The Ticking Hand of the Unstoppable Clock
Ever since the changelings began kidnapping ponies, I've felt sorry for the loved ones of those who were taken. I couldn't even begin to imagine how painful it would be to see your own family dragged away and know that you may never see them again. I had feared such a thing happening to my parents, but figured that, with Saddle Lanka's defenses, it was exceedingly unlikely.
Now, however, I know exactly what others have gone through.
Pure, utter, terror.
When he learns what happened at the ice cream shop, the colonel dispatches a search party into the forest. I'm forced to wait for thirty agonizing minutes before they return. They aren't smiling as they report to the colonel, who then comes to me.
“I'm sorry, Silverspeak: We've searched everything for ten miles, but there's no sign of your parents.”
“But how in tartarus did the changelings even get them?! I thought you had them all contained!”
“We routed them,” the colonel explains, “but a few apparently hid in the forest and waited for an opportunity to retaliate. I'm afraid your parents were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Alright, fine, fine! What are you going to do now?”
“We'll station soldiers here to keep an eye out for your parents. Beyond that, I'm afraid there isn't anything we can do.”
“What?! You aren't even going to try and track them down?!”
“I'm sorry, but we can't put the war effort on hold to try and find two ponies when we have millions to protect.”
Abandon my parents?! He's going to abandon my parents?! I-
Beakbreaker takes hold of me. “Silverspeak, look at me. Breathe. In... Out. In... Out.”
I don't want to. I want to yell and scream and shout, but I force my eyes shut and do as she says. It does little to calm the fury that wants to lash out at anyone near me.
“In... Out. Now, look at me."
I open my eyes to see Beakbreaker's calm face.
“Focus on me, Silverspeak... we'll find them. We won't abandon them.”
The fury retreats, but doubt still remains. “They need their medicine, Beakbreaker! How long can they go without their shots?”
“It depends,” Beakbreaker says. “If they took one recently, they should be okay for a few days.”
“How many?”
She hesitates. “From what they said... three days.”
Three days... sweet Celestia, that's all I have?!
“Okay, okay, we... We get some sensors, we install them into the Raven and we scan the forests!" I leap to my hooves. “Come on!" I take off and run for the Raven. Gusty's powering up the engines as we reach the ship.
“We ready to hightail it outta here, Boss?”
“Gusty, does the Raven have thermal imaging? Scanners, anything like that?!”
“What? No, they're not standard. We need to get them installed.”
“Then get us back to Genesis and get those scanners on as quickly as you can. Some changelings kidnapped my parents, and we need to find them!”
Gusty shakes his head. “Bloody fates on high... Alright, strap yourself in. What about the others?”
“I'll arrange for another ship to pick them up." I dash inside, Beakbreaker right behind me. Gusty's the third one in, and he powers up the ship in record time. “Better settle in, you two. This is going to be one for the record books.”
We manage to buckle ourselves in as the Raven takes off into the sky. I look out the windows to the receding forests as we head towards Genesis.
I'm coming... Please, hold on.
***
As soon as we reach Genesis, I have Gusty drop us off at the Monolith and order him to attach the sensors as fast as possible. He's back in the air in thirty seconds, leaving Beakbreaker and me to run inside. There's no peace and quiet to be found in the halls, for they're filled with ponies rushing to and fro. Yet there's no panic; I even sense excitement from those running past us.
“What's going on?!” Beakbreaker wonders.
We reach the lobby leading Glasseye's office, but the secretary indicates for me to stop as I race for the elevator. “Glasseye is in a meeting and can't be disturbed. His orders were that he was not to be disturbed unless, and I quote, 'we're falling from the sky.'”
“And what is so important that keeps him?!" Blast it, I shouldn't get angry at the secretary; she's only doing her job, but if I'm going to be delayed by another of these meetings, I'm going to scream.
“You mean you didn't hear? Princess Luna gave a nationwide address only a half hour ago. She announced that we're outfitting the army for one last, final assault! We're going to win the war!" She grins. “Glasseye and the other executives are working out the logistics of-”
Spells?! Who cares about spells at a time like this?! “Then when can I speak with him?!”
“Not for a while, I'm afraid. His schedule's now booked up for two more days.”
I almost erupt right then and there, but remember what Beakbreaker said. I take deep breaths. I'll try another way. “This is an urgent matter,” I say, turning on the charm. “My parents were kidnapped by changelings and because they're sick, they'll die if they aren't rescued promptly. I'm taking care of the search, but I need Glasseye's help in getting medical treatment.”
“Oh... Well, if you're quick you can sneak in a few minutes between two of his meetings. The first should be ending soon." She presses a button and sends the elevator down.
“Thank you." I run to the elevator, Beakbreaker close behind me.
“You used your talent, didn't you?”
“My parent's lives are at stake,” I say as I get into the elevator. “You bet your flank I did.”
The elevator ascends into Glasseye's office, and as it was when I first arrived on Genesis, he's surrounded by officials of all rank and function. Their meeting is wrapping up; I can barely stay still as goodbyes are given. Why in tartarus are these meetings always so slow to finish?!
Spotting me, an exhilarated Glasseye indicates for me to come over. “Splendid news, Silverspeak!" Even a sudden fit of rasping, hoarse coughs can't shake his smile. “Princess Luna-”
“Announced the spell, I know.”
“Ah, so you did hear!" Levitating a bottle of medicine over, he gulps it down, too happy to pay any mind to the foul taste. “With crystals coming in from Saddle Lanka in a few hours, we can-”
“Glasseye, my parents were kidnapped by changelings.”
Glasseye's smile vanishes.
“I've got Gusty preparing a search for them, but I'll need your help when they're rescued; I learned that my parents have Grogan's disease, and they'll need to go the hospital as soon as we find them.”
It takes several moments for Glasseye to speak. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Beakbreaker says.
Shaking his head, Glasseye levitates a glass of wine over. “I'm... I'm sorry to hear that, Silverspeak. Do you know what Grogan's disease is?”
“Yes, which is why we need your help.”
“Yes... yes, of course. I'll alert the hospital, but I must warn you, Silverspeak: there's little we can do to help your parents.”
“You've created artificial eyes and chips that can manipulate the brain. I find that hard to believe.”
“It's not for a lack of trying." He goes to the phone. “My father had the disease back when I was in university. I... I had to watch him waste away." Squinting his eyes shut, Glasseye regains control of himself. “The first thing I did after graduating was spend decades researching Grogan's disease, but the thing is like a hydra: cut one part away and several more take its place, spreading and entrenching themselves even further. If there is a cure, we haven't found it.”
“Then we will. Now, what can you do right now?”
Glasseye thinks. “Some of our experiments have shown success in stimulating certain glands in the brain, the resulting hormones and chemicals managing to slow the disease's effects. We could try implanting some sort of automatic stilmulant that might buy your parents time.”
“Then do it. Is there anything else?”
Glasseye pauses as he's about to use the phone. I recognize the look: it's an ah-ha moment, when an idea strikes that you had never thought of before strikes you from the blue.
“Glasseye?”
“Grogan's disease sickens the body, targeting the immune system while worming its way into the organs and skeletal structure,” Glasseye says. “The only way to cure it completely would be to give your parents completely new bodies." He shakes his head. “But creating a fully functioning artificial body is years away.”
“Then here's your chance to do better. Do you remember that favor you owed me for saving you from the Guardians? I'm calling it in: I want you to accelerate development on those bodies as quickly as possible.”
Glasseye didn't expect that. “You put me in a difficult position, Silverspeak-”
“So you’re going to break your promise?”
“No, no. I gave you my word, and I will keep it. I'll assign four of my best researchers to work on this. But I must warn you, Silverspeak, that I'm not promising results, only that they'll try.”
“That's good enough for me."
Glasseye dials a number on his phone. “I'll arrange it now and contact you when we have more information.”
“Thank you, Glasseye.”
“It's the least I can do. I wish I had more to offer, but...” Glasseye snaps his hooves. “Actually, there may be someone who knows where your parents are. The armed forces bought a changeling on board about an hour ago and took it down to the dungeons. I would imagine they're interrogating it now.”
***
I waste no time in rushing to the elevator, stopping only to use a phone to call Gusty and tell him to cancel installing the sensors and instead bring Onyx Shield and the other guards back to the city. I hang up as he starts to answer and take the elevator down to the dungeon. There are more guards here this time, and I have to show them my pass and get scanned multiple times to reach the dungeon's viewing room, where the colonel confers with some of his soldiers. On the other side of the giant window is a bare room, a table, and a large changeling shackled to both the floor and the table. Wait... I know this changeling; this is the one Beakbreaker and I knocked out on the streets of Saddle Lanka.
“Silverspeak?” The colonel asks. “What are you doing here?”
“I want to talk to your captive. It might know where Chrysalis' hive is, and with it, my parents.”
“That's what we've been trying to do.”
A pony enters the room, flanked by two soldiers. From this pony's dark clothing and formidable appearance, I suspect he's an interrogator.
“No luck, sir. From what I can tell, it's been trained to resist interrogations. If our threats didn't work, it's going to be almost impossible to make it talk.”
The colonel sighs. “Alright, send word to Canterlot. We'll need some of their specialists to crack this one.”
“Sir?” I say. “Let me try.”
“You?”
“My talent is persuasion. I can charm others into doing what I want... or threaten them, if need be.”
“You ever use your talent on a changeling?”
“No.”
The colonel shakes his head. “Well, no harm in trying." He motions for the interrogator to escort me into the room. Beakbreaker starts to follow me, but the colonel holds her back. She'll have to stay behind.
Outside the observation room, the interrogator leads me to a thick, windowless door. “You can say anything you want to make it talk, and that includes lying,” the interrogator tells me. “But under the rules of war, you cannot physically harm prisoners in any way.”
The door swings open. The changeling studies me as I take a seat. Does it recognize me? If so, that will make things more difficult, but no matter. Wills are like steel: hard and impenetrable at first glance, but chip away long enough and they will break.
The door's closed behind us, and the two of us are locked inside.
“You know where Chrysalis's hive is." I say.
“If I do, why should I tell you?” the changeling asks, its voice slick and cruel.
“Because if you cooperate and tell me everything I want to know, it will make life easier for you.”
“The one just here said the same thing. You do not scare me.”
“Really? Did he say would happen if you didn't talk?”
“That I would be detained indefinitely. But it matters not. My queen will come for me.”
I shake my head. “That's not going to happen.”
The changeling isn't intimidated. “It will. Already my queen prepares for her final assault. We have infiltrated your country: we walk in every town, city, and outpost, and soon we will wipe you all out in one decisive stroke." It grins. “We will laugh as you all beg for mercy.”
I force my charm to its strongest level. “We don't beg, insect, but you will. You and all your other wretched maggots you call siblings.”
The changeling chuckles. “Use all the threats you want. Say whatever you want. It makes no difference.”
“Really? Let me tell you what's going to happen if you don't tell me what I want to know. Under the terms of war, you are a commander, and thus responsible for the actions of your soldiers, who have kidnapped and drained thousands of ponies. Because of that, you won't go to prison; you'll go to Tartarus. There you'll be locked into a cage, the door of which will be welded shut, and you'll remain there for the rest of your life. Nobody will hear you yell, cry, scream, or beg for mercy. There will be no mercy for you because you tore families apart. You took a daughter's parents from her and turned them into living corpses. Did they taste good? You better hope they did, because you will never again taste love, joy, pleasure, or happiness. If you try to hibernate to make the misery go away, spells will force you to stay awake. Eventually you'll go mad, but nobody will care.”
The changeling smiles. “Lies. All lies." But that smile is a front; I sense a twinge of doubt.
“Oh no, it's no lie. I experienced it myself." This is one trick that never fails: mixing in the truth with a lie to make it seem real. “Do you know who I am? I am Silverspeak, a pony who tried to become an alicorn and nearly destroyed Manehattan in the process. I was sent to Tartarus. I know what it's like, because I was there for two long years. I never saw the sun, never saw a smile, or felt the joy of seeing loved ones. I know the misery of feeling like you'll be there forever, that you'll never be happy again. But I eventually got out... do you think Equestria would do the same for one of Chrysalis' generals?”
The changeling laughs. “You lie!" But I've seen that laugh on bullies who realize they're in trouble and try to make themselves look tough.
I increase my charm, infusing every word with anger and rage. “You are a parasite who gleefully takes lives for your own selfish gain. You help your queen ruin lives. You took my best friend's parents from her. You ruined her life, and for that alone I will drag you into the abyss myself.”
The changeling doesn't laugh.
“Now, I am going to ask you one question, and if you don't answer me I will call my pilot in and fly you to Tartarus this very night.”
The changeling hisses like an animal backed into a corner. “You lie!”
“I'm going to ask you one question, and if you don't answer me I'll hurl you into Tartarus myself. Do you understand me?”
The changeling tries to turn away, but I grab it and force the thing to meet my gaze. And for the first time in my life, I see a changeling sweat.
“Here's the question: Where is Chrysalis' hive?!”
“I... I'll....”
I sharpen my anger like a spear and force it into every word. “Last chance, changeling! Where. Is. It?!”
The changeling shakes.
“Where is it?!"
The changeling tries to yank away, fighting the chains securing it to both the floor and the table.
“So you desire the abyss, then. Fine!" I turn to the window. “Colonel, prepare your-”
“Canterlot!” the changeling cries. “Her hive is beneath Canterlot!”
Yes! I have to push my luck while it's weakened! “And is that where all the captured ponies are being taken?!”
“Yes, yes!”
I smile. I back off the table. “Smart choice, changeling." Back in the control room, the colonel and his soldiers are gobsmacked. “Did you catch what it said?” I ask.
The colonel grins. “Every word.”
***
Beakbreaker and I head to my penthouse, where I ask Beakbreaker if she can stay here for about an hour or so and to let any visitors know that I won't be available for some time. She agrees. Once the door to the bedroom is shut, I take the orb and rub it. If fortune and luck smile upon me, this may be the meeting that finally turns the tide.
This could be the meeting that ends the war.
In moments I'm in the ether. Luna appears equally as quickly, shifting the room into the garden.
“Silverspeak. You haven't submitted any reports in some time.”
“Things have been busy, Princess,” I say. “But that's not why I'm here. We know where the changeling hive is. It's beneath Canterlot." I focus and bring up the memory of the changeling interrogation. I remain silent as Luna watches, and when it's finished she has a great smile on her face.
“You have done well, Silverspeak,” Luna says. “Perhaps more forceful than necessary, but now that we know where our enemy is, we will begin preparations for the assault.”
Yes! “And when will that happen?”
“There is still much to do: We have to finish the spell and move our troops into position.”
“Than... a few days, I presume?”
Luna shakes her head. “At least two to three weeks.”
What?!
“An assault of this magnitude and size cannot be rushed. If we are to avoid undue loss of life, we must take every preparation to-”
“Your highness, what about all the ponies who were taken down there?! What if they die before we get to them?!”
“It is a risk, but the potential to lose even more lives in a rushed attack is greater still.”
I shake my head. “No... no, Princess, we can catch the changelings by surprise, capture Chrysalis, and end the changelings once and for all! We'd be idiots not to do it!”
My outburst has raised Luna's suspicions. “Something's wrong, Silverspeak. What is it?”
There's no point in hiding the truth. “It's my parents,” I say. “I learned that they have Grogan's disease, but they were then kidnapped by changelings. Your Highness, if it takes too long for them to get their medicine, they'll die!”
Luna's gaze softens. “I am sorry to hear about that, Silverspeak, but please understand: I cannot risk the lives of thousands to save two.”
“Then let me go! I'll take that stealth suit TechInc has been working on and sneak into the hive myself. I'll get them out!”
“But if you are captured, the changelings would interrogate you and eventually learn of our spell and ruin our chance of surprise." Luna shakes her head. “I am sorry, Silverspeak, but I cannot let you go.”
“But I-”
“There is more at stake here than just your parents,” Luna says, her tone rising ever so-slightly. “There is the lives of all those who have been taken, including the Bearers and my own sister. I must ask you to trust my judgment, and the judgment of my generals.”
I want to scream at her that her generals can go do an obscene act to themselves. This is my parents we're talking about, and she wants me to just stand aside and do nothing?!
“I know you're angry at me, Silverspeak, and I do not blame you for being so. But if it becomes necessary, I may have to take action to ensure that rash behavior will not jeopardize our mission... Is that understood?”
Her tone leaves no doubt that she's being polite when she could be blunt. I may be Luna's emissary, but emissaries are replaceable.
“Yes." I can't stop myself from growling. “I understand.”
Luna softens her voice. “The burden of leadership requires me to make choices I never want to make, Silverspeak. If the worst will happen, and we do not rescue your parents in time, then I will accept the responsibility for their passing. But for now, we must focus on the spell."
Luna's horn glows. “Return now, Silverspeak, and focus on finding a way to treat your parents when we rescue them.”
When the light clears, I'm back in my penthouse.
Putting the orb away, I walk into the main sitting room. Beakbreaker's watching the city down below.
“Silverspeak!" She runs over. “Is everything alright?”
I could lie. I could put on a brave face, my best fake smile, and assure her that everything's fine. But it's not. And I won't.
“No," I shake my head. “It's not.”
Beakbreaker doesn't ask questions or want clarification. Instead, she wraps her legs around me and holds me close. Despite Luna's words, despite everything that's happened, I relax into her embrace, her touch, her warmth, and the tightness of her hold easing my fear and unease.
“Did whatever happen involve your parents?”
“Forgive me, Beakbreaker, but I'd rather not talk about it.”
Her hold on me tightens. “I understand. Now come. You need to rest.”
I shake my head. “I need to talk with Glasseye. Need to-”
“What you need is sleep. Both of us do. Whatever business you have with Glasseye can wait for eight hours." She gently but forcefully guides me back to the bedroom. I want to say no; there's so much I need to do, but Beakbreaker's grip tells me she won't take no for answer. And when we reach the bedroom, she's the one who helps me into bed.
“I really do need to-”
“Everything can wait for eight hours. Glasseye, your parents, the war-”
“But what if it can't? What if my parents die because I wasn't trying to find them? What if the changelings decide to attack? What if-”
“Then what will happen will happen. You can't do anyone any favors if you're exhausted and can't think straight.”
I... she's right. “I'm sorry, I just...”
She takes my hooves. “Afraid. And it is okay to be so. But no matter what happens, we'll get through this together.”
Beakbreaker pulls me into a hug.
Closing my eyes, I return the affection.
The two of us hold each other by candlelight, and, for a while at least, the world doesn't seem so dark.
Beakbreaker releases her embrace. “Sleep now, Silverspeak. Rest from the world and its problems."
Turning off the light, Beakbreaker walks out, closing the door behind her.
***
When I awaken, I find the late-afternoon sun shining through the window. Sweet Celestia, I must have been more tired than I thought; yet, despite being physically rested, I don't feel any better emotionally.
Beakbreaker's gone as I leave the bedroom, but I find a note saying she's gone to the medical labs to make some calls and see what she can find about Grogan's disease in Glasseye's notes. Peering out the windows, I find Genesis bustling with even more activity than the night before. Airships come and go, loading themselves with massive crates full of weapons and armor that will be distributed all over Equestria.
I take the phone and ring Glasseye's office. Luck is with me, for I manage to catch him between meetings, and he confirms that not only have Saddle Lanka's crystals been brought into the city, but Luna's spellcasters are present, as well. He'd like to see me as soon as possible.
I race to his office. Onyx Shield is there, along with Stonehoof and a new pony, one wearing ornate royal armor. She comes up to me.
“Silverspeak. I am Shield Bearer. I am the captain of the guard assigned to protect the master control crystal.”
I nod. “Where is it?”
“Currently being guarded upon my airship. Now that you're here, though, we'll move it to Genesis' most secure vault." She turns to Glasseye. “Lead the way, sir.”
With Stonehoof in tow, Glasseye takes us down deep into Genesis, riding an elevator into the city's very foundations, the doors opening to reveal a maze of pipes, gears, and the hum of unseen machinery. We're lead through numerous hallways and several stairs before coming to a massive, vault-like door. Glasseye unlocks it, leading us into another hall, this one of flawlessly polished bronze, and a door even thicker than the one behind us.
“This is the best protected room in all of Genesis,” Glasseye says. “Designed to hold our most precious devices, or the most dangerous weapons. If you need to secure something, there's no better location to do so." He goes to a panel in the door's center and removes it, revealing a ten-digit combination lock. His horn lights up, resetting the numbers to zero. "Bookworm?"
A pony trots up.
"Enter a random combination, please."
The pony does so after we leave the room. Stonehoof is the last one in the hall. She protests that she should know the code for safety, but Glasseye tells her that this is an order of the Princess, and none of us should violate it. When we return, the counter still reads zero, but Bookworm tells us that he entered the code. Shield Bearer is pleased and sends the order to have the crystal transported down here. It arrives half an hour later, encased in a massive box of steel secured with magical locks, and guarded by twenty royal guards wearing the heaviest armor and wielding the most powerful weapons TechInc can offer. Behind them are five unicorns in shimmering robes, the enchanters Luna sent along to create the spell that will take charge of Chrysalis and her changelings.
Bookworm enters the code into the vault and swing it open, allowing the box to be put inside. The locks are undone and the box falls away to reveal a giant, purple crystal floating within. The Unicorns walk forward and begin their work, chanting as their horns send streams of light into the crystal, illuminating the interior with a golden glow.
"How long until they're ready?" I ask Shield Bearer.
“The spell they're creating is complex," Shield Bearer tells me. "At least two days, minimum, but possibly five days. But once it's complete, the war will be over in less than an hour."
***
Shield Bearer wasn't being conservative. Even with the unicorns working around the clock, they're still hard at work two days later, and show no signs of slowing down. And all I can do is nervously wait as they work, watching as Genesis continues to mobilize, churning out endless weapons, armor, and tools of war to continue outfitting the military.
Anyone watching me would see a calm, detached, and unemotional professional ensuring that Luna's plans are being carried out. But no one, not even Beakbreaker, knows that even as I tour assembly lines and nod in response to statements made by supervisors, I feel like I could fall apart at any moment.
By the time the spell is finally cast, my parents will be dead.
Beakbreaker keeps offering me reassurances that we'll find a way to save my parents. Glasseye does the same; even Princess Luna said that they would make it, pointing out that a parent's love can often keep them alive long after a disease should have killed them. I appreciate their efforts, but no words can soothe the cold, unyielding truth: If my parents aren't drained and turned into living husks by the changelings, their bodies will self-destruct.
I spend every spare moment I have in the Monolith's library, poring through every book I can find about Grogan's disease. But I find nothing we can use, and neither does Beakbreaker; her examination of Glasseye's notes and TechInc's archives yields little of use, and so does her queries to Medicomp's archives.
I want to curl up and cry. I'm running out of time... If my parents took their medicine, there's a chance they might still be alive.
But if they didn't...
***
On the third day after the assault on Saddle Lanka, I can barely get out of bed, much less walk around to watch the preparations for the coming battle. Not even Beakbreaker's embrace can bring me peace. I spend my day thinking of desperate, last-minute ideas on how to get to my parents in time, each one more outrageous than the last, and none of them have a chance of working.
Night finally comes, and with it, the lure of dreamless sleep. After the latest pony enters the new vault code and tells it to Princess Luna, I bid Beakbreaker good night, assuring her that I'll be fine after a good night's rest.
The night passes slowly. I lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling with bags beneath my bloodshot eyes. And as midnight rolls around, I lie in the limbo between exhaustion and sleep, unable to achieve the latter. I give up and leave the penthouse, going quietly so as not to awaken Beakbreaker, who lies blissfully unaware upon the guest bed. The outside of the Monolith is equally as quiet; though I can hear the factories hard at work, the city as a whole is quiet, and I have the streets to myself as I walk to the park. It's peaceful here: crickets chirp and grasshoppers sing their songs. A few fireflies dance among the branches. But the peaceful night does little to soothe my thoughts.
How do you calm a mind that knows death may be only hours away for those it loves?
Finding a bench, I take a seat and consider my options, of which there are now two: I can do as my Princess says and go along with her plan, or I can forsake my mission and act to save my parents, orders be bucked. The tunnels scattered throughout Equestria will lead to the hive, and if I picked one at random I would eventually find my way to Chrysalis' lair. The sneaking suit Glasseye gave me is still in my penthouse; if I were to slip it on, I could conceivably get into the hive, find my parents, and get them out, even if I had to snap the necks of half the hive to do it. The plan is elegant in its simplicity... but it won't work. For while I could infiltrate the hive, I would have no idea where to look for my parents. The place would be massive, with any number of levels and rooms, and filled with hundreds, if not thousands of changelings and the thousands of ponies who have been kidnapped. I could be down there for days searching for my parents, and all it would take is one mistake to alert the guards, who would then alert the hive at large. And if Luna's right, I would be caught and give away the forthcoming spell after being interrogated. I might be able to use my charm to talk my way out, and I could possibly even use that to have a guard guide me to my parents and then let us out, but if the changelings realized that their prisoners escaped, they might realize they've been compromised and flee.
I shake my head. A solitary rescue effort would be the most efficient way to get into the hive and find my parents, but the risks outweigh the benefits. So what am I to do? Remain here and do nothing as my parents die? Risk everything in an attempt to save them, one which could prove all but impossible?
Bucked if I do, bucked if I don't.
If Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, or even Flurry Heart were to storm the hive, their magic would lay waste to anything that dared to oppose them. Celestia can't help us now, leaving Luna, Cadence, and Flurry Heart, but they would only risk themselves if all of Equestria was in immediate danger of destruction. Perhaps I tell them a convincing lie and... No, no, that wouldn't work. I've been useful to Luna, but she won't tolerate that level of deceit. Cadence and Flurry Heart would share whatever I told them with Luna, and my deception would be exposed.
Blast it... think, Silverspeak, think! I need a way to not only save my parents, but to stop the changelings at the same time, something no pony can possibly accomplish alone. It's impossible. There's no way to...
Wait.
No, no, I couldn't do that. It's not feasible. It's impossible... and yet, it's not.
Could it really be this simple?
I sit in the garden for an hour, musing over the idea, mulling its fine details and realizing that it's a plan that I, and I alone, can pull off.
For the first time in days, a tiny spark of hope surges through me as I leap from the bench and run back the way I came.
If I'm going to pull this off, I need to act quickly.
***
I'm exhausted by the time I reach my bedroom. I can barely hold my breath as I sneak into my bedroom, so as to not wake Beakbreaker. My aching legs struggle to take the orb and rub it, sending me back into the ethereal garden.
Luna appears. “Silverspeak. You are late.”
This is it. This is the conversation that will decide my future.
“My apologies. I've been... preoccupied.”
Luna isn't fooled. “You are still anxious about your parents.”
I nod. No sense in hiding it. “I... wanted to ask if you've reconsidered what I said.”
“Yes."
"And?"
Luna's face hardens. "We shall stick to the spell."
With those words, my course is set.
“I am sorry, Silverspeak. I truly am. If this is too emotionally stressful to you, I can appoint someone to take over your position, if you wish.”
I shake my head. “That won't be necessary. I will see this through to the end.”
Luna nods. “I am sorry.”
Her light envelops me. When it fades, I'm back in the bedroom.
The moon's light shines inside as I put the orb away. I had hoped for a better outcome. I had hoped the Princess would have changed her mind and agreed to an attack. If it had taken place tomorrow, I would have abandoned my plan. But that won't happen. I have no choice now but to act.
By this time tomorrow, the war will be over, my parents will be saved... and I my loose everything I love.
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Something tells me he's going to commit genocide on the Changelings... not just Chrysalis, but all of them, and he will free all the captured ponies by himself. And then there will be a great debate about what to do with him that'll tear Equestria in two, with most of those he saved and a good chunk of Equestria siding with him but some other ponies condemning him as a mass murdering fiend that should have a cell right next to Tirek in Tartarus. Unlike before though, there will be no removing his enhancements without killing him.
I guess it's time for Silverspeak Jensen.
So the race to see who exploits the brain-chips to take over Equestria's entire population gets one more contestant, though one who might only take over a few thousand instead of all of them.
Rubs eyes.
How the fuck could they make a hive under........ Sighs. Tunnels or no tunnels, that is too much.
*Shakes head* Silverspeak, you're going to do something drastic again. Think about Beakbreaker.
Gooder English (yes i know)
CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns7fNPiNiNc]
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Have you forgotten how massive those abandoned mines Cadance was trapped in were?
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Silver is going to send a politely worded missive to Chrysalis:
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True, but all we have right now is one changeling's word. For all we know that is just a diversion to trap Equestria's new cyborgs in the mines a la Dark Knight Rises...
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You know that part in the original Robocop where Omni programs Murphy with Directive 4? Yeahhh...
Well here it comes... We all know it was coming and I was pretty exited but now that it is here I feel like savoring it.
Really great job : )
Either Luna is an idiot for thinking the pony that nearly wrecked a city for selfish reasons is going to stop trying to help two of the few individuals he cares about come hell or highwater, or she's looking for a convenient scapegoat for what is going to happen in the following chapters, namely a protagonist hijacking the brain chips to play RTS Pony vs. Changeling. Not even sure what the hell negotiations would look like, or even if the Changelings are even considering discussion as an option. What exactly do the Equestrians have in their hand?
Luna: "Release or we shall destroy you."
Chryssi: "Do it and the hostages die."
Of course there's my own pet theory that Silver's parents are already dead and the changelings are just using the disease as a convenient excuse. Plot twist in wait for when the rescue happens.
Could someone explain to me why it is so bad if Silverspeak uses his charm on others? It's not like he's making ponies do what they don't want to, it's not mind control. To put it in game terms, it increases his charisma, kind of like a buff.
Comment regarding Silverspeak's idea: Is it mind control? Oh please tell it's mind control.
6707954 The fact that only Silverspeak has the combination to the Master Control really screams to me that Luna is using him, too. She wants as much as anyone to just storm in and destroy the changelings, but out of fear of being labeled a monster and war criminal, she did this on purpose knowing that Silverspeak would defy her and everyone else to save his parents.
So at the end of the day Equestria would be saved and he'd be right back rotting in his prison cell, probably forever. What's the life of one pony against the rest of the world? It's pretty clear that Luna views him as expendable and in this chapter he's realized it himself, which is a terrifying thought.
Maybe Silverspeak uses the Master Control to activate the chips, destroys the changelings and frees the trapped ponies/zebras/etc... but finds out that his parents were killed the day of the "kidnapping" and Luna knew about it. Then he gets fully mechanically augmented not for his own glory but to take on an alicorn princess that betrayed him.
I'm kind of not hoping that the real villain of this story is Luna but it almost looks that way.
This...won't end well. This won't end well at all.
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Your idea of the charm basically increasing Silverspeak's charisma is exactly how I see it to work, though being born to two Unicorn parents probably gives Silverspeak a little bit of magic that's activated only when he's using his talent, making it more potent than it would be otherwise.
Noooo!!!! Don't do it!
He wouldn't!!
Kind of late to the party here...let chapters queue up:
Shouldn't that be Glasseye, not Gusty? Gusty is the pilot
The beginning: I don't like where this is going
The end: STOP STOP STAHP OMGEE