Sekel

@Blitz Boom ATZY & KARMIC FATE "They seemed skittish," Atzy couldn't help muttering at the quick entrance and exit of the staff. She flicked her ears and tail in mild annoyance, still feeling some drool stuck on the gems in her hooves. "Cooperation between our races would be heavily desired, yes. I'm not all that familiar on the laws the gemlings have, honestly. I slept through all that talk," she chuckled nervously. It wasn't technically a lie, she was just never given any credence to what kind of laws the gemlings want when she agreed to become one of them. "Us gemlings though, there is something you should know. We are like changelings in the way we want to get hosts but not in the way you expect. We wish for cooperation, of course, but there's another way we can get that. We tend to unify with our hosts. Two souls, two beings, two minds, one unified body, working in harmony." "All I'm doing is acting as an on-again-off-again warning signal for Atzy. I help provide her company along with Enzo here. I'm willing to go along with whatever either of you decide, I don't exactly care one way or the other," Karmic told the ambassador even as she eyed the tea leaves, her gaze flitting back and forth between them and the ambassador. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE Twilight summoned her magic and a test tube from her left saddle bag. It clinked with more empty test tubes as she walked closer to the ectoplasm. With a neutral expresion, she scooped some up into the test tube and corked it. "Queasy ectoplasm. This is going to give some insight into how ghosts form and what they're made of," she said with a hint of excitement. She wiped off the excess goo with some more magic and placed the filled test tube back in her saddle bag. She turned and quickly caught up to Last after making sure Cherish's stick was still with her. "Have you made ectoplasm before, Cherish?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "The voice sounds a lot better, Queen Dia'Thiz," Aurora nodded in gratitude. She pranced in place in slight agitation and being asked another question and she took a breath before answering it. "I've always been like this. In fact, I never lived within a Changeling hive. I was taken away so Queen Chrysalis wouldn't kill me. Ever since I could remember though, I've lived as a griffin in Griffonstone. It was only recently that I've grown to become a queen, rather than a royal nymph. I had no idea I was royalty either. Everything about being a queen is completely new to me." @Blitz Boom, @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "This is a big family," Dazzle breathed, staring at the multitude of ponies crammed into the room. She accepted the help to stand up and gave herself a shake. "Alonsus, was it?" she questioned, looking at the pony that helped her up and decided to focus on him for a bit. "Are you a part of whatever is going on here?" @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "Good boy, Kaltrops! There you go!" Dawn said giddily, unable to help herself. She even patted his head for good measure. "You will have to get used to eating like this if you're going to stay here, you know. No, I don't think of you as a pet. I think of you as a friend," she said seriously, surprising even herself by her choice of words. She'd never had a friend before but Kaltrops seemed like he fit the bill. Even if he was a bit over the top. "Or maybe more than that. Who knows?"

@Blitz Boom ATZY & KARMIC FATE "Yes, quite," Karmic agreed with a small nod. She watched Atzy dry herself with the towel in her magic for a couple of seconds before adding, "Luckily, our parents aren't around to see just how ponies are reacting to changelings and gemlings." "I think I should stay away from Enzo for the time being," Atzy grumbled when she had finished drying and took a seat between the ambassador and Karmic. She breathed out, letting all her frustrations go, or at least as much as they could go, before addressing the ambassador. "Forgive my, erm, rudeness, ambassdor. I didn't expect Enzo to drool all over me. What were we talking about?" @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Sorry," Twilight grinned, an embarrassed blush colouring her face. "I got impatient and excited and I just couldn't wait to get up close," she giggled before coughing into her hoof. She recomposed herself as best she could before putting her attention on Cherish. "I didn't mean to get you tossed around, Cherish. That was a complete mistake on my part. However, Last, this being, for lack of a better term, that killed your mythical Manetid queen, do you think they're still around?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "It's your voice and entire being. It scrapes through me like a rock being dragged down a chalkboard. It's unpleasant and oh so wrong to feel," Aurora explained to the Queen. She didn't expect the new royal to be fine with her reaction but she's going to keep sticking to it now that Aurora knows Dia'Thiz is somewhat fine with it. "A combined being should not exist yet you somehow do. I don't know how, I don't want to know, but I hope that nothing bad comes of how I reacted." @Blitz Boom, @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "This is humiliating," Dazzle groaned, keeping her balance on top of Sunny. She looked up and behind and simply stared neutrally at Shortstack. "I'm assuming this is your sister. Is she always like this?" she refrained from saying Shortstack's name lest he go into another rage. She didn't expect to be plonked on top of a giant pony and underneath a large barrel-chestd short pony on her first visit to Ponyville. It turns out fate has a sick sense of humour when it comes to these things. She got slightly distracted though, her ear pricking up at hearing more voices. "There are voices in the building we're at. Um, should we get down?" @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "No, you're meant to eat what's on top of it. I only have so many plates," Dawn replied with a slight scowl upon her muzzle. She was frustrated with how Kaltrops is acting but at the moment, she's going to put up with it. "Eggs are the yellow stuff and the green stuff are herbs to give it some extra taste."

@Blitz Boom ATZY & KARMIC FATE "A towel would be nice," Atzy said immediately, standing near Enzo with a scowl upon her muzzle. Despite her best efforts, liquid still dripped off of her with her mane plastered to the side of her head. "We haven't introduced ourselves," Karmic said, casting a sidelong glance at Atzy. She didn't think it would cast suspicion on Atzy being a newly formed royal of a long hidden species, but, this probably would. She's not even using her magic to heat herself up! "My name is Karmic Fate. I got cast aside in favour of my, well, snooty sister, Princess Atzy. I know I don't look like a gemling, Ambassador, and you're right. I'm not. Atzy was adopted into my family from a young age." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "What is that?" Twilight asked in a mixture of fear, reverene, and awe at the sheer size of the creature. Without thinking, she ran forth and began poking and prodding the speared thing with an intense gaze. When she got this way, her brain forgot to filter her questions and they began spewing forth in a tumble. "Scaly, possibly reptilian ancestry, no, this looks like an exoskeleton. Is it a giant bug? How can bugs get this huge? Why is it here? What happened? Was it after you left, Last? Before? No, if it was before you'd have mentioned something of this magnitude happening." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora shivered at the sight. It was creepy in how both voices were unified, along with what seemed to be two different midns melded into one, and yet, both pairs of eyes were shining with intelligence. Both pairs. She couldn't explain just how creepy that made her feel. It was like they were peering into her very soul. "Everything about you is so wrong!" Aurora cried out in a disgusted tone, her eyes shut so she wouldn't see the reactions of the others. But unfortunately, she was still able to hear them. @Widdershins, @Blitz Boom DAZZLE GLEAM "I have actually been in contact with a Twin-Tailed Brittlescale," Dazzle mentioned in surprise, looking at Scarcity with a kind of sense of wonder. Finally! Somepony else to talk to about slaying Everfree monsters! "Although that was months ago. If you're asking about my look, well ..." before she had a chance to elaborate further, she was picked up with an uncharacteristic squeak and had a muffled tone from the giant Sunny pony smushing her against her chest fluff. "I'm gonna get hairballs by the time we separate!" She had no idea where they were moving. For the moment, her entire world was a wall of chest fluff but she did hear what Shortstack had to say and flicked an ear towards him in response in the hopes of him recognising she got the message. @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "You can dance?" Dawn asked in obvious shock, looking over her shoulder at him. She hasn't seen the dragon dance, per se, but it does seem like he can't dance. "I swear you have two left claws. Or maybe that was just you tripping over random things on the way here last night." She could be wrong and maybe he could dance, but nevertheless, she had to serve food. "Here. Omelette. It's nice," she told him curtly, placing a big plate the size of a hubcap onto the bench. It was a fluffy omelette with a bit of vegetables sprinkled around it. "I understand this much at least. Dragons eat a lot."

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY Atzy was not prepared for the sudden transport. She squeaked cutely upon being bitten and hung limp until she was placed back down. Her wings fluttered wetly, limply hanging by her sides as she sat down on the opposite side of the ambassador. "Warn me next time, ew," Atzy couldn't help herself. She groaned softly in disgust and attempted to shake her wings but they were too wet and simply stuck to her side. "I think she's grateful to be brought up here," Karmic attempted to be helpful when she slid down onto the balcony from Enzo's back. "Ambassador, thank you. This should do fine for our talk." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Sad, but sweet," Twilight said softly. She let Last do her thing, opting to remain silent unless either Cherish or Last required anything of her. She got the sense that this place held a lot of memories for her guard captain, and not all of them were good. Her gaze did rove over their surroundings though as they walked, trying to find anything out of place. An ear flicked to signal that she had listened to Cherish and turned to the ghostly pony. "If I toss aside your stick, I don't think I'll be able to find it again out here, Cherish," she told the ghost quietly. It was true. While there weren't that many sticks around, she did know that if it was just carelessly tossed, Cherish's stick could be lost in some hidden ravine or hole they didn't see before. @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I don't like first impressions. Especially when I'm in the wrong form," Aurora grumbled. She stayed as her changeling self though, just in case this new Queen hadn't seen her through some kind of mystical mumbo jumbo. Aurora sat near Happy and Thorax, expectantly watching the crystal along with them to see what would emerge. @Blitz Boom, @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "I'm Dazzle Gleam," Dazzle told Scarcity once she had managed to extract herself from Sunny's grip with a bit of wriggling. With an 'oomph', she fell to the ground and shook herself upright. "I only responded with how I saw him. He's short. So I said he's short. Simple. It's not like I knew his name before I started calling him short," she then cleared her throat and stepped away from Sunny embracing Shortstack and more towards Scarcity. "I'm from the Everfree ... well ... more like across the other side of the Everfree, near a desert. I mainly lived in the Everfree though," she babbled, almost sounding like she'd go into a random ramble if a pony or some such didn't interrupt her talk.

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "So far, you are the only pony to not be hostile to my sister, even if the last one was unwarranted and out of instinctive fear," Karmic told the ambassador with a smile. It was weird, to think of Atzy as a sister, but they've gone through so much and have been literally a part of each other so it made sense to her to give Atzy the title. "... tea sounds lovely, ambassador," Atzy said quietly with a small bow of her head, slightly taken aback by what Karmic called her. "The three of us would like to take you up on your offer but I am not sure on where we'd all fit." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Chilly," Twilight shivered from the touch. She snorted and shook her head to get the warmth back while they walked down the path. She didn't expect the touch, and it definitely left feeling ever so slightly weaker than before, almost like a bit of her sould had gotten cold at the same time as the touch. "Last and I will do our best to keep an eye on you, Cherish. We'll definitely have to do that once we reach the graveyard. Last? Any plans once we reach the graveyard?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "No griffons allowed," Aurora sighed heavily, changing back to herself in a burst of green fire. She landed and winced, feeling her wings collapse on themselves and get hidden by her carapace. "I hate that feeling but by the looks of things, we're the first ones here. What's the plan, Thorax? Enlighten us on this diplomatic mission." @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "They are not made up pony phrases!" Dawn said hotly. However, before she could say another word, she sniffed the air. Something was burning. "Hold that thought!" She ran back to the kitchen and turned off the stove. She sighed in relief upon not seeing the food burnt to a crisp. She then proceeded to yell from the kitchen to Kalgrops. "Different question, moving away from the ... boyfriend stuff, what do you normally have at this time of day? I've made food but I don't know what you eat!" @Widdershins, @Blitz Boom DAZZLE GLEAM "What kind of family is this!?" Dazzle finally screamed, howecer, her voice was muffled because it was stuck inside a giant pony's chest fluff still. She leaned her head back and coughed, trying not to hack up a hairball. "There's a shorty, there's a biggy, and then there's a calm one! Who else is going to show up!?"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "Forgive me for not extending the same jovial accordance you have," Atzy spoke up from the side of Enzo and Karmic. Karmic looked down at the group before taking a breath. "I think everything will be fine," Karmic told Enzo before sliding down his leg to be with Atzy on the ground. "Ambassador Golden Sun. What are you the Ambassador of, exactly? You look like a regular pony to me." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE Twilight acknowledged Lasts' suggestion with a nod and followed along behind her. She turned her head to the side and noticed Cherish gazing around as they walked. "Cherish, you look a lot stabler here than back in my castle," Twilight said thoughtfully, noticing how Cherish was more opaque than she has been as of late. "It's possibly because we're heading towards a graveyard. Maybe where ponies' spirits are resting you get stronger by it?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I'm used to flying as a changeling, if that's what you're worried about," Aurora told them. She did wince when her chitin separated along her to reveal her wings though. "Although I guess I'm not used to them enough, even in this larger form. I was only a nymph when I was taken to Griffonstone so I've mostly been a griffin all my life. It's what I'm used to. But I have practiced flying as a changeling .... maybe I should be a griffin for the flight?" @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM Dazzle gasped and groaned, feeling herself fall to the ground from her impact against the wall. She felt like a couple of her ribs had broken upon standing and wobbled on her hooves for a bit. "You are really something else, Shortstack," Dazzle huffed. "I would have never expected such power to come from something so small and teeny," she grinned. @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "Why would we hunt?" Dawn questioned with narrowed eyes. "It's not like ponies can digest meat like you dragons can. Besides, we don't stalk the grass patches. We stalk wild grocery aisle foods for foodstuff and buy it," she huffed only to get a decent blush going. She turned her head away again and coughed into her hoof. "Protector. That ... I guess you could call it that. I'm not really ... welll ... I haven't fought at all in my life so ... yeah, protector boyfriend."

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE "A golden age of tolerance, huh?" Atzy asked in utter disbelief. She was shocked and appalled at the phrase. She didn't see any sort of tolerance towards her and Enzo with the way the captain and his guards were acting. Gone was the calm demeanour she had going and now she was royally angry. "What kind of tolerance of tolerance makes ponies put spears against other creatures!?" "I think that's what sets the guards off," Karmic whispered to Enzo nervously, staring wide-eyed at Atzy's response. She didn't really see too much in her vision but at the very least, she did make out something forcing the guards to attack the three of them. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE Twilight eyed the rocks blocking their way from the ground to the ceiling and noticed little nooks and crannies the rocks had utterly filled. She let out her breath and charged her horn with magic. She helped Last and Cherish carefully move the rocks, levitating them out of the way as carefully as she could so another cave-in wouldn't happen. @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "Don't like that stuff," Aurora nearly gagged, placing a hoof over her mouth. She didn't exactly have fond memories of when she last tried Happy's brew. "I know you two say you're the weird ones, but if anything, I'm the weird one. I've lived in Griffonstone all my life and only recently I've explored Equestria and found out I was a royal changeling today!"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY Karmic's eyes turned a stark white, luckily though she was hidden enough so the generals wouldn't see it. She thought she saw ponies in trees, sneaking up on Enzo, and hurling spears at him. She shook her head with a small whimper to dispel the vision and lightly tapped his shoulder. "I could be wrong, but I think there's a guard contingency sneaking up on you. The vision was a bit too dark to make things out clearly," Karmic whispered to Enzo. "Hello, General," Atzy smiled easily enough and shook the pony's hoof with her own. "My name is Princess Atzy. I'm a royal gemling and I wish to see if my kind are welcome here. Going off of your guard's initially stupid reactions, it seems like that's not really the case." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE Twilight didn't feel scrambled or anything of the sort. She's too used to teleporting around to different places to get that way anymore. She was relieve to hear both her companions had made it with her. "I am perfectly fine, Cherish, thanks for asking," she smiled at the transparent ghost and then looked down the pathway towards the tunnel. "I've never travelled to this part of Equestria, and I suspect with good reason. Last, since you know this area so well, it would probably be best for you to lead the way, please." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "The only magic I know is changing forms, and I so wish to remain being a griffin," Aurora sighed heavily. "I don't have any choice though. I've got to stay in this form so as not to scare our new ... friend? Acquaintance? Is there a proper term for this?" she was very confused about how politics worked, having never really been one to get into them herself. Yet now, she was thrust into the middle of all of it with the revelation of her being a Queen and the successor to Chrysalis' hive! She did notice the way Wall Render looked at her and decided to bring it up as they walked along towards Happy's cart. "Why did that gem creature look at me curiously? I thought he would have done that to King Thorax or Happy."

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY Atzy stared at the gem Enzo had passed to her. Her horn lit up in a soft blue hue and grabbing the gem in it's field, brought it closer to her. "Enzo is right. We don't eat ponies. We eat gems. I do understand that the Princesses need a bit more details. When your superiors get here, I will gladly divulge whatever information they wish from me," she then bit into the gem and quietly munched on the shards before swallowing them. She ran a hoof over her gem-studded legs while keeping eye contact with Hailstorm. "But, I will say this. Gemlings have a finer control in manipulating the various gems here in Equestria than any other species. Even those Diamond Dogs. We aren't like Changelings. We do not change our shape, we merely look like them in most regards. As you can see, the visual differences are striking." "So far so good," Karmic whispered to Enzo from on top of his shoulder as her eyes went from a stark white and faded back to their normal, greyish selves. "I can't see anything going wrong yet." "You look like a very intelligent pony though, which is more than I can say for the underlings you have," Atzy said softly, only speaking loud enough for Hailstorm to hear, as well as potentially Enzo if his hearing was strong enough. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "One last check," Twilight mumbled more to herself than to Last and checked over their supplies and bags. Once she had placed the stick that Cherish resided in in her own saddlebags, she nodded to herself and looked back at Last. "Off we go," she said, lighting up her horn. Her lavender magic engulfed both herself and Last as Twilight concentrated on the co-ordinates. They vanished with a pop and reappeared on the pathway leading up to a tunnel. Twilight shook her head and breathed out, dispelling the dizziness from that vast distance they had traveled. Without looking around, Twilight wasn't sure if Last was there or not. It did take a lot out of her to transport them to the location in a flash, after all. "Last? Did you make it?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I have no idea what I'm doing," Aurora sighed heavily in defeat. "I apologise. I thought this would have been easier to do. I'm a newly-found Queen. King Thorax here is the one in charge of this particular hive," she told Wall Render and glanced up at Happy. She felt relieved that Thorax was taking charge but she still felt obligated to attend the meeting. She didn't know what it was, but she suspected it had to do with her being a Queen now. She smiled at the abomination and spoke up. "Happy, I think Queen Onache would like to know about these new species as well. We should go with Thorax and Wall Render." @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "You're bluffing. You don't have any special dragony powers," Dawn scoffed and laughed, only looking slightly up at Kaltrops. "You are no taller than I am, even if it is a couple of inches. But I do have to say that your wingspan and tail are longer than mine." She then realised what she was saying and looked away with a mild glare and a blush. Her tail flicked in agitation as she spoke. "Not that I like it or anything, definitely nothing like that. I slipped up on boyfriend. We haven't known each other long. So definitely I don't like you or anything." @Widdershins, @Blitz Boom DAZZLE GLEAM "Whoa, easy fella," Dazzle giggled, easily sidestepping out of the way of his charge. "You're a lot shorter than me, but you're definitely stockier. So Short, how in Equestria do you go around looking like and blowing up at every little mention of your shortcomings?" she questioned him as she prepared herself. The scale pattern underneath her coat lit up blue. Her maw opened up and lightning blasted out of it, streaking straight towards Shortstack.

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "I don't know. It's changing a lot now. It's very uncertain," Karmic said in a slightly scared tone. Her eyes looked permanently white and intense with how her visions bombarded her. She clung onto Enzo's shoulder, fearing she would fall if she didn't. "There's too many uncertainties. There's too many paths." "We are friends of Enzo," Atzy spoke down to the general. She shot Karmic a concerned expression and then steadied herself. She leaped off and landed in front of Enzo, her wings grinding to a halt as she fixated her gaze on the new captain. She smirked to herself and tilted her head slightly. At the very least this one wasn't as hostile as the other guards appeared to be. Maybe Hailstorm could be talked with? So dedging up what little she knew about diplomacy, she did her best attempt at looking regal as much as a royal Gemling could. "Captain Hailstorm, was it? I'm not exactly a Changeling anymore. There are these peaceful species my friends and I found far away on a distant island. They call themselves Gemlings, and what you are looking at, is one of their royalty. Ask me any questions and I'll try to answer as best I can." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "I don't mean to offend, but as long as that doesn't touch Cherish, we're safe?" Twilight asked in abject confusion while she absently went over a mental checklist of everything Last had prepared in ways of supplies. "Yes, I know a lot about runes but these specific ones Cherish has are new to me. I possibly have a book that'll help me decipher them but that's neither here nor there," she told them and chuckled. Nodding to herself at completing the checklist, she lit her horn a soft purple hue. "I hope teleportation doesn't affect you too badly, Cherish, but this is going to be a first. Teleporting two live mares and a dead one. Definitely one for the books." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora hesitated, and not for the last time, as she tried to think of the best appropriate response. Thorax and Happy didn't seem to be helping so it appeared to be up to the recently ascended Queen. "A meeting with your Queen would be perfect. I don't want the hive scared by the sudden appearance of what you look like," she said with a nervous smile. "So, we could meet up where you lot are? I do have one condition. Thorax, my advisor, has to come with us." @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "Uh ... huh," Dazzle didn't know what to make of the runt. She idly stepped from side to side, preparing to either dodge, fly, or something to get out of the way of his eventual charge. She opened her mouth and spoke casually with a small smirk playing around her muzzle. "Shortstack, then. I still prefer Short but that's only because it's easier to say. I am Dazzle Gleam, and you should know that I have fought monsters a lot worse than the runt I see before me." @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "Lay around on pillows," Dawn repeated and the barked a short burst of laughter. "I do not lay around on pillows, thank you very much! What of last night, or yesterday? When you saw me leap from rooftop to rooftop? Huh? What about then!?" She managed to stop laughing long enough to push Kaltrops off of the pillows he was on. "There. You're off the pillow. Is that better, oh mighty boyfriend?" she added and then blushed, realising what she had said. "Oops, shouldn't have said that. Dusting wasn't a part of the deal. I never said anything about dusting."

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "So all these ponies are meant to be guarding a castle? They don't look like they do much," Atzy sighed heavily, watching over the hurrying guards from Enzo's shoulder. She didn't think they were much to look at but she supposed they'd be a lot more fearsome if she touched down on the ground. Beside her, Karmic's eyes glowed white for a good couple of seconds before they disappeared. "Atzy, if you jump down like you're thinking, the guards will rally against you a lot faster than what they're doing with Enzo," Karmic warned in a nervous tone, realising she actually didn't want anything bad to happen to Atzy. Atzy ground her wings together in a moment of frustration and growled out a soft note of pebbles falling against each other. "I hate it when you have visions," Atzy muttered darkly. "What do you suggest I do then?" She looked over to her ex-host and Karmic gave a small shrug. "Levitate-throw a rock at one of them? I don't see anything bad happening with that," Karmic replied in an easy tone. "It will have to do I guess, but I thought the point was to not have Gemlings seen as hostile," Atzy reminded her and went back to looking down at the slowly rallying guards. "You're bored. What else are you going to do?" Karmic questioned and joined her in looking down at the guards. "Sit here and wait and mentally prepare myself, I guess," Atzy huffed. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Of course there are books on runes in here. There are multiple books, ranging from Amarebic to Zebrica thanks to Zecora letting me take a copy," Twilight said happily to Cherish and then her gaze was drawn to Last's currently-on-fire-sword, every other word spoken sailing in one ear and out the other. "Why is your sword still on fire? That could burn the library!" Twilight couldn't stop herself from asking, pointing with a hoof at the white flames. It didn't even look like it hurt Last in the least. It distracted her from casting the teleport spell and she groaned to herself, knowing she wouldn't be able to do so until her question was answered. "White flames are meant to be incredibly hot. A lot hotter than red and orange flames. You should be burning alive." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora hesitated in answering and thought back on what Thorax had told her. "Yeeeess, it is very old," Aurora said slowly, the uncertainty clear in her tone and it just kept on getting more and more uncertain as she spoke further. She was clearly acting to be the Queen, yet it didn't seem like Wall Render was noticing. "Why isn't your Queen here herself to ask for an ally in us?"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "You seem tired. Very tired. You don't want to take a break for a bit?" Karmic asked in concern. She had noticed how he had acted since her argument with Atzy and was wondering if they should wait for a while. "Maybe we can stop in the castle gardens? I'm sure the guards won't mind that," Atzy said optimistically. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "It's possible it means something. What, I'm not sure. If this ritual goes well to separate you and have you inhabit my castle, and if the runes stay on there, then we can study it. But for now, we can't do anything since you're attached to it," Twilight explained with a small shake of her head. She didn't know what it would do to Cherish but she'd rather be safe than sorry. Twilight returned her attention to Last and took note of the co-ordinates. "I'm sure I can teleport us there now. Do you have everything we need to find the tower?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "What?" Aurora asked immediately, taken aback at the sudden appearance. She wanted to let Thorax take charge but she had no idea if the scout would hurt them if she said she wasn't the leader. She took a breath and looked down at Thorax with an apologetic expression and then back at the weird gem creature. She leaned down and whispered to Thorax and Happy. "Please play along, this is a very scary situation and I don't want to alarm the creature," she told them in a very quiet voice. She then straightened and attempted to look as regal as she could. "I am the Queen of this hive. What is it your Queen wants with us?"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "This is the first the three of us have heard of gemlings. It was a scare, yes. It is fascinating to think about," Atzy said, and took another bite of the gem held in her magic. She eyed Karmic watching her and resumed speaking to Enzo. It was strange for her to watch Karmic from any angle she wanted other than just what Karmic herself saw. Now that they are both relatively calm, it has taken a bit to get settled in her mind that, yes, she was her own pony now and not just a puddle of changeling goo. "And not to mention, everything is new to me. Feeling the wind, feeling my mane flutter, hearing my wings grind against each other, trying not to think about gems all the time, basically everything that a pony is, I've yet to experience. I may have experienced them at one point in my memories but from what I actually remember? I don't have any point of reference other than what I've experienced through Karmic." "I don't like how you took charge with the separation but I am thankful for it, regardless," Karmic said finally. "My mind is my own now. Meaning whatever visions I have, I can keep to myself. Beyond that, it will be odd to try to convince the guards that you aren't dangerous, Atzy. Gemlings are an exceptionally new species after all even if they've been hanging around in those mines all this time. Whatever you do or say will reflect on the gemlings as a whole." "No pressure, right?" Atzy smirked at Karmic and waved her hoof in a dismissive gesture. "We are going to be totally fine, aren't we Enzo?" @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "You're going to have to give me co-ordinates or directions. Because if it's as far as it looks, we may end up taking a train to the closest station and hoofing it," Twilight admitted She glanced at the stick attached to Cherish and hummed to herself, inspecting the object closely. She found there to be various runes carved into the stick itself with a very fine detail. Whoever made it knew what they were doing. "Did you know there are rune markings all over this, Cherish?" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "Is this hive made near a dormant volcano?" Aurora asked in confusion as she followed along. "Otherwise you've got a different problem. As far as I know, underground earthquakes usually precede some kind of magma flow."

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY Karmic hesitated but once she saw Atzy fly up onto Enzo's back with a grating sound of her wings, she hopped up onto Enzo's paw. Once she was safely on Enzo's back, she held on along with Atzy. "My wings grate. Are they meant to do that?" Atzy questioned out loud, looking over her shoulder at the wings resting along her back. She didn't like the feeling of it. She didn't like the sound of it. It reminded her of boulders crashing together. "I don't know. Those gem creatures looked off to me," Karmic admitted. She automatically ducked but followed the trail of a light blue magical aura. Atzy had grabbed a small piece of diamond from the piece tied to Enzo's paw and had floated it over. She bit into it and carefully munched the diamond. "You ... you eat diamonds. Gems. Is that how you're going to get sustenance from now on?" @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Which one would be the most safe, Last? The path through or directly into the grave site?" Twilight asked in return. She filed away what Cherish said in her mind for later and calmly regarded her personal guard. She knew Last had a lot more knowledge about where they were going and had decided to let her take charge while she and Cherish basically tagged along for the ride. "I'm going with your lead on this little adventure to see if Marepunzel is real or not." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I'm no doubt going to learn about Chrysalis as I go along in life," Aurora sighed heavily. She gave a small nod and smiled up at Happy and then looked directly at Thorax. "I have no idea why, but I'm getting the feeling that the more we talk about how Chrysalis was such a bad Queen, than the more time we lose in getting Queen Onache an answer from you, King Thorax. I know she didn't set a time limit, but, I don't think it should take this long to get an answer and be back? Or maybe I'm just thinking of time moving faster than it actually is." @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "No. Because you never gave me a name," Dazzle said easily, stepping around the spray of stones. She trotted around his radius, keeping a fair distance from him to be sure she wasn't hit. "What is your name, shorty? Is it Short? Shortstack? Red? Little Engine That Could? Give me something! I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!" @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "It's soft and comfortable, Kaltrops. Now get up you lazy dragon," Dawn said. She abandoned whatever she was doing in the kitchen and made her way over to where Kaltrops was still sleeping. She then prodded him with her hoof incessantly. "I don't know if dragons care about beauty sleep or not but since you're staying here, I can't have you lazing about all the time mister."

@Widdershins Oh, you're talking about Dazzle's backstory. I thought you were talking about the posts I've made with her. I don't really put a lot into backstories of the characters I come up with because I generally fill them out as I go along with their stories. But I get what you're saying, don't worry about that.

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "I didn't know," Karmic squeaked in fear, trying to make herself as small as possible underneath Atzy's glowering stare. "Just ... just be thankful you're alive," Atzy eventually sighed. Her gaze softened and she sat on her rump. She looked to her right and faced Enzo. "I doubt our fights will be this ... dramatic again, Enzo. We didn't mean to get you all mopey." "I'm sorry, Enzo. I had to get that off my chest," Karmic said quietly, also looking at the sphinx. She didn't want there to be bad blood between the three of them and for now, she felt good to have Atzy around. "Atzy, for what it's worth, I am glad you stuck around instead of staying with those gem creatures." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "I guess I didn't pay much attention to your attire, Cherish. You're so transparent already," Twilight admitted. She smiled at the ghost pony and nodded a couple of times. "Not to worry. I'm sure whatever these ghost powers are that you have will not have to be used where we're going." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora had no idea what to say to the explanation. Her eyes were wide with an expression of disgust. Something she was unused to feeling. She did manage to rearrange her face into a fearsome scowl and directed her glare to the ground. "How!? How could one Queen do all that bad work!?" She didn't think this Chrysalis was all bad when she first heard about her but after hearing even some of the crimes she committed, it made even Aurora the pacifist's blood boil. "If she was here I would-" she stopped herself and took in a couple of deep breaths. She rested her head against the ground, and attempted to calm herself down. "Just ... ARG! THIS IS SO INFURIATING TO HEAR!"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY Enzo's tirade caused both ponies to shut up and even cower underneath his terrible might. Karmic even gulped as she hopped off of Atzy and looked down at her companion. Atzy rubbed her jaw where Karmic had punched. She worked it up and and down and snorted. "This is the thanks I get, huh?" Atzy muttered. She rolled onto her belly before springing to her hooves and glared mildly at Karmic. Her tone was bitter but she made no move to leave the pair. This she chalked up to believing Karmic will one day see her as a sister as well. "You should be glad I'm sticking around. I've grown fond of you, Karmic Fate. Your mind is interesting, even now when I'm not a part of it. Be thankful I didn't run off as soon as we touched down." "Atzy ... I'm-" Karmic began but stopped herself, having the decency to look cowed under Atzy's stern gaze. "If you're going to say sorry, don't! If I didn't take charge and choose without consulting you, you wouldn't even be here! I'd be in your body, having taken over your mind completely! That's how close you were to cease existing!" Atzy hissed at Karmic. She didn't know why she was so mad at Karmic. Maybe it was the fact that she had been punched. Or maybe it was the fact that Karmic was too stubborn to see how much of a life-saver Atzy was to her! @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "From the way you're looking at me, I get the feeling you had much tougher enemies than the ones I've fought with my friends," Twilight said in mild concern. She finished her toast off and spotted Cherish in and out of the window. "Cherish? Do you remember fighting anything when you were alive? We could probably use the knowledge if you have." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I guess," Aurora mumbled and rubbed her front foreleg with the opposite hoof. She didn't want to drag things on too long and make Onache mad. But she had to know a couple of things about Chrysalis if she's going to be a different Queen from her. "Maybe. Um. What was she like? We know now that I'm one of her personal hatchlings but ... I think I would like to know more about what she was really like. How long do you think it would take to talk about this?"

@Widdershins I like emphasising because that’s how I write. I may be emphasising too much but it’s how I know where everything connects with the character rather than just working off a one-time description.

@Widdershins DAWN STREAK "Alright, fall back asleep," Dawn sighed softly and wriggled out from underneath his wing. She shook herself and managed to smile before heading into the small kitchen located in the lounge room. She left Kaltrops sleeping on the lounge room floor and went about making food for them both. @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "Ah!" Dazzle squawked in surprise and flared her wings to shield her face. She grunted at feeling the impact against her wings from the multiple tiny objects. "Aye yi yi, that tore right through!" she howled, flapping her wings to try to get splinters out of the membrane in between her feathers. She pranced in place and glared at Shortstack. She knew she was going to goad him on but it was the only way she could get a peaceful walk done! "Hey shorty! You could have done a lot worse to me!" @Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "Wh ..." Karmic groaned awake. Atzy hopped off of Enzo's back and quickly helped her to a better lying position. "I feel like my soul's been ripped in two! AAA!" she howled and furiously rubbed her head against the grass. "Karmic Fate," Atzy said, lying down on the grass across from Karmic. "Not now, Atzy I-" Karmic stopped talking. She had realised Atzy was not in her head. She lifted her head and stared at Atzy. "The separation worked," Atzy said calmly. "Of course it worked! I felt it work as that idiotic queen tore you from me!" Karmic cried, slamming her hoof onto the grass. She didn't care for the change in location or the fact that they were finally breathing fresh air after who knows how long. "We were together for so long and you said yes to her without even consulting me!" "Wh-what would you have said?" Atzy asked nervously, flinching at Karmic's tone. "I don't know and we'll never know because you didn't ask what I thought!" Karmic yelled. "We-well .... but-" Atzy got interrupted by Karmic suddenly standing and hitting Atzy with a yell. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "I didn't realise things could be tough in other areas of Equestria," Twilight admitted through a mouthful of toast. She swallowed with a small blush and coughed. "Sorry. I should probably finish chewing before talking." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "Before we get to whatever Chrysalis did," Aurora breathed and looked at Happy. "We still need the answer for Queen Onache. Will King Thorax help her, I believe the question was. Isn't that right, Happy?"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "I'm not going to hide. I'm my own pony now. I can face these guards head on if I have to," Atzy told Enzo in what she hoped was a determined voice. Honestly, actually meeting ponies when she isn't part of a host pony didn't sound very appealing. She felt Karmic move under her hooves and looked down, peering closely in case she fell. "I think Karmic Fate is waking up, Enzo. Maybe set down somewhere so she doesn't fall off?" @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Are you sure you aren't bothered by those tastes?" Twilight asked uncertainly, pointing at the way Last ate before biting into a piece of toast she had made. She didn't understand why Last would eat the lemons and chillis raw but at the very least it's done its job of distracting her from picking an official position for the guard mare. "Maybe you should drink something to help with the taste." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I don't know all that Queen Chrysalis did, King Thorax," Aurora said eventually. She had calmed down a lot and was trying to make sure she was going to panic. Unless it had something to do with meeting other changelings when she's like this. She laid down to be more at Thorax's eyesight and looked at him directly. Her tone did get nervous, unable to stop herself from staying neutral and calm. "Although from my understanding, she did horrible things, didn't she? I'm gonna need to know this if I'm going to be a better Queen than her." @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "You're comfy and cozy," Dawn replied with a yawn. She smiled up at Kaltrops and patted his wing. She didn't know why she was saying or doing these things and will most likely hav ea clearer head when she woke up properly. "You're warm and safe as well. Please don't go." @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "WHOA! WATCH IT!" Dazzle cried out, dodging the thrown pony. She didn't believe a pony could be thrown by another pony but there you have it. She looked around for him, taking a couple of steps this way and that. She spotted the runt underneath a vegetable cart and grinned. "Well, I guess I'm going to have to retaliate, aren't !!?" she had a feeling he wouldn't to just talking and chuckled throatily. Her body began turning blue, lines forming underneath her fur to surround various scale-like images. She opened her maw and blasted lightning towards the shorty. Ozone filled the air and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as the lightning breath traveled.

@Blitz Boom ATZY "That would be correct," Atzy replied in agreement, looking over Enzo's back and down at the mine. She shuddered, wincing as her horn stopped its vibrating. She hadn't realized it was continuously doing that until they were far enough away from the mine. "I guess Queen Dia'Thiz was right about one thing. My horn is definitely a sensor for gems," she commented and ran her tongue over her teeth. They were slightly jagged. Hard enough to eat through the gems she now required to live but still soft enough to not cut her tongue. Atzy sighed and looked down at the unconscious mare she had her hooves placed over protectively. "To be honest, I don't think I could leave Karmic. As difficult to comprehend for me as it may seem, she's sort of like a sister to me," Atzy told Enzo with a smile that if listened carefully enough, a happy tone played through her voice when she spoke. @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "I apologize if naming you captain was too much. Maybe general? Lieutenant? Officer?" Twilight asked Last in a panic, her questions getting quicker and more frantic. She did pause for a second to answer Last's question about food. "Lemons and chillis, there's an abundance in the pantry. Spike likes those to go with his gems." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora automatically scrunched up her muzzle in a cute fashion. She didn't know how to react otherwise. "That felt weird," Aurora mumbled after a couple minutes and shook her head, reasserting herself. "Everything about this feels weird!" she complained only to get a fearful expression. She began hyperventilating and shifted her stance from side to side in a panicked fashion. "Oh no. Onache. Queen Onache. What'll she do when she sees me like this!? She's only seen me as a griffin!"

@Blitz Boom ATZY "I honestly don't know," Atzy admitted slowly once she was sure her horn had stopped humming to in vicinity of other gemlings. She looked at the walls and managed to grab a small piece of diamond on their way past it with a small bit of magic. She was astounded to find her magical aura be a pure white rather than the sickly green of the common Changeling. "I have to figure out this new body, and I can't really do that without, well, a lot of gems around. But. I want to at least stay with you until Karmic wakes up. That much I do know for sure." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Thank you for that report, Last," Twilight smiled at her. "It's going to take a bit of getting used to, having my own guard captain like the other princesses have. For the tunnels and excavation shelters, it is definitely a good idea. Especially after what just happened with the town. Perhaps you can get a report together and take it to the mayor?" she suggested, stepping out with Cherish's stick in her magic. "But before you get to that, we need to have some breakfast." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "I'm fine. I feel fine," Aurora told Thorax and then blinked at noticing she was actually taller than him now. She took a couple of experimental steps and almost tripped over her gangly legs. She did right herself before crashing into anything and smiled apologetically. Aurora then gave her wings an experimental buzz and very quickly noticed they had grown as well. "That. This doesn't feel right. I should be smaller than you, King Thorax. I should not be ... the jelly. I swallowed it. A whole jar full just to relieve myself of that tingling feeling. I'm a queen ..." she trailed off, unable to comprehend this. "Wh-how? Other than having my mane be a different colour, there was nothing of note that tied to me being a royal Changeling filly!" @Widdershins DAWN STREAK "Kaltrops?" Dawn whispered, gently poking his side with her hoof. Her voice was full of concern and since she was still waking up, she hadn't had time to get it properly together yet. "Is everything alright?" @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "Yeah, short," Dazzle repeated. She spotted the way he reared and smirked to herself. "You're imitating a wild boar," she chuckled and calmly stepped to the side as he began his charge. "I've fought them and you are nothing like them, Shorty. Besides. You are not intimidating, like at all."

@Blitz Boom ATZY Short of grovelling at Dia'Thiz's hooves, Atzy took another look around the gemling chamber. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had a body of her own now. She didn't have to rely on others to carry her everywhere. She didn't know what would happen going but one thing she did know was that the three of them had to get out of the mines. She walked over to Enzo and tested her wings. Atzy felt them move but heard something different. It wasn't the usual buzzing of changeling wings, nor the usual flutter of Pegasus wings. Her wings made the noise of pebbles rubbing together. "I have to get used to that I guess. Let's go, Enzo," Atzy said after glancing at Queen Dia'Thiz and flew up to Enzo's back. She settled by Karmic near Enzo's neck and placed her hooves over her. "She mentioned me needing to eat gems. Are you able to grab some on the way out? Please?" @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE Twilight coughed into her hoof and even managed to smile at Cherish. "It just goes to show this is something I have to get used to from our resident ghost," she giggled and did her best to reassure Cherish that nothing was wrong. "Last, a report of the town would be lovely. Please tell me what's been happening while I slept." @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora's eyes flew open upon hearing Happy. She gasped in air and reared her head back at seeing Happy's face close to hers. She lifted her head, saw Happy's hand and placed her hoof in it. After being helped up, Aurora shook herself and a shiver went through her body. "I don't want to taste that again. It's so sickeningly sweet," Aurora gagged, not noticing her new height, added features, or the fact that Happy had called her 'Queen'. She was still hung up on how the Royal Jelly tasted rather than what her body went through. She did start to shake like a leaf though, staring slightly down at guards holding spears towards her and squeaked out her scared sentence as she had done before her transformation. "Um ... what ... did ... did I do something wrong?"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY "Enzo ... bring Atzy ... when she's able," Karmic whispered to the sphinx before she completely passed out on his neck. "I feel ..." Atzy began and shot an apologetic look to Enzo. "Liberated. Like I'm myself again. I was liking Karmic but I could definitely tell that I was taking over. It felt wrong, once I got it through my head that we weren't, for lack of a better term, co-existing together. I never really felt right as a parasite but as a whole being? It's a much better feeling," she explained with a smile the entire time. She rubbed a hoof over her other leg and felt the hard shell of a changeling's carapace mixed with the smoothness of diamonds. She looked down, and where the holes in the legs were meant to be, they were instead filled with glittering gems. She twisted her head to look on her back and found glittering wings resting against it. A hoof reached over her head and tapped her forehead before it rested on a horn. "Right, changeling and gem creatures mixed together. Still has the form of a changeling but with the added benefit of whatever the gem creatures brought to the species. Queen Dia'Thiz, thank you for helping us become separated, even thought it looked very painful for Karmic Fate." @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE "Gah!" Twilight jumped a good foot into the air when she saw Cherish next to her. She placed over her heart to slow it and panted. "Don't do that! At least not when we're expecting it!" If she wasn't awake before, she definitely was now. "It's alright, Cherish," she gasped. "Just. Ha. Breakfast. Let's go get that before discussing on what to do!" @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS "So sweet so sweet so sweet ah!" Aurora gasped, her body shuddering as it attempted to process what amounted to a massive sugar rush from all the Royal Jelly she consumed. She coughed and a larger glob of the green goo landed in front of her. This one was different. It looked more akin to the changeling cocoons the changelings used but Aurora would have no idea of that. Of it's own accord, her horn lit up the sickly green of all changelings. It pulsed rapidly, bathing Aurora in it's light before the spell quickly consumed her. A short scream later and once the light had vanished, Aurora was on her side on the floor with her eyes shut tight. There were noticeable differences from how she looked before. Her legs were longer, her mane and tail appeared more lush and vibrant than most changelings, her horn was longer and had a more wicked curve to it, and the carapace hiding her wings was bigger to more suit this new form. Which most likely meant that Aurora's wings had expanded too to accommodate her. @Widdershins DAWN STREAK Dawn didn't know when she woke up but when she did, she spotted a wing draped over her. She smiled to herself, remembering letting Kaltrops stay over the night before and gently snuggled up to his side. It felt warm, cozy, and she didn't want to leave it. His wing covered her body entirely and she was glad for it. It shut out the world, leaving her in her own personal bubble. She paid attention to his soft breathing and closed her eyes again, waiting for him to wake up of his own accord. @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "Fall in a paint bucket!?" Dazzle repeated incredulously. She knew her mane was colourful but that was typical of all ponies! At least she thought so. She turned to face the insulter and then looked down when she didn't see anypony. She blinked, seeing a red colt staring angrily at her. It didn't take a genius to realise this was the pony in question. She just didn't expect it to be a foal. "A colt. Just insulted me. Are you sure you want to fight me, shorty?"

@Blitz Boom KARMIC FATE & ATZY Karmic instinctively flinched at feeling the needle suddenly penetrate her chest. She panted heavily, realising just how close to her heart it had come to stabbing. She felt Atzy get sucked out of her body and mind but that wasn't the part that pained her. The part that pained her the most was the separation between the both of them. It felt like razor blades were furiously hacking away at the connection they shared. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, her eyes closed, and tears dripping out of her eyes. It felt like hours before suddenly not feeling anything in her chest. She collapsed to the ground in a panting heap, shaking in the aftermath. On Atzy's side of things, the separation was too quick for her to really feel any pain. That came after the fact when she felt herself suddenly in a new position. Atzy got pushed into every single fiber of the royal gemling and found herself, oddly enough, not invading any mind like she had with Karmic. There was just nothing there. Her body pulsed a couple of times and within her mind's eye, she found a smattering of gems. She focused on them, grabbed hold, and didn't let go. 'It's a unification,' Atzy thought to herself and wasn't sure what compelled her to do her next action. She wrapped herself around the gems within her mind and found herself drawn inside them. Her eyes then flew open and she gasped. She winced and tilted her head one way then the other, rolling her neck to try and not think about what had just happened. Her ears flicked up and she stared straight at Dia'Thiz, She slowly turned her gaze down and found Karmic almost passed out on the floor. "Wh-What did you do?" Atzy stammered, eyes widening and gestured with a hoof to Karmic. Her voice sounded vastly different from when she spoke as Karmic. It now sounded clear and smooth, almost like water bouncing and running off of diamonds in a cave. "You promised you wouldn't harm her!" @Blitz Boom TWILIGHT SPARKLE Twilight moved about in bed a few minutes before she was meant to wake up and then yawned. Her tongue ran over her mouth to keep them from getting dry and blearily opened her eyes. She had a bad case of bedhair with split ends sticking up and out every which way. She winced at the sunlight streaming in through the curtains and then saw a Last sitting near the doorway. "Last? What ... are you guarding me? I thought that was Cherish," Twilight asked Last in a tired voice. @Blitz Boom AURORA LIGHTS Aurora didn't know what compelled her. She just had to get the itching to stop! She filed away what Happy had said for later and noticed Thorax hadn't put away the jar of Jelly she had sampled from. She gingerly took the jar, dipped her hoof in it once more, and placed the glob of Royal Jelly in her mouth. She had an easier time swallowing it and her tongue poked out the side of her mouth in a kinda disgust. "Ugh. That is a lot sweeter than the first try!" Aurora whined. The itching did lessen but it didn't go away entirely. "And I'm still itchy. Hopefully this will do the trick," she added and with an apologetic look to Thorax and Happy, she upended the jar in her hooves and swallowed the rest of the jelly in it without spilling a drop. @Widdershins DAZZLE GLEAM "Ponyville isn't so bad," Dazzle mumbled cautiously to herself and she eyed each pony she passed by warily. Like they would strike at her at any moment. The past few years she had spent in the Everfree had taught a very important rule. Always trust yourself and never trust others. She ignored all the looks they gave her and went walking purposefully into the main market square. "A lot of construction going on. Did a tornado happen or something?"