"So, are you ready to talk now?" I could hear a voice ask me. A strange mixture of concern and rage could be felt the way it addressed me.
A sick grin came across my face as I stared at the four royal ponies standing in front of me. Behind them were a dozen or so guards as well as Prince Shining Armor who was the one responsible for the magical restraints around me and my two companions.
"Don't tell him anything" the changeling at my side whispered to me.
"Somepony's gonna die, one way or another" I replied. I still had my gaze fixed on the monster in front of me, The so-called son of Celestia, Christopher.
"Great! Now they still won't answer our questions" Shining Armor groaned before he walked to the corner, frustrated at the lack of answers we gave him.
We merely chuckled at seeing how annoyed and frustrated they were. I could've easily answered the alicorns but it was somewhat mandatory for all changelings to speak in only the ancient language in situations like this.
"Bālor's got this, Craft. Don't worry" the bigger changeling told the first one.
"Snapper's right. There's no way she's gettin' out of here alive" I told the spotted changeling, pointing at the white mare who was standing beside Christopher.
Unfortunately, Celestia noticed me and she softly brushed Chris away before she locked her eyes on mine. I could sense her anger as she approached closer. I was starting to regret bursting in like an idiot and trying to kill Chris but somehow I managed to keep a straight face.
"Why are you here?" The Grand Princess asked. The next moment, I found myself being levitated a few feet above the floor.
"To kill him" I simply replied, staring at Chris who shot me a puzzled look. The bipedal, winged creature was the main reason why me and the rest of the hive had to relocate some months ago. Because of him, his mother and a little changeling called Willow, our nest was destroyed and the queen, MY mother almost died. "He doesn't belong here. Lemme do you a favor and dispose of this...cancer to your and our societies before he causes the near destruction of another species because of his damn actions" I added without even thinking for a second.
As expected, everyone in the bedroom, including Craft and Snapper gasped when they heard what I said. More than half of the guards looked ready to decapitate me at any second while the princesses glared at me, giving the impression that they were ready to shoot lasers of princess-ship or whatever.
" What the heck are you doing? Do you want to get killed? Stop talking to them" Craft whispered again.
Ignoring the concerns and pleas of my friends, I resorted to speaking with Chris before the princesses were able to respond with their own words of offense.
"You know I am right. Don't you, Chris?" I asked the prince with a smirk.
"Shut the hay up, you fiend!" Shining interceded, bringing a spear close to my neck, "I've enough of your lies. I have half a mind to thrust this spear right through your throat even if you're pretending to look like one of us".
Cadance immediately pulled her husband away before he was able to do anything rash. He kept his eyes fixed on me as he calmed down a little. ..well, at least calm enough to stop thinking murderous thoughts. I turned my head to Celestia who had placed a wing around a visibly shaken Twilight.
Honestly though, I couldn't blame Shining for his overreaction. If the same guys who crashed my wedding had returned to re-murder a good friend, I would've probably snapped too.
Me, Craft and Snapper had sneaked into the castle under the overdone disguise of guards. It wasn't hard to locate the prince's bedroom in the dark so we had thought assassinating him would be a breeze. However, we didn't count on his advanced alicorn hearing and after stepping a single hoof inside, we were immediately subdued.
The one thing that was really strange was that Craft and Snapper were stripped of their disguises quickly but by some means, I still had my normal unicorn disguise still on.
"You almost killed my mother. I'm not gonna let that slide easily and if we can't get the job done, somebug will eventually" I turned my attention back to Celestia.
"She wanted to kill my son!!!" she yelled in retaliation, stomping her hoof for emphasis.
"Because he made the wrong decision of hanging out with a changeling!!!" I retorted.
"Wait!" Chris interrupted Celestia before she could react, "What do you mean "mother"?"
"She's a mother to all these monsters, Chris" Shining growled as he returned the spear he held to one of the guards.
"That's not completely true" Craft suddenly talked, much to my surprise, "Queen Chrysalis is the one who organized us all. Only Bālor is her true offspring".
"A Changeling Prince?" Cadance, the Princess of Love raised her eyebrow in puzzlement.
"My niece, I am just as surprised as you are" Luna told her,"I've never heard of a Changeling Prince before either".
"Enough of this!" Celestia's grand voice silenced every one else's, "YOUR kind tried to ruin my niece's wedding and now YOU tried to kill my son, twice. I find no reason as to why YOU deserve to live any longer. YOU are nothing but a plague to eveypony in Equestria".
The words kinda cut deep into me and it pissed me off. If the restraints hadn't been on me, I would've gladly pounced at her and end her immortal life in a single, vicious bite.
After all, this was the same mare who misjudged my mother because of her narrow-minded love for her monster of a son. She didn't know my mother and she never will.
"Who's the monster now?" I calmly asked Shining.
" He's gonna get us killed" Craft told Snapper who responded with a scared nod.
Silence reigned for some time in the bedroom of Christopher as the three changelings and the ponies stared at the opposing group, no one having anything important left to say.
The silence was eventually broken when Twilight spoke up.
"I still can't figure how he can continue to look like one of us despite the Nullification Spell I casted" Twilight said to Chris.
"There's something about you....Who are you again?" Chris asked me as he knelt down to one knee, meeting me eye to eye.
"Christopher, get away from that thing!" Celestia ordered with a furious look on her face.
"Mom, just let me talk to him. Maybe we can work something out" Chris countered.
"There's nothing to negotiate about. Your mother attacked mine because of you. I'm just here to make sure I get rid of your existence, your highness" I chuckled.
"I'm not gonna let you hurt anypony, especially my family" Chris said adamantly.
"I'm a prince, buddy. You can't control me" I scoffed at his reply.
"We'll see" he added without any expression before he turned to Twilight, "You were saying? "
"Ah yes! From what I've observed, there's can only be two logical reasons as to why he isn't changing back" she replied, "Either he's more powerful than us or he's not a changeling".
"Too bad you can't cast a single illusory spell like I can!" I grinned, "And you know who's more powerful than me? MY MOM!!"
As if on cue, the door swung upon to reveal a Princess Celestia lookalike. Me and the two changeling smiled when we saw our rescue come in the form of my mom.
However, something unexpected happened. My mother quickly reverted back to her changeling form much to her and everyone else's surprise.
"Chrysalis? How dare you return to this place after all you've done?" Celestia yelled.
"How dare I? How dare you capture my baby?" Chrysalis shot back.
"He tried to kill me and my son!!" Celestia retorted.
"That's because you destroyed our home" Chrysalis countered.
"Enough!" I yelled. I was tired of their bickering and I wanted an answer and I wanted it now, "Why am I still a damn pony?" I asked Twilight.
"Because..." Twilight replied before she hesitated for a few moments.
"You're not a changeling" Chris finished the sentence.
"What!? It's impossible!" I recoiled back, trying to believe it wasn't true.
"Bālor, calm down" Craft tried to help but I quickly brushed his concern aside.
"He's as stubborn as a mule, he won't listen to you" Snapper told him.
I turned to my mother for answers. At first she smiled a little, trying to make me feel alright but I was having none of it.
Her smile slowly turned upside-down as she lowered her head. All eyes in the room were on her as she prepared to deliver her answer.
I was confused. Snapper was confused. Craft was confused. Everyone in the bloody room was confused. Was I the creature I had always believed I was? Or was I the denizen of a country whose ruler I had just tried to murder? Was my mother even really my mother? There were so many questions racing inside my mind and for the first time since I reached Canterlot, I felt doubt. I turned to my mother for answers again but she uncharacteristically seemed so unsure of the whole situation especially after what she just said.
"They're just messing with you" Craft said to me in the obvious hope that I wouldn't not let the "revelation" bug me. Unfortunately, I was too lost in my insecurity to even reply properly.
"What...this is impossible...." I told myself.
"Bālor, get your bearings in order. You're a changeling and you always will be. Don't let their little trick fool you" Snapper pleaded. Unbeknownst to him, Twilight had heard his remark and she had taken a bit of an offense to it.
"Trick? That was no trick!" she retorted, "That was a genuine spell from Starswirl's book".
"Look, I don't give a damn if this is a trick or not..." I growled as I broke free from my restraints using my magic, "Is this...a lie or is it the cold truth?" I narrowed my eyes at Chrysalis.
"Bālor...I-I..." she stammered, confirming my fears.
"Mom, they're just messing with me, right? I'm your one, true son, am I not?" I asked with hope. Hope that my mother would say "yes" and blast these ingrates to ashes.
Instead, all I got was silence and concern on her face. My eyes slowly widened when I saw tears forming in the corner of her beautiful eyes. The last time she shed tears was in the aftermath of Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding.
She had set out to find out an alternative source of love in order to ensure the survival of the entire hive but she returned with nothing but a feeling of failure. She locked herself inside her chamber to wallow in her sorrow and it was the first time I had ever seen or heard her cry. And trust me, nopony likes to see their mother cry.
But this time was different.
I watched as the first drop of tear splash onto the floor but yet I did nothing. I felt like I didn't need to. I had hopes that this was just some big magical mishap but my mother's and the ponies' reactions said otherwise.
"What the hell am I?" I asked her. I was tensing up as magic from somewhere flowed throughout my body.
"You're...my son" she barely managed to reply between sobs. I could see that most of the guards had withdrawn their weapons again while the princesses and Chris backed away slowly. The look on Chris' was a look of pure empathy and it almost seemed like he had this conversation with Celestia before.
Gingerly, I stood up on all fours, using the pillar I was previously tied to for support. The magic around me increased in power with every passing second and Twilight appeared to take notice of it as she approached me, only to be stopped by her brother.
"I wish I could believe you were right" I mumbled, gritting my teeth as emotions surged wildly within my mind.
"Capture her!" I heard Shining tell the guards. He looked like he had heard enough and he seemed determined to imprison us even if I wasn't a changeling at all.
The next second, four pairs of hooves grabbed my mom and pinned her to the floor while a spell from Celestia prevented her from wriggling free. Shining Armor shot me a final glare as I felt my restraints coming back on, pulling me back to the pillar. As I watched helplessly, my mother was tied up with half a dozen guards surrounding her, preparing to subdue her even more if she even dared to twitch.
To my sides, the two changelings were being slowly levitated towards Celestia. Snapper and Craft both gave me looks of fear and despair as if they were about face their inevitable fates. I suddenly thrust forward, only to be jerked back by the chains that held me. Just as seemed like they had finally got us, something happened.
A burst of light formed from my horn before it expanded, enveloping everything in a steadily increasing radius.
"What in Equestria...?" Snapper looked on in disbelief.
The need to save my friends and my mother was enough to make my magic go wild with enough power to illuminate the entire room in a flash.
However, the spell took an instant toll on my body as I slumped to the floor almost as soon as I casted it. My visions blurred and peaceful darkness surrounded me immediately.
"It's a telepo..." Twilight shouted. And that the last thing I heard before I blacked out.
"...did Chrysalis manage...he's not her son?"
A voice, presumably male asked. I couldn't see anything except for my own body as I was surrounded by an endless void of darkness. I was left with no memory as to how I even got to the place, almost like the amnesia you have when you're dreaming. No memory of how you arrived.
At first, I panicked at the idea that I might have been dead but I felt too strangely alive enough to believe that conclusion. I could also feel the presence of something or somepony else in the void. Almost like they were watching me.
"Her magic may have been just strong enough to make him believe he was a changeling" a distinct female voice replied, "Why, she even managed to manipulate your cousin".
"Who the hell's there?" I demanded to know. If waking up in a pitch black place wasn't bad enough, now I had these voices talking from who knows where.
I didn't get an answer for a good five seconds and it definitely creeped me out. In all honesty, I had actually wondered if I was starting to hear things. That was, until I heard a reply from a vaguely familiar source.
"Bālor? Are you awake?" the male voice, which unmistakably belonged to Chris asked.
"Chris? What the...where the bloody hell am I?" I asked back as I took up a fighting stance, just in case the prince or one of his near-omnipotent relatives tried to jump me.
"Calm down, my little pony" another voice said to me. This one belonged to Celestia and I could almost make out the disturbing mirth in her voice.
"Don't address me like I'm one of your subjects, mare!" I shot back, "I'm a prince dammit!"
The situation got a whole lot uneasier due to an almost sadistic chuckle coming from the Princess of the Sun. And to boot it all, I couldn't even see them.
"He reminds me of Blueblood if you ask me" Chris chuckled.
"Please, don't insult me by comparing me with that scum of Equestria" I said with a groan.
"For once, we agree on one thing" I could almost feel Chris give me a smile.
"You, Prince Bālor, are in a Dream Cell so we can interrogate you..." Luna addressed me, "..while your horribly burnt body is being slowly repaired by the best doctors in Canterlot".
"Say what?" I arched my eyebrow at the void, "I'm dead!?".
"You are" Luna calmly replied.
In an instant, I slumped to the floor or ground or space or whatever upon hearing the reply. I couldn't believe my own ears. I was actually dead. I had always expected my death to come at the hands of some magic-draining centaur but it was apparently a self righteous suicide, technically speaking.
Almost as soon as it came, the shock of death subsided, only for regret to fill the hole. Images of those back ay my home flashed in my mind. The technological Craft, the cautious Snapper and even the fun-loving and defective Willow. I regretted not having the chance to tell them how much they all meant to me.
My thoughts then went to those in Ponyville. My old classmates and my old buddies. I began to ponder what they were doing only to be interrupted by a snort.
"Was it *snicker* a bit too cruel, dear nephew?" Luna giggled.
"After what he tried to do? Maybe he kinda deserved it" Chris replied before he resumed chuckling. And then, it was a clear as day.
"Not funny" I let out a low growl, "Wait till me and my mother get our hooves on you", I threatened the trio. A moment later, I found myself flailing wildly as I fell through the floor or ground or space. I could hear the Canterlot Royal Family laugh at my expense yet again.
After a few seconds, I landed right in the middle of a small room with a single see-through door. The next moment, a pile of kitchen sinks suddenly appeared outside as the door slowly opened.
"I really wish I was awake just so I can smash this hoof right in your faces" I mumbled, raising my hoof to emphasize my intentions.
"And I wish you were a bit more level-headed and realize that Chrysalis isn't your mother" Celestia said.
It didn't take much to take notice of the seriousness in her voice but it wasn't bothering me much. At least I could stop worrying about being tossed around for their enjoyment.
"You don't know anything about me or my mom!" I yelled as I slammed the door shut on instinct. I was getting tired of them trying to make me think otherwise.
"But we do" Celestia replied without any hint of emotion, "We know that Chrysalis destroyed a town two decades ago to dig up a Crystal Heart fragment, annihilating all the residents".
"Does Manechester ring a bell, Prince Bālor?" Luna inquired.
"Nope. And if my mom did destroy the town, it's probably a small sacrifice to pay for the sustenance of our kind" I replied. However, the word "Manechester" stuck to me. Why hadn't my mom or the others mentioned it?
"Let me ask you another question: Are you aware that you're a pony right now?" Celestia asked.
"Of course I am. What's that got to do with anything?"
"Bālor, I know this sounds strange but...this is your true self" Chris told me.
"Yeah, right" I sarcastically brushed it off.
"Think about it. Your mom said it was possible that you weren't a changeling and here you are, a true pony" Chris added.
"Just let that sink in" Luna advised.
"I don't give a baboon's ass about what you think" I crossed my hooves.
"Seriously, let me in!" I could hear someone cry out from outside.
"What the...?" I mumbled.
Suddenly, a nauseating feeling came over me as I fell to the floor. My visions started to blur again and I felt my limbs paralysed in place, leaving me laying motionless.
"Ask your mom if she remembers Manechester" Celestia gave me one last piece of advice before everything faded away.
"He's finally awake!" I heard Craft shout in joy.
With some difficulty, I managed to open my eyes. I looked around and saw that I was back at my home, The Hive.
The next thing I knew, I was hugged tightly by a black figure. I could feel her strands of hair brush against my chitinous face.
However, I didn't feel any love or concern my "mother" was showering. I could feel the false sense of power filling up again, a definite illusion to make me think that I was one of them.
"I thought I lost you, my son" Chrysalis looked at me with her tear-filled eyes.
"Manechester" I murmured.
"Huh? What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked me.
"The Crystal Heart fragment wasn't the only thing you took from Manechester that day, was it?" I looked at her dead in the eye.
And then, solidarity began to root itself onto me.
"Tell me!! I demand to know!" I shouted right at her face. My voice started trembling from the knowledge that there was a high possibility that my life as one of The Hive was going to end soon.
"Bālor, you're hurt. Please stop stressing yourself" Snapper interceded, trying to snap me back to my old self.
Before anybug else could react, I forcefuly grabbed Snapper by his large fang and pulled him close. He stared right into my eyes and I could see fear written all over his face.
"Don't. Interfere" I sternly told him before I shoved him. Everybug's reaction was that of shock as Snapper looked back at me. I was a stranger in his eyes now but I couldn't care less.
"Son, w-why are you like this?" Chrysalis asked me a rhetorical question. She knew damn well why I was going off like that.
"What happened at Manechester that day?" I asked again as I jumped off the table I was laying on.
Chrysalis hesitated for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not it was the right decision to reveal the truth to me. Eventually, she gave in.
"Our best scouts had discovered a Crystal Heart fragment in the small town of Manechester" she began to tell me, "We had counted on the residents knowing that they were living on top of the fragment and that they would be defending themselves. We had never been so wrong"
"The residents panicked when we arrived, all 736 of us. Because of the panic, most of the ponies were killed by accidental causes although a few of their blood were on actual changeling hooves"
"The battle ended with more carnage and gore than we had ever imagined. We contemplated leaving before Celestia and the others at Canterlot hear of this but we pressed on"
"There was one half-burnt building just above where the fragment was buried" she said.
"What building?" I asked.
"The Town Hall, your home" Chrysalis replied, "Two dead bodies were found inside which we allowed the remaining flames to burn down to ashes. A few minutes of digging was all it took to get hold of the Crystal Heart fragment"
"Just as we were about to leave, one of the scouts reported hearing strange noises coming from a closet. I opened the closet and saw an infant, a pony's offspring left to die in the burning town. I had never felt that much compassion before in my life and I made the decision of raising the orphan as my own".
"Why didn't you leave me then? Why would you even think of taking in an outsider to rule this place!?" I was practically on the verge of breaking down after hearing my mother's story.
"Because I believed you would be the key to bringing a truce upon us and the ponies", she answered with sincerity.
"So I'm nothing but a damn tool to you?"
"Don't twist my words, my son. Please know that it's only because of my love for you that The Hive has managed to survive this far without any other source".
I stumbled back to a corner before I sat down and buried my head between my hooves. I didn't realize it at first but I was crying. I was torn between giving my mom the biggest loving hug ever and leaving her and the others for lying to me for two decades.
"Then why the hell did you reveal the truth just now? And why the heck did you do it in front of Celestia and the others?"
"Because I didn't think you were ready for the truth" Chrysalis replied before she began weeping again, "And I did it...because I had a hope that they might let you go if they know you're...not really one of us".
"You lied to me. You made me live the life of a monster they tell their foals about at night just for your own selfish goals..."
"It's not that..."
"You turned me into a murderous monster when I could have been living an honest life amongst MY kind..."
"Please...Bālor..."
"Because of you, I can't return to the place where I truly belong because you made me a criminal..."
"Stop...please..."
"And as for this place of lies, I'll be back to judge what will become of it after I am done with Celestia and her son" I told her as I wiped away my tears and replaced them with a thirst for destruction and an obsession for plotting Chris' death.
I changed to my true form as I began my own exile with a step out of The Hive. Craft, Snapper and the other changelings looked on in disbelief as their former prince cut off his relationship with them.
"Come back, Bālor" Chrysalis pleaded.
"I won't kill you. However, when the time is right, I'll be back not as your son but as your damn harbinger of desolation" I said coldly, hell bound not to even give my mother a single glance.
With that, I galloped through the Spike Halls and straight out of the Hive. I needed to believe I didn't belong there and that I needed to move on and on, far away from my past.
Almost as soon as The Hive was out of sight, I began making new assassination plans for Prince Christopher. But there was one thing that was gonna give him an edge over me: his alicorn magic. Not to mention his powerful allies like the princesses as well as The Elements of Harmony.
I needed someone who would be able to neutralize all magic in a pinch. Someone who knew the princesses and can be a trusted. Someone like...
Lord Tirek
The aged centaur had altercations with Celestia and Luna in the past and if he had wanted anything, it was probably revenge for being imprisoned in Tartarus for more than a millennium.
Finding the red goat face wasn't gonna be a walk in the park though. From the gossip I had heard in Ponyville, he had escaped from Tartarus a year and a half ago and was still at large so it was gonna take a lot of time tracking him down.
I began the search after a day of resting, first at Appleloosa. It was quite difficult avoiding disguised changelings but it turned out quite fruitful as a rather annoying stallion sheriff notified me of a cloaked visitor they last saw headed towards Ponyville of all places.
The sheriff also said that the visitor kept murmuring something about "stealing" and "magic" which raised him and his posse's suspicions.
As directed, I trotted towards Ponyville, the place where my mother sent me to study. I had always thought it weird that she would even have the mind to educate a changeling. But then again, I wasn't a changeling.
As I lost myself in my thoughts, I stumbled upon a peculiar carriage in the middle of the Everfree Forest. The patterns on its side made it seem like it belonged to some magician or something.
My curiosity got the better of me and I found myself holding a door knob at the side. A gentle tug later, I was able to get a better look at the insides of the carriage.
As I had assumed, the carriage did indeed belonged to a magician, the owner being a blue unicorn who looked vaguely familiar. She must've been quite stuck up judging from the almost countless pictures of her but then again, maybe I had just stumbled upon somepony obsessed with her. The mere thought of it made me cringe a bit.
Just as I was about to leave, the magician appeared from out of nowhere, standing in front of the door and blocking my way. She seemed pissed that I had entered her supposed home but I couldn't care less. Her outfit was ridiculous though.
"What the hay are you doing inside Trixie's carriage?" she asked bluntly.
"Huh? Thought it belonged to you" I replied.
"I am The Great and Powerful Trixie" she announced proudly, "And Trixie says you should make yourself scarce before Trixie hurts you".
"Is that a bloody threat?"
"It is" she smirked, charging her magic.
"Well, I don't like threats that much" I shrugged before I changed into a changeling. I still had my mother's magic with me so it was a breeze changing forms.
To my surprise, Trixie's smirk almost instantly disappeared and she cowered in fear when she saw me.
"P-please don't take T-Trixie back to that dungeon again" she begged, not even daring to face me.
"What?" I asked, surprised by the swift change in emotions.
"What the hell are you cowering for, mare? Stand up and face me dammit!!" I yelled. If this was any other day, I would've enjoyed her constant begging but ever since I stepped out of the hive, I had made a promise that I would no longer behave like royalty even if might still keep the title of "Prince".
"Y-yes, of course" Trixie stammered, standing upright almost immediately on all fours. She barely managed to smile as she shook in her hooves.
"I remember you" I said with a low growl, not because of my anger but because of the painful memory associated with her.
"D-don't take Trixie back to the dungeon, please" she begged as she closed her eyes, anticipating my reply.
To be honest, I was starting to get absolutely annoyed by her nonstop begging. All I freaking wanted to do was to go on and ask her whether or not she had seen Tirek but now, the bloody mare had made me waste my time waiting for her to calm down.
"Would you please SHUT THE HELL UP!!" I screamed at her. Not even a small peep followed my frustrated yelling and she instantly fell silent although she stared at me with a look resembling that of a scared critter.
I gave a sigh of boredom as I could hear the faint echoes of my scream fill the Everfree Forest. The rustling of leaves and the occasional wind were the only sounds that followed for a good eleven seconds.
"Get a hold of yourself, mare" I told her as I took a deep breath, "And get this silly cape out of here" I added, using my magic to throw the cape away.
The look on her almost mirrored the same one she shot me when I took a peek inside The Hive's dungeon to check out the prince of Equestria that day.
It was during a visit to Manehattan that I had heard of Chris' capture at the hooves of my mother. Me and a group of changelings wasted no time in flying back to The Nest to witness what would become of the son of our greatest enemy.
It certainly felt ecstatic knowing that we were on the verge of getting one up on Celestia. And as soon as our chitinous, hole-ridden hooves touched down near the entrance to the Spike Hall after hours of flying. However, since we heard that he was being held in the dungeons, I decided to check the place first.
Upon reaching the dungeon however, the monkey prince had already been escorted to somewhere else. Other than the usual prisoners, thr only thing that seemed new was a blue unicorn mare in one of the cells.
As I took a closer look at her, she suddenly turned towards me. I could see the horror and fear in her purple eyes, almost unknowing of what I might do to her. There were tears in her eyes and the fur on her face was visibly soaked.
"P-please let me go" the mare pleaded.
Just as I was about to reply, an explosion could be heard coming from the other side of the Hive. The force shook the entire Nest with so much force that the dungeon walls broke, destroying the bars which held the prisoners in the process.
The next second, an ear-piercing scream filled the Hive. While my companions pursued the escapees, I raced towards the other side of The Hive purely out of instinct.
The blast that probably caused the whole place to shake was far too powerful to have been done by my mom and I just had to find what the hell had gone down.
As I darted across the Crimson Tunnel, I picked up some information from the other changelings. The Nest had been attacked, confirming my suspicions. With every meter I passed, my thoughts were filled with concern for the well-being of my mother and whoever else might have been in the vicinity of the explosion.
Inside I was afraid. Afraid that the attack was from Princess Celestia. My mother had often told me how powerful and ruthless the Princess of the Day could be and that only made me even more anxious.
Eventually, I reached my destination. The whole place was littered with rubble as well as dead or unconscious bodies of my fellow changelings. My innards turned when I saw the damage done to my home and my kind.
At the side, I saw the entrance to the Garden, a domed chamber where uncooperative prisoners were usually executed.
I rushed inside, only to stop dead in my tracks. My red eyes widened when I saw three figures standing on top of whatever was left of the Executioner's Table.
Princess Celestia, her sister Princess Luna and a strange serpentine beast were standing near the body of Chris who was fatally wounded around the chest area.
Before I could react, all four of them disappeared in a flash of light. Some Canterlot Pegasus Guards flying near the giant hole in the dome shot me glares before they left as well. I trotted through the rubble to where Chris was supposedly killed.
The whole area was covered in blood as well as some pieces of flesh and bone. As I stared at the red fluid dripping through the broken table, I involuntarily grabbed a bloody spear nearby. And then I remembered my mom.
"Mom!! MOM!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I frantically searched for her.
My breathing quickened as my heartbeat increased due to the fear for the loss of my mother. "Damn you Celestia" I gritted my teeth as I dug through a pile of rocks but there was still no sign of my mother.
I was just about the give up when I felt a steady, warm breath on my face.
Wiping the tears from my eyes, I dug even deeper before I felt my hooves touch her face. Without a moment's hesitation, I carefully pulled her out of the rubble. She was alive...but barely.
By this time, help had already arrived as the rest of the Hive had been informed about the attack. Snapper had always described the look on my face as a pure mixture of unbounded joy and love as I held my mother.
I gave her a kiss on her cheek as the others began to transfer some of their powers to my mother in order to heal her
It was right there that I swore revenge upon the entire Canterlot Royal Family.
Several months later, my mother was well enough to resume her usual duties and I had nurtured enough hatred and courage to carry out my plan of killing off Celestia and her relatives for the murder of my kind as well as for nearly killing my mother.
Against the wishes of my mom, I headed towards Canterlot, determined to exact my vengeance.
I was snapped out of my flashback by a scared squeak from Trixie. I turned to her and saw her trembling more than ever.
My attention diverted to a broken table at my side, probably broken because of my actions. While I was lost in my thoughts, I had accidentally slammed the table to the side of the carriage in a fit of rage.
"Strangely, I feel better" I said, smiling for the first time since my self-exile.
The next second, I charged my magic again and destroyed a decorated chair with a grey beam of magic. It felt really good venting my frustrations out on some pieces of furniture.
"Err...keep doing that...Trixie doesn't mind" the mare smiled sheepishly as she backed away to the outside.
"Thanks, mare" I smirked before I proceeded to blast holes through the walls, each one calming me down more amd more. And after a whole minute of uninterrupted destruction, only pieces of wood remained in place of the carriage.
"That felt good" I chuckled, changing back into a pony much to the relief of Trixie, "You okay, mare?" I asked the frowning unicorn
"Trixie didn't need that old carriage anyway" she lied. I opted to press her further but I didn't feel like doing it.
"Now, to find that goat face and get rid of Celestia and her family" I said as a devilish grin came across my face.
"Princess Celestia? Are you sure about perpetrating treason?" Trixie asked.
"She has never ruled over me, mare. I don't plan on leaving anypony related to her standing" I said with a scowl.
"Relative of Celestia? You mean you plan to get rid of Twilight Sparkle too?" Trixie asked me again.
"That is the general idea. And if you tell anyone about this, I'll send your bloody behind straight to Tartarus" I warned her before I started walking away, resuming my search for Tirek.
"You can't be serious! Trixie knows Twilight is powerful, you can't beat her!" she yelled as I kept on trotting.
"I've tangled with them before. Can do it again" I merely replied.
"Trixie knows things about Twilight and her friends that you don't" she added. I stopped again, my ears perking up.
"Like what?" I asked back.
"Trixie will tell if you promise her that she can accompany you and that you'll build her a new carriage"
"Go home, mare. You're delusional" I brushed the idea off.
"You destroyed my home" she asserted, "And Trixie can tell you what their weaknesses are".
"Like what?"
"Remember the deal" she smirked.
I would've smacked the smirk off her face right then but I restrained myself. Honestly, I regretted ever skipping telepathy class at that same moment. I hated the idea but I just had to get the information from her because I could feel her sincerity...for a travelling witch that is.
"Fine. Shut up and tell me everything" I mumbled.
"Good choice, changeling"she said in a mocking tone.
"I'm not a changeling" I retorted, "Not since the last two days" I muttered under my breath.
Remember that little thing I said about solidarity? Yeah....screw that.
"So, why do you possess a cutie mark? What does it mean?" she asked.
I turned my gaze to my flank and saw two intersecting circles: one red and one blue.
"I don't know" I told her the truth. I had never actually known what it meant. It had just appeared on my first day of school at Ponyville during class.
"You don't know? What's your special talent?"
"Being lied to" I said bluntly, "And if you do that, I'll tear your head off".
Trixie shuddered before eventually joining me.
And then, my not-so-single road to vengeance continued.
"..and then she made Trixie do all those humiliating but necessary chores in front of everypony. Can you believe that? Humiliating me in front of the townsfolk" Trixie ended her "sad" story on a disgusted note. Fortunately, the tracking spell she casted wasn't dispelled by her rant and we continued on our journey.
"Huh...what? You were saying?" I asked in a rather impolite manner.
"Were you even listening to what Trixie just said?" Trixie steamed, apparently ticked off because she thought I had ignored her ten minute monologue.
"You hate Twilight and her friends for some bloody reason. End of story" I shrugged as we passed another clearing. It was really disturbing to know that she was getting bolder around me, even to the point of having the audacity to yell at me. And to think this was the same mare who was begging before me just a few hours before.
"What about you, Bālor?" Trixie inquired, "Why do you want Princess Celestia and her family dead?"
That question brought back the disturbing memories again. The trio of Celestia, Luna and Chris teleporting away from The Hive, leaving a gruesome scene in their wake and my mother for dead. If it wasn't for their blasted interference, I would've still been with mother and my friends back in my home.
"I lost my mother because of them" I simply replied. I hated talking about the subject especially since I needed to sever all ties with The Hive.
"How?" Trixie asked, surprised by my answer.
"Be careful" I warned her.
"Why? I want to know" she insisted.
"Be careful. You're gonna step on a manticore's stinger" I finished the sentence, pointing at a protruding stinger coming out of a thick bush.
"Whoo! That was a close one" Trixie chuckled nervously, "If Trixie had stepped on that, the manticore would have defin.." she said before she was interrupted by a roar.
An unmistakable roar from a manticore, that is.
In one move of what I can only describe as lightning fast swiftness, my companion dashed right behind me as soon as she saw the red mane of the manticore. Her story about having problems with creatures in the wild may have been true after all. She trembled as she hid behind a tree, not even daring to sneak a peek.
As anticipated, the manticore did jump out of the bush and in front of this unicorn who was quite freaked out to be honest, mainly because of two disturbing things. One, the manticore was a big one, at least two feet taller than your average manticore, a fact which made it seem arguably more fearsome.
And two, it had this..."rabidity" disease judging from its partially foaming mouth lined with sharp teeth built to rip and shred tender pieces of meat like me and Trixie which was a deadly combination you definitely would want to watch out for.
"What the hay is wrong with you? Get away!" Trixie whispered loudly after noticing that I hadn't moved an inch.
"I think that's not an option, mare" I replied with my sight still fixed on the huge beast.
It appeared to be in perfect health and aside from the crazed look on its face, the manticore definitely looked normally fit enough to out run us or out fly us.
"Can't you teleport us out of here?" Trixie asked again out of desperation as the growls coming from the manticore became louder and more menacing by every passing second.
"Don't talk to me about pony spells, mare!" I shot back. I've never been one to enjoy being asked to cast non-changeling spells, "Can't get us out of this mess? You're a unicorn for darn's sake!!"
"I can't!" Trixie retorted, "And you destroyed all my smoke ball recipes!!" she raised her voice.
"Smoke balls? Why the hell would a bloody "powerful" unicorn need smoke balls to escape?" I countered.
"Oh, excuse Trixie if she never went to fancy schools like you probably did. Now that Trixie thinks about it, you probably can't even levitate a small rock"
"I lived the life of a freaking changeling!! And if we're gonna talk about skills then can your "Great and Powerful" magic do this?" I asked, transforming into a changeling.
"Rrragghhh!!!" the manticore roared, annoyed by the lack of attention we gave it.
"Shut up!!" we yelled at it.
"Show off" Trixie scowled as she came out of her hiding.
"Says the mare who spent her entire life showing off pathetic tricks to pathetic ponies" I smirked as I turned to her.
"Pathetic?" she gasped before a look of pure rage took its place, "Trixie will show you pathetic!" she growled, charging magic on her horn.
In a split second, a glimmering blue beam of magic exploded from the horn, its power almost surpassing that of a typical alicorn blast. A good fifteen centimeter radius around the beam was charred in an instant and I could smell the burning grass almost immediately.
Fortunately, I managed to dive to the side before the beam, which was directed at me, could make contact with me. If that blast had made contact with me, there was gonna be one badly burnt pile of chitin on the ground and I definitely didn't want that.
Unfortunately for our big friend, he noticed the beam a little too late and wasn't able to jump out of the way.
A roar of agony filled the silent woods as the manticore staggered back from the impact, leaning on a conveniently placed tree for support. A large, smoking red circular burn mark was imprinted on its chest, a reminder of Trixie's potential.
What followed the look of pain on the manticore's face was that of anger and rage as well as a desire to rip us limb from limb. It really came as a surprise to us seeing the beast still upright after that powerful blast.
"What!?....im...impossible..." Trixie panted from the exhausting effort, trying her best not to faint.
"No, it isn't" I replied grinning, showing off a row of teeth which had left many a victims dead.
Before the manticore could react, I lunged forward with new confidence after seeing the vulnerable state of the creature. Its eyes widened in shock as my fangs neared its throat with every intention to gnaw through the orange flesh.
And they did.
In one swift movement, a dozen sharp teeth found themselves buried deep inside the beast's neck, one large fang managing to rip the manticore's vocal chord, causing it to only manage a low squeak of terror. Blood squirted from the multiple gashes, some hitting me on my face.
Ignoring the shocked expressions and gasps coming from Trixie, I dug deeper, tightening the hold I had with my teeth until its breath stopped and it fell to the ground, dead and in a bloody mess.
Slowly, I pulled my fangs out of the carcass, careful so as to prevent any teeth for breaking loose. Trust me, you do not want your tooth broken and lodged in someone else's body, dead or alive. It hurts like hell...for the biter, not the bittee.
I licked my fangs clean of any residual blood, savoring the taste. As much as I hated to admit it, I still had my old changeling predatory instincts but thankfully, ponies were optional omnivores so it didn't bother much....but it definitely took Trixie by surprise.
I turned to the mare and found her staring at me with her mouth hung open, almost like she had seen a ghost.
"What's wrong, mare? Never seen a damn animal being put out of it's misery before?" I asked indifferently as we trotted past the body of the manticore. Deep inside, I was smiling like a mad pony for breaking the unicorn's mind. Poor thing just had to witness that.
"W-Wha..but you're a pony...that was so...so..." she stammered, trying to process what had just transpired.
"Vicious? Brutal? Heh! Wait till you see what I'm gonna do to Celestia and Chris" I chuckled. To be honest, it came as a relief to me knowing that she was back to her scared state again.
"W-We should head North. We'll find him quicker, if that is okay with you?" Trixie asked, reactivating the tracking spell from before.
"Whatever" I shrugged.
We reached the North Everfree in twenty minutes and surprisingly, a conversation hadn't sparked up between me and the magician. She had kept quiet for most of the time, occasionally muttering words like "killing", "teeth" and "blood" but it didn't bother me. Scared Trixie was most tolerable Trixie.
Though I really found the silence quite enjoyable, her presence felt like it was going to be a nagging pothole in what could've been an unblemished road. I contemplated disposing of her but then again, I couldn't go against my promises. Changeling's Honor!!
Finally, I decided to talk to her.
"Are you feeling alright, mare?" I asked her
"Err...Trixie's okay heheh" she smiled nervously.
"I rather not attempt to raise my voice in front of a prince again if I were you" I told her sternly.
"Sorry for that..." she mumbled.
"And I'd know better than to piss you off" I said under my breath as the brilliant blue light Trixie casted still flashed in my mind.
"Huh?" she asked quickly, catching what I said.
"Where Tirek? Can't you find him?" I said aloud, a bit too louder than I expected.
"That's just it" Trixie replied as we stopped, "He should be..."
"Around here?" a sinister chuckle completed the sentence.
Both of us turned around slowly before we came face to face with the great, the powerful, one of the most evil minds in this realm and the former adversary of all ponies : Lord Tirek.
"He's...he's.." Trixie gasped, "So small!" her lips curled into an expression of mirth.
"Thought he'd be bigger" I scratched my head, "...and younger", I added.
The Bad Lord was a little, old hobbling centaur who wore a tattered cloak to conceal his wrinkled and frail physique. He had a nose ring and some broken shackles around his hooves and hands, probably a reminder of his time in Tartarus.
"Ah! The Changeling Prince and the Magician" he coughed while managing to grin a little, "I've been waiting for you".
"Say what? How the hell did you know who I am, centaur?" I demanded.
"I've been watching you, Bālor. You think that manticore was just at the wrong place in the wrong time?" he asked.
"You put a beast in our way?! How despicable! Trixie almost got killed!" Trixie yelled, enraged to know that the manticore was an intentional obstacle.
"You passed the test, you two" Tirek offered his hand calmly.
"Are you really powerful as they claim you are, centaur? How do you know you're even Tirek?" I asked back. I still had my skepticism about this shady character.
"You'll know soon enough" he chuckled before I accepted the hand-hoofshake.
"I feel I'm goona break his damn hand" I whispered to Trixie who responded with a giggle. I felt no muscles or grip on the slightly shaking hand of Tirek which only increased my suspicions.
"Where to now?" Trixie asked.
"Manehattan" Tirek replied.
And then, the new stable of evil....or anything that isn't necessarily good was formed.
Trixie and I still had our doubts about the old and seemingly fragile centaur. He appeared to be far too weak and a tad too slow to be accepted as the Lord we believed he was but his knowledge about the history of Equestria and the princesses said otherwise.
"So...are you really the same centaur Celestia and Luna defeated more than one thousand years ago?" Trixie asked again for the eighth time.
Tirek gave a sigh of boredom. He simply had enough of the inquisitive unicorn's annoying questions. Even a blind pony would've been able to see that he was ready to shut her up in any moment.
"I would recommend shutting your mouth, mare" I whispered to Trixie.
"Why should Trixie? She still has a lot of questions" she countered.
Just as I anticipated, a magical string of pure dark energy wrapped itself around Trixie's snout, effectively preventing her jaw from opening. I watched as the mare tried in vain to remove it while she attempted to summon some random spell to dispell the bond around her mouth.
"I guess that temporarily clears our doubts about you, centaur" I chuckled.
"I take it you desire to see Celestia and her son laying powerless in front of you and at your mercy?" Tirek asked bluntly with a glint of sadism in his dark eyes.
"I wouldn't mind seeing the lot of them all dead at my hooves for all I care" I replied.
"Hmm...for a mere pony, you do show some uncharacteristic tolerance for and affinity towards high levels of violence" he said, "And yet you still believe Prince Christopher is the only monster around here".
That remark really struck a nerve. Ever since I left The Hive, I wanted nothing to do with those monsters as I was one of them for the past two decades. I could've lived an honest life and become a lawyer or something but somehow, all I could be was the monster ponies tell their foals about.
I hated the mere idea of being labelled an unwanted beast for the rest of my life. Everything seemed so unfair. It appeared as though I was destined to be chained to the fact that I was never going to get the chance to be that individual I wanted to be.
And then, this asshole just had to bring it up.
"Know your place, centaur" I growled, showing off rows of teeth, "Don't make me fancy ripping your head off".
I half-expected him to at least show some regret for his comment but no, he merely grinned as if he enjoyed that threat.
"My dear colt, don't tell me you expected me to shudder at that pathetic threat hahaha" he laughed. Apparently, he could read thoughts too.
"I will have you know that I intend to rip you apart if you even think of calling me a monster again" I scoffed at his reply.
"Heheh A bit too feisty for an insect, are you not?" he continued his jeering.
"Don't associate me with those liars. I've had enough of them"
"I can see that you do and I also see that your hatred for the Canterlot Royal Family stemmed from your changeling instincts" he replied in a serious tone, "Are you still going to deny the fact that you'll always be a criminal no matter what you do?" he asked.
"I am aware, centaur" I answered, "And that gives me all the more reason not to fear any kind of repercussions when I eliminate that damn mare".
"Excellent..." Tirek let out a growl of approval.
The look on the old timer's face really unnerved me. Almost like he wanted to hear every single detail about every kind of malicious torture I would inflict on the Princesses. The Hoof-bar, Germane Suplex right onto a pile of shattered glasses, a whizzing magical bullet penetrating the skulls of my victims. Ah...the pleasures of sadistic imagination....
"And what does your companion desire? What is her reason for joining you?" Tirek asked as he turned his attention to Trixie who was yet to spout any words of displeasure after Tirek forcefully kept her mouth shut tight.
"I don't know" I shrugged, "I haven't asked her about it yet".
It really was weird that I had still let Trixie join me even after I had knowledge about the Elements of Harmony.
"Well, do you mind telling me why you are sticking with this murderer?" he asked Trixie while pointing a finger at me.
"Gfft mffs moff mmfffee!!" was Trixie's reply.
"I suppose we could let her speak now" I said, observing Trixie's futile attempts to make Tirek's spell disappear.
"Very well" Tirek let out a chuckle before he snapped his fingers.
The next moment, his restraining spell disappeared in a flash. Trixie exhaled like she had been underwater for a few minutes before she breathed heavily.
Her gaze shifted almost immediately to Tirek as she glared at him with her piercing, purple eyes. To be honest, it looked like she was ready to unleash another blue beam of death at the aged centaur...not that i was complaining though.
"Do that again and Trixie will destroy you" she warned him, keeping her eyes fixed at his.
"And I do hope you'll remember not to be an annoyance to us, mare" I quickly shot back.
Fortunately, she got the hint as she recalled me pulling the coup de grace on the manticore we had encountered earlier and she hesitated a bit.
"So, why the hell are you still following me, mare?" I inquired, "I don't think you have any further business with us".
"W-Well....um..." she stammered as she pulled a complete 180, "You promised to fix Trixie's home!" she yelled although in a nervous tone.
"Not good enough" Tirek commented before I could, "There's another reason. I know there is".
"Yeah...I think there is" I agreed, "Tell me, mare" I demanded to know.
"T-There's nothing"
"Don't lie to me. I've been lied to too many times now!!" I shouted, "Has it got to do with somepony?"
"...yes..." she replied lowly.
"Twilight Sparkle?" I asked the first name that popped in my mind.
She merely replied with a slow nod. It was quite obvious that she still had unfinished business with the new princess.
What puzzled me was that she had claimed to have been reformed after her incident with the alicorn amulet but then again, I would've also held a grudge against the pony who had humiliated me in front of everypony. It was hard to let go of feuds like that.
"Let me guess" Tirek spoke up, scratching his beard, "You want to kill this...Twilight Sparkle?" he asked.
"No!! I mean...yes...I mean..." she gave a nervous reply, "Trixie means....she just wants to humiliate Twilight in front of a crowd".
"Lame" I scoffed after knowing her intentions.
"Now think hard, pony" Tirek got right in Trixie's face, "You have two choices. One, you walk away from us without your magic but you get to leave with your conscience intact. And two, you assist us in getting rid of the princesses at the cost of being labelled a traitor but you will have more power than you'll ever have".
"Wha-at!?! That's not fair!!" Trixie voiced her disagreement.
"Either you're with us or you're against us" Tirek simplified.
"And life ain't fair, at least not to me it isn't" I told her, "It's your choice, mare".
"But...Trixie doesn't want to kill anypony" Trixie shook her head vigorously.
"Well then, it's settled" Tirek sighed while charging magic between his horns, "Your magic it is then", he added, cracking his knuckles.
"You want Trixie to give her magic up!? NEVER!!!" Trixie yelled, a look of disgust on her face.
"Then you better be ready" I smirked.
"For what?" she asked, raising her eyebrow in puzzlement.
"We can't let you just go away after you've heard what we said" Tirek calmly replied, "You've got no choice but to join us".
"And as I was saying" I continued, "You better be ready for your first murder, mare. I'll leave Twilight to you and you can hang her carcass in front of the masses. Ultimate humiliation I must say so".
"What!?" she cringed at the mere thought.
"Think about it" I said to her, patting her in the back, "Like Tirek said, you can have all the power in the world. All you have to do is aid us".
I could see that she was in a state of mental conflict. On one hoof, she was gonna join in on the most brutal attack on the Canterlot Royal Family in exchange for power and on the other hoof, she would become nothing more than a powerless victim if she declined.
"I...I..." the blue unicorn struggled to find the right words.
"Well, speak up, mare" I pressed her on.
"Trixie accepts" she reluctantly gave her answer, "On two conditions" she added lowly.
"Which are?" Tirek asked.
"You hand over Twilight to Trixie" Trixie replied.
"That's not too bad" I smiled.
"And Trixie wants you to give her the best carriage ever!" she announced loudly. "Say what?" I arched my eyebrow.
"Deal" Tirek smirked, shaking the mare's hoof.
"Bloody hell! I'm not a worker dammit!!" I threw my hooves up in disapproval.
"Now you're against Trixie joining you?" Trixie asked accusingly.
"What? I don't even..." I mumbled before a gray hand pulled me away from the mare.
"She has tremendous potential, Bālor" Tirek whispered into my ear, "She will be instrumental in handing us our victory".
His words made me recall Trixie's powerful alicorn-like blast of blue unicorn magic which managed to stun the huge manticore...for approximately, the fifth time. She was indeed a unicorn with massive potential, one that could prove to be a valuable asset in the long run. Scratch dumping her.
"I...alright! I'll fix her bloody carriage!" I gave in.
"Remember, the best carriage ever" Trixie corrected me.
"Whatever" I mumbled before I turned to Tirek, "So, what're gonna go over there?", I asked, pointing at the large city in the distance.
After almost three hours of trotting and taking fifteen shortcuts through acres of slimy swamps, thick undergrowth and bushy trails, we finally managed to reach Manehattan.
One thing that bugged me though, no pun intended, was that Tirek had dragged us all the way over here where there weren't that much notably powerful ponies to speak off. If he had wanted to steal somepony's magic, he could have suggested starting in Trottingham or even Ponyville for darn's sake.
"Uh...what are we doing here again, centaur?" I asked.
"I need to find an old apprentice. I have something I need to obtain" he replied with a sinister smirk.
Trixie and I merely exchanged puzzled glances as we watched Tirek hobble towards the city. What kind of artifact or energy was he so keen on acquiring? We just shook our heads before we followed the centaur.
And then, our plans for the end of Celestia's reign was set in stone.
Meanwhile
Two black figures observed the three beings cautiously under the disguise of a rabbit and a small bird. They scratched their heads in confusion before they reverted to their normal form.
" What are they doing? " one of the changelings asked the other.
"I've no idea but we have to keep following them. It's the Queen's command" his companion replied.
The next moment, they turned into ponies before they resumed following the trio stealthily.
