//------------------------------// // 46 - Quae Est Finis: Part 1 // Story: Change // by tom117z //------------------------------// The Badlands Drones began unloading the carriages and bringing them into the Badlands Hive as Queen Chrysalis and Princess Twilight watched on. Carduus stood with them, barking out orders and direction when necessary. “Are you sure the other queens won’t be too upset with us leaving the council so soon?” Twilight asked her mother. “There will be questions as to why,” Chrysalis responded. “But the answer should satisfy them enough. A queen leaving early is rare, but not unheard of.” “Now you have confirmation on Crudelis’ scheming, what are you going to do?” Carduus asked. “I don’t know,” Chrysalis sighed. “It is something I will be discussing with the equestrian princesses soon however. We can hide all we want, but she in tenacious. She will not stop until her goals are achieved.” “And we’re all dead,” Carduus noted with a groan. “Precisely.” “But, with what Crudelis did to Vespula…” Twilight started. “Is that related?” “Almost certainly,” Chrysalis grimaced. “The assassin, we already know that his name was Serpens, and he was from her Hive. Crudelis used them as a proxy to keep herself from being implicated. Their failure would have displeased her greatly, and created a rather severe loose end.” “So she killed them,” Carduus grimly said. “Yes.” “That’s horrible!” Twilight exclaimed. “How is a queen like that allowed to operate as she does?” Chrysalis didn’t answer, and only looked grimly on at the distant horizon. The silence seemed to last for hours, and in that time the carriages were fully unpacked and all the drones retreated back into the hive. “Your highness,” Carduus gently called. “I think it is time we too went inside.” The large queen looked down on the far smaller changeling guard captain. “Agreed. Take the rest of the day off Carduus, you’ve earned it.” “Thank you my queen but-“ “No buts,” Chrysalis interrupted. “You’ve worked yourself to the bone the past few days, go and be with your family. Don’t make me order you to do so.” Carduus sighed in defeat. “Very well my queen. It would be good to spend time with Panacea and Iuvenes.” Chrysalis nodded, and as Carduus made off towards the hive she turned to her daughter. “Twilight?” Twilight looked up at her mother. “Hmm? What is it?” “I know you’re probably tired, but could we talk? Preferably in the privacy of our throne room.” “Of course,” Twilight put a hoof on Chrysalis’ shoulder. “I’m always here if you need to talk about anything.” Chrysalis smiled and gave her daughter a loving nuzzle on the head. “What did I ever do to deserve a daughter as wonderful as you?” Twilight giggled. “Invaded Canterlot apparently.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but let a giggle of her own escape. “True enough I suppose. Come then, let us get out of this infernal heat.” And thus the two royal changelings entered the hive, and as always the door shimmered briefly as the perception filter masking it took effect and hid their home from all who would do it harm. Canterlot Princess Celestia hummed to herself as she flicked through various paperwork in her age old study. As a soft rendition of ‘Winter Wrap Up’ whisked its way around the room Celestia went through laws, various updates to treaties, many of which she herself sighed at various points in her life, and other day to day paperwork. It was as tedious as always, but a thousand years of practiced patience helped her drive on through. Not that she didn’t always leap at the chance for a distraction, like the one that was currently knocking on the door. “Come in,” Celestia called. As the door opened Celestia’s smile widened at the sight of her little sister. A sight that only a few years ago was a distant, cherished memory of a bygone age. No longer. “Sister,” Luna greeted. “I hope I am not interrupting anything.” “Nothing is more important to me than you Luna,” Celestia got up and gave the blue alicorn a light nuzzle. Luna chuckled at the sentiment, but accepted it. “Hmm, that is good to hear.” Celestia levitated a nearby teapot towards them while motioning towards some cushions set up by the fireplace. “Tea, Luna?” Luna held up a hoof. “Nay sister. While I might normally relish the chance to chat over tea, something has come up that requires both of our attention.” “Oh?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. Luna was being far more serious than normal, she would have joked that she preferred coffee were she not. Intrigued, Celestia expanded; “Then please Luna, do tell.” “Our niece has just arrived at the castle, and is waiting in the throne room.” “Cadance? I didn’t know she was due to visit anytime soon.” “She wasn’t,” Luna stated. “Something has happened in the Crystal Empire that may shed light on some past events.” Now Celestia was extremely curious. “Past events? Which events are you referring to?” “Twilight’s attempted assassination.” Cracks shot through the still levitating teapot, and the liquid inside heated up a few degrees. Breathing out slowly, Celestia placed the damaged pot back down onto the table before her horn glowed yellow. Next thing Luna knew, they were both in the throne room, in front of a startled Cadance. “What do we know about it?” Celestia forced out through clenched teeth. Cadance was still stunned, partly by their sudden appearance, and furthermore by the anger she could feeling rolling off of Celestia. So Luna continued for her. “I believe we know the identity of the assassin. A changeling named Serpens.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but her teeth remained clenched. “Serpens? How did you come across the name of our deceased ‘friend’?” Cadance finally broke out of her stupor, and was able to start filling in the details. “He has two sisters, and they were recently discovered in the crystal empire - Homeless. One is a teenager, the other is only a foal, or the changeling equivalent at least.” Celestia’s features immediately softened on hearing this. “Individuals so young, homeless? How did this come to be?” “Simple,” Luna interjected. “The hive our assassin belonged to was a proxy, forced to do the dirty work of the true villain of this particular story. And when Serpens failed…” “They were destroyed,” Celestia realised. “Wiped out, completely overnight,” Cadance added solemnly, her head hanging low. Luna nodded. “Apparently so. The two changelings, Soronis and Puellula?” Luna looked over to Cadance for confirmation. She nodded. “Soronis and Puellula, are the only known survivors.” The horror was evident on Celestia’s face. “An entire hive wiped out? I may not hold any love for this Serpens, but all those innocent changelings that must have died… Who Luna? Who killed them? Who arranged for my beloved former student’s death?” “A queen by the name of Crudelis. She is the one who, according to the two young changelings, attacked and burned their hive to the ground. And thus it is likely her who arranged for Princess Twilight’s demise also.” “Crudelis? I know that name…” Realisation dawned on the solar alicorn. “She is of relation to both Twilight and Chrysalis. Not to mention the queen holding the largest overall hive.” “She does? I was unaware,” Luna stated. Cadance looked up in confusion too. “Twilight confided in me all about her great aunt. She never did sound like a pleasant individual.” “And she has now proven herself to be ruthless,” Luna said. “Not to mention extremely dangerous. Remember, she also tried to frame Equestria for what nearly was Twilight’s death. She is targeting us as well.” “Not to mention Twilight’s life may still be in danger,” Celestia grimaced at the thought. “Take me to them, I need to know all the details.” Luna motioned towards the door. “Then follow us, dear sister. Vladimir, Shining Armor, Broad Sword and his wife Scarlet are waiting with the changelings.” “Very good. Cadance, what do you intend to do with Soronis and Puellula?” Celestia enquired. “I plan to keep them in the empire near the Crystal Heart. Without a hive their lives are shortened considerably, but I have a theory that the Heart may be able to counteract that, at least until I can introduce them to Chrysalis and Twilight. Integrating them into another hive should be of little issue.” “I see. I know Twilight will be more than willing to take them. Come then sister, niece, let us go to the others. I wish to hear all about this Serpens, and just what Crudelis intended, and intends to do.” Badlands Hive Carduus walked through familiar hallways of the hive, quickly approaching an even more familiar door. He saw fellow changelings going about their days with the odd nymph playing in the shrubbery right in the centre of the corridor. Several nodded to the captain as they passed, but none stopped to chat. Looking back towards the door he took in a deep breath before knocking loudly. A few noises were heard inside as the inside changeling’s ears shot up and she made her way to the home’s front entrance. Carduus heard a key turning just before the door swung open. And he was immediately tackled by an extremely excitable nymph. Again. “Daddy!” Iuvenes held tightly onto his barrel, his haunches hitting the floor and his captain’s helmet flying off and clattering down the corridor. “Hey sweety… do you really need to do that every time?” Carduus asked, in a wheezing voice, the air having been knocked out of him. He levitated his young daughter off of him. In response Iuvenes simply gave a large grin before nodding her head furiously. “It just shows she loves her daddy,” Panacea giggled as she exited the home to greet her returning husband. Carduus placed Iuvenes onto his back as he accepted a kiss from his wife. “You’re all back early. Get bored of all the politics?” Panacea laughed. “Er… not exactly…” Carduus said before he quickly ushered Panacea inside, making sure to grab his helmet on the way. Once the door was close he asked Iuvenes to jump off and quickly go and grab a few cookies from the kitchen as a ‘treat’. The child predictably rushed right off to indulge herself, not picking up that her father didn’t want her to hear what he had to say. And so Carduus told Panacea everything, from his shifty encounter with the clipboard wielding drone to the discovery that Crudelis was indeed behind everything, and the subsequent vacating of the council. “But… that’s horrible!” Panacea gasped. “How could any changeling do something like that to their own family?” “She is evil, to put it bluntly. She seeks nothing but to expand her own power, and she is a disgrace to our species!” Carduus snarled as he angrily fumed. Panacea flinched. “Carduus… please don’t say such things. I know it is likely true but I don’t like seeing you like this!” Guilt flashed across the captain’s face. “Oh, I’m sorry dear. I shouldn’t snap like that.” Carduus pulled Panacea in and held her tight, nuzzling her neck gently as he did so. “Mama? Papa? Are you alright?” A slightly timid sounding voice came from the entranceway to the kitchen. Both adult changelings swivelled their heads to spot the concerned nymph standing in the doorway, half eaten cookie levitating next to her. Carduus simply smiled, and motioned a hoof out to encourage Iuvenes to join in on the family group hug. The young nymph reacted immediately, running up to and squeezing herself into the middle of Carduus and Panacea. “Don’t worry Iuvenes, just guard things is all. Nothing is wrong,” Carduus cooed into his daughter’s ear. Iuvenes remained unconvinced. “Are you sure?” She levitated the cookie up to her father. “You could have this cookie if it would help you feel better…” Carduus stared at the cookie, glanced towards his wife, then Iuvenes, and then back to the cookie again. He then promptly burst out laughing. Iuvenes looked up at her father in confusion, and then to her mother as she began to giggle at the two of them. “Oh Iuvenes,” Carduus tried to calm his laughter. “You are too cute sometimes. Never change, alright?” Iuvenes blushed, before trying to hide herself in her mother’s chest. Carduus shook his head in amusement, grabbing onto Iuvenes with his magic and levitating her so they looked at each other in the eyes. “Now enough of that, little miss embarrassed. Since I am back and you have been a good girl, would you like a day out in the atrium? We can go to that place you like for some food.” The nymph’s face lit up like a Hearth's Warming tree that also happened to be on fire. “YESYESYES! Can we please daddy? Pleasepleaseplease-“ “Whoa there! I already said we could, remember?” “Yay!” Iuvenes shouted in excitement. Chuckling, Carduus placed Iuvenes onto the ground before turning his magic onto his armor. He levitated the blue gear off of him and floated it quickly into the adjacent living room, simply depositing the armor onto the sofa and his sword into a nearby case out of the way of an all too curious nymph like Iuvenes. “Honey, do you mind if while I get myself washed up that you sort out my armour?” Carduus asked. “Well hurry up then,” Panacea replied. “If we keep Iuvenes waiting too long she might explode.” Iuvenes pouted at that remark. “I will be quick, just want to get some of this sand off of my chitin. Whose idea was it to put the hive in a desert again?” Panacea giggled. “You can take it up with the royals next time you see them.” “I think I’ll pass. This place is home after all…” Carduus said as he exited the room towards the bathroom for a nice warm shower. Panacea got to work giving the armor a quick clean and placing it back on the stand in the bedroom, while Iuvenes willed the time away by finishing off her cookie. And possibly even sneaking a couple more out of the jar. Chrysalis stopped in the middle of the throne room, and promptly slumped to the floor. “Mother?” Twilight called out in alarm as she swung the two large doors shut. “Are you alright?” “No Twilight… I am not,” Chrysalis admitted. “I am tired. Tired of Crudelis’ games. Tired of her threats against you and the hive. It all just gets to you eventually.” Twilight gasped as she spotted the tears beginning to flow from Chrysalis’ eyes. The young princess dropped to the floor next to her mother and curled up next to her, Chrysalis draping a wing over her beloved daughter. “Mother…” Twilight nuzzled Chrysalis’ neck. “Please don’t be upset…” “I’m sorry Twilight but… but she tried to kill you! And if she did indeed try that, then I can guarantee she is behind mother’s death too! Everything I suspected up to this point is confirmed. Part of my own family is so determined to kill me. Why?” “I don’t know. What I do know is that you need a break.” Chrysalis glanced towards her daughter. “Huh?” Chrysalis was surprised by the steely, determined expression her daughter was giving her. “You need a break. A holiday. When was the last time you took a day off?” Chrysalis snorted. “Oh so very long ago Twilight. Before your grandmother’s death.” “Exactly,” Twilight stated. “Do you trust me?” Chrysalis was caught off guard by Twilight question. “Excuse me?” “Do you trust me?” “O-of course! Of course I trust you, why would you even question that?” “Then you know I can hold my own running the hive. Take a week or two, let me run this place while you clear your head.” “Twilight, I could never ask you to take on my burdo-“ “I will not take no for an answer,” Twilight stamped a hoof to hammer in the point. “I…” Chrysalis sighed. “Very well. I think you are right.” Twilight gave a sigh of relief. “Good. You deserve the rest.” Chrysalis wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes, before giving Twilight a mischievous smirk, “So… what do you intend to do now your coup has succeeded Queen Twilight.” Twilight Sparkle just rolled her eyes. “Oh no, my devious plot has been revealed…” She deadpanned. Chrysalis chuckled lightheadedly. “Seriously though, any particular plans? Even if I’m going to be taking time off I want to know what is going on around my hive.” “Fair enough,” Twilight shrugged. “Well, I’m first going to contact Celestia and Luna. They may be able to help with the ‘Crudelis situation’. We’ll see what happens from there.” Chrysalis nodded. “Alright then. Now, let us get off the floor before-“ A loud explosion rippled throughout the entire hive as the very foundations shook violently, a few shards from the ceiling detached and clattered to the floor around the two royals. “What in Faust’s name was that?!” Twilight shouted as both she and Chrysalis shot up to their hooves. “My queen, princess?!” The voice of one of the guard shouted in both of their minds. “Let us find out…” Chrysalis muttered. “Guard, what is happening? What caused that loud bang?” Chrysalis shouted over the hive at the guard. “Your highness… we have a serious problem…” Was his reply, with fear evident in his voice. The Atrium, Moments Earlier Carduus smiled over at his wife and daughter, the latter of which sat on Panacea’s back with a happy smile on her face. The atrium was bustling as Celestia’s sun shone brightly in through the crevice above. They were on the very bottom floor right by the statue, heading towards an establishment just on the other side of the large stone changeling queen. There wasn’t a miserable changeling about as they cheerfully went about their days going to and forth various restaurants, shops and other establishments. Panacea herself was half tempted to go to the spa one floor up, but as it was a family day out she decided to put it off until another day. Ultimately the atmosphere around the atrium as upbeat and cheerful. Which is why one changeling mare stuck out considerably. The mare was shuffling her way towards the statue, hey eyes shifting around at all the other changelings passing her by. She had a brown saddlebag over her back as well. One side was empty, while the other had something visibly inside. Something wasn’t right. And it wasn’t just her demeanour, he felt that she wasn’t meant to be there. That she wasn’t one of them. Even if drones of other classes couldn’t communicate with one another, outside of biological family or those you had set up a specialised connection with like with Carduus and Panacea, you could still sense their presence if they were nearby and you concentrated on that individual in your mind. And he couldn’t sense that drone at all. “Honey,” he discreetly spoke to Panacea over the hive mind. “Can you talk to that drone there, or even sense her?” Panacea looked over at the changeling Carduus was pointing out, and concentrated. “No… there is nothing. Carduus, she’s not part of our hive!” He had heard enough. Carduus approached the drone, despite the whimper of protest from Panacea as Iuvenes looked on in confusion. “Ma’am?” The changeling glanced over at Carduus, before picking up her pace towards the statue. “Stop!” Carduus began to sprint towards the changeling. The drone saw him coming and she launched a quick spell in his direction, causing him to jump to the side as Panacea screamed. As all the other nearby changelings looked towards the commotion the drone opened the saddlebag, took out the mana bomb, and hurled it towards the statue. It detonated on contact. Screams erupted from the various families in the area as the entire hive shook from the blast. The statue of Queen Avia was blasted into dust as the magical crystal it held shattered into a billion tiny fragments. The beam the crystal produced ceased to be as the shield and perception filter covering the atrium’s top dispersed into nothingness. Before the offending drone could even smirk in victory Carduus tackled her to the ground. Any resistance she put up was immediately quashed by his superior strength. “What have you done?!” Carduus shouted in a mixture of anger and fear. The changeling simply laughed in his face. “Won.” The drone managed to point a hoof towards the sky. A sky which could now look back. Black dots began to appear in that sky, black dots that were increasing in number and approaching fast. Changelings. But moments later the inhabitants of the atrium began to scream anew as the first volleys of putrid green spellfire began impacting around them. Carduus saw several changelings be engulfed by the spells as more explosions rocked the structure. “Crudelis sends her regards!” The female drone Carduus held shouted in defiance. He promptly broke her neck. “Guards, to me!” Carduus shouted as he retreated back to his terrified family. Just as he reached them two drones in red and blue armor landed just metres away. Carduus reacted by immediately ending one with spellfire as the other swung a mace down onto Carduus. The captain used his magic to knock the weapon to the side just as the enemy drone tackled Carduus. “Get off of him!” Panacea shouted as she bucked as hard as she could, sending the drone tumbling off of her husband. “Captain!” An approaching guard threw a sword in Carduus’ direction, which he quickly grabbed and used to finish the down drone. As several more enemy changelings began to assault the atrium the guards looked to Carduus for direction. “Captain, your orders?” Carduus snarled as he saw the drones of Crudelis ransacking their home. “Evacuate the atrium, and block their access further into the hive. Get my family to safety!” Carduus shouted as he began to head towards a nearby exit. “Carduus, where are you going?” Panacea squeaked as a terrified Iuvenes clung onto her back desperately. “I need to link up with the royals and form a defence. Get out of here!” Carduus sprinted away as his fellow guards dragged his family and any other nearby civilians to safety. And as he left he swore he caught the sight of a large shadow of a dragon passing overhead. This battle had only just begun.