Cyberpony Y2K

by J3sterking

The Last Changeling

Indigo hadn't ever heard of 'Changelings' before, and briefly wondered if she had access to any of the documents about them.

"I haven't exactly seen any of your kind, but how do you know you're the last?" Minuette asked.

"My kind feeds on love. Starving, we were forced to hide amongst ponies and feed off their love for each other. Even so, my people dwindled. Little by little, inch by inch."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Minuette said. "That my people let yours die out is a tragedy. Chrysalis...maybe there are some left."

Chrysalis snorted. "My hive was the last," she said. "Let me tell you a secret, that no one else alive cares if I share. My kind doesn't reproduce normally. A Queen has to use the harvested love to create the eggs that become new Changelings. Without a Queen, no new Changelings can be born. I was my hive's queen."

"And I'm assuming...making more without, uh...another Changeling isn't an option?" Indigo asked hesitantly.

Chrysalis shot her a look with angry, green eyes. "If I had the love for that, it would be, but I could never get it all on my own. And even so, the same thing would happen. Once the ponies found out about our kind, they would wipe us out."

"We don't do that anymore," Minuette said. "Princess Celestia made all species on this planet. To destroy, to utterly deface, her work would be the pinnacle of blasphemy. We can work together to--"

"'Deface her work'? Is my kind an art show to you?" Chrysalis demanded. "Whatever. Truth is, I don't care. I won't work with Cadenza anyway."

"Why not?" Minuette asked.

"Because, my little pony, she is the one who slaughtered every last man, woman, and hatchling amongst my hive," Chrysalis snarled. "She...even killed the little ones. You don't have children; you couldn't know. You couldn't the grief and the rage and...and the pain...as I watched the hive burn. As I heard the screams. You call us barbaric? Fine. But we're all savages. I'm not going to claim a moral high-ground, I'm just here for revenge. I want Cadenza to cradle her child's broken corpse in her arms so that maybe, just maybe, she feels a fraction of the pain I felt that day."

Minuette drew her gun, then pulled back the hammer.

Chrysalis gave her a fanged grin. "Of course, only one of you needs to deliver the message," she said, before leaping onto the ceiling.

Indigo opened fire, but whatever else Changelings were, they were fast. Forty-pecent enhanced reflexes, she couldn't quite keep up with it.

Chrysalis landed behind the two of them, leveling her gun at Minuette. A forcefield appeared in the air, catching a glowing emerald bullet. The bullet ricocheted to the side as Chrysalis ducked the other way, firing again.

Minuette swept her gun, shooting Chrysalis's upper shoulder. The Changeling screamed, in a voice that echoed and twisted and sounded like several different people at once. Her next shot missed Minuette's forcefield entirely, passing besides Indigo.

Indigo unloaded into the desk Chrysalis had hidden behind, the bullets tearing it to pieces. She stepped swiftly around, as Minuette went from the other side.

Chrysalis had vanished.

Indigo spun, trying to keep track of every corner of the room at once.

In a burst of flame, Chrysalis suddenly appeared again, throwing a grenade. Indigo cursed, leaping away, as Minuette summoned a forcefield around herself.

An electric-blue pulse, the familiar glow of a sapphire, emanated from the device. Minuette's eyes widened as her forcefield disappeared, then she suddenly toppled with a cry. At the same time, Indigo's hands suddenly went numb, and her guns dropped from her mechanical fingers.

Chrysalis grinned savagely, pointing the gun at Minuette, but Indigo charged her. The gun swiveled her direction, firing, but Indigo twisted in the air. The bullet clipped her jacket, sliding off and flying behind her, as she collided with Chrysalis. Feeling began to slowly return to her fingers as she slammed the Changeling into an old cabinet, metal crunching and squeaking maddeningly beneath her.

Indigo followed it up with several knee jabs and a slap to the face. She pulled back her right arm, then threw a punch, only for Chrysalis to catch it. Indigo grunted, as the Changeling queen simply pushed her back as she rose. She snarled, then burst into green flames, shifting into a massive cobra.

Indigo yelped, stumbling back and falling over as Chrysalis tackled her, wrapping around her. Indigo let out a not-so-proud-and-heroic shriek, attempting to grab Chrysalis with stiff, barely responsive fingers. The snake's head reared, in Indigo's face, fangs barred.

A bullet shot between their heads, as Minuette stumbled to her feet.

Chrysalis hissed, wrapping more tightly around Indigo.

"You bitch!" Indigo snapped. "Quit using me as a shield!" She pushed herself, slamming Chrysalis into the floor. The Changeling let out a grunt sound that no true snake could make, then slithered away, underneath an overturned table.

Minuette fired, and the Changeling let out another scream. She reappeared to the side, dripping green blood from two gaping holes in her carapace, as she fired at Minuette. Minuette shielded her face with her arm, the bullets not getting through her coat, either.

Indigo pulled out a third gun, shooting at Chrysalis. At least one of her bullets hit, but Chrysalis didn't stop moving, leaping around to the side at a speed no pony could after being shot and electrocuted three separate times.

More green bullets shot at Indigo, nearly missing her head. She shielded her face, feeling the bullets clip against her jacket, only for a bullet to lodge itself into the back of her hand.

Flashes cut through her mind. Flashes of searing pain, the stink of a sewer, and the crazed android she'd pinned firing off one last shot. She screamed, dropping her gun, and falling, clutching her hand to her stomach.

Chrysalis screamed once again, but when she came back into view, she wasn't holding her gun. "Scum!" she cried, pushing a button on a small device. "You're all sc--"

Her head jerked back from Minuette's last bullet, and she stumbled backwards. She hit a desk, wobbled, then fell forwards, falling still.

An ominous series of red lights lit up around the room. Minuette pulled Indigo to her feet, saying, "Come, move it, rookie!"

Indigo snapped to some form of focus, though her hand still throbbed. She stumbled after Indigo as she became aware of a faint beeping that seemed to be getting faster.

Detonator, she thought suddenly. She yelped, pulling Minuette along with her out through the doors. They burst through, landing on their faces just as the building exploded behind them. Bits of flaming concrete hit the ground around them, as well as some half-melted pieces from the desks.

Then the building exploded again.

Minuette flopped onto her back, groaning, as they both watched the building burn, sending little bits of blackened rubble flying every direction. "Did you know," she muttered, "that several of the chemicals added to the more addictive and harmful salt licks are also combustible?"

"Yaaaaay," Indigo groaned, punching her working fist into the air. "Ow, fuck..." She rolled onto her side, clutching her arm to her stomach, then spat. "Ow, ow, ow..."

"Heh. You really did catch another bullet with your hands," Minuette said, sitting up. She grinned. "If this is gonna become a regular thing, we could put an armor plate on their, too."

Indigo cursed a few more times, for good measure. Then her phone started ringing.

She flipped it up, seeing an unfamiliar number. She answered it. "Friendship Inquisitors, what's the...ooh...ffff..." She closed her eyes. "What's up?"

"Is...this a bad time?" a lightly aristocratic voice asked.

"Eh...it was about ten seconds ago. Who is this?"

"Octavia Melody. I heard you wanted to talk to me...?"

"Oh, shit," Indigo muttered, sitting up. "Yeah, um...ahem, sorry about the cursing. I just got shot."

"Oh, dear. Are...you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. The shooter, ahem, is less so right now, but anyway."

"I could call again later--"

"No, no, no! We've been trying to catch up to you for a little bit. We wanted to talk to you about the shootout at the Flight of Fancy. No rush, mind you... just some questions that needed to be asked."

"Ah. Well, I'm about to be boarding a train to Las Pegasus. Perhaps you could meet me there?"

"That would be fine. Where are you staying?"

"I'll have a room at the Dazzle Den," Octavia answered.

Why not go ahead and just throw me into Tartarus? Indigo thought. Aloud, she answered, "Great. We'll meet you there in...a week, probably. The twenty-seventh okay?"

"Yes. Call me when you're in town, I'll let you know which room."

"Great. We'll see you then."

"Have a good one," Octavia said awkwardly, before hanging up.

"Octavia?" Minuette asked.

"Eeyup. Stupid minimum-wage workhorse somehow booked a room at the fucking Dazzle Den."

"This day just keeps getting better," Minuette said. With a grunt, she rose to her feet, adding, "Well, come along. We've got to tell Lancelot that Chrysalis blew up the building. So if she had any connection with Gilda, or if anything we could use was in there..."

Indigo groaned. "Gimmee a hand, please?"

Minuette helped her to her feet. Indigo pointedly avoiding looking at or moving her right hand, trying to forget about the phantom heat she felt.

She reached up, touching her ear. "Dammit. I lost an ear ring."

---

Fleur de Liss turned the page in her novel. The page flickered into the air, and she watched as it slowly descended down. She had already read all the words on the page by that time, however, and had moved to the next. She flicked to the next page, watching it slowly travel, but her eyes briefly saw a page ahead. A few words, but enough to reveal the fate of the story's plucky heroine.

Fleur screamed, throwing the book across the room. It hit the wall, falling in slow motion to the ground.

The door opened as she curled up into a ball. A few light, metallic steps sounded.

"My lady...is everything alright?"

"No! Everything is horrible!" Fleur choked. "Why...why'd I have to install this stupid chip!"

"My lady..." Her android, a reliable Mister Bitsworth model that she had always relied upon, stepped up, pulling her blankets around her shoulders. "You really should try and get some sleep. I assure you, you'll probably feel better in the morning."

"I haven't been able to sleep in days, Bit."

Bit paused, thinking. "But...you always seem..."

"I've tried everything. Counting sheep, extensive reading, even some of those pharmaceutical gummy-things that were supposed to help. But I can-not sleep. It escapes me. I'm not sure if I even feel tired anymore, or-or I just...don't notice it because I don't even know when the last time I had an even decent night's sleep, or...or...or what else! It's...it's got to be this chip! I never had any of these problems before!"

"Well...I don't know, I'm afraid," Bit said. "Maybe you could call up Mr Pants! He always has words of wisdom or encouragement. It...it'd be best to wait til morning, of course, but...he might have something that will help!"

Fleur paused. "No...he won't. But I think I know somepony who does."

"R-really?"

"Octavia Melody. Her friends...maybe they'll be able to take it out."

"My lady! That does seem quite extreme. And not hardly safe at all!"

"So? What other choices do I have? It's this, or...live out my days as a prisoner in a body that can't keep up with me, without ever being able to sleep again. I...I can't do that, Bit." She pulled her legs close.

Bit sighed, leaning back. "Leaving at night might be ill-advised, but I'm certain I can secure us transportation."

"Thank you, Bit."

"But of course, my lady. You...may wish to get dressed."

Fleur threw off the covers, and her nightgown, then began shoveling through her closet. Dresses, corsets, and gowns were all shoved aside. She quickly found an old shirt and a pair of pants, that she normally wouldn't be caught dead with in public. On a whim, she threw a scarf around her neck, wrapping it up to make a sort of 'winter wonderland' look.

There. She looked presentable. That was the bare minimum before she could leave.

It was also all she was doing before she left.

Fleur slammed the door to her room, marching towards the foyer. She found Bit talking to one of other droids, and paused to wait for him.

"We'll just be on a visit to some friends of the lady," Bit said. "Out in Ponyville. Now, do take care of the house for us, Second."

"But of course, sir!" he replied, saluting.

"Now, my lady, I have gone ahead and called a driver. Transport out of the city at night is not normally done—height aside—but once we go down to the ground level in a travel tube, we simply have a several hour drive ahead of us. You might do well to bring a book."

Fleur snorted. "I doubt I'll use it. Thanks, Bit. And you, let any guests that arrive know that I'm out for the day—no need to tell them where."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Fleur stepped out her front door, then took a deep breath. The stinging, cold mountain air was brutal, with a stiff breeze on top. That was to chase away the smog from the foundries. Even so, she could see the glowing red clouds of smoke float past in the chill night.

"Ready, ma'am?"

"Of course," she said. She took a swift pace, heading for the nearest elevator. Canterlot was made up of tiers—most of the buildings were massive towers, interconnected via tubes. The nobles that lived on Canterlot got their own separate buildings, of course—Celestia forbid they have to pass commoners who were commuting. But the elevators that took you between the tiers were still in the same old places.

Fleur stepped into one, examining the massive array of buttons. Some of those, like the ones that lead to the different Cantons, were locked off if you didn't have a specific keycard on you. Fleur, however, tapped the button to take her and Bitsworth down to the ground. The elevator shook as it started moving.

"My lady," Bit said slowly. "I...did a little internet searching. That chip is, ahem, inside your brain, at least partly. It may be that...the people at Discord...would have to..."

"I know," Fleur said quietly. "But...if there is any chance that they can do it safely, then...then I have to take it. Maybe, just maybe...it'll be fine. But if not...then that heartless bitch ruined my life."

Bit sat silent for a minute. "Well, if you are dead set on this, then I will say nothing more. I just...wanted to make sure you knew."

"Thanks, Bit."

---

Second paused, hearing the door open. "Lady Fleur...?" he asked, turning.

A mare in a green coat stepped into the foyer, carrying...some sort of instrument case.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, my lady, but Lady Fleur is out at the moment," Second said slowly, examining the strange pony. "That...door was locked, as well. How did you get in?"

The mare paused. She hummed a soft tune, then said, "Well...any idea where she is?"

"I have orders not to tell anypony," Second said firmly, "and I'm certainly not going to tell one to a suspicious character such as yourself." He snapped his fingers, and the three Flashpoints in the foyer all raised their guns, pointing it at the intruder. "I'm going to ask this once, ma'am. Please leave the premises."

The mare clicked open the instrument case, horn beginning to twinkle. "Actually, I'd really like to know where you're mistress is," she said slowly. "I don't need you to tell me...or be in a state such that anypony could argue you were alive, actually. I have a job to do, after all."

Comments

[bahatumay]

It exploded twice

[J3sterking]

11949709
"But what if it exploded, and then....exploded again!?"
--Spike, the Wise Dragon