"Do you believe..." Spike started, carefully thinking how to word his question. "Do you believe Chrysalis is innocent?" The dragon stood at the cave entrance with his arms crossed, looking out to Ponyville. His back was facing the changeling he fist-pumped just a few seconds ago, Thorax.
Thorax looked down in deep thought, his mind looking over the data of his personal past with Chrysalis. After contemplating, he sighed and spoke, "In my opinion, I don't like the way she undertakes things, how she acts with strictness... However, she doesn't do malicious things for her own gains. She does it for the hive."
Spike gave Thorax an understanding look, nodding in consideration.
"When the Grand Emperor attacked the hive... she..." Thorax began to well up with tears. "...She saved me... And she tried to save all of us. I never hated her, I just disliked her because of her way to live. And even so, she saved my life."
It was finally the day. I was finally set. After years of contemplation, I was ready to leave the hive for good.
I stood right beside my little green personal nest inside my home pod. It was near the middle of the hive, not truly far from the entrance.
I picked up a few love capsules off my nightstand, which were actually medium-sized glowing lime green cocoons filled with stolen love. I absorbed the love and threw the capsules aside, feeling energy gathering inside me. This would last me a week if I were lucky, a couple of days if I weren't.
After mentally noting that it was time, I turned and started to make my way out of my pod, only to be stopped by another changeling.
"Hey, Thorax. What's up?"
"Hey, Pharynx!" I said happily, trotting over to him. "I was just going to do some scouting."
Pharynx looked at me with a teasing smirk. "You? Scouting?" A laughed for a couple of seconds. "Please Thorax, like an Insider would know how to do that!"
There were three main roles as a changeling drone. Scouters, who went out and did field work away from the hive. Guards, who guarded the hive itself. And the Insiders, who maintained the hive. Of course, there were more specific roles inside each of the three main ones. For example, my brother here replaces ponies when he's on duty to steal love to bring back to the hive.
"I would like to try," I told with a smile on my face. "It seems fun." I really didn't think that. Like, I really didn't approve of doing that. But my brother was an easy one to fool. Has been ever since we were little.
"Tell that to Chrysalis." He said with his smirk lingering. "But I really can't believe you signed up to be a scouter."
I chuckled at his joke, then replied. "Like I said, it looks fun. Hey, maybe I'll be on the field with you."
He rolled his blue eyes before saying, "Perhaps."
"Anyways," I started before he could delay me further. "I should get going. I can't wait!" And I wasn't lying. I wanted to get out of here quickly before the Queen caught on to what I was doing.
"Alright, later bro! I'm gonna take a nice nap." Pharynx waved me off goodbye before returning to his own pod right beside mine.
I beamed and rushed out, slowing my pace casually as I got closer to the entrance—or in my case exit—to the hive.
I stopped all at once, however, when an echoing voice rang in my ears.
"Thorax?"
I turned and realized I was in front of my Queen. Queen Chrysalis.
"Uh..." I froze in place, trying not to look scared. "Yes, my Queen?" I asked, nervousness flowing onto my face, almost forgetting to bow.
"It's quite odd seeing you here." She raised an eyebrow with a questioning look. "Are you leaving?" She asked with curiosity.
"Er, yes! I, uh... I was just going out to do some scouting. Perhaps near Ponyville?" I stated, sweat starting to drop down my forehead.
"But you usually process the love. I thought you loved your job? Are you sick?" Chrysalis's concern was frighteningly increasing. I had to leave, this was my last chance. If I were to get caught here, it would be all over.
"Um, yes, I do love processing love. But... I suddenly grew the interest to scout."
Her brows furrowed as she leaned in closer, inspecting me all over with a hoof to her chin. "It's quite weird though. I always had a feeling you hated seeing ponies."
I didn't hate ponies, not at all. I just hated staring at them while their love was being taken away unknowingly.
Fortunately, Chrysalis stood straight with a calm aspect. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with sudden changes in passion." She said with a casual wave of a leg. "You may le-"
"My Queen!"
I was rooted in place when a changeling with guard armor rushed up to Chrysalis, who turned her head towards him with a serious glint in her eyes. "What is it?" She asked.
"Something's-"
*BOOM*
The guard was thrown away by a powerful force coming from the entrance to the hive. I would have been tossed as well, but Chrysalis stood in front of me protectively.
"Who dares to oppose the hive?!" She yelled with anger, her eyes lighting up green. But soon that anger was doubled when she and I saw the one responsible at the front.
I stood in fear as I stared at a... shadowy figure. Horrifyingly, there was also a changeling guard below where he stood, I assumed he was unconscious for my own mental good.
"That was me. You could call me... Malice." The figure smirked at Chrysalis. "At last I have found you and your pathetic hive!" He said gleefully.
Chrysalis snarled. "We'll see who's pathetic soon enough, you're a fool to have come here!"
Malice chuckled darkly. "You think I'm a fool who doesn't know my own strength? I could take your hive thrice without breaking a sweat!"
Chrysalis presented our intruder with a glare. "Drones! Capture that wretched moron!" She pointed strongly at this unknown attacker.
I tilted my head upwards to see dozens of changelings pouring out of the shadows of the hive. All buzzing their way towards Malice.
But the next thing that occurred flashed by too quickly for me to interpret. All the changelings were blasted back all the way behind myself and Chrysalis by some unknown force, rocking the hive greatly.
When I looked at my fellow changelings, I saw with dread that they were all injured, some twitching, unable to move due to the damage.
The quake from the force that beaten all the changeling drones caused a large boulder to break apart from the ceiling. And because I was distracted by the other changeling's defeat, I didn't notice the boulder plunging down directly towards me. It wasn't until my Queen acted that I realized what would have happened to me.
"Thorax, move!" Queen Chrysalis, ruthless Queen of the Changelings, the one who attempted to overrun innocent ponies, the one who was plotting revenge, the one I disliked so much as a leader, pushed me out of the way of the boulder which would have killed me.
I was pushed to the ground, and I flipped over on my back with fright to see that Chrysalis didn't have time to run or fly out of the way.
*SMASH!*
The large rock smashed onto my Queen and into the ground, creating a dustcloud.
I stood up with tears. "Queen Chrysalis!" I didn't want this to happen. Sure, I disliked her ever since I was born, but no one deserved this, not even her.
All I could see was smoke and dust caused by the boulder's impact, no sign of Chrysalis. Then, I heard someone behind me and recognized my brother standing there with wide, shocked eyes. Shaking my head and turning back towards where Chrysalis was, I began to sprint towards the smoke.
Before I reached the smoke, however, it dissolved. Unblinding my eyes to see a rocky floor.
I was about to run over and try to find Chrysalis but a shining green light escaping the small gaps between the rocks stopped me.
Chrysalis's magic sent the stones flying back, revealing her wounded form with glowing piercing green eyes directed at Malice. She hissed and buzzed her wings before aggressively flying towards the figure who I thought had killed her.
The fight was over in less than a minute.
Chrysalis was plummeted back, slamming against the hive's wall to my right, creating another cloud of smoke, albeit smaller.
The infiltrator laughed mockingly. "Is that the best you've got? And here I thought you were the almighty ruler of the changelings! Haha! I thought you took down Celestia?!" He held his chest because of all the laughing and dropped down to prone.
Taking this chance, I hurried over to Chrysalis and tried to lift her up with my magic, causing her to groan in pain. After a few seconds of struggling, I felt the weight of her get halved as Pharynx pitched in his own magic to help. Soon, we hurried and took her to the far back of the hive, passing many other changelings—who went forward to attempt to take down Malice—escaping through a well-hidden back entrance.
Minutes later, as soon as we were far enough, the hive was pulverized in an explosion behind us.
***
One week later...
Chrysalis, Pharynx, and I stood in front of Ponyville's front gates... or what used to be Ponyville. The town seemed to be double the size, and shockingly more buildings were being built.
It took some time, but my brother and I convinced Chrysalis to heal concealed in a nearby forest before confronting the infiltrator, Malice, again. And while she did, I went out along with Pharynx to scout and get some information. I guess I finally got what I 'wanted'.
We found out that Malice deemed himself "The Grand Emperor", and took rule over Ponyville after destroying Canterlot. A week later after Chrysalis was fully healed, and we now stood at the front of his town.
Chrysalis looked angrier than possibly any changeling has ever seen before, judging by her angry glowing eyes and sparkling horn, her gritted teeth, and her levitating mane. I was glad I wasn't the one she was mad towards. She stormed into Ponyville and my brother and I followed close behind.
What I noticed shocked me.
All around my fellow hive mates were walking around freely with the ponies, all looking unhappy. But one look at Chrysalis made them brighten up... surprisingly, even the ponies looked as if they gained some hope. No doubt they thought she was going to fix all of this.
"Our Queen!"
"She has returned to us!"
"We'll finally be victorious."
In the back of my head, a thought of retreat was alarming. I didn't know why, but I was about to find out I suppose.
Chrysalis started to approach a tall skyscraper with branches sticking out. But soon she stepped over a hidden magical dome... I can't remember the color of the magic oddly.
But it was too late anyways. The one who destroyed our hive, and the one who all of us changelings hated slammed the front door to the high-rise open, and stepped out with glowing eyes and a smirk. "I see you came for round two." He said.
"Enough!" My Queen yelled. "Your rain ends here 'Grand Emperor'. And the changelings will begin to rule Equestria!" She leaped at the figure with her horn glowing, and the figure responded with his own engage. When the two collided in the middle the area shook and the magic's light blinded the spectators.
This 'Grand Emperor' was swift. Chrysalis didn't stand a chance. He would dodge every attack thrown at him and would respond accordingly. He had powerful magic, for sure, but what really became my Queen's defeat, was his physical strength.
The battle had taken three minutes. Chrysalis the loser. She laid on the ground, grunting in pain below the figure, who was standing with a smirk.
Many changelings and even some ponies yelled and screamed. I couldn't blame them.
We were done for. There was no point fighting a losing battle. It was over.
The figure looked at me and Pharynx. "You two." He said. "You came with her here, correct?"
My brother nodded with great fear in his eyes, the fear grew when the Grand Emperor started to pace towards us.
I couldn't move, and now, neither could my brother. We couldn't fight him after he easily took down Chrysalis. It would be outright stupid.
Chrysalis has failed. The hive failed. We failed.
Spike let out a long sigh, by looking at Thorax's face, he could tell his story was genuine. "So I guess she is innocent then." He sat in front of the changeling and gave him a small sad smile. "Another person to set free in this world."
Thorax conceived a questioning expression towards Spike and asked, "You're trying to put an end to the Grand Emperor?"
Spike's face hardened. "I sure am. I'm currently trying to find a way to bring him down. What his goals are. How to stop it. To fix everything... I need to end all this madness."
"Better than going in blindly." Thorax agreed. "What do you know already?"
Spike's face drifted down in thought. "All I know about this emperor is that he's a powerful monster who killed an innocent filly." He said with a hint of disgust and rage in his voice. "Now I know his name, Malice. Other than that, I'm blind."
"Well, that's all I know to tell you, unfortunately... Sorry." Thorax said with his ears dropped.
"Hey, it's no sweat. It seems he somehow manipulated everyone's memories to make it difficult to uncover his secrets. It has to be some kind of spell..."
"Could be. I can't doubt it looking at what he's accomplished already." The changeling said. "What are you going to do now?" He asked.
"Search deeper in Old Ponyville," Spike said with the name he thought of for the area where Ponyville originally covered. "I know some other places to try and visit. It could help me and my friends."
"Well, whatever you do. Don't go to the Grand High-Rise." Thorax warned. When Spike washed him with a confused raised eyebrow, he continued. "The tallest building by far in New and Old Ponyville. You couldn't have missed it."
"No," Spike pictured the tall wood and stone skyscraper near the middle of Old Ponyville, tall enough to pass the clouds with dozens of branches sticking out of it. "I haven't. And Shining Armor told me about it too... said it was his home."
Thorax presented a concerning look towards Spike and said, "As you now know, Chrysalis walked over a hidden magical barrier which caused an alarm. The Grand Emperor was notified immediately and rushed out to confront her. I'm afraid if you go out and trip the alarm. I remember just a week ago a crazy stallion ran along the edge of the invisible barrier, which seemed to circle around the Grand High-Rise alone, while the Grand Emperor was out in the Dragon Lands. No one expected him to arrive back so soon. And no one dared to trip the alarm again after that."
"What did the Grand Emperor do to the stallion?" Spike asked seriously.
"Nothing much. If anything, the Grand Emperor was just relieved that he arrived on time before the stallion got in. He just transferred him far away down in New Ponyville." Thorax replied calmly.
"It seems like something's important hidden away there. I wonder what it is."
"We all do. It's not like we can just... go and find out though."
"Yeah..." Spike stared at the changeling for a few seconds before asking, "By the way, what were you doing before I... you know.... chased you down all the way to this cave?"
"Oh!" Thorax brightened up. "That's where our secret base is!"
Spike blinked. "Our?"
"The Revolutionary Organization. It's a group of ponies, changelings, some other creatures and even some dragons that wish to bring down the Grand Emperor. I'm sure they'd love a new member like yourself."
A group dedicated to bringing peace back in Equestria. Spike, along with the Doctor and Derpy, could use this backup. It would give them much more of an advantage.
But, Spike thought, he would rather look around for a bit before meeting this group. Better to go out now than later for the risk of the Grand Emperor or 'Malice' arriving back.
"I'll think about it..." Spike eventually said. "I'm interested, but not now."
"Do you remember where the entrance to the hideout is?" Thorax asked. "I don't want you wandering randomly."
"Of course I do!" Spike said with a smile. "It's right beside my favorite comic store."
"Great!" Thorax said with joy before standing up. "Just come whenever you're ready. I'll let them know to expect you."
"Alright, sounds good." The cloaked dragon also stood.
"Just make sure you're back before 5 hours, the end of today. That's..." He sighed. "When the Grand Emperor is expected to be back."
Sweat dropped from Spike's forehead. He didn't call for the Grand Emperor to be back so soon. "I'll keep that in mind." He replied.
The changeling nodded back. "Good." Then he started to make his way out of the cave. "I have to get back to the hideout. I'll explain what happened when I get there." Then, Thorax took off in a sprint, leaving Spike at the cave entrance by himself.
After a few minutes of thinking about the conversation they just had, Spike finally began to make his way back to Old Ponyville.
Now, where do I head next?
"Are you sure you don't know anything?" The doctor asked with a frown, gaining frustration and losing hope.
The teal pony shook her head silently, walking away with the same amount of volume. The doctor sighed in frustration before trotting up to Derpy, who was nearby with a stallion walking away. "Any luck?" He asked.
Derpy shook her head sadly. "It's as if I'm not even talking to ponies! Just empty souls."
"I agree." Doctor Hooves said. "It seems no one even has a clue what's going on out here. We're nearly at the edge of the border..."
"Maybe we should go back?" Derpy suggested.
"Perhaps we may have to, see if Spike's having any luck. Better than staying here and wasting our time."
Just then, the two heard an echoing 'Psst!' from somewhere. They turned their heads to the sound and their eyes were brought to an alley.
"Creepy..." Derpy said with a shiver.
The doctor patted the grey pegasus a couple times with care, before signalling her to follow him. They slowly and sneakily trotted over to the entrance of the alleyway.
"Nothing but darkness." The doctor noted. He casually walked in surveying the area.
Derpy followed him but stopped in fear a couple of steps later. "D-doctor?" She shakily pointed a hoof at dark mist flowing out of the many cracks on the walls. It seemed... magical.
The doctor, noticing the dark mist, stepped away from the smoke and went alongside Derpy, standing in front of her protectively.
To their utter shock and confusion, the smoke gathered in the middle of the alley and slowly started to convert to a physical, shadowy Equine body.
First, the two scared time travelers realized a sharp red horn on the forehead.
"Impossible..." The doctor muttered in disbelief.
Then appeared two red slit pupils, inside of glowing green scleras with purple flames escaping at the edges.
"It can't be!" Derpy whimpered.
The doctor gritted his teeth. "Y-you're..."
A red cape appeared on the figures back, a black spiky mane and tail formed on its head, and a tough silver array including armor on both its legs, chest, and neck, with a silver crown to finish it off.
"...King Sombra."
Spike stood still, staring up at the beaten up building in front of him with thought. He hummed to himself and tapped his chin, beginning to waltz forwards, intending to have a look inside.
He climbed up the small set of white stairs and entered through the broken doorframe. Just like the rest of the structures. He was met with three hallways, one to the right and left and one running down in front of him, the walls filled with lockers and coathangers. The dragon made a quick decision and went straight ahead, passing many rooms intended for learning.
He was sort of homeschooled, that's what he told himself anyway. Living with Twilight Sparkle brought in a lot of books. A lot of books with knowledge. And gaining knowledge meant learning. He had no need for public school.
He knew that Sweetie Belle's classroom was just up ahead—from what she told him—but before he reached it, he came across large windows which allowed him to see the playground courtyard.
"That's... weird." Spike thought with an eyebrow risen as he stared at the many foals playing around like nothing was wrong, on the biggest playground he's ever seen. It was five times as big as the average large park. He also noticed Ms. Cheerlie and some other teachers standing on the sidelines, watching the kids with frowns on their faces.
The drake narrowed his eyes. "Something's wrong here." He stared at the foals for a few more seconds before taking off down the hallway in a sprint, his steps echoing through the halls. He circled a corner and stopped in front of the door which led outside. He opened it with a claw and stepped out, turning left and sprinting once more. When he neared the teachers he lowered his pace to a jog.
"They seem soulless." He wasn't that all surprised, looking at how all the other adults were the same. It surprised him when he took notice that the foals weren't depressed. Sure, they had a lack of color, but they were the only ones the dragon actually saw with smiles on their faces. When he thought about it, he didn't see any foals outside the school grounds.
That meant that they were all here.
And that meant Sweetie Belle and the other crusaders could be here.
Spike paused to look at all the foals, inspecting them individually. "Rumble, Featherweight, Pipsqueak..." The three were at the top of the biggest slide, about to slide down. "Snips and Snails..." Swinging on the duo swingset. "Tender Taps, Twist, Zipporwhill." They laughed as they chased each other.
The Prince recognized all these foals. "Button Mash, Dinky Doo, Ruby Pinch, Crackle Pop, Shady Daze..." He kept naming foals he knew until he came to the conclusion that five of them from Old Ponyville were missing; The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara.
"Hey!"
Spike snapped his head towards the hushed voice, sighting a foal behind a corner. It was hard to tell who it was because of the dimness of the corner, and before Spike carry out an action, the foal retreated behind the wall.
When the drake eventually reached and turned the corner, he was met with the foal who called him, Diamond Tiara.
Without saying a word, Diamond motioned the hooded figure to follow her.
Spike raised a brow, watching her trot away silently before beginning to pace himself.
She led him to her classroom. Ms. Cheerlie's classroom.
As he entered, he immediately took notice of Silver Spoon, who was sitting at the edge of the teacher's desk with her hind legs dangling off. She stared back at him, emotions unknown to Spike. He also kept his senses on Diamond, who he thought would be one to try and throw his cloak off. To his relief, Diamond just shut the door, making her way to one of the front desks to sit on top.
Spike decided to just stand silently closest to the door.
"So," Diamond said. "I was watching you since you first entered the playground." She informed. "I noticed that you acted... different."
"Different meaning not acting like all hope is lost or that there's nothing currently wrong at all, correct?" Spike asked.
The pink filly nodded. "Who are you then? If you were a part of the R.O. you would have told me by now." She pried.
"The Revolutionary Organization." Spike took a couple of seconds to think for himself. He always answered with a, I'm from faraway lands, or something of the sort. He thought he might as well give himself a name. Of course, he couldn't give himself the name of Spike like the doctor instructed.
"My name is... Spine." He said, remembering the nickname Doctor Hooves gave him on the spot back with Shining Armor. "I came here with my two friends. We're attempting to stop the Grand Emperor."
Diamond narrowed her eyes, Silver's gave a hostile glint behind her glasses with a crack in the left lens.
"How do we know you're not lying?" Silver asked. "You could be working for the Grand Emperor."
"From what I've been told, this emperor works alone." Spike countered.
The two fillies gave each other a glance before nodding.
"Very true." Diamond agreed. "Who told you that?"
"The Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor. He also told me the Grand Emperor is out on a mission in Griffonstone. So I don't have enough time."
"Also true." The pink filly said with a short nod. "Why did you come to the Ponyville school?"
"I was hoping to find someone here, but it seems they aren't. Do you know why those foals act like that?" The dragon asked.
"It's because of a magic spell." Silver pushed up her glasses. "They're all being brainwashed, they don't realize what's happening." She hopped off the desk and trotted over to the windows at the back of the class, peering through with a sad frown. "It's a loop method. One where they keep playing tag over, and over, and over... never getting tired."
"That's... awful," Spike replied with disgust. "You two aren't affected?"
"Applejack got us out." Diamond said with a small smile. "But only us."
"W-what about Apple Bloom, her sister?" Spike thought it would have been very suspicious if he asked about any of the Crusaders blatantly. With Applejack being brought up, he had an opening to try and get his questions out.
Diamond shook her head. "She's not with these foals. Not even her two friends."
Spike didn't say anything to that. He just let his expression show grief, looking down in thought.
"So," Diamond started, her voice suddenly being harsher. "Why don't you pull down your hood so we can talk face to face?"
Spike let his eyes snap back up, noticing her intense look. "I can't." He replied.
"You said you weren't working for him, so that could only mean one thing." Silver said frankly.
"G-girls..." Spike took a step back in slight fear. The fillies didn't move, just stared.
"Who are you exactly?" Diamond Tiara asked with more volume than before.
"I-I'm Spi-"
Silver narrowed her eyes and cut off Spike's answer. "Not just your name. Give us specific details."
Another step back, and they just stared under the darkness.
They waited a few seconds. Once they knew Spike wasn't going to answer them, Silver brushed her mane with a hoof and Diamond Tiara shouted, "Now!"
Spike didn't have the chance to react as a light brown foal landed behind him. Time seemed to slow down as Spike twisted his head to look at the red-maned filly. "Babs Seed..."
The filly gave Spike no opportunity to speak as she held a sharp knife in her hoof and struck it forward.