Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty Three
His whole head ached. It felt like his exoskeleton was going to split apart at the seams if the throbbing didn't come to an end soon. What in the name of Equestria had hit him? Why did he feel like someone had used his head to try and break a wall? Did anyone get the number of that runaway carriage that ran over him from behind?
"So you're finally awake. Very good."
The sound of the voice in the room brought him into better focus of his surroundings. It was a dimly lit holding cell filled with one table, one chair that he was firmly tied to with ropes, and standing at the head of the table and looking down at him was Celestia herself. Just great.
"I'm rather impressed you managed to replace one of my guards without me noticing, I applaud your skill really," she stated as she stepped closer to the table where there was better illumination. "Your skills notwithstanding though, I have no real time for games. I want to know what Chrysalis is up to. What's her game?" she asked. "And don't bother pretending like you're a low level drone who can't even speak, I know that's not the case. A low level drone would never be assigned to infiltrate the day guard."
"I don't have to tell you anything," the changeling barked in response. "You'll know what Queen Chrysalis has planned when your time comes. I'm not telling you anything; except for the obvious that your flank is as big as a buffalo and twice as hairy!"
"Your objection to my rule is noted," she replied sarcastically and stuck her tongue out from the side of her mouth in a mocking grin. "In all seriousness though, I really do need to know. What does Chrysalis have planned? How many changelings does she have in Canterlot right now, and how many more are ready to be deployed? Where's your hive currently located?"
"You'll get nothing from me you ancient hag!" the changeling stated, before hissing and spitting in her direction in obvious hostility.
Princess Celestia just shook her head and sighed. She had so hoped this could be done the easy way, but the changeling had gone with hostility right off the bat. Why did they always want to go about the hard way of doing things? "I guess it can't be helped then. I'll just have to probe your mind, and take the information that I need," she said as her horn began to glow.
"You come near me and I'll show you a new place you can stick that horn of yours," the changeling snapped.
She said nothing in response and walked around the table, to where the changeling remained trapped in the chair, leaning down until her horn was touching its horn, as she concentrated to locate and find out the information she was searching for, just as she had done with Ulquiorra upon their first meeting.
Unfortunately Ulquiorra's mind was an open book compared to this one. The changeling's mind was a mess of jumbled voices, incoherent noises, and indecipherable static. It was like trying to find one particular face in a crowd of thousands. This had to be an aspect of their hive mind, it was the only thing that made sense. Frowning at this discovery she pulled away, again noting how changelings always seemed to want to do things the hard way.
"You'll get nothing from me you ancient, wrinkly old nag! Get your sagging buffalo flank away with me!" the changeling barked.
The one-sided banter was interrupted by a booming echo of static sounded outside the holding cell door. Unfortunately there was so little light it was hard to tell just what was outside... unless you were already familiar with the commotion by now. From the look on the changeling's face, she could tell he most certainly wasn't familiar.
"What news do you have to report?" she asked as she turned away, using her magic to open the cell door.
"The day guard is currently carrying out search and rescue operations as we speak. Of the one hundred and thirteen changelings that were found within the boundaries of Canterlot, one hundred and twelve of them have been eliminated. The only exception being our current guest," Ulquiorra spoke as he casually strolled into the cell and brought his face into the light, watching the changeling's expression change with recognition of him. "Have you gathered anything useful from the interrogation?"
"I'm afraid not," Princess Celestia replied and shook her head. "He only woke up a few minutes ago, and has been reluctant to share anything other than rudeness, and his opinion about my age and such. When I tried probing his mind, all I got was gibberish and interference. It would seem he's intent on doing things the hard way," she explained. "To be honest I'm quite amazed he's still even alive. I was certain you crushed his head with that kick."
"Then perhaps a firmer touch is necessary," Ulquiorra replied as he turned to face Princess Celestia. "I shall gather the information you seek, if provided the opportunity."
This, she just had to see. She found herself growing quite curious at how Ulquiorra planned to go about extracting information from one so stubborn. What did he have in mind?
"Be my guest," she replied and stepped to the side.
"I would recommend waiting outside. I can't guarantee the results won't be messy," Ulquiorra warned.
Messy? What was he planning on doing to get the information from the changeling? Then again perhaps it would be best to wait on the other side of the bars, just in case. Wordlessly she nodded and stepped outside, shutting the cell door behind her.
The changeling had been silent the entire time as he observed the interaction between the two white figures, one a horrid ruler, and the other a vicious monster he'd seen tear apart his comrades in their disguise as ponies. He'd seen from a first point of view how he'd savagely murdered the one that replaced the pegasus Fluttershy. He'd seen from the others how he wiped out every operative they had in Ponyville, and during their talk, he'd managed to confirm the loss of every last one of their troops in Canterlot. This bipedal being was quite a monster to be certain, the likes of which had never been seen before. Such intensity, such hostility, such unrestrained violence, it was all disturbing!
But disturbing or not, he couldn't let on. He just couldn't. If he let on how terrified he was it'd be all over. No, what he had to do was maintain his cool, any way necessary.
"You think I'm afraid of you just because you've got a sword? Don't bet on it bucko. If you kill me, you'll never find out anything, so you'll just be wasting your time," the changeling stated.
"So it would seem," Ulquiorra replied as he unsheathed his zanpakutō. Without another word he extended his arm, and without any warning as to what his intention was, brought the blade down and sliced off his own arm just below the elbow, sending the severed limb flying along with a spray of blood.
Princess Celestia gasped from outside the holding cell at what she'd just seen. Had that truly been real? Had he just... just... suddenly she felt quite ill.
The changeling's eyes went wide in shock and horror at what it'd just seen. He cut off his own limb just like that? What kind of insane monster was he facing? What kind of demon was he currently locked up with!?
"As you can see for yourself that was my own arm. I can assure you, the act was quite excruciating to experience," Ulquiorra elaborated, his voice never wavering as he maintained a neutral, and unreadable expression on his face. To hammer the point home, he presented the stump close to the changeling's face, allowing it to see the remnants of the musculature and skeletal structure beneath all the blood and skin. "Every single nerve ending in the stump is currently lit up, and transmitting the indescribable level of pain and suffering that's being experienced. The intensity is so overwhelming it's comparable to being burned alive, and I can barely stand it," he continued on as he gazed at the captive changeling while pulling the stump back. "Right now you must be asking yourself a very specific question. You must be asking yourself "If he's willing to do that to himself, without hesitation despite the amount of pain he will experience, then what will he do to one whose pain and suffering he can't feel?" Am I correct?"
The changeling was too shocked to say a single word, still looking at his stump, the severed limb, and the blood that dripped from the wound and was paid no mind whatsoever. Wordlessly he approached slowly, his zanpakutō still grasped in his remaining hand.
"This nation's history holds conflicting views of your species. You're either regarded as soul sucking evil monsters, or a race cursed by your dietary requirements being incompatible with the world around you. Whichever of these accounts is more accurate, I don't personally care. I need information pertaining to your hive. To the scale of the current invasion, and where the remaining troops are so they can be exterminated," Ulquiorra explained as he slowly circled the changeling. "I can assure you, that you will not be escaping this unscathed. The only question is, to what extent you're willing to suffer in your loyalty to your hive's queen," he explained as he came to a stop in front of the changeling. "I know very little about changeling physiology. If you don't tell me what I need to know, then I will simply experiment with you, finding out what I need to know one way or another. Perhaps I will determine the hardness of your exoskeleton with my zanpakutō..."
It was true he had no real firsthand knowledge about the physiology of changelings, he only knew what he'd read about in the library. But it was safe to say that the changeling was beginning to panic at the prospect of being dissected in such a manner.
"Are you able to regrow parts of your body like other insects? If I were to violently rip your wings off your back, would they eventually regrow or would they be gone for good?" Ulquiorra asked as he slowly circled around back behind the changeling, lingering there for several long moments, before finally coming back around to the front, the blade of his zanpakutō dragging across the table. "Are there any extremities you're not particularly attached to? Perhaps a leg you'd be more willing to lose, compared to the prospect of losing the other one?"
"Help!" the changeling screamed and began jerking about to try and break free. Suddenly Princess Celestia was looking very good right now.
Ulquiorra paid no mind to the outburst, opting instead to simply continue the interrogation.
"There are multiple ways to go about extracting the location of your hive, regardless of how much you resist. Perhaps I'll settle on simply, and slowly, ripping your exoskeleton away from the soft tissue underneath, in a manner that will make each and every nerve ending in your entire body, light up with excruciating sensations," Ulquiorra said as he slowly began walking around the changeling again, the edge of his zanpakutō dragging across its exoskeleton on this pass, and slowly biting into it. "I've always been curious if one could truly die from experiencing an overwhelming amount of unbearable pain. If you truly have nothing you wish to share, nothing that would convince us your life is valuable enough to spare, then now seems like as good a time as any to see if there's any truth to the rumor."
"Stop! Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk! I'll tell you whatever you want to know, I promise!" the changeling shouted as it shook violently in terror, its bravado and resolve completely shattered as it felt the edge of the sword starting to cut through it's outer skin. "Our hive is in the west, three miles into the Everfree Forest just past the river! I wasn't told how many would be doing what, I was only directed to infiltrate Celestia's guard and await further instructions, that's all I know, I swear it! Just please don't hurt me!"
He stopped. Wordlessly he eased his zanpakutō away from the changeling's exoskeleton, and brought the tip of the blade back to the sheath, looking it straight in the eyes as it did so.
"For your sake I hope your information is correct, and you haven't chosen to engage in dishonesty with me. With my speed, the journey from here to Ponyville can be made in three minutes. The reported location you give will take even less time. If I venture out to the described location, and don't sense so much as a single changeling, I will return shortly in order carry out retribution," Ulquiorra warned before leaning in closely to the scared changeling's face. "And if I must return because you fed me false information, I can promise that you will be made to suffer very soon. First I will peel your exoskeleton from the soft flesh underneath. Then I will baste you in garlic butter with a hint of lemon. And then, while you're still alive, I will devour you in a slow, and deliberate manner, bit by bit, so you can experience every. Last. Excruciating. Sensation. Involved in the process..."
It was a threat of such unbelievable nature, that it was simply too weird to be imagined, being delivered by someone who'd cut off his own limb just to prove a point, his entire tone dead serious and devoid of any malice, hostility or mercy. It was all too much to take, and the changeling fainted in the chair without warning.
Theatrics weren't his area of expertise. They were far more suited for the Octava Espada. But his less than stellar performance was sufficient to achieve the desired results, that was all that mattered right now.
Without a word, Ulquiorra walked over to the door and stepped outside, meeting with Princess Celestia in the hall, and noticing the blank look on her face. He couldn't be certain, but she seemed even whiter than before. And the odor in the air told him a great deal about what had likely occurred during his interrogation.
For a species that -scientifically speaking- wasn't supposed to be physically able to vomit, there was a great deal of vomiting taking place lately with these ponies. First the unicorn Rarity, then Twilight Sparkle, and then Princess Celestia herself.
"I trust you heard what information he had to say?" he asked, indifferent to her suffering.
"Your arm..." she choked out hoarsely and coughed, "how could... how could..."
"It served to make him open up about what we needed to know," he explained as he raised the stump.
Princess Celestia was absolutely horrified at how casual he was about the loss of his own limb. How could any being do that to themselves without any hesitation? She watched as he raised his limb and... she blinked at the disturbance of the stump. An eruption of unidentified material shot forth from the remnants, and she watched as the missing limb replaced itself, seemingly building itself from the skeleton up all the way through to the skin in just a matter of seconds. What kind of magic was this!?
"My greatest power isn't offense, it's regeneration. Most Arrancar trade their high-speed regeneration for greater strength. But among the Espada, I alone am able to quickly regenerate any part of my body," he explained calmly as he looked over his new limb, flexing each of his fingers, the newly formed joints cracking and popping in the process of being moved for the first time. Unlike the last time he made such a speech, he felt it was best to withhold the information about what areas he couldn't regenerate. "That is why my hierro healed so quickly once you suppressed the majority of your reiatsu; because it's in my nature."
"That's... rather informative... and quite convenient..." Princess Celestia commented and shook her head to clear away the surprise. It was only now that she remembered seeing something about that in his memories. How could she forget such a feat? She'd even seen it firsthoof when he'd plucked out his own eye, only for it to regrow not long after. "I must say you've been considerably more volunteering with information than when you first arrived."
"The circumstances have changed since my initial arrival. It is necessary to react and respond accordingly," Ulquiorra replied. "Right now the circumstances must be addressed. We know the location of the changeling hive. We know an invasion is in the process of being carried out. The only question is what course of action do you wish to take? Shall I depart and destroy the hive and all that are present? Or do you wish to maintain the ideological belief that a peaceful solution can be had?" he asked pointedly.
What was she supposed to do in this situation? She knew the changelings were a threat to the safety of her kingdom and her subjects. They'd already been spared once by Shining Armor when he'd jettisoned all of them from Canterlot, but the interruption of their invasion didn't seem to slow them down much. But on the other hoof, she really didn't want to see any further killing going on. Allowing Ulquiorra to exterminate the hundred or so that were present in Canterlot, in order to avoid them bringing reinforcements, that would lead to an even greater loss of life had been hard enough. But the entire hive? Possibly the entire changeling population? Could she really go through with that?
Some days it really, really didn't pay to be a Princess...
"Alright everypony quiet down and listen up," Twilight instructed, as she tried to quiet the growing murmurs among the crowd.
Immediately after Ulquiorra's departure, their small group had set out trying to round up other ponies to assist in the search and rescue mission. But before that could be done they needed to convince everyone that they were safe, the situation was under control, and that the Arrancar wasn't out to shed their blood; hiding around the corner, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. That was the part that took the most time to pull off, considering how many had seen the extermination take place; especially for those who'd been minding their own business only to see the pony they were walking with struck down in a pool of blood before reverting back to their true changeling form.
Needless to say it'd taken a long time to get everything calmed down and straightened out. But finally what had started out as unrestrained chaos and panic, had been reigned in and reformed to better resemble the level of organization and professionalism, generally seen only on Winter Wrap-Up Day. This meant they could take a proper head count, figure out who was present and who was missing, and get everyone grouped together to find the others.
And now that they were properly organized -as well as silent and paying attention now- they could get this search and rescue operation under way!
"Alright as you can see from the map," Twilight paused as she gestured to the map of Ponyville and the surrounding territory pinned up behind her, "the entire area has been sectioned off. Now everypony has been divided up into one of three teams, to search the surrounding area to try and locate the missing ponies. Does everypony know who they're going with?" she asked.
"We do," Applejack spoke up and stepped forward. "Miss Cherilee an' ah are gonna be takin' the Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, Time Turner, Lyra, and Caramel ta Sweet Apple Acres, where we'll meet up with Big Macintosh an' Carrot Top, an' a hoofful of other volunteers, an' comb the whole area, see if the changelings stored anypony in any o' the old out buildings on the farm."
"Very Good. Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow Dash saluted before speaking. "I'm taking Flitter, Cloudchaser, Raindrops, the two guards from Canterlot, Thunderlane, and Rumble, as well as the rest of the weather team and flying over the whole area so we can provide a bird's eye view of the surrounding territory, and see if we can spot anything even remotely changeling related, at which point we either report back to another group or advance on ahead and lock down the location," she explained through her distorted voice thanks to the swelling in her muzzle from the earlier injury
"Alright," Twilight nodded and turned to the crowd, "everypony else who hasn't been selected for one of the other teams will help search Ponyville, and the area on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. We're going to need all the help we can get, because there's a lot of buildings to cover, and there's no telling what happened or when. They could quite literally be anywhere right now," she explained.
Spike climbed up on Twilight's back to get some altitude before addressing the crowd. "Now this is very important everypony. There's always the possibility that there are more changelings in the area, so proceed with caution. In case you get separated from your group, make sure to get audio confirmation. Most changeling drones can't speak our language, so it should be relatively easy. But just in case they actually do and we simply haven't realized it, you've all been assigned a password. Does everyone remember what it is?" he asked. The password confirmation had been his idea when Twilight had been experiencing difficulty with a spell that would allow everyone to tell in case someone got replaced. He'd opted to go with something obvious and simple.
"Inagaddadavida!" the whole crowd stated at once.
"Right," Spike nodded, "which is replied to by?"
"Bossa Nova!" the crowd added.
Twilight smiled. At the time she really hadn't thought Spike's suggestion would work, that it had too many shortcomings in logic, and a good magical spell was all they needed. But Spike had made one point very clear to her that she couldn't deny; time was of the essence for the missing ponies, and since changelings weren't known for carrying on intelligent conversations, there wasn't much chance of them being able to slip past the password system. She had to admit, he really was far more knowledgeable than she gave him credit for.
"Now every group remembers what to do if you find the missing ponies, right? Each of the land groups has a unicorn on hoof, if we find them we'll send up a beacon and everypony converges on that spot. Otherwise the air team dispatches a flier to each location to relay the information and we converge there," she explained. Everypony nodded in understanding. "Right! Let's go everypony!"
"On it!" Rainbow Dash stated as she and the rest of her squad took to the sky.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders Search and Rescue! Go!" came the excited yell from Applejack's group as the more excited fillies dashed off ahead of everyone else. Twilight just shook her head in response. If those three put half as much energy into practicing what they were already good at, as they did being ridiculous, they'd already have their cutie marks. But at least they had a lot of spirit to them.
Twilight looked back over the gathered crowd as the two other groups broke off. There was still plenty of helping hooves present, and they were needed considering how many buildings there were around Ponyville to go through. Complicating the matter was the lack of absolute certainty just how long the changelings had been active this time. Fluttershy's behavior had been off ever since last week's incident at the caves, but there really hadn't been a drastic difference until two or three days ago. Maybe if they'd been more observant, they would've noticed earlier on that something was wrong?
Ulquiorra had been right. They really were trash.
"Hey Twilight?"
She shook her head at the sound of Spike's voice, snapping her out of her daze. "Yes, Spike?" she asked.
"Well we know how things are going on our end, but what about in Canterlot? How do you think Ulquiorra and Princess Celestia are dealing with the situation, if they've got changelings there too?" he asked.
"I'd really rather not think about that right now," Twilight replied and shuddered. The thought of a repeat of the earlier incidents was not something she wanted to give any consideration to. She wouldn't even wish this on the changelings, regardless of what they'd done. The fact that it may very well be happening, right this moment, it was enough to upset her stomach all over again.
One thing was for certain. If Chrysalis really was behind this whole invasion, she really didn't want to be in her shoes right now.
Chrysalis really didn't want to be in her shoes right now, not with what was on its way, coming here towards her hive at this very moment.
It'd all started with the drone that had successfully replaced Fluttershy, and thus separated the fabled Elements of Harmony from one another. Everything had been going so well, until that strange, white, bipedal monster mercilessly killed it without any hesitation, killing Fluttershy in essence, right in front of the other Elements of Harmony.
That had been bad enough, it disturbed her greatly to see such brutality transmitted by one of her drones in its last moments. But then things had gotten worse, as this unstoppable force of violence and murder appeared in Ponyville, and made the announcement that chilled her blood.
"Good residents of Ponyville. I have come to kill all of you."
What followed immediately after that, had been the most terrifying display of violence and death she'd ever been forced to bear witness to. Each and every single one of her operatives had been wiped out and there was no telling if any of the other ponies had fallen beside them. For all she knew, the entire town of Ponyville was nothing but a mass graveyard now.
And then the reports from the operatives she'd managed to station in Canterlot without Celestia ever being the wiser. Sweet merciful Faust! She didn't want to even think about what happened in Canterlot! The last moments of terror experienced by her drones, the interrogation of one of her elites by the white biped who cut off its own limb just to prove a point, and the threats of incomprehensible torture. All the way through it, she still couldn't get a reading on whether or not this creature had specifically targeted her drones, or if it targeted indiscriminately, and simply killed whatever was in its path, drones and ponies alike.
And then... and then the report from her elite that chilled her to her very core...
"If you can communicate with your queen at this distance then relay this message to her. I am coming for you, Chrysalis, and it is my intention to kill you for what you have done here today."
That was the entirety of the message her loyal soldier had relayed to her, shortly before witnessing from his point of view his own execution at the point of a sword, most likely right through the eye and out the back of the head.
The majority of their hive was deep underground, unlikely to be found by anyone unfamiliar with changeling architecture. Regardless of the blood lust this creature possessed, it was highly unlikely to find their nest even with the directions it'd been given during her soldier's moment of weakness. However there was still the chance of it happening, no matter how remote.
Could they resist now that the element of surprise was gone? Despite the loss of a hundred and fifty drones -a hundred and fifty one counting her elite guard member- her hive still numbered in the several hundreds. They had a numeric advantage in case they were attacked, and her hive was quite furious when provoked. Yes... yes they'd be just fine.
"Just fine indeed..." Chrysalis grinned and flapped her wings in acknowledgment of the facts.
Facts that became irrelevant the moment the ceiling above them collapsed in a massive explosion, as a beam of green energy shattered the structure, and carved a large circle above them, sending her drones scattering in every direction in terror as smoke and debris flew about the area.
"Chrysalis I presume."
She'd been coughing so hard as a result of the explosion and all the dust that'd been kicked up she barely noticed the voice, but she instantly recognized the tone. Looking up as the smoke cleared her eyes went wide at the sight of what stood before her. The white bipedal figure that was directly responsible for the death of so many of her own.
"Ulquiorra Cifer. Quatro Espada in service to Princess Celestia. I have come here for the purpose of killing you, to ensure the safety of Equestria."
The air was filled with an unnerving sound as the sword was unsheathed slowly and methodically, easily intimidating and capable of shaking the resolve of anyone that heard it.
"Resist if it makes you feel better about your own impending doom. It makes no difference to me, as the end result will be the same regardless," he spoke calmly as he approached, his steps even and methodical.
Terror is what she felt as she was approached. Without realizing she began stepping backward until she bumped against the far wall and was left nowhere else to go.
There was a yell from the side as one of her drones launched itself in the enemy's direction. She couldn't even blink before witnessing the poor thing get completely bisected by a single stroke of the sword as if it were nothing.
So much for her resolve, her sense of superiority, and the belief that her hive could triumph over this monster. She was left with nothing more than panic and despair.
"This isn't fair! Equestria is supposed to be mine to rule! I defeated Celestia in combat, I deserve to be sitting on the throne in Canterlot! I claimed that right from her!" Chrysalis protested.
Ulquiorra slowed to a stop at her words and eyed her critically. "You defeated Princess Celestia? You are barely capable of even theoretically rivaling Princess Luna's level of strength. How did you defeat her elder sister?" he asked.
He... it was communicating with her, rather than executing her? This monster was actually taking an interest in her words, and giving her the opportunity to share her story with it? This couldn't be happening, and yet it was. Maybe... maybe she could use this to her advantage. Nervously she began to recount her tale.
"During the first invasion I gorged myself on the love of Shining Armor, the captain of Celestia's guards. His love for his fiance was so strong, I was easily able to overpower and dethrone her! Had my spell not been broken on the betrothed, I would currently be sitting atop that throne and ruling over all of Equestria, as my hive devoured all the love to be found in the land, and no longer be relegated to inhospitable territories, but free to reign in the most fertile areas of the land among all the others without fear! My hive would flourish as it so rightly deserves!" she recounted, all the while her eyes giving off a sickly, pale green glow that matched that of her horn.
This was a most surprising revelation. This entity before him, this queen of the changeling race, had bested Princess Celestia in overwhelming force and dethroned her?
She wasn't lying about her accomplishment, the fluctuations in her reiatsu weren't appropriate for dishonesty. Terror, yes, but not dishonesty. How was this a possibility? She had to be telling the truth... but it still didn't make sense.
But even if it didn't make sense, it didn't change the fact that he was addressing the one who had beaten Princess Celestia in combat. Just as Aizen had defeated the former ruler of Hueco Mundo, Baraggan Louisenbairn, and usurped his rule, forcing the Dos Espada to serve him instead. It hadn't even come down to a challenge of strength, but rather trickery and deceit.
He was duty bound to obey Princess Celestia. But he was bound by his own instinctive nature as a Hollow, to recognize the basic principle of survival of the fittest. And for better or worse, Chrysalis was the one who deserved the title of fittest. This simple fact changed everything on the matter, forcing him to reconsider everything.
He served Princess Celestia. That was a constant rather than a variable. If he were to betray her, then she would kill him for his actions. But he served Aizen faithfully, and had been killed for his loyalty and devotion to fulfilling his orders of protecting Las Noches against threats. His own loyalty was the reason he was here right now, and tasked with serving a new master. His loyalty was the reason he found himself in this predicament, struggling for answers on what to do.
What master was he supposed to serve? The one he'd sworn his loyalty to, or the one who was truly fit to rule this new land by defeating the previous ruler by force? Simply because the alicorn was stronger, that didn't mean she was right. But then again, he had never stopped to question if Aizen had been right.
Out of all the Espada, he was the only one who could achieve a second state of release. Rightfully he was the strongest of the Espada, yet he was ranked only on the abilities of his first release; even though he could fully kill at least the lower two who were ranked directly above him. The only one he truly possessed any doubts on was Coyote Starrk, he was a tough call.
Wordlessly, after much internal debate, he calmly resheathed his zanpakutō.
"Then it would appear I have allowed myself to fall into the service of the wrong figurehead," he replied simply and eased himself down onto one knee. "I have assigned my loyalty to the wrong individual, and I must correct that most glaring error. Allow me to serve you, and you alone, Queen Chrysalis, for you are the true and proper ruler of Equestria. Princess Celestia cannot be allowed to maintain her false rule, and I will ensure for you that she does not."
Chrysalis was left in stunned silence. Her spell... had it failed? Under normal circumstances a response indicating loyalty would never take this long. Had it failed to have the desired result, and yet the end results were just coincidentally the same?
This being before her had stormed into her hive, killed many of her loyal subjects as if it were nothing, attempted to kill her in the same unfeeling manner... and now he was swearing his allegiance to her, and promising to help her take the throne to Equestria for her? This was unbelievable, this was unforeseeable, this was... was... she knew she should be wary but the offer was so tempting and tantalizing, the chance to regain her proper rule dangling just in front of her and hers for the taking!
"You came here to kill me. Now you're asking me to let you serve? Why should I trust you?" she asked skeptically. If she had some kind of inkling that her spell had worked in the same manner it'd worked on Shining Armor, then it would be a different story. But this one was so different from anything she'd ever encountered before, its mind so unique, that she wasn't even certain her spell could work, yet had to be tried anyway. Had it been reflexive, or was he truly genuine in his sentiment about serving her?
"Because we have both been deceived and deprived of the proper order of things by Celestia's meddling," he explained. "Furthermore it is the only logical thing to do. What other choice do either of us have on the matter?"
He had a very good point. Here was this force of overwhelming violence and determination wanting to willingly serve her against a common goal, against their greatest enemy. It only made sense to agree. Yes, she could do that.
"Arise Ulquiorra Cifer! Arise and help me reclaim my proper place of rule in this land, and permanently establish my hive, and ensure its place in history!" Chrysalis commanded with glee, her smile threatening to crack her face if it grew any wider. She'd worry about his true loyalty later. As long as he helped her with her goals, that was all she cared about right now.
"Your wish is my command," Ulquiorra spoke as he arose to a standing position, "My Queen."
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yoloswag. Ulquiorra gets all the bitches.
Oh for the love of...everything's going to just suck now isn't it? Ulquiorra is going to betray and kill of Equestria isn't he?
And I thought the ponies were actually going to teach Ulquiorra friendship somehow.
....oh dear fuck. This can't be good.
called it! :) and I am more than sure he can break the spell celestia put on him to stop is ressureccion
WHAT
Didn't see that one coming...
So expecting that. Especially when I re-watched the wedding episodes.
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Wee-ooo Wee-ooo Wee-ooo
Here comes the WHA!mbulance!
Awesome chapter, however I honestly have no idea if he is faking chrysalis out or not. Either way would be cool.
YES! True despair is coming! I can even see it!
"Enclose, Murciélago."
Damn... I liked it when he was working for Celestia...
Maybe this is a trap Celestia has planned?
I really hope that he doesn't work for Chrysalis for real...
Loved the psychological torture part though, it was awesome. :)
Wait.. did this really just happen?
Now I just can't wait for the next story update
Well shit!
Classic
That ending...Can you say Face-Heel turn!? This is what I've been waiting for
He's supposed to follow those stronger than him because of his nature, so shouldn't he still serve Celestia? I mean even if Chrysalis did defeat her once, that was then, this is now and the now shows her weaker than she was then. Maybe he should talk to Celestia and learn more about what happened back then, in case she was holding back due to the presence of her subjects and the fear of unleashing her full power might end up hurting her subjects or scaring them making them fear her like they once feared Nightmare Moon.
Unless of course Ulqiorra is being a troll and messing with Chrysalis.
Wait...Doesn't Ulqy realize that Crysalis was still beaten by Celestia's allies? While he might not know it, Shining Armour and Cadence beat Chrysalis. I'm also pretty sure that Twilicorn is more powerful than Crysalis...Shouldn't Ulqy also know that Crysalis only has power greater than Celestia situationally?
Shit just got real!
They just don't get it.....
Ulquiorra just doesn't give a shit.....
I don't know if it's my own innate paranoia, but something about this feels... off. Like all the cogs are turning but they aren't the right size. If I could put forth a theory- that maybe, just maybe, this is a clever ploy. Celestia isn't exactly the type to go about sending a walking genocide like Ulquiorra to go wipe out the Changelings, no matter what her personal opinion on the matter is. Somehow this feels like a Gambit, though Xanatos or Batman, I can't say. Oh, how exciting!
...
...
... Crap.
Inside of Canterlot Castle, directly above Celestia's throne, there is a massive fan that whirs to life, spinning to cool off the ruler of Equestria after a very stressing day.
Inside of the Changeling Caves, there is one room where all of the changelings use to defecate daily, and the smell down there is absolutely dreadful, promising chaos, terror, and absolute death to anyone who smells it.
All of that shit...
Is about to hit that fan.
Goddamn.
Ulquiorra is the ultimate shitstorm.
I now eagerly await the scene where Ulquiorra shatters, SHATTERS!!!, that spell Celestia put on his resurrection.
The sky darkened as the fear in the ponies hearts grew and a green rain fell upon them. Their once ally, looming above them in a new form. One radiating despair into all of their souls. Their very will shredding into nothingness as he spoke.
"Enclose, Murciélago."
There either two ways this can go.
Cifer works for either Chyrsalis or Celestria. If he works for:
Celestria: We get an ambush where the royal guard gets some experience killing beings firsthand and Ulquorria kills Chyrsalis in the most gruesome way in public
Chyrsalis: We get an ultimate battle between Celestria and Mr. Cifer which would be awesome.
The first option is more psychological while the second is more action orientated.
Personally I think ... it's a trap.
But wasn't ulquirra about to kill her? Which makes him stronger than chrysalis, why would he serve someone he could have easily killed right then and there.
3372082 Correct me if im wrong,But He serves the one who was able to beat the last ruler,And seeing as how Chryssie beat Tia,But love itself beat chryssie,Wouldnt he technically serve cadance?
Heheh, not surprised given circumstances but interesting to see where you take it from here.........don't care much for celestia at all considering if you look between the lines of her past actions.
Don't worry I'm sure everyone will be able to tell he's been possessed because his eyes have turned green. Oh wait damn it, well they will definantly see him becoming more distant or acting apathetic because of... Curses
Um perhaps the power of love will save him..
Regardless of who Ulquiorra is really allied with, there is only one certainty.
The streets of Canterlot will be bathed in blood.
welp....the ponies are truely and completely fucked now.....this is going to get messy....awesome
3372082 Because he wants to know how she became stronger than the one who is stronger than him.
Dear shit, I'd like you to meet my good friend fan.
But if shining Armour and Candace defeated Chrysalis like she just told him shouldn't he be swearing loyalty to them?
He's to cunning to be controlled like that, he's most likely trying to find something more out, weakness, strengths. Looking forward towards the next chapter.
Hmm... Well... Maybe... Fuck.
This can only end in a blood bath
3372044 you cannot fathom the amount of shit, nor the size of the fan its about to hit
wat
All part of his masterplan.
How can someone who is weaker then himself beat Celestia? That is the question he wants an answer for.
But he also said that Chrysalis strenght was the same as Luna's. Does that mean Chrysalis is stronger then him and all he is doing now is scaring her for his own good.
Ploy....It's a ploy right? By celestia, as we didn't see her make her decision on what she wanted to do....
Oh god I hope its just Ulq wanting to find out a few things and end it there! ><
I'm curious what the elements of harmony would do to Ulquiorra, maybe they'll make him realize he doesn't need to serve someone to be content with his existence,
That doesnt make sense yes Celestia was defeated but Crysalis was defeated again and ulquorria is far to intelligent to not to conclude this from her situation
3372082 Its not about if he's stronger its about where his loyalty lies and apparently right now it lies with chrysalis
Well, well, well..... Was that a hint of irritation, nay jealousy, while Ulquiorra was talking about the Espada's ranking? Nah. Gotta say that him bowing to Chrysalis was quite the surprise, you'd think that her being defeated in the end would be enough reason not to follow her. I'm putting my bits on this being a ruse to ensure the safe acquisition of Fluttershy.
Below you will find your annually scheduled typo corrections:
*interrupted by a booming echo of status sounded outside - interrupted by a booming echo of static outside
*If you kill me, you'll never find out anything so you'll - If you kill me you'll never find out anything, so you'll
*then what will he to do one - then what will he do to one
*severed limb, and blood that - severed limb, and the blood that
*can promise you will suffer - can promise that you will suffer
*It was a threat that of such - It was a threat of such
*the newly formed joined cracking - the newly formed joint cracking
*up," Twilight instructed to try and quiet the - up," Twilight instructed, as she tried to quiet the
*their blood, and hiding - their blood; hiding
*This was most a most surprising - This was a most surprising
I just realized, the Changelings are the Quincy's of Equestria. If a Changeling/Quincy absorbs enough love/reishi then they can become even more powerful than a/an Alicorn/Shinigami.
Going on this idea, it's impossible for Ulquiorra to be hurt in Chrysalis's presence like he is in Celestia's.
Fuck... That is all.
Have fun equestria! The following events will be very interesting to observe. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
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They did. But Rainbow Dash's account of Mare Do Well showed him that friendship can't be counted on.
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A trap that Celestia has planned? What kind of sitting ruler would do something like that?
Then again she has been indirectly responsible for many of the disasters on the show, by not informing Twilight and the others about what she's doing. But how far would she take her trollery?
I was hoping for cringe inducing in the interrogation part.
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Keep in mind Ulquiorra allowed himself to be classified as the fourth strongest Espada, despite possessing a second release state that was capable of causing massive damage to Las Noches even from ten miles away. It's questionable if Aizen could even defeat his released stage in open combat. And if Aizen hadn't been a bitch with his hypnotism, he might've been killed by the Dos Espada on their first meeting.
Know what? I',m just gonna turn the theory crafting off this time and just wait to see what happens.
Through a strange series of events, Ulquiorra becomes a pony or changeling and moves in with Chrysalis, both learning about love and how to Feel, not feed for Chrysalis, and they live happily ever after. The End.
even if Ulquiorra really has joined Chrysalis im sure Celestia would just crush him with her spiritual pressure and if he does managed to defeat her im sure even he can't defeat discord