Chrysalis almost stopped her dive as the group below emitted a bright flash of light. Those little twits better not have teleported.
But no, the light faded and they were still there. She focused her long-sight - a trait made possible by the slitted eyes of a Changeling fat with love - and noticed something. None of them were in the same place.
She snickered. "As if that'll stop us."
The last of the void's hold was released, only a couple hundred Changelings had fallen to it, their souls smothered. But that was a loss they could manage. Still more than enough to take out a bunch of misfits.
The group below split into a large circle, each one connecting to the next with what seemed to be arcane rope.
The 'rope' launched to the center of the circle and then up, crackling with energy.
Chrysalis spun to the side, the trail behind her doing the same. There were screams as the bolt tore a hole through the group, another hundred Changelings fell to the earth. Damn.
The Changeling rogue, his yellow eyes surveying the damage done, darted up beside Chrysalis, wings beating with ease. "My Lady, how do you plan on taking them out? If you continue as a single entity, you are going to lose more warriors."
"I am aware of that!" Chrysalis snapped. "Now stay back!"
He frowned angrily and barrel rolled up into the sky, diving back to his spot in the cluster.
"Show off." She heard a guard mumble.
-----
"She's making this way too easy." 1416 laughed, aiming another bolt.
As it fired, I saw his mirage flicker - 358 took his place - and then it was 1416 again.
"Anything I should know before we start?" I yelled over the screaming.
"Everypony for themselves!" He cackled. "Although, Amare has a little heart over her left eye. Add that in." He noted quickly.
"Thanks." I muttered, putting the detail in place. "Like this?"
He glanced over, charging up another bolt. "Yup."
I looked up at the sky again. "So. It ends here?"
He nodded again, this time with a grim frown set on his muzzle.
-----
Despite her hatred of the phrase, Chrysalis had to admit her warriors were dropping like flies. Hundreds after hundreds screamed and fell, charred. Frontal assault, as the rogue had predicted, was failing.
A movement in the corner of her eye made her start. The rogue was flying a good mile away, at an even pace with her, with a smaller swarm following him. She looked around quickly; the other foreigners had followed suit, with close to two hundred Changelings behind each. Her army had dwindled to a thousand at most.
Another bolt passed her, but a substantially smaller amount of Changelings fell.
Instead of yelling at them to get back in line, she flicked her tail. A handful of guards left her side, one for each swarm. She sped up, passing the others while her swarm tagged along in her airstream.
"Tonight, my subjects, we dine on Earth!"
-----
Our circle shattered, each of us running in some direction. I stood still, watching Chrysalis change course for whichever one of us had decided to become 1416. I don't know how we managed it, but none of us were the same Changeling. I saw myself running in the other direction, and I saw me too.
Then 'I' made a funny face, and I was basically one-hundred-ten percent sure it was 1416.
"Here they come!" I yelled, noticing how strange my voice sounded. "I'll face Chrysalis!"
"Oh, no. You will be staying back." 'I' replied, bounding over to stand in front of me. "You have to get ready to change."
I rolled my eyes and pushed 'myself' away. "I can handle her."
There was a moment where we looked at each other in silence, before 'I' nodded slowly. "Don't get killed."
"Well, there go my plans for the day." I growled, getting ready to take off.
-----
Chrysalis saw two of them converse before splitting apart, one preparing to meet her dive.
A single Changeling, with no offensive powers, up against me! Stupid foal... She grinned. "Prepare to meet your death, rebel!"
The Changeling flying up seemed to go faster at the challenge, a few patches of green flame appearing on her sides.
"How much damage do you plan on doing?" The Queen taunted. "What in Equestria could you do to me?"
The green flames coated the flying Changeling, and it showed no sign of slowing. Chrysalis momentarily considered that she might have to move.
"Well?"
"I think," the Changeling growled, the flames intensifying and expanding, "that I can do a whole bucking lot!"
The flames seared away from tar-black scales. The dragon's head was marked with a few sharp horns, and a set of glimmering red eyes shone with anger. The dragon sped up with two flaps of it's huge wings, slicing past Chrysalis and cutting the population of her swarm in at least half.
"You!" She roared.
"Guilty as charged." The dragon responded with a grin, flying in a wide loop to attack again. A few stray Changelings tried to attack it, but did nothing to it's armor.
Chrysalis looked back down at the ground for the replica of 3217. There wasn't one, but there was another of the Changeling she had been disguised as.
The light flashed again below.
Chrysalis used a string of curse words that would rate this story up to mature.
-----
1416 took off, beating 598's massive wings. He seemed to be the only one heading for this wave, which he noticed was being led by not only a foreigner, but one of Chrysalis's guards as well. And in the background, the sudden appearance of a giant black dragon.
"Oh hot damn." He grinned. "They're in for it now."
Just as he was about to lock hooves with the leader, he transformed, a manticore taking his place. The desert Changeling struck out frantically, terrified. A single paw-swipe knocked the breath out of him, the poor creature spiralling away to the ground.
1416 transformed back to his original body, his eyes starting to flicker green. "I am not your enemy. You have all been led here by lies and trickery. Land peacefully on the ground and you will not be harmed."
-----
I banked, the edges of my wings glimmering with a green plasma that I assumed was the color of Changeling blood. What if they had families? How many children would never see their parent... even parents... again? I hesitated, flapping my wings to extend my loop. How many families will never see each other again if the Changelings take over?
I change my speed, shooting in front of Chrysalis's swarm - which has changed target to fight me instead of the gang below - and slide into a hover, blocking them from passing easily.
"I don't want to exterminate your kind." I growl. I notice some of the Changelings start to mumble, no that they're hovering. Glances are being cast between me and Chrysalis. What has she told them? "I know that many of you have been lost today, many just from getting here. Is it worth the loss? You have all of Equestria."
"Lies!" Chrysalis yelled. "She wishes to turn you against your own kind!"
Her words seem to have a deeper hold on her subjects - well, duh - but there are still a lot looking at the bodies below, and a handful with their hooves up near their faces, looking like they're about to cry. I am suddenly aware of a low buzz as 1416 flies up and lands on my shoulder. The others are near me, silent. Chrysalis's other swarms are joining up behind her as well. It's up to either me... or her.
"I have lived on earth a long time." I sighed, waving a talon towards the distant horizon. "And humans are not very accepting of what's different. They shun the animals that live here, use the resources for greed, fight their own kind... the only reason I survived is because I had no idea what I was, and the others were smart enough to stay hidden. If you reveal yourselves here, en mass, all it will do is cause more fighting. You have lost enough already."
Chrysalis turned to her hive, eyes wild and all in all, looking stark raving bonkers. "No!" She screams, a scratchy, panicked noise. "She lies! They want you to leave so they can have this haven for their own!"
The Changelings closest to her have backed away in fear and disgust. The few foreigners have narrowed their eyes, the only factor keeping them from taking her out being their low number.
I changed back, a small group against an entire, seething hive. I raise my voice, if only to be heard over the beating of thousands of wings. "I now give you all a choice. You can join us, and we will return you home safely." 352 nods - we can work together to form a stable portal. "Or you can stay with Queen Chrysalis, and fight us and whoever joins us."
There is a sudden increase in the muttering, Changelings questioning the Queen who they serve.
A silence falls as a single Changeling flies out of the crowd. She looks to be ancient, and half-blind. Unsteadily, she struggles across the gap, a determined frown on her face.
A loud snap echoes through the air, and she falls, smoking. Chrysalis is grinning maniacally, horn sparking from the magic blast.
"HOW COULD YOU!" Somepony in my group screams. A blur races past me, aiming for Chrysalis.
"Brother! STOP!"
1416 is deaf to the yell, the air hissing around him as he begins to reach terminal speeds. Oh no. No bucking way.
A Changeling shoots out of the hive, tackling him and pushing his course away from the Queen, who seems to be virtually paralyzed in shock. "Brother, you're making a mistake."
1416 looks at the other Changeling, his eyes watering. "But... Mom..."
The warrior pulls 1416 into a hug. "She'll be okay. She'll be okay." He's crying too, now.
I glance down at the falling Changeling. Not at that speed... Oh, what the hell. I've already risked my life today. I drop into a free-fall, feeling my body protest against the lack of wings. The older Changeling seems to be moving, spreading out as wide as possible to slow her fall. I shoot past her, judging the distance between me and the ground.
I snap my wings open, shooting up towards her. Instinct is fighting against every move I'm making - leave her, save yourself, yadda yadda yadda. I speed up again, evening the distance between us. Slowly, I open my wings, moving up towards her with a painstaking speed. The ground is dangerously close now... can't be more than a kilometer.
Her front hooves lock around my middle. I snap my wings open completely, the wind screaming in protest. Or I'm screaming, I can't tell. I try to angle out parallel to the ground, with what little space I have left. With a sickening crunch, I hit the dirt, sliding for a few agonizing meters before rolling. I stop as my back slams into a tree.
I can see the elder Changeling a few feet away, panting but alive. Good thing she let go, or I'd be lying against bug paste.
I have a sudden urge to fall asleep. The darkness seems so inviting. I let out a sigh, and feel something drip into my mouth. It tastes coppery. I stick out my tongue, trying to see it. Green. Strange. Huh, I'm so comfortable. I guess... I guess I could close my eyes for a few seconds...
I roll away from the tree, looking up at the sky. I can see strings of black moving away from a black mass, to one tiny little spot. There's only one speck not moving away.
Strange.
I'm so tired...
So...
...tired...