“You may be one of the smartest ponies alive Twilight.” I say. “But this is dumb.”

It had been a good night for Twilight, but our challenges were far from over. Their encampments, advanced training, and formidable weaponry had killed hundreds of brave creatures in just under a week. They may not be the most familiar with their new bodies, but they were trained in ways that could only come from a culture rich with war. Their moves were coordinated, planned, and organized with flawless precision. Though they had initially been taken off guard by our initial assaults they had quickly learned to adapt to our vulnerabilities.

“We went through all this trouble just to capture her, now you just want to let her run off? To give away our advantage and bargaining chip for getting these invaders away from here?” I ask. Chrysalis is a far ways off, still in her iron cage and definitely not happy about it.

“I will not use the tactics of an enemy that have bound our world in chains. As the Princess of Equestria I cannot stoop to their level. That’s even assuming that they would have loyalty towards her. You know how her kind of arrangement ends. The other Chrysalis will gladly see her gone at the soonest opportunity. Besides, we cannot keep her. She is starving, refuses to touch any of the love her children try to share with her. We cannot make her see reason, so we must guide her to that reason herself. I still believe there is good in her.” Twilight turns to look at me, her expression worn from the endless nights and battles. “We aren’t truly letting her go. We’ve trained for years for this moment. Your field testing during her last attempt at a takeover proves that they can’t detect our spells... We have secured this end of the portal, but we need to secure the other for our rescue to succeed.”

Having a reason for it still doesn’t exactly settle my worries, but Twilight knows to appeal to my practical side in times like these. “I know you still want to try to make friends out of this Twilight, but ponies are getting hurt. History will judge us for our actions, we just have to make sure that our reasons are worth it. Don’t forget those we are fighting for.” I turn to look at the cage again. Chrysalis is not very subtly trying to dig her way out, but that was kind of the intent after all.

“Starlight...if anypony could survive what they have done, it would be her. Don’t give up on her or the others. You stay here and secure this side. With the portal severed we may be able to starve them into a retreat. Securing both ends will end this war. I’ve always put my faith in my friends and harmony, it has never failed us in the past, and it won’t fail us now.”

She’s always so confident. Even after years of torment and suffering she still believes in following her ideals. “I understand, but you have to tell Rainbow Dash and Applejack why they couldn’t come when you get back.” I joke with an awkward smile. “You know how upset they’re going to be about this.”

“I’ll put it on the list.” She says with a smile, but after years spent with her I can see the worry behind it. Becoming an alicorn had forced her to mature to the needs of an empire that needed her before she was truly ready. I can’t imagine having to hide that worry and pain constantly to keep up the hope of all of Equestria. “Now, we have about four minutes and twenty three seconds until Chrysalis finishes digging her way out. By past analysis she will either be taking the form of a squirrel or a bat with about a ninety percent confidence interval judging by–.”

I put a hoof to her lips, silencing her. Her awkward smile shows through and her wings sag a little before I lift up her chin and nuzzle her nose before pulling her into a hug. She has always been the more physical one, but she needs this. “You’ve got this.”

“No. We’ve got this...Together.”

It doesn’t take long before she slides out of the small hole she was digging. I watch her activate her spell and take after the fleeing queen. Watching her go makes my chest feel tense. She’s defended Equestria countless times in the past, I didn’t feel ready to do it myself. “Take care of yourself.” I say into the darkness.

It seems I was one of the last people to hear about the incident. I’d been in class on the opposite side of the building. We’d all heard the bang, but not knowing what it was I just followed the class out with the others and dutifully waited as the teachers all took roll. The school quickly became a mess of fire trucks, ambulances, and a big black van with people armed to the teeth as they swept the building. As we heard more about what was going on I just wanted to kick myself for not investigating more. The teachers all seemed very tight lipped on details.

It felt like an eternity later that they let us all head home, for some reason or another they decided not to have anyone else get back in the building while they completed a more thorough search. It wasn’t until I got a text from Michael that I heard about Artemis. I then made what was likely a very illegal turn and sped right back down the road towards the hospital. The world slowed down around me as I picked up speed, I wasn’t running this time, but I could control it just the same. With how distorted everything felt at this speed pushing fifty on a small city road like this felt slow.

Parking at the small town hospital is a nightmare. The lot is already rather small, but now there’s a couple out of city ambulances waiting around with crews, likely to help distribute any other victims of the incident. Not that there would be any, but they are certainly prepared. With how remote the town is though and the scale of the incident I’m not sure what others would be arriving.

Unfortunately there’s already a van here, parked just outside the entrance with a big news station camera photographing the entrance with a blonde gal speaking into a microphone. A single cop car is in the parking lot, but no officer is to be seen. I can only hope that they could stand up against a changeling, but I don’t really believe it. Getting around the news anchor would be an issue though.

“I’m here in front of the Meadow Springs hospital. Earlier today a student was brutally stabbed by the school’s current Student Body President. The student, teachers state, had a history of speeding tickets and were on the school’s football team. They had no prior history of violence before this act. What makes this incident of national interest is an explosion that tore through a classroom. Luckily, no one was injured as the classroom was closed for a lunch break. Experts on the scene believe that the damage was caused by an explosive, though how or why the student had one in their possession is currently a mystery.”

“Coming up, another odd story circulating around this town. An invasive new fly species has sprouted up in this area, experts in the field say that the species most closely resembles the Mydas flies from Mexico...”

I see a deputy walking through the set of double doors and I get ready, staring at the camera facing the entrance. Just how fast can I go? The camera is off right? As the other door opens I take a deep breath and push that strange new muscle in my chest as I see the world slow down to a crawl, the sounds around me fading into incomprehensible bass tones. Then I start to run, the air around me parting as I run through an ocean of solidified air, feeling the burn and whip of air against my skin and forcing me to squint as it feels like knives against my eyelids.

An instant later I’m inside the door, exhausted by the short sprint more than anyone would have any reason to be. A few medical staff are present, but I try to move out of their frame of view before I feel a roar of sound as reality snaps back into place with a rush of air that nearly knocks me over and I lean against a wall. As I quickly look around it doesn’t appear as if I’d been spotted by anyone, though more than a few look up in the direction of the door, staring curiously as it whistles from the rush of wind.

I send a text to Mike to ask for the room number to wait at, it’s only a few moments later that he replies and I enter the elevator, more than a little tired from the earlier sprint. The wait isn’t long for the small facility, but as soon as the elevator stops I see a guy in a hoodie that looks faintly familiar...and another...and several more including one individual in a wheelchair. Before I can even complete my thought I feel myself slammed back into the elevator.

“YOU!” The thug growls, their much larger body pressing up against my own as the others crowd into the small space, each of them with rage on their faces. “You put our friend in a fucking hospital! Ruptured kidney, internal bleeding, and no less than five broken ribs!” I feel their calloused hand pressed up against my throat, my feet kicking wildly in the open air. One of their buddies pulls out a cellphone and the light turns on as they start recording.

“Go ahead, try it you little bitch. You try to use your powers on us again and you’ll be on the evening news followed quickly by a dissection in a government lab. Some goons were here earlier too, looking for freaks like you.” The bigger thug pushes painfully at my throat as I feel their thumb rub against my amulet. I see the look in their eyes as they see its slightly glowing form, before they yank it up over my head with a firm motion.

With it removed I feel more tired than before and I collapse to the floor. “So what is this little witch? Some toy of yours?” I try to slow down time to lunge at them but trying to flex that muscle from before just makes me ache and gasp for air. The smallest attempt makes me feel dizzy. “Now, you’re going to go with us nice and slow to our car, and we’re going to have a nice little cha–”

“Antoine?”

The group slows and turns around, one of them pressing the hold door button to keep it from closing. A hispanic looking guy from the crowd turns around and I see Mike standing just down the hall. “Tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing.” He says striding forward, the rest of the gang moving slightly to the side.

“Mike...it's complicated. I don’t–She’s not natural, this girl here beat up one of my best friends. She likely infected the girl that the feds were after earlier. You know that bug we saw earlier this week? She’s like one of them!”

“Tony, we don’t really have time for this. If we press it again it’ll likely set off the alarm.” The bigger guy that had been choking me says, not looking away from me. Their body is hunched and low, ready to strike as I glance between the four crowded around me. The fifth guy stayed out with the wheelchair.

Mike waits a little longer before silently stepping inside the elevator and we begin our descent. “Then I’m coming too, or would you rather I call the cops now?” He states plainly. He stares at ‘Antoine’, jaw tensing as he struggles to keep his expression clear, his eyes slightly teary. I look at him, giving my head a slight shake.

”You bastards think you can just abduct us like this? The hospital has cameras, no matter what you think is going to happen it isn’t anything you would want.” I growl between my teeth, watching the black haired thug with my amulet around his neck. He doesn’t seem to be looking very good. It’s only been a minute but he already looks about to puke.

I look at the big guy that tried to choke me earlier. In his right hand is a handgun, the other has a stun gun that they give a quick pulse with. “Get in the car.” He says, leveling it in my direction. My heartbeat quickens as I look between the different members of the gang. One of them, the hispanic looking guy, is staring directly at Mike. I almost facepalm when I recognize the family resemblance.

“I’m not going anywhere asshole.” I glare, trying to force some bravery into my words.

“I’m not ask–”

“Just do it.” I flinch as I hear the words from Mike behind me. “They aren’t going to try anything. I know my brother better than that.” He practically spits the word, the disgust evident on his face.

Not liking my chances against the group I follow them outside, wondering how we were going to escape from this situation. Once outside, at gunpoint, I slowly move inside their giant truck. The guy with the gun follows behind, taking the seat right across from me. “Don’t try anything.” They growl. Mike and his brother head off to the side and get into a much older and shabbier looking vehicle with scraped silver paint. I watch the guy wearing my amulet stagger into the truck with us, plopping into the passenger seat in the front as the richer looking guy takes the driver's seat and he starts off down the road.

The amulet has always returned to me before. I wonder if it’ll be different this time because someone else is wearing it. Would it bind to them instead? Or would it teleport back to me? I might be able to escape, but that wouldn’t help Mike in the other car. I can only hope that nothing worse is happening back there. Him and his brother definitely have a lot to talk about…

“It isn’t what you think.”

I just stare at my brother and pull up my hoodie a little tighter, the moon still at just past half. I can feel the energy behind it just waiting to transform me into my true form, but I can’t. Not now, not yet. “Then tell me what it is. I’ve already texted dad, give me a good reason not to call the cops.”

“They were my friends okay! I went to school with them, we were buds. Did all the normal teen stuff. We drank a little, pulled a few pranks but nothing ever really illegal. At least I haven’t. I’d heard some rumors about what they got up to, but I don’t believe that junk, least, not until now. I’d never known John to get so worked up like this. He really isn’t like this. These days I just hang out with them and occasionally make them a few things.”

“I don’t care what he’s normally like, look right out front. Right there. He just kidnapped one of my best friends. The justification doesn’t matter, this right now is illegal.” I insist. I feel a tingle on my hand, I go to scratch it and feel fur, then curse quickly pulling it inside my sleeve.

“Only thing I can do now is to follow them. I don’t know where they are going so far out here, this isn’t a place I remember us ever going. Call whoever you want and we’ll make sure this ends without this becoming an even bigger mess. I swear I don’t know what he’s doing, he’s never done anything like this. You have to trust me!”

“I’ll trust you when we get back home in one piece, but until then, promise that you’ll trust me. There are things you should know about our family and about what’s happening here. I can’t call the cops, but that bug we saw earlier this week was a part of it. Dad is part of it, I’m part of it, and Tim is too. My friend trapped with your other so-called friends are as well. I don’t know what they want with her, but I bet it isn’t good.”

“Just tell me what to do.”

”Dad...I’m scared.”

I look down at my youngest, feeling no small amount of guilt and pride at the same time. I’ve been playing catch with him out in the yard as the night drew closer. A task not to be underestimated. Tim, like many his age, is fascinated by Minecraft. The kid clings to his game more than a fledgling to their first moth.

I’ve watched for several minutes of moonlight, feeling only a slight tingle of the moon's call. It certainly isn’t as strong as it is on the night of the full moon, but it is stronger than it has been. I can feel its light spread across my arms and half of my face, my vision a bit distorted as one eye I assume has changed from exposure. “Just take deep breaths Tim. One at a time, you remember those stories I told you last night?” I’d read him a cute little story about a unicorn that had lived their life thinking they were a narwhal and...well...perhaps too many others with such obvious themes. There was only so much I could hint at this before he had to see it himself.

“You’re magical Tim. This is perfectly natural for ponies like us. Here...” I sit down next to him, pulling off my shirt to expose more of my skin to the moon as I feel the fur starting to slowly grow over my back. Maybe tonight I would have enough magic to sustain it. “See my eyes? The fur? It’s happening to me too. Just let it happen.”

“I-it hurts!” He whimpers a little as I see his back stretching as his wings start to come in. I hug him close to my chest as I feel my hooves start to grow in. “I...I don’t like this dad! H-how do I make it stop?”

“Shh...shh...quiet now, everything will be fine. Don’t worry, come morning you’ll turn back and everything will be alright, okay?” He definitely isn’t taking it very well, but it's something that was bound to happen sooner or later. It’s better for his first time to be with me instead of somewhere else at random and without me. Not to mention how humans would react to his sudden changes. Humans aren’t like ponies, I can’t fully trust them like I could the others back home.

He looks down at his hands, his expression turning mortified as he waves them around and pounds at the ground starting to freak out. “My hands!”

“Yes, these are called hooves and are--”

“I can’t play like this!”

I facehoof, perhaps a little too hard. “Tim, this will be so much better than Minecraft if you just learn how to use it a bit more.” I move my hoof to write a rune on the ground, but forget I don’t have my Stele. “I could teach you real magic! How’d you like to make things glow or...or go into a pony's dreams. Just wait until you learn flying! Isn’t that so much better?”

“This isn’t cool dad! I want to change back!”

“Come on! We’ll have so much fun on our little adventure!” I stare at him in disbelief, stunned that he could be so apathetic to the idea of learning real magic, not just some science trying to pretend.

“Yea! A way stupid adventure!” He pouts, crossing his hooves over his chest before losing his balance and falling over.

And then I hear the phone ring.

I’d seen many things in my time. The death of fellow soldiers, the loss of limbs and minds. I’d even seen more than a few choose death by their own ends. I didn’t know what was going on, not really. Being a soldier isn’t about the big picture. It’s about keeping your head down, eyes open, and following orders. I didn’t have to know jack about the conflict going on within the borders of the town I’d been tasked to protect to know that today was only the beginning.

We’d taken the kid to a psych ward. Locked in a room with padded walls, all sharp objects taken away. They had been clever in many other ways, but now being trapped in a straight jacket in a locked room under constant surveillance limited those options. Their eyes were haunted, and empty. Each word we’d said to the kid had gone in one ear and out the other as if we simply didn’t exist.

With what little I’d heard from the Angela girl, and the even less I had received from federal investigations, it could make even a skeptical old man like me think something unnatural was at play here. The occasional green glow from their eyes tended to help that belief along. The higher ups had stated they wanted them moved over to a secure facility for interrogation immediately.

I knew they wouldn’t have that long.

So I’d waited outside of the ward in front of the only entrance, dressed in white robes to look like just another part of the staff. I’d even gotten out my phone and was pretending I knew how to use it for something other than phone calls. The staff here had initially been hesitant for several obvious reasons, but I had a good enough relationship to convince them that this was important. I had sent many individuals here over the years instead of into the county jail. Mental illness isn’t a crime, and the world has too many innocents in prisons that I had fought years to liberate in other countries.

“Long night?” I hear a gal ask. Marcy I think her name was. She was a middle aged woman, had no kids of her own, single-divorced if I remembered right.

“The longest, you here to take over? Sarah doesn’t like it when we log overtime.” I ask, going exactly as I’d rehearsed in my mind over the past hour.

She hesitates briefly, just enough for a soldier to catch before she relaxes, then squints at me for a moment longer, a hint of suspicion flickering over her features. “Ye–” I don’t give her a second more, and I shoot.

The sound ricochets down the tiled hallway as she collapses to the floor, her leg spewing green blood across the tile. I stand up and fire another, hitting their shoulder as they move to jump, causing them to stutter and fall.

“H-how…?” I hear them gasp in a much raspier tone than any Marcy should have.

“A soldier knows a suicider when they see one. I saw the same expression on a child in Vietnam before they pulled the plug and blew half my squad to hell and left me with a chest of shrapnel. I knew this kid's family, hell, I knew this kid. I knew a bastard like you’d come along to cover your tracks sooner or lat–”

I yelp as a green light blasts from a horn that hadn’t been on the imposter's head a moment ago. A small portion of my forearm is taken with it, the pain taking several moments for my mind to process and I can’t withhold my scream. By the time I look back, red tinges my vision as I see them moving rapidly down the hall, a trail of their green blood making a river on the white tile that threatens to trip me up more than once. I hold my arm steady in an attempt to aim at the fleeing beast, but at their pace and distance and my own unsteady grip I holster my gun and move to follow then hesitate.

I don’t know how many of them there are, I can’t let them take away my only lead and actual witness for what happened tonight. I also have no chance to catch up to them, the other staff has been warned about an event happening and security will be waiting to protect them. I have to trust them to do their job and hope my deputy can keep the other one safe.

I wince as I try to move my arm feeling the hot burn of the wound. About an inch of flesh has been burned away, cauterized by the blast. Just another scar to add to the long list of sacrifices I’d made in my career. I can only hope that I have wounded it enough for the others to get them. I hold the wound steady and tear my white shirt as I patch it up. Maybe with my luck it wouldn’t be infected. I take another glance at the kid inside, he still has the same haunted and vacant expression, utterly undisturbed by the events outside his cell. I catch a glimpse of a tear rolling down his face, pleading for freedom that I could not give. I can only hope that we could find a way to help them. For now though, I will have to wait.

I had a name, and I had a place, and so I waited. I couldn’t say I trusted the creature that had sent me, but I trusted that the person that would be here would know something. The changeling that had attacked me and my partner just the past week didn’t seem too concerned with us, that kind of restraint isn’t something I’d expect of a soldier and gave some level of credit to my source.

I see a pair moving down the street to a recently moved in house. I can tell because they still have their ‘For sale’ sign out front. The two seem in quite a bit of a heated argument, so I sink back into my position on the other side of the street and wait.

“Where did you get that thing of yours anyway? Some abandoned mummy’s crypt?” The man asks. “I may not know shit about all this magic stuff, but I’m not an idiot. If you want me to make better decisions I need better information!”

“You expect me to tell you after you’ve treated me like dirt since we got paired together? I was asking you to make a choice on moral ground. It would’ve been hard, it might’ve had consequences, but it would’ve been the right thing to do.” She’s holding what looks like a unicorn’s horn in her hand and it’s glowing brighter than any glowstick I’ve ever seen.

“I was making the right choice! You may cast around spells and do the impossible, but the one thing I know you can’t change, no matter how much magic you have, is human nature. I’ve seen it before, this girl...she’s not the only one. You said you know about the race that calls themselves changelings right? You want to know what happened to them when the Pentagon got a hold of them?! You think I enjoyed seeing her suffer? To take away the little girl’s dream?”

“None of us can stop what’s coming either. Magic is a force of nature that grows and spreads like pollen in the wind. Humans have so little magic naturally, and no ability to use what little we have. These artifacts, banished here from the world beyond, are the only things our entire civilization has. You want to know how other humans got their magic before now? What will happen if we don’t embrace the magic while we still can?”

“I don’t have a clue, that’s why I’m asking. Yet what was so bad about before? The world is fine the way it is. This magic showing up is what has caused so many of these problems! The changelings can be anyone and anything, do you have any idea what their species could do to this Earth? They could throw us into a civil war, assassinate anyone and everyone that stands in their way. They attack in large numbers and are insectile. If they are anything like the insects here they will destroy us and there is nothing we can do to stop them. You think I’m not fascinated by your spells? I am bewildered, but we aren’t ready for this, and we won’t enjoy any of it if we’re dead.”

She sighs in exasperation in return. “I need to take a walk. Just...trust me when I say we don’t want things to go back to the way they were.” I see the man looks like he wants to protest, but instead he remains silent and enters the house. Was he the one I’m supposed to meet?

I feel something yank at my camo and I’m pulled out into the open, the gal staring down at me with disappointment. “Your mother ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?” I quickly reach for my gun only to be slammed against the brick wall behind me, her horn glowing and sparking dangerously. “I’d think carefully about your next words Mr. Manshen.” I hesitate for a moment, but then realize she probably knows how to read the tag on my uniform.

“I’m looking for the bearer of the Sanguine Blade, the demon named Montezuma, the heart cutter who ripped out mine when he slaughtered my family!” I rage, not caring for the spittle flying from my lips. My eyes see red as I recognize her use of magic, my anger only doubling as I fight against her unnatural grip.

“Oh good.” Her magical grip vanishes and I fall rather unflatteringly to the ground, confused. “Here I thought you were another assassin. That would’ve been awkward.” She gives a subdued laugh at that before her expression turns bitter. “If you’re trying to kill him that won’t go well. Believe me, I’ve tried. He’s ancient, and he’s had centuries to amass artifacts and make allies.”

“That’s not good enough. He can’t just get away! Please, you must know something about him. This is all I have left, I’ve lost everything else!” I plead, my throat tightening. “You may have given up, but I’ll die trying! With or without your damn magic!” I push past her, furious at this girl who thinks my loss is a joke.

“I was a child when he came for me. You want to know what’s worse than having your family taken from you?” She says quietly, but with the venom of a viper about to pounce in her words. Her horn glows and spits so many sparks I half expect it to explode. “Taking them yourself. I was just past eleven when I discovered my curse. With a touch I could steal away someone’s passion, their very reason for living, the magic that makes them special. Within hours they finished what I started and the cops found a little girl wondering why her parents wouldn’t wake up while sitting in a pool of blood.”

I just stand there shell shocked and wincing away from the girl, a week ago I would’ve dismissed such a claim, but I’d learned that lesson too painfully to deny from the pain I see in her eyes. An expression too numb to mourn again. “I’m sorry for your loss. Just tell me where he is. I’ll find a different way.”

“He’s too smart to be anywhere I would know, but I know he’s working with your people. How did you know to even come here anyways? Or better question, who told you where I was?” She eyes me suspiciously, but I guess given the circumstances I can’t blame her. That still doesn’t mean I trust her.

“A stranger pushed me in your direction. Said I’d find a few answers here.” I keep my source guarded, I don’t exactly know which side the bugs are on.

“Then we need to move again. My partner still isn’t ready to believe what’s really going on, but I have unfinished business here. If you really want to help, I have people that could teach you what you’re dealing with, but they’ll ask for a lot in return.”

“Give me a way to kill that bastard, and we’ll have a deal.”

“Good, now we just have to find a unicorn.”

Author's Notes:

Oof! Just missed that end of month deadline I was aiming for, but here it is!

Thank you all for your continued readership and support, it really helps a lot. As always a special thanks to Alsey for her help with some editing and pre-reading.

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Inspired by the wonderful Damaged I've started doing a few "Ask X a question." To help answer some reader questions from the perspective of the main characters. Feel free to ask any character a question for a chance at having it answered in the next!

For all you dilligent Author's Note readers have a hoof! /)
And as always, comments are a writers food pellets ;)