Not long ago:
Daisy insisted changeling language wasn’t actually that hard. She turned to Drone and asked him to repeat something he had told her earlier that day.
Drone hopped around three times, then rubbed his belly and shook his head.
“He’s saying changelings don’t eat frogs.”
Lily nodded. Ponies were vegetarian anyway, so she’d never really thought about whether changelings ate frogs or not.
Now he slithered on the ground, rubbed his belly, and nodded.
“Changelings eat snakes.”
“Gross,” Lily admonished. She wondered if she’d have to catch snakes and feed them to her baby.
Now Drone wrapped his arms, as though holding a baby, and rocked them back and forth. Following this, he shook his hoof at the imaginary infant.
“He says, mothers orders.”
Lily was starting to catch on. It’s not that changelings don’t eat frogs, they were just ordered not to. Furthermore, they were eating snakes, the frogs predator. Perhaps Chrysalis wants a high frog population. Sometimes frogs are useful, in eating certain bugs. Is Chrysalis worried about an infestation?
There is always a crack to slip through. To say the serpents knew this was an understatement; the very design of their bodies optimizes there ability to slip through the cracks. Some say the serpents can slither between worlds, making use of cracks that only they perceive.
The serpents did however have to admit that the mysterious energy sphere surrounding the hatchery was hard to infiltrate. This energy sphere, which was Shining Armour’s armour, was not airtight, and it had to stop at the bedrock beneath the ground lest it would bore through the earth. The earth underneath was hot due the geothermal springs the hatchery was built upon.
The Pestilence was also a creature designed to find cracks, only of a different sort. It saw how changelings had decimated the snake population, in favour of the frog population, and knew there would be a few of their kind who would be nursing a grudge.
The lead serpent was a brash youth, who had defied it’s elders to come on this mission. He boasted to his allies that they would get into the hatchery, and they would eat whole changeling eggs.
Roseluck searched the hatchery. All the time she had previously spent worrying about survival and trying to escape the changeling hive had caused a habit to form. Wherever she was, she was always looking for possible weapons and escape routes. It wasn’t a bad habit for her current situation, though she’d have to quit it when she got back to ponyville.
She didn’t expect to find much to use for weapons. The hatchery was a place that would periodically be filled with infants. On the other hand, they were changelings, so it would be a surprise to find nothing at all.
She did find where they kept the oil for the lanterns that lit the cave. It was in one of the few cool places in the warm hatchery. She also found three carts filled with straw, Roseluck suspected that Chrysalis kept them there so the eggs could be moved quickly if the hatchery became unsafe. Just one cart would be enough to carry the current brood, which counting Lily’s egg was a bakers dozen.
It occurred to her that the carts were farther from the entrance then they ought to be, unless there was an alternate escape. She licked her hooves and felt for air currents.
At the same time, Lily had found something to talk about with Shining Armour. It turns out they are both expecting to be parents soon.
“How do you lift a filly?”
“You bite down on the scruff of the neck and lift.” Shining answered. “I’ve already lifted a few in a prenatal care class.”
Lily knew this much of course, she’d seen it done. “Do you use your teeth?”
“Of course. Don’t bite, just grip. Focus your eyes on the ground and just a little ahead.”
“What if the baby has wings that get in the way?”
Shining Armour hadn’t thought of that. He was a unicorn and Cadence was an alicorn. His baby might be a pegasus; surely she couldn’t just give birth to another alicorn. He lifted his head for a moment to think. At that same moment, Lily saw something emerge from a crack behind them.
“Look out,” Lily cried.
Shining Armour took a quick glance, then leapt aside, just as a snake lunged towards him. It’s mouth agape, fangs barred and tongue extended, the serpent intended to bite.
Now it may surprise you to know that Lily had actually practiced catching snakes. When the changelings were clearing roots from an area that was to become farmland, they had found the odd nest. She watched the changelings pounce at them, and even tried it once or twice when Daisy and Roseluck were not looking. The changelings were helpful, and kept secrets well, practice was necessary, after all, what if her baby needed to eat snakes.
These were of course common garden snakes, which had no venom. Lily would never have tried this on anything poisonous. However, when that one poisonous snake just missed biting Shining Armour she couldn’t let the creature try again, ( or go after her next ).
Just as the snake was about to realize it failed to bite Shining Armour, Lily pounced and took the snakes mouth into her own jaws. The snake squirmed and thrashed, and she knew that if she let go the creature would bite her immediately. She adjusted her jaw, pulling the creature backward in her mouth. Lily wanted to grip the creature with her back molars. Her front incisors might have broken skin and caused her to drink the snakes poison. By pressing with her back molars, she was instead able to dislocate the snakes jaw, rendering it unconscious.
She tossed the unconscious snake aside, and looked for Shining Armour. Shining had found another snake, and was going to try stomping at the creature with his hooves, not to get bit, only to try and drive it away. He was too close to the eggs. The green glow in his eyes shone brighter, and he didn’t realize what he was about to do. He could crack an egg.
Lily leapt again, this time grabbing the scruff of Shining Armours neck and with a twisting motion moved him away from the eggs. The second snake leapt with intention to bite, Lily let go of Shining and caught the creature in an even faster motion. Again she dislocated the creatures jaw, knocking it unconscious.
Now she turned to check on Shining. Lily was startled to see the Stallion glaring back at her. The green glow in his eyes was gone, and she could see the white of his eyes once again. Why was she more afraid of these eyes then the ominous enchanted ones, he sported before?
“You’re not a pony.” Shining accused.
“What!” What did he mean not a pony? Of course she was a pony.
Shining looked around. Gone was the teal coloured magic which had been like rose coloured shades to him. A moment ago, this place looked like a safe room in the castle of the Crystal Empire. Now it was a hot spring in a cave, which stunk of remnants from past litters. The pretty flowers, that he only knew he was not supposed to step on, were eggs, large black eggs with a teal glow emanating from inside, all sitting on hay. They were the brood of a changeling queen.
Yet, strangest of all was the way Lily Valley had pounced upon those snakes. “I remember now. I came to the hive with Twilight and her friends. We were going to rescue the flower ponies; Daisy and Lily Valley.”
“Yes, I’m Lily.”
“No, I bought flowers from Lily once. I asked about her when we came for the rescue. Lily is a timid mare who once fainted at the sight of bunny rabbits.”
Is that the first thing ponies hear whenever they ask about me, Lily wondered? “Hey! There were a lot of bunny rabbits, a whole lot. And they were eating all my pretty flowers.” If that bunny invasion had been any closer to hearts and hooves day her flower shop would have been in ruin; and don’t get her started on those awful parasprites. This wasn’t important now. How could she convince him she was who she said she was?
“No, you’re not Lily! You’re a changeling in disguise.” He looked around, his ribs aching from falling out of the chocolate statue. “Chrysalis must have enchanted me to do her bidding.”
“Well, yes, but you were protecting eggs and… hold on! Is your bubble still up? Are you still protecting the hatchery.”
“It is, tell me why I should… Ouch!”
Shining Armour yelped in pain. A third snake had slithered in from behind, and bitten him in the hind leg.
Lily should have been watching. It confused her when Shining Armour said she wasn’t really a pony. Of course she was a pony. She grabbed the snake, by the neck, while it was still biting. Lily just barely kept the snake from delivering a fatal dose.
Shining Armour seemed grateful for a moment then his eyes became harsh again. “You’re no pony.” He took a step forward, but was unsteady on his feet.
“I am a pony,” Lily cried. “I… I think I am.” Then Shining Armour passed out.
The prison was unguarded. Though they didn’t hear much about what was going on, the mane six knew the changelings had more pressing concerns. Once Pinkie restored her magic, by licking the magic honey off Twilights horn, Twilight picked the latches of the other ponies shackles and even the cell door easily.
They were free, but what now?
Roseluck was just returning from her little expedition. She found Shining armour passed out.
There was a thunderous sound of screeching locusts. Had they just gotten here, or was Shining Armours magic bubble blocking even the sound? Lily quickly, if frantically explained what happened. Roseluck took it all in, though she wondered if Lily taking out three snakes was an exageration of some sort.
Shining Armour’s protection was no small loss. It was hard to even tell her story, over the screeching of the locusts. An impending sense of doom fell upon the two mares.
“We can’t let the locust monster thing get the eggs,” Lily cried.
“I know Lily, but what can we do. We’re not heroes, we’re just timid little flower ponies.”
Lily thought for a moment. “There’s nothing wrong with being flower ponies my dear. Just look at it this way, some nasty bugs are our to ruin our pretty flowers (eggs). Now what would a true flower pony do.”
“Call Fluttershy.”
Lily glared at Roseluck.
“Well, Fluttershy’s, like, really brave. She’s helped me with spiders, and rats, and even a racoon.”
Now Lily crossed her arms.
“What about smoke? I don’t know about locusts, but my sunflowers once had a really bad bee problem. You can confuse bees with smoke.”
A smile started to form on Lily’s mouth. It started small, then grew wider until it was a fully formed grin.
“Roseluck,” she said, “we’re flower ponies. Everyone thinks we’re cowards. You know the best part of having everyone think you’re a coward.”
Roseluck smiled back. “Nobody will be surprised if we take the cowards way out.
The Pestilence was outside the hatchery. It never did anything quickly, the creature preferred to leave others with time to ponder their imminent doom. Chrysalis had thought the hatchery was safe. She thought that Shining Armour’s force field would protect her eggs. Now the force field was gone. All that protected the hatchery was two timid little flower ponies. Pestilence was currently giving her time to let that sink in.
Roseluck appeared at the entrance, pulling a cart behind her. Even Pestilence had not anticipated this. Chrysalis too watched with anticipation. “What are you doing you little twit?”
The cart was filled with hay. Inside were little ovoid shapes, pure black.
The flower pony faced the pestilence. Again it had taken an equine shape. Roseluck let out a tear. She put down a lantern she was carrying in her mouth, then spoke to the creature. “This is what you want isn’t it, if I destroy these eggs myself, will you promise to spare us.”
Daisy watched the scene unfold in disbelief. “Oh Rosie, please no!”
“How could you, you little twit!” Chrysalis descended from the sky, the earth exploded with the force of her landing. “Don’t bargain with this Pestilence. Do this, and I shall destroy you both!”
A small swarm of locust took shape between Chrysalis and Roseluck. It seemed to form a face in the direction facing the terrified Roseluck. Finally if nodded, accepting her agreement. The Pestilence would spare Roseluck and Lily if she destroyed what was in the cart.
Roseluck lifted her torch again, and tossed it into the cart. It soon caught fire.
Everyone watched the flames in awe, as Roseluck stepped to the back of the cart, and bucked it from behind. It rolled downhill, and smashed into some rocks, the remains still burning. The eggs were gone.
No one was more in shock than Chrysalis. After all these millenia, it was still a shock to lose any of her brood. What very few knew was that the thirteenth egg of this litter was a queen. Queen eggs are so rare, that Chrysalis might lay two broods a year for a thousands years and not birth another. The way Lily held that egg, she never thought that pony would let this happen. Was Lily a part of this? Had Roseluck acted on her own. Perhaps Chrysalis’ judgement was clouded just because Lily’s coat and mane matched her mothers in colour.
When the Pestilence was certain that the eggs were sufficiently burned and cracked, the locust left the wreckage, allowing the changelings to investigate. Two changelings checked the wreckage throughly, then in wingbeats reported back to Chrysalis. Changelings have the ability to speak through vibrations in their wings. When they speak this way, only other changelings can understand them.
Chrysalis tried very hard not to smile.
At this time Lily was hard at work loading the real eggs, and the unconscious Shining Armour onto the remaining carts.
“Did he fall for it?” She asked.
“Totally, he thinks they were real eggs.”
Actually they were real eggs. They were the remains of eggs that hatched years ago. It was hard to find pieces big enough that they would look whole when partially covered by the hay.
“Does Chrysalis think we really did it?”
“Naw, One of the drones flashed me a wink. The changelings are way too smart for that.”
“Why miss Roseluck, I do think you’re starting to like changelings.”
“Busted, but I think you like them more Lily”
The two moved on, searching for the secret exit to the hatchery.