Hippocampus: The Rebirth

"I can't believe that worked" Saris said laughing. Celestia had invited all the delegates out to a party she had set up in a park near Baltimare.

"All you did was blast them with a wave of magic" Keira pointed out.

"Well yes, but it worked." Saris said.

Celestia walked over to him "May I speak to you in private".

"I don't see why not." Saris said.

As he walked away he heard Keira say "Hope it" and something he couldn't make out but he continued to follow Celestia.

Celestia lead him the edge of the party, once they were out of earshot of every pony Celestia spun and whispered in his ear "There is a changeling among us".

Saris couldn't help it he was laughing so hard he caught the attention of several ponies and griffons. "Oh Celestia, when did you get a sense of humor. We wiped all of the changelings out, you, the Barracuda, Old Burnside lead the siege of their last great hive, I saw it on fire myself."

"A little over a year ago the changelings revealed themselves and attacked Canterlot. We missed a hive during the purge."

"You missed a hive; I had no part in that genocide."

"You voted for it!"

"As opposed to your vote! If I recall you wanted them dead more than I!"

"They were attacking my ponies more fiercely than any other kingdoms!"

"Is that why you lead several of the hive burnings with the flame ponies!"

"I lead those to show that the purge was just."

"That's not what you told me back then. Could it be that you've started lying to yourself."

"I do not lie to myself!"

"Only to your friends."

"You haven't changed a single bit in these thirteen hundred years!"

"Considering I was asleep for most of that time how much could I have changed. But you certainly have, and yet you stayed the same."

"And what does that mean!"

Saris looked away "Nothing, nothing at all."

"Saris you always were a bad liar."

"Am I or do I just have trouble lying to you?"

Celestia wasn't expecting this question, Saris saw the faintest hint of surprise on her  face. He decided to capitalize this small fracture in her composure and began to hum. It was a simple tune but it was a familiar one, Celestia recognized it. "Stop humming that tune!"

"Does it bug you Tia?" Saris mocked jokingly then continued his humming.

"Stop, I order you to stop, you are on Equestrian soil, you will stop!"

"A princess ordering a god, how the mighty have fallen." Saris said shaking his head. "Fine I will stop" he said still shaking his head.

This again shocked Celestia, she didn't expect him to give in. "Or perhaps you have changed." she said giving him a smile.

"More likely I simply am acting like my true self Tia."

"Really, I'm beginning to like he knew you."

Saris shook his head, "Let’s stop." he said coldly. "I not one to ignite old sparks. Back on topic then, Changelings there around feasting on the fear, rage, hope, and admiration we give them?" he asked.

"No these changelings only fest on love" Celestia informed him.

"Oh well that's just great, the one emotion that I don't want to entertain is the one I have to amplify to break his shell."

"You're trying to suppress your love?" Celestia asked him.

"Well my family did die and all, not the best time for love." a look crossed his face. "Did you ever find someone?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well I was just wondering? Oh I'm sure that you have a long line of suitors."

"Not anymore, after about eight hundred years into my reign the men stopped trying."

"You broke a few too many hearts?"

"You could say that."

“Could I now? Good to see you managed to move on.”

“I was more worried about you; after all I broke your heart.”

“You had a good reason, rather a little heartache now then a lot of grief later”

“So you understand my reasons?”

“Yes, well let’s just say being a lonely god back at the beginning, I had a lot of companions.”

“What type?”

“Let’s just say I was in your shoes allot.”

She gave him a look “How often”

“That’s unimportant, we have a changeling to catch” Saris said as he raised his trident. “You remember how this works?”

“Of course, you’re going to poor the desired emotion into you trident and it will be like a moth to a flame, but don’t impale it this time, I want to interrogate him.”

“Very well” Saris said pointing Octotear strait up. Its usual glow turned slightly pink. The light was dim, but this was bright to a changeling and one of the guards walked over to them.

“Pardon, but may I ask? How you survived for so long?” The guard asked.

“That’s a good question, but tell me changeling why do you want to know.”

“I was just wondering…and there goes my cover.” the guard said, then quickly turned and ran away. He got about two feet before he found himself trapped in Celestia’s magic.  She pulled him over and turned him around to face her. A real guard came over and Celestia ordered him to take the changeling in for interrogation.

“I guess you were right, there was a changing among us.”

“Well after the last attack I went and found the sensing spell.”

“Then why did you need me?”

“I didn’t.”

“I really do bring the pony out in you.”

“What does that mean?” Celestia said obviously not taking it as a complement.

“Well I was talking to your former pupil and her description of you was not the Celestia I knew. The Celestia I knew was one who enjoyed a good joke, still ladylike, and would have let me impale the changeling. She described you as loving and caring, and always calm. It’s unfortunate, when you freaked out was some of the best times we ever had.”

“You remind me of a simpler time.”

“I don’t really see how that was a simpler time, it seem just as hectic then as it does now.”

“Tell me, what does your city look like now?”

Saris sounded far away “It is in ruin, covered with over a thousand years of debris, it is indistinguishable from the sea floor. Or it would be if it wasn't for the spire shaped house tops cropping up all over the place, and the occasional collapsed building exposing new things to be covered."

"How do you cope with all of that destruction"

"By commissioning a restoration of the most inner city for us to live in."

"Does that include the Coral Palace?"

"Only parts of the palace for now, once we get some semblance of order we will restore the rest of it. I hope to one day see my under water empire brought to its former glory."

"That might take a while"

"Well with this new agreement the coffers will be over flowing, the small tax will allow us buy the necessary metals. Then we will start farming airweed and then we start hiring workers from the surface speeding up the restoration process.Hopefully the inner city will be done before Teneve and Keira die, I do hope it works out for them."

"Have you been matchmaking?"

"It was one of our favorite games, to bad it was so hard to set Luna up with somepony."

"Yes she always did have a problem with the Stallions."

"Does she still have problems? Even over a thirteen hundred years?"

"You really don't know?"

"You know I hate it when you do that."

"She was turned into a bane in the form of Nightmare Moon, and tried to overthrow me. Then I banished her to the moon for a thousand years."

"She did what!?! You did what!?!"

"It's a very long story and we don't have the time for it."

"Fine but you're going to tell me it sometime, you know how I hate not knowing the full story."

"Yes I do, maybe I will tell you next time you visit Canterlot, too negotiate the work agreements."

"How often do you actually act like the real you?"

"I don't get many opportunities to do so."

"I figured as much."

"So how did it go with Celestia?" Keira asked Saris.

"You don't need to know."

"Saris, Keira, do you see that!?!" Teneve shouted.

"What?" Keira shouted back in surprise.

They all looked down of the side of the Kraken and saw what should have been the outer ring of the capital city. It was in mor ruin then it was supposed to be. Ass the Kraken neered the innermost ring they saw what had caused this, there were changelings sort of hovering above the city trying to use magic to break into the Coral Palace.

Saris's eyes went wild with anger, hit the Kraken three times with. This caused the Kraken to bellow with rage. Every single Changeling turned towards the Kraken, it took all of two seconds for them to register what they were seeing. They immediately turned tail and ran from the Kraken.

"They're running from the Kraken!" Teneve said.

"Wouldn't you?" Saris asked. "But now we need to find out what they where planning. Kraken grab one!" one of the Krakens tentacles went out and grabbed one before it could get away. the Kraken brought it up to Saris. "Why did you attack the hippocampus?"

"We attacked you because you ruin our plans."

"How so?"

"You will be destroyed!" the changeling yelled then burst into flame, because of the water it didn't last long, but it was long enough for the changeling to kill itself.