//------------------------------// // The Age of the Changelings // Story: Blooming Talent // by Griffin Productions //------------------------------// The new throne at the top of the main hall's large stairway looked over the entire, huge room as Sapphic sat in it, pondering things. He should have considered sooner that his changelings were indeed going to need a source of emotions to feed on after he had taken control of Equestria. He had obliterated a good portion of the pastel ponies on his warpath, and thus reduced the food source. He had already deduced that there were many more cities all across Equestria, and a few other countries as well such as Saddle Arabia, Maretopia, and even the Crystal Empire. But since his changelings were still so few in number, he settled on the cities within Equestria's borders for now. What retaliation would he face now was another question he thought on. The Crystal Empire's army was already in shambles, as they had been here in Equestria to help them. It wasn't much of an effort on his part, but still, they had been defeated. Saddle Arabia was an enemy of Equestria's, at least politically. He figured he need not fear anything from the horses of the sands there. Maretopia and Mulenesia would pose no threat at all, as their militaries were sub-par at best. He wasn't even sure if the country of the mules had a military. He settled on the fact that none of the other countries would most likely do anything out of either fear or lack of caring. If they did, he would just destroy them. Sapphic subconsciously itched the wound where his right arm used to be attached. He had cauterized the wound, but for some reason he still had some feeling in it. It was strange only having one upper limb, but not crippling as most would think. He was still every bit as powerful as he was before. This train of thought caused him to look at his destroyed body. Every muscle was exposed and rippling with his movements; nearly every inch of him was covered in puncture wounds, holes, cuts, gashes, and even a few strands of tendons hung from certain points. He was like a walking corpse, and that was no way for a king to look, he thought. If only he could grow a new exoskeleton, then he'd-- He snapped his fingers, signaling one of his siblings to his side. "Yes, my king?" He asked, eager to provide service. "Do we have a pony who is an armor smith in captivity?" He asked the drone bluntly. The changeling buzzed it's wings before replying. "We aren't sure, but we can check for you right away, my liege." "Let me find him." Sapphic said, standing up. "I have a very...specific order to place for him to smith..." He walked with the drone for a ways before asking another drone another question. "What's the reports from the hunt so far?" "The ponies are putting up resistance in each city we invade; the masked vigilante by the name of 'Bad Seed' is hindering us in Manehatten, but she should be dealt with shortly. In Cloudsdale, the former commander of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire, is giving quite a rally with the other pegasi. We also have reports of small skirmishes with notable ponies such as Trixie Lulamoon, and Daring Doo. The Castle of the Two Sisters is a no fly zone after our squad exploring that area disappeared...all in all, though, we should have complete control of the entire country in less than a day." Sapphic nodded satisfied. He expected resistance, especiall from the pegasi, but nothing they did would be of any major consequence. The rule of ponies was at an end; it was time for the age of the Changeling Empire. * * * "Pinkie, why did you throw confetti into the air all of a sudden?" Luna heard a timid female voice ask as she came to. "Somepony really far away was celebrating something." The familiar voice of one Luna thought deceased responded. "It was only a second, but I figured I would help." Luna tested to see if she had control of her body back, and was pleased to find that she did, at least basic motor functions. She craned her neck from her laying position to see f her ears had deceived her; to her surprise and relief, they had not. Pinkie Pie lay on a bed like the one Luna herself was in with a tick wool blanket over top of her. The usually jovial party pony looked rather broken, but still wore a sad and yet hopeful smile. The mare next to her had a long and flat gray mane that covered most of her face; it complimented her lighter gray coat perfectly, along with her violet eyes. "How could you know that?" The mare asked Pinkie. "My party sense was a-tinglin', Blinky." The pink pony in the bed answered. "Party sense, or no, you can't move around like that, Pinkie." That same monotonous voice from before called from across the room. "You can further worsen your injuries." "Oh, come on, Maud." Pinkie protested. "I'm feeling much better already." As if to emphasis this, she sat up, and immediately gave a cry of pain and quickly laid back down. The one she had called Maud; a mare with purple mane and tail and a gray coat like Blinky, cantered over to her with a plain expression. "I told you." She said, no inflection to her voice at all. "Yeah...I guess you were right, big sis..." Luna watched Maud turn around to face her, and the gray mare came over to her without hesitation. "How are you feeling, Princess?" She asked, still no emotion to be detected. "I am...well..." The princess of the night answered hesitantly. "Praytell, subject...what hath transpired since my...slumber...?" The pony named Maud looked over the alicorn with a keen eye; Luna assumed she was looking for injuries, but that didn't make it any less creepy. When she was done, she looked the princess in the eyes. "You were hurt really bad. Seems like that Sapphic guy everyone we've taken in keeps talking about is something else. He did quite a number on your face, princess." She held a mirror for Luna to look into, and she did so to see a ghastly scare across her entire left side of her face; the gash ran through her eyelid as well. She did not know how Sapphic had given her such a wound, but figured that it did not really matter. As Maud put the mirror down, she began to trot away, but Luna stopped her quickly. "Subject...Maud..is it?" "That's right." Maud answered as monotonously as ever. "Where...am I..?" "This is my family's rock farm on the edges of Equestria. Though, since the changelings returned, it's become more of a hospital of sorts." A rock farm on the edge of Equestria? Sapphic must have had one strong throwing arm. And she had converted it to a hospital? "I take it we are not the only patients..?" "Nope." Maud answered. "We've got ponies from all sorts of places the changelings have attacked. Even a couple from Canterlot, at least the ones I managed to get out of there along with my sister." "That reminds me; how did you rescue the pink one?" The alicorn questioned, genuinely curious. "I thought her forgone in the rivers of magma below the bedrock?" "I caught her while I was digging under the city to get in for my rescue." "You...dug under bedrock..? What tools didst thou use for such a feat?" "My hooves." Luna blinked; the mare had to be joking, and yet, her blank expression hadn't even twitched. She did not seem the type to play jokes such as these. "You must have....strong hooves.." She said. Maud simply nodded, and stared as if waiting for Luna to say something else. When the alicorn did not, Maud turned and began to walk into another room, where voices could be heard talking amongst themselves. Pinkie Pie was still laying on her bed; Blinky had long since moved on to help the other "patients." The princess of the night wondered who else might b ere from the royal city thanks to the bored-looking pony. "Fancy Pants, Upper Crust, Photo Finish, Minuette, Moon Dancer, and Lyra Heartstrings." Pinkie answered her thoughts as if reading them. "Maud also rescued tons of fillies and colts, but I don't think all of them got saved either before Celestia went down..." Luna had learned not to question Pinkie's knowledge of things, but was a bit shocked at the act Celestia had been defeated. HAd the Spirit Bomb failed? Had it been interrupted? Was Tia even still alive, or being held captive? Luna's head started to throb with all these questions. "Princess Luna?" Pinkie said, bringing the princess back to reality. "I know you have a lot of questions, but right now, we need to rest. We all need to be at our best for our plan to work." Plan? There was a plan? She was about to ask Pinkie what plan she was talking aout, but the party pony had somehow already fallen asleep. She was indeed an enigma. Luna yearned for the answers she seeked, but considered that Pinkie was right; she did need rest, whether she knew of this "plan" ornot. Perhaps the answers would come to her...in her dreams. * * * Appleten seemed to be frozen in a trance as she looked out over the barren and wartorn wastes of what used to be Appaloosa. There was almost nothing but ashes left of the once homey little town her family had inhabited. The skies themselves were ashen and gray; no sunlight was able to pierce through the snow of burnt destruction as it loomed like a cancer over the remains of the town. Piccolo too seemed upset by the sight; charred pony skeletons both whole and broken apart litered the streets and burnt ruins all around. It was a scene straight out of a tragedy, and one that stirred the fire inside his belly. He and Trunks watched as the fusion warrior knelt down in a pile of burning embers; clutching a few in her palm as they burned slightly. She clenched the coals tighter in her grip until it hurt, at which point, she released them, and they merely blew away in the silent wind. Sapphic had done this; there was no doubt. The whole town was nothing more than a ghost now, and that fact hurt. It hurt more than any physical blow she had ever received as either of her fusees. "He's gonna pay..." She muttered in her double voice. "He's gonna pay dearly for this..." "You're damn right he is." Piccolo agreed, a scowl directed at no one in particular on his features. "C'mon, guys." Trunks said, stepping forward. "Let's go...I don't think I can stand to look at this anymore..." The three warriors took off into the sky, and as they flew away, Appleten looked back one last time. This bastard was going to die for this.