//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Support 
// Story: Rescue from the Changeling Hive 
// by EKessler 
//------------------------------//


Rescue from the Changeling Hive



Chapter 3: Support


The spirit of chaos snaked his way through the evening sky, having just left his home to find his missing daughter. The ground below him, very hazy and unclear at his height, seemed to slowly inch itself past him, but he could feel the cold wind strong against his face at the speed he was making. He hadn't been traveling for long, but he was covering a lot of ground. A thousand angry thoughts raced through his mind as he flew to his destination.
Oh, I'm going to redefine chaos when I get my hands on that insect. She thinks she can just steal my Screwball? That witch has no idea what she's gotten herself into. I'm going to find that hive, and I'll…I'll…
Discord then began to slow down. Eventually, he came to a stop, hovering high above the ground, taking a moment to get his bearings.
"Wait," he said to himself. "Where…is the hive?"
Realization hit him like an anvil. He had no idea where Queen Chrysalis or her hive was. When he left the cave, he just shot off in the first direction he faced, and had for the past half-hour. But he had no way of knowing if it was the right direction.
"Drat," he cursed to himself as he realized he had to rethink this. As far as he was concerned, this was just going to be precious time wasted. Every second he wasn't tearing that nest apart was a second Screwball was in danger.
Still, according to Celestia, Screwball must have still been alive, so at least he had that.
He then put himself into thought, taking a pose as he perched himself upon nothing midair. Okay, Discord, you can do this. Think, who would know where the changeling hive is? Who would have that kind of information at his or her disposal, even if it was no business of their own to know?
Once again, realization hit him hard. "Drat," he muttered to himself as he reached his hand up to snap his fingers.




Ponyville: Golden Oaks Library


"Cooking…cooking…" Twilight Sparkle muttered to herself as she scanned one of her various bookshelves. "Cooking…treats…Aha!" The lavender unicorn busted out in a smile as she pulled out one of the books with her magic and carried it over to her friend, Fluttershy. "Here it is, 100 Treats for Small Mammals, second edition!" Fluttershy grinned as well, having received what she came to the library for.
"Oh, thank you, Twilight." She set it on the floor and immediately began skimming through it. "Angel bunny's been so good lately. He really deserves something special for his birthday this year. Especially since…" At the sudden light and the sound of a loud poof, her eyes shot back up, growing in surprise as she looked behind Twilight, who turned around, jumping in surprise at the sight of the spirit of chaos.
"Discord!" yelled Twilight in surprise.
"Yes, yes, I know. Big surprise, and I'm sorry about that," said Discord, trying to get the obvious out of the way. "But I really need your help, Twilight Sparkle."
"D-Discord! I-I…" Twilight stammered, not knowing how to handle this. She immediately turned back around. "Fluttershy?!"
The yellow pegasus pony lightly giggled, getting up from her book to approach the draconequus. "It's good to see you, Discord."
Discord actually smiled at the sight of his good friend. "You too, Fluttershy." He grew serious once more, lowering his snake-like body to their level. "But now really isn't the time for socializing. I am in desperate need of assistance."
"What's wrong?" asked Fluttershy.
Discord took in a deep breath. "Okay, remember my daughter? I showed you her when you visited that one time."
Fluttershy adopted a look of concern as bad as Discord's. "Oh my gosh! Is it Screwball? Has she gotten worse?"
"Wait, hold on!" interjected Twilight, looking confused. "Discord has a-"
"Yes! For crying out loud!" shouted Discord, impatient. "I've already gone over this! The exposition's over, and time is a factor here!"
"Alright, Discord. Just calmly tell us both what happened." Fluttershy sat down, ready to listen, as did Twilight, though more reluctantly.
Discord breathed in again. "She's been kidnapped by Chrysalis." He heard two loud gasps from the ponies, but continued. "Yes, earlier today I invited Celestia to take a look at Screwball, and then when she took a close look at her, we found out she was actually a changeling in disguise, one of Chrysalis's children sent to distract me and feed off of my love for my daughter." He saw the ponies' concern increasing, especially in Fluttershy's frightened eyes. She was the one of them who had met Screwball, after all.
"I need to find her," he continued. "Celestia said that she's probably still alive, so I need to get to her as quickly as I can." He then gestured to Twilight. "But Twilight Sparkle is the only pony I know who may have any information about the changelings. And, first and foremost, I need to know where their hive is."
He exhaled suddenly as he finished saying his piece, while Fluttershy and Twilight still sat. They didn't look confused at all. In fact, they looked quite sympathetic.
A moment's silence passed, and he was about to speak up again. But he then saw Twilight get up and rush to one of her bookshelves on the other side of the room, using her magic to pull out numerous books and have them run by her face as she inspected them. Evidently, she was all for helping him.
"Discord?" He looked back in front of him to Fluttershy. "Are you really going to the changeling hive all by yourself?"
"Please don't worry about me, Fluttershy," said Discord, smiling encouragingly. "I'm the Spirit of Chaos. I'm sure this will be a snap." He snapped his fingers for emphasis, creating a stifled explosion within his hand, drawing a brief gasp from Fluttershy, but she quickly recovered. She still looked worried, looking to the ground in thought.
"Well…still…I mean…maybe I should go with you."
"No!" interjected Discord, almost glaring. "Enough ponies I care about are in danger as it is. I will not have you in a position to get taken by those glowworms as well!" He then noticed how he had made her flinch and shrink away at his outburst. "Fluttershy? I'm…I'm sorry. I'm just…" He sighed in frustration. "I have to do this myself. She's my daughter, and I don't want anypony else in danger."
Fluttershy managed to compose herself after a moment. "Well, have you thought about what you'll do once you find them?"
"Oh, yes!" said Discord, disdain in his voice. "I swear I will tear that place apart until I find her, even if I have to burn it to the ground." His hand caught fire as he spoke, very much charring it, but it didn't hurt him. It seemed more of an angered emphasis than a humorous one, a rare sight from him.
"Uh, Discord…"
He then held a little stone figure of Chrysalis in his hand, which was quickly flattened all on its own. "Maybe I'll just increase gravity on them and let them get crushed by their own nest."
"Discord…"
Two miniature changelings then appeared in each of his hands, and they instantly flew across to attack each other. "Or plant dissent among the offspring and let them tear themselves-"
"Discord!" Fluttershy's outcry was finally enough to get his attention again, making him jump in surprise and making his apparitions vanish. "Discord…I, um, know you're mad, but…you really should be…careful about this." Fluttershy withdrew slightly, half-expecting a reprimand for interrupting him, but she saw that he was listening. His expression was still hard, but he was listening. "I mean, you could do all that. I mean, not that you should…" she added very quietly, "but Screwball would still be in there. She could get hurt."
He then realized her point. He very well couldn't destroy the place with his daughter still in there. Something could happen to her.
"Oh," he moaned, "you mean I have to be stealthy?" He saw her nod. "Perfect. Just my luck."
"And…uh," Fluttershy sheepishly began, "to be fair, by the time you get Screwball out and make sure she's safe, you…probably wouldn't have to do any more damage to them anyway, so…" She trailed off, again almost expecting some kind of reprimand, but none came. Instead, Discord simply sank backwards, laying into the floor with his eyes closed.
"Oh, Fluttershy! What in Equestria are you doing to me?" He motioned about on the floor, and a golden halo formed above his head. "Why can't I be bad? Why can't I just throw reason and morality to the wind and be irresponsible and reckless, just this one time?" His overacting drew a curious glance from Twilight, who was still sorting through her books.
"Because," began Fluttershy as she walked up to his head, a little more confident, "you promised Princess Celestia you would use your powers for good." He then opened his eyes and turned to her to listen. "And, you know deep inside that revenge will not get Screwball back." Discord rolled back over, facing the ceiling.
"Fluttershy, I…"
"I found it!" cried Twilight before Discord could respond. He immediately jumped up and zoomed toward her as she held out a book to him with her magic.
He took it and read it out loud. "Biology, Geography, and Sociology of the Changeling Species."
"Yep, that's it," replied Twilight. "If it says anything about where they live, it would be in the geography section."
Following her advice, he immediately flipped through the book. Twilight stayed where she was, and Fluttershy took to the air behind Discord, looking over his shoulder to get a look at the pages.
"Let's see, now," said Discord as he flipped through. "In existence since…hive-mind…physiology…blah blah blah…reproduce via…" Discord then suddenly blushed, skipping over every page in that section without looking, and then resumed skimming. Eventually, his skimming through the pages grew slower and slower, and he then stopped on one page. He took his talon hand and traced the words of the book until he found what he was looking for. He placed his finger on one line and read aloud, "Ah, here we are. 'To date, only one colony of changelings is known to exist, the same led by the notorious Queen Chrysalis. The colony, likely grouped together in one area, is strongly suggested to reside somewhere within the region of…Dead Mare's Desert.'"
Discord cocked his eyebrow at the name, being unfamiliar with it, but the girls' ears perked up at the name. "Uh, I take it you know what that means, ladies?"
"Well, of course," said Twilight. "You don't know what Dead Mare's Desert is?" She continued as he shook his head. "It's a desolate wasteland to the far west of Canterlot, near the Equestrian border."
"Huh," replied Discord, "I remember that place. It used to be a forest."
"Well, maybe a few thousand years ago," said Fluttershy, "but now it's a death trap. Hardly anything can survive there for long. There's no water, no food, and the extreme temperatures would get you in only a few hours."
Discord thought about what they said in silence until he spoke up again. "Perhaps. But I've survived without food and water for far longer than a few hours. You know, being dead and all," he included with a grin as the image of him being encased in stone flashed across the mares' minds. Fluttershy blushed slightly at the memory. "Well," he continued, "I guess I'm flying."
"Wait," said Twilight, "you can't teleport there?"
"I'm afraid not, Twilight. I cannot teleport anywhere unless I've been there before. Even my powers have their limits. Be that as it may, I can survive far more treacherous conditions than an ordinary pony can. And this is the best lead we have thus far. Unless," he turned back to Twilight, "there's anything else I should know?"
Twilight magically took the book from his hands and levitated it in front of her, flipping through the pages as she did. "Only that these are treacherous creatures. You may be powerful, but they're crafty. And they have hive-mind."
That fact surprised Discord. "You mean…"
"Yes," Twilight interrupted, "their minds are connected, which makes them extra dangerous, especially if you make yourself known. If just one of them finds out you're there…" She trailed off, but he knew what she meant. "Whatever you do, just keep on your toes."
Fluttershy, still airborne, tapped his shoulder. "Um, Discord. Are you sure you don't want us to help?"
"Fluttershy," replied Discord, "even if I kept myself under control, my powers could easily put those around me in danger. You really have no idea how much I've had to tone it down for Screwball, seeing as how her capabilities haven't developed yet. And like I've said, I won't have you put in danger."
Fluttershy kept her head down, eyes closed in acceptance of the fact that she couldn't help. Discord then took his lion's paw and lifted her face back up to meet his. "I'll be okay, Fluttershy. I'll get Screwball back, and we'll be back before you know it. I promise," he ended with a smile.
Fluttershy put on a weak smile. "Pinkie promise?"
He rolled his mismatched eyes, still smiling. Lifting his right hand, he began, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" They both laughed at his gesture, Twilight just watching with a modest grin. He then grew serious again. "Well, time is of the essence ladies, and I must be off."
"Good luck, Discord," said Twilight with a smile. And without saying a word, Discord was gone with a snap of his fingers. Twilight then looked to Fluttershy, now grounded, who still seemed worried. "He'll be okay, Fluttershy."
She smiled back at her. "I know, Twilight. It's just…I hope he knows what he's doing. You know how angry he can get…"
Twilight nodded knowingly. A curious look then hit her. "Hang on. Fluttershy, could I ask you something?" Fluttershy nodded. "How is it that Discord has a daughter?"
Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but the same look hit her as she realized that she herself had no idea.




Canterlot


Instantaneously, Discord reappeared just outside Canterlot, suspended in the air away from the city that was perched upon the mountain. However, he completely ignored the city, turning west.
The Dead Mare's Desert. Far to the west of Canterlot. A death trap. Home of the changelings.
He adopted the same determination he had when he first set out to find the hive earlier that night. Now that he had a lead, he wasn't stopping for anything. At a speed that would make a Wonderbolt proud, he zoomed through the night sky toward the mountains, to the desert that laid on the other side.
I'm coming, Screwball.




Canterlot Prison


"Why did you switch places with Screwball?" asked Princess Celestia in a disturbingly calm manner. She stood in front of her changeling prisoner in a secure holding cell in an old Canterlot prison, having recently arrived. The changeling, once more restrained by the hooves, had the same dazed expression as before, its mind at the mercy of Celestia's magic as it had no choice but to tell her everything.
"To…feed," the creature replied in a raspy, dried-out voice. "Mother…let me…have Discord."
"And 'Mother' is having Screwball all to herself?" Celestia inquired flatly.
"…Yes."
Celestia assumed as much. That was the logical conclusion one would come to. But she wasn't done yet.
"So…is anypony else being fooled in this way, changeling?"
The creature struggled slightly with the answer, trying to restrain itself, it seemed. However, Celestia's magic proved too much for it. "…Y-yes…"
"Your kind have switched places with other ponies as well?"
"…Yes."
Celestia sighed in frustration. She had suspected as much, but didn't want it to be true. "How many?"
"…Dozens."
Dozens, she mouthed to herself, turning away in thought. She still remained focused. "Where?"
"…Everywhere."
That's just what she needed. Her kind were being abducted all over Equestria and replaced by parasitic insectoids. She needed to act. She was already going to send Discord support in the morning, but now it was necessity. She then faced the changeling again, glaring. "Where is the hive?"
It struggled much more in trying to resist this question. Its eyes closed and it writhed in place, still being held by its restraints. Celestia's horn then glowed as she strengthened her spell slightly, bringing the changeling's gaze back to her. It looked completely brain-dead. "Where…is the hive?"
"…Desert…"
"A desert," replied Celestia, raising an eyebrow, but otherwise keeping a serious face. She then watched the creature slowly turn its head and face out the window, to Canterlot's west. She followed its direction and understood completely. "Dead Mare's Desert…"
Her magic then swung the door open, allowing her to leave as she let go of the spell. This caused the changeling to quickly crash into the table, breathing heavily as it once again had control over its mind. It looked back up to find the door close in front of it.
Just outside, Celestia was immediately met by a guard captain. "Princess, you told me to wait for your orders."
"Yes, captain," said Celestia, her voice calmer than the circumstances should have allowed. He joined her as she walked down the stony hall. "At first daylight, I need you to take a company of troops to Dead Mare's Desert. You will be searching for the changeling hive on a rescue mission."
The guard's surprise was obvious. "You mean…"
"Our cities have been infiltrated, yes," she replied. "I'll mail a mass warning to all cities I can. They will be under orders to examine each and every pony until all the impersonators are found." They then made their way to the door of the prison, stepping outside into the night air. As they did, Celestia sighed in mild relief. "At least we detected this early."
Her guard smiled. "Agreed, Your Highness. At this point, it shouldn't take more than a couple of days to sort this out."
"One day, if we're quick about it," replied the Princess, showing her ever-present optimism. They began walking again. "And as soon as I send the messages, I'll join you and your company come morning."
This surprised the guard. "Um…of-of course, Your Highness. If you insist."
She smiled lightly. "Yes, I insist. I've dealt with the changelings before, and I'm going to help." She then looked to the west, remembering Discord, the reason they found out about this infiltration in the first place.
Though I have the feeling that help is already on its way.