//------------------------------// // 8 At first honeycomb sight // Story: Knowledge Brings Change // by hydra30 //------------------------------// Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watched as Hermaeus Mora's tendrils receded into the ravine they had pried open to destroy the foreboding changeling hive, intensely aware of the return of their magic. "Aw hay yeah," said Rainbow triumphantly, taking to the air on her beloved cyan wings. "It felt like forever since I last used my wings. We're back in business." "I concur, darling," said Rarity, picking up a nearby stone in her magic and smiling as its light blue color danced in her pupils. "While the magic of Nirn has its uses, nothing can compare with the grace and beauty of our natural Equestrian magic." 'Natural Equestrian magic!' "Sister," started Celestia, gaining her navy blue siblings attention. "I believe the time has come to put our contingency plan into effect." Luna gasped slightly, but quickly grew a bold look of determination and nodded. Before departing Canterlot, the royal pony sisters had devised a plan to dissuade the changelings from hostile intent, but it had been proven useless with the discovery of the changelings' possession of mananite. But now that mananite was gone, consumed by the molten rock blood of the earth, same as the rest of it. Which meant that they had a card to play themselves once again. "I hope our actions today don't start a panic in our kingdom," stated Luna with slight worry. "I informed Raven that this might happen," explained Celestia, looking to the sky and spreading her wings. "I informed her that should it come to this, deliver a message to all pony settlements that it is nothing to be concerned about." Nodding one more time, Luna faced the sky and spread her wings, same as her sister. All present, pony, changeling, dragon alike were drawn from the new crevice in the Badlands when a gust of wind swept past. All saw the two millennium old alicorns ascending into the sky about sixty feet before slowly flapping their wings and hovering in place, side by side. "I think I know what comes next," stated Fluttershy. "Can't really blame em," said Applejack, looking to the changelings with slight pity. "They did kinda bring it upon themselves." Suddenly, yellow mixed with blue, everyone looking up to see great pillars of magic being expelled from the princesses' horns. The sun halted its evening decent in the distance, everyone squinting as it floated up into position behind Celestia, bathing her silhouette in its radiant glow. The moon lifted up over the opposite horizon, coming to rest behind Luna, and despite the close proximity of the sun, it shrouded Luna in its silvery glow, making her whole body twinkle as much as her mane and tail. "CHANGELINGS OF THE BADLANDS!" The two voices echoed across the land, amplified by the Royal Canterlot Voice, powerful enough to send more debris into the crevice that swallowed the changeling hive. "THIS... IS YOUR FINAL... WARNING!" Their eyes shone with the intensity of a lighthouse at night. "CEASE YOUR HOSTILITY AND SURRENDER. YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD THE ADVANTAGE, WHAT WITH THE MANANITE ARTIFACT YOU POSSESSED, BUT NOW IT IS GONE." They spoke as if they had studied from a script, but few could understand the bond between two millennium old alicorn sisters. "AND WITH ITS DESTRUCTION, WE HAVE REGAINED OUR MAGICAL ABILITY... IF YOU DO NOT SURRENDER NOW, YOU WILL HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THE STALWART FRIENDS WHO YOU STOOD NO CHANCE AGAINST, AND WE PRINCESSES FROM EQUESTRIA." "Yeah, you hear that chumps!" shouted Rainbow, her smug tone making her friends arch an eyebrow, so much for the wisdom from a moment ago. "Now you are hopelessly outgunned. If you're still deluded enough..." "ALRIGHT... ALRIGHT!" screamed a random changeling from the front of the group. "Enough already... enough. we surrender." All the changelings bowed in the dirt and said in unison,"WE SURRENDER, WE SURRENDER, WE SURRENDER!" Relief, sweet sensational relief flooded Twilight and all her friends. It was finally over, after three years, starting out as a full on invasion to a skirmish fueled by delusion, the changelings no longer were enemies to ponies. After a long time, they can place that aspect of the story to rest. Thorax was equally relieved. It would seem, after leading a declining race (who, deep down, he felt brought extinction upon itself) for three years and watching them die off one by one while he was powerless to stop it, aid had finally come. And not only that, now he had a real friend, like he had always wanted. His attention shifted to the necklace around his neck, then to the small dragon that stood beside Twilight, a burning gratitude in his heart. Then his attention centered on Twilight alone. "Excuse me... Twilight," Twilight looked to see Thorax approach timidly. "What is it... Hermaeus Mora wants with us?" Twilight and her friends gasped in surprise. "How did you know?" "When Spike called to Hermaeus Mora for aid, he said so." --- The other changelings felt their hearts drop at hearing that. Hermaeus Mora, that tentacled monstrosity that murdered their queen, was the one who sent these ponies out here? Horrible dread found its way into their minds, this will not end well for any of... Celestia landed before them, her sister fluttering over with Cadance and Shining Armour. They cowered at first, but the expression she wore... it spoke of compassion, caring, kindness... her smile was all types of supportive they never knew existed. They certainly never got it from Chrysalis. And just like that the terror was gone. Slight unease still existed, but it was tolerable. --- Twilight looked at Spike, who only smiled nervously at her. It was not the revelation to the changelings she wanted, but what was done was done. But her attention was drawn to the clenched claw he cradled, and she remembered the terror she felt when she saw her baby dragon leap at an opening crevice. What was he thinking? What was that all about? "Please hold that thought," requested Twilight. "I need to deal with something." Thorax didn't argue as Twilight turned to Spike, he had waited for three years, he could wait a few more minutes. "Spike," snapped Twilight sternly, earning a sweatdrop from the nervous dragon before her. "What was with that stunt you pulled back there?" "Yeah," butted in Pinkie, appearing next to Twilight. "Why did you run towards a crumbling canyon?" You scared the bejeezus out of us." They all voiced their agreements. Spike looked to his clenched claw, still not fully understanding how he was holding a full changeling in the palm of his hand. But he knew he had to be gentle, or he might hurt it. The only way for it to even be in his grasp like this was if it was extremely tiny. Carefully, Spike extended his claw and spread his fingers, his pony friends gathering around as he blew on the small pile of dust that was revealed. "An ant?" inquired Rarity, shuddering slightly at the tiny insect resting in Spike's claw. "You risked your adorable scales for an ant?" "Hey Rarity," said Fluttershy, slightly irritated. "All creatures are special." "But there aren't any ants out in the Badlands, there's no sustenance out here for them," said Twilight, confused as she stared at the little black carpenter ant. "Besides, it's not acting at all like any ant I have ever seen." Taking a closer look, they realized that she was right. At one time or another, each of them had handled an ant before, and what usually happens when they are picked up is that they scurry all over the place to try and escape. This one was lying on its side in Spikes claw, curled in on itself and trembling like a scared puppy. None of them had ever seen an ant act like that before. "Is it me, or is it behaving like a filly with her hoof caught in the cookie jar?" asked Pinkie, with an arched eyebrow. "An ant," said Spike seemingly to himself. "That explains it." The others gave him a confused look as he took the tip of his index claw and began tapping the ant on its abdomen. "Come on little fella, you're going to be fine." --- Ocellus had never been more scared in her life. After the sounds of combat receded she had contemplated coming out to see if any of her fellow changelings were still alive, only for the very earth she took refuge in to shake like a leaf in a hurricane. Her tiny ant body locked up and she curled in on herself, too scared to move. Then the ground beneath her rose up around her and buried her under a mound of dust, the sensation of moving reaching her senses. She must have fallen down into... "Come on little fella, you're going to be fine." The soothing gentle voice, coupled with the gentle stroking of her abdomen was enough to snap Ocellus out of her state with equal parts surprise and reassurance. She uncurled her six legs and stood up, taking in her surroundings. Six pony faces gazed down at her, slightly flabbergasted, but that wasn't what drew her attention. The seventh face did. She recognized him from before, he had appeared along with the ponies and approached their home. She didn't know what transpired after she transformed and hid, but she did comprehend something. This dragon, whoever he was, was holding her in his claw. She knew the ground was collapsing around her and that she herself had not gotten herself to safety, being petrified with fear. So that lead to one possible conclusion, this dragon, whoever he was, had saved her life. Intense gratitude overrode Ocellus's skittish demeanor, allowing her to stare up at the face of purple scales above. And that brief boldness allowed her to see things she never thought possible. He wore a smile that told her she had nothing to fear from him, that he wasn't going to hurt her. From her vantage point, the silver moon shined behind him (she had no idea why both the sun and the moon were present, but that was of secondary concern) casting a brilliant luminescence over his shiny purple scales. His eyes were the most brilliant of green, welcoming her into them like the world's most alluring ocean, promising happiness and compassion if she were to just dive in. She didn't know how long she stared into the face above, but she knew it wasn't long enough. --- Spike smiled at the ant for a second longer before bending down and depositing it on the ground. "Please change back," requested Spike gently, his hands on his knees as he squatted. "It's rather embarrassing to have my friends believing that I risked my tail for an ant." Twilight and her friends tilted their heads in confusion, their mouths forming incomprending O's. The ant seemed to look itself over miraculously, and before their eyes, a weak pillar of green flames flashed for a moment, then a changeling stood in the ant's place. The ponies dropped their mouths open at this turn of events. This changeling was obviously female, they could see it in the soft features of her face, despite her sharing similar traits with the rest of her kind. She was much smaller compared to the othes to, her chin barely level with Spike's head spines, despite his hunched posture. Her size became more apparent as Spike stood up, his chest level with her horn. His look grew slightly uneasy as she stared at him. "Hey," he said putting a claw on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze. "Are you alright? I didn't handle you too rough, did I?" Ocellus blushed at being asked if she was okay. "I'm fine," she whispered almost too quietly for Spike to hear. "You didn't hurt me... not at all." "OCELLUS!" The frantic shout brought their attention to Thorax, who came skidding to a halt before the stunned female changeling. "You..." Thorax cast a horrified look to the distant ravine. "You were back there?" All Ocellus could do was nod in confirmation, her earlier infatuation forgotten for the moment. Thorax approached Spike, the baby dragon tensing as he towered over him. Thorax's stance was rigid and jerky, as if a flick would make him explode, literally. His eyes had a glazed look about them, a look that wasn't something anyone sane would be comfortable meeting. But Spike didn't disrespect him by looking away, he and Thorax had formed something between them. "Spike," said Thorax, his demeanor stabilizing as he bowed respectfully, "First you save me, now Ocellus. While gratitude isn't a known trait of changelings, I will never forget what transpired here today." His eyes glistened with slight tears as he looked down at Spike. "What could I ever do to repay you?" Spike cast a look of worry to Twilight and the others, but they just smiled reassuringly and Twilight gestured with a hoof for him to go on. Somehow grasping what Twilight meant, he turned tp Thorax with a smile. "You can start by accepting Hermaeus Mora's offer, thereby saving your race from extinction." Thorax's look became incomprehensible. He would have fully accepted right then and there, but something at the back of his mind demanded for answers. Answers he knew he could not proceed without. "Why does Hermaeus Mora want us?" he asked worriedly. "We don't know much about this... creature... but we do know he is all about wisdom and knowledge. Changelings have solely existed for the purpose of collecting love for our queen to feed on, and therefore to feed us. What possible value could we have to Hermaeus Mora?" "Careful with the creature comments," warned Pinkie Pie, putting on a black helmet with rubber eyes on springs attached all over it. "Hermmy has eyes all over. You say something he no likey, he'll suck up your brains like a milkshake." "Pinkie! How vulgar," snapped Rarity, snatching Pinkie's helmet and sticking her tongue out as she looked at it. "Both your analogy and your accessories." "You may not be intellectual," explained Twilight, unconcerned with Rarity and Pinkie as she walked up to Thorax. "But there is something about you that will be valuable to Hermaeus Mora, that will help him get better results as he gathers knowledge of our world." Thorax watched with anticipation, hope, and dread swirling inside him. "Your metamorphosis." "Our what?" asked Thorax at the incomprehensible word. Yeah, changelings were definitely not intellectual all right. "Your ability to shape shift." "I... don't understand," said Thorax, looking to Twilight with hopeless confusion. "How would our changing abilities have any value to Hermaeus Mora?" "You remember the Lurkers and the Seekers?" Applejack asked Thorax, sighing slightly when he looked confused. "The big muscular monsters that held you all captive in Canterlot, plus the hovering creatures that came out of one of his tentacles." Thorax froze in terror at the memory of being squeezed in one of those things' tentacles, plus seeing the sky fill with lanky creatures. But he nodded in confirmation. "Those are his normal associates," explained Rarity, "And while they have their uses gathering books and such, they are insufficient in the other phase of Hermaeus Mora's plan." Thorax was starting to become more unsure. "What else could Hermaeus Mora want? If his minions 'are' gathering knowledge, what use could he have for us." "Oh, Hermmy doesn't want to just gather information for his private study," said Pinkie excitedly, "He wants to start a Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of knowledge and foresight fan club in Equestria." "Wait what?" inquired Thorax, his eyes going wide. "What Pinkie means is that Hermaeus Mora wants to draw Equestrian followers," explained Twilight gently, casting Pinkie a look. "And to do that he needs to approach people subtly. Can you imagine what a pony would do if one of those creatures, or a vortex of tendrils suddenly appeared and asked if they wanted to join a group dedicated to research and study? No, he needs minions who can extend the invitation without instilling fear... at least to begin with." Now it made sense. Hermaeus Mora wants them so he can use them to approach people, wearing a guise that would ensure that they didn't panic. While most would be a bit skeptical about being used in such a way, it was hardly different from the purpose Chrysalis used them for. And if it would save them... Wait, how would this save them? "How does this ensure our survival?" asked Thorax worriedly, seeing holes in this logic. "Even if we did agree to this, how would it save us? Hermaeus Mora, as influential as he seems, is not our queen. How could he save us if the only one who can provide us nourishment is dead?" "You underestimate the power of a Daedra," said Rainbow, hovering above with a cocky smile. "Hermaeus Mora isn't just influential, his powers are endless." "Unless you need him to create a world, then he would turn into a giant planet up in the sky, same as the Aedra..." Pinkie was silenced when Applejack shoved a hoof in her mouth, looking annoyed. " You mean... he can feed us love?" asked Thorax, a note of hope in his voice. "He can do better than that," said Fluttershy, "He can change your source of food, and give you the ability to feed yourselves independently." If Thorax was interested before, he was full on captivated now. Feeding on something that wasn't love, and the ability to eat it without aid? He could not have hoped for a better solution to the growing dilemma that the changelings had suffered through for the past three years. But before he could accept, something occurred to him. Something that should have been obvious before now. "Why are you all here, telling us this?" Thorax asked, "if it is Hermaeus Mora who is involved, surely he could have come here and approached us." He looked at the ravine that had been made by said deity. "And with less messy results." Twilight knew the answer and was about to reply, but had a better idea. "Princess Celestia, I think you should be the one to tell him. It will make the reason all the more understandable." Celestia smiled proudly to her pupil. "Hermaeus Mora is a cunning and reclusive individual," she explained. "But he has a wisdom about him. He is aware that those of you may harbor ill feelings towards him for Chrysalis's death, so he sent us instead." Thorax looked unsettled. "But not for intimidation, no we royal ponies and Twilight and her friends are here to deliver this proposal as a sign that we hold no ill will for what happened in Canterlot, and that we also don't wish death upon you." "And he wants your loyalty and respect," said Luna. "He doesn't want to rule you with fear, like Chrysalis." "And with you out gathering followers for Hermaeus Mora, you will interact with ponies often," explained Cadance, Shining Armour next to her as they both gave Thorax supportive smiles. "It would be best if your people and ours saw eye to eye." "So what do you say?" asked Spike, bouncing on his legs excitedly. "Will you accept?" After hearing about all this, how could he not. "Of course," Thorax said, so excited he buzzed into the air. "Where do we sign up?" "Oh you won't have to sign anything," said Pinkie reaching a hoof into her mane. "This isn't going to be like signing a contract for life insurance, total snore-fest. No, you just need to have a drink." Pinkie pulled a table out of her mane, plastic cups and a punch bowl resting on top.