Silver Shield

by David Silver

4 - Lay With Me

Fast looked up as Shield came in. She was wearing her 'default' changeling form, with only one hole present, the one she earned defending the city from Chrysalis. Fatigue pulled at her features, but she forced a little smile. "Gaea Shield. I trust you've been vetted?" The guard beside him nodded. "Good. Leave us."

The guard saluted and trotted back whence he came.

Shield glanced back there before approaching the princess. "You have the entire hive on lock-down?"

"I have to." Fast tapped the cushion she was laying across. "Join me, and I'll bring you up to speed. Warning, I'm pretty sure you won't like it."

Shield glanced at the cushion. He trusted changelings fine enough, but joining a quee--princess on her mattress seemed a poor idea. It was improper, if nothing else. "I can stand."

Her horn glowed green as she tugged him closer. "I know you can, now sit down and let me talk. I don't feel like looking up at you."

Soon she had him laying beside her as she let out a weary sigh. "Things are bad. First the rogues. They didn't really belong to any hive, at least not any on the books. They really kicked public opinion to a new low, but that couldn't be the end of that, of course not." She leaned in, nose almost touching his nose. "It gets far worse. They must not think you're important enough to snatch."

"Snatch?" Shield's ears went upright in alarm. "Who's snatching what?"

Fast rolled a hoof. "Who else? Chrysalis is back, or at least her changelings are. None of the few of my agents I've let loose have spotted her directly so far. They're attacking, again, and doing it properly this time."

Shield felt ice run through his body, shuddering softly. "How? Tell me everything."

"I plan to." Fast tapped his nose with a hoof. "Just let me. So, they're doing what changelings are built to do. They're infiltrating, and replacing the important ponies one by one. The normal ones they left alone. Near as I can see, they'll have all of Equestria controlled without anypony even knowing it. Then they'll probably get to feasting on the helpless meal they've created." Fast rolled her eyes as her snout twisted in disgust. "Bloody waste if nothing else. If they had a brain they'd handle the ponies like bees and never go hungry again as their content populace made more honey for them."

Shield moved to rise, only to have Fast's magic tug him back down. "We have to warn the others!" he cried. "Luna, Celestia--"

"Already replaced," noted Fast with a raised brow. "You're working for Silver? Also replaced. What was your mission, exactly?"

Shield sagged a bit. He didn't know what to feel. He felt nothing, and yet everything. All of them, replaced? All of them?! "I was..." His voice was a hoarse whisper, struggling to get the words out. "I was to investigate the sour opinion of changelings and help defuse it."

Fast raised a brow. "That's going to get more sour before it ever gets better, if ever. I can't imagine the populace will be happy when they realize what happened, and we're going to take the blame, because reasons." She pressed a hoof to her face. "Ugh, wake me when it's over." Fast rolled onto her back suddenly, looking at the ceiling. "If you want to wait with us for this to blow over, one way or the other, you're welcome to."

"How can you be so calm?!" Shield was on his hooves. He didn't even remember standing on the cushion. "We have to do something. Anything!"

Fast held up a hoof at him. "Celly--" She saw his look of confusion and snorted softly. "Princess Celestia said it'd blow past, if we believe the power of whatever she gets her visions from. She asked me to keep away and keep my changelings away. A few days later, bam, they get her. A few rogues tried to sneak in here, but we've kept them out so far."

Visions? Shield took a step towards the door. "She requested no such thing of me. I can't just stand by--"

"--So you'll just march up to them and let them take you then?" Fast slowly rose to her own hooves. "Think."

He thrust a hoof at the princess. "With all due respect, no! It's time to act. Do you know anypony that wasn't replaced already? Did they get the guards?"

"Some of them." Fast shook her head lightly. "Celestia didn't mention you, so, hey, I won't stop you." She smiled as she approached the frantic-looking guard. "Just know you have friends here, alright? The safeword is 'There's always a Silver Lining.'"

The meaning of it came quickly to Shield. "You two saved them, I mean this hive."

She nodded. "We did. Now it's my job to protect them. I hope Celestia's right. I'm not sure how well another direct battle with Chrysalis would go." A brow raised. "They say you saved your own changeling before."

He went a little red. "Nothing like a whole hive."

Fast rolled her eyes. "It's not a contest of numbers. Sometimes saving one is just enough to make the difference. Look, you're a good pony. Follow your heart, but try to not be stupid, right?"

He departed, heart heavy, but thoughts steeled. He had to do something.

---

Silver watched a group of changelings arranging something. They were whispering excitedly about whatever they were doing. Silver could feel trace amounts of magic building.

Then it became something quite visible to all as energy swirled and revealed the face of their Queen.

She grinned with triumph down at the bound form of Silver Watch. "There you are, impudent whelp. To think, last we met you were nothing but a scrawny little unicorn. How did those extra wings work for you, hmm?" She raised a brow. "Is that how it works now, defeat Chrysalis, get wings? I hope you enjoyed it."

The other changelings snickered, earning them a quick glare. "Leave us!" They scampered off in a hurry.

Silver perked his ears at Chrysalis. "I did what I had to."

"As do I," spoke Chrysalis in almost a gentle tone. "I see you understand the weight of that crown. A pity you're an enemy of my people."

"I don't have to be."

She raised a brow. "You're willing to defect, just like that? Do you think I was hatched yesterday?"

"I'm offering no such thing. Ponies are already getting al--"

"--With traitors!" The green magic of the speech portal warbled with her fury. "Nevermind that. We're not here to speak about that pathetic group of wasted changeling flesh. Ambassador, are we? I can see it. Tell me, Ambassador, what deal will you broker when you have not a single card left to play? I already have all the princesses south of the Crystal Empire. I even have their Prince." She sounded like she was gloating, and having quite a good time of it. "Please, tell me."

Silver sat up as tall as he could. "I can offer friendship."

His answer was met with howls of laughter. "I look forward to milking your body free of every drop of that love you seem eager to give over to me. I'll keep a token of you to remember when we move on." The image snapped shut. Chrysalis was gone.

That was enough. Silver had limits. Did Fate have something planned for him? He couldn't know. He also couldn't just wait. He focused inwards, his body growing warm as he mustered his internal magic, encouraging it into a feverish pitch. Unicorn magic was barred to him, but he had two other tribes to call upon.

There was a soft clank of metal on metal as he lifted himself a few precious inches, hitting where the chains refused to go further. They silently demanded he sit down. He did not listen. A thought tickled at him. His people had been shackled before, by far more insidious and well-organized forces. They couldn't tie his people down. His other people had been systematically eradicated, attempted to be expunged from the world. They couldn't be erased.

He had a strange pedigree, of people abused through history, but also people that had built grand things.

"Let my people..." It was a corny line, he knew it. He fricken knew it even as he said it, but it still somehow inspired him. His muscles roared with that gathered energy and he gave a tremendous heave. The metal was tough, but he was tougher. They fell away with a loud clatter. "Go..."

The door swung open violently. "Shut--" The changeling took a half step back from the alicorn prince.

Silver's wing unfurled wide. "Run," he said in an icy tone.

The changeling took the advice.

Silver raised a hoof to get the ring off his head, but buzzing told him he'd have company. "Looks like I'll be fighting with wing and hoof."

He charged out into the hallway just as a trio of armored changelings burst in. Their eyes met in a moment of stillness before they rushed one another, screaming with readiness for a battle.

---

Samantha perked her ears as her monitors informed her Silver's temperature was suddenly spiking. Was that good? Ah, it was going back to normal. She did a subtle twitch to tune the auditory sensors over to him.

"Go..."

She heard him breaking free and she smiled. She had been foolish to think he would do nothing at all. With that handled, she mentally crossed it off her considerable list of things needing doing.

"Samantha?"

She looked up to see Prince Silver Watch before her. "I've been looking for you. Come with me."

Samantha nodded placidly, even if she knew there was no way that was Silver. How could it be? She didn't have monitors on the alicorn that began leading her through the castle.

That was clearly a changeling. Had she rated high enough to be replaced? That was flattering in a matter, but would not help in her tasks.

As they passed a window, she stopped and looked out of it. "What's that gathering down there?"

"What?" 'Silver' turned and moved to look through the window.

That was plenty of time for Samantha to leave in a twinkle of magic, engaging her emergency recall.

Nefertari jerked upright as a pony appeared in her room. "Samantha! What?"

"Nefnef! Your assistance is immediately required."

It was time to gather allies and begin moving. She would not fail. Her family needed her. Equestria needed her too, but they could wait in comparison. "I'll explain as we go. Do you trust me?"

Nefertari raised a brow high. "My ancestors would think me a fool--"

"We do," whispered the air.

Nefertari snorted. "Be that as it may, I do, Sammy. You do not take that gravity lightly. Let's go."

Author's Note:

The need for action is burning in many all at once. Will this result in glory, or just glorious typos?

Comments

[badninja]

Is it wrong that I want Chrysalis doused with a can of raid. She is the perfect self centered villain who I hope never gets reformed and possibly killed, just like Sombra.

[iakovl]

My favorite crazy scientist is back
i think of sam any the pony version of soul eaters Professor Stein

[Booster Spice]

Oh dear.

Chrysalis just released The Human.

Theres going to be more freinds heading her way?

[tsaukpaetra]

Gaea takes flight!
Keep the enemy on their toes, Silver!
Samantha starts plotting!
And the citizens start revolting.
Keep going! ;)

[Boulder]

Nefertari snorted. "Be that as it may, I do, Sammy. You do not take that gravity lightly. Let's go."

Sammy? That's an odd thing for an Anubian to say or is it a friendly retaliation for Nefnef?
7714223 Although it's banned here in Oz, I've still got a bottle of DDT here if want to try it on her?

[David Silver]

7715685 Samantha and Nefertari had exchanged pet names some time ago. One can be reasonably sure she's not a changeling.

[Boulder]

7715922 I may have read it but forgotten, I'm following too many stories I think.

[Daremo]

rouges - rogues

scrawnly little unicorn - scrawny little unicorn

*****

Whew, given the slim picking at your other story, at least there was a nibble left over here.

Enjoying this new twist on the canon tale, but I'm very nervous that Silver is going to get smacked down again if he attempts to buck fate. How many loves can he have left at this point? He's already been dead at least twice now...

[David Silver]

7716239 The canon left huge holes with not even a hint of explaining. Plenty of room to tell a story.

[Daremo]

7715922
I would imagine that her spiritual guardians would prevent her from being taken and impossible to fake if she somehow were.

Of course now I'm imagining Silver using the line from Taken.

I don't have any bits, but what I do have is a particular set of skills...