//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Interrogation // Story: Warframe: Equestria // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// POV: Twilight Sparkle / Location: Equus - Equestrian Plains - Inside the Orbiter I let Spike go to bed early as I want to ask Karn some more questions before I go to bed myself. I make my way to his ship ignoring the stares I'm getting from the townsponies and knock on the ship's door when I finally arrive, the door opens and Ordis's voice answers me. "Good evening, Miss Sparkle. What brings you here?" he asks me. I go to reply but the sounds of rapid popping bangs from outside echo over the field. "What's going on?" I ask with wide eyes. "The Operator is under attack from some infested insects, Miss Twilight." Ordis tells me. "Insects?" I ask. "Yes, the ones who invaded your capital city," he replies. "You mean the changelings?" I ask confused. "If that is what they are called, I shall add that information to my database... It appears the Operator has finished and captured a large changeling," he says. A large changeling? The only large changeling I have seen is... Chrysalis! He caught Chrysalis!? A few minutes later, Karn walks in. "Twilight? Well this is good timing, we're going to the capital. I need you to translate for me," he tells me. "To Canterlot? What's going on?" I ask. "I've captured the insects leader. I want to take it to Celestia for interrogation," he replies. "Why do you want to interrogate Chrysalis?" I ask him. "Chrysalis? Is that its name?" he asks with a tilt of his faceless head "Her name, and you haven't answered my question," I reply and retort. "I want to know what she knows about the technocyte. Those smaller insects were infected with it, and I think this Chrysalis knows why," he tells me. "Okay, but before you... erm, let her out. We'll need to have a Magic-Nullifier ring placed on her horn," I tell him. "Alright," he says and looks up. "Ordis, set destination for the capital," he tells Ordis. "Yes, Operator. Setting course for Canterlot," Ordis replies. "So what exactly are you hoping to find out from Chrysalis?" I ask as we head down to the second room. Karn turns from looking at the pod with this strange egg in it to me. "I want to know how the smaller insects..." "Changelings," I correct him. "...Changelings, were infected, and if she had a hand in it, and as to why she wasn't infected as well," he tells me. We stayed silent during the flight to Canterlot while I watch his foundry as he called it working on something. A few minutes later, I feel the ship land and Karn heads to the door while I stay behind entranced by the technology in front of me. POV: Karn / Location: Equus - Canterlot Castle Gardens I step out of the Orbiter and come face to face with the white and blue pony, with about ten of the pony guards. I wave him into the ship to talk to Twilight. He snorts and walks in. I lead him to the foundry while he's looking around wide eyed. The radio scanner picks up some pony chatter which makes him stop and stare at the scanner. He then glares at me. I just stare at him for a few seconds before nodding to the side towards Twilight. He walks in, still with his glare. POV: Twilight Sparkle / Location: Equus - Canterlot Castle Gardens - Inside the Orbiter I look behind me and see Shining walk in. "Shiny!? What are you doing here? I thought Karn was going to get the Princesses," I ask him. He's just looking at me. "T-Twily... Is that you? You look like a bigger purple Cadence!" he replies after a few seconds and looks me over. "Oh, right. It's a side effect of Karn's Tenno serum," I tell him. I think I'll withhold the 'living forever' thing out for now. "*Ehem* Can you ask him to bring Celestia and Luna here please?" Karn asks me. "Oh that's right. Shiny, Karn needs to see Princess Celestia and Luna right now. He caught Chrysalis just minutes ago and he wants to interrogate her," I tell my brother. His eyes go wide with surprise. "He what? Where is she?" he asks looking around. "She's not that thing right?" he says pointing at the weird egg. "Huh? Oh, no she's not. I think he absorbed her into his left hand. I've seen him do it before," I reply. "He... absorbed her?" he asks with a disbelieving expression. "Yes. So can you please bring the Princesses here, and a magic-nullifier ring as well?" I ask him. "Errr, sure. I'll be back in a few minutes," he says and heads to the front of the ship, but not before giving Karn one last look. "He's going to get the Princesses now," I tell karn. "Good," he says and walks over to that floating weapon of his. He presses a few buttons below it and it turns on. "I've set my Sentinel to defensive mode, If this Chrysalis attacks, it'll open fire on her," he tells me. "Is that really necessary? The horn ring will make her powerless," I tell him. "I'm not taking any chances," he says. We wait for about seven minutes and the sounds of hooves on metal echo through the ship. I see Karn nodded to somepony to my left as the Princesses walk down the ramp. "The Captain tells me you have captured Queen Chrysalis," Celestia says and turns to me. Just like Shining her eyes widen and her jaw slightly drops. "Sister, what art thou gawking at?" Luna asks and looks to where Celestia is looking. Her jaw also drops. "Hello, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna." I say with a sheepish smile. "We must say Twilight, thou look rather... Elegant," Luna says. "Erm, Thanks," I reply as Karn speaks up. "So where's this horn ring?" he asks. "Oh right. Princess, do you have the magic-nullifier ring with you?" I ask Celestia. Her horn glows and a black ring with golden inlays floats in front of her. "I do. So where is Chrysalis?" she asks. I turn back to Karn. "Karn, the princess is ready when you are." I tell him. He nodded. "When she's out, tell her not to make any attempts to flee or attack. Unless she wants more holes in her," he tells me and holds out his left hand. It starts to glow orange and little cubes flow out to the floor. After a few seconds a screaming Chrysalis reforms on the floor. She pats herself over and Celestia quickly places the ring on Chrysalis's horn. "Chrysalis, don't make any sudden movements, attempt to run, or attack us. Karn's weapon will attack you should you do so," I tell her. "Wha... What happened to me?" she demands. "Karn captured you," I simply say. "Where am I?" she asks looking around. "You're on his ship in Canterlot. Karn wants to ask you some questions," I tell her. She looks behind her to see Karn towering over her, pointing his small ranged weapon at her. Chrysalis's eyes widen as she recognises the weapon. "And what does he want to know?" she asks. That's the first time I've heard fear in her voice. "So, what do you want to ask her," I ask Karn. "Tell her I want to know how her people got infected," he replies. POV: Chrysalis / Location: Equus - Canterlot Castle Gardens - Inside the Orbiter "He wants to know how your drones got infected," Sparkle tells me. I glare at the monster named Karn. His grip tightens on that weapon of his, making me snort. "We found some sort of crashed metal vessel in the Everfree Forest. Inside was a container with this orange and blue mass inside it. I heard some voices coming from it and opened it. Next thing I knew, it was forcing itself into me and my drones, possessing us." I turn back to Sparkle. "I managed to place a barrier over my brain and mind, but it altered the rest of my body. I managed to gather enough magic to turn myself into a mist and escaped," I tell her. "So you're the reason why Equus is now in danger!?" Luna yells. "How was I supposed to know it was some sort of parasite!?" I yell back, that floating thing makes a few clicking noises and points at me. I flinch back slightly. Sparkle then speaks some strange language and Karn replies. "If that's true, how many of your drones were infected?" Sparkle asks. I frown and look down as tears start to fall down my face. "All of them," I say. They may of been drones... but they were still my children. "And what were you going to do once you got away?" Celestia asks me. "I... I was going to, ask you for help," I say, barely a whisper. "Oh? And what makes you think we would help you after you tried to take over Equestria?" Luna asks coldly. "I had no choice! What would you have done? Let your ponies starve to death or do what you have to do to keep them alive!?" I glare at Luna, tears flowing down my face again. She looks stunned at my outburst. "I was going to come here to ask for your help to free them from this parasite!" I tell them. "They can't be saved," Sparkle then tells me. "What do you mean? I got away from it," I reply. "That's because your magic is stronger than your drones. You managed to protect your mind from it, I take it that it took a lot of magic?" Sparkle asks me. "Yes..." I say, realising that my drones had no such spells. "Then... there's nothing I can do to save them?" I ask fearfully. Sparkle looks to Karn and they talk. After a few minutes she looks at me. "I'm sorry, but no. Karn says it's a miracle that you even managed to survive at all," she says with a sad expression. Then that means only a few of my children are still alive. Those I've sent to spy in Canterlot and other towns, but all of them were females... I kept all of our males back at the hive. Unless one survived, our race is doomed to extinction. POV: Karn / Location: Equus - Canterlot Castle Gardens - Inside the Orbiter "Ask her where the hive is located," I tell Twilight. Twilight asks her and Chrysalis glares at me and says something. "She wants to know why," Twilight says. "We're going to wipe it out. With every infected creature within it," I reply. She tells Chrysalis this. Chrysalis starts to cry with her front legs over her face. She then says something. "She wants to go with you when you do it," Twilight tells me. "No. I don't trust her since she attacked another nation. What does she want to do there, though?" I ask. Again they talk. "She wants to see if any males survived in the hive. Because without them, she can't breed anymore," Twilight replies. So, she needs a male to continue breeding... Then what about that one male I caught in the city? "Twilight, remember when I caught that changeling in the city?" I ask her. She frowns in thought and then gasps. "That's right! He's still down in the dungeons!" She turns to Chrysalis and tells her that. Chrysalis gasps and says something to them. She looks back to me with wide eyes and says something. "She's asking if you'll help her reclaim her home." "No. She'll have to find another place to live. We'll have to burn that hive to the ground as well as the surrounding area," I tell her. Twilight tells them that and Chrysalis looks defeated. Twilight looks back to me. "Now what do we do?"