Starlight frowned as she stared out at the construct holding her friends, and about a bazillion changelings. The changeling castle was an intimidating building, but if she wanted to save the lives of their friends, she, Discord, Thorax, Rogue and the twins would need to find a way inside.
"Huh," Starlight was pulled from her thoughts as Discord rubbed his fingers, "This is strange." He pointed at the castle. "We're here and that's there, and I clearly meant for us to be there and not here."
"Oh," Thorax spoke up, "I-I can probably explain-"
Discord turned back to the castle and cracked his knuckles, "Well, if at first you don't succeed," he was about to snap his fingers again, but Starlight grabbed them in her magic before he could.
"Maybe we should come up with a plan first?!" Starlight chimed in.
"A what?!" Discord yelped before blowing on his hand, causing the magic the fly off like powder.
"A plan," Heart added, "The thing that usually ends up saving the day. What stopped Nightmare Moon, Sombra and you."
This statement got Discord to laugh, patting Heart on the head, "Oh, that's adorable. But when you can do literally anything at the drop of a hat, plans become nothing more than loss of memory space."
"Uh," Thorax spoke up again, "Actually-" Discord stopped him by placing a finger on his mouth.
"That's all very nice, but really a waste of time. We have me. What else could we possibly need?"
"Pretty much anything that could be useful," Rogue spoke up, "I mean, when have you actually helped solve a problem and not just make things worse?!"
Discord spun around and glared at him, "Why are you here again?"
"Because like you, there's somepony in there that I want to save! And unlike you, I don't just mean one pony. So I have even more reasons for being here than you!"
"Maybe," Discord replied while rolling his eyes, "But at least I can actually do something. What are you planning to do to save your friends? Throw rotten apples at them?" Rogue hissed at him, "At least when I find who I'm looking to save I'll have the magic to actually do it."
It was again that Thorax spoke up, "The thing about magic here is-"
"Like this!" Discord snapped his fingers and in a flash of light, he was suddenly riding a winged pig and carrying a giant lance. "For Fluttershy!" The pig charged at the castle, but as soon as it reached the edge of the cliff, the pig and lance suddenly exploded, Discord falling a second later, "GYAH!" He grabbed onto the cliff as the others gasped, looking over to see him trying to flap his wings. But no matter how fast he flapped, they didn't lift him up.
He then pulled himself over the cliff and looked back at the castle, then snapped his fingers to summon another winged pig. He pointed forward, and the pigasus flew towards the castle....only to explode, and the magic began to be sucked toward the castle.
"I'm guessing that's not a good thing," Heart added.
"I've been trying to tell you!" Thorax yelled, "Nothing other than changeling magic works here! Chrysalis' 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."
"So no magic will work passed that point?" Soul asked, Starlight moving up and lighting her horn. And just like Thorax told them, as soon as she leaned over the cliff, her magic was sucked off her horn.
"Does this mean we can't even fly over?" Rogue asked Thorax, knowing that the ability to fly was magic based. The changeling nodded as Starlight turned back to them.
"So about that plan?" Heart asked, Starlight frowning back.
"Without magic, I have no idea." But then her frown was replaced by a long stare, "But nopony else is coming, so somepony better come up with something." She waited for one of them to reply, but the five remained completely quiet. "Anypony?" They exchanged glances, all sharing blank faces. "Anything?" They turned to her, Starlight now realizing the problem.
Aside from her, their group was made up of two foals, a bat pony that spent most of his life in a cave eating apples, a draconequus that had no idea how to function without magic, and a terrified changeling that would probably be attacked the moment he was spotted. And then there was her, the only capable one.
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes before humming, "Hmm..." she turned to Thorax, "This throne. If we get into the hive and destroy it, can we get our magic back?"
"Uh-huh!" Thorax nodded.
"How do we destroy it?" Heart ignited his hoof and moved over to the cliff, holding it over the side and feeling the fire getting sucked off him. "Without magic, we're useless."
"Not all of us," Rogue told them before jumping over the cliff. Once he was on the ground, he took a deep breath before unleashing his scream attack. The others covered their ears, but smiled as the sonic blast showed it was working.
"I guess you're not completely useless," Discord chimed in, "But still, how are we even supposed to get to the hive?" The others replied by jumping over the side, Heart looking back at him.
"It's not that far to walk." He followed the others while Discord's jaw dropped to the ground.
"B-b-but...I haven't walked that far in a millennia!" The others groaned as they continued to walk, Discord slowing following them. And as they focused on getting to the hive unseen, Heart asked Thorax if there were any nearby passages they could use so as to not risk being seen travelling above ground. However, Thorax replied in saying that all those tunnels were sealed after Hiveena used them to escape.
In the hive...
Hiveena was now glaring at her mother, Queen Chrysalis jumping down from her collection of prisoners. "Oh, what's the matter my dear? Not happy to see your dear old mommy?"
Hiveena squirmed against the goo holding her in place, "I had hoped the next time I saw you, it'd be after we defeated you and I took my throne."
Chrysalis gave a mock look of pain, "Oh, you're breaking my heart."
"Like you have a heart to break," Hiveena hissed while Chrysalis tried to stroke the side of her head with her hoof. She snapped at the hoof, forcing the queen to pull it back. "Why am I here?! You've already captured me, so why not just end it?!"
Chrysalis laughed as she flew away and landed on her throne, "Why would I end it so quickly? After all, you've been gone so long. I'm interested in hearing what you did during your time away from the hive. Meeting and serving that Doom pony, getting imprisoned and then being let out by joining the ponies now decorating my throne room. You've certainly lived an interesting life."
"So basically, you just want to laugh at me for everything I did since escaping?"
"You always were good at knowing my intentions. Well...most of them. Though I am quite surprised you were able to trick those ponies into thinking you were on their side."
"It wasn't a trick," Hiveena growled, "And it wasn't me who got them to be open with the idea. Thorax-"
Chrysalis hissed as soon as that name was uttered, her subjects doing the same as the queen roared, "Don't ever mention that traitor's name in my kingdom! He was a fool to leave!"
Hiveena just chuckled at this, "Shows what you know. Thorax was never a traitor, because he was never on your side to begin with." The queen and drones all stared at her, going quiet as she continued, "It was me he pledged himself to that day. And as soon as you ran me out, you lost all loyalty from him."
"Is that so?" Chrysalis stood up. "Then he is a traitor, just a much earlier one than I originally thought." She let out a low chuckle, "And once my plan is complete, I'll track him down and make him pay for turning his back on me."
"I won't let you lay a hoof on him!" Hiveena screamed, "And he'll find help. Believe me. Something I learned from those ponies is that as long as you have friends, you'll always have somepony to get your back."
Chrysalis laughed at this, "I've captured the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria," she gestured to her half conscious prisoners. "Even if he can find somepony willing to help him, what hope do they have against my army?"
Outside the hive...
The drones that were on guard duty were just wandering around, their constant vigilance not working as they failed to notice six intruders sneaking past them to get to the hive castle. Thorax was leading the group, the hiveless drone gesturing for them toward a hole that he flew through. The others used Discord as a bridge to get inside before he climbed into it himself.
"Alright," Heart spoke up as Rogue removed his shades. "How about if I say red shirt, you say blue shirt?"
"That sounds a little foalish," Soul replied. The group had been trying to come up with a code word for if they got separated, but nothing good had came to mind.
"Come on you two," Starlight responded, "We need to think of something."
"What's the point?" Discord added, "Let's face it. If we do get split up, we're pretty much doomed to be captured. From now on, I say we don't trust anypony if we-OW!" He yelped as he tripped over something, making him fall on his face.
The others laughed as Rogue spoke up. "Here's an idea," he turned to the others. "How about if I say klutzy, you say draconequus."
The others laughed again, Heart replying, "I'm down for that."
Soul nodded in agreement, Thorax adding, "I'll definitely remember it."
"Klutzy draconequus it is," Starlight cheered while Discord grumbled.
"What did I trip over anyway?" He looked down at his foot and found it was stuck in a hole in the floor. And when he pulled it out, the hole suddenly closed. The others then looked around, now seeing that the entire structure was like that, filled with holes that opened and closed without a second's notice.
"Ooookay." Soul gulped before turning to Thorax, "I am definitely glad you came." She leapt away from the wall as a hole opened. "It'd be almost impossible to find our way around without you."
"No almost about it," Thorax replied before pointing behind them. They turned around, only to see the hole they had come through was now gone.
Their eyes went wide before Heart spoke up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a hole right there?"
"It's a changeling hive," Thorax responded, "It shifts and changes like we do, and we're the only ones who can navigate it." He turned to a wall and walked up as another hole appeared. "It's total chaos to non-changelings." He stepped through the hole, the others quickly following while the hole closed seconds after Discord pulled his tail through.
"Well, it's decent chaos. I don't know if I'd call it total." Discord as they continued to travel through the hive, trying to be as silent as possible. An hour seemed to pass as Thorax lead them up one tunnel and down the next, over a bridge and down a spiral walkway next.
Heart let out a long sigh, "You changelings need to hire a better architect. Are there any hallways here that are just a straight line?" Thorax shrugged as they made their way up the staircase.
"Are we sure that I'll get my magic back when we destroy this throne thingy?" Discord asked, Starlight turning back to him.
"If Thorax is right, then yes."
"Well," he muttered while rolling his eyes, "That's reassuring."
Rogue let out a chuckle, "Just leave it to me. Once I get close enough, I'll blast that throne to pieces." He turned to grin at Discord, "Maybe you should just leave the important stuff to me while you sit back and...I don't know, make popcorn."
"Oh please," Discord crossed his arms. "Once I have my magic back, I'll be able to rip the fabric of space and time apart to save our friends. Leave the heavy hitting to me. Wouldn't want you to strain that oh so precious voice of yours. Though for all we know, you might have one of your little episodes before you can even get to the throne. I wouldn't really call somepony with that issue reliable."
Rogue growled at this, "At least if I make things worse, it's actually by accident. You just breathing causes problems for all those around you!" Discord leaned down at him at this, only for Starlight to get between them.
"Cut. It. Out!" She hissed while pushing the two apart, "I'm just barely keeping it together, and it would be wonderful if you two could actually try to help instead of bickering like foals!" She then trotted up another flight of stairs while Discord and Rogue shared a glare, both growling before following.
"Okay," Discord hissed.
"What do you need us to do to help?" Rogue asked, Starlight looking away in response.
"Don't ask me!" She yelped, "I couldn't even handle giving advice at the Sunset Festival, and I had magic then! And four out of the five of us are as good as useless!" Rogue smirked at being the one useful one as they reached the top of the stairs where Thorax and the twins stood. "At least Thorax knows where we're going."
"Um..." the changeling did a small gulp, "Actually, I think we're lost."
"What?! How can you be lost?!" Heart yelled, "You lived here!"
"Ages ago," Thorax countered, "They must have remodeled after I left. Guess it's not a surprise, since they did the same thing after Hiveena escaped."
"So now we have no idea how to get to the throne?" Soul asked, getting a nod from Thorax. "Great. At this rate, the only way we're ever gonna get to the throne is if the changelings capture us. And then it won't matter, because we'd be nothing but a love buffet."
Heart groaned at this, "I never thought I'd spend the rest of my life feeding ultra-hungry changelings." He fell on his flank and put his chin in his hoof, then turned to Thorax, "Be honest, how many changelings do you think I could feed?"
"Changelings can never get enough love. Although..." he started to think, "I haven't really been hungry since Flash and Twilight took me to the Crystal Empire. That place was so full of love, I was like a fish that lived in a puddle being thrown into the ocean."
"Spectacular," Rogue deadpanned while Discord was busy clipping his toenails.
"What about now?" Starlight asked, "It must have taken a while to get to Ponyville from the empire. Are you feeling at all hungry now?" Thorax went wide-eyed at this, now shaking his head, "So you're not hungry, and your wings changed. And this all happened after you made friends with Spike and the others."
She rubbed her chin until Discord let out a yawn, "While I would love to sit around chitchatting about feeding and not feeding, I HAVE A FLUTTERSHY TO SAVE!" That last word echoed through the hive, the pony styled creatures all going wide-eyed before glaring at Discord.
"Will you keep the noise down!" Rogue whisper yelled, "We're trying to be stealthy, loudmouth!"
"Hmph," Discord crossed his arms, "Pot calling the kettle black. Besides, we haven't seen an actual changeling since we got into this hive." It was then that they all heard a buzzing sound, the six shaking at the sound.
"What's that?" Soul asked before Thorax cried out.
"A changeling patrol!" He started to hyperventilate, Starlight putting a hoof over his mouth as they rest tried to locate where the sound was coming from.
"This seems like one of those moments where we need a plan," Discord pointed out before Rogue got into a battle stance.
"Let me at'em! I'll blast them away and-"
"No," Starlight interrupted, "We can't risk revealing your sonic attack. If they learn about it, they may realize you can destroy the throne and focus on taking you down first."
"So what do we do?" Heart asked, "We've got no magic and unless changelings like a good card trick, WE'RE DOOMED!"
Starlight blinked at that statement, "Did you bring any of those smoke bombs Trixie gave you?" The twins turned to her before giving her a smile, Heart reaching into his bag before showing the bombs, "Perfect. Here's the plan."
Two minutes later, five changelings appeared from one of the holes. They looked around, only to spot Heart standing on the cliff. "Alright, you got me." The five hissed before charging at him, but Heart threw a smoke bomb down, "Surprise!" He yelled as the smoke covered him, the changelings flying through it, only to find he was gone.
"Waz'up!" They turned to the voice and saw him on another ledge, the colt turning to run down a hole with the three following after him.
Further down the hallway, Starlight, Soul and Discord watched from a hole in the ceiling as Heart ran past them. The five changelings continued to give chase, though two of them split off and went a different way. "Huh," Discord huffed, "Not bad I suppose."
"I'll take it," Heart told him as he appeared beside him. "I may not be as skilled an illusionist as Trixie, but I'm small and fast." In that moment, another Heart ran up to them. Starlight looked him and the first one over, she and the other three stepping back from the two lookalikes.
"Klutzy..."
"Draconequus!" The two exclaimed as one of them transformed back into Thorax. Soul hugged the real Heart while Discord let out a groan.
"I really think we need a new code word!"
They all chuckled at this while Thorax turned back to Starlight. "That was a pretty good plan."
"But we're still lost," Rogue pointed out. "And it's not like the changelings left a map laying around with a 'you are here' logo on it."
"Maybe not," Starlight replied, "But two of the changelings didn't go with the rest."
"Oh!" Thorax face-hoofed. "With an intruder in the hive, they went to protect the queen! Good thinking, Starlight!" The others smiled while Starlight let out a nervous laugh.
"So...we just have to find the place that's the most guarded?" Soul asked next.
"Exactly," Thorax responded, "That's where we'll find the throne and all our friends."
"So then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Discord exclaimed as the others nodded, all heading toward the direction the two changelings headed off in, all while Starlight was thinking about their chances.
Hiveena continued to struggle against her bonds, growling as found still unable to move. But as she did this, she saw the room was now empty, making her focus on her horn, making it glow. Slowly, the slime began to melt until she stopped and it slowly hardened again. She then did it again, lighting her horn until the slime melted again before stopping. Seeing this, she knew if she kept it up, the slime would become thin enough that her magic could get through.
But as she did this, a slime-ball shot down from the roof and hit her horn. Hiveena gasped as the slime solidified, right as Chrysalis flew down. "Ooh," she shook her head before poking her nose with every word as she said, "Naughty, naughty." Hiveena growled at her, only to be interrupted by two drones.
"Your highness!" They turned to them, "There's an intruder!" Chrysalis' eyes went wide while Hiveena smiled.
"Find them!" Chrysalis ordered, "Capture them!" They nodded and ran off, Chrysalis glaring back at her daughter. "Don't get cocky. They may have gotten into the hive, but they won't be getting into this throne room." With that, she flew off, Hiveena watching her leave as her smile vanished.
"Thorax...please be careful."
Meanwhile...
The group had now managed to circumvent the drones, now arriving at the top of a staircase. At this, they looked down and saw a large group of changelings guarding a door of some kind. They counted six drones out in the open and knew more would have to be inside.
"That's gotta be it," Rogue commented.
"So what now?" Soul asked as they hid to the side, everypony turning to Starlight.
"We...go in," was all Starlight could come up with.
Thorax's entire body shook at this, "Even if we wanted to, there's no way past the guards. We'll be spotted for sure!"
Starlight let out a groan, "We need some kind of...distraction."
"Smoke bombs?" Rogue asked the twins.
"Fresh out," Heart replied, "But I did bring a few stink bombs."
"I doubt they'd be able to drive these drones away," Soul pointed out before Discord spoke up.
"Normally, I'm the most distracting thing I can think of. But without magic..." He fiddled with his beard, only for Starlight to smirk as she gestured to him.
"You shouldn't underestimate yourself." The draconequus raised an eyebrow until Starlight explained her idea, Discord half loving and half hating it.
The changeling guards stood to attention as another group of changelings flew over. The doors opened like a beetle's wing cover, creating a triangular opening that they flew through, and when the doors closed, the changelings looked forward again. And when they did, they suddenly found a creature they had only heard about standing in front of them.
Discord was holding a microphone and tapped it, "Hello, changelings and changelettes! Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are that I'm here! When I heard that I'd be playing for a bunch of changelings, I was beside myself! But then I realized, it was just one of you." A rimshot played in his head, but the changelings just hissed.
They began to walk up to him, Discord letting out a chuckle, "But uh...seriously, this isn't the toughest crowd I've ever been in front of. But it's definitely the easiest to bug!" He waited for the laughter, but the changelings came to a stop and blinked at him, "To bug?" He repeated, but still they remained laughter free. "Is this thing on?" He tapped the microphone.
With the changelings so focused on Discord, they didn't notice the other five sneak past and push the door open. Once there, they heard Discord insult the changelings before running off. He even got down on all fours to run as fast as he could, he and the changelings disappearing down another hole.
Rogue then turned to the others, "How the heck did that work?"
"I'm gonna say luck," Heart replied. "Pure and simple luck." They jumped down one of the darker hallways but stayed where they were, glancing around the corner to try and see any sign of Discord coming through the doorway. And so they waited...and waited...and waited.
"We can't wait for Discord," Thorax whispered after about five minutes and three drone parties flying past them. "Between seeing him and Heart, the castle will be crawling with guards soon."
Starlight let out a long sigh, "But if we do manage to destroy Chrysalis' throne, we'll need him. He could take on the entire changeling army by sneezing if he wanted to."
"But without his magic, he's pretty much useless," Rogue added, "So he's probably already been-"
"Hello?" They suddenly heard Discord's voice, making them look up to see him sneaking through the doorway. "Fellow rescuers?" The ponies shared a glance, the way Discord was talking already making them uneasy. But they had to be sure, so they stepped out of hiding.
"We can't stay here," Thorax said, "We gotta find the throne."
"Ooh!" Discord replied in an almost child-like manner. "I heard some of the changelings who were chasing me say that they know where it is!"
They exchanged glances at this, Rogue speaking up, "Klutzy..."
"Oh...yeah." Discord chuckled, "I uh...I can be klutzy. Now," he pushed past them and lead the way, "Follow me." The ponies slowly followed, Starlight glaring at the back of his head before turning to whisper to the others.
"You know that's not Discord, right?"
"Obviously," Rogue replied while the others nodded. It was then that they reached a passage with two large holes, one going left and the other going right. Discord was standing in front of the left tunnel and gesturing them to follow.
"This way!" He yelled before walking inside, "We're almost there!"
"I know this trick," Thorax told the others. "If he says to go left, we should definitely go right. He's leading us to a swarm waiting to attack!"
They all stared at each other, Starlight's mind on fire as she tried to think, 'If we go right, the changeling will quickly realize what happened and be after us. If only we could block this passageway so they couldn't follow. But since we can't-'
"I'll go," they all turned to Heart as he stepped up, "I'll do my best to hold the changelings off while you all get to the throne room."
"Heart!" Soul cried as Starlight ran in front of him.
"You can't!" She told him. "It's too dangerous. You're just a colt."
"I might be a colt, but I was chosen by Flash to become a protector of Equestria and all its important ponies. And right now, there's no pony more important then all of you."
"But you can't use your fire," Soul added.
Heart nodded back, "Maybe, but Flash has been teaching me to fight with more than just my flames." He turned to Starlight, "I have to do this."
Starlight grimaced at this, only for Soul to walk up next, "Then I'm coming with you." Heart gasped at this, but she flashed a hoof at him, "Heart, we've spent our entire lives facing one issue after another together. I'm not about to change that. I might not have my magic, but I can double any time you could buy for us on your own."
"Not you too," Starlight whispered. "Please, I won't know what to do! We've already lost Discord, I can't lose you too! Without magic, I-"
"Was able to trick a changeling patrol and got us past the ones guarding that door," Heart interrupted.
"Stop doubting yourself," Soul added, "If Twilight had been in your shoes, she probably would have gone into a panic attack by now."
"But still-"
"You can do this," Heart assured her. "I know you're scared to listen to your gut, but you shouldn't be."
"You're a good leader," Soul finished. "Now stop wasting time and get Rogue to that throne room." They glanced back at the two males, both nodding as the two turned back to the tunnel.
"You ready?" Heart asked as he took out his stink bombs.
"As I'll ever be," she replied as they walked into the darkness, "Hey Discord! We've got a joke for you!"
"What do you call a changeling with tears in their eyes?" Heart asked as the imposter turned to them, "A stinkbug!" He threw the stink bombs right into Discord's face, making him cry out. It transformed back to normal, glaring at them with puffy red eyes as the twins glanced back at their friends.
"RUN!" The three ran off while the changeling tried to chase them, but Heart and Soul tackled it to the ground, both easily pinning it. But as they did this, a hissing sound from above filled their ears, making them look up to see a whole swarm of the bug-ponies glaring down at them.
"Err...hi," was all Heart could say before the changelings descended.
He leapt off of the first changeling, dodging the first few bugs before spinning around and smacking a bug in the face. This was followed with a bum-rush, knocking two more down before he was suddenly tackled from behind. "Heart!" He heard Soul cry, looking up to see his sister getting pinned along with him. The two reached out and tried to grab one another's hoof, but the swarm completely covered the two before they could reach one another, everything now going dark.
Starlight, Rogue and Thorax continued to run through the hive, Starlight now feeling a wave of sweat pouring down her face. And as she continued to run down a hallway, the twin's words filled her mind.
"I...I can do this." she whispered to herself before speaking up, "Alright, I have a plan." The two turned to her, "It's a long shot, but it just might work." She quickly explained it to them, but as she finished, they heard a buzzing sound, now knowing the swarm was approaching.
"THIS WAY!" They yelled before leaping into a different hole, only realizing their mistake after the swarm flew in and began to stream into a different hole. Knowing that they couldn't go back, the three each headed off down their own tunnel, hoping it would come out at the throne room so they could pull off their plan.
Within the throne room, Hiveena continued to hang from her spot on the wall. Her drifting eyes saw two drones staring at her, knowing she could try to escape. All she could do was hang there and wait for the inevitable to happen. That is, until she heard hoofsteps, turning to see somepony walk in from one of the holes. It was Starlight, the princess gasping. "You're the intruder?" She asked as Starlight turned to her.
"Not just me," Starlight replied, "I'm here with-" She stopped due to something splashing down on her head, making her rub it and find it was green slime. She gasped as she then looked up, seeing all her friends trapped within the slime cocoons. Discord, the twins, and every replaced pony that they had come to save. All trapped, all looking like they were only half conscious.
She turned to the back of the room and saw the throne, only for a loud laugh to ring out, "One little pony, all by herself." She looked back up at the cocoons, now seeing the tyrant known as Queen Chrysalis. She unfolded herself with several cricks, smiling as she stared at the unicorn. "Oh, how will I ever prevent this daring rescue?"
Starlight began to backpedal, the unicorn's eyes darting around as she now saw eyes illuminate almost every hole. Before she could do anything, the changeling leapt out and dog-piled her while letting out several hisses. When they pulled back, Starlight's hooves were glued to the ground by slime.
"Well, well, well." She looked up to see Chrysalis flying down and landing on the throne. "The other pupil of the Princess of Friendship. Honestly, I didn't think you were worth replacing with one of my drones."
Starlight began to squirm against the slime, "You won't get away with this!"
"I already have," Chrysalis gestured to the ponies on the roof. "Nopony is coming to save you. Your little squad was it. And now, there's just you."
Starlight hesitated for a second before smiling, "Thorax is still out there."
"HA!" Chrysalis laughed before flying off her throne, "That fool poses no threat to me. Everypony that knows him as a good pony has already been captured. He has nopony to help him now that you're out of the picture. All he can do is hide and cry until he's inevitably found." She turned to slowly walk away, "And when I find him, he'll learn what happens to those who betray the hive!" She glared back at Starlight while saying that last part, causing the mare to whimper. In doing so, her eyes shined for a brief moment, "And it seems I don't have far to look, do I..." Her horn glowed before firing a blast of magic, hitting Starlight in the chest.
"Augh!" She cried as she was suddenly consumed by green fire, fading to reveal his true form.
"Thorax!" Chrysalis roared as the drones glared at him, Hiveena letting out a gasp while Thorax just shivered under the queen. Chrysalis's horn began to glow again, only for a banging sound to ring out.
She turned and saw Starlight hitting her throne with a piece of rock. She let out several grunts while doing so, but stopped when she realized she had been caught. "Whoa!" She yelped as she jumped behind it, seconds before Chrysalis's magic struck the spot she had been sitting. The unicorn then leapt into a hole, now hiding within the hollow base of the throne as Chrysalis walked up. And as she did, Hiveena saw nopony was focusing on her.
"Very clever," she heard Chrysalis say as she began to melt the slime on her horn. "And clearly Thorax revealed to you the secret of my throne." She looked inside, Starlight squirming to avoid her sight, "I can't have powerful ponies using their abilities against me." Starlight could feel sweat pouring down her face as Chrysalis slowly leaned down, her heart racing until another voice called out.
"Well you're about to find yourself going up against exactly that!" The changelings looked up at the voice, only to see Rogue leap into the throne room through one of the wall holes. He ran as fast as he could, several drones charging at him, "Out of my way!" He yelled before unleashing his sonic blast, knocking them all flying back and making Chrysalis have to cover her ears.
He ran up to the throne and fired another sonic blast that struck the rocky chair, making it form tiny cracks. "NO!" Chrysalis screamed, "STOP HIM!"
Rogue stopped screaming when several drones charged, the bat pony beginning to jump around to avoid them. And as he did this, he sent out another sonic blast, knocking the bugs away. But as he did this, Chrysalis's horn fired a shot right at his chest.
"AUGH!" He cried as his body suddenly went ridged, a green glow wrapping around him. The others gasped before Chrysalis lifted Rogue off the ground and slammed into him, another changeling firing a slime-ball at Rogue's face and sealing his mouth shut.
"NO!" Starlight cried as Rogue's eyes went wide, the thestral trying to pull the slime off, only for the other changelings to tackle him. They quickly sealed him up, binding all but his head in a cocoon.
Chrysalis laughed at the sight, the queen staring back at the throne and the unicorn who was hiding within it. "Even with your rather embarrassing little rescue attempt, everything has gone according to my plan."
"What plan?" Starlight asked, "Why did you do all this?!" She turned to the nearest hole, only to gasp when Chrysalis stuck her head through it.
"So I could feed, of course!" She pulled her head out of the hole and gestured to her captives. "By replacing the most beloved figures in Equestria, my drones will be able to store all the love meant for them and return it here to me."
"That's your plan?" Hiveena replied, "Pretty terrible one if you ask me!" Chrysalis turned to her and gasped as she saw the changeling's horn was now slime-free, the princess unleashing a beam of light that struck her prison and cut it open.
"NO!" She cried as Hiveena spread her wings, firing a beam of magic that struck every drone near her.
She then turned to her mother. "You can't fool those ponies forever. There's no way your drones can do the same thing as the real princesses. Eventually, they'll slip up and the ponies will realise who they truly are. And when that happens, they'll do everything in their power to find and rescue the real ones. You'll have a full blown war on your hooves."
Chrysalis growled back, "One I'm sure to win."
"Then what? You'll still have no more love and your subjects will starve. All because they have a leader who should have been dethroned a long time ago." The drones around her prepared to charge at her, but Hiveena's next words froze them on the spot, "I challenge you for the right of succession."
Chrysalis glared at her daughter, but knew the drones wouldn't attack now. "Whenever a challenge is made, the one challenged must accept or lose all control of her drones."
"And those same drones can't help in the challenge," Hiveena replied while taking to the air, "That is the way of the changeling."
"Very well," Chrysalis spread her wings and flew up so she was at level with Hiveena. "I hope you've been practising."
"Almost every day since I left," Hiveena got into a battle stance. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Everypony's eyes began to dart around as both began to fire blasts of magic at one another. The beams connected and pushed against one another for several seconds, only to cease as both began firing at each other again. Chrysalis the spat some slime out of her mouth but Hiveena ducked under it before her body was then engulfed in flames. And when the fire vanished, a purple dragon the size of Ember was in her place. She unleashed a burst of fire at Chrysalis, who shielded herself with her magic while landing. But the heat from the flames got through her shield, making her sweat as Hiveena kept pushing her back.
And as this happened, Chrysalis suddenly turned into a Scorpentine, lunging a claw at Hiveena. The dragon flapped her wings to dodge the attack, cutting her flame breath before flying up to the ceiling. Kicking off it, she divebombed at her mother before transforming into a lindworm, rolling herself up as she let gravity take hold.
Chrysalis crossed her claws and blocked the attack, but flinched as the worm landed on her. Chrysalis then raised her tail, trying to stab the Hiveena. But before it could make contact, the lindworm shape-shifted into a snake and coiled her body so that it formed a ring that the sting stabbed into the center. Completely unharmed, Hiveena quickly slithered up the tail and transformed into a pukwudgie once she got within range. She spun around and fired off several bristles, hitting Chrysalis in the face, making her cry out.
As this was going on, Starlight jumped out of the throne and grabbed another rock off the ground, now hitting the side of the throne. But as she did this, it still seemed to be hopeless, the damage done by Rogue's scream along with her not doing any damage.
It appeared that Hiveena truly was Equestria's last hope, as Hiveena was easily pushing Chrysalis back. The queen turned into a minotaur now, charging at her daughter until Hiveena morphed into Fire Heart's ignited form, propelling herself into the air above the minotaur. Once behind her, she morphed into Ruby Scarlet and unleashed a barrage of crystal arrows that impaled into Chrysalis's back. This made her scream as her daughter transformed into Shining Soul and flew down onto the minotaur's back. Being so small, Chrysalis couldn't reach her, that is till Hiveena shifted into Lightning Blitz.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Chrysalis screamed as she was electrified, her entire body now covered in lightning.
Hiveena then hopped off and returned to normal, landing as her mother swayed from side to side before falling over, reverting back to normal. This caused them all to gasp, Hiveena smiling as she turned around and saw her mother trying to pick herself up. "That's the difference between you and me, mother. You can only mimic other creatures appearances. But I can mimic everything, including their abilities. It's the kind of power all these changeling would have had by now if I had been allowed to take my rightful place on the throne."
The changelings watching turned to one another, whispering over the ideas of having Hiveena's abilities. And as they began to talk about what they could do with this, Chrysalis saw this and hissed, seeing the faith in her drones now vanishing.
That is, till Hiveena walked up to her, "Last chance. Surrender or I'll be forced to end it."
Chrysalis glared up at her, hissing before her eyes drifted to something else. Something made her shine a huge grin, "You may have more power then me, but you have a fatal flaw that would doom the changelings if you lead them."
Hiveena raised an eyebrow, "And what's that?"
She got her answer when Chrysalis sparked her horn, only to point it at Thorax. Time seemed to slow down as she fired a beam of magic, Hiveena gasping as she saw this. Thorax's eyes went wide, unable to escape thanks to his hooves being trapped. And so, Hiveena's body moved before she could think, leaping between Thorax and the blast, but didn't have time to counter it or transform into something that could withstand it.
And so, the blast struck her in the chest, making her scream in pain as she fell over. "HIVEENA!" Thorax screamed as time sped back up, the drones gasping while Starlight looked out from behind the throne.
"AHAHAHA!" Chrysalis laughed as he pulled herself back up, "And that, dear daughter, is why you'll never be a good queen! Because you make the mistake of caring for others more than yourself." She walked up and slammed a hoof into Hiveena's face, making her daughter squirm in pain, "You little fool. Why risk your life for one simple drone?! There are a hundred more just like him, but only one of you."
Hiveena let out a groan at this, moving her head away from Chrysalis's hoof as she mumbled out, "You're... wrong," she pushed her head back up. "It doesn't matter who you are, drone, queen or whatever else. Everypony in it is equally important. That's something I realized while living with the ponies."
Chrysalis rolled her eyes at this, "My word you've gotten sappy. Without the queen, the hive can't survive. Even if a million drones die, the hive will live on as long as its queen lives. And until you learn that, you'll never be a worthy queen." She spun around and walked up to her throne, "I will continue to rule this hive, and now I can gather magic from all over Equestria." She turned back to the swarm staring down at her. "Everypony will do as I command, and my subjects and I will feed on their love for generations!" She let out a fit of maniacal laughter, the changelings around them hissing in agreement.
Meanwhile, Starlight glanced out from her hiding spot and stared at Thorax's wings. The glimmering appearance made her remember what he had said earlier, an idea beginning to form in her mind. "What if you didn't have to feed?" But as she said this, Chrysalis flew over and slammed into the ground beside her.
"Ridiculous!" She cried as Starlight tried to run, but Chrysalis reached out and grabbed her tail before throwing her over to a nearby wall. She grunted as she hit it, slumping over as a pair of drones landed beside her and held her down. Chrysalis then trotted over, staring right into her eyes. "The hunger of changelings can never be satisfied!"
"Exactly!" Starlight barked back, "Thorax left the hive and made a friend. He shared love, and now he doesn't need to feed." She pushed herself back up, though the drones kept her held in place as she turned to the swarm. "You don't have to live your lives starving all the time!"
The drones heard this and began to murmur, the sounds of whispers now making Chrysalis growl. She quickly grabbed Starlight in her magic, throwing her against another wall, "How dare you! You know nothing of the changelings or what it takes to be their queen!" Starlight slumped over at this, flinching as Chrysalis slowly walked up to her, "I decide what is best for my subjects, not some mewling traitorous grub!"
"No," she now heard Hiveena's voice, the queen turning to the princess as she pushed herself up on shaking hooves, "Thorax isn't just some grub. He's more then that." Chrysalis hissed as her horn began to glow, "Before I left, I gave Thorax a spark of my magic. It's spent all this time within him, growing stronger and stronger. That spark is now just as powerful as my magic source."
This made Chrysalis go wide-eyed, her vision darting between Hiveena and Thorax as she noticed their wings were now different from before they were banished. She grit her teeth as she then yelled, "So what?! You're just traitors and nothing more!"
"No. Thorax is proof that the changelings aren't done evolving." Hiveena moaned out, "Every generation is stronger than the other, becoming more and more complete with every leader that takes the throne. But because you refused to give yours over when we needed to, the changelings have stagnated. But Thorax is proof that we can still become who we were meant to be. All we need is a catalyst."
The drones continued to listen, their murmurs getting louder as Chrysalis' face contorted in fury, "ENOUGH!" She fired a blast at Hiveena, knocking her flying across the room.
But as she screamed this, Starlight stood up, "I know what it's like to lead by fear and intimidation!" Chrysalis turned back to her, hissing as she continued, "And I know what it's like to want everypony to do what you say! But I was wrong." She opened her eyes and spoke now to not just Chrysalis, but to the changelings themselves. "A real leader doesn't force her subjects to deny who they are! She celebrates what makes them unique, and listens when one of them finds a better way! That's what Thorax has found!"
Chrysalis hissed as she moved over to Thorax, "The only thing Thorax has found is what happens to those who turn their back on the hive!" The drones around him cowered away as she drew near, her horn growing green before she grabbed him in her magic.
"No!" Starlight ran forward, but some drones blocked her path. "Stop!" Hiveena also tried to push herself up, but her injuries were too much.
"I will," Chrysalis replied as she pulled Thorax up, freeing him from the slime, "Just as soon as I drain every last ounce of love from him and show my subjects what a real leader is!" With that, she opened her mouth, a pink mist beginning to fly out of his stomach and into her mouth.
Thorax grunted and groaned, trying his best to keep her from draining the love he had been gifted by his friends. In doing so, his wings started get less sparkly. "I can feel the love inside me slipping away...!" Hiveena tried to spark her horn, but only got a sputter, "I can't hold onto it any longer..."
Starlight went wide-eyed at this, only for her brain to click, making her gasp, "Then don't!" Thorax turned to her as she continued, "Sharing love is what made you different to begin with! You should share yours with Chrysalis!" It was then that Starlight gave him a look she hadn't given anypony since the day Twilight put her on the right path. "Give her all of it!"
Thorax stared at her for just a second, only to take a single breath, closed his eyes...and let go.
With that, the love exploded out of him as his wings regained their glow. The love turned into a shockwave that struck Chrysalis, sending her flying and smashing into her throne. Then, a white light appeared from within him and wrapped around his body to form a shining cocoon. The drones went al wide-eyed at this, Starlight using this to move past the others and reach the cocoon. She then touched it, the cocoon exploding while also unleashing a blinding light.
Hiveena blinked as she suddenly felt her injuries vanish, the light now fading before causing each drone to be wrapped in a small veil of light that lasted only a moment before disappearing. She then turned to the source of the light, gasping as she saw what Thorax looked like now. He was now even taller then her, though that was mostly because of how large his antlers were. He now had a pair of orange antlers shaped like mandibles that gave him the appearance of a deer mixed with a stag beetle. His formerly black skin was now light green, the section around his neck now orange. The neck now had three gems attached to the front, the barrel of his body now wrapped in a dark green jacket and his back had purple wing coverings, which opened to reveal a set of glistening purple wings. His legs no longer had holes, and his tail was now larger and appeared to be the same color as his wings.
Starlight stared at him as he floated down, Hiveena moving up at the same time, "So this is what my magic was able to do to you." Thorax blushed as she looked him over, "I like it." With that, she hugged him. In doing so, she too unleashed a bright light that forced Thorax to jump back, the princess soon wrapped within a cocoon of light.
And when the light burst off her, she revealed her new form. The changeling's previously black body was now bluish purple while her mane and tail were now a reddish pink. The barrel of her body was covered in a dark red jacket and her legs no longer had holes, and changed from purple to a more yellowish color below the knee. The coverings for her wings were also yellow with red spots, opening to show transparent light blue wings while also being larger and lacking the holes. Finally, her horn was now the completely free of holes and curved upward while being as long as Celestia's.
She opened her eyes, which were now red that matched the shade of her hair. She looked herself over and smiled, then turned back to Thorax and saw they were now equal in height if she didn't count their horns.
As this happened, Starlight turned to the other drones and exclaimed, "You see? This is what happens when you give love freely instead of taking it!"
Hiveena nodded as she spoke up, "Changelings, let us all follow Thorax's example and push past our hunger for love. Let the changelings race be reborn anew!"
This seemed to win over the swarm, each not wanting to starve and also gain new power. So one by one, the changelings did what Thorax and Hiveena did, giving their love. That love exploded throughout the room, filling it with light as each drone was wrapped up in their own cocoon. The energy given off by Thorax when he evolved began to transform them, filling the room with more and more energy, causing the place to shake.
Chrysalis saw this and felt the vibrations, only to hear a cracking sound that made her look down and see her throne being shaken apart. But before she could do anything, the love within the throne room became too much for the structure.
KABOOM!
The top of the changeling hive exploded, unleashing a shockwave of love that flew out in every direction. Smoke filled the air but it quickly faded, a dome of magic appearing from within. That dome vanished to show Starlight, Thorax, and Hiveena, the three looking around as Starlight realized her magic was back.
But before she could figure out why, she and the two tall changelings saw the other changelings. And they were all very different. None were like Thorax or Hiveena, but they were still different. They had gone from being completely black to being a multitude of different pastel colors. No two changelings appeared to be the same...and they were all smiling. Their all consuming hunger had vanished, the seemingly never ending void now completely filled.
A squishing sound then caught Starlight's attention, making her turn to see her friends, all of them having been knocked off the ceiling during the explosion and freed from their cocoons. The mane seven all glanced around while the knights quickly took in their surroundings with some preparing to get into a battle stance.
Heart shook his head to try and get the slime off, only for his sister to hug him. Luna walked up to her sister, helping her up while Thorax moved over to Spike and helped him. Shining and Cadance pulled themselves free, and before fear could set in, a changeling flew over and handed Flurry to them.
Hiveena moved over to a still recovering Ruby, helping her of a cocoon. The knight looked at her, eyes going wide, "Hiveena?" She nodded back, Ruby squinting her eyes, "You look...different."
"Different good?" Hiveena asked, Ruby nodding back.
"Very good."
"Well, don't get to used to it," Hiveena laughed. "Even if I'm good, I'm still bad." She gave the knight a wink, making the mare the chuckle.
Rogue was freed from his cocoon and the slime covering his mouth was removed, allowing him to take deep breaths. "Finally," he gasped before noticing a certain somepony off to the side. "Applejack!" he ran up to her, only to stop a few inches away as she turned to him. "Err..." he scratched his leg and looked away, "I'm...glad you're okay."
"Yeah, you too." She wanted to ask where they were, but noticed Rogue appeared to be in pain. At first, she thought maybe he needed a golden apple, only to see he was flinching from the light that was now streaming down on them. She quickly removed her hat and plopped it on his head, blocking the light. The two smiled at one another, but were then forced to look away as Discord pushed past the pair.
"Fluttershy?" He ran past several changelings, grabbing her before Iron could stop him, the draconequus pulling her into a hug.
Fluttershy smiled at him until his hug grew a little too tight. "It's um, good to see you too." She hugged him back while Iron rolled his eyes. At this moment, Starlight walked over to Twilight and helped her up while Heart ran over to see if Flash was okay.
"Starlight?" She asked, her head beginning to clear, "What happened?"
Starlight looked back, now remembering everything her team had been through. "We defeated the changelings with no magic at all, they found a new leader, and...they're all kinda...good now." She tried to give Twilight a smile as Twilight turned to Throax, seeing the changeling nod back.
Twilight's face wore a look of total disbelief while Flash just laughed. "You take one forced nap and you miss a whole lot." He turned to ruffle Heart's mane while Luna walked over to her.
"Well done, Starlight Glimmer. It seems as though you've learned a great deal since we last spoke."
Luna would have said more, but their attention was caught by the sound of rocks shifting, all turning to where the royal throne had once been. The rocks were thrown away to reveal Chrysalis, still in her unreformed state and letting out a hiss of anger. She looked like she was about to attack, but stopped when she saw the opponents she now faced. Her former hive, the princesses of Equestria, the Royal Knights and some of the greatest heroes the kingdom had ever seen. They all stood united, ready to stop whatever she tried to do.
But before either side could attack, Starlight walked up and looked down at the now dethroned queen. "When Twilight and her friends defeated me, I chose to run away and seek revenge." She pointed at her, "You don't have to! You can be the leader your subjects deserve." She held her hoof out, offering Chrysalis the chance to live a new life.
Chrysalis stared at the hoof, Starlight's words going through her mind. Her eyes shifted to Thorax and Hiveena, both just staring at her. Then, she held up a hoof and reached out to take Starlight's hoof...only to slap it away.
"There is no revenge you could ever conceive of that will come close to what I will exact upon you one day, Starlight Glimmer!" With that, she leapt off the side of the castle, beating her wings as she flew away. The ponies all ran to the edge, now seeing she had somehow already gotten a good distance away.
"We need to stop her!" Heart yelled, but Thorax shook his head.
"No, let her go." The others turned to him, "Maybe someday she'll be willing to accept our new path. But for now, she's no threat."
Hiveena nodded in agreement, "On her own, she won't be much trouble." She turned to Thorax, "And she no longer has the power to lay anymore eggs. Not with a new ruler overpowering her rule."
Thorax blinked at these words, only to gasp and point at himself, "Me?! But you're-"
"It's clear to anypony watching that you are the better choice for a leader. You took the tiny spark of royal changeling magic I gave you and were able to make it grow, letting you become...this," She gestured to him. "And you were able to transform yourself to our kind's next stage of evolution. The only way I could have done that is if I had sat on the throne. You were able to do it on your own."
"Maybe..." Thorax muttered as he looked away, "But I don't know the first thing about leading a hive."
"I'm sure you'll be great," Flash chimed in, "You've already got a lot of qualities I'd want in a leader." The ponies that knew him all nodded in agreement, the changelings also nodding.
"Still..." Thorax mumbled, only for Heart to walk up to him.
"Why don't you and Hiveena rule together?" they turned to him. "It's clear you're both lacking something in leadership skills, but that something is what the other has."
Soul nodded at this, "I bet together you could lead the changelings into a new renaissance." She then giggled, "Plus...you both look so cute together." The changelings turned to one another, Thorax quickly glancing away while Hiveena started to blush. The rest of the changelings all let out their own calls of agreement, the two now seeing what this truly meant.
It was here that Celestia chose to step up to the two. "As the new leaders of the changelings, I look forward to discussing how we can improve our relationship in the future." They both nodded before Celestia turned to Twilight and Starlight. "However, for the moment, perhaps it is best that we leave the Changeling Kingdom to the changelings."
Everypony nodded in agreement, only for Discord to suddenly pop up between Applejack and Rarity. "Splendid idea!" He clapped, "Now who's ready for some celebratory tea at Fluttershy's?!"
The pony in question went wide-eyed before looking around, instantly knowing she couldn't fit them all into her house. "Uh...everypony? I don't think-"
"Actually," Starlight spoke up. "Now that you can snap your claws and send us absolutely anywhere again, I think I have a better idea."
Back at Starlight's old village, the ponies were enjoying the last few days of their festival. Double Diamond and Party Favor had decided on a banner, and were putting it up as they heard some loud hoofsteps, making them turn around and see Starlight standing a ways of. "Uh...hey, Starlight. What are you doing here?"
Double nodded. "You left in such a hurry before, we kinda thought you didn't wanna come."
"Yeah," Starlight replied as she walked up, "I guess after the way I used my magic on all of you, I wasn't sure I was somepony who should even be in charge of a baking contest. I was afraid I might go back to being the pony I used to be." She then gave them a small smile, "But now I know that sometimes you don't have a choice. You have to step up. And I have changed!" She stomped her hoof, "I can handle it." Sugar Belle and Night Glider walked up next as she continued, "Whether that means saving Equestria, or helping friends out with the Sunset Festival. Speaking of which, I know the Festival's almost over, but I kinda invited a few of my friends to join." She gestured behind her and the four spotted the many, many ponies standing there with smiles on their faces. "Hope that's okay."
Double's reaction was to let out a joyful laugh. "Are you kidding? Of course!"
"Great! Now where's that baking contest? This pony needs a cupcake!"
With that, the festival was in full swing. Everypony began enjoying themselves, eating food, playing games and competing in contests. It was made even more fun with some of the newer guests using their abilities to improve things, such as making slides out of ice and crystal, or Discord turning a spot just outside the town into a chaos filled area that the ponies could enjoy. Pinkie especially enjoyed the chocolate milk pool and the twins, Spike and Flurry had fun jumping on a bouncy castle floor.
It truly was a great time had by all.
The day after the festival, a large flash of light signaled the return of Ponyville's greatest heroes to their hometown. Everypony let out sighs of relief at the sight of the castle. "Ah...it's good to be home." Flash commented as they walked up to the castle doors.
"I just hope those changelings didn't do anything to bad while we were gone," Grand added, "We should ask around and see what happened since they grabbed us."
And as they opened the castle's doors, they found Springer standing at the entryway. "There you are. Where the heck have you all been?"
"It's...a long story," Twilight replied, "Let's just say we won't need to worry about the changelings any more." This made Springer raise an eyebrow, but Twilight quickly changed the subject, "So how was the camping trip? Did Ace and Mira have fun?"
"Oh, they got more than fun out of it." Springer chuckled before the two young jakhowls jumped out from behind him.
"Hey everypony!" Ace exclaimed, the group going wide-eyed as they heard those words come out of Ace's mouth.
"What's up?" Mira added, jaws now dropping.
"You can talk!" Flash almost yelled, the three jakhowls nodding back, "That's great!" Heart ran up to Ace and gave him a hoof bump while Soul and Mira hugged, the rest of the group each giving their congratulations to them.
"Wow..." Starlight commented before turning to Twilight, "These last few days certainly have been full of surprises."
"Tell me about it," Twilight responded, "And it hasn't been just the last few days. The last few weeks have been insane. Mecha-Flash, Shade, and even that out of control pizza dough." She let out a sigh, "I don't know about you, but I could use a break."
"I could certainly go for some normal for the next few weeks," Starlight replied, "Think the universe is gonna give us a break?"
"What else could it do to us?" Twilight asked as everypony headed inside, "What the heck can possibly top what's already happened so far?"
The Dragon Lands...
In the dark caverns of the Flame-cano, Flicker was still working to uncover the secrets of the ancient mural that depicted the only piece of history their kinds had recorded. He was now sitting in front of the wall with a strange drilling device. "Alright..." he placed the device's tip against a corner of the wall, "Time to see if I can get a sedimentary specimen and find out how old this piece of wall is." He started cranking the handle, causing the drill to spin, allowing it to slowly make its way into the rock.
He kept drilling in, more rocks funneling out. "Interesting," he commented while seeing the different types of rock coming out. Each rock would tell him how far back this picture was, but before he could stop himself, the drill suddenly surged forward as it appeared to reach some empty space. "Whoa!" He yelped as the machine part slammed into the wall, causing it to crack around the hole. "Oh no."
He pulled the drill out, the cracks now spreading even more. "No, no, no!" He cried as the paintings became covered in cracks. All he could do was watch as the only piece of dragon history broke more and more apart. And eventually, the entire thing was covered cracks...and the wall began to fall apart. "NOOOOO!"
Then entire cavern began to rumble at this, Flicker flying away before the wall crumbled. It soon became a pile of rocks, the dragon falling over as he dodged the falling rubble. And when the shaking stopped, he picked himself up as he saw the hunks of the painted stone now covering the floor.
He reached down and picked up some of the smaller pieces, seeing one of the dragon's claws on one and the pony on the another. "What have I done?" he sighed, slumping over as the dust cleared. But as the dust faded, he saw the wall was now revealing something new. Another chamber beyond the wall.
"What the-" Flicker muttered out as he dropped the rocks and flew over to the hole in the wall. He glanced inside, now finding a chamber with only one thing inside: A round stone table.
And on that table was a large silver leather-bound book that had some writing on it. It wasn't draconic or even ancient draconic. In fact, it was written in a language he had never seen before. But something about the book was drawing the dragon to it. Flicker reached out and touched the book.
But as his claw tapped the book, a sudden green light exploded out of the book, filling the dark chamber while consuming Flicker in its glow, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" His screams continued as the light devoured the area, signaling an evil the Dragon Lands had not seen in over a thousand years.
<The End>