//------------------------------// // Swarmed // Story: Foal Necromancer // by Kytranis //------------------------------// “...so to sum up a long winded rant. I hope to cause a chain reaction that will forever change the changeling race. If my guess is right, than reinforcing the soul and causing the changeling's aura to passively pull in the energy created by shifting and colliding emotions...” I explain in fully enjoying the feeling of intellectual superiority. We're both in my room and the changeling is tied up and on the desk. Bones is napping on my pillow, and Rain-Drop has a small tablet on the bed to give her something solid to write on. She has the chair too. “How do you spell those words?” Rain-Drop asks and my eyebrows go up. She's been taking notes and not only has good hand... sorry mouth-writing, but write quickly as well. “Which ones?” I ask. She's needed some help but has been really good otherwise. Actually she calmed right down when she figured out that I wasn't going to dissect the changeling. I mostly need to examine it's spiritual presence. Since it feeds off the immaterial it is mostly immaterial. Yet also shockingly fragile, these things are designed to be completely subservient so their souls are almost non-existent. The slightest spiritual pressure and they fall apart. “Uhm... what's passively or colliding?” she asks and I smile. “Passively means without trying. Your heart beats without you thinking about it. So it's done passively. It's spelled P A S S I V E L Y. When you collide you run into something. If you're colliding that means it's happening right now. Colliding is spelled C O L L I D I N G.” I tell her and she jots down what they mean on another piece of paper she's been using. “Thank you. Now give me a second I'm almost done... there! Alright keep going.” Rain-Drop tells me and I nod my head in appreciation. “With such a change in place the changeling race will no longer need to devour emotions, but will simply need to be nearby them to feed. This chance was completely unexpected, and is only possible due to the fact that changelings are actually devouring aura's but are only able to do so when they are infused with the emotion of love. By making use of the fact that when two auras come together the interaction creates a similar energy that is otherwise wasted...” I continue before she looks up. She's going to ask about a word again. “Uhm... interaction?” Rain-Drop asks and I have to grin. At least she's keeping me from ranting too long. “It means to do things together. We're talking, that is a kind of interaction. It's spelled I N T E R A C T I O N.” “I'm gonna do really good on my next Equish test.” Rain-Drop remarks and I grin. Nice to know she's getting something else out of this. Now her parents can't complain. Much... Too much... let's not let them know. “Alright... let's continue. By causing the changeling to make use of this otherwise wasted energy instead of love imbued aura energy the greatest danger of changelings, their feeding habits, is rendered completely non-issue.” I say finally finishing before grinning to myself. “Non-Issue. There! It's all done!” Rain-Drop says happily dropping the last page into the pile. “Great! Now, we're done guessing and figuring things out. Time to mess with the changeling.” I say with a grin and her smile falters. “You're not going to hurt it are you? I mean, it was mean but... from what you told me it doesn't know any better. It was nice playing grown-up and helping the way mommy does but... you're not going to hurt it are you?” she says and I'm honestly surprised. Not two hours ago she was threatened by one of these things and now she's sticking up for it? ... Where the hell were people like this a century ago?! “No I'm not going to hurt it.” I tell her... well... I won't hurt it intentionally. “Bones, hold it down in case.” I whisper as I face the hog tied insect. The kitten jumps off my pillow and lands lightly on the changeling. “Moment of truth.” I mutter to myself as I rear up and place my hooves on the unconscious being. In a moment I feel it. A tiny piece of a soul like a shard of broken glass that has roots. It's stretched so thin through the body it's a miracle it was ever alive. Let alone surviving despite my none too gentle handling of the creature. I feel for where it devours love from and I begin pouring energy into the centre. A tiny trickle but it's enough. The shard starts to grow. It strengthens itself as it increases in size. I pour in a little more and the energy follows the roots now. They thicken and grow strong. Now for the moment of truth. The changeling is more powerful now, so I have to do this before it throws off the sleep spell. I twist it's feeding aspects. I pull on them and change them as I pour in spiritual energies. Then I feel a tug. I cut the flow and I sense all the aura energy I can. It's working. I pull away and take a couple steps back. I can feel the soul shard growing inside it. “It seems to be working.” I say and Rain-Drop steps close and stares at the changeling. “Why is it turning white?” she asks as the colour drains out of the creature. “I don't know.” I say as Bones jumps off of it and the changeling cracks. Its wings fall off, shortly followed by its legs, horn, then head! “You killed it!” Rain-Drop exclaims sounding horrified. “No... it's still alive... it's in a sort of egg though. Like a cocoon.” I say after walking up and tapping it. “I don't know what's going to come out though...” I say frowning a little. “We should probably... whoa! Uh oh.” I say interrupted as I feel no less than twelve changelings enter my perception range. More and more pour towards us. “Bones, keep Rain-Drop safe. Rain-Drop stay with Bones.” I say as the numbers swell to well past three dozen and counting. “Mrow.” Bones protests and I shake my head. “You're good at taking down singular enemies. This is a swarm.” I tell the kitten and he pouts but nods. “What's going on?” Rain-Drop asks sounding nervous. “The changelings are done playing around. They're here to kill me.” I say simply and she gasps. I grin. “Better than them have tried. It takes a lot to kill me.” I say to reassure her. “Has anypony actually...?” Rain-Drop asks sounding worried. The changelings are getting closer and closer and there are more by the second. “I'll answer questions when I get back, and I will be back.” I say seriously before walking to the door and opening it. “Hello gents. Let's take this outside.” I tell the mass of changelings as I walk out and slam the door behind me. “You will suffer for your crimes against the swarm!” One of them screams and the all charge me. I charge right back. As I'm about to run into the first one I pull my legs out from under me and take advantage of my fur to slide under the creature. The one immediately behind it catches on so a quick hop and I'm racing up it's head, neck and body to dodge the next one slightly to the side and use another changeling as a platform to run on. Another one looms up in front of me and I'm almost out of this swarm so I simply punch it in the face to stun it before ducking under the larger creature and dashing away. The swarm reorients itself behind me and they're quickly giving chase. Luckily there's so many that they can't fly so I actually leave them behind. I reach out with my senses to their limit and nearly stumble in shock. There's thousands of them... and there's a big one. It must be the creator of them because they are all connected to it... they're all connected... I can't help but smile. This just became easy. I race towards the doorway out and as I emerge outside I have my first major problem. Most of them are in the sky and they're casting some strange huge spell. One of them has broken away from the main group and is about to tackle me and I grin, I have my way up. I channel as much death energy through my body as I can, then let the changeling hit me. It's dead on contact and I pour more into the creature. It doesn't even have time to fall before it jerks awake into its new unlife. 'Your will?' a chittering voice asks in my mind. I think 'Carry me.' and it grabs onto my just under the front shoulders and we shoot into the sky. “HOW DARE YOU!?” An echoing voice screams out as me and my new slave rise up. The swarm is right behind me and a much, much larger one shoots out of the grey clouds like a plague of locust. I can just barely sense a much larger one behind the clouds and I grit my teeth. It seems much stronger than the rest. There is a massive surge of magic and the entire castle is surrounded by a shield. The larger one gives out a massive laugh. I see... I've walked into a trap... a trap where the trapper has no idea what she's caught. I actually pity this idiot. “Throw.” I say out loud as I pump energy into my undead changeling, much more than needed actually. I grin as I'm suddenly shooting through the cold air and the swarm catches up to my changeling. My changeling then detonates with necrotic energy wiping out the entire swarm and animating them immediately after. Shame the one I used was literally torn apart by the energies it released, but I now have about seventy more so that placates me. “Monster...” the echoing voice says and then gives out a slight scream as I shoot through the swarm and pop out of the clouds to smile at her. I expect to drop away through the clouds and kill every changeling I touch, but to my surprise I land softly on the vapour. That's just useful. I take a moment to get a good look at my enemy. She's a very tall and well developed changeling with green hair. More than the others she looks like she could be a pony. The eyes that although cat like are still built more like normal eyes rather than balls of blue with pale white for pupils. “Good afternoon.” I say walking casually up to her as my swarm starts to plow through hers in a wedge to get to me. The whole swarm is so shocked that they get through with ease. “So... how do you want to die?” I ask in a pleasant tone as I keep pouring energy into each one of my changelings one after another as they pass beneath me. Before she can answer I get my much smaller, and considerably more deceased swarm to form a defensive perimeter around me. A few other changelings try and sneak in but I can sense them easily, then direct my swarm into dragging them to me so they can be... recruited. Her much larger and considerably more fragile swarm makes a massive perimeter around the two of us. They repel the occasional pegasus who was outside the shield and look to be ready to attack me. Goody. “Of old age and in my sleep.” She says backing up a step and my eyebrows shoot up. “So time acceleration and sleeping spells. Sorry, fresh out of those. All I can offer is rot, agony, a slow breaking, a quick breaking, or the mystery death.” I say buying as much time as I can to make as many changelings into bombs as possible. “How are you doing this to my children?!” She demands sounding horrified as she backs up a step for each one I take towards her. “You make a point to attack me. You do everything you can to cut me off from any possible help... unless, I'm guessing wrong and the dissent in the Crystal Kingdom, and the Ambassador to the Griffons's illness had nothing to do with you.” I say glad to find a way to bide more time. I've energized about a third of them. “It was me... we've been... learning since our last defeat. You are the only unknown, and you've been tearing my plans apart.” She says seeming to steel herself to attack me. “Well excuse me. If I'd known your kind was here I would have tried to avoid it.” I say and she pauses. Good, now I've got even more time to make this even more unfair. “What?” she asks sounding shocked. “Well... if you didn't constantly send changelings after me then... it would not be possible for me to care less about what you were up to.” I say and her jaw drops. “Is it really so hard to believe that if you leave me alone, I leave you alone?” I ask a little annoyed, to my shock I can actually feel the veins in my eyelids on my eyeballs. I must say that feels really uncomfortable... maybe I should pull these ones out too? The headband is working rather well... No best keep multiple options. “No... nothing can love a changeling.” she says grimly. What's this about love? “This has nothing to do with love sweetheart. This is about not provoking an unknown factor.” I say with a mocking grin and she's now glaring at me. I'm about half done now. “Unknown or not you are still a threat. I will not allow anything to hurt my swarm!” she declares heavily and personally charges at me. “Someone's been drinking the liquid courage.” I mutter, mildly impressed at the sheer gall it takes to charge me. Granted, I am an unknown factor so she probably thinks I'll panic, or that my powers take a bit of prep, or that she has some special resistance. Most everyone loves that third assumption. I do as well, it makes killing the idiots all the easier. With a flicker of will I send a pulse of necrotic energy along the aether. It slams unseen into aura... and shatters. Hunh... I don't have time to contemplate as I dodge away from her and my small swarm piles on her from every angle. As expected her swarm swoops in to pile on them but as they get close about just shy of two thirds of my swarm detonates with necrotic power and instantly slays her every soldier. “NOOO!!” She screams out in agony before going limp. Most of my new swarm simply land on the clouds as two of them hold up the beaten queen. “You're still alive?! Holy crow... Now that, is impressive.” I say slowly more than a little shocked at her continued survival. I comfortably walk up to her and she spits at me as I draw close. “Charming.” I note as I dodge the rapidly freezing ball of spit and phlegm. “My swarm... my children...” she whispers sounding completely devastated. Is she trying to guilt me? “You know... it's rare that I fight an authentic immortal. Sometimes I get some long lived fool who thinks he's one. But, every now and then I get to fight something that is truly timeless. This fight was pathetic, but it did take a certain level of effort that few enemies can take me to.” I say partially in reminiscence as I casually walk around my beaten enemy. I remember Valaria who had communed so deeply and often with spirits that she became one herself. A spirit wrapped in unaging flesh. I had to fight that witch entirely on the aether. That was an annoying fight, but the air is never sweeter than when you have earned your those breaths. My mind is wandering. I bring myself back to the situation at hand, or rather at hoof. What to do with this one? “What?” she snarls at me as I stare at her. “Just thinking about what to do with you. I'll wager whatever changelings are casting that spell are both protected in the shield and inaccessible from the castle.” I state and she smiles. “Those beauties are modified. They will cast the spell endlessly and feed off the despair of the pathetic fools in the castle... They will, mmph!”she declares but she's starting to rant so a third undead changeling zooms in and shoves a hoof in her mouth. Now she's glaring at me with so much venom I can almost taste it. “Enough of that. I just wanted confirmation, not a rant.” I tell her and she snorts derisively. “Now that I have you undivided attention I have good news, bad news and...mixed news.” I say with a smile. “The good news, for you at least, is that as an immortal my magic cannot kill you outright. I can weaken and hurt you, but I can not kill you with my... gifts.” I say and she sneers at me. “The bad news for you is that... that's not a big problem for me. It just means I can't kill you painlessly.” I continue and she looks on the verge of panic but... she can't overpower the undead changelings. “The mixed news... is that I'm planning something other than killing you.” I tell her and at a flicker of will the changeling with it's hooves in her mouth backs away. “Any questions?” “What are you planning?” she asks fearfully and I lean in with a grin. “An experiment. It mostly worked on a changeling I took alive. I think. It turned white and all it's limbs broke off. But, it's still alive...” I tell her and her eyes widen in horror. “So in the pursuit of knowledge, let's see what happens when I do the same thing to you.” I state as I walk up to her and I pull up on the clouds up a little. To my delight it moves upwards, and I can stand on the wispy staircase I quickly make in front of me. “Any last words?” I ask pleasantly and she tries to bite me. “Now that's just rude.” I state before two more of my undead changelings fly in and hold her still. There's nothing more to say. I place my hoofs on her torso and focus. The undead changelings keep her still as I poke around through her soul and spirit. How odd... yet expected. Both soul and spirit are ravaged with huge chunks missing. She's been ripping herself apart to create the changelings, she must be in horribly agony. “Hmm... there's some more parts than that drone. How tricky... how entertaining.” I say deviously and she panics a little. I'd best take care of her ability to create more changelings first. I follow the pain in her spirit to the most recent cut and I match it with the most recent injury in the soul. They were torn out directed just below the stomach. So she lays eggs? No wonder she called them her children. Alright feed it a bit of energy and cause it to grow superfluous shards but... how to restrict them so they come out the same way? Ah, a sympathetic connection is already in place. So that will work. Change the main one and the rest change by reflection. Wait a moment. I can use that connection. I trace out the threads and I find many of them leading far way and about twenty leading to points around the castle. With another one right into the castle, although it dies every moment. I reinforce the connection and add a bit of necrotic energy so the constant death of the link means nothing. “Wh... what? It's still alive!? What did you do to it? How is it feeding if it can't move?!” she demands in shock and I smile. “You're about to find out.” I say and I force the sympathetic connection to reverse from that one changeling to her. The changes start instantly and she screams in agony as she tries to resist it. “If you fight it, then it hurts.” I tell her and she fights all the harder. She's actually throwing the changes off and morphing back... I doubt my sleep spell would work so... I have to trick her. I dull her pain to nearly nothing and pretend to panic. “Oh shit how are you getting power from it?!” I demand in false shock, lying like a rug. Her eyes widen and she smiles at me. I do everything I can to dull her senses and pump just a little energy onto her nerves. Hopefully she won't notice she's turning white. “AHAHAHAHAAA! Foalish wretch! Did you truly believe the changelings were so easily beaten!?” she demands in a bellowing voice as I let her shake off the undead changelings. “Now you shall pay for your arrogance!” she screams as the colour change completes and there's a sudden cracking noise as her horn falls off. “W-what?” “Fooled you.” I say simply as her wings break off and she starts to fall but I have a few changelings catch her and hold her up by the torso as the rear legs start breaking. “Sorry, I win.” I say simply as the colour finally drains from her eyes and for a moment she looks like a crumbling marble statue. Then the limbs crumble off and the jaw moves a little, just before the head and neck crumble away. I concentrate a little further and feel that her mind is asleep, and the connection to the rest of her kind is strong. So I force the sympathetic reaction outwards. Hopefully this should change the whole species into something else. I pour a lot of energy in but there's no clear reaction, then thankfully, I feel a surge of magic as the shield around the castle breaks. That means I got the nearby ones at least. What the? The undead changelings are ripping themselves apart. ... I see, the sympathetic transformation is fighting the undeath. The undeath is winning but the body is losing. “Shit.” I mutter as I grab onto the cocoon that the head changeling is in. “Oh crap, this is going to suck.”I say just before all the weight transfers to me as the changelings turn to black dust on the wind. Alright, next problem... how do I get down? Correction, how do I get down quickly before I drop the cocoon, and without crushing either it or myself? I feel a large source of magic zooming around just outside the castle, it's hopefully Luna. “Up here! I've got what's left of the big one but I can't hold on forever!” I shout and hope she hears me. “Night-Shade!” Luna says breathlessly as she emerges up from the clouds. “Are you alright? What did you do?!” she demands and grabs me. “Careful! I don't want to drop this!” I tell her hurriedly as she nearly shakes the head changeling's cocoon from my grip. “You modified a second!? Wait, this one is larger than the one in your room.” she notes. “There had better be a damn good explanation when we get down.” she says as she grabs onto the cocoon with her magic, and with me in her arms we slowly fall down through the clouds, and lower safely to the ground below. The guards are quickly flitting around in the air and rushing around on the ground. Unicorns are sending searching spells all over the place. “Why did you do these things to the changelings?” Luna demands the moment we land and I chuckle ruefully. “Well... mostly because I'm unfortunately sane.” I tell her and she gives me a semi-glare. I back up a little. “In the past whenever I was faced with a new enemy I killed it quickly and without fuss. Things only got worse as for every idiot that died five more came screaming for revenge. Since insanity is doing the same thing endlessly and expecting a different result, I thought doing something different would help.” I say trying to sound inoffensive. She blinks and seems to mull it over before nodding. “Why didn't you tell me about what you were planning?” she asks after a moment. I cannot read her expression. “You have to have better things to do than babysit me.” I remark a little dryly and she raises an eyebrow. “Is that what you think?” she asks and one of my eyebrows go up. “Yes. You are a goddess who runs a major country. A small child safe in the palace should not be a main concern.” I say calmly and she raises an eyebrow. “I'll be the judge of that.” Luna tells me and I sigh at that. “Now... am I guessing correct in that was Chrysalis?” she asks and I think. “If that was the name of the large changeling with greenish hair than yes.” I say calmly and Luna looks towards the cocoon with a huge grin. “Uhm... I've never done anything like this before, so it may be wise to keep all the cocoons we can find somewhere safe, but not foreboding. I modified them to be more... I'd like to say friendly.” Before she or I can say anything else a shiver runs through me and I sneeze. “Let's get you inside. You'll catch your death of cold out here.” Luna says gently and she picks up the cocoon with magic, and I nod before heading towards the entrance. Another sneeze tears out of me. How did I not notice getting soaked by the cloud? I guess I was too focused on the fight.