Equestria, Sunnytown just after Sundown the day of the Battle of Appleloosa.Equestria, Sunnytown just after Sundown the day of the Battle of Appleloosa.
“SO…hOw dId thIs hAppEn,” Black Lantern Commander Hurricane asked, as some of his earth ponies used what looked like cake decorating bags to make intricate designs with a grey goo-like substance around the town’s old central fountain.
“WE lOst many, cOmmAndEr,” Black Lantern Brass Hoof said flatly. “WE dId hOwEvEr tAkE thE lIvEs wIth thE wAndErIng bUffAlO fOrAgErs, the Odd trAvElErs And A fEw lOOsE fArmErs.ThE DukE Of ApplElOOsA Is OnE Of Us nOw. WE ArE AlsO rEcOvErIng OUr lOssEs bY EngAgIng thE BUffAlO trIbE’s sAcrEd bUrIAl grOUnd. “
Hurricane knocked Brass Hoof’s head around so it was facing backwards as he yelled. “ThEy’vE fIgUrEd OUt hOw tO vAnqUIsh OUr rIngs In mAss! ThEy’vE dOnE It fOUr tImEs nOw!” the old Pegasus war lord growled. “WE hAvE tO EnvElOp A lAntErn nOw…nO mOre OnE AnglE/wAvE AttAcks..”
“A sEtbAck At bEst And nOthIng mOrE, lEt thEm hAvE thIs little scOrE. SOOn OUr strEngth shAll bE EnOUgh, thE tImE fOr thEm shAll sOOn bE rOUgh.” Black Lantern Zecora’s sing song voice said.
“I AgrEE wIth thE shAmAn,” a bearded decaying mound of a unicorn in rotting robes said. “It wIll mAttEr lIttlE sOOn EnOUgh. OUr plAns ArE In mOtiOn…And OUr Own bAttEry Is chArgIng.”
[=Charge Level 10.14%=] croaked the wizard’s black ring.
“ThEy wOn OnE bAttlE cOmmAndEr…OnE! NExt tImE thEY trY thAt trIck AgAIn, lEt Us sEE If wE cAn shIEld OUrsElvEs wIth OUr Own cOnstrUcts.”
BKL Hurricane growled. “FInE…thOUgh It wOUld gAll mE If I wErE AlIvE…lEt thEm hAvE 'A' vIctOrY. SO... lEt Us chAngE thE gAmE. WE wIll hIt And rUn fOr nOw, gAthEr strEngth And, whEn wE ArE strOng EnOUgh, wE wIll tAkE thE OnE thIng thEY nEEd tO sUrvIvE AwAy frOm thEm. WhEn thAt Is dOnE wE shAll sprEAd thE pEAcE Of thE vOId tO All thE cOrnErs Of thIs wOrld, And thEn tO thE stArs AbOvE.”
“All thAt Is rEqUIrEd is fOr thE mIrrOr And thE AnchOr tO dIE…wIth thEm gOnE HUrrIcnE, thIs wOrld wIll dIE, wIthOUt Us dOIng AnythIng mOrE,” Black Lantern Star Swirl said. “I wIll kIll CElEstiA mYsElf whEn thE tImE Is rIght .”
“YOUr thOUsAnd cUts thEIr strEngth wIll tAkE, bUt lEt Us dO mOrE tO mAkE thEm brEAk. The tIEs thAt bInd lEt Us fInd And sEvEr thEm tO brEAk thEIr mInd,” BKL Zecora said with a hint of glee.
BKL Mitta looked up from her writing work, the decorator bag in her mouth had almost been empty for an hour but she had listened to all that the Black Lantern Corps chiefs had discussed, acting as if she was still drawing according to the old wizard's command. She now pondered how best to do what she needed to do…
***
Ponyville, outside Golden Oak Library –Headquarters of the Yellow Lantern Corps of Equestria 10:45 PM
“Spike, I’m back! Oh, Spike,“ Twilight Sparkle couldn't almost keep herself from giggling in glee as she flew in through the observatory window of the library. “We saved Appleloosa and the Buffaloes, Spike! We won today!”
She landed in the main study, seeing Spike asleep over numerous parchments and letters. Lying near his resting head were two particular parchments that Twilight recognized as coming from Princess Celestia. One was addressed to Spike, the other to herself. There were stains on Spike’s letter where water had been spilled and made the ink run. She could not make out what the short note said.
Spike stirred, pushing off from the table and sitting up, rubbing his eyes with his claws. “Twilight,” he said sleepily as he yawned and stretched. He looked at the table and gathered some of the documents that covered its surface.
The dragon scratched his belly as he made a smacking sound, “Twilight, where did you go? I was going to follow you and Rarity and you both disappeared. Listen, Princess Celestia is…”
“We were…called by Fluttershy and had to go help her.” Twilight spoke unable to contain her elation. “There were a lot of Black Lanterns there and we had to fight them,” she sighed.
“Um…”
“We won, Spike! They left Appleloosa and the Buffaloes after the battle. No Twenty Nine Fronds today!”
“Awesome,” the tiny dragon pumped his talon. “Well, Princess Celestia will be happy to hear that! You need to tell her the good news. You should tell her right now.”
“Yes,” she smiled, her teeth glittering in the lamp light. “Spike, take a letter to the princess. “
“ Well, first off Princess Celestia is here, she’s waiting for you downstairs,” he rubbed his lips with his tongue. “She came alone, Twilight. She said she has something important to speak to you about."
“What is it about?”
Spike glanced at the parchments in his claws, “I don’t know, she wouldn’t tell me.”
“Ok.” Twilight Sparkle swallowed hard,” What else?”
Spike frowned slightly as he pulled some of the parchments on the table to him.” Something happened while you were gone, something…weird.”
“Oh? “
Spike began to walk to the stairs, stepping gently so his feet would make very little sound. Twilight followed behind, gliding silently on ring power. Spike arrived at the top of the stairs and pulled out a single parchment. Twilight took the document with her magic and held it in front of her eyes. "This is from the constable's office! How...why do you have this Spike?"
“Because like I said, it's weird. Everypony knows that if something strange starts happening around here...you are the unicorn to talk to about it," Spike took a deep breath. "A stallion was found in the street a couple of hours ago. He’s a stranger in town, homeless and had been caught stealing food before.” The dragon began to descend the stairs, Twilight reading the page and silently following him down the steps. “He was found near Applejack’s place out cold. The weird thing…He didn’t seem to remember anything, including how to speak.” Twilight followed Spike’s recounting. The parchment repeated what the dragon was saying. “The doctor tried a memory spell with no result. It was like he had no memories at all Twilight. He was active, he reacted ok otherwise, but it's like...he never learned anything...or forgot everything!”
“His cutie mark was…missing!” Twilight interjected. They had arrived at the bottom of the stairs. “That’s…how…what! That’s impossible! No magic I know of can do that?”
“Could it be a ring, Twilight,” Princess Celestia’s voice asked. The alicorn's soothing tone filled her twitching ears.
Twilight Sparkle turned and bowed to the Princess of the Sun, her muzzle almost pushed into the floor. Her ring aura appeared. “I…I don’t know, Princess. We haven’t seen that from any. None of the rings has…demonstrated that ability…none!”
Princess Celestia took a deep breath. “Twilight, I have every confidence in your abilities, and I am sure that you will uncover the cause of this latest happenstance. Please rise, I have to talk to you."
Twilight rose from the floor and stood on all of her hooves; the yellow aura disappeared. Princess Celestia moved forward and nuzzled her best student then backed up and sat on her haunches.
“I believe I heard you say that the lanterns had a battle today?”
Twilight smiled, unable to contain her joy,” Yes, Princess! Black Lanterns attacked Appleloosa and Buffaloes living nearby. There was a battle and we….didn’t just knock them down or back, we won today, we really won!” Twilight grinned. “We actually destroyed many of them!”
Princess Celestia closed her eyes and gently smiled, nodding her head. “How many lives were lost, Twilight? How many were killed?”
Twilight rubbed her chin with her ring hoof, the smiled again. “It may take a couple of days to know for sure but…I don’t think we lost many at all, Princess. The town took some damage and the Buffaloes’ camp was wrecked…but we lost nopony in the fight. We saved both the town and the tribe!”
Princess Celestia let out a long breath. Good news; it was good news, something she desperately needed to hear. Bright eyes looked down at her faithful student. ‘And now I must dampen the exultation of your victory.’
“A survey was completed of the crypts of Canterlot yesterday. Twilight, there are…missing bodies.”
A parchment scroll appeared, held in the princess’ magic.”This is the list of the missing. It was compiled by the Magistrix of the Arcane Academy.” The document then flew to the unicorn and opened. “It has been verified three times, Twilight. I wanted to make sure before telling you. Spike…you need to read that list, too.”
Twilight began to read. The list read a bit like a who’s who of Equestrian History. Each name she read came as a cut. The most recent dead were at the top of the list, many having died in her lifetime, but ponies of the far past were on the list too, many of them loved heroes. The last names were the ones that struck her heart.
“Pudding Head, Smart Cookie, Platinum…Clover the Clever!” Then there was one last name, a name that made her gasp out loud.
“Yes,” the Sun Princess sighed.
“What? What is it,” Spike asked. The parchment floated to him. Grabbing the scroll, he read quickly, his eyes becoming wide as he read the end.
Finishing the list, he turned and looked at Twilight Sparkle. The bottom edge of her eyes sparkled with what could only be tears. Spike reached over and hugged the unicorn around the neck, burying his snout into her coat. Twilight turned and looked into his eyes.
“Oh, Spike.” She nuzzled him and pulled him in to return his hug. “It will be ok, Spike…it will be ok.”
Even as her words came from her tongue, she felt she was lying, for now icy terror stabbed at her heart knowing who must now be fighting her and her friends. A buzzing sound rose into her ears as she asked herself a terrifying question…
‘The greatest, wisest and most powerful unicorn in all history is a Black lantern! Can I beat him?’
…and asking herself that…the yellow ring on her leg purred.
*
Outside Ponyville, at that moment.
She tried to not splash when she stepped down into the stream, tried to not make any noise that would draw the attention of the vengeful lantern of hate. Facet could not help it. She was so weak.
“What do we do Glimmer,” a dark figure asked. Thick green blood that ran from the changelings wounds as she tried to re-establish her pony disguise.
Her companion crouched next to her, raising his head over the stream bank just enough to see.
“We get back to the Queen and tell her what we found after we tend to your wounds.” Glimmer the changeling said as he used his magic to wrap some cloth around the worse injuries for his hive mate. “She needs to know.”
“But,” Facet coughed, green fluid sprayed onto Glimmer’s wings. “But… the Reds!”
“To Tartarus with the Reds,” Glimmer spat. “I don’t care if it hurts just being around them. Our hive and Queen must know!” A prickling burning sensation came over his 'skin'. "I'm not giving up another hive to anyone without a fight."
Facet groaned from the sensation herself and almost screamed as she collapsed into the dirt. “Ah..he’s here!” the wounded changeling whimpered. ”He found us.”
“You get back to our hive and tell the queen about what we’ve found out. As for the hatemonger,“ Glimmer looked in off in the direction of a soft red glow that was becoming brighter by the heartbeat. “I’ll take care of him.”
“But…” Facet stammered,” He’ll kill you!”
“Maybe, but the Queen must be told and our secret must be kept safe!” Glimmer groaned as he changed shape, becoming a pegasus. He nuzzled her then got on top of the stream bank.
“Get moving Facet,” he said curtly as he flew to the growing red light.
Flaring light and the sound of yelling followed after Glimmer disappeared into red glow. Facet was sure she could hear the sound of her partner fighting the red lantern. What sounded like his howls of agony filled her ears and chilled her heart. She crawled away quietly, assuming the image of an earthpony mare as she limped into bushes. It was then she saw the shape of Glimmer, covered in red fire crashing into the bank of the stream they had just taken refuge in. He crawled into the spot they had both just left. She turned away, tears in her eyes when she saw him point with his head. Silently she moved away, into the thickness of the brush.
Red Lantern Score landed on the stream bank, a burning tower of hate towering over Glimmer. The ring aura lighted the stream bank. Glimmer whimpered. This close to the rage lantern, just the radiance of aura was withering to a changeling.
“Wow! I didn’t know bugponies had that much blood in them,” he said with a smirk. RL Score then kneeled down, the wounded changeling now pushing itself deeper into the dirt trying to get away from the painful light of his ring. He poked with his ring hoof at the shape shifter, a hiss sound coming from Glimmer’s muzzle.
“Funny…I expected to see more holes in you after that. You look a little strange even for a changeling.” Glimmer folded his legs closer into his body. “So, no more fight in you? “ RL Score asked. The Changeling’s breathing became more labored.
“N-no I’m done, ” Glimmer said as he spat at the rage wielder. “C-Congratulations, you got this lone hive scout,“ the Changeling looked deep into the eyes of the red lantern. “So finish it already. ”
Red fire formed over Score’s other hoof. “For what you did to Canterlot…”
“I wasn’t there…” Glimmer coughed.
“Your Queen was,” the red lantern snapped.
“Yes she was.” Glimmer rolled over onto his side, his body began to curl in on itself. “But you don’t care what she was doing…”
"What she was doing!" Blood Plasma dripped from Score's mouth. “How DARE you! You little…” he paused.
The Changeling’s body was still. The light of his eyes fading as the red lantern watched. The thorax didn’t move any longer, but was still. The rage stallion grumbled as he lifted off in the air.
Facet watched a red star shooting into the night sky and thanked her luck that the Red Lantern had not started searching for her. Glimmer’s last act was to lie to his killer and give her a chance to make it back to the hive. 'The queen must know' he had said, and now she could get away and make sure she did know.
"Oh my Glimmer...my brave Glimmer."
She used the edge of the Everfree to make her way, staying in the thick of the vegetation as she wound her way around the edge of the town. Each step was more labored than the last and black unconsciousness pulled at her mind, threatening to stop her. Her wounds soaked the bandages she had made from some spider silk she had found. It took hours to limp to the cluster of trees that marked the opening to the hive tunnel.
Hive guards appeared from hidden watch places in the brush. Changeling spears were now floating all around her. The entrance guards were silent, staring at her. She sat on her haunches and waited, dropping her earth pony form.
“You look hurt sister,” a voice came from the hidden tunnel.
“I-“ she stammered. Tears stared to fall from her eyes as she dropped her earth pony form. “I am.”
“Um-hum.” The voice responded. “What’s the password? Who are you?”
Facet looked in the direction of the voice. Weakness came out of her muzzle as she spoke.
“Cinnamon Stick,” she said. The spears lowered.
“I-I am Facet, scout of the hive. I…I lost my soldier. He was killed by a red lantern,” like an over filled bag of goods from market let go she collapsed to the ground.
“I-have news for the Queen.” The scout changeling said weakly.
“Get her inside! Quick!” the voice from the entrance said. She was surrounded by the green aura of levitation magic, the weight of the world suddenly taken away. Gravity’s pull being gone was a great relief to Facet. Just that action by her hive mates helped her.
“Take her to the Queen!” somepony said.
It seemed to take forever to make the trip down the tunnel. All the while there were murmuring and talk, the sound becoming so loud and confusing she could only follow bits and pieces.
“The Queen has been told! She is coming!” “Get royal jelly! Get her royal jelly!” “We need a cocoon ready! Quick!” “A Red Lantern did this?"
Facet finally gave into the blackness clawing at her. The last thing she saw was light from the end of the tunnel into her hive. Time passed with no marker or hint, the void swallowed her mind so that not even a whisper was heard. Facet was content to float in this place, no pain or horror, no loss or hate, just floating…
When she began to wake, murmurs and bulb light that felt like stabbing awls to her eyes were the first messenger to her mind that she still lived. The feeling from her body began to return, each nerve telling her how close the black had come to claiming her for their own. Her vision was blurry as she tried to see around her, all she could see was lights and rough shapes. Yellows, blacks, greens, purples, blue random shapes stared to become clear as she shook her head.
“The Queen is here,” somepony said. Facet could now feel the thick fluid of a cocoon enveloping her body and warmth shining down on her. Shapes moved in and out of her still blurry vision. Slowly things became clearer. The line of the hive wall was becoming clear now, the lanterns on the wall providing the light for her to see.
The blurs faded, lines becoming clearer as she finally could see.
The face of her queen appeared over her, filling her vision.
“Thank the light you’re ok,” Star Sapphire Queen Fluttershy said as she leaned in and nuzzled Facet, the mere touch of the bearer of the Violet Light was enough to make much of her pain disappear. Fluttershy held up her Violet Power ring.
“I used the ring’s light to help you. Thank goodness you’re all right.” The Queen’s voice that moment was the sweetest music Facet had heard in a long time. “What happened to you?”
Tears appeared in her eyes as Facet reached up and hugged the Sapphire Queen. Her sorrow burst forth from her lips as she started to wail.
“Oh my Queen, we are cursed! I have lost my soldier and mate Glimmer! He died protecting me from a Red Lantern…the lantern who did this to me!”
Fluttershy gasped. “What? One of Rainbow Dash’s lanterns did this to you? W-Why?”
Facet swallowed. “The Reds wage war on all Changeling kind now. They do it in secret. They say it is in revenge for what happened in Canterlot! The Red Lanterns are…” she sobbed, unable to speak.
Fluttershy patted her on the head.
"They...they kill us!"
The Sapphire Queen gasped. "What? No, oh no-I-I can't believe it!"
The crying changeling swallowed and breathed deeply. “It is worse my Queen! Because of the Reds…Black Lantern Changelings now exist, and they still have their magic and can change their appearance!” Facet swallowed. “And because of the Red’s attacks on her, Queen Chrysalis has begun to send spies out to learn of her new enemy.“ The changelings murmured, some sounds like cursing filled the room. Fluttershy raised a hoof and the noise died down.
“It is only a matter of time before she learns of the Violet battery my Queen, and learns that it is the Light of Love! When that happens she will come to take it!”
"Queen Chrysalis is coming!” somepony yelled. A Changeling worker at the back began to shake. She scuttled into a hollow in the back of the room, rocking back and forth as she tried to hide. A soldier changeling moved to her and pulled her into a hug, whispering into her ears while he patted her on the neck.
“She will finish us off if she discovers us!” a voice yelled.
“AH! We are lost,” another said
“Did you hear? The Reds hunt our kind as the Queen did,” a worker cried.
“The Queen will end us…she will finish what she started when she destroyed Princess Lace Wing the Kind,” an older soldier wept.
"Princess...Lace Wing..the Kind? Who was that," the Star Sapphire asked.
"She was our hive mother before you my queen," the soldier bowed his head as he answered her. "She was why we were outcast. She dared to question her mother in our dealings with other creatures."
"She questioned her mother? Chrysalis is her mother?"
"Was mom...WAS." Tears fell from the changelings eyes. All around her Fluttershy could hear sobbing. "Princess Lace Wing thought that we should come in friendship, offer exchange with others, trade, learn, teach. The princess believed we should coexist."
Queen Chrysalis had a daughter...a ROYAL daughter? "What...what happened to Princess Lace Wing? Where is she?"
A not so holed hoof touched Fluttershy. Facet looked at the Star Sapphire, tears falling from her eyes.
"She set up a hive here in Equestria...she planned to reveal herself to the Princesses...but..."
"But?"
"Queen Chrysalis said that it endangered her plans of invasion! She said...ponies were food and nothing more. Princess Lace Wing disagreed. At first they debated, then they argued and then they fought and..."
"And?"
"The..the Queen won!" the warrior changeling growled. "Our Princess was gone. Queen Chrysalis then cast us all out declaring any who followed her 'wayward daughter' traitors to Changeling kind. She used her army to destroy our hive as practice for her attack on Canterlot. We fled and scattered, living as best we could. Some tried to warn Equestria of the Queen's intentions...but it was no use, the guards took our warnings as a threat. That is how we came here. We were utterly lost...until you my Queen."
"That is why we love you...you saved us and proved our beloved lost Princess right." Facet choked. She reached out to Fluttershy as she wailed. "You let us make a home, gave us love even though you had no reason to...showed us kindness. You have given us so much love we can make Royal Jelly; more than we have ever been able to make before." Facet pushed her hooves into her face, "Now...now SHE will finish us...oh my Queen we are lost!"
The Changelings buzzed and murmured. Some could be heard saying they would attack Chrysalis themselves and die rather than give up another home with love at its center. Others fell to their knees and cried. The Violet Lantern rose into the air, her aura glowing to give the hive comfort.
“Um..Now…now,” Fluttershy said as she hovered over ‘her’ changelings. “I am not going to let that happen! We will figure out something. ” The pegasus smiled. “ And…remember; what happens to changelings when they get too close to the battery?"
Facet whipped tears from her eyes before she spoke. “Majesty I fear that will not happen with Queen Chrysalis! I…I’m afraid she won’t become entranced like we do when we get too close to the Violet Lantern! My greatest terror that she will not fall into torpor but will become stronger and more powerful than she was in Canterlot!”
Queen Fluttershy swallowed hard. So much had just changed in the last minute! Chrysalis...and at war with Rainbow Dash! What started that? Why had she not said anything to her friends?What was Rainbow thinking?
“I don’t know what to do,” she sighed as a tear welled up in her right eye.