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.