36- Gullinkambi
The Promised day is now only twenty days away.
The Army would begin the journey thirteen days before, and the trek to Canterlot would take ten days. That leaves three whole days to capture settlements along the way within Equestria’s borders. Estimates suggested we could do it within a single day, but I wanted as much leeway as possible.
I had also broken the news to Pharynx that I exiled Thorax. In turn, he broke my nose.
We came to a mutual understanding; it was a fair trade, as I got the impression that he trusted me when I said that I made absolutely sure Thorax would live. Doesn’t mean he forgave me or likes me in any capacity, but maybe I don’t deserve his forgiveness.
Tarsus was gone again. As an infiltrator, he was called to be with Chrysalis inside Canterlot.
The most important news was that Chrysalis was gone.
She left the hive yesterday to join up with the Infiltrators. From her the forward command center that was being established with the aid of the Tenth Legion Underhive Scarabs. Along the way, they would also be creating the caches that would be used to supply the Swarm. While in Canterlot, she would pick out the high value targets, and take down a few herself.
Moving the Swarm was up to me. Other than watching the grand speech and initial order to move out using a magical communication thingy, Chrysalis left the invasion to me.
The hive she left to Eucharis and the massive amount of Praetorians still present. Those guys would be keeping an eye on me, but I reckon they won’t be paying as close attention as they would have, if I had chosen to spare Thorax.
‘This is the slack in the leash that I had bought using Thorax’s life.’
Currently, I was on my way down to where my journey began. The hive nursery. The reason for this was simple: the secret vault.
It seemed to be a puzzle or combination lock, using symbols of the Threads. To learn more information, I was going to those who taught the First Lesson, and all it entailed. I couldn’t go to Thorax, since he was gone.
Another reason why I was heading to the nurses was the solution itself. Sure, it could be a random combination of symbols, but this door and puzzle looked ancient. The main door was to keep out intruders, which was only ever breached when the former monarch was well and truly dead, and once that happened it was replaced. The puzzle door looked as old as the walls and floors of the place itself, meaning it had a combination that every ruling monarch learned.
Therefore, the solution was, somehow, obvious. If it wasn’t random, then it must have a specific meaning.
I was thinking about this for some time while I worked on the invasion. The only possible combination I could think of was the whole holy number nine thing the changelings have going on. A question to Coxa revealed that the nine was in reference to the nine Threads that made up the Weave.
‘Nine symbols. If this isn’t the code to the puzzle, then I will have to break my way in and risk damaging what’s inside. And tripping an alarm, most likely. Push comes to shove, I’ll just open it the same way I’m opening the vault again. I just don’t want to risk damaging anything immediately behind it.’
I had given the order to the Lodges to prepare to open the vault. Permanently.
A team was being assembled; a few changelings to maintain silencing field spells, a rotating team to use their focused will spells to literally drill through the weakest part of the wall around the vault. A tertiary team stood watch outside and at key checkpoints close to the vault.
Any reports of vibrations were quietly snuffed out through the byzantine bureaucracy of the hive by those loyal to me.
All in all, it would take about five days to break into the vault. They began as soon as they were ready.
And so I went to where this all began.
The hallways before the hatchery were fancier than normal, preferring blue lights in sconces, similar to how the royal wing was designed. Standing in the pale, blue light were changelings most definitely not loyal to me.
The door in front of me was flanked by two Praetorians, wearing their blue armor, exactly like I remembered them. The fact that no changeling morphology differs so little, as well as the consistent matching armor played no part in that, none at all.
They saluted as I opened the door to the hatchery. They, while not being part of the Lodges, still did as they were trained. The fact that they were not of the few Praetorians loyal to myself above the queen mattered little, now that I had proved my loyalty.
Immediately, I was buffeted by a wave of hot, humid air. It was like stepping out into Badlands, only without the dry heat. I walked inside and beheld the large chamber. Green light beamed down from a central point in the middle of the ceiling. I assumed there must be some mutant strain of glow-moss up there. Normal glow-moss wouldn’t be so luminescent, after all.
The one thing that didn’t line up with my memory was that the room was nearly empty. There were no hordes of changeling larvae, no remains of hatched eggs, nothing. Instead, right in the middle of the spacious manufactured cavern was a circular table, with five chairs pulled up to it.
Two were occupied.
Their occupants were hunched over the table, one with their back to me, the other mostly obscured by the one facing away. They held a quiet conversation as I quietly approached.
‘Psocid and Lethocerus. Hard to forget the names of the first two aliens I ever saw. Actually, I’m the alien, aren’t I?’
Not quietly enough it seems, as the closest one’s ears swiveled towards me. She sat upright and spoke loudly, her voice echoing in the empty chamber.
“It seems our little Prince has returned, Psocid.”
The changeling on the far side of the table, Psocid, leaned out from behind the speaker to get a better look at me. When I stopped by their table, they stood up, bowed deeply, then stood back up and took their seats again.
“So it would seem. Hello, little Prince. You honor us with your presence, but it would seem you’re not so little now.”
“You are the first changelings I met, aren’t you?”
“Quite so, My Prince. I am Broodnurse Lethocerus.”
“And I am Broodnurse Psocid.”
“And we are the caretakers of this holy place!” Lethocerus spread her forelegs wide, as if the empty room was a grand cathedral.
“This holy place seems rather barren.”
Lethocerus dropped her forelegs and looked at me sadly. “Our Queen decided that there would be no hatching this year. Your brood was sent off to be divided up between the Clutches, leaving us here, all by our lonesome. So we, bringers of life and guardians of the new, sit here, in our sanctum, playing poker all day. ”
I leaned to the side as Psocid was doing and saw that there were indeed cards on the table, as well as what looked like circular chips.
‘What could they be using for chips? Stone shards? Nothing that carries value, there’s nothing like that here outside of food and favors.’
“There will be no changelings born this year?”
Psocid shook her head, “Your brood was the last Queen Chrysalis approved. She declined to allow changelings to lay their eggs this year. And who are we to question Her Majesty?”
“... Huh. At any rate, I did not come here just to say hello. I wanted to talk about the First Lesson.”
The twin nurses beamed at me.
“Such a wondrous moment,” Lethocerus nearly sang.
“We’ll be telling that day to future hatchlings for the rest of time as Broodnurses, My Prince. Truly, for Your Highness to be so gifted by Panar is nothing but a miracle!”
‘It was certainly something alright, but again not why I’m here.’
“My mother tended to my education personally, why you both no doubt already know. However, there was something from the First Lesson that stuck out to me, and I wish to know more. I can’t ask Queen Chrysalis, since she’s not in the hive at the moment.”
“We would be happy to answer any question you have for us, My Prince.”
“Again and again I hear the number nine come up in the hive. It has to do with the Threads, no?”
“That’s right, My Prince,” Lethocerus nodded.
“I would appreciate it if you taught me those nine Threads and their written symbols.”
“It would be an honor,” Psocid said. Then she added quietly, “So few changelings nowadays care for our teachings…”
Lethocerus took a deep breath as Psocid moved out from behind the table to stand next to her. After a moment, they took turns speaking, the silent one pulling forth a concept from the Weave.
“When Panarthropo contrived the Great Tapestry, the Thread of Change was left loose.”
“From their precarious hold onto the world, changelings brought themselves into the Great Tapestries from what they learned by watching Panar.”
“They, like the great creator, wove together a world of their own.”
“Together. The core of the Weave.”
‘A curvy N.’
“Magic. The font of life and power.”
‘A nine pointed star.’
“Emotion. The vessel for Magic.’
‘A heart.’
“Change. The first gift we claimed from Great Weaver, in their absence.”
‘A double helix.’
“Flight. So that we may conquer the skies.”
‘An outline of a wing.’
“Strength. So that we may conquer the lands.”
‘A three-pointed flame.’
“Cunning. So that we may conquer the Great Tapestry’s prey.”
‘An oval with a V in the lower half.’
“Command. Our purpose given voice,”
‘A three-pointed crown.’
“The Great Tapestry. To finish binding the Weave to the world.”
‘An asterisk with nine lines.’
“As it is woven, so it shall be,” they said in unison.
“Thank you for the lesson, Broodnurses. There are still a great many things I must learn yet, it would seem.”
Lethocerus leaned against the table. She shared a look with Psocid, who nodded, before returning her attention to me.
“Does My Prince also wish to learn how to play poker?”
I casted a time-checking spell. I had an hour to kill.
“Sure.”
Five days of running interference.
With such a comparatively small portion of the Praetorians loyal to me, I had to make sure as many patrols in the lower hive were regular guards as possible. However, I could only exert so much influence over what is normally Eucharis's responsibilities. That influence I had to covertly use on putting the few loyal Praetorians on vault detail.
Thus, Praetorian patrols, particularly those close to the vault had to, in some way, be delayed long enough for word to get to the cracking-crew to halt, or be redirected entirely.
Lodge members started brawls. Made false reports of incidents. Chatted up the on-duty Praetorians. Closed off hallways for ‘reconstruction.’ Anything to get the Praetorians away from the vault. There were a few close calls. One patrol forced me to forge an incident report detailing how a Tatzelwurm was burrowing close down in the Underhive, causing the vibrations the patrol reported.
Both reports, the guards’ and my own, were buried as far as possible within bureaucracy.
Five days of preparing the last steps of the invasion. Generals, Captains, and Colonels were checked, double checked, and triple checked to make sure they knew their orders and subordinates. The helmets we had produced for the infiltrators were shipped off, to be stored in the Crystal Caverns beneath Canterlot. Last minute requisition orders for the infiltrators out in the field, as well as troop assignments, were filled out. Meetings with the Lodges and the First Fang
Five days of last-minute drills given to me by Katydid. It felt like cramming for finals in university.
Five days of waiting for discovery. Chamberlain Eucharis was mostly absent, but he visited me a few times in my office as I worked. He seemed proud of my hard work, and even gave me a few compliments.
‘Wormtongue.’
He made no comment on my loyalties. I nearly started chewing on my hooves out of anxiety while I stared at my report. At any moment, Praetorians could have busted in and arrested me for breaking into the vault, had they discovered what I was doing. They were still reporting to Chrysalis somewhat regularly on what I was up to, but I put up a front of a good little son, doing as he is told.
Five days of drilling into the vault.
And now, a Lodge team was pulling the entire section of the wall away, door and all. All in all, there were about one hundred changelings involved in the cracking of the vault, working in teams to crack it, keep watch, maintain silence spells, and reorder reports and patrols within the hive.
I promised the Lodge members that we were finally taking control of information within the hive back into the hooves of the hive itself. The contents of the vault would be protected, but changelings could read the books within pre-scheduled times. They would find out about the disloyalty of some of the royals, but I had proven myself loyal to the hive. I would never betray them, only Chrysalis, and they were with me on that particular betrayal.
During the entire operation, I never left the main hive spire outside of Katydid’s training lessons and the one foray to the nursery. I wanted as few reasons as possible for the Praetorians to patrol the lower hive, and my continued presence would warrant increased patrols in areas I frequent.
Oest was here with me, as Coxa was busy looking normal for me and Lacewing had no alibi to get out of training for her position in the Chosen Conquerors.
I helped with the team on duty slowly lift the massive carved portion of the hive away. We just had to move it far enough away to make room for changelings to enter through a gap on the right side.
As we set the door down, I looked at the blue scorpion filigree on its center. This was Chrysalis’s vault. I brought God-Splitter forth and scrapped a line through the scorpion using the war hammer’s pointed end. Now, it was mine.
I stepped through the threshold of the massive vault doorway. Behind me the changelings were taking in the sight of the opened vault. They were the first changelings outside of Praetorians standing on duty to see what was inside.
“By Panar, what the hell is going on?!” A voice bellowed from behind us.
A patrol of five Praetorians stood behind us. The changelings on watch duty had neglected their posts to see the vault being opened, and I hadn’t the presence of mind to remind them of their duty.
When they saw fifteen pairs of eyes swivel in their direction, they started to turn to run.
“Get them!” I hissed.
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Begin the chase scene music!
So His Coup Sudo-Begins...
If they get to Chrysalis things about to get real messy.
We're so close to the actual invasion... I think we've dragged this out long enough. It's time to actually start making things happen.
10607811
Sabotaging the "magical communication thingy" as the narrative put it would have been relatively easy from his position. That feels like something that would come out of his mother's son, making sure that there would be no last-minute crushing of his plans.
Not that it even matters; she's too far away to do anything without scuttling the Promised Day, and she knows that doing so would be a surer guarantee of changeling extinction than anything Phasma could do with the Vault. The "get them" was more out of pride than anything else.
Ehh they will get them without a problem.
It's only 5 of them.
Fifteen changelings should be enough especially if you consider Phasma help and others that are like supporting characters, and other Lodges members nearby, on the stand by .
Also add to that Praetorians that are loyal to Phasma ,that could be nearby or inside that group.
10607845
I was about to comment about it.
She has to stay where she is.
She can't do anything about it anyway, even if she gets informed about it .
Phasma control of the hive is bigger than hers and she needs his help.
There can't be that many Praetorians anyway. Probably something like 20 to 50.
He shouldn't sabotage it per see but control the connection,transmission.
Who is allowed to communicate, and hear what they are informing about,etc
looks like his luck just ran out
10607854
Not really ,it doesn't seem like a big problem
10607854
As I said, Chrysalis can't do anything about this without playing directly into his technically-no-longer-extant hands.
It is incredible he has even made it this far... holy hell this guy is good.
10607811
You'll know when it begins. The chapter title is a bit overdramatic, but it sets up the next chapter, a chapter that is very... important.
10607836
Agreed. So very close, and the next chapter is going to be a doozy! I've had it planned for two months now!
Looks like the revolution must be sped up due to unforeseen events.
Chaos
Happy new Year ♡
It will be hilarious if some of the older Queens found out a way to better changeling lives but ego, pride and greed of others took that away
10607932
The chaos star has eight points.
10607972
I did hear 'Pride before the fall' its a saying for a reason.
There are some monarchs or rulers that have been screwed over by their pride.
At this rate, I'm thinking the Invasion doesn't go through, but a civil war between Prince Phasma and Chrysalis. If Luna is freed like in the show, she might remember Phasma and possible help fight Chrysalis. Damn this is getting intense.
10608015
Oh You're right
my mistake
10607932
*BLAM*
HERESY!
10608015
Pony chaos! evil laugher
10607808
10607836
Hear hear!
10607845
Time to flip THAT COIN!
10608068
Yeah, if it does go into a civil war lets hope NMM/Luna helps Phasma
10607857
I agree, in the chance they somehow get away from 15ish changelings (most being without armor) chrysalis really can't do that much more so since she's inside canterlot dealing with HVPs and maybe sunbutt
10607876
I hope you keep the mane six intact. Otherwise:
Discord
Sombra
Tirek
The Storm King
Grogar
Will break everyones back... Its basicly a
'Mass Effect' - Reaper vs Everyone
situation in stages instead of one massiv
'hello from darkspace' party.
10607932
I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be Twilight's cutie mark, because what else could a symbol for Magic be in this setting?
10608195
The mane six is not a nessesity to defeat those as we can see in the multiple timelines episode.
Nightmare Moon alone can take on all these threats as we see in her timeline.
And so forth except for the Storm King.
10608214
I dont think so. But its in the hands of the Author now and im itching to get to read it
10608184
Teasing here, but she wouldn't let her lovebug die would she? She needs that sweet, sweet dream action.
10608195
I've always disagreed with this sort of mentality when it comes to AU's. Yes, the Main 6 defeated all those villains. Were they absolutely necessary? No. Celestia or some other hero(es) would have stepped in to fill the void. This is supported in canon in The Cutie Re-Mark where we are shown six timelines where Discord, easily the biggest threat, is either neutralized or pacified without Twilight and co. being around to save the day. Yes, the timelines shown were awful and dominated by a villain, but for each one showing one succeeding, there are six others where they did not.
The world would certainly be different without the Main 6, different and perhaps darker, but to say that everything hangs solely on their shoulders is ludicrous. Canon is simply one of the better timelines, if not the best, because of the Main 6's existence. That doesn't prevent good timelines where they do not exist, from existing.
10608229
...
Meh... Perhaps your right but without the mane six its just not the MLP i love
Anyway this should be Phasmodias theme:
Or
10608284
10608229
Agreed, perhaps the absence of the mane 6 would have Equestria actually grow a backbone and actually get useful guards.
10608229
I find your points silly. Six timelines, you say, where "all but one" are defeated? Out of how many? It is the multiverse theory; infinite Equestrias. Lets just keep it at a million. Statistically 0% of the possible no mane 6 futures end with all but one defeated. That is a really low chance to be banking on for a pony filled Equestria. This is all made worse by Celestia banking on the elements; she will send a student regardless of who.
We have seen Celestia vs Chrysalis (course this time she won't be as loved, will she think about that? Chryse was never known for being a great planner). We have seen the competency of the royal guard; all you need to do is teleport a cake in front of them and tiptoe past the now non existent security. Depending on how old you think the mane 6 are in cannon she might have 5-15 years to get something competent up; but it is just as likely she will double down on the elements.
I feel those six timelines were the best possible futures and the vast majority will look like that wasteland to some degree. Are they necessary? No; nothing is. What you believe isn't necessary, what i believe isn't necessary. In a way each AU fic is just one of the infinite timelines. I'll be honest; some of them get quite horrifying with the magics.
10608647
Statistically 0% out of a million instances of Equestria end up in "all but one defeated." Okay, please show your evidence.
Celestia will always bet on the Elements? Okay, please show your evidence.
Obviously, infinite timelines means infinite outcomes. Infinite Equestrias which end up in the dustlands, and infinite Equestrias where everything is perfectly fine. My point was that in almost every AU story I see a comment which basically says "Whelp, because X happened, Equestria is doomed!" as if any change to the timeline whatsoever will ruin everything. That irritates me because it assumes that everyone else in the future of the narrative won't try to solve the problem another way.
Pchooooo!
10608732
*shrug* Okay. I'll show the evidence of where i got both the 6 and the million... don't know why it was swiftly forgotten...
perhaps i should of made it 7 instead? It still fails to make 1%...
This is kinda how discussions go; we build off each other. Instead we have arrived at hostility...
i balk at the use of the word ALWAYS... but on rereading i understand why you might come to that...
Sunset was her previous student and, like Twilight, wanted more from her than studies into magic. When the time comes Sunset would of been sent... or Moondancer, or Sunburt or "pony we don't know" would be sent. A thousand years and the only thing she seems to have is the elements. Unless something else can banish Nightmare Moon (remember Luna makes an appearance in the known timelines) but leave Luna behind. I did state that she would have five to fifteen years depending on pony aging and various headcannons; plently of time for the "sunken cost fallacy" to set in.
Perhaps the Discord future was the one where that went 'normally' with one of the previously mentioned ponies who crumpled under Discord instead of another?
yep... it is vexing. Wouldn't have as many stories if others did fix it. Almost "One Punch Man" mood killer there if not handled as well as the mentioned anime.
Who is in a position to know about Nightmare Moon? Celestia... and anyone who reads folktales and thinks they are real. Truly it is infinite but after awhile they is a good chance that instead of ponies there will be griffons or those hairless apes. Getting off on a tangent here... think I'll leave it.
10608836
Challenging another's claims is not hostility. It's discussion.
My issue with this is in order for you to claim that <1%-1% of timelines are somewhat acceptable, you need to have access to that information, meaning you need to have records of those million timelines. You do not. All everyone has access to are the eight (canon plus alternates) from The Cutie Re-Mark and, if we want to count dubiously canon content, the handful of timelines from the comic series, of which I only know about the good Sombra timeline. Everything else is speculation or fanon.
Would Celestia have tried to have another pony use the Elements of Harmony? It's likely, but we can't be sure because, to my knowledge, that information isn't available to us. She may have, or she may have used those thousand years of Luna's banishment to come up with multiple back-up plans. Without asking the writers for clarification, everything else is, again, speculation or fanon.
Next Chapter:
Or something like that...
Me pregunto que pasará ahora
It’s been 1 year and 1 month since this story was last updated. I miss it. It was good.
The turncoats have made their move, and soon, the queen may know. Let's hope word doesn't get out before the Summer Sun Celebration and the return of his ally and potential partner.
Fantastic chapter. I look forward to the next one.
The room itself resembled a game " evil within "
10610823
I think you mean to comment on the next chapter, not this one
Well, it only take one loose thread to unravel everything. Let us hope our Prince can stop it early enough.
-------
"Gullinkambi"
Gullinkambi comes from Norse mythology. Old Norse roughly meaning "golden comb" Gullinkambi is a rooster that lives in Valhalla, the hall of fallen warriors. It was said that Gullinkambi was the second rooster of three to call out during the beginning of Ragnarok. He would let the gods knows the world was ending.
Oops. Guess that plan went to shit at the last possible second.
10608325
That or its a instant game over ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Party hard, don't look back and take everything while giving nothing back
Welp! Party's over, folks! Some dumb drunk idiot went and pooped in the punchbowl thinking it was a toilet!
Stuff finally hit south, time to salvage the situation.