//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Feast Begins/Introducing Thorax // Story: A Place in Equestria II: The Revenge of Queen Chrysalis // by GoebelTron //------------------------------// Spike walked back outside, and then felt disappointed that nopony believed his story. “Great. At least that could’ve gone any better,” he said to himself. “Now, how am I gonna explain this to Thorax?” “Explain what?” Thorax asked as he suddenly appeared beside Spike. It made the baby dragon jump and scream in surprise, “Thorax?! What are you doing here?! It’s not safe for you?!” “I know, I know! But we have to warn them immediately! Thomas could die soon if we don’t do something!” Thorax said. “But you can’t stay here! Everypony’s too hostile to changelings right now!” Spike staunchly said. “What are we gonna do?! What are we gonna do?!” Thorax nervously asked while shaking. “I... I... I don’t-“ Spike said. “Wait, I’ve got an idea. It should work, but you’re probably not gonna like it.” “What? Oh...” Thorax said, as he realized what Spike meant. “But, let’s wait till tomorrow. It’s getting late,” Spike said. Thorax nodded and then went back to hiding as Spike went back inside. Meanwhile, at the hive, Queen Chrysalis awoke from her slumber, and then blinked her eyes open and saw the little child that cried himself to sleep. She grinned mischievously at how scared he looked, and then she brought him closer towards her chest and then nudged her head onto his. “Time to wake up, my sweet little treat,” she whispered. She then reached out her hoof up to stroke his head gently, but a little bit roughly. Thomas suddenly whimpered as he felt her hoof starting to touch his cheek, “P-Please let me go, your highness. Please.” He was then cut off as she stomped her hoof in front of him, causing him to tremble. “SILENCE!” she shouted, as she then glared down at the terrified child. She then growled, but then took a deep breath and relaxed while she continued to stroke the child in a hug. “I already told you. You are not going anywhere, small one. You are the only one I need to feed me and my subjects enough love so we will have all the strength we need to take our rightful place in Equestria!” she cackled. “And I expect your precious family to come looking for you. Because they’re in for a big surprise.” she then cackled again. “They will stop you! They stopped you before, and they can do it again!” Thomas said. “Because family protects you with their love, like how much they love me, and they always will!” Queen Chrysalis then looked at him with anger, and then stood up to her full height, and then stomped her hooves, “You insolent little runt! You are as so naive and weak as you appear, and you think you have a strong willpower, but let’s see how strong your love really is!” She then lit up her horn and enveloped Thomas in her aura, lifted him up. “Hey, what are you doing?! Put me down! Put me down!” Thomas said. “Please sto... Gah!” Queen Chrysalis then squeezed him, and then she opened her maw and started to absorb another aura of light pink, which started to drain Thomas of his love until she started swallowing it. Thomas kept struggling, but he suddenly felt weaker. While he was being drained, Chrysalis could somehow feel the aura she was swallowing envelope her as it injected into her with his love and it made her glow a little. “Oh, yes... Yes, this feels... deliciously magnificent and tenderly divine!” She then let out a cackle as she resumed absorbing a little bit more and swallowed the last bit. She then released the scared child from her magic, causing him to gently collapse onto the ground after she dropped him on his feet. Thomas then looked a little pale, and then weakly struggled to move as his breathing got a little shallow and weak, until he started to cough softly and then he looked up at her. “Huh... huh... huh... Wha... What did... What did you just... do to me?” He asked in a soft, raspy and broken tone as he coughed while curled up on the ground trying to get up. Queen Chrysalis chuckled evilly, and then heavily sighed with delectable satisfaction, “Mmm... I just absorbed and consumed some of your love, my dear. And I must say that it tastes simply delicious and raw-powered.” She then grinned widely and then placed him back on her throne with her aura, and then stroked at his back with her hoof. “Shhhhhh... Now you stay there, my dear child while I go feed my subjects. And then there’ll be more where that came from. Like you can go anywhere,” she said, and then walked out chuckling evilly, turning it into a big loud cackle. When she was gone, Thomas then laid back down with tears coming out from his eyes, and then started to cry and whimpered. Back at the Crystal Empire, the guards continued their search for Thorax, “Let’s move! Move! Move! This way! This way! Let’s go! Check there? Okay. Over here! Over here!” they shouted. “Look around every corner! Over there! Over there!” In the throne room, the main group of ponies were struggling. “Okay, I know it’s bad that there’s a changeling in the Crystal Empire, but is all of this really necessary?” Starlight asked. “Well, if there is one changeling, there may well be a whole army on the way,” Princess Cadance said. “Oh, I’m so worried about my little Thomas!” Fluttershy said. “MY BABY!” Rarity then hugged the crying pegasus mare. “There, there,” Rarity said. “Although, Starlight has a point. This is probably getting a little bit out of hand,” Twilight said. Princess Cadance then sighed, “I understand, but I don’t know what else to do.” “I do!” a voice said. It was Spike, and he had Thorax in shackles. The ponies gasped. “Spike! What are you doing?! Get away from that thing! It’s dangerous!” Shining Armor yelled. “No! I won’t let you hurt him! He’s not a thing or dangerous! His name is Thorax... and he is my friend,” Spike said. The ponies gasped again. “Spike, you’re not thinking straight! That changeling must have you under some sort of mind control! Do you even realize what you’re saying or doing?!” Shining Armor yelled in concern. “I do, but he’s done nothing to you to deserve this!” Spike said. “So, don’t treat me like I’m some kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing! Thorax has been my friend since he told me about his horrible past about sharing love and wanting to make friends! And ever since he saved my life.” They all gasped again. “I’ve heard enough! Guards, get this thing out of here!” Shining hollered, until two crystal guards pointed their spears at them. “Wait!” a voice said. They turned around, and saw Twilight. “Spike... I’m so proud of you,” she said hugging him after she walked over. “You just risked your life for a friend. A friend we never even got to know, and who saved your life.” Spike smiled, and then hugged her again. “Thorax, is it?” Princess Celestia asked. Thorax nodded, then the alicorn spoke again, “Why have you come?” “I’m here to negotiate, because I have some news, but a few of them are good, while there’s some bad news,” Thorax said. “What news, darling?” Rarity asked. “The first good news is that I know where the hive is,” Thorax said. “You do?! Where?!” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s in the Badlands, right next to the other side of the Everfree Forest. The other good news is that... I can take you there,” Thorax said, as he looked at Fluttershy. “But here’s the bad news. It’s where your son is being kept by Chrysalis. She and my other brethren kidnapped him because they wanted to feed off his love so they can get enough strength to conquer all of Equestria. I only managed to escape the hive because I felt uncomfortable about feeding off love like we usually do, but I saw the boy with three fillies being led by another, but it was actually a drone, and then two more appeared and took him back to the hive.” They all gasped about how it happened. “But there’s something I also forgot to mention before we go. The throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way changelings soak up love. It’s how she keeps the hive safe,” Thorax explained. “Aww, you poor thing,” Fluttershy said. “You must’ve suffered so much,” Rarity said. “Thorax? Are you sure you can help us get our precious little Thomas back?” Twilight asked. Thorax nodded, “But she might be expecting all of you to come, but I came up with a plan to bring only a small group with me.” “I’ll go. I’ve been a good friend since you’ve saved me,” Spike said. “And if it’s okay with you, I’ll go as well,” Starlight said. “Actually, why don’t we all go?” Twilight suggested. “You could use some friendship by your side.” The trio nodded, and then Princess Amore walked over to Thorax. “Thank you for volunteering for the rescue mission,” she said, and then gave him a kiss on the forehead. Thorax nodded, and then both Princess Celestia and Luna opened a portal to somewhere. “This portal will take you all to your destination, and somepony’s waiting for you there now,” Princess Celestia said. The group nodded, and then Spike climbed onto Twilight’s back, and then they all went through the portal.