Chapter 9
Two pegasi buzzed the treetops of the woods surrounding the base of Canterlot mountain. The stallion, pale blue with a even paler blonde mane and tail with a Music note cutie mark was looking at a map while trying to keep up with the yellow coated mare with the blue mane and tail and raincloud cutie mark ahead of him, who was searching the ground below them as they flew.
“Any clue what we're looking for?” the mare called back.
“She said there's supposed to be a safe-house somewhere around here.” he said, tilting the map several ways, though he was flying so fast the paper kept flapping mostly closed. “Bah, useless thing...” he groaned, shaking it to try to get it to stay open.
The mare looked over at him. “Wait, safe-house? You mean the fallback cave? Damnit Stinger, why didn't you say something?”
“Will you please not call me by my hive name while we're in the open?” The stallion snapped. “I thought you were supposed to be a professional!”
“This airspace's clean, no ponies around for miles, and I like it better than 'High Note.” she retorted.
“That's still not...” 'Stinger' groaned, then stuffed the map into his saddlebag. “If you know where this place is supposed to be, can you just lead us there? The queen said this is urgent.”
“Yeah yeah, hold your horseshoes.” the mare said, then looked around. “Ah, there's the tree that was split by lightning, and the horizontal half is pointing that way so...” she said, before she banked and flew north-easterly, beginning to descend.
The mare darted in a zigzag through several trees before she landed on a hidden path. Sting landed right behind her, panting.
“Love of the Gods, Switch! Would ya slow down?”
“You're really outta shape Sting.” Switch shook her head, trotting up the path.
Stinger shook his head, then snorted, following her. A minute later, they came upon a well concealed cave entrance, hidden from sight from the air by a cluster of trees and bushes, but having a level view straight out the front that let one see straight to Canterlot without being seen in return.
“Wow, place is invisible unless you're right on top of it.” the stallion commented.
Switch nodded, trotting in. “That's why they set the place...” she came to a sudden halt. “...up.”
“What is it?” Stinger asked, coming up beside her. His eyes widened at what he saw.
A changeling, drone form, was laying on his side just within the shadow of the cave, limbs bent in ways they shouldn't be, eyes closed, and tongue lolling out onto the dirt floor. A few feet away from him on the ground sat a communication crystal.
Stinger pushed the mare forward. “Go on! You're the blasted healer!”
Switch stumbled at the push, but it knocked her out of her shock. She stepped forward and the image of the pegasus mare fell away in a flash of green flame, revealing a female drone changeling with solid light green eyes, and a green dorsal plate that shaded to purple at the edges. Her horn lit up with the same flame-like magical aura and a similar glow appeared over the prone changeling's body.
“Oh... gods...” she breathed in the resonant natural tone of a changeling. “Stinger... he's in really bad shape...”
“I can see that, do something!” the 'pegasus' said.
“No, I mean... his skull's cracked, half the bones in his legs and his ribs are broken, might even have a punctured lung, and he's got soft tissue bruising almost everywhere in his body. I don't know if I can heal this.” She said
“What do you mean you don't know?” Stinger said.
“I mean I've never seen anything this bad before. I know how to heal all these things individually, but it'd take an awful lot of energy, I don't know if I have that much...”
Sting looked at the female's expression. Fear and sadness in equal parts. He glanced back out the cave mouth to check if there was any ponies within view. Seeing there weren't, he transformed, turning into a slightly more masculine looking drone, his eyes and dorsal carapace identical to Switch's, only on a slightly bigger frame.
“Use mine.” he said.
Switch jumped. “But that's the energy you gathered from that mare who's coltfriend we replaced, you can't just-”
“Our queen gave us an order, and I'm not going to stand here and hold back what can save this changeling's life. Now take it and get to work!” Sting snapped.
Switch took a step back at that, but recovered, swallowed hard, and bowed her head.
Sting stepped forward, and touched the tip of his knife-like horn to hers. A brilliant green glow surged up his horn, and then crossed over into the female's, flowing down it's length and into her head, and her body. A minute later and the transfer was complete.
Sting swayed on his hooves, and stumbled over to the cave wall, where he sank down to his side on the ground. “Oof...”
“Are you alright?” Switch asked.
“I'm fine, just... being completely empty on magic isn't exactly pleasant.” Sting grunted. “Just heal him before he's too far gone to save.” he gestured at the downed changeling with a forehoof.
Switch immediately started channeling energy at the changeling's head, carefully working with the structures beneath the carapace. “Ugh, I must be out of practice, why is it so hard to visualize his internals...?” she grumbled.
While she was doing this, Sting looked the patient over from where he lay. “I thought Queen Elytria's drones had Magenta dorsal plates.”
Switch blinked, then peered more closely at the downed changeling before her, her own eyes glowing with stolen love based magic. “I knew there was something weird about what I was feeling from his body.” she tapped the dorsal carapace. “The dorsal plate is dark blue.”
“Wait, this is one of Chrysalis' drones?” he asked, confused.
“No, he's disguised as one. We were told he escaped when they attacked. He made himself look like one of them. Blended in till he could get out. It's what I'd do. Now, let's get this transformation off...” she said, her horn lighting up again.
A brief flare of green filled the chamber. When they could see in the dark again properly, they both paused.
“Well what do you know, he's a prince.” Stinger said.
Laying before them now was a noble caste male changeling, as large in his natural state as an above average sized pony stallion. The deep purple mane and tail were both long, and with ragged edges and holes near the end as was normal for most members of that caste.
“Why in Tartarus would Queen Elytria send one of her sons out on a scouting mission?” Stinger asked.
“Just 'cause he's noble caste doesn't mean he's the queen's offspring. Cousin of mine birthed a noble male nymph three years ago. It's princesses only a queen can birth.” Switch said, focusing her intricate healing magics on the purple prince's head, and healing the most grievous of his hurts first.
“Really? Then why hasn't Carapace had any?” Stinger asked.
Switch buzzed her wings and made a 'Krik-it-ic' noise in frustration. “How should I know? Look, there should be some emergency camping supplies in the back of the cave. Be useful and set it up, ok?”
Stinger looked back into the cave, and saw nothing. “Where?”
Switch dropped her spell for a moment to facehoof before she turned to look at him. “There's a trio of stalagmites, the center one is double the height of the two on either side. Reach around behind the one on the far left, there's a switch that'll open the compartment with the gear in it. Now go get them out and set it up already, I don't want this guy convalescing on the cold, hard ground.”
Stinger grumbled, forcing himself to stand.
* * * * *
Protonus slowly came back to consciousness. He cracked open bleary eyes and took in the environment about him. Plain, tan canvas walls and ceiling, with wooden poles holding everything up. He closed them again and focused on what he felt. A softness under his head, and a warm weight gently resting over the rest of his body.
He also felt incredibly sore everywhere in his body.
A groan brought activity from elsewhere in the tent.
“Hey there big fella, you with us now?” a changeling female's voice asked as a gentle hoof patted his forehead with a damp cloth.
“Ughh...” he moaned. “Gods... what happened?” he asked. He looked up at the face of a female drone as she worked.
“We were hoping you could tell us. We just got orders to head out here and find you and, well... you were dying. Had to spend almost everything we harvested to get you back from the brink.”
“Mmmmhhhh...” he moaned, closing his eyes again. “Canterlot... was attacked... I ran... to send word. Then something... something came from the city... threw Chrysalis' army far away... it hit me and... then the wall...”
“Hmmm...” the female changeling said.
The tent flap waved open as another figure walked in. “Well, I scouted the woods,” a male changeling's voice now. “A few flight groups of royal guards heading out into the distance but no ponies looking into the forest. Oh! Hey, you with us now princey?”
“Princey...?” Protonus asked.
“I had to forcibly remove your disguise so I could heal you.” the female said. “Oh, my name's Switch, and this is Stinger. What's your name?”
“Protonus...” The purple maned noble said.
“Wow, fancy name he's got there. You Elytria's?” Stinger asked.
“Stinger!” Switch snapped.
“What? I'm just curious.”
“My... my mother is the queen, yes.” Protonus said.
“Knew it. You owe me a drink.” Stinger said.
Switch grumbled.
“What...?” Protonus said.
“Nothing, I was just convinced you weren't... you know, blood royalty.” Switch said awkwardly. “Was sure I’d heard that Elytria was close with her offspring.”
“Can't be that attached to her brood if she sent him into a manticore's den like Canterlot.” Stinger commented.
“She didn't send me... I volunteered.” Protonus said, opening his eyes again.
“Ahhh” Stinger nodded. “Too boring stuck in the hive all the time eh?” Stinger chuckled, then blinked. “Huh, purple hair, dorsal plate, and eyes. He's all one color isn't he?” Stinger said.
“I've seen a few others like that, it's not that unusual.” Switch said, her horn lighting up again as she probed him gently. “The healing spells are doing their work. You should be ready to move again in a few hours, and you can go home... well, our home anyway. It's closest, you can lay low there for a while, finish healing up, then when the heat dies down you can go back to your hive.”
“No, I need to-” Protonus said, struggling to sit up. His movements were shaky and uncoordinated, and the cot he was lying on was narrower than he expected. As soon as he started to right himself he abruptly rolled out of the cot and onto the ground. Every fiber of his mending body yelping in pain at the sensation of landing hard on his side.
“Whoah! Slow down there your highness!” Stinger said, grabbing him with his forelegs and hefting him up.
“Prince Protonus please, calm down.” Switch said, helping heft the prince back into the cot. “You're still recovering, you need to lie still. If something's wrong, we can help. Please, just take a breath and talk to us.” she urged gently.
Protonus struggled against their hooves for a moment before he finally gave up and laid back against the pillow, taking a deep breath.
“My cover identity was a pegasus, Iron Shield. A Sergeant in the Canterlot guard.”
“Oh, so you need to go let the real one out of storage then?” Stinger asked.
Protonus groaned. “I've been in the persona of Iron shield for nearly six years now. There's no pony to release-” he started to explain.
“Whoah!” Switch burst out, stunned. “You mean you actually converted a pony? By the gods, sir, that... isn't that really risky? I mean...”
“Will you two stop interrupting me!?” Protonus snapped before clutching at his chest with both forelegs. His healing ribs protesting against him raising his voice.
“S-sorry, sir...” Switch said, her ears going back.
Protonus took a few moments to breathe slowly until the pain in his chest subsided. “There is no pony to release, because there never was a 'real' sergeant Iron Shield. I made him up.”
“You transformed into an imaginary pony?” Stinger asked. When Protonus nodded, he let out a sliding whistle. “Impressive. Usually I have to see a target before I can turn into them.”
“But... why?” Switch asked.
“My Queen's idea... have a permanent observer planted in one of Equestria's biggest cities, keep an eye out for particularly potent, loving relationships between the residents and report about them as they happen, rather than spending the time and effort on sending out scouting teams. I've kept a fairly low profile, and until today... it seemed to work.”
“Ok, that's... impressive, but what do you do for power?” Switch asked.
“It's not nearly the same as what you get from love, but there's a surprising amount of energy to be had from the respect and admiration the uniform brings.” Protonus chuckled, then winced.
“So... why do you need to go back?” Stinger asked, plainly confused.
“I need to find out what happened, if the ponies are gearing up for a cleansing...” He grunted, trying to sit up again.
“STOP!” Switch shouted, pressing her hoof on his chest.
Protonus blinked up at her.
“Prince Protonus, please, stop. The healing spells are working as fast as they can and you're only going to hinder them if you keep moving around, and besides...” She paused and looked aside. “Your queen begged ours to send us out here to save you. She wouldn't be happy if we let you go back there, not like this.”
Protonus stared at her for a moment, then looked away.
Stinger looked thoughtful for a moment, then went over to a small pile of assorted bits of camping gear, and pulled out of it the heavy quartz crystal ball by the bronze stand with his mouth, and walked over to the other two. “Uz-iss.” he mumbled around the object.
“What?” Switch asked, turning around.
Stinger groaned, and placed the crystal ball on the small folding table. “Use this.”
“What for?” Switch asked, tilting her head at him.
“So he can talk to his queen for cryin out loud! Let her decide what he does. He wants to go back up there so damn much, let her talk some sense into him.” Stinger snapped.
Switch blinked, then turned and looked at Protonus. “If she says no, will you calm down?”
Protonus nodded. “I will do what my Queen commands.”
“I guess that's about all I can expect here.” she said, then channeled energy into the crystal ball's base.
The runes came to life, and the crystal flushed with the changeling magic. A moment later a face appeared, green hair framing a slender, black carapaced muzzle, and two tone blue-and-magenta slit pupiled eyes.
“Protonus! Protonus, are you alright!?” The queen on the other end asked frantically... and apparently was examining the image of her offspring in the crystal closely, because suddenly all they could see in their end was one of her eyes.
“Mother, calm down! I'm alright, I've been healed.” Protonus said.
“Oh thank the gods...” Elytria's eye retreated till they could see all of her face.
“No, no you are NOT healed! I've been trying to get that through your thick noble caste skull for the past five minutes!”
“What!?” Elytria snapped, alarmed.
Protonus rubbed his forehead with one hoof. “I'm doing a lot better than I was, and I'll be perfectly fine in a short while, that's how the spell works, right?”
“Well, yes but-” Switch tried to say.
“Which means, I’m practically good to go.” Protonus said.
“It's where you want to go that's making this a bad idea.” Switch grumbled loudly.
“Excuse me?” Elytria asked.
“My Queen, this is important, please tell them to-MMF!” Protonus started, but Switch shoved her hoof in his mouth.
“Make him go home! PLEASE!” Switch nearly shouted.
Protonus struggled to get the hoof out of his mouth.
Elytria tilted her head. “Ok, seriously, what?”
“Please, your majesty, he's gone nuts or something! He keeps saying he has to go BACK to Canterlot! Please, just order him to go home so we can get out of here!”
Elytria shifted her gaze slightly. “Protonus, are you serious?”
Protonus tried to speak, but more muffled sounds were all he could make. He tapped Switch's foreleg, and glared at her. The female drone blushed and removed her limb from his mouth.
“Thank you.” Protonus said, continuing to glare at her for a second. “Your majesty, my cover was never blown. If I get back fast enough, in guise, I can slip back in and find out what's going on up there, if they're planning a 'cleansing'...” he left the rest unsaid.
Elytria looked frightened at the very thought. “I admit that has been a concern...”
“Which is exactly why we need to scram!” Switch said. “Going back up there now is suicide!”
“Look, all we know right now is that the army was there, and now it's gone! We need intelligence on this situation! What if they captured Chrysalis, or one of her drones? The locations of our hives aren't a secret to our own kind, how long before they get the information out of one of them?” Protonus argued.
“Listen to you! IF-if-if! It's a huge bunch of unknowns and you wanna just march right back in there, it's STUPID!” Switch snapped.
“And how else are we supposed to fix THAT little problem if you won't let me go there?” Protonus snapped back.
“SILENCE!” Elytria roared, the crystal glowing almost white for a second. The two arguing changelings in the tent froze, staring at the crystal.
“You, drone, how long before he is fully healed?” Elytria said, fixing Switch with her gaze through the crystal.
“My name is Switch, Your majesty, and I’m not sure, an hour, maybe two, before he's fully restored."
Elytria blinked. “Truly? You must be a very gifted healer.”
“Not really, your majesty... I just dumped a lot of power into the healing spells... nothing else would've saved your son.” Switch looked away.
If it was possible for changelings to go pale through all their thick hide, Elytria would have. “W... what?”
Protonus stared at the female drone.
“When we got here... Protonus was... I've never seen any living thing so damaged. Broken bones everywhere, bruising in every muscle and organ... even...” she shuddered. “Even his brain wasn't... untouched. I used our entire harvest worth of power to bring him back from that. Enough power to support our entire hive for the next two seasons and even then I was worried he wouldn't wake up! That's the only reason he isn't dead right now!”
“I...” Protonus tried to speak, but words failed him.
“The fact that your son is able to hold an intelligent conversation with us is nothing short of a miracle, even with all that power! If he goes back there, and he gets caught... you know what other races do to us!” A tear fell from Switch's eye. “We came out here to save a life, and despite everything, we did it... and I'm not going to let him throw it away!”
Protonus placed a hoof on Switch's withers.
She looked over to see him giving her a gentle smile.
“Thank you.” was all he said.
Switch gave a weak little half smile back.
“Yes, you have my thanks as well, young Switch, and your sacrifice will not go unrewarded.” Elytria said, at which the drone smiled a bit brighter. “However, Protonus is correct. We need to know what is going on.” she said, and Switch's face fell.
“B-but your majesty!”
Elytria raised a hoof for silence. “Enough, your concern for my son's well-being is touching, but the safety of our species is far more important. We must know what is transpiring in Canterlot now more than ever. So I ask you, Switch, servant of Carapace, how long before Protonus is fully healed?”
Switch's shoulders slumped and she lowered her head. “Two hours...”
“Will he have enough energy to transform?”
“He should, your majesty. He'll absorb all the spare energy from the healing spells once their work is done.”
Elytria nodded. “Then in two hours time, my son will re-infiltrate the ranks of the Canterlot guard, and you shall return to your queen and deliver my thanks to her.”
* * * * *
Canterlot, present day.
* * * * *
Shining Armor paused outside Luna's chambers and announced himself to her guards. The two dark, bat winged pegasi nodded and opened the door for him. Celestia, Luna and Twilight were both laying on a plush rug in the main room, their legs folded neatly under them as they worked together on a parchment.
“Captain Armor to see you, your majesty.” one of them said.
Luna raised her head. “Ah, good of you to come Captain. Please, enter.”
Shining stepped closer. Twilight was scribbling things down, and crossing them out. She and Celestia were talking to one another, discussing something intently between the two of them.
“You wanted to speak to me, Princess Luna?”
“Indeed. Sister, Twilight Sparkle, I shall return shortly.” Luna said standing and walking into her bedchamber.
Twilight nodded briefly before going back to what she was working on, as did Celestia.
Shining shook his head and followed Luna.
The door closed gently behind him from Luna's telekinesis.
“What's this about, princess?” He asked.
“My... friend, has replied to my query about the changelings from the other day.” Luna said.
“About their 'culture'?” Shining said.
“Quite.” Luna said.
“And the answer?” he asked, lifting a hoof.
“As of the last time he knew of them, he remembers that custom, at least, to be true.” Luna said.
“The last time... Princess, who is this 'friend' of yours?” Shining probed.
“I... cannot say.” Luna said.
Shining blinked. “What?”
“He is a private individual, and would rather his name and other... specifics not be discussed outside his personal friends for frivolous purposes.” Luna said.
Shining frowned. “So I'm supposed to trust the word of someone who I don't know anything about, just because he's a friend of yours?”
“I trust him implicitly.” Luna said.
“Nice as that is, princess, it doesn't help me...” Shining paused for a second. “And what do you mean 'he remembers' anyway? How old is this 'friend'?”
Luna glanced away and said something Shining couldn't make out.
“What was that?”
“He's thirty thousand years old.”
“Oh, so he's...” Shining started to say, then blinked. “Thirty... thousand?”
“Yes, and 'tis all I can say. Even then I stretch my promise to my friend, so please, do not press me further.”
Shining gaped for a moment, before he shook his head violently. “Okay, okay, not important, I talk to immortal alicorns every day, this is nothing...” he thought.
“I guess you're telling me, though, that his experience with changelings isn't 'recent' though?” Shining said, irate again.
Luna blushed. “Well... the intelligence may be a little outdated but-”
“How outdated?” Shining pressed.
“A... few centuries?”
“Right, and culture doesn't change over the course of centuries.” Shining facehoofed.
“I am well aware of how things can change over the passage of time, Captain.” Luna said, frowning.
Shining blinked, then folded his ears back as he realized what he'd just said.
Luna sighed and shook her mane out. “It is alright. My apologies that the information wasn't quite what you were hoping for, captain. Sources on changeling information are rare.”
Shining glanced back at the door to where Twilight was. “You're telling me.” He turned back to the princess. “If that's everything, I'll take my leave.”
“There is, one thing, Captain.” Luna said.
“Yes, princess?”
“I wish to speak to you about... the dream, thou had this morn.”
Shining's eyes widened. “Ah... my dream, princess?”
“Indeed.” Luna said.
“Did Cadence talk to you? I told her it was nothing but-” he started before Luna held a hoof up.
“She did not need to say a word. I saw thine dream myself.” she explained.
“Wait, WHAT?” Shining exclaimed.
“'Tis my nature, Captain. As the princess of the night I am also a walker of the land of dreams, be they pleasant or terrifying. And yours... I could feel thy fear. Please, speak to me, thy mind is troubled.”
Shining snorted angrily. His dreams were being watched? That was seriously overstepping some boundaries. “I can't believe this. Look, princess, it was a stupid bad dream, okay? It didn't mean anything, it wasn't real. Can we please drop this?”
Luna gave him a pointed look, but eventually shook her head. “Very well captain, it did only happen the once. But thou art family, and it worried me.”
Shining rubbed his temples. “I... I appreciate the sentiment, princess, I guess.” he stifled a yawn. “Look, it's late, I'm tired, and I’m betting tomorrow's not going to be an easy day with this whole 'big reveal' thing happening. I need to get home and get some rest while I can, okay?”
Luna nodded. “As you say, captain. Be well, and we will see thee on the 'morrow.” she said.
* * * * *
Unicorn Battlemage Lieutenant Swift Strike, his coat regulation gray and his mane and tail regulation white, took a sedate walk through Canterlot's perpetually busy artisan quarter. Having removed his barding he now only sported a pair of saddlebags, tied securely around his barrel.
Canterlot was the center of magic in Equestria, considering the city was host to the royal magic academy, the school for gifted unicorns, and the royal guard academy, most who lived here used magic heavily, and the local industry was as rife with magic as everything here. Magitech devices were designed and built here, at the very least as prototypes, before mass production would begin in any number of other cities. But there were also plenty of small businesses here that made enchanted items individually, either as signature pieces or custom orders.
The ponies who shopped here regularly had very deep purses indeed.
Or a government budget to back them up.
Swift entered an aged book shop. The walls were dark, heavily varnished wood, and the air was slightly musty. Tomes, both of spells and of various types of knowledge or fancy lined the shelves, and the unicorn clerk hardly lifted her eyes as he walked in. He ignored her completely, and went to the back of the shop, around behind several large sets of shelves, and came to a door. Glancing around to make sure there was no-pony else in the shop besides the clerk, he knocked gently on the door three times with one forehoof.
There were two taps back from the other side.
“And the sun and moon yet rise and set.” Swift said in a hushed tone, hoping it was loud enough to be heard through a keyhole.
There was the sound of several locks and latches being undone from the other side of the door before it opened. A Pegasus stallion, also in regulation guard colors was on the other side of the door, wearing full armor. With barely a nod, he stepped aside and let Swift enter, before closing and locking the myriad bolts, latches, and key locks on the door. On the other side of the door was a small chamber, at the far end of which was a newly dug vertical shaft, heading straight down. A square spiral staircase ringed the pit, and there was a gap in the middle that allowed one to see straight down.
The Stallion immediately began to descend into the mountain, before long reaching a level where the staircase's walls gave way to open space, and clear blue crystals gleaming in the light cast by Swift Strike's horn.
Once at the bottom of the stairs, and on the cave floor, he turned and followed a well worn path through a few slight twists and turns in the crystal caverns until he came to a rather improbable sight.
A large, brand new looking concrete building in the middle of the cavern.
Two gold armored royal pegasus guard-stallions armed with spears stood at either side of the main entrance to the huge, rectangular box-like structure. As soon as he came into view, the guards bristled and leveled their weapons at him.
“Calm down fellas, it's just me.” Swift said as he and his companion approached.
The pegasi lowered their weapons then saluted.. “Good to see you Lieutenant.” one of them said.
“Thanks. I've got orders here for the C.O.” Swift said.
“Yes sir.” the Pegasi said in unison, then opened the door.
Just beyond the door was essentially a large, square metal cage, large enough for three average stallions to walk in shoulder to shoulder and have a few inches to spare on either side.
“Appologies sir, new security measure.” one of the pegasi said.
Swift nodded and stepped into the cage and the door was closed behind him. Outside the cage, two unicorn guards pointed their horns at him and bathed him in a wave of arcane light.
Nothing happened.
“It's him, open the gate.” a voice said.
The gate on the far end of the holding chamber unlatched and swung open.
Swift nodded briefly in passing to the unicorn guards standing outside the cage before he trotted down the main hallway. The interior of the blank concrete building had a tile floor and whitewashed walls. There were solid metal doors to his left and right as he went, numbered odd on the left, even on the right. At the end of the hall was a pair of double doors, which he entered and then took an elevator up three levels. Once there he stepped out into another hall that was nearly identical to the first level, only the doors here were all wooden, and had ponies names and ranks on them.
The lieutenant came to the last door on the right and knocked briefly. A moment later the door opened to reveal an out of uniform guard.
“Lieutenant, please, come in.” The pegasus said.
“Thank you Commander.” Swift said, stepping into the simple office.
“Do you have it?” The pegasus asked, hopping into the air and winging briefly back over to the other side of his desk.
Swift strike opened his saddlebag with magic and levitated out a neatly folded document. “Signed, sealed, delivered.”
The commander took the document with a sweep of his wing and laid it out on the desk, briefly examining it before nodding. “This should pass. We needed the funds this is going to give us. The last batch of testing hasn't been going well, though R&D keeps telling me they're making some progress.”
“If nothing else they're learning what doesn't work.” Swift sighed. “That escapade with the love potion was a disaster. We had a fully trained Unicorn battle-mage and a level headed unicorn mare, and the two of them can't find enough sense to keep their mind on the experiment ten seconds after drinking the bucking stuff.” He rubbed his forehead. “We're never going to have a viable 'love shield strike team' at this rate.”
“I still don't see why you had to abandon that potion altogether.” the commander said.
“High Dive, my friend, please, leave the magic to the experts on this, okay?” Swift chided, gently. “You really, reeeeally don't want to mess around with magic potion recipes. You change one ingredient, one ratio, and the potion's suddenly doing a drastically different thing than the original, and it can be kinda hard to predict the result.”
Commander High Dive snorted. “Well at least we're making some progress on the 'illusion visor'.”
“Oh really?” Swift asked, eyes wide and hopeful.
“Yeah, they've figured out how to make it visualize 'magical fields', only apparently every pony in equestria has their own unique magical field and they all come up as blobs of color, so we can't figure out if we're seeing a natural aura or an illusion field with the blasted thing yet, not that it's been easy to test. Unicorn based illusions look almost the same as their natural auras, so we don't know what we'll see if we actually use the thing to try to view a changeling... On the bright side, apparently there's a low level magical energy in every object in equestria, including walls, plants, and the ground so the fellas in R&D say it'll do wonders for normal guards who need some augmented night vision.”
Swift actually grinned at that.
High Dive folded the forged document and put it into an official envelope. “I'll see to it this gets to where it's supposed to go.” he sighed. “Gotta tell you, I hate this Swift. Skulking around behind the Captain's back, not to mention the Princess.”
“We've been over this Diver,” Swift said, shaking his head. “The Princess, bless her kind heart, may believe we're safe, but it's up to us realists to do what's necessary. She and the elements of harmony weren't able to save us last time. The captain's spell was a lucky fluke, nothing more. We need back up plans. It falls to us to protect our land where she won't.”
“I know, I know!” High Dive snapped, slumping in his chair. “Doesn't make this any easier.”
“We do what we must, my friend.” Swift said, turning and heading back out the door.
* * * * *
Cadence walked down the road, heading towards Shining Armor's home, head hanging low. Her cousin kept pace at her shoulder, glancing at her from time to time.
Blueblood knew he wasn't a particularly great pony. He'd thought himself one, once, a long time ago. But after not one, but two public humiliations -the first coming at the hooves of a national hero (who he swore he didn't know was one at the time, and not some gold digging prince chaser like the dozens of pretty, overdressed mares he fended off every week) calling him 'un-charming' among other horrible things- and the second by his own true heart's desire, his lady love, calling him a spineless coward. He'd finally decided to do something about it.
And now, here, right next to him, was a mare, his cousin, who even though she was an alicorn, and as far above him in power and importance as he was above a commoner, looked as though she'd just about burst into tears right there next to him.
He sorely wished his etiquette teacher had taught him about comforting a depressed mare.
But, being chivalrous meant helping others, even if it was difficult, even if you don't know quite what to do, you have to try.
At least, that's what his teacher had said.
“Cadence?” He broke the silence.
“Hm?” Cadence barely acknowledged him.
“Cadence, are you alright?”
“I'm fine Blueblood.” Cadence muttered.
“Cadence,” Blueblood said, stepping in front of her and placing a hoof gently on the front of her chest to stop her, her head jerked up in surprise and she looked him in the eye. “You look worse than that time in magic kindergarten when that bully started calling you a fake Alicorn.” he chided.
Cadence averted her gaze.
“Please cousin, tell me what's wrong.” Blueblood pressed.
Cadence was about to deny it, but as she tried to summon up some excuse, Blueblood lowered his hoof to the ground.
“It's your husband, isn't it?”
Cadence lowered her eyes again. “Yes...”
“Want to tell me about it?”
Cadence sighed. “Ever since I met him growing up, Shining's always been there for me. Always listened when I had something to say, always made me feel special, loved, wanted. By the time he proposed to me, he practically worshiped me like a goddess... it was almost getting embarrassing just going out on the town with him. When he finally popped the question... I was so happy...” She said, then slowly started walking forward again.
Blueblood turned and kept pace with her as she walked.
“When Chrysalis abducted me, and imprisoned me in the crystal mines... I thought I'd lost him. She told me what she was planning, what she was going to do to him, and to Equestria... I was down there for over a week... you have no idea how weak I actually was when I finally got out of there with Twilight.”
“I heard you were quite heroic, charging in.” Blueblood said.
Cadence shook her head. “Alicorn blood, if I was anything else, I wouldn't have been able to walk, let alone race through a mine, outmaneuver a bunch of mind controlled mares, and make it to the royal chapel in time...” she sighed heavily. “When Twilight and her friends were dragged back in, defeated... I thought that was it. My life, my love, was over... I was sure Chrysalis had won, and so was she or she wouldn't have sent away so many of her swarm. When Twilight told me to go to Shining... and I finally managed to snap him out of his trance, I thought that might be it, you know? The last moments I would have with my love... but even then, he wasn't going to give up, he tried to save us, even though it wouldn't have worked, he was going to try to protect us... somehow. When he said he had no strength, I thought I'd give him what little magic I had left, but when our horns touched... something happened. My soul touched his, and between us, we had all the power in the world. We actually became one being Blue Blood, we shared thoughts, emotions, sensations, everything. Right down to the core... and we cast out what was trying to force us apart.” Cadence smiled at the memory.
“That's... amazing, Cadence.” Blueblood said, eyes wide.
“It was. I've never felt like that, before or since, so in tune with another pony, so close... the wedding that came after that was like a dream. Everything went perfect, better even.” She grinned. “Twilight's friends are such amazing ponies, they made the event better than I could have ever dreamed. And the Ceremony, the kiss, the dance...” Her smile became dreamy.
“And then...?” he asked.
Cadence's smile faded down to a flat line. “And then... we came back from the honeymoon. He was all smiles and nuzzles that morning. I made him his favorite breakfast, helped him get into his armor, and kissed him goodbye at the door as he went to work. Everything seemed fine.” her face fell and she looked at the sidewalk in front of her again as she plodded along. “And then he came home that night.”
“What happened?” Blueblood pressed.
“He... he asked the other Guard captains... about the changelings. He asked them how many they'd captured, what information they had on Chrysalis, where her hive was, what the changeling's numbers were... and they... they couldn't tell him anything. Not because it was secret, but because there wasn't anything to tell. No sightings, no captures, no leads. It was like they'd just vanished off the face of the earth.” she stopped walking. “That's when...” she sniffled. “That's when it started. The irritability, the late nights at work, the arguments...” she choked back a sob. “Fifteen years I’ve known that stallion, and in the span of a few months it's like suddenly he's a completely different pony! What happened to the kind, honorable, loving captain of the guard I gave my heart to? That I shared so much with?” she sat down on the cobblestone and started sobbing openly. “Oh stars, Bluey... it's like I'm losing him all over again!”
Blueblood stared at his crying cousin for several heartbeats before he forced himself to step to her side. He sat down in front of her, and extended his forelegs around her neck and shoulders, gently patting her back and letting her cry into the crook of his neck.
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Loved blueblood's emotional awkwardness
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!cute!!
i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd291/clonezero_emoticons/WorldWar2_online_game_version.gif
Oops! Wrong Gif!
2094960 I like Pattons ending XD. That was hilarious!
2094624 *smiles back* It's always nice to know I've left a mark on people around here
(even if my name may not always be attached to it!)
But no. Pegasi don't eat fish. It just seems stupid to me. I mean, go ahead, have your own head-canon. No prob. But you're drawing conclusions based on assumptions based on assumptions! That'd be an unstable conclusion on the best of days. That's not enough to convince me.
Of course, it's another thing entirely to write a story about one single pony who happens to have an unusual appetite
imageshack.us/a/img33/5764/likethischapter.jpg
2095835
...
Pardon me while i go have a screaming fangasm. My favorite author on this site just commented on my work positively.
2095899
Q: "Just how did Maxillus know about Chrysalis communicating with Twilight Sparkle in the caverns under Canterlot?"
A: The story of what happened that day got circulated through equestria (Twilight herself was interviewed by the press) so that bit's common knowledge.
It's worth remembering that Changelings are psionivoric predators and sentient creatures are their prey. A lot of bad blood on both sides exists including the really nasty instinctual predator/prey baggage. Any kind of understanding or coexistence is going to be very hard to forge because of the fact that Changelings need to absorb the energy of ponies' emotions to charge up their magic.
That secret R&D section are an odd bunch. I wonder if Celestia and Luna know about them or if they are an off-the-books black operation answerable to a faction (or even just one individual ranking pony) on the Joint Chiefs Committee. I also wonder if they'll end up trying to test their 'inventions' on a certain hapless ambassador.
Finally...? Shining is suffering from PTSD but so is Cadence. I wonder if anyone will work that out (or if pony mind-healing even knows the condition exists) before they end up having a breakdown?
2097296
Well, Swift hardly would have had to forge the signature on that document if it was authorized.
2095293
A fantasy novel i read as a little kid had pegasi eating a mixture of oats and birdseed.
2099801 O_o
How so? She is distraught about Shining's behavior, but otherwise, she seems to be fine.
2097296
One of those problems being that they snatch away innocent, loved ponies, and replace them.
They aren't just stealing love, they are stealing away actual ponies, ponies who had families who loved them, ponies whose loving children are now changlings sucking up energy. Lost children, fathers, mothers, nobles. How many are replaced, and how will one make it up to those who they've hurt?
That's the question I've been wondering, because one of the Queens mentioned replacing entire noblemen families at the top to gather the love, certainly THIS is going to be one of those hardcore negotiation issues. Because they've stolen away entire lives and families, and I've yet to see the implications of this.
2106144
Yep; it will create a lot of bad blood, especially if long-term confinement turns ponies into drones as implied in this chapter. Peace is hard to achieve when there are huge outstanding grievances and, as in this case, there is no obvious or easy way for the guilty party to offer recompense.
Possibly the hardest decision Celestia and Luna may have to make is that, to prevent a genocidal war, they may need to keep this secret forever.
2106439
I just now checked back through the chapter to figure out what you meant, and I missed that line completely about conversion. That'll cause even worse problems then I expected
That can be covered up..Maybe, but the information about changelings stealing away people from families is probably very well known at this point, what with Princess Cadence being taken away and left in the mines below and the reporters having reported this story. Which means there also needs to be an explanation for what they do with the missing members, because Chrysalis left her to die below. Otherwise people will assume the worst and hate them just like Shining armor, if not worse because their loved ones are "Gone" with no chance of coming back.
Do they eat them? Do they forcibly convert? Even if the previous secret is kept secret, people aren't going to take kindly to finding out that their loving mate/son has been dead, likely starved, alone and uncared for because another species wanted something from you.
2106585
I can imagine a "nice" method, but it's a bit convoluted: a pony is magically rendered unconscious and tucked away while a changeling impersonates him and harvests
vespene gaslove from his dear ones; afterwards, the changeling uses a mind trick to convince the pony that he actually was there all the time, maybe even a memory implant to avoid suspicious discrepancies.i.imgur.com/HtwziUq.jpg
(Also, Switch's reaction makes clear that conversion is not standard procedure.)
2155604
There is nothing from the story that suggests this is anything but "Permanent". One Queen stated there was agents stuck there for an entire year, and that she was slowly trying to steal others away later on.
I love it when Blueblood isn't part ass.
2097296
Imagine us, humans, in the place of the ponies. When our specie has shown tolerance to any other who ever managed to scare us (wolves, lions, sharks, etc...)? Normally, we hunt them, kill them , take their territory to build parkings and shiny Wall-Marts, drive them to near extintion... and only when we begin to see them more less a menace and more as poor animals who deserve to exist (to some extent), we accept to put them in zoos and park protected areas.
And that with animals. Emotional vampires and abductors?
3.bp.blogspot.com/-THnjrjxD5Go/T_4OeyVDNAI/AAAAAAAABfs/pL9Z24Rwwmg/s1600/fire1.jpg
2155604 that is almost spot on my head-cannon for changelings
OH SHIT! Those realists are gonna screw something up bad!
hummmm
