//------------------------------// // Bloody Sunday // Story: The Changeling War // by PrometheusDark //------------------------------// In the chamber that the king had sectioned off as his personal feeding room, the shy mare stood stock still out of sheer terror. The being before her was so disproportionate and, to be blunt, frightening. His limbs were to long and thin, his eyes bulging and his smile wicked. “My, you are just full of fear. Do you not have anything else to offer me?” The king questioned, slithering around Fluttershy like a serpent. She struggled to muster up her courage and was reminded of other times she had shed her shy exterior for the sake of her friends or out of anger. “You... You bully!” She hollered at him. The fear practically disappeared and was replaced by anger, such a change gave the king a sense of whiplash. “How can you just do this to these poor ponies?! You're nothing but a... A...” She stopped as he inched ever closer to her, his eyes were mesmerizing. “Oh, are you finished? I see. My turn then.” He relished the renewed fear, but took no time to enjoy it. He simply lunged at her. Just a week ago, Twilight had been the one doing the saving, but now she was waiting to be saved, her and her best friends. Of course, she was not one to give up, her struggle had waned only slightly, and as soon as they carried off a petrified Fluttershy, she fought against her bonds with renewed vigor. It was after countless minutes of struggling the changelings returned, towing with them another husk. But it was just who this husk was that made her resolve shatter like brittle glass. Fluttershy stared a hundred yards ahead without showing she even knew where she was, what she was doing, or that she was, indeed, drained of all emotion and left a shell of her former self. The remaining Elements of Harmony looked to their friend in horror. The drones approached Twilight and began to gather her up, now was her chance. She released a burst of magical energy into the drones as they released her. They reeled back from the blunt force of the blow, but did not give up. “You think you can just do this to my friends and get away with it?!” Twilight roared, unleashing a barrage of magical blasts, barely taking the time to aim. She scorched walls, floor, and changelings alike. “Mercy, mercy!” A changeling cried, trying to shield his face in his hooves. The other changelings joined in with his plea. They all begged, hiding behind anything they could find, be it stalagmites, hooves, or other changelings. Twilight Sparkle grinned at her victory. “Release my friends, now!” She commanded, but the changelings didn't move, they simple looked at her, then to the tunnel they had been taking the ponies. After ten long, agonizing seconds of silence, one changeling tentatively stepped forward. “We... We can't.” He said in a submissive voice, his head low. “And why not?” Twilight questioned, her confusion was clear in her voice. She just wanted to escape with her friends, was that so much to ask? “Our king will kill us!” One of the other drones spoke up, still in hiding. They were afraid of Twilight, sure, but they held much more fear of their own king. Twilight didn't understand the severity of this. “So he'll punish you for letting us get away, whats the worst he can do?” Her patience was wearing thin. The changeling drones looked at each other then back at Twilight. She had no idea what he was capable of doing. “He killed Vespid, murdered him in cold blood! We need to get out of here before he does us in too!” The drone hissed in fear. Twilight couldn't believe her ears. They were so scared of their own ruler that they'd listen to him without question. He was no king, he was a tyrant. She couldn't help but start to feel sorry for the changelings, they only did what they did to survive or under orders. She made her choice. “You don't need to continue doing this, you know.” She was reminded of Spike and how she would comfort him, much like she was trying for these changelings. “If you help me, I'll help you.” They slowly pulled from their hiding places, hope in their eyes. “We need to hurry.” They didn't have much in the way of an offense, or a defense, but they were expected to be the forerunners of this conflict? Chrysalis couldn't believe they had gotten so little help from Princess Celestia, just a promise of power that sounded, to her, farfetched. As she flew through the air with Spike hanging on for dear life, her thoughts returned to the king of the changelings. How could he have returned? He had been sealed away, all but forgotten by her and her subjects. Spike's thoughts were far and away from her's. Man, I'm dead hungry. I never did get to eat lunch, with this whole thing starting. Stupid bugs. They make me so mad I could just... He felt a burning sensation in his chest and throat, his eyes started to water and he made a squeak of pain. Chrysalis heard this noise, concerned, she glided down toward the ground. Spike started to choke, he clutched his throat and proceeded to enter a coughing fit. Once they landed, Spike stumbled off her back and took a few shaky steps before falling on all fours. Chrysalis made a move to help, but stopped at what she saw next. Spike released a stream of neon green fire, which scorched the grass and spread fast. This was a surprise to both, Chrysalis was under the impression that Spike's fire couldn't do much anything besides send messages, but this fire was spreading and burning all in its path. In fact, it was burning too well. Soon it spread around them and, like a pack of wolves, closed in. Chrysalis grabbed Spike's tail with her mouth and leaped over the flames, Spike being to busy dry-heaving to escape on his own. The fire moved as if alive and converged on them again, Chrysalis wasn't giving up, however. She ran, tossing Spike onto her back as she did, and just as she was going to take flight once more, Spike jumped off and landed on his feet, staring down the flames he had produced. He felt something within him, something urging him to touch the fire, to be consumed by it, to burn away and he didn't know what else. It scared him, but at the same time, he knew it was right. Chrysalis turned and started galloping back to him, to grab him and carry him away from the fire, but he stopped her with only his voice. “Don't,” He spoke, so sure of this. “I think it wants me.” Chrysalis had no idea what to think about that. “I don't care what it wants-” She started, but something was keeping her in place, she couldn't move. Spike looked over his shoulder at her as the fire started to touch his legs and climb his body. He was smiling. He found himself in the middle of an expanse of nothingness. Everything was black, somehow he could see despite the lack of a light source. He felt himself being drawn ahead, he complied. Walking through the blackness he started seeing things in the distance, hope filled him and he broke into a sprint. Once he was closer, what he saw was not pleasant. The Elements of Harmony, and the other residents of Ponyville, each laid out in a ritualistic fashion. They lay completely still, not even breathing. He came to the obvious conclusion and horror took grip of his heart. “Beautiful, isn't it.” A voice growled from right behind him.