The Badlands hive
“Watch out for that-“
The warning came too late as Twilight slammed face first into a rather large rock, to which Chrysalis simply sighed with a facehoof.
Chrysalis, Twilight and a few snickering guards stood just outside one of the entrances to the Badlands Changeling Hive. After three days of milling about studying every single book in the library she could Chrysalis had finally managed to drag Twilight into the flying lessons she herself had actually asked for. So far the results were less than spectacular.
“Flailing your wings isn’t going to get you anywhere, you need to be in sync, unless of course you like the taste of sediment,” Chrysalis said in frustration.
“Ugh, flying is much harder than Rainbow Dash makes it out to be. At the end of the day I’m a mage, not a wonderbolt. Changeling magic I can handle just fine.”
Demonstrating her point Twilight summoned green flames around her and sank into the floor, before a second portal appeared right next to Chrysalis with Twilight stepping out.
“Wait… how did you learn that so quickly?”
Twilight glanced towards the starburst on her flank. “Well magic is kind of my thing.”
“Yes… well it still needs some work, you burnt a few hairs,” Chrysalis pointed at a few charred split ends in Twilight’s mane.
“Maybe so… but it’s still more successful than this flying business.”
“You don’t exactly have to be a wonderbolt, but having a queen kill herself because of her shoddy flying skills would be a rather pathetic way for a hive to go out,” Chrysalis groused.
“So I’m pathetic now?” Twilight frowned at her.
“That’s not what I said!” A mixture of annoyance and fear crossed her face. Insulting her daughter was the last thing she wanted to do.
Twilight sighed, relenting. “Yeah I know; it’s just so frustrating doing the same thing over and over again for five hours with no real progress. Some would say that’s the definition of insanity.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘no’ progress, when we started you couldn’t even get off the ground,” Chrysalis said trying to comfort her despondent daughter. “Let’s keep trying, I’m sure that you will get it in no time my daughter.”
“Yeah I suppose.”
Chrysalis looked at her guards, before moving closer to Twilight’s ear and speaking in a hushed tone. “Hey, can I reveal something?”
“What?” Twilight said in peeked curiosity.
Chrysalis pulled away from Twilight’s ear, instead opting to use the hive to communicate what she had to say.
Chrysalis continued. “Well, the first time I tried to fly do you know what happened?”
“What?” Twilight asked again, also over the hive.
“I crashed into the crystal in the atrium, or at least the old one as it smashed.”
“You what?” The shock registered on Twilight's face for a few moments, before she forced it back to neutral.
“Yeah, I managed to break the whole thing… and myself. We were lucky we had a single reserve crystal for emergencies, the very one you see there today. It was actually years before mother even let me attempt flight again.”
Twilight couldn’t suppress a giggle. “Wow that’s pretty bad.”
“Uh-huh, if anypony today found out my reputation would be ruined!” The internal voice sounded like Rarity, but the smile on her mother face let her know her true intent.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah I doubt that, but don’t worry, your secrets safe with me.”
Chrysalis moved away, and cast an eye over the vast wasteland. “It’s not so much my reputation with my own subjects, but more the risk of the other queens finding out.”
“The other queens?” Twilight asked questioningly, moving to verbal communication rather than over the hive.
“I would be a laughing stock to them, and there are many who look for any sign of weakness for an excuse to attack. Should they be able find the hive anyway.”
“I don’t see how a botched flight would be seen as a sign of weakness, it’s hardly logical to think that something like that from centuries ago would be relevant now.”
“Who said those queens were logical? Power is all they care for, and they don’t care how they achieve it.”
Twilight thought on that for a few seconds. “Well, surely not all queens are like that. I mean after spending time with you, I can see that you aren’t.”
“I’m not sure the Equestrians would agree, but thank you. And no, not all queens are like that, just a few like Crudelis and the late Imperatrix. Most queens just like to keep to themselves, only having contact with the others at the council. We think it’s best to distance ourselves from other queens just in case they do something stupid.”
“Like invade Canterlot?” Twilight quipped with a smirk, receiving a playful smack around the ear in return.
“I was thinking more on the lines of the war with the thestrals.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wait what?”
“It was a very long time ago, before your princesses defeated Discord and were raised to the throne in the process. I doubt the thestrals remember it beyond stories, even our knowledge of the event is… sketchy at best. What we do know is that a hive decided to make conquest against the then reclusive thestrals, only to fail and have the entire hive slaughtered.”
“There must be more! This is an entire missing page in pony history, this requires research! There must be more books about it somewhere in the library! I mu-“
“Oh no you don’t! I didn’t drag you out here just so you could wander right back into that library again!” Twilight had started to move towards the gateway, but her rear hooves were held back by Chrysalis’s magic.
Twilight huffed in annoyance, but ultimately relented, after all, the library wasn’t going anywhere.
“Oh fine. But mother, I will one day make you see the great value books have on this world! And I suppose there also might be information deep in the Canterlot Royal Archives, so I’ll just have a peek when I visit my friends.” Twilight finished, before noticing that Queen Chrysalis was staring at her wide eyed.
“Are… you OK?” Twilight asked, concern flooding her voice.
“You… you called me mother,” Chrysalis near-whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
Twilight shifted awkwardly. “I did? I… didn’t even notice. Not that it’s a bad thing I did but- well I…”
Chrysalis dropped to her knees, quickly wiped a single escaping tear from her eye, and grabbed Twilight into a carapace cracking hug. “You have no idea how long I have longed to hear you call me that…”
Twilight thoughts quickly shifted to Twilight Velvet, and how she suddenly felt she was betraying the mother who had painstakingly raised her. But then something said by Carduus rang in her ears.
--“You want to know what I think, Princess Twilight? I know the importance of family first hoof, and I think this shouldn’t change a damn thing between you and your pony family. If anything, this is just an extension of your family rather than a replacement. Your mother loves you, as does Velvet I’m sure.”--
A smile grew on Twilight’s muzzle, and she hugged Chrysalis back, receiving a loving nuzzle from her mother.
‘Carduus is right, this doesn’t change a thing. Velvet is my mother, and so is Chrysalis. I… love them both.’
It was then a then a thought occurred to Twilight.
“What… what happened to my father? My biological father I mean…”
Chrysalis broke away from Twilight. The light and joy from moments ago had vanished, leaving a dead look in her eyes.
In a flat, almost hollow voice. “Do you remember the reason why I had to give you up?”
“The love shortage right?”
“Yes… the thing is I’m not sure if I could have given you up. I was fifty-fifty, and more than likely would have stubbornly kept you with me despite the danger, if…”
Chrysalis took a deep breath, before releasing it in a long, sad sigh.
“If your father hadn’t passed on. The love shortage took its toll on all of us, some more than others. Your father… he became too weak from the lack of love energy and just… stopped. One minute he was here the next… I found out later why he ran out of energy so fast. He had been secretly giving it all to you.”
Twilight sat in silence, absorbing the new information. Her gut twisted and she couldn’t help but shed a tear for a stallion she would never get the chance to know, and who had probably saved her life.
“His name was Virum.”
“You… were alone for so long. I’m beginning to see things your way, in terms of Canterlot I believe. That still doesn’t mean I approve though!” Twilight added quickly.
“Neither would I expect you to. But the thought of losing you again…”
Twilight looked away from her mother for a moment, going into deep thought over a question she had been asking herself since this started.
“I have pictures of him, if you’d like to see them.”
“I would like that.”
Before either their conversation or the flying lesson could continue a Changeling guard ran up to the two royals and threw a salute.
“Your Highnesses! We’ve captured a small team of ponies tailing some of our drones!”
“What!” both royals shouted at once, making the drone realize that they probably should have informed them of the situation when it first emerged.
“Why didn’t you inform us of this before!?” Chrysalis barked at the now fearful changeling.
“I- we…”
“Ugh, never mind for now” Chrysalis growled, “Have them taken to the holding cells, but don’t place them in any. And have Carduus and his squad meet us there.”
“Yes your highness!” The changeling saluted again before running off.
Twilight gave her mother a worried look. “By holding cells I assume you mean those green pod things?”
“Yes, we adapted the pods in which we keep our young to hold prisoners, it’s much more effective than traditional means of detainment. Anyway we should go, there might be somepony there whom you know perhaps?” Chrysalis began to move towards the hive’s entrance.
Twilight herself instantly had her suspicions as to who it was.
‘Well there is only one guard I can think of who would brave a desolate wasteland right after, say… his sister was taken.’
Twilight began following her mother towards the hives entrance, both moving at a brisk pace.
‘Oh Shining what trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?’
Silly shining thats not how you find Twi
Hmmm... I don't know. Oh! Maybe getting captured by a potentially dangerous enemy, one that recently invaded his home, in the middle of wasteland, with no possible backup for a good while, would be considered big trouble, right?
DURR HURR MUSS SPETFIYUR.
ahem
i caught ur typo
EDIT: ...
...
"Imperatrix"
i am gonna flippin' die over here omg
i.ytimg.com/vi/7ai3Maj9IZQ/hqdefault.jpg
6749927
But he find her didn't he ?
6749993 It's her finding him. There is a difrence.
6750003
It was his plan all along!
Thank you, but maybe it is even harder to have this cliffhanger, than to have nothing right now.
6750042
Really I don't think it's that bad. Especially when you remember what's to come. You know the rival changeling hive that's kinda planing to kill Thilghlight. When that time comes then we will have a cliffhanger that I'd rather not have.
----------
Anyway great chapter and all. It would be nice if somehow next chapter would be completed by x-mass(would be one hell of a present) but I know these things take time.
So I wish you a Mary Christmas/Happy Holidays and a wounder full new year.
-BFBL
HOW TO DO? THE BOSS IS AFRAID!CHOP OFF THE TREE WHICH CAN CHANGE INTO CHAR. GET LOST, ONE IS IN THE DARK AND CLEAR FOREST BE AFRAID OF WALKING
ISN'T IT SHUIJUN JUST? I SAW A BIT. AS IF I FEEL HE RUNS ON THE SEA. HE IS BEAUTIFUL, STATELY AND CAN PASS THROUGH THE CITY QUICKLY HE IS AMAZING. I WANT TO SEE HIM CLOSELY GOOD I WILL CHALLENGE HIM, LET HIM TO ADMIT ME. NOW START TO FIGHT AT ONCE
That's all I could think about with that opening line. I don't know if that was intentional or not but yea.
Good chapter.
Happy Holidays
6750069 Intentional it was
6749927
As long as it's the right hive, sneaking in or getting caught, you still get to find Twilight. Now if Shining was snooping around the wrong hive... well, he'd be bug food right about now. I suspect he'll be out and trotting as soon as Twilight gets to the holding cells and forces his release.
A better question should be, what about that rival hive? Did they shadow the ponies and Chrysalis' capture crew? Did they even go so far as to have a spy in the group itself and one of those in a cell is the intruder? (Probably not for long if there was a fight and zappings to the head to subdue) And we still have the fake pony back in Ponyville about to cause a major political incident.
Am I the only one that can see the other changeling queen's plans failing because they underestimate Twilight and cause an alliance between the Badlands hive and Equestria to form.
NEAR around nill is not nill
Just a joke. I wish you a Merry Christmas
6750013
<Shining> I meant to do that!
6750235
Yeah, Celestia and Chryssie carew for Twilight and won't let the other hive hurt her, while Twilight won't let anyone hurt her mother. And she's the element of magic, indispensable for the safety of the land. Plus, in this verse Chryssie didn't go nearly as far during the wedding and actually told the others where Cadance was, so they'll be more inclined to help her.
All in all, very nice chapter. And the beginning was just golden.
Cya
Raziel-chan
Oh... I'm relieved that those changeling scouts were part of Chrysalis's hive and not that other one's, Crudilis, Crudlies, whatever.
6750069 *snrks* Yeah, that's the first thing that I thought of when I read it, too.
Child of the 60's right here, actually.
6750013 Possibly.
6750289 Me too, I was internally screaming at the possibility.
Good chapter, I wonder if Shining will get in trouble in the next one.
Well I like it, I've been meaning to read this for a while and I have finally caught up.
This is a very good alternate universe and I'm happy to see Twilight being Twilight along with the rest of the mane six as themselves. Even though we hardly get to see them. I am also intrigued by the underlying plot against Chrysalis and I can't wait to see more.
So, I'll see you at the next chapter.
She's beginning to see things Chrysalis's way regarding the choice to invade Canterlot rather than approach diplomatically? Whatever the consequences of revealing Twilight, surely she would realize Celestia wouldn't let her student die, and the political fallout would be way less as a consequence of that versus what was actually done. I don't see Twilght agreeing with Chrysalis here, just maybe disagreeing to a lesser degree.
Also, typos:
piqued
secret's
6752152 Chrysalis didn't realise how close twilight was to dying until it was almost too late, the only way to get love energy quick enough was to take it then and there, going through diplomatic channels would have taken too long, she would have died.
And while Twilight understands she does not approve as she clearly states.
6752915 Chrysalis had already kidnapped and impersonated Princess Cadance before she realized how bad Twilight's energy crisis was according to the story as I understand it, and planning and executing the operation surely took at least as much time as it would take to approach Celestia confidentially and get her to cooperate by diplomatic means. I don't mean opening negotiations with ambassadors, I just mean contacting Celestia in a less hostile way than impersonating the bride at a wedding the princess is officiating at. Chrysalis may have been surprised at how badly Twilight needed intervention but the operation itself was certainly not done on the spur of the moment; she seemed to understand the process that was happening and if it's a standard kind of thing then it was predictable long enough in advance for a less dramatic solution, unless Chrysalis did not trust Celestia to care enough about Twilight to save her.
Merry Christmas!
But I want a new chapter as a Christmas present!
George George George of the jungle strong as he can be . Sorry can't help it .[youtube=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UEm4LCWfrkA][youtube=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DvhtITfLDAo] try not to laugh.
Edit : merry christmas [youtube=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2MSFDaStdng]
Bah, humbug! Get writing, you!
Happy Holidays to you!
Sounds like most politicians to me...
Good story so far, nice work.
Great chapter, looking forward to the reunion, As well as when Twilight finally gets the hang of flying, I know when she meets up with Rainbow Dash, who still cares for her, will want her to be her flying buddy, and therefore, even if she doesn't get good at flying before then she will after. Rainbow will make sure of it.
6755885 *Begins Whipping*
Awesome chapter! This might be my favorite MLP FIM fanfic so far. Great work! And Merry Christmas to you!
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
I wonder how the Changelings solved this love energy crisis that required giving up the heir to the throne into pony hooves.
Also, how the hell did some Changeling drones manage to catch Shining Armor? Unless he was taken out of commission during the first two or three seconds of the battle, they shouldn't even be able to touch him. He has enough power to shield an entire city for days, but not three stallions for hours?
6761752 Remember how the changelings were following them and leading them into a trap?
Lol, that opening!
does not deserve a facepalm photo
7110830 https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F3%2F3b%2FParis_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg%2F600px-Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.musicbanter.com%2Frap-hip-hop%2F80138-rap-considered-music.html&docid=Yb5URJsoDVWihM&tbnid=1g2p4dKLTQ_haM%3A&w=600&h=400&itg=1&bih=603&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwiK-er74ZHNAhUP4WMKHbfmAuQQMwg9KBkwGQ&iact=mrc&uact=8 only if i found Crisi doing that.
6750003 https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpre08.deviantart.net%2F2904%2Fth%2Fpre%2Fi%2F2011%2F203%2F4%2Fb%2Ffar_pie_by_feralblooddragon-d41bghc.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Ftattertailart.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FFar-Pie-244078896&docid=S9DRu4CPVN9POM&tbnid=Ia1j9wtSRf8N9M%3A&w=1032&h=774&bih=603&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwjhu8SW45HNAhUP92MKHfw8APkQMwgnKAswCw&iact=mrc&uact=8
You asked for it. (Damn that's scary.)
7278294
Both those image links are redirect to a music site
luckily enough they're allied guards. We worried they might not have been.
I see a George of the Jungle reference!!
9012960
My response to that was going be. Tree? Rock? Column/Pillar?
Why do I feel a certain sense of... foreboding with this statement?
9830078
No. Bad thought! *baps*
Not even Tom117z would dare. Twilight would open a dimensional portal to his bedroom and banish him to Siberia. The one with tigers. Dressed in meat. Then block any future portals from ever opening again with her final spell to get home again.
Do not mess with the books!
Yeah, I know the man that will agree with you, Twi.
Well atleast it's not another hive.