Chapter 79
The fire burned low, devouring the wick with rapid speed. "Help! Anypony, please!" Amie screamed, lifting her voice as loud as she could manage. But no answer came—no sound came through the wall at all, in fact.
The magister's bubble of silence is still up. No one can hear me. She was alone, other than the background panic bubbling in her mind from poor Beth. She was still here it seemed, returning now that the threat of torture was gone. It was replaced with something much worse—a threat of agonizing death by fire.
The guards outside radiated their satisfaction and pride at the depth of their achievement. They probably thought Amie was being interrogated right then, spilling all the secrets that would kill her swarm.
She could feel them again. Her would-be killer had removed her restraints, so the “queen” could listen to his message. Would that mean—
Amie focused on the candle, to lift it as she would've done to so many other small objects. Instead, the barrier in front of her sparked and flashed, glowing bright for an instant.
I don't want to die, Amie! It isn't fair... none of this is fair!
Not her thoughts. The bug's own desperation, so overpowering that she almost lost control completely. Beth hopped down off the bed, splashing into ankle-deep oil. Before Amie realized what was happening, she was up against the barrier, pressing towards the candle.
It might not even take until that little flame burned down. Exposed to the air, oil would emit a pungent, flammable gas, ready to leap up and ignite. Down by the ground, the odor was so intense that Amie started coughing. It burned where it touched the holes in her legs, weakening the chitin there. That pain would seem like a very small thing once the fire started.
Don't let me die! Please, counselor... Amie. You have to save me! She struggled forward, touching up against the barrier. It lit up bright purple, forming a shimmering wall that extended exactly as high as her hoof. She expected it to burn, yet—there was no pain.
"If we put that out, someone might come for us. Maybe we could... throw..." Amie levitated one bottle up into the air, holding it ready. There was still a danger the impact might ignite the flame, but if she was careful...
She shoved, lobbing it with as much speed as Beth's magic could muster.
It struck against the barrier, shattering into broken pottery around her.
"It's too smart!" She wasn't sure who said it first—maybe Beth, or maybe her. They shared the same despair. Amie had been so close to peace with Equestria. She made it all the way to their castle, where she could meet the princess and finally negotiate.
"Screw this whole planet!" Beth smacked one hoof into the barrier, as hard as her little body could. The barrier smacked them back with all the force of a solid wall. Except for Amie. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it. While Beth stopped, she kept going. She looked down, staring at the apparent contradiction.
She saw nothing, just a changeling hoof stopping short of the barricade. Curiosity overpowered her terror, and she kept pushing. Her leg pulled free of Beth, extending into the open air on the other side.
"Don't leave me!" Beth screamed, desperate and terrified. She backed away from the barrier, forcing her hoof down. Amie snapped back into place, like an out-of-focus projector adjusted back onto the wall. "I need you here! Whatever happens... at least I won't be alone!"
Amie fought her. Not to let go, she could've done that easily. Rather, she fought for Beth's body, pressing up towards the barrier again. "You don't understand! I think... the princess used magic like this on me before!" She didn't strike the barrier with a hoof this time, but used her face. "The unicorn... said it traps the guilty, remember?"
"Don't leave me here! Amie, please! They already killed Rick! You can't..."
But she could. Through her tears, through the screams and protests of a terrified child, Amie threw herself against the barrier. In an instant she was through, fully severed from the shivering bug behind her.
It felt like tearing through her own flesh, ripping out a little piece of her heart with every new inch. But Amie had felt something like it before, when she used her farcasting to heal a starving bug. But none of those past attempts left her overwhelmed with guilt and betrayal. There was no mind in the worker bugs she wanted to revive, not like this.
Beth let out one last, agonized wail, betrayal as sharp and real as anything Ivy had felt—then Amie was free.
Her hooves splashed down in oil, sharp and acidic. Amie didn't think, didn't stop to try and understand what was happening—she reacted, levitated the candle up into the air, then smashing it up against the stone ceiling. The last embers went out, turning to molten wax against the rock there.
For a few terrible seconds Amie remained there, catching her breath. It wasn't easy, not with harsh chemicals in her lungs.
"You... didn't leave," squeaked a little voice from behind her. An impossible voice—how could Beth still be standing there if Amie pulled them through! "You... saved me. Just like you said."
She spun, splashing through the oil as she did so. Amie loomed over her, much taller than the other bug. Because she was a queen, and Beth wasn't. I'm here! I teleported, just like the fake unicorn did!
She didn't have long to process that impossibility, or the terrible danger she was now in. Beth's body ignited before her eyes, filling the prison with light.
It wasn't oil that burned here—but magic. Amie had seen this before, right before someone stabbed one of her campers with a spear. She turned aside, shielding herself.
It did little good. Magic exploded from the bug, an overwhelming burst of light. The barrier contained it for a second, filling the room with opaque purple energy. Then it broke, sending bits and pieces flying in all directions. Glass bottles shattered, tools toppled to the ground, and the door ripped right off its hinges, bursting outward.
All that power tore the interrogation chamber apart, splashing oil up on every surface, ripping apart the cabinets—but only the debris touched Amie.
Silence ended in an instant, breaking into distant screams and panicked shouts from the guards outside.
Amie wasn't going to get caught flat-footed a second time, not after Ivy had. Her body flashed, changing back into the first form she could think of, the pony that felt most naturally a part of her. Tailslide's girlfriend, the bat.
Bits of broken wood smacked into her, along with waves of oil, coating everything. A little got into her mouth, and she started hacking and spitting, her eyes burning with pain.
Beth landed a second later, splashing down into the oil. She wasn't black now either, but pastel pink, with purple fins and a shiny purple shell. "I don't... I..." She held up her leg, soaked with harsh oil. "The holes are gone."
Soldiers poured in through the opening a second later. Many of them were only half-armored, or carried no weapons. They stumbled and splashed their way into the oil, which was now seeping slowly out into the hall. "Stop where you are!" A few pointed crossbows at Beth or spears, or whatever else they had brought. "What in Celestia's name is going on here?"
They hadn't even noticed Amie at first. She stood up, shaking away bits of oil and slime. None of the guardsponies pointed their weapons at her. "The... magister..." she said, coughing out every word. "He's a changeling. We've been infiltrated. He's headed to the hospital now, to make sure the other prisoner dies. You have to stop him!"
A few soldiers moved towards the door, as though her authoritative command alone was enough to compel them.
But then someone else spoke, someone familiar. The officer who arrested her. He wasn't armored anymore, but wore a light jacket and had his mane slicked back with soap. He still had his spear, levitating in the space beside him. "And who the buck are you, exactly?"
"I'm... Amino Black, Agent of SMILE. Princess Luna teleported me here as soon as she realized what was happening. Send somepony for her right now, she'll want to see this. And... for buck's sake, the hospital! Arrest the magister, or he'll just change into somepony else and disappear. Go!"
Amie wasn't aware of any magic she used on these ponies, no matter what they thought about changeling mind control. But with her energetic shouts, the crowd of disorganized royal guards finally sprang into action. Several broke and galloped away. Whether they left for the hospital or the princess, either way they were doing what she needed.
"That... does not explain anything," the officer finally said, gesturing at the oily floor beneath them, then the not-quite changeling at its center. "It felt like a cannon went off in here. And the prisoner looks... like the other one. Something is very wrong here."
"I share your sentiment, guardsman. And other concerns as well." A dark figure appeared in the doorway, so large she would barely fit through the opening. Amie had seen this creature before, though there was something more subdued in her appearance now. Instead of endless, ever shifting stars, her mane was mostly just hair, with only the occasional suggestion of motion from the tips.
She might be an Alicorn, but the exhaustion, confusion, and guilt boiling in her were no different from the emotions of any other creature Amie had encountered in Equestria.
As she appeared, the guards wearing their uniforms saluted, while those without armor dropped into low bows. Amie did the latter, though her imitation was just a little slower than the rest. Beth alone did not, watching the display with unbroken confusion. Her eyes kept flicking to Amie, watching for her lead. But if she still knew how to transform, at least the bug had the good sense not to do it.
Luna’s horn glowed, and light washed over the room. When it faded, Amie's hooves settled securely onto the stone floor. The fumes choking her lungs faded, and the oil vanished. "It appears somepony wished to silence this prisoner before she could be questioned. I would ordinarily not believe one of my ponies capable of such... brutality."
She gestured, and the guardsponies all straightened. Amie did too, though she had a harder time meeting the princess's eyes. Tired or not, there was a power here that Amie could never equal. This was why Kaya called them overwhelming and irresistible. Except now instead of using a drone for this visit, Amie was here in person—somehow. She could die right here, and doom the whole camp.
"It was not one of your ponies," Amie said quickly, before the others could speak up. "The magister was a changeling. He wished the captives to die before they could speak, to prevent useful information from being known. He's on the way to the hospital now, if he isn't already there. I... don't know if the other bug is still alive. But he won't be if he gets his way."
Luna straightened, banishing the weariness from her face. "Soldiers, let none past these doors. This... bat, and the prisoner, will remain. Allow only my sister or myself to enter. I will return shortly." She vanished again, leaving a shimmering contrail of light in her wake.
The officer recovered first. "You heard the princess. To the door, ponies. Those in full uniform... you four. Hold this position. I will reinforce it shortly. None enter the interrogation room." His eyes fell on Amie, suspicion plainly visible there. "And none leave. Move!"
They moved.
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Lot of hubs and bubs and I still feel like so little advancement.
Basically we're all still stuck on that cliff.
Wait, so Amie teleported herself all the way to Canterlot? This will likely cause panic back at the hive. At least she can be face-to-face with Luna now.
I'm so glad Amie and Beth are safeish for now. Beth dying in a horrible fire would be too cruel to them after all they went through.
My guess is they didn't tell the princesses about the queen they grabbed and when that comes out they are going to be ticked off at whoever thought not telling was a good idea.
I hope they got to Rick before he's killed. Amie did mention he knows Latin. Very useful to have him alive and healthy. Very useful to Beth too, I bet.
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I mean, we get to see the most immediate crisis, that is the fire trapping Beth, settled. (Personally I was like 90% sure she wouldn't die, but the confirmation is still nice.) With Luna personally here working in Amie's interest, I dare say things are looking up, probably. That is, unless the Roman changelings still had infiltrators hiding in the prison or participating in the hunt for the magister.
There is some progress in this chapter. Amie has managed to help Beth and possibly Rick as well.
If I'm not mistaken Amie's brother was investigating something in the Crystal Empire that was rumored to be a changed Thorax. Both Beth and Rick now have transformed could we perhaps see negotiations with Amie based on a report from Twilight returning from the Empire with Amie's brother in tow?
I must admit, Amie and Luna's first "in the flesh" meeting was a touch underwhelming, but hopefully Rick is saved before the Magister gets to him.
FINALLY, Luna gets involved in a good way!
Ah! I wasn't expecting the precise mechanics of escaping the death trap. And with Luna present—and exceptionally displeased to be up at this hour of day—I imagine we'll be getting quite a lot of progress. Though the Roman hive definitely won't appreciate this betrayal
It's going to be strange for Amie to warn Luna of a... changeling infiltration. But it shouldn't take long for them to realize there are many sides involved. And we're getting closer to true peace. It'll be hard though if the Romans are so embedded in Equestrian society. And the Empress is likely wary enough of Luna's Dream blade to effectively avoid it. There might still be war on the horizon. But at least the sides have been properly established.
I don't get why Beth couldn't get through the barrier. Does it judge her guilty somehow? Or does she judge herself guilty over what happened with Rick? I have trouble believing the former. Unlike innocent little Amie here, Beth didn't start an actual coup d'etat.
I understand that Luna needs to imprison Amie and Beth not just to give herself time to sort everything out, but also to keep the two of them safe from further harm. But I'm still miffed that after everything that happened, they're still being treated like criminals here. Plus, unless I overread something, the room is still full of oil that was meant to kill them.
If it weren't for the fact that the "magister" already made a move against her bugs and is still actively working to that effect, I'd say it's not the best of ideas to outright reveal a changeling from a hive that might make a potential ally. Either way, I'm sure she'll have to contend with the fact that she just effectively cost a powerful hive an important bug (and generally put their operations in jeopardy).
Equestria might yet save Rick from the magister, but I don't think it's likely that they'll get a hold of the magister to gain any potential insight from him, either. Considering how terrified he is of the prospect of any bug being interrogated and how his position puts him deep in enemy territory, I'm sure he has a contigency plan to off himself in the event he is ever found out. He might very well carry a cyanide capsule in his mouth at all times.
Regarding Rick, I'm not gonna be super impressed with the story if they do manage to save him. It takes away the weight from what's happened to him. But I also wasn't particularly thrilled about the decision to put him in mortal danger in the first place. I'm still rooting for him, but this story's a mess by this point.
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It’s either that or she magically cloned herself somehow and doesn’t realize she has an extra body.
Teleportation makes more sense, really. Even if it means she burned a lot of glamour to poof that far.
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They probably have some kind of suicide plant he'll eat, or they have daggers hidden on themselves to slit their own throats or something. Some kind of way to kill themselves so they won't be forced to talk.
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He betrayed Amie first by trying to kill her and then make sure Rick was finished off.
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They would only know she's a Queen if they know the up-to-date intelligence that the Queen is named Amie. But even then, after seeing Beth's undisguised body, they might have forgotten or dismissed the idea of her being a Queen.
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I'm pretty sure Luna magicked the oil away, so there's that.
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I suspect Amie just recognized the same kind of selective framework as Luna's spell, but this one was tuned to either a lower caste changeling or Beth specifically.
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It's quite possible Luna has figured out what's going on and wants to clear the room so that they can speak properly. She sounds suspicious, knows Amie is present, and has seen this disguise before in Amie's dreams. So I don't know if we can consider this meeting 'done' yet. I'm definitely looking forward to their first in-person talk!
Anyway. While the Roman changelings are still an issue (and I'll admit I wasn't expecting a new hostile faction this late in the game, though I'm also thrilled to see more of various human cultures filtered through a new species and multiple centures, it's fascinating to look at), the thing that has me most perplexed is how Beth reformed. Rick fit the pattern - he burned up all his magic trying to save the one he loved. That's a very skittle changeling thing to do. But Beth's feels strange to me. Amie was the one struggling to save them while Beth was only panicking. I guess she did have that moment of reaffirmed faith when Amie didn't abandon her, and narratively that seems to be the catalyst. But trust and love for her queen feels like a pretty typical changeling sentiment, not a reformation moment. Did Amie's act of saving them reform her because it was done in Beth's body? That doesn't feel right either. Could it have something to do with Amie magically and metaphysically removing herself from Beth? Because Wes isn't linked to her, either...
this is a amazingly good brake having Princess Luna show up.
now if this all plays out good.
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Willingly giving love is the catalyst. Beth may have some kind of feelings for Amie, and Amie saving her life probably amplified them.
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At a certain point, Amie has to show good faith to the Equestrians - and this Hive looks to be as bad as Chrysalis. Can't befriend everyone, and sometimes an enemy is deserved.
As far as treating them like prisoners... Think of it more like protective custody until she can get a handle (hoofle?) on the situation.
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Addressing your second point; while I don't disagree, something I think is important here is that Amie feels Luna's guilt, and prominently. One of the major issues about this situation is that Equestria views changelings as soulless, literal pony-eating monsters. Luna has been convinced that Amie and her hive are innocent, but it took trying to murder her to achieve that. Rick just got stabbed for doing something mysterious and magical and everyone involved thought they were saving their fellow ponies in the process. There is an extremely irrational, dangerous bias at play here and it will take time and care to untangle.
So... messed up as it is, it's kinda necessary to continue to treat them like criminals so that ponies feel like the situation is under control, to keep anyone else from doing something stupid. If Luna were to announce that these changelings are harmless and guests of the Palace, her Guard would assume she's been mind-controlled or replaced. She can't realistically let them go. Plus, as you say, Luna still needs to actually discuss things with Amie; this is basically a treaty negotiation between two nations with a bad relationship. We'll see what tone Luna takes once they have a chance to talk, but for now I'm just happy Amie and Beth are under her jurisdiction and not Commander Path's.
I dunno. Given just how quickly she reacted to this entire debacle, I'm willing to cut her some slack here. She's clearly taking this seriously.
An interesting power… A Queen that can use her hive to move between locations quickly. A painful process, and it requires a lot of magic I assume, but I look forward to seeing it used more.
I love this chapter so much.
Last one was frustrating but im so happy luna finally came.
Unconventional teleport!
It's odd that the magistrate assumed the supposed drone couldn't use any magic beyond innate ling ability. Surely there must be some shield spell available to create a protective bubble against the heat and oxygen deprivation? Perhaps he assumed the Queen is ruthless as his own and wouldn't actually attempt to save it?
It is very suspicious when the one who claimed Luna teleported her then has to explain why she was teleported there to the same. Hope nobody that matters catches that slip.
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The oil was cleared shortly after Luna entered
And judging by the magisters actions, I doubt his hive would’ve made an ally.
Finally, Luna is here! Okay, now they just need to convince her to help
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right man, are you baiting or something? you make the most violent assumptions about this story. if youre not baiting and youre serious, remember that these are *ponies*. they are herbivorous herd animals, and on top of that are sapient and preach love and kindness. not even luna could bring herself to kill amie, she had a spell do it instead (though it failed). i seriously doubt that they would have things like "torture chambers". again, these are ponies we're talking about, they detest violence.
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As we have seen, guards are more than happy to kill "monsters". And Amie sensed their satisfaction while watching her agony.
These ponies seem to be mostly concerned with love and kindness among themselves. Anything perceived as a threat to the herd must be eliminated.
Those villains who are willing to silence witnesses are always scary to behold.