//------------------------------// // Chapter 32 // Story: Changing Lanes // by AutoPony //------------------------------// After another short spell of silence, Chrysalis's sickly blue-green eyes dart solely onto you, her smirk never fading. "Well, I've had the pleasure of meeting your sister before, but I believe this is the first time we've formally met," she says, with more than a hint of sarcasm. "Hello, Princess Luna, it's good to finally meet your acquaintance. I am-" "Chrysalis," you finish for her in lackluster monotone. Your interruption wipes that unseemly grin off her face. "That's Queen Chrysalis," she replies sharply, sneering in displeasure. "I have to say, I'm not impressed with your diplomatic relations thus far." "This is not a diplomatic meeting," you correct her, keeping your voice cool and emotionless. "That would explain the lack of amenities in my room," she snaps back. Luna, let's try not to upset her right from the start, your sister suggests in your mind. I had not planned on it, though I doubt being pleasant with her is going to increase the likelihood of her cooperation, you reply. "So, what brings the two of you down here to my little slice of heaven?" Chrysalis asks, laying on the sarcasm thicker this time. "I want to start off by knowing how you're feeling," Celestia responds. "You have been unconscious for quite some time, it is only recently that we understood enough of your condition to be able to treat you appropriately." "I've been better," Chrysalis says as her eyes wander around her prison. "The room service leaves something to be desired, and I cannot say I am fond of the attire you have provided me." One of her hooves reaches up and taps a collar upon her neck, near a bandaged area. The collar had been a piece quickly forged upon Chrysalis's capture. Etched with various runes meant to suppress magic, it was you and your sister's hope it would have the capabilities of suppressing changeling magic. The unique, jagged horn she possessed had made a normal ring impractical, but so far, it seemed the collar was working. Either that, or Chrysalis was too weak in her current state to shapeshift. It was a concerning proposition. But there was not enough knowledge on changelings in general to be sure of how to prevent their abilities from being used. "But enough of this idle chit chat," Chrysalis said bluntly, interrupting your thoughts. "Unless you have brought me somepony to feast on, why don't we cut to why you're here. I get irritable when I'm hungry, and I'm feeling quite famished." Her eyes suddenly gleamed at the last part of her musing, a soft glow evident in the dim light of the dungeon. "If you insist," Celestia replied, sounding rather dejected. "While it would appear your plans for retribution against our kingdom have failed, your magic still has a grip upon my protégé and fellow princess, Twilight Sparkle." "Oh, how sad. The one runt that saw through my facade during the royal wedding is suddenly indisposed," Chrysalis sassed, her smirk slowly returning. "But how do you know my plan failed? How do you know I had not planned on having Twilight as my mindless protégé?" "I strongly doubt your ultimate plan was to be defeated by a sole being who is not even native to our realm," you answer. No sooner do you finish, you feel a sensation akin to being smacked upon the back of the head. Reeling from the unexpected assault, out of the corner of you spot Celestia glancing over at you, none too pleased. At least Anon hasn't figured out how to send physical sensations through the link the two of you share. Meanwhile, all of the arrogance Chrysalis has displayed thus far is gone as she gingerly rises to her hooves. Wincing a bit as a few audible pops sound off from her stiff joints, she nonetheless keeps her suddenly stern eyes set upon you. "Perhaps my children are even more stupid than I believe them to be, but it was my understanding your little toy was devoid of magic and utterly helpless," she growls, taking a few steps closer to the bars of her cell. "Your... children?" you ask, somewhat confused. "My hive, all the changelings in it. They are descendants of my original children, if not directly by offspring. Is that a problem?" "No," both you and your sister quickly respond. Mentally, you and Celestia exchange feelings of disgust. "Now, humor me and I might suddenly feel a bit more sympathetic to your plight," she snorts. "How does somepony who is 'completely helpless and ignorant' not only defy my attempt to feed upon him, but come back and make a fool out of me? What sort of trickery is this?" You do not actually believe her words, do you? you ask your sibling. She fidgets a bit at your question, hesitant to answer. Not really, she replies slowly. But at the same time, it's clear her overinflated ego has taken a pretty big hit. Maybe if we feed her a little tidbit, she might be more receptive? You ponder her suggestion. You don't see much harm in letting her in on a vague piece of the puzzle, but as far as helping your case, it's not likely. Fine, but let me speak, sister, you reply. You have never done well at embellishing the truth. In your head, you hear something akin to murmuring coming from Celestia, with "practice" being the only discernable word. It really does not take much thought to understand, as you shoot her a dirty glance. "Are you two going to sit there and make stupid faces at each other all day?" Chrysalis snaps. "I didn't ask for a show." "I suppose if you must know, this has been a... recent development," you tell her. "It was our understanding he did not have magic either, but he has somehow come to possess it." Chrysalis merely stands there, staring blankly at you for a time before her brow furrows. "Just like that, all of a sudden he has the power to get through my strong hide?" "Do you have an explanation?" you respond back with your own inquiry. "You must consider, he is not from our lands. According to him, magic does not exist in his realm. With such a unique occurrence, how are we to know what to expect will happen as he adapts?" "So you just decide to adopt him as your personal pet? I'm surprised at you, I expected better from somepony who once came so close to exclusively ruling over Equestria," Chrysalis sasses back. Her biting tone and taunt ignites your fuse, but you snuff it out before you act upon it. "He is not our 'pet,' as you so eloquently describe him, and I do not take pride in my past," you explain calmly. "Whatever," she replies, brushing aside your response. "I'm growing bored of this charade. Now tell me, why should I be willing to let Twilight Sparkle free of my control? What good does that do me?" You exchange glances with your sister, both of you silent both physically and mentally. After all, what counter do you even have to that? 'Because it's morally the right thing to do' is not likely to make the cut. "Ah, and there's the problem the two of you face, and why I am truly not defeated," Chrysalis cackles in delight. "I knew my plan of infiltrating Canterlot was perhaps a bit too bold, but I learned from my last mistake. I made sure I had a bargaining chip this time in case things were to go awry." "You talk quite highly of yourself when the two of us possess knowledge far beyond the average pony," Celestia retorts, her patience slowly beginning to run out. "How can you be so sure we won't find a way to reverse the spell you have placed upon Twilight?" "Oh, I highly doubt you will. This little spell that puts Twilight under my hoof is quite old, and has been lost for some time. It requires a little improvisation to normal changeling magic," Chrysalis replies, becoming more smug by the second. "Tell me, how much closer have you gotten since last night? Your little princess of love found a cute little anecdote last night, but has she gotten closer?" Your heart skips a beat at her last sentence, flashing back to last night's conversation with Cadance. "You have been faking injury this whole time?" you blurt. "No, but that doesn't mean I haven't caught little bits of information here and there," she teases with an ever-widening smirk. You're beginning to feel quite unsettled by the pleasure she is getting from this back and forth battle. Judging by the slight ruffling of her wings, Celestia is growing uncomfortable as well. "Let's just cut right to the chase, no more bickering," Chrysalis continues. "I'm willing to let you have your little princess back. All you need to do is let me go free." "Absolutely not," you interject angrily. "You have been a scourge of Equestria for far too long as it is, why should we even dare to think about this proposition?" Chrysalis takes some amusement from your response, a chuckle erupting from her that softly echoes around you. "Well, certainly you're not afraid to voice your opinion. But I wonder if you both feel that way..." As she pauses, her head cocks in the direction of Celestia. "Well, what do you think?" The fact that Celestia hasn't responded instantly throws you through a loop, enough that you cannot remain quiet. "Sister, you are not truly considering this, are you?" Her head darts over to you, her eyes reluctant to focus upon you as her expression grows dour. However, she remains calm enough to keep her reply private. Luna, in all my years, I have never seen anything quite like the spell Chrysalis has used. If this is something so old that it took years for somepony within their culture to uncover and practice, how long will it take us to even scratch the surface? We can find some way to reverse this spell, Tia, you reassure her. But Chrysalis has been a scourge of Equestria for some time now, we cannot afford to let her roam free once again. Your sister's gaze hardens upon you. I didn't say we couldn't find the solution, it's a matter of how long it will take to find it. You forget that time is nothing to us, it is everything to those we hold dear. What about Twilight? Her family, her friends? It could be a month, it could be years until we return her to normal, and that is time she will never get back. Forgive me, as I mean no offense, but are you not a bit biased in this decision? you ask, treading lightly as you move along. What of those that Chrysalis may harm if we are to let her free? Do their lives matter less than that of your student? I am not saying that. But you must consider, if it were not for Twilight, would you be here beside me? What of Discord? Not only did she stop him, but she and her friends also helped to make him an ally. Let us not forget, it was she who revealed Chrysalis's true identity the first time around. Think of those she may not be able to help. You have to admit, while it goes against the 'greater good' mentality on the surface, Celestia makes a fair point; Twilight Sparkle has been more than Celestia's mere student and your friend for some time now. She has already proven invaluable on more than a few occasions, and has a bright future ahead of her. You don't respond back, merely hanging your head in a sign of deference to your sister's counter-argument. "Ugh, you two are even bigger freaks than I give you credit for," Chrysalis chimes in. "I suppose you have some sort of sisterly bond that allows you to talk about this silently." "It is not important, but we have decided your... proposal is acceptable," Celestia speaks up, her voice much more confident than it was just moments ago in private. At once, Chrysalis clops her front hooves together in delight. "Oh, I knew you would see things my way," she gushes, much to Celestia's chagrin. A strand of your sister's golden magic twists out from her horn, reaching back behind her head into her mane. A few moments of rummaging and she retrieves the key to Chrysalis's cell, hovering in the air. While it is an added sense of security, you've always found it quite unseemly how Tia tucks away important items in there. "Sister, could you get the shackles down the hall near the stairs?" Celestia requests, turning to you momentarily. "Better safe than sorry, I suppose." "Oh, must you two ruin the mood?" Chrysalis sasses again, rolling her eyes. "This momentous agreement should be celebrated with pomp and circumstances. Perhaps some sort of commemorative items, like horn rings!" You don't even have time to react to the odd statement, as something from above drops onto your head, the unexpected weight causing you to drop to the floor. Nearby, you hear your sister let out a low grunt as she hits the floor as well. But all other thoughts are pushed aside as cold iron slips over your horn in a swift motion, the iciness sweeping through to your core as you feel your magic being sealed off from your grasp. As you attempt to rise and throw off the assailant, you feel it put a hoof upon your neck, warning you with uncomfortable pressure. "Oh, that worked flawlessly," Chrysalis cackles. You manage to shift your head enough to catch a glimpse of her smirking at you, before the pressure on your neck changes, the hoof shifting into another form entirely. Something larger. A growl tells you whatever this changeling has changed to, it's big. But your attention is drawn to one in front of you as it unlocks Chrysalis's cell with the key Celestia held moments ago. The cell door slides open with a nudge of a hoof and a resounding clang. "The wonderful thing about bugs, they thrive in the dark; they're almost impossible to find unless they want to be seen," Chrysalis muses as she steps out of her prison, close enough to you that you can only make out her legs. You note that even with her freedom, her steps are still somewhat unsteady with weakness. Sister, you reach out with your mind. I'm fine, just as indisposed as you are though, she grumbles. You hear a hiss from the changeling nearest its queen, followed by a smack. "Oh shut up," Chrysalis bellows. "You have no right to complain about what I call you when your ineptitude dealing with her and her monkey friend is the reason I'm here." With a jolt, you're yanked up off the floor, the hand grasping you growing larger and holding the majority of you now. Out of the corner of your eye, you see your sister in the same predicament, as well as the snout of a black dragon covered in a chitin hide. But a clearing of her throat directs your attention back forward to Chrysalis, who is positively glowing with enthusiasm at the scenario before her. "My how quick the tables turn, don't they?" she coos. "Not only do I get out of jail, I still get your beloved Twilight. And while I would just love to finish off this day with the two of you under my control, I have to admit I'm in no shape to deal with you," she sneers. "You act as if you will be able to waltz right out of the castle," Celestia snaps. "Our guards are on high alert, you won't get far." "Oh, don't give me that. I already know the two of you are so paranoid, you've spread your guards out around the castle, and couldn't even trust them enough to have them stand by down here," she retorts, stepping toward Celestia and prodding her with a hoof. "Other than a few scouts to tell me what's going on outside of my cell, you two let your paranoia do the bulk of the work for me. There's just one little thing left to take care of," she muses, as her assisting drone pries off her collar. "While I'd love to find out what makes your friend tick, I'm going to have to settle with shutting him up. Permanently." Your eyes narrow at her heartless comment, as she sashays over to you. "You won't lay a hoof on him," you growl. "Oh no, I won't. I can hear all my children's thoughts in my head, and I know you've sealed off your room. But I've fortunately had a few flies on the wall to keep track of everything, they will take care of him." Flies on the w- No! Nausea and fear envelop you and you frantically start to struggle your way out of the shapeshifted changeling's grip. Chrysalis only chuckles as her body is enveloped in a green glow, twisting and warping her form, condensing it down before a castle guard pegasus stands in her place. She wobbles a bit in a daze at first, but shakes her head and composes herself. The changeling next to her also shifts into a guard, but Chrysalis shakes her head in disapproval. "You two keep these buffoons at bay while I get out of here. If you make it out alive, make sure you aren't followed before coming back to the hive," she commands. Without another word, she trots off. The fake guard growls his displeasure, but stays. Luna! comes a pained cry from your head. You can sense in his message Anon is in deep trouble. Hold on, I'm coming Anon! you shout back, struggling with all your might as you frantically buck with all your might at thin air. But the faux dragon tightens his grip, squeezing the breath out of you. Fortunately, in his focus upon you, the changeling does not pay his other captor much attention, being held closer to his body. Your sister lets out a war cry, able to buck your captor in the leg and free herself in his roar of pain. The guard goes to subdue your sister, but Celestia is quicker, as she pirouettes and slams a hind hoof into its muzzle, sending the fake sprawling into a wall, where the creature slumps. With the distraction, you're able to wriggle free, before dropping down as Tia headbutts the dragon in the gut. "Tia!" you cry as you duck a frantic swipe of the dragon's talons. Celestia does as well, but she shakes her head as her eyes dart to you momentarily. I am fine, I'll deal with this!" she shouts. "Alert the guards, and go to Anon, now!" You don't need to be told twice as you quickly turn around and gallop down the corridor as fast as your hooves will take you. There is no alertness in your mind, you're blindly sprinting and this point, reaching the spiral staircase with nopony in sight. Anon, Anonymous, hang in there! you plead. You don't get much of a response aside from a few grunts, as you sense his frantic struggle in which he is involved. You were stupid to put that spell upon your room! Even if the magic he has been imbued with from Nightmare Moon is similar enough that he can pass through the barrier, no guards can aid him if he is trapped. But maybe he can fend his attackers off? He's already done so with Chrysalis, surely he can do it again with a couple of lowly changeling drones, right? It's not a guarantee though, which makes you worry more as you push yourself to climb faster. Cursing yourself as you stumble multiple times through your trek up the stairs, you finally reach the top and twist the figure nearby to open the door. "GUARDS!" you bellow, turning your Canterlot Voice up to its maximum level. You bolt down the hall even as you hear the approaching hooves of your sworn protectors. Your eyes are locked onto your bedroom door, and a lone stallion guard standing in front of it. He catches sight of you before you reach him, just as a group of five other guards crest the stairs and meet you. "Guards, my sister is fending off a changeling in the dungeon, assist her," you direct two of them, pointing down the hall. In a flash, they gallop toward the entrance. "The rest of you, make sure nopony leaves the castle. I do not care if they are a fellow guard, your best friend, nothing. Lock down the castle." The three guards that also just arrived salute and set off on high alert, leaving the guard whom you had encountered earlier before you. "Your Highness, I heard was sounded like a scuffle in your r-" "I know, get this off my horn at once," you order the guard, directing your attention at the cursed ring. A few moments of his magic removing the seal and it slides off. You waste no more time as you dispel the seal upon your room even as you barge through the door. It looks as if a whirlwind has torn through your room, with possessions scattered across the floor. You spy a changeling against the far wall to your right, the flaked paint upon the wall showing where it had impacted and fallen. But your eyes quickly dart to your bed, where another drone lays slumped, the air about it crackling with raw magic. Right next to Anon, who also lays upon the sheets, his legs draped over the side of the bed as if he had fallen backward. "Anon!" you shout, your heart caught in your throat. But he doesn't stir. What's worse, you do not "feel" his presence through the link. You quickly charge over to the bed and leap up upon it. As you land, you let out a sharp cry as you get a better view. On his other side, initially obstructed from your viewpoint, the cool blue linens of your bed are soaked, dyed almost black at this point as a smell of copper hits your nose. The mess traces its way back to where Anonymous lies, the right side of his neck profusely bloodied by puncture wounds. "No! Nonononono!" Frantically, you reach for an area of the sheet that isn't matted with blood, seizing it with your magic and pressing it to his neck with your hooves. "Your Highness..." Anon still doesn't stir, his face frighteningly pale as you try to prod him awake with one hoof, while your other one stays glued to his neck. There isn't much of a flow now, maybe it's working... "Your Highness..." Tears start streaming from your eyes as you resort to shaking him. He has to be messing with you, this is just an awful prank, he's going to jump up and boop your nose, and you're going to smack him for this. Anon, please, stop this. An exhale suddenly escapes his lips. Then, nothing. "Your Highness, I'm sorry." You turn your head slowly finding the guard has a gentle hold of Anon's arm, a single hoof placed upon his wrist. He shakes his head forlornly as he lets the limb lightly drop from his grasp. "No. No, he just needs a doctor. He's not gone, he can't be. He's not-" You start losing grip on your composure, collapsing onto the bed and nuzzling Anon's face, oblivious to the crimson liquid soaking into your fur. This is a nightmare, isn't it? You never woke up from when Nightmare Moon crammed your lost memories into your mind. It has to be, there's no way this is reality. Just more torture from the recesses of your psyche. But it's not. As much as you want to believe it, as much as you want to wake up, open your eyes and find Anonymous beside you in bed, his arms around you. Snuggling with him in the rays of the morning sun, hearing his voice break the silence, even his stupid jokes... You sob, wrapping your hooves around him as you just let go of yourself. Why? Why? At some point, you think you start screaming. You don't really know, it all just feels surreal as the whole world whirls around you in a haze. Different voices come and go, a nudge here and there on your body, but you do not yield. "...I will not tell you again, I am fine. I am much more concerned about-" The familiar voice of your sister is enough to bring you to riase your head from Anon's body. You lock eyes with Celestia, who stands in the doorway in shock. "Oh, Luna..." You feel her magic start to tug at you, while you vainly struggle against it. "No! Let me go! " Flailing about gets you nowhere as you just shut your eyes and wail. A moment later you feel yourself touch the ground as two powerful limbs simultaneously wrap themselves around your body. You crack your eyes open enough to see the white fur of your sister's chest, already beginning to be streaked and matted with the blood rubbing off of you. Pressing yourself into the comfort of her embrace, you let loose another bout of heavy sobs, frozen in time as the world around tries to continue on. "Your Highness, I-" "I swear to Tartarus if you ask me one more time to see the doctor-" your sister's angered voice stops, as you feel the presence of her wings make themselves known around you. "My sister is much more important than a few cuts and scrapes," she says, the venom in her voice diluted. "O-Of course, I understand," the guard pony stutters. "I regret to inform you that even though we have every exit covered and guards outside keeping their eyes peeled, we have yet to locate Chrysalis." "I was afraid of that. Are you sure everypony is - well, who they say they are?" "Tests are in process, it will take a while, but nopony is allowed off the premises in the meantime. The dungeon is secure, there is a detail down there ensuring those two will not escape-" "And these two?" You hear Celestia interrupt. "One is unconscious, looks to have internal injuries. The one on the bed is deceased." "Thank you." Deceased. That word just hangs in your head, repeating over and over. It wasn't even about your friend, the guard did not mention him. He didn't need to. Anon is gone. Chrysalis is gone. And with her, Twilight Sparkle is gone. That is all these creatures do - take. They take and take, careless to what their actions cause. You have seen it, and now, Chrysalis has forced you to experience it. Taken your friend. Taken the one you love. All for a bruised ego, a score to settle in a war she began. Something clicks in your mind as your grief begins to bubble in your heart, churning and mixing with seething, unbridled anger. You will give her a taste of her own medicine. You will take everything from her.