Beneath the Surface

The door to their room creaked open, and Eclipse looked in. "Ah, miss Divine, miss Ruby. You're on board. I didn't see you enter." He looks back out of the ship. "It may be a while before we depart, so I suggest you make yourselves comfortable in the meantime."

Ruby looked up from where she had Divine pinned on the bed. She smiled and kissed Divine gently. "Thank you Eclipse. I'm sure we will be most comfortable."

"Uh..." Eclipse blushes and coughs. "Right... right... I'll, um, leave you to it, I suppose." He backs out of the door. "Have... fun."

Divine moans from the room, and the door closes. As Eclipse turns, he would run into Arcane, who was standing completely still next to him.

"Gah!" Eclipse stumbles backwards, then realises who he is looking at. "Oh. Hello."

"Where is she? Where's Theria?" He asked quietly.

"Where...?" Eclipse raises an eyebrow. "Why would you need to know? She's a prisoner of Equestria, now. She's out of your hair."

He chuckled. "True, but I wish to speak with her. Now." He tapped his hoof impatiently.

Eclipse frowns. "You can't just speak to her like that. I have to get Commander Ician's approval." He marches off to the bridge. "Give me a moment. I'll be right back."

Arcane steps in front of him. "Or, you can tell me where she is."

"No, I will not." Eclipse steps around him, his eyes crackling with little sparks of electricity and suspicion. "Not until Commander Ician has given me his approval."

Arcane sighs, walks away, and returns in a few moments dragging Ician.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ician demands. He draws out one of his four swords. "If you don't-"

He notices Eclipse. "... Lieutenant."

"Sir." Eclipse bows. "I believe this mercenary wishes to speak with the changeling commander."

Ician's right eye twitches, almost imperceptibly. "Why?" He asks Arcane.

"I need to speak with her. And I want to speak with her. Now."

Ician shakes his head. "She is our prisoner. I need to know why you need to speak with her."

"She has info I need."

"What kind of info?" Ician asked, his eyes narrowing. "It would be an act of the most appalling irresponsibility to give a captured enemy commander an opportunity to transmit information... to the outside."

"Info. You might as well tell me. It'll save me about ten seconds of searching."

Ician sighs. "We'll see." He turns to Eclipse. "Bring him to the place."

Eclipse blinks, momentarily bewildered, then salutes. "Yes, sir." He turns to Arcane, then trots off the ship. "Follow me."

Arcane smiled and followed him, whistling happily.

Ician shakes his head and moves back to the bridge. "Sorry about that, Sky. This mercenary is... overenthusiastic."

Eclipse flaps his wings, hovering just above the ground, as he touches down where the encampment once was and trots over to one of the darker corners, where a trio of knights and a single mage stood. The four of them give him a salute, but other than a wave to set them at ease he does not acknowledge them.

Eclipse moves past them and to the dark figure, huddled and unconscious. "Wake up."

"Hm?" The figure moves slowly and raises its head, blinking two sleepy blue eyes at Arcane. Theria's eyes narrow. "You."

"Heyo. I have some questions my dear. And I'd appreciate you answering them." He smiled happily.

"When I paid you to leave," Theria hisses, "I did not mean that you could leave your undead behind." She sighs. "But that's... over, now. What are your questions?"

"True, but you didn't say I couldn't. Firstly," he said, becoming rather business-like. "Where is Queen Chrysalis?"

Theria sucks in a breath. "I do not know."