The two nymph guards, pony diplomat and the Changeling Queen arrived in front of an excessively large door of black slime. The door itself was very imposing, with spikes and serrated ridges jutting from its surface. There even seemed to be a faint resemblance of a dragon’s face etched into it, but it was hard to tell in the low light.
Silver Skies looked to Chrysalis, slightly curious. “Your highness what, if I may ask, lies beyond this door?” he asked.
Chrysalis glanced back over her shoulder to Silver. “This is where my prisoners are kept. The area has not seen any guests for some time… until today,” she answered.
A look of comprehension crossed over Silver’s face and he looked to the door again. “So, you found the ones that attempted to stop me?” he asked.
Chrysalis stayed silent, moving forward as her horn lit up with her green magic and the door began to slide up into the slime ceiling. With practiced ease, she passed under the door, sparing Silver only the slightest of glances. The unicorn stallion got the hint and began to follow after her. On the other side of the massive doorway the lighting color changed from greens and pale blues to that of yellows and reds. There were even a few burning torches with normal colored magic flames.
Silver Skies quietly observed the new decorum. This new area was designed more like an old cave, with a healthy dose of creepy. Slime spikes hung from the ceiling like deadly stalactites. The walls were completely made of hardened black slime and held strange patterns that almost seemed to resemble melted screaming pony (or maybe Changeling) faces. Then there was the faint hum in the air that seemed to lightly nibble on the end of one’s sanity. Needless to say, the tunnel did not give off a pleasant aura.
The group of four soon found themselves in front of another door, much like the first one only half the size. Two Changeling drones stood to the sides of this door and each one was dressed in full-body plating, black as a moonless night. They nodded respectfully to their Queen as the group drew near, then fixed their gazes upon Silver.
“At ease, children,” Chrysalis spoke firmly, “this pony is no prisoner.”
At those words, the silent glares of the two guards relaxed and they assumed their stoic posture. Chrysalis lit her horn once more and opened the door. She then turned her head toward Silver Skies and gave him a toothy grin. “I do believe you are the first pony who has been allowed to see this place without having to stay,” she teased slyly.
Silver simply eyed her for a curious moment before shrugging. “I hope to keep it that way. This place is a bit unsettling,” he replied calmly.
“It was made to be,” Chrysalis informed casually. “Any brought here are to be made more malleable. With enough exposure to the magic in this place, without the protective armor of my wardens, anyone will bend to my will. With you here, however, I don’t think the current prisoners will need much exposure to get them to talk.”
“So why did you bring me?” Silver asked slightly cautious, but mostly out of curiosity.
Chrysalis’ expression turned more neutral as she looked at him. “I want you to decide the fate of the Changelings that attacked you.”
Silver Skies tilted his head slightly and his left ear flicked. “Are you certain? You would put their fate in my hooves?”
The Changeling Queen gave a single slow nod. “I am quite certain, and before you ask, I would have either had them banished from the hive or placed within a containment pod until I’m satisfied,” she said coldly.
Silver had an idea of how severe banishment might have been, but he was slightly unnerved about the second option. The way Chrysalis described it, it almost sounded worse than what one might assume. He cast his gaze to the floor for a moment before he turned his eyes back up to the Changeling Queen with steel in his spine. He gave a firm nod. “Very well. I will be their judge and evaluate them accordingly.”
Chrysalis nodded in turn and entered through the open doorway. Silver followed, flanked on both sides by the two nymph escorts. As he passed through the doorway, he felt a wave of magic coat his body. A sound-dampening spell… Silver realized.
The room beyond yielded many prison cells. Each cell was made of dark green slime that held unyieldingly to the enchanted steel bars. It seemed the prison was suited to hold a lot of prisoners, which made sense, in hindsight, since Chrysalis had been keen on warring with Equestria at some point. But as Silver followed the Queen, he quickly became aware of the thirteen Changelings that inhabited a few cells up ahead.
“Queen Chrysalis,” Silver said quietly enough for only her and her two guards to hear. “Are you intending to use your presence to intimidate them?” he asked.
Chrysalis slowed her approach slightly, but held her regal composure as she continued to look forward. “Not really, but I was intending to be a bystander to oversee your judgment. I was curious, myself, as to what would have driven my Changelings to go against my wishes. I believe you gave an adequate explanation on your part of the instigation, but I’d like to hear it from their own mouths why they did it,” she replied calmly.
Silver hummed briefly. “I see. Then I shall assume full control of the situation once you inform that single nymph in the third cell to the left. She was the one leading them.”
At this, Chrysalis turned her head slightly toward Silver with a curious look. “How could you tell them apart? Of all the drones and nymphs here…”
Silver simply gave her a small knowing smirk. “It’s easy to tell her from the others. Her body language is one of her tells,” he replied coolly.
Chrysalis suppressed a chuckle and shook her head slightly. This stallion is just full of surprises…
A few moments later and they stopped just outside of reach of the bars. The nymph within did not so much as bat an eyelash at their approach; she simply stayed in a relaxed slump against the back wall with her head tilted back.
Chrysalis frowned gently as she eyed her daughter. A moment later and her expression was one of neutrality. “Amethyst… it is quite unfortunate that you acted the way you did. I’ve brought the pony diplomat that you and your followers assaulted outside. He will decide your fate.”
Amethyst sighed gently and shook her head. “Why? Should it not be your decision, my Queen?” she asked tiredly.
Chrysalis’ eyes flashed bright green for an instant as her posture stiffened slightly. It was clear that she held some resentment with being replied to in such a way. She expected more from one of her own, even in the face of punishment. “Were this a more severe case, yes, yes it would. But your entire group failed to do more than spout your nonsense to him and waste your time responding to his taunts. I would have expected you, of all my best infiltrators, to be more capable. So since you could hardly do anything to him, and because I aim to show some form of good will toward this stallion, I will leave this matter in his hooves. Believe me, anything he deems fit for you will be a blessing compared to what I had planned.”
Silver Skies took a step forward and gently cleared his throat. “Your highness, I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind,” he said gently, but with enough authority to show that he was putting an end to her little spat with her Changeling. Chrysalis had said she would not intimidate, yet she was doing exactly that.
Chrysalis eyed Silver with a slightly cold glare for a few seconds before she glanced back to her prisoner. Then she simply narrowed her eyes and walked a few long paces away.
Silver sighed inside, thankful that the Changeling Queen had put a halt to her temper. He turned his full attention to the imprisoned nymph in front of him. “Let us begin. You stand accused of attempted assault on an Equestrian citizen, one who serves her highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and whom a position of diplomatic immunity-”
“Oh for Hive’s sake! Just get on with it already!” Amethyst stressed, clearly annoyed.
Silver Skies closed his mouth and tilted his head slightly as he shrugged. “Very well. I find the defendant ‘not guilty’ and I’d like to take this time to address the root of the problem,” he replied calmly, though his expression showed the slightest traces of disappointment. Had he been looking forward to that long professional speech?
Amethyst stared at him for a long moment as her jaw worked silently. She shook her head and swiftly moved to slam her hooves onto the ground. “Don’t buck with me! What’s with that instant ‘not guilty’?” she demanded.
Silver simply shrugged once more. “I was going to explain all that before you interrupted me, but I guess I can alleviate your concerns. Your attempt was done in response to your fear. You and your friends, here, are all afraid of what peace could possibly bring to your Hive. Therefore, though I am being quite simplistic in my reasoning mind you, I simply will not pass punishment onto any Changeling that is acting out with the best interests of their – would it be Hivemates? – in mind. What I’d like to accomplish now, is a simple little Q&A to bring to light your fears and then address them properly,” he finished with a small reassuring smile.
The Changeling nymph bristled and bared her fangs at the grey stallion. “I told you before, there’s nothing more to it than what your kind are meant for! So do us all a favor and go back to your Princesses and tell them to turn over Equestria to us.”
Silver sighed and shook his head. “You can drop the act. I may not know a lot about Changelings, but I can recognize when another creature is puffing up their threat to seem bigger than they really are. Setting aside your justifiable anger toward me, you’ve been excessively hostile for what this situation calls for. Tell me what it is that you are unhappy with regarding a lasting peace between our races,” he said calmly.
Amethyst glared at Silver for a short eternity before she allowed her fangs to slip back into a less aggressive snarl. She then looked to her Queen. Chrysalis simply stared at her impassively. The nymph turned her gaze back to the annoying grey unicorn and sighed throatily. “I don’t want to speak my mind with my Queen present,” she said lowly.
Silver narrowed his gaze slightly and glanced back toward the Changeling Queen. He returned his attentions to the spunky little black nymph, with a stoic expression. “If you are worried about what she may think, or do, in response to your pending admission then relax. She has already bound herself to me in a verbal agreement. Your words will not affect my decision. Please… let me hear your side of this,” he said soothingly, even adding another small smile of reassurance to aid in coaxing her to open up to him.
Amethyst scowled at him. “You place too much trust in her words. Do not forget that she is our Queen and is capable of anything she desires. How do you expect to ensure she won’t go back on her word just because she is unhappy with what I might say?”
“Because she could do so at any time, especially now, since she has enough reason to suspect you of treason. Your point is mute,” Silver countered calmly. “So you have a choice. Tell me what it is that drove you to assault me, or keep it to yourself and steep in your own emotions. I won’t force you to speak with me, but I would appreciate being enlightened. There is little I can do to help if you ignore my offer.”
“And what is your offer?” she rebuked swiftly.
Silver’s smile melted away into a neutral look. “To do what is right by you and your kin so that Equestria can help your Hive prosper. I’ve discussed many things with Queen Chrysalis today… and some of the subject matter leaves me with the need to know things about your kind, as a whole. Specifically, I need to know about the views of you and your kind. Believe me, you’d be helping your Hive a great deal by helping me with this now. And I hold your opinion very highly, at the moment, because you’ve shown me your true feelings. I just need to know the motivation behind them.”
Amethyst sighed and walked away from the bars to lean against the back wall of the cell again. She sat there for a long time, quietly debating with herself. The occasional mumble would slip out in her frustration, but it was just quiet enough to be unheard by the grey stallion. Eventually she sighed heavily and turned a frown in Silver’s direction, her eyes filled with anger and uncertainty. “You really want to know why I don’t want your offer of peace?” she asked.
Silver nodded.
“Fine… it’s because I’m afraid of your kind… specifically you,” she said.
Silver tilted his head slightly. “Why?”
Amethyst rolled her eyes and pointed her hole-ridden hoof toward him. “Because if there are others like you, ones who can hide their emotions so well, then we would be doomed. After I tailed you the other day I came to the conclusion that you, and others like you, would be too dangerous to the hive. I can see you, but I can barely feel you, and that terrifies me.”
The imprisoned nymph lowered her hoof, which Silver noted had slightly trembled as she had pointed it at him before, then she continued, “Do you have any idea how hard it is to scare anybuggy in the Elite Infiltrator Squadron? We specialize in reading a pony by their emotions, yet you can hide yours so well that, even now, I have no clue as to what you are thinking or planning.”
Silver lifted a hoof and softly shook his head. “I’m afraid I have to stop you there. To put your first fear to rest, I can assure you there are no others like me. My case is… unique. I explained this to Queen Chrysalis earlier, as well. The reason why my emotions are hard to read, much less feel, is due to a stroke of… well, luck, in a way. When I was a colt, I was practicing a new spell in my magic class, all for a show and tell project. My spell had… a minor hiccup. The result was a backlash, of sorts, that led me to become perpetually neutral in my emotions. There are no others like me, I assure you,” he said calmly. “Are there any other concerns you have?” he asked.
Amethyst eyed him suspiciously for a moment before she sighed again, though it was a bit more relaxed than before. “Yes… and it has to do with my curiosity. Something has sent this Hive into a slight state of unease recently. Nobuggy knows what it is… but something is wrong within the Hive-mind.”
Chrysalis’ ear flicked slightly and she fixed her full attention onto her daughter. Amethyst further explained, “Whatever this sensation is… it’s made a few of us very nervous over the past few months. Those of us that took notice, and wanted to do something to remedy it, all took it upon ourselves to do what we had to, to protect the Hive. With your appearance the other day, I felt it necessary to remove you from the Hive – permanently if needed. I feel that the Hive is too vulnerable at this time… and I wanted to protect it,” she finished and slumped against the wall with a deflating sigh.
Silver nodded once and then closed his good eye. The gesture was an odd one, and slightly unsettling being stared at by that pale milky orb, but Amethyst simply sat there and watched him for any sign of what he might be thinking. He sighed and opened his eye to look firmly into the eyes of the imprisoned Changeling in front of him. “I will tell you now, there is something wrong in your Hive. I cannot say it yet, but I was planning to work with Commander Steel Carapace, Antennae, and Miss Tender to prepare a proper speech to address the entire Hive about the issue soon. But know this… Equestria will be doing as much as possible to aid the Changelings in this dilemma. You have my word.”
Amethyst stared at Silver as she felt his true emotions filter through with his words. There was purpose… drive… feeling within him in that moment. Even though it only lasted for about ten seconds before it all vanished again. For the first time since she had laid eyes on the peculiar unicorn diplomat, Amethyst finally felt more at ease with him. She turned her gaze down and to the side as she frowned. “I still don’t trust you…” she said calmly, “but I think I’ll give you a chance to prove everything you just said. Our Queen seems to hold a certain amount of trust in you… so… I will not interfere with you again. Not unless you give me reason to feel otherwise – understand?”
Silver offered a small half smile and nodded. “Of course,” he replied and then his form popped in a dim flash of blue to reappear in the cell with her. He offered her his hoof. “Shall we shake hooves to make this agreement official?” he asked gently.
Amethyst’s fins flared in mild surprise at the sudden change in proximity to the stallion. But after a brief moment of feeling slight feelings of reassurance coming off of him, she sighed and offered her own hoof, if slightly reluctantly. Silver took her hoof in his and gave a gentle shake. He slipped her a warm grin once the deed was done and he nodded his head. “Now we are bound by a contract. I will not falter in my endeavor to help your Hive,” said Silver.
Amethyst slowly pulled her hoof away and eyed Silver Skies. “Yeah… you better hold up your end of this little agreement. Because I won’t hesitate to hunt you down if you go back on your word,” she warned.
Silver’s grin lessened and he nodded once more. “Duly noted.”
The grey stallion’s horn flashed softly and his body vanished once more to reappear outside of the cell. Silver Skies turned his attention toward the Changeling Queen, taking in the surprised expression on her face. “Your highness?” he inquired.
Chrysalis simply shook her head and grinned toothily at him. “Part of me is curious as to how you managed to teleport through all of the wards and enchantments of that cell, but I get the impression it’s another one of your ‘trade secrets,’” she said coyly.
Silver huffed a small laugh and nodded in the affirmative. “Indeed… though I can say that it wasn’t that difficult to pick out the varying magical wavelengths. Once you match them, it’s quite easy to slip past them,” he said with a wink.
Chrysalis rolled her eyes and turned away from the stallion. “You’re proving to be quite the interesting little diplomat, Silver Skies. In any case, I believe we are finished here. I shall have my Changelings released from their cells once your visit comes to an end for today,” she said airily and began to walk out of the prison.
Silver smiled and shook his head, throwing one last glance toward Amethyst, before he followed the Queen from the chamber. Today has been quite the eventful experience.