Catalyst

by That Colt

Chapter 3: What's yours is mine

Chapter 3: What’s yours is mine.

Queen Chrysalis stirred from her rest, at first it was just a twitch of her ear; followed by the agitated chittering of her brood. Something was wrong. She forced herself up on long black legs catching her reflection in the trio of ceiling height mirrors that surrounded her makeshift throne-turned-sleeping area. She didn’t like what she saw, technically, she never liked what she saw in those reflections. But today's self-loathing was focused her waif-like waist, dark even for her rings under her eyes and the extra lusterless state of her mane; they had been running for years; her children sustaining themselves on what little love and kindness they could dare steal from passing ponies.

Even that had become dangerous in recent times, Shining Armor so full of love; now so full of hate, had never once let up the search for her kind since his freedom from her spell. Chrysalis levitated her crown onto her head, the thin black iron ornament had never felt so heavy. Something was wrong. Her children where…afraid? The connection wasn’t as close as it could have been, centuries ago she had assumed direct control over each and every changeling in the hive; she had later seen the value of limited individuality…no something had found the hive!

The Royal Guard? No, too soon, the scouts said they would have at least another three days before the guards found their hive at best! The changeling queen turned and looked out over the subterranean hovel that comprised her “throne room” trying desperately to focus her attention through the eyes of her children without robbing them of their senses of self. Her children where active, all of them; once a great swarm reduced to; Hunger. It hit her like a train, so much pain so much hunger they were starving, they needed to feed! She pushed past the discomfort, she knew they hungered, she felt it herself.

Beyond that feeling came fear, confusion, distress an impression of shadows? Her kind lived in the shadows, they had nothing to fear from them. Chrysalis took a tentative step from her throne onto the steps leading up to it causing several of her guards to stir around her.

“Go, Find out what is bothering your brothers and sisters” Her voice was authoritative, but betrayed her weakened state. Perhaps it was the Lunar Guard, joined in the hunt; if that was such this would be a dire battle. The Thestrals, bat like cousins to the Pegasai where just as fearsome and unhindered by darkness; her hive would need to run rather than fight. She continued her laborious march down she drew upon her last few reserves of power; she wouldn't be able to muster this magic again without feeding, they had been chased to the very literal edge of Equestria by their hunters. She felt the magic wash over her giving strength to her steps as well as clarity to her thoughts. They lay close to the Dragonlands now a days flight at best; Changelings in the past had fed on the Dragons, though mostly among their very young or so their most ancient of stories told.

Perhaps she could risk heading south to the badlands? She didn't know what lived past that inhospitable desert of wild magic, but perhaps something that loved or cared surely must call home to anyplace that lay beyond. Yes, they would find new food, then return to Equestira in force! As Legion! They would enslave the ponies, treat them like so much cattle. Yes, a new golden age for her children was beyond this suffering!

Renewed and standing strait she looked up at her guards, who by this point had reached the large chitinous door to her private chamber; she once more tried to reach out to her children to see what they were so afraid of. Darkness, such darkness lay beyond the door and it was coming for her!

“Don’t!”

Her panicked words came a moment too late, the door shattered forth launching her guards back, save for one unlucky child who now lay at her feet; green ichor leaking from its torso. Chrysalis felt her child’s pain as clearly as if it was her own at this proximity, falling to her knees she cradled the smaller creature.

“Run…my queen, I…I will protect you.” The Changelings last words where strained, no more than its futile efforts to right itself that ultimately robbed it of a precious few more moments of life. Tears stirred in the corners of the Queen’s eyes; like any ruler she was prepared for the loss of her subjects, her children. But like any mother to experience their death after so long suffering was nearly enough to break her already heavy heart.

Black, ink like smoke flowed from the doorway to her chambers, pooling and pouring like blood down the shorter stairway that mirrored the one leading to her throne. Struggling to look beyond it into the depths of her hive Chrysalis could see only darkness, sense only fear. Then stepping from the wall of shadow two blazing eyes, green and purple alight with black magic gave birth to an armored unicorn stallion crowned cruelly with a blazing, curved red horn.

“Attack! Bleed the pony dry!” She cried her voice cracking to match the same fissures that appeared in the walls as more guards burrowed their way to the monarch’s side. Anger swelled within her chest; how dare this…food kill her guard! He was fit only to be fed upon; he would make a poor meal, but perhaps enough to cover the next leg of their run.

The swarm collected above her, a swirling mass of chittering fangs, talons with the occasional salvaged equestrian weapon; before launching enmass at the intruder. The unicorn, either out of almost admirably bravery or more likely abject stupidity didn’t move save for a single brow raised in; annoyance?

A flash of light, not light darkness, so much that her mind had created light when there was none as an act of rejection of such anathematic blackness; her vision swam. Had she used her stomach lately, no doubt its contents would have spilled forth upon the ground.

“This army, pathetic as it is; will do. Make them ready to march immediately.”

A baritone cut through her confusion, when had she fallen to the ground? More importantly who dared give her orders? She struggled to right herself as her vision returned; instantly regretting being able to see. All of her children who had come to her defense lay on the ground, shaking, their legs curled in death throws, black carapaces slowly turning a desiccated white. Then their pain hit her, the death of one child at close range had been brutal; but the dying sensation of so many forced her legs to buckle beneath her once again.

“Surely you looted books and scrolls? I passed rooms of clothing, armor and novelties where are the books?” the baritone belonged to the armored intruder. He was slowly approaching her looking from side to side with a mix of disgust and disinterest.

“You…you dare!” The indignation sounded so much more threatening in her head as she struggled to right herself again. No, she couldn’t fail her children again, she needed to, and forced herself to stand.

“You will pay for what you have done to my children! You shall feel a Queen’s Wrath!” She roared; at least she hoped that is how it sounded as she broke into a gallop horn lowered, glowing with green energy, aimed strait at the intruders heart. She wasn't at her peak, not even close. She was still queen, she was still a talented combatant and spell weaver even without her blood given abilities; in short, even to one such as this, a threat. Not that the armored pony acknowledged this; he turned his head almost lazily expression at first that same mix of disinterest and disgust, but then came anger, rage followed suit by hatred, so much hate.

The emotions struck her as if she had attempted to ram a brick wall; she staggered a fell clutching her chest with her forelimbs, struggling to breath. Changelings thrived on love, kindness, serenity, generosity and laughter brought by happiness; to them it was sweet as any nectar. Equally and inversely, hatred, cruelty, rage, selfishness and sadness was poison to them, draining them of the very energy they so often drained from others. It was too late that she realized this; once again her vision blurred, her stomach if able she swore was doing back-flips. Was this how it ended? Had she lead her people, her very species to extinction?

Pain broke her out of her lament; giving unwelcome clarity to her vision. She was being lifted off the ground, limbs impaled below the shoulder by black crystals seemingly spawned from the shadow like fog that now covered the ground drowning her children in darkness during their final moments. She struggled without strength against the black barbs that hoisted her aloft, crying out, tears streaming down her face with each movement; her own body beginning to crack and turn white as the intruder’s poisonous emotions continued to assault her.

“Cry Woe, The end of your meaningless ambition.” The unicorn was speaking again, calmly as if discussing the weather. He was moving towards her, up towards her, born aloft on a pillar of the shadow.

“Destruction; your pathetic excuse for a hive.” He was now face to face with her, she had nothing left, she couldn’t as much as she tried reign in her own fear and regret; gone was the mighty Queen of the Changelings, in her place a mewling, terrified mother forced into the worst possible fate.

“Ruin; your entire species snuffed out.” He lashed out with his forelimb, brutally slapping her across the face drawing the coppery taste of blood into her mouth as her crown was flying.

“And Decay; your children lay dying.” He leaned in close, his eyes a tempest of dark magic his very being poisonous.

“These are the gifts I bring to you Chrysalis, so called Queen of the Changelings.” There was no mistaking the disgust in his voice as he leaned in closer still; her vision fraying at the edges, consumed by pain and illness.

“The worst is death; pray thankful, that I do not seek yours this day.” Was the last thing she heard before her entire world, mercifully, went black.

***

“AJ! AJ!”

Applejack slowly cracked her eyes open, sadistically exposing her awaking awareness to the full brilliance of Celestia’s noon day sun. The act of opening her eyes alone in itself was akin to hauling full share of apples to market with each eyelid.

“ungh….” She groaned in combination towards her waking state and the cyan Pegasus currently hovering over her, just not between her in the sun. “Ra…Rainbowdash? When did ya’ll get back? Dag nabbit! How long have I been ah’sleep?” Applejack righted herself a little too rapidly, a sudden light headiness, plus her momentum was all it took to send her falling forward rather than back where she had previously been; along with a large portion of her dignity. Rainbow Dash decided this would be the perfect moment to burst into laughter rolling in mid-air riotously.

“Oh Sweet Celestia AJ! That was amazing. Best.Fall. Ever!” the Pegasus barely managed to get out between laughs.

“Yeah, yeah, get yer yucks Rainbow Dash; Ah’m sure it was plum hilarious.” The orange earth pony pushed herself up, only now aware that at some point during her mid-day nap, her hair bands had fallen loose giving the illusion that she was rising from a pool of molten gold.

“Wow, Apple Jack! I never knew your mane was that long!” Twilight’s voice thankfully prompted the cyan Pegasus to muffle, but not stop her laughter. “It’s so beautiful! Have you ever let Rarity style it?”

Applejack eyed the purple alicon who was just now landing, from behind her luminous mane with one stern emerald orb, the other lost within her golden tresses, as if she had somehow at that very moment chosen to suggest that Applejack replace her entire harvest with rutabagas. “Ah had, once…Then Ah became sane ‘gain.” She growled.

Twilight pulled back, Applejack sighed, she hadn’t meant for that much anger to slip into her voice; especially since these two had clearly flown from Ponyville to see her. “Ah’m sorry sugarcube; things here on the farm have been rough; with us feeding the entire town an’all” She explained pulling her locks into more manageable fold behind her head while tracking down her hat as well as her extra hair bands, which had momentarily proven to be more elusive than an opossum in the hay barn.

“Ah’m also a might disappointed in mahself, that ain’t help’n mah attitude one bit. No what brings you two out here?” There was her hat, right where she had fallen earlier. Applejack let out a protracted sigh, and pressed down between her eyes. Her hat, was right where she had fallen earlier, next to twelve bushels of freshly bucked apples waiting to be sent to town, and that currently where sitting in a cart ready for her deliver; hours ago.

“Oh there is a royal agent in town; but that can wait Applejack… Are you ok? If you need more help I’m sure I can request some help from Princess Celestia in Canterlot.” Twlight’s voice hit that edge that both always worried and comforted Applejack. It was the tone straining to fully convey a mix of caring for her friends and genuine concern; if it had been anyone other than Twilight Sparkle, she might not even bothered to turn and bucked them all the way to Trottingham. Instead she smiled as she pulled extra hairbands from her hat to secure her hair once and for all.

“Twilight that’d be mighty kind of ya; ah’d be lie’n if ah didn’t tell ya the whole idea of having help didn’t sit right with me.” She pulled her hat on tight; then stuck her tongue out while she straitened it.

“Ah’d be lie’n if ah said Granny and Big Mac would be ok with the whole idea.” Perfect, just like pop used to wear it. Now that she felt proper again, she turned to face her friends fully allowing them to see her face fully for the first time; inwardly cringing at the gasps. She knew it wasn’t anything disfiguring or such, just bags under her eyes the size closer to those of pig feed; dark too from long nights apple bucking. She found herself wishing Rarity was here, the look on her face would have been worth the forced spa trip.

"Truth of the matter is we need the help; Ah’m sure as not sleep’n enough. Big Mac ain’t either…T’ain’t fair to Applebloom neither, work before then after school; no time for her studies. And Granny Smith…” Applejack paused. “She’s granny.” With that last statement it felt like a weight had been lifted off Applejack’s chest; then promply placed on her haunches as her back legs first wobbled, then in an act of defiance gave out beneath her.

“Applejack!” Twilight and Rainbow did sound might adorable when they shouted in unison. They rushed to her side; she felt her both of them embrace her; this was might embarrassing.

“Ah’m fine gals. Ah’m fine. Jus’ beat.” She tried to muster a smile to her friends, then gave up when she realized it was smile or keep her eyes open. “Ah reckon same reason ah’m cross with myself too.”

“Twilight will get Celestia to help! You’ll see AJ!” Rainbow’s enthusiasm and energy was normally infectious, normally.

“Ah appreciate it.” Why in the Sam Hill where their two of everypony now?

“Is there anything Rainbow can do for you in the mean time?” Twilight sounded like she was a mile away.

“Wha? Oh, yeah…ah’d be much obliged if ya’ll could take these here apples to market.” AJ wasn’t exactly sure she sounded coherent as she pointed, a least she hoped she was pointing, at the cart.

“No problem AJ!” Rainbow sounded so quiet as she strapped herself into the cart; Twilight’s forelimbs felt so soft.

“Thank….” And she was out; Twilight struggled to hold her up, but in the end the larger earth pony went down, unaware that her apples would be deliver just a little later. As the whole scene had sent the Pegasus into another fit of laughter..

***

She felt her consciousness return regrettably, she fought against it begging to allowed to rest; fully aware of what awaited her in the waking world. Then the pain returned, followed by the sickness, though diminished followed unforgivingly by the tragedy of her dying, some already dead children. Their number had increased, clearly when she fell more had poured in from other parts of the hive, only to meet the same fate. Her throat felt horse and dry, her mouth was stained with the taste of her own blood. With great effort she looked down, she was still suspended from the crystals, her body was a sickly white; chitin fragmented, draining her greenish blood that wasn’t dried into a pool on the floor. The shadow like smoke had vanished; she struggled to look up trying to find the intruder, perhaps he had left them to die in relative after all.

Her vain hope for escape where shattered by the resounding snap of a book being closed sharply. She struggled to raise her eyes towards the entrance to what she assumed to be her peoples mass grave. There was the Intruder sitting; a pile of books, she recognized them from one of the store rooms, he placed one down on the other.

“Such a poor Library; no head for organization among you insects.” His deep voice was twinged with anger? Or was it disappointment? She was too tired to tell, maybe she would die before he noticed she was awake.

“About time you woke up.”

…Horseapples.

He stood stretching, then cracked his neck as he approached her at a leisurely pace. His horn glowed slighting, and her crown floated from where it had fallen to hover before him as he approached. The Crystals embedded in her body shook, sending a shock of pain through her broken form and a cry of agony from her lips. They were lowering her to the ground.

“Let me make something clear, you are no queen, not anymore.” The smallest mote of his power escaped his horn crumpling her crown to scrap. He continued as his approach and her decent matched in speed.

“I have need of an army, this army, my army.” He stopped looming over her as the crystals deposited into a sticky pool of her own fluids. The Crystals tore themselves from her body, she let out a pathetic squeak as tears fell freely again.

“Your children, will serve me; when I say marc, they will march. When I say die, they will die. Your agreement, is not required. But is preferred for the sake of expedience.” His eyes held no pity, no remorse only darkness as she looked, broken, up into them.

“Mercy…mercy whoever you are…” she rasped.

His eyes flared with power, before she registered movement he had picked her up and slammed her painfully against a crystal pillar that had manifested behind her. She whimpered, tears now pouring in earnest down her pale white face unable to even manage another cry as fragments of her carapace went flying and what felt as a dozen wounds reopened.

“Mercy is a weakness born of pathetic, cowardly wretches like yourself who lack the courage to die facing their betters.” His rage was radiating like a furnace, behind him she saw two of her children wither to dust because of their proximity. Then as quickly as it manifested; it vanished, back behind the wall of his control as he released her to slump to the ground.

“But; at times, mercy can be a useful tool. One that I choose to put to work now.” He loomed over her, like some primordial destroyer, a nightmare given flesh to torment her in the worst possible ways.

“My name is Sombra, but you may call me Lord; for I am now and forever will be your king.” He gestured to her children. “I would be their king as well, should they live. Would you have me save them?”

She blinked, then nodded with painful vigor. “Please…” her voice was but a whisper as he glowered down at her. His horn flashed as a shard of crystal impaled her back forcing her to cry out with far more energy than she thought possible. "Please…my lord…save them.” She couldn’t look up, if she was lucky she would die right now.

The crystal shard pulled itself free of her back with wet pop.

“Very well; watch.” His response was devoid of all emotion, other than; pride? She couldn’t be sure in her current state. King Sombra, closed his eyes and exhaled; the dark aura that had followed him into her hive shrunk rapidly. Her breathing though still laborious, did become easier and her children began to stir.

“Kindness, Love, Laugher what your kind finds succulent are the products of a weak and chaotic word.” She felt the magic of the intruder shift drastically as he spoke.

“They have no place in my heart; but to my proven, loyal servants I can be generous.” He smiled down at her; it wasn’t a warm smile. It was a baring of fangs, a predator standing over prey ready to feed. This was it then, he was just toying with her. One last humiliation before the end; then she felt it, feint, but present. A spark of generosity directed, controlled and flowing out from the intruder over her and her children. She drank it in, greedily; like a desert wanderer upon an oasis. She felt her wounds heal and life return to her limbs, more importantly she saw those of her children who still lived stir as color returned to their forms.

They would live!

She rose, on unsteady legs until she matched King Sombra in height, her power returning; then it stopped catching her off guard. She collapsing painfully once again. He was making a sound; something like laughter, whatever it was it chilled her blood.

“Now that my army lives; what to do about you.” His voice if possible took on an even more foreboding tone.

“Wuh…where you lead…. I will follow, my king.” Her throat no longer scratched, but it still took great effort to speak has her new King fixed her in a murderous glare.

“Of that, I never had any doubt.” King Sombra’s eyes flared as tendrils of dark magic to engulf her neck and forelimbs coalescing into ornate bindings that far resembled jewelry than the trappings of a prisoner.

“These will allow you to feed your children, when I choose to feed you; among other functions.” He raise an eyebrow as the changelings looked to him and then their queen unsure of what action to take.

“Th…thank you.” She whispered, struggling to remain upright, before a chill ran down her spine as she was fixed by his murderous glare. “Muh…my lord!” too late, she was too late.

“Clearly, I wasn’t clear about how I operate. I said I can be generous, not that I am.” His horn glowed again, she struggled to move away to call out to her children; the bindings glowed thus she found herself unable to do either.

“Such an insult cannot go without…correction. Clearly I must teach you a lesson.” Power leapt from his horn to hers. She tried to scream; her body wouldn’t listen it felt so far away. She felt Sombra enter her mind, her heart, her memories…it was a violation of the highest caliber. She had been subjected to mind reading before, but never like this. This was rough, done without concern for her safety. Memories pulled to surface then cast about like so much refuse.

“Yeeesssss.” King Sombra mused with sadistic elation. “There it is, so long buried.”

Black crystals enveloped the once Queen Chrysalis as tears flowed freely from her eyes once more; as the darkness took her, King Sombra released her. That was it? Imprisonment? It could have been…this time her body let her scream. She was changing, and not of her will! Would the torment never end? The violation, the oppression, the suffering. She rebelled against the shape her body was twisting itself into, fought it futilely with every fiber of her being. What was he turning her into? Then she saw it, rising from memories long forgotten, no, no. not again, anything but that, not her greatest failure!

“Now this, is unexpected.” Sombra chuckled as he turned and marched towards the stairs leading out.

Her screaming eventually shattered the crystal, and Chrysalis fell forward onto the hard ground, breathing heavily. Her children gasped collectively at what they saw; she cringed at the sound. Then forced a small spell, conjuring a mirror before her; she shared her children’s reaction. The once queen’s black shell had been replaced by a slightly lighter black coat, long slender limbs no longer ended in hole ridden stumps; green lusterless mane had been replaced with vibrant viridian tresses that cascaded down her back to rest between a pair of matching off black feathered wings that while folded certainly hid a cutie mark. Her crooked horn, once cracked stood whole, elegantly twisted upon her brow strait once more.

She was as she once was; well, not entirely she took notice. Her eyes still remained familiar as they had for as long as she could willingly remember, as did her fangs. Still, she never thought she’d see that face, her face looking back at her. She touched it, it was real; not just the nigh authentic glamor of her kind. No this was her flesh now, as it once had been; somehow Sombra had torn it out of her and forced it upon her normally protean biology.

Sombra was standing half turned on the stair case. “An Alicorn.” He laughed an act in itself seemed to darken the room. “I have to admit, I am genuinely surprised. I always assumed you scum where discord’s doing.”

Chrysalis tried to change shape as a method to escape the image before her; her magic didn’t listen, her body didn’t listen. She looked at Sombra in horror at what his dark magic at wrought only to be met by his malefic grin.

“You are my thrall now Chrysalis; your children my tools. Both to do with as I command; I have stripped you of much.” He paused before turn his back to her. “Let it be an example to what else I may take; come my army must march.”

What had she done, where had this all gone so wrong? She had no choice now for her children's sake. “My king!” her voice waivered, a surprise to her it’s normal resonance gone.

Sombra stopped, but did not turn. “My King… where will my ar…your army march?” she asked, expecting retribution.

“Why, the Dragonlands of course” he growled continuing towards the exit as his new army, led by their broken queen followed suite.

Author's Note:

Chapter 3 is up.

I wrote this while in the hospital, had a bad reaction to the cancer treatment; but this really is one of those diseases where the treatment is almost as bad as what it cures. I feel like this chapter has terrible grammar, so please please feel free to point it out, because as always I don't have an editor.

I had a lot off fun writing this chapter, not so much the AJ, RD, Twi part in the middle, but the Sombra/Chrysallis action. I love writing villains!

Depending how my energy level is I'll try and get another chapter out this week. Please feel free to leave a comment, I love to talk to people and I really would enjoy being critiqued!

Cheers everyone!