//------------------------------// // The First Few Pebbles Fall // Story: A Touch of Chaos // by Written Out //------------------------------// Last Breath quietly made his way through the hallways of the changeling hive, a plate of roasted mushrooms floating along behind him. His hoofsteps echoed through the nearly empty corridors, and his mind wandered back to when the catacombs had been filled with changelings. Had it only been a couple of weeks? His memories were already becoming… hazy. Indistinct. He could feel them slipping away from him, just like they had before, and knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. His steps leading him to the room of the newest arrival to the hive, he took a moment to stop and consider the past few days. Everything had changed when Alex had arrived, and yet… nothing had changed at all, had it? Fate would not be denied. The Queen had been right. Alex stirred slightly as Last Breath gave him a gentle nudge; the changeling’s hoof slightly sinking into his side. Last Breath poked a little harder and Alex gradually awoke, the human reaching around blindly in the smothering darkness. “Breath? That you? I can’t see a thing. What’s going on?” “Here.” The plate of food floated into Alex’s outstretched fingers, which he grabbed onto before sitting up. “There’s… something I need to ask you,” Last Breath hesitated before blindly charging forward. “Did you mean it? When you called me your friend a couple days ago, did you mean it?” Having just tossed a mushroom into his mouth, Alex had to take a moment to swallow it before he answered. “What are you getting at, Breath? Of course I meant it. You’re my only friend out here, and I’m glad I met you.” Last Breath smiled at his friend’s reassurance, also glad to have met the strange human. “Thank you. I’m glad to hear you say that.” The changeling moved slightly, bumping up against Alex’s legs. “When you’re finished, there’s something I need to tell you.” “What is it?” Alex asked, his voice slightly muffled because of a mouthful of food. “You can’t just tell me now?” “No,” Last Breath replied, his voice slightly weak. “I want to be outside when I tell you. Last night, I got permission from Queen Chrysalis to answer your question.” “Which question was that?” Alex asked, picking a mushroom off the plate. “What makes me different from all the other changelings you’ve seen throughout the hive.” Alex’s hand came down to rest on Last Breath’s back as he put the half-eaten plate of food aside. He knew that a part of Last Breath didn’t want to tell him this secret, but the changeling wanted to tell him anyway. Waiting would just make the inevitable explanation worse. There was no point in putting it off. “Then let’s go.” Shortly afterwards, the pair sat side-by-side on the cold rock outside in the morning sunlight. Last Breath had been unwilling to light the cave with his horn and had led Alex through the corridors by touch, the human’s hand resting on his back the entire way. When they reached the exit, the changeling had sat down and gestured for Alex to sit next to him. The sun was just starting to peek over the far-off Macintosh Hills when they arrived, bringing light and the illusion of life to the Badlands. The duo remained silent, watching as the sun slowly climbed up into the sky. When the sun had gone high enough that it no longer appeared to touch the mountaintops, Last Breath finally spoke up. “I’ve always loved the sun, you know.” Taking Alex’s silence as an invitation to explain, Last Breath continued. “You probably think that’s strange for a creature that lives underground, don’t you?” Alex quietly weighed his options before responding. “A few days ago, I might have. But now…” Tilting his head back, Alex stared up at the warm, life-giving orb high above them. “Now I’ve started to think of you as an exception to your race. Is that why Chrysalis set you to watch over me? Because you’re different?” To Alex’s surprise, Last Breath just laughed humourlessly, almost sounding like he was choking on something. The choking laughter continued until Alex began to worry about his friend’s safety before it abruptly cut off. “Different? Oh, that’s rich.” Last Breath’s voice was full of bitterness when he spoke, like he was cursing the very idea. “You’re wrong. Ah, how wrong you are. In fact, a lot of changelings enjoy lying out in the sun.” His head tilted backwards, his eyes staring up into the mighty sun. “It’s a pity. I’m sorry I could never show you what my species is really like.” “Last Breath?” Alex asked, resting one hand on an upraised knee as he turned to look at his oddly acting friend. “What are you talking about?” “You want to know what makes me different from all the other changelings? You’re asking the wrong question. A better question would be ‘what are changelings?’ Let me explain.” Inhaling deeply, Last Breath prepared to reveal the secret he had been hiding.  “You remember when I told you that changelings are creatures of magic? What do you think that means? Does it mean that we can live without food or water? Does it mean that it’s almost impossible for us to be killed? Does it mean that it’s impossible for us to live in a normal society, always forced to be on the outside looking in? Only able to live a lie if we want to have something other than the hive?” The changeling laughed mirthlessly, his shoulders shaking slightly while Alex watched him in concern. “It would be simple if that was the case, wouldn’t it, Alex? We’re powered by magic, by the energy of love. A cruel joke, don’t you think? Only able to live on love, but who could love something like us?” “I tried once, you know,” Last Breath admitted, staring down at the ground. “I left the hive. Several years ago, I told the Queen that I wanted to see more of the world, that I wanted to try living with some ponies and earn the love I needed instead of always stealing it.” “What did she say?” Alex asked, leaning in as he listened to the story. Last Breath almost glanced over at Alex before turning to look up at the sky instead. “I know what you’re thinking. You think that she would refuse me. Well, you’re wrong. You may only see a power-hungry despot, but to us, she is our mother. Our Queen. She tried to talk me out of it, but when that didn’t work, she gave me enough energy to survive on my own for three months and told me of a good small town that was mostly secluded from the rest of Equestria.” “I was… happy, then.”Last Breath’s voice turned wistful as he recounted the time he had spent with the ponies. “I can’t even remember the name of the town, but I do remember the friends I made. They thought I was a pegasus by the name of Sky High.” He laughed bitterly. “They never knew what, who, I really was, and I could never tell them.” “It broke my heart, having to hide from them. Slowly, I started to drift away, started to seclude myself more and more. One day… I slipped up.” Last Breath lay down on the ground, resting his head on his forelegs as he continued to recount his tale. “Because I had stopped spending time with them, I stopped receiving love from them. I didn’t even realize it, but I gradually starved myself. When a changeling becomes love-starved, our higher thought functions shut down. We act only on instinct, lashing out in order to obtain love through force.” “How can you get love through force?” Alex asked quietly. In response, Last Breath bared his teeth. “These fangs aren’t just for show. Piercing the flesh of our victim, we suck out their blood. It’s the only time we can ingest anything material. Normally, anything we eat is simply stored within our body until we purge it. But taking blood is not a simple process. It’s a very traumatic experience. For both the changeling and the victim.” Catching something in Last Breath’s voice, Alex knew he had to ask the lead-in question. “Who was it?” Last Breath remained silent for several minutes before he finally responded. “A unicorn. Her name was Dazzle Day. She was my closest friend, and… I think she may have wanted to become something more. I met her as Sky High and lured her into my house, and there…” Alex put his hand on Last Breath’s shoulder as the changeling trailed off, silently supporting Last Breath. “I transformed in front of her and attacked her.” Last Breath’s voice was empty and emotionless as he described what had happened. “When I came to, she was unconscious and bleeding heavily. I fled. I’ve never once looked back.” “The Queen had known that would happen. I found out afterwards that I wasn’t the first changeling to try and leave the hive. It always ended poorly. Without exception, the changeling would starve and go mad. Some were caught. Some took their own lives. Without Queen Chrysalis, starvation always leads to madness.” “Chrysalis?” Alex asked, confused. “What does she have to it?” “Everything. Without her calming presence, we become ravaging monsters. She’s able to telepathically sooth us, control us. Prevent us from lashing out blindly at everything around us. It’s the second last role of our leader, has been that way for as long as the changelings have existed. But… even with her, starvation only leads to one thing.” Alex swallowed, realizing what his odd friend was getting at. “Death.” Last Breath nodded. “Yes. After we succumb to the starvation, we only have a little while left to live. It can be as short as a few days, or as long as a few months. It all depends on the individual.” Alex’s finger’s tightened their grip on Last Breath’s shoulder. “Breath, you’re starting to scare me.” Increasing the strength of his grip, Alex pulled Last Breath’s shoulder, turning the changeling around to face him. “What are you-?” Alex gasped in shock when he made eye contact with the changeling, his hand falling loose and free. Where the changeling’s eyes had once been clear and green, their reptilian slits taking in all that they saw, now they were becoming lost in a murky sea of crystalline blue. The pupils were faded, barely visible behind the same blue mirror that Alex had seen in the eyes of every other changeling except Chrysalis. Last Breath’s head fell back on his forehooves and he slowly looked up on the sky. “I… don’t have much longer. I wish I could have helped you find a way home, but it looks like this is it for me.” Alex scooted next to Last Breath and pulled the changeling into a tight hug. Last Breath returned the hug, his head resting on Alex’s shoulder. “Could you stay with me?” Last Breath begged, his hooves wrapping around Alex’s torso. “I’m scared.” Alex strode through the changeling catacombs, a tiny crackling green flame in his hand giving him just enough light to see where he was going. He had sat with Last Breath for hours, until the changeling’s green eyes had completely disappeared behind the deep crystal blue and the changeling no longer responded to anything Alex did. Last Breath had said that the flame which Alex now held was supposed to lead him to Queen Chrysalis. Unfortunately, the energy required to make it had been enough to push Last Breath over the edge, and he had succumbed shortly afterwards. Alex had left the unresponsive changeling staring up at the noonday sun, and now followed the gentle tug of the flickering flame as it led him ever deeper into the catacombs. It had seemed like there was still a little left of his friend in that nearly-empty shell. Eventually, his steps slowed as he heard the sound of music coming from ahead of him. As he followed the trail of the song, the green fire he held in his hands sputtered and died. Your life has been just perfect, I’ve been with you, watching over you since you were small. You’ve always been at my side, someling with who I always could confide. Your life has really did have meaning after all. As the song trailed off, the unseen singer closing the lamination, he finally reached the source of the melody. It was the same large room he had met Chrysalis in only a couple days earlier. Chrysalis herself stood alone in the empty room, standing over an unmoving changeling with her horn aglow, singing down to it. As he watched, she lifted the changeling onto her back and carefully carried it to one of the many open cells that lined the walls. Gently slipping it down to the ground, she stepped out of the cell. She remained quiet and unmoving for several minutes until Alex nearly made his presence known, but then she bowed her head and stepped towards the changeling. Green ooze dripped from her mouth as she began to create a wall at the entrance of the cell, sealing the changeling inside, and Alex finally realized the purpose of the room. It was a morgue. Each of those countless sealed cells contained a deceased changeling, both recent and ancient. Chrysalis finished sealing the cell and stood back, looking over her handiwork. Her voice drifted over to the entrance of the room where Alex stood. “I know you’re there,” she said. “Come here.” Knowing she was talking to him, Alex slipped away from the doorway and stood by her side. They stood together, staring at the gateway sealing in the latest addition to the tomb. “Who was he?” Alex asked, lifting his hand and almost touching the wall before he thought better of it and lowered his hand again. Chrysalis dropped her head until her forehead pressed against the slowly-solidifying gooey wall, her horn sinking into it. “She was Bright Carapace, my personal maid. She was like a sister to me, and had been my closest friend since before I became Queen.” Turning, Chrysalis walked past several cells, listing off names as she went. “Cold Steel. He had been opposed to the invasion of Canterlot, but served as a commander despite his misgivings. Black Ribbon. He had always had a kind heart, and would always befriend lonely children whenever he was sent out on love collection missions. Mis Givings. She had a harrowing birth, accidently killing her donor, and always refused to leave the hive unless someling was with her.” Stopping her recount, Chrysalis turned to Alex. “If you’re down here alone, it means that Last Breath has succumbed.” At Alex’s nod, the Queen sighed. “I was afraid of that. That’s what his name meant, you know. He was the last breath of the changelings.” Seeing the expression on Alex’s face, Chrysalis smiled slightly. “Ah, you don’t understand, do you? Then let me tell you a story. A few months ago, my people fled the Gryphon Empire. The gryphons had nearly discovered us, and we knew we had to leave before they found us. The closest land was this one, Equestria. Our ancient tales told us to never enter this land, but we came anyway. I didn’t know why the tales warned us away at the time, but I do now.” “Most of my minions succumbed to the starvation while we traveled, losing themselves behind those empty blue eyes. I knew that we had to take drastic measures, or there would soon be many deaths. I proposed an invasion of the capitol, and after some argument, we marched on Canterlot.” “We lost, but I was able to get plenty of love from Prince Shining Armor before our defeat. I’ve been giving it to my changelings, trying to help them live as long as possible. But now…” The Queen’s head drooped, her mane falling in front of her eyes. “I’ve used it all up. They have slowly been dying ever since the invasion failed, and they will die even faster now. I will bury all my children as they die, then I too will perish. Only, no one will be left alive to bury me.” “Hokay, this is getting depressing,” Alex interrupted, cutting Chrysalis off. “Then what about me? Where do I fit into all this?” Chrysalis laughed, a slight girlish giggle. “You? When you showed up, I nearly gave thanks to any gods that might have been listening. Here you were, a creature simply falling into in my clutches that I could drain for love to save some of my minions. But like a cruel joke, we couldn’t drain you.” “But then why did you take care of me?” Alex asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. This is getting to be a bit too much for me. “You gave Last Breath enough energy to live for a few days. Why?” “I don’t really know,” Chrysalis admitted. “I think I wanted for someone to remember us, to remember that we existed. The only ones who know of us are the ponies, and they have watchers to keep us in the Badlands. If we try to leave, they will come with an army to exterminate us. It’s better if we just end quietly. We were never supposed to even exist, after all.” “Explain.” Alex rubbed at his temples, trying to make the rising headache go away. “Then I shall tell you another story,” Chrysalis began, her horn flaring as she brightly lit up the room, revealing all the graves around them. “It’s a story I was unaware of before we were flung here, before I found the story etched into the very walls of this hive. Here, the hive of the very first changelings.” “Let me tell you how the changelings came to be.” “Eventually, the swarm left to look for other lands,” Chrysalis said, finally concluding her tale. “I don’t know when or why, but one of my predecessors chose to leave this cursed land and seek another country. We’ve been moving from nation to nation ever since, not allowing any to know of our existence until we reached Equestria. And here… we will die. Fitting, don’t you think?” “And?” Alex asked, rubbing at his eyes. The headache was getting worse, and it was making him progressively grumpier. “What does it matter?” “I… What?” Chrysalis was completely blindsided by the question. “Were you not listening? The changelings came from-” “I heard every word.” Alex swung his arm across, cutting her off. “But you know what? It doesn’t matter. You’re just running away!” Lunging forward, he wrapped his hands around her throat. Chrysalis braced her back legs and pushed against him, matching him muscle for muscle. “Your vassals trusted you!” he shouted into her face. “He trusted you! And you’re just abandoning them so you can feel better!” “What do you know?” she roared back, jerking her head back and swinging him on her long neck. “You think it was an easy choice? To let them all die? There’s nothing I can do to save them, and it doesn’t matter anyway! We’re going to die here, it’s just our fate!” “FATE?” He gripped her neck tighter and closed in on her, his nose almost brushing against hers as he continued to scream in her face. “There’s no fate involved! All I see is a pathetic woman who isn’t willing to do what she needs to do! What her people expect her to do! There’s just no reason that’s good enough to abandon those who depend on you! You have responsibilities, responsibilities to your people and responsibilities to yourself!” They stood still for several minutes, matching each other glare for glare. Eventually, the Queen stepped back, allowing Alex’s limp fingers to slip from around her neck. “Fine, then,” she said coolly, her tightly controlled voice hiding the emotion she had just shown, “and what do you recommend, human?” Alex remained silent for many long moments while the Queen stared at him before an idea occurred to him. It was a horrible idea, and he knew that if he could, he would give up anything to stop it. But it was the only thing he could think of to save Last Breath. It was also the only idea he had. “I… may be able to help.”