Edited by iakovl
At some point during the night, as I laid restless in my hammock, a realization struck; I must be insane. There was no other way to put it as I had seemingly accepted this world and its existence with the reasoning of the quadrupedal child I adopted and raised as my own. What more reason was there than that? She used magic at an early age, figuring it out on her own what I assumed were the basics. We went through a lot of cheap dishes while she figured out how her telekinesis worked. I cheered her on, mindful she didn’t try using it on me.
Was I already over the edge then, too? Was I really just a paranoid man trying to hide an imaginary daughter from a world in which she really didn’t exist? Should I have checked myself into a madhouse like “she” had suggested before leaving me? Was this all nothing more than a dream to me, where I simply participated and watched, doing little else? Everything feels so real, but what then is reality? Where does the realm of make believe ends and the realm of cold logic begins?
A rational human being would in all likelihood be screaming to go home, and get away from this topsy-turvy world of magic and talking animals. A logical human being would have taken an assault on their mind as more than enough reason to beg Celestia to let them go home. A sane human being would have refused the offer to come to Equestria and face the world they knew with a renewed sense of where their feet should be firmly planted.
This lead me to believe I was an irrational, illogical, and insane idiot drifting through this strange world alongside a white talking horse who controls the sun and her dark sister who controls the moon. Oh, and Luna wanted to fiddle with my noodle (and I mean my brain). Now I was being told sometime in my past magic was used on me. Luna told me my memory was not what I thought it was. Like I’m going to believe that...
I don’t want to know. I don’t want to be manipulated. I don’t want to trust these creatures, yet here I am, traveling with them. The reason lies in the pseudo equine teenager I spent the last thirteen years of my life raising like she was my own. A changeling daughter, a royal, and none other than the reincarnated Chrysalis, herself a pawn of Discord’s machinations. I’ve allowed myself to be manipulated because of her. Her anxieties tug at me, her fears seek me out for comfort. We are linked. All I know is where she goes, I must follow.
I’m her daddy. It’s what I do.
There is no other reason to travel to another world other than to see your daughter is well and thriving. Having the one thing that had been such a central focus of my life suddenly gone despite the mental preparation of separation still doesn’t compare to the aftermath.
So yeah, I swung in my hammock, sleepless and staring at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the ship while I pondered my state of mind. I shifted my stare to the great window taking up the entire back wall of my cabin to watch the fading horizon and the stars twinkling in the night. We were still over land and I could make out the dark outlines of a small mountain range beneath the ship, scrolling away. The light of the full moon highlighted the world in silvery cool blues. Night was a world of shadows and silence.
“Luna time,” I said to myself. Shifting in my blanket, I let both my bare feet dangle over either side of my hammock. Her eyes never left me even after we had ended our conversation. Apparently me rejecting her had been some sort of a ‘challenge accepted’ thing. What part of ‘no’ did she not understand?
As much as I like her, she’s a creepy goth chick with far too much power, showing way too much interest in my memories. I don’t need to see her raise the moon every night. She radiates power just like her sister. It kind of feels like standing in front of a glacier buck nekked with a cold wind coming off it and hitting me.
Alicorns are scary girls. Scary cool. As much as she’s trying to let me know she’s all business, Luna is trying to give me some benefit of the doubt.
That’s another thing; why the hell am I liking all these ponies? Does it have something to with the magic of this world? It’s everywhere, even getting into me. The princess even did something to an arrowhead necklace to keep magic from hurting me.
What is magic? It simply can’t be something scientific. This stuff’s from myth and legend, stories you read to kids before bedtime. Magic is Cinderella, Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, and the Last Unicorn. Pure fantasy. It doesn’t exist. This world shouldn’t exist. It had been what, five days since I had arrived here? Six? There’s a wedding tomorrow. A magical wedding. Just like those romance movies with happy endings. The lone exception is the groom wants absolutely nothing to do with the bride and the bride is bending over backwards in pounding a sense of moral responsibility through his thick, noble skull.
I think I’ll recommend Octavia a baseball bat. Louisville Slugger made the perfect thing for smacking a hard, round object. I wish I was on Earth. I’d buy her one as a wedding gift. Neither Chryssie nor I were invited. Ah, well. At least we might get something to munch on at the reception. Thinking of the wedding got me to thinking of my own life. Was I dumped all those years ago because I kept on putting off marriage?
My thoughts shifted, shaking a past I’d rather have nothing to do with anymore. It never leaves, constantly reminding me of a painful past best left in a hazy fog. Yet it’s always there, reminding me.
“Damn it,” I sighed, shifting and causing the hammock to sway a bit. There would be no sleep tonight. Maybe the kitchen (galley) would have something to eat. I just had to remember where it was on this ship. This crazy old ass was going to see a pony about a sandwich.
With the grace of a mentally challenged three legged rhinoceros, I got out of bed. Against my better judgement, I put on my shirt and pants, but left my boots off. For some reason, coffee sounded good. I love a good cup of coffee. Coffee and a sandwich. Before leaving, I patted my chest to make sure the necklace was still there. I think it became my security blanket. I guess it worked or did whatever it was intended to do because Sil tried something the other day and whatever it was didn’t work.
I shuffled out the door, smacking my lips and sighing at the elusion sleep was giving me. I wondered if my kid was asleep, passing by her door and pausing. Soft hoofsteps behind me made me turn. Sure enough, there was a guard, dressed from head to hoof in the silvery armor of one of Luna’s elites.
“Yo,” I said to him with a half-hearted wave. “Do you guys always have to follow me?”
He nodded. I noticed his wings. Bat wings. He was a batpony, or something. Oh, goodie, this place just gets better and better!
“Love your wings. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of pony are you?”
“Thestral,” he replied. His voice was creepy, like a stalker slobbering into a phone, reading off government defense contracts. His pupils were slitted, like Luna’s.
“Neat. Um, do you know how to get to the galley? I’m hungry.”
He shook his head.
“Got a name?”
“Bob.”
I blinked. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I am, but if you’re going to try and remember my name, I think I’d rather give you one you can remember, Mr. Spriggs.” He grinned at me, showing me a pair of ivory fangs. “Otherwise, I’m Shatterdown.”
“So, I take it you know Steel Jaw?”
Batpony Bob nodded. “I’ve been traveling with you since Princess Luna assigned me to be under Lieutenant Steel Jaw’s command.”
“Why is he so hostile to me and my kid?”
Bob looked at me with a squint, his lower jaw working back and forth. “His wife miscarried during the changeling invasion,” he told me quietly. “She hasn’t been the same since. Good mare, just no longer right in the head anymore. She keeps imagining her foal’s alive and lapses from time to time.”
I winced at the summed up story. “That’s kind of personal, don’t you think?”
“He’s too proud to talk about it,” sniffed the thestral. “Steel’s a good soldier, one of the best, but he hates changelings with a blind passion because of what happened.”
We proceeded down the steel clad hallway. Luckily there were signs at intervals telling us what lay where. It was almost soldier proof. Bob and I passed a few members of the crew. Naturally I drew stares, bugged a few eyes, and even made one of the ponies gasp dramatically and almost faint.
I’ll admit to taking a perverse pleasure in seeing that.
We went down one flight of stairs and simply followed the signs. It took less than five minutes to walk into the galley. I was rather pleased at myself at being able to read the directions.
“I’ll be nearby, watching,” Bob said to me, then slipped off to do creepy batpony things. I wondered if they hanged from ceilings.
“I get it. You are the night,” I said softly, not wanting him to overhear and possibly do a one-eighty and beat me into a bloody pulp. Or gnaw on a leg.
“I heard that,” he called without looking back at me. “My Princess is the night.” At least he had a chuckle in his words. I really needed to remember Bob’s hearing was like a bat’s.
Well, he let me live and I noticed there were very few souls during this hour of the night. It has to be early morning. A clock on the wall inched towards three in the morning. A bored looking earth pony was wiping down a counter with what looked like a buffet line where the cook put what you wanted on the grill and cooked it for you. Breakfast smells wafted to my nostrils, along with the smell of bleach cleaner. It reminded me slightly of the chow hall back in my army days. Not a bad set of memories to recall.
There were several rectangular tables bolted to the floor, each one with a swiveling chair attached to one of the heavy legs with a sturdy bar of steel. They were built to accommodate a pony rump and were a little too low to the ground for my taste. They just looked like a kiddie table. I went past them, aware of how cold the floor was to my bare feet. I felt silly without my boots.
The pony at the grill saw me coming and threw a nervous glance as I smiled and picked up a metal tray. Was it aluminum or tin? I wasn’t sure. Behind me, I could hear voices as ponies began to filter into the galley. It was the sound of soldiers not quite awake and even a bit surly. A quick glance over my shoulder made out pegasi in faded blue flight suits trotting in, complaining about the time of morning. It was oh dark thirty, so I understood the grumpiness. I had heard the flyers always had teams of two flying patterns around the ship as lookouts, so I assumed this group to be the dawn patrol.
“What’ll you have?” asked the cook warily.
“Can you do omelettes?” I grinned at him hopefully.
“Sure. What do you want on it?”
“Do you know how to make a Western omelette?”
He nodded. “Sure can. Anything else?”
“How are your hash browns?”
“Eh, not bad for something mass produced.”
“Patties?”
“Yep.” He pointed a hoof at a tray filled with them, lined up in neat little rows. “They’re freshly cooked. You’re lucky to be first in line. Those guys usually snarf them all down. They like the carbs.” The pony deftly began to use his horn hidden beneath his cap. I could only tell because of the aura peeking out from beneath it. His telekinesis started with the eggs, scrambling them in a bowl, then spreading them out on the grill. Within moments, he added diced up vegetables. At the last moment, shredded cheese went on and the omelette was folded over. It went from the grill, onto a spatula, and on a plate. Two square hash brown patties were added to the meal. It was presented to me with a proud flourish.
“There ya go!” he said. It took less than three minutes.
I grinned, taking the plate and setting it on my tray. “Awesome. Thanks!”
As I wandered away towards the coffee, I could clearly hear the pony mutter something about me not eating him. That was a first. It also bothered me a little. After getting my cup of Joe, I spied around for a place to sit. There was plenty of places to choose from. I caught the pegasi staring at me and whispering to each other. They’d seen me before, at the orientation meeting the evening before we departed. Batpony Bob stood off to the side, watching me with a stoic expression meant for statues. His gaze fell upon the dawn patrol as they chatted loudly with each other and laughed. They apparently decided to ignore me and herded with their food to the far side of the room, gathering at a table. I had already sat down and began digging into my food. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.
Contrary to what people believe, ponies do in fact have working knowledge of utensils. I’ve seen Fleur use them. Not all beings in their armed services are equines. I think I saw a couple of griffons earlier, but that might have just been dock workers.
The coffee tasted just like the stuff I drank years ago while in uniform. The food wasn’t half bad. I only had to put a little bit of pepper on it. Halfway through my meal, I heard the soft thudding steps of hooves come up behind me.
“Excuse me? Mr. Spriggs?” the voice was vaguely familiar. I put down my fork and turned, thinking one of the pegasi had come over for whatever reason. Imagine my surprise when I found Octavia Melody addressing me. I really liked her soft and proper accent.
“Miss Melody?” I guessed, already knowing who she was. It took a moment for my brain to whirr and buzz in identifying her. I smiled at her politely.
“Oh, you remember my name!” She seemed happy about that. “It would seem sleep eludes you as well.”
I nodded. “I thought getting something to eat would help. Not a sleep night for you, I take it?”
Octavia shook her head. “I have far too much weighing on my thoughts. May I join you?”
“Oh? Sure!” I scrambled to my feet and promptly stubbed by big toe on one of the table legs. Unceremoniously I slumped back into my chair, holding my injured toe (and my pride) as I bit back a stream of curse words. That’s what I get for trying to stand up for a lady. Ouch!
“Are you all right?” Octavia asked with great concern. She started forward, but I waved her off, forcing a smile.
“Fine! Fine! Just Murphy telling me I should have put my boots on.” I laughed in pain and waved her to a seat.
Slowly she backed away from me, then found a seat at my table and slid into it. “Who is this Murphy?” Octavia tilted her head to one side, both ears fully on me. She was curious.
“Murphy’s Law. It’s the law that states anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”
Octavia brightened. “Oh, it’s an epigram!”
“Yep!” Whatever an epigram is… I noticed she had a small salad and a glass of juice. “So, why join me for breakfast? Most ponies on this ship have gone out of their way to avoid me.”
“Precisely due to what you just pointed out,” she assured me before taking a bite. Quickly she chewed. It was an angry chewing. Octavia swallowed and took a sip of her juice. “Right now, I’m just sick and tired of dealing with ponies because of one name.”
“Blueblood?” I guessed.
“He’s a cad!” she said angrily. I noticed she wasn’t wearing her bowtie. Some sort of pink choker studded with what looked like diamonds. It was pretty. “All I ever wanted to do was find the right stallion and have a lovely career in music. Perhaps raise a foal or two. Instead, I make one mistake in a night of drunken stupidity and I’m stuck with that...that...cad as the father of my foal! I feel so stupid for going through this insanity.”
Oh, God, please kill me now! Like a moron and the good listener Momma Spriggs raised me to be, instead of running away screaming, I placed my elbows on the table. Folding my hands together and rested my chin on my knuckles, I smiled at the distraught mare. “I’m all ears,” I said as I died a little inside.
It’s a little known fact if a female is in a moment of personal crisis, I simply have to listen to her. I can’t help it. Even if I would rather jump into a swimming pool full of rusty razor blades, I will listen to a woman. Even if she’s pregnant. Especially if she’s pregnant!
“But I’m not here to talk about me,” she apologized, placing a hoof in front of her mouth. Her ears splayed back for a moment as she blushed. “I’d rather ask you some questions about you and your daughter. I’m sure you must have a most wondrous tale to tell, if it’s no bother.”
“Just a dad raising his kid. Nevermind my kid was a changeling.” I left a lot out, of course. My big toe throbbed painfully. “It was like raising any other kid, but this one could use magic.”
“I would imagine you had to keep her hidden from other...what is your species called again? Lady Fleur de Lis mentioned it to me, but I’m afraid it’s escaped my memory.”
“Humans.”
“Humans. Such an odd word to say!” She giggled happily. “What was it like having a changeling for a daughter? It must have been very nerve wracking!”
“You’d be surprised,” I replied, getting together another forkful of omelette. “She was absolutely adorable the first night I brought her home. Found her in the middle of a thunderstorm. Hissed at me until a thunderclap sent her jumping into my arms!” A grin found its way across my face as the memory played itself in my eyes. “Couldn’t get her off to save my life.”
“That’s so adorable!” she cooed, clapping her hooves together.
I’m going to say this right now; ponies clapping with their hooves is probably the most adorable sight to see, next to sleeping newborns, puppies and kittens, and the musical “Cats”.
Don’t judge.
Lookouts posted in the top mast of the Mare Crisium maintained a night vision spell between the two of them so they could see in the darkness. Luna’s glowing light bathed them in silver. One of the watch was actually a griffon, with eyes perfectly suited for seeing long distances. His unicorn mare partner dozed beneath a blanket as they worked a two hours on, two hours off watch schedule. So long as they relayed their status every fifteen minutes, this was tolerated.
The night watch was boring. It always was. The airship was mostly asleep, her engines enticing sleepiness with their constant background droning. The ship’s bell tolled three, eliciting a yawn from the lion bird.
“Miserable night shift,” he muttered, scanning the horizon slowly and with expert care. It might be a boring job, but griffons prided themselves on doing as they were trained to the letter. At least it was summer and the night felt good, if a bit warmer and muggier than he was used to. Griffons preferred colder mountain climates, but a few found the warmer temperatures tolerable.
“My shift yet?” mumbled his partner from beneath her blanket.
He checked his pocket watch, a gift from his grandfather when he was a chick. “You still got an hour,” the griffon responded gruffly. “You’re too jumpy tonight.”
She yawned. “Can’t help it. I’ve got an uneasy feeling.”
“Nerva Bure, you’ve always got an uneasy feeling about something.”
The unicorn huffed. “I can’t help it if I’m nervous. I come from a long line of nervous ponies, Iovec. Having changelings on board the ship? It’s bad news if you ask me.”
The griffon snapped his beak and grinned at his companion. They had been friends for years, even enlisting at the same time from the boroughs of Manehatten. Iovec wanted something more than being just the son of a local butcher and Nerva hated the city. Both decided to join the aerial navy as soon as they graduated high school. They worked so well together, it was decided their postings would keep them as a team, where ever they were deployed. It turned out to be an adventurous life for a couple of city kids. They always ended up on ships with fighting reputations. The Mare Crisium was their fourth ship together and they had already their own share of combat under their belts. Seven years of service had earned them a position on the heavy cruiser as lookouts.
“Well, if you’re actually talking about how nervous you’re feeling,” Iovec said slowly, his eyes going to the horizon. He scanned the distant cloud formations. “I know better than to ignore it. You and your feelings. It ain’t natural.” Her worry caused him worry. Iovec felt they were too close to Equestrian airspace to think of pirates.
“How’s your vision?” Nerva asked, shifting beneath the blanket.
“Spell’s still holding. Go ahead and radio in our status. It’s close enough.”
“Okay. Do you think anypony would be stupid enough to attack a cruiser?” She reached for the two-way radio.
“With the princesses aboard?” The griffon snorted. “Not damned likely. The two of them probably have enough in them to sneeze their way through a fight without a scratch on those perfect rumps.”
“Iovec! Rude!”
“Nerva. Please.” The griffon never wavered his slowly sweeping gaze from the horizon. He paid attention to the closest cloud formations. Experience had taught him well. “Those two royal flanks are the finest in all of ponydom. There are young males all around Equestria who have posters of them in their rooms, filling their dreams with lucid fun.”
“You’re disgusting!” she laughed at him, both amused and appalled at her old friend. Both shared the moment before she steadied herself and dutifully reported in. “Command, this is Overwatch, reporting all secure. Time check oh three hundred hours.”
The radio crackled. “Copy that, Overwatch. Time check confirmed at oh three hundred hours. Stay vigilant. Command out.”
Iovec poured himself a cup of coffee from the thermos set near the mast. “Hope it’s still warm,” he growled.
“I can warm it for you if it’s cold,” reminded Nerva.
The griffon grunted, shuffling his wings against his side as he resumed his watch. A slight movement caught his attention. Holding his cup carefully in his talons, he rose up against the rail. Blinking and not staring, he swept the area, not concentrating on the center of his vision. The night made focusing at distance impossible, so the observer had to constantly keep his eyes moving. The trick was to catch movement not directly in front of him, but just to the side of the center of vision. His sweeping pattern of observation swept from left to right slowly, rising up, right to left, up again, and left to right. He repeated this process, not sure at what he was seeing. Roughly three miles away from the ship was a sizable bank of thick rain clouds. The Mare Crisium was just beyond the reach of Equestrian border and her weather teams. Natural weather patterns controlled the skies. A shadow of movement had caught his eye. He sought it out again and thought he could see something. It was using the clouds as concealment.
“Ten o’clock, at nine thousand feet,” he said quietly, his lion tail flicking his partner. She threw the blanket off and was with him at the rail in a flash, her eyes glowing from the night vision spell. “Tell me what you make of it.”
“Maybe some noble out on a late night pleasure cruise?” she suggested as she tried to make out what had Iovec’s notice.
“Radio,” Iovec growled softly.
She levitated the receiver to him wordlessly. Nerva knew better than to argue with her sharp-eyed companion. Griffons were prized lookouts on any ship.
The griffon took it quickly, staring hard at the cloud, not at all liking it. “Command, Overwatch. Possible contact port side, ten o’clock at nine thousand feet in the clouds. Identification unknown.”
“Overwatch, Command. Say again? Possible contact?”
“Affirmative. Range is three miles. Second cloud bank, the one looking like a duck at ten o’clock. Altitude is nine thousand feet.”
“Copy that. Standbye.”
Within minutes, a pair of pegasi were dispatched to investigate. Before doing so, they swooped up to the ship’s mast for a confirmation from the griffon and his unicorn partner. They quickly discussed the details before the two flyers darted off to investigate.
As they departed, the ship slowly came to life to a semi-alert status as information followed up the chain of command. Ships normally don’t hide from Equestrian warships unless they had something to hide or were preparing for an ambush. Morning was still over two hours away, so the night served the pegasi as well as the unknown ship. Skirting the small clouds scattered about between the Mare Crisium and the unknown contact, the stealthy approach and years of training served the two pegasi well. Or so they thought. Within minutes they had covered the distance. Behind them, the ship’s running lights blinked as if she was not expecting an attack.
A dark object within the cloud of interest appeared. Swirling clouds enclosed it quickly. It did not escape notice. Both pegasi looked at each other, each knowing whatever was inside was big. They went forward to investigate. Two small forms appeared behind the investigating ponies, their forms shimmering from their fading camouflage. As one, the two forms struck with grim intent. Both pegasi were snatched, one giving out an alarm to the other. It was too late. They were dragged into the cloud, struggling. More forms fell upon them, then there was silence.
Small shimmering disturbances in the air, like invisible balls emerged from the cloud. There were hundreds of them. Swarming from cover and into the night, they made their way silently towards the Mare Crisium. A figure appeared at the fringe of the cloud, buzzing on dragonfly wings. Her dark form hovered, legs dangling and relaxed as sapphire eyes glowed softly. Among her kind, she was considered a most handsome queen. Most ponies would find her terrifying, even grotesque. Her body shared hues of blue; her carapace was glossy turquoise in the moonlight while her smooth chitin a darker, more subdued shade. She was slender, with a long neck and spindly legs pitted with typical holes. Anisophira oozed power both physically and through her magic. Her midnight blue mane fluttered in the breeze, her tail a series of braids woven intricately within each other. Queen Anisophira smirked through her slender needle-like fangs. A dark and narrow crown with five prongs adorned the top of her head, tilted to the left and seemingly held in place by sheer will and a ridiculously small round base.
Her children and her hive had one goal this night.
Her hive mind monitored the progress of her changelings as the Infiltrators went forth towards the unsuspecting ship.
Are the slaves ready? She sent out her inner thought, having already found the very changeling in charge of them.
Yes, my queen. All we await is your command. The Equestrians are aware.
Of course they are. Is everyling ready? The question was in general, more of a command with an added ‘or else’ implied within. Queen Anisophira did not suffer fools. What she was doing was very dangerous, especially with Celestia and Luna together. If this failed, there would be no stopping their wrath from coming down upon her hive like a pair of lionesses upon a pack of jackals.
Eagerly her children confirmed their readiness. Not all the children were descended from her; some were Grays who joined the hive. It was a firmly held belief any changeling serving a queen became her child—blood or no blood—and therefore under her protection. The queen was always recruiting. More changelings meant more projected power, so long as she could sustain the numbers. Letting the other races do the hard work was only part of the plan. Sending others to do their fighting for them was standard, using deception second nature. Changelings had to be cunning and had spent centuries honing it against each other. Sapient races stood little chance against a fully prepared hive with a singular purpose.
Still, there were ways to measure her enemies for herself, and there were ways. A queen did not simply throw her children into battle without weighing the risks. Losing too many would weaken the hive as a whole and each queen usually took great pains to keep the bulk of her fighting changelings whole and fit. Changeling queens loved only two things: power and their hives. Everything beyond that meant little to them. Their goddess was their mother, the Empress and they tithed to her obediently and out of fear. Fighting a battle where the chances of success were guaranteed were naturally favored. Pitched battles were not a strength of a race built for hiding. Oh, there were formidable warriors within their ranks, but the true fighters were few and far between. As creatures of magic, their bodies tended on average to be weaker than the average earth pony’s.
The Empress had expressed her desire for her children to seek out clever ways to show their affection for her. Embarrassing the Royal Sisters was one way to gain her favor, but the ire of discovery would indeed bring about ruination. So why take such a risk? Why was Queen Anisophira willing to expose her children to the might of the Equestrian military?
Like any good queen, Anisophira led from the front. Once she was sure everything was in motion and everyling was where they needed to be, she cloaked herself with magic, shimmering as the light was bent around her form. The queen disappeared, her from breaking up as she blended in with her surroundings in a manner to put a chameleon to shame. Her personal guards followed suit and she went after her Infiltrators with dreadful intent in her eyes.
“I’m coming,” she whispered to one particular being on board the unsuspecting cruiser. Through her spell, she smiled and flashed her fangs. Her confidence in her hive was projected, her pride in her force swelling chests and adding to the resolve of each changeling. They felt their queen’s determination and made it their own.
Iovec could not see the changelings coming. He thought he caught something in the air, but dismissed it as the heat of the night. What was odd was it felt cool, not muggy. He blinked, staring at where the shimmering had been. It was gone. What caught his attention was the cloud was moving—no, something was emerging from it!
“Too cool for heat waves,” he muttered, focusing on the cloud. “We’ve got a ship! Unidentified vessel emerging from the cloud.”
Nerva was already fumbling with the radio and relaying his words as calmly as possible.
“I’m seeing open gunports. Sheesh, that thing’s a relic. Are they seriously thinking of firing on us?” The griffon was incredulous. “She’s swinging around! She’s gonna broadside!”
A dozen flashes flared against the dark silhouette of the mysterious ship. She had turned, still on approach but with her starboard guns pointed at the cruiser. The ship was less than half the Mare Crisium’s length and was of a standard dirigible design. She was also old, at least four or five generations out of date, but among the first with a rigid design. Her keel blended her manned compartments with the huge gas bags keeping her aloft. Other than shield magic, there was little to keep her from being torn apart by a modern airship’s firepower save her thin cloth skin. Armed with ancient rifled five inch guns, it was unlikely they would even pierce the magically enhanced armor of the heavy cruiser.
Shells whistled over the cruiser. The effect was dramatic. In less than ten seconds, the ship’s alarms were going off. The call to general quarters was issued and the sounds of shouting ponies and thundering hoofsteps brought the airship to full wakefulness. She lurched, assumed a zig-zag pattern. Her portside gunports slid open and the twin barrelled turrets emerged from within the bowels of the ship’s port hull. They turned, leveling upon their target. The Mare Crisium banked hard to port, turning to face her unexpected foe.
“Pirates?” Blueblood asked calmly as he dressed for battle. He was quickly into his jacket, having practiced this a thousand times before. His second stood patiently at his doorway, breathless as the ship shuddered and banked. Like a greyhound on a leash, she was eager to be unleashed upon the hare who dared to challenge her. Prince Blueblood felt his blood rush as he plucked up his hat and neatly placed it upon his head. “Let us see, shall we?”
The sounds of cannon balls whistling past the ship brought a cocked eyebrow from the prince and a questioning glance at his subordinate. “At least we can confirm they are hostile, don’t you think?”
“Yes, sir.”
The two made the short distance towards the bridge. Commander Stubbs knew his captain’s disposition all too well. The prince was a calculating leader. Stubbs had told him of the make of the ship facing them. A hundred years ago, she would have been considered a ship-of-the-line, a first rate air cruiser, back when the term applied to early warships.
“Have you roused my aunts?” Blueblood offered a knowing glance to Stubbs.
“No doubt the ship’s actions have at least made them aware something out of the ordinary is happening,” replied the unicorn. Twenty years of service made him more or less immune to the eccentricities of the prince. “To be on the safe side, I did send an ensign to appraise them of the situation.”
“Excellent. What’s the range to target?” Blueblood emerged onto the bridge and asked the question loudly.
“Two and a half miles, sir!” came the reply. The bridge was bathed in red light. Ponies cut hellish shadowy figures as they went about their duties.
“How is it they managed to get so close?” growled the prince irritably.
Stubbs cleared his throat. “Cloud formations, sir. The ship was hiding in one of them. The Overwatch noticed movement and reported it in. We sent two pegasi. Neither have returned yet. The ship emerged shortly after.”
Blueblood ground his teeth for a moment, then assumed his chair. Of course the new ‘radar’ was still in its testing stages. It was supposed to detect objects at a great range utilizing radio waves. The cruiser would be fitted for one supposedly before the year was out. It was a new technology following in the footsteps of radio communications, also a relatively new invention to ponies. A hot cup of tea awaited him. “Very well, are we cleared for action?”
“Aye-aye, Captain. Portside main batteries are armed and ready.”
The prince snorted, looking out the windows and into the darkness beyond to where the ship supposedly lay. Stepping towards it, he hefted a pair of binoculars and brought them to his eyes. After a few seconds, he could make out the distant outline of the hostile ship. “Bring the Mare to port. I want the forward tubes locked on that approaching ship.”
A junior lieutenant had already been trying to make out the ship. “I think she’s of the Sovereign class, sir.” He lowered his glasses and regarded Blueblood.
“Odd,” the prince noted, frowning, “even pirates wouldn’t dream of using a ship that old. Send a flight over and investigate. Something isn’t right about this whole thing.”
Another line of flashes erupted from the oncoming airship. A blink and a half later, the shells slammed against the invisible magic shield generated by a team of four unicorns focusing on a shielding crystal deep in the bowels of the cruiser.
“Time from first volley to the second?” asked Commander Stubbs.
The reply was crisp and professional, if a bit squeaky, “One minute twenty-two seconds, sir!”
“Your orders, Captain?”
“Ready two flights. I want them airborne as soon as the next volley is thrown at us. Have the unicorns ready to drop the shield.” Orders were relayed calmly and efficiently, as if this was no more than a drill or an exercise.
“Princess on deck!”
“As you were,” called out a weary and worried Princess Celestia. The Diarch of the Day entered the bridge, wary to stay out of the way of her little ponies bustling about the business of keeping the ship from harm. “Nephew, what is happening?”
“We’re being attacked by a relic, Auntie,” he replied, giving her a little colt smile. “Very odd. I’m having my pegasi investigate that ship. It has to at least be a century old.” Blueblood offered her his field glasses. She declined with a single shake of her head. “Sovereign class, if I’m not mistaken. She should be in a museum, not trying to go match firepower with the Mare Crisium.”
The junior lieutenant who had initially identified their attacker puffed his cheeks in indignation.
“Princess on deck!” came the cry a second time. Princess Luna had arrived. In exactly three seconds, she was able to deduce what was going on from a glance out the window and a quick mental exchange with her older sister.
“I’m joining the wings going out,” she stated, leaving no room in her voice for argument. “Which hangar will they be taking off from?”
“Main hanger, Highness.”
“Very well.” She gave Celestia a nod. “Sister.”
The alabaster alicorn only said, “Be careful.”
“Always.” Luna vanished into a wisp of starry shadow before disappearing altogether.
You know, the last thing anyone expects while having a nice chat with a nice lady over a cup of military coffee is to hear the alarm bells go off on the ship. The pegasi at their table took a moment to stare up at the ceiling at the same time before falling over themselves at some unseen signal as they made for the door. They yelped and hooted with excitement. Bob came up to Octavia and me and insisted we get to our cabins for our own safety. If the ship was going into battle, we were going to just be in the way.
Octavia was terrified, huddling near me as we made our way out of the galley. She kept muttering in a frightened little voice, “Oh, my baby! My baby!” She hyperventilated until I could reassure her everything would be all right.
I hoped it would be.
Ponies hurried throughout the corridors
We ran into the unwavering form of Chief Quint Orca encouraging the ship’s crew with his colorful personal touch. The battered old stallion had an unlit cigar clamped between his teeth and was making sure sailors knew where they were supposed to be. He appeared odd in a flight suit; I would have expected him to be dressed like a fisherman, wanting to go shark hunting.
“You lost, ape?” he grated at me.
Bob stepped forward, flaring his wings. “I’m escorting him as well as the lady to the back of the ship.”
Quint grunted. “Port. Starboard. Bow. Aft. There ain’t no back of the ship, it’s always aft! If ya don’t get it right, I’ll throw yer damned plot out the little round window in the side!”
It was hard to tell if what he was saying was serious or if he was joking. Hardass was etched into his personality. His tail flicked almost as if he was annoyed at the world. A grin was plastered on his face as if he found joy in calamity and mayhem. Here was a pegasus who was completely at home in the middle of bedlam. The course personality he exhibited would have done my old drill sergeant proud.
“Whatever. Let us by so they can get out of your way.” Bob moved as if to pass Quint.
“Get yer movin’, then,” snapped the old Chief. “We’ve got a battle brewin’ and you ain’t of any use to this ship but excess ballast.” He laughed, though Octavia did not find it very funny. It was the sort of laugh best associated with sociopaths or self employed plumbers. He actually managed a second of kindness towards the mare as we filed past. “Stay in yer cabins and you leave the navy to handle the baddies, eh?”
“Aren’t we still in Equestria?” asked Octavia in a shrill voice. “Pirates are in Equestrian airspace?”
Quint said nothing to her exclamation, but started yelling at a pony who wasn’t moving fast enough for his liking. He started after the sailor, his voice rising to a roar as he began to find all sorts of wrong in the actions of his crew.
Bob snorted, “Let’s go. Princess Luna will have my flank on a silver platter if anything happens to you.” He nudged me with his muzzle.
“What about me?” protested Octavia in a little girl voice.
“You, she likes. She’ll just kill me if something happens to you.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
We finally made it to the corridor where our cabins were. Chrysalis was waiting, antsy and on nervous hooves. Fleur was talking to her and trying to get my daughter to get into her room. Having to deal with the ship suddenly lurching from one side to the other was an interesting experience. I think I got to relive my days as a drunk, but from a sober perspective. It was not fun and the advantages of being quadrupedal shined.
“Dad!” she cried out, half in relief and half pissed off. “Where have you been? I was worried sick about you!” My daughter flung herself at me and I was suddenly being hugged to death.
“Ah, would it be all right if I stay with you all?” Octavia asked. “I-I don’t want to be alone, if you don’t mind.”
Fleur, with a motherly streak to rival Celestia’s quickly enfolded the trembling earth pony mare into a hug of her own. “But of course! We shall all go to my cabin, oiu?”
Steel Jaw showed up, glaring at Bob. “Where have you been?” he snapped.
He tossed his muzzle at me. “With him.”
Steel turned to me. “Where were you?”
I pointed at Bob. “With him.” Sometimes it’s fun to be a jerk.
He rolled his eyes and growled, “Not a good time to be joking. We’ll discuss this later.”
“He was keeping me company,” Octavia cut in. “Do you wish to raise your voice at me?”
“What? No!” Steel splayed his ears back.
“What were you doing with Octavia?” demanded Chrysalis suspiciously.
“Talking about you,” I replied. “Embarrassing little family secrets. Your first molt. Your magic splurges, or whatever you call them. Your first time using the potty. The usual, pumpkin.” Chryssie blushed furiously and glared Ice Daggers of Impending Doom at me. “I love you, sweetie.” It was my best, ‘don’t kill me because I’m your daddy and I haven’t put you in the will yet’ look.
It was super effective!
Fleur giggled and began herding us towards her cabin. “I think you meant surges. Magic surges. Come! Let us go, we cannot be where we need to be if we do not get there first.” She used her magic to gently push us steadily along.
Her cabin was larger than mine, not surprising. It oozed the Feminine Touch and I suddenly felt my maleness run screaming off the ship. Pink. Everything in the room was pink. Pink carpeting. Pink walls. Pink ceiling. Pink furniture. Pink bed. Pink, pink, pink!
Did I mention everything was pink? I’m talking Breast Cancer Awareness pink. If I looked at it that way, it was all cool and I didn’t mind it so much. If I looked at it from a standpoint it assaulted my Y chromosome, I was a sexist pig and should feel bad. As it was, it was a pink room.
Chrysalis gagged. She was more of a fan of earth tones and greens. My favorite color was midnight blue. “Fleur...why all the...rosey color?” she asked when we all gaped with a mixed bag of awe at the state of the room.
“It’s my daughter’s room all over again,” groaned Bob through a helpless guffaw.
“You’ve got a daughter?” I asked, surprised.
He flicked his tail and adjusted his leathery wings. “Hey, just because I look like a vicious blood sucking pony doesn’t mean I can’t be the father of a three-year-old. Thestrals have families, too.”
Octavia smiled. “Oh, I’ll bet she’s simply adorable,” she cooed.
“So. Much. Pink.” Steel Jaw looked like he was going to be the pig of the bunch.
“Where’s Anzealous?” I asked.
Chryssie snorted. “Who cares? The fat little imp can stay in his cabin.”
“Be nice,” I said a bit harsher than necessary.
“Un moment. I was experimenting with coloring magic on a whim,” Fleur said impishly after giving us a moment to suffer in a world of pink. She moved her lips and tossed her head, the tip of her horn flaring in a point of swirling light. It flared and all the pink became the uniformed, plain colors like in my cabin. “Là nous allons!”
“Thank Celestia,” breathed Steel Jaw nervously. We could almost taste his relief.
There was a knock at the door. Steel opened it as he was the closest. Sure enough, there was Anzealous, his solid blue eyes shifting nervously from right to left. “I’m sorry to be a bother, but I am very uncomfortable in a battle. I’ve never been in a battle. I don’t want to die in battle!” He gave his best begging face impression. Andy succeeded in looking constipated. I had to feel bad for him. His legs were trembling violently and his stubby little tail was tucked between his legs.
“Oh, come in!” Fleur called out. “Plus on est de fous, oui?”
“Thank you!” chirped the fat changeling as he scrambled inside.
There was the sound of heavy thudding outside. It was muted by the thickness of the ship’s armor.
“Hey, is that a shield around the ship?” My daughter’s question filled everyone’s ears. “I mean, I just saw something blue shimmer out there.”
“It’s a standard defense spell. All Equestrian capital ships have them,” replied Steel. “We’re being fired on.”
The deck slanted suddenly as the ship made a hard banking left turn. Hooves spread out and braced against the deepening angle. Loose items rattled to the floor and rolled downhill.
“It’s gotta drop if we fire back, won’t it?” Chryssie asked, looking at him curiously.
The unicorn stallion nodded. “Or if they want to send the pegasi out for aerial support.”
There really wasn’t anything to look at out the window. I mean, the ship was facing whatever threat was in front of us. The ship’s alarms had shut off and the lights had gone red. I guess it meant battlestations, or something. It was eerily quiet as nobody wanted to talk except for Fleur. She seemed happy to concentrate on keeping Octavia from wigging out. The poor mare kept on going on and on about her foal.
“I should have stayed home. I should have listened to Blueblood,” she said to Fleur. “It’s too dangerous to be out here!” She seemed to rethink her declaration in regards to her future husband, her eyes basically reading, ‘I couldn’t have just admitted that’!
“You do not give this ship or her crew enough credit,” the unicorn said to her with a smile.
Luna flicked her tail, checking the two squadrons of pegasi with her. Eighteen pegasi in navy blue flight suits were on standby. “Are we ready?” she asked them, her cyan eyes dancing with eager anticipation. “Remember! Three seconds is all we’ll have. Be quick! Be but a blink of an eye when you move and stay with me!” With her link to Celestia, she reached out. Sister?
Soon…ah, there it goes! Incoming fire. Be ready!
The hangar doors were open and they could all see the enemy airship. A line of flashes lit up her sides in flames and swathed her in smoke, just before Celestia told her. There was the shimmering of the invisible wall of several rapid impacts against it. It vibrated and hummed, then reset itself as if nothing had happened. Then the shield dropped. Luna felt the magic fall away as the spell’s connection was severed.
“Fly! Fly my ponies!” she cried, “With me!” A step and a powerful leap, her wings snapped and pumped with graceful strokes. Eighteen pegasi followed, one after another in her wake as they dropped below the range of the shield before leveling out. They stayed in tight formation until they dropped fifty feet beneath the twin keels. Then, they fanned out in teams of two, forming a V behind Luna.
Behind them, dozens of small camouflaged forms, hidden through refracted light spells darted up and within the protection zone of the shield. The last one made it just as the four unicorns reset the spell and once again swathed the warship in impenetrable protection.
The moon seemed to dim as Luna asked it to turn away, waning away until it was a new moon. The stars flickered for a moment and winked out at an unspoken command. The Princess of the Night was in her element as she used her magic to guide her ponies on course, keeping them straight and true. She let them see through her own eyes, her dark form concealed perfectly in her night. This was her element.
She sensed something amiss. Luna flicked her ears behind her, searching for a moment as they swept around. There was an active series of spells on the ship ahead. She thought it felt vaguely familiar. Another row of rolling flames erupted from the airship. The shells whistled overhead, making more than one pegasus duck reflexively. They came up beneath the hull of the Sovereign, with Luna leading them to the middle cargo hold door. With a blast of explosive magic, she sheared away the wooden planks. As she entered up and into the ship, her horn flared with a light.
What she saw shocked her, but she issued orders quickly and without hesitation. “Gather them up, check for changelings! Be careful with them. Do no harm! Go!” She approached a form before her, obviously frightened and confused.
The changeling hugged the ceiling of the corridor, two hive mates clinging to the same surface as the three of them hung upside down. The padding beneath their hooves stuck them in place. They were concealed, appearing as odd blurs an onlooker might think of as blotches in their vision. Their keen hearing listened for approaching voices, the bottom of their hooves sensing the vibrations of hoofsteps. They darted within the shadows, the combat lighting of the ship aiding them with plenty of shadows. These three were one of many small Infiltrator units seeking out a specific target. They would converge upon the target once it was found and quickly.
The changeling maintained contact at all times with his brothers and sisters. Not all of them were blood related, some were even former Grays. The hive mind created a new sort of family, carrying with it a sense of belonging to something greater. The focus of the mission was simple: find, secure, and deliver the target to Queen Anisophira. The queen was the mother to all the changelings of her hive and she cared for them. The changelings in turn served her without question. They buzzed quietly to each other in their language, their chirps like the sounds a tentative cricket might make. He was an Infiltrator, specializing in staying hidden and unseen. Combat was not his strength, but he, like the two other with him could hold their own should the need arise.
The three intruders darted like blurs, ducking in and out of the darkest recesses of the cruiser’s corridors, the red lights serving to keep them well hidden. There were others throughout the ship, searching every deck. They had to move quickly. The longer the Infiltrators lingered on board, the greater the chance there was of discovery. Others awaited the sighting of their quarry, following behind the lead groups. Any ponies they came across were quickly subdued. Standing orders were not to kill at any cost save of self preservation.
For a minute they moved with purpose, knowing their time was short. The layout of the ship was known to them and confirmation with the hive mind prevented them from getting lost. The cabins in the aft of D Deck were where the guests were. Outside, a team followed along the row of windows and peering in. Most of the state rooms were empty, the hive mind informed them. Those with the target were not to be harmed, but had to be incapacitated. There was no way to break the glass: it was enchanted to be as strong as the enchanted steel protecting the airship’s vitals. The changelings were prepared for this. The arrangements had been made, everything planned to the smallest detail. The only true unknown was Princess Luna, as she was a mysterious figure and the Mistress of Secrets.
It was a little known fact most changeling queens admired her, though they knew next to nothing about Luna.
Celestia would be distracted. Already other changelings were darting through the ship, the Infiltrators putting down their targets quickly and quietly. Minimal magic was to be used, lest the difference between changeling magic and pony magic alert the sensitive princess. Seek and disable. Deaths were strictly forbidden.
A wary unicorn marine moved down the last corridor, wary of something feeling off. Her eyes darted about as her instincts warned her. The Infiltrators slid along the corners, the unicorn a mere foot away from them and the floor. She stopped now, her ears flicking and turning. Her senses were attuned and her horn glowed. Something made her use a sensory augmentation spell and she used this one on her hearing.
There would be no sneaking past her. The risk was too great.
Mindful of their orders, the Infiltrators dropped as a group around the mare; one in front, another behind, and the third directly above her and on the wall. The one in front appeared and hissed at the mare spitting goop at her mouth, the one on the ceiling struck her with a stun spell from his horn, and the last Infiltrator caught her before the mare’s fall could make a sound. The green secretion covering her mouth hardened, serving well as a gag. The changelings made sure she could still breathe, then dragged her limp form up the ceiling and cocooned her. Then, they continued their mission. The unicorn would live and possibly have a tale to tell her grandchildren, with embellishments, of course.
You have a few minutes more, my children. Move quickly! The stern thought of the Queen’s voice needed no emphasis. Her will was her command, Anisophira’s command spurred her changelings to act. The Infiltrators moved with renewed purpose.
The Sapphire Queen floated before the bridge of the Mare Crisium, watching Princess Celestia very carefully for any indication she was aware of the changelings yet. She would not reveal herself unless absolutely necessary and only at the right time. Anisophira did not want to face Celestia. It took three to hold a defensive battle against Princess Luna. There were no other queens to aid her against both alicorns. Still, if there was a slip or the ponies somehow noticed the presence of changelings on their ship, all Tartarus would break loose and Queen Anisophira would have to at least distract Celestia long enough for her children to make good on their escape.
So long as the unicorns at the shield crystal were incapacitated, they could get away even if the mission failed.
The shield room is secure, My Queen. A professional buzz from one of her subjects allayed her primary fear. The queen smiled to herself, then checked her invisibility. She ordered the rest of her changelings to do the same.
Are you in position? She dared to glance behind her at the ship the cruiser approached. By now, the ponies she knew were in there would be no doubt confused and frightened by what they saw. The changelings in the shield room voiced an affirmative and she shifted her attention to the old ship. Her guns had gone silent. Set the timers and get out. Evacuate. Get clear. Of course, she expected them to be discovered and disabled, but what was a wrinkle or two to give the ponies pause?
Five minute charges set. My Queen? They are fighting the ponies.
She smirked, not at all surprised by the announcement. The ponies will be too preoccupied in not doing too much harm before the ship starts falling apart around them. Get your team and yourself out, child. Remember, the results don’t matter so long as the distraction serves it purpose.
Yes, your Majesty. Should we let them go? The prisoners? Should we release them?
She hummed in thought, turning her attention back to Celestia. On the other side of the window, the princess was having a serious discussion with the ship’s captain, Prince Blueblood while never taking her eyes off the ship she could not know was doomed. Yes, undo the thrall spells binding them to the will of the hive.
As you command.
I had a bad feeling. A really bad feeling. The lights were red and everyone looked really creepy. Daddy was quietly keeping to the corner of Fleur’s room, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. His face was turned out the window and he was lost in thought. His necklace prevented me from gauging his thoughts. We’d only been here a few minutes, but if felt like an eternity. Octavia had calmed considerably, but was still worried about her foal. I kept on looking out the window, as if we were being watched.
Steel Jaw and ‘Bob’, as Daddy called Shatterdown the thestral were at the door, guarding it as if they expected a SWAT team to come bursting through. Or a gaggle of desperate housewives crying for attention by any means necessary. I don’t know which would have been worse. I think they were aware of something going on, but not sure exactly what. I found my eyes falling upon Anzealous, as his emotions were nothing but fear.
“What is it?” I asked him flatly. “Why are you so afraid?”
His fear induced eyes flicked to me, his ears flat against his skull as he slumped where he sat. “I sense a queen,” Anzealous squeaked, staring at Fleur.
“Wha—?” Just then the door exploded in a shower of splinters and dark forms poured through, green bolts erupting from the tips of dark little horns. Solid colored eyes slitted in unwavering determination, going towards the guards and Fleur first. The sounds of very loud Madagascar hissing cockroaches assailed my ears, along with chirps of panic coming from Anzealous.
He immediately curled into a ball, his forehooves over his head as he shook like a pile of fallen leaves. That fat little coward!
Steel Jaw almost went down, grunting and cursing as one, two, then three bolts of green hit him. A changeling took the moment to leap on his back and bite down with its fangs into his neck. The thestral Dad called Bob was out after two hits, managing to get a hit on his attacker before going down to the numbing poison of a bite. Fleur couldn’t use her magic as her attacker focused on knocking her horn and disrupting her casting
Octavia was oddly devoid of panic. However, what came from her mouth was a piercing battlecry to make even the hardest of souls quiver in fear. She fought like Bruce Lee on speed. Being an earth pony, her hooves packed on hell of a whallop. After several seconds of trying to go hoof to hoof with her, the changelings shifted tactics and simply stunned her with their bolts. There was a point I thought they even felt bad in doing it.
Daddy was already moving, going after the changeling trying to take out Fleur de Lis. With a snarl, he ripped the creature off and threw it out the room violently, throwing it overhead with both arms like the Hulk throwing a Volkswagen Beetle. More changelings poured into the room, hissing loudly. Most went after Daddy, two went after me.
Octavia was ignored, but kept screaming. She was furious and frustrated. Broken sobs erupted between her cries. She lay on the ground, her body numb but her lungs fully functional. She was especially angry she could do nothing now to help. Changelings avoided her pointedly, scurrying about as they dealt with those of us still trying to fight back. They were very wary of her!
I caught little of what they were saying, but something like one word for every twenty. It was also hard as I was being herded, along with Octavia and Anzealous to the other side of the room. Fleur was able to get some magic off, but the cabin was too confining for her to really do anything beyond a stun spell. Her target dropped like a sack of broccoli. The attackers had simply taken us all by surprise and their speed overwhelmed any effort to defend. Then she was overwhelmed by several green bolts until another changeling swooped in and gave her a bite to the neck. She went down with a groan, trying to fight the toxins coursing through her bloodstream.
I fired up my magic, but wasn’t sure what I could do. Suddenly the window shattered, as the changelings who had ignored us had focused on it instead. Channeling their magic, they selected various points and had concentrated heat at them. More of them somehow appeared on the opposite side of the glass and were focusing on the same points. Their combined efforts cut through the thick glass, unravelling the magic enchantments in the process. The outside air rushed in, as did the changelings who had been awaiting.
I fought, using the only thing I could think of: my telekinesis. Offensive spells weren’t in my repertoire. Nobody had thought to teach me for obvious reasons. Teenage Chrysalis plus combat magic equals Riddick-level mayhem. Still, picking up the little bugs was as easy as picking up a bag of groceries, except they struggled and chirped and squirmed and made miserable grocery bags. I was still able to fling one, then another off Daddy before green bolts of energy hit me in the shoulder, chest, and flank. It was like getting hit by instant novacane, everything went numb and I couldn’t feel anything. One of the changelings caught me as I slumped to the floor and eased me down gently. I breathed hard, the tears streaming down my face as the fear finally began to set in. I cried out for my Daddy.
“Chryssie!” he screamed as a swarm of changelings fell upon him. He fought like a wounded bear and cursed up a storm, punching indiscriminately at the black bodies trying to bring him down. His necklace had rendered their stun bolts as useless, so they tried to pin him down and bite him. They were more nips than anything else, but it was all it took. He gave as good as he got, and soon changelings had to replace ones limping off with something bloodied or bruised (or both). Where were they all coming from? There were just a few at first, but soon it seemed like the whole room was swarming with changelings!
They wheezed and gasped as they held him down as it took the combined efforts of four changelings to hold him down while the poison took hold. He struggled, I could do nothing. Daddy cursed and spat, angry he could hardly do anything else. My whole body failed to register what my brain told it to do. The changeling holding me gave me a deferential chirp and an apologetic bow. She even took a moment to grab a pillow and put it under my head.
They communicated with each other through buzzes and clicks, with a chirp thrown in here and there for good measure. I had no idea what they were talking about. Anzealous was picked up and dragged before what I assumed was the leader of the group. They spoke for a half a minute before the useless fat turd was shoved out of the way and bitten. The invaders gathered up Daddy and lifted him off the ground, taking him with them as they went out the shattered window. In what I felt was a very creepy transition, they flickered and vanished into the night sky, as if they had never been there.
All I could do was cry silently with a body which had completely and utterly failed me.
“Changelings on board! Changelings on board!” cried a tinny voice through the voice pipes. “D Deck is swarming wi—!” The voice was cut off by a grunt following the sounds of a struggle.
Celestia snapped towards the brass fixture the voice was coming from. “What!?”
About the same time, Prince Blueblood spat out the sip of tea he had just taken. “Impossible! How did they get past the shield?”
“The shield is down,” Celestia snorted angrily after sensing for magic. The princess closed her eyes, fearing the worst. She was then in motion, her horn lighting up. Then the princess was gone in a blink, the fading golden aura of her magic swirling as if confused, marking where she had been standing.
She reappeared before the line of windows spanning the width of the ship’s superstructure. Three decks bore lines of the heavy armored glass. Within moments, she made out a broken pane, a few dark forms darting from it. She could hear them chirping and buzzing with fright when they could not help but notice her sudden appearance. Within the cabin, she could make out still forms in the shadows. Celestia feared the worst.
“No,” she whispered as a cold fear swept through her heart.
A large form appeared to her left, a surge of magic shimmering in its wake. It was another teleportation spell. Wheeling on wing towards the newcomer, she was not surprised to see a changeling queen smirking at her.
A voice rose over the alarms going off in and around the ship. “They are not harmed. None of your precious ponies have been harmed, Celestia,” she sneered, the disjointed voice mocking. “I am taking the ape for a little while. I have a need of him. An assurance of your good faith.”
“You bring war upon yourself,” cried Celestia, angry and also broken hearted. “I do not desire wasted lives.”
By now, elements of the Mare Crisium’s air cover noticed the pair and swooped down, bewildered at what was going on. Princess Celestia warned them off with a quick shake of her head. They hovered nearby, watching what was left of the departing changelings. Word spread of their location. The changeling queen hissed in annoyance at them, daring them openly to pursue her children. She then returned her attention to Celestia.
The queen smiled, showing her great fangs. “Perhaps. I must take certain risks if I believe the reward is worth it. Should you not be fearful for your sister’s safety?”
Luna? What was she talking about? Celestia began to advance on the queen. “You seek to delay me. It won’t work. There is nothing here for you! We go to meet your Empress.”
“No, I suppose not,” conceded the changeling. “I think I know what will.” Her smile faded as she warned off the approaching princess with a meaningful glare.
The princess stopped herself. “And what is it you want, then?” Celestia imagined somehow some of the other queens, or perhaps just this one had found out about the existence of Chrysalis.
“I want you to do something for me. My children cannot go where aid is most needed. Some of our hive eggs were taken, some of our nymphs. My children. My brood! My life! It was not another queen. Slavers, Celestia. Slavers prepared to repel changelings.” The queen’s eyes hardened, her lips curled into a helpless snarl. “And a dragon.”
“What would you have me do?” Celestia asked, hovering on her great wings. Magenta eyes had long since gone hard, concealing the frustration behind. She was very careful indeed to mask her emotions before the changeling queen. “Who are you? Tell me your name, changeling.”
“How rude of me,” feigned the queen’s sincerity. “My name is Queen Anisophira. As a token of goodwill, I return to you children taken from their parents, their homes, their lives. I give them back to you so you may do as you see fit. I take your pet human to assure you will do as I ask and save the children of my hive.” Her eyes flickered to the old airship.
Celestia’s eyes widened, shifting slightly to one side as she sought out her sister’s mind. Luna? What have you found?
There was a startled pause. Children, sister. Human children! At least a hundred of them. The weapons were operated by Diamond Dogs, slaves of the changelings. My ponies discovered several explosives, but I fear not all have been found out. The changelings intended to scuttle the gas bags and let the rest of the ship fall. Luna’s words were coated with outrage and disgust. I have managed to disable the explosives with my magic. They used a very weak level of magic.
“You would kill innocents?” Celestia spat at Anisophira. “You would put the lives of the innocent at risk when all you needed to do was but ask for help? And why take the human traveling with us? He is of no value to you.” How is it you have human children in your possession? The implications were not good. No, it was a nightmare. She held her tongue, needing time to mull this unexpected and potentially horrifying revelation with Luna. No doubt the Night Princess had come to the same line of thinking.
“Enough talk, princess,” said the queen, knowing Celestia was beginning to put some pieces together. “Did you think you were the only ones with access to this other Earth? Do as I ask, and I shall answer your questions and return your pet human to you.” She suddenly shifted to the appearance of a desperate mother. “Save my children, Celestia, and I will offer you my support for peace between changelings and ponies. If you desire such a peace, you must win over not just the Empress, but most of the other queens. Consider the human I now have as an insurance. You have placed some value upon him as he obviously travels with you. Will you do as I ask?”
Celestia gave the queen a look that could melt glaciers. “Very well. Where is this dragon and his slavers?” Facing a dragon, depending on its age, was complicated and usually messy. If this was a rogue dragon, it meant he could very well ignore the draconic laws most dragons adhered to.
“Thank you,” said Anisophira simply. “Maintain your course for a day.” A map appeared next to her and floated towards the princess. “Follow the instructions on this map. I will give you a guide with the intelligence you will need at the right moment.”
The princess didn’t even look at the map, but took it while focusing on the queen. “You may leave, Queen Anisophira,” she said, tossing her head. “You have given me much to consider.”
“I will notify Mother of your delay,” noted Anisophira as she inclined her head politely. “She will understand. Until next we meet, Celestia.” She shimmered and disappeared, her guard following suit.
The princess was left to see the shattered window. She turned to it and landed just within the pane and noted the bodies scattered everywhere. A quick check found them victims of changeling bites, paralyzed but otherwise unharmed. Anzealous quivered in a ball of fear, chittering to himself. After seeing he was only frightened half to death, Celestia moved on and began to check the others. There were definite signs of a struggle. There was even a few flecks of changeling blood on the floor and even on some of their victims.
Fleur de Lis managed an angry scowl as she lay immobile on the floor. “I failed,” she managed to say with a croak.
Celestia shushed her old friend with a nuzzle. “No. The failure is mine. Are you injured?”
“I am not. The guards might be.”
She had been hearing the soft sounds of a filly sobbing. The alicorn turned and found Chrysalis on her side, her head on a pillow and staring blankly out the shattered window.
“Oh, child,” she said as she leaned over and nuzzled her cheek. “Be still and sleep for now.” Her horn flicked the spell upon Chrysalis, lulling her fitfully to sleep. Just before the eyes glazed over, they flicked to the princess, pleading.
The last word Celestia heard was faint, but unmistakable.
“Daddy.”
Chapter notes:
Là nous allons - There we go
plus on est de fous - the more the merrier