Shakily, Thorax ran his hole riddled hoof over the cold face of the prone changeling before him, gently closing her eyes as silent sobs wracked his body.
This tiny female had not been with the hive for even a week before the disastrous assault on Canterlot, and she was by no means the first. Slowly and agonizingly, changelings had been dropping to the ground, too weak to go on, and Thorax could do nothing to stop it, for he was dwindling just as much as the rest. Slowly, he felt what little love was left inside him diminishing, hunger growing in its place.
And he knew if things didn't change soon, all the few remaining changelings will die out.
"Alright, do it," said Thorax, his fellow changelings that were in the chamber with him giving him a nod.
If any... anything that came out of what happened in Canterlot could be counted as even slightly good, it was the fact that the other changelings stayed true to Twilight's demands and followed him. It wasn't an official changeling decree for them to obey the one who took down their leader, but it worked nonetheless. It might be because there was no point in doing otherwise, it would not make their situation any better.
Tears of mourning, regret, and self loathing streamed down Thorax's cheeks as the four other changelings lowered the lifeless body into a hole in the ground, one of the many in the hive that open and close spontaneously as is the norm for changelings nest. Just as they pulled their hooves away, the hole closed like a pulsating artery, opening up again to reveal its empty depth. This was the equivalent of a changeling funeral, any recently deceased changeling place in a changeling hive hole simply vanished.
It was believed the went to a place where love flows through the ground like rivers.
But Thorax had no time to dwell on his people's religious beliefs, gesturing for his company to follow him as he buzzed deeper into the hive. With that little one’s death, the hive’s numbers were down to about three dozen. After Twilight released them from the clutches of the hideous mass of tendrils that calls itself 'Hermaeus Mora', the first thing Thorax did was recall all the changelings back to the hive, even the reconnaissance party that Chrysalis had sent deep into Equestria's infrastructure.
Thorax bore no grudge against Equestria for Chrysalis, they had every right to destroy her for what she tried to do.
But the moment he saw her struck down Thorax knew that they were in really deep trouble. Changelings had always been fed love energy by the queen herself. She never told them why this was, but after every successful raid on any source of love, Chrysalis would channel some to all of them through the changelings' hivemind.
So with her death, their only source of sustenance was gone, as well as the cruel voice they had all heard their whole lives.
It was Thorax's hope that they could find a solution if all the remaining changelings were to work together, but all attempts failed. Twilight was right, Chrysalis was the only one of them that had even an iota of higher intelligence, the rest (Thorax included) only had rudimentary intelligence. Even their magic was limited to levitation and that spell that turns them into living green comets.
But Thorax had one idea left.
They needed to reach out to the ponies of Equestria. Their magical knowhow and intelligence was matched by no other creature on Equis, so if anyone could pull them from the brink, it was them. This fact Thorax was most positive about after remembering Twilight’s battle with Chrysalis, Twilight’s hunger for knowledge was too strong for Chrysalis' hunger for love to stand up to.
But there was an obstacle against this last ditch effort.
Thorax dared not approach the Equestrian rulers. They had no right to just ask for their help, not after what happened at the wedding. And as weak as they were now, if Equestria decided to seek retribution, it would ensure their end for good.
The only solution Thorax could come up with to at least minimize the possibility of that outcome would be to bring Equestria a peace offering.
But they had only one thing of value left. One thing that Equestria might be remotely interested in so as not to either kill them on the spot, or lock them in a dungeon and let their own starvation finish them off. One thing that was constantly guarded by the one changeling that would not do as Twilight said and listen to him.
Thorax and his company landed in their late queen's throne room, the abominable black chair made of made of magic sucking stone sitting in front of them.
A changeling with a red frill stood within, green changeling goop anchoring him as it stretched all over the room.
With a hiss, Pharynx growled, "Come any closer and I will bite your faces off!"
Thorax sighed, ever since he had proposed they hoof over Chrysalis's throne to Equestria, Pharynx had strapped himself to it with his own goop. That was over a year in a half ago.
"We lost another, Pharynx," he said, one last tear rolling down his face.
Pharynx only hissed again. "Another worthy sacrifice in the name of our mighty queen."
"Why do you praise her?" asked Thorax, a small scowl on his face. "Don't you realize... all this... all our suffering, it's all her fault."
"We would not be suffering if our beloved queen had accomplished her goal," snarled Pharynx. "If those despicable ponies had not interfered, we would me more powerful then ever before."
"Interfered?!" snapped Thorax, stomping his hoof. "All the ponies did was defend themselves. Don't you realize what we did was wrong!"
"We are changelings," answered Pharynx aggressively. "We feed on love, we have every right to take it by whatever means."
"By attacking the capital of a country that not only has a lot of love, but gives it freely," said Thorax. "Haven't you ever wondered why Chrysalis didn't at least try to negotiate with Equestria?"
Pharynx just turned away with a hmph.
"It's because she didn't do it solely for Equestria's love," explained Thorax, probably for the hundredth time to this particular changeling. "She relished in the suffering, from both the ponies and us. She was nothing but a cruel tyrant."
"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT OUR MIGHTY QUEEN LIKE THAT," yelled Pharynx, veins throbbing on his neck. "She was a true leader, a title you insult by ordering our kind around in her absence. If not for that murderous demon unicorn, she would still be here, leading us on the path of glory."
'Like she was just supposed to lie down and let Chrysalis turn her loved ones against her,' thought Thorax bitterly.
"I will ask one more time, Pharynx," said Thorax, a great regret in his voice as he levitated a small jagged rock. "Will you allow us to take Chrysalis's throne so we can present it to Equestria as a peace offering?"
"NEVER," yelled Pharynx, his tongue wiggling as he hissed while he spoke. "This throne is the legacy of our queen, and it is the only thing that protects us from our enemies."
"It does not protect us from our true enemy, Pharynx," continued Thorax, taking aim at Pharynx's head as he spoke. "Day by day, our hunger grows, approaching our demise along the way. We are facing extinction, if we don't get help the few of us left will perish."
"Then we will perish as the mighty Changelings of Chrysalis," stated Pharynx with a steely voice.
This was not the first time this conversation had come to this dead end. Thorax didn't want to do it, but if Pharynx was going to cling to this idealism so stubbornly what choice did he have? One more changeling or them all, it was not an easy choice, but it was an obvious one.
"So you refuse to allow me to pursue the one path that could save us?" asked Thorax, deep regret in his voice.
"I would rather die."
'So be it,' thought Thorax, letting out a small whimper as he readied his improvised projectile. 'Forgive me, brother.'
"THORAX!"
The small, feminine shout threw Thorax's aim off, sending the stone sailing past Pharynx and missing his head by an inch. He had not the slightest change in expression as a small section of throne next to him cracked slightly. Though he did draw his attention to the small changeling that sprinted into the room, just like his brother.
"Ocellus?" inquired Thorax worriedly, his last train of thought forgotten as he took in the young changeling's terrified expression. "What's wrong?"
"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE BADLANDS TO MAKE THOSE RIDICULOUS FLOWER NECKLACES!" screamed Pharynx from above, taking in the blue plants around the young changeling's neck.
Thorax flashed Pharynx a small sneer, but soon brought his attention to the small changeling that had just arrived.
If ever there was a changeling more meek than him, it would be Ocellus. Always so shy, always sneaking out to the border to make necklaces out of the blue flower that grows among the trees there, for along with absorbing magic, Chrysalis's throne also sucks the life out of smaller lifeforms, such as bugs or plants. It was the reason the Badlands were completely barren.
As well as the reason Ocellus had to travel so far to indulge in her favorite hobby, which she obviously continued even with their current dire situation.
"What is wrong, Ocellus?" asked Thorax, slightly worried.
Ocellus took a while to answer, still trying to catch her breath. "Ponies... in the Badlands. And they are heading for the hive!"
Thorax's breath caught in his throat. He and other the changelings had been worried that ponies would come here seeking retribution. Twilight may have 'let them off with a warning' but they weren't delusional, they knew that not everypony would be so eager to forgive.
"And that's not all," continued Ocellus, slight tears budding in the corners of her eyes, fear evident in her voice. "Three are alicorns, that must mean they are the princesses. And they have brought a dragon too."
That piece of the message got Thorax thinking.
"How many more ponies are with them?" he asked, hoping he was right.
"Seven, two from each pony tribe, all mares, and one other unicorn who is a stallion."
With that Thorax's theory was confirmed, it had to be Twilight Sparkle. And in a second, Thorax formulated a plan. Twilight had been merciful enough to let them go, despite having the means and motivation to eradicate them as a species all together.
Maybe... just maybe, they could be convinced to help.
In fact, that might be why they were here to begin with, judging by what the intel on each of them said.
"Round up all the changelings that are left," Thorax said to the four changelings that had entered the chamber with him. "We will all go out and meet these ponies."
"Thorax, these are the princesses," stated one of the changelings, his shoulders shaking. "They were formidable to us before the invasion, as we are now they will slaughter us."
"I don't intend to fight," said Thorax, his tone serious. "I am going to beg... no, plead for their aid."
"YOU ARE A DAMN FOOL!" shouted Pharynx, his outburst drawing all their attention. "Don't you see, this is a golden opportunity. Those miserable ponies have wandered into our territory, where thanks to this magic throne of our beloved queen, only our magic can reign."
"I will hear no more of this, Pharynx," said Thorax, turning away from the changeling self bound to that magic sucking monstrosity. "This is our only chance, if we squander it trying something aggressive, it will surly mean our doom."
"If you would use this situation right, the only ones doomed would be the ponies!" replied Pharynx aggressively, "How can you not take advantage of their presence here, with the princesses no less."
" You saw what Twilight did in Canterlot," stated Thorax, a worried frown on his muzzle. "And now she has the princesses with her, what chance would we have?"
"Even those feathered nuisances would be powerless here," snapped Pharynx.
"And do you think they would be obviously heading our way if that was the case? continued Thorax as suspicion after suspicion rattled in his mind. "If Ocellus saw them right on the border they have to have entered into the throne's barrier by now. If it was affecting them, they would have noticed."
"Preposterous!" grunted Pharynx, gritting his teeth, wincing as the fang he damaged biting Shining Armours barrier twinged. "How would they be unaffected by the throne's coveted powers?"
"Hermaeus Mora," was all Thorax replied with, all changelings present gasping than shaking with fear. Even Pharynx flinched. "Do you honestly think that if that monstrous entity is involved with this, the throne would stop him?"
Pharynx just sat there, only blinking, but Thorax had had enough.
"Leave him," he said to Ocellus and the others. "We will head out and greet our visitors."
---
Pharynx snapped back to reality just in time to see Thorax and the others buzzing away into holes in the distance.
He would sooner be tortured and die before admitting it, but he feared Hermaeus Mora. Not for what he saw him do in Canterlot, but for what he genuinely is. All his years of head of Chrysalis' patrol, Pharynx had only ever faced one type of enemies.
The kind that had only one solitary body.
Seeing something that can manifest in multiple locations like that was a concept even Pharynx found terrifying. But Hermaeus Mora or no Hermaeus Mora, Pharynx wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. No matter what that goody four hooves Thorax had to say.
'Thorax,' Pharynx sneered in his mind, a devious grin in his muzzle.
He may just be able to use this situation to kill multiple birds with one stone. With a flash of green magic, Pharynx sliced through his bonds and slinked into the shadows.
---
(A few hours earlier)
Three covered chariots inlaid with gold and precious gemstone landed in the trees at the border of the Badlands, the pegasus guards pulling them neighing as they slid to a stop.
"Thank you, sirs," said Princess Celestia as she exited her chariot, Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armour in tow.
Rainbow fluttered out of the next chariot, Spike and Pinkie following. Applejack and Rarity stepped out of the last chariot, Rarity batting her lashes in thanks to the stallions who pulled them, much to Spike's annoyance. But it wasn't long before they noticed some were missing.
"Excuse me girls," Princess Celestia said to Applejack and Rarity, " Where are Fluttershy and my student?"
"Fluttershy still needs a little more time, your majesty," answered Applejack, bowing respectfully.
"Poor dear," said Rarity, looking back into the interior of the wagon. "Even after everything she's been through, she still is as delicate as only she can be."
"You can say that again," said Rainbow, rolling her eyes.
"But she has Twilight in there to help her through it," said Pinkie happily.
Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armour agreed, though they weren't sure why Rarity swooned.
---
Fluttershy trembled slightly as her mulberry friend stroked her mane. It had not surprised Twilight in the slightest that Fluttershy had clung to her once the barren landscape came into view from their airborne point of view, that foreboding dark structure off in the distance could only be the changeling hive, their unfortunate destination. It would seem that even three years of studying destructive magic and cold logic could not make Fluttershy change, though that thought was a tremendous relief to Twilight.
"I... I don't know if I can... go through with this," said Fluttershy shakily, slight tears leaking from her eyes. "What if... the changelings attack us?"
"I won't lie and say that it isn't a possibility," said Twilight, her heart trembling in her breast when Fluttershy's trembling increased. "If you would like, you could stay here with the carriages. I'm sure you would have nothing to worry about this far from the Badlands, and I might even convince Rainbow to stay with you."
Fluttershy peeked up, slight run marks on her cheeks.
Twilight wore a look that told the whole story of what she was feeling. She was worried for her own and her friends' safety, as well as Fluttershy's mental well being. She could also see Twilight's desire to be doing this solo, so her friends would not be in danger.
And Fluttershy was not going to have it.
Last time Twilight faced a situation alone, it lead to an eldritch interdimensional being crawling into Equestria. No, Fluttershy would not let herself be left here just so she could be out of danger. Plus, Twilight didn't deserve to be going it alone anymore.
And that was the reason Twilight got a gentle smile.
"I am with you, Twilight," said Fluttershy, wiping away her fearful tears before they could be present any longer. "Even if it will be dangerous at times."
Twilight threw her head back slightly in surprise.
"Fluttershy, I... I appreciate that..." Twilight started, looking into her friend's teal eyes with a spike of regret. "But I shouldn't just let you follow me into a dangerous situation, not if there is a chance for you to avoid it."
Twilight did not like the look Fluttershy cast down to her flank.
" I... I don't think that is an option anymore, Twilight," said Fluttershy shakily,"You, me, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity... we... we are bound to Hermaeus Mora. If there is something that I noticed while studying the Daedric Prince's... their followers... while they don't always meet with disaster and tragedy... almost never live lives that don't involve danger and adventure."
Fifteen years of studying, fifteen years of knowledge on Daedric Princes, and Twilight never made that connection.
What was going to happen now? Fluttershy was right, those in service to the Daedra had a habit of living very unique lives. Even if they did meet Hermaeus Mora's demands someday, she doubted the mark of Hermaeus Mora upon their flanks would disappear.
How would her life turn out... her friends... all of Equestria?
"And that is why I shouldn't try to hide from it," said Fluttershy, snapping Twilight out of her mulling. "Whatever will happen, this is the direction our lives are going. I will do myself and my friends no favors by hiding away."
Twilight watched as her friend slipped from the carriage to join the group. What Fluttershy had said was still on her mind,
about what was going to happen to them afterwards. But the conviction in Fluttershy's tone after she said it also gave her hope. No matter what was to come, they were in this together and she herself knew they will face it head on, no matter what.
With a smile that was part confidence and part relief, Twilight leaped down from the carriages, all of them leaving the stationary pegasus guards to stand sentinel as they made their way to the border of the Badlands.
---
"Finally, we're here," said Rainbow as the mobile party arrived at a cliff that dropped down into the barren landscape of grey below.
They had arrived at the border about an hour ago, but Twilight had seen this cliff some distance off to the left and decided it would be a better starting point then the spot they first found. Why? A sizable boulder sat at the end of the ledge, making it the perfect spot to test the information Hermaeus Mora had shared with them about the Changeling kingdom.
"Alright, Applejack, you're up," said Twilight, looking to her earth pony friend and pointing to the boulder with a hoof.
Applejack nodded and trotted forward, arriving at the huge rock in a second. She spit on both hooves, rubbing them together, and placing them on the boulders. While it was a rock of impressive size, Applejack was a seasoned earth pony, so it should be well within her ability to at least budge it slightly.
With a deep inhale, Applejack threw all her strength into her hooves, pushing for as much as she was worth.
The boulder never even trembled.
"I guess that proves it," said Applejack, looking behind her to her approaching company. "Equestrian magic doesn't work here."
Rainbow (who had uncharacteristically walked up with the rest of them) flapped her wings as hard as she could, but her hooves stayed planted in the dirt. She huffed through her nostrils and pouted.
Celestia lit her horn, but her bright aura vanished from her horn into a puff of mist and was pulled out towards the foreboding structure in the distance. "It is as we feared, Sister."
Luna nodded in understanding, her own horn's aura flowing off into the distance.
When Twilight and the others explained that Hermaeus Mora had learned that the Badlands was host to a magic throne that sucked up all magic, they weren't only surprised, they also grew suspicious. This was not the first time they had encountered this type of phenomenon.
"It would ge safe to assume we were correct, sister," said Luna, looking at the faraway structure with a sneer. "Chrysalis's throne is made of mananite."
The rest of them looked at each other nervously.
After Twilight had explained how the throne worked, the royal sisters told them of a substance they came across a thousand years ago. It was shortly after they vanquished Discord, and while Equestria was recovering, the first encounter with mananite occurred. It was a horrible black stone that sucked the energy out of whatever was nearby, plant, pony, animal, didn't matter.
Since the stuff had not been present until after Discord screwed up the land it was safe to assume it was somehow formed because of him, but they wondered why it had remained even after the elements purified the land.
It was later discovered that the soon to be named mananite's magic absorption capabilities were so potent it must have even absorbed the magic of the elements. Everywhere it was found ponies could not use their inherent magic, crops would not grow, even in lands that had once been so fertile. Even the princesses' alicorn magic was susceptible to it.
A solution had to be found, before the black rock reduced Equestria to a barren wasteland.
So Celestia and Luna found a section of their kingdom that was barren on its own, no mananite around for miles. Pooling their immense alicorn magic, the cut a huge hole in the ground about an acre wide, cutting all the way down into the molten interior of the planet. It was going to be a hard and daunting task, but it was the only plan they could come up with that was sure to work.
Over the course of the next two years, Celestia and Luna, as well as as many volunteers as the could round up, scoured the land for mananite, collecting every miniscule gram so it could be deposited into the hole and absorbed by the lava below. It was exhausting, for ponies could only rely on their wits and whatever strength their bodies possess when magic is not involved to find the evil mineral. Eventually, their efforts paid off, life returned to the land and once no more mananite was turning up even in the smallest of quantity, Celestia and Luna closed up the huge deposit hole.
But it would seem that some had been missed.
"Of all ponies, why did it have to be Pheromone Signal who found the only piece of mananite that we missed," complained Celestia with an annoyed frown.
"I would like to know how she was unaffected," said Luna, still staring into the distance. "We never found a way to keep it from absorbing any and all kinds of magic."
"This complicates our situation," said Shining Armour, looking at the princesses, plus his fiance worriedly. "If we go out there, we will be defenseless."
"Not necessarily, big brother," said Twilight, looking to Pinkie Pie and nodding.
Before their eyes, Pinkie bounced on her poofy tail and into the open air over the cliff. Celestia opened her mouth to protest, but stopped as she saw Pinkie make circular gestures with her hooves, a trail of purple sparks following in their wake. With a strange noise, Pinkie halted right before disappearing under the ledge, her grinning face sinking slowly beneath the edge.
Looking over, they all saw Pinkie descending slowly to the ground, her hooves resting on pink ripples that spread beneath her, though only the royalty were surprised.
"I'm glad my suspicion was correct," said Twilight, waving to Pinkie as she waved from below. "Mananite can't absorb magicka, so the spells the girls, Spike, and I have brought from Apocrypha will work here."
"I have never seen a levitation spell like that," said Luna interestingly.
"It's called a Slow Fall spell, your majesty," explained Rarity, "It's only meant to gracefully guide someone in free fall to the ground safely."
Luna nodded, her attention on the pink earth pony below.
"Princess Celestia," said Twilight worriedly, approaching her tall alabaster teacher. "Are you sure you want to follow us past this point? My friends and I still have access to our magic from Nirn, but you and the others will be defenseless."
"I am sure, Twilight," said Celestia, her tone compassionate but serious. "With or without my magic, I need to be present, to show the changelings that I myself want peace." She smiled at Twilight's worried look. "And if it comes down to it, I have every faith that you and your friends will prevent me or my sister from being harmed."
Twilight nodded, of course they would defend their princesses.
"Well, let's get this cattle train moving," said Applejack, gesturing with those same pink sparks and leaping off the ledge.
The rest followed, also using the same spell to gently float down on pink ripples.
"Hey wait," said Shining Armour when only he, the princesses, and Spike remained. "How are we going to get down?"
"Oh, don't worry, I got this," said Spike smugly.
The four ponies could only stare as Spike gestured with his claws, them too trailing pink sparks. Never before had a dragon used magic like this, and the sight surprised them slightly. But rather than shower over himself like the others, the sparks condensed between his claws as he held them before him. A purple gyroscope formed in Spike's claws, spinning as it illuminated pink light.
Then it flew at them, showering them all in pink sparks.
"Well, let's catch up with the others, shall we?" said Spike, casting another spell on himself and casually walking off the ledge, pink ripples under his feet.
Not wanting to waste any time, the four royal ponies followed suit. They had used magic all their lives, but this was different. The pink ripples under them had a somewhat tranquil effect as if guided them gently to the ground to land safely on their hooves.
As they made their way into the sand strewn land ahead, they didn't see the changeling eyes that opened on the boulder Applejack had tried to move, watching them head to the hive above the broken flower stems beneath.