Chapter 39: Containment
Harlequin had seen plenty of these bugs before, from afar. They came in small groups, ordering Hydrus and passing on the Queen’s commands. She hadn’t understood at the time why they even bothered, when everyone had the Swarm they could rely on. And before that, she could see some of these faces in her dimmest memories, when she’d barely been awake enough to lay down memories at all. Before she’d understood what she was, or where.
Now they pressed up against the bars, not much above drones themselves. I see what you mean about them, Hydrus. I hope they’re still sane.
“Who are you?” asked one—a tall male, who would’ve been thicker and stronger-looking than Hydrus if he was here. Except for the painful-looking spots of decay on his shell. “I do not know your face. How did you escape capture?” She knew that voice, from some distant memory. The invasion?
I didn’t. But she didn’t think any case she could make would be terribly convincing to them just now. Instead she reached into the satchel, holding up the jar with its glowing contents. “I don’t have time to explain all that now. But I have food—a little for everyone.”
She knew starvation when she saw it, she couldn’t trust them to pass the jar around. Harlequin needed help—the one who had spoken. His skepticism meant he was still intact enough to be skeptical. “I am Harlequin,” she said, stopping in front of his cage. “Who are you?”
“Pharynx, firstborn of Lamprey, surviving captain of war. I broke the Equestrian defense, I penetrated this city. You presume to question me?” But for all his dignified anger, his eyes never left the jar. He was starving, just like everyone else trapped here.
“No,” she said. Then she lowered her voice. “Outside this building is an army of ponies we have subverted. They will escort you to our new hive, where there is love enough for all.” Except for the drones that they let starve. “Can you help me distribute this?”
He hesitated, straining against his chain, pressing up against the bars. “Answer one question for me first. My brother, Thorax. He’s… a bit useless. More than a bit, really. Do you know if he survived? He wasn’t important enough to imprison up here, Great Queens be praised. Do you know what became of him?”
She nodded. “Thorax? He’s alive! And… healthy, so far as I know. He was in my group, we both answer to the same bug. Hydrus.”
The transition was immediate, from cautious skepticism into trust. Pharynx wasn’t a bug she’d known well, but she did understand his position. He had been one of the most important bugs in the hive, a bug who spoke to the Queen directly. She was fairly certain she could remember one of Hydrus’s last orders coming from him… “I wondered if the ponies just wanted us to die down here,” he whispered. “Thought it couldn’t be, but… of course we found our own way. No doubt the Queen has been plotting carefully to rescue us as soon as it was safe.” He held out one leg, the one with the chain secured around it. “Unlock me, and I’ll help you.”
She hesitated another moment more, then opened the lock. The padlock fell away from around his hoof, and Pharynx stood up straight. The decay was worst around where the metal had wrapped, and he clearly favored the other leg. She had to look away, both from the painful appearance, and the smell.
“Right bugs, everyone up! We’ll be coming around to each of you. You see how much love we have—take a few drops and move on. Take more than your share, and I’ll kill you. Got it?”
He didn’t take any from the jar himself, leading the way down the aisle of trapped bugs and opening their bindings one at a time. Somehow he still had enough magic left to use levitation of all things, though Harlequin couldn’t imagine how that might be.
He stopped in front of each bug in the row. He seemed to know them each by name, and selected the healthiest, strongest looking bugs. Soon enough Harlequin was flanked by a group of Queen’s guard, or what was left of them. They were all bigger than she was, and some remnant of their power seemed intact despite their internment here. Though like Pharynx himself, they were all starved.
A few bugs began thrashing and screaming as he approached, yanking against their chains and snapping at the jar. “I’m sorry, sister,” Pharynx said to the first, gesturing to one side. Two drones flanked her, and there was a harsh cracking sound. She fell limply to the floor, and didn’t move again.
Harlequin shuddered, whispering so only he could hear. “Is it… isn’t there something we can do?”
“For the insane? No.” His voice was bitter, furious. “Feel no guilt, stranger. You did not starve these bugs. And I know from the pain you are feeling that you came as soon as you could. This blood is on the hooves of those ponies who cast us down into the dark.”
Harlequin nodded feebly, but just because she understood he was telling the truth intellectually didn’t mean she felt like he was right. Over the next half hour or so, nearly a dozen bugs ended up dead. Each time, it was a mercy for the madness in their eyes. Each crack she heard was another dagger in her gut, and a little more resentment she would carry towards Codex.
If you had kept your mouth closed, I might have been able to help these bugs escape. I was guarding them, I was going to get them free!
But there was nothing she could do about it now.
Eventually they’d drained her jar of love, which Harlequin covertly filled again when no bug was looking. She probably should’ve saved her magic for the drones at the bottom of the colony, but she couldn’t help it. These had suffered no less than the drones, even if it had been ponies who deprived them, instead of other bugs.
They drained the jar a second time, even if each of them took far less magic from it when it was full of something truer than lust.
Finally they were ready to leave, and Harlequin stopped them by the door. “There is a group of ponies waiting to take us down to the lower city. Do not try to escape them, or they will kill you. Canterlot is still terrified of us, so they need to be seen guarding us well. The hive is waiting for all of you.”
All of them who weren’t lying dead in their cells, anyway. There was no time to do anything for the dead, though that made her heart ache a little more. This is the fate of a creature without a story. The narrative ends, and their lives are forgotten. Their names are unremembered. This is the gift you gave to Irongate, and Codex. This is the nightmare you damned them to live.
The voice was so clear for that moment, she could almost see the pony standing beside her. But then she turned, and there was only an empty cell, with its few corpses staring empty-eyed at her.
At least I can tell Hydrus we already took care of the insane. At a glance, it looked like three in four bugs would be walking out of here. She could’ve done worse. Harlequin returned to her disguise as they left, earning herself a few more hungry looks. She felt guilty wasting magic on something so frivolous in front of these starving bugs—but she had to watch them from outside. Hydrus had been clear about that, even if it didn’t make sense.
Her confidence vanished as they passed out into the clean air of late afternoon, filled with the smell of flowers and freshly cut grass. Her group, by contrast, filled the clearing with a persistent stench of decay.
“This is what we feared?” Fortnight called, rising from where he had reclined under a garden tree and hurrying over to meet the crowd. As he rose, every soldier in the clearing stood alert, raising their weapons. “These were the monsters that haunted Canterlot?”
He strode up to Harlequin, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper. “You took long enough.”
“They were all chained and barred. It took time.”
He rolled his eyes. “Waste of all our time. Would’ve been more efficient just to flood that dungeon. Cleaner, too.” He took to the air, glowering down at the changelings. “Listen carefully, invaders! Your lives mean less than nothing to me, and my army. You’ve been condemned by Equestria to a lifetime of internment. But the penalty for attempting to escape is death. My stallions will march you to your new prison—I’m told it’s better than the old one. Walk with us, don’t try to fly away or fight, and you get there safely. Resist, and die.”
He said it completely casually, without even a hint of hesitation. Every bug watching him would know he was being honest. Harlequin had heard the orders herself, so she knew just as well.
They marched. The changelings could not go quickly, not nearly as fast as these house guards with their rough metal armor. But they did their best, limping and dragging their hooves and occasionally looking wistfully up at the sky. Not one tried to fly away—they would feel the hatred and fear surrounding them, and see the crossbows kept in unicorn magic at every corner. They were outnumbered—even if they all worked together, they’d be brought down as a group.
Marquesa and her carriage seemed to expect Harlequin to rejoin her for the ride back down, but she didn’t. It didn’t feel right leaving these bugs behind, when she could feel their eyes on her every moment. It wasn’t Fortnight they watched for directions, though he was the one who gave them. They waited to see if Harlequin was obeying—then they obeyed.
I wonder if I would’ve believed myself, if I saw this back then. Here were all the bugs who ruled the Swarm, who had ruled the city for a short time, paraded through the streets like criminals.
That’s why Pharynx had to kill the crazy ones. If this army starts shooting us, they aren’t going to stop. He was protecting the bugs he could save.
They marched through the upper city, with the City Watch lagging at the outside of the crowd. Marquesa’s carriage gave up waiting for Harlequin after a bit, and rode off to the front of the group. She didn’t mind walking.
“Going a little above, aren’t you?” Fortnight asked, as they crossed the switchbacks down towards the lower city. “You don’t have to risk yourself like this. I’m told you have some value.”
She shuddered at the implication, but looked away. “I’m just trying to make this go as smoothly as possible. My presence calms them down.”
“Clearly.” He took to the air again, and didn’t say another word to her until they made it down to the lower city. Whole streets had been cleared in a wide arc, with wooden barricades and more City Watch ponies to keep ordinary ponies from danger. As though the bugs in her ragged band could hurt anyone at this point.
By the time they arrived, the skeletal building Harlequin had seen earlier had risen dramatically. Walls of fresh timber all around it, with a heavy wooden roof to hold it all in. It wasn’t directly across from the swarm compound, there was plenty of space between the two.
The building seemed about the same size as Blueblood’s warehouse, except that it had no windows and workers were installing a guard tower out front.
Their escorts surrounded them, leaving only the entry doors as a means of escape. “Every prisoner, inside. You’ve all made it this far alive, let’s complete this trip without blood. You bore my stallions, but I’m sure you prefer it that way.”
He gestured, and the soldiers nearest the doors pulled them open wide.
Again all eyes settled on Harlequin. Some of the bugs were subtle about it, others made it so obvious that even Fortnight himself stared.
Harlequin glanced up at the old church walls not far away, remembering Hydrus’s command. Then she turned her back on them, and led the way inside. “Come on, prisoners. This way to your new accommodations.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.022 seconds
Total duration
802 users online
1,205,997 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
No argument here.
That said, I have a bad feeling about this. Those crossbows may still see some use.
As for the Storyteller... well, stories are relative things. Just because she didn't write them doesn't mean no one else can... I think.
Interesting. 1) So some members of true swarm think of others specifically as their brothers or sisters? Aren’t all the bugs chrysalis’s children though? Or is it for those born from the same father and clutch that are “siblings”?
2) I forget, don’t the soldiers know that harlequin is a disguised bug, and the disguise was for the public?
3) more evidence that Luna strongly disapproved Of turning pony’s into bugs and thinks it robs them of independence and individuality. To be fair though, she would have strong reason to believe that if she looked at the minds/dreams of the other bugs. To her it may also be possible that you slowly lose your individuality over time rather than immediately after being converted, and she might be fearful This will become a habit for Harley (she had a choice for ironwood, unlike with codex).
4) I wonder what will happen now that the smarter bugs are back. Will harlequin still be used, or will she really get more independence? Also, will it be revealed that she provided them more food, and better quality food, than hydrox gave her?
This is currently my favorite story you are writing starscribe. Thanks so much for each chapter!
Whoo Pharynx!
Honestly with how devoted Pharynx is to the Hive, it's kind of strange that he isn't one of the first changelings to reform, although I suppose there's an element of self-realization necessary.
Also with Pharynx in the new Hive, there's no way that Hydrus' days aren't numbered. Especially if Harlequin can, in fact, metamorphosize into a true queen and turn their setup into a true Hive. A nuc, as the beekeeping term goes.
Metaphor! And perhaps a sign of things to come.
Oh ho! This'll be interesting...especially once coming face to face with Hydrus, because I do not think these two would get along.
Well, I'd debate the subverted part, because I strongly suspect it's more they're just playing along for now so to work towards their own agenda like Hydrus is trying to do back to them...so in reality, I can't help but wonder if nobody is really being that "subverted" at the moment.
Oh, for the love of--you bugs all need to wake up and smell the roses! Chrysalis isn't coming back for you! Why would she? To her, you were all expendable anyway, and why bother wasting valuable resources trying to rescue drones who already failed in her eyes and are no longer going to be in prime shape anyway when she can just go and produce replacements for all of you?
In short, you are all on your own. And it's past time you all accepted that and adapted accordingly.
Yup. Pharynx in a nutshell, right there. Acts like the most hardcore of edgelords, but deep down, he's an ol' softy.
Ooohoho, right there with you on that one hundred percent, bud. Seriously, can he have Hydrus's job? Because I am convinced he can do it a heck of a lot better than whatever the heck it is Hydrus thinks he's doing.
As much as I sympathize, Harlequin, and I really do, I think we need to be honest with ourselves and be realistic about this--you freeing them yourself was always the longest of longshots, and probably would've never worked out successfully.
Well, not necessarily. By leaving them behind for the ponies to find, there's always the chance that somepony will want to investigate why these 'lings had died and, hopefully, discover just how badly the ponies have messed up in the process. And if they can get that far, then assuming the ponies aren't the real monsters here like I've occasionally feared, then that will help pave out routes for making amends. So if that transpires, the deaths at least wouldn't have been totally in vain.
But...If I'm perfectly honest, with Blueblood pulling the strings now...I have the nagging fear he's just going to clean up all the evidence of that and effectively cover it all up, hiding the truth from public eye for yet longer still.
On another note, it's implied it's Luna, observing from afar as always, who's the real source of this line of thought, and that actually disappoints me a little, because it implies that, to Luna, there's no worthwhile life to live as a changeling, no good futures to be had. She does not see (yet) the potential that it doesn't have to be that way, and that the changelings, though they haven't realized it yet themselves, have the ability to rise above that locked away within them still. She is, in fact, stuck in her own biases against changelings it seems, and hasn't been able to break free of them, even after seeing for herself that 'lings such as Harlequin exist that don't fit the public stereotypes.
So a news flash for you, Lu-Lu: the changelings never going to figure this out anytime soon if you keep refusing to believe its possible yourself. They're not the only ones who need to change here, you know.
And I already know what his response to that will be: "I will be the judge of that." And I bet you there will be a few more still that he'll decide are "insane" too, mark my words...
And know he took no joy in doing so. I'm quite sure that if he could've done it, he would've gotten all of them out of there alive, insane or not.
What, and the others don't?
They're not great accommodations (thanks for that, Hydrus), but they're a work in progress still, I'm sure, so still better than what they left behind, no doubt. Hopefully they can be made better still in the future as things continue to progress.
More importantly, at least they all made it there safely. I was actually afraid for a moment there that the scheme was to stage an "incident" and get all of these changeling prisoners killed--hence why Harlequin was expected to separate herself from them--so their potential opposition to whatever the schemes are moving forward is silenced and removed from the picture. Luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case...unless Harlequin's presence with the group was enough to mess up that plan...though I'd doubt it. Hydrus sees her as valuable and wants to keep her around, but not so much that he still wouldn't consider her expendable if it came right down to it.
9782299
As much as I hate admitting it, because I really do want to think better of Luna, it is getting increasingly harder and harder with every chapter to not come to this conclusion. This mess with the changelings has been allowed to drag on for far longer than it ever should've, and at this point, it's getting very hard to just assume it was done out of innocent ignorance, because there's little reason to assume the ranking ponies don't know at least something about what's really going on at this point. And yet no action has been taken still except give Blueblood control of the whole shebang because reasons.
Even if Luna or even Celestia is not at fault, it's clear someone in the upper ranks has to be, and whoever that is, they neglected to act when they should've and, frankly, should be made an example of by the end of all of this.
9792886
That would require someone to pick up the pen, first. Chrysalis has abandoned the changelings in Canterlot entirely, but then to her any changeling not herself was never a true character, just one of the faceless mobs to carry out her will and make her all the more special for their blandness.
I believe the gamble being taken here by whoever is watching Harlequin is that Harlequin is the one to take up that pen.
images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0d30e261-31ff-4fff-9919-5a65c0a5dc71/daikgs9-f4db5004-2181-4909-b27e-2764c3c19a30.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBkMzBlMjYxLTMxZmYtNGZmZi05OTE5LTVhNjVjMGE1ZGM3MVwvZGFpa2dzOS1mNGRiNTAwNC0yMTgxLTQ5MDktYjI3ZS0yNzY0YzNjMTlhMzAucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.o9xl2CKzkxHZl3uv4OXxo7MMvZ1R_9ZOxLplmW4l8Qk
The more I read about the ponies, the more I wish the invasion would have succeeded.
"Welcome to Stalag IIB."
9792945
9792927
if Luna is indeed the pony in Harlequin's visions, she is a bigger monster than Chrysalis in my book.
9792969
The more I read, the more I think it is her, but as I said before, I'd like to think better of her, so there's a part of me that's hoping to be proven wrong at this point. Failing that, then I'm hoping for the mother of all good explanations for this injustice, and even then, I'm not sure that'll be enough.
Only time will time.
The hive grows. Now let's see if this will be beneficial or the beginning of the end. It appears conflict is on the horizon. I can see a serious power struggle between Hydrus and Pharynx.
It really is mercy.
What's done is done. Codex may have closed the door but the blood is on the pony wardens and their superiors for allowing this to happen.
If Thorax won't transform, it'll probably be her. She's the strongest candidate for changeling "reformation".
Assuming the Storyteller is the alicorn who created the changelings in the first place, she is the creator of this nightmare. She might as well be held responsible for the invasion.
Apparently, Irongate's death (a end of a story) is preferable to him living and not having a story (or whatever the heck Storyteller is talking about).
Harley and the other will create their own story.
As racist as he is, it looks like he's just working for a paycheck and doesn't have any deep-rooted hatred against the hive. He wouldn't waste time talking to Harley about her decision to walk, otherwise. It would just be one more changeling to aim a crossbow at. I wonder if Harley can change his heart?
9792886
I suppose "may" is still better than "will". Real shame with the insane bugs.
Unless she's the Creator, then it really is her book to write. But then again, I still like to see Harley and the other write their own fates.
9792899
Long live the queen!
9792927
It's interesting.
I'm surprised they weren't more accepting of their positions as expendable resources. The queen is the future of the hive. They are her elite guards. They should be fanatical unto death. Sacrifice for her in any way. The hive's survival is your reward. Nothing else matters.
They have minds. They have ambition. They put some value in their own lives. Even the lower ranked drones show this. That there is a sort of individuality that the Alicorn (assuming swarmlore is true) could never take away. They're more pony than they appear.
9793015
They probably always had that individuality (in fact, it nicely explains 'lings such as Chrysalis, who from the start always demonstrated a unique and individual personality not universally shared with the rest of the changelings), the hivemind just didn't allow it to manifest well. That's the double-edged sword of a hivemind, really. On one side, it has the potential for a sense of unity, coordination, and interaction at near perfect levels most organisms can only dream of, but on the other, it has the potential of squandering individual thoughts and ideals if the majority of the hivemind chooses to go different routes--a sort of more civilized version of mob mentality, if you will.
It's probably the only reason why Chrysalis has managed to stay in power for as long as she has in this universe, honestly--the hivemind didn't permit any ideas deviant from her method of ruling to properly form. Now that it's out of the way, though...
I kind of hope the story gives us some more lore on how the hivemind works (or worked) at some point, though, as there are still big mysteries about how exactly it functioned and, more importantly, its origins that have thus far been left blank. It's not super pertinent to the story, no, but it would help give big clues that could explain why the changelings are the way they are...or at least help narrow down the options considerably.
9792945
This is the problem with monarchies, the ones who are in the fault are Celestia and Luna even if they were not aware of things which have happened. If they have not considered it worthwhile to take any kind of personal interest in details of the specie who assaulted her city then she is not someone who should be in any position of leadership.
Not to mention, if the society she has shaped for last 1000 years surprises her with its cruelty in this manner then she is even more deluded. If you take this kind of total power then you have NO business trying to claim ignorance when in relates to the blood in your hooves.
9793196
Assuming this indeed all happened out of their ignorance of the situation...then I would agree that Celestia and Luna would definitely share the blame, but I wouldn't go as far as say they're specifically at fault for it. Yes, the fact they did nothing to prevent it and effectively turned a blind eye makes them pretty much complicit, even if they weren't even directly involved or aware. But that still means they weren't the ones who actually gave the order to carry this out--that would still fall on whatever pony who independently thought this whole course of action was a good idea. And I would blame that theoretical pony more than I would Celestia and Luna.
Again, NOT to say that Celestia and Luna are blameless for laissez-faire ruling (assuming that is the case) because they aren't, or that the ones to blame are even limited to just those three--there are probably far more all throughout the government at this point. Indeed, I suspect that, whatever happened to get to this point, lots of heads will roll before its all over, changeling and pony alike.
Honestly, though, I sort of hope it was out of laissez-faire ruling, because in my head, that's probably the best possible outcome it could be on the behalf of Luna and Celestia, blame-wise. Anything else, and that'd mean they were more directly involved and thereby more complicit in this whole sordid affair, and then they really will be the ones more directly at fault.
As I've said before, though, I really do want to think they're above that, so I'm hoping against hope there's a valid explanation for all of this.
9793559
If that's really the case, that's a poor excuse for what is basically attempted genocide at this point. Public opinion, right or wrong, should only go so far, or really bad things happen really quickly if nobody steps in to keep it in check. That's how you get anarchy. That's also why we have governments in the first place. Celestia and Luna both know that already--they've been the government for literally a millennium or more, so it's not like they're inexperienced at this or anything. It's literally their job to step in and prevent the public from bringing about crimes such as this, especially needlessly like the case with the changelings here.
Besides, they both have a conscience, and I can't see even them be willing to stand to one side and let this happen just because that'd poll well.
I mean, it's not like they're elected officials, and if they've managed to keep themselves from being overthrown for this long despite past fiascos of similar caliber in history while on their watch, I think they're more than capable of doing it again here, especially seeing it'd literally be for the greater good. Having the moral high ground is a surprisingly powerful argument in politics, I'm finding, more than we, the citizenry, give it credit for. Sure, there are plenty of examples of crooked politicians that have gotten caught doing immoral things, but it's important to remember that many of those instances were done in secret (up until they were caught, of course), outside of the public notice, precisely because there would be an uproar if it was publicly known. Heck, even Hitler kept his genocide attempts on the Jews on the down low enough that many German citizens had next to no idea it was even happening or it was as bad as it was until literally as WWII was ending.
So no, I don't buy that excuse. If Celestia and Luna are responsible for this, it's because of some yet-to-be-revealed secret agenda, NOT because of pandering to public opinion.
Hey, it's Pharynx and he's sane.
And he apparently trusts Hydrus.
Oh, shit. Pharynx makes the hard decisions that Harlequin was not going to be prepared for.
Yep.
Yay, no additional bloodshed.
9793559
Yes there is a certain word for people who are willing to let let others starve to death while under their power for "Public relations" and it has been named in the conversation few times.
9793594
Personally i think Luna might be running some kind of sick "I am monitoring you, prove that you can be allowed to live" scheme. Some sort of half-assed plot to offer Changelings freedoms so they can either hang themselves or find some new balance. I hope this is not the case but a lot of things point towards it.
What gets me most about the realities of the story is that they pretend to be good, Changelings at the least had excuse of war and hunger to their actions. These ponies, all who are involved are doing this coldly and with calculation. Changelings it appears to me were more of a children who knew no better. (Without their Queen) These ponies who kill, starve and then make them whore for their lives (while they are prisoners under their power) are just monsters.
9793679
It's not that your argument is invalid or that it doesn't raise a good point, you're just overselling it a bit. It certainly can be a factor in how Luna and Celestia proceed with this, but I highly doubt its the deciding factor.
Besides, as you say, Celestia's been playing the "Great Game" this whole time...a lot longer than ALL of the other players (Luna included). If she doesn't have this game down pat by now...well, then she probably would've already lost well before now. The simple fact that she hasn't, or even come close to that point before, is a testament of her skill. So for Celestia at least, I have doubts about her getting outplayed quite that easily or quite that effectively. Enough for it to be a threat she has to move cautiously around as she proceeds? Sure. Enough for it that she can't act at all on the matter and let mob mentality commit a gross injustice, invasion or no? Not a chance.
Personally, having been thinking it over through the course of today, I think it's much MORE likely that Celestia and Luna allowed the changelings to stay in the prison for as long as they did, despite the harm it was causing them, only because they didn't have a better option to offer yet, short of asking for pony volunteers for the changelings to feed off of, an idea that's obviously never going to fly for a whole lot of reasons we don't even need to list. That would be partly why they're going along with Blueblood taking charge of the matter now, because he's offered the better option they would be looking for (or so they would be hoping). It would also be why Luna's just observing Harlequin and Hydrus's actions in their little "hive" but not yet taken any real action on the matter, because if that works as promised, it would provide an even better still solution to the problem...assuming the changelings aren't going to abuse it, hence why Luna's monitoring.
It's no perfect solution, ripe for trouble and complications still, and we could debate all day if this would justify Celestia and Luna's actions on the matter any (I'll leave that ball of wax alone for now), but it's a possible theory that, I'm thinking, might fit all the facts as we currently know them nicely.
Honestly, though? What I'd REALLY like to see...is the story to just come forward and clear up this matter itself finally. I mean, I think we've been left waiting long enough. At least give us a bone for us to chew on if nothing else, eh, author?
The debate here on the morality, and ethics of the prisoner situation.
Makes the show's decision to blast all the bad changelings away via the power of love seem so much more sensible.
I read that in SgtMaj. Plumley's voice...
Huh, I really thought something would happen during the return trip, nothing happened, not even jeering crowds. Weird.
Guess that's a good thing. Xp
9800686
Dont´worry, the true drama comes next.
Besides, they haven´t fixed the "nutrition" problem. Even if the new prison is an almost nice place (which I´m sure is not) without access to emotions it will be just another place to starve to death.
9803324
True, but it's probably an improvement to how they were living before. Somethings better then nothing right?
Well, that went more smoothly than expected....
May I suggest to spell things like this out a little less? It doesn't reinforce it as much as... Let's say
Provokes questions.
Most? Who doesn't get some? Think think... Oh right...the buglings!
Don't be afraid to challenge us readers a bit ;)