From The Ashes

From The Ashes

Chapter Three

Blackjack woke up grogilly. He blinked and craned his head. He was being dragged by two Changeling guards through a tunnel. "He's waking up," one said. "Perfect timing too."

Blackjack began to move his front legs, trying to free himself. His efforts were recieved with a pound on his skull, making him see stars. "Next time we won't be so nice," the other guard said. "We're here."

They stopped at ornate double doors. Why would they need those? Blackjack thought. He didn't dwell on that though, as the doors opened. He was dragged inside and forced to a kneeling position.

"Your Highness," a guard said. "We have brought you the slave as you requested.

"Excellent," a sly voice said. "You are dismissed." The guards left, the doors closing with a boom. Blackjack's head was lifted up with a tender hoof. He gasped in fear as he saw who was touching him.

The Changeling Queen smiled at him. "Hello," she said.

"You're dead," Blackjack wimpered. "Y-you were killed by Discord."

The Queen laughed. "Do you really think that I don't know when I could be in danger? Discord killed a decoy in that battle my dear. Don't be scared, you may stand."

Blackjack stood and took a look at his surroundings. It was a throne room, beautifully decorated compared to other changeling designs. "Why am I here?" He asked. "I figured I'd be dead right now."

"Oh you would be," she replied darkly. "Had you not revealed your name, my dear Exile..."

Blackjack laughed nervously. "Oops.

"My sentinance exactly. You would fetch a high price in slavery, even higher than that you were purchased with. However, you are priceless, considering those you are affiliated with. The perfect bait for the perfect trap for my revenge."

"I don't understand."

"I think you do. Your friend is the sister of somepony who I would love to torture. When she learns where you are, she will submit to me willingly. Then her sister will follow and she will pay for what she did."

Blackjack realised who the Queen was refering to. "If you lay a hoof on her I'll-"

The Queen laughed. "You'll what? My dear, I have an army and they are more than a match for you. No, I won't hurt her. Not unless her sister disobeys me. Besides, I will give you two a seperate room so you can...express yourself."

He looked away, blushing. "I don't think of her that way."

"That blush would say otherwise BJ."

Blackjack snapped his head back to the Queen. Only she wasn't there. In her place stood Twilight Sparkle. "How did you-"

"We change into people you love," Twilight said in the Queen's voice. "Therefore, we know almost everything about them. Your love for her is strong indeed."

Though he knew that this wasn't his friend, Blackjack's heart ached seeing the unicorn in person. "You're not her."

"Oh but I can be," she said in Twilight's voice. She slowly walked around the stallion, smiling seducivly. "Think about it BJ, we could be together again." She wrapped her hooves around his neck, pulling him close. "We can be married just like you wanted."

The unicorn lightly licked his ear and whispered, "Maybe even have a family."

A pleasant shiver ran down Blackjack's spine when he thought of that possibility. The mare in his hooves giggled. "Kiss me, like you used to."

He tenderly pushed back her mane and touched his forehead to hers. "It would be my pleasure," he whispered, a tear sliding down his face. He then backed away, shaking his head. He said in a choked voice, "If I had ever kissed the real Twilight! But you wouldn't know that would you Your Highness?"

The unicorn grinned, her eyes flashing green. She was surrounded by a flash of emerald light and the Queen towered above the stallion. "I do now," she said, chuckling. "That just proves I can sway you even easier. Oh, and I know about the rebellion that your friend told you about."

Blackjack looked at her in panic. "I'm not part of that!"

"Oh?" She stamped her hoof and the doors opened. Guards dragged in the beaten and bloody Scourge. His chains rattled as he was pushed down; the stallion looked up at the Queen with hatred. "I suppose this slave was lying in that case," she continued. "Which I highly doubt, as he knows the concequences. Don't you my dear?"

"Go to Tartarus," Scourge snarled. "Queen Chrysalis."

Blackjack stared in disbelief. "What...?" That was all he could say.

"You see Exile," the Queen said. "That is how Changelings have surrvived through the centuries. We are masters at infiltration. We pretend to be your pets, neghbors, family, and even your friends."

She grinned cruely at Scourge. "Show him."

The stallion glared at her and looked away. The Queen punched him in the gut and he grunted. "Show him," she said menacingly. "Or you won't be the only one harmed when you disobey me again."

Scourge looked at her in fear and anger, then stared at Blackjack in sadness. "Forgive me," he said. An emerald light surrounded him and when it faded, a Changeling, a head taller than the Queen, stood in his place.

"No," Blackjack whispered. "No..."

The Queen cackled and grinned evilly. "Let me teach you something Exile; trust no one. Because, as you just found out, they might belong to my hive."

She turned to the other changeling. "Did you watch the Exile's battle?"

"Yes," he replied, head to the ground. "Yes...and your beast is dead."

"Did you see how he died?"

"He was set aflame and pierced from the inside.

"Yes, but how did the Exile escape the cacoon?"

The changeling was silent. "I'll tell you how," the Queen continued. "It's because he is the Zuo'Trumäg"

The bug looked up at Blackjack, his dragon-like eyes wide in disbelief. He then bowed and said, "Forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Spare me the false formalities, slave."

"With all due respect," the changeling snarled. "I was not refering to you."

The Queen hit his jaw, her horn glowing. Blackjack was then surrounded by green fire and he blacked out.

'-'

Slowly, the stallion regained conciousness. He tried to move his foreleg, but it was held in place with slime. Not again, he thought. He looked around, noticing he was suspended in the air inside a cave, his body covered in thick slime.

"You're awake," stated a voice.

The stallion looked to his right and scoffed in distaste. "Yeah, I am Scourge. If that is really what you are called."

The changeling frowned. "I understand why you are frustrated, My Liege, but-"

"But nothing! You lied to me! You're a Changeling!"

"My Liege, there was reason that I-"

"Yeah, you just wanted to grow strong off of my love didn't you?!? That's what you bugs do, isn't it?!?"

"My Liege-"

"Stop calling me that! Why are you calling me that?"

"Exile," another voice said.

Blackjack whipped his head left and snapped, "What?!?" He immediately regreted his decison. Princess Storm looked at him with concerned eyes. She was heavilly bruised and several bloody cuts ran down her body.

"I'm sorry princess," Blackjack said. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You're fine," she replied with a slight chuckle. "But you need to listen to that changeling. He's going to get us out of this mess."

Blackjack sighed. "Alright. What is it bug?"

"As I was saying," the changeing replied. "There was reason that I had kept secrets from you. Especially one of this magnitude. You see, My Liege, the rebellion is composed entirely of my kin."

"Why would Changelings revolt against their own queen? Isn't she your mother?"

"No," the bug had an edge in his voice. "We are not like insects in that sense. We wish to revolt because Chrysalis is not the true ruler of these lands. I am."

Blackjack widened his eyes. "What? How?"

The changeling was silent for a moment, his head down. He continued with tears in his dragon-like eyes. "Three thousand years ago, my parents were assassinated in the palace. I was put in the bonds of slavery and Chrysalis siezed the throne.

"Because of her, my kingdom is a barren wasteland, and my people starve. She kept loyalty with riches, slaves, conquest, and mind control. But now, her time has come to an end. Those still loyal to the crown had passed down stories of me through the generations and have disguised themselves throughout the city."

"But why do you want me in your rebellion?" Blackjack asked.

"Because you know ponies who can restore my kingdom to its former glory. Because...you are My Liege."

"What do you mean by 'My Liege' exactly?"

"I mean exactly that. I am to serve you."

Blackjack shifted uneasilly. "But why? I don't want anyone to serve me."

"That is where things get complicated," Storm said. "I dearly hope you will understand. There is a phrophecy that has each of its verses in a different language. Only the ruler of certain nations may view it."

"Okay, so what about it?"

"Neither of us know much," the changeling said. "Other than this verse: From the ashes a Hero shall rise. From the ashes the Tyrant. From the ashes a King. From the ashes the Zuo'Trumäg. From the ashes Noble-Spirit-of-Fire. Child of Stars and Space...Lord of destruction and renual...Child of Chaos through pain...Bearer of Shadow and Flame. The Courage he has will complete the fight, though it will take many to end the world's Darkest Night. My father, Gan, fortold it would be three thousand years later when the phrophecy would be fulfilled. That time is now."

"Alright, so there's a very important phrophecy that's going to come true around this time. This applies to me how?"

"Because you are the Zuo'Trumäg, the Dragon-Heart."

"I don't follow."

"It is one of the many names that is given to the hero in the phrophecy," Storm said.

"But why are you calling me 'My Liege?' I'm a fiddler, not royalty."

"The hero the prophecy describes is royalty, Prince Blackjack."

The stallion starred in disbelief. "What are you talking about? I'm no prince and I'm certainly not a hero."

"Chrysalis would not lie about something this great," the changeling said. "Not unless she had nothing to lose."

"But I can't be a prince! I lived on the streets my whole life!"

"The hero is the child of Stars and Space, whose name was Blackjack. You are him and he is you."

"That could just be a coincidence! I never knew my parents! I don't even know why they would leave me!"

"Perhaps it is you who left them," Storm said. "From the ashes the Tyrant. Child of Stars and Space...Lord of destruction and renual...Child of Chaos through pain...Bearer of Shadow and Flame. Shadow and Flame. Hmm."

"The prince was the Demon?" Asked the Changeling.

"Yes, I had heard it from another griffon."

"This may complicate things..."

"What are you two talking about?" Blackjack asked.

"My Liege, I have reason to believe your life is not what you think it is. I believe your memories and appearence have been altered because of what you became."

"What I...became?"

"Blackjack," Storm softly said. "You're Shadowblaze."

The weight of her words hit the black stallion hard. "No...no you're lying."

"Blackjack-"

"You're lying! I thought you were my friend, but now I see who you really are! You just want to bring me down even lower than I already am! I'm no prince, I'm no hero, and I'm sure as Tartarus not Shadowblaze! I'm the Exile and that's all I ever will be!"

"You're more than that Blackjack," the Changeling said. "Surely you remember your life in Equestria? Before your exile?"

"That life led to my exile! You can have a revolution without me bug, because I'm staying here to die."

"I promised to get you home!""That was when I trusted you!""You need to trust me Exile? I'll give you a reason to trust me! If you do not trust me, innocent people will die, you will remain a slave, and you will never see your friends in Equestria again!"The stallion looked at the ground, his eyes teary. "You're right...I need to trust both of you. But unless something exdrodinarlly terrible happens to my mind, I will never believe that I am the hero, let alone Shadowblaze.""We understand," Storm said. "More than you know. All three of us are seperated from those we love. In that sense, we are very much alike.""I have a wife," the changeling said. "Chrysalis took her from me, in order to control me. Even if you do not accept who you are Exile, know this: Chrysalis' assassins killed my mother. Prince Blackjack would know how painful that is, especially knowing who killed her. I would love nothing more than to see them at the mercy of my sword."Blackjack suddenly had a sharp pain in his head. His vision flashed and he saw an image of a stallion thrusting a sword into the blood-stained night sky."Blackjack!"He was brought back to reality by Storm yelling his name. "What...happened?""You were screaming. Are you alright?""I'm not sure. I...saw something. Blood...so much blood..."