//------------------------------// // The Horror of Tirek // Story: Trials of a Changeling Queen // by CTVulpin //------------------------------// The curtains rose on the scene of Crystal Diadem, the female lead of the play whose wonderful singing voice had drawn the attention of the titular Changeling of the Opera, being lead onto the roof of the opera house by her childhood friend and romantic interest, Rolled Cash, in the wake of a disastrous tantrum from the mysterious Changeling. As they ran, Crystal was protesting, “It’s useless to flee.There’s no place where he cannot see.” Rolled stopped at center stage and gestured around the stage, which had nothing on besides a backdrop and a gargoyle in each corner. “We could he hide, my dear?” he said. “We’re safe for now, right here.” He pulled Crystal close and hugged her. “This ghost will not harm you while I still stand.” “Oh Rolled!” Crystal cried, hugging him back, “I’m not afraid for myself, but for you! O.G. would never wish me harm. All this, everything he’s done, frightening as it is, he’s done to… to… he loves me, Rolled.” Out in the audience seating, Cabbage put her hooves over her eyes and groaned. “Again,” she muttered. In a blink, the stage was reset to the start of the scene. When the curtain rose, though, Rolled was dressed in the Changeling’s disguise from the masquerade scene that opened the second act. Cabbage growled, and everything reset again. Princess Luna appeared next to Cabbage in a beam of moonlight. “Are you well, Cabbage?” Luna asked, watching the scene start again with everypony walking on the ceiling. “You’ve been replaying this one scene over and over in your dreams for the past three nights.” Cabbage shrugged, letting the upside-down play continue for the moment. “We open in… four days now,” she said, “and everything else is going fine, but there’s something about this scene that keeps tripping Lemon Zest up. I guess she really likes delivering the line where Crystal claims she has a different sort of love for Rolled than she does for Error the Changeling, and Lemon keeps skipping lines to get to it faster.” Luna regarded the action on stage, which began to devolve into nonsensical babbling as Cabbage’s attention drifted from it. “I’ll admit I don’t understand how the Changeling Hive Mind works,” she said, “but is it possible your own concerns about this scene are bleeding into Lemon Zest’s mind? As I recall, Error misinterprets Crystal’s statements and begins to target Rolled Cash more specifically in the second act. Are you worried the audience may also miss the point?” “The Changeling character does get more dangerous after this,” Cabbage said, frowning. “But, the finale in Error’s lair straightens everything out. More or less.” The stage shifted to the scene in question – set in a dark, underground space filled with an eclectic mix of set pieces with the most prominent being a small pipe organ – where Error was a holding a noose tight around Rolled’s neck while trying to corner Crystal into a choice between staying in the Changeling’s lair forever or watching her love die. It was an intense stand-off where words would not be sufficient. Before Cabbage could continue her line of thought, however, a loud, tortured scream tore through the dreamscape. The stage and players disintegrated into puffs of light that were blown away, and Cabbage was bowled over by the sound, which made the very air tremble visibly. Luna tried to brace against the onslaught, but the screams lifted her as easily as the remnants of the dream-stage, and she would have been driven out of the dream entirely had Cabbage not instinctively reached out and grabbed her hoof, giving the princess an anchor to stay in Cabbage’s mind. “What’s happening?” Luna shouted over the scream, which was started to be echoed by similar sounds. “This is… no dream element like I’ve ever felt.” “It’s the Hive Mind!” Cabbage realized. “Something’s happened to one of the Changelings, something terrible!” She focused her will, changing her dream-self to reflect her natural Changeling form in the process, and pushed back against the screams, blocking the echoed ones and trying to isolate the original and reach the mind of the Changeling producing it. After a moment, she felt Turnip, Chrysalis, and Lemon Zest’s minds join hers in the fight. I’ve identified them, Lemon reported, her mental voice loud and clear to both Cabbage and Luna over the noise. It’s Morph! “What’s wrong?” Cabbage asked. He’s being attacked, Chrysalis said. The screams stopped suddenly, and after a tense second, Chrysalis stated what everyling could sense: His mind’s gone silent. Morph’s dead. “How?” Luna and Cabbage exclaimed. I can’t quite tell, Turnip said, Lemon and I both caught his last sensations, but the pain was so intense… everything’s jumbled. Wait, Lemon Zest cut in. There are some echoes of the last coherent thing he saw. Let me see if I can put them together… Gradually, an image formed in the empty space before Cabbage and Luna: a long, greyish-red face with black eyes, short horns, and a white beard staring from the depths of a hood. “No!” Luna gasped, slipping out of Cabbage’s grip and rapidly fading away as she backed away from the image. “It can’t be him.” “Luna!” Cabbage shouted, trying to chase down and catch the vanishing alicorn. “What is it?” Luna shook her head. “Find the body, Cabbage, quickly,” she said before vanishing completely. In the next instant, Cabbage woke up in her bed, gasping for air and with her mind full of confused and scared Changeling chatter. Ultimately, it was Chrysalis who found Morph’s corpse, in a back alley in an area of Canterlot known for shops of dubious repute, alongside a barely conscious Rare Find. Chrysalis lingered over the brown unicorn for a moment, probing at his emotional aura, before broadcasting her location and turning to examine Morph’s remains. The Changeling had been reduced to a withered husk, barely more than chitin with bits inside that rattled when Chrysalis nudged the corpse with her hoof. Good work, Chrysalis, Cabbage said. I’ll be there shortly. It’s not a pretty picture, Patch, Chrysalis responded. You might want to spare your pony’s heart the shock. I have to see for myself, Cabbage said. Imago, any luck getting in contact with Princess Luna? Oh yes, My Queen, Imago replied with a trace of humor. I got to the castle gate just as a messenger came from the Princess telling the guards to take any Changelings straight to her. I’ll tell her where Morph is. Cabbage Patch and Luna arrived at the alley at about the same time. Luna was accompanied by two of her bat-winged guards and a unicorn whose armor bore insignia denoting him as a medic. Chrysalis pointed to Morph’s corpse with an almost careless gesture, but it was Rare Find that caught everypony’s attention. While Luna and the medic hurried over to the brown unicorn and the bat-ponies took up sentry positions around the scene, Cabbage went over to Chrysalis and said, “You didn’t mention finding a pony as well!” “Didn’t I?” Chrysalis asked. “Silly me.” Cabbage glowered at the former queen, and then went over to Rare Find, stopping a short distance away so as not to interfere with Luna and the guards. “What happened to him?” Cabbage asked. Luna sighed and shook her head sadly. “It’s as we feared,” she said, “the poor stallion’s magic is gone, taken from him.” “Taken?” Cabbage exclaimed. Chrysalis looked over, intrigued. “I know at least a half-dozen ways to interrupt or briefly disable a unicorn’s ability to use magic, but how can it be taken away entirely?” Luna averted her gaze and frowned. Cabbage could feel waves of fear and uncertainty radiating from the alicorn, and that made Cabbage’s own anxieties start to swell. Something that makes even Princess Luna frightened, she thought. Do I even want to know what that could be?She looked over at the remains of Morph and shuddered. It killed one of my Changelings. Horribly. Rare Find stirred suddenly and gasped something. Everypony except the two bat-ponies gathered closer as the unicorn inhaled and tried to speak again. “Lord… Tirek…” he said. “Called himself… Lord Tirek.” “Tirek?” Cabbage mused aloud. Turnip, does that name show up anywhere in our lore? The Hive Mind stilled momentarily as ever Changeling waited for the Lorekeeper’s response. If it did, Turnip said at last, it’s lost lore now. My apologies my Queen. “Tirek is perhaps the greatest threat Equestria has ever faced,” Luna said, “even worse than Discord at his most sadistic, perhaps. The latter spread misery and confusion for his own amusement, but Tirek… hopelessness follows in his wake.” She turned and faced the tow Changelings directly. “A thousand years ago, Tirek and his brother, Scorpan, came to Equestria from a distant land to steal pony magic for their own use. When they arrived, though, Scorpan was impressed by the power of friendship the ponies displayed, and embraced it. He warned my sister and I of Tirek’s plot, and we sealed him away in Tartarus. Now, he’s free again, and clearly hungry to regain the power that was lost to him over the centuries.” “So, this creature steals magic from ponies,” Chrysalis said. “That doesn’t tell us why we have a dead Changeling here too.” “He tried to protect me,” Rare Find said. “Morph was walking me home, and I bumped into him in this alley. He was wearing a cloak and was hunched over, so I thought he was just another pony at first. I apologized for bumping into him, and he said something about taking what was rightfully his as he threw back his hood. I guess Morph sensed his intentions, because he threw himself between Tirek and me just as the monster started… inhaling. I saw the magic pouring out Morph, and he shriveled up like a… a…” Rare Find shuddered, and his eyes went blank for a second. “I couldn’t… couldn’t even move, I was so frightened. Then, Tirek came for me.” “But you’re still alive,” Chrysalis said, accusingly. “Settle down, Chrysalis,” Cabbage said, although she didn’t feel too settled herself. “Rare Find is a friend.It’s not his fault this happened to Morph.” She forced herself to look at Morph’s remains. “What do we do?” she wondered. “Princess Luna, how are we going to stop Tirek? This can’t happen again, to anypony or Changeling.” Luna’s ears drooped, and she looked away. “I… do not know,” she said. There was little chance of sleep after witnessing the scene in the alley, and sunrise was due to occur soon, so Cabbage decided to hold an emergency meeting of the senior staff of the Shifting Perspectives Theater – namely Trixie, Harlequin, and Maggie Pie along with Turnip and Chrysalis – as soon as she got back. The ponies were all confused and cranky to be woken up before sunrise and herded into Cabbage’s office. Trixie made a show of keeping her sleeping cap on to drive home the point that she’d rather be in her bed, but once Cabbage explained what had happened to Morph and Rare Find, Trixie ditched the cap and she and Maggie became all business. Harlequin only seemed to get crankier. “Do we have any idea where this Tirek creature is now?” Maggie asked. Cabbage shook her head. “Rare Find was too dazed after being drained to see which way he fled,” she said. “And anyway, he’s got a whole city to hide in.” “Well, surely the Princesses have some plan to track him down,” Trixie said. “Comb Canterlot with the Royal Guard, bring in Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony to lure him into the open and then blast him… something like that?” Turnip, Cabbage, and Chrysalis all exchanged a look. “I don’t think they have a plan yet,” Chrysalis said at length. “Come again?” Harlequin asked. “Imago’s staying in the castle for now,” Turnip answered, “trying to keep us in the loop with the what the Princesses are doing. Right now… they’re still getting over their shock that Tirek’s escaped from Tartarus.” “Ok, that does it, then,” Harlequin said, walking away. “I’m out of here.” “Where are you going, Quin?” Trixie asked. “Anywhere but here,” Harlequin snapped. “Far, far away from all this nonsense. I’m done. I didn’t sign up for Changelings, politics, getting attacked by rock monsters or chaotic plants or magic-sucking beings from Tartarus! I’m just an acrobat, for pony’s sake! I just want to perform for ponies, rake in a few bits, and maybe spend them on something nice once in a while. I. Am. Done. With all of you.” He stormed out of the office, leaving the door ajar behind him. “Hmph,” Chrysalis said. “Should have seen that coming. He’s probably got the right idea, though. It appears Tirek’s power to drain magic, while merely devastating to a pony, is fatal to Changelings. We should get the Hive as far away from him as possible.” “And go where?” Turnip scoffed. “Everything we’ve done to establish goodwill with ponies has been centered here, in Canterlot. This is a perfect opportunity to cement the impression we gave this city during the plundervine attack. We should stay and try to help.” Chrysalis gave Turnip a look of mild horror. “There are only twenty-four of us left, Lorekeeper,” she said. “Are you proposing we go and fight a monster that can kill us by breathing in our general direction, when he’s probably not even hunting Changelings in the first place?” “Don’t put words in my mouth,” Turnip snapped. “It may be enough just to get eyes on him, so the Princesses know where to go once they come up with a plan.” He looked up at Cabbage pointedly. “It’s not our call to make, anyway,” he said. “What shall we do, Queen Cabbage?” Cabbage’s mouth opened, but no words came out. The image of Morph’s dried-out corpse and the memory of his dying screams in the Hive Mind played over and over in her mind, drowning out her attempts to think. She couldn’t go through that horror again, but she couldn’t sit back and let the monster who’d killed one of her own remain a threat to others. “I… I d-don’t…” she managed to stammer out. “Does it have to be one or the other?” Trixie asked. She was fearful, likely imagining losing her own magic to Tirek, but Cabbage could also feel the unicorn was trying to radiate calm and confidence, and below it all was an unfaltering sense of care for Cabbage Patch. “No,” Cabbage said, moving closer to Trixie, “it doesn’t. We can do both. Turnip, take some Changelings and go to the old mines. Make sure they’re secure so we can fall back and hide there if necessary. Chrysalis, you and the rest of the Hive spread out through the city and locate Tirek. If he hates ponies so much, I bet his emotions will give away his hiding place. But – and let me be absolutely clear – do not get near him. Just relay the information to Imago. Understood?” Turnip and Chrysalis both hesitated for a second at being assigned with the task the other one had proposed, but they both nodded their assent. Restaurant Row’s still clear. So’s the north side. Chrysalis ground her hoof on the pavement in frustration. “Search the city,” she muttered in a mockery of Cabbage’s voice. “It shouldn’t be hard to find Tirek. Oh no,” she shifted her voice back to normal, “no way a monster like that could hide from a mere eighteen Changelings in a city this big.” Your whining is not helping, Turnip chided. Chrysalis stomped her hoof a couple of times and stormed off into a convenient alleyway to find something to vent her frustration on. Mind your own business, Lorekeeper, she said over the Hive Mind. While you’ve been cozying up those caves – which was my idea if you recall – I’ve been flitting about nonstop all day on a wild goose chase! And what’s our spy in the castle been doing? she added after a moment, zeroing in on Imago’s mental presence. Not one word on what the ponies are doing about Tirek since sunrise, and the sun’s practically set now! For your information, Imago replied stiffly, the Princesses have been behind closed doors all day, plotting. Princess Twilight just stepped out, and I’m trying to ask her for information. She’s… feeling conflicted. Doubtful about whatever she’s been told. She’s ignoring me, but muttering under her breath. Something about… relying on Discord? Discord, Chrysalis thought. Surely the Princesses aren’t trusting that creature to stop Tirek. The Hive Mind rumbled with opinions and speculation. Many Changelings shared Chrysalis’s doubt, but some pointed out how Discord had been on the pony side in the battle they called Chrysalis’s Folly. Eventually, Cabbage Patch leaned on the Hive Mind, putting an end to the discussion. If Celestia and Luna trust Discord to handle things, then so should we, she said. Chrysalis rolled her eyes and took flight to reach the roof the building the alley ran behind. If that’s the case, she thought, we should just pull back and wait for the fireworks to die down. Debate broke out in the Hive Mind again. Some Changelings agreed with Chrysalis, while others argued that they should keep searching anyway just so Tirek’s location would be known. Chrysalis stayed out of the argument, feeling disgusted at the disunity she was witnessing. “We used to be of one voice,” she grumbled as she flitted over to the next rooftop and started hopping from building to building back in the direction of the theater. “My voice. Now we squabble, dozens of conflicting opinions, because the Queen does not enforce her will strongly enough.” She alighted on a roof as she finished her little rant and braced herself for the mental backlash those comments would bring from the ungrateful bugs she had once called her children, but no backlash came. Chrysalis realized suddenly that the chatter of the Hive Mind had stopped, and when she reached out she could sense no thoughts but her own. Just as Chrysalis started to wonder what had happened, she got an explanation in the form of a comment from the alley behind the building she was standing on: “…that should hide us from sight, sound, and even mental detection. So, let’s talk details, Tirek.” Tirek! Chyrsalis thought, creeping to the edge of the roof. She peered over and saw the wizened centaur, dressed in a concealing cloak with the hood pulled down, talking to the unmistakably mis-matched spirit of Chaos himself, Discord. “It’s a simple plan, Discord,” Tirek said, his voice raspy but strong, “you bring ponies to me, using whatever methods you desire, and I take their magic to increase my strength until I can stand before the alicorn princesses and take their magic. The only limitation is we’ll have to focus on unicorn ponies at first; their magic is closest to the surface and the easiest for me to take as I am now.” Chrysalis crouched on the roof, watching with a deep frown on her face. I rather doubt this is what Celestia had in mind, she thought. The fools just handed their enemy an ally, and they don’t realize yet. Equestria is doomed if I don’t… She hesitated and glanced around as she realized the full implications of her accidentally stumbling into the privacy field Discord had erected. Yes, she thought, smirking, the poor ponies are doomed. So what? Naturally, it wasn’t long before Discord’s betrayal became evident. As soon as word reached the castle of how the dragonequus had lured dozens of unicorns to a “magic show,” only to bring Tirek onto the stage and let him drain the audience of their magic, Imago immediately fled toward the old crystal mines even as he alerted the Hive to the news. As the Changelings who’d still been out searching congregated at the entrance to the caverns, a debate arose about bringing some ponies down into the mines as well. “Why would we need ponies down here?” one Changeling asked. “The Lorekeeper’s group managed to move most of our love reserves in already. We can last until this all blows over.” “Not for our survival, you dunce,” another said, “but to try and protect some of them from Tirek. We probably won’t be able to get many to safety, but the gesture would be appreciated.” “But what if bringing ponies with us lets Discord and Tirek find us by tracking them?” a third asked. “Who says they can even do that? Besides, do you really think the Queen’s going to bar those two from joining us?” The two being referenced were, of course, Maggie Pie and Trixie, who were standing nearby on either side of Cabbage, observing the argument. “Are you going to just let them bicker like this?” Trixie asked. “I want to hear everyling’s thoughts before I make a judgement,” Cabbage said.“I’m honestly not sure yet whether it’s worth the risk of bringing more than the two of you with us.” “About that,” Maggie said. “I’m worried about my family. The rock farm’s rather isolated, and this problem has developed so quickly, I doubt they’re even aware of the danger…” “You want to try and warn them,” Cabbage said. Maggie gave her a guilty look, and Cabbage gave her a soft smile in response. “I understand,” Cabbage said. “Go ahead, go to them. They need you much more than we do.” Maggie smiled gratefully. “Thank you for understanding, Cabbage,” she said. “Once this is over, I’ll be in touch.” She galloped away up the path back to the city. “Do you have anypony you want to try and warn, Trixie?” Cabbage asked. “In Hoofington, maybe?” Trixie shook her head. “Hoofington’s no backwater,” she said. “The news will get there faster than I could at this point. Or Tirek might get there first. Besides,” she nudged Cabbage’s shoulder and smirked, “somepony has to keep an eye on you and the rest of these bugs.” “Thanks, I think?” Cabbage replied, giving the showmare a sideways look. She turned her attention to the Changelings and asked, “Has everyling had their say yet?” “Mostly, My Queen,” Turnip answered. “Chrysalis hasn’t given her opinion yet. Come to think of it,” he added, looking over the gathered Changelings, “I haven’t heard anything from her in a while. Is she even here?” “Don’t split your shell, Lorekeeper; I’m here,” Chrysalis said, emerging from deeper in the cave. She cast a condescending look over the group and said, “While you were all bickering pointlessly, I decided to go claim my space in our hidey hole here. If you must have my opinion though, I think that at the rate Tirek’s apparently going through ponies, we’d either just find ponies who have already been drained or get caught in whatever Discord’s next trap is.” Turnip glanced over at Cabbage..“She makes a good point, much as it pains me to admit,” he said. “Of course I do,” Chrysalis said. “Just because I’m no longer Queen doesn’t mean I’m unable to see the big picture. Now,” she said, turning about quickly and ignoring the snarky mental commentary from Turnip and others, “are going into hiding or not?” “Right,” Cabbage said, leading the way into the mines.