Stranded by the Storm (Closed; DerpRavener)

[Blueblood]

Given how much they had affected him, it was rather unfortunate that Might Batsman had paid so little attention to the ominous clouds in the sky. But, what was done, was done, and what was done was very nearly himself. The cascade of water, mixed with the newly-fallen snow had swept him away like a leaf, along with the rather nervous changeling he had just discovered.

When the earth pony had finally gotten to his hooves again, the first rush of adrenaline momentarily distracted him from the fact that he was both wet and freezing cold. It also had the effect of clearing his mind of any associations with previous changeling encounters. In times of crisis, we revert to our basic natures, and Might was nothing if not chivalrous.

"Spring Breeze!" He called out over the howling wind, struggling through the slush, straining to see anything but a field of white. "Where are you?" He didn't want to lose sight of her, though whether he was worried for her safety, or merely that she had used the opportunity to get away, he couldn't rightly say.

[DerpRavener]

Naj came to slowly, in bits and pieces. The first thing she felt was that she was bent at an awkward angle, partially splayed out against a tree and with a foreleg stuck awkwardly underneath her. Said foreleg and her head also ached a bit.

The second thing she felt was cold. Cold and wet. She seemed to be both damp and covered in specks of snow. Shivering a little, she forced herself to move and found that all of her limbs still moved approximately as they were supposed to, so she probably hadn't been sitting here unconscious and slowly freezing for too long.

And finally at a distant third, she heard the stallion call out for somepony. It took Naj a bit longer to piece together it was her that he was looking for however. Part of her thought it was a bad idea, and that she'd be better off just staying hidden until left her for dead. All the same, she worried that if she did that the latter might just become a reality. Possibly injured and definitely disoriented, she was better off with a noble enemy than on her own, at the moment. Eventually, she stuck a hole-filled hoof into the air and waved it around a bit as she called back “...Over here...”

She tried to right herself, succeeding with a clumsy roll to the side and getting onto all fours. Though she hissed in pain when she put weight onto her right foreleg, it seemed to hold up well enough as long as she powered through it. She could still walk.

Looking around the area she now found herself in, she asked to nopony in particular “...What...what happened?”

[Blueblood]

There she was! It took Might a while to wade through the snow and slush and reach the perforated hoof waving at him. The snow wasn't coming down in solid sheets anymore, but the air was full of flakes that stuck to whatever they landed upon, weighing him down further. By the time he arrived at where the changeling was sprawled against the tree, he looked a good facsimile of the Abominable Snowpony.

"Looks like that hurt." The Earth pony said in a neutral tone, watching her get to her feet. He made an arrested motion with his hoof, as if to to prop her up if need be. "Some kind of avalanche or something hit us. Didn't see what before I was sent head over hooves." Might shivered, the initial rush had passed, and now he was aware of how close they were both to freezing to death out here. He peered around them, but the land was obscured by snow behind them, and he couldn't see in front of him more than a few feet. Ahead was forest, also dark from the clouds and snow.

"We've got-gotta get outta this-is cold." The chocolate-coated pony's teeth began to chatter as he spoke. "Can you- do you know where- where we are? Where to go?"

[DerpRavener]

The earth pony- Might Batsman, she just remembered overhearing his name at some point- seemed oddly friendly now, all things considered. Naj would have expected more mistrust and reluctance, even in a situation such as theirs. She supposed that if nothing else he at least shared her thinking, that it was better to postpone animosity at least until they were in a position to survive the story. Thank goodness for small miracles.

That was apparently where Naj's good fortune had ended however, as Might didn't know where they were either. In fact, he asked her about it, which left her a little frightened and her initial reply fragmented. “...What? You don't-...You think I would-...” She took a breath and steadied herself. She'd been hoping to rely on his (theoretical) greater experience and knowledge of the area, but with that option unavailable now was not the time to succumb to panic. “I've only been in town a few months. This is...was my first time in the orchard whatsoever,” she explained.

Naj groaned and slumped to the ground, feeling the cold slush beneath her but ignoring it for the moment. She'd been in a situation like this once before, a hazardous environment with no experienced leaders in the group. She'd taken charge. It hadn't ended well. But, if neither of them had any ideas...

“Think,” the changeling muttered to herself, tapping her good hoof against her temple. “Think think think...” Suddenly she stood back up, and looked over at the tree with the rapidly disappearing indent in the snow at its base, where she'd been moments before. “Alright, if I hit the tree on that side...then the water was flowing that direction...it came from near the house so...” she turned the other way and waved a hoof in a small circle to illustrate the direction she was talking about, “...the house and barn will be somewhere in that direction. So it's probably the best way for us to go.” She grimaced before adding, “unless the water turned at some point.” She turned toward Might, her discomfort evident. “I...don't suppose you have any better ideas?”

[Blueblood]

Trottingham being further north than Ponyville, Might Batsman had seen his share of blizzards. He'd not been out in one himself, mostly because his parents had quite thoroughly educated him on the dangers involved. He clenched his teeth to keep their chattering from driving the memories from his head. They were in trouble, he knew it.

"No landmarks." The earth pony had to speak in staccato fragments to be understood. "Easy to lose direction. Wander in circles." Another pause, as he looked over to the changeling. He was too cold and tired at the moment even to feel any animosity. He just wanted to lay down and-

No! He jerked. That was the worst thing they could do right now. "Get moving. Keep moving. Into... into..." He tried to think, but then just focused on moving his legs. Right now, they were taking him into the woods. "Find... shelter. Hollow. Get dry. Warm." He didn't know really where he was going, and given his bulk, it would take a gargantuan effort to turn him in another direction.

[DerpRavener]

Might began talking in sentence fragments, which would have made Naj very nervous except that the information in them seemed sound. As it was, it just made her a little uneasy.

In short, the earth pony had suggested they find shelter, and warned about the dangers of not moving or losing their direction. Shivering in the wind and snow, which were better than they were initially but still a long way from comfortable, Naj had to agree. That didn't tell her HOW to accomplish those goals however.

True to what he was saying Might then began walking at a steady pace, in roughly the way she'd indicated though by his stance she couldn't tell if it was deliberate choice or just the way he happened to be facing at the time. She couldn't blame him, she was having a hard time putting thoughts together herself. She was running on fear and adrenaline at the moment, the moment those ran out the results probably wouldn't be pretty.

That would have to be dealt with later however. For now she had freezing conditions and a wandering earth pony. It took her a few moments to react and follow after Might. She hissed as she first put weight onto her hoof, but after taking a few steps she found it easy enough to ignore.

Naj looked around as they travelled. She kept her eyes open for any place that would get them out of the cold, though she was fairly certain her first few thoughts of 'a house' and 'a cave' weren't likely to be found out here, when she spotted something. A tree had been knocked and partially uprooted, whether by the recent storm or an early event Naj couldn't tell, however instead of toppling all the way to the ground it had collided with another tree and caught. As a result a wide, sideways hole had been formed in the ground out of dirt and roots. It looked like there was room for two ponies there, and if it was not the most comfortable, but it should at least give them some shelter from the wind and snow.

She shoved Might maybe a little harder than she meant to, but she needed to get his attention. Her teeth were chattering as she spoke. “H-hey, do you t-think we can use that?”

[Blueblood]

There was one good thing about going into the woods; the trees broke the wind and snow, so that neither hit the pair quite so hard as when they were out in the fields. Might may have possibly done this on purpose, though those who knew his normal capacity, and reckoned on what it would be reduced, might express some doubts. Oddly enough, though, his best friend Psmith would not.

Another thing, which may have been surprising, is that Might was taking some care to place himself between Naj and the wind. Native chivalry was ingrained in him, and it was deeper than any emotion he felt towards changelings as such. A very fortunate thing for his traveling companion, who aimed to return the favor by pointing out a crevasse to shelter in. It took a while for her to get him to notice it, but he nodded when he did. "That'll do." He said laconically, pushing himself and her into the shelter beneath the roots.

It took some forcing to get into, since snow had piled up against the entrance. Fortunately, that snow not only provided a break to the wind, but also insulation, keeping what heat they had inside. It would still be a while before Might's teeth stopped chattering, but at least he probably wouldn't freeze to death. "Thanks."

[DerpRavener]

Between some small difficulties in alerting Might to what she'd found, and that much like everything else at this point the entrance to the hole was covered in snow, it took the pair a few minutes to get themselves in. Once inside though the change was immediate, at least for Naj. She wasn't exactly warm yet, but a break from the constant barrage of wind and snow was a promising start. She squeezed herself as deep into the hole (and against Might Batsman) as she could get, in an effort to preserve heat.

With the immediate danger passed, at least for the time being, Naj slumped to the ground. Well, as much as she could slump in her current position, which mostly amounted to her head falling to the dirt and all the tension being released from her legs. Her eyelids drooped as all the exhaustion that had built up over the past hour or so finally hit her.

“Thanks.”

“...Hmm?” It took Naj a couple seconds to realize Might had said something. When it finally registered she waved a hoof dismissively and mumbled back “...Only ones out here, we gotta look out for each other...don't wanna lose anypony else like this...” She shuddered a little, this time from the memories as much as the cold. “...Well this was a heck of a day...”

[Blueblood]

As the chill gradually seeped out of his limbs and head, Might Batsman became more consciously aware of the details of his surroundings. Whatever mental processes had led him to this place, they were now on hold as the rest of his brain caught up, and registered the fact that he was squeezed into a small hole next to a Changeling. In the Everfree Forest, no less.

Yet, it was not that exactly which came to the front of his mind. It is the things we don't expect that call themselves to our attention most often, and for Might, it was this: "You're warm." He said, surprised. "I didn't think that... you would be, since you were, well..." Now that the initial shock of discovery had passed, the earth pony was shy about speaking his mind on the subject of Naj's species. After all, she was partially responsible for saving their lives. It didn't do to insult one's savior to one's face.

[DerpRavener]

"You're warm...I didn't think that...you would be, since you were, well..."

Might seemed oddly shy at the moment. Naj didn't really understand, this seemed like the perfect time to ask questions, so she didn't get why he'd be so hesitant. She wrote it off as just another odd quirk for now, she'd seen more than enough of those.

“...Well, I'm not THAT warm...” Naj was still shivering a bit as she replied. That didn't really address Might's comment, so she continued. “...but...I dunno. Never seemed strange to me I suppose...I'm probably the wrong pony to ask about that though...” She frowned in thought. It hadn't been anything she'd really considered before. Was it strange? Should it be strange? Now that it was brought up, she wanted to know. Nothing to be done about it at the moment however, so she filed it away in her brain for later. Assuming there would be a later...

Naj decided it would be better to focus on the conversation for now. “So where do you live?” Suddenly realizing what that might sound like, she quickly added. “Vague terms. City. I'm not trying to find your family or anything.” Might Batsman seemed like a decent sort, and so even if she wasn't interested in the specific information she wanted to get to know him a bit better, and it seemed like as good a place as any to start.

[Blueblood]

From the strength of the howling outside, it seemed that Might Batsman was going to be holed up next to this Changeling for a while yet. Strangely, the prospect was an order of magnitude less repulsive than he had previously thought. To be perfectly fair, Naj was an order of magnitude less repulsive in her behavior than the last Changeling he had met. He ventured an explanation for his earlier question.

"Warm-blooded, I mean. See, you're kind of like an insect, which isn't, unlike a pony, which is, you know? But maybe you're more like a pony than an insect in that way." He relaxed his muscles, allowing himself to lean against her. He'd been trying to subtly keep his distance, but any source of warmth right now was crucial.

Naj asked the next question, trying not to sound like an interrogator. Might appreciated the distinction, though he probably would have answered anyway at this point. "Oh, I'm from Trottingham, but my folks sent me to school in Manehattan. Hadn't been getting good marks, you see, so my father felt he had to do something. I think it's a beastly place, but I have to finish out the year well before I can come back."

A vague recollection, lurking in the back of his mind, was suddenly brought forward by the mention of family. "Hold on, when you said before that your family kicked you out... do you mean the other changelings?"

[DerpRavener]

"Oh, I'm from Trottingham, but my folks sent me to school in Manehattan. Hadn't been getting good marks, you see, so my father felt he had to do something. I think it's a beastly place, but I have to finish out the year well before I can come back."

Naj nodded at Might's story. She didn't understand all the details, what passed for 'school' in the hive was something of an all or nothing affair so the idea of going somewhere else for education was odd, but she understood the basic idea of doing something from obligation rather than desire. She simply watched the snow fall as the pair of them sat in silence for a moment, the changeling appreciating an opportunity to relax. She was even starting to warm up a bit, nestled as she was.

"Hold on, when you said before that your family kicked you out... do you mean the other changelings?"

Naj's ears drooped. She'd been telling the truth, so it wasn't really a surprising question, but it wasn't the most pleasant topic of conversation for her. “...Yeah. I...played with the wording a little maybe, but it's basically true.” She chuckled to herself. “I'm not a very good liar, so I adapted.” That wasn't really related to the question, but as this was her first open conversation in a while she couldn't help herself.

Naj forced herself back on track and continued, though she went with the short explanation. “Exile, I guess would be the official term. After the invasion, I took charge of a group of stragglers. I made some mistakes...none of the others made it back. I was told to leave the hive and never return. Not the worst fate really, I've seen harsher punishments for failure...” Naj believed every word she said, though there were times exile didn't seem so merciful, and while she didn't say as much it was evident in her tone and expression.

She suddenly looked at Might and gave him an awkward smile. “...I'm sorry, that's probably more than what you asked for...” Maybe it was time to change the subject again. Thinking back to earlier in the conversation she asked, “So, do you not like Manehattan, or is it just the school that's the problem?”

[Blueblood]

The conversation had begun to turn on a more personal note. Might didn't mind so much; when at his ease, he was as open a companion as you could like. This was an odd situation to be at his ease in, but to retain shyness and embarrassment in so close a quarter would have been impracticable, even for him. In this cozy nook, sheltered from the storm, he could even forget the terror the changeling invasion had caused last Nightmare Night, looking on them, and Naj, with a certain amount of sympathy.

"I guess I can understand that." Might said slowly, as she related to him the reason for her exile. "If I led my little sisters out on a picnic, and came back without them... Dad would tan my hide, never mind sending me away." It wasn't as if he could call the banishment particularly unfair, considering what had triggered it. Still, it was a relief to talk about something else.

"Oh, it's big cities I can't stand. I like the open fields and open air. Manehattan's too... closed in, and it doesn't have a decent cricket pitch, either. They all play some silly foal's game called baseball!" He snorted. "I'd have gone mad if I hadn't a friend there, but I met Psmith on my first day, and we hit it off. He was sent away too, from Canterlot, and knows how to get the most out of city life. Jolly good pal to have in a crisis, or when you're bored. Exile's a lot easier to deal with if you're not alone."

[DerpRavener]

"Oh, it's big cities I can't stand. I like the open fields and open air. Manehattan's too... closed in, and it doesn't have a decent cricket pitch, either. They all play some silly foal's game called baseball!"

Naj looked at Might in confusion at the mentions of 'baseball' and 'cricket pitch'. She started to wonder what small chirping insects had to do with sport before realizing that he was talking about something else. His desire for open spaces was at least something she could understand, if not fully identify with. Naj had to concede that it's certainly better than being trapped somewhere too cramped, but she preferred areas with regular obstacles, which gave her more options if she suddenly needed to be evasive. That and it was easier to defend a place when soldiers could create choke points.

"I'd have gone mad if I hadn't a friend there, but I met Psmith on my first day, and we hit it off. He was sent away too, from Canterlot, and knows how to get the most out of city life. Jolly good pal to have in a crisis, or when you're bored. Exile's a lot easier to deal with if you're not alone."

Naj listened somewhat wistfully, smiling a little just imagining it. “Yeah, I imagine that would be...ideal...” She paused for a moment. Did she have friends? She started thinking aloud. “I'm friendly with a lot of ponies, but I'm not really in a position to make friends I think...Can't let anypony get that close.” As cathartic as it was to talk about though, she knew it wasn't the most pleasant. She seemed to be full of those sorts of topics. “How did you two meet? You and Psmith.”

[Blueblood]

While it was pointing out the obvious, Might still had to say it. "Well... you're kind of close to one now." He gave a slightly crooked smile when he said it, before stopping short suddenly, pulling his head up. "Though I don't I think I caught your real name. What was it?" He sensed that directly approaching the subject might be painful; also, it brought up the somewhat awkward question of what was going to happen once the storm blew over, and they had to return to the fields. For now, he just wanted to keep the conversation going.

Naj asked how he and Psmith met. Might smiled broadly at the memory, though the telling of it was perhaps a little less intelligible due to his patois. "Well, I was jolly broke up having to be so far from home, in such a rotten place. I was in a funk, and didn't want to talk to anypony. Well, Psmith was by the waiting area, and he was just a little too off his nut for me to block out, don't you know. Well, we got to jawing, and I found out he was exiled too, and we decided to team up against St. Mareson's- that's the name of the school. Well, we settled down in a comfortable study, when this weedy fellow tried to say it was his.

"Well, we thought he stuck on side too much, so we made a pitch for the headmaster, and Psmith did a butter-up job on him before asking for the study, and we got. Well, the weed wasn't taking that sitting down, so he got some toughs from the common room to evict us, but I socked one, and Psmith pitched the other out the window into the flower bed. They were real sports, and decided to call the thing a fair cop, and that's how it was."

[DerpRavener]

Naj blinked, then laughed realizing what she'd said. “Hah! Heh, yeah I guess so.” She looked around at their little hole for a second before continuing. “But really, I could stand in the town rubbing up against ponies all day and still be no closer to them, in the important sense. I mean even here, you're going to have to report this to somepony eventually, aren't you?” As much as she would like to see it avoided, Might had an obligation to his fellow Equestrians, and she wouldn't ask him to ignore that on her account. “I can't ask you to do something I probably wouldn't do.”

Might had also asked what her name was, but she'd hesitated before answering. Less because she didn't trust him than because she wasn't fully sure why he asked. The only ponies who would recognize it would be the hive, and since they had cast her out there was nopony left it had any significance to. After a moment she realized that there was neither any reason not to tell, but by the time she got there Might had moved on for the moment.

Naj mirrored Might's grin at the story he told. She didn't fully understand it mind, a good third of the words he was using she'd never heard before, but the gist of it was pleasant and amusing enough. Meeting an oddball pony, finding the two had being sent away in common, being...attacked by bullies? It ended with Might punching one and Psmith throwing one out a window. The whole thing sounded delightfully absurd.

With nothing she could really add to the story, after a brief silence Naj took the opportunity at its conclusion to address an earlier point. “You asked earlier, so...Naj. My name is...was...is Naj.”

[Blueblood]

"Naj... heh, well I guess changeling names wouldn't be the same as pony names, eh?" Might summoned another weak smile. His face would be stronger, save for the fact that he could no longer disguise future prospects from himself. Despite what she had said about it, he just couldn't help but feel that it was rotten, somehow, to turn in someone who'd just helped to keep you from freezing to death.

"I suppose... you couldn't go back, really, after being banished and all." He said, thinking out loud. "Would it be painful to ask what it was like, back there? Do you miss it much?"

[DerpRavener]

"I suppose... you couldn't go back, really, after being banished and all."

Naj gave a weak smile. “Yeah, that's kinda the idea. Nopony would be happy if I went back to the hive.” The nature of her exile, her loyalty to the hive which was still somewhat present, and what she'd come to learn about Equestrians since all came to mind. “Least of all me, at this point.”

"Would it be painful to ask what it was like, back there? Do you miss it much?"

Naj thought for a moment. She'd never had to explain her life in hive before. “It's not too painful. I do miss it, but they're happy memories. I suppose, more than anything else it was simple. I had a purpose. I was part of something greater than myself, and even if the specifics changed, on that basis I knew at all times what was needed of me. I never lost confidence in what I was doing until after the invasion. I was a soldier, so I guess specific things were patrolling the tunnels and occasional defence of the hive. Kinda dull at times, but again the routine and certainty were comforting.” Naj sighed, feeling a mix of regret and contentment.

“Lately it's been seeming a little like willing blindness, but you can understand the appeal of certainty, right? Knowing what you're trying to do is the right thing, and it's just a question of whether you can put in the effort.” She frowned. “Though...now I'm not sure I could go back, even if offered.”

[Blueblood]

Might had to nod as Naj explained what she had done, and why. He could actually understand it somewhat, though he approached it from a somewhat different direction. "It's really something to be a part of a team, kind of makes something more out of one. I used to think I wasn't an early riser, but to play Cricket above scratch, you have to be out before the sun doing fielding practice. Still, you have to care about the game, your captain, and the reputation of your school. My friend Psmith used to play for his old school, Canterbridge, but he wasn't going to put in the effort to be a good slow bowler for St. Mareson's."

That got him thinking. Naj wasn't a part of the Hive anymore, so it wasn't as if she was actually spying. She hadn't hurt anypony; in fact, on the whole she was more heroic than otherwise, saving the life of at least one Equestrian. Maybe Might wouldn't have to be a rotten snitch. "You know... when we get out of this, do you mind if I let in Psmith on this? He might have an idea or two."

[DerpRavener]

"You know... when we get out of this, do you mind if I let in Psmith on this? He might have an idea or two."

Naj burst out laughing, finding the question somewhat absurd. “Ah ha ha! Ahh, I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be laughing it's just...I thought we'd already agreed you'd have to report this to the guard or similar. What difference does one pony make?” She regained her composure before continuing. “I appreciate the thought and the less ponies that know the happier I'll be, but I can't really stop you either way and especially if he might help well, I don't see how telling one more pony could hurt.” Having beaten around the bush enough, she concluded, “So sure, I don't mind. Go for it.”

Naj looked back at the world outside the fallen tree, where the snow was still coming down. After watching it for a moment, she said, “Well I've warmed up a bit, and the storm seems to have calmed down somewhat. Should we try to head back, or wait it out a bit more?” Not having spent that much time in these conditions, she was still deferring to Might's judgement as much as possible.

[Blueblood]

"Right-o. I don't know exactly what he'll propose. May be a bit cracked, but he'll see it through regardless." Pleased that he didn't have to puzzle through what would happen next alone, Might felt more able to relax. With his anxieties allayed, the future no longer held so many unpleasant prospects. His biggest problem right now was whether or not to check the weather.

"Hang on, let me see." Scootching his way to the mouth of the small cavern, he poked his head out into the cold air. At first, it was almost refreshing, after that closed in space, and he drank it in with his eyes closed. Opening, he saw that the blizzard winds had subsided, but the snow was still falling heavily.

"Huh, it won't be so punishing, but we may get lost still. Can see farther, but the tracks will close behind us. I'd wait just a bit more, shouldn't last too long."

[DerpRavener]

"Huh, it won't be so punishing, but we may get lost still. Can see farther, but the tracks will close behind us. I'd wait just a bit more, shouldn't last too long."

Naj nodded. She hadn't considered that, distracted as she was by the events of the day. Or maybe it was just her inexperience. Either way, she felt better with Might making that decision. And he was right, she realized, even though it meant they'd be stuck here a little longer.

She didn't mind the company, in fact it was arguably the most pleasant she'd had in months, it's just that this felt...wasteful. There were things that had to be addressed, and as long as the two of them were stuck here the issues would remain. It was agitating. Naj fidgeted a bit, before settling down to watch the snow fall. There were a couple minutes of silence before a thought crossed her mind.

“Have you...dealt with changelings before?”

[Blueblood]

“Have you...dealt with changelings before?”

There was a sigh from the chocolate-coated pony, and he retreated back into the burrow before answering. "Well, yes; I was here last Nightmare Night. The Hive tried to invade this town during the holiday, you know. Or rather," Might came up short, a thought occurring to him, "You wouldn't, would you? You'd been banished after the wedding, right?"

It was kind of weird having to brief a changeling on what her own kind had done. Might wondered, not for the first time, how events had conspired to have him lead the life he did. "Well, it only lasted for the night; we beat them off eventually. I was with a bunch of foals, trying to help them escape from one of them that disguised himself as Applejack. Psmith was over in town, where the Princess had actually been captured. Come to think of it, though..." The earth pony's brows furrowed, with the effort of memory, "I think he said something about there being a changeling that was on our side. Yeah, I remember he said something about that. Huh."

He looked over at Naj, very thoughtful now, but he didn't say anything more.

[DerpRavener]

"You wouldn't, would you? You'd been banished after the wedding, right?"

“Yeah. I knew something had been planned, so I knew there was something to avoid, but I was pretty out of the loop by that point.” It had taken some effort, but Naj had made sure not to be in town during that time.

What Might described of Nightmare Night sounded like a repeat of the Canterlot plan, in her admittedly inexperienced opinion. Capture and replace key ponies, then attack with overwhelming force during the confusion. Reflecting on it now, Naj had to wonder why they kept trying such overt approaches, when pure subterfuge was available and probably easier to recover from.

"I think he said something about there being a changeling that was on our side. Yeah, I remember he said something about that. Huh."

Well this was a surprise. Another changeling not allied with the hive? Questions filled Naj's mind. “Is he sure what he saw? Was that changeling an exile too?” She realized Might probably would have these answers though. “Maybe I'll have to track them down some day...though I don't have much confidence in my chances of finding them...”

That could be postponed however. Something else was bothering Naj at the moment. She frowned again, this time more out of negative expectations than anything else. “Do you know why they attacked Ponyville? It seems odd to me. The whole reason I came here was because I expected them not to be interested in it...”

[Blueblood]

Might shrugged. "I've never had cause to doubt him before, though I can't say. Dunno why exactly they picked here, either. Apparently one of the Princesses has her second home here, or something." The matters of the Equestrian Political elites mattered little to him; the only time he payed attention to any Canterlot news is when their cricket club was playing Trottingham's in a match.

The snow outside was beginning to lighten up, and visibility was improving. The colt stuck his head out once again, checking the ground outside. "Hum, I think we'll be able to head back in a few minutes. You'd better come back in disguise until we can collar Psmith into a private conversation somewhere."