Chapter 55 - Really, REALLY old foes
Ledger woke up the next morning and snuggled the thestral mare in bed with him, still both glad that she’d decided to carry his foal, and surprised that she was, in fact, carrying his foal. “Morning, beautiful,” he whispered to her, brushing her mane with a hoof.
“You forgot sexy,” she mumbled, snuggling closer. She felt really cold for some reason, and the drone was nice and toasty. Hmm, guess he’ll have a thestral-shaped backpack for a while once he got up.
Ledger slowly tried to shift from the bed so he could go after his morning coffee, and wasn’t really surprised to see that Midnight was trying to come with. “Somepony really wants cuddles, hmm?” he chuckled.
“Sue me,” she murmured. “S’too early, tell Celly to turn off the sun…”
“She’s all the way in Canterlot, and Twilight and I haven’t worked out a public transport system yet,” Ledger rebuked her, even as he made sure she was comfy on his back. “You good back there?”
All he got in response was a chorus of adorable snores...He chuckled and made his way downstairs, only recalling at the top of said stairs that Cider and Scope had been left ‘alone’ in the living room last night…
The entire room reeked of sex and apples… Why apples? The place looked like the house had been raided and how in the hell they caused this much wanton destruction without being heard…
Twilight had probably placed a soundproofing charm on their room at some point last night, Ledger reflected. Ah well. Now all that remained, besides his morning cup of coffee, was finding the two responsible. “Cider? Scope?” he called out.
Two groans could be heard from the overturned couch, and upon inspection, found said mares tangled up in the sheets. Ledger chuckled and used his magic to gently pull the sheets free, at least. And then immediately set them to the side, for later easy retrieval when they did laundry next. “I’m on coffee,” he said simply. “You two clean up after yourselves.”
Another groan and the two shuffled upstairs. They could start round eight in the shower~
It was also around that time that Ledger couldn’t sense their newest houseguest. Chrysalis wasn’t here…
“Chrysalis?” he called out, hoping it was just his poor abilities. Upon not getting a reply, however…
“Hey Scope, do you know where Chryssie is?” he said a little louder once he set the coffee to brew, hoping she could hear him in the shower.
“I dunno,” she called out. “Wandered into the desert and got eaten by a Tatzelwurm?”
“Well see if you can’t find her,” he called back. “Twilight’s sorta trusting us here, and you’re better at that than I am.”
“Fine… gimmie a minute...”
…
…
“The fu— OW!”
“Scope?” Ledger called out as he stood at the base of the stairs. She could have just tripped in the shower. Then again, this family’s track history had him already reciting half-a-dozen self-defense spells in his mind…
“Something… something is interfering with my senses,” She called out and buzzed downstairs, her carapace still dripping wet. “And I don’t know what… but there are a lot of Changelings in the city…”
“...What did it feel like?” Ledger asked, not liking where this line of thought was headed. Surely it was just his nerves acting up. He was imagining things.
“It was weird, like a buzz in my head,” she groaned, placing a hoof against her forehead. “At first I thought it was magical interference, until it felt like something took a bite out of my brain.”
“No, no no no,” Ledger said, now in full-panic mode. “Either that’s a group of changelings with a sick sense of humor wanting to mess with you, or…”
“...Or what Ledger?” Scope asked hesitantly. It had been a long time since she’d seen him panic like this.
“Or a supposedly extinct species is alive and well and hunting changelings,” he said, wondering what spells, if any, would be effective against them. “Did the others ever taunt you about ‘the cammy’s’ coming to take you away if you put up too much of a fuss?”
“I think the Hivemother mentioned it once,” Scope frowned. “It sounded like a total load, so I didn’t listen. All I cared about at the time was finding a drone to possess and a more opulent living arrangement.”
“The thing they taunt you with, the cammy’s? They’re a more foal-friendly version of the Chameleos, a race of lizard-like creatures that hunt and eat changelings.” There we go, emotional insulation, like he used with the Black. That ought to help hide him from their senses. “They’re emotivores as well, but they tend to think of us as bright, shiny, moving meals. Since we do a lot of work getting those emotions, they just decide to forgo any subtlety about earning it themselves…”
“That… what?” Scope blinked as she felt the reinforcements spells pile on her. “No way, how does something like that exist!?”
“They shouldn’t!” Ledger said. “I read about them in the Archive, under ‘Extinct Species,’ but everything else fits! Chrysalis going missing in the middle of the night, without any rhyme or reason, I would normally overlook, but your senses being disrupted so...violently. The feeling of other ‘lings. They’re trying to lure us into looking for her, or them. Classic hunting tactic for them, supposedly.”
“Whazza?” Midnight snorted and blinked from his back. “Stoopid lizard, Levvy’ll kick yer assss….” And like that, she was snoring again.
“Plus let’s not overlook Midnight’s lack of energy,” Ledger pointed out. “Emotional drain can...do...that…” He put the pieces together then and paled. “Scope. No sudden movements. Why do you think they’re called the Chameleos?”
“If you say they can turn invisible…” she whispered. “And Cider’s alone upstairs…”
“Plan,” Ledger said, breathing deeply. “They’re mostly blind and can’t smell worth a damn. Do you remember my emotional insulation spell? A nod or a shake will do.”
She nodded, noting she’d already cast it a few minutes ago. “Good,” Ledger whispered. “I don’t know how they are for hearing. So be quiet. No flying. We’re sorta noticeable when we fly. Get up there. Get her. Cast it on her a few times to make her invisible to their senses, what few they have. We secure the house, then we find the bitch-queen and get her back.” Meanwhile he began readying his insulation spell, preparing to cast it on Midnight once Scope was on her way. He didn’t know what they would do in reaction to all their food being taken away, but he could bet it wouldn’t be pretty.
A smell from the kitchen wafted in and Ledger remembered the coffee he was brewing. The bat sniffed a few times then rolled from his back, all but floating towards the source of the delicious drink that could raise the dead… or just the really sleepy. Ledger hissed and cast his spell on her, not wanting her out of his sight and vulnerable for a moment in case there was something in the house with them. Until Scope and he swept the house with glamour-revealing spells altered for these things, nowhere was safe in his mind.
Scope returned with Cider, who was looking more confused than anything else. Midnight had been pulled into a tight hug from Ledger, her hooves waving feebly at the kitchen, her precious coffee just a few feet away.
“Alright whut in tarnation is goin’ on here?!” Cider asked with a small frown.
“Bottom line, we’ve got a bigger, badder monster on the scene,” Ledger said as he double-checked their spells before letting Midnight go get some coffee. “It’s already taken Chrysalis. Scope and I are likely next on its menu. And there’s no telling when, if ever, it would stop. Especially with a city full of changelings just around the corner.”
“Wait, you think Chrysalis is actually dead?” Scope asked. “Ohh, that’s not gonna go down well with the princess…”
“It’d take them a while to drain something like her,” Ledger said. “We need to sweep the house real fast. Something that reveals invisible objects. Then we need to go to wherever you sensed them, casting that spell all the while. I have an idea as to how to take them out, but I’ll need them gathered up.”
“Are you positive it’s one of these things?” Scope asked as her horn hummed and a small shockwave rattled the house. By expending her love energy, she had cast a much weaker version of the shield that Cadance and Shining were known for, but all it seemed to do was rattle any loose objects.
“There are a myriad other things it could be, but the simplest explanation is it’s a survivor,” Ledger said. “And even if it’s something more convoluted, it bears investigating, if only because it not only resisted but hurt you through your scanning.”
“True enough, a simple feedback loop shouldn’t have done that,” Scope nodded, satisfied that there was nothing in the house. Midnight emerged from the kitchen and looked around at the destroyed living room.
“Whoa! I missed one heck of a party,” she mused and she leant against Scope. “I take it that you and our pretty mare had some fun Scopey?”
“Yup, and they will clean up after themselves after she and I nip out to the yard to check something,” Ledger said, scooting closer to the door and motioning for the small nymph to join him. She did so, causing Midnight to fall over with a light thud. As the two bugs left, Midnight blinked and sat up, sipping her coffee.
“Those two are acting awfully suspicious…” she said. She looked at Cider and blinked. “Are they cheating on us?”
“...With each other,” the mare deadpanned. “Yes Middy. They are fucking like bunnies behind our backs.”
“I knew it!” she whispered.
“Okay, which way?” Ledger said as he kept charging his all-purpose fuck-off spell. If he needed it, he wanted it ready then, not two minutes later.
“Towards the city,” Scope nodded. “That’s where I felt it come from.”
“Let me know when we’re close,” the drone said as he bolstered his emotional insulation once again. Scope sighed and nodded. Then, a thought occured.
“This thing eats Changelings right?”
“Other emotions when it can get them, but it prefers them wrapped up in a crunchy chitin shell, yes,” Ledger clarified.
“So, why the fuck are we looking for it!!”
“Because sending the non-magical ponies out to look for it made so much sense,” Ledger deadpanned. “They can be fought, they can be killed. I don’t know how this one survived. But I’m always up for re-extincting the Chameleos.”
“Killed all the Blacks, and now this thing is left?” Scope shook her head as they walked into the city. Unbelieveable… wait.
Las Pegasus was… normal? Ponies walking the streets, but they hadn’t seen any Changelings yet. Scope could sense them faintly, not wanting to extend her senses too far yet.
What was weird was the fact that everypony seemed to look at them as they walked passed. Not a single pair of eyes failed to notice the disguised pair.
“This… is kinda creepy. And I’m a changeling!” Scope whispered.
“I know,” Ledger whispered back. “...Scope, where are the others? They were flying around and walking around openly just the other day, and now they’re all gone...”
“I don’t know. There are Changelings nearby… hell, that group over there are,” she motioned to a ground of four ponies. “Ledger, we need to get somewhere safe. Now!”
“Yeah, let’s get to the Strip, Sugar should allow us entry real fast,” Ledger said as he quickened his pace.
But when they got there, it was… what was this? The club was… “normal?” Ponies serving drinks, ponies dancing on poles…
“What the fuck?” Scope blinked. “Where are the Changelings?”
“Sugar’s office,” Ledger said, quickly leading the nymph to the place he’d only been to once. “If she’s not there, then we can find her bedroom and demand an explanation.” And once they got there?...
The room was empty… until the door slammed shut and a force-field was erected. Stepping out from the shadows was a very pissed off Moondancer.
“Where. Is. My. Marefriend!” she demanded, throwing the two bugs against a wall with telekinesis.
“I don’t know!” Ledger retorted. “We came here hoping to find her and some normalcy within this city! Backup would have been nice as well!”
She narrowed her eyes as their disguises were torn from them, before Moon sighed and lowered them to the ground. “Sorry… it’s just, you came by this morning, asking for Sugar… that was the last I saw of her.”
“...Someone...is using my likeness?” Ledger growled. That was low. “Okay, Scope, now we need to know. Where is the largest concentration of Changelings in this city? Somepony is...collecting them, apparently.”
Scope frowned and reached out, it took a moment before she yelped as that something interfered again. “GAH! W-What, that’s weird…”
“I’ll repay you in hugs and kisses later,” Ledger dryly said. “What’s weird and where are they?”
“That’s...the weird thing,” she groaned. “Everywhere, they’re all over the...city…” Scope’s eyes widened. “This… is an invasion…”
“...Okay, here’s how I see it,” Ledger sketched it out for the mares. “One hive is using this city as an invasion platform, because it’s accepting of changelings and wants peace with the ‘lings it has. But they’re...not so peaceful, and are slowly replacing us instead of trying to integrate.”
“But how are they so organised?” Scope wondered. “Sure, we Changelings are good… but this feels like…”
“Canterlot,” Moondancer finished. “Where is Queen Chrysalis?”
“She’s one of the ones that went missing,” Ledger said with a sigh. “Though I wouldn’t put this past some of the more...ambitious yellow nobles…”
“You sure about that?” Moondancer spat. “Or is this a vain attempt at regaining what she lost?” The Unicorn was beyond furious, as her horn shone and the room shook.
“Then explain how she managed to not only find, but refrain from being eaten by a Chameleos long enough to strike a bargain with it while she’s been in Equestrian custody,” Ledger said dryly.
“I’ll tear her limb from chitinous limb!” Moondancer roared, only to be stopped by Scope placing a hoof on her chest.
“We’re still jumping to conclusions. All we have is some theories. What we need is solid evidence on what is going on!”
“Well I’m not putting any of us up to be replaced,” Ledger said as he turned an idea over in his head. “Hey Scope, do you think you could get a message to Twilight if you had to?”
“Not without an existing scroll or something that she’s sent,” Scope said. “I don’t know how her dragon thing works, I only have a Return to Sender spell.”
“Same,” Moondancer sighed. She felt woefully insufficient at this point. “I’m losing a marefriend to a Changeling invasion. Again!”
“Hmm…” Ledger hummed as an idea struck him. “Okay, I just had an idea. The other day, Princess Celestia and I went over, something like...fifty legal documents and contracts. Most of them were ones I wrote, but she wrote out a few as well, in response to that mountain of paperwork I assaulted her with. Would a Return to Sender spell work on that?”
“It… might?” Scope asked. “I honestly don’t know, but it’s all we have right now.”
“I’ll help,” Moondancer said. “If I don’t do something then I’ll just tear this city apart.”
“Oka- oh buck, all my workers are changelings, that’s trouble waiting to happen if we go in normally, if they’ve all been replaced as well,” Ledger groaned. “Okay, buck walking. Moondancer, we could use a direct teleport to my office. I assume you know where it is, you drank all my good rum the last time you were there.”
“Yeah, give me a sec,” she nodded as her horn shone and with a pop, they re-appeared inside his office. “Whew, that was a little draining.”
“Yeah, I’ve been trying to ward the place ever since a certain mare just showed up in it one day,” the drone said as he walked over to a filing cabinet and removed a folder. “There should be one in here…” Various bits of paper were removed and tossed carelessly aside as he looked for one with Celestia’s hornwriting on it.
Moondancer suddenly tingled and she vanished with a flash of teleportation. Scope looked around, wondering where the hell the Unicorn had gotten to, before she clutched her head and started screaming!
“Scope!” Ledger abandoned his folder and rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”
“AAHHHHH!! My… Get OUT!” she screeched. She took a deep gasp and then passed out, falling limp in Ledger’s grasp. He growled and secured her to his back, before returning to looking for that paper that Celestia had written. Within a minute, he’d located it and turned it over, writing on the other side as he waited for Moondancer to return. If she did. If not, he would have to make a half-assed attempt at a Return to Sender spell.
Then there was a knock at the door.
“Boss? You there?”
“Identify yourself,” Ledger barked back, not in the mood to deal with any more conspiracy surrounding him or his loved ones. “There’s been more than enough weirdness today.”
“I handle loading the shipping crates… and something weird is going on out here. Why are there so many of us around?”
“The city’s full of imposter bugs, we’re being invaded,” Ledger said. “I’ll give a raise in bits and emotion to any of you that find the imposters and round them up.”
“Sure thing Boss,” he said a little too eagerly. Ledger hoped that was one loose end tied up and waited for Moondancer to show up again while he looked over his letter, making corrections where need be.
The minutes ticked by, and yet the Unicorn didn’t come back. Scope was still out, then he heard another knock.
“Level?” Midnight’s voice called out through the door. “You in there?”
“Yeah, don’t come in. We’re being invaded. Don’t trust anypony, not even Cider until Scope or I get back and vet her,” he said. “Just go home and lock yourself in the bedroom.”
“Are you kidding? I can help you. Let me in Ledger.”
“Midnight, I would, but I have a plan and I would rather not put you in danger,” Ledger replied evenly. “Just promise me you won’t cook until one of us gets home.”
“What? What’s wrong with the kitchen?”
That secured it, he reached out with his telekinesis and touched somepony. Gripping everything on the other side of the door with his magic, he then slammed everything he held into the door at high speed. Bringing his cargo inside by rapidly opening and shutting the door, it was revealed to be a changeling nymph, a blue one not unlike Scope, only full sized and rather dizzy.
“Midnight knows why Midnight doesn’t cook,” he said with a vicious smile. “I’ve got questions for you, little nymph. And you’re going to give me answers, or you’re going to learn how I got my name the hard way.” That said, he tossed her in the same corner he’d used for holding Toll Taker and fastened her to the floor with the same chains. He’d always meant to clean that corner up; now he was glad he hadn’t.
The nymph shook her head to clear the dizziness and leered at him. “Tell you what?” she said all too sweetly. “That this is Our Glorious Queen’s revival? Or that you, or no pony can stop it?”
Ledger responded by hitting a pressure point under her chitin with pinpoint accuracy. It would do no damage, but it would certainly hurt like he had. The nymph shrieked, before it devolved into a cackle.
“Lookit the little drone, all puffed up and full of himself!” She sneered and licked her lips. “It’s really too bad you’re saturated with that filthy taint of the ponies.” She shook her head. “It’s too bad, you could have been useful… but instead, all you are is a disgrace.”
Ledger did not stomp closer. Stomping was for angry ponies.
He was beyond anger now.
He walked closer, slow and sure, and was never more glad his corruptive influence had been removed. Otherwise he would have gone full Black, right then. The glare he delivered shut the nymph up for all of a second, and that was all he needed.
“You are going to answer my questions,” he said, prompting her to shut up to hear him. Which would turn into a mistake on her end. “Otherwise, every word you say will be returned with me making you hurt. I do not kill, not out of mercy. It is because I try to push the boundaries of what my foes can live through. You will answer me truthfully, otherwise your chitin will be the only reason you are alive or standing. But make no mistake. By the time we are done, I will make you hurt. I will make you bleed. Pain will be your world for as long as I deem fit. You are merely determining how long that will be by answering or refusing to.”
“Let me pose to you a question first,” The nymph said, wholly unimpressed by his threats. “I have never set hoof in this city before, why would I with all these...ergh, ponies. And yet, I knew what your little bat looked like… I wonder why~” And with a pop, she teleported from the room.
“Faith,” Ledger said, breathing heavily. He was surrounded by foes. There was one deity he could turn to, but said deity was...unpredictable. He had to have faith that Moondancer would return, that his mares would be safe.
It had been a slow day for Amy. Even the foals had been… well, she hadn’t seen a single one all day really. The adults that passed by would give her a glance, but not return the waves she would give them.
And it was around then that a familiar Griffon walked into the shop, looking around.
“Acey!” She cheered. “Slow day at work today?” Finally, something normal!
“Something like that,” he replied, giving her a brief hug. “So, no-one else is around huh? All by yourself today?”
“Yeah, no foals at all, and the parents are being all weird, especially when I ask about them,” Amy sighed. “I dunno what happened to the lunch-rush I usually get…”
“Hmm, perhaps it’s just a slow day,” he replied. “Hey, I want you to come and meet someone.”
“You know I can’t leave, Acey,” She said. “Even if there are no foals, I have a job to do!” And with that, she plonked herself behind the counter.
“I really insist you do,” Ace said. “I’m sure the store will be fine if you took a little lunch break eh?”
“Mmm, maybe,” Amy said, rubbing her cheek with a hoof. “Convince me, though.”
“Convince you?” he blinked. “It’s really not that big a deal is it?”
“You know how seriously I take my job Acey. Even if we’re all alone, you’re going to have to convince me to abandon my post for even thirty minutes.” She had a small smile on her face.
The Griffon narrowed his eyes. This was starting to get tedious. He reached out and roughly grabbed her hoof with a powerful talon. “Let’s go Amy!”
That was when her other hoof came up and flung chocolate ice-cream in his face, a scoop having been loaded once the griffon failed to respond properly the first time. He screeched, tossing the mare back as he tried to get the dessert from his eyes. He let out a loud shrill chirp as four drones entered the building, none of them disguised.
“Get that Pink, NOW!” the ‘Not-Acey’ yelled at them. They didn’t have far to look as a large, angry pink dragon reared up from behind the counter, barely fitting in the ice-cream shop. The hatred in its eyes was real. The drones backed up, not expecting a simple Pink nymph to be able to do that. Their reports only said that the Blue with Ledger was capable of it.
The pink dragon growled as it picked the ‘Not-Acey’ up and slammed it back into the ground, before pinning it there with one massive paw. “I’m going to ask questions,” it said. “You’re going to give answers or start losing limbs. Fair warning, I skipped lunch and am hungry.”
The drone winced as his disguise broke and he shifted back to his regular drone self. “P-Please… I was… just doing… as ordered,” he wheezed.
“Then stop doing as they tell you and start living a good life, a fulfilling life,” the dragon said before, surprisingly, letting him up, but not shifting back. “No sudden movements, right boys? I would hate to have to breathe fire in here. My stock would all melt.”
That was when the drones smiled, and the one near the door moved, showing the foals that had been gathered up there. And all of them looked in fear at the massive dragon that used to be their favourite confectionery server.
“...You did that on purpose,” the dragon rumbled. “...You did that to them and me on purpose.” Uh oh, she was angry again. Several foals screamed and ran as fast as their hooves could carry them, some were too terrified to move as the drones smirked and teleported away.
And then, the pink dragon became a pink changeling...that was slowly turning less and less pink, so beset she was by sadness at having scared her favorite customers so badly. One foal came closer to her, even as the others were trying to stop him.
“...S-Scuse me?’ he asked in a shaky voice. “A-Are you… Miss Amy?”
She looked up and nodded once, still glum that he was so scared. Of her. A pink glow took her form over before Amy’s normal pegasus form sat there. Another glow saw Cherry there instead. And a final glow of pink saw the pink nymph returned to her actual form.
The colt stood there with wide eyes. She was also Cherry as well? Oh man… he was so confused. Did that mean he had a crush on a colt? Still…
“You, can be a dragon too?”
“I…” she choked out before sobbing and coughing. “I’ve been...not doing much with my magic for a while,” she said softly once she regained her voice. “The thought of them hurting Ace...hurting you...it just made me so...mad, that I reached for the thing I only ever did once.”
“That’s…” The colt looked back at his friends, before turning back with the biggest smile on his face. “So. AWESOME!” He looked at the group of foals that were still there. “Come on guys! It’s really Miss Amy… and Mr. Cherry I guess?”
The pink nymph soon found herself buried in hugging, giggling foals. Surrounded by happiness, her pinkness returned full force as she giggled and laughed with them. One thought stuck in her brain.
When all this latest craziness is over, I want one.
“Miss Amy?” one filly asked. “I can’t find my Mommy…” There were some echoes of agreement as the group nodded. “Those ponies from before took them somewhere…”
“Well then,” Amy said as she directed the foals to sit in various seats. “You all can stay with me until they come back. And I’ll check and make sure your parents aren’t changelings before they pick you up. But until then…”
The nymph ducked behind the counter before reappearing, a scoop in each hoof. “Who wants ice cream?”
“WE DO!” the foals cheered. Hooves down, Miss Amy was Best Changeling!
Narrow Gaze ducked into one alley, having ditched the ponies that had been following her. She knew something was up the moment she got to work, seeing all her Guards work so diligently.
Those slackers would never work that hard until she started cracking her whip.
“What the flipping feather is going on around here?” she muttered as she exited the opposite end of the alley, and bumped into Level Ledger of all ponies.
“Wha, Ledger!?”
“Shh, not here,” he whispered. “We have a quite the problem on our hooves, and I can’t trust anypony… you’re not one of them are you?” his eyes narrowed and his horn lit up.
“Ledger, if you fire that spell, I will break off your chitin and force-feed it to you,” Narrow warned. “How do I know you're not a Changeling?”
“...Seriously?” the drone deadpanned as he looked around, before a silver glow revealed his slitted eyes. “We don’t have time for this. They already got to almost everypony I know. Hell, half the Changelings in the city aren’t who they say they are.”
Narrow frowned. Just what the buck was… Chrysalis!
“Looks like you figured it out,” Ledger sighed. “Yeah, we were idiots for trusting her. I won’t make that mistake again. Now come on, we’re gathering at a warehouse at the edge of the city. It’s the only safe place left.”
“What about him?” Narrow asked, Ledger paused for a moment, then his eyes widened slightly.
“Fredrick has already been gotten to. We need to regroup. I have Scope Lens looking into where they might be keeping all the kidnapped ponies. And Midnight is preparing to fight as well...”
Narrow nodded. “I see, letting your pregnant fiance go into battle huh?” She had honestly believed him up until this point. Whoever this was, he was good.
“Hrrm, so there’s a few details I missed?” Ledger shifted, as Chrysalis stood before her. “Well damn. Still, I had you going there for a bit. Oh, and goodnight.”
“Wha!” Narrow moved, but too slowly as something struck the back of her head. A Unicorn stallion grinning maniacally.
“You can keep her,” the queen said to the deranged stallion. “Just, try not to kill her. We may need a bargaining chip.”
“Mmm, no promises~” Kill Switch giggled. He was so surprised that a bunch of Changelings let him out. Not that he was complaining, especially when they said he could do what he wanted in this city. “I can’t wait to have some fun with this one~” That bar he was at before had recently been… cleaned out. So he knew the perfect spot to set up.
What a glorious day!
It had been more than an hour, and Moondancer had yet to return. Scope was still unconscious and Ledger was getting impatient.
“If I try what Scope did, I’m likely to end up with just as bad a headache, a bad idea when I’ve got the flames on call,” Ledger mused. “I don’t know where Moondancer went. I don’t dare teleport around, that’ll call attention. There’s only one thing to do.”
Ledger sighed and put his rolled-up scroll on his desk before saying one name just once, as the owner had requested the last time he called. “Discord? If it wouldn’t be a bother, could you perhaps pay attention to a changeling invasion?”
“Ponies screaming, Changelings running about and something else being rather naughty as well,” The scroll unfurled as a picture of Discord walked along the page, looking at what he wrote.
“Honestly, I doubt I could have done better myself… bah! Who am I kidding? Of course I could have done better. I’m ME!”
“True enough, but I have one, well two, questions. The rest I can answer on my own eventually and won’t be a bother to me as I do.” The drone heaved a breath before asking the one weighing on his mind. “Is a Chameleos in the city?”
“Mmm, nasty little things, haven’t seen one in a dog's age,” Discord squicked. “Hate to say it old buddy, you have a lizard issue.”
“Oh, I can deal with that once I find it,” Ledger said with a wicked grin. “You’re welcome to watch when I do. Second question, could you send that scroll to one of the royal sisters? They ought to be warned about a city-wide invasion, and Luna might have some tips on dealing with such a lizard.”
“I could,” Discord hummed. “But Sunbutt is on her way to Ponyville, and Moonbutt is all the way in Romania. Twilight has her little hoofsies full as well and Oh? Congrats on getting some with her. Though, I’ll hate to be you when Shiny-hiney finds out you deflowered his little sister.”
“Dammit,” Ledger cursed. “Okay, how about when Celestia lands in Ponyville? She needs to know.” Without even waiting for a reply, Ledger turned around before blasting his door open with TK.
“Mmm, I missed that about you Levvy!” Discord cackled from his desk. “All the subtlety and nuance of a napalm enema.”
Ledger looked at the scroll before cracking a wry grin. “I have a city to save. Feel free to join me if you want to be looked at like a hero for once instead of a villain. Who knows? You might even meet Chrysalis again.”
Ahh, so that was where his little lovebug was hiding. He knew she wouldn’t run forever~ The spirit cracked his papery neck and grinned. This was gonna be fun!
Ledger walked out to the main floor and adopted a voice that would make Luna proud.
“All of my workers will line up in front of the stairs! All of you that are not, kindly leave before I blast you to smithereens!”
One could almost hear the crickets chirping, as Ledger was presented with an empty warehouse… and all his shipping containers were gone as well.
“Well damn,” Ledger cursed. “They took my inventory...which was a mistake!” He lit his horn up and turned in one direction with a smile on his face. “Tracking runes~” he sang. “Every container, every item. I know where they are~”
A warehouse at the edge of town, the opposite end of the farm.
“Hello… little bug…” a voice droned in his head, causing all his body heat to jump ship.
“...And if I had to hazard a guess, you’re the Chameleos Scope felt,” Ledger replied.
“Ohh, some buggy has done their homework. yes, I believe my species was called that once upon a time… And that little ling on your back, such a tasty treat~ She was...mm, delicious~”
“Nice try, but she’s still breathing. Though do keep riling me up, I am morbidly curious as to whether my Black side can ever return.”
“Ah the Blacks, such a delectably rare and tasty treat for a connoisseur such as myself. And yes, I believe she would be breathing… I only stole a little of her emotion before she put herself in that coma. Quite the ingenious nymph you have there. I cant wait to taste her in person.”
“Like hell,” Ledger replied. “You’re the reason behind there being more changelings in the city as well, aren’t you? Replacing us. It’s all for you, they do it so they don’t get eaten. Am I hitting the mark?”
“For such a smart little Silver, you’re awfully dim. And I don’t think I’ll give you any clues either… hmm, but you have impressed me so far, so I’ll toss the little doggy a bone. Go to that club of yours. There’s a little guard that might need saving… if that funny little Unicorn doesn’t kill her first that is~”
“...Just so you know, Chameleos. I will find you. And I am shoving this spell right down your fucking throat when I do. I will watch you suffer and die if it’s the last thing I do. For every Changeling you have eaten today, I will make you suffer for another hour.”
Ledger then changed course and headed back into the city, not wanting anyone beyond the lizard to die today if he could help it. The strip and the Love Shack wasn’t far.
When Narrow awoke, she was not in a place she expected to be.
Tied to a strange bed as a Unicorn paced around irritably, though his mood lightened when he saw her conscious.
“Ah, I was hoping you’d wake soon. It’s no fun if you can’t scream,” he giggled. Narrow fired off a stun spell, or she would have if her horn wasn’t bound in some kind of cloth.
“Anti-magic wrap, found it in the drawer,” he chuckled. “Along with a few other interesting items as well. Leave it to a whorehouse to have all the fun toys~”
“I will fucking kill you!” Narrow thrashed, but the restraints were solid. Even her own hoof cuffs weren’t this good. Note, she was going to slap Sugar silly if she lived through this.
“Now,” Kill said, holding a few items in his magical grip. “How shall we start? It’s been so long, I just can’t decide.”
“Go fuck a cactus Switch,” Narrow spat at him, the stallion licking it off of his cheek.
“Ohh, feisty. That’s why I like you Cap.” He raised one object that caused her eyes to widen. Who in their right mind would use something so big?
“OOooh, we have a winner!” Kill cheered upon seeing her reaction. “Now, I can’t find any lube. So bite the pillow Cap. I’m going in dry!”
That was about when the door was blasted open, off the hinges, and across the room, clipping Kill’s horn as it flew. The Unicorn yelped as he fell over, clutching his horn as he glared at the door. That was his shtick, who was stealing his thunder now?
And then an undisguised Level Ledger walked into the room, his eyes once again full of fury and hatred. Before anypony could say anything, he unleashed a changeling scream to deafen the psychotic unicorn before he could act. The Unicorn grabbed his ears as Narrow screamed in pain, her position making it impossible to drown out the noise. Ledger didn’t hold it long, thankfully. He didn’t need to. Kill wasn’t focused on him at the moment. A blast of TK saw the unicorn flying across the room, to land next to the door.
“Sorry Captain, wanted to incapacitate Kill here before he could return the favor,” the changeling said as he removed the captain from the bindings. The mare shifted, having been on full display the whole time. She blushed fiercely as she looked at Kill.
“I will bucking kill him,” she growled, still more embarrassed that Ledger saw her like that. “And… thank you for saving me.”
“No problem,” Ledger said as he drew close to the downed stallion, a glow still present on his horn. “And...there we go. Feedback loop applied. He is for all intents and purposes, until the loop is broken, an Earth Pony.”
“Ledger, will you allow some petty revenge from a disgraced and disgusted mare?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t hold what she was about to do against her.
“Lock him up and put a note on him, we have a crisis going on, remember?” Ledger reminded the mare. “I have a lead on where this is all really going down, but I got sidetracked when I picked up on your situation.”
Narrow dropped the tool she was about to shove where Celestia’s sun didn’t shine. “Right. Of course.” Her horn flashed and he was left encased in a binding spell. “We need back up though. Chrysalis is masquerading as you, and all my Guards have been replaced.”
“Do I look like I give a damn?” Ledger said, pointing at the door for emphasis. “I am more than willing to burn through all the love, lust, and ‘aha’ moments I have ever feasted on to deal with Bitchalis. She doesn’t scare me.”
“And what happens when you do, and we get swarmed by however many more are here?” she asked. “And where are Cider and Midnight? Did they get replaced as well?”
“I left them at the farm this morning, I haven’t been back to check yet,” Ledger replied. “I will when this craziness is over, or if they have been taken, we’ll find out in a minute when we reach their centers of operation.”
“This is insane,” Narrow shook her head. “We have no idea of the number or strength of the force we’re up against,” They moved to exit the bar… and saw that the strip was filled with undisguised Changelings, Chrysalis at their head.
“Well, guess we know now,” she muttered.
“Ah, Chrysalis,” Ledger said, all smiles. “The way I see it, I have two options.”
“Kill them,” the queen ordered as the horde advanced.
“Option two it is!” Ledger said, cackling madly as he fired TK burst after TK burst into the crowd, scattering the horde with seeming ease as he burned through his reserves slowly but surely.
“Oh how cute, he thinks he can win,” Chrysalis cooed. She fired up her horn as a blast of eldritch energy lanced from it, vapourising a nymph that was close to Ledger as the sidewalk exploded. “Now be a dear and stand still for a moment.”
“Y’know, I was going to offer that we team up and take out the Chameleos Scope sensed together!” he shouted before taking to the air, still lancing down bursts of telekinetic energy. “But I guess I’ll have to deal with that fucker myself after I KILL YOU!”
The Changelings scattered, clearing a path as their queen seemed to have completely lost it. Chrysalis roared as her horn sparked and she fired another blast of energy.
“Bitchalis, please!” Ledger said, using his nickname for her out loud. With just a little energy, he redirected the pulse upwards. So much easier than blocking it outright. “Do you know how much Love I’m powered up on?”
“Oh, you think you can match the might of a Queen!?” she lanced another attack, it struck a nearby Changeling and he just collapsed, his form now nothing but a dried husk.
Son of a— She was using Necromancy!
“Alright, that’s it,” Ledger said as he stopped focusing on calling the flames for now. “This fucking ends.” With a huge silver blaze, another dragon made landfall in Las Pegasus.
A huge, silver dragon. It stared down at the now-tiny Chrysalis with an unamused expression on its face. He wouldn’t be able to hold it long, but hopefully the feat itself would stop this madness. By force if need be.
“All that Love, just for little old me, I’m flattered,” she said, batting her eyes. “Will it be enough Ledger?”
“Long enough to squash you,” he said, raising a foot and wiggling the talons on it for emphasis. “You call this off and get taken into custody like a good criminal, or they’ll be scraping you off the street for weeks.”
“Always looking down on others,” she sneered. “The big hero bug that saved the city from a scary Black. I wonder, will that little Alicorn whorse of yours cry because you couldn’t fulfil a promise~?”
“You’ll never know, I’ll make sure they put you in Tartarus right next to Tirek,” Ledger growled, overshadowing her form with his foot. “Last fucking chance. Otherwise I’ll deal with whatever consequences may come from killing you.”
Chrysalis took to the skies, her horn shining with a sickly yellow glow. “You’re just a scared little drone, hiding behind a big disguise. Let me help you with that!” she roared as arcane lightning shot from her, arcing across his scales, but his hide resisted the attack. One paw of his reached out and grabbed her, then slowly started to squeeze.
“Alas, poor Chrysalis. I knew her, she was a total bitch,” Ledger mock-dramaticized as he kept the pressure on her.
She yelped, even as her spells lashed out in blind fury. One nearly struck his eye, more just bouncing off of his scales.
“What are you waiting for?” she screeched. “Don’t have the guts drone?”
“More wondering when your spine will give out, I’ve never squeezed a changeling to death before,” he said with a vicious smile on his face. “Though, there is one thing I can do before you go, just to rub it in…”
He turned to the changelings still watching the spectacle and bellowed a question. “Who do you follow?!”
The Changelings shook in terror, pointing at Ledger, not wanting to suffer the same fate.
“Good answer! If you all return the ORIGINAL Changelings of the city and the ponies you have taken before I am done with her, I will plead for leniency on your behalf with the guard!”
Oh buck that! Most were already heading for the hills, futilely as a magenta dome covered the city. The entire, bucking, city!
“Otherwise, I’ll leave you to Shining Armor...who I’m sure you’re aware has no love of changelings…” Ledger recognized that color, the papers had written about this stallion’s feats.
Another blast of magic hit him in the face, but between the big spells and the squeezing, Chrysalis gave out a loud cry as her form shimmered, and Ledger saw himself clutching a noble blue nymph.
“Even the one you followed was an imposter!” he bellowed. “Now do as I say or you ALL will BURN!”
“LEVEL LEDGER!” The changelings turned, and some promptly soiled themselves. An Alicorn was walking towards them, arcane power crackling around her lavender coat as her eyes shone with a blazing white light. “ALL OF YOU WILL STOP THIS. NOW!!”
“Oh hey Twilight, hold Not-Chrysalis for me,” he said, before tossing the noble blue nymph roughly at her hooves. With an inferno of silver, Ledger retook his normal form. He still wanted to call on the Flames again, after all, and holding Dragon, proper Dragon form, was really draining. He could maybe fight again after doing that feat, but he’d be stretching it. “Ah, much better,” he said before cracking his neck.
Twilight looked at the Changelings, most far too terrified to even move as she ran forward and nuzzled him. “For crying out loud Ledger. First I had to deal with the Yaks, then having the Yaks declare war on Equestria, and then Discord of all beings tells me that I should come here for some stress relief!?”
“Changelings are invading, this one is the cause,” Ledger said before kicking the nymph with a hoof. “Masqueraded herself as Chrysalis, I think she’s got all the original changelings of the city somewhere. Which reminds me…” Ledger looked at the horde around them with his eyes blazing silver. “Don’t you bugs have a job to do?”
“W-With all due respect,” one said, feeling as though he might not get killed. “The… that thing, it’s there… it’ll kill us all…”
“So either you were gathering for it, or you just found it around the ponies and changelings you gathered,” Ledger said, growing angry again. “All of your futures depend on your answer. As in, whether or not you have one.”
“W-We found it,” he stammered. “It was, disguised as a Griffon… one wearing a scarf, we didn’t know… couldn’t sense it…”
“Better,” Ledger said, marginally not upset. “Do you know where the original is? Because that griffon is dating the Pink of this city. Even proposed a marriage. I would hate to be you if you couldn’t find him.”
“W-We don’t… but we’ll look! We’ll search the whole city!”
“Good.” Ledger cast a gaze down at the nymph on the ground. “What’s her name? Her tombstone should say something, after all.”
“...I know her,” one said. “Said her name was… Discarder-of-the-Weak.”
“Oh good,” Ledger said, his smile even wider as it grew malicious. “I have a nymph she’ll just love to meet.” He looked up at the horde and sighed. “I have a plan. I am going to kill that Chameleos. One spell. Emotional overload. I’m going to watch it explode. While I distract it, you all are going to get as many ponies and ‘lings out, got me?”
They all nodded, as Twilight finished the healing spell of the fallen nymph. Ledger had come within a hair’s breadth of killing her. If Twilight hadn’t shown, would he have actually…?
“I still don’t like this,” Narrow muttered. “You sure you can actually kill this thing Ledger?”
“If I fail to kill it, I’ll just draw it to the surface and let Twilight make a friend out of it,” he dryly replied.
“I feel like you’re mocking me,” the princess pouted. “Are you mocking me Ledger?”
“We’ll see after we rescue Chryssie,” Ledger replied, leading his impromptu war party to where the Discarder had stashed the changelings and ponies of Las Pegasus.
When they arrived, it was a scene that they hadn’t been expecting. Hundreds of cocoons hung from the ceiling, as Ledger laid eyes on the beast that had been taunting him. It was big, much bigger than he expected. It really did look like a large chameleon, its scales tinted a poisonous purple and a long horn protruded from his forehead. He also possessed a pair of dragon-like wings and a fat, thick tail.
And an armoured Thestral struggled as it held her in his grip, his fangs dripping as one eye swivelled to greet the drone as he entered.
‘Ah, I was wondering when you’d finish playing and get here. But I’m afraid you’ve interrupted my snack time. Would you mind waiting while I finish this and my dessert?’ He motioned towards the crumpled form of Apple Cider in the corner.
“Midnight, are you okay?” Ledger asked evenly.
“Define okay,” she said, trying to shake free of his grip. The beast turned his head and snapped his jaws at her.
‘Now, now. Food doesn't talk.’
“Has it eaten anypony else?” he asked calmly.
‘I’m right here,’ the lizard frowned. ‘And what do you take me for, a glutton? I limited myself to only a few Changelings and ponies. After all, the main course is finally here. Ooh, and you brought my little appetiser as well~’
“Well then,” Ledger said, actually smiling now. “I suppose we’ll see if I still have enough magic for a decent offense after my stunt in the city.”
The Chameleos sighed and tossed the Thestral aside, the bat slamming into a few cocoons with a wet splat. ‘I saw that, quite impressive. Never thought you had that much power, never thought any Changeling could have that much power. Then again, I’ve been asleep for a very long time.’ He touched one pod, and Ledger saw Chrysalis bound inside. She suddenly screamed in pain as the beast drew a little power from it.
‘Ah, that’s better~’
“Once I engage, you get all of these pods out of here,” he whispered to the horde. “I don’t need a harder fight.” Three spells. He would only need three spells. Emotional insulation, TK, and the Flames.
‘Can you?’ it said calmly as it extended its tail and scooped up Cider. ‘Think one little drone can match me? Even one of those Violets proved no challenge…’ It’s long familiar-looking tongue licked Cider and it smacked its lips together, humming with a delighted tone.
“Why don’t you come over here and find out why the Blacks feared the Silvers?” Ledger taunted, hoping it would get the lizard to forget about Cider.
‘Oh? You think I’m so easily goaded?’ The lizard held out Cider and waved her around a little, still grasped in the coil on the end of his tail. ‘Why don’t you come and get—AAARRGGHHH!’ The beast howled as the end of its tail ceased to be connected to it’s body, Midnight’s wingblade dripping with viscous blood as she held the dropped Cider.
“Forget about me asshole?” she said. Ledger buzzed into the air as he insulated his own emotions, not needing to give the Chameleos any advantage against him whatsoever.
“Get her out of here, Midnight!” the drone said as he fired a blast of TK at the thing’s face. “We don’t need any more ponies dying today!”
“And leave you here alone?” she yelled back. But she also needed to get Cider out of here. The beast lashed out at Ledger, only to have him vanish and reappear a few feet away, Scope Lens now awake and looking a tad annoyed. Ledger nodded his thanks to Scope and fired another blast at the thing before moving, wondering just how blind they were.
It’s eyes moved around, before one locked onto Ledger darting about. It’s long tongue suddenly lashed out, knocking Scope from his back and sending her tumbling across the floor. Ledger kept firing, kept the pressure on, not wanting to give him a free moment to get at Scope until she could walk under her own power. Heck, not even then.
Scope buzzed from the room, as the Chameleos roared and gave chase, ignoring the others as he pursued her.
‘Come back little snack~’ he called out, the blasts from Ledger having done little, if not anything.
“Dammit,” Ledger cursed as he buzzed after the Chameleos, deciding to switch tactics. If TK wasn’t going to hurt it, then he had his fallback plan. “Scope, lead it away from the pods!” he called out as he began to summon the Flames once again. Scope nodded as she led it outside, the beast suddenly vanishing from view…
Right, invisibility…
“Fire off bursts of your glamour-revealer!” Ledger called out, hating to have to put so much pressure on her. “He’s gone invisible!”
Scope whirled in the air and began to fire small blasts of energy, before she yelped as a tongue came out from under her and the lizard held the little nymph in his grasp.
‘Now, thanks for the food~’
“Oh HELL NO!” Ledger said as he tackled the nymph, replacing her with himself, barely pushing her out of the lizard’s grasp. One would argue that this was a worse situation for him to be in.
Except he had a fallback plan. He almost always did.
‘Eager are we, don’t worry, you’ll get your turn,’ the lizard slamming him into the ground a few times. ‘I guess I should tenderise you a little. You seem somewhat tough.’
It made holding onto the Flames hard, but he just kept chanting. Kept feeding them. With all his knowledge, all his wisdom...all his love. And he managed to keep most of it internal, bonus. With luck, the lizard wouldn’t know something was wrong until it was too late.
The Chameleos tossed him into the air as Scope sent a barrage of fireballs at him. The rage that filled her eyes was unparalleled.
‘Such a feisty little defective aren’t you? It almost makes me wish you’d turned out to be the noble you were supposed to be, you would have tasted divine~’
“What?” Scope paused out of shock and the lizard lunged, its maw widening.
Ledger twisted in the air and fired up his wings to land atop the lizard before covering its eyes with his forehooves. Oh, he’d be feeling that one in the morning. But apparently they weren’t entirely blind. So doing this would help her.
It fell to the ground out of surprise, roaring in anger as he flailed, trying to pry the drone from his head. Ledger didn’t fight it, just nodded to Scope. His spell was ready. It would take...everything, for something like this lizard.
But they were worth it.
“Ledger! Don’t you fucking dare!” Scope screamed. “I’ll fucking kill you if you do!”
“Run,” he said simply. “Run and never look back. Save them. Save them all. Get Twilight to come down here if I don’t come back. But don’t you dare come back yourself!”
“You will not die for a defect like me!” she cried as the lizard tried to reach him, its arms unable to reach.
“I will not have you die for me!” he roared back. “Secret-Treasure, you get the fuck out of here, NOW!”
Scope just stared at him, tears streaming down her face. Why was he doing this. He’d live if he just ran. She wasn’t worth it.
Her pause was what the Chameleos needed as he grabbed Ledger’s tail and tossed him again.
‘How sweet, it just makes you all so much more delicious~’
Ledger twisted and flicked his wings out again, flying and preparing to land on the Chameleos’ head again. It didn’t seem able to reach there easily, it’d make a good place to fire from. Instead, the beast vanished from sight.
‘Hold that thought. It just occured to me that I haven’t tasted an Alicorn before. Be right back~’
“Oh no you fucking don’t,” Ledger said as he put the flames on hold before flying down and grabbing Scope, teleporting them both back to the room with all the pods. She’d likely be there, supervising the recovery efforts. Scope clung to him, shaking.
“Why… why do you love a stupid little defect like myself?”
“Because you’re worth it,” Ledger said as he looked around, taking note of the change in scenery. The air around them shimmered as the beast revealed itself, already coiled around them both.
“You gonna use that spell?” Scope asked him softly, holding him close.
“Gonna have to,” Ledger replied. “Don’t hate me,” he said as his eyes glowed silver. Scope shook her head and hugged him tighter.
“Don’t have to. You have us remember?”
Ledger smiled before looking up at their predator. “You want my emotions, lizard? Come take them. But I should warn you, I’ve lived what seems like a long time with these mares. I might be a little tough to swallow.”
‘Really now, that spell?’ the lizard chuckled. ‘You think a little condensed food will stop me? You think a Silver hasn’t tried that before?’
“This isn’t just knowledge,” Ledger said as he blazed silver. “This is love, joy, happiness. All willingly given by two mares and one nymph. All of whom could power a damn hive on their own. I’ve learned things with them you would think impossible. I’ve grown so much, because of them. And now...I give it all over. I am a servant of the Flames of Knowledge, and I give all of myself to your making! All that I have and am, all I have ever harvested! Become the ultimate weapon! Strike down my foe!”
Before the spell fired, time itself seemed to pause, as a certain Chaos spirit hovered there.
“You know,” he hummed idly. “This scene strikes me as a little familiar. Like, a certain Thestral mare doing something similar familiar.” He leaned in close to Ledger, his body might have been paused, but his mind wasn’t. “Is this how you want this to play out? Is this the ending you seek?”
“I would...rather not die,” he admitted slowly, not believing he could be alive still. “But the damn thing needs to die. It already ate somepony. Multiple someponies. Unless you have another idea, then this is how this will have to play out.”
“Ledger, do you remember what I told you before?”
“Faith...unless you’re telling me Twilight Sparkle will happily blow this thing up or Midnight will happily decapitate it before I fire this thing, then I still see no alternative…”
“Oh, make no mistake, you’ve already cast it, you’re going to die Level Ledger,” Discord said. “But… this is Equestria after all. And many things that even I cannot explain have happened. Remember what you asked of me? A little beneficial chaos? Well consider it paid in full my boy. And should you call me again with some inane request! I will be more than a little angry.” He snapped his talon and time restarted.
Even as Ledger began to slip away, he saw his silver flames coat Midnight’s blades, as the mare drove them deep inside the beast’s chest, burning his heart from the inside out.
‘Final Beat: Lagretto of Love!’ she whispered as the beast gave a final howl and toppled. Ledger smiled as everything went...dark…
With a thud, his body fell to the ground as his eyes dimmed. Rest seemed...nice… He never even heard four mares calling out his names.
When the drone next opened his eyes, he… was not where he was previously. He found himself in a dark room, the gentle beep of a heart monitor in the background.
It was around then that a few thoughts occurred, as his brain slowly rebooted.
One. He had died… right? Was this the afterlife? If so, the afterlife was depressingly boring… and it hurt.
Two. That beeping was really annoying.
Three. He had died… right? Then… what the hell was going on?
Something next to him stirred, and he noticed that he had some weight on his right hoof. He slowly turned his head, to see Apple Cider sleeping next to him, her hoof entwined with his own.
“This doesn’t make sense,” the drone muttered. Either he was dead, or...no, there was no ‘or.’ That attack should have killed both him and the Chameleos, and he saw the Chameleos die.
Cider groaned as her eyes fluttered open and once they saw Ledger was awake, she gasped and hugged him tightly, that cracking sound was either his chitin, his spine… or maybe both.
“Air!” he managed to say, barely. Scratch that whole ‘not being dead’ bit, Cider seemed determined to make it true. The Earth pony gasped again and let him go, the drone falling back onto the bed.
“It would be a terrible waste if you killed him… again,” a mare chuckled. A Unicorn dressed in a nurse’s outfit checked his monitor. “His mana levels are still low, but other than that, I think he’s doing okay.”
“How…” Ledger croaked out as his respiratory system came back online. “How am I...”
“Now that’s the million bit question hmm?” the nurse shimmered and Sugar Darling took her place. “Well for one, you should know that this is a private room we set up for you. It’s quite hectic out there right now, half the city loves us, the other vilifies us…” She sighed and took a seat, rubbing her temple. “Honestly, you want to know why you’re alive? The answer is right next to you.”
Ledger looked at Cider and smiled softly. “Sweet mare couldn’t let me go,” he said with a sigh. “I suppose I should have seen that coming, really.”
“Cider there hasn’t left your side for a moment, and your other mares have barely left either,” Sugar smiled. “You’re lucky… an utter fool for trying to leave that all behind in the first place, but lucky all the same.”
“Ain’t no way y’all are leaving me alone with Midnight and Treasure,” Cider nodded. Then she fixed a glare on him and frowned. “If you do something so gum-darned foolish again, ah’ll make you wish y’all hadn’t come back! Got that?”
“Got it,” Ledger said with that same soft smile. Then he fixed his gaze on Sugar and sighed. “How many...are lost?”
“That’s… that’s the thing,” Sugar frowned. “When Midnight killed it, well, when the two of you killed it. We discovered something… strange.”
“You mean besides the fact that a supposedly-extinct species was hunting changelings?” Ledger dryly asked.
“Yes, aside from that. We also discovered that he doesn’t like to chew his food…”
Ledger’s eyes widened. “Well I didn’t see too much in the way of teeth beyond his two fangs…”
Sugar shuddered and hugged a pillow. “I don’t want to think, on what sort of creature gets off on draining the emotions of a creature they are digesting, but when it was quiet, your Thestral mare heard something.”
“...Are you saying?” Ledger asked with a raised eyebrow.
“She gutted the thing and discovered that all the ponies and Changelings, my sister included, were still in it’s stomach. Some had suffered burns and injuries due to the stomach acid, as well as minor asphyxiation. But… they’re alive.”
“Whew,” Ledger said, relieved that they’d not lost anyone to the ancient predator. “Okay. Um...the changelings the Discarder brought with her?”
“They’re being detained by the Royal Guard, until they figure out what to do with them,” Sugar explained, still holding the pillow close to her. “Discarder herself is being kept separate, as most want to tear her chitin off. But at least we have someling just as, if not more vilified than Chrysalis now. Must run in the family…”
“Speaking of her,” Ledger said with a nod as he hugged Cider close to his side. “How is she?”
“Chrysalis? She’s been better. Had almost all her power drained by that thing, and seeing as she isn’t as lucky as you in getting more… she’s in a bad way. Princess Twilight’s been transferring magic, but I think it might only be a matter of time…”
Ledger nodded and looked at Cider before shuffling away from her. “Please go help the queen?” he asked the earth pony mare. “Twilight would be most upset if she were to die.”
Apple Cider didn’t move, she just… smirked?
There was a shout from down the hall, as the door burst open and Chrysalis ran in, looking quite spry for someling that was supposed to be on death’s doorstep.
“Oh for the love of the Hives, you have to hide me!” she panicked.
“Midnight?” Ledger asked, thinking that there was only one bat who could possibly help someling so much, so quickly.
“Come back Chryssie,” he heard his bat sing out. “I only want to love you~”
“I don’t need it!” she shouted back and went to bar the door with a chair.
“You do know you picked the worst room to barricade yourself in, right?” Ledger asked as he went back to cuddling Cider. “If not for you, she’ll break in for us.”
“Aw buck,” the queen sighed as the door opened outwards and a grinning Thestral stood there. Though once she saw Ledger, her target changed and he saw her launch herself across the room at him.
“Aw buck,” the drone repeated. This was going to be painful…
Her wings flared and she stopped in midair an inch from his muzzle, her wingbeats fanning him as she hovered there.
“Love?” she said with an adorable head tilt.
“...Hi Midnight,” he said as he realized he wasn’t in pain from either her affections or her rage. The bat hovered there for a moment longer, before she just dropped and landed on him, hugging and nuzzling him.
“Well, that’s two,” Ledger said as he drank in their affections. “I suppose the only questions left would be about Scope and Twilight.”
“Twilight was a victim of your bat-horse,” Chrysalis said, now hiding behind Sugar. “I don’t know where the midget is.”
“She said she had an important package to deliver,” Sugar said. “To a friend of hers.”
“I highly doubt that, considering her name before she changed it was Discarded-One,” Ledger said, illuminating where he thought Scope would likely be.
“Ohh, we are keeping that under wraps for now,” Sugar shuddered. The last thing they needed was for that mini-ling to fly into a rage and take out half the city.
“Huh. Then I honestly have no clue,” Ledger admitted. “...Nor do I need to know.”
Twilight sighed, the other day had been the absolute pits. Princess Luna had given a lengthy explanation as to what that creature was, expressing her regrets that she couldn’t not have been there at the time. Shining Armor had come from the Empire, and was busy assisting with sorting all the Changelings that had arrived so suddenly.
The amount of complaints Twilight had received seemed to never end, and it wasn’t until Celestia arrived that some sense of order was established. Twilight felt a little bad that she couldn’t do it on her own, but Celestia did have more experience.
Now the Alicorn stood in Ledger’s room, his other mares having gone off the do various things as the purple pony watched him sleep.
What? It’s not creepy!
Ledger gave off a snort and turned over in his bed, apparently not comfortable on his lonesome. Twilight giggled as she climbed up and settled in next to him, nuzzling his mane lightly.
“You seem to enjoy causing me concern, don’t you?” she whispered. “And you certainly don’t do anything by halves. Though, try not to die next time okay?”
“...No promises,” she heard from the drone. “If it earns me more cuddles, I might go charging into danger more often.”
She wasn’t expecting him to answer, but clicked her tongue and nodded. “I’m not kidding you know. Your heart stopped for about five minutes. You really did die. And if you go charging off into danger for such a reason, I’ll have to tie you up.”
“Kinky,” Ledger fired back.
“I have been listening to Luna and Cadence give me… advice, all bucking day,” Twilight sighed. “Oh, and Shiny says that if you live, he’s going to kill you. So, a little heads up there.”
“So avoid the Crystal Empire, got it,” Ledger said as he nuzzled Twilight. “Cuddles now, worry about angry stallions later.”
“Silly Ledger,” Twilight giggled as she hugged him. “Shiny and Cadence are here, along with Luna and Princess Celestia.”
“...Don’t suppose I could go back to being dead to avoid him?” the drone asked hopefully.
“Nah, he’d likely revive you,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the big scary Unicorn.” There was a crash from out in the hallway, as Chrysalis could be heard shouting at Midnight again.
“Heehee, maybe you’ll get a Changeling Queen for your harem next?” she giggled lightly.
“You can keep her,” Ledger groused. “I’m more than happy to see her anywhere but here. Don’t get me wrong, she’s nice when you get under her shell at the actual nymph beneath. The problem is getting there.”
There was another shout, then the sound of Sugar dragging the queen off. Twilight sighed as her horn lit up and the door was locked. She was being a little selfish now and wanted some alone-time. “So, um… about… the other night.”
“Y’mean when you all but begged me to deflower you and buck you into next week?” Ledger asked bluntly.
“Yes, that,” Twilight deadpanned. She swore he was trying to aggravate her on purpose. “Thank you… for being so sweet about it.”
“I know better than to do things a mare doesn’t want, especially in bed,” Ledger said with a shrug. “Took more than a few times and bumps in my relationships for me to learn that lesson, but I know it now.”
“Remind me to get more details about that from the others,” Twilight said as she stretched her wings and got comfortable. Yup, she wasn’t planning on moving for a while. The others gave her the night off, she was gonna snuggle dammit. “And give you some details in return. Oh, and I think Spike wants to talk to you at some point.”
“Along with all of Las Pegasus, I’m sure,” Ledger said as he just snuggled the alicorn. “Tell ‘em to form a queue and I’ll answer their questions one by one.”
“Maybe you should take an Alicorn form, be the Prince of Las Pegasus… hmm, but what would you…? Oh, stupid question. You’d be the Prince of Snark,” she chuckled, poking him in the side with a hoof.
“The perfect counterbalance to the Princess of Friendship, I’m sure,” he said, rolling his eyes. “The idea has merit, but there’s a reason Changelings don’t take on Alicorn form more often.”
“Because there’s only four of us and we’re all mares?” Twilight deadpanned.
“That and unless you feed it every day, it’s about as draining as becoming an adolescent dragon,” Ledger replied. “More if you actually try to do things as one, then it’s more like trying to hold a full-dragon form.”
“Well, goes to show that we Alicorn’s are just too awesome,” Twilight said, channeling her inner Rainbow Dash. “Still, tomorrow's problems are still a day away. Let’s get some sleep before I have to maul somepony.”
“Perish the thought,” Ledger said as he smirked. “It’d be too adorable for words.”
“Me, mauling somepony, would be adorable?” Twilight said with a flat tone. “Mister, you have weird definitions of cute.”
“Anything coming from you is adorable. Just a function of your natural adorableness,” Ledger replied as he just lay there. He could almost feel the heat radiate from her face as she pouted and folded her legs.
“M’not adorable,” she muttered.
“Yes you are,” he replied. “Accept the adorableness as a part of you. Only then will I apply other words to your description.”
“Fine, whatever. I’m all the adorable,” she said with a bemused smile. “What else you got?”
“The same as I give to all the other mares that have agreed to tolerate me,” he said before listing the words off. “Cute, beautiful, intelligent, wonderful, sexy, and drop-dead hot. And I should know the last one.”
“...Too soon Ledger,” Twilight said, giving his ear a small tweak with her magic. “Let’s get some sleep, and when we wake up, we'll see about a repeat performance of the other night hmm?”
“If you say so, your highness,” Ledger said with a smirk as he made himself comfortable. She just huffed and held him close.
“You’re impossible,” she sighed. “Good night.”
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I am more than glad that you decided to finish the whole thing in one chapter. I wouldn't survive another cliffhanger like the one during the Roamanian Wedding.
"We'll see about or "we will see about"; you're missing the contraction.
Why do I get the feeling you referenced this for the Chameleos...?
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/monsterhunter/images/e/e3/FrontierGen-HC_Chameleos_Render_001.png/revision/latest?cb=20140902033731
Discord was brilliant here, pulling off the whole Doctor Q trick.
Now, before el chapo decays any further, take a celuular, mana, neuro scan of the remains, and modify the Argus spell so that it fires off twice in quick succession, or better, throw in a temporal and phase inversion function, so it goes out through all the land seen by the sun, then the energy for the spell is recoverd by it coming back through all the land Not seen by the sun.
Ledger seems to have some really intresting feedback spells, could be a good base. Still need canon representations for the ratio of energy from the Dam, through magic gems, Tanks rotor and Rarities sewing machines etc. Suprised Flim Flam brothers didnt use one of those in their machines, or they did to run it but their own magic to start it etc.
Just think and nice little power source similar to the Alicorn Amulet, but just for transfer of existing supplies and not with psychotic curse included, letting Ledger do his own deliveries as large form?
Midnight sould be Soo happy.
That was awesome. And scary for a bit, I genuinely feared the leader was who she was claiming to be.
I imagine being on the receiving end of something like this might change Chryssie's outlook a bit.
Good that Chameleons are extinct.
Welp, Chryssie, sometimes to live you have to get molested by a horny Thestral.
thanks for the update!!
Nah, he'd clearly be the Prince of Peg-Air.
When did Twilight and Ledger bang? Because there has been zero mention or indication of it until he started getting threatened about it. In fact it is flatly contradicted. Last chapter they hadn't banged, she just gave him a hoofy, they were going to continue after a romantic dinner but Twilight never came back because yaks. This chapter starts the next morning, which we can tell because Ledger and Midnight reserving the bedroom for Twilight seducing is the reason Cider and Scope trashed the living room. The 'Lost Stanzas' are not optional if there is no indicator here that the 'stanza' in question happened until it is obliquely referenced later.
It's not, cree-py!~
good now all is left for leger to do is calet the bet he made with shing amor
6979626 - Din dong ding. You get a cookie.
Ah Chameloes... never have fun fighting that thing in monster hunter. Never. Love the weapon I got from it though.
6979447 I wholly agree with that. I wouldn't survive it either.
6980311 they banged in the Lost Stanzas. *spoiler* she had a spare moment and they did the do
6980669
6980924
Yay, fellow Hunters!
I loved fighting it. 'Course it was easy when I had the final Silver Rathalos Long Sword, and the Silver Rook to deal Dragon damage. Unfortunately, no one near me plays MHFU, anymore, let alone MH3U; the latter, fortunately, I can play online
Big Bad Evil Guy is threatening the city again? "Boom, dead, get outta my face. Next!" Love it.
6981059 And the fact that it happened is not optional, which was my point. It is a massive advancement of their relationship and in Shifting Melodies, it didn't happen. Optional 'explicit' chapters like that have to actually be optional! They can't be the only source for important information in the actual story!! See that romance tag? It makes the romantic relationships of the protagonist a central focus of the story and thus important. Frankly it is disconcerting, both that Twilight would 'pop back in for a quickie' after dinner then sneak out before the next morning like some scumbag frat boy ditching his latest one night stand, and that Ledger didn't find it surprising and worth considering when he woke up... right here;
Without any other information this line;
comes off pretty clearly as referring to before she left the previous afternoon right before Ledger started fixing dinner. You can't have information that changes the meaning and perspective of events only given in 'option' secondary material or it isn't optional! And how did they get close enough to partially drain Midnight if Twilight spent part of the night there and then left so late? Wouldn't her appearance/departure have complicated such a maneuver? Or did they drain her emotions from way off out of sight of the house? Because nobody is going to believe that. It would render every problem changelings have face null and void.
I'm starting to wonder what other important information I've missed in the not-optional-at-all explicit scenes. How many scenes have I completely misinterpreted because of it? Last chapter Midnight and Scope were sparing specifically to practice with their new armor and dragon shift, respectivly, and Scope just got caught up in draconic instincts right?
In this particular instance though the fact that they had suddenly warped past Twilight's physical intimacy issues, which were such a big deal last chapter, could have been covered as simply as:
Just a quick generic example that provides the critical information. Just like most of the other explicit scenes have had to let you know that they happened.
TLDR:
Explicit details- Optional
The fact it happened- Not Optional
6979888 Well played :V
6979888 The FRESH Prince of Peg-Air.
Eh? Eh? Ah I'll stop now.
~In all things, keep it casual.
Damn, this chapter was a rollercoaster of emotions but glad it had a happy ending.
Good grief, how much more bloody insanity can he get into before the wedding and the birth of his child?
6981543 "If we're so rich, how come we ain't got no ceiling?"
I love how you put a Monster Hunter monster in as the bad guy and then completely made it your own.
So Midnight has had her turn, Ledger as well. We doubt Cider would try. Scope, your number is calling!
So the thing at the Crystal Fair wasn't a fluke? Interesting...
Keep going! ;)
*read this chapter without having read Lost Stanzas*
"when Shining Armor finds out you deflowered his little sister"
"finds out you deflowered his little sister"
"deflowered his little sister"
HE DID WHAT!?
This line..... it is beautiful and made the chapter no matter what other content was there. Also when the hell did Ledger deflower Twilight? Only instance I can think of was even close was the drunk thing and that was a non starter. The rest of the chapter is kinda wtf and is gonna take a while to process.
Yeah, agreeing with other comments here. You accidentally the part where Twilight did something rather important with Ledger.
6984487 um, not quite...Twilight gave him a "hoof-job", and he...squirted on her...then later he sneaked up on her in the shower and started to do her, but she panicked and teleported away...
7491858 6984487 Yeah no.... That is not what happened. In the Lost Stanzas, there are dedicated chapters that, I believe were part of the story? Then were taken out so it can be clop free. Which is nice. Anyway, the chapter you're looking for is here. *CLICK HERE* Twilight comes back from dealing with the Yaks late at night and has sexy times with Midnight and Ledger.
I read the word Chameleos, and three years of rage just hit me at once.
Stealing my potions.
Killing me with poison, draining my stamina.
Turning invisible and flying away when I couldn't run after it, then staring me in the face as I tried to find it...
Ohhhh I hope this sonovabitch BURNS
prince of snark, indeed.
Masterpiece! Magnificent story & brilliant chapter ♡
A reprisal of that reference, huh. Still caught me off guard.
Ace won't be standing up for months.
Discord foreshadowing kinda killed the death of Ledger. Don't call me again, usually don't need to be said unless someone survives dying...