The Changeling King Part 2: Kings' Gambit

by th3l0stch1ld

The Gathering Part 1:Calm Before the Storm

Amor reentered the cell he left his armor in. Strapping his back plate on and placing his helmet on his head, Amor adjusted it all to get comfortable. Looking at his flank, he made sure the small guard was rightly placed to cover his mark, leaving only a small tip of the heart sticking out. The emotionless look was put back on his face as he waited. The first group to find them, as expected, was the Baltimare camp.

“Sir, we are here and ready for the fight.”

“Good. We are to wait for the rest before we head out.”

Almost an hour later, the Everfree and Hollow Shades camps appeared at almost the exact same time. “Had some fun finding this place. From the Everfree and ready for action.”

“Where’s Purity?”

“In Canterlot with Avispa.” Amor nodded in approval as the Hollow Shades camp leader approached.

“It’s been quiet up north. Glad to finally get some action.”

“Glad to see some enthusiasm. We’re just waiting for the Smokey Mountain camp and the hive guards. And here come some of them now.” Everyone looked up as a group of twenty or so changelings approached wearing black armor. “Alright, go wait inside while I talk to them.” The changeling nodded as he led his squad inside the stone structure. The group that was seen flying above landed, a single changeling who was leading the group stepped forward.

“Sir, we are here and waiting for further orders. The hostile camp at Smokey Mountain has been destroyed.”

“Good. The less we have to worry about the better. Go wait inside while I wait for the soldiers who were guarding the hive.”

“Yes sir. Alright men, inside!” As the soldiers made their way inside, Escara approached.

“Sir, are you going to be alright?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

“Do you at least want to wash the blood off?”

“No. It will be the reminder of my mistakes. Her blood will stain my coat until this is done and she is safe.”

“I admire your dedication, sir.”

“Dedication? Hardly. I do this out of love. Now if you’ll excuse me, the army is here.”

Escara looked into the sky. His jaw fell open, nearly hitting his hooves, as he stared at the thousands of changelings blocking Celestia’s sun. A large shadow fell over the two. Amor looked over at Escara, who was frozen with amazement. The group finally landed, and the assigned leader stepped forward. “Sorry for the delay, sir, but we had to escort the citizens back to Canterlot. The hive is behind you and ready to attack.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Get inside and meet up with the rest of the soldiers. I’ll be in to brief you all soon.” The changeling nodded and led the thousands of soldiers inside, a single-file line stretching back for miles.

Escara finally snapped out of his trance. “I never knew our army was so large until I saw them all in one place.”

“You didn’t think a hive of tens of thousands had an army of hundreds, did you?”

“Well, no, but it looks like there are so many more than I remember. I’ve been away for too long.”

“It’s almost over. You’ll be back soon.”

Escara took his amulet in his hoof. “I hope.”

“You’re family probably misses you. They’ll be glad to see you.”

Escara let out a sigh. He hesitated before answering. “Yeah, sure.”

Amor sensed something was wrong, but he had to speak to his team that was now over a thousand. He looked over the hive. Chirping and buzzing flooded the room, a vibrant feeling in the room. Amor flew above them and tried to draw their attention. He flashed his horn, a bright green filled the room, causing everyone to look up and see what they were missing.

“Good. Now that I have your attention, I would like to explain the plan…well, it’s actually quite simple. We attack head first. We land before we enter, walk for a mile or so, and rush the hive when we find it. Citizens are to be spared, they decide where they must go. I…will admit, this has gotten really personal for me. My wife, Chrysalis, has been captured and tortured by them, and I am finding it hard to think. I will tell you that we know nothing about the hive nearby. I don’t know how big it is, how many changelings we are dealing with, or what it even looks like. I understand if any of you want to walk out now, and I won’t stop you. I will go in there alone if I have to.”

Amor waited for an answer. It was silent for a few moments. Finally, a call from somewhere in the crowd. “For Queen Purity! For Queen Chrysalis!” The whole room flooded with cheering and chanting. Amor was happy to see everyone supporting him, and he suddenly felt he had enough power to take the hive himself.

Amor called out above them all. “For the hive!”

Everyone began cheering again.

“For the hive!

For the hive!

For the hive!”

Comments

[Razzy]

For bugpony!