Meanwhile
Across Equestria, still observing the statue of Queen Aze, Queen Chrysalis and Princess Celestia had come up with nothing.
"I thought this would be simpler." Chrysalis grumbled.
"Returning a petrified changeling queen from their amethyst catalyst was supposed to be simple?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow at the queen.
"It was for me." She pointed out.
The results of their efforts lay scattered about haphazardly and with total disregard for safety. All manner of amulet, scroll, incense and even gobbledegook were present. This also included a couch made out of changeling resin made by Queen Chrysalis to watch Celestia metaphorically bash her head against a wall.
"You could always lend a hoof at any time." Celestia grumbled.
Chrysalis waved a dismissive hoof. "It's far more entertaining to watch you try and solve this on your own, Tia."
Celestia took a deep breath to calm herself down. She knew it was just in Chrysalis' personality to try and rile her up, and she didn't want to melt the entire room with her own anger. Her stress vented from her nose as scorching steam, melting a small wax sculpture that had been originally used in an attempt to foster some sort of 'kindness', somehow. Things were desperate, it's complicated, not much time, you understand.
Chrysalis noted the hot breathing and decided to tone down her behavior a smidgen. "You know, we could always contact her advisors for some assistance. They might have a list of things they've already attempted."
"I would have already called them here, Chrysalis, were it not for the possibility of their link to the hive mind separating under the stress of returning their queen before the collapse of their entire hive drove them insane, forcing us to 'subdue' them."
"You mean launch magical bolts of energy until they don't move anymore, right?"
"Yes. That." Celestia groaned.
"It wouldn't hurt to be more direct, you know. We could always travel to Manehattan ourselves and 'deal with the problem', as you would say."
"I am not going to start a war with Aze's hive. They've done far more than our peace treaty had even asked for, and their economic boon to Equestria is second only to the joy they bring my little ponies in their daily lives. I am not going to gallivant around the city, blasting every changeling I see because bringing back their queen is hard, Chrysalis." Celestia huffed with annoyance, bringing her temper down before speaking again when she was more calm. "I should have brought her back sooner."
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Oh, wonderful. Should I bring out the 'pity parade' banner and some fruit punch?" She then stood from her couch and walked towards Celestia. "This isn't the time to wallow in past mistakes. What's done is done."
"You would know." Celestia sniped.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"You tried to kill the sun, remember?"
Chrysalis blinked. "We promised not to talk about that again."
"Well I wouldn't be upset enough to bring it back up, if you would actually assist."
"I have been assisting this entire time." Celestia gave Chrysalis a look of 'Oh, really now?' and she quickly explained. "Not directly; through my hive."
"What have you been doing?"
"They've been looking around for her pet, the duck she always took with her?"
"Goose? What of him?"
"She was friends with it, correct?"
Celestia thought for a moment before the full force of realization struck her in the face, accompanied by her own hoof. "OF COURSE IT HAD TO BE THE DUCK OF ALL THINGS!" she shouted in immense frustration, realizing that her days of effort were completely worthless next to the true friendship that would've been easily provided had she simply looked for Queen Aze's pet this entire time. The floor was beginning to crack and melt beneath Celestia's upset figure, her hooves dissapearing beneath the molten slag that had once been tile.
"I'm..." Chrysalis backed away from the upset Solar Diarch, pointing a hoof towards a nearby door. "I'm just going to step outside for a moment."
*****
Pink Wire stood outside of the 'newly' rebuilt Sugarcube Corner. It, along with the entire town of Ponyville had been razed to the ground during an attack from the Forces of Evil three years ago. Pinkie Pie, along with the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, had been gifted a large sum of money directly by Queen Aze prior to the attack out of good will, and because the queen had more currency than she knew what to do with. Pinkie Pie also had additional income from her relatively short time as 'Dread Pirate Pie, Scourge of the Eight Winds'. The new and improved Sugarcube Corner was complete with four stories height, four balconies that each served different kinds of pastry, a landing pad on the roof in case she ever decided to contact her pirate crew and go off on an adventure, and was completed by all kinds of different foodstuffs on each floor. In part, it had become the mall of the town. The outside market area would provide visitors and townponies alike with a variety of wares to choose from, and every culinary delight would be found within Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie had kept the decorative theme relatively the same as the 'old' Sugarcube, and it brought a certain kind of cheer to the those that saw the building itself.
Pink Wire, however, was anything but cheerful at the moment. The Pink One, also known as Pinkie Pie to her friends, had given Garotte Wire and her clones a few select abilities that she possessed in order for them to accomplish their role in being 'evil', thanks to the convoluted planning of Princess Celestia to give the regular ponies of Equestria the hope that they wouldn't need Princesses or magical artifacts to defend themselves all the time. Celestia's plan had worked in the end, and her little ponies now felt more safe and secure in the knowledge that they could fend off the Forces of Evil all on their own if the time came. What was bothering Pink, however, was the fact that the powers of the Pink One came with limitations.
Limitations she had completely ignored.
She would gain the ability to teleport without the use of magic, so long as nopony was looking at her. This is why she distracted the other Wire's in the castle by pointing at nothing. She also gained hidden knowledge of things and places that nopony should have the right to know, unless they wanted to become insane. Pink had weathered the storm of information better than most of the other clones, the majority of whom became nearly catatonic and simply lost the ability for higher brain function. The main clones of Garotte Wire had been the best overall, as they all had the knowledge of the Pink One. The rest, locked away for various medical and Equinitarian reasons, had not been so fortunate.
The gift of the Pink One was intended to be used sparingly, if at all. It was even explained that this would be the case by the Pink One herself, and dire consequences would follow any that abused her trust. Pink had used her 'gifts' nearly non-stop, for everyday things. Abuse would practically become her middle name, if it would make any sense.
"Pfft. Pink 'Abuse' Wire. That's so silly!"
Pink shrank to the ground as much as she was able, cringing and hoping against hope that what she was thinking wouldn't become a reality.
"Don't worry, Pink. I'm not mad." The Pink One replied directly behind her. "I'm just..." She rested a hoof on Pink's shoulder. "Upset." She hissed in Pink's ear.
"Eeep!"
*****
Meanwhile across town, Applejack was up to her neck in stereo-typically garbed clones of Garotte Wire. The problem wasn't so much that she didn't appreciate the attire, but that they had all completed not only the day's work of chores, but the week's. Any other pony would normally be very thankful of the free time they would have, but not Applejack. Her hobby and life was her farm. Not only had these clones showed up and done a better job than she could, but they had been pointing out flaws left and right with how she told them to do everything.
"Ya know, if y'all don't want to help out, ya don't have to." She grumbled, adjusting her stetson to properly view Blue, White and Red.
"Actually, it's kinda fun!"
"Dirty, but fulfilling."
"I like hitting the trees."
"Uhg." Applejack groaned, facehoofing. "Do ya think there's somepony else to help out in Ponyville? I mean, I appreciate your help n' all, but now I've got nothin' to do for a whole week!"
The three clones looked between themselves as if communicating somehow before replying.
"Red has an idea!"
"You might like it."
"What if we destroyed your barn, so you could spend the week rebuilding it!" Red happily offered.
Applejack was about to protest the cost of rebuilding the barn yet again, when she realized that after the razing of Ponyville, she still had more money than the entire Apple family knew what to do with. She had rebuilt all of Sweet Apple Acres and even bought more of the surrounding land to give her more to do, yet rebuilding the barn wouldn't even put a noticeable dent in her funding.
"Well..." She rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Ah mean I'd have to talk with Granny and Big Mac about it..."
"Take your time!"
"We'll be waiting."
"With sledgehammers!"
Applejack made a scrunchy face at the last remark before wandering back to the main house to seriously consider blowing up a barn as an excuse to keep her workaholic worth ethic in check.
*****
Meanwhile, inside of Carousel Boutique...
"Do you really think we should dump water on Monotone?" Sweetie Belle asked her sister, Rarity.
Rarity, the unicorn in question, was holding a steel bucket of water over Monotone's slumbering head in her magic, seriously debating her life choices at that moment.
"I mean, what if that makes things worse and she never wakes up because you scared her so bad?"
Rarity would admit that she had no idea what she was doing, were she not the older sister. She was supposed to know everything, right?
"I'm sure this will work out perfectly fine, Sweetie Belle." She replied with false certainty. "After all, everypony knows that water is the surest way to wake somepony up!"
Monotone, oblivious and twitching slightly in her passed-out state, was soon doused from mane to tail in water on the floor where she lay. Her eyes shot open from the shock of the unexpected cold, her clothing now clinging to her soaked fur and her mane plastered onto her face. She didn't utter a single word or sound, however. She simply stated...
"Why."
Normally, this would send chills down a pony's spine to hear. Everypony knows that if you've gone so far to offend somepony that they reach a transcendent state of tranquility, you are certainly about to be on the receiving end of a most righteous beat down that is worthy of storybook legend. For Monotone, however, this was her normal way of speaking.
"Why this." She repeated, her brain still not fully working correctly from both the jolt of being drenched in frigid water, awakening in a basement, and being painfully uncomfortable.
"Ah..." Rarity muttered, quickly levitating the bucket behind herself.
"It was her idea!" Sweetie blurted, selling out her sister and bolting for the stairs out of the room.
Rarity stared open-mouthed at Sweetie as she galloped out of sight, before guiltily smiling at Monotone. "It was... an error in judgement?"
Monotone registered that Rarity was talking after a few mind-clearing blinks, and immediately began to heat up. Literally. There was steam coming from her body, evaporating the water that clung to her.
"Is that... normal?" Rarity asked nervously, backing away a bit and accidentally knocking into the water bucket behind her.
"Y-ye-eh..." Monotone stuttered in her characteristic Monotone, making her sound like a broken golem. Her face was flush red and her pupils dilated as she looked at Rarity, her ears folding downward while her tail sought refuge in her forehooves where she sat on the floor. Her face, however, remained blank. "Heh..."
Rarity knew the signs of what was happening well enough to see what was going on with Monotone right in front of her face, and bit her lip. Was was she to do? She was in pursuit of a handsome and gallant prince, not a mare, certainly. The poor clone was crushing immensely, and it was plain for any to see. If she confronted Monotone directly, it would break the mare's heart! Rarity couldn't be so cruel, but what ultimately was the kinder option of the two? If she strung Monotone along in a false relationship, only to dump her later on down the line when the lie couldn't be sustained, she would be even more devastated. If she cut it off immediately, or perhaps when the timing was better, then the damage would be grievous, but minor by comparison. Yet, looking at the adorably inexpressive mare shivering and steaming in front of her on the basement floor, she couldn't bring herself to confront the problem; not yet, anyway.
"Monotone, dear..." Rarity asked softly, moving towards the clone. "Would you like a blanket or something to help warm you up?"
"Y-you." Monotone blurted, before quickly covering her inexpressive face, causing her tail to go between her legs. "I mean, yes." She quickly amended behind her forehooves.
Rarity chose to pretend she didn't hear that slip of tongue, and laid a hoof on Monotone's shoulder. "Come with me, dear. We'll get you something warm to drink. Maybe a soup, or some cocoa?"
Monotone's eyes glazed over in response, staring at Rarity with her mouth slightly open.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Rarity sighed, picking up Monotone in her magic and carrying the soaked mare up the stairs with her.
*****
Meanwhile in Manehattan, a pony enters the dark confines of a block apartment.
"Gaius, are you home?" A mare's voice called out into the advisor's home. "I haven't heard from you in days, are you okay?"
Gaius himself, was not okay. His link to what remained of the hivemind had been getting weaker and weaker with each passing moment. He was on the verge of losing it entirely, in fact. It took all of his concentration to maintain a link with the others of the hive that he could.
"Gaai~us?" The voice called again. It was one of his friends from work that he had gotten to know on a more personal level over the years. A shy mare that wouldn't dare visit his house unless her concern was great enough to overcome her anxiety. The fact that she was here now was heartwarming. "Please tell me you're okay..." She mumbled worriedly.
Gaius' apartment was sparse; A single beanbag chair in the main living room, a refrigerator for guests' food and a lamp. It didn't take long for his friend to find him. "There you are!" She said happily, though he could feel immense concern, anxiety and the cold bite of fear from her. "Are you... okay? A lot of the other changelings have been behaving really strangely..."
"Our queen..." Gaius rasped. For the life of him, maintaining his link to the hivemind was too strenuous to allow him the space to recall the mare in the room's name. "She has been gone for too long."
"Queen Aze?" The mare asked, walking towards him slowly. "Gaius, do you need anything? You look terrible! I mean, I don't mean that in a bad way, like I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but..." She stumbled.
"You have to write a letter for me, to Celestia."
"C-Celestia? Like 'Princess Celestia'?" She asked incredulously, her anxiety peaking with an accompanying spike of fear. "B-but she's-"
"Please." Gaius interrupted. "For the sake of all my brothers and sisters, you must." He insisted.
"A-ah..." She looked around nervously, biting her lip while her eyes flickered, searching for a way out of directly contacting the solar diarch.
"Please."
She looked at Gaius in his frail state, her campfire orange eyes seeming to glow in the dark room. Traitorous thoughts of simply abandoning him right there entered her mind, fighting alongside her anxiety and fear of the Princesses. They were swiftly countered by her loyalty to her friend and her need to help others at nearly any cost, including complete strangers if her courage held up. Gaius was no stranger, however. He was a dear friend to her, and he needed her help. She gulped, her eyes focusing with steely resolve.
"O-okay... What do I need to do?" She softly replied, her voice not finding its full strength after barely overcoming her own fears for the moment. She would have a panic attack later; for now, she was determined.
"Get a quill and some ink. They're in the cabin-- Augh!" Gaius growled in pain, wincing and holding his head.
"Gaius!" the mare squeaked in alarm.
"They're in the cabinet!"
The mare held a moment of indecision before moving to the cabinets above the stovetop, her orange-red magic reminding Gaius that she was a unicorn. Soon enough, quills and ink wells flew out from the cabinet along with the parchment he had forgotten to request.
"Okay, what now?" She asked, the materials floating around lazily in her magical aura.
"Write this: Dear Princess Celestia..."
*****
Dear Princess Celestia,
Time is of utmost importance now.
The hive of Queen Aze is deteriorating rapidly, and I am on my last legs. So many already have been completely severed from the hive mind, and I fear that they may be driven to acts of violence in their pain. You must find a way to rescue Queen Aze with all speed.
Um... Okay I have no idea what I'm doing, but Gaius just passed out. I was writing this for him and... Oh no, I'm blabbering to the princess! Why am I writing this! Just hurry, please?
Oh no, she's going to send me to the dungeons or something!Please help!
Gaius and Sanguine,
Manehattan
Urgent!
Queen Chrysalis had been reading over Celestia's shoulder. "Well, seems like we should probably hurry." She snarked. "Not like we weren't already trying."
"Chrysalis, this isn't the time. Lives are depending on us to solve this problem!" Celestia chided.
"They weren't already?" Chrysalis countered with the equivalent of a raised brow. Celestia glared at Chrysalis while going over her calming exercises, giving Chrysalis the chance to communicate with her hive.
<Anything yet?>
<In persuit, mother!>
<You've found the bird?>
<Yes!>
<You're certain it's the right bird, this time?>
<Absolutely!>
<If it isn't, you'll be able to tell the grubs all about it for a decade.> Chrysalis threatened.
<Yes, mother!>
Celestia had now calmed down, and Chrysalis chose this moment to inform her. "Well, it looks like things are getting better already."
She sighed. "What now, Chrysalis?"
"It seems my children have found Goose."
*****
"You've got to be kidding me!" A changeling from Brood Chrysalis yelled, ducking under another tree branch that the duck had flown past. "This thing should be a Wonderbolt!"
Goose, the impressive duck that he was, had been giving 'the slip' to a whole mini-swarm of changelings for the past two hours in the Everfree forest. They had tried everything from covering the forest from above, to flying as a large wall to smack into him. All had failed under Goose's prowess and smarts. Chrysalis wasn't big on spending the resources for intelligence or wit in her hive, and the results showed.
"Just grab it already!'
"I'm TRYING!"
"Try harder!"
"You try harder!"
"I'll try you straight up a tree!"
"That doesn't even make sense!"
"You're a sense!"
"Least I've got more than you!"
"Oh yeah, well... you're a bug!"
"You're a bug!"
Goose was now perched on a branch as if he was a hawk, looking with his head sideways at the arguing group of changelings below him. He reached under his wing with his bill, pulling out a Banana he had swiped from a market stall near Ponyville. This was going to be good entertainment, he could tell.
*****
"Are you sure we should be following after Leafy?" Shining asked. "We don't really know where it's taking us. None of this area looks familiar."
"Well the whole place has been on fire for the past three years. I don't think it would." Starlight sassed.
"We still have to find Garotte Wire. I'm not leaving her out here all alone in a burning forest." Twilight insisted, searching around for Leafy. "If only we could find where Leafy flew off to..."
In the distance, a loud scream was heard. The three ponies looked between themselves worriedly. "Do you think that was Garotte?" Shining asked.
"Something tells me that it was." Starlight replied with some concern.
"Well, we should hurry then!" Twilight urged, picking up her pace to a gallop.
"You think she's alright?" Shining asked, pacing out his breaths and keeping up with Twilight.
"Knowing Garotte, it would take Tirek coming back from the sun to do anything to that mare." She replied sincerely.
"You're kidding. She doesn't even use magic!" Starlight protested. "What's so special about her?"
"Has she ever hugged you?" Twilight asked seriously.
"Uh, no?"
"Good."
Something about that made Starlight miss a step, though she quickly recovered. "What do you mean by that?"
"How do you think she got her name?"
"Her parents?"
"She never met her parents. She gave herself the name after she strangled a griffon. On accident. As a filly." Twilight emphasized.
"Is it wrong that I'm actually more concerned for Leafy now?" Shining asked with a frown.
"Did the griffon survive at least?" Starlight asked hopefully.
"After three of her friends pulled Garotte off of her, and she was rushed to the hospital, yes."
"Okay, I really don't want to get on Garotte's good side, now." Starlight replied, slightly shaken.
"Trust me, I'm going to make that one of your friendship lessons!" Twilight cheerfully shot back without missing a beat.
"Gaaah!" The voice shouted, much closer now.
"That must be her!" Shining exclaimed.
"Garotte, where are you!?" Twilight called out. They had run into a clearing with a nearby cave entrance, the surrounding foliage was set ablaze by the glowing orange magic of Pyrelight itself and obscured their vision with black smoke.
"Stick close to the ground!" The voice called. "You'll choke to death if you don't!"
The three did as they were instructed, their bellies pressed to the ground. "Okay... now what?" Starlight asked rhetorically.
Then, vines reached from all around them, wrapping around their hooves and began to drag them through the grass, ash and dirt.
"Not again!" Twilight complained loudly.
"What!?" Shining and Starlight yelled in unison, completely confused.
"It's Leafy! She's done this before!"
"She!?" Starlight protested. "What makes you think it's a She!?"
"I think it sounds better!"
Shining tried to face hoof, but his legs were wrapped in vines. "You've got to be kidding me, Twily. Seriously?"
"Leafy is a She-eeee!" Twilight responded loudly, before a sudden drop caused her to shriek.
"Aaaaah!" Starlight and Shining yelled soon after, descending into a dark abyss below them.
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The interplay between Chryssie and Celly is hilarious.
Hopefully the peace will prompt Chryssie to drop more stat points into her children's intelligence.
Twilight...
Keep up the good work, this story is really enjoyable.
Everything will and about Goose was funny, the fact the changelings compared him to a Wonderbolt almost killed me. More Goose!
great story telling! its both funny and exciting! love the way you wrote this chapter! i do hope rarity will see how happy she would be if her and monotone were a couple! well done to you ! really cant wait for more!!
I'VE ALREADY EATEN THIS IN A SPAN OF
AN HOUR30 MINUTES5 MINUTES?2 1/2 MINUTESSSS.;-;
I may or may not have a condition of non-stop reading.
7538371 Can I join the club? I match the requirements.
7538611 Let's see...
Less than 5 stories (Optional) Check.
Non-Stop Reading... Check.
At least 3 stories faved... Check!
THOU ART ACCEPTED
Raritones, PinkPonke, Sangauis, the ships have set sail!
I can only imagine what Pink's punishment is going to be for abusing The Pink One's powers, she will finally get her just desserts. And I hope it shall be delicious!
/)' 3')\
I fear Pinkie Pie will mow force Pink to face the Void Beyond where Pinkie Prime dwells.