Well, last chapter went down better than I expected it would. I'm pleased

But you don't care about that, you're here for the meat, the next part of Parlave Oum.

I hope you're ready, it's going to really make or break this story!

Begin!

Parlave Oum

(Part Two)

Richard Pov

We had been walking for hours.

The heat of the Badlands were long behind us, bringing the cooler climate of Equestria's edge as we were continued to be yanked forward through a barren forest.

My surroundings were beyond my ability to care at that moment however, as I renewed my struggle against the pull, as I had been trying on and off for the past couple of hours.

Unfortunately, the more I struggled the more it seemed to harm me.

This didn't sit well with my lover.

"Richard please stop!"

"In a minute."

I ignored her frustrated hiss and kept on trying, ignoring the rapidly rising sensation of pain as it travelled up from my hands to my shoulders.

"Richie, please!"

The sound of Chrissy's voice, desperate and full of worry made me pause…but only for a moment as I continued to try and try to stop moving, to pull away from whatever bullshit was forcing me to walk.

"Listen to me!"

Anger brought my attention onto her, her frightened expression knocking a lot of the fight out of me.

"What?!" I snapped, frustration etched into that one word. "I'm trying to break free, why aren't you?!"

Her hurt flinch, her pained emotions did nothing to make me feel better about our situation. But it make me stop.

"Look at yourself," she said, far more compassion than I deserved in her tone. "Look at your arms."

Frowning, I complied and looked at them…only to flinch back in disgust at the angry black veins standing out upon them.

"What on earth…"

"You're using hate," she explained softly, sadness emanating from her as she tried and failed to come closer to me, the pull forcing her to move in one direction only.

I blinked at her words and let go a tired breath. "I'm sorry…I didn't realize."

Her eyes lidded lovingly, an encouraging smile upon her face. "I know love, that's why I was trying to get your attention. You go somewhere else when you use that emotion."

Ashamed, I reached out for her only for my arms to snap to my sides.

"Fuck sake!" I hissed, my arms refusing to cooperate as I tried and tried.

"Hey, it's okay," she soothed, lips quivering ever so slightly. "This won't last forever, we'll get to this dome and then we'll be fine."

"How can you say that?" I asked, aghast. "They'll kill us before we even get inside. Hell, we can't even defend ourselves if we do."

"We'll have each other love," she replied. "We'll figure it out when we get inside. We have to…"

She looked down at her stomach for a brief moment, and in that brief moment I felt despair.

From her…for our baby.

I followed her gaze and felt instincts I had never truly felt before, not so strong, so…powerful.

'I have to protect her, protect both of them. I'll kill if I have too, but I need to keep her safe.'

"I want to break free too, everything inside is screaming it at me," she said quietly. "But I have more to consider than myself now. I can't take risks against magic I know nothing about."

"I'm sorry," I said again, catching her eyes as they met mine. "I just…I need to keep you safe."

Understanding flashed in her eyes. "Ah, of course. Silly of me to forget…"

"Forget what?"

She chuckled dryly. "Your instincts must be affecting you something crazy. I was too focused on my own to realize that you're struggling too."

"I know you can look after yourself-"

She shook her head and smiled softly at me. "But I can't, not once our baby starts to grow. I'll need you more than anything. Most of my love will be fed to our baby and I'll need more, I'll always need more. But as I feed it, I'll lose my strength. So I'll need my King to keep me safe, warm…loved."

She sighed. "I was going to tell you all of this before I allowed your seed to take, but what's happened has happened and I cannot change that." A dream smile grew upon her muzzle. "Nor do I want to."

A little overwhelmed by all she had said, I took a few minutes to think it over.

"But once we're inside this dome, you won't be able to feed it," I said. "How long can it survive without food?"

Chrissy bit her lip, frightened emotions trickling from her and into me.

"Half a day maybe," she whispered, her breathing becoming somewhat unsteady. "I…I don't know how long exactly. No Queen has ever allowed her children to starve within her. They'd sooner allow their own bodies to consume themselves than that."

"We'll have to play along with whatever Celestia is trying to do then," I said, bitterness laced in my tone as I considered the concept. "We need to get in and out as quickly as we can."

"We can't just let her run all over us, Richie," Chrissy refuted, shaking her head. "Naerx said the two parties come to an agreement. I don't know exactly what she wants but hopefully we can bluff our way through it until she lifts the dome and we can escape."

I hoped so too, but something told me that it wasn't going to be so easy.

Chrissy likely knew this too.

A short time passed us as we continued to walk through the forest, trepidation rising as I noticed we were nearing the end of it.

And as we finally passed through and entered a massive field of grass…I saw it.

It was absolutely fucking massive. A golden dome that seemed to stretch for miles, from side to side all the way to the clouds themselves.

"Holy fuck," Chrissy whispered behind me. "What is that thing?"

"A Pax Dome," Naerx's voice answered, the mare reappearing in between us as she glared at it. "It's bigger than I remember it being. I wonder how many innocent souls lost their lives to summon it."

"Are you being serious?" I asked, my neck uncomfortable as I turned my head to look at her. "A thousand years ago sure, but Celestia wouldn't kill her precious Ponies now, surely?"

"There is nothing below that mare," Naerx hissed, hate evident on her face. "Time has merely disguised her limits, not changed them. Look at how she treated you, with disdain and apathy. She didn't care how her kind abused you so long as you did as you were told, like a good little colt."

"Enough Naerx!" Chrissy interrupted, displeasure clear to see. "Where have you been? Content to let us walk in fear alone were you?"

Naerx winced at the accusation but shook her head. "No, I scouted ahead. Though I sorely wish I hadn't, I haven't been so exhausted in some time."

"You can leave us?" I asked, still angry at her words as I forced myself to look past them. "I thought you were bound to Chrissy or something?"

Naerx grimaced. "I'm bound to the great hive mind. But leaving her to see what lied ahead has weakened me quite a bit…I don't know if I'll be able to stay with you when you enter regardless of whether or not it will let me."

"Let you?"

"It's old magic Richard," she explained. "And it's aimed at you two, not me. As far as it's concerned I'm a foreign entity and it will likely not allow me to stay with you when you enter."

"Then tell us what you learned," Chrissy said, a trickle of fear in her tone. "We're almost there, they're going to see us soon."

Naerx sighed and rubbed her head, before beginning to explain.

"Celestia is there, along with three others though one I do not recognize. She also has a fair few of her guard with her too, though for what purpose I do not know. She will not need guarding while inside the dome, no one can harm anyone while inside."

"Who is with her?" Chrissy asked, frowning worriedly.

"The mare you impersonated some time ago and her husband," she replied. "There's also somepony under a hood, but I cannot say if they are Pegasus, Earth Pony or Unicorn. They're disguising themselves."

"Inside the dome?" Chrissy asked, perplexed. "But magic is neutralised, you told us."

Hope began to bloom…but Naerx's expression killed it as quickly as it came.

"They're outside it, Chrysalis," she said, sighing. "Both parties enter together, not one before the other.

"Hang on," I interrupted. "A mare and her husband?"

"Cadance and Shining Armor," Chrissy explained, a flash of shame flickering upon her face. "Do you remember the wedding I tried to invade? I told you about it some time ago, she was the bride I impersonated."

'Why does she feel shame?'

"Oh perfect," I grumbled. "Another chance for her to try and steal my love then."

"Excuse me?" she hissed angrily, the sheer amount emanating from her shocking me for a moment.

"I kind of forgot about it," I said. "So much happened when we escaped that it honestly left me. But when I was taken by Celestia's pet, Celestia tried to get Cadance to remove my love for you. She said it was corrupt. But it didn't work, apparently she can't take genuine love from someone. Lucky me…"

Chrissy made to say something else but was interrupted as the dome gave off a loud gong, almost akin to the sound of a church bell.

Well, a church bell going off with you standing very close to it. Basically it was kind of deafening.

And as I looked at the huge thing…I felt something I couldn't bring myself to admit aloud.

I was frightened.

Loathe I am to admit it, I was frightened as I neared the dome. Not just for Chrissy and our child, though that fear was very real.

But from the sheer presence this thing gave off. It felt more than just powerful, more than just old.

It felt...immortal. Like I was standing before something beyond me, something that judged me.

And found me wanting.

"This thing feels evil," I whispered, gritting my teeth as we neared.

"It's beyond good and evil, Richard," Naerx said, scowling at it. "It has a task to accomplish. I'd strongly advise not to struggle anymore lest you anger it."

"It can be angry?"

"Oh yes…"

"Stop talking," Chrissy interrupted, glaring ahead of me. "They can see us now."

A group of five guards were flying towards us, all decked out in their armour and carrying swords as they eventually neared and hovered above us. I couldn't tell them apart from the other, whatever spell or enchantment they had concealed their true appearance from me.

The one in the front wasn't looking at Chrissy, but rather right at me. I could feel his hatred as it came from him in waves, all of it directed at me.

"Well, well," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as his eyes bored into me. "Not so powerful now are you, Human? What's the matter, why so silent? Aren't you going to try and kill some more of us?"

A guard flew a little closer and put a hoof on his shoulder, her voice revealing her to be female as she spoke to him. "Captain please, the Princess commanded us not to interfere. We were warned what could happen."

Curiously enough, I could feel a substantial amount of love emanating from the mare...

He shrugged her hoof off and glared at her. "Get back in line, Private Fleetfoot. Your opinion is of no consequence right now." He then turned back to glare at me, his gaze moving slightly onto Chrissy as a small smirk grew on his face.

"Still silent then?" he asked, anger pouring from him in waves, contrary to his cold expression. "Perhaps if I nick your creature with my sword, you'll give me just cause to kill you where you stand."

He moved a bare inch towards Chrissy, my eyes began to glow…

"You would antagonise and try to kill the one being who can save you from extinction?" Chrissy asked, her tone surprisingly soft as she addressed the Captain. She looked at me and shook her head, before focusing her attention back on him. "I knew Ponies to be foolish, but I never considered you to be this foolish."

The stallion narrowed his eyes, his confusion clear for the both of us to feel.

"What lies are you spewing, Changeling?" he spat.

"Wait, you don't know?" I interceded, his furious expression returning as he turned to look at me once more.

"Know what, Human?!" he snapped.

Chrissy and I looked at each other, ignoring the dome as we neared it.

"She hasn't told you has she?" Chrissy asked, actually pity in her tone as she looked at him. "She hasn't told any of you. Do you have any idea what Richard is worth to you? What the Princess even needs him for?"

His anger and hate seemed to dim, but only slightly.

"What do you mean?" Fleetfoot asked, the Captain giving her a look that she apparently ignored.

"You're dying out," I explained, rather bluntly but enough to try and convey my honesty. "And I was saving you from this."

The guard all looked at each other, muttering.

"What?"

"That can't be."

"He's lying."

"I am not lying," I interrupted, looking at the mare rather than the Captain. "Your kind is dying out, surely you must know something about the birth rates? When I was living in Canterlot, it wasn't exactly a secret."

"We came to understand that Princess Celestia had it under control," Fleetfoot said, looking at me strangely. "How are you supposed to save us. You're not even remotely Pony."

"I don't know how it all works," I said, shrugging. "All I know is that you're all shooting blanks, and I'm the cure. Or I was the cure, I'm not exactly planning on spunking in a cup again anytime soon."

"And you only have your Princess to blame," Chrissy finished, catching their attention. "If she had left us alone, Richard would likely have kept spunking in a cup and you lot would be just fine."

The guard all looked at each other, muttering too quietly for even me to hear. But the Captain was not a part of it, he simply glared at us.

"You blame our Princess for your misdeeds?" the Captain snarled, pointing as us with his sword. "You tried to invade Canterlot years ago and very nearly succeeded. How many lives were lost trying to fend you off until Captain Armor and Princess Cadance repelled you?!"

He turned to me.

"And you," he snapped. "You killed two loyal stallions of the guard on their first bucking day! They did nothing to earn your ire, they did nothing to deserve their deaths! And you killed them anyway!"

"And I would like to know why."

The Captain snapped out of his anger and landed on the ground, making to move in the way of a Unicorn mare who had walked up behind them.

"Ma'am, we've already warned you not to come near them," he insisted, his attitude a complete one eighty as concern emanated from him.

The mare shook her head, her red shoulder length mane swaying from side to side as she looked at him briefly. "I have the right to know why, Captain Pearl. You cannot deny me this."

"He will lie and hurt you," he said, ignoring Chrissy and I as we looked at each other, confused.

"I'm standing right here, douchebag," I said, smiling inwardly as he spun around, sword in mouth. "Or should I say, walking right here? Is that more apt or am I a bit too quick for you?"

Before he could move, the mare put a hoof on his shoulder and shook her head, her voice a whisper but loud enough for my admittedly good senses to hear.

"Pearl you're my brother, please let me do this."

"Ruby…"

She shook her head and moved past him, walking beside us with her eyes solely on me.

"You're awfully brave to stand so close to me," I said quietly. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

She said nothing for a few moments, and it was only when I realized that I had actually stopped walking that I looked away from her and at the dome.

I could barely see Celestia and her fucking entourage on the other side, they were so far away it was like looking at an ant.

"Why did you do it?" the mare asked, her voice tight with emotion. "Why did you kill them?"

I turned back and opened my mouth…but no answer came out.

Whatever quippy remarks I had died as I realized I didn't know what to say.

"They were my children, can you tell?" she continued, chest beginning to heave as she pointed at her face. "Did they look like me? Do you even remember their faces?"

"You don't need to answer that, love," Chrissy said, eyeing the mare coldly. "This is likely Celestia trying to stir you up before we-"

"SHUT YOUR BUCKING MOUTH!" the mare screamed, the sheer volume making Chrissy flinch. "What do you know about loving your children. You got yours killed!"

She made to rush at Chrissy but was held back by the Captain. "What do you know about being a mother? You used your subjects to invade, how many were your own children? How many did you toss aside in favour of power?"

Chrissy, to my absolute disbelief, lost whatever cold mask she was keeping up. Her eyes rapidly began to fill with tears before she could think to hide them.

The mare turned back and stared at me with undisguised anguish.

"I know how you were treated by the nobles of Canterlot. But my sons were not noble. They were guards simply doing their job." She stopped talking to try and hold back a sob. "A-And you killed them. You killed my boys, my little colts."

Her anguish turned to anger, eyes red from tears. "Why did you kill them. WHY?!"

I noticed Celestia moving in the distance, apparently having heard the mare's voice.

"It was an accident," I replied, cutting the mare off before she could scream anything else.

"A-An accident?" the mare echoed, her voice hollow, eyes lost. "My sons died because of an accident?"

I sighed and rubbed my arm, more uncomfortable than I'd felt in my life as I looked into her dead eyes.

"You won't like the explanation any better than before," I said, quickly noticing Celestia watching me from the other side of the dome, though how she could even see me was beyond my comprehension.

"I tried to kill Celestia. But I missed and hit the guard...uh, your sons instead. I didn't mean to kill them, it was an accident. I wasn't…I didn't have control, I couldn't control what I was doing. I didn't mean to kill anyone."

I looked down, wishing more than ever that I could move from the spot I was stuck in.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking back at the mare. "If I could take it back then I would. I'm not a monster, and I'm not a psychopathic murderer either. I didn't mean to kill them."

She merely stared at me, her empty eyes sparking with the tiniest bit of life for all of a moment.

"I wish I had enough hate to hope that one day you suffer the same way I have," she whispered, her voice broken. "I'll never forgive you for killing my babies. Never…and if you truly aren't a monster then I hope that it haunts you for the rest of your life."

She looked at Chrissy, her eyes roaming up and down my mate before settling on her stomach, where Chrissy's hoof was resting without thought.

Her eyes widened slightly as tears began to fall once more.

"It isn't fair," she sobbed. "You don't deserve it, you don't deserve…"

She turned and ran away, not a word, not another noise leaving her as she did so.

"Ruby!"

The Captain ran after her, his regiment all looking at each other before nodding and following him.

Leaving us very much alone.

"Fuck me," I muttered, rubbing my head. "Did not expect that."

"Are you okay?" Chrissy asked quietly, trying and failing to move from her spot, her hoof having left her stomach.

'None of the other Ponies seemed to realize what she had, I would have felt it if they did.'

I opened my mouth to reply but stopped as I felt something being to pull me towards the dome, snapping me out of my moment.

"If I say yes, will that make you feel better?" I asked, my smile feeling very fake as I tried and failed to put the mares face out of my mind.

"I'm sorry Richard," she said softly. "I…don't really know what else to say."

"It's not on you, it's on me," I replied, putting up a hand when she tried to refute my words. "I was weak, I let my magic control me. I won't let that happen again."

Whatever she was going to say was forgotten as we were both yanked none too nicely into the dome.

The effect was immediate.

The chitinous armour I had protecting me withdrew back into my skin, leaving me quite naked and suddenly rather cold, something I hadn't felt in a long time. But it paled in comparison to the horror I felt as my magic just…leave me.

It didn't go into me, it was repressed or subdued.

It just vanished completely.

I couldn't feel emotions, I couldn't sense a thing. Even my natural abilities, my strength, my endurance…I felt it all slip away.

Until I was as powerless as I was when I first arrived here.

A hunger I hadn't felt in so long returned with a vengeance, my stomach growling for food I hadn't eaten in almost a year.

It was like I was Human again.

"R-R-Richie?"

But if I was bad, Chrissy was downright awful.

Her eyes had lost their subtle glow, her wings had vanished and her horn was currently crumbling to dust as I watched. She put a hoof up to touch her forehead and winced as the last of her horn was brushed away.

"Shitting hell," I gasped, rushing over of my own volition for the first time in hours. I reached her as she hissed in pain, her sharp fangs dulling as they grew smaller. "Holy fuck, are you alright?"

She looked at me, her whole body trembling…

"Ric-"

And threw up on the ground, reflexes only just allowing me to dodge at the last moment.

"Jesus Christ!" I cried, quickly moving back as I rubbed her back, my poor lover trembling as she wretched and heaved. "What's happening to you?"

"Can't feel, can't feel, can't feel," she gasped, over and over. "It's all gone, I can't feel anything. I can't feel you, I can't feel our…" She threw up again, her words effectively halted.

"What's going on?" I asked aloud, beginning to panic she Chrissy began to shake uncontrollably.

But then a thought, a memory from so long ago…

"Oh…well that's good to know," I joked.

"I can't help it Richie," she pleaded honestly. "For a changeling, feeling another's emotion is like breathing. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to, especially not without consequences."

"What consequences?" I asked, tilting my head to one side. "It can't be that bad…can it?"

"Well why don't you hold your breath and see what happens," she snarked. "Or maybe you should stop eating for a while. The hunger pangs are fantastic."

"But then why isn't it affecting me?" I muttered.

I had no time to wonder why.

"Naerx?!" I shouted, not caring that others may hear. "What's going on?"

…but there was no reply.

She wasn't here.

It was up to me.

"Chrissy, Chrissy look at me!" I commanded, the mare gasping like a fish out of water as she looked up, her eyes wild and frightened. "I know you're scared, you can't feel anything. But I'm here, I'm right in front of you. Focus on that, focus on me and breathe slowly, in and out…in and out…in and out."

I have no idea how it worked, but as she obeyed and began to regulate her breathing, her wild eyed expression began to mellow out as she began to calm down.

I continued to gently rub her back, her lack of wings somewhat disturbing but I pushed it aside.

"Richie please hold me, I'm so cold," she whispered, her teeth chattering together as if to confirm it. "Why am I so cold?"

"I think this dome got rid of everything," I replied, Chrissy turning her head to look at me, her eyes somewhat glassy as they began to droop. "Hey now come on, don't pass out on me. Breathe, stay awake."

"I…I can't," she panted, eyes beginning to tear up. "There's no love in me, I have nothing left. No strength, no…no…"

Her eyes began to close, her breathing beginning to slow.

"Chrissy?!" I shook her lightly, her eyes rolling back into her head. "Chrissy!"

I picked her up with all the strength I had left and rushed at the dome, only to bounce off with more force than I used, the dome flashing almost angrily as I was tossed back.

Chrissy flew from my arms and landed on the floor, rolling a few times before lying very still.

I ignored my pain and half walked, half crawled over to her.

"Chrissy wake up!" I shouted, turning her onto her side and shaking her.

She didn't move.

"Chrissy?" My voice sounded small, tiny, so quiet.

Her eyes opened, looking at me, a small smile on her muzzle.

"Hey, hey come on, stay awake," I urged, stroking her face.

Her smile quivered, a single tear trailed down her cheek.

Her eyes grew dim.

And she breathed no more.

To Be Continued in Part Three