//------------------------------// // Chapter 25 (Unedited) // Story: Hunter/Prey // by UnluckyReaver //------------------------------// “What do you mean ‘he’s not here’?” Discord asked. “I was so looking forward to meeting him.” “I’m beginning to have doubts that you actually want to meet him.” Luna said. “You’ve had several opportunities to and have let them all pass.” “I’m sure I have no idea what you are talking about.” Discord countered. “Surely if I wanted to meet him before now, I simply would have.” “Do you not recall the enthusiasm you showed just the other day?” Luna asked. “If I recall correctly, I had to stop you from bursting in on him while he slept.” “Well, I didn’t want to wake him…” “You would have met him at the ball, or at the meeting the following morning, had you bothered to show up for either of those.” “Fancy gatherings aren’t really my style.” “You could have come with me when you sent me to retrieve him from the cavern he was trapped in.” “And get all of that dirt into my lovely scales, I think not.” “Now you are just making excuses.” “Excuses? Moi? I think not!” “Good, because this is your chance, here he comes now.” Luna pointed at something behind Discord. The draconequus let out a startled gasp as he broke into several pieces that quickly swarmed around Luna. Reassembling, Discord grabbed the alicorn, and held her up as a shield only to see that the hallway was empty. “Discord, if you put me down right now, I will not tell anypony about your fear of humans.” Luna promised. “Oh, yes, of course.” Discord sheepily set the alicorn down. “Remember, not a word, you promised.” “Very well, not a word.” Luna confirmed. “I do have to ask why you are so afraid of him.” “I’m not afraid of him,” Discord countered, earning an eye roll from Luna, “well, per say. I.. peeked.” “You peeked?” “Yes, peeked. I found a nice little window, and looked sideways through the edge and peeked through the veil; and what I saw actually frightened me.” “Frighten you? The Lord of Chaos? I doubt that.” “It's true; when I detected chaos in the human I thought I found a kindred spirit. A fellow who could understand and relate to this lonely draconequus. I sent you to him then peeked into his world and what scared me was not the level of chaos and arbitrary violence they inflicted on each other, it was the near universal ability to justify it.” “Something is wrong.” Chrysalis announced as she led Hunter around the fifth corner. “I’m not sure I follow.” Hunter responded. “Seems like a normal set of caves to me.” “That’s the problem.” “Then I definitely don’t follow.” “A changeling hive is a living structure.” Chrysalis explained. “Very much like a changeling, it is constantly changing. Tunnels close and others open.  It’s a natural defense system, a changeling with their natural empathic connection can navigate the hive but all other creatures get hopelessly lost.” “But the tunnels here are all static, not one of them has changed.” “I know, something must have happened.” As the pair rounded the last corner, they entered a open chamber with a large dais in the center. “My throne...where is my throne?” Chrysalis questioned as she circled the dais. “Why would they take a throne?” Hunter asked as he stepped up onto the dais. “It’s not the throne itself, but what it was made of.” “And that would be?” “It a mineral that negates all non-changeling magic around it. It’s meant to keep the hive safe from attack.” “So… they took it with them?” Hunter asked as he picked up a loose stone. “If they did, they didn’t do it in one piece.” Chrysalis answered. “Maybe they broke it into piece, but why? Why take it at all?” “Well...if they are planning on attack a city full of ponies that can use magic, why not take the anti-magic rock with them?” Hunter asked, sliding the small stone into one of his pockets. “Why didn’t you do that?” “Because it was my throne.” Chrysalis sighed. “It was meant to protect the hive, not be dragged off as some weapon. My children, you really have abandoned your ways…” “We should get back to Canterlot.” “Everything has gone so wrong… why… why, how did it end up like this?” “It’s not over we can still stop this.” “No, we can’t. They will attack Canterlot, using my old throne to negate the princess’s magic and overrun the city in minutes.” “Not if we warn them first.” “And how will that help?” Chrysalis demanded. “Only one of two outcome are possible now; either the ponies will kill all of my children, or my children will kill all of the ponies. Either way I will have lost them forever.” “Chrysalis, I know it looks bleak, but there must be something we can do.” The changeling thought about it for a moment before speaking. “There is.” she said, changing into her human form. “Let’s run away. Just you and me.” “W-what?” Chrysalis grabbed Hunter’s hand with both of hers. “Don’t you see? Let them destroy each other. We’re just outsiders to them anyways. You’ve seen the way they treat non-ponies, as freaks and monsters. We don’t need them. We can just… we can just leave.” “I can’t do that.” “Yes you can!” “I thought you wanted to save your changelings.” “I… can’t…” “You can’t?” “I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking that if you get back to Canterlot, you can sound the alarm, raise an army, save the day. I can’t… I won’t be a part of that.” “What do you mean?” “If I help you, I will be helping you kill my own offspring and I can’t be a part of that.” “I understand.” Hunter said, lowering his gaze. “But I still have to try. I have to do something.” “No, you don’t.” Chrysalis said, as her eyes flashed green and she drew Hunter into a powerful kiss. “I know what he wanted me to do,” Blueblood sighed, “but I just don’t see how. The other’s don’t care or are overconfident.” “I know,” Rarity said, “since we were lucky with Sombra and Chrysalis everypony has the same thought; we don’t have to worry, just wait for somepony to magic the villain away.” “But from what Hunter told us, it took an entire army to even slow Chernabog down. How are we supposed do that?” “I don’t know if having an army would even help.” Twilight sighed. “Why not?” Rarity asked. “Think about it; the tale we were told involved a well trained, well disciplined army that was willing to fight and die to protect their home. Where are we going to get troops like that? I don’t mean to disparage my brother, but the guard were defeated in minutes by the changelings.” “I do hope that you are not suggesting that we simply sit back and wait for the inevitable.” Rarity commented. “Yeah! If I’m going down, I’m going down swinging!” Rainbow chimed in. “Ah, shucks, I ain’t one to back down from a fight.” Applejack added. “Me too! Me too!” Pinkie Pie gleefully cheered. “I’ll help, even though I probably won’t be much help.” Fluttershy softly added. “That it!” Blueblood exclaimed. “Umm what is?” “You, us, this!” “You feeling alright there, Blue?” Applejack queried. “Yes, I’m fine.” Blueblood answered. “But don’t you see, we don’t need the nobles or the ambassadors! We just ask for ponies to help. We round them all up and go out there and fight. It won’t be much of an army, but it has to be better than nothing, right?” “Why stop at just ponies?” Twilight added. “We can go to all of the different nations and appeal to their citizens as well. There must be some of them that would be willing to help.” “Ok, so we split up and each one of us goes to a different nation for help. Then, with whatever support we can gather we meet back here in Canterlot.” “No, not here. We’ll meet in Ponyville, then head into the Everfree Forest to rebuild and reoccupy the old castle.” “This will work.” Blueblood smiled. “This is definitely going to work.”