//------------------------------// // Voices in the Darkness // Story: Apocalypse // by Dream Seeker //------------------------------// Chrysalis watched the strange meteor fall from the sky. She could not fathom what it could be, but it didn't seem to be burning up. "Skull Splitter, make sure you are assigned to check out the strange meteor. It looks important." She messaged telepathically. "I will, my Queen." The drone messaged back. In just a few minutes, Skull Splitter had already been assigned to guard the geological expedition, on his way to greet the Elements. Skull Splitter was not a happy changeling. Changelings who were disguised as guard members were often put into danger, for example in either a battle or just hanging around with the guard members that knew changeling disguise removing spells, with little to no real love being received. Sure, gratitude and other positive emotions could be given to a guard, but not as much as other types of infiltration. Singers and supermodels, for example, were great jobs, with all the admiration given from across the entirety of Equestria. Skull Splitter sighed. He knew that he had little chance of being allowed to become a supermodel or a singer. He just simply wasn't very good at having a personality. Guard members, who were supposed to be "professional" and show no personality, were easy to replace. He hoped that if he did a good enough job in this mission, he might be promoted! By this time, he had nearly arrived, and prepared himself. He hoped that Twilight Sparkle wasn't coming, she invented the spell that could reveal him for what he was. "Just my luck!" He grumbled to himself when he saw not only her, but the two others in the Terrible Six were also coming. Now he had to try and remember everyponies' names. He was not good with names. "I'm Rock Reader." "Maud Pie." "Mohs Rock." "Crystal Clear." "Geo Dee." "And you are...?" Twilight asked Skull. "I'm Gleaming Shield." Twilight beamed. "Great! Now that we know everypony's names, let's see that meteor!" They walked to the chariots, and rode the chariots to the strange meteor, Skull having to listen to the ponies go on and on about their theories on the meteor. "I hate ponies!" He grumbled to himself. "They just can't stop talking! Why can't they just wait and- huh?" They had arrived, and he watched in shock and awe as the strange door opened upwards in a puff of steam. A strange bipedal creature walked out, and began talking to Twilight Sparkle. More bipedal creatures walked out, and began talking to the other ponies. Skull refrained from talking with these... freaks. They couldn't be very intelligent... right? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When they got back to the castle, Skull's jaw dropped when he learned that those freaks he thought couldn't possibly be intelligent had managed to destroy multiple stars, breaking character in his shock. It didn't matter much, as all the guards had broken character at this point. In Skull's mind, a plan began to formulate. He didn't have to stay as a guard for much longer. He was bound to be promoted after he told the Queen what he had learned! He made sure to be on the list to stay in Ponyville to guard the strange bipedal beasts called humans. Then, he left his post secretly to talk to the Queen, rehearsing what he was going to say quietly. "Equestria has the alien, and Celestia recognized it as having destroyed a whole galaxy. We can capture it, and learn its secrets. Maybe this information will be enough to get me promoted..." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chrysalis sighed as she waited for more information from Skull. She knew she had probably made a mistake, even though she wouldn't admit it. She couldn't trust these bumbling fools to do anything right! The only way to get information was to get it herself, she thought as she stretched her wings. Maybe she could use it as an excuse to go outside... She was spreading her wings in flight when Skull practically crashed to the floor in front of her. "Your Majesty!" He gasped. "The meteor is full of beasts that can destroy suns!" Chrysalis rolled her eyes. This is why she couldn't trust drones with anything important. "Get back to Canterlot!" She snapped. "Don't argue unless you want a harsher punishment for abandoning your post to spout stupid stories!" "But..." Chrysalis snarled, and Skull gasped in fear and immediately flew as fast as he could to Canterlot. Chrysalis left the hive, broadcasting a message to all of her drones, "I'm going to find out about the meteor. You bumbling fools can't do anything right!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shimmering Sword was nervous. He didn't show it, of course, as a guard he couldn't let anypony know how worried he was. "Twilight Sparkle?" He asked in a monotone. "The Princess should be notified: One guard is missing. Infiltration possible. The duck quacks twice quickly in the night." Twilight looked confused. "What is the last part for?" "It confuses enemies who might intercept messages, the only important part is if it says "day" or "night" because it tells the Princesses what type of enemy is worrying us. Night enemies are subtle and-" He was about to say more, when Chrysalis dropped on him from the sky. He shrieked and fumbled with her body for a while, until he realized that she was unconscious. When he finally stopped shrieking, he asked Twilight, "Do you see what is wrong with her? Why is she knocked out?" "I can't tell for certain." Twilight said, "But it can't be any physical damage. She wasn't even hurt in landing, thanks to you. I think something happened in her mind, but I really can't say. Nopony knows much about changeling biology." "We should get her to Canterlot, in prison. Revise the second part of the message to Celestia: The duck quacks loudly as the night turns to day." "Oh... Kay..." Twilight said uncertainly. "Spike, take a letter..."