Chapter 82
Amie was back in the tower. She sat up sharply, returning quickly to full alertness. This wasn’t the time to take things slowly, not with the attack on Stella Lacus at that exact moment.
She could practically hear the cannonfire from the tower, though she knew that must be in her imagination. Agate and Stella Lacus were quite far from Canterlot, much too far for such sounds to travel.
She imagined it anyway—felt the deep rumble in her chest from each blast, and the subsequent explosion of something precious and familiar to her being destroyed in the impact. With each strike, relics of Earth were lost forever. A possible return remained entirely theoretical—and would never be realized if the Equestrian army killed them all first.
She would never know it from Luna’s tower. The city beneath continued its quiet existence, the streets only just beginning to wake up. Somewhere down there was a little crater blown in the street, where Rick had nearly been killed. And would’ve been, if the intervening influence of other changelings in Equestrian society had triumphed.
But that mystery could wait for another day, when her own camp was safe.
Luna had instructed her to stay in that room and wait for her return. But she couldn’t do that, not without abandoning her campers to their fate. Amie picked the largest and biggest door, striding towards it as forcefully as she could. The Royal Guard outside wouldn’t want to let her leave, but she had to insist. Only by radiating just how confident and in control she was could she overpower their natural resistance and open them to defying their orders.
The door opened, swinging outward into a towering spiral staircase. There were no guards outside at all, just a shadowy expanse stretching down with a narrow flight of stairs, without railing between them. That made a perfect path for flight, but not a particularly safe-feeling walk.
Amie strode forward towards the stairs, hurrying out the opening. Well, hurrying into the opening. Instead of passing through, she smacked directly into it, as though she had somehow forgotten to open it. She recoiled, flaring both wings and hissing at the open space.
She edged forward a little closer, reaching towards it with one hoof. Despite looking open, her hoof pressed against something solid, yet flexible, like cloth drawn taught over an invisible membrane. She pushed; a silvery light appeared like an invisible net.
“Didn’t the princess say something about not leaving her tower? She said there were wards on it, to protect us from any other hidden assassins. Or maybe her own ponies.”
Amie turned and found Beth watching from behind. Her eyes were groggy, yet she sounded alert. More importantly, she was right.
“Beth, they’re attacking Stella Lacus,” she whispered, urgent. “Right now. Cannons and everything. Blasting the camp to pieces. Most everyone is underground, but… when they’re done shooting, they’ll send in the troops. I saw their invasion plan myself.”
Beth stomped one hoof, frustrated. “Why? What did we do?”
“Nothing I know. There were some bugs in Agate, but they haven’t been discovered. Or they… hadn’t last time I was there. I guess I should check on them too.”
Yet those bugs were among her strongest, oldest, and bravest. If anyone could handle themselves during a crisis, it was them. She needed to keep the camp itself from falling.
Someone moaned from across the room, sitting up from the couch. Ivy stretched, opening one eye and looking in their direction. Unlike the changelings, she still looked exhausted. The pony needed a full night sleep, not whatever stray moment she could get tucked away in Luna’s tower.
“Amie? Is something wrong?”
Celestia and Luna can’t be far away now. The sun is already up, they should be here! Amie left the empty doorway, hurrying over to her resting friend. “Your father started the attack on my camp. I’m… trying to get in touch with the princesses so they can stop it. People might be dead already—but if no one can stop them before they get to the mine… there are hundreds of children in there. Almost none of them can fight.”
Ivy rolled out of bed, shaking her head a few times as though trying to rouse herself. Something worked, because the sense of profound exhaustion faded, replaced with anger. “He bucking wouldn’t.”
“He bucking did, unfortunately.” She paced over to a door on the opposite side, one leading to the balcony, and flung that open too. This time she moved slowly instead of bashing her face against it. This was for the best, because her hoof struck against empty space a second time. She pressed harder, until her shell started to strain, and pain flashed through her body. Amie jerked suddenly backward, skidding along the tile.
The spell flickered once, then faded back to invisibility. Amie ground her teeth, keeping both wings flared. If she waited here, her campers might die. Even a few hours might make the difference between stopping the invasion or having an army of soldiers rampaging through her makeshift hive.
“Okay, uh… I…” She scanned the room, searching for anything she could use to call the princess. But there were no phones, no bells, nothing that even resembled a communications device. With such powerful magic, the Alicorns probably didn’t need any. They could teleport wherever they wanted, send magical passes around—why bother with a bell?
“Ivy, Beth. I need to… I need to try and help at camp. See if there’s a way to get Luna’s attention. Tell them that Commander Path is attacking in Agate at this second. Full on invasion—airships, artillery, his shock troops waiting to drop. Losing the camp buildings is bad enough—but if those soldiers start killing bugs…”
What could she do, retaliate? Hurt innocent ponies because her kids were attacked? They would only perpetuate the cycle of pointless violence. Her tribe would end up like the Erovores, another whispered curse among the ponies.
I can’t let them in.
“We can do that,” Ivy said. “But Amie—you’re right here! If you can’t get past the wards on the tower, you won’t be able to help either. You’re as trapped as the rest of us.”
“She’s not,” Beth said, tapping her head with her hoof. “Amie can control other bugs with her mind. Not sure if she can do it when they’re fighting back, but she doesn’t try that. It’s like… voluntary. Even if she’s up in the tower with us, she can be back at camp at the same time. I dunno how it works.”
“Farcasting,” Amie supplied. “I don’t either. Splash me with something if the princess shows up. We can worry about what to do about the changelings later—all that matters right now is stopping the attack.”
Beth nodded seriously. “Of course, Amie. You go! If we find another way out, we’ll get them sooner. Otherwise, we can wake you up when the time comes.”
Amie settled into a comfortable space beside the wall, preparing for another farcasting. She still didn’t know if that process would actually make a difference—was there anything more she could do by sending her mind? She wasn’t a warrior, and she wasn’t willing to throw the lives of her “workers” away any more than the other campers.
But the alternative was to sit around doing nothing at all. She had to try something.
Amie closed both eyes and opened them again in the caverns of her shelter.
For a few seconds she was entirely helpless, struggling to process the blast against her senses. Bugs screamed in terror, cried, pressing ever deeper into the old mine. Even at their reduced size, that was bound to lead to harm; much of the mine wasn’t safe for occupation. Only the top levels were cleared out for habitation—the rest was unknown.
The worker she’d found first wasn’t right on the surface, but a few levels down in one of the many “cabins” meant for a single group of bugs. Even after months on an alien world, they still largely kept to the same groups.
Like most cabins, they were simple in their construction. A group cleared out a wide section of tunnel, removing the rubble and covering any openings with hardened green slime. Then they spread their sleeping bags down both sides, with girls on one and boys on the other. A shared sitting area formed the far end, using whatever scraps they could find to make cushions, chairs, and tables. They all relied on the same light source—a string of Christmas LEDs along the ceiling, that stretched from one cabin to the next.
A few bugs turned to look towards her, fixing her with sudden interest. “Shawna?” A counselor asked, raising one hoof. “How are you…”
“Not Shawna,” Amie said. She shook herself out, then changed into her bat. Not just because she liked bats this time—but the sharp senses and small wings would be far better for navigating the cramped quarters of her shelter. “Here to help again. Which way to the surface?”
A few other bugs looked up from their places. Most cowered in their sleeping bags, tucked together on either side of the room. A few circled around the front playing cards or huddled around a single shared tablet screen. Now they were all watching her, multifaceted eyes filled with sudden interest.
Even from their false emotions, Amie felt their hope. “Queen?” someone asked. She wasn’t sure who, but they sounded young.
“I didn’t tell anyone to call me that,” she said, moving carefully between the beds, then squeezing around the table. “Keep your heads down, everyone. We’ll get through this.”
The tunnel ended with a heavy tarp, which blocked most of the passage but not all. A brisk breeze passed down the bottom and top, lifting little bits of dirt and debris and carrying fresh air from the central ventilator.
Somewhere in the wisdom of the Egovores, there were instructions to build tunnels that ventilated themselves through thermodynamic principles and minimal interference. Unfortunately for them, this nest used none of those.
A short distance down the hall and she came to the next group, more or less the same as the one she was in. Another twenty or so kids and their leader, cowering together in terror and waiting for the attack to end. But these didn’t know who she was or make any attempt to stop her. She didn’t look like a foal.
Soon she came to the large central shaft, with its heavy freight elevator and smaller ramp. Amie took off, ascending past the elevator as fast as her wings could carry her.
That still wasn’t fast—what little about flight she had picked up on her time in Equestria didn’t make her any kind of expert in the field. But it was faster than fighting the ramp, and the thick procession of bugs down from the surface.
“Single file!” Mona shouted, her voice echoing in the large space. “Nice and slow, everyone. Don’t panic. Everyone keep an eye on your buddy. Go down to your floor and straight to your cabin.”
Someone else had set up a portable speaker. It played classical music in the background, barely audible over the sound of so much terror and misery.
There was only one sound Amie didn’t hear anymore—cannons. They should be faint and distant, but still audible. There were none. That meant…
BOOM! An explosion shook the mine, rattling rocks and making campers gasp and whimper with terror. Little stones tumbled around Amie, battering against her. She landed on the top floor, waiting for the shaking to stop.
Nothing collapsed, no further caverns shook below her hooves. As explosions went, that one was downright mild.
It wasn’t enough, she realized, with a fresh flash of terror. That was supposed to seal us in tight. It wasn’t big enough. They saved too much fuel to run the generators, they hadn’t had time to make enough explosives.
Amie broke into a gallop again, towards the tunnel to the roller coaster, and the entrance. She couldn’t move that fast, not with the press of bodies flowing the other way. Order was now abandoned, and the crowd transformed to a terrified mob.
“Let me through!” she shouted, so loud that every nearby bug stopped to stare. “Everyone to the side, now!” She didn’t just yell, she commanded. Her bugs obeyed, jerky and unsteady. All except one, left standing directly in the walkway.
Natane, evidently unaffected by her command. While Amie ran through the opening, she waited calmly, then moved into step behind her. “The queen returns. Together we will witness the bloody end of your tribe.”
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Aren't you a ray of sunshine.
Seriously though, things are looking dire. Let's see how she pulls out of this one.
It's too bad Natane didn't really hint at training magic defenses or anything. But then she has no obligation to help further.
Very strange Luna didn't put any kind of signal device in her room. Unlike Twilight shifting the ink well a little likely won't be felt by the moon princess.
Speaking of, what is Luna doing now?
The f
we will. Maybe if you actually pulled the stick out of your butt and HELPED, Kaya?
Nothing short of the princesses actually teleporting into the battlefield will stop Path's forces. Time is of the essence.
Self-defense is not retaliation. Use the minimum amount of violence to stop or stall the ponies. If it has to be lethal force then so be it. Innocent or not, the ponies will surely hurt other innocents.
11683819
Truly the essence of "not my problem". She really is a sink or swim mentor. If not that she's certainly judging Amie's and her hive's worth as a business partner.
Anyone else thinking "Et tu, Kaya"
I think Wes comes in to save them in the last second :>
(Who better to save the friendship changelings than the princess of said element)
You know, something I've noticed is that Starscribe chapter updates typically arrive at 12 pm central time, but not always. I've seen 11 am for a few weeks before, today I didn't see whether it was 2 pm, 3 pm, or 4 pm, but it looks like 2 pm from the comments.
I wonder if this indicates Starscribe changing timezones. A bit of a security breach, though, know what 1/24 slice of the world Starscribe is at on a given day is not a huge vulnerability if true.
oh boy. This is going downhill FAST.
Part of me wonders if Ivy will be able to pass through the barriers, unlike the 'lings in the castle. Even if so, it'll take some time for her to find the princesses.
If the entrance cannot be caved in... The mine itself makes a very defensible chokepoint, at least. Maybe they can come up with some makeshift explosive if the defenders can't buy them a little time. Glamor is energy-dense, so surely it could be explosive?
I know this story is gonna work out somehow, but this really doesn't seem like a situation that can be salvaged. There's really nothing keeping the Equestrian army from the population of Stella Lacus now, unless Amie somehow manages to learn on the spot how to create magical barrier or something.
Minor nitpick, making up new words for your story is fine, but I think you should at least keep them consistent. You've already used a different word for the same tribe, though I don't remember what that word was.
11683937
I think youre overthinking this.
For all we know, Starscribe is just posting at similar times due to a schedule, and the change in post time is just the chapters being posted late due to forgetting. I mean, its not like they have an obligation to post at the same time, all the time.
Could they turn off the generators? Changelings excel in darkness, don't they? I don't know how good the Equestrian night fighting capabilities are. They could just have a unicorn throw a flare-like spell and light up the entire cave system or get some batponies in there but if they don't have those, them fighting with torches and lit up horns would at least hamper their capabilities to fight at 100% strength. It's the only way I can think of, unless there's a backdoor exit which I think–correct me if I'm wrong–was mentioned in previous chapters which the darkness can delay the guards while they escape and blow the exit.
Not sure, what's the problem for changelings is, if they have enough time to prepare. Flamers, boobytraps, cave-ins are very easy to make and very efficient in tunnels. Changelings are avid subterranean builders in the show, and with enough coordination they can give invading equestrian soldiers PTSDs for generations. Analogous tactics definitely gave that to humans:
https://www.thenmusa.org/articles/tunnel-rats-of-the-vietnam-war/
Any argument to do anything less like "but those are innocent ponies" won't fly: those are soldiers with intent and order to kill, this is anything BUT innocent.
Guess the only argument to leave changelings be at this point would be to convince equestrian government that it would be very costly otherwise. And of course to convince that they are peaceful unless provoked.
11684077
Causing lots of casualties would legitimize their approach to attack the changelings.
"Look how dangerous they are we had no other choice to attack preemptively!"
For Amies changelings to integrate with the ponies in contrast to what every other group of changelings did this has to be resolves without lots of dead on both sides.
11684006
Starscribe already has the chapters on patreon, they’re being uploaded here by an automatic system. Automatic systems don’t forget to do something at 12 o’clock sharp and decide to do 11, o’clock sharp instead. Well, that particular scenario wouldn’t even make sense because the standard time is 12 and I’ve seen 11 (yes, accurate to the second).
11683977
Pretty sure it was Erovores, and I don’t think it referred to Kaya’s tribe, but Chrysalis’s (I think). Egovore sounds like eating the ego, aka pride, which is what Kaya’s tribe does. Erovore sounds like what you would specifically call the love eaters.
11684347
I remember now, Kaya's tribe has been called Kleovore at some earlier point. And yes, Erovore refers specifically to Chrysalis's tribe. That's not the word I was referring to.
11684322
This whole situation is beyond a point where killing any attacking ponies would help in any way, but I agree with minibox's earlier point - Stella Lacus would be entirely justified in defending themselves with as much force as they can muster, and any pony who would condemn them for doing so could never be brought around to the idea of peace either way. Striving for peace doesn't mean handling your would-be-killers with velvet gloves.
Of course, there's just the problem that Stella Lacus is entirely outclassed here, so that entire discussion is pretty much moot anyway.
11684342
Oh i didnt know that.
poor amie, every time you get rid of a problem, another bigger one gets on top of it.
Well. This could be going better. And Natane is monumentally not helping. I wouldn't be surprised if Amie gets splashed at the exact worst time to meet with one or more alicorns. I also wouldn't be surprised if heads roll in Equestrian military tribunals, figuratively or literally. Whether any changelings will love long enough to appreciate that remains to be seen.
11684868
Kaya, you mean. Natane isn't nearly as judgemental as Kaya.
Oh no...
How much do you want to bet that Path gets off without any punishment. He was exterminating an 'enemy', heck Celestia might have ordered the attack herself. Or one of the other Queens impersonated an Alicorn and gave the order to maintain the status-quo.
Kaya is once again being unhelpfull which isn't surprising since she hasn't done anything other than teach Amie about changelings in general.