//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Fallout Equestria: Price of Change // by Midnight Page //------------------------------// Prologue Pain ebbed throughout my mind as I tried to focus on my surroundings. I had just exited the memory leech cove. Memory leeches lived within the hive to the mutual benefit of both changelings and leeches. Changelings used them to devour the memories of ponies after the changelings had fed upon them. This resulted in the ponies becoming truly husks of their former selves, no willpower to drive actions of rebellion nor memories to cause them to want to go against us. By doing this they became excellent manual laborers and servants and would work until they dropped dead with whatever we instructed them to do. I noticed a team of husks following a changeling toward the lower cave reaches, perhaps to expand tunnels for the hatchery or more than likely to fortify it in some way. I rubbed my head and tried to get my bearings. All around me various changelings raced in dazing patterns all of them intent on one thing. One last Feeding before they all perished from the balefire bombs that if our agents were correct, would fall upon us in only a few hours. I groaned inwardly as I heard several ponies begin to cry out as the changelings began to drain them of their feelings. Normally it was a slow process and the “Host” would have little to no idea was going, kept in a dazed, dreamlike state and unaware of what was going on around them. But time was not plentiful and so they elected the rough option of draining their emotions without sedation. Not only was this an experience that caused most ponies to go into shock, it was potentially dangerous for the changeling as well. In order to properly feed, the pony's emotion must be taken with a set ratio of love to counteract whatever the alternate emotion was. If not managed correctly, the changeling may begin to feel whatever emotion they are feeding on, albeit to a debilitating extreme. I winced as the screams of a mare near me rose and suddenly turned into pained gasps as she began to go into cardiac arrest. The changelings around her just grinned in an absent, euphoric way as the emotion energized them and relived their stress and fears temporarily. I groaned with my head pressed against my head and sighed as I addressed them. “If all of you are going on a feeding spree, could you at least do it with some manner of dignity or take it to your personal quarters!” As I expected, they ignored me, lost in their frantic emotion high state. I began to slowly stumble toward the exit of the feeding chamber. A snow white unicorn collapsed beside me and caused a spike of pain from a forgotten memory to knock me off my hooves. What was it about that color?... I started to rise shakily when an elegant unicorn-born changeling approached me. Unicorn-born changelings were the most common type of changeling, due to unicorns providing the most emotion with the way their connection to their magic magnified their emotion due to part of their magic's power being derived from emotion and the strength of their hearts and souls. Unicorn-born Changelings were simply called changelings due to their ability to make the illusion of shape shifting into different ponies in order to get close to them and feed. The changeling that approached me regarded me in a cool hatred. “What gives you the right to dictate what we do, halfbreed?” He sneered at me and spat out the last word in a curse. “Any power you have is solely by the gift of Her power and by being the Queen's favored toy...” I sighed as I rubbed a hoof against my temple. The echos of thoughts and memories no longer present within my mind swarmed through my mind as it tried to call upon who this particular changeling was and why he resented my title and presence. When nothing came I just shook my head in a futile attempt to clear it as I looked up to address the changeling. “Look my request is nothing...but a request... for-” Another spike of pain caused me to gasp and I crouched holding my head. The attacker sneered and shoved me against the wall and we both stood on our forehooves, though I had to more or less lean against the wall for support. “What's wrong halfbreed? Can't handle a simple memory leeching? Undoubtedly due to your inferior pony blood mixed with what little superior changeling blood you have inside of you. Perhaps I should just put you out of your misery, the Queen might even thank me and reward me of ending your wretched existence...” His eyes gleamed lewdly as he imagined his desired reward. He then drew a long jagged dagger in a dark green aura and chuckled darkly as he tilted my head up with a hoof and brushed the side of the blade against my cheek. I tried to summon my own magic to push the blade away and draw my own blade, but in my weakened state it only fizzled a useless spark, prompting him to laugh again. “Your weakness is only proof that the Queen needs a real changeling stallion in her chambers, not a pathetic fool pretending to be a superior race just because the Queen bestowed some powers unto him and he was blessed by the Nightmare...” What little part of my mind I could focus reached out into the Hive Mind desperately. As the changeling raised his knife I made contact with the Shiftling, or pegasus-born changeling I had been searching for. He landed behind us and extended his wings, which gleamed a metallic silver in the soft green light of the glowing gems around us. He inched closer and posed his wings above my attacker and I smirked. The changeling paused confused by my expression, unaware of the danger he was in. “What's wrong... you hesitate to kill a lowly halfbreed?” My taunt caused him to howl in rage and continue his strike aimed to slice open my neck. As the knife began to descend he slumped and dropped the knife with the sudden absence of his magic as the shiftling's wings which had changed to become serrated blades pierced his body in an x as the wings crossed. Blood dripped from the changeling's mouth as he whispered one final curse at me. “You are no true changeling nor are you a unicorn. You... you are not truly anything anymore. You are... Nothing...” After a few moments the light faded from his cerulean void-like eyes and he was silent. As the shiftling retracted his blades and whipped the blood on the corpse, I rose and nodded in thanks. “You did well young fang, though I had expected you to arrive sooner...” The shiftling bowed low and mumbled with his face nearly pressed against the cavern floor. “Forgive me Master, I was distracted by the chatter of many within the Hive Mind. Is it true what they say, are the Zebras really going to fire the bombs upon us as well despite our treaty?” I grimaced and nodded. “It is so. While the Zebras would normally honor their agreement with us, the fact that our hive happens to reside under the capital of the Equestria out ways any resentment they would have over such an act. Destroying Canterlot is far to tempting of a target” The shiftling looked away and asked in a concerned tone. “Then is that it then, are we fated to die with the ponies and their war?” I shook my head and said in the most reassuring voice I could manage, “No, we will live through this, even now our Queen is gathering her strength to prepare a massive chrysalis to surround the entire hive and shield us from the balefire. Have faith in the Queen, and you will yet live through this...” “But why couldn't we have taken over one of the Stables? Why must the Queen force such strain on herself without us to assist her?” “Because...” I trailed off in thought. I...remembered more or less several arguments I had had with Chrysalis over the same subject and could only repeat her logic to him. “Because while we would gain a shelter, it is not guaranteed to survive especially with how some stables have been made. And even if it would be large enough to hold the entire Swarm, and protect us from whatever happens, the Queen does not want to risk so many lives against the gamble of our success against Stable-Tech’s defenses.” He nodded in acceptance and looked up at me. “Very well Master, will you require an escort the rest of the way to your room?” Normally I would tough it out and walk back to the living quarters by myself. But seeing how I had been to weak to stop the foolish noble changeling's assassination attempt, I had to admit help would be needed. “Yes you will be my escort, however you must be more perceptive from now on and not focused on idle gossip and fearful complaints, had it been a serious killer and not a pompous noble, I may have been slain long before you arrived.” He bowed again and whispered words of apology. I held up a hoof to stop him. “As punishment for endangering my life... you will escort me the rest of the way as stealthily as possible, and I will be grading you on your performance. Do the Fangs of Change proud, and I will forgive your actions this time...” He flinched at the new pop quiz he had to accomplish but nodded in acceptance. Perhaps I was being a bit hard on him considering the situation we all faced in a few hours, but who says an initiate assassin’s life is easy? I certainly don't. Two dark green flames engulfed the Shiftling's blade-wings and they transformed into leathery patches of skin similar to a bat. Without a sound he flapped his wings and rose into the air and vanished into the shadows of the top part of the cave that was not lit by the glowing crystals that lined the pathways and tunnels below. To his credit, the shiftling concealed his presence adequately well, as only my enhanced vision in my right jade hued eye caused by the “blessing” bestowed to me from Nightmother Moon as I called her allowed me to pierce the dark veil of shadows. Not to imply that my normal blood red left eye had difficulty in the darkness. Far from it, but my enhanced eye could see him without any strain or conscious effort in the task. And in my current mentally state, concentration was not something I had in abundance. Fortunately the rest of the way to the Queen's chamber entrance was uneventful and I dismissed the young shiftling, who still whispered apology for his tardiness as he did so. Smiling as his actions I approached the large cave's entrance, only to once again be blocked the overzealous earth pony born, otherwise known as Brute changelings that guarded the entrance. Snapping to attention, their thin black hide grayed as they pounded the stone with their hooves across each other at either side of the entrance of the cave and their bodies became the very stone they touched. While they were larger than most earth pony stallions and had a glare that could intimidate most anything that approached them, they also proved once again to be as intelligent as the very earth and stone they became. With an exasperated sigh I continued forward. “Must we go through this every time I wish to enter the Queen's chambers, which in all honesty are mine as well? I have been through here several times, certainly more than either of you can count, and yet you still regard me as an intruder...” The pair stared at me blankly before looking expectantly at the dagger strapped to my barding, and I all but through the sheathed blade at them in frustration. With a nod they retracted their hooves and I passed by them, barely managing to not stumble as I did so. As I entered, I immediately approached the still form of Queen Chrysalis, her horn glowed as she concentrated on focusing every ounce of her power on crafting a gigantic protective chrysalis around the hive. Her eyes opened briefing as she noticed me and after a moment her horn stopped glowing and she reopened her eyes wider. She met me half way across the room and nuzzled me for a moment before looking over me with a tired expression. “Midnight, you look very weak, did the memory leeches take too much?” I smiled wearily and nuzzled her in return. “I... no they took what I instructed them to take. I just did not expect the treatment to leave me so drained. But after some rest I should feel better. I do feel better overall though, the great pressure that grated within my mind that built up over the years I have lived is finally gone...” I looked her over more closely and saw that she too was far weaker than normal. Her bright green eyes had diminished to a faded glow and her long blue hair drooped and seemed dead. Her hunger scars, the holes that dotted her body caused by long periods of famine and severe lack of love, appeared larger now, as if they were growing as she created the chrysalis. This was likely the case however and I knew that it would not be long before my lover had faded away in a last attempt to preserve her swarm from the war around us. We had tried everything we could, playing both sides and causing inner conflict to delay the utter destruction we now faced, but we had failed. As I looked into her eyes, I could clearly see that she blamed her self. That she has failed her Swarm and now they would all die because of it, just like the Elder Changelings had claimed she would when they had exiled and left her to die in an Umbra cave so many years ago when I had first met her. I could still remember those moments after what I had done to myself in order to preserve my sanity... It had only been by fortune that I had taken shelter from a storm and encountered her. Despite the danger, I stayed with her that night and kept watch over her and the next day we had ventured forth to take back the Hive and restore her to being the Queen. When we had reasserted her to her rightful place, we... strange I can't seem to remember now. Perhaps the leeches had taken more than I had instructed after all. Noticing my distant expression, Chrysalis embraced me again, and I was surprised to feel how frail and thin she felt. “I know you allowed yourself to be leeched to reduce the stress from your mind from living for so unnaturally long, but I worry for you know...” I smiled weakly. While most would assume Chrysalis is an unfeeling and unforgiving queen bent on draining everything around her of emotion, it is not her true nature. Yes, while a maddening hunger normally would cause her to be less compassionate, the concern for the existence of her swarm has given her a moment of clarity. And as for why she was hunger crazed in the first place... “Do not worry for me my love, I can bear through this. But you look so weak now, should you not rest for a moment, both of us could use it...” She smiled ruefully and then the determination in her eyes ignited once more. “As much as I would enjoy a... rest with you, I do not have time for that. I cannot be at peace until the protective chrysalis is in place to give my children the protection they need.” I looked directly into her eyes for a moment and searched for any hesitance in what she was doing, and much to my selfish disappointment, I found none. “You know what will happen if you finish the chrysalis? Your existence will be forfeit and you... you will be...” She kissed me passionately then withdrew and stood up shakily. She traced a hoof through my black and gray stripped mane and smiled at its silkiness. My pact with Nightmother Moon had preserved my body in the prime of youth, and even my cutiemark, an open book with a quill writing runes within it,, stayed with me even when my body became part changeling. “I know the cost of what I am doing Midnight, but how could I call myself the Queen of this swarm if I did not do everything in my power to protect them? I know you do not wish for this to be, I do not wish to leave you either. But I have left a piece of my self locked away in reserve so that when all of this is over, we can be together again and rule the swarm as before...” I rose quickly to stop her but stumbled as she continued to the exit of her chambers. “Wait what do you mean by that?” Chrysalis shook her head sadly and paused at the doorway. “Goodbye Midnight Page, I must go to finish the chrysalis and fulfill my duty. I will treasure our time together and think of it when I fade...” I tried to force my body to get up, to reach out to hold her one more time but it was no use. I could only watch as she left the room. I was dimly aware of a bright green light flashing all around me, followed by the screams of surprise of the thousands of changelings throughout the hive mind. Then there was an overpowering calming sensation as my body began to go into a hibernated state and I slipped into unconsciousness... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Get up Midnight...” I shivered as her voice echoed all around me. I looked around, floating in a void of darkness. “I command you to Get UP!” I struggled to stand as he turned to face the pair of glowing jade eyes that floated above me. “What... what do you want Nightmother? Come to taunt me about my weakness? Or maybe give me a nightmare to amuse yourself with?” Her laugh rang in my ears as her eyes floated closer to me. “Come now Midnight, you should embrace the nightmares when they come, after all every “good” dream is but a lighter perceptive on a darker experience. But no I have not come to amuse myself with you, I have others designed for that. And as for your weakness, such a thing you experienced would drain even I somewhat, so I do not blame you for that.” “Even though you are the reason I had to do that in the first place!” I hissed as I noticed my mind seemed considerably better than it had been before. “Silence, do not scorn me after all that I have given you. It was you that begged me to prolong your life so you could continue to be the little queen's toy, and I had only done so as a reward for your service to me. But I will NOT tolerate such impudence from you.” I lowered my gaze, knowing I would not even begin to contest against her will directly. “Fine, what is it you want from me, the balefire bombs are about to hit and I don't have much time to-” Once again she laughed and looked down upon me with an almost pitying expression. “Do you truly not realize what has happened while you have slumbered? The balefire bombs have hit your precious Hive long ago and you are currently entombed in the massive chrysalis that protected a small amount of the swarm from perishing. But now I wish you to act upon my behalf once again in this new world that has emerged from the aftermath of its own destruction.” My eyes widened as I took in what she said. “What do you mean some, how could the chrysalis not protect us?” “It seems that your foolish Queen diverted a portion of her power to something else. What it is I do not know, but it was enough that a portion of the chrysalis was weaker than the rest and the balefire bombs were able to get through. But enough have... survived to some extent that you can rebuild your Hive once you have acquired enough emotion to awaken them.” I cocked my head in confusion. “But why do you care what happens to the changelings, I thought you hated them?” “I disliked them because they distracted you from your duty to serve me, just as your “enchanting” little zebra pet had done. But that has changed. Everything has changed and it is time I gain a true foothold in this wasteland of opportunity. I will explain more later but for now I command you to wake from your slumber and learn of the world.” I sighed as the glowing eyes faded away into the void and I was alone. What had she meant by how the world had changed? What could have happened to Equestria that caused her to assert herself again. With so many questions going through my head and no answers I did the only thing I could think of. With a deep breath I slowly opened my eyes and woke up...