The End and the Beginning
I, Queen Chrysalis, soon to be the last queen of the Changelings stand atop the Citadel, the monolithic tower that stands in the heart of our kingdom able to be seen from every corner of the underground hive. Once it was home to the center of our government. Now, it is our last stronghold. I looked out at my surroundings and watched as over 5000 years of Changeling history and culture burned. Our kingdom was founded during a time when the Badlands were still a thriving forest. We were one of the longest lasting kingdoms on Equus, beaten only by Equestria. And now we are but a few thousand. Soon, perhaps, not even that. And to think all of this because I was trying to keep my people from starving to death. The fates do love their irony.
I looked down from the window and I can see them in the streets below, small golden dots; the ponies have come to finish what they started and I’m sure their princess leads them, although which one I’m not sure.
I turned to a heavily shadowed corner of the room where one of my guards was doing a poor attempt at hiding. “Kelp, I thought I said that my personal guard was to join the defense.”
Kelp stepped from the shadows; he wore his dark blue armor, his curved horn had a single hole in it. It made him rather poor at magic, but his loyalty made up for it, and his eyes were a solid green. His father led the attack on Canterlot, but like many others he did not return. His mother now leads what remains of the defenders; his family has truly served me well.
“I swore to protect you to the end your Majesty. Besides my mother would have my flank if I left you undefended,” Kelp said.
I let out a brief sigh; I suppose I could give him this last honor. “Very well, you may accompany me.”
We walked in silence for some time descending from one stair case to another; only the clap of our hooves on the marble floor filled this void.
“Your Majesty,” Kelp spoke, his voice barely a whisper. I said nothing, but he continued “Is there truly no hope?”
“Even if there is none I promise you the ponies will come to regret this day.”
The sounds of battle grew louder the closer to ground level we neared. The ponies had already started their final assault and we still had so far to go until we reached the Depths. Our only hope for everyling…No, who am I trying to fool! what waited for us is not our salvation just another form of our destruction. But at least this destruction will take the ponies with us.
More Changelings rushed past heading down the corridor to the main entrance. Those doors were strong but battered; they would only hold for another hour if we were lucky. I turned and headed away from the battle, taking one of the servant corridors. I quickly wished I hadn’t. It had been converted into a makeshift hospital. Broken and beaten Changelings laid in droves, as the few healers left were simply overwhelmed. Some of them had bandages holding their own cracked chitin together as they tried to help the others. As a queen, I am prepared for death. I am not immortal but I would have lived to see many generations pass before my end. This suffering, though, I cannot bear to watch. I quickened my pace, although the others seemed too focused on their task to notice us as we slipped out and left the area.
We emerged at a hallway leading to a set of archways for the east and south wings of the Citadel. Separating them was an archway with a stone wall. Within the stone set a crystal eye, flanked by a pair of Changeling wings carved into the stone. I poured my magic into the eye and watched as it swirled within and soon the stone wall moved back a foot before descending into the ground. Behind the wall was a round platform large enough for twenty Changelings to stand on.
“I never knew this was here?” Kelp said his mouth still ajar.
“This is a place only queens may travel; you will be the first drone to set hoof in the Depths since the time of its construction.” I stepped onto the platform and allow my magic into the ancient device. The gears began to turn and the lift lowered us down into the Depths. Slowly, far too slowly, we descended. I wondered if the defenders would hold out, if not, they do not know of the Depths. That would buy us time, if nothing else. I had only been down here once before. It was when I was still but a nymph accompanied by mother when she still ruled; I had nightmares for weeks.
As I waited for the lift to reach my destination I couldn’t help but think back to the start of all of this, and of my mistakes, “Kelp,” I said, and at the sound of my voice he jumped to attention.
“Yes, my Queen?”
“Do you blame me?”
“I don’t understand? Blame you for what?” Kelp asked, confusion genuine in his voice.
I sighed and looked down to him, “Everything. The failed invasion. The resulting war. And most of all, the likely destruction of our kingdom.”
Kelp was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke up, “No I don’t, and I don’t think any Changeling would. We’re not ponies, so we can’t survive solely on normal food. Without love we will die. Ponies are the most love filled creatures we have ever found, but it’s getting harder and harder to capture them near the border and those we have in storage are getting old. You did what you thought was best to save us and secure us a stable supply of food.”
We returned to silence once more only the sound of the gears working as we neared our stop, “Thank you, Kelp.”
Green torches lit the darkness, lining the cave tunnels. We followed the trail of light as it would lead us to only one location. A set of massive double doors blocked the path ahead, with each one of them over ten meters high. Runes were carved along the edges, and sealing circle dotted the surface. Constructed during the reign of the third Queen, it was truly a door that could rival the gates of Tartarus itself. Stories say it took countless lives to construct and it was all it keep IT contained.
“This is where we part ways, Kelp.” I say, turning to face him.
“But my Queen!” Kelp protested. With a single look, however, he was silenced.
“You will guard this door Kelp, nothing can be allowed to disturb me be it pony or Changeling.”
“By your order, my Queen,” Kelp said, his voice full of a conviction that I know he would hold until he fell. “Even if it cost my life.”
I turned to the doors, but stopped perhaps one more word for a loyal guard. “Kelp, know this, your family has served me with unwavering loyalty and honor and you stand at the end as a testament of what it is to be a true Changeling. Your ancestors would be proud. I certainly am.” Kelp stood just a little straighter.
With just a bit of magic and the right spell the doors easily slid open. I trotted through quickly, closing the door behind me, so the whispers will not break poor Kelp's mind. IT went by many names The Whisperer, The Nothingness, Capti. No matter what you called it there is only one with any true meaning: Demon. Those permitted to know of its existence have theorized that it may have been a draconequus that lacked enough chaos to form a body. But I do not believe this to be true, draconequi are formed from pure chaos, but this thing is just evil.
I continued down the slow curve of the tunnel as torches of green flame lit alongside me. I did not run nor did I hurry, for I did not wish to meet this thing any sooner then I must. Evil is a word that is thrown out a lot in this day and age. The ponies used it when we attacked Canterlot, even as we took care not to harm the ponies as we rounded them up for processing. Even as a young nymph I could tell the evil of this thing is different, as it has no rage or vengeance, no sense of morality or ideology, it is pure evil.
I could feel it itching at the back of my mind the subtle whispers. I shook my head; it was easy to ignore at the moment but it would get worse as time went on. I entered the final chamber the floor was uneven and rocky, there were no torches in this room but I could still see the crystal structure that spiraled out from the ground to the ceiling. It was the third Queen that found it but she was not the one who sealed it, for there is no telling how many eons it was trapped under the ground before it was found.
“Demon!” I cried my, voice echoing throughout the cave. “I have come to make a deal!” The whispers in my mind became impossible to ignore, like words in a howling wind I could hear nothing of what it said. I had its attention. “As we speak my people are fighting a losing battle and the ponies may have already breached the gates. I do not know how many are still left alive, but I make my plea for those that still live. Save them and kill the ponies, and in exchange I will grant you your freedom.”
The voices in my mind calmed and as if a hundred voices joined into one it whispered, Freedom is not a price but a requirement to act.
“Then what do you want?”
A life must be given for the pact to be forged.
My heart beat heavily; I took a deep breaths trying to quell my shaking hooves. This thing terrified me on a primal level. A part of me wanted to run and hide, but I steeled myself. I held no delusion of grandeur that I would make it out of this war, so I suppose this is only fitting for the queen who brought ruin to the Changelings. “And you will save my people?”
We will destroy your enemies.
“But what of my people?”
We will destroy your enemies.
I almost wanted to laugh, and to think I would cling to such a vain hope that this Demon could do anything more than just kill. “Very well, then. I accept.” The moment I spoke words, pictures, and magical equations flooded my mind; it was a spell to set it free.
The basics of the spell were simple but the magical requirement was enormous. My horn charged with every last ounce of my magic, sending off green bolts in no general direction. I strained under the pressure of so much magic fighting to break free from me. It was unbearable, so much magic begging to be set released, so I granted its wish. An orb of power flew forth from my horn, hitting the crystal in the center, and then I waited. I panted heavily as I watched. The crystal seemed to absorb the blast and showed no signs it was phased. I wondered if I had somehow failed the spell, but before my mind could dwell on it a small crack formed in the crystal.
Slowly, the crack spread, picking up speed as it went, as it branched out in every direction until just when I was sure it would shatter into dust it seemed to simply evaporate like water. As the crystal slowly disappeared black smoke poured out, like a hole in a cup of water. The smoke surrounded me, swirling around until the crystal was no more. The smoke gathered in the center of the room, twisting and turning until it formed what I can only describe as the upper torso of a bipedal creature. Its two arms had five claws on each hand, and its face was obscured by a shadowy mist, but I could make out four white eyes, and smoke rising from its body like black flames. Its lower half seemed to be a fusion with the shadows itself.
It is time to collect the offering and forge the pact.
Its arm reached out toward me, as I close my eyes my mind drifts to my little Heliconia, still sleeping in her egg.
***
Solar Shield’s armor rattled as he galloped, a piece of the cracked breastplate rubbing into his shoulder, and the enchantment that turned his coat white failing, revealing his orange color underneath. He paid it no mind; it was a reminder for him to focus on his surroundings. If that Changeling fire had hit just three inches higher he would be dead now. He was just glad he had been so fast with the defensive spell. Solar Shield reached the encampment and headed straight for the dark blue alicorn, who stood atop a broken tower overlooking the siege below. Princess Luna was clad in armor similar to that of her lunar guards. Her breast plate was embedded with her crest moon cutie mark and her starry mane was pulled through the back of her helmet. All of it bore dents and burn marks from repeated attacks.
“Princess Luna!” The solar guard shouted from below. The Princess spread her wings and leapt from the tower, she caught the wind and glided to the ground coming to a full stop in front of the guard.
“What is your report?” Luna said.
Solar Shield saluted, “Princess, we have successfully breached the gates, and the Changelings are retreating to the upper floors.”
“Excellent!” Luna cheered. “Focus your efforts on finding the Queen. Once we have her we can put an end to this war. As for the others, give quarter to those that lay down their arms,” Luna looked up to the ceiling of the cave, amazed at how high it was, as her mind flashed back to the countless suicidal assaults the Changelings launched on her lines. “Though I do not believe they will.”
A thestral of the lunar guard flew overhead circling around and landing next to Solar Shield. “Princess Luna,” The thestral began. “We have captured the eighth district.”
Luna smiled, “And what of the surviving Changelings.”
The guard gulped visibly, “There was a problem,” He said, looking at anything but Luna's gaze. “The Changeling forces were centered around a building our Intel said was one of their barracks, so we decided to deploy standard shock and awe tactics. I had the Battlemages fire a strike on the building, and at the same time the rest of us moved in to surround them. I had assumed the Changelings would surrender, but they went into a mad frenzy and attacked...it was chaos. I lost a third of my company. The Changelings just wouldn’t surrender so we were forced to cut them down to the last. It wasn’t until we examined the building that we found out why they went berserk.” The guard looked to Luna with pain clear in his eyes, “I want you to know I take full responsibility.”
“What did you find.” Luna said with a tone that cut straight into the guard, even as her mind put the pieces together itself.
“It was a hatchery, your Majesty,”
Despite knowing what was coming she still let out an audible gasp. The war had stretched out far too long in Luna’s opinion. It was a simple idea in the beginning: Chrysalis was the reason for the Changeling aggression, so remove her from power and install somepony who would help reform the Changelings to be more in line with harmony. But she had underestimated their devotion to their queen, and it also didn’t help that there were technically no civilians, as every Changeling of age armed themselves to fight.
“Return to the eighth district and guard... something.” Luna said, turning away from the guard.
For a single moment the sounds of battle, the moaning of wounded, the crackling of the fires around them, all of it just stopped. An unseeable force expanded throughout the city, Luna felt it like a cold wind up her spine. Luna’s head snapped to the Citadel tower, “What on Equus was that!?”
“What was what Princess?” Solar Shield asked a look of confusion upon his face.
“Something is wrong here,” Luna said. She turned to face the thestral guard, “Gather your company and rally them here until further notice.” The thestral bowed once before leaping into the air with a quick flap of his wings and flew off over the encampment.
“Come, Solar Shield. We are going to the front lines,” said Luna.
Luna found the Changeling architecture rather unique, the smaller structures seeming to be a mixture of stone and the green goo Changelings produce, with the result being something as strong as steel, but it seems to melt under the heat of the flames. Larger buildings were of a more rounded design, with many having holes that went from one side to the other mimicking the Changeling body.
The roads were lined with the corpses of Changelings, pushed aside to make room for the advancing army. Square formations of hundreds of ponies stood in the plaza a few hundred feet from the Citadel, whose doors laid in pieces. Luna landed among the roles of guards, Solar Shield galloping not far behind. They were greeted by a yellow unicorn in purple and gold lined armor. “Princess! I didn’t expect you to return with Solar.”
“Guard Captain Steadfast, how fares the battle?” asked Luna, trotting past him.
Steadfast trotted by her side, “Quite well, Princess. I have sent the Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Battalion in, we are still awaiting word of their progress, but the Changeling resistance should be all but crushed.”
Luna gave a nod of approval, “Has there been anything unusual of late?”
Steadfast chuckled, “Princess, this is war. Unusual is an everyday occurrence.”
“Anything that would stand out to you.”
“Not that I…” A scream rang out as a crystal pony collapsed in formation.
“What has happened?” Luna called as she galloped over.
“I’m not sure Princess,” a fellow crystal pony said. “She kept glancing around, asking who was whispering to her, then she just... collapsed.”
The collapsed mare held her hooves to her ears has she sung. “I’m a little alicorn pure and strong, here are my wings and here is my horn.”
Luna looked to Steadfast concern written on his face “Well, Princess,” said Steadfast. “I’d say that’s unusual.”
“Captain!” Solar Shield yelled, pointing a hoof at the Citadel entrance. Scores of ponies crowded through the massive doorway, pushing past each other. Screams of retreat were drowned out by those of panic.
“What in Celestia’s name is going on?” Steadfast yelled, venom dripping from his words.
Luna didn’t seem to notice the horde of ponies rushing past her, toppling over their orderly counterparts, or as several of them seem to fall to the ground covering their ears and shaking violently. What she did notice was the black smoke billowing forth from the doorway, consuming any guard still struggling out. Slowly, it spread out and upwards, until it was a tidal wave ready to crash down on them.
A dozen projectiles shot from the smoke, dragging the shadows behind as they arched through the sky. “INCOMING!” Steadfast cried as the broken remains of guards impacted the ground, one landing mere feet from Luna. Luna could feel the fear began to taint the air.
“Battlemages!” Luna commanded, “And any unicorn that can cast barriers, imprison this thing before it spreads further!”
Rolls of Battlemages lined up with unicorns falling behind. The Battlemages wore a white variant of the solar guard armor, the only exception being a white hood instant of gold helmet. One by one the ponies lit their horns, encasing the ever growing black smoke in a transparent blue barrier. The smoke pressed against the barrier until only darkness could be seen.
Laughter. It was subtle at first, barely noticed by any. The whiny, snickering sound soon became impossible to ignore as the twitching remains of guards moved in unnatural ways. Luna’s eyes were wide as she watched the broken pegasus stallion mere feet away. His head snapped up, twisting around to look at her, with strangely white-coated eyes. His mouth opened and a high pitched wail of laughter poured out. Luna slowly looked back at the smoke, as four white eyes stared back.
***
The last thing I remember was a mass of darkness breaking open the doors my Queen had ordered me to guard. The darkness was blinding; all I could hear was a screeching, like a thousand pairs of Changeling wings flying at once. I lost consciousness soon after. My head was pounding as I came to, but I managed to get to my hooves. That darkness came from the direction the Queen had gone, and I needed to know if she was ok. I only hope my Queen could overlook me going against her orders. The torches of the cavern had gone out and, despite my fiddling with them, they refused to ignite. I allowed magic to flow into my horn and focused on a light spell materialising an orb over my head. I released my magic and watch as the orb, just as quickly, blinked out of existence. I sighed in frustration; I really hate magic.
It took three more tries before the orb of light remained in the air. Having wasted enough time, I galloped down, the tunnel soon reaching an empty cavern. Queen Chrysalis was nowhere to be seen. Why did she come down here, anyway? The way she spoke made it seem like there was something dangerous down here. Was it that darkness? No, that couldn’t be it, but then what? I shook my head, clearing away the thoughts. It didn’t matter now. All that was important now was finding the Queen. I raced back down the tunnel heading for the lift. Maybe, just maybe, my Queen went to the surface.
The sound of my hooves seemed to echo in on themselves as I gallop down the rocky tunnel almost as if another pair of hooves were running in sync with me. I stopped and so too did the echo. I poured more magic into my orb, letting the radius of light around me expand out, but I saw nothing but the darkness. I turned back and galloped down the path once more , but within moments the echoing started back up only this time it was out of sync. I pushed it from my mind as I was nearing the lift but the echoing only grew louder. Willing myself I galloped faster to escapes whatever pursued me, but the echoing matched my pace. I leaped for the lift rolling as I hit the ground. I got to my hooves adrenaline surging me on, and turned to face whatever was there, but there was nothing but an empty cave.
Not willing to find out what that was I cut the magic to my light orb and quickly using all my remaining magic to start the lift. I set down taking a breath as the lift rose. “Hello, Kelp.”
I turned quickly taking a defensive stance, but I was surprised to see a Changeling guard standing, smiling at me. I could have sworn to the Queen there was no other Changeling on this lift just a moment ago, so how did this one get here? I stepped closer to examine him, and he made no movements at all. He just smiled and watched me. As I looked closer I could see the familiar markings, a crack in his chitin that had healed over leaving a white scar behind, the formation of the holes in his hooves. All of it could only be from one Changeling I knew, “Father?”
“I see you’ve managed to keep yourself alive.” My father, Caltrop, said.
“But how? You died in the battle for Canterlot?”
Caltrop waved that off with a hoof, “No, no, that was a mistake. I survived, it just took me awhile to make it back here.”
I stumbled back shaking my head in an attempt to clear some of the confusion, “But how did you get past the ponies? And the lift it was empty just moments ago!”
Caltrop gave a small laugh, “The same way any Changeling gets past a pony: we take their form. As for the lift, well, you were never the most observant.”
We stood in near silence as the lift slowly rose from the Depths. I looked up and could see the light of the exit growing closer, turning back to my father I asked, “The Queen saw you fall personally. Are you saying she was wrong?”
Caltrop rolled his eyes, or at least the closest a Changeling could, “The Queen is very powerful, but she is not all knowing. If she was we wouldn’t have lost the battle in Canterlot. She may have seem me fall but she did not see me die.”
That made sense…maybe, but what if Caltrop was just some kind of phantom? I’m not sure my mind is so hazy. As if he was reading my mind, he stepped over and slapped me. “Snap out of it; you have more important things to worry about than me! Or do I need to ask for the whereabouts of the Queen?”
I rubbed the side of my face where Caltrop slapped me, ok, that hurt, so he is at least real. But he was right. I needed to find the Queen. The lift finally came to a stop, and I shot off of it, sprinting down the hall; Caltrop followed after me. I ran down the main hallway, not bothering with the servant corridors like last time. I rounded the corner nearing the stairs that would take me to the upper levels when I saw it: a sea of corpses. There were five ponies for every Changeling corpse I found. Some had obviously been slain in battle with the sword or spear still embedded within them, while others looked like they just dropped to the ground. I know the Changeling army is strong, but could we have truly defeated so many?
“Looks like the ponies weren’t as strong as they claim,” Caltrop said, kicking one of the unblemished ponies “And I bet these died from fright.”
I ignored him and made my way to the entrance. Slowly, I stepped over the down ponies and my fallen comrades, keeping my eyes straight ahead, and my mind solely on my task. The massive double-door marking the entrance lay in pieces, the right-most door looking as if it would fall from its hinges at any moment. I stepped down into the dark of the city. The smell of baked goods, the sound of nymphs playing, and all of the little things I remember when I was younger, all of it was gone now, replaced with the smell of the burning city and the cries of those who have yet to die.
The pony army was nowhere to be seen as I raced down the road toward the plaza, splashing puddles of liquid against my chitin. I tried to ignore the fact that it hadn’t rained in the Badlands in weeks. Where was everyling? Had the ponies pulled back? And most importantly, where was the Queen? “Try looking from some place high.” Caltrop said, again answering a question I had not asked.
I pushed that out of my mind for now as I unfastened my wings. As they buzzed loudly and lifted me into the air, Caltrop seemed happy to just wait on the ground. I flew as high as my wings would let me until I could see the entire city. They were like small ants from this height, but I could still see them. The ponies were flooding through the tunnel that led to the surface, but that wasn’t what had my attention, it was the dark alicorn that seem to be battling…some kind of monster. It was massive, at least half the size of the Citadel. It swung at the alicorn with a hand that could easily engulf her. She spun her body to the side and dodged it, quickly righting herself as she fired a dark blast of magic that seem to cut the monster in two, but the shadows just as quickly reformed.
I lowered myself back to the ground. Whatever that thing is it seem to be chasing the ponies off, but what is it? No, that doesn’t matter. I need to focus and find the queen now more than ever.
“You are a persistent one aren’t you, but I suppose that’s why I chose you as one of my personal guards.” The voice came from where Caltrop once stood, but that wasn’t Caltrop’s voice. My wings were pressed tightly against my back as I turned and faced my Queen.
***
Again Luna’s attack struck the monster only for it to reform its injured parts moments later. She was panting; it was taking so much of her magic just to keep this thing distracted while the army withdrew. Ha! Army! Who was she kidding? They had long stop being an army and were now more of an organized mob all rushing to the exit.
The monster was coming again. It swung at Luna with both arms as it tried to crush her in-between them. It was larger than any living creature she had ever seen, but its size made it slow. She easily dodged the swipes and swerved around both hands. The dark blasts she had been using while powerful were draining her reserves of magic, and this beast didn’t seem to be slowing down. She dove low to the ground flying just a few feet over the buildings, as she lit her horn stone and other debris began trailing behind her in an ever growing tail. Luna’s wings pushed her to the edge of her top speed, but she was only just able to dodge the constant attacks. Each attack by the monster tore apart buildings and sent more debris flying. Luna could only smile; for each attack more debris was added to her growing arsenal. She angled her body up and gained altitude as her stone tail curved in the air working to follow her.
The four eyes of the beast bored into her and she swore she could almost hear a faint whispering, but she pushed that out of her mind and smiled back. With just a thought the stones shot past her with enough speed to put a dent into steel. She fired the stones in rapid succession, each tearing a hole of equal size to them through the monster, and as it reached out once more Luna diverted the stone, ripping apart the hand in mere seconds. The monster stood in tatters as the stones tore it apart faster than it could reform, but just as Luna’s victory seemed assured the remains of its body fell dissolving into darkness. The formless blob of shadows launched itself at Luna, far faster than it had been. Luna shot the remaining stones but they seemed to do little to stop it, and as it lunged for her Luna shot herself higher into the air. But the blob was faster. Luna cast a barrier around herself as she was swallowed whole.
The darkness pressed against the barrier forcing Luna to strain to keep it up, as it was becoming increasingly difficult with the growing static in her mind, like a radio that lost its connection. “So that is how you fight,” Luna said to herself. “You wish to send me into the arms of madness do you?” A smile touched her lips as an idea formed, “Very well then, you want madness? I will give you madness!” What had once been created to help Luna overthrow her sister had become one of her greatest weapons, and the source of her own madness.
Her eyes became slits, her coat as dark as her domain, and her teeth fangs. Magic erupted from her, spilling out in every direction banishing the darkness that trapped her. Quickly she took stock of her surroundings; the creature was gone as far as she could see. She turned her attention to the ponies but they had stopped fleeing and were…celebrating. Hundreds stood near the exit tunnel calling out praise for Luna, some hugged their fellow guard while others seem to collapse from exhaustion. Luna’s royal canterlot voice boomed across the city, “What are you doing? Run, for it is still alive!” As if to answer the call a magic vortex opened drawing in the magic around it as the creature reformed its body.
Even across the city Luna could still feel the pull of the vortex. She was on her last legs even with the magical boost she had received by resorting to her dark arts, and she had used most of that just to break free of its hold. She glided to the ground going straight into a gallop once her hooves touched the ground as she raced for the exit. The ponies were frozen, watching the monster reform into a body far larger than the last, but their trance was broken as Luna neared. “Princess,” Solar Shield called, trotting to her side.
“Why are you all still standing here?” Luna called.
Solar Shield pointed to a group of downed ponies. Each seemed to be suffering from the same debilitating madness. “I don’t know what happened to them but they collapsed and are completely unresponsive, so we’re having to carry them out, but it’s slowing us down.”
Luna glanced back at the monster. It had yet to move but it wouldn’t be long, and if it was anything like last time it would cover that distance in little time. She closed her eyes and steeled herself for what had to be done; if she had time she may have been able to remove the madness from these ponies, but there was none. “Leave them!” Luna called, paying little attention to the shock on Solar’s face. “If you cannot leave by your own power then you are not leaving.”
A single moment passed, but for Luna it felt like an eternity as the guards looked at her, like they were seeing a stranger. “You heard the Princess, move! Get through the tunnel!” Solar Shield called, snapping the ponies out of their self inflicted daze. Luna gave him a nod in appreciation and trotted forward to join the others. She stopped only once as she spotted a purple armored guard. He stared out into space muttering nonsense to himself, “Forgive me,” she whispered, before turning away.
Luna stood near the mouth of the tunnel as the last of the guards funneled through. “My princess, look,” One of the guards called pointing out to the sky. The creature was on the move again and was closing in on a squad of thestrals flying towards them, their wings beating as fast as their hearts. But the monster was still closing in on them, and they weren’t going to make it. Without another thought Luna spread her wings and took off. Her body may have been sore, and her wings may have burned, but she pushed past it. As she neared she could see the fear of the squad as they kept looking back every few moments watching the monster draw closer, only for it to grab the squad in one massive claw. With a cry Luna dove into the heart of the creature.
The guards crowded the tunnel as they watched with bated breath, yet the creature seemed to stop as if focusing on something else. It’s chest exploded outward, revealing Luna gripping the squad in a bubble of dark blue magic. Her dark form had faded, replaced with her natural eyes and blue coat. Her wings stretched out in an attempt to glide to the ground before her strength gave out. Not to be denied, the monster swatted her from the air, mid glide, as if she was a fly. Even as Luna flew in an arc through the sky she clung desperately to her magic holding the thestrals. She hit the ground with enough force to bounce her back into the air before she fell back to the ground, sliding to a stop mere feet from the tunnel.
Every part of her body was in pain and it hurt to even breathe as she worked to get on her hooves. Her left forehoof screamed out in pain before giving out under the weight. The thestrals, free of their bubble, rushed to Luna’s side. “Get her out of here!” Solar Shield called, galloping forward. The thestrals didn’t need to be told twice as one went to either side and supported Luna as she rose to her hooves.
“Leave me,” Luna cried, between fits of coughing. “I command thee, there is no time!”
Solar Shield watched the towering creature approach. The hole in it’s chest already healed, “You’re right. We are out of time.” He whispered to himself. He summoned every ounce of his magic reserve as he cast his spell. His horn glew with a near constant white aura, as a dome of radial light formed between them and the creature, “Go!” Solar Shield yelled over his shoulder, “Collapse the tunnel and don’t let it follow!”
Luna looked back as her guards helped her. A part of her wanted to argue that she be left behind, but she knew they wouldn’t listen so she chose to leave Solar Shield with a single piece of advice, “Don’t give in to the madness.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, your Majesty,” Solar said, just as a massive hand smashed into the shield, causing Solar’s forehooves to buckle under him. He gritted his teeth under the strain of the spell. “To think the princess fought something this strong.” Subtle movements at the base of his shield drew his attention. A pony drug himself to the barrier. The lower half of his body looked twisted and maimed, but still he pulled himself up and beat on the outside of the barrier. The eyes of the pony were glazed over; Solar didn’t need a closer look to see he was long dead, and soon others emerged from the dark, each one more deformed than the last. They pounded on the barrier while their moans of pleading pierced the night.
“Let me in.”
“Don’t leave me behind.”
“You have to help me.”
Solar looked up into the four eyes of the monster, “You think this frightens me!” He challenged, “You want to know what frightens me, the thought of failing my princess! So come on, you son of a manticore, bring your zombies! I will take them a thousand times over before I would fail my princess even once!” The monster’s claw latched on top of the shield and squeezed. Solar’s horn felt as if it would shatter at any moment, but that was nothing compared to the raging noise in his head. Desperately, he closed his eyes and did the only thing he could think of: he recited the oath of the guard. “I, Solar Shield, do solemnly swear to be the shield of Equestria and a symbol of justice to the citizens of the land; I will obey those above me and I will protect those below me, until such time as the princesses release me or death take me.”
As Luna passed deeper into the tunnel, three battlemages trotted forward and stood in a line near the entrance, “Pick a wall; 7th degree fireball on my mark,” The center battlemage called out. Their horns glow red giving off waves of heat, “MARK!” Simultaneously three fireballs ripped into the walls of the tunnel and detonating as one, and any evidence that a tunnel was once been there was gone.
The sound of the explosion brought a smile to Solar’s face he looked at the monster once more, “I win.” He said, before his shield gave out.
***
“I don’t understand what’s going on?” I asked the queen that stood before me. While she looked like my queen she was just too out of place, the way she spoke, the way she acted, and especially the way she seemed to know what I was going to ask before I asked it.
Chrysalis rolled her eyes, “Just because I answer something we are all thinking you think I’m a fake. This is why I prefer my guards silent and obedient, but to answer your question, that,” she pointed to the creature in the distance. “Is killing all the ponies for you, so what more do you need to understand?”
I narrow my eyes, “I want to know what that thing is and who you are?”
“Kelp, I’m hurt. Surely you of all Changelings would know that I am your queen…but I am also not your queen.” Chrysalis said, as she began trotting slowly around me.
“How can you both be the queen and not be the queen? What are you not telling me?”
Chrysalis smirked, “You know, you’re not being a very good guard. What do you say, Caltrop?”
I turned and as if he had been there this whole time Caltrop was walking in rotation with Chrysalis, “He was never like that as a nymph. He was such an obedient little one.” Caltrop said.
My patience was nearing its end, “Quit talking around me and answer me straight! You’re not my father and you’re not my queen.”
“Well, it's true that I’m not your father, but she wasn’t lying when she said she was your queen,” Caltrop said, he smiled as he let that information hang in the air. “You see, she is the body and memories of your queen. But not the life. That was given to forge a pact with the one your people call Capti, among other things.”
The queen is dead. No! That can’t be! I refused to accept that, and I would not believe this thing is or was ever my queen. “Believe it Kelp, I am very much dead. I traded my life to form a pact with…Capti,” Chrysalis said, stretching out the name of the creature. “Capti. It’s such a shallow name, for it doesn’t capture the essence of what it is, but to be fair you have no word in your language that does.”
I breathe in deep as I did my best to calm my shaking nerves. Closing my eyes, I tried to clear the fog in my mind. Even in times of chaos there is still logic to be found, and I simply needed to find it. The hundreds dead at the Citadel entrance: As much as I hate to admit it we Changelings are not as strong as ponies both in body and magic. That is why we resort to shifting magic in the first place, and if we could have defeated them so readily we would have never been push back this far. No, that ‘Capti’ must have swept through there, but from where? I couldn’t help but to remember one of the last words my queen spoke to me.
You will guard this door Kelp, nothing can be allowed to disturb me be it pony or Changeling.
My eyes open and I look to the fake Chrysalis, “That creature came from the Depths, didn’t it? That’s what the Queen went to see.”
“Finally, he figured it out,” Caltrop called.
I shot a glare at Caltrop, “And what does that make you?”
“I am a memory,” Caltrop said. “A memory of how you see your father. We can be those that we are and we can be those that we are not.”
“What does that even…” I started to ask before stopping. I would not let him pull me off course with a pointless pursuit. “Tell me, ‘Chrysalis,’ what was the pact my Queen made with this Capti.”
“She asked two things of us, but only one we could do.” Chrysalis explained continuing her slow trot. “One was to kill her enemies, which was, simple enough, but the other was to save her people, and this we could not do.”
So this is what my Queen was planning: to her give life so we may live, but why her? I would have gladly given my life if she had just asked.
“Because you were one of the many she was trying to save.” Chrysalis said.
“Then tell me,” I countered. “Why could you not save the Changelings like the Queen asked?”
“Tell me something,” Caltrop said. “If you were to find a fish in the desert asking for you to save it, could you? Sure, you could put it in a bucket of water, but that would only prolong the inevitable. Changelings are much the same.”
An explosion from across the city drew the attention of the other two, but my mind was far too preoccupied to notice. Without really thinking about it I started trotting down the road, stepping over the loose bits of debris that blocked my path. As I approached a hill I could see ponies down below, but they looked dazed and confused. Some were even trotting in circles.
“It seems the ponies got away,” Chrysalis said, as she trotted to my side. “But no matter. Whether we get them now or years from now the pact will be fulfilled.”
I watched the ponies repeatedly fall to the ground as if they were new born foals, “Tell me Chrysalis, can your Capti make another pact?”
I pretended not to notice the grin that spread across her face far wider than should have been possible. “As long as it does not interfere with any pre existing pacts. What do you have in mind?”
“Summon your Capti, so I may finish the work of my Queen.” I commanded.
State your terms A whisper of a thousand voices cried in my head. I turned slowly and stared at the creature as my blood went cold. I won’t bother trying to explain how it appeared so quickly, nor how I didn’t notice. I had long stopped trying to make since of this thing. It was a mere fraction of the size I saw earlier, standing at around eight feet. Chrysalis and Caltrop both stood off to the side as I addressed Capti, “Caltrop says you cannot save the Changelings because we are like fish in the desert to you, but what if the fish learned to breathe air?”
“Do you know what you ask?” Both Chrysalis and Caltrop asked in unison, any semblance of individuality was gone. “You would no longer be what you consider a Changeling.”
“But we will live,” I say as I turn my attention back to Capti. “Can you do it?”
A life must be given to forge the pact.
I pointed down the hill and call out, “Then I offer the life of those ponies and the life of any pony that remains within the city.”
“But their life’s are claimed by the first pact,” Chrysalis and Caltrop say together.
“The first pact was only to kill the enemies of the Changelings, but not how to kill them. So long as they die your pact will be fulfilled.”
“That will be…acceptable,” the merged voices speak. Capti moved down the hill, slowly gliding its shadowy half across the ground. It approached a dazed Crystal Pony and reached out with a claw, grabbing the mare. It lifted the pony into the air and leaned back its head as a void opened where its mouth would be. Innumerable arms, hooves, and claws reached out and took ahold of the mare, and in a moment of clarity she started struggling and screaming as she did her best to fight it off, but it was useless, and soon she was silenced by the dark.
The pact has been forged.
***
As Luna awoke the first thing she noticed was the pain in her body. Not the agonizing pain from before, but a constant soreness throughout. From what she could tell, she was in a cave with a red, clay-like wall that stretched around her, but she could see the light of day shine in just a few feet ahead of her. As she tried to move, she found a pair of hooves gently pushing her back down, “Please your Majesty, you can’t be up yet.” The soft voice of her caretaker said. She was an aqua colored unicorn and her golden mane was tied into a ponytail. Luna could tell she was a battlemage by her white hood.
“Where are we?” Luna asked, her voice cracking as she spoke.
The mare brought a bowl of water up, “Here, drink this.” the mare said, Luna reached out with her magic but it quickly faltered. “Let me help you.” Her Caretaker said. She used her own magic and held the bowl out for Luna, who greedily sucked down the cooling liquid and felt relief as the burning in her throat subsided.
The mare placed the bowl back down and gazed at Luna’s bandaged wing. “It amazing how durable you alicorns are. If you had been a pegasus you would have lost this wing,” She said, as she ran a hoof over the wing. “Shortly after we reached the surface you collapsed, and, well, we had many other wounded and the Badlands can be perilous, so we found shelter a few miles from the Changeling entrance. That was three days ago; we sent word to Equestria and they are sending a relief force that should be here any day now.”
“What’s your name?” Luna asked.
“Silver Cast, your Majesty.”
“Please just call me Luna,” Silver Cast nodded, “Now tell me how many made it out.”
Silver Cast averted her gaze she knew this question was coming, yet it was still hard for her. “Of the Solar Guard 843, of the Night Guard 615, and of the Crystal Guard 300”
Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. Even if she was injured, she could not afford to look weak in front of her ponies now. “More than fifty thousand ponies came on this march and yet less than 1800 remain.” Luna spoke more to herself but Silver still answered.
“There were more in the beginning,” She said, Luna’s eyes snapped open, but Silver continued. “About a day after we set up camp here some of the guard started acting strangely, ending up in a location with no memory of how they got there, speaking with somepony that wasn’t there, and claiming to hear voices from the shadows. At first, we just let them be, figuring it was just residual stress from the battle, but soon they began to go crazy and attacking their fellow guard. Even after we stopped and isolated them, it would only be mere hours before it would happen to another pony. It was like the madness was spreading.
By the time we came up with a way to protect ourselves twelve ponies had been killed and fifty were isolated. Although we could stop the madness from spreading there was little we could do for those already infected…We still had injured, you were unconscious, we also didn’t know how long we would be waiting for help, and keeping the protection spell going was using so much of our magic…So we…” Silver Cast let her words hang in the air.
“Did you make it quick?”
“Yes, Luna,” Silver said, blinking back the moisture in her eyes. A long pause drug out between them as each of them reflected on their situation. Finally, Silver spoke up, “Luna, what was that thing?”
Luna looked into Silver’s blue eyes and said, “I have lived a very long life and have traveled to every part of Equus, yet in all that time I have never once seen anything like that.”
***
Abelia and the last of the Changeling guard waited on the top floor of the Citadel. The hall leading to the stairway was lined with makeshift barricades made from everything they could strip from the nearby rooms. Those too injured to fight had been moved to a separate room, along with five of the luckiest nymphs she had ever seen, who had somehow managed to slip past the ponies and get to the Citadel before the siege started. Abelia had the rest of the Guard position in standard battlelines, Casters on the walls, Ground Fighter at the barricades, and the Flyers in the back ready to provide support to those that needed it.
It had been only a few hours since Abelia had called for the retreat; the ponies were relentless, never letting them have a moment of rest, and it was only thanks to an entire platoon that had chosen to hold the stairway that Abelia and the twelve thousand others made it this far. Yet when the ponies seemed to have victory in their hooves they stopped, and it wasn’t long before a black fog moved in and it had already taken up half the hallway. Abelia was sure it had to be some kind of pony magic. Despite the risk, she had sent her best scout, Iron Bark, to investigate, but he had yet to return.
Abelia stood at attention at the forward barricade mere feet from the encroaching fog and waited. Waiting for the ponies to come finish the job or the fog to swallow her whole she didn’t know, but she waited nonetheless. Her mind lamented over the lost of her husband and child. Her husband had fallen months ago in battle and her child had chosen to remain by the side of the Queen, and Abelia knew he had met an honorable end by her side. As much as she wanted to grieve, she couldn’t be so selfish, for everyling had lost someone at this point not just her, so she pushed the emotions down and stared out into the fog.
The fog rippled and stirred. Abelia tried to see through but it was too thick, and as she was about ready to pass it off on her mind a figure stepped out of it. The Changelings immediately went on guard, the Ground Fighters readying their spears and swords, while the Casters charged their spells. The only reason they didn’t open fire was the fact that this being was clearly not a pony.
Abelia raised a hoof signaling for the others to stand down as she stepped around the barricade. He was clearly a male, and looked similar to a Changeling queen with a green silky mane and double iris eyes, but as far as Abelia knew there were no such thing as a Changeling king. He was shorter than a queen, but still taller than a normal Changeling, and his chitin looked thicker, much thicker, than a normal Changeling as well. But the things that stood out the most where the wings and forehooves; he had an extra pair of transparent blue wings and this forehooves were…well not hooves, they were more like dragon claws but completely covered in his chitin. His curved horn was like that of the other Changelings only his had a small hole in the center of it.
Abelia looked at his horn again before examining his face more closely, “Kelp, is that you?”
“Hello, mother.”
That was all Abelia needed to hear before she threw her hooves around Kelps neck, “I can’t believe you're alive! I had given up hope.” She cried, her tightly bound emotions breaking free. Kelp placed a claw on top of her helmet and smiled down on her. The guards lowered their weapons as a few came closer for a better look. When Abelia had finally calmed herself she stepped back and asked, “What happened to you?”
“There is much to tell.” As Kelp spoke another figure stepped from the fog. The new figure was much like Kelp only he had a blue mane.
Abelia gasp as she stared at the new visitor, “Iron Bark?”
“I can’t tell you how good I feel.” Iron Bark said, giving the room a wide smile.
Abelia looked to Kelp her voice starting to draw concern, “Kelp, what’s going on here?”
Kelp smiled and held out a claw, “It’s time we Changelings took our place on the surface.” Slowly, Abelia took the claw in a hoof of her own.
