//------------------------------// // 1 When The Queen Falls // Story: Blitz And Balance // by Ennelly Von Swortts //------------------------------// Author: Ennelly Von Swortts Co-Author: ElectroPHX228 (Blitz) Chapter One: When The Queen Falls It had been nearly three months.  Three months since I lost everything, again.  I sighed.  I was hungry, tired, and sore.  Both mentally, and physically.  But I guess that is one good thing about being immortal.  Food and rest were something I didn't need to survive.  Although, it would be nice to regain the power I had before they betrayed me. I shook my head.  Thinking like that wasn't going to help.  Then I heard something.  Hooves on the road just within sight to my left.  I quickly hid behind a tree, and carefully watched as a squad of royal guards walked past going the other way.  If I had been just like everypony else, it would be easy to hide in plain sight.   As it was, I was almost as tall as the ruling Princesses.  And without my power, I couldn't just sift into the shape of a pony.  When the guards were a ways behind me, I continued on my way.   Not long after, a hidden cobblestone path crossed in front of me.  Stopping, I glanced toward the road.  Branches had been placed to hide the path from prying eyes.  I looked to my right.  I took a double take.  Then rubbed my eyes.  And still saw something that shouldn't be there.   Not far from where I stood was a small cottage.  Sitting by the door was a wagon that looked perfectly built to the path in front of me.  But all this wasn't what had caught my attention.  It was the identical statues that flanked a stone arch over the path between me and the clearing.  Because they were me.   Against my better judgement, I walked closer.  As tall as me, they stood as if watching for intruders.  Every detail was near perfect.  From the holes in their legs, to the bug like wings extended in the air.  Their manes were ragged and messy like mine was.  And their faces, they were glaring down the path toward the road.   I shivered as I walked between them, looking them over.  But when I glanced ahead of me I froze.  The clearing was filled with more statues then I could count, and I was skilled with counting large groups fast.  But even if that was enough, almost every single one was a life-sized changeling.   And not like Thorax and the rest of his generation had become, but what I was.  Scattered amongst all the changling drones were a few of me in different poses making it look like each one was directing a small army.  A grinding sound behind me made me turn around fast.  The two statues I had just walked between were now blocking the path out of this strange clearing.   I looked around for some other way out.  Do to a run in with a pack of Timberwolves a couple weeks ago, my wings were useless.  Looking up confirmed it wouldn't have mattered anyway do to a magic barrier.  My only choice was to either wait and confront whoever was behind this, or hide until I could safely leave.  I walked around behind the building to see more statues.  And another arch through the tall cobblestone wall surrounding the cottage.  But, like the first arch, two of me stood blocking the way.  I sighed.  Now I really was in trouble. ...0...   Silver Quickdraw walked calmly into town, tipping his head to a squad of guards walking out on their patrol.  The captain nodded back.  This was a daily thing for Silver, he always walked into Equestria Falls as the guard patrol left to walk the road on their patrol.   His first stop was town hall.  The Mayor's secretary nodded to him as he walked in the door.  Quickly making his way to the Mayor's office, he let himself in.  Marry lace looked up from a small pile of paperwork.   "Ah, Mr. Quickdraw, early as always.  I take you are in good health?"   "Please, ma'am, just Silver.  And yes, I am quite fine this morning.  I have what you ordered.  Do you wish to inspect it?"  He replied, pulling a carefully folded bundle off his back.   "Ah, yes please."  He unfolded the thick canvas bundle quickly and carefully with skill that came with experience gained only from time.   He held it up for inspection.  The cloth was almost too big to fit into the rather spacious room.  "Ah, you really do live up to your reputation."   "I do try."  He commented as he refolded the canvas.  Marry dropped a large bag of bits onto the corner of her desk.   "They are ready for it in the plant.  I take it you know the way."  She stated as she turned back to her pile of paperwork.  He nodded before leaving to make his delivery.   Not long after, he watched as the new lobby of the water dam opened to the public.  Behind him, a curtain hid one of the many new things that had been built for the renovations.  Or rather, the room he had worked so hard on request of the Mayor herself.   Said mare was outside making a speech to the town folk.  He watched as she finished the speech he could not hear, and received a pair of golden scissors before cutting the red ribbon.  Then she, the plant's manager, and some other town officials led the newspaper ponies inside, quickly followed by the rest of the gathered ponies.   He watched as some art, models, and history plaques were revealed.  It wasn't long before they made it to him.  He quickly drew the curtain to the side, showing a deck that overlooked the dam.  On the wall next to the window was a perfect likeness to the view now seen opposite the doorway the ponies were now walking through.  To the left was a statue of the founders, and behind that a painting arguably better then that of the Falls themselves.  In front of the life-sized statue was a plaque of the founding of the town.   Not being much of one for crowds, he quietly slipped out the first chance he got, before walking to the post office to pick up his mail.  That done, he started on the not long walk out of town to his home.  Stopping at a random point in the road, he looked both ways.  Seeing it clear, he walked directly into a bush with his horn glowing.   Moments later, he was walking down a cobblestone path.  He stopped when he saw two statues, their wings spred to block, facing away from him.  Beyond them, was a clearing with a cottage in the center.  Horn glowing again, he walked forward with a frown.  Wings dropped with a grating sound of stone on stone as he walked between the statues, which lowered their wings as he walked between them, quickly raising them once he was clear.  He slowly walked among his statues, his hooves clopping on the cobblestones as his eyes searched for anything out of place when he saw a black figure standing off to his left.  It was the height of the statues of Queen Chrysalis scattered around his yard.  And she was facing away from him.  "Your majesty," ...0...   I sensed him long before I could hear him.  He was tired, but content.  I could only imagine the tired smile he wore as he walked off the road and closer to this trap I was in.  Then he stopped as he felt concern, annoyance, and a slowly growing dread.  I heard the grinding of stone on stone as he walked closer, but I kept my back to him, even as he walked forward.  And then he saw me.  He froze, fear spiked for but a moment before recognition settled in its place.  Dread, concern, and annoyance all faded while what was left of his fear was drowning in excitement.  "Your majesty, I never expected to get a chance to meet you in person."  He probably didn't know what happened to my hive.  Yet.   "Release this spell that holds me here, or you shall face my wrath!"  I hissed loudly.  His excitement spiked like no tomorrow, as well as his fear.  But both quickly subsided.  I raised my eyebrow.  "You do not fear me.  And yet you know who I am.  Why is this?"  I asked calmly in curiosity.   "Because I have a very strong interest in changelings.  Ever since my father first told me the story of some of the things you have done."  He replied.  I finally turned to face him.  He was halfway between the arch and the building.  His coat was a brilliant silver color, and his mane and tail a black so dark it absorbed all the light close to it.  He face, what she could tell past the smile wider than that of anything she had ever seen in her four thousand years of life, was kind.  Gentle.  His beard framed his smile in a very unique way.  And then there were his eyes.  They were a deep ocean blue, and they felt like Windows deep into his soul.  But there was something familiar about them.   "What story would you be referring to-  No, forget I asked.  Release me from this place before I end your miserable life."  I cursed myself silently for letting my curiosity get the better of me.   I felt a wave of determination from the strange stallion.  "No."  That one word was enough to spark my rage.   "You dare disobey ME?!?"  I bellowed.  A couple statues close to me fell over from the force of my voice. "  I allowed some pride at the fear he felt, but he didn't back down.  Inwardly, I was impressed.  Rare was the pony who could stand me yelling like that.   "No."  He repeated.  "Because you being here, is a dream come true.  I have so many questions about you and your race.  If you would be kind enough to answer even a few of them I would-"  My anger boiled over before I could hear the rest of what he had to say.  Lowering my head, I prepared to empty a powerful spell to end his life.   His fear sparked as my horn glowed a sickly green.  But his resolve was strong.  Even as I released my spell, he made no attempt to run.  When my spelled fizzled and died, his relief was over shadowed by worry, concern, and confusion.  I was reminded why you never want try to use magic when your dry as I almost fell over, cursing my weakness.   Before I new what was going on, I was embraced in a silver magic.  The stallion's horn had the same magic around it.  "PUT ME DOWN FOAL!!"  startled, he dropped me.  On top of me.  Let me tell you, landing on top of a stone version of yourself is not fun.  Even when you have thick chitin plates.  I quickly stepped back to the ground before glaring at the offending unicorn.   "I'm going to go make some tea.  When your ready to talk, come on in."  He said before walking toward the cottage.  As I watched him go in, my throat decided that it was the perfect time to rebel, setting off a chain reaction of the rest of my body aching.  I would not give in that easily.  I was over four thousand years old, and had gone through much worse in that time.   But, even I have my limits.  I smelled something good, and my stomach added its voice to the rest of my suffering.  Grumbling to myself, I walked into the cottage.   The interior was simple, yet effective.  A small kitchen took half the space I could see of the one room building.  His bed acted as a seat for a table built for one, and a small bookshelf sat next to that.  Barely enough room for the two of us to stand in.  Not like I was standing, the ceiling was too low for me.   "How can someone live like this?"  I asked before I could stop myself.  The stallion shrugged his shoulders without turning from the single stove.   "I manage.  Believe it or not, I prefer it this way.  But this is nothing like my studio.  There, I need a lot of space."  I tried to make myself comfortable in the tight space for several seconds before deciding enough was enough.   "I'll wait outside.  Not enough room in here."  I stated before working myself to face the other way.   "Suit yourself.  I'll be out in just a minute."  I snorted as I wedged myself back out the door.  I sat there for a short time before I heard the door open.  I turned in time to see him almost drop the trey with a tea set and two bowls of something that smelled good.  He recovered in time not to spill anything as his concern and worry rode at an elevated level.   "What?"  I asked in annoyance.   "You're hurt."  He stated.  I glanced at my body, which was covered in cuts and bruises.  Most note worthy though, was my left wing was limp and dragging on the ground, while my right was missing save the small stub that remained.   I looked back at him unamused.  "So?"  He looked at me like I was crazy, and while the worry was less, it was still there.  But he also felt tired, like he knew he was about to deal with a stubborn foal.   "I'm going to take a look after we eat."  I opened my mouth to tell him off loudly, but wasn't given the chance.  "And unless I get a promise from you that you will let me, I'm not going to let you have anything on this tray."  My eyes narrowed as I remained silent.  After a moment he shrugged before digging into his own food.  I watched him eat till half his bowl was empty before I couldn't take it anymore.  Not consuming anything for nearly three months takes its toll, even if it won't kill me.   "Fine.  You can look over my mild injuries after the food and tea."  I stressed the word mild.  He just rolled his eyes before passing me the still full bowl.  I tried to levitate the bowl before remembering I couldn't even cast the simplest of spells.  So I picked it up in my hooves and carefully began to drink a really tasty soup.  It wasn't long before I had consumed four bowls of soup, and seven cups of a tea I had never tasted before.  Whatever it was, it was Good.   After we ate, he led me around behind the cottage.  Well, before he noticed my rather bad limp.  After that, I had to suffer through him carrying me through the arch in the back of the stone wall.  We were in another clearing where a much larger building sat.   Once inside, I got a good idea of what the Stallion did for a living.  There were multiple half finished art pieces, and five half done statues.  Three of which were changelings.   He led me past all this to a kitchenette, where he pulled a large first aid kit out of seemingly nowhere.  Carefully, he cut what remained of my left wing off, before addressing my other wounds.   The sun was kissing the horizon by the time he was done, and he insisted I spend the night in a storage room just off the main room. .0.   It had been a little over a week since Silver, I learned his name on the second day when he realized he hadn't introduced himself, came home to me outside his home.  I had finally gotten enough magic to shapeshift again, seeing as I was currently a spitting image of him.  Every day, I was slowly growing stronger.  Silver's questions were endless, and it seemed as though I would never be set free by him.   We were sitting in his studio in one of many clearings he had when he asked an unexpected question.  "Why not tell her?"   "What?  Tell who?"  I was completely confused by this sudden question.   "Why don't you tell Princess Celestia everything you've been telling me about changelings?"  He asked tiredly.   I snorted.  "Do you really think I'm stupid?  If I go to her I'll get thrown into a dungeon somewhere.  What would I do THEN I wonder?"   I'm sure she will surprise you.  Besides, I'd hate for you to get stuck here."  He sent me a sly grin.  I ground my teeth together at the subtle threat.  After he explained the nature of the wards used to protect his home and land, I knew I would never be able to get out without at least knowing the spell used to disarm the wards.  Not even killing him would release me.   I sighed, glaring openly at him as I carefully thought.  Canterlot dungeons were looking better by the minute.  Then I smiled.  "I think I will talk to Princess Sunbutt."  My smile widened.  "Under ONE condition."