We Will Live On

Love Will Live On...

By Michael A.

Chapter: 4 - Those Who Drive On...

Strong groaned, turning again on his makeshift cot. He had been treated a while ago by the attending nurse Scar Heart, and had been told that his injuries were no longer life threatening, but that only fixed one of the issues. The soldier had been confined to bed rest, as part of his required treatment, and he hated it. He wanted to get back out there, saving his fellow Changelings and do whatever he could, not remain confined to a bed, unable to do anything but be a burden.

The hardened changeling sighed, once again turning on his cot. What was his use when he couldn't do anything? What was his purpose when he could hear those calling for help from the hive mind, but be unable to do anything. He felt cheated, like the nurse had taken away part of him with her order. He knew it was for the best, but it still bugged him, none the less.

But, another thought stuck in his mind, a name muttered by the mouth of a young changeling. Strong. Did he truly deserve such a name? A name that ‘symbolized’ his fight and drive? He didn't know. He wanted too deserve it, certainly, but still felt that he was unbefitting. Still, even with the moral aspect out of play, having a name seemed to mean a lot more than he could ever think before. All he had been known by all his life was by his designation that had been given to him at birth. This… this made him feel special. Different. He wasn't just another drone on the line. No, he had a title. Not general, or commander, or anything like that.

Just a name.

What a funny thing to mean so much. He inwardly laughed at the idea. It didn't make much sense to him logistically, but that didn't matter. It gave him a sense of purpose, replacing his existing one that had slowly begun to slip once he saw the first reminders of his dead brothers and sisters.

Death.

He shuttered, his smile curling down as the though was brought back to the surface of his mind. He had seen death before, either when he and his brothers fought against a dragon or manticore that threatened the hive, or anything else, for that matter. The concept was already accepted in his mind, an eventuality that he could not avoid nor outrun. But seeing all of this death, of those who days before he may had passed by in the hall, or shared a meal with, or even fought alongside, meant something different to him. It was a sadness unlike anything else, an immense loss that cut a piece out of his soul, and was taken down with the lives those who were lost. He felt like he failed, that maybe if he had fought harder, sooner, stronger, then more would be alive.

He shook his head, curling up closer into the blankets, his head sinking in deeper into the straw pillow. Emotions that he had held back whilst dealing with the situation as it came were finally getting their chance to be processed, and left him feeling drained, even more then when half of his blood lay at his hooves. Physical pain, he could manage, but emotional pain was a completely new concept.

Weather for better or worse, Strong was broken from his trance by a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to face its origin. He smiled at the site in front of him, using his fleeting strength to push himself up and onto his haunches. “Good to see you, Soft Wing,” the soldier spoke, his voice forced, but still strong.

Soft Wing smiled back. “Good to see you too, Strong.”  The teacher leaned forwards, revealing the little pupa that sat on her back, and allowing said pupa go jump off and onto the ground below. The small princess smiled, gleaming up at the soldier in front of her.

“Hello, Strong~!” The pupa cheered in a sing-song tone. “Good to see you looking better! You were all covered in boo-boos earlier.”

Strong smiled, running his hoof softly through the pupa’s mane. He turned and looked back at his scarred and bandaged body, before returning his attention back to his company. “I can thank you for that, little one.”

Aurora gleams, smiling and trotting around, her attention finally distracted by, well... whatever it was, Strong couldn't notice it. He let out a light chuckle, shaking his head in a playful manner. “Thank you for bringing her her, Soft, her, well… her smile heals me more than any other medicine.”

The teacher shakes her head. “Don't thank me, thank her. She was the one who wanted to visit you. Or, she put it, her ‘boo-booed’ friend, which I guessed was you.”

He couldn't help but smile wider.

Soft chuckled herself, shaking her head. “But, that is not the only reason why I am visiting you,” she begins, turning her gaze back to him. “The general has put me in charge of Aurora’s care, and although I know I can do it myself, I wanted to know if you wanted to assist? I know she seems innocent now, and I hope it stays, but who knows if she'll wake up tomorrow and everything'll just hit her at once? Helping her if that happens will need more than just me, and I will also need someling to also help me protect her, to keep her safe.”

Strong nodded, the question not needing any though. “Yes, I will assist you. It would be my pleasure.” And it truly would be.

The teacher beamed, nodding happily. “Great! Now, get some rest. You can't take care of a child when you can't even take care of yourself, now can you?”

Strong rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah… Fine,” he mumbled as he slowly layer back down.

He didn't know if he had earned his name yet, but he did know one thing: that he would be strong for her, for Aurora.

Twilight nervously trotted down the lower caverns of Canterlot Castle. Her eyes shot fearfully from side to side, her ears upright and at attention on her head. She was not supposed to be here. Her day with the princess had been wonderful, and she had learned a lot during her her court session with the princess. But, even through her joy, one thing had still stuck out in her mind, a thought that had plagued her thoughts since the moment it had first appeared there, and that though was what had driven her to sneak her way undetected into the belly of canterlot castle. She had been here before, her mentor bringing her down her during several occasions for either spell practice or other means. But, she had warned Twilight to stay away from the dark secret that was stored here, the same secret that housed all that Equestria wished to remain hidden.

After several fear filled minutes of trotting, following a path from sheer memory that she had once read in a book, her destination came into view. Two large doors sat at the end of the darkened hallway, twin sentries guarding at either side. Twilight sucked in a breath, quietly sticking the shadowed corners of the hallway. Once she got as close as she could to the door as she dared, the purple unicorn took a deep breath, muffling out a spell. Only a flicker of light shone before her horn was surrounded in a darkened mist, the gas absorbing all light that was near. Twilight looked up, her muzzle beading sweat as she stared at the two sentries, hoping that they had not noticed the flicker. She quietly let out a breath as she saw no reaction from the two, both remaining at their post, eyes wandering as their bored minds tried to grasp something to entertain it, and she was lucky it wasn't her.

Step one was almost complete, and that was just the easy part. Twilight knew that breaking into the subdermal prison was a risk, and a challenge on its own. But, she had a plan, one crafted from years of book work and extended study of the castle and all of its defenses. One of her lessons from her teacher had been about security and defense magic, and the princess commonly used Canterlot’s own as real life examples of their capabilities. As a result, Twilight knew every single spell that went into guarding Canterlot’s most dangerous criminals, along with every way to get around them. Getting past the external guards was the easy part, the large door being more of a rouse then a defense.

The outer wall was lead line, able to deflect most forms out outside magic trying to intrude into the inside, while a hidden rune circle lay buried within the wall itself, as an extra line of defense. But, there was always a failsafe, a hidden entrance if the main doorway was ever blocked or compromised. The first one was located on the wall just outside the door, only being able to open if the correct magical signature was detected. She knew how to mimic this signature, but getting too it was proving tricky, as the guards were still at alert.

Twilight stood stock still just outside of the grasp of the torches that burned over the prison’s entrance, her mind racing to find a solution to her issue. Finally, a thought drifted into her mind, and she readies a quick spell. A soft, haunting melody soon filled the hallway, both guards standing at attention from the unknown tune. They listened, and their eyes began to get heavy. Soon, both found themselves drawn into sleeps grasp, falling to their sides and onto the ground below.

The unicorn wasted no time, dashing from the cover of darkness and into the light, her horn glowing beneath its misty camouflage as she expelled the correct signature, a hole in the wall soon appearing in the brick in front of her, and she dashed inside, the brick reforming behind her. It wouldn't be long until the guards awoken, the tune was a soft melody that was sung by Sirens from Dark Sea. Twilight had read about their song and it's sleeping effects, causing those who heard it to fall into a dream like state, awakening soon after with no recollection of what had happened. She hoped that they would raise no alarm when they did.

The cavern snakes it's way behind the main walls of the prison, leading to a hidden entrance into the middle of the prison. Twilight cast an invisibility spell, bending and refracting the light around her to hide her presence. Once the spell was cast, she activated the second panel and climbed into the prison. Once again, she had to act fast, following a precise pattern that would avoid triggering any magical pressure plates, and avoiding the revealing lights that hung above, their special glow rendering all known invisibility spells useless under direct sight. Inch by inch, stride by stride, the unicorn made it closer to her destination. More than once had she had to stand completely still to avoid being spotted by a nearby patrol, her heart racing even as their hoof steps faded into the distance. It was only a hundred or so yards from her entrance she had snuck into to her destination, but the walk could have easily been miles, each step feeling like a thousand.

Finally, after a heart pounding trek, Twilight found herself standing outside of the grand doors of the high security prisoner storage, the enchanted lock that sat on the door the last challenge Twilight had to face before she could get to where she wanted. The lock was custom made, only able to be unlocked by one of the princesses herself. Well, almost the only way. Like all things that Celestia designed, they was always a back door. The solar princess always built hidden openings or solutions, fail safes, as she called them, to open any lock that she used. This one, however, this one required something special. With a quick puff of magic, Twilight levitated a small key that she had hung around her neck before she had started her journey. It was a whim, actually, the only part of the plan that she didn't know for certain would work. She put the key up to the lock and held it there, and for a minute, nothing happened.

Twilight was about to cry, scream out that all of her hard work had been for naught, but the lock suddenly started to glow, turning as the door slowly opened. After snapping out of her stupor, Twilight dashed inside, and closed the door behind her. She caught her breath, panting slightly as she could feel her heart finally stop to relax. Finally, when felt that she could breath, Twilight dropped her invisibility shield, also dropping her light countering spell that coated her horn. Her gaze turned up, and she looked upon the plasma bars that held back but one prisoner. Twilight stepped forwards, getting as close to the bars as she dared, and bravely looked beyond.

Queen Chrysalis lay motionless on her cot, her body tightly bound and her horn nulled by the inhibitor ring that wrapped around its base. She seemed to be sleeping, her chest rising and falling with a steady rhythm. Twilight casted one more spell, the magic surging from her horn and coating every floor and wall, it's purpose to block all sound from escaping, much like the one she had used to hide her magical glow. The unicorn took a deep breath, trying to psych herself up for what she was going to do, but stopped as a voice interrupted her concentration.

“Come to gloat, have you?” Hissed a voice from within the cell.

Twilight nervously trailed her gaze up, her eyes soon locking with those of the changeling who was once sleeping soundly, but had now raised her head to gazed in her direction.

“I am a light sleeper, you know. Even with my magic limited I can still sense your presence,” she continued, rising to her hooves and gingerly trotting towards the plasma bars.

Twilight took a step back, noticing the only slightly healed marks of plasma damage that coated the Queens front side, proving that she was not afraid of pain to get closer to those beyond the bars grasp. The unicorn nervously cleared her throat, speaking up with as much confidence as she could muster. “Queen Chrysalis, I am here to interrogate you and learn of your methods of how you infiltrated our kingdom.” It was a practiced lie, one that she had gone over again and again in her head.

The queen let out a quick chuckle. “My my, seems somepony isn't supposed to be here,”

she hissed, her voice bitter-sweet.

Twilight balked. “W-what?! How did you–”

“–how did I know? Easy,” the queen began. “You lie about your true purpose here, and you unease tells me that more than just me frightens you. So, the only logical conclusion is that you snuck in here, intent on questioning me yourself.”

“B-but, how did you–”

“Again, simple,” the Queen interrupted again. “Your kind has already sent their best to gather what that can out of me, their methods far worse than anything a scared little unicorn could outmatch.” She shook her head, shuddering at the remembrance of such tactics. “Their attempts were futile, however. I will not break. I will never break.”

Twilight blinked, before shaking away her shock. “Okay… Well, then I guess I should get right to the point, then.”

“Yes, you should.”

“I want to know why,” twilight asked.

Chrysalis sighed, shaking her head. “Before, I would have laughed at your request.” She sighs again. “But, I have little to lose now, so I feel that I shall humor you. How much do you know about my kind?”

Twilight shook her head. “Not a lot. Most recorded information is based on myths, and hold no historical accuracy.”

“Ah, as I expected, but there is always truth to ever myth,” she chided. “But, I guess I shall have to elaborate. Changelings have evolved to live in the harshest of environments: a land without mana.”

“Wait, what?”

Chrysalis growled at being interrupted, staring down the unicorn. “Yessss, a land without mana. Ponies like you can simply absorb it from the air around you, while we do not have such a luxury. We must feed our mana from emotion, love in particular. We gather this energy and convert it into mana, fueling our magic and life force. And we are… we were currently in a famine, our reserves running dangerously low, but I guess the famine ended when there was noling left to feed." She sighs, shaking her head sadly. "But, I digress. I attacked to simply replenish those reserves.”

Twilight scoffed. “You could have asked, and we could have worked out a peaceful solution!”

Chrysalis laughed, letting out an evil chuckle that chilled the unicorn to the bone. “Negotiation? You really think your government would allow us to feed upon its citizens willingly, draining you of your energy to feed ours?" She let out a chuckle. "I didn't think of you that much of an idiot, Unicorn.”

Twilight went to rebuttal, but found she had no argument.

The Queen nodded. “Exactly.”

There was silence, the room filling with an awkward pause.

“Tell me more about this famine,” Twilight spoke up, curious to learn more.

“Well, it isn't a true famine. We do not feed on love as much as we recharge from it. Our need to eat is not filled from this, as we do need proper food to digest and function. No, this emotion only drives away the Hunger.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Hunger?”

“A disease that a changeling gets when they do not have enough mana, and no love to replenish it. It is a horrible, horrible fate. Those who suffer from the Hunger feel immense pain, their souls slowly eaten away as they have no magic to keep it in place.”

“What a horrible way to die…”

Chrysalis shook her head. “The Hunger cannot kill on its own. The one affected will become weak, every moment they live filled with pain… Death usually comes by their own hoof, or from one who cares and is strong enough to end their suffering.” The queen bows her head, her memory flooded with the hundreds of times she had seen this happen, and given her children this mercy.

Twilight remains silent, contemplating her words. “So… you did this for them?”

The large changeling snorts. “You ignorant fool. You truly believed that we would face a superior enemy for the single purpose of being ‘evil’? Did you think us so bold to attempt such a thing for any other reason but our survival?” She scowls. “You mock me with your question, reminding me that I was bested by an idiot!”

Twilight scowled. “Hey! I merely protected my home!”

“And I mine!" Chrysalis screamed back. "Neither of us hold the moral high ground, here. I did what I needed for my family, and you yours. I do not blame you, Unicorn. Believe it or not, but I respect your power, and your actions.” Her gaze then shifts to that of hate, her wings flaring and her fangs gleaming. “But that does not mean that I do not wish to end you where you stand. I yearn for the day when I will be free and destroy all ponies, taking away your kind as you have done to me. I will kill everypony you care about, everypony you hold dear. I will not stop until death flames my body, too which I will welcome as I drag down as many of you as I can with me. But I will leave your princess to live, allowing her the curse of living with the feeling of regret and sorrow of having her precious family murdered infront of her.”

Twilight takes a step back, her heart racing in her chest at the creature in front of her.

“You and your kind have taken everything from me… and I will find a way to find to return the favor, Twilight Sparkle! You killed my daughter, so I will find a way to kill you!”

The unicorn had no words as she was frozen with fear, her heart racing with fear. Suddenly the door to the cell opened, and twilight turned only to shrink more as she saw a very angry looking Celestia trott inside. The Alicorn locked eyes with twilight, and she could practically feel the full rage of the sun burn down on her. She shrunk down further, and Celestia soon turned her gaze to the Queen.

“This unofficial meeting is over,” she commanded, staring down the Queen.

Chrysalis chuckled. “Well, seems someone needs to keep track of their pets better,” she hissed, smiling wickedly.

Celestia seemed unphased. “She will be punished according to the rules that she has broken, while you are already paying for yours.”

“And what about you, princess, what about your sins you have committed? How much punishment will you be suffering?”

Celestia's eye twitched. “I deal with my mistakes in my own way, Queen, a way that doesn't involve you.”

The large changeling growled. “Does the deaths you caused truly mean nothing in your mind?!”

“They do! And I mourn for all who have been denied their proper time to leave us, but I can ask you the same.”

Chrysalis rolls her eyes. “Don't play that with me. I know loss, more than you can ever comprehend! You do not have the moral high ground because you have not suffered as I have!”

“Suffering does not justify your actions!” The Alicorn shot back.

“Nor does it forbid them. I feel not guilt for what I did other than for not succeeding. If I am a monster, then so be it. I do not care which side I reside on, dark or light, I only care about my subjects, and what is best for them.” She smiles. “And you will know my pain when I eventually kill that unicorn over there.” She points to twilight, who cowered even farther into the corner.

Celestia steps in between the two, blocking the queen's view of her student. “You will leave her out of this,” she warned, her temper flaring as her power began to surge.

“Oh? Oh?! You want me to leave her out of this?! Then how about my family? Huh?! Did you give them that cutting?!” Chrysalis snapped, stomping back and forth along her cell, chains rattling as her eyes remained dead set on Celestia.

“I regret the action that was taken, but it was not my decision to make.”

The Queen rolls her eyes. “Celestia, you stupid creature! How do you not know the first rule about ruling: everything's your fault.”

Celestia’ eye twitched, and she briefly held eye contact before turning in an angry huff, coaxing twilight forwards with a less then gently hoof as the two vacated the chamber.

“You can't hide from the truth, Celestia! You are as much of a monster as I am!” Chrysalis cried out, before being muffled by the closing of the cell door.

Twilight looked up at her mentor, but shrunk away when she noticed the look of anger that still radiated from the solar Princess. It warranted not question.

“You will return to your old chambers and stay the night, Twilight. We will discuss your punishment after I raise the sun tomorrow,” Celestia said, not bothering to give her student eye contact.

Twilight nodded somberly. “Yes… Princess.”

“You have breached my trust, and used a key that I entrusted to you to completely disobey my wishes,” she shook her head. “I really did think better of you, Twilight.”

Twilight didn't respond, her gaze stuck on the floor below her...