Interview with the Changeling

by Fimbulvinter

Chapter 5

Interview with the Changeling

By: Fimbulvinter

Chapter 5

A dozen ponies rushed down an old mine shaft, abandoned carts, and buttresses flitting by at regular intervals. The only light sources available to the group came from the horns of the unoccupied unicorns: Shining, Hard Hitter, Fleur and Vigil. Fancy, Blueblood and Cadance were occupied looking after the invalid Flitter Wing, being pulled along on a makeshift stretcher scavenged from parts of the tents. Emberflame was pulling up the rear, dropping a gem from his travel pack alongside any major landmark the group came across. The newest member of the group, Trixie, was slung across Stout Hearts back, still knocked out from banishing the Chimera

“Cadance talk to me, how are we doing back there?” Shining Armour called back, not slowing down his pace

“I’ve put Flitter into an induced coma, and slowed his heart rate down to the minimum needed to keep him alive. It will slow the movement of the venom and buy us some time, but hours at the most. I can keep him stable over the short term, but he needs real help and soon” Cadance replied from the rear or the group.

“Drone, I see a junction coming up, which way?”

“Straight ahead, then take the third passage on the left, then alternate left, right at every second passage after that. This will take us to a secondary ore processing room, where the gems were extracted from the rocks, Chrysalis set up her temporary hive there. There should be no traps or tricks; we were relying mostly on our ability to remain undetected to protect us from harm".

"So straight, third left, then every alternate second, right?” Drone noted yes.

"Then let’s hustle ponies, Cadance let me know if you see any change".

"Will do Shining"

Drone led the group past the junction and into the tunnels that he had pointed out. From there it quickly became a repetition of One two left, one two right.

Daily Scoop pulled up along side Drone as they all hurtled down one of the many crosscutting tunnels. "This may not be the best time, but just how large is this mine? No pony mine I have ever seen or heard of was anywhere near this big".

"That is because this mine is not of pony origin; it was created by a group of what you may know as Diamond dogs. Their mining expertise is second to none, and as I understand this was one of their most lucrative mines until it went fallow. We moved in because its confusing tunnel layout and huge size deter most of the curious from entering too deep. There was still a small pack of them living here when we arrived, but we haven't seen them since. They may have retreated further into the mine system or left altogether".

"So how long do you think until we reach the hive? We cannot keep up this breakneck pace forever" Shining Armour interjected into the conversation.

"At this speed, we would reach the hive by daybreak, about another 6 hours. I could get there faster if I flew and try to persuade my queen to meet you on the way".

"Are there any other deviations to the order of tunnels?"

"No, just keep alternating, like all puzzles, it was designed to keep out only the uninformed, know the pattern and the puzzle is easy".

"Then go, bring back Chrysalis and whatever help you can".

"Will do; keep going as fast as you can". Drone flapped his membrane thin wings and shot ahead of the group, disappearing into the blackness.

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On Stout Hearts Back, Trixie was beginning to stir, jolted back to life from all the bouncing around on Stouts armour.

"Ugh, my head, what is going on here, where am I?" Trixie noticed that she was mounted on a stallions back in some kind of enclosed passage.

"Wait, where are you taking Trixie, let Trixie go now, how dare you kidnap her" Trixie shifted back into her third person speech as soon as she noticed other ponies around her.

"No pony has kidnapped you lady, we grabbed you after you fainted and took you with us" Stout called back "Can you walk?"

Stout Heart slowed down to allow Trixie to get off of his back

"Trixie thinks so, yes" Trixie said taking a few experimental steps forward.

"Good, you are heavier than you look, now try to keep up, we are in a bit of a pickle here, and there is no time to show you the exit".

Stout picked up the pace again, leaving Trixie to be engulfed in the darkness behind the group.

"Wait, at least tell Trixie what we are running from?" Trixie caught up to the back of the pack.

"You can drop that whole third person act now, you are not at a show now and it is getting annoying" Cadance looked back at the now approaching Trixie.

"Never, now what is going on here, Trixie remembers being taken captive by that brute of a guard on the stretcher, then waking up here".

Cadance stiffened at the insult Trixie casually hurled at the pony injured in her own defence.

"We were attacked by a Chimera, Flitter Wing was poisoned before you destroyed it with some kind of lightning bolt". Shining had dropped back to check on Flitter and bring Trixie up to speed. "After we removed the suppression band from your horn, your eyes went all strange, like my sisters when she channels her strongest spells, eyes glazed over. You called a lightning storm down onto yourself and somehow managed to use its power to banish the Chimera. After that you fainted and we brought you here.

“Yes, It is coming back to Trixie now, she saved everyponies lives and is a hero”.

“You were saving yourself as much as anypony else, we were all incidental to your own survival, but for what its worth, thank you”.

Trixie looked around, lighting her own horn to examine the walls as the group ran past them. “That covers the how Trixie got here, but where is here exactly?”

Cadance took that answer. “We are in a mining system that entered near our camp. We were tasked by the princess to undertake a diplomatic mission to a colony of changelings living here, but now we need their help ourselves or Flitter Wing here will die. The Chimera bit him”.

“CHANGELINGS? Are you of your pony minds? They can’t be trusted. Let them rot”.

“It is too late for that now, we need their help. Also this was a direct order from Princess Celestia, so regardless of what we think, we are doing this, when we get there, just sit down and stay out of our way”.

The group continued to run down the corridors, until Blueblood called for a moments rest. “I can’t keep running like his” he said, chest heaving “Cadance said she can keep the guard stable, we need to rest for a moment”.

Shining called a halt and went to check on Flitter. He appeared to be in a peaceful slumber, chest rising and falling very slowly.

“Don’t be fooled honey, he only looks calm because I am keeping him that way” Cadance said as Shining walked over. “The poison is still moving through his body, he has another 2-3 hours at most without help. As much as I never thought I would never say, we need Chrysalis now”.

“Ask and you shall receive, ha ha ha”. A disembodied voice floated down the corridor towards the group. Everypony looked up but could not penetrate the gloom ahead.

“Won’t you step into my parlour, said the spider to the fly?” Stepping into the combined light of several horns, Chrysalis, queen of the changelings hive appeared in view, her black chitinous plating glinting in the light. “’Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever did you spy”. A number of drones appeared after her.

“Chrysalis, thank Celestia you came, please help us” Cadance pleaded.

“And whatever could be the problem for the mighty princess of love?” Chrysalis looked over and saw the stretcher and the pony on it. “Ah, it appears that one of your number has met with a terrible fate and you need my help to heal him yes? My little drone here, has told me all about it” Chrysalis pointed to one of the drones by her side, presumably it was Drone, the one that had travelled with them all this way, now he just looked like any of a hundred drones. “I can certainly do it… For a price”. Chrysalis rubbed her hole cover hooves together, chuckling with barley concealed mirth.

Shining Armour was in no mood. “Chrysalis, one of my men is dying, I have no time for games. Tell me what you want”.

Chrysalis looked at Shining. “The captain, so brave when the enemy is something he can confront. I’ll tell you what I need”. Chrysalis licked her lips, twisted glee beaming out from her eyes. “What I need is for Celestias Persecution of my race to end, but what I want right now, is to drink from the untempered fount that is your love for each other. You smell so good, it is maddening having to simply stand here”.

“If you can save my guard, you can have as much as you want, just do it now”.

“Very well, but I warn you. Even through that coma you have put him in, this is going to hurt, restrain him”.

Chrysalis walked over to the stretcher and kneeled down beside his neck. “And now the reason why your kind compares us to vampires” Chrysalis pulled her head back, opened her mouth and drove her fangs directly into Flitter Wings neck, right down on the artery. The inert figure of Flitter started to convulse at once, his eyes snapping open but unseeing. A shattering yell pierced the stale air of the tunnel, echoing off of every available surface.

“What are you doing?” Cadance called out “You will kill him”.

One of the drones answered for Chrysalis “She is injecting Flitter with the anti-venom, how else did you expect her to administer it directly into his blood stream?” Cadance realised that this was in-fact Drone, having returned along with Chrysalis as he had said he would.

After a few moments, Chrysalis detached from Flitters neck, a drop of clear liquid welling at the bottom of one fang. “The poison in your guardsman will be neutralised shortly, however he will be weak for some time. Now come, we have much to discuss”. Chrysalis led the group onwards. At length they came to a large relatively open chamber, filled with grey-green ooze on the walls, and cocoons hanging from the ceiling. At regular intervals, luminescent pods provided light for the space. The entire cavern now resembled an insect hive rather than a mined cave.

Daily Scoop took it all in. “Been busy much, nice taste in décor”.

Cadance looked horrified, this was not the action of a hive on the brink of extinction, they were rebuilding. “What is all this Chrysalis? I thought you were not planning to stay”.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “And you would be right. Have you ever seen an actual hive before. The one I left behind was the size of Canterlot. Not just the Castle, the entire town. Millions of changelings”.

“This” Chrysalis motioned around the room “is not even worth noting as an outpost, it can support only a tiny number of drones, 100 at the most. I assure you, that once you have fed us, we will be on our way. I can’t let one of the other queens try to take over my hive”.

“Well then, as much as I am thankful to you for saving my guard, I don’t want to have to spend any more time here then is needed, shall we just get on with it? After all, you must be hungry” Shining suggested.

“Quite right, quite right” Chrysalis nodded “You will all be treated to a private fantasy of your choosing, courtesy of my drones, who will feed off of your love”.

“No” Cadance spoke up “I’m doing this with my husband or not at all, remember; we can still blast you all, and in this enclosed environment, the spell will be even more powerful”.

“Very well then, as you wish, just get started. We are hungry over here”.

Shining walked over to Cadance. “Honey, we need to think of the moment in which we felt the most love for each other and focus on that moment no matter what. What are you going to think about?”

“I know just the moment” Cadance looked directly into Shinings eyes “The moment when you asked me to marry you. I truly love you Shining Armour” Cadance leaned in and kissed her husband, deep and tender.

All of the drones present sat down as one, faces up and eyes closed, basking in the rays of a force that only they could feel. Chrysalis could feel the raw love emanating from the pair, made all the sweeter by the fact that she was still so very hungry. Everything about her appearance began to improve, her shell began to shine, her jagged horn appeared sharper. Every changeling present started to flutter their wings, resulting in a chirping sound throughout the cavern. Unbidden Chrysalis started to hum to herself “This day has been just perfect…”

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Fancy Pants and the others looked over to where the two lovers stood, embracing each other without a word. It was such a tender moment, he almost hated to interrupt it, but he had his own announcement and contribution to make. Fancy waited until they unhooked themselves, still looking at each other as if it had been the first time they had lain eyes upon one another. “If I could get everyponies attention” All eyes refocused on Fancy as he walked over to Fleur.

“My darling Fleur, I have loved you ever since I first met you, all those years ago, I have watched as you grew into the fine mare you are today, and even now you are still full of surprises” Fancy nodded to the sword still strapped to Fleurs side. In the rush, she had never bothered to unclasp it. “But now I want to ask you something that will change the course of my life forever”. Fancy got down on his back legs and levitated a small box out of his saddle bags. Opening it, he revealed a singular golden horn ring. “Fleur-de-lis, descendent to the sword master Freize, will you marry me?”

Fleur looked down at the ring, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh Fancy, yes. A thousand times yes” Fleur lunged in a hugged Fancy. Cheers were heard from all around the room. Chrysalis and her drones were once again basking in the radiant love emanating from the couple. Fancy levitated the ring out of the box and gently placed it upon Fleurs horn, leaning in to steal a kiss while he did so.

At length, Fancy and Fleur separated, and everypony looked over at Chrysalis. “Envoys of Princess Celestia, know that the changeling nation thanks you for your service here today. We will not meet again”.

Drone walked over to the group, new fire radiating in his opaque eyes. “Farewell friends, maybe we shall see fit to meet again, but for now I must return to my hive. The love you have provided us must be shared with the others”. Chrysalis powered up her horn, and in a flash she and all the changelings vanished from the chamber. Only the cocoons and pulsating lights remained as evidence that they had ever been there at all.

“Is it over?” Blueblood spoke up. Both he and Trixie had remained at the back of this encounter, preferring to let other more qualified ponies handle the task of providing love.

“I think so, I can’t see any of the changelings remaining” Cadance replied.

“I don’t know about you, but I am ready to set course for home” Shining Armour said. “Who is with me?”

A general murmur of agreement rose up from the crowd, but Cadance shot it down. “We should rest here, we don’t have the energy for another trek back out to the surface right now, and I want to wait until Flitter wakes up”.

“Very well, let’s all get some food and sleep and head out once we are sure that Flitter is ok”. Everypony nodded and went about various tasks, preparing what food they had brought with them, looking for things that could be used for sleeping.

Hard Hitter and Daily Scoop were deep in conversation. “This will be the greatest story of my career, such action and excitement, every paper in Equestria will be lining up to run this” Scoop was overjoyed.

Eventually everypony crawled in for the evening (morning? It was hard to tell underground) and drifted off to sleep, all except Shining Armour who remained up to take a watch, remembering Drones warning that more than just the changelings lived in these mines.

End Chapter 5

A/N
Assignments be damned. I decided to delay my assignment work and get this story finished quickly, rather than simply have it churning at the back of my mind. Sappy ending? Loose ends? The epilogue will cover all of that.

At her introduction, Chrysalis was quoting the poem ‘The Spider and the Fly’ by Mary Howitt, A cautionary tale about trusting the flattery and words of others blindly.

Comments

[Treme99]

This is my favorite story of all time I have read it over and over again you are a brilliant writer