The following morning I awoke from a deep relaxing sleep with a start. I was surprised to find that I was no longer in the cave I fell asleep in. Instead I was in what appeared to be a bedroom on top of a rather comfortable queen sized bed, and then I realized I wasn't alone. Slowly I turned my head to look at whom I shared this bed with only to smile as my eyes fell upon the adorable sight of Chrysalis curled into a ball and snuggling against my side. I smiled warmly and chuckled as I reached a hand out slowly to brush a lock of hair out her face, that had fallen to hide her eye as she slept. Just as I brushed the hair aside and was pondering waking my lover with a morning kiss. A dull ache began at the back of my eyes, that slowly began to morph into a painful itch and then full blown agony. And as if that wasn't enough my minds eye was blinded by thousands of little lights like fireflies popping up more and more by the second. Then my already sensitive senses and throbbing head were assaulted by the sounds of thousands of voices buzzing in my head like a angry bee hive. Agonizingly slow my mind was overrun by these new sensations and the noises until they dominated my thoughts. With a agonized scream I shot up into a sitting position on the bed screaming.
"Shut up!!!!"
The sheer volume of my voice reverberated in my mind as well startling me and Chrysalis causing her to jump and fall out of the bed in a tangle of sheets. Their was a long deafening silence before Chrysalis pulled herself free from the sheets and shot me a angry glare. But then the voices started again except this time softer and all saying one thing.
"Forgive me my king"
My brow furrowed in confusion as I mouthed what I heard and tried to find out what I did to earn such a title. My confusion and distress must have found its way to Chrysalis as her eyes softened and she walked over to my crouching form. Laying her head across my own to where my face was in her chest, and as soon as she did the pain began to subside and the voices faded away. Then the exact implication's of last night dawned on me and I began to understand why the voices called me king. The voices were the changelings in the hive, though each individual voice could be heard instead of it being a incoherent garbled mess. This surprised me considering ever since I was introduced to the hive mind I could never understand any one changeling. Except Chrysalis hers was the one voice that I could always understand, probably because she was the queen.
"So does that mean im....."
"That's right Thomas you are my king, the first true king of the changelings in almost four century's."
Came Chrysalis's reply but not with her voice as I would have felt the gentle vibrations of her speaking. No I heard her voice in my mind and along with it came a soothing feeling and one of love, understanding, and slight amusement. I pulled back away from Chrysalis far enough to see her face while still in her grip. She gave me a quizzical look and ran a tentative hoof down my cheek while peering into my eyes. The longer we looked into each others eyes the more I felt like I was lost or being pulled in until her eyes were all I could see. And then I wasn't looking at her anymore but at myself, and needless to say I was shocked.
"This is what I see every time I look at you love"
I heard Chrysalis say as her eyes moved from my face down my body and then back and laughed.
"And I must admit I like what I see" Hearing this made me smile as I looked out my loves eyes at myself and the world around us. "As king of the changelings Thomas you will enjoy all the same power and authority I do. But you will also hold the same responsibilities as well do you understand?"
For a minute their was silence as I returned to myself and smiled to Chrysalis nodding yes to answer her question. Earning a smile as Chrysalis left to deal with the day to day running of the hive remaining in contact via our new link as mates. A slow week has passed since my "coronation" with the changelings seeming to fill out not looking so small and sickly. It was a great change especially since all the changelings were no longer so slow and lethargic but quick and energetic. I quickly learned how to control my new ability's, namely what happened with Chrysalis and me entering another changelings mind with consent to see what they saw. And things sort of settled back to what appeared to be normal though a little more fast paced thanks to their new found energy.
It was a warm afternoon when I left the hive to hunt and try to have some space to myself, though the hive mind still made that some what difficult. A gentle breeze blew as I stalked through the forest looking for something to eat or something interesting. My now perfected Utah Raptor form blended seamlessly into my surrounding's as I stalked a unsuspecting doe. All was quite, even the hive mind as I crouched low before launching myself through the underbrush with a speed seemingly impossible for a creature my size. Just as I landed on the doe and sank my teeth into her throat one of the lights representing a changeling in my mind went dim. A quick mental check showed that the unfortunate changeling was one of the guards at the main entrance of the hive. Another quick scan showed she was still alive just knocked out cold, sending up red flags and warnings in my mind. With all the haste I could muster hauling the doe along with me I bee lined for the hive keeping a wary eye on the forest around me. I arrived at the entrance to find the changeling just returning to consciousness on the edge of a large trail of tracks running straight into the hive. I was just about to ask her what happened when a single voice cried out from deep within both the hive mind and the hive itself filled with panic.
"The elements and the Princesses have the Queen cornered in the throne room."
Without a second thought I bolted headlong into the hive flying around corners and passing other changelings answering the call as if they were standing still. In a flash I entered the now packed throne room from a side entrance to find most of the hive packed inside forming a circle around Chrysalis's throne. Perched atop it was none other than Chrysalis appearing for all the world to be calm almost uncaring as she stared down the large number of ponies gathered before her. But each and every changeling knew otherwise we all could feel it Chrysalis was terrified. "How did the ponies find us?" being one of the many questions buzzing through her mind as she awaited her opponents next move. The ponies were the first to break the silence with Luna stepping forward saying.
"We know you have our friend Thomas and we demand you release him at once."
Their was a short silence save the shuffling of hooves as Chrysalis appeared to be seriously pondering Luna's accusation. But her silent laughter was broadcasted across the hive mind forcing all the changelings to fight back laughter themselves.
"And what makes you think I have your friend here dear princess? Surely you don't think me stupid enough to pony nap a personal friend of my worst enemy... on second thought that sounds like something I would do." Chrysalis said smirking cockily down at the princesses causing Luna to visibly bristle at her comment and Celestia to let loose a exasperated sigh. I caught movement out the corner of my eye and glanced over to see the ponies that attacked me in town trying to sneak off to the side and inching closer to Chrysalis. Figuring this charade had gone on long enough I began to make my way forward the changelings making way with simple a request through the hive mind. Then a long dormant voice decides to make itself known in my head with a suggestion on what form I should take to help defuse this situation. We argued back and forth in my head as I was walking, and then against my better judgment I decided to listen to the devil on my shoulder. With a thought flames consumed my form disappearing as quickly as they came leaving in their wake a jet black alicorn. My eyes were a blood red the most striking feature of this form was my mane and tail didn't flow and look like flames, no they were made of actual fire and it lit up the space around me. The burst of light from my mane and tail lighting startled both the ponies and Chrysalis causing all to snap their heads in my direction. And when they saw me needless to say they were shocked though it quickly wore off for Chrysalis when she realized it was me. Though it was a different story entirely for the Princesses. Luna's reaction seemed normal enough considering her and her sister were supposed to be the only alicorn's here, it was her sisters reaction that struck me as odd. Celestia's face was pale and her eyes full of shock almost like she saw a ghost or a monster and her next words stopped me cold.
"Ti.... Timor is that you?"
Her voice saying that one word hit me like a wall of arctic water and stopped me dead. Their was a long silence that followed Celestia's question with me staring at her my expression mirroring her own completely oblivious to everything around me.
"Timor what is that on your.... is that what I think it is?" Celestia asked staring at me with genuine concern before she began to slowly moved forward. But before she could complete her first step I disappeared in a geyser of smoke only to reappear directly in front of her. Now my dragon form towering over her and looking down at her menacingly smoke flowing from my clenched jaws like a fogger.
"How do you know that name?"
Celestia began to cower beneath my gaze and stammer incoherently looking everywhere but at me directly. I growled at her in frustration and repeated myself my anger, and confusion finding its way to my voice.
"How do you know that name?"
Still she stammered and mumbled looking every which way she could me. I know my anger was growing because I could hear the changelings begin to shift and hiss agitatedly and. Even Chrysalis's normally calm mind was a buzz with anger and frustration. Again Celestia opened her mouth to speak but she fell back on her rump her mouth opening and closing wordlessly like a fish out of water.
"How do you know that damned things name answer me. Or so help me I will drop you in a place so dark even your precious sun couldn't dispel it, do you understand?"
I roared smoke and ash billowing from my maw as I spoke. This did little to fix Celestia's stutter as she stared up at me and I growled to punctuate my point. Finally when Celestia could do more that stutter she swallowed loudly and said ever so quietly.
"I grew up with him"
I didn't get to process what I heard as I heard another voice call out from behind me.
"Now girls!"
Making me spin around in time to see my would be assailants glowing white and then a rainbow erupted from the light that surrounded them and flew straight at Chrysalis. With speed that should be impossible for a creature my size I shot in front of the would be attack and stood in front of Chrysalis flaring out my wings defensively preparing myself for impact. But it never came for just as the rainbow was going to strike me I seemed to be pulled from my body to watch what happened from above. Like when you pull a dust cover off a car when you want to drive, similarly the flesh seemed to peel away from my body to leave only the bones. For a long second their was silence as all the creatures gathered stared numbly at my "remains". Then my bones burst into black flames that faded to blue as it went, and before I knew it I found myself flying back towards my body. Only to be completely overcome with pain, agony, and so many memories as two separate minds, souls, and creatures were made one and I blacked out. While I was out I saw countless lives end, millions of civilizations fall, and above all a war. When I came back I had an agonizing head ache as so many memories and sensations flew around my mind some not entirely my own. And then my mind was over powered by a sense of pure rage and I quickly discovered it was coming from Chrysalis.
Slowly I pried my eyes open only to have my vision swim and become unfocused. When my vision came back I saw Chrysalis and all the hive had backed The ponies into a corner their horns alight with green flame. They were slowly approaching the ponies as they fired random spells trying to break through a magical barrier firing any spell they could think of. Slowly I dragged myself to my feet barely able to keep myself steady through the pain in my head and began to drag myself across the room towards them.
"What have you done, what have you done, how dare you kill my mate." Chrysalis screamed as her horn lit up and she fired a spell at them. Hitting their barrier dead in the middle of a crack that began to appear. Shattering it and letting fall to ruin exposing all behind it to the changelings wrath. Their was a thunderous screech of rage as every changeling Chrysalis included surged forward like a black tsunami. Their horns alight and doing all they can to exact their vengeance on my would be killers. At first I was to week to do much more than mumble as I watched the carnage that unfolded before me, they wouldn't yield even at my mental request. My anger grew more and more as I felt every blow landed on a changeling and saw every blow struck on a pony, as more and more fell thankfully none fatally wounded. Finally my rage boiled over strength returning to me in my rage, I threw my head back and roared "enough" black flames erupted from the ground between the two warring factions effectively separating them. Their was a heavy silence as I leveled my burning gaze on the two groups, Chrysalis's jaw was agape in awe and the princesses and their ponies cowering in fear. With a deep calming breath I shrank back to my human form and fell over, only to land on something warm and soft instead of hard and cold. I looked up to find Chrysalis under me bearing my weight looking at me with a confused grin. Slowly she let me down to the floor and curled up around me probing my mind gently with her own which was full of worry and wonder. We were pulled from each other by the sound of hooves approaching slowly, and we looked up to see Celestia and Luna coming closer. A deep rumbling growl began in Chrysalis chest that morphed into a full blow screech as the princesses got closer, but it was quickly silenced by my calm hand on her neck.
"When terror walks the land once more three days shall pass and the horseman shall ride again and like a phoenix a new world shall rise from the ashes of the old. ." I said repeating the mantra that was pounded into my head by the hooded man knowing not sure how, that it was important here and now. This caused both princesses to stop dead and stare at me with eyes filled with terror, that was all the answer I needed.
"Then I suggest you return to your little ponies and prepare for what is to come I will see you both in two days time." I said before standing and walking out of the room sending out a single command to not harass the ponies as they left and I went somewhere to be alone thinking to myself all the while.
"This just isn't my day"