I sat in my room alone. The light from outside found its way in as narrow beams between the blinds; the sounds of work sounding like a muffled radio. The bed I was sitting on sagged slightly at my weight, almost mimicking my drooping spirits. I raised my head to scan my surroundings once more, having little else to do in terms of distractions. Eventually my eyes rested upon the saddlebag on the desk in front of me. My woe welled up once more as I saw it sitting there, a reminder of yesterday’s funeral as well as the events that had led up to it. I choked back a tear before lowering my head once more.

I sat in silence for several moments. Or perhaps hours, I couldn’t really tell. All I know is that there was still some light outside before I heard the knock on the door. My horn glowed as I cracked open the door, the magic fading immediately after. Slowly the door creaked open as Red Storm walked into the room. He was quiet despite him wearing his golden plate armor.

“Cuddio. It has been quite some time since I last heard from this room. Are you ill?” I shook my head, not looking up.

“I understand the loss of Whitewash must hurt more than it does for even me, but I beg of you; do not lose hope. Her death was not in vain, and there is still much more to be done.” I cringed at the mention of the deceased, but I nodded again.

I rose from the bed, and shifted towards Red Storm. I looked up to him, waiting for instructions. However, he nodded with his head towards the saddlebag on the desk.

“While extra hands are valuable here, Whitewash was working on a very special assignment. Seeing as you were her closest companion and the current owner of her saddlebag, I think you should pick up where she left off. Perhaps you may find closure in doing so.” I raised an eyebrow but followed his gaze. The saddlebag lay limp on the desk, still clasped tight. Inside laid secrets that had been known only to those emerald eyes…

I nodded. For some reason I felt slightly better already having been given a new assignment. Perhaps Red Storm was right and I was seeking closure. Or perhaps it was simply a faux sense of hope. Only time would tell. But in the meantime, it would do no good to simply sit around wallowing in my despair. I needed to get back on my hooves.

“Excellent. I knew you would be up to it. Please, seek me in the command tent when you are ready to begin. While time is of the utmost importance, do take your time in preparing for your trip. It would undoubtably take you across Equestria and beyond. Be prepared for anything. And of course,” He glanced back at the saddlebag before returning his gaze to my eyes, “Feel free to look through the contents. While she may have lived with little, what little she had would be in those bags. And her will stated everything that she held to her name is now yours.”

I nodded. It had almost slipped my mind that I was now the richest changeling drone in history. My newly acquired wealth was well over a million bits, excluding whatever was in savings accounts or overseas. Whitewash’s lawyer was still trying to get estimations. Still, it was the contents of the saddlebags that interested me the most. As Red Storm left, closing the door behind him, I moved towards the desk. I stared at the plain saddlebags for several moments before unclasping the bag on the right side. I carefully removed the contents, laying them out on the desk. I also made a note to flick on the lights as I worked, so that I could see more clearly.

Inside the right side was a simple blue three-ring binder full to capacity with papers and documents. It was secured with a black length of string. I would look through that in a moment. Next were an inkwell and a box of quills. Then several small cylindrical phials full of a luminous green liquid. As the phials were unlabeled, I moved them to the far side of the desk, careful not to drop them. I didn’t want to accidentally blow myself up or anything before I even started my quest. Lastly, at the bottom of the bag was a much larger phial of opaque blue liquid. Thankfully, there was a worn label on this one that read “Scarlet Swift Afterburner”. Below that, a smaller print that read “Never sleep again! Take a swig a day and wash that sleepiness away!”

‘This must explain how she managed to go for days without sleep when I traveled with her,’ I thought reading the label, ‘This could be useful. I’ll have Twilight check the ingredients if she has the time. It would be good to know how to make more.’ With that, I slid the bottle of “Afterburner” to the side of the table. I reached in and pulled out the next item. It was a small black book with “NOTES” written on the cover in white ink. It was worn and tattered around the edges and the pages were slightly yellowed with age, but all in all it seemed rather well kept despite its apparent age. Upon closer inspection, I also realized it was in fact leather-bound. I shuddered and then realized that this was likely Whitewash’s personal journal from her time as a Reaver in the Sanguine Kingdom. It seemed glow with mysterious energy. It had clearly seen a great deal in its time. With great effort I put the book down, shaking my head. That was for later.

I reached into the saddlebag one more time, seeing if there was anything else inside. I couldn’t feel anything, but I could almost sense something else inside. I checked the other pockets. I hefted the bag. I upturned it and shook. Nothing came out, but while shaking I could have sworn I felt something move. I looked inside once more and took my time patting down the inside of the bag, checking each pocket slowly. After almost ten minutes of careful searching, I found what I was looking for. There was a hidden compartment inside the main pocket. I found a small paper note inside, folded over many times. It had nothing written on the outside, but when I unfolded it and read what was inside, I caught my breath. It was a note from Whitewash, addressed to me.

Hours later I stepped out of the small motel room into the light of the setting sun. I took a deep breath and looked around. Even now, ponies were running about doing this and that preparing for the upcoming battle. I decided that it would be a good idea to find something to eat and then speak with Red Storm. Seeing as I was not the only changeling in town now, I figured it would be far easier to get a bite. There must be some way to feed the changeling troops. I tightened the fastening on Whitewash’s saddlebag and made my way into the chaotic masses. As I walked down the busy streets I kept an eye out for Red Storm as while he was usually in his tent, one could sometimes find him micromanaging the defense forces.

After a few minutes of walking around, I stumbled across the changeling campsite. They were working on potions, reconnaissance, and infiltration. There were several workbenches surrounded by drones working on their respective job with officers looming over them to make sure the work got done. I walked up to one of the officers and got his attention.

“Who are you?” He boomed. He sounded like a drill sergeant. I opened the saddlebag and pulled out the orange identification card that Red Storm had given me when I first arrived. It gave me moderate clearance and listed me as a VIP. The officer took a quick look at it and bowed his head.

“Sorry about that sir. Didn’t realize you were a level 3. Thought you were one of these useless bags of slime. What do you need?” I pocketed the ID card and brought out my communication whiteboard. I wrote that I was looking for a place where I could feed, and I showed it to him. He read it quickly and nodded, pointing off to his right.

“Go about a block down that street and there should be a little pink tent headed by pony who has been feeding the changelings.” I gulped, realizing what that probably meant. The officer noticed this and laughed. “Don’t worry. She’s not sleeping with them. You’ll see what I mean.” I nodded with thanks and made my way down the street the officer sent me.

After a minute of walking I came across the tent. There was an amazingly fluffy pink pony heading the stand in front of the tent. Upon seeing me, she gasped, ducked below the stand, and then came back up with a paper bowl filled with small marshmallow-looking hearts. Seeing my confusion, she nudged the bowl closer to me and started to stare at me. Not breaking eye contact, I leaned forward and smelled the contents. They smelled like strawberries. I took one up in my telekinesis and popped it in my mouth. Suddenly I was flooded with love, my body and tastebuds washed over with good feeling. I looked at the fluffy pink pony in awe. She stuck out her tongue and sank beneath the stand, seemingly disappearing entirely. I took this as a sign to leave and walked away, eating the rest of the small hearts as I went.

‘Now I just need to find Red Storm’ I thought to myself, searching both the ground and the skies. I wasn’t actually aware of any real schedule of his, so all I could do was wander until I found him. As I walked, I passed training soldiers, smithies, alchemy labs and enchanting workshops. While I didn’t see any familiar faces, I did receive many passing waves and smiles from the different creatures. It seems that despite it all, morale was high all around.

After a few more minutes of walking, I picked up on a scent unlike anything I had ever smelled before. It was so alien in fact that I couldn’t even figure out what it smelled like. With my curiosity peaked, I decided to investigate further. It was a putrid burning smell, but not quite toxic in tang. I soon found the source; ironically it was also the location of Red Storm. He was wearing a smithy’s apron and a pair of tinted goggles. His hooves were covered with knee-high gloves and his face was covered in a mask. At the moment, he was bent over an anvil hammering away at something. Not wanting to disturb him, I took a minute to behold the sight before me.

Before me was an extremely odd looking smithy workstation. It was not the layout, nor the tools within it that was especially out of the ordinary. The odd part was the construction. The forge seemed to be made up of a combination of pitch-black rough and glassy materials. I assumed these to be some sort of minerals or stones. It also appeared to be fueled by a very strange red powder. An observation proven by the fact that Red Storm, who was working at said forge, would toss in another hoof-full every few minutes. Beside him was Spike, who was quickly carrying things back and forth between Red Storm and different parts of the workstation. At the moment, he appeared to be carrying a white-hot sheet of metal over to a quenching trough before dunking it into the liquid inside. At the same moment as the steam began to rise, Red Storm spoke to me.

“Ah, Cuddio! Good to see you out of that dark room of yours.” he said over the cacophony of noises around us. “What brings you here? Made up your mind?” I nodded to him, brow furrowed. He smiled in response, lifting up his goggles. He turned away from me to Spike.
“You’ve done well today! Take a break for now. I will call for you when I am done with Cuddio. Go get a snack.” Spike nodded and hurried away into the crowd and out of sight. Red Storm looked back to me grinning, his ruby eyes drilling into me.

“So; what’s your decision? What will you do?” I pulled my whiteboard from my new saddlebag along with a marker, writing three words.
“I’ll do it.” Red Storm grinned wider and turned away from me, walking towards a crate near the smithy.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Otherwise my hard efforts would have gone to waste.” I raised an eyebrow as I was already sure of what he meant, but was curious nonetheless. He slid the top off the box and it clanked to the ground. He then waved me over with a hoof.
“I made you a parting gift to keep you safe. Because let’s be honest; Changeling armor is awful.” I moved to his side, looking into the box. What was inside took my breath away.

Contained in the box was a suit of armor. It was made of Red Storm’s famed bloodsteel and folded many times to a very dense and strong material. The patterns of the folds mimicked those of a changeling’s chitinous hide. The armor itself was dyed black and highlighted with a dark green trim along the sides and edges. In the center of the breastplate was a bright green emerald that glimmered elegantly in the sunlight. Lastly, the helmet looked almost exactly like the head of a changeling drone, except that around the eyes was a plate of metal forged to resemble a white masquerade mask. Further augmenting the beauty of the fantastically crafted and engraved mask was the subtle but elegant diamond embroidery. The final and most stunning feature was the finely cut amethyst eyepieces; clear like glass but still brilliant as the original gem. I felt my breath escape me at the sight of the masterful work of art, a hoof absent-mindedly reaching out to touch it. Red Storm smiled at me before speaking:

“It’s yours, Cuddio. I made it just for you. Come now, let us try it on.” I nodded, breaking myself from my awed trance. I felt almost unworthy to have a suit of armor of my own. I followed Red Storm as he dragged the crate inside his small olive-colored tent behind the smithy. I bowed under the opening flap to find that the tent was mostly empty, save for a few other crates and a several odd-looking mechanical devices. The largest of which was in the center of the room, taking up several square meters of space. Red Storm stood by it, waving me over. As I stepped closer, he motioned for me to stand inside the device. I did as I was told, and Red Storm began to explain the contraption as he unpacked the armor.

“This is Titan-class Sanguinary armor. Now, the thing about Sanguinary Titan armor that makes it so incredibly effective is that it does in fact cover one’s entire body. Every inch of the body is covered, including the eyes and… sensitives. Naturally, there are places that move so that you can eat and use the restroom and all that, but otherwise the piece is solid. It is the perfect defense.” Red Storm began to mount the parts of the armor onto the metal device in certain spots, confusing me slightly. It almost seemed like an incredibly complicated armor rack. Red Storm continued:

“This perfect defense does come at a price, however. The armor is extremely complicated and nearly impossible to assemble with one’s own hooves. The armor that I have been wearing is in fact a partial suit of Sanguinary Armor. I never earned my full suit before I left. I did however; discover how to forge such armor using notes and blueprints “acquired” by Whitewash through her many underworld contacts. As closely guarded the art of Sanguinary forging is, money truly can buy anything.” He smiled at this, placing a large green gem into a slot at the base of the machine. The machine began to hum with energy, and my apprehension showed.

“This machine allows for the wearing of true, full-body Sanguinary armor. It shall assemble the parts into the impenetrable hide that shall serve as a second skin for you. You must stay very still while it does this, however. And if you’re wondering where I acquired such a machine… Well just know that Whitewash had many useful black market contacts.” I nodded before straightening back up. The mechanical arms of the device began to move autonomously as Red Storm tapped a few buttons on his switching station beside me. I could feel the metal parts gliding over my chitin and sliding into place; snug but not uncomfortable. It was certainly an odd experience, and by the end of it I felt just as odd.

When the machine was still again, I was no longer a mere changeling drone. I was a new creature, born of the union of my own body and the armor. It felt like it was alive, resting on my own body. It was also strangely light for its size and heft. Red Storm sensed my fascination even through the closed helmet, and responded to my internal questions.

“The armor has a series of hydraulic systems built into its structure so that it is lighter to the wearer. The whole system is powered by Soul Sapphires, and its charge will likely outlast your whole life. Without the hydraulics, it would likely crush you as the whole suit weights almost half a ton.” I gasped silently, shocked. I was a walking tank, but I still maintained my relative flexibility and maneuverability. I took a few practice steps, and realized how manuverable the armor really was. My movement was slightly slower than before, but I could likely still run in the suit with ease. Red Storm smiled in satisfaction.

"Looks like everything is in order here. Spike really did do a fine job with that. Little squirt has got talent, that's for sure." He paused, furrowing his brow before speaking again. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot. For obvious reasons, this armor is also fully fuctional with your veils. It has similar enchantments to Whitewash's armor, so it's nearly silent and undetectable while veiled. I think you should be satisfied using that." I raised an eyebrow before flaring up my horn. In a burst of green fire I was suddenly Red Storm, mimicing his person perfectly. Even I couldnt see the armor anymore. However, I could still feel it on my body. In another burst of green fire I was once again standing in the full suit of black armor. Red Storm spoke again.

"I would suggest you look into finding out how Whitewash veiled her armor how she did, so that you can turn yours invisible. Knowing her, she may have taken notes on her procedure." I suddenly remembered the notebook in my saddlebag. I made a mental note to study it later and perhaps gain some insight on Whitewash's skills. Red Storm continued speaking as he waved a hoof in the air.

"I suppose I should also explain the specs of that armor to you as well. Like I said, this is Sanguinary Titan-Class armor. It differs from Whitewash's Reaver-Class armor in that it is obviously much heavier and requires power from Soul Saphirres. However, it makes up for the loss of mobility and versatility in power and defense. While wearing this armor your strength is increased five fold, and its armored shell is nigh-impenetrable. It is able to deflect nearly any attack with ease, be it magical or physical. It would take another Titan-Class suit to damage yours. The reason why I wanted to give you this suit of armor is to insure your safety in your travels. Unfortunately you cannot use your wings in this armor, but seeing as you will likely be crossing the majority of your distances via transport vehicles, the decrease in mobility should be of no problem." I nodded in acknowlegement, still testing the suit with simple flexes and stretches. Red Storm made another pause, and I saw his eyes dialate slightly before returning to normal.

"Also, I almost forgot to mention. The suit is nuerologically linked to you. You can open and close the visor with thought, as well as the other various ports." I decided to test this by flipping open the aformentioned ports a few times, as well as opening my visor to see a bit better. When I was satisfied, I drew my whiteboard from my bags and began to write.

"Now that I am properly equipped, I should leave immediately. Whitewash's next stop after mine was for Manehattan." I erased the message and continued, "I have mixed feelings about her coming to me first, but I suppose I owe her my life." Erasing the second one, I continued to a third while Red Storm waited patiently. "I need speedy transportation there right away. Can you let me use the train, or something faster?" Red Storm grinned again.

"Why of course! I will need to fill out some paperwork on your behalf, but I do believe I can get you some transport." I nodded to Red Storm, smiling.

"Fantastic!" I wrote on my whiteboard in response, "You truly are a good friend, Red Storm." He waved me off.

"It is no problem at all. In fact, I have something special in mind for you..." He gestured for me to follow him as we exited the tent. I ignored the stares of awe as we headed for the quartermaster. I was excited to see what contraption Red Storm had planned for me.

I stood before a cart drawn by a very strange looking creature. It looked to be about the same size as a horse, but any similarity stopped there. It had a very elongated neck, a pointed sloping head with extended, floppy ears, and most oddly of all three legs. Two in the back, one in the front. More so, each leg ended not in a hoof, but in a furry foot with two toes. Its coat was splotched with many contrasting colors as if it was attacked with several buckets of paint. I stared at the creature, baffled. I had never before seen anything like it. Red Storm interrupted my wonder by speaking up.

"This is a muddlet. A fine beast, certainly. I say 'beast' because they appear to lack any and all intelligence. However, they are the swiftest ground animals in all the lands." I looked at him in confusion. He continued without glancing at me.

"I purchased this muddlet from a merchant not too long ago. I forget the stallion's name, but his wares were certainly something to behold. While it is a great displeasure for me to admit that many of his fantastical items were outside of my price range, I am proud to say that I received an excellent bargain on this muddlet." It was now that he noticed my stare and he laughed.

"Don't worry. I was not hoodwinked. These beasts are indeed swift and strong as well. Stronger than most earth ponies I'd say. This one would have no problem pulling a cart with you in it. And believe me when I say that this will get you to where you are going far quicker than the train." I was still not convinced. It seemed too good to be true, especially for such a strange animal. Red Storm ushered me onto the cart and smiled.

"Do not fear. It'll be fine. However, I do need to send an escort with you." I raised an eyebrow at this as a royal guard climbed on after me. "You see... These creatures are very simple. They have two commands; one to go and one to stop. Unfortunately for you, they must be hollered at the beasts for them to hear. You obviously cannot do this. So I am sending Steel Hooves here with you to accompany you, for the sole purpose of shouting at these things." I noticed him repress a chuckle at this notion, as it was silly at best. "And don't worry about Steel Hooves. He can handle himself. He is a veteran of 11 years with the Celestial Guard, and tough as nails to boot." I nodded to him, dazed. All of this was so sudden and strange and-

"Brix!" Shouted Steel Hooves. Suddenly the cart lurched forward and even in my new armor I had to fight to not be thrown off. Apparently Red Storm made no exaggeration about the abilities of the muddlet. As we shot forward into the distance I could hear Red Storm shout behind us:

"Good luck! And don't die!"

As I gathered my bearings on the pitching cart, I decided to read more about the next pony I needed to meet. I drew Whitewash’s notebook from the saddlebag and began to read. Below my name was a stallion whom I had never heard of before. ‘Rising Tide’ I reminded myself that Whitewash has traveled far and wide, and that she has connections everywhere. After reading for a few moments I decided to switch over to Whitewash’s black journal and see what was inside.

I was shocked to find that it was filled with magical knowledge from dozens of countries and cultures. There were many types of forbidden knowledge I was afraid to read, but I did find her notes on changelings, veils, and invisibility. So for the rest of the ride I decided to study her notes and practice some other useful spells I found within the old tome.

‘I shall be prepared for whatever I must face. For Whitewash.’

Author's Notes:

Thanks for waiting, all of you. Things have been... Weird for me lately. Anna finally convinced me to finish this chapter... So... yeah. Here it is.
If you notice any errors or inconsistencies tell me. I did this in two parts with about two months between each part. This chapter is far from perfect and I didnt really have Anna around to help me.
Anyway... Hope you enjoyed the story so far!

Edit: If you actually read this far, good for you. Sorry though. I guess you didn't see that this was cancelled. Fear not! I will eventually get around to a full remastering of this entire Story... Because this draft simply sucks ass. Again, sorry.