//------------------------------// // Control // Story: Markings of a King // by Zimprus Nalune //------------------------------// One week later... Appaloosa Chrysalis strolled through the sandy streets of Appaloosa in disguise, still feeling excessively giddy about having her mind to herself for the first time in her entire life. She was part of the Hive Mind, but she no longer felt the burden of running and maintaining it. On the other hoof, after Jack had taken her life-long burden from her, he sat down in her throne and hadn’t gotten up since. He was simply overburdened, trying to do something he was never meant to, but was doing anyway. That led to Chrysalis’ current presence in Appaloosa, more specifically ‘The Salt Block’. She wanted to show her gratitude, and despite Jack’s insistence that he didn’t want her to, or that he was too busy, she had pestered him until he gave her something. The changeling queen walked into the saloon, going right up to the bar and sitting on an empty stool. The bartender glanced at her and grunted, finishing the glass he was cleaning before coming over to her. “Whaddya want?” he asked gruffly. “Got any shookmilks?” she asked, pulling out a few bits from her saddlebags. “Think ya mean ‘milkshakes’,” he chuckled. “From the city are ya? Ah hear them sayin’ strange things like that all the time.” Chrysalis wide smiled flickered for an instant, but she pushed the irritation away. She was about to respond when a shiver passed through her. “Want...it...” Jack’s voice hissed, fluctuating in pitch and volume. Chrysalis sighed, her smile fading completely. Her temporary replacement had been communicating in short bursts, whenever the need proved great enough. At first he had sounded himself, but as the days passed by it seemed like he was degrading. She ignored it most of the time, but she couldn’t deny that there was a tenderness to the Hive Mind she hadn’t felt since her first moments. It was delicate, fragile. Ready to strengthen or shatter at a moment’s notice. She could only hope this ‘milkshake’ would restore some of Jack’s stability. “Yes, that’s what I meant,” Chrysalis said, forcing her former cheer back into her voice. Everything would be fine. Even if it killed her. As the bartender set about fulfilling her order, a loud banging came from behind Chrysalis. The queen in disguise turned her head, catching sight of a pair of ponies, dressed in the black leather vests and stetsons of the local gang, brazenly walking into the saloon. Recognizing them from a myriad of shared memories, she scoffed in disgust and rolled her eyes. Much to her displeasure, the pair came up behind her and took seats on either side of her. The one to her left gave her a wide smile, fixing his vest and being disgustingly friendly. “Afternoon, little miss,” he greeted, tapping a hoof on the bar to order a drink. “Can I getcha anything?” “I’m fine,” Chrysalis said tersely, glancing at the bartender who was shaking a small container back and forth. “Aw hey, now,” the other said. “No need to be like that. We’re just your friendly neighborhood Blackcoats, out for a good time. Ain’t that right, Dust Shimmer?” The left pony, ‘Dust Shimmer’, nodded and widened his smile. “Sure as sure can be.” He leaned over to Chrysalis. “Say, you look like a mare who wants to have a good time.” Chrysalis felt an irritated snarl from the Hive Mind. Jack was getting extremely irritated by the two ponies who wanted nothing more than a good lay, and Chrysalis could feel him itching to do something about them. “Buzz off,” the queen grumbled, swiping the milkshake the bartender set down in front of her. “Now now, no need for-” Chrysalis disappeared in a flash. *** Jack sat immobile on the obsidian throne, staring ahead with a dark, yet blank expression. Information whirled in his head as it had been doing since he replaced Chrysalis as head of the Hive Mind. Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, textures, all of them created a roughly orchestrated storm in the human’s head. The teen briefly registered a sharp pain in his shoulder, but the lone sensation was drowned out by the hundreds of others that occupied Jack’s mind. The only reaction he could muster was a twitch of his fingers, the chitin screeching as it dragged against the throne. A sudden flash of light signaled the arrival of Queen Chrysalis. A torrent of green flames washed over her disguise, removing the pony mask and returning the queen to her proper glory. Chrysalis’ lips twitched in a smile as she levitated the milkshake she had acquired over to Jack. “One milkshake, just for you,” she said. “I hope it’s what you wanted.” Jack blinked, then slowly raised his left hand, which lit up with a green aura as he snatched the milkshake from Chrysalis’ magical hold. He licked his lips, a dozen disjointed memories of milkshakes flashing through his mind, and subsequently, the Hive Mind. The human brought the glass to his lips and tilted it, letting the white drink flow into his mouth. For the first time in too long, he allowed himself to savor the sweetness of his favorite drink. The perfect mixture of milk, ice cream, vanilla and- SALT. Jack immediately choked on the drink, turning his head to the side and spitting out the desecrated milkshake. He looked down at the glass, still full, then looked at Chrysalis. “I hate them,” he whispered. “I hate them with the burning passion of a thousand George Foreman grills.” “I take it you’re out of your little phase, then?” Chrysalis asked, a small grin on her face. “I’m going to use all of their colons as one giant jump rope...” the human muttered, throwing the glass to the side. The glass shattered, sending shards flying towards Jack and Chrysalis. With a dismissive wave of his hand, the human momentarily erected a green shield that vaporized any fragments headed their way. “I’ll take my leave,” the changeling queen said, turning to go. “Wait,” Jack called after her. Chrysalis turned back, an eyebrow raised. The human flinched, grabbing at his left shoulder. “One question,” he began, rubbing his shoulder. “How were you able to focus with the constant pain?” “Pain?” the queen asked, utterly confused. “Save from the deaths of my children, or of myself, there was no pain.” Jack raised an eyebrow, knowing she was telling the truth and all the more confused for it. He sighed and leaned back in the throne, tapping his chitin fingers against the obsidian. “I find myself wondering why you need my help,” Jack said. “The Hive Mind requires most of my attention, yes, but other than that there’s really nothing to be said for micro or macro. This whole operation basically runs itself.” Chrysalis let out a harsh laugh, which quickly wound down to a chuckle. She shook her head and closed her eyes, feeling the mixture of confusion and irritation coming from Jack. “You have no vision,” she said simply. “For now, that is acceptable. But when we regain our strength, or so you have promised, it is clear that I must take my place as Queen once more.” “What do you mean, ‘vision’?” Chrysalis looked up at Jack, her eyes meeting his. “It is simple. You will restore us, give us what we have lost. You are the herald of our return.” “I see.” Chrysalis shook her head once more. “I do not think you do.” The changeling queen approached the teen, standing directly in front of him so as to stand over him. Jack’s claws clenched ever so slightly, and his spines twitched uncomfortably between his back and the throne. “Then tell me.” The changeling queen regarded him for a moment. “No.” With that, Chrysalis turned and began to leave once more. Jack stared after her, dumbfounded. Chrysalis had never refused an answer to him. The human began to stand up, but a stabbing pain in his left shoulder forced him back down. He gripped it with a low hiss. Looking down, he saw a dark red stain spreading across the fabric of his shirt. Blood. The human twisted his left hand over his shoulder, a quick green flash and a burst of magic healing whatever injury he had. The pain subsided, and Jack let out a short sigh of relief. A tugging sensation in his mind brought the human’s attention back to the Hive Mind. Jack quickly realized he had neglected it for too long, and it had begun to destabilize. He set about doing what he had done to the exclusion of all else for the past week. He had a Hive Mind to run. “...But first... it’s high time for a little frontier-cleaning.” *** The Salt Lick was busy that night. A dozen ponies in black leather vests were drinking, partying, and being generally loud and obnoxious. The bartender had long since left, leaving the saloon to the mercies of the Blackcoats, who were doing an excellent job of making a mess of the place. Cider bottles of all sizes were scattered about the tables and floor, along with blocks of pure salt that were the saloon’s namesake. Dust Shimmer laughed loudly at the finish of a particularly racist joke by one of his comrades. Numerous mugs were slammed down on the table, spilling salted cider everywhere. The gang ponies continued their talks, getting drunker and rowdier with each passing hour. The doors of the Salt Block swung inward as an earth pony mare slowly walked into the saloon. She was almost completely unnoticed, the one or two Blackcoats that saw her simply giving loud catcalls. The mare made her way straight to Dust Shimmer’s table, leaping up onto it and violently kicking all of the cider bottles off. The gang of ponies looked at her in shock for a moment, almost too drunk to comprehend what was going on. “H...hey...” one of the gangsters slurred. “Whazzit...Apple Fritter?” The mare didn’t respond. “Geddoff our table,” another said, swinging at the earth pony’s leg. The punch landed, but Apple Fritter was unfazed. She looked directly at Dust Shimmer, scowling with every ounce of contempt possible. “You filthy creatures,” she spat. “Wallowing in your own filth. I’m surprised your own species puts up with you.” The Blackcoats looked at one another, utterly confused by the mare’s words. They all looked back to Apple Fritter, as if continuing to watch would solve their confusion. “You’re all a waste of life,” Apple Fritter continued, her voice suddenly changing and becoming distinctly male. “I’m here to fix that.” One of the Blackcoats blinked and waved his hoof dismissively. “Youra...wasta...somethin’...” he mumbled. Apple Fritter closed her eyes and lifted her head. Wisps of green light swirled around her body, her hair waving in an invisible breeze. To the ponies’ amazed eyes, the mare rose up in the air. The earth pony’s body began to catch fire, green flames spreading all over her. They started at her nose and worked all the way to her tail. Wherever the flames touched, Apple Fritter burned away, slowly being replaced by a creature of ponykind’s nightmares. “Changelin’!” Dust Shimmer shouted, falling backward out of his chair and landing dazed on the ground. The other gangsters were alerted by Dust Shimmer, turning their drunken, but quickly horrified attentions to the scene rapidly unfolding. The changeling that had replaced Apple Fritter was now fully revealed, green wisps around its body multiplying and whirling faster and faster. The flames continued to burn, slowly being accompanied by green veins spreading rapidly across its body. Finally, it spoke in a deep, echoing voice. “ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL.” The possessed changeling thrust its limbs outward, creating a rapidly expanding blast of magic that incinerated everything within ten feet of it. Wood, ponies, cider, even glass were vaporized in an instant. The sheer shock and awe of the blast knocked the remaining Blackcoats out of their stupors, and immediately they began to rush the changeling. “Geddit!” one yelled. “Motherbucker!” another cried. “Gods-damned bug!” a third screamed. The changeling gently touched down to the ground. The wisps around it quickly combined and solidified, forming a shield that the gang ponies threw themselves against, but to no avail. “Taints to be purged, the lot of you.” The changeling’s horn crackled with magic, several lightning bolts lashing out at the attacking crowd. The lighting curled around any pony unfortunate enough to be touched by it, picking them up and hurling them against the ground, ceiling, and walls. A number of crunches cut through the air, and more than one pony stopped breathing. “Aw, Tartarus!” one of the few ponies left cried. “I’m outta here!” The pony quickly turned around and tried to run away, but he didn’t get far before a chair flew into him, courtesy of another lighting whip. “There is no escape.” Only three Blackcoats were left standing. Dust Shimmer shifted uneasily from hoof to hoof, he and his remaining comrades trading uneasy looks. The glowing changeling stood impassive, waiting for them to make a move. “Attack Pattern-” Dust Shimmer began, but froze when the changeling vanished into thin air with a small flash of light. “Dust, behi-” one of the other ponies tried to call out, but was permanently interrupted by a large green bolt impacting his chest and exploding, sending the former gangster flying into the wall behind him. Dust Shimmer turned to look behind himself, but only caught a small flash of light. A scream made him whirl back to his last remaining companion, who was in the middle of having his neck snapped with a quick twist of the changeling’s hooves. The last Blackcoat became numb with fear as the changeling’s latest victim dropped to the ground with a dull thud. The glowing changeling then turned to him and approached him slowly, an aura of magic visibly pulsing around it in sync with its veins. The changeling swung a hoof at a blurring speed, knocking Dust Shimmer to the ground before he even realized he had been hit. It loomed over him, eyes narrowing as it planted a hoof on his chest. “This is for treating my queen like common trash,” the male voice spoke again. “What?” Dust Shimmer wheezed, feeling the changeling press down on his ribs. “We are the Harbinger of your destruction.” The Blackcoat simply stared in stark terror at the glowing changeling, which leaned in close to him so that its mouth was right next to his ear. “Your death means nothing to us. Nor to anyone.” Dust Shimmer tried to open his mouth to speak, but a swift pain brought his world to nothingness. The changeling left the body on the floor, walking to the middle of the saloon. It looked around slowly, regarding the once-noisy area with the faintest curiosity. Satisfied there were no survivors, the changeling looked up, as if it was trying to see straight through the roof. “I am Harbinger,” the changeling said aloud, a female voice replacing the deeper, echoing tones. Harbinger’s horn discharged a bolt of fire into the ceiling, the wood quickly becoming fuel for a growing blaze that spread rapidly over, into, and around the Salt Block. Harbinger walked calmly out the doors of the burning saloon, the glowing veins fading from her body and her disguise flaking back into place. “Releasing control.” *** “I am Harbinger.” Chrysalis heard the voice, loud and clear, even through the din of the Hive Mind. She froze in shock, allowing the changeling she had been sparring with to knock her magic blade-encased horn aside and touch the tip of its own to her throat. The two remained still until Chrysalis realized she had lost. Mentally waving the drone away, the queen flew up to her perch overlooking the colosseum. She could feel the newly gifted changeling, a candle that burned just a bit brighter than those around it. Jack had done it again. “I hope this isn’t going to become a regular habit,” she thought, as much to Jack as to herself. “...scum... even here... hate them...” the human’s voice echoed back to her. “I thought you were angry about your milkshake?” Chrysalis chuckled. “Mostly...” Chrysalis felt Jack withdraw his attention from her, leaving her as just another part of the collective. The queen looked down at the dueling changelings below her, their silent fights coupled with the relative silence of her mind startlingly uncomfortable. While it was liberating to have her mind to herself for once, there was a primal and undeniable desire to be in control. Control that she had handed off to Jack with a few lines of poetry. With a sigh, Chrysalis decided to head to her chambers. She wasn’t feeling particularly sleepy, but she felt too troubled to put her focus into anything at the moment. Sleep was the best option right now. As she left the arena, a thought crossed her mind. What, exactly. was Jack up to? *** Appaloosa[ “Hey there, Apple Fritter.” “Hi Fritter.” “‘Sup cuz.” “Hello there, Apple Fritter.” Harbinger made her way through the crowd of ponies clustered around what remained of the Salt Block, receiving and occasionally returning a number of greetings from the various ponyfolk of Appaloosa. She remained disguised as Apple Fritter, completely inconspicuous to those around her. Harbinger’s transition from just another drone to a fully sentient changeling was still fresh in her mind. She had been chosen out of all her brothers and sisters to receive the honor of the Savior’s total control. Her body had been his for a few precious minutes, and the way his mind had brushed against hers had left her scarred in the most wondrous way possible. She was, for the first time, possessed of her own will and essence. It was odd, at first. The Hive Mind still existed in her, but no longer did it feel like it was the only thing there, like there was no distinction between it and her. A spirit of her own now dwelt inside her, turning her from drone to Harbinger. “I... am... Harbinger...” the changeling whispered to herself, the thrill of being her own self sending excited tingles to every fiber of her being. The rush of power when she had surrendered her body was far more enjoyable, and, because of the fact she had become Harbinger, she was able to wish she could feel that pleasure again. It wasn’t until she made that wish that Harbinger had realized that she was truly her own changeling, no longer just an extension of the Hive Mind. “... and I think we’ll need some unicorns to- oh, hello Apple Fritter,” the town sheriff greeted as Harbinger came up to him. “I reckon you’ve come to pay your respects?” “Respects?” ‘Apple Fritter’ asked, tilting her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The sheriff’s eyes widened, and he placed a hoof on Harbinger’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’m the one to tell you this...” he said lowly. “But your sister’s dead.” Harbinger looked at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. But as any changeling did whenever they needed help in the field, she simply sent out a plea to the Hive Mind. A split second later, her answer returned. Harbinger forced tears to her eyes, then coupled them with a trembling of her lower lip. She looked down at the ground, completing the ruse and continuing with the role she had played all her life. “Apple Leaves...” Harbinger whispered, putting on as dramatic of a show as she could. “I’m sorry,” the sheriff repeated. “It looks like anypony and everypony in the Blackcoats got burned to a crisp. None of them made it out alive.” “I made sure of that...” Harbinger muttered. “What’s that?” “I said I can’t believe it.” Harbinger rubbed her eyes, wiping away the false tears as the Hive Mind recommended she do. “Nopony made it out? Not one?” “We’ll have to get Doctor Splint in there to be sure, but for now I don’t think so.” The sheriff took his hoof off of Harbinger’s shoulder. “What I want to know is how this happened. The Blackcoats were a rowdy bunch, for sure, but I don’t think they’d burn down their favorite hangout.” “Please, sheriff,” Harbinger said. “Whoever it is, please find them.” “Count on it.” Harbinger sank back into the crowd, watching from a distance as events unfolded. The ponies around her carried on their own conversations, and a few offered their condolences. Harbinger accepted them all passingly, her attention focused on the remains of the Salt Block. A sudden drop in noise brought Harbinger’s attention to the rear of the crowd. Ponies parted briefly before returning to their original spots, allowing an unseen arrival through the throng. A white-coated coated mare exited the crowd beside Harbinger. A small white cap rested on her head, bearing a red cross. She approached the sheriff, tapping him in the shoulder to get his attention. “Oh, are you Doctor Splint?” he asked, holding out a hoof. “Sheriff Silverstar. Pleasure to meet you.” “The pleasure’s all mine sheriff,” Splint smiled, giving a soft hoofshake. “What is it you need?” “I was hoping you could work your magic,” Silverstar said, pointing at the remains of the Salt Block. “I’m told you’re a unicorn. Can you see if there’s anyone still alive in there?” “Well, I don’t usually use detection magic, but I’ll give it a go.” Splint’s cap lifted off her head with an orange glow, showing her horn underneath. The doctor took a deep breath and closed her eyes, the magical aura around her horn pulsing softly. The crowd watched intently and silently, almost nopony so much as blinking. The silence hung in the air for some time as Splint’s magic worked itself through the charred wreck of a building, searching out any and all life. Splint’s expression remained serene as she searched, her brow only furrowing as time wore on and the strain of the spell increased. Finally, a bright orange glow began to shine from the insides of the ruin. “We got one!” Silverstar called, immediately rushing forward with two other stallions who began pushing aside the rubble in search of the survivor. Harbinger cursed under her breath. The crowd waited with baited breath as the three stallions dug through the rubble. Harbinger desperately hoped that it was just a fluke, and that none of the Blackcoats really had survived. Her cover could be in jeopardy. “No... I am not pretending to be anyling,” Harbinger thought with a small smile. “I have always been Apple Fritter, ever since I was a larva. I have no cover to blow.” With that reassuring thought in mind, Harbinger turned her full attention back to the rescue effort. The three stallions in the thick of the ruined saloon were clustered around a mound of rubble, from which the orange glow of Splint’s detection spell shone brightly, then faded as the doctor saw it was no longer needed. The stallions began to clear away the rubble, slowly but surely making progress to rescue the pony trapped underneath. Veritable piles of soot and ash were kicked up in the process, but the ponies didn’t relent until they had finally rescued the victim underneath. “We got ‘em!” the sheriff yelled, getting a few murmurs from the crowd in reply. The other two stallions picked up the survivor, throwing them across their backs and leaving the wreckage as quickly as they could. The pony, whose features had been so blackened by fire and whitened by ash that they were unrecognizable save for two seared appendages which were likely wings at one point, was set down in front of Doctor Splint, who immediately set about with her magic trying to heal whatever she could. Harbinger watched intently as the doctor’s healing magic worked silently. In contrast, the pony’s skin undulated, several parts of its spine clearly moving to their proper positions. Puffs of smoke exited its mouth and nostrils, followed quickly by the pony’s eyes snapping open and a series of violent coughs. “Easy now, easy,” Splint said gently. “You have escaped death, but only just. You must rest until I can get you to my office, where I can give you full, proper treatment.” “No!” the pony yelled, sitting upright. “No! We have to run! Hide!” “Easy son,” Silverstar said, placing a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “Listen to the doctor.” “NO!” The pegasus looked around itself, like a frightened animal. “They’re here! We have to run! This is Canterlot all over again!” “What do you mean?” Silverstar asked. “What’s wrong?” The pegasus looked directly at the sheriff, his voice dropping to a whisper. “They’re here... changelings...” Despite the pony’s lowered voice, those in the crowd still caught wind of what it had whispered. A collective gasp of shock rippled through their numbers, along with panicked screams and various ponies looking around themselves for any sign of the insectoid infiltrators. Harbinger cursed under her breath. The pegasus looked around some more, eventually catching sight of Harbinger. It pointed a hoof at her and retreated behind Silverstar. “There it is!” the pony screamed. “That’s the one that killed the rest of my friends!” The entire crowd looked at Harbinger... ... then burst out laughing. Silverstar shook his head and chuckled, and even Splint had to suppress a snicker or two. An invisible pressure lifted from Harbinger’s shoulders, and she allowed herself to laugh along with the crowd. “You’re nuts!” one of the crowdsponies called. “Apple Fritter? Yeah right!” another yelled. “Now son,” Silverstar said, trying and failing to stop his chuckling. “I know you’ve been through a lot recently, but there is no way Apple Fritter is a changeling.” “I have to agree,” Doctor Splint said, finally stopping her own snickers. “Trauma is normal considering what you’ve been through. And I’m sure whatever hallucinations you’ve had or are having will go away as soon as I get whatever drugs are in you out.” The sheriff immediately straightened up, becoming deadly serious. “That’s another thing,” he began, lifting a hoof to poke the pegasus in the chest. “I didn’t want to believe it, but if you Blackcoat low-lives are holding on to any drugs, you’re going to tell me where they are, then serve a good twenty .” “I’m not high, I swear!” the soot-covered pony yelled. “Prove it’s her! I was at Canterlot, I know how those things work!” The crowd fell silent at the pegasus’ words. Silverstar sighed and turned to Harbinger, looking slightly annoyed. “Look, Apple Fritter,” he sighed, shooting the survivor a glare. “I think it’s best if you just show him that it’s really you. Give the poor pony some peace of mind.” Harbinger blinked. “Why do I have to prove it’s me?” she asked. “You all know me. I’m not a changeling.” “It’s trying to trick you!” the pegasus shouted. “It’s using you all!” “Apple Fritter?” One of the crowdsponies, a tan stallion sporting a vest and cowpony hat, came forward, the others moving out of his way. “D... do you know who I am?” “Of course I know you,” Harbinger said honestly. “You’re Braeburn.” “And...?” “My cousin,” Harbinger lied. Braeburn smiled and nodded at the sheriff. “Satisfied now?” Silverstar asked,the survivor vigorously shaking his head. “No way!” he said. “They know everyone close to their cover! Ask it about something else!” “Just say one thing,” Braeburn nudged Harbinger. “One thing only the real you would know.” Harbinger looked around at all of the ponies around her. For the first time, she felt the pressure of their gazes. She never thought she would be at risk of exposure, but here she was. All because she had gotten sloppy and missed one pegasus. Panicking, she sent out a plea to the Hive Mind. While she waited for a reply, she stared at the ground trying to appear as though she was deep in thought. The more time trickled by, the more the nervousness in her began to mount upon itself. When a reply finally came, Harbinger wanted to sigh in relief, but suppressed the urge down to a slight twitch of her lips. However, her relief quickly reverted to all the panic it had replaced. “I can’t help help you,” Jack’s voice echoed in her mind. “Only you can help yourself now. Do not fail us.” “Cousin?” Braeburn asked. “You going to say something?” “I told you!” the pegasus said. “She’s not who she says she is! She doesn’t know anything the real Apple Fritter should!” Something inside Harbinger snapped at that accusation. “Horseapples!” she yelled back, drawing her gaze up from the ground and glaring at the survivor. “I am Apple Fritter! Always have been, always will be!” “Just prove it already!” a crowdspony shouted. “Unless you’re really a changeling!” Harbinger flashed a glare back at the crowd, but spared them no other gesture. Instead, her mind raced frantically, trying to think of the one thing that would prove, in the minds of the ponies, at least, that she was exactly who she said she was. Harbinger tried to block out the murmurs of the crowd as they began to spread, and it didn’t take any listening to figure out that they were seriously doubting Harbinger’s truthfulness. It only served to increase her panic, and that did nothing to help her figure out what to do. “She’s not saying anything!” the survivor said hysterically. “I was right! How long have you been here, changeling!? A month!? Two!?” “All my life!” Harbinger shot back, teeth gritted together. “I was here when we planted Leafington! I was here when the jailhouse fell down because nopony used nails! And I was here when my Grampy Appleseed died!” Harbinger walked up to the pegasus, rage filling her to the point where the urge to transform and rip him to shreds was almost irresistible. “His last words? ‘Don’t cry little bumpkin. I’ll always be with you. I’ll always love you.’” Harbinger leaned in a little closer. “So don’t you tell me that I’m not Apple Fritter.” With that, Harbinger whirled around and marched back through the crowd, back to her home. A few of the ponies she passed had tears in their eyes, others looked ashamed, some both. Harbinger paid them no attention, instead waiting until she was out of sight before letting out a huge sigh of relief. The anger inside her still smoldered, a sensation she found curious. Her anger had always passed after it had served its purpose, but again the fact that she was now her own changeling surprised her. She shrugged to herself, feeling the anger in her well up again and direct her home, somehow preventing her from thinking about anything besides the pegasus that rightly accused her of being a changeling, but wrongly accused her of not being Apple Fritter. *** Chrysalis’ eyes opened as she awoke, taking in a deep breath and stretching her limbs. The typical fatigue she felt upon awakening faded quickly, a sign that she had rested long and well. A measure of confusion mixed with interest swirled in her. While her body and mind had been at rest, her dreams had been filled with the changeling now known as Harbinger. The queen had seen and heard everything the newly sentient changeling had. It was interesting, to say the least. Chrysalis had to give the changeling credit, it had defended its cover virtually flawlessly, and Jack’s rebuffing of Harbinger’s plea for help had done far more good than ill. If the changeling ever faced that same situation again, she would know exactly what to do. Chrysalis had her reservations about what Jack had done. Harbinger was that much farther outside his control, and having true emotions of her own was something that the queen could not decide was for good or for ill. The changeling queen was snapped out of her thoughts by a sudden, acute pain in her left shoulder, as if someling was stabbing her. She flinched as the pain pulsed over and over, her shoulder feeling as though it was ripping itself apart. As soon as the pain had come, however, it was gone. Chrysalis blinked in confusion, sitting up and rubbing her shoulder. She looked down to find that she was completely unharmed. That simple fact unnerved her. Something like that had never happened before, not once in all her years. Before she could ponder the matter further, she felt a dread-inducing pulling on her mind. “C... ch... rys... al... is...” Without a second thought, Chrysalis to the throne room. *** Jack convulsed on the floor, panting and hissing through his teeth as he tried to force the immense pain in his shoulder away. For once, the Hive Mind was not so much a burden as it had been but a few minutes ago. Instead, he seemed to have the undivided attention of every single changeling, and not a single other thing occupied his mind besides the feeling of his left shoulder being ripped apart. The bright green flash that signaled Chrysalis’ arrival was little more than a speck of light on the edge of Jack’s bloody haze of vision. Her hoof made a miniscule splash as she stepped next to him, sending a few crimson droplets onto Jack’s face. “What happened to you?” Chrysalis asked, obviously incredulous at the scene before her. “Make it stop...” Jack whispered hoarsely. “Whatever I did, I’m sorry, just make it stop...” *** The changeling queen blinked in shock. He thought she was to blame for his suffering? No matter, he needed proper medical attention. “Let me see,” she said softly, kneeling down next to Jack. The teen seized a few more times before he realized Chrysalis was in next to him. His arms darted out, wrapping around the queen’s foreleg and pulling himself closer to it. His entire body still shivered, but the fact that he had some form of anchor seemed to keep him from thrashing about. With his left shoulder exposed, Chrysalis was free to inspect the injury. Several black pieces of chitin had pierced his skin and torn through his shirt, leaving his shoulder open to the air. All around the wound, two liquids, one viscous and green, the other watery and red, poured out across Jack’s body and onto the floor. Where they met, the two liquids bubbled and boiled, leaving nothing behind save for a puff of odorless smoke. Chrysalis recognized both liquids immediately. The green she knew to be changeling blood, which appeared to be attempting to clot the wound already. The red she knew was human blood, having seen almost too much of it when Jack had first been retrieved. “Always such a problem...” she whispered with a wry smile. Chrysalis prepared a healing spell, one to stop the bleeding so she could get the human to the medical area for treatment. She touched her glowing horn to Jack’s shoulder, watching the dual blood flows cease immediately. Wasting no time, Chrysalis gently levitated the teen onto her back. Using her magic to keep him there, she set off as fast as her legs would carry them, moving far faster than any pony could dream of. With her magic keeping Jack in place, Chrysalis was free to go as fast as she could, making sharp turns through the tunnels of Kruziik-Ahrol that would have otherwise thrown him off. She made shortcuts wherever she could, but there was simply no direct path from the throne room to the medical wing. Chrysalis’ eyes widened as she felt two distinct liquids running down her back. Hissing in displeasure, she pushed her legs to move ever faster, needing to get Jack help before he bled out. Taking a sharp turn, Chrysalis ran through one of the many halls that led to the Depot. Once she had reached the end of the short ledge the hall connected to, she leapt into the air, wings buzzing as she flew through an access hole in the ceiling. A thump, a yelp, and the distinct feeling of her magic no longer in effect made her stop dead. The changeling queen looked down, not even having time to think before she saw Jack, freshly bruised, bloodied, and shouting only a few choice curses, plummet down to the massive pool of green changeling goo. Chrysalis’ jaw dropped, her mind going completely blank as she mentally replayed what had just happened at a record slowness. The pool swallowed up Jack faster than a starved changeling did love, a momentary tremor running through the pool the only sign it had been disturbed at all. Just like that, all her hopes had been snuffed out. The worst part was, she could feel him withering away. She could feel the anger, confusion, and fear that radiated off him, dimming along with the light of his consciousness. Chrysalis felt all of it so acutely, she wondered if those emotions were his or hers. Her entire body felt fatigued, as though she had not slept at all, instead deciding she wanted to be awake for an entire week, possibly more. Tentatively, she hovered closer to the pool, trying to make out if Jack was still inside, or if he had simply disappeared. Only the constant green of the goo met her eyes, bringing with it, for the first time, a feeling of sorrow. A slight dark patch caught the queen’s attention, raising her hopes just enough to make her reach out towards it... ... only to snag a piece of cloth in her holed hoof. Chrysalis’ hopes immediately plummeted again as she drew back the cloth, observing it with sadness. She would keep this as a memento, as a reminder of both her own foolishness, and the miserable misleadings of oracles and prophecies. With a heavy heart and mind, the changeling queen turned back towards the roof of the Depot, flying slowly away from the place of Jack’s death. As she left, she noted how prettily the pool shone against the roof. “Wait.” Chrysalis halted, looking back down to the pool. She cautiously approached once more, ready to protect herself if something were to happen. The goo shone brightly, a bubble popping randomly here and there. Remembering how changeling blood had reacted with that of a human, Chrysalis simply sighed, a wave of depression flowing over her. The changeling watched as a few more bubbles rose to the surface and popped, and the glow slowly faded. She waited for a moment to see if anything else would happen, still hoping naively that Jack would pop out and be absolutely fine. She felt his mind die down to an almost imperceptible flicker, a sure sign he was almost gone. The goo in front of her darkened, likely his body rising so that she could see what her haste had done to her race’s future. She could make out his left hand, the one she had given him... ...as it broke the surface, clawed digits rocketing towards her, followed immediately by a familiar human, hissing like a changeling. “NOT! DEAD! YET!” Jack slammed into Chrysalis, his hands scrambling to grab hold of her. The changeling queen flew upwards, dragging Jack with her. He quickly fell back down towards the pool, but was halted by his left hand finding purchase through her forehoof. Jack growled as Chrysalis lifted the pair of them upwards, through the same hole she had tried to fly through moments earlier. The queen mad the soonest available exit, sending the both of them tumbling to the ground in a random side chamber. Chrysalis quickly stood up, looking beside her at Jack, who looked at her with a mixture of anger and disappointment. *** Jack glared at Chrysalis as she stood up, trying his best to convey what he felt at the moment. She bore an expression of shock and utter disbelief, obviously having thought he was dead. For a moment, he had too. “What happened to you?” she asked, her eyes trying to keep looking at his, but inexorably drifting to his left shoulder. “I was thinking you could tell me,” he replied, rolling his shoulder and feeling the new weight roll with it strangely comfortably. The ‘new weight’ was a spaulder, though calling it that was like calling an alicorn a pony. It was made of three large, thick, roughly diamond-shaped pieces of chitin layered on top of one another that stuck out nearly perpendicular from Jack’s shoulder. The fabric of Jack’s shirt had been torn away, revealing where chitin met flesh and wove together. The top piece reached almost as far as the human’s neck, and all three pieces stuck out a little less than a foot from his shoulder. “All I can think to say is that corners are going to suck,” Jack said, getting a small snicker from Chrysalis. “What I want to know is how this happened,” Chrysalis said, gesturing to Jack’s new armor. “I don’t know,” Jack shrugged. “What I do know is that you dropped me into a lake of vomit-goop, I nearly drowned, my shoulder is now completely fine, and I feel... different.” While Chrysalis processed what had happened, Jack felt the all too familiar pull of the Hive Mind. To his surprise, he found that it was much easier to run, almost as if he was simply telling it to function, and it did. Everything was more responsive to his mental touch. Everything seemed clearer. Suddenly, he had a thought. “Chrysalis?” he asked. “Yes?” “Didn’t you give armor to certain changelings?” “I did, yes,” the queen answered, raising an eyebrow questioningly. “Obviously I couldn’t oversee every bit of Canterlot personally, so I had armor made for a few dozen drones. They commanded their brothers and sisters while I was otherwise occupied.” “That’s it, then,” Jack said, smiling. “This armor? I don’t know how, but it’s making controlling the Hive Mind easier.” “Is that so?” Chrysalis regarded the human before her. Jack stood still as Chrysalis ran her eyes over him, judging, evaluating. He felt his spines shiver slightly, unconsciously trying to release some of the tension he felt. A small part of him urged him to respond to Chrysalis’ judgement, to lash out, but Jack quickly quashed the small voice. *** Chrysalis looked over Jack, drinking in his every feature. He was still clearly human, but it was becoming more and more apparent that he was more and more a changeling as well. His left hand, and now shoulder, were not his own to begin with, but she doubted they could belong to anyling or anypony else. She noticed that his right eye glowed softly, something it had never done before. The queen smirked, thinking the term ‘human’ was getting less and less appropriate. ‘Hybrid’ was more like it. Neither fully human, nor fully changeling. Abruptly, she felt a sudden and unbidden urge to attack him. The changeling blinked, not understanding where the urge came from, and not willing to give in to it. She subdued it effortlessly. Finished with her judgement, she nodded at Jack. “Very well then,” she said, holding herself high. “You will rule our species with me, then.” “What?” Jack asked, shocked. Chrysalis smirked. “If it has truly become easier for you to feel your brothers and sisters, then given your importance, I think it fit for you to rule. A savior cannot do much saving if he has no authority, can he?” “I suppose he can’t,” Jack agreed, a smirk of his own forming. “But you’re forgetting who’s still in charge.” The queen’s smirk faded. “Yes, you are still in charge. But I imagine the burden of the Hive Mind has taken enough of your attention for a while. I wish to have it back.” “Oh no, I’m fine.” Jack waved a hand dismissively. “After all, it is a lot easier all of a sudden. I think I can hang on for a bit longer.” “I do insist-” Chrysalis began. “And I insist as well,” Jack cut her off. “Why should the lady carry her own burden, if a gentleman is capable of carrying it for her? Take another week off. Or two, it matters little.” The changeling queen was now glaring at the hybrid. “Fine, I shall rest a little longer. But I will reclaim my rightful place before this week is over.” “Of course, my queen.” Jack bowed dramatically. “Your wish is my command.” Chrysalis felt and heard the mocking undertone in his voice, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. She would give him a little more time, now that he seemed alright. But she would not let him be in control forever. “Then see that your ‘command’ does not grow too comfortable where it is.” Chrysalis turned and flew back into the network of tunnels and halls that ran through the hive, intent on getting to a hub to feed. All the recent excitement had left her hungry. *** Jack waited until Chrysalis was gone before he teleported back to the throne room. He stood just inside the doorway, looking around at all the fragments of obsidian that remained on the floor since he had shattered them. He extended his left hand, surrounded in a green glow. The many pieces lifted off the floor and formed into a ball shape, spinning around midair as Jack grinned. “Well, let’s see what qualifies as ‘too comfortable’, shall we?”