//------------------------------// // 36-Starvation // Story: The Tales of Prince Onyx // by Stanislas //------------------------------// Chapter 36 Starvation Twilight woke up in her bed; the first thing she did was check to see if Onyx was still there, just to be sure that the night before wasn’t just a special dream. He wasn’t in bed, but she saw one of his socks on the floor. It was with a long yawn that she rose from the bed and shuffled in the direction of her shower; her coat was still damp and sticky from her activities the night before. She couldn’t go downstairs without a quick shower. Unfortunately for her, after four minutes, the shower turned cold, like Onyx had already used all the hot water; a simple spell brought it back. Onyx heard the shower start, knowing that the time he had to repair the shelf was short. When he hit the self with the new weapon, it broke it in half. The only glue he found was for construction paper. At least none of the book were damaged ... maybe Twilight wouldn’t kill him after all. The sound of hoofsteps on the stairs brought Onyx to a panic. He tried one last time to glue the broken shelf together and place the books on it, but the weight of the books was too great for the weak glue, which once again, they fell to the floor. “Good morning, Onyx. I was wondering, did you take two showers this morning? I saw two wet towels in the bathroom, and there wasn’t any hot water, and the bottle of sham—MY BOOKS!” shouted Twilight, rushing to Onyx’s side and cradling her precious books in her arms. “My little sweeties ... what happened to you?” asked Twilight, acting as if they were her foals. “Sorry about that ... I kinda ... broke one of the shelves and they fell on the floor...,” he winced. “Ohhh, you poor little things; don’t worry, Mommy will take care of you.” Twilight used her magic to repair the shelf and—hugging each one—placed the books in their rightful places. “...There we go ... all better ... wait a minute. Where is the “History and Legends of the Badlands”?” asked the mare, searching for it everywhere around the room. The Changeling Hive Featherfang walked between the numerous changeling homes; the moonlit sky softly led the way and the pain of hunger accompanied him at every step. He hadn’t fed since the week before, giving the scraps of love that he gathered to his wife, Glimmerhoof. He knew that the end was near—far too soon for a changeling of his age. With his last amounts of strength, he wanted to return to his house as he peacefully died in the hooves of his beautiful wife. The Hive was weakening each day; everyling knew someone that had lost a friend, co worker, or member of their family. Each day, more were killed by starvation. The Queen postponed the birth of new changelings to keep the number of changelings that needed to be fed as low as possible. Each hoof-step costed him more and more energy. Featherfang finally saw his house on the other side of the road; the sight of his house gave him courage, but even the most courageous changeling can’t survive without food. After two more steps, he fell on the ground, unable to get up. “So ... this is how it ends. Alone ... in the dark........ I’m so sorry, honey ... I couldn’t make it,” he whispered to himself, accepting his fate. Featherfang closed his eyes and waited for the void to accept his soul and leave his lifeless body behind. He felt pleasantly warm ... like he was lying beside a fire. “This ... isn’t so bad ... I thought it would hurt more...” Little by little his strength started to return to him; the changeling, confused, opened his eyes. His Queen was standing above him, her horn glowing, feeding him with the love she gathered on her trip to Ponyville. Featherfang stood up and bowed in front of Chrysalis. She hugged him, tears streaming from her eyes. “I’m sorry, my children, but don’t worry. My dears, soon our kingdom will return to the glory days of before. I swear, it will all be better soon...” she cried, holding the changeling between her hoof. “Thank you, my Queen, for saving me,” said Featherfang, before trotting back home to see his wife. Chrysalis shot a beacon into the sky, signaling that food had been found. Everyling woke from their sleep and took off with their loved ones for where the laser had been shot. When several hundred of the populace was around her, Chrysalis began feeding her subjects; starting with the weakest, finishing with the least hungry, and leaving for herself only the minimum she needed to lead her hive and keep it from starving. With her subjects fed enough to get by, she made her way to the Hive’s castle. Her army’s general, Stoneshell, was waiting her outside her room. “My Queen, how did the mission go?” he asked his leader. “Plans A and B failed, but Plan C worked perfectly. Now that I have a link with him, I’ll be able to see through his eyes. As a prince, he’ll be more useful than an entire army of spies; the wedding invasion will be much easier to plan,” answered the tired Queen. “Might I ask, my Queen, why did you have us forge him this weapon; you could have poisoned him without giving him the gift.” “It’s all part of the plan, Stoneshell. The Prince will discover the truth behind his sword when we reach the gates of Canterlot ... and I hope he enjoys it as much as I will. Until then, that sword will perform like any normal blade.” Stoneshell nodded and left his queen. Chrysalis entered her room, appreciating the calm in lying on her bed and ending her link with the hive mind. She let her tears begin to flow at the thought of everyling who died from the shortage in food. Every day was torture for her to see and feel her children suffering and dying in so much pain; all of this started with the death of her mother. * * * 400 years ago A little changeling ran down the corridor of the Hive castle; her body all wet, leaving spots of water behind her, her mane was still soapy. Everyling who saw her wondered why she was running, until they saw their Queen running after her. “CHRYSALIS! YOU COME BACK HERE. YOU WILL TAKE THIS BATH, EVEN IF I HAVE TO CHASE YOU TO THE GATES OF TARTARUS!” The little Chrysalis ignored her mother, still running towards her room, a smile on her face. She turned a corner, bumped into someling, and fell to the ground. Looking upwards, she recognized Tarek, her bodyguard. “What are you doing here, Miss Chrysalis?” questioned Tarek. “Quick, Tarek, you need to hide me. Mommy wants to drown me!” Before Tarek could understand why Chrysalis said that, the Queen turned the corner and grabbed the tiny Changeling Princess. “NOOO, I DON’T WANNA TAKE MY BATH!” shrieked Chrysalis. Tarek, finally understanding what was happening, decided to help his Queen. “But little Princess, if you don’t take a bath, Mister Snowy won’t want to play with you.” Mister Snowy was Chrysalis’s favorite toy, a plushie albino changeling that she received on her fifth birthday; she played with him every day. “Is-is that true?” asked the innocent Princess. “Sure, do you think that Mister Snowy will want to play with a princess who smells bad.” The Princess, who trusted her bodyguard like a father, nodded. “Mommy, I wanna take my bath before Mister Snowy decides to not be my friend no more.” The Queen let out a sigh of relief; she thanked Tarek before taking her daughter to her bath. It was always Tarek who resolved any problems between her and Chrysalis. She was grateful for that. Chrysalis had always been difficult to raise; acting like she could do anything that she wanted without consequence. When they reached the bathroom, she put her daughter in the water and lathered her daughter’s blue-green mane. “Mommy? Why do you have to go again?” asked filly Chrysalis; her mother sighed. Each time before she went on a hunt it was the same question. “Chryssy, I’ve already told you. If you want to keep eating like you do, we have to gather as much food as we can for our kingdom. We couldn’t be so rich in love if I just played with you and Mister Snowy.” “But why can’t you just ask the other kingdoms for help? Why do we have to stay here in the Badlands, away from all the other species.” “I’ve told you already, honey.” “But I don’t understand,” said the Princess, punching the water with her hoof and splashing her mother. “But it’s easy to understand. A long time ago, back when Grandma was queen, the other kingdoms created something called “The Council” to help stop the wars. Each species received a letter, asking them to send their leaders to meet at the center of the continent where they created a small palace. Every civilized nation received a letter, except for us.The zebras sent their Shaman, Zacros, the gryphons sent Emperor Gryffin the Third , the ponies, Princess Celestia, the dragons, their Elder, Duinal, and the minotaurs sent Champion Minos. When your grandmother heard about this, she was angry about being forgotten. Her consul told her that perhaps the letter was lost. Hoping that he was right, she went to the central palace to meet with the other leaders...” Anger started to fill the Queen’s heart; Chrysalis hugged her hoof, immediately calming her. “When mother reached the gathering, all the other leaders already commissioned the building of what would become the Palace of the Five. She asked why she had not been invited like the rest... They told her that a nation that feeds on another should not even been called “civilized”; they treated her like an insect, a monster. They said that we had been alive and feeding on them for too long. Your grandmother came back to the Hive angrier than never, but to protect her children, she decided to move the Hive to the Badlands to hide us from an attack... Years have passed and the name and nature of our species has been forgotten by almost all.” “But Mommy, that was a long time ago. Maybe now they would help us if we asked. You taught me that only Princess Celestia of Equestria could live as long as us. Maybe the other leaders are more kind.” “So you want me to go there, and ask them to let us feed on them. We, who have done everything we can to stay hidden? You would want to destroy years of work, just like that,” scolded the angry Queen. “No ... I’m sorry, Mommy ... I was just thinking that—” “Well, don’t think that way. Changelings have always been hated by the other kingdoms; they will never accept us... Promise me, my dear, that when you become Queen, that you will never reveal our hive. Promise me that you will do everything you can to protect our kingdom. Promise me that for NOTHING in the world, would you destroy our years of work by asking for their help. We are changelings; we don’t need their help to survive.” “Yes, Mom. I promise.” The Queen relaxed and finished washing her daughter before letting her return to her room to play. The next morning, Chrysalis’s mother went on a hunt with a party of their best hunters. Chrysalis waited for a day ... then two. Days became weeks became months. Three months passed without any news from the Queen. Tarek was her guardian during all this time, until one morning which changed Chrysalis’s life forever. A changeling scout stationed in the Pony Kingdom came back to the Hive with important news. The Queen was found dead in a forest between the Gryphon and Pony Kingdoms, along with her team of hunters, killed by gryphon sword and magic. Chrysalis was in disbelief until she saw the body of her slain mother. Tarek tried to comfort her, without success. The look he saw in her eyes had never been so painful; she never again played with Mister Snowy , and only spoke to Tarek for several weeks. One week after her mother’s funeral, Chrysalis was crowned new Queen of the Hive. The playful filly filled with joy had died; she became a Queen filled with only hate and malice towards the other species. * * * Chrysalis was still crying. Since her rise to power, the Hive’s food supplies had begun to slowly but surely dwindle, and now they were starving ... but soon ... soon she would bring her kingdom back to prosperity, like how it was when she was a filly. The best part, was that she would finally get her revenge on the nations responsible for the death of her mother. Minotaur Mountain * * * In the Minotaur Clan, the leader is not determined by birthright like in the Gryphon Empire or Equestria. They are not chosen because they are the oldest and wisest as practiced in the dragon or zebra clans. If you were going to lead the herd, you would need to be the strongest. Each year, a tournament is organized. Each Minotaur wanting to be the leader had to fight each other in a tournament of combat leading up to the previous Champion—all non-lethal of course. The minotaurs take this tournament very seriously; they have a festival which lasts five days where the non-competitors eat, dance, and often bet on their favorite fighters. One thing that the minotaurs value above all, is honor. To be a minotaur without honor is to not be a minotaur at all. Those caught cheating during the fight, automatically received a death sentence. * * * Gryffin the Gryphon was waiting outside the tent of the present Champion, Gurut, who had won the Tournament for the past three years in a row. For him, the Minotaur Clan was maybe the only other kingdom that he didn’t hate completely. During the Great Wars, they had been powerful allies against the dragons. “Gryffin the Gryphon! Come in, my friend,” said Gurut from inside; Gryffin entered the tent, which was decorated with the numerous trophies that Gurut had won. A table sat in the middle of the tent, at which the brown Minotaur was waiting, drinking a glass of water. Gurut wore his iron armor and his mace lay on the table. Gryffin rested his claw on the hilt of his sword ... just in case. “Gryffin, what are you doing so far from your cold mountain to the north, my friend?” asked the Champion. “First of all Gurut, I am not your friend; I would consider you an ally more than a friend. You know, the Council is holding a meeting in five months, right?” asked Gryffin, taking a seat across from Gurut. “Which leader doesn’t know that; we receive a scroll each week with the number of days left until the reunion. But why come from the north to tell me that; you have something to worry about this council?” “Maybe. I think Celestia will try to put me out of the throne and have me exiled to the Badlands during the next council, so I’m here asking for your vote in my favor and not hers.” “Celestia, is somepony that I respect ... so why should I help you ... what are you willing to do to get my loyalty?” asked the minotaur with an arrogant smirk. The Emperor knew that getting Gurut’s vote wouldn’t be free. This is where Raynor would prove useful. “Dear Gurut, I have nothing for you. Nothing more than a promise.” “I’ll have nothing to do with your promises Gryffin; if you want me to take your side, you’ll need to bring something better than that to the table.” “Are you sure, Gurut. I’ve, heard a few rumors on my way over here. Apparently, some think that you cheated during the last Tournament ... and the one before that ... and the other one before that...” The minotaur sat, frowning in his seat. “I’ve heard this rumor, Gryffin, but they have no proof behind it.” “Maybe. Maybe. But I know somepony who does know the truth my friend. Could you show me the ring that you’re wearing?” The Minotaur started to panic, sweat coming down from his head. “My ring ... how is my ring important?” “Oh, this is really easy, Gurut; I have a similar one on me.” The Emperor showed him his claw; he pressed a small button on the ring and a puff of white powder was released. “I think you are familiar with this, no? I use the same powder on my prisoners before I watch them fight my guards. It’s really wondeful how this makes one who drinks or eats it lose all their balance.” “......Fine ... I will vote on your side, Gryffin. But if I learn that you revealed my secret, I swear on my ancestors that I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.” “Don’t you worry my old friend; your secret is safe with me.” “But just the two of us will not be enough to protect you. We are only two versus three other kingdoms.” “Don’t worry, Gurut; I have a plan for everything. You aren’t the only one with secrets; it seems old Shaman Arkoel has something to hide too.”