//------------------------------// // The Proposal // Story: Salvation and Reformation // by jolliapplegirl //------------------------------// The group entered the cave, passing by some other ponies who stood in the shadows. Whether they were earth ponies, Pegasi or unicorns was hard to tell as they remained out of the light, but they did all seem to have glowing green eyes. Weird, Twilight thought, following after the Thestral pony. Behind her, Applejack and Rarity were pulling the carts of apples while Fluttershy and Pinkie walked beside them, returning any apples that rolled off. Rainbow flew above them, seeming to wary about something. It might have been the eyes watching them or the weird sounds echoing off the walls. Either way, the mare was wary. And at the end of their little parade, Discord walked behind them all, looking about and waving at the hidden ponies. Twilight wasn't sure what to think anymore. Despite her feelings toward Discord, he had been right about her. She had been elevated to princesshood and yet still acted like a foal. Like she was more important than others. He had told her as such when the plunder seeds had nearly destroyed Ponyville but somehow, with all this new stuff happening, she had forgotten. Looking up, she caught their guide staring back at her, but as soon as their eyes met, he turned away, looking as if he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. By his side, his bat wings twitched nervously. He was clearly still feeling awkward from his companions outburst. She couldn't imagine how weird it must be to left in that situation. "U-um.” The stallion stammered, finally filling the silence in the cave. His voice echoed softly, gaining the attention of the mares following behind him. “I-I'm sorry about all this. Blitz isn't usually so... quick to provoke.” “Now, don't you worry about that there, sir.” Applejack assured, looking back at the somewhat sullen Rarity. Both she and Rarity seemed to want to make up for their violence by helping with the carts. “We owe him an apology too. And you too, Mr...” She pressed, watching as the stallion jumped, his wings twitching with embarrassment. “M-me?! You want to know my name?” He asked, looking shocked and strangely pleased. His small smile kept falling and reforming as his thoughts circled about. “My name isn't... as cool as Blitz's but I like it all the same. It's nice to have a name.” This caught Twilight's attention. “Why wouldn't you have a name?” She asked, drawing closer ahead. The stallion, flinched, moving away from Twilight, as if scared to touch her. She realized things were still awkward between them, since they fought each other only minutes before, so she distanced herself as well. He relaxed as the gap between them grew. “We... There are a lot of us down here. Mostly, we are born together in groups so we tend not to get individual names, just designations.” He explained, his eyes darting to and away from Twilight as he spoke. “I used to be called P7-098. Blitz was R8-532, because he was younger than me.” “What else can you tell us about yourselves?” Rainbow asked, the impatience in her voice evident. She wasn't the only one fishing for information but the bat pony with his wings tucked close to his sides was not the best source. Especially after he replied. “I... I only know about the guards. Mainly just B-Blitz and a few others.” He said, looking back at Rainbow before his eyes fell to the ground. He was very nervous for some reason. Whether is was because of their introduction to each other or because he was all alone now (he didn't seem comfortable being alone), Twilight chose her only solution. Friendship! "Well, now you know us, don't you?" She proclaimed, holding out a hoof. The stallion looked at it then back to her. He didn't look sure but eventually took it. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and these are-" "You are princess Twilight Sparkle!?" He suddenly cried, his gaze now directed at Twilight. "You are... not what I expected, though the wings and the horn... are a bit of a give away. An Alicorn..." He sighed, circling her yet still keeping his distance. "His majesty will be so pleased!" He smiled openly for the first time, clapping his hooves together. "His majesty?" Rarity spoke up, her first words since entering the cavern. She still looked disgusted at all the dirt and grime but seemed to cheer up at the mention of royalty. "I thought you only had one ruler?" "We do, my Lady, but his majesty is the prince." He explained, his excitement waning slightly as the conversation worn on. "He will be very pleased to meet you. To meet you all. He loves ponies... I think" "You think?" Rainbow retorted, drifting closer as the cavern started to stoop downward. "Well, the prince is a bit... strange perhaps?" He replied, shrugging as if unsure. "I've never spoken to him before and... Um..." "Guard." Discord called, watching as the stallion bowed his head immediately, despite not even facing the draconequus. "You forgot to introduce yourself." He yawned, shrinking himself down and resting on top of Applejack's cart. When an apple rolled toward him, Fluttershy quickly scooped him up, placing the now tired looking mini draconequus on her head. "That was quite rude..." He drifted off, his high pitched snores echoing. "Ah, yes, my lord!" The Stallion said, bowing to Fluttershy and Discord. "How very rude of me. My name is Zerg Rush. My companion, who isn't here now, is named Blitzkrieg. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, my lady's." He said, walking backward to bow to the group. The mares just stared at Zerg Rush, confused. That was a weird name, they all thought. One was a arcade game term and the other a battle strategy that Griffins used when fighting wars. Why were these the names they chose for themselves. At least, that was Twilight's reasoning. Rarity thought they sounded quite regal, AJ just didn't get the meaning and as such just thought they sounded weird the way any word would after saying it a bunch of times. Fluttershy didn't mind it, though they sounded a bit aggressive, Rainbow thought they sounded cool and Pinkie... Pinkie was imagining what kind of party she could throw for ponies with such cool names. Maybe something space themed. "Well, howdy, Zerg rush!" Aj greeted, the name sounding weird to even her ears. "I'm Applejack. This here is Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and you already know Twilight Sparkle." She listed, pointing to each of her friends. Zerg Rush bowed his head, continuing to walk. "It is a pleasure to meet you all, My ladies." He replied, smiling as the cave got narrower and darker. Despite how far into the earth they had traveled, the air was still fresh. Twilight wanted to ask Zerg why that was but considering his job, he probably didn't know. Still, the cave was surprisingly well kept. The ground was steady and she couldn't feel any rumbling. Soon, they entered a massive room. They all walked along a fairly wide ledge while far below them was a underground river. Despite how dark it should have been, the water glowed with luminescent creatures. Their glimmer reflected off the fishes below, their scales creating a beautiful mini light show as they swam freely. The steady flow of water filled the cavern with the rush of fresh water. Even more amazing was the walls. From beneath the earth, small pockets of gems shined through, illuminating the darkened cave slightly, as if they stood under a night sky. The ceiling had risen, making the hall seem vast and never ending. "Whoa..." Rainbow sighed, her eyes gleaming. "Now that's something you wouldn't see in a normal cave!" She cried, her voice bouncing off the high ceiling. Twilight was about to tell her to be careful just before the cry of bats filled the cavern. Crying out, all the mares ducked just as bats swooped down from the ceiling, their number effectively carrying Rainbow off. “Awk! Somepony, hel-” She cried, just before she found herself in a butterfly net. Too shocked to respond, she sat there as the bats flew around her, quickly escaping into some other cavern to sleep in peace. Discord rested the butterfly net on his shoulder, smiling as he presented the caught Pegasus to the others. “A-ah… L-Lady Rainbow, are you alright?” Zerg asked, stepping forward, clearly concerned. Rainbow remained silent, her eyes wide from shock. “Maybe she’s in shock?” Pinkie suggested, poking Rainbow’s back. “We should help her!” “But how?” Spike asked from Twilight's back. “Good question.” AJ sighed. “Though I’m more concerned as to why she was so shocked. They were just bats.” “They weren't just bats!” Everyone jumped as Rainbow shouted. Her eyes turned to them as she moved to climb out the net. “Those were those fruit bats from before! The vampire fruit bats.” “But that’s impossible! They don’t live in deserts.” AJ protested, looking toward the hole the bats had flown through. She frowned. “At least I don’t think they do…” “Perhaps they use the caves as a shelter during the colder times in Equestria?” Rarity suggested. “Bats do that, don’t they? Fluttershy? Twilight?” Twilight flinched, not expecting a question to also be directed at her. “Uh…” She looked around, trying to think about that. She had read a bit about the vampire fruit bats before but that had been a while ago and she hadn’t gotten to the part about their migration patterns. She had been mostly focusing on their feeding habits at the time. “They didn’t look too good though.” Fluttershy muttered, looking sad. “They might be sick.” “Sick?” Rainbow echoed, resting a hoof on the net rim. “They seemed healthy enough to me.” “Still! I really think we should check on them!” She insisted meekly, staring up at her friends earnestly. After a moment, they sighed, smiling at their friend. “If thats what ya want, sure thing, sugarcube.” AJ nodded. “Absolutely, darling.” Rarity “It’ll be fun, seeing those bats again.” Pinkie cheered. “We’ll sing a welcome back song rather than our last one.” “True, but first we must get to our destination.” Discord stated, dropping the net. Rainbow flew out of the net just before it hit the ground, frowning at Discord as he walked past them. “Our welcome party might not be happy with us taking so long.” He said with a yawn. “That is true.” Zerg agreed, stepping back to let Discord pass. “I-if you wish, you can go and talk to Ouium. He likes studying the animals down here. He knows more about this than me.” He explained, turning away. “Thank you.” Fluttershy sighed, smiling as she continued to follow the stallion. The rest of the mares fixed up what had been dropped in their panic, which wasn't much. Rainbow, however, was pouting. "Rainbow, what's wrong?" Twilight asked, staring up at her friend. The blue mares face puffed up as she grew more annoyed. "I... I'll have to thank Discord, which I'm totally cool with!" She said, quick to defend herself. "It's just..." "Just?" "Why a butterfly net?" She asked, confused. Twilight shared her confusion. Though, for some reason, she felt she had an answer that would be appropriate. And probably the answer Discord would give. "I suppose... if it has wings and flies, a butterfly net can catch it." ***** Their walk had reached its end when their group had reached the entrance of a large room. This one was miles bigger than the previous one. The scale could be felt despite how dark the room was. Frowning, Twilight and Rarity used their horns to illuminate the path, just so they could at least see each other. "Aw! Where is that welcome party you were talking about?" Pinkie asked, pouting. "I expected something grand. Like a firework show or something!" "Underground?" Rainbow retorted, looking around. The room was fairly silent. "You could do it!" Pinkie insisted. "If you can have campfires underwater, you can have fireworks under ground." "Perhaps, dear, but one of those things are impossible." Rarity stated, smiling despite how disturbed she was by the silent darkness. "The other is probably very dangerous." "It would be kind of cool though." Spike chipped in, smiling as he rested on Twilight's head. "A firework show underground." "It would most likely cause a cave in though." Twilight informed them, rolling her eyes. "Or worse." "Thanks, princess positivity." Rainbow sighed, rolling her eyes. "But it's true!" She retorted, her wings puffing out in indignation. "Yeah, but so unfun!" Pinkie sighed, patting Twilight on the shoulder. "Can't you let a mare dream?" "What?" Twilight stood there, confused just before her friends burst into a fit of laughter. Her face got red as she realized what had happened. She'd walked into a joke trap. She smiled, chuckling with them. Behind them Zerg was smiling, trying to hid his amusement behind his hoof. When he saw that he'd been seen, his face became red and he turned away. "Oh! I'm sorry!" He looked away with shame. "I shouldn't have-" "Don't sweat it, Z." Rainbow assure him, smirking. "It was joke. Jokes should be laughed at." "Especially among friends." Rarity continued. "Friends?" He echoed, his eyes wide with shock. "A-are we... Friends?" "Of course we are, silly!" Pinkie proclaimed, popping up from behind the stallion. "We shared a laugh and spent a whole hour together! That makes us friends." "Uh, Pinkie?" AJ raised a hoof. "I think there was a bit more than just that." "Ah, yes. We fought before..." He recalled. "I thought you hated us... Me." "Oh no, darling. We don't hate you." Rarity assured him with a smile. "I admit, that wasn't the best way to meet but such unpleasantries should be forgiven and forgotten when forming friendships. It does no one any good to bring up such things." "That might be pushin' it a bit but I do agree." Aj cut in. "Despite how we met, yer a good pony, Zerg Rush. A mite bit quiet and strange but you ain't a bad pony. That makes you worthy of friendship." The unspoken part about him just defending his home was clear in her eyes as they stared at each other. Zerg looked at everyone, his face one of uncertainty. Then his eyes fell on Twilight. "P-princess?" He said beseechingly, as if asking for her permission to believe their words. Did he really think they were still mad about that? That he wasn't allowed to think of them as friends? Twilight opened her mouth to speak but a voice echoed. "Ah, how magnanimous of you." A voice, female, called out, drawing their eyes toward the unlit darkness. As they searched for the source of the voice, they group notice how the room had changed. Before the room was unendingly dark with no light at all. Now the room was littered with small glowing dots on the walls, some blinking in and out of sight. The mares huddled together, wary. "Show yourself!" Rainbow shouted, looking around frantically. Twilight notice how Discord had disappeared from sight. She hadn't noticed until then but she was sure he had been beside them when they entered to room. "Oh? So you can't see me?" The voice replied, chuckling. Twilight ears twitched, a frown forming as she listened. That voice... "I forgot that you ponies can't see in the dark like we can. Very well then. Let there be light." The room exploded with a sudden burst of light, the room being filled with the eerie green glow of some kind of light source. After blinking the white dots from their eyes, Twilight looked up to see a enormous green gem, similar to the small ones that littered the cavern, embedded in the ceiling. Its light illuminating the room and bringing to light what Twilight and her friends were in for. The room was filled with changelings, all of them resting in honeycomb like holes in the wall. Their unblinking eyes watched the mares, though none moved. Twilight turned to warn Zerg but the stallion was gone, his body bursting into green flames as he showed his true form. A regular changeling with... violet eyes? She was about to question why his eyes were a different color than the rest but the voice from before spoke up again. "It is quite a pleasure to have you here with us, little ponies." Out of what little darkness remained, an old foe appeared. Tall, graceful and eerily beautiful, Queen Chrysalis walked forward, her smile as confident as the day she'd taken over Canterlot. "Welcome, Princess Twilight and friends, to my hive." ***** "Queen Chrysalis!" They cried out, glaring at their former enemy. The Nymph stood alone, smiling serenely at them as she stepped forward into the light. She looked the same as the last time they'd met. Tall, strangely beautiful and so foreign that Twilight jumped at the holes in her legs still. They were just plain weird. "P-princess Twilight!" She heard Zerg call out, clearly concerned but also warning her. She looked back at the stallio- no, the changeling. His mane was slightly different from what she remembered the grunts looked like. His mane actually looked like a mane, though it was still as dark as others. His eyes, wings and back were violet though. His wings buzzed, almost as if he was warning her not to move. Even without a weapon, he looked dangerous. "You planned this, didn't you, Z!" Rainbow accused, glaring at the male. His shy nature made him flinch slightly at her shout but he stood firm, his stance showing he was ready to fight if need be. He was a guard after all. "I-I did only what I was told to do." He answered. "Guide you to our queen... So you c-could help us." "Help you what? Feed off as like parasites?" A mare shouted, stomping a hoof. Zerg jumped. "I... Uh..." Zerg's ears fell as he looked at them, confused. "My oh my! Is that anyway to treat a new friend, girls?" A voice chastised, one they all recognized. Discord slipped past them, like mist, forming as he walked over to Zerg Rush. "The poor boy must be heart broken, being called a parasite by those who called him friend just moments before." "I... I don't know that word, my lord." He stated, staring up at the draconequus as he circled him. "Is that a bad word?" "Who knows." Discord shrugged, resting a paw on the males head. "I mean, what kind of friend would call another a bad word?" The girls, mostly Twilight, flinched at the silent accusation. She knew how true those words were. From the look on Zerg Rush's face, he really didn't have a clue as to what the word 'parasite' meant. How confused he must have felt. "I think it's fine." Chrysalis defended, drawing the mares attention once more. She looked annoyed at Twilight but only in her eyes. Her face was the perfect mask of civility. "Considering the last they saw of us was the invasion of Canterlot, it would be strange if she thought of us as anything more than parasites. Worry not, my child." She assured Zerg as she walked around their little huddle. Zerg jumped at the sight of her, frowning as he lowered his head. "T-thank you, your majesty." He muttered, his eyes falling on the mares once more. "I... I don't understand what is happening but, uh... M-may I be excused?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the ground. "I have to find Blitz." Chrysalis smiled, much like a mother, as she rested a hoof on the guards head. "Yes, go and defend our gates, my child." She ordered. Zerg nodded turning on his hoof to leave. He looked back at Twilight and her friends, his eyes burning with confusion and insecurity. They begged for an answer to the question resting within those violet eyes. Are we still friends? Twilight looked away, not wanting to look at the sadness in which that question was asked. How strange it must be for him. To just be accepted as a friend only to be called a parasite. To be shunned and accused of ill intent due to someones rash conclusion. For their words to fall on deaf ears. The looks she got from her friends were scolding, but soft, as if they knew why her words had been said but felt just as guilty for staying silent. "Feels familiar, doesn't it, Princess of Friendship?" Chrysalis mocked, sneering down at the shorter mare. Twilight flinched at the jab. That was twice now that her title had been thrown back in her face. But she knew, just like the first time, she deserved it. She had hurt a friend. A stallion who looked to need one. "What do you want with us, Chrysalis?" She growled, turning to the nymph. Her will was a little bruised but their main concern was staring them all in the face now. Zerg... Twilight wasn't sure how to feel about him just yet. She definitely owed him an apology but... He had hid himself from them. Lied to them by omission. Had led them into a place that could lead to the death or imprisonment of her friends. Yet, he was kind to them. He wasn't a bad pony. His smiles, few in number, were genuine. If not, she was sure Pinkie would have noticed. "Straight to business, hm?" She turned to them with a sneer, watching them closely. "Alright then, Princess, thats what we'll do." She walked passed them, meeting a waiting Discord who on a rock, yawning. When did he- "Discord!" AJ called out, stomping over. "Is this what you planned for us? To lead us into a changeling den?!" "You have a problem with that?" He countered, smiling as he curled his body around the rock. "I thought you wanted to help." "I do, but you should have warned us." She argued. "It's because you didn't tell us that things went sour so fast." "Oh? Would you have acted differently had you known?" He asked, resting his chin on his claw. "Or would you have refused because they were your enemy?" "We would have helped." Applejack insisted, not looking back at the others. Twilight looked at her friends, most of them looking somewhat unsure. Fluttershy just looked scared. Pinkie said nothing, instead looking down the path in which Zerg had run down. Rainbow had a mixed expression, one of shame but stubborn pride, as if she wasn't sure how to feel just yet. Discord snorted, seeing all of the mares expressions. "You might be the only one who feels that way, Applejack." Discord snickered, hissing as he turned to the Changeling Queen standing beside him. "Chyrsy? Your proposal?" He pushed, though the nymph scowled at him. "I do have a proposal but seeing how you have had a long trip, I suggest we discuss business later." She stated, surprising not only the mares but Discord. He frowned at her, appearing before her as she tried to walk away. "Chyrsy, I thought you were running out of time." He stated, glowering down at her. "Lay out your proposal so we can move on to the next step." "And what step is that?" Twilight demanded, though they two continued on as it she had said nothing. "I can't do that, Lord Discord." She replied, nonplussed by his order, though the buzzing within the room increased in volume. "The way things have progressed, I must make changes to my... our plan. While I appreciate your concern, I have everything under control." She then turned to Twilight and her friends. "I would hope you would feel free and safe in my hive. My children will not harm you." "And how do we know that for sure?' Rainbow growled. "You don't." She answered. "Not for absolute sure but my word will have to tide you over. I will discuss our proposal later this evening, after you girls have settled in." She explained, before turning to the grumbling Discord. "For now, I must depart so Lord Discord and I can discuss... important matters." "Hm? But I thought we already worked out ever-" Chrysalis' magic pulled Discord close, though Twilight could tell he let her. "Now, Lord Discord." She snarled, glaring into his eyes before Discord sighed. With a roll of his eyes, he gathered her magic around his claw like a thread and crushed it, fine green mist slipping from his hand. "As you wish, Chrysy dear." He said, walking past her into the darkness. The queen watched him, clearly still mad but allowing him to leave. With a sigh, she turned back the Twilight and her friends. "As I said, I must discuss something with Lord Discord." She repeated. "But in the mean time, I will have someone show you around." Her next words were some other language, probably that of the changelings. It sounded like words mixed with hisses and buzzes. After a moment of waiting, Chrysalis scowled. "Cicada!" "Yes, mother?!" Another voice called out as the buzzing of wings drew closer. From the shadows, another changeling came forth, though this one looked more like Chrysalis than the others. She was tall and beautiful, though her mane was purple rather than the Queen's turquoise. That and her mane was a lot fluffier as opposed to Chrysalis' flat mane. It was wild and fluffy and messy. Her eyes were also different. Her eyes, while fierce, weren't as old as Chrysalis'. This one, Twilight figured, was young. And apparently, chrysalis' daughter. Cicada's eyes only briefly met the mares but the look of disgust there was clearly evident. "Did you need something from me?" "Yes, you are to show Princess Twilight and her friends around the hive while I settle a few matters with Lord Discord." She stated, turning back to the group. "My daughter, Princess Cicada will be your host. I thank you for your patience." Twilight and her shared a look, Chrysalis being stoic as Twilight glared up at her. She was clearly still a bit distrustful and opened her mouth protest but Cicada beat her to it. "Mother, I must protest!" She cried, stomping a hoof. "I don't know why you invited these... Ponies here," She gave them a look of pure disgust before turning back to her mother. "but I will not let our Hive be subject to their curiosities or whatever. Our hive isn't some gallery to show off!" "Cicada!" Chrysalis snapped, glaring at her daughter from the corner of her eye. "I will not have you show our guest such rudeness. You will do as I have said. Understood?” “But mother, I-” “I am your Queen first and foremost and I will not have anyone question my orders, Cicada.” She said, her voice calm but firm. She truly did sound like a Queen just then. Even Twilight felt the impulse to lower her eyes at that tone. “Now, have I been clear, daughter? Or am I to repeat myself?” Cicada’s ears fell, her confidence fading as she was confronted by her mother. She clearly was reluctant but after a very brief battle of wills though stares, the young changeling backed down, bowing her head to her Queen. “As you wish…” She grumbled, scowling at the ground. “Excuse me?” Chrysalis pushed. “I mean… As you wish, my Queen.” She said, her eyes firmly on the ground. Chrysalis nodded, turning away to walk into the darkness. “I shall meet with you all at a later time then.” She promised, her form fading into the darkness. The eyes that watched them slowly faded out, blinking out of sight until the only light was from the large green gem glowing above them. Silence brewed between the group and Cicada, the nymph clearly displeased by the development. Pinkie was the first to speak up, apparently getting over whatever held her attention for so long. "So, your the Queens daughter? Princess Cicada?" She asked, hopping closer. Rarity reached out to stop her but she slipped past. "How cool. I'm Pinkie Pie and I-" The mare stopped as the princess stomped a hoof, nearly hitting Pinkie, who scrambled away. "Do not come near me, Pony!" She snapped, the revulsion in her words clear to even Pinkie, who took a step back as the nymph continued on. "I don't know why mother decided to invite you filthy mammals in our sacred hive but do not think I will allow such rudeness." She shuddered, looking as if she was looking at something disgusting. "Oi, who are you calling disgusting, bug princess!" Rainbow countered, landing between Cicada and Pinkie. "All Pinkie was trying to do was be nice and this is how you treat her? "Oh, how amusing." Cicada shook her head. "A pony defending her friend. I wonder how long it'll be before you call her some hurtful word." Rainbow's wings twitched at that. "Surely, that's what friendship is to you ponies." Twilight opened her mouth to defend both her friends but another voice spoke. "Cicada, you're being rude to mother's guests." The voice chastised as another Changeling walked into the light. Twilight briefly wondered just how many changelings were hidden around them before she caught sight of this one. He was... Different. He was as tall as Cicada and Chrysalis but male. He was built like one of the royal Changelings but this was the first time Twilight had ever seen a male. Was he a prince? Did Changelings have princes. Whats more, he looked very much like Cicada. Though his mane was much shorter and more controlled than Cicada's and was pulled into a short ponytail. The small pair of reading glasses perched on his muzzle glinted in the dim light of the cave. His eyes, though, they were what caught Twilight's eye. They were cold. There was no warmth within. Unlike Cicada's fiery eyes, his was stone cold. It scared Twilight. "Who is that?" Rarity asked, whispering to Twilight. Twilight shook her head, instead watching the two Changelings talk. Cicada looked over at the male, rolling her eyes. "I can be as rude as I want, Apis." She argued, scowling. "They aren't our guests!" "They are." He countered, his tone leaving little room for argument. He walked up to her, looking her in the eye as he continued. "Mother has decreed that they are to be treated as guests and her word is law. You know that, sister." Cicada scowled, looking from her brother to the mares in front of her before letting out a short shout of frustration and flying off. "Fine, if you want to treat them like guests, you act as their 'tour guide' or whatever!" She screamed, fuming as she glared down at them. Apis seemed unconcerned, not even flinching at her scream. "As you wish." He replied, watching her fly off. After a moment, he turned to the mares, all of whom flinched at the sight of his cold changeling eyes. He stared at them for a full minute before speaking. "Ah, so it is you that mother invited to our hive." "W-what of it!?" Rainbow challenged, her wings extended fully. Everyone else just watched, though they were all ready to back up Rainbow if need be. Apis just stared at them for a full minute before responding. "How curious. You are ponies." He stated, still staring at them weirdly. It wasn't just his stare though. His voice, so monotone and listless, made all the mares uncomfortable. All Except for Pinkie, who smiled at the prince. "Yeah, we're ponies!" She cried, trotting over to him. "And you're a changeling prince, right?!" She asked, leaning in close though she barely went past his chest. Apis stared down at her for a minute before nodding. "Yes, I am Prince Apis." He stated, cocking his head to the side. "You are... an Earth pony, yes?" He asked out of nowhere. "Yea, she is." AJ answered, stepping closer. "So am I. What of it?" "I see." He muttered, his horn glowing to reveal a book from behind the rock Discord had been resting on. "And you have a unicorn and two pegasi as well." He observed, though his eyes were now glued to his book. "Uh huh! That's Rainbow and Fluttershy." Pinkie replied, jumping onto Apis' back to get a better look at what Apis was holding. Apis froze, looking back at the smiling mare as she tried to take a peek at his notebook. After a moment, he just shrugged and continued reading, unconcerned. Everyone else jumped, calling out to pinkie, though Applejack's voice rang out the loudest. "Pinkie, you can't be going and jumping on ponies you don't know." She scolded, trotting over to give Pinkie a stern look. "I'm sorry about that, Prince Apis. Pinkie is a bit eccentric and-" "I am a changeling, not a pony but I appreciate your concern, Miss Earth pony." He replied, really not looking at all bothered by the pink pony on his back. "With this, I've learned the weight of a pony mare. So I have no problem with this." "Miss? I'm Applejack." AJ informed him, frowning. "And I suppose there is some reason you are so interested in us ponies?" "Interested?" Rarity echoed, walking closer. "How do you figure?" "Don't you remember? Z said the prince wanted to know about ponies or something." Rainbow replied, reminding everyone of the Stallions strange interest in Twilight. "Though it was mostly Twilight he said he was interested in." Fluttershy mumbled, speaking for the first time since entering. "Princess Twilight is here?" Apis interrupted, his eyes finally lifting from his book. Apparently, he was willing to let everyone else talk around him until they said something that interested him. Twilight looked up at the male, grimacing as his eyes fell on her. Still, she was a princess. She had to act like one. With a unsteady breath, she took a step forward and stared up at the prince. "That's me." She proclaimed, staring him in the eyes. "You are princess Twilight Sparkle?" Apis asked somewhat doubtfully, staring down at her. That was the second time today she'd gotten that response. Why? "Yes..." She answered, frowning up at him. There was a moment of silence (again) as Apis stared down at her with questioning eye before nodding. "I see. You are not what I expected but that is not a problem." He sighed, turning away. "Now, if you would follow me, I shall escort you to your room." He stated, walking off as he stared into his book that he floated before him. Pinkie remained on his back giggling as she bounced. "Room? Shouldn't we get down to business first?" Rarity asked, following after him as the rest of the mares did so too. Twilight chose to remain silent, trying to think of what reason they had been brought here. Discord had said that they were meant to save them but how could they do that? What could they do that the princesses couldn't. "I do not know why mother brought you here, if that is what you wish to know." He replied, leading them down a hallway. Like the caverns, the walls were littered with glowing green gems. The only difference was that these halls were much wider and have various doorways leading down further hallways. As the group passed them, they could just barely make out the glowing eyes of other changelings. While the mares were noticeably nervous, they did their best to remain calm. The best out of them was Applejack. "You aren't even a little curious, yourself?" Rainbow asked as they followed him. "I figure that when I need to know, mother will tell me." He replied. "Besides, now that you are here, things are much more likely to get interesting. Cicada's reaction to you was to be expected, if not a bit louder than predicted." "So you don't mind us bein' here then?" AJ asked walking up to trot beside him. His longer legs made keeping up with him a bit difficult. "I do not see why I should mind." He answered, still reading his book. "It is not often I get to meet ponies so I appreciate the chance." "You've never met a pony before?" Fluttershy ventured, stilling hanging close to Rarity but speaking up. "I've never left the hive before so no, the opportunity has never come up." He answered, his tone implying he felt neither sadness nor joy at the statement. But Pinkie showed just how distraught she was. "What!?" She cried, grabbing his head and turning it to face her. "So you've never seen the outside of the hive before? That's terrible!" "...Is it?" He retorted, his face not really changing except for a slight frown of discomfort. "We reside in a desert. There is probably very little to see in terms of value." "Says who?" She countered with a wry smile. "Says I." He replied, his frown deepening. He was probably getting confused. "Well, you had better tell 'I' that the desert can be a whole bunch of fun!" She declared, standing on her hind legs and pointing to the ceiling. "Trust me, Api, when I say that fun can be found anywhere!" Apis stared at her, very clearly confused. "...Api?" He echoed. Pinkie nodded, smiling happily. "Uh huh, that is what I'm gonna call you from now on." She declared, hugging him. "Since we are probably going to be friends soon enough, I figure we should start off with nicknames." Everyone face hoofed, feeling bad for the changeling prince who was clearly confused by the mares logic. He even looked to Twilight, the question of 'what is she talking about' was evident in his eyes. At least his eyes were less cold than before. She thought as she just gave him a shrug in response. Apparently, it was enough of an explanation for Apis to recover and continue on with the conversation. "I see. So this friendship thing you speak of starts with nicknames, then?" He muttered to himself, nodding. "So that guard's nickname is now to be 'parasite', then? How fascinating." Everyone remained silent. Even pinkie with her smile strained somewhat, sat back down on Apis' back, letting the silence brew. The prince didn't seem to notice the change as he continued to mutter to himself about something. The words were unclear but whatever conclusion he came to was 'fascinating' and 'in need of more research'. "You don't seem all that bothered by the word, though." Aj said, breaking the silence. "I woulda thought you'd be mad, like your sister." "Cicada is always mad about something." He replied, twirling his notebook in circles with his magic. "Believe me when I say that no matter what was said, her reaction would have been the same. She dislikes everyone quite equally." "Why?" Pinkie asked. "She is to be a queen someday, as I am to be a king. A mother to her hive. It is in our nature to value the well being of our hive over everyone else." He explained. "To be honest, I do believe she just used your words as an excuse to be mad." "Then why aren't you upset?" Fluttershy asked meekly. "You have good reason to be." Apis frowned at this, looking confused. "I don't see why I would. We changelings are parasites." He answered easily. "Calling us parasites is as insulting as calling you ponies herbivores. It's a fact." "It still doesn't excuse our rudeness to Zerg Rush." Rarity mumbled, her ear drooping. "Perhaps but I doubt he understood the context you were trying to insinuate." He assured, almost as if he were trying to comfort us. It didn't help. "Though I do have one question to ask you all." Twilight frowned. He had questions too? "What is it?" "Why do you all speak as if you personally said these words. Only one of you did." He pointed out, looking over all of them. They all stared back, unsure of why he'd asked at all. While it was true that only one mare said the word, none of the others had scolded her. They had all remained silent as the insult was flung and none of them spoke against it. They were all guilty. "We might as well have all said it." AJ explained, removing her hat and holding it against her heart as she walked forward. "While we may not have said it ourselves, we all thought the same thing. We all hurt Zerg with our silence." "We were super mean to Zergy, so we all have to say we're sorry." Pinkie concluded, staring down at her friends. She didn't look at the culprit but she knew who she was. "And you too, Api." "I have no need of such things... Lady Pinkie, correct?" He asked, continuing to lead them. The mares followed. "Hm... It would see that I misunderstood some things about ponies. You are very strange. I will have to do much more research into your kind as your visit continues. "Perhaps we could get the matter of introductions out of the way first." Rarity suggested, smiling serenely. "Being called 'pony' is a bit more... formal than I'd like." "Yeah!" Rainbow agreed, flying over everyone else. "We do have names, y'know." "I agree." Twilight nodded, smiling at her friends though it was a tired one. "You already know me and Pinkie but behind me are Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and this little guy is my assistant, Spike." She stated, pointing to each mare and dragon. Spike had been hiding behind Twilight's mane since they'd arrived and just stared at Apis with a very clear sense of fear. While he may not have gone through what Twilight had, he knew from the stories that Changelings were generally scary. "Spike...?" Apis echoed, looking back at Twilight. He eyes met Spikes and as the silence brewed, his horn glowed. Spike glowed green as the changelings magic lifted him swiftly off Twilight's back and into the air. The dragon tried to fight it but was no match for the prince's grip. Apis looked just as deadpan but his eyes glowed with fascination. "Ah! How interesting. A real life dragon. However did you get one, Princess? Did you catch him? Steal an egg? What are his feeding habits? His mating habits? No, no, he looks to be too young for such things. Very small." He went on and on, twisting and turning spike like a toy as he circled the poor thing. His questions went on, unanswered though he looked not to care. Twilight's horn glowed, about to tear her assistant away from the possibly dangerous prince when a voice rang out. "Apis!" The prince stopped mid tirade, turning toward the voice. Chrysalis was walking down the hall, alone. Where was Discord? Hadn't he been with her before? "What are you doing with our guests?" "Mother... I was studying their dragon friend." He explained, not looking all that bothered by the appearance of his mother. He hadn't been bothered by Spikes pleas for freedom so this fact wasn't all that surprising. "It's not often one meets a dragon." "Yes, but this one is our guest so release him." She ordered, standing beside her son. Apis carefully replaced Spike on the ground, who then ran to cling to Applejack's leg. As the mare comforted him, Chrysalis turned to Twilight. "Princess Twilight, if you would follow me." "What?!" She gulped, staring up at Chrysalis. After a moment of silence, Twilight stiffened her back, looking the queen in the eye. "And what about my friends?" "They will remain with Apis. They still have a hive to tour." She stated simply. "If my dearest son can keep himself from getting distracted..." She grumbled, her gaze falling on Apis now writing something in his book while muttering to himself. "I'm not leaving without them." She said, glowering up at the Queen. It was her best glower but the older and probably more powerful nymph didn't even flinch. "You are our guest, Princess, but do not forget where you are." She hissed, leaning close. "This is my hive and I am it's queen. For as long as that is the case, my word is law. But if you wish to fight me on this, just know I have a bit more backup than last time." She threatened, the sounds of hisses surrounding them as the changelings made their presence known. The mares huddled up, ready to defend themselves if needed while Pinkie clung to Apis' neck. The tension was high and no one moved for fear of what result would come about. It was at this moment that Apis sighed as if bored. "Mother, you are wasting time." Apis said, unfazed by the atmosphere. He hadn't even lifted his gaze from his book as he spoke. "Night has fallen outside and the guests must be tired. Perhaps the threats can wait for tomorrow?" Everyone just stared in shock at the prince. Did he really just say that to Chrysalis?! His mother? The Queen?! Chrysalis just scowled at her son, looking more tired than angry. "You grow more rebellious every day, my son." She sighed, as if this was nothing new. Apis gave her a confused look. "This is rebellion? Hm, I would have thought it'd be more... loud. Like sister. Oh well..." He shrugged, turning away. "If you mares would follow me then, I must show you to your room." "But-" Rainbow started to protest but Twilight shook her head. They couldn't argue with Chrysalis. She had the home field advantage as well as an army. Much more than she did in Canterlot. Plus, Twilight had a feeling she would finally learn the queens motive for bringing them all here. Twilight shared a look with her friends, fear evident in their eyes but much less than before. Perhaps it was because of Apis. While the prince was fairly hard to read, he didn't seem keen on hurting them... maybe. "I'll go with you." Twilight proclaimed, trying to look as dignified as possible. "But I refuse to stay away from my friends for long." "Fine. I don't care." Chrysalis replied, rolling her eyes. "This will be quick anyway." She assured, directing Twilight down a separate hallway. The hall lead to a large set a double doors, fairly unimpressive other than their size. Twilight followed the queen as her friends were lead down a separate hallway. She kept them in sight the whole trip, giving them a friendly wave as the double doors slammed shut. ***** The room was.. not what Twilight expected. It looked like a normal office. Well, not normal, really. Normally, offices didn't have cave-like walls and the light source wasn't a large green gem embedded in the ceiling. The lack of windows were also a dead giveaway. In fact, the only reason one could conclude that this was an office was the wooden desk in the room and some worn looking chairs placed in front of it. Behind the desk, to replace what would have been a window in a normal office was a mural. Not one of paint or even glass, but one made of gems. Various colored gems glimmered as it displayed a rather strange sky. It was various shades of blue and the sun was red rather than yellow. Why red though? "Do you like it, princess?" Chrysalis asked, walking behind the desk to sit in the large couch like chair behind it. "One of my children made it. Though I told her the sun wasn't red, she insisted that it must be. The Princess of the sun tends to sound very... malicious in my tales of the surface." "So you lied to them." She growled, stepping forward toward the desk. "Lied? No, I told the truth." She replied with a smile. "Your truth might be different from mine but it is the truth none the less." "There's only one truth!" Twilight argued. "You invaded Canterlot and tried to take over, intending to feed off its citizens." "To feed my hive, my children." She retorted. "Do you think I did it for fun? That I pretended to love that oaf of a brother of yours because I was bored?" Twilight clenched her teeth and anger at the jab at her brother but kept herself from voicing her feelings on that. She had others things to rage about. "I don't care why you did it, only that you did!" She cried, stomping a hoof. "You would have locked us away, feeding off us like we were nothing! Like we weren't living creatures!" "True, but this is why we have different truths, Princess." Chrysalis sighed. "You may not like my methods but I don't regret it. I did what I had to. It staved off starvation for a while but now I find that we're back where we started..." Twilight stared at her, scowling but curious. Chrysalis' had said that she needed her help. But why would she remind Twilight of her past deeds? Even going so far as to state how she doesn't regret them. This wasn't the way to ask for help but now Twilight had to know how she planned to get the help she apparently needed. "So why are we here?' She asked, sitting in the worn but surprising soft chair in front of the desk. "Discord said that we were to help some starving ponies." "Hah! That's what he told you!?" She snickered, slapping a hoof against the desk. "No wonder you were so panicked when I revealed myself. Lord Discord truly is as cruel as I had heard." "He's been reformed." Twilight insisted, frowning at the realization of how much Discord had lied. She knew he had been hiding something but this was much more than she thought. He had to know how they'd react. He hadn't given them even the barest hint of a warning of what they'd be doing. He knew they'd react as badly as they did. "You really think so?" Chrysalis argued. "Because I can taste the doubt you feel. It's sour and sweet all at the same time. Have you told him how much you doubt your 'friend'?" She pushed, smirking as Twilight glared at her. It was true Twilight didn't trust Discord all that much but how could she? After everything he did. How much pain he'd caused. How much he didn't trust them enough to tell the truth... "Hm? Is that..." The queen licked her lips, as if the air itself held the emotions Twilight felt. "Sadness? No, not sour enough... What is it?" "Never mind that! Tell me what you want from us, Chrysalis!" She interrupted, not liking the look on the queens face as she questioned herself. Already, Chrysalis was feeding off her. "Fine, I'll be blunt." She deadpanned, yawning as her horn glowed. In her magic grip was a crystal, blue and pure. Where she'd gotten it from was a mystery but Twilight stayed quiet. "As you know, we changelings feed off the emotions of sentient beings such as you ponies. We can feed of other creatures like Griffins and Zebra but they aren't as... welcoming as ponies are so we prefer ponies." She explained. Twilight knew this. While changelings could easily get into Equestria and replace a pony, Griffins were a bit more suspicious by nature and Zebras... well, not much was known about them so it must have been difficult to blend in with them. Chrysalis continued. "While I did say that we feed on love, that isn't entirely correct. We can feed of any emotion, which is why we can read ponies so well but we prefer love. It's much stronger and lasts a lot longer. The only thing that last even close to as long is rage but that isn't as... desirable as love." That Twilight didn't know. She had assumed that Changelings only fed on love. But this new fact did explain how they could manipulate others so well. They would sense emotions and change accordingly. "That doesn't explain why you need us here." Twilight grumbled, getting a bit impatient. Chrysalis rolled her eyes, waving a hoof dismissively. "I'm getting to that." She assured, twisting the blue crystal in her magical grip. "As I was saying, things have been harder for us. Since our failed attempt at Canterlot, it's been harder to get my children in to harvest love. Your Princess has been finding my children and deporting them faster than they can harvest, which has made life here harder than we can recover from on our own. We were too weak to travel to some other country but we also couldn't live here with the plethora of predators that could kill us in moments if caught. We were near death... But then something happened in the last few months." She said, placing the crystal on the desk. From it, an image appeared. One of a vast city in the shape of a snow flake and a single tall tower like castle in the center. "The Crystal Empire!" Twilight cried, shocked that the queen even knew about the recently uncovered city of the north. "Yes, we were just as surprised at its random and sudden appearance as well." Chrysalis commented, staring down at the slightly green tinted image. "Soon after it was revealed, it let out a burst of energy that not only spread across Equestria but somehow managed to reach a few of my children out here." She explained, smiling somewhat serenely. "For the first time in months, we had enough love to feed most of the hive without having to ration it out. It was wonderful and amazing but... Temporary." "So what does this have to do with us?" Twilight pushed, narrowing her eyes. "If you think you can keep us hostage here to somehow-" "Oh, please! If I wished, I could just replace you and your friends and take over if need be." She Interrupted, resting her hoof on her cheek. "It isn't too hard. Celestia is vigilant but only in Canterlot. For the most part, Equestrian security is lax. No, what we need from you is a chance to talk." "Talk? To who?" Twilight asked, though her mind had already come up with the answer already. "To princess Cadence." She replied, looking a bit nervous for the first time as she stared at the immaterial city gleaming on her desk. "I want for you to allow me an audience with her to... request refuge in the Crystal Empire."