The Hive of Queen Chrysalis ten days after the launch of operation Fire Break, 1:20 PM
Group together in a square, four changelings groveled at the foot of a large dais that seemed to be a fluid frozen suddenly while being poured from a giant pitcher. The grey and black material seemed to be in mid ‘splash’ when it had become solid forming a soft kind of hedge at its base. The thrumming of the hive was becoming softer as a voice called down to the four alone on the floor at the center of the hive.
“What did you bring me,” a sultry voice asked from the top of the dais.
One changeling raised its head slightly off the ground as its muzzle rotated to become almost parallel to the ground. Its eyes still closed the changeling began to speak.
“We bring a prisoner your majesty…one who has sampled the power of the Violet Lantern light. He reeks of Royal Jelly as well.”
“Sacrilege!” Chrysalis screamed. The Changeling Queen then clapped her hooves together. “Bring the offender to my presence.”
The clattering of chains echoed off the walls of the throne chamber as a figure was brought in by ten hive guards. Girded in irons was a changeling drone larger than any other drone in the hive. He struggled to his hooves, bringing himself to his full height, the assembled changelings gasping as they saw him tower over any changeling save the Queen herself. All could see that his folded wings had a sapphire sheen that reflected the light from the eyes and horn glowing with a violet light. The drone then turned his gaze up to the queen and bared his long saber like teeth. His skin had a more iridescent sheen to it as well, and there was no lattice or perforations in his body!
“Such a strange form,” the Hive Queen mused out loud. She looked at her guard captain and nodded.
Four of the strange drone’s guards flew over his head and began to beat on his back with their weapons. “Kneel! Prostrate before Her Majesty your sovereign and mother.” The large drone hissed and more guards clambered on top of him, beating on him until he fell to his knees. Chrysalis peered at him from her throne dais and growled.
“Enough of this foppish shape! Assume your true form when your Queen addresses you!”
The strange changeling shook, flinging the guards holding his bonds like water off a dog’s coat. The chains clattered loudly as he tried to fly at the hive queen. Chrysalis’s horn glowed and a beam of green magical force blazed at the rebellious changeling as she descended from her throne platform. There was a hiss from her lips as she used her magic to hold the strange drone on the ground. When he was flat on the ground she halted her attack allowing ten guards to fling themselves on top of him. The drone then glared at the queen, his eyes bore into her unblinking.
“This IS my true form-tyrant!" the drone then bared his teeth again in a sneer.
"...and you are NOT my queen! My queen is kind to all that live!"
"Not your queen...? Insolent cur, you speak Treason!" the Changeling queen hissed. "I am the queen of ALL changelings! There is no other queen but me!”
“Not anymore,” the drone stood up again, guards clinging to his body. The act of standing after one of her attacks caused needles of cold to prick at Chrysalis’ heart. “He is so strong, and he reeks of Royal Jelly,” she thought. She maintained her outward mask of cold imperiousness and glared at the drone.
“What queen could you possibly have o jelly thief!”
One of the reporting spy changelings lifted her head,” He speaks of the Queen of the Star Sapphires my queen, the ones who have the Violet Battery of Love.”
“And who IS this ‘queen’? What kind of changeling is she?”
“She is not a changeling my queen,” another spy now spoke. “She is a pegasus pony. She is the one the first violet ring came to.” The hive queen’s eyes stared into the drone’s eyes, green magical fire glowing from within. The large male changing was unmoved and stood still, watching. Chrysalis licked her lips as a thought came to her.
“A male such as yourself has not been in the hive for a while…”
“I have no interest in a female that is more like a widow spider than a changeling,” the drone snapped. “ and I’d rather have a pony as my queen than you!” Chrysalis screamed and smashed her front right hoof into the muzzle of the drone.
“Pony's are food:nothing more! You are a traitor to your own kind,” she said with an icy tone.
"Says she who destroyed her own daughter and her hive, all for the crime of wanting to make peace with the ponies!" The drone then spat at Chrysalis. "You are the one that betrayed your own brood and all changeling kind-despot!"
“You’ve lived with the ponies too long. You are not a changeling anymore!”
Another blast from her horn pushed the drone into the ground. He grimaced as the magical force burned into him. His horn began to glow and he whispered something under his breath. Chrysalis let the magical force dissipate and looked on the prisoner, the disgust in her voice almost tangible.
“You've made a foolish choice, what a waste!” she said.
He coughed the smiled, “and you...just made a mistake!”
His horn flared and threads of violet light shot through the iron chains binding him. Just as suddenly the links shattered.
Chrysalis shielded her eyes from the blinding light, and brought up a magical globe shield around her in time to absorb a hit of some kind that knocked her shield bubble into the wall.
“How…how did you break cold iron chains?”
The drone laughed as he spread his wings and rose into the air. “I channeled your attack into the chains. Painful, but the results speak for themselves!”
He dodged the guards that had flown up to get him, kicking and hoofs punching each as they reached for him. His wings thrummed deeply as he made his way to the hive exit. More guards rose like a living wall to block his escape. The sapphire drone suddenly put on a burst of speed and pulled into himself to become a ball that smashed through the guard wall. Guards were thrown into the walls and floor, the remaining flying guards looping out of control. He unfurled himself and began flying down the tunnel exit.
“Your spies were careless tyrant!” the drone’s voice echoed from the tunnel. “The Violet Battery will NEVER be yours!”
“SEIZE HIM!” the queen screamed. Her guards buzzed into a formation as they flew after the escaped prisoner. The queen stared at the shattered chains in marvel. Cold Iron was a special metal that kept changelings from using any of their magic.
One of the spies groaned and Chrysalis turned to look down at the tiny hive member.
“What is the problem?”
“Your majesty, it took many of us to catch that drone. We got lucky when we discovered and caught him. While he is not as strong as yourself mom, he is by far the mightiest drone we have ever seen!” He whimpered under her glare. “I doubt he will be recaptured.”
Queen Chrysalis looked town the tunnel and growled. “O that he would have joined us. Such a loss.” The queen clapped her hooves again and a large drone warrior approached, dressed in the armor of a General of the Changeling Nation. He kneeled as Chrysalis flew back to her throne dais.
“Yes my queen?”
“We must advance our plans general. Commence operations at once.”
The general bowed. “Yes your majesty. Do you still intend to go yourself?”
“Yes. I will leave immediately,” The queen looked down the tunnel again.”We must be inside Ponyville before the alarm is raised so we have very little time. Is the pony we are using as a puppet in position?”
“Yes mom and the chamber for us is ready. Our cover is through.”
“Good. Let us go general. We need that battery!”
*
Equestria, Ponyville, Hive of the Changelings of Queen Fluttershy, the same day as the temptation of Princess Celestia by the orange battery.
"You're lucky that trick with the chains didn't kill you right there." The captain of the hive guards shook his head.
"You're telling me...I felt like somepony had driven an ax into my head for two days! It made fighting the door guards at Queen Chrysalis's front door rough."
"Still...it proves that we've grown much tougher since Queen Fluttershy gave us shelter," the captain stretched his wings. "Praise be to the violet light and it's protectors the Star Sapphires I do believe it is making us into something new!"
"Maybe it is. Maybe Queen Meanie is right and we aren't really changelings any more." Buzz Burr hissed as a stinging ointment was pushed into a wound."We are tougher but still not tough enough. Queen Chrysalis could still kill any one of us in an instant if she wanted to."
"You say her hive has grown since Canterlot? How? I thought she'd be starving by now."
"She found a new source of love apparently, one that is feeding her hive well enough." the scout drone unfurled a wing.
"If it's enough, then shouldn't she and her hive be happy?"
"When did that stop her from wanting more, especially if she thinks she's putting one over on somepony?" Buzz Burr looked into the eyes of his captain. "She's likely on her way here now, pushed to act because of my escape. Her plan was to try and secure the battery by stealth if possible before resorting to force."
“What cover shape is she using?”
“I don’t know that but I do know she’s been getting ready for a while now.”
“Darn,” the guard captain exclaimed.
“She’s being really cagey this time, leaving little to chance unlike last time. “ Buzz Burr coughed, “We need to see the queen-NOW!”
“Buzz Burr you stay put! You are lucky to be alive,” a worker changeling said to him. She rubbed a salve into a wound, “It was
extremely foolish to go alone.”
“It was necessary,” he hissed from the stinging of the ointment. “Under cover was the only way to learn what we needed to know. How long was I gone?”
“You were gone for almost three weeks,” the nurse worker answered with a hint of annoyance. ”I hope it worth it.”
“It was,” another warrior drone said coming into the chamber. “What Queen Chrysalis knows is frightening."
"She knows about all the batteries, the rings, the names of lanterns, everything," the captain growled. The only bright spots were finding out that the Red Lanterns were killing the Queen’s hive just as they killing ours, discovering some of the plans of the Queen and discovering the identities and covers her spies in Ponyville.” He hissed as more stinging ointment was rubbed into the cracks of his carapace. “It took me too long to get back!”
“You were wounded and warn out from the escape and you needed to avoid capture! You did better than we should have any right to expect.” The warrior drone cradled Buzz’s muzzle in his hooves. “But you really shouldn’t have been so stubborn about going alone! It could have gotten you killed!” He sniffed deeply. “And they are right...we do reek of Royal Jelly.”
“Next time I’ll listen captain.” Buzz Burr groaned has he got off of the nurse's platform. “Enough tending, time is short! I need to tell Queen Fluttershy and the Hive elders everything at once. Has she tried to broach the subject of us to her friends yet? Telling the lanterns would be useful.”
“She’s tried, but you know our queen," the captain shook his head. "…strong on defense but timid on offense. I’ll ask the queen to join us as soon as possible. She went out to help those delivery children with some animals.”
Buzz Burr’s wings opened with a snap as he uttered a low growl, “Captain we need to find her-NOW! Those ‘kids’ are Chrysalis’ spies here! They were instructed to isolate her when they planned to attack!” Buzz Burr stretched, “where did they take her?”
“To the animal’s winter warrens outside of town was where they were headed.”
Buzz Burr squeaked and wheeled around. “They’re making their move NOW! They're going to attack any time now!”
“War parties assemble,” the guard captain shouted. “I need twelve soldiers to leave immediately and more for hive defense! The Queen’s life and the battery are in danger! Warriors going with me for rescue: armor up and assume the shape of pegasi so we can fly“. The captain gestured to a passing worker, looming over her small form.
“Break out our weapons! Full war gear!”
“But…Queen Fluttershy said we must never use them while under her protection! She forbade…” the captain hissed.
“Yes, and we obey because she loves us and protects us: but now the Queen needs our protection! She told us to keep hidden remember, so I can’t just go to the lanterns, or anyone else for that matter for help! That could bring the Reds down on us for sure! We do this by ourselves for the moment. Now-get those weapons FAST!” The captain looked over his wings at Buzz Burr.
“You stay put hero.”
Buzz Burr was hovering getting ready to leave. His form had shifted and he took the shape of a ‘normal’ changeling.
“You get to the queen. I have an idea to get lantern help.”Buzz Burr rubbed his chin."Where is Princess Cadence now?"
"With the new Star Sapphires training in the back yard." the captain looked at the spy with a suspicious eye. “What insane plan do you have now?”
“I’ll get Princess Cadence’s attention like this; pretend to be one of Chrysalis’s advanced scouts. I’ll get her attention by mocking her or something. I’ll taunt her about capturing the Star Sapphire Queen, something like that. She will call in other lanterns and either go to Queen Fluttershy or protect the battery. Either way I’ll get some lanterns to come after me.”
The captain’s mouth hung open for a second and he swallowed hard. “Buzz Burr NO! The Princess will destroy you in a heartbeat! She'll cut you down the second she sees you!"
"I'll dodge...I'm not trying to fight her, just get her attention," Buzz Burr chuckled.
The captain shook his head violently. "The Reds out there and their Archon is on the war path remember? Rainbow Dash is hunting changelings remember? Her corps has been really hitting Chrysalis hard-you yourself confirmed it! Imagine if she finds one of us here in Ponyville!”
“Yeah I know and nopony else knows save our Queen.” Buzz Burr was moving slowly to an exit tunnel. “I have to risk it for all our sakes!”
“We should have revealed ourselves,” the captain sighed. “This could have been avoided if we…”
“No. I disagree. I think staying hidden has saved lives-ours and perhaps even others. The time has allowed Queen Fluttershy to truly love us –she overcame her fear and distrust and helped us, showed us what we truly can be like Princess Lace Wing before her! We
MUST save her! I’ll die before I lose that again!”
The captain bowed as workers brought armor and weapons to the assembling rescue party. He closed his eyes and spoke in a low, even voice.
“May the violet light shine on you and keep you safe Buzz Burr.” The captain then turned to the assemblage.
“For Queen and Hive,” he yelled.
“For Queen and Hive,” they answered.
The captain listened to Buzz Burr fly away as he addressed almost thirty soldiers dressing for battle.
“Buzz Burr is going to try a gambit to get lantern aid, but we must assume it’s not coming. We must save Queen Fluttershy, keep Queen Chrysalis’s hooves from the violet battery: nothing else matters! If we can do this and keep secret our existence, that is desirable but if we can’t: Queen Chrysalis MUST NOT get the battery or any rings and Queen Fluttershy MUST be saved!”
The last pieces of his armor were locked in place and he lifted into the air. “One third of you stay in the hive and protect from any intruder. The watchword is ‘angel’ got it? Twelve of you follow me to go protect the queen, the rest go outside carefully and take up positions near the Crystal Palace and prepare for the fight of your lives! We’ve become much stronger than other
changelings, but don’t rely on that alone, be smart! ”
*
Buzz Burr flew quietly around the gleaming fence of crystals to the far end of the back yard of the Queen’s cottage. He paused, hovering just below the top of the wall thinking of what he was going to do to try and draw out Princess Cadence. He had half a mind to reveal himself in his true from, make a plea against their common enemy, but discarded the idea.
He took a breath and flew over the wall and landed on the ground. He scanned the grounds and seeing a nopony approached the cottage keep. When he was outside one of the windows he saw where the violet light wielders were, gathered in the newly built great hall. Ms. Cheerilee was on a platform speaking to listening new Star Sapphires demonstrating how to make constructs with a recruit. Buzz knew none of the faces he saw but the chamberlain teacher. The ranks of the Violet core had expanded in his absence-a gratifying sight knowing Queen Chrysalis was coming.
‘Humm...where is Princess Cadence,’ he pondered.
He moved around to an open doorway and poked his muzzle inside the hall to get a better look. His eyes scanned the hall…
…and into the eyes of the Princess of Love.
“O’ boy,” Buzz Burr whispered under his breath. His mind began to race, thinking of what he was going to do next when the Alicorn of Love was suddenly towering over him, construct armor glittering over her body.
Princess Cadence’s voice became a symphony of thunder: “CHANGELING!”
The assembled Star Sapphires all wheeled about, ring auras exploding like popcorn in a frying pan. Buzz Burr almost swooned from the love light that washed over him. Shaking his head he refocused on the princess in time to see her summoning a construct net. He folded his wings and rolled backwards, barely dodging the construct. Unfolding to stand on his hooves again, he was struck by a torrent of violet spheres that knocked him over the grass yard.
A weird tingling feeling filled Buzz Burr’s body. He felt sluggish and blissful and in agony at the same time. Looking for another attack from the princess he saw only blurry colors and shape, moving and twisting. After blinking a couple of times his vision cleared enough to see the princess walking to him clad violet ring power.
He shook his head trying to clear the conflicting feelings from his mind as he got onto his hooves. Beating his wings Buzz Burr blew a heavy wind into the face of the princess as he lifted off. He saw that bruises had appeared that ached horribly and felt wonderful at the same time. He turned away and made for the fence when a giant mesh screen appeared in front of him.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Star Sapphire Princess Mi Amore Cadenza yelled.
Buzz Burr bathed in the glow of the construct, a feeling of relaxation trying to push him into sleep as strength began to surge through his body. In the presence of a Red Lantern Buzz Burr would be flinching, the red light would be a burning agony but a Star Sapphire’s aura blazing for a fight was threatening to make him pass out in bliss. Queen Fluttershy always kept her glow at a minimum and used construct rarely when she was with the changelings. Perhaps the battery was safe…
‘Snap out of it drone! The Tyrant won’t fold like you do!’
Buzz Burr charged at the princess his wings a blur giving him a sudden burst of speed. Princess Cadence jinked sideways away from the changeling whose horn flared with violet light, sending pulses of magic at the Star Sapphire. A large shield appeared and deflected the attack.
Buzz Burr spun in the air and saw the other Star Sapphires now in the air and on the ground closing in all around him. He looked upward and saw the mesh still in place, forming a cage over the area. He silently cursed and began to try and puzzle through what to do next when a construct net with weights exploded over him binding all his limbs and wings.
He felt the glow of the construct trying to make him nap when he hit the ground hard. Uttering a hiss when he landed he tried to shake off the blissful feeling washing over him as he struggled to cast off the bindings. Large staple like constructs appeared and drove through the net into the ground locking Buzz Burr to the ground. Princess Cadence landed, her face creased in a deep frown. Miss Cheerilee appeared over her shoulder and landed next to the princess, her lips pressed tightly together giving the school teacher a stern visage.
As other Star Sapphires landed around him to Buzz Burr their voices became unintelligible chattering. It was becoming difficult to make out distinct voices; the constructs glow was now making him drowsy and he ceased to struggle and became still. He diverted all his efforts to maintain the shape he had assumed.
The Star Sapphires became silent when the Princess raised her ring bearing hoof up. Miss Cheerilee moved forward and leaned down peering into the changeling’s eyes. There was no change in her stern countenance when she spoke.
“If there is one, there is likely others.”
“Yes,” Princess Cadence agreed. “There’s always more than just one. We need find the others and find where Queen Chrysalis is.” The alicorn pursed her lips. “All changelings love their queen and their hive…hum….” Cadence mused out loud.
“If that’s so then how about we use the True Love image?” Miss Cheerilee asked. “Maybe we can use the changeling’s love for Chrysalis to find her?” The princess’s ears pricked up and her smile flashed.
“Yes. We can use that to call up a focus and then use it to generate a tether to take us right to Chrysalis!” Cadence looked at the captured changeling. Buzz Burr shivered.
“Could you please attempt it Cheerilee? My feelings about changelings may…affect the results.” Cadence cleared her throat
and spoke loudly.
“All of you- Cheerilee is going to use a unique ability of our rings. The ring can reveal the heart’s deepest desire. To see this you have to gaze into the light of a ring doing this, so please watch carefully.” Princess Cadence looked at the teacher and nodded at the captured changeling.
Cheerilee took a step forward then sat in front of Buzz Burr. The mare then brought up her ring which was glowing brightly. She closed her eyes and a beam of light fell into the changeling’s eyes. Buzz Burr could feel his control of the disguise slipping. His magical aura began to shift randomly, his true appearance threatening to be revealed at any moment. He could feel a kind of gentle warmth flowing into his mind and his heart. Suddenly a jolt or rush of feelings started to circulate between himself then to the teacher and back.
Cheerilee’s face suddenly changed. Her eye lids half closed and her muzzle scrunched. She suddenly rose into the air as a violet light enveloped her and the changeling. Cheerilee’s eyes suddenly opened and a bubble of light rose from her ring. The violet bubble expanded, becoming clearer and dimmer as it became larger. Inside the center of the bubble something was forming, becoming more defined. It was pony shaped, becoming larger and more defined as the bubble disappeared.
“Love…of…the…hive…queen.” Miss Cheerilee said softly.
Wing like shapes appeared on the pony inside the bubble and Cadence stared at the forming shape. Like an image in a telescope the blurry picture slowly became clearer, gaining definition. Cheerilee suddenly gasped when she saw…
…the perfect image of Fluttershy clad in her corps uniform appeared within the center of the fading bubble.
Princess Cadence, eyebrows raised and mouth opened stared at the image. She then lowered her head to look the captured changeling in the eyes. The eye colors of the prisoner were now changing; the blue fading to become a color like the construct that held him and what looked like irises and pupils appeared.
‘I can feel myself about to lose it’, he thought to himself.
The alicorn was visibly taken aback. She raised her head and turned her head slightly to the side to look at the creature with her right eye only.
“How can you love Fluttershy?” the princess asked with a hint of disdain in her voice. “Changelings reserve only their strongest love for their queen…”
“I have …” the drone said haltingly.
There was a wave of light and the shape of normal changeling warrior disappeared. Buzz Burr’s body became solid with no holes of any sort and gained a pattern to the skin that sparkled with highlights. The wings lost their holes and monochrome coloring. Translucent colors of every hue now shown forth like the skin of a soap bubble. The horn was slightly longer and straighter and a more graceful patterning to its surface. Silence fell as Buzz Burr assumed his true form.
Struggling to stay conscious the drone raised his head and looked at the star sapphires. He swallowed hard. ‘Nothing for it…it’s out now.’
“Queen Fluttershy…IS my hive queen…my princess.”
“You lie!” a voice from the crowd yelled. The changeling simply shook his head slowly.
He could feel his body becoming ridged, unbending. His mind hovered at the edges of dark sleep and blurry wakefulness.
“No…she is, and Queen Fluttershy…is in danger.” His eyes were half closed now. “The battery…is in danger! Queen Chrysalis is here…to try and take them both. Please…” The drone lowered his head to the ground in a posture that looked very much like the creature was prostrating to the princess.
“Forgive...my deception…my princess,” he whimpered. Cadence's mouth fell open in surprise. “It was only…to warn...to alert you.” Buzz Burr rolled over on his side. “Don’t...let...Chrysalis...get...the...violet light.”
Buzz Burr’s eyes closed and he was suddenly quiet. SS Cheerilee kneeled down to listened with a cocked ear to the creature. She then raised up her ring.
"Ring, scan and report," she said out loud. A beam of light then shown on the creature, moving over its body quickly.
[=Assessment: Scanned sentient suffers from physical injuries indicating combat before encountering Star Sapphires. Injuries are neither life threatening nor debilitating. Sentient’s … =]
“Changeling.” Princess Cadence said. The ring paused for a half second then continued.
[= Designation acknowledged. Changeling’s unconsciousness is the result of physiology. Changeling absorbs and processes violet emotional energy. The amount the changeling can absorbed and metabolize has reached an upper threshold, as a result Changeling has entered a state of suspension due to energy absorption satiation. =]
“Wait-it’s saying the changeling is sleeping because it’s full,” another Star Sapphire asked.
[= Affirmative. =]
Princess Cadence stared at the sleeping changeling and slowly shook her head.
’I’ve never seen a changeling that looked like this: ever! And the ring said that its loved hive queen is Fluttershy!’ the princess turned away from the napping prisoner.
“What does this all mean,” a pegasus mare asked.
“It means we take measures,” Cheerilee answered. “The princess and I have been preparing for this situation. Now-instead of one no less than four Star Sapphires guarding the battery at all times! Check everypony and I mean everypony approaching the battery to see if they are a changeling no matter what! “
Cadence nodded. “We need to alert the rest of our corps and the other corps,” the princess said. She pointed at an earth stallion.
“Mondo, I need you to go alert the Indigo Herd, they can spread the news faster than we can ourselves. Then proceed to the Citadel of the Green Lanterns and to Boiling Point. We may need their help very soon.” The stallion rose into the air heading to Rarity’s house.
“I’ll make sure the prisoner is secure and take charge of things here.” The alicorn said to the school teacher before she lifted into the air. “Cheerilee you take four Star Sapphires and go find Fluttershy and bring her back.” She looked at the sleeping changeling while letting her construct restraints fade away.
Cheerilee nodded and pointed to four Star Sapphires, ordering them to follow her. Princess Cadence pointed her glowing ring at the sleeping intruder and the changeling was covered in cascades of violet light that froze and became like the crystal that was used to build the violet corps’ palace. She then stared at the dozing changeling within and thought how like much an insect in amber it looked.
“Fluttershy what have you been doing with these creatures,” she asked out loud.
*
Equestria, Citadel of the Green Lantern Corps, meeting room two floors above the battery chamber at that very moment.
“I am most assuredly not joyful about this myself Applejack! Sweetie with ring, even a blue one was not what…”
“Y’all have lost yer apple buckin’ minds!”
“AJ…”
“Mack, how can YOU of all ponies are OK with any of this?”
Big Macintosh frowned as his sister pushed her muzzle into his. The glow of ring energy in her eyes grew brighter as her voice grew louder. Mac’s jaw moved back and forth, his teeth making a rubbing sound as he looked at his sister.
“Enope!” he said flatly. His eyes narrowed and he stared into his sister, green lightning seemed to flash from them when he blinked. “Ah ain’t OK with it, but whatcha gonna do about it AJ? Go ta war with our own sister? We got too much in our wagons right now without addin’ more to it!” He eyes bored into hers as he raised his head slightly. He snorted “There ain’t no way ta get it away from her without causin’ a major fight. Remember the poison joke? Remember what she did then you were tiny, how she outright defied ya and did what she wanted to? She’s a match for ya now without her ‘greed guards’ helpin’.”
“Then we’ll get the all the corps ta stop her!”
“AJ…come on, we can’t-not right now. Thankfully Princess Celestia has got her calmed down for the time bein’.”
Applejack’s ring aura suddenly appeared and flared. She sat on her haunches ears flat, muzzle scrunched up in a sneer. He shifted her gaze from her brother first to Twilight then turning to Rarity and Pinkie Pie who stood far across from Twilight in the meeting chamber. Sitting on the open balcony that commanded the view of the northern gate stood the glowing form of one of the minions of the orange battery, sitting silently. Seeing a unicorn made of orange energy poked at Applejack’s mind like a burr under a pull yoke. Licking her lips she returned her attention to her brother.
“We gotta play this smart AJ; ya just can’t go over and try ta take that ring from Apple Bloom!”
The Green Lantern Clarissi growled, “How can you just let her keep the dang thing?”
“It would be all out war with our sister,” Mack roared back.”Is that what ya want? An’ for the record sis Ah ain’t OK with Apple Bloom having any ring, let alone one powered by avarice! Ah ain’t OK with letting her keep the dang thing, and Ah REALLY ain’t OK with her gettin’ involved an any of this madness, but goin’ head on with her is just gonna make things worse!”
“He’s right Applejack,” Rarity said in a half pained voice. “If you try to force the issue, I am afraid it will turn out badly.”
“Rarity Ah’...”
Rarity moved forward closer to her friend, trying to hide that she could feel the anger radiating from Applejack. She sat in front of the green lantern and stared into her eyes. Indigo light glowed from the unicorn mare as she spoke.
“Listen to me…as much as it is distasteful to admit, I know more about avarice than any pony else here.”
“Cuz of the Indigo…” the green lantern snapped. Rarity raised her hoof up and frowned.
“Because of the maze Applejack, Remember?”
The earth pony jerked up, her mouth half open, winced and nodded. “…yeah,” she said haltingly.
The Red Lantern’s representative Arcana standing near Twilight away from the blue lantern’s light panned her ears forward.
This was something some had heard about the Elements of Harmony battle with the imprisoned Lord of Chaos Discord, that the hero's of Equestria were the opposite of themselves and bickered constantly. It was the story of them overcoming that curse that helped make the legend of the Elements of Harmony.
"Let me tell you...Apple Bloom will NEVER willingly relinquish that ring! I know because I’ve felt her feelings about it and I know what it is because I’ve felt like that myself!” IH Rarity took a breath and let it out in a long even breath. “If you try and push her to give it up…she will push back.”
“Also,” Pinkie floated closer, “The nasty snake didn’t get something it really wanted, so it’s not in a mood to let go of anything right now.”
“The…snake?”
“Yes,” Rarity said. “the…snake,” Rarity shuttered. “Pinkie said when she looked at Apple Bloom she saw a snake coiling itself inside and around Apple Bloom…” Rarity then looked at her indigo ring, “…like she sees these other…creatures inside each of us.”The unicorn then stared deeply into the eyes of her friend.
“I wondered if it was just silliness but it’s not; Pinkie sees these creatures.” Rarity sighed, “and…I feel them!”
“What? How?”
“It seems the blue ring has expanded Pinkie’s perception, she’s much more…” Twilight Sparkle’s voice spoke from afar.
“…perceptive.” Applejack looked and saw the yellow lantern standing in the door way, giving as much distance between herself and the blue ring.
“She needs to see it,” Big Macintosh said.
“See what?”
“What Pinkie showed us after we left Princess Celestia. We have just discovered something...ominous.”
“Umm,” BL Pinkie Pie pointed at the orange pony form at the balcony. GL Macintosh nodded and placed himself next to the construct pony.
“I wonder if it can talk,” GL Big Macintosh asked out loud. When he heard the construct speak with a strange vibrating voice made him almost jump.
“Gateway can speak with her charges.”
“Charges? What the hey does that mean,” Applejack turned and asked.
“Lady Orange Bloom was very specific: her property, her family and her friends are to be protected at all times,” the construct pony answered.
“We’ve been doin’ fine without her help!”
“Yes she is very aware of your actions, your ability. She has watched or had we her servants watch you. It has…inspired Lady Orange Bloom to become more proficient with hers.”
Applejack and Macintosh both swallowed hearing that. Not only had Apple Bloom hid her ring from everypony, she had been spying on them! There was no telling what she knew and how well she could use the ring. Applejack bit her tongue and thought to herself, ‘Twilight said she was good…guess Ah know the reason why.’
“ Uh..We need to have a private…conversation. Please leave.”
“I must…”
“You can hover outside the balcony Gateway,” Mack interrupted the construct lantern. “Nopony is gonna attack us here!”
The orange construct pony looked at the big stallion, then his sister before lifting into the air and moving outside. Twilight used her magic to close the glass doors. Applejack turned and stomped her hoof.
"What is that thing," Applejack snapped. "It's like it's...alive!"
"Yes...It does seem sentient," the red lantern said.
“An' the nerve of that filly!" The farm make kicked one of her hind legs in frustration. "Ah am not her property dagnabbit!”
“Let’s just cover this Applejack.” Twilight sighed. “It is important and may help explain things about Apple Bloom.”
“Show us Pinkie,” IH Rarity sighed wearily. “Show them what you see and I feel.”
“Oklie Doklie!”
The blue lantern landed next to Applejack and raised her ring up. Blue bubbles twisted and stretched until it became the image of Apple Bloom, clutching a lantern battery. Then what looked like a length of dough stretched and formed itself into the shape of a giant hooded serpent, wrapping the coils of its body tightly around both the battery and the child. The creature clutched the filly and the lantern tightly. The snake passed through Apple Bloom’s body in the heart and the creature seemed to be ‘tickling’ the child’s ear with its forked tongue. Applejack’s eyes widened.
“What….what is that THING,” the farm mare screeched.
“The snake inside her,” Pinkie answered, her mane losing some of its puffiness as she spoke.
“And it radiates intense avarice,” Rarity said. Pinkie nodded in agreement. Applejack stared at the image.
“She’s…possessed!” Applejack began to sweat as her eyes grew wider. “We gotta…”
“There’s more!” Twilight’s voice echoed over from the walls. “Show her the rest of it Pinkie!”
Rarity looked at Pinkie, running her tongue over her lips. The unicorn’s eyes were glowing with the indigo light as she visibly swallowed. Six more bubbles flowed from the blue ring contorting into the shapes of the Elements of Harmony. The images of her friends then changed; one by one strange shapes not unlike the one around Apple Bloom appeared around each of the ponies. Rarity grimaced as the shape around her construct figure became more defined appearing like some kind of squid. The Element of Generosity made a low sound like she was suppressing a gag as she turned her attention to another image.
Twilight’s figure became surrounded by what looked like an insect that was a combination of a mantis and a wasp. One of the front leg ‘scythes’ of the insect appeared to be stroking the yellow lantern’s head like it was brushing Twilight’s mane. The other seemed to pierce the side of the Element of Magic through her chest around the area of her heart. Applejack glanced briefly at her friend and saw her stroking her mane which now looked suddenly unkempt.
Rainbow Dash’s figure was inside what looked like I gigantic bull like creature, its horns and tusks seemed to grow out of the pegasus’ head, the rest of her body was suspended within the strange animal that surrounded her body. Froth and dripping fluid seeped from the mouth of the image. Arcana leaned forward, staring at the image of the Red Lantern Archon.
The image around Fluttershy was even weirder than the others. She was within a huge dragon with six limbs but the front two limbs were stretched out like it was reaching into emptiness for something that no one could see. The dragon’s tail was coiled beneath itself like it was hiding or protecting something. The sight of a dragon around Fluttershy made somepony utter a soft chuckle.
The bird that rested on top of the image of Pinkie had three faces, and it looked like all of them were singing a song. The tail feathers and the wings that mantled over the party pony gave the creature a vaguely phoenix like appearance. Pinkie looked very much like she was the beating heart of the strange avian. Applejack stood staring at the image before she looked at the image of herself…
…within the shape of a huge sea creature.
“…the fish inside you…” Applejack whispered.
“Yes Applejack…the fish inside you,” Pinkie answered softly. “This is what I saw and I still see, even now.”
She stared at the image and recalled something cloudy and half forgotten from a dream…that she had wings and was flying through the night. Now looking at the giant aquatic creature that Pinkie said dwelled within her she could see now they were not wings…they were fins.
Ears flattened eyes wide she turned and looked about, “What… what in the blue eye’d Tartarus does it mean?”
“We don’t know Applejack,” Twilight began. “It adds more mystery to what is going on. Rarity senses intense emotion corresponding to our rings from these…creatures. Nothing from what you’ve shown from the Book of Oa even describes beings like these. I’ll need to do more research with you about them.”
"Do...does everypony with a ring have these....critters inside of em' ?"
"Naw," the Blue Lantern patted the back of her head with a hoof. " Just us, the lucky ones who got a ring first, they are the only ones with these...passengers."
Applejack stared at the images then shook her head to stare at the glittering green band on her hoof, "What other surprises come with ya ring?"
Rarity looked at the red lantern like she smelled something fowl seeping from the rage wielder. Her eyes began to glow again with the indigo light and she moved forward and stood near the still transfix Arcana. Her teeth gritted reflexively as she felt the searing rage of the red light. Rarity felt like she was reaching through a sheet of fire as she pulled on the other strong emotion radiating from the unicorn. The icy touch of fear bit into the Indigo Herd leader making her gasp as she ‘read’ the cold emotion flowing from the red lantern. The fear flowed from the Arcana, tinged with ....pride? Envy? She was fixated on the image and feeling a swirling storm of emotions. Closing her eyes Rarity reached into the tangle of emotional threads and like the knot artist extraordinaire followed them through the twists and turns to their origin.
“You’ve seen this creature before!”
“Wha-what,” Arcana said blinking in confusion.
Rarity frowned and moved to place herself between the image of Rainbow Dash and the startled mare.
“You have seen it before! You’'ve seen this creature!” Rarity leaned into the face of Arcana. The red lantern leaned back, trying to get some distance between her and the indigo Herd leader’s face.
“Tell us!” Twilight demanded, stomping her hoof on the ground. Arcana remained silent.
[=Hope=]
Blue energy appeared around the ring of Rarity and the symbol of the Blue Lantern hovered over her horn. Arcana’s face suddenly drooped as a kind of fatigue washed over her. Twilight glided away from Rarity as she stood in front of the red lantern who was now scooting backwards with her eyes locked with the eyes of the Mistress of Compassion. Rarity, her ring aura now glowing brightly floated in the air and moving backwards away from the red lantern gave distance between them so the blue light’s effect would diminish.
“Forgive me…I don’t mean to be this forceful but I…no WE must know. Tell us what you have seen”, Rarity pleaded. Arcana nodded silently.
“It was the night we had the meeting about...besmirching Applejack." the farm mare's face scrunched up like she had just eaten something sour. "She was furious at the beginning and got even more angry as she went on. Suddenly, that-“ she pointed at the image of the pega-bull, “-appeared. It…it was pure rage like that snake you describe is pure avarice! It’s roar…was,” she gulped quietly. “The power I felt, the pure virtuous rage!” she stopped talking and smiled a little.
“Yes?”
“It felt was like I was an ant compared to a lantern.” Arcana’s ears twitched. “We were all held in her power until…the blue light appeared. That was when she calmed down and we were all let go."
“Why are we hearin’ about this just now?” Applejack snapped.
"We were being punished, and we thought it was just Rainbow Dash proving she was in charge." Arcana shook her head. "If you were a red lantern you would understand. None of you know..."
Applejack opened her mouth to say something when a great noise erupted from outside the open balcony. Several spots of light then appeared, the sign of many lanterns lifting off into the air. Big Macintosh opened the glass doors and moved past the orange construct lantern that floated outside. He saw a streak of violet light moving up to the balcony that suddenly came to a stop. The stallion within the violet aura looked at Macintosh with wide eyes.
“Whao…easy there Mondo…Where’s the fire?”
“At the castle…Queen Chrysalis has come for our battery and Fluttershy is in trouble! Princess Cadence asks for any help you can send, now!”
Mac nodded.
"If Chrysalis is here we have to move right away," YL Twilight Sparkle said as she rose into the air. RL Arcana had raised her ring and the image of the Red Lantern Archon now hovered in the room.
"What?" Rainbow Dash snapped.
"Chrysalis," the rage wielding unicorn answered.
Rainbow Dash's face became like a feral beast of the Everfree. "Where," she roared.
"In Ponyville. Princess Cadence is asking for our help at the Crystal Palace."
"Keep up!" Rainbow Dash yelled as blood plasma seeped from her mouth.
*
Saddle Arabia, The Great Desert, Oasis of a Thousand Stars at that moment.
[=Fear=]
[=Rage=]
Dark energy spikes appeared over the hoof of a decayed stallion as he stood over the prone body of a young stallion.
“ThErE Is nO JIn mAgIc trIck to sAvE yOU nEphEw. “
“Why Uncle? Why are you doing this?” A rotting hoof pinned the adolescent to the sand.
“TO brIng An End tO An AccIdEnt.”
Prongs of blackness drove into the young stallion chest, his scream turning into a gurgle as he let out his last breath. The blood dripping heart pulled from the fresh kill then began to blacken and turned into dust. A gust of wind blew the dark fragments away as the ring on the black lantern croaked.
[=Charge 47.3%=]
“ThAt wAs thE lAst OnE, thErE ArE nO mOrE hErE,” an undead camel said with a spit that landed in the wilting grass.”ThIs OAsIs Is At pEAcE. WE’rE dOnE hErE.”
“NOt qUItE," the undead stallion said."LOOk!”
[=Will=]
[=Fear=]
[=Rage=]
[=Compassion=]
RL Hoops landed on the grass as he created a glowing basket ball or rage energy. The stallion let the sphere fly at the camel Black Lantern, the ball spin on its axis as it tore into the undead, pulling burning flesh around as it spun. Hoops hoof pumped and grinned.
“Love that move!”
“This isn’t a game,” GL Sandy Shade said summoning cutlasses and moving far from the Red lantern. She brought both down on top of a desert war pony, biting into the ragged weapon he wielded. The Black Lantern tried to bite her in the fore leg. The Green Lantern jumped back, landing on all four of her hooves.
“YOu’rE tOO lAtE, wE hAvE kIllEd All hErE.” The black lantern stood up and swung his sword again. “And sOOn, All yOU lAntErns wIll jOIn thEm!”
Spears of green energy appeared and flew into the undead warrior, pinning it to the soft ground. Sandy brought a construct ax down into the head of the monster as an old Indigo Herd stallion landed next to the earth mare. The Black Lantern began to pull itself up the construct shafts.
[= Will =]
“Not today.” Sandy said as she willed her rings light onto the black ring.
*
Equestria, Ponyville, outside the Crystal Palace of the Star Sapphires.
“Listen up now children! Pay attention! We’re coming to the home of the Lantern’s of the Violet light. They call themselves Star Sapphire.
“Oh, come on Mrs. Butter Cream,” a colt rubbed his tummy before continuing. “Twilight Starkle wasn’t home and neither was the prissy Indigo lady can’t we get something to eat first? I’m starving!”
The children began to clamor loudly milling about. The mare cleared her throat loudly while raising her hoof into the air. The tall pegasus then looked down at the child over the top of her glasses. She opened one of her wings and gave the child a light wing pop and spoke in a much colder tone.
“The head of the yellow lanterns is named Twilight SPARKLE young stallion! She is princess Celestia’s prize pupil please try and remember that!”
“Yes mam,” the child said.
“M-Mrs Butter Cream, we are hungry, couldn’t we just skip seeing this and go eat?” a filly’s voice called out from the large group of children.
The teacher sighed. “Soon children…soon.”
Two Star Sapphire’s standing by the front door of the palace stood quietly watching as the teacher approached. The old but beautiful mare made a sour expression as she looked don on the children who crowded around her hooves. She made a shushing sound as she moved forward.
“Hello ladies, could you tell my colleague Miss Cheerilee that Mrs. Butter Cream is here for a tour?
“Cheerilee knows you? I thought she was the only teacher in Ponyville,” one of the sapphires asked.
“Oh, I’m not a Ponyville teacher,” she tittered. “I was brought in by the education system to help with all the refugee children coming here.”
“I’m sorry Miss…”
“Mrs. Butter Cream.”
“Sorry. Mrs. Butter Cream we have a situation right now you will have to come back later.”
“I see,” the old teacher said. “could you at least let her know we stopped by?”
“Of course I will,” the Star Sapphire answered.
“Can we go eat now,” several children asked.
“Of course children.”
There was a shower green light as the children leaped forward on top of the door guards. A crashing wave of small changeling fell on top of the Violet Lanterns, burying them under their bodies. Mrs. Butter Cream’s fore head began to glow and a crooked horn appeared suddenly appeared. Green magical force shot out from the horn and struck the struggling Star Sapphires on the ground. Sweat began to pour off the old mare’s body and patches of darkness appeared randomly over her coat as she pushed with her magic at the love users. Their struggles subsided and several of the small changelings gathered around the violet power rings like pigs rooting for truffles.
“They’re not so tough!” one of the small changelings snared. The large pony thumped the creature on the head.
“We got them by surprise, when they are aware they could easily destroy us!” the mare said.
“Yes my queen!”
“Quickly! To the battery,” she ordered as green light appeared over the crooked horn. The doors of the palace opened and the two guards were pulled into building by the changelings. Two of their number assumed the shape of the guards and assumed their positions of watch while the mare with her horde of changelings entered the Star Sapphires home.
Smooth crystalline walls and floor amplified the noises the invaders mad as they moved forward. Several of the workers were wrapping the unconscious Star Sapphires in cocoon as the teacher facade disappeared. Queen Chrysalis spoke to the horde, whispering and looking about.
“We proceed in disguise and follow our hunger. We make our way to the battery and if we encounter others, we do likewise using our appearance to catch them off guard. “A wave of green light rolled over her as she became the teacher Mrs. Butter Cream. The tapped the floors with her hoof and hissed at her tiny fighters.
“Two of you become copies of these two and try and keep them contained. “ She looked up and down the corridors.“Remember stay hungry!”
The soldier drones all nodded and in a flash assumed their disguises as school children. Keeping their queen in the center of the crowd, they moved forward, only scouts here and there broke away as they moved ahead. Chrysalis took a mental note as to her strength in troops as she used her magic to sense if there were spell traps anywhere around them. She could feel the battery even if she could not see it. The violet lantern felt like warm sunlight on a cold winter day. Every step closer to the lantern made her feel a touch stronger she having started this mission in a carefully balanced state of love starvation like all of her warriors.
Within the center of the palace complex, at the middle of the maze of crystal stood a quaint cottage. The group came to a stop. The warrior changelings began to hum lightly as Chrysalis stepped forward to the wooden door. A tingling sensation tickled her over her entire body and Chrysalis and her disguised party seemed to quiver for a moment. The battery of love was just on the other side of the door.
A scout drone pointed at the house Chrysalis nodded in answer. The drone then approached staying in disguise. He was walking at an even pace when he placed his first step on the bridge over the creek in front of the cottage…
…the door exploded, darts of shattered wood flying out at the invaders along with a rolling violet fire.
Bursts of smoke blew out from the conflagration rolling like a wave out from the door frame. Three shooting stars burst forth from the explosion, flying up into the air stopping half way between the changelings and the house. Inside the violet flames were three Star Sapphires, clad in armor made of the violet light: a tall mare warrior flanked on both sides by two others of her order.
The three landed, sneering at the invaders as the flames surrounding them faded to become a glowing aura. Different weapons of hard light appeared swinging back and forth in front of their summoners. The middle warrior had created a very large and very wicked looking halberd with crystal heart inside a Star Sapphire corps symbol. Chrysalis stared at the tall mare and began giggling as her disguise evaporated.
“My my how much your demeanor has changed princess,” she said in a sultry voice.
Chrysalis felt power surging through her frame, power she had not felt since she had been ejected from Canterlot. She looked at the three violet lanterns and in the blink of an eye threw her power at all of them at once. The two Star Sapphires beside the princess barely were able to deflect the beam of magical force, and were blown back into the creek. Changeling warrior drones dropped their disguises and leapt on top of them, teeth snapping and hooves kicking at the prone star sapphires.
Cadence caught most of the strike directed at her with a shield she summoned at the last instant. The construct cracked but did not shatter, holding until the changeling queen ceased the attack.
“Impressive,” Chrysalis tittered. “But you’re going to lose my dear, after all the same thing powering your rings, powers me as well!”
Cadence dissolved the shield and summoned another in its place, pushing more strength into this construct. She quickly glanced at her sister sapphires, struggling to fight the mobbing changelings. She created bowling balls and began dropping them on top of the attacking drones.
“My warriors are ferocious are they not? Amazing how effective they can be when they are starved!”
‘Starved,’ Cadence thought. ‘She knows that the violet light fills changelings up and makes them sleep? She was prepared for this fight!'
“You’re not getting the battery or any rings Chrysalis!” Cadence’s ring began to blaze like metal fresh pulled from a forge. “You ‘re not going to use love to hurt anyone again!”
The halberd spun in a perfect circle stopping to point at the queen. Chrysalis’ eyes twinkled with the violet light from the construct and smiled as her horn glowed with magic.
“My my how forceful Cadence! How delightfully fierce you’ve become.” Chrysalis purred. "It will make your defeat so much more delicious!"