Chapter 30: Added Security
Chapter 30: Added Security
“They still in there?” I asked the grubs as I eyed the truck. The four of us were sitting some ways away from the barn, unsure of how to spend our time with Chrys and Liz ‘occupied’. Digit had told us of how we could be leaving at any moment, though we didn’t have many ways to prepare, since anything we’d brought was in the truck bed. Chrys and Liz had been in there for what about two hours; I very well knew what they were doing, though I couldn’t help but feel concerned over what they could be doing at this stage. The grubs didn’t seem too concerned, laying about as if fixing to take a nap.
“They’re doing a lot more than talking in there…” Digit said.
“Digit, ew…” I said, grimacing.
“She means with the eggs,” Echo clarified. “Such a number of eggs is an immense burden to manage.”
“I’m not arguing against what they’re doing in there…” I said defensively before glancing at the truck again. “...I’m just concerned that we’ll be moving out before they’re finished…”
“Shining would do well to wait,” Shift said. “Even if the portal won’t be open for a very long time, that’s no reason to charge ahead without some degree of protection.”
“Does he know about what Chrys is doing?” I asked.
Digit shrugged. “He was confused with how Mom left in such a rush, but he didn’t question it. If he has guessed what she’s doing, he hasn’t mentioned it.”
“I just hope he takes it well…” I said.
“LISTEN UP!!” We glanced at the farmhouse to see Shining and Big Mac stepping off the porch, looking ready to address the community.
“Well, if he doesn’t know now, he will in a bit…” Shift said.
- - - - -
I shut the truck door as Liz stood at my side, an arm draped across my back.
I felt a strange sense of… release… I’d dreaded what I’d face when I fully committed to being Queen, even if I had, technically, done it before… But now that I’d taken the plunge, that I’d taken the first real step?
I was relieved… Maybe even excited… I was eager to see where things would go.
I turned and gave Liz a nuzzle; the fact that she’d stick with me through it certainly helped.
“You know…” I said. “When this is over, even with the Queen thing, it doesn’t mean we can’t try to have a normal life…”
Liz shook her head. “I’m pretty sure I gave up on a normal life long before the 1st.”
I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Normal’s overrated…”
“Chrys?” I turned to see Trixie and the grubs hurrying towards me; I noticed that there was a great deal of activity around the farm—ponies hastily packing and grouping near the dirt road out of the property.
“Well, how’s that for timing…” I said.
Trixie glanced past me at the truck. “Is… everything okay in there?”
I nodded, smiling. “Happy and healthy.”
“So, they’re… babies?” Trixie asked.
Echo shook her head. “We grow faster from birth depending on how much we feed,” she explained. “Fed well enough, you could get a full-grown changeling minutes after it’s hatched.”
Trixie frowned at her. “So why’d it take you guys so long to… mature? I mean, you were spending a lot of time with Chrys…”
“Changelings can feed off of love from another changeling—relative or mate…” I explained. “It’s just not as nourishing to us; it’s love from another creature—pony, human or otherwise—that really makes us so strong. Believe me, if we could feed and grow off our own love, we wouldn’t have felt the need to attack Canterlot.”
Trixie glanced at the truck again. “So, they’re…”
“Chrysalis?” I noticed Shining approaching. “We’re getting ready to go, is… everything all set with you guys?”
I nodded. “Yep. Hey, if there’s anyone who won’t be able to walk the whole way, we’ve got plenty of room in the truck.”
Shining frowned. “But… what about your… produce?”
I smirked. “Well, our air support wouldn’t be able to do it’s job from in there, would they?”
I raised a hind leg and kicked the truck.
The door opened, lifted up from the inside. For a moment, the inside of the truck seemed completely pitch black.
Then a pair of light blue eyes opened in the darkness.
Then another.
Then hundreds more, accompanied by the odd green pair. Shining and Trixie’s eyes widened as the pair stepped back
With a loud skittering noise, like a swarm of locusts, the newborns poured out from the truck and gathered into formation some distance above it. The ponies on the farm suddenly ceased all movement and beheld the immense black cloud of changelings that had formed over the property; there were some panicked yells, sure, but the response was surprisingly tame.
The swarm above were well fed and eager to serve, but there was none of that grim, almost scheming look that had once lined their faces in the old days. They weren’t looking at the ponies as food sources, rather as… people. It seemed my new outlook on things had been imprinted on them.
Shining was staring up at the swarm, mouth agape, trying desperately to form words. Finally, he tore his gaze from the formation and looked at me. “W-W-What is this…?” He stammered.
“Air support,” I said simply.
“How did you…?” He began, when he noticed Liz at my side. She gave him a soft smile as she gently wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug. He glanced up at them again. “...Chrysalis, how many…”
“One hundred and eighty-seven,” I said with confidence. “Related note—coming up with one hundred and eighty-seven names? About as difficult as it sounds. There are only so many synonyms for the word ‘change’, and I already gave one to Shift.”
“But this is…” Shining breathed. “...Chrysalis, this could be seen from space!!”
“Hey, our little ‘migration’ wouldn’t have been so subtle,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “I’d rather be able to say, with confidence, that we’re safe from any attempts by the military to hinder us. The time for subtlety is over, Shining—whatever happens with Discord, this world’s gonna know about us. We can worry about what it does with that knowledge later.”
He was still looking rather distressed; I stepped closer to him. “Look… I know I said I wasn’t gonna hatch them, at least not for a while, but… If we want a chance to get home? To stop Discord? This is how it has to happen.”
Shining slowly met my gaze; slowly, he relaxed. He took a deep breath and nodded. “...Okay.”
I noticed many of the ponies drifting towards us, with expressions varying between astonishment and uncertain terror.
“Not everyone’s gonna like it…” Shining muttered.
I put a hoof on his shoulder. “Whatever happens beyond the portal…” I said before spreading my wings; Liz stepped to the side as I flew upwards and hovered in front of the swarm. The grubs took to the skies as well and floated behind me. “Let our peoples face it, side by side.”
- - - - -
I considered myself fortunate at this point; I was deadened to my torment by now. I barely felt the eggs leave me as I lay in whatever dark abyss my master had left me in… barely heard them hatch, or the hatchlings inside give their first, joyous chirps of life before choking and suffocating on that vile substance…
For a time, I wondered if I should feel bad for… not feeling bad… For not mourning such a horrendous loss of potential…
But then I figured, how can one mourn something that was never meant to love them?
These weren’t my children; he’d simply made me spawn these… things… These echos, these glimmers of what should have been… They were little more than toys, meant to look, sound, feel, like true hatchlings…
So I no longer wept. I no longer screamed when they died, no longer wailed as I was forced to lay countless more pretenders…
I was honestly more concerned that my ‘master’ hadn’t returned by now; I’d have expected him to alter my ‘sentence’ when he realized I no longer found the anguish he was clearly seeking.
Without the energy or will to mourn, however, I was left to think about things…
Chrysalis… she’d had a point… Would Discord have followed through with our agreement? I couldn’t see any reason why he would… He had a long, long history of lies behind him…
How did I know he wouldn’t have left me here regardless?
Chrysalis may have been better off...
...Where is she now? I wondered. Is she with the human she so adores? Is she rebuilding the clutch she had started, before I arrived?
I had a thought; if she was, then… Our people would begin again… That would be a… good thing, right?
A loud crack made me flinch—my long aching body giving me a vicious reprimand for doing so.
“Ooh…” Discord said, tutting disappointedly. “Don’t tell me you’ve grown bored, Prima?”
“It is hard to keep mourning what is little more than a reflection of what could have been…” I muttered.
“Mmm, good point…” He said. “But that’s not why I’m here.”
I felt his eagle claw wrap around my head, lifting my face up. Even in the pitch darkness I could somehow make out the smug, almost hungry grin on his goat face. “They are coming. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but the ponies are coming.”
For the first time in days, I smiled. “Perhaps you should make due what time you have left…” I said tauntingly. “If their return is such a threat to you…”
He raised an eyebrow.
Then he swung his reptilian leg and kicked me, sending me tumbling back through the air. I slammed into what felt like a rock wall, feeling my bones lose what little progress they had made in healing over the course of my torment. I fell to the floor with a cry, laying on my side, unmoving.
I felt his cloven hoof fall on my head; he was silent for a time. “...You’re right about one thing; they pose a greater threat than I’d care to admit…”
I began laughing again—I no longer cared. “And you turn to me for help…”
Then he laughed. “In a sense… See, what does one do when they feel they are no longer safe in their own home?”
I frowned; what was he getting at?
I smelled his foul breath as he leaned in towards me; I could make out his eagle claw in the darkness, talons primed.
“They get an attack dog…”
Snap.
Bit of a shorter one this time around, but, hey.
I can see Chrys and Liz having kids of their own someday, though.
I mean, Chrys is GREAT with kids! Just look at her!
On that note, though, I do have some ideas on sequels down the line... Little Slice of Life affairs, things like that.
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Hoo, boy, I dunno what's up with prima, but I hope that by the end of this, she's okay.
I liked the chapter, although how in the HELL is Chrys going to tell the grubs apart? I can see it now:
"Hey, Echo." greeted Chrys.
"It's Resonance, Mom."
"Oh. Sorry, Reverberation."
*Changeling sighs in frustration and storms off.*
"What got into Resonance?" Chrys mused.
Otherwise, good filler.
Please stop coming out with awesome updates so frequently.
I'm compelled to read them no matter what I'm doing at the time, such as playing a match of Dota.
It is detrimental to my performance.
P.S. Don't actually stop coming out with awesome updates so frequently.
Minorly disappointed with the length, but not much you can work with thanks to the current situation of the main fic. The music was epic though and really went well (thanks to whoever suggested uListen! Works perfectly!).
I would read the Slice of Life stor(y/ies). In fact, I'll read anything from you, this stuff is great!
... Ok, rethinking that. ALMOST anything. Lol.
3883807 Excellent! My plan is working!!
And 'boom' goes the Barracks...
(I don't actually play DOTA, mostly LoL.
)
I was not disappointed by this chapter. Please, do continue.
3883791
Well, depending on how their shapeshifting works, carapace etching could substitute for tattoos.
We feel bad for Prima, she's going to be de-brainwashed, isn't she?
With nearly two hundred drones, it should be feasible for the ponies to carry a drone each, and the drone would disguise as landscape, to further prevent Air based detection, and conserve their strength for potential battles.
Keep going! ;)
Another great chapter.
Thanks for the update, the story is hard to put down
Well, Prima is definitely, certifiably, and indescribably insane now.
With the naked eye? I kinda doubt it. Despite popular belief, the Great Wall of China can't be seen from space with the naked eye. Any spy satellite would be able to easily see the truck anyway.
But isn't Chryssi in the sky at this point/
3883775
More like she's been twisted again, turned into some mindless horror no doubt. Considering Discord was able to create the Everfree forest with a few chaos-seeds, it shouldn't be beyond Discord to make Prima into something nasty after sectioning off her mind.
I do find it amazingly odd that the changelings haven't even considered their transformation magic yet. Yes there's nearly two hundred changelings now. Those would be noticed. Two hundred birds would not. Blackbirds can flock in the thousands. Ravens cover most of North America and Europe. Canadian Geese also have a range that covers most of North America.
Since they're all well fed, it shouldn't be an issue for them to all transform into various birds and provide eyes in the sky without exposing themselves.
3888040
I was under the impression that they were supposed to be noticed, since the rest of the ponies are going to be noticed one way or another.
They aren't just "eyes in the sky", they are air support and a distraction if necessary.
3888211
Chrysalis is risking her very children in this matter and after living as a human, I don't think she can see them as disposable anymore. Every loss will be agony.
They don't need to be a distraction if they can keep an eye on things from the air while disguised, communicate over the Hivemind, and have a designated "relay" in each group of ponies so that it can all be coordinated. By keeping an eye on things from above, they can let the ponies know where to avoid and what directions are safe, all from a birds-eye view. If done this way they don't need to unnecessarily expose themselves.
This way they only have to actually reveal themselves if there is no other choice.
3888444
That's an excellent point, and something I was thinking myself...
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I'm going to try reading this either way, but before I do there's a question I want to ask. Is this story going to keep in line with the established Five Score canon? If not, how far off canon will it go?
I ask because this has been a problem for other side fics, where the authors establish concepts that prove to be incompatible with developments in later chapters of the main Five Score story. I'd like to know which way this one is going to go so I can be mentally prepared for it.
Normally, my negative emotions are too armoured off for stories to reach them. Without a doubt, the scenes with Prima make this the second darkest story, fanfiction or otherwise, that I've read in at least 8 years.
(Ever since this chapter was posted, memory of it keeps returning and poisoning my ability to enjoy anything involving young Changelings... though it is fading. The only worse case was a non-MLP fic where one revelation kept returning to me without contextual prompting and threw me off my emotional center for two or three days.)
3892049 I'm... sorry?
3892090
No apology necessary. My emotions are screwy in general. (When I was little, I was "one raw nerve" who felt other peoples' pain more strongly than they did. School nearly drove me to a nervous breakdown, but left emotional calluses.)
I just thought you might want to know how those scenes may hit some people in case it helps you to fine-tune any other dark stories you decide to write in the future.
3890787 I've done everything I can to keep in line with the main canon as possible; I've been in talks with TwistedSpectrum to make sure nothing clashes.
3892207 Well, we can't have this story be depressing! This is a COMEDY story!!
Don't worry, I'll fix it!
3892243
*chuckle* Actually, my approach for self-medicating was this song:
However, as far as farts go, I think this is still my favourite:
3888444
Thought more about your suggestion. I'm pretty sure it was established that shapeshifting drains love fast, especially shapeshifting into something with a significantly different amount of mass.
3892207
Oh, I've got a bit of that too.
The worst part is I also have an annoyingly powerful sense of curiosity that makes me peek at stories and such that I really shouldn't...
Then what I read bothers me throughout the next few days and sometimes keeps me up at night.
Fun times.
3892220
Good to know, but just so you know I consider your story to be a higher canon than the main 5s/4 fic.
I know, I know, that's crazy talk... but there's a bunch of stuff that's been bugging me about the main fic lately that your fic has completely avoided (I haven't read the latest chapter of the main fic, but did any of them bother to try to contact their friends and/or family before heading off on a possible one-way trip? Did any of them even think think about their loved ones? Why the hell are they acting so much like their old pony selves if they still don't have pretty much any of their memories back? And a lot of the side-fics are even worse, and though I won't name names one group of authors and their characters are infuriating).
One favorite fic caught up, I-don't-know-how-many to go...
Excellent fic so far. Have some mustaches (dragon not included)
.......somehow I am not convinced that she is great with kids.........
Hahahaha epic face love it
Now that would be interesting. It'd be really easy to tell whose side of the family their children would be on.
4157243 What!? Come on look at dat face! Is that not the face of a kind sane merciful pony?
5719096
Yeah! I make faces like that all the time, and I actually have a reputation for being good with kids and animals!
Well, poor Prima.
"Fly, my pretties!"