//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 Ascendency 
// Story: Hole Hearted 
// by Akashic Brony 
//------------------------------//

	Den and Echo disembarked their ship. They walked through a dark valley that narrowed slowly. Steep rock walls had the smooth texture of being carved by magic. A giant stone gate blocked their path. 
“Echo, why was the old hive abandoned?” asked Den.
“Wait, I sense something approaching," said Echo.
A platoon of changelings landed in front of them. Their ebony armor gleamed in the morning light. They snarled, revealing their fangs. 
“How did they follow us here?” asked Echo.
“They’re not going to hurt you.” Den stood in front of Echo and readied his lance. 
A changeling commander directed his troops out front. “Kill Thorax’s murderer, capture the Princess! Beam teams fire!” 
Several squads of changelings shot lines of magic at them. Echo generated a shield. 
“Damn, they’re converging all their beams on single spot.” Echo strained to maintain the shield. 
“Surrender!” cried the changeling commander.
“Echo, fire where my wing tips are pointing.” Den knelt in front of Echo and motioned with his wings.
“Smart.” chimed Echo.
“You roll left, I’ll roll right," said Den.
The shield exploded in green sparks. Echo rolled left and fired into the canyon walls. The falling debris created a wall of rubble tumbling down. The changeling commander ran forward and was separated from his troops. He grimaced but charged at Den.
“Vengeance!” cried the commander.
“Husk stop this! We’ve all lost people!” cried Echo holding the changeling in a telekinetic sheath. 
Husk squirmed. “Larvi,” replied Husk. 
“Husk, did my mother order you to track me down?” asked Echo. 
“Larvi?! Why did you betray our Queen for this wretched Pegasus?” said Husk.
“Den is my Captain sworn to me. I betrayed the Queen but I did not betray our people. How many of our own did my mother kill when she activated the conduit at Anavrin Prison?” said Larvi. 
“Still… I… Huh?” said Husk confused. 
“Substantiation. I seek it," said Echo softly.
Husk stopped struggling. He noticed his own soldiers having flown over the debris and were preparing a charge.
“Soldiers, stand down!” Husk shouted. 
Changelings landed softly on the ground with their weapons still cautiously raised.  
“Princess Larvi, explain.”
“I will take the Ascendency Rite and attain the secrets from the First Ones," said Echo.
“That is a foal’s errand. It is impossible. The trials are death. Several Queens have lived out their reigns without ever daring it," said Husk. 
“I will and I will return," said Echo. 
“If you do… Princess Larvi, your old unit and those of us who served Amorpheus may support your bid. Our Queen has become different… a day ago she killed Coxa for expressing doubt. Also my wife was worker caste…she was sacrificed in the Anavrin," said Husk his head lowered. 
“Coxa…and your wife... I’m so sorry for you," said Echo, sadly hugging Husk. 
The Changeling’s eyes opened wide. “Princess Larvi?” 
“Thank them, could you tell them I will return? When the time is right, have my supporters transform to Royal Guards with black armor so that I might know them.”  






Past the gate and through a long tunnel Echo and Den entered the common chamber of the hive. The underground cavern was vast. The hive’s layout was foreign to Den. The alien architecture twisted and turned in unnatural patterns. Little honeycomb shapes formed living quarters that were open to the public. From the ceiling dripped water that collected in pools. A friendlier warmer green glow emanated from the honeycombs. Den looked closer to see that the cells were smeared with bioluminescent paste.  
“You were born here?” asked Den.  
“Yup.” Echo nodded.  
“Your homes have no doors. I can’t imagine a society that open. Don’t you worry about theft?” said Den, looking at the multi-storied honeycombs.
“Everything belongs to everyone else. We raise our children as a community. I can’t imagine stealing from your brother or sister," said Echo shrugged.
“Ha, Blueberry stole the desert from my lunch boxes all the time.” Den smiled.
“Ohh, I played with the others near there when I was a nymph," said Echo pointing to some honeycomb huts.
“You’re still a nymph in way. A nymphomaniac.” Den nibbled on Echo’s ears.
Echo squealed. “Tempting lover, but we could lie in bed for eternity. Let’s do that later," said Echo, smirking.






Echo strolled through the maze with ease. She cast a small ball of light with her magic. Den stared at some paths that lead forever into the shadows. From the darkness a low growl and snarl made Den jump. The sound continued reverberating past them. 
“There are monster in the deep. Time was we fought them for territory. My ancestors were worn to shadows of their former glory in those long wars.” Echo shivered. 
Den walked closer with Echo.






Continuing onwards deeper into the abyss, they entered a hall with many columns.
“These archways look Unicorn. The columns are classical Pegasi. The stonework seems to be Earth Pony," said Den.
“The First Ones were said to have been all three races once. I’m not sure, they could have even have been Alicorns," said Echo. 
At the end of the hall, a grand door stood before them. Echo opened the door with her magic.
“Here is the Chambers of Trials.” Echo took a deep breathe.
“Shall we?” said Den. 
Den and Echo entered. The door instantly snapped shut behind them and sealed itself with green fire. Echo pawed at with her hooves. She to summon magic but her horn fizzled out. 
“My magic doesn’t work here! We can’t teleport out," said Echo. 
“Maybe it wants us to go forward," said Den.
“It?” asked Echo.
“I don’t know, maybe your ancestors," said Den.






Lines of light illuminated the ceiling and directed their path. They passed the first chamber into the second. Again the doors sealed behind them. Den looked at sandy floor littered with bones. In the middle of the room was a single small stone coffin that had a hinged open lid. A skeleton lay inside. 
“This is obviously a quicksand trap," said Den.
“Why the open coffin in the middle of the room?” asked Echo. 
They flew above the sand and past the coffin and to the second door. Pressing a hoof on the next door, the trap was sprung. Metal spikes jutted out of the side walls. The walls slowly closed in.
“Okay, this is out of a Daring Do novel. Some sicko must have been a fan of villains.” Den chuckled nervously.
“I didn’t read that one. How’d Daring escape?” asked Echo. 
“A hole that collapsed in the ceiling. It was a cheap deus ex machina. I think one of the writers got lazy.” Den planted his hoof on his face. 
“Den, I don’t think we’re meant to escape.” Echo pointed at the coffin shaped outline in the spikes.
“Inside the coffin, that’s the only safe place. How ironic," said Den.
“There’s barely room for one," said Echo grimly.
“…There must be another way.” Den looked frantically around the room. Den then removed the corpse from the coffin. “Echo, get in while I find a way," said Den.
“No," said Echo sternly.  	
“We don’t have time to argue!” shouted Den. 
“Two pairs of eyes are better than one," said Echo looking around. “Maybe there’s a tap pattern.” Echo put her hooves on the door trying to tap out a pattern. 
The crawling advance of the spiked walls continued. The room was two thirds of its original size. There were punctured skulls attached to some of the spikes. 
“Magic?” questioned Den. 
Echo face soured as her horn fizzled impotently. “Still nothing.”
“Can’t you transform into a mouse?” questioned Den. 
“Transformation takes magic. Even with magic on that’s impossible, there’s conservation of mass," said Echo.	
“Maybe under the sand! I’ll check this end," said Den, feeling his hooves through the particles. 
“There’s nothing but bones," said Echo, feeling through the sand. 
The room was now half its size.
“Echo get in the coffin," said Den desperately. 
“No!” said Echo crossing her hooves.
“Don’t make me force you, you stupid changeling,” Den growled. Den pounced. 
Echo flew back. “No!” cried Echo.
Den shouted jumping after her. Den pushed Echo onto the sandy ground. He pinned her down pressing his forelegs on her wings. “You can’t overpower me without your magic!” 
“No! You bastard!” cried Echo struggling angrily. 
Den spoke softly. “Live for me will you?” 
“Respect my wish, Den," said Echo softly and sweetly. “I would like to die with you. Be it when time takes us or right now.” 
Den looked at the spikes, now but hooves away. “This will hurt.”
“It would hurt more living without you," said Echo her eyes streaming.
The tip of the spikes entered Den’s shoulders. He screamed in pain. “I love you, Echo!!!” 
“I love you, Den!!!” cried Echo.






Blood oozed from his sides. However the spikes advanced no further. The walls retreated slowly and the spikes pulled out of Den’s shoulders. The spikes retracted back into the walls.
“How?” asked Den. 
The doors in front opened with a flash of green fire. 
“It was test!” said Echo.
“They cut it close didn’t they," said Den feeling his bleeding shoulders. The wound was only an eyelash deep. 
“I guess the builders didn’t expect you Mr. Wide Shoulders," said Echo licking some of the blood from Den. Echo helped Den apply bandages from his saddle bag. 
Den inspected the coffin lid. There were hoof scratches inside. “The selfish partner is suffocated.” 
“A fascinating mechanism," said Echo.
“Not so fascinating," said Den feeling his shoulders. “What death trap is next?”






The next room they entered was painted by many murals. Dark pony shaped forms fought against creatures of ever increasing ugliness and horror. The paintings showed may fallen ponies outlined by red. Most striking was the monsters depicted. Instead of the minimalistic style of the ponies they were drawn to realism. One particular monster caught Den’s eyes. It was monster that was almost a mouth with legs and long sharp horns that were shown goring ponies to death. It seemed cartoonish but the serious manner in which it was drawn made all the more terrifying. 
“Your ancestors lived fighting monsters?” asked Den.
“And died," said Echo gesturing to some bones in the ground. The chamber was littered with skeletons and weapons. 
Den felt a tingle run down his spine. “Something tells me we should be prepared," said Den picking up a spear and affixing it to his saddle. 
“Right," said Echo doing the same. 






The lines of light in ceiling suddenly flickered off. 
“Stay calm," said Den. 
“Okay," said Echo meekly. 
There was a scream. 
“Echo!?” cried Den.
The lights popped back on. Den turned beside him to see the mouth monster. Rows of jagged shining fanged teeth were revealed when it opened its maw. 
Den chuckled. “Very, funny. I know you’re a changeling!”  Den was nearly killed when the creature lunged at him with its horns.
“Wait, Echo can’t change in here,” Den gasped. 
The mouth monster attacked again. This time Den dodged the attack. He countered sidestepping it and lunging. The creature jumped back avoiding his spear. The creature charged again. Den flew backwards. He rolled avoiding another of the creature’s horn attacks. Den hit a skeleton. He noticed that a rib bone was broken. Den jumped back from another attack he looked at another skeleton with two broken ribs.
“Stop!” cried Den at the creature. “Echo?” he questioned looking at the monster.
Den dodged several more attacks. The creature was on the other side of the room, it seem to be readying another charge.
Den dropped his weapon and sat calmly.
The creature continued charging however stopped with its horn a hair away from Den’s eye. 
The lines of light flickered off back on. Echo was holding a spear against Den. 






“Argh, how did we get tricked here?” said Echo tossing the spear angrily.
“These monsters would have been very real to your ancestors, their first instincts would have been to attack," said Den. Den pointed to skeleton that had neat puncture holes in it. “I noticed something was up when there weren’t chew marks on the bones. The mouth monster would have turned these bones to powder.” 
“I’m sorry I attacked you. Since you weren’t a changeling I thought there was no way it could have been you," said Echo.
“I thought it couldn’t be you because you can’t perform magic here," said Den.
“I asked whether it was you though why didn’t you respond?” said Echo.
“Huh? I asked you the same question," said Den.
“Sound muffling charm. That’s why we couldn’t hear each other.” Echo nodded. 
“We would have figured it sooner, if I didn’t strike back," said Den. 
“I’m glad you figured it out. Let’s continue. There are three tests according to lore. The final one is said to be impossible," said Echo.






The final chamber had no bones in it. It was as big as the entrance hallway. There were massive columns like before but decorated by writings. Den and Echo walked through.  
“Changelings are incapable of feeling love from one another then why then are all your ancestor’s tests designed around testing devotion?” asked Den.
“Maybe love doesn’t have to be an energy source. You ponies have no sensation of it, do you?” said Echo.
“Unicorns maybe but for me I don’t feel like energy. I do feel that I love you but I couldn’t use that to blast someone," said Den. 
Echo’s horn sparked. “Hey the magic is back on!” 
They stood at the final door. 






Echo blasted at the door again to no affect. “How is this possible!? I’m sure I have enough power.”
“Well when did your mother take this test?” asked Den.
“It was before my time. Some Queens don’t even take it," said Echo. “Time!” Echo jumped up and down. “Time!” she smiled hugging Den.
“I’m missing something aren’t I?” said Den.
Echo turned towards a wall. She felt the etchings upon it. “The times of each Changeling Queens Reigns are meticulously recorded for posterity. I can go back to when my mother took this test. These here are my mother’s markings.” 
“What? Time travel, you can’t be serious?! That’s Celestia tier magic! Plus it’s told that going back changes nothing. It’s also a onetime shot," said Den.
“I agree there’s fatalism in fate. However I don’t want to change the past; I want to learn from it.” 
Den cocked an eyebrow. “Can you do that spell?”
Echo nodded.  “I researched it once in the Starswirl wing, when I was posing as librarian at the Canterlot Royal Archives.” 
“Wait a moment you posed as a librarian?!” asked Den, his face blinking in realization. 
“Of course I got a job the library.  Information is power. How else I did you think I planned the entire Canterlot Invasion?” smiled Echo. 
“Hold up, which librarian were you?” asked Den. 
“You bought me lunch twice in a day. I was Quill Heart.” giggled Echo. 
“I was a total mess sleeping in that library for a month. Argh I must have done a hundred embarrassing things. How come you never told me about that?” asked Den, flushed with embarrassment. 
“You never asked, silly.” Echo grinned. Echo snapped back to the door. “Hold me Den, we’re going back. Also be careful, we can’t go back and kill our past selves but we can be killed in the past.”
Den gulped. 






Chrysalis paced urgently through the hall, by her side was changeling with a fedora. The walls shook as if under attack. 
Echo and Den watched the scene from behind one of the many pillars. 
“Why is Master Amorpheus here?” asked Echo whispering with a tear in her eye. “Father," said Echo reaching out.
Den pulled her back. “He’s not your father yet, you haven’t been born.” 
Chrysalis spoke to Amorpheus. “Amorpheus, I am unsure.” her voice was gentle there was no rasping.
“I believe in you my love, my Princess, my Queen," said Amorpheus 
“The revelation my mother gave unto me as she died…” said Chrysalis with her eyes inundated with tears. 
Amorpheus placed a hoof on her mouth. “That was for you alone. You should not have told me. However I will be glad to share this burden," said Amorpheus. 
“We’ve tried battering rams, magical bolts, and even prayer. Nothing opens it. My mother said nothing of how to pass the trials and of the impassable door. She was not strong enough to open it. It has been for so generations," said Chrysalis with desperation in her eyes. Chrysalis threw herself at the door despondently hitting it.
“Our people need a true Queen chosen by the Ascendency Rite. The army is devastated, the enemy encroaches, never was a need so great. My love, if we cannot open this door then the hive is doomed," said Amorpheus. 
The foundations of the hive shook as some unknown bombardment resumed.
Amorpheus kissed Chrysalis on the mouth. He pulled back. “I know of no Changeling more suited, passionate, and strong," said Amorpheus. 
“Should this chamber of the First Ones be the chamber of the lasts ones…should I fail still… what would you think of me?” asked Chrysalis.
“My thoughts and feelings will be the same," said Amorpheus hugging Chrysalis.
Chrysalis looked into the blue eyes of her confidant. “Amorpheus, I love you.” 
Amorpheus nuzzled her. “Chrysalis, I love you too.” 
The two embraced in front of the door. Magical fire coursed through the lines of the door forming a heart. An unseen magical mechanism pulled the open. 
“How is this possible?” asked Amorpheus.  
Chrysalis shouted angrily. “Now it opens?! What is going on?! What is with the design of this damned door?!”
Before they could see what was behind the door, Den and Echo were blinked back to the present. 	






“Whoa, that was crazy," said Den.
“I saw dad. I wish I could have said something…” said Echo sniffling. 	
Den hugged Echo. “It’s alright.” Den wondered for a moment. “What sort of enemy though threatened your hive in the past?” 
“I’m not sure. Being the longest lived only they would know," said Echo.
Den looked at the door in front them. “Let’s do it.” 
Den and Echo moved to in front of the door inside the circle pattern on the floor. They hugged each other closely.
“I love you.” they said to one another.
A circle of green fire wreathed them then travelled in lines towards the door. The door opened.
“Shall we go in?” asked Den.
“Wait!” Echo jumped to wall etchings and she fired her horn. She wrote ‘Echo + Den’ and circled it in a heart before writing the date. 
Echo skipped back next to Den. “Now let’s go!” Echo smiled.  






“Eight War Wings!?” said Twilight stammering.
The council room was filled with gasps. A Royal Guard drinking coffee didn’t even spit out his drink, rather he let it flow out of his open mouth. 
The pony sized purple dragon nodded. “Guard tower twenty again," said Spike.
Several Royal Guards set eight red pieces on the map of Equestria. 
“They’re aiming for Canterlot," said Shining Armor. 
“They’ll have to go through Foal’s Valley," said Twilight. 
“Captain Blueberry Frost, a report on the defensive upgrades?” Luna turned to a blue mare.
The blue mare bowed and spoke. “The cannonry emplacements we have ordered should be set by now. They will set the valley afire.” Captain Blueberry then spoke with resolute strength. “The Royal Guard will defend it to the last pony.” 
“We need all weather teams to create thunderstorms and force them into the bottle neck again," said Twilight. 
“They’ve already been sent," said Captain Rainbow Dash.
Reagle raised a claw. “Hey, we can’t count of them funneling all eight ships through. They’re not that stupid.” 
Blueberry poked the Griffin with her hoof. “You know better than anyone about those War Wings. Hey how now would you attack Equestria with eight of dem ships?” 
Reagle rubbed his beak. “I would try a trident formation. Two would attack the pass as a distraction. Three would flank from the north and three from the south.” Reagle moved the pieces on the map. 
“We’ll keep the Thunderhead in reserve. We can move it to counter them," said Twilight. 
“Shining Armor and I can project our shield again to protect the ship," said Cadance. 
“They could also simply halve their forces, the bull’s horns. Four War Wings would easily overwhelm the great ship now that surprise is not on our side," said Zaza.
“Aye, they could do that but bunching them up after seeing magic pierce two of them wouldn’t be smart," said Reagle. 
“Indeed so we will have expect to contend with their trident. Covering one, it leaves still a flank exposed," said Luna. 
“Me and my friends can cover that. The elements of harmony can stop them," said Twilight.
“Twily, without support infantry or flyers you’ll be exposed!” said Shining Armor. 
Reagle sighed. “We will support them. Our last airship, still flies," said Reagle. 
“Thank you, your help has been invaluable," said Luna. 






Echo and Den entered into the final chamber. A large tome lay on a stone table in the center. The book was easily the size of a pony. 
Echo remarked. “The Tome of Ages. I’ve only read of people reading this book.” Echo magically flicked through the pages. They were blank.
“You gotta be kidding me," said Den.
“Hold on.” Echo sent some energy into the book. “Argh!” she disconnected immediately when it began pulling on its own. “Greedy little thing.” Echo commented. 
Words and pictures began appearing on the page they were on. They seem to be more illusion than printed text.
Den moved a wing to flick to the next page.
“Stop!” cried Echo. “Something lives in the book. It hungers.” 
Den recoiled back. “It’s all you then.”  
Echo began magically flicking the pages. They looked through many pages that were wonderfully illustrated and some that were illustrated wonders. 
“There’s that leech life spell," said Echo shuddering. A page showed a pictogram of dying ponies being sapped by a single changeling. 
“This spell book, it’s full of forbidden and forgotten magics," said Den looking past Echo’s shoulders at some grisly artistic renditions.
“Whole cities, even civilizations were destroyed discovering some of them," said Echo.
“Anything about curing the curse?” asked Den. 
“My mother and Amorpheus, they took these trials together. If that is not love, what is? Why then can our people gain no sustenance from each other?” Echo said. Echo flipped to near the last pages. “Here it is. Substantiation.” 
They flipped the chapter cover to find nothing. There were the paper frills where a page had been before being ripped out.  






The banners of the Equestrian Royal Guards wavered defiantly in the coming wind. Peering through telescopes they saw the eight dark ships spewing black smoke behind them.
“How they split their formations will determine ours," said Luna. 
Suddenly the entire fleet of War Wings veered.
“What are they doing?!” Twilight shouted.
“They’re heading north, all of them," said Reagle.   
“Damn it they tricked us by going the long way about!” shouted Blue. 
The War Wings opened their bomb bays and began dropping explosives into what appeared to empty fields. Streaks of fire were left in the ground.  
“What are they doing bombing empty land?” asked Blue.
“They’re bombing our rail lines to the Crystal Empire," said Shining Armor. 
“They’re after the Heart!” cried Cadance.