//------------------------------// // Hail To The King // Story: The Changeling War // by PrometheusDark //------------------------------// The air was acrid and still, the smell of his minion's slime tickled his nose as he walked passed them. His nose was so high in the air it would surely be lost in the clouds if it wasn't firmly attached to his face. His fangs so long they stuck out of his closed lips at all times. He was king, and he made sure all his underlings knew it. “My liege,” A lone drone spoke. The look that the king gave him very well could have stopped the drone's heart mid-beat, but the drone, ever the brave one, continued on. “The soldiers are prepared, on your order.” He finished his message, and the king grinned maliciously. Soon his plans would come to fruition. Sure, it was weird, having former royalty calling your small village home, but most of the ponies were getting used to seeing the changeling around town. While all but a few ponies had come to accept the changeling into their mists, few actually talked to her, and even fewer were still terrified by her. “Don't worry about them.” Spike murmured quietly as he walked along side her, carrying a basket of the picnic persuasion. She wasn't one to feel self-conscious, but the constant negative attention was starting to get on her nerves. Spikes ever persistent presence was the only thing anchoring her to the town. Spike himself was a baby dragon, or at least that's what he was to most. In actuality he was almost as old as his surrogate sister, Twilight, but dragons age very slowly when compared to ponies. Spike was immature and very much a child, but he was the nicest guy in Ponyville. “Bah, I'm not worried.” She reassured. She being Chrysalis, the former changeling queen turned normal citizen. It had been nearly a week since the whole kidnapping incident, she caught some flack for that, but usually she just scared the assailant away. It wasn't long before the pair had reached the outskirts of town, the field that led to Everfree Forest was the perfect place for a nice, relaxing, secluded lunch; and with what they were eating, they had better hope no one crossed their path. Spike and Chrysalis had hidden their carnivorous nature from the others fairly well, but they were getting lax in their attempts to keep from being found out. Today's picnic was one example of that. Spike sat the picnic basket down on the grass and opened it. He pulled out a large blanket and unrolled it, setting it out flat as possible. Chrysalis watched as he set out the plates and cups in a methodical fashion. “By the time you're done it'll be nightfall.” She teased, pointing a hoof at him as she did so. “Can't we just sit on the blanket and eat?” He huffed, but ignored her gibes. This was the first real date they'd been on, he wanted it to go right. Wait, date? He suddenly felt his cheeks grow warm, this didn't go unnoticed by his companion. “Are you feeling okay, Spike?” She sounded concerned now. “I'm fine.” He tried to keep his cool. This wasn't a date, he asserted to himself, it was just two friends hanging out, eating lunch. “Anyway, its ready, why don't you come have a seat?” Despite her earlier remarks, Chrysalis had to admit, the kid cooked up a mean lunch. He might not have anything on her old royal chef's, but he came pretty dang close in her opinion. The food was mostly meat, as they usually ate. She was beginning to miss the taste of emotions though. She would need to hold out until she found a good fix that didn't hurt anypony. Then she felt it, that familiar sensation on her tongue. It came in short, weak waves. It was love, but where was it coming from? There was no one else around besides Spike. Then she looked at him, he was fiddling with his food, trying to avoid eye contact. She felt herself blush, who could he be thinking about? Surely not her? “Spike?” She was being drawn in by the taste and felt her body move on it's own accord, crawling toward the young dragon. He looked at her, and what he saw in her eyes shocked him. “Come here, Spike.” A need, a lust for something. His adoration was quickly replaced by fear. “A-Ah!” he wailed and fell back against the blanket. She crawled on top of him, and then the fear hit her. His fear of her, it was like being dunked in a bucket of cold water. She awakened from her uncontrollable state just as her mouth was mere centimeters from his. He stared up at her, blushing deeply, eyes wide and full of that fear that had stopped her. “Go, my minions!” He cackled, thrusting a hoof forward for emphasis. The drones each saluted in unison before turning and flying out in formation. Chrysalis quickly clambered off Spike, who backpedaled soon after. He was still staring at her with those wide, fearful eyes. His heart was going a mile a second and felt like it would soon beat its way out of his ribcage. He felt the heat that rose to his face, and it lingered, like the silence that followed this little encounter. How could she lose control like that, and so easily? Even Shining Armor's love wasn't that delicious. “Err, sorry about that.” She attempted, he seemed to relax, but only a bit. “Don't know what came over me.” She forced a sheepish smile. That's when it happened. The only warning was the sound of buzzing wings. The unlikely pair looked toward the noise, Everfree Forest, and they saw them. The swarm of changeling drones, more then they could count. How did they get their numbers organized so fast without a leader? “We have to warn everyone!” Spike barked, he was standing within an instant, but before he could be off running, Chrysalis stopped him with her voice alone. “It's no use, by the time anyone important finds out, it'll be too late!” She tried, defiance shone in Spike's eyes. “I have to try!” He declared, but she grabbed him with her magic before he could run into the middle of the havoc that would surely ensue. “There's no way I'm letting you put yourself in danger like that.” She asserted as he struggled weakly against her strong grip. There was no chance he could get out of that. “We need to hide, before they spot us.” Spike felt betrayed, abandon Twilight, his only family? The changeling swarm descended upon Ponyville with speed and ferocity. Mares, stallions, and foals ran screaming from the horde, only to be captured in their sticky slime and carried away, back to Everfree Forest. Spike was frozen in place by the sheer terror of the situation. It was just like the Canterlot incident, only this time there was no one who could save them. Shining Armor was on his honeymoon with Cadence. The pair watched as their home was assaulted. Spike was shell shocked, staring into the distance yet not registering anything that happened. Chrysalis was better off, having no real ties to the ponies that were being carried away, though the sight was disturbing, and the effect it had on Spike unnerved her. “We need to get to Canterlot.” Chrysalis announced. Spike didn't respond. “Spike?” She was getting very worried about him. She was about to nudge him when he spoke. “How can we get there?” He questioned suddenly, his voice cold and hallow. The answer came in seconds. It seemed unnatural for him to be so detached. But she couldn't let her worry shine through, so she strengthened her resolve. “We fly.” She responded, bending her legs and lowering her body so he could climb on. It took him a second realize to implication, and when he did his face turned red. Spike climbed onto Chrysalis' back, and off they shot, flying high as she could take, avoiding the swarm's detection, and into the clouds. They would be there in no time. “Aaaahh, yes.” The king hissed, his tongue gliding over his lips. “Their fear, their despair.” He reveled in it, sticking his nose up in the air and taking it in slowly, like tasting a fine wine. He lowered his head to the pony he was feeding on, and looked in her eyes. The fear was disappearing, being replaced by a blank, emotionless stare. He continued to drink in all her fear, all her sorrow, until there was nothing left of the poor pony but a husk. An emotionless shell. “Mm, delicious.” His long, forked tongue licked his lips again. The pony fell to the ground in a heap, her eyes blank and green. “Take this corpse and store it with the others.”