Magicka Lager

The Next Day

Twilight Sparkle rolled over from her position, blinking awake from the light streaming in from the window. She turned over and reached blindly with a hoof for the cover that probably fell onto the floor during the night, but felt air as far as she could reach down. Wondering mildly at this, she rubbed some of the sleep from her eyes, and looked over the edge of her bed. She would have fallen off of the edge and onto the floor six feet below if it wasn't for Wiz grabbing her mane and hauling her back in.

“Yo, Vicky, you up yet?” said Wiz in her head, and Twilight was up. She looked around blearily as Wiz lowered her to the floor with a thump. She looked around and realized finally she wasn't in her tree anymore. Wiz was nestled in her back, and the sheer walls of rock-hard chitin loomed as a hallway. Twilight blearily continued down the hallway until she came to a door. A light tap on her shoulder made her turn to see Samuel standing next to her.

“Miss Victoria?” asked Samuel, still sleepy and the small flit fluttering on his back.

“Yes, Samuel?” Twilight replied, smiling at the small colt’s expression.

“Are we going to the laboratory now?”

Twilight turned to look at the door, which she presumed led to the lab. “I think so, Samuel. Lead the way.”

They entered  the small lab that opened into the food storage. She scanned the walls of books and found something relevant: Alchemical Effects and Entailed Available Alternates. She sat down to begin reading, but her mind began to wander from the book at hoof. An old book, she had read Alchemical Effects many times, and she found herself thinking about her friends. How would they react to her disappearance? She realized she never thought about her friends until now, something that, in Twilight’s mind, was a severe oversight that really shouldn't have been overlooked. But there wasn't much she could do about it now...

“Miss Victoria?”

Twilight looked at Samuel, holding a small vial in his magic grip.

“Yes?”

“Where are you from? I’ve never seen you before, and I know everypony here.”

“I...” Twilight struggled for an answer that would work. “I’m from Ponyville, see. Just outside here.”

“Really? That’s where we get food from!”

“Yeah...”

“Why were you in Ponyville, miss Victoria? Were you assigned there?”

Twilight smiled at the question. “No, I lived there. I ran a library in the town.”

Samuel’s eyes widened at that. “Then how come you’re here? Farm souls don’t usually come to the hive without getting eaten by the flits.”

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Farm souls? Eaten by... flits?”

Wiz piped up from her back. “don’t get all worked up. We don’t do flesh. We sap all the magic from their bodies. But that takes hundreds of flits. All of the flits in the hive probably couldn’t eat you at all. You’re so powerful and delicious, the flits could survive off of your sweat and tears, so to speak.”

“Gross, Wiz.”

The mental conversation unnoticed, Samuel continued. “The normal ponies that we feed on are sometimes called farm souls. They provide our food, so by extension, they’re our ‘farms’, if you will. We feed on love, kindness, happiness, apathy, anger, hatred, jealousy, sadness, even righteousness. All of it, filtered and purified, can be eaten and used to sustain the body of anything that can have access to it. Changelings have evolved to feed on this specific resource as there is no natural competitors to the food supply. If changelings were to be removed from nature, all the rampant energies leaching of into the air would be enough for the entire country to be seared off the face of the planet. Of course, that would never be witnessed by anyone but Princess Celestia, as the globe would be heated by the energy to the point where the life on the planet would have roasted a long time ago.”

Twilight blinked at the information. It seemed recited, almost burned into the colt’s brain like a propaganda piece, but underneath all of that, the magic and science was sound. Basically, what he said could be considered true, right? If one looked at it from a purely scientific standpoint, then changelings could be considered another link in the web of Equestrian life. But the fact that it came from changelings made the small sliver of doubt force its way into her brain.

She snapped out of her thought and turned to find a calm, piercing stare appraising her from across the room.

“Uhh... hi?” asked Twilight, clearly unsure about the way Jared was looking at her. Jared stepped a few paces closer, then smiled. He dashed over to the other side of the room  like he survived on nothing but caffeine and nitro.

“Hey! I’m Jared. We never had a chance to introduce ourselves properly, so I’d like to just ask a few questions. I heard you were from Ponyville is that true?” he said in an extremely rapid pace that would have Pinkie reeling.

Twilight stuttered out her answer, flustered from the sudden intrusion. “Y-yeah! Yeah, I am.”

“That’s neat! But why are you here in the hive? Shouldn't you be up top with all the normal ponies? I mean, being down here’s cool and all, but why here? Cause there were always cool places to visit. This place is neat too, but going up there is neater! There’s more space, more ponies, more... more... stuff!” He smiled widely revealing what appeared to be a set of omnivorous teeth, with crushing molars and canines that made him look like a sugar-hyper vampony. Twilight edged back uncomfortably from the display. It reminded her of what Pinkie Pie would be like if she was evil.

“Wow... you're... hyper.” She turned to Samuel. “Is he always like this?”

“Yes. I’m sure you will find it funny eventually.” Samuel said in a deadpan serious voice.

Jared started rambling about something that Twilight found rather unimportant, until he started saying “All we gotta do is sleep in a stasis pod for a night, and we’re clear for a week or less. Stasis changes what we look like, disguises our magical signature, so that we don’t attract attention. It’s actually a very interesting process, concerning almost the same magic principles you ponies use, but using the fundamentals of the changeling energy-based magic. Energy manipulation, particle animation, among other things. You know, teleportation should be impossible. Like a bee flying. If someone disassembles the molecules of their body, making them intangible to every plane of existence as individual magically charged atoms, and reassembled on the other side, is the life force still there? I don't think it would be. The same thing happens in a nuclear explosion and alchemy. But nuclear bombs kill ponies in a fun looking violent explosion of raw, untapped non-magical energy, and life alchemy is a complete failure, as creating a Spark of life is entirely impossible. The thing about changeling magic, is that it acts as both a catalyst and a sort of magic glue for the Spark to stay in. It’s still you, but not. Harmless.”

Twilight quickly picked up the jaw that had been steadily making its way to the floor. She asked, “Wow, Jared. When did you start being smart, at all?”

“Yup!”

“Umm... okay. But what about all the research? All I’ve done so far is read a book!”

“We can go all together, then! Sammy’s coming too!”

Twilight said, “Sure... Wait, what?”

“Good!” And with that, Jared sped off into the bowels of the factory.

Twilight stared after the mega-excited pony/changeling thing, and shook her head slowly. “So, Samuel, what’s next?” she said almost hurriedly, wanting to get back to work. The sooner she was out of this nuthouse, the better.

Two Months Later

“YES! It worked!” Twilight cried as she held up a small vial. It took almost ten straight days working on the same alchemical grid, but the netting for the love formulas were ready. Samuel looked up with his “SCIENCE” face, which was adorable. “Now, we should try to filter as much as possible.” said Twilight as she picked up about a liter of the liquid emotion and running it through the glowing green grid in the shape of a sphere with a hole in it. The love flowed in through the hole in the top and fell through thousands of interlocking lines, cubes, spheres, prisms, and one detailed diagram of a nerve receptor. The nerve receptor was actually unnecessary, but Jared managed to fit it into the grid without damaging it. Jared was surprisingly bright, and did more than his share of the work available, when he was around. Otherwise, he was zipping all over the room, the chamber, the hive in general screaming with glee and possible insanity. At the time though, he was with Samuel and Twilight, and nodding silently at the work being done.

“Best one I’ve ever seen.”

Wiz spoke up. “It’s the only one he’s ever seen.”

Twilight ignored Wiz and asked, “What do we do with the liter of love we have now?”

Jared said, “Let’s split it. Victory drink for everyone!”

The love was divided into beakers of all things, and they drank to their fortune. The love went down like a thick beer, much tastier and filling than the apathy and honey cocktail that she survived on for the past few months. “It’s sweet.” remarked Twilight, looking at the beaker in surprise. “Not at all like that stuff in the vial. The vial didn’t taste like much, but it literally made me fall over and writhe on the ground for half a minute.”

“That wasn’t love.” grunted Jared, still focused on his drink. “Ecstasy. A long time ago the ponies found a drug that had similar effects to the body and mind, so they called it such. But the real deal is better. I’m a bit of a user, but not much. It leaves you all disoriented. Makes judgement hard. Easy to get hurt, so not the most fun time. Addicting, though. Very addicting. I had to stop because it interfered with work.”

Twilight looked over to Jared. “What kind of work?”

Jared lowered to the ground and stared into Twilight’s eyes. His eyes shone with a hardness that scared Twilight somewhat, like a war veteran or a warrior. “Not important.” The expressions, the mannerisms changed so suddenly, Twilight couldn’t find a way to describe it. “We need to get the news of our success to the Queen, along with some of the filtered stuff.”  said Jared. He grabbed a large portion of the love from one of the vats and carefully pushed it through the filter. He deftly bottled it and corked the top in a bulbous wine bottle that he procured from nowhere in particular, started his way out the exit, then turned to the two unicorns. His gaze was steely. “Come. Let’s go save our Queen.”

The throne room was large, themed with the dark blues and greens that adorned the rest of the hive’s caverns and walls. When Twilight entered the chamber, she noticed a large drop in temperature, and there was a slight draft blowing through the area. The only thing in the throne room is the large throne in the center. No guards, no other changelings, nothing. They haven't encountered any changelings on the way there, and the past few months have been confined to moving from the Nox housing area to the laboratory. Most changelings never went in there, the smell was considered torturous to their starving stomachs and appetites. Queen Chrysalis of the changelings was sitting on her throne, looking bored. She lifted her gaze at the intrusion into her personal space, saw Twilight, and sighed dejectedly.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle. How are things coming?” she asked in a voice that conveyed she couldn’t care less. Twilight was taken aback slightly at how the queen of the changeling race could be so defeated sounding, even if she escaped with her species mostly intact. It was almost as if she stopped caring...

Jared pushed forward. “My Queen, we have something for you. Months of research have gone into the production of a standing alchemical grid that is capable of filtering our food. If you would, try it.” He passed the bottle to Chrysalis with his magic. Chrysalis eyed the bottle with surprise, then swiftly uncorked it to reveal the pink liquid inside. She took a long drink from the bottle, then smiles, clearly pleased.

“This... this has saved us, Twilight Sparkle, Jared Nox, Samuel Nox. This has saved us all. I must ask, on behalf of my race, what can I do for you in return?”

Twilight looked up at the changeling on the throne. “Send me home.”

Chrysalis shook her head. “No, not possible. We still need you here, and no one leaves the hive. Ever.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “I’ve done what you've asked, Chrysalis. Let. Me. Go.”

“I can’t Twilight Sparkle, you know that as well as I. If you leave, this hive will perish. I cannot allow that. I will not.”

Jared stepped forward. “At least let her go up to the surface for a while. She deserves that much. Samuel and I will accompany her, for better or for worse. There are available stasis pods, so we should allow her that much. Let her have closure. Please.”

Chrysalis nodded slowly. “I trust you explicitly, Jared. Go, sleep in the chamber for tonight. All of you have surface visas for one week. Do not be late.”

“Thank you, Janet.”

“Don’t call me that. My first name shouldn't be used flippantly, Jared. You know that.” said Chrysalis with narrowed eyes. “And Jared,” she added. “Tell Twilight Sparkle about your past. I’m sure she will find it intriguing.”

Jared laughed. “Sure thing, Janet.”

Twilight Sparkle woke up surrounded by blue. She slowly emerged from her stasis pod and popped out onto the ground. Wiz, who was fluttering around the rafters, swiftly landed on her back. She looked down on herself. She saw a steel gray coat, with fiery orange stripes running through her spiky mane. Her eyes were a sky blue, which made for a strange contrast. Her cutie mark was also blue, what appeared to be an electric blue sunrise. She looked across to Jared and saw something so ridiculous, she burst out laughing.

Jared was a male Pinkie Pie.

His bright pink coat and dull pink mane were ridiculous to look at. His hair wasn’t curly, but jagged and spiky, pointing in all directions. His cutie mark was a pile of rocks and gems in red and yellow. His eyes shone with a disturbing dark red, like blood, and his crazy grin didn’t help much.

Samuel looked similar to Twilight, grey, with his normal gunmetal grey mane streaked with orange. His coat was a lighter shade of grey, and his cutie mark was a bottle wrapped in gauze with a cork in it and with a green liquid inside. He looked up with his golden eyes and said, “Let’s go, miss Victoria.”

As they made their way to the surface and began to approach Ponyville, Twilight asked what they’re stories were going to be. Jared came up with pretty clever names. Twilight was Event Horizon, Jared was called Pop Rock, and Samuel would be Singed Potion. Singed Potion would be Event Horizon’s son, and Pop rock is traveling with them all over the kingdom, doing research on changelings. As for a connection with Twilight Sparkle, Event Horizon was in the same class as Twilight in the School for gifted Unicorns. They approached the outskirts of Ponyville, and entered the property of Sweet Apple Acres with their flits carefully concealed with glamour.

“We need to be careful,” said Jared. “Our disguises will stand against most things, but a glamour revealing spell will tear it right away. But no matter.” He perked up considerably and started bouncing around. “Let’s go!”

Twilight sighed. “What an obnoxious colt. Let’s go, dear.” The role came so easily to Twilight, her imagination filling in gaps left from the discussion.

“Sure, Mom.”

Jared said, “What are we here for, anyways?”

“We need to go to the library, first of all.”

As they approached Twilight’s library, she noticed there was no light coming in from the inside.

Twilight knocked on the door of the tree. “Hello?”

“Go away.” Spike’d voice rang out through the door.

Jared spoke up. “We’re here researching changelings. Do you have any reference models, or some sort of sample of chitin or something? I’ve heard the pony in the library was quite knowledgeable?”

“She’s dead. Go away.”