Chapters Like A Moth, To The Flame.
When you learn to set aside your feelings you can judge others without seeming out of line. As a Criminal Psychologist I help the police catch those that leave little to no physical evidence. I delve into the minds of psychotics, serial killers, and even the occasional victim to find not only the hows of their demise, but the whys as well. I am Dr. Chase Greene, I have a deep understanding of the human... mind. My expertise today however was put to the test.
I was walking through the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit an old friend at the hospital but an unexpected detour led me to another location entirely. Almost as if I was transported into the catacombs of the subconscious of one of the darker criminals. It seemed like a dungeon, a prison inside their own body. I had seen it many times before, in my own dreams. I find a room lit by green flaming candles. What looked like a woman laid in the bed in the room's center.
"You seem to know your way around." Her voice doubled and disembodied touched my heart for reasons unknown.
"What is this place?" I asked keeping my wits about me.
"This is my home but not for long... I need someone to carry on the legacy... Normally I would chose a female, but it isn't my choice."
"There is always a choice."
Yes there is, I need someone who knows how the mind works, someone who can lead others, but most of all an ability to become someone else. You have all these qualities, and more. I didn't chose you, you chose me."
"And how did I chose you?"
I do not know, but I have a feeling it is about your lack of emotion," A lack of emotion? Paranoid delusions of a woman on her death bed. As she sat up her emerald hair parted around a crooked horn about three feet long that looked as if it ripped through her charred black skin. "Go on touch it if you wish." I reached out and touched her soft smooth skin, which was most likely a skin condition. Know that I am not long for my world, for your cooperation, I can use my last strength to give you what you desire the most. Understanding." Bargaining one of the stages of grief, what would the catch be, there always is. "The only catch is that you may not return to your world, and you must take my place in my own."
"What is in it for myself?"
"Many untold riches, and too many to be before I die. My time is almost at an end, please grant an old woman's last wish." Her doubled voice sounded sincere as she was shedding tears. This only made it feel awkward, why would a dying woman bear her heart to a complete stranger. Didn't she have a family of her own, a husband, a mother?
"I will do as you ask." At most she is delusional, or even under heavy medication, the horn could be broken stained glass that if removed it would kill her. It's best to play along until her life fades away. She placed what looked like hole filled stubs on the glass before ripping it out and handing it over to me. The gaping hole on her forehead stitched itself shut.
"As long as you hold this, you will hold more power than you could imagine." She began coughing violently. "My time is up, may you learn from my mistakes." The Glass grew cold in my hand, as a ring carved itself into the floor. Green flames erupted from the ring and crept over my skin, yet I felt no heat. For the first time in my life I actually felt something. My heart raced as I sank through the ground. I awoke several hours later in a damp cave
My throat was deathly dry, I crawled to a pool of water. and drank until my thirst was sated. The Glass shard still in my hand I stood to my feet. Where have I been taken? I am a woman on my deathbed, I need someone to carry on my legacy. My mind reflected on what she said. I have to dive into her subconscious. The time seemed to fly backward as I ran a psych eval based upon her mannerisms and sense of mortality.
I need someone to carry on for me, I cannot chose them, but I have to make sure that the right one finds me. They need to be exactly like me. Calm, calculating, and they need to know how others think. We are separated by more walls than a labyrinth. How do I contact potential candidates. I look down to the shard and find that it's glowing. The insects seem to be mesmerized by the glow... The insects they are supreme, they are everywhere, the perfect spies. Somehow I could reach out to them, and look for the perfect heir, and lead them to me.
The Shard, longer than my arm, now had a handle, I must not have noticed it before. A large creature came out from the shadows, it had the eyes of a Man, and wings of Dragonfly. It stood on four legs each perforated, much like the limbs of the woman. "My liege," It spoke in a raspy voice as it bowed. "It is bittersweet, to be in your presence Sire." I found this creature strange to say the least. His personality and way of holding himself stood out as an almost textbook definition of manservant. "I know you find this hard to believe, but this place is not one for explanation. It is not secured. Please follow me."
"Alright," I followed him through the caves, using the shard as a light source. The green light was reminiscent of the candlelight from before. "What are you exactly?"
"We are a race of shape shifting warriors, called Changelings. You are our new leader, Sire." This paranoid delusion has become hallucination. I have heard of incense that stimulates this kind of reaction, but none so vivid.
"What was the name of your previous leader?".
"Queen Chrysalis, our loving Mother and Mistress."
"A Mother and Mistress, very interesting." Normally a hallucination of this magnitude would show no signs of connection to the visions previous. It may be a dream, I've had similar ones but none so real.
"Welcome to the Hive Kingdom." He parted a veil that hung over a large window. It was amazing, a large staircase led into a room miles wide, homes lined the walls in giant Hexagons, and an ornate castle made of black plating hung from the ceiling like a chandelier. "This will be your new home." I was sure now that this was no dream, no hallucination, this was real, all of it. Nothing in my mind could be so moving, so normal. "What shall we call you Sire?" I took a moment to think, I was drawn, like a moth to the flame.
"From the Chrysalis Emerges the Monarch."
"Your will be done, Monarch."
Metamorphose.
I am Monarch, such a strange occurrence. All of my years catching criminals that were named by others, and I adopt a new one, an Alias. An Eponymous disassociation of my former self. Am I a new man, or have I just been given something no man has. As he led me across the bridge to the Castle I saw many creatures like him flying around carrying eggs, honey, things I thought needed for life. "Master, Monarch." He seemed to stutter, as if he was afraid.
"What is it,"
"Do you have any, preference?" His question was too vague or that was his intention.
"Elaborate."
"Food, females, anything."
"Do you have a name?" I thought it best to flesh out his character, give me a better profile.
"A name, no Sire." No name, served under one mother, a society based on Insect evolution. They know one thing, to follow orders. Without a competent mind to take the reigns, there would be utter chaos. That is why their so called Queen would have chosen a human. And the insect evolution aspect would entail her want to choose a female.
"Larvaes,"
"It shall be so Master Monarch."
"I need a female able to challenge my intellect, I eat whatever I find tasty, and I need to know everything."
"But Sire..."
"Silence, you must have some archive of some sort." I raised my voice, on edge about the whole situation as would any in my case,
"Of course, this way." Larvaes led me through the double doors, and through the very ornate halls. The color scheme was hues of hunter green, and dark black. each room had six walls and every so often there were more Changelings, crawling up the walls and cleaning the floors. All of them were like zombies, some type of Haitian voodoo perhaps. But how would she be able to pass on ownership? The Shard, it must be part of this somehow. "Here we are, Hive Mind Center. Everything that needs to be known, is in there, the past lives of each Queen, notes on the evolution of Equestrian Society."
"Equestrian Society?"
"Yes Equestrian, Horses, Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Alicorns. They believe they are the native species even though ours far outlasts theirs in longevity and evolutionary standards."
"Elaborate."
"Which fact?"
"Equestrians, no humans, any other creatures?"
"There are quite a varied supply of creatures such as the Manticore, and others."
"Sire!" Another burst through the doors, he was rather large, where Larvaes was the size of a miniature horse this one was more along the Clydesdale variety. "We have captured two intruders, what would you have us do with them?" His voice was deep and rather dark.
"Bring them to me."
"At once My Liege." I would assume this one has no name as well.
"Scarab." He turned as if he knew I was addressing him.
"Yes?"
"Be gentle with them, I wouldn't want to come off as rude."
"An odd request," He hesitated. "As you wish." Scarab left the room.
"My attire is hardly befitting a king."
"Try changing it." He said it in a way that sounded like sarcasm.
"Explain."
"Each of our race can take the shape of another, you have been given the powers of our Queen, all we need do is look at it once in our lives. All we need do from that point forward is remember. Just hold to the blade in your hands, and concentrate."
What's the harm in trying. My image, is simple, a man, black slacks, and a shirt. Not much of a king's wardrobe but business casual. I look aside as a green film creeps from the Blade, and over my clothing. shifting it into exactly what I wanted. A very surreal experience. "What are the other, abilities of your kind?"
"We can not only alter our shape but our voice as well,"
"I suppose anything is possible, for a shape shifter."
"Let Go of me," A Unicorn was thrown before my feet, she was rather young, wore glasses, and was light blue in color, her mane a slightly darker shade. "We weren't trying to do anything!" Then Scarab was thrown before me.
"I'll do my job," This one had no real outstanding features a plain white coat and golden armor. "Now Let Us Go!"
"Hold, I mean you no harm." I held out my hand to the Unicorn, and helped her up. "Now why did my guard find you here?"
"There were fluctuations in magical energy at this point, the Princesses sent me to investigate."
"So they have other Royalty?" Strange Princesses with more power than a Queen, it now sounds more like a name than a title, it may not carry the same weight as here.
"I see you're as in the dark as I am." She seemed unaffected by my appearance. "I was unaware there would be anyone here. This region is uninhabited last I checked."
"I have no idea where this region is." Maybe if I find out where I am It may give me insight on why I was brought here to begin with.
"South Southeast of the San Palomino Desert, in Froud Valley."
"Where are you from?"
"I'm a third year student at The School For Gifted Unicorns, near Canterlot. Your turn."
"New Mexico,"
"What happened to old Mexico?" An innocent question, but others would find a need to Troll as the children call it.
"Still there, New Mexico combines tradition of the Latino, and modern society of Mexican Americans."
"Okay, what's your name?"
"Monarch,"
"Like the butterfly?"
"Yes. What's your name?"
"I'm Skye and this is B.A."
"Bad attitude?"
"Blazing Armistice." For one with a name of peace he seems rather hostile. His eyes watched my every move, I dismissed this as his job, which I assume is bodyguard. Still I felt a little unnerved as would any paranoid schizophrenic. I found myself reaching for the blade at my hip. An involuntary action, as if my hand was driven by fear. "Your Blade looks familiar, I've seen it before." He paused a moment as he took a defensive stance. "The horn of the Queen!" As if guided by pure instinct the blade was whipped out of it's casing and was placed to his neck. It was as if it's curve was made to go around it.
"I'm sure we can talk this out." He kept his calm even though his life was in my hands.
"You will forget what you found here Armistice, you will never return, unless I command." His gaze went blank, and his eyes glazed over with a tinge of green. "I shall keep her safe until I see fit for her to return." As I lifted off he scrambled back to from wherever he came.
"What did you do to him?"
"I don't know," My palms slicked with sweat began to shake, I threw the blade to the ground and reached for my medication. It had been years since my last attack, but I'm better safe than sorry. "Larvaes water now!"
"Here you are Sire." I snatched the glass and threw it over my face after swallowing the pill. I fell back onto the chaise and tried to calm my nerves. My heart slowed to normal, and my breaths were calm.
"What happened? Are you okay?" She was frantic as I tried to calm her down before she made me have another.
"Anxiety attack, though infrequent are life threatening if I run out of this special medicine."
"What caused it, we were just talking, then out of nowhere you just, that!" Am I having hallucinations? I swore I threatened his life, it was so real. "I mean
"Are you alright?" I asked, for the first time in years I was actually worried about something other than time.
"Of course I am, but he just left not a word."
"Interesting, Larvaes bring me the journal of my predecessor."
"At once Your Grace." He ran out as Scarab regained consciousness.
"Are you okay Your Majesty, he blindsided me."
"He's been taken care of. Sent back to where he came from. Skye here is going to stay with us for a while. Get one of the Maidens to get a room ready for me she can have mine."
"But sire there is no reason for the enemy to be here." All this one thinks about is violence, as if waging war was second nature to him. I need to speak a language he does, Sun Tzu should suffice.
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. I do not know myself or this enemy which seems almost non threatening. I can't extend an olive branch if I don't know the culture."
"But sir we lost hundreds of soldiers to six of them."
"Why should I be concerned?"
"If six can take hundreds, an entire army of them would be unstoppable, as your Military advisor I strongly suggest executing her not treating her like one of our own."
"Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
"As you wish, Your Excellence. Don't come crying to me if this doesn't go according to your plans." He stormed out leaving upturned tables and broken vases in his wake.
"Um may I make a suggestion?" Skye asked with a puzzled tone of voice. "This isn't making a good impression, want to start over?" What, this girl is willing to overlook the threat I just unwittingly proposed. To what end, this is most peculiar, I have to study these new minds. I need to learn all I can, as soon as possible.
Author's Note
Questions without answers.
What makes them so different from us?
Where is here?
Am I Alone?
Side note, yes I did that, Dr Monarch get over it,
A Study On The Equestrian Mind.
I watched Skye as she perused the shelves, each time she found a book she wanted to read I noticed a blue glow that carried it to the table and stacked in a neat pile. Unicorns call this magic, but how does it work? How can they call upon this psychokinesis. "How are you capable of telekinesis?" She broke her concentration to stare at me with questionable eyes before smiling.
"It's an inherent trait all unicorns share, in fact any 'pony' with a horn can use magic if trained, or gifted."
"You say it in a fashion of Ersatz,"
"I do, Changelings are capable, but we haven't had one to study up close until now." She quickly returned her attention to the shelves, stacking more tomes side by side. Could I, If this was all true, I am in part one of these Changeling creatures, holding a horn in my hands.
"What is magic?"
"Well, it's a controversial topic, some say it's a manifestation of an inner wants and desires, causing a spell to do exactly what you want, on the science side it's more complicated. The horn acts as a catalyst, like a reactor supercharging neurological impulses, giving us the ability and heightened senses needed to manipulate the outside world. Training and talent are key in gauging the effectiveness,"
"Would this allow me to harness magic?"
"It seems implausible The neuropaths have been severed considering it isn't yours, and that it's not connected to your brain."
"Before she passed she said that it would grant me power beyond imagination,"
"Being a Changeling horn it may be able to react with your neuropaths, due to their suspected ability to move it throughout their body. But we haven't been able to study their kind, as the field ejected all of them from Canterlot." A flash of pink light overrode my senses.
"I know,"
"How?"
"I can remember bits and peices, of past lives..." As if a hive mind social structure, bonded past and present leaders.
"A hive mind! I was right, without a Leader, they would fall into disarray, if she was injured in the fall, her first priority would be to find a suitable heir, but why waste the energy to cross the boundaries of reality?"
"I have some ideas, but none seem logical,"
"Well shoot."
"She mentioned a lack of emotion,"
"But you seem so normal."
"She said she wanted me to learn from her mistakes."
"Do you think you can hack your way into her memories? It would prove my Hive Mind Theory. Just think, a culmination of information on the survival of one of Equestria's oldest species, how they evolved, this could change the entire outlook on Changelings, We'd be famous." OCD and slight ADD, could be due to a military upbringing, noted from her stance. "What are you thinking about?"
"Your Diagnosis,"
"What?"
"I am an intellectual man, and as such I make my living making psychological profiles of all the people I come in contact with, but sometimes it is not enough to write down their mannerisms, or predicting their next move. I need to be three steps ahead, and in order to do that I have to speculate, and reiterate."
"Can't you just ask?"
"I would, if they weren't running from me."
"But why, you're not that scary, are you?" An innocent question, but how would I word the answer, if I tell her that I've killed my fair share of madmen, with the firearm on my belt. Wait where is my gun? My hand found it's way to an empty holster. It was by my side through this whole ordeal, I don't remember putting it down. I clearly remember keeping it intact during the change.
"Looking for this, Your excellency?" As I turned I found two large glowing eyes, at home in the skull of a glorified lizard. His scales shimmered in the amber light. "I am Veil, the penultimate power, second only to you, In the event a new leader is chosen, I am to help you go through the monotonous metabasis to multanimous," His tone of voice was much different than I expected. It seemed he had a lack of motivation.
"Wow, you have Dragons too?"
"We are a collective, a menagerie of metaphysical connections. some of us a more akin to one form over another, just like two ponies of the same coat wear different clothing, It is more a personal preference, but we take, Personal, personally."
"How so?"
"Each of your kind has a set destiny, a talent which you all excel. Even when born you have personality, a mind to call your own, but we are a collective, Only after years of collecting we learn to feel, to see with our own eyes."
"Is that why she invaded?"
"We need emotion, not for nourishment, but to break the chains, to become ourselves. Naturally the Queen had a conscious,"
"The lack of companionship, must have driven her to insanity. she was alone, no one to talk to that talked back, I've seen it before, lots of times." I reached for my gun, and placed it back in its holster. "A test was administered where one was placed alone in a room with nothing but noise cancelling headphones playing white noise, gloved hands and fogged goggles, to test the effects of isolation. The test was supposed to last forty two days."
"How long did it last?"
"Barely four,"
"Why?"
"Without constant contact with another, friends, family, or even complete strangers, you lose sanity," I'm surprised she lasted as long as she did,even with the comfort of forced contact. "I believe this new insight could prove to be most beneficial in patching relations with the ones we have wronged." She chose me, I chose her, we must have our reasons subconscious or not.
Author's Note
Has it been that long since an update? Apologies. I've been hard at work on my other stuff and have gotten little to no progress so I thought I'd throw some shrimp on the Barbie and send her back home to Ken.
I could tell she was tired, her head dropping lower with each passing minute. She struggled to keep it from crashing down on the table. Larvaes had just returned with the Journal moments ago. Some strange force emanated from it, as if it was for my eyes only. I stayed my hand combating the urge to open it. I don't know why, but I felt drawn to it. I did not want Skye to miss this opportunity, after all she wanted it more than I. I turned to Veil, who had shifted his appearance to that of a Pegasus. "What is your story?"
"Emotions are overrated, Sadness, Joy, Fear. all worthless. The soldier, detach from feelings, and see through the eyes of a god." I've heard that story before as well. "But we need them to survive, why make something that gets us killed part of survival?"
"Living and surviving, are two different subjects. Life is not tried it is merely survived, if you're standing outside the fire. Emotion is the quintessential aspect of living, indifference is only acceptable under one circumstance, when you don't know any better."
"I spoke philosophy with the Queen, not on many occasions." He sighed. "She shaped my mind, to be the perfect heir, but she added a little too much Melancholy. Because of that I see everything so clearly, and what a waste invasion was. In order to do what we need to survive a perfect blend of emotion must be shown to us."
"And if you are shown the wrong combination it affects you adversely."
"Larvaes and Scarab as you call them, are no more than carbon copies, no emotions have been given as was I, but an idea. To serve.and protect, respectively. Any order they shall follow to the letter without question. They may feel alive but they are barely sentient, little more than mindless drones, with false facades." As I listened my attention was drawn back to the book. "Curiosity, a baser instinct, it is what gets cats killed, I hear."
"Yes an expression that isn't far from the truth, but I do not know why it plagues me,"
"You have, not a want, but a need. Reading that book, you think, will shed light on the mystery that is your presence here. You have little interest in how, but more of the why. Why am I here? Why have I been sent to this place? Why me? Creatures are born with innate curiosity, be it a quest to find self worth, or as simple as what is that thing." He indeed held a great grasp on the metaphysical, and Metaphorical. A day and night comparison to the Manservant thought process of Larvaes. "Come with me," I looked to Skye, who had finally fallen asleep. Her ocean blue mane parted around her horn, unkempt from what I suspected days without sleep. "She will be safe, this is the Hivemind Center, only you and I, along with those we permit, may enter. To all others there is no curiosity, as such they cannot see the entrance."
"I trust you are telling a half truth." I reluctantly believed him, as he led me back into the halls, which had changed slightly.
"Half truths, I have no need to lie, but some information must be left out of the equation, or else forfeit the ability to learn from mistakes, do you agree?" This was food for thought, no need to lie but no urge to be truthful. I have donned the shoes of so many, but I never tried to walk in them farther than a few feet.
"Where are we?"
"The Hive is alive, the center is the heart, the longer the chosen stay in it, the easier it is to navigate the halls, new passageways open, new destinations are then applicable, automatically filled with relevance."
"I need more information before I weigh my two cents on the matter."
"We can only learn through imitation, like a baby, we have to see in order to do, be shown in order to feel. The Chosen are born with a consciousness, but still have the need to learn, they are raised in the Center, a culmination of the past chosen, everything they knew and everything they need to know. Some may see our lifestyle as blind loyalty, or slavery, but the truth of the matter is,"
"You don't know any better..." This could be an opportunity to study the effects of thought transference. We stopped at a large arched door. It was hot to the touch, as if a raging inferno were being contained behind them. "Where are we now?"
"In the Center you expressed a desire, to learn how to use your new powers, and a want for your new friend to watch." Our conversation was interrupted by the echo of galloping hooves. Seconds later, Skye skidded to a halt, breathing heavily.
"Sorry I dozed off, but usually it takes at least two hours before I'm fully rested." Adding insomnia to the list of Neuroses.
"All who enter the Hive are effected subconsciously not enough to change their thought process but enough to give them an urge to follow, which can be averted via mental blocks or reasonable intelligence. Once she lost consciousness her mental blockades were lowered,"
"Causing my mind and body to recuperate faster, so I could help. I was fully aware of the effects, and I found the experience quite interesting. It's like a craving for watermelons in the winter time. they're out of season but you still want them. I had tried to train myself to stay awake for days at a time, in order to keep my grades up. Blackhawk leaves me little room for error."
"Your?"
"Father." She disassociates her father, and calls him by name, possibly due to Dereliction of an emotional standpoint. "He's brought me up since I was four, I've completely forgotten about my real parents, not even names. He never brings me to see their standing stones."
"Gravestones?"
"Standing Stones, are a long standing Gryphon tradition, where you die a ward is erected to keep malicious spirits form disturbing the graves, so that the warriors passed can freely speak with their living cohorts, without interruption"
"Have you thought that he may be afraid to let you go there?"
"What do you mean?"
"He may have bonded with you and may be afraid that if you see them again you won't love him as much. Possibly because of his own shortcomings,"
"That could be possible... Well I'm done talking about it, said all I want, now School's in session." I placed my hand on the door, now cool to the touch, and pushed it open. Staring into the inky blackness, I wondered what my mind had given me to work with.
Author's Note
Wow, I'm back in the swing of things, any way don't expect anything soon, I throw these out as they come to mind.
