Edited by iakovl.
Luna found herself confronting children, human children. The Night Princess was bewildered and baffled as her pegasi rounded up the formerly enthralled Diamond Dog slaves who had been wandering around the ship. The bridge had been abandoned the moment she and her small force infiltrated the main cargo hatch underneath the hull. Freed from changeling control, the dogs initially put up a fight as they were confused as to where they were, but their weakened state from starvation made them easy to subdue. The last of them were being gathered, yipping and yapping, sometimes growling at their captors. They were led to the ship’s brig.
However, her eyes were filled with the faces of over a hundred youngsters of varying ages looking at her, mostly frightened, mostly crying, and so completely and utterly stolen from their world. Unicorns were teleporting to the ancient airship, scouring the vessel for more scuttling charges. More than a dozen of them had been found and disarmed, mostly by Luna through a detection spell upon the discovery of the first one, but might be others beyond what she could detect.
The children were clustered in several of the smaller holds, crammed in like packs of sardines. They had been herded here, it seemed. The human offspring were dirty, their clothes in varying states of disrepair, but they were upon first appearance healthy and well fed.
The most telling question was if they were victims of the changelings or if the Diamond Dogs were slavers the changelings had captured. They were in turn enthralled and made unwilling but obedient servants through changeling magic. If either was true, the ramifications were unfathomable. Changelings already on the human world was trouble enough. This world’s evils preying upon the other world’s innocents could spark a war the likes of which never even dreamed of.
Inwardly Luna shuddered as several scenarios played through her vast mind.
Chief Quint Orca approached her, giving her a dip of his muzzle in salute. He was never one for formality, but in the presence of one of the princesses, he was willing to add a genuine smile on his weathered muzzle. “Yer majestic worship, ain’t nothin’ left livin’ on board this ship we ain’t aware of,” he growled when she nodded at him to continue.
The old Chief ruffled his wings and fell in step with her as she left the children to the care of a squad of unicorns bringing food and medicine. “The explosives?” she asked without breaking her stride. A pegasus ahead of them had been waiting to take her to the bridge. She now intended to take control of the ship officially.
“We got ‘em all.” Quint flicked his tail, offering a quick glance over his shoulder. “Too bad they grow up ta be so ugly,” he quipped, pulling a pipe out from under his wing. Clamping it firmly between his teeth, he slid it to the corner of his mouth facing away from his princess.
Luna frowned. “What interest would changelings have in humans?”
If the Chief was surprised by the question, it was shown by the bob of his pipe as they began ascending steps. Luna was naturally and politely deferred to go ahead of the veteran pegasus. “Can’t say, yer worship,” he amended, his grizzled countenance wrinkling with distaste. “Changelings, they be a secretive bunch. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve got somethin’ else in mind. Always pushin’ us ta make decisions we ain’t comfortable with.”
Luna snorted. “Perhaps it is good they make such an error in regards to us.”
Two decks of silent contemplation followed, accented by the constant sound of hooves pounding the wooden steps and decks. Shouts and orders could be heard throughout the ship. Luna was troubled, thinking this whole affair was not just the work of one queen. It was commonly believed they were reluctant to combine their forces, but the Canterlot battle had disproved such notions. The changeling invasion was still a very fresh and sore subject for Equestria’s defenders.
“I want the ship on high alert,” she said as they finally reached the deck where the bridge lay. The corridor led them forward towards their destination. “Get a message to Captain Blueblood. With my compliments. Patrols at sea level, middle, and at maximum altitude. I want reconnaissance on possible places the changelings might have gone.”
This might prove to be difficult as they were coming to the coastal plains of Equestria. Settlements dotted the ground and the hills were few and far between. Manehatten was three hundred miles to the north, Marealina two hundred and fifty to the south.
“Yes, yer worship,” Quint replied with a grunt. “You!” He threw a hoof at a random earth pony idling nearby. “Come with me.”
If Luna was bothered by the odd deference Quint addressed her by, she gave no indication. They entered the bridge and found it to be in a state of disarray. Signs of struggles were everywhere. It was wide, but not very deep. Its center consisted of a large wheel. There was a small chart table on the left side of the bridge, a section for a voice tube operator to the right. Barely six ponies could fit in a bridge built to accommodate an all griffon crew. The Sovereign class ships were two thirds the size of a cruiser like the Mare Crisium and had once been the pride of the combined griffon kingdoms. Most of them had been sold for scrap and broken up. One was on display at a museum; the Fokker in Trottingham. Foals took field trips from school to see the old fighting ship.
This one was in fighting trim. Other than her more modern guns (her original compliment of cannons would have fit in well at a museum), she could be put on display with a little spit and polish. Luna could not help but admire the craft required to make a ship like this look so beautiful on the inside. Ships like this were never built with an eye for beauty anymore.
“What is the name of this ship?” the Princess of the Night wondered aloud as she cast her gaze to drink in the entirety of the bridge.
A unicorn peered at the ship’s bell. It hung just outside the main bridge in front of the wheel. There were no windows. As it was still dark out, artificial light was needed to illuminate the bell. This was done by a simply light spell set aglow on the tip of the unicorn’s horn.
“Queen’s Justice” came the reply after a moment translating griffon scratch, as their written language was jokingly referred to as. Luna smirked at the name.
The pony Quint had accosted was signaling the Mare Crisium with a lantern, flipping a lever that hid and exposed the bright light within with shutters. Quint was by his ear, relaying what he wanted in the message. The Chief glanced at Luna. “Anythin’ else, yer worship?” he asked politely.
“Advise Blueblood we’ll be coming along side as soon as the Queen’s Justice is deemed secure. I want the engines examined to see if they are serviceable and have enough fuel to reach Manehatten.” Luna flexed her wings, shifting her thoughts to what meaning lay behind all of this. “Have engineers come on board within the hour and I want food and medicine and proper clothing for those we found on board.” She shook her starry mane. “Humans... How did changelings get a hold of humans?”
“Ma’am?” Quint chewed on the stem of his pipe, regarding her carefully.
She shook her head. “Nevermind. Musing out loud.” Quietly she added, “Ponyfeathers.”
“With yer permission, I’d like to get this ship into some form of airworthiness.” Quint shifted his pipe to the opposite corner of his mouth. Luna nodded at him. Instead of bowing, he threw the princess a wink and went off, his voice already seeking out ponies he felt weren’t working hard enough to suit his needs.
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 they placed with my magic. They used a very weak level of magic.
Princess Luna could now sense her sister was dealing with a very powerful being. Perhaps the queen of this particular hive. She had yet to see one of the changelings, so it would be impossible to guess which hive this queen was of.
A moment, sister, Celestia whispered in her mind. She dares to task us! Do what you can. Michael Spriggs has been taken by Queen Anisophira.
The Royal Voice exploded forth unbidden. “Damnation!” screamed the Night Princess suddenly, rattling the ship’s bridge from the vibrations of her angry voice. Her eyes flared raging whites and her wings flared out at the moment of her outburst. With dreadful purpose, she sought out the queen’s presence, but found her intended target had masked herself and vanished. Her mane undulated convulsively as she swished her tail like a tigress denied her meal. Intaking a deep breath, she forced herself into some semblance of calm.
The bridge went awkwardly silent as all eyes fell fearfully upon her. Luna glared back. “All right, then,” she announced crisply. “Nopony told you all to stop working. Get to it, then!”
“Highness?” queried one of the ponies nosing around the ship in a slow, probing voice. “Princess Luna?”
“What is it?” snapped the short tempered alicorn, glaring at the owner of the voice.
The unicorn flinched, but managed to say in a quivering voice, “There are strange wires connected about the ship and leading to the communications room. A strange box was found in there. We don’t know what to make of it other than a possible automatic guidance system.” She tossed her head behind her as she spoke, sliding backwards and to one side as Luna started towards her intently.
“A what?” she demanded, becoming warily curious. “Show me this box.”
“This way.”
The room was small and cramped, housing a simple desk with rows of small cubby holes for notes and messages. Some had holes drilled in the back of them with wires strung through and attached to a large box beneath the desk. Upon the desk itself was what was some sort of blackened mirror on a stand, rectangular and wider than it was tall. To the lower right corner of the mirror was a little round green light. A thick wire lead from the back of the mirror to the black box. There was a flat board on the desk before the mirror with lots of little squares with letters and numbers upon them in neat rows. None of the letter arrangements made sense, but Luna thought they might resemble an elaborate sort of typewriter. The odd object was as wide as the mirror, but only half as long. As with the mirror, a wire connected it to the box. Next to it lay a small object Luna could not even begin to understand, also with a wire connecting it.
“What is it?” she asked the unicorn, her anger having given way to curiosity. Carefully she sniffed the box, then the blackened mirror. Vaguely she could make an imperfect reflection of herself in it. “It cannot be a mirror,” she proclaimed. “Some sort of scrying device?”
“It is, princess,” replied the unicorn. “It shows images.” Using her telekinesis, she manipulated the small oblong object. “I think this is a human device, though I can’t say for sure. The magic it does is like nothing I’ve seen before since my days at the Academy.”
The mirror flashed to life, showing it was indeed not a mirror at all. It displayed an image.
Luna was torn between paying attention to the device and its human connection, to Michael Sprigg’s abduction. She knew his life was in danger, but the discovery of human children on this ship had suddenly made their safety her current priority. The Night Princess had to assume her elder sister could handle the situation in regards to Chrysalis’ adoptive father.
Unexpected guilt gnawed at her. Perhaps she should have been a bit nicer to the man.
“What is this I am looking at?” she prompted the unicorn, focusing on the present.
“There is a scrying device outside facing the front of the ship,” came the answer as a little white arrow moved across the screen. “If I click this box here,” —she did just that using the strange device, causing a slight but audible click— “it switches views. Port.” The image flashed to a view of the Mare Crisium alongside the Queen’s Justice. The arrow was moved to the next box. “Starboard. Then there’s aft.” A final click, and another image of nothing but night sky. “If I didn’t know any better, I would guess this was used to steer the ship with minimal crew.”
Luna’s ears perked forward with interest. “Truly? How did you come by knowledge of human inventions?”
“I took a couple of advanced courses in the study of human technology,” said the mare with a twinge of pride in her voice. “This device under the desk is a computer and the screen on the desk is a monitor. That’s a keyboard and the little thing there is called a mouse.”
Luna nodded in understanding. “Sometimes I wish I knew more about humans,” she admitted wryly. “I have done little to see what they have done with their civilization since resuming my duties.”
The Lunar Princess narrowed her eyes, more irritated with herself and the lack of diligence in her knowledge of humans. Her visit to Michael’s house a few days ago should have clued her in to the magic of technology. It was a wonder unto itself, apparently. Still, she wanted little part of human innovations, stubbornly clinging to two thousand years of personal beliefs in regards a race she considered bent on self destruction. Equestria would be better off leaving them be. Luna herself wished nothing ill upon them, but she could never bring herself to trust a race with such a penchant for violence.
She saw too much of her own past in them. “Can you disable it?”
“It can be shut off, Highness, but I should like to see if the ship’s functions can operate normally without this computer.”
“Do what you must, but get this ship under poneual* control. No...machine should guide a ship. Put in a request for ponies with knowledge of...human devices from the Mare to come over and lend you a hoof.”
“Yes, Princes Luna. Thank you, Princess Luna.”
Luna decided to check in on the unusual cargo below decks. Something was nagging at her to see them and perhaps ask questions, if they weren’t too frightened. She imagined their conditioned hadn’t improved considerably in the few minutes since she had last seen them. Still, she felt obligated to attempt to communicate. At least Luna felt she could establish a rapport with children, if previous Nightmare Nights were telling. Foals loved her and she enjoyed their antics.
The thought of speaking to them put a lump in Luna’s throat. She had seen the fear on their faces. Steeling herself as she went along, she retraced her steps back, nodding to the bows given her by the sailors and Guards now quickly taking over the ship. As she went, she collected her thoughts and linked up with Celestia with a sense of urgency.
‘Tia, this ship was controlled by some human device called a computer.
Celestia did not respond for a few moments, but her mental humming was filled with concern. This does not bode well, Lulu. This means changelings are able to use human technology or have had somepony control the ship for them. Try to see if there was a pilot, if you can. Are you going to speak with the human children?
I was planning on it, yes.
Good. Maybe one of them was flying the ship.
Luna stumbled at the suggestion. What?
If you had actually paid attention to modern humans, you’d understand their children are more than capable of piloting a ship from a computer if it’s set up like a game. Maybe one was trained on a flight simulator. See if you can find ones familiar with flying games for the computer. There was no humor in the tone. Celestia was being very serious.
Which Luna immediately questioned. Are you serious? Children flying a warship? What madness is this?
She could feel the mental eye roll from her sister. Human children have found a way to make games from objects of war. I should imagine there might be pilots who could learn to navigate one of our airships in short order if presented the opportunity to learn. They have found a way to desensitize warfare to nothing more than a game where nopony gets hurt.
It is terrible they have grown so fond of war they should make a game of it. Luna tossed her mane sadly, knowing fully war could do. Not all humans could be so insensitive to such a terrible thing! She had Michael Spriggs as an example. His memory of combat had been terrible. The only relief was the sense of survival weighed down by a guilt that had nearly consumed him. If only he would let her take a deeper look into his mind…
You look upon the example too simply, Lulu, Celestia tried to reason. Not all humans love war. Most deplore it.
If they deplore it so much, why play at it? snapped Luna, her narrow eyes causing more than a few ponies she passed by to cringe in her wake.
She sensed Celestia’s sigh between the ships. This is neither the time nor the place for this sort of discussion, dear sister.
When is it ever? Luna harrumphed as she reached the ship’s holds.
Celestia withdrew for a moment, hesitating, then came back with, You might want to consider your appearance before you show yourself to easily impressionable foals, even if they are warmongering human children. Then, she was gone like a ghostly presence, leaving Luna feeling suddenly cold and alone.
Despite her soured mood, she knew her sister to be correct in this regard. However, the argument was far from over. A pair of guards at the door leading into the hold with the children regarded her with calm neutrality. One was a Day Guard, the other a Night Guard. The princess cleared her mind, her visage one of calm grace though she fought to quell her inner frustrations.
“Who is tending to the children?” she asked the Night Guard.
He snapped to attention when he was addressed. “There are several of the ship’s nurses among them, your Majesty.”
“What is the disposition of the foals?” she queried the Sun Guard.
He stiffened like a rod of steel. “Ma’am, they are terribly frightened and very confused, ma’am!”
Well, she was aware of this and shouldn’t have expected anything else. “Open the door,” she commanded.
This was done without hesitation. Both guards snapped to attention as she entered.
The hold was designed for the ship’s dry food stores, lasting months depending on the requirements of the voyage. One of the intentions behind the design of the Sovereign class was its ability to go on patrols of up to six months at a stretch. Hence, she was built with an impressive capacity for cargo space specifically for provisions. For whatever reason, the changelings had decided to place humans in each of the three main cargo holds. Each was crammed with form huddling close together, trying to shy away from the ponies trying to help them. Sniffling and weeping filled the air. Little hiccups and coughs accompanied young voices. Luna doubted any of the children were over the age of fourteen, but how could she tell? She was certainly no expert on the offspring of humans.
She gave herself a moment to study them as they —as a body— shrank from her. Luna was far larger than the nurses clucking over them like mother hens, her catlike eyes adjusting to the dim light through her cyan irises. Her ethereal mane of perfect night flowed slowly, enshrouding her head in the twinkling of the stars within. Mindful of her moments ago spat with her sister, Luna was very careful to at least put on a neutral face before inwardly sighing and remembering to smile. She fixed her eyes to look normal, instead of the catlike irises she favored these days.
A little girl broke from the gaggle, chewing on a finger as she stared up at the Princess of the Night with a mixture of fear and wonder. Her dark eyes blinked, went wide and stared at Luna. “Mohu si jít domů k maminka?” she asked bravely.
The princess was shocked. It was a language she was familiar with. It was an old language from the Old World, before the tribes braved the seas west and founded what would eventually become Equestria. Still, she cast a translation spell and prompted the girl to repeat her question. She did so.
“Záhy, mé dítě.” Luna offered the girl a smile. “Jaké je vaše jméno?”
The little girl smiled shyly. “Domka. Mé jméno je Domka Bosko.”
“My name is Princess Luna,” introduced the alicorn gently, offering a smile. Continuing to speak the girl’s language, she then asked, “May I ask you some questions? I will not hurt you.” Settling on her haunches, the Night Princess tried to make herself as approachable as possible.
Domka nodded. “Can I touch your mane?” she asked, completely absorbed by the flow of stars before her. “It’s so pretty!”
Luna smiled, glad the distraction was earning some measure of trust. “Of course you may!” She leaned forward, presenting the thickness of her flowing mass of night to Domka.
Other children looked on curiously, mostly still afraid and even fewer offering trust. Fear still lingered heavily in the air. Domka gingerly reached out a hand, Luna’s eyes following it softly until it went beyond her peripheral. Then they shifted back to the little girl, fixated on what she was reaching for.
“How old are you?” Luna asked.
“Nine,” replied the little girl shyly, looking up at the alicorn with a smile. She then placed her fingers into the mare’s mane, her eyes filled with innocent wonder. “You have the hair of an angel! Are you an angel? You’re so pretty! What’s your name, Miss Pony?”
Luna smiled. “I am Princess Luna. My sister and I are rulers of Equestria. I should like to be your friend, Domka.”
The little girl began petting the Lunar Princess on the neck. “Are you going to take me home, Princess Luna? I miss my mommy. I want to go home.” Her little face scrunched up and she started to cry. Before Luna knew it, she buried her little face into the mare’s chest, her arms flung around her shoulders.
Luna consoled the girl for a moment before lifting her head and gazing about the room. Lots of eyes were on her, most of them filled with sadness and the desire Domka had to go home. “Which of you piloted this ship?” she asked.
“Spreek je Nederlands?” asked an older boy, stepping from the group.
The spell was still active and easily made out the words. It was but a simple thing for Luna to speak it. “I do, child. What is your name?”
“Aalbert Mulder,” he said. The boy was blonde and had blue eyes. “I am Dutch.”
“How did you get here?”
“We have been on this ship for a few days, I think. I do not know how we were brought here. None of us do. The dark bug monsters with the glowing eyes took us from our homes and brought us here.” The boy seemed collected and far calmer than the rest. He eyed the alicorn suspiciously. “We were brought before the dog creatures. We were put on this ship then other bug-things showed up and did something to the talking dogs. They made some changes and put a computer in the ship so it could be flown without needing a full crew. They didn’t want to be on the ship when you found us, but they also didn’t want to let the dogs have it back, I think.”
She nodded in understanding. “Did you fly this ship?”
The boy eyed her critically. “The monsters told me to. Are you one of them?”
“The monsters you describe are called changelings. I am a pony, not a changeling.”
“And why should we trust you? You are not human. You are as strange to us as those monsters were.” Aalbert shrugged, jamming his hands in his pant pockets. He looked away, back to the other children behind him. “We all trusted the big bug lady. She brought us here. Not all of us speak the same languages. I think we were all brought here by her and her monsters. She told me to fly the ship. If I did, she would send us all home. She lied to all of us.”
Why? What is the purpose of bringing children of different nations together? Luna studied the human boy carefully. “That is what most changelings do, Aalbert Mulder. They lie in order to get what they want. They are feared here on this world. My sister and I can send you all home. I must ask you to remain patient.”
“I don’t think you can,” challenged the boy.
“Do not think me as a mere conjurer of tricks, human,” Luna told him gently, but firmly. “My power is the moon and no shadow can escape me. My sister’s power is the sun and no vile thing can stand the warmth of her light. We can and we will send you all home.”
The boy sneered cockily. “I don’t believe you.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he assumed a challenging stance. “Domka!” he called, waving the girl to him.
She blew a raspberry at him. “No! She’s nice!”
Something slowly dawned over both the children. They both stared at each other dumbly.
“How is it I know your words?” he demanded in confusion. Aalbert’s stance fell as he leaned towards the girl.
“Wow!” cried Domka, blinking through her tears and suddenly excited. “I can understand what you’re saying!”
Luna smiled. “It’s the spell I cast. All in this room should be able to speak to each other so long as I hold it. I seek answers and I cannot spare the time to speak to you each individually. So, with this spell, I shall be able to understand you all and you all should be able to understand each other as well as myself.”
“I don’t believe in such things like magic,” declared Aalbert.
Luna found herself grinning. “Well, you should get used to magic worlds, my little human. You are in one.”
The children were looking at each other, babbling questions and making loud exclamations of awe and surprise. The whole room became filled with their voices as they all began talking at once.
“You speak my language!”
“No, you speak mine!”
“How is this possible?”
“Does this mean I can go home?”
“I’m hungry!”
“Mama! I want my mama!”
“This has to be a dream!”
“It’s magic! It’s real!”
“I have to go to the toilet!”
Luna rose to all fours and flared her great wings out. “Silence!” she commanded. “I cannot help you if you are all speaking at once.” They went still, nervously tittering as all eyes fell upon the Princess of the Night. Wide stares met her determined gaze. When she had their attention, she smiled. “My sister and I will do all we can to get you home. We know of your world and are familiar with your nations. You will be returned home and to your families as soon as possible. I promise you all this to be the truth.”
Domka sniffled, but gave the mare trusting eyes. “Promise?”
The Princess of the Night smiled. “It is my promise.” I must discover how long changelings have had access to the human world and how deep they are rooted within.
Just then a guard discreetly entered through the door and politely coughed to catch the alicorn’s attention. Once she turned and saw him, he approached, lifting his muzzle and whispering urgently into her ready ear. Her eyes went flat at the five words mentioned.
“We have a changeling prisoner.”
The last time I had felt this miserable was the day I left my father back on Earth and came to this world. I felt as though someone had taken my heart and ripped it right out of my chest. The feeling of being completely and utterly helpless gnawed at me and all I could do was to weep. I felt like such a little girl, lost and without guidance. Those I thought I could trust had failed to keep Daddy safe.
My dad had always been there for me. I had never seen him really get mad beyond my usual driving him crazy. There was the Yellowstone incident, but other than that, my dad was always as calm as a lazy dog on a hot summer day.
Daddy was gone! Taken! Stolen! Kidnapped! It had looked so easy. Oh, how I hated Celestia at that point of my life! The way I saw it, she had all this power and is considered one of the wisest living beings in Equestria and the world, yet she let a bunch of bugs waltz right in, take my daddy, and even tell Celestia she couldn’t have him back until she did what she was told like a good little girl. The venom still coursed through my veins, but I was quickly recovering from it and had already managed to work myself to a sitting position. The ship’s doctor objected when I tried, but I glared at him with steel daggers, my natural form naturally intimidating to the poor guy. Guards were suddenly everywhere. It was hard to tell if they were there to protect me or to protect the ship and its crew from me.
I ignored them and stewed in my own thoughts as I was in my bed in my quarters. The door was open and a pony face would often peek in to check up on me. From what I could tell through conversations down the hall, I was getting a picture not a pony on board was happy with the infiltration. The Eastern Fleet had been mobilized and the ship was gathering other warships to her. I imagine this was a black eye not only to Celestia, but also to her proud navy.
Instinct told me to rise up and seek out daddy. I was connected to him and knew generally which direction he had gone. Did I intend to follow? You bet your boots I did. I was an angry changeling and a vengeful daughter. Was this beyond the abilities within me? Something told me this was something I had to do. My misadventure in the changeling consulate back at the castle notwithstanding, I was determined to do...something!
Sliding out of bed, my hooves dragged me to the door.
“Please stay in your room, miss,” said the guard posted just outside. His head had swung at my approach, his ears swiveling and locking on me. “Orders from the princess. We’re in high alert.”
Snorting derisively, I glared at him. “I demand to speak with Celestia.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I can’t—”
“Don’t mess with me!” I snarled. Spittle flew everywhere on his face. It was kind of gross. “I’m radioactive right now and I really don’t think you want this disease.”
“What?” I don’t think he took me seriously, considering I was a teen and a guest of Princess Celestia herself. Still, nervous apprehension came off in small waves from him. He was afraid of me, or had no clue what radioactive meant.
“You bozos let my dad get taken,” I snapped. “He’s been living a life of absolute hell since getting here. You ponies failed him, failed me, and just plain failed period!” It took all of my effort and concentration to stay on my hooves. I really did not feel well. I moved like a retarded slug. “You all suck, you know that?”
The stallion flinched under my tirade of words, but firmly replied, “Please stay in your room, miss. Orders are orders.”
If not Celestia, why not— “Let me talk to Fleur. Now.” I growled. “Or I start taking this ship apart bulkhead by bulkhead.” Remember the threads of magic holding Canterlot castle together? It was the same with this ship, though far more interwoven to work with each other specifically for the best collaboration of enchantments. I already had found some enticing magical...threads to tug on.
“You don’t make threats, kid! We take those seriously,” hissed the poor guard. His eyes bulged and his pupils were pinpricks. Of course, him being a unicorn made what I was implying easy to understand.
I smiled at him sweetly. “Buck you, I’m motherbucking Queen bucking Chrysalis, motherbucker.” My horn lit up, which turned out to be a huge and very stupid mistake.
My magic promptly failed me, letting out a few unimpressive sparks. Suddenly there was pain in the middle of my skull, between my eyes, right where the base of my horn was. Hissing erupted from my mouth, ending in a pained yelp. Collapsing like a sack of abandoned pet rocks, the floor caught me and I immediately curled up into a pony version of the fetal position. The pain was incredible, throbbing from my head, along every nerve ending in spasms.
Some idiot put a nullifying ring on the base of my horn while I was comatose.
I couldn’t use my magic. They weren’t going to let me use it! How long was I out, anyway? It was probably a good idea to get over the screaming first before pondering that tangible.
There were shouts and the sound of pounding hooves on the metallic deck, all coming towards me. I couldn’t make out what was said as all I could do was cry out in agony at the inhibitor slicing up my brain as I found myself unable to stop channeling magic. My legs thrashed and my horn began to feel hotter and hotter until it became a new pain. My lungs screamed for air as I screamed in mortal agony. Oh, how it hurt! It didn’t feel as though it was going to stop. Thrashing my legs wildly in an animalistic fervor, my eyes sought out someone to help me.
There was a loud bang, then nothing.
The Mare Crisium altered course, following the indicated spot on the map leading to a floating island in the middle of the ocean, between the two continents. There was a great debate in pursuing the demands of a changeling queen. Prince Blueblood nearly resigned his commission and several officers in fact submitted their own. All were refused as Princess Celestia pleaded them to trust her. For the second time in recent memory, the Diarch of the Sun had been bested, this time with her sister at her side. There was also a very angry changeling princess confined in her room and constantly monitored with magic.
The day grew, noon came and passed and the afternoon was upon them. It was humid; out here, there were no weather ponies to control the patterns. There was little shade from the sun. Pegasi flew patrols before the cruiser and had triple their normal numbers. They used their innate abilities to form for themselves clouds to conceal themselves within. There was a sense of nervous anticipation, for their prey could easily turn upon them.
The swiftest couriers were dispatched to the nearest known location of a sky carrier task group: ten Airships of the Line attached to one of the largest warships in the world, the Shiva class battleship Solar Fury. The might of the Eastern Fleet would rendezvous by the next morning.
In the ready room of the Mare Crisium, there was a heated discussion in planning. It was cramped, domintated by a large rectangular table in the center while chairs were filled with ponies. Their shouts might have been heard if not for the sound dampening spell Celestia had cast. The added factor of children of the human world had sent ripples. All the crew aboard the ship were ordered to strictest secrecy. As the Queen’s Justice was now in tow behind the cruiser, there was a constant stream of ponies going to and fro between both ships. What were pirates intending to do with the humans, sell them as exotic pets and/or slaves? The changelings had saved them from such a fate? Were there other human children already victims of this unexpected slave trade? If so, for how long?
Pirates did in fact deal with the slave trade. They were considered primary sources for illegal trafficking of all sorts; stolen goods, narcotics, smuggling, and other deeds outside aerial and maritime laws. Their ships were small and fast, needing to be so in order to get away from the normally slower cruisers. They could and often did match well against ships considered to be of the escort and destroyer class, as their armaments were heavier. Some could even boast of having cloaking magic. Such aerial outlaws were not above pushing the limits of magic, sometimes to even dangerous levels. Some of the magic used to keep the airships aloft were indeed dangerous and could cost a pirate captain their ship and their lives if not properly monitored. The name of the game was acquiring wealth as quickly as possible at minimal cost. Engaging warships was probably the dumbest thing a pirate ship could do. They rarely survived encounters.
Still, the question begged to be asked: How did a pirate clan come to have sway over a changeling hive? Queens were arguably capable of collecting enough love to rival the power of either Celestia or Luna, if for but a short while. Their swarming was daunting and the sheer numbers of a hive could overwhelm most attackers. Attacking a hive was as suicidal as a suicide attempt could be. Changelings were fanatics when it came to defending their home. Hives were never stationary and often moved as their queens dictated (there were rumors of permanent hives).
As the discussion went on, a mirror was brought in and the admiral of the Eastern Fleet was soon brought into the discussion between the diarchs and the officers of the Mare Crisium. He was an ancient earth pony stallion, looking more a philosopher than a fleet admiral. His beard was white and his dark eyes mournful beneath the remnants of what had once been a magnificent mane. There were wrinkles upon wrinkles on his face and he preferred to forgo an officer’s uniform, preferring the simple garb of the enlisted, bare of rank. Admiral Briarpatch was a stallion of few words and even bore a country twang in his voice when he did speak.
“Majesties,” he greeted softly, bowing slightly upon seeing his rulers. Old eyes flicked briefly towards Blueblood. “Nephew.”
“Uncle,” intoned the prince in likewise fashion. Both shared the briefest of smiles.
“It would appear the changelings have Equestria’s number,” grunted the old stallion. Brairpatch neither accused nor suggested, but pointed out a rather blunt and painful fact.
“I would suspect the cause lies in a multitude of reasons,” supplied Blueblood after a moment asking silently for permission to speak first. Celestia had consented with a slight nod. “Despite the measures we have in place to detect for infiltration by the bugs, one problem we have yet to figure out is how they are manipulating our own kind into acting as their eyes and ears.” His stern gaze fell over his gathered officers, then to his uncle, and finally upon the two alicorns at the table.
“Treason?” suggested one of the officers as if suddenly finding a bad taste in his mouth.
“Changelings are gifted manipulators,” said a sullen Anzealous. He had been asked to be a part of the meeting to add his own personal insight. After consulting with his queen, she had assented, even commanding him to assist to the utmost of his abilities. “It would not be unusual for a victim to not even know they are being used as a spy.”
Luna growled. “Not to mention they somehow came across a ship full of human foals no doubt meant for the slave market.” She was affronted personally by this revelation. The changeling captured on board the ship confirmed this. Anzealous had been needed to act as a translator as the poor shivering thing could not speak a lick of Equestrian.
“What was the prisoner’s function on board the ship?” asked Prince Blueblood in a bored tone.
“She was one of the caretakers of the children,” supplied Anzealous nervously. He was very nervous in a room full of warlike ponies. The taste of hostility was, in the changeling’s opinion, something to be attributed to alcohol poisoning. The fat changeling cleared his throat, remembering the confidence his queen had in him to be the projection of her will and desires. “Not quite a broodmother, but an efficient caretaker learned in the ways of caring for human children.”
“How is that possible?” asked a mare, a lieutenant. “Access to the human world is limited and under Equestrian control. All portals are watched and most are dormant.”
“Unless there are portals we do not know about,” snorted another officer. “We’re still recovering knowledge lost during the War of the Sisters.” He realized who he was speaking of and blanched, eyes darting between the slightly amused expressions of his rulers. “No offense.” he bowed, smiling weakly and wishing he could die right then and there.
“It is truth,” reassured Luna. “As I was not of full control of my facilities at the time, most of what I did I have regretted and wish I could undo. However, as such a thing is impossible, I can only endeavor to be half the beacon of hope and harmony my sister is. We are a better mare now. We admit our moment of weakness in falling into the darkness of the Possession. We will work the rest of our days to rectify that mistake.” Lapsing into the old form of royal address still happened to the dark princess from time to time. It served its purpose of enforcing her spoken words admirably.
The room grew uncomfortably quiet until Celestia cleared her throat politely. “Anzealous, were you able to garner any information from Queen Druanae?”
The chubby former ambassador nodded curtly. “Indeed, princess. The...—” He blinked as he struggled with a word.
“Humans?” suggested Luna helpfully.
“Yes, humans!” He harrumphed irritably at himself as speaking the word was so alien to him. “Humans will certainly not take kindly to discovering the theft of their young from seemingly a variety of beings from a world they know nothing about.” Anzealous was grateful for what his queen was willing to inform him. Hopefully it was enough to see him through this very uncomfortable meeting. “We are on the precipice of war the likes of which are unheard of.”
“Steered by changelings, no doubt,” accused another officer. It was the mare who had spoken earlier.
“The first steps of prevention was initiated by a hive!” argued Anzealous fervently, glowering and seizing what little courage he had. Beads of sweat was forming on his chitinous face and neck. “Why would Queen Anisophira go through the trouble of presenting you a ship full of...gah, damn it!”
“Humans?” Luna sighed and found the changelings lack of grasping a simple word irritating.
He sighed. “Thank you. As I was saying, these humans are victims. My queen is not on the best of terms with Queen Anisohpira. That’s about par for the course since the thrice-cursed invasion. Queens by the virtue of pride and a sense of superiority over inferior species—” Angry grumblings rumbled around the fat changeling. “—have a difficult time asking for help from outside their hives.”
“Changeling methods of asking for help require acts of war upon those they seek help from?” grated Luna in a voice so cold it sent chills down every spine in the room. Her steely gaze fell upon Anzealous who, to his credit, did not wet himself. He did begin to shiver uncontrollably and was unable to break eye contact with the dark alicorn.
“You must understand a few things about changelings,” the former ambassador croaked. “We are not ones to seek help readily. The Empress wants us autonomous from the other species. We’re not even supposed to be communicating with you. Queen Chrysalis and the queens who joined her changed all that. If the invasion had never happened, we would not even be having this conversation right now.”
“Clarify,” said the admiral through the mirror. Briarpatch’s voice was curt and sounded as though he chewed on rocks because it was fun.
“The first law all changelings are taught when they are young is to never reveal themselves to other species. We feed off the emotions of our prey, leaving our food source none the wiser. Our magic and our power would grow. Our numbers would increase. The Empress promised us long ago when we were ready, all the hives would gather and go to a place of paradise, where we could come from the shadows. As the centuries and generations passed, the actions of the Empress came into question, but never directly presented before her. What little unity the queens had over time has become even more fractured than before. The most powerful hives are gathering up the weaker ones in alliances against their rivals. Civil war is inevitable at this rate.” Anzealous sighed, rubbing the back of his spiny mane. “The way I see it, humans have become a wild card, even if they aren’t even aware of what is to come. When they do, I can’t even begin to fathom what they might do.”
“A worlds war,” Celestia breathed, her magenta eyes lowering to the table before her. “This cannot come to be. If humans can find a way to cross here, even I am not going to presume them to speak before they act. They may approach our world with fear in their minds and vengeance in their hearts. I cannot let this happen. I have worked to prevent this very scenario.” She glanced at Luna. “What do you make of the children on the ship?”
“Many languages of many nations. Most are frightened, but curious. They are wary and do not believe we can send them home.” One sister regarded the other coolly. “I warned you of this. It cannot be helped, however. What is done beyond our notice cannot be controlled. We can do something with what we do have. I propose, against my better judgement, to return the humans to their world along with a representative to establish a formal contact.”
Celestia nodded. “Very well. We shall discuss that further and in private, my sister.” To the gathered ponies she spoke broadly and without raising her voice. She had a gift for addressing her subjects in a manner both motherly and commanding. A benevolent tyrant, she lorded over Equestria with thousands of years of experience behind her. “As to the matter at hoof, I propose we follow the instructions given to us by Queen Anisophira. In the meantime, I want a small team of ponies to track down and find Michael Spriggs. I want volunteers who can work in the shadows and keep their heads down. Suggestions?”
There was silence as her proposal was mulled over. “Ah, Queen Druanae might be able to provide for you some insight into the mind of her sister,” offered Anzealous. “You’ll need intelligence if you plan on seeking out a hive.”
“Majesty, I would not trust any changeling intelligence,” snorted Blueblood. “I’d wager a dagger in the withers the moment we turn our backs to them. They opened our nostrils to them, suffice to say.”
“Noted. Fleur would be perfect for this mission,” Celestia observed. “Anzealous, I should like to see you go as you are the only changeling on board this ship I feel I can count on.”
“Some of the Night Guard assigned to Mr. Spriggs will go as escort,” said Luna. “I insist.” She had taken the failure of her guards personally. ‘No’ was not an answer she was willing to accept.
“Four escorts then, two of them of the Night Guard?” Celestia arched a brow. Luna nodded. “Good. It’s settled. Lady Fleur, Anzealous, Steel Jaw, Shatterdown, Quint Orca, and Feathersong.”
“Me?” squawked Anzealous, sputtering. “You can’t be serious!”
“There are two other changelings on board this ship,” Celestia reminded him calmly. “One is an emotional wreck, doesn’t speak the language of her bloodlines, and is still prone to magic surges. The other is a prisoner whose information we can’t take at face value. She’s managed to tell us why there are humans here, but I sense something in the machinations of Queen Anisophira. As I have come to more or less trust your queen’s intentions in regards to a road of meaningful peace, I feel I must turn to you in hopes the path can still be followed. Please, Anzealous.”
“I shall consult my queen,” he conceded after a moment of silence. “Mind you, Chrysalis approaches the time when she will begin the final stage of her transformation. Her ascension is a matter of time, Princess Celestia. She resents you and holds you responsible for all which has befallen her father since he arrived in Equestria. I sensed her anger and her frustration as we lay there on the floor.”
“I assumed as much.” Celestia sighed, hurt flashing for a moment in her eyes. “Luna and I shall keep our eyes on her.”
“Watch your withers,” commented Prince Blueblood as he sipped his tea.
Celestia fixed him a disapproving stare before addressing the mirror bearing the waiting image of Admiral Briarpatch. “I have sent you the coordinates of the alleged pirate nest. It’s a floating island. You’ll need your flotilla of ships.”
“Yes, highness. Do we have a name for the pirate leader?”
“Indeed we do. The dragon known as Leviatan.”
“The Storm Serpent.” If the admiral was surprised at the name, he passed it off as little more than an itch at the end of his nose. The gathered ponies all gaped at the mention of the name. “Very well. I shall make preparations. Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. Prince Blueblood. Officers of the Mare Crisium. I wish you all fair weather and calm seas.” His image blurred as the mirror darkened.
“Leviatan? Are you mad?” blurted Blueblood, spilling his precious tea. “He’s accounted for over a hundred ships in the air and on the sea over the past decade. Thousands have fallen victim to him and his band. This cruiser is built to handle pirates, not a wyrm of his size!”
“You forget, my dear nephew,” Luna cut in, bearing a small and frightening smile.
“We shall be there.”