//------------------------------// // Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy // Story: Legends Never Die: The Return of the King // by bookhorse125 //------------------------------// “So, everything we’ve been told is a lie.” “Yup.” Sunny stepped around a particularly thick patch of moss and hurried to catch up to Imara. “It was all a lie - and the creatures who told you it just want to use you guys for their own personal gain.” “I can’t believe Queen Monarch believed that,” the changeling muttered under her breath. “Well, Cozy Glow is very persuasive,” Sunny told her. “I’m sure it wasn’t your queen’s fault. But it doesn’t matter if you believe the lies - what matters is that you believe the truth.” “Well, obviously yes!” Imara snorted and tossed her head, as if not believing was an act of pure idiocy. “I mean, for starters, none of us have even seen a pony for a century, except for you, and you seem very not-evil and nice and friendly, unless you’re also a really good actor, but I don’t think you are. Oo, here we are!” Imara waved her hoof at a new opening in the wall, which led back outside. Sunny stepped into the sunlight and squinted in the sudden change from the dark halls of the changeling hive. They were standing on a large, flat plateau on the top of the hive, filled with changelings assembled before a large throne, and upon it sat a tall, beautiful changeling. She was tall and elegant, colored black with shades of orange around her wings and hooves. Her purple eyes were calm and composed. “That’s Queen Monarch,” Imara hissed to Sunny. “Before the meeting starts, we’re all gonna have to bow to her - just follow my lead.” Queen Monarch’s eyes followed Imara as she stood near the back, an innocent and helpful grin on her face that didn’t fool the queen for a second. She cleared her throat, and all eyes turned to her, chatter in the room stopping immediately. Standing up, the queen said, “Well, now that we’re all here, let us begin.” As one, the changelings bent their legs into a bow, rippling across the crowd like a wave. Sunny hurriedly did the same, and though she could feel the queen’s eyes on her, she refused to look up. She did not want to make another enemy - she came here to make friends. The queen nodded in satisfaction and said, “You may rise.” And they stood up. “I have called you here today to discuss any plans we may have to take action against the ponies. As we have been so kindly warned, they have been reunited, but a pony known as Sunny Starscout has taken control, convincing them all that ponies are the supreme race of the land, and any other creatures are lesser and should be exterminated.” A gasp and panicked whispers rose up from the crowd, and Monarch held up a single hoof to quiet them. “Now, what course of action should we take-” “Maybe we should start by GETTING OUT OF THIS KINGDOM!” Imara suggested in a loud voice, all the changelings in the room, including Sunny, turning to stare at her. Monarch sighed and stood up. “For the last time, Imara, we remain in this kingdom to keep ourselves safe,” she said in a tired voice that suggested that she had dealt with this changeling’s shenanigans more than enough times for one creature’s lifetime. “And with the threat at our borders, I would say that was the right thing to-” “There’s only a ‘threat’ at our borders because we’ve been cooped up here for so long!” Imara shot back. “Maybe if we weren’t all holed up here like scared rabbits, the ponies wouldn’t be angry at us - they might be friends with us! You have no one to blame but yourselves for this.” She shifted her hooves and stared at them with an aloof expression. “Look, how do we even know that the ponies want us gone? We’ve never seen one! Never met one! And if they do, then they’re probably scared of us, and hmm, I wonder why? It’s like we’ve spent literally a century in complete social isolation.” All the other changelings roared in anger at her comment. “That was to protect us!” one shouted. “Our queen was wise to make that choice!” yelled another. “You know what would have happened if we had stayed - if the ponies could find us!” another one screeched, his voice trembling with fury. “And what would have happened?” Imara said calmly, tapping her chin. The changelings fell silent. The one who spoke stuttered, “Well - well, they would have - they would have-” He looked to his queen for guidance, but there was none. “They would have exterminated us, same as now!” he decided, and a deafening roar of approval rose up from the crowd. “YOU DON’T KNOW THAT!!!” Imara screamed over the sound, and all the changelings fell silent. “You don’t know anything about what goes on outside this kingdom! We’ve been lied to - we’ve been falsely informed in hopes that we could be used - but the ponies don’t want to hurt us! They want to be friends with us!” She turned to Sunny with desperation in her eyes. “Tell them!” Sunny swallowed and stepped forward. “It’s true! I - I’ve seen Equestria myself, and the ponies there - well, most of the ponies,” she amended under her breath, “they don’t want to hurt you. I-in fact, they want-” “Oh, no one wants to hear that!” came one of the changelings, followed by a rousing boo from the others. The changeling who spoke flapped his wings and hovered beside the queen and pointed an accusatory hoof at the two changelings in the back. “Your Highness, these two are clearly delusional! We were told by a reliable source who very clearly sympathized with our causes that ponies were not to be trusted.” Queen Monarch sighed and stood up. “I need a moment alone. This meeting is adjourned.” “Fine!” Imara called, turning on her heel and starting towards the exit. “We’re done here, anyway. Come on, Sunny.” “Sunny?” Monarch stopped in the process of retreating to her own private rooms. She turned slowly and studied the mysterious changeling she had never seen before prior to this day. “Did you say your name was Sunny?” Imara must have realized she made a mistake, because she rushed back to Sunny’s side and subtly started pulling her towards the exit. “Uh, no! Her name’s Ocellus. Sunny’s just her… her pet name! Yeah! And, if you don’t mind, we’ll just be going here, so…” Monarch frowned and lit up her horns. Imara panicked and shoved Sunny behind her. “Uh, Your Majesty! Wh-what are you doing?” “If she’s a real changeling, as you say she is, this will do absolutely nothing,” Monarch assured her, gently lifting Imara with her magic and setting her off to the side. She tried to get back to Sunny, but two changelings beside her crossed their hooves in front of her, preventing her from going any further. Monarch stepped forward, and Sunny stepped back, the queen’s glowing horns reflected in her eyes. A wall of light suddenly encircled Sunny, rising up into the sky, and when it cleared, her disguise had been burned away. Even worse, her wings and horn had decided that this would be a great moment to return again. All the surrounding changelings gasped and stepped back, their eyes wide. Imara broke away from her restrainers and reached Sunny just as the changeling who had convinced Monarch that Imara and Sunny were delusional rose into the air, pointing a shaky hoof at the two. “It’s her!” he gasped. “It’s Sunny Starscout! She’s here to destroy us all!” Complete pandemonium ensued. The majority of the changelings tried to get away, leaping off the roof while spreading their wings, screaming blindly as they fled. Queen Monarch tried to singal some of her guards forward, but in the mob of running changelings, they couldn’t reach Sunny or Imara. Imara jerked her head at the exit back into the hive and took off, Sunny close behind her. They sprinted through the ever-changing halls, and up ahead, Sunny spotted a hole opening to the outside, and she got an idea. “Can you fly?” she shouted at Imara as they ran. “A bit busy back here!” she yelled back, glancing behind her at the changelings in hot pursuit. “Yes, I can fly, why is that-” They burst out of the hive, and Sunny spread her golden wings, the sunlight shining through them and bathing the entire kingdom in a golden light, and she soared up into the clouds. Imara caught up with her, her bug-like wings buzzing as she tried to catch her breath. “You do know that they can all fly, too, right?” she gasped, just as the clouds behind them broke as dozens of changelings flew towards them. “Case in point,” Imara said tiredly. “Yes,” Sunny agreed, “but can they do this?” She lit up her horn, and she and Imara disappeared in a flash of golden light. The other changelings flew right through the empty space that, a few seconds ago, had once held a pony and a changeling, stopping to brake as they realized what had happened. Sunny and Imara reappeared in Sunny’s makeshift campsite, tumbling onto the ground, out of breath. Imara’s eyes were shut tight, and she slowly opened them, realizing that she was not in the sky above her kingdom anymore. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t sure where she was. Shakily getting to her hooves, the changeling looked around, bewildered and shocked. “What… what happened?” She spotted Sunny dashing forward, scooping up a small teal saddlebag and slinging it over her shoulder. “I teleported us out of there,” the earth pony explained as her wings and horn faded away. “If you don’t want to come with me, I completely understand, but if you do, I would love your help-” “Of course I want to come!” Imara rose into the air, grinning. “Is this an adventure? I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure! Especially one beyond the borders of the kingdom - there’s only so many times you can map out the entire kingdom in excruciating detail.” Sunny laughed. “It’ll be dangerous-” “Perfect!” “-heart-pounding-” “Sign me up!” “-and we’re facing impossible odds.” “Sounds like what I like to call a Tuesday. When do we begin?” The sound of buzzing filled the air, and Sunny looked nervously up at the sky. “Um… how about right now?” Imara noticed the sound, too, and she nodded. “Yeah, now sounds like a great time,” she agreed. Sunny nodded, turned, and led the way away from the changeling kingdom. The two ran as fast as they could, not speaking, until Imara finally panted, “Um… where are we going?” Sunny skidded to a stop and pulled out her map. “I was thinking… The Dragon Lands are pretty close to here. Should we go talk to some dragons?” The changeling let out an ear-piercing squeal. “That sounds even better than talking to ponies!” “I’m going to choose not to be offended by that,” Sunny said teasingly, putting her map away and glancing behind her nervously. “I think we’re far enough ahead. Ready to fly?” Imara grinned and spread her wings, the sunlight filtering through the pink membrane and making it glitter. Sunny reached down inside her and felt her wings and horn appear, spreading her own golden wings that gave off their own light on their own. They lifted into the sky, the dense forests and trees that surrounded the Changeling Kingdom growing smaller and smaller beneath them. Using the sun as her compass, Sunny veered north, with her new friend following behind her. She sighed, looking back at the only home she had ever known. “It’s funny. I’ve always wanted to leave - to see what the world was like outside the hive - but now that it’s actually happening… I feel like I’m leaving something behind that I shouldn’t be.” Sunny stopped and put her hoof on Imara’s shoulder. “Every choice requires sacrifices,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make them. You might be leaving something behind, but I know something even better will be waiting for you where we’re going.” “There they are!” came a voice, and the two turned to see a group of changelings heading their way, not looking very happy. At the lead was the same changeling who had really started the whole mess. His dark green skin and bright red wings gleamed in the sunlight, and his red eyes narrowed menacingly as they approached. “Aaand maybe we should have the emotional chats in another place,” Imara suggested, she and Sunny taking off into the sky.