31 - Port
Vanhoover
The fog had rolled in a short while ago. It was a thick, blinding fog; something you’d imagine for a horror-themed novel your friend would force upon you on Nightmare Night. Not that such a situation was something Vladimir could speak of with personal experience, oh no, not at all…
Still, it couldn’t have chosen a worse time to make their lives miserable. On alert as they were, it would be far preferable if they could see any incoming forces from The New Kingdom before they reached the shore. But with the thick haze surrounding them from every direction they wouldn’t know friend from foe until they were neck deep in arrows and artillery fire. As fun a prospect as that was, as Captain of the Lunar Guard he thought it best that it not come to that.
The pegasi were already on the case, naturally. Both members of the forces under his command and some local volunteers. Still, as heavy as it was it would take some time to send packing. Until then, all he could do was wait…
And wait he did, staring out of a window looking down toward the harbour. He was multiple stories up, in the structure that usually housed harbour master’s office along with some local shipping firms and a single griffon-owned fishing company. For now, though, it had been claimed as his command post for the forseeable future. It was vacant beyond his ponies; the usual residents having been cleared both from the building and from the shoreline in general. Advisories had been sent out for those within the city to either leave or seek shelter, but in a place as vast as Vanhoover moving thousands upon thousands of residents wasn’t exactly quick or entirely feasible.
Still, with the coastline evacuated at least any initial fighting would be away from the civilian populace, but if it were to spill further in…
The thestral shook his head, shaking such thoughts away for the time being. They were doing what they could for them, little more could be said until it all kicked off.
He stretched out his artificial wing, letting the blades pop and then sheath themselves like they were an ordinary pegasus’ feathers. He could almost feel the muscles satisfyingly pop and creak, a ghost of a sensation from a long time ago…
Outside he stared at marching patrols, a mix of his own troops and that of the EUP, the flashes of silver and purple all adding to the foreboding sense any bystanders would be feeling. In the harbour itself sat a myriad of vessels; any civilian ships that hadn’t fled the area were moored tightly to the nearest dock as their owners prayed to Celestia, Luna or whomever else that their property would remain in place and intact when they next returned. Further out, mere shadows against the fog, a blockade of great metal vessels surrounded the city at sea, their guns trained outwards and scanning for any threat. The HMS Clover the Clever was among them, the very ship that had been at the centre of all this at the beginning. Now the crew were probably lamenting what their last mission had led to…
They’d get their absolution soon enough.
Part of him meekly hoped that their king would get a grip on reality and go home before a shot was fired. But reality was literally knocking at Equestria’s door even as he entertained such thoughts.
Still, it wasn’t just the fleet they’d had ready for them. The shore was littered with defences, cannons, arcane batteries with unicorns manning them, some more traditional but increasingly obsolete ballista that had remained emplaced there for who knows how many decades…
The ponies themselves were a mish mash of the tried and true and the new but unproven. Plenty of firearms, the thestral considering his recent-but-a-lifetime-ago conversation with his solar counterpart as he saw one such unit march by the building. He’d figured that if they were going to prove their worth as replacements for the old guard now was the time to do it, so he’d seen fit to bring along as many of what was available as he could.
Old guard…
He sighed as increasingly ancient history played through his head. The Wedding. Serpens. Sombra. Tirek. Crudelis. Immortalis… Everything in between. Nopony could claim he hadn’t seen more than his fair share of his many decades in Lunar Guard. He’d lived long enough to see machines take to the sky, wood be replaced by hardened metals out at sea, and now the new-fangled boomsticks make a good old sword a bit of relic.
Even his inner musings sounded old and tired…
One way or another this would be his last war.
There was a gentle thud against the window as a single droplet hit the smooth surface, Vladimir’s eyes training on the single spec of rain as he frowned. He turned to the nearby desk where a long-range radio had been set up. He switched on the microphone, setting it to the necessary channel before speaking.
“You know, pretty sure I asked for less cloud, not more. I’m seeing the start of rain down here.”
“Uh, sorry, Captain,” the voice of one of his guardsponies responded. “We’re working to clear it away, but for every patch of blue sky were create another vanishes back into the mist. Might be a storm out to sea that’s being blown our way by rogue winds, a bad one.”
“The local weather team still with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What are they saying?”
“They’re getting frustrated. I don’t think they like us dictating how to do their jobs, frankly neither would I. But more to the point, if this is a storm, they’ve never seen one this bad. They say they would normally have it cleared out by now, the idea of an unscheduled patch of rain slipping them by seems to insult them.”
“You sure they’re not just boasting?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I’d think any weather team would hate losing control of the weather, not a good look when that the whole point of their job. Like if you couldn’t show off your metal crutch, just wouldn’t mesh right.”
Vladimir’s face formed into a wry grin. “Now, is that any way to talk to the guy in charge of your paycheck?”
“When that guy allows you to get away with it, go nuts.”
“I’ll remember that,” he retorted. “But really, what’s the ETA on getting it clear?”
“Hard to say. Though… it feels a little off, doesn’t it?”
Vladimir paused. A storm this bad, right here, right now…? Of all times?
The New Kingdom didn’t exactly have any pegasi of their own on hoof, but a unicorn’s horn could do some incredible things given the chance…
“Any word from our scouts? Anything at all?”
“Our fliers haven’t seen anything, but we can barely see a hoof in front of our eyes out here. We’d need to be on top of them, at which point…”
There wouldn’t be much room to report back.
“Get your teams back to base, now!” Vladimir commanded, his coat standing on end as his stomach tied into a knot. “If this thing is getting worse, then my gut says they’re already here!”
“Understood. We’re falling back!”
Vladimir rapidly switched channels, his heart beating a mile a minute as his ear twitched as rain started to fall at an increasing rate.
“All units, cease patrols and assume your positions, all ponies off shift get your asses up! We have incoming!”
And if they didn’t, he’d apologise later. But for this he wasn’t taking chances. If that storm was indeed the work of spell craft….
He placed the radio aside after receiving a string of affirmatives, wandering back towards the window. He could already see a flurry of activity outside, ponies he’d seen wandering on patrol come racing back to the shoreline to take up their positions, guns previously idle training up towards the sky while even some of the ship out in the blockade made adjustments in their positioning. As if a switch were flicked the entire effort had gone from lazily going through the motions to tense preparedness.
There was a crack.
Thunder?
No.
Vladimir’s pupils dilated as a shadow steadily emerged through the fog. It was nearly indistinguishable, were it not for the sudden flashes that heralded its coming.
An airship.
Not even moment had passed from that point of recognition before explosive booms began to echo around the shore. Bright flashes from the ships as their guns trained upwards towards likely more yet-unseen targets as they opened up with full volleys! Ponies started shouting as latecomers barrelled towards their posts, the shadows of pegasi shooting overhead towards the enemy as more and more began to make themselves known.
Crash!
The entire building shook as a flash from the lead shadow was followed by an impact that sent anything not nailed down clattering to the ground! Vladimir had to brace himself to not go tumbling as the window before him shattering into hundreds of shards, the thestral hearing something give and begin to collapse and crash out into the street below!
There was a wet feeling on his cheek in the aftermath, Vladimir raising a hoof to his cheek to feel where a shard of glass had lightly cut into his face. The lights in the room flickered and died out, and as he looked out through the shattered glass, he saw a pile of debris forming from a fresh hole in the side of the building.
He heard groans and felt a tremble echo through the structure, signalling just how unsafe it was to be standing there at that moment!
Without a moment to lose he threw himself through the gaping void and out into the storm beyond, his wings spreading wide as he lowered himself down to the street next to a group of EUP soldiers. He gave them all a look over, several sporting cuts and bruises from the impact, and beyond them some ponies were trying to dig friends and allies caught in the collapse.
Many eyes trained on him, Vladimir taking a moment to centre himself before his eyes narrowed and he glared up at the airship as it came into full view.
A monstrous thing, guns already lighting up the surrounding area as he saw smaller craft begin to dislodge and make a beeline for the surface.
He let the blades in his wing slide free.
“Ponies, they’ve spilt the first blood. Let’s give it back to them!”
A resounding cheer met his declaration, and without looking back he began a mad dash towards the docks. He spared a glance up as more airships became visible through the haze, and pride swelled in his heart as he witnessed the main gun of one of their battleships trail one of the airborne vessels as it made for the shore and unleash its payload with all Equestria’s fury! Whatever it struck, it was important enough that the vessel detonated immediately, a vast fireball striking across the sky and washing over the surrounding vessels in an inferno!
A crackling pop shook him from the sight, a unicorn appearing before him with a spear held aloft in his magical aura.
‘Here we go!’
The thrust came swift, but Vladimir had been doing this for a very long time. Age be damned, he wasn’t about to be outmanoeuvred by an amateur! Ducking beneath the thrust was a simple matter, the sheen of metal flashing past his peripheral vision. He launched off from his hindlegs, ducking further to the left as the unicorn recoiled and attempted to bring his spear around. But in such close quarters his wing blade was fasted, outstretched and tearing through the soldier’s armour and flesh as swiftly as a wonderbolt in a calm breeze.
A spurt of blood scattered across the dock, the pony silently falling as his weapon clattered free. As it rolled to Vladimir’s waiting hooves, he kicked it up and into the grasp of his wing, deftly hurling it forwards and through the neck of a second incoming unicorn.
More thunderous booms overhead, a blinding flash of light causing Vladimir to wince as debris, body parts and general remnants scattered around as a building collapsed and cascaded onto the surrounding streets and even into the churning sea. In his moment of discombobulation a third unicorn sought to take advantage of the distraction, sword swinging wide as the thestral barely raised his metallic wing and extended all of his feathers into a makeshift shield, catching the blade between his own.
For the briefest of moments he stared into the pony’s eyes, a battle of will and might as they each tensed against the first grip of the other, before the unicorn was violently hurled aside by an almighty buck from another silver armoured Equestrian. The soldier left no time to recover as he followed through with a second strike, showcasing the wall of force that was earth pony strength, before he lifted the invader and humiliatingly sent him splashing down into the waters below.
“You, you’re with me! I want that strength at my back!” the Captain shouted towards his timely saviour amidst the chaos.
“Ah ain’t going anywhere, Cap’n!” a rough voice replied with an all-too-delighted laugh, cracking his hooves together in anticipation.
The harbor was awash with further such skirmishes, EUP, royal guard and invading New Kingdom soldiers clashing as blood began to mix with the mirky salt-ridden waters of the bay. By now all of Vanhoover was awake to the violence, and Vladimir could only imagine the panic gripping the civilians behind their lines…
The thestral allowed himself another glance upwards, the fleet of Celestia-accursed airships spreading out and laying down heavy fire onto their defensive positions.
Not unopposed, however. As he looked up towards the heavens, eyes obscured by the yet heavy fog layer, he witnessed the hazy image of a new airborne arrival gliding its way through the gloom and onto the field of battle. Yet it came not from the sea but the land, the heraldry of the royal sisters bringing great relief to his heart as the Equestrian zeppelin opened up with all its guns towards the closest enemy vessel. Nor was it alone, though smaller in number, the local squadron of friendly airships were not to be outdone by their naval counterparts!
A flash of heat singed the hair on Vladimir’s left cheek as another structure was set alight, a beacon of the damned shining out into the fog.
“Get that fire out!” he commanded of a group of nearby unicorns. “Don’t let it spread, we have enough to deal with!”
The unicorns made no acknowledgement, but they didn’t need to, gathering in practiced cohesion as their horns lit as one and began to manipulate the waves crashing against their shores. The water spilled forth and into the air, guided by a pure white aura that was made of their amalgamated powers, crashing into the flames and smothering them before it could threaten the entire cluster of structures.
“Sir!” his large companion shouted out, Vladimir’s eyes shifting to the source of his warning.
A trio of nearby invaders stood out, robed and armoured lightly as compared to the previous lot. The thestral couldn’t help but be irritated as they lit their horns in unison, practically copying their homework as their united their spells into a barrage of magical missiles that cascaded into several nearby EUP soldiers, blowing the stricken ponies apart before changing course towards them!
“Down!”
Vladimir gave his wings an almighty flap and launched into the air, avoiding two such missiles as they crashed into the ground harmlessly. Another came his way as he darted to the side and landed back down several metres away, going immediately into a roll that put him behind some rubble and away from the sight of those mages!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
From a nearby rooftop several muzzle flashes heralded screams of pain, Vladimir looking up and over at his assailants, two of them collapsing to the ground as a third cowered behind a conjured shield that absorbed the bullet that struck it. He retreated back as further gunfire emerged, magic clashing with modern technology before a bamf heralded their retreat.
Yet more were teleporting in all around them, however, his new musclebound friend having already located a new playmate, Vladimir having more than half a mind to join in.
The sound of straining metal assaulted the thestral’s ears, not helping was the thestrals naturally superior sense of hearing. The source was obvious, one of the very Equestrian airships had been inwardly lauding moments ago now aflame, fate allowing it one final pyrrhic moment as it uncontrollably slammed into one of the New Kingdom’s own and sent both vessels crashing down in a flaming heap, the clash of metals and detonations and fuel and ammo ringing out across the city and lighting blazes anew.
Further chaos reigned further out, the lunar guardspony spying at least one cruiser aflame and steadily sliding beneath the waves.
The rest both gave and received, the clashing of swords, the sparks of mage craft, the crackle of gunfire. This city of thousands was now thrust into a nightmare. And if they got a foothold to strike further into the metropolis…
Not while he yet lived.
Bladed wing outstretched, Vladimir vaulted over the pile of rubble and located the nearest hostile soldier, striking forth with the ferocity of a far younger thestral and went to work as dutifully as he had in decades prior. No hesitation. No time to falter.
After all, this long night had only just begun.
The First Hive
The forest surrounding the first hive was the picture of tranquillity, the morning sun rising to be greeted by the lush greenery, ancient trees and young flowers as bees gently buzzed from one to the other as they gleefully gathered their pollen. The ancient stones almost glowed in the majesty of the early sun, a far cry from its fury as witnessed many a year ago.
And as it was so rarely to be on vaunted occasions, life filled the halls of this most historic of locales, changelings of all colourations walking the halls and providing the usual guardians with no small amount of reprieve, the hives all trickling in and their gathering started to get underway.
But as with all such gathering, the tranquillity of the morning was betrayed only by the tense air surrounding those inhabitants. The Council convening always acted as an omen, now more so than most…
“So, this is it, huh?” Rainbow Dash noted, glancing around at the smattering of drones gathering supplies from their convoy and dragging them inside the structure ahead. “Gonna be honest, imagined something… cooler.”
“’Course ya did,” Applejack deadpanned. “But wouldn’t be all that subtle if it had a big ‘awesome base o’ shapeshifters’ sign now, would it?”
“I wasn’t suggesting that. But, ya know, something aside from a few… ‘romantic’ old stones.”
“It is very picturesque, nothing wrong with a bit of romanticism, darling,” Rarity chimed in.
“Yeah, you’d think that.”
“Hm, I can’t wait to see the inside. Ancient changeling architecture, home of that dreadful Empress… I am on the verge of inspiration!”
“It’s kinda a shame Fluttershy isn’t here, I think she’d like it,” Pinkie lamented, glancing towards some of the previously noted bees.
“Yeah, but she’s gonna do what she has to,” Applejack responded. “And somepony has to look after that fool of a chaos god. And so, help me if ah were there I’d be buckin’ him upside the head the moment he woke.”
“Yeah, too bad she won’t get to see all the little critters around here,” the party pony said in turn, hopping over to closest of the pollenating creatures. “Hiya Mr Bee! How’s life in the hive? Oh, do you have a hive in the hive? Hive-ception!”
The bee looked up, offended, and then flew away from the bubbly annoyance.
“Good talk, Mr Bee!”
Twilight smiled, glancing away from her dearest husband for a moment before returning her attention to him. “Make sure everything is secure and stay on guard. Whoever the mole is, I don’t want them playing dirty while we busy with the bureaucracy.”
“Hey, I have this in hoof. And if we do end up going home with a mana bomb strapped to our ride then you can relegate me to the sofa for a month.”
“Oh, I have far more creative ideas of punishment,” Twilight noted with a predatory purr. “Buuuut, that’s neither here nor there.”
Her posture sagged, her momentary good mood very quickly bleeding away as she scanned the busy hive and the weight of all being wrought back home crushed down on her at once.
The New Kingdom. The traitor.
Avia…
Twilight sighed. “Our baby girl died because of one of them, and I’m going to figure out who.”
“Hey, I’m right beside you. Not going anywhere.”
“Yeah, same,” Rainbow Dash commented, trotting up beside the Queen. “Hey, we got this.”
“Of course. We find the bad guy, shoot them with a pretty rainbow and then… well… We’re here for you, Twilight. Always,” Pinkie Pie tapered off, placing a gentle hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“I know. Thank you for coming, girls.”
“Why, you should have allowed it sooner. All these years and only now do we get a glimpse…”
“I’d stick together while here, ponies being in attendance of one of our gatherings… some might take it the wrong way,” Façade warned.
Applejack nodded. “We’ll be careful. Not our first rodeo with antsy folks.”
Twilight hummed, nodding along as she continued to look around their immediate surroundings. She watched a deep blue and second red drone walk nearby side by side, their armour indicating they belonged to Queen Cocoon. And sure enough, upon a few moments of further inspection, the flash of cyan chitin caught her attention.
“Excuse me, girls. It’s time I got to work.”
“You good?” Rainbow asked.
“I’ll be right back, don’t worry. I just need to talk with an old friend.”
Twilight strode forwards, leaving her friends with Façade a short distance behind her. She didn’t need to go far, as already walking out to greet her was the unmistakable visage of Cocoon herself, the tall light blue Changeling Queen stopping before her counterpart and giving a small, respectful bow of her head.
“Twilight Sparkle, Queen of the Equestrian Hive. It has been some time,” Queen Cocoon addressed the younger monarch.
“Cocoon. You are well? And Insecta?”
“I am, as is my daughter, thank you for asking. Her hive is presently on route, I expect to be greeting her shortly,” Cocoon responded, her expression darkening as she took in a gentle breath. “I heard about Princess Avia. You have my sympathies. And my support.”
Twilight remained silent for a few moments, slowly letting air release from her nose as her muscles tensed at her words.
“I… Yes, I had hoped as much.”
“I don’t think you’ll find much opposition either, not with such a brazen attack on one of our own. Even considering the personal loss, her death is a hive that shall never be. And with our recent expansions, the others are like to take it as a direct threat and insult from this ‘New Kingdom’.”
“And are you threatened by them? Ignis and his followers?”
“I’m not so concerned as to the aspirations of one maddened alicorn as I am a message I recently received from our embassy in Canterlot. That one of the council may yet work with this fiend? You are certain of this, Queen Twilight?”
“Discord sure thought so, and now he lies at the edge of death. Someling manipulated events, and now my child is dead. I wish to know why before I kill them.”
Cocoon tilted her head. “Indeed? Well, I am pleased I am not among your suspects, given what you have told me.”
“A hive like yours only has everything to lose from this war. Our friendship notwithstanding,” Twilight replied. “Ever since Draco passed on, you have been my most consistent ally in these hallowed halls. History would be a deciding factor in my judgement. Though I would ask you to remain in confidence, tell not even your child.”
Cocoon frowned. “You would consider even her a suspect?”
“An unlikely one. But your being in the loop is enough for now, I don’t want too many variables nor too many ears.”
“Then you have a plan?”
“I have theories. Hypotheses. I will test them, and I will find the answers I seek.”
“Hm, then I shall trust your judgement. And your clearly thought-out risk assessment.”
“No good scientific method is complete without one,” Twilight stated, stepping past Cocoon and staring up at the hive, her eyes dilating and a soft, vengeful growl entering her voice. “And before I was ever a Queen, I was a very good scientist.”
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Vulgaris will be rooted out, never underestimate Twilight
11491333
Don't be silly. She is going to spend the majority of the story being the obvious guilty party, but our heroes won't have enough evidence to act on it. We've all seen stories with that type of villain.
11491375
Eh, true enough XD
I hope Twilight doesn't go on a warpath against the other Queens trying to find the traitor. If she goes too far she might isolate herself. She either needs to find evidence that either Vulgaris is the traitor or that Avia is still alive. As far as I can tell those are the only two things that will calm her down.
It’s good to hear from you again Tom
Good to see a new update and an interesting one too.
11491519
I think Twilight is smart enough to not to turn the queens against herself and will find the snitch without losing their support.
Oh, Pinkie. Never Change.
I just hope that this story ends with Twilight giving her life-force to Avia to resurrect her, dying in the process. And Avia gets to take her mother’s position.
To me, it just seems fitting to the Change universe.
11500267
Avis isn't dead... She's in status on the enemy flagship.
11514034
In the end I imagine that Twilight will die (and we will see her in the afterlife with her dead family members) and Avia will take her place. To me it seems the natural ending to the change series (IMO).
Actually, she's in stasis in the ruins of the Badlands Hive.
🙄
NOT a good spot, in my opinion, but then again, Ignis isn't the genius he thinks he is, "hiding" her there.
11515684 Only tom knows for sure, so we'll just have to wait and see.
I do predict that a queen WILL die, though.