//------------------------------// // XIII. The Perpetrators // Story: Chrysalis Visits The Hague // by Dan The Man //------------------------------// XIII. The Perpetrators Penitentiary Institution Haaglanden, The Hague ICC Detention Centre 19. November, 2015 7:41 am MET The Queen of all Changelings had not slept that well for many months. Even before she could be roused by the automatic alarm system at eight o’clock on the dot, she had opened her eyes, feeling refreshed and surprisingly comfortable. Scanning the monotone cell with one open eye, she stretched her enormous chadded limbs into all directions and straightened her twisted neck until there was a faint crack. "Unbelievable, what such a little bird could bring about.“ She mumbled drowsily and turned to the pale chicken cadaver that still lay next to her like a strained squeaky toy. In its lifetime, it must have been a very happy beast indeed. She contemplated her ceiling for a while more before she decided to get up. Her mind wandered, reliving her last few days in captivity, just like every morning in the last few weeks. Today, however, it all didn’t seem quite as... grim. She took a deep breath. Even out of a dozen smells that lingered in the room, she could still make out the long-past presence of Shining Armour and that human, as though they had just been here mere moments ago. What was it that they even come for? Something important? He wanted her to read something through... on that black machine in the corner behind her. At any other moment, she would have cared little about her distinguished captors' requests, but right now, her tummy full and her mind momentarily cleared from worry and anger, her zest revealed itself. It was as if her eyes were opening for the first time. Slowly, she turned, letting her head swoop around the cell, scanning her surroundings properly. She had done it previously, but back then, her immediate impressions were reduced to 'weaknesses' to exploit and 'hazards' to avoid. With her innate survival urge taking a back seat, entirely new things started popping up for her to discover. Mounted slightly above her head, a big, black-and-silver box towered. Standing on a tightly fixed pod attached to the right wall of a wooden cupboard, the big thing seemed to have the glass pane of a window, yet the size of a small cupboard. She couldn't make out a proper use for it though – the pane was too dark to see anything, the whole thing had no openings or doors worth mentioning, and it was too far up to reach by any unwinged means. The sign of any practical, readily exploitable use came in the form of a single, ominous red dot at the box' base. What was it trying to say? Shuffling her chains closer to the base of the thing, the changeling closed in with a determined glint. Maybe the glow was a clue to the way out. Was it a burning fire, a shard of magical energy that sat in the box? Was it a key to open the cell door, tauntingly hung on the cupboard just out of her reach? The longer she stared, the longer she took to realise that the red glow had been instantaneously replaced by a green one. Before she knew what was happening, the glass pane came to life with a flash. In an instant , she found an ugly, nigh-hairless, cream-skinned human face staring down at her. Her eyes shrank as she instinctively scrambled away from the countenance. Normally, she would have been given a fair warning before anyone came anywhere near her, and now she suddenly had that human looking into her cell from below the ceiling? “Who in all the worlds-” she tried to hiss at the onlooker. Completely void of emotion, the head lowered its stare momentarily, the little hair it had bobbing in an unseen gust of wind, and then resumed staring at the regent with a smug lick of its lips. Chrysalis' stare hardened authoritatively, but before she could put the onlooker in its place, the very same cut her off. It simply cut off the Queen of all Changelings in the middle of her sentence, all without so much as a flinch. ”Thank you, Sam. The crowd of demonstrators here in New York has grown massively in the past few days.“ “Huh?” “The Equine separation movement might have reached a new turnout high this week, barely a year after the discovery of Equestria.” “What are you even-” “The protest has been joined by far-right parties and various extremist groupings all over Europe, North and South America, and they demand, louder than ever before, that all the species that inhabit the Equestrian Isle, be they Ponies, Donkeys and Gryphons are to be forcefully segregated from humanity, to prevent further changes from being brought about." “G-get out of here, you contemptuous little-” "Willem van Geijn, the chairman of the right-wing Dutch ManKracht party, blames primarily the international institutions' efforts at integration." Chrysalis just peered to her left and her right, to assure herself that those words indeed directed at her. At this point, even her famed short temper failed to discharge. “Are you talking about something...” she asked, unsuccessfully. Before her own eyes, the mysterious face vanished into thin air. Between a thoroughly confused jitter of the eyelid, the Queen witnessed how a swoosh of some mysterious bright-golden aura – a gust of magic, surely! - replaced the onlooker's face with that of a leering bald creature – one even bolder than the last. An examining sideways cock of Chrysalis' head confirmed that the images turned out to be completely flat... and this particular one was perfectly still, as though it was a mere photo. But how on earth would a photo be inside that thing anyway? Before she could put the pieces together to deduce the nature of the mystery box, a deeper, distorted voice chimed in from its direction, "The main issue with our leaders is that they're naive towards the equine threat to an embarrassing level. I'll tell what will happen in the next four years; we'll see an increase in immigration, a drastic drop in employment opportunities, a rise in crime, a collapse of the market, and lastly the loss of our nations' place at the forefront of the international community." Even though much of what she heard was probably taken out of some greater context in some way, Chrysalis did start to understand the gist. There was a certain shaken, no, combative tone in that human's voice that betrayed his feelings about what he was describing. She could veritably smell it. "And it won't be limited to some human countries either...” the creature continued, ”all humans will feel the repercussions of what is happening right now in only a few months' time. ManKracht, much like so many other like-minded parties around the globe, fights for the rights of man." “My, my...” the Queen uttered and cocked a doubtful eyebrow. “What a petty pack of creatures you must be. Does Equestria really give you the shivers?” In another cloud of the strange aura, the image of the bald ape was itself replaced with a crowd of bawling, chanting humans standing somewhere outside in the rain. The voice of the first human chimed in to narrate. "Many of Mr van Gein’s countrymen share this sentiment, and persist in demonstrations outside the Equestrian embassy and various international buildings in the Hague and Amsterdam. Even today, four protesters have been arrested after injuring a policeman and an Equestrian Royal Guard with thrown bricks." A subtle smile crept over the Changeling's lips. “Finally... some happy news! Why don't you tell me more about that?” "As most governments have chosen to ignore the plight of the demonstrators, the level of violence continues to rise. While the future is uncertain, it already is painfully clear that Equestria is going to change world’s political landscape in a multitude of ways." “So you say!” the changeling snorted. “Now enough of that swollen nonsense. Away with you maggots!” “I pass back to the studio. This is Madeleine Creber reporting live from The Hague for Al Jazeera.” And, just like that, her countenance and everything around the human was wiped off the glass pane by another whirlpool of white and golden magic. Chrysalis took a cautious step back. She wouldn't want to get caught in the swirl too. “What loudmouthed little race of creatures...” she just pondered. “Where did this one suddenly come from, anyway? And why the hay did she tell me all those things? Was it really so meaningful that I, of everyone here, just had to hear it? Was it a message?” Slowly, she sat on her haunches. “And what magic did she use to get into that thing? Is it a portal? A secret exit?” Momentarily, the image exploded in a mesmerising frenzy of black-and-white flickers. “Ugh... what now?” The static seized, and revealed yet another human looking down at the Queen. Its features were rather non-saying and neutral, but unlike the others, it had a grey mane and was dressed entirely in black. “Here comes the next.” the Queen muttered. “Are you all just standing in line in there?” All of a sudden, the solitary human spread its claws, opened its maw and began to sing with a dozen voices from a dozen invisible throats. And all its voice were so unnervingly high-pitched that they left the changeling regent, besides in shock, quite glass-eyed. “You've... you've got to be kidding me. What madness is this, exactly?” Somewhere on the other side of the steel door, a turnkey with short blond hair sat behind his desk in front of the camera screen. Lowering his copy of De Telegraaf, he placed the remote control back down on the table, and laughed out so hard that he started heaving uncontrollably. He was happy to get his short moment of joy in the morning shift before the usual shouting started. "Shining!“ the princess squeed. "Twily!“ the captain gasped. With a hefty jump, the alicorn flew into the hooves of her startled brother. He was so thoroughly taken by surprise that he didn’t know what else he could say. Estermann stood behind them, leaning on the sink of the mini-kitchen of the guardroom, and scrutinised the little family reunion with mild interest, glancing at his watch from time to time. "It’s been forever!“ she continued, with the intonation of a giddy schoolgirl. "How is my BBBFF doing?“ The brother stuttered a counter-question with a wobbling smile. "My Celestia! Where did you come from? I thought you'd only come in a month or two.“ "Yes, there's been a change in plans.“ She explained. ”Princess Celestia sends her regards. She has important negotiations to conduct. So she asked me and Spike to take her place.“ "Well, then you surely didn’t come a moment too late.“ he smirked. “You'll never guess what happened at the court today.” His sister reported excitedly. “I think I've been caught in a real riot today! Dozens of humans were there, with signs and everything. Some were even throwing things!” “Oh...” Shining frowned, a little tired. “That's terrible. Are you okay?” “I'm fine.” she nodded before turning frank, “But I've actually came to ask you the same thing, Shining. Ever since I heard about that terrible thing that happened on the airfield, I had to make sure you haven't been hurt!“ "What happened... on the airfield?“ her brother repeated the question drowsily. Estermann then saw the unicorn commander’s eyes swelling to their full size. His shrinking irises fixed the attorney in a shocked gaze. Had the unicorn not explicitly sworn him to secrecy on the matter? The attorney tugged at his tie nervously, trying to explain himself. "I told your sister that Queen Chrysalis attempted to escape. It has been on the news everywhere, you know. Why don't you tell her how everything's back under control?“ He sent the inquisitive stare right back to him. "Right...“ the equine slurred. “No problem at all...“ His eyes fell shut and his visibly tensed form relaxed a little as he sank into his sister’s embrace. "Everything's alright, Twily. Chrysalis might only be trouble, but we won’t let her cause anypony any more grief. I’ll personally stand for that.“ "That’s my big brother, the world's best nanny!“ Twilight declared jokingly. Estermann checked his watch one last time before harrumphing. "Well then, I’ll better be on my way. The Queen doesn’t wait.“ He eyed Shining and the princess as inconspicuously as possible. “Captain, why don’t you take care of your sister? Give her a tour of the prison or something in the meantime. Lock her up, let her play with the riot gear, go nuts.“ He proposed - not too subtly suggesting that the Captain should go jump in the lake. But to his displeasure, he instead noticed the Captain courteously detaching himself from Twilight’s grasp. "I’ll be with you, Mr Estermann.“ "Captain...“ The attorney sang, his annoyance levels quickly rising. “Tend to your kin.” The unicorn sighed, playfully messed up his sister‘s mane before looking down on her sheepishly. "Sorry, little sis, but duty calls. I’m afraid you'll need to find another playfellow. I might not have time at all.“ "Oh Shining!“ The sister nudged him playfully. "Playfellow? I’m not a filly anymore. I was thinking that if I could visit you, we might catch up on a few things. You know, I haven’t seen you in over a year now... and..:“ she glanced over to the waiting attorney. When her look met his pleading stare, somehow, she began to catch on. “And... well, I’ve never been inside a human prison before. A little detour sounds like a good idea.“ Before the unicorn could protest on, a fourth, deeper voice resounded through the room. "That sounds like a great idea.“ Mjoberg the warden appeared behind the open door of the fridge. Wandering over to the royal siblings and the jurist with a can of iced coffee in each hand, he addressed his fellow captain. "Go ahead. Take thirty and show Her Serene Highness around the activity centre a little.“ "But... but Captain.“ The unicorn protested clumsily. "I’m on duty now.“ "So are twenty-five other officers, Captain. We're hopelessly overstaffed today. The Queen is covered. Now take care of your relatives.“ "Sir...“ The equine Captain raised his chin defiantly. "What if-“ "If something happens, you’ll be the first to know.“ The warden winked amiably. "Come on, get out of here now.“ Shining’s limbs sagged as his winged sister clasped him by a hoof and hauled him towards the door with the look of a child who wanted him to buy her ice cream. "Come on, big brother. Let’s see if they've got a dungeon down below.“ "They don’t...“ he winced. But by then the two were already outside of the guardroom, with the door slowly closing behind them. As soon as he and the jurist were alone, the warden let out a sigh of his own. "Heaven sent, Estermann.“ he slurred and offered him a can of coffee. Estermann hadn’t seen Mjoberg this chummy before. Suspiciously, he climbed off the table he was leaning on. "No thanks, I don’t touch the stuff. Why heaven sent?” Mjoberg peered around suspiciously, making sure they really were alone. "Do you have any idea how glad I was when I saw his sister turning up this morning? The angels were singing!“ "How so?“ "Because good old Shining Armour has spent the last seventy-two hours swatting around the cell block a... fruit fly with Alzheimers. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he is a really nice fellow and all, but he... just doesn’t give up!“ "Yes, I've heard of that.“ Estermann commented. “It's called 'doing his job'. A frightening affliction.” "No, you haven’t.“ Mjoberg said as he opened his can with a click. "For the past three days, he has been exclusively hanging around my office and outside Chrysalis‘ cell door. And I mean all the time. No exception. He’s even been sleeping on this bench...“ he pointed to the wooden piece furniture in the corner of the mini-kitchen, "...because it’s closer to her. And even then, he has been ‘on duty‘ from six in the morning to ten in the evening.“ The attorney stared at the bench. "Are you serious?“ He nodded. “Even casual conversation is becoming more like a nightmare. You ask him about his wife: 'Yeah, Chrysalis impersonated her once and nopony even noticed'. You ask him about family: 'Did you know I have a sister? Anyway, she and my wife's aunt were captured by Chrysalis once. That was dangerous, let me tell you!' You ask him about his career: 'Before, I started by serving there-and-there. And then I crossed paths with Chrysalis. After that, I did such-and-such'.” The warden rolled his eyes and leaned closer. “I come in this morning and find him poking holes in the walls of my office with his horn. I ask him if his horn hurt. Well, he looks at me, glass-eyed, and what does he say? I quote: 'The Queen was sent flying for miles by that shock wave. I've also wondered whether that hurt.' The burly Surinamese stared intently for a couple of seconds. “Please tell me: Where the hell did that come from? Where is his mind when I talk to him? I ask him about the holes in my plaster, and he starts talking to me about fucking Chrysalis again? You'd think it's bad when you're around, with him incessantly bragging about how wide her vicious streak is? No. It's insane. I’m glad when he is out of sight and out of mind once in a while.“ He took a sip from his can, nearly emptying it in one swig. Estermann peered on the floor smugly, as if he felt confirmed. "Insane would be a good description, wouldn't it?“ "If I didn’t know any better...“ the warden agreed, "I’d say he is suffering from PTSD.“ "Come again?“ "Shell shock. Have you seen what he does half of the time?” The soldier pointed at his face with a can, “Delayed reaction. Thousand yard stare. Drifts in out of consciousness. Blackouts. Nervous ticks. Panic attacks... Shell shock makes you do the strangest things. Obsession with something or someone being just one of many.“ He harrumphed. “I know what I’m talking about. I’ve done tours in Bosnia and Kosovo.” “And I’m sure you had a lot of horses there to read off from.” “...Not in Bosnia, but I’ve been on the planning staff of the Queen’s Day parade a few times. I had the duty of making sure our horses wouldn’t go half-demented from the gun salutes. So I know what an overwrought horse looks like, Estermann.” He breathed a little melancholically. “Sometimes they’re not too different, horse and rider.” The lawyer raised an eyebrow. "Come now. Shining doesn't look like he ever spent a day in the field. What could he possibly be shellshocked by?“ Now came the Captain's turn to look smug. "Well, I could make an educated guess. She has green hair, a mushroom crown and lots and lots of holes.“ Disbelieving, the lawyer breathed out some annoyance. “I'm not a psychiatrist or anything, but I don't think 'crossing paths' with another person can give you shell shock. ” “I take it you've never been married.” "Ho ho.” he sneered misgivingly and shrugged the joke away. “I don't know what exactly your Queen did to his head, but she stirred it real good.” “Don't be ridiculous.” Estermann sneered. There were many reasons that made him dislike the notion that the Queen was the one to blame for the Captain's madness. For one, he felt it was disingenuous to heap even more blame on the mysterious creature than was already the case. But perhaps, it could have also had something to do with the fact that, at closer inspection, he found himself in exactly the same spot as the Captain had all those months ago. When he looked at the unfortunate unicorn, was he gazing at his near-future self? A subtle thought, but unnerving. “I just wouldn't question it, Mr Mjoberg. I mean, come on. Who isn’t obsessed with Queen Chrysalis these days?“ “Jij weet er alles van...” The warden chuckled quietly and took another zip. “What?” “I said good point.” Mjoberg lied. “Dries, the officer of the watch, has been chanting for days about how 'everyone’s hot for the killer queen, gunpowder and gelatine’. But Shining Armour… he is a class of his own. It’s like…” he waved his hand, trying to find the right simile, “...like his own mother is in that cell. If his mother was the violent, abusive type he despises with a passion.” He unlocked the second can and led it to his mouth. “Freudian implications aside…” Estermann theorised with the same uppity note. “What are the chances that he just treats it like the zenith of his career? Maybe he’s always this… committed to the job. His mind's focused on the task. He does seem like the grunt-type, the not too bright sort who finds satisfaction in following others’ orders the best and most… fanatical way he can.” But Mjoberg shook his head and let out a stifled laughter. “No, no. This is the kidnapper and impersonator of his wife we’re talking about. It’s personal, alright... very very personal. And I have to make sure he doesn’t get himself a takke hounding after the Queen. I mean..." he paused, looking once again at the bench. "See, I have the strangest feeling that he wasn't sleeping here at all today.” "Well, where was he sleeping?" "He wasn't.” he stated flatly. “Seems to have decided that he wants to do night shifts as well now. I need to get him to take a timeout before he hospitalises himself. A stroke of good fortune that he flaunts the best kind of distraction - invasive relatives!” Nodding, Estermann rubbed his dry eyes. "At least I’m not the only one who hasn't gotten a good night's sleep today." "What, you too? Are you sure you don't want coffee?" "Yes. And yes." Estermann sighed. "My assistant assured me it's just the weather. She couldn't sleep." He decided to get to the point already. Enough time had been wasted mourning the state of the poor Equestrian Captain. "Incidentally, why don't you tell me more about the Queen?” Deviously, he tracked the warden's eyebrows as they slumped over his eyes. 'Here we go again.' they seemed to scream. “How has she been sleeping today?" the lawyer inquired. Despite his annoyed mien, the warden tone almost beamed with appreciation. "Now that you mention it... very good. No trouble whatsoever. You were onto something with that chicken, Mr Estermann. It made her keel over like it was pumped full of ether." The lawyer was startled. "You... didn't pump it full of ether, did you?" "No need." "Then I'm glad to hear it. Is she up yet?" The warden looked at his watch. "She woke up ahead of schedule today. And we didn't yet have a single call-out." He emphasised the second part like it was some kind of biblical miracle. "She is in a – what's the word – good mood." Estermann's mouth morphed into a sly grin. "Good enough for... a few laps in the gym?" Immediately, the warden bit his gums. He crumpled the empty can in his fist like a paper cup. He had anticipated that this would come. "You promised me that if I can calm Queen Chrysalis down," the jurist immediately followed up, "you’d grant her time outside her cell." "I didn't promise a thing, Estermann." Mjoberg warned him. "At the moment, the gym and kitchen are in use by other detainees." "Good. She'll have someone to talk to." "What if she attacks them?" the warden inquired, folding his arms. "I'll be there with her the whole time." "And who are you? The horse whisperer? I am not going to loosen those cuffs a millimetre.” "Good, then..." Estermann stammered, reeling towards the bitter taste of a compromise, "then leave the damn cuffs on for now. Just show her that we even have a gym and a kitchen, and I'll promise you, she won't want to leave." “My fears exactly...” The warden pondered about that long and hard. "We'll need an armed escort. Eight men." "Six men." Estermann haggled. "With mace and batons. And we'll take the tranquiliser gun." "You won't need it." The counsel harrumphed and offered him his hand. "But it's a deal." Mjoberg unfolded his arms, surrendering. "I drink to that." Then he emptied the second can and crumpled it too before returning the handshake. “My chains are gone, I've been set free My God, my Savior has ransomed me And like a flood His mercy reigns Unending love, amazing grace...” “Oh good for you!” the Queen spat, and quickly buried her head under her chainbound hooves. Quickly cursing her own incessant curiosity, she sat in the left corner of her cell, still feeling the crumbs of plaster and concrete under her legs as her spine furrowed into the gap in the wall she had knocked out of it a few days back. “He has ransomed you?” she muttered on. “Well... where is he then?! He obviously has nothing better to do than bail out strangled cats, so when does that imbecile come for me?“ The changeling's expression grew more sinister as the singer merrily continued. “You know what? I don't think he will come. I think you're just mocking me. You just want to see me broken. May your so-called god have mercy on you, because if you ever put one limb outside that box, I will-” Somewhere nearby, a distant electric buzz rang out. It was followed by the sounds of a metallic door unlocking and a dozen booths stomping the ground, edging closer and closer. Chrysalis' ears perked up. Immediately, the creature sprang back into predatory mode. Something was brewing, and this time it was for real. She heard a creature shuffle around, accompanied by the sound of the frantic ring of smaller metal pieces, and the tapping clicks on some hollow ceramic-like surfaces. "Dries." a deep voice suddenly said, ringing out through the intercom near the shimmering box. "Hoi chef." another answered. Unlike the other, this one sounded rather familiar. “How is she? Anything happened so far?” “She's calm as a clam. You could say... she found Jesus in there.” the voice reported with something akin to a wry laugh. There was click and a millisecond of static. Then the loudspeaker over the cell door went silent. Chrysalis began to ponder. Who had just arrived? And had they come for her? And who was she supposed to have found? Were they in cahoots with the annoying box people? They were speaking in riddles. She had to be ready for anything. The Changeling was confirmed when the intercom sounded out again, with 'Dries'’ voice sounding carrying a much more official tone. "Alright, Your Highness. You know the drill. Into the left corner, facing the wall." She glanced at the wall next to her head. “I am in the bucking corner.” she responded, in a voice that wasn't too loud. With a gut feeling like that, he couldn't bring herself to yell. "Oh excellent. Door opening." Behind her, several humans entered, quickly spreading out in the room. She flexed her muscles. She was ready to pounce. Turning her head a little, she espied the lawyer Estermann and some others. Shining Armour was not among them, though. She relaxed a bit. Attracted by the infernal singing, the humans gawked up at the flickering box. “So what's all is this then?” Accusingly, the Queen struck out a hoof. She sounded almost offended. “Those... cretins snuck into my cell and babbled at me like morons. I have no part in this! Take them away and string them up – see if I care! I know your tricks!” Confused, the assembled humans stared at her. Then, one by one, they broke into chuckles and smirks. Was... was she being made a foal of? “Any particular reason Her Highness was watching Bible TV?” the lawyer inquired. “I told you.” another one answered, suddenly producing a small black device, and pointed it at the box. The little humans inside it vanished almost immediately behind a veil of black. “Jesus.” “You're a liar. I know nopony by that name. Nor would I care to.” A burly, darker human addressed her. "Your Highness, we will be going for a little walk." She said nothing. "Dries will now reconnect your chains. We’re armed. So don't make any sudden movements." Flabbergasted, the changeling stammered a sparse “What...” as she felt a tug on her limbs, and the metal clinking of the chains being pulled towards the exit of the cell she had spent the last seventy-two hours of her life in. The next moment, she found herself shuffling through the corridors of the cell block, further and further away from her all-too familiar den. She was flanked by two armed guards on every side, with another one leading up front and another one trailing her from behind a safe distance, constantly holding her at gunpoint. Silently, amidst discreet glances to her left and right, she weighed her chances of taking them all down, but every scheme seemed to end with her taking a poison dart to the neck. She noticed Estermann strutting up next to her, a veritably plotting smirk on his face. "Your Highness. You look very well this morning." It was a bit strange. Something seemed off. There was an inexplicable tension in the air. "Thank you. Worm." she greeted him back, cautiously. "Are you behind any of this?" Looking to and fro, it almost seemed like she was trying to put two and two together. The lawyer nodded. "I convinced the warden that you deserve... some leisure time. Anything to get you outside. Am I right?”" "Worm... Are we going... where I think we're going?" He only smirked. "Perhaps." Her eyes widened, as if in genuine surprise. “Oh, worm. Worm, worm, worm. Those aren’t tones I’d have expected out of you. I did not take you as that... savvy.” "Well..." What the lawyer then spotted on her face at that moment frightened him a little. The Queen was giving him a smile. And she threw in a small giggle as well. In seventy-two hours of observation, he had not yet witnessed the changeling indulge in either. The lawyer was beyond impressed at her mood. She was like a separate pony. It was more than he could have ever dreamed a simple diet change would accomplish. At least until her eyes narrowed sinisterly. “Worm.” “Yes?” “Alright. Listen closely: That ugly chimp behind me. He holds some kind of pole. I suspect it's a weapon. You will step behind him...” Estermann's eyes almost sank into the into his skull. “And once I flick my tail, you take it from him. And I'll have the rest.” The lawyer's hair stood at attention. Hesitantly, he peered into the mean-looking gob of the warder driving the two of them along with his rifle, then back towards the Queen. “...Pardon?” “What ‘pardon’?” she mouthed back. Estermann's hesitated for much longer than was necessary. “What exactly are we talking about?” “What do you think?!” she snapped, silently and incredulously. “Get off your dung! How the hay did you expect to get me out of here?” The lawyer gulped. “Your Highness... you do know I just meant getting you out of your cell. Not...” Her glare was empty. The changeling stopped dead in her tracks, almost tripping the lawyer on one of the chains. “Not... what?” Immediately, all the guards whirled around, unsheathing their batons. Behind the Queen's back, the tranquiliser gun's safety was clicked off. "Oh- Come on!" Estermann hissed desperately, like he was begging a child not to embarrass him in front of the other adults. "Please, Your Highness! Please don't... be like that!" He earned himself an aggressively spiteful glare from the changeling. "What the hay is all this? Where are you taking me?" The other guards stepped closer, ready to intervene. “The gym and kitchens.” he sighed, “I have no idea how you ever got the other... idea.” Something in the Queen's shaking, pumped-up countenance deflated ever-so slightly. He knew he certainly let air out of what could have become a victory parade. Or dinner. “And just for a moment... I actually stooped down low enough to think better if you.” she hissed. But Estermann just thought about how inane the thought itself was. He bowed down to confront the Queen at eye level. “You... didn't really think that... I mean... Even mentioning this sort of thing has dire consequences. And not just for you.” When he noticed her countenance remained unchanged, he carefully went down even further and fell on one knee, so he had to look upwards to address her. "Look. I actually came to ask you about your... past achievements. Your exploits. What was it you called them again, 'overfishing'?" She huffed at him and glanced the other way. “Like you give a feather about those!” "I do. Besides...” After momentary consideration he gritted his teeth and added, “I wanted to tell you something rather more urgent. But in private. Don't want the guards listening in. Something that you simply cannot allow to stand for. Those... high-and-mighty Canterlot princesses... They're at it again, your Highness.” Her ears were slowly drawn towards the jurist. The Detention Centre was equipped with all sort of necessities for the handful of prisoners it held. Besides the fully outfitted gymnasium with football goals and basketball loops, and a small but well-furnished do-it-yourself kitchen, there was the Centre's own store where the prisoners could purchase food to cook, a library room with a few thousand mainstream books for the high-echelon prisoners to pass time between court dates and visits by their legal representation, a locker room with laundry machinery, a computer lab, and a sizeable parlour-like room filled with sofas and lounge chairs and a foosball table. Currently, all of the eleven other prisoners of the court were hanging around the place, playing chess, watching TV, reading, sleeping or making an omelette. They spent their days there in relative tranquility, not complaining or protesting but instead trying to find joy in the generously apparelled environment. They deemed themselves lucky that they had not been subjected to the jail standards of their home countries, or - even worse - the standards that they once had been keeping down themselves. Truly, none of them would have wanted to end up in a torture chamber or in front of a firing squad, like many of their former compatriots and rivals. They much preferred the clueless coziness of such a cosmopolitan Western political prison. But the peaceful mood changed drastically when, suddenly, a enormously loud "What?!" shook the room, causing all the detainees, brutalised soldiers and sleazy politicians alike, to look up, and give each other questioning stares, inquiring where the hell that hellish noise had just come from. The answer lay only a storey beneath them, in the gym. It was sizeable, slightly bigger than a ball park, and about two stories high, furnished with green linoleum, wood planks and pull-up bars. When the Queen and her 'entourage' passed by, the hall was abandoned, so Estermann went over and had a warder pull forth two of the long benches in the corner, and asked the others to back away and give him and Queen Chrysalis some privacy. Among some scattered softballs and basketballs, she laid herself on the bench, barely avoiding to crush the wooden plates under her weight. Estermann opted to remain standing. He didn't know why. it just seemed right that way. Then he began to relate whom he was introduced to in the hotel the previous day, and what that erudite earth pony had said about her. Now, the Queen was furious, jumping up from her bench and starting pacing up and down the length of the room with four heavy hooves, or at least as far as her chains let her. "Those were their words, not mine." he explained, raising his hands innocently. "Those... curs!" she spat, kicking away a ball as she turned around. "How dare they?! When I get my hooves on them, I will slowly grind them into dust!" She looked up to the heavens. Or, in this case, the strip lighting on the ceiling."Do you hear me, Celestia?! I will shut that callous mouth of yours up once and forever!" She looked back at her lawyer, going back to pacing. "They can take a lot from me, worm. A lot. They can take my lands, they can take my throne, they can take my glory, they can take me. But they will never take changelingkind. Never!" Estermann nodded uneasily, holding his suitcase in front of him. Yes, she was irate again. One could have easily thought that she relapsed into her foul-minded self. However, he couldn't describe her current outbreak as, strictly speaking, 'foul'. Her previous tantrums had always had an air of ugly, bitter desperation and the ensuing hopelessness. Now, however? It was like looking up on a stage. There was a dramatic note in the regent's mannerisms, a projection of offence more than actual offence. Like a true-to-tale regent did she thunder through the gym like it was her throne room. All that was needed was a mink cape fluttering behind her. "Who are they to say that of us, anyway?! Those filthy, disgusting ponies and their joke of a culture." She sat down upright on her haunches, putting up her hooves in a ridiculing manner. "Look at me," she sneered, "I am Princess Celestia, and I lick pink frosting off my face while I lay claim on the sun and everything it touches!" She dropped on all fours again, and glared back at Estermann. "That lily-livered pretty girl! Who put her in command of the world? Who does she think she is? She calls herself a Princess, but in my opinion, she isn't even a common hoofmaiden!" The she pointed to herself. "I am a Queen! I have a kingdom at my beck and call! Dumb, brainless creatures do not create entire kingdoms out of thin air! Dumb, brainless creatures do not bring their foes to their knees over and over again!" Estermann recalled something different. "But wasn't Canterlot a defeat?" The Queen's glare traveled back to her beleaguered counsel. "Don't you dare to call the assault on Canterlot a defeat! Do you hear me? I planned it out meticulously, calculated every single detail into the equation! Every guard rotation, every choke point to cut off the locals’ flight, yes, even the distance from the throne room to the treasury! Everything was measured out over months! We had them all at our hooves in less than ten minutes! They didn't stand against me or my Changelings. I even defeated the Princess herself in one-on-one combat-" "But what happened then?" Estermann inquired, his nerves strained. Chrysalis fell silent. Her head slumped visibly. "Shining Armour happened. He and his little horse of a wife, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." Quite frankly, he still couldn't believe it. "Shining Armour. This Shining Armour, you mean?" Was he the hero solely responsible for the changelings' defeat? "The very same. He was my key to Canterlot and Celestia. But in the end... I lost my key." Estermann shook his head. He tried not to crack up. But he did. The changeling spun around. She slammed a random dodgeball that rolled between her legs against the ground so hard that it shot up and hit the grinning Estermann square in the forehead. The lawyer stumbled back and slumped down on the bench. "Alright, that's enough!" a security guard shouted and made ready to approach, a can of mace in his hand. “Against the wall. Now!” "I'm, having, a, confidential talk!" she shouted at the approaching warder, eyes incensed with anger. Estermann rubbed his forehead and stood back up upon hearing the guard's footsteps. He wasn't disoriented, but still a little shocked by what had just hit him. "No, no," he stammered, "Everything's fine, everything's okay. It was just a foam ball. I'm alright." "Yes. Leave!" the Queen ordered. Annoyed, the guard stopped, glared, and marched back where he came from. "Gottverdammt nochamal!" the attorney cursed and combed the messed-up hair out of his face. "Right, then let us talk about victories then! What about... what about Timbucktu? What about Trot? What about Kiger? Do any of these names ring a bell?" The changeling regent came to a halt from the pacing, processing the place names. "Trot... Kiger?" "You know, Northern Equestria. Changelings attack, overwhelm the garrison, raze the settlements. Rinse and repeat." he rattled the explanation off as fast as possible, fearing that if he said the wrong thing, there would soon be a second foam ball. But Chrysalis nodded. "Yes... Trot." "What can you tell me about Trot? The prosecution is plundering the Canterlot Archives as we speak. We need your account of it before the trial starts." "Trot... Trot..." the Queen mumbled, "Yes. I remember this particular battle very well. I remember... the faces. Those scared, terrified pony faces." She caught another dodgeball among her hooves. "It all took place in the middle of a raging snowstorm, in the deepest and darkest of Equestrian nights." She played around as she continued paddling up her stream of thought. "We... five hundred of my children and I... we stumbled upon a group of weary donkey travellers. You know, the crusty sort - unkempt manes, split hooves, and rugged peon clothing. And you know how donkeys are. Dirty dullards. So we took their forms. They begged me, pleaded that I spare them and their sorry little lives. So I did. What my children did with them after they took them into the Foal Mountains, however, is quite a mystery to me. Suffice to say, they didn't have to freeze anymore." Estermann shuddered. He unpacked his laptop, trying not to think about the donkeys. "Then," she continued, "I decided that we make good use of their forms. Our pack had been scavenging in the hills around Trot for weeks at the time. We made decent gains, but it almost was not worth the effort of leaving our hive. So instead, why not try knocking at Trot's gates? And so we went right ahead. After all, could the Ponies really resist a lowly crowd of 500 starving, freezing beggar donkeys?" She left a dramatic pause. "Unfortunately, the ponies in the Frozen North are either a grain smarter than in the rest of Equestria, or just a whole lot more bigoted, because they refused us at first. The second and third time as well. Only by my fourth appeal did they took pity on us and opened the doors to the buffet." The lawyer noted everything she said in short bullet-points. '• Stay rational', he repeated and repeated, ‘• Stay rational!' "We marched in, all us 'jacks' and 'jennies', and all the nosy ponies of Trot crowded around us. I know not what they were expecting from us, but when we lifted our charade, they lost their judging stares and glares quicker than a mayfly its life. I flew to the city palace, with my army, and I asked the Emperor Incitatus to surrender his town." "• asks for surrender," Estermann noted. "And what does that stuck up foal on the balcony declare? 'I do not bargain with monsters like you.'" Again she paused. A sly smile crept over her lips. "What a rude thing to say. Don't you think?" "• Emperor refuses..." he typed. Chrysalis continued. "Naturally, my children did not take his unprovoked slur very lightly. And neither did I. I unfurled my wings and shot up to the balcony, and looked right in the Emperor's eyes." Estermann's fingers stopped dead in their tracks. On the screen, it left a long trail of kkkk... "And I made him kiss my hooves and bawl his eyes out apologising before I rid him of all that misplaced love he had been hogging in his gluttonous little tummy. Upon my sign, my children had their fun with the rest of the townsfolk as well. Nopony could escape us that easily. Trot was in the middle of the mountains. It's a kettle, surrounded entirely by cliffs and mountainsides and rivers and a lake... we didn't even need to herd them. They had no choice but to come to us. We made great yields that day. Enough to breed a thousand hatchlings." Slowly, the lawyer tried to regain his composure. There had been a momentary flash in his mind that yanked his train of thought away. It was the nightmare he had the other night. He had vivid sight of Chrysalis bright green eyes... He looked up. "Come... to you?" he repeated the last part, confused. "Have you written that down?" she asked. "Then you can write the following part down too. Quoth me: We changelings are very environmentally conscious. We do not throw anything away when we are done with it. Trot may have been exhausted of love and affection when we were finished with it... but that doesn't mean we didn't have any other uses for those ponies after that. Why leave them all behind to clog up the untouched nature? I knew they would make an excellent addition to our hives. Northern Equestrians can be so hardy..." "So you took them..." Estermann murmured, lost in thought. "We utilised them, worm. Utilised them." Estermann nodded, and saved the testimony. "Alright..." he recounted, "You had the town infiltrated. You lifted your disguise and asked for surrender." The timing was important in that story. "Is that correct, Your Highness?" She nodded. "Would I lie?" "And you commenced the attack... after his refusal?" She had to think about that for a few seconds. "Oh who knows?" "Your Highness. This is important." Estermann warned her with a no-nonsense attitude. "If you did not give the ponies of Trot the chance to accept surrender, it counts as an act of 'No Quarter', which is illegal in and on itself. The prosecution will see themselves confirmed in one of the charges. So did you give Trot that chance?" "They had it." she simply stated. "I will note that as a ‘yes’. Now, what about the population? Had you every single member of them... utilised?" "Everypony we could find." she answered, looking oblivious. "Some may have eluded our grasp, but we won't mourn about that." "That's..." he typed down, "ethnic cleansing, deportation, imprisonment, enslavement... all in one swoop." He shook his head. A cold shiver travelled down his spine as he looked over the damning account. "Were there any armed forces that opposed your attack?" "Are you now suggesting that ponies can fight?" she quipped, and looked at him skeptically. "They'd need nothing short of a force field to save their sorry plots." "So… no?" "No." "So you suffered no casualties?" "Not a single one." He chewed on his gums nervously. "One last question then, Your Highness... was it you who was in charge of this attack?" She rolled her eyes, "Are you deaf, worm? Read through your writ again. I am the Queen." "But were you actually in command of the armed forces that carried out the attack?" Estermann asked anew, trying to pry even the smallest grain of a hint from her that suggested she was not actually involved. But there was no answer. When he looked up, he was staring into the increasingly annoyed, poison-green eyes of the changeling regent. "I am the Queen." she repeated, slowly and clearly. "Yes." he noted. With those words, the Queen resumed pacing. Trying to squash the foam ball under her hooves as she cantered around it, she shook her head and looked ill-humoured. “And they call that dumb?” “Hm?” He looked up from his notes. “Celestia. Luna.” She paused bitterly. “Twilight. Did they tell the world that?” “They told me.” The changeling's head rose menacingly. “Not directly... There was some scientist who tried to educate me. Don't know who sent him though.” “Give me his name. If I ever get out of here, I'll grant him his own little place to dwell in.” “Your Highness.” “Worm?” Uneasily the defence counsel placed his laptop beside him. “Offensive as it may be, we need to be smart about this.” “‘Offensive’ doesn't even begin to do it justice!” “One man's insult can be another man's compliment.” “Just what are you babbling about?” “We can either do the expected thing and lock horns...” He waited a few moments, “Or... we can leave them at rest in their dumb little beliefs. Let them underestimate us some more.” Again, the Queen furrowed a foam ball between her two hooves. “You... you are seriously suggesting here that I-” He nodded. He closed his eyes and mentally prepared his still throbbing forehead for further collision. But the ball never came flying. When he looked back up, he still caught the Queen eyeing him doubtfully. “And what will that achieve?” she asked bluntly. “You don't mind what you don't mind. Who would you rather get rid of? An... army of shapeshifting master infiltrators with a legendary grudge against you, or a pack of stray, wild, disoriented animals?” He leaned forward conspiratively. “If we do this right, no one will be able to get you or your children for this whole affair.” Chrysalis also leaned in a little. With rather calm scorn, she replied, “This ball must have shaken your brain pretty badly. I don't know what world exactly you're living in, but it's not Equestria. Those ponies may be stupid as sin... but they do not forget.” Estermann raised his eyebrows. “The Equestrians? You mean our Equestrians?” He thought back to Captain Shining. He thought back to Lexy Fori. “I... It's just... I don't think I've met thinking, talking creatures that were more naïve than those Equestrians. I think you could talk them into whatever you like. You ought to know it best, you almost usurped the whole place!” “Hm. Quite.” she agreed. “Except that they've all already been talked into three particular things: A changeling is your enemy. Once a changeling, always a changeling. And the only good changeling is a changeling blasted a thousand leaps across the country. That's what they believe.” she almost chanted. “But... do you know what they'd do with you as things stand now?” the attorney reminded her in all earnesty. “As an enemy of the state? They'll chop off your horn and drain the life out of you! You can't really be looking forward to that.” “And now, worm, I want you to think very hard for just the fraction of a second: What will they do to me once I'm a mere stray animal?” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t be too worried. They’re ponies, aren’t they? Friendship, Magic,... Fraternité. Couldn’t pry the wings of a damn fly.” “Oh… precious.” the Queen laughed hoarsely, “The ponies have already plucked their share of wings.” A little irritated, the lawyer eyed the surprisingly coy regent. “They’re all bark, no bite, and half a wit. They'd rather put you in a remote place and forget you ever existed. You told me that yourself!” “Forget what I said!” Chrysalis suddenly spat. Unwonted words from the Queen of all Changelings. Estermann sat down quietly, watching the her face give in to some distress. “Stop trying to guesstimate what the ponies wouldn’t do to me." Slowly, her bright green eyes locked him into a vicious stranglehold. "Just ask yourself how you’d deal with me... hungry, wild, out-of-control...” “I... I’d...” Only then - finally - did it hit him. He froze up in realisation. It wouldn’t simply end at any sort of mild, extraterrestrial expatriation. No, it was worse. If the International Criminal Law deprived all changelings the privilege of sapience, they wouldn't just become nobody before Equestrian law – they'd be nobody in front of the law of nations, period. They would not be an interest group, they would not be a people, not a nation, no, not even a civil war party. They would be mere animals, a natural phenomenon. Resources. Objects before the law. Objects that could be… removed… without the UN even batting an eye. Disenfranchised, changelings would drift through the world without safety, without any guarantee, protected by no one and hounded by everyone. A people can be protected by the assembled international community. But animals? Animals couldn’t claim land, or found nations, or have the right to be independent and unimpeded by ‘proper’ states. The Equestrians would trot all over them. They could even kill them all, to the last beast, and call it pest control. Who would mind? The WWF? Who would they send? The Rainbow Warrior? What a big damn farce. Even in recent times, with Equestria’s abrupt discovery upsetting every major piece of law’s definition of humanity and its jurisdiction over living creatures, it was often overlooked how easily only a few written words could make the difference between a subject and an object. Right now, the changelings, for what they were worth, were teetering on the precipice. And there stood Estermann, and now he had the honour of giving the shove. Almost involuntarily, another's words from earlier that day were swept back into his mind. The dogs... What Lyra had been telling him – or trying to, anyway: What do they do with bitey dogs? Well, the same thing they've always done with them, of course. Estermann slowly freed himself from the Queen's eyes. “Well spotted.” she just confirmed. “Underestimating them is a mistake even the mightiest and strongest of Equestria’s warlords have made. Ponies may have brains like twittermites... and yet, they possess the force of the same. They don’t scare me… their streak does. Their stupid, stupid streak.” She looked up at the human. But his disbelief persisted. “I… don’t think I can follow. One day they’re effete, the next they’re... not?” “Ponies flee what they fear. And they destroy what they don’t.” Engaged, she got up. “You want to hear what happened in Trot? Do you also want to hear what happened after Trot?” she asked with her eyes broadening in all earnesty. The lawyer tastes his lips awkwardly. “Do go on.”