//------------------------------// // He controls what? // Story: It's a...Pony? // by Dr Atlas //------------------------------// “Sincerely, your queen, Chrysalis…” Everyone in the hive was silent, no one dared to speak up once Lee read the last sentence of the letter. Even Lee himself wasn’t sure if he read everything else right, but there it was, in plain stolen ink. Lee sat down on the cave floor and looked back over the letter. “I...I...I…” He couldn’t make out a sentence of this, no one could understand how something like this could even be written. After minutes of silence, one changeling stood up. “So...s-she’s really gonna...you know…” She looked over at the rest of the brothers and sisters, all of them having the same face of shock, horror, awkwardness, and confusion. Lee sighed and folded the paper. “Guess so, I mean, This paper...i-it’s just…” Sid stepped forward “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many different emotions on one paper.” He looked over at Stan. “Are you sure you got the right one?” Stan nodded. “It was on the child’s bed, and I doubt they know how to write when they’re this young.” Lee bit his lip. “Well, she is going through a tough time guys.” One changeling glared at him. “Oh, so she’s going through a time so tough that she would-” “I’m just saying that she’s...hard to understand right now.” He unfolded the paper and looked at the first few sentences. “I mean, first she talks about how she’s leaving and not coming back, then it’s about soon she’ll have a plan ready.” He looked back up. “Like, how does that even make any sense?” One changeling scratched his ear and said, “Maybe she has another plan that doesn’t involve us?” Another looked at him. “Why would she say that? We’re always in some sorta plan, why aren’t we a part of it now?” Lee looked at the paper again. “And what about this, ‘soon you will all understand how important it is to rule once I’m done.’” Carl fidgeted. “Maybe she will come back?” A sister facehoofed. “She just said she wouldn’t, so what makes you think she-” “Carl might be right.” Lee said. “I mean, ever since she was waiting for that child she changed emotions a lot, one week before she didn’t want anyling around, and the one before that she was practically begging hatchlings to sleep with her at night, then she talks about the days when she was in love a few days after the plan, then she’s barking orders left and right like she always does the first day.” Lee clenched the paper tighter. “It’s like she’s not herself, she’s not acting the way she should.” “Then how would she act?” One brother questioned. Lee shrugged and looked over the paper. “Well, the queen I know wouldn’t take a child back, then try to take back the prince and princess herself, then try to force a child on them, then she...would.” He started squinting. “‘try and see if I could be better at feeding off love?’” Lee looked up, seeing confusion plastered over every face. “So, let me get this straight.” Sid started walking. “She wants to give the child back, then ponynap the prince and princess by proving she’s better at ‘feeding’, then just toss them and the child out, without the thought of them coming back, and just rule the empire, then try and negotiate with the other princess for peace while hoping the kid would deal with the prince and princess?” Sid stood in front of Lee. “Cause that has got to be the stupidest, most obscene, most idiotic, most out of character plan I have ever heard of.” He snatched the paper out of Lee’s hoof. “Are you sure you read this right?” Lee nodded. “Word for word, sentence for sentence. I’m starting to think she’s not even our queen if she had a plan like that.” “Maybe she’s not.” One brother said. “Maybe that child really brought her down so much that she’s not herself anymore.” “If a child like that can change your emotions to sad, then mad, then happy, then lustful, then angry, then peaceful...Then that is one powerful colt.” The others couldn’t help but nod. “Maybe that colt does have powers.” Carl said, causing head to turn towards him. “So you’re saying that he can change the personalities of others at will?” Lee crossed his arms; not buying it Carl shrugged. “I dunno, if we can control love, then maybe he can do the same, and seeing as how he’s a pony, he can probably control other emotions, heck, he could probably do it in his sleep.” “Then wouldn’t he have done the same to us?” A caretaker questioned. “Cause I didn’t really feel anything when that child was hatching.” “Maybe he chooses when he wants to, I’m sure if you have powers, you can at least control them.” The others couldn’t argue with that logic. Stan rubbed his chin. “So...you’re saying that at a young age, he can control it?” After that sentence, more changelings got confused than others. “Well, how about certain situations?” “Maybe a high standing creature needs to be around.” “Perhaps it only works when he sleeps.” “Maybe it only works on certain creatures?” “Does it only work on females?” Everyone looked at Carl when he said that, he only held his hoof up in defense. “I’m just saying that the only caretakers who were with him were males...right?” Others were about to object, but one of the caretakers nodded. “Well, the other ones were taking care of the older hatchlings while the rest of us tended to that pony.” “Then what about the others?” "Perhaps it's scientific." Soon the entire hive was asking questions. Lee turned away from this and thought to himself. Sid did the same. “What’cha thinkin’ Lee? You believe any of this?” Lee groaned. “If it really only works on girls, than wouldn't that mean that the prince wouldn’t...get affected?” Sid glared at him. “Why don’t you go ask him.” He said sarcastically. Lee glared at him. “Just think about this for a sec, if the colt changed the personalities of the females, then wouldn’t the male just stay in character? I mean, love magic, for us, only works on the opposite sex.” He then realized what he said. "I mean, I'm not being sexist, that's just...the way it works, and I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just sayin' that-" Sid looked at the letter. “So, if Chrysalis is currently trying to ‘prove her love’, then wouldn’t the princess try to do the same while he just lays back and gets-” “Maybe…” Lee nodded. “If that child really has emotion control, then I’m sure that stallion would be having a great time right now.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “I am not having a great time right now.” Shining cradled the colt while another plate flew over his head, crashing right behind Chrysalis. “GET OUT!” Cadance yelled, preparing for more objects to be thrown. “All I want is peace.” Chrysalis begged. “Can’t you just give me a AH!” She ducked just in time to avoid a potted plant. “I’d rather prove my skills in bed than negotiate with the likes of you!” Cadance dropped the soon-to-be-projectiles and launched at Chrysalis. Shining could only watch in horror on the side of the bed. “What is wrong with them, first it's a sex fight, now it's a fight-fight.” He looked down at the colt, seeing that he was chewing on his tail. “And what is it with you and hair, colt? You need to understand that it’s not food.” He yanked his tail away while the child cocked his head. “Just try and fight me!” Cadance yelled. “I want to just see how well you can anyway.” Chrysalis smiled. “So you want me beat you again, just like I did with-” *SMASH* More furniture was smashed as Cadance threw Chrysalis across the room. “You don’t understand anything, you monster. Caring for an entire empire is hard enough, now you give us a child?” Chrysalis cracked her neck. “I understand what it’s like, princess, caring for an entire race, trying to love each subject, all the while, trying to take care of yourself in the process.” Cadance stepped toward her. “Y-You understand.” Chrysalis sniffed. “Of course I do, my subjects can’t take care of themselves alone, they need a leader, and that’s exactly what I want to be.” Cadance gasped and held her hooves to her mouth. “Y-You’re subjects aren’t doing good?” Chrysalis slowly nodded. “Nothing to help, all I want is someone who can-” She was interrupted by a hug from Cadance. “I’m sure we can come up with something, queen." Chrysalis closed her eyes and hugged back. “I just hope I can still be who I once was.” “What the hay…” Shining couldn’t believe what he was seeing, first a fight that he knew would lead to death, now hugs and peace. “What is with these two?” He looked at the colt, seeing him clapping his hooves together and giggling. “I need to get you out of here, little guy. This is too dangerous, for all we know, they could-” *CRASH* “YOU LIE!” “AND YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” Shining stood up and nodded. “Yep, time to go.” Without another word, and a colt on his back, he stood up from behind the bed and quickly made his way to the door, thankful the mares were too busy with the fight, or negotiation, or whatever it was they were doing. Once Shining closed the door, another clash was heard. “Prepare for an onslaught none have ever seen.” Cadance yelled. “My children are suffering, don’t you get it!?” Chrysalis yelled back. All this only made Shining walk faster.