//------------------------------// // 22. Changeling Reunion // Story: The Atlantean-Dominion War // by The Atlantean //------------------------------// A lone Changeling Queen limped to the edge of a bluff siding the Emberforge Valley. What she saw was not how she remembered the place. It had become practically a wasteland. Almost nothing was alive, save for the large group of her subjects across the valley. She tilted her head to look eastward, where both the Atlantean and Dominion armies had entered the land. Right on top of the Valley Entrance to her hive was a pile of dead ponies, still burning atop a large pile of firewood. Over it lay a lone shredded Atlantean flag, ablaze from the fire below. Her acute vision could make out some regimental words, but she couldn’t read it. Looking westward, she noticed the smoldering remains of an airship. It was a big one, and must’ve cost quite a bit of resources. The many gunports and once-proud Dominion emblem painted on its hull were shredded, crumpled, or burned. Black smoke hung low over the land like a dense fog just above her. If I could teleport, I’d be over with my subjects right now, she thought. Silvercrest stood next to Mirage, watching the cleanup efforts while trying to comfort the young Princess. Nothing could bring up the Changeling’s spirits, especially after they discovered that Queen Duplicate wasn’t even in the hive. “Don’t worry about your mother. We’ll have Captain Maelstrom look for her with Perplexus,” she said. “Mm-hmm.” Silvercrest happened to glance southward across the valley. “Who’s that over there?” Mirage looked through the corner of her vision. “That looks like Mother…” A few Guards had begun to stare southward as well. One fired a green magic flare high above him. The response was a weakened yellow one. A resounding cheer arose as the Guards recognized the friend-foe identification system Queen Duplicate had set up. Changeling militia cheered as well, their yells rivaling the Guards in volume if not consistency. Mirage let a slow, careful, relieved smile spread across her face. “She's still alive!” Her quiet comment was heard only by Silvercrest. “Thank Harmony.” ------------------------ After Duplicate heard the cheering, she began the tough journey to meet her loyal subjects. She would've walked the whole way if several Guards hadn't come and carried her to her waiting daughter. “Mirage, what are you - and the rest of the Hive - doing here?” she asked. “Well, Mother, I thought that, with the help of the Atlanteans, we could take back the Hive. We succeeded.” The Princess lowered her head. “But we lost many. Too many, including Captain Pseudonym.” “I know it's hard to let go of those you love. But we must be prepared to move on without them. Come, this place is too dangerous now that we've been discovered. Our next goal is to find a new home somewhere isolated, where the horrors of the world will not find us.” Mirage stamped her hoof on the ground. “No. We owe the Atlanteans too much.” She gestured to Crimson, South, Platinum, and Silvercrest. “We've spilled blood together, whether it be red or green. I've seen their troops, Mother, and they are some of the bravest I've ever known. What they lack in numbers they make up for in ingenuity, courage, and skill. With our help, the Dominion would never come here again! The Atlanteans do not seek to exploit us, Mother. Instead, they ask for those who will stand! I've promised to assist them, Mother, and I will not go back on that. Eventually, we will run out of places to run to, to hide in. Our very survival depends on the Atlanteans winning their war, whether we like it or not. All they ask for is resources and soldiers willing to fight.” Duplicate looked at the Atlantean camp set up beyond the Changelings. Ponies walked around, drilling, eating, making friends, and telling stories. Campfires lit up the dim afternoon as gray clouds were blown in by the wind. A brief laugh came to her pricking ears. She saw the nobility in them, in their cause. “Alright, Mirage,” the Queen said, focusing her eyes on the young Princess. “We’ll do it your way.”