//------------------------------// // 222. The Loss of Faith - Part 5 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// The hospital door opened and Midnight walked in, taking in the familiar scene of his mother sleeping peacefully in bed, a sleep where she did not dream, a sleep from which she could not wake up. He’d taken in that familiar scene more times than he cared to count and every single time he hoped something would be different. He hoped to see that she’d turned in her sleep, a tic in her face to indicate she was dreaming, a change in the way she breathed. Even the smallest sign that a part of her was still in there, thinking, feeling, wanting to get out of the prison that was her own body! But no. Whatever curse or spell had been cast upon Faerie Tail, it eluded even the brightest minds of Canterlot’s best wizards to this day. Midnight could still remember how his father had summoned Celestia and the royal guard after their home had been attacked. In the days and nights that followed, Faerie Tail was examined by Celestia’s best doctors and her best enchanters, determining while her health was not suffering some unknown magic had cast her into a sleep without dreams and without end. Even stranger, it had halted her aging! Faerie Tail hadn’t aged a day since this cursed sleep had been cast upon her. Extensive research yielded nothing. Any references or similarities to other magicks involving enchanted sleep led to nowhere. There was simply just no record of this exact magic, even in the Wing of the Royal Library dedicated to Star Swirl the Bearded! The assailant might not have succeeded in whatever she had planned to do that night, but she had in tearing Midnight’s family apart. After weeks of research and study bore no fruit, Midnight’s father, Ignitus Enflame, Head of House Obsidian and resigned Captain of the Royal Guard, declared he would find the wretch who had cursed his wife and the mother of his sons and drag her back to Canterlot, beaten and bloody if necessary, and force her to undo this sorcerous sickness. He’d left Midnight and baby Twinken in the custody of Celestia, and told Midnight to take care of his little brother, and to have faith. That was the last Midnight ever saw or heard from his father in the years since that night when he was fifteen.  Sitting by his mother’s bedside, he looked at her, thinking, Oh Mom… if only you were here. You’d know what to do. He’d blown off his royal escort after arriving in Canterlot, telling the guards to go ahead and inform Celestia he’d be along soon enough. If she had a problem with that, he’d tell her to shove her horn where her sun don’t shine. “…I wanted him to answer for his crimes.” Celestia’s mane radiated with her tempered fury, as she looked down at Midnight, who met her imperious look with one of defiance. It was early the next morning, and the throne room held an uncomfortably warm atmosphere, as Luna stood at Celestia’s right and her husband Sombra at her left, several guards stationed here and there, Midnight facing Celestia with passive defiance. “I wanted him to serve as an example,” Celestia stood up and walked down from her throne, stopping in front of Midnight, the both of them holding each other’s steely-edged gaze, neither backing down. “And what do I hear in the news today? Suicide!” Celestia’s mane burned like the foreboding corona of a solar eclipse! “Midnight Blaze, I am very disappointed in-” “Oh go snort your own hot air!” Midnight snapped, the guards all flinched, even Luna and Sombra sharing an uncomfortable look, Celestia’s eyes narrowing dangerously. “I did exactly what you told me to do! I. Gave. Him. A chance!” “You left a bag of heads and evidence of his crimes in his office!” Cerlestia pointed out, Midnight groaning in a vexed way as he turned and walked along the room, waving his wing dismissively. “It doesn’t matter because his suicide changes nothing!” Midnight sighed tiresomely. “My agents will ensure everything proceeds as intended. Hossmane’s crimes will place his company under a microscope, the assets will be seized, and once it’s all shut down the employees who were innocent will receive severance packages and references so that their livelihoods won’t be in jeopardy. “As for those among the staff who’d been in on Hossmane’s crimes and benefited from them, they will be prosecuted, their only hopes for leniency will be to testify against other criminals Hossmane was involved with, if they have viable intel!” “…I find your lack of sympathy disturbing,” Celestia gave Midnight a look both disappointed and pitying. He turned around to face her and responded, “Hossmane put a hit out on a mare who was pregnant with his child because she’d only asked for foal support… She was found in a river canal with the knife still in her belly. Which one do you think merits my sympathy?” Again the Princess of the Sun and her most elite agent stared into each other’s eyes, daring the other to look away first, when Sombra cleared his throat. “Need I remind you both of the purpose of this meeting? The Energem mine that was attacked, the deaths of the guards and miners, and the fact that the mine’s location was compromised!” Celestia sighed, knowing her husband was right, and stepped back to her throne while Midnight scoffed and looked away from her as Sombra continued, “The fact that the location was compromised is disturbing in and of itself. That information was available only to the guards and miners stationed there, along with the dukes and duchesses of the Canterlot Aristocracy, besides royalty.”  “…Do we have any leads on who is responsible for this?” Midnight asked. “We do, and that is why they are here,” Sombra looked past Midnight and everypony looked to the doors as they opened to reveal… “Shining Armor! Cadance!” Midnight smiled to see two of his oldest and dearest friends, meeting them halfway as they walked into the throne room. “Hello Midnight,” Cadance gave him a hug while Midnight bro-hoofed Shining Armor. “Good to see ya, buddy, wish it were under better circumstances.” “What’re you guys doing here?” Midnight asked, truly glad to see them. “They are here because the forces that attacked the Energem mine,” Sombra explained, “were a horde of changelings.” Midnight looked to his master, surprised, “Changelings? We haven’t heard so much as a buzz about them since their invasion failed during Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding!” “And after you captured Chrysalis,” Cadance agreed as she, her husband, and Midnight converged closer towards the middle of the throne room. “We assumed that with Chrysalis in chains and no longer present to lead her hive,” Luna spoke up, “that the changelings would be leaderless and likely retreat to whatever hole they crawled out of. Obviously, we assumed wrong.” “Chrysalis is still under lock and key though,” Midnight brought up, “right here in Canterlot’s most secure dungeons. So even if her changelings are on the move she can’t be behind whatever they’re up to.” “Unless she left them standing orders to act upon after a period of time,” Shining Armor debated. “Then of course there’s the more likely chance the changelings have a new leader.” “What still concerns me,” Sombra reminded them, “is that they attacked an Energem mine in a location of which there is no official record. All necessary precautions and security measures were taken to safeguard the mine and its location.”  “Is there a chance that the location was accidentally leaked?” asked Cadance, and her question only made the situation even tenser. “None…” Celestia finally partook in the conversation with a heavy sigh, "I have some suspicions of a leak coming from the dukes and duchesses amongst the Canterlot Aristocracy but no evidence to support it.” “What makes you so certain the leak could come from the Aristocracy?” Shining Armor asked. “For a long time now, I’ve depended on some of the houses of nobility residing in Canterlot to govern Equestria in the form of the Aristocracy. But in recent generations, I’ve seen more and more of the Aristocrats abuse the positions of political power their houses inherited,” Celestia explained. “I discussed this matter with Sombra and Luna, and we came to an agreement that the nobles’ right to inherit these positions, that the Aristocracy itself, has to end. “I brought this up with the Canterlot Aristocracy last month with a proposal that the titles of dukedom be thrown out and the responsibilities they represented be bestowed upon individuals through democratic election, and… Well, needless to say several of the Aristocrats were less than thrilled. In all honesty, this makes me want to abolish the Aristocracy sooner rather than later but with all that's going on, it might be wiser to put that notion on hold until this matter is resolved. Agreed?" They all nodded solemnly before Shining Armor spoke, “So then, what do we do about this development with the changelings?” “If there’s anyone who can shed light on this situation it’s Chrysalis,” Sombra stated although the others didn’t look as enthusiastic as he did. “What?” “No offense, Master Sombra, but I doubt Chrysalis is gonna cooperate,” Midnight pointed out. “Well, we don’t exactly have any where else to turn to, Midnight,” reminded Cadance. “I suggest we go to Chrysalis in the dungeons with a show of strength.” “Agreed. This show of strength should be myself, Midnight, and Shining Armor,” Sombra proposed, “and Cadance should come along as well, but as an observer.” “In the meantime, my sister,” Luna looked to Celestia, “we should meet with the ponies of the Aristocrats. Perhaps we can probe and determine a viable suspect amongst them.” Looking from her sister to Midnight, Celestia’s gaze told him they weren’t done. He returned that gaze with one of defiant agreement before he said, “Then let’s get started, there’s no telling what the changelings are planning.” The Canterlot Dungeons, where the cells might as well have been dark, dismal, and depressing holes in the walls… at least if they weren’t so comfy. Celestia rarely had real need of her castle’s dungeons (despite the increasing crime rate in recent years) and the dungeon cells being occupied were even more rare. Being the kind and generous princess she was, Celestia actually had the cells made comfortable in the unlikely scenario they had an occupant. They ran along a hall lit by globes radiating a soft brightness instead of the harsh blazing of wall-mounted torches. The floor was covered with ceramic tiles, there were vases of flowers set on antique pedestals between each cell door, and the cells themselves were just as nice. The cells’ beds were soft, the blankets and pillows warm, a simple table and chair, even a menu for the occupants to order dishes that were simple but certainly more delectable than mere bread and water like in Alcatrotz, and the inmates were even allowed to request library books for good behavior. At some point, it used to be a fad for some of the more common ponies in Canterlot to commit small and harmless offenses because they’d be sentenced to a night or two in the castle dungeons. This became a bit of a problem at one point when a surprising number of homeless ponies got in on this “fad” so they’d be sent to the castle dungeons to enjoy comforts they didn’t have. Celestia put an end to that by establishing homeless shelters and programs dedicated to helping the homeless get back on their hooves and rebuild their lives. But these cells weren’t where the prisoner Midnight, Sombra, Shining Armor, and Cadance was located. After the invasion was thwarted, she was placed in a temporarily reinforced cell before being transferred to the deepest cell in the dungeons after it was prepared just for her. The four alicorns passed through ten checkpoints and dozens of guards all so well armed they were practically walking armories, before they finally reached their destination. They stood before a bulky iron door engraved with dozens of mystic runes and secured with heavy chains, bolts, and a lock wider than a chariot wheel. Shining Armor and Midnight shared a nod before they approached the door and both levitated a key given to them by the dungeon master. They willed the keys towards the lock, which sported two keyholes, Shining Armor saying, “One. Two… Three!” They twisted they keys towards the middle, a loud CLINKING sounded as the chains then fell away, the bolts sprung halfway out of their places, and the runes glowed from the door’s left towards its right before they went out, and the door ever so slowly opened outward. Shining Armor went first, followed by Midnight, Sombra, and Cadance was last. Inside looked oddly like a waiting room, with a few chairs and a coffee table on one side and another door next to an opaque window on the side of the room opposite the iron door. Set into the wall by the window was some kind of panel with what looked like an intercom system with two additional switches. A faint light could be seen through the opaque window and a dark shape moving past that light. The door had a slot in it, big enough to insert a lunch tray. It honestly looked like the outside of a police station interrogation room. The four of them shared a look, none were certain who would be the one to break the ice… until Sombra stepped forward towards the panel by the window and he pressed a switch, causing the window to suddenly clear.   And there she was.   Chrysalis, the fallen queen of the changelings, sat in a simple yet cozy cell where the walls were imprinted with thousands of runes. They were faint and imprinted in ways to look like fancy patterns on wallpaper, but there was no mistaking the power they held to secure the prisoner. Chrysalis’ cell had a bed, a bookcase, a table with a nice chair, and there was a shower curtain only halfway pulled to reveal a toilet, a sink, and a showerhead. A globe of light, similar to the ones outside in the dungeons’ halls, sat on a bedside table, providing Chrysalis with a nice reading light. And Chrysalis herself looked like she’d seen better days. Her horn was gone, after Midnight (as his Past Self) cut it off instead of her head after Shining Armor and Cadance had thwarted the invasion. She wore a collar and metal bands on each of her legs, all of them engraved with more runes, likely to insure she didn’t try anything funny. But her body wasn’t as healthy as it was when she’d been unmasked at the wedding. Her chitinous plating wasn’t as shimmery as it was before, her hair appeared flaxen and dull, no longer lush and full, her wings hung from her back like old sheets used to cover furniture in an abandoned house, and her legs even seemed more delicate, with the holes having widened to the point it seemed a miracle her legs didn’t snap off from the weight of the bands on them. And her eyes, sunken, full of bitterness but retained a persistent snub. As though she knew how frail she appeared but would never act it. She held a book entitled ‘Confessions of a Consummate Sadist’ with a look of mild interest. Sombra looked to the others, giving them a nod before he pressed the intercom, a low buzzing sound alerting Chrysalis that she almost dropped her book. “Oh, is it time to eat, already…? No… visitors! It has been quite a while since I had an audience in these… quaint accommodations. Is that you, Celestia? Luna? …Oh it couldn’t possibly be you, Shiny, my darling…” Shining Armor growled, glaring at Chrysalis, who couldn’t see them through the one-way window, instead letting her predatory gaze wander aimlessly across the window. Sombra pressed the switch again. “Step away from the door and face the opposite wall, insect...” “Hmph, rude visitors, it seems,” Chrysalis pouted but complied with Sombra’s order but in a way as though she were merely humoring him. Sombra looked ot the others, “Shining Armor, Midnight, you’re both with me. Cadance, I want you to observe and pay especially close attention to Chrysalis, how she behaves, how she reacts to the information we cannot help divulging to her. However much or little she says, what she doesn’t say could turn out to be more crucial.” “I understand,” Cadance nodded before she nuzzled Shining Armor closely, whispering, “Don’t let her get to you…” Shining Armor kissed her sweetly on the cheek and gave her a wink before following Sombra and Midnight into Chrysalis’ room. They were met with a surprisingly homey fragrance of lilies, as Sombra levitated Chrysalis’ table to the middle of the room, setting it directly between her and them. “Turn around, slowly…” Chrysalis sighed as though it were a bother and barely contained her surprise, “Well, well, well! It is you, Shiny. Oh, and Midnight… and…? I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.” “I am Prince Sombra,” Sombra introduced himself, “husband and royal consort to Princess Celestia, mentor to Prince Midnight, and right now I am also somepony you don’t want to offend…” “Hmm, that was your rude tone earlier, wasn’t it?” Chrysalis frowned at him. “Sit,” Sombra pointed towards the table with his wing, and Chrysalis shrugged as she did. For a few long moments, Sombra and Chrysalis glared into each other’s eyes, daring the other to look away. Midnight and Shining Armor wanted to get this interrogation started and yet neither of them were willing to interrupt Sombra’s process. Chrysalis sat and stared defiant but there was a weariness to her, unwilling to give in but wishing for respite. Finally, she snorted while breaking the stare-down, as she said, “Prince Sombra, husband to Celestia…? Huh, it would seem I’ve fallen behind in current events.” She gave Sombra another look, from bottom to top, and smirked, “Although I have to admit, you are quite a catch: Tall, dark, and gruesomely handsome. Never pegged Celestia the type to go for the bad boys…”  “Enough small talk, Chrysalis!” Shining Armor stepped forward, hitting the table with his hoof as he glared at the changeling and demanded, “What are your changelings up to?!” “Up to? Why, have my babies been good since you locked their dear old mother away…?” Chrysalis sneered. “There’s nothing good about your kind!” Shining Armor glared at the creature that came all too close to destroying the bonds he held dear with his wife and his LSBFF. “Now that’s just racial stereotyping, Shiny,” Chrysalis laughed in a haughty manner, “and besides, whatever my changeling children are up to, I have no part of it.” “Why do we find that hard to believe…?” Sombra narrowed his eyes at the prisoner. “Have you seen this hole I’ve been unceremoniously stuffed into?” Chrysalis gestured the room with her hoof, her tone laced with contempt. “You’ve made it perfectly impossible for me to contact any of my changeling spies! Whatever the hive is doing, it is nothing more than the petulant immaturity of children without their beloved parent to provide discipline…” “Your changelings attacked a mine, killing dozens of guards and workers, without provocation,” Midnight raised a wing, a blade of solid shadowstuff extending from the tip, which he pointed at Chrysalis. “This transgression, along with your earlier failed attempt to invade Equestria, could be grounds for war… and so help me, parasite! It wouldn’t be a war so much as an extermination.” Chrysalis regarded Midnight with the purest of contempt but then her brow raised as she pulled her lips back in a mocking smile, “Midnight Blaze… The pony responsible for my current squalor… An alicorn prince now! My, my, aren’t you moving up the world?” “Tell us what the changelings are planning or so help me…!” Midnight willed the blade of shadow to lengthen, reaching the side of Chrysalis’ neck. “Midnight, what’re you-” Shining Armor started to protest when Sombra stopped him with his wing. “Let him play his angle…” he whispered to Shining Armor as they took in the exchange between Midnight and Chrysalis. “I’ve taken the time to study your kind’s biology, and imagine my surprise by the similarities between yours and ours. So I know precisely which artery in your neck, if sufficiently nicked, would cause you to bleed out faster than any attempt to save you.” Sombra and Shining Armor glanced at Midnight by the corners of their eyes while Chrysalis merely narrowed hers straight at Midnight’s… when he released the shadowstuff extending from his wing, causing it to disperse like smoke, turning his back on her. “But far be it from me to suddenly… cut short your stay in this lovely establishment. After all, dead mares tell no tales.” Chrysalis growled when she inhaled… and perked. She took a softer yet deeper breath, as though she were taking in a most intoxicating fragrance. She sighed as though she’d sampled a sweet substance and gave Midnight a look of spurious pity. “Your love, Midnight… So sweet and yet it leaves such a bitter aftertaste in my mouth…”     Those words seemed to have the intended effect, as Midnight peered ever so slightly over his shoulder with a glare towards the parasite sitting before them. “I’ve sampled love like this before. From couples having… what’s the word? Issues? Trouble in paradise? Or… is it trouble in bed?” Midnight faced her fully, his face inscrutable but his eyes promised retribution most dire, as he whispered, “Measure your next words carefully…” “What will you do, Your Impotence? Torture me?” Chrysalis prodded, but knowing she was treading thin ice at this point. “Midnight and Twilight’s relationship is not under scrutiny here, Chrysalis,” Sombra reminded them, “you and your changelings are!” “I already told you, I am not in on whatever mischief my darlings are making,” maintained the fallen queen. “The changelings have existed for almost as long as your inferior kind. We are everywhere! We can be your leaders, your neighbors, your friends. We can even be your family members… and you would have no idea! “But for too long we have been forced to tolerate the stigmatism of being different! For too long have we been forced to hide and scrounge on infatuations and passing fancies just to get by! We survive on the love of other beings but who could ever love the likes of us?! You look at me and you see a tick! A parasite! Ugly, hideous, undeserving of love because you look at me and condemn me as a monster! Whereas your self-righteous species enjoy an existence bestowed upon you by pure and random chance!” “Enough!!” Sombra spread his wings, creating a chilling gust that made everyone in the room shiver as he glared down at Chrysalis. “Your pretense almost had me convinced, Chrysalis… but I sense an unusual amount of fear in this room. My fears that I will fail my wife and the subjects she loves and watches over, Shining Armor’s fear that your changelings may succeed where you failed, Midnight’s fear of losing all he holds dear… and your fear. Your fear… puzzles me. Your fear of… discovery! Discovery of deception, of a secret you hold being made known to us.” He leaned forward, his face inches away from Chrysalis, a smugness in his eyes as he stared into hers. “And that has piqued my curiosity.” Chrysalis hissed ever so slightly as she leaned back in her chair, “This conversation is over.” Sombra stood straight before nodding to Midnight and Shining Armor, and they followed him out of the room. Cadance stood at the window, having watched and heard the entire exchange and met Sombra’s eyes as he asked her, “What’s your take on her?” “The moment you mentioned to her that she was afraid, I couldn’t help but notice a change in her,” Cadance described, “as though she went from challenging… to shielding. I think you’re right that she is indeed hiding a secret that she doesn’t want us to know, but… I can’t really imagine how she could be behind the changelings’ attack on the mine!” “I don’t either,” Midnight concurred as he rubbed his chin, “the runes on her cell prevent any magical extension of awareness, including telepathy, astral-projection… I can’t imagine how she could be directing the changelings and she seemed genuinely surprised in learning Sombra and Celestia are married, and of my status as an alicorn.” “So she’s not sending or receiving information,” Shining Armor clarified, “does that mean she’s really not behind the changelings’ offensive?” “She might not be behind it, but we can’t be certain she’s not involved,” Sombra pointed out. “And she’s made it clear she’s not talking.” … … … “…Then we make her talk,” Shining Armor declared, all eyes turning to him, “with the right magic words.” “Mm, I don’t think Chrysalis will be that easy,” Midnight considered the idea, “she’s spent her life dealing in deception and manipulation. I hate to admit it, but she has a strong will, and I wouldn’t lower my guard around her even though she no longer has her horn to wield her magic.” “I’m not exactly comfortable with this,” Cadance hesitated and sighed, “but considering the situation… Perhaps if we combined our powers together.” “Bewitching a strong will to act against its own wishes is… risky,” Midnight pointed out. “Even one mistake and her psyche could be damaged in the process,” added Sombra. “Well, I’m open to any other suggestions,” invited Shining Armor. None were offered. When nopony could think of anything else it suddenly felt even bleaker in that room. If the circumstances were different they would certainly have sought out an alternative but with the threat of the changelings looming and lives already lost, the feeling that they had to act quickly spurred their decision. Chrysalis had been stewing on Sombra’s words when the door opened and they returned along with Cadance. Nopony said anything as Sombra stood before the table, with Shining Armor and Midnight at his sides, Cadance hanging back by the door. The stallions’ closed eyes immediately had Chrysalis on edge as her gaze flicked between the three of them, uncertain of what to do or whom she should be wary of most. Suddenly, Shining Armor’s horn lit up, a vibrant magenta, like the star on his cutie-mark, the same star he shared with his sister even though their cutie-marks distinguished them from each other besides their appearances. “You will tell us everything that you know.” Scoffing, Chrysalis mocked, “You think a silly bewitchment will compel me? I am a master enchantress!” Her words were ignored as Midnight’s horn lit with a soft turquoise mana, and he spoke alongside Shining Armor, their words in perfect synch “You will tell us everything that you know.” “You’re wasting your energies!” Chrysalis leaned back, glaring at them contemptuously. Sombra joined in last, the mana cloaking his horn radiating a harsh red, as he too spoke with his fellow princes in perfect synch. “You will tell us everything that you know.” “You… you can’t- You can’t do this to me!” Chrysalsis fidgeted, feeling their power beginning to probe her mind. “And you will tell us…” Sombra commanded, Midnight and Shining Armor joining in on the last word as their eyes all opened and shined with a blinding white light. “NOW!!!” “I… I will tell you that I’m- NO! STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!!” Chrysalis screamed as she leaned back in her chair, writhing and screeching as the mental assault on her psyche pushed her close to but not over the edge… when suddenly it retreated, much to her relief. She leaned onto the table, panting, her eyes wider than dinner plates as her heartbeat went erratic. As despicable as she found her, Cadance couldn’t help but feel even a glimmer of sympathy for Chrysalis for what she’d just experienced. She was relieved when the mana energies of her husband, Midnight, and Sombra went out from their horns and their eyes returned to normal. Midnight stepped forward, giving Chrysalis an impassive expression before saying, “We will give you a moment to reconsider your cooperation before we try… AGAIN.” He gestured the others out, and they left her to brood as she peered up, her eyes filled with the deepest of hatred.