It has been days since the verdict of changeling C85. He was sentenced to be closed for eternity, there was no hope for it to escape from such a citadel.
Days passed and soon turned into months, it was a permanent waiting game.
The grim weather at Tartarus citadel, C85 was scraping a side of a wall with its horn, there was no reason to use magic. The hoof steps of passing guards echoed in the stone halls and silent whispers rustled through the stone cracks.
The changeling felt lucky it was not a normal pony, by now it would have been dead from Shining Armor’s magic strikes. but neither being a changeling helped it very much. The starvation was taking him to a brink of death. A changeling does not die of age or pure hunger, but him being separated from its Queen slowly killed him.
He could not speak, hear or do anything, he lay there by the wall for hours, thinking of a way to escape. The pain from losing his wings faded and ways of regenerating them were nonexistent. Changeling wings, once sliced, cannot be regenerated.
As it lay down by the cold prison wall, a voice echoed through his head.
“My minion, my child, do not lie down in pain.” The voice of his Queen made him raise up.
“Your time of freedom has arrived.” these were the only words spoken by her towards the rustled changeling, nothing was heard from that moment. An earthquake shook the citadel with a powerful force. A metallic crack was heard and with a swift movement, a metal bar snapped from the prison doors and stabbed the wall behind the changeling.
C85 stood wondering of what happened, he stopped in place after a violent growl startled all the wardens of the citadel.
“THE CERBERUS! WHAT IS GOING ON!? WHERE DID IT GO!?” one of the warden shouted, galloping past C85’s cell. The changeling knew this was a moment for escape, he approached the metallic door and inspected its lock. It was heavily damaged by the earthquake, the only thing the changeling had to do, was to channel enough force to break open the door.
It stepped back and pointed its horn at the padlock, he struggled and a small sphere shown up at the tip of his horn. The power was immense and already the changeling got exhausted, after a few minutes of struggling, he blasted away a powerful ray that caused the padlock to blow up and send the metallic door slamming onto the other wall.
“What was that!? Check up there!” one of the wardens heard the blast. The changeling knew that is he ran away it would get spotted and captured again then came up with an idea. He used his racial abilities and turned into one of the wardens, he threw itself at the ground and waited for the best.
The warden arrived and leaned over the disguised changeling. “What the buck happened to you.”
“T-The c-changeling... E-Escaped. It went t-to the sewers....” said C85 trying to mimic one of the guards in pain.
With no word of reply, the warden left, offering a spot for the changeling to leave but it cannot turn back and run away, he had no wings to fly and sneaking out is the best solution.
C85 walked out the prison cell and ran through the hallways straight into the main hall, there, wardens looked everywhere for him. none suspected that C85 was right amongst them, so he trotted past by them but was stopped by a guard right at the exit.
“You! Where is your helmet?” asked him, giving a sharp look in C85’s eyes.
“Umm... I dropped it at the earthquake...” explained the fake guard.
“Return back to the armory and get one, soldier!” shouted the guard.
C85 quickly turned around and ran back inside the citadel, he had no idea where the armory was, he wandered around aimlessly through the halls. In his way, a warden was approaching.
“Hey, wa-... I mean. Where can I find the armory? I forgot.” asked C85, the warden stopped and pointed at an opposite hallway.
“Go through there and take a right, next time learn your way.” spoke the warden as immediately left. C85 followed his indications then walked inside the armory. Inside there were 3 more guards gearing up. One of them noticed him and shouted. “HEY! Blindspear! Come here! We need to tell you something.” C85 approached nervously and listened closely.
“I just heard that the General is going to get married with Princess Mi amore Cadenza!” spoke the guard. The other guards were amazed and talked different replies to that rumor. C85 knew that if he wanted to return to the Hive, he had to offer to his Queen something she would want. This marriage could prove useful.
“When is it going to be?” asked C85 known as Blindspear.
“In three months! We were ordered to move in Canterlot until then.” said the guard.
That was all that he needed, C85 could now earn his queens trust again and return back to the Hive. He took a random helmet from near a chest and went for the exit of the armory. Behind him, a guard spoke up. “Hey, where is your tail? Did you cut it off?”
C85’s disguise was running out, he had to get out before he was noticed. He ran through the hallways and past any warden patrolling and went straight for the exit, the main gate entrance was opened and C85 ran through to his freedom. “Careful out the--” one of the guards tried to warn it but stopped after C85 dashed past him.
C85 was now free, he stepped outside from the citadel, the only thing he had to do is to pass the citadel walls and to set route to the Hive. In his way he noticed in the distance a purple mare that was followed by the Cerebus that ran away an hour ago. The two stopped at the entrance and were greeted by a couple of wardens. A perfect distraction for C85 to sneak out, he passed by the wardens then the Cerberus and ran straight into the forest.
Freedom was achieved, C85 was running away from Tartarus citadel as fast as it could, it even shaped back into a changeling form and ran until he exited the regions bounds. He found itself in Equestria, land of friendship and prosperity, the land where ponies live.