> A change of scenery
>  by The Hunter
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> Leaving the nest
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Chapter one


Leaving the nest



"Please tell me that you are joking? You simply can't leave!" Yelled the changeling. His shell had a slight blue tint to it and his membrane like mane was quite long. The changeling he was yelling at was his brother. He had a shell with a more green tint to it and shorter mane.
If it wasn't for the thick walls every soul in the area would hear the heated argument. Tackara simply looked at his brother, his green eyes fixed with a look of determination. He had decided some time ago that the hive was not his life. Strangely enough for a changeling.
"Brother please, don't even try to talk me out of this, it's something I have to do!" Tackara said.
Shackara looked at his brother, his mind trying to understand. "But why? And without a disguise!? You will be captured or killed!"
The answer he got was the same as he had heard before. "Don't worry"

Shackara sighed, he knew the consequences. If his brother went to Ponyville without a disguise he would certainly be captured or worse, killed. This would spell disaster for the other changeling's. It wasn't a surprise that his brother was tired of the hive. He could not let his brother go even if he knew that he couldn't really stop him.

"Tackara please reconsider! what would happen if you where captured? What about your family? What about me?" Shackara turned away from his brother. "And besides, the Queen would never let you go."

As if on queue a knock was heard. Tackara walked towards the door but was stopped by his brother. "Please reconsider!" the tone of Shackara when he looked his brother in the eyes momentarily made Tackara briefly change his mind. The knocking continued.
He walked over to the door and opened. Standing there was another changeling. "The Queen will see you now." There was an air of irritation in the way the changeling spoke. "Thank you Rha'shii." Tackara followed Rha'shii.

The way to the Queen's throne chamber decorated with polished obsidian and torches with green flames. How they managed the green flames was a mystery to him. As much as he admired the changeling architecture his mind was set. He would live with the ponies. They passed several changeling's on the way, none of them looked him in his eyes. Every changeling knew about his desire to live with the ponies. Some wanted the same thing but where to afraid to go against the Queen. She had set the rules, no changeling was allowed to live with the ponies unless it was to harvest love. And to live with them without a disguise was strictly forbidden.
Soon they stood outside the Queen's chamber. "Wait here." Tackara nodded.
Rha'shii entered and moments later he heard the Queen call for him. The throne chamber was if it was possible even more beautiful.
In the center was a throne of polished obsidian at least four times his own height. And sitting on it with a face that could kill. Queen Chrysalis.

"My Queen, I come here with a simple request." He said nervously. Chrysalis looked at him with a scowl and answered. "I know what you want and I would not call it a simple request! Do you know what would happen to us? Do you know what they think of us? What made you think that you just could walk into the town without a disguise and be accepted?"

The way Chrysalis spoke made him fear for his life, she really was scary sometimes. But he had made his mind up. "I have watched the ponies for some time now and I have learned that they are forgiving. I don't think they will do me any harm as long as I am honest with them." He cleared his throat. "And it may be a start to a peaceful life with the ponies for all of us."
"That is wishful thinking on your part. They never had and never will accept us!" Chrysalis replied.
He started to get annoyed. "And how would you know!?" Chrysalis was surprised with his sudden outburst. "Have you ever thought of just talking to them? NO! You just decided to invade instead, if anything you made it harder than ever to live in peace with the ponies."

She was getting rather angry, being accused of misleading her subjects wasn't something she liked. "I was desperate! If I didn't do anything our love reserves would run out!"
"I am sorry to say this my Queen, our reserves are running out! For every day that goes by our reserves keep getting smaller. If you haven't noticed. It is getting harder to get love."

Chrysalis looked confused, the council had informed her that the love reserves where filling up nicely and she should plan for a new invasion. The mere thought of her council deceiving her was enough for her to get furious. "Tackara, I will speak with you later! For now you are confined to your room and guards will be posted outside to make sure that you won't leave!"
She then stood up and walked towards the side door. The guard walked to Tackara. "You heard the Queen, follow me."

Shackara waited outside Tackara's room, he was visibly nervous. "What if the Queen decide to throw him in the dungeon. Or assign him to hard labour. Or worse! execute him!" His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of changeling's coming. To his relief he saw his brother. "What happened!?"

The guards ushered Tackara inside his room and positioned themselves at either side of the door. Shackara quickly ran in.
Inside he saw his brother on his bed.
He was about to say something when Tackara spoke. "The Queen had me confined to my room."
"I told you she wouldn't let you go!" Shackara told him.







Chrysalis stormed into the council with fury. "You! explain yourselves!" She yelled.
The members of the council looked shocked and confused. One of the older ones spoke. "My Queen what do you mean?"
"Verthias don't act stupid! You all have been lying to me! Our reserves beginning to diminish!"
There was moment of silence in the room before Verthias responded. "My Queen, our reserves have been decreasing, but it is only temporary. When we have taken The nearest town our reserves will be sufficient enough to take Canterlot once and for all!"
He was feeling proud until the moment Chrysalis punched him in the face. "You fool! Don't you know that the nearest town is Ponyville? Home of the Elements of harmony!" Verthias was stunned, not only because his face suddenly came in intimate contact with Chrysalis's hoof. But also about the location of the Elements. "I shall do what I should have done a long time ago."

She turned around and started walking out. "Establish a link to Canterlot!"







Princess Celestia was enjoying a book when suddenly some pony called for her.
"Princess Celestia! You have to come quick!"
Putting down the book she exited her reading room. "What's the matter young one?"
The pony that had disturbed Celestia's reading was a young unicorn mare with light blue coat, orange mane and a cutie mark depicting two ponies talking. "You are being requested by telepathy link!" she said.
Celestia nodded. "Thank you Quick Talk, please follow me. We need some privacy."

They both entered the meeting room, normally this is where Celestia would meet with other ponies face to face if she needed some privacy, but since Quick Talk had started working in the castle it was also used for the telepathy link.
This way of communicating was something that Celestia found quite useful. It was something that not every pony has the ability to use, but Quick Talk was an exception.
"Now let's see what this is about." Celestia said.
The image that appears startled her, she never thought she would she Chrysalis again. "Chrysalis! What do you want?!" She was still angry about the Canterlot invasion ten years ago.
"Please calm down, it is not proper to lose one's temper." Chrysalis said with a smirk. "But enough with the pleasantries. I have something I want to talk to you about."
Celestia tried her best not to immediately end the link, something about Queen Chrysalis always seemed to annoy her. "And what is that?"
The answer she got was not what she had expected. "To be honest. I need your help."
"Help with what exactly?" Celestia's interest had started to rise. "I hate to admit this but I want to negotiate a peace treaty." Chrysalis had a hard time looking Celestia the eyes. "I admit that we haven't been on the best of terms, but I ask of you to at least consider my request." Celestia was stunned by Chrysalis request, something had to be wrong about this. "How will I know you wont lie to me? You did try to invade us!"
"It was not my idea to invade! I was missled by my own council, and if you wish we can in somewhere to talk about it face to face. I wont bring any guards and if you want to arrest me then be my guest. I only want the best for my subjects."

Celestia thought for a minute, she wanted to imprison Chrysalis for her crimes. But she could not dismiss the idea of peace. That was something she always wanted. Even with the changeling's. "Meet me in the Badlands as soon as you can, we shall discuss there."
The Badlands was an area with next to no vegetation and the little that grew there where adapted for the harsh conditions.
"But why there? There is almost nothing there." Chrysalis responded.
The alicorn smiled. "exactly, we will not be interrupted by any pony."
"Fine I will be there in one hour." Chrysalis said before terminating the link. Quick Talk shook her head. "So what was that about?"
Despite being able to create the link she could not remember anything of it. Celestia smiled at her. "Nothing to worry about."







Takara was pacing, he would not stay in his room like this. Even if the Queen had ordered him to stay there he knew that he had to get out of there. Getting past the guards would not be easy. "Brother! I need you to distract the guards!"
Shackara looked shocked. "You can't be serious!?"
"All you have to do is trick them to follow you. If you didn't notice, these are low level guards! Not the brightest of them either!" Tackara out a hoof on his brothers shoulder. "I know this will work. Please do this for me, that's all I am asking."
He did not want to disobey the Queen, but he also wanted the best for his brother. "Fine, I'll do it."
They both discuss the plan. Shackara was to leave the room and come back after a while calling for the two guards to come and help him. After the guards where gone Tackara would make his escape. It was likely that not that many have been informed about the Queen's orders. They both decided that Shackara should wait about twenty minutes before calling the guards.
"I hope for your sake that your plan works." Shackara told his brother.
As they had planned, twenty minutes after Shackara had left the room he came back yelling. "Guards come quick! There is a fight going on over here!"
The guards immedetly ran after the changeling. Not thinking of getting replacements, stopping a fight would be something that could help them to advance in rank. When the coast was clear Tackara left his room and ran towards the exit. The narrow halls could confuse most creatures but not the changeling's. They had the ability to see the small differences between the paths.

Soon he spotted the exit and slowed down, if he was lucky the guards at the door would not stop him. Most changeling's did exit the hive, they worked outside the hive often. And thankfully they didn't stop him and he made his way towards Ponyville.

However one major challenge was ahead of him.

Everfree forest.