Tales of Old: the Sacking of Timbucktu

by Prince_Staghorn

The Great Queen Chrysalis

It was near noon, and the soldiers of Timbucktu were standing uneasily at the edge of their kingdom, eyes peeled for any oncoming attackers.

The return missive had arrived from Neighpon yesterday, and the reply was that there would be war.

The pegasi were on edge. Most countries had some stories of the fairy-folk known as changelings, but these tales often became mixed with stories of their cousin species, such as the elves and succubi/incubi.

So it was that the soldiers were passing stories between each other, debating on how factual these stories might be, whether or not changelings drank blood, if they would bring giant spiders, or if they would destroy the cloud kingdom by simply beating their wings in unison.^

The answers would have to wait, as a loud, buzzing drone suddenly permeated the air.

The changelings had appeared, and their ruler was at the head of the attacking force.

***

"Quietly," Aurora cautioned her soldiers as they positioned their boats under the massive cloud. "We have to give Chrysalis time to set up her distraction."

The Kirin began forming clouds out of the sea spray, carefully stepping on them and floating upwards. They formed small divots in the underside of their target, burrowing upwards until they were just under the surface, ready to burst out at the moment their empress gave the signal.

They didn't have long to wait, and soon erupted behind the enemy's lines, dispatching soldiers when necessary, but for the most part only aiming to incapacitate, not kill.

That was all part of the plan.

***

Meanwhile, the changelings had begun their phase of the plan, and were valiantly fighting their airborne foes. Some, Chrysalis noticed, were succumbing to certain instincts, and were sucking the love these ponies felt towards their city directly out of them, leaving them weakened and unable to fight.

I hope to Kami they don't overdo it, she thought to herself, thinking of the consequences of what could happen if a changeling fed on too much love over a short period of time.^^

She also noticed the battle was slowly shifting in favor of her enemy. In spite of their lack of magic, it seemed as though the pegasi were winning through brute force alone. Even King Orion was fighting. Weaponless, he drove his front hooves into the skulls of two changeling soldiers, knocking them senseless.

It was time for her own plan, which she had kept secret from everyone. If this succeeded, the "war" would be over in a matter of minutes.

***

General Topaz, a grey stallion named after his eye color, grumbled as he watched the battle. His recently injured leg had forced him to stay behind and keep a lookout from his station, rather than join the fight, which he would have preferred.

Just my luck. Those rookies get to have all the fun, and I have to sit here. It's not like I'll even get to actually DO anythi-

His thought was cut off as Chrysalis used both of her front hooves to ram the stallion into the ley-infused cloud wall behind him. Dragging him into the shadows, she held him, looking into his eyes as her own eyes and her horn glowed green, casting her spell.

"Shhhh..."

The pegasus' eyelids drooped, and he was soon unconscious. The changeling ruler gently laid him down, then surrounded herself in a flash of green fire.

Soon, an exact copy of Topaz stood over the sleeping stallion. With a smirk, Chrysalis suddenly took off towards the battle.

"I really hope this works..." she muttered to herself before filling her lungs and shouting for all the enemy warriors to hear.

"Retreat! Fall back to the castle!"

There was a general confusion, but the soldiers eventually retreated. Chrysalis repressed an urge to smile as her own troops cheered at the easy victory.

***

Upon arriving at the castle, King Orion confronted his general.

"What is the meaning of this!?! We were winning, and i gave no order for you to..."

He fell silent as Topaz was suddenly wreathed in green flames, revealing the form of who he assumed to be the new Empress.

Several ponies scrambled to protect their king, and Chrysalis drained them of their love.

Her logic was sound. The king was strong, she needed the power boost, she wasn't killing them...

However, she felt a small tingling. In her plan, she hadn't accounted for the fact SHE might contract a small case of love sickness. She laughed as she drained the last few pegasi.

"YES! I can feel the love you have for your home... DELICIOUS..."

Thankfully, the brief power trip was not long-lasting, and Chrysalis regained her senses in time to hear the sound of powerful wings flapping towards her.

"And now you, your majesty."

She turned... and her eyes widened as she saw the king coming at her full speed, a spear clenched in his hooves, a look of absolute fury and bloodlust upon his face.

She dodged to the side, and he swept past her. He turned, ready for another pass, seeking to destroy the young queen...

...Who panicked and lashed out with her magic.

The bolt of unrestrained energy tore through the king, leaving a fatal wound. He fell, his spear clattering to the ground.

Chrysalis cracked open one of her eyelids, then opened them both in shock at the sight of the dead stallion.

She hadn't meant for this to happen. she had expected a fight, yes, but he was supposed to have been unarmed. Her love-boosted magic was supposed to have restrained him, allowing them to talk things through... and now he was dead.

She had to act fast, before the ponies she had drained woke up and saw the corpse. Flying through the window, she shot a bolt of magic into the sky, and then, returning inside, she shot one down through the cloud, opening a hole that took Orion's body with it. With that done, she teleported away.

***

Aurora saw the flash before her warriors, and she gave the signal to retreat.

Whatever Chrysalis' plan had been, it had clearly worked, otherwise Chrysalis would not have set off the agreed-upon signal.

As she followed her samurai soldiers back down through the clouds to the waiting ships, she was glad this was over. After all, she had an island to look after and a daughter to take care of.

...Though maybe she COULD take a small break from her duties in celebration of this victory. Just her, some sake, and that nice stallion that was stepping off onto the boat below her.

Yeah, that sounded good to her! Maybe she'd invite one of the maids too!^^^

***

In the sea below, Thromnambular was surprised to see the corpse of a large pegasus stallion splash into the water, but he had still seen his granddaughter's signal. He waited a few minutes, and upon seeing the last of the Kirin and changelings leave, he turned to the massive shapes around him.

"Now!"

At first, there was silence. Then there was a barely audible groaning, which was soon accompanied by various moans, squeaks, and squeals, rising in volume and becoming more complex. Gentle blue and pink lights filtered up to Timbucktu, surrounding its pegasi inhabitants.

A song to sleep.

A song to forget.

Author's Note:

^ All false. the blood-drinking is a habit of Incubi and Succubi, the spiders are a Dark Elf thing, and the Utter Flutter is a Flutterpony-specific ability.

^^You get Love Sickness. It makes you kind of crazy and megalomaniacal and the next thing you know you're using your best friend's wedding as an excuse to stage an invasion in Equestria's capital city.

^^^ Like Celestia, Aurora is a MASSIVE flirt. Also like Celestia, she has no real preference on the gender of her partners