The door opened with a groan, alerting Twilight to the changeling’s presence. As quickly as she could she went to the corner and sat down. Just as she did every time, for the last four times.
“Up.”
“No.”
“Up. Do we have to come in and get you?”
“Go away.”
“Last warning. Get up.”
“Go buck yourself.”
A sigh. “We’re coming in and getting you.”
For the fifth time since her imprisonment Twilight tried to use her magic. She hoped for anything at all to happen.
Nothing happened. There wasn’t a spark. There wasn’t any aura to show that it was attempting to work. There wasn’t even that flare of magic deep inside Twilight that showed that she still had magic at all.
She wasn’t sure who she was anymore. If she wasn’t a unicorn, who was she? If she couldn’t do magic, could she be the element of magic anymore? If she wasn’t her, then who the hell was she?
Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when the two changelings started to carry her to the chamber. She remembered going into the chamber, but she never remembered what happened there. She couldn’t remember getting back to her cell. All she knew of were the results.
Head slung forward with her mane obscuring her field of view, she let out a tear. Just a single tear, as that was all she could afford at the moment, no more.
She watched it, for the changelings carrying her had stopped for something, most likely a door. It fell, forming a perfect sphere, reflecting the light of the dark corridor and making it the brightest thing in it. Freefalling, it had found something to receive. Only to immediately give it back, like an unwanted gift. It kept giving light back to the area up until the very end, when it splattered against the cold and unwavering floor, flinging out bright flares of light, still giving its gift back until the very end. Like so many things that she had cared about, if only ever so briefly, it to passed. It had also died, now nothing more than a memory of the past.
Was that all she was to her friends? Something to use so that they themselves could shine brighter? Something that was to be forgotten as soon as it was gone, no longer able to reflect anything?
Was she already forgotten back home? Was she already considered dead; just a casualty of an unforeseen conflict? Was she something that had never really mattered in the end to her friends? Was she something that wasn’t seen as necessary, not even wanted to her mentors!?
Letting out a small gasp, Twilight felt the changelings start to drag her again, pulling on her upper half and leaving the lower half to scrape the ground. She could feel every bump, every crack, everything about the floor through her cold legs. She even wiped away the tear stain on the floor. Even the things she cared about disappeared in time. Sometimes they disappeared quickly, leaving a shallow mark on her soul. Other times though, they stayed. They lingered, leaving a mark on her that couldn’t be healed. They healed on the surface, but inside, they never healed.
Could she heal from this? She had been abused, tortured even. But Chrysalis was smart. She never had Twilight beaten. She was never physically struck, but every chance she got, Chrysalis was there, playing her mind games. Twilight wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to fully recover from this, or even if she was able to look at her friends the same way. Chrysalis had said things that seemed true, but Twilight knew her friends. She knew them.
Didn’t she?
Yes. She had to believe that she did know them.
For if she didn’t have that trust, then she was going to die, inside.
She lost her grip on consciousness and fell into the black.
---0---
Chrysalis entered the room, pleased to see that her workers had already gotten her into position. She didn’t usually come to Twilight’s... sessions. In fact, this was only her second trip to actually see it happen. The first time was to break Twilight’s will to fight even farther than the cell could. The second time she came was to see how the process worked.
And now she had a piece of information that she couldn’t wait until Twilight was fully recovered to tell her. It was time sensitive. It was so... mean that she almost couldn’t do it to the poor mare. Thinking about it, she smiled. She shouldn’t.
But... she did.
She was passed out on the table, the tube at the side of the bed ready for insertion. Once that happened, Twilight wouldn’t be able to tolerate anything, let alone hear something and actually comprehend it. Chrysalis was told that the procedure was... painful to say the least.
She smiled. This procedure that her top minds in the swarm had come up with served her purposes twofold. It hurt Twilight, yet didn’t kill her. A perfect combination for her revenge. The ending to this process, this perfect plan, would be absolutely delicious. Already the results of the transfusions could be seen.
Twilight groaned, bringing Chrysalis out of her thinking stupor. Twilight must be coming around.
Indeed she was. On the table her head rolled with her eyes halfway open. The classic pose of the still sleepy. That would change shortly, as Twilight came around to her senses. Just in time for Chrysalis’ news.
“Twilight, good to see you again. I must say though, you appear to have changed since I last left you. You look good. Did you do something to your mane? Well, what’s left of it.”
Twilight flinched on the table. She knew how she looked. It scared her. Her eyes were wide open now. Chrysalis continued.
“And your coat! You must tell me what you did to coat! I swear, this process is more of a beauty one than of actual changing. That black sheen!”
Twilight whipped her head to the side, trying to do anything that would stop Chrysalis from seeing that she had won. She did it to hide the tears in her eyes.
Chrysalis saw it anyway. A slight smile flitted around her lips, threatening to bloom into a full smile of joy. She couldn’t allow that to happen though. Not yet, at least. She had one last thing to say. And it would break her. It would suffocate any hope left.
Lifting up her hoof, Chrysalis grabbed Twilight by the chin, forcing the lavender mare to look at her. Wrenching, Twilight tried desperately to look at something, anything that wasn’t the Queen’s face. It was no use. Twilight was weak from the months spent in her cell. Forced, she stared into Chrysalises eyes, her own showing the absolute terror that she felt.
Chrysalis failed at keeping her elation down, and a smile appeared on her muzzle.
“Happy twenty-sixth birthday Twilight.”
She nodded to the changeling in charge of the transfusion, giving the changeling permission to start. Bowing its head, it jammed the needle into Twilight’s foreleg, and another changeling doing the same to one of her back legs.
Twilight screamed.
---0---
Dash’s hoof slammed down on the table, startling the assembled group. The group had been at sugarcube corner for about five minutes and, according to Dash’s perspective, nothing was getting done.
“Why hasn’t anypony done anything to find Twilight?”
Rarity and Applejack sighed. This was a question that they all had been wondering, but only Rainbow Dash had the audacity to ask the question. Several times.
“Dash, I have all the force I can afford to divert at the moment on this. If I could be out there searching for her constantly like you I would. But as much as I love my sister, and as much as it pains me, I can’t be out there all the time. I have my responsibility to the Princess and Canterlot.” Shining Armor said sadly.
“Can’t you, I don’t know, get a replacement? Do something! I’m sick and tired of the guards sitting on their butts and doing nothing! She’s been gone over a month now!” She yelled, losing her cool for a moment.
“She has been gone for one month, three weeks, and five days. Don’t you think I know this Dash? She’s my sister, and the more time that she’s gone, the higher the chance that we never see her again!”
A gasp came from the door. Rarity looked over at the door, where Spike had just entered. Ignoring the two ponies glaring daggers at each other.
“Spike, I thought I told you to stay back at the boutique.” Rarity said in a disapproving, parently way.
“I know Rarity, but I was wondering if I could go to the library for a bit? It’s been awhile since it was open, and-” He started, only to be interrupted by Rarity again.
“Of course Spike! That’s a wonderful idea. Now, why don’t you and I go down to the library right now and get everything set up real quick. Wouldn’t that be lovely?” She said, trying to distract Spike from what he accidentally overheard.
“Sounds good Rarity.”
Standing up, she went to the entrance of the small confectionary and ushered Spike out the door before any more damage could be done. Turning around, she gave Dash and Shining a little piece of her mind before she left.
“I’ll be back in a little bit. I hope that you two have put your differences behind you. Twilight was a friend to all of us. Don’t you think for a single moment that her disappearance has affected us any less than it has on you.”
With those words she swept out of the little shop in a way that only Rarity could.
An awkward moment followed her exit, with silence only enhancing it. The rest of the ponies in the bakery slowly returned back to their conservations, this time with hushed tones.
“I reckon she’s right girls. And Shining, of course. Twi being gone has been hard on us all. But getting at each other’s throats is not going to do anypony any good. We need to stick together if we’re going to have any chance at seeing her again.” Applejack said, breaking the group’s silence.
More silence followed, with Dash and Shining Armor finishing their stare down. Each one broke off and stared at the floor, both slightly ashamed at their outbursts. Shining was the first to apologize.
“Rarity and Applejack are right. We need to be organized, and fighting amongst each other isn’t going to help. I do have some good news, but they come with bad news also.”
Dash looked up at the news, surprised. “I thought we weren’t ‘privy’ to this information, or whatever the crap term your guard people use.” She said, ending with a sour tone.
This earned her another look from Shining. This time it wasn’t one of reproach. Instead, it was a look one would expect to see on Dash’s face, or maybe Pinkie’s, whenever they were out pranking.
“Dash, if you had let me get a word in at the beginning of this fiasco, I would’ve told you that I am also sick and tired of nothing getting done about this. So... against my better judgement, I’m going under the table. Maybe some ponies I know that aren’t restricted by all the by-laws and rules of the guard force could get something done.” A sly look had taken root on his face during his impromptu speech.
“Yeah! That’s more like it! What have we got?” Dash’s elation quickly made her forget their small tiff.
“I’ve got some-” Shining started, only to be interrupted by Applejack. It was her turn to argue her point. She started off this point by slamming her hoof on the table. It seemed to be the thing to do.
“Ah want to get Twi back as much as you guys, but sneaking around the government’s back? That’s not right. In fact, it’s just downright dishonest. Ah won’t take any part of this.”
“Even if the idea was the Princess’ herself?” Shining countered.
The news startled Applejack. “Well. If it was the Princess’ idea then it must be okay."
Dash wasn't done yet. "Okay then, but why has it taken this long to actually do anything?"
"Because as much as I want to, we can't just storm into other countries accusing them of harbouring changelings. That would just end up with us with more problems to take care of before we could find Twilight."
Dash nodded. "Okay then. I'll buy that."
Nodding, he starts to tell the pair the news. “I’ll tell you the good news first. I admit that we haven’t done much for the past month, but we’ve been working on it.. But...” He aimed a look at Dash before at Applejack. “...But we have gotten something figured out. We have essentially figured out where she’s not. She’s not in any of our allies’ countries, she’s not in Equestria, and she’s not in the dragon’s country.”
He stopped, sighed, and gave a sad look.
“Now for the bad news. We have two countries where the changelings may be hiding Twilly. One we can safely assume that they aren’t there, because of the heat. Zebrica is too hot for the changeling. They don’t have the body functions to sufficiently cool themselves down. The other place...” He swallowed hard. “The other place we cannot go. We have been expressly been banned from. We can’t go, on risk of death, maybe even an inter-racial war.”
“Where?” Dash said. The entirety of SugarCube Corner was quiet, listening in.
“The badlands. That’s the only viable place left that they could be.”
“The badlands? Where’s that?” A voice asked. It wasn’t Applejack or Dash.
Whirling around, they saw a mint green mare that they knew from around town.
“Well? Where is it?” Lyra asked.
“Lyra! You can’t be hearing this!” Dash hissed at her.
“Dash, no offense, but if you want a private conversation with somepony, don’t do it in the middle of town. Especially not in SugarCube Corner.”
“Okay. My fault. Now go!” Dash said, whispering still.
“I can go over there, or I can stay over here. Either way I’m going to hear this. Everypony in this place has overheard your conversation with Twi’s brother. Now, maybe we weren’t Twilight’s best friends like the elements of harmony were, but almost everypony in town is friends with her. And if there’s something that we could do to help her, then I’ll be damned before I just walk away!” Lyra said, giving quite a speech.
Everypony in the place cheered loudly.
Shining Armor grinned. “Okay then. You can hear this too. But I can’t promise you'll be able to help. The badlands are where the tyrants, before Celestia’s and Luna’s time, sent the worst of the worst to be punished, making it one of the most dangerous places to be.”
“Sugarcube, if it’s where they sent the criminals back then, should they all be dead?” Applejack asked.
“Yes. That was their plan. One thing popped up the the Solar Tyrant wasn’t expecting. Love. Or, at least, some form of intimacy. All we know is that the recon team that was sent there about fifteen years ago didn’t come back.”
“Then what can we do?” Somepony asked the question that was on everypony’s mind.
Shining sighed deeply. “There is a thought that’s been floating around the barracks. Perhaps a small task force, maybe three to five ponies could, in theory, sneak in and retrieve a package. A pony package.”
“So... you need volunteers or what?” Dash asked. “ ‘Cause you don’t even need to ask me. I’m going.” The tone of her voice left no room for argument.
“Then we’d need another volunteer, two at the most. It will take some time to get supplies ready. Maybe a week at the most. Could you go through and get some ponies?”
“Sure thing. We’ll have them ready by the time you get back.” Applejack said.
“Good. Remember, we want ponies that will get in, get out, and leave with no trace. No ponies with a personal vendetta allowed, okay?.”
“Oh. Don’t worry about that. We’ll get sneaky ponies. But if we have to bash some changeling heads...” Dash said, leaving it hanging.
“Then no pony could blame you for it. Just don’t go looking for it.”
“I won’t. But something tells me that they will.”
What a wonderful birthday present.
heheh
Well done, chrys my dear, you always did know how to break a pony.
(Joke) Alt. Title: Chyrsalis's Revenge: It's Like My iPod's Stuck On Replay
And it gets featured. Who woulda thunk it?
1998163
Really? happy Birthday then!
1998177
I've been waiting for that, actually.
Feautured? Huh. I really didn't expect that.
Question why did you call celestia the solar tyrant and who bnned equestrians from the badlands
woot new chapter
1998218
I didn't. The Tyrant is before Celestia.
Like I always say, "And then Twilight died. The end."
1998243 ah i just read solar tyrant and thought of all of the evil celestia fics
"Was"? Nice one, Rarity. Way to give up on your friend being alive entirely.
cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/fallon-sarcastic-clap.gif
So, shit's gonna hit the fan soon? I'll make the popcorn.
Feature box, nice.
I wonder how Rainbow and them will react when they find Twilight brutally changed beyond repair....
Well...fifteen years? 1 recon team, sounds silly right? there was no backup team? or like another recon team? no one was curious enough ? : p or are they waiting for THAT team to report anything untill they would send another? xD
other then that YAY! LETS TORTURE TWILIGHT! AND SEE HER LOSE HOPE...and transform of course, let's not forget about the transformation, its like the core of this story i hope >.> xD
Be happy btw. i usually avoid stories without any kind of romance in it (Im weird that way) but here I am, still reading this story ! and hoping for more, as fast as you can deliver it
1998459
Taking into consideration this 'council'? Yes, they are waiting for report.
Also, finally, someone points out that Twi and CO actually saved this town a couple of times and they are on good terms with the residents. It's natural for me. They saved the town, so the town saves them. Easy.
1998601
dude, is that name like, from Iji ? Assasin_Asha ?
1998631
Quite.
PEW PEW PEW! HONK!
yay you got featured
In most stories that run along the lines of this (not referring to changeling issues but instead the dark and mentally torturing parts) I would love to see Twilight be completely broken when they find her but I have to say that in this story I want to see her completely resist Chrysalis and keep sane/normal...until her friends are appalled that she is a changeling in which she breaks down because they more or less hate her
1998724
Thats Diabolical. Such a Delicious Idea.
1998831 I wallow in stories that pull that sort of stuff off. On one side it makes me feel dirty but then on the other side I can't help but smile deviously at reading such a thing. As for this story, there is many ways in which listener can make Twilight go insane and have complete mental breakdowns. I got at least 3 ideas right now off the top of my head.
I like the story, but the first few chapters are in dire need of formatting. It is so erratic and unpredictable that it actually impedes and negatively affects the reading experience. Chapter six did it right, though. This story would get more views if the first few chapters were done up to the same level of quality.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to more!
awesome chapter, it's already been said, but shit is gonna hit the fan!
i wonder how the girls will take to twilight having been turned into a changeling, hopefully she's not one of those lame drones in her look though.
1998412
Hay! Not beyond repair! Simply... Beyond casual recognition.
2000181
Good catch! I missed that the first time through.
Edit: *Rereads*
Err... Wait... one month, three weeks, and five day is as close to "two months" as to make the statement "Been their for months" as close to true as to make no difference.
...or do you mean it being her Birthday, with her now 26? Was her age given previously in this fic? I'm no longer sure what you're referring to anymore.
1998257
EPILOGUE-1000000 YEARS LATER
Lord General Darkblade Murderhooves returned from his self-imposed exile, and resurrected everyone and set the timeline back 10000000 years. The (actual) end.
2000749
Dammit! You're not supposed to tell anyone!
1999559
I know... The first chapter needs a full rewrite, and the others need some major editing. I'm going to do it soon though.
OOOOWWWW!!!!!!!!!! I nearly felt it when they stabed her......... poor twi................. and poor everyone else too......
2005324
Yay! If I make one person feel something, then my work is validated!
Oh great, council slow everything down, come on.
Princesses can just say: " My personal student and bearer of element of magic was captured by changelings who not far ago INVADED our capital, and now she is tortured or may be even killed, I do not care about laws I made, laws and rules are made to help us all keep this country together and safe, not to tie our hooves in time of crisis, so I am going to send full research team and I will ask my sister and element bearers to search for Twilight as well, and if possible, find changeling stronghold, and if any of you will say it is again my own laws, then I will personally kick him out of his position, because if we wont find and rescue Twilight, then you can all say good bye to Equestria stronger defence, I am sure you all would love to live under Discord rule, or when changelings invade us again and take over, so.... any QUESTIONS ? "
And so here we have no problem, full search 1 day after Twilight was captured.
It really annoy me that everyone keep forgetting how important mane 6 is, not only it is very personal to the princesses, but also she represent ultimate defence for Equestria, and if council is acting stupid, I am sure not following rules is something you should do when country is at stage.
2005842
Have you ever heard the qoute "The body and the mind might disagree" ?
I guess I'm sorta basing this off the British power system. The
queenprincess has some power, but the council holds the most. And if they cause a stink, they could slow everything down.Overall, do you really think that they'll care about somebody that has saved them, if it means jeopardizing their position on the council?
2007706
Sorry to say this, but from my impression of MLP show and from most of fanfics, Celestia and Luna have full power over the country, you can not just use British power system in this, because it make no sense, Celestia and Luna both control sun and moon and they ( at last Celestia ) ruled this country for more then 1000 years, and not to mention that they have huge amount of power, it is not like someone can force them to do anything, Equestria is peaceful place only because princesses do they best to keep it that way, Nightmare Moon incident prove it best how they can change the rules any time, and next time both princesses can team up and there will be no one to stop them.
So yea, I find an excuse why research was slowed down in this story as rather bad excuse, like I said before, Celestia and Luna can just do what is right, sure they will need to deal with consequences later, but sometime you must do what is right, now what everyone want, and Celestia and Luna have enough power to do it.
So yea, using British power system in Equestria is soooooo far from true, I would suggest you to not use it, because it is just bad plot to keep Twilight tortured and brainwashed for months with all her friends and princesses betraying her.
And even if personal fellings are not the case, council can not just leave the most powerful country defence system to be lost like that, do you think that if someone would steal Nuclear weapon from Britania, council would just do nothing because they are bunch of stupid jerks, even most corrupted council members are not that stupid.
Anyway Twilight in Equestria is like nuclear weapon in our world ( actually mane 6 are like parts of Nuclear lunching device, you steal one part, and you have no nukes, and what then, other countries with nukes can start to tear you apart since you can not retaliate ), the difference is that Nukes can be replaced, elements of harmony not.
So think about it for a moment:
1) Princesses can easy do the right think in time of crisis, consequences by doing it are far smaller then risking safely of entire country, not to mention that personal felling's are at stage too.
2) Council members are not that stupid, they can be brainless or corupted, but even the most corrupted or stupid people wont risk they own lives.
2008152
Yeah... You tore my arguement apart. I guess that the council won't be making a comeback.
But still. They had to find out where she was. Blindly searching for her would just result in diaster. Eliminating the other countries took time. Ignore my stupidness. It was stupid.
2009399
Well, all you need to do is to mention that Royal Guards and princesses already did they best to find Twilight Sparkle, however searching so much terytory and checking all countries until they found the only location she may be is good enough, so you can take out all the part
RainbowDash: " It was a month and we are still doing nothing" and
Shinning Armor: " council is slowing everything down "
Just replace it with something else what make more sense and will look more interesting in the story.
" Ignore my stupidness. It was stupid. "
Np, it just happen that I lately made a all out hunting for all fanfics where everyone except main heroes are useless, lets just say I am getting annoyed by clishey that Twilight and her friends have to do all dirty work when no one help them for some poor excuses or because they are useless, the fact that princesses are kept separated from mane 6 all time just because it is hard to make them help since they are overpowered ( what I do not find an issue ), I am sure it is not hard to make heroes look good without making everyone on hero side useless.
And in your story case, I just think that you can replace the council idea with something better, for example as you said:
" Blindly searching for her would just result in diaster. Eliminating the other countries took time. "
You already found a great argument why it took 1 month and still they failed Twilight Sparkle.
Anyway my question is this, do you will change your chapter to cut out part with council and just use the fact that checking all countries and organizing search took a lot time, or do you will just leave it like it is now and go on with the story but without council idea ?
You mean psychologically. Physiologically would almost be the very opposite of what you want to say.
2009844
No. Physiologically. That's the physical body. Psychologically is all that Chrsalis is doing to her. Breaking her down.
2009844
Ah, my bad. In my haste to read, I missed the word "never." Still, you mean physically rather than physiologically, as they are not synonyms. Physiologically would be pertaining to the bodily functions, mostly homeostasis-related, whereas physically is for the general physical body. Chrysalis has definitely been altering her cellular functions, with all those injections, so in a sense, she is "striking" Twilight physiologically.
2010006
Ah... Frick. My bad. Editing will commence soon. Nice catch there Valequine!
A death sentence is the only suitable punishment for Chrysalis's wrongdoings.
I am really excited now. Poor Twily I hope they find her soon!
2037834
Heh, no problem. I'll take care of that in a few.
Before it all hits the fan, let's have a moment for the sads.
The birthday
The lack of magic
The evil of the changeling queen
Very well done, good sir
This was interesting, looking forward to where you decide to make of this, heh
Very interesting premise indeed. From what I've understood, Chrystalis is able to poision Twilight by force to become a changeling. And, as they are all ruled by her, so will 'Twi be... Call my interest peaked for what conflicts this will build up to.
And you have a good style of writing. The transitions between Twilight and the others are smooth, and it's quite easy to follow the storyline. The only time I got taken aback was at the last scene in chapter 6, when they suddenly were in Sugarcube Corner. I didn't catch that so long time had passed from the last scene with the mane .. ehm, 5? Oh well
But, then again, I might have missed something while reading.
Liked, faved and following you, heh
M
2058094
Haha, thanks! It's nice to know that I'm doing well on this.
Maybe a mane 4? I haven't put Fluttershy in here yet. Just noticed that...
I cannot wait for the next chapter!!!!
2072354
Soon.
We're almost done with it.
Shit will hit the fan soon?
As in it hasn't already?
Also... The whole of Ponyville off to the rescue. THAT would be a sight to see.
~Skeeter The Lurker
2015575 Which wrongdoings this time?
Okay, no. I didn't say anything last chapter about the fact that keeping the rest of the girls in suspense for the entire trip to Canterlot was stupid because this was written forever ago. But it is frankly beyond suspension of disbelief that Shining Armor would decide to illicitly disclose classified material, for the purpose of proposing an expedition in violation of international law, in a public space surrounded by random townsfolk, no matter how supportive that town is, at least when there's no pressing reason to do it there instead of somewhere private.
Just no.
Don't forget ta make sure dey're purple or get purple paint on im 'cos purple iz da sneakiest!