The four of us returned to the party for another hour or so but excused ourselves to handle the matter at hand. After extricating ourselves from the party we walked along the road through town. I was contemplating sending a letter to mom but decided to try out the idea I just got. I closed my eyes and focused on my mother, smiling when I felt our minds brush against each other.

"Mom", I whispered.

Jackson, came the startled reply sounding slightly muted. Where are you?

"Outside of Ponyville", I answered. "I'm speaking to you with my mind."

How are you doing that?

"It's like hunting for somepony you're gonna teleport", I explained, "but instead of pulling them to you, you just speak to them."

How did you figure that trick out?

"I don't know, but we're in the middle of stopping a war", I shrugged.

Beg pardon, she blurted in alarm.

"Chrysalis threatened open war if I don't return Cindra in twenty four hours", I shrugged.

I'm sending a squadron of guards with you.

"No, mom", I sighed.

Why not?!

"Wouldn't it be considered an act of war", I asked. "Besides, she has to honor the Life Claim."

Just be careful, she begged. At the first sign of trouble I want you back in the castle.

"We will be", I promised with a smile. "Love you, mom."

I… love you too, son.

I let the link dissolve and we were on our way again. We boarded a train at the outskirts of Ponyville and settled in for the ride. Cindra and Shadow got plenty of looks, but Dash drove the curious ponies away with stronger conviction than normal. I pondered this fact for a few seconds before the snack trolley caught my attention. I eyed the confections on the cart and decided on a few bottles of apple juice and cotton candy.

Dash eyed everything hungrily but didn't say anything. Her jaw dropped when I told her to get what she wanted, my treat, and she went into overdrive. By the time she was finished I found myself passing over a hundred bit piece to the attendant. Dash sat happily among her mountain of snacks and offered us some.

"You knew I would buy all of that, for you, just so that we could all enjoy it, didn't you", I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"I can't leave my friends hangin'", she replied.

"That's why you're the Element of Loyalty", I laughed.

The rest of the ride passed quickly due to the massive amounts of junk food and the pleasant, nowhere near perverted, conversation we had. I learned a lot about changeling culture and ancient vampony culture, which constantly caused Dash's wings to spring out. I was proud of my wings for only doing it once.

"Next stop, Appaloosa", the conductor called as he moseyed through the train.

When we reached our destination we struck out to the south. When we reached the southern edge of town I stopped in my tracks forcing the others to stop as well. I stared to the south and thought about the possible outcomes of this meeting. After a moment I turned to Dash and Shadow.

"I want you two to stay here", I said and was greeted by shocked shouting.

"Now way", Dash almost snarled.

"You're stupid if you think I'm letting my fiancé go into a changeling hive alone", Shadow scoffed.

"I won't be alone", I argued and pointed to the bug pony. "Cindra will be with me."

"Jackson, you're here to surrender Cindra", Shadow urged.

"She has to honor the Life Claim", Cindra rebutted.

"If she doesn't, we'll just poof right back here and we can figure it out", I smiled.

"Fine", Shadow growled. "If you aren't back in four hours, we're comin' after you."

"Okay", I agreed as I leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you", she whispered. "Be careful."

"I love you too", I smiled and kissed her again.

"You better come back", Dash said with a frown. "You still owe me a race."

I laughed and waved as Cindra and I blazed a trail through the dust to the south. After the town was lost over the horizon we turned west and traveled for a few minutes. Cindra suddenly stopped right in front of me causing me to run into her.

"Cindra", I asked, "what's up?"

"I'm scared, master", she whispered with her back to me.

I knelt in front of her and pulled her into a hug as she trembled. She voiced her fears about the queen being dishonest. She expressed fear for my safety. She wished she was anywhere else. I held her close and reassured her. Before long her resolve returned and we continued walking.

Eventually we reached a dip in the land, almost like a dry lake. In the middle was a structure that made me think of a massive termite mound. I kept this thought to myself, considering it seemed racist. We stepped into the lake bed and instantly there was activity on the surface of the structure.

"No sudden movements, master", Cindra warned me. "Keep your wings folded and hooves where they can see them."

"Hands."

She ignored this and we approached the hive. About a hundred yards from the entrance we were stopped by two guards a little shorter than Cindra. They tried to look menacing but I couldn't help but grin.

"What's so funny, freak", one of them hissed.

"You guys are freaking adorable", I laughed as Cindra facehoofed. "I don't see why everypony's scared of you guys!"

His angry reply was cut off by the arrival of a massive changeling nearly as tall as mom. She was much thinner than the average changeling and her legs were longer. Her pupils were menacing slits but held a hint of attractiveness to them. A spiky crown perched neatly on her head and she licked her much longer fangs as she eyed me.

"Ah, Prince Jackson of Everfree", she said in a silky voice. "I see you returned my loyal subject to me. Thank you so much."

"Not so fast", I said, causing her to blink in surprise.

"I beg your pardon", she said haughtily.

"You may have it", I said evenly. "The changeling Cindra is under a Life Claim."

"To whom?"

"Myself, of course", I smiled and motioned to her leg. "I saved her life twice over and called for a Life Claim."

"Is this true", Chrysalis hissed at Cindra.

"It is, your Highness", she replied. "The first instance was when he saved me from bleeding to death. The second, he risked his own life to save me from immolation."

"Immolation", the queen asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"A misunderstanding", I blurted quickly. "It's a small matter, your Highness. Will you honor my Life Claim and let us leave peacefully?"

The queen stared at me for several minutes as untold thoughts ran through her mind. She gazed off to the horizon before turning her eyes back to me.

"You actually came alone", she asked incredulously.

"I did", I answered uneasily.

"Surely mommy dearest could have spared a few dozen guards for her precious son", she spat.

"It was my choice, your Highness", I said calmly. "It was my belief that an armed escort would be viewed as an act of war."

"It would be seen as a show of strength", she said darkly. "Seize him."

I drew my sword as the two changelings launched themselves at me and I jumped back just in time to avoid a nasty bite. I swiped the air with my sword, knocking one guard aside. A flurry of motion at the hive drew my attention as about two dozen changelings charged me. I dodged a kick from the other guard in front of me and cracked his helmet with a mighty downward swing.

"Cindra, let's go", I shouted and turned to run.

"Why don't you teleport us away", she shouted as she scurried along beside me.

"I gotta concentrate for that", I shouted back.

"Then why aren't we flying", she shouted as she did just that.

I unfurled by wings and took to the air. As soon as I was airborne green bolts of magic zipped past me. I looked over my shoulder and threw up a shield just as two bolts streaked toward my face. Cindra cried out in pain and began to lose altitude so I followed her down. Her dark blood leaked slowly down her leg from a deep gash across her left flank. She rolled when she hit the ground and I dropped between her and our attackers as I channeled magic into my sword.

"Master, go", she shouted. "Just let them take me. Get yourself to safety, please."

"I'm not leaving you", I shouted over my shoulder.

I spun my sword in a defensive arc around myself deflecting the occasional bolt of magic until they gathered around me in a circle. I stayed on the defensive as stray shots came at me more frequently and began to get worried.

This was a bad idea, I thought to myself.

A pained cry from Cindra reached my ears and I spun to see her carapace crack as it still glowed from the impact of a magic blast. She hit the ground hard and didn't get up. I dodged several attacks and swatted others back at the casters but felt a cold chill run down my spine when I glanced back at Cindra and didn't see her side rising or falling. I hit my knees as a bolt of green magic struck my left arm with a glancing blow.

"Cindra", I gasped.

My vision turned red as I looked to my left at the nearest changeling. I flicked my wrist and turned the lethal edge of my sword forward. Time slowed to a crawl and I leapt forward closing the twenty foot gap in one bound. I slashed through his neck cleanly and moved on to the next changeling which I cut in half right down the middle. I slid underneath another and yanked my sword up slicing through his left legs. Time resumed a normal pace as the three changelings exploded in a shower of blood and viscera.

"YOU'RE DEAD", I boomed.

I charged through their ranks mercilessly cutting changelings down left and right until not a single one was left alive. Blood flowed freely from cuts and bites I had received during the fight. A heavy thud drew my rage filled eyes to my left and I turned to face the queen herself.

"You", I snarled and pointed my glowing blade at her. "I'm gonna kill you nice and slow, bitch."

"How dare you speak to me like that", Chrysalis demanded. "I have millions of drones ready to die for me! You're nothing!"

"Millions", I scoffed. "You could call every single one of them but it'll still be an unfair fight. For you."

"You are insufferable", the queen growled. "I guess it's a good thing that mewling grub is dead."

"You fucking parasite", I hissed as something snapped. "I'm gonna rip your fucking eye out and ram my dick through your brain!"

The queen balked for a moment but her horn lit up and she launched green flames at me. I jumped to the side and charged forward, slicing her along her ribs. Blood began dripping almost instantly from her wound but she spun and kicked me in the face. I grabbed her hoof with my left hand and kicked her in the stomach as hard as I could. Her breath rushed out in one big heave and she dropped to her knees.

"Any last words bitch", I hissed in her ear as I straddled her back.

I grabbed her horn and jerked her head back to expose her throat and her eyes glowed. I bared my fangs and was about to bite her fucking throat out but a weight slammed into me from behind. I smashed the changeling in the face with the hilt of my sword and stabbed the bug behind me, running my blade clean through the bug pony. A familiar voice screamed in agony, drawing me from my rage induced stupor to look over my shoulder.

"Oh fuck, no", I gasped at the sight I saw.

Cindra's muzzle was inches from my own, her expression scrunched up in pain as blood began to drip from the corner of her mouth. I began shaking as I looked down at my sword piercing her abdomen and a strangled cry slipped from my chest. I watched in slow motion as the only changeling I cared about fell backward in slow motion. The sword fell from my grip as I spun off of the changeling queen and caught my friend before she hit the ground.

"Cindra", I gasped quietly as I stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry, master", she whispered. "I don't know what happened."

"Shh, don't talk", I urged. "You'll be alright."

"It's okay. I'll always be with you both."

"Cindra, no", I cried.

"Master", she gasped. "Kiss me one last time. Please. I don't want to die alone."

I pulled her tight against me and let the tears flow freely as I pressed my lips to hers. I could feel her strength fading as she closed her eyes and weakly hugged me. She gave one last shuddering gasp against my lips and went limp in my arms.

"Cindra", I whispered as I shook her lightly to no effect. "Cindra! NO!"

I pulled her limp body against me and buried my face in her neck as I sobbed uncontrollably. I felt something deep in my heart shatter as I threw my head back and let out a primal roar of pained sorrow. Tears blurred my vision until I couldn't see anything at all. I felt power surging through me and bursting from my eyes and mouth into the sky before I forced it through my arms and hands into Cindra's body.

"YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER!"

I closed my eyes and launched my mind into the cold dark abyss everyone fears. Ahead of me in the middle of a sweeping meadow I saw a spectral form that I was intimately familiar with curled up on the ground and raced to her side. I reached out to her and as soon as I gripped her hoof shadows began swirling around us. The closest shadow coalesced into some sort of dragon before it roared at me.

"Well, fuck."