//------------------------------// // CH: 10/13 - Shadow // Story: They're EVERYWHERE! // by Nameless Narrator //------------------------------// Gloom of the late evening has set over the rolling hills and grassland spreading everywhere around the three changelings other than directly ahead. What does lie directly ahead in the distance is a twisted, dark treeline managing to look like a wall of danger.  “Huh...” Chrysalis, walking next to the two warriors pulling the battered cart, looks into the distance, “Somehow, this took longer than expected and felt rather quick at the same time.” The Everfree Forest, a place of danger as well as safety for most changelings, yet a place of memories for Chrysalis.  “We’re almost home...” she breathes out. “It will still be weeks before we get to the Badlands with this cart, Your Majesty,” reports 68. “Badlands isn’t my home,” says the queen, “It’s just a place where we can always hide after screwing everything up so badly that there’s nothing else left,” sensing the lack of understanding coming from 68 and 96, she asks, “Have you ever been to the Everfree outpost?” 96 shakes his head. “The ruins?” 68 raises an eyebrow, “Once or twice. There’s nothing there.” “The ruins used to be the seat of changeling power under my mother’s rule,” explains Chrysalis, “I hatched there, I spent my early years there, and it’s a place I was thinking of the strongest when… when we failed in Canterlot. If there are survivors other than those we left after the whole Riverside incident, their instinct would have guided them there. If any of the top ranks managed to reach the outpost, there are resources there which they can reach to make sure they recover.” “68?” 96 looks at the other warrior. “I have no idea,” she shrugs. “Not you two,” Chrysalis shakes her head, “Only the few I truly trust out of the top thirty would know. Now, before we get there I would like to dive into the hive mind again.” “Umm...” 96 stops himself. “Yes?” “N- Nothing, Your Majesty!” “Speak,” she simply says. To her surprise, it’s 68 who replies. “Your Majesty, please, don’t take this the wrong way, but… is that wise?” “Hmmm?” Chrysalis raises an eyebrow. “We are about to enter an extremely dangerous territory where the two of us might not be able to fully protect a defenseless target, and we haven’t had much in the way of regaining love recently. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until we get to the outpost?” Instead of answering, Chrysalis charts several routes on the mental map of the Everfree, transmitting them to both warriors. “Follow these,” she turns around and walks onto the cart. “Yes, Your Majesty!” the warriors nod. I need to know as much as I can about what I’m facing before I can let it spread to other changelings. She closes her eyes and concentrates. *** I must be getting better at this. Chrysalis slips into the hive mind with ease, almost feeling as if she’s being invited, which admittedly might exactly be the case. Realizing that, she steels herself, because getting complacent now could be her downfall. From what I’ve seen and heard so far, Shadow was one to attempt coexisting with ponies, and queens who tried that were almost pleasant to be around. However, she doesn’t appear in the waiting room, instead being dragged directly into a memory without any input from herself.  It’s a deep night, and Chrysalis can hear the crashing of sea waves from directly under her. Behind her, the lights of a fortified coastal town dot the shore.  So far for pleasantries… “Don’t fret, Chrysalis,” says a smooth, female voice without a source, “I just didn’t want you to waste time and energy pondering what sort of a threat I might pose.” “Queen Shadow?” she asks out loud. “Indeed.” “Where are you?” “Where would be the fun in telling you? You have such a high opinion of yourself and simply finding me is beyond your abilities? I find it difficult to believe.” Chrysalis growls. Why do all the damn queens must be so INFURIATING?! A deep breath, that’s all she needs. As she breathes in, a sudden wave breaks on a rock under her, making salty water splatter all over her and swallow it. “RAAAAAARGH!” Chrysalis fires a blast of energy from her horn down below, making the water sizzle into a puff of steam. Flying up higher, she notices dark patches showing to her changeling eyes against the sea that are too big to be simple rocks, unless the entire area is incredibly shallow. “How about you calm down?” Shadow’s voice says exactly the wrong thing to say to someone angry.  “How about you shove a dragon cock in your ass?!” “Not exactly my kind of tea but to each their own, I suppose,” replies Shadow with a chiming laugh that makes Chrysalis’ eye twitch, “Now watch. This is what Bloodlust used to justify her failed conquests.” Chrysalis’s horn flares as she mentally reaches out into the darkness, and finally manages to grasp a powerful presence which can’t belong to anyone other than Shadow.  “Get… over… here!” she pulls... ...and fails. “Please, don’t do that, Chrysalis,” replies Shadow, still out of reach, “You’re better than that… I hope.” “Grrrr...” The shadows in the distance finally get close enough to Chrysalis to see they’re indeed not rocks, rather ships quietly sailing without any light towards the coast. Dozens of ships. Chrysalis feels herself yanked backwards as memory blurs and time speeds up for a short moment. It’s still night when it stabilizes, but the ships are now lit up, raining fire from catapults and ballistae upon the coastal city. From the north, the griffon boarding parties are laying siege to the fortifications. It’s clear to Chrysalis that the town will fall within hours, if that. “What a fragile little nation Equestria used to be. A continent with easily accessible natural resources, surrounded by potential enemies on all sides. Undead in the west, minotaurs in the north, dwarves underground, Cloudsdale separationists in the skies above, griffons across the sea to the east, and zebras to the south. Not to mention the dragons aching for an easy snack.” “What’s with the undead and dwarves? I never saw any of those, not even during my Empire.” “You weren’t supposed to,” replies Shadow, building Chrysalis’ irritation at the non-answer again, “There are times when leaving those who wish to be alone to their own devices is the right course of action.” “Ughh...” Chrysalis rolls her eyes, “So where are the changelings in all this? In the last memory I visited, changelings were hiding among ponies in the south and were de-facto in control. Or are you going to go full cryptic bullshit until I get bored and decide to burn all my love on dragging you out of wherever you are hiding?” “Calm. Down.” “Shut! Up!” A disappointed sigh is all Chrysalis hears as she growls at nothing. “Just watch the ships.” Chrysalis narrows her eyes and observes the milling aboard griffon ships. In general, it all looks like a war effort, but… ...incompetent? Almost simultaneously, griffons here and there accidentally spill tar used to light arrows and rocks all over the deck and immediately get to cleaning after being chewed out by their commanding officer. As the resistance in the town docks slowly wanes, the sieging ships approach the dock and get closer to each other to drop anchors while their crews take to the sky to assault the town. Clearly the goal isn’t to burn the town to the ground or they could simply do it from range. Out of nowhere, a burning rock cleaves a swath of death in the swarm of the griffons, sending the ranks into panic as they turn around to see why their ship fired their way, only to see a hail of projectiles follow. Dozens get shot down from the sky instantly as screams of panic and orders fill the sky and the griffon force splits. The majority returns to retake the ships, because the ground assault from the north is successful in keeping the pony defenders busy. As the griffon soldiers land on their ships, Chrysalis can see other griffons jump into the sea, followed by green flashes under the water. “Changelings?” her eyes bulge, “In the griffon army? For the love of all holes, how did you manage to do that? Even I barely snuck a contact here and there due to how paranoid those damn catbirds were during my Empire.” “It was a generational effort, Chrysalis,” replies Shadow, “Queen Shroud started that, in fact, although she never used it. This is where it paid off the most.” “How?” “What you see is only the vanguard of the griffon army. Had this attack succeeded, they would have had a safe landing spot on the east coast away from dragons and far enough north to avoid the zebras.” “Not bad, but even for a moment of surprise, the losses you just caused were minor at best.” “No, this is where it begins.” The griffons land, and everything goes white. When Chrysalis blinks away the afterimages of the sudden blaze caused by a series of explosions, the night is lit like a day by the ships on fire. All but several ships in the back are gone along with the vast majority of the griffon vanguard.  “Oof, that was nasty,” comments Chrysalis, “Still, it was just a vanguard-” The surviving ships turn towards the ones anchored in the north, and start firing, decimating the ground assault’s camp. “No, Chrysalis. The same thing is happening right now in the Imperial ports across the sea, all over the west coast, in each of them,” says Shadow, her voice harsh now, “I don’t bark, I don’t lash out. I wait, I prepare, I build up my position, and I strike only when I need to.” A chill runs down Chrysalis’ spine. “And have you been preparing to attack me this whole time?” Shadow laughs. “What an excellent question.” Chrysalis starts looking around again, reaching out for Shadow and sensing nothing. “...you are annoying...” she whispers to herself. A voice by her ear whispers back. “I am a changeling queen. It’s part of the job.” This time, Chrysalis is ready, and a burning emerald blade made of pure love energy originating from her foreleg cleaves the air before the first sentence is finished. Empty air. Crap... *** Without her input, the vision fades, leaving Chrysalis standing alone in the hive mind’s “waiting room”. Concentric silver circles crossed with lines leading into pitch black infinity mark the nonexistent floor. Nothing new. “Well?” comes from behind Chrysalis without the living queen unable to sense anything or anyone. She turns around, growing chitinous blades on the back of her legs. There’s nothing there. Immediately, Chrysalis turns around again, her back arched and knees bent, ready to defend herself. Nothing. “Have you considered glasses?” asks Shadow once again from behind her with a chuckle. Chrysalis bares her fangs, turning around again. Nothing. “Boo!” Shadow’s soft voice comes directly from ahead. Chrysalis doesn’t turn around again because while she couldn’t see anything, she felt the breath on her nose as the word was spoken.  Two grey eyes open directly in front of her as if the dark gloom itself came to life, followed by a trademark queen needle-like, extremely toothy grin. Chrysalis tries to jump away but the best she can make her body do is twitch as Shadow’s control overrides her own. Continuing her appearance, it’s not as if Shadow suddenly materializes, it’s more as if Chrysalis’ eyes finally got adapted to darkness and are able to see shapes that have been there all the time. “My mother was accurate with names, wasn’t she?” Shadow blows hot air at Chrysalis’ muzzle, who catches herself finally stumbling backwards before lowering herself into a combat stance. “A slap fest?” Shadow shakes her head with an amused chuckle, “Let’s not go there. I doubt I can offer enough of a spectacle to trump your earlier fights. Especially Mandible was a rather interesting one, and it’s been a pleasure to see you learn in real time.” “And yet, you took control of my body just now,” Chrysalis narrows her eyes. “That was just to show you where you stand, Chrysalis. You are powerful, very powerful compared to the prime of most queens. Very similar to myself, in fact, even though I lived less than a tenth of your age.” “How did you do that? I couldn’t even feel you get into my head.” “However, your ego is your worst enemy. It has been for ages, as much as you’d like to blame the ‘rage’ of the hive mind for making you rush to judgement,” Shadow ignores her and begins pacing back and forth, “If you’re to-” “HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH ALL MY DEFENSES?!” The look Shadow gives her conveys only exhaustion and sadness. “If you don’t keep your cool, Shroud will devour you.” “THEN ANSWER MY-” Chrysalis freezes, “You’ve been trying to rile me up all this time, haven't you?” “You learn. Slowly but you do. Patience, discipline, and quick thinking, not quick temper are your only shot at finally giving your head the spring cleaning it sorely needs,” Shadow never stops slowly pacing, “As for your original question - how do you think I got inside your mental walls? We are pretty much evenly matched in power, far above all the other queens who ruled between our eras. I doubt you’ll have the option to take your time when facing Shroud, so use it now.” Chrysalis closes her eyes, takes a deep breath… and facehoofs. “You’re inside my head already. No… no brain is big and wrinkly enough to hold the sheer amount of knowledge the hive mind contains. You’re inside my entire body.” “Bingo!” Shadow pats Chrysalis’ head, “The hive mind has an incredible level of ability to maintain and replicate itself. Now, let me give you a final test. If you pass, I will leave without a battle or draining any of your love reserves.” “Why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to like it?” “You might not, true,” the corner of Shadow’s mouth curls upwards, “There’s an artefact of unknown origin held in a monastery atop the highest peak of the griffon Aeries. The monks guarding it are known to be the masters of mental discipline, untouchable even by the strongest of mind control magics. If you can gain it without shapeshifting, through a contest of willpower designed by the monks-” Shadow bursts into laughter, “You- you should have seen the look on your face! The ‘In no holes-damned reality am I travelling across half of the world to some backwater hole and climbing a mountain’ expression was priceless!” “You...” “Ha ha ha ha ha ha!” Chrysalis sighs and simply waits until Shadow stops laughing. Once the ancient queen finally stops and catches her breath, she asks: “You’re easily amused, aren’t you?” “Oh come on!” Shadow fixes her mane messed up by the uncontrolled laughing, “There isn’t much to laugh about these days so I take what I can get.” “I take it that I don’t have to go on some pointless fetch quest?” “I mean, fresh air and meditation are both good for you and all, but no. No, my test is a little different - I’m not going to tell you anything about what you’re about to face within the hive mind.” “Risking the future of changelings by not preparing me to face Shroud? That’s a pretty bad test.” “I have good reasons, believe it or not. Now relax and let me take the wheel, Chrysalis. I’m one of your final chances to learn about our history from someone who lived it,” Shadow sits down, closes her eyes, and Chrysalis feels the familiar touch of peace she recalls from her fight against Carapace, “Ask away.”  *** “Scream,” is all Chrysalis says. “In my time, she had very little interest in changelings, at least compared to what came later. However, my network of observers all over the world did reveal her involvement in one major event during my rule.” “So she didn’t use you to mess with Celestia in one way or another?”  “There was no leverage she could use against us. I revealed that my changelings had a hoof in stopping the griffon invasion, I revealed the positions of my general population to ponies afterwards, and I sent messengers directly to Celestia regarding our wish to live on the surface. Obviously, I didn’t reveal my spies in the high ranks of Equestria or anywhere else, but it was enough for ponies to start getting used to us. Of course, the general changeling population could never sustain its numbers on the scraps of love we were getting, so I had to hibernate most of us until ponies started giving us love willingly. Scream had nothing to use against us and nothing to give us. Unfortunately, my daughter perceived our temporarily reduced state as a sign of weakness, and she wasn’t alone. You know what it led to...” Shadow sighs. “Yes, I do,” growls Chrysalis darkly before lowering her head, “My daughter was a warrior too, you know? Unfortunately… I think it was me who failed her.” This time she feels Shadow root through her memories but doesn’t try to stop her. “You are the lucky one, Chrysalis,” she says, “You are still in the position to learn from it. I wasn’t.” “Maybe,” Chrysalis shakes her head, “But that’s neither here nor there right now. If I don’t get my head back then our history will keep going in circles.” “That’s very likely,” Shadow nods, “Now back to Scream. As I said, I had enough of a network of contacts to keep an eye on her involvement. Heroes rose up due to threats to Equestria on all sides, and some even came from distant lands. Of course, we gave things a helping push from time to time. Do you think General Flash Magnus from Cloudsdale would have succeeded in ending Cloudsdale separatism only due to his inspirational nature and a sustained political campaign? Several of his major enemies vanished, some ‘changed their minds’, and with a little push from me here and there, Cloudsdale joined the young nation of Equestria. He was one of the heroes who formed a group ponies would grow to call legendary - The Pillars of Equestria. The next member was a unicorn mare by the name Mistmane who went around the globe and crossed the lands of the undead on hoof. The rest were born in Equestria - Starswirl, Rockhoof, Somnambula, and Meadowbrook.” “And Scream started messing with them, am I right?” “Indeed,” Shadow nods, “It all started with a unicorn scholar by the name Stygian who, while no powerful individual, was crucial in organizing the group’s efforts and gaining intelligence for them. It was there where Scream wanted us to intervene by seducing him. I agreed but instructed my infiltrator to fail and observe instead. Scream wasn’t happy, but with my focus on our growth and our love reserves being used up elsewhere she left me alone. As far as I know, she seduced Stygian herself afterwards with the taste of lust and promises of knowledge and power. Gradually, he drifted away from the other Pillars, diving deeper into his research, and she used that fact to spark mistrust in the others. When a previously unknown destructive entity appeared, they didn’t believe Stygian’s information when he told them they needed to act quickly. He sought the help of my infiltrator who was posing as his friend, and she stole some artefacts from the other Pillars which were required to banish the new threat. It was a desperate gambit and, unfortunately, the Pillars united against Stygian instead of helping him. The entity possessed divine power unmatched by the Pillars, so they sought the nearest divine help - Scream. The ritual she provided for them made them all vanish, wiping out the most powerful group of Equestria’s protectors and leaving Scream the sole victor.” “Were the Pillars personally connected to Celestia somehow?” asks Chrysalis. “The unicorn wizard, Starswirl, was Celestia’s close friend.” “Aaand there it is,” Chrysalis nods, “Scream really was behind every major disaster Celestia had faced since forever. Funny thing is that the amount of shit that industrial cake disposal unit had to deal with is only making me gain more and more respect for her.” “It would be nice to know what Celestia did to Scream that sparked such animosity, wouldn’t it?” comments Shadow. “I take it you don’t know then?” “Not the slightest clue,” she shakes her head, “Maybe my mother will know something.” “Speaking of her, do you have any tips on dealing with her?” Shadow bursts into laughter. “Oh Chrysalis, you can’t deal with my mother. She will either deem you worthy or she won’t.” “Huh?” “The two of us may be on the same level, but she was the most powerful changeling who ever lived.” “Hmph!” Chrysalis crosses her forelegs on her chest and huffs, “We’ll see about that.” “Clear your mind, Chrysalis. Anger, ego, temper… your worst enemies aren’t the queens.” With those words, Shadow is completely gone, and Chrysalis emerges from her sleep refreshed. “Holes damn it...” she sits up, “My legs are shaking again.” “We are with you, Your Majesty,” says 68 out loud. “No matter what,” adds 96.