?" Twilight asked the hidden virus.

"I'm not sure. I didn't ask. He was training recruits in the camp at the base of Canterlot. He seems to be driven to make his guards the best they can be." Daedalus explained.

She nodded. "That's why he became the Captain. He loves the Guard so much and wants to do everything he can to protect the Princesses."

Up ahead, Daedalus saw a tall building that he recognized as Rarity's. The pair entered the building as the bell above them rang, announcing their presence. Daedalus heard Rarity's voice come from another room. "Welcome to the Carousel Boutique where everything is unique, chic, and ma- Oh, hello darling! What brings you here?"

She had come out of a back room as she was speaking and saw them both standing at the door. Twilight smiled at her friend and stepped forward. "Can you weave a bag for me?"

"A...bag?" Rarity asked hesitantly.

"Yes, just a plain bag. Its for an experiment of mine and it might get destroyed so don't make it fancy. Of course, I intend to pay."

Rarity waved her off when she lifted a small bit pouch into the air. "Nonsense, darling. For something as simple as a small, plain bag, I don't ask for payment. It'll be done in ten minutes."

She levitated a small roll of gray fabric over to her workstation, gripped a pair of scissors in her magic, and got to work forming a small, simple bag. Daedalus, while she was doing so, took the opportunity to look around the shop. He took note of the majority presence of dresses and only a few suits.

"Ms. Belle?" Daedalus called out.

"Ms. Belle? Oh, you mean me! I haven't been called that in such a long time." Rarity said, still focusing on her work.

"Does it bother you?" He asked.

"No, darling. It's refreshing, in fact. Formality is so rare here in Ponyville. Not that it's a bad thing, though. But I digress, you were asking something?"

"I've noticed a rather distinct lack of male formal wear. Is there any particular reason?" The virus asked, mostly just to sate his curiosity.

"I have so few stallion models. Some of my friends, like Twilight there, are willing to model my dresses. There are only one or two stallions in Ponyville willing to model a suit and they aren't always available."

Twilight's eyes lit up as she spoke. "Rarity, Gene can help model your suits!"

Rarity looked over her shoulder for a second. "Darling, that would be nice and all, but let him volunteer, not be voluntold."

She looked back to her work as Twilight blushed in light embarrassment. She looked down and mumbled. "Sorry, Gene."

Daedalus laughed. "Its fine. Ms. Belle, I would like to volunteer to be a male model for your male formal line. I have today off, if you want to start now."

"Of course, darling! Let me finish this for Twilight and we can get starting. Thank you so much!" She sounded out, clearly excited.

Then she fully turned, the completely bag in her telekinetic grip. She stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Are you volunteering because you want to or because Twilight bought it up."

"Because I want to. I have today free and quite honestly don't know what to do with myself. This is a good opportunity to get to know one of Twilight's friends."

Rarity smiled at that. "I suppose so. Twilight, are you going to stay with us or go? It would be a lovely chance to catch up."

Twilight put the gray bag down after Rarity gave it to her. "I'll stay. I haven't had a chance to talk to you in a while. You don't mind, do you, Gene?"

The virus shook his head with a small smile. "Of course I don't."

"Wonderful!" Rarity exclaimed. She looked at Daedalus and examined him before speaking. "Come stand on this podium, darling. I have to take your measurements. Then, I'll start working on some suits. That'll take a few days."

Daedalus nodded and walked forward, coming to stand on the podium she had indicated.

Light shone in from the slanting entrance and tried, but failed, to illuminate the cave. The state of half-light annoyed Daedalus. It was too dark for him to see without any form of night vision. In the same instance, it was too bright for his night vision to kick in.

What little of his surrounding he could see weren't pretty. Dusty, uneven, and cracked stone walls surrounded him and sporadically receded out of sight. The floor, also cracked, uneven, and dirty, making the virus glad that his current form only had two legs. Listening closely, he could hear running water coming from one of the far off tunnels.

He nodded to himself. "This could work quite well."

Using his virus, he sealed off the entrance with a layer of tendrils that soon still and became a flat surface. Using more tendrils, he disguised the cover and completely hid the cave. With the darkness now complete, his night vision activated and he could see the cavern in greater detail.

More than a dozen natural tunnels extended out of the cavern, proving his theory that he discovered a cave system. Rugged stalagmites and stalactites jut from the floor and ceiling posing a risk for mortals and those of the squishy variety.

Daedalus inhaled, taking a long, unneeded breath. Then, he exhaled. A flurry of activity exploded around him as several dozen tendrils extended from his body and set to work. Stone lumps were chipped away and used to fill indentions. Spires of minerals were snapped apart and consumed while the walls were grinded smooth. Viral walls were used to separate the cavern from the rest of the system, door-like constructs being added. When Daedalus was finished, a rectangular, smooth stone room surrounded him.

The tendrils retracted, returning to his body and solidifying into his flesh. This is it. This will be the home of my experimentation and creations.

First things first; to test an experimental idea of mine.

Daedalus walked across the now-smooth floor and stopped at the other end of the room.

Focusing, Daedalus extended several tendrils in front of him and began concentrating. The tendrils formed a shape about a foot and a half wide and six feet tall and solidified into pure mass. Daedalus began the slowly, arduous process of making an empty shell of a body identical to his. Starting at the feet, he began introducing viral strains that were perfect copies of his own.

Slowly, over the course of several hours, he worked his way up. Night had recently begun up above so he felt no rush to work. He felt no need to sleep or to rest. He knew he would be finished before the night's end. Whether it would work or not remained to be seen.

He performed his task slowly, methodically, working his way up inch by inch. The legs were created, then the hip, then the stomach, the chest, arms, neck, and finally, the head. Each were formed from the hardened matter like a block of marble being chiseled. Each piece was made with careful, surgical precious. Daedalus tolerated no errors in his creations, just as a sculptor tolerated no errors in his.

After forming the basics, he went back again and checked his work. He found some errors, little details that wouldn't have been more than an annoyance but his pride wouldn't let it be. He finally added the finishing touches; hair, clothes, and eyes color. Then, he stepped back and retracted his tendrils.

Standing in front of Daedalus, with closed eyes, stood an exact replica of himself. Nothing was different. The clothes, the face, the hair, it was all the same. An identical twin. Ready to test his long-held theory, Daedalus moved away and sat down, crossing his legs in the middle of the floor.

He reached out with his senses, searching the room. It was a skill he wasn't particularly familiar with and it took him nearly fifteen minutes of effort to find the body. When he did, he was annoyed with himself. It was so obvious, like a patch of heat in an otherwise cold room. The virus exuded a sense of motion and activity that little life did.

Having completed step one, Daedalus began the next step. He focused on the body. He thought of movement. He thought of life. He thought of the virus. He thought of change. He opened his eyes. As he expected, a copy of himself was in front of him. Something was different, though.

Whereas it was standing against a wall, it was now in the middle of the room, sitting. Daedalus smiled and stepped forward, excited. He had learned to make more bodies and switch between them! Sure, it was slow, and he didn't know how far he could do it from, but it was progress. If he could do this from a distance, he could put a body in every location he traveled to and just switch between them.

"It could also act as backups." Daedalus mumbled to himself. "If my body gets damaged or destroyed, I could switch to a new one and continue the fight."

Daedalus returned to the wall and switched again, then stood up. He prepared to dissolve and leave, but stopped as an idea struck him. He reached out again and felt the body. He focused on motion, but not of movement or change. He stared at the body, willing his idea to work. After several minutes, he sighed. "Damn."

He dissolved into tendrils and dug up, sealing the hole as he went. Down below, in the cave, unseen and unfelt, the copy's hand twitched sporadically before stilling.

Up above, Daedalus broke through the surface and reformed into Gene Splice. Around him, countless flowers bloomed in the fields outside of Ponyville. Petunias, carnations, roses, daisies, chrysanthemums, and lilies. The moon was directly above him and shone brightly, bringing light to the otherwise dark night. Stars twinkled by the millions, bringing the sky alive with life, just as the air was alive with countless fireflies. The wind rustled the grass and Daedalus inhaled, enjoying the serenity and coolness.

"Are you enjoying my night?" A soft, melodious voice called from behind him. He turned around and saw a glorious sight.

Princess Luna stood behind him, her mane sparkling in the night air. Her coat was so smooth and silky it seemed to shine in the low light. The flowers and tall grass seemed to bend and reach out toward her. She was beautiful. There was nothing else to it.

Daedalus smiled and nodded, bringing his attention back to the myriad of dancing lights. "I am. Very much so. What brought you here, Luna?"

She walked over to him and came to rest beside him. "When I noticed you were not asleep, I became curious as to why you were up at this hour."

"I don't need sleep. It's part of what I am. I plan to use the nights as a way to experiment with my abilities without fear or discovery or suspicion." Daedalus explained, his eyes tracing a nebulous formation in front of him. It wasn't in the sky, no, it was coming from the mare sitting beside him. Her mane had flowed into view and he watched it as it flickered and wavered in the air.

"Daedalus?" Luna called, her voice a little quiet.

"Yeah, Luna?"

"Can you show us what you've done tonight?" She asked, almost hesitatingly. "I understand if it is none of my business, but I just-"

Daedalus cut her off my pressing his hoof against her muzzle, sparking a blush to appear in her fur. "Shush. Don't ever feel worried about asking me a question. I try my absolute hardest not to judge people. Yes, you can see what I did. Can you teleport directly to me?"

The sentient virus removed his hoof and the alicorn mare replied. "Yes, I can. Why?"

Daedalus chuckled lightly. "There is no entrance to where I work. Teleport to me in a minute or so."

Luna opened her mouth to say something, likely to ask why there was no entrance, but she never got a chance. Daedalus dissolved, a flurry of viral tendrils sinking into the ground. He dug down, quickly emerging into the room below where he reformed. He moved to the center of the room and waited.

Moments later, a flash erupted in the dark room and Luna appeared in front of him. She stumbled to the side, not expecting the total darkness, and Daedalus received a flashed sight of something he wasn't intending to see. He looked away for a moment, then became aware of a light slowly brightening the room.

He looked back to see Luna, a small light upon the tip of her horn. She looked at him in curiosity. "Were you able to see in here?"

Daedalus nodded. "Yes. I have total night vision when I want."

Her eyes flashed with something he didn't recognition. Desire, irritation, maybe impression? "Interesting. What have you done here?"

He raised a hoof and pointed behind her and walked to come to her side as she turned around. She gasped as she saw his copy against the wall. "Daedalus?"

She looked down at him and frowned, a troubled expression crossing his face. "Gene, you and Daedalus aren't the same pony?"

He shifted, returning to his base form is a swirl of viral tendrils and the sound of friction. They calmed and soon revealed him. "We are. I made a perfect copy of myself."

She titled her head and one ear flopped down, a perfect, adorable sign of confusion. "Why wouldst thou clone thyself?"

He laughed and booped her nose. She yanked her head back in surprise, a startled expression on her face. "You're speaking Olde Equish again. In any case, I didn't clone myself. That body has no consciousness."

"Then why did you make a copy of yourself?" She asked, confusion plain in her voice.

Daedalus quickly thought of movement, change, and shifting as he reached out with his senses. This time, the process only took a few seconds rather than a few minutes. He opened his eyes and stepped forward, unnoticed by Luna, who was looking at the now inactive body, waiting for an answer.

"This," he started. His voice scared the alicorn and she leaped away, her wings spreading in an instinctual display of fear. "is why. I can switch between the two at will."

"Why would you ever need that talent?" Luna asked, her voice a breathless whisper filled with awe.

He smiled. "What if I'm ever captured and can't escape, somehow? What if I pick a fight I can't win and get destroyed? I won't die. I'm just switch to a new body."

He moved back to the wall and switched again. "It's safety. To ensure I never die. Now come, Luna. Let's return to the field. We have plenty to talk about."

He smiled at her and watched as she returned it with enthusiasm. Her horn flashed and she teleported as he dissolved and returned to the surface.

Daedalus walked down the wooden stairs of the Green Dragon Tavern. No longer did they creak under his weight. He left his excess biomass with his other body under the fields outside Ponyville. No more would he have to worry about accidentally killing somepony through sheer weight alone.

He exited the stairwell into the common room. Wooden tables and chairs were in constant motion as ponies moved around the room, speaking in whispers.

"Did you hear about the Changeling?"

"Twilight caught a Changeling outside of Sugarcube Corner."

"Is Chrysalis coming back?"

"They're trying to take over again."

"I heard that the Changelings are replacing the Elements of Harmony."

Daedalus took note of the information as he walked over to Fire Brand. She was busy serving a couple breakfast, so he took a seat and decided to wait. The virus didn't have to wait long. "Finally eating breakfast here, Gene?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Still not breaking my habit. I just wanted to ask what you know about the supposed Changeling that was caught. Not rumors, but actual facts."

The unicorn smiled at him. "Good to see somepony cares about facts. All I know is that a Twilight discovered a Changeling early this morning. It was disguised as an out-of-town pony and hanging around Sugarcube Corner. It was taken to Town Hall. Princess Celestia will be coming by later to speak with it."

"Thank you. That's all I wanted to know." He said.

She nodded. "Have a good day, Gene. Oh, and don't worry about showing up at Coal's. She left town to visit her family. The Changeling got her shook."

"She came by?" Daedalus asked.

"Yeah. Told me to relay the message for you when she came by early this morning." She said.

"Thanks, then." Daedalus said, standing.

"No problem at all, Gene. Have a good day!"

"You too, Fire." He said, leaving the Tavern. Okay, I'll likely need to speak with Twilight to get access to the Changeling. Let's head to the library.

Daedalus oriented himself and started walking toward the library. As he did, he started planning. First, I'll need to figure out why the Changeling was here. I don't think it would have purposely made itself seem suspicious. Then, I'll work from there. I'll have to alert Celestia of my plans when she comes. Who's their Queen again?

Daedalus dodged around a pulled cart and rounded a corner, the library ahead of him. He delved quickly into the memories he had been given by Disarray. Right, Chrysalis. Invaded Canterlot during a wedding. Likely cause peace difficulties in the form of a Captain and a Princess. Moving on, she supposedly wanted to harvest the love of Equestria. Why?

Delving deeper into the memories, he found the reason. They were starving. Ponies were learning to find them and drove them away. Love intake was the lowest it had ever been before. They were getting enough to sustain the Hive and it was getting worse as the Infiltrators were found and executed.

Daedalus slipped into an analytic, problem-solving mindset as he worked out how to fix the problem and ensure peace between Changelings and ponies.

Solution? Carbon-based plant life designed to take in raw materials and output pure love. Estimated time to create? Two days, maybe three? Previous experimentation with genetically augmented lifeforms reduce creation time. Payment? Undecided. Will decided based upon further information.

Insurance? Kill switch. In the event of betrayal, a gene that can be mentally activated and wipe out the plants, cutting off their food supply. Effectively force them into submission.

Stopping in front of the door to Golden Oaks, he knocked once, mindful of the time, then entered. He walked into the main room and heard hoofsteps as Twilight descended the stairs to his side. He turned to look at her just as she saw him. "Oh! Gene! Here to borrow another book?"

The virus shook his head. "No, Twilight. I want to speak to the Changeling you found."

Her eyes widened as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "How did you know about that? And why?"

He smiled slightly. "Everypony at the Tavern was talking about it. As for why, I've met Changelings before. This seems out of place for one. I want to know why it was acting so obviously."

"I don't know, Gene. Changelings are tricky." Twilight said worriedly.

"I'm aware, Twilight. I'll be fine. I just want to speak to it."

She sighed. "Okay, Gene. I'll trust you. I'm sure Mayor Mare will let you speak to it. Do you want to go alone?"

He nodded. "I would much prefer to, yes."

She nodded like she expected that answer. Then again, she probably did. "Thought so. Come on."

Twilight and Daedalus entered the tall Town Hall building and was greeted by the receptionist. "Hello, Twilight. How may I help you?"

Daedalus remained silent and let Twilight answer. "We'd like to speak with Mayor Mare about the Changeling I discovered."

The mare behind the varnished wood desk nodded and gestured toward the stairs. "She's in her office. Go right in."

"Thank you." They said at the same time. The mare replied with a small nod.

The two ponies walked up the stairs. Daedalus was once again grateful for his reduced weight. They walked past several doors, including one that was magically sealed. When Twilight noticed him staring at the shimmering barrier on the door, she spoke. "That's where the Changeling is being held. I put the barrier there to prevent it from escaping."

Daedalus nodded and they continued, walking into the door at the end of the hall. It was clearly an office. A large, oak desk dominated the center of the room. Papers were stacked on it orderly and chairs were in front of it. Several filing cabinets were set against the walls behind the desk. Two large windows let light filter into the room and brighten it.

Mayor Mare sat behind the desk, writing on a paper. She looked up as the door opened and waved for them to sit down. They did and the mayor set her quill down before addressing them. "What can I do for you two?"

Twilight nodded to Daedalus and he spoke. "I would like to speak to the Changeling."

She quirked an eyebrow and asked a question clearly directed to him. "Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"I've met Changelings before. This one seems to be acting out of the usual. Normally, they would never bring suspicion on to themselves by acting unusual. I want to find out why."

The mayor listened closely and asked another question when he finished. "You've dealt with Changelings before?"

He nodded. "I have."

"And you agree to have a magical nullifier spell cast on you to ensure you aren't the Changeling?"

He nodded again. "I do."

She nodded. "Go ahead. Twilight, will you let him in and cast the spell when he comes out?"

"Of course. Come on, Gene. Let's get you in there."

They walked out and just down the hall and stopped in front of the door. Twilight turned to Daedalus and started speaking. "Okay, Gene. When you go in, the door will be sealed behind you. Touch it to let me know you're ready to come out. While you're in there, you'll be completely cut off from me. I can't hear or see what goes on in there. Be careful, okay?"

Daedalus nodded with a confident smirk. "Of course, Twilight."

"I mean it, Gene. Changelings are evil, vicious creatures. It won't hesitate to kill you."

"Twilight. I'll be fine. Let me go in." Daedalus said firmly.

She hesitated, then nodded. Her horn lit up before the shimmering barrier faded away. Daedalus moved forward and entered the room, quickly closing the door behind him. The barrier returned.

Daedalus' eyes instantly adjusted to the room. He glanced around, quickly noticing that it was simply a spare bedroom. A dressed was against the wall, bookshelves across from it. A door led to what was presumably the bathroom. Daedalus turned his attention to the bed and was surprised at what he saw.

It was a Changeling, alright. The recognizable black chitin, porous legs, and membrane wings made it unmistakable. Now, depending on who is asked, Changelings are described differently. Most ponies, for instance, will describe them as vicious killers. Princess Cadence may say they are love-sucking parasites incapable of feeling the emotions they eat. Royal Guards might describe them as cunning and effective ambush troops.

None of them would have recognized the whimpering, crying ball of chitin curled up on the bed. Twilight warned him that this Changeling would try to kill him as soon as he entered. So far, all it did was cry harder at the sight of him.

Daedalus, due to Disarray's memories, knew exactly what a Changeling should look like. This was not it. Where a Changeling's chitin should be shiny and smooth, this one's was dull, cracked, and pitted. The glossy gossamer wings were instead ragged and limp. Its legs were almost more holes than flesh, surprising Daedalus with the fact it could even walk.

Daedalus walked further into the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He spoke with a soft, calming voice in an attempt to sooth the terrified Changeling. "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you at all."

The Changeling scoffed, although the anger was ruined by the tears, then spoke in a feminine voice, revealing her gender. "You're here to execute me. Like all other Changelings that are found. You ponies are the same."

Daedalus shrugged. "I don't care what you think. Cooperate, and I'll do what I can about getting you released. Fail to do so and I'll let Celestia execute you when she arrives."

Her breath hitched as her barrel jerked and her crying reached a fervor intensity. "W-why?"

"I want to help you, but I can't if you don't let me. Will you answer my questions?" Daedalus asked firmly.

She nodded, a nearly imperceptible movement with her head in her forelegs. "Let's start simple. What's your name?"

"Viridian."

"Where do you come from?"

"Sapphire Hive."

Daedalus hummed thoughtfully to himself, an action that was entirely a ploy. "Where is that?"

She shook her head vigorously and curled tighter. Daedalus sighed. "Very well. Why were you in Ponyville? How long?"

"I was starving. I sensed love. I've been in Ponyville for three days." She answered simply. Daedalus nodded. He had expected that answer.

"It's pretty clear you've been starving for more than three days. Where were you before?" Daedalus asked.

"The Hive."

"Is there not enough food to go around?" He asked, finally getting to the point of the issue.

Her breath hitched again as her tears increased, although no sound was made. "N-no."

"Why?"

"Ponies have gotten better at finding us. We can't gather enough love to feed everyling now. We're slowly dying out." Viridian answered.

"If I told you I had a way to solve your food crisis, would you bring me to the Sapphire Hive?" Daedalus questioned.

The Changeling lifted her head and looked into his eyes as she tasted his emotions. When she felt no deceit, anger, or hatred, she nodded. "If you could do that, you would be a hero to the entire Hive."

Then her head dropped back onto the bed. "But it can't happen. I'm trapped here, doomed to die."

Daedalus smirked slightly. "Princess Celestia knows and trusts me. I'm sure we could arrange something."

Viridian looked at him again, the very beginnings of hope shimmering in her monochromatic eyes. He leaned forward and placed a hoof on hers. "Would you want that, Viridian.

Tears streamed down her face as she nodded. She answered with only one word and a whole lot of meaning. "Please."

Author's Notes:

Beta Read by BurningDusk.

Into the Hive

14-To the Hive

"This is foolish, Daedalus! Their Queen can't be reasoned with. She's vicious, conniving, and has no respect for others. It's asinine!" Celestia said as she paced the room. Quiet humming filled the air, signifying the presence of a sound-proofing barrier.

Daedalus, in his equine form, reclined in a chair as he watched the solar alicorn with analytic eyes. "No, it's not, Celestia. Their kind is starving to death and I can help. If it helps, I plan to use it to ensure peace and prevent betrayal."

Celestia dropped and faced him with a surprising intensity in her eyes. "How? That changes things."

Daedalus smiled lightly. "In return for solving their problem, they'll have to enact a peace treaty with Equestria. To prevent betrayal, I'll build a kill switch in the plants. If they act out, I kill their food source."

"That's," Celestia gasped, her eyes widening. "Evil. Effective, but evil."

Daedalus rolled his eyes. "Oh, I won't let them die. It'll be a warning. If I have to do anything, I'll kill Chrysalis. I'm not letting a species die because of a bad ruler."

Her magenta eyes shone with grudging respect. "You've planned it more than I thought you did. What would the details for the treaty be?"

The virus shrugged. "Between you and her. Not me."

"And you're determined to help these Changelings?" Celestia asked.

He nodded firmly. "Yes. I am."

The mare sighed and all tension seemed to drain out of her. Then she smiled, mischievous amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Very well. I've decided on something."

"What is that?" Daedalus asked, not liking her tone.

"You are the Ambassador to Changelings, effective immediately. You will go to the Sapphire Hive and begin building peace relations with Equestria. You are not allowed to return until you have guaranteed an alliance."

"Really, Celestia?" He asked.

"You want to help them. Now I'm making sure you do. I will personally visit Fire Brand and send a letter to Coal Dust to tell them you are out on Royal business."

"You won't explain what the business is, will you?" Daedalus asked.

Celestia sighed once more as she answered. "My little ponies do not like Changelings. Not after what they did before. I don't want word getting out about them until after the treatise is signed."

"So you're saying ponies are racist?"

Celestia flopped backwards onto the couch next to him and stretched out, her energy seemingly drained away. "Specist, actually. I wish it were not so but after thousands of years alone they developed a fear of other species."

She tilted her head up and looked at him. "That's why I trust you to do this. I know you won't let fear control you. You'll make a logical, informed decision. Your plan is a good one."

Daedalus snorted. "That's sounds completely different than what you were saying earlier. You called it foolish and asinine."

"I know!" Celestia exclaimed, her one free wing flaring out as the other just pushed into the couch back.

"Then why?"

Celestia's eyes drooped as she grunted. "Because she hurt my ponies. Emotionally, I want nothing to do with her and her kind. Logically, I know you're right and peace must be made. I'm conflicted, Daedalus."

"Maybe you should pass the decision on to someone else, Celestia." Daedalus suggested quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me go to the Hive. Let me judge them. Let me decide if they can cooperate with us. Let me decide if they can be saved." He said gently.

Celestia closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. He heard her quietly counting to ten before she opened her eyes. She seemed relax, all stress and tension gone. He made a note to try that at a later date. "Okay. Okay, Daedalus. I'll let you do this for me. Go to the Hive before I change my mind. Make peace with Chrysalis. Then come back and report your findings."

He nods once in reply. Celestia's horn flashed and the two appeared in the Changeling's room. The alicorn turned to the starving being and started speaking. "Return to your Hive. Daedalus here will accompany you. He will work out a peace between our two nations. Understood?"

She nodded rapidly and Celestia turned to him. "Go. Take the Changeling and head to the Hive. Do not return until you have ensured Equestria's interests. I will explain your disappearance and the Changeling's."

Her horn flashed once more and they appeared some distance from Ponyville. The virus regained his bearings and turned to Viridian. "Can you lead the way from here?"

She nodded and stood up, only to wince and fall back down. She looked panic-stricken as she all but yelled. "I-I can barely move! I can't make it home like this! Oh mother, I'll die out here!"

She started to cry, a strong, heart-wrenching cry that echoed in the fields and made Daedalus feel horrible. He sighed and lifted her onto his back. "Point the way and I'll get us there."

"S-south." Viridian whimpered, still terrified.

"Look, you can see it. The mountain." Viridian said from his back. A day had passed since he set out to find Sapphire Hive. The entire time, he ran. He slowed or stopped for nothing while allowing the Changeling to sleep on his back. A trip that he was told should take a week or more took a little over a day.

He had passed out of Equestria's land some distance ago. He now traveled through the distinct land of the Badlands. Compared to the lush forests, pristine clouds, and vibrant plains of Equestria, the Badlands were dead. The dried, baked ground had been compacted so tightly with heat that the very earth cracked and split in a myriad of eccentric patterns. The heat was intensive. So much so that Daedalus took to siphoning heat from the Changeling on his back just to keep her alive.

Overhead, the clouds offered no reprieve. They seemed to be formed not of water vapor but of poisonous gas. The gas acted as a magnifier and seemed to intensely focus the sun's heat. Rather than white or gray or black, they were an acidic green and yellow, like bile. Frankly, it disgusted Daedalus.

In the distance, behind the fogy haze of air ever prevalent in the Badlands, a small mountain could be vaguely seen. Vaguely even for Daedalus, a fact that amazed and disturbed him. It was a singular, small peak that looked like it shouldn't have even existed. As they drew closer, he began to make out more details. The mountain was made of the same, cracked, compacted dirt as the rest of the land, with valleys and chasms that would be good places to hide. After a moment's thought, he realized there wouldn't be enough room for a fully formed Hive.

Then he saw the caves. Large ragged tears in the side of the mountain dug into the earth and would likely provide an incredible amount of space to live. He decided to comment on it. "You live in the mountain, don't you? The caves?"

A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "No, actually. Stop."

Daedalus stopped immediately, still easily thirty miles from the mountain. In every direction around him was nothing but dry, dead land. The mountain was the only landmark in sight. Even then, he had only found it at Viridian's directions. "Stomp five times, spaced three seconds apart. Repeat thrice with a thirty second break in between."

Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump...

Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump...

Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump...

Daedalus did exactly as was asked of him. Mere moments after the final stomp, the ground near him faded away as an illusion spell was shattered. A small, sloped tunnel leading downward was what remained. Before he had any chance to react, easily over a dozen Changelings rushed out of the tunnel and surrounded him. They weren't aggressive, merely cautious. Daedalus heard another set of hoof steps slowly coming from the tunnel.

Turning to face it, the creature that emerged could only be described by one word in Daedalus' mind. Attractive.

She was clearly Queen Chrysalis. Both Celestia's descriptions and Disarray's memories proved as such. Her sleek chitin shone in the bright sunlight while her seemingly silky cerulean hair fell down past her barrel. Blue fibrous wings rested on her back. Her horn as well as her legs, wings, and tails were perforated with a myriad of holes. Her deep green slitted eyes examined him closely from above a pair of fangs, sparking a full body shiver of delight to go through him. This reaction confused, even concerned him and he pondered why. The answer struck him.

All around him were ponies. The alicorn, while powerful, were also ponies. Ponies, as a species, are prey. This Changeling Queen, Chrysalis, was a predator and a base part of him delighted in that fact. She seemed to know it too, as her face became a look of curiosity.

"Queen Chrysalis, I presume?" Daedalus asked, never taking his eyes off of her, even as she began circling him. Looking closer, he began to notice some flaws in her appearance. Her chitin was cracked in some places, where in others it was nearly falling off. He could see her ribs showing through her sides and her gait was unsteady from exhaustion. From a glance, it was clear she was in worse condition than her guards, showing exactly what kind of ruler she was.

"Correct. What kind of pony seek out a Changeling Queen? One hoping to be drained, perhaps?" She asked, her dual-toned voice sending shivers down his spine. Every aspect of her drove him wild and she knew it. He could see it on her face and in her eyes; in the way she walked and talked.

He forced the emotions down and regained control. Equal amounts of regret and pride flickered through his mind as a measure of disappointment marred her face for a moment. "Perhaps one who is not a pony at all?"

She stumbled slightly as his eyes briefly became black voids with no pupils. He continued on, unconcerned. "I convinced Celestia to release Viridian here under a single condition."

She scowled at him, her eyes flashing as she expected him to ask for some preposterous or disgusting favor. "And what is that?"

"That I am to become the Equestria-Changeling Ambassador and seek a peace agreement." He replied swiftly.

Her eyes widened as genuine shock spread across her features. Her voice lowered to a whisper as she spoke questioningly. "She doesn't want my head?"

Daedalus shook his head. "After learning of the Changeling plight from Viridian, she desired to help the Changelings recover."

It may have been a lie, only a small one, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to make Celestia look a little better. Chrysalis raised her brow as she looked him over doubtfully. "And she sent you?"

Daedalus nodded. "If we can move this inside, I believe Viridian is tired, thirsty, and hungry. Then, you and I may discuss how exactly I may help the Hive. Agreed?"

Chrysalis stared at him for some time, looking deep into his eyes. She was, naturally, searching for some trace of deceit, either in his eyes or in his emotions. She detected nothing. Nothing other than the sense that this pony was far more of a predator than she was. Eventually, she nodded, but hissed out a warning. "If you betray me in any way, I will kill you. Understand?"

"Perfectly." He replied coolly.

She nodded, satisfied. "Come. Follow me. Mynoke, take Viridian from him. He and I have much to discuss."

Another Changeling came and levitated Viridian off of him before he began walking down the tunnel. Daedalus followed, soon catching up to Chrysalis as the others entered and the illusion spell recast. When the virus came to walk beside the Queen, she murmured. "You will have to show me what you really are."

"I intend to. If we are to work together for the foreseeable future, secrets must not be kept." He said, then amended his statement. "Well, within reason. I intend to be honest and forthcoming with you and hope you extend the same hospitality back to me."

She nodded, then spoke. "In private, preferably."

"Naturally. Regulated information is so much safer."

She glanced at him with her slitted eyes, sparking another wave of desire as she answered with a small smile. "I'm glad we agree."

The pair continued down through the tunnel as the air grew cooler and moist. Before long, it was pitch black. Chrysalis looked to her guest, expecting to need to lead him. Her surprise was great when instead his eyes were glowing orange and he found his way with pinpoint perfect precision. The sounds of activity were growing louder as they descended into the Earth, a continuous buzzing sound echoing through the tunnel. Strange, bluish light from sources unknown was being emitted from around a bend in the tunnel ahead. Before long, they rounded the corner and came to a stop as one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen stretched out in front of him.

The cavern was easily four or five miles long and one or two wide. The roof was suspended easily over a mile above them. Turning his gaze, the source of the light was clear to be seen. Gargantuan glowing blue mushrooms stretched from the ground to the sky, towering over him by thousands of feet. Black shapes clung to them in arranged levels and it took him a moment to realize they were homes. Black buildings wrapped around the stalks in floors, creating an effective natural skyscraper system.

Looking down at the ground two dozen feet below them, a veritable Changeling city existed. Once again, black buildings made up the dominant architecture. Increasing his natural magnification, he could see marble trims and inlaid gems providing colorful decoration to an otherwise gloomy and foreboding city. Glancing up, he could see the same design above him, if only more elaborate.

Hundreds of Changelings flitted though the air as even more walked on the ground. Some flew to the homes in the sky. Others flew into tunnels just like the one they stood in. Daedalus noticed something then that disturbed and saddened him. He whispered in a pained voice to the Changeling Queen beside him. "There are so few."

A city that could hold tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand, not counting the sky city above him or what may be in the tunnels, held only a thousand or so Changelings. The reality of just how long the Changelings had suffered just now began to sink in.

"Behold, the might of the Changeling Swarm. We who blot out the sun and devour the land. We who...can't even fill a city." Chrysalis said sarcastically, her voice burdened with a powerful and deep-rooted pain.

"Come." Chrysalis said quietly. "We will go to my study and discuss how you intend to help."

Daedalus nodded. Chrysalis lifted her wings and took to the air, hovering just above him. She was about to order her guards to carry him when something strange happened. His back was shrouded in black things. When they faded, a pair of red and orange feathered wings were folded against his sides. Blue glowing lines ran across the membranes, adding to the already eerie spectacle.

He flapped once and matched her height and gave her a roguish grin. She couldn't help but be attracted to that. She dismissed her guards before leading the way. Together, they flew toward the other end of the cavern. While they did, she noticed black and blue streams trailing from behind him. Chrysalis knew there would be many things she would ask the strange non-pony when they arrived at her study. But it could wait. For now, she was growing tired fast.

Nearly an hour later, Daedalus took notice of a structure different from the rest. It was clearly a home, but one unlike any other. It was shaped like a closed tube, rounded and long. One end was opened to the air with what seemed to be a landing porch. The rest was enclosed with the exception of windows.

The building was small, nowhere near the size of the palace he expected. Some of the houses on the ground were larger. Daedalus felt he had to comment on it. "It isn't a palace like I expected."

He turned his head toward Chrysalis to wait for a reply only to be concerned at what she saw. She was panting, her head drooping as her wings beat slower than they had before. Sweat poured off of her chitin in rivulets. It would have been a sexy look had it not been so worrying.

"I don't have...a palace." Chrysalis said between gasping breaths. It was clear right then that she was speaking to distract her from the exhaustion.

"They tried...to give me one. I told...them...no. We had more...important...things to spend...resources on."

The more Daedalus listened to her, the more he felt his respect grow. He began to see that she wasn't a tyrant desiring more land but a symbolic mother wanting her children to be happy. Before long, they reached the landing area and touched down. Immediately, Chrysalis collapsed. She began gasping for air and he could hear her lungs rattling. Her already cracked chitin was beginning to flake off. He ran to her side and crouched down, folding his legs underneath him. He knew she needed to feed.

He focused inside of himself and begin cannibalizing his own cells for materials. Acting quickly, he arranged the atoms to form phenylethylamine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Chrysalis felt an intense well of love spring up very closer to her and struck as her eyes dulled. She instinctively latched onto him, her teeth sinking lightly into his neck.

She didn't press hard. She wasn't trying to bite his throat like he first thought. Her fangs were barely poking him. From the corner of his eye, he could see a pink mist wavering around. He didn't know where it was coming from but he was sure it was mystified love.

Daedalus felt the love he formed steadily draining at a rapid pace. This likely could have killed a pony from the sheer mental strain alone. As it was, Daedalus was developing a powerful headache, even though he had no brain to ache. Fortunately, he wasn't a pony. Before long, he had been drained of all his love. Chrysalis let go of his neck and her eyes seemed to clear.

She gasped loudly and stood up quickly and looked around in a panic. "I killed him! Oh buck, Celestia will hunt us to extinction!"

Daedalus chuckled lightly as he stood. Her head snapped around and faced him. Intense relief overtook the fear and worry as she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. Instantly, she realized what she was doing and stepped back, her cheeks now a green tint. She coughed lightly and the blush faded away.

"How are you alive? I drained you dry!" Chrysalis exclaimed.

Daedalus just smiled as he examined her form. Her once cracking chitin was now whole and lustrous, shining in the blue light sexily. Her ribs no longer showed. Her wings, while still ragged, was not the result of starvation. Daedalus couldn't help but drift his eyes over her slender legs and supple flanks. Something about the fact that she was a predator attracted him like no other could. Maybe it was his own viral instincts screaming that this was a kindred spirit.

"I'm alive because I am not a pony. Shall we make our way to your study?"

The Queen nodded. "Yes. You've only been here for an hour and already I have so many questions. This way."

Chrysalis entered the building and he followed. As soon as they walked through the arched doorway, they came to a long hallway. Half a dozen doors sat on each side with one final one at the very end of the hallway. The Changeling led him down the hall and into the final room on the right. When they stopped in front of the door, Daedalus noticed something odd about it.

It was door-shaped. It did what a door did as Chrysalis walked through it. It was a door. But it was made of some type of luminescent green gel. The door didn't open. He had to walk through it. Shrugging, he did so. He walked up to the gel and stepped into it. The cool liquid slid across his face, neck, barrel, flanks, and finally he was out.

The room he entered was drastically different from the hallway outside. A soft rug coated the floor. After a moment's examination, Daedalus realized it was made of pelts. Several pelts of the same species blended together seamlessly to make a rug that covered the floor. The walls were porous, making little cubbyholes where scrolls were held. Against the back wall was a large bookshelf, made of some strange red wood. A plush red couch sat beside the bookshelf with a table. A desk situated in front of a cushioned chair dominated the room. The table, chair, and desk were made of the same red wood.

Chrysalis moved and sat on the couch and gestured for him to sit beside her. "Now, let's begin with a simple question. What are you?"

Daedalus took a seat beside her, lightly sinking into the couch, and disappeared into a swarm of tendrils. Chrysalis shouted in shock as the things came back and covered him.

She leaned away, preparing to leap off of the couch as the writhing shape grew. Then it was gone.

Sitting next to her with an amused smile was a being entirely unlike anything she had ever seen before. The clothing was simple, tough blue pants, black shoes, black shirt, and a white coat. It was muscled. Not the overly-muscled, gross kind, but the perfectly built mixture of lithe and strong. It's hair was dark, almost black. It's face was smooth, small, and made of tanned skin. It's eyes, by the Hive, it's eyes! They were icy blue that stared at her, amusement twinkling in it. Blue was her favorite color, red being a close second.

"Like what you see, Chrysalis?" The being said with a voice identical to the pony's. With a start, she realized she had been staring at him for almost ten minutes. Chrysalis felt her cheeks flare a bright green as she blushed and looked away. "Come now, don't be shy. You wanted to know what I was."

She ignored her taunts as her mother had taught her and counted to ten. When she was finished, her blush was gone and she looked back to him. She looked at his face, even though a part of her wanted to look him over again. "So you are a shapeshifter?"

He nodded. "I am an Blacklight Evolved. I'm more than a shapeshifter. I'm a living virus."

Chrysalis' eyes widened, which Daedalus expected. When she leaned away from him, he felt a short stab of pain that left so quickly he wondered where it came from.

"Don't do that." He snapped, before his guilt surfaced at her flinch. He continued with a softer voice. "I'm not contagious. I can't accidentally spread Blacklight."

She relaxed slightly. "What can you do?"

"Whereas you use magic to change, I use genetics. My changes are true; I become what I shapeshift into. I can use this to create beings; plants, animals, monsters, you name it." Daedalus explained, then continued. "That's one of the ways I intend to help you. I want to create a new species of plant that produces pure love."

Her lips parted lightly as her eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"

Daedalus smiled at her. "You heard me. I want to help. That's why I came."

Her entire mood seemed to take a down turn. She looked at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes. Her wings and neck drooped. She seemed to sag into the couch.

"What do you want? My wealth? My home? My body?" She asked in a tired, resigned voice.

Daedalus reached forward and lightly grasped her shoulder. She flinched as the contact, sparking another shot of pain, and he spoke. "Celestia wants me to make a peace agreement. The ponies would want me to wipe this Hive out. That isn't what I want, though."

She seemed to steel her resolve as she waited for whatever horrible request he would make. "I want Changelings to stop starving."

Her head snapped up as a surprised gasp tore out of her barrel. Her eyes locked with his, surprise met warmth. Then anger twisted her features. "You lie! Nopony in the world would ever help Changelings willingly! Nopony in the world would do so without some massive favor! Everypony in the world hates Changelings!" She ended with a scream full of anger and pain.

Daedalus stood to his full height, towering over the mare. She shrunk back, cowed. He spoke with force, not anger, and made her listen. "I am not a pony nor of this world! You would do well to accept help that has no strings attached whenever you can!"

Then his voice softened as he sat down again. "I do not hate Changelings. I hold no anger, no contempt, no desire to harm, no hatred for your species. I learned of a species starving to death, a mother who was forced to watch her children die. I have the power to help. I want to help. Will you let me help, Chrysalis?"

As he spoke, her eyes began to fill with tears. As he asked his final question, the tears broke free and began rolling down her face. She fell forward into his arms and began crying in his chest. As he held her gently, he thought about what had just happened.

She went from anger to sadness and I went from gentle to forceful to gentle again. What the hell is happening?

Author's Notes:

As always, Beta Read by BurningDusk. This chapter also marks the beginning of events I'm looking forward to.

Proffered Assistance

15-Proffered Assistance

Chrysalis stared intently. She sat behind Daedalus, her muzzle an inch from resting on his shoulder. Her slitted eyes were wide, showing interest in what the virus was doing. Daedalus, for the most part, was content to let her watch. He was doing nothing other than deciding the exterior shape of the plants before he created the inner workings.

"Any input, Chrysalis?" He directed behind him. "I'm just designing the aesthetics right now. Afterwards, I'll make the inner workings."

She leans forward, her muzzle brushing against his ear as she talked. "Something heart-shaped. It produces love so it must have at least one heart on it."

Daedalus twisted his body and looked at her. Chrysalis' eyes met his and a frown flashed across her muzzle. "What?"

He just chuckled. "Nothing."

Daedalus turned back and extended his tendrils, forming a small pillar, about six inches high. It slowly coalesced into a unique shape. Several small trunks spiraled from the ground and twisted together, forming a small, leafy bush on top. Half a dozen flowers sprouted from the bush. Each had three heart-shaped pink petals and gold coloring around the flower itself.

"How does that look, Chrysalis?" He asked. For a moment, he didn't receive a reply so he turned and looked back again.

Her eyes were wide, her lips slightly parted in shock. Emotions flashed in her eyes; joy, shocked awe, and disbelief. Daedalus snapped his fingers by her ear and she flinched away. He repeated his question, a small smile on his face.

"That's it?" Chrysalis asked. Daedalus frowned lightly but she continued. "That's how simple it is? It's that simple to stop our starvation?"

Daedalus stood, drawing her attention. He shook his head at her and replied. "No. That is the first attempt. The ones that will feed your Hive will be bigger and stronger. I also need to code them to produce love. Right now, that flower is just for looks."

Daedalus reached out toward it to destroy it only to be stopped by a green aura coating his arm. "No!"

He glanced at Chrysalis questioningly and she blushed lightly before elaborating. "Let me keep it."

Daedalus nodded. She let go of his arm and the picked up the flowered plant. He held it out to her and she accepted it with her magic, her blush only darkening. She summoned a small pot filled with dirt and planted it. Then she teleported it away.

"Come, let's walk." Chrysalis said as she exited the small cavern they were in. Daedalus followed her, his long strides keeping up rather effectively. As they walked through the tunnels, small mushrooms on the walls provided a blue light. Even smaller lights drifted though the air, each one glowing a bluish-green.

Chrysalis noticed him staring at the lights and smirked. "They are spores. The mushrooms, we call them Nature's Glow, release an almost continuous stream of them whenever the air is disturbed. Our passage is the only thing that stirs the air so far underground, so the spores only drift when somepony is walking down the tunnels."

Daedalus held out his hand and watched one of the spores drift onto it. It was small yet emitted a bright glow. The veritable hundreds that filled the tunnel produced a light bright enough to mimic daylight, if not for the altered coloring. "Ponies think a Changeling Hive is slimy, dark, and disgusting."

Chrysalis frowned as she turned away, thinking Daedalus believed it too. He continued, though. "Truth is, this place is beautiful."

Chrysalis' head slowly drifted back and looked at him. "Really? You think so?"

He smiled and nodded. "I know it. The ethereal glow, the nature, even the architecture. This place is one-of-a-kind. Nothing like it exists anywhere on the surface."

Daedalus' smile deepened. "Be proud of what you've built. Be proud of what Changelings have done. Other races can't understand, but you have done so much more than them."

Chrysalis smiled lightly, her eyes watering over making her face sparkle as light reflected off the tears. She stepped forward and reared up, her forelegs wrapping around his shoulders. She buried her muzzle into the crook of his neck, her tears lightly wetting the area.

Daedalus wrapped his arms around her and leaned against the wall. He knew how much what he said meant. He believed it all, too. Changelings, or at least the Sapphire Hive, have built an entire city underground, all the while being hated and hunted by ponies and gryphons alike. He was impressed by them. The level of tenacity and ingenuity rivals even that of humanity.

What broke the peaceful silence was not speech, nor the sounds of tears. Rather, it was the sound of Chrysalis' stomach rumbling that made Daedalus laugh. She dropped down from his shoulders, her cheeks tinted green. The virus calmed himself and smiled down at Chrysalis who gave him a hopeful look in reply.

Daedalus sighed but nodded, prompting a smile from the Queen. He sat down and cannibalized his cells, synthesizing more love. He held his arm out to Chrysalis and she lightly bit it. Her fangs dug into his skin, but not enough to hurt or to pierce it.

He watched in unmitigated interest as a pink mist flowed from his skin into her mouth. Daedalus focused on the region around her fangs. He could sense the chemicals of love being physically drawn to the location, almost as if by magnetism. There, the liquids were drawn to his skin where they were heated, converted into gas, and inhaled by the Changeling. All that was left was a warm feeling that was focused on his arm and slowly spread though him.

After a long moment, she let go and pulled back, her lips and fangs tinted pink. She leaned forward and nuzzled his chest, to his surprise, and whispered. "Thank you."

"No problem, Chryssi." Daedalus said without thinking.

Her head pulled back, surprised. "Chryssi?"

He blinks, realizing what he said. "Sorry. It's a habit from long ago. I'll make sure not to call you that."

Chrysalis is silent for a moment, seemingly thinking something over. Then she speaks with lightly tinted cheeks. "No, it's fine. You can call me that. I just wasn't expecting that, Daedi."

Then she makes a face as if she tasted something bitter. The two were silent for a moment before they both broke out laughing. Chrysalis leaned over against Daedalus, who paid no mind to it. After a short moment, the two calmed and Daedalus spoke.

"Jay." He said simply. Chrysalis looked at him questioningly and he continued. "My real name; it's Jay."

She smiled up at him, her green eyes meeting his icy blue ones. "Then I'm calling you Jay."

"That's perfect, Chryssi." Daedalus said right before she yawned. She snuggled her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Really? Right in the middle of a random tunnel?" Daedalus asked.

"Mmhmm." She replied. Moments later, her breathing and heartbeat slowed and he knew she fell asleep. He smiled, his eyes drifting across the tunnel walls. Their breath stirred the air and as the virus watched the mesmerizing lights, he fell asleep.

"Good night, Daedalus!" A cheerful voice chirped out as the world slowly came into view around him. He was seated in his old laboratory, unfinished devices sitting all around him.

Across the room, closely examining one of the whiteboards was Luna. She was studying the equations, which she soon abandoned and turned to face him with a smile.

"Hello, Luna. It's good to see you." He replied, standing up.

"It's good to see you, too. How goes the peace mission? How much trouble has Chrysalis given you?"

Daedalus lifted an old crystal, remembering when he used it to separate photons. "None. She's been cooperative and happy I was there."

The midnight alicorn seemed surprised. "Truly? I expected her to be problematic."

He set it down, shaking his head. "She's done nothing of the sort."

Luna came over and lied across the table on her back with her hooves folded above her. Her tail, thankfully, blocked any unwanted views as she stared at him with a smile. "So what is this place?"

"The laboratory I used to work at before my infection." He explained. "It was a small, privately funded company focused on understanding the secrets of physics. I worked here for eleven years, maybe."

Luna glanced over to her side seeing a strange sight. A long tube ran across the wall, disappearing behind it at both corners. She pointed a hoof at it. "What's that?"

Daedalus glanced at it, then answered. "The shortest particle accelerator ever made. We would take two atoms, speed them up to near the speed of light, and make them collide. We would study the results and discover new particles and learn more about the ones we already discovered. Although, the real one didn't run through my workplace."

He looked around at all the tables, cabinets, and shelves scattered throughout the room. "In fact, this place is loaded with memories of mine. Each object you see is a memento from a different experiment, whether failed or successful."

The virus walked over to one of the tables and lifted a stack of papers, reading it with a chuckle. The alicorn rolled off of the table and approached Daedalus from behind. She reared up and set her hooves on his shoulders and looked over his shoulder at the paper. "What experiment is that from?"

"It wasn't an experiment. It's an old theory I made when I was 17. It was unproven for a decade and a half until I proved it wrong." He explained.

"You proved your own theory wrong?" Luna asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I never cared about being right. I wanted facts, even if it meant I was wrong."

"That's a rare outlook for scientists, Daedalus." Luna comments, impressed.

"Maybe, but not where I worked. We all thought alike and tried to prove each other right or wrong. There was no sense of competition here. We proved each other wrong, or right, consistently and no one was ever bothered. If anything, we were thankful."

"Thankful? Why?" Luna questioned incredulously.

"Because we were taught where we messed up. It let us fix our mistakes and get that much closer to the truth." Daedalus answered.

He set the paper down and looked around. "This place brings back so many memories."

Luna nodded. "Sometimes, memories are all we have-"

The dream shattered as the laboratory collapsed in on itself. Luna was expelled from his dream as Daedalus fell into a black, star-filled void.

Daedalus jerked awake. His forehead slammed into something and he fell back, dazed and weakened by the abrupt change. His hearing slowly returned to hear someone groaning in pain. He opened his eyes and saw Chrysalis on the ground with her hooves on her head as a small trickle of green blood trailed down her face.

"Shit, Chryssi, I'm sorry." Daedalus said as he sat up and reached for her. "Move your hooves so I can heal it."

She nodded and took her hooves away. He winced at the obvious crack in her chitin that was leaking green blood. It was right above her eyes and she kept having to blink in order to keep her left eye clear.

Daedalus reached out and placed his hand on her forehead, right below her horn and right on the cut before it dissolved into a mass of writhing matter. Several tendrils absorbed the blood while others administered a weak anesthesia to stop the pain. Others still healed the wound by recreating her cells and removing all traces of Blacklight from it.

His hand solidified again and he pulled it away. Chrysalis felt her forehead and sighed. "What the buck was that for, Jay?"

"Sorry," He started, running his hand through his hair. "I was speaking to Luna and something woke me up. Apparently, being woken from a lucid dream is a lot more jarring than a normal one."

She snorted. "Apparently. You shot up and head-butted me. Is your skull made of steel or something?"

"Or something." Daedalus agreed. "My skin is dense, making it harder than steel. I don't actually have a skull."

"Right. Virus." Chrysalis said slowly.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?" Daedalus asked.

"No!" She exclaimed, then added. "It just takes a bit to get used to it. You are literally the only one in the world like that."

"Fair enough." Daedalus says. "In any case, were you what woke me?"

She rolls her eyes. "No, Jay, another Changeling that slept beside you did."

He chuckles and stands. "Good answer. Why'd you wake me?"

"We slept for several hours and I now need to hold morning Court. Are you going to accompany me or further develop the flowers?" She asked simply.

"I'll work more on the flowers. I'm not a fan of anything political, even if my old job had to deal with it anyway." Daedalus says.

"Very well." Chrysalis says with a flash of disappointment. "I'll call one of my guards to lead you to a large cavern where you'll be free to work."

Daedalus thought for a second. Then he spoke with a mischievous smile. "Holding Court must be boring. It'll likely be more bearable if you had someone there to speak with in between sessions. It would be beneficial of me to keep you happy, wouldn't it?"

She returned his smile brightly. "Yes, and a happy Queen would make your job here much more bearable."

Daedalus nodded with a chuckle. "I guess I have to go with you, then."

He walks past Chrysalis who takes the chance to nuzzle his shoulder. "Thank you, Jay."

Daedalus stops and looks back with a smile. "Come on, Chryssi. What are you waiting for?"

She laughs and trots over. "I'm going to teleport us there. Be ready."

Her horn lit up with green light before the pair vanished in a flash of magic. They reappeared in a large room with the same flash. Daedalus quickly examined the room with a few glances. Large stone columns lined the walls while the entrance had no door, just a large arch covered in the green gel he had seen before. The roof was nonexistent, letting Daedalus look up and see Chrysalis' home far above him. Blue mushrooms, the same as the ones in the tunnel, grew along the walls and columns as well as one large one behind the throne. Several Changelings, each with thick chitin armor, stood guard at the entrance arch and around the room.

He turned to Chrysalis to see her sitting on a throne made of onyx and sapphire. Unlike Celestia's, which was full of gentle slopes and slow turns, Chrysalis' had hard edges and sharp corners. It showed her preference of strength over compassion, a preference Daedalus agreed with.

Chrysalis smiled and gestured beside her throne as she summoned a cushioned chair there. Daedalus walked over and took a seat beside her. "So how exactly does this work?"

"Changelings come in before me and speak. Generally, they only ask for advice or a request, but sometimes there's a dispute. In that case, I review facts with our Hive Mind, which stores all of our memories, and either make a suggestion or, if needed, an order. I try not to order anyling, though." Chrysalis explained.

Daedalus smiled. "That's an admirable trait, Chryssi."

She returned his smile with her own warm one. "Thank you, Jay."

The she raised her voice as she addressed the guards by the arch. "Let the first petitioner in!"

The guard nodded and tapped on the gel, which quivered in a way reminding of Jell-O. Daedalus suspected another guard outside saw this and spoke as soon after another Changeling entered.

The first Changeling entered. He was the same as most of what he's seen, bald, tattered wings, jagged horn, blue eyes with no iris, and plenty of leg holes. The equine entered slowly, glancing nervously at Daedalus. He, in turn, smiled and looked at Chrysalis. He seemed to relax a little and approached the throne with more ease, but also a small amount of reverence.

"How may I help you?" Chrysalis asked with kindness equal to any other ruler.

"The recent tremors have collapsed several more tunnel systems, Your Majesty." The Changeling said.

A worried frown creased Chrysalis' face as she looked at him. "Was anyling injured in the collapse? I hope not."

He shook his head, much to her relief. "No, Your Majesty. However, my family as well as two others have lost our homes and belongings to the collapse. I beg you for help until the tunnels are excavated again."

Chrysalis nodded, a small smile surfacing. "Of course. Your family as well as the other two may stay in the emergency housing in the city. You may remain there until your homes are finished."

The Changeling smiled widely, happiness radiating from him. "Thank you, Your Majesty! I'll be sure to tell the others!"

He quickly left the room and soon after another Changeling entered. This one was larger, yet still not as large as Chrysalis. He, too, had hair as well as actual irises, even if they were slitted. He approached the throne slowly, his walk betraying his age as Daedalus realized he had to have been at least fifty, maybe sixty.

"Do you have something to report, Vyramir?" Queen Chrysalis asked her subject with equal parts kindness and royal tone.

The Changeling, named Vyramir, Daedalus now knew, nodded his head and spoke slowly. "Yes, my Queen. Two hundred more Changelings have been buried. The proper rites have been preformed and their souls have been sent into the next life."

Chrysalis nodded, all royal pretense abandoned. She stared at the Changeling she had likely known since his birth sadly, pain clear in her eyes. As he saw this, a horrible thought struck Daedalus. Changelings were starving to death every day. Every few hours, a mother lost her daughter, a father lost his son, or a child lost their parents. Daedalus, the one being with the power to fix this problem, was doing nothing to help as he watched Queen Chrysalis holding court.

Daedalus stood up and turned to Chrysalis. "Your Majesty, I request to be dismissed. I want to go work on the project I have in development.

Chrysalis nodded, slightly confused not only at his formal tone but also at the request itself, and spoke. "You may be dismissed, Daedalus. After Court is finished, I will come meet you. I trust you can find your way back?"

He nods and she continues. "Go ahead then."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Daedalus said with a formal head nod before turning and exiting the room. It didn't take him very long to find his way back to the cavern they were in before. He entered quickly, raising a viral wall across the entrance to prevent any unwanted visitors. Then, he turned and punched the wall hard. The stone cracked around his fist as small pebbles and dust particles fell to the floor.

Daedalus pulled his hand back, a flash of annoyance sparking through him causing him to groan loudly. Then he felt annoyed at being annoyed which only pissed him off. His emotions quickly descended into chaos as his feelings sparked more feelings. He felt his virus beginning to react aggressively to the emotions. When he realized it was about to force a kinetic evolution, he quickly began to force them under control.

Slowly, he brought himself under control. He forced the anger down, calming himself as his viral nature proved itself useful in wrestling his emotions into submission. Finally, after several minutes of bubbling anger, as well as physical bubbling as his skin shifted around, he fully calmed himself.

Then he sat against the wall and begun thinking. That should not have happened. I'm a virus, a non-living entity. I shouldn't have emotions, especially ones I can control. What changed?

Delving deep into his own genetics, Daedalus searched around for any differences, any changes. Methodically, he checked each gene of each chromosome. He found nothing. There was no out of place coding, no haywire cells, no faulty DNA. Instead, all he found was viral cells behaving normally, following commands put into place by his own unaltered code.

Then what sparked the uncontrollable emotions? Nothing changed in me so it had to be an outside force. Daedalus thought for a moment, reviewing his memories of the past few days. Chrysalis feeding off of me? Could that be the source? Further testing required. Until further notice, avoid emotional situations. Blacklight reacts violently to the presence of strong emotions.

The virus had no real clue if Chrysalis was purposely causing his changes. In fact, he had no real idea if it even was her that sparked the emotional change. Whatever it was, whatever caused it, it disturbed him greatly. He had gotten so used to having no real emotions that having them was unnatural, a forgotten feeling. He wanted them gone.

At the same time, though, normalcy was something he strived for. Truthfully, he enjoyed breathing, having a heartbeat and flowing blood. There was just something about feeling alive that he desired. These emotions only made him feel better than ever, far better than the blank emptiness and faked feelings that all Evolved deal with until they are consumed by another.

With a drawn out sigh, Daedalus decided to put aside his dilemma for now. He wanted to focus on helping Chrysalis. Whether he liked it or not, he wanted to see her smile. For now, that meant focusing purely on further the development of the flowers.

A rapid knocking on the viral wall ripped Daedalus from his concentration. With a single though, a small doorway appeared in the makeshift barrier and he felt someone pass through the entrance before he closed it again.

The presence moved through the room, stepping over and on viral matter as they waved their way closer to him. Eventually, they sat down beside him. Daedalus slowly became aware of a scent different from what he had grown used to; jasmine. He turned his head to the side to see Chrysalis seated beside him. She must have felt him looking as she looked over.

The virus felt a spark of joy as their eyes met before he wrestled the unprompted emotion down. He smiled at her, his tendrils still hard at work on the interior of the large flower. She returned it with a slightly disgruntled look before speaking. "Do you mind explaining to me why you left suddenly?"

Daedalus sighed, his tendrils retracting as he turned to fully face her. "Because of what Vyramir said."

When he received nothing more than a confused look in reply, he elaborated. "When he told you about the buried dead, a thought struck me. Every day, Changelings were dying. Whether by starvation, or disease, or injury, your subjects were dying. Then there was me, a being capable of fixing it all. What was I doing?"

He grunted and faced forward. "Absolutely nothing. Instead of working on making these flowers, or healing injuries, or anything else, I was sitting in a room, listening to politics. I couldn't believe how heartless I had been."

His gaze drifted over and looked the Queen is the eyes, tears beginning to form in his own. "How could I have been so heartless? So callous? How many Changelings have died because of my inaction?"

Chrysalis sighed before she reached up and gripped his shoulder. "You aren't heartless nor callous. You worked on this flower consistently, the only exception when we slept and when you attended Court for a short time. As for how many have died since you came here? None."

"What? How?" Daedalus asked, confused.

"When I first fed off of your love, I ate more than I needed to. The extra that I didn't need, I spread among my subjects. Then, last night, when I fed again, I did the same." Chrysalis explained.

His brows furrowed as he looked to her. "How much love does a Changeling need?"

She smiled. "Not much. An Infiltrator will always drain more than they need so they can send some back to the Hive. I did the same."

Daedalus returned the smile as a thought struck him. "Chrysalis, until I get these flowers fully formed and functional, I would like you to continue feeding from me to keep you and your Hive going. Is that acceptable?"

Her smile widened as she nodded. "Very much so."

Daedalus sighed in content relief as he formed more love and held his arm out for her. She leaned forward and latched on again, the same draining process belong performed again. This time, instead of simply creating a small amount of love for her to drain, he kept making more and more, ensuring she had a large supply.

The warm feeling spread up his arm and into his chest as she continued to drain him. Physically, a small headache began to form as the chemicals were forcefully taken from him. After he guessed she had devoured at least thirty time the previous amount of gaseous love, he cut the flow off and watched the mist fade.

Chrysalis let go and sat back, her muzzle and fangs fully pink. A slightly delirious look adorned her face as she swayed side to side. Her eyes stared out, seemingly seeing nothing before her horn quickly began glowing. Suddenly, he was knocked over on his back from a magical push. The delirious Queen quickly crawled onto him and lied down, her fangs latching onto his neck instinctively. Daedalus could feel her trying to drain more love there was no more in his system.

After nearly twenty minutes of having a large pony attached to his neck, he felt Chrysalis quickly let go with a gasp as she rolled away and spoke in supreme concern once she stopped. "Are you okay?"

"Of course, why?" Daedalus asked in confusion.

She stood and stepped over to him, quickly examining his neck before magically lifting his arm. She checked that too before glancing at his eyes. "I drank too much. I went love-mad."

Daedalus chuckled lightly at the name before calming and asking the question on his mind. "What is that?"

"It means I fed too much. The large intake of love made me lose my senses and I tried to take it all from you. Infiltrators have to take extensive training courses to prevent themselves from going mad with the love they taste." Chrysalis explained.

"Did you ever take those courses?" He asked in curiosity.

"I did, but we never trained to resist that much love. No living being is able to hold that much in them without going mentally insane. No living being can lose that much without dying, either. It was no wonder I lost control. Did you feel anything off when I was feeding?" She asked, concern painting her features.

Daedalus shrugged. "Not really. Just a warm feeling spreading across my arm and chest."

She tilted her head. "Warm feeling? That doesn't make sense. Why would you feel warm? Anything else?"

"My emotions have been uncontrollable recently." Daedalus added.

"They are emotions. They aren't meant to be controlled." She replied simply.

"Normally, you are right. I'm a virus, though. I can control my emotions with perfect precision normally, which is how I produce the love for you and your kind." He explained.

Chrysalis hummed lightly. "I'll have to think more on it. I'm not sure why you feel warm when I feed. Perhaps later I'll have an answer for you."

Then she closed her eyes and smiled warmly at him. "As it is, you've been working on the flowers for four hours, and supplied a week's worth of love for the Hive. Would you like to take a break and let me show you the Gem Caverns beneath us?"

Daedalus nodded, though her eyes were closed. "Yeah, that sounds really interesting. Let's go."

She stood up quickly and turned toward the exit. "Then come on! They are a beautiful sight to see and I often find myself wandering the natural paths for hours on end to clear my thoughts."

Daedalus gave a small smile, genuinely happy she was happy. He stood and quickly followed as she trotted out the room, a noticeable pep in her step. They passed two guards, both of which looked on happily as they saw their ruler so excited.

Heh, she must love this place if she's this eager to show me.

Author's Notes:

Betaread by BurningDusk

Assault

16-Assault

Daedalus smiled as he followed Chrysalis. She was very clearly excited to show him the Gem Caverns; she walked with a slight bounce, had a large smile on her face, and constantly looked back to make sure he was following.

Each time she did, he could almost see a visible shiver of excitement spread through her. Daedalus figured the Caverns to be something the Sapphire Hive was proud of. If the name gave any hints, he felt he would agree once he saw them.

The Queen led him through labyrinthine tunnels, always descending farther beneath the sunbaked surface far above them. The air grew cooler and moist as a steady thrumming noise seemed to reverberate though the walls. The next time Chrysalis looked back, he gave her a questioning look.

Her grin only widened and she seemed to grow slightly giddy as she waved him on with a wing and continued. Daedalus, after a moment's thought, shrugged and followed. As the descended farther, the noise grew louder and Daedalus was forced to tone down the sensitivity of his ears.

Up ahead, Daedalus could see a light. As they grew closer, he realized it was coming from around a bend in the tunnel and the noise seemed to be coming from right around it. The air and walls around them were surprisingly slick, making the virus suspect the noise was actually an underground river.

Finally, the pair came to the bend. Daedalus expected them to go around the corner but, to his surprise, Chrysalis stopped him by extending her wings and blocking the passage. He looked down at the chitinous mare as she looked up and smiled at him. "Close your eyes."

When he stared down at her with a blank look, she laughed lightly. She explained with a slightly louder voice so she could be heard. "The reveal is better if it happens all at once."

Daedalus sighed. "Alright. I'll play along."

She beamed at him and he couldn't help but think that there was something truly special about this place. He sighed and decided that he would go along with what she wanted. It wasn't like she was going to hurt him.

Daedalus closed his eyes and nodded to her. The virus felt a wing wrap around his hand as she led him along. He placed his other hand against the wall to help lead him, although he could have simply used his perfect memory to take the correct route.

After less than a dozen steps, Chrysalis tugged his hand and he turned, rounding the corner. The noise dropped several decibels as the echo lessened even as the light increased several lumens. Chrysalis let go of his hand and used her wing to stop him. "You can open your eyes now."

Daedalus did so, his eyes alighting on one of the most awe-inspiring sights he had ever seen.

The first thing Daedalus noticed was the source of the thrumming sound. It was not a underground river as he expected, but rather a subterranean waterfall. The water cascaded over an unseen ledge far to his right and splashed noisily into a large pool. There, it flowed swiftly across the gargantuan cavern until it disappeared into a wall, descending deeper into darkness.

The next he noticed were the gemstones. The Gem Caverns lived up to their name spectacularly as thousands of gems were embedded into the walls and floor. The sheer number and variety astounded him as he recognized only a portion of the gems; sapphires, rubies, emeralds, onyx, opals, topazes, amethysts, and a myriad of others.

On the roof was perhaps the largest gem he had ever seen. It was suspended in the ceiling over a hundred feet above him and still appeared larger than him. It was red and orange, nearly perfectly spherical, and emitted a warm, yellow glow that reminded him of sunlight. This was the source of the glow that he had seen from down the tunnel.

The waterfall filled the air with a light mist, some of the droplets collecting on the surface of various gemstones. As the light from above shined down, it reflected off of the gems only for the mist to act as a prism. Shimmering rainbows shifted across the air as they flowed like water. The colors gave what seemed like an aura to everything in the cave, wreathing every object in an ever-changing crown of color.

Daedalus looked over to Chrysalis to speak to her only to fall silent. She stood relaxed, her wings extended as a utterly content smile adorned her muzzle. The mist had already dampened her chitin, making her shine and shimmer just as the gems did. An ethereal haze surrounded her as an aura of peacefulness seemed to emanate from her self.

The virus felt several unbidden emotions surface, some of which he recognized. Chief amongst them was a burning desire, although for what he knew not. Then, they were gone as he ruthlessly shoved them down into the recesses of his very being.

"Chrysalis," Daedalus began, still struck by the otherworldly beauty of this place. "This is absolutely amazing!"

She turned to face him, her emerald eyes meeting his as another spark shot through him. He refused to let uncontrollable emotions get in his way and buried it as well. "It is. I absolutely love it here. This above all is my favorite place to be in the Hive."

Daedalus sighed, the tension draining from him as he allowed his gaze to drift over the room. His eyes traced the flowing rainbows as her let himself relaxing and becoming entranced at it all.

He was brought back when he felt a nudge to his side and looked down slightly to see Chrysalis staring with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "Sit down with me."

She walked fully into the cave and sat down. The Changeling beckoned him over with her wing. Daedalus approached and sat next to her, stretching his legs out as he reclined against the slick wall. To his surprise, Chrysalis tilted over and landed sprawled out on the floor, his legs as her pillows. She gazed up at him with a curious look to which he replied with a shrug.

Her curiosity faded, replaced with a content smile as her eyes drifted closed, the rhythmic sounds of a cascade lulling her asleep. For the second time since he arrived, Daedalus joined her.

"Your Majesty!"

Daedalus snapped awake in an instant, every viral cell in his body emerging from a near-comatose state to full activity. Enzymes were produced, proteins made, chemicals synthesized, and molecules cannibalized. Several bulges appeared in the skin on his arms for a short moment, a hint to the bladed tendrils ready to form, before they faded away as he realized it was just a Changeling.

He looked over to see the Changeling standing in the entrance tunnel of the cavern. It was one of the guards he had seen before, with the usual thick chitin plating, jagged horn, and larger than average frame. The poor equine seemed torn between waking his Queen and letting her sleep. Daedalus decided to solve it for him.

He reached down and flicked her ear. It twitched once or twice before it stopped. Daedalus smiled lightly and flicked it again. Chrysalis' reply was to curl up lightly as her hooves drew closer to her body. Daedalus sighed.

He thought for a moment, trying to decide a good way to wake her up. A thought struck him, and, with a shrug, he reached down and flicked her jagged horn. He expected her to wake up.

Daedalus did not expect her to wake up with a loud, erotic moan and leap off of him with a furious green blush on her muzzle. Her wings were spread wide and she glared at him, conflicting emotions in her eyes. He could see as her mind waged a war between desire and indignation. After a tense moment, the war ended with no clear winner.

Chrysalis turned to her guard an buzzed her wings repeatedly. He replied the same way before turning around and leaving. The Queen spun around on Daedalus with a glare.

"What in Gaea's name possessed you to flick my horn?" She nearly screamed at him.

Daedalus shrugged sheepishly. "I legitimately didn't expect you to have a reaction like that. I expected more along the lines of you to slowly wake up."

She exhaled explosively through her nostrils. "Do not touch my horn again. For that matter, do not touch my wings, either."

Daedalus nodded and mumbled to himself. "I wish I knew about that earlier."

Then he raised his voice. "What did the guard come to tell you?"

Chrysalis sighed. "A small group of Bulettes have been sighted near the Hive."

"Bulette?" Daedalus asked.

"Burrowing hunters. Very dangerous to an underground Hive." She explained, then continued. "We'll wait a bit. If they continue to the Hive, you and I will intercept them."

Daedalus nodded. "Fair enough. How dangerous are they?"

Chrysalis shrugged lightly and began walking to the Cavern exit, the rainbow lights being left behind. "Not very. They are similar in size to, say, a large dog. Only an Alpha can pose a threat and none have been seen in the Badlands in centuries."

"And what exactly make a Bulette Alpha so dangerous?" Daedalus asked as he followed behind the Queen.

"Their saliva drips with a dark magic." She answered simply.

"I have no magic so I'm going to assume it's poisonous." Daedalus guessed.

"Very much so." Chrysalis said.

Daedalus got the feeling she wasn't happy with him and, for some reason, that bothered him. He sighed lightly and reached up and griped her shoulder. She stopped suddenly and glanced back to see him with an apologetic smile.

"Look, Chryssi, I'm sorry." Daedalus said truthfully. "I honestly didn't know a Changeling's horn was sensitive. Even still, I shouldn't have tried to wake you like that. I should have just called your name or gently shook you."

Chrysalis smiled back at him. "Oh, Jay. You just have to be stupid sometimes, don't you?"

When he nodded with a slight grin, she laughed. "You're forgiven. Now, come on. Let's go make sure this Hive stays safe."

Daedalus nodded, his heart lighter. Chrysalis' horn began glowing right before they teleported. When the flash of light died down, they were on the surface and several Changeling guards were waiting in formation. The one in front, like the Captain, came over and bowed lightly before the Queen.

"Your Majesty, the Bulettes are rapidly approaching. It seems they sensed the vibrations of our Hive and see it as a prime hunting grounds." The guard explained, gesturing to the south.

"Then we will show them where their error lies." Chrysalis said simply. "Jay, I would prefer you be in front since I know you can't die."

Daedalus nodded. "Just be careful, Chryssi. I can't die but you can."

She rolled her eyes but seemed to have a small smile on her muzzle anyway. "Go. Be the good little distraction you are."

Daedalus nodded and headed in the direction the guard indicated. Behind him, he could hear the guards and Chrysalis following at a noticeable distance. As they walked, he could feel very slight tremors in the ground. They were growing larger and more common until one of the guards behind him yelled out. "Here they are!"

A strange being burst from the ground directly in front of him. It was entirely white with bone plating coveting it's head and back. Four stout legs ended in three sharp claws each. It's mouth was not incredibly large, yet was empty of teeth. Instead, the beasts' jaws seemingly were the teeth as several sharp ridges approached him.

It lunged out of the compacted sand, clearly larger than what Chrysalis had said. It was easily the size of him. Vaguely, he heard a panicked scream from behind him. For a moment, it sounded like Chrysalis.

Just as its jaws closed on his chest, several foot-long spikes jutted from his skin and pierced the monstrosity's skull, killing it immediately. The rumbling and shaking was all around them; there had to have been at least a dozen, maybe more. He could sense a few going past him, although he couldn't tell.

Daedalus stood perfectly still, not even his heart beating. He could feel the sources of trouble moving as they searched for any vibrations from him. After several moments of silence from him, and combat from behind him, one passed just a little too close to him.

The virus quickly raised his foot and stomped directly over the Bulette. A thin viral spike extended from the bottom of his foot and pierced the monster. He rapidly consumed it and he felt his genetics quickly adapt and implement it's genes.

The others swarmed toward him as two leaped from the ground. Daedalus caught one with his arms and quickly swung it toward the other. They collided and were sent tumbling away, both dead from severe internal injuries. Another emerged directly below him and bit at his left leg.

To his surprise and concern, Daedalus felt his leg collapse under his weight as the Bulette bit straight through his condensed flesh. He landed on his side and punched the Bulette, his arm piercing it's body and consuming it.

The virus stood, his leg already regrown, and stood still for a moment. None of the beasts were around him, or at least moving around him, so he turned and joined the Changelings. Two more died by his fist, four by Chrysalis' magic, and another three by the combined efforts of the Changeling guards.

Daedalus quickly examined the Queen and her guards before smiling in relief as none of them appeared to be injured. He nodded and went to stand beside Chrysalis. She looked at him and smiled in relief when she saw him uninjured. "I'm glad your okay."

"The feeling is returned." Daedalus said, feeling no need to tell her of what transpired. "That was just as simple as you said it was."

Chrysalis nodded. "Once we learned the patterns of these beasts, defeating them became easy. Guards! Collect the Bulette for transport!"

The Changelings swarmed to do as they were instructed and began collecting some of them. Two to a corpse, they lifted them over their backs and began trekking north to the Hive entrance. When Daedalus looked questioningly at Chrysalis, she smiled. "The bone plating can make good armor, better than our chitin does. More and more of our guards are receiving this better armor to help patrol our lands and give us more warning of threats like these."

Daedalus nodded and the pair began walking toward the Hive, trailing some-odd feet behind the other guards. After a couple minutes after walking, Chrysalis gasped and staggered. Daedalus turned and caught her before she hit the ground. He heard a loud rustling and looked up to see all the guards surrounding them, the corpses abandoned. He returned his focus to Chrysalis to see her face contorted in pain. "Chryssi? Chryssi! What's happening?"

"The Hive...it's being attacked!" She said as she overcame the pain and stood. Her horn began glowing as she charged up magic. "Prepare to teleport!"

With a flash of venomous green magic, the group arrived in the Changeling Hive, in the center of the city. It was utter insanity.

Changelings ran and flew around as Bulettes burrowed through the ground and leaped at potential prey. There had to have been forty of them hunting in the city. Daedalus didn't have time to think more as several Bulettes burrowed straight toward the group, their arrival having been loud and flashy.

Two leaped at Daedalus and he, now knowing they can injure him, weaved around one and cleaved the other in twain with a quickly formed blade. He turned and speared the other one down the middle. He moved to assist Chrysalis only to be stopped as she called out. "Jay! Go help the others. We'll be fine."

Daedalus nodded and jumped, heading toward a small group of Changelings that were fighting off a Bulette. He landed roughly, distracting it before it could take a chunk out of one of the equines. It lunged forward and Daedalus evaded by lightly leaping over it. He landed with his back to it only to be surprised as he felt a chunk of his back rip away. He spun, the wound closing instantly, and cleaved the Bulette's skull open.

Daedalus turned to the Changelings. "Find your way up high. These things burrow, they can't sense you up there."

The small group nodded and flew up, heading for, what Daedalus assumed, were the noble houses. The virus attuned to his hearing and began to hear screams and growls coming from all over the city. He sighed internally and leaped into action.

Two hours. It took Daedalus two hours to work his way through the Hive city, slaying any and all Bulettes he came across. Twice he passed by guards doing the same and once he crossed paths with Chrysalis. His worry skyrocketed when he saw her, cuts and scratches covering her. She explained that she had gotten tackled by a Bulette, one that was now nothing more than ash, but he still concerned. The virus didn't get a chance to press the matter as two screams resounded through the city, separating them.

Finally, though, the Bulettes were dead, aerial Changelings reporting no further signs of the beasts. He was sitting down, letting his biomass recover as Chrysalis leaned against him, resting. She was breathing heavily as green ichor dripped from a couple of her larger wounds. She must have felt him looking at her because she turned and grinned at him.

"Looks worse than it is."

Daedalus nodded. "I know it is, but I still worry about you."

Her muzzle tinted green lightly as she laughed. "I should say the same to you. I saw that chunk be taken out of you."

Daedalus reached up and lightly gripped her shoulder. "I can heal from that instantly. You can't."

Chrysalis sighed, the mirth settling. She leaned against him further, pressing against the warmth as his arm fell down around her and held her lightly. "It's nice to know someling cares."

Daedalus smiled lightly. "Of course I care. Honestly, these emotions confuse me sometimes but I'm glad it happened."

She raised her chin, looking into his eyes from below, her curious gaze meeting his contemplative one. "Why is that?"

"Before this change, my emotions were faked. Sure, I could say I was happy, I could think I was happy, but I couldn't feel it. When I changed, I focused only on the bad, the annoyance, the anger, the fear, and the worry. Now, though, at times like this, I focus on the contentment, the relief, and the happiness, and I realize that maybe being normal isn't so bad."

Chrysalis leaned and nuzzled his neck, a wide smile on her face. "I'm glad you decided to come here. Already you've helped us, and the plants aren't even finished."

Daedalus looked down at her, confusion clear on his face. "How have I helped? I haven't done very much."

Chrysalis sighed. "For starters, you halted our starvation. You may not have solved it yet, but it is because of you that we can truly afford to have a meal more than every other day."

Daedalus felt a pang of upset as she spoke, yet remained silent. "Then, you've helped us with the Bulettes. While yes, we could have slain them alone, you saved a number of lives today."

Then she sat up, her hoof beginning to tap the ground nervously. "Above all, Jay, you've given me hope. Something I didn't have for me or my kind until you arrived. You brought hope with you, hope of a brighter, better future where mothers and fathers don't have to starve to feed their children."

Chrysalis smiled brightly at Daedalus, a smile he happily returned to her. She opened her mouth to speak only for her eyes to widen. Daedalus' did as well as he moved to grab her, only to be too late. The ground fractured and moved between them as a gaping maw appeared and snapped, green ichor flying as Chrysalis' leg was taken. What was once to be words came out as a horrific pained scream instead. The virus reacted quickly, grabbing the beast and tearing it from the ground, quickly throwing it. He raised his voice and yelled, the sound echoing through the Hive. "Take to the air, Bulettes! Someone grab Chrysalis!"

Several Changelings dived down and grabbed the pained Queen, magic quickly being used to stem the bleeding. "Take care of her! I'll deal with the beast!"

The Changelings nodded and flew toward a large building attached to one of the mushrooms. Daedalus turned his attention to the Bulette, only to pause at what he saw. It was several times larger than the others, easily larger than him. A malevolent intelligence glittered in its eyes as it patiently waited, darkened saliva dripping from it's maw. Daedalus sighed in exasperation.

"'Haven't seen one in centuries,' she said. Of course there's one now." He formed his bladed arm and slowly approached the beast.

It didn't move, simply waiting for him to near. When he was ten feet away, it sprung, closing the gap quickly. Daedalus, with a confident grin, pivoted and swiped at the monstrosity. To his surprise, it turned slightly by kicking the ground in midair. It caught the blade in it's mouth, tearing it off.

Daedalus screamed as pain tore through his nerves and his arm shifted back on it's own. It was missing from the elbow down and, to his partial panic, he could not regenerate the wound. Focusing quickly, he could feel a cold influence spreading up his arm. When it touched his viral cells, they seemed to enter a state of semi-hibernation as their more complex processes shut down, no longer capable of shifting or reproducing.

The virus, thinking fast, quickly morphed his left arm into a large spike, coiled his muscles, and shot it at the Alpha. The spike hit it directly on the armored bone plating covering it's head and sunk in, traveling through it's body before exiting out the back of the skull. Daedalus quickly reached out and attempted to consume the beast only to fail as the cold sensation spread throughout his body. Feeling the rising panic, Daedalus attempted to shift, yet failed once again. His virus seemed to not respond to his commands.

For the first time in several years, he felt weak and mortal. The abilities that allowed him absolute immunity seemed to not work. Daedalus thought back, quickly remembering what Chrysalis told him conceding Alphas. Their saliva was filled with dark magic, making the a danger beyond the norm.

A Changeling lighted down next to him, warily examining the Alpha corpse. Daedalus spoke to him after shoving down any semblance of panic. "Can you bring me to Queen Chrysalis?"

He snapped out of it, quickly nodding. "Right away!"

With a flash of green magic, the two were in a sort of hospital. The Changeling pointed to, what he assumed, was a nurse. He quickly approached and began speaking. "Can you show me or tell me where Queen Chrysalis is being treated? I was there when she was injured and wish to be nearby in case she awakens."

Before he received an answer, he looked to the chitinous equine that brought him here. "Tell the guards to get everyone off of the ground. There may be more."

He received two nods. The first Changeling left and he turned back to the second as she spoke. "Her Majesty gave us an order to let you in before we put her to sleep. Down the left hallway and the second door on the right."

Daedalus nodded, quickly turning. When she saw his arm, she began to speak only to stop when he shook his head. He continued on and soon found the room, entering. The room was all black with a small pool of green goo in the corner. Splotches of green blood covered Chrysalis' leg as well as the bandaged stump, a sight that physically pained Daedalus. He sat down on the floor next to her bed and began the wait.

Daedalus was pulled from his thoughts as the door opened. A Changeling guard walked in, though this one was adorned in bone plating rather than chitin, making the first one he had seen with the improved armor. The guard glanced around the room, her eyes settling on him. She approached him stiffly and spoke. "You are Jay?"

Idly wondering how she knew his name, he nodded. The guard mare continued with a slight smile as her stance relaxed. "I would like to extend my sincere thanks for saving our Queen. If it weren't for your actions, she may not have made it out alive."

The virus sighed. "I would have preferred it if I had reacted faster. Maybe then she would still have her leg."

She shifted lightly on her hooves. "Well, uh, there's rumor that you can heal wounds like that."

She paused nervously before leveling a hopeful look at him. "Is it true?"

Daedalus frowned as his gaze drifted to the sleeping Chrysalis. "Yes, it is."

Before she could speak, he continued. "Though, the Alpha's saliva seems to have messed with my abilities. I can't do it anymore."

She sighed. "I feared that, considering your arm. Will you be able to soon?"

Daedalus shrugged. "I've never dealt with magic wounds before. Once I can, I'm healing her first thing."

She nodded and silence fell for several moments. The virus broke the silence as a thought struck him. "On another note, what brings you here? That, and what's your name?"

Her eyes widened as she gasped lightly. "Oh! I am Sutha, one of the Changeling Regulators. I've been assigned to watch over our Queen as she recovers."

Daedalus chucked lightly. "Looks like we'll get to know each other rather well, then."

Sutha smiled and nodded. "Looks like it."

Daedalus began to speak only to be interrupted as Chrysalis groaned in her state of unconsciousness. Both of them were beside her bed in an instant. Daedalus reached out with his arm only to stop when he remembered half of it was missing. The virus lowered the stump and reached out with his left hand instead, placing it below her horn.

Her chitin was dangerously warm, nearing temperatures that he'd expect from a virus. He turned to Sutha. "Get a bucket of cold water and a rag from the nurses. She's developing a bad fever."

Her eyes widened. "The black magic! It must be poisonous."

Before he could reply, she darted out of the room. She came back several minutes later, a bucket held in her teeth. She set it down beside Daedalus and he picked up the rag, dipped it into the water, and pressed it against Chrysalis' forehead. He may have lost the majority of his powers, but he still knew how to deal with a fever.

Sutha tapped his shoulder nervously. He looked at her as she spoke. "Maybe we should call the Caretakers. This accursed fever may last weeks."

Daedalus' mouth pressed into a firm line. "Then I will remain here for weeks. I need not eat, drink, or rest."

Daedalus' eyes widened as a thought struck him. He turned so suddenly that Sutha stumbled back. "Can you do this for a bit? I have an idea that may allow me to help her."

Sutha nodded and took over while Daedalus went and sat against the wall. He stared forward at the wall, soon finding a small hole. The virus began tracing it, his eyes moving in circles as he used the activity to focus, directing his thoughts away from his conflicted emotions.

He imagined cool, moist air. He ignored the light in the room and envisioned darkness. He imagined feeling where the unsettling blankness of his severed arm was. He heard silence, not the buzzing of an active, worried Hive. His eyes closed.

Hundreds of miles away, his eyes opened. Daedalus stood, his body fully formed, his arm repaired, and his abilities restored. This body had not been affected by the corrupting touch of black magic. His body dissolved and burrowed up, soon reforming on the surface. With naught but a glance to Canterlot and Ponyville, he took off. Moving as fast as he could, it was still several hours before he reached the Hive.

Daedalus stopped above where he could sense his other body. Quickly delving down, he dug through the cavern ceiling, swarmed down the mushroom stalk, and entered the building. He reformed in the hospital-style room to see Sutha poking his other body in worry.

"Sutha." He said. The Regulator spun around in surprise only to gasp as she saw him. Her head snapped back to look at his injured form. "I'm able to control copies of myself. This body was in a cave near Ponyville."

She nodded hesitantly, clearly still confused. After a moment, she shrugged it off. "Does that mean you can help Chrysalis?"

Daedalus nodded. "This body is untainted by the corrupting bite of an Alpha."

Sutha smiled brightly and gestured to Chrysalis. Daedalus chucked and approached the bed. He placed his hand on Chrysalis' stump and focused, sensing the cells and atoms that made up what was left of her leg.

Daedalus frowned. The cold presence, which he assumed was all he could sense of magic, was still in her leg. He assumed that he could fully sever the leg and regrow it completely only to become concerned at his findings.

The black magic was spread throughout her entire system. He sighed and figured it wouldn't be as easy as he hoped. Sutha heard him, though. "What's wrong?"

"The black magic is spread throughout her system. I can't simply remove it like I hoped. She'll have to recover in her own time."

"What about her leg?" She asked.

"Let's find out." Daedalus suffused her leg and stump with his viral tendrils. Quickly, he began reproducing the cells that made her leg. To his slight fear, the cells decayed faster than he could make them. He stopped and it did too, thankfully not worsening the wound. He frowned deeply.

"I can't. The black magic prevents the wounds from healing. I can't heal her until the curse is gone."

Sutha walked over and plopped down next to the bed. She reapplied the wet cloth to Chrysalis' head. He smiled at her determination. "Keep that up for a moment more, please. I want to try something else."

Sutha nodded, not looking back. Daedalus went and sat in front of his other body and stared into it's open eyes. He focused on the other body, imagining what it sees and feels. At the same time, he focused on what he saw and felt now.

His eyes began flickering closed as the other's began to open. His focus sharpened as he attempted to open both sets of eyes. The second set of eyes opened, just before his eyes closed.

Daedalus groaned internally and tried again. He spent the next hour sitting there. Every attempt to work both bodies simultaneously failed. Either his eyes closed as the other's opened, or he stopped the switch before it could. Sutha must have been watching him as she commented after watching him fail again. "Focus on something. Something that would be shared between both bodies."

His eyebrow raised in surprise. "How would you know what to do."

She shrugged. "I don't. I'm assuming. Can't hurt to try, though."

Daedalus nodded and thought. His mind drifted around for several minutes, thinking of family, friends, and even enemies. Finally, it settled on Chrysalis, on his desire to help her and her kind. His eyes began trying to close as they opened across the room. Right before his closed, his vision split. From both sides, he could see himself. One had a missing arm while the other did not.

Daedalus grinned proudly. His healthy form stood and quickly left, heading deep into the caverns to work more on the flowers that would sustain the Changelings. The injured one stood too and approached Sutha. He grabbed the rag from her hooves and smiled. "Take a break. Get something to eat, rest, or nap. You've been doing this for half a day."

Sutha nodded, her gaze noticing the other form missing. She turned a questioning look his way and he spoke. "I'm working on another project to help the Changelings."

She nodded again and left, her tiredness shown in her slight stumbling. Daedalus smiled at the surprisingly adorable sight and turned back to Chrysalis. He brought the rag to her head to cool her down and frowned, worries and fears overtaking his mind. It was going to be a long recovery for her. He didn't care how long it would be for him.

Author's Notes:

BetaReader, was, as always, BurningDusk.

Recovery

17-Recovery

Daedalus sighed, his right hand waving as his right stump twitched. His left leg twitched slightly as it walked forward, making him grunt in annoyance.

Controlling two separate bodies simultaneously was much harder than he originally anticipated. Movements and actions were bleeding over, making him twitch and writhe. His injured form was beside Chrysalis, taking care of her and lowering her fever temperature. His second one, though, was pacing in his workshop, slowly but inevitably piecing together the genome for the plants that would sustain Chrysalis' Hive.

Daedalus removed the rag from Chrysalis' head and replaced it with another, cooler one. Throughout the week, her fever slowly abated and he expected the chitinous mare would awaken soon. The entire time she was unconscious, he had been there, taking care of her.

Daedalus watched sadly as Chrysalis twitched and shivered in her forced-sleep. The injured Queen had been suffering from nightmares he predicted were caused by the curse. He had contacted Luna in his sleep and even she couldn't help Chrysalis; the night mare was blocked by the dark energy. She suggested just helping her until she woke up naturally. The virus himself had awoken already annoyed, though not really with Luna.

Daedalus had attempted to feed Chrysalis love, yet she seemingly couldn't absorb it without a physical attachment, hence why she would gently bite him. Even when he pressed his remaining arm against her fangs, she wouldn't feed.

The door opened and Sutha entered, carrying a small bucket of cold water. She set it beside him before stepping back. Daedalus nodded his thanks to her and dunked a cloth in the water. He wrung it out and draped it across Chrysalis' head, hoping it would lessen her fever.

"Sutha, is there any way to feed a sleeping Changeling?" The virus asked the Changeling.

To his frustration, she shook her head. "No. A Changeling has to focus to feed. Only Infiltrators are able to feed without thought. Why?"

"I'm worried Chrysalis will end up becoming malnourished. We don't know how long she'll be out like this."

Sutha just laughed lightly and pointed to the small pool of goo in the corner. Daedalus glanced at it and gave her a questioning look. When she saw it, she quickly stopped and spoke. "You don't know about the larvae paste?"

Daedalus just sighed. "I'm not familiar with Changelings, remember?"

The Enforcer just chuckled sheepishly. "Right. Well, the paste is used to provide love to larvae since they are too young to be able to feed, what with not having fangs and all. Eventually, it was discovered that, while not fulfilling, the paste could be used to keep a Changeling alive for several months. Apply it to her stomach and her chitin will absorb it."

Daedalus stood and approached the pool. "The stomach, specifically?"

"Mmhmm. Anywhere else and her body won't recognize it. Instead of feeding her it'll just harden her chitin, which is really uncomfortable for us, though useful in battle."

"Just be warned, she's gonna be starving when she wakes up. Expect her to want to feed immediately." Sutha added.

"That's fine. She's fed off of me already." Daedalus replied absently before touching the goo. Like Sutha said, it was actually more of a slick, cool paste than a goo.

He heard Sutha gasp lightly. He turned to see her blushing green before she quickly turned and made her way out of the room, not saying a word to him. He frowned slightly. "Strange."

Shrugging, he walked over to Chrysalis and spread the paste over her stomach. He felt a strange feeling within as his hand felt her smooth chitin. Then he shrugged it off and sat on the edge of the bed.

Chrysalis, in her sleep, must have felt the movement. She rolled over and pressed against his leg before calming. Daedalus looked down and saw her remaining front hoof wrap around his leg before she started breathing softer, signaling her descent into slumber.

He smiled lightly at the sight. "What am I going to do with you?"

Lying back against the wall, he too fell asleep. Though, he made sure it was a soft one; any movement or sound from Chrysalis would awaken him in moments.

Daedalus watched as the Changeling nurse unwrapped the bandages with immense care. It was easy to see that Chrysalis was loved by her people, whether through the near-religious protectiveness her Enforcers had, or the gentle touch her nurses retained when dealing with her.

First to be uncovered were the many cuts, scrapes, and gashes that marred her sleek chitin. They were healing nicely, each already gaining a protective clear cover that reminded Daedalus of a scab. The nurse examined each one and nodded before moving on. After a few moments, she came to the bandaged stump that used to be Chrysalis' left foreleg.

The nurse deftly unwrapped the injury and stepped back, nodding in approval. To the virus' surprise, the wound had already partly closed. The chitin had formed a smooth seal over most of the stump. The few spots that hadn't sealed were scabbed over, green blood dotting the chitin around them.

The Changeling turned to him and spoke with a slight smile. "Today and tonight the wounds need to air out. Tomorrow, I want you to clean the dried blood and grime from her leg and around the cuts to prevent infection. The day after I'll come back and bandage the wounds that need it. Okay?"

Daedalus nodded simply and the nurse smiled brighter before turning for the door. She stopped in the frame and glanced over her shoulder. "And Jay? Thank you for being there taking care of her. It means a lot to all of us. She's like our mother."

Before he could reply, she left and closed the door. Daedalus smiled slightly, then turned back to Chrysalis. He saw that her hair was in her face as well as partly in her mouth as she breathed. The virus reached forward with his good hand and brushed her mane out of her face.

"Of course I'm here for her." Daedalus murmured softly to himself. "She's the reason I can even feel."

Daedalus awoke the next day to see a Sutha carrying a small tub inside. She set it down next to the bed and smiled when she saw him awake. "Good morning, Jay."

He nodded in reply before looking down at the bucket. It was filled with hot water. In fact, the water was near boiling. "This is to clean Chrysalis' wounds?"

When Sutha nodded, he continued. "Why is it so hot?"

She smiled. "Three reasons. To relax her muscles so she doesn't wake up tense and sore, to help prevent infection and disease from affecting her, and comfort. Our carapace prevents us from feeling most heat, though we're still vulnerable to cold. Hot water feels incredibly good on our chitin, which is why most Changelings take the time to learn simple heating spells."

Daedalus nodded. It made sense to him and explained why Chrysalis enjoyed lying next to him and on him. His internal friction usually made his body temperature incredibly hot. Unless he purposely slowed down his virus, he was normally uncomfortable to touch. For Chrysalis, though, he was just comfortable.

He reached down and grabbed the small sponge. He moved to dip it in the water only to see a small white chunk in it with bubbles around the edges of the tub. He picked it up. "Is this soap?"

She nodded. "It's a special wax made from one of the plants that grows underground. We don't have access to Equestrian soap and shampoo so we make our own."

Daedalus couldn't smell any scent from the wax. He hummed lightly in thought as he placed it back in the water. "It has no scent?"

She shook her head. "Nope. We don't mind, though. It works well on our chitin and, most importantly, stops us from smelling bad."

Daedalus nodded and soaked the sponge before gently wiping the blood off of the remains of Chrysalis' leg. Sutha was right, it seemed made specifically for chitin. Granted, it probably was, but his point made. The blood and grime came right off under the sponge and the revealed carapace shined lightly from the water. Daedalus couldn't help but think it looked good, although it was marred by the injuries.

"So Sutha, care to explain why you reacted as you did when you learned Chrysalis feeds off of me?" Daedalus asked suddenly.

He heard the mare stutter lightly from behind him before she cleared her throat. "She really feeds off of you? Through a bite?"

Daedalus nodded. "Yes, she does. Whenever she would get hungry, I would hold out my arm and let her feed. Why?"

Though he couldn't see it, Sutha was stunned, her eyes wide and full of surprise. "The fact that you willingly offer to let her feed means something in our culture."

Daedalus sighed loudly when he heard that. "Let me guess, it's either offensive or a marriage proposal."

"W-what? No! It just means you trust her and care for her. It's a sign of close friendship. Where did you get that idea?" Sutha asked.

"Too many books." He answered simply. Daedalus finished with her leg and moved on to some of the gashes on her chest. "How close of friendship?"

Sutha coughed lightly before answering. "Easily willing to die for each other friendship."

"You aren't wrong." Daedalus stated simply.

"I thought so." Sutha replied.

Like she said, the nurse returned the next day. She quickly checked over the smaller wounds, applying small patches to some of them. She then turned to the stump and wrapped it again, explaining that the chitin would be soft and tender when Chrysalis awoke, likely causing some pain.

Daedalus listened closely as she described how to care for the soft chitin as well as what things would harden it and make it less painful. He knew he would only uses he information until the curse faded from Chrysalis' body completely. He would then rebuild her leg with his other body.

He spent all of that day caring for Chrysalis, applying the paste, and tending to her airing wounds. Sutha didn't come by, but several other Changelings came and left small mementos on a small table near the bed. Each one thanked him for looking after their ruler, which surprised him.

The next day played out a little differently. Rather than Sutha visiting him in Chrysalis' room, she visited him in his little workshop. The plants were almost fully made, requiring some more fine-tuning before he could truly produce them.

"Jay." Sutha called out from behind him.

Daedalus turned and faced her, several tendrils connecting him to a large plant structure. "Sutha? I wasn't expecting you. Or at least, not here."

She nodded. "I know. I wanted to speak to you in private."

Daedalus nodded. "Go ahead."

"Why do you care so much about our Queen?" She asked.

"Because she is my friend, and friends help each other. Because she is a ruler, and her people need her. Because she may one day be a mother, and I don't want that to change." Daedalus replied easily.

"No." Sutha said simply. "I'm not asking you why you think you help her. I'm asking you why you help her?"

"I-I don't know what you mean." Daedalus said in confusion. Sutha just sighed.

"How do you feel when you think of her?" She asked bluntly.

"Happy and content. I've told her this. Why?" Daedalus questioned.

"When she's around, do you feel slightly nervous or completely relaxed?" She asked, ignoring his question.

"Relaxed. Once again, why?" He asked again.

"When you saw her on that bed, her leg bandaged, how did you feel?" She asked, once again ignoring his question.

Daedalus resigned himself to not receiving an answer. "It physically hurt me, more than losing my arm did."

"And if she wakes up, what will you do?"

"When," Daedalus started, a slight glare pointed to Sutha, "She wakes up, I'll ensure she doesn't want for anything. Then, when the curse is gone, I'm going to heal her."

Sutha smiled. "That's what I thought."

"What?" He asked.

The Changeling turned and started to leave. She called over her shoulder in reply to his question. "You'll find out soon enough. And for the record, I approve!"

Then she was gone, leaving Daedalus with nothing but confusion and irritation, plus a warm feeling he couldn't identify. He couldn't even find it in his system, which concerned him slightly.

"So you're not going to explain what you told me yesterday?" Daedalus asked in slight frustration.

"Nope!" Sutha chirped.

"Not even a vague clue?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Sutha said with a smile, causing Daedalus to roll his eyes.

"I really need to develop a way to retrieve memories without injuring the host." The virus spoke, mostly to himself.

He didn't speak quietly though. "What way do you have right now?"

Daedalus glanced up with a slight smirk. "Eating the brain."

She coughed a couple times when she swallowed air, then chuckled nervously. "You're kidding, right?"

Daedalus didn't answer. Instead, his smirk widened and he leaned back against the wall. Sutha tried again. "Right?"

The Changeling Enforcer sighed. "This is revenge for not telling you what I meant, isn't it?"

Daedalus chuckled softly. "Kinda. I don't really eat brains. I absorb them and gain memories from it. Don't worry, you aren't on the menu."

Sutha shrugged. "I figured I wasn't. It was still more than a little shocking when you said that, though. It's not every day you hear someone say they eat brains."

Daedalus noticed something in her speech and decided to ask about it. "Sutha, why is it that I've heard Changelings say 'someling,' 'somepony,' and 'someone?' Wouldn't you say just one of them?"

She simply smiled before answering. "Somepony comes from always being around ponies. Someling is generally what we say when we discuss Changelings. We say someone when talking about multiple races, or anything other than Changelings or ponies. Of course, a lot of the time, we just say one, no matter who our company is. What does your kind do?"

"Someone or somebody. They mean the same thing, but where I'm from, humans are, or were, the only sentient beings." He replied.

"Were?"

"Creatures like me, Blacklight Evolved that is, changed that." He answered simply.

Sutha nodded and Daedalus turned back to the sleeping form of Chrysalis. It had been a week and the curse had nearly faded from her completely. Not only that, her vitals had risen the day before. She had slipped from unconsciousness to simply sleeping and could awaken at any point, though he would rather let her rest.

Although, it seemed as though it wasn't meant to be. Her vitals were rising as her heartbeat and breathing rate slowly increased into wakefulness. She started to move lightly in her sleep as her eyes flickered slowly. "Sutha, she's waking up."

Chrysalis' eyes opened slightly, a narrow slit showing her emerald eyes. She glanced around before locking eyes with Daedalus. Her left leg came up as she tried to touch him, only to fail. The part of her eyes he could see seemed to be on the verge of panic. When she spoke, the pain and fear in her voice made him physically tremble. "J-Jay..."

Daedalus reached out with his good arm, hiding the ruined one behind him, and lightly grasped her injured leg. He slowly lowered it to her side, smiling sadly all the while. "I'm here, Chrysalis. I'm not leaving."

Sutha spoke up softly from behind him. "Of course you aren't. You haven't left this room in a week."

Chrysalis' eyes opened wider from shock. "You haven't left once?"

Daedalus went to speak only to be bumped by Sutha, who answered. "No, Your Majesty, he hasn't. Any time he needed something, such as more water or a clean cloth for you, he asked me to get it so he wouldn't have to leave you. He couldn't bear the idea of leaving you while you were hurt."

Daedalus frowned for a second, then smiled when Chrysalis turned to look at him. Her cheeks tinted a light green as she spoke softly. "Thank you."

He smiled warmly to her. "No thanks needed. I'm just glad you're awake."

She grimaced slightly as a thought came over her. "How bad is my foreleg?"

Daedalus winced, only sparking her worry. He gently rubbed the remaining part of her leg and spoke softly, not bothering to lie to her. "It's not good, Chryssi."

"It's gone, isn't it?" She asked, a small tremble in her voice.

Daedalus was quiet for a moment before he answered slowly. "Part of it."

Chrysalis' eyes snapped closed as she tried to curl up, the reality hitting her hard. Daedalus reached over and gently grasped her shoulder. "Chryssi, it'll be okay."

When the reply came, it was weak and so quiet he almost couldn't here it. "How? How will it be okay?"

"Once I recover, I'll be able to heal your leg completely. I have complete viral control of genetics, even those of another's. I can regrow your leg and heal any wounds you have received from the Alpha. You'll get your leg back, I promise. You won't be missing it forever. Just a few more days, a week at most." He said comfortingly.

Chrysalis sniffled before replying. "A week is far better than forever."

Daedalus smiled and nodded, not noticing as Sutha made her way out of the room, giving the two some time alone. "Exactly. I'll be with you the entire time, just as I was while you were out."

Chrysalis suddenly rolled over to face him and saw his right arm before he could hide it. A look of horror came over her face as she saw his injury. Her own leg forgotten, she reached out and touched the stump. "J-Jay, what happened?"

He sighed, knowing he couldn't avoid it. "The Alpha that got you, well, he got me, too. I still killed him, but he got part of my arm. Don't worry, I'll get mine back just like you will."

Chrysalis frowned sadly at him. "How can you be so calm about losing a limb?"

"How can you?" Daedalus asked in reply.

She was silent for a moment as she considered how to answer that before she settled for sheer truth. "Because I trust you."

Daedalus' eyes widened slightly as he heard that. "You trust me that much?"

She nodded. "I do. Everything you said you would do, you did."

Daedalus opened his mouth to respond only to be cut off. "Or are currently doing it."

He snapped his mouth shut and was surprised to hear her giggle lightly. Daedalus smiled slightly as he looked at her. "Chryssi, did you just giggle?"

She blushed green and quickly shook her head. "You heard nothing!"

Daedalus grinned and leaned forward, lighting tapping her forehead. "Oh, I think I did. Glorious Queen Chrysalis can giggle."

"I did not!" Chrysalis shouted as she blushed brighter, bringing her foreleg up to try to cover her muzzle. She ultimately failed as he just glanced through the holes to see the green tint. Chrysalis noticed and slapped him with her unpinned wing, making them both laugh.

"I'll stop teasing you." Daedalus said, laughing lightly.

"Thank you, Jay." She replied with a smile of her own.

"Though, you are pretty cute when you blush." He added sincerely.

Chrysalis seemed more shocked than embarrassed. "You find me...cute?"

He nodded. "And attractive in general."

She spluttered. "A-attractive? A Changeling? You're insane!"

"In the membrane." Daedalus agreed before growing serious. "No, I'm just different. I myself am a shapeshifter. While I am sure there are physical forms that may disgust me, yours does not."

"W-what do you find a-attractive?" She asked meekly.

"Well, Chryssi, your voice. Something about the dual-tone is amazing. Your carapace as well. The sleek, slightly shiny black color is very attractive to me. Your eyes, too, are beautiful. The viridian slits are exotic and attractive to me. And honestly, general body shape. Long legs, slender frame, long horn and exotic wings are all attractive to me." Daedalus answered honestly, knowing it would be useless to lie to a Changeling. He, too, was glad that this was distracting her from any pain she had.

As he spoke, Chrysalis' muzzle grew more and more green until finally she looked away in embarrassment, not expecting anyone to find her attractive. The sheer sincerity in his voice and emotions amazed her; Daedalus truly meant what he said. When he finished, it took an astronomical amount of strength for her to speak. "Thank you for being honest."

"Of course, Chryssi. You asked for the truth and got it, even if you expected something different." He said with a small smile, even though she couldn't see it.

“I honestly never expected to be found attractive by a member of another species.” Chrysalis added honestly.

“I don’t doubt you, Chryssi. A lot of things we don’t expect can happen, though. I didn’t expect to be brought to this world, nor did I expect to meet an amazing Queen, either. A lot of amazing things that make our life far more enjoyable can be unexpected.” Daedalus replied.

Chrysalis was silent for a time, the sheer meaning behind his little speech striking her silent. After several minutes, she responded, albeit, not in any way he expected her to. “Jay, I’m happy you came here. Not just because you have saved and are saving my subjects, but because you are also easily one of the closest friends I have ever had.”

Daedalus thought for a moment before he replied. “It seems so strange. We haven’t even known each other very long yet we both see each other as a close and trustworthy friend. It worries me, almost.”

The Changeling shrugged the best she could from her position. “For me, there’s nothing strange. Changelings develop bonds faster than most other species. Our ability to sense the emotions of others allow us to tell between sincere feelings and lies. I can tell that you’ve meant everything you’ve said to me today.”

The virus just sighed. “Humans are different, Chryssi. We develop bonds far slowly than ponies and definitely Changelings as well. Some of the more cautious humans can take years to develop a single friendship.”

Chrysalis reached up with her good forehoof and lightly pressed it flat against his chest. “Jay, you aren’t human. Don’t compare yourself to them. It only causes problems that are completely avoidable if you just remember that you are an Evolved, something that works entirely different than you are used to.”

She leaned forward slightly to nuzzle him gently, to which Daedalus closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the smooth feeling. “Don’t value any type of relationship based on how much time it took to make, or how long it has lasted, but rather on how you feel in that relationship, whether romantic, platonic, or familial.”

“Some wise words, my Queen.” Daedalus says with a small smile, which she returned readily.

“I am Glorious Queen Chrysalis, after all.” She spoke with a faux tone of arrogance, making Daedalus laugh. After a short moment, Chrysalis joined him as well, filling the room with the kind of happiness shared between close friends.

Daedalus and Chrysalis talked for some time before the door to the room opened, providing entrance for Sutha as well as another Changeling. He seemed rather young as well as shorter and less built than Sutha. The newcomer quickly approached the bed-ridden Queen and casted a small spell that highlighted her leg in green magic. He nodded to himself and finally spoke. “I am Kyre, one of the Hive workers assigned the Medical section. You seem to be fully healed, my Queen, with the obvious exception of your leg. While you are able to leave, it would be best for you to remain resting. Perhaps being relocated to your home and remaining there until the wound has healed over and formed scar tissue?”

Daedalus took notice that this doctor, unlike most others, didn’t bother asking her how she felt or if she was experiencing anything unexpected. He thought on the matter for a moment before he realized that the Changeling could probably sense everything Chrysalis felt and had no need to ask those basic questions. He didn’t need to ask about her condition because he already knew it. Instead, he focused on offering a solution to the problem she had; bed rest in a more familiar, more comfortable room.

The doctor continued. “Of course, you’ll need someling there to help you. While your magic does function, there are some things that are simply better when done by hoof.”

The Queen turned to look at Daedalus after thinking for a moment and agreeing with her subject’s statement. “Jay, would you be willing to help me?”

Daedalus smiled and nodded his agreement. “Of course I am, I’ve already helped you for a week. What’s a few more days?”

Kyre nodded and continued speaking to Chrysalis. “You’ll be able to fly back to your home. After that, we recommend you keep flight and magic on the minimum. There isn’t any noticable reason why you should, but we’d rather be cautious with our Queen’s safety.”

Chrysalis nodded, a warm smile on her face. “It’s good to know my subjects care for me.”

Daedalus chuckled lightly. “Several of your subjects stopped by and wish you a fair recovery while you were out. Your subjects more than just care for you. They love you."

Both Sutha and Kyre nodded at his statement, making Chrysalis’ smile widen. Daedalus could almost see the happiness coming off of her in waves.

Wait...could he? For a moment, he thought he saw a small red mist coming off of her. It was gone, and after looking through his memory and examining it, he couldn’t find it again. Daedalus just shrugged internally and dismissed it as a bleed-over from his other body. Though, when he focused on the sight of his other self, he couldn’t see anything red that could have bled over. He dismissed it entirely and focused back on the conversation.

“Goodbye, my Queen.” Sutha and Kyre said in unison as they left the room. Chrysalis slowly stood up only to stumble when she tried to put weight on her missing leg. Daedalus caught her and allowed the injured royal to lean against him before they slowly started to move toward the door. When they got there, Daedalus attempted to reach out to touch the gel-like substance only to stop when he realized he was moving his stump-he still had not grown used to temporarily missing an arm. The gel was enveloped with a green magic and flowed to the side, clearling the doorway.

Daedalus looked to his side and saw Chrysalis smiling up at him, her eyes closed. She seemed to know he was looking and opened her eyes, trust in them. “You’ll be my leg and I’ll be your arm.”

The virus chuckled and nodded, her warm contentness flowing over him as well and making him smile brightly. “That’ll work.”

Then he added with an amused smile. “Be careful, though. It might become a habit that we keep even after we heal.”

Chrysalis murmured something she didn’t expect him to heal, although he did, thanks to his viral hearing. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Instead of replying, Daedalus gestured toward the door. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

She nodded and the two exited, heading down the hall and out of the building. A short discussion later and Daedalus slowly sat on Chrysalis’ back as she took flight, heading back toward her home.

Daedalus watched closely as the flower slowly opened up. The small, heart-shaped buds opened wide, each easily a foot long and half as much wide. As he watched, slowly, a small, pink mist began to fill the air. It was slightly, almost unnoticeable, but still there. Daedalus, after a moment, stepped into it. He could feel the mistified love entering his system. There wasn’t much, but, then again, this was only one flower out of the thousands that could fill this cavern.

The virus stepped back and smiled. It had worked. Quickly, his other body turned to speak only to see Chrysalis sleeping on her bed. Both forms shrugged as the injured one lied down on the floor to sleep the night away. This form, though, went to work. He began preparing the room for more flowers, still unnamed as they were. Water ways had to be dug, stone needed to be pulverized into dirt, and rows needed to be formed. There was still a day or so of work on the cave before it could support the flowers.

The flowers, too, had some small modifications to go through. Each needed to be condensed, making them hard to destroy. They needed their roots to be able to interact, as well as an activation switch added to them. He didn’t want to lie; there were still three or so days of work left. But the love-producing mechanism itself? That was done. More buds to be added to each flower and more flowers to each plant was all that was left to be done to that system.

Daedalus smiled. He was finally able to fulfill that promise to Chrysalis.

He stepped into the mist as he began to work. When he did, the love was absorbed by his flesh. It left a peculiar feeling behind, a sort of warmth that spread throughout his body. It felt familiar and he wondered where he had felt it before. His perfect memory did not fail him. Daedalus stopped as the thought struck him.

The virus had felt this once before when he and Sutha had discussed Chrysalis in this very chamber.

Well, that is unexpected. Perhaps it won’t be unwelcome, though. He thought to himself before he continued his work, now knowing it was more important that ever.

Author's Notes:

Tell me your thoughts on this chapter. I rewrote it twice, with this being the third rendition. I'm still not fully satisfied with it, but by this point it was several days late. I forwarded it to my BetaReader, BurningDusk, and then posted it immediately after we both checked it over.

Heart's Blossom

Three days had passed as normal. Daedalus had, using his injured form, done what he could to take care of Chrysalis, albeit she didn’t need to be taken care of. He could see that she enjoyed being pampered though, which didn’t surprise him. Her missing leg had healed nicely, but they both knew it wouldn’t be missing much longer. The magic had finally faded from Chrysalis and his other form was coming to heal her.

Speaking of his other form, Chrysalis had been shocked to learn that he could control separate bodies, just as Sutha had been. Unlike Sutha, she quickly began questioning how it worked, to which Daedalus answered as best he could. Of course, without being a virus herself, Chrysalis had trouble understanding some of it, but she understood enough to know that it was one mind controlling both bodies. He also told her that his other form that was the one continuing to work of the flowers.

In fact, the flowers were almost entirely done. Daedalus just needed to wait for the roots to grow out and connect to each other. Once that was done, he could activate them all at once rather than one at a time. If he had done that, it might have taken several days or more, as the chamber was filled with nearly six thousand of them.

The only special thing of note was the information Luna gave him one night as he slept.

“Daedalus.” Luna said, a frown firmly on her face. Her voice was tense, clearly indicating that something was bothering her. Daedalus, of course, didn’t know what it was yet.

His dreamscape this time was simple yet meaningful. It was the Sapphire Hive, albeit it was empty of Changelings. Specifically, he was in the room that would become the home of the new flowers he planned to plant when he woke up. “What’s wrong, Luna?”

She sighed, weariness plain in her voice. “Some how, some way, word got out that Gene Splice was sent on a mission to negotiate peace between Changelings and ponies.”

“It’s not good, is it?” Daedalus asked in worry.

“No, it’s not. Fortunately, the information was not spread as far as it could have been. Obviously, my sister told Ms. Dust, Ms. Brand, and Ms. Sparkle of your endeavours. After a week of your absence with no real word from you, other than the dream we shared that was worryingly interrupted, they began sending my sister and I letters, insinuating that you had been ponynapped.”

“What did you do?” He asked, curiously.

“What we could. We assured them that you were safe and that negotiations were proceeding nicely. They did not believe us. Finally, we ultimately stepped in when the three mares formed a small group with several other citizens. Their intention was to find you and, ah, ‘bring the bug monster to justice,’ as one stallion put it.”

“You calmed them?”

“No. They refused to calm.” Luna said with a long sigh. “We had to take action, though my sister and I regret it.”

“What happened?” Came the inevitable question.

“We were forced to remove the memory of your location from their mind. We replaced it with a fake memory of you being sent on an exploration mission into the Everfree, as befits the persona you introduced to them. They were naturally worried, but they had no reason to suspect Changelings. Confused, the group disbanded and returned to their homes.”

Daedalus sighed. “I didn’t know you had that power.”

“We may not be true goddesses, but we are still powerful in our own rights, Daedalus.”

He nodded, accepting the reply. “So, when I return, I have to play along with the story of being sent as a scout into the Everfree?”

Luna nodded sadly. “Yes, you will. It brings us pain to know that not only are we forcing you to lie to your friends, but also that our subjects are not ready to accept another species. My sister has been grievously struck by this knowledge.”

“I could imagine. I still remember the conversation we had before I left. Give her my condolences.”

Luna nodded. “I will. I shall let you sleep for the night, Daedalus. I’ll speak to you again another time, though it may be after you return.”

It had rather disappointed him. He hoped that the ponies would be able to get over the fear that Celestia had warned him of, but it seemed very unlikely now. Chances are good that Chrysalis would have to sneak in to Canterlot just to forge a treatise with the diarchy; she simply would not be able to walk down the street in her true form. Chrysalis, too, was disheartened when he told her the news. The Queen had nearly began crying when the hope of a better future drained from her. Daedalus had to remind her that her kind’s future was getting better. Once the flowers were created, they would no longer need to steal love.

It was some time before Daedalus’ other form walked in. With a moment’s thought, he focused entirely on the fully-healed form and switched to it, allowing his injured form to sleep. Chrysalis looked on in amazement as this happened; she had yet to see the switch take place. The virus walked over to the Queen and knelt down beside her, placing his hands on her damaged limb. He paused and looked up, meeting her slitted eyes. Nothing but trust and hope shone in them. He turned his attention inward and slowly began spreading his virus over her leg before his work really began.

First, he applied a localized anesthesia to prevent her from feeling any of what was about to happen. Then, he quickly and cleanly severed the nerves, further preventing any sensations from making their way to her brain. Quickly dissolving the last three inches of the limb to remove the scar tissue, he began rebuilding the limb.

Using the Queen’s own DNA as a model, he replaced the missing appendage with a new one, making it identical to original. At first, it was a solid limb, ending in a hoof, that was plated in a black chitin. Then, using not only his memory but her own genes, he formed the now-familiar holes in her leg that was specific to Changeling kind. Quickly after, he adapted her chitin to be able to absorb liquid love and harden, just as Sutha said they could. All of the information he needed came straight from her own DNA.

To him, it didn’t seem long. In reality, Chrysalis watched in unabashed curiosity for nearly an hour, not able to see nor feel anything. Her surprise was great when suddenly, she could feel what was left of her leg. More than that, it felt like she could feel her entire leg, as if it had grown back. She smiled brightly, small tears of joy rolling down her muzzle to splash silently against her bed. A moment later, the enveloping cover of tendrils faded, retreating back into his body. Daedalus stood, smiling at the while, as Chrysalis began to examine her new, and old, limb.

Turning to his currently inactive body, he set to work. Repairing this form was far easier and faster, taking a mere ten minutes. Daedalus added an extra seventy pounds of pure biomass to allow further regeneration, then stood back. It was good as new and he now had two perfectly functional forms, though one was far heavier.

Switching back, his second form left the room to continue monitoring the plants. His first one, and the one that had once been injured, walked back over to Chrysalis and sat on the edge of her bed, smiling at her. “How do you feel, Chryssi?”

She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she leaned over and wrapped her arms and wings around him, hugging him tightly. “So much better, thanks to you, Jay.”

Daedalus sighed happily; the feeling of being wrapped by chitinous hooves and gossamer wings was one that was difficult to describe, yet could be summed up as a single, meaningful words. Comforting.

The virus reached out and wrapped his arms around her neck, resting his forehead against hers as both of their eyes closed. “I’m glad you’re healed, Chryssi. It hurt when I saw you injured and, to be honest, I kinda went into a small rage.”

She smiled cheekily. “It’s good to see somepony cares about me.”

Daedalus smirked in return. “I don’t know, maybe I was doing it just to get a reward, Some bits, maybe? Gems?”

When Chrysalis deadpanned to him, he chuckled and she smiled as well, knowing he was simply joking. He continued. “Though, in truth, I do care for you. You are one of, if not the, closest person, or anything, to me. The only ones I feel comfortable around is the Princesses, and even then I didn’t get to know them as well as you and I have.”

Both Chrysalis and Daedalus felt a warm feeling swell as he spoke. Both of them recognized it, though neither knew the other felt it as well. Chrysalis, while a Changeling, was not actively sensing emotions and did not feel it. Daedalus, on the other hand, could not sense emotions and wasn’t examining Chrysalis’ body for out of place chemicals.

Chrysalis sighed happily, mimicking what Daedalus had done just some moments earlier. She slowly fell over on her side, lying almost on top of Daedalus, who simply reclined against the wall and draped an arm over the Queen. She spoke as one hoof idly traced the lines in the ceiling. “None of my subjects know me as well as you do; they don’t see me without my crown on, so to speak. Day by day, they see the royal Changeling who leads them and cares for them. Rarely do they ever see the real me, the one who loves to read, joke, and all around have fun.”

She leaned her head back farther, looking Daedalus in the eyes. “You do, though. Jay, you’ve allowed me to be me more often in the last week than I normally am in a year. Ever since the failed Invasion that I should have never ordered, my Changelings have suffered, and so too have I.”

Her hoof waves wildly in the air, gesturing symbolically to everything. “Then here you come, disguised as a strange earth pony, with one of my Changelings on your back. At first, I thought you were some fool seeking wealth, or even a companion.”

“Companion?” Daedalus asked in curiosity as the tone of the conversation slowly changed.

Chrysalis sighed again, this time in sadness. “The few who accept Changelings see us as nothing more than prostitutes, They think that because we can change shape that we belong in brothels, making customers’ dreams come true. It is rare but not unheard of for ponies or other species seeking a companion in more carnal matters to locate a Changeling Hive.”

She stopped and when no question came forth, she continued on. “Yes, I thought you to be a fool. A fool who could feed our Hive for a few more days, but a fool nonetheless. When you announced a possible treaty between Sapphire Hive and Equestria, I was ecstatic. It was a chance for my subjects to never starve again, and to not need to steal to be full.”

“Starting from when you first revealed yourself to me, I knew you were going to change things for the Hive. I didn’t know whether for good or ill, but I knew things would change.” She looked up at him as she finished, locking eyes with him.

“It was clearly change for the good. You personally fed me, and then went on to feed the Hive as well. Then, you began to work on a means to provide us a way of permanently being fed without having to steal and replace ponies. You also watched over me after I was injured, ensuring I was well-cared for and looked after. Now, you’ve become close to me and became a friend I thought I would never have, especially after my greatest mistake.” She said softly.

Daedalus reached down and ran his hand through her mane, no words to be said. There was nothing that needed to be said. Both knew that the other made them happy, though neither knew just how strongly the other believed it. After a time, he did speak anyway. “Guess your mistake wasn’t enough to drive everyone away, was it?”

Chrysalis looked up at Daedalus again. “No, Jay, I guess it wasn’t. Not if you came to my side and became my friend anyway.”

The virus tightened the arm that was around Chrysalis, smiling as he brought her in a one-armed hug. “I won’t be leaving any time soon.”

The Queen scoffed, though she had a teasing smile on her muzzle. “I thought you were leaving back to Equestria once you finish creating the flowers.”

Daedalus opened his mouth to speak, then glanced down and saw the small smile and sighed. “You know what I meant, Chryssi.”

She laughed lightly and nodded. “You’re right I do. I could always come with you instead.”

That made Daedalus quirk an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You have a Hive to run here, Chryssi.”

“Hive Mind, Daedalus. I could leave and still give orders, see what my Changelings see, and know what is going on. I don’t actually need to be here to rule, it just makes my rule more personal when they can actually see me every day.”

Daedalus nodded, understanding her point. He couldn’t help but hum thoughtfully, though. After all, the idea of Chrysalis accompanying him, while risky, was also tempting. She was one of the four that he had told the truth to and he had gotten close to her. Chrysalis must have sensed a little of what he thought because she smiled at him and spoke with a small chuckle. “Tempting, isn’t it?”

Daedalus nodded honestly. “Yeah, it really is.”

Chrysalis’ muzzle tinted green for a moment as she received the unexpectedly honest answer. While she agreed with him wholeheartedly, she didn’t expect such an honest, blunt answer. “I’m not going to lie. I want to.”

Daedalus smiled lightly, though he tried, and failed, to hide it. “Then come with me when I have to leave. I would love to have company that I can trust and talk freely to. You understand how lonely it can be for a shapeshifter.”

Chrysalis nodded, though it was somewhat sad. “Yes, I do. Just not like you. My Changelings have a Hive to return to. You don’t.”

The virus nodded slowly. “You’re right, of course. I don’t really have an actual home. No place I can be myself without any worry of discovery or betrayal.”

A surprising thought struck Chrysalis rather suddenly, making her stop. “Actually, you do.”

When Daedalus faced Chrysalis fully again, he was greeted by the sight of a warm smile on her chitinous muzzle. She answered in reply to his questioning look. “Here, Jay. Sapphire Hive. Here you can be yourself."

He paused for a moment as the truth of her statement hit him. She was right. The Changelings in her Hive wouldn’t be freaked out over his powers. They would see another shapeshifter, nothing more. A lot of the Queen’s subjects like him already for saving Chrysalis from the Alpha, and they’ll only like him more once word gets out that he healed her leg. “You’re right. Completely.”

“Is there any surprise there?” Chrysalis asked, suddenly taking a faux snobbish tone.

Daedalus smiled to her. “No, not really.”

The chitinous Queen leaned up and nuzzled his neck, contentedness clear in her eyes and actions.

Overnight, Daedalus had watched closely as the roots of the flowered plants grew, connecting to each other in a complex web of communication. A single order to one could be shared to all of them. Around two in the morning, the roots finished connecting and Daedalus did something he didn’t want to. He reached out to the ‘central’ root, a twisted spire in the center of the cavern, and installed one final genetic implementation. A kill switch. He didn’t want to, not at all, but he made a promise to Princess Celestia that he would and so he did. The virus had no intention of using it though; he didn’t think Chrysalis would ever betray him.

Half an hour later and with a heavy heart, Daedalus returned his second form to the small cavern underneath the flower field outside of Ponyville. A four hour dead sprint is what it took before the second body settled in place in the stone room. Finally, Daedalus closed his eyes and brought all attention to his original body, which was one room over from Chrysalis. Still incredibly early in the morning, he closed his eyes and let sleep take ahold.

The morning came quickly as he awoke when Chrysalis gently shook him awake. He opened his eyes to see her standing at the side of his bed, concern in her eyes. “One of my patrols said they saw you leave early this morning. I was worried that you got called back for something.”

Daedalus stood up, fully awake immediately. “No, that was my other body returning to my hidden room in Ponyville. It isn’t needed here anymore.”

Chrysalis stepped back, worry and despair quickly filling her eyes. “The flowers… they don’t work, do they?”

The virus couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped him. He reached out a clasped a hand on her shoulder, smiling to her. “Do you think I would be in a good mood if they didn’t work? No, they’re finished. All I need to do is send the command to activate them and I want you to be there when I do.”

“W-what?” Chrysalis gasped out, all her previous worries vanished in a flash, replaced by excitement. “They’re done? Come on, let’s go!”

She reached out with her magic to grasp his hand. Gently but insistently, she started tugging to get him to move. Daedalus chuckled loudly, making her stop and blush as she realized how she was acting. The eager Queen spun around and looked at him with a curious mix of a pout and a smile. “Can you blame me for being so excited? One of my greatest dreams is about to come true!”

Daedalus shook his head and started walking, leading the way toward the cavern. “No, I don’t blame you at all. What you said raised a question I have for you, though.”

He looked over his shoulder to see Chrysalis following him, a curious look on her muzzle. He continued as he quoted her. “‘One of my greatest dreams?’ What are some of the others?”

Her earlier blush returned stronger and she rapidly shook her head. “Nothing but hopeful dreams. Some are close to happening, one will hopefully happen very soon, and others may never happen in my life.”

Daedalus spoke when she drew to his side. “I wouldn’t mind helping some of those come true, whatever they may be, Chryssi.”

Chrysalis smiled, her green blush slowly fading. “You just might.”

Daedalus smiled back as Chrysalis’ wings spread, ready to fly. She expected him to grow wings as well. To her surprise, he simply stepped off the edge of the porch, quickly falling to the ground below. Because most of his extra weight was with his other form, he only slightly dented the ground when he hit. That didn’t stop Chrysalis from freaking out when she landed. The carapaced mare quickly darted over to his side and checked him over, bumping him several times as her wings frantically patted him over. “What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!”

The virus chuckled and booped her muzzle, making her reel back in surprise as her face scrunched. “I’m fine, Chryssi. You know that I can’t be hurt, or at least not permanently.”

She had the decency to look at him indignantly. “Well what did you think I would do when the man I l- can confide in jumps off into a hundred foot drop?”

Ignoring whatever she almost said, Daedalus replied. “Yeah, I see your point. Now you know, though.”

She sighed and began walking. “I guess. Come on, let’s go see the flowers before you give me a heart attack again. Next I know, you’ll jump off a mountain.”

“I could do that.” Daedalus called out as he quickly caught up.

“Don’t remind me!” She said firmly, making him chuckle again.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, all the while with Chrysalis practically writhing from excitement, they reached the cavern that contained the flowers. Daedalus smiled and gestured from Chrysalis to go in. She did, coming to a complete halt directly inside. The entrance was above the cavern floor, with a rough ramp going down. From this height, she was able to see over the plants and tell that the flowers filled the entire cavern. When she spoke, it was in a breathless voice. “H-how many?”

Daedalus came to a stop beside her, his hand resting gently on her back. “Sixty rows of a hundred, totaling six thousand. Each flower is capable of producing enough love in an hour to feed twelve Changelings for a day. They won’t always be producing love, though. I installed strict ‘feeding times.’ They’ll produce love from six to eight, eleven to one, and six to eight.”

Chrysalis sniffed lightly, hurriedly turned and furiously nuzzled Daedalus’ arm. “Thank you so much, Jay. Thank you so very much.”

Daedalus laughed and reached down, pulling Chrysalis into a quick hug. “You’re very welcome, Chryssi, but they aren’t even active right now. I still need to activate them for the first time.”

She looked up, a little teary eyed. “You’re right, it’s seven. They would be producing love right now, wouldn’t they. What does that look like?”

“Come on and find out.” Daedalus said, gesturing toward the flowers. Without hesitation, he leaped off the ledge and over the lamp, landing at the beginning of the rows. With two short flaps, Chrysalis was by his side again.

“First, I want to explain a few things about the flowers. Right now, they seem dull and, well, un-flower-like. That’s because the flowers bud and bloom once they are active, making it pretty obvious when they are working.” Daedalus begins.

“What happens if they are destroyed?” The Queen asked.

“Yeah...not happening. Each plant’s stalk is stronger than steel from being so dense. Though I couldn’t find a way to harden the flowers without damaging their ability to produce mistified love, they can be regrown in under an hour if they are torn off or damaged. The roots are just as strong as the stalks, with the exception of the core that gathers nutrients for the plants.”

“Speaking of nutrients, the flowers live off of a water well deep down below the Hive, getting everything they need to survive and thrive for that. There’s no worry about them hibernating or dying during winter, since they don’t require sunlight to function. The planet’s core temperature will also stop the water they feed off of from freezing during the winter; it just doesn’t get cold that far down.”

The pair came across the center of the field, a large spire between two of the rows. There was no larger than average gap, no change in the structure of the rows or columns, nothing that stood out to make the spire easy to find. Daedalus was only able to find it because he knew exactly where it was. Anyone else would need to count the columns to find the center, then walk down it. The spire itself looked like a coiled bunch of brown roots extending about three feet off of the ground. Daedalus stepped forward and rested his hand on it.

“This is the control spire.” Daedalus says to Chrysalis. “Every order or command I give from here is spread through the web of roots, reaching every plant in under a second.

“So fast?” Chrysalis asked.

The virus nodded. “I structured it like a brain and it’s neurons. Information is sent through electrical pulses, which the plants can recognise and interpret into orders. That’s about as far as their intelligence goes, though.”

Daedalus focused on the spire, bringing his virus to bear as he started transmitting orders. “Be ready, I’m activating them now.”

Chrysalis nodded and looked around, taking quick note of the chamber. The plants themselves were eight feet in height, made of some form of thick stalk almost a half foot wide. Near the top, it broke open into a tree-like structure, branches forming a pseudo-canopy. In the branches, dozens of buds were situated, clearly where the flowers would be. The buds were a golden color, contrasting nicely to the dark brown of the branches and the dark green of the stalks.

The floor, unlike the rest of the Hive, wasn’t made of dirt or the black resin Changelings built with. It was dirt, though it seems to have been compacted slightly. All over the place, roots breached the surface for a moment before sinking back down. It was fortunate she didn’t trip walking down the path, she didn’t notice them until now. The roots were a solid black color and were large, easily half as think as the plants themselves, rather strange for roots.

A single pulse of blue light went from Daedalus’ hand into the spire where it traveled into the ground. It vanished for a moment, then reappeared as it traveled across the roots incredibly quickly, lighting each root, plant, and the entire cavern for a fraction of a second in a blue glow. Nothing happened for a moment, then the blue glow returned.

This time, it traveled in lines up the stalks of the plants, then spread throughout the branches. Unlike before, the lines of blue didn’t fade. They remained in the plants even as the buds began to bloom. Each golden bud bloomed into golden, heart shaped petals with a pink interior, just as Chrysalis had asked him to make. The final product was different than what he originally created, though she couldn’t complain as a golden glow suffused the air, mingling with the blue one from the lights.

Rather suddenly, a pink mist filled the air above their heads before slowly drifting down. When it first touched Chrysalis, she gasped aloud when she felt pure love filling her senses. It was far more pure than any she had tasted from a pony, entirely untainted by even hints of lust. It was so sweet, she felt her mouth salivate just from being in the mist. When she inhaled, she felt every last remnant of hunger fade from her body instantly; there was just that much in the air.

Spinning around to Daedalus, she leaped at him. He seemed to pause in surprise right before she hit him, carrying both of them to the ground. She landed on his chest, though it didn’t hurt him due to his lack of a chest cavity. He opened his eyes, having closed them habitually during the fall, and looked up to Chrysalis.

To his surprise, shock, and concern, she was openly crying. Tears streamed down her muzzle in the brief glimpse he got before her muzzle was promptly buried in his shoulder. Quickly, he reached up and placed a hand on her withers comfortingly and began to stroke her mane with his other hand. With a tap of his foot, he allowed the plants to stop producing love and the pink mist began to fade. Daedalus simply held the crying mare, allowing her to let out all the pent of emotions into his shoulder even as mistified love settled in the air around them.

Chrysalis had never been happier than she was at that moment. No more did she have to fear her kind’s starvation. Never again would a Changeling approach her and say in a pitiful voice, “My Queen, we’re hungry.” No more would she have to fear and it was all thanks to Jay, the viral being she was crying on. All the years of fear, worry, and guilty anger were draining away from her, leaving her feeling more free than she had in centuries.

Replaced by the fear and the pain, a warm feeling began to well up within her as she took notice that Jay was holding her, letting her let everything out without worry of being judged. Being a Changeling she recognized it immediately as love, a feeling that had been recurring in her for several days now. She knew it wasn’t from the mist that had been around them, either. No, Chrysalis knew she loved Jay, though she didn’t know whether the feeling was returned.

Daedalus became aware that the Queen atop him had ceased crying, though her muzzle was still in the crook of his neck. He stiffened then quickly calmed when she slowly began to nuzzle his neck. Rather suddenly, she pulled back and looked at him from above. Her emerald green slits were looking at him with an expression that conveyed several things to him all at once. Hope, concern, worry, joy, and most powerfully, love. He knew from that gaze along that she felt exactly as he did, that he had no reason to worry for any reason.

Slowly reaching up, he gently grasped the back of her head and pulled her toward him. She offered no resistances, eagerly meeting him in the middle as their lips connected and their eyes fell closed. The kiss was simple, no lust or desire present in it. Instead, a warmth that could only be described as unaltered love was the only feeling shared between them. All too soon, the pair parted and Chrysalis gazed down at Daedalus. The virus would have lost his breath if he needed to breathe, all because of the sight that greeted him when his eyes opened.

Chrysalis lied on his chest, her head above his and gazing down at him. Her slitted eyes met his with a gaze full of love and tender affection. Her mane came down and framed her face, draping down to the side of his own head. Her muzzle was only inches away from him, adorned with a smile that showed she was content with the world. The ethereal blue and golden glow around them only added to the unbelievable feel Daedalus experienced, which only expanded when small, glowing blue spores floated down from the ceiling. The virus felt a tension in his chest, one that didn’t ease at all as time passed and they stared at each other, both with looks of love.

Finally, Daedalus spoke in a whisper, filled with meaning. “I love you, Chryssi. There’s no denying it; I do.”

Her smile seemed to only widened and she leaned, planting another gentle kiss on his lips before speaking softly, passionately. “I love you too, Jay. I don’t want to deny it.”

Daedalus laughed, the tension in his chest draining instantly. “Neither do I. I don’t think we even could deny it.”

The carapaced Queen shook her head softly, a happy smile on her muzzle on mirth in her voice. “I’ve never been this happy, this loved. And before you say my Changelings love me, you know what I mean.”

Daedalus nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.”

Chrysalis lied down fully at his side, resting her head on his chest even as the plants above them shone brighter. Daedalus looked at them curiously before a thought struck him, making him smile. “Heart’s Blossom.”

“What?” Chrysalis said curiously.

“The plants, we’ll call them ‘Heart’s Blossom.’” Daedalus explained. “Inadvertently, they made us fall in love with each other.”

The Changeling couldn’t keep the dopey smile off of her face. It was so cheesy, but so heartfelt that she could feel her own heart warm from it. “Heart’s Blossom. I like that.”

Daedalus draped an arm over Chrysalis, content to simply lie there for a time, basking in the joy of being loved. Chrysalis felt no reason to complain; her Hive was still being fed by the love Daedalus had created when she was unconscious.

Author's Notes:

Is there any surprise I was looking forward to this chapter? Don't hesitate to share your thoughts, whether positive or negative.

This chapter has been BetaRead by BurningDusk, of course.

Wrapping Things Up

Queen Chrysalis slowly stood, her legs sluggish from dozing on Jay for nearly three hours. It was time to stop relaxing. She needed to tell her Hive that the flowers were working, as well as to let them come for lunch.

Jay snapped awake, immediately rolling to his feet and stretching. The Changeling couldn’t help examining his face, then his body quickly. That was hers, and she was proud of it. He must have noticed the grin on her muzzle because he laughed lightly. “What’s with the look?”

Without hesitation, she reached forward and planted a hoof on his chest and spoke. “The fact that this is mine.”

“I’m yours?” Jay asked with amusement clear in his voice. When she nodded, he smiled wider.

“I’m not complaining.”

Chrysalis laughed herself and spoke in a teasing manner while gesturing to herself with her wings. “Of course you aren’t complaining. It means that this is yours, as well.”

The pair laughed for a moment, love and affection rolling off of Jay, though he likely didn’t know. After a time, the two calmed and Chrysalis spoke. “I need to tell my Hive of this development. Will you wait here?”

“Which development? Us being together, or the plants functioning?” He asked in curiosity.

“Yes.” Chrysalis replied in a smug voice, making Jay chuckle.

“In any case, expect Changelings to start showing up some time after my departure. While I’m able to spread the news with the Hive Mind, I much prefer giving announcements face to face. I’m sure they like being able to see me, too.” She continued.

Jay nodded in response and Chrysalis leaned forward and quickly nuzzled him, then departed with a small blush on her muzzle. She heard his deep voice chuckle from behind her and the emotions he emitted increased lightly. She sighed, her eyes closing momentarily as she basked in it. Then she opened her emerald green eyes and continued onward.

Daedalus watched as Chrysalis left. He was incredibly happy at the moment and not just because he and the Queen were together. The Hive would no longer starve and with this new development, he could ensure that Equestria and Sapphire Hive would never go to war against each other.

What if they do, though? He thought to himself. Who would I fight for?

After a short moment’s thought, he answered his own question. Chrysalis, no doubt about it. I owe my loyalties to no one except my own interests. As it is, defending Chryssi is my interest, not Equestria.

The thought hurt, for sure, knowing he would willing go against Celestia, Luna, and Pinkie. Daedalus knew that if it came to it, he would pick Sapphire Hive over Equestria. He would fight reluctantly, but determined all the same.

Daedalus wasn’t sure how long he was buried in his thoughts, but he snapped out of it once he began to hear voices reverberating down the tunnels. Moving quickly, he stopped at the entrance of the cavern and waited for the Changelings to arrive.

And arrive they did. Not long after he began waiting, a small group of around a dozen Changelings arrived, each with a small bag on one side of their back. They stopped at the cavern entrance just after the Blossoms released a soft pink mist that drifted through the air. The lead Changeling’s horn lit up as a small stone levitated out toward Daedalus. He grabbed it, quickly noticing it was a small sapphire, and the Changeling looked at him curiously. “What’s this for?”

The Changeling chittered for a moment, stopping when Daedalus looked at her in slight confusion. She blushed a light green and spoke again, this time in English. “Payment, of course. Is it enough? The price wasn’t specified when our Queen announced the creation of the Heart’s Blossoms.”

Daedalus frowned slightly and dropped the gem back into the equine’s bag. When she looked at him in shock, he explained. “There’s no price. This is entirely free and I’m not accepting payment.”

Her pupil-less eyes widened as she looked at him, her muzzle slightly open as well. Daedalus looked on, faintly amused, and noticed one of the Changelings leave quickly. Hopefully, he’ll spread the word of there being no price.

After a short moment, the Changeling stepped forward and quickly nuzzled his arm and entered the cave, happily shouting, “Thank you!”

Daedalus nodded and watched with a smile as the group ran into the cave, quickly entering the mist. They moved around a row and he lost sight of them. A contented sigh escaped him and he turned back to the entrance, waiting for more Changelings to arrive. He had a feeling quite a number more would try to pay him for access; he wouldn’t accept it. Not for something that cost nothing to maintain or provide.

As an hour passed, the continuous flow of new Changelings failed to lessen. At first, the Changelings that arrived were all young or middle aged adults, as far as he could tell. Later came the elderly and the young as Chrysalis’ announcement spread far enough for individual homes to learn about it. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as he saw the happiness in their voices and actions as several young Changelings started to play hide and seek between the rows of large plants.

Vaguely, he became aware of a small black shape sitting against one of the plants, the Changeling’s back to him. He didn’t see any older adults around the equine so he walked over. He came to the young Changeling’s side and sat down, crossing his legs in front of him. Her looked over to the Changeling, seeing that she was very young, maybe eight or nine. To his concern, she was staring into the rows with a confused frown on her face.

“Is something wrong?” He asked softly.

The filly was silent for a time, clearly struggling to convey her feelings to him. She seemed to settle for an answer and spoke slowly, confusion clear in her voice. “I’m not hungry.

“What’s wrong with that?” Daedalus continued, confused at her meaning.

She fully faced him and sniffed once, her conflicted look not lessening. She spoke, her voice full of a strange mixture of happiness and confusion. “Nothing is wrong. It’s strange. I’ve never not been hungry before.”

Daedalus’ eyes widened in shock at that answer. He knew that, before he began to help them, the Sapphire Hive was having trouble feeding, but he still didn’t expect that reply. Daedalus frowned suddenly. When he had fed the Hive from his own chemicals, he knew he gave out enough to feed the entire Hive for a week, yet she still wasn’t fully fed? He would have to talk to Chrysalis about that.

“Well, you’re full now, right?” Daedalus asked to which she nodded with another sniff.

He continued. “It’ll be like this for now on, little one. These plants aren’t going away, they’ll be here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all of you.”

She stared at him with her large, watery blue eyes before suddenly leaning forward, burying her muzzle between his arm and side. He sighed and gently wrapped an arm around her, holding her as she relaxed in his arms and thanked him in her own wake. Soon after, he became aware of two Changelings standing at his shoulders. He looked up and saw them both smiling at him. His confusion must have been clear because one, a male, chuckled slightly. His head leaned down and nuzzled the young Changeling, who looked up at shouted. “Daddy!”

The filly practically leapt out of his arms, her wings buzzing loudly, as she landed on his back. He nodded to Daedalus and the two walked deeper into the mist. The other Changeling, possibly the mother, smiled at Daedalus. “Thank you for helping her. She’s not used to this amount of food. Most of us aren’t, but the rations have always been low through her entire life, unlike the rest of us. The sudden change just confused her.”

Daedalus stood up, glancing around at practically the entire Hive in one cavern. “That won’t be happening anymore, hopefully.”

She nodded. “Hopefully not. Will these plants always produce love like this?”

He shook his head. “No, only at breakfast, lunch, and dinner times. Otherwise, a Changeling might grow too powerful, do something bad, and hurt the world’s opinions of Changelings. Chrysalis and I agreed that we don’t want that to happen.”

She nodded again, then glanced around quickly and whispered. “Is it true you and the Queen are together?”

Daedalus smiled again, and the mare jerked back at the surprising burst of love from him. “Yes, we are. Since today, not long after the flowers finished.”

The chitinous equine smiled brightly at him. “The Hive’s fed, Equestria will soon be neutral to us, or even allies, and the Queen has a consort! She must be so happy now!”

The virus smiled and looked through the rows, watching several young Changelings chase each other, careful to avoid the roots. “She is, and I am too. We’re both happy now. Truth be told, this could have been revealed earlier today, but we got distracted.”

The mare blushed mildly. “You’re mated, now?”

Daedalus laughed. “No, we simply dozed off for a few hours next to each other. I don’t know if Chrysalis wants to take that step, or if she ever will, but I’m fine with that.”

The mare’s head tilted slightly as she replied. “You’re not interested in mating?”

“I am.” Daedalus replied honestly. “But I’d rather be loved than have lust. If Chrysalis didn’t want to mate with me, I’d accept it. ‘Course, I’ll be happy if she does and I’ll make sure she enjoys herself, but I’d be happy.”

Then Daedalus questioned her. “You seem rather calm about this topic. Why’s that? Most ponies would panic at any conversation involving mating.”

“Changeling.” She replied simply. “We gather and feed off of love. Sexual love works, too. Some Infiltrators rather that since it provides more. Most adult Changeling’s don’t balk at the topic. A blush or nervous cough is the most on average.”

Daedalus nodded in understanding. He realized then he didn’t know her name, and she might know his. “I’m Daedalus, or Jay as the Hive seems to know me.”

She smiled in return. “The Hive knows you. You’ve helped enough that your name is common knowledge by now. Only the very young or very old don’t know you. I’m Meta, and the Changelings earlier were my husband, Aphid, and my daughter, Crescent.”

Then she asked another question. “Why did you introduce yourself as Daedalus?”

“The name I go by, mostly. Jay is my real name, though I’ve been called Daedalus for two years now. Gene Splice is my pony form.” He answered.

“So it’s true.” Meta replied. “You are a shapeshifter?”

“Yes, I am, though nothing like Changelings. You use magic to mimic another species, but I don’t have magic. Instead, I actually change into them, all the way down to a biological level. If you were to turn into a male, your genitals would not work like a male’s. That is to say, you wouldn’t be able to impregnate a female. On the other hand, if I were to turn into a female, I could become pregnant.” He explained, using an example he commonly used to describe how detailed his shapeshifting was.

“That would make hiding and harvesting emotion in Equestria so much easier for our Infiltrators.” Meta said, thinking of how the Hive would have been different if Changelings shifted like that.

Daedalus glanced around at the Heart’s Blossom flowers on the large trees around him and smiled to Meta. “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that any time soon, Meta. Your Hive will have plenty of love to feed on in the coming time.”

Meta smiled at him and nodded. “All thanks to you, Jay. Very few in this world would have been willing to do this, and of those none of them could have done it. Sapphire Hive owes you not just our lives, but the lives of every single Changeling larvae we’ll have.”

Daedalus just smiled to the Changeling, not quite knowing what to say to such heartfelt thanks. Meta, feeling his unease, laughed dismissively. “I need to get back to my mate and daughter. It was good to meet you, Jay.”

“Good to meet you too, Meta.” Daedalus said honestly, quickly memorizing her appearance so he can recognize her later. He took down note of the miniscule scar above her left eyebrow, intending to use that as a future reference point until he learned to tell between them with ease.

Meta nodded to him again and walked away slowly, heading through the rows of plants to find her family. She disappeared quickly in the pink mist that slowly grew denser as the Blossoms continued to produce their nectar. Daedalus turned around, seeing that all the Changelings who had watched him speak to Crescent had already left, and returned to his spot at the entrance of the cave.

Changelings continued coming in as a continuous stream, though far fewer were going out. The cavern was becoming more populated quickly and he knew he would have to add more caves full of the Blossoms to support the soon-to-be-growing population. With the massive influx in food, Changelings didn’t have to be wary of reproducing anymore.

Several newcomers brought payment with them, varying sizes of sapphires with very few other forms of currency. A couple times he was brought gold or Equestrian bits, but he turned it all away. Most, though, had heard that it was free and came without payment or saddlebags.

Some time later, he heard yet another set of hoofsteps echo down the tunnel. Unlike previously, all the other sets didn’t continue, but instead stopped, quiet whispering reaching his ears. He smiled as he realized who was coming, though he didn’t turn around. The hoofsteps grew far quieter as they approached him, though they can still hear him. They stopped just behind him and he imagined Chrysalis about to poke him with a hoof.

Spinning around, he saw that she was leaning forward to nuzzle him. She stepped back in surprise and he stepped forward, his longer legs allowing him to stop directly in front of her. Her neck craned as she looked slightly up at his taller frame. Daedalus, not caring of the spectators, leaned his head down and lightly kissed her. Satisfaction raced through him as she returned the kiss, her muzzle tinting a light green when whispers broke out around them. None of it was negative, so Daedalus didn’t care.

When the pair parted, they shared a genuine smile. “Hey, Chryssi. Everyling seems to be pretty happy. The cavern’s pretty full; I might need to expand in the future so there’s room for all to be here.”

Chrysalis nodded softly and looked around the entrance to the cavern. Changelings averted their eyes and pretended they weren’t watching as she did. A warm smile graced her muzzle as she watched Changeling children dart around the Blossoms, as adults laughed with friends they’ve been too busy or sick to see, as elders told stories and taught those who would listen. Her Hive was more active, more happy, and more content than it had been in years.

With her wings, she quickly waved Daedalus deeper into the Blossoms. She started walking and he matched her pace, nodding to the Changelings in the tunnel and gesturing for them to go into the field. Daedalus turned his attention forward again as he walked alongside Chrysalis, the mare who had been so different than what he expected. Part of him wondered if Celestia and the others were wrong about her entirely. Another, smaller part of him wondered if he was being tricked, though he doubted it. A final, larger part thought that maybe he just didn’t have both sides of the story.

As the pair walked deeper into the rows, the pink mist grew from lightly spread-out to a mild fog. Finally, the couple were at the far edge of the cavern, far from the Changelings that were enjoying the newly abundant food. When Chrysalis led him to the wall, she turned and sat down. Daedalus took a seat next to her, smiling as she quickly reclined against him, his natural warmth soothing to her chitin. After a moment of comfortable silence, she spoke. “Did anything happen while I was spreading the word?”

“Do Changelings use sapphires as currency?” The virus asked suddenly.

“Our Hives does.” Chrysalis said, looking up at him with a curious frown. “Did my subjects pay you to get in?”

“They tried, I think. One mare attempted to give me a sapphire. I didn’t know why at first until I asked her. When I found out it was y’all’s currency, I gave it back.” He explained.

Chrysalis leaned up and nuzzled his neck lightly as she spoke. “Thank you for not taking it. The Sapphire Hive uses sapphires as currency, although it’s not as simple and as effective as Equestrian currency.”

“Oh?” Daedalus asked, curious. “Would you mind explaining?”

Chrysalis smiled wider and sat up slightly, though she still leaned on him. She was glad he was interested in learning about her culture. “All Hives’ currency are based off of their namesake. As the Sapphire Hive, we used sapphires. Similar to Equestria, we have coins. Small, bronze coins embedded with sapphires, specifically. The amount and weight of the gems show its value, but so does a number stamped on the front of it.”

“What do the coins look like?” Daedalus asked. “I haven’t seen one, yet.”

With a flash of green magic, a small circular object appeared in Chrysalis’ telekinetic hold. She levitated it over to Daedalus, who took it and examined it as she continued. “That coin is a five chit coin, shown by the black number five on the bronze metal.”

“Chit? Like chitin?” Daedalus asked, slightly amused.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, though not at him. “Unfortunately, yes. Our ancestors were following the tradition of currency naming that started long ago. For some odd reason, every race’s currency is based off of them. Bits for ponies, claws for Griffons, horns for Minotaur, Chits for Changelings and so on. Anyway, as you can see, there’s also five small sapphires embedded in the coin, hence the value.”

Daedalus nodded. “How do you keep Changelings from making their own fake coins and using that in your economy?”

“That’s where it’s not quite as simple. In Equestria, the gold has the value. Bronze or silver painted gold with the proper symbols could pass off as actual currency. Here in the Hive, though, the bronze is practically worthless. It’s the sapphire that has the value. The magical nature of Equestrian gems make it impossible to paint them, too. Instead, shopkeepers have special tools that allow them to measure the weight of a sapphire, which is done in full view of the customer. Then, the weight is compared to accepted values to find out it’s worth.” She explained.

“How much are sapphires worth?” Daedalus quickly asked.

“Every pound of sapphire in worth fifty chit. One chit is worth about two bits, to compare. On the other hoof, one chit is worth about six claws, or seven horns.” Chrysalis answered.

“Why does it vary so much?”

“Not all the countries value the material the same. In Equestria, sapphires aren’t very valuable and not rare. Gems form quite commonly there. In Griffonia or the Republic, gems are rarer and more valuable, so a chit is worth more. Back on the topic of paying with solid sapphires, a shopkeeper will likely trade the sapphire for its appropriate value in chits. There, the shopkeeper will likely trade it with my Treasurer for its value. There, it’ll likely be broken apart, cut, and placed into chits to increase the amount of currency circulating through the Hive.” She explained.

“And since the sapphires are in the coins themselves, there’s no inflation.” Daedalus added.

Chrysalis nodded with a smile, happy that he was interested and listening. “Exactly. In modern times, inflation is almost unheard of because the money itself is valuable, rather than representing valuable metals.”

“My country, the United States, can’t do that, unfortunately. There’s too many people and too much currency circulating for Equis’ system to be adopted.”

Chrysalis nodded, agreeing with him. She knew too little of his world to reply, though.

Daedalus looked up as he felt an electrical signal pulse through the roots, telling the plants to deactivate. The blue glow dimmed slightly as the flowers ceased producing the prevalent pink mist. From across the cavern, he could hear the Changelings beginning to leave.

Chrysalis must have told them about the schedule. The virus thought to himself. Then he frowned as an unfortunate thought struck him. Chrysalis, naturally, noticed the change that overcame him and looked at him in concern.

“What’s the matter, Jay?” The chitinous mare asked as she looked to her partner.

“Now that my work here is done, I need to return to the Diarchy and tell them the news.” Daedalus explained. “Then you’ll need to meet with them and iron out the details.”

Chrysalis nodded slowly. “Will you be there with me?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to be in the room with you, but I’ll definitely be waiting for the meeting to end.” He replied honestly.

“I’ll take what I can get.” Chrysalis replied, leaning against him again. “Do you think they’ll be fair?”

Daedalus nodded. “I think they will. Expect them to request some form of reparations for the damage done during the Invasion, but they won’t be cruel about it. Most likely, they’ll just ask for some gold to pay for the expenses.”

“Fortunately, gold is something we have plenty of and next to no use for.” Chrysalis replied. “If that’s all they ask for, I don’t think there will be a problem.”

Daedalus hummed in thought. “Remind me to show you some of the more useful applications of gold, such as it’s conductive properties. That’s a lesson for another time, though, when you aren’t as stressed as you are now.”

She looked at him with furrowed brows and spoke. “What makes you think I’m stressed?”

“Chryssi, you are about to meet with the leaders of a country you invaded to hopefully make and sign a treaty. This is going to bring about a massive change for your Hive and you aren’t quite sure if it’s for the better. Any ruler who cares for her subjects would be stressed by this. I’m sure, in her own way, Celestia is stressed, too.” Daedalus continued, not breaking eye contact with her.

After a moment of staring, she sighed and averted her gaze. “You’re right. I’m a little stressed. So much has happened recently and I’m not quite sure how to handle it. Unlike Celestia, I don’t have a sister, a niece, or a trusted student to rely on. I have only myself.”

“And now me.” Daedalus admonished lightly. “You aren’t alone anymore. You weren’t before, either. You are meant to guide the Hive, but you can’t forget that they care about you, too. I would happily help you relax, either by entertaining you or taking some of your burdens.”

“By they are my burdens, no one else’s. They aren’t for you to shoulder. They are for me to adapt to and deal with. That’s the life of a Queen, and as such, my life.” She replied, convinced.

Daedalus reached over to her and placed a hand on her withers, then pulled her into a hug. “That’s the life of a solitary Queen. You aren’t alone. Maybe you don’t have a King, but you do have me. Don’t be afraid to let someone help you.”

Chrysalis said nothing in reply, simply basking in the affectionate glow coming from the virus. She didn’t know what to say to him, but she knew she wasn’t going to give in so easily. This was her job, not his. She couldn’t ask him to subject himself to the constant stress, exhaustion, worry, and boredom involved in ruling a Hive. No matter how well he could handle it.

“W-why did you do t-this?” Snow Flight, crying on the ground, asked pitifully as she gazed at the ruins of her home. Fear, hatred, disgust; all emotions unusual to ponykind yet, as she turned her eyes to the stallion standing next to her, they surged through her.

“Fire and screams, my dear. The two best things in our horrible little world.” Soul Flare replied to the mare. “Nothing warms my heart like a burning town and the stench of the dead.”

The mare, injured with a broken hind leg and a missing wing, felt the maelstrom of emotions within her pause, then erupt into rage. The Pegasus reached to her side where she knew a jagged metal pipe lay, grasped it with her hoof, and tried to ram it into Soul’s side.

To her fear, a burst of magic immolated the metal Snow held. With a yelp, she tried to hop back from the molten puddle only to land on the remains of her right wing. She collapsed in agony, pain permeated her senses as she tried to recover, to run away, to warn the Princesses. Her eyes finally opened only to see the Unicorn standing over her. “That wasn’t very kind, now was it?”

“Buck you!” Snow shouted as she attempted to spit on him. Her parched muzzle, though, stopped anything from happening. Soul just laughed, genuinely enjoying her torment.

Then he sighed. “I suppose it’s time I stop playing around and just finish you off.”

“The Princesses won’t let you get away with this, fool!” Snow shouted, knowing with a dreadful finality that she wouldn’t get away this time.

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to call ponies names?” Soul Flare asked before another burst of magic reduced Snow Flare to nothing more than dust. All that remained of her was the Town Guard armor she had worn. The very same armor that protected her from nothing he could do.

Soul Flare turned his gaze back to the town. His horn lit up again as a wave of fire passed over the entire town. Ponies, alive or dead, were cremated instantly as wood blackened and buckled. The screams silenced as death took ahold. The Unicorn coughed once, a red trail making its way down his muzzle before he wiped it off with a cloth.

“Let the Alicorns come. They’ll meet their end just as you did.” Soul said to the now-destroyed town. “The Reign of Light is over. Now comes Destruction.”

Two days passed quickly as both Daedalus and Chrysalis prepared for their departure. The virus had, once again, contacted Luna in his dreams and told her the news. She was delighted to know that the peace mission was a success and told him that their arrival would be expected sometime in the next week. Luna also told him that the common populace were unaware of the impending meeting, and as such, Chrysalis would have to arrive while in disguise.

Daedalus didn’t have much to do in terms of preparation. He checked over the Blossoms one last time to ensure they would function properly. He extended the times they would be active by half an hour each to ensure all Changelings had a chance to feed, though he soon learned that several Infiltrators would be harvesting love from the flowers to refill the Hive’s stock. They would also ensure that any Changeling that missed the designated times would still received sustenance.

After his check was complete, he found his way to Chrysalis to help her with her preparations. To his surprise, she was bringing nothing with her to the meeting. No papers, no books, no items or objects. The Queen was busy sorting a small stack of papers sitting on her desk. The sheets were being split into three stacks, placed separately on the side of her desk.

“You aren’t bringing anything, Chryssi?” Daedalus asked as he walked in.

“I have nothing that I need to bring. This is a peace negotiation that will hopefully end in the drafting and signing of a treaty. I’m likely not going to be at the Castle for more than a day.” The Queen replied, smiling to Daedalus. “I just need to sort these papers for perusal when I return.”

Daedalus walked over slowly as he spoke. “What do you have to do?”

Chrysalis spun around and placed a hoof flat against his chest, stopping him. Though she smiled at him, a hint of seriousness shown in her slitted eyes. “I can’t let you see them.”

Daedalus waved dismissively and stepped back, smiling at her. “I get it. Queen business, not meant for foreign eyes and all.”

“I’m sorry.” She replied honestly.

“Don’t be. I understand. I’m not part of your Hive and I’m here on a diplomatic mission from Equestria, a country that used to be your enemy. You’re just protecting your Hive.” The virus replied understandingly.

“Thank you.” Chrysalis said, sighing in relief. “We should probably begin making our way to Canterlot. It’ll take a day or two to get there and a few more hours to make our way to the Castle itself. Not to mention we’ll both have to stay in disguise.”

“Speaking of that, who will you be discussed as?” Daedalus asked curiously.

With a flash of green fire, Chrysalis was gone and a Pegasus was in her place. Her coat was a soft white while her mane was a light pink. Her eyes shone a soft green, though not slitted like her natural ones. Her cutie mark was a single white snowflake falling from a black cloud, set onto a gray background representing the sky. “Snow Flight, a Town Guard from a small town out north named Trotsdale. I met her once for only a few minutes, but it was enough to let me shift into her.”

Daedalus smiled as he quickly shifted into his Gene Splice form, his default pony form. His silver coat glinted in the light of the Hive, while his blue mane was laced with two bands of black and red. His large blue eyes shone with the same tint that the Blossom trees did, something Chrysalis couldn’t help but notice. His own mark was unusual amongst the equine species, being a familiar double-helix shape given to DNA. Set behind it was an orange Biohazard sign.

Chrysalis walked around Daedalus, examining the form in a way she hadn’t previously. “You look good for a pony.”

Then she stopped in front of him and smiled, speaking honestly as she winked lightly at him. “Though I prefer the original much more.”

Daedalus grinned to her, allowing his canines to temporarily form as he bared his teeth. The virus internally chuckled as her eyes locked on to the universal symbol of a predator. He also noticed the small, almost imperceptible shiver that ran its course through her body. Unfortunately, he didn’t have Changeling body language down yet and couldn’t identify the cause, though he was pretty sure he knew.

“I can’t help but agree with you. Your natural black and green is much more alluring to me.” The virus replied.

Chrysalis cleared her throat quickly. “Anyway, Ja-Gene, let’s go.”

She walked out of the room, Daedalus following a little behind her. A grin overcame his muzzle as he called out. “Still not a bad view!”

Contrary to the reaction he expected, the disguised Queen just replied evenly. “I can sense your emotions. I know you weren’t looking.”

Daedalus grumbled lightly as he lengthened his stride to walk alongside her. “You aren’t going to make teasing you easy, are you?”

“Nope. It’s going to be a very interesting war, Jay.” Chrysalis said honestly, her eyes momentarily flashing back to their natural state.

“An interesting one indeed.” Daedalus replied, happy he met someone who wasn’t flustered so easily.

Author's Notes:

This chapter was delayed significantly, which irritated me to no end. Among the reasons were lack of internet access, a mild, but still painful, throat infection, and being distracted, as I'm often wont to do.

This chapter was, unfortunately, not reviewed by BurningDusk so don't hesitate to point out any grammar, spelling, or syntax errors you may notice!

Back at the Castle

Two days and some odd hours later had left Daedalus in a rather confusing dilemma. Several rooms over, a meeting was taking place. Within the locked, guarded, and soundproofed room was a Changeling Queen, three Alicorn Princesses and a Unicorn Prince. A negotiation was happening, the end result hopefully being a new peace between Sapphire Hive and Equestria. If the other Hives wanted peace, it was up to them.

Daedalus could easily slip a tendril into the wall, pop it out of the floor or ceiling in the meeting room, and listen in. At least then, he would be able to storm in if weapons were drawn or spells prepared. Instead, he was sitting in the hall, in his pony form, with his hoof tapping against the floor repeatedly. He had no idea what was happening in the secluded room, nor would he know if the Princesses of Equestria decided to just execute Chrysalis and be done with it. He hated not knowing, yet he continued to do so.

All because Chrysalis asked him to trust her and not interfere. The virus trusted her. The virus also trusted two of the Alicorns in the room. He didn’t necessarily trust them when they were together. Although she hadn’t really shown in, Chrysalis had a natural dislike for ponies, one that most ponies shared for Changelings. A natural animosity existed between the two races and Daedalus had no idea if they could ever overcome it.

The meeting had already been going on for an hour or two now and the man was nearing the end of his patience. If it continued for another hour or so, nothing would stop him from drilling in through the floor and listening in. His prodding had already discovered that the floor, walls, and roof weren’t sealed. No spell was keeping the sound from escaping. The room was just naturally soundproofed, making it easy to make a hole through which his unnatural hearing could pick up the conversation.

He didn’t, though. Not yet. He was going to wait some time more for Chrysalis before he began eavesdropping. The Guards stationed outside the room, and a mere thirty meters from him, knew that he had something to do with the meeting and was allowed to be there. It didn’t stop them from watching him, though. Good thing he could create his tendrils from anywhere in his body.

Several bladed tendrils were positioned underneath the Guards, ready to spear up and end them in seconds. Another, much larger mass was suspended in the marble above the meeting room. Daedalus was fully prepared to use both of his forms, providing double the offensive and defensive capabilities while allowing him to take advantage of the confusion it was sure to cause.

He just hoped he wouldn’t be too late to stop anything bad from happening to Chrysalis.

Daedalus closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. It wasn’t easy for him to adapt to having emotions he couldn’t just switch off at will. He remembered having emotions when he was alive, but that was Jay, not Daedalus. Maybe they had the same form, and maybe he had Jay’s memories, but the virus wasn’t really him. He was just that; a virus. A collection of microorganisms that were neither dead or alive, just is.

For a slight moment, the mass of tendrils above the meeting room registered slight vibrations from inside, powerful enough to make it through the soundproofing. Immediately, he thought a fight was soon to begin. The virus began planning his breach as the tendrils slowly drilled the last few inches that separated confusion from certainty.

Go for the Unicorn; brutal and slow consumption to inspire fear of the unknown. Then turn and launch projectile spikes into one of the Alicorns. As the other two move to help her, grab Chrysalis and make a retreat. Plant viral traps behind to slow or eliminate and followers. Once out of the ca-

Daedalus’ thoughts and drilling were interrupted when the door to the meeting room opened and out walked five ponies. Three Alicorns and two Unicorns, all of which he recognized in some form. Celestia, Luna, and ‘Snow Flight’ were familiar to him, while a pink Alicorn named Cadence and a white Unicorn named Shining Armor weren’t quite as familiar. He knew somewhat of them from Disarray’s implanted memories, but not as much as he would prefer.

Princess Celestia turned to the Guards and said something, likely dismissing them if their leaving was any indication. She waved her wing toward Daedalus, requesting he join them. The virus-turned-pony did just that. He stood quickly after disengaging the tendrils he had and allowing his other form’s mass to absorb them before returning to the cave. When Daedalus joined the group, coming to a stop by the disguised Queen’s side, they began walking again toward, what he assumed, would be some form of private study or library; a place where they could all talk without gossip being spread throughout the Castle and kingdom.

Daedalus was lead through the winding halls of the castle down a path he wasn’t familiar with. He kept an eye out for any familiar locations to use as reference points, intending to expand his knowledge of the Castle’s layout. Before long, the group rounded a corner and Daedalus found his reference point. A familiar wooden door, adorned with the symbols of the sun and moon. The Solar Diarch, leading the group, magically opened the door and then closed it once the group was inside.

The virus quickly glanced around the room, noticing the same fireplace, the same furniture, the same dark wood walls, bookshelves, the same blue carpet floors. Even the small, magical orbs of light were in the same places as he remembered. The only difference is that the fireplace was unlit, no flames licking at the wood piled in the brick enclosure. The Diarchy sat in two chairs while the other Princess and Prince sat on a couch. Daedalus sat down on another couch, the same spot he had before, and smiled lightly as he was joined by Chrysalis’ disguised form.

After a short moment of silence, Princess Celestia casted a quick spell and then spoke. “Go ahead and drop your disguises. The door is locked and a soundproof barrier has been erected.”

With a swirl of black tendrils and a flash of green fire, both Daedalus and Chrysalis returned to their natural forms. The virus smiled lightly as Princess Cadence and Prince Armor looked at him in surprise, apparently not having known about him. Daedalus turned his attention back to Celestia and spoke. “This is the same study we spoke in before, isn’t it?”

She nodded with a small smile adorning her muzzle. “Yes, it is. My sister and I worked together to design this study and we are both quite happy with it. It gives us a place to relax and talk without having to worry about nobles.”

Daedalus nodded once and then turned his attention to the two ponies he wasn’t quite as familiar with. “Hello to you two. I don’t believe we’ve met before. My name is Daedalus, though the form you saw me in is Gene Splice.”

The pink Alicorn coughed into her hoof lightly, recovering her presence of mind, and greeted him cheerfully. “Hello, Daedalus! My name is Mi Amore Cadenza, but I much rather the name Cadence. I wasn’t aware you were a Chan- well, shapeshifter, too.”

Daedalus looked to the Unicorn for his introduction, receiving a short reply. “Prince Shining Armor, former Captain of the Royal Guard.”

He nodded to them both. “Yes, I am a shapeshifter, and as Princess Cadence noticed, I’m not a Changeling. I’m the only one of my kind here in Equestria and I’m fine with that. My species are called Evolved and we are astronomically advanced viruses.”

“Virus?” Cadence asked in concern and confusion.

“Yes, a virus. Though, there’s a rather large difference between me and the kind of virus you go to the doctor for. I’m not contagious and I don’t spread, I’m sentient, and I’m, in a way, alive.” Daedalus explained.

Princess Luna cleared her throat to interrupt them and spoke. “I think we should handle the reason we are here before we delve into friendly conversations.”

Everyone nodded to no one’s surprise and she continued to Daedalus. “While you weren’t able to be at the meeting itself, we’ve decided that you should know what’s going to happen due to your part in bringing this peace.”

When the virus nodded his thanks, Celestia took over. “A treaty was negotiated between the Sapphire Hive and Equestria, subsequently being signed by all of the leaders present. Some of the terms were quickly agreed upon, such as Changelings being allowed to gather the love they require from ponies provided that they caused no harm to the pony’s wellbeing. Others took some debate, such as what would happen if a Changeling were discovered. It was suggested by Queen Chrysalis that the discovered Changeling would relocate themselves to another town or city to avoid any anger or dislike from the ponies.”

When Celestia stopped, Cadence began speaking. “Of course, the Sapphire Hive would be required to pay reparations to Equestrian Royalty for all damage, mental or physical, that was done during the wedding invasion. After some debate over what the reparation actually would be, then some over the amounts, it was eventually agreed upon by all parties.”

Princess Celestia took over again, making Daedalus wonder if this had been planned or if they just knew each other well enough to switch so often. “The Sapphire Hive would ship one hundred and fifty thousand bits worth of precious metals and one hundred tons of iron, steel, plastic, and other building materials. Daedalus, do you have any complaints about these amounts?”

The virus shook his head. “If Queen Chrysalis has agreed to these amounts then I see no reason to dispute them.”

Princess Celestia smiled to him and placed a scroll on the table between them. Next to it she set a quill and inkwell. “Feel free to read over the treaty, then sign in as a witness.”

Daedalus leaned forward and quickly read the treaty, seeing that none of what he was told was a lie. The virus saw several plans for introducing Changelings into Equestrian society, a plan for mutual defense, and trade agreements. Seeing no lies or trickery, he picked the quill up and paused. “Sign my real name or the one I use?”

“Your real name for validity, please.” Celestia replied.

Daedalus quickly signed his full name, Jay Scott Fontenot, and set the quill down again. He leaned back as Celestia levitated it up and read it, her eyes widening slightly as she saw his name. After magically drying the ink, she rolled the scroll up, copied it twice in a flash of magic, and gave the other two copies to Chrysalis and Cadence. Then she smiled at Chrysalis, who undeniably looked happy. “This is be the beginning of a long alliance between our nations, Queen Chrysalis.”

The Changeling monarch bowed her head slightly in respect. “It makes me happy to know that, Princess Celestia.”

“Please, just call me Celestia.” The Alicorn said, smiling genuinely at her. Then her gaze drifted back to Daedalus.

“You have quite a lot of names, it seems, Jay.” She said, amusement playing at her lips and in her eyes.

He smiled back. “Jay Fontenot, Daedalus, and Gene Splice so far. The more forms I make, the more names I’ll have. Such is the way of a shapeshifter.”

Princess Cadence perked up as she heard that. “You make your own forms?”

Daedalus nodded. “I do. Unlike Changelings, I don’t change through magic, since I have none. Instead, I change through DNA. I genetically alter my form to perfectly match whatever I wish to become. The quickest way to make my own form is to take existing DNA and then alter it to make an entirely new being.”

“Can you show us you making a new form, if given a template?” Cadence asked.

“I would be willing to, yes. What form would you like to see?” Daedalus replied.

“Make an Alicorn!” The pink Alicorn requested cheerfully.

“May I see a strand of your hair, then, for the DNA?” Daedalus asked. While he could just use the DNA he had from Celestia and Luna, another Alicorn’s DNA may become helpful. He still had not integrated their genes into his own, preventing his virus from evolving, but he was capable of shapeshifting into them.

With slight, and understandable, hesitation, Princess Cadence plucked a single strand of hair from her mane and levitated it over to him. He quickly consumed it, being careful not to combine it with his virus, and quickly shifted into her. A perfect copy of Princess Cadence sat where he was did, which she quickly examined. “It’s identical to me.”

“Since I’m using your genes, it’s even more accurate than a Changelings. In essence, I actually become you, minus the memories and personality. I’m going to begin changing it now.” Daedalus replied.

Focusing on his currently altered external DNA, he began making changes to make his own Alicorn form, though it was nothing compared to an actual Alicorn. He was incapable of magic in all forms, making his horn useless, his wings too small to lift his weight, and his earth pony magic non-existent. Quickly, his coat shifted to a deep blue as his eyes turned gray. His mane turned orange with streaks of black and his feathers grew longer. His horn grew several inches longer as his entire form bulked up, vaguely visible muscles forming where they were unseen before. In time, he stopped and opened his eyes.

Where once was a copy of Princess Cadence was now a male Alicorn. His horn was long, slightly longer than Celestia’s. His coat was a blue similar to Luna’s, though slightly darker. His eyes were stormy gray with his tail a dull orange, black streaks standing out clearly. This body was much darker in color than Gene was, making Daedalus consider using an altered form of it for stealth. He quickly looked around the room at the others to see their reactions. He was glad he did.

Luna was looking over his form with a playful smile as she knew he was looking at her. Their eyes met for a moment and she winked in a joking manner, though he could see a trace of interest in her eyes. His attention drifted over to Celestia, who was examining him in slight interest. The virus didn’t know if there were any male Alicorns, so it might have just been the sheer novelty of seeing one, or maybe there was a deeper reason for her interest.

Cadence was examining him methodically, clearing intrigued in his ability to make his own forms. It likely only intrigued her more with the fact that his Alicorn form started as her own form before it underwent alterations. Shining was examining him as he expected him to; he was looking for any sort of weaknesses or disabilities, though Daedalus knew he would find none. This body was just as dense and muscled as any other body he made, though neither of those two traits were visible.

Finally, his gaze drifted to Chrysalis to see her eyes tracing over his entire form, following the lines and contours his muscles naturally produced. Her eyes stopped at his own and a smile broke across her muzzle as she spoke. “You look good, Jay, but I think I like the monkey better.”

He couldn’t help but laugh lightly at that, Chrysalis soon joining him. When they stopped, Celestia spoke. “I’ve never seen a male Alicorn so I can’t say if you did a good job, but I would take a guess and say that it is.”

“Wide wings are attractive on Pegasi, a long horn is admirable in Unicorns, and thicker hooves are considered better among Earth ponies. Considering you have all three traits, are well built, and even taller than before, I’d say you did very well in this form. Certainly pleasing to my eyes.” Princess Luna said, complimenting him.

“It’s strange to think that that was started off as a copy of me.” Cadence said. “It looked so strange when it began changing. I can imagine how useful that ability is to you.”

Shining Armor grunted at that. “Now that you’re an Alicorn, I assume you have their abilities?”

Daedalus chuckled and shook his head. “No, I don’t. I have no magic of my own so an Alicorn’s natural abilities are inaccessible for me. My horn can’t cast magic, my wings are far too small to lift me, even if I didn’t weigh more than normal, and an Alicorn’s strength brought on my Earth pony magic is completely lacking in my form. I only have my own abilities to access, though those aren’t inconsiderable.”

The former Guard Captain relaxed a little knowing that the virus didn’t have powers matching the Princesses. What Daedalus said sparked a question in Celestia. “You said you have no magic? How do you know this?”

“Well, I’m able to sense every last thing I have affecting my body as well as what I’m capable of and I’ve found no genes for magic, a magic medium, or anything to do with magic. At first, I thought I just needed the DNA of someone with magic, but I don’t think so. I come from a place absolutely void of magic, or at least my kind are void of it, and I’ve read that magic is of the soul, not the mind or body. If my soul isn’t capable of using magic because of my nature then nothing will change that.” Daedalus explained.

“I see.” Celestia mused quitely. “You’ve put some thought into this.”

When Daedalus began to speak, he felt Chrysalis lean against him, his soft and heated fur likely a comfortable spot for her. “Yes, I have. The ability to perform magic is incredibly useful, even in the simplest of spells. It would give me an advantage at defeating my enemies and protecting my allies. I may not be able to use magic to help me achieve those goals but I can still use my natural powers to do so.”

“What are your natural powers?” Shining asked curiously.

“They all revolve around the ability to alter my own biological structure. It sounds like it wouldn’t be much but it’s actually quite a lot.” Daedalus began. “I can rearrange parts of my body into weapons such as blades, claws, or whips. Being able to make the blades themselves only a cell thick gives them an unnatural sharpness capable of cutting through most things with preternatural ease.”

“Furthermore, I’m able to condense my own body. This increases my weight drastically but also makes me tougher. My body is denser and harder to cut through. On the other hand, my own weight means nothing to me and I’m utterly tireless due to being a virus. That means I never get tired. As a virus, I’m also not considered alive. I have no blood, heart, lungs, or brain so no matter how hurt I get, I can fully heal from it.” The virus continued. “Since I control my own body perfectly, I normally don’t feel pain and can even create new limbs than I can control. Being ageless and deathless, I’m eternal, essentially meaning I’ll outlive everyone by matter of being unable to age and almost impossible to kill.”

When Daedalus finished, Cadence and Shining were quite for a moment as they took in what he had told them. After a time, Shining spoke. “That’s quite a lot of things you can do.”

He nodded. “It’s only growing, too. Whenever my virus evolves, I gain a new ability instantly. Otherwise, I can spend time genetically coding a new ability on my own. With the first way, I can’t predict what it is, but it’s usually complex things that would take me time to memorize on my own. The second way, though, I’m able to prepare for situations by making powers specifically meant for that situation.”

“It sounds like you would be a big threat in a battle.” Shining said slowly.

“Yes, but then again, so would a lot of people. My threat in a battle is just a different kind, one that none here have experienced before.” Daedalus replied simply, not bothering to rise to his insinuation.

Princess Celestia interrupted and changed the topic before Shining could respond in anyway. “Chrysalis, why are you leaning on Daedalus like that?”

“Two reasons,” The Queen began. “I’m made of chitin and so I can’t feel heat that well, though I’m also rather weak to cold. Daedalus’ virus makes him very hot and that feels very comfortable for me because it relaxes me, though it would likely be uncomfortable to a pony if he didn’t purposely cool himself off.”

“I didn’t know that about Changelings.” Princess Cadence said, speaking to Chrysalis for the first time. Daedalus felt the Queen shift against him when the Alicorn spoke.

“There’s a lot ponies don’t know about us. Hopefully that’ll change in the coming time.” She said softly.

Cadence smiled sincerely to Chrysalis. “I hope so, too. You said there were two reasons?”

“We are together.” The Queen said honestly, prompting Daedalus to lean his head down and lightly kiss her.

“R-really?” Cadence asked, torn between happy and concerned. “You two are together?”

“Yeah, we are. Just a couple days ago we got together so it’s a pretty new thing.” Daedalus said in reply.

“How did it happen?” Princess Celestia asked curiously with a small smile on her muzzle. The virus couldn’t help but notice how Luna’s eyes shone with concern as she looked at her sister.

“For me, it was home much he helped me.” Chrysalis began. “He showed me and my Hive a degree of care and concern that we’ve never been shown before. My subjects look up to him like a protector, though they never told him. During an event, I was injured and bedridden for a week. He took care of me the entire time, ensuring I remained as healthy as he could make me, even while ignoring his own injuries.”

“It’s only been barely over two weeks.” Princess Luna pointed out. “Nopony develops feelings that fast.”

Cadence spoke before Chrysalis had a chance to reply. “That’s not entirely true. The situation called ‘love at first sight’ is quite real. Some ponies are able to develop deep, meaningful relationship that last for decades only days after first meeting. This might just be one of those times.”

Then the pink Alicorn blushed lightly as she gestured to Chrysalis with her wing. “Sorry for interrupting you.”

“It’s okay.” Chrysalis replied before turning her attention back to the sisters. “I’m a Changelings, not a pony. Our kind develops relationships much faster than most other species. Because we can sense if we are being lied to, as well as what others feel, it lets up form trust far faster. That trust can easily turn to a romantic interest and eventually love in the right situation.”

Celestia nodded to her and turned back to Daedalus. “What about you? How did you realize you liked Chrysalis, and why so fast?”

Daedalus hummed, his barrel vibrating with his deep voice, easily heard throughout the room. “Well, from the start, Chrysalis and I got along pretty well. I already respected her once I learned what she had been through and I already sought to help her, so that was a good start for me. It didn’t take us long to become friends and from their it progressed. It was during the week that she was injured that I began to notice how I felt and it was once the Blossoms were finished that we ended up together. As for how it happened so fast, I honestly don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Cadence asked curiously, interested in learning the romantic patterns of another species.

“As a virus, I’m not really capable of true emotions. I know how a certain should make me feel, but actually feeling it isn’t possible without a brain. It shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that I was honestly concerned when I began to feel emotions I couldn’t find in my system. Even though I’m supposed to be incapable of romantic feelings,” Daedalus said, turning to look at Chrysalis. “I still took a powerful liking to her. I’m not upset at this development but it did take me by surprise.”

The room was quite for a moment as they thought about what he said, then Cadence spoke up. “Daedalus, if you don’t mind, I would like to cast a spell to sense your feelings for Chrysalis, as well as hers for you. I don’t know if it’ll help me shed some light on this subject or not but I can try.”

Daedalus shrugged, his withers rippling as he did. “If Chrysalis doesn’t have any against it, go ahead.”

Chrysalis just nodded to Cadence, interested in seeing what she would find. Cadence smiled again and her horn lit up with her teal aura as she cast a spell on Daedalus, that came innately to her. Its purpose was to find all of the strings of love that came from and to the target of the spell. Only she could see it but she could learn a lot from that spell.

As soon as the spell was cast, numerous pink threads came off of his body, heading his various directions. They came off of his body for several inches, flowing toward the recipient of the love. Some flowed into the floor or the walls, toward those who were lower than the mountain they sat on. Some flowed into the ceiling. One pointed directly at Chrysalis, though she knew it didn’t mean it was for her. She thought it was but there was a chance that particular thread pointed at somepony in that direction.

Platonic. Cadence thought to herself.

To her surprise, almost all of the threads disappeared, showing that he had few friends. Four headed toward Ponyville and one elsewhere. With a smile, she focused on them as three names leaped into her mind.

Pinkie Pie. Coal Dust. Fire Brand. Twilight Sparkle. Sutha.

All were weak, likely from them not knowing the truth about him. Pinkie’s was the largest, though it was still small. Their friendship must have been knew, although that didn’t surprise her if Daedalus really wasn’t from Equestria. Idly, she wondered what country he was from and why he left. She focused again.

Familial. The Alicorn called out to her spell.

The five threads vanished, replaced by four more, these ones heading straight toward the ceiling. She focused on them and another four names were whispered into her mind from her own special brand of magic.

Amaryllis. Melanie. Janet. Trey.

That must have been his family. They went straight into the ceiling, which confused her. She doubted they were in the sky and her spell never showed the threads of deceased ponies. She would have to ask about that later.

Romantic. Came the final request to the spell.

The previous four threads faded out, replaced by three others. The number surprised her significantly and she wondered who the other two were. She focused on the one pointing toward Chrysalis, wondering if it really was for her, though Cadence was sure it was.

Chrysalis. Cadence felt the name whispered into her mind and examined the thread in greater detail. It was small, befitting the recentness of it. It wasn’t quite yet love, either, but an intense attraction to both the mind and body. She could sense that it was the same both ways, that Chrysalis didn’t quite yet love Daedalus, but was certainly attracted to him. Though it was small, it was neither weak nor fragile. It was one that would not easily break or fade. With proper care, Cadence hoped to see it become a mighty pillar, not a thread.

Turning her attention to the other two, she focused on them both. Celestia. Luna.

She felt her eyes widen as she heard those two names. The threads were faint, nearly non-existent. The two threads- hairs, actually, weren’t even an attraction yet. Just barely able to appear, they signalled a possibility of what could come to be. It was the same from the two Princesses. None of the three loved each other or even shared the same kind of attraction that he felt for Chrysalis. Instead, it was nothing more than a possibility, something her spell sporadically showed.

The new information interested her but she couldn’t let herself get distracted. She turned her attention to Daedalus and focused on him. Not on his body nor his threads but on him. She looked past his body and his mind, sensing his soul. She nearly gasped on what she saw.

It was chaotic, a mixture of black and white with sporadic additions of a deep red. It reflected not just the sins he had committed but also his desire to become so much better. The red, though, was what made her heart hurt for him. It showed his slight, but still present, self-hate. He hated what he was and what he had done but still he wanted to become better than himself. Looking closer into the colors, she began to see others. Green, pink, gray, orange, yellow, purple, and so many more flickered across her magically-enhanced sight as she stared. She smiled when she realized what it meant.

Cadence’s aura vanished as she ended the spell and smiled to Daedalus. “I see where your emotions are coming from. I know why you can’t find them in your body.”

The Alicorn of Love watched as the disguised Alicorn leaned forward with a curious look. “Well?”

Cadence smiled genuinely as she answered. “They originate in your soul.”

Author's Notes:

I decided to post this chapter so early solely because the last one was so late. Normally, I post a new chapter weekly. Not always seven days after the previous but around a week. Since Chapter 19 took two weeks to be posted, I decided to post Chapter 20 a day after Chapter 19.

A New Home

Daedalus hummed in thought as he shifted back into his default form to Chrysalis’ visible delight as she leaned against him again. “It originates in my soul?”

Cadence nodded. “I have a couple questions, though, before I can try to explain why. What made you begin to feel emotions again, since you said you shouldn’t be able to? Second, why wouldn’t your body produce it instead of your soul?”

Chrysalis coughed to get her attention, then spoke in her iconic two-toned voice. “I can explain that. Not long after he arrived in our Hive, I was exhausted and starving from a short flight. Daedalus created a supply of love in himself and my instincts took over, latching onto him. Changelings have a venom in our fangs that has a dual-purpose. The first use is making ponies who are in love with another love them even more. That effect wouldn’t work on Daedalus because he wasn’t in love or even attracted to anypony at the time. The second effect is, if we are starving, we can give animals the capacity to feel emotions so we can feed off of them.”

Then Daedalus spoke. “My body wouldn’t produce it because of the fact that I have no brain. Due to my viral nature, I’m physically composed of a mass of pure virus, no blood or organs to speak of.”

Cadence nodded her thanks to Chrysalis and Daedalus, then spent a couple minutes thinking. After a time, she looked up and spoke. “I think I can explain what happened. Your venom tried to have Daedalus produce emotions, since he currently couldn’t. However, Daedalus has no brain for the venom to affect, so the venom magically altered his soul to create the emotions instead, hence him not being able to find or alter the emotions he’s experiencing.”

After a moment, Daedalus nodded with a small frown. Everyone noticed it but it was Celestia who commented on it first. “Why are you unhappy to have emotions again?”

The virus just sighed and answered the question. “I’m happy that I’m able to love and be happy again. It was also so, so draining, faking emotions in a believable way. It’s just the fact that not having emotions was useful. I felt no fear or panic in combat; no terror or worry for those I cared about. Now, though, I’m fully susceptible to emotions, the good and the bad. Rage is another that affects me, now. I felt unimaginable, murderous rage at the Bulette that hurt Chrysalis. What if I felt that to a pony?”

Cadence smiled at him again, though Shining spoke before she could, marking the first time in a bit that he had spoken. The stallion seemed to prefer listening over speaking, likely trying to gather information on Daedalus. When the Unicorn spoke, though, he sounded as if he was quoting someone. “‘Those who feel their rage and destroy it are heroes. Even as their are heroes, there are those who feel the cursed emotion and give in to it. They are the true monsters that stalk the day, no matter what side they are on.’”

Daedalus hummed in thought after thinking about that comment for some time. “Wise, accurate words. Where did you hear that, or did you come up with it?”

“One of the Guards under my command told me that after the Invasion. He had been disgusted by the atrocities Changelings had committed on ponies, just as ponies did to the Changelings. That battle had no winner and no heroes, only those who suffered and those who were monsters.” He explained, a look aimed at Chrysalis. She, for her part, looked ashamed as she looked away from him.

Cadence nudged him. “No, Shining. Chrysalis regrets what happened and seeks to makes amends. Don’t call her and her kind monsters.”

“He wasn’t calling me a monster. Not in the way your thinking.” Chrysalis said softly. “I gave in to my rage as more and more Infiltrators were discovered and executed. I invaded Canterlot, doing nothing but harm. I further isolated my Hive from Equestria, nearly permanently ruined the possibility of peace, and caused the deaths of thousands of Changelings and ponies.”

She looked back to Cadence, looking her in the eye. “Your husband wasn’t insulting me. He was giving me advice in such a way that rang true to me.”

The Queen turned her attention to Shining Armor and spoke. “Thank you for your words. I’ll make sure I don’t forget them. They were not false or inaccurate; there are no words of truer merit.”

The Unicorn nodded once, a small smile finally gracing his muzzle as he stood. “Excuse me, I want to meet with Captain Bright Mind, see who took my place and who the Guards have changed.”

Celestia smiled at him. “He’s in his office, the one that used to be yours. You know the way and you’re still welcome in the Guards’ section, of course.”

Shining nodded again and stepped out of the room, heading down a long-memorized pathway toward his old office. With his departure, Princess Celestia spoke up. “I suppose that would be a cue for this meeting to end. Daedalus, you’re still our ambassador to Sapphire Hive, I hope you understand.”

“I do, though I know not what that entails.” Daedalus said rather formally.

Celestia cracked a smile at the virus when he spoke. “You’ll have authority to negotiate trade agreements and such with the Hive, though we’ve gotten the basics down with the treaty. It’ll be your job to keep the peace, which means arresting unruly Changelings and ponies and meeting with Changelings to better relations.”

“That...seems a bit more than what an ambassador does.” Daedalus commented. “Though it might just be due to the differences in our lands.”

Celestia shook her head. “Likely not because our ambassadors don’t do this, either. We had to make some quick changes to our your authority since very few ponies are as open-minded to Changelings as we need.”

The two Alicorns stood up and straightened their necks and backs, then spoke in unison. “From this point hence, Earth pony Gene Splice is Equestria’s first Liaison of Peace, tasked with ensuring cooperation between Sapphire Hive and Equestria. His powers are limited by the liaison doctrine, written by the Diarchy of Equestria.”

Then they both smiled at him and he smirked back. “When did you two make that up?”

Luna cracked a smirk at that as well. “While you were gone. Think of yourself as a mixture of a Guard and an ambassador.”

Daedalus nodded and spoke. “And the doctrine?”

Celestia tittered lightly as she replied. “Will be given to you once it actually exists.”

That made all in the room laugh lightly, particularly Daedalus as he came to realized how much of a spur-of-the-moment decision the ‘promotion’ had been. When they quieted, Celestia continued as she levitated a small key over to Daedalus. “Since you now have a title, and will be entertaining guests, we, rather quickly, decided it would not be good for our reputation to have you living in a tavern. This is the key, and subsequent ownership, of a building on the edge of Ponyville, in the direction of Queen Chrysalis’ Hive.”

“Any Changelings I send will be able to sneak in easily, then, without altering your town of him housing guests.” Chrysalis nodded with a respectful nod.

Celestia smiled, an amused spark in her eyes. “And yourself. You are with him, now. I don’t doubt you’ll be visiting him quite often.”

Chrysalis smiled back. “I may visit, and even stay with him on occasion. If you ever see Snow Flight around Ponyville, chances are high that’s it’s me. Other Changelings don’t use that disguise.”

Celestia nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. If I see Snow in Trotsdale, I’ll likewise assume it’s not you.”

Chrysalis nodded respectfully and the two Alicorns walked out. After a moment of silence, Chrysalis reared up slightly and draped her hooves over Daedalus, who had not yet stood. “Let’s go check out your new home, shall we?”

Daedalus smiled and stood after Chrysalis pulled herself off of him. He shifted into Gene Splice again as, moments later, Chrysalis did so into Snow Flight. The two left, heading toward the train station. Daedalus couldn’t help but feel slightly excited to live in his own home now. Chrysalis, likewise, was happy she would be able to visit him and be able to be herself without fear of a pony walking in on his tavern room and discovering a Changeling Queen.

“Remember, we went straight from the Everfree to the station to catch the earliest train to Canterlot we could in order to report to Princess Celestia. After resting and recovering, we took the train back to Ponyville two days later.” Daedalus explained, holding a train schedule in his hooves and pointing at a train that went from Canterlot to Ponyville at five in the morning.

“And your home, which is clearly going to be large and possibly walled?” Chrysalis, disguised as Snow Flight, asked.

“My new accomodations where we stage expeditions into the Everfree. After a time, we might be asked why there’s no expeditions. We’ll tell them that they were cancelled for an unknown length of time.” Daedalus explained.

“If they ask why?” Came the question he expected.

“Classified information.” Daedalus replied.

“What-oh.” Chrysalis said, making Daedalus laugh lightly. “What if they happen to ask a question we didn’t plan for? Or if they ask the same question to us separately and we give them different answers?”

“For the first, just come up with something plausible. Most ponies don’t actually have an idea of how the Guard functions and they know it. There aren’t public records and that’s no secret.” Daedalus explained, then continued. “If we get ask the same question and give different answers, we’ll act like we’re reluctant to give the answer, but say it’s a disinformation tactic.”

“What’s that?” Chrysalis asked, causing Daedalus to give her a surprised look.

“I figured you would be familiar with that. Disinformation tactics involve having several lies hiding the truth. It’s mostly used to hide an event that happened or will soon happen. If you have thirty different reports labeled the same thing, all with a completely different story, any spy reading them won’t know which is truth and thus which one should be brought back. Of course, the one who wrote the reports usually doesn’t know which one is true, either, but we will.” Daedalus explained, giving a rather simplified version of disinformation tactics. The kind of disinformation humans used was very hard to pull off but worked amazing well if done right. There could be over a hundred explanations, all considered fact, and yet none of them even approaching the truth.

The problem came when the enemy knew that disinformation was used. Daedalus had been able to bullshit his way into many Blackwatch bases because of it; all he had to do was give vague lies that seemed truthful, the grunts and even some higher ups would assume he had been fed false information, and let him in easily. Hours later, the base would be dead; figuratively and literally.

“Never heard of it.” Chrysalis replied honestly. “If you don’t mind, can you teach me more on it at a later date? Changelings are very effective at espionage and this could help us.”

Daedalus nodded. “No complaints there.”

Chrysalis just smiled and leaned against him as he spoke one more time. “And from this point on, we need to call each other by our false names. You’re Snow Flight and I’m Gene Splice, just as the Princesses know.”

Chrysalis nodded and began to try to drift off in his warmth again only to be interrupted by a loud whistle that echoed through the enclosed space, followed shortly by a loud shout. “Stopping in Ponyville in five minutes! Take everything with you and disembark peacefully!”

Daedalus chuckled and replied, even though the pony had already left the cart. “That’s easy. We brought nothing and this car is empty.”

Chrysalis groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes lightly, then looked to Daedalus in slight concern. “You really don’t mind me staying for a while?”

“Chrysalis, I care for you.” Daedalus replied simply. “Spending more time with you will allow that care to deepen, something I would happily let happen. I have no problems with you staying with me.”

Then he added with a smirk. “It’ll also help to make that house feel less massive.”

Chrysalis chuckled and lightly tapped his head with her hoof, then smiled. “Good. I don’t know how long I’ll be staying but I’ve already asked my assistant to teleport my paperwork to me later today. Being a Changeling ruler does have a benefit to it; I can do my job from a distance just as easily as I would face to face.”

Daedalus felt the train begin to slow down and spoke quickly. “Time to don our personas.”

Gene Splice nodded to himself as the train came to a stop and the two stood. The doors slid open and the pair quickly departed and stepped off of the open-air station. He looked around and saw a Town Guard beckoning him so he walked over, followed closely by Snow Flight. When he stopped by, the Guard’s horn lit as a short range bubble was placed over them. From the lack of noise coming from outside, it was clearly a soundproofing spell. “Liaison Gene and Ambassador Snow?”

The pair nodded and he spoke again. “I’ll escort you to the Liaison’s home and workplace. I was tasked with explaining the multitude of enchantments throughout the house and walls as well as the purpose of each room and who will generally expected to use them. If you’ll follow me.”

Then the barrier dropped and the three began walking, heading toward the southern edge of Ponyville. After a time, the buildings petered out quickly and a slight rise was a few hundred meters outside of Ponyville. On top of it was a medium-sized two-story building, though the bottom floor was concealed by a small wall. As they approached the building, their guide began speaking. “This is the ‘Peace Estate,’ not a creative name but that’s the point. It’s short, simple, and gets right to the reason for its existence. Its alias is the ‘Expedition Staging Point.’ In all public records, that’s what it appears as. In royal documents, the truth is revealed.”

“So the existence of this peace agreement and the purpose of this building is a Crown secret?” Gene asked, to which the Guard nodded.

“It is. The public and most Guards will be unaware to the nature of this building and the nature of you both.” He answered, then glanced at the two. “With the exception of a few Guards that can trust Changelings, such as myself.”

“So you’re entirely aware of the truth of this building, myself, and Snow?” Gene asked again.

“You’re a virus, Snow’s a Changeling Queen, and this place is a way for you to ensure the peace between Equestria and the Sapphire Hive. I’m privy to the information at Princess Celestia’s discretion.” The Guard explained, making Gene and Snow share a glance.

“Anyway, the wall is enchanted with a nullify and force redirection spell. Any magic or physical attack that hits it is countered. Magic becomes useless, simply fading away. Anything physical that hits it bounces back at the extra trajectory it came from, likely hitting whatever launched it. Attacks of a certain strength will ignore the spell so be careful. The courtyard and the wall walkways both have a sensory spell attached, directed to you, Gene. Anytime there’s someone there, you’ll be alerted. It’ll be simple, just knowing it’s there, but it won’t be forgettable.” He continued.

The pair and their escort reached the front gate, a thick oak door, and watched as it was magically opened. “When opened, the gate will prevent those actively hostile to you from entering. If they don’t like you, they can walk in. If they plan to hurt you, they’ll be stopped as if the gate is still closed. Be careful; the drawback to the spell is they can enter if they don’t want to hurt you, but if they get angry while inside and then want to, they’re already in. It’s also lockable by your key as well as the Guards’ key.”

Gene nodded as they entered the courtyard. The open area was simple yet some thought was clearly put into its creation. Two tiered fountains flanked the front path, spewing water out of the tops before cascading down three levels to hit the bottom again. A few trees casted shade around, bathing a gazebo in cooler air. “Thanks for the warning. What about inside?”

“The entire house is enchanted with the same pair of spells as the wall so it’ll be hard, but not impossible, to knock down. Most of the rooms have teleportation wards stopping Unicorns from just getting in. There’s a crystal in your office that will allow you to give certain magical signals free roam. The Princesses and the Captain already have that. In case of an emergency, an impending teleport is halted and you’ll be alerted to the attempt, as well as who did it and where it came from. If you accept it, they’ll be allowed to go through with the teleport.”

Then the Unicorn glanced at Gene. “This is all tailored to your lack of magic, by the way. It’ll work like telepathy. You’ll be asked coherent questions and allowed to reply mentally. The Princesses did it themselves when they weren’t busy with Court. Princess Celestia at night and Princess Luna during the day.”

“They made this place a fortress.” Gene commented at that, making the pony nod.

“They did. They wanted to make sure the peace couldn’t be sabotaged if the nature of it was ever discovered.” Came the expected reply. “There’s another sensory spell over the entire building. You’ll be able to alter the spell so certain signatures don’t alert you, and you can reverse that as well, re-adding signatures or prioritizing them.”

“What’s the building itself like?” Snow asked. “The interior, I mean.”

They approached the front door, a dark oak door emblazoned with the emblems of a sun and moon. The door swung open at the behest of their guide’s horn and the three entered. The front room was clearly an entry room. Two doors sat on the left and right walls and a staircase spiraled up the back of the room, obviously going to the second floor. To his surprise, he couldn’t see up the staircase. It seemed to be just a shimmering barrier of color. The Guard began speaking as soon as they entered, pointed to the left when he mentioned it. “This is the foyer where you’ll greet any guests. The first floor is the accomodations floor. To the left is the living room. There you’ll find two doors. One leads to a dining room with an attached kitchen, the other to a bathroom.”

Then he swung his hoof across the room, pointing to the right door. “That leads down a hallway. There are six doors on each side, totaling twelve. They’re for the Guards that will eventually patrol this place. Two bathrooms are at the back of the hallway. They are all empty, though I’ll be moving in to one in a few days.”

The two nodded and he led the way toward the stairs. “This barrier will, once again, stop anyone with hostile intentions to you or anyone else here. It’s in place to block anyone who might have flown or climbed over the wall instead of walking through the gate, or changed their disposition since entering.”

They passed through the barrier where they were greeted by what seemed to be a simple relaxation room, three doors leading from the room. “The upper floor is soundproofed from the lower one, and so is your room and the office, Liaison. Any meetings you hold are private and will remain as such.”

“This room is a more private living room where your high priority guests might relax and mingle in comfort without fear of being attacked. The ground floor can neither see nor hear up here. To the right is another small hallway leading to twelve more ornate guest bedrooms; it’s where your guests will sleep. Left is another dining room and attached kitchen. The one below is for casual or Guard use while this one is for the beings that this house was built. You may have noticed that it mirrors the ground floor in detail.”

The guide led them to the door across from the staircase. “This door is magically and physically locked, opened only by the key you have and any spares you make. The other doors in the house can be locked by your key as well as another key for general Guard and servant usage.”

Gene nodded and unlocked the door with the relatively large steel key he had been given. After he removed the key, he gave the door a light push and it swung open on silent hinges, hinting at the magic in its making. Their guide stepped forward again and led the way into a much longer hallway. Two doors sat on the right, two on the left, and one at the very end. “The first door on the left are a small library with copies of books that you may find useful. The last door on the left is your office, locked and accessed by your key. Inside is the gem that allows you to affect the spells wrapped around the estate. The first door on the right is a blank room, likely for testing. I’ve been told it’s been magically reinforced but it’s ultimate use is up to you. The second door on the right is a storage room, blank for now until you decide what you want to store. The door is also controlled by only your key.”

“Finally, the door at the end of the hall leads to your bedroom. Attached is a walk-in closet and a large bathroom. The room’s window faces south, the direction that any Changelings will come from, and their subsequently disguised door. It radiates a magic that only Changelings can find and can only be opened by a Changeling. It’s also protected by the same spell the gate and stairwell are.” The Guard explained, finished with his little tour.

“That’s quite a lot to take in. Still, thank you for the tour. It definitely saved us some time. Especially with finding that hidden door. Only Snow would have been able to locate it.” Gene replied.

The Guard nodded. “I’m Private Night Shine and I’ll be moving into one of the first floor rooms in roughly a week. Until then, I have to return to my shift and prepare for the change of station. One final thing; all windows on the second floor are two way. You can see out but not in.”

“Thank you, Private.” Gene said, nodding to the pony. He returned the nod with a salute and then left, closing the door to the private sector of the second floor. Quickly, the pair dropped their disguises. Chrysalis looked around the hallway they were in and smiled.

“Some home, Jay.” She said, her tone cheerful and amused.

Daedalus hummed in agreement. “Let’s check out the master bedroom.”

The virus led the way into the final room, opening the door easily and stepping inside. The first thing that came to his attention was its size and structure. The bed was massive, easily large enough for seven or eight people to sleep in, with more than ample foot room. The sheets were a dark blue while the bed itself was a solid black. Over the top of the bed, with dark blue curtains, sat a large window that allowed muted light to stream in.

Two dark oak desks and a matching vanity sat fully stocked on one side of the room, with the vanity likely to remain unused. Nightstands flanked the bed, easily able to store their nightly essentials. As the Guard said, a door sat on each side of the room. Heading over to the one on the right, he was greeted by a large bathroom. The bathtub alone was massive, sized closer to a slightly enlarged hot tub than a bathtub. There was a frosted glass partition that would separate the bath from the rest of the room. Closer look showed that the ceiling of the bath contained a grid of showerheads, something Daedalus was grateful for as he preferred showers over baths. The toilet, sink, and drawers were, at the least, as he expected them to be, if slightly enlarged.

Exiting and crossing the room, he came up to the sliding door and pushed it open. Inside was the walk-in closet, a large, spacious, and mostly empty room. Two suits and two dresses hung in one corner, simple affairs meant for simple but formal occasions. Each were sized for a pony and hung on expected hangers. Throughout the closet, though, were several types of hangers, likely meant for clothes specified to his various forms he would make. The Princesses had clearly put some thought into the building.

Daedalus strode back into the main bedroom and looked the room over again. Already he noticed a small pile of paperwork on a previously empty desk, likely the paperwork Chrysalis had been organizing when they had departed. Speaking of the Queen, he looked over to see her relaxing on the large bed. The Changeling was sprawled out, stretching her muscles as much as she could from the long train ride, and still barely took up a quarter of the bed. It was just ridiculously massive, it was like the Princesses expected him to sleep as a small elephant or have an orgy.

Chrysalis stopped stretching when she noticed Daedalus looking at him. She waved him over to the bed and he did so, hopping onto it and smiling when it didn’t even creak or groan under his weight. Chrysalis walked her way over to him before pushing him flat on the bed with a hoof. When he looked at her in surprise, she leaned down and kissed him.

It was more than the kisses they had shared previously, clearly holding more emotion and more passion, though it grew no further than just a kiss. That didn’t stop the virus from eagerly returning it; any affection received from her was just as readily returned, and visa versa. When Chrysalis pulled her head back and parted from the kiss, a faint green blush had tinted her muzzle as she looked at him. “I hope you don’t mind me sleeping here tonight, and every night after that.”

“Sharing a bed? What would your subjects say?” Daedalus asked jokingly, though Chrysalis could sense the real answer in his emotions.

“That it was entirely helpful, would allow us to sleep better, make us mentally more alert, allow us to do our jobs efficiently, and would help deepen our relationship when we were ready.” Chrysalis readily listed off, not allowing his joke to continue. She may have knew the answer but she wanted to hear it from him.

He reached up and placed a hand on the side of her head, which she responded by leaning into it and smiling when his thumb began stroking her muzzle. “I would not mind it at all if you shared a bed with me, no insinuations intended. I know what you mean and I would love it.”

The Queen leaned down and kissed him again, parting soon after. “Good. Since it’s still relatively early in the morning, we can let everypony know you’re back.”

Daedalus nodded. “I’ll have to tell Fire Brand that I’m no longer staying at the tavern. I don’t know if I should still work at the Hammer and Tongs. I don’t need the job anymore since I have one for the Crown, but Coal would need the help. She’s getting more and larger orders since she has an assistant, ones she needs somepony else to help fill.”

Chrysalis lied down, resting her head on his chest and basking in the high heat he emitted. His core temperature must have been easily one hundred and fifty degrees, far above a pony’s one hundred, though his chest felt about a hundred. She hummed in thought for a moment, then spoke. “Do you enjoy working at the forge, helping Coal?”

“Yeah, I do. Maybe blacksmithing wasn’t something I did in my life, but I do enjoy it.” He replied.

“Then keep doing it. You and I don’t need to spend every moment together. That’s not healthy for any couple. You should have hobbies that you enjoy doing. I plan to find a few of my own while I’m here.” Chrysalis replied.

“Alright. I’ll take your advice and keep working at the Hammer.” He replied.

Chrysalis smiled lightly. “Now it’s time to feed me. I haven’t eaten all day.”

Daedalus chuckled, the baritone sound vibrating his chest and echoing slightly in Chrysalis’ ear. She leaned up to bite his arm, then paused and hummed lightly. Moving swiftly, she brought her muzzle up further and bit down lightly on Daedalus’ neck. Instantly, she felt him freeze and a burst of lust hit her senses even as love and lust was inhaled by her. It felt purer, more true, and tasted far sweeter than it had before. With a start, she realized why. Each time previously, Daedalus had created his pure chemical love that she had fed off of. This time, she moved spots. She was feeding off of the pure attraction that he felt for her, the very same that came from her soul and she thought she wouldn’t be able to feed off of. This was the first time she was feeding off of him.

A rumble had began in his throat when she bit down, something that quickly stopped when she finished feeding. When Chrysalis looked at Daedalus again, she paused at the lustful, predatory glare that send shivers down her spine, all the way to her tail, though she managed to keep it down. After a moment, the soft glare faded and he spoke to her. “Give me warning next time. I was torn between throwing you through a wall and dominating you.”

Chrysalis shivered again, admittedly enjoying the thought. She spoke meekly, glad to have not fully sunk her teeth into him like she considered. “Good to know. I’ll make sure to avoid that area for now.”

“I don’t mind you feeding from my neck. Clearly, I enjoy it. Just give me warning so my reflexes don’t try to take over.” Daedalus explained.

“Fair enough.” Chrysalis sound, lying on his chest again. He brought his hand up and ran it through her mane, groaning aloud after only two passes.

“What?” She asked.

“Someone’s knocking on the gate. Let’s go see who it is.” Daedalus replied, though he didn’t move.

Author's Notes:

As of right now, I still don't have a Betareader so don't hesitate to point out any errors you may find. Other than that, I suppose tell me what you think of the chapter in general. I'm always rather excited when I have a new comment to read, though I don't rightly know why.

I kinda decided to stop the weekly update and post every 3-5 days when I can. Between Chapter 15-18, I found myself keeping track of the date so I could post it as early as I could. Maybe that was a sign to up the posting speed a little?

Huh, I noticed after the publication of this chapter that my story hit 1,000 views. I must say I didn't expect it, though I'm quite happy with it. I knew from the beginning that a Prototype story wouldn't have as many views as a original one, but I tried it out anyway. Thank y'all for getting me to a thousand views, which is a lot in my opinion.

Pinkie's Forgiveness

Gene made his way out the front door, Snow Flight at his side. “I guess the Guard closed the gate when he left.”

“I guess so. That Rune of Access is what probably opens it.” Snow replied, pointing to a symbol on the wall next to the gate’s recessed alcove.

“I wouldn’t know.” Gene said, a small grin on his muzzle. “No magical skill in any form.”

Snow rolled her eyes, though she had a smile, too. “Just press your hoof against it.”

The pair reached the gate’s alcove and the viral pony pressed his hoof flat against the symbol and the gate swung open, revealing his visitor. It was Twilight. She stood with her hoof raised to knock again, though she put her hoof down when she saw him and Snow.

“Hey, Twilight. What brings you by?” Gene asked companionably.

“I just wanted to ask you a few things. Are you free?” She replied with a small smile.

Gene turned and looked to Snow for a moment. The hidden Changeling leaned forward and kissed him lightly. “Go ahead. I’ll rest a bit more, then I’ll make my way to the town. There’s somepony I want to meet.”

“Who?” Gene asked curiously.

“Pinkie.” She replied, making Gene nod and speak.

“Good luck. Be careful.” His words were simple enough but they carried a hidden meaning, one that Snow noticed. He had, with four words, reminded her that Pinkie had seen through his disguise and might see through hers.

Gene turned back to the violent Unicorn and spoke. “Yeah, I’m free. I have some business I need to take care of later today, but we have time.”

“Great, let’s go!” Twilight exclaimed, her horn instantly alighting with a magical aura. With a quick flash of light, the pair vanished. The disguised Queen smiled lightly and turned around, heading back inside with the intent to relieve some of the stress she developed after tasting her partner’s lust.

Offset from the center of the town, another flash of light lit up a room before fading, revealing Gene and Twilight. The viral pony glanced around quickly, noticing the familiar ordered bookshelves, the iconic wood grain in the walls, the same decor, and the same room layout. He recognized it as the main room in Twilight’s library. He quickly noticed two large cushions arrayed on the floor, a tea set in between the two. Gene turned his attention back to Twilight, who waved at him to take a seat. The Earth pony did so and she sat across from him, her magical grasp pouring two cups of tea, one of which was given to him.

He grasped it and took a small sip, instantly realizing it was a tea that either didn’t exist on Earth, or was a home blend. Though, it tasted like green tea, one of the few he had liked on Earth. He set it back down right as Twilight began speaking.

“Out of curiosity, who was that mare that was with you? She’s new to Ponyville, isn’t she?”

Gene nodded, a small smile coming across his muzzle. “That’s Snow Flight, my partner in both senses of the word. We’ve been working together for a couple of weeks, though we got together about three days ago.”

Twilight hummed. “That coincides with Pinkie becoming even more excited than normal. She’s been running around, saying good news had happened. She wouldn’t explain it, though. Did you tell her?”

“No, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she sensed it.” Gene replied.

“I could believe it.” Twilight replied. “So you love Snow?”

Gene hummed for a moment. “Honestly? I wouldn’t call it love. Not yet. We’ve been together three days. I’m attracted to her and I care for her, but I don’t honestly think I love her. Not yet.”

“Though I can grow to love her easily.” Gene added after a short moment.

“That’s...a very mature way of thinking, Gene. I may not have ever had a partner myself, but I’ve seen plenty of ponies around Canterlot and Ponyville act foolishly for what they thought was love. It’s always a shame when I saw them with a different pony a few weeks later.” Twilight said. “Have you and Snow had any arguments yet? Did you solve them?”

Gene laughed lightly. “It’s been three days, Twilight. We haven’t argued yet. I’m sure we will, just as I’m sure we’ll solve it peacefully, but it’s too early.”

“What about time away from each other?” Twilight asked quickly.

“Right now, for one. Though, we’ve been with each other the last two days as we made our way to Canterlot. Honestly, these are questions I’ve expected from Princess Cadence, not you.” Gene said simply.

Twilight blushed lightly as she coughed into her hoof, ignoring the bright grin Gene had as he took a sip of his tea. “Well, that’s because I’ve spent so much time with Cadence. She was my foalsitter, and as I grew up, she became my friend. She does always call me a special kind of blind, though. I can help couples with their relationships, help solve arguments, plan events, and just generally help others. On the other hoof, if somepony shows interest in me, I don’t notice. If somepony points it out, I freak out and completely forget everything I know.”

Gene laughed again, speaking once he quieted. “That’s something I can see you doing. Still, our relationship is new, but we both are mature. We know how to talk things out, spend some alone time, and have fun with each other or with friends. Any stories to tell of your romantic exploits?”

Twilight lowered her head slightly, refusing to look at his teasing grin. “There was a Guard in Canterlot who liked me when I lived there. I never noticed his attempts at getting my attention. He did all kinds of simple things, like give me flowers or presents, but he also tried to plan dates, get advice from others who knew me, and just generally tried to get me to notice him.”

“What happened?” Gene asked when she paused.

“I moved to Ponyville. Cadence told me about him much later, and I went back to Canterlot after a freak out and several days of preparing myself. I spoke to my brother and found out that he had transferred into the Equestrian Rangers. They’re a group of ponies that handle animal and monster threats, rather than pony criminals. He now travels all over Equestria.” Twilight said softly.

A moment of silence passed before Gene spoke. “What is his name?”

“Iron Wall.” She replied.

“I’ll keep an eye out for you.” Gene said.

Twilight looked back to him and smiled lightly. “Thank you. I really want to truly meet him, now.”

Then she inhaled, held it, and exhaled. “Onto a better topic, I had a couple questions I wanted to ask you. I wanted to clarify a couple of things that have made me feel like I’ve been going crazy from all my all-night study sessions.”

“Ask away then.” Gene replied.

“First of all, when you first arrived in town, how did you pay to stay at the Green Dragon? I don’t remember seeing any saddlebags on you and that has been bothering me for a long time now. I mean, maybe I’m seeing, or not seeing, things because of how late I’ve been staying up but studying can’t be a bad thing, can it?!” Twilight asked quickly, her voice taking on a frantic note at the end.

“Calm down, Twilight.” The equine replied, his voice laced with amusement. “You aren’t going crazy. I wasn’t wearing any saddlebags then. I carried my bits on me with a small pouch wrapped around my foreleg. I moved it recently to around my neck, but you can see that I’m not carrying it on me. I usually don’t, normally.”

Twilight relaxed as he proved her fears unfounded. “I’m glad I’m not going crazy. Though, you don’t carry bits on you normally? Why not? What happens if you see something you want?”

Gene smiled at her. “When I was younger, I had what was essentially an obsession. OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is what it’s called. Anything technical I saw, I would buy. It didn’t matter if I needed it or not, I’d buy it. I’d buy it just so I could take it apart, learn what I could, then throw it away. It got so bad at points that I couldn’t afford to buy food for myself, and I would struggle to pay my rent.”

The Unicorn frowned in concern at him at that. “That’s horrible. I couldn’t imagine being unable to afford to feed Spike and myself.”

“The few friends I had and my family took care of me. They understood what was going on and would always make sure I had enough to eat. I was always so thankful for that, and for them. I wasn’t delusion; I knew I had an obsession that I needed to get rid of, but I couldn’t.” Gene said, then cracked a smile. “Obviously, I did. Over time, I forced myself to stop. It took a couple years. Early on, I stopped carrying money on me, which helped lessen the urge. Then, I started carrying just enough to buy what I needed, nothing more. I’d go on small shopping trips over the course of a week rather than one big one, which helped stop me from having too much money on me at a time. Eventually, I fully removed the urge.”

“Of course, after that, I worked hard to pay my friends and family back for all the help they gave me. I worked a couple of jobs for a few years, paying them back. They didn’t want me to, but I wasn’t letting that kindness be forgotten.” Gene added after a moment. “Now I just have a habit of not carrying bits on me, which isn’t that bad of a habit, honestly.”

Twilight nodded in reply. “Much better than the obsession you had before. Though, you only had a ‘few’ friends?”

Gene nodded. “Yeah, four. A couple of them didn’t get along perfectly well unless I was there, though, but they were my friends.”

“Only four? I’m close friends with at least a dozen ponies, and friends with most of the town.” Then her eyes widened lightly. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I’m not bragging, I swear!”

Gene laughed loudly at that for several moments, only replying once he had quieted down. “It’s okay, Twilight. I know you’re not bragging. In all seriousness, I’ve normally been a rather reserved pony. I kept to myself mostly, but I’m certainly not upset with this change of pace. I have plenty of friends, a marefriend, and a good job. I’m happy, there’s no doubt about that. Much better than the forest I lived in.”

“That’s another thing I wanted to ask you. What forest did you live in?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Honestly, Twilight?” Gene said, speaking slowly to stall for time as he formulated an effective cover. “I don’t know. I left my parent’s house a long time ago, just wandering across Equestria until I came across the forest I lived in. After several years there, nearly a decade, I left the forest. I followed the roads for a few days, just wondering, until I came to Manehattan. I stayed there for a couple weeks, then boarded a train to Ponyville.”

Twilight hummed lightly as she thought. “You followed the roads for a couple days? Well, you might have come from Winding Woods. It’s not that important to know, anyway. I was just curious if you knew.”

“Sorry, Twilight, but I don’t know.” Gene replied.

The Unicorn smiled to him. “Don’t be. It’s not like it’s important information, just idle curiosity.”

After a moment of comfortable silence as the pair sipped at their drinks, Gene spoke up. “Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?”

“Oh! Yeah, there’s one thing. Your new home, why is it so fortified?” Twilight asked after a moment of thinking.

“Well, my home is more than just a home. It’s also the Everfree Expedition Staging Point. It’s where me, Snow, and several Guards will be stationed as we send expeditions into the Forest. It’s fortified to act as a literal fortress to stop Everfree monsters from getting to Ponyville.” Gene explained, using the ‘official’ story of the Peace Estate.

Twilight nodded. “That makes sense. Princess Celestia likely did it to combat the increase of Everfree predators, correct?”

“What?” Gene asked. “What are you talking about?”

“You aren’t aware?” Twilight asked in surprise, to which Gene shook his head. “Two Manticores attacked a town a few days away from here, and the Rangers had to drive a Timberwolf pack back into the Forest. The predators have been coming out of the Forest for some reason, something they’ve never done before. Do you know why?”

The concern in her voice was clear, as was the reason for it. Ponyville, built right on the edge of the Everfree, was right in the danger zone because of these events, something that concerned the mare who cared for her friends. “Honestly, I don’t. However, the Point will have Guards stationed there soon, and we’ll do everything we can to defend Ponyville from anything that comes out of the Forest.”

Twilight nodded, calming only slightly. “Gene, if something happens, and you need a magic user, get me. I won’t hesitate to help Ponyville, no matter what it is.”

Gene nodded respectfully. “Thank you for the offer. Ponyville will be safe, don’t doubt that.”

Twilight smiled worriedly and Gene decided to change the topic. “So Twilight, what have you and Spike been up to recently?”

The Unicorn’s smile brightened at the happier topic, glad that Gene was distracting her from her worry.

Snow flight walked out of the front gate, a content smile on her muzzle. Her mind was far less muddled than before, a fact that she owed to her personal time. After activating the exterior rune to close the gate, she made her way toward Ponyville, intending to find the most excitable pony in the small town.

The disguised Queen felt around as she entered the town, her senses picking up countless ponies emitting love, joy, and happiness, with the rare speck of sadness scattered through the town. In the distance, she felt trickles of amusement and contentment, those emotions being Gene’s. In the past, she would have felt this feast and began feeding, gathering as much love as she could for her Hive and herself. Now, though, the thought of feeding on these ponies bothered her. Snow had no desire to feed off of the ponies; Gene was her only source of love now. Her Hive had the Blossoms, an near-limitless supply of love that would ensure her Changelings would never again need to starve.

Snow felt her. At the edges of her senses, outside of town, she felt the powerful source of love, joy, happiness, amusement, and contentment, as well as a thread of patient anticipation. It was Pinkie. Making her way in the direction she felt the emotions, she eventually exited the town again, following an old road as she walked through a small flower field. After some time, she rounded a small rise in the ground and came across a pond. It was filled with crystal clear water, small fish swimming in the life-giving substance. Several trees dotted the edges of the pond, providing cooling shade as respite from the heat of the solar flame. Seated calmly beneath one of the trees was the pink mare herself.

She sat on the very edge of the pond, one of hooves swirling through the water as she hummed a cheerful tune. Snow stopped, just watching for a few moments at the decidedly peaceful scene.

“Well? Are you coming over?” Pinkie asked calmly, looking over her shoulder to Snow.

Snow snapped out of it and walked over, taking a seat next to Pinkie. The pair sat in silence for a moment, a silence that was comfortable for Pinkie and nerve-wracking for Snow.

“Care to introduce yourself?” Pinkie asked after a moment.

“I’m Snow Flight.” Snow replied.

“No, you aren’t.” The party mare replied. “Be honest.”

Snow was silent for a moment, her mouth open as she tried to speak. After a time, she ended up answering honestly. “Chrysalis.”

“Good.” Pinkie said, smiling at the Changeling. “It’s better to be honest. Now, why did you look for me?”

“I wanted to meet you.” Chrysalis replied easily, only to balk at the stern look Pinkie gave her. She coughed once, then corrected herself. “I wanted to apologize.”

“To me?” Pinkie asked as if she knew the answer.

“To the Element Bearers, to the Princesses, to Princess Cadence, to Shining Armor, and to Equestria. I figured, out of everypony, you would be the one most likely to hear me out. I chose you because I thought you would be the best pony to start with.” Chrysalis said, everything flowing out easily, to her surprise.

Pinkie nodded. “You know you hurt a lot of ponies, right?”

Chrysalis looked away quickly, staring into the pond. “I know.”

“And you mean to apologize to them, right?”

“I do.” The disguised mare replied.

The two were silent for a long moment. Chrysalis watched Pinkie out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her to say or do something. Pinkie did nothing but smile as she watched the fish in the water swim around peacefully. After nearly half an hour of silence, interspersed with Chrysalis’ fidgeting, the Queen decided to try to mimic Pinkie and turned her attention to the fish. They were koi, a type of fish Chrysalis had never seen before, other than goldfish. The only fish in the Badlands were the grotesque fish that lived in subterranean lakes deep beneath the surface.

They drifted through the water serenely, almost like they were exuding peace itself as the cut through the water with grace. Their colors reflected each others’, forming a kaleidoscope of countless shades thrown throughout the water. Chrysalis watched as the fish seemingly played with each other, chasing each other throughout the pond, in and out of small plant life on the bottom. They showed no fear of predators, no fear of the much larger creatures near the surface. A pair of koi even swam up, lightly rubbing against Pinkie’s hoof, even as it moved through the water in circular motions.

Chrysalis felt around her with her senses, finding no ponies anywhere near the two. With a flash of magic, she took her true form and softly slid forward, setting her hoof in the water. Showing no fear, the two koi drifted over and swam around her leg. After a moment, one even swam through the natural holes in her form. She smiled at the ticklish sensations she felt as it’s fins brushed against her chitin.

As the Queen watched the two fish dance around and through her leg, she felt her fear and worry fade as a calm descended over her. They showed no fear, no concern, no care, just the endless contentment as they played with whatever entered their domain.

“I like to come here because of the koi.” Pinkie said quietly, her voice failing to disrupt the peace the pair felt. “They know that you could eat them. They know I could pull them out the water. They aren’t worried. They just want to play. The fish teach us that, sometimes, it’s okay to just forget your worries and play for a while.”

Pinkie stood up slowly, the fur on one hoof matted from the water. She placed a hoof on Chrysalis’ leg and smiled when the Changeling looked up to her. “I forgive you.”

Then Pinkie turned and walked back towards the town, humming the same cheerful tune she had been humming when Chrysalis arrived. The chitinous mare watched as Pinkie rounded the rise, then turned her attention back to the koi that still swam around her. As she watched, a small smile slowly spread across her muzzle as she realized Pinkie was right.

“Thank you.” Chrysalis said, both to the unhearing fish and the long-gone mare.

Gene hummed lightly as he exited the town, following Pinkie’s directions. He had left Twilight’s fifteen minutes earlier only to be intercepted by the excitable mare as she directed him toward Snow. While bewildered, he had learned to trust the mare, and he did, deciding to just accept her directions and go.

The virus rounded a small rise in the ground and came across a rather surprising sight. Sitting at the edge of a small pond, both of her front hooves in the water, was Chrysalis. Not Snow, Chrysalis. She had an incredibly peaceful smile on her muzzle, her viridian eyes closed. She seemed so content and happy that he loathed to interrupt her, so much so that he considered turning around and leaving.

“Well? Are you going to stand there or join me?” Chrysalis asked softly.

Gene smiled as he walked over, sitting down next to her. His attention momentarily drifted to Chrysalis’ hooves, where several koi were swimming around her legs peacefully. His attention was pulled back up to the Queen when she spoke again. “Take your true form. I want to see Jay again.”

“Bit risky, Chryssi.” Gene said, worry lacing his tone.

“Jay, I’m sensing for emotions anywhere near us. I’ll be warned far ahead of time if anypony comes near us. Go ahead and take your form, Jay. We’ll be fine.” Chrysalis said, her calm smile not fading.

Gene sighed. “You’re playing it risky, you know. If we get caught, that’s it for Ponyville.”

Though he was slightly reluctant, he shifted back into his real form. Jay couldn’t help but smile as Chrysalis leaned against his side, the familiar feel of her chitin against his side calming his worry. He watched the koi with her for a time, then spoke. “What brought you out here, and how’d Pinkie know?”

“I spoke with Pinkie earlier.” Chrysalis replied. “I wanted to apologize to her. I didn’t need to, though. She knew.”

“And the fish?” Jay asked, gesturing to the pond.

“Words of wisdom, Jay.” Chrysalis said, happily cryptic. “Words of wisdom from a deceptively wise mare.”

“Fair enough.” The viral man replied as he draped one arm around the Queen’s form. “As long as it helped you, I’m content.”

He felt Chrysalis nod against him. “She helped me, no doubt about it. I feel calmer after her advice.”

“You sure it’s not because of the activity you did?” Jay asked suggestively, a sly smile on his face.

His body moved slightly as she looked up at him. “What?”

The virus grinned down at the shapeshifter. “My nose is infinitely more advanced than almost anything else’s. I can smell the remnants of what you did to relieve yourself of stress. Did you even wash yourself afterward?”

Her muzzle tinted a light green as she spoke. “N-no.”

“Naughty mare.” Jay said, making her muzzle light up brighter with her blush.

“Don’t judge me, Jay.” Chrysalis said softly, making him lean down and kiss her lightly.

“I’m not judging you at all. You have needs and you know how to take care of them. I did it quite often when I was younger, when I still felt that urge. There’s no shame in it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to tease you.” The virus said after the two parted.

“Fair enough.” Chrysalis said, mimicking what Jay had said earlier.

Jay laughed lightly when he heard that. “Oh God, I’m corrupting you!”

“God?” The Queen asked curiously.

“Do Changelings believe in a force greater than them, like a higher Deity?” Jay asked suddenly.

“Just the same that most other races believe in. The Mother and her Son.” She replied. “The Mother created the world with her power, while the Son sought out life to fill it. He took inspiration in the life from other worlds. He made each and every race on Equis to fill a role, each one coming out as he saw perfect. The Mother then went and found beings, each one assigned a role to protect life. That’s all I know of the stories.”

“This is a very basic comparison, but imagine that ‘Mother’ is God, and the Son is technically the same person. That’s an incredibly basic, watered-down version of two of the beings Christians worship in Christianity, the name of one of the prominent religions on Earth.” Jay said after she stopped.

“One of the religions? There’s more than one?” Chrysalis asked.

“Yeah. Hundreds, probably. I barely know any of them. Never believed in them. Equis only has one origin story?” The virus asked.

“Just the one. You never believed in any of the religions your world had?” She asked in reply.

“Never.” Jay replied, then elaborated. “I grew up in a rather religion-lax household. My mother was Catholic, my father too. I was told what Christianity was, of course, and taught it’s values, but I was left to my own devices on what religion I chose to believe in and follow. In the end, I chose Atheism, the lack of a belief in God. There weren’t many Atheists in my home town, being in Louisiana and all, so I took steps to try to not offend anyone with my beliefs. I made sure I didn’t insult anyone’s beliefs, and I didn’t question their religion. There were a few people I could hold a friendly debate with, but only a few.”

He paused for a moment, then continued. “Of course, that didn’t stop some people from being offended just by me being an Atheist. ‘You’re going to Hell!’ was a pretty common phrase a lot.”

“Hell?”

“Tartarus.” Jay replied. “Anyway, whenever someone insulted me for no reason, I turned into a right asshole. My favorite reply was ‘With you here, I’m already there.’ I wasn’t nice if someone didn’t return the same civilities I gave them.”

Chrysalis made a face at that, halfway between amused and disgusted. “Were a lot of ‘Christians’ like that? They sound horrible.”

“No, not at all. Most Christians are wonderful people.” Jay replied. “They help people whenever they can, they trust each other, and they’re just generally good people. But there’s always those few bad people who make a lot of noise and get a lot of attention drawn to them. Those are the ones I met.”

“That makes me glad that Equis only has one belief. There’s no argument about who is right.” The Queen replied.

“That is a good thing, though it surprises me that there’s only one religion. I honestly expected more than one.” Jay replied, to which Chrysalis shook her head.

“Nope. The Mother and the Son is the only one, discounting cults. Those accept the origin story, but worship other beings anyway.”

A comfortable silence fell over the pair for a moment before Chrysalis spoke up again. “You’re not going to believe in the Mother, are you?”

“Probably not.” Jay replied honestly. “At least, not easily. I hope that doesn’t bother you.”

“Not at all.” Chrysalis said, leaning up and kissing him lightly again. “You’re you, you don’t need to follow our beliefs.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Jay said, a small smile on his face.

“Of course I will.” Chrysalis replied. “I care for you too much to not.”

Another comfortable silence fell on the two as the sat, just watching the fish. A short moment later, Chrysalis sat up straight. “Quick, disguise yourself!”

A flash of fire and whirl of tendrils later, the two sat in their pony forms, reclining on each other as they stared into the pond. A moment later, a familiar Pegasus touched down on the ground in front of them, a look of worry on her face.

“What’s wrong, Rainbow?” Gene asked.

“Spike’s missing! Have you seen him today?” She asked in concern.

“No, I haven’t. I was at the library with Twilight earlier but I didn’t ask if he was there.” The Earth pony replied.

“I haven’t seen him, either.” Snow answered as well.

“Twilight said he was going to look for gems, but he never returned.”

Gene and Snow stood up. “We’ll help look for him. Where are the others?”

“Meet us at the library!” Rainbow shouted, then shot off into the sky.

Gene looked to Snow in concern. “I hope he’s alright. The kid’s not bad.”

“I hope so, too.” Snow said honestly. “Let’s go or we’ll be late. I don’t want to try teleporting all your weight.”

“I know I’m fat, but you don’t need to rub it in.” Gene said jokingly as he knocked Snow onto his back and began to run, his tireless nature allowing him to run all the way back to Ponyville without becoming even slightly tired. He navigated quickly through the streets, making his way to the library. He arrived just in time to see the group of mares quickly walk out of the library, Twilight in the lead.

Gene stopped and let Snow get off his back, then looked to the lavender Unicorn. “What do you know?”

“He went to the western Gem Fields earlier today to get some gems for him to snack on. That was early this morning. He should have been back by now so I went there to check on him, and he was gone. I went around Ponyville, asking around, and plenty of ponies saw him leave Ponyville, but none of them saw him come back in. The Town Guard don’t know what happened, either! We’re going to go back there and try to find him.” Twilight said quickly, speaking almost as quickly as Pinkie as she kept trotting, everyone following behind or beside her.

“You have our help, of course.” Gene said. “We’ll find him. There’s no doubt about it.”

“Thank you, Gene. That means a lot.” Twilight said, though the fearful frown didn’t lessen at all.

Author's Notes:

First off, I'm horribly sorry for this being so late, especially right after I changed how often I planned to update. I could try to explain why this was late, but there's really no singular reason. I just didn't finish it until now.

Second, yes, Jay is Atheist. This might upset some of you, others might not care. Don't start a religious debate about Jay's religious views. It's useless.

Finally, don't hesitate to tell me how you feel about this chapter, particularly about Pinkie's scene. She's acting quite a bit different than you would expect her to based on the show.

Finding the Dragon

Gene frowned slightly as he looked across the Gem Fields, the location where Spike had last been known to be. It was, as the name suggests, a large field where gems were commonly known to be, all caused by some magical mishap that happened before Ponyville was first founded; Twilight had been talking too fast to be understandable. The virus didn’t blame her though, it was her way to cope and prevent hysteria from overtaking her.

His viral eyes methodically examined the field, seeing several things that seemed out of place. Speaking softly, he turned to Snow, who stood beside him and examined the field. “Have you ever been here before?”

“Once.” The disguised Changeling replied. “Not too long ago, too. Maybe three or four months. I came here with a few Changelings to find some gems, particularly sapphires.”

“What’s the cause of the holes?” Gene asked.

“The empty ones or the filled ones?” She replied.

“Filled. The empty ones are where ponies have dug for gems before, I assume.”

“You assume correctly.” Snow said, then continued. “The Gem Fields used to house a pack of Diamond Dogs, and they had a habit of foalnapping ponies for slave work. Unfortunately, nopony knew where the ponies where disappearing to since the Dogs were careful to cover their tracks. After a time, the Dogs began getting bolder without any Guards finding them. They began foalnapping ponies in more open places, eventually revealing the location of their main warrens. Guards swarmed them and ran them out of Equestria. The filled holes are the remains of where the Guards used the Dogs’ own tunnels to invade them.”

“Do you think the Dogs have returned?” Gene asked, concerned.

“No, I know they haven’t. The ponies have ensured that the Dogs won’t be coming back. Underneath us, the warrens have been entirely filled with dirt, while some Unicorns also cast sensory spells on the surrounding area. If any Diamond Dogs are back near Ponyville, it’s not the Gem Fields.” Snow replied.

The viral pony looked down slightly, looking at the six ponies who were combing the area below the rise he stood on. None of them had their attention directed toward him, and a quick glance showed him the sun was almost directly behind him as it began to set. With a quick glance to Snow, he spoke. “I’m going to use a couple of my abilities to see if I can spot anything. Don’t be surprised if my eyes change.”

“Right.” Snow replied, smiling to him after throwing a quick glance behind them. “The sun should keep them from seeing anything.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Gene said, then began administering the changes. First, the virus’ eyes began to glow slightly as the blue iris shifted into a glowing orange mass, the outward appearance his thermal sight took, a peculiar trait of the virus. Absently, he noted that he should work on making the change far more subtle than it was. A preliminary quick glance over the field revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Slowing down, he swept across the dirt plain with his eyes, searching for any abnormal heat signatures. Fulfilling his own expectations, he found nothing with thermal.

His eyes shifted again to focus light from a smaller origin, effectively ‘zooming’ his sight in, though it was incredibly disorienting at first. He started near the closest edge of the field and began searching for tracks in a grid pattern, knowing he would eventually cover the entire field with his method, even if it did take some time. At first, he saw nothing but the hoof tracks of the six mares below him, the tracks of the Dogs having long since been washed away under the countless showers and storms since then. Each warren hole he saw was filled with packed dirt, clearly having been undisturbed for some time, further ruling out Diamond Dog activity.

Near the southern edge of the field, though, he saw something out of the ordinary. Burnt wood. At first, he assumed it to be the remnants of an old campfire, then discarded it immediately. The wood wasn’t in any order or shape, just haphazardly scattered around a certain area. It couldn’t have been from a natural fire, either. The fields held no trees, the ‘border’ only being a sudden shift from dusty ground to grassy land, another peculiar quirk by the magic Twilight had mentioned quickly. Further in his interest was the disturbed ground, the area having clearly seen a lot of activity since the last rain.

Returning his eyes to normal, Gene decided to get a closer look from the ground and began descending the rise, gesturing for Snow to follow him. The mare matched his pace, coming to his side, as she spoke. “Did you see something?”

“Possibly.” Gene replied. “There’s some burnt wood and torn up ground toward the south edge of the field. I’m going to get a closer look, but I’m not sure if it has anything to do with Spike. It’s worth a check, at least.”

“I’ll go tell the others.” Snow said, looking out at the mares who had spread their search further into the field, though none were currently near the southern edge. After a moment of watching, she noticed they seem to be following paths something, each one walking around while staring at the ground. “What are they doing? Did they find Spike’s tracks?”

“I think so.” Gene said. “He must have been here a while, or came often, to have individual trails for them to follow. I’ll call out for you if I find something important, Snow.”

The white pony turned her attention back to Gene and smiled, leaning forward and nuzzling him, her soft coat rubbing against his slightly rougher one. Gene returned both the smile and the gesture, the equine gesture providing a feeling of intimacy that he enjoyed. The two separated, still smiling softly to each other, and Snow turned, heading toward the others and began walking. Gene’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to his marefriend’s swaying flanks as she walked.

The virus hummed lightly. It may not be her real form, but Snow was still attractive even when disguised. He was sure Snow knew it, just as he was sure she knew he had been staring, if the more pronounced swaying meant anything. Smiling more, he redirected his attention toward the location he had seen from the small rise. Making his way over quickly, he stopped as he realized that the area was a larger than he expected, his ability to judge sizes with his ‘zoomed’ vision being rather lacking.

Looking around, there was, by his estimate, three hundred pounds of burnt lumber in the area. Some were clearly logs, their attached bark and large size showing as much. There were quite a number of sticks, most broken or partially disintegrated. A rare bit of leafy material was still attached to some of the wood, though most seemed to have been burnt off. Walking over to a particularly strange mass of wood, it being partially head-shaped but mostly destroyed, he saw large, sharpened bits of wood that reminded him of his own incisors.

Timberwolves, then. Either there were quite a few of them, or only a few large ones. This is a lot of wood for some wolves. Gene thought to himself.

Before he called the others over, he first wanted to ensure that it involved Spike. While incredibly unlikely, it was entirely possible that these burned Timberwolf remains had nothing to do with the young drake at all. He didn’t want Twilight to panic without proof. The Unicorn had already been near-hysterical on the way, he didn’t want to possibly make it worse.

Another quick search, this time actually looking for something, revealed to him the unfortunate proof he sought. Several of Spike’s prints were met and intermingled with the Timberwolves’ prints. Further proof was a small tooth with DNA matching Spike’s, coated in a small splatter of his blood. He found a trail soon after, matted dirt showing where something, likely Spike, had been dragged away. The lack of a continuous trail of blood revealed two things to Gene. The first was that Spike was still alive, and the second was that Spike had, at the time of his attack, no open wound that was bleeding profusely.

Turning his head slightly, he shouted over his shoulder. “Hey! I found something over here!”

A pop of energy and the sound of hard hoofsteps in the distance told him that his company was on their way. Milliseconds later, another pop emanated from beside him as Twilight appeared in a flash of purple magic. He immediately noticed her frazzled mane and wild, unfocused eyes. It was clear to him that her worry was slowly driving her crazy. After reappearing, she spoke, almost shouting at him from the sheer volume. “What did you find? Is Spike okay? Please be okay!”

Hearing the sheer hysteria in her voice, Gene made a sudden decision, though he wasn’t sure how to pull it off. The virus turned to face her fully. He placed a hoof on her shoulder, the unexpected contact making her blink repeatedly in slight confusion. He used his hoof to administer a small dosage of calming agents, then spoke softly. “Twilight, do you trust me?”

The purple Unicorn blinked sluggishly as she calmed, then opened her muzzle slowly as she answered lethargically. “Y-yes.”

“Do you trust your friends?” He asked.

“Yes.” The answer came again, firmer this time as she recovered from the sudden shift in emotions.

“Go home.” Gene said simply.

“W-What?” Twilight asked, her ears splaying back as she looked at him, confusion and concern shining clear in her eyes. “How could you suggest that? Spike is out th-”

Gene cut her off by placing a hoof on her muzzle, shocking her into silence. “Go home, Twilight. You’re so worried that you’re going crazy. I could feel the stress and fear you feel. Go home, relax a little, and prepare a meal for you and Spike. He’s going to be hungry when we bring him back.”

“‘W-we?’” Twilight parroted with a small stutter. Gene simply gestured behind her. Turning around, she saw the other Elements standing, or hovering in Rainbow’s case, all with their own degrees of worry in their eyes. In contrast, Snow stood confidently, understanding Gene’s plan and wanting to help Twilight as well. Though worry lay in their eyes, determination claimed it’s place on each muzzle, everypony wanting to find Spike as quickly as possible.

“Let us find him. Don’t worry yourself into a breakdown, just let us do what we can do.” Gene said softly.

Twilight stood silently for a long moment, her gaze drifting between each of her friends. Her thoughts were in turmoil- that much could be seen from her face, though she looked to be calming as she thought it through. In time, she turned to face Gene again.

“Okay.” She said simply, her voice tinged with a softness rivaling Fluttershy’s. “I’ll go home and trust you.”

“Thank you, Twilight.” Gene said again. She nodded slowly in return, a hint of hesitation in her expressive eyes.

“Everypony else, let’s make our way toward the Forest.” Gene said aloud, getting the attention of the others. “I’ll explain what I found on the way.”

They nodded and Gene began walking toward the Everfree, though he gave a slight bump to Twilight to reassure her. As they walked past, each of her friends nuzzled her gently; even Snow gave her a calming smile as she passed. Pinkie was last, and his hearing picked up what she said to Twilight. “We’ll find him. I trust Gene, and he knows forests and animals better than anypony except maybe Flutters. Spike will be home safe and sound in just a couple hours.”

“Thank you, Pinkie.” Twilight replied. Pinkie nuzzled her once before moving on and joining the rest of the party. Twilight watched the group head toward the Everfree for a time. Once the group was nothing more than a speck in the distance, she turned and started walking back toward Ponyville, deep in thought.

Please, Gene. Bring Spike back to me.

“So Spike should still be alive?” Rainbow asked, hoping to confirm her suspicions.

“Yes. The Timberwolves only knocked him out and dragged him away.” Gene said, then pointed down. “There’s no blood in the trail, so Spike isn’t bleeding constantly. Maybe a light bleed, but nothing life-threatening. The thing I’m most worried about is how scared he’s going to be after this.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, though Gene couldn’t see it. “Being a-attacked by Timberwolves is scary enough. I can’t imagine what it would be like t-taken by them.”

“My little Spikey-Wikey must be so scared and confused. Gene, please tell me we are getting closer!” Rarity said, hope echoing in her voice.

“I honestly don’t know.” Gene replied. “I can’t tell if the trail is slowing, and I can’t hear anything either.”

“Ah think we should move faster, then.” Applejack said in return. Everypony else agreed vocally, even Rarity to Gene’s surprise.

With a nod, he sped up to a fast jog and the others matched his pace, following the trail left by the wooden wolves. After what must have easily been half an hour, his viral hearing began to pick up on the sounds of growling from ahead of them. Outwardly, he didn’t show anything as a normal pony would not have been able to hear it yet. Yet he still began making minor alterations to his body; from the sounds of it, there were a lot of Timberwolves.

Within moments, he had hardened his tail into something reminiscent of a club. Next, he split his hooves on the bottom and allowed small blades to jut out. His strength and durability needed no alterations as he was already strong enough, but he did focus more on his hearing so he could tell if a Wolf was trying to sneak up on them or attack the ponies following alongside him. Snow came up beside him as they both began to pull ahead of the others slightly. Her power surge from feeding off of his regularly allowed her to sustain the increased pace with barely any effort, even as he moved faster than the others.

“Snow, when we find him and the Timberwolves, I’m going to lure them away.” Gene said quietly, knowing she would hear him anyway.

Behind the pair, Gene could hear Pinkie speaking energetically about a new cupcake recipe she had invented. Her voice, easily drowning out his and Snow’s conversation, carried in the Forest. At first, he wasn’t sure why she had suddenly began talking when she had been silent since reassuring Twilight. Then he realized she was letting him and Snow talk undisturbed. He smiled at the helpful gesture from the mare.

Then he cursed her foolishness once he realized the Timberwolves had gone silent, clearly having heard her speaking. “I need you to keep the others focused on Spike while I distract the Wolves.”

“You’re going to use your abilities, aren’t you?” Snow asked as Pinkie continued to ramble.

“Bladed hooves and a club tail are already formed.” Gene replied.

Snow leaned over and nuzzled him. “Good luck and be safe.”

“I will, of course.” The virus replied with a confident grin. “Keep yourself safe. Teleport you and the others away if you get cornered or surrounded, even if it exposes you. We both will have a pardon, you know it.”

“That’ll take a lot of magic.” Snow mused. “I’ll only be able to do it twice at most.”

“I’ll be sure to refill your magic reserves when we get back to our home.” Gene replied with a grin. Snow’s tongue darted out of her muzzle and licked her lips once she realized what he meant.

“Your love is delightfully tasty.” Snow whispered seductively.

Before Gene could think on the double meaning of her reply, the company passed into a large clearing, the other half of which was blocked with a line of Timberwolves standing shoulder to shoulder. Only one had broken the line, a massive Timberwolf that could be no one other than the Alpha of the pack. The beast was formed not of sticks and twigs held precariously together by magic, but of roots and logs woven together to form the solid foundation of a hunter. His eyes, unlike the rest of his pack’s, were not a poisonous green, but rather a silver than seemed to flow like liquid.

Behind him, the virus could hear the others come to a sudden stop and gasp as they saw the small army that stood between them and Spike, though they couldn’t quite see Spike. A quick glance to Snow and a shake of her head told him that she couldn’t sense him, either. “Girls, I’m going to distract the Wolves. Find Spike and get him out of here!”

Immediately, a chorus of complaints met him but he ignored them all. All except Fluttershy, who whispered to him. “They won’t fall for that. The Alpha’s too smart.”

Another glance to the Alpha confused him. His previously silver eyes were now red and yellow, though the beast still stood confidently in the center of the clearing. The eyes were familiar, though he knew not where he had seen them befor-

Disarray.

“It’ll work.” Gene said confidently as he thought one eye closed quickly in a wink. Without another word, he darted to the right side of the clearing and shouted.

“Come on you reject Ents! Free dinner right here!” The virus shouted, though he knew it was unnecessary. As soon as he started running, the pack’s instincts kicked in and they began chasing him. They erupted into savage growls and eager barks as they chased him, the Alpha seemingly encouraging them all to chase. A quick glance back a minute later showed that the Alpha’s eyes were back to normal, though he didn’t seem to want to turn around.

Few more miles, then I’ll let loose. Gene thought to himself.

“Come on, girls!” Snow shouted as she led the way forward, trying to ensure none of the others would follow Gene and the Wolves. “They didn’t take Spike, so they left him in their den!”

“Where is their den?” Rainbow asked as she flapped her wings, easily catching up to Snow.

“It would most likely be a cave.” Fluttershy answered for her. “Caves provide the warmth, shelter, and security they would need.”

When Fluttershy spoke, Rarity perked up. “I know a spell to detect gemstones.”

Rainbow interrupted her before she could continue. “And how’s that going to help us?”

Rarity rolled her eyes, but continued without a rebuke. “It works by sensing the ground, examining rocks, dirt, and the like. When it finds a gem, I can, well, feel, it’s location. It also works for empty spaces because the spell doesn’t find anything to examine.”

“How large of a range can you cast it?” Snow asked, getting her point.

“Maybe...one hundred meters.” Rarity said hesitantly. “If all of you could lend me some of your magic, I could extend it to five hundred.”

Snow’s eyes widened slightly at that, though she quickly calmed her features to hide it. Even as she nodded to Rarity, who lit her horn, she was worried. The Changeling feared that Rarity would realize that her magic felt more like a Unicorn, not a Pegasus.

I hope we don’t have to use that pardon. Snow thought to herself.

Steeling herself, she nodded again to Rarity, who began shaping the matrix to cast the spell she knew well. Moments later, the white Unicorn felt threads of foreign magic connect to her own. Mentally reaching out, she ‘grabbed’ the ropes and pulled as much as they allowed, ceasing once they stopped feeding her magic. They might not have provided enough to match a Unicorn, but combined, they were able to empower her spell several times over.

With a bright blue pulse of energy, the spell was completed and cast. Rarity gasped and stumbled to the side as information was fed to her, the sheer knowledge a kilometer of ground contained momentarily overwhelming her. Then, after a short time leaning against Snow, she recovered enough to speak. There were dozens of caves running through the Everfree, most of them far below ground and pocketed with bubbling magma. One specific one stood out, though. From several hundred meters in front of them, a surface-level cave sat in contrast to the ground around it, feeling like a void in the world. The spell was so powerful, she could even feel the dirt being torn up as Gene and the Wolves ran in the distance.

“Four hundred and twenty seven meters forward, one hundred and sixteen meters right. There’s a cave, and it’s large. It’s the only cave with a surface entrance in a kilometer in each direction.” Rarity said quickly as the magic burned it’s way through her veins and magical pathways. Her horn throbbed painfully as a spark shot out, making her wince and continue hurriedly. “It’s not very large and it’s mostly a straight line. There’s a single room at the bottom. I think he’s there.”

Her horn throbbed again and the others watched as Rarity promptly passed out, the magical strain proving too much for her horn. Snow, after a moment of thinking, spoke aloud. “Rainbow, grab Rarity and bring her to Ponyville’s hospital. Pinkie, head their as quick as you can and warn them of two, possibly three or more, arrivals needing treatment. Fluttershy and Applejack, stay with me as we make use of Rarity’s information.”

Rainbow looked like she wanted to argue, then stopped herself. She grabbed Rarity gently and flew off, beelining toward Ponyville. Pinkie saluted her, then dove into a nearby bush. Snow ceased sensing her as soon as she disappeared into the shrubbery, and the disguised mare knew she was already in town. A quick gesture with her head was all it took to get Fluttershy and Applejack moving again.

“Real sense of deja vu, there.” Applejack mumbled softly as they kept moving forward. Seeing Snow glance back, she elaborated. “Ah was talkin’ ‘bout the last time we were in tha Forest. Gene had Pinkie run back ta warn tha hospital while he carried Rainbow on his back. He used our talents ta be as effective as he could. You did tha same. It makes me wonder where he got that kinda training. Was he a Guard?”

Snow shook her head. “Now’s not the time to talk about Gene, particularly not when he could be fighting for his life.”

Applejack nodded, though she couldn’t shake the questions she had about one of Ponyville’s newest residents. Unlike most ponies, he seemed content to remain mostly solitary, though she knew he never ran company off. Then she pushed the thoughts away, focusing on finding Spike.

A fifteen minute jog through the dense forest later and they came across the cave Rarity had told them of. It descended steeply and turned further down, making it impossible to see the bottom. A number of jutting rocks, not quite stalagmites or stalactites, ensured they would have to move carefully, lest they wanted to tell the doctor that the earth lacerated them. “Come on, let’s go.”

With Snow’s prompting, the three stepped into the cave and began to carefully make their down the decline. Snow led the way, carefully picking a safe path for the other two to follow. Their hoofing was uneven, though not so much so to make one of them fall. Going down the cave, she realized they would have to fly out; there was just no way they were making the climb with Spike with them, whether he could walk or not.

The group of three reached the bend and rounded the corner. Immediately, Fluttershy ran forward at the sight of an unconscious Spike slumped against the far wall. She reached him in moments, taking out a small kit Snow hadn’t noticed and began to treat his wounds. A quick glance told Snow that he was mostly bruised, so she turned her attention away. “Applejack, you and me need to make sure nothing gets down here to interrupt Fluttershy. Once she’s done, we’ll have to hurry to Ponyville before the Wolves come back. If needed, I can carry you and Fluttershy can carry Spike.”

“That’s a might bit far, Snow. Ya sure you can do that?” Applejack asked in slight concern.

“It’ll tire me out, but yes. I made sure to keep enough of my magic for it while I was helping Rarity.” Snow replied. She walked forward, moving to stand by the entrance and perked her ears, listening for any sounds coming from outside. “As it is, I don’t hear anything. Stay prepared anyway, we don’t know if one of them is trying to sneak in.”

Applejack nodded and joined her, staying silent as she listened as well. The Forest was silent, though, paying it’s respect to the ongoing hunt. The only sounds they could hear was Fluttershy softly talking as she worked, and the gently rasp of cloth on scales as she covered his bruises with a soft pad to protect the sensitive scales.

Must’ve been a strong hit to bruise scale. Snow thought to herself.

After what felt like half an hour, Fluttershy spoke up, though her voice still remained quiet. “I’m done. We can go.”

Snow nodded and spoke. “Pick him up, Fluttershy. We’ll have to fly out of the cave; it is too steep for us to climb like we did on the way in.”

The Pegasus nodded and grabbed the baby dragon, then began flying the way they had came. Snow hovered in the air and hooked her hooves under Applejack, then began to fly up the cave. The farm pony might have been in good shape, but that only made her heavier, enough that Snow had to boost her wings slightly to keep them in the air. When they exited a few minutes later, she gestured to Fluttershy to keep flying. “We’ll fly our way back to Ponyville! Gene should see us and start heading back to Ponyville after he loses the Wolves!”

Fluttershy nodded and the pair kept flying toward the town, knowing that the hospital would be waiting for Spike.

In the distance, Gene watched the flyers as he ran. He could clearly see Applejack hanging under Snow and Spike being cradled by Fluttershy. He kept running, waiting until the four were completely out of sight.

Time for the Forest to respect the new hunter. Gene thought, having since figured out why the Forest was silent. It was alive, at least to a slightly greater degree than a normal forest. As soon as the chase had begun, the Forest had gone entirely silent, and he occasionally caught glimpse of another creature. Sometimes he saw other predators, sometimes he saw prey. All watched as he ran, and he knew the Forest was enjoying the entertainment.

Glancing back, the virus saw easily four dozen Wolves chasing him, including the Alpha. Deciding immediately to forgo hoof-to-claw combat in favor of something faster and more efficient, he decided to slay the Wolves in a burst of motion and chaos.

Stopping on a dime and spinning around, his front hooves, chest, neck, and head erupted into two dozen tendrils, eached ending and lined in a molecularly sharp blade. Before the Wolves had even ceased their momentum, he was already in between them and had killed easily a dozen. His blades moved in a horrifying mixture of whip and saw, switching directions unpredictably as they sang through the air. The sheer chaos caused by the jerking tendrils made it impossible for the Wolves to dodge. All they could do was be torn apart as a hail of wood chips and twigs rained down around him.

Moments later, it was over. The tendrils retreated into his body and he reformed into the pony he was disguised as. Walking over to the only living Wolf, he stopped in front of the eviscerated body of the Alpha. The beast’s head rolled on cracked shoulders weakly, staring up at him as it growled pitifully. Gene couldn’t help but chuckle, only to be stopped short. He yelped and jerked back as the Alpha’s teeth sank into his leg, fearing another curse.

The virus calmed immediately as he saw that the teeth had failed to pierce his leg entirely, and that the wooden teeth were nothing more than wood. With an annoyed grunt, Gene stepped forward and crushed the wooden head under his hoof. Turning around, Gene began walking through the Forest, unaware of the potent magic pulse that was sent through the Forest the moment he was bit. He was completely unaware of the dozens of predators awakening throughout the cursed woods, each one intimately aware of Gene’s location, and each one horrifically hungry.

Gene arrived back in town just in time to see Snow step out of the hospital. She saw him and grinned happily, content to know he was okay. They approached each other and met in an embrace, Snow’s wing coming to rest over Gene’s side. “Any trouble?”

“Nope.” Snow said, shaking her head. “I’m uninjured. Spike and Rarity will be okay. Rarity just had magic exhaustion and Spike had a few bruises, a small cut on a leg, and a missing tooth where a Wolf kicked him. Twilight wants to thank you, and so does Spike, but I convinced them to let you rest before they come over.”

“Let’s get home, then.” Gene said. Snow smiled and lead the way. As the two passed in between two houses, taking a shortcut to another street, the pair vanished as Snow teleported the two. They reappeared in their room, Gene having already added Snow to the ponies that could teleport straight in. Gene turned around to face Snow, intending to warn her that what she did was risky. The words died in his throat at what he saw.

Lying on the bed, collapsed in exhaustion and weakness, Chrysalis lied in her true form. Her chitin was cracked all over, her eyes dulled down, and her dry tongue hanging out as she struggled just to rest. Jay was on the bed in an instant, his form already shifted as he pulled her to him gently. “Chryssi, what the hell happened to you?”

“Used a lot...of magic. Helped Rarity...cast a spell, then used it to...bolster my wings.” She said weakly, breaking her speech with deep breaths as she tried to settle her lungs.

“Feed.” Jay said, baring his neck to her as he leaned down. He tensed again as her teeth latched on to his neck. Unlike the first time she fed on him, she remained aware of her surroundings and was gentle with her feeding. Jay felt his eyes drift closed as a warmth spread across his entire body, relaxing him and making his head dip lower.

The virus must have dozed for a second because he was next aware of Chrysalis gently shaking his shoulder. He raised his head from its lowered position and faced her, seeing instantly that she fed enough to tinge her lips pink. He leaned down and kissed her gently, the taste of sweet strawberries gracing his tongue before they parted. Jay licked his lips, then spoke after a second. “Strawberries?”

“That’s what your love tastes like.” Chrysalis replied. “It’s different for everypony.”

Jay looked to her again and smiled when he noticed that she looked much better. Her chitin, while not perfect, was healing even as he watched. Her eyes shone with the familiar brightness he knew, and she no longer sounded like she was struggling to breathe. The Evolved rested his head against the Queen’s as he relaxed. “That was foolish.”

“But it might have saved them.” Chrysalis replied.

“What about you?” Jay asked worriedly. “Do I have to nurse you back from Death’s Door each time you want to help somepony? What happens if you go a step too far?”

“I wasn’t even close to dying, Jay.” Chrysalis said gently, realizing he wasn’t just berating her, that he was worried for her and her health. It would take more than a few days for her to get used to being cared for. “I was tired and weak, but not dying. I’m careful with my energy.”

“Chrysalis, you only used that much magic because you knew I would be back to replenish your energy. You need to be careful. What if you come back and I’m unavailable because I had to solve a problem or chase a monster away? What are you going to do then?” Though his words were stern, the clear concern she heard and tasted was unmistakable. She leaned up and nuzzled him gently.

“I’ll be more careful.” She promised.

“Thank you.” Jay said in relief. “I know you’re powerful, physically and magically, but you have your limits. Everyone does.”

“Even you?” The Queen asked playfully, though he nodded seriously.

“Even me. You already know I’m weak to magic. The right spell could destroy this body, and that’s a major limitation when most of the world has some form of magic at their disposal.” Chrysalis smiled lightly, despite the topic. She had caught his meaning by ‘destroy this body.’

“Fair enough.” Chrysalis replied with another nuzzle. “Now, tell me about the Wolves.”

“Only if you tell me how you’re half with. I’m not quite sure why I saw Rainbow fly off with Rarity, or why Pinkie leapt out of a bush and tripped a Wolf before disappearing again.” Jay replied with his own smile as he kissed the bridge of her muzzle.

Guards, Science, and Development

“So you have been stationed here?” Gene asked as he examined the three ponies standing before him at the gate of the Estate. One Unicorn, an Earth pony, and a Pegasus. Off to the side stood Night Shine, the Town Guard who had moved into the Estate just two days ago, a week after he and Snow had arrived at the Estate. When Gene received nods, he continued. “Introduce yourselves.”

The ponies could not have contrasted more, whether with their colors or their armors. The leftmost pony was a Unicorn, and he recognized her as a Royal Guard, her shining gold armor a clear giveaway. He spotted two small knives in her armor, and a steel spear clipped on her back. Her helmet was off, dispelling the illusion that disguised all the Royal Guards. Her coat was a deep blue, with her mane a soft white, making him internally grin at the inverted colors. Her Mark was hidden by her armor, so Gene didn’t bother trying to see it. The mare saluted him quickly and voiced out her name and rank with enthusiasm. “Private Lightning Spear of the Royal Guard, Solar Division!”

Gene nodded to her and turned his attention to the middle pony, examining the Pegasus. His armor, unlike the Royal’s, looked to be of silver rather than gold, marking him as a Town Guard, possibly from Ponyville. Otherwise, his armor was nearly identical to the Royal’s. He wore his full armor, though there was no illusion present, as he expected. His coat was a muddy brown in contrast to the silver, his gray mane finished the muted colors. He wielded blade wings and two hoof blades were clipped to his armor. As with Lightning, his Mark was covered. Unlike Lightning, he spoke with a much calmer tone. “Private Soaring Fury of the Town Guard, Ponyville Sector.”

The virus nodded again and turned his attention to the Earth pony, who seemed like a Juggernaut compared to the others. His solid steel armor covered him from his tail to his muzzle, with clear crystal-covered slits for his eyes to see out of. The armor was segmented into plates, with smaller plates covering the joints to add a little more armor while attempting to retain the full range of movement. His weapon was a single, large warhammer slung across his back. Gene couldn’t quite see his coat nor his mane, but his eyes were a light brown. He seemed to mull over his words for a moment, then spoke with a deep voice. “Private Iron Wall of the Equestrian Rangers.”

Gene felt his eyes widen momentarily before he forced them back to normal. There’s no way in hell it’s that easy! Of all the Rangers to be stationed here, it’s Iron Wall! Damn this world and its coincidences!

“Welcome to the Peace Estate, or the Everfree Expedition Staging Point, as it’s publicly known.” Gene said, not allowing his emotions to show. “I’ll leave Private Night Shine to get you set up in your rooms and explain what you’ll be doing here. I’ll be honest, it’s not much. Mostly, you’ll be doing what you’re used to. Protecting the town.”

Then he turned his attention to Iron Wall. “Private Wall, I recommend heading to Golden Oaks Library once you’ve settled in.”

“What about shifts, sir?” Lightning asked.

“Since we’re working in conjunction with the Town Guard already established in Ponyville.” He started with a nod to Soaring Fury. “The shifts won’t be as long or as often as you’re expecting, with the exception of when we have a guest. The schedule will be ready in a few days, each of you receiving a copy. It’ll change as new Guards and Rangers arrive as well, so expect updates.”

“And until the schedule is ready?” Fury asked. “What do we do?”

“Think of it as a few days off to rest, relax, and learn your surroundings. Private Lightning, I know you don’t know your way around Ponyville like you do Canterlot. Get a map from Town Hall and study it. Private Iron, feel free to take a look at the surrounding lands. I know the Rangers are more effective in the wild than in the city, so expect assignments related to that. You should get to know each other as well. You’ll be working together fr some time.”

The three nodded and went inside, led by Private Night Shine. When they left, Snow walked out of the house and came to his side, nuzzling him gently. “That went well.”

“I think so, too. As is, I don’t think we’ll have trouble with them.” Gene said.

“I agree. I sensed no distrust or hate from them. They’re prepared to work, and to do so professionally.” Snow added.

“Good.” Gene said, planting a gentle kiss on Snow’s muzzle. Gene pulled back after a moment only to be surprised when Snow followed him and kissed him again, more passionately then before. The virus returned the enthusiasm likewise, no complaints to be given. Only after she had her fill did she pull back, a light green blush on her muzzle.

“Thank you.” Snow said softly before he could say anything. Gene just gave her a confused look, not quite understanding what she was getting at.

“For what?”

“For caring for me like you do. Nopony else has.” She replied honestly only to pause at the stern look he leveled her way.

“Snow, you have an entire Hive that cares for you. Please don’t say that again.”

The Changeling rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his head with her wing. “Romantically, you fool. You’re the only one who cares for me romantically. There are plenty of Changelings who care for me platonically or familiarly, I know, but you are the only one who is romantically interested in me. Maybe it’s not love, not yet, but I hope it will be one day.”

Gene just leaned forward and nuzzled her, just as she had done to him earlier. “We shouldn't be in any hurry, Snow. We have all the time we need to grow closer.”

Snow enjoyed the slow nuzzle she was receiving, their soft fur rubbing softly against the other’s. After a moment, Snow dropped her head and gently nipped his neck, then stepped back as his entire body froze for a moment. “Snow…”

“I did that.” She said smugly. “What do you plan to do about it?”

Gene recovered slightly, though he couldn’t help the burning lust he felt at her show of affection. He walked forward slowly until their chests were touching, his head resting slightly higher than hers. He leaned down partly, then darted forward and nipped her own neck, using his abilities to ignite every pleasure point in her neck, causing her to gasp and freeze. Her joints locked up as her eyes went wide at the pleasure flowing over her. Then he let go and stepped back, returning her earlier grin with his own. “That.”

Then he turned slightly and walked through the gate, heading toward Ponyville. Snow stared in shock for a moment, then quickly caught up to him. “That was dirty, using your powers like that.”

“Yep. Teasing’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Gene asked with a small smile, seeing Snow glare at him from his side. “Of course, that makes it all the better when the teasing ends.”

“Hmm.” Snow hummed as she thought about that.

Gene couldn’t help the grin that crossed his muzzle. “Be careful with your fantasies. You don’t want other ponies knowing what you’re thinking of.”

That snapped her out of it and she discreetly casted a spell, stopping her arousal before it had a chance to begin. A quick glance and Snow was convinced even Gene hadn’t noticed her excited state, though he definitely knew what she had been thinking of.

“You know, if you are ready for ‘quality alone time’ with me, all you have to do is tell me. I’m not shy and we’re both mature. We’re not two teenagers giving in to hormones.” Gene said offhandedly, making Snow stumble and blush.

“W-what? But ponies only mate with those they-” Snow started only to be interrupted by Gene.

“Ponies, Snow. I’m not a pony. Yeah, we’ve been together for two weeks. ‘Mating,’ as you put it, this early would be unusual for humans and ponies. I’m done comparing myself to a human, though, and I’m not a pony.” Gene said as they continued walking toward Ponyville.

“Why haven’t you tried to do anything, then?” Snow asked curiously, though still slightly embrassed. She may have been several hundred years old but she had never had a mate, whether as a Changeling or as a pony. She had fooled around with a few ponies in the past while disguised but she had never let it progress past foreplay, though she had toyed with the idea of an heir once or twice.

“Because I’m still not quite sure how fast or slow you want to go with this. I’m a virus and you’re immortal. We have literally all the time in the world, so I’m in no hurry to progress our relationship. If you’re ready for intimacy, then I’m on board. If you want to wait, I’ll happily do so.” He answered honestly.

Snow was silent for a moment, clearly thinking. Gene led the way, content to let her think. There was simply no way in hell he was going to pressure her and possibly ruin the relationship they had. Sure, he made jokes about sex, was honest, and didn’t try to hide his lust for her whenever she would feed on his neck, but he was serious. He would wait as long as she needed, even if it was for a hundred years.

Gene cracked a small smirk. Though I’d be rather pent up by then.

They continued walking for several minutes. When they were only a minute or so from the border of Ponyville, Snow spoke. “Jay?”

The virus stopped and turned to face her, dropping the fake name for the time being. “Yeah, Chryssi?”

“I don’t think I’m ready. Not yet.” Snow said, looking down at the ground slightly.

Seeing that, her nervousness and worry, he couldn’t help but think that, even though she was a immortal mare, she was still a mare who worried about such mundane things as disappointing her special someone. Jay stepped forward and gently kissed her, showing that there were no hard feelings. She returned it, relieved, only for the two to part some seconds later and he spoke. “Then I’ll wait. There’s no shame in wanting to wait and be sure you want to give that part of yourself to me. Just because I made my decision fast doesn’t mean you have to as well. This doesn’t affect how I feel for you, Chryssi.”

She smiled at him, content to know he would wait for as long as she needed. “Thank you, Jay.”

Another quick kiss only made her smile more, and made him smile too. With a gesture of his head, the two continued on toward Ponyville, arriving at the edge of town a minute or two later. After waving to two ponies he recognized, Gene turned to Snow. “Why don’t we go to the park and relax for a while?”

Snow raised an eyebrow toward him. “I thought you had something to do?”

“Nope. I have absolutely no plans for today.” Gene said in reply.

The Changeling blinked twice. “But you started walking like you were in a hurry…”

“I just walk fast, and it’s even easier to walk fast with four legs.” Gene said.

“But…” Snow began to say, stopping when Gene leaned forward and kissed her once again.

“I have literally no plans. Now that we are both in Ponyville, do you want to do something to relax? It doesn’t have to be the park, that was just my suggestion.” Gene said softly, a genuine smile on his muzzle.

Snow sighed and leaned into his side for a moment, then spoke. “The park sounds fine. It’ll be nice to relax with you without having to worry about anything.”

Gene nodded, agreeing completely with her sentiment. It would be nice to be able to relax without anypony knocking on the gate, or thinking about the new Guards.

Twenty minutes was all it took to make it to one of the smaller, more secluded parks. A small, solid fence kept ponies from looking in, though there were several entrances around the park. Sporadic hedges were planted around the park, breaking the line of sight of other ponies in the park. It seemed like the entire park was built around giving the visitors privacy.

Gene loved it.

Snow couldn’t help but agree with him as they reclined on a small blanket she had summoned with her magic; after making sure nopony was around, of course. Gene was lying on his back and her head was on his chest as she listened to him breath. She could hear his heartbeat and feel the warmth of his blood, all of which surprised her partially. Snow knew that, if she had his powers, she would remove those organs to remove the weakness, and to allow her to make her body stronger. She wasn’t quite sure why he kept them. Then it hit her.

It was for her. Gene knew he would be uncomfortable to lie on if he was cold, silent, and as hard as steel. Instead, he was warm and soft, making Snow comfortable as she relaxed to the sound of his breathing. His eyes were closed, a fact she proved with a quick glance, and he seemed utterly content to simply lie there. Snow felt herself drifting off slowly as she relaxed, but she didn’t quite want to go to sleep.

“Gene?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you tell me something about you? Something you haven’t told me before?”

“Like what?” Gene asked curiously, his eyes opening as he looked to her.

“What’s something you discovered in your work?” Snow asked.

Gene hummed for a moment, thinking about it. Then he decided the story he would tell her and started speaking. “For a few years, I was known as the man who devised a way to discover the Graviton, which is the particle that is responsible for gravity.”

“Only a few years? What happened?” Snow asked, intrigued.

“Well, my theory was sound. Dozens of other scientists had checked my work, and it all made sense. Theoretically. Our technology was simply not advanced enough to prove it, but the theory remained sound for half a decade. Eventually, another theory was developed called ‘String Theory.’ The problem is, it proved part of my theory wrong.” Gene said.

“But the String Theory is a theory itself, how could it prove you wrong?”

“Because it explained several phenomenon in our world, a decade and a half of research supported it, and our machines began to actually detect it’s mechanics. My theory was dismissed, but I certainly wasn’t forgotten.” Gene explained.

“Why?”

Gene smirked to her. “Because my theory built the groundworks for String Theory. Remember, it proved only part of my theory wrong. The other half was proven, which was the half that String Theory was built on.”

“That must have been upsetting.” Snow said slowly. “A theory based off of yours proved part of your theory wrong.”

“Nah, I wasn’t upset.” Gene said. “It didn’t bother me. I’d prefer to further science than always be right, though I generally won't turn down a chance to be right.”

“So you don’t mind others speaking out against your theories?” Snow asked curiously.

“Not at all, Snow, as long as they can support their theories. If someone comes up with an idea and then tries to prove it using observations and experimentation, I don’t care if it goes against what I think or have found. Most likely, I’d work with them to try to find a solution, since two conflicting theories usually means one of us is wrong.”

Snow blinked at that, slightly confused by his wording. “‘Usually?’”

“Yeah, there’s a phenomenon where two opposite, contradictory explanations are completely true.” Gene said simply.

The Changeling straightened up more and turned to face him fully. “You can’t just say that and not explain it! What’s the phenomenon?”

The virus smiled sheepishly at her. “I’m not sure I can explain it in a way you’d understand entirely. You’d get the concept of it, but not the how. Equestrian technology, particularly in Physics, seems to be decades, if not a century, behind humanity’s.”

Snow just smiled at him. “I can definitely try. This is something you love, Jay, and I know you love talking about it. Maybe I won’t fully understand it, but I’ll try.”

Gene leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her muzzle. “That’s true, there’s no doubt.”

Then he collected his thought. “Essentially, the energies of the universe exist in a state known as ‘duality.’ It means they exist as both a wave of energy and a particle of matter at the same time, which should be impossible. Waves aren’t physical; you can’t touch them, but the energy can affect you. On the other hand, particles are solid; you can touch them, manipulate them, and feel them. The most common example of a duality is light. It’s an wave, hence color spectrum and solar energy, but it’s also a particle. That’s why, if a light beam hits a wall, it doesn’t go through it like energy does. It hits it and refracts, which is caused by the particles bouncing off the wall.”

“That’s…you were right, that’s a little hard to fully comprehend.” Snow said after a moment.

“I’m also not really that good of a teacher. I never had been, even in school.” Gene added, making Snow nod in understanding. After a moment, her eyes lit up as a thought struck her.

“So you say that all energy is also a particle?”

“Theoretically. We have evidence for it for a few energies, but we haven’t found the particle for others, like gravity.” Gene answered.

“What about magic?” Snow asked. “It’s an energy, like waves of electricity and pure heat, but it’s also solid, like shields and constructs. Would magic have a particle?”

Gene’s eyes widened for a moment as he considered it. After a moment of thinking, he spoke. “I don’t think so...not a normal particle, at least. Magic let’s a Unicorn affect gravity, but there’s a particle for that. Magic controls light, but that’s what photons do. Magic controls heat, but there’s supposed to be a particle for that already. Maybe the particle for magic is something entirely different? A particle humanity isn’t even capable of thinking of because of the lack of magic?”

“Or maybe it’s a collection of particles.” Snow said, thinking of what she knew of molecules and the atomic makeup of the world.

“A molecule.” Gene said, humming slightly. “A collection of particles combining the Elementary Particles in a configurations that allows Unicorns and other magic-wielding species to manipulate the world.”

“How would it work, though?” Snow thought aloud, beginning to enjoy thinking with Gene about it. She understood why he had dedicated his life to it before he was changed. “Maybe the molecule can be manipulated depending on which particle is needed?”

“Possibly? Focus on photons to manipulate light, and gravitons to change gravity. It would make sense. The only downside is that, to understand the magic particle, we’d need to find and study the particle for almost every energy in existence. That includes the theoretical ‘Dark Energy.’”

“We?” Snow asked, a little shocked.

Gene smirked in amusement. “Of course ‘we.’ I’d have never thought of this before if it wasn’t for you, Chryssi. There’s no way in hell I’d have considered a magic particle.”

“Why not?” She asked.

“Magic is considered the opposite of science on Earth. I doubt I would have ever started thinking of magic in a scientific way, so I would never have considered a particle responsible for magic. That was all you, Chryssi.” Gene explained.

Snow smiled softly and nuzzled Gene, happy to have been able to contribute something to his musings. She was no scientist; she was a magic-wielder and a politician, though she was able to forget that latter while she was around him, no matter his form. “Happy to have been able to help.”

The Earth pony’s solid hoof came down solidly on the oak door thrice, knocking loudly. Knowing it was a public space, Iron Wall entered the library without waiting for a reply. Shelves of books and wooden decor greeted his eyes, as he expected. A desk near the door was likely the checkout station, though he didn’t see the librarian. He saw a small bell on the desk and deciding to press it, the metal ringing echoing through the silent library.

From upstairs, he heard a slight thud as something was dropped, or somepony fell, and hoofsteps on the wood as somepony, Iron assumed the librarian, walked out of their room and onto the staircase. The Ranger felt himself tense slightly as the librarian spoke, her voice undoubtedly familiar. “Coming!”

Impossible. It can’t be her. He thought to himself as he considered leaving before she came down the stairs. Then a memory flashed before his eyes and he relaxed, deciding to at least get an answer as to why she had ignored him for so long before finally moving away.

Twilight came down her stairs, slightly surprised that she actually had a guest at the library. Considering that the pony had rang the service bell, it clearly wasn’t one of her friends. For a moment, she entertained the idea of it being Gene but ultimately dismissed it; he would usually call out for her instead of using the bell. When she reached the bottom, she was surprised to see a large Earth Pony, nearly the size of Big Macintosh. Then it struck her who it was.

For a time, she was speechless. He seemed to be too, if his opening and closing mouth was any indication. Neither of them knew what to say and both of them knew it. Mustering her courage, she forced herself to speak, though it came out hesitantly and weak. “I-Iron?”

“Ms. Sparkle.” He said in the same baritone voice she remembered, her voice having snapped him out of his inaction.

“W-what are you doing here?” Twilight asked slowly.

“I’ve been assigned a station at the Expedition Point.” He answered simply. “Can we talk?”

“Y-yes! Let me put some tea on!” Twilight said loudly, thankful for the distraction as she teleported into the kitchen to set the tea to boil. Ten minutes later, she and Iron sat at the kitchen table, each nursing a cup of tea. Momentarily, she was grateful that Spike was over at Rarity’s rather than being here.

“Why?” Iron asked simply, taking a small sip from his tea. He forced himself to keep his calm facade, although he was shaking from a mixture of nervousness and anger inside.

Twilight didn’t need to ask what he meant. “I didn’t know.”

“How?” He asked, looking up from the wood grains in the table. “I wasn’t exactly subtle with my affections. Years of gifts, presents, and even asking you out to dates and you didn’t know?”

“I was too focused on my studies and not focused enough on other ponies.” She said softly. “I’m not a sociable pony and I was too blind to notice!”

“That’s an understatement.” Iron said with a snort as he felt his anger rise, then drop off suddenly, replaced by a calm understanding.

“I didn’t find out until after I left Canterlot at the Princess’s behest. Princess Cadence eventually told me and I rushed back to Canterlot, trying to find you.” Twilight explained helplessly.

“But I had already joined the Rangers.” Iron guessed calmly, to which Twilight nodded. “Why did you look for me?”

“I wanted to apologize. I wanted to explain myself.” Twilight told him sincerely, then added softly. “I wanted to see where it would go.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing it myself.” Iron commented idly, though he felt strange. Moments ago he had been angry, and now he was considering going to lunch with her. His emotions had flipped fast, but he didn't particularly care.

Twilight blushed deeply, her face turning an even deeper purple. “W-would you like to get s-something to eat and c-catch up?”

Iron let a small smile spread across his face. “I would.”

The two stood up and left the building, tea forgotten as they both began speaking. Outside, a yellow mare with a green mane smiled, quickly writing a letter.

A flash of pink magic later and the letter was gone. The Unicorn left quickly, heading toward the Green Dragon tavern she was staying in for the time being. As she walked, she thought. Princess Cadence had to pull a few strings to get Iron stationed in Ponyville, but it seemed to have worked. A glance down the street showed the Unicorn and Earth pony laughing as she told one of her stories of Ponyville. Shine smiled, hoping she had helped yet another couple find love.

When she arrived in her room, a flash of cerulean magic deposited a letter onto her night stand. Instantly, she crossed the room and opened it.

Love Shine frowned, uncomfortable with the idea of dropping formalities with her Princess. Then she nodded, promising to herself that she would at least try if it was her desire. Putting the letter down, she decided to take a short nap before continuing her mission.

“By Celestia, what happened here?” Corporal Dancer mouthed silently as he and his squadron stood on a rise overlooking the burned out ruins of what was once Trotsdale.

The squadron of Rangers had been on their normal patrol, planning to stop in the town to restock their supplies, when they noticed an eerie silence from ahead of them. To their horror, they found the town had been entirely destroyed, burned to the ground.

“Let’s check it out; look for survivors.” The corporal said as he and his allies steeled themselves. They descended the hill and reached the edge of the town, entering quickly. The blackened wood and buckled steel was cool to the touch, any remaining embers having long since gone out. Whatever happened here was at least a week old, likely two.

“Corporal, look at this.” Private Steel called out and the Pegasus trotted over, looking at the immolated remains of Town Guard armor. Around the molten slag was a large pile of dust and the Ranger had to force himself from throwing up after he realized what had happened to the pony that wore the armor.

Two Pegasi Rangers landed beside him and one began speaking. “Sir, there doesn’t seem to be any survivors. Our initial sweep with the detection crystals found nothing anywhere in the city.”

The corporal nodded. “Begin a manual sweep anyway. We don’t know exactly how reliable the crystals are and I’m not taking any chances.”

The nearby Rangers saluted, clearly happy for his decision. “Yes sir!”

They spread out, beginning to search the town building by burned-out-building. Dancer, instead of searching, pulled out a quill and paper and began writing his preliminary report, leaving space for him to add to it after the search finished. After writing it, he stuffed it back into his saddle and joined his allies in the search.

The pseudo-stinger pierced the Manticore’s hide, forcing it to let out a scream of pain and fear as the horrific venom began doing it’s deadly work. Within moments, the feline’s body was nothing more than mush and energy. The scorpion-like monstrosity inhaled deeply, absorbing the energy. The red light making the celestial hunter pulsed once before the scorpion grew a few extra inches. Done with it’s hunt, the Leonis turned it’s attention northwest and started walking, it’s six legs scuttling across the logs, leaves, and plant matter making up the floor of the Everfree. It followed the signal that had awoken it, the final defense of an Everfree Alpha Wolf.

In the distance, the beast could sense three others of its kind making their way across the massive expanse of Forest, and it could hear a dozen more predators trampling, slithering, crawling, or flying northwest. All ancient predators had answered the call of the Wolf’s Curse. Not all would make it, of course. Infighting was a real problem.

The monster felt a trickle of amusement flow across it’s mind before it was replaced by animalistic anger and hunger. There was no room for higher thought in the celestial. Only disgust existed for those who allowed themselves to grow mentally, like the pathetic Ursas who embraced their intelligence. Disgusting.

Food.

The scorpion felt itself speed up as it caught the whiff of far-off ponies, a delicacy to the beasts of the Inner Forest. It hadn’t felt a hunger like this for thousands of years and it couldn’t even try to slow itself down as it heard it and dozens of others speed up slightly.

Another flicker of amusement passed through the beast as it imagined the screams and sounds of tearing flesh and crunching bones. Acidic saliva dripped onto the Forest floor as it fantasized about the taste of pony-flesh. It couldn’t wait.

It didn’t even notice that it had begun running, racing the dozens of other beasts competing to be the first to the ponies.

Author's Notes:

As always, don't hesitate to tell me what you think or point out errors you've spotted.

News and Trotsdale

Jay was snapped out of his thoughts by a large packet of paper being thrown on the table in front of him. He looked up from the schedule he had been working on and glanced questioningly at Chrysalis. “What’s this?”

“Page seventeen on the left column.” She replied in lieu of an answer, glancing at the locked door to their room. The virus opened his mouth to question her further, then paused as she looked back to him, worry shining in her slitted eyes. That look alone made him furrow his brows and he grabbed the newspaper, flipping to the page she said.

“Trotsdale burned?” Jay asked slowly as he lowered the paper to the table.

Chrysalis nodded sadly. “No survivors. I’ve asked several Changelings to search the surrounding lands and they’ve come up with nothing. Either nopony made it out or we can’t sense them.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, the first is more likely.” The virus said with a slow sigh. “So no one has any clue as to what happened?”

The Queen slowly shook her head. “None, but this was discovered only three days ago on Tejas.”

Jay grunted lightly. “Gonna take some time to get used to the new names for the days and months.”

She rolled her eyes, though she had a small smile on her chitinous muzzle. “Myous, Tejas, Wevsne, Tzetch, Frigahs, Sunnes, and Moonnes.

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.” Jay replied with a small smile in return. “The months are even harder.”

“You’ll remember them in due time.”

“I already remember them, I just find myself almost saying my world’s version.” He replied.

Chrysalis nodded and fell silent, meandering across the room and staring out the two-way mirror that made up the windows. Her eyes drifted aimlessly across the blackened sky, stars twinkling in the far distance above them. Jay stood silently and walked over to her side, placing a hand on her withers and beginning to gently rub her back. “What’s wrong, Chryssi?”

“I’m worried, Jay.” She said in a soft voice, though it sounded like she wanted to say more. Jay tightened his grip on her as an act of reassurance as he patiently waited for her to tell him why.

After a few minutes of waiting, his patience paid off. “All of Equestria will know about Trotsdale in the next couple days. Snow’s from Trotsdale. All it takes is one pony from Trotsdale to completely reveal me to the town. What will I do? I can’t just change to a new disguise and come back; ponies will be suspicious of a random new pony hanging around you.”

“What will I do?” She asked again, her ears drooping slightly as her voice dropped to a whisper.

“I don’t know.” Jay said honestly, making her flinch. Then he continued. “But I know I won’t let you figure it out alone.”

Jay paused as he saw a indistinct pink mist appear around Chrysalis. She turned to face him, letting him see her small smile and misty eyes, and kissed him. Nothing but affection was in her kiss, something he returned readily. It wasn’t passionate or lust-filled but rather full of simple yet powerful affection. Chrysalis pulled back slowly, a gentle smile planted on her muzzle. The virus couldn’t stop himself as warmth spread over him.

He leaned forward and kissed her, once again amazed at the soft lips that met his. From the beginning, he had expected hard, cold chitin, only to find the opposite. The warmth in him spread in time with the pink mist around Chrysalis before the two parted again, a green blush coloring a portion of her muzzle.

“I love you.” Jay said suddenly, though that made it no less honest. The mist around her flared to a brighter level and he realized just what it was; her love for him. There was no romantic revelation, no powerful event that made him realize how he felt, just a gentle awareness of the depth of his feelings.

“I love you too.” She replied, her smile growing ever-brighter. A pony may have found her bared fangs and flashing eyes intimidating; he only loved them as he did her. Her head came down to rest on his shoulder. Then she yelped as, in one smooth motion, Jay lifted her up and carried her to the bed, mild protests sounding out as he walked.

“J-Jay, I’m n-not rea-” He cut her off with a quick peck, silencing her as she smiled again.

“Don’t worry.” He said with a reassuring smile. She relaxed slightly and rested her head against his chest again, making him smile as well. He set her down on the bed gently, then climbed in beside her, dissolving his shirt as he had started to do the last few days. As soon as he had gotten settled into their large bed, she was lying on his chest again, her head resting in the crook of his neck.

Jay jerked lightly as jolts of energy shot through his system, her slow nuzzling of his neck sparking every nerve center in his neck. Then he groaned as she bit down, beginning to feed off of him. The now-familiar warmth spread through him, simultaneously relaxing and exciting him. Before he realized it, she was done and pulled away. Chrysalis leaned up and looked at him with a loving smile on her face, a smile that he couldn’t help but return.

“You always look so adorable with those pink fangs sticking out of your muzzle.” Jay said with a chuckle.

She blushed green, returning the chuckle as she did so. Jay leaned up and kissed her once again, the tinge of strawberries remaining on his lips afterward. “You look even more adorable when you’re blushing.”

Chrysalis buried her head in his shoulder to hide her burning muzzle and embarrassed smile and mumbled into his neck, the vibrations sparking another jolt of energy. “Good night, Jay.”

Jay just chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Good night, Chryssi.”

Jay came to awareness in a familiar place, though that didn’t mean he liked it. Gray skies surrounded him, black clouds drifting freely through the tainted area. A concrete roof stretched out thirty meters in each direction, a short ledge the only obstacle stopping people from falling off the edge of the skyscraper. Walking over to the edge and gazing down, he saw Ponyville sprawled out on the ground far below. In the distance, he could make out both Canterlot and the entrance to Sapphire Hive.

Feeling heat on his back, he turned around to see easily a dozen cities and thrice as many towns and villages burning in an unnatural green fire. Wood incinerated, metal immolated, and ponies blackened under the heat of the blaze, though Jay knew this was nothing more than a dream. Though, he couldn’t lie to himself; the sight of ponies dying by the thousand upset him far more than it had for humanity.

“A change from the Elements, dear Daedalus.” Supplied a familiar voice from the rooftop beside him. Turning his head to face him, the sight of a familiar man greeted him. “They altered your morality slightly to no longer be immune to the sight of suffering.”

“Disarray.” Jay greeted curtly. “My name is Jay.”

The being, for Jay knew now he was far more than human, laughed. “You aren’t Jay. You aren’t Gene. You aren’t really Daedalus, either. So just who are you?”

Jay felt a spark of irritation before he forced it away. “What are you getting at?”

“Stop with the identities.” Disarray said simply, the mirth in his voice absent.

“I’m a shapeshifter; it’s my nature.” Jay replied instantly.

Disarray finally turned to face him, his golden and scarlett eyes flashing from the light of the fire. “I don’t mean the disguises. I’ll admit those are necessary...for now. I mean the separate identities. How will your friends ever accept you in they find out that you didn’t even act truthful around them, much less use your real body?”

“Those of my friends that don’t know the truth already likely won’t accept me.” He retorted.

“Really?” The man asked. “Why not try anyway? You don’t have anything to lose. The only ones you know can hurt you are on your side.”

“How? And why?” Jay asked him, idly wondering why he felt so calm about the being that clearly had his own agenda.

“I’ve already stressed this twice; stop with the separate identities. Jay loves physics, can’t stand hurting others, is mildly socially awkward, and generally kind to all. Daedalus loves physics, often enjoys fighting others, blends in well in any situation, and doesn’t care about anyone outside of his circle. And Gene? Well, he’s a pony. That’s enough of an explanation. Keep the fake names and forms; I don’t care. Do your friends a favor and at least act the same around everyone.” Disarray explained in a matter-of-fact voice.

“I don’t see why I need to. It’s not hurting anyone.” Jay replied in kind.

“Chrysalis.” Disarray said, making Jay’s full attention snap to him. “She’s going to worry. Worry that you aren’t truthful with her and that your real personality is entirely different than how you act around her.”

“How do you know that?” The virus’ voice was stern and unforgiving as he spoke.

“Helloooooo, omniscient being here? I know this kind of stuff.” Disarray said sarcastically, then his voice returned to an even tone. “It hasn’t happened yet and you can stop it, but you have to be honest about who you are. How far you want to take that honestly is up to you, though. Risk and reward all around.”

“Why are you trying to help me?” Jay asked suddenly, irritated that he was entirely unable to guess Disarray’s motives. “Why tell me these things?”

“I already told you that I have plans for you. I kind of need you to succeed, and you being happy doesn’t hurt my plans. If anything, your happiness makes you more likely to succeed.” He answered simply.

“What are your plans?” The Evolved asked, feeling his frustration bubble up.

“Soon.” The being replied. “Things are coming together nicely, though not as fast as I expected. I didn’t foresee the Curse, either. You have an unfortunate habit of muddling my sight sometimes.”

“What curse?” Jay asked sharply. “Who’s in danger?”

“The Wolf’s Curse and everypony in Ponyville.” Disarray replied. “Head to the library tomorrow and look it up. You might have a bit of trouble finding it normally, so check A Menagerie of Mythical Monsters and Myths.”

Jay grunted. “Equestria definitely loves alliteration.”

“How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” Disarray said quickly, then continued. “In any case, you have a few days before the Curse takes effect. Primal distractions and all that. Depending on how you play your cards the next few days will determine the result. My opinion? Be honest, be open, and tell others what you are. You still have that fallback plan, you know? Chrysalis won’t leave you alone, either.”

“Who are you?” Jay said, slightly disturbed at how much the being knew.

Disarray just smiled. “You’ve already heard of me.”

“Discord?” Jay asked, thinking back to what the ponies had called out when he first arrived in Equestria.

Disarray just shrugged and started walking toward the stairwell. “I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. You’ll figure it out. Probably. If you don’t, I’ll tell you when you complete my tasks.”

“Oh!” Disarray said, turning around. “Before I forget, I approve of your personal goal! I’ll help you with that after you finish my tasks.”

“W-what!?” Jay shouted. “How the fuck do you know that!”

Disarray was gone, his laughter carrying on the wind as his presence faded. The dream quickly shifted slightly around him, the fire disappearing and leaving Equestria unharmed. The massive skyscraper and polluted sky remained and the virus wasn’t quite sure what it meant, if it meant anything at all. Jay wasn’t left alone for long as wing beats drew his attention to the air where he saw Luna flying down toward him.

“Jay, are you okay? Something was blocking me from coming into your dream until recently.” Luna said as soon as she had landed, concern for him lacing her voice.

“I’m fine, just reminiscing.” He replied.

Honesty! A voice hissed in his head, making him wince in a burst of pain. The voice was clearly Disarray’s.

“Actually, there was something.” Jay started before Luna could say anything about his flinch. “There’s was another being here. He called himself Disarray.”

“Do you mean Discord?” Luna asked in concern. “I don’t see why he would be interested in you, other than the mild chaos you’ve spread.”

“I don’t think it was Discord. He knows too much, and he was the one who brought me here.” Jay replied.

“To this dream?”

“To this world.” The virus corrected with a amused smile. “I first saw him on Earth. He’s planning...something and I don’t know what. He seems to be helping me but that doesn’t mean he’s truly on our side.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “A wise precaution. Be careful around this ‘Disarray’ and I’ll check the Archive records in the morning. If I find anything, I’ll tell you.”

“Thank you.” Jay said simply. The pair fell silent for a moment, both drawn into their own thoughts. Jay was sure there was no doubt; Disarray knew far more than he should and he was dangerous. Jay didn’t trust him, though he seemingly gave out sound advice.

Snapping back to the present, Jay spoke up with a grin surfacing. “So what brings you here tonight, Luna? Anyone one of your not-so-nightly visits?”

Luna’s muzzle purpled lightly as she replied. “I may have overestimated my ability to speak with you every night. In any case, I’m afraid that I’m not here for the company.”

“What do you need?” Jay asked, sitting down on the ledge of the skyscraper and facing her.

“Have you yet heard of Trotsdale?” Luna asked with a saddened look.

“I have. Chrysalis showed me a newspaper about half an hour before we went to sleep. Why?”

“Equestrian Rangers and Royal Guards have been entirely unable to find any evidence of who, or what, started the fire. My sister is going there in two days to personally check for any magical signatures. We have a request of you.” Luna said, staring off into the distance in Trotsdale’s direction.

“Ask away.” Jay replied. Maybe the fire represented my worry that what happened to Trotsdale can happen elsewhere?

“Would you be willing to head to Trotsdale tomorrow and use your abilities to search for anything the Guards and Rangers may have missed or been unable to noticed?” The night mare asked hopefully. “We want to find whoever burned the town and bring them to justice and you just might be able to do so.”

Jay thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll do it. How long do you think I’ll be gone?”

“You’ll leave tomorrow and come back the day after with Celestia.” Luna replied. “Will Chrysalis accompany you?”

“I’d rather not.” Jay replied. “We don’t know what did it and I don’t want to risk her getting hurt. I’m not going to stop her if she’s adamant about it, though.”

Luna nodded in understanding. Then she grinned. “Celestia’s been looking forward to meeting you again.”

“Oh?” Jay asked curiously.

Luna nodded as she hummed an affirmative. “Yes, she’s quite interested in getting to know you better.”

“That could be taken two ways, Luna.”

She just grinned. “Take it both ways.”

Then she was gone, her magic pulling her out of the dream without any discernible effect. Around him, the dream began to crumble as the skyscraper collapsed like an earthquake shook it. The sky fell to the ground and the sun went supernova.

“Destructive ass way to end a dream.” Jay mumbled as he awoke.

“What?” He heard Chrysalis say in a distracted tone. By the sounds of it, she was at her desk and likely reading a paper from the Hive.

“Nighttime visit from Luna. When she left, the dream ended by the world ending.” Jay replied as he rolled out of bed and stood, seeing that she actually was at her desk reading a paper.

“Another report?” Jay asked as he reformed his shirt.

“Yes. Another Hive, Ruby, is asking to meet with me in a neutral location.” Chrysalis answered.

“Who rules Ruby?”

“Two sisters, Ambrosia and Naventia, both of whom are actually quite kind.” She explained, then looked up to him, a tinge of disappointment in her eyes. Jay noticed that, once again, he couldn’t see how she felt beyond normal means. “I’m going to have to leave for a time, Jay. I’m sorry.”

The virus crossed the room to her and Chrysalis covered the papers on her desk. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a simple hug. She sighed and relaxed in the warmth his viral friction created, leaning into him. “It’s okay, Chryssi. You’re a Queen and you have duties. I’m happy you were able to be here this long.”

Then he pulled back a little. “Besides, I likely won’t be here either. Luna’s asking me to check out Trotsdale today and Celestia will be there tomorrow.”

“Luna still visits you in your dreams every so often?” Chrysalis asked as looked up at him.

“Yeah, why?” Jay asked.

“I trust you to be careful who you add to the herd and to not take more mares than you can handle.” Chrysalis said simply before leaning in to him again. She paused as she felt his chest jump slightly as he chuckled.

“Chryssi, I’m not even sure I want more than you. My world is monogamous and I’m a little nervous about the polygamy that this world embraces. I’m perfectly happy with just you.” Jay replied.

He felt her muzzle move as she smiled and spoke. “As much as that warms my heart, I’m afraid I can’t be so selfish as to keep you to myself, even if a part of me wants to. Maybe you’ll never care for them like you do me but they deserve the chance at experiencing the same love you give me. Don’t be afraid to let them into your heart. This isn’t Earth and you won’t be betraying me.”

Jay frowned a little as he listened to her speak. “I promise nothing.”

Chrysalis knew he wasn’t going to give in just yet; he would need time to adjust to the idea and bond more with the two Alicorns. Like she told him, a part of her hoped he never would adjust to the idea. Another, larger, part hoped he would. The Changeling wouldn’t mind having a large family. “All I ask is that you try.”

He grunted. “I can do that. I doubt anything will come of it anyway; Luna and Celestia aren’t as close to me as you and I are.”

Chrysalis just smiled. “We got together two weeks after we met and we started as potential enemies. There’s every chance that, two weeks from now, they may be well on their way to joining the herd. And I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

Then she nuzzled him gently. “Enough of this, though. I can see that you’re a little uncomfortable and nervous. What do they expect you to do in Trotsdale?”

“Chances are good that I’m just going to use my powers to look for tracks and other things they wouldn’t or couldn’t notice. Celestia will be joining me to do the same on the magic side of things.” Jay explained. “After that, We’ll head home.”

“Be careful, Jay.” Chrysalis said. “Things will be uninteresting on my end of things, though. The Ruby sisters are kind and rather understanding compared to other Hives. I’ll likely be gone for a week or so. Find a way to contact me if anything happens, okay?”

Clear concern laced her voice and he smiled to her, gently kissing her for a short moment. “Of course, Chryssi. Even if something happens, I have backups.”

A curious look flashed in her eyes for a moment as she followed the distraction, knowing full well he was trying to keep her from worrying. “What have you been doing down in your cave?”

“Not much, yet. So far, I’m only experimenting with creating some of the creations Mercer used on Earth, like the Warpers. I can do it easily enough if I have a corpse at hand- that’s how it was designed, after all- but I’m having trouble making one from scratch.” Jay explained.

“What do you plan to do with them?”

“I don’t know.” He replied honestly. “Keep them around to help protect Sapphire Hive and Equestria, I guess. I’ve no need for an army any time soon and I don’t plan on conquering anything. Really, I’m just keeping my options open.”

Then he frowned. “I guess we need to get started. I have a book to check out before I head to Trotsdale.”

“I guess so.” The Queen sighed, though neither of them moved from their comfortable spot together.

“Of course the book is checked out.” Gene grumbled to himself as he exited the library. “Why in the world would it be there just when I needed it?”

Glancing at the sky, he saw that it was still rather early in the day, around ten if he was correct. Twilight had been busy with her work on some spell or another and had pretty much ignored him when he told her he was leaving for a time. The ponies stationed at the Expedition Point already knew he was leaving and he had dropped by to tell Fire and Coal. Figuring that everypony who would want to know already knew he was leaving, he used to sun to check the directions and set out toward the northern edge of Ponyville where he would follow road signs until he reached Trotsdale.

Gene kept a sedate pace as he walked through Ponyville, keeping up the guise that he was in no hurry. Once outside of the town, he sped up slightly from a walk to a canter. When he was fully out of sight of the town and out of sight of any ponies, he quickly shifted into the form of a wolf and dashed toward Trotsdale as fast as he could run without the world blurring from speed.

Three and a half hours later, his powerful nose picked up the scent of burned wood, melted metal, sweat, and ponies. Rightfully assuming he was near the ruined town, he shifted back into Gene and continued walking along the trail and a good pace. Up ahead and on the border of a small forest, he could see the ruins of the town of Trotsdale. Guards and Rangers alike milled around a small encampment to the side of the path, even more ponies exploring the ruins and the surrounding hillside. Before the virus could walk past the encampment, a voice called out to him and stopped him from going any farther.

Gene turned and saw a Ranger approaching him, his gray armor glinting in the afternoon sun. When the Pegasus came to a stop in front of him, he spoke. “You’re Gene Splice, right?”

“I am. May I ask who I’m talking to?” Gene asked politely.

“Corporal Dancer.” He said. “Princess Celestia said to expect you some time today and that you might be able to succeed where we couldn’t. I didn’t expect you to be here so quick.”

“I move fast.” Gene replied. “You’re the one who found this town, aren’t you?”

The Corporal nodded sadly. “Unfortunately. When me and my squad arrived, the town was already gone. The fires had gone out on their own from a lack of good fuel and we didn’t find anypony in town.”

“Any bodies?”

Dancer winced. “Plenty, all skeletons. From the looks of things, most ponies didn’t even know there was a fire. We f-found skeletons around tables, in bed, and e-even in t-the s-school.”

Gene looked at the Ranger in understanding. “So it couldn’t have been a normal fire; ponies would have known about it and escaped.”

“Except for the ring.” Dancer said after recovering slightly. “But they could have crowded into the parks and such and a normal fire wouldn’t have spread there. There’s a couple ponds and pools ponies had hopped into as well, all evaporated.”

“So a wave.” The virus supplied. “Sometime that spread out over the entire town. Pretty much guarantees foul play.”

“Right.” Dancer said with a nod.

“Surrounding area?”

“Outside the ring, the ground’s completely untouched. The fire started and stopped in the town, not burning a blade of grass outside of it. Couple of Rangers found a few sets of tracks into the forest but all of them turned around after a while. The only other way anypony could have came in or out is on the road, but we wouldn’t be able to tell; A century of wagons and hooves have scarred that path.” Dancer started explaining.

“We found a set of Town Guard armor outside the town on a small rise. Only thing that was in it was a pile of dust, a few feathers around it, and a single wing at the base of the hill. We think it was Lieutenant Snow Flight, the head of the Town Guard here.”

Gene hummed for a moment as he thought, then nodded. “I’m going to get a good look at the town, then head into the forest and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Keep up the investigation, any moment can reveal something important.”

Corporal Dancer nodded and returned to the encampment while Gene turned to the town and started walking in. As he approached, the ‘ring’ became apparently rather early on. It was a three foot thick blackened line- even darker than the rest of the town, that extended to each side before slowly looping around the town. The grass was entirely gone and the dirt had been baked into a very hard layer. Past the ring, the ground lightened as the grass had been burned and the ground singed, but not completely baked and fried like the ring had. The buildings, or what was left of them, were surprisingly standing still. Not much remained, most of the timber having been turned to ash, but some of the frame remained. Any bits of iron or steel that were part of the foundation may have warped but it was still there, showing the extent of the damage.

On the streets of the town, surrounded by rubble and burned debris, Gene found several skeletons that had been blackened and cracked. Not even the manes remained, though he couldn’t smell the horrific scent of burnt hair. The skeletons ranged in size from full-grown adults to young foals, a tragic fact. Several piles of molten slag surrounded some skeletons as the remains of armor and weapons. For a moment, Gene wondered why some metal had been liquified while others only warped. Then he realized that there hadn’t been just a single fire that wiped out the town; the caster had walked through the town and burned ponies and buildings with magic. The buildings remained standing because the caster had paid little attention to them while focusing on the Guards.

There was likely a wave of fire at the end that wiped out any possible survivors. Gene thought to himself sadly. Whoever it was, the caster was thorough. He knew what he was doing, or at least could cover his tracks.

Gene grunted and turned to head into the forest, the sun at his back high above. He exited the town with a decision to do a full search later on and entered the forest. Moving quickly, he saw a couple sets of tracks that went into the forest, passed ponds or glades, and swung around to head back into town. The odd assortment of pawprints, slither trails, and hoofprints from the animals of the forest stood out from the few paths that cut through the woods. Nothing seemed large but that didn’t mean they weren’t magical; Gene hadn’t yet ruled out a magical creature or dragon.

Direction his attention to the canopy, he searched the first hundred meters for any breaks in the branches where a large creature might have taken flight and broken through. His irritation grew slightly when nothing came up and he stopped to think.

Teleportation?

The virus went another four hundred meters into the forest and searched again, blazing a straight line across the forest parallel to the town. He kept his eyes on the ground, looking for any paths where a pony might have walked down. Twice, he had a false lead as he came across the tracks that he and the Rangers had both found. A third set later on made him pause. It was a set of tracks, clearly hoofprints, that led straight toward the town. Quickly continuing his search, he didn’t find any return tracks. Somepony had walked into town from the forest and left a different way. It wasn’t much, it may have been entirely unrelated, but it was something.

Following the tracks toward the town, he had to stop when they vanished, likely where the pony had decided to teleport the rest of the way in. A quick glance up confirmed that it was a Unicorn, not a Pegasus. It seemed to Gene that he may have found the way the caster had gotten into the town.

Well enough for a start. Gene thought to himself.

Author's Notes:

Yet another chapter with no Betareader, unfortunately. Don't hesitate to tell me of any errors you find.

Disarray makes a bit of a return, simultaneously parting knowledge and confusion. A few things begin to build up, questions arise, and the story continues.

Trust in Us if You Can't Trust Yourself

“So he came in from the woods?” Corporal Dancer asked again.

“Right.” Gene replied. “It’s a trail about five hundred meters into the forest. It heads towards Trotsdale for a while before ending suddenly about three hundred meters from the edge. There’s no breaks in the branches so it’s not a Pegasus and an Earth pony can’t teleport, so it’s likely our caster.”

“It’s not guaranteed, though.” Dancer pointed out.

“No, not guaranteed.” The virus agreed. “But it’s our only lead right now.”

The Ranger nodded in agreement to that. “Unfortunately, you’re right. I wish we had more to go on. Have you followed it back to the source?”

Gene shook his head. “Not yet. I came back to tell you what I found. Have the Rangers search in a ring starting out a few hundred meters from here. If he teleported in, he might have teleported out.”

Dancer nodded again. “I’ll get them on it. Follow the trail for a while but try to make sure you make it back before nightfall.”

“Will do.” Gene said before he turned around and headed back into the forest. He followed his memory perfectly to the beginning of the trail where the caster had teleported into Trotsdale. Turning around, he walked away from Trotsdale and deeper into the forest that he still didn’t know the name of. He followed the clear hoofprints for an hour or two, thankful for the lack of a recent storm. If it had rained, all tracks from the caster would have been gone utterly, no matter how far out from the town he had teleported.

The sounds of the forest echoed through the air around him. His intense hearing slowly started picking up more and more sounds as he stopped tuning out ambience. Birds fluttered through the trees, small game bounded through the underbrush, and larger predators and prey trampled through the forest off in the distance. His pony ears flickered this way and that as it picked up indistinct conversations from the Rangers outside the forest, a small pack of wolves chasing an elk, and several birds singing in the trees.

Gene felt himself unconsciously relaxing as he walked through the woods. These were the sounds that he was familiar with, the sounds he grew up around in Louisiana. His mind flashed back to watching racoons in his yard when he heard two chittering in the distance. The virus smiled. This is the type of place I could live my life.

So maybe he was a scientist at heart and the company he worked for was in a city, but he was born and raised at the edge of a village in the middle of nowhere, eighty-five miles from another town. This was his home, no matter the world he was in.

Some time later found Gene standing at the edge of an old campsite. A single tent sat on one edge of a small clearing with a fire pit dominating the center, surrounded by large rocks. The pit was cold, it had been like that for a long time. The tent was sagging, wind and animal attention likely bowing the interior supports. Tracks, both of pony and animals, littered the clearing. A quick search around the edge revealed no other pony tracks than the one he followed here. The Unicorn must have either covered his entrance, arrived with a series of teleports, or it had rained after he set up camp but before he left.

Turning, he walked into the campsite proper and made his way to the tent. The beige shelter was large, easily capable of holding Chrysalis and his true form with room to spare. One side was sagging significantly. Up close, he couldn’t quite tell what had made the side collapse. Entering the tent by means of an unsealed flap, he looked around the tent. A small desk stood on one side of the tent, the top covered in a light layer of dust. A ratty bedroll dominated the other half of the tent, abandoned either in haste or in disgust. Nothing else was in the tent.

Approaching the desk, he saw that the desk had several small drawers and a clear one on the top. Opening each drawer one at a time, he found each one to be entirely empty of even scraps. Either they had never been used or the caster had been thorough in taking any leads and evidence with him when he left. A bedroll wasn’t exactly enough to catch him, unfortunately.

Gene hummed out loud as he turned to face the bedroll. He walked open and swung it open, watching a small snake slither out of it and out a small hole in the back wall of the tent. There was, as he expected, nothing inside of it. Shrugging, he turned and walked out of the tent. Then, he paused and walked back in, flipping the entire bedroll over. He paused for a moment once he did. “Well what do we have here?”

A small, single stone sat underneath the bedroll. At first glanced, it seemed like a normal stone. Further inspection revealed the small purple rune the size of a thumb engraved on the side of it. A quick touch revealed no magical effects as he jerked his hoof back. A longer touch on the side of the stone revealed no energies that he could feel, no extra heat, nothing suspicious. Picking it up, he formed a small pouch around his neck and dropped it into it. He hummed thoughtfully as he left the tent again. “Might be worth looking into.”

The golden carriage came to a rumbling stop, the non-existent suspension doing absolutely nothing to dampen the jolts and shocks caused by the wheels bouncing on rocks and lumps of dirt. The Royal Guards trotted to a slow stop, bringing the carriage to one as well, just outside the encampment where several dozen Guards and Ranger stayed while they searched the lands for anything they could find. The sun-engraved door swung open silently and smoothly as Princess Celestia, Diarch of the Sun, climbed out of her carriage. A single nod to the bowing Guards was all it took to get them to rise and return to their duties. Another soldier, a Ranger, approached her nervously.

Celestia flashed her warm smile, letting him know it was alright. “Hello, Corporal Dancer.”

Momentarily stunned that she knew his name, he took a few seconds to respond. When he did, he had to clear his throat to be understood. “Good evening, Your Majesty. You are early, did something happen?”

“My schedule cleared up enough for me to arrive earlier than I planned.” Celestia answered. “I figured there was no harm in getting extra work done. I’ll still be leaving on schedule unless something unexpected comes up.”

The Ranger nodded his understanding. “Thanks to Gene Splice, we believe that the caster came from the forest until a few hundred meters in, then teleported the rest of the way. Gene is currently following the trail outward attempting to find the point of origin or a campsite. He should be back in an hour or so, maybe two or three.”

Celestia smiled again. “Thank you for telling me. I’m going to go meet him and will return with him.”

The Corporal nodded and left at the obvious dismissal. The Solar Princess turned to her Guards and spoke. “Unhitch yourself, relax, and spend the rest of the day as you see fit. We won’t be leaving until tomorrow afternoon.”

Her Guards nodded their thanks and unhooked themselves from the carriage and wandered off to find bed and board for the night. Celestia herself turned and walked into the forest, her long stride and easy gait allowing her to reach the edge quickly and easily. A quick spell located Gene’s position and she set off, entering the forest with nary a noise. Her hoofsteps, loud on marble, stone, or wood, fell softly on the soft dirt and deftly avoided any partially-rotten branches or dry leaves. Before long, her ears swiveled naturally as she picked up the sound of crunching branches ahead of her.

A few minutes later, Gene came into sight as he rounded a large tree. He saw her immediately and smiled to her, waving with a single hoof. Her eyes spied a small pouch around his neck and her curiosity peaked. She continued to walk forward until they stopped in front of each other, both of them wearing a smile. “Hello, Celestia. You’re a little early, aren’t you?”

Celestia laughed lightly at his greeting and nodded her head, mirth dancing in her eyes. “Yes, I’m rather early. My schedule mysteriously cleared when Luna took on several of my duties for me. She seemed rather adamant for me to come out here as early as I could.”

Gene rolled his eyes. “I’m sure I know why.”

The Alicorn grinned. “So do I. You’d think she would at least try to be subtle.”

“‘Subtle’ is not in her dictionary.” Gene replied, making her laugh again as the words rang true. As her mirth died down, she asked a question that had been on her mind for some time.

“How do you feel about what Luna’s trying to do?” The Princess schooled her features to reveal neither her hope nor her worry as she waited patiently for his reply. Somehow, though, she felt he knew what she was feeling.

Gene just sighed and ran a hoof through his mane, something she had seen him do in his other form as well. “I’m not quite sure, Celestia. Jay was monogamous and that carried over to me. The idea of having multiple lovers at the same time doesn’t sit well with me, and them knowing about each other only makes it seem worse.”

“So no.” Celestia said calmly. All truth be told, while she was hopeful, she was glad she was able to get the rejection out of the way as soon as possible, long before she actually developed any feelings for him. There was disappointment, of course, but no pain or heartache.

“I didn’t say that.” Gene said with another sigh. “Give me some time to sort out my thoughts. Chryssi and I talked about it earlier this morning.”

“And how does she feel?” Celestia asked.

“She’s all for it, even if a part of her wants me to herself.” Gene replied, making Celestia nod as she understood where the Changeling was coming from. “My indecision is all me, Celestia.”

The Solar Princess smiled at him. “Take all the time you need. There’s no rhyme or reason to emotions. Just keep in mind that my sister and I are a package deal; there’s no getting one of us.”

Gene returned her mischievous smile with a small, weak one of his own. “Thank you, Celestia. I refuse to be someone who leads you and your sister on. I’ll get over my conflict and give you an answer as soon as I can.”

Seeing the honest, determined look in his eyes, Celestia leaned down and gently nuzzled him. “We’ll be waiting. I appreciate your honestly severely and Luna would too. I assure you, no matter the answer, we’ll remain friends.”

Then she stood up straight and gestured back down the trail. “Now come on, let’s return to the camp. Did you find anything?”

The two started walking toward the camp again as Gene nodded. “There’s a campsite a little while back. A single fire pit and an old tent were set in a clearing. Inside the tent was a rotting bedroll and a dusty desk. The desk was empty but underneath the bedroll was a small stone with a purple rune inscribed on it.”

“May I see it?” Celestia asked once he paused. Gene nodded and pulled the stone out of his pouch, manipulating it with miniscule tendrils. He passed it to Celestia who levitated it closer to her and started to examine it. After a moment, she started humming as several tendrils of golden magic started to weave into the air and wrap around the oval stone. A few seconds later, the energy dispersed as Gene watched with a glint in his eyes.

Finished with the spell, she passed it back to him and he returned it to his pouch. “I didn’t recognize the rune from any language I know so I thought it may have been magical in nature. I checked it for any energies, remnant or otherwise, but I found no traces of any spells.”

“So it’s not magical?” Gene asked rhetorically. “I figured it would be. I doubt the caster was careless enough to forget this. I think he left it on purpose.”

“There’s no magic affecting it.” Celestia reassured. “Maybe it’s meant to throw us off his trail? We focus on tracking the rune and end up letting the real trail go cold.”

“Possibly.” Gene mused. “Is there a way to cast a spell on an object from out of sight.”

“Only if you’ve memorized everything about it…” Celestia started only to trail off. “That might be exactly what he plans. If he made this runestone, he likely would have it memorized. He would have to be a very skilled mage, though.”

“I think we already know he has power.” Gene said. “Or at least an artifact. Any objects that can increase magical power?”

“A few, one of which can corrupt the wearer. Though, that object has been contained after an incident with it a while back.” Celestia said with a thoughtful frown. “Several of the others are in various museums, with a couple unaccounted for. It’s entirely possible the caster found one.”

Up ahead, the forest began to thin as they neared the edge. The light didn’t really brighten as they neared the edge; unlike the Everfree Forest, the canopy was not thick enough to block the light. After a couple more minutes of silent walking, the pair exited the forest to see the sun nearing the horizon. The Rangers and Guards were returning to the camp and prepare to rest for the night. The search for evidence would resume in the morning when the ponies could see better.

At the edge of the forest, Celestia stopped and looked up at her charge. Gene stopped to watch, realizing she was going to set the sun while, hundreds of miles away, her sister would raise the moon. The Alicorn’s horn flared with golden energy as she reached out to the nearby star. A warm aura filled the air around her, causing Gene to relax as it, somehow, relaxed his viral cells. Her horn flared brighter as the sun began to dip below the horizon. Behind them, blocked by the forest, Gene knew the moon would be coming up.

Finally, the sun fully dipped below the horizon and her horn’s magic extinguished. The Princess let out a satisfied sigh as she looked to Gene, pausing at his relaxed smile. His eyes drifted toward hers and he spoke softly. “That was amazing, Celestia.”

The royal mare blushed lightly at his praise. “The magic?”

Gene nodded. “That and the aura you emitted. I felt relaxed and content. I’m glad I saw, and felt, that.”

Celestia’s warm smile was as bright as the sun she had set, her magenta eyes seemingly glowing with happiness. Even as Luna loved her moon and stars, Celestia loved her sun and the warmth it brought. It was her passion to bring light and heat to the world around her, allowing ponies to see, live, and do things. The importance of the situation struck him as he realized that Celestia had just shared that passion with him. That was her aura; the love she felt for her sun and the world.

Celestia saw as a thoughtful look spread across his face as he considered something she didn’t know. The Alicorn couldn’t deny the nervousness she had felt when she had begun to lower the sun. It was the first time in a long time she had let somepony watch her and experience the emotions that ran through her as she handled her charge. The Summer Sun Celebration was entirely different; it was showy, public, and impersonal. Nopony felt her aura because she didn’t emit it. Twilight and Luna were the only living ponies who knew what it felt like when she truly connected to her sun.

After a moment, Celestia gestured toward the camp with her wing. “Let’s return to the camp. I took the liberty of having a tent for you set up near mine. Even if you don’t plan to use to tent, you still have the option.”

“Thank you, Celestia.” Gene said, then smiled mischievously. “Are you trying to tell me something by putting my tent next to yours.”

Celestia couldn’t stop the reply that tumbled out of her mouth. “Perhaps. You’d know for sure if I invited you to mine.”

Gene couldn’t stop the slight stumble that affected his gait at the entirely unexpected the reply. Glancing up at the Alicorn, she was staring forward as they walking, though that didn’t stop him from seeing the pink dusting on her muzzle. It was clear that she hadn’t intended to reply in such a flirtatious way. After a moment, she spoke suddenly. “I-I’m sorry for that. I don’t know why I said that.”

Gene just smiled lightly to her, letting her know it didn’t bother him. “Don’t be sorry. It’s a lot funner when you don’t censor yourself. You know I won’t think any less of you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Gene.” Celestia said just as they reached the edge of the encampment. They both stopped just outside the ring of firelight as they paused, facing each other. After a moment of tensed silence, Celestia leaned down and gently kissed his cheek. “Good night, Gene.”

“Good night, Celestia.” He replied, watching as she strode into the camp and toward her tent, a golden one large enough to easily fit her, with two Guards flanking the entrance. His tent, a smaller silver one, was situated a few feet from hers and was unguarded, which he was thankful for. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, he entered the camp and his tent, finding a comfortable looking bedroll on the ground. Lying on it, he found it padded to keep him off of the hard ground. While the ground wouldn’t affect him, he appreciated the thought behind it.

As his eyes closed and his mind drifted into sleep, his powerful hearing could hear Celestia settling down for sleep in her tent a mere ten feet over. As his mind began to darken, he could just barely hear her whisper in her tent, only picking up the fact that she said his name- his real name. Then he was out.

“How goes the search?” Greeted Luna as soon as Jay was in his dream. The dreamscape around him hadn’t even fully formed yet. The forest popping up around them like weeds reminded the virus of a computer game with bad rendering. The virus turned and saw Luna reclining in a hammock strung between two trees and smiled at her relaxed demeanor.

“So so.” Jay said as he created his own hammock next to her and hopped into it. “Found a runestone. There’s no magic in it but we- Celestia and I- think that the caster may have memorized it so he can cast a spell on it from long range. Either that or it’s to throw us off the real trail.”

“Speaking of Celestia, how are you and her?” Luna asked with faux curiosity.

Jay just rolled his eyes at her. “I know exactly what you are doing.”

“Me?” The Alicorn gasped with faux outrage. “I’m not doing anything!”

He just deadpanned at her which sparked her fake look to dissolve into mild giggles. Her mirth was far more than it should have been, but he couldn’t blame her for finding it funny. His deadpan evaporated, replaced by a wide smirk, when she snorted. Luna blushed brightly, her blue coat turning purple, as she snapped a hoof up to cover her muzzle, which she then covered with a wing.

“You giggle-snort? That’s adorable.” Jay said with an honest chuckle, making Luna tuck her head under her wing even further.

Luna took a few moments to compose herself before uncovering herself, then spoke with force to stop his laughter. “In any case, how are you enjoying each others’ company? ‘Tia needed the break from the dull monotony of ruling.”

“Celestia wasn’t here for long, but I saw something that was amazing.” Jay said. “Celestia raised the sun in front of me and her aura washed over me, utterly relaxing me and making me feel safe.”

He stopped when he saw Luna’s corner-to-corner grin. “What?”

“The fact that Celestia allowed you to witness and experience that shows you the trust she has in you.” Luna said, her grin not faltering. “It’s a private thing for my sister and I. It gives the viewer a glimpse into who we are, far more personal than anything words or actions could reveal. What you felt was a portion of Celestia’s soul, her personality. The more times somepony experiences that aura, the more portions of us they see and the better they understand us.”

“But Celestia raises the sun in front of a crowd every year.” Jay stated, simultaneously awed and confused.

Luna shook her head. “That’s not the same. She doesn’t let her aura form. It’s not personal nor meaningful during the Summer Sun Celebration. The same goes for me during the Winter Moon Festival.”

“Who does she trust with that knowledge?” Jay asked slowly, his voice weakened as the importance of it hit him once again.

“Me, Twilight, and now you. Nopony else alive has ever experienced our auras. That shows the sheer depth of her trust in you. Keep that in mind.”

“But why does she trust me?” Jay asked.

“We saw your memories, remember.” Luna reminded him. “We know what you are like. We know that, while far from perfect, you try to be good. Sometimes, you fail. Sometimes, you purposely abandon your pursuit to do what you believe needs to be done. Overall, you’re a good person and we see that. You’re not perfect, but nopony is.”

Jay fell silent, thinking on what he was told. He remembered that they had seen his memories after he told them his story. He supposed that knowing exactly what kind of person he was would be enough to let them trust him. “So y’all saw everything there is to know about me?”

Luna shook her head. “No, not everything. We focused on what was important at the time; Mercer, Heller, and everything you did and why you did it. It was enough to show us that we could trust you without revealing all of your secrets.”

“Good.” Jay said, making Luna raise an eyebrow. “I’d be boring if you knew everything about me.”

Luna laughed, understanding his joke. “It was rather surprising when we learned you could cook.”

“God, I still remember the sounds Celestia made when she was eating that brownie.” Jay mumbled.

“And that brownie she swallowed in one gulp.” Luna added teasingly.

“At this point, I think I’m going full native.” Jay murmured to himself. Luna perked at that and flapped her wings once, launching herself into the air. A moment later, she landed in his hammock, lying on top of him.

“What was that?” Luna asked with a wide smirk, leaning down to nuzzle his neck. Her smile widened as he groaned aloud.

“I’m torn between my monogamous raising and the polygamous beliefs of Equis.” Jay said honestly, making Luna start to climb off of him.

“I’m so sorry, Jay! My teasings and set ups must be bothering you so much.” Luna nearly shouted, her voice teeming with upset.

Jay reached up and grabbed her hoof and stopped her. “No, Luna. You haven’t been bothering me. This is what I need; a little pressure to make me get over myself. I’m not on Earth, I’m not surrounded by humans, and I’m not a human. I have no reason to follow human beliefs and traditions. I just need a little push and you and Celestia are helping me.”

His head dropped back onto the hammock. “Chrysalis already approves of it, so I don’t have to worry about upsetting her. It’s all me that’s stopping me.”

Luna relaxed and reclined on him again, speaking softly as she did. “You just need to trust yourself and us, Jay. Trust yourself to know your limits and to make us all happy; I know you can. Trust us to not push you too far or put you up to something you can’t handle. We’ll push you outside your comfort zone, yes, but we’re not going to hurt you.”

“That’s the thing, Luna.” Jay started. “Trusting Chrysalis, you, and Celestia isn’t hard. It’s easy. Trusting myself is what I have trouble with. How do I know I can treat all three of you right and not play favorites with anyone?”

Luna raised her head up and stared directing into his eyes, her teal ones meeting his ice blue eyes. “Then trust us to tell you how we feel. Trust us to tell you if we think you’re ignoring us, or treating us poorly. A relationship is built on trust, Jay. We trust you and you trust us. You just need to trust yourself and we can help with that.”

“Start with Celestia, Jay.” Luna continued. “When you wake up, find a time to tell her your doubts and fears and that you want to give us a chance- if you decide to give us a chance. Chrysalis already gave you her support. She’ll help you through every step just as we will.”

“Okay, Luna.” Jay said weakly. “I will. I promise it.”

Luna nuzzled him once more. “And I promise you won’t regret this. Just be open, be honest, and be yourself.”

That sounded eerily like the advice Disarray told him and it made him wonder just how much the powerful being knew. In any case, it was sound advice that he would follow. “I will. Thank you, Luna.”

The Alicorn climbed off of him and stood beside him. “I’m going to let you dream the rest of the night away. Remember what we discussed and you’ll find it easy to accept the change that you fear.”

The virus smiled. “Have a good night, Luna.”

Then she was gone and his awareness faded. His dreams shifted around him erratically. One moment, he was in New York, running from infected. The next, he was in Sapphire Hive, lying next to Chrysalis. Again, his dream shifted to him being in Ponyville, chatting with Twilight. The last thing he remembered was the virus coursing through his veins, burning his flesh and soul away as he changed into a monster.

Gene snapped awake as he always did, awareness returning in an instant as he was incapable of a groggy awakening. The Earth pony rolled over onto his stomach and stood up, making his way out of the tent. A quick pulse showed that Celestia wasn’t in her tent and was instead on a low hill nearby. A glance up showed that it was early in the morning, maybe seven. Remembering his talk with Luna, he beelined straight toward Celestia. He soon exited the camp, which was mostly empty as the Guards and Rangers had restarted the search as soon as there was light out, and saw the hill in the distance. He couldn’t see the Alicorn and assumed she was on the top near the other side.

Climbing the hill, he saw that his guess was right. Celestia was seated with her back to him, humming some forgotten tune that only held meaning for her and her sister. Her ears perked and twisted around, showing him that she knew he was there. Gene walked up to her and Jay sat down next to her. If she was surprised by his blatant shift of forms, she didn’t show it. Instead, she just turned to face him with a warm smile on her muzzle, one that he had grown familiar with.

“How are you this fine morning, Jay?” Celestia chirped happily, contentment clear in her eyes.

“I’m very well. I wanted to talk with you privately and this is a perfect chance.” Jay started. “It’s about us.”

“So you’ve decided?” Celestia asked hopefully, her large wings beginning to twitch at her sides.

“I have, thanks to Luna. We had a discussion last night and it helped me come to the decision that I want to try this. I’m nervous, I’m worried, but I’m hopeful.” Jay said honestly.

Celestia smiled brightly and nuzzled him, her soft muzzle digging into his neck gently. “I’m glad to hear that, Jay. I’m not going to lie, I was very hopeful you’d say yes. Will you tell me why you’re worried and nervous?”

“I’m scared that I can’t keep all three of you happy. I’ve always been monogamous, even if I’ve never dated. My ideals and the way I act reflect on that. My fear is that I can’t keep all of you happy, that I’m going to upset one of you and ruin it all.” Jay answered honestly.

“Communication is everything.” Celestia told him gently. “Trust us to tell you how we feel, to bring our problems to you instead of just ignoring it and hoping it fixes itself. We’re all mature, you, me, Luna, and Chrysalis. We can handle this. We’re patient, Jay, and we’re perfectly fine with going slowly so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Trust in us if you can’t trust yourself.”

Jay chuckled mirthlessly. “Just what Luna told me. I’m ashamed that something like this is bothering me so much.”

“No.” Celestia said firmly. “Don’t be ashamed. The fact that this worries you so much shows us that you truly respect us and want us to be happy. If you weren’t affected, it would mean you didn’t care. This side of you is why Chrysalis loves you. It’s why she trusts you. She knows you’ll tell her your problems and that she can do the same.”

“You’re right.” Jay said. “But then again, I never doubted that. I don’t trust myself after what Mercer did to me. I’ll trust you to know how to trust me, though. I’m willing to do this.”

“Good to hear it.” Celestia said, leaning slightly against Jay with her head on his shoulder, her wing wrapped around his back. Her eyes drifted closed as she relaxed again, tension fading from her. The humming came back, an old tune she and Luna had made to comfort each other and themselves. She could feel Jay relaxing, too, as he warmed up to the idea. It upset her that he felt he couldn’t trust himself, but she, Luna, and Chrysalis would show him that he could. They had all the time in the world to do so.

After a few moments of humming, she heard Jay’s deep voice join her softer one, his chest vibrating from the baritone sound. She smiled inside, realizing he had memorized it while she hummed the tune, then joined her when the tune repeated. She sighed softly, breaking the rhythm, when his arm draped over her back and held her lightly. She would trust him, even if he refused to.

Author's Notes:

Another attempt at some feelings. I'm not too sure how it went simply because I'm not too good at it. If you have any criticism, whether as a writer or not, feel free to share it. Every bit of advice helps.

A little better understanding of Jay now that he has feelings to contend with. In the beginning, he was all for a herd with Celestia and Luna when there were no feelings telling him it was wrong to have multiple partners.

Of course, the rune may or may not be important, too. You'll never know if it was planned or a spur-of-the-moment decision. In any case, this chapter came out so quickly because I was raring to write this one.

Bonds Can Be Built

Celestia smiled to him. “You’re sure you want to tell her?”

Jay nodded, adjusting his balance as the carriage shifted a little. He and Celestia were on their way back to Ponyville after finishing up the search in Trotsdale. They had stayed an extra two days to follow various leads, making it three days ago that he had decided to give Celestia a chance. Fortunately, the carriage was sealed and he didn’t have to speak over the sound of the wind. “I do. I can consider Twilight a friend and I want to tell her the truth about me.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Celestia said happily. “It’s good to know you’re trying to trust my student.”

“I want to. She’s given me no reason to believe that I can’t trust her with the truth.” Jay replied.

“What about her friends?”

At that, Jay winced slightly as he grunted. “I’m not so sure about them. Sure, I’m not against any of them at all, but I’m not really friends with them. Pinkie’s the only one I can firmly call a good friend and she already knows about me.”

Celestia nodded, expecting the answer. “I’m still proud of you.”

That made a single laugh erupt from Jay. “Proud of me? Why?”

Her smile came back full force, the kind of smile a mother gives her kid. The comparison was mildly disturbing since this was the mare he was dating. “Please, don’t give me the motherly smile. It’s disturbing coming from someone I’m dating.”

That made her cough a couple times as a red blush burned on her muzzle. “A-any way, I’m proud of you because you’re trying to trust more and more ponies. You’re expanding your circle and trusting others. You’re letting them into your heart.”

Jay shrugged. “Only those I feel I can trust. It’s not like I’m opening up to random ponies.”

“That would just be strange.” Celestia added and Jay nodded in agreement. “How do you want to tell her?”

“Well, that letter I had you send her? That was inviting her to the Estate tomorrow morning where I’d tell her. And, uh, will you still be there?” He asked, ending with a nervous chuckle.

“If you want me to.” Celestia said with a smile. “I wouldn’t mind staying the night. What do you want me to do?”

Jay’s hand came up and ran through his hair, leaving it sticking up wildly. Celestia smiled at him, though he was looking down. Seeing his hair like that was attractive; she’d always liked it when her partner was rough, both in looking and in bed. Her muzzle flared red again as she thought of the many nights she had shared with Luna. She barely came back to the present in time to hear him speak. “I’m not positive that she’ll accept what I am. If she doesn’t, I think you might be able to get her to accept me if you tell her that you knew about me.”

“So I’m your fallback plan?” Celestia asked with an amused smile. Jay sighed and nodded, looking away from her. “I'll do it.”

“Sorry, forget it…”

Celestia moved next to him and wrapped a wing and a hoof around him. “What’s wrong, Jay?”

“Nothing.”

“Jay, trust and truth.” Celestia admonished lightly.

He sighed again, acknowledging her words. “It sounds like I’m just using you.”

“No.” Celestia stated firmly. “You’re not. You’re asking me for help. I could say no but I don’t want to. I said yes because I want to help you whenever I can. That’s part of a relationship, Jay. If you need help, I want you to ask me. If I need help, I’ll ask you.”

Celestia jerked slightly only to relax when she realized he had grabbed the hoof that was around him. Her heart warmed as he held it, his thumb lightly rubbing it. The Alicorn’s head came down and rested on his shoulder once more, her breathing evening out as she relaxed against him. She smiled when he leaned back into her, his left arm coming up and wrapping around her barrel. She could spend the entire flight like this and that was exactly what Celestia intended to do. Her grip around him tightened as they reclined against the wall, leaning into each other, and just shared a quiet, happy moment. Even if Jay didn’t say it, she could tell how much her words meant to him and that alone meant a lot to her.

They remained in the same position for four hours, during which Celestia lowered the sun without any prompt or fanfare. She felt him press into her slightly more as the aura took hold and comforted him slightly. As per Celestia’s orders, the Pegasi Guards landed the carriage inside the walls of the Estate. When the carriage rolled to a stop, the pair stood up. Jay reached out and swung the door open for Celestia, smiling to her and waving his hand outward as he held the door. The Solar Diarch tittered behind a hoof and climbed out of the carriage, the night sky twinkling far above them both. She turned to the Guards and nodded her thanks. “You may return to Canterlot. Tell my sister I’ll be staying overnight and returning tomorrow.”

The Guards shared a look before nodding, wisely not questioning their Diarch’s choices. They departed and the two immortals turned toward the Estate only for Jay to pause. “Celestia… if we walk inside and go up to the second floor, the Guards might see you.”

“So?” Celestia asked with a smile.

“That might spark some rumors you wouldn’t want marring your image.” Jay replied.

“Let them talk. I don’t care if the Guards here think I’m dating you. I am. That’s the short and simple of it.” Celestia said with a snort. “Besides, they can’t tell anypony. Nopony would believe it if they spread word of Jay and since Gene is only interested in Snow, ponies won’t buy it.”

“Fair points.” Jay replied with a nod. “Let’s go, then.”

The virus walked forward and held the front door for Celestia who graced him with a quick nuzzle. The pair walked into the foyer. From the corner of his eye, he could see Iron Wall and Lightning Spear staring at them from the living room to their left, their jaws hanging open. Jay ignored them both and led the way upstairs into the secondary living room. Once they were out of sight of the ponies below, Celestia turned to him. “Jay, do you want us to sleep in the same bed or for me to take one of the guest rooms?”

Instantly, she could see that the question made him nervous. He locked up for a split second but just long enough for her to notice. She sighed and walked over, nuzzling his face gently. “I’ll take the first guest bedroom.”

“N-no.” Came the hesitant reply. “We can share.”

Celestia fully hugged him this time, her hooves and wings wrapping around him. He embraced her back, making the Diarch sigh in contentment. After a moment, the pair separated. With an aura of magic, she levitated her regalia off of her and turned around, placing the jewelry into a corner of the room gently. Happy to have the weight of the gold off of her, she stretched. Her neck and wings extended as her back arched, eagerly working out any kinks the day had created.

“Uhh, C-Celestia?” Jay asked from behind her.

With a loud snap and clop, Celestia retracted her wings in an instant and spun around, a powerful blush flaring across her face as she realized that she had just given Jay an extended view. Oh, he must think I’m trying to seduce him and that I only want his body! I messed up so bad!

“I’m so sorry, Jay! I’m not a whorse trying to seduce you, I swear!” Celestia blurted, desperately trying to fix the situation.

“It’s okay, Celestia.” Jay started, embarrassed. “I understand you were just stretching. Just...try to be more careful which way you point yourself.”

Celestia was sure she was going to keel over from blood loss with how red her muzzle must have been. It felt like her snout was on fire from the embarrassment. Then Jay grinned. “I won’t lie, I enjoyed the view. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

That comment only made the blush flare brighter but a part of her was happy Jay was comfortable enough to tease her again. Instead of responding in any meaningful way, she just covered her face with a wing and tried to bury herself in a couch. Her ears twitched involuntarily as he laughed and sat down next to her. The next thing she knew was being moved as he pulled her over and onto his lap, gently embracing her. “Don’t be upset, Celestia. I’m just teasing you.”

“I’m not upset.” She mumbled out, her voice sounding small even to her.

“You aren’t?”

She shook her head in his chest. “Embarrassed, surprised, mortified, a little aroused, but not upset.”

“Don’t put that mental image into my head.” Jay said suddenly. “I guarantee it won’t help me relax since we’re going to be sleeping together.”

“What image?” Celestia asked as she looked up, her magenta eyes meeting his blue ones.

“I already saw you. I don’t need to think about what you would look like while aroused. That’s not going to make tonight any easier.” Jay replied without a hint of shame or embarrassment.

Celestia just groaned and buried her head in his chest again. “Let’s just go to bed.”

She felt Jay nod in agreement before lifting her up, making her squeak as her hooves wrapped around him tighter. His chest rumbled as he chuckled lightly, heading down the hallway. Moments later, she felt herself be deposited on the soft bed before a weight shifted the mattress next to her. Even without opening her eyes, she sought out the source of warmth and comfort, wrapping one hoof over him as her head settled onto his chest.

“It’s funny.” Jay started softly, though he sounded unsure. “You’re in the exact same position Chrysalis always sleeps in.”

“You’re just that comfortable.” Celestia replied as she slowly drifted off. The Princess was aware of one of his hands running softly through his mane, helping her drift off into her sister’s domain.

“Good night, Celestia.” Jay said softly, a content tint to his voice.

“Goonigh, Jay.” Celestia mumbled sleepily, not even bothering to speak properly.

Jay kept the amused smile on his face even as he, too, fell asleep.

Celestia’s dreams flashed by at a disorienting pace. The realm of dreams was fluid, shifting hundreds of times in a matter of moments. No rhyme, reason, or order restricted the motion, only limited by what thoughts her unconscious mind latched onto. Constantly in flux, the nightly visions simultaneously brought her to tears and made her moan in ecstasy. The night passed in a flash and the only thing Celestia knew for sure was the presence of a familiar giggle-snort throughout all the dreams.

When Celestia awoke, she felt uncomfortably hot and sticky from sweat. The heat combined with the grogginess only slowed her awakening and dulled her mind. Underneath her head, she could feel the intense warmth of Jay and instinctively snuggled deeper into him with every limb of her body, wrapping him in a warm and sweaty blanket. His body was tense for some reason, apparently uncomfortable about some fact. Her addled mind slowly became aware of this, confusion permeating her senses. Vaguely, she heard him speak as if it was from far off.

“Celestia? Why do you smell like sex and why is my right leg completely soaked?” Jay asked slowly, almost sounding like he himself was dreaming.

Celestia’s eyes snapped open, her magenta irises dilating as she realized what the burning heat was. The heat spread then, moving from her nethers to her muzzle as powerful embarrassment took hold. With a loud snap, Celestia’s wings flung back to throw the blanket off of them as she fell out of the bed. Standing in a flash, she was gone into the bathroom leaving Jay with nothing more than a soaked bed and a flash of her flagged tail and what lay beneath.

The virus’ head just dropped back onto the bed, combining two curses that he loved. “Goddamnit all to Hell and back.”

Rolling out of bed, he stood before tugging the sheets and blanket off of the bed, piling it in a corner as he reminded himself to wash them personally to prevent anypony from asking why his sheets smelt like sex and Celestia. There he stood in the center of the room, debating on what to do about the fluids on his leg. He wasn’t actually wearing jeans so he couldn’t simply change, but he felt conflicted about simply absorbing the liquid. Eventually, he overcame his indecisiveness and shrugged, a flurry of tendrils absorbing what remained on his leg, though he took care not to assimilate the stored DNA.

With the bed stripped and himself clean, Jay sat down on the bed and decided to wait for Celestia, who he could hear was frantically washing herself while also berating herself. Idly, Jay retrieved the runestone he had found when a tendril and examined it further, ensuring he had the purple rune memorized in the event he had it again. As he turned it over in his hands, a thought struck him. Maybe it only activates if you push magic into it?

He resolved to ask Celestia about it once she had washed herself and calmed down from the event. Then he wondered if he would have time before Twilight arrived. Jay glanced outside and saw that it was still dark, likely around four or five in the morning, well before the sun rose and Twilight would arrive. A plan for the morning made, he leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes, waiting until the time that Celestia was finished.

After what was likely twenty minutes, Jay heard the door to the bathroom open very slowly as Celestia tried to be silent. Soft clops sounded out as she treaded lightly across the room toward the door to the bedroom. The virus could tell she was clearly trying to leave, likely to avoid any embarrassment. Unfortunately for her, he wasn’t going to let the feelings stew in her.

“Celestia.” Jay called out, not opening his eyes as his head turned slightly to face her.

“Eep!” The Alicorn squeaked as she froze right before Jay finally opened his eyes. Celestia was standing near the door, her magenta eyes opened wide as her hoof was frozen on the doorknob. Her wings were slightly spread from surprise, though she quickly folded them again.

“Why are you trying to sneak out?” Jay asked softly.

“I don’t want to upset you any more than I already have.” Celestia said sadly as her ears flopped down against her head, thinking of his reservations toward the herd.

“I’m not upset.” The virus retorted.

“W-what? But I-” Celestia started only to be interrupted when Jay spoke.

“Had a wet dream that got you excited. It’s natural. I wasn’t expecting to wake up to feel you soaking my leg and bed, but I’m not disgusted or upset with you.”

“Really?” The alabaster mare asked hopefully, her ears perking up again.

“Yes, really. Now, come over here and give me a hug.” Jay said with a small smile surfacing, spreading his arms out.

The Solar Diarch crossed the room quickly before leaping into his arms, making the bed bounce and shake with the added force. Her wings and hooves quickly wrapped around him again as she settled on his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Jay’s hands came around and gently rubbed her back, making her hum in appreciation. Her mane drifted in front of his face and around his body, gentle tingles caused by the magic in her mane.

“I’m happy you aren’t upset.” Celestia breathed out in his ear.

“Certain things upset me easily, Celestia, and natural processes aren’t one of them.” He replied, feeling her nuzzle along his jawline after he finished speaking. A moment later, Jay grinned internally as he continued. “So what was the dream that got you all hot and bothered?”

He wasn’t sure but he felt like that comment got her to blush mildly. From his position, he couldn’t see her muzzle so that stopped him from enjoying the sight. “W-well, Luna-”

“That explains a lot. Though, you dreamed of Luna while sleeping with me? Am I not good enough?” Jay asked with a fake tone of hurt in his voice, a grin on his face.

Celestia huffed, catching on to his joke easily enough. She spoke quickly, words slipping out as her cheeks reddened when she thought of her dreams. “Luna was manipulating my dreams, not actually a part of them. The dreams were about yo-”

She stopped herself, though that didn’t mean Jay didn’t catch it. “Oh? About me?”

He felt Celestia nod hesitantly, her fur brushing against his neck and jaw as she did. He found himself idly thinking of how soft and comfortable she was. Then he returned to the present matter. “I’m flattered. I’ll admit I find you attractive, though you already know that. The two times you’ve flashed me may have got me thinking some unusual thoughts for me.”

Celestia’s muzzle burned hotly as she remembered the stretch she had done in front of him and the cold breeze she had felt on her wet rump when she stood up to rush to the bathroom. She had no doubt that her tail had been flagged up and over her back, leaving nothing to the imagination. Then she noticed something about his wording. “Unusual thoughts?”

“Sexual fantasies.” Jay replied bluntly, completely unabashed to be honest with her. She jumped in his grip when he said, though she calmed a little when he continued. “Though I don’t intend to act on them any time soon.”

Celestia sighed. “You act so strangely. Sometimes, you’re shy and nervous about this and other times, like now, you’re completely okay with teasing me and flirting, though that’s a little blunt.”

She felt his shoulder jump slightly when he shrugged. “That’s just because sometimes I think about who you are and calm down, knowing I can trust you. Other times, I remember that I just started dating you and start to freak out when I feel like I’m betraying Chrysalis. Soon enough, there’s going to be Luna as well.”

“When do you plan to talk to her?” The Alicorn asked.

“When you return to Canterlot later today, I’ll be going with you to tell her. I want to take you both out as well. I took Chrysalis on a few simple dates in the last couple weeks and...well, you already know how much I worry about you feeling left out.” Jay told her and Celestia’s grip tightened around him.

The pair stayed wrapped together, simply resting and basking in each other’s presence. To Jay, it was a great way to spend some time with Celestia while getting used to being with more than one person. To Celestia, it was a wonderful way to bond further with Jay while helping him get comfortable with her. It would just take some time for him to get more comfortable around them.

Quite some time passed before Celestia started to move again, feeling a very familiar need to raise the sun. Celestia adjusted her head so that her horn was pointing upward rather than sticking into a pillow and ignited her magic. She connected to the sun and, after a moment of thought, allowed her aura to spread out over the room and take hold of Jay. She felt him sag, relaxing immediately as he leaned against her. As Jay drifted away into whatever memories he saw, she started to hum. It was a simple tone, one that she used to sing to Luna, thousands of years ago, when they were both simple fillies, back before they were Alicorns and Luna ruled the night, in the days when the younger sister feared the dark.

After a short moment of gentle humming, she heard Jay start singing above her ear. Celestia was struck into silence as she realized he was singing the words to the song she hummed, the song that only Luna had ever heard. Then she smiled, knowing that was the memory Jay had seen.

“Feeling tired, by the fire, the long day is over~” Jay sang out softly, his deep voice soon being replaced by her own as sunlight began to stream through the window.

“The wind is gone, asleep at dawn, the embers burn on~” Celestia’s melodious voice contrasted powerfully with Jay’s baritone words. The memory and emotion felt by them both was enough to drive them both to tears.

“With no reprise, the sun will rise, the long day is over~” The pair sang in unison, their hearts syncing together as the magic of music took over them both. With the song finished and the sun raised, the pair of them fell silent, sporadic sobs wracking them both.

“I s-saw that.” Jay said after he had composed himself enough to speak. “I s-saw you s-singing that to Luna all those y-years ago.”

Celestia nuzzled him, the fur around her eyes matted from her own tears. “I s-still sing it to her sometimes. She won’t a-admit it, but she l-loves it when I do.”

“F-funny enough, that’s not why I’m c-crying.” Jay said, wiping his eyes. The magic had been powerful, powerful enough to make him cry when he shouldn’t be able to.

“Then why?” Celestia asked, looking into his eyes.

He gave her a wry smile. “On my world, that song existed there, too. I don’t know who wrote it but I would sing that to Melanie and Amaryllis when we were younger. We both sang that song to our sisters at the end of the day.”

Celestia stared at him, eyes opened wide. The warmth bloomed in her chest and she couldn’t help it as she leaned forward, planting a solid kiss on his lips. He tensed quickly before suddenly relaxing, his arms pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. Before she pressed her luck too far and got really into it, she pulled herself back and stared at him, panting slightly from the adrenaline running through her veins from such a bold move so early.

“S-sorry.” Celestia said breathlessly, though she knew she wasn’t.

“Don’t be.” Jay said as his head came to rest on her own. “Thank you for sharing that moment with me.”

“The memory or the kiss?” Celestia asked with a wide smile.

“Yes.” Jay said, making them both laugh. When they calmed, Jay continued. “I can’t believe the coincidences in this world. You made that song for Luna and I knew it, even before the memory.”

“We shared a powerful moment.” Celestia said softly, her smile firmly planted on her muzzle. “Our hearts connected with that magic and shared the experience between each other.”

“I don’t have a heart.” Jay deadpanned, though a smile twitched on his face. He jerked back in shock when Celestia hit him in the face with her surprisingly heavy wing.

“You’re incorrigible.” Celestia said with a laugh. Jay retaliated by flicking her on the end of her snout, making her flinch and flop backwards with her wings splayed out, landing on her back as they both laughed. Her eyes locked with his before they both sighed, Jay falling on his side next to her. Her head came to rest on his chest again, looking up at him upside down. A gentle nuzzle on his neck and a soft kiss on his jaw was all it took to make him stand up.

“What?” Celestia asked, suddenly worried she did something wrong.

“Nothing! I’m going to go take a cold shower. I’ll meet you in the living room?” He asked hopefully. A knowing smile flickered on her lips and she nodded, walking past him into the hallway with swaying hips. Jay stared for a moment, then grumbled as he turned and went into the bathroom. A cold shower wouldn’t solve anything physically but it would help quell the burning lust he felt in his heart. Well, soul.

After taking a quick cold shower, he left the bathroom and went into the living room where he saw Celestia utterly relaxed on one of the couches. Her head was drooping off of one edge, her horn tapping against the floor rhythmically as she bobbed her head. One wing and a hindleg was thrown over the back of the couch, though she seemed to have learned her lesson as her tail covered any areas the position would have otherwise exposed. A foreleg and her other wing were hanging off the couch and going underneath a nearby table. Overall, it was an incredibly adorable look that made him chuckle loudly.

Celestia’s head snapped up as a dull red blush spread across the bridge of her muzzle. “How long have you been watching me?”

“Only a minute or so. I laughed as soon as I entered. You look absolutely adorable.” Jay said and Celestia smiled sheepishly, then rolled off the couch and landed on her hooves. She trotted over to him and hugged him in that odd standing-pony way; her neck wrapped around his own and her muzzle pressed against his back. His arms came up and returned the embrace before she backed away. He watched as she seemed to nervously consider something. Celestia’s eyes steeled into a determined, if worried, look as she leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

The virus chuckled and reached out, pulling her into a longer kiss. Even though it deepened no further than lip contact, her wings flapped at her sides twice before she calmed down and leaned into him. They parted when Celestia leaned back for air, her lungs still needing air unlike his. The Alicorn smiled bashfully at him. “I was worried that I kissed you too early and only worried you more.”

Jay shook his head, a small smile on his face. “I’m feeling a hell of a lot better about it, now. Luna wasn’t the only one to mess with your dreams last night. She put me and Chryssi together and we talked about all of this again. I even told her how close we had gotten.”

“And?” Celestia asked curiously.

“She was happy about it.” Then he paused. “Now that I think about it, I think Luna told Chryssi her plan for what she would do to you.”

“Why is that?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Because she encouraged me to ‘take care’ of your situation when I woke up.” Jay said with a laugh.

“W-well?” Celestia stuttered nervously. Jay paused after a moment, shocked by the meaning behind her question.

“I t-told her that I wasn’t sure because I didn’t want to r-rush the relationship and ruin it.” Jay replied, half retelling events and half talking straight to her.

“Oh.” Celestia said, slightly disappointed. They were both mature; they didn’t need to worry about being too physical too fast. Did they? No, they didn’t. Celestia and Luna’s relationship started physical after a little too much drink. That relationship has lasted more than a thousand years and a banishment. Why couldn’t theirs?

Looking at Jay as he stared out a window, an answer slowly came to her. He’s scared. He’s terrified he’ll do something to tear us apart, whether me and Luna, me and Chrysalis, Luna and Chrysalis, or us and him. That’s why he talked to Chrysalis about something as simple as a kiss. That’s why he wants to talk to Luna as soon as possible. He keeps saying that we have all of eternity to be comfortable around each other, but he’s second-guessing himself trying to make sure this relationship lasts until eternity. He’s holding himself back in fear of messing up. He really wasn’t kidding when he told us that he hasn’t had a partner before and now he has to deal with three.

A determined stare replaced her thoughtful look as she came to a conclusion. Luna told me about it, Jay. All you need is a little push.

The Alicorn walked around him and butted him with her head, minding her horn, forcefully. While he was likely stronger than her- and incredibly heavy, she had bolstered herself with her magic and it was enough to knock him onto the couch on his back. Celestia trotted over quickly and reared up, placing her front hooves on either side of his head. Jay was taken aback by her suddenly aggressive action as she essentially pinned him to the couch, though he could have easily escaped. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

Celestia leaned down and stopped, her breath warm against his face as they stared into each others’ eyes, fiery warmth meeting passionate curiosity. Then she brought her muzzle down the last few inches and kissed him. At first, it was a normal kiss; the exact same kind he and Celestia had shared already. Then it deepened when Celestia nipped his lower lip, then flicked her tongue across the bite. Humming in response, Jay allowed his lips to part as Celestia’s own muscle darted into his mouth, rapidly flicking across his canines as she hummed in her own melodious voice. Jay’s mouth flickered in a grin as he struck back, forcing Celestia’s tongue into her own mouth. Deft strokes flicked across her mouth sparking moans from her as he explored the depths of her naturally-long mouth.

The tides turned again when, a moment later, Celestia pushed him back and wrestled his tongue with her own. He stopped her in the middle as they fought, their tongues fighting valiantly. A quick nip gave Celestia the advantage as her wing came up and flicked across his neck, causing him to melt against her. She pressed her advantage, forcing his tongue into submission. With her opposition out of the way, she took the chance to fully explore his mouth, focusing closely on his canines. The sharp teeth pressing against her tongue was something she clearly enjoyed, if her light moans had any meaning.

While Celestia’s wing played with his neck, Jay found his hand subconsciously drifting downward until it rested on top of her Cutie Mark right before his hand clamped down, forcing another drawn out moan from her. His hand relaxed then began rubbing soft circles around the Mark itself. Her wing began twitching against his neck as he heard the other flap lightly, extending over the couch.

Eventually, all good things come to an inevitable end. The quick breaths Celestia had taken during their ‘duel’ was no longer enough to sustain her lung capacity. With a regretful whine, she pulled away panting as she stared at him, a satisfied smile on her muzzle. Jay stared up at her, still pinned by her hooves, as he returned the smile genuinely. “What brought that on, Celestia?”

“‘This is what I need; a little pressure to make me get over myself.’” Celestia quoted with a smug smile.

Jay laughed, happiness in his voice. “She told you that, didn’t she?”

Celestia nodded. “She did, but that wasn’t what sparked the passion. It was a realization.”

“Oh?” Jay asked curiously.

When her eyes met him, he realized just how important it would be and sat up slightly when she started speaking. “I realized how afraid you were of hurting us or tearing apart our relationships with each other or you. You were so worried that you were doubting yourself, thinking over the actions you had made or would make, trying to ensure you didn’t do anything to hurt us. Sometimes, a bit of spontaneous affection overcomes anything planned.”

“I’ll say.” Jay said with a grin, though he seemed to be radiating contentment with what she had learned of him.

She smiled and settled down against him, wings and hooves splayed out. She sighed as she relaxed further, content to just not move for hours until Twilight arrived.

“Celestia?”

“Hmm?” Celestia hummed out in question.

“You’re wet again.” Jay said, shifting his leg when he noticed the trails of fluid.

Celestia just groaned out, burying her head deeper into his chest. Jay chuckled, bouncing her head slightly. “You sure you want Twilight to see- and smell- that?”

“We got time.” The Solar mare mumbled out, her voice muffled by his chest. Her wings tightened around him as he tried to move, holding him in place. Jay gave up and, after a moment, spoke.

“So we’re just lying like this?”

“Yep.”

Author's Notes:

This chapter focused purely on Jay and Celestia's relationship as well as a bit more on Jay's personality. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this chapter because I enjoy reading it.

And Friends Can Be Trusted

Jay wasn’t quite sure how long he and Celestia rested on the couch, and it didn’t help that he was distracted the entire time. His mind was muddled, feeling a sticky fluid drying on his leg throughout it all sparking thoughts and desires that did nothing to help him relax. Adding on to it was the fact that Celestia’s tail was waving side to side and filling the air with her divine scent. He was sure she was doing it on purpose but he couldn’t find a reason to ask her to stop.

Some time later, Jay tried to sit up when he heard Twilight knocking on the gate in the distance. Celestia, not able to hear it, pushed him back down with her hooves and wings, her muzzle still buried in his chest. “No, no moving.”

“Celestia, Twilight’s here. I can hear her knocking on the gate.” Jay said, trying to sit up again. What he didn’t expect was Celestia to shoot up and her horn to ignite, a spell being weaved in her mind. With a small flash, Jay noticed that his leg was dry and the ever-present scent in the room was gone. He stood up and raised an eyebrow questioningly to her.

Celestia smiled at him sheepishly. “When Twilight accepts what you are, I plan on telling her about us. I really don’t want her to see or smell anything. She’s like a daughter to me and she looks up to me as an idol. That would be uncomfortable for us both.”

Jay nodded in understanding. “I’m going to tell one of the Guards to bring her up here. Will you wait behind the door just in case she freaks out?”

Celestia nodded and stepped closer to him, kissing him gently before turning around and walked past the door, closing it behind her slightly as she waited. Jay quickly walked over and down the stairs, calling out to the first Guard he saw. “Private Spear, Twilight Sparkle is at the gate. Escort her to the stairs and then return to whatever you were doing.”

“Yes sir!” She said with an enthusiastic salute before trotting out the front door. Jay quickly made his way back up the stairs and shifted into Gene, then spoke aloud.

“She’s being escorted by Private Spear. She’ll be here in a couple minutes.”

From behind the door, he could hear her reply. “I’ll be listening. If she starts to sound angry, or you ask me to, I’ll step in.”

Gene nodded, though she couldn’t see. As he waited, he tried to think of how he would tell her. Unfortunately, his mind kept drawing a blank. Eventually, he gave up. Maybe he couldn’t decide how he would tell her, but he knew he would.

The virus heard the front door open as two ponies walked in, up to the stairs, and Spear spoke. “He’s waiting for you upstairs. Go on ahead, the barrier won’t stop you.”

He heard the sound of somepony climbing the stairs and, a moment later, he saw her head poke through the barrier as she looked around. Her eyes met his and she smiled, though confusion was still clear in her face. She walked the rest of the way up and into the room, standing at the entrance. Gene gestured to a couch across from him and spoke. “Please, take a seat. We have a lot to talk about.”

Twilight sat down, clearly nervous. She fidgeted in her seat for a moment before settling down, gazing at him with her wide eyes shining in curiosity. “A-am I in trouble?”

He frowned in confusion. “Why would you be? As far as I know, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

She sighed in relief as he watched, his confusion replaced by amusement. The Unicorn must have been nervous when she was summoned to the Expedition Point without a word of explanation. Gene cleared his throat and continued. “In any case, the reason I asked you to come here is because I’ve been keeping a secret from you. I consider you a friend and I want to trust you and tell you the truth.”

“Oh!” Twilight said with her ears perking. “I’m glad you consider me a friend. I see you as a friend, too! Thank you for trusting me. What did you want to tell me?”

“The secret’s not something simple, Twilight.” Jay said, his nervousness starting to surface again. “Just...when I tell you, keep an open mind and remember that we’re friends.”

“Gene, you’re worrying me. Are you sick? I might have a spell to help you!” Twilight said, her voice raising slightly.

His head shook. “I’m not sick, Twilight. I’m...I’m not really a pony. I never was.”

Twilight was silent for a moment, her mouth open as she stared at him. After a moment, a strained whisper forced its way out. “C-Changeling?”

To her relief and surprise, he shook his head again. “Not a Changeling. I’m one of a kind, the only one of my species here. I didn’t replace Gene. Before I came here, he simply didn’t exist. I made him up.”

“W-what are you?”

Gene breathed in, trying once again to calm himself only to fail. Instead, he shifted. Twilight recoiled lightly as the swirling tendrils enveloped him, soon vanishing and leaving behind a...creature. It looked like a Minotaur yet not. It’s limbs seemed more proportionate, no horns, and had a surprising lack of fur with the exception of the top of its head. It sat on the couch staring at her, a worried look in its blue eyes.

“I’m a Blacklight Evolved. That’s the name of my kind.” Jay said.

“What’s your name?” Twilight asked with her eyes still roaming over him, intellectual curiosity shining in her eyes.

“Jay. Jay Fontenot.” He said softly. Silence fell over the two as she stared at him, countless thoughts running through her mind. Behind the door, he could hear soft breathing from Celestia as she listened to them. Twice, her mouth opened as she tried to speak only to abandon the effort. A time later, she spoke softly, a tone of hurt in her voice.

“Why did you lie to me, to us, about what you are?” Twilight asked.

Jay chuckled mirthlessly. “Fear. Fear of being attacked for what I am. Fear of trusting others. Fear of being betrayed.”

She fell silent again with a glance toward the ground, thinking over his answer. A thought struck her and her head snapped up, looking at him in worry. “Does Snow know?”

“Yes.” Jay said to her relief. “I told her the first day we met.”

After another pause of silence, Jay continued. “So what’s happening now?”

“I think...I think we’re still friends, Ge-Jay.” Twilight said after a moment. “This is a surprise, but, if you were afraid, I can understand why you would hide yourself. You know I’m going to have to tell Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, right?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Jay said. The door to their side swung open silently, the movement drawing her attention. Celestia walked out, still bare from her normal regalia, and sat down next to the virus. The Alicorn smiled at her student.

“I know about him, Twilight.” She said. “Do you remember when Gene and Pinkie went to Canterlot?”

“Yes…” Twilight said, connections forming in her mind.

“He told me and my sister about him. Pinkie had, somehow, already known about him even though he hadn’t told her.” Celestia continued.

Twilight didn’t quite know what to say. Then another thought struck her. “Wait, why were you here, Princess?”

Both immortals sighed, not quite sure how she would take the news. Celestia, after a moment of thinking, started to speak. “Twilight, my student, you know that I am immortal. Because of this, my sister and I will outlive almost everypony.”

Twilight nodded in understanding. Sometimes, it hurt her when she realized that Celestia would have to feel the pain of losing friends time and time again, including herself. She was taken out of her thoughts when the Alicorn continued. “This includes any stallions that I may find myself interested in. My sister and I have both avoided falling in love with mortals so we could avoid the pain of losing them to time.”

Twilight nodded again. “But why were you here?”

“I’m immortal, Twilight.” Jay said, taking over the explanation. “I’m the one male that Celestia can let herself get close to. She doesn’t have to fear me growing old or dying because I can’t.”

The Unicorn looked at the two in confusion, her gaze switching back and forth as the gears turned. Finally, understanding hit her as her eyes slowly widened. Suddenly, several things came to focus; the way Princess Celestia was leaning against his shoulder, the way the two had a contented air around them while watching her in anticipation, the fact that Celestia wasn’t wearing any of her regalia, which she then noticed was piled in a corner. In all coalesced into one shout. “YOU’RE DATING?!?”

Celestia started giggling when Twilight flopped over, out cold, as Jay chuckled along with her. Jay recovered enough to speak after a moment. “I guess we’re going to have to wait for her to wake up, then. What are we going to do while we wait?”

Celestia turned her head with a smile, a seductive gaze flashing in her eyes. She leaned over on him, slowly starting to climb on him as her muzzle neared his face. Jay watched as her muzzle dipped toward his lips, himself leaning forward. Right before their lips contacted, his hand shot up and booped her on her snout, making her flinch backwards and almost fall on the couch.

“Not with your student unconscious on the other couch.” Jay said with a light chuckle.

Jay’s eyes widened in shock as Celestia gave him an honest-to-God pout. Ears folded backwards, eyes wide and watery, with trembling lips. It was such a heart-rending sight that Jay physically flinched at the look she was giving him. A moment of struggle later, he spoke. “Celestia, do you really want Twilight to wake up and see us furiously making out across from her?”

She blushed lightly and smiled at him. “Fine, you’ve made your point. When we get to Canterlot, I can’t wait for the first night.”

Jay paused, not quite sure if she was hinting at wanting to fool around or actually sleep with him. He opened his mouth to ask, then stopped. You know what, I’ll find out when we get there.

Celestia saw his confusion and giggled again, her melodious voice making him smile. She leaned forward and kissed him gently, then pulled back. “Come on, I’ll wake Twilight up. I know just how.”

Celestia rolled off of him and landed on her hooves, making him smile at the unusual way she stood up. Jay stood as well and followed her to the other couch, watching as Celestia leaned down and whispered into Twilight’s ear. “Twilight, Cadence is here.”

Twilight barely twitched, rolling over in her sleep as she mumbled. “Sunshine, sunshine…”

Celestia hummed. “That usually works. Let’s try something else.”

She whispered again, a tone of urgency in her voice. “Twilight, the library’s on fire! The books are burning!”

That did the trick on the Unicorn shot up, her muzzle smacking into the side of Celestia’s own. Jay winced at the impact that knocked them both over, Twilight groaning in pain as she held the end of her muzzle. “Ow.”

Celestia stood back up and shook her head, a small red splotch on the side of her alabaster snout. The virus turned back to Twilight and spoke. “Twilight, do you have a nose bleed?”

Her eyes crossed slightly as she looked at the hooves holding her nose, then looked back up to him. Her head nodded slightly to him. Jay spoke. “I can fix that. Move your hooves, please.”

Twilight dropped her hooves down and tilted her head back. His hand came out and wrapped gently around the end of her muzzle, gentle healing the broken vessel. His hand came down again and he smiled to her. “Go to the sink and wash your muzzle and hooves.”

Twilight nodded and walked into the kitchen. Jay turned to Celestia and reached out, wiping the blood off of the side of her muzzle with his thumb. The Alicorn held still as he did so, a small smile spreading from the gentle attention she received. When he was done, she turned and caught his lips on her own, a gentle kiss warming the hearts of them both. It continued for some time, simple affection fueling it rather than the passionate lust from before.

“Oh…” Came a gentle voice from their side. Both of them turned to see a blushing Twilight staring at them from the entrance to the kitchen. He noticed that the fur on her muzzle was matted and still wet. Turning back to Celestia, he saw her blushing lightly as well. Jay just laughed at the embarrassment felt by them both.

“Enough of that. Twilight, is there anything you wanted to ask me?” Jay asked, giving them both a welcome distraction.

Twilight nodded furiously. “YES! I want to ask you about your species! Can I leave to get some paper and come back?”

Jay nodded. “Of course.”

With a quick flash, Twilight was gone back to her library, fully intending to gather enough paper, quills, and ink to outweigh Jay. After she vanished, Jay turned to Celestia. “Are we leaving for Canterlot after the discussion session with her?”

Celestia nodded. “We will. We’ll most likely depart in a couple hours. Are you nervous about meeting Luna?”

“A little.” Jay admitted. “But not as much as before. I’m serious, though, Celestia. If I ever do anything to make you upset, don’t hesitate to tell me. Okay?”

“Okay.” Celestia replied with a bright smile directed his way.

“Now to wait.” Jay said. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

Celestia just laughed. “Oh, it will. She’s likely writing a questionnaire for you.”

The virus groaned and leaned his head against the couch, making the Alicorn mare laugh more.

A large, strange bear lumbered through the woods. It was purely a predator, far unlike the omnivorous cousins the bear had. Berries and the like had no place in this beast’s diet. In truth, neither did meat, for the creature was made entirely of interwoven roots. It was one of the few wooden constructs still active from the time of Discord. Unlike the Timberwolves, the nameless bear could not create more of its kind with branches. Roots were hard to gather at the size it needed and were even harder to weave together and infuse with ancient magic, creating an iron-like shell around the golem. The bear paused and raised its muzzle, sniffing the air twice.

A day, maybe a little more.

Unlike the constructs’ extended family, this beast was blessed with an intelligence. A mild one focused around hunting, but an intelligence nonetheless. It resumed its travel, scowling as it heard a Scorpius slaughtering a pack of flesh wolves in the distance. It sniffed again. It would not be long before the beasts reached and devoured the one that awoke them.

Then it stopped, staring forward in shock. Alongside the scent of pony and a dragon, it sensed a familiar scent, one that it had not smelled in a long time. One that drove the beast to grow and kick and bite in hunger, green drool flowing out of its mouth. The bear roared, its voice carrying through the woods and conveying a message. At once, the beasts of the Inner Forest abandoned their pursuit of normal food and charged forward, a horrible cacophony of calls and screams sounding out as animals were trampled or slaughtered in the mad rush to the greatest delicacy of them all.

Alicorn.

An hour. It took Twilight an hour to gather the materials she needed. By the time she was ready to return, Jay had gone into the kitchen and cooked a small breakfast for them all. An omelette, hash browns, something that was labeled as hay bacon, and fresh orange juice courtesy of a juicer in the kitchen. Moments after he had finished, a thought not his own sounded out in his mind.

“Liaison Jay, Twilight Sparkle is attempting to teleport into the upstairs living room from Golden Oaks Library. Course of action?” After a moment of understandable confusion, he realized it was one of the enchantments activating, the one that warded the upstairs from teleports. With a shrug, he replied.

“Allow her in.” A moment later, he saw a heard a peculiar burst of magic as Twilight arrived.

“Jay? Princess? Where are you?” The Unicorn asked curiously.

Before he could say anything, he heard Celestia speak from the dining room. “In here, Twilight. Jay’s currently cooking us all breakfast.”

Clops sounded through the upstairs as she transitioned from the carpeted floor of the living room to the tile floor of the dining room. “Oh! That’s nice of him. I’ll be sure to thank him.”

“I can hear you!” Jay called out in amusement, his smile widening further when he heard what sounded suspiciously like somepony falling. Celestia’s own suppressed laughter confirmed his suspicion that Twilight had fallen out of her chair.

After a moment, he heard her reply. “Thank you!”

Jay just chuckled and walked out of the kitchen, balancing their meals. Each plate was balanced on top of a cup, two of which he grasped in his hands and carried. The third, his own, was held in the grip of a tendril. The dining room was simple, twelve chairs arrayed on a large table. Unsurprisingly, Twilight had chosen to sit next to her mentor. When Twilight saw the tendril emerging from his back, her eyes widened and her quill began to scratch at her paper, surprising him that a hole wasn’t torn into it. Then he remembered the books he had borrowed in the past and how think Equestrian paper was. It was almost like parchment rather than paper from a tree.

Internally shrugging, he set the plates down and took his seat across from Celestia so he could see and speak to them both easier. Celestia seemed a tad disappointed until she realized why he had sat across from her, which she showed with a flash of a smile.

“Twilight.” Jay said.

“Mmhm?” Twilight replied.

“No notetaking at the table. Eat your food.” Jay said with an amused smile.

Twilight didn’t even look up as she started speaking. “But Mom, this is important! I can’t just-”

It seemed to click that she wasn’t at her parents’ house and she looked up, a dark red tint running across the bridge of her muzzle. She saw Celestia giggling quietly behind a hoof while Jay grinned at her. She pouted in reply before setting the quill down and grumbling. “My mother says that…”

Jay shook his head while Celestia quickly nuzzled Twilight, replacing the frown with a small smile. “Don’t worry, Twilight. You’ll have plenty of time to learn about me. If you don’t ask all your questions before we head to Canterlot, we can finish it when I return.”

Twilight sighed, nodding in understanding as she accepted it. “You’re heading to Canterlot?”

Jay nodded while Celestia took a bite from the omelette. “I am. I need to speak with Luna.”

Celestia’s lips curved into a satisfied smile as she remembered that Jay could took, soon taking another bite from her omelette. “Oh? About what?”

“I’ll tell you another time. For now, eat. Trust me, you’ll like it.” Jay said before taking a bite of his hashbrowns, happy that Equestria made forks similar to Earth’s. Twilight did the same, smiling when the taste hit her tongue.

“This is good, Jay. Where’d you learn to cook?”

“Home. Where I grew up, everyone learned to cook. A lot of the time, our food was spicy, but other times, like now, it’s not. I’m glad you enjoy it.” Jay answered with a small smile.

“At my home, Spike’s the one who cooks. I’ll turn pancake batter into doughy lava if I’m the one cooking. Maybe you and him could meet up and share some recipes? I’m sure Ponyville has a few things that your home didn’t.” Twilight replied. Celestia hadn’t said a word, happily munching her meal while Twilight and Jay ate at a more sedate pace.

“Definitely.” Jay said, thinking of how his home was another planet entirely. “I might take you up on that offer. I’ll definitely enjoy learning some new recipes. And Celestia, maybe you should breathe?”

The Alicorn paused, half of an omelette hanging off of her fork as the other half was in her muzzle. Slowly, a red tint spread across her face as she blushed. She chewed a couple times before swallowing. “What? It’s good. Not to mention the fact that few stallions bothering learning to do more than make a sandwich.”

Twilight nodded. “The Princess is right, very few stallions actually learn to cook.”

“Just Celestia, Twilight. We’re not in a formal occasion.” Celestia said, sounding as if it was something she had told her student before.

“S-sorry. It’s hard.” Twilight replied.

“Just try to remember it.” She replied with a warm smile to the Unicorn. The rest of the meal passed in silence as they ate and simply enjoyed the presence of each other. Twilight, as always, was ecstatic to see her mentor and was happy that she had found a special somepony as well. It was a plus that he could cook, too.

Before long, the somewhat late breakfast was over and the three relocated to the living room again. Twilight levitated up a large, unraveled scroll and smiled hopefully at him. He rolled his eyes and smiled at her. “Ask your questions slowly and one at a time, Twilight. I’ll do my best to answer them.”

Twilight’s eyes drifted closed as she breathed in deeply and then exhaled slowly, quenching her burning curiosity as best as she could. When she opened her eyes again, she looked calmer. “First and foremost, what exactly are you? I know you said Blacklight Evolved, but that’s just a name.”

“Well, I’m a virus.” Jay said honestly. When Twilight’s eyes widened, he continued. “But not a normal one. Blacklight is a virus. When Blacklight reaches a host body in enough number, it’ll migrate to the brain and absorb it, gaining whatever sentience and memories the host had. What’s left is called a Blacklight Evolved because it’s a form of Blacklight that evolved by absorbing a brain.”

A few moments after he stopped talking, her quill stopped moving. “So, that would mean that the host dies.”

Hesitantly, Jay nodded. “Yes.”

Twilight hesitated as well. “So... Jay died and, well, Jay was born?”

“Yes.” The virus replied simply. “The original Jay is dead but I have his memories and his personality, while also having more.”

Twilight thought for a moment, then asked continued her questioning. “I saw that you had a...thing coming out of your back earlier. What was that and where is it now?”

“First, it’s a tendril. It’s gone because, as a virus, I have absolute control over every cell of my body. I formed that tendril from my virus and when I didn’t need it anymore, I removed it.” Jay explained. “That’s also how I shapeshift. I change by manipulating my genetics, not by magic.”

“Genetics? Ah, hence the name ‘Gene Splice.’ That’s amazing, Jay. The sheer capabilities that ability opens up is astounding! What does it feel like? What genetic augmentations have you done to yourself?”

“He said one question, Twilight.” Celestia chastised lightly. Twilight frowned, then nodded.

“Sorry, Jay.”

“It’s fine.” He said dismissively. “I can’t really explain what it’s like sensing every cell and gene in my body. Imagine lying on a bed of a dozen materials and each one feels drastically different from the other. Now imagine being able to feel hundreds of millions of those in your body without feeling overwhelmed.”

“That sounds...amazing, yet impossibly hard to imagine.” Twilight said. “My second question?”

“Well, that’s a bit of a large list. I think the most significant thing is my organs. Since I became a virus, I don’t need things like a brain and a liver and kidneys. Originally, I removed all my organs. I recreated my heart, blood, and lungs recently to be more comfortable for my partners. Otherwise is my density. I’ve learned to optimize the shape of my cells and increase how much mass I can fit in the same area. Because of that, I actually weigh a couple thousand pounds at my maximum, with skin harder than steel and muscles powerful enough to lift hundreds of tons. I also have well over a hundred sense with the basic five much more powerful.”

“How powerful?” Twilight asked, her quill scratching furiously across a paper. Jay guessed it was full when she suddenly set it down and lifted another one with her magic, looking to him and waiting for him to continue.

“Well, I normally have my senses reduced because enough ‘noise’ can drown out my senses. If you have one pony nearby talking loudly and a thousand around you stage whispering, you’ll have a little trouble focusing on the one pony.” Jay started, then hummed as he thought about how to continue. “I can see up to a hundred miles away if nothing is in the way, I can smell Pinkie baking in Sugarcube Corner, I can hear your muscles rub against each other as you shift, I can feel minute differences in the texture of something I’m touching, and I can identify thousands of tastes easily, even if they are all mixed together.”

“What about new senses?” Twilight asked distractedly, trying to imagine all the ways his sense were improved.

“Well, I can sense electromagnetic fields much easier and also determine their strength and track it to the cause. I can see other spectrums of light such as infrared and ultraviolet. I can, well, know if something’s moving next to me, even if I can’t hear or feel it. I can feel light when it touches me and tell the difference between normal light and reflected light. Most of the others I can’t even try to explain.” Jay said, struggling to explain some of the sense. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’ve given me quite a lot of information. I know you plan to go to Canterlot so can we do this again later?” Twilight asked, moving on to a fourth page.

“Of course, but what are you writing? I didn’t tell you that much information.” Jay asked, confused.

She flashed him a quick smile. “Theories, possibilities, experiments, and other things to do, including things to ask later.”

Jay nodded in understanding. “Have a good day, Twilight.”

“Have a good day, Jay. It was good to see you, Prin- Celestia.” Twilight said, cutting herself off.

“It was good to see you, too, Twilight. I might pay you a personal visit later this month. Don’t prepare anything for my arrival. I wanted it to be a personal affair, not a full-blown celebration.” Celestia said, cutting off Twilight’s panic before it could even begin.

Hesitantly, Twilight nodded. With another flash, she was gone. Jay smiled and turned to Celestia. “You know she’s going to have the library perfectly clean when you arrive, right?”

Celestia sighed. “Yeah, I know it. I’ve held onto the hope that she’ll become more comfortable with me but I don’t think that’ll ever be the case.”

Jay patted her shoulder comfortingly and smiled. “She just needs time, Celestia. She’ll come to see you as more than just a ruler in due time.”

Celestia returned his smile weakly. “You’re right, of course. I’ll try to be around her more often as Celestia the pony, not Celestia the Princess.”

“That’ll be a good first step.” Jay said reassuringly. “If you’re around here more often, that might be a good way to start it off.”

“‘If’?” Celestia asked questioningly with a smirk. “You can bet that I’ll be around more often. So will Luna and Chrysalis.”

Jay smiled. “I won’t mind that at all. Of course, I don’t expect you to come to me all the time. I’ll be popping by Canterlot from time to time.”

“I’d love that.” Celestia said, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’d be nice to be able to relax and enjoy your company rather than dealing with politics and nobles.”

The Alicorn laughed when Jay winced. “Yeah, that sounds horrible. I had to deal with something like it when I was working in the lab back before my infection. You know, getting grants for my research and trying to convince the damn politicians that yes, searching for the graviton is important and yes, it requires a particle accelerator.”

“I don’t exactly know what a graviton and a particle accelerator are, but I’ve had nobles asking me to take funding from schools just so they could have it. For Mother’s sake, they didn’t even want to use it for anything else, they just wanted it to have it!” Celestia groaned in exasperation. “Of course, some nobles are good ponies, like Fancy Pants. He’s truly noble and deserves every bit of wealth and fame he has. His wife, Fleur de Lis, is a model and is rather famous as well. She’s a kind pony and always has time to help my little ponies.”

“D-did you say ‘Fleur de lis?’” Jay asked in shock. When Celestia nodded, he continued. “That’s a symbol in Louisiana… A lot of things have that.”

“That’s...strange to even think about.” Celestia said. “Our worlds have quite a number of coincidences. First the song we sang, then this. Maybe there is a link we can’t find?”

“Possibly.” Jay mused. “Oh! That reminds me of something.”

The virus he was made of shifted and exposed the runestone he had kept within himself. “Do you think this is only activated when magic is fed into it?”

Celestia hummed in consideration and levitated the rune to herself. The aura brightened and began to imbue the rune with energy. After a moment, Celestia stopped. “It doesn’t seem to be reacting to magic, so I don’t think that’ll do anything.”

She levitated the runestone back to him and he replaced it within his body, smiling at the conflicted look Celestia gave him. It was torn between intrigued and disgusted. “That doesn’t look right.”

Jay shrugged. “Apologies, but it’s an effective way for me to store stuff.”

Celestia sighed and nodded. After a moment, she spoke. “Are you ready to go to Canterlot?”

“Yes, I am.” Jay said. “How are we getting there?”

“Teleportation.” Celestia replied, her horn beginning to ignite. Jay frowned in concern.

“Careful, my virus reacts unusual to magic.” Celestia paused, then nodded.

“I’ll be careful.”

A burst of power and a flash of magic later, the room was devoid of life. Just outside of town, several feet underground, Jay’s second form began to move. Dissolving into tendrils, it burrowed up through the ground and stopped just under the surface. The tendrils spread itself around the southern edge of town, between Ponyville and the Everfree. There, he waited for any movement.

Author's Notes:

Next chapter will be a special one! Look forward to it, or don't. Anyway, things are beginning to pick up now! As always, point out any errors if you see any I don't catch, as I currently have no form of editor.

Intimacy

Author's Notes:

Important: Due to a variety of reasons, I'm going to have a much slower update time in the coming weeks. Because of that, I'm releasing this chapter early. I'll try to keep my timing but I'm probably not going to be able to.

Fair warning, guys. This nearly 9,000 word chapter is about 6,000 words of sex. Yes, I'm finally putting the 'sex' tag to use! It's not really a required read but, well, why read a story tagged with sex and not read the sex? If you want to skip it, at least read the beginning and end of the chapter itself. Don't look for a marker that says 'sex starts here' because I hate breaking up the flow of the chapter. This A/N on top is bad enough!

For those who read it, feel free to comment on it and leave advice and criticism. In general, I'm not the most amazing of writers, but my clop is probably my worst part of my writing.

A loud crack sounded through the empty throne room as a flash of light and burst of magic deposited two immortals. Celestia shook her head vigorously as Jay stumbled to the side, soon falling to a knee. The Solar Diarch stumbled to his side and kneeled down next to him. “Are you okay?”

Jay shrugged. “I don’t feel hurt. That spell didn’t sit well with me, though. How are you?”

“Good...ish. I had to adjust the power of the spell mid-teleport because I forgot about your increased weight.” Celestia said. “It was pretty draining for me.”

Jay grunted. “I figured you would have had more than enough magic for it.”

“It barely touched my full mana pool.” Celestia started. “But I haven’t had to use that much magic in one go in quite some time.”

“Will you be okay?” Jay asked, standing up. He held his hand out and Celestia gripped it with a hoof as he helped her stand up the rest of the way. She leaned against him for support while her legs shook below her. Seeing this, Jay’s look turned worried. “Celestia? Do you need rest?”

She hesitated, then nodded. “I should probably rest a bit and get something to eat after using that much magic. If we’re lucky, Luna might be in our private dining room. I’ll lead the way.”

The Alicorn turned and took a step only to stumble when one of her front legs gave out. Jay caught her in his arms before she could hit the floor, then lifted her up with her looking up at him. The virus gazed down with an amused look while Celestia smiled sheepishly at him, a light blush dusting her cheeks. “I’ll carry you there. I remember the path last time we went there.”

Celestia’s tail flipped up to cover herself rather than dipping toward the floor. “I guarantee you don’t. That wasn’t our private one. That’s the public one we used to entertain visiting dignitaries and guests.”

“Oh, nevermind then. How many dining rooms does this castle have?” Jay asked.

“Well, two Guard mess halls that are the largest, three for the staff, our private one, Blueblood’s private one, and the public dining room, which is the third largest.” Celestia explained. “This castle was meant to be used for centuries, as it has been. Anyway, once you leave the side door, take three lefts, two straights, a right, a left, another straight, then a right. It’s the last door on the right.”

Jay nodded, committing the directions to memory, and started walking. He exited the smaller side door to the throne room, surprised to see no Guards nearby. Shrugging it off, he kept walking and followed the directions perfectly. Celestia, to his surprise, remained silent and just snuggled against his chest as he held her. Guards and servants alike looked on in confusion to see one of their Princesses being carried by him, a being that most of them hadn’t yet seen. None of them confronted him, so he assumed they noticed how content and peaceful Celestia looked.

After about ten minutes, Jay swung the dining room door open with his foot and walked in. Celestia finally stirred as he set her down in a chair and he took a seat next to him. The room was rather small, a simple table with six chairs around it. A single bell sat on the table, which Celestia reached out and rang. Instantly, another door swung open and a servant walked out. Celestia smiled to him and spoke. “Good morning, Golden Leaf.”

“Good morning, Princess Celestia. How may I help you?” The pony asked with a glance to Jay.

“Two servings of my usual breakfast, please.” Celestia replied. Golden nodded and turned, reentering the room he had left. A few moments later, he returned with two domed plates. He set them both down and uncovered them, revealing large bowls of cinnamon oatmeal with a slice of cake on the side. Glancing at the cake, he saw that it was a large vanilla cake slice with chocolate icing.

“You really do have a cake addiction, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Celestia said, cutting a piece of the cake slice off and eating it. A content smile appeared on her muzzle as she tasted it, happily eating the treat while ignoring the actual meal.

Jay shook his head with a smile and started eating the oatmeal, something he hadn’t had in a long time. The cinnamon was a touch he rather enjoyed, adding a nice twist to the oatmeal itself. “So Celestia, how did Golden bring this out so fast after ordering?”

“Unfortunately, the chefs think that they need to always be ready for whatever my sister or I may order. Meals are generally cooked a hour or two before we even order.” Celestia explained. “They’re only able to do it because they’ve learned our habits over the years.”

“What happens if they make a meal you or your sister don’t eat?” Jay asked curiously.

“Somepony else takes it home. We try not to waste things here, so the staff finds a use for everything.” Celestia said. Jay nodded, familiar with the concept. A lot of businesses on Earth had done similar things, though not as many as there could have been.

Watching Celestia take another large bite of her cake, Jay chuckled as he spoke. “I swear cake could turn you on.”

“If it’s good enough.” Celestia replied absently, then blushed once she realized what she said. She looked up to see Jay giving her a interested yet surprised look with a raised eyebrow.

“Luna once gave me a cake one night that was laced with an aphrodisia spell.” Celestia said sheepishly. “We...we didn’t let up until the next afternoon.”

Jay’s eyebrow raised even more. “I...I wouldn’t argue against seeing that.”

Celestia’s blush spread even further but then a seductive smile spread across her muzzle. “Stay around long enough and you’ll be a part of it!”

Jay looked back to his meal in silence and kept eating. Celestia, clearly seeing the sudden change in mood, leaned over and nuzzled him. “Too much?”

“No, it’s just… Chrysalis told me that she had no problem with me being intimate with you or Luna, but it’s so… nothing, it doesn’t matter.” Jay said, trailing off.

“Jay.” Celestia said sternly, giving him a hard look.

“Seriously, Celestia, it doesn’t matter. I already had this discussion with Chrysalis. She told me advice that I really should follow, I just have a little trouble doing so.”

“What is it?” Celestia asked pleadingly. “Please tell me, Jay.”

“It concerns me how fast we’re moving.” Jay said honestly after a moment. “But Chrysalis already told me not to worry about it because of how different I am.”

“She’s right.” Celestia said reassuringly. “We shouldn’t base our relationship on the pace of another pony’s. We’re immortals and so time has little meaning to us. We can progress as fast- or slow- as we want to because it’s our choice what we do with our near limitless time.”

Jay nodded slowly. While he knew that their advice was true, he honestly had some trouble following it. He had always believed that he would move slow with his partner to avoid rushing and ruining the relationship. He had seen too many people rush into the sex and three weeks later they’re both with another person. He didn’t want that, not at all. Then he sighed. No matter what he feels, he would progress at the pace of whoever he was with. If Celestia wanted to move fast with him, he would. If Chrysalis wanted to take it slow, he would. And if Luna wanted to never become intimate with him, he would respect her decision.

“J-Jay, if you don’t want to...I can wait to s-sleep with you.” Celestia supplied, clearly nervous with a tinge of hope that could very well shift to disappointment.

Jay smiled to her. “It’s fine. I’ve come to a decision.”

“Which is?” Celestia asked, looking up to him.

“I’ll move at whatever pace my partner moves at. If you want us to sleep together, I’m not going to complain.” Jay answered.

Celestia forcefully pressed her snout under his chin, gently rubbing her nose against his neck. “Don’t forget your own needs and desires, Jay. That compromise is a two-way street. If you’re going to respect us, we’re going to respect you in turn.”

Jay smiled again at her, her eyes flickering up to look at him. Before he could react, she gently nipped his neck and pulled back, a smug smile firmly planted on her muzzle. The virus leaned over and kissed her own swan-like neck, his canines biting it gently soon after, then moved to her ear that he nibbled on, making a strained moan emit from he throat. Finally, he let her go and whispered into her ear. “Tease me, I get you back.”

Celestia pouted for a moment, then leaned over and rested against his side. Her muzzle tilted up, catching his lips against her own in a gentle yet passionate kiss. It was this sight that Luna walked in on. Jay hadn’t heard her hoofsteps until the door was opened, making him realize that the dining room was soundproofed against eavesdropping.

When Luna had heard from a servant that her sister and Jay had returned to Canterlot, Luna suspected that they would make their way to the dining room for a late breakfast. Further questioning revealed that she had been right and the night mare made her way to the familiar room. When she opened the door and walked in, she was not quite expecting to see Celestia and Jay locked in a simple yet meaningful kiss. She only had one thing to say. “Well, that’s a welcome sight.”

Celestia jumped back and turned to face her while Jay just turned and smiled at her. The Night Maiden walked around the table and stood at Jay’s side. “So I assume you’ve considered and accepted our proposal?”

Jay nodded and spoke with a smile. “Luna, would you like to join us in a herd?”

Luna smiled, understanding the point of his phrasing. “No, Jay, I wouldn’t like to join a herd. I would like very much to join you, Celestia, and Chrysalis in your herd.”

Jay looked a bit nervous and calling it his herd, but smiled nonetheless. He rolled his eyes and gently grabbed the bottom of her muzzle, pulling her into a soft kiss. Luna’s eyes widened as she gasped in response, the sudden aggressiveness utterly unexpected. The virus took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her muzzle, flicking across her teeth. Luna recovered enough to fight back, only to be stopped when Jay parted from her before she could really get into it. His blue eyes flashed with emotion as he looked into her eyes. “Would you like to join my herd?”

Luna only nodded, her head dipping down into a quick nuzzle on the side of his face. “Verily so.”

Celestia chuckled lightly behind a hoof. “Language, Lulu.”

Luna huffed only to pull back in surprise when Jay spoke. “I don’t know, Celestia. Little Lulu sounds adorable when she talks like that. Maybe she can speak as she wants when she’s around us specifically.”

The midnight Alicorn turned and leveled a pleading gaze at Celestia, hoping she could speak the way she truly enjoyed when she was around her herd. Celestia quickly averted her gaze but was a moment too late and caught the full blast of a watery-eyed Luna. She huffed in annoyed amusement before replying. “Fine, she can speak how she wants when she’s around us.”

“Huzzah!” Luna shouted. “We thank thee, Liaison Ja-eep!”

Her revelry was cut short into a squeak when the virus leaned out and bit down gently on her neck. That made Jay laughed loudly. “It seems like every one of you has sensitive necks! That’s going to be fun!”

Jay’s laughing was replaced soon by a groan when both mares leaned over and dragged their tongues across his own neck. When their tongues hit his jawline, their lips pressed against it in a kiss before they both pulled back. With another groan, his head hit the back of the chair before Luna spoke. “We all have sensitive necks. This is going to be much fun. Watch thyself, Jay, for we art a master of teasing.”

Then her muzzle leaned across his chest to face Celestia after the night mare took a seat on his left, the solar mare on his right. “So, Celestia, did mine plan work out?”

“What plan?” Jay asked, looking down at her in amusement.

Her eyes flickered up to him momentarily. “We gave Celestia wet dreams hoping thou would sate her desires. Did it work?”

Celestia shook her head and Jay agreed with her. “Then no, it didn’t. Though, I may be entertaining her tonight.”

Luna nodded in understanding. “Are we to assume this will be a private occasion?”

“Just tonight, Luna.” Jay said apologetically. “I at least want this to be special for you, Celestia. After that, it’s up to y’all.”

“And you.” They added in unison, Luna reverting back to modern speech before Celestia continued. “And don’t force yourself to be in the mood just because we are. If you aren’t interested in having sex then just tell us.”

“That better go both ways, then.” Jay replied. “If you aren’t in the mood, just say so. No hard feelings and no harm done.”

The two Alicorns nodded before Luna spoke again, nuzzling Jay as she spoke. “We art glad to have caught thee upon this hour.”

“Would y’all stop nuzzlin’ mah damn neck!” Jay blurted out suddenly, leaning away from Luna, unconsciously slipping into his old accent. “Maybe I don’t show arousal physically, but y’all keep building up my lust with this.”

That gained a grin from both of them as they stood up, slowly walking toward him with swaying hips, a predatoresque grin on their faces. Jay stood up and spun around his chair, putting the back to the wall. He couldn’t help the large grin on his face as he started to play along with the ‘hunt.’ Luna slowed down slightly, speaking to him with a toothy grin. “Seems like thy first time with us may be with us both anyway.”

“But what about Celestia’s first time with me being special?” Jay asked, feigning worry as he allowed a bit of sweat to roll down his forehead.

“Oh, this is special enough.” Celestia practically purred out right before she pounced at him.

As kinky as it would be to have sex in the dining room, we’re too likely to get caught by a chef asking if we want desert. Jay said as he ducked under Celestia’s dive, causing her to impact into Luna’s side, both of them having their breath forced out. A moment later, they were standing again. Besides, they clearly want to be aggressive. If they want to have their way with me, they’re gonna have to catch me first.

When heavy footsteps and a quick dash, Jay was out the door and in the hallway again. A moment later, he was sixty feet down the hall and standing at an intersection. The two Alicorns soon came out of the room, glancing around quickly. Guards stared in shock as they watched the two immortals crouch down and wiggle their flanks, then bound towards him. As soon as they started bounding toward him, he spun to the side and ran down another hallway. He was planning on leading them slowly back to Celestia’s room where he would let them ‘corner’ him.

He was done fighting his emotions with logic. It wasn’t working, as much as he wished it would. Celestia and Luna expressed clear interest in sleeping with him, Chrysalis tried to get him to sleep with Celestia before, and he himself had no reason not to enjoy himself. If they wanted to sleep with him, he was going to give them what they want. His other form was surrounding Ponyville, waiting patiently for whatever the ‘Wolf’s Curse’ was. He could control the two forms separately and he wouldn’t need to interrupt their lovemaking to protect the town. There was nothing that was going to stop them from enjoying himself.

Speaking of my second form, I wonder if they’d be interested in seeing what it’s like with two versions of me. Shrugging the thoughts off, he ducked underneath Luna and turned in time to watch Celestia slide past him, her hooves skidding on the marble floor. Ducking around a corner he knew would eventually lead to Celestia’s room, he continued even as Celestia called out behind him. “Just give up, Jay! You aren’t escaping us! We will make you our stallion!”

Instantly, every Guard and servant in hearing distance felt their eyes go wide and their jaws drop. They had never heard of the Princesses taking a mate and it seemed they were chasing their’s down. As the virus ran down the halls, he caught several Guards glaring at him in envy. Smirking to himself, he called out behind him. “You’re going to have to catch me first!”

To his surprise, he heard Luna shout out in modern English. “If I catch you, I’m going to take you right there on the floor!”

Jay laughed, utterly surprised to hear Luna shout something so vulgar and risque. Of course, he didn’t doubt Luna’s ability to follow up on the promise. He knew that if she caught him, she would certainly try. Celestia would just most likely teleport them to her room anyway. “Didn’t know you were an exhibitionist!”

“There’s a lot you don’t know!” Celestia replied, sounding significantly closer. Jumping to the side, he planted his left foot on the wall and kicked off, flying towards the right. His right foot planted on that wall, kicking off at just the right angle to push him barely backwards, throwing him over the heads of the two Alicorns and down a hallway he had passed accidently.

Jay knew he was about four turns from Celestia’s room and began to change his biology. His form became more natural, several organs coming into existence again. Parts of his circulatory and nervous system came into existence, as did a brain. His clothes became real clothes, disconnected from his body. A few other changes happened as well, one of which requiring his gait to change slightly. Scrambling hooves were heard clearly behind him as he rounded the last corner, greeted by the sight of an oaken door with a sun emblazoned on it. Charging through it while ignoring the two Guards flanking the door. They started to follow him until he slammed the door in their face.

Celestia and Luna came around the corner just in time to see Jay slam the door closed. Luna took the lead, speaking to the two ponies. “You both are dismissed for the rest of the day. Ensure that we are not disturbed for any reason other than an End-of-Equestria event.”

The two Guards nodded and left. The stallion, when he passed her, stopped as his nostrils flared, catching the scent of an excited mare. Both the Alicorns glared at him, sparking him to scramble away as quickly as he could. Luna’s tail flicked as he left, unable to deny that the chase had aroused her greatly. Fortunately for her, there would be no maids asking her why there were splotches of liquid staining the floors. With the Guards dismissed, the two Alicorns quickly walked into the golden room. Luna shut, locked, and soundproofed the door behind them, the spell spreading over the entire room.

Celestia’s horn lit up, bathing the room in a soft golden light. The two mares paused at the sight that greeted them. Sitting on Celestia’s bed, patiently waiting for them, was Jay. He stared at them with a sly, mischevious smile. “Well? What are you waiting for, you caught me!”

Luna’s tongue poked out of her muzzle and ran over her lips, wetting them just before she bounded across the room, ending with a pounce that carried her and Jay down onto the bed. With nary a hesitation, their lips were locked together as Celestia walked over at a much more sedate pace, not feeling any need to rush the event. Luna had dismissed the Guards for all day, so they had plenty of time.

Feeling the need to breathe after chasing Jay across the castle, Luna pulled back and stared at Jay lustfully, her tail waving in the air to spread her scent around the room. Jay grinned up at her, his own lust beginning to surface. “You certainly seem aggressive.”

Luna leaned down, biting hard on his neck without worrying about cutting him with her dull teeth. When his groan died down, she spoke. “You’ll come to find that I am more aggressive and open about my desires. Celestia is more submissive than I am. She rather enjoys being dominated.”

Jay looked over to see Celestia standing at the foot of the bed, watching them. She started nodding with a mild blush on her muzzle. He grinned. “Good to know, I myself am rather dominate. Feel free to join us, Celestia.”

She grinned back. “Oh, I will. I’m just watching for now. Take your turn with her first, I’ll join in after. We have all day, after all.”

Acting quickly, he flipped his and Luna’s position, his hands pinning her forehooves against the bed, his knees doing the same for her hindlegs. As soon as his knees forced her back legs apart, he caught a powerful burst of her scent, a smell that reminded him of morning dew. He grinned at her as she blushed, no doubt able to smell her own scent at that point. Leaning down, Luna met him halfway in another kiss, one that quickly turned lustful and passionate. Eyes drifted closed as parted lips allowed their tongues to meet in another clash, lustful wrestling quickly turning from calm to aggressive as the two fought to beat the other into submission. For a time, Luna won, her powerful and longer tongue forcing his back into his mouth where he was made to wait. The night mare’s tongue slowly waved across every inch of his mouth, her saliva mixing with his while neither cared about it.

She dragged her wet muscle over his sharp canines, shivering in delight as she did. There was no doubt that the predator in him excited her, a fact that excited him in turn. Her quiet demeanor faded away as she started to pant and moan lightly from her exploration, clearly becoming quite turned on. All around him, the slight smell of her arousal was beginning to increase, filling the room with its heady scent. Rather suddenly, he struck, pressing her own tongue back into her mouth as he took control of the situation. Abusing his powers, his tongue extended slightly as his strength forced her back. Deft strokes reduced Luna to a moaning mare, the assault on her mouth and mind soon excaberated.

When he bit down gently on her lower lip, her head wrenched back as a loud, angelic moan forced its way out of her lungs. Her back tried to arch as her wings shot out to the sides, her hind legs jerking vigorously under his pinning. Turning his head slightly and looking down, he saw Celestia dragging her tongue up from the bottom of Luna’s puffy slit to the top. When it neared the top, Luna’s vulva winked, allowing the elder mare to catch the rounded bulb between her lips and press down lightly, making Luna scream out in ecstacy again as Celestia began massaging her sister’s clit gently. The entire time, Celestia’s eyes were locked onto his with a seductive gaze in her magenta eyes, one eyes soon obscured as she winked slowly. The virus felt a stirring in his groin as one of his changes took hold, his erection beginning to grow from the sheer arousal he felt at seeing Celestia pleasure her sister.

Turning back, Jay had just enough time to widen his eyes before Luna flipped them again, her magic allowing her to overcome his strength. Luna was then on top of him, grinning down at him smugly. That smile lasted for a mere moment, soon replaced by a shout of pleasure when Celestia moved and resumed her ministrations. Luna leaned down and surprised the virus by passing his lips, her muzzle soon resting against his neck. Jay tensed as Luna began to tease and excite him. Starting at his jaw line, she planted a gentle kiss followed by a light nip against him, making him groan and his arms twitch. He soon realized that he was pinned by her magic just as he had been pinned before. Her muzzle slowly drifted down his neck, each love bite driving him further into lustful desire. As her muzzle reached the collar of his shirt, she stared up at him, passion and lust in her eyes. “Take off the shirt.”

He grinned at her. “Make me.”

Her horn glowed brighter as, to the surprise of them both, the shirt began to slide upward, exposing his stomach to the mildly cold air of the room. Her magic lifted his torso up, allowing the shirt to come fully off before she set him back against the bed, his arms and legs still clearly restrained. The Lunar Diarch returned to her desires, soft kisses trailing down his chest and stomach making Jay groan even more, his arousal soon catching the attention of both mares.

“Oh my, it looks like clothes weren’t the only changes he made.” Celestia mused, staring at the obvious bulge in his natural jeans. The tightness of his pants would have been outright painful had he had pain receptors. Luna turned around on his front to face his erection, unaware that she had put her marehood directly above his face yet just out of his reach. As he had suspected, her outer lips were a deep blue almost identical to her coat, though that’s where it ceased to blend in. Her vulva was winking rapidly, liquified lust seeping out of her slit from Celestia’s attention. Her clit would peak out at him every few moments, each time spreading a bit more of her juices out of her depths and within sight, but yet out of range.

Suddenly, the tightness of his jeans was gone as his manhood sprang up, free of its confines, and tapped Luna on her muzzle. He couldn’t see anything but could feel their breath caressing his shaft and making him groan again, his head dropping against the bed.

“I’ll be honestly.” Celestia started softly. “I didn’t quite expect you to be as large as a stallion.”

“Verily mine sister, I expected him to be smaller.” Luna added in agreement.

“I would...be.” Jay said, a groan breaking his speech as Celestia nuzzled his hard cock, the scent of an aroused male filling her senses. Her body reacted accordingly, her tail flagging high as her arousal began to seep through her lower lips, her scent joining Luna’s in the room. “But I grew it so I could pleasure you both. A normal human wouldn’t be enough.”

“How large were you? I’m sure it would be enough.” Celestia stated firmly, drawing another groan from him when she switched to the other side of her snout, her lips gently brushing against the tip of his shaft as she moved.

“Ha, f-five and a half inches before.” Jay said, his voice breaking further as Luna joined in, taking the other side. The two mares rubbing their furred muzzles against his manhood sent sparks of pleasure through his body, a feeling he had forgotten in recent years. It threatened to overwhelm him, trying to spark him to an early end as his orgasm approached. A lifetime of celibacy had killed his endurance, making him realize it was folly to try to please two mares without using his abilities to his own benefit. A mere thought was all it took to exand his endurance beyond normal levels, allowing him to make sure they both would be satisifed by the end. “Eleven inches now.”

Silence reigned for a moment, though the movement on his cock did not stop. After a time, Luna spoke. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with you, Jay. Five and a half may not have filled us like a stallion would, but a stallion would not give us the love you do. Return it to your normal size.”

Grinning at the thought that struck him, Jay spoke after enlarging his tongue several times over. “No.”

With that said, his now eighteen inch tongue struck, launching upwards and directly into Luna’s slit. The taste of blackberries and lust struck his senses as Luna moaned loudly, her back arching instinctively. Her rump came down as she moved, her marehood becoming firmly planted on his face. Taking the opportunity, his lips quickly found her engorged clit and embraced it, massaging it gently as he pleasured her further. His tongue drove deep into her slit, lapping at her juices, a taste that he greatly desire greeting his tastebuds. Luna’s head came down to rest on his thigh as her front hooves gave out.

Focused entirely on Luna, he failed to notice the fact that Celestia had stopped nuzzling his cock. A low moan filled the room, vibrating his tongue and her clit as he did, when Celestia took the head of his member into her warm muzzle. Saliva coated his shaft as her tongue extended out, caressing the upper parts of his member. The pleasure only increased when Luna regained enough coherency to do the same to the base of his cock. Not one to be outdone, he tongue inside her began to expand and writhe around, forcing her to moan again as sheer pleasure assaulted her mind in powerful, numbing waves.

With the final inches of his tongue resting firmly inside her, his extended muscle began to curl and tense, simultaneously hitting every pleasure nerve in her tunnel even as his lips kneaded her clit over and over again. Just as he expected, the unusual feeling and intense pleasure was enough to drive her to her orgasm, her soaking, flexing walls clenching down on his tongue tightly even as wave after wave of her fluids splattered past his tongue and against his face and lips, each bit that made its way into his mouth quickly swallowed. All throughout her orgasm, his tongue kept at its motion to extend it, to drive her further into the pleasure. When the final waves of marecum filled his mouth, he savored the flavor for a time before swallowing it. Luna rolled off of him and to the side when her tongue extracted from her soaked pussy only to join Celestia in pleasuring him.

The Solar mare had stopped during Luna’s orgasm, likely to watch the look on her sister’s face. That, however, did not stop the white pony from restarting almost as soon as Luna was off of him. While Celestia took the tip of his member into her muzzle, Luna began to massage and suck on his testicles, pulling one into her mouth gently while suckling on it. Once Luna angled her head to move her horn, Celestia began to take more and more of his shaft into her mouth. With nothing above him to silence him, Jay let out a load groan as the warmth, wetness, and flicking tongue sent arcs of burning pleasure up his nervous system and into his mind. Continuously, Celestia descended, taking a bit more into her mouth each second. Finally, with a little over half of his shaft in her muzzle, he felt his head poke the back of her throat.

Reflexively, she swallowed hard, an action that sparked another groan as her contracting throat massaged the most sensitive part of his cock. With a breath through her nose, she forced the last four inches into her throat with another swallow, the tip of her snout firmly planting against his hips. Even as he let out a low moan, Celestia’s muffled voice joined him in a cacophony of pleasure. Her pleasured sounds caused her throat and muzzle to vibrate, the sensations driving him closer and closer to the edge. When she pulled back until just his head remained in her mouth, he groaned again. The conflicting sensations brought a new level of pleasure to the table; the warm wetness of Luna working over his balls, Celestia’s muzzle and lips wrapped around his head, suckling gently, and the cold air licking at his wet shaft pushing him further to the edge.

“C-Celestia, I’m getting... close.” Jay said, interrupted again when Celestia’s head shot down, taking him fully to the hilt. He groaned out loudly as Celestia increased the speed of her bobbing, now able to comfortably deepthroat him. His orgasm creeped closer as Celestia’s moans massaged his shaft, pleasure shooting through his body. Luna’s tongue could feel his testicles churning and tightening, ready to deliver their load into whatever found itself on the receiving end.

Once more, Celestia took him fully to the hilt. The sheer feeling of her throat contracting as she purposely swallowed twice driving him over the edge with a deep moan. She pulled her head back until just the tip remained as the first rope of his seed shooting into her muzzle and staining the inside white. The Alicorn’s eyes widened at the taste, a sweet tang assaulting her tongue and making her moan as her eyes drifted closed. She started swallowing quickly, doing as she could to prevent any from overflowing out of her muzzle. Luna, seeing Celestia’s enjoyment, leaned closer to Jay’s ear and whispered. “Keep cumming. Celestia’s got a thing for swallowing large loads, and I want to taste it, too.”

Not all of Luna’s words pierced the veil of pleasure surrounding his mind and hampering his thoughts, but enough made it through. A thought later and his round orbs were producing seed as fast as it was being spurted out, ensuring Celestia never ran out of cum to drink. Lifting his head slightly, his eyes met Celestia’s face. Her muzzle was twisted into a look of pure pleasure and happiness and she contentedly guzzled down everything he gave her, two thin trails of his seed sliding down the corners of her muzzle only to be lapped up by Luna. Quite suddenly, Luna shoulder-checked Celestia at just the right angle to force his member out of her mouth while both Alicorn’s remained sitting up. Jay’s eyes widened as ropes of white coated both of their muzzles, spurts landing in their open mouths. After a moment, Luna turned to her sister and kissed her furiously, his member held in a two-toned aura that pointed it at their interlocked muzzles. Seconds passed as the two swapped his cum and their saliva before Luna pulled back, smiling at him.

Instantly, his member stopped spurting white trails of cum across the two, his head falling back against the bed even as he gazed at the two, his mind worn out from the waves of pleasure. Celestia had a satisfied smile on her muzzle as she gently rubbed her stomach, even though it wasn’t any larger. Her eyes widened, then narrowed in passion as Luna leaned in and began lapping up whatever mess was still on her muzzle, his essence filling their lungs with his musky aroma, the room reeking of sex, but not yet sweat. Moments later, the two mares lied next to him, muzzles cleaned of all traces beyond matted fur. They both gazed at him happily, their muzzles resting right below his chin. Luna spoke first, a content tone in her voice. “I hope you enjoyed yourself, Jay. I know I did.”

Jay turned his head slightly to look at her. “First, we aren’t even close to done. That was just the beginning. Limitless stamina, remember? Although, I suppose that doesn’t apply to mentally.”

Then his head flipped to the side to face Celestia. “And you didn’t get off. I’m going to fix that.”

To his surprise, Celestia quickly shook her head. When Jay raised his eyebrow, Luna spoke. “There’s a reason Celestia wants to go second. Watching and helping us like this, not allowing herself to get off, only makes her more excited and her orgasms more powerful.”

Celestia nodded at him. “If I had wanted you to please me, I would have asked you too. Now, why don’t you finish what you started with Luna? I’m sure my sister would happily let you fill her love tunnel up with your stallion cream.”

The dirty talk didn’t surprise him, having already heard something similar from her. Feeling a weight on the bed shift, he turned his head in time to see Luna stradle his waist, balancing herself with a single hoof on his chest. His enlarged cock, already hard, sent sparks of pleasure through him as she grinded her nethers against him. Luna’s voice called out in heavenly pleasure, his own voice joining hers soon after when she began to sit back and the head of his manhood sunk into her depths. The Night Maiden was tight, of that there was no doubt. He had once been told that they had never been taken by a stallion and it showed; the most she had ever taken was toys or maybe Celestia’s horn. Her soaked walls undulated rapidly over his cock as it sunk deeper into her.

Jay groaned loudly when Luna gave her flanks a little wiggle as she was still sinking down, her undeniably tight walls slowing her descent down. All the while Luna was sinking down, Celestia was lying to his side with her head on his chest, gently biting at his neck. Her flat teeth kneeded his flesh as waves of white-hot pleasure assaulted him. Luna was vocal, a single loud moan filling the room as her inner depths were forced apart to allow him access.

With a satisfied sigh from them both, Luna’s hips planted firmly against his own. His cock, fully hilted inside Luna, was quite enough to utterly fill her but was more than enough to please her, a fact that Jay was content with. Her inner muscles flexed and contracted repeatedly, her walls massaging his pride ceaselessly. Luna head came down and caught his lips in a passionate kiss, lust in her actions. When she pulled back, she spoke as her hips started to rotate, grinding her against him and visa versa. “I-it’s massive, so much b-bigger than anything w-we’ve used before.”

Starting gently, Luna raised herself up with her hindlegs, her fore legs folded against her chest. Her stiffened wings did nothing but twitch as she tried to flap them, staying firmly extended out to the sides. A gasping moan was emitted from her lungs as she rose to just his head being left inside her before dropping herself down, hilting him in her again in an instant. Jay’s hands came up to try to grip her flanks and assist her only for his arms to be forced against the bed when Celestia’s magic told hold. “Ah ah ah, Luna’s the one on top. You aren’t allowed to work this time, you’ll be doing enough with me.”

Jay nodded and stopped moving, allowing Luna to take full control of the situation. The Night Maiden found a rhythm, pushing her body up with her hind legs and letting herself drop. Each time she came down, his manhood hilted fully inside her with a wet slap, roughly pressing against the entirely of her pussy. Her walls clenched against his stallionhood, rippling waves of pleasure shooting through his nervous system. As Luna increased her speed, she grew more vocal. An almost continous stream of moaning emitted from her throat, Jay shamelessly joining in with her each time she came down and her flank smacked against his hips, Celestia’s ministrations nearly as effective as Luna’s. When Luna came down next, Jay jerked his hips up and added just enough force to make his pride tap against Luna’s cervix. With a powerful gasp, Luna’s body locked up on top of him as her marehood’s walls clamped down, flexing rapidly against his cock. Before Luna’s orgasm could end, Jay started to thrust upward into her, doing what he could to extend it. With the added pleasure, Luna’s horn began to spark and fizzle as pure magic began to shoot out of horn. Midair, the magic would turn to liquid and drip down on Luna’s face and muzzle or his stomach, leaving spots of tingling energy. When her orgasm began to fade, her upper body dropped onto his own leaving her muzzle next to his face.

Regaining use of her voice for a moment, Luna moaned out into his ear. “Fill me! I want to feel your release!”

With a loud groan, Jay’s manhood throbbed, sending his hot seed straight into her depths, painting her white. Luna moaned again as she felt the warmth in her womb, driving her into another orgasm. Her undulating walls milked his cock for all it was worth, drawing out spurt after spurt of cum into her depths, filling her up just as she wanted. Jay’s teeth clenched as waves of burning pleasure echoed through his body, sparking one last spurt of cum that began to leak out of her marehood’s vice-like grip on his cock. Thin trails of white ran down his pelvis, quickly lapped up by Celestia who had moved as soon as their orgasms struck.

Panting in exertion, Luna rolled off of him, pulling him out of her with a wet pop. Her aching wings lay spread out to the sides of her barrel. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her heart beating a furious pace. The blue fur around her muzzle was flushed, feeling his seed beginning to leak out of her and stain the bed below her rump. Her eyes drifted to the side and met Jay’s. She returned his warm smile and nuzzled him. “Thank thee, Jay. Thank thee for letting me lead.”

“You’re welcome.” Jay said. “Happy that I was able to satisfy you.”

A moment later, their lips locked in a gentle kiss. After, Jay turned his head to the side and gazed at Celestia, who smiled at him sheepishly. “My turn?”

Grinning at her with his teeth bared, Jay sprung into action. He grabbed Celestia and flipped her onto her back, pinning her forelegs above her head with his arms. He leaned down quickly and bit into her neck, just weak enough to avoid piercing her flesh. Her hind legs kicked and jerked behind him as she moaned aloud, the sound vibrating her neck where he felt it. Lifting his head up, one hand began to trail down her body and toward her sopping wet slit only to be halted by her magic. He looked up, his blue eyes meeting her magenta ones, a needy look in them only growing stronger as she spoke. “No teasing, no foreplay, just the main course. Please, I can’t take the burning in my wet pussy anymore. Rut me! Pound my flank so hard my face is forced into the bed! Fill me with your seed until I’m overflowing!”

Gripping her wings and sparking a moan that rose in volume before she shoved her muzzle into the bed, Jay flipped her over onto her stomach. With her legs folded underneath her, she hiked her tail up and out of the way and shoved her flank into the air, giving him unrestricted access to everything she had. Gazing upon her for a moment, he saw her needy marehood quivering and winking from sheer arousal. Each wink added another helping of her fluids to the dual trails that rolled down her hind legs and began to collect in a puddle below her. With each wink, her lips parted and gave him a glance at the tunnel that would soon be painted white.

Done examining his prize, Jay rose up on his knees and placed the tip of his cock against her vent, feeling the heat her core emitted against him. A glance to the side showed Luna lyinig on her side, her hoof propping her head up. Her other forehoof trailed down and scooped up some of his seed that had leaked out of her, which she brought to her muzzle and began to suckle on, grinning at him all the while. Turning his attention back to Celestia when she let out a whimper, he decided to do exactly as she hoped he would.

In one powerful thrust, his cockhead pushed into her waiting depths, forcing apart her walls even as a primal moan sounded out, filling Jay with further lust. A moment later, his hips impacted her flank with a wet smack as he bottomed out with a groan. Celestia was just as tight as her sister, a fact that he was beginning to enjoy greatly. Without giving Celestia a chance to recover, he yanked his hips back until only his head was inside her before shoving forward again, a solid thud sounding out when they met again, Celestia adding her own strength as she pushed back to meet him. A moment later, his balls struck her clit, sparking a full-throated scream from her before she was silenced by a surprising action. Luna had moved over to directly in front of Celestia, then used her hoof to bury the Solar Alicorn’s muzzle into her cum-stained pussy. Judging from Luna’s face, Celestia had began to dutifully clean Luna’s nethers, the thought being enough to make Jay moan before his thrusts increased in power.

Not long after, her wet walls contracted around him as a splatter of her juices coated his balls when her first orgasm of the night hit her. The elder sister seemed to have far less endurance than her younger sibling, a fact that pleased Jay. He hoped to bring Celestia to an orgasm as least twice more, though he sought out more. If he could reduce her to a drooling mess- from both ends, that is, he would be content. Adjusting his grip on her flanks while one hand slid up and grabbed the base of her wing, he started to increase the force of his thrusts, simultaneously tugging on her wing and driving her muzzle into Luna’s used slit. Each time his hips met her flank, a wet smack sounded out clearly in the room while a splatter of her marecum shot out, further messying the bed and its occupants. Each time his he hilted within her, Celestia moaned, shamelessly enjoying being utterly used by her lover and her sister. Each time the virus pulled back, Celestia tried to follow him with her flank only to be stopped by Luna’s hoof around her neck, holding her head firmly in place. Luna’s own muzzle had come up and began to lick away at Celestia’s horn, dull pulses of magic being the only evidence of the spire’s sensitivity.

Jay’s eyes drifted up and met Luna’s, a mischevious grin of understanding passing over both their faces. Luna leaned up, then down as she easily took half of Celestia’s horn into her muzzle and partly into her throat. At the same time, Jay hilted himself once more inside Celestia and allowed his cock to become ribbed, small bumps and protrusions growing even as his shaft thickened. Where before he had some wiggle room, now he was filled her tunnel up to its fullest, the bumps stimulating her even more as they rubbed against her walls in just the right way as he tugged in and out.

The dual assault on her senses drove her to another orgasm, marecum barely forcing its way out of her rapidly clenching pussy to coat his balls and pelvis in the sticky, delicious liquid. Even as she soaked him, her horn lit up and Jay could see the glow even through Luna’s muzzle, testifying to its brightness. The virus couldn’t see anything beyond Luna swallowing rapidly and he assumed that the elder sister had emitted the same liquid magic that Luna had as well.

With Celestia’s new tightness from her still-clenched walls, as the pair didn’t allow her orgasm to let up, Jay had to use a bit more of his strength to continue thrusting, careful not to hurt Celestia with the new level of force. As soon as he began moving, Celestia screamed in pleasure so loudly he thought she had cum again only to be proven wrong when nothing happened. He started to slow down only to catch Luna’s eyes shaking at him furiously, her head unable to do the same with the horn still in her mouth and throat. Shrugging lightly, he continued pounding away at Celestia’s rump, her twin flanks slowly turning red from the force. Celestia had never been loudly, screaming into Luna’s cunt even as she lapped at it, forming a three-way chain of pleasure.

Finally feeling his orgasm beginning to approach, Jay decided to tease Celestia some more. “I’m getting close, Celestia! Are you sure you want to be filled?”

“Yes!” Celestia screamed, throwing her head back as yet another orgasm wracked her body.

“You want my cum to fill up your womb and flow out of your pussy and down your legs?”

“YES!” The Solar Diarch echoed herself, her voice louder and more enthusastic than ever.

Leaning forward while still continuing to pound away, he knew he only had a little more time before the pressure building in him broke out and filled Celestia up. “Do you want to become my personal broodmare?”

He saw Luna grin at him approvingly, her lips now wrapped around the side of Celestia’s horn as her tongue ran up and down it. Celestia’s walls clenched down completely, forcefully halting him as she came again, her walls desperately trying to coax his load out. She tried to yell again only to dissolve into moaning as the pleasure hit her once more. Jay roughly grabbed her head through her mane and forced her muzzle into Luna’s marehood and practically growled out. “Make Luna cum and I’ll give you what you want.”

Celestia’s tongue lashed out, vigorously running in and out of Luna, forcing her closer and closer to the edge. The night mare was pushed over the edge a moment later when Celestia caught her clit and gently bit down on it. A loud scream emitted from Luna’s throat, more magic bursting out of her horn even as marecum streamed from her slit, lapped up by Celestia. Jay hilted for a final time inside Celestia and felt the dam break, rush after rush of cum filling Celestia up in moments, an overflow soon created as her tunnel couldn’t hold all that he could give. Pulling out soon after, he allowed the last several ropes of cum to paint Celestia’s flanks a different shade. Jay felt himself wobble on his knees, more spent than he had ever been since his infection. He crawled forward between Celestia and Luna and lied down, smiling to himself when he caught sight of the content smiles on their muzzles. Celestia’s head came to rest on his chest but to his surprise, Luna moved down and ducked her head between Celestia’s legs, out of his sight.

Jay’s smile turned into a smirk when Celestia moaned against him and the virus realized that Luna was returning the favor, cleaning her sister’s cunt of his seed. Her ministrations continued for a minute more before her head drifted up, cleaning off the combined essences that stained his cock and crotch, the former of which was flacid after his third orgasm of the day. When Luna’s head joined her sister’s on his chest, he spoke. “Well? How was it? I hope I didn’t disappoint.”

“Not at all.” Luna said while Celestia added. “It was wonderful, Jay.”

“We just hope we don’t end up running you off.” Luna continued with a bright grin. “My sister and I tend to be rather kinky. Tonight was tame compared to most.”

Jay shrugged, returning her smile. “I’m an immortal shapeshifting virus with thousands of years of memories. I can be pretty damn kinky, too. Trust me, I’m not leaving any of you three.”

“Chrysalis is going to be disappointed she missed out on this.” Celestia mumbled into his chest.

“Oh, she’ll be part of this one day.” Luna replied.

“Definitely.” Jay said. “Chryssi just needs some time.”

Not long after he spoke, he saw both mares pouting at him. He raised an eyebrow in reply, prompting Luna to speak. “Chrysalis got a nickname when she started dating you. Where’s ours?”

Celestia quickly nodded in agreement, making Jay give a small smile. “How about Sunshine and Moonbeam?”

The two mares thought for a moment before nodding happily, then speaking in unison. “We love you, Jay.”

A small smile shifted into a beaming grin as he replied. “And I love you both as well.”

After a moment, he smiled at Celestia. "I guess you never got that rest, huh?"

"Worth it." Celestia replied, snuggling into him.

Everfree Invasion- Pt I

Jay leaned against the doorway to Celestia’s balcony, watching the two mares outside speak softly to each other. The virus had been invited to watch the two Alicorns move their respective spheres, setting the sun and raising the moon. He also knew that this would be the first time Luna allowed him to experience her aura. Unfortunately, she seemed to be having second thoughts, if her intense yet quiet discussion with Celestia was anything to go by. He wanted to walk out to her and tell her it was okay and that she didn’t need to do it, but he had been asked to not listen in or interrupt. Respecting Celestia’s request, he had lessened his hearing and waited by the doorway.

The cool air graced the few pieces of skin that wasn’t covered in his clothing- actual clothing. It had been a day and a half since he and the two mares had shared themselves with each other. Later that day, when they had begun to get up, he had gone to create his fake clothing like he normally did. Before he could, Luna had asked him to begin wearing real clothing rather than colored viral cells. When he questioned her as to why, the two Alicorns had done nothing but give him a sly grin. His clothing was nearly identical to how it was before; a white hoodie, blue jeans, dark blue undershirt, and black shoes. Idly, he noticed that his hoodie, shirt, and shoes matched the colors of Celestia, Luna, and Chrysalis respectively.

“Jay?” Celestia called to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked to see her waving him over, Luna looking incredibly nervous. The virus strode over, his footsteps nearly silent on the marble. He came to a stop next to the two mares, his herdmates, and looked to Celestia with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Luna’s going to let you feel her aura when she raises the moon. I’m going to be suppressing my own so the memories don’t mix together.” The Solar Alicorn explained. Hearing his suspicions confirmed, he turned his attention to Luna.

“Are you sure you want to do this? If that’s what you were discussing with Sunshine, you don’t have to go through with it. You looked really worried and I don’t want you to do something you aren’t sure about.” Jay spoke with a tone of concern and understanding lacing his voice, formed by his care for Luna.

“I want to, Jay.” Luna said resolutely. “I...I think I love you and I want to share this special moment with you.”

Jay couldn’t help the wave of warmth and happiness that washed over him when Luna spoke. Without a second thought, he gently grasped her muzzle and guided her lips to his, softly kissing her. Her lips pressed into his own and a wave of love washed over them both. A moment later, they parted and Luna spoke, correcting herself. “No, I know I love you.”

“I love you too, Moonbeam.” Jay said with a joyous grin leveled her way. She nodded to Celestia and stepped back, approaching the edge of the balcony. Right before they started, Luna glanced over her shoulder and winked at him before facing forward again. Their horns lit up, filling the air with magic as they wove their spells. The sun began to slowly set while the moon rose, peaking out from behind the horizon. As the moon rose, a gentle blue glow began to surround them as Luna’s aura slowly took hold of him. Unlike Celestia’s, which felt guiding and gentle, Luna’s felt comforting and passionate. The moment Jay felt Luna’s aura, he began to understood just how perfectly the two sister complimented each other. In an instantaneous moment, Jay felt his mind connect with Luna’s as he flashed back into the past.

Luna nuzzled into Celestia’s neck, feeling the warm white wings wrap around her blue body, hiding the shy Alicorn from the astonished gaze of the Guards and other servants. They stared at the legs hanging down beside Celestia’s own legs, the light blue tail resting above the majestic waving one, the dark blue muzzle poking out from under Celestia’s wings, and the long horn and soft feathers sticking out from underneath their cover. The onlookers knew immediately that they were watching their Princess carry another, smaller, Alicorn. Celestia walked briskly, bringing her little sister to the room near her own that had long since awaited its owner.

Before long, Celestia’s pace brought them to the room that had been set aside for her since the castle’s creation, barely less than a millenium ago. The older sister pushed the door open with her muzzle, closing it behind her with a quick spell. The alabaster Alicorn crossed the room in long strides and lied down on the large, satin black bed, folding her legs underneath her. Slowly, her wings drifted down and revealed Luna to the cool night air, courtesy of a slightly ajar window.

“Come, Luna. Rest now beside me so that I may see you.” Celestia said softly, her tone filled with nothing but love and care for her little sister.

Luna slowly crawled off of Celestia’s back feeling as if her body was about to give out at any moment. She was exhausted mentally, physically and magically from her recent ‘cleasing,’ an event that had happened less than an hour ago. Her mind still had not fully processed that she was back on Equis, back with her sister, and that her sister still loved her. It had passed so fast, a series of impressions rather than real memories, that she doubted she would ever understand it.

Finally, mindful of Celestia’s sensitive wings, Luna managed to roll off of the larger back and come to rest next to Celestia, lying on her back without the strength to roll herself over again. Her hooves moved feebly in the air, unable to generate enough momentum to flip her. Celestia, seeing the younger’s distress, used one wing to gently roll her over and press Luna against her side, covering her in the same wing. The former Nightmare relaxed as she felt the familiar heat that Celestia emitted, one that she hadn’t felt in a thousand years. The moon was cold, desolate, and an all-around depressing place when one was stuck inside of it for an eternity. Compared to her prison, Celestia’s side was the Valley of Life and Luna found herself snuggling against it, her head coming to rest on her folded forehooves.

Celestia’s muzzle came down and gently nuzzle Luna’s smaller neck, returning the affection she had been given so few minutes ago. When she pulled away, her fur was left feeling wet. Luna realized dimly that her big sister was crying. Luna found the strength to speak, her voice weak and raspy from a lack of use, though a tone of despair coated it. “...Why? Why cry?”

Celestia spoke, her voice sounding choked with emotion. “I’m s-so happy you’re b-back, Luna. I hoped so d-desperately that you w-would be yourself when you r-returned. When I was captured, I felt so...so broken that I had f-failed you, just as I d-did a thousand y-years ago. But my student c-came through, cleansing you of the c-corruption.”

Celestia nuzzled her again, more insistantly, leaving behind more tear stains in her coat. “N-now you’re back. I love you, little Lulu.”

A thread of happiness pierced the cold shell around her heart, warming her to the core. Luna slowly returned the nuzzle, nearly being knocked over when Celestia’s larger, stronger frame pressed firmly against her side. “We love thee, Tia.”

The wing around her tightened, holding her close against the elder mare. Dimly, Luna heard Celestia begin singing a song she had made for her all those millennia ago. “Feeling tired, by the fire, the long day is over~”

Celestia paused for a second, hoping against hope. Her efforts paid off a moment later when Luna’s voice slowly continued the song. “The wind is gone, asleep at dawn, the embers burn on~”

Both mare’s felt their throats tighten, making it hard to breathe or swallow as their emotions broiled. Memories from thousands of years ago flashed unbidden across their minds’ eye. Celestia finished the song, her voice sounding strained even to her. “With no reprise, the sun will rise, the long day is over~”

Celestia broke down, tears streaming down her face even as Luna did the same, strength returning to her actions as the younger mare nuzzled her sister’s face gently. Luna’s hooves snaked out, wrapping around Celestia as best she could. The pair held each other, slowly crying away years of pain and fear, replacing it with love and joy. Finally, their tears slowed to a stop, leaving both of their ancient hearts feeling lighter than ever. Luna, tired from the Harmony magic and from crying her heart out, began to slowly drift off.

Before she could fall asleep, she looked up to Celestia, her eyes shining in fear. “Please, we beg of thee, don’t leave us tonight.”

“Never.” Celestia replied, one hoof brushing a stray lock of mane out of Luna’s face. “I’ll be right here until you awaken.”

Luna nodded and rested her head underneath Celestia’s, feeling her big sister rest her head behind her own, their necks crossing. Luna, lulled by a loving warmth encompassing her entire body, fell asleep peacefully for the first time in a thousand years.

Jay’s eyes snapped open, his mind returning to his body in an instant. He was lying on the ground for some reason. Before he stood, sobbing reached his ears and his head snapped to the side. Luna, lying on the ground a few feet from him, was sobbing her heart out, twin trails of tears running down her face. Jay was over at her side in a flash, pulling her into his lap as he held her comfortingly. Sharp clops sounded out as Celestia jerked herself out of her shock, quickly running over and wrapping her wings around them both. “Oh, Mother, what happened? The aura took hold, you both stiffened, then you both collapsed and Luna started sobbing! My mind jumped to my fears and I locked up!”

Jay didn’t answer, just holding Luna in his arms as she buried her muzzle into his chest, wetting his clothes with her tears. The virus didn’t care about his clothing. All he cared about was the mare he loved who was crying in his arms. Slowly, Luna’s crying slowed down as the minutes passed on. Her head slowly moved back and forth, his warmth comforting her as it reminded her of Celestia’s own aura. Nearly an hour more passed by, leaving Luna’s tears dried even as she slept in his arms. When he moved to stand, Celestia’s wings unwrapped around him and they both stood, Jay carrying Luna. The virus walked back inside and set the younger mare down on the bed carefully, then crawled in next to her. Celestia joined them a moment later, lying on the other side of Luna even as her wing wrapped over the younger sister. The virus lied in silence, his eyes watching Luna in worry as she slept peacefully, dried tears being the only evidence that she had been crying.

“Jay?” Celestia asked softly after a time. His blue eyes slowly drifted up and met hers, concern and worry in both of their eyes. “What did you see?”

Jay didn’t answer for a few short moments, before he finally spoke up. “Moon’s first night back.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, understanding flashing through them. Her wing tightened around Luna, though not enough to wake her up. “Oh, Luna…”

“This is why she didn’t want to share her aura, isn’t it?” Jay asked sadly. “She is afraid of what memories she’ll have to relive.”

Hesitantly, Celestia nodded. Jay snorted in reply. “I shouldn’t have let her do this. It’s my fault she broke down. I should have been more firm about her not showing me her aura until she was ready-”

“She is ready.” Celestia said firmly, breaking him out of his funk. “She chose to share her aura with you because she loves you, just as I do.”

“It hurt her, Celestia.” Jay said insistantly, too bothered to use his nickname for her. “Loving me hurt her.”

Jay recoiled, his face actually stinging from Celestia’s magical slap to his cheek. “Stop that now. Luna loves you and that’s not going to change. She knew what she could see but she still showed you. Do you know why?”

“Why?” Jay asked, a slight tone of hopelessness in his voice.

“Because she trusts you.” Celestia replied. “And she believes that she can accept all of her mistakes as long as you are by her side.”

Jay fell silent, pondering on Celestia’s words. After a time, he nodded, much to Celestia’s palpable relief. He gently pulled Luna onto his chest, prompting Celestia to scoot closer and wrap a wing around them both as she spoke. “For now, just rest. Let her get some sleep and we’ll discuss this when she wakes up, okay?”

Jay nodded. “Okay, Sunshine.”

Celestia’s muzzle snuggled into his neck, relaxing with a sigh as she let her earlier worry fade from her. Jay tried to do the same but found he couldn’t disperse the sight of Luna’s tear-soaked face from his mind. His grip on the lunar mare tightened subconsciously, holding her close to him. His mind slowly drifted into a state of half-awareness, tetering between sleep and awareness.

Half an hour later, he snapped awake and hissed out. “Celestia!”

Celestia snorted awake, looking at him groggily. “What?”

Jay started moving, gently setting Luna to his side and standing up quickly. “Something’s coming from the Everfree toward Ponyville!”

The virus knew it was whatever the Wolf’s Curse caused. It seemed like there were several, the vibrations his other form sensed being far too many to be from a single source. Celestia sat up in alarm, glancing to Luna. “S-should I wake her up?”

Jay shook his head. “No, let her sleep. Gather some Guards and send them to Ponyville.”

Celestia hesitated, wanting to say something as Jay moved toward the window. Finally, she spoke. “Okay, I’ll gather some Guards and send an alert out to nearby Rangers. I’ll be leading the Guards there myself.”

Jay nodded, knowing it would be useless to try to disuade her from putting herself in danger. These were her ponies, her student, and her family that were in danger. Nothing was going to stop Celestia from showing up. “Be careful, Celestia.”

“And you as well, Jay. Don’t let Luna wake up to find you hurt or...gone.” The worry in her voice was clear.

With a final nod, Jay leaped into the air and began gliding toward Ponyville, ejecting small amounts of biomass behind him to keep up his momentum. As he flew through the air, moving at easily a hundred miles an hour, his mind ran wild with ideas of what was coming from the Forest. One thing stayed the same no matter what, though. I hope I stop them long before they reach the town.

The Scorpius scuttled through the woods, seeing the edge of the Forest just ahead of it. It chittered in excitement, snapping its mandibles in hunger. The scorpion-like astral knew that their target wasn’t in the town anymore. It was on the mountain as well as the Alicorn they hungered for. The ponies weren’t as tasty as Alicorn-flesh but they were hungry from their run through the forest. The town would be enough for now.

The Scorpius emerged from the edge of the Forest, seeing the sleeping town some distance ahead of them. To its side, about ten meters away, a wooden Ursirium shouldered its way through two trees. The bear glared at the scorpion, knowing that there wouldn’t be enough Alicorn to share. It would be a competition between all the beasts. Suddenly, the bear stumbled to the side as the ground rose up below it as something tunneled through the ground toward the town. It stopped a few meters ahead of them and a large purple worm surfaced, its four-piece jaws coming open as it tasted the air, its eyeless head swinging around as it searched for electromagnetic signals. The worm dove back below the ground, quickly turning around and returning to the Forest in a raising line of dirt.

The Scorpius sniffed the air again. The scent of the Mark was getting stronger. The Cursed pony was coming back to town. No, coming towards them. The Ursirium and the Scorpius quickly darted behind the cover of the trees, the Scorpius dimming its glow to remain hidden. Across the border of the forest, it heard several other creatures take up positions of ambush, waiting for their prey. They weren’t stupid; whatever their target was had killed an Old Alpha and likely was a threat even to the beasts of the Inner Forest.

The Cursed was coming from the air and the Scorpius looked up, seeing the strangest creature it had ever seen just as it landed lightly on the ground. It was no pony, instead standing on two legs. Strange coverings coated its form and it seemed to have no natural weapons or armor. It was weak. Apparently, the Scorpius wasn’t the only thing to think so. The ground shook lightly as the worm burrowed through the ground and burst out just in front of the Cursed, jaws open wide to swallow it whole.

Jay shifted to the side, dodging the worm that was larger than him. It was purple with rough skin, almost scaled it seemed. It’s mouth opened into four sections like a flower, a dozen rows of serrated teeth ready to rip into whatever it couldn’t simply swallow. As the worm came down behind him, its jaws closed, the shape making a small spike that it used to push dirt and rock out of the way and over its body, burrowing into the ground moments after it landed. The thing must have been five meters, if not more. The virus grunted, it would be a long fight if there were a lot of these things. He would have to make sure none of them went into the town.

His second form expanded, forming an underground viral wall to block any burrowers. Viral tendrils were ready to lash out at whatever tried to walk toward the town. For now, the town was defended. He hoped there would be no fliers. Jay stood still, feeling the vibrations in the ground. Torn rock and upturned dirt surrounded him from the worm’s last attack, making it hard to look for prints to see if something had already gone toward the town.

The virus leaped to the side, formed a blade in his right arm, and slashed outward as the worm burst up beside him. To Jay’s horror, the blade deflected off of the worm’s skin and impacted the ground, cutting through the rock like paper. The virus was forced to leap to the side as the burrower struck again. His eyes were wide, mind running incredibly fast as he tried to think of a way to power himself. He was hesitant to finally intigrate Luna’s, Celestia’s, and Chrysalis’ DNA because he didn’t know what kind of mutation it would force, nor how destructive said mutation would be. Shifting his arm from a blade to a massive fist, he decided to try blunt force against the worm. When it next struck, he dodged the strike and punched the worm with his unnatural strength. The worm was knocked to the side as Jay felt several bones break in the worm’s side.

Jay grunted in surprise. “Didn’t think a worm would have bones.”

The worm burrowed at him again, coming from directly below. Jay stepped quickly to the side and grabbed the worm with his gargantuan hand, quickly shifting his left arm into the same thing. Several tendrils came from his back and suspended the worm’s head above ground, stopping it from burrowing into the ground again. With the front half suspended in the air and the back half still underground, Jay started slamming his fists into the worm’s side. With each strike, the beast shuddered as the strange skin and bones cracked and bent under his force. Finally, the skin- that Jay now realized seemed more like chitin rather than skin- cracked enough that grey blood was beginning to seep from the wound. Seeing the blood, Jay sent a small tendril into the bloodstream and began injecting every poison he knew of, hoping at least one would have an effect on the strange creature.

The worm started thrasing as the poisons began affecting it, powerful cords of muscle tensing and relaxing as its body shook from side to side. Jay was forced to let go of the monster and leap back out of the way. The ground shook with a loud thud when the worm hit the ground. Instead of burrowing away like he suspected, the worm simply lied on the ground as it spasmed, slowly dying. After a minute or so, the virus watched the hard skin slowly turn black when the beast finally died. He walked up to it, his arms returning to their natural state, and kneeled down to examine it. His hand came out and rested on its side, feeling the slightly wet chitin coated in dust and grime from the underground. He tried to force several tendrils through the chitin only to fail on all accounts. The hide was simply too resistant to sharp objects.

The virus felt vibrations on the surface from only two or three feet behind him. Leaping up and over the worm, he dodged whatever strike was planned. Rolling when he landed, he looked over the worm to see a large bear-like creature made of wood. Stepping out of the woods, two more approached slowly, a sick intelligence glittering in their eyes. Mostly unbeknownst to Jay, several Scorpius and another being watched from the woods, following their instincts to attack him one group at a time. Their instincts for tradition, like the Old Wolves, overpowered their brutal intelligence, preventing them from simply swarming the Cursed. It infuriated the rudimentary intelligence of the beasts to no end, yet they followed their traditions.

The lead Ursirium reached him and reared back, swiping at him with a paw. Jay swayed out of the way, ducking under the swipe, and came up with his arm a blade. He sliced at the bear’s side, biting into the roots but not very deeply. The bear roared in agitation and seemed to go feral, several swipes coming at him in the space of a couple seconds. The virus dodged the first two only to be caught by the third. His arm came up naturally to block the strike only to be thrown away when his arm was ripped off from the strike, a surprising burst of pain concerning him due to his lack of nerves in his body. Jay landed several feet away, flipping to his feet as he seethed. How the fuck are they so damaging to me?

Watching the bears closely, he started to see a soft glow coming from underneath the intertwined roots of the bears. The light was sickly green, pushing its way through the roots. As he looked, he realized just why they were so powerful. The bears- and possibly the worm- were magical. The bears were likely made by magic but he didn’t know what the worm’s magic was, if it even had any. The virus started to regrow his arm, concerned to feel that the virus’ reproduction rate in that region had been slowed from the strike. He felt a spark of fear as he realized that, if he took enough damage, these creatures would be able to destroy this body. If that happened, they would continue to the town and his second form might be destroyed fighting them as well. If that happened, he would be dead.

Shifting his mindset from blocking strikes to dodging them, he decided to fight aggressively rather than simple retaliate to strikes to him, as he had done for years. His arm regrown into a large blade, he charged forward at the bear and shifted his other arm into a second blade, swinging both at its side right where he had struck before. Both strikes struck directly onto the previous cut, one after the other, before Jay pulled back. The single root had been cut clean through, though both halves were held in places by the ones woven onto it. The virus knew he would have to cut several of the roots to expose the interior of the bears. Unfortunately, his poison trick likely wouldn’t work on a being made of wood and magic. The three bears growled in anger, slowly stalking towards him.

In the woods, a large spider began making its way down the edge of the forest as it caught the scent of an Alicorn, the same that it had smelled before. It was only a few minutes from the town, which had begun to awaken when the worm had hit the ground with an earth-shaking impact. Its earholes caught the sound of shrieking ponies, the high-pitched whine forcing it to wince as two small slates came down to cover the ears, muffling the screams of fear as ponies saw the fight near the Forest. A small explosion sounded out from behind it, forcing it to stumble lightly. The Aracuvo circled around the small town and nestled itself into a large dip in the ground, its hide changing into a dark green that matched the ground as it waited. After a moment of thought, it turned slightly darker.

Thumping hooves sounded out as a large group of armored ponies approached, heading toward the combat and the town. They avoided the dip, having no desire to climb down into it and out the other side when they could just walk around it much easier. Easily a hundred ponies passed, none of which looked into the dip. The spider wasn’t worried; they wouldn’t notice it anyway. The ponies would have been a good meal, but the Alicorn will be far better. The Guards passed and the Alicorn followed, several dozen meters behind the group as she wrote on a small scroll before sending it away in a puff of magic. The Alicorn, the horrid white one, walked past the edge of the dip. In the distance, the bears roared in unison, their voices drowning out everything else.

In a quick strike, the Aracuvo darted up and grabbed the Alicorn, dragging her down into the dip. Her voice, angelic to ponies but horrifically painful to it, screamed out in a cry of pain as her legs, wings, and barrel were pierced by the barbs on the spider’s legs. Her scream rose in pitch and agony as fangs sunk into her side, injecting venom that would both paralyze her and liquify her internals. A second later, her scream cut off abruptly as the venom took hold. Her eyes shone with terror, flickering rapidly as her chest rapidly panted but her body remained still, unable to move as most of her muscles locked up. The spider’s mandibles clicked together in anticipation, the scent of an Alicorn making it salivate. The spider nestled into the dip again, covering the mare with its body as more of its barbs pierced her side, golden-tinted blood leaking out and pooling in the bottom of the dip. The wait had begun. It would not be long before she was ready to be drained, its venom slowly overpowering the natural healing of an Alicorn.

In the distance, the Ursirium had stopped roaring a few moments earlier, a seemingly dead silence taking over afterward. The spider’s mouth twisted into a horrifc mockery of a grin, sure that nothing could have heard the Alicorn’s scream.

Jay ducked, weaving between the strikes of two Ursirium as the third barreled past, trying to crush him between its weight and strength. Had it not been for his unnatural speed, it would have worked. Jay’s attuned hearing picked up the sound of metal-clad hooves trotting in unison. Because of the timing, Jay didn’t know how many Guards had arrived and he didn’t want to take his attention off the bears to glance. His only thought was that Celestia was now in danger along with soldiers and the town of Ponyville. Leaping over a low-swiped paw, he slashed down with his blade and severed yet another root. To his immense relief, a large chunk of the side of the bear falling off with a roar of pain and rage. The bear staggered, off balance from losing a good forty pounds of roots. A glowing green core, pulsing with magic like a heart, was in the center of the bear’s chest cavity, small wisps of pure magic flowing off of the core and into the roots.

Jay darted forward before the bear could recover and grasped at the core with his left clawed hand, tearing it out in a single motion. A blinding light flashed through his eyes as he lost most of his senses suddenly; balance, hearing, motion, touch. Only pain remained as his vision faded back to normal sight, revealing the fact that he was flying through the air and knocking down several trees. Leaping to his feet and promptly collapsing, the virus took a moment to see the damage. Most of his left side was missing, including part of his head. His chest was blown open, though nothing was there except more flesh. Forcing himself to heal, he ran back into the battle and took in the sight.

The bear he had torn the core out of was gone, nothing but a scarred crater left behind. Wisps of energy still flowed through the air, the last remnant of the magic holding it together. The other two Ursirium, littered with roots hanging from only one end, stared in shock at the remains of their brother. Sixty meters away, easily a hundred Guards gaped in awe as he stepped back out of the woods, surprised that the three presences he had sensed did not attack yet. The disturbingly clear shock in the bears’ eyes quickly shifted into fury as they faced him. Powerful jaws opened wide and a deep, echoing roar filled the area, physically flattening grass and pressing against his front as his clothes flapped in the gust of air. Then their voices linked, constructive interference making the roars more than double in volume. Ponies dropped in pain, covering their ears in a desperate hope to not be deafened. Jay withstood it all, the roar itself not being magical and therefore easily ignored.

The roar stopped suddenly, the bears returning to glaring at him even as they seemed hesitant to continue the attack. They almost seemed like they were waiting for something. Jay flinched; for a moment, it had sounded like he heard Celestia scream in the distance. A thought hit him like Disarray. Wait, where’s Celestia?

Slowly backing up, he approached the Guards, noticing with satisfaction that the four under his command had joined the rest. Surprisingly, he also spotted fully armored Town Guards and Rangers in the mix. He came to a stop next to one high-ranking Ranger. With a glance, Jay recognized him. “Corporal Dancer?”

“Jay.” The Ranger replied. “Good work on the first.”

Jay nodded but was in no mood for pleasantries. “Where’s Princess Celestia?”

The Ranger frowned and glanced around, not seeing her anywhere. “I’m not sure. She was right behind us when we arrived, writing a letter to her student to gather the Elements just in case.”

“How far behind you?”

The Ranger shrugged. “Thirty meters? Forty?”

“Fuck!” Jay cursed angrily. “Hold the line. Have the Pegasi sweep around the bears, keeping them distracted. Unicorn’s should barrage a focused spot on each bear, then destroy the core. Have the Earth ponies as physical support wherever needed.. I’m going to look for the Princess.”

“Sir, she’s probably just at the Library with Miss Sparkle.” The Corporal protested.

“Do you want to take that chance?” Jay asked seriously, staring at him. After a moment, Dancer shook his head. “Good. Hold the line.”

With the final saying, the virus took off around the town, heading toward where he thought the scream originated from. Hopefully, he would find that it really was nothing more than his imagination. Jay wasn’t going to take the chance, though. Behind him, he heard slow steps as the last ones he had sensed followed behind at a sedate pace, not bothering to rush or run to keep up. Jay entertained the thought that they knew why he was running and where, but it only ended up creeping him out.

He following the hoofprints until he found where he thought the scream came from, having circled to the eastern side of town, the direction of Canterlot. A quick glance revealed nothing that he could see. No blood stains, no bodies, no scarred earth, and no magic remnants. A viral pulse followed the sight check, revealing nothing. Frowning in concern, he sent out a quick pulse of sound, using the return to map the world around him. His frown only grew when he discovered a dip in the ground, more like a hole, that he couldn’t see from his position. Rushing over, he looked down into the hole from the edge and felt his non-existant heart stop, horror taking hold.

Down below, a massive spider stared at him with eight faintly glowing eyes. The monster was easily eight feet across and twelve long, a massive foot-long stinger jutting from its abdomen. Eight long legs were folded beneath it, holding Celestia prisoner. One glance to her eyes told him all he needed to know. She was terrified, in pain, and likely unable to move. Jay almost used his whipfist to tear the spider off of Celestia only to pause, seeing the six-inch barbs covering every inch of the creature. If he had to guess, they were stabbing into Celestia as well. Tearing the spider off would be a horrible mistake that would take half of Celestia with it- only half.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to think any longer. The spider stood, unfolding its legs and crawling out of the pit as it let Celestia go. This movement revealed two large punctures in her size, oozing a sickly yellow solution. A glance at the spider’s mouth revealed a large tube-like structure, making him realize that Celestia had been poisoned with digestive acids. Rage took hold of half of his mind, but only half. The other half was dedicated to his second form, which coalesced under ground and burrowed to Celestia. While it was moving, the spider reached the surface and stared at him. Another glance at Celestia felt like it was physically biting into his heart. I need to get it away from her.

Jay darted forward and grasped the spider’s front leg with his clawed hand, feeling the barbs bite into his virus without truly piercing it, and threw it away. A horrific screech sounded out while the spider was airborne, though it was much better than the deafening roar the Ursirium had emitted. It landed a dozen meters away, stumbling to its legs as it glared at him. Far off movement caught his attention as he glanced to his side, seeing three scorpion-like creatures approach slowly. They reminded him of Luna’s mane, partly black with hundreds of stars sparkling deep within. He eyes rested on the stingers as he thought. Great, more poison.

He looked back into the hole. “Sorry, Sunshine. I gotta get you away from here. You’ll be fine.”

Looking into her eyes, he could almost see the ‘what about you?’ The fact that she was worried for him even through her pain was not lost on him. “Not so much for me, I’m afraid.”

As he spoke, his second form drilled out of a small hole and reformed next to Celestia. Her eyes widened though her body didn’t move. Jay picked Celestia up and began to move, a dozen tendrils chipping away at rock at an immense speed as he burrowed away, collapsing the tunnel behind him. Once his second form and Celestia were far away from the battle and a story underground, he got to work. His second form began to quickly spread his tendrils into Celestia’s body, entering through the already-made holes in her sides. To his horror, he found that most of her organs had already been partially liquified. If he was able to neutralize the poison, she would most likely survive and heal. Fortunately for them, he was able to do more than just ‘neutralize the poison.’ He hoped.

“Hold the line!” Corporal Dancer yelled out. Several Guards shouted wordlessly in reply, shoving their shields against the hordes of Timberwolves, blades and spears quickly making short work of the fragile monstrosities. The Ursirium roar had done more than just stagger and deafen a number of ponies. It had also summoned quite a number of Timberwolves from the Forest. While the ranks of canines dashed themselves against the interlocked shields of the Royal Guard, the two remaining bears hung near the Forest and were slowly retracting roots from nearby trees to replace their damaged parts.

Earth ponies held their shields against each other, locked against the oncoming tide of wood and magic. Unicorns reinforced the enchanted gold, further bolstering their ability to stop the beasts as levitated weapons darted in and out of faux flesh. Pegasi dashed in from above, slicing apart the large roots that served as the spines of the wolves, stopping dozens in their tracks. Behind the line, Rangers had taken up position on crates and carts borrowed from the town, their arrows swift and sure. Heavily armored Rangers were spread intermittenly throughout the line, smashing apart wolves in a single strike.

Without the bears assaulting the soldiers, the combat was easy and efficient. Of course, the Ursirium took that moment to finish their healing and rejoin the fight, lumbering their way toward the line, the only thing that separated the town from death and desecration.

Jay stared, watching the large spider and three scorpions as they spread out around him, taking up points at the four cardinal positions. They worked with more than simple instinct, showing a basic understanding of tactics that concerned him. If these beasts were intelligent, how many more were there and how likely were they to target Equestrians?

Seeing the powerful magics radiating off of the four monsters, the virus made a decision. Reaching down within himself, he found his store of DNA. Quickly locating three unique double-helix shapes, he consumed them. His cells shook and twisted as powerful energies flowed through his veins, unnatural mutations rapidly taking place as the DNA of three immortals were absorbed in one instance. His coding turned, shattered, and rebuilt itself as his body restructured without his desire or input, all together an incredibly painful process.

His legs thickened into massive trunks of chitin-covered muscle. His body extended backward, another set of legs growing out behind him even as his torso grew higher, morphing his body into that of a centaur as genes of two ponies, a Changeling, and his own form mixed to make a new mutation. Below his arms, another set grew even as all four arms grew longer, thicker, and black chitin began to cover them. His arms shifted into four separate tools, a blade, a claw, a shield, and a whip. Six tendrils erupted out of his back, each one razor sharp and swaying ominously like snakes. His nose expanded into a full muzzle, six rows of razor sharp teeth filling it. Three horns grew out of his head, the center one sweeping back while the sides pointed forward like weapons. Finally, his eyes shifted. Two more grew out below and to the side of his normal ones, then two more below those. One set saw in infrared, seeing the heat each creature emitted. The final set saw in some new vision, capable of seeing the magic of all beings.

Rising from his knees, Jay growled powerfully at the beasts, the deep sound shaking the ground and causing the monsters to regroup in front of him, cautious of the Cursed’s new form. Raising his blade and claw, the edges began to glow in a faint blue light as energy coursed through his veins. With an unholy roar sounding as if it came from a dozen voices, Jay charged at the beasts, his steps thundering the ground.

Author's Notes:

First chapter of the Invasion. Next chapter will be out tomorrow around the same time. As always, don't hesitate tell me what you think and point out any errors you see.

Everfree Invasion- Pt II

Jay glared at the beasts, shifting his stance slowly as he became acquainted with his new form. The extra legs were easy to adapt to, having spent time as a pony before. The extra arms and eyes took a few moments of adaptation, unfortunately. A few moments that the spider took advantage up. The Aracuvo leaped forward incredibly quickly, like a jumping spider, and lashed out with two of its front legs, trying to pierce him with its barbs. Jay’s shield snapped up, knocking one leg off course while his blade sung through the air, severing the other with a screech of pain coming from the spider. He stepped back, guard still raised, as the spider stumbled back as well. The virus would have to focus on his shield, now. His size, seven or eight feet tall and just as long with his hind legs, was far too large for him to sway and duck out of the way of strikes. Though, the four weapons and six tendrils were useful.

Lashing out with his spiked whip, the bladed tendril wrapped around the spider’s left legs, biting deeply into it as he swung, slamming the spider into one of the scorpions. His ‘mage sight,’ for lack of a better term, caught sight of a small concentration of magic gathering around the tips of the tail singers of the other two Scorpius.

Swear to God if they shoot fucking lasers from their stingers. Jay thought to himself as his shield expanded, viral matter reinforcing it as it covered his entire front. Two small eyes formed on the corners of the shield, allowing him to see what the magic would do without exposing himself massively. The magic seemed to coalesce into a stream of liquid ejected straight from the stingers. It sailed through the air and splattered against his shield, slowly beginning to melt the virus. Healing the injuries with but a thought, the shield returned to its normal size. Good that I found out they can still hurt me like that than with a massive blow to the face.

Seeing that the spider and scorpion were still entangled with each other due to the sharp barbs of the spider, Jay quickly closed the distance to the remaining two Scorpius and shifted his whip into another shield while his claw shifted into another blade, one of each on each side of his body. He blocked a sting from one and a slash from the other, returning the strikes with his own. The glowing blue edges of his blades seemed to slice through the star-flesh of the beasts without pause, rending gashes through the sides of the astrals. The retaliated strikes continued for a few moments, the combat now much easier than it had been before his evolution. He blocked and slashed again and again, waiting for a moment when he could strike back without worry of retaliation. Eventually, his chance came. Both Scorpius stung at him, his shields coming up to block the strikes. Unlike before, he allowed the stingers to pierce his shield, only for it to reharden around the stinger and trap the tails as they were.

Jay yanked his shield, pulling the scorpions off balance. With their claws distracted trying to balance themselves, his tendrils flashed in the moonlight, slicing apart star-flesh even as his blades joined in creating the gashes across the monsters. The two monsters screeched in pain, dark blue blood flying across the field as the monsters were torn apart and consumed, his upgraded virus making short work of the Forest beasts. Integrating the DNA as he trotted toward the final two creatures, a large scorpion tail began to grow, just as a normal tail would for a centaur. The black chitin quickly coated the new appendage, all seven feet of it. The virus was content with the new weapon, the length easily able to dodge around shields and armor to strike at weak points, injecting deadly concoctions into the bloodstream of whatever he was fighting.

Nearing the two beasts, several precise strikes was all it took to slaughter the monsters, the spider’s dark green ichor mixing with the dark blue of the spider. Absorbing the spider’s DNA, Jay felt several barbs form on his tail, each one capable of being launched out. He sent a quick tendril into the ground, feeling it burrow to his othe form. When it was absorbed, he detached it. With a grin spreading across his muzzle, sharpened teeth on full display, the virus turned and began moving quickly around the town, making his way to the combat zone, hearing howling wolves and roaring bears mixing with the yelled and cries of ponies. He ignored the Ponyville residents watching him, knowing full well they wouldn’t piece together him and Gene being the same person.

Jay flinched, feeling his original form’s virus evolve several times over, the pain affecting both halves of his mind. When it faded, he turned his attention back to Celestia. He had quickly found out rather quickly that his virus was completely unable to neutralize the poison in its current state, yet this body didn’t have the DNA stored for him to boost himself to his other body’s level. Instead, he worked as quickly as he could, regenerating her cells at a phenomenal speed. Unfortunately, he was only able to heal her at a slightly slower speed than the poison was melting her cells. At this rate, she would only be able to survive for six hours or so before total organ failure killed her. There was another side effect, too. With him healing her while it was being dissolved, she was feeling an intense, unending pain. Tears streamed out of eyes that shone with nothing but pain and fear. Her gaze stared ahead at the wall of the small cave, her mind having slipped into a coma-like state to avoid the pain. The virus couldn’t let her fall asleep and risk her dying anyway, so a continuous stream of adrenaline kept her awake, dulling the barest edge of the pain as well. He had to constantly alter the amount he was putting into her, preventing the adrenaline from stopping her heart.

Jay dearly hoped that, when he sent a tendril down here to boost his virus, the upgrade would be enough to destroy the poison and fully heal Celestia. He also hoped that the sheer pain she was feeling wouldn’t affect her mentally. Celestia was tough, of that there was no doubt, but the agony she was being forced to experience must have been horrendous. Tears began to slowly trickle down his own face, knowing that he was too weak to help her, that his only option was to keep her in pain until he could help her. He didn’t even want to think of what would happen if he couldn’t heal her even with his new mutations the monsters would give him. She would die.

That thought struck him hard, an emotional pain filling his soul as the thought of losing any of the mares he loved. The fact that he would still have Luna and Chrysalis did nothing to dull his pain, he loved Celestia just as much as them.The virus soon found himself mumbling under his breath, doing something he would never do for himself.

“God, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as on Earth as in hea- fuck it. God, I don’t fucking know if you exist, I’m Atheist. You might, you might not. If you do, please, don’t let Celestia die in my arms. I don’t care if your plan for me ends in Hell, just don’t let Celestia die. Whether its me to heal her or not, I don’t care. Just let her live.” Jay prayed, not caring how crazy he sounded to himself.

Moments later, he felt a tendril extend from his other form and drill into the small cavern they were in. The tendril was quickly absorbed by him, boosting his virus as he absorbed the information while avoiding the forceful mutations. Quickly returning his attention to Celestia, he sent his cells after the poison and started to cry when the virus devoured the poison, quickly cleaning her system of the fluid. Rapidly, organs began to regenerate as her body returned to a stable condition, then passed that as she fully healed, each organ returning to a pristine state. Celestia began to move slowly, her mind coming out of its haze as the pain and paralysis faded. His tendrils pulled back, taking every last viral cell with them.

Sounds flashed through her mind, voices that seemed vaguely familiar. She made out words, some of which were unfamiliar to her. Eventually, her mind began to return to her. Celestia’s first thought was that she felt very fine and not at all in pain. Was she dead? No, she could hear somepony crying next to her, feeling their tears land softly on her right side. Her left side was warm and wet, although she knew not by what. The Alicorn knew she was very much alive. Her head rose up and her neck craned, seeing Jay above her, tears streaming down his face as he looked at her with one of the happiest smiles she had ever seen from him. She looked around in confusion, not sure why she was in a cave. Her recent memory was nothing but flashes and impressions, voices mulling her thoughts. She thought back to her last clear memory, walking behind her Guards while writing a letter to Twilight. Then she sent it and after that… the Alicorn thought hard, trying to remember what had happened after that.

Then she remembered, the memory of fear and pain striking her hard and making her physically wince. She had been grabbed and bitten by a monsterous… thing and the only thing after that was pain. Celestia’s neck craned, turning back to Jay, seeing the slight worry in his eyes, though he still seemed happy. She spoke, her voice raspy and her throat painfully dry. “W-what happened?”

“A giant spider from the Forest ambushed you behind your army, dragging you into a small pit where it bit you, injecting its venom.” Jay explained gently, his virus restructuring molecules into a glass full of water, which he held up to Celestia as she gratefully drank the life-giving liquid. Jay repeated it twice more, extraordinarily happy that she was safe.

Feeling that her throat was much better than before, she spoke softly.. “Is there anymore you can tell me? What kind of spider? What did the venom do? Why did my Guards here me scream? What’s been happening?”

Then, when the memory of extraordinary pain flashed through her mind, making her realize how close she had been to truly dying, she added in a vulnerable voice. “Can you hold me?”

Without hesitation, the virus reached out and gently pulled Celestia out of the pool of her golden blood, holding her close to him with his arms wrapped around her. “The spider was massive, larger than me, with a stinger, teeth, mandibles, bristled body, and a suction tube to drink pre-digested prey. It grabbed you when two wooden bears roared loudly, deafening everypony. I...almost didn’t hear you scream. The bears only stopped a few moments before you stopped. After telling the Guards to hold the bears off, I rushed to you with both of my bodies.”

“W-what?” Celestia asked, understandably shocked. The idea of one mind controlling several bodies was hard to understand for most beings. Mostly with the problem of how those bodies sent information between each other.

“I can control multiple bodies with my powers. This one is my second one, while my original is above ground fighting the bears. I’m still me though, not some copy of Jay. Same mind, two bodies.” Jay explained.

He felt Celestia slowly nod against his chest, having trouble grasping the concept. His grip slightly tightening around her, he continued. “I found you in the pit with the spider resting on top of you. Its barbs had pierced your side and it had bit you, injecting its venom. You were paralyzed and bleeding badly, not to mention that its venom was slowly dissolving your organs. The spider got off of you and it and my first form started fighting as well as three constellation-like scorpions. I rushed down there, grabbed you, pulled you away from the fight into this cave that I made, and tried to heal you.”

“Tried?” Celestia asked suddenly, catching on to the momentarily despair in his voice. She quickly checked over herself, relieved to find all her limbs still attached. She looked back up to see a couple tears trailing down his face. She stretched her neck, nuzzling his face and wiping his tears away with her fur. “Jay?”

“I had to hurt you, Sunshine.” Jay said desolately, continuing without giving her a chance to reply. “I couldn’t heal you completely. The poison was stronger than my virus and I could only heal you a little bit slower than the poison was killing you.”

His explanation broke momentarily as a sob wracked his body. Celestia was shocked, seeing him weak and vulnerable like this. It reflected just how much he loved her, but also how much it had hurt him to help her. Before she could offer him any comfort, he recovered. “I had to inject adrenaline into you to stop you from passing out from the pain. You...wouldn’t have woken up if you did. But, I couldn’t give you enough to dull or remove the pain, only keep you awake. If I gave you too much, it could have killed you. And even then, the amount of adrenaline was enough to keep your senses in sharp focus, making you feel every bit of pain as the poison ate away at your body. It wasn’t until twenty minutes ago that my other form killed the spider and scorpions, absorbing their DNA and memories. Getting the spider’s DNA let me destroy the poison in you and allowed me to fully heal you.”

Done with his explanation, Jay’s eyes shone with tears as he began crying, the knowledge of how close he had been to losing her striking him hard again. Even worse, his virus made him remember every bit of it perfectly, all the emotions and feelings as clear as if it was still happening. Celestia, seeing his state, began to gently nuzzle him. “It’s okay, Jay. I’m fine, you saved me. Not only that, but you removed major threats to Equestria. The spider, an Aracuvo, and the scorpions, Scorpius, are incredibly magical and powerful beasts. The bears, Ursirum, where are they?”

Jay chuckled darkly. “Dead. Torn apart by my newest evolution. They were much weaker than the others, easily destroyed.”

“Where did this power come from?” Celestia asked, not quite sure if he had been hiding his power before.

“When I was standing between you and the beasts, I absorbed the DNA of you, your sister, and Chrysalis. I underwent a powerful mutation, giving me quite a few new abilities and letting me destroy the beasts.” Jay said honestly. “I think we should return to the surface. Your Guards are frantic, seeing my other form. We’ll continue this later, okay? I want to be back in Canterlot with you and Luna by dawn, hopefully.”

Celestia nodded and slowly stood up. Jay did the same, letting Celestia lean against him as bloodflow returned to her legs. She swayed lightly, the pins and needles affecting her balance severely. Seeing that, Jay picked her up and basked in the small squeak she emitted and the small blush on her muzzle. His tendrils returned, carving a tunnel toward the surface as he started walking.

Jay stopped suddenly, seeing the hordes of Timberwolves assaulting the ranks of Guards. Eyes drawn to a roar, he saw the two bears being distracted by several Pegasi flitting around their heads while Unicorns engaged them at distance. Nopony seemed to have noticed them yet, a fact that he was thankful for. Quickly, his six tendrils shuddered and split, forming twelve total as some form of energy coated the new ones as well. For a moment, he entertained the idea of having magic. Then he dismissed it. It wasn’t the time to think about that. Roaring loudly in challenge drew the attention of everyone, wolves, bears, soldiers, and civilians. Everything sentient seemed rather horrified by his presence. That was, until he waded into the fray helping the Guards.

A dozen tendrils flashed through the air violently, slicing apart droves of wolves as a veritable army flooded from the woods. Splinters and sticks flew through the air as he carved a path toward the Ursirium. Looking at them now from his mage sight, their magic was quite low compared to the other two species he had fought. Coming within striking distance of his first prey, twelve tendrils and two blades, all coated in a blue aura, lashed out and shredded the bears front. Roots fell off entirely, utterly exposing the core of the bear, which was quickly shredded after a glance to make sure the nearby ponies had fled from the combat. The resulting explosion pulped nearby wolves and forced him to stumble back rather than being thrown. They were weak prey now.

Turning to the second bear, he tested out his new stinger and struck the bear in the chest. The spike pierced the chest and drove straight into the core, roots flying everywhere as the bear exploded in a spectacular failure to contain the magical energy. Once again, the virus stumbled back as his four legs and significantly heavier frame helped him resist the force of the explosion. Quickly healing the burns and scorch marks on his chitin from the magic, he turned to the Timberwolves and unleashed what Mercer had affectionately named a ‘Devastator,’ hundreds of tendrils bursting from his chest in a flurry of motion as they shredded everything from directly in front of him all the way to a dozen meters into the treeline. Guards and Rangers quickly disposed of the few that had been behind him or to his sides, then turned their attention to him, their weapons readied. Horns, bows, and spears were pointed at him, though no Guards charged. They stared at him, nursing a hope that he wasn’t hostile.

He made a show snorting, turning and then trotting off into the forest. Once out of sight of any ponies, he quickly dissolved and burrowed underground. He made his way across town in a matter of minutes, coming to rest near where his second form would dig out. A few moments later, the ground fell into a pit as he walked out, carrying Celestia. Jay’s first form coalesced into his true form as his second form put Celestia down. She was glancing between his two forms, comparing them no doubt. She was likely surprised to find that they really were identical. His second form dissolved and returned to the cave under the flower fields and his first form gestured for Celestia to follow.

“I’ve wiped out the bears and their Timberwolves allies. The Guards weren’t sure whether my other form was hostile or not, so they bared their weapons at me. I ‘left’ through the Forest and made my way here. They’re probably worried about you. The last they saw of me was me running off to find you only for that beast to come from the same direction. I suggest making up some excuse for where you were.” Jay quickly explained the situation, making her nod.

“I already know what I’m going to say.” Celestia said in reply. A moment later, she turned and graced him with a smile, one that he happily returned. Leaning down for a moment, he gently kissed her. She eagerly pressed back, happy at the show of affection, before they parted and continued walking.

“You know, after I absorbed the Aracuvo and Scorpius, the Ursirium were pretty damn weak. They seemed so shocked at my appearance that they didn’t have the chance to fight back. They were both dead in moments. The first one was much harder to kill before I got my upgrades.” Jay said after a moment, honestly surprised that the ‘toughest’ ones were such a pushover. Being bears, he assumed they could take a hit better than spiders or scorpions.

Celestia nodded in understanding. “Constructs tend to be rather weak unless in great numbers. Even then, Guards and Rangers alike are trained to handle hordes of Timberwolves. If there had been closer to a dozen Ursirium, the fight would have been much harder.”

Jay nodded in agreement, his peripheral vision picking out several ponies watching them in shock as they walked through the town. Around twenty minutes later, they were standing before the armored ponies, with quite a few civilians around them, all waiting for Princess Celestia to say something. But before she could speak, Corporal Dancer spoke worriedly. “Princess, where were you? Everypony was worried after the battle when you were nowhere to be found.”

The Ranger seemed a little nervous at questioning his Princess, but his worry overrided his fear. Celestia looked around, seeing the curious looks and the worried glances they were giving Jay. Celestia turned her attention back to the Corporal and spoke clearly for all to here. “Corporal, if not for the person next to me, I would be dead right now.”

The crowd went into an uproar as Celestia glanced at Jay, flashing him a smug smile in return to the astonished look. His mouth curved into a smile when he understood what she was doing. The ponies feared him because they saw him fight the Ursirium, shifting his arms into blades and claws. By saying that, she made them aware of the fact that he saved her and they would be more likely to trust him. Even if it did hurt her ‘immortal goddess’ reputation some.

Words of fear, concern, and gratitude echoed around them for a time before Celestia raised a wing. The crowd slowly fell silent after several minutes, waiting for her to speak, which she did. “When my Guards and I arrived, a massive spider called an Aracuvo had set up an ambush. It grabbed me, timing it so nopony could hear it as the Ursirium, the bears, roared loudly. There, it poisoned me and cut me, the poison dissolving me faster than my Alicorn nature could heal me. Jay, the person beside me, found me and defeated the spider as well as three Scorpius that were with the Aracuvo. He healed me, then escorted me here.”

From the crowd, a familiar faced walked forward. It was Twilight, slowly trotting toward him. Her eyes conveyed the fear she felt at almost losing her mentor, a fear he had shared. At the same time, they showed him her gratitude and joy for saving him. When she neared him, tears slowly trickled down her face she reared up, her forehooves wrapping around his chest. Her muzzle gently nuzzled him as she cried. “T-thank you. Thank you for saving her.”

Jay wrapped his arms around her in return and held her, whispering into her ear. “I’m glad I did, Twilight. You know how close we are. I couldn’t bear to lose her.”

With a final nuzzle, Twilight let go and stepped back with a small smile on her muzzle. Celestia leaned down and gently hugged her in the standing-pony way, wrapping her neck around her student. Jay’s eyes drifted around the crowd, seeing the smiles and tearful eyes, all directed at him. Jay leaned over to Celestia after she let go of Twilight. “Sunshine, I want to tell them about me.”

She smiled so brightly that he could have sworn the night grew warmer. “I’ll be by your side the entire time.”

Jay nodded and turned his attention back to the crowd. “I want to tell you all something, a secret I’ve been keeping. You all actually know me.”

The ponies of Ponyville shared confused looks, glancing around. He saw ponies he recognized, like Coal Dust and Fire Brand, giving him curious looks. Others, like Twilight and Pinkie, were smiling reassuringly. He flashed them a return smile, then continued. “See, I’m a shapeshifter. I don’t copy ponies. I make my own disguise, my own history, and my own life. You all know me as Gene Splice, an Earth pony.”

The shocked looks were clear. Most of the ponies had never met him, but had seen him. Some couldn’t connect that the Earth pony they had seen in the town and this bipedal creature, armed with claws and blades, were the same being. Several backed away slowly, at least until Celestia spoke up. “I can personally vouch for the character of Jay. When he first arrived in Ponyville, he sought to live peacefully. So much so that he personally came to Canterlot and told my sister and I about who and what he really was. He spent a couple days with us as we learned about him and him about us. I trust him and so does my sister.”

Most calmed, the knowledge that he had earned the trust of both Princesses enough evidence that he wasn’t a monster than wanted to eat them all. Celestia smiled at her ponies as she continued. “In fact, my sister and I more than trust him. We love him.”

Jaws dropped and gasps rang out when Celestia turned and planted a firm kiss on the surprised virus’ lips. Quickly recovering, he returned the show of affection before they parted, a light blush on Celestia’s face at kissing him so publicly. She turned back to the astonished crowd. “So please, whether you see Gene or Jay walking down the street, don’t treat him as a monster. Treat him as a pony because he only wants to live a happy life.”

She flashed him another smug grin before her horn began to glow. “We will be returning to Canterlot for a time before Jay returns to Ponyville. Corporal Dancer, have the Rangers stay in the Expedition Staging Point in case of another attack. Guards, return to Canterlot.”

She received a nod from the Corporal and somepony in charge of the Royal Guards. A moment later, they were gone. Another moment and they were back in Celestia’s room, a wide awake Luna staring at Celestia in fear. The night mare leaped across the room, impacting Celestia’s side and knocking her to the ground. “Oh, sister, I was so scared! I saw everything!”

“W-what?” Celestia stuttered out, shocked.

“When I woke up and you were gone, I cast a scrying spell on your mirror to find you. I s-saw you get bit and h-heard you s-scream.” Luna explained, starting to break down at the end, tears trailing down her face and staining Celestia’s fur. “I t-tried to teleport to you, but s-something was stopping me f-from leaving the r-room.”

“I was so sc-scared I was going to l-lose you.” Luna added at the end, falling silent and just nuzzling into Celestia’s fluffed chest fur.

Jay sat down next to the intertwined mares and pulled them closer to them, hugging them both. Luna whimpered again, her grip tightening around them both. The fear in her voice was hurting them both, so much so that Celestia began to lightly cry. Jay knew that nothing he could say would calm her, so he hoped that their physical presence would help her. It seemed to work, too, as her crying slowly stopped. Her grip eventually loosened as she looked up to Celestia, the white Alicorn’s chest fur matted with tears. To Luna’s surprise, Celestia didn’t say anything. She just leaned down and gently embraced Celestia in a soft kiss, conveying nothing but her love and understanding. Luna happily return the kiss, the physical act comforting to her. After a time, the two parted. Luna turned to Jay and nuzzled his neck, then gently kissed him. “Thank you for holding us. I just needed some time to calm down.”

“We’re here for you, Moonbeam.” Jay replied with a small smile directed her way. “We both love you even as you love us.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “We support each other because we’re a family. When one of us needs comforting, the others are always there. When Chrysalis returns from the negotiations, she’ll be a part of this family, too.”

Luna just snuggled into the pair again, Celestia’s wings and Jay’s arms wrapping around them all. “I love thee.”

“We love you, too.” Jay and Celestia said in unison, flashing each other a small smile. With a flash of magic from Celestia, the bundle was moved onto the bed where the mares slowly drifted off together, the night’s events having tired them all out. Jay was relieved, happy to know that the Curse was over and the beasts destroyed. With some Rangers stationed in Ponyville, they were well-defended againsts beasts. A chunk of the forest had been pushed back several meters from his last attack, giving more time for ponies to react if something came from the woods.

One thing was bothering him, though. What stopped Luna from rushing to Ponyville when she learned Celestia was hurt? If she coudn’t teleport, she could have flown out the balcony. If she couldn’t fly, she could have run to the town. Something had done more than just blocked her magic. Something had trapped her in the room, utterly helpless to save her sister. The virus wanted answers and he assumed Disarray would have them. Jay just didn’t have a clue how to contact him.

Jay sighed and frowned. That would have to be something he would need to find out later. Between the runestone, the caster, the Curse, and Disarray, things were becoming much more chaotic than he had hoped it would be in this land. Then a small smile overcoming his frown as his eyes drifted over to Celestia and Luna while he thought of Chrysalis. Even if it was chaotic now, he wouldn’t trade it for anything. He had three mares he loved, a fact he still couldn’t quite believe. Three!

Letting his head drop against the pillow, he relaxed as Celestia’s and Luna’s hooves slowly snaked across his body and embraced him, each resting their heads on his chest. With a thought, he reformed his heart, lungs, and blood. Luna’s head began to slowly move as she nuzzled him in her sleep, the familiar sound of his heartbeat penetrating her dreams. Either that, or she was dreamwalking and aware of the sudden heartbeat.

Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted off to sleep. It had been a long night and he was eager to rest, even if his body didn’t need it.

Author's Notes:

The second half of the Invasion. As always, feel free to tell me how you feel about it, point out any errors, and give your opinions on things.

Information Revealed

Jay’s mind snapped awake instantly as it always did. His eyes opened soon after that, glancing around the room. It was daylight now, so Celestia had raised the sun while Luna set the moon already. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the soft bed, he stood. He felt a small urge to stretch solely from his old habit but ignored it, knowing it wouldn’t do anything for him. Looking around the room, he saw both mares’ regalia sitting on two Alicorn-sized poniquins, so he knew they hadn’t left to go about their day.

The door to Celestia’s bathroom swung open and Celestia poked her head out, smiling at him. Jay’s eyes widened slightly, seeing her normally pastel mane was a soft pink. It was clearly wet and clung to her neck, dripping small drops of water on the floor. The fur on her head was matted as well, showing him she had likely been bathing. Before he could say anything, she spoke. “Come join us, Jay.”

Then she was gone, his hearing picking up the sound of her walking deeper into the bathroom before he heard her enter the bathtub. Smiling, he walked into the bathroom only to stop when he saw how large it was. The bathroom was themed after Celestia herself with lots of white and gold. There was a surprisingly simple marble sink with a glass mirror above it, possibly a medicine cabinet if ponies had those. There was a toilet, fortunately not gold, though that was lower than a human one would be. A quick glance showed a nozzle where a jet of water would clean whoever used the toilet, a rather useful addition for a species that two-thirds of can’t use toilet paper easily. The tub, though, was easily the largest and most elaborate piece to the room.

It was a large rectangle, three sides of which were the tiled walls of the room. The fourth and final side was open to the bathroom, though a sliding frosted glass partition could close it off completely and give the user some privacy. Evenly spaced nozzles on the roof above the tub could turn it from a bath to a shower with a switch. Several holes in the walls poured out water into the tub that was easily capable of holding half a dozen Alicorns. Speaking of Alicorns, both Celestia and Luna were looking at him with small smiles and Jay couldn’t help but stare at them both.

Celestia’s mane and tail were a soft pink, her mane draping down her neck and sticking to her body while her tail was floating in the water behind her. Her fur was competely matted, giving her body a sleek look to it while emphasizing the natural curve of her body from her neck to her flank. Next to her stood Luna. Like Celestia, her mane and tail were no longer partly ethereal, but a light blue instead, which was in a position just like Celestia’s. Her coat was matted as well, but the water also darkened it so she looked like she had black fur, which contrasted with her teal eyes rather nicely. Her curves were emphasized, too, and Jay couldn’t stop his eyes from roaming over them both, tracing the lines of their bodies. Both mares noticed immediately and shared a look, then turned back and Luna gestured for him to join them with a wing, the water-logged feathers dripping water as she pulled it out of the water. “Come on, Jay. Get it here with us.”

The virus nodded and quickly stripped of his clothing, folding it and placing it on the counter. He smirked when he felt the eyes of both Princesses roving across his naked body, but he didn’t mind. They were his herdmates, after all. Turning, their eyes drifted straight down and a grin spread across his face. He stepped into the water soon after, feeling the nice warmth of the water. Their eyes drifted up to his when the bubbling water concealed his lower half and he realized just how deep the water was. It came halfway up Luna’s flanks, while just below Celestia’s flanks. Halfway down from Jay’s chest was underwater, making it a tub he could stand in while still being mostly submerged.

He waded over to the mares and they quickly nuzzled him. After giving a quick kiss to both, he spoke. “Did you two sleep well?”

Celestia nodded. “I did. It was very comfortable, lying on you like normal. After the night we all had, we needed the rest.”

His eyes drifted to Luna and she nodded as well, though she didn’t speak. Looking at her in slight concern, he caught the glimpse of worry in her eyes still. Just then, he felt a mind touch his own and heard Celestia’s voice in his head. “What do you say about giving Luna a good time? Just to show her that we aren’t going anywhere.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Jay replied, an internal smile being transmitted to Celestia.

“Glad to hear that. I’ll take her horn, you take her marehood. She won’t tell you this but you should use one of your tendrils. She’s been fantasizing about them since she first saw them.” Celestia explained, a teasing tone in her mental voice.

The connection ended and they both turned to Luna. The smaller mare’s eyes widened when they both started to walk toward her, her eyes rapidly glancing between the two immortals stalking toward her. She took a step back skittishly, then stopped as she resolved to see where it would go. Her eyes widened further, then dropped shut when Celestia pulled her into a passionate kiss, tongues beginning to flicker already. Jay walked to the side of Luna, smiling to see her wings beginning to extend already, coming out to rest just above the water. Jay’s hands reached out and gently grasped her right wing at the base, sparking a muffled moan from the mare into Celestia’s mouth. His hands began to gently massage her wingbase, a shiver running down her spine from the sensations.

With his fingers pressing against the tense muscles in her wing, he slowly moved down her wing and closer to the tip. Not only was he releasing the tension in her wing, he knew by now that wings were pleasure points for ponies. His fingers danced over her nerves, gently tugging on feathers and tendons. Her voice sang for him from his actions, and her voice sang for Celestia as well, her tongue keeping the mare’s own mouth busy. Slowly, he worked out the tension in her wings with slow circles, switching to her left one when he finished the right. Her moans grew, raising in both pitch and volume. Her tail would sway in the water behind her, spreading both her fluids into the tub and her scent into the air. Both he and Celestia grew aroused from the smell and sounds. Finally, they both backed off from Luna.

Her eyes fluttered open, pouting to Celestia as she spoke. “H-hey, why’d you sto-OH!”

Luna’s voice was cut off when Jay slid two fingers into her already sopping wet marehood. The dual ministrations from him and Celestia had worked wonders in getting her wet and ready and the virus took advantage of it. Her body offered no resistance to him as his fingers slid cleanly in and out of her, coated in her juices already. Luna’s voice devolved into a shameless moan when Celestia assaulted her horn, her tongue running up and down it while tracing the grooves. Luna’s walls rhythmically clenched around his fingers, arousing him even more. His cock sought attention and a part of him wanted to take his fingers out and sink into her folds, but he forced it down. This was for Luna, not him.

His fingers rhytmically pistoned into her with her hand pressed flush against her mound, his other hand massaging her flanks. He could feel Luna nearing the edge as water was displaced each time her marehood winked at him, her vulva quickly spread apart as her clit poked out. Her tensing grew more powerful, her moans louder, and her stretched wings began to flap out of sync as she reached her peak. Right before she came, his fingers slid out of her and Celestia let go of her horn, making Luna sag. “W-wha?”

With a lecherous grin to Celestia, his fingers fused and his arm formed into a long tendril, rounded protrusions placed evenly along it’s two foot length. Without a single word, he manipulated the end of the tendril until it was pressed firmly against her puffy slit, making her gasp. “J-Jay…”

With barely a hint of resistance, his tendril sunk into her wet walls six inches before her body clenched down on the tendril, her orgasm halting him instantly. Celestia quickly enveloped Luna’s horn in her muzzle as marecum squirted out around his tendril, quickly mixing with the bathwater. Her walls clenched around his tendril, trying to milk it for all it was worth. Her body’s best efforts failed as the tendril had nothing to give and felt no pleasure. After several moments, her body began to relax enough to move. The tendril moved in and out of her slowly, the knobs pressing firmly into her walls as it sank a bit further with each new push. Her head slowly turned, Celestia still sucking her horn, as she looked at him. “J-Jay, what is that?”

Her eyes caught sight of the foot or so of tendril that wasn’t in her and her eyes widened. To his surprise, her internal muscles locked in place again as she instantly came, more fluids gushing into the water. Though her body had tightened up, it wasn’t enough to stop him again. His tendril slowly sunk deeper into her body as her body started to rock, pulling off of the tendril when he pulled it out, and shoving herself on it when he pushed forward. Before long, the perfectly straight tendril was knocking against her cervix, making her gasp and moan each time it tapped against her deepest barrier. His eyes caught sight of Celestia letting go of Luna’s horn and walking around her body, dipping her muzzle just barely under the water near Luna’s flank. Luna soon threw her head back as a thunderous moan sounded out, Jay soon realizing that Celestia was playing with her clit. His grin widened as his tendril grew more aggressive, rapidly pulling out and pushing in.

Her rocking grew faster as wet sounds filled the room, sloshing caused by the water as more and more of Luna’s fluids dripped out of her. From his point of view, he could see that Celestia was literally drooling from her rump, a continuous trail of fluids folowing down her hind legs and into the water with each wink. To his surprise, Celestia positioned herself in front of him and slammed herself back, hilting him in her in one go as her head came up, both of them moaning. Celestia instantly began rocking and he could feel her orgasm fast approaching, just as his and Luna’s were. Pleasuring Luna like this as well as watching her make out with Celestia had turned him on enough that his endurance had been shot. Luna, feeling a familar pressure building up within her, moaned. “Jay, ah~ fill us up!”

Celestia rapidly nodded in agreement, her soaked flanks impacting his hips solidly with each rearward thrust even as he pumped into her. Luna and Celestia came together, their walls clenching hard and locking him in place in both of them. The sensation of milking and pulsing on his cock quickly sent him over the edge even as waves of marecum forced itself out of the two Alicorns. His tendril shifted, gaining a tube inside it, as he erupted. Hot, white cum quickly painted their pussies a stark white. They both moaned loudly, feeling hit hot seed fill their wombs as Jay groaned too, enjoying the sensation of emptying himself into two mares he loved. Moments later, the pulses of cum stopped and he slowly pulled out of them both, the mares moaning from the dragging against their sensitive nethers.

With a soft pop, he tendril and shaft exited their tunnels, soon followed by a trickle of white cum that stained the water. Luna sagged against Celestia, a bright blush on her muzzle as she looked at him. “T-that’s one of your tendrils.”

Jay grinned, nodding to her. Luna suddenly turned to Celestia. “You told him?”

Celestia nodded as well, smirking to her. “We wanted to give you a good time, reminding you that we aren’t going anywhere. What better way that allowing you to indulge in one of your fantasies?”

Luna sighed and gently kissed Celestia. Jay waded over and embrached the two mares who happily hugged him back. After a moment, Jay spoke teasingly. “You both know that this bath is incredibly dirty now, right? Its got cum from you both and me in it.”

They flashed him a smile before Celestia spoke with a sultry giggle, Luna smiling seductively and nodding in agreement. “Trust me, we don’t mind bathing in your and our cum.”

Jay sighed, though there was still a smile on his face. “Naughty mares.”

They leaned closer to him, seductive smiles on their faces as Luna spoke. “But we’re your naughty mares, and we’ll do anything you desire.”

Jay exited the bathroom fully clothed, a dry Celestia and Luna following behind him, satisfied smiles on their muzzles. After a quick but intense oral section following their comment, they had been forced to drain the tub and try bathing again. The water had been just too dirty for them to get clean in it.

Inside the bedroom, Celestia and Luna moved to the bed and climbed onto it. Celestia, ever regal, folded her legs under her and folded her wings against her side, facing him. Unlike her sister, Luna practically flopped onto the bed, lying on her side with her limbs askew in every direction. Her head tilted up to look at him, a small smile on her muzzle but a worried look in her eyes. It was Celestia that spoke. “Jay, I think we need to talk about everything that’s been happening.”

Jay nodded in agreement and walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. To his surprise, Celestia picked him up in her magic and moved him closer through the air, setting him down between both of them. Luna’s head moved over and rested on his lap, looking up at him with her shining teal eyes, her mane flowing around his legs now that it was dry. “Jay, do you know anything about why those beasts attacked Ponyville?”

Jay nodded a little, mind running. “Yeah, I think I might. I believe I’ve mentioned Disarray before, correct?”

Celestia nodded. “You mentioned the name when you first told us about what you are.”

“And you told me that he brought you to this world when I was in your dreams.” Luna added.

“Really?” Celestia asked, interested. This was the first time she had heard of that.

Jay nodded. “I’m sorry for not telling you this before, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. This is definitely important now, though. Disarray was the one who brought me to this world, saying something along the lines of ‘I’ll do nicely.’ I awoke in the old castle and, well, you both know what happened there.”

Celestia say the regretful glance he gave her and knew exactly why he did it. The Solar mare leaned to him and gently nuzzled his neck, an action repeated from below by Luna to his stomach. Jay didn’t say anything at first so Celestia whispered into his ear. “You know I’ve forgiven you a long time ago, when you healed the injury and apologized to me personally.”

“I know, but, still...I hurt you.” Jay said just as softly.

“And the fact that it bothers you shows that you care for me and that you wouldn’t do it again.” Celestia replied, making Jay nod slowly. “Continue your story, love.”

That got him to smile to her, which in turn made the sisters smile as he continued telling the story. “Anyway, when I was imprisoned in stone, I heard a voice speak to me. It wasn’t out loud, or even in my head. I remember it sounding like the stone was vibrating, speaking to me. It called itself ‘Order’ and claimed to remove my Hive Mind. I will admit that it’s been gone for some time, obviously. I asked it what it was but it’s only reply was ‘Find Creation and your purpose will be clear. Now, leave and fulfill Fate.’”

The two Alicorns shared a glance with each other, then Celestia spoke to him. “You remember that?”

“Near-perfect memory, remember?” Jay said with a smile. “Anyway, ‘Order’ let me go and I broke out of the stone. Disarray was waiting for me. He told me that he and some others thought I was a good candidate for some tasks they needed done, though he didn’t tell me what they are. He gave me some memories about the different races and high-profile beings like yourselves, then left. After that, I made my disguise and made my way to Ponyville.”

Jay paused for a moment, then continued. “I think the next time I saw him, or his influence, was when we had to go into the Everfree and rescue Spike. There was a large pack of Timberwolves and an Alpha. The Alpha had Disarray’s eyes, like it was being affected, and the Alpha actually made my plan to distract them all work. Later, I noticed the wolf’s eyes were different, so I assume that it was just Disarray’s magic. Anyway, the wolf bit me and I feared some type of curse but the teeth failed to pierce me and I didn’t sense any magic in it, though my sense wasn’t good then.”

Jay sighed, looking out the window across the room. In the distance, he could see an utterly massive cluster of clouds. Cloudsdale. “Disarray visited me in my dreams one night and mentioned a ‘Wolf’s Curse.’ I assume that’s what the Alpha did when it bit me. He told me a book to read to find out what it was, but the book was checked out when I got to the library. He left my dreams and moments later you arrived, Luna, saying that something had been blocking you.”

Luna nodded, remembering the conversation they had that night. Jay turned his attention back to the two mares. “That’s what I know of Wolf’s Curse and Disarray. Anything to add?”

Celestia nodded. “We know what the Wolf’s Curse is. It’s pretty much a revenge from Timberwolf Alphas. They can transmit a thaumic pulse through the Forest by biting somepony. That pulse will awaken several ancient beasts and fill them with a hunger for the target.”

“So they were there because of me?” Jay asked. Celestia nodded sadly in reply before she spoke.

“My time I spent with you in Ponyville likely didn’t help, either. They probably picked up my scent and that made them more eager. Alicorn is, apparently, very tasty to predators.” Then she shuddered. “That spider proved it.”

Luna quickly rolled over his lap and came to rest near Celestia, her forehooves snaking out and around her barrel as she held her elder sister. Jay did the same, an arm wrapping around her long neck and holding her close to him. Even though Celestia was clearly affected by the event, Jay was impressed by how strong she was to even be able to mention it. After a moment, Celestia continued. “Anyway, I received a report this morning and I’m happy to tell you that nopony was seriously injured in the battle. Bruises and broken bones abound, but nothing that would stay for longer than a week.”

“Good news.” Jay said softly, happy to know that he didn’t cause anypony to lose life or limb. Both mares nodded in agreement. “What about the body of the giant worm?”

“It’s still there, I believe. Several of the Universities researchers want to study it. That’s the first time we’ve seen something like it.” Celestia explained. “I’m sure they’ll send a vial of its blood and some scales if you want its DNA.”

Jay nodded. “Every extra power I have is one more I can defend my friends and family with.”

“Speaking of new powers...” Luna said, looking toward Jay.

The virus caught her meaning pretty easily and smiled. “Well, I have a new form. While not special in and of itself, since I could have made it anyway, the powers I got with it are pretty good. I think the most prevalent ability is some form of energy I got from you and Luna.”

“You have magic?” Celestia exclaimed as she perked up, excited for some reason.

Jay hesitated, then answered. “I’m not sure. I know the energy is there because it coated my blades and helped me cut the Aracuvo and Scorpius, but I can’t find it or use it.”

Celestia hummed in thought, her ears still perked. “I could help you find it at a later date. If it is magic, my sister and I will have a lot of fun teaching you spells.”

“I’d enjoy that, too.” Jay said with a smile. “Anyway, all I know about it is that it was blue and I couldn’t control it consciously. Another new ability was the ability to see magic with a special set of eyes, though I’m not sure who gave me that.”

“That could be very useful.” Luna commented. “You might even be able to see through invisibility and other spying spells, possibly even scrying.”

“I can also see when a magical species is preparing a spell.” Jay added. “It gave me time to prepare against a Scorpius launching venom at me because I could see the magic in the poison.”

The two nodded and Celestia asked. “What else?”

“From Chrysalis, I gained a special form of chitin. I think it’s my normal compressed biomass but imbued with the energy. It covers me entirely in my new form, which is really useful. From the Aracuvo, I gained barbs that I can launch from my body, as well as the ability to manipulate its special venom, which may be useful against god-like beings.” Jay said with an apologetic look to Celestia, which she answered with an understanding smile. “From the Scorpius, I gained a large scorpion stinger that’s rather flexibile and very sharp, able to pierce armor easily and inject poison. I didn’t get a chance to get any DNA from the Ursirium, if they have any besides normal wood. I destroyed all their cores and blew them apart. I haven’t gotten any genes from the worm, so I don’t know if it’ll give me anything.”

“I’m sure it will.” Luna said. “After all, you’ve gotten some mutation from everything else. The worm will most likely give you something as well, even if it may not be particularly useful. Once you get its DNA, you can also tell us what you can figure out about it.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Celestia said suddenly. “You know everything biological about the DNA samples you have, don’t you?”

Jay nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, but only biological. Magical, mental, and spiritual are an entirely different matter. Though, I’ve just thought of something.”

“Oh?” Luna asked.

“Is there anything new about the caster?” Jay asked.

Celestia sighed, her ears folding down a little. “Not at all. No major event has happened recently at all. Hostile or otherwise. Nopony has found any trace of the caster, and the Pyromancers we questioned all agreed to tell their stories to Seeds of Truth. None of them were lying. The runestone, has it done anything?”

Reaching into himself, he pulled it out and examined it. The now-familiar purple rune was still there, the stone was the same shape. “No, nothing has changed and it didn’t do anything yet.”

As he said that, his vision flashed and the room changed. The decor was the same, but the colors were inverted and the Princesses were gone. Beside him, he could feel the Alicorns touching him but he couldn’t see them. Looking up, he saw the strangest creature sitting on the edge of the bed. His various limbs were mismatched, each one from a different species. Jay recognized him, it was Discord. He was transparent, the wall behind him able to be seen. He smiled but didn’t say anything as his hand reached out toward the runestone. His paw alighted in a blue aura, the same shade as Jay’s own energy. He lightly tapped the runestone, which glowed with a purple aura, before he pulled his arm back.

Jay’s vision flashed again and the room was back to normal. Celestia and Luna were at his sides, staring at him in concern. Celestia, seeing his eyes unglaze, leaned in and nuzzled him gently, a nervous whine escaping her. “Jay?”

His hand came up naturally and gently ran through her mane, calming them both immensely. He spoke softly, hesitantly. “I think Discord just gave me a vision. He touched the rune with some type of magic the same color as my energy and it started glowing purple. The vision ended after that.”

Looking down at the runestone, he saw that it was still normal. There was no purple glow and it didn’t seem to have changed. Maybe it was a hint of something he should do. “Is there anyway we could fast forward finding my energy?”

Celestia nodded. “We can do it now, if you’re up to it.”

Jay nodded. “Let’s get it done. I want to try what he showed me.”

The virus turned to Luna. “Do you want to join us?”

Luna thought for a moment about joining them, then nodded. “Sure, it’ll be fun to see you try to learn magic if you actually have it now.”

Then she looked at Celestia. “Don’t worry, sister, I won’t take training your new student away from you.”

Celestia blushed lightly, then nuzzled Luna. Celestia’s horn lit up in her golden aura, then the three vanished.

Discord appeared far off in the Everfree Forest, near the Inner Circle. He sat down on a large rock and waited. A moment later, another being appeared. Discord’s red and yellow eyes met the other’s scarlett and golden eyes before they both smiled.

“Discord, did it work?” The being asked, smiling at his friend.

“It did, Disarray.” The mismatched being replied. “Jay’s currently working with the Princesses to figure out where his energy is.”

Disarray smiled, satisfied. “Did they tell him about the Masters?”

Discord gave off a long-suffering sigh. “No, not yet. He doesn’t yet have a clue about them.”

“Damn.” The being in a human form said, looking off into the distance. Discord was quiet for a moment, knowing that his older and more powerful friend was seeing something the Spirit of Chaos couldn’t see. After a moment, Disarray looked back to Discord. “Things will go according to plan anyway. Hopefully, Chrysalis will tell him about the Masters.”

Discord nodded, understanding his reasoning. “I’m actually happy for old Chryssi. It’s good that she’s found someone to love.”

“Even if its not you?” Disarray asked softly.

Discord nodded again, a small smile on his face while amusement flickered in his eyes. “Oh please, I never had a shot with Chrysalis. Besides, she was only interested in one and he betrayed her.”

“As Jay would say, he ‘fucked her over.’” Disarray said with a laugh. “Ah, the fun struggles we had back then. Its too bad that things are starting to go to shit, now.”

“I suppose that’s why Jay is here, isn’t it.” Discord said after a moment of silent consideration.

Disarray nodded. “Is there anything else you need?”

Discord shook his head. Disarray nodded and gave Discord a parting smile. He turned and started walking deeper into the forest. Before he exited the clearing, Discord spoke. “Actually, Disarray?”

“Yeah?” The being asked, turning around partly.

“Mother? How is she?”

He smiled. “She’s good.”

Discord nodded and they both vanished. One left the ancient home while another went deeper into it.

Soul Flare walked through the ancient halls, examining the runic inlays incribed into the old stone. Purple runes flickered into the air, made of pure magic, before fading away moments after. Rotten carpet squished beneath Soul’s hooves, doing nothing but amusing the Unicorn. In front of him at the end of the old hall, there was a single doorway. The door itself was mostly rotted away, set against the wall next to it. He walked into the room and stopped, his amused look fading into a disgusted glare.

The room itself was ruined, rotted and cracked and falling apart. In the center of the room, there was a single stone column, in perfect condition, coming up to his chest. Floating a few inches above it was a small blue aura, concentrated magic, that shifted and pulsed as if it was alive. Soul glared at it, his disgust shifting into hatred. His voice, deep and unnatural, growled. “Creation.”

The sphere of energy pulsed once, though no reply came from it. It wasn’t actually alive, after all. Not without a host. Inside his own mind, he heard a voice whisper out. “It’s not going to work.”

“Shut up.” Soul Flare said.

“You won’t break him.”

“Shut up!”

“He’ll only destroy you.”

“SHUT UP!” Soul roared out, his voice cracking the walls and floor further while leaving the column and sphere alone. He turned around and quickly walked down the halls, though the voice followed him anyway.

“Your plan to break him through her will not work. If you go through with it, it will only harden his resolve to kill us.”

“It’s got a good enough chance of working.”

“You already know it won’t work, though. You can feel it within yourself. You know Mother plans for him to succeed, no matter how hard you try to stop that. Do you want him as your ally, or your enemy?”

“I want him as my rival, Soul Flare.” The Unicorn said with a wide grin. “And that’s what’s going to happen.”

“No, Perses, you’re only going to get him to hate us. I will die and you will gain a permanent enemy.”

“It doesn’t matter, Soul. This is my body now. As such, this is my decision.” Perses replied.

“I can’t wait to see you scream in fear.” Soul replied, his voice finally tinting in anger.

“Whatever. I’ll make that mare mine, whether you want me to or not.” Perses replied.

Author's Notes:

Just some developments and explanations. If you spot any errors, don't hesitate to point it out.

Searching for Magic

Jay sighed, starting to become honestly irritated with his lack of ability to locate whatever energy it was that he had gained access to. “I can’t seem to find it. There’s nothing there.”

Celestia smiled patiently, sitting in front of him on a large cushion with Luna at her side. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she started to explain again. “To access your magic, you first need to locate your thaumic core. Every being with magic, no matter the size, age, or intelligence, has a thaumic core within their body. It’s not a physical object, but rather a magical one. By directing your intention to the core’s location, which varies between different species, you’ll become aware of the well of magic within However, for one who doesn’t know the location of their core, you must first start by finding the pseudo-leylines within your body that carry magic from your core to wherever its needed.”

“And to find those?” Jay asked, listening closely even though he had already had this explained to him twice before. Even so, the virus knew it wasn’t a flaw in Celestia’s ability to teach or a flaw in his understanding, but rather his complete inexperience with magic that prevented him from finding his magic.

“Focus on where your magic manifests externally. In your case, your blades, as they are the only location we currently know of. You’ll gradually become aware of ‘rivers’ beneath your skin yet not physically present. That’ll be your magical current.” Celestia told him.

Jay nodded and looked down at his bladed arm, trying to ‘feel’ the blade. It was difficult for him to do even that. Every so often, he would realize that he was examining the cells of the blade. He kept slipping into the physical side of the blade, not the magical. The virus had been told that there were five parts to every being; physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and magical. Celestia had explained that he was attuned to the physical side of things due to his nature while also being aware of the mental and emotional side like all sentient beings. Most Alicorns were attuned to the magical side, but Cadence was also attuned to the spiritual side, which was how she had looked at his soul. Changelings, on the other hand, were attuned to the emotional and mental sides of life. Most ponies weren’t attuned at all, just aware of all sides.

Celestia wasn’t quite sure if his attunement to the physical was muddling his ability to connect with the magical, but Jay was convinced it was. Because of his experience, he was physically searching for something that was only there magically. He would never find his magic, if he indeed had any, like that. The worst part was the fact that he knew he was doing it wrong, but couldn’t figure out the ‘right’ way to do it.

“Is there any way you can sense my magic, just to see if I have any? I know I’ll still have to find it on my own, but I’d rather not find out the hard way that this is a waste of time.” Jay asked after a moment.

Unfortunately, Celestia shook her head. “I can’t read your energy the way your asking me to. I can tell that you do have energy, but I can’t tell if its magic or not. I’m not familiar enough with your species to be able to do so.”

Luna, speaking for the first time, nodded and agreed with her sister. “Magic is powered by understanding and familiarity. The more you understand a spell and a way for it to work, the more likely it is for you can cast it succesfully. The more familiar you are with casting a spell, the faster and easier you can do it. The only way we discover what type of magic you have is with a spell, which requires understanding of you and familiarity with the spell.”

“So until I find my magic…” Jay started, letting it trail off.

“We have no clue if its active, like a Unicorn’s, semi-active, like a Pegasus’, or passive, like an Earth pony’s. We have no clue if its evocation-based or divination-based, or if it’s universal magic or elemental magic.” Celestia said slowly, flashing him an apologetic smile. Jay returned it, letting her know it was okay. Refocusing on his blade, he thought back to the only time he had used his energy. He looked through his memories, trying to determine if there had been a specific feeling as he used it, like a current of electricty in him or a small warmth. There was nothing. As far as he could tell, there was no specific feeling or emotion associated with his magic. He sighed again.

“Does magic have a specific feel to it?” Jay asked them.

Celestia and Luna both shook their heads at that, but Celestia answered. “Magic in general has no feeling behind it, only specific spells. Such as when I connect to the sun, I feel warm and passionate. Some combat spells feel angry and brutal, while others feel cold and calculating. Using pure energy, such as levitation, has no feeling behind it either. From what you’ve explained, you coated your blade in energy in a way similar to Unicorns coated an object in magic to levitate it, though with different results.”

Jay nodded, understanding her point. “Luna, what did you mean when you said that if you understand how a spell works, the more successful you are at casting it.”

Luna glanced at Celestia quickly, who gave her a smile and a nod, before she explained. “If you can understand the processes that take place behind a spell to make it work, you can understand the spell itself. If you read a spell tome, there are often complex equations beneath each spell. Those are, generally, the most accepted way to learn how that spell works. Some ponies have trouble understanding it, which is why they struggle with a spell. Other ponies, like Twilight, can understand the equation easily and it allows them to learn that particular spell in a few hours.”

Jay tried to fight off the interested smile on his face at that, but failed horribly. “So, if you understand the science behind the magic, you can understand the magic that defies science?”

Luna blinked once while Celestia giggled lightly. “Y-yes, that is a much simpler way of explaining what I just said.”

“So, to understand how to cast, say, a teleportation spell, do you need to know it works, or how to do what makes it work?” Jay asked.

“You worded that very strangely.” Celestia said with a smile.

“Okay, for a portal,” Jay started. “Do I need to understand how a portal works, or do I need to be able to physically create a port- nevermind, I just realized that my question was paradoxical. I get it.”

Both mares smiled lightly at him, but he continued. “Okay, so, I know that a way to move through space and time instantaneously is through a wormhole, which is essentially a gravity well with two entrances. Since I know that massive sources of gravity can create a wormhole, and that dark energy can counterbalance the damaging effects that much gravity can do, would that allow a Unicorn to teleport?”

Both mares stared at him in confusion, and Jay finally realized that he was talking science that was decades, if not centuries, beyond pony technology and he smiled sheepishly. “Nevermind.”

“No…” Celestia started. “Try explaining that to me again, but as thorough as you can. I’ll try to understand everything you said.”

Jay nodded slowly and gathered his thoughts, then started to speak. “Gravity can affect both time and space. With a large enough source of gravity, space can become smaller and time can slow down, which is called a gravity well. If it’s ‘deep’ enough, it can form a fully-fledged wormhole, which is a tunnel through space and time. Dark energy is considered the opposite of gravity, mostly because it pushes objects apart rather than pulls them together. If a caster knows that gravity can create a wormhole, focuses on the location of the entrance and exit, knows that dark energy can stop the gravity from damaging the world, can he teleport?”

Celestia tilted her head and mulled it over for a time, thinking it over. The virus was happy to see the sparkle in her eye, realizing he had gotten her interested in theoretical physics. After a moment, she stood up and walked across the barren room and to a wall, where she tapped her horn against it. The room shook very slightly, unnoticeable to those without his senses, and a swirling mass of black energy appeared on the wall in front of Celestia and on the wall just behind him. She stepped into the energy, instantly stepping out of it across the room and just behind him. After a moment of thought, with her front half behind him and back half in front of him, she stepped fully out of the wormhole. With a thought, the wormhole closed and the shaking stopped.

Luna stared in silence while Jay waited for Celestia to say something. After a second, she spoke. “Well, a Unicorn can’t teleport with that knowledge, but that’s actually a lot easier to do.”

“Really?” Jay asked, surprised that opening a wormhole was apparently easier than teleporting.

“The gravity well actually makes it so that longer distances don’t take more power. I can’t explain why, though.” Celestia explained. “The ‘wormhole’ is harder to understand, much harder, but also easier to cast.”

Glancing back at the wall, she continued. “One could probably open a wormhole to another world, provided they knew both sides.”

Then she looked at him, though he couldn’t help but notice the nervous look she had. “Of course, that means that if you do have magic, you might have a way to return to Earth.”

Jay thought about that for a moment, realizing soon after why she was nervous. She was scared he would return to his world and not come back. He had to end those thoughts before they had time to grow. “You don’t need to worry about me leaving, Celestia. If it’s a wormhole, I can go back and forth. I’ll stay in Equestria and just visit Earth to talk to my family.”

After I kill Mercer and destroy the virus. He thought to himself. “Provided it can go to other worlds and that I actually have the power to cast it and that I have active magic. I’m getting ahead of my self with all this planning and thinking. I need to find my magic first.”

Celestia walked over and gently nuzzled him, then returned to her spot in front of him on the cushion. “You’re right. Try to find your magic again.”

Jay grinned with an eye roll and refocused on his blade, trying to find any kind of energy within it.

Chrysalis sighed, gazing at the two Queens across from her. Physically, the only thing that made them different from her were their red eyes. Otherwise, their black chitin, tattered wings, and colored mid-plating made them look similar to her. “You want ‘in?’”

“We want in.” Naventia repeated, her voice echoing biologically, unlike Chrysalis’ dual-toned voice. Queen Naventia’s voice was disorienting; her echo came a second after her voice, unlike Chrysalis’ whose came instantly. The effect was that Naventia sounded like someone was right behind her, repeating everything she said just in time to mix with the next thing she said.

“In what, exactly?” Chrysalis asked, hoping for a better ‘explanation.’

Ambrosia smiled faintly, her red eyes flashing in the dim light of the cavern they were in. It was neutral ground, somewhere far from both of their Hives. It had been used in the past for negotiations and it continued to be useful. For the most part, it was a normal near-surface cave. Dirty, dark, damp, and dangerous. The only thing that made it clear that the small, dirt-strewn cave was the site of Changeling diplomacy was the small amounts of Changeling resin in the center of the room. The black, porous material formed a low table and small seats, enough to fit two dozen Changelings, even if there were only three at the moment. Magically-powered orbs hung near the ceiling, providing very light in the way of light, though that was intentional. Changelings instictively found themselves more comfortable in dark places, and this cave played to it. It made all parties more comfortable and more likely to leave happy.

“The plants that are keeping your Hive fed.” Ambrosia continued, her voice smooth and unnaturally quiet while still being heard. Every Queen had a different way of speaking caused by their biology, and each descendant of a Queen has the same alteration to their voice. It was useful in knowing who was the queen. “We would like to procure some of our own for Ruby Hive.”

“And what would Sapphire Hive gain in return?” Chrysalis asked. “We can’t be expected to give away a significant advantage to anyling who demands to have it.”

“First and foremost, peace.” Ambrosia answered. “A pact of non-aggression, ensuring that neither Hive will attack the other. Shared access to our adamantine and mythrill mines as well, with whatever your Changelings mine belonging to you.”

Chrysalis mulled it over. The adamantine and mythril would be incredibly useful; once the treaty was revealed, she could trade adamantine to Equestria and have the bits to improve Sapphire’s standard of living. Modern amenities such as plumbing, magical forms of entertainment, advanced technology, and others devices would be a great boon. The mythril would help with their defense against the beats of the Badlands. The peace would be wonderful for the Hives’ prosperity, both of them, and could lead to a semi-unification of the Hives leading to an era of peace and prosperity similiar to what Equestria was experiencing. Of course, Chrysalis knew exactly how incredibly valuable the Heart’s Blossoms were to Changelings, so she intended to get as much as she could from the deal. “While your offers are greatly appreciated and I intend to follow through with them, I believe a pact of mutual defense would work in place of a non-aggression pact in order to ensure the continuation of both Hives.”

The two Queens shared a look, undoubtedly speaking in their Hive Mind. After a moment, their attention was redirected to her and Naventia spoke. “Agreed.”

Ambrosia continued in her sister’s place. “When can we expect the plants?”

“I’ll have to talk to my consort and plan a time in which we can head to Ruby Hive. He personally created and grew the plants in my Hive, so I would need him to do the same with you.” Chrysalis explained. “I’ll send a message a few days before our arrival to give you time to prepare.”

“Your consort? Just order him to come to the Hive immediately.” Naventia said, the echoes of her sentence clashing in the cave and causing Chrysalis’ ears to fold back in pain.

“I would...except he’s not a Changeling, not connected to the Hive Mind, and is incredibly powerful.” Chrysalis said calmly. “Your spies should have reported a creature named ‘Daedalus’ to you. That’s him.”

Both Queens shivered at that, remembering some of the memories their Changelings had shown them both. “That...thing he turned into outside of Ponyville… it’s horrifying.”

Chrysalis grinned internally. “Just remember that his loyalty lies to me, not to Changelings in general.”

They nodded and stood, the meeting having come to a conclusion. With a flash of scarlet magic, both of them were gone. Chrysalis sat in the dim light of the cave and smiled, remembering when her Changelings had brought news of Jay’s ‘ascension.’ They thought he had turned into an unholy god who had returned from the Aether to bring justice upon the evil. Thinking back to the form he had taken, she couldn’t help but understand how they came to that conclusion. It had been terrifying to watch, and she wasn’t even there.

Chrysalis sighed. She couldn’t wait to return to Jay and tease him about getting with two Princesses of Equestria. His reaction would be worth the wait. Then she wanted to get to know her new herdmates better. She felt she would get along with Luna better than Celestia, if the reports of her spies were accurate.

“Maybe I should call back some of my spies.” Chrysalis commented idly, realizing just how many information gatherers she had stationed all around Equestria. Perhaps she’d call most of them back. Equestria wasn’t her enemy now, so watching for troop movement and anti-Changeling propoganda wasn’t necessary anymore.

The one trailing Jay stays, though. She had to be ready to rush to him if something happened. Besides, she was pretty sure he knew about Skitter.

“I think we should take a break from this. I just can’t seem to find it at all.” Jay said, looking to Celestia. Luna, the poor mare, had fallen asleep with her head resting on Celestia’s forelegs. “I think we can safely say Luna agrees with me.”

The Solar mare just smiled down to her, gently nuzzling behind her ears, one of which flicked repeatedly at the sensation. “I think we can afford to take a break. I’m sure you’ll continue to search for your energy even if you don’t find it today, or while your here. Why don’t we get some dinner?”

Jay nodded and slowly stood up. Celestia, however, couldn’t stand with Luna lying on her so she just stared down at her sister, a look of conflict on her face. The virus smiled at that and gently lifted Luna up bridal style, being careful not to awaken her on accident. In his arms, Luna slowly nuzzled his chest and leaned in to him as Celestia stood, looking to them. “Thank you, Jay. I didn’t want to wake her up.”

A quick kiss was all that Jay did in reply before the two started walking, heading toward their private dining room again. As they walked, Jay felt Luna’s heart start to beat quicker as she woke up. When she didn’t speak and stayed in his arms, he decided not to say anything and just let her enjoy being held close to him. Celestia lead the way as an idea hit her and she spoke. “Jay, perhaps you would have an easier time finding your magic if you were in the form you used it in.”

Jay hummed at that. “It’s entirely possible. I used it naturally in that form, not knowing my ‘magic’ existed. If I’m right about my chitin being magic-infused biomass, that form might use it naturally without any thought or effort.”

One of Luna’s hooves slowly came up and waved in front of his face to get his attention as she mumbled into his chest. “I would very much like to see the other form.”

Celestia stifled a laugh, Luna almost entirely unable to be understood. Jay caught the jist of what she was trying to say, though. “I wouldn’t mind showing you, just not now.”

He glanced out one of the many windows they were walking past and amended his statement. “Perhaps not today, either. It’s getting close to night.”

“Night only comes when we want it to.” Celestia replied teasingly.

Jay smiled in reply. “Perhaps you could create an extra-long night for special parties.”

That got Celestia to blush very mildly, but it was worth it. He was slightly surprised when he leaned in, ignoring all the Guards and maids, and nuzzled his neck before lightly nipping his ear before murmuring seductively into it. “Perhaps we could. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind giving us your special desert, would you?”

Jay smiled at her, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he whispered back. “Perhaps you should be careful of who is listening. Ponies do have good ears, after all.”

Celestia’s head snapped to the side, seeing a patrol of three Guards and two maids pushing a food cart staring at her, eyes wide and bright blushes on their muzzles. Celestia’s white muzzling flushed red and she started to push Jay along with her one wing, using the other to cover her face. Jay chuckled and starting walking, feeling his chest vibrate at Luna started laughing, too. A moment later, Celestia charged her horn and teleported them to her room. A quick letter later and she sent off another message, though Jay didn’t know who to.

After that, Celestia walked over to the bed and just fell over onto it and squirmed her way under the pillows, bunching the sheets and blanket up with her kicking hooves. The virus gently set Luna down on the edge of the bed and walked around it, climbing on and sitting next to Celestia. He lifted the pillow up and saw one of Celestia’s magenta eyes staring up at him, her muzzle flat against the bed and mane limp. “Sunshine?”

“They heard me.” Celestia said with a groan. “There’s going to be rumors all over the castle in an hour.”

“Equestria’s already going to know that we’re together, Celestia. Remember when you kissed me in Ponyville?” Jay asked.

“Them knowing we’re together isn’t the problem!” She exclaimed, rolling over onto her back and flaring her wings out from under her. “It’s the fact that they heard me say something so sexual! You’d think we’d be used to ponies having fantasies about us but no, it’s still slightly disturbing!”

“Especially when I walk into one such dream.” Luna added as she crawled up the bed and wrapped a wing over Celestia’s side.

Jay nodded slowly, understanding what her point was. Celestia continued though, and neither of her partners stopped her, letting her get it out. “Even if it wasn’t disturbing, I’m still a mare! I don’t mind ponies knowing my relationship status but what we do in this room is personal and intimate. What are they going to say when they find out about this?”

“‘They’ aren’t going to do anything because ‘they’ can’t. You’re the Princess of Equestria. The only one with equal power to you is Luna and I’m pretty sure she’s on your side.” Jay started off, smiling at Luna at the end. “Even then, ponies should know that you’re still a mare even if you rule a country. You have needs and desires and you have a partner who will help you fulfill those desires. If they can’t accept that, should you really care what they think?”

Celestia sighed. “No…”

“I understand that it’s still disconcerting, but just make it clear that you’re still a living mare and don’t appreciate ponies meddling into your private life. I know there are a lot of ponies who would stop just out of worry of upsetting their Princess.” Jay continued, making Celestia nod.

“And no matter what happens out there, you have us to return to.” Luna added, gently nuzzling behind her ears. “We’re your herdmates, so you know you’ll never be judged by us. We love you, have no doubt about that. This, like all other rumors, will just pass in time. Ponies will move on or forget about it, or something else more scandalous will come up to draw their attention away.”

Celestia grunted. “Worse case scenario I just outlive them.”

That make Jay cough once, not expecting such grim humor from Celestia though he couldn’t deny he found it funny. “Yeah, there’s always that option.”

“Even if it’s not a very good one.” Celestia said, pulling Luna close to her and then rolling over. Celestia’s head ended up in his lap with Luna on the other side of it, all three of them in a large hug. They lied like that for a short moment before a soft knock on the door sounded out. Luna got up and quickly pushed Celestia back down when she tried to stand, then walked over to the door and opened it a little. Jay, with his hearing currently normal, couldn’t hear what was being said but he could hear Luna start laughing before she thanked whoever was outside.

The blue mare pulled the door opened and pulled a trolley inside, which was carrying their dinner. Jay guessed that the letter she had sent was a request for dinner to be brought to her room. On the cart was three bowls of some type of soup with a large pot with more. The lower level held some slices of cake and moon pies as well as a plate of cookies. Jay’s amusement spiked when he saw on the lowest level was a can of whipped cream, a bowl of strawberries, and a bowl of melted chocolate. Celestia saw it too and her head impacted his stomach as she let out a loud groan.

Luna laughed at her reply. “The poor maid was so flustered I thought her coat was red when she told me about the ‘entertainment’ on the bottom. She had already heard about your comment and most of the castle is expecting an extra-long night. I told her to spread the word that it was simple teasing and that the night was scheduled to last the normal time.”

Then the Lunar mare eyed the chocolate. “And maybe we won’t be using that to her intent but chocolate covered strawberries does sound delicious.”

Celestia sighed. “It does.”

“You know, that’s a nice maid.” Jay said suddenly. When the sisters turned to face him, he continued. “Instead of freaking out about your comment, she brought some supplies here to try to help us, even if she was incredibly embarassed by it.”

After a moment, she nodded. “Luna, who was it?”

“Gleaming Silver.” Luna replied.

“Ah, I remember her. She usually brings me my tea when I’m doing paperwork.” Celestia said with a smile. “She is a nice mare. I can see why she was the one to bring us that. You have the right idea, Luna. Chocolate strawberries sounds amazing. Bring those over here. Oh, and that cake! Maybe some cookies?”

“What about the soup?” Luna asked in amusement.

“Oh, right, that too, I guess.”

Celestia looked up at Jay with a small blush when he burst out laughing, Luna dissolving into giggles soon after.

Jay leaned down, still laughing lightly, and kissed her. “That’s one of the reasons why I love you.”

“One of them?” Celestia asked with a small smile.

Jay nodded. “One of many.”

Perses reclined against the shattered throne, bored out of his mind. His gaze drifted acoss the runic walls, his eyes shifting between the floating lights in the room as his boredom steadily climbed. After a moment, he hit his hoof against the throne and broke it a little more. “Why haven’t I felt the rune activate yet?”

“Perhaps he has yet to find out how to use his magic.” Soul Flare supplied. “Remember, Creation is just a few rooms down the hall from us. He does not have easy access to his magic yet. It will be hard for him.”

“He needs to hurry up.” Perses said in reply. “I’m getting tired of waiting for him to fall into my trap.”

As Perses stood and left the room, Soul replied. “What makes you think he’ll bring Celestia along?”

“He will. The rune will make sure of that.” The Master of Destruction said as he descended into the dungeon ruins, passing countless ruined cells. Finally, he stopped by one in a perfect condition. Rune lined the walls, the roof, the floor, and the bars. Nothing could get in or out without magic unless it was his. “Once they’re here, they’ll stay in this cell until I can break her.”

“And you plan to do that how?”

“Oh, there’s plenty of ways to break a mare.” Perses said with a disgusting grin. “I’ll just have to take precautions before I get started.”

“It won’t work. She’ll just kill us.” Soul said firmly, but he could detect the hint of worry in his mind. Soul was afraid that his plan would work and Perses found delight in that.

“Trust me, it will work. To truly break a mare, you need to take your time. Work slowly, build up to it over the course of several weeks before you strike the final blow. It’ll help shatter Daedalus’ resolve as well, knowing he can do nothing to save her as he listens to her scream for his help. It’ll be a bigger when if she starts to hate him for not saving her.”

Then he had a thought that made him laugh loudly. “It’ll be even sweeter if I fully break her and she submits and becomes mind. It’ll shatter Daedalus completely!”

“You’re a bucking monster.” Soul said simply.

“Oh, I know. I love it!” Perses shouted before he turned around, turning around and walking upstairs and into another room, the only one in the ruins that he had restored. Within, a soft purple orb pulsed with light. It was clearly a magic-imbued crystal, one of his own making. The orb, suspiciously, was the same shade as the rune. “In any case, this will be what leads Daedalus and Celestia here. The rune will lead him to this before he falls into my trap.”

“Do you plan to kill them?” Soul asked disparingly.

“No.” Perses said honestly. “I want to break him. If I break Celestia and make her my slave, that’s just a bonus. Particularly if she’s as kinky as I suspect. Maybe I’ll go for Luna afterward whether Daedalus breaks or not.”

“I hope he manages to kill us.” Soul said suddenly.

“Relax, it’ll be fun. And once I give you back control, you might have two goddesses servicing you.” Perses said with a grin, slowly making his way back to his throne. A burst of magic repaired the stone, but the room itself was still ruined. The moon shone down through a gap in the roof above, placing a stream of moonlight on the throne. “Look, even Luna wants us to succeed.”

“You’re idiotic.”

Finding Magic

“Are you sure you want to see this?” Jay asked nervously, his footing repeatedly tapping as his gaze shifted between his audience. The Princesses both smiled reassuringly at him and Luna gestured with her wing for him to continue. Then she took a small sip of her tea, settling down on her pillow to watch him with Celestia doing the same right next to her. Turning his gaze, he saw Twilight nod lightly for him to go ahead, a small notepad levitating next to her.

Sighing, he nodded to them and started to shift. Unlike before, there was no pain and it was much faster. His waist quickly expanded and his torso grew, forming the natural shape of a centaur. Two more arms grew out below his originals and his head shifted into a more equine shape, with four more eyes appearing below his own. Looking at the small crystals floating around him, he saw in his reflection that two glowed orange and two more glowed blue. Three horns grew on his head, one swept back while two pointed forward like weapons. His hindquarters shifted, quickly forming a light blue scorpion tail that was soon coated in barbs. His back erupted, six razor sharp tendrils forming, while his arms shifted into a shield, a blade, a claw, and a whip. The shifting stopped for a short moment only to resume as solid black chitin plates began to form over his body, covering every inch in a powerful armor. Each bladed portion of his body, including the barbs, began to glow a soft blue.

Jay turned his attention back to the three mares, smiling at the awestruck looks. Of course, that smile bared his half-dozen rows an unnaturally sharp teeth, a fact that Jay became aware when all three mares flinched back. The virus immediately pressed his lips together and hid his teeth from sight. Seeing his reaction to their reaction, Celestia immediately trotted over and nuzzled against his side, idly noting how the chitin was almost hot to the touch. “I’m sorry for flinching, Jay.”

“I understand, Sunshine. Pony instincts and all that.” Jay whispered in reply, his voice echoing and making it sound like a dozen people were speaking like he thought it would after he remembered the roar he gave last time he was in this form. He was glad he remembered to whisper, otherwise his voice would have been incredibly loud and disorienting.

With one final nuzzle to his head- which she now had to rear up slightly to reach- she murmured to him. “Try to find your magic, dear. If you can’t sense it in this state, we’ll activate the crystal array.”

Jay nodded, giving a very gentle nuzzle in reply and a flashing the other two mares a quick smile. Luna returned it readily but Twilight didn’t notice, too busy writing in her notepad while only giving him quick glances as she took note of the various changes to his body. Shrugging it off, he maneuvered his legs underneath him and lied down, copying the way he had seen ponies lie down with their legs folded underneath them. Closing four of his eyes, he looked at his blade with his magic sight and was happy, able to physically see the currents of energy running below his skin. While that didn’t help him feel the magic, he at least knew it was there. Closing his final two eyes, he slowly began to direct his attention to his blade. He tried to feel it like he did when he had a new sense but didn’t know what it was; focusing not on what he already knew but on what he didn’t know. It was like trying to feel an entirely numb limb. He knew it was there but couldn’t feel it or find it without looking at it.

Twice, he slipped into his cellular sight and found himself examining his cells only to have to pull himself out of it. After what felt like only a few minutes, he slowly looked up only to pause, seeing that Celestia know had an entire pot of tea and several cakes, which she was sharing with Luna and Twilight. “Celestia.”

She looked up, smiling lightly at him. “Did you find your magic?”

Jay shook his head and she sighed, turning to Twilight. “Activate the array.”

Twilight nodded, her horn quickly alighting in powerful magic. The crystals that were floating around him at the eight compass directions began to pulse slowly, each one changing colors between pulses. The pulsing began to speed up slowly as the crystals began to rotate around him. The spinning accelerated quickly, the crystals soon becoming a multi-colored blur as they seemed to solidify into a ring around him. Moments later, a continuous stream of magic began to flow from the crystals into him. As it happened, he felt his body began to grow warmer and he knew it was the magic.

Celestia had planned that, if he couldn’t locate his magic the normal way, they would use a crystal array to feed him more magic to ‘enlarge’ he magical circuits within him. They had figured that if he could feel the magic itself, it would make it easier to find them. It was like having wings suddenly; if they were touched, the owner would be able to locate them easily. With the crystals overcharging his magic just below a dangerous level, he was able to ‘feel’ the magic flowing through his body. Using that, he tried to locate them. He looked into his blade again, feeling for the magic, until he felt his mental sight shift and he gasped, hundreds of lines of blue energy crisscrossing his body. They were chaotic; changing direction and size in moments, vanishing and reappearing every few moments. His magic was perfect for his body, ready to shift at a moment’s notice.

“I found it.” Jay said softly. Instantly, he heard what sounded like glass tinkling and opened his normal eyes, seeing that the crystals had dropped and landed on the ground. Thinking quickly, he focused on his one backward-sweeping horn and ‘grabbed’ his magic, trying to pull it to the surface. He failed utterly. No matter how hard he tried to grab his magic, no matter how hard he willed it to change, no matter how many ways he tried it, it wasn’t responding to his directions. Honestly, Jay was starting to think his magic just nothing more than a pain in his ass. “I can’t seem to pull my magic from the lines, though.”

“You aren’t going to be able to.” Celestia explained. The virus could practically hear the smile on her face, though he was still focused on his magic. “You’re next step is to find your core. Follow the pseudo-leylines back to their source, which shouldn’t take long.”

Jay nodded slowly. “That might be hard, my lines are constantly shifting and sometimes even disappearing.”

“W-What?” Celestia gasped.

“I think it has to do with my nature, Sunshine. My magic can shift as readily as I can.” Jay voiced his opinion, though he knew he had no backing for it.

“N-no, Jay. That’s chaos magic.” Luna said softly. “Discord and now you are the only ones to have ever-changing chaos magic.”

Before he could say anything in reply, Celestia continued. “Do your best to follow them, Jay.”

Nodding again, Jay picked one of the lines and began to trace it. It was like tracing a single line in a in a mess of string while someone was tugging on it. Twice he had to abandon the line he was tracing because it vanished, but he slowly followed the lines. Finally, he came upon the source. It was a small blue orb in his chest- which he kind of expected- that, unlike his magic lines, stayed the same shape and size. It pulsed rhythmically, reminding him of a heartbeat, and he could see veritable hundreds of thousands of lines coming off of it, each one heading to a different spot of his enlarged body. “I found it. Now what?”

“Focus on the core and imagine you are holding it. Then, once you have a firm hold, tell it to send more magic to a part of your body that isn’t already glowing.” Celestia explained. Jay was confused as to what she meant by a ‘firm hold’ until he tried to focus on his core. As soon as he did, he remembered the first time he was in Canterlot, treating the Princesses as long time friends rather than the rulers they were. He remembered how he felt, days later, when he realized that he had subconsciously acted like he did to disarm them, make them think he couldn’t be an enemy. Then he vigorously shook his head, dislodging the unwarranted memory.

“You’ll find yourself ridiculously easy to distract while you’re trying to focus on your core. Your mind will slip into old memories or focus on some random sound you heard or sensation you feel.” Celestia continued, her voice full of mirth. He could hear Twilight and Luna both giggling lightly, understanding what he was going through.

Jay tried again, focusing on his core. His mind started to slip to another memory- his arrival in this world- but he quickly dismissed it and imagined a pair of hands firmly grasping the orb. Another memory tried to distract him but he ignored it. He imagined standing in front of the orb, ‘holding’ it with his hands. As soon as he did, his mind experienced a phantom sensation of a slippery ball and he almost dropped his concentration only to recover in time to ‘catch’ the orb. Quickly, he willing it to direct more energy to his center horn. Moments later, he felt several of his lines thicken to allow the larger flow of magic.

Hearing the three mares lightly stomping, he opened his normal eyes and looked up, then felt stupid. He had picked the horn that faced backwards, so he wouldn’t be able to see it. “Is the center horn glowing?”

“Yes.” Celestia said with a proud smile. Jay focused on the horn, seeing that the tendrils were significantly thicker.

“What now?” Jay asked.

“Now, you return to your normal form and touch the rune.” Celestia said. “Teaching you to cast spells in going to take significantly longer than a day and a half. At least we now know that you have active magic, not passive.”

Twilight vigorously shook her head. “Yeah! Jay, I hope you don’t mind if I help teach you magic whenever you’re in Ponyville.”

Jay just chuckled and flashed her a quick smile. “Nah, I don’t mind at all. If I really can learn magic and not just make my body glow, then that’ll be a significant advantage, not to mention an incredibly useful utility. Just be patient with me if it turns out I’m slow at it, okay?”

Twilight nodded. “I doubt you’ll be slow but I’ll be sure to be patient anyway!”

With a maelstrom of tendrils, Jay was returned to his usual form, now back to normal height and size. As soon as he did so, he caught Twilight looking at him strangely. “Something on your mind, Twilight?”

“If you can change shape that quickly, why didn’t you do that to turn into your other form?” Twilight asked.

“Y’all wanted a show so I gave you one.” Jay said honestly. “You have to admit seeing me change the first time was much more entertaining than the second.”

After a moment of thought, Twilight nodded. The virus turned his gaze to Celestia, who levitated him the runestone. He had given it to Celestia while he was shifting so it wouldn’t react to whatever energies he had flowing through his blades and chitin. Grasping it in his right hand, he reached down and found his core, which was still in his chest, and took a surprising number of minutes to focus on it. In this form, it seemed noticeably harder to access his energy- still not sure if it was magic or something else- so he assumed that his other form, now referred to as the ‘Centaur,’ was better suited for using the energy since it was created at the same time as the energy. Calling his energy to his left hand, it began to glow very faintly in the light of the room. Shrugging it off, he tapped his glowing index finger to the runestone and held it there.

“Is something supposed to happen?” Twilight asked curiously after a moment of silence.

Jay just frowned. He could feel the runestone draining his energy, but it was slow. “I think it’s just slow to gather the energy it needs. I’ve noticed that my energy is harder to access and weaker in this form so I think the other is literally built for it. In any ca-”

The virus was cut off as the runestone pulsed once and his mind disconnected from his body, soaring high into the sky above Canterlot castle as his sight shifted quickly. In the short moment he hung there, he could see all of Canterlot, Ponyville, parts of the Everfree Forest, and some of Whitetail Woods below him. Then, his head seemed to turn and look off to the west. Moments later, his sight began to move. He sped over Equestria, passing over villages and cities alike. A second more and he was phasing over the ocean, moving at what had to have been thousands of miles an hour. Glittering waters surrounded him as far as he could see, not a cloud in the large blue sky either. Then, a speck of an island appeared in the distance.

He moved closer to it, close enough to see that it was clearly a tropical island and a large one at that. A forest- more of a jungle, really- covered most of the island. A large bay dominated one side, an old and rotting dock taking place in part of it. From the sky, the jungle seemed to split in two places. The eastern-most one was a large, clear lake surrounded by three steep sides and one beach side, likely the site of an old sinkhole. The other gap was seemingly an old, decrepit castle. The stone walls were collapsed and sinking into the mud of the ground. Three towers had fallen and only half of the fourth remained standing. The keep was mostly intact, though still severely cracked, with only one portion of the roof missing. Light shone down into the darkness, illuminating a broken throne. Upon it sat a single Unicorn, a silver coat and red mane his features. Softly glowing eyes stared up, seemingly looking directly at Jay.

This his vision retreated, his position rapidly moving back over the ocean. Waters, forests, plains, villages, and cities flashed by in a moment until his vision went black. Moments later, he opened his eyes and found himself on the floor of the training room, three worried mares crowded around him. Slowly sitting up, he felt Celestia’s wings support his back while Luna came to his side for him to lean on. Twilight, meaning well but forgetting his nature, summoned a glass of water and held it out to him. A small smile was all it took for her to blush and disperse it. After a moment of silence, Jay spoke. “Out west, in the ocean. There’s an island that’s mostly jungle. An old castle is his home.”

“When do we leave?” Celestia asked firmly.

“We?” Jay asked with a frown.

“I’m not letting you go alone.” Celestia replied, though he felt there was more to it than just that. She knew very well that he could handle himself, even if she did still feel a healthy bit of worry for him at times. A moment of staring with a raised eyebrow was all it took to get her to talk. “Fine. Jay, he killed an entire town of ponies. Maybe I’m not as powerful as you or maybe I’m more powerful since I have mastery over most of the spells I know, but I want to be there.”

Jay shifted his gaze to Luna, who only smiled. “We talked about it already. I’m staying behind to keep the number of panicking populace to a minimum. That doesn’t mean I don’t worry for you both or that I don’t want to go, but I understand how much this means to Celestia.”

Jay turned his attention back to Celestia and replied. “Alright, I trust you know what you’re doing. You’ve got plenty of experience and your magic may become exactly what we need.”

“I’ll ask again, when do we leave?” Celestia asked once more, gently nuzzling him. After a moment’s thought, he answered.

“A week, to give us time to prepare. Snow needs to know this, too. She should be back in Ponyville, what, tomorrow? In any case, I’m sure she’s going to want to come along, too. If she’s not back tomorrow, I’ll head her off in her patrol and talk to her.” Jay said, acutely aware that Twilight wasn’t privy to all the secrets regarding him and those he was with.

“I’ll make sure the ponies of Ponyville aren’t wondering where you went.” Twilight added. “Are you going to tell everypony what you are going to do, Princess?”

“No.” Celestia replied near immediately. “Not the full truth, to prevent as much worry as I can. They’re going to be upset as it is with me leaving to handle business. I’ll tell them that I’m investigating a lead involving the Trotsdale incident. Tell anypony who asks that I took Gene with me due to his understanding of woodlands.”

Twilight frowned, upset. The idea of lying to her friends upset her greatly. She understood that some things needed to remain a secret, but her friends were supposed to be the ponies who she could be entirely truthful to. She understood why the official report was not the full truth; if anypony knew that Princess Celestia was going miles off of Equestria’s coast to an uninhabited island to confront a powerful pyromancer, there would be no end of panic. That didn’t stop her from wanting to be honest to her friends. “Princess, if I can get my friends to Pinkie Promise not to spread the word, can I tell them the truth?”

Celestia thought about it for a few moments, then nodded. “I see no harm in it. Tell them in a private location where you can’t be overheard. I dread the panic that will spread if word gets out about this.”

After that, Twilight turned her attention to Jay. “Jay...can I tell the girls about you today?”

Jay paused, thinking about it for a time. He wasn’t unaware of the curious looks both Princesses gave him along with the hopeful look from Twilight. He didn’t answer for a time, debating it. On one hand, telling the truth to more ponies was something he wanted to do. Twilight would tell her friends and they would all talk once he returned to Ponyville. On the other hand, he wasn’t particularly close to any of them except Pinkie and Twilight and they already knew the truth. He wouldn’t mind getting to know the others, but he hadn’t yet. Even so, he had wanted to deliver the news himself. But… he trusted Twilight. If she wanted to tell others about him, he would allow it.

“Go ahead, Twilight, if you think they won’t react badly to the information. Once I return to Ponyville, which will likely be tomorrow morning, we’ll all gather together and talk about what they’ve learned. I trust you, Twilight.” Jay said honestly, making her smile brightly. Twilight nodded rapidly and gave him a light hug, then turned her attention back to Princess Celestia.

“Princess, if there’s nothing you need me for, may I return to Ponyville and gather my friends?”

Celestia leaned down and gently nuzzled her student, smiling to her. “Of course, Twilight. It was good to see you again.”

Twilight eagerly returned the affection and replied in kind. “It was good to see you too, Pr-Celestia.”

Celestia’s smile was so bright it seemed to literally shine, a possibility he believed due to her magic and connection to the sun. With another hug, Twilight teleported away. Jay doubted she was able to teleport all the way to Ponyville, but he was sure she at least went to the train station. To his surprise, Jay was knocked backwards. Instead of landing on the marble floor, his back hit soft bed as his vision shifted to reveal Luna’s room. From what little he could see through the closed canopy bed, dark blue and royal purple dominating the color scheme with black and silver used as accents. Two mares landed on him moments later and he suddenly found himself wrapped up in wings and hooves, entirely trapped beneath two mares he loved. Of course, he had absolutely no desire to break free of their grasps.

“So, I suppose I’m comfortable?” Jay asked with a smirk.

“If I could, I would make you my permanent bed.” Luna replied, still not using her archaic grammar which partly surprised him. They had already discussed her using it in private, but she didn’t seem to want to anymore. Before he could think more on it, she continued and trailed off teasingly. “Perhaps I will be able to…”

“Oh?” Jay asked, honestly curious as to where this was going.

“If Celestia can teach me the alternative teleportation you came up with, it is entirely possible that we would be able to begin spending nights with you and Chrysalis. I can imagine few things more comforting than being able to rest with your entire herd.” Luna explained. Toward the end of her statement, Celestia began to nod as she thought it over.

“That’s why my bed is so damn big!” Jay exclaimed, laughing all the while. “You sneaky mares!”

“Is it bad that we wanted to prepare for a possible future?” Celestia asked cheekily. Jay replied by giving her a soft kiss which was all the answer she needed. The show of affection and love continued for a moment, pure happiness flowing between the two with Luna looking on with a smile, contentment filling her mind.

After they parted, Luna added her own piece, teaming up against him. “Unless, of course, you don’t like the idea?”

Jay paused, then rotated his neck to face her. He reached up and grabbed her chin gently, then guided her head down. Her eyes drifted closed then shot open when her gently nipped her ear, a low moan rolling through her and she relaxed against him. He made a mental note on the sensitivity of a pony’s ears, something that didn’t really surprise him. Then he softly whispered into her ear even as his fingers gently massaged it. “I think you just want to get me in bed with you, Celestia, and Chrysalis. You can’t deny the arousing prospect of sharing yourself with your herdmate, your sister, and your lover. Just imagine all the things two shapeshifters and a goddess could do to you. Maybe we would hold you down and satisfy your every need even as we satisfied our own.”

Luna shuddered slightly in his grip, a familiar musky scent beginning to waft from lower down the bed even as Celestia added her help by gently nuzzling along Luna’s neck. The Night Maiden fidgeted around, clearly thinking of the picture he had put into her mind. Jay grinned brightly at her flushed face, the dark red tinting her coat a deep purple. “And I thought you liked being in control.”

She stopped fidgeting, panting lightly as Celestia began to nip at Luna’s neck. “Normally, I am. But there’s just something about you that I just fall prey to.”

“Perhaps it is because you are prey and I am a predator?” Jay asked as he gently bit down on her soft ears with his sharp teeth. He made sure not to break skin, but the barest shread of pain in combination with the pleasure made her shiver again, another moan breaking the near silence of the room. At the same time, Celestia’s head drifted down and bit down on Luna’s wing as her horn lit up, teasing Luna further. Jay understood what she was doing and bit down on her again, his teeth injecting a potent chemical that fired every pleasure nerve in her body. The Alicorn screamed, the angelic sound of her passion so loud that Jay swore he heard glass break. Jay heard a splatter, Luna’s pleasure soaking his leg and her bed just below her rump. Her body kept convulsing in his and Celestia’s combined grip as her orgasm continued, soaking the bed further.

To his surprise, Jay heard the door to her room burst open and two sets of hooves charge into the room. The curtain of the canopy was yanked back violently, a pair of spears instantly locked onto him. Jay grinned up at the Night Guards, noticing that Celestia had turned invisible the moment the door was slung open. “What, I can’t give my marefriend a bit of pleasure?”

Both ponies’ eyes flickered down to Luna, seeing the disheleved state she was in. Her scent was clear in the air and they both knew it as their nostrils flared. He noticed with amusement that the mare had noticed the massive wet splotch on the bed surrounding Luna’s flanks and how her tail was flagged, though the angle prevented them from seeing anything. The mare’s eyes widened massively when another small splatter of marecum coated the bed as Luna convulsed lightly again as Celestia bit down harder on her wing. To his further amusement, and Celestia’s given the shaking laugh he could feel from her chest on him, they both began stammering out apologies as they turned tail and ran out the door. The heavy oak slammed shut, golden magic locking it shortly after. Celestia faded back into visibility and they both looked down to Luna.

Her cheeks were a massive red, so deep that her coat was actually red around her cheeks and over the bridge of her muzzle. Beyond that, she looked absolutely exhausted in all forms of the word. Her eyelids drooped in tiredness, her ethereal mane and tail moving slower as they seemed to flicker from the night sky to light blue. Her coat was ruffled all over, parts of it matted from sweat. All in all, Jay had to say that she was utterly spent from an incredibly powerful orgasm and horribly embarassed by her Guards barging in and seeing her in her current state. Speaking of seeing… “Good save, Celestia. It would have raised a lot more questions if they had seen you with Luna’s wing in your mouth.”

Luna nodded tiredly. “Word is going to already spread that Jay was pleasuring me. It would not do well for similar rumors to spread about you doing the same, Celestia.”

“I’m glad I was able to react in time.” Celestia said, agreeing with them. “It’s too bad that we were interrupted. It would have been interesting finding out if we can make you cum so hard you pass out entirely.”

“I doubt think I would have been able to wake up for a couple days after that!” Luna protested lightly, though she seemed significantly interested in the idea. To be honest, Jay was interested in it as well but he figured Luna deserved some rest after screaming so loudly and then being caught by her Guards.

“Go ahead and get some rest, Luna, I’ll be here when you awaken.” Jay said.

Right after he finished, Celestia added. “I’ll be here as well. I hope you don’t mind if I play with your wings while you sleep.”

Luna shakily nodded her consent and slowly fell asleep over the course of only a couple minutes. Sensing that she was truly out of it, Jay shifted their positions around. He set Luna in between him and Celestia as they both shifted around to give her room and make her comfortable. Instantly, Celestia’s horn alighted in magic as one of Luna’s wings was gently pulled away from her body. Her muzzle lightly closed on Luna’s feathers, gently shifting between each one as she started to preen her sister. Jay watched on, realizing that Celestia had some minor somnophiliac tendicies. Jay, after a moment, commented on it. “You’re a bit of a somnophile, aren’t you?”

“What does that mean?” Celestia asked curiously, having not heard of that word before. Jay paused, realizing it might be a word only on his old world, not this one.

“Someone who is interested in doing sexual things to a sleeping person.” Jay explained.

“Then yes, I am.” Celestia said honestly. “It was something Luna and I used to enjoy in the days of old. I enjoy the authority and rush I get from being able to play with Luna while she sleeps and she always enjoys waking up satisified and relaxed. I always made sure to ask her permission before I did anything, and I wouldn’t do something I didn’t ask to do.”

“What do you mean by that last part?” Jay asked curiously.

“I asked to play with her wings. Because of that, I’m not going to mess with her horn or any of her other, more sensitive parts. If I wanted to do anything beyond preening her wings, I would have asked.” Celestia explained. “There are a lot of rules we discussed before I started to explore this desire, but that was something we both wanted since ‘somnophilia’ can sometimes be very close to non-consentual sex if the sleeping pony doesn’t know about it or says ‘no’ and it happens anyway.”

Jay nodded, understanding her point. The more she talked about it and the more he thought about it, the more he considered joining Celestia and playing with Luna sometimes. He entirely intended to discuss it with them long before he actually did something, though.

Relaxing further, he smiled and watched as Celestia gently preened the sleeping Luna. His hand subconsciously began to run through her mane. Luna started to gently hum in her sleep, comforted by the dual ministrations from both of her lovers. Idly, Jay wondered if Chrysalis would be interested in somnophilia at all. If she was, he wondered if she would prefer to give or receive. It was something to bring up at another time.

Author's Notes:

My apologies for the late chapter. I don't have a stable internet connection and have to post when I get the chance. I am capable of writing offline, but I can't post offline.

As always, don't hesitate to tell me what you think or point out errors. Typing on a phone tends to leave quite a few.

Revealing Truth

Jay awoke late the next morning, his mind snapping awake instantly. Of all the things he missed about being a normal living being, the grogginess was not one of them. He was happy to be able to wake up instantly with no transition. It was very useful and also stopped him from wanting to just roll over in the incredibly comfortable bed and just fall back to sleep, something he was prone to do before his infection. The man had often found himself setting four different alarms to make sure he actually woke up, simply beause he would stay up so late and sleep just as late as a result.

Putting aside the aside, he turned his head to the right and smiled lightly, seeing Luna and Celestia snuggling against each other. Another male might have felt left out, seeing his herdmates wrapped around each other with several inches between him and Luna, but he was just happy that they had each other. Jay knew, without a doubt, that they were more important to each other than he was to them, but it didn’t bother him. The virus knew that Celestia loved Luna more than she did him and that the same was true for Luna, but he expected it. After all, Jay was pretty sure they were together for years before the Nightmare Moon incident and he knew their love persisted through the banishment which showed just how powerful it was.

Maybe in a few decades or centuries, our love will be just as powerful, but I have no real complaints. It doesn’t hurt knowing how much they love each other because I know they still truly love me. In fact, it honestly makes me feel better, knowing they’ll have each other whenever I’m not around. Then Jay grinned lightly, a thought striking him. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the ‘sisters’ taboo is attractive, along with the other taboos they try out that I know of. I know now that Celestia is a somnophile so who knows what other kinks they have. It’ll be fun learning about them in the coming time.

Jay’s attention snapped back to them when they started to stir in their sleep, a clear indicator that they were waking up. Celestia fidgeted a little and Jay noticed for the first time that Luna’s wingtip was still in Celestia’s mouth, a sight that was incredibly adorable. Jay grinned when Luna tightened her grip around Celestia, hugging her more firmly. The virus waited for another minute or so before their eyes opened together, soft magenta meeting calm teal. They shared a quick smile as Celestia let go of Luna’s wing. Leaning closer together, they shared a quick yet loving kiss before moving over to him as they all sat up, repeating the same process. Jay happily returned the love, showing his affection and care for two mares that were by his side as often as they could be.

Late morning kissing aside, Jay smiled at the pair and spoke. “How’d you two sleep?”

Celestia smiled at him, replying happily. “I slept very well, though I didn’t expect to wake up with Luna’s wing in my mouth. Not unpleasant, though.”

Luna yawned widely, her clean white teeth and pink tongue flashing in his sight, the darkness caused by the heavy curtains blocking the window doing nothing to impede his vision. “It was very good! Not only did I have a wonderful dream, but I woke up feeling very relaxed. I’m sure I know why, too.”

Flashing Celestia a knowing glance which made her flush slightly, Luna continued. “Thank you for preening my wings, Celestia.”

Then she turned her attention back to him. “Did you join in on Celestia’s fun?”

Jay shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I wanted to ask you to join in on the agreement before I did anything.”

Luna nodded sagely. “Good choice. What we do can easily turn bad if somepony goes too far.”

“You mean the incest or the somnophilia?” Jay asked with a small smirk. “Because you two have some pretty big kinks.”

“And your tendrils! Don’t forget those!” Celestia added helpfully with a grin to Luna, turning the tables around as the Lunar Princess blushed slightly.

Then she collected herself and started talking, her eyes drifting shut as a faux-smug tone tinted her voice. “First, incest is perfectly acceptable when in a herd, which we are. Second, tendrils is not the only thing you may be requested to use, Jay. You’re a shapeshifter and that opens up a whole slew of options. Third, somnophilia is perfectly safe provided the right steps are taken and all parties consent, which I and Celestia do.”

“Speaking of those steps, we should probably explain them to Jay.” Celestia told her sister, who nodded in reply and dropped the fake tone after favoring him with a quick smile.

“Right. I’ll start.” Luna said right before she started explaining. “Any time Celestia wants to do something to me while I sleep, she has to ask me specifically before I fall asleep. I’ll tell her yes, no, or limit what she asked in case I don’t want to, which rarely happens. Celestia’s a minor ‘somnophile’ so she doesn’t want to do anything majorly sexual, mostly just teasing and tasting.”

“I’ve also known from the first day when Luna’s too tired to give me an actual answer that she means and will remember.” Celestia jumped in, explaining her part. “That also means that I can’t ask her while she’s drunk, dazed, or anything else that impairs her cognitive function. Though, awake drunk sex can be very fun.”

“For the most part, Celestia also never goes too far, such as using toys or her horn or anything. It’s not really about the sex itself for her but the ability to do as she desires while also pleasing me, but she limits that pretty drastically to avoid upsetting me, which she won’t. Celestia could grab a toy and fuck me all night and I wouldn’t mind as long as she asked me before I fell asleep.” Luna said honestly, sparking a minor blush from them both.

“It’s also agreed not to do anything that will wake Luna up. It makes it a bit more fun for me since its a challenge, but I don’t mind. Of course, that also means I can’t using any sleep-inducing herbs or spells to keep her asleep. That could end in me doing something she doesn’t want and her not being able to wake up to tell me no.” Celestia says.

“And of course, sometimes our positions switch and I play with her a bit. When that happens, the same rules apply, just in reverse. Honestly, we have a lot of fun with it. Its a rush and a challenge to pleasure your partner without waking her up at all, but we be sure to be safe about it.” Luna finished.

“With the way you’re explaining this, it sounds like you’ve had problems between you two before.” Jay commented.

Both shook their heads instantly, with Luna speaking up. “No, not really. All that was decided on the day we started this. They’re simply and there’s a few gaps but that’s because we don’t really need them. We understand each other and what we want enough to not hurt each other anymore.”

Jay only barely picked up on the saddened look on Celestia’s face and the quick glance from Luna that just screamed ‘It’s okay, I forgive you.’ For a moment, he thought something had happened with Celestia’s somnophilia in the past, then he paused as he thought about what Luna had said. A moment later and he realized that Celestia was thinking of the Nightmare Moon event. The virus’ hand came out and rested on Celestia’s side even as Luna did the same.

After a moment, the mood passed and Celestia continued. “The real reason why we have these rules made, written down, and signed by us both is in case we got caught. Most ponies wouldn’t be bothered by our relationship, even though we fear otherwise. It’s really just the nobles that would be outraged. No, most ponies would panic at my somnophilia because it dances a fine line between erotic sex and straight up rape. The rules, contract, and agreements keep it on the safe side of that line, which would help calm ponies down about it. Luna was right, we don’t need the rules at all because we understand each other, but it’s a precaution we took anyway.”

Jay nodded, understanding her point. Somnophilia really was a risky kink to indulge in because of how dangerous it could end up. If done well with someone trustworthy, it could end up fun and sexy. It’s just lucky for Celestia that she had somepony to make it work with. In any case, he really didn’t mind the idea of joining in, which he voiced out. “Sounds intriguiging. I won’t lie and say I’m not interested.”

“If you agree to sign the contract, you can join us.” Luna beamed brightly. “That means you’ll have to follow the rules, too, but I doubt that’ll be a problem.”

Jay nodded and her horn flashed, a thick sheet of paper appearing in front of her with a quill and inkwell next to it. He grabbed the quill and dipped it into the ink as he read over the paper, seeing that it what he had been told was incredibly close to literally everything in the contract. He signed it soon after with his real name, not his pony one, and they disappeared in a flash. Luna was smiling widely at him while Celestia seemed eager, making Jay realized something. Luna said she was aggressive and Celestia was submissive. Yet this kink is the opposite. Luna’s being toyed with while she’s asleep and powerless and Celestia’s the one doing it.

Jay hummed lightly at that thought before the mares gave him a curious look, prompting him to explain. “Luna, you said you were aggressive and dominate. You also said Celestia was submissive. Yet this kink is the opposite with the way it is usually.”

Celestia just smiled in understanding as Luna explained. “That’s how we usually are, Jay. With our age and experience with each other, we discovered a number of situations where the ‘status quo’ is different that usual. In normal sex, I like being on top and Celestia likes being rutted, not made love to. Yet Celestia is also a somnophile and I often have fantasies of another having their way with me, which Celestia’s happy to let me experience at times. You’ll find that our needs are ever changing with time and that there’s never a dull moment in bed with us.”

“Of course, that means there are also times that we just aren’t in a good mood at all.” Celestia added. “Sometimes, we’ll just be bitter because of something somepony said. I hope you’ll understand that we don’t mean anything negative we say.”

Jay smiled understandingly. “I understand, Sunshine. Trust me, if a noble upsets you, I won’t take anything to heart. I’ll be happy to be an ear you can vent to, both of you.”

Luna nuzzled him once again, then rolled out of bed as she stretched out in a rather attractive pose. “I suppose we should clean up and get started with our day. Jay, you’re returning to the Estate today, aren’t you?”

The virus nodded. “I am. I’m hoping to be home around noon so I can talk with the Elements, then Chrysalis when she returns. I’m still not quite certain if she’s returning today or not, though she should be.”

“Are you looking forward to her return?” Celestia asked, getting out of the bed as well.

“Of course I am.” Jay said simply. “It may have only been a week but a lot has happened. I definitely want to talk to her about us.”

“Do you think she’ll be upset?” Luna asked him curiously, though she was sure she knew the answer.

“No, I don’t. I think she’ll be rather happy since she wanted us together. Chrysalis will be even happier at the prospect of spending nights together like a family.” Jay replied with a small smile.

“I agree.” Luna said with Celestia nodding her agreement. “You do realize we slept for at least sixteen hours because we were together, right? The only reason we didn’t wake up sooner is because my sister and I are capable of moving our charges from our dreams.”

“Guess we really wore you out, didn’t we?” Jay asked with a smirk to her. She nodded with a likewise grin before she turned around and flicked her tail, giving him a quick view of matted fur.

“Yes, you did. Now I need to go clean myself up. Would you two care to join me?” Luna asked as she started walking into her bathroom. Celestia immediately started to follow and Jay stood up out of bed, moving along with them into the bathroom. The virus was sure that the smug smirk on Luna’s muzzle was from the idea that a quick glance under her tail and a question got two immortals to follow her into a bathroom, but he didn’t mind.

Gene stepped through the front door of the Peace Estate and looked around. He didn’t see Night Shine, Iron Wall, or Soaring Fury, but he did see a familiar blue Guard on a couch reading a book. The virus walked into the living room and she looked up, likely hearing his hoofsteps. She immediately stood up and saluted him, which both amused and annoyed him. “Sir!”

“At ease, Private Spear.” He said simply. She nodded and dropped the salute right before he continued talking. “You know the formalities are unnecessary when you aren’t on duty.”

“I know, sir, but it doesn’t feel right. I suppose it’s due to the training we go through in Canterlot.” Lightning explained.

He nodded his understanding, then broached the topic he had approached her for. “I wanted to commend you for assisting in holding back the Timberwolves and Ursirium that came from the Everfree. I saw you and the others fighting with Princess Celestia’s reinforcements.”

To his surprise, a light blush spread on her face. “Thank you, sir, but we just did what we were supposed to do. Iron Wall was the one who suggested it, but it wasn’t until he pointed out that none of our charges were actually in the Estate that we got moving.”

“Willingness to help your fellow Guards while also dedicated to your original posting.” Gene said, which made her smile slightly. “It makes me wonder why you’re only a private.”

Lightning just shrugged. “I’m rather new to the Guard, we all are, so nothing has really happened to earn a promotion. I know that one of the higher ranks that came with the Princess put in a good word for us all, so something might happen soon.”

Then she hesitated as a thought struck her, a clear question on her mind. “Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, where were you during the battle?”

“I was the creature that killed the two Ursirium.” He said simply, making her mouth fall open in shock. “Due to my nature, I can shift into other forms. That’s one of my combat forms.”

“Sweet Celestia…” Lightning breathed out. “Why are we guarding you if you can become that?”

“You’re not.” Gene replied. “You’re guarding Snow and any other guests we have. Speaking of guests, the Elements of Harmony should be here around noon. Please let them in and lead them to the second floor.”

“Yes, sir.” The Unicorn said with a nod.

Gene returned the nod and turned, heading upstairs to wait for the others. He wasn’t too worried about how the Elements would react to the news. In a worse case scenario, they would try to attack him or spread the news to the Guards. In the first event, he would be entirely unaffected by their hits. In the second, he had the support of most of the Guard and the Princesses. Walking into the bedroom, he quickly glanced around. After seeing that nothing was changed and that Chrysalis wasn’t back, he turned around and exited the private section of the second floor, locking the door behind him. Sitting down on a small couch, he waited patiently for his guests. If he had to guess, he had about an hour wait before they would arrive, which wasn’t all that long to him.

The hour or so passed quickly enough, his powerful hearing soon picking up the sounds of hoofsteps from the lower floor. From the sounds of it, all six mares were present as he expected. The virus could hear Lightning escorting them to the staircase, then leaving the building to do her business. Moments later, he watched as the Elements of Harmony walked up the stairs and into the living room, soon taking seats around him. His gaze drifted across them, taking in their moods. Twilight was nervous and Pinkie was serious, though both of those were expected as they already knew the truth about him. Applejack seemed angry while Rarity was intrigued. Fluttershy, as he expected, looked nervous and slightly afraid while Rainbow looked upset, which was better than Applejack’s anger.

Twilight and Pinkie both chose to sit on the couch with him but the other four decided to keep some distance between them, which he didn’t blame them for. Gene sat up and looked at the four, waiting for one of them to say something. The group was quiet for a time, none of the mares wanting to be the one to break the silence. Eyes drifted all over the room, though none of the four looked directly at the virus. Applejack, to his curiosity, spent the time glaring at the ground for some reason or another, which Gene decided to comment on.

“I suppose I’ll be the first to speak.” Gene started neutrally. “You seem quite angry, Applejack, more so than one would expect at finding out I’m not a pony. I’m going to guess that it’s because I lied about who I was, which goes against your Element.”

“No.” She replied tersely. The farm mare didn’t say anything else until she looked up, her eyes noticing the patient look he was giving her with a raised brow. Her frown didn’t fade but she did speak, this time more than a single word. “Its because you’re a Changeling.”

“First, that’s specist.” Gene said, making her scoff. “Second, I’m not a Changeling.”

“You aren’t a pony.” Applejack pointed out.

“There’s more species in existence than just Changelings and ponies.” He countered, making her frown deepen. “In any case, I’m an Evolved.”

“‘Evolved?’ So you think you’re better than every other species?” Applejack asked, her tone edged with hostility. Gene ignored the hinted insult, not taking the bait, though he noted that her accent was nearly nonexistent when she was upset or angry.

“No, I didn’t name my species, nor did any member of my species. We were named by the ones who created us, who believed our physiology was better than theirs, not our morals or our personalities.” Gene said. “They were right. An Evolved is physically far better than a human, but with our power comes the increased likelyhood of it being abused.”

“Prove it.” Applejack said. When he gave her a curious look, she continued. “Prove you aren’t just a creative Changeling.”

With a shrug and a maelstrom of black tendrils, he shifted into his default form. Shifting his position to better match his altered body, he continued staring at her neutrally. Idly, he noted the stares he was receiving from the other three mares, though they seemed happy enough to just watch and listen as he spoke with Applejack. “Proof enough?”

She stared into his eyes, trying to see any form of deceit or trickery, though she failed to find anything, not just what she was looking for. Applejack noticed that and decided to comment on it. “Something’s not right about you. I don’t see anything in your eyes.”

“Because nothing is there.” He replied cooly. “I’m not really alive.”

“Like a zombie?” Rainbow Dash asked, interrupting the two.

“Like a rock.” Jay replied. “I wasn’t alive in the first place, so I’m not undead. I’m a class all to my own.”

“How can something have no emotions without being a heartless, evil monster?” Applejack challenged, making Twilight stare at her, agast. Pinkie almost spoke but he waved her off, though he flashed her a thankful smile. It was good to know that she would defend him if the need arose.

“My emotions come from within my soul, according to Princess Cadence. As such, they aren’t within my body which makes them unable to be seen by somepony without special abilities.” Jay retorted, keeping his voice neutral. He did it to avoid aggravating her, though it seemed to do so anyway. After a moment, her irritation burned out and she sighed, pulling her hat a little lower.

“At least you ain’t a Changeling.” She mumbled under her breath, though he heard it clearly.

“What do you have against Changelings?” Jay challenged in return.

That got a rise out of her, making her look up at him and she answered his question simply. “They’re monsters.”

“Explain.” Jay said.

“They just are.”

“Strike three for being specist. Nothing ‘just is.’ There’s a reason behind everything, even if few know it.” The virus retorted.

“They feed off of love!” Applejack exclaimed, starting to become aggrivated with his entire flat voice.

“You feed off of plants and I feed off of anything. Does that make us monsters?” Jay asked.

“That’s different. We need it to survive and it doesn’t hurt anything!” Applejack replied.

“Strike four. Strike five and you’re out of the Expedition Point.” Jay said, hoping to get her to think before she spoke. “When you eat an apple, you had to take it off of a tree. That killed the apple. Plants are alive, even if they aren’t sentient or sapient. Even then, if Changelings didn’t have to take love by trickery, they wouldn’t be starving to death. If they weren’t starving to death, they wouldn’t need to drain ponies to a dangerous level. If they didn’t need to drain ponies to a dangerous level, nopony would get hurt.”

“How do you know that?” Applejack questioned suspiciously.

“Because of what I am, it is simple enough to gain memories from another being. I’ve seen the memories of Changelings and almost every Hive in the world is slowly starving to death from a lack of love.” He answered simply, not entirely lying.

“‘Every’ Hive?” The Earth pony asked softly.

“There is more than one Hive of Changelings, just as there is more than one country in the world. I’m somewhat familiar with a couple Hives and know how to tell members of different Hives apart.”

“Changelings with solid green eyes and markings made of green paint...What Hive are they from?” Applejack asked suddenly.

“I’ve never seen any like that personally, but if I had to guess, I’d say Emerald Hive.” Jay explained.

“The Changelings that attacked Canterlot?”

“Sapphire.”

“The ones that live in Equestria?”

“Sapphire and Ruby, that I know of. I know there are more, but I don’t know which ones. Even as it is, I can’t find the two Hives I know of.” Jay said. “Why are you interested?”

“It was Changelings from Emerald Hive that attacked my family’s farm years ago.” Applejack answered slowly, despair and anger tinting her voice. “My ma and pa didn’t make it out of the attack.”

Jay frowned lightly, understanding her point. Emerald Changelings had attacked her farm and either taken her parents or outright killed them, which would definitely explain her general hatred of the Changeling species, even if it was misguided. Jay knew that hatred and revenge weren’t the most reasonable of emotions, so he didn’t fault her too much for her anger.

The virus almost jumped, hearing a soft voice whispering from behind the locked door. “Jay, it’s Chrysalis. I have an idea. I want to disguise myself as a Changeling drone and speak to her. I know the fate of Emerald Hive and I’m hoping it will calm her down knowing that the rest of the Changelings didn’t agree with their methods.”

Jay thought it over at moment, barely noticing as Applejack’s friends surrounded her and pulled her into a massive, warm hug after they finally learned what had happened to her parents. He did have to give her props for being able to talk about it without breaking down, raging, or otherwise freaking out. After a moment, he made his decision. “Applejack, I can introduce you to someone who can tell you what happened to the Emerald Hive, if you want.”

“A Changeling, right?” Applejack asked, looking up at him. After a moment, he nodded and she continued. “Go ahead.”

Jay stood and walked over to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open slightly to look through the crack. It wasn’t Chrysalis that greeted his sight but rather a normal, smaller Changeling with the blue eyes of the Sapphire Hive. She flashed him a quick smile, which he returned before allowing the door to open the rest of the way. When she walked out, every mare in the room tensed up. Jay cleared his throat loudly, giving them all a pointed glare, and they relaxed. Jay walked across the room and took a seat on the couch again with Chrysalis taking a seat next to him. Pinkie sat on the other side of him, already knowing who the Changeling was. Twilight sat in a smaller chair next to Pinkie, though she was staring at the Changeling, the Canterlot Invasion likely still fresh on her mind.

Applejack wasn’t quite glaring at her but she didn’t look happy. She still seemed to have enough sense about her to realize that Chrysalis wasn’t from the same Hive as the ones who attacked her farm, but that only went so far. Rainbow was prepared to fight but a glance from Pinkie stopped her. Rarity and Fluttershy, while unnerved, were doing their best to not stare at the chitinous mare, which he commended them for. After a moment, Chrysalis spoke. “My name’s Chitin, and I just want to tell you what happened to Emerald Hive. I don’t want to spark a fight or hurt anypony.”

Chitin? Really, Chrysalis? Chitin? Ugh, very well. Jay thought to himself.

After a moment, Applejack spoke. “What Hive are you from?”

“Sapphire Hive.”

“The one that attacked Equestria.” Twilight said accusingly.

Hesitantly, Chitin nodded. “My Queen had no choice.”

“How? She could have just asked for help!” Twilight shouted.

“You think we didn’t consider that?” Chitin replied. Jay started to listen closely to what she was saying, hoping to learn why she had attacked Equestria. “We were starving and dying because ponies were finding our gatherers everywhere they were and murdering them-”

“Executing them!”

“It’s not an execution if they didn’t have a trial!” Chitin countered angrily. “Most gatherers weren’t even allowed to speak at all, forced silent by muzzles and ropes.”

Jay put a hand on her shoulder and she calmed a little, breathing out in one long exhale. “Anyway, we were starving. With how much love we had stored and how much we were gathering, our Queen guessed we would have six to eight months left before we were completely out of love. Most other Hives had only a few months more or less than us, putting almost all of us in the same position. If our Queen had gone to Equestria and asked for help, it would have taken a month just to convince them to meet with her, two more to hash out the treaty which would have likely resulted in Changelings getting neglected as second-class citizens with far fewer rights, and maybe twenty to thirty years for Changelings to be mostly accepted in Equestria. All in all, it would take a century or so for most of Equestria to fully accept us. By that point, how many Changelings would be left?”

“I-I don’t know.” Twilight stammered out.

“Maybe the two or three dozen Changelings who found ponies that had no problems with them.” Chitin said softly. “An entire species reduced to a population that could fit in a single inn. We had no choice.”

“But what was the point of the Invasion? It only set your kind back even further and hurt any future efforts!” Twilight shouted, the others resigned to listening to the conversation, even Applejack.

“The Invasion wasn’t even planned.” Chitin said simply, catching his attention. “Our Queen wanted to infiltrate the wedding, absorb enough love to carry us over for a decade, return to the Hive, and begin the negotiations.”

“What changed?” Twilight asked, her soft voice making him realize that she thought she knew the answer.

“She was caught.” Chitin said, staring directly at Twilight. “Queen Chrysalis was caught enacting the plan and had to go with the Plan B, the Invasion. She couldn’t just escape because that would doom our kind to an inevitable extinction. She couldn’t surrender because she would be murdered for impersonating royalty. Her only option was to take the love we needed, even if it was something we didn’t want to do.”

Before Twilight could say anything more, Applejack starting speaking loudly. “So, what happened to Emerald Hive?”

“When the Hives began to deteriorate, different methods were formed to gather the love we needed. Most agreed to the idea of gatherers, Changelings trained to take just enough love to maximize production without leaving any noticeable effect. Others sent Changelings to brothels so they could gather love and lust that way. A few nefarious Hives took the most evil route they could.” Chitin explained.

“Emerald Hive.” Applejack stated, making the Changeling nod.

“Emerald Hive, Topaz Hive, and Opal Hive formed an ‘alliance of evil,’ if you will. They began to drain ponies entirely, gathering a massive amount of love but also killing ponies outright. At worst, other Hives make a pony sick, which nopony attributes to a Changeling. At best, those three Hives left dead ponies behind.”

“But how come nopony knew about the split?” Twilight asked.

“Because most Hives worked in such a way that nopony would ever find out about it. A mild sickness her and there doesn’t get ponies thinking about Changelings. A dead pony with no love in them does. So while three Hives were out killing ponies, twelve others were feeding themselves without being discovered beyond the rare gatherer being found. Those three Hives, the only time a Changeling ever made it to the newspapers, made all of Equestria think Changelings murdered for fun, so even the kind ones were held to the same crimes.”

“W-what?” Fluttershy asked softly, her voice quiet and nervous.

“Imagine a Changeling. She lived happily and quietly in a small town in the middle of nowhere. She had two close friends, both of them knowing she was a Changeling. She was kind, helped out the town as much as she could, and never took more love than what she was given. She loved foals, loved helping them, and did volunteer work wherever she could.” Chitin said suddenly. Jay became aware of what she was doing, part of this imaginary Changeling being based off of herself.

“She sounds nice.” Pinkie said, also understanding a point.

“Now imagine a Changeling from Emerald Hive. He and several others attacked an innocent farm. They didn’t need more love; they had enough for a decade, but they wanted more anyway. So they attacked the farmponies and killed two of them by draining them. Then they run away, leaving behind a grandmother and three children on a burning farm.” Chitin continued, making Applejack nod and frown.

“A few months later, both Changelings are caught. One by the Royal Guard who had spent weeks chasing him down only to finally arrest him in some out of the way town for multiple accounts of assault, vandilism, arsonry, and murder. The other is caught by accident, a Town Guard stumbling into a house illegally when she was telling the truth to a third friend. She’s arrested for being a Changeling. Both are dragged into the Town Square, side by side. For one, everypony is cheering. For the other, three ponies are crying. Both of them are hanged that day and almost nopony cares.” Chitin finished.

The room was silent for a moment, her point striking the mares hard. They couldn’t even argue because that was exactly what would happen and probably something that had happened. After a moment of silence with understanding dawning on a number of faces, Chitin continued. “We couldn’t do anything to reveal ourselves. Even if an entire Hive had peacefully walked up the Canterlot, they would all have be killed for being Changelings. No, the only thing we could do was band together against the three Hives.”

“Every other Hive in Equestria joined together and wiped Emerald, Topaz, and Opal Hives out of existence. With thousands dead but those three Hives gone, we had to wait. We had to wait for the anger and hatred to lessen before we could reveal ourselves. We just had to last another decade, then we would be able to tell the world.” Chitin said, her voice hitching as she sobbed once, a tear rolling down her muzzle. Jay instantly reached over and grabbed her, pulling her against him in a gentle hug but it didn’t stop her from talking. “That’s what we kept telling ourselves. We just had to wait. Even as our food stores ran low, even as the elderly and the young grew sick and died from starvation, we kept telling ourselves ‘just a few more years.’ ‘Just a few more years until everything will be okay.’”

Another sob wracked her body and Applejack slowly came over, gently hugging Chitin. Pinkie instantly joined, followed by Fluttershy. “That time never came… we just kept starving until we were a tenth of our old population. Nopony cared, nopony cares.”

Rarity, Rainbow, and Twilight soon joined the hug, their caution about him and her thrown out and forgotten as they listened to Chitin. Even Jay felt his eyes water, hearing and seeing the emotion she felt, knowing just how much it hurt her to say this, just how much the memories hurt. Nothing she had done had solved their problem. Nothing any of the other Queens had done had solved their problem, either. Nopony wanted to help them, they just wanted the Changelings gone.

“We had to do something, or we would all just die…” Chitin said softly. Then her gaze drifted up, her teary eyes locking onto his. “But then Jay saved me.”

The virus saw Twilight with a thoughtful look on her face, likely starting to connect dots that she had noticed. Jay doubted she would realize that Chitin was really Chrysalis, but she might realize that Chitin was Snow. Coming revelations aside, Rainbow suddenly whispered. “Wait, who’s Jay?”

“Gene.” Pinkie replied, also whispering. “That’s his real name. Jay Fontenot. Gene Splice is the name for the pony form he made.”

“I would be dead if it wasn’t for him. I owe him so much and yet he doesn’t ask anything from me. No, all he wants from me is my love. That’s something I’m happy to give him, and he’s so kind as to give me his own.” Chitin said softly, gently nuzzling his neck.

Twilight’s eyes went wide at that. “Snow?”

With a sheepish grin toward her, Chitin was engulfed in green fire that was neither hot nor uncomfortable. When it faded, a familiar white Pegasus was leaning against him, nervously looking around at the mares that were still holding onto her. “Y-yeah…”

Applejack broke the silence before it could even form with an interested tone. “Well, aren’t you a romance of secrets?”

“No secrets from each other.” Jay said, his arm dropping down to wrap around Snow as she turned back into Chitin. “Though two were revealed today when I only expected one.”

Everypony went back to their seats, though Twilight was clearly more comfortable around Chitin than she had been previously. A thought struck him as he considered telling Twilight who Chitin really was but he shoved it aside, knowing it was her decision, not his. In any case, he was happy that Chitin was receiving a lot of smiles all around, even from Applejack. He leaned down and purposely stage whispered into her ear. “Maybe things are looking up for you, Chitin.”

“Until I’m found.” She replied with the same whisper, realizing what he was doing.

“Oh please, I can keep you safe. Worse case scenario, I just ask the Princesses to leave you alone.” Jay replied. “I’m not letting you get hurt, even if we have to vanish overnight.”

Although the mini conversation had been an act to show the mares that even Changelings had feelings and worries, what he had told her was entirely true. He would make Gene disappear overnight as he and Chrysalis vanished from Ponyville. Idly, he thought about how this would only make the true reveal of Chrysalis even harder in the future, but he would deal with that when it came. Thoughts aside, he quickly noticed when Applejack placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder.

“You ain’t one of the Changelings that killed my family. If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to ask me. You aren’t bad, despite my own doubts about most of the Changelings. If Pinkie trusts you and Jay likes you, I’m willing to give you a chance.”

“Thank you.” Chitin said honestly, gently nuzzling her hoof. “That means a lot to me.”

Bright smiles all around made Jay feel happy, even if things didn’t go quite as he expected. These mares showed that it was possible for Changelings to be accepted, even if it wouldn’t be easy or quick. It would take time but he hoped that Equestria would eventually be home to the Changelings as well.

Twilight's Acceptance

Jay leaned against the wall of the Peace Estate’s foyer, watching in amusement as Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, gave Chitin a light hug before slowing walking out the front door while waving at him. Jay grinned and returned the wave with one of his own, seeing her smile before she left. Out of the four mares he had told the truth to today, she was the last one to leave. Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity had all left moments earlier, each giving their well-wishes to him and Chitin. None of them seemed even slightly concerned or confused about him and what he was, all thanks to Chitin’s timely distraction.

With the door shut, Jay and Chitin walked back upstairs and rejoined Twilight and Pinkie, the two shapeshifting immortals taking their seat side by side on the couch. Chitin quickly snuggled up against his side and he draped an arm around her, making her sigh from sheer comfort. Jay gazed down at Chrysalis’ disguised form even as she looked up at him and they both smiled. After a moment, Chitin spoke softly. “I missed you, Jay.”

“I missed you too, Chitin.” The virus said, adapting to her temporary name. He leaned a little, aware that the other two mares were staring while trying to look like they weren’t, and pressed his lips to the end of her muzzle. Jay could practically feel the stress draining out of her system with the kiss, and he felt the same. In her embrace, he felt calm and safe. Yes, he loved Celestia and Luna and would continue to do so for quite possibly millennia, but Chrysalis held a special place in his heart. She was the first of his ‘herd’ that he loved and that was something that just wouldn’t change, no matter how long they spent apart.

After a moment of time, the two pulled apart and Jay turned back to the two mares sitting across the room from him. “Thank you for giving us a moment.”

Chitin nodded her agreement and flashed the pair of friends a quick smile, which Pinkie returned four-fold. Twilight, after a moment, spoke up. “I must say, Jay-”

“Say Jay!” Pinkie interrupted with her usual giggle-snort, putting an amused smile on everyone’s face before Twilight continued where she stopped.

“That I’m surprised our friends accepted what you told them so easily.” The Unicorn finished with a soft smile directed toward him.

“The power of a distraction is great, Twilight. Any anger or disturbance got completely siderailed by the shock and awe of meeting a friendly Changeling, learning that the Changelings are separated into Hives, and that not all Hives are bad. I suspect they’ll approach me and Chitin on their own time to ask more questions and clear the air. I’m pretty sure Rainbow is still suspicious of me and that Applejack isn’t too friendly to Chitin just yet. That’s just going to take time.”

“Hopefully, she won’t rat me out to the Guards…” Chitin said worriedly, not really acting.

“I’m sure the Princesses will understand!” Twilight said, content with her belief.

Jay waited for Chitin to speak. When she didn’t, he did. “I’m sure they will, Twilight, but that won’t solve the problem.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked innocently with a tilt of her head. Pinkie just sat silently and watched, already knowing his point.

“If Applejack tells the Guards, they’ll come here and drag Chitin through town. Even if the Princesses release her and leave her be, the town will know she’s a Changeling. That’ll damage her reputation and some ponies might be so against Changelings that they’ll try to hurt her.” Jay said softly, speaking slowly at first in case Chrysalis wanted to interrupt him.

Twilight frowned deeply, a pensive expression on her muzzle. The Unicorn was deep in thought about something but he paid no attention to her for the moment. Instead, he focused on the worried Queen nuzzling into his side and demanding affection that he was happy to give to her. His hand slowly ran through her mane as he held her close to him, content to just be there for her. He knew well how painful it was for her to tell the story to the other Elements because it was the story of the kind of pain and fear her Changelings had to go through on a daily basis. Maybe it wasn’t a pain she felt personally but it was a pain those she cared for felt and that made it hurt more than it would have otherwise.

While Twilight thought and Jay held Chitin, Pinkie stood up and quietly excused herself, citing a need to return to work. The virus’ eyes met the pony’s and she winked at him with a soft, knowing smile. The Earth pony walked down the stairs and out of the house, eventually passing the edge of his hearing. Jay turned his attention back to Chitin only to hear Twilight stand up. He looked up to see her pensive look gone and replaced by a determined one as she walked over, soon sitting down on the other side of Chitin. When the Changeling sat up out of curiosity, Twilight pulled her into a gentle hug. He could see Chrysalis tense, then relax as her hooves snaked out and wrapped around the purple Unicorn’s barrel. Then Twilight spoke. “Chitin, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Her voice breathed out, confused. “Why?”

“For treating Changelings so bad!” Twilight exclaimed suddenly. “I should have known that Changelings were under more than one banner! I should have known that Changelings aren’t all the same! Equestria should know that all Changelings aren’t the same!”

Then her voice dropped into a whisper. “But we don’t. We don’t know because we’re too mean and self-centered to ask. To find out. We’re perfectly happy to hurt and, and kill and entire race while ignoring all the pain and fear they feel.”

Her head came down to rest on Chrysalis’s disguised shoulder, though the Queen was understandably too shocked to do anything. Jay was shocked too, seeing how moved Twilight was about how Changelings were treated. She had thought of something only moments ago, something that had changed her entire opinion of the Changeling race in general around. The virus idly wondered what it was that she thought of, what it was that had clicked for her.

“Equestria spreads love and tolerance and we don’t tolerate Changelings and we hurt you when all you want is love.” Twilight breathed out, a small trail of tears running down her eyes.

Chitin overcame her shock and tightened her grip around Twilight, offering a modicum of comfort to the distressed mare. Then she leaned in and whispered into Twilight’s ear, even though Jay still heard it. “Understanding is the first step to fixing a mistake, Twilight. You’re a good pony and I would be happy to call you a friend.”

Twilight sniffed and gently nuzzled her muzzle against Chitin’s shoulder. “I would be glad to be your friend.”

Jay smiled and leaned back against the couch again, watching on as Chitin and Twilight held each other. It was good for Chrysalis to make friends among ponies, even if they didn’t know the full truth about her. If she could prove that not all Changelings were bad then the Changelings were one step closer to being accepted into Equestria. Everything seemed to be looking up. The Princesses of Equestria are on Chrysalis’ side, the Guards of this building are working for us, I’m on her side, and Pinkie already knows who Chitin really is. I doubt anything can fuck this up.

“Twilight?”

“Yeah, Chitin?”

“I need to show you something.” Chrysalis said with a worried glance back to Jay. His eyes widened in surprise when she realized what she was hinting at, then he mentally sighed. If anything could fuck this up, it’s that.

“Your choice, Chitin.” Jay said simply, preventing his worry from showing externally, even if she could sense it. “You know I have your back.”

She hesitated but nodded shakily and diverted her attention back to the curious Unicorn whose gaze was shifting back and forth between the two shapeshifters. Twilight’s eyes slowly widened, her mind starting to piece things together, though Jay didn’t know what the sum would be.

I didn’t expect us to be revealing the absolute truth today. Jay mused to himself, watching as Chitin took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to reveal herself to Twilight. He understood why it was so difficult for her; her life may not have been on the line, but her life here in Ponyville was. If things went south fast, she may be forced to leave and, in her mind, she wasn’t sure if Jay would go with her. Of course, he knew he would follow her without hesitation, but she didn’t know that and if he said it now it would only make Twilight more suspicious.

“Chitin?” Twilight asked softly. “You’re aren’t really ‘Chitin,’ are you?”

Slowly, the Changeling shook her head. Twilight glanced up at the virus but he didn’t say or do anything, just watching impassively. He was going to let Chrysalis do this in her own way in her own time, he was just going to be there as moral support or a fallback plan. Jay was sure he could bullshit his way out of the situation if he needed to, though he doubted he would. After a moment, Twilight looked back to Chitin. “But you are a Changeling?”

Again, Chrysalis slowly nodded her head. Twilight frowned, not out of anger but out of thought. “But you already know I’m okay with you being a Changeling, so why would you hide who you really are? Unless, you’re a Changeling that we met before… The only ones we met before are the ones we fought at the wedding, but they would know we wouldn’t recognize them, so…”

The Unicorn trailed off, her gaze returning to meet Chrysalis’ solid blue eyes. There was a hint of steel in Twilight’s, though it was tempered by curiosity. “Chrysalis?”

Jay had to give the mare props, she figured it out with only the barest shred of a shadow of information. Nothing Chrysalis had done had really pointed her out as being the Queen in disguise but Twilight still figured it out, even if it was done after a little bit of hinting. He watched on, ready to leap to Chrysalis’ aid if Twilight should strike, as the Changeling erupted in green flames once again. Twilight leaned back slightly as the pillar grew and then suddenly faded, leaving behind the Queen of the Sapphire Hive. To her credit, Twilight didn’t immediately flinch, teleport away, or attack. Instead, she stared with her lips pressed together, thinking once more.

“Why are you here?” Twilight asked. Deciding to give Chrysalis a bit of reprieve, Jay leaned around Chrysalis, now that she was tall once again, and started to speak.

“First and foremost, swear that you won’t discuss what you’re about to hear anywhere that isn’t in this room. Swear that you won’t discuss this information with anyone other than myself, Chrysalis, and the Princesses of Equestria.” Jay started.

Twilight stared at him for a moment, then slowly nodded as confusion, interest, curiosity, and doubt played across her features. “I swear.”

Chrysalis suddenly stood up. “I’m going to go make everyone some tea, okay?”

Jay and Twilight both nodded and the Changeling Queen practically fled the room, heading into the kitchen where he could hear her sigh with relief. It was clear to him that revealing herself had gone against every instinct she had and she wanted a chance to take a break. He wouldn’t be surprised if the tea took quite a while to make.

“Jay?” Twilight asked while he thought more on Chrysalis. He snapped out of it and looked slightly up, a raised eyebrow his reply. “Was she scared?”

“More nervous and jittery. Revealing herself went against her very nature, Twilight, but she still did it.” He replied.

“Why?”

“Because she trusts you.” Jay said simply. “What you told her, about how Equestria saw Changelings, it gave her hope. Hope that one day, she and her subjects will be welcome in this country. You gave her that hope and she wanted to tell you the truth.”

Once Twilight nodded her understanding, he continued. “First thing you need to know is that the story of this building being the ‘Everfree Expedition Staging Point’ is a cover-up.”

“What?” She asked, understandably confused.

“Some time ago, I met Chrysalis in an effort to help balance relations between Sapphire Hive and Equestria. I, using my genetic abilities, created large plants, similiar to trees with flower buds, that would generate the love she and her subjects needed to survive. In return, Chrysalis would return with me to Canterlot in order to negotiate a peace between Equestria and Sapphire Hive specifically, leaving the other Hives out because Chrysalis had no say for them.” Jay began explaining. “The negotiations went well and Chrysalis accepted the terms as fair and I was given the title ‘Liaison of Peace’ and was put in charge of keeping Equestria’s relationship with Sapphire Hive peaceful, which was rather easy because I had recently gotten involved with Chrysalis.”

“So Sapphire Hive is already at peace with Equestria?” Twilight asked, her shock slowly being replaced by understanding.

“Right, and we’re hoping to get the other Hives to follow in time. Anyway, everyone decided to keep the treaty with the Changelings a secret because general opinion of Changelings are not very favorable. The Princesses are hoping to let the hate die off into mild dislike before publicly announcing the treaty and allowing Changelings from the allied Hives into Equestria, where the mild dislike with, hopefully, slowly shift into peaceful acceptance.”

“So this is a secret, which is why you haven’t said anything before. What made you decide to introduce ‘Chitin’ to my friends, then tell the whole truth to me?” Twilight questioned him, a few thoughts striking her mind in unison. “And am I going to have to keep this from my friends?”

“I told you the full truth because you are the student of Celestia and a friend of mine and possibly a friend to Chrysalis. As the Liaison, it’s my decision who knows and who doesn’t. I decided to tell you. Yes, you are going to have to keep it from your friends until either it’s officially announced or until I decide otherwise. The reason I didn’t tell them the full truth from the start is because the integration must be done slowly. If we do it quickly, ponies won’t accept the change and will reject if, sparking hostilities, aggression, and possibly an all-out war with the Hives.”

“Chrysalis wouldn’t do that! She loves you!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Yes, she does, and I love her too. However, if Chrysalis is forced to choose between being with me and allowing her subjects, which she views as her children, to suffer or going to war to try to give her subjects a better future, I know which one she’ll choose. I wouldn’t even hold it against her. Neither of us want that to happen and neither do the Princesses, which is why we’re doing this slowly.”

Twilight began to breathe in and out slowly to calm herself, but the virus couldn’t really blame her. The casual comment about war probably didn’t help her peace-minded values that were nutured by a land that hasn’t seen a real war in a thousand or more years. He gave her the few minutes she needed to calm herself, his unnatural hearing easily picking up the sounds of Chrysalis starting to make the tea. After another moment of patient silence, Twilight spoke while waving a hoof. “Thanks for waiting. The thought of a war…”

“I understand.” Jay said. “But keep in mind that Chrysalis, me, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor are doing what we can to prevent that. The latter two aren’t exactly on good terms with Chrysalis but they understand the value of peace over war.”

Twilight nodded, only partially surprised to hear that her brother and sister-in-law were working to assist the peace between ponies and Changelings. Another thought struck her, something she had considered before. “Because of the way this building is placed, I’m going to guess it’s not really for the Everfree?”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s too far west to be between the town and the Forest.” Twilight explained.

“Funny, you aren’t the first to say that. In any case, you’re right. In public records and records lower-tier officials have access to, this building is the ‘Everfree Expedition Staging Point.’ For the higher-tiers and those with the right access, this is the ‘Peace Estate.’”

“Rather simple name.” Twilight said offhandedly.

“Simple but fitting.” Jay agreed. “Considering that the official name might not be known for a long time, naming it wasn’t a high priority. This building is situated in such a way that Changelings from the Sapphire Hive are able to enter the premises without having to go through or around the entire town. Here, I’ll be able to meet with them and discuss various topics that would need a Liaison of Peace, which is rather similiar to an ambassador, except that they sometimes come to me. Other times, I might visit them in their Hive.”

“Do the Guards downstairs know?”

“Yes, they do. They’ve been sworn to secrecy like you have and were told the truth about me, Snow, and the purpose of this building. The building itself also had a wide array of magical defenses installed by the Princessess so that, if the truth is revealed and ponies are furious, they can’t knock this building down and hurt anyone inside.”

“What Hives have we, as in Equestria, made peace with so far?”

“Just Sapphire, though another Hive recently met with Chrysalis over one matter or another. I think we’ll be discussing that as well as the caster once we have some privacy.” Jay said.

“Oh, do you want me to leave?”

“Not at all.” Jay said with a shake of his head. “You’re welcome to stay here. I’m just saying that me and her will be discussing some things later tonight. We’re in no rush to have the discussion.”

Twilight sighed in relief, happy to know that she wasn’t overstaying her welcome. “So you two knew the truth about each other from the start?”

Jay nodded. “Yeah, we did. When I first met Chrysalis, she was in her native form and we were right outside her Hive. I was disguised as Gene Splice but once we were in her home I shifted into my real form.”

“Don’t you mean ‘her palace?” Twilight asked with a tilt of her head.

“Chrysalis doesn’t have a palace. She didn’t want her Changelings wasting time, energy, and resources on a palace for her.” Jay said in reply.

Twilight fell silent for a moment, a small frown on her muzzle, before she spoke softly. “Chrysalis really is different that how we thought she was…”

Jay just nodded slowly. “She made a big mistake out of desperation. She regrets the choice she made and now she wants to make peace.”

“If I had done that from the start, maybe ponies wouldn’t hate Changelings quite as much.” Chrysalis said slowly as she walked back into the living room, a pot of tea, saucers, and three small cups trailing behind her in her levitation. To his surprise, he also saw a plate full of cut sandwiches. She sat down next to him and placed everything on the table and Twilight moved to sit across from them so she could talk easier. The Queen levitated the pot of tea and poured three cups before giving Jay and Twilight each a cup and taking the final for her own. “I expected to be replaced as Queen when I returned to the Hive. I still believe I should be.”

“But you’ve admitted your mistake and already began taking steps to fix it.” Twilight pointed out. “From what you told us of Emerald Hive, you could have just as easily tried invading again instead of changing.”

Chrysalis set her tea down and gazed at Twilight, her face passive. The Queen thought for a moment as Jay looked on, the Unicorn starting to become uncomfortable due to the staring. After a moment of awkward silence, she spoke. “Twilight, why don’t you hate me?”

“I believe everypo-one, everyone, deserves a second chance.” Twilight answered with a bright smile to the Queen. “If we can give Discord, the being who tormented all of Equestria, a second chance, then why can’t we give you a second chance?”

“Because I hurt ponies.” She said simply.

“So did Discord, and he hurt ponies worse. If he can be forgiven, so can you!”

Chrysalis was silent again for a moment before she nodded nearly imperceptibly, a small smile coming onto her muzzle. “Thank you, Twilight.”

Twilight gave a single sharp nod as she chirped. “You’re welcome! My offer of being your friend is still out in the open, you know.”

“I’d like that. I really would.” Chrysalis said honestly, slowing leaning against the virus. His arm draped over her withers again as he just held her before she looked up at him. “Thank you for being patient with me.”

“No need.” Jay said, smiling down to her. “I’m always by your side. You know that.”

“That’s one of the reasons I love you.” Chrysalis sighed, leaning further against him. “Changing topics for a moment, did you finally make your decision about Celestia and Luna?”

Twilight jolted slightly and quickly levitated a sandwich triangle and focused on it intently, trying to hide her interest in the conversation’s new direction. Jay didn’t mind her listening; he severely doubted that she would go around and spread his business to others. He understood that she was just interested in news about her mentor. “Yeah, I did.”

Chrysalis waited for a moment for further speech, but when no more came she looked up with a firm expression that faded at his light smile. A look of irritation surfaced on her face and she starting hitting him with one of her wings. The impacts were soft, her wings having no bones in them, and he just started chuckling before pulling her closer to him gently. She pushed against him for a moment before letting out a long sigh and letting him hold her. “Just tell me what happened already, Jay.”

“Two new members to the family.” The virus replied. “And a little nightly fun.”

“About time!” Chrysalis shouted. “I’m glad you decided to give them and the herd system a chance. Did you sleep with Celestia or Luna?”

Jay watched out the corner of his eye as Twilight’s face grew red from shock and embarassment. Grinning internally, he answered. “Both together. I didn’t expect it but that’s how it ended up. Of course, it was after they chased me through the Castle shouting that they’re going to make me theirs.”

Chrysalis started laughing as she fell against his lap while Twilight spluttered, her levitation giving out and dropping her tea and sandwich, the porcelain of the cup shattering on the table. The virus visibly grinned even as he continued. “Quite a number of Guards and servants saw and heard them chasing me, though I don’t think we have to worry about anyone slipping. We kept that contained to the bedroom and bathroom.”

Twilight’s face was growing rosier as she looked down, trying to focus on one of the saucers. “J-Jay, did you really s-sleep with the Princesses?”

“Yes, I did.” Jay replied, his arm draping over Chrysalis while she was still trying to force down her giggling. The Unicorn’s face only grew brighter as she struggled to force her overactive imagination to not think of what that may have looked like.

“...I don’t need to hear this.” She said as the Queen calmed enough to sit back up, though she still had a wide smile on her muzzle..

“It was funny.” Jay said with a small smile. “Chrysalis seems to agree, at least. In any case, I’m not going to be messing with you about it anymore. I apologize for teasing you like I did.”

“Thank you.” Twilight replied, flashing him a quick smile with her face still rosy.

“Do you think the Sapphire Queen will keep to her end?” Queen Naventia asked her sister as the pair walked through a lush valley, a small river flowing quickly on their right. The mountains that flanked either side of the valley were utterly gargantuan, reaching high above the clouds, so high that their points seemed to scrape the very sky itself. The peaks were such a pure white from snow that they reflected the sky, making them seem as if they didn’t exist. The white transitioned to grey stone partway down, then transition again to massive trees and tall grass near the base of the mountains and the valley. The valley extended for miles in branching paths and long trails, making the Katariah Mountains a massive maze of peaks and dips that would take years to explore.

Fortunately, the two Queens knew exactly where they were going. They had entered the mountain range around twelve hours ago and began to take a path that they had long committed to memory. They would have already been home had they flown to the Ruby Hive, but they chose to walk. As they walked, Queen Ambrosia replied. “I do believe she will. I can’t guarantee that her lover will agree to create the plants in our Hive, but I believe he will if he does love Chrysalis. My concern is how Equestria will react to peace with us.”

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to agree to a peace between another Hive. Ruby was never as aggressive as Emerald or Opal, even if we weren’t as peaceful as Sapphire is- well, was. The attempted invasion ended their peace streak.” Naventia said, raising her voice slowly to combat the dull roar of a waterfall in the distance, the very same that fed the river they were following.

“But it doesn’t seem that Equestria is allowing Changelings to walk among their citizens freely, sister. Our infiltrators have yet to see a Changeling walking out in the open.” Ambrosia countered.

“Perhaps the Princesses are keeping the peace a secret for now. Their public opinion of Changelings is at an all-time low. There’s no general animosity right now; there’s sheer hate. If I know Celestia, and I do believe I do, she’s waiting for the hate to burn itself out before officially introducing Changelings into their society.” Naventia replied.

“Even then, it’ll start small. It’ll most likely be certain towns that accept Changelings while others don’t, depending on the culture of that particular region.” Ambrosia added, agreeing to her sister’s guess.

“Once those small towns get used to Changeling presence, word will spread of a lack of trouble and our kind will begin to be welcome in larger cities. Of course, for every two steps forward, there’s going to be a step back. There’ll be incidents with our allied Hives that will hurt our cases, and they’ll be incidents with other Hives that will hurt our cases.” Naventia mused, thinking of how long the process of peace will be. “All in all, I estimate a good decade or so before Changelings are fully accepted in Equestrian society. Fortunately, with the plants that Sapphire Hive has, we won’t be pressed for time like we were before. We’ll be perfectly able to wait for that decade to come in its our time instead of trying to rush it.”

“Once we have access to the love-producing plants, we might be able to expand throughout this mountain range. We are the only Hive within this place, surprisingly, and there’s plenty of room for us to expand.” Ambrosia said. A particularly strong gust of wind blew suddenly, forcing the two Queens to crouch down to avoid being blown away. For a moment, they believed it would pass in seconds. That thought was dashed when the wind kept blowing, slowly getting stronger. Nearby, one of the massive trees began shuddering as large white balls began to drift from its canopy, ready to cover the ground and Queens in some form of dust.

The two Queens saw the layer of white dust balls drifting toward them and leaped, forcing their way upwind to get away from the dust. As the wind howled, they pushed their way far enough away from the tree that they avoided the dust in its entirety before looking back once the wind faded. The wind had broken the small balls into a layer of fine white powder that had spread out farther. The ground was coated in a solid layer of white dust that coated everything. After a moment, Ambrosia added to her earlier statement. “And that’s why we’ll stay underground and not stray to the surface. Too damn dangerous up here.”

“That’s probably why we’re the only Hive here.” Naventia agreed, knowing that every single plant and insect underneath the blanket of powder was dead. They knew that area would stay dead for months before anything could regrow. “That was a bit close for comfort.”

“Quite a bit.” Ambrosia said with a nod. “Let’s just get home before we die. I’m not sure if we have any of the counter left.”

The two Queens spread their wings and took to the air, staying low to the ground. High up above the valley, they knew the wind was always strong, always blowing, and it was strong enough to tear a Changeling asunder. The only way their Hive had managed to survive in a place as dangerous as the Katariah Mountains is by hollowing out parts of mountains for them to live in, even if they couldn’t go particularly high in fear of running out of air.

Discussion

Chrysalis shifted nervously from her seat on the bed. Her wings flittered at her side, the soft thrumming doing little to calm her worries. The Queen hoped her worries were unfounded. She couldn’t see any real reason why the worse-case scenario would come about, for any reason. If it did… she couldn’t think about that. Chrysalis shifted again.

A few minutes after Twilight had left to return to her library, Jay had walked downstairs to sort out the new schedule due to two new Guards arrived. She wasn’t yet aware of their names but it didn’t concern her at the moment. No, she was worried entirely about what Jay had said as he left the room.

“Wait for me in our room. We need to talk. It’s important.”

Chrysalis shivered. Maybe those words meant something different to humans and Evolved. Maybe they meant ‘we need to have an important talk.’ She was afraid, though. she had spent time among Diamond Dogs, ponies, Griffons, and even a Dragon or two, not to mention she herself was a Changeling. In every culture she had been apart of, those words meant the same thing; ‘We should break up.”

Oh, by the Mother, don’t let that happen! I wouldn’t be able to take it!

Of course, she could be worrying over absolutely nothing. It was entirely possible that he really did want to just talk about something. Jay had shown no displeasure with her, so she didn’t think he was unhappy. The only major thing that had happened involving their relationship so far was…

The Queen of Changelings whimpered, a horrific thought striking her. Worst of all, the thought actually made sense. Jay had started dating Celestia and Luna recently and neither of them hesitated to share their bodies with him. If anything, they were most likely incredibly eager to share themselves with him. Yet she had been with him longer and had yet to even pleasure him. Maybe he was going to leave her for the two mares that love him physically as well as emotionally?

Another shiver wracked her body. That couldn’t be it, could it? Jay wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t leave her for something so shallow. If something ever broke them apart, it would be an incredibly serious act of absolute betrayal, nothing less would make her stop loving him or make him stop loving her. Chrysalis knew that. She knew, in her logical mind, that he wasn’t going to leave her.

“So why am I still afraid?” Chrysalis whispered to herself.

“Afraid about what?” She heard Jay’s concerned voice ask from the doorway. The Changeling immediately jumped in shock as her head snapped up, eyes locking with his. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop the tidal wave that was her worry and fear from escaping her in a single burst.

“I’m so sorry for not be good enough, please don’t break up with me! I’ll be sure to do anything you ever ask and be perfect from now on just don’t leave!” She choked out quickly before she drove her head into the bedsheets and waited for the reply.

Jay, for his part, managed to react rather quickly. His unnatural mind had quickly processed everything she said, recalled every instance she had said something similiar- which was none-, looked back over what could have sparked the worry, and drew a conclusion in the time it had taken her to try to bury herself in the blankets. Crossing the room quickly, he sat down next to her and gently pulled the shaking Queen to him. “I’m not going to leave you. You’re beautiful and nothing is going to change that, even if we are different species.”

Her teary eyes gazed up at him, slight confusion shining in them as she hiccupped out her reply. “W-what?”

Shit. He never said it was the right conclusion. “Forget that, though it’s still true. What’s wrong, Chryssi?”

The Queen hesitated, the prospect of saying her fears aloud making her realize just how ridiculous they sounded. Jay would never leave her for something as simple as sex. He loved her for who she was, not what she had. He even directly told her that he was willing to wait as long as he needed to until she was ready, not until he wanted it.

“Chryssi, you know you can trust me. I’m not going to make fun of your feelings or disregard them.” Jay said, seeming to know exactly what she was feeling. Then, idly remembering the Changeling-esque powers he was beginning to show, she figured he really did know what she was feeling.

After a time of thoughtful silence, time that Jay willingly gave her, she spoke up. “You remember what you said right before you left to sort out the new schedule?”

“Yeah, I said wait for me in here because we needed to ta- shit, I didn’t mean it like that…” Jay said, his voice clearly conveying how he was upset with himself. “Fuck, I’m so sorry for worrying you like that.”

Chrysalis relaxed against him, happy to have her fears proven unfounded, even if she had begun to realize how foolish they were to begin with. A moment later, Jay continued. “I guess it really didn’t help that I was gone for nearly an hour, leaving you to stew up here.”

Chrysalis didn’t agree or disagree, not wanting to upset him further, and just rubbed her muzzle against his side. “Don’t worry about that now. What was it you wanted to talk about?”

“No.” Jay said firmly, making her pull back and blink in surprise. “This was bothering you and it wasn’t something that you felt like had no backing to it. You really thought I was going to leave you and something made you feel that way beyond my words. Chrysalis, what’s the rest of the story?”

The Queen sighed, hearing him say her full name, not the nickname he usually used. There was no way she was going to be able to dance around him with words while he was this firm on it. “It’s ridiculous. We’ve already been over it. I’ve no reason to worry about it.”

“The emotions rarely ever appeal to reason and logic.” Jay replied wryly. “I’ve tried. Is it about Celestia and Luna?”

“Partly.” Chrysalis admitted.

“Are you regretting allowing me to date them as well?” Jay asked quietly. “I’ll...I’ll break things off if that’s really what you want but I doubt it’ll be easy. Or without tears.”

The Changeling quickly shook her head, though she was touched that he was willing to leave them for her alone. “No, that’s not it! Don’t worry yourself with those thoughts because that’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what is it?” He asked, a patient and comforting smile on his face as he waited for the reply.

“You and them already made love.” Chrysalis slowly whispered. “I’ve been with you longer and yet I haven’t even touched you like that. I’m worried that, now that you have somepony who will help those needs, I’m not good enough.”

“Chryssi…” Jay said softly, pulling her closer. “I’ve already told you that I’m more than content enough to wait however long it takes.”

“But you want to…” Chrysalis half-asked him.

“I want you to be happy.” The virus corrected. “Happy and comfortable. Not pressured into doing something you aren’t sure about.”

“But, if you had the chance and I was willing, you would want to do it.” Chrysalis said.

“Chryssi, I love you and you’re beautiful to me. Of course I would be happy to sleep with you when you are ready, but only then and no sooner.” Jay replied honestly.

“Then let’s do it.” The Queen said, straightening up suddenly.

“What?” Jay asked, confused at the quick change.

“Let’s have sex. I’m ready.” She said it with a firm conviction to her voice, but it only took a moment’s examination to know she really wasn’t. Her wings were twitching, there’s was a slightly tremble to her head, and the leg she had placed on his thigh was shaking mildly.

“No.” Jay said, lifting her up. He scooted away from the edge of the bed and into the center, soon lying down and placing Chrysalis on his chest. “My chitin queen is nervous, scared, and in dire need of simple affection. Lay with me for a while, Chryssi.”

The Queen sighed, so very relieved he hadn’t gone ahead. She was entirely willing to do what she needed to show him how much she loved him but the idea was so nerve-wracking for her that she likely would have fainted partway through. Instead of that, she got to lie on him and just bask in the warmth he exuded and love he fed her.

Some time later, Chrysalis slowly drifted out of her half-awake state and sat up, a loud yawn escaping through her open muzzle. When her mouth closed, she was pleasantly surprised by a soft kiss from her partner. Before she could really enjoy it, he pulled away and her slitted eyes opened slowly, greeted by the sight of Jay softly smiling in front of her. With a quiet groan, her head dropped back down onto his chest as she curled up slightly, trying her best to ignore the dying light streaming in from the window.

“You need to wake up, Chryssi. We really do need to talk. A lot of things have happened while you were gone.” Jay whispered into her ear, making it flick repeatedly.

“Fine…” Chrysalis grumbled out, slowly sitting up as her eyes drifted closed again. “What has happened?”

“First, you need to wake up fully.” Jay gently said. “You also need to eat something; I’m sure you’re hungry.”

The Changeling felt something press against the end of her muzzle and she opened her mouth, gently biting into his forearm. A moment later she inhaled, the vaporous love filling her senses and quelling the hunger in her belly. Another moment later and he pulled his arm away. The chitinous Queen yawned once more before fully opening her eyes, looking at Jay again, the love shocking her system. “I’m awake now. What happened? Beyond your meetings with the Princesses, that is.”

“Ponyville was attacked by beasts of the Everfree. A giant worm, large wooden bears, astral scorpions, and a massive spider.” Jay explained, then stopping at her wince.

“I know of those beasts… legends from a time when the Hives were united. How many were injured?” Chrysalis asked in worry.

“Bruises and broken bones abound, but the only serious injuries were done to… Celestia.” Jay said after a moment of hesitation, his voice tinged with faded fear and pain.

“How bad?” Came the soft question.

“She almost died. Aracuvo venom, potent enough to easily overpower her natural healing.”

Chrysalis shifted next to him, her wings slowly wrapping around him as she leaned against his side, doing what she could to comfort him. “H-how did she live?”

“You know I have two forms. One was trying to reverse the damage the poison was doing but it was hurting her faster than I could heal her, even if only barely. My first form, this one, absorbed the blood of you, Celestia, Luna, and ever other creature I had only stored rather than absorbed. I mutated, becoming a centaur-esque being. With that, I was able to kill and absorb the monsters. With knowledge of the Aracuvo venom, I was able to cure the venom and heal her wounds.” Jay explained softly, doing his best not to let any emotion show.

Chrysalis could see right through his attempts. She could see the pain, anger, fear, concern, and vicious intent flickering through his soul. He was furious at the beasts but wouldn’t let it affect how he acted around her. After a moment of hugging him more intensely, he continued. “The most important thing I got from the mutation was some form of magic, though we haven’t yet figured out exactly what kind it is. Do you remember the rune I showed you?”

“The one the caster who destroyed Trotsdale left behind?” Chrysalis asked.

“Yes.” Jay answered. “I touched it with my magic and it showed me where the caster is. Celestia and I will be hunting him down in a week.”

“I’m coming with you.” Chrysalis said without a moment’s hesitation, her head raising from his chest to face him. Jay sighed, closing his eyes tightly. He had expected such a reply no matter how much he dreaded it.

“I really don’t like the idea of putting Celestia and you in harm’s way. If I had my way, neither of you would be coming.” Jay said slowly.

“If you had your way, we’d never be in any kind of danger.” Chrysalis said softly. “But it isn’t always like that. We’re rulers, Jay, and sometimes we jump in front of danger to protect our subjects. This caster burned down an entire town in what was most likely a single day. Who knows where he’ll hit next? Ponyville? Canterlot? Sapphire?”

“Is it wrong of me to want you to stay here so you aren’t in danger?” Jay asked.

“No, not at all.” The Queen replied with a firm shake of her head. “But sometimes we need to act, whether or not it’s safe doesn’t matter. I’m coming.”

“Okay.” Jay said simply. “Okay, I won’t stop you. We’re leaving in a week. He’s on a jungle island off the coast of Equestria. There’s an old ruin there he’s hiding in.”

“It sounds like he won’t have a way to escape once we get there. If he’s on an island far away from the coast, he won’t be able to teleport away from us and back to Equestria. He’ll be trapped.”

“A trapped animal fights harder than a free one.” Jay reminded. “He’ll be more dangerous, more willing to use lethal force if he thinks he has no way out. If things go well, we’ll catch him by surprise and knock him out in a single hit.”

“And if things don’t?” Chrysalis asked.

“A drawn out spell-battle with a skilled pyromancer, with me waiting for the right moment to strike. I know Celestia can resist most of the fire because of her nature, and I know you know a lot of magic, but it’ll still be dangerous. Be careful, okay, Chryssi?”

“I will. I promise.” The chitinous mare replied.

“And, if the situation goes too wrong, take Celestia and escape, okay?” Jay asked.

“I… I can’t promise that, Jay.”

“Chryssi, you and Celestia can still die. It’s incredibly difficult and only certain things can do it, but it’s still possible. Me? I can’t die, not really. Killing me is even harder than killing any of you, and it’s only made harder by my other bodies. If this body is destroyed, I just wake up in another. You two can’t do that. Promise me you’ll escape if something goes really wrong.” Jay asked, heartfelt emotion tinging his voice and nearly overwhelming her senses.

“I don’t want to promise that...but I will, for. I promise I’ll make sure me and Celestia escape if things go wrong.” Chrysalis promised, though she did so begrudgingly.

“Thank you.” Jay said honestly.

“But we’ll be back.” She continued, her voice firm and unwavering. “We’ll be back and it might be with an army. Two, if the Royal Guard joins in.”

Jay smiled at her, knowing full well that she was entirely serious. If he was captured or hurt, nothing would stop her from coming back to save him.

“What did I say?” Twilight asked quietly, staring at the heavy door Chrysalis had just stormed through and locked behind her. Three days had passed since she learned the truth about Snow and Twilight, Chrysalis, and Jay had been sitting in the second floor living room and were discussing Changeling culture. After a time, she had made an off-hoof comment about the similarities between Changelings and bugs and the Queen had immediately left the room, a sour expression firmly plastered on her muzzle.

“Calling them bugs is offensive and inaccurate, Twilight.” Jay admonished gently.

“But they have chitinous exoskeletons, they have insect-like wings, and they even live in hives!” The Unicorn mare protested weakly. “Those are all traits of insectoids.”

“Twilight, you have fur, correct?” Jay asked, throwing Twilight for a loop with his sudden change in topic.

“Yes, why?”

“You have hooves, correct?”

“Yes…”

“And side-facing eyes, a muzzle, a tail, a mane, and four legs, correct?”

“Yes. What’s your point?”

“So you’re a horse?” Jay asked curiously.

The mare gasped as if he had personally offended her, recoiling in shock at what he said. After a moment, she recovered enough to point a hoof at him and exclaim. “Jay, you know I’m not just some, some, some animal! I’m a Unicorn. I have a horn, internal leylines, a larger brain, and am physically smaller than a horse, to name a few differences.”

“Then why are Changelings bugs when they have magic, too? When they have the ingrained ability to shapeshift, to change their entire physiology? When they feed not on physical food but on emotional energy? When they live in hives in name only, their ‘hives’ being closer to underground cities than an anthill or beehive? A Changeling had as much in common with a bug as you do with a horse, and they have just as many differences. Maybe, thousands of millions of years ago, Changelings were an insect race, but they aren’t any more.”

“It would have been more efficient to say billions.” Twilight grumbled quietly before sighing. “You’re right. Maybe they had an insect ancestor but they aren’t insects themselves. What are they, then?”

“Honestly? If I had to guess, an undocumented species within their own kingdom.” Jay said.

“But there hasn’t been a new animalia kingdom in thousands of years!” Twilight said, unwilling to believe the creature categorization needed an update.

“And Changelings haven’t been thoroughly learned about and documented, either.” Jay replied. “Their biology is so vastly different than what is the usual that they would be under their own category.”

“What difference is that pervasive that it warrants a new category?” Twilight breathed out, shocked.

“They don’t need to eat material food, Twilight. There’s only three species on the planet that I can think of that are like that.”

“Changelings, Astrals, and Wendigos?” Twilight asked.

“Right. Changelings feed off of love, Wendigos off of hate, and Astrals off of starlight.”

“Changelings belong in the thurogy category!” Twilight exclaimed. Seeing Jay’s questioning look, she continued. “A category for beings whose biology run off of magic or some form of energy! They feed off of love, an energy, which is then converted to another energy by an organ in their bodies. Like Wendigos and Astrals, they turn energy into a semi-physical state before ingesting it, allowing a more efficient transference process. That’s amazing! Jay, I have to study a Changeling! Is there any way you can help me with that?”

“What you should do is go apologize to Chrysalis for calling her kind an insect.” Jay said. “Then discuss with her what you can do to learn more about Changeling biology.”

“Right!” Twilight said, quickly surging to her hooves and trotting over to the door before attempting to push it open. Of course, it didn’t budge at all, what with it being locked, so she turned and stared sheepishly at the virus, her ears folded on top of her head. “A little help?”

Jay just smiled in reply and walked over and placed his hand on the lock. A tendril formed a perfect copy of the key he had been given, quickly unlocking the door before stepping back. “Go talk to her, Twilight.”

“You… aren’t coming?” Twilight asked nervously.

Jay shook his head. “No, I’m not. This is between you and her.”

Twilight nodded and watched as Jay walked back to the couch and sat down, gesturing for her to go on. Twilight nodded softly and pushed the door open and walked in, quickly taking in the hallway. All of the doors except the one at the end of the hall were closed, so the mare began walking down the hall. She couldn’t hear anything coming from the room and felt relieved that, at the very least, Chrysalis wasn’t crying.

The Unicorn stepped through the door and looked around, seeing the large bed, the door to the bathroom, and the set of desks, one of which was covered in strange papers. Chrysalis was standing by one of the windows, staring out of the hidden glass as she stared at the fields outside. Twilight slowly walked up to the Queen and stood a beside her for a few moments, staying quiet as she thought. After a short time of silence, she spoke. “Chrysalis, I’m sorry. I should have thought before I spoke.”

“You should have.” Chrysalis replied, her dual-toned voice filling the room momentarily. The pair fell silent again for a time, the Changeling not turning to look at her. After a long moment, she continued. “Twilight, do you know how much it hurt to hear you say my kind were bugs? What that implies… it’s not good.”

“I know.” Twilight choked out, feeling her throat tighten as she realized just how horrifically insulting it was. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” Chrysalis said simply, her gaze dropping down to her hooves. Then she sighed. “I know you are. Please don’t call any of us that again.”

“I won’t. I promise.” The Unicorn mare replied.

“Thank you.” Chrysalis said, finally turning to face her. “I forgive you, just be careful not to say that near a Changeling.”

“I’ll make sure I don’t call any Changeling that at all, not just when one’s near.” Twilight said, gently leaning into Chrysalis.

“Thank you.” She replied, gently draping a soft wing over her side. After a moment, she pulled it off. “Let’s go back.”

“Yes, let’s tell Jay.” Twilight said, starting to walk toward the door.

Chrysalis matched her stride, a smirk on her muzzle. “Don’t bother. He heard everything. Remember that his senses are far more acute than ours.”

“Right.” Twilight said. “That’s not going to be easy to get used to. It’ll be hard to keep in mind.”

“Just don’t say anything bad about me and you’ll be fine.” Jay said when they walked back into the living room.

“I won’t. I have nothing bad to say.” Twilight replied, returning to her seat. The Unicorn smiled as Chrysalis sat next to Jay again and leaned into him, one of his arms immediately draping around her as he held her close.

“What’s the point of the inlays?” Soul Flare questioned.

“Simple. The moment Celestia steps hoof into this ruin, the inlays will activate and rob her of her ability to perform magic, leaving just enough control to keep her alive. She’ll be unable to perform any sort of spell, making her helpless.” Perses replied softly, not afraid to explain knowing he couldn’t be overheard. “They draw on her internal leylines and drain them, keeping her core full yet leylines empty, making it impossible for her to gather the magic in her horn to cast a spell.”

“That’s only half of the inlays, though. What are the others for?”

“Why, so you can find some way to tell them my plans?” Perses asked, though he was nothing except amused. “Not that it matters. The only time they’ll be close enough for you to talk to is when they’ve already fallen into my trap. The second half of the inlays are for Daedalus and they’re very special. In fact, my plan can’t work without them, but that goes for both sets.”

“What will they do?”

“Make it impossible for Daedalus to shapeshift.” Perses answered.

“Rather useless.” Came the expected comment.

“Not at all!” Perses shouted in happy passion. “You know that means his blades, his claws, his healing, his everything! His entire power revolves around changing his own structure. The inlays force him to stay in a single configuration. Specifically, whatever he is when he arrives. If he tries to sneak in as a rat, he’s stuck as a rat until he leaves!”

“I’ll be sure to tell him.” Soul replied.

“Go right ahead. It will not help him in any way.”

Author's Notes:

Another chapter, though a good deal shorter than usual. As always, point out any errors you see and leave a comment if you have any thoughts or opinions.

A Day With Two Alicorns

“Chryssi, wake up.” Jay said softly, nudging the sleeping Queen softly to awaken her. When she merely groaned and pulled the covers tighter around her, he just grinned at her and straightened his back. Sunlight streamed into the room through the windows, bringing light to the otherwise dark room. Even the brightness of Celestia’s sun wasn’t enough to awaken the Changeling, so Jay figured he would make breakfast while he waited for her to wake up and told her the news.

Exiting the room and walking down the hallway, Jay made his way to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast. It was going to be a simple affair, just a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes for her with a cup of liquid love that he would produce for her. Grabbing a skillet from one of the cupboards, he put a bit of butter on it before placing it on the stove and turning the heat up. While that melted, he grabbed some batter, the chocolate chips, and a spatula from around the kitchen as he thought.

The night before, he had been greeted by Luna in his dreams. After relaxing with her on a beach for a while, he brought up something he had been wondering about. He wanted Chrysalis to go visit both Princesses for the day and spend time with them, something Luna had readily agreed to. She, naturally, asked what he planned to do. Jay had told her he would spend some time in the Everfree to prepare for their departure and fight with the caster.

Placing batter into the skillet, the sound and smell of it cooking filled the kitchen as he thought. I’ll need to get quite a few corpses from the Everfree. I want at least two dozen Warpers to go with us when we leave. It’ll take me a day to encase them in the pods and let the Warpers grow from the corpses, so I’ll have to get them later today and they’ll be ready the day after tomorrow.

Fifteen minutes later, he heard a thud coming from his and Chrysalis’ bedroom. His powerful hearing picked up the sound of Chrysalis cursing from down the hallway and the shifting of fabric as she wrestled with the bedsheets. Then he heard their door open as she started walking down the hall, still grumbling to herself. A moment later, she walked into the kitchen and Jay glanced back, seeing her with an irritated look on her face even as her muzzle smiled lightly at the sight of him.

“Breakfast?” Chrysalis asked quietly, a long yawn falling soon after.

“Chocolate pancakes and liquid love.” Jay told her.

“You spoil me.” The chitinous mare said, her smile growing wider as she took a seat at the table. A moment later, Jay grabbed a plate of pancakes and set it on the table, placing a cup of liquid love beside her. Seeing Jay return to the oven, she spoke again. “I’ll wait for you before I eat.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Jay replied. “I know you’re hungry.”

“How do you know that?” Chrysalis asked curiously. She was pretty sure she knew but wanted to make sure.

“The same way I know you almost lost a fight with the bedsheets.” Came the reply. Considering the silence coming from behind him, he assumed she was blushing. A few minutes later, when he took a seat at the table with his own pancakes and orange juice, he grinned at the light green tint still on her cheeks. Leaning forward, he gave her a light kiss before he spoke. “Go ahead and eat. I’m sure you’re especially hungry for the love.”

Chrysalis nodded and the two began eating, though not in silence. “So, Chryssi, I have an idea for something you can do today.”

“What is it?”

“You should head up to Canterlot and visit Celestia and Luna to spend the day with them. You know, get to know them better since they’re your herdmates now.” Jay said.

Chrysalis frowned slightly. “I don’t know. They rule a country, and it’s much more involved than ruling a Hive is. They probably don’t have the time to spare.”

“They do. I talked to Luna last night and she talked to Celestia. They’re actually looking forward to it and made today a day off.” Jay explained.

Seeing Chrysalis still hesitating, he continued. “You don’t have to go, you know. Celestia and Luna understand that you might not want to go so they’re prepared to spend the day with each other.”

That seemed to spur her into making a decision as she shook her head. “No. No! I’ll go! They already put aside time for me. It would be just downright wrong for me to just ignore them because I’m nervous of being around them. What time?”

“Any time after breakfast.” Jay answered.

“What will you be doing?” The Queen asked curiously.

“I’ll be heading into the Everfree to prepare more for our trip to the island in the ocean.” Jay explained. “I want to make a few Warpers to assist us when we go there, so I’ll be gone most of the day.”

Chrysalis nodded and the two finished eating. After they ate, they both stood. “I...guess I’ll be heading to Canterlot?”

Jay smiled and kissed her again, feeling her drain a little bit of love from him while she had the chance. “If they offer to let you stay overnight, don’t be afraid to take it. I won’t mind.”

Chrysalis nodded nervously and shifted, green flames surrounding her as she returned to the persona of Snow Flight, then walked out with Jay at her side. Once outside, she flashed him one more nervous smile and took flight, angling for Canterlot as he watched. After she was in the distance, Jay quickly made his way to the edge of the Everfree. Moments later, the ground erupted as tendrils flowed out of the dirt to form into his second form. Arms shifted into blades and claws before the two darted into the Everfree. It would be a long hunt for them.

An hour later, Snow touched down at the castle gate entrance. The two Guards stared at her as she approached them, nervousness leaking through her disguise. “S-Snow Flight to see the Princesses?”

One Guard glanced to the other before they both nodded. “Head toward the throne room. The Princesses will be waiting there for you. I doubt it needs to be said but mind your manners and don’t do anything stupid.”

Snow nodded as she walked inside, quickly making her way toward the throne room. Once there, the Guards posted at the door swung them open for her. Snow walked in and the two doors closed behind her, the ominous boom of the door shutting doing absolutely nothing to help her nervousness. At the end of the hall, standing before their thrones, was Celestia and Luna, both discussing something that didn’t make it to the end of the hall. When the doors shut, they both looked up and smiled at her. “Snow Flight?”

Snow nodded with a quiet swallow. “Y-yes, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to be nervous. Why are you nervous?” Celestia asked softly as they both walked over to her. “You’ve fought us before, yet you fear us when we’re offering friendship?”

The disguised Queen sighed. “You are both my herdmates now. I’ve hurt you both in the past, yet now we’re partners. It’s just...what if you still harbor anger for the past? I don’t want to ruin my relationship with Jay and I don’t want to ruin your relationships with Jay.”

Luna stopped at her side and smiled down to her. “We don’t hate you, Chrysalis. You told us why you invaded Equestria. I don’t agree with you doing it, but if we were in your position, we would have done the same. Most importantly, you’ve paid your reparations. You’re atoning for the consequences for what you did. We don’t hate you. I’ll admit, we aren’t very close to you, either.”

“That’s what this day is for.” Celestia chimed from her side. “You said it yourself. We’re herdmates. This day is to get to know you better, and for you to get to know us better. If you’re too nervous to do it, just say so. We’ll reschedule for another day, when you’re more comfortable. Or we’ll schedule for a day when Jay can be with us, so you have him to trust.”

Chrysalis shook her head. “No, I’m not leaving. I told Jay that you set aside an entire day for me and that it’d be incredibly rude to blow you off. I’m not changing my mind.”

Luna draped a wing over her side and the three started walking out of the throne room, heading out through a side door. “That’s the spirit! What do you want to do first? There’s quite a lot of options in Canterlot, you know. We’re thinking that, once the sun sets, we have a picnic on a large ledge further up the side of the mountain. My sister and I go there a lot because the view is wonderful.”

“C-can we go swimming? In hot water?” Chrysalis asked softly. Both Princesses stopped and looked at her in surprise.

“Swimming? Why that, specifically?” Celestia asked curiously. “A lot of ponies can’t swim. Water in our ears, stinging eyes, and heavy fur add up to most ponies not bothering to learn.”

“Changelings love swimming.” Chrysalis replied. “Especially in hot water, which feels great on our chitin. If you don’t like to swim, we can do something else.”

Luna shook her head. “My sister and I do not mind it. We swim sometimes to stay in shape, particularly my sister who has to work off the calories she gains from eating all of her cake. We have a heated pool in a private room. You’ll even be able to shed your disguise there.”

“Thank you.” Chrysalis said with a soft smile as Luna turned them around, heading in the other direction toward the pool. Celestia followed behind at a sedate pace, smiling at her sister who had taken it upon herself to do what she could to make Chrysalis comfortable.

After leading the disguised Queen through the castle for well over twenty minutes, they came across a set of plain marble doors that were unguarded. Luna pushed them open with her magic and the three entered moments after, then she closed the door behind them. From Celestia’s horn burst forth two simple spells, one to lock the doors and one to soundproof the room. Then the Solar Diarch nodded to Chrysalis. “It’s safe.”

With another burst of green flames, Snow Flight vanished. Both Alicorns watched her in interest as white fur faded, replaced by black, shiny chitin that gleamed in the magical lighting of the room. She grew taller, soon matching Celestia’s height as holes formed in her legs. Two fangs poked out of her muzzle and her eyes changed color and turned, becoming slitted. When the flames faded, Chrysalis looked over at the two Alicorns, tentatively returning the soft smiles they were giving her. Then Luna gestured with her head. “Come on, the pool is in the next room.”

Celestia and Luna turned and walked through another pair of doors. Chrysalis took a quick moment to look around, noticing that the room she was in was a room meant for ponies to dry off. Towels were folded on a table at the edge of the room and the room itself seemed surprisingly warm, though she wasn’t complaining as she loved the feeling.

Noticing that the two Alicorns had already left the room, she started and quickly made her way into the next room, immediately stopping as a wall of heat hit her. The room was even hotter than the previous one, so much so that she knew somepony not accustomed to the heat would be sweating. The next thing she noticed was the massive pool, easily two hundred feet long and half that wide. It provided more than enough room for the three Alicorn-sized beings to swim around easily. From the steam curling off of the water, there was no doubt that the water was just as hot as the air, if not more so.

Chrysalis yelped out loud as she felt a sudden push from her side, the pressure shoving her into the pool. The Queen hit the water with a large splash, the heat instantly relaxing the muscles that had tensed from her surprise. Even underwater, she could hear two more splashes as both Alicorns joined her in the water. Kicking her hooves in sync, she swam her way up to the surface to be greeted by Luna’s smug grin. The Alicorn’s wings were splayed out, allowing her to float easily without kicking her hooves.

Chrysalis tried to do the same thing. She spread her wings out as far as she could and let them rest on the water. When she stopped kicking her hooves, her body sunk a little before the area of her wings caught her body and held her at the surface, allowing her to float just like Luna was. Once she was floating, Luna spoke. “Is the heat to your liking?”

“Very much so. Thank you.” Chrysalis replied. Soft splashing drug her attention to her side, where she saw Celestia floating just like them. Her hooves were kicking slowly underwater, propelling her large figure over to them. For a moment, it struck Chrysalis just how swan-like she really was, particularly with her floating on top of the water, soaked fur and splayed wings only adding to the illusion.

“Chrysalis, why don’t you tell us some things you enjoy doing?” Celestia asked once she was near. When Chrysalis only raised an eyebrow, she smiled and continued. “This day is meant for us to get to know each other better. If that means asking you cliche questions, so be it.”

Chrysalis just smiled softly and shook her head before answering. “I enjoy reading, but I don’t really have a specific preference on genre. A part of me has always wanted to try painting, but paints aren’t something we have ready access to in the Hives.”

“I suppose you would also enjoy long walks on the beach?” Luna asked in mild amusement.

Chrysalis shot an amused glare in return before replying. “Not quite. I do, however, enjoy sparring. Testing your strength in the fires of combat is rather thrilling. The only downside to real combat is the very real threat of death. What about you?”

“Combat is a shared passion of ours, then.” Luna replied. “I also enjoy stargazing and, most importantly, painting my night sky with stars and constellations. I don’t particularly enjoy painting otherwise. I don’t read particularly often but I do enjoy writing novellas and publishing them under a pseudonym. Celestia?”

“You already know what I enjoy.” Celestia replied, a small grin on her muzzle.

“True, but Chrysalis doesn’t.” Came the retort.

Celestia nodded and continued. “Unlike you two, I don’t particularly enjoy combat. I enjoy testing myself, but the threat of injury doesn’t make combat and spars enjoyable. I am rather skilled at painting, so if you want to learn I could teach you.”

“A writer and a painter? That seems like a good combination.” Chrysalis said.

Celestia nodded. “Jay said almost the same thing when he first learned. We often take inspiration from each other, which is very helpful when we begin to run out of ideas. I’ll paint what Luna writes or she’ll make a story behind what I paint.”

The three drifted in the water for some time, a silence descending over them as they simple relaxed and enjoyed the heat, and each other’s company. For Celestia and Luna, this was the chance to step back from the throne, relax, and spend a day relieving the stress they have accumulated. For Chrysalis, it was a time to calm down and relax in their presence, to accept that she was no longer their enemy but rather their herdmate. Truthfully, it amazed how much effort they were putting into getting to know her better. They set aside their country for a day for her, are willing to accept their old enemy into their herd, and are willing to possibly love her in the future just like they love Jay, or each other.

As she thought, her mind slowly drifted to Jay and what he might be doing. He had said he was wanting to create Warpers and that he was going into the Everfree to prepare, but she wasn’t quite sure what it entailed exactly. The Queen knew that Jay needed a body in order to make one of the creatures he could design, something about needing an intact brain because he didn’t understand them enough to create one. She was pretty sure he was going hunting and was going to be returning the corpses to his cave, where he would turn them into Warpers.

What she wasn’t sure about was what other ‘preparations’ Jay was going to be doing, and how he was going to turn the dead animals into Warpers. That was a process she had never asked the specifics of. She just understood that he could create plants and materials from scratch, but needed a template to create life, and he couldn’t create sentient life, either. Deep in her thoughts as she was, she barely noticed the soft, wet wing drape over her back from her side. Turning her head, her eyes met Celestia’s magenta ones as the Alicorn spoke. “What are you thinking about?”

“Jay.” Chrysalis replied.

“Oh?”

“Just curious about what kind of preparations he’s making.” The Changeling explained.

“He is just being incredibly careful.” Came Luna’s reply. “I do not blame him. We aren’t quite sure what kind of abilities the caster has, nor what traps may lay in wait in the old ruins. He simply wants to ensure that you two will get out of there safe.”

“I swear to the Mother if he gets himself trapped because he was so focused on saving us.” Chrysalis grumbled to herself.

“From what I understand, he can’t really be in any danger. The caster would have an easier time slaying a mountain than killing Jay. At least a mountain can’t really fight back.” The Night Maiden said. “Things will turn out okay, and with the caster gone, Trotsdale will be avenged.”

“‘Gone?” Chrysalis asked, a curious frown overtaking her muzzle. “Not ‘arrested?’”

Both Alicorns shook their heads sadly, but it was Celestia who replied. “No. The crimes that the caster is responsible for are too great. A single murder is life in prison, but there were hundreds of ponies in Trotsdale, close to a thousand. No, the caster won’t be returning with us.”

Chrysalis nodded, understanding the feeling entirely. She still remembered how she felt the day, decades ago, when well over a hundred of her subjects abandoned her Hive to join the Emerald Hive. When well over a hundred of her subjects rejected her as their leader and mother-figure for a life of death and evil. She understood the feeling of seeing those you lead falling too far to be redeemed. With Celestia’s wing still over her side, she leaned her head over and gently nuzzled Celestia, who smiled at the chitinous mare who was trying to comfort her.

“You know, we’ve come here to swim and have done very little swimming.” Celestia said in slight amusement.

“We’ve really come here to get to know each other, and we’ve done that. We know each other a little better now.” Chrysalis gently retorted. “If you want to get out of the water, we can easily do something else.”

Celestia sighed softly, before a small smile overcame her muzzle as she looked at the Changeling out of the corner of her eye. Chrysalis gained a confused look at the smile, unsure where the sudden change in emotion came from. A split second after she realized that Celestia was looking behind her, not at her, she felt something heavy land on her back and push her underwater. The panicked mare flailed around for a just a short moment before the weight immediately let off, allowing her to surface mere seconds after she was pushed underwater. Once her ears were above the water, she was greeted to the sound of one mare laughing and another mare giggling. Leveling a slight glare at Luna, she only received the sight of a mare giggling behind her hoof as she gazed at Chrysalis.

“What else was I to do? You both were far too sullen for a day such as this.” Luna said once she had calmed and quieted. “You really didn’t expect me to just let you two get sad, now did you?”

With a sudden smile, Chrysalis’ horn lit up and wrapped around Luna’s legs before pulling down, instantly submerging the mare followed by a large splash. The Changeling let go instantly only to join Celestia in laughing when Luna resurfaced with a gasp and a splutter. The Changeling, with a smug smile, spoke. “You didn’t really expect me to just let you get away with such a grievous trespass go?”

“She has a point, Luna.” Celestia chimed in. A split-second later, she sunk beneath the water at the behest of Chrysalis’ magic as well, surfacing again a moment later to smile at Chrysalis’ amused frown.

“And you let her! I saw that smile you made!”

“I deserved that.” Celestia retorted, her horn suddenly encased in magic. “Just as you deserve this!”

Drip.

Drip, drop.

Drip, drop, drip, drop.

“Stop dripping on the marble floors!” Chrysalis laughed with amusement. “You’re going to make the maids who clean this place slip!”

“Well, if you hadn’t tried to drown me, this wouldn’t be a problem, now would it?” Luna asked, her fur entirely sleek and soaked, water sporadically running down her legs and dripping off of her mane, muzzle, and belly.

“You did shove her underwater first, Luna.” Celestia chimed in. “Perhaps if you hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t all be soaked.”

Like her sister, Celestia’s fur was entirely smoothed over from the water and appeared a darker shade of white rather than alabaster. She, also like Luna, was leaving a small puddle of water with every step. Luna huffed. “That doesn’t mean we had to start a war in the pool.”

“Actually, it did.” Chrysalis said with a wry smile. Unlike the two Alicorns, she was mostly dry. The only parts of her body still wet were her mane, tail, and small collections of moisture in the holes in her legs. Unlike the furred ponies, water would just roll right off of her chitin and keep her mostly dry, though her chitin was shinier than usual. “A Princess of Equestria attacked a Changeling Queen. War was bound to start. Thankfully, it ended with nothing more than a lot of water puddles.”

“Come, let’s discuss the terms of your surrender over dinner on the mountainside.” Luna replied.

“My surrender? You two are the ones who are soaking wet!” Chrysalis retorted. “We’ll discuss the surrender of Equestria!”

“I don’t know what you are saying. I’m dry.” Luna said simply, her horn flaring to life for a moment. All the water coating Luna’s fur vanished, leaving her perfectly dry. A split second later, there was a loud pomf as her fur puffed around around her neck and hooves, with the rest of her fur just looking incredibly fluffy. Chrysalis and Celestia both dissolved into a mess of giggles as the Night Maiden pouted at them, doing nothing but making her look entirely adorable.

“Looks like, heh, you’re still a casualty.” Chrysalis said between breaths.

Luna just let out a long-suffering sigh. “I suppose so. Terms of my surrender, I guess?”

“Hmm. What to make you two do?” Chrysalis asked herself rhetorically, including Celestia into it on a whim. To her surprise, the sun Alicorn didn’t contradict her and just let her think. After a few moments of silent contemplation as the Alicorns dried off properly, with towels, and Luna tried to get her fur under control, she spoke. “I’ll reserve it for a later date since I can’t think of anything that’s fair. Deal?”

Both mares nodded but Celestia was the only one to speak. “Deal. I’m going to teleport us to the mountain ledge, but don’t worry about shifting. I’ve already cast a ‘Don’t Notice Me’ spell over the ledge so nopony will see you.”

When the Changeling nodded, Celestia’s horn lit up and the three vanished, reappearing some several hundred feet further up the mountainside. When the blinding light faded, Chrysalis took the chance to look around and examine the area. The first thing she spotted was the faint golden shimmer around the entire ledge, the boundaries of the spell. Then she noticed the classic red-and-white checkered blanket covered a rather large portion of the ledge, which she saw jutted about thirty feet off the mountain side. Set across the picnic blanket was several baskets, no doubt filled with various foods. She also noticed quite a number of drinks, both in bottles and in jugs. Glancing to her right for a moment, she saw that the sun was near the horizon, which surprised her. She didn’t think they had been relaxing in the pool for quite that long, though she’d be lying if she said she didn’t have fun.

With a wing, Celestia urged Chrysalis toward the blanket before they both walked over and sat, Luna joining them mere moments after. Without a single word, both of their horns lit up in unadulterated power, their magical auras encasing the two celestial bodies that orbited the planet. With utmost gentle care, the two satellites began to switch places, the sun sinking below the horizon while the moon rose. The pinks and reds of the setting sun gradually faded as the stars peaked out, the warm colors of day slowly replaced by the cool colors of night. Throughout the entire process, which took about five minutes, Chrysalis watched with an awed gaze, raw magic flickering over her chitin and tingling the flesh beneath. In that moment, seeing two facts of life move through the sky at the behest of two ponies, the Queen felt very much like a small Changeling Princess standing next to her mother.

Eventually, the two mares turned their attention back to her and the Changeling felt a spark of adrenaline run down her spine, entirely unable to react as the two goddesses turned their attention to her. Chrysalis had met Celestia already- fought her, beat her, even, but that was different. Celestia had only said a few sentences and casted a single spell, just a beam of concentrated energy that she overpowered with her love-charged magic. If Chrysalis had seen Celestia and Luna move the sun and moon, objects hundreds of thousands of miles away and weighing millions of tons, she wasn’t sure she would have ever gathered up the courage to invade. Sure, she had always known that they moved the sun and moon, but to see it, to feel the intense magic point-blank, it wasn’t something she could ever describe in words.

Celestia, seeing the look of raw nervousness and excitement on Chrysalis’ face, just giggled before leaning in and gently nuzzling her. The Queen tensed, then relaxed a moment later, prompting the Alicorn to speak. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“It...I...That...I have...no words.” Chrysalis eventually forced out breathlessly. “There’s nothing I can say to describe that, no praise powerful enough to be adequate.”

Luna just smiled. “Jay thought much the same when we first showed him, though we also showed him something else at the same time. Should we grow closer to you, we will one day share it with you as well.”

Chrysalis blinked once before slowly shaking her head, then returned Luna’s smile with an honest one. “Thank you for showing me something so beautiful.”

Both Alicorns just draped a wing over her back, though Luna had to stretch a little to make it happen. “What did you think? Try your best to describe it.”

“Why?” Chrysalis asked curiously. “No matter how eloquent I may be with words, there’s nothing that’s sufficient to describe what I just saw.”

“My sister is just curious. The ponies who have seen us move our charges are many, but few are the number have seen us when we pour our heart into it. Of those few, my student and Jay make up half of them.” Celestia replied.

“Of the few who have seen it when we pour our soul into it, Jay alone makes up half the number.” Luna added. “Each other being the other half.”

“That’s the part that I didn’t see, isn’t it? When you put your very souls into your work?” Chrysalis asked quietly.

“Yes.” Luna said simply, then flicked her wing at the Queen. “Now, begin your description.”

The Queen took a long moment to compose her moments, the food spread out entirely forgotten. After several minutes of silence, she started speaking, beginning with a simple statement of fact. “I felt small.”

“Small?” Luna asked.

She nodded. “Small. Diminutive. Tiny. However you want to say it. I could feel the raw power flickering across my chitin, tendrils of solid yet invisible magic caressing me as your both worked your spells. I could almost feel the love and care you felt for your charges, for the objects that you guard and, in turn, guard all life on this world. It was awe-inspiring, yet also a little scary. Thousands of poems could be written on the beauty of the subject, but for every hundred praising the majesty of it, there would be one fearing the sheer power you wield.”

Chrysalis fell silent and lied down, her soft underbelly resting on the blanket as she stared up at the stars, thinking of the feeling they inspired within her. Celestia and Luna were silent, too, and joined her. Two wings settled over her back again, both Alicorns just lying with her as all three stared at Luna’s stars, admiring her night. Long minutes passed in a silence that slowly faded from slightly tense to wholly comfortable. Eventually, Chrysalis felt a muzzle gently position itself against her neck on her left side, then a full body slowly pressing against her right as both mares scooted a little closer to her. Resting her head on her hooves, Chrysalis didn’t mind the idea of spending the entire night like this. In fact, the idea rather appealed to her.

And around the three immortals, the faint golden shield continued to flicker, ensuring that they would remain uninterrupted for as long as they desired. Food forgotten, sleep unneeded, and time unheeded, the three simply enjoyed the company of one another until the sun rose.

Author's Notes:

I've been working on this chapter for a few weeks, in between chapters for Imperial Hunter and an as-of-yet unpublished story that should be showing up within the next few weeks. As always, feel free to leave your opinion in the comments!