Guardians of Light: A Shadow Rises

by Alphadude007

Liberation

Author's Note:

Hey, everybody! Before reading this chapter, I'd just like to give a heads up. This chapter's going to contain a lot of violent content, so if you're uncomfortable with reading such things, skip the section that begins and ends with a *. Having said that, I hope you enjoy the chapter and review/critique!

Guardians of Light: A Shadow Rises

Chapter 2-Liberation

-Changeling Hive-

Two figures flashed over the treetops that stood over the mucky bog. Chassis, now Brutus, surveyed the surroundings of his former home. The croaking of frogs, bubbling mud, and sullen tree limbs had once given him a sense of familiarity, a place of belonging.

Now I seek greater things than just the mires of the hive. Brutus closed his glazed red eyes and smiled as he flapped his newly reshaped wings.

The Shadow flew alongside his new servant as his bright yellow eyes scanned the bog. Trees, mud, and myriads of living creatures to draw energy from. Perfect.

You promised me blood, Master, Siphon, the spirit of the Shadow's hoof blade, spoke into the Shadow's mind.

And you have had it, the Shadow responded. I take it that Raspian was not enough for you?

He was but a morsel. I desire a meal, my liege.

The yellow-eyed alicorn flashed a fanged grin. You desire a meal, Siphon? Perhaps, out of my generosity, I will grant you a feast as reward your patience.

A red light pulsed around the black gauntlet, and the Shadow could feel Siphon's eagerness. Your kindness knows no bounds, my lord.

"We're here," Brutus spoke up.

The Shadow turned his attention from his minion to where Brutus's hoof was pointing. Ahead of them lay a massive craggy rock wall, at the base of which was a large entryway into a tunnel.

Brutus's eyes narrowed in disgust at the entrance as they approached it. "The hive lies just beyond that tunnel."

"And this entrance is the only way in or out?" The Shadow raised an eyebrow at Brutus.

The changeling's features took on an eager look. "It is."

"Soon the weakness of Chrysalis will be purged from this place," the Shadow said with a smile. "You have done well to reveal those who need to be liberated."

Brutus bowed his head in reverence. "Thank you, master."

The dark pair glided down towards the rocky floor of the cave and landed as soon as they got in.

Brutus turned to the Shadow and raised an eyebrow. "So, we just march in and declare them freed from Chrysalis's reign and allow the rest of the hive to join us?"

"We announce their freedom and offer them to join us voluntarily," the Shadow replied.

"And if they do not accept?"

The Shadow's eyebrows knit together in determination. "Then we free them from an oppression they are not aware of. Either way, it is for the betterment of the changelings in this hive."

"Then after you, sire," Brutus said as he lowered his head and gestured down the rocky tunnel.

"Thank you, Brutus." The Shadow began to walk down the tunnel, but then stopped and turned back to face the converted changeling. "Should you assist me with this, then your loyalty to me will be secured. No second thoughts?"

Brutus's form stiffened. "I gave up the hive the moment my fangs pierced Chrysalis's body. I am loyal to you and you alone, Shadow."

The Shadow gave an approving nod. "Excellent, then let's be on our way. We mustn't keep our future subjects waiting."

---

After a few minutes of going down the tunnel, the Shadow saw an opening at the end of the stone corridor. Through the opening, dozens of changelings could be seen flying back and forth as they carried out their daily duties. Love pods hung from the ceiling and sat on the floor, most of them empty, and cast a faded green light on the cave chamber.

A confident smirk graced the Shadow's mouth as he strode through the opening and into the entryway of the hive's main chamber. The first to react to the Shadow's presence were the two spear-wielding guards that flanked the tunnel entrance. No sooner had the Shadow entered the chamber that a pair of spears crossed themselves in front of him. It took a moment for a few drones to catch sight of him and stop what they were doing. Soon other changelings took notice of their fellow workers stopping their work and looked to see what they were looking at. Within a few moments, everyone's attention was directed onto the dark newcomer and the changeling at his side.

The two parties exchanged silence as a moment of tension hung thick in the air.

Calm before the storm, the Shadow thought as he opened his mouth. "Residents of the changeling hive," he declared. "You are now free!"

Many changelings swapped confused looks at the statement as the two guards' spear arms tensed.

"Free from what?" one of the changelings hovering in the air asked.

"For years you have languished under Queen Chrysalis's rule! Every day you starve, hoping for some way out of your current situation. I am here to give you all salvation!"

"You were the being she sought to free, aren't you?" another changeling spoke up. "Well, where is our queen?"

The Shadow gestured towards Brutus. "This is Brutus, the first of your hive to stand with me in my crusade. Your queen, however, was not so willing to join me."

"What did you do with our queen?" a third changeling demanded.

"She paid the price for her choice of loyalty," the Shadow replied. Worried murmurs shot through the crowd of changelings at the answer. "That is why I have come to you, those that have no ruler, to be your ruler. Ally yourselves with me, and I promise you great power and a wealth of love so large that you will never hunger again!"

"You murdered Queen Chrysalis!" an armor-clad changeling guard down on the floor below shouted, pointing a perforated hoof at the alicorn. "I swore loyalty to the hive, not to any one ruler! And I wouldn't dare serve a murderous usurper!"

Shouts of agreement with the guard rose up from the changeling crowd. Cries of murder, unworthy of rule, and threats were hurled at the Shadow, but his mouth curved into a smile at all of them.

"So you shall not serve me willingly," the Shadow's uttered. "Then serve me by the edge of my blade!"
*
The Shadow raised his gauntleted hoof and a gleaming steel blade shot from it. Quick as a flash, he ran the blade through the chest of the guard on his left and just as swiftly pulled it out and slashed the blade across the second guard's throat. Both collapsed to the ground as green blood oozed from their wounds.

Gasps of shock and screams sounded from the changelings from the deaths. Cries to run rose up from the crowd as many began to fly farther into the cave away from the entrance.

The changeling guard down below lit up his horn as a sword drew itself from the scabbard at his side. "Kill the usurper! Avenge your queen!"

The Shadow and Brutus began to descend down the walkway from the tunnel entrance as changeling guards mobbed him from their positions. As the guards rapidly approached, the Shadow gave Brutus a nod. Brutus reciprocated the gesture and the two charged to meet the guards.

Just before the guards reached them, the Shadow's horn began to glow. A blinding light flashed from the Shadow's horn. Many of the changelings staggered backward into their comrades, others stumbled forward and covered their eyes.

The Shadow thrust his hoof once again, sending his blade through the chest of one of the guards, who let out a cry as the hoof blade went through his lungs. A red glow pulsated from the gauntlet as dark magic was injected into the guard's being. Less than a second after the Shadow retracted his blade from the body, the guard's form began convulsing. The corpse writhed and twitched for a moment until its eyes opened to reveal red eyes similar to Brutus'. With an unnatural shriek, the guard's crumpled form shot up and charged wildly into the midst of the recovering squad of guards.

Brutus took the chance to pounce on another guard and sink his fangs into the guard's neck as the converted guard knocked another changeling to the ground and took a bite from its victim's throat.

The Shadow extended his wings and swooped into the middle of the guards that were just beginning to stand back up.

"I gave you all a choice! And you rejected my offer." The Shadow plunged his blade into the torso of a changeling that was trying to get up. "So then reap the consequences of your decision!" With that, his blade flew through the throat of a changeling guard that just got to its hooves.

The first changeling guard's horn began to glow green to grab his fallen sword as he stood up, only for the Shadow to swiftly slice off the horn's tip. The guard let out an agonized scream for only a moment before another red-eyed changeling pounced.

Pretty soon there were only a handful of guards remaining as the Shadow and Brutus made their way through their ranks.

"Fall back!" the first changeling guard shouted to the remaining guards as he spread his wings to fly away, only for a yellow magical field to envelope his body and hold him in place.

The guard felt the yellow magic turn him around to face the dark alicorn and his red-eyed changeling. His eyes went wide at the familiarity of the changeling's face. "Chassis? I-is that you?" The snarl Brutus gave answered the changeling's question. "What happened to you?"

Brutus gave the guard a deranged smile as the Shadow plunged his blade into another incapacitated changeling's chest. "I was given freedom, freedom that you refused. But no matter, all will soon serve the Shadow, as must you." He didn't give the changeling a second to speak before jamming his fangs into the guard's throat.

The Shadow looked up from his soon-to-be converts to see a young changeling guard running away. He turned to Brutus and gestured down the cave. "I will deal with him. Continue with the liberation."

"With pleasure." Brutus spread his wings and took off after the retreating changelings.

The alicorn then looked to the red-eyed changelings he had imbued with his magic, all of which were beginning to stand up from their blood-tainted spots on the ground. "You two secure the entrance. If any should try to escape, share your freedom with them."

A pair of the red-eyed changelings hissed in reply as the former changeling guards made their way up to the hive's exit.

"As for the rest of you, follow Brutus. There are still many who need to be liberated!" And with that, the Shadow turned to face the deeper parts of the hive and dashed ahead with his red-eyed converts following closely behind.

---

Brutus threw his punch and knocked down the changeling in front of him. Taking advantage of his opponent's position, Brutus was on top of him in an instant. With a quick lunge, the changeling's struggling stopped as green flowed from the pair of puncture wounds on its neck.

"Proto!" Brutus looked up to see a changeling with its horn ablaze with green dive-bombing toward him. "He was my friend, you motherbucker!"

Brutus dashed to the side just in time for the vengeful changeling to miss his target and crash headfirst into the cave floor. Brutus jumped on top of the dazed changeling's back and pressed his hooves to its jaw and the back of its head. With a quick twist and a subsequent crick, the changeling's body slumped to the ground.

The galloping of hooves behind him caused Brutus to look behind him. A smile widened across his face as a small force of red-eyed changelings rapidly approached his position.

The more, the merrier! Brutus made a rallying gesture towards the rest of the hive's cave. "Come on! There isn't much room left for them to hide!"

---

Screams of panic echoed throughout the chamber in front the Shadow as he advanced towards a small alcoved entrance where he had sensed the fleeing younger changeling guard. He rounded the corner to enter the hollow, and had he not been on a mission of liberation he would have stopped in awe of what he saw. Dozens of columns of green glowing changeling incubation pods were stacked at least four stories high in the circular chamber, each of them containing an infant changeling. His eyes fell to see the younger changeling guard standing defensively in front of an older female.

"Nurse Cilia, get out of here!" The adolescent changeling bared his fangs at the Shadow.

The female changeling looked to the guard in obstinately. "And leave the hatchlings and my duty as nurse? Never!" The hive nurse's attention turned to the dark alicorn that stood in the entryway. "Please! Spare the young ones," she pleaded. "Most haven't even learned to crawl yet! They're innocent!"

A grimace etched itself onto the Shadow's features. "Innocent? There is no such thing as innocence." As he spoke, the Shadow lifted his hoof blade-wielding arm. "And just like all others in this hive, they too must be liberated."

The nurse's eyes went wide. "No! Please, no!"

With a fluid motion of his hoof, the Shadow drew his blade and attacked.

---

In the deepest part of the cave, several changelings were galloping through a narrow corridor. It had been no more than ten minutes since the two invaders had shown up, and they'd already made quick work of most of the hive.

"Come on! This way!" Aphid shouted to the few fleeing changelings behind her.

"We can't just leave them, Aphid!"

The female changeling looked behind her to see a panting Notum as she ran. "You want to go back and get yourself killed, then be my guest! This secret passageway waits for no changeling."

Notum took a shaky breath as he galloped. "But my family-"

"Are likely dead already! We can mourn them later! For now, we need to get out of here!"

The group of changelings finally made its way to a small hole no more than two feet wide in diameter that led to another wider tunnel.

"This is our way out of here?" a female named Zephyr asked in slight disbelief.

"Well it's better than getting out of here as a red-eyed freak, so are we gonna go for it or not?"

"I'd... I'd like to go… first," a fourth changeling panted from behind them. All three looked back to see a changeling limping with a bleeding hind leg. "Is this the way out?"

"Yeah, yeah," Aphid hurried the wounded changeling to the front. "You gonna be alright?"

The fourth changeling nodded. "Yes, I will be. Thank you for your generosity," The changeling said as he approached the hole. "Oh, and I'd like to thank you for one last thing," the changeling said as he turned around to face them.

"Make it quick, we have to get out of here!" Notum looked behind himself at the cries that echoed through the tunnel.

"I'd like to thank you," the changeling said as his horn began to glow green. "For letting your guard down." With a burst of green magic, Brutus revealed himself and pounced on Zephyr.

"No!" Aphid could barely react before Brutus chomped into her friend's neck as Zephyr screamed in pain.

A glowing yellow shield flashed into existence behind Brutus that blocked the exit hole. Aphid looked behind her and her pupils shrank to pins at what she saw. Before her was the yellow-eyed alicorn lifting up a hoof that had a black gauntlet on it. With a swift motion of his hoof, a green-stained blade shot forth from the gauntlet. Aphid's heart began thumping wildly at the sight of the alicorn. She wanted to run, but to where?

Notum jumped in from of her and crouched defensively. "Go, Aphid! I'll hold him-AH!" Brutus leapt over Aphid and tackled Notum into the ground. Before the changeling could lift his face from the cave floor, Brutus grabbed the sides of his head. "W-wait! No!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than Brutus began smashing the changeling's muzzle into the cave floor. Over. And over. And over.

Aphid couldn't breathe at the sight of Notum's face being bashed into the ground as a pool of green blood began to form where Notum's head was being hit.

Move, Aphid! MOVE! Aphid turned around and charged up a shield-disrupting spell, but was met by a pair of bright yellow eyes. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"This world is to be liberated," the Shadow replied. "And you changelings have the privilege of being the first to be freed."

Aphid's eyes widened as the blade was thrust into her underside. As the blade was withdrawn from her body, she slid to the floor and began crawling towards the shield-covered hole. With her final breath, she cried out, "Please! Someone- AHH!" The blade entered her again, this time cutting through the back. She reached for the shielded exit and pressed against it in vain hope. This time, the blade coldly slid across her throat and blood spurted from the wound. Aphid's hoof slid to the ground next to her body as she felt the life bleed out of her.

The Shadow looked up from his kill and nodded at Brutus. "Well done, Brutus. Now let's be off. There can't be many more left in this hive."
*

---

The Shadow stood in front of the tunnel that led to the hive's only exit, right where he'd been no more than an hour ago. He smiled at the mutilated forms that dotted the floor before him, some of which were beginning to stand up as his magic coursed through their being. Chrysalis' hive had been completely liberated.

And these will be the first of many, the Shadow thought triumphantly.

I would certainly hope so, master, Siphon's raspy voice piped up. And I thank you for the excellent meal you granted me today.

'Tis but the first course, my dear Siphon. Now enough of such thought. The Shadow looked to where Brutus's horn was aglow as he manipulated a love pod. As Brutus's horn glowed red, the texture inside the pod shifted from its glowing green color to a vibrant red. Many more love pods would need to be manipulated if his force was to be large enough in a short amount of time.

The Shadow's victorious smile widened as he began his approach down to the floor below. We have work to do.