//------------------------------// // 64 vs. The Finale... Finale... Finally // Story: 64 vs. The Underground // by Jman9877 //------------------------------// Chapter 67 64 stood in front of a large cell door, his fists clenched tightly as he tried to calm his nerves. He had changed from the clothing they had given him inside of the Frost Cell, and was now wearing his black longsleeve shirt, green cargo pants, and combat boots. The only form of weaponry he had on his person was his Shock Baton, which was only to be used for "intimidation purposes" only. No lasting harm was to come of Chrysalis, lest she become less willing to cooperate. 64 found that physical torture wasn't effective in the long run, and only the threat of torture was necessary in most cases. There was a blue static dancing around the enormous cell, a mixture of electricity and magic suppression, which was the only one of the things keeping Chrysalis held captive. Besides the actual shackles holding her down inside of the room, she was being held down by her own body as well. She was just as weak as Ghost was, albeit without the immune system condition, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be belligerent about the ordeal. 64 had a bad feeling that none of this was going to be very easy for him. Putting his bare hand onto a keypad, a biometric lock opened to 64’s touch. With that, the whirring of a dozen bolted locks coming undone came from the door, and the blue static encasing the entire cell dropped only around the door. Next 64 input a 4 digit code into the same keypad, and another succession of locks clicking and hissing became apparent. With one last security measure left, 64 grabbed a valve in the middle of the large cell door, and turned it to the left with a good amount of effort. Once the turned all the way, the door finally gave out one last mighty hiss, and raised up towards the ceiling, almost agonizingly slowly. 64 stood there with his arms behind his back, standing tall and staring straight forwards, awaiting for the full figure of the captive to be seen. Light began to enter the cell from the slowly rising door, and eventually the prone figure of Chrysalis was seen on the ground. She didn’t react to the light, and was curled up onto her stomach as if she was only taking a nap. Not really caring in the slightest, 64 grabbed the fold out table he had at the ready next to the cell and brought it inside, opening it and placing it in the middle of the room. Two stools were then brought in, with 64 placing one on both sides of the table. Seeing that it didn’t look like Chrysalis was going to wake up anytime soon, 64 took a seat and pulled out his notes, thumbing through all of the pictures and questions he had lined up for the interrogation. It wasn’t very extensive, and only included a psyche profile on Chrysalis, a casualty report from the invasion, and eyewitness accounts of atrocities committed by the Changelings. Other pieces of information aside from what he had recovered included the letter of correspondence between Mutarus and the Changeling Diplomats confiscated from Ethaxial, and the official reports found at Smokey Mountain penned by Shura Slava. The letter talked about the agreement between the Gryphon and Zebra nations forming an alliance, presumably to try and invade the Changeling nation Mutarus before the Trade Agreements were negotiated and put into place. Chrysalis was a rogue from her country and held no public affiliation with them anymore, making her a perfect scapegoat should an invasion of any country go south. But the question 64 was asking was… if Mutarus was really looking to try and invade Equestria… Why? And Why send Chrysalis to do it? If this was only a feeding frenzy as Chrysalis said, then remaining as a bystander at the Royal Wedding would have been the easiest and most effective way to secure love. Granted, she was aiming to secure the strongest love of all, but if it was to simply feed her small nest, she would have absorbed all of the love permeating in the air instead. The only reasonable explanation 64 could come up with was that the invasion was a territorial invasion. Chrysalis and her small nest of rogues would obviously have a bad time trying to maintain themselves while on the move. Equestria has often been seen as a weak country with little to no effective military force, full to the brim with inhabitants giving love freely to almost all. It was the perfect target for Changelings looking to take over. With that in mind, 64 simply sat there and waited, drumming his fingers against the table impatiently as Chrysalis continued her exhausted slumber. “You know it's rude to disturb one’s beauty sleep, especially if you are the reason one needs it in the first place” Chrysalis said snidely, not even bothering to open her eyes or lift her head off of the floor. “Sorry to say, but by the time you get all the beauty sleep you need to be moderately attractive, I'll have been dead for a few hundred years.” 64 grunted, looking over the table at the Tyro Queen. “Lovely, I'll nap and you’ll perish. Sounds like a perfect plan.” Chrysalis made no attempt to even move or look up at 64 as he sat there staring at her. “Why not let an old queen lay her weary head to rest, who knows? You may even get a treat out of it.” She cooed with a sickening smile. “I'm not even going to tell you just how many things are wrong with what you just said. And the quicker you answer my questions, the sooner I can leave to allow your ‘beauty sleep’. We clear?” Chrysalis sighed and opened her eyes, meeting 64’s cold gaze. “Such hostile eyes… I assure you an attitude like that won’t be necessary.” 64 didn’t let up his stare, boring into her eyes as if everything he wanted to know was somehow hidden in her gaze. Neither one let up the stare, not even when Chrysalis eventually did get to her feet, the heavy steel chains wrapped around her hooves clanking noisily as she did so. “I should expect no surprises involving you I suppose, you were the biggest detriment to my plans. But please, who could’ve possibly planned for a behemoth made of fire getting in the way?” “Well, maybe you should’ve done a bit more research before attacking the Capital of the largest country in the world… Canterlot of all places is a strange place for an invasion. Deep into the heart of Equestria, one of its most fortified cities, and home of the two most powerful beings ever known. Both of which are known to possess enough power to control the Sun and Moon.” 64 gave a bit of a pause, leaning forward a bit and resting his elbows onto the table. “Mind giving an explanation for that?” The fallen Queen snorted and threw her head to the side, her sickly green hair whipping behind her as she looked incredulously at 64. He didn’t react at all to the motion, only putting a hand out towards the seat to allow Chrysalis to take a seat. She made no indication that she was going to comply, instead opting to continue glaring at the human. “Seats getting cold you know, don’t you think it’d be nice to have something to sit on instead of the hard floor?” 64 quipped, having first hand knowledge of just how uncomfortable something like a concrete cell could be. “I’ve braved the harshest deserts this world has ever created. I’ve trudged through the foulest winters ever conjured by windigos. I’ve survived the ghastliest swamps and marshes and come out no worse for wear. What in Equestria could possible make you think that I would be beaten by something as asinine as a concrete floor?!” Chrysalis growled, her expression becoming more and more aggressive as she went on. 64 simply sat there with a blank expression on his face, before giving a simple answer. “Because it’s there and I’m offering it to you.” Chrysalis stayed in her state of anger for a moment, before being taken aback by the courtesy. Not seeing a point in refusing anymore, knowing that the dreadful process would only be extended if she refused to comply, she took the stool and sat down, placing her cuffed forelegs onto the table. “Good… now we can get started…” “I don’t see the reasoning in all of this, I invaded, I attempted to overthrow the order, and I failed. Simply imprison me and work to fix the damage done.” Chrysalis droned, wanting to get this over with as fast as possible. “No you see, that’s only the bare minimum of what needs to be done right now.” 64 corrected, straightening himself as his tone became stern, continuing to press on a bit more. “You launched a large scale invasion of Canterlot, which resulted in numerous casualties both military and civilian. A lot of people are going to be demanding for a reason for all of this destruction and death, and until they get an answer they are going to be demanding for your head on a bloody pike. You think you can get out of this whole thing by just laying in a cell for the rest of your life?” 64 whipped out photos of countless dead ponies lying in the streets, most covered by tarps and sheets, but a few corpses still lying exposed. “You’re dead wrong…” Looking as if she didn’t care in the slightest, Chrysalis simply sat back and smiled, giving 64 a grin capable of sending shivers down lesser beings spines. “Oh no… how unfortunate… the ponies are all up in arms about me laying waste to their home? I never would've guessed…” She sighed sarcastically, “You know one doesn’t invade a country expecting to be greeted with cheers of praise and glory.” “I wouldn’t expect them too. I’m just pointing out that the harder you make this whole ordeal for me, then the harder it’s going to be for me to keep those advisors and prosecutors out there happy with you stay here.” 64 explained, pointing up to the ceiling. There were small nozzles sticking out it, causing Chrysalis’s brow to furrow. “Those nozzles are capable of expelling incredible amounts of flammable gas. With a flip of a switch, those can be activated and all of the air in this room will be ignited. And my guess is that you’ve had enough burns for one lifetime haven’t you?” Chrysalis shivered a bit at the mention of fire. No doubt being beaten by a creature made almost entirely out of fire would definitely instill an innate fear of flames in anyone. 64 sat back and let her think for a bit, knowing that one’s own mind could be the worst kind of torture out there. Countless dark and cold nights filled with paranoia were enough to drive anyone mad eventually, and now that Chrysalis knew that the threat of an imminently painfully and fiery death was a very real and looming threat, she felt her own resolve falter. “You drive a hard bargain…” Chrysalis whispered, taking in deep breaths at the threat. 64 grinned internally, feeling as if he was finally getting somewhere in this whole mess. He brought out his small notepad and pen, ready to get started. “Alright, first things first. Was this an orchestrated attack from the nation of Mutarus?” He knew that the question was going to be denied, but getting a definitive answer was always best. “That country had me ousted of true power ages ago… They would never ask this of me.” She answered, sitting still and speaking clearly. 64 quickly wrote down the dictation, and prepared his follow up question. “So you are saying that you are entirely alone in this invasion, and have had no outside help from any other sources foreign or otherwise?” With this question, Chrysalis shifted slightly, clearing her throat and sighing. “I had no help from any other sources. Foreign or otherwise…” That’s what Chrysalis said, but 64 wasn’t buying it. He kept looking at her, not shifting his sight in order to see if there was anything else she had to add. He had the letter written in Changeling blood signed and penned by Chrysalis herself, and it was written to the two Diplomats from Mutarus who were in Ethaxial during the negotiations. She had to have had some contact with Mutarus in order to get that letter across. She said nothing, and hoping to catch her in more lies before she could backtrack, 64 continued with the questioning. “Alright, now… What was the purpose of this invasion? Monetary, Territorial, or something else entirely?” He asked, simply reciting what was on his notebook before looking up at her. No sudden shifts in her expression or posture gave any indication that she had to think too hard about her answer. “Simply put, it was an act of power.” Chrysalis explained, 64 jotting down every word. “Hm. As I’m sure your nosy intelligence should know by now… I have been ousted out of power by my home country for quite some time now. No longer a queen by official title, but instead Queen by personal pride. Of course there was a small hive still loyal to me and only me, and I made sure to take advantage of that.” “Advantage to do what?” Chrysalis’s face grew into one of contempt, but it wasn’t directed at 64. She continued. “To show those usurpers what I was capable of. To breed a massive hivemind entirely by my own efforts, and to one day return with my own army to take my rightful throne back! The hive in which you destroyed!” She bellowed, suddenly slamming her hooves down onto the table and growling. “Years of preparation and planning dashed away by a single variable!” “Knowing your enemy before engaging can be the deciding factor in victory Chrysalis… a Queen of an army must’ve known this.” 64 quipped, not letting Chrysalis gain an edge over him. “But none of that explains why you would attack Canterlot. A display of power could’ve been as much as attacking coastal cities en masse then sending word to Mutarus. Why go after such an astronomical goal of attacking the Capital?” “You yourself said that Equestria is the largest country in the world… Now imagine what would happen if an outcast from Mutarus managed to successfully take control and eliminate all of the opposition in the situation!” Chrysalis exclaimed, her expression brightening into a sinister grin. “They’d be on their bellies begging me to not attack them next! And even after all of their begging and pleading, I would return to destroy those who once destroyed me! That was what I wanted, but you cheated me out of it!” With that, Chrysalis decided that she had had enough. She sent the table flipping towards 64 with her hooves, making 64 rolling backwards out of his chair and taking his Baton from his hip. Extending it and charging it up, he pointed it right at her. “You will sit back down or I will make you sit back down!” 64 shouted, sparking the baton a few times. “You think you can behave like a foal and still call yourself a Queen? All because you didn’t get what you wanted? Well tough shit! Not everybody can get what they want out of life, and those who want things like power and revenge are doomed to fail!” Chrysalis now very much had her back against the wall, knowing that in her condition she wouldn’t be able to fight 64 without any magic. She simply couldn’t handle being in the same room as him, knowing that he had ruined her chance to take back her throne. “Sit down Chrysalis… we aren’t done yet.” 64 chided, collapsing the baton and placing it back onto his belt. “This isn’t my idea of a good time either, but unless you want a death sentence this is what needs to be done.” Chrysalis glowered at 64, her eyes tired yet vengeful. “So those are my options? A life of imprisonment or death? When presented to me that bluntly it’s not a difficult choice!” She yelled, refusing to comply. “I’d rather die with what little dignity I still possess in this pustule you call a nation than rot in it!”. 64 took in her words, and knew the conviction she had behind them. Although she sacrificed her entire swarm to keep herself alive, she had no fear when given the choice of death over imprisonment. “Do what you must creature! Because I’d rather die than be forced to spend a miserable life stuck behind these cell walls!”. “Hm… you’re putting yourself between a rock and a hard place here Chrysalis.” 64 grunted, picking up the overturned table and placing it back in the middle of the room. Moving as if he didn’t have a care in the world, he sat back down in his chair, and looked back at Chrysalis. She was inspecting his movements, still expecting him to do something after her rather rash outburst. “You do realize that I’ve never said you’d rot here if you cooperate, right?” Still making no attempt to move, Chrysalis stared at the human, not speaking a word. “Look, what you said earlier? About acting alone in all of this? I don’t buy a single word of any of it. I know it’s bull, because I have this letter, signed by you, in Changeling blood.” 64 tossed the letter onto the table, making sure that Chrysalis could see it. “So why don’t we wipe the record clean, and start back from the beginning… shall we?” 64 tore the few pages of notes in his notebook out, and proceeded to rip them to shreds. “Now… why don’t you tell me what the real reason for this invasion was?” Ghost was, to say the very least, very bored at the moment. Visiting hours had been closed off shortly after 64 had left, meaning that no one was allowed in, no matter what. Thanks to his sensitive condition, not even someone like Celestia or Shining Armor would’ve had access to visit him in his room. 64 probably would be done with Chrysalis by the time visiting hours opened up again, but that wasn’t until tomorrow morning. Outside his window, the Full moon shone brightly in the sky, with an entire week of Full moons to commemorate the fallen of the invasion ahead. Ghost thought it was a nice touch, but he could see how a few of the families had reacted poorly in the initial outcry. Giving tribute to the fallen was never easy, because it could never truly be good enough. There would always be someone out there demanding more in reparations, whether they were symbolic or physical. Pleasing them would not be an easy task, and Ghost knew that the sisterly monarchs definitely had their work cut out for them. Slowly, the hours of the night drifted past, with Ghost’s eyes growing heavier and heavier as time went on. There was a difference between feeling tired, and feeling exhaustion, and Ghost knew just where the line was drawn at that moment. Thanks to the immune deficiency, he felt tired most of the day, as if there was a capacity on how much energy he was able to have at a time. It would take a while, and the doctors might have to gather more information about Changeling anatomy before any progress was made, but Ghost was hopeful that things would get better soon. “ghost…!” Hushed a whisper in the room, causing the Drone’s eyes to snap open. He looked around and tried to charge some magic to light up the room, but all that did was give him a headache. “Who’s there? I can’t see you.” Ghost called, shifting his eyes left and right trying to see. Normally, he would be able to see in the dark perfectly, but after the incident… some things weren’t working the same anymore. The figure moved into the moonlit center of the room, their bright red hair and cream colored coat causing Ghost to gasp. “Applebloom! How’d you get here?!” Ghost said in a hushed tone, not believing his eyes. “Ah… Ah tried ta come see ya earlier, but the dang guards told us that we couldn’t see ya after hours, so ah snuck out after Applejack fell asleep in our room.” Applebloom admitted, walking up to the bed and looking at Ghost closely. “Ya aren’t lookin’ so well Ghost… Are ya okay?” Ghost looked away from Applebloom, not wanting to answer that. “H-How’d you get in here? There has to be a dozen guards all over this floor. Plus there has to be some sort of lock on my door!” Ghost looked over at the door, and saw that it had in no way been moved or tampered with. “And the window is 6 stories off the ground…” Ghost sighed, knowing that couldn’t be it either. “Ah hid in one of the nurse’s medical carts, and ah made a lucky guess!” Applebloom said proudly, pointing up at a corner of the room to show a vent cover had been torn off of the wall and was now sitting on the floor. “Ah was small enough ta wriggle around the vents, and ah just tried ta follow the direction ah knew yer room was in.” Ghost was impressed at how well Applebloom was able to move around undetected, knowing just how perceptive the Guards in Canterlot could be. And with the invasion still fresh in everyone’s mind, there was no way they were taking their jobs lightly right now. “Why’re you here Applebloom? I don’t see why you couldn’t wait until morning.” Ghost asked, not wanting to have to explain his… ‘condition’ to Applebloom. “Ah wasn’t gonna wait until mornin’ ta see how mah friend is doing. It’s all ‘cause that stupid rule sayin’ that ya can only visit in the daytime.” Applebloom sighed, moving closer towards Ghost. The changeling drone was about to scoot over on his bed to make room from Applebloom, but a certain feeling in the air made him take pause. It was the same feeling he got whenever he was about to feed, meaning… “Applebloom stop!” Ghost whispered in a hurried tone, icy blue eyes widening. He threw himself as far away from Applebloom as he could, his back hitting the wall behind him. “D-Don’t come closer…! It’s not safe…!” He could feel something within him calling out to the emotion Applebloom was giving off, but he knew taking in anything right then could spell his doom. The filly in question stopped in her tracks, stuck in place mid stride with a bewildered look upon her face. “What in the hay Ghost? What’s gotten into ya?” She made sure to follow Ghost’s order, knowing that he told her to stay put for good reason. “Are ya sick? Do ah need ta get a nurse?” Ghost shook as head quickly, knowing that if Applebloom went to go get a nurse it would spell trouble for the both of them. His… ‘condition’ would make someone like Applebloom very dangerous, since he couldn’t regulate how much emotion he could take in, and around her… it could be very hard for him to control himself. “No, no nurse… Just, g-give me a second.” Ghost panted, making sure that he was putting his mind as far away as possible from feeding. “A-Alright… you can come closer now.” Applebloom approached at Ghost’s permission, but her steps were slower, more tentative than before. As if every footstep she took was capable of causing a massive earthquake beneath her feet. Her eyes scanned Ghost’s prone form as if searching for a hidden injury she hadn’t noticed before, but found none. His chitin wasn’t cracked in anyplace, a neat black sheen enveloping him in moonlight. His sharpened and curved horn wasn’t damaged in any place, and his leathery wings were folded at his sides with no apparent damage, aside from the already present holes naturally there. “W-What’s.... What’s goin’ on here Ghost?” Applebloom whispered, afraid her voice might snap Ghost in half. “Are… Are ya sick? Am ah gonna catch somethin’ gettin’ too close to ya?” Despite the apprehension in her voice, she didn’t stop moving forward, taking step after careful step towards Ghost. “Ah… ah can try an’ help…” Ghost watched as she continued forward, making it to Ghost’s bedside. In the dimly illuminated hospital room, he looked at Applebloom’s worried face and lost him breath, seeing the wide eyed fillies expression of fear. ‘I never want to see her look like this ever again…’ He thought, seeing her place one of her hooves up onto the hospital bed. Without a moment of hesitation, Ghost put his hoof over Applebloom’s, not taking his eyes off of heres. “A-Applebloom……” He shuddered, not wanting to do what he had to do next. “Ghost…?” Applebloom’s gaze never leaving Ghost’s. At the frail and scared tone of the way Ghost said her name, a wave of fear washed over her, causing tears to make their ways into her eyes. “What’s wrong?” “I don’t know how to explain it Applebloom… but you know how a Changeling eats right? You saw how I ate in Smokey Mountain… by eating emotions out of others?” Ghost asked. The filly knew how his species ate, being at the reciprocating end of a feeding session with him before. “There’s something wrong with me now… I can’t eat like I used to… And the doctors aren’t sure if I’ll end up starving to death.” Ghost couldn’t find it in his heart to tell Applebloom anymore, not wanting to expose her to anything that would hurt her any more than was necessary. She was still at Ghost’s bedside, her eyes widened and watery, but nonetheless still there. “Ghost… don’t mess around with me… this isn’t very funny…” Applebloom whispered, her voice shaking. “You’re messin’ around with me… right?” Ghost shook his head sadly, knowing that Applebloom was in a state of denial. Looking at her stunned and frightened expression didn't make the daunting task of explanation any easier, but the changeling pup knew he had to continue. “I wouldn't joke about this with you Applebloom, you're too important to me…” Ghost admitted, the slightest of green tints dusting his face. “I know this is all hard to take in, but I'm telling the truth.” “Ah… Ah don't know what ta say Ghost… Yer… Yer important ta me too…” Applebloom replied, a more prominent blush cover her cheeks, hidden thanks to the darkness of the room. “An’ that's what makes this so hard ya hear… Is… Is it really that serious? Are ya… Are ya gonna… die?” That last word took all of her effort to choke out, not wanting to associate the dastardly word to her friend. The thought of Ghost dying the slow painful death of starvation struck her heart with a cold dagger, and she wanted to stop whatever was making her feel this alone and vulnerable. Ghost saw this in her eyes, and quickly moved forward to wrap his forelegs around her, half pulling her into his bed for a hug“I'm going to promise you something Applebloom. I didn't help you break out from a prison in a mountain just to die a wimpy death in a hospital bed.” Ghost said with a newfound sense of conviction. “I'm not sure if I'll ever get better, but I promise that I'm going to get out of here and back to Ponyville as soon as possible. That is a promise.” Applebloom looked at Ghost as he held her in his legs, his fanged grin staring back down at her with his sharp teeth almost glinting in the moonlight. She felt safe, she felt happy, and most of all she felt hope. Hope that Ghost would make it through whatever was thrown at him. But that was because she'd seen him do it before. Without thinking, she leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek, not giving herself time to think about her actions or what that would do to him. Ghost’s first instinct as a Colt was to freeze up at the contact of soft lips onto his cheek, gasping as he felt the wonderful sensation on his face. His next feeling however, was not as wonderful. Ghost’s changeling instincts took over at that point, causing him to absorb as much love in the air as he could, and since it was radiating from Applebloom herself, the taste was amplified by ten. Without thinking about how much he was taking in, his insides began to burn and writhe, causing Ghost to stop what he was doing and gasp in pain. His head felt like it was a balloon at maximum capacity, right on the verge of exploding. His ears began to ring loudly and his throat felt as if it was closing shut, not giving him room to breathe. Applebloom saw this violent reaction happening to Ghost, and quickly made to move. “Ghost! What's goin’ on? What do ya need?!” Applebloom pleaded, seeing Ghost shifting left and right in an attempt to ease the pain. He tried to say something, anything that would keep her calm and not panic, but his ragged and choked cries only made Applebloom become even more frantic. Knowing that anything she could do would be in vain, Applebloom decided to make the risky decision of revealing herself and called out for help. The door was no match for the fillies strong little legs as she bucked it clean off of its hinges, before calling out. “Ah need a Changeling Doctor over here right now! Ghost needs help!” 64 and Chrysalis sat in the same prison chamber together, neither of them saying a word to each other as they continued to engage in their longest staring contest yet. Neither of them were willing to give an inch after 64 made the bold accusation of Chrysalis lying, neither of them wanting to caught in the others bluff. The only sound in the room was from Chrysalis’ labored breathing, and even she was trying to hold that back in an attempt to not appear weak. Weakness in a battle such as this spelled disaster, and the slightest of slip ups meant the difference between breaking down a mental wall, or building one back up. The Bipedal Blight wasn’t something to be trifled with, and Chrysalis knew this especially. When a seemingly harmless creature could turn itself into a hulking gargantuan made of fire… opinions changed very quickly. The human in question simply wrote a few more words onto his notepad, drawing connections between possible motives and accomplices. He took into account the various possibilities of an outside party, making sure to not exclude any sort of Equestrian involvement either. There was always the possibility of a mole, and if that were the case….. It wouldn’t be pretty. “So… are we going to just be sitting here until the end of time, or are we going to get anything substantial done?” 64 drawled, looking up from his notepad and setting his pen down onto the table. “I'm enjoying the quiet silence this cell brings… Must we go and ruin it?” The Queen yawned, stretching languidly in her chair. Despite not wanting to appear soft, she was more than willingly to waste 64’s time. “Besides, it's not as if you're on a timetable here.” “You know, I think I disagree with that. I think I've been putting off doing what I had to do for a long time.” With that, 64 got up from his chair and crept around to Chrysalis’ side, making sure to take slow and stalking strides. The metallic stench in the air only made the act of the Human igniting his right hand in an array of red flames that much more sinister. Chrysalis did double take at that thought, remembering that normal flames were orange, not red. 64 saw her confused reaction, and gave a small grin. “Ah, so you noticed.” He took a moment to bring the flames juuust a bit closer to the Monarchs face. “You see, depending on the temperature, flames can burn in different colors. When the flame is burning the hottest, it can actually burn bright blue…” 64 demonstrated, his hand shaking a bit as he pumped more and more magic into burning the oxygen in the air. The dazzling flames slowly went from red, to orange, to white, and finally to blue. “The blue means all that all of the fuel in the flame is being burned… No fuel wasted… You can really feel it huh?” He moved his hand even closer to the terrified monarch, who was visibly sweating from both the heat, and how close 64’s hand was to her face. With a simple flick of his wrist, he could burn Chrysalis’s eye shut, giving her a permanent mark upon her face which she would remember for decades to come. Hell, they could be matchers, messing up her left eye to complement his right eye. “But of course, we’re not here to talk about how hot fire can get, right?” 64 joked, a grin directed at Chrysalis who was beginning to lose her composure. The heat from the flames weren’t even touching her, yet she could feel her chitin beginning to crack and her unkempt hair beginning to singe. “No, we’re here to talk about what happened a few days ago, right here in Canterlot. The invasion that you and your little army tried to pull off, but didn’t have the muscle to complete it.” “W-What do you want from me?!” Chrysalis stammered, finding it hard to maintain any level of composure when a burning hot flame was merely inches away from her face. “What I want are answers! This wasn’t just an attempt for power!” At this, 64 took his free left hand and pointed at the written letter on the table, “This is pened in your name, in your blood nonetheless! You were keeping communication with Mutuarus, even to the point where you could write letters to delegation committees which were attending summits in other countries! You had to have been working with your home country, so don’t give me that ‘I did it for revenge’ crap. If I had to guess, you were working with them on whatever they’re doing in exchange for asylum. Am I close? Somewhere in the ballpark?” The tension in the air was as palpable as the heat, with 64 beginning to sweat with the energy needed to keep the flame blue for so long. Chrysalis' chitin was only so effective at keeping the flames away, with her fleshy skin underneath the armor beginning to bubble and blister at the intensity of 64’s Magic. 64 knew when enough was enough, releasing a majority of the magic in his hand. The blistering blue flame cooled and eventually turned back into a red hue, no longer as dangerous as it once was. “So with that, how about we get back to business, and we can all get over this nonsense.” His hand pulled away from Chrysalis, completely snuffing the flames with a wave. The smell of burnt hair and skin was thick in the air, something that 64 was counting on to further rattle the Changeling Queen. “Seriously Chrysalis, I don't like acting all dramatic like that. We can handle this like adults if you weren't being so difficult.” “Please… Says the one who was bellowing promises of a fiery death a few days ago…” Chrysalis breathed, still gasping sporadically while trying to get her shaking body under control. “Dramatics is all you have been using today.” “I've been using what is necessary. Now, if you don't mind I think it's time to finally get this interrogation done with.” 64 sighed, pulling out his notepad again. “Trust me, I'm just as bored in this situation as you are. But this has been a long time coming.” Chrysalis closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her small shakes finally subsiding. She looked like an absolute mess. Although not entirely grotesque, she once held a macabre beauty, her chitin sleek and shiny with relatively cared for hair. Now, her eyes were sunken, her chitin cracked in some places and her hair a tangled and burnt mess of sickly green strands. 64 quietly thought about getting a mirror somewhere in here, maybe having her see her own deteriorating image would be enough to shock her into cooperating. But before he could dwell on it any longer, Chrysalis open her eyes and spoke. “I'm never going to see my home ever again, am I?” She whispered, not looking up from the table her eyes were seemingly glued to. 64 didn't know how to answer that question, or if it even deserved an answer, but gave his own feelings as a response. “I… I wouldn't count on it Chrysalis… Ponies aren't going to be too eager to send you shipping off to your species homeland when you committed a crime of this magnitude.” 64 replied, quickly jotting down the sudden change in attitude. There was a sudden silence in the room unlike all of the others. While the earlier silences were ones of contempt and ego, this one was devoid of those haughty emotions. The air in the cell seemed to suddenly get colder and heavier, like… 64 gasped when he saw what Chrysalis was doing, feeling the same sensation whenever Ghost began to feed. It was not as intrusive as a normal feeding, and 64 noticed Chrysalis was only feeding off the of anger in the air from the earlier confrontation, not himself directly. “Your anger tastes terrible…” The monarch joked quietly, a small grin coming to her face. 64 saw no reason to act out at the consumption, knowing negative emotions were a lot less potent than positive ones, and unless the emotions were given consensually they were much, much weaker. “I'm not exactly the happiest person in the world right now.” 64 said, deciding to not give a pronounced answer. “Chrysalis. Tell me why this invasion took place.” Finally looking up from the table, Chrysalis looked 64 in the eyes. He wasn't sure what he would be looking for in her eyes, but what he did see was a broken and defeated changeling queen. It looked like she was finally ready. “I was…… I was contacted by Mutarus a few months ago… They had learned of the plans for a diplomatic summit, and saw that Equestria would be one of the attending nations.” She began, with 64 writing absolutely everything down. “There were… Talks… I should say, about a mass invasion of Equestria. Mutarus, Ethaxial, and Capras all linking together to take over and split the land, Equestria having what each of our countries lacked. The magical gems, the agriculture, the infrastructure, it could all be ours.” 64 remembered the revelation that Celestia had in that war room, with her reading Shura Slava’s journal and calling for an amassed army. “But only you and your hive invaded. Why is that?” 64 questioned. “It seems as if the countries wanted this nation's land so badly they could've sent reinforcements.” Chrysalis huffed, glowering a bit. “Yes, I am aware I was sent alone. If I wasn't I wouldn't be in this cell speaking to you.” “Ah what a pleasure that would be…” 64 sighed sarcastically, getting nothing but a dull look from Chrysalis. “Continue.” “Plans were set in motion for the invasion… And everything was in place for a launch.” Chrysalis admitted, making 64 pause a bit. Had they really come close to a war of that caliber? He listened as the Queen continued. “Then we received word that Smokey Mountain had been assaulted by the Equestrian Royal Guard, and that you had managed to blow the entire operation there into the sky. Our contact there had been receiving correspondence from Vulnus, and they detailed an alliance between the Gryphons and Zebras. We needed to wait and make sure we weren't found out. We needed a complete surprise attack to ensure our victory.” “What makes you think that all three of those nations wouldn't be able to take on Equestria without a surprise attack?” 64 questioned, knowing the answer already. He wanted to see how close Chrysalis was to the truth. “You know damn well why. Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s powers combined would be more than enough to rival any that of which the other nations could muster. Only the Changeling race would be capable of countering the magic Equestria can weaponize, and the emotions associated with war wouldn't be enough to sustain us for an extended campaign. The only way the invasion had a chance of success was a complete and utter surprise.” “Which you technically didn't even have. We had gotten intelligence from the raid on Smokey Mountain that you had been within our midst for quite sometime, even going as far as attacking and imprisoning some of the staff. We were well aware of your presence leading up to the invasion.” 64 recalled, with Chrysalis giving a small smirk. “Well you definitely did not know about the army of Changelings just waiting right outside your doorstep, that's for certain.” Chrysalis sighed, reveling in her small victory. Her expression stayed solemn, even as she continued with her explanation. “The invasion was put on hold while we tried to find out just how much you had learned, and when all 3 nations received correspondence from Equestria calling for Peace Negotiations, all plans were ceased immediately.” “Just like that? What must've been years upon years of planning just dashed in an instant?” 64 couldn't believe just how dependent they seemed on the idea of a surprise attack, that a simple snag in intelligence could send an seemingly apocalyptic scenario into nothingness. “If the nations were so bent on taking over Equestria for the resources they all desperately needed, then why immediately axe all plans right then and there? Why not push the time table further up?” Chrysalis didn't move, the weight of her words seemingly crushing her own spirit. Looking up into 64’s eyes she tried to make him see that she didn’t want to say anything else, that she would do anything else other than answer his question. The pleading and demoralized look upon her face was enough to make 64 give pause, never seeing his enemy quite so… defeated. When Shura Slava had finally been locked up alongside her ex-husband, there were tears and cries of despair, that of which called upon when there were no other options left. But the kind of despair that Chrysalis displayed was one that was shown when the only other option left was admitting defeat, to completely and utterly give up on everything you had left. But there was no way 64 was willing to let anything Chrysalis had to say go unsaid, and with a small wave he gestured for the defeated Changeling Queen to continue with what she had to say. Her eyes shut with a slow blink, and her entire frame seemed to slowly fold in on itself, as if the strength she was using to sit up straight and keep her defenses up finally left her. “If we would have waited to attack any longer than we had originally planned…… then there wouldn’t have been any army to attack with…” She finally admitted, her head held up tiredly as she said so. 64’s eyes narrowed at the vague statement, but deciding that speaking up wouldn’t be the best course of action. He waited until Chrysalis got the hint and continued talking. “I understand you were there as a bodyguard at the Diplomatic Summit in Ethaxial, do you recall just what was being discussed at the meeting?” He remembered that event alright, you didn’t exactly forget the reasons why you were stuck in the middle of a military coup. “I do recall. Resources limited in each of the countries but abundant in others. Trade agreements were being set up to try and fairly set protocols between Mutarus, Capras, and -”. “Yes, yes… I just wanted to make sure that oversized melon you call a head wasn’t just filled with hot air.” “You know I could just fill this room full of more than just hot air right?” 64 grunted, not wanting Chrysalis to get the notion that she had any kind of control here. “Coal and Oil from Capras to Equestria, Crystals from Equestria to Ethaxial, Agriculture from Mutarus to Capras, and Architecture from Ethaxial to Mutarus. It was all very interesting.” The statement was dripping in sarcasm, but showed that 64 was not in anyway ignorant of the situation that was presented to him at the time. “The point was… none of the countries were ready for a lengthy campaign, the Zebras especially with the intense famine. The Gryphons would come back to a frozen wasteland of a home if there wasn’t an immediate source of magic crystals getting to them. Infighting and multiple attempts for power would have made my home country nothing but a bubbling crockpot of civil war even while we were overseas in Equestria. No one, save for Equestria, would have been able to sustain a conflict for that long.” Chrysalis finished. It was all very eye opening to 64, who wouldn’t have thought twice about how costly a war overseas could be to any country. He was never a big fan of the word ‘consequences’, but was quickly learning just how devastating they could be. Words were jotted down as quickly as possible, 64 knowing better than to miss a single part of the confession. Pieces of the larger puzzle began coming into place, and none too soon either. With Equestria being the largest of the 3 neighboring countries, they had considerably more resources at their disposal for an invasion, and if the attack were to be telegraphed in anyway, it would have given them even more time to prepare. The invading armies would be cut down in a near systematic slaughter, perhaps only managing to breach Equestria’s coastline before being completely eradicated. The only way the attack could have succeeded would be… Wait… “You said all plans were scrapped. That Equestria having even the slightest of suspicions of an attack meant it would be a complete and utter failure. Why did you and your hive invade then?” 64 accused, beginning to think that Chrysalis was trying to weasel her way out of a confession again. “Why did a small and publically denounced Queen and her Hive infiltrate and attempt to invade when there were previously 3 entire countries willing to back you up at one point?” More nervous silence came from Chrysalis, a sound that was quickly becoming irritating to the human. “I’m telling you, you better start talking quick or I’m going to have to take more drastic measures in getting you to start making some noise.” “Well I apologize if I am slightly reluctant to divulge plans that were once held with the utmost confidentiality. I am weak. I am tired. I have been defeated by what was once thought to be the weakest of all the lands, by a monstrosity that was shown to be capable of bleeding molten rock and growing to sizes reserved only to the most feared of titans. It has not exactly been the most relaxing week of my life.” Chrysalis argued, not wanting to anger 64 anymore than was necessary to get her point across. Despite the death of what might’ve been nearly thousands, and the fear she had instilled in the nation, Chrysalis was trying to appear sympathetic. Truly, this was a mare with absolutely no shame. 64 was no longer in the mood for this interrogation, wanting the talks to be over 30 minutes ago. “Talk. Now.” With yet another harsh look sent 64’s way, the Changeling Queen sighed and rolled her neck. “Those damn peace talks… truly this nation is made up of fools if they believed something as small and insignificant as Architecture was what Mutarus desired most....” She put her forelegs up onto the table with her hooves directed at 64. “You yourself have done research on the Changeling species… you should’ve known better than believe what our diplomats suggested our nation wanted most. Tell me, 64… just where do Changelings live? Where do we reside naturally?” 64 wasn’t sure where this was going just yet, but decided to humor the Queen and answered anyway. “You live in the mountainsides… tunnels and caverns burrowing what could be dozens of miles underground. Not exactly what one would call an ideal living situation.” “So you actually do pay attention when you aren’t causing havoc wherever you go.” Chrysalis sighed, not putting any effort to make the retort seem antagonistic in anyway. “Yes. We live in the caves and tunnels of mountainsides. While not exactly the most pleasant of places to reside, they have become home for us. Even in our own home country we are very used to living in what you might call squalor, and are not ashamed of that fact. We need not such luxuries., so instead-” “You didn’t need the Peace Talks to go through.” 64 interrupted, not at all looking a Chrysalis, instead staring down at the table, the final pieces of the puzzle finally coming together. “You only needed to make sure that Capras and Ethaxial stood by you in the grand scheme of things. That if you managed to succeed here, they wouldn’t try to double cross you because you would’ve had what they needed.” There were no words as 64 began to spell it all out, only absentmindedly writing down what he was conveying into his notepad. “And the small invasion aimed directly at Equestria’s Capital, it would’ve been impossible to mobilize an entire army for something like that. You would’ve needed an incredibly small strike team or…” His eyes slowly drifted upwards towards Chrysalis’ gaze, “An entirely disguised Changeling Hive…” “Congratulations Project 64… It’s felt like ages since you’ve said anything worthwhile. I was almost tired of waiting.” Chrysalis droned, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face. “Mutarus knew that as long as we would’ve been able to take the Capital of Equestria, the rest of the nation would have fallen shortly after. No amount of hope or resistance would have been enough to combat the loss of the Royal Sisters, and so a direct attack amidst the festivities of a Royal Wedding was chosen as the ideal invasion tactic. Of course…. No amount of planning would have been able to counter such an… odd occurrence.” 64 sat there, still in a state of silence as he processed everything that was being confessed to him. The Changelings decided a change of plans was in order when Equestria got wind of the Full Scale Invasion, and chose to consolidate themselves by going through with the called off invasion anyway. Instead of attacking the Coasts of Equestria from 3 fronts with 3 different armies, a singular and poised strike at the Heart of the country… Changelings would’ve had the entirety of Equestria and any of the resources gathered here under their control, meaning that the food and agriculture Mutarus would be sending to Capras and the Crystals that were going to be sent to Ethaxial were completely cut off. By taking out just one of the 4 Kingdoms, Mutarus would have had dominion over every single one of the lands. "Well? Are you going to continue gawking at the table like that like a buffoon? Or are we finally done here?" Chrysalis growled, wanting anything that was capable of spitting fire out of her near proximity as quickly as possible. "I have given you all that I know, and it's clear you've put the pieces together already. Any further interrogation would simply be a waste of-" THWACK! 64's Shock Baton was suddenly extended and charged to full power, hitting the small table in front of the both of them to quickly silence the Queen's final statements. Chrysalis wasn't sure what she had said to set him off in such a way, only knowing that one second he was looking like a fool who had finally been able to fit a wooden block into a square hole, into a barely contained beast, rage and fury only held back by the smallest amounts of self restraint. His eyes slowly changed hue from a subdued brown into a harsh red color, the fist clench the Baton slowly beginning to burn with orange flames. "We are done here. But do not think that any of this is over for you, Chrysalis." With that, 64 slammed the tip of the Baton into the table to loudly collapse it, one last spark of blue electricity shooting from it, before getting up from his chair and turning for the door. He had what he needed to give to Celestia and Shining Armor, and knew preparations had to be made in order to quell any fallout the invasion brought. As the large cell door opened he gave one last glance over his shoulder at the now petrified Chrysalis, knowing that this time she was telling the truth. He didn't pity her at all, knowing that the now defeated and disheveled Queen deserved none. Ponies once called him a monster out of ignorance. Because they simply feared what they had no knowledge of. But he knew what a real monster was. The likes of Silent Knight, the likes of Discord, the likes of Aurum, the likes of Chrysalis... Those were the real monsters. He stepped through the door and immediately shut it behind him, all of the automated security measures instantly locking back into place. 64 thought that with this new found information regarding the near world war Equestria was so close to being plunged into, his mind would have been buzzing with too many thoughts to think straight. But now... all that was going through 64's head was that a nights rest in an actual bed after a report to Princess Luna sounded like heaven right about then. "I need a vacation..." He sighed, making his way towards the Throne Room. 1st Person POV No rest came to me that night unfortunately. After my report of the interrogation was given to Princess Luna for both of the sisters to go over at a later date, a royal courier came nearly barreling into me as I made my way back towards my quarters. He was panting heavily and it took some time for him to choke out that there was an emergency at the Hospital, but the message was made very clear to me. There was something wrong with Ghost. After I had made my way to get to Ghost, the Chief Doctor on staff had informed me that they were keeping Ghost in a quarantined state until his vitals returned to normal. "How in the name of Luna did something like this even happen? What happened to the previous quarantined state he was put in?!" I snapped, clenching my fists by my sides. "What could've possibly set of a reaction like this?!" The look the doctor gave me wasn't a very nice one, instead gesturing to something behind him. "There was a filly who was found in his room at the time of the incident. A very, very, unwelcome visitor mind you. She's already spoken to our Medical Examiners and has confessed to causing the change in Agent 65's health." The Doc said steadily, knowing that I wouldn't really do anything to cause him harm. "I'd suggest speaking to her if you want to find out anything more, I'm afraid I must get back to work on finding a stable source of love for the patient." With that the doctor decided to move along, leaving me in the hallway staring at the filly he motioned to in question. Just catching a glimpse of her caused nearly all of my anger at whoever caused this to melt away, seeing the tear stained face of Applebloom being comforted by Applejack in one of the chairs in the waiting hallway. "A-Ah... ah didn't mean ta hurt 'im AJ... I jus'... I jus' wanted ta see mah f-friend..." Applebloom quietly sobbed, burying her face into the shoulder of her big sister. Applejack had already caught a glimpse of me looking at the both of them, and her expression was one of quiet worry and understanding. Worry at how I was going to react, and understanding that Applebloom meant in no way to harm. I knew that too, and couldn't bring myself to interrupt them. When Ghost was well enough to speak... When, he was, then I'd be able to get all of the details. Until then, I simply stood at the end of the hallway, leaning my back against a wall and waiting until more news of Ghost's condition came. I opened my eyes slowly, realizing that while I stood there waiting for a nurse or a doctor to come by and tell me something I must've dozed off. I had slid down the wall while I slept, because I was now sat on the floor of the hospital hallway with the back of my head leaned against the wall. I didn't feel anymore rested from the small respite I was given, and if anything I actually felt a little bit more groggy than before I fell asleep. "Jeez... why didn't Luna visit me while I slept or something?" I groaned, bringing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. The sun was up now, if the light streaming through the open window and burning a hole through my eyelids was any indication. The door to Ghost's room was still locked tight at a glance, but I knew better than to try and break in at a time like this. No need to make the jobs of the doctors and guards any harder than it had to be. I looked over at where Applebloom and Applejack were sat last night, but saw that the chairs they once occupied were now empty. I assumed that as soon as Applebloom had fallen asleep somehow, Applejack would've taken her back up to their room. She was a young filly, she didn't need to stress about any of this. With a crack of my neck, I made my way to my feet and stumbled a bit getting to an actual chair, before plopping down and propping my head up with my arm on one of the the arm chairs, my hand covering my eyes. I just wanted anything involving this invasion to finally be over. It had only been about 3 days of this crap for me... but in my head it felt like months. I was just tired, but knew I couldn't stop just yet. As long as there was someone depending on me to keep going through this shit, I was gonna keep going. I just wish it didn't feel like such a chor- *BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.* The Communication Gem around my neck was now buzzing to life, my eyes snapping open at the sudden vibrating sensation around my neck and on my chest. I reached down a little bit and fished it out of my shirt, channeling magic into it and answering. "H-h-hullo?" I murmured sleepily, barely holding the damn thing up to my mouth to speak. "Whoever this is speak you peace loudly... or I'll... I'll..." I drifted off, not having enough control over my brain to come up with a valid threat in such a short amount of time. I almost fell back asleep right then and there, but Celestia's voice barely managed to rouse me from my slumber. "I can see you obviously slept well. 64, you're needed in the Throne Room for a mission debriefing. I can assure you that Ghost will be looked after with the best of care while you are gone." Celestia said, making my brow furrow deeply. "W-Wait... you're sending me on a mission... this soon? I need some time off too you know." I grumbled, already standing up and making my way towards the Throne Room. I knew that she was fully aware how short of a time frame she was giving me, so it must've been important. There was no response from Celestia as nothing but silence came through my gem, with me cutting the magic going into it in frustration. The walk to the Throne Room only took minutes, with Celestia being the only one inside when I finally got there. I subtlety wiped some dried drool off of my cheek as I made my way towards her, knowing I must've looked like crap from a restless night. "So... I'm here. What's the mission Princess?" I said, no quips or snippy undertones behind it. I just wanted to get the job done. "Well, with Chrysalis in custody, and the information you brought us from her interrogation, we can now begin making moves towards repairing any and all damaged ties between Equestria and the surrounding countries. I have it in good faith that their plans were invasion were made on the platform of desperation, and Mutarus gave Capras and Ethaxial exactly what they wanted to hear before Peace Talks began. With our two allied countries still in need of relief, I will be sending out aid to both of them as quickly as possible." Celestia explained, her hair making me nearly lose my focus in my still half asleep state. "And you need me where...?" I asked, not exactly sure where she was going with it. "We here in Equestria are still recovering from the devastation that was brought to us by the Changelings, so by me sending aid to the outlying countries, your workload will be growing steadily around here as a result. Quelling the small riots that may pop up from civil unrest, finding missing ponies that have been lost amongst all of the commotion, investigating any further crimes that may be happening internally within Canterlot... You will be having your work cut out for you in the future 64." Celestia smiled a bit, giving a tired sigh as well. "But I assure you, I won't be sending you too far from Canterlot. I know you wish to remain close to Ghost to regularly check on his health." I gave a small smile at that, glad that she was taking that in consideration. I nodded a thanks, but said nothing as I waited for her to continue. "Along with that, I will be sending you along with the Elements of Harmony from time to time, assisting them in any of the matters that may come up for them. But I don't need to explain to you what kind of trouble they can get up to." "No... No you don't." I groaned jokingly, running a hand through my shaggy hair. "So, whats my first task?" "Well, to start off small, how does starting off with this missing ponies file sound?" With that, a nearly full manila folder was levitated over to me from seemingly nowhere, the bindings barely holding together all of the files that were threatening to burst forth. I took the files from the air and picked through them, seeing that I did indeed have my work cut out for me in the future. "So 64? What do you think?" I gave it a few seconds to linger and stew inside my head, but I knew what I wanted to say from the moment she said that. I looked up at Celestia, a small smile on my face as I made to tuck the folder underneath my arm. "It's about fucking time I got to work."