//------------------------------// // Chapter 25 // Story: Camo the changeling // by M Specter //------------------------------// Chapter 25 After my full recovery I was given a couple of days to train with my queen. Specter assumed that a fight to the finish was the most likely probability so he told us to prepare ourselves however we pleased. We had just completed a training session when Specter found us. He had a grim look on his face and I could only assume that he had brought bad news with him. "Chrysalis, Camo come here I have some bad news for you." "What is it? "Will it interfere with the plan?" "To answer the last question yes and to answer the first, Sombra has unleashed infant changelings from your pods in the hive." My queen looked visibly shaken but she composed herself enough for Specter to continue. "He is using dark magic to transform them into highly skilled and deadly weapons. "From what I've seen their mindless zombies with no purpose other than what Sombra tells them. Also they are no longer in Canterlot their building their forces in the ruins of the hive." Chrysalis was shaken so much that she had to take a seat to absorb the information for awhile. "How will we be able to battle them there's three of us and so many of them?" I asked him. "I'm not sure but what I am sure about is that we need help and although I'm afraid of what may happen to you two I believe that we will need help from Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor." "What are you trying to get us killed?" I asked him. "No of course not, I know Shining Armor and Princess Cadence personally, I'm sure if I talked to them they would be willing to help." "No absolutely not." "This isn't about just you if Sombra masses and army and we don't let anypony else know, what will stop him from taking over Equestria." "Can't you see that we don't care about Equestria we only care about our hive what will happen to them if..." Feeling my queen's hoof on my shoulder I stopped talking. The look in her eyes told me that I had said enough. "Specter thank you for telling me this if you believe that we should see the current royalty of the crystal kingdom then by all means I trust you." "Thank you I promise that you won't regret it. "I bought each of us tickets for the next train to the crystal kingdom it will be leaving in an hour so make sure you're prepared, once you are meet me at the entrance of the mines." Once he had left I turned my attention to my queen and said "why are we following what he's saying for all we know he's leading us into a trap that'll meet both of our demises." Chrysalis shook her head and then said "Camo were you looking at Specter's eyes in that brief conversation with him?" "No but what does that have to do with..." She cut me off and began speaking again. "If you've lived as long as I you notice certain things, for one when I saw him deliver us the news he had one emotion that spoke loud and clear." "What was it?" "Regret, he regrets everything that he has done over the past couple of months he's adding this to a list of things he should hate himself for." "Have you not been sensing the emotions that radiated from him during your little dispute." "No my queen I'm sorry I should be more observant." "It's alright Camo, you have every reason to be wary of meeting Princess Cadence she was the one who scattered us in the first place but despite that I trust our friend to see us through." What she said baffled me. Friends with someone who isn't within our race? That's unheard of. For the longest time I thought it was impossible for anyone in the hive to become friends with a pony but if my queen trusts him that much to consider him a friend than I will trust her judgement. However this made me think over my relationship with the crusaders. They've done so much for me in the short time that I knew them. They called me their friend and even searched for me when they thought I was missing. Half of my mind wanted to consider them as true friends but the other half knew that they only liked me because I didn't have a cutie mark and looked normal. In my heart I wanted to consider them my friends but in order to do so they would have to accept me as I truly am, and after what happened to them in Canterlot during the invasion I'm sure that they wouldn't want a changeling as their friend. My mind continued with the pattern of thinking that they were my friends and they weren't my friends until we met Specter at the front of the cave. He had his purple sweater on with the hood covering most of his face. "You both should put on a disguise we're going to leave now." We changed our forms into Pegasi and looked at Specter expectantly. We were at the bottom of the mountain that Canterlot was on, he would need some form of transportation if he was going to get up there in time for the train. "Would you like a ride?" Chrysalis asked. Unexpectedly enough he said "No I have my own ride." He then turned his body into black smoke. The only thing that didn't make us think he had vanished completely was his green eyes that could clearly be seen in the dense smoke. Oddly enough his white freckles was also visible where they would be if his gaseous form had face We landed in an alley that was near the train station and after Specter finished turning back into a unicorn we began to walk the rest of the way. As we were walking we saw a peach colored mare walking around with a picture of some sort. She was asking anypony that would give her the time of day if they had seen the colt in the picture. She then appeared before us and said "excuse me, do you happen to be know the colt in this picture his name is Specter and he’s my only son." We all took a look at the picture and it depicted a younger looking Specter hugging the mare before us. "No I'm sorry ma’am we haven’t seen him." “Is this true.”She said while looking at Chrysalis and I. We both nodded and she sighed. “Thank you for your time.” She walked away with a little less pep in her step. If that mare knew Specter why didn't he tell her that he was right in front of her just then. Is he hiding from her? Maybe he doesn't want to see her now. I resolved to ask him about her later. Luckily she didn't notice his cutie mark that was hidden behind his saddle bags. She then walked away and we continued to the train station. After getting in the train and finding our seats I asked Specter who that mare was. "That was my mother." Chrysalis and I both gasped. “If that was your mother why didn’t you show yourself to her, she obviously cares about you a lot to be going up to random strangers and ask if they’ve seen you.” A small tear escaped his eye and instead of wiping it away he let it fall. "I'd love to see my mother again but I'd like to fix up the problems I've caused first and that means helping you two get your hive back." I smiled at him and left him to his thoughts. He truly was a kind pony at heart . The train ride was uneventful and soon enough we were at the train station in the Crystal kingdom. I didn't think that the Crystal kingdom would look so beautiful. I only got a glimpse of it from the book Spike showed me and it was a 1000 year old photo of the crystal kingdom. It depicted Sombra on top of his palace with Pony's in chains strewed about. At the time I didn't think anything of it because I was just focused on seeing my queen again. "Camo are you alright?"Chrysalis asked me. "Yes I'm fine sorry I was just looking at the scenery." She chuckled and said "I will admit its a change from the look of the hive." "Come on you two we need to get going." As much as I didn't want to continue going I did so anyway. If everything does end up going back to normal I definitely need to spend some time in the crystal kingdom. As we made our way to the palace I saw many crystal Pony's running about. They looked like they were enjoying their time despite the fact that they were sealed away for 1000 years. It made me happy to see that they were doing alright despite their time away. When we finally made our way to the palace there were two guards blocking the entrance and when we approached they said "halt state your name and reason for entering the palace." Specter removed his hood from his face causing the guards to gasp. "Specter, we haven't seen you in months where have you been all this time?" "You know them?" I asked. "Yes I got to know the royal guards here during my stay. "Its kind of difficult to explain fellas but I need you two to do me a favor I've come to tell your princess some news can you escort me to her." "Yes of course but are these Pony's you brought with you safe." The both of them looked at us suspiciously. "Yes this news revolves around them as well." "Very well we shall escort you to the princess." they said in unison. Once inside the castle I looked over all the architecture around us. Everything looked beautiful and well constructed. As I was looking around I didn't notice that we had arrived at our destination. We arrived at the throne room where Princess Cadence was sitting on her throne talking to some other Pony's. When she saw us however she quickly ended her conversation and put all of her attention to us. Specter bowed and so did we. "Nice to see you again Princess Cadence." "Specter is that you?" "Yes it is." She came off her throne and hugged him to which he returned as well. "What happened to you no one in the Crystal kingdom has seen you since Sombra's attack." That look of regret came upon his face as he answered her. "These last couple of months I've been controlled by Sombra only recently I've been able to think on my own." "I'm so sorry to hear that but just wait until everypony here's that you've returned they'll be so happy." "Unfortunately that will have to wait I've come back to the crystal kingdom to bring you important news." "Can't it wait until after your welcome back party? I can even get Pinkie pie to..." "Princess you don't understand what I have to tell you is of utmost importance." "Alright what is it?" Specter then looked back at us. "You guys can lower your disguises." Cadence looked at us with confusion and I looked to my queen for reassurance. She nodded as if to say trust him. She then turned back to normal as did I. Cadence gasped at us and began walking away from us with a mix fear and anger on her face. "Specter why would you bring changelings here?" "It's about what I need to tell you, when I was controlled by Sombra I did some terrible things one of them was allowing Sombra to regain a body and take control of the changelings." "Sombra's back?" "Yes and currently building an army as we speak. Chrysalis has agreed to help me fight him as well as her second in command Camo but we all know that the three of us can't stop him that's why I've come to you for help." "How do you know that the changelings will not stab you in the back for your kindness, they deceive Pony's all the time." "Although that is true I believe them and trust them. If we don't give anypony a second chance to redeem themselves how can we truly trust one another." She seemed to think about it for a moment before Specter spoke again. "If the changelings do double cross us I promise that I will do everything I can to make it right." "That won't be needed." My queen spoke. "I promise that we won't harm any of you in anyway." Cadence then said "Specter are you sure we can trust them?" "I swear it on my life, I wouldn't bring any harm to the Princesses." After about a couple minutes of thinking she said "I'll have to think it over with Shining Armor but for now you three are guests in the crystal palace so long as the changelings stay disguised at all times." Specter bowed and said "Thank you Princess." As did we. "I'll show you all personally to your rooms." Cadence then led us out of her throne room and into the hallway. Along the way Cadence was talking to Specter for almost the entire time. I couldn't hear what they were saying but I'm sure it ranged from various things along seriousness and none seriousness. "Here are the guest bedrooms I hope that each of you will find comfort in them. As you are guests in i'll allow you all to roam the kingdom without any guards following you." We nodded and Cadence went on her way. Specter told us that he was going to he in the library just a bit of walking distance from the palace he said he didn't want to be bothered. This just left me and my queen and since the both of us hadn't seen the crystal kingdom and what it had I decided that we should act like tourists and explore. "My queen we should explore the crystal kingdom we don't know when we'll be able to have a moment of peace like this to see the kingdom in all it's splendor." "That's a great idea Camo let's go." (Write about stuff they did in the crystal kingdom.) The first thing we did was head over to the petting zoo’s. Ewes were simply adorable to look at and pet. The next thing we did was look at a jousting match. Clearly it was for sport and none of the contestants had gotten hurt in anyway but I wondered how something like jousting could be seen as a sport considering its nature. “What she we do next I?” I asked my queen. She was about to say something but she stopped as she closed her eyes quickly and held a hoof to her forehead. “Is there something wrong my queen?” I asked as I got closer to her. “I don't know all of a sudden this headache came out of no where, I think we should get back to the castle.” “Good idea.” When we arrived back at our rooms her headache had worsened into a migraine and I didn't have any idea on how to stop it. As she lay on the bed suffering I couldn't help but stay with her. She's been through so much for us changelings it would be rude to not see her through in her time of need. With this in mind I stayed by her side for the rest of the day and the following night.