Chapter XVII
“Hey, calm down! Calm down! Hive not safe! Need to go!” I shouted, trying to be heard above the swarming ankle-biters. It was no use, though; either they were too wound up at seeing me butcher their prospective killers, or they were too in awe of seeing one of the fabled ‘prometheans’ in battle. If I had to guess, I would have gone with a resounding ‘both.’
Luckily, I had backup that seemed far more capable in dealing with children. The soldier was shouting at them, trying to be heard above the bustle of the kids, and was speaking way too fast for me to keep up with. I caught ‘little ones,’ and ‘hide here,’ though.
The one I had saved earlier, a girl (if I was judging her voice correctly), looked at the changeling soldier and gave a firm, knowing nod and said something that I actually caught. “Okay, we’ll play hide and seek! You stop all the bad changelings, okay?”
“We will, you just-”
“No, I go ahead,” I said, stopping the soldier in his tracks.
“But-”
“No, listen, what about that one?” I asked, pointing at the young changeling that was still unconscious. The soldier stopped to consider the little one, before looking up at me with his pupiless eyes. “If we leave, who take care him? Enemy would kill moment they walk through door, and there nothing we do stop it!”
The soldier looked at me, clearly confused, and spoke again. This time he spoke a bit slower, probably so that I could catch it. “But… how will you be able to find your way to the top?”
I brushed off the question with a wave of my hand. “No worries there. I just have head up, right? Besides, I have ability at running into trouble, pretty good brain directions. I find ponies, one way or other.”
The changeling looked at the swarm of ankle-biters with some trepidation, and I could hardly blame him; it was a huge responsibility. Unfortunately, he was the only one present who could fulfill that role. I still had to get to the ponies at the top, regardless of whether or not I had a guide.
Not only that, but I trusted him to do this, too. The chances of him being an enemy changeling were less than zero, seeing as how the perfect opportunity to betray me would have been right after I had passed him on the way to rescue the kids. “No worry, I stop ponies. Just keep safe, and tell quick which direction to go. Find way from there,” I said, giving him a reassuring smile.
The changeling took one more look at the ankle-biters before taking a huge gulp and nodding in assent. He said something quickly, somewhat faster than I could fully catch. What I did understand filled me with hope, though. Apparently, the higher I got in the hive, the more all the paths funneled into the secondary exit. With any luck, I wouldn't even need a guide for the most part.
“Okay. Stay safe, I go,” I said as I turned and sprinted from the room. I could hear the children’s shouts of encouragement chase me out, which only served to harden my resolve. Despite the danger of the situation, I still felt hope rise in my chest. Somehow I felt like this would all turn out for the best.
Murphy and his freaking law, on the other hand, had other ideas.
It didn’t take me long to find a ramp leading upwards, so I quickly ran up it, remembering the soldier’s somewhat shaky directions. As soon as I reached the top, though, I came to a screeching halt, my eyes darting around nervously.
The landing of the ramp was a fairly large room, with three branching paths leading away from it. That wasn’t what made me stop, though. No, what made me stop was the group of five changelings standing near the center, quietly arguing with each other. Or, at least they were, up until the point where I had noisily charged up the ramp and into the room.
Before I could even think to wonder about whether or not these were friendlies, one of them got a devilish smile on his face, lowered his head towards me, and charged. Green flames quickly enveloped his form, and I could hear the air around him hum with excitement.
Luckily for me, I had not only already seen this trick, but had the wetware in my noggin needed to counter it. Time seemed to slow down right before he reached me, and I jumped over him without even fully thinking about it. I heard him go straight down the ramp and crash into something, and that was all the attention I paid to him as I ducked my head to avoid a laser from one of the others.
The changelings that remained seemed shocked that I had managed to avoid that, as they should have been, considering what I was. They took a few steps back, allowing me to stand at my full height and fix them with my best, soulless glare. “I not have time for you,” I growled as I unsheathed the claws on my uninjured hand, my eyes narrowing dangerously as I stared down the hostile, albeit extremely nervous-looking changelings. “If you not want die, I suggest run other way, leave hive, never come back.”
They took one look at each other, another at me, then began charging their horns while they hissed menacingly.
“Suit yourself,” I said as my perception of time slowed to a crawl. If they fired their magic into beams like I’d seen them do up until now, then it would be child’s play for my implants to determine where they were going to fire. Unless, of course, they had power on par with Luna or her sister; if that was the case, I was royally screwed.
I rather doubted that, though.
Even as that thought came to mind, I could see red lines extend from their horns, giving me the predicted pattern of where the enemy would fire. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and saw in my head where I wanted to go. On my exhale, I moved.
I leapt up into the air, twisting my body to avoid the ray that had been aimed at my head. The other three passed harmlessly under me, along with the changelings that had fired them in the first place. I then tucked and rolled, being careful not to land on my still-injured shoulder, got to my feet, and charged down the hallway behind them. I could hear them swearing as I got the heck out of dodge, but I paid them no mind. Instead, I shouted out a battle cry that would have made Doctor John A. Zoidberg proud.
Yeah, I probably could have taken them all down. Probably. But that’s the thing; I really didn't have the time to deal with this, or the element of surprise to back me up. Not only that, but they had magic. I still wasn't a hundred percent sure on how it worked, or its limitations, and with that kind of unknown, it was a much smarter move to avoid a fight where I could.
As I beat a hasty retreat, I could hear them shouting behind me, trying desperately to catch up with me. They probably could, there was no doubt about that, but they’d tire themselves out before I did. Of that, I was certain.
Now, all I need to do is find some friendly changelings, or the ponies, and I’m all set! I thought as I took a hard right, grabbing the edge of the door to help me make the turn.
That, of course, was far easier said than done. Especially when I made another turn, and ran straight back into the ramp room I had started in. The changeling that had charged me was still here, rubbing his head, looking for all the world like he had the worst hangover ever.
“Well, this could take a while…” I said as I kicked the poor sod in the head, knocking him out instantly. At random, I chose another hall and ran down it, hoping that this way would lead me up and out.
Knowing me, though, I was probably going to run straight into the hooves of the invading queen herself. At that point, I honestly kind of expected it.
At any rate, all I could do now was run, keep out of the enemy’s hooves, and follow the obvious yellow arrows on the sides of the walls.
Wait…
I slowed down a bit and looked at the arrows in confusion. I knew that there had been no arrows here before, but for some unfathomable reason they had appeared on the walls and floors, and I had started to follow them without even thinking. I was about to come to a full stop to examine them further, but the telltale hum of spellwork behind me quickly drove that thought from my head.
“Whatever! You’re the boss, arrow-guy!” I said as I charged down the hallway.
Hopefully I wasn’t being led to a trap...
* * *
"They’re breaking through! What do we do?”
Hephaestus looked towards the frightened pupa, let out a weary sigh, then stepped forward. “The grownups are going to take care of this, okay? Whatever you do, don't let anyone smaller than you near the doors, okay?”
The youngling looked like he was on the verge of tears, but he nodded bravely anyway. Hephaestus fell into line with the other caretakers and charged his horn. He wasn’t a soldier; in fact, he had never even performed this spell. He’d seen it done before, knew the theory behind it, sure, but to actually practice it…
There was no time for doubt, though. He knew what he had to do; what his brothers and sisters had to do. There were only six of them, hardly a force to be reckoned with, but they were going to hold this line no matter what.
He almost jumped when Athena, the changeling next to him, began to sing. It was slow and mournful, a song that spoke of death, and the life that lay beyond. It was a song that had been passed down to them by the Prometheans, along with the promise that the hive would sing it for them if they failed.
How fitting… Hephaestus thought as he took up the chant with her. Another soon followed, then another, and another. Finally, the whole room had taken up the chant, the children either following along if they could, or crying in fear as they felt the despair in the room.
With one final heave, the door ripped apart, flinging bits of Father around as the changeling in front tumbled inward. Hephaestus released the charge in his horn, striking the one in the front, but it hardly mattered as more changelings poured through the hole. He didn’t stop singing, though. None of them did as the wave of death poured through the breach.
They must have brought an army to exterminate us… Hephaestus thought as he readied his horn for another shot. He knew it wouldn’t matter; none of it would. They were all dead changelings. Chrysalis had seen to that.
Athena fell to the earth as a changeling tackled her, but Hephaestus paid her no mind, instead charging his horn for one more strike before charging at the horde in front of him, brandishing his hooves like clubs. He felt something hot pierce his shoulder, but he ignored it, despite the pain screaming in his head. All that he could hear were the screams of the fallen, and the cries of the children as they watched their keepers fall.
He kept fighting, though. Even as his hind legs were blown off, he kept moving, dragging himself forwards to take the monsters down. He felt something grab him and shove him into the wall, pinning him there. He could feel the blood drip from his legs, but he didn’t care.
All that mattered to him was the screaming larvae, and the monster that held him in its uncaring magic.
“You’ve fought marvelously,” the monster growled, its eyes flashing dangerously. Behind the monster, Hephaestus could see others like it gather up the younglings, harshly shoving and kicking until they were all together. Altogether, there were about thirty of them. Far too many for Hephaestus to take on his own, even if he had been in top condition.
None of the little ones had been killed yet; in fact, not a single egg had been broken. But as Hephaestus watched the monsters gather his charges together, he knew that that small mercy wouldn’t stay like that for long.
Once all the little ones were together in one group, the monsters stopped, turning towards their apparent leader, waiting for his word to begin the slaughter. It was almost peaceful, the calm that followed, broken only by the unending cries of the ones too young to understand what was happening.
The monster holding Hephaestus looked up at the wounded changeling, a malicious glint in his eye. “I find it fitting, that the last ‘ling standing should have the honor of seeing his hive’s future crumble around him,” the monster said as his horn grew brighter. Hephaestus didn’t close his eyes to the horror that was about to unfold. He couldn’t; the monster in front of him was holding his eyes open, ensuring that each brutal second would burn in Hephaestus’s mind for however long he was allowed to live.
Hephaestus let out a defeated sigh, then raised his voice once more in song.
“Stop that,” the monster said, sealing Hephaestus’ mouth closed. Hephaestus’ eyes sought out those of the little ones, and he tried to convey with his eyes alone that it would be okay. Tried to comfort them one last time before the end.
As Hephaestus stared, he felt something stir deep within his soul. He couldn’t put a name for the feeling that was twanging through him, but if he were to describe it, it was as if someone had plucked a deep, dark chord on the strings of his heart. Unbidden, he felt his eyes flicker towards the entrance, and his heart just about stopped at what he saw.
There, at the entrance, was an unbroken wall of pink, its light bright and angry as it rushed towards the gathered changelings. The changeling that was holding him must have sensed something amiss, because at that precise moment he turned, gasping in horror at the wall of death that quickly rushed towards him. He released his grip on Hephaestus, launching a quick spell at the barrier, attempting to prolong his life for a precious few seconds before that vengeful wall crushed him against the unyielding stone of the hive.
Hephaestus just closed his eyes, though. He knew he was already dead, and it was somewhat comforting that it would be quick and relatively painless compared to the horrors that Chrysalis’s brood would have inflicted.
The quick death never came, though. Instead of being picked up and hurled against the hard stone walls, he felt something warm and inviting wash over him. His wounds weren’t any less painful, but he felt a surge of hope rise in his chest, washing away the fear and despair. Hephaestus risked a peek, only to see something that he couldn’t believe.
Rushing into the nursery were Equestrians, standing shoulder to shoulder with changelings from the lineage of Providence. They quickly filled the room, checking the bodies, searching for the wounded, and trying desperately to calm down the still screaming children.
Hephaestus looked for the monsters, trying desperately to shake off this dream that had intruded upon reality. He found them, but they were only here in the physical sense. Their bodies had been carried up and away, missing the children, and plowing deeply into the stone walls of Oberon. They were little more then smears; a grisly reminder of the power that the Equestrians held in their hooves.
A shadow fell over Hephaestus, causing him to turn his head to look at its owner. Standing over him was a pony, his armor gleaming brightly in the pale pink light, his eyes sweeping over Hephaestus with an expression that the wounded changeling couldn’t quite place. After a few seconds of this, he stepped forward, his horn shining with a brilliant glow, and Hephaestus started to feel his consciousness slip away.
“Wait…” the changeling gasped, struggling against the spell that was trying to drag him into a deep, dreamless sleep. “...Why?”
Prince Shining Armor just stared at him, before sighing, and allowing the ghost of a smile to grace his muzzle. “Because it’s the right thing to do,” Hephaestus heard, right before darkness claimed him.
* * *
“Hey! What the heck do you think you’re-” the changeling’s shout was suddenly cut off by a shrill scream as an angry green beam of energy scythed through him, leaving a gaping hole where his chest should have been.
“Remind me again why we can’t just use magic to cut through the door?” Rhino asked as he charged up for another shot.
“Pay attention next time,” Flitter said as he chopped his blade deeper into the door. It was covered in deep gouges, and he could even see the room on the other side a little. It was also bleeding somewhat, but that was to be expected.
After all, they were cutting through the Lord Consort of the Hive.
“I was, I just- crap!” Rhino barely dodged a bright pink blast of energy, and sent an answer back towards the offending changeling, nearly taking off his head in the process. “I TALK WHEN I’M NERVOUS!” Rhino shouted.
Rhino knew exactly why they weren’t using magic; a father of a hive was a repository for all the love of the hive. He had no way of using that power directly, but he could defend himself. Specifically, he could denature and disperse magic attacks that were directed at him. A father had his limits, though. He had to be aware of the attack, to begin with. On top of that, If you threw more energy at him then he had stored, you could conceivably exhaust his supply, killing him in the process.
Rhino had no illusions on how much power he or any of his kin could produce. Just getting this far had taken quite a bit of power. Not so much that it would have been life threatening, but enough to make it a bad idea to continue if they still wanted to escape.
“You guys just worry about reinforcements. We’ll worry about the door,” Flitter said as he took another chop at the bleeding door in front of him. He could see through to the other side, but only barely. It looked like someone else was inside the room with the father, but Flitter couldn’t be certain. “Okay, we’re almost through! Cocoon, you chop right here, while I pry right here. It should snap the bone underneath!”
Flitter shoved the hooked back of his axe into the hole and pulled. With an ominous creak, the door opened a little, but still held firm. That changed the moment Cocoon swung his heavy, broad-bladed axe at the door, shattering the bone underneath with a sickening crack that was felt, more than heard.
“I heard that! It’s open, right? We can kill him and go home, right?” Rhino asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
“Um…” Cocoon said, rubbing the back of his head uncomfortably.
“Well…” Sylph chipped in, not really wanting to pop Rhino’s bubble.
“Queen Chrysalis take this whole stinking hive…” Flitter swore, stamping his hoof in frustration.
Rhino and the others watching the hall turned back for a moment, only to see something that made their hearts fall. Standing behind the tattered, broken remnants of the old door was a brand new one. This one was much thinner looking, though, so much so that Rhino could see light through its translucent folds, as well as the thick-looking bones that made up the supports.
“It’s a new one, so it shouldn’t take as long to pry apart,” Cocoon said as he picked up the axe he had stolen from the armory downstairs.
“Yeah, but do we have time to carve it up?” Flitter asked, eyeing the door critically.
Sylph didn’t even bother trying to answer that question. Instead, he hefted his stolen weapon and chopped at the door with one smooth motion. “For the Queen!” he shouted, working himself into a frenzy. The other two followed suit, working themselves up as they hacked at the offending growth, trying to pry this one open as well and get to the vulnerable father inside.
This one must have been far, far weaker than they thought, because it only took them a minute to cut it open. “Quickly! Inside!” Sylph shouted, motioning for the others to follow.
They all dove inside, quickly making a perimeter around the doorway once there, ensuring their privacy as Flitter delivered the Queen’s message and judgement.
Pod Leader Flitter stepped forward, examining the room with a critical eye. It was somewhat oblong, with a sloping floor with short steps that made the whole thing look like a small amphitheater, or some kind of classroom. This feeling was further reinforced by the small, soft toys that were scattered around in the center of the room. At the other end, Flitter could see a brand new wall, probably put into place to protect whomever had been inside the room with the Lord Consort when Chrysalis had begun this invasion.
The father of the hive himself was easy to find, however. He hadn’t even tried to create a barrier for himself, and was instead staring at Flitter with a surprisingly calculating expression. Flitter returned his gaze with one of his own: The Consort was… pretty average, as consorts go. He was merged with the wall to Flitter’s left, having been subsumed by the hive to such a large degree that only his head and a single hoof remained; sticking helplessly out from the hive that he was intimately a part of. Flitter could still tell which hive he had originally come from, though; Oberon’s eyes were still as yellow as the day he was hatched, their piercing glare conveying a deep disapproval for what Flitter was doing. The walls of the room Oberon was a part of had that homely, organic feel that made Flitter feel somewhat nostalgic, if he were being completely honest with himself. The whole effect together made Flitter feel somewhat ashamed of himself, a feeling that he quickly tried to cast aside as he approached the Lord Consort of Providence.
"Have you come to end me at the petty orders of your tyrant?” Oberon asked, shaking Flitter from his revere.
Flitter didn’t answer. Instead, he placed four beetle-like objects on the ground in front of Oberon before stepping away quickly. Oberon stared at the objects impassively, watching with little interest as they opened up and connected themselves to each other through beams of brilliant green light. The beetles then changed even further, weaving themselves into a web-like pattern before erupting with energy. A hole in the fabric of the world seemed to form in the air above the webbing, before resolving into the face of the Queen of Desolation.
“Glimmerwing! Long time no see…” the queen hissed in apparent delight.
Oberon, however, said nothing. In fact, he didn’t even seem to be paying attention.
“Oh, come now. You must have seen this coming… After all, you and your hive did side with those Providence traitors...”
“The name is Oberon, now. And all they did was to alert the Equestrians of your duplicity. Since you’re hardly our ally, I wouldn’t call that treason,” Oberon replied, his contempt barely hidden.
“No, they sided with food over their own kind!” Chrysalis shouted, her rage burning clear, even through the vision beetles. “For that infraction, you and your hives are sentenced to death.”
Oberon raised a single eye ridge, but otherwise didn’t change his expression in the slightest. “You should have brought more changelings, if your goal was our extinction. Tell me, were you planning on talking me to death?”
Crysalis gave a short huff. “Your death will come soon enough, I needed-”
“No, you wanted. You’re a talker, Chrysalis. Always have been,” Oberon said, his eyes seeing straight through the changeling queen and into her soul. “You live for the theatrics. You want someone there behind you, to see every move that you make, and gasp in horror at your planning. It makes you feel good to gloat.” Oberon’s face broke out into a smug smile at that. “If memory serves, isn’t that how you lost against ‘your food?’”
Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed menacingly at those words, clearly infuriated at what he said. Flitter couldn’t help but wonder why the consort was antagonizing the queen this much. Is he that eager to die? he thought to himself. He snapped out of his thoughts, though, when he realized that his queen was talking to him. “Kill him, but make it slow,” Chrysalis snapped, clapping her hooves together. “This is what happens when you oppose me, Oberon.”
“We already know what happens when someone gets on your bad side,” Oberon said, waving his only remaining hoof negligently as Flitter approached, brandishing a knife. “Everyone knows what happens when you get on the bad side of The Queen of Desolation. All anyone has to do is look at the blasted landscape that surrounds your hive. The remains of your once populous food source.”
“Be quiet if you know what’s good for you,” Flitter growled as he drew closer. “You’re just making this more painful for yourself.”
“Oh, I already knew that,” Oberon said, waving his hoof negligently at Flitter. He then turned back to the queen, his eyes narrowing just a little bit. “What I can’t figure out is why you thought this small, sorry excuse of a force was enough to destroy my hive. We are strong, and with the help of the Equestrians, we will recover, with or without me.”
“Oh, I know that. Which is why my changelings have set up this beacon,” Chrysalis said, easing herself back into her throne. “My armies are already readying themselves to come pouring into your hive. Wiping everything out in a flood of death. Soon, Equestria will be mine!”
Oberon looked around at the changelings that surrounded him, then down at the mass of webs that made up the beacon. “And yet, for all your planning, you’ve overlooked something.”
Chrysalis seemed amused by that. “Oh? And what is that?” she asked, raising an eye ridge at the Lord Consort.
“If you wanted to take this hive so badly, you really should have sent more changelings.”
Chrysalis just snorted at that. “Yes, yes… you’ve said that before. Weren’t you listening? My force there is sufficient, and soon you will have far too many there to even think about repelling them. You are-”
“Not for my children, not even for the Equestrians,” Oberon interrupted, taking the wind out of the queen’s sails just a little bit. She looked annoyed, but narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Oberon’s face broke out in a cruel smile. “No, you should have sent more to deal with the Promethean Demigod.”
Chrysalis looked confused at that. “I’m… sorry, but what in the name of the Spirits is a Promethean?”
There was a low, throaty growl that seemed to crawl up Flitter’s spine and earth itself in his brain. It then seemed to root around in his head, searching for every primal fear inside, before bringing them all to the forefront of his mind.
Flitter quickly turned to the source of the noise, and immediately noticed something wrong. The once brightly lit hallway beyond this room had been plunged into darkness, the magical stones leading to this room having been snuffed out. In fact, the stones inside Oberon’s chamber had also been extinguished, the only remaining light source being Chrysalis’s beacon.
That changed when Flitter noticed two pinpricks of red light stare out from the pitch-black hallway beyond. Flitter couldn’t be certain, but he thought he saw a faint outline around those baleful eyes.
The changelings closest to it took a nervous step back, before firing at the monster just beyond their sight. The flare from their horns briefly illuminated the hall, revealing absolutely nothing beyond this room.
“What’s going on?” Chrysalis asked, her voice slightly panicked. She then turned to someone in the same room as her, her face a mask of rage. “Go now! Do not let this slip through our hooves!”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that, but this victory has already slipped through your hooves,” Flitter heard Oberon cackle. Thinking quickly, Flitter turned, the knife in his magical grip slashing towards where he knew Oberon was. Even if this new monster takes us, I’ll still-
His thoughts were cut short as five long, sharp blades passed straight through his sternum and into his spine. Flitter was faintly aware of the merry jingle of metal on stone as the knife he held fell onto the stone floor, but that hardly mattered to him. All that he could think of was the tall, imposing form that had seemed to appear between himself and the Lord Consort. It looked down at him, its black eyes seemed positively demonic, especially with those glowing, red holes in their center. Flitter coughed, splattering the creature with his life essence, but it hardly seemed to care as it roughly pulled its long, sharp claws from Flitter’s chest. Flitter coughed once more, before stumbling, then falling into the icy black of eternity.
Most badass chapter EVER.
My only complaint about these past two chapters is that the only reason none of the children were killed is because Chrysalis' army had a spontaneous bout of mass stupidity every time the kids showed up. They're racing the clock with the whole invasion, they know they are. Speed is literally their only hope of not only escape, but success at all. They butcher the changelings of Providence hive without a moments hesitation in order to complete their mission... unless it's a child. Then suddenly it's stunning spells, wasting time gathering them into groups, and standing around staring at each other while waiting for orders that they already have. Seriously, you don't need to feel bad for the kids. They have so much plot armor they could have just wandered the halls during the invasion and come out of it just fine.
On a different note, where did that whole thing with Hephaestus and Athena happen? I thought they were in the room with Oberon, but from the sounds of things they were in two separate rooms somehow. I mean, I know it was mentioned about a wall in Oberon's room, but even then I thought they were only invading from one direction, so how did the group with Shining Armor get on the other side with Chrysalis' drones?
8272618
I believe that Hephaestus was the one that Alex left behind to protect the children.
When I read the Google docs of this, I was on the edge of my seat. It didn't quite have the same impact the second time, but the first time, when Hephaestus made his stand, I was thinking, "Okay, he's going to be rescued any minute now. Any minute... now. Any... minute... now..." By the time reinforcements came, I had thought that he was pinned to the wall, with his rear legs ripped off. (I don't know why.) I was on the edge of my seat, thinking, "No!, Not Hephaestus!"
I don't remember knowing who this character was before this chapter.
8272663
I did like that fight. I'm a sucker for last stands.
But anyway, I thought Alex only left one changeling with the kids? And it was an actual soldier at that. Though I suppose that could have just been Alex misunderstanding the nature of the changeling that was escorting him to the top of the hive, but then that leaves me wondering why he would have met one of the caretakers down at the waterfall.
8272678 Hephaestus''s fight took place in the nursery, which is separate from Oberon''s room. Yes, this is the first time we've seen him. And actually, it was made very clear that this room was separate in the last chapter, since Luna sent Shining Armor to the nursery, whIle she and Titania went to save Oberon.
Yes, I understand that you're a bit miffed that the changeling were stupid, but I am really against stories where kids get killed. I don't like them even in the slightest, and even going this far made me really uncomfortable, almost to the point where I couldn't write at all.
You can think of Hephaestus and a lot of the other named changeling as named side charecters. Their main purpose is not to hog the spotlight, but to flesh out the world, make it seem like these places are more than just words on a computer screen, and that these people have real lives at stake. At least, that was what I was going for when I wrote them.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get to bed. I'll answer more questions when I wake up.
8272618
The apples don't fall far from the tree, I guess.
> raises finger
> reads author note
> lowers finger
Okay then. Question answered :)
8272761
If it weren't for how quickly and easily they were killing everyone else, I'd be totally fine with that answer. But it seems like it was just a matter of Knight's personal preferences, which only leaves me wondering why he put such a spotlight on the childrens' part in the battle if he wasn't comfortable treating them like everyone else in the battle.
But all in all it's a fairly minor thing, so whatevs. ...I need, like, a shrugging pony emote here, not all these stupid mobile emotes that don't even work on computer...
8272702
I didn't think there were any adults left in there aside from the one that followed Alex? Weren't all the other adults killed or whatever by the first group of changelings that Alex killed in there? Or was that all in a different room entirely?
Actually I got all that, mostly, but I was trying to point to the fact that Queenie must have something special planned to deal with Alex after the failure of the previous agents.
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/572/163/be5.jpg
I would feel bad too.
8272786
Irk? Someone made a script to add those emotes to the site a long time ago, but changes to the site made it impractical. Why Knighty never any adopted new pony-motes after all these years I'll never know.vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gyropedia/images/f/f9/Ponyshrug.gif/revision/latest?cb=20110721000602
8272786
I feel like you replied to the wrong person with the first one, as it doesn't make any sense
Nah, that doesn't make scum at all, ur shows you have a good conscience.
The way you set up the ending to the previous chapter, I honestly thought it would be alex coming to save the little ones, but I'm just glad their safe. Are you going to throw alex at chrysalis' horde? The best type of human violence is when it's used to protect the innocent in my opinion.
8272786
All right, so I've gone back and re-read the entire trilogy thus far, and I can say this: not only have we not met Hephaestus before, we haven't met anyone in the nursery before. The nursery showed up briefly during Alex's initial tour of the hive. The guard that followed Alex was one that he chose at random from those milling about the waterfall entrance. On their way up to the top entrance, they ran across a separate group of children, those that had been watching the story of the Promethean in the crypt(?). That guard stayed to, well, guard them. Then Alex continued to look for the top entrance. (Remember, at this point, he's still trying to co-ordinate with Luna and make sure that the Equestrians know that there're two teams of changlings.) Oberon redirected him up to the Consort's chamber, where's there's a third group of children, this batch hiding behind a hastily constructed barrier.
Darn kids. They just get everywhere.
8272618
While I mostly agree with you, I feel the need to play a bit of Devil's advocate. I didn't think those scenes were too bad.
In defence of Knight:
For the previous chapter, the first spell cast (vs the girl) would have been lethal, but was cast prematurely when the young male 'ling jumped on the caster's back. Since the boy was pounding on the caster's head from its back, it made sense that the other enemy 'ling would use a stunner to dislodge the kid before something lethal. At that point, Alex was near-instantly bearing down on them before they could get another spell off (they redirect it towards Alex). The actions of that scene were serendipitous, but not really 'stupid' in the traditional sense.
The grandstanding in the nursery was foolish, but considering they had a force of like 30+ 'lings versus 6, it's not that surprising. Considering the chapter ends with Oberon critcizing Chrysalis for her love of theatrics (true in canon), I could see some of that rubbing off on her children. Finally, if you were hesitant to murder some kids (as Flitter shows that the enemy 'lings are capable of at least some empathy), I think it would be easier to kill them quickly, en masse.
Just my opinion.
8272785 Ditto
8272618
So, you're upset that you didn't get to see the invading soldiers slaughter children and squash newborn changeling larvae?
8273415
He's upset the only reasons they didn't were kind of stupid. Which...yeah, honestly.
So the one named Hephaestus loses the use of his legs?
Hope none of them are named Oedipus.
Is this changeling arc going to be over soon? I've been just skimming through the last few chapters since I just honestly I don't find this very interesting and I feel like the story has gotten off track because of it. Maybe there is a plan for this but in all honesty I just don't care for it. We were having a story about aliens and this just came out of nowhere and seemed to hijack the story from the main plot. This whole thing could have been an independent story I feel.
8273435 It's almost over, and it does have something to do with the main plot. Trust me on this one.
Well, you are essentially the God of this universe... who weaves the web of fate and personally mandated Chrysalis's attack and target priorities. He-Who-Is, the Architect-of-All-Things, the Scum-Who-Decided-That-The-Layout-of-The-Hive-and-Path-of-The-Invaders-Allowed-Them-To-Directly-Attack-Children.
...
Wow, that last title might be a little long... but yeah you personally put every individual in this story to face danger, in that danger... Your Holiness. Every story is a universe and the author its God. Like I always say; when in doubt, blame God.
8272663
I think it might have been because he was pinned to the wall with he rear legs torn off.
See?
8272618
The kids' plot-armour might have been laid on a little thick; but on the other hoof, killing those you perceive as enemy soldiers is probably quite different, psychologically speaking, from committing the mass slaughter of children. So, some temporizing on their part wouldn't be wholly unexpected.
Honestly, you should have done without the A/N and let the questions and speculation fly. Particularly if the resultant questions were to be answered in the next chapter. Yes, tell your pre-readers, but let the rest of us stew in our pondering of what happened.
Only thing to be wary of is implementing the cliffhanger would be something like an A/N that questions would be answered in the next chapter. Makes more people want to know what's next, rather than spilling the beans before they're cooked.
Neat chapter though.
Thw ending of this chapter reminds me of this dark souls animation. The part with the backstab.
https://m.hopefully the site picked the right fricken link on my copy paste.
Note to self: DON'T make Alex mad and put him or any of his allies in danger. He will end your life.
Brilliant as always!
" I honestly felt like scum while writing that part. Does that make me weird? I feel like that makes me weird "
you felt bad because you had to write about children being in danger? it just means you are compassionate
Silly Chrysalis, you didn't do your homework!
She literally has no idea they think... Oh wait, that was mentioned in the Author Notes, huh?
Still, looking forward to this little battle to conclude so we can start investigating portals!
Keep going! ;)
8273244
Makes sense. I think it was the shift from Oberon at the end of last chapter, to a changeling we'd never seen before in almost the exact same situation somewhere else, and then back to Oberon again that threw me off.
8274354 Sorry it was a bit confusing, but that was a bit of the point. War is confusing. Very much so, and I was hoping to convey just a bit of that in these past two chapters. No worries, though, after this, things will go back to the aliens. Trust me.
8274528
Saying that "war is confusing" is all well and good, but in this case it wasn't a case of war being confusing, it was just the writing that was confusing. I think it would have worked out fine if we had been introduced to Hephaestus, even if only for a moment, during the initial trip to the hatchery.
8274564 Sorry about that. I'll go back and fix it later.
8272702
Two things. First, you really didn't need to kill the kids to make the plot armor not feel atrocious. All you had to do was have the cavalry show up a little bit earlier so the fight is still happening and the attackers haven't had time to go after the kids yet and everything would be fine. Granted it is still a little on the convenient side, but at that point it's dramatic timing which is generally accepted even if it isn't terribly realistic.
Second, where was the first group of kids Alex ran into? I was under the impression that that was the nursery last chapter, but this chapter makes it clear that it is a separate location which raises questions about why no one talked about it before if the children are priority targets.
8275066 The kids were the ones that came to Alex during story time. They were accosted while they were on their way back to the nursery.
As for your other concern, I understand why you feel this way, but I kind of wanted to drive home the stupidity of Chrysalis, and that level that she has imparted to her hive. It will make what happens later a lot more sense.
Yeah, it made the plot armor seem unbelievable, but that's really all I could do at the time. I fully intend to go back and correct this at a later date, but at the moment, if I pause, I really won't be able to get through the rest of this story.
8276222
Thanks, and fair enough. The plot armor was definitely jarring, but it's an execution mistake which won't affect the story going forwards so your decision to wait until after it's finished to clean it up makes sense.
"Earth itself"? Do you mean "plant/root itself"? You use it twice so I'm hesitant to assume it was a typo.
8283516 um... where? I used my search function, and only found one place where I used "earthed itself."
8283562
Once this chapter and once in the previous. Only noticed it because I let them build up.
8283627 Sorry about that, I fixed it. I removed it from the previous chapter, since it really wasn't needed that much.
I upvoted this chapter.
Since I can't upvote more than once, I un-upvoted, then upvoted you again. GODDAYUM.
"Hi, my name is Alex, the bringer of vengeful murderfuck."
Pretty good!
I have to admit though it confused me a bit how you used what would be considered classical body horror in a positive light! (In reference to Oberon of course.)
I suppose it could be natural to such a different species though and it was kind of nice that it was shown as not evil or so alien as to be incomprehensible.
A rather unique and interesting quirk in the story. Again I liked it.
Also Knight Breeze, no, I am not one to put up instinct as a discussion point but I think most people would feel... icky or ill feeling about putting children in danger.
It just feels wrong.
The fact that you felt bad writing about children in danger is good. It means that A: you've written it enough that emotions are attached to it, which means it's written well enough for the audience to care, and B: it means you have a conscience and you're not a sadistic motherfucker.
So, with Oberon, did he grow to become the hive, or was he absorbed by the hive? It seems like it'd be painful. If the latter, were their others before him that were absorbed by the hive and died?
Or, more horrible, is it a case of multiple changelings merging to form the single mass that is the hive? This one seems to be the case, because Oberon is described as being absorbed. He's just a head and a hoof, which implies it will continue until he's gone. Seems like a rather shitty existence to be entirely honest. Become consort, breed with queen, stay in one place for rest of life and be absorbed into a wall until you become one with the place you lived.
8308316 that''s basically it, though full absorption doesn't happen until he reaches the end of his natural life. Until then, he serves as the hive. To you or me, it would suck. What I'm trying to show here, though, is a completely alien mindset where he is 100% okay with how things have turned out.
8308347
So, he'll stay as a head and a hoof until he dies naturally? Or is the absorption constant and he'll lose the hoof before then?
8309318 He'll stay a head and a hoof until he dies naturally.
8309552
I'd love to see an entire in-depth article purely on that process. If only to understand it, because I think it's an awesome take on the whole "constantly changing" hive that we see in canon.
goes to click on the next chapter button
...
Wha... What? N... No! No! It can't just be... No!
Why? I knew the story wasn't completed, why did I start reading again? I just... I just wanted to know what happened... Need... MOAR...
Fan-f*cking-tastic. I just spent the past week and a half reading ALL 3 PARTS IN A ROW after finally deciding to read this story. I thought, I wouldn't like it, I thought it would be too long and I'd be too busy, I thought it wasn't anything special worth my time.
Well you sir have flipped that idea right on it's head. I've been DEVOURING this story like a starved dog on a mountain of kibble, and now that I've gotten to the end I feel like I'm gonna die if I don't read what happens next RIGHT NOW. Why are so many random writers here so good, and why can I never find a complete story that isn't abandoned or ongoing with loooooooong breaks?
Oh well. I'm thirsty for more content, so I guess I'll just have to raid your other stories and then bemoan how they're unfinished in a week. And by that I mean that you are one of the best authors I've seen so far and I'm about to stalk you like an ultra creepy stalker now. Sweet dreams!
8318921 gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/hooray-people-are-paying-attention-to-me-futurama.gif
I'm glad you enjoyed my story thus far. I'm working on the next chapter right now, but this one may take me some time.