• Published 3rd Nov 2012
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The Last Laugh - Waffle134



After the defeat of Discord, the spirit of chaos, the birthrate of Equestia comes to a standstill

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Chapter 2

The two Sisters continued to stand in the chocolate rain, unsure of what to do. For Celestia the day had gone from hopeful, to abysmal, to hopeful once more.

Luna turned to Celestia. “This day is going to be perfect… what dost thou think he meant?” she asked Celestia inquisitively.

Celestia remained silent for a few seconds before responding. Her voice was slow and methodical. “Do you remember the Changeling invasion 100 years ago? I recall you were off on business with the Griffin Tribes that day.”

“Yes, I remember you telling me,” Luna snorted, “our city under attack! And you, my sister, defeated!

Celestia couldn’t help but grin at Luna’s reaction. “Now Luna, that was over a hundred years ago. Everything ended up right in the end and we haven’t had problems from the Changelings since.”

“I suppose so,” Luna grumbled, “but all could have been prevented had I been there.”

“The past is in the past,” Celestia said. “And now to answer your question: The Queen of the Changelings, Queen Chrysalis. I heard her sing the words that Discord spoke. I was barely conscious, and in a cocoon, but for some reason those words have stuck with me. I think… I think that is what Discord was talking about.”

“Are you sure, sister?” Luna spoke. “Why would Discord give such a relic to the Changelings? If we go, the Changeling lands are a dangerous place, and our relations with the Changelings have not improved.”

“None of that matters now Luna,” Celestia said, “and if this ‘Time Turner’ is the only thing that we have to save our beloved ponies, isn’t it our duty to do all that we can to find it?” Celestia sighed. “Our safety is no longer an issue. We must either find this device or die trying.”

The rain continued to pour, dousing the manes of the alicorn Sisters, staining their armor, and causing their coats to become matted and sticky. “And enough of this blasted rain!” she suddenly shouted, releasing her pent up rage and frustration. She shot a blast of magic at the overcast clouds, temporarily clearing the cotton candy sky. She stomped her armored hoof. “I’m sick of everything! Of Discord and his riddles, of his games and plans!” She was panting heavily as she released her anger. The pink cloud cover slowly began closing the gap in the sky Celestia had made. Taking deep breaths, she returned her breathing to normal. “Why can’t we all just live in peace,” she finally said, hanging her head in defeat. The sunlight was again blotted out by pink clouds and the chocolate rain returned.

“Sister, what is the matter?” Luna asked, a tinge of worry in her voice.

“It’s just… I’m tired Luna. I’m tired of it all.” Celestia looked up at the clouds, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She thought of the beauty and light hidden behind their chaotic cover. She thought of a thousand years of loneliness. She thought of her beloved ponies. “Do you remember Twilight, and how she would jump at any opportunity to help? Often she would save the day with little or no help from us. I think it’s our turn to do something for a change.”

Luna simply smiled comfortingly and wrapped Celestia in her wing. She cast her gaze upon the fresh grave of Applebloom that lay on the other side of the gardens, thinking of what to say to calm her sister’s mind. She decided to say nothing and simply stood there, keeping Celestia in her embrace.

***

An aged parchment was encapsulated with a golden aura. It hovered from its resting place on an old shelf towards a table that Celestia and Luna surrounded, no longer dressed in their armor. They were deep within the Canterlot Castle library, inside a room that was seldom used, even when Equestria was bristling with ponies. There were no windows, and a single door marked the exit. The only source of light came from an enchanted crystal suspended from the ceiling. Banners and maps hung on the stony walls, displayed alongside tokens of victory. Bookshelves lined the walls, containing books with detailed geographies and battle strategies. The table was set up in the middle of the room and was, aside from the bookshelves, the only form of furniture in the chamber. This was the war room.

Celestia spread the parchment out across the table, revealing it to be a map. She poured over its contents. “After the Changeling invasion, our scouts reported the Hives to be here, in the Badlands.” Celestia placed her hoof on the old parchment, pointing towards an area in the lower right.

“Tis a long way to fly,” Luna remarked.

“Indeed, but I don’t intend for us to.” She swiftly rolled the map up with her magic and returned it to its proper place on one of the book shelves. “After the Changeling army was repulsed, and the Hives discovered, I led a diplomatic mission to the Changelings.”

Luna’s eyebrow rose inquisitively. “Yes,” she spoke, “I remember it well. If I recall, though, thou met with little success.”

Celestia grinned. “True, but I didn’t expect to. My true intention was to familiarize myself with the area.”

Luna’s eyes went wide with sudden realization and she smiled ecstatically. “Sister, thou art truly clever! Now thou canst envision the area-”

“-so we can teleport there,” Celestia finished. “Get ready Luna. We need to leave before Discord’s influence spreads to the Badlands. Meet me here in an hour.”

Luna nodded and left the room, leaving Celestia standing at the table. Celestia removed some books from their respective shelves, intending to peruse them for any information that would aid them during their visit to the Changeling Hives. She hoped to make this mission a diplomatic one; there was no need for violence. Her main objective was to find information on Changeling customs, anything that would allow them to form a connection with the Changelings that they could then strengthen into a bond. Her eyes strained in the dim light as she rushed through book after book, finding little useful information.

The magical light emanating from a crystal on the ceiling suddenly flickered. Surprised, Celestia looked about, slightly alarmed. An eerie silence filled the room. Celestia returned to her reading, more alert now than she had been previously. The light flickered again.

Celestia horned glowed brightly as she looked about the room, preparing for a fight. “Show yourself!” she shouted. She was met with silence. Celestia was not fooled. “How long have you been listening, Discord?”

The light crystal completely darkened, leaving the room pitch black. Several seconds later it reignited, and standing across the table from Celestia stood Discord. “Oh, you caught me Celestia. You know how curious I am.” He rested an arm on the table and looked at the claws of his paw nonchalantly. “I didn’t catch too much. Just that you and your sister are leaving somewhere. It took me a little while to get past the magical protections you had around this place, this room was almost more protected than the Elements of Harmony!” Discord smiled coyly and laughed. “But of course, I broke through them. You can’t stop me Celestia, you can only slow me down.”

“Is this part of your game, Discord?” Celestia said sternly. “Spying on us?”

“Well if you put it that way, I suppose it does sound rather crass. Please forgive my rudeness.” Discord bowed in a grand sweeping motion. “I was just checking up on things. I’m very busy myself, you know.” He put the back of his hand to his forehead, mimicking a dramatic voice. “Spreading chaos is such hard work! And I never get thanked for all the effort I put into it.” He lay across the table, his head resting right beneath Celestia, and looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes. Celestia just glared at him.

“Ugh! You’re always so serious, Celestia,” Discord teased as he lounged on the table. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to spread my Empire of Chaos! It’s been fun chatting. Ta-ta!”

Celestia’s horn lit up brightly as she fired an arcane bolt of pure magic at the draconequus. He snapped his fingers and vanished from the room, narrowly avoiding the bolt hit the table, disintegrating the aged wood. Celestia closed her eyes, concentrating, probing her surrounding for any signs of Discord.

Finding that he had truly left, she sighed in relief. She was unsure if Discord truly hadn’t overheard their plans. Erring on the side of caution, Celestia ran out of the room. She needed to find Luna; they had to leave immediately.

***

The desert gleamed as the sun shone down, warming its surface. The chaotic storm had yet to reach this far south, but was slowly making progress. Its pink bulk loomed on the horizon, leaving the lands beyond shadowed by their darkness. Silence reigned supreme, only broken by the sounds of sand blowing in the wind.

A bright pinpoint of light appeared above the surface of the sand, slowly expanding before bursting in a bright flash of golden magic. Standing in the middle of the now scorched ground Celestia and Luna stood, adorned in their armor. They positioned themselves defensively, looking for any signs of hostility.

Before them stood dozens of large, smooth, black mounds. Sensing nothing, they momentarily relaxed. “The Hives are exactly as I remember,” Celestia said grimly.

They walked from the smoking crater that marked their arrival and approached the largest of the black mounds. It loomed high above them, rivaling the height of Canterlot Castle. The top of the large mound ended in sharp and jagged spires, in sharp contrast with the lesser, rounded mounds surrounding it. Dark and empty windows pockmarked its gleaming black surface, joined by large, twisted spikes jutting from its surface.

Carefully, they approached the wide hole leading inside the misshapen structure. As they entered, the darkness of the hive quickly swallowed the light of the sun, replacing it with a cold chill.

Luna looked about warily. “I welcome the darkness of night but this darkness… it is unnatural,” she murmured. Her voice echoed about the room, twisting until the words became unrecognizable.

“Hello!” Celestia shouted. She was only answered by her deformed echo. “We come seeking audience with your Queen!”

Silence.

“Something seems wrong here, sister,” Luna whispered. “This place… it feels abandoned.”

“It was not anything like this when I last visited,” Celestia said hesitantly. “There were Changelings everywhere. It reminded me of our city, but this...” She shuddered. “This just reminds me of a ghost town.” They strained to see through the darkness, but could see almost nothing beyond the ghostly light coming from the entrance. “Let’s shed some light on the situation,” Celestia said. Her horn ignited, and a glowing ball coalesced at its tip. With a thrust of her head, Celestia sent the glowing orb flying upwards. Its speed gradually decreased until it hovered in the middle of the chamber they stood in, giving off enough light to push back the suffocating darkness to the edges of the room.

Celestia and Luna froze. They were surrounded by the dark bodies of Changelings. They lowered their heads, horns glowing, ready for the smallest movement. Tension filled the room as the two sides stared each other down. Nothing happened, the Changelings simply stood there. Unmoving. Unblinking. Still as statues.

Luna began slowly walking towards the closest Changeling, ready to react at the slightest movement. “Luna!” Celestia said in a hoarse whisper. “What are you doing?”

Luna didn’t answer, slowly moving her glowing horn towards the frozen Changeling. With a soft tap, she pushed it over onto the ground. The scraping sound of stone striking stone filled the room.

“I believe they are statues, sister!” Luna said surprised. Sure enough, as they absorbed the scene more fully, the dull color of stone could be seen on each of the Changelings.

Celestia looked from statue to statue, still wary of any tricks. While some stood as if guarding the entrance, others could be seen behind them standing in groups, others frozen mid-stride.

“What in Equestria happened here?” Celestia said, utterly flabbergasted. She looked about the room, observing her surroundings. They stood in a spacious entrance hall, its ceiling supported by jagged pillars, standing periodically throughout the room. Dark openings along the sides of the grand hallway marked the other hallways and rooms which branched from the main hall. The shriveled crusts of green cocoons hung from the ceiling, long empty of whatever creatures had once resided in them. The pale light of Celestia’s magic orb cast the in a ghostly light.

Luna used her magic to clear a path through the Changeling statues. “I think it best that we continue our search, sister. Tis not what we suspected but this does not change our purpose in coming here,” she said as the nearest one slid to the side. Celestia nodded silently and followed her sister as they worked their way through the statues towards a large set of black steel doors at the far end of the spacious hallway.

Celestia observed the faces of some of the Changelings as she passed them. “They all seem to be in anguish,” she stated, “each expression is filled with more despair than the last. I almost pity them. What happened here must have been terrible.” She sighed, sadly. “It appears our ponies were not the only ones who needed help.”

Luna levitated aside one last statue, allowing them access to the heavy steel door. Luna pushed it open, the loud grating sound of metal on stone filling the chamber. The Sisters entered the next room, closing the door behind them.

They squinted as their eyes momentarily adjusted to the increased level of light. They were inside what appeared to be the throne room, lit by vibrant torches giving off a sickly hue of green. What struck them most was the distinct lack of statues.

Straight ahead of them, in the center of the room, stood a black iron throne, spikes jutting from its top. It gave off a polished sheen which reflected the dancing green light of the torches. Resting upon the throne lay an old and battered figure, larger than any of the other Changelings they had seen.

“Come to mock me, Celestia?” the figure croaked. The black mass of the figure lurched forward off the throne, landing with a heavy jolt. “Have you come to laugh at my weakness?” It attempted to take a step forward, but the figure crumpled to the floor in exhaustion.

“Chrysalis?” Celestia said, almost not believing the sight before her. She took a tentative step towards the fallen Changeling queen.

“Don’t come closer! I don’t need your help!” Chrysalis said angrily, slowly attempting to stand up before falling to the floor again, exasperated. She was encapsulated in the aura of Celestia’s magic as Celestia helped her to her feet. She scowled angrily but did not fight it.

As Celestia got a better look at her, she gasped at the condition Chrysalis was in. Her mane was unkempt and she struggled to remain standing. Her eyes were a dull green, no longer glowing in the darkness while ears lay flat against her head, as if she no longer had the energy to hold them up.

“What happened here Changeling Queen,” Luna asked sternly. “What of thy subjects and thyself? Hath Discord visited thee?”

“Discord? That fool had nothing to do with this. It was you,” Chrysalis snarled.

Celestia and Luna shared an uncertain glance. “We have had no contact with you for decades, how could we have done this?” Celestia questioned.

“We starved,” the queen said bluntly. “After we were repulsed from Canterlot we were weak. The other species noticed this.” The Changeling queen scowled. “First, the Zebra herds moved south, beyond our reach. Then the Buffalo repulsed us from our lands. Our remaining food source became the ponies of Equestria, the outlying settlements were just enough to sustain us.

“And then they began leaving. As their numbers dwindled so did our food. Without the power of love to sustain my Changelings, they turned to stone, one by one. Your plan worked,” Chrysalis spat. “So I ask again. Have you come to mock me?”

“We have come to ask for thy help,” Luna spoke up. “We are looking for something that thou art in possession of.”

Chrysalis laughed weakly. “You have come looking for my help? What makes you think I would help you?”

Celestia put her hoof down. “By helping us you will be helping yourself!”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how so? The last I checked you were starving my subjects!” Her voice rose in anger. “You sent all your ponies north, beyond our influence!”

“That’s the problem,” Celestia answered, “we haven’t sent our subject anywhere. They’re all gone.” Celestia took a step towards Chrysalis. “Over the last hundred years, Discord has driven our ponies into extinction, and with it your food source. What we are asking for is your help getting them back.”

Chrysalis gave a wry smile. “You would have me save your pitiful ponies, allowing us to feed again?”

“I admit, it’s not the best solution,” Celestia said, “but saving my little ponies is in both our interests.” Celestia took on a serious tone. “Of course, I will try to stop you once they are back, but for now, I need you.”

Chrysalis slowly walked towards Celestia, continuing to smile. “I can smell the love you have for your ponies.” She inhaled deeply and her eyes dilated. “Very strong. Very… powerful.” She stopped in front of the two Sisters. “I can feel it; even now I gain strength from it.” She breathed deeply again, standing taller. “I will help you.”

“We are seeking an artifact known as the Time Turner,” Luna said. “We were told you would be in possession of it.”

“Do you have it?” Celestia asked hopefully.

Chrysalis frowned. “No, I do not.”

Luna sighed. “So we have come all this way for nothing.”

“I do not have it,” Chrysalis continued, “but I do know where it is.”

Celestia opened her mouth to speak but froze as she heard the steady stream of rain pattering outside the Hive.

“Oh no,” she whispered.

The metal door behind them swung open with enough force to create a loud crash.

A familiar voice responded. “Oh yes!”