Alyosha followed the Queen, her hooves tapping against the floor of the throne room. She was in a hurry, and she was not stopping for anything. He was struggling to keep up with her, his legs still weak from lack of use.

She'd stopped, stopped only once to rally a few guards to spread the word. Spread the word to proceed to muster stations and to prepare for an attack. An attack sometime within the next five minutes. It turns out this Twilight Sparkle works fast, judging by what she told me.

It wasn't much. Just that she was a clever mare and a bane of this hive's existence.

"We have no time to waste. Come with me, now."

"Alright, alright. I'm coming, I'm coming." I wheezed as I stumbled after her, my legs feeling like jelly. I'd never run so much in my life.

"We don't have time for your excuses, we're going to be overrun if we don't act now!" She snapped at him, her eyes narrowing in anger. I could see the fury in her eyes, and it made me shiver.

"Alright, alright." I muttered as I followed her through the winding corridors of the hive. We'd passed a few guards, who had given me strange looks, but I ignored them. Maybe they expected me to fight. Maybe I could. Maybe if I let the voices in my head take control, I could do something. But I didn't want to. Not yet. Not now. Not here. Not with the way I was. Not with this body. Not with the memories of a life I'd lived and not with the fear of the unknown. I'd just finally raised myself out of that sea- that sea of people. I just got my head above the waves- I didn't want to drown in that ocean again. Not again. Never again.

But we're all here. And you know we'll always be here. Because we are you, and you are us.

No. Go back. Go back I don't need you right now.

We're always with you. We're always a part of you. We're always a part of each other. We're all a part of you, and you're a part of us. We're all a part of the same thing. We're all a part of the same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The same thing. The auditorium here will be a good staging ground. Sentinels, report." Her voice almost blended in with the others. But it cuts, it just cuts through the noise. She's asking some changeling in rather jagged looking armor.

"Your majesty, we've been preparing to harden the lower levels as requested. All inoculated equines have been secured, perimeter guards have reported a contingent of the solar guard on the outskirts. They've teleported. We've got minutes, if that." The changeling reported, his voice as cool and emotionless as the deep blue ice that formed his eyes.

The Queen's eyes narrowed, and she nodded. "Very well. Continue to harden the lower levels and ensure the exits are secured. I want all of the drones that are not ready to fight to retreat into the lower levels. I want the tunnels collapsed behind them."

"My Queen, what about the rest of us?" The changeling asked, his voice still as cold as ice.

"Those that are ready to fight will stay and defend the upper levels. I don't want a single soldier down here. I want the lower levels to be a fortress. I want the upper levels to be a deathtrap." Chrysalis said, her voice cold and calculating.

"Understood. I'll make sure it's done." The changeling replied.

"Good. Now go. We don't have much time." She ordered.

"As you wish, my Queen." He replied, before turning and walking away, his armor clanking against the ground.

I watched him go off into that winding maze. Somewhere. I think I spaced out. Gotta keep my head clear. "What's the plan?" I asked, turning back to the queen. She'd turned to me, and was giving me a look that was somewhere between amusement and contempt.

"You're not going to be a part of it." She said simply, her voice dripping with venom. I could feel the hatred in her voice... And yet, it felt like there was also a hint of fear in her eyes. A hint of fear, and a hint of desperation. Like she was trying to push me away. Like she was trying to keep me safe.

"Excuse me?" What? It makes sense, but after all of that talk, like i'm the next messiah and I get told to buzz off. You can't expect me to just sit by and watch this.

"You heard me." She said, her voice still dripping with venom. "You're not going to be a part of this. You're going to stay here, and you're going to stay safe."

"No way! I'm not going to sit by and watch this happen!" I said, my voice rising. "I'm not going to let you fight this alone!"

"You don't have a choice." Chrysalis said, her voice as cold as ice. "You're not a fighter, Alyosha. You're not a soldier. You're not even a changeling." She said, her eyes narrowing. "You're just a lost soul that's running on fumes. You're a broken mess of a soul that's barely clinging to what little sanity he has left. You're not fit to fight. You're not fit to lead. You're not even fit to stand in the same room as me. So no, you're not going to be a part of this."

"I'm not asking to lead." I said, my voice shaking. "I'm not even asking to fight. I'm just asking to help. To do something." My voice was shaking, and I was scared. I was scared of what was going to happen. I'm split between the fear, the fear of burning- of a voice crying out and being silenced and the split second of agony as solar plasma connects with flesh and flash-boils before incinerating, And the other half- the other half wants to be there and fight.

But honestly, I don't want either of these options. I want to run. I want to run and hide. I want to run and hide and never come back. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of running. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of being a coward. I'm tired of being weak. I'm tired of being a victim.

"I'm tired of being a victim." I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"And I'm tired of you." Chrysalis said, her voice still filled with venom. "I'm tired of you, and your pathetic thin veneer of a personality. I'm tired of you, and your incessant need to cling to the past. I'm tired of you, and your constant need for validation. I'm tired of you, and your constant need for attention. I'm tired of you, and your constant need to prove yourself. I'm tired of you, and your constant need to be a martyr."

"Then what do you want from me!?" I shouted, my voice cracking. "What do you want from me!?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"I want you to be useful. You like being useful, so make yourself useful and stay." She said, her voice still filled with venom. "You like being used, don't you?"

I looked at her, my eyes wide. I didn't know how to respond to that. I didn't know what to say to that.

She just looked at me, her eyes narrowed. "Don't look at me like that. You know it's true."

I didn't know how to respond to that. I didn't know what to say to that. But that's not true- I can survive without her. So I didn't say anything.

She sighed, and turned away from me. "Just stay here. Stay safe. Stay out of the way. Stay out of my way."

"Fine." I grumbled. No. I spat. Venomous. One word with all the faux hatred I could muster. "Fine." I said, my voice cold and flat. "I'll stay here."

"Good." Chrysalis said, turning back to me. She gave me one last look, her eyes narrowed, before she walked away, leaving me standing there alone. I stood there, staring at her as she left. I watched her walk away, her hooves clicking against the stone floor.

And then, she was gone.

And I was alone.

And I was alone again.

And I was alone. Again.

I stood there, alone. Alone. In that dark, room. Reminded of the flask. Reminded of those painful seconds right before the end. My friggin mind is splintering at the seams and I was barely even in control. I could feel the voices, the memories, the pain, the rage, the hate, the fear, the regret. I could feel them all, clawing at the edges of my mind. I could barely even explain it. Barely even understand. Understand what's going on inside my mind? Doctor- I can't even tell if i'm not me!

I took a deep breath, and tried to calm down. Tried to calm down, to focus on something, anything else. Tried to focus on the sounds of the room. The sounds of my own breathing. The sounds of my own heart. The sounds of my own thoughts- TERRIBLE IDEA. I was alone, alone, alone in that dark, room. Alone. With the voices. And the memories. And the pain. And the rage. And the hate. And the fear. And the regret.

The regret. The regret. The regret. The regret.

Deep breath. You are whole. You are made whole. Rehearse. Identify. Compel and reclaim. I am One. I am Me. I am... I am- My name is- My name is.. We are called Alyosha. And my name is... Alyosha. And that's not exactly correct but I'll have to roll with it. The point is to not sink back down to the bottom of the ocean. You're not drowning. You're just being pulled. You just need to resist the current. Fight the tide. You're not going to sink again. You're not going to drown again.

And yet...

And yet...

I felt the pull. Think of these thoughts as limitless. Limitless, exposing, closing, circuitry of fright.

Solemnly swear to follow your truth, so help you child now raise your right hoof.

Right hoof. Left hoof. Step forward. Now pace. Pace in circles. There's nobody down here. I'm alone. I can work with that right? Just work it out. You'll be fine. Just work it out.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked, my voice echoing in the empty room. My voice echoed in the empty room. My voice echoed in the empty room.

My voice echoed in the empty room. It even reminded me of hers. Like someone down pitched it and then did a thing to make it sound young- but not like a... Like. Damn it. This is hard. This is really hard.

One step at a time. Figure out your magic. Can't be too hard right? It isn't like there's some mystery raid in progress. You're not in the front lines, just... Just be ready. Be prepared. If you can't help, you might as well try and be useful, right?

Right.

"Okay." I said, my voice echoing in the empty room. "Magic. Can't have too many rules right? How did we figure that out last time?" I asked myself.

"You figured it out by doing." Said the voice in my head. I thought that was me. Maybe I was just talking. But maybe not. It's not like it's easy to think straight. But everyone hears voices in their head, that's normal, it's called an in-ter-nal mono-logue. I know because the doctor said it was normal.

"Okay. Magic. Magic." I said, my voice echoing in the empty room. I looked at my hoof. "Magic. Magic." I said, my voice echoing in the empty room.

"Come on. I had little grippy claws with only a thought, let me levitate some crap at least!" I hissed, my voice echoing in the empty room.

Why are you even trying to escape? You're not even supposed to be here. You're supposed to be dead. That's what this is all about, right? That's why you're doing this. That's why you're trying so hard. That's why you're trying so hard to not be dead.

Chrysalis ran off somewhere, and as much as I want to just stay here where it's safe I can feel it in my bones. Some dread at the walls around me. Cornered. Trapped. Claustrophobic. The skies. Need to watch the skies. Watch the skies for the fires that burn. Experiences unknown to me, the child, but known to a father who fought for a place that was no longer his home. A place that was no longer his. A place that was no longer his, but still his to protect.

I have to go. I have to get out. My heart feels dead inside. Cold and hard and petrified. Lock the doors. Close the blinds. We're going for a ride. I'm going to get the fuck out of here.

It's just magic, it's just the same as before.

I'm just not trying hard enough.

A deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Let the emotions flow. Let the thoughts flow. Let the fear, the rage, the hate, the regret. Let it all flow. Let it all flow. Let it all flow. Let it all flow. Flow like rushing water and the sound of silence and the echo of nothing- the never was and the never will and the words that were left unspoken and the knowledge that must never be spoken.

My horn felt painfully cold and hot, like bad carpet burn but caused by ice. Like sandpaper, like being slid around on ice and freezing cold sandpaper. I was on my knees, on the floor of the auditorium when there was a sound like a screech. Something screaming, wailing so quietly yet so loud. A high pitched wail of a banshee almost imperceptible as a flow of glowing mana punched through the ceiling. A tiny dot in the roof going who knows how far.

That's good enough in terms of magic I guess. We're only cramming six lifetimes into six minutes, can't reach for the stars yet but we can reach for the closest branch. I'm going to call that success. I'm not defenseless anymore. Got something at range. Three moves. Kick. Bite. And a high pressure stream of kinetic energy.

That spell is NOT non-lethal in anyway. It'll cut through whatever, it's like a... pressure cutter. Steel cutter. Water-jet cutting. High pressure water jet cutting. I need to practice, practice my words and practice not falling back into the sea. But we'll get better.

Let's break this down into steps. Chrysalis doesn't want us to be seen. Not her words exactly but I don't want to be seen by her either. This might feel like betrayal. I like the changelings. They've been good to me. But leader, even pretending to be leader of a new world order is far- far above what I want. Too much. This battle. I'll escape it.

Step one. Start walking. Get moving, start thinking. We'll get out of here, but it'll take some work. It'll take a lot of luck. It'll take a lot of magic. But if we're lucky, we won't need to use magic. If we're lucky, we can slip away unnoticed. Should be easy since everyone who can fight has already left to more important places, right?

The first obstacle is obvious. This is a hive. There are no doors. There are no windows. There are no doors or windows. There's just tunnels, and tunnels are a maze. I don't know how to navigate this maze. So, how do we get out of here? Keep walking. Just think about it while we walk.

Every passage has a purpose even if you don't think it, and a hive is just a big house right? A big house with smaller houses and smaller passages as needed. Logically I don't want anything that takes me sideways or down, so anything that goes straight up will be how I get out of here. I've managed to find a way deeper down without trying.

Now I just gotta try find a way out of the hole I've dug.

My hooves clack against the floor. Like I'm on my tip hooves, walking on them. It's a weird feeling. The floor is cold, and the air is colder. There's a chill in the air. It's like a breeze. Gonna follow any wind I can feel. I think if I had something more sensitive like a fire, it'd dance in that breeze. I could follow the fire.

Don't know how to start one. Maybe it's just cold because there isn't much alive in this floor. All those wings buzzing, movement everywhere every day- generates heat. No more movement. No more heat. Like a cooling corpse.

That was morbid. But that's life. Life is morbid. And that's what I've got left. Life. It's what I've got left. It's what I've got. It's what I've got to do. I can't stop. I can't stop.

"Can't stop the A-AAAHA!" Flop. My hooves tripped over something and I just stumbled and flopped over like a dead fish. My head smacked the floor and I was staring at the ceiling. It's not a particularly interesting ceiling. Just rock, with little holes where the light comes through.

The heck did I even trip on? It was so smooth and easy to walk on the floor. Nothing to trip on. It's all flat and- oh. That's my tail. Right. I've got that. That's new. That's a new thing I have to deal with. But I didn't fall on that.

It's something metal. Twisted and with sharp points jutting out here and there, but there's parts that are flat and smooth, and some type of strap. Armor. Protective equipment probably belonging to the sentinels. They're the only ones ive seen with armor, but what's it doing on the ground?

...

Nope. Don't wanna know. I don't want to know what happened to the guy that was wearing it. I don't want to know why it's here. I don't want to know. I just want to know how to put it on and where.

The armor itself was like a shell, made up of overlapping plates. The plates were held together with a series of buckles and straps. The whole thing was a deep blue, almost black color. It was a lot heavier than it looked. The plates were thick and sturdy, but flexible at the edges where they thinned. I think this is supposed to guard the neck and heart? It's almost V shaped. I've got it on the wrong way round. The pointy end needs to point at my chest, not my tail. Turn it round. Put it on like a vest. It's not too bad a fit, but it's loose. Needs to be tightened. The straps are a little bit of a problem. I can't see what I'm doing. But I'll figure it out. I've got time. I've got plenty of time. I've got all the time in the world.

I'll figure it out. Eventually. It's a little loose and that's okay, I've got more important things than armor that'll fly off in the first two good strikes. Still need to find a way up.

While I'm running through hallways and stairwells, well I might as well think about danger. The guards- the royal guards. The name makes Us shudder. Puts a strange pep in my step.

Soldiers are soldiers, dime a dozen. But what with the focus on Twilight Sparkle? Who is that? Never heard of them. Rings zero bells. Not a single bell. What's a Twilight Sparkle?

What did that note say again? If you're reading this. We've found you. And I'm bringing the princesses back. She must be important to know where they are and how to get them back. Or maybe she's important enough that she's worth bluffing with. If you can't tell, it's not a bluff.

And I'm wondering why I was told to stay put and hide. It's not like I'm either of the princesses, so what makes me valuable? Either she's afraid I'll be captured, which is solvable. Or she's afraid ill...

Die.

Die. She's afraid I'll die.

And I'm afraid I'll die too. I'm afraid I'll die. I don't want to die I want to live forever but I don't want to live forever but I don't want them to die either and I don't want to go away there's nothing there when you-

-calm down.

Calm.

Calm down.

Just keep moving. They'll be here before too long. Just keep moving. Just keep moving. Just keep moving.

It's not too far. I'm not far from the surface. I can feel it in the air. It's not far. I can smell it in the air. I can feel it in my hooves. I don't know why I can feel it, it's like I just had a warm shower and I can still feel the steam. I've just been through a sauna and the air feels cool. The air feels crisp. The air feels fresh.

The air just feels good. And someone's telling me we're almost there.

I think I've reached a crossroads. It's a big cavernous location with dozens of holes in every surface- tunnels like arteries and this is the heart. The nexus of many, many other places in the hive.

And the only ways were to go up, go up and choose a new life. Or go back down.

Either way is selfish. But that's- that's not right. Why would it be selfish to choose something for myself? Im finally free! Free to know!

And free to catch my breath. I know there's got to be a way to maneuver these tunnels right? Maybe some writing or markings they can see. Unless they rely on perfect memory- in which case im out of luck.

I need to objectivize thngs. All I really know is-

THIS IS NOT YOUR HOME.

YOU CAN NOT STAY HERE.

I can't stick around in one spot for very long. Maybe If I get caught I can act stupid. That's a good strategy.

I can see a tunnel directly upward. It goes inward maybe a few paces and then has a sharp turn somewhere, making it looks like it leads nowhere, but there's something off about the shadows that makes it stand out if you look at it right. Maybe that'll take me higher.

...But it's too high up. I don't know how to use these wings completely. I did try. But that was... not great.

Deep breath. Relax. Let's think this through. How do I get up there? How do I get up there? How do I get up there? Maybe I could use magic. But what kind of magic? Levitate myself? Can I do that? Is that possible? But that's what we do with our wings.

Hm.

No better time to try something like that. The imagination of power flowing through you, squeezing your eyes shut to feign focus on something you don't really have a clue to operate. Blindly grabbing at any concepts you can.

And then, as I felt something trickle up my horns, I felt a great static in the air and the smell- the strange smell. Of dust after rain. Ozone. Petrichor. Thick and pungent- my eyes snapped open in time to barely register a faint electric dance in the air as purple light arced and played.

And then. The snap. A great popping sound, a displacement of air as something came into being. A shockwave of force, a pressure in my ears and a great burst of hot air. A figure fell from nowhere. It fell, and it fell, and it landed with a thump.

There was a sound from it. A groaning. It didn't sound happy.

Naturally, i hid wherever i could. Behind an arch of the tunnel to be specific.

Alyosha was certain the creature was real. He was not certain, however, that it wasn't dangerous. There was a faint rustling sound from the creature, and a low, soft moan. The creature slowly rose, its head turning from side to side as it surveyed the area. A purple thing. A purple equine. A mare. With wings. And a horn. Alicorn, as the brief description of Twilight Sparkle that Chrysalis had given formed in his mind.

This was Twilight Sparkle. This was Twilight Sparkle. The Element of Magic. This was her. The creature that had defeated Chrysalis in her last invasion of Canterlot.

Something disgustingly traitorous bloomed in my heart. Some sort of pride I couldn't place. I know I didn't make it.

What to do now? That's Twilight Sparkle. She's here. She's here to free the princesses. Should I stay hidden? Should I approach? Should I attack?

I felt my body move, and I was not the one to move it.

The mare in question stood with her back to me. Her wings were folded at her sides and her head was lowered, her eyes scanning the area. She was tall, and her body was lean and muscular. Her hair was a dark violet, and her mane and tail were a mixture of violet and lavender and her cutie mark was a purple star. Many stars.

Intent. Those eyes had a goal.

I'm so screwed. I can't possibly bargain with her to a ticket to the surface. It's a loss no matter what. Either I help her and deal with Chrysalis, or I fight her- lose, and deal with the fallout of that.

My heart aches.

I need to choose the winning side here.

Stupidly I step out of cover. My red hair does nothing to blend into the natural stone around us, but she was just too engrossed in her surroundings. She was searching for something, and she didn't even notice me.

She was distracted. That's my chance. If I'm fast, I can take her by surprise. I can take her out of the fight. I can stop this before it begins. She'll never see it coming.

And then I can run away, and I'll never have to deal with this again.

but my only spell will- could kill her. I don't have anything against her to want to kill her. Need to throw her. Fill the horn with intent to not hurt her.

Throw. Launch. Hit. Strike. To concuss. To frighten..

To Stupify!

My horn lit up. And the spell shot out. A bright spiraling stream of yellow light. A spell of pure force and light. A spell of magic.

It struck her square in the chest, and the force of the impact knocked her off her hooves, and sent her tumbling across the room.

She got to her hooves, and turned to face me, her eyes narrowed in anger.

Ah. Poop.

I'm so fucked.

"YOU!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the chamber. Clearly, now is the best to get help. There's only one technique to pull off here when outclassed.

RUN AWAY!

My hooves clatter against the ground as I run, feeling like punches to the ground. I can hear her hooves behind me, and I can feel her breath on my neck. I can feel her rage.

I can't outrun her. I can't outrun her. She's faster than me. She's stronger than me. She's smarter than me. She's more powerful than me.

"CHRYALIS! HELP!" I scream, my voice echoing in the chamber. I can hear the sound of wings, and I can hear the sound of a horn. I can feel her magic, and I can feel her anger.

She's going to kill me.

I've made it to the stairs. Spiral staircase. Rampcase. Tired. Not much to maneuver. I wish I could use my wings. They feel so heavy. They're in the way.

"STOP RUNNING!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the chamber. "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the chamber.

"I'M NOT GOING TO HURT YOU! I'M NOT GOING TO HURT YOU!"

I'm not going to let you hurt me. I think, as I continue to run. It's just noise, so much noise around me. Anything that isn't another route to run away gets tuned out. Except that cacophony of hooves getting closer, and closer.

"Away!" I yell, throwing my head around as a bolt of magic launched from my horn. I feel colder now. Like a pit in my stomach. Like something inside me is gone.

And I'm not looking back, but I'm hoping that bought me a little more time. But then I feel the wave- the pressure in my ear that's building, and the strange sensation in the air is rising again. A great static in my mane. And then, she teleported in front of me, a great shockwave of light forcing me to stumble as I scramble to turn around. I screamed, of course. Because why wouldn't I? This isn't fun, and this isn't what I signed up for when Chrysalis gave me the new life spiel. But if I just-.

A flash of purple. Her horn glowed with that purple aura, and my whole body went rigid, the hairs standing up on my neck. Paralysis? Fear. Fear. Terror.

She walked forward, her hooves clicking against the floor. My vision began to spin, and my knees wanted to buckle. I fell to the floor, my body still locked up tight. The paralysis lasted maybe just ten seconds at best. An arbitary number made by assumption to give myself a morale bonus. But I still couldn't move. Couldn't move. Couldn't run.

Couldn't escape.

"Listen, I'm sorry, but I can't have you running off to bring in reinforcements." Twilight said, as her eyes scanned me. Her eyes were cold and calculating, and I could tell that she was trying to figure out what to do with me. She stepped towards me, and I tried to crawl away from her. Of course, not being able to move put a major dent in thar plan.

"What's your name?" She asked. Her voice was softer than it had been before. A little calmer.

She was speaking, and I couldn't reply. Not now. My mouth wasn't working properly, my lips felt numb. I don't even think it's a part of the spell- just my body reacting.

I give off a gurgle. Can't speak. Not now. Just need to rest. Just need to relax.

"Okay, you can't speak yet, I guess." She said, and I could hear the frustration in her voice. "I'm sorry, but you brought it on yourself. You can't just run off and get help. It's better for both of us if we do this calmly. No one else has to get hurt."

I think she's trying to comfort me. Probably doesn't help I attacked first.

"I'm not going to hurt you." She said, and I could tell that she meant it. At least she meant it in the moment, and that was enough to ease a lot of the panic.

I still can't respond. Can barely move. Maybe just- give me five seconds. I could see the wheels turning in her head.

She sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. Face looked. Focused. Bothered. Glum. A grimace. A grimace?

She opened her eyes and stared at me with a frown. Something she doesn't like.

"You... You have two, no. Three. Three different magical signatures inside you. How is that even possible?"

Three?

"Who- what are you?" She asked, her voice more confused than accusatory.

A groan escapes. Something inside of me hurts. My heart. It hurts. It hurts. My heart. My mind. My body. I think the spell is beginning to wear off. Starting with the chest.

"Right. The stun spell is still in effect..." She seemed worried. Kept eyeing my hooves and my horn. Why would that worry her?

Answer. She doesn't have a way to stop me if I try to run. But why? She should be able to Magick something up right?

Unless. She can't. Unless she's running out of energy to keep slinging spells around.

"Your existence. It's running interference on my locator spells. All they point me to is you and I have it keyed to their signatures. Celestia's. Luna's." She explained, walking in front of me now.

I think I should have paid better attention to the things Chrysalis was saying. I certainly don't remember her mentioning anything that would cause that. Just.

Just a strange dream.

"But your own... It's almost nonexistent. You're some sort of blank, a strange void I don't have words to describe." She continued, her voice soft.

"Which makes no sense with what's in front of me. And your wings are like- just a solid block of magic. No, wait. Most of you is! If I were to scan you I could estimate that less than a third of everything I am seeing in front of me is-"

"Matter." I said, finally finding words to speak. Her rambling was helpful to distract me. It made me forget my own situation. I hated that I was following along here, but seeing as how at least one of my problems is solving itself I can at least give her my full attention and figure out why I am being called a blank.

"Ah. It seems like you can talk. Who are you?" She asked. The voice wasn't friendly. The tone was hard, accusatory.

"My name's... My name is..." Alyosha paused for a moment, trying to remember. My name is alyosha, is what I wanted to say, but that wasn't right. "You can call me, Angel."

Something felt like it clicked in my head. It made me feel good. Happy to say it. My real name.

No, the one who's speaking right now. I am not a real person. I don't exist. I'm a figment of your imagination, a memory, and a personality you're creating. You know this isn't you talking.

... But it sounds right.

"Hello, Angel." She said with a sigh. Not trust. She knows it's not a real name- but we'll accept it. This was more than she hoped to get. "Where are they, Angel?"

"You're looking for Celestia and Luna, correct?" I ask, finally having regained control of myself. I sit up, my limbs moving once more. I feel like. Water. I feel boneless. My muscles finally relaxed and put to proper use instead of imitating rigor mortis.

"I have no idea where they are." I deadpan.

She's incredulous, looking down at me in a state of utter confusion. Like I just grew a second head. "You don't?" She's clearly surprised.

"No."

"...Do you even know where you are right now?"

"Hive."

"Do you know where in the hive?"

"Not at all." I shrug, and that causes a scowl on her face.

"Hm. Scan spell. Hold still." She commands, and with her horn glowing she scans me. It's invasive, but there's nothing I could do. I can feel it. Something crawling, worming it's way around every crevice of my being, some strange combination of a hot rush and cold icy chill and some electric sensation in places I knew no name for. I had felt like for split second I was going to explode.

And then it all stops. The scanning spell is over.

I feel... Violated.

"What are you, Angel?" She asks, staring at me with a look of confusion. "What did Chrysalis do?"

" ." I reply. It's a little easier to breathe. She didn't do anything. She's done nothing wrong. We do what we must, because we can. For the good of all of us.

Except the ones who are dead~

The jingle leaves my head as I blink in confusion.

"What? Repeat that, I didn't hear you."

I didn't hear me either. What the heck was that? I don't even remember thinking it.

She was supposed to be my savior.

"I don't know. I don't know anything." I say. I think I feel something in my rear-hind legs. Maybe I can run in the next few turns of conversation.

"Okay, so." She sits on the ground, and her horn glows. The aura spreads to a few rocks and dust motes. They float in the air in front of us, forming a three dimensional map. "The hive. This is us. You are in the center. I have been trying to teleport to Celestia, but it always goes wrong. It sends me somewhere in this direction, and I end up in the same chamber every single time. It's like... Your very presence is like an anchor."

"I am running out of time. I've got Shining and his guards working to buy me time while I'm down here. For whatever reason, a direct teleport to her will send me to you. A direct teleport to Luna, sends me to you."

She looks me in the eyes. There's no malice, no hatred. Just a sense of purpose. "I'm not sure if you're a part of Chrysalis's plans, but I'm not going to let her keep the sisters of the sun and moon in her hive." Her face scrunches up. She looks like she wants to vomit. "She's doing something to them, I know it."

"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to be bait for my spells."

And I can feel my hooves again.

I think. I think to move and run away and force these tired bones to take me as far as they can. But I stop. I hesitate. There's a flare of pride. A great big solar flare of warmth from somewhere in my mind.

Twilight, We're here! We're in-

Drown. To the sea. To the depths of the sea with you. Go down. Go very very down. Down to the vents where the light does not shine. Where the salt pools in lakes of brine.

In real-space, outside of our mind-brain, we have a brief muscle twitch. A flinch. Nothing more. Twilight's face twists into something else. A frown of pity.

"I'm sorry, I know that was a lot to ask for. I'll get you out of this, I promise." And then her eyes open wide in a strange realization. "How long have you even been alive? Are you some sort of changeling experiment?"

"No!" I cry. That hurts. That's wrong. I'm not some sort of freak, some sort of science experiment. I'm not a changeling. I'm not a changeling.

"You have to be. Three signatures. Barely even organic- scholars would classify you closer to a golem! Three layers of magic, and you exist, torn from Chrysalis' body right after the disappearance of the princesses. I don't know what she was planning, or how you came about- or how long ago you even were born. But you have to understand, there's only two reasons you'd ever exist in that time frame. You were intended as a distraction for us. Or you're a product of the invasion. The prison cell."

"Are you in there?" She asked, leaning closer. Her eyes searching me for any hint that her words are getting through.

I can feel the fear building up. That's wrong. I'm me. I'm my own person. I'm not letting you go you stay down leave me alone!

And the fear becomes anger. It's like a wildfire. Burning hot. I can feel it. My face is hot, my eyes are watering up. "Stop it." I hiss.

"But if I can reach them. I can save you. If you were forced to do this-" She began to speak before a great pressure filled my head. Something building and building. Like steam in a kettle.

"STOP IT!" And that pressure popped. Like a bubble, a shockwave of sound escaped, and she fell on her rear, blinking in surprise and covering her ears with her hooves. Recognition flashes in both of us. And horror, in a third observing power.

The Canterlot Voice.

It was the Canterlot Voice, but it was also my voice. It wasn't some copy. It was the same exact pitch. The same timbre. It was a perfect replica. But it's not possible. There is no magic that can copy the Royal Canterlot Voice.

I stagger and force my way back to my hooves. It would feel more dramatic if i weren't so pathetically weak. So much for being a new person. So much for being my own self. But at the very least I can be honest about what I want. I want to live.

"Please let me live. I don't want to die." I whimper.

I don't fully believe any of us can walk away from this. Prisons exist to house the evil and the wicked. More importantly, they only exist as containers.

If the prison is useless, what happens to it? Where does a prison go with no prisoners?

Her magic. Touching it makes me feel like I'll burst. I'm at capacity. Any more of her poking and prodding will kill me. I can feel it. I can fear it.

And I think. I think she knows that. She knows she can't use any more spells. She doesn't have anything non-lethal left.

We've backed each other in a corner.

"Okay." She finally says. It takes a while. There's a great big pause and she's thinking of what to say next. "Listen. If you're a prison, you can't just stay that way forever. You have two beings of monumental power inside you, you can't possibly expect to be able to contain all that power for very long." She says.

"Prison." I spit the word. "What do you even mean?"

"Chrysalis, Celestia and Luna." Twilight says. "I think I'm starting to see the whole picture. Chrysalis knows she can't possibly defeat the sun and moon, but if she could trap them. If she could somehow separate them from their power. Then, she could win."

"The missing phoenix. Philomena. They claim phoenix tears could revive the recently deceased and feathers could revitalize the ailing. They're creatures that are contemporarily linked to the concept of life itself. She put together a ritual with herself, the phoenix and the princesses together in the throne room and the product is-

You." She says, pointing at me. "The princesses, and their power are contained in your being. The ritual took Chrysalis' own form and recreated a vessel in the shape of her. But it has to have been rushed. You'll break under your own pressure. My magic detects several hundreds more unique signatures inside you. It's like you have a whole lineage of thaumic history inside you. If you don't let them out soon, you're going to die."

I don't know what's going on anymore. I'm scared, I'm afraid, I'm tired.

"Let me help you." She says.

I want to believe her. But I don't know what she means by that. I don't even know if I want her help. I don't want to help her. I don't want to help Celestia and Luna escape either. They deserve this.

I can still hear it. The Sun. In my mind. I want it to drown. Please, please just die and become part of me. I want to hate you, I want to kill you and snuff you out- WHY CANT I HATE YOU!?!

But then. She moves. And she's coming towards me. I flinch and fall backwards. She reaches out to me.

I don't know if she wants to save me. She's looking at me like I'm a bomb that needs defusing. She's going to try and pull something out of me, but I know I'm not strong enough. I know that's going to kill us. I know that I don't have a choice. We're not getting out of here.

"Stop!" I scream. "Stay away from me! I don't know if you're lying, or telling the truth. I don't know what you want! But I know you're wrong! I don't need to be fixed!"

Force. Fus. Press. Throw. Throw her far away. With a motion. Throw. Row. Ro. A motion unrelenting. With even more force. Force, unrelenting, force.

The Voice is pushed to its limits. To my limits, as it forces the chords of a violin to play the sonorous war cry of a drum. The air shakes and cracks as Twilight flies away. Tumbling. Crashing and smashing against the ground. The stairs, the walls and ceiling, all cracked and chipped away at. The room shakes and shudders, dust falls from the roof, and I feel so, so very cold. So very cold and empty. My throat feels ragged and torn. I'm bleeding somewhere, I know it.

She lays on the ground, her wings bent and crooked, and she coughs and sputters and she's covered in dust. I have no knowledge of if she has been gravely wounded internally or not. A commanding voice in my head says she is still a threat. An empathetic voice says to have mercy.

Logic says we must focus on our injuries. The deepening gnawing hunger and the warmth running down our throat and the subtle taste of metal blooming in our mouth.

I don't care what they say, we need to move. I can barely breathe. But we need to move. We need to get out of here. I don't have anything to keep us safe. We can't defend ourselves if she recovers, and she will recover.

And so, I ran. I staggered to my hooves and I tried to make my way out of here, and away from her. But it's hard. I can't breathe, I can barely move. And there's something wrong. I can feel it. Dread.

I'm on the stairwell. I'm not running, just stumbling my way down. One hoof at a time, trying to stay balanced, but I feel so heavy. So tired.

And I can hear her groans of pain and agony from down below me.

i think im shutting down.

there's blood in my mouth.

My knees hurt. They hurt. Why?

Oh. I'm kneeling.

I can feel something. It's a pressure in my head, it's a pain in my chest. It hurts. It's like a thousand tiny knives, stabbing and twisting and pulling. I've pushed myself to my limit, and im giving out here and now.

I'm scared.

And it all becomes clear.

Changelings need love. We, are a changeling. We were brought to learn how to feed when Chrysalis brought us down under the hive.

We haven't fed on love.

It's why I'm so hungry. So drained after everything.

You. Idiot. We never. Thought. Of that. We're. Going. To. Starve.

I need to catch my breath. I'm on my knees, but my legs are failing me.

My legs give out and I fall to the floor. It feels like a great big pit of darkness is forming inside me. It's like a yawning pit of darkness, and I'm being dragged down. The cold ground is brief relief from growing agony. I've never starved to death before.

Mom please. Please help me. I don't want this. This isn't what I wanted. Please.

My body is growing numb. My heart feels like it's being squeezed.

Please. I beg, and then the pain becomes unbearable, and then the pain fades, and I'm left in a cold dark place. A place where there's no pain, and no suffering, and no hope, and no future.

A place where my stupid head connects with the stun spell and I'm paralyzed on the floor. I can't move.

Twilight is in the room. I can see her in front of me, she's still covered in dust. Her legs look broken and she's clearly exhausted but she's crawling to me, pulling herself up to her hooves. There's something in her eyes. Determination. Fear. Worry.

She's talking. Her mouth is moving, and she's talking, but I can't hear her.

My hearing is shot.

There's a great buzzing in the air. A hum and a drone that fills the air, like the sound of a thousand buzzing wings.

Chrysalis is here.

I can hear it. The beating of wings. A swarm, descending. They're coming. The sound is deafening.

But Twilight is faster. In the time it takes to register the glow of her horn and her tightly shut eyes, the world goes white.

Author's Note

discord did a thing yell at me