35- Áine
I watched from a window of the throne room as a black dot slowly flew away from the hive northward.
‘I know Chrysalis wasn’t the one who exiled him, it was me, yet I still blame her for his exile. The First Fang is going to give me hell for this, but I can convince them of my logic. Pharynx, on the other hoof…’
“You did well, Prince Phasma.”
“What?”
I turned around and saw Chrysalis was behind me.
‘I’m in her good graces again, it would seem. All it took was the death of my closest friend.’
“It takes courage to admit fault. Many changelings would rather lie and claim innocence, rather than to give back to the hive that raised them. It takes even more strength to cast judgement and condemn against those who were close to you. You will need that strength.”
‘That’s awfully kind of her to say, despite the horrible context.’
“And it is a painful lesson on letting changelings get close to you. You are a prince, and there are those who will seek your company for the boons it provides. We must not let any ling come between us and our duties to the hive.”
‘And there’s the heartless despot I know.’
“I will… keep that in mind, Mother. Thank you.” I said before turning back to the window. I knew Chrysalis well enough to know that the conversation was over.
“I’m proud of you, Phasma.”
My ears swiveled towards her as I half-turned my head in her direction.
‘When was the last time she didn’t call me prince? Has she ever?’
“... Why?”
“I expected you to let your bond affect your judgement. You’ve proved my assumptions wrong.”
‘Stop the presses, did she just say she was wrong? Is it opposite day or something?’
“Yet I still betrayed the hive by concealing his crime. How can I claim to champion a cause that I’ve betrayed?”
“We all have our faults, Prince Phasma. Do not let them overwhelm you, and you shall find yourself ruling Equestria as my second-in-command in no time. I will have the Praetorians’ silence on today’s events.”
‘The Lodges will still find out.’
“Mother, does the phrase ‘Here in death, remember our strength’ mean anything to you?”
At her silence, I turned all the way around to look at her. She was working her jaw in thought.
“Where did you hear that?”
“The Weave.”
“The Weave?” I nodded. “That’s… impossible.”
“What does it mean? Who said it?”
“It... was the rallying call of Princess Procho. She died two hundred and sixty seven years ago.”
“How did she die?”
Chrysalis’s eyelids drooped as she stared at the window behind me.
“She was returning from a particularly devastating underhive expedition. She was almost all the way back to the hive when the dregs of her party were set upon by the monstrous inhabitants of that dark place. Princess Procho guarded the retreat.”
‘Is that the truth?’
“Why do I hear her, then?”
“Hmph... You were visited by the demon Nightmare Moon as well. I’m not sure, Prince Phasma. You seem to have an extraordinary talent for attracting unnatural phenomena.”
I looked back at the window.
‘Unnatural phenomena certainly describes this new life. I hope she isn’t planning something stupid, like sticking me onto the end of a pole and using me as a supernatural Geiger counter or something.’
After a few moments, I heard the clopping of hooves on stone as she walked away in her usual Irish Goodbye fashion.
‘Has she ever even said goodbye in her life? I would actually be surprised if the answer is yes.’
My eyes traced Thorax’s route to the setting sun on the horizon, and the closest plateau before that.
‘He’s got a long way to go. Godspeed, Thorax.’
Now I had to tell the First Fang what happened. And Pharynx, he deserved to know what the Queen and I did.
After ten minutes of watching the small dot become smaller, I sighed and pushed off from the window. There would be time for breaking the bad news later. I had paperwork to do. Also, rushing to them would risk making Chrysalis suspicious.
‘Requisitioning the construction of caches for the Swarm takes tens of dozens of papers to fill out. Sentencing someone to slow death? Not a single one.’
I slowly made my way to my office in the royal wing. The guard on duty saluted as I passed him and went into my office.
Some filing cabinets on my right with God-Splitter leaned up against them. Coxa’s short desk on my left. My large desk straight ahead, covered from end to end in papers, both in organized stacks and chaotic piles. Two chairs in the corners behind that.
I stared at the chair on the left. There was a small pile of orange armor next to it.
The chair itself was empty. Likely, it will never be occupied again.
‘It’s just two months. Then, with Canterlot taken, finding Thorax will be easy. After all, we will be hitting every settlement, and no one can stay far away from food sources. Chrysalis can’t hurt him then, his survival would be proof that Panar has deemed him worthy of redemption.’
I considered moving the chair out, but decided against it.
‘I’m not going to sweep what happened under a rug. Thorax deserves better than that.’
So, I sat down at my desk and put a form in front of me. I stared at it for thirty minutes before I actually started reading it.
‘Two months.’
‘Soon after, there came a very hot day with a boiling sun,’ I thought as I stared at the hate-fueled star baking the world alive.
Around me, the hot dirt and sand and rocks of the Badlands broiled in the bright sun. I myself was not doing well either. If sunburn was possible for a bug, I would surely find out soon.
“Tis thy dream! Cool thyself, Prince Phasmatodea, there is not any need for suffering in a world you control.”
Behind me, Nightmare Moon was fanning herself in the shade underneath a black parasoul, sitting down.
“The sun is as oppressive as We recall. The end to its tyranny cannot come soon enough! Prince Phasmatodea, cool thy dream at once!”
“You can call me Phasma for short, Nightmare Moon.”
“Thou avoids peroration like no monarch We have known. Thou converses like a commoner, rather than a Prince. Hath thy progenitors taught thy any court manners?”
I watched as a cactus slowly wilted under the intense heat.
“No. My mother was more focused on teaching me things like ruling a nation, warfare, and crushing those beneath my station.”
“A mare after our own heart!”
Not wanting to piss off the pony-princess-demon-alicorn-thing, I replaced the hot air around her with a cool breeze. Immediately, she stopped fanning herself.
“Hmph. Thou art capable of treating a lady well, it would seem. If only needing no small amount of prodding towards the correct direction.”
I wiped sweat from my brow. I hadn’t in fact removed all of the heat from my dream, just around Nightmare.
‘Thorax is going through this every day for at least a week. An entire week of nothing but dirt and rock for miles, and the horrid sun above his head.’
“Speaking of that, I very well might need your help, Nightmare Moon.”
“We are not in a position to supply boons, Prince Phasma. After our restoration to the throne, though…”
“That’s the thing. You’re not the sharing type, are you?”
“Most assuredly not. We demand what is rightfully ours. Ours, as in, belonging to myself. That doth not include thou.”
“I didn’t think so. No, I need your help killing my mother.”
Nightmare smiled. “Matricide? Prince Phasma, We become more endeared to you with each passing meeting of ours. For why must we kill your mother?”
“She isn’t the sharing type either, and will kill you if you try to butt in on what she decides is hers.”
“Ha! As if any old crone could match an alicorn in combat!”
“My mother has been preparing for quite a while to take Celestia on. I don’t doubt that she is capable of killing the Princess.”
“Our sister Princess Celestia was never a savant with a blade, however she has had centuries of practice, assuredly.”
“So has Queen Chrysalis.”
Nightmare Moon froze and stared at me.
“We do not believe we heard thou correctly. Thou claims thy mother has had… centuries of practice?”
“My species’ royals do not suffer many of the maladies that mortals do. We can’t get cancer or other bodily failures, we don’t suffer chronic diseases, and we cannot die of old age. We are as close to immortal as can be.”
I silently thanked whatever happenstance led to Equish words being exactly like English words, only with Equish syllables instead. Grammar rules can be relearned, but being set back to the vocabulary of someone who just started learning the language over half a year ago would be intolerable.
Nightmare Moon meanwhile just stood there in silent consideration of what I had said.
“Immortals? We have never… We have never encountered other immortals. Not ones worth keeping company. The only perpetual We know of that was pleasant to be around was murdered millennia ago.”
“The other species have no equivalent to alicorns and royals?”
She shook her head slowly.
‘Huh. What makes ponies and changelings so special, then?’
“That’s unfortunate.”
“We had not known thou would be with us in perpetuity, young Prince. We had assumed…”
“That I would be dead within eight decades?”
“Indeed. How long hath thy mother been alive?”
I shrugged, and took the opportunity to wipe the sweat from my head again.
“She keeps information on lockdown. Actually, I’m sure I could figure that out, but I’d guess five hundred years?”
“And what is in it for us to rid thou of thy mother?”
“As I said, removing a threat. She will want a slice of the Equestrian pie, as it were. I am open to making deals and arrangements with you in the future. She will not be.”
“Arrangements?”
“My kingdom doesn’t have much to offer in terms of material goods, but I know you’ll value the skills we can provide.”
“What skills would those be?”
“The kind I’ll show you in person. In pony. Whatever you want to say.”
“Very well, Prince Phasma. We shall join in battle against our sister, then we shall partake in thy matricide."
Nightmare Moon chuckled.
“In Equestria, it is customary for the mare to make the first move. It must be different in thy kingdom.”
“How did we go from threatening my life to threatening courtship?”
“Hast thou spent a thousand years alone? Thou doth not appreciate the true pleasure of the presence of others.”
“I can’t even imagine staying sane for a thousand years alone. Ugh, I don’t want to think about this, I have to focus on preparing for war. And possibly killing my own mother.”
She looked to the horizon.
“Thou art awakening, Prince Phasma. We are, too, though at a slower pace, for the barriers between the realms grow weaker with each passing day.”
Nightmare Moon smiled.
“Do not perish on the battlefield, Prince Phasma. Thou art a dreamwalker perpetual, and a stallion at that! No, do not perish, for We shall never meet another of thy likes again, and necromancy is quite costly!”
The First Fang had all gathered in an empty growing room in the Greencave area, though it was filled with different mosses and ivy dripping down from planters.
The entire First Fang, except Thorax. Our hexagon was hexa-gone.
“Yesterday, Thorax was arrested for the theft of love, as well as possession of forbidden pony material.”
“Fuck,” Coxa succinctly summed our feelings up. “And? What happened?”
“Immediately, I went to remedy the situation. Queen Chrysalis suspected me no small amount, and ordered me to pass judgement on him. She would have accepted a lesser punishment, but...”
“Where’s Thorax?” Lace asked me in a near-hissing tone.
“I exiled him.”
Oest gulped and Coxa let out a shaky sigh. Lacewing wasn’t done, though.
“And why did you do that?”
“Chrysalis would have accepted it if I had punished him lightly, I’m sure, but the cost would be too high–”
“Cost?! You just killed Thorax!”
“No,” Coxa said quietly.
“Thorax isn’t dead Lace, but he is out of the picture. I had Coxa steal love to set up an emergency cache outside the hive, just in case this happened. Funny, we had to use it because we set it up in the first place. One often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”
Lacewing looked lost. “So then he’s gone?”
“For now.”
Coxa sighed, “Why was it too costly to save him?”
“I would pay for Thorax’s life with a commodity I have very little of: trust. If I saved Thorax, Chrysalis would forever suspect my loyalties. She would have me watched at all times, and the odds of her deciding to move against me… I weighed Thorax’s life against the benefits of her trusting me, and I made a decision.”
“You stole love from the hive?”
I looked at Tarsus. I had forgotten that he was even here, he’s become so silent ever since we last saw each other before the expedition.
“A bit. Enough to survive the journey to Equestria.”
“Phasma, there’s hardly enough love to go around–”
“Don’t you think I already know that? It will hurt the hive, yes, but out of all the changelings in the hive, who’s currently in the most danger? Who is under constant watch, expected to fulfill impossible expectations? Who is constantly working hard every Panar damned day to get a future for the hive where everyone is happy?”
“When will we see Thorax again?” Lacewing asked, interrupting our argument. She was rubbing her eyes, trying to not shed tears. She wasn’t succeeding.
“... After we take Equestria. His survival will be proof of his redemption, so long as none of us reveal the love-cache.”
“And you’re sure he’ll be fine before then?”
“I rigged the odds to be in his favor as much as I could. Thorax will be fine, we just have to focus on what’s ahead of us.”
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Oh, so this just got a hella lot more interesting... I wonder, if the Nightmare Moon Arc goes as canon, will Luna remember meeting Phasma as NMM?
10602626
Thorax: "Hey, I have an idea! Since our food depends on ponies being loving and happy, what about making them loving and happy about us?"
Rest of the changelings:
i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/035/358/tangled-1.jpg
800 likes in three months from a new writer? Haven't seen a story explode like this since 14'/15'. You must be The Great Weaver.
If anyone still has lingering 'end of fandom' death throe worries, here's another example of why we're still going strong.
I'll be the first to admit I'm not into HIE stories, but this does seem interesting, and you definitely have some kind of grand plot in mind. As someone who struggles with overarching and in-depth plots and focuses more on character interaction, this is probably a story I'd enjoy returning to.
Besides, you can't go wrong with bugs.
Keep up the steady work!
yes my ship is sailing; wait its never that easy.
I feel a sudden feeling of dread that something bad is going to happen.
Nightmare Moon and Phasma sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
It's interesting that Phasma is hearing Echoes from the past. Perhaps his siblings are in the Weave and not so lost as one might originally think. Though it does beg the question of whether Phasma is going to develop some kind of Multiple-Personality-Disorder... or become host for a disembodied sibling.
10604443
Wait .....maybe he would find something
Can't they extract love from animals?
Because pets like dogs will always love you ,changelings look wont scare them from giving them the love
10604415
I don't think this version of Nightmare Moon will take the same route as in canon,so she probably won't lose
10604454
10604456
I SHIP IT
10604468
One: You'd need to get the animals. Considering that they need to be domestic large large supply its possible, but noticeable. Then you'd need to take care of them. Less efficient than ponies, but more self-sustainable in the long run. Also they tend to die so you'd have to replace them a lot (or breed them, you'll have to control the population somehow or something but yeah)
It'd take a while, but it's completely viable if the colony wasn't running out of Love in 6 months.
Edit: Did not think this through well eh
10604469
Probably involves beating Celestia and instead fighting mother dearest in some fashion.
Fuck... Nightmaremoon is waaay to dangerous. I hope the mane six get to friendship canon her back to sane Luna.
Chrysalis is best Bugwaifu in some storys but i wonder about this story... Is she doing everything for the greater good despite it looking like she rather puts herself before the hive.
Dont forget Chrysalis is immortal. Even if the Hive dies 99% she has all time in the world to recreate a new hive!
Nice chapter
Poor First Fang has just taken a hard hit to the moral.
10604521
Also given most literature with creatures that eat energy from another sapient species do not allow animals to be a suitable long-term food source, I'd imagine even in this story Chrysalis has either already tried it or has banned it due them being in the middle of a desert and the short term feeding process is less resource intensive when they're not projecting to keep the ponies around forever.
Also in a more story telling view, having animals be a source of long term food basically destroys any tension from having the dynamic of predator and prey while also making any politicking and/or relationships built off the mutual trust/distrust simply have a lot less of an effect if the changelings could just go eat a puppy's love rather than have to earn it (or steal it) from another thinking creature.
10604454
Isnt always something to happen in a story like this?
10604456
Prince of Persia - The two thrones. I think like the sand ghost gives advice and comments so will Phasmodias get advice from the past rulers. May a bright future of cooperation secure the future of all races withhin Equestrias borders.
10604468
Yes... Also no... Sentient and Sapient is often very important in this. Why even risk ponys uf dogs or whatever would do it. Quality and quantitativ often are refered as heavy point about Changeling diat.
10604469
Some storys have the elements seperate Luna from the Nightmare! That way Luna and Nightmare could exist seperate. One of my very top favorit fan storys is Nightmare get seperated from Luna and than possesion of Rarity followed by mutual gain. Rarity gains imortality and the Nightmare main part get reborn trough Raritys first child to experience a normal happy life.
10604554
Vavacung
Also ,wasn't Rarity already dead but when she made this deal she got resurrected in a new form?
10604556
Damn... Your right. But cant get Rarity die of old age. This story is currently on a tight time table.
Very nice. The time of nightmare moon's return approaches, and I'm getting more and more worried the elements will be successful. Hopefully they will be, if not converted to our side, dealt with mercifully and effectively. I hope Phasma will tell his new marefriend about his diet before she returns, I don't want that to be a point of friction between my new favorite couple.
10604451
There's still a few monsters chugging along-- one is approaching 3 Million words and I fully expect it to hit 5 when all is said and done.
10604685
Pretty sure She still loses. Notice the Luna tag instead of Nightmare moon tag. This might result in every going really bad.
Doesn't Luna recall some of her exploits as NMM? This could be an issue at some point, I would believe.
10604540
I guess animal's emotion and feelings are less complex and therefore less nutritious than sapient ones.
10604443
Thorax: I've got a dream-
Everyling else: Shut it!
10604451
Thanks! That means a lot to hear from an accomplished author around here. I still consider myself pretty 'outside' the Fandom for the most part.
10604540
This. I can come up with a good in universe reason for why it won't work, but ultimately it's because it would ruin the conflict integral to the fix.
10604456
Mom said it's my turn on the immortal bug body!
The plot thickens!
Also, I'd just like to say I'm really enjoying this story and I appreciate the effort it is to write so consistently and well :)
Not in the usual "I am leaving" way, but she's probably used it shortly before executing someone.
10604468
Why do I have to keep bringing up that Thorax's entire purpose in the show proper was solving this problem, successfully?
Well, this has been awsome. Seriously top notch mate. Eagerly awaiting more.
That series of lines takes on a very different implication if said in the way a femme fatale in a movie would say it.
I think Nightmare Moon thinks prince Phasma is offering to become her concubine/consort/lover and pleasure her after the battle.
Prince Phasma clearly has a 'changeling business presentation' of sorts in mind for after the battle.
10604469
Yeah. Like Five minutes after I posted this I realized something was definitely going to go different. I mean, Chrysalis is literally going to invade the same day! ofc it isn't going to go canon.
Although an NMM victory does sound a little out there...
Wait...
(Translating....
That's Estonian for Substance.
Can I just say that this version of Chrysalis has been almost... Likable? And occasionally wise?
okay scary! hope Nightmare Moon gets reformed somehow.....because scary
10604796
By making them into something like a puppet state like the Crystal Empire and completely vulnerable.
Yeah great job in giving away your autonomy
No one wants to see what happened in canon to changelings to happen to them here, like the wedding barrier catapult and their "reformation" but more like ponyfication.
Also, Thorax would be an even worse ruler than Phasma. At least Phasma is a leader type, who can govern and make decisions.
10604939
This is not mutual exclusive. Changelings are popular because both apply.
10604950
Indeed but Chrysalis invasion could be stopped trough a rival hive or the StormKing attacking early and hitting the Changeling Legion before they hit Equestrias borders. Delaying the invasion by days up to 1-2 weeks. Since the Storm king has thousands of soldiers the food shortage is fixed.
Wait, if in equestria the mares initiate courtship...
Is this some flavor of RGRE (reverse gender roles equestria)?
10605433
Just a little hint of it.
I'd like to do a story with RGRE, but it has no place in this fic.
I am quickly losing optimism for the future with each passing chapter.
10605616
I am quickly losing optimism for Thorax each time Phasma says he’ll be fine.
>perpetual
You just keep on teasing with the warhammer parralels, don't you.
Dude, this story is wonderful! I cannot wait for more!
10606073
If you cant wait... Here!
https://www.deviantart.com/4as/art/The-pet-of-deception-801097466
Wile waiting for next years update:
https://www.deviantart.com/4as/art/Royal-boop-FLASH-587430025
Boop em all!
between fighting his mother and marrying nightmare moon that like being between a rock and a hard place, funny enough he could become king of two kingdoms depending on how things play out
10606531 The first one is cute. The second one, did not load properly, but I'm sure it was quite nice too.
Courting Nightmare Moon has little difference to courting death. A man's own words can slay him.
-------
"Aine"
Aine('awn-ya') is a Celtic goddess of myth. Said to be among the most powerful and revered Irish mythological goddesses, she represents the summer, fertility, wealth, and love. Aine had the power to ensure plentiful crops and harvests, and could both strip and grant a man's power to rule. In other myth, Aine is said to also be the Queen of the Fae; the race of Fairies.
(I'd advise learning more about these myths mentioned within this story, for those of you who don't know. Some have very interesting tales. Can't hurt to take an earnest peek.)
Like how you do everything in your power to turn your mother against you?
Funny how he went from ¨In case she betrays me i need plans¨ to full on ¨I'll betray her first and then blame her for it¨
10607231
"She exiled Thorax. She must go."
"But you're the one who-"
"Death."
10604554
my feeling of something bad happening is something happening outside of things that Phasma could act against like that curve ball of Chrysalis manipulating events to get Thorax kicked out of hive/killed for a loyalty test.
or if a certain group of mares have some deus ex machina that ruins your deal with Nightmare moon which leaves you ally-less to fight against your mom.
10606895
Keep going this great story. 
Thanks for all the lore ♡ (^.^)/)
10606050
Just nom nom both variations of sweet baked goods
10606066
That is a nice change of theme and as always damn fine lore
10606895
That why i hope they friendship laser her. Luna is safer and overall pretty adorable
10607235
I don't see a mistake in the logic of Phasmodias
10607399
Indeed. But rather alone than a ally that turn enemy to your subjects. Nightmaremoon is interessted in Phasmodias not his subjects.
Careful Tarsus, you're being set up to become Iscariot...
A deal with the devil
Ouch.
Why didn't Phasma tell the First Fang how Chrysalis had definitely framed Thorax? He already knew there were no empty love pots as she claimed. Telling them she had done so is integral to explaining why he had to make that choice. She wasn't just seeking justice for the missing love, she intentionally set up whoever she wanted that she knew was close to Phasma! It could have been any of them because every'ling else is disposable in her eyes.
Phasma couldn't call her out on there being no pots to find because that would reveal that not only had they not been used up (like she most likely suspected) but that Phasma knew they weren't empty means he had them stashed somewhere. She'd seek to recover the love pots at any cost to Phasma. And, most importantly, Phasma couldn't save Thorax with revealing her framing him as she also may have planted that book, which Phasma couldn't disprove anyways.
Chrysalis threw one of her own innocent 'Lings on the chopping block. There was no saving Thorax from that, as she willed it to happen. That, above everything else, sets the whole situation as her fault and that Phasma could only hope to do the best he could to save as much as he could. Even at a cost to himself and everyone else with them. He doesn't like it anymore than they do, but the blame rests on her... and the First Fang would help others understand.
I sincerely hope he remembers to point this out to Pharynx. I hope the author remembers... or can justify Phasma forgetting reasonably.
Pretty sure this would have happened even without Phasmatodea stealing love. Remember the Books?
It was always going to happen...
But was it Chrysalis or her Hoove licking follower ?