//------------------------------// // Chapter 41 - Plans // Story: To Be a Changeling // by PlagueRat //------------------------------// “They did what?!” exclaimed Twilight. The alicorn, in a state of complete dismay, tipped her chair over and crashed to the floor as she attempted to quickly exit her seat. Triggered by the resulting tremor from her fall, the haphazardly stacked books and scrolls on the headmare’s desk began to tumble over in a cascade of parchment that buried the purple mare and littered the floor. A transparent raspberry colored aura coalesced within the disarray and then there was a flash of bright light. The alicorn, using a teleportation spell, vanished from under the jumble and now stood snout to snout with her changeling student. “They went to rescue Sandbar!” repeated an equally concerned Ocellus. “This is bad!” said Twilight who began to trot quickly in place. “What were they thinking?!” “Rescuing Sandbar was taking too long!” Ocellus answered and started to mimic the alicorn’s hoof movements subconsciously. “Or that’s what the note they left said!” Lifting up the startled changeling in her magic, Twilight suddenly shot forward at a gallop as if some invisible force that was keeping her in place had been removed. Out of control of her own momentum, the disoriented student pumped her legs in a way that appeared like she was running on air. Seconds later they both burst through the door of Starlight’s office, causing the light pink unicorn within to jump in surprise. “Starlight, I need you to help me gather up the girls!” explained a rapidly speaking Twilight. “Gallus, Smolder, Yona and Silverstream have gone off to save Sandbar!” “They did what?!” balked Starlight. “How do they even know where to look?” Twilight opened her mouth to elaborate but froze in place with her jaw hanging open. She turned to look at the changeling, who still floated in her magic, for the answer to the question she neglected to ask the student herself. Ocellus, realizing they were now waiting on her to enlighten them to more details, looked down at the note from her friends that she still carried. “Let me see, found out Sandbar was somewhere in Rambling Rock Ridge, didn’t have time to let you know, left right away…” the light blue changeling squeaked when she finished reading snippets from the note aloud and looked at the two mares, “it doesn’t say how.” “Rambling Rock Ridge is where Applejack said they think the changelings are,” said Starlight. “Yes but if Chrysalis now has Gallus, Silverstream, Smolder, and Yona, it creates a new set of colossal problems!” said the alicorn, “and who knows what will happen when the other kingdoms find out!” “Panicking won’t help,” the unicorn said, placing a hoof on her friend’s withers. “Take a deep breath Twilight.” Following Starlight’s suggestion, the alicorn closed her eyes and inhaled through her mouth before calmly letting her breath back out. After repeating the action a few more times Twilight opened her eyes again and nodded to the unicorn. “Okay, let’s think this over,” said Starlight. “Would Chrysalis harm any of the students?” “If I go by the stories Thorax has told me about growing up under her rule, along with our past experiences with her and if we can trust the note she sent about Sandbar and the guards, no,” the alicorn answered. “And remember when I, Trixie, Thorax and Discord went to rescue everypony from her a few years ago?” asked Starlight. “The changelings had just been keeping all of you in those cocoons when they could have simply done away with any of you.” “Thorax told me that if it could be helped, it’s not in their best interest to harm potential meals,” nodded Twilight. “So maybe there’s still is a chance for all this to work out peacefully,” said Starlight. “Starlight, I don’t think there is,” said the alicorn, looking forlorn. “Why?” blinked the unicorn. “Because I need to contact the griffon, dragon, yak and hippogriff kingdoms about the missing students,” Twilight said. “They’ll send representatives to retrieve the students and I have a feeling they’ll be very aggressive going about it.” “But why tell them?” Starlight questioned. “It’s the right thing to do,” Twilight explained. “I’m responsible for the safety of those they left in my care and that includes keeping them informed on the good and the bad things that occur here at the school.” “But if it could cause more harm than good wouldn’t it be better to wait?” asked Starlight. “Starlight, if your foal was being held by Chrysalis wouldn’t you want to know?” the alicorn rhetorically asked. “Of course!” said the unicorn, “but we don’t know if they are with Chrysalis or still just searching for the changeling’s lair. We should check around and see if we can find them first, then inform the other kingdoms. It will also give us time to try and contact Chrysalis and fix all this without anypony else getting harmed.” Seeming very conflicted, Twilight began to pace in front of Starlight’s desk. “Okay,” the purple alicorn stopped and took in a deep breath, “here is what we’ll do. I’m going to speak to lieutenant Silverspark and tell him to hold off any operations they have planned. Then I’ll ask Thorax and the other changelings to update the message on the sign. While I’m out doing that, I need you to gather up the girls and let them know about Yona, Silverstream, Smolder and Gallus. We’ll all meet back here in an hour, figure out who should stay behind to watch over the school and who will go to Rambling Rock Ridge to search for the missing students. If they can’t be found before sundown then Spike will send the letters to the other kingdoms, explaining to them what has happened and what we are doing to remedy the situation.” “Alright, I’ll go find the others,” said Starlight as she walked over to her office door. “Um Twilight?” squeaked Ocellus “Could you put me down now?” A blush of embarrassment covered Twilights cheeks as she looked at the young changeling. Ocellus was still floating helplessly in her magic and somewhere along the way ended up being upside down. “Our situation is growing more complicated,” Chrysalis addressed the assembled changelings. “Keeping the hippogriff, dragon, yak and griffon here will only lead to more trouble.” “But if we free them then they could just tell others where we are,” said Phasmid. “They already know,” grumbled the queen. “The griffon was lying through his beak, I could easily sense the increase in his anxiousness.” “My queen, why not call him out on the lie?” asked Featherwing. “Because doing that wouldn’t change the situation, others still know we are here,” said Chrysalis, “It’s better to let the griffon and his friends think they can trick us for now and use it to our advantage later.” “If others know we are here then should we begin relocating?” asked Aphid. “Yes, but right now we don’t have any place picked out to move to,” the queen said bitterly. “Frankly I’d like to just turn Sparkle’s castle into a new hive and she can go look for a new home.” “There are four locations I could suggest,” Odonate said. “Ghastly Gorge to the south west, Hayseed Swamp to the south east, the Foal Mountains to the north east or Galloping Gorge to the north west.” “Foal mountains will stick us between Canterlot, Fillydelphia and Hollow Shades,” Chrysalis thought aloud, “Hayseed swamp is close to here but will take us farther away from Ponyville. Galloping Gorge is also a good distance away and puts us closer to Vanhoover and the Crystal Empire. Ghastly Gorge has lots of hiding places but is also infested with quarry eels.” “Is there a problem with moving away from Ponyville my queen?” asked Aphid. “Only that it will make it more difficult to figure out who really attacked our Everfree hive,” answered Chrysalis. “It was the ponies and the traitors,” Featherwing said before looking from one changeling to the next, “wasn’t it?” “I’ve been talking the matter over with Odonate and have come to the belief that someone is using Thorax and the ponies as scapegoats,” Chrysalis informed them. “Thorax is too soft hearted, too tainted by pony ideology to orchestrate an unprovoked attack on us,” explained Odonate, “and Princess Sparkle is more interested in making friends than enemies.” “If they aren’t responsible then why did Leech betray the hive?” blinked a confused Featherwing. “Hopefully Vespa will catch up with him soon, return him to me and I can pry those answers from his filthy husk,” Chrysalis hissed. “But going back to our current issues-“ Stopping mid sentence, the queen focused her attention to the changeling fidgeting at the chamber entrance. “Is something wrong Bristletail?” Chrysalis asked the infiltrator. “Sorry for interrupting, your highness, but the dragon and yak have been quelled and are now freed from the mucus trap,” said the soft voiced mare. “We have them in a holding cell and await your orders for them.” “Leave them there for now,” instructed the queen, “and once we finish our conference I’ll let you know what to do with them next.” “Yes my queen,” bowed Bristletail, “I also have news from Antlion; she said the sign in Ponyville is already being updated.” “Sparkle probably knows I hold four more of her little students now,” the queen smirked, “and is eager to get them back.” Chrysalis began to pace slowly across the chamber floor, taking a moment to digest the new bits of information and add it to what she already knew or suspected. The other changeling patiently waited, giving her both silence and the time she needed. “Odonate and Phasmid, gather any changelings you need to keep lookout for any more intruders and to begin preparations to have the hive relocated to the Foal Mountains,” Chrysalis began. “I know it must be aggravating for everyling to have to move again so soon but it needs to be done.” “Yes my queen,” the two guards said in unison with a respectful bow before flying off to start on their tasks. “Aphid, I want you to take Mosquito’s place watching over the griffon, hippogriff and pony,” continued Chrysalis, moving her gaze to the scout. “Then have her return to me with my daughter. Featherwing, go with Bristletail to Ponyville and tell Antlion that I want to know the moment a single guard even looks in this direction. Once the sign has been finished and you know sparkle’s answer, come back right away.” “As you wish my queen,” the trio said and quickly left to complete their orders. Now alone, Chrysalis let out her breath and began to plot out what to say in her next letter to Twilight Sparkle.