A Journey Unthought Of: Revival of Chaos

by Hustlin Tom


Chapter 52 - Papillon, Falena

“Ah, Papillon,” Queen Chrysalis exclaimed warmly when the Changeling Candidate stepped down into her chamber, “How goes Falena’s interrogation?”

Papillon gave a quick bow as she spoke, “It’s going well, actually. You were right; she is a traitor. She will definitely crack, but not before the attack on Canterlot, unfortunately.”

The Queen huffed slightly, “Disappointing. Very well! I trust you will work expediently to acquire what information you can. Perhaps something useful may still come of it.”

“You know I will!” the little Candidate said with an almost adorable grin.

The Queen stepped down from out of her bed, and strode regally toward the entrance to her room, “I’m leaving you twenty drones in reserve to assist you as you wish: the colony is yours to command during the assault. I am confident you will perform admirably.”

Papillon dutifully bowed as her sovereign exited, “You honor me with this responsibility, my Queen. Good luck in the campaign!”

Queen Chrysalis did not respond when she swooped up and away, her wings droning with an eerie buzz as she sped up the hallway towards the open shafts leading out of the Hive’s borrowed home.

Papillon had measured her steps, trotting along with her usual energetic pace, but secretly she was absolutely elated at the turn of events. Drones had rushed all around her, heeding their highest royal’s call, scrambling into platoon formation as they exited the Hive. She was sure that it was bound to be quite a sight from the outside world: a black swarming mass spewing from the mountainside that would slowly turn gray as it flew farther to the southeast. She had wished to see the army off in person, but she had needed to appear as if she were doing as her Queen had commanded. She had taken her time, leisurely returning to the Queen’s chambers and jumping into the silky blood red sheets. As she sunk into the soft downy mattress, she giggled a little to herself: no matter what the outcome of this coup, it was all worth it to be nestled in this absolutely fantastic bed!

When she was sure that the army was out of local telepathic range, Papillon buzzed a little with excitement. It was time to begin.

The small Candidate streaked further down into the mountain, easily maneuvering through the tunnels by her memory. Beneath even the Queen’s deeply buried room was a spacious cavern, filled with several hundred pods. This expansive room served as the Changeling’s feeding grounds, from which the Candidates and Queen siphoned off the charged emotions of those who were encased in their slimy sarcophagi, and converted them into readily consumable psychic energy.

Twisting through the air as she quit flapping her wings, Papillon transformed into a sludgy, rubber-like substance. When she landed she bounced once, then twice before she reconstituted herself into her usual body. The place where she finally stopped was the exact pod she had been looking for. Shifting the substance of her right foreleg into a sharp, sword-like point, she gave the opaque pod a vertical slice through its tough outer membrane. Green, slimy jelly burst from the pod, disgorging Falena onto the cavern floor.

“Hurry, the troops will be coming soon,” Papillon said with an ecstatic smile.

Falena gave a deep gasp and choked slightly. Her body had transformed her respiratory system into a gilled structure like that of a Lung Fish, but was now reconverting back into its normal state.

“You think I don’t know that?” Falena wheezed through the still undergoing process, “They feel us and we feel them, remember?”

“I need you presentable for when they get here,” Papillon replied as her attention was drawn to several whiny buzzing sounds coming from the entrance tunnels, “Just do what you did with me yesterday. I’m positive they’ll be convinced.”

The drones swarmed up above the feeding grounds, sweeping over the two Candidates in cyclical aerial patterns. When they had felt the traitor awaken, they had assumed she was trying to escape, yet there she was next to their commander. The confusion billowing off of them was palpable from below.

“I’m ready,” Falena murmured to her co-conspirator as her gills finally sealed up.

Papillon grinned as she addressed the troops, “Drones! Listen to me!” They slowly descended, touched down, and gathered around the two Candidates to offer their undivided attention. “You are of course aware that our Queen has denounced Falena, our prodigal sister, as a traitor, but did you know that these charges are false?”

The drones glanced in surprise at Falena, which Papillon took full advantage of by pushing onward, “Yes, my drones! I was unnerved by this discovery: why would our Queen break the First Rule? It became so obvious to me as I talked with our dear Falena. The Queen has put her priorities above the Hive’s own survival, all the while promising that she would bring us more the food we all so desperately crave.” Papillon pointed her hoof with a jabbing motion, “In our hour of greatest need, one of our own has returned with the secret Chrysalis has hidden for so long: Candidate Falena has rediscovered the way to provide her own emotions as food for the Hive!”

The drones each looked to each other in shock, and the Hive mind doubly communicated their disbelief. Falena took a step forward, which refocused the drones attention on to her.

“It’s true,” she announced, “I have found the way to feed ourselves again, but it wasn’t by accident or luck.” Her ears drooped a little, and each of the Changelings was surprised: they could sense emotions coming from her! A sadness mingled with nostalgic happiness emanated off of their Candidate in slow, ebbing waves. She continued, “In my time among those the Queen considers our enemy, I was taught by a wise mare how to feel for myself and for others.” She looked to Papillon, who was also surprised by the deep display of passionate emotion she was giving off, “We know of your love for us, and how it remains unreciprocated by Chrysalis.” She then looked out to her twenty drones, her newest children and students, “It’s time for a new transformation: not one for our bodies, but for our minds, hearts, and souls. Equestria has taught me so much.”

Papillon gasped in awe as her fellow Candidate practically went supernova, waves of psychic energy cascading off of her like tidal waves on a shore. Love, mercy, happiness, and joy intermingled in one self-sustaining fount. Falena slowly flew up above her twenty-one compatriots, and her eyes, with the same emotions welling up inside of her, gazed down on them all, “Let me share with you what I’ve learned.”

The dams that seemed to keep her energy at bay were let down, and she projected everything out. She loved her children. She loved her sister. She loved everyone. The energy wrapped around each of the Changelings, flowing over them as if it could share some sort of affection of its own. To experience it all at once was as if they were trying to consume a year’s worth of energy in one mouthful. Those that had been starving and hungry were filled. Those that had felt full were now beyond a doubt in their own mind that they were.

As Falena quietly lowered herself, both the drones and Papillon didn’t seem to know how to react. Suddenly, the nearest drone approached her, and she saw something new in its face. Sitting on its cheeks were tears, pure child-like tears. In a burst of its own emotion, it hugged her, and began to sob.

Thank you, it said through the telepathic link all of them shared, thank you so much.

Falena wrapped her own hooves around him, deeply moved by his simple exclamation. Yes, these drones had been mere workers, no need for singular designation of any kind, but this was the first of the Hive to truly be recalled to an identity.

“Than-ku,” he expressed verbally with great effort.

Falena was overcome with joy, and tears streamed down her own face, “You are very welcome.” After a short time, they broke their embrace.

The other drones did not move, but there were tears in their eyes as well: their one had spoken for them all, and that was enough.

Sniffling a little, Falena turn to Papillon, “I wish that this could last longer, but time isn’t on our side and we need to stop Chrysalis’ plan. Where is she?”

“They left about an hour ago,” Papillon shakily replied through her own emotionally fragile state, “They were headed to the Equestrian capital.”

Falena nodded urgently, “She mentioned that there was some kind of weapon beneath Canterlot she wanted to take.”

“Yeah, some kind of creature encased in stone. Apparently it’s super powerful, but it looks like a walking zoo.”

Falena’s heart stopped for a moment. Her eyes widened and her face turned a paler shade of black. “She can’t be that stupid,” she whispered in terror, “She cannot be crazy enough to honestly try.”

“What?” Papillon asked in blithe ignorance.

“Is the creature’s name ‘Discord’?” Falena tried to calmly ask, but her voice faltered a little.

“Ummm. Yeah, actually it is!” Papillon shook her head in the affirmative.

Falena choked a little as she breathed in with a hiss, and then bolted into the air. “Follow me, all of you!” she yelled in fright, “If we don’t stop the Queen right now, she will unleash a being beyond anyone’s control!”

The drones froze: talking of mutiny was one thing, but to actively obstruct their Queen’s plans?

“Scramble!” Falena bellowed, “Or she will bury us all!”

“You heard her: move!” Papillon chimed in as she saw the fright in Falena's emotions, and followed after her, who was already streaking up towards the surface.

The drones rose up and followed after their commanders. The small force exited the Hive’s home at top speed, streaking after the larger force so very far ahead of them.

I hope the telepathic spell is still working for Princess Cadence, Falena thought to herself, the stars help us if we don’t catch up in time.


Tick tock goes the clock, here ‘rives the golden day, Discord sung to himself.

He could feel the sun, so very far away and so very near, as it cleared the horizon of the mountains beyond Canterlot, a crimson dawn.

The draconequus chuckled deeply to himself, Tick tock goes the clock, until it’s time to play.