30 - Act 2 Prologue
Ruins of the Badlands Hive
Were Ignis an archaeologist he’d be almost fascinated by the dilapidated structure surrounding him, even if its ruination was a more recent event even within the lifetimes of your standard mortal. But he could still feel the history in the stones upon which he trod, centuries of life and generations brought to an untimely end mere decades previously.
Even should he decide to act on such base curiosity, however, he knew he’d find little of value left within these dark halls. Much of the hive had long since collapsed due to damage sustained during its final battle, and more with the simple passage of time. The residential district mostly. The deepest levels were all but gone, and the rest had been scavenged quite effectively during the move to the newer model.
Like the throne room, where he just so happened to be standing at that particular moment. When he had first arrived, he’d found total darkness, and even after setting up braziers to give the place something of a light source, there was little to gawk at. Queen Chrysalis’ throne had been removed, probably the same that Twilight still sat in if he had to make an educated guess. If there were ornate decorations lining such a fabled space then they too were long gone, all but a moth-eaten carpet leading to where the changelings’ seat of power once sat.
Still, where better to set up their little insurance scheme? Deep within the remaining structure, only one way in and out, with an element of poetry to boot.
So, defences had been raised, soldiers now lining barricades running the length of the hall leading to the dais which once held the throne. In its stead, a certain crystal now gently hovered in place, held aloft by gently humming arcane energies as the prisoner within soundly slept.
The Princess of the Changelings had returned home. A home she had never known, perhaps, but home nevertheless.
He took some small relief in knowing she would be safe there, far from the ravages of the burgeoning war above. And were things to go awry, then he’d have his insurance. Against the Equestrians… and Vulgaris if necessary.
“Her stasis is stable,” one of the King’s subjects spoke up, finishing their inspection of the crystalline gaol. “My team will continue to monitor the subject so long as we remain. And I trust the guards will be able to handle things if the changelings get curious?”
“They, or the Equestrians,” Ignis replied. “These are our best unicorns, you are in safe hooves, do not worry yourself.”
“That is comforting to know. It is… disconcerting, being in this strange land so far from home.”
“Indeed…” Ignis mused, turning his eyes upwards towards the ceiling.
Such an arid wasteland, the Badlands had certainly earned its name. And surrounded on all sides by either dense, humid jungle or scorching desert. He’d truly never seen such much sand in one place. Everything about this continent was alien…
“I trust you can acclimatise for the time being?” the alicorn enquired. “Discomforting as it may be, this is truly an endeavour of great import.”
“Ah, do not worry about us, your majesty. Our supplies are good for six months and we can always resupply past that.”
“With luck, we shan’t need to stay that long,” Ignis assured. “Keep yourselves healthy. And her too. There is enough unpleasantness in this situation without adding to it unnecessarily.”
The unicorn nodded. “I understand. We’ll make sure the Princess here is the picture of health for whenever you come calling again. We won’t let you down!”
“Nor I you. Any of you,” he resolutely replied, his voice raising a few decibels for all present to hear. “I shall return with good tidings should fate be with us. So, for now, I must bid you all farewell, my little ponies.”
Ignis turned and started to depart, leaving behind his subjects as they continued to dutifully carry out their tasks as he so bid. Yet more lives counting on him.
Counting on him to secure their nation’s future. To secure their lives in both the present and the morrow. Something he silently promised to himself; to bring them home hale and whole.
He couldn’t keep that promise. Not to all of them. Not in war.
But he’d damn well try anyway.
Exiting the throne room, he began his trek back through the halls of the hive. The path back to the atrium had been lit in a similar manner to the said chamber, braziers of flickering firelight guiding his path. There were turnoffs at frequent intervals, but most were dark and silent, irrelevant to their needs and so left abandoned after their initial scouting run of the structure.
In many ways it was hard to imagine these uninviting dark halls hosting a whole city, given all they’d found in the modern day were rodents and vermin of varying sizes and threat. Nothing they’d struggled to clear out, leaving it dead once more.
He moved by one last junction, this one partially collapsed, before he emerged into an environment far more spacious than the rest. A multistorey cavern that had once served as the beating heart of the hive, many floors lining the edges of a now empty void. Many of these too had collapsed, but some staircases and landings were still capable of supporting the weight of your average equine.
The void itself hadn’t always been so, either. Something that was all too evident when the alicorn reached the bottom-most floor.
There laid in complete disarray the remains of a giant statue, the Princess’ own namesake if his information was accurate. How it must have once dominated this space, serving as its protector in its own way. But whatever barrier it had once projected, along with its fabled perception filter, had long lain dark. The hole it had left above led out into the bright midday sky, though a hastily constructed elevator powered via pulley and winch now served as the primary entrance into and from the hive, Ignis’ ponies having worked to seal up the other entrances. And it truly was the only way short of extreme amounts of force, newly placed arcane crystals humming with power as they project a cyan shield across the gaping maw of the cavern.
Perhaps not as elegant as their predecessor, but it functioned for what they intended.
King Ignis ceased admiring the barrier, returning his attention to the forlorn statue. So much of it was twisted and unrecognisable, pieces still charred from whatever concussive force and toppled so long ago. The head was still partially recognisable, eyes still defiant even after the end.
“Let us hope such defiance hasn’t persisted quite so fiercely through the generations…” he grimly mumbled to himself, despite already knowing the likely answer.
And then something caught his eye. A glint, the sun catching something white amidst the dirt and rubble. Ruminating for a moment, he ultimately caved to his scholarly curiosity and lit his horn, the fiery aura moving rock and earth aside to reveal whatever it was that had caught his eye.
He recoiled slightly at the sight; immediate regret being released in a sigh at the macabre scene.
It was a leg. Or at least, once upon a time, it must have been. Now it was little more than skeletal remnants, a long and slender foreleg leading to a chipped and scarred hoof. Small scraps of black chitin likewise clattered around as the rubble was disturbed, leaving little doubt as to which species the appendage once belonged.
Yet…
He lifted his own right foreleg, idly examining it before returning his gaze to the remains. The length seemed a little longer than his own limb, no normal changeling would be a match for his stature…
Could it truly have been…?
Lowering his hoof back to the ground, fresh regret piling over him at the clear implication, he turned from the forgotten bones and began to make his way towards the elevator out of the hive, electing to leave certain ghosts to their rest.
It was as he approached said elevator, however, that he spied it already descending from the surface. Within was a single armoured unicorn, one of his soldiers, who perked up immediately upon sighting the sovereign.
There was a sudden pop as the unicorn vanished from the elevator and reappeared next to Ignis, his teleportation spell ending as he quickly bowed to the King.
“Your majesty, we have received word from our assault and Vanhoover!”
“Ah, finally…” Ignis stated. “How does Stout fare? I wish to hear all.”
“Well… it appears our forces have made landfall. However, they are reporting some difficulties taking certain regions of the city. We are encountering fierce resistance, led by one of the Equestrian Princess’ own royal guardsponies.”
“Hm, I see. Then I suppose we had better depart, I have lingered too long,” Ignis decided, stepping onto the arriving elevator alongside its former occupant. “Give me the details. Especially about this guardspony…”
The elevator began to rise, Ignis emerging into the sun as his fiery mane seemed to burn in its rays…
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oh boyyyyyy
So who's wall is Ignis gonna be hung on?
11430379 My thoughts exactly.
No way this is going to blow up on his face.
(And by extension, Vulgaris's.)
(And yes, that one bit IS sarcasm.)
11430418 MY bet's on Twilight's at this point.
Nice to see the beginning of Act 2, and a return to the old Badlands Hive where it all began. I don’t know for sure what Ignis is planning, but I think it is clear he can’t win.
Ignis thinks his people will come out whole........dear lord, hes not gonna have kingdom by the time the war ends, your preaching to choir Ignis
11430483
i agree, its literally his nation against ALL of Equestria, hes delusional XD
11430418
I think Twilight has first dibs.
It’s great to hear from you again
Ignis is in for some very rude awakenings... He'll learn, too late, that pissing off Queen Twilight is a very BAD thing to do.
11430502 I agree.
11430533 Yep, and ooooo, yeah.
Ignis' ONLY way to save Unicornia is to show Twilight that her daughter lives AND to say that Vulgaris was behind this.
Twilight might just be calmed enough to escort Ignis back to Unicornia to announce that Ignis has surrendered and Unicornia is now under Equestrian control.
For otherwise, Unicornia is DOOMED.
11430488
Same. He just doesn't have the numbers to take over the place without overextending forces severely and getting absolutely shredded for it, and that's assuming their magic is sufficiently developed to make up for the initial disadvantage. There's also that supply chains will undoubtedly become an issue, reinforcements, adjusted tactics, etc.
He himself may be powerful, but I've little doubt celestia or luna are capable of matching him, or at the very least negating any advantage direct intervention from him might have.
Unicornia has one alicorn, Equestria has, what, 4 alicorns atm?
11430418
[Growls]: "MINE!"
11430661
Hell knows no fury like a mother's wrath. Grief born through conflict often turns into vengeance. An a vengeful mother often meets 1 of 2 ends.
So ya Ignis is fucked against an smart angry changeling queen. Hinting anything about Avia is a vary dangerous thing especially if the individual is dumb enough to try and use it like a bargaining chip. Lack of evidence will be brushed off with an end far more painful. With evidence and well...how many bone's do equines have again? What sound would a wing make if you tried to roll it up like a sleeping bad? Dark thoughts indeed.
11430484
Personally, I fully expect that at some point he'll get a missive stating that the majority of his civilian population has been flash frozen and shattered, with the Windigos now heading towards Equestria. Because nothing says "War" quite like the needless death and suffering of the innosent.
Oh Ignis, if you weren't such an arrogant fool, I would almost feel bad for you...
11433856
Hmm. Arrogant? No. I would not call him arrogant.
Xenophobic. Foolish. Misguided.
At least he had the sense to keep Avia alive. That is all I can say good of him.