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// Where's Ripley? 
// Story: I Blame You 
// by Whitestrake 
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	“Hello, fake Cadence, I request that you surrender.” My suggestion was backed by a Mega Battle Cannon, two twin-linked heavy bolter emplacements, two autocannons, three lascannons, and a Demolisher Cannon, every one of those was currently pointed at the false alicorn. “Make this easy on both of us, I'd rather not level all of Canterlot.”

“I don't know what you're talking about!” A liar until the bitter end, it seemed. No matter, if Cadence's response to seeing the phony was any indicator, there wouldn't be much in the area of questions after this. The pink alicorn quickly made her way for the hatch, but I forced her to stay back until Twilight had a chance to clear the air. Actually, I only did it to keep from confusing the two ponies on when they were on-screen. The Imperial Guard needs to invest more in viewing technologies, shit is way too blurry for the forty-first millenia.

“You're a changeling!” The Element of Magic obvious didn't bear the Element of Subtlety, but that was a moot point at the moment, because Cadence need to get her flank out there and win the crowd back. Yes, I said flank, you know I meant pony ass, but seriously, she's engaged, show some damned respect.

“They take the form of something you love and get stronger by feeding off your love for them.” While the princess' statement seemed oddly redundant, it got its point across just fine. Stunned gaps sounded from Leviathan's inner speakers, why the hell did aristocrats limit themselves to group thought like that, wouldn't it be so much more fun to act wildly? “Even Taylor will agree with us!”

“Of course I will, but only from the safety of my cockpit.” The massive war machine would protect me from just about everything the universe could throw at me, on the condition that I was actually within its armored confines.

“You saw her out of her disguise!” Twilight seemed angry, but I can't imagine why. After all, we were captured at the same time, more or less, and she saw as much if not more than I did, maybe she was referring to the crystal image.

“Twilight, I will exit Leviathan only if someone else is willing to take the controls, and none of you have thumbs.”

“I do.” I think Jay just wanted inside my bitchin' tank, and who could blame him? The steel monster was built for wrecking shit. For the record, I actually care about some of the ponies, and would prefer their shit went un-wrecked. With no other options – I mean good options – I made my way for the main hatch, maybe the autocannon would be enough to deter any attack. I took my position behind the high-caliber Gatling gun, and only then was able to see the extent of my mask's damage. Dust and bits of rubble clung to the rubber covering, and the blinking, blue light seeping from within the broken lens only added to the image of a wounded cyborg.

“Blind and alone, not quite what you imagine, eh?” If anything, the imposter seemed genuinely surprised that I was still as brash as ever, her eyes even flashed green for a split-second. “Before you try any of that Jedi mind-trick bullshit, just remember that humans are resistant to magic.” The pink faker backed up a bit, taking cover behind her meat-shield, Shining Armor. Under normal circumstances, I would have no objections destroying the cretin and her toy, but that was my bro she cowered behind. I can't shoot my bro, I just can't.

“You have one chance to surrender.” Celestia was deviating from the plan, if only slightly, and it even made her look better in the eyes of the aristocracy. Like a cornered snake, the changeling revealed her fangs when provoked. A swirling pillar of cold, emerald flames soared to the ceiling, quite nice, pretty good for a show. Trixie would have let this bitch know that I'm not impressed by smoke and mirrors. A lance of green magic flew from the towering blaze, and pierced the bubble protecting Canterlot form invasion like a hot knife through things that are easily cut by hot knives.

The impenetrable defense shattered like so much glass.

“Not going to happen, I have a hive to feed.” The fire cleared, and revealed a form that, were I an equine, would have appeared majestic and sensual. To me, it looked like a bug-horse that someone had taken a drill to, starting with her legs. Changeling, kelpie, they really were the same thing in Equestria, if the seaweed hair was any indicator, so I was half right in my earlier assumptions. Ignoring the stupidity of it, I turned to run back into Leviathan's armored depths, eager for some protection and the powerful offense the massive Baneblade provided. Another emerald spear lanced at the tank, and caught one of the lascannons in the battery hitch, it tore a deep gouge in the plating and ripped the thick cord, but did no irreparable damage.

A magic bubble wrapped around my midsection, fuck changeling magic, it wasn't fully affected by the distortion field. The insectoid equine pulled me to her side, like a child inspecting a new toy, her voice crept over my heart like glacial ice.

“First Canterlot, then all of Equestria, my hive will feed on them all.” The changeling broodmother seemed more than sinister in the room's lighting, the shadows played off her tiny, chitinous facial plating like a fine painting or sculpture. If these overgrown parasites fed on emotions, this bug was in for a big surprise if she tried to take my love. But seeing the swarm that was descending upon the city, some part of me doubted we would be able to save anyone. I used my free hand to execute the only order I was allowed to give, a triple tone of blaring static roars signaled the guard to fight for their lives and country.

“No.” The voice of a stern Celestia forced both of us to look at the alabaster alicorn. The goddess seemed more like the war gods of old, her righteous anger was well-earned and equally distributed amongst her enemies.

“Fuck taking a dive, ice this bitch.” In response, the light around my stomach tightened, it seemed the queen didn't like her food to talk. The two horned foes faced off in a physical shoving contest, neither gave an inch to her enemy. The unstoppable force of changeling hivequeen magic met the immovable object of Princess Celestia's resolve, and as magic became involved, the ponies in the room wisely fled.

The locked beams clashed and rippled with power, until only the victor could be crowned. It was a shock to see the princess hit the ground, her horn's tip was scorched in an odd parody of blast residue. The triumphant bug queen swiveled me around to her eyes, a smug glint played from within the beautiful, emerald pools and I wa- what the fuck! Was she messing with my mind in the middle of a goddamn war? I felt my mask's clasp loosen as a tug was applied, the changeling broodmother seemed to have a particular interest in my face.

“So, my little Deceiver, what could inspire you to work for these ponies?” The mention of the odd name was marked in my mind for later review, of course, that was assuming that I would have a later in which to study my findings. The familiar tickle of mind-magic radiated from my frontal lobe, but unlike Celestia, the action was surgical in precision and horrifying with its intensity. The chuckle from the bugbitch turned into an almost sensual purr as she probed my memories for motivation. Only her name matter to me, for the purpose of vengeance, and the cheese-legged ponybug felt generous enough to give me that.

“I am called Queen Chrysalis, and you're going to tell me everything I want to know.”