Equestria has fallen. The changelings rule supreme over the continent. Resistance is high everywhere and discontent couldn't be higher. Chaos is looming and one ambitious changeling is determined to take advantage of it.
The great war is over. Millions have perished on the fields on both sides but finally the changeling have imposed their hegemony to all on the continent. From the frozen north to the burning south, from the deepest jungles to the highest mountains, all is now under the mighty hoof of queen Chrysalis. But the occupation is far from an easy task. After a decade of desperately trying to pacify their conquered land, the changeling are still unable to destroy the resistance movements that have appeared on every corners of equus. Few are the creatures satisfied with the current state of things and silently but surely the idea of change as started to grow in many minds.
One of those mind is a changeling entrepreneur, Schach Spiel. He is far from blind to the failures of his race and quickly started to imagine new ways for this world. Through the years he created himself a massive web of spies and contacts throughout the hegemony. In the shadow of the changelingia, his conspiracy has taken roots in the mind of many and many creatures. When the time will be right this conspiracy will be the one rising. All he need is spark to ignite the powderkeg and bring light back to Equus.
The waves crashed one after another on the hard rocks of the cliff. A lone changeling looked at them thoughtfully. He wore an elegant suit and a pair of square glasses on his muzzle. He was thin but healthy with dark red eyes, fins and tail. He lacked his left fang. His left eye itched.
His name was Schach Spiel.
He always liked the sound of waves. It reminded him of his home hive of Ditrysium. Back there he loved to just sit next to the sea and watch as wave after wave attacked the coast in what seemed like an endless battle between an unstoppable attacker and unmovable defender. At least that's what he imagined.
He could wait for hours in the cold before his mother finally decides that he had been looking at nothing for long enough.
Once or twice he quietly left their home in the night to go back on the sea side. Covered in a warm blanket and a lantern to light his way, he stayed all night watching and dreaming of the ocean. He'd only go back home at the first rays of sunlight.
He was suddenly dragged out of his thoughts as a high squeaky voice captured his attention. A young filly approached him and respectfully bowed. Schach Spiel restrained a frown.
"What is it? " He asked monotonously.
"Master, the guests have departed. Everything is ready and everyone is waiting for you in the meeting room just like you ordered." He responded between two breaths, still bowing. He had run all the way here.
Without a word, Schach Spiel left the side of the cliff. Soon he realized that the filly hadn't followed him and just stayed in her bow. For a second, he hesitated to let her here. Mostly to see how long she'd actually stay before realizing the pointlessness of her action.
"Rise. " He simply ordered with a quiet chuckle.
Quickly, they arrived at his estate. THEIR estate. A ridiculously large manor on the coast on the lake. It was surrounded by nothing but beautiful gardens that looked more like a park than anything. It was a few minutes of walk north from Mead Resort. The richest changelings of the hegemony all dreamed to have their own estate here.
South from Tall Tale, north from Las Pegasus, with a lake and mountains, probably one of the most beautiful places on the continent if not the whole planet. Getting such a property hasn't been easy. The war wasn't even over that all the houses were already taken.
"Then we'll buy a hotel!" He had exclaimed to his constable. His genius plans.
It looked like a madness from an overly rich idiot at the time. It was, and the renovation to transform a luxurious hotel into a proper manor were even more costly than they looked like.
A hotel... Like I could live in such a palace all alone. He thought before opening the two big glasses doors of the terrace.
The afternnon light enter by the large windows and reflected on the floor making all the ballroom take warmer colors.
He entered a large ballroom with large windows covering the eastern wall. Multiples creatures from different races were occupied silently cleaning the windows and floor. They were already clean, Schach Spiel noticed.
"Alright every creature, the play is over. You can go back to your normal routines!" He screamed. He always wondered if the whole manor could hear him when he screamed like that. What was stronger, the echo of the empty halls or the gargantuan size of the structure?
At his words the servant seemed to relax. Some abandoned their work while other continued. Chats started between some.
That was it. All this manor was just a facade for the truth hiding inside it. All Schach Spiel had built was just a fake. Just like his factories and businesses in Mead Bay. Well, the businesses were real and functioned just like any other of his company’s, but it was more of a way to distract unwanted eyes from his machination.
"They work all day and when they're done, they come back home and serve me here. After all, that is the minimum to thank me for giving them a house so generously. " A stupid lie but one that most of the other changelings chooses to accept as the truth. Idiots.
Since the end of the great war, he had taken the opportunity to expand his company all over the continent. It only cemented what he already noticed during his business expansion in Olenia. The occupation system put in place by the changelings was nothing but organized slavery of entire nations. He accepted it at first, firmly believing what he had been explained by Chrysalis propaganda. That it was only what changelings were meant to be, masters.
He wanted his company to be the very best so he needed everything the hegemony could give. Resources, material, land, industry and of course... workers.
Non changeling workers were much cheaper, so he quickly hired a lot of them while reserving the highest places in the company for his fellow changelings. But, as the years passed, he grew curious of those other races. At first it was in a mostly morbid way.
He wanted to understand how those inferiors worked. Why they wouldn't obey and work as effectively as changelings. He took as a hobby to sometimes just go in one of his factories and choose an employ for no particular reasons. Then he would take them into his office and kindly talk with them, showing nothing but friendliness. Then the "funniest" part would begin.
He attached them to a portable table he had specially asked to fabricate. He then proceeded to do his own studies on them. He was an intellectual but not a doctor, so he had to discover everything from scratches.
He tested everything. From reactions to various products and chemicals, to sensitivity test and anatomy all the way to love extraction and more exotic tests. He took a immense pleasure in his studies, he even dissected one of is workers that died on the production line once.
But as he conducted more and more experiences, he started to feel confused. Something was wrong and it became even clearer once he started to experience with pony and other creatures. Nothing was wrong with them. They were different from changelings but apart from that they all seemed quite normal. Nothing in their biology seemed to indicate them as truly inferior.
A light blue pegasus stallion heavily landed on a couch next to the doors, passing right in front of Schach Spiel and taking him out of his memories. He stretched all his length like a cat, waving a hoof at Schach. His eyes were bright yellow just like the rest of the room.
The changeling smiled back and proceeded to advance deeper in his home.
He descended the stairs toward the more obscure parts of the building. He noticed how the number of servants decreased from the upper levels. Most of them were naked, preferring to wear no clothes at all rather than ones of slaves. Schach understood that and didn't impose any dress code outside off the upper levels of the manor.
Here the light was only provided by artificial lighting. The sun was too far above the concrete to reach them.
Walls, floor and ceiling of wood and fine rocks left their place to conrete and hard stone. Some light bulbs had broken, leaving spaces of obscurity in the maze of corridors.
He had divided it into three distinct parts. What he called the public decorum, the personnel's quarters, and the secret conduits.
The first encompassed all the rooms in which guests were authorized to move freely without Schach needing to be there. The second was reserved for servants and normally a guest couldn't go in without Schach surveillance. The last one was not supposed to be seen by any unauthorized personnel. If any creature were to enter it without permission well... it would be their last initiative.
Often, he would be the one executing trespassers. After all, it wasn't like he had never killed anyone himself... when his company had grown into a continental sized corporation, and he could allocate more and more time to those creatures that he wanted to study so avidly.
Worst, he even started to grow quite fascinated by all those lifeforms. When talking to them he tried to ask more personal questions to each of them. He wanted to know his subjects, not their race, capacities, or anything the propaganda already taught him but them personally.
Sometimes he totally forgot to run any test on them, only listening to their life stories for hours. Their biology looked more and more fascinating with each subject. Everything about them was fascinating in his eyes.
Willing subjects were the best. He could do so much more with them, especially if they were intellectuals with whom he could have long talks.
One time, as he was writing in his journal, it hit him like a train. He realized after all these tests, after all these talks, that nothing was wrong with the non-changelings. The real problem was the changelings. They were the ones enslaving all those creatures, they were the ones slowly destroying a continent, they were the ones who couldn't understand the beauty of all those creatures.
We are the ones destroying all those beauties.
He passed next to a group of three earth ponies carrying crates of food from the reserves to the underground kitchens. Like everyone in the manor, they looked healthier than the average equestrian servant.
Guest often asked him why his servants were so healthy. He always answered with a joke or a fake explanation. They usually accepted it. The worst were the inspection in his factories.
He tried his best to make the life of his workers less miserable no matter their race. Money was more than enough to buy any possible dissenter from denouncing his practices to authorities and even if they did, he could buy the inspectors or use his status as a shield against suspicions.
He had surrounded himself with only changelings that shared at least a bit of his ideas so he wasn't scared of his colleagues, but he still lived in fear of the VOPS or queens guards one day knocking on his door or assassinating him.
A grey earth pony carrying a box of apples and peers almost lost his balance.
Schach jumped to help him, preventing the fall. He noticed the pony twisted left hind leg. His whole leg must have been broken and never healed well. It was clear that this pony would never walk well again.
The camps...
"Thanks. " The earth pony said.
" You're welcome. " Schach responded. " Are you sure you can carry these boxes? Because your leg seems to think otherwise."
" Nah, it's fine. I worked for month with this leg in much harsher conditions. I can carry a few fruits."
" Still be careful though. I wouldn't like to find you with a definitely broken leg in the middle of a fruit compote."
The pony chuckle and continued his way with the two others. Schach continued in the opposite direction.
The look in this pony eyes had something to it. He had lost the gloomy face that ponies saved from working camps all wore. This look of sadness, of a creature having lost faith in life. His eyes had something in them, a glimmer.
A glimmer of determination. One that could light his path, that made him continue his life even after everything he had suffered.
As lost himself in thoughts again as he continued his walk.
He finally stood before a metal door; an armed changeling was guarding it. Waiting to open it.
After everything he had done, all the horrors he had committed on these poor innocents, Schach had realized the truth. The problem was the hegemony itself. It needed to be changed into a better system.
The way the queen had always promoted was wrong, it would lead them all to doom. Every single ones of these beautiful creatures mattered just as much as any changeling.
He was going to change his company for them, change this manor into a sanctuary in which they could live a better life hidden from the cruel rule of the queen. They'd pretend to be slaves in front of guest, but they would be free inside these walls until he could gain enough power to act on all the hegemony.
Things needed to change. And he was going to change them. One day they'll all life together in harmony.
The glimmer in this pony eye was not determination, it was something far stronger, something he had given him. Hope.
His horn glowed, with a flick of magic he took off his glasses and glass eye and put on his black eye patch on his left eye. He calmly entered the room.
There were at least two guards next to every entrance of the room, all armed and armored with the latest equipment. Some were ponies and some others were changelings.
There was only one deer standing higher than all the other on the far side of the room. His equipment barely fitted him even though they had been adapted for his size.
This room used to be a storage for all kinds of furniture. Cushions, mattresses. shampoos, cleaning material... This whole place was supposed to be a hotel after all.
Now the walls were covered with maps, papers and photos. All displayed different regions of the continent. Pins pinned strings onto the maps, connecting places all over the room with pictures of noticeable creatures. Tables were displayed under the pictures with stacks of papers and files.
In the middle of the room was a round table with a map of Equus on it. All of the continent was blackened by the hegemony dark black color. Wooden figures of different creatures had been put everywhere across the map. They were more on the western side of the continent.
The place was sparsely lightened. The only source of light were desk lamp dispatched on the surrounding tables and a few laps hanging from the ceiling. Any creature not directly next to a table would be barely noticeable.
Fourteen creatures surrounded the central table, including Schach Spiel. They gave each other’s mean looks before turning their attentions to Schach. He counted in his head.
Five changelings, two deer, one griffon and one penguin, five ponies or, more precisely, one earth pony, one unicorn, one pegasus, one crystal pony and one thestral.
We still lack yaks, buffaloes, and polar bears...
He licked his only fang and approached the table. The atmosphere was bitter.
"I'm glad to see all of you made the trip here without much problem. " He began while scanning the other a second time." Good. Then let’s begin our annual reunion. I hope all of you read each other’s reports."
Of course they didn’t.
" Well, in fact I did Unternhemer Shach. And couldn't help but to notice how evasive some of them are. " One of the changelings accused, looking at the thestral.
" Oh yeah? You think that's easy to get info? The southeast is in utter chaos even outside the jungles. I'm already risking my life pledging this cause to others over there. " The thestral responded, clearly annoyed by the remark.
" Well, our cause being a minority and harsh terrain doesn't seem to have bothered our dearest friends of Olenia for their reports. And elusiveness is not something I can reproach to penguins and griffons either. It seems to be mostly a pony problem."
Here we go again.
Year after year, step by step, Schach Spiel had managed to create a vast web of contacts with various groups all over the hegemony. All who were discontent with the status-quo were possible candidates for his cause.
Of course, "Change the situation for a better. newer tomorrow" was vague and many chooses to hear it as they preferred.
Shach had his own vision of their rebellion, a union of all creatures in a coalition of equals for a better future. Most didn't share this idea.
For now, this wasn't a problem. Their common despise for the hegemony was enough to keep them together regardless of goals or ideologies.
The plan for now was to unite as many groups as possible under this one goal and when the time would be right, they would rise in unison against the hegemony.
When that would happen inside divisions would become an issue. This would be the final test for him. Rise up and maintain their unity until final victory and be able to impose his vision over every other.
They now had cells a bit everywhere on the continent. Western Equestria was basically under their full control at this point and Olenia was also a stronghold of theirs. The south was still out of their reach even if they were present. Northern Equus was more complex.
If the penguin lands, Nova Griffonia and what once was Stalliongrad were well under their influence, their distance to the heart of the rebellion was a serious issue.
They had a sustainable influence in the crystal protectorate and in the changeling land but almost nothing in eastern Equestria. It was just too far, to complicate to infiltrate and too well guarded by resistance cells and Lilac. Finally, they had no contact within Yakyakistan or with the polar bears.
Disputes were frequent when all those groups had to get around a table and discuss. Put almost every races of the continent and almost every ideologies in the same room and ask them to be a functional governing body. Good luck finding compromise between changeling military, communist ponies, and nationalist deer.
But he had to do it. And today he wasn't in the mood for infighting.
" You'd be glad to put another of you bugs on the throne after her wouldn't you?" The grifoness shouted.
" You need us more than we need you." A changeling retorted.
" I agree with the bug for once. They apologized, get on with it chicken." A deer said in the cacophony.
" Every creature SHUT UP! " Shach screamed.
" I-"
" I said. SHUT.UP." He interrupted before any creature could respond.
The room went silent. All gazed at him, and he gazed just as much at them. Only the buzzing of light bulbs could be heard.
" Today, I saw a colt and a nymph playing together in a park. They got separated by their parents before anyone else then me could notice them. I thought it was sad to see a friendship between our two races die so quickly." He related like a simple anecdote.
"..."
" Do you know how much they cared about each other’s races? " He looked at every creature. " They cared just as much as I care for your personal opinions right now. So now we are going to have a meeting like it was planned, to better our common organization. If any of you make a single more stupid comment, I'll have no hesitation in replacing you with someone else. Understood?"
The grifoness raised her claw with a defiant grin on her beak. He gave her a harsh stare. She silently lowered her arm and lost her confident face.
" Talk." He spoke.
" No, it's fine. I don't have anything to say. Sorry."
" Then tell me about our situation in nova Griffonia. I haven't heard from you in a while." He ordered.
" Nova Griffonia is Nova Griffonia. As much as the bugs are trying, they don't hold a strong rule over us. They have the big cities, but the countryside is dominated by various resistance groups and small communities. We aren't a majority but in a country where pretty much every village have its own ideology, we're pretty good. At least we're well organized."
" If we rise up, do you think Nova Grffonia would follow? " Emerald, the crystal pony, asked.
" We would, and some other groups would do to but mostly for their own benefits. We'd have to subjugate them which basically mean taking over Weter.
"Griffons are rebellious but if we can't convince them that we are the best solution for them they won't do anything. If we can promise them jobs and better living conditions, you can be sure they'll join us or at least let us be.
"We'll only have to get rid of the most radical ones who'd never join us no matter what. In the case of the frontier, it’s even easier. They'll submit to the first organized armed groups that enter their valleys and give them something to eat. I must thank the 'lings, the information they gave us would make a coup in Weter almost guaranteed if we do it in the next months."
" What information? I haven't heard anything about that." Shach asked to the changelings.
"We managed to inform the griffons of the Heer reorganization in Nova Griffonia. Apparently, there is a lot of unrest in the Manehatan protectorate. The high command moved a lot of troops from the north to the east, which mean the penguins land and Nova Griffonia are running on minimal changeling garrison right now.
"Most haven't noticed because of how decentralized the northern protectorates are but numbers don't lie. I'll give you a copy after the reunion." Colonel Varex explained, seemingly flattered by the griffoness compliment on his intel service.
" I can confirm. There were already few changelings in Pingland but now they're almost nonexistent. Except the collaborators in the government there isn't any creature that could stop an organized uprising at the moment.
" They're trying to make us believe nothing changed from before but our data are clear, they don't care enough about us to redirect more troops in our frozen homes. What is truly stopping us is our lack of equipment otherwise we have already won." Jorgle, the penguin, added.
" If you can do a few terrorist attacks in key ares I can justify the sending of weapons in the region to compensate the lack of soldiers. I'll give everything you need to steal them. I can't send millions, but a few should already help you, just don't break them before the real fight. " Varex proposed. Jorgle nodded in response.
" Good to see you can work together. So, the north is secured at least on paper. What about the west?" He turned to the deers and changelings.
" As you probably can imagine there is no way we can launch an uprising in the changeling lands. " Mervis, the industrialist changeling presented. " Most of the changeling who are sympathetic to our cause are in occupied territories anyway.
"However, we can use the little we have to disrupt whatever we can in the first days of the uprising. Communications, supplies, disrupt the chain of command, spread misinformation... Little things that won’t win a war but can confuse the hegemony and delays their reaction.
" I must also add that our strongest hold is in Olenia and western Equestria. If we can reach the border and start bombing the changeling land it would be a serious strike at morale."
" In Olenia our greatest tool are your various enterprises. " Svenya, one of the deers, continued. "They can provide many of us well paid jobs to survive and finance the resistance. Your image among the population is good and even if many will never accept to fight for a changeling, many other could see our rebellion as the last chance for Olenia to break its shackles.
" The strongest resistance groups are the one we are financing, helping and support with weapons and material. We have managed to infiltrate every stratum of the protectorate, but it is still not enough to assure us victory. The Olenian people would be willing to rise, and we can expect many uprisings and insurgencies, but the changeling presence is vastly superior to ours.
"I don't think we can do better than we already are. We can expect to take a few cities and gain control over the more rural lands but without a proper army we won't be able to free my beloved country."
" I have a question for the bugs! " Honeycrisp Apple interrupted. " How much of the Heer and VOPS do we have on our side? Because it doesn't feel like you slowed down on hunting the resistance lately."
The first changeling to respond was Chitine.
" It is more complicated than that. We do have spies and contacts in every level of the military and secret services but they can't just stop fighting resistance like that. We cannot influence the hegemony in any meaningful way right now.
" I understand your frustration Mr.Apple but the only moment we'll see who is on which side will be during the general rebellion. Before that, we can only guess how many ponies or changeling will join us."
" And when are we doing that?"
" We need something to destabilize the hegemony first. A massive increase in uprisings, the death of multiple important leaders, an assassination of the queen-"
" Yeah, about that, couldn't we just kill her ourselves? "
" This would be highly unconsidered." Rebutted Syris before Chitine could say anything. "An assassination attempt on the queen would be a sign of weakness from the hegemony but not a proof that our rebellion would succeed.
"Whatever we do, there are still much information out of our reach in the hegemony's structure. We need a clear sign that the system is flinching to assure us that we won't fail our uprising and this sign cannot come from use directly. We only have one chance so we need to use it wisely, otherwise all the blazes we have sow will fade out after our deaths."
" One of you bugs should just disguise as a military, go into her stupid tower, rush her at the first possible moment and make yourself explode. " Tornado Rainstorm, a dark blue pegasus, shouted from across the table before spitting on the carpet.
" Are you insane? This is impossible, Vesalipolis has become a fortress over the past few years. Its already a miracle that we managed to create a small network of contact in it. A terrorist attack on the high tower is just as suicidal as it is impossible.
" At best this would just discourage changelings from joining us, at worst it would give the queen's guard a perfect reason to purge the government and rampage the protectorates."
Again....
" Pfah! Who cares if changelings join us or not? What would that change? They already crush us like leaves on the road, they don't need justifications to raid us. Every day we wait is a day we permit the hegemony to kill more ponies. "
" We suffer too. Stop acting like only you ponies are being send to camps or torture and kill."
"Enough. " Schach tried to calm the situation.
" Because we are. All of you creatures are the ones acting like you are suffering just as much as us. You have no idea what it's truly like to be oppressed. None of you know. We ponies were the ones protecting the continent before the war, everything was fine a this time. Now it's OUR duty to bring this order back may you like it or not. "
" How dare you! " An enraged Svenja growled.
" Oh, you think so? I don't remember Equestria flying to the rescue of Olenia when panzers rolled into Vaverfront or even help us during the food shortages or help stabilize Nova Griffonia.
"Hay! You couldn't even prevent the crystal empire from being banished back then. Maybe our thestral friend could also remind you how well you treated them. Do you know there was reasons why Stalliongrad was founded in the first place?" Tatianna Kronstadt sarcastically added.
" ENOUGH YOU IMBECILES!" Schach screamed, stomping the table with both front hooves.
Tornado Rainstorm tried to respond but as soon as he tried to open his mouth his jaw was closed shut by an aura of green magic.
Schach horn glowed; his fangs apparent. The pegasus was projected onto the wall, falling on the floor heavily.
The pegasus cough as he tried to stand.
" As for you." He walked around and stood next to the pegasus. " We need to work together, and you clearly are incapable of doing so. Like I said earlier, you will be replaced by someone else. I'm sure the equestrian resistance is filled with ponies less stupid than you."
Tornado tried to jump on him but was only met by a changeling hoof in his face.
He grabbed his muzzle as blood started to pour from it.
Schach Spel looked around the table.
The changelings were satisfied, the deer were still bitter by Tornado comment, the ponies seemed relieved and stressed at the same time, the griffoness seemed amused and the penguin was occupied looking at a map and writing info in a notebook.
" For those who might have a similar opinion, I'd like to remind you why we have created this whole machination in the first place.
" Because we want a better future for all creatures on Equus, a future without the hegemony tyranny. I know some of us might not believe in the first part of this idea but for as long as we need to work together, we all must accept it.
" We are not liberating and rebuilding Equestria or the changeling lands. We are a fire that will burn it all and rebuild everything from ashes. "
All looked at him with doubtful eyes. Tornado stood behind him, ruffling his feathers. Schach turned to face him.
" And for your information, yes, we changelings also suffer from the hegemony. I have lost countless friends of every race in Chryssalis's camps. I have lost an eye to a resistance attack and yet, I still came to talk with them not for revenge to move forward together .
" Ponies may have taken my eye but it only helped me to see more clearly how it was the hegemony who truly took it from me. I suffered from Chryssalis's minions repression longer than any ponies."
" Oh yeah? I'd like to know how. " The pegasus defiantly asked.
" When I was still young, the queen's guard broke into our house. I don't know what they looking for or why they were here. The only thing I know is that this day, I lost my father. I tried to stop them but I was no match. One of the queen's guards made me look at my father in the yes while they beat him up.
" I tried to look away and flee. One of them levitated me in his magic and torn off my left fang. While this happened you ponies were playing in your precious land of friendship and magic. And you did nothing to stop it."
He made a head sign to two guards on standby.
They took Tornado and left with him through a small door in the back of the room. Another guard closed and locked it behind them.
" C-Can we continue... Unternehmer Schach? " A febrile Emerald asked with ears down.
Unternehmer.... My pony workers were the first to call me that after hearing changelings use it. They use it as a title. A sign of respect and deference...
Schach spiel walked back to his place and arranged his glasses on his muzzle.
" Let's continue. I'd like to hear about the crystal empire. "
" We managed to get a deal with the communist in crystal city. They'll accept to fight with us on the conditions that we give them some power after we take control. They also want to have direct contact with all our cells in former Stalliongrad territory. We accepted. "
" You did well. We will need troops if we want to get Trimmel to capitulate. Beating the Supreme commander of the Heer would be a great victory. While we are on the subject of him, m-"
He was interrupted by a rumble of knocks on the main door. The two guards instinctively took their weapons and pointed at the locked doors.
" Open the door! I have critical information to pass! " A half muffled voice asked.
Every creature in the room took their weapons in hoof, claw, or magic. Schach looked at the guards and nodded.
As soon as they unlocked the door, a yellow coated earth pony rushed into the room. He was thin, he must have arrived from the factories recently. He seemed exceptionally exhausted and also ecstatic.
" What is the meaning of this? I asked not to be interrupted. Explain yourself."
The pony looked around the room. He seemed crazy, like he had seen something impossible. He tried to jump on Schach but was quickly stopped by the guard who retained him.
His eyes, that hadn't time to accommodate to the darkness of the room, desperately searched for light.
" Som-Something happened. We were listening to the radio, and we received a message..."
The pony had difficulty breathing. Schach slowly approached to hear him better.
His eyes opened wide as the pony talked into his ear. All the other leaders of the rebellion leaned to try and hear.
The Unternemher turned to his staff. His face was blank, and his eyes looked worried. He looked at all of them one by one.
Agenda Prop walked into the streets of Vanhoover. It was a bright sunny day with just a few clouds and a greyish sky. Ever since pegasi were forbidden from regulating the weather, it was harder to know what each day would bring.
A convoy of armored changeling trucks passed on the road next to her. It was the fifth she saw this noon. Something was weird about the changelings today. They seemed agitated. Or at least more than usually.
This wasn't the only weird thing to happen today. This morning, while working in her shop, she saw a group of armed ponies and changelings come in and out of multiples nearby buildings.
She tried not to pay attention. It was probably just the police looking for somepony. Ever since Vanhoover fell this happened from time to time.
She still remembers that awful day. She barricaded herself in her apartment. All day long she heard the sound of planes over her head and changeling panzer patrolling the streets.
She could swear the sun doesn't bright as shine as it used to since that day.
The changelings immediately imposed themselves as the new masters of Vanhoover. It started with military patrols in the streets and it became harsher with every new day.
One time, during the night, she heard noise from her neighbor apartment. It woke her from her sleep, the cries and shouting were so loud. She shivered in her bed, praying to not be the next one. The next day she noticed the door had been broken.
She never saw her neighbor again. Her name was Honey Sweats.
Nopony took her apartment after that incident and the door was never repaired.
Something was wrong today. Many changelings seemed tensed, same for ponies. The air felt dense and the sun seemed to have left early. Was she growing paranoid?
Her pause was almost over, she'd have to be back to work soon. But maybe it would be better to go home instead. It wasn't the first time Vanhoover's streets felt like that. It was always a bad sign.
It had happened before the changelings arrived, then just before city size raids against the resistance and when Chrysallis tried to turn the city into a new great hive.
The streets weren't as populated as they usually were. The changelings acted weirdly and everypony looked anxious. This was enough to convince her.
She turned around and started to walk in the direction of her home. It was a bit far but she should be able to make it in time. Whatever was going to happen she wouldn't be part of it. She had paid her love tax; she was a good citizen.
Of course, the changeling wouldn't care about that if she ended up in their way.
She turned in such a hast that she bumped into somepony. Falling on her flank she looked at the stranger. It was a changeling mare, approximately her size, wearing a mailmare uniform. By reflex she apologized, fearing the changeling possible anger against a pony like her.
Before she could even say a word, the changeling pushed her hoof on Honey's mouth.
"Shh... can you hear that?" She asked, looking around her.
Only at this moment an unfamiliar sound captured her attention.
They both keep quiet for a moment. Passers-by also began to stop walking to listen to this weird noise. It sounded as a discreet sizzle growing louder and louder.
It was like a radio trying to find the good frequencies at first. Then something came. A sound more organized, more appealing to the ears. It sounded like... music?
" It’s coming from the loudspeakers! " A gray unicorn stallion shouted.
He was right though. The sound was coming from the loudspeaker.
The first of them had been installed years ago to warn civilians of changeling bombings. When the war ended, their number increased drastically.
Usually, they only passed propaganda and speeches or city-wide announcement. It was always oppressing to hear, like having somepony following you everywhere to shout orders at you. It was often succinct and monotonous. The speaker voice seemed to always be the same with the exception of Chryssalis's speeches.
It was the first time they ever passed music and, judging by the other citizens expressions, she wasn't the only one wondering what was going on.
The music was calm but also catchy. Like a waltz but more militaristic. It stayed for a minute or two before getting quieter.
And then it came.
A loud voice rang across the city. It wasn't the same voice she had heard a countless times. This one, Honey Sweats had never heard it. The music had stopped so whoever was speaking could be heard clearly. If all the loudspeakers were on, then everypony was going to hear it.
" On the year 1007, queen Chryssalis destroyed the last remains of opposition to her rule in the changeling lands. The polar bears saw it and did nothing.
When she turned her gaze north and subjugated the bears, the deer in Olenia saw it. And they did nothing.
When Chryssallis sent her army toward Olenia and crushed them under an iron hoof, the ponies saw it. And they did nothing.
When the queen led her panzers to the conquest of the continent, an unstoppable wave of steel and death mercilessly obliterated the united pony alliance. And the world saw it. And the world did nothing..."
Somepony threw a rock at one of the loudspeakers. Agenda couldn't see who had done it.
"What followed was years of brutal oppression, cruelty and suffering punctuated by unnecessary deaths for all living creatures on Equus."
Another rock. This one hit the loudspeaker but barely bounced on it. A group of changelings rushed through the crowd, ordering everypony to leave the way.
" This is a message to all creatures of Equus still willing to hope for a future of liberty and justice.
No matter how much the hegemony will lie to you, it has brought little to no good to this world. Do not believe their lies! Do not fear their fake threats!
The queen and her minions have failed to see the embers of revolt and now they will pay the price of their cruelty.
Let those embers become a raging fire.
In the East, the Manehattan protectorate has fallen. The equestrian liberation front has risen up against its tyrants. Ponies have broken their chains and made the hegemony flinch. Its rotten mechanics are now shown to the light.
Creatures of all the continent, liberation is still possible. We have all sinned and left the hegemony to rise. Now has come the time to repair our mistakes.
United we will triumph. Ponies, Changelings, Deers, Griffons, Penguins, Yaks and Polar Bears disregard your races and join arms! It is our time to fight one last battle for our future.
We are the concordat of creatures. We are the alternative to the madness of the hegemony. A union of all races! A become of hope!
I solemnly promise you that the instigators of the suffering will be judged. May this fight against true evil be their judgement.
No matter who you are, where you are or what you can and cannot do, we need you. Let your hearts be filled with a burning desire of fair justice. Do not fight out of hate but of love! Spare the innocents and purge the corrupted. For hope is not yet lost!
I, Unternehmer Schach Spiel, on the behalf of the concordat of creatures and all creatures of Equus, declare a general rebellion against the hegemony!
Every creatures, take arms and rise up, destroy the monsters! For the great trial has begun!"
The music continued after he stopped speaking. It was louder now and much more energetic. It was no longer a waltz, now it was a real military march like the ones the changeling played during parades or in propaganda movies. Except this one wasn't for them...
She stayed there, listening to the music, she didn't feel like going back home. She thought of the night her neighbor was taken away.
There was a warm feeling in her chest.
A voice shouted next to her. She turned her head. The group of changelings had reach her. She recognized the queen's guards. She stood up and faced them.
The leader of the group was a male changeling, smaller then her. He looked angry and shouted at her to move out of the way. She didn't feel like it.
Maybe for the first time since the beginning of the occupation, she wasn't scared of changelings. She has always been terrified of queen's guards even if she had never seen any. But now that one stood in front of her, she didn't feel scared. She didn't know why.
He looked like a clown. He was screaming at her, but she didn't listen.
What a stupid clown, she thought, he's funny screaming like that though.
She grew a smile on her face and even chuckled a bit. The changeling unboltered his gun with his magic and put the barrel on her muzzle.
A chill crossed her whole body. Everything seemed so unreal. The loudspeakers, the speech, the music and now that. It was like she was disconnect and slowly rebooting. Fear came back first, and tears began to form in her eyes. Still, she couldn't stop smiling. All those years. All the pain and suffering, she couldn't contain it anymore. She didn't want to contain it anymore. Music wasn't made to bottle up your sentiments anyway.
She gulped and waited for the bullet to traverse her skull. What came next was forever engraved in her memory.
The changeling mailmare punched the queen's guard in the face. He lost his concentration, letting his pistol fall to the ground. The queen's guard fell to the ground, soon followed by others of his group as ponies rushed on them and beat them on the hard pavement.
Honey looked at them then looked at the mailmare that saved her life. In the crowd she saw the angry faces of ponies and between them, for just an instant, she also saw changelings with the same angry and desperate faces.
The queen's guard tried to fight back but the crowd that had gathered around them swallowed any of their attempts.
Agenda Prop gazed at them in disbelief. A ray of sunlight passed through the clouds, blinding her for a second.
She looked at the sky, it was the brightest blue she had seen in a long time. Two pegasi flew over her head they looked happy. Her smile had grown even bigger. She burst out laughing while looking back at the changeling getting beaten.
They deserve it anyway.
She remembered the voice in the loudspeakers. She looked around to find her in the growing crowd.
She jumped to the mailmare and hugged her tight in her hooves.
" You are not like them. " She whispered to her ear.
The queen's guard were guilty, she was not. She was like her, like her neighbor.
The mailmare took her by the shoulders, staring right into her eyes. She had two beautiful yellow eyes. They both had yellow eyes. They both had the same sparkle of hope in their eyes.
" Pony, " The mailmare said, hugging her back. " I've had enough of being silent. I know you probably hate me and all my race but..."
" Let's try to make this world a better place... together. "
