64 - Queen of the Hive: Part 2
A beam of lavender magic streaked past the agile alicorn, striking some poor random pillar and reducing it to dust. Princess Luna came to a landing at the end of the hallway, which branched off into two opposing directions. She stood proudly in a battle stance, wings flared as she glared at the pursuing Changeling Queen.
“Sit. Still!” Twilight bellowed, coming into a quick hover and firing once more.
Luna, horn sparking with raw magical power, met Twilight’s attack with one of her own. The two beams of arcane energy struggled for a moment, before Luna twisted her head and directed the two flows into a nearby wall. The impact left a sizable hole in the side of the hallway, the discarded rubble showering both royals as their attacks ceased.
Two ponies had been in the room beyond the wall, the helmeted heads poking cautiously through the brand-new hole. The first thing the two guards sighted was the Changeling Queen, and on impulse they drew their swords. They jumped through the hole with a battle cry, bravely coming to their Princess’ defence.
“Back, fools!” Luna bellowed just as a lavender sword materialised and set course to decapitate the two pony guards.
Luckily for them, a blue aura wrapped around them and swept them to one side just before the sword was to make contact. A moment later, they vanished in a blue flash and appeared elsewhere in the castle.
“Protecting you subjects, Luna?” Twilight said tauntingly. “How cute.”
“Nopony shall interfere!” Luna exclaimed back, once again giving Twilight Sparkle her full attention. “This is not yet done!”
“You are correct,” Twilight replied, just as she darted forwards with intent to impale the alicorn on the end of her horn.
Luna dodged to one side, though this was apparently expected. Twilight had reached out with one of her hooves and latched onto the Princess of the Night, propelling her forwards and slamming her into the back wall.
Luna groaned, metaphorical thestrals flying circles around her head. Twilight reared up, still having a grip on Luna, preparing to slam the alicorn back into the wall with even more force than before. Grimacing, Luna kicked out and struck one of Twilight’s hind legs, causing the Changeling Queen to stumble and lose her grip. Free, Luna spun around and kicked out for a second time, only this strike hit Twilight with full force and sent her barrelling down one of the adjacent corridors.
The changeling queen landed with a sharp crack, a section of her chitin splintering. She hissed in pain, rounding to bear her fangs defensively at the large pony. Luna only gave her a challenging smirk, before stretching out her wings and flying down the opposite corridor. Twilight sent a bolt of magic after her, but it was easily avoided and instead impacted into yet another wall.
Twilight got up to her hooves, wasting no time in renewing the chase. But as she flew, she couldn’t help but notice something… off about her surroundings. Namely, aside from those two Luna had sent away, there seemed to be nopony between the entrance and where she was now. Not one.
Almost as if the way had been cleared in advance.
A new caution spread throughout her tainted mind, her speed lessening and her eyes scanning. She had no intention of stopping, to let the Princess of the Night slip away. She would press on, but cautiously.
She did not know the game that Princess Luna was playing, but she had no intention of being the loser of it.
The castle rumbled slightly from some far-off impact, the civilians around gasping in shock as well as the odd cry of fear.
Scarlet Snow held her son close, the pegasus colt hiding beneath her legs, trying his best to be brave like his father. But try as he might, he was just a child. The section of the castle they stood in had been completely locked down, and was very deep inside away from any of the entrances. All corridors leading to and from that section had been reinforced with recently erected barricades and were manned by a great many guards. One of the rooms in the wing had been converted into an impromptu medical facility, where medics and volunteering medical practitioners were tending to those who needed care. The rest of the rooms were simply holding all those who came seeking shelter, though there were so many that they were leaking into the corridors themselves.
Scarlet and Valiant were among those in the corridors, they and the other civilians doing their best to stand to the sides as the guard continued their patrols. Still, Scarlet couldn’t help but feel immense worry for every single soul within those corridors. They were packed like sardines, and if any sizable force of changelings got in…
Well, it would simply be a massacre.
“Is Dad alright?” Valiant asked quietly, looking up at his concerned mother. “He is alright… isn’t he?”
Scarlet looked her son in the eyes, offering him the sincerest smile she could manage at the time. “Of course, you will see him after the bad changelings have gone. Okay?”
Valiant looked away, but then gave a hesitant nod. “Okay.”
Scarlet’s smile wavered, and she couldn’t help but give a sigh. The EUP mare in her hated waiting, but there was nothing more she could do. Especially not when Valiant needed her to stay.
And then there was a scream.
Scarlet’s head whipped around to find the source, just in time for some poor mare to be sent barrelling through the corridor with green embers flickering off of her still body. More screams erupted as the civilians tried to flee down the packed corridor, and the EUP started to run in the opposite direction towards the incoming changelings.
There was a dozen rounding the corner, undoubtedly with more following on.
“The castle’s been breached!” one of the guards shouted, jumping into the fray.
One of the castle’s entrances had fallen, likely one of the smaller indirect ones. But however small and indirect it may be, changelings now had their way into the castle, and these ones were intended to slaughter all in their path.
The guards clashed with the drones as they came, killing several but only freeing up space for more that came their way.
Scarlet was about to move further down the corridor, but Valiant saw the fighting and locked in place, breaths ragged as fear poured off of the young colt. Scarlet lit up her horn, a levitation spell taking hold of the colt and lifting him onto her back. But once again, just as she was about to flee, something stopped her.
A nearby guard was hit with several simultaneous bolts of putrid green magic, all but vaporising the unfortunate stallion. His empty, charred armour clattered down next to Scarlet, as did his sword.
One of the drones that killed him charged further in, bearing quickly down upon Scarlet Snow. Instinctively, she gave a shout and sent a bolt of magic into the drone’s muzzle. He dropped, stunned and disorientated.
He was recovering quickly, however. But before he could threaten Scarlet or her son again, she picked up the discarded blade and thrust it into the drone. Another made a strike at her, but a flick of the blade sent the drone’s head rolling.
“Fall back! Protect the civilians!” one of the guards shouted.
The Solar Guard began to move back into the corridor as more changelings poured around the corner. Ravenous, bloodthirsty, they continued to arrive. Scarlet also began to move back along with the guards, lest she and her son be torn apart by the incoming mass.
And then she saw them.
She cut away one changeling who made a lunge, only to see two changeling mares behind the one she had slain. One she knew to be in her twenties, and another being of a mere fourteen years old.
“Soronis? Puellula!?”
The sisters were drawn by Scarlets shout, each giving a hiss of rage as their red glowing eyes zoned in on the unicorn. Scarlet stared, eyes wide as the two drones she had met in the Crystal Empire each struck forwards towards her, intent on ending her life.
“NO!”
Soronis and Puellula struck straight into a solid wall of red magical energy, the barrier completely plugging up the hallway. They recovered quickly, spinning around and glaring at the shield’s caster. Soronis hissed at the mare who was her friend, both she and her younger sister charging their horns to strike at the shield with their magic.
Scarlet flinched, sweat already beginning to roll down her forehead as the sisters of Serpens struck at the barrier, other drones around them beginning to follow suit.
The strained lessened, however, when a slightly blue hue joined her own. And then another colour was added into the mix, and another. When she glanced to the side, Scarlet saw the unicorns among the Solar Guard had leant their own magical power into the shield. None quite so fine tuned as her own, but enough to help ease the strain.
For the moment, at least.
“Take him!” Scarlet said to one of the pegasi among the guard. “My son! Get him away from here!”
The guard complied, prying the colt away from Scarlet despite his protests and cries. He placed Valiant onto his own back, held tightly between his wings as he ran off down the hallway, Valiant crying out for Scarlet to come with him.
Scarlet only afforded a glance back at her son, looking on in a mix of immense worry and relief. She then turned back to the changelings, looking at the sisters directly in front of her, only separated by the barrier of her own design.
“Please hurry…” Scarlet muttered to her husband and those with him.
She prayed that whatever plan they had would work, before she would either lose the ability to ever see her husband and son again… or be forced to kill a couple of friends.
Queen Twilight had lost sight of Princess Luna.
She wasn’t sure how, but the Guardian of Dreams had managed to elude her.
“LUNA!” Twilight shouted out, getting only her own echo in response.
She stood by herself in the centre of the hallway, her slit shaped pupils dilated angrily and scanning for even a single blue feather anywhere around her.
Nothing.
Twilight took in a few deep breaths, ignoring the relief deep in her subconscious and pressing on in her search. Her hooves clipped and clopped against the hard floor, the sound reverberating off of every single surface in every single direction. But continuing down the corridor, Twilight slowly began to realise just where it was that the chase had led her.
She slowly turned, facing the giant double doors leading into the castle’s throne room.
The door was slightly ajar, signalling its recent use. Perhaps Luna had decided to use the throne room as the backdrop for her destruction? There were worse places to die.
With the Empress’ go ahead, Twilight took hold of the doors in her lavender magic and flung them aside. She let them gracefully swing open and reveal the large space before her, entering and walking along the lengthy red carpet leading up to the majestic throne at the very end.
Only the throne was very much empty, and there was no sign of the Princess of the Night anywhere.
Instead, three familiar changelings all turned towards her as she entered, eyes wide at the sight. Twilight’s head tilted curiously as she examined Carduus, Panacea and Iuvenes. She hadn’t exactly expected these three little drones to be there, and was interested in what events brought them to it. And yet here they were, not yet initiated into the Empress’ hive mind.
An easy fix.
“Twilight!” Carduus shouted out, standing between her and his family. “You know me! Wake up!”
“Of course I know you, ‘Captain’,” Twilight sneered. “Hm, not much use for a cripple among out forces. But alas, I’m sure the Empress will find some small use for you.”
“My Queen, this isn’t you!” Panacea also spoke up.
“Yeah, you’re way cooler than this Empress person!” Iuvenes agreed.
“Watch your tongue, child,” Twilight scolded. “The Empress is the guardian of the world’s natural order, insult her at your peril.”
“We’ll do as we please,” Carduus growled back. “After all, isn’t this the Empress we’re speaking with now?”
“I am Twilight Sparkle. The Empress guides me, but she is otherwise occupied at this moment.”
“Same thing. Everything you are, it’s her programming,” Carduus shot back. “My Queen, my friend, the real Twilight is trapped in your accursed hive mind somewhere. Whatever you are, you’re a shade.”
Twilight snarled, horn lighting up and her aura taking hold of all three drones. She said nothing more to them as she reached out, plunging deep into their minds and locating their hive centres. The hive mind reached out, touching their minds and dragging them kicking and screaming inside. They struggled and grimaced in pain, their eyes morphing from a bright blue into a scornful glowing red.
Then Twilight gave a sharp gasp, her magic faltering and dropping the changelings to the floor, the three of them falling into unconsciousness. Twilight too began to wobble on her hooves. Like a fog lifting, she began to see the world a little clearer.
“What… Where…?” Twilight muttered, the world going dark.
And then she collapsed.
Twilight gave a sharp intake of breath deep inside the hive mind, her awareness of the outside world slipping away just as the incessant chatter of the hive mind began to dull. It was still there, and she was still wrapped tightly in the Empress’ chains. But the voices were… distant, and for the first time in a while her mind felt complete. She was completely herself, her mind no longer fractured into two. And yet she knew it wouldn’t last… whatever it was that was happening to her.
She looked around, the twinkling void of the hive mind had blackened out of sight. She was in a dark void, the depths of space without the comforting twinkling of the distant stars.
And then five motes of light began to swirl down from the heavens. Twilight watched in awe as they floated around her, each one giving off an extremely familiar presence. The five lights, the five souls, settled down directly in front of the Changeling Queen. They brightened for a moment, and then the shapes of five comforting ponies emerged from them.
They all saw Twilight, and Twilight saw them.
“Twilight!” the Element Bearers shouted, all immediately latching into their friend as if their lives depended on it.
And it probably did, all things considered.
“Girls!?” Twilight stated in surprise, her mouth gaping like a fish as she tried to comprehend their presence. “How!? How can you be here!?”
“Magic. Duh!” Pinkie Pie proclaimed with a roll of her eyes, knocking a hoof on the side of Twilight’s head.
“Princess Luna came up with a rather sound plan, darling,” Rarity explained. “Something about connecting our minds to Carduus and his family using the dream scape.”
Twilight blinked. “Wait… you mean she had you eight form a temporary hive mind by connecting you to their hives centres while you slept, linking your dreams to the source of the changeling hive mind!?”
“Yeah. Whatever,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. “It was kinda weird. She put us to sleep, then collected all of us in our dreams.”
“After that, she reached out with her magic and formed something of a bridge to them,” Rarity continued. “The Princess says it’s temporary, and will cease the moment we wake up.”
“She wanted to come herself,” Fluttershy said apologetically. “But she said that she had another task to do, and that she wasn’t the right one to do this.”
“Well, WE are friends,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“You got Carduus, Panacea and Iuvenes assimilated into the hive mind!” Twilight pointed out, scolding the five. “Worse, you are risking yourselves by being here!”
“Relax, egghead, we got this,” Rainbow replied. “Though it was a little weird. We could see the talk you had with them, you are kinda scary as a villain.”
“After you connected them, it was like a door to your mind just opened up before us,” Pinkie Pie added. “And I mean it was really a door. Dream magic is weird.”
“All magic is weird,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“Consider yourselves lucky you’re not changelings,” Twilight deadpanned. “Things would have gone a little differently.”
“Landsakes, Twilight!” Applejack exclaimed, motioning towards the chains. “The Empress has got you locked in tighter than a pig in a hen house! How do we get these darned things off?”
Twilight sighed. “I’m not sure you can.”
“Oh no, sugarcube. We went through all this weird magical macguffin to get to you, we’re not giving up now!”
Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle, looking up at her friends with teared filled eyes. “You girls… you came for me. You went through all this for me… I love you girls, you know that… right? Whatever the me on the outside might say?”
“Why does this sound a little fatalistic?” Pinkie asked in concern.
“Because the Empress is too strong,” Twilight continued, regret tinging her voice. “I tried to break free, I can’t. Wake up, break the connection while you still can. I don’t know what the Empress might be able to do to you if she finds you here…”
“We’re not leaving!” Applejack proclaimed. “Damn it, Twi! We’re willing to risk whatever that creature might do us.”
“If nothing else, you needed our support,” Fluttershy said, gently nuzzling Twilight on the head. “You’re not alone, Twilight. We’re here to help you.”
“Yeah, we can totally kick the Empress’ butt!” Rainbow Dash agreed. “This is, like, a Saturday for us!”
“No grouchy empress can keep this group of friends down!” Pinkie said excitedly, bouncing in place.
“Exactly,” Rarity stated. “Now chin up, darling. We shouldn’t tarry too long.”
Twilight looked at her gathered friends, all standing before her offering their most encouraging smiles. She was touched by their words, and her determination began to rise. The hive became even more distant as Twilight placed her hooves beneath her, attempting to rise.
“Yeah! Go Twi! Go Twi!” Pinkie supported.
The chains began to strain, cracks appearing along them. For a moment, it seemed as if they would break altogether.
And then the dark void around the six reached out, grabbed onto the surprised Element Bearers, and instantly dragged them back into the darkness.
“GIRLS!” Twilight shouted in alarm, staring in shock at the now empty space before her.
She swore she could hear their alarmed shouts echoing throughout the void, getting more distant each passing moment. But as they left, the hive mind began to become clearer once more. Twilight gave a strangled cry as the chains began to repair themselves, the Changeling Queen attempting to stay on her hooves even as the chains attempted to drag her back down.
“No… STOP! STOP!”
She cried out, her legs about to buckle under the strain.
And then they did stop.
Twilight stood completely still, her breaths shaky and her body crying out from the continued pressure given by the chains. And yet the void around her seemed to glow that little bit brighter, as if the warm glow of the sun itself was invading the hive mind.
“Twilight?” a motherly voice called out, causing Twilight to look up.
Princess Celestia stood an inch away from her, staring wide eyed at the trapped Changeling Queen. They just stared at each other for what appeared to be the longest time, Twilight shocked by her arrival, and Celestia by Twilight’s state.
“Twilight…?” Celestia said gentle, placing a hoof onto her cheek. “You… This is the real you?”
“I believe so,” Twilight replied, blinking. “First my friends… and now you?”
“Well, this wasn’t part of the plan technically,” Celestia admitted, looking around. “Where are your friends?”
“The hive mind has concealed them,” Twilight muttered in response. “I don’t think Immortalis takes kindly to intrusion.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” Celestia admitted, walking around until she was standing next to Twilight and draping a comforting wing over her. “I managed to make a connection with you while I… was fighting Immortalis. It took some effort, but I managed to exploit it.”
“This connection, it’s just between us?”
Celestia nodded. “I touched your soul. Luna connected your friends’ minds through the dream realm. Our connection is more… direct.”
“If Immortalis wasn’t aware of it before, she will be now,” Twilight noted with a sigh. “You should go.”
“No,” Celestia said with determination. “I will not leave you here any longer, Twilight. I cannot bear it. I cannot live if you are chained a moment longer!”
“I almost broke them…” Twilight said, leaning her head on Celestia’s shoulder. “But as a result, the hive mind took my friends and only made the chains stronger. I don’t think I can do much more.”
“The chains may have strengthened because your friends were taken, and your hope shattered,” Celestia hypothesised. “The Empress controls through domination, keeping your individual wills subverted and hollow. She will crush you in every way possible to make you submit.”
Twilight huffed. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Ever since the Empress first returned, and she dominated you, have you not been at your lowest?” Celestia asked gently. “An enemy you could not fight, who you could not save your subjects from.”
A single tear rolled down Twilight’s cheek. “Yes.”
“And as the war progressed, and her plans unfolded, hope would just slip away, and the chains would grow stronger still,” Celestia continued. “But then, with your friends before you, they slackened. Almost broke. Am I wrong?”
“I’ve always been strongest with them…”
“Because of the friendships you share, and the strength it gives you,” Celestia said. “Friendship and, ironically, love are the Empress’ weaknesses. Because they give us hope, and supplement our wills. Even now, your friends wish nothing but your freedom, to have you by their sides. And I… I love you, my daughter, and I will see you free.”
Celestia’s horn lit up with her golden magic, the aura spreading throughout the chains and struggling against them. They began to shake, but did not budge beyond that.
“But I cannot do that alone, Twilight,” Celestia stated, struggling against a force that pushed her back. “Twilight, we are all behind you. Now you must rid yourself of her! You must be able to have hope, feel love, and bring all your friendships to bear.”
Twilight braced herself, and then shot back up. She lit her own horn and began to pull against the buckling chains, physically pushing against them as they lost ground bit by bit. The void around them seemed to fluctuate, as if it was panicking. The confines of the hive mind struggled to keep her down, but as hope truly reignited in a fiery blaze for the first time since her assimilation, Twilight beat it back with Celestia by her side.
“Twilight Sparkle, be free!”
The chains snapped.
And then the chains evaporated, and the void stilled. Twilight stood at her full height, her breaths laboured, but a smile slowly growing on her face. Celestia looked at her, relief flooding her system.
“Twilight…” Celestia muttered, hugging her tightly with Twilight returning it in equal measure. “You’re free… I almost lost you…”
“Almost free,” Twilight corrected her, pulling away from the embrace as Celestia looked at her with concern. “There weren’t any chains when I first entered the hive mind, either. They came later, after the Empress had beaten me down enough.”
“Then… you are still in her grasp?”
Twilight sighed. “I’m afraid so. But… I’m close. I feel… powerful. More like myself, before all of this. I couldn’t oppose the Empress when she first arrived. But maybe now…”
“NO!” a voice boomed throughout the expanse, the void swirling violently and angrily.
“She knows I’m almost free!” Twilight shouted in alarm. “Celestia-”
But Celestia was gone, and Twilight was alone.
Vladimir grunted as a blast of magic sent him sprawling back. He impacted with a thud, holding his aching head.
“Vlad, are you alright?” Shining Armor called out as Vulgaris took to the air, peppering the ground with bolts of magic.
“Yeah, fine…” he responded, though his eyes fell upon his twisted and broken metallic wing. “Oh dear, that’s going to be expensive.”
“We’ll get you a new toy!” Shining remarked, only to then be kicked in the face by a black hoof.
“Shining!” Broad Sword shouted in alarm, running to the Prince’s aid.
It didn’t go well. Vulgaris turned to face the charging pegasus, lifting him up with a levitation spell and beginning to squeeze. She then also caught Façade, who was going in for another punch.
“You insufferable cockroaches, sit still and die,” Vulgaris snarled, continuing to apply pressure.
Spike unleashed a torrent of flames towards the Changeling Queen, causing her to jump back and drop both Broad Sword and Façade. The five regrouped and rounded on the Changeling Queen, going after her all at once. She responded by flaring her gossamer wings and letting off a large pulse of green magic, sending her attackers flying back into on of the entrance hall’s walls.
They all sprawled to the ground, bruised and beaten. To make it worse, some changelings were managing to slip in through the guards at the main entrance, making their lives all the harder.
“This isn’t going well,” Spike commented as he and the others forced themselves to stand.
Two drones slipped by the guards, sliding into step with the Changeling Queen as she prepared for a new round of attacks. They would keep on fighting, but they didn’t know how long they could keep the infuriated changeling at bay.
And then Vulgaris’ eyes widened, the voice of Immortalis bellowing out of her mouth.
“NO!”
And, just like that, Vulgaris abandoned the fight. The Changeling Queen turned and bolted into the castle, clearly alarmed to some unseen turn of events.
But she still left the drones behind.
The changelings pounced, but were far less powerful than the Changeling Queen. The five spent little effort in cutting them down.
“What was that about?” Vladimir enquired to no one in particular.
“I’m not sure, but something got the Empress’ attention,” Shining Armor noted, before looking towards the fortification at the entrance. “Come on, let’s lend the guard a hoof.”
They rushed over to support the Royal Guard, all while Queen Vulgaris was rushing to the throne room to stop another Changeling Queen while she was immobile, unaware that a blue alicorn would intercept her on the way.
This was all as Immortalis retreated fully into the hive mind, intent on confronting the one who awaited the end.
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CLIFFHANGERRR *Raises hoof*
Otherwise, go Twilight, free every changeling alive andyourself and beat her once and for all!
Tis a lovely cliff here. I do believe I shall hang off it. Yes, indeed!
Twilight is free of her bonds but she's still in the Empress's grasp. I wonder if the Element Bearers can use the Elements within the Hive mind?
This time with a sword AND built-in dart shooter! KNOCKOUT POISON FOR ALL!
bring out the full firepower it be time!!!!!! there are few tricks left in the bag now so make every singe one count twilight. but it can be done because it MUST be done. or suicide that works too.
Change the first "two" to "to".
Change "have" to "gave".
8640671
If they do, will we get technicolor changelings?
I also have this curious vision of several thousand changelings, and the queens, all vomiting rainbows at the same time as Immortalis is literally purged from the combined hives like the evil sickness she is.
yep Immortalis is panicking as she is losing a second time.
8642515
BLEEEEEEEEEEEEGH
hmmm me think twilight and the empress are about to truly fight it out within the hivemind,
With the power of friendship And your mother
YOU ARE FULL OF DETERMINATION