//------------------------------// // Chapter 48: Why Do I Hear Boss Music? // Story: Fire and Steel // by shirotora //------------------------------// Occelus stared, mouth agape, at her father. “Wh... what do you mean when you suggested it?” Her father sighed. “My daughter, you are so smart, yet still so naive. I am the queen’s adviser. Do you think she wouldn’t listen to me if I told her the invasion was a bad idea? She may be vain and egotistical, but even she would be able to see this invasion was doomed to fail if I explained it to her.” “But... you...” Occelus tried to speak, but her mind was struggling to process everything. “You said we were doing this because the queen was a danger to the hive. You said she was going to lead us to ruin and starvation.” “And that was the truth,” he replied. “She is a selfish queen who leads to satisfy her own ego. She has to be removed.” “But with a war?!” Occelus shouted. “How many of our people are going to die because of what you did?! How many innocent ponies?!” “A small sacrifice for the greater good.” Occelus couldn’t believe her ears. She followed her father into treason because she thought the queen had gone so mad with power that she was putting her entire people at risk, but the whole time it was her father that led her down that path. “Occelus, why don’t you go rest. Let me handle the rest,” her father suggested. She obeyed without really thinking, heading deeper into the cave. Her mind was reeling, still, and she could use the time to think. She went down the hall, her body moving on autopilot, until she heard some strange chanting. Her mind latched onto the distraction and followed the sound.  She had heard that kind of chanting before, in a different cave. It was the chanting they used for that strange summoning ritual they used to bring those three monsters to attack Luke and Ember when they were coming to save Smolder. Were they summoning again? Occelus was familiar with the theory of summoning, if not the practice. One would draw a special circle, include ingredients that apply to the creature being summoned, and command the summon to appear. Her father had taken a liking to the practice as a way to bolster their numbers. Occelus approached the door to the summoning room. “Good. Now the last reagent,” came a tiny voice. It sounded extremely young, like a foal that had only just learned to speak their first words. Occelus peaked in and saw Lemon Meringue, the real one, standing perfectly still, eyes glowing green and holding a hoof over one of the summoning circles. A changeling walked over with a knife is her magic and slashed the hoof. Occelus had to hold back a scream as she watched the mare bleed over part of the circle, where one of the reagents should be. Wh-what kind of summoning needs blood as a reagent? Smolder drove one end of her short bronze staff into another changeling, pushing her magic into it which exploded out of it in a wave of fire that washed over a second. She twisted around and threw the weapon like a javelin into a small group of the bug ponies. The staff turned into a bolt of lightning as it flew, leaving a row of falling, convulsing ‘lings before reappearing in her claws in a flash. “It’s clear!” she shouted. From a nearby alley, a pair of guards rushed out, leading a bunch of civilians toward the hospital. “Where’re the others?” Smolder asked. “Captured,” one of the guards replied. Smolder growled. That group had six when they left. “There’s more!” one of the ponies shouted, pointing to Smolder’s left. Smolder turned to face another group of changelings charging toward them. “Get everyone inside! I’ll handle these guys!” Smolder ordered before running toward the enemy. She wreathed her body in fire and burst forward at blinding speed. She crashed into the changelings in a burst of fire, sending many sprawling to the ground. She followed up by slamming her staff into the skull of the nearest changeling that was still on his hooves. She spun around, driving the tip into another's side, cracking the natural armor. Two more swooped down and grabbed their comrade, carrying him off. At least they aren’t heartless monsters, she thought to herself. As another wave charged her, her own strikes and spells were joined by spells from one of the guards. The earth pony charged into them to fight alongside Smolder. Smolder had to admit, she was impressed. His kicks were powerful, throwing ‘lings flying and slamming into others. She was glad to fight alongside these two ponies. They were tough and showed no fear, even if they were probably feeling it as much as she was. Together, they defeated the changelings coming as them. “We’re clear,” the unicorn said. The earth pony continued scanning the area. “Come on. Let’s go while we have the breathing space.” “What?!” Smolder said, wide eyed. “There’s only two of you! You lost four last time you went out!” The unicorn had a steely look in his eyes as he said, “We’re Royal Guard. If our lives can save even a single pony, it’s a life well given.” Smolder reluctantly nodded. “Okay, then. But after this, I’m buying you and your squad a drink.” “We’ll hold you to that, ma’am,” the earth pony said with a smirk. “Come on.” She watched them go. Dragons could learn a thing or two from these guards. Equestria should be honored to have them. As they turned a corner, she heard a strange rattling. “What the tartarus is that?” she barely heard one of them say. “Doesn’t matter. Take it out!” the other shouted. Smolder had only just started toward them when the unicorn went flying past, slamming into a wall with a sickening crunch. A figure appeared around the corner. Smolder studied the creature. “A... dragon?” It certainly looked like one. It was tall, though it didn’t walk entirely upright. Maybe it was because of the armor it was wearing. At least, it looked like armor... if somedrake made armor and gauntlets out of serving platters. The ‘dragon’ glared at her. The platters rattled as it roared, “Jararanga!” Ember defended her territory with the ferocious fervor of a mother protecting her child. As much as she trusted Garble and Sunflower to protect her egg if any changelings managed to get past her, she wasn’t going to risk it. Around her was an assortment of changelings in various states. Most were unconscious, but some were frozen, petrified, asleep, or babbling madness. A few were even dead.  She tried not to kill any of them, as per Smolder’s and Occelus’ request. Occelus insisted that the changelings were just mislead, and weren’t bad creatures. All she could promise was that she would try, but also that she would not allow any changelings inside by any means, even if she has to kill. Occelus didn’t like it, but agreed. That was the main reason she was trying not to kill. If Occelus could understand and forgive the need for Ember to kill her brothers and sisters, there has to be something worth saving in the rest. She looked at the bodies and sighed. She really did try not to kill them. They had come with a large group, four dozen strong, at least. She couldn’t afford to be careful. She launched a trio of fireballs that exploded in a powerful blast. Most had survived, but the dozen that had been near the center of the blasts hadn’t been so lucky. She scoffed. It couldn’t have been helped. She could regret it later. For now, another group of ponies was heading her way, a group of changelings firing at them from above. She took to the air and flew to assist. The changelings looked up and spotted her. A couple did the smart thing and retreated, shouting for their fellows to follow suit. Unfortunately, most didn’t listen to reason and attacked. Ember inhaled a deep breath and released not a torrent of flame, but an icy wind that froze all moisture in the air. The changelings that weren’t quick enough to get out of the way found themselves falling with frozen wings. The rest charged her, but bolts of lightning, lances of fire, and icy winds felled them all before they even got within striking distance. What few magic bolts they fired were weak and merely tingled, leaving her a little numb for a bit.  She had heard from one of the guards that the magic they were using only rendered one unconscious, so she had cast a spell to help keep her awake. It wasn’t perfect, though. She could tell if she got hit by enough of them, it would overwhelm her spell. Worse, each one she got hit by made it harder to avoid others for a while. A scream drew her attention. Ember looked down in time to see the ponies panic and scatter. She flew down to see what was happening when she saw a shadow move. Three dark heads loomed in an alley above the shredded corpse of a young mare, like a cross between a hydra and a fern. The creature roared and charged. I was an adult. A man. A ruler of a nation and a mature, responsible, soon-to-be father. So I can be forgiven if I was pretending to be an AA gunner in World War II. “Boom boom boom! Nazi bombers incoming!” I said out loud as I fired volleys of flak spheres at the incoming changelings. “Present from Uncle Sam! Hail this!” The changelings were coming in steady waves, but rarely were those waves very big. It was just a half dozen here, a dozen there. I had a feeling there were more attacking the palace, and worried for Ember, but that was why she was there and not me.  She was more powerful than me, and could handle it much more easily. Hell, Smolder was more powerful than me. Sure, when we sparred, I won easily, but that was because she wasn’t allowed to use her magic. If she was, I wouldn’t have lasted more than a minute against her. Still, I wasn’t complaining. My powers let me do all kinds of awesome things. Like swat aura vampire flies out of the air with ease. Then, I laughed. “Holy crap! I just realized, I’m beating you with your food!” I threw a small aura sphere at one. “Have a sandwich... from hell!” I might have been enjoying myself a little more than was appropriate. Regardless, I was keeping them away, and ponies were making their way to the university. A few groups of guards were bringing civilians, though they’ve only managed to bring a few. That one mare I saw beating a changeling had actually joined one of those groups, as did that one pony with the crossed eyes everyone loved so much. For some reason a couple of the guards were a little scared of her. I couldn’t figure out why. She was as friendly as they come. I waved as they brought another group back.  “Any problems?” I asked one of the guards. He shook his head. “Other than a couple that managed to capture a few of us, not really. Though, I’d feel better if I knew where they were taking the ponies they got.” “Don’t worry. We’ll get them back. I’ll help track them down as soon as we kick these guys out.” “Good, then be ready, because we’ll be sending them packing soon,” he said. “Good luck out there,” I said. “Oh, we don’t need luck. We have a monster of our own,” he said, looking at Derpy who was grinning sweetly. Seriously, what did I miss? I watched over them as they left back into the city to find more ponies. When they left, I closed my eyes and focused on my aura senses, feeling for any more changelings. I had found I could kind of feel where they were by feeling for the void they left. It was hard and would be impossible in a crowd, but seeing as they were the only things in the air, it was a little easier. I only did this for a moment at a time, as often times they came on foot - or hoof, whatever - and it didn’t work then.  Still, when I did it that time, I felt something different. I didn’t have time to think about it, though, as in a matter of seconds it flashed half a mile right at me. I barely had time to turn to see a yellow fist slam into my cheek, sending me tumbling while I convulsed from electricity. I groaned as I jumped to my feet and faced my attacker, a strange yellow cat thing with blue whiskers, standing about as tall as me. I glared at me and started speaking Japanese. I held up a finger and said, “Hold up.” I focused some aura into my ears and throat. “Okay, what was that?” “Don’t you bloody shush me, ya wanka,” he said with a cockney accent. Well... that’s a thing.