39- Modern Crusaders
Showing the rest of the First Fang the contents of the Ascension chamber turned out to be a painful experience.
I felt the air start to escape my lungs as the changeling wrapped her hooves around me tighter.
“Please let go of me!”
“Never!”
“You’re going to crack my chitin!”
Lacewing ended the one-way hug and backed up.
“Sorry, it’s just, how could she do that to her own nymphs?!”
“Did Oest give you workout lessons or something? Jeez.... Anyways, they might not all be her nymphs. Who knows, maybe one or two of them are an uncle or aunt? I didn’t read anything about how long they can be interred for, so...”
Coxa was standing to the side in silent thought. He had seen what was down the opened trap door next to us, while Lacewing I broke the news to, rather than having her look down there.
Oest was here, too. He was as talkative as always.
At first, Lace said she was a tough girl who could handle the skeletons in the closet I was going to show. Then I told her it was literal skeletons, and she started singing a different tune, and decided to just hear about the Ascension chamber, rather than go into it.
“Don’t worry Phasma, the Legions and us will make sure she never does anything like this ever again,” Coxa reassured me.
“I can’t help stop her? Oh, you’re already drafting a eulogy for me, aren’t you?”
“Here lies Prince Phasma. He showed up, made a mess of things, and left it for us to clean up.”
“Coxa! Don’t make fun of Phasma’s inevitable death like that!”
“Rest in peace Phasma. He died as he lived, only used for his brainpower.”
“Hey!” I protested half-heartedly, but I couldn’t help but smile as Coxa, Lacewing, and Oest laughed. Okay, Oest snorted, that’s as close to laughing as anyone can get from him.
‘If only Thorax was here. On second thought, perhaps sparing him this nightmare fuel is doing him a favor.’
I chucked the magically-imbued quartz crystal at the wall, watching it shatter to pieces. The blaring alarm that woke me up immediately cut out.
‘Not even in medieval alternate universes can I escape the pure evil that is alarm clocks!’
That one was made by Chrysalis, and I destroyed it because I could. Every day before, I would need to use its pure, concentrated evil to wake up the next day. But I would not be waking up in the hive anymore.
For today is the day we march on Equestria. The long awaited War for The Sun will begin at noon. It is for this reason alone that I woke up at this ungodly hour, Seven AM.
As I rose from my bare bed and donned my Adamantium peytral, I mentally went through a checklist.
I told the First Fang I had a plan for killing Chrysalis, though I neglected to mention that it was an alicorn visiting me in my dreams.
‘Best case scenario, Nightmare Moon pretty much kills Chrysalis for me after Chrysalis defeats Celestia. I can deal with making a pact or whatever she wants afterwards, first comes the survival of my species and myself. Oh and that whole eternal night thing. I’m sure she won’t end the world, and if she did, well I’m sure she might be able to listen to reason. Oh well, a problem for later.’
Finally, the last topic I covered with the First Fang was to tell Coxa to get himself and Lace out of danger just in case Chrysalis somehow survives. Whether that be to vanish in the middle of the invasion or to fake their deaths, I left it to Coxa’s judgement.
The Praetorians at the vault were now loyal to me. Seeing the Ascension chamber must have been enough to dislodge their loyalties enough to at least give the all clear to Eucharis. Not that I let them send a message unsupervised, I had some of my few loyal Praetorians watching the message delivery, ready to destroy any communication devices Eucharis would use if he was warned about the oncoming storm.
Lacewing and Coxa have their positions during the invasion. I got them positions that were as safe as possible, in the rearguard as members of the Chosen Conquerors. No fighting or danger for them.
I looked at myself in the mirror Eucharis had gotten during my time in a pod.
A strange, tired thing looked back at me, with orange slitted eyes, like Smaug the Terrible’s. Or maybe Sauron’s. My eyes stung, the cold air of the early morning and lack of sleep bringing me no small amount of misery.
‘Time to establish a new world order. I’m definitely making alarm clocks illegal.’
All my plans were in order, with everyone moving into their respective places.
‘The faithful watch the forest for the coming of the King. Their lanterns bright, they wait at night for the new world he shall bring.’
I sighed and rubbed my eyes, grabbing God-Splitter before heading out of my room.
Chamberlain Eucharis was waiting for me out in the hallway. He spoke with a smile, “Good morning, Prince Phasma. We’re going to go through checks of the army together, then we shall depart posthaste.”
“Wonderful. I take it I’m going to give a speech?”
“Of course, My Prince! This is one of the most important occasions of our race’s history!”
‘Fantastic. I’ve been too busy with the Lodges establishing contingencies and plans to come up with a speech. I’ll have to bullshit it.’
It took a moment for the exact nuances of Eucharis’s words to reach me.
‘History? Considering how much Chrysalis keeps secret, just how much history do you exactly know, Eucharis?’
“Very well. Lead the way, Chamberlain.”
We entered the throne room and I saw the generals and captains of the Legions waiting around the map table in front of the throne. When they saw me enter, they rose from their seats and saluted in the hoof-across-chest fashion that the changelings used.
“High Marshal Prince Phasmatodea, the Legions are mustering as we speak. By noon, we will be ready to take what is rightfully ours,” Commander Scorpion of the Praetorians spoke in his low voice.
‘What came first, his low voice, or his menacing name? Scorpion just fits him too well for that to be a coincidence.’
“Excellent, Commander Scorpion. Everyling, take your seats.” As they sat back down, I picked up the small rake used to push the figurines on the map. “To recap the invasion plan, Legions One, Two, Three, Six, Nine, and Ten will be the center Push to Canterlot. They will begin their attack on the Promised Day.”
I used the rake to point at each of the figures of the mentioned Legions, each one being a changeling carrying a banner with their respective Roman Numeral on the banner.
“Legions Four and Seven will be pushing East. Due to the discovery of optimal routes, they will begin the siege ahead of schedule, on the Promised Day, rather than after. Legions Five and Seven will push West, focusing on Las Pegasus first. Legions Eleven and Twelve are split up amongst the three prongs of the invasion. That concludes the first stage, and the only one that needs recapping today.
“Thirteen days from now, The Promised Day will arrive, and the siege of Canterlot and Manehattan will begin in the early morning, before the sun even rises. The ponies will have stayed up all night celebrating beforehoof, meaning they will be tired and ready to collapse before we even attack. We expect the tiredness of the civilian Equestrians to lower their ability to resist by a significant degree, though the Royal Guard is still expected to be at full fighting capability.”
I put the rake down before looking around the room. In attendance were changelings loyal to Chrysalis, as well as changelings loyal to me.
“We are fighting for the survival of our species against those who would threaten it. We have no room for personal ambitions. Once Canterlot falls, we will know the fate of our species, as well as the fate of Equestria. You all know what’s at stake. You all know what you must do. Failure is not an option.
“Our cause is just! We shall stand victorious over those who would seek our destruction, for the Hive Eternal!”
The changeling stood up and saluted once more while echoing, “For the Hive Eternal!”
‘One speech down, one to go.’
The sand and gravel crunched under my hooves as I strode into the morning sun. I took a breath of the hot Drylands air. Next to me, Oest looked around as my entourage consisting of the upper echelon of the changeling high court got in order.
‘Just as unpleasant as I remembered. And we all get to endure a week of this oppressive heat.’
My entourage and I made our way to a raised platform that had been constructed for one singular purpose. I would address the Legions in their entirety.
The platform was all the way across the assembled Swarm, at the north side of the Hive. My entourage and I would have to walk all the way through a center lane in the armies. As I walked, I saw some Legionnaires tilt their head to the side slightly to get a look at their Prince walking amongst them.
Eventually, my group reached the platform and circled around to the back. I climbed the steps and the entourage stayed behind. The group would be watching my speech from behind the platform.
Before me, ten thousand changelings stood in segmented sections of varying sizes. The Line Legions held the majority of the changelings standing at attention, and were front and center for the speech. Here and there, changelings flitted about on their insect wings as orders were ferried to and fro.
When I stopped at the front of the small raised platform, teams of changelings activated their communication artifacts as they flew at points above the New Swarm, acting like flying carriers for televisions broadcasting me to the entire assembled hive. Just as well, I knew there are changelings watching from afar over in Canterlot, Manehattan, and Las Pegasus. Queen Chrysalis would be one of those distant viewers.
When I spoke, my voice echoed loudly over the audience thanks to an amplification spell.
“Changelings of the Fourth Hive. We stand at the precipice of a new era. The age of ponies is at an end. The age of changelings has come!
“For millennia the Masquerade Protocol protected us, and in its protective shadow, we grew strong. We sharpened our fangs, honed our practices, and prepared for the inevitable. In the shadows, we grew hungry, not just for love, but for justice!
“Brothers all! With one swift strike, we shall end the tyranny of the Sun Tyrant! We shall take our place in the sun! Our dominion over the world is ordained by Panarthropo themself, none can challenge our strength! The end to our hunger is finally at hoof!
“For the Hive Eternal, Let the War For The Sun begin! ” I commanded the Legions both verbally and through the Weave.
“For the Hive Eternal!” The assembled Legions bellowed, stomping their hooves in unison.
“Legions, forth, to Equestria! The Promised Day awaits! As it is woven, so shall it be!”
The Legions started marching in lockstep, the morning sun filtering through the holes in their hooves and legs. When they reached the platform, their wings extended out from their elytra, and they took to the skies.
I stared ahead as the communication transponders were turned off, and the Legions continued their march and flight. I knew behind me the formations would begin splitting up, the Legions all heading to different destinations and checkpoints both in the Drylands and in Equestria.
My focus was on the hive.
I knew I would never return here, so I had given the order to what few Lodge members that would be part of the skeleton crew to bring an end to the princes and princesses trapped in the Ascension Chamber in a few days time.
I made sure that all communication transponders would also be taken by the Legions to report in. Their rarity ensured that there would be none in the possession of the skeleton crew. The Weave of the Fourth Hive would collapse, and like a tree falling in the woods, there would be no one around to hear it fall.
At least, Chrysalis wouldn’t hear it, and if any changeling tried to make the journey all the way from the hive, the Promised Day would have come and passed by the time they arrived at Canterlot.
I turned to the North, where the Legions were flying to the horizon, beyond which Equestria lay.
‘Months of plotting, working, training, and paperwork. Now, we shall see if it was all worth it.’
I spread my wings and took flight.
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i hope nightmare is a close ally now as both have shown the the other something close to them and both will need to be close to win. if not i hope luna is nice enough to help
Man, Nightmare Moon would have been *ahem* over the moon watching that speech!
Thanks for the chapter!
Let's hope our Changeling prince becomes a king and manages to lead his species in a better direction than Chrysalis.
Looks like Phasma's Endgame has begun.
The point of conflict is ever so closer!
Intresting... ever so... Interesting.
I pretty much think there is no invation, or that chrysalys sent him and his followers to die, she already scaped.
No plan survives first contact with the enemy. The enemy is your own mother, Chrysalis. You told her your plans from the start. All plans you may have made... will likely fall apart on the promised day.
Still shipping Nightmare Moon and Phasma though!
Though I do worry whether she'll be purified by the Elements before anything can happen, or the very fact that Phasma has been in contact with her, and told her the capital is Canterlot, has changed the course of events. Chaos Theory, and all that. Small ripples lead to big changes.
Why is Phasma so convinced he'll never return to the hive? Why wouldn't they return home? It's a shame he'll never get to bury his siblings, though I doubt we have heard the last of them, either. Phasma was an experiment. Who's to say that their cells weren't used in his creation? Thus even if their bodies die, part of them still lives on in him. Could their souls find rest in such a situation?
Thank you very much for the update!
10621381
The changelings plan on managing the conquered Equestria from within its borders, and that requires moving the hive to be in a more accessible position, such as within the crystal caves.
I'm at the edge of my seat. The atrocities of Chrysalis have raised the stakes higher than hunger. And we're not even at the point of the battle yet.
Let´s be fair, Celestia´s antisocial student plus five random civilians manage to find and activate six magical relics powered by Friendship purifying Luna from the Nightmare is something he could have possibly seen coming.
10621392
But wasn't part of his current plan also to have prisoners from Equestria under Nightmare Moon's rule shipped to them? Thus, would the need for building a new hive still be there?
10621442
Uhhh.... You may have a point. Let's go with "Phasma is really unsure what his future will be, and is betting that one thing or another will keep him in Canterlot, whether it's managing the Equestrians or trying to convince NMN to not end all life."
I'm so fucking psyched for this thing, it's unbelievable.
10621450
they will take books and other items from the hive (storage), and check whether his brothers and sisters are completely dead? the Chrysalis throne does not have any power? The fortress is good, geographical location, a lot of things have not been studied there, caves, the same moss, it's strange to just leave the fortress, leave the garrison there, then send food supplies there, maintain its condition, in the future the fortress can be useful even after 1000 years, a terrible enemy will appear and you do not have a fortress where you can retreat and give the last battle
the tension and anticipation is rising, ooh i can't wait how all this play's out
indeet
This is it! Oh, man. I wonder how it will end, with princess Luna or Nightmare Moon?
The day we all have been waiting for has come to pass. Les go
10621417
Not really
Changelings should attack in the morning after ponies stop partying
Canon Nightmare appeared in the morning when the sun was supposed to be set
Not only timing will prevent mane 6 from getting elements but also the fact that Nightmare Moon has more options and allies.
They won't think about going to look for elements when there is an invasion.
Too much stuff changed for them to get the elements, so I hope that author won't force it to happen
10621564
if this is happening on the day of the summer sun festival
then its pretty much unexplored territory for anything to happen that could swing things in Phasma's favor. The elements of harmony could fail the luck check, intelligence check, and a few others that wouldn't allow them to get to the elements in time if they even come up at time.
10621609
Yep it's the first episode, they will attack even earlier than Nightmare Monn will happen
When the invasion will start no one will think about the legends and lost artifacts, even Twilight
The real question is why aren;t they illegal now in this time and age.
"My Prince, squadron leaders are requesting a rally point; where should I send them?"
"... To war."
Curious to see how this plays out. But it seems utterly foolish of him to not mention that he has an ally among the ponies and that they have a deal. Seems like the direction this is moving is is very likely to result in needless casualities when a legion of changelings see an extra pony princess and try to take her on.
Also likely to be problematic that the hive is expecting to unconditionally pod all the ponies, and it to do it locally and dig in rather than going back to the hive. Meanwhile, Nightmare Moon probably expects to be handing over just the solar loyalists rather than entire cities full of commoners too, and is explicitly expecting to retain all the land of Equestria.
Chapter 29 - Horus
Quote:
In other words. The Changeling royal line will end. No matter if Phasmodias wins or loses ones Chrysalis is dead and her Queen daughters in the vault are ended the Changeling will only have a mortal population. Changeling kind is pretty mutch fucked no matter the result
10621853
maybe they'd be too entranced, frozen in fear, or immoblized via other method related to the battle between chrysalis, celestia, and nightmare moon that Phasma can explain things.
10621364
Not going extinct it rather easy to be archivend in comparison. But the royal (immortal subrace of Changelings dies with Chrysalis).
Ones Phasmodias dies there will only be mortals left. No weave to store knownlage and no imortal leaders to keep em guided.
10621368
The Changelings race endgame as well. With only mortals population left to regrow the species things will hit rock bottom hard.
10621373
That makes no sence...
10621381
Deep topic for another day. With Chrysalis death Changeling wueen go extinct and ones Phasmodias dies ( be it in decades or millenia) Changeling kind will probably fall...
10621442
It was stated that he would take them somewere. The Hive is in a desert far away. To far away to substain it effective.
10621450
Nightmaremoon/ Luna isnt a idiot. She had 999 years time to think things out. There is probably way to make plans nocturnal otherwise her plan would make no sence.
10621453
Hyped perhaps?
10621500
Chrysalis kinda forced a retreat forward is the only substainable way. Dont think the current Hive has a chance...
10621510
Dito. This desaster needs to be observed
10621564
Not nessecary since Twilight arrive the day before the event. The manesix will be in place. Current plans seem to ignore small settlements like ponyville.
10621609
Yes or no. It will be quite the show!
10621616
Perhaps, perhaps not... The plan says yes. But delays might happen.
10621618
To useful
10621442
You always build a base near to ressourses. Play any tactic army building away means ineffectiv ressources deliverys. Better to abandoning a base that is useless and reactive it later should the need raise for it to be worth the effort.
10621765
Nice one! (^-^)/)'(|(^.^)
10621853
Chrysalis plans are for all of Equestria. Population and Territory. Phasmodias include Equestrias population rather than there territory. All Phasmodias needs is a place ( base of operation. Potencial new hive underground structure ) to stay and life with his citizen as the last royal Changeling.
10621765
A Halo 3 quote? Hell yeah!
I spent the last 10 minutes looking for a specific video I remember about a guy who ranted about that line. But alas I could not find it. But I have this instead from Reddit.
Nice
Whelp seems like Phasma have no plans to try to heal his siblings. Probable RIP.
In any cases the next chapters promise to be interresting.
10621908
And maybe they won't. It seems like a ridiculous, foolish risk, given that if the "maybe" doesn't work out that way, it potentially means losing his only ally plus who even knows how much of his army to a wrathful goddess who would likely be very upset about the betrayal by her ally.
10621937
He explictly states in chapter 39 that his plan is to never wake up in the hive again. Sounds to me like he's planning to permanently settle his army within Equestria. That's an amazingly important detail for him to fail to mention to his ally that he's promised all of Equestria to.
Seems to me like his plan is to gamble the survival of his species on the lucky chance that Nightmare Moon will conveniently happen to be sufficiently injured by her battle with Celestia that he can simply do whatever he wants and she won't be able to stop him. That's a terrible and pointless risk.
You've made me exceptionally curious to see where this all leads for Phasma. Everything is coming to a head and I can't even begin to guess how it'll play out. Looking forward to the next few chapters immensely.
Begin the Blitzkreig, Phasma, Begin the Blitz!
Good chapter
10622065
I say maybe because Phasma did train a select group of changelings so that when the expected happens that they question what's going on instead of blindly following orders. Once his group learns that whole thing Thorax was talking about with changelings and ponies working together could work then why wouldn't they get on board with Phasma's alliance and help to deal with the changelings under chrysalis control. EIther way it was going to be a 3 way dance going into the war with confusion being a powerful tool since no one would know whose side anyone was on except for of course Phasma's group of changelings.
all of this is going on the possibility of Phasma using human military training when training his troops.
10622040
It was established that a healing pod can heal extream damage limbs and organs like a eye but the brain is the exception to this rule since its extream complex structure is to mutch for simply healing...
I wonder if in theory the brain can be removed... Basicly regrowing it and starting from zero.
Basicly a full grown body with the blank mind of a new born. We all start from Instinct and than develop a healthy mind over time.
Yep, pretty much R.i.P.
Indeed every new chapter that get released is a great read
10621839
Context. The ones she will hoof over over would the the one for execution or life imprisoning. Also she has to pay a price for a entire army worth of help. A imortal ally / mate dont come cheap
10622079
More like the attack on Pearl Harbor. No war declaration , attacking with a force that will not retreat unless ordered otherwise and going for success or broke
10622292
Also Chrysalis cant extract the knownlage of Phasmodias followers if the are unaware of it. Chrysalis is a deceitful and manipulativ one! Better not give her a chance to turn a asset into a problem.
Cant wait for the three way conflict:
Chrysalis& Phasmodias vs Sunbutt&Candyass
To
Phasmodias, Nightmaremoon ( potencialy Celestia & Cadance ) VS. CHRYSALIS.
10622304
It was also established necromancy is a thing, (which means a rotted brain means nothing, proving my previous point even more).
What is your point besides forgetting the comment i already made proving it wasn't a problem? They still have their souls, they don't need their brain, if Phasma can retain memories without his old brain, theire is no reason they can't.
10622377
Relativly simpel. Is better to stay simpel since the development of lore is still ongoing.
Necromancy was 'costy' what can be translated into:
- It needs strong magic and/or ingridients.
- It cost the target rough changes in personaly.
( basicly the brain is restored but only roughly or even if perfectly it might not function normaly again )
- Both, costly for ingridients, magic power and a sacrefice of the whole personality.
Example:
What would you be a person if you change some of your decisions in your life that one could say is the definition of 'you are this or like this'.
Than like with a stroke, you suddenly change and the one near you would think: he looks like himself, remembers everything but simply is like a different person inhabits it body.
Another example:
Story were some human replaces the mind of another
Changeling, Pony, Griffon, D-Dog, specifically important ponys.
Luna, Cadance, Celestia, one of the mane six etc.
I can give you a list of story like this.
Its the same principle:
It looks like a duck, sound like a duck but acts like a
( placeholder [ hawk,human, what ever ]
And I’ve caught up to this p damn amazing story!
I wonder what this latest event will bring? We don’t know the full details of how the Weave works, what will its collapse do? What will Phas and the Changeling race as a whole lose when it disappears? Will it disappear at all?
There’s too many questions, and much as I’m loathe of the methods being employed by Chrysalis and likely earlier Queens and Kings, there’s not enough answers to gauge why. After all, I doubt the whole thing was made for nothing, as barbaric and... complicated the methods are.
10621896
He said that with the assumption he himself would die, not that Chrysalis is the only one able to produce, so to speak
10621896
Phas himself is a royal. Any nymphs he has would logically be royal.
Also, apparently the declaration of war was sent, but the forces reached Pearl Harbor before it did.
10622310
wait, I'm sure someone replied and told me that this was the summer festiaval of the first episode. I don't think Cadance was there, unless the author wanted her there since logically Twilight would've told her friends about her family or her foal sitter who was an alicorn.
or maybe its just me that wants her there since it would only hype things up along with raise the stakes.
10622577
Thanks 
Hm... Didnt see it from that angle
10622603
Not really its probably like a 50/50 chance that a egg becomes a strong drone or a royal. We also know Chrysalis made experiments. Perhaps for some strange reason males cant get royals without a Queen and she try to fix it? Milking Phasmodias body after hes labotomised should be a problem.
I have to re-watch the movie but i remember that they delibertly did made it on the same day but with the diplomat hours after the movie would be the announcement!
10622618
Your guess is as good as mine. This shapes up to be one hell of a 'welcome to Equestria party' to bad Pinkie cant be everywere at ones to befriend em.
That mare is the definition of happy feelings.
10622603
Tokyo had sent the declaration of war to its embassy in the US, but prior to that, they ordered the destruction of all but one of its decoding machines in the embassy.
Which meant that it took hours to decode the message, and by the time the staff of the embassy realized the magnitude and importance of the message they were decoding, Pearl Harbor had already been attacked.
10622833
she's also the only one that knows Phasma is the lesser of two evils or that depends on how fourth wall the writer is going to go with her.
Maybe the Changeling could do there war like this ...
10622938
Phasmodias is a lot. A ally, potencialy a mate (ones he has matured ), at the very least a friend so she is never alone again.
'Lesser of the two evil' is probably not even on her list
yet...?
10622835
Bloody hell... That pretty brilliant. Low key action for one hell of a game changing event.
10622990
It was completely accidental. Japanese high command thought that the US would receive the declaration hours before the attack, but the lack of machines meant that that wasn't the case.
What is brilliant is the fact that the Pearl Harbor attack happened in the first place. Not that I condone or support it, but tactically speaking a quick strike to destroy all of the US's carriers would have been the only way they could win the war. Not to mention the fact that peace between the US and Japan was not going to happen, as Churchill stepped in and basically shut down the peace talks.
10623303
In that case Japan did nothing wrong and actualy try to play fair and honorable!
Thanks a lot for clearing that up for me
Edit:
Time for Phasmodias to sing a song:
10621952
If you look back through all the chapter comments, you'll see Halo references all over the place. Though I love how cheesy that line was, and how stupid it was of a response when you actually think about it.