“It’s happening again.”
He slowly walked out of the castle, unlike the other stallions and mares, who trotted out screaming in fear. Another stallion bumps into him, but felt nothing. Like the world was coming to an end, and it just might after the realization the admiral had been given. There Arche stood, paralyzed in shock and fear at the sights before him. Canterlot had been invaded by the changelings. It was there, right under their eyes, and no pony realized it. This was supposed to be a day of love, happiness, the joining to two individuals. Yet what Arche witnessed in front of him was the continuation of the endless struggle against these monsters. A royal wedding had become the spot of war.
“This can’t be……how could I miss this? I….I think I’m gonna puke.”
Arche’s body couldn’t stop shaking, his back hoof collapsing to the ground. His twitching gaze on the stone sidewalk, trying desperately to grasp the situation going on. He found himself short of breath, losing the back tie of the formal suit he was wearing for the occasion. Sweat was dripping down his face, his hooves shaking ferociously.
“No signs of alteration…..p..p..perfectly blended in the crowd…like…like they were invisible. I’ve should’ve seen them coming!”
Swarming through the sky, a changeling noticed the frightened admiral, licking its lips in hunger as it dive-bombs towards him. Its monstrous hissing sent shivers down Arche’s spine. He couldn’t bare see it, but sensed it was coming for him, closing his eyes in agonizing anticipation.
“I don’t deserve to be spared! Just do it already!”
Suddenly, the changeling was knocked out of the air, smashed into a wall. A light orange coated mare stood next to Arche. It seemed she attacked the beast by hitting it with her back hooves.
“You ok, sugercube Hey, you ain’t hurt, are ya?”
Arche didn't respond, having blocked out all contact with the world. He was still expecting the changeling’s attack.
“I could’ve prevented this…..I’m such a fool.”
The mare didn’t have time for his chatter, trotting away at full speed to help others in need. Arche slowly opened his eyes, noticing that he remained unharmed. He looked up to notice the changelings in the sky had began soaring to the east. It seemed something more important had caught their attention, allowing the admiral to make his escape.
“I…I must get word to my troops in the East. If what that disgusting queen of theirs said is true, then it won’t be long before all of Canterlot falls to them.”
He quickly trotted for safety in the alleys, but stops in place to the sound of a light groan. Arche looks over to see a dazed changeling, who still haven’t recovered from that mare’s attack. Arche’s expression of fear slowly turned to anger, teeth grinding as he trots over to the grotesque beast and grabs hold of its next using his levitation magic.
“You…vile....disgusting…..worthless…BUG!”
With a swift nudge of his head, Arche slams the changeling into the wall, knocking it out completely. All it sees is darkness, until the creature slowly regains consciousness. Before him was Arche, who sat in a chair a few feet from where it laid. He was dressed in his attire as a royal admiral. His mane was combed back. No doubt he cleaned himself up for the matter in front of him. The changeling tries to get up, but fails to do so. It looks down in confusion, noticing that all four of its decayed hoofs were chained to the ground.
“Wha…agh..AGHHH!!!”
A surge of pain suddenly revolves through the changeling’s body. It looks down, noticing a small pool of its own blood had begun to form. Disgusting, like swamp water mixed with oil. To the creature’s surprise, the blood was dripping off its own back and head. Arche simply sighs, levitating a mirror to the beast.
“Understand that I can’t allow any attempts of your escape. Necessary requirements had to be taken.”
“W…Where am I? Who are you?”
“Who am I? Funny, the horrible things your kind does, and you don’t even know who your victims are? Then again, whats to be expected from a bug?”
Arche stands, gazing down at the injured changeling. It lets out an agitated hissing, possibly to fear the admiral. Yet he didn’t even flinch, but did respond by slamming a large board of wood on the creature’s head.
“AGH! Canterlot scum! You’ll make a more rewarding snack for the queen!”
“Ahhh yes, your queen. She’s more revolting than the stories say.”
He slowly trots around the changeling, who continues violently attempting to escape its chains. Arche pours himself a glass of water, rolling his eyes as the changeling began roaring in anger.
“Please stop doing that, its very annoying. Get it through that head of yours. There’s no hope for your escape here. Not today, not ever, for this is the place where you will die.”
The changeling lets out a maniacal chuckle, licking its lips in delight.
“You’re funny, you think slicing my wings and horn makes you better than me? We are changelings, devourers of love! There is no end to our hunger, and no end to Equestria’s despair! Soon all of you will bow before Chrysalis!”
This time, Arche laughs, looking over at the bug with a smug smile, shaking his head in disagreement.
“You truly are just an animal. Lacking the intelligence to cope and understand how to live on one’s own. You see, you’ve spent your entire existence devoted to that witch that you’d trust her with your life. What do you think is going to happen? Is Chrysalis going to smash through the ceiling and save you? You’re nothing more than a grunt, there’s thousands like you. You mean so little to her, like a common roach. Ironic, don’t you think?
“Heeheheheeee…..go ahead and say what you want, but soon Canterlot will fall. Its happening while we speak! The barrier will fall, and you’ll be in these shackles soon.”
“Is that so? You have no idea how long time has passed since you awoke, haven’t you?”
Arche makes his way to a small table, levitating his saddle bag. The changeling notices a rather large printed piece of paper slipping out of the bag. Its hurled right in front of the bug, looking at it in confusion.
“What’s this suppose to-“
It gasps, eyes twitching, mouth open. Arche takes a sip of his water, sitting back down in his chair.
“Now tell me, when exactly can we expect Chrysalis to arrive?”
“Im…Impossible…”
It was the front page of the Canterlot newspaper. On the cover was a picture of Princess Cadence, dancing with her newly wedded husband, Shining Armor. The caption above the picture read “Beginning of a new, Changeling Crisis diverted.”
“You see? Your queen doesn’t care for you, nor any of your kind. Simply born to aide in her pointless cause, and soon to end the same way.”
“YOU’RE A LIAR!!!!”
The changeling hisses in anger, ripping the newspaper to shreds with its teeth. Arche just stood there, watching as the bug tires itself out from its outrageous burst of rage. It pants heavily, looking up at Arche in confusion.
“How….did it happen? She swore to us that it was full-proof!”
“What your queen failed to realize was the magical capabilities of the real Princess Cadence and her love for the young Shining Armor. I’ll admit, I was just as surprised as you, seeing your kind flee through the sky, heeheheee, like a giant fly swatter was coming for them.”
It lowers its head, sighing. Arche responds by splashing his water in the changeling’s face, then pushing its head against the wall with its hoof.
“Do you believe in destiny, changeling? Well? ANSWER ME!”
“AGH! Get….off of me!”
Arche pushes the bug to the ground, looking up at the admiral as he levitates the large chunk of wood again.
“You see, changeling, I once believed destiny to be a joke. That the things that happen around us are all mere coincidence. But today, seeing you on the floor, in pain, confusion, like what all your kind deserve, it made me realize something.”
“Wha-“
In seconds, the changeling was knocked to the ground once more. It coughs up some of its blood, slowly attempting to rise before being knocked down again but the wood. But it didn’t stop there. Arche kept on beating the changeling for nearly a whole minute, stopping just to catch his own breath. He looks back down on the bug, who was twitching in pain, its ears down, small chunks of its own teeth in front of his bleeding mouth resting on the ground. Its eyes were now swollen, and its entire body was covered in bruises. It tries to speak, to which Arche replies by smacking it with his hoof.
“No, don’t even attempt to plea mercy. You lost any remorse of mercy the day you and the rest of you vermin attempted to overthrow the queen! Not to mention ruining her niece’s wedding. Believe me, if you had given me proper time to prepare, I would’ve gotten…”
He looks at the chunk of wood levitating in his magic. It appeared close to breaking in half.
“More…reliable tools.”
The changeling finally manages to speak, blood spitting up with each word.
“Destiny….what…of it?”
“Ah yes, glad you were listening. You see, I believe it was destiny for us to meet today. With my days in retirement slowly approaching, spending nearly a decade making sure you bugs don’t harm any pony ever again in the East, and just when I think the war against you all is finally beside me….here we are.”
“You……can’t do this….you’re not…”
“Not what? Capable of it? Allowed? You see, little changeling, your kind has mastered the ways of mimicking. Not only in your appearance, but your emotions as well. You mimic the ways of courage, fearlessness, power. But in actuality, where you lay now, is your true self. Worthless, revolting, bitter. It is my duty as a soldier to her majesty to cleanse Equestria of your filth. The actions that arose today mark a new age against ponies and the changelings. You will be the first of many to understand the truth.”
“We….only…want…to.....survive….”
“Yes….and look where that got you.”
An hour had soon passed, as Arche continued cleaning the saw of the black oily debris from his late capture. He looks over at a small jar, a black horn resting in a light green liquid. The admiral sighs, levitating the jar into a cabinet in front of him, as the door knocks.
“Enter.”
A guard walks in, respectfully nodding his head for the admiral.
“Pardon me, sir, but you have a message from Canterlot.”
“If its the princess, alert her of my presence. Tell her there’s no reason to worry of me.”
“Umm, no sir, its from your niece in Ponyville.”
He turns to the guard, who is at first startled by the sudden gaze by his leader.
“What could it possibly be that she had to interrupt my work?”
“Something about visiting her next show?”
Arche sighs, simply walking past the guard.
“War has been brought to Canterlot, soldier. There is no time for pointless endeavors.”