Tribulations of the Tower (The Dark Times)
First Year of the Takeover
Day 254:
Why? Why did I ever feel this was a good idea? Sure, I can say I did it to save myself, to save what’s left of my family, to save Spike, or to come up with safe ways for Chrysalis to rule over the shell of Equestria, but what did I really accomplish? Months later and I’m still in the same bucking place as I was in the beginning.
She still doesn’t trust me, which is probably a good move on her part. Ponies are still getting hurt, neigh, killed in the streets for no reason. Everything is going to Tartarus, and I have no answers. To make things worse, a rebel faction has been making raids on small towns. Never enough to do any real damage, just enough to make Chrysalis angry.
Which brings me to this: Chrysalis has halted all my other projects, and has me researching what she calls “burrows;” a plan she hopes will mean she is able to lock down the cities under her power and... it’s bad. It’s hard to explain now, because I don’t have a good grasp on it myself, maybe I’ll jot more down about it once I know more.
No, the worst part of all this is how powerless I still am. I said I gave in so that I could try to protect the ponies that Chrysalis is feeding off of, but it isn’t working. She is just as crazy as ever, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Whatever this rebel faction is, I hope they move quickly, because they are all the hope we have left.
Day 300:
Bi-Weekly report.
Queen Chrysalis, enclosed are my findings of this two week period, on the project codenamed “burrow.”
Initial testing of build one in Dodge Junction has been a devastating failure. Initial reports from the Changeling Resource Consolidation Bureau report that the cost of living per equine head is down, as is overall “love production.” It seems that arbitrarily locking groups of at least six ponies (groups of three) will not induce love, as I told you in the beginning. Total cost of experiment so far: roughly 1700 bits.
Will test build two in Hoofington within the month.
Twilight Sparkle.
I put down the quill pen, disgusted with myself. Well, not so much myself, as the fact that after everything I said I would try, I was still unable to do any of it. She wanted me to help with her stupid project burrow, so I researched for weeks to try and discover the best way to do that, for the ponies and the changelings. I gave my plan to Chrysalis, told her the advantages to doing it my way, and how it would benefit both over time. Of course, she decided it wasn’t “good enough for the changelings.”
So, I hit the books once again. I made another plan, and she once again shot it down. Five plans. Five different plans before I finally gave in and just told her, “well, if none of this is good enough, why not just lock a few ponies in a room until they love each other? Problem bucking solved.” and stormed out of the throne room.
Apparently, she thought that was a great idea, because that is exactly what she did. Over the course of two weeks, various statistics were sent to me for personal review. Psychological diagnoses of the ponies involved, costs of living from before and after the new housing arrangement, any and all military reports emanating from the town, and the general amount of love produced. (Though how they measure that is beyond me. Maybe they have something like a wingpower meter...?)
I walked over to the door, knocking on it to call my current guard. To my pleasant surprise, Zil walked into the room. “Ah, hello friend.” I said. “I have the latest report for Chrysalis, if you would like to have it sent off for me.”
He took the scroll in his own strange facsimile of magic. “Of course, Miss Sparkle. Anything else I can do for you?”
I pondered for a moment. “Zil, can you keep a secret.”
He narrowed his eyes, trying to divine my request from the look on my face. “That depends on the secret Miss Sparkle.”
I leaned in conspiratorially. “I want to get out of here.” I grinned at him, only half joking.
He laughed, though it sounded forced. He had changed from the kind changeling who brought me food when I was first captured. “I’m afraid I don’t exactly have the authority to do that. I will forward your request to Chrysalis, if you wish.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think she would go for it. Thanks though.”
He nodded, and slipped out of the room without another word. He’ll deliver my report to Chrysalis, and she will expect me to start work on the next version. I wonder if she will tell me which one she wants implemented...
Day 304:
It...It was Shining’s birthday today. I sealed my door with magic as powerful as I could make to prevent anything from coming in to bother me. It may sound silly, but I threw him a party. Not much, mind you, but I was able to convince Zil to bring me a small cake from the kitchens, and a candle or two. It sounds strange, being friendly with a changeling, but like I said, he’s different.
For a while now, he has been feeding me information from the outside world, such as news of the “resistance.” It sounds less like an organized resistance, and more like ponies just using the inherent chaos to loot and raid for things they couldn’t have under the Equestrian government.
I sat there in my room with Spike, having broken the lock on his cage a long time ago, and we celebrated what would have been Shining’s thirtieth birthday. He was always saying that he was going to be a captain in the Royal Guard before he was thirty. Personally, I think his goal was all too realistic.
I think Spike is doing ok, considering he was only kidnapped, forced into a small cage, tortured, and forced to watch me get tortured. Could have been worse. I... sometimes I think I’m starting to slip though. The little things that I always used to remember, the natural organization and rhythm that my life used to follow, has obviously been completely turned on it’s head.
It is easy to forget when I’m busy working, even if it was one of Chrysalis’ twisted projects. It’s when the lights are off, and Celestia has descended from the horizon to be replaced by the gentle light of Luna that it can be hard to cope. I try to be strong for Spike, but I think that he sees through my facade sometimes. It is just so difficult...
I look at the tapestries and such in the castle, those that Chrysalis hasn’t had removed, and I’m reminded of Shining Armor and the girls. I look at the books and things in my room, and think of my parents, whose fate Chrysalis has made sure that I don’t find out. The fact that she doesn’t want me to know what she did to them just makes it that much harder to deal with.
And don’t even get my started on Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. I hadn’t even seen the Lunar Princess since she visited Ponyville on Nightmare Night. I had been hoping that she was going to be as good of a friend as Celestia, or one of the girls. Guess that is out of the question now.
Celestia... Celestia is where it hurts the worst. She had been my mentor, my teacher, practically my mother since I was a small filly, and now she is gone? Just gone? How am I supposed to believe that? How am I supposed to believe that Chrysalis can just take her away from me like that? She was the most powerful pony in all of Equestria, maybe even in the whole world, and I’m just supposed to buy that Cheese Legs ran her off the bucking planet? What’s more likely is that she just had enough. Enough of the responsibility, enough of the stress.
Enough of me.
Day 305:
“Miss Sparkle, Queen Chrysalis request--”
“Yeah, yeah I heard you the first time. Give me a moment, I’ll be out soon.” I rolled out of bed, finally realizing that procrastinating my eventual rising was not going to work today, and attempted to tame my mane. Valiant fight abandoned, I trotted to the door, throwing it open before walking into my customary escort of changelings.
We marched down the corridors, now draped in liveries matching the glorious changeling empire. Queen Cheese Legs herself was waiting for me in her personal chambers, (Celestia’s personal chambers. This... thing... will never truly take her place.) “Good morning Twilight Sparkle,” she said, not looking up from the papers spread across her desk.
“Good morning, your majesty,” I replied walking over to the desk. On the inside, I shuddered at the honorific that Chrysalis did not deserve, but if I didn’t use it, they would lock Spike back up. Pick your battles, Sparkle, pick your battles.
“So, Project Burrow...” she prompted, finally looking over at me with her piercing gaze. My eyes, however, were not drawn to her eyes. They were drawn to her crown, the bastardized symbol of power in Equestria.
“With all due respect,” Queen Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at the implied insult, “I sent a report to you via my personal guard at the start of the week.”
“I’m aware of this. I read it, but was wondering if you had any other ideas or suggestions, other than ‘it failed.’”
I gathered my thoughts. “As I said at the outset of this project, I believe the best way to go about this would be to simply seal each city. On the inside, ponies are allowed to live their lives almost as they did under the rule of the Celestial Sisters, freed from the knowledge of the changelings by an illusion. On the outside, walls. Massive walls bastioned with changeling forces. This way, the ponies inside are free to live their lives without the restrictive presence of the occup- sorry- the army watching over everything they do.”
Chrysalis flinched at my insinuation that the changelings were not, in fact, the true rulers of Equestria. Of course they aren’t. The Royal Guard are. You will never, ever, be the national army, just the occupying invaders. “I suppose it has merit.” The occupying leader of Equestria looked at her notes. Her face adopted an evil smile as she raised her eyes to look into mine. “Ok, I’ll give the go ahead for the project.”
Finally. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll go and prepare the town for-”
“Oh no, that won’t be necessary.” Her grin spread wider. “You’ll run the test at Ponyville. Dismissed.”
What!? My eyes shot wide as my mouth spewed forth a response, not willing to wait for my mind to catch up. “Your Majesty, I respectfully-”
“Dismissed!” She waved her hoof, the signal for the guards to come and take me back to my chambers.
*****
“Hiya Twilight!” Spike called from within my chambers. At first he was very unhappy about my “apprenticeship” to Chrysalis, but he came around. I think that once he understood the circumstances he realized that he was being silly. After all, it’s hard to be angry at somepony for something they have no choice in.
“Hey Spike,” I replied, plopping down in front of my overcrowded desk. I picked up three books on advanced magic, flipping through them quickly. I had less than a day to prepare adequate spells to isolate Ponyville for Project Burrow. I had to get it right, and it had to be perfect.
He trundled over, putting a cup of tea on an empty part of the desk. He probably said something else, but I wasn’t paying attention. More and more it seemed my forced labor came before Spike, and it killed me, but for the moment there was no other way. I had to make sure something wasn’t going to go wrong and incinerate the town I used to call home.
Things I had never studied under my deified mentor flew through my head. Advanced combat magicks that only the highest order of spellweavers in the Royal Army had ever had privilege to even look at flowed like water. Architectural theory and military history was a small snack, leading up to the larger course of mass psychology, all of it culminating in a detailed architectural drawing of Ponyville, and what was going to be it’s surroundings. Project Burrow MK II was officially underway. Joy.
Day 315:
The plans came back today from Ponyville. It took some doing, but I managed to get Chrysalis to agree to my three-wall system. The first is a small wall, surrounding the borders of the town. Next was a medium sized wall, housing the soldiers and various defensive emplacements between the two. The third wall is actually a dome, stretching up into the heavens before curving back and touching the secondary wall. Various gates flanked by search towers provide entrance and exit, should anypony be granted travel visas between the towns.
I also managed to sneak in some base structural weaknesses into the walls. Hit the right brick in the right spot, and part of the wall may or may not fall down. With some luck, I’ll find some way to slip this information to the resistance, and they can get the ponies out.
I’m really worried about Spike. This project has consumed all my attention for the last week or so, and I haven’t been able to spend any time with him. Even going back, as Chrysalis’ tasks become more and more demanding, he suffers. I need to find some way to make it up to him, but how?
Day 320:
Knock- knock- knock. I cracked open an eye, casting it across the wasteland of books and notes that was my pillow to the door. “Come in,” I croaked, voice hoarse from lack of use.
Zil entered the room. “Good morning, Miss Sparkle. I come to deliver breakfast,” he nodded to a cart behind him, “and a report.” He pushed the cart inside, allowing me to grab a still-warm roll before proceeding. “The foundations of the first wall around Ponyville is going according to schedule. It, and it’s counterpart, should be finished within the month. As per the plan, the changeling guards have been withdrawn from the streets and posted along the roads and other ways into and out of the small town. Already, there is a marked improvement in their attitudes and outlook.”
I nodded. It was as I suspected. It wasn’t the changeling disposition of our rulers that was upsetting the populace, it was the constant reminder that things were not as they used to be. In all, the changeling takeover did not change much in most towns. Day to day life remained unchanged for the average pony, only really affecting those whose main job was with the government, such as the mayor.
I nodded, silenced by my roll. He continued. “Also, the resistance has begun launching raids on the smaller towns, obliterating all garrisons. They fight well, and with an innate knowledge of our defenses and tactics. Chrysalis suspects you are giving them information. Be careful.” With that, he left.
The resistance are actually making strides to do something? This was news to me. Ever since I had first heard of them, all they had done was guerrilla tactics against convoys, and groups of changeling soldiers moving from town to town, or guarding roads. I hope that however they are getting their information does not dry up soon, because it sounds like it might be pissing off Cheese Legs. And what makes her mad, bodes well for me.
Day 360:
“Twilight Sparkle!” The loud exclamation from the door immediately drew my attention. I looked towards the doors of the study I find myself in more than my room these days. Queen Chrysalis was there, and she looked absolutely livid.
“What is the meaning of this!?” She shouted, quickly walking over to where I was currently sitting and shoving a document in my face. I quickly skimmed it, hiding my smile at the report. I only picked out the broad basics of the file.
Apparently, the resistance didn’t need my help sabotaging the walls around Dodge Junction, the second city to be upgraded to the Burrow MK II. No, instead they found it prudent just to blow a massive hole in the side of it. Fifteen changelings were killed in the initial explosion, and over eighty killed in the fracas following. Every single pony had been saved, and had all escaped safely. Nopony had been found
“Well, Your Majesty, it appears as though the resistance attacked Dodge Junction, and killed roughly one hundred of your guards there in the process of freeing all the ponies living there.” I should have stopped there, but something egged me onward. “Really, now you need me to read your reports for you?”
She slapped me across the face. Yup, definitely should have stopped. “I will NOT put up with your insolence today, Sparkle. I told you to design something to keep the ponies locked inside the cities and keep them happy enough to love.”
“Which I did, and pretty well judging by my reports.”
“Well they aren’t locked inside the city now!” She glared at me, rearranging the books on my desk, bringing forward the ones on strategy and defense. “Change the Burrow; make it more defensible.”
Now I was getting upset. “When you told me to design your stupid burrow system, you said nothing about defensive capabilities. Nothing! I put them in there because it helped the overall design and security. It is your job as the supposed leader of this country and the military to defend YOUR cities, not mine.”
“How DARE you!” She shouted, horn sparking with magic. Her horn glowed with a sickly, green light, lifting me into the air. She threw me into a wall, which would have hurt if I hadn't anticipated it and formed a shield around myself. “I will not be spoken to like this, especially from one as insignificant as you!” I could hear the pure hatred in her words. “Guards,” four of the biggest changelings I had ever seen stormed into the room, quickly grabbing and subduing me. “Lock her up somewhere. I don’t want to see her face for a long time.”
They took me down into the dungeon, down to where she had Pinkie held. I noticed along the way that Rainbow wasn’t in her cell anymore. They threw me into the cell, locking the door behind me with a loud ‘clang.’
Year Two of the Takeover
Day 38...?:
I have been locked away for a long time now, I assume at least a month, though it is hard to tell when the only light you see is a guttering torch for a few minutes while they push your rotten food in on a tray, “accidently” knocking some onto the cold, dirty stone below. The only way to measure time I have is when they give me food. Two meals a day, most of the time. Sometimes they forget, not that I’m really missing the fine cuisine they serve here.
Around two weeks or so ago, they began bringing me books again. Chrysalis has decided that I must still work, even though my working conditions are worse than those of the ancient crystal miners. First, it was the revisions to Project Burrow. Then, it was tactics against guerrilla warfare. Right now, I am developing an armored convoy to use to transport ponies. She didn’t say where to.
They locked Spike back up in his cage, I can see it if I twist my head around by the window. I hope he is doing better than I am. I...I don’t know what to do. I work, and work, but I’m losing what I have left of my mind. Hallucinations are becoming more and more common, to the point that I’m trying to bring them on consciously, almost like more realistic daydreams.
But even in my dreams, I am not free.
Day 43:
First off, light sucks. You get locked away underground for a long time, the only thing you want is to see the sun, right?
Wrong.
It hurts your eyes, really badly at first, but doesn’t truly go away for hours afterwards. They brought me before Queen Cheese Legs. She was sitting smugly on her throne, crown positively buzzing with power. “Hello, Twilight Sparkle.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice after over a month of silence.
“You are probably wondering why I had you brought out after a month and a half of isolation.”
I nodded once again.
She wrinkled her brow. “Not going to talk?”
I shook my head.
She sighed dramatically. “Fine. Well, you have been such a good worker lately I decided to let you and Spike back out. You will continue to work from the confines of your quarters, with Spike, of course. However, if you step out of line again.” She raised her hoof, carefully examining it for a moment. “I won’t be responsible for what happens.” She motioned, and Spike was led over to me, in chains.
I bowed, and allowed myself to be escorted back to my chambers. It was a mess, but after a few hours cleaning, it was back to its’ old, messy self once again.
“Twilight...?” Spike started, walking into the room shortly after me, and shortly before the door shut and locked, a sound that was far too familiar.
I rushed over and hugged him. “I’m sorry.” I said, voice raspy from lack of use.
“For everything. For abandoning you for Chrysalis’ work, for not being able to protect you.” I said, hot tears starting to run down my face. “I couldn’t save everypony...I can’t even save myself.”
We sat there in each other’s arms/hooves for a long time. I resolved then and there to not forget about him, and to do whatever necessary to keep him safe.
Day 65:
Days came and went in a blur. I drifted from project to project, making sure to never abandon Spike this time around. Simple projects: irrigation problems, food shortages, lack of weather pegasi in smaller towns, animal attacks, they came and went as easily as the larger ones: military training, the latest revision of the Burrow project, my secret studies of combat magic, and my attempts to find out what this ‘Taint’ was that made Chrysalis so powerful.
The Taint. None of my books in Ponyville had ever mentioned it. Come to think of it, none of the books in the Royal Canterlot Archives that I had laid hooves on said anything of it either. It had been easier to get information on Nightmare Moon than the Taint, and the latter seemed much more deadly.
“You know Twilight, if the Taint is that big of a deal, you could always go into the Royal Canterlot Archives and see if they have anything in there.” Spike said one day after hearing me complain at my lack of information. Again.
“It’s not that easy Spike,” I began, “Chrysalis will never allow me free access to the archives, and even if she did I never saw anything about it when I was studying under Princess Celestia.”
“Well, weren’t there some places you weren’t allowed when Celestia was teaching you? And as for Queen Chrysalis not giving you access, you could always sneak in,” he said, shrugging his scaly shoulders.
“Spike!” I stopped what I was doing and rounded on him. “You shouldn’t talk about breaking the law like that, especially with you-know-who in charge.”
Spike rolled his eyes, but stayed silent. I sent him back to help organize the tomes that Chrysalis was sending to me every few days, and sat down at my desk to dig into my latest project. I still despised working on things like this, but at least it gave me something to do. Whenever possible, I made sure to instil weaknesses whenever it was possible, and make sure they aren’t obvious to the trained or untrained eye.
He did have a point though. Obviously, I had studied here as a small filly, and as such Celestia had forbidden me from certains sections. Being a good little filly, I stayed where I was told to, but I imagine there was probably something about the Taint in the areas I couldn’t go to in the past. Maybe sneaking out to try and find something isn’t such a bad idea...
Day 68:
Tonight's the night. I spent the last three days pouring over maps of the castle, and I’m as ready as I think I’ll ever be. I waited until Spike was safe and asleep, making sure to case enchantments on him so he wouldn’t wake up while I was gone, and snuck out the door, into the dark hallway beyond.
“Where do you think you’re going, Sparkle?” Zil asked from his position next to the door. He was standing against the wall, leaning against it far enough back from the door that I didn’t see him until I was already outside, and exposed.
“Um, nowhere...?” I replied. I didn’t even make it out of the room before getting caught...
“Doesn’t look like nowhere. The way you are dressed up, I would assume you’re going somewhere you know you shouldn’t be.” The smirk on his face was visible even in the dim light of the moon.
I hung my head, determined to charge horn first into the trouble I caused myself. “Fine, you caught me. Take me to Chrysalis so she can murder me, or whatever. I don’t really care anymore.”
His smirk widened. “No, I’m not going to do anything like that.”
I looked up at him. “What?”
“I’m coming with you.” He plopped down on all fours and walked over to stand next to me.
“What?” I repeated, not quite getting what was going on.
“Look, you are trying to sneak around without Her Majesty find out, yes?”
I nodded.
“Then I’m coming with you. I know all the patrol routes, and the places most likely to get us caught. You couldn’t make it without me, and if anyone else caught you, you would be taken to Chrysalis to be murdered,” he grinned, “or whatever.”
Ok, so he wants to help me. I’m cool with that. “Why?”
He looked to the ground, smile falling off his face. “Because, I too want to get back at Chrysalis, and helping you is the best way to do that.” I could tell it was a somewhat sensitive subject, so I let it slide. For now.
“Let’s go then, accomplice.” I started walking down the corridor, Zil close behind. Looks like I was right about this changeling being different. Hope it doesn’t come back to bite me.
*****
We snuck through the castle, sneakily avoiding every changeling patrol we would have run into. After twenty or so tense minutes, two close calls, one bathroom break, and a couple banged hooves, we finally arrived at the enormous gilded gates that yielded access to the Royal Canterlot Archives.
I reached out with my telekinesis, only to be stopped by Zil’s... hoof... in front of me. I looked up at him. “That won’t work,” he said, reaching into his saddlebag to grab a key. “It’ll just set off alarms.”
He put the key into a small slot on the door, one I’m almost one hundred percent positive wasn’t there before the takeover, turning the key until it audibly clicked. Seeming satisfied, he took the door handle in his own dark aura, opening it silently. We quickly stepped inside, closing the door with a muffled thud behind us.
I looked around, taking in the familiar scent of old, musty books from the childhood. I looked over at Zil, pleased that he hadn’t led me into a trap, which I honestly had expected him to. “Ok, we’re looking for information on the Taint. Help me look.” I ordered, heading over to the History section of the library. He hesitantly followed.
My eyes skimmed over the titles, frustration growing as each and every one was looked at, considered, and thrown out. “Grr, this is hopeless!” I exclaimed after the fourth shelf of worthless titles.
“Is there some section not open to the public that we could check?” Zil asked, returning to my side from the next set over, obviously not having found anything worthwhile either.
“It’s the Royal Canterlot Archives. Not just anypony can walk in here.” I replied, annoyance in the failure of my favorite resource making me snap at my ally. “Oh well, I should have known there wasn’t going to be much here. I spent my foalhood locked inside these wa--”
I was interrupted by Zil’s hoof over my mouth. “Shhh,” he whispered. “I don’t think we are alone in here.”
His suspicions were confirmed when another voice pierced the darkness, with the air of stolen authority. “Oh, Twilight! Where are you?”
Buck. “Come on,” I whispered to Zil, “we have to hide.” I took off, quietly, to a nook I had discovered as a foal, a hole behind one of the larger bookshelves. I quickly enveloped the guardian shelf in a lavender aura, pulling it side, praying that it wasn’t visible to the other intruders into the book’s sanctuary.
I pushed him inside quickly and followed him, silently sealing us into the niche. I peeked one eye out of a small gap between two books, just in time to see Chrysalis herself followed by her honor guard of drugged-up changelings.
“Come on out, Twilight. I know you are in here somewhere, and you can’t get out before I find you!” She said in a sing-song voice. We held our breath as she slowly stalked down the alley, hooves clicking loudly against the stones inlaid in the floor.
As she continued down the row, eventually turning into the next one, Zil turned to me, mouth pressed against my ear. “Is...Is she gone?” He whispered, very very softly.
“I...I think so.” I replied, trying to calm my heart down before it beat its’ way out of my chest.
“I think not,” came the voice from the other side of the wall. The bookcase shimmered, before being ripped--books and all--from the wall and thrown across the room with a massive crash! Somepony screamed. I think it was me, but I’m going to say it was Zil.
Zil screamed, a very high-pitched girly sound for a male changeling, as we were forcibly pulled out of our hiding place. We were held suspended in the air before a very angry Chrysalis. Her horn glowed brightly with a dark light, matching the light emitted by her crown.
“And just WHAT do you think you are all doing?” she asked, glaring daggers at us both.
“Well,” Zil started, “we were just out for a leisurely stroll through the gardens when we got turned around and--”
“SHUT IT ZIL!” Chrysalis shouted, almost rivaling the Royal Canterlot Voice for volume, “I know you have been helping the resistance since day one. Trying to find something to help them are you?”
The news about Zil being one of the resistance surprised me. I had thought he was just a changeling that Chrysalis had wronged--and maybe he was--but I didn’t think his hatred ran that deep.
He hung his head, for he knew he was beat. Sensing she was going to get no more out of him, she turned on me. “And what are you doing, Miss Sparkle? Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
I glared at her, trying subtly to break her magic hold with mind, but every time my magic touched hers, a burning sensation ripped through my horn. Because of this mental war, I was unable to respond.
She tisked. “Too tired to talk? Maybe I should lock you up where you’ll be able to get your beauty sleep.” She chained me to the back of one of her honor guard, and had him escort me out of the room. As I left, I heard her speaking to Zil. “And as for you, traitor...”
Day 69:
I was out for a long time. When I came to, I was locked in another cell, but not the one situated above the pit to the Crystal Mines. I finally came to with two large changeling guards standing at the door to my cell.
“Morning boys, come for some advice? Maybe some coffee or tea?” I looked around the spartan cell. “Might have some biscuits lying around leftover from my massive breakfast.”
Any further sarcastic comments I may have had were silenced when one of the guards hit me upside the head, hard enough to make my ears ring. The other one picked me up, and proceeded to carry me through the maze of passages in the dungeon, and lower castle above.
They took me to the throne room. As we walked in I noticed Zil lying in the corner, either unconscious or dead, before the Changeling Queen demanded my full attention.
“Twilight Sparkle, where did I go wrong? You were being such a good little pony, and then you go and pull a stunt like that. What were you thinking?” she asked, adopting a very fack maternal air about her.
“Well, you know how much of a voracious reader I am, Your Majesty, I just got so bored with those icky books about strategy and killing. I just wanted to read a Daring Doo book before I got back to work is all,” I replied in a fake high-pitched voice, giving her my sweetest smile.
“Well then, why didn’t you just ask one of your guards to bring it for you? And to bring poor, innocent Zil into all of this,” she grinned maliciously, “I think it is high time you learned your lesson.” Her voice took on a hard edge, losing the playfulness of the earlier banter. “Bring him in.”
Once again, the gilded doors to the throne room opened, and Spike was wheeled in inside of a cage. The changelings pushing the cage bowed, and left the hall. Chrysalis took Spike, and lifted him from the cage. She sat him down in front of her, pulling a sword from the scabbard slung across her back.
Realizing what was about to happen, I reached deep into myself, to the endless magic that resided there. My eyes glowed as the power suffused through me, prompting changeling guards to charge, and try to subdue me. As they had the day of the takeover, each and every one of them dropped, dead as stone, the second my magic touched them. All the little bugs dispatched of, I turned the full force of my power against Chrysalis, but as soon as it touched her and that accursed crown, all the power within me just dried up, leaving me a semi-conscious husk of a pony.
Chrysalis laughed, her crown still feeding off the newfound power. I was stuck, helpless as she brought the blade down on my dragon companion, silencing his final scream forever. It echoed through my head, dancing and intertwining with her evil laugh as I was dragged out of the hall, and back down into the dungeon.
*****
In the base, currently home to the Free Equestria Society, various alarms shouted over the sound of pitched battle. Spells flied alongside pegasi armed with the finest wingblades the resistance could craft, both cutting through changelings and ponies with little to no resistance. Over the sounds of the klaxon, an alarm blared with the familiar voice of a white unicorn
“Attention all resistance fighters, the base has been compromised, I repeat, the base has been compromised. Fall back into splinter cells, and wait for the call to return to duty. And pray that this gets better fast.”
The pitched battle continued outside of the base, but the endless changeling reinforcements eventually overwhelmed the under-supplied and smaller force of the resistance. As the first elite changeling commandoes breached the outer portion of the Free Equestria base, the place was abandoned. One changeling with a red cape threw down his sword, and ordered a radio be brought.
“Your Highness, this is Commander Bane. The base has been taken, but the resistance has scattered. Pump the traitor for more information, specifically the ‘splinter cells.’ We will get them eventually. Bane out.”
He gave the radio back. “Ok boys, burn the fucker down!”
The changeling army gave a loud cheer, quickly followed by the fwoosh of fires being lit. That night, Dodge Junction burned, lighting up the wilderness for miles around.