Alternate Beginnings: Year Five

by Doug Graves

7 Cold Blooded Fury

Doug moves over to Princess Celestia, his herd exiting the room. He takes out a picture, a rough sketch in pencil, asking in a low voice, "Celestia, I wanted to ask you. Do you recognize this?"

Celestia takes the paper in her magic, looking down at the depiction of a dark black changeling. Cadance looks as well, though she shows no immediate spark of recognition. Celestia, however, purses her lips as she scans the image. A stick figure next to it shows it is taller than Doug, if you count the jagged horn, making her nearly as large as Celestia. The horn is large and twisted, sticking out of her long dark hair. Her body is thin, her legs long, circles drawn on the legs near her hooves. Celestia's brow furrows, glancing over at Doug and asking, "Where did you get this? If you did not draw it yourself, that is."

"I drew it; um, I thought it was a dream, at first." Doug scratches his head, motioning to the picture, "It was extremely detailed, for a dream, and I remember a lot of it. After the fact, I mean; I had the dream in the afternoon, woke up briefly, yet still remembered it the next day. Normally that doesn't happen; I haven't had a lot of dreams I remember, if any, since I got here. But what worries me is that, at the end of the dream, this Queen Chrysalis person takes the quad essence crystal and leaves. Then later, when I wake up, or at least the next day, neither I nor Rarity can find the crystal."

Celestia mutters to herself, "You even got the name right." She shakes her head, asking in her normal voice, "Did she or any of her changelings injure you or anypony else? Did they use any magic on you?"

Doug pauses a few seconds as he tries to remember, "Um, I don't recall any injuries. They did something to Rarity and Sweetie Belle to knock them unconscious. I don't think it was physical, because we never noticed any injuries or wounds. There was a part in the middle where some of the changelings glowed green, but they stopped when I backed off; they didn't do anything, just let the magic aura fade. They used a spell on me towards the end, I think; I have a really hard time remembering what happened when they left, if they transformed before they left, that sort of thing. There was this green goop that held Rarity and Sweetie Belle in place, on their hooves. Dispelled with magic, I think, I couldn't find any aftereffects. I woke up around the same time as Rarity, we were tired, but nothing out of the ordinary."

"Then she either did not drain you, or has learned to hide it better; I fear the latter. This may be unsettling, but did she lay with you?"

Doug's eyes widen, "Not that I remember. But there's no telling what happened while I was unconscious. But I didn't notice anything different, and I was, how shall as I say, as ready to go with Rarity as I normally am. Why would you ask that?"

"Because she does not breed with her own changelings; they instead rely on the 'donation' of others, of those she subjects to her... influence or deception." Celestia grimaces. Her eyes flare, revealing nothing, then a quick nod, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Doug. Can you tell me more about the encounter with this Queen Chrysalis?"

"Hmm. Well, she, Queen Chrysalis, originally appeared as me, that is, morphed or transformed into me. She was weak - barely any muscle strength, and couldn't use magic or transform back. Could still think clearly, and ordered her changelings around. She was a bit conceited, caring a lot about how I talked to her. And threatening, against both myself and Rarity. Her changelings seemed a little hesitant, or slow to react to things going on. Very unsure as if what they were doing was what the queen wanted, and she did not give them a lot of instruction. Her changelings had captured Rarity and Sweetie Belle, threatening them unless I helped her transform back. I... was able to help her; she transformed back, came onto me, but her emotions were all over the place, I suspect from the essence crystal she used to find her magical core when she was in my form. That's about where my memory ends; I assume they left afterwards, and cleaned up any trace that they had been there."

Princess Celestia gives a heavy sigh. "If only you were able to get away safely, leaving her as she was. As it is, we have lost a huge advantage. Doug, I do not blame you for not knowing, or for thinking of the safety of yourself and your herd."

Doug nods, bowing his head, "I am sorry, Celestia."

"If you believe that you made a mistake, and wronged myself or this nation, Doug, I do not hold it against you, and you are forgiven. But-"

Doug looks up, interrupting her, "Just like that? And would you offer these changelings the same forgiveness, just as easily?"

"It is a difficult question, but I like to think every creature is capable of receiving and deserving of our forgiveness, even if it takes them many times to learn their lesson. For what is the alternative?"

Doug slowly nods, his lips pursed as he watches Celestia.

"In any case, I do not think you made a mistake, Doug; no pony should have to make that choice. Now, back to the matter at hoof. You said Rarity had no memory at all of the encounter?" Doug nods; Celestia shakes her head, "Then there is no telling how far her forces have spread. Or how many ponies they are able to reach. Doug, if it were up to you, what would you do?"

Doug stares at the floor, his mind thinking hard about what to say. "Go after her? Turn up the heat? I honestly have no idea, Princess Celestia, as to what the proper response is. What do they want? Why are they a danger? I don't know enough to offer any meaningful advice. If you want to tell me more, maybe I could offer more, but I don't know how much I want to be involved."

Celestia nods, looking over at Cadance before saying to Doug, "You enjoy war games, do you not?"

"Well, the theoretical aspects of them, sure. I enjoy thinking over scenarios, finding clever plans of attack, that sort of thing." Doug shrugs, his shoulders slightly slumped, "I don't know how much I would actually want to fight or participate in one."

Celestia smiles, "Well, I may utilize you as an adviser, somepony who won't just say yes to me no matter what I propose. And I need to keep the number of ponies who know about this as small as possible. I may come to you in the next few days. However, it is late, and I believe we have kept you from your herd long enough. Thank you, again, for letting us know. I have dealt with these creatures before. However, I do not wish to cause a panic; I know how my little ponies would react if the existence, neigh, the close proximity of these creatures was widely known. Please trust that I will be able to deal with them, and keep your knowledge of them a secret, even from your herd."

Doug frowns, "That's asking a lot, Celestia, but I trust you. I'll keep this secret."

Celestia smiles, "Know that I value the lives and livelihood of all my little ponies, and that includes you, too. Good night, Doug."

"Good night Celestia, Cadance."

Celestia strides to the door, Cadance following closely behind. She watches as Doug walks to the bedroom before looking at Cadance. Steel glints in her eye as she says, "Sister, talk with me as we move; what are you prepared to offer the changelings, for the sake of our little ponies?"

Cadance shakes her head as they walk outside, "Do you honestly think they are capable of being more than parasprites?" She scoffs, a hard look in her eyes, "Even if you thought so, I would offer them a swift exit from our lands. If they are lucky, with their belongings. Why should we offer these abominations anything? I have heard the stories of the destruction they wrought on the lands they came from before."

Princess Celestia stands straighter, "You think these creatures incapable of redemption? That I should go with an extension of Doug's solution, to merely increase the heat on their hive until their eggs boil?" Cadance shudders and looks away, a tear in her eye that anypony would be so callous about the lives of another to propose anything of the sort as a 'solution'. Celestia sighs, "But also because, if they have infiltrated Ponyville, they can and likely have infiltrated everywhere, and I have noticed nothing. And there is no telling how much thrashing this serpent will do if decapitated." She sighs, "I fear we may need to offer her something, some gambit to get her to withdraw her forces."

Cadance bows her head, "I submit to your greater skill in this matter, Celestia, though I hope it proves unnecessary."

"As do I, Sister, as do I." Celestia's horn flares brightly before a haze surrounds her, completely hiding the shining light of her horn and obscuring the alicorn's body. She begins a quick walk towards Ponyville, "You know your spell to sense connections between ponies?" Cadance nods, "Well, I believe we are looking for a pony who is missing them. Who has managed to make only one, or possibly two, strong connections. They may be a traveler, or a recent transfer, but we must investigate, and find the changeling in this area. If there are none, then we go to the next town, until we find one." Cadance nods, the two going up and down the streets, horns ablaze.

Their first stop is the Town Hall, Celestia opening the door and making her way inside the dark building. Cadance follows behind, the two finding the records of ponies who have moved to Ponyville in the last eight years. Celestia takes notes, listing names, addresses, and relationship statuses of the relatively recent arrivals. Finished with their investigation, they pack everything back up, leaving no trace of their visit.

The two alicorns begin stalking through town, stopping at each of the addresses listed and scanning. The first houses are a bust, Celestia slowly making her way down the list, getting to earlier and earlier arrivals. After twenty minutes of walking a grimace creeps over Celestia's face, coming to a stop outside one of the houses in central Ponyville. Her eyes shine, though the light is still hidden from others by her concealment spell. She can barely sense it after a minute of concentration, the changeling hidden inside, but there are far more connections than she had originally suspected possible. No, the changeling posing as a mare has ingratiated herself, already joined with a stallion, part of a herd, and is even with foal, a pinto colt. They have progressed far, far faster than she thought possible.

Princess Celestia knocks at the door, the changeling disguised as a young earth pony mare yawning as she answers the door. The mare briefly shudders before controlling herself, responding in a Cockney accent, "Oh, um, aye-up Princess Celestia! Good evening, I-"

"You may cease with the pleasantries, changeling. Let your Queen know that I will meet with her in three days time, on the fifth of March, to negotiate at a place of her choosing. I will come alone, she may bring whatever forces she wishes. If she does not let me know by the end of the third day, then I will find her, and I will not be alone." Princess Celestia turns, walking back to Princess Cadance before the two teleport away. The mare stands in the doorway in shock before dashing back inside, quickly finding paper and quill.

Comments

[Viper Pit]

oh noes pipsqueak is son of bug

[Heidao]

Glad he remembered the encounter, now the war in the shadows begins, first move, negotiation. Failure after that.

Hunt

[Spiritus Arcane]

You know, it's almost too bad Chrissy didn't take advantage of Doug. Imagine the irony if he'd sired Thorax.

[Doug Graves]

9455383
Heh, while perhaps not my original intention, that would be a pretty amazing twist / irony for Chrissy.

[Jack-Pony]

9172210
I prefer the liberal application of excessive force over a 'hunt'. Shock and awe, get some!

[f0st3r21]

9172210
Ooh a Shadow War. That sounds like an epic way for Cadenza to get switched.