Murgröna's Testimony

by Powerdrainer

Epiolgue. This Is Our Testimony

Memories flashed by in a blur, yet all recollections were as vivid and clear to Danny as if he truly spent all these years living them; witnessing the confusion, anger, and grief during the days and weeks following the attack. Being there when they put to rest those lost; those who he had been moments prior. 

He was there when ponies and changelinks alike carefully returned to Yoke after the magical blast unleashed by Celestia. Collapsing to his knees over and over again at the sight of utter devastation.

He stood among the masses as all attempts to return to Yoke were abandoned, and all abled bodies worked around the clock to carve more homes out of newly claimed spires to house all refugees. 

Weeks turned to months, and slowly some semblance of normality was returning to the Hive. Though the devastating events had left a deep scar, which would never truly heal, ponies and changelinks were working together to pick up the pieces and return to living their lives. 

Plans were made and, answers desperately needed, a small group of both species returned to the surface to head to the capital city they had only heard about; wishing for an audience with Celestia, to ask why this fate was brought down upon them. 

None were ever seen again. 

Over a year had passed and, despite several attempts, all who sought out Celestia for answers were lost. 

More time passed and usual outings to the river, forest, or anywhere else in the surrounding area became less and less frequent until this stopped completely as more and more sightings of armored scouts were made and new fear began to spread. 

Fear of being found, to become lost just like those who sought out Celestia, and new plans were made. 

Over the course of a hectic week, all possible objects and possessions were taken from the burrow and brought to the Hive, while the larger, more unyielding treasures were left behind as they strategically collapsed the tunnels. 

And then they waited.

Time passed by once more; days turning to months, turning to years, and fear of being discovered by the forces of Celestia slowly diminished as the Hive thrived.

The ponies and changelinks, now closer than ever, expanded greatly on the village they now shared. And for a time, life almost seemed normal to those who had lost so much. Then new generations came and went, and eventually, life under the rock was all they knew, save for what they learned from the living memories in the Murgröna. 

Large suspended gardens now hung in between the stalactites, growing all the food the ponies required, and bringing a little bit of nature down in the village while all the water required was provided by the waterfall now cascading down through the Hive. 

An unintended development when digging up to the river and tapping into the flow, but accidentally digging right into the river itself. 

And while none down in the Hive knew it at the time, this also had the unfortunate side effect of redirecting the majority of the water above ground. Causing the river to slowly but surely dry up as erosion by the waterfall steadily increased the hole it flowed through. 

This in turn dried up the soil, which would turn the once green land dry and barren over the course of many, many years.  
 
Years more passed by, turning into decades and then centuries, and the Hive continued to grow. New thoughts and ideas coming and going, some made a reality by the great minds that arose among them. New methods to cave the stone, new spells, and combining the two, Infusing some of the magic of the changelinks in the rock itself, creating shifting stone obeying only those who created it. 

But progress slowly stagnated one birth at a time as a new problem began to show itself. 

The pony population was diminishing, with fewer and fewer foals each new generation, while the number of changelinks continued to grow. This in turn put a growing strain on the supply of food as the number of ponies were unable to keep up with the demand of so many, leaving most of them drained, weakened, and eventually sick. This only worsened the situation as the number of healthy ponies, adult and foal alike, plummeted as a result until, one day, the last pony was put to rest and all the changelinks had left were meager reserves and no way to replenish them. 

Of course, they did realize the problem at some point and knew that they, the changelinks, had to go back to the surface to look for food. Knowing this, they worked on creating a new tunnel back to the surface, avoiding any path that would lead them back to the old burrow, deliberately carving the rock and dirt in ways that would make traversing it difficult, if not impossible for those unable to climb the walls. 

The day the first group of changelinks left the safety of the ground and stepped into the light of day, and after a prolonged time to adjust to the sudden brightness assaulting their eyes, a ripple of shock traversed the full range of their shared mind. 

The lush green grass, the towering trees of the nearby forest, and the glistering silver of the churning river they all knew from the living memories were gone as the world around them had become dry and barren, with only a few husks of the former wooden giants still standing in final defiance to nature's attempt to reclaim them. 

Days, weeks, months, and then years flashed by with increasing urgency and desperation. The realization no animal life of any kind remains to hunt for any scrap of food pushes the changelinks further and further away from the Hive in search of food, soon driving them to new and unknown pony settlements larger than they remembered Yoke to be. 

Yet the ponies there were not like those who once lived with them. Greeting them not with kindness but fear and disgust, chasing them away, or hunting them down. 

Not long after, armored scouts were a constant threat once again while they continued to search the towns, villages, and cities for any pony who was willing to help. But as time passed, desperate pleas turned to hostility as each new generation subjected to the ponies their hate knew nothing of their kindness save for what the Murgröna showed them. 

And then it happened. 

The first time a pony was hunted down and drained. 

It was messy, loud, exhausting, and most of all, desperate. 

Danny was nearly caught as he made a hasty escape, fleeing through dark and dirty alleys, hiding amidst the trash using his shapeshifting; waiting for hours until nightfall before he fled the hostile place the ponies called Fillydelphia. 

He was so far away from home. 

Years passed by as more and more attempts at hunting ponies increased his skill. Using shapeshifting to lull his target into a false sense of security, lead them away to someplace secluded, then drain them of all they had. 

And for a while, this worked. 

But the ponies grew weary, and new tactics were developed by them to counter this hidden threat. 

In response, so did the changelinks. 

Mind control. Simple, effective, but energy-consuming. 

It was a sad irony that the very thing they needed to use to gain more food also demanded they use the food they gained. So to make the expenditure worthwhile, they had to use it on as many ponies as possible, at the same time. 

Eventually, this led to the realization it was easier to lure one, or a few ponies away, then cocoon them and drain the required energy without completely sucking them dry. Allow them to recover, then repeat the process. 

At the same time, others would take the place of those they had taken; living their lives, fooling their loved ones and friends, and gaining even more energy in return. 

And for a time this worked. But it was soon discovered that this new method of gathering food merely delayed the inevitable, and hunger became a constant problem, then a threat. 

Slowly but surely their numbers began to stagnate. The amount of food required to feed everyling was not met with the amount they were able to gather, and they began to grow weaker. As a result, even less food was acquired, and they nosedived into an inescapable spiral of weakness and starvation. 

First, it was the adults who suffered, willingly giving what little they had to their foals. Eventually adding to the burden as they became too weak to help in any way or form, and spreading what little resources they did have even thinner. 

Then, inevitably, they died, and their numbers plummeted. 

For a short while, despite the tragic loss and indescribable grief, their deaths did allow for a slight recovery; fewer mouths to feed, less sick to take care of. 

But it soon got worse, far worse. 

With most adults starving, dying, or dead already, each subsequent harvest was tasked to ever younger and younger generations. And as a result of a lack of education and honed skills taught by a master, mistakes were made. 

More and more of them were found out, exposed during their attempts to either drain, mind control, or impose as one of their targets, and fear swept through the ponies' villages and cities like a tidal wave. 

Of course, this drew the attention of Celestia, and large numbers of guards soon swarmed the larger population centers, forcing the changelinks to divert to the smaller, less bountiful villages and towns. 

Another problem that arose due to mistakes from inexperience was unintended pregnancies.

Would this happen with any changelink mare pretending to be their target's marefriend, wife, or lover, they would be replaced by another while their nymph would be added to the rest of the steadily dwindling clutch, but also adding to the strain to feed everyling. 

But far worse, should the pregnant party be a pony, things got considerably messier. 

In the best-case scenario, the mare would miscarry and all problems would be solved there and then. Of course most times such luck wouldn't happen, and more creative solutions were needed, either magical or physical. 

Sometimes this led to the death of the mare in question, which led to an even greater fallout, as a result. The suspicious circumstances always led to investigations and an urgent need to burn whatever connections were made in the ensuing hurry to flee. 

Of course, the more peaceful solutions were preferred before such violent actions were taken, especially considering that most changelinks who found themselves in such a situation often already had lost a nymph before, and their desire to see their child live on outweighed any need to preserve their acquired food supply. 

Most times this led to the release of the captured father, who had his mind altered in such a way that nothing could lead the ponies to them, nor would the pregnancy be cause for alarm. Then an accident was staged where the imposter was swapped with the original, who, after a prolonged stay in the hospital, would return to his life while raising a foal who wasn't his own, none the wiser. 

Of course, all changelinks would abandon any and all towns and cities where such a thing had happened for an undetermined amount of time, lest they would be discovered. Though if they had taken the time to keep watch over their scattered young, they would have learned about the terrible fate that awaited those who showed their hybrid nature and were subsequently found by agents of Celestia. 

As for those who showed no outward signs of their hybrid nature. They would live their lives, grow up, have foals of their own, and slowly but surely spread their changelink blood through the population. 

But for the changelinks things got worse and worse still. Each passing year drained the meager reserves that much further, forcing them to capture and drain more ponies while trying to keep their numbers from dropping even lower. 

But with most of their time and energy spent on luring, capturing, and impersonating ponies, the number of hatchlings dropped dramatically while at the same time their identity as a species eroded away as survival took priority over everything else. 

Even their name became twisted as the Sun Tirant took what she learned from those lost centuries before, and corrupted it as spread her lies among the ponies, and the changelings, in their more desperate times, began to believe it themselves. 

Eventually, most of the hatcheries in the Hive were empty and remained empty as what few eggs that were laid were all placed together in the first, and smallest, hatchery they had ever carved in the rock. And even then, there was room to spare. 

And as the storm of incoming memories slowed down and Danny was able to properly focus on the here and now, he found herself standing in that very room, staring with both worry and hope at one of only two dozen eggs. Emerald green eyes locked intently on the small oval as it twitched every so often. 

Standing next to her, her husband Mantodea looked with a similar focus as they awaited their first nymph to break free. 

Lying on her bed, Chrysalis watched with boundless joy as Peculya, her daughter, slowly and clumsily tried to climb up onto her mother's side. Reaching and fumbling with a tiny leg, then finding some purchase, the small nymph pulled herself up. 

Looking around with large, inquisitive blue eyes, lacking the pupil her mother has, she soon looked up and saw the smiling face of her mother. 

A chirp of elation came from Peculya, and she pulled herself up further, then tried to reach out to her mother's face. 

Losing purchase, and with no way to support herself, she began to slide off her mother's side. 

A chirp of fright escaped her, and tiny front legs flailed in a frantic attempt to keep herself from falling. 

It took her several moments before realizing nothing happened, and a few moments more before noticing the green glow surrounding her, then her mother's horn. 

Chuckling ever so slightly, Chrysalis moved closer to her daughter and pressed her nose against Peculya's, giving her a loving nuzzle. 

A chirp of joy came from the little nymph, reaching out and grabbing hold of her mother's nose; tiny fangs poking against the soft flesh as she clumsily mirrored the action.

A new chirp came, and another pair of tiny hooves reached up and swatted at the wriggling body of Peculya. 

"Now now, Aethina. Be nice to your sister," Chrysalis said, smiling as she then nuzzled the top of Aethina's head. 

Aethina, looking near identical to Peculya, except for the slitted pupils, chirped a reply while swatting at her mother's nose. 

Chuckling, Chrysalis looked down at the pair. Not knowing how they missed the signs, nor why she and Mantodea were so lucky to have twins, but it was a surprise she cherished with all her heart. 

Laughter came from behind Chrysalis, and Mantodea stepped into view as he entered the room. 

"And how are our little bugs doing?" he asked, looking at his wife and daughters with a small smile. 

A pair of chirps came in reply, and Peculya reached out to her father with grasping hooves, while Aethina swatted mercilessly at him from a distance. 

"Full of life," Chrysalis smiled fondly at the two. 

A smile that soon fell at the sound of Aethina's stomach gurgling. Soon followed by Peculya, and she glanced back at her husband who now smiled a bit too forcefully while trying to keep up the pretense. 

"We will find a way," he said, stepping closer to nuzzle the top of his daughter's head. 

"I know," Chrysalis said, trying not to sound too worried. "But we were not expecting two mouths to feed." 

"We'll find a way," Mantodea repeated, then kissed his wife's cheek. "We always do." 

"Momma," Peculya chirped, nested between her mother's wings alongside her sister as they watched with large eyes at the city. 

"Yes, dear? Chrysalis slowed her pace a bit as she looked back at her daughters, seeing both Peculya and Aethina staring at something in the distance. 

"Wa da?" 

Turning to look at what had captured her daughters' attention, a small chuckle escaped her and she smiled at her daughters. 

"That is a waterfall." 

"Wu- wa… Wabbufow," Peculya mirrored. 

Chrysalis smiled proudly at her child who, seeing the praise aimed at her, chirped in elation. 

Several changelings passed by, greeting their queen and young princesses, much to the young nymphs' excitement as they chirped happily, and Aethina swatted the air at them for good measure. 

For a while Chrysalis looked at the pair, then turned away, resuming her path while frowning with worry. 

She loved her children; loved their eager curiosity, their bravado, their close bond and so much more. But despite it all, there was also worry. 

Even now, at two years old, they were still so small. 

Too small. 

It was a problem many of the nymphs in the Hive suffered from but made all the worse as the pair had to share what little food was available. 

Stunted growth. 

Both she and Mantodea worked hard to ensure their nymphs had enough to eat. In fact, he and a squad of changelinks were away in search of any source of food they could find. Either from some forest creature, a hapless pony traveling between cities on mostly empty roads, or if they were especially lucky, by capturing and replacing one or more ponies for a more reliable source of food. 

Though this had not happened for some time. Their resources stretched too thin for far too long already, making such an expenditure rarely worthwhile in the short term. 

The long term had become something of a distant memory at this point and what few ponies they did manage to capture turned to drained husks in mere days. The requirement for food is far greater than those few could provide.

And capturing a sufficiently large number would not only be difficult, both to pull off and to replace those taken, but it would almost certainly draw attention to them as those who would replace them were either inexperienced or there wouldn't be anyling to do the replacing in time. 

This only left targets of opportunities, and a small number of ponies they could get away with to replace. 

As such any and all ponies, they did capture only served to prolong the inevitable, not stop it. 

"Momma," Peculya chirped again, and Chrysalis looked back at her daughters with a smile. 

"Dabba," she said as she reached out with grasping hooves, looking up. 

Looking up herself, a wave of relief flooded over Chrysalis as she saw Mantodea and his squad return to the Hive with a new supply of food. 

Hopefully enough to feed everyling for some days. 

At least enough to postpone the inevitable for one more day. 

Today was a reason for celebration. 

After several years of difficulties, little food, and slow growth, today at the age of seven Peculya and Aethina had pupated. 

It would still be a few days for their transformation to be complete and for them to break out of their cocoon, but the fact they had reached this stage where others had not was a source of great relief to both Chrysalis and Mantodea. 

With the ever-dwindling number of changelings, and eggs laid, each foal reaching this stage was a victory to be commended and celebrated. 

Of course, this stage in their young life was also one of the most critical, and all parents, as well as several other changelinks, kept watch over the pupas. Seven in total, and all hungry for energy to power their metamorphosis. 

Chrysalis, however, abstained from sharing what little energy she had. Because as much as these young changelinks needed the food, there was one more who needed to be fed. 

Carefully placing a hoof on her slightly swollen abdomen, she could feel the budding life take form, and she knew it wouldn't be long before the egg would take its place among the few others in the nearly empty hatchery. 

'One more mouth to feed,' she thought, worried. 

Sensing her worries, Mandotea gave her a reassuring nuzzle. 

"It will be fine," he said. "We will find a way to make it work," and Chrysalis chose to believe him. 

Emerald eyes watched with wrapped attention. 

It had taken eight months. 

Eight months of worry, wishing, and hoping. 

Eight months that culminated all to this one moment. 

Chrysalis wished Mantodea could have been here for this moment. But neither of them was expecting their nymph to break the shell for at least another week, and he was out searching for food. 

A small crack split the shell. 

"It's happening," Peculya gasped, eyes wide. 

"It's happening! Aethina said, excited, wings buzzing as the two fillies waited for their younger sibling to break free. 

"Come on sweetheart. You can do it," Chrysalis said encouragingly. 

At long last, part of the shell gave way and a tiny horn pushed through. A muffled, troubled chirp was audible from within the egg. 

"That's right. Just a bit more," Chrysalis told the nymph fighting for freedom. 

The horn retreated, and the egg twitched more and more, cracks now splitting the shell from the initial breach and more pieces fell away. 

Then the movement stopped, and Chrysalis carefully peeked inside through the small hole. 

There, inside, curled up to fit in the confining space, she saw her child look back at her with noticeable exhaustion. 

"It is alright. You go at your own pace," she cooed. "We're here for you. Just take it easy until you're ready." 

The nymph chirped to the sounds, shifting slightly in the egg to find a more favorable position, then pecked at the shell again with its small horn. 

Once again the nymph's horn punched through the egg, weakening its shell further as the two weak spots now allowed it to chip away much larger pieces at a time. 

"There you go, just a bit more," Chrysalis said motivating. 

"You can do it!" Peculya cheered. 

"Show that egg what you're made off," Aethina urged her sibling on. 

With a final, loud chirp and all the strength the small nymph could muster, the egg could resist no more and the top cracked and fell away, and a tired but curious muzzle poked out while slitted emerald green eyes looked around in wonder. 

Wasting little time, Chrysalis greeted her new-hatched nymph with a gentle nuzzle, tears in her eyes as the nymph chirped in surprise and fright. 

Sitting down and carefully lifting the young life out of her shell, Chrysalis held the nymph in her hooves, smiling happily while inspecting her now confirmed daughter for any signs of hunger deficiency. 

Happy and relieved her daughter looked to be in perfect health, she looked back at Peculya and Aethina. 

"Peculya, Aethina. Come say hello to your sister." 

Excitedly, the two quickly crowded around the wriggling nymph, who shied away with a startled chirp when both came too close. 

"Careful now," Chrysalis chided. "Give her some space." 

Doing as told, the two backed off just a tiny bit, watching with large eyes at the nymph held in their mother's arms, curled into a tight ball, and slowly looked back up at her much bigger sisters. 

"She has the same eyes as you, mom," Aethina said, amazed. 

"And she is so small," Peculya squeed. 

"So were the both of you when you hatched," Chrysalis said, smiling fondly. 

"So," Aethina looked up at her mother. "What's her name?" 

Chrysalis looked at her new-hatched daughter, sharing every moment with Mantodea over their shared mind as he rushed back home, and both agreed on the name. 

"Erlea," Chrysalis told them. "Her name is Erlea." 

The years hadn't been kind to them. 

Despite their efforts to bring in enough food, hunger and malnutrition began to make place for genuine starvation. 

With most food gathered given to the nymphs, leaving a less than meager meal for the others, the changelings all grew weaker as a result. Because of this, it became increasingly more difficult for them to go out and find more food as they lacked the energy to transform and hide amidst the ponies, control their minds for sufficient amounts of time to be worthwhile, or even fly. 

As a result, the downward spiral they were riding for so long accelerated more and more. And now, more than three years since Erlea hatched, most changelings moved through the streets with dragging hooves and sunken eyes. 

What surge of hope they still felt when the diminishing number of changelings returned after yet another food run always proved crushing as there would never be enough to ease their hunger; their pain. 

Even despite all of this, Mantodea refused to give in and was always the first to leave and the last to return, despite the toll this took on himself as what little food he did bring back barely left enough for himself and his wife. 

Even Aethina and Peculya didn't eat enough as they felt that Erlea needed the food more than they did, leaving, at the very least, the growing nymph relatively well-fed. 

Even then, Erlea's stomach rumbled more than not. And just like her sisters before her, her growth suffered from it. 

Yet with no other option available to them, they kept going, one day at a time. Always hungry, always hoping the next day would bring better fortune. 

They managed to keep the inevitable at bay for two more years, each day a bit worse than the previous as food became more and more scarce. 

And now, as a result of lack of food and stunted growth, Peculya and Aethina had fallen ill. 

Their bodies, too weak to fight off the disease infecting them, and medicine, only so effective on those as weak as they were, the only thing Mantodea and Chrysalis were able to do was quarantine their children to keep the infection from spreading to others while giving their all to nurse the two back to health. 

In one final attempt to save his precious foals, Mantodea stopped eating completely, giving everything to his daughters in the hope it would be enough. 

But their bodies were weak, their immunity compromised, and what little reserves still stored within burned off as their bodies fought a losing battle and two weeks after they fell ill Aethina passed away 

This was a devastating blow to everyling, and Mantodea threw his all, into finding enough food and medicine in the hopes it would save Peculya. But it would prove to be futile as she slowly drifted off a week later. 

Desperate, grief-struck, and at a complete loss, Mantodea forced himself well past his limits to ensure his remaining daughter would have enough to eat. To make sure she would have enough strength and energy to survive. To make up for his failings as a father and husband. 

He pushed further and further, well past any reasonable sense where one should have stopped, and kept pushing until he could give no more and his body failed him. 

He collapsed in the streets of the Hive, for all to witness. 

He would never recover. 

Their home was in ruins. 

Furniture was tossed aside, broken, and outright destroyed while in the center of the devastation sat Chrysalis, head hanging and sobbing loudly as tears fell to the floor. 

Heartbroken and lost in despair, Chrysalis felt numb as her world had crumbled around her.

She had always leaned on her husband. His continuous support and ever-optimistic demeanor always made her feel like they could overcome anything, no matter how difficult the challenge was. But now he is gone, too. And all she was left with was endless grief and anger. 

Anger at the unfairness of it all.

Anger at her husband for not finding a way.

Anger for being left behind.

And most of all, she felt anger, no, hate for the one ultimately responsible.

Slowly she lifted her head, glowering at the wall before her.

"She will pay," she hissed venomously. "She will feel my pain!"

A sound made her ears twitch and she snapped to the source and her anger froze in its tracks.

There, lying in her crib, still too young to understand what had happened, but old enough to realize something was terribly wrong, Erlea wailed. 

Maternal instincts kicking in, Chrysalis rushed to her youngest, and only remaining daughter, gently scooping her up and comforting the young nymph.

"And I'll make sure you won't have to suffer as I have," she promised as a plan began to form. 

It had taken a long time. 

Far too long. 

But the plan needed to be perfect. All possible flaws were found and stomped out. Contingencies to unexpected developments that could otherwise spell disaster. Back-up plans in case the contingencies failed and adjusting the plans depending on scout reports. 

In the end, it had taken years for her plan to solidify. Long enough to cause more death among their numbers, but they had to push forwards. By now not just a desire for vengeance, Chrysalis realized early on that this idea of hers would also provide them with ample opportunity to gain enough food to feed everyling for several months. Longer even if they played their cards right. 

That was why it took so long to finalize this idea. 

Long enough for Erlea to pupate, and was by now over nine years old. 

It was a moment of pride for Chrysalis but also worry. 

Both Peculya and Aethina reached this stage, and she and Mantodea believed them to be safe after this most critical moment in their lives. 

Oh, how wrong they were. 

No, she could not rest. She could not stop worrying. Everything had to be perfect. For her daughter. For the Hive. For all those lost. And so she continued planning.

Scouting parties now had a near-permanent presence in Canterlot, the city they planned to attack. Several ponies were swapped at great risk, but even greater reward as not only allowed for them to take an active role in the pony's community, opening up more possibilities for infiltration. It also provided them with some much-needed nourishment, limited as it might have been. 

But then came by far the riskiest part of the plan. Something they added last minute, which meant it was also the part with the least amount of planning. Something that could easily spell disaster should it go wrong, but what would allow them to deal a critical blow to the Sun Tirant and those close to her all in one fell swoop. 

It also meant Chrysalis had to leave the Hive for an extended duration, entrusting Erlea to those who remained as she was the one who had to stalk Cadance, learn her behavior, and patterns, those close to her, and finally, impersonate the princess of love. 

The title made her spit in disgust. 

It was dangerous, if not outright fatal should their attempt to swap Cadance go wrong, but luck finally proved to be on their side as after months of careful movement the operation went off without a hitch, and Chrysalis assumed the role of the loving alicorn and took her place with none the wiser. 

In the end, all the pieces came together, and after years of planning, manipulating, pretending, scheming, prodding, pushing, lying, and hoping things were entering their final stage. And the beginning of their endgame was ushered in by the sound of wedding bells. 

"♫This day is going to be perfect. 

The kind of day I worked to achieve for us all. 

Everypony will gather 'round.

Say I look lovely in my gown.

What they don't know is that I have fooled them all.

I could care less about the dress. 

I won't partake in any cake. 

Vows? Well, I'll be lying when I say:

That through any kind of weather. 

I'll want us to be together. 

The truth is I don't care for him at all.

No, I do not love the groom. 

In my heart, there is no room. 

Nothing can replace what was once mine. 

Finally, the moment has arrived. 

For me to be one lucky bride. 

Oh, the wedding will be grand. 

It's time for Celestia to meet her end. 

At long last revenge be mine. 

All mine."♫

In the end, all the careful planning proved to be for naught as, with the help of Twilight Sparkle, princess Cadance managed to escape from captivity. And together they confronted Chrysalis. 

What followed was a decisive defeat, where all changings were expelled from Canterlot through the power of Cadance and Shining Armor's love combined. 

Quite a curious thing it was, being launched away at great speed by what was essentially food. 

Food that all caught in the blast greedily sucked up. 

Hay, if they carelessly throw the very thing you sought out at you, you don't complain about it regardless of the circumstance. 

In fact, it might even buy them the time needed to regroup and devise a new plan to ensure their survival. 

Of course, this was easier said than done. Free food it might have been, there was still the problem of uncontrolled flight at high speed, and the unyielding ground awaiting them at the end of it all. 

In the end, the majority suffered injuries not easily ignored, and a number were even worse off. Forcing them to use some of their precious energy to return to the Hive, unaware of the lethal danger they were all in. 

It started slow. 

A cough here. 

Some weaknesses there. 

And a bit of nausea to finish it off. 

Of course, it was believed this was just the result of recovering from their injuries after being launched away, and the crash that followed. 

But then the first among them truly fell ill, and they were rushed to the hospital, only for more and more to fall ill in the days that followed. 

Within a week, everyling who was at the center of the blast was taken down by this mysterious illness, with those further away starting to show signs. And the worst afflicted was Chrysalis herself. 

It took a few doctors they still had a long time before they could pinpoint the source of this disease. Taking all due precautions in fear of airborne infection, or possibly through touch. But eventually, they discovered the truth, and a wave of indignation went through the Hive. 

Love. 

Hate-poisoned love. 

The very energy they sought to acquire, turned against them. 

It did not take long after that to connect the remaining pieces, and they understood what had happened. 

The spell used against them, while powered by the shared love by Cadance and Shining Armor, also contained their shared hatred. And when they took as much they could from the love mixed in the spell, they also took the other. 

But knowing this did little to solve the growing crisis, and a month after the failed invasion half of the Hive had succumbed to the illness, with more falling ill each day, leaving the care to those struck to the only ones not present during the assault. 

Their young, and the few caretakers left behind. 

Days, weeks, and months more passed by in a haze of disease and failing health until the worst possible outcome was made real. 

Death. 

Already low on food, and with barely anyling left to search for more, the already weakened victims could not last and they passed away with rapidly rising numbers. 

And with no time to tend to those who died, all the foals could do was drag off the bodies of their loved ones to the most remote area in their City. 

A place they would soon call by the only name that could fit such a horrid place. 

Despair. 

And to add to their burden, with the sudden fall of changelings interacting with the Murgröna, their link with their loved ones as well as their ancestors, already weak and dimmed but still able to interact with them in limited capacities, fell completely dormant. And only a faint glow remained showing it was still alive. 

Time passed by in a haze, and the next Danny saw was himself as he flew up from the abyss underneath the city, and the surge of power that coursed through the Murgröna in response to him. 

A jolt shot through Danny as he was pulled from the maelstrom of energy, and slowly lowered to a non-existent floor in the same white void where he first found himself. 

Standing there waiting was Mantodea, watching him with a knowing, saddened look. 

Danny looked at him, no words were needed as he understood perfectly. 

Looking back up at the mass of energetic strings, the living memories of all those who came before, and the horrible truth they revealed to him, he stood firm and gave a single, resolute nod. 

"You now know our story. The good, and the bad," Mantodea spoke. "What will you do now, knowing all that has happened? What was done to us, and what we did in turn? 

"What will I do?" Danny said, looking at Mantodea. "Fulfill my promise and confront Celestia," he stated. "Knowing all of this now won't change a thing. If anything, it just gave me more reason to stop her." 

Mantodea relaxed, smiling kindly at Danny. 

"You don't know just how much it means to hear that. Or… perhaps you do," he looked at the memories flowing above. 

"I do. I really do," Danny confirmed, the thousands of lives he'd lived now part of him. "Even though I wasn't part of any of it, I feel like I have. And I will do anything in my power to see justice be brought to the changelinks, and fulfill the dream of our-... Your ancestors." 

Mantodea laughed, smiling kindly at Danny. "By now, I suppose it is only fair to call them your ancestors as well, Danny. Maybe not in blood, but in the heart. Besides, you are a part of this," he looked back up. "You have been ever since you chose to help us." 

Danny looked up as well, and his eyes widened as he saw a new string of energy weave its path throughout the pulsating cluster. A string of toxic green energy connecting to all the memories as Danny himself joined the Murgröna, and with it, his promise to all changelinks. 

"Now go, Daniel Phantom," Mantodea said, stepping away. "Go and save our loved ones." 

Danny felt himself pulled away, and everything faded into nothing as his mind was sent back. 

"And one last thing," Mantodea's voice called from afar, and the next thing Danny heard was millions of voices speaking as one. 

"Thank you."