Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat

by David Silver

67 - Control of One's Destiny

Silver forced himself to take a step forward. The burn was fierce, but not the worst he'd felt. No... "Cadance, this isn't... you. Please, not you. Any princess but you."

Cadance's face twisted to an angry scowl before it melted into sorrow. "Please... Just go..." She traced a hoof across the ground. "Not one step further. I'll explain, later."

Night flared out her wings with an infuriated hiss, throwing herself at Cadance in a sudden flight, only to be grabbed in pink magic. "Hmm? Two? You... lucky mare." She twisted a hoof slowly. "Go, or I'll cut your love for them. I'll let you see it, they'll choke and wither as a plant without a sun."

Night's ears flipped against her head, true horror dawning on her expression. "You wouldn't! Why? We're not against you, Cadance."

Cadance threw Night back against Silver, sending them both to the ground. "I spoke to Luna earlier today." Both could feel their thoughts drawn towards Luna as their loves, confused as they were, become stronger and stronger. "She couldn't stop talking about how troublesome you both were." Their hearts ached, and no support could be drawn from one another, their link still so cruelly subdued. "You ruined her life. Every day is a little worse, just thinking of you."

"Twins?" Silver struggled to rise, only to flop over again, his thoughts a confusing mess as new love blossomed for the life not yet born even as his emotions were trampled under Cadance's cruel hooves. "She wouldn't say that!"

Cadance advanced on them, one hoof before the other. "She did, and it wasn't the first, nor I doubt, the last. That troublesome unicorn who isn't even a real pony. That sycophant that knows nothing of her but the stories she never asked for, praying to a god figure that doesn't exist outside her deluded mind. You're a blight on her life." She kept strengthening their love even as she abused it, causing each hateful sentence to strike all the harder.

Night rolled up to her haunches. "I know her better... better than that. Cadance, fight it. Fight... this. This isn't you." She glanced to Silver. "Like he said."

Cadance slammed a hoof into Night's chest, magic reaching in a violating swiftness into her body. "Wrong answer." With a cruel twist, Night felt something come lose she hadn't even known was there before. "That's one. Leave and you may keep one."

Night didn't withdraw, even as some parts of her were screaming to do just that. "Will you hold your own foal, your own husband, knowing you're hurting a child this way? For what?"

Cadance hesitated, hoof hovering. "Please go..."

Silver fought his way to his own haunches, flopping against Night. "Don't take my child away, again... Not again..."

Cadance squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. "Please... Go..."

With the onslaught paused, Silver focused on Cadance. There was something there, a faint impression... Eyes. Sombra's eyes. "Stop this!" He clopped a hoof down and stood up. "This is low, even for you. Would you want someone to attack the one you love in front of you, helpless to stop it?"

He was dreaming. Sombra loomed in front of him. "What do you know of suffering? What do you know of love?"

Silver held out a hoof. "Do you want to see? I can show it all to you. No tricks."

He snorted explosively. "My love turned against me the first chance she had. You would be better to not give them the chance."

He awoke suddenly. Night had her forelegs around a sobbing Cadance. "Shhh, it's alright, it's alright..."

Cadance shook her head quickly. "No, I've done something beyond forgiveness, even for myself." She pressed a hoof against Night, undoing the damage within her. The link between her and Silver returned with a rush of warmth for both as the thoughts of Luna faded to a normal level. "I'm a monster..."

Silver shook himself out. "It wasn't you, Cadance. It wasn't."

Cadance scowled at Silver through her tears. "Your forgiveness isn't what's needed right now."

Silver slammed the ground hard enough to feel something strain in the pony equivalent of an ankle. "No, damn it. I saw Sombra. He was controlling you. You can't be blamed for this."

Night twisted to look at Silver with a new frown. "Are you certain?" He nodded quickly. "Bastard... I'll rip him clean in half." Her wings fluttered with obvious agitation, but she still held Cadance.

Cadance reached out for Silver and brushed his cheek softly. "Are you telling the truth, or making a little lie to make me feel better?"

Silver gave a quirk of a smile. "Cadance, what just happened was deeply terrifying on several levels. What I want to know is how he got in your head. Did he bring you down here, or did you do that on your own?"

She shook her head slowly. "I can't blame him for that... After Twilight found this place, I've been trying to gain access to it. I... I'm certain there's something here that I--"

Silver raised a hoof quickly. "That's how." She tilted her head. "That's how he got you. He made you curious and that got you down here, alone, to stare into his trap and let him work into you."

Cadance gestured at the still open door. "So is there nothing here?" She stood up with a little help from Night Watch. "I'm alright now... Shall we? I won't ask you to leave again, promise."

Night moved to Silver's side and pressed against him, face buried in his neck. "Is it all fixed?"

"It is." Silver threw a leg over her and drew her close. For a moment, hugging was all they could do, but they slowly parted, nodding at one another and turning to follow Cadance out into the bright light that surrounded a pillar covered in a spiral staircase that went round and round for what seemed like forever.

Cadence gave a little smile. "Shall we?" She stepped up and began to scale the steps, with Silver and Night ascending behind her.

Silver glanced upwards at the dizzying number of stairs. "If one of you could fly me, we could get up there a lot faster, no?"

Night snorted softly. "No. I don't put it past Sombra to have a trap against fliers, since he wasn't flying around."

Cadance nodded. "Afraid we'll have to use these hooves of ours." She glanced over her shoulder. "I really am sorry... I'm going to have to make it up to you two somehow."

Silver's assurances were cut off by a hoof pressed against his snout. "We'll come up with something." Night flashed her fangs. "Let's worry about that later. We have a mystery ahead of us."

"Right." And so they went, with Cadance at the lead.

---

As invigorated as Fast was, simply overpowering one with as much experience as Chrysalis at being a changeling was simply not done easily. But that wasn't required. Having kept her occupied with their stalemate, new ponies began to arrive. Without her swarm to distract the city, pegasi guards closed in on them both, ready to assist in repelling the changeling queen as unicorn wizards took up position below, flanked by stout earth ponies ready to protect them.

The tribes stood as one, for none of them cared for Chrysalis. They were not alone. Swarming around Fast came other changelings, from drones to other leaders, ready to rise against their former leader with faces of grim determination.

Chrysalis frowned at the lot of them, looking over the growing opposing force. "It seems we won't be finding out today who reigns supreme..."

Fast pointed out of the city. "Go."

Much as it infuriated her, she was a creature of subterfuge, outnumbered and hedged in. Fleeing was the only logical route. "I hope you choke on--" The rest of her unflattering words weren't heard as she flittered away, leaving the city in defeat once more.

It was silent a moment before the changelings swarmed over her with a sudden cheer. They wooped and cried and held tightly to her, claiming their love and adoration for the 'nice queen'. The guards stood down and returned to their stations, and even the gawkers and bystanders began to disperse.

The threat was over. She had a hive to calm down and get back in order. She spread her forelegs and hugged some of those changelings closer. They needed her, and she wouldn't fail them.

"Fast Change." She spun towards the new voice. Celestia hovered there, looking at her sternly. "You did something very bad today."

Fast perked her ears. "What? Defended the hive? The city?"

Celestia pointed at one of Fast's forelegs, where a hole was etched clean through, still bleeding softly with a wound she hadn't felt. "You took what wasn't given." She sighed softly. "I know it was in good intention... But you must be punished. Do you understand this?"

Fast held up the leg to see the new hole more clearly, trembling as its import crashed upon her. "I... yes... I'm not above the law." She dipped her head. "You know I didn't do it to hurt anypony though."

Celestia reached out a wing and brushed Fast. "I know. You are no enemy, Fast Change. Come." She turned and left, and Fast went with her, to pay for her crime.

---

Author's Note:

Oh hey, the fight's over! That clearly must be a typo of some kind...

Comments

[Daremo]

Well, when I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Typo hunt later, I think I'll hit the showers and clean all this egg off my face.

This has been some intense storytelling these last couple of chapters... and thoroughly enjoyable!

[Daremo]

even know was - even known was

******

I'm relieved that the schism with Cadance was remedied quickly. Now I only worry about Silver's injured ankle. Chekhov's gun?

[Booster Spice]

Thats the biggest problem with the rabbit hole.

It never ends.

Even to those who beleive they know it, and control it.

[David Silver]

6891160 Ah ha, so there was a typo lurking in there! How did things shape up?

[Daremo]

6891281
Barely a nibble.

Shape up?

[David Silver]

6891299 The plot. Moving in logical ways, I do hope?

[Daremo]

6891330

Ah.

Logical, yes.

Predictable, no.

Alternately emotionally punishing and rewarding, distressingly yes.

Enjoyable, absolutely!

[Dravkwn]

I've heard that guilt can eat you up inside. So are changeling holes like guilt and taking emotions, ie when they are not given, enough to eat actual holes into a changeling's body? (Directed at our illustrious author and his interpretation on feeding without permission)

p.s.
I do not think changelings feel guilty about feeding. I was making a comparative in the figurative vs the literal in old sayings of guilt vs hole development in changeling physiology.

Edited for clarification.

[harts fire]

I need to reread the last few chapters as I defiantly missed something.
Celestia hovered there, looking at her sternly. "You did something very bad today."

Fast perked her ears. "What? Defended the hive? The city?"

[Morphy]

6891621

I was thinking that she let Chrysalis escape... or live to escape. The hole in her leg however, it has that "path to the dark side" vibe to it, like when Darth Vader chopped off Luke's hand and he replaced it with a robotic one, only to be reminded of his father every time he looks at the fake hand.

[David Silver]

6891408 One literary way of looking at the whole mess. They say sins eat at your insides as well.

[harts fire]

6891703 possible or also possible it is not bleeding much it is possible part of becoming a permanent changeling.

[tsaukpaetra]

I honestly didn't know that the love Fast drew from the city wasn't given freely. That... Well, it changes things, but not too much. Such a widespread draw probably didn't affect the sources too much, but obviously not so for the recipient.
And Cadence has been slapped awake, Yay!
Keep going! ;)

[tsaukpaetra]

6891703
6892093 from what we gather, since Fast took love energy forcefully which was not freely given,the changeling curse that causes the hole-deterioration took effect, which is why she now has a brand new eyelet.

[harts fire]

6892972
sounds right to me.

[DJ_Arashi_Rora]

If Queen Fast didn't draw upon those powers she would have not only died but her hive taken over.

If you are going to punish someone that scared themselves in defence of your capital, your people and their people you need a reality check.

And if that is so bad, why didn't you help Tia? Your Allies were attacked in your city and no help was given...

As always Silver, keep up the good work, and when I read your stories it make me question how the population would view things being brought up in a near utopia. All I know from this self reflection is that I couldn't live there. Maybe the Griffin lands.....

[Vutava]

"Bastard... I'll rip him clean in half."

Night, you're not thinking clearly. For something like this, you need to make his death slow and agonizing.

They needed her, and she wouldn't fair them.

Fair? Are you sure that's the word you want?

[David Silver]

7161189 More fixing!

[Cursed Quill]

come lose she hadn't even known

loose

[Shachza]

That's... No, Fast. Chrysalis was overconfident and over-extended herself. You had her red-hooved, surrounded by enemies, and dead to rights; a situation that may never again occur. You do not just let her walk away.

[David Silver]

7808281 And yet, that is exactly how it must be. If I, as an author, had chosen any differently, this story would have thrown itself out of canon.

[Warrior Kitten]

I know what is going to happen. One hole. It's not going to stop at one.

[DivineCross]

Did they lose a child or was that part of a dream?

[David Silver]

11040767
(reads the chapter over quickly) What is this in reference to?

[Amos Anon]

Silver gave a quirk of a smile. "Cadance, what just happened was deeply terrifying on several levels. What I want to know is how he got in your head. Did he bring you down here, or did you do that on your own?"

Whew. Thank goodness Cadence didn't go all evil.

[David Silver]

11253986
Cadance is a good pink princess of love.