Chrysalis acquires a new henchpony (Beast Wars crossover)
(This story will mainly be from Chrysalis' point of view)
He just appeared. He saved me....Took care of me... Fed me with his love for me.. Yet what is he? He is not like any changeling I've ever seen before! He constantly refers to me as his queen, even before I said anything to him... He mention an old queen, but I'm unsure of what he means.... He wants to rebuild my 'colony'.... And he is a fierce warrior.... Maybe with him..., I can regain my power...my hive....my dignity...
It had been two weeks since our failed attack on Canterlot, thus failing to feed off of Equestria's love to sustain ourselves...and I am the last one...My subjects..my hive...they all died from starvation... And soon, so will I... Their love for me was the only thing left keeping me alive...and now without them, I'll die....
I lied there in the barren wasteland, the heat from the cursed sun beating down on my now weak body. My throat was dry; my time was coming..... then he appeared...
A sphere came from seemingly nowhere. It was pulsing and sparking with what resembled lightning. It swirled around me and then a blinding light burst from it. When I opened my eyes I saw... him. He was a changeling, about the same size as that wretched Cadence, though a bit bulkier. He was red, which I found odd, as well as an odd tail, which resembled an abdomen of an insect. He also had a blueish carapace, and strangely, so was his head, which was the oddest part. It was triangular in shape and he also had a wider mouth. He also lacked a horn, instead having two folded-down antennae, and he had no wings. He opened his eyes; they were red. He looked at me, and stared for a little while...I believe he was analyzing me...or something...
He then looked at his own hooves, and the rest of his body. Then a loud shriek came from his lungs as he raised his hooves to the sky.
"My Queeeeeeeeen!!!!" He yelled. I suspected he was from another changeling hive...One that I was unaware existed...
He looked down at me with sorrowful eyes, then he walked towards me...I was frightened; I was weak, and he was at full strength from what I could tell...He would destroy me, for that was the Changeling Way: to leave the weak behind for the better of the hive...He would take my life for my failures...
But then to my surprise, he lifted me up onto his back, and started carrying me...I couldn't believe it; never had I seen before a changeling show a kindness like this.......to me.......
We walked for what seemed like days, but I couldn't tell; I was still too weak... and yet, I haven't perished...I wondered....
We had wandered though most of the wasteland it seemed; we had passed many of the landmark rock formations used to navigate through...though I wasn't sure he was aware of that. He was completely silent throughout the entire trip, until we we finally arrived...
A cave. He brought me into a cave...It was dark and damp, there was sound of dripping water and the patter of spiders; my kind of place....
The red changeling began to groan. I looked, and a horn grew from his head; he appeared unused to it...
A ball appeared above his horn; It was made of fire! I had never seen one of our race wield such a power! He launched it at a stone and it lighted. He brought me over to the fire and laid me beside it. Unlike the scorching heat from the sun, the fire was warm and pleasant. The nights in the wastelands were cold and filled with danger; he brought me here to keep me warm and safe....I still couldn't speak...Still too weak...I lied there...him watching me....staring at me....
Then it happened...My strength was returning, not a lot but a little; he........loved me.......
While a changeling queen like myself can feed off the love and affections of others, our life is dependent on her subjects' love for her. As long as my subjects loved me, I would stay alive............His love was keeping me alive...
I became tired.... I was exhausted from the wasteland heat...I went to sleep, my red guardian ever watching........
"Rest.....My Queen......."
I awoke; he was gone. Was it all a dream? No, it couldn't have been, I was still alive, and my strength was returning; he must be out somewhere....
I tried to stand, but I couldn't... Still, I was too weak....
I lied back down and continued to rest....
An hour passed. I couldn't sleep; I was too anxious. Who was this red changeling, and where did he come from? Were there other hives that I wasn't aware of? How was it that he could create fire? Why didn't he terminate me? Why did he carry me all the way here? Why did he love me? Why?!?!?!?! My thoughts raced and my head began to hurt...too weak to think, it appeared...
I grew bored and I began to play with my mane like a dull filly...I was glad nopony was around to see me embarrass myself like this...
Hoofsteps were approaching. It was him.... He walked over to me and sat down, and continued to stare at me, motionless, with his burning red eyes. I finally decided to speak to him....
"Why....?" My voice was raspy from the dry wasteland air and my weak lungs.
There was a long silence....
"You are my new Queen..." He finally spoke. He had something of an accent, similar to those Canterlot idiots, though it was surprising to hear such a voice to come from him...
"Who are you....?" I asked.
"I am Inferno, a soldier, a 'veteran' of sorts.....You are now my new Queen, and I am yours to command...Royalty...." He bowed before my frail, weak form..... I couldn't help myself....I started to cry......
He moved his hoof and wiped the tears from my eyes....for the first time in a while...I smiled....
"Rest, Royalty....You still need to recover your strength...." Inferno said to me, then walked outside to stand watch...
"Thank you....." I said weakly. Then I laid my head down and again, fell deep into sleep....and for the first time I could remember....I dreamed.....
It was the next day; I could finally stand, but I still couldn't walk much. But my strength was returning, so I couldn't complain. Inferno had stood guard for the entire night and was beside me when I awoke. It's funny... He pledges his eternal loyalty to me...and he has yet to ask my name?
I decided to tell him...
"Chrysalis..."
He took little notice...
"My name... It's Chrysalis..."
Inferno simply nodded.
I was somewhat baffled by his attitude; I could tell he cared, yet his actions would say otherwise...
"So..." I continued, "Inferno... you said you were a veteran...?"
I caught his attention...
"Yes... I was a soldier in the Beast Wars..." He seemed somewhat resentful... I decided to prod further...
"The Beast Wars?"
"Yes... A great conflict in which my old Queen waged battle with the Maximals..."
Inferno's hive must have lost that conflict, considering the somber tone in his voice...
"Maximals?" I asked.
"A stubborn group of do-gooders who kept pestering the Royalty's plans... I believe they were victorious over the rest of the Predacons...."
Predacons? Was that the name of their hive...?
"Predacons?" I asked again.
"Our group, yes..."
Inferno began to describe to me their team of commando changelings at the end of the Beast Wars conflict. He refused, however, to describe his former Queen...
Inferno started with Quickstrike: a small freak of a changeling with scorpion claws and a snake tail. He apparently spoke with a 'hick' accent from what Inferno told me. He was also very unintelligent, often used by their Queen as fodder for disabling traps. Quickstrike was also with Inferno before he got blasted to this wasteland.
Inferno then went on to Waspinator; a little poor excuse for a changeling from what I got, being blown away several times, only to get back up for more punishment. He, Quickstrike, and Inferno had been assigned to find a new 'colony' which I can only assume is a lair, during their final bout. Waspinator apparently had some sort of psychotic breakdown, and was blasted to cease his rambling.
Inferno then told me of the most notorious traitor in the Predacons: Tarantulas. He was the only one who Inferno knew had for sure perished, though he didn't know how exactly. He described Tarantulas as a spider-like creature who had a disturbing diet. He had also defied their Queen on several occasions, though their Queen often used these to her advantage, as Inferno says.
Inferno then described to me a real horror; a monster of a changeling designed to never perish, and who claimed to feast on other changelings! Their Queen had named it Rampage, and used her magic to steal away some of the beast's life 'spark' to use against it.
Inferno then finished with on the replica their Queen had made of Dinobot, a Predacon who turned to the Maximal side at the very beginning of the conflict. She had used Rampage's life 'spark' to accomplish this. I could tell Inferno didn't care much for the clone, as it 'took his spot at the Queen's side' as he said.
He sighed...
"To think... After all I'd done... All my work...."
I saw it; a tear! A tear trickled down Inferno's face. He seemed surprised and rubbed his eyes furiously.
I smiled; the sight of such a stern warrior trying to rub the tears out of his eyes was impossible to not.
Inferno quickly regained his composure and reverted back to his silent guard self. He then bowed and took his leave, standing guard again, leaving me to imagine the strange hive he was once a part of... And his former Queen...
Two hours passed and I was bored; nothing to do other than sit and think. I decided to think about what to do next. Should I take revenge on Canterlot? No... I think not... Besides, they most likely increased security since my last attempt. No, Inferno's right... I need to rebuild... Sigh... Somehow...
"Royalty..." Inferno walked in, "I suggest we vacate...I'm sensing something... big..."
I got up and tried to walk, but Inferno stopped me.
"Let me, my Queen..." He again picked me up onto his back and proceeded to carry me out of the cave.
We made it out; the ground started to rumble and a skull-splitting screech burst around us.
"Royalty! Look!"
I turned, but I couldn't believe what I saw...
"The Marrowwock!!"
I had heard of the gruesome fate that awaited those who crossed its path. Standing ten meters tall, the Marrowwock was a skeletal horror of a nightmare. It was made entirely out of bones, not having a single piece of flesh on its gangling form. Its lanky limbs barely holding up its large talons, and a bony extension of a tail that ended with a terrifying scythe. Its wings spanned twenty meters and gave the Marrowwock an even more fiercer appearance. The beast's long neck that led to its most frightening feature: its skull. It had eyeless sockets that carved their way to the recesses of your mind, and its abnormal jaw that gave the Marrowwock a disturbingly wide mouth, filled with razors that bled marrow. This marrow was acidic and was used by the Marrowwock to dissolve the flesh and organs of those foolish enough to venture into the wastes. It would then take the bones that remained and add them to its already horrifying being.
Legend spoke of a wicked king that had used dark, forbidden magic to create the Marrowwock from the corpse of a once, great dragon, but had vanished into these wastes after his master was sealed away.
The only thing now is that it wasn't a legend, for there it was before us! The Marrowwock; standing there atop the rock formation where the cave had been a part of, looking down at us with its nonexistent eyes, marrow drooling from its teeth...
The Marrowwock continued to stare down at us from its perch atop the rock face, its 'eyes' hungry for us.
Inferno stood silent and motionless as my sweat dripped down onto the heated sands.
The Marrowwock let out another of its horrifying shrieks and began to climb down the side of the rocks. It appeared to be prideful, as it could have more easily flown at us...
"Royalty...." Inferno spoke up, "Can you fly yet?"
"I haven't tried..." I attempted to flap my wings; nothing...
The Marrowwock had reached the ground and began crawling towards us, its scythed tail swaying in anticipation...
"Royalty, you must fly!" Inferno was now clearly worried.
I tried again, but I still couldn't...
The Marrowwock now loomed over us with its disfigured jaw sporting what I could only assume was a horrific grin. It continued to stand there in some sort of thought, as if it couldn't decide on how to kill us.
It then reached for us with its skeletal claw...
"STAY BACK, CREATURE!!" Inferno shouted as he conjured a fireball and launched it at the talon.
The Marrowwock retracted the bony arm; it seemed somewhat surprised. I doubt many of its previous victims put up much of a fight...
"My Queen... I will defend you from this monster..."
"But-!"
"No! As a soldier I must protect the Royalty!" He set me down and approached the bony terror...
"BEAST! You shall fight ME! I will defend my Queen to the BITTER END!! ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE!!"
I... couldn't believe it; Inferno was willing to die for my... In spite of the unholy corpse that stood against him...... I felt my wings buzz....
The Marrowwock seemed impressed with Inferno's courage, but it didn't last as the undead horror lifted its scythe tail...
"NOOO!" I screamed.
CROOSH!!!
It slammed its tail into the sand where Inferno stood, but all that was there was sand...
I had zoomed in and grabbed Inferno before he was crushed.
"Royalty?! You...saved me?"
I couldn't reply; I was already heavily strained, flying and carrying him....
Another one of the Marrowwock's roars pierced the air, and caused me to fall. We both crashed into the sand and scurried to get back on our hooves.
"We're doomed..." I mumbled, "We will not escape..."
"Royalty..." Inferno began, "There is something I can do... It might shock and disturb you, but I'm sure it will turn our tide..."
Inferno stepped back and began to sweat and groan as he, once again, amazed me. His back hooves morphed into legs and feet, and his front ones transformed into arms and claws. His back cracked as he rose to a bipedal stature, and his chest formed a carapace similar to the chest of a minotaur. His tail opened up like a flower coming into spring bloom, and during all of this, he grew larger. Inferno panted as his transformation had completed, and he rose up in front of me; he was a few inches taller.
"This is what we Predacons truly were... We were instruments of destruction and were created for war."
I said nothing; I was too astonished at what I had just witnessed. Such an incredible transformation. I wondered if all 'Predacons' could transform this way. Another screech shook me out of my thought and sent fear in its place. I then saw the Marrowwock fly towards us!
"I will handle him...., my Queen!" A flame appeared in Inferno's opened tail, and he burst into the sky, the flame propelling him towards the Marrowwock.
"FIGHT ME!!" Inferno threw fireballs at the Marrowwock, created from his own hands.
The Marrowwock roared as the fireballs met its bony form. It then reached its marrow-dripping jaw at Inferno, who managed to dodge.
"I am much faster in this form!" Inferno laughed as he increased his speed and started flying circles around the Marrowwock. I watched him go faster and faster, and saw that the sand was kicking up. It swirled around the Marrowwock, its howls drowned out by the violent winds. The sandstorm grew so large that I could no longer see either the Marrowwock or Inferno...
Suddenly a bright flame burst to life and I had to turn away to shield my eyes. When I opened them, I saw the Marrowwock, frozen in place in a glass tomb. Next to it was Inferno, lying in the sand.
"Inferno!" I flew over to him as he reverted to his changeling form. I checked his vitals; he was still alive! I picked him up and hoisted him onto my back and flew into the air. I smiled, "Now it is my turn to carry you.... my Soldier...."
The glass around the Marrowwock's jaw began to melt away..........
I continued to carry Inferno on my back as I tried to find the path that bandits used to navigate the Wastes when he awoke. He was surprised to find me carrying him and he jumped off and started to march ahead of me.
"I shall go ahead of you, my Queen." Inferno said as he quickly took a position ahead of me. I couldn't see how red his face was, but I could feel it. Another Changeling habit when feeding off love: we can feel whenever their emotions grew. I smiled; I decided to let Inferno have his moment, even though he had no idea where he was going.
We trekked for several hours, passing several different rock formations and caves. Eventually, we came across an abandoned caravan, most likely from cocky bandits. I presumed they had encountered the Marrowwock, and thus their demise...
I decided that we would rest here for the night, since the Marrowwock was trapped and there weren't many other creatures that lived in the Wastes because of it.
"Very well, my Queen..." Inferno started a fire while I scavenged the wagons for any scraps of food I could find. I took a seat by the fire while Inferno took his usual post as guard.
"Inferno...." I began, "Why don't you relax for tonight? The Marrowwock was really the only danger here in the Wastes, and you took care of him. Have a seat!" I patted the ground beside me.
I saw Inferno's cheeks turn red, "V-Very well then, Royalty..." He nervously walked over and sat across the fire from me. I tried not to laugh as he tried to make himself comfortable; he never seemed to be able find a proper way to sit.
After ten minutes us neither one of us saying anything, I decided to speak up...
"That was quite impressive...." I muttered. Inferno looked up at me from the fire that he had been watching since he found a position he was comfortable with, so I continued, "How you defeated the Marrowwock, very impressive..."
"Oh, yes..... Thank you, Royalty..." Inferno returned to stare into the fire. He was expressionless and unmoving as I looked at the fire being reflected on his red eyes. I turned away to grab a cloth from one of the wagons.
"Ironic...." I turned back to hear Inferno, "I've been burning and torching for my previous Queen for so long, only to be blasted away with fire myself...." He chuckled. "I finally understand things.... My Old Queen used me and the other Predacons... I should have known better...." Inferno dozed off; the first time since we met.
I went to grab that cloth and I grabbed another and placed it over Inferno. I covered myself and lied down and stared at the fire, listening to the embers crackle as I drifted to sleep...
I woke up to some sort of noise; Inferno was still sleeping though, so I decided to take a look around. I walked around the wagons, and I heard the noise again. It sounded like somepony snooping around in the supplies.... loudly....
"Tarnation! What's a bot gotta do ta' find some grub 'round here!"
I decided to wake Inferno and I told him about the intruder. "My Queen, go around and confront him, I'll go around and flank him." I nodded and proceeded to go around and get the intruder's attention.
"It's bad enough I gots nothin' to eat, but I-"
"Hooves up!" I jumped behind him and he jumped as well, falling into the wagon he was looking through. "Get out of there and show yourself!" I commanded.
"Heh..., LIKE SLAG I WILL!" The intruder burst from the wagon and landed in front of me, and I managed to finally get a look at him, though I couldn't really believe what I saw....
He was a Changeling, similar to Inferno, but also quite different. Unlike Inferno, he who's quite larger than other Changelings, this one was around the same size as a normal one. He was yellowish-orange with some turquoise on his carapace and on his head, which was also much different from Inferno. It was the same yellow-orange as his body, apart from the turquoise mask-like face which had two mandible-like spikes with a mouth.....thing in between. He had red eyes like Inferno, but I was too distracted by the other pair of eyes on his tail! It swayed back and forth as if it was a snake, and then I realized that his tail was a snake!
I began to remember something that Inferno told me, but was interrupted by a shot of some green liquid from his snake tail, I managed to dodge.
"Slag! Stand and fight ya little-D'ow!"
Inferno leaped onto to him before he got another shot out and pinned him to the ground. "Keep away from the Royalty you......" He paused as he look at the face of this Changeling. "Quickstrike?"
"GET OFF OF ME YOU SLAGGIN'- What? INFERNO?!?!"
"How did you...?"
"First, get your kiester offa me 'fore I kick it off!"
Inferno did so and helped Quickstrike up as well, "Thanks, pardner..."
"Quickstrike, how did you get here?" Inferno asked.
"SLAG IF I KNOW!! Last thing I know, that lousy tin horn blasted the both of us to kindom come! The next thing I know, I'm...... WHATEVER THE SLAG I AM NOW!! I can't even slaggin' transform...."
"So this is Quickstrike?" I walked into their conversation.
"Well, Inferno...." Quickstrike chuckled, "I didn't know ya'll got yourself a fem-bot..." He started to walk over towards me, "Not bad lookin' for a.... whatever she is...." He then started to nudge my leg. "Sorry 'bout before Sugar-Bot, and ta make it up, how 'bout we all ditch the fire ant and go have some time to ourselves eh, Sugar-Bot...?" His snake tail winked at me, which caused my body to shiver.
"HOW DARE YOU ASK SUCH VULGARITY FROM THE ROYALTY!!" Inferno yelled at him.
"Wait...." Quickstrike stopped, "Sugar-Bot here is your...... Yeahahahahahaaaa!!" He fell to the ground and rolled around laughing, "She's your replacement for Boss-Bot?!?! Whoo-Boy! Ha!"
I stood there confused, "And just what is so funny?" I asked.
Quickstrike tried to stop laughing, "This fire ant's got no sense at all! Kept calling that tin horn leader of ours 'queen' and 'royalty'! Yahahahaaa!" Quickstrike's stomach then began to rumble. "Eh..., ya'll mind if I crash with ya'll and maybe git somethin' to eat?"
I had no intention of doing so, but Inferno convinced me otherwise, especially if I was to rebuild my hive... "Ugh..., fine, you can travel with us..." I groaned.
"Thanks, Sugar-Bot! I really-"
"ENOUGH WITH THIS 'SUGAR-BOT' THING ALREADY!!" I yelled into his face, "If you're going to follow us, you will address me as 'my queen', QUEEN CHRYSALIS. GOT IT?"
Far from where Chrysalis and the Predacons were, the glass tomb of the Marrowwock began to break apart, until the whole cage shattered as the Marrowwock burst out with an unimaginably terrifying roar. Its acidic marrow oozed from its jaw, creating pits in the sand.
The Marrowwock was seething with anger, having been defeated so easily by worthless changeling. Another screech erupted from its maw. It leapt into the air, and zoomed through the sky, determined to find that changeling and sending it to the Void of Darkness, where its master resides....
Quickstrike is by far the most annoying creature I have ever forced to be with, even more than those wretched ponies. He won't stop talking about how great he was in the 'Beast Wars', and he will not stop calling me Sugar-Bot!
If it wasn't for Inferno, Quickstrike would be falling from 3,000 feet in the air, his freak snake-tail tied to a large boulder.
If there's one good thing in all of this, it's that Inferno is talking much more often. He seems much more cheery than he was last night..., I'm.... happy... that he found one of his companions.... It's a strange feeling.... How glad I am for him... Maybe it's because he's the only one who cared enough for me to carry me across the searing wastes.... I don't know....
We continued to rest at the ruined caravan, Quickstrike trying to show off to me while Inferno held his head in his hooves.
"So there I was, fightin' wit that scale-faced Dinobot, when that good fer nothin' lizard bites my tail, an' tosses me into a rock!"
I was about to do the same...
"Then I jump back at 'im an' thrashed 'im good!"
"Lying snake!" Inferno jumped and approached Quickstrike, "You were roasted by Dinobot's eye lasers!"
"No I weren't!"
"You were!"
"Weren't!!"
"You were!!"
"Enough!!" I yelled, "I'm sick of your bickering! Ugh..." I can't take much more of this....
"The Royalty is right!" Inferno rose, "We should stop if we are to rebuild our Queen's colony!"
Quickstike sighed, "Really? Yer still on that? I'd reckon you'd be offa all that, since-"
"Silence, Quickstrike!" Inferno shoved him away, "The Queen will plan our next move."
I sat there, my eyes shifting from side to side as they stared at me, waiting for an answer. I tried to think of something; something to say that would tie them over, but what? I actually haven't thought much of what to do next..., Changelings don't reproduce the way many imagine they do.... We don't hatch from eggs, or are even born. Changelings are shells of ponies that a Queen like myself have fed on for a extended period of time. I've heard of legendary Changeling Queens that could use magic to clone their soldiers, greatly increasing their swarm.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure that'll ever be an option, so I decided we'd get out of the wastes before I make any plans.
"Very well, my Queen! We will traverse our way through the desert and seek a colony! Let us prepare!"
"Ugh..." Quickstrike groaned, "Fine..."
We began on our way through the hot sands, all three of us, though it was much more irritating since Quickstrike can't stay quiet for five minutes.
"That just ain't fair!" Quickstrike whined, "How's it that ya'll can transform, but I can't!!" His snake-tail hissed.
"It's very physically exhausting," Inferno sighed; it was the fifth time he'd said it, "My body gave out the first time I tried, and I went into stasis-lock after I spent a little time transformed..."
"Yer just don't know how ta take th' pain," Quickstrike boasted, and then began to flex his front legs, "I'd be able ta stay transformed fer a long while...." He then stares oddly at me, but then turns back to Inferno, "Speakin' of which..., what th' slag are we anyway?"
"Aren't you both Changelings?" The two of them turned to me and I silenced myself.
"I dun know what you're talkin' 'bout, Sugar-Bot," Quickstrike laughed, "We all 're Predacons, though I dun really know what you are..."
"FOOL!" Inferno interrupted, "She is our Queen, and we as her soldiers, we mustn't question her!"
"I don't mean that!" Quickstrike pushed Inferno, "I mean, what is she, an' why does she got holes in 'er legs?!?"
"I'm unsure what you are referring to Quickstrike," I decided to humor him, "But I am a Changeling, a Queen at that, and I noticed that you are also a Changeling, albeit a strange one..."
"So that why I gotta walk 'round on all fours...." Quickstrike's snake-tail scratching his head, "But why're we these things?! Why can't I transform?! An' how the slag are we still alive Inferno?!?"
"What in the Pit are you going on about?"
"Consarnit! Ya'll don't see that we're four-legged bug... horse... things...." He then looked at his hoof as he seems to have realized that he has hooves. "Why the slag do we have these hooves?!? And how the slag did I pick stuff up with it?! AND WHY CAN'T I TRANSFORM!!! GIII-YAAAAAHH!!"
Quickstrike then runs around screaming around Inferno and I, and he was just as irritated as I was. He stepped in front of Quickstrike, and the idiot ran into him.
"What the..., Inferno?! Why in tarnation-?!"
"Listen you two-headed buffoon!" Inferno then pick up his comrade and stood on his back hooves, "Things are different now, yes, but would you rather be scrap? I think not. We have been blessed with a second chance with our life cycles, and I'm not sure about you Quickstrike, but I plan to serve a Queen who will not abandon me! I will serve her til the death of me, and I shall be grateful as I fall serving her in what might be a short life, I don't care! I must serve her... I don't know why..., but I feel...that I must, and I shall!"
I couldn't believe what he said...., He really does love me....
Inferno then threw Quickstrike to the ground, "Make your choice old friend..., like it or not, we are in a different world, and we must adapt to it." Inferno began to walk away, "I've made my choice..., make yours..." He then walked to my side and looked at Quickstrike, who was deep in thought.
"I... reckon... I....."
A familiar ear-piercing screech interrupted him and made my blood chill. I looked at Inferno and I saw that he felt the same; he looked at me and we both knew that we were in for a fight.
"WHAT IN TARNATION!?!?"
Then a bony shape crashed into the sand and it sent sand everywhere. The first thing I saw was it's bony maw rising from the sand, marrow dripping from it's teeth, then it's hollow eyes which somehow seemed filled with rage and fury. It's skeletal wings then shot up and the nightmare let out another terrifying wail which froze my spine again.
"WHAT THE SLAG IS THAT!?!?!?!"
I took a small breath, knowing that it could possibly be my last, and I answered him....
It's funny. The way history repeats itself. It was only a day ago that I looked upon that marrow-dripping maw of bone. I watched as a drop of it fell from one of its teeth and splashed on the rock it perched on, melting its way through the hissing stone. I looked up to the Marrowwock's 'eyes' and saw nothing, but rage, aimed at me and Inferno.
I looked over to him; he seemed just as surprised as I was. The Marrowwock must have escaped its glassy prison using its acidic marrow. It seeped in the nightmare's teeth and more of it dripped down to the now screaming rock. I then looked at Quickstrike, who was shaking in his hooves, and his snake tail's mouth went limp. I couldn't blame him, I was also shaking.
The Marrowwock gave me no more time to think on the situation, as it jumped towards me. This time, however, my wings were in prime condition and I managed to dodge, only barely missing the bony scythe on the beast's tail.
Inferno retaliated with three fireballs to the Marrowwock's face.
"Quickstrike! Guard the Royalty! I shall deal with this monster! Inferno, Terrorize!!"
Inferno morphed into what I decided to call his 'Predacon form' and let out a powerful battle cry. His abdomen-like tail opened up and flame burst out, launching him into the air.
The Marrowwock swung its tail, but Inferno's spun around it and shot four more fireballs out of his hands and into the beast's skeletal spine. The bony horror roared and lunged at Inferno with its gaping maw, but Inferno's speed and maneuverability proved superior again.
Quickstrike and I watched Inferno bombard the undead dragon with fireball after fireball. I felt his hoof nudge mine and I moved away.
"Heh, sorry 'bout that Sugar-Bot..."
Why must he call me that...?
Quickstrike turned away from me and looked back to the fight.
"So... that's what we look like when we transform, huh......" He said looking at Inferno, "Ain't all that dfferin' the old one..."
Old one? The more I listen to them talk about 'before', the more curious I get. They know not of Changelings, they called themselves Predacons... what are they? Why haven't I heard of them? All of the sudden they appear out of nowhere... why? How come they don't know what Changelings are even though they are Changelings? And why....
My thoughts were interrupted by another roar. I looked out to the battle and that the Marrowwock started to truly fight now. Its claws, tail, and jaws were everywhere, reaching and grabbing for my Soldier at every move he made. I knew that the nightmare was no longer toying with us. I saw how it was now out for our hides and would stop at nothing until our corpses become a part of this wasteland. I knew Inferno wouldn't defeat the beast himself....
"I'm going in..." I began to move forward but was stopped by Quickstrike.
"No way Sugar-Bot!" He responded, "Let the ant distract the bone bag while we make our git-away!"
I shoved him out of the way and moved forward against his pleading. Changeling Queens don't feel guilty when abandoning their troops in battle..., then why am I? Why is it that I cannot leave him and save myself like my instincts were telling me? As I spread my wings and took off, I felt it. A warmth. A strange heat that traveled through my body as I flew to my Soldier's aid.
And then it hit me. I... I cared for him... I cared for Inferno...
The heat racing through me turned fiery as I zoomed into the fray. I got the beast's attention by firing my beams of magic at the back of its skull. I also got Inferno's attention as well.
"Royalty?!? Why have you- Ahhghh!"
Inferno was caught in the Marrowwock's claw, my distracting him providing the horror the opportunity it needed.
"Inferno- AHHH!"
The Marrowwock caught me with its other bony talon. I felt my body being crushed by its powerful grip. The beast roared as I saw the corners of its maw go up. It smiled; an image I hope to forget.
The Marrowwock lifted us to his face. I saw the acidic marrow bubble as it prepared to kill us. I knew this was our last moments. I looked to Inferno; he was struggling and yelling. I guess I couldn't tell him...
I closed my eyes and braced for my demise...
"Hey bonehead!"
I opened my eyes and looked out. I, again, couldn't believe what I saw...
"Git yer slaggin' mits offa my pardner an' my Sugar-Bot!!"
Quickstrike was standing atop a jagged stone that jutted out from the sands, but no with his hooves, but with feet! He had turned into his Predacon form!
His tealish carapace was around his chest, which was in his goldish, and a plate of the same color was extending out from his back behind his head. His head remained unchanged, still the same shape and with the odd mouth. I noticed all of these other features after I found where his snake tail was...
It was his right arm; his entire right arm! How did it even go from his tail to his arm? I didn't know, but I didn't care for it all that much, being in the crushing grip of the Marrowwock.
My ears felt like that'd burst as the Marrowwock roared a deafening, skull-splitting shriek at the transformed Quickstrike, who responded with an obscene gesture I had often seen creatures with fingers give each other before it broke out into a fight.
"C'mon ya slag suckin' bone pile!!" Quickstrike continued to taunt the skeletal dragon, "Git over 'ere an' wrestle wit a real bot!!"
I looked to the beast's skeletal face, a could see more of its anger and rage in the eyeless sockets. They almost flamed with it. I also saw that look; a look of overconfidence I've had before...
Before I had time to think more on it, the Marrowwock dropped us, only for it to catch and entangle us in its bony tail. The Marrowwock then spread its giant skeletal wings and leapt into the air towards Quickstrike, keeping its tail coiled tightly around me and Inferno.
"What does Quickstrike think he's doing?!" I yelled.
"Hopefully something smart Royalty!" Inferno yelled back at me.
I looked and saw Quickstrike gawking some more at the Marrowwock before leaping off his stone stage and diving into the sand, right before the bone demon crashed upon it.
The Marrowwock roared again in fury and I saw Quickstrike jump out of the sand behind us.
"Ya missed me bone belleh! Heeyahaha!!"
He dived back into the sand before a spray of acidic marrow splashed and melted him.
Another fierce, rage-filled roar.
It was then that I figured out Quickstrike's plan, though I still believe it was a matter of coincidence he'd come up with a plan at all.
Quickstrike popped out again.
"Don' ya worry yerself Sugar-Bot!!" He yelled up to me.
Quickstrike aimed his snake arm at the bony tail and I saw the snake's fangs glow green. A glowing green stream shot out of his snake arm and latched to the Marrowwock's tail, and to all of our surprise, including Quickstrike's, the stream began to burn through the bones, and the tail snapped off!
Inferno and I fell to the ground along with the detached tail. Well, Inferno fell to the ground; Quickstrike caught me in his arms. The Marrowwock roared in pain and flew off to recollect itself. Quickstrike smiled at me in his arms.
"How's that fer a rescue, Sugar-Bot?" He winked at me. I just rolled my eyes and I climbed out of his arms.
"....My thanks....."
I really meant it... Quickstrike came to save us, more or less me, but he did save us... He may be a fool..., but at least he's a fool for me....
"Gah! Ahh!"
I looked and saw Inferno pulling his head out of the sand.
"Royalty!!"
He stumbled in the sand on his way to me he nearly fell over onto me.
"My Queen, are you damaged...?" He held my hoof as he asked.
"................."
Well, I was fine, but my words wouldn't come out. The heat came back to me and my heart was racing, and I knew I must have been blushing. It felt like my hoof melted in his hand...
Reality loudly made itself known again as the Marrowwock's roaring maw came into our view, and we all saw them...
The Marrowwock's eyes....
They were holes; holes of complete and solid black, utterly devoid of any and all light. I felt like I was being sucked into them the more I looked into them.
I snapped myself out of my trance and I pushed the Predacons out of the way. We barely dodged the black-eyed horror.
"Inferno! Take Quickstrike and follow me!"
I had decided to take command for once and had them fly after me. I looked beside me to find the rather comical image of Quickstrike riding on Inferno's back.
"Royalty, our course of action?"
Now that we were flying away from the Marrowwock, I was able to come up with a plan.
"Attack. You and I shall distract it while Quickstrike will ambush the beast from behind!"
"It shall be done my Queen..."
"Hoo-wee!! Huh? What're ya- No-!"
Quickstrike soon meeted with the sand and with bit of grumbling dived in.
I turned around to see the Marrowwock gaining on us.
"Now!"
Inferno and I swerved around and turned our flight to the Marrowwock.
"Eayyaugh! For the glory of the Royalty!!"
We flew in and circled around the undead dragon, easily dodging its claws, and headed to ground level, hoping the beast would follow. A roar coming from behind was our answer and we flew as fast as we could to the ground. We had the Marrowwock right behind us. It tried to crush us into the sand, but Inferno and I turned sharply and we avoided the impact.
As the Marrowwock tried to regain its footing, Quickstrike came up from underneath the sand and shot a toxic stream at the base of one of the Marrowwock's wings, corroding the bone until it fell off. The Marrowock shrieked in pain and it lost equilibrium and fell backwards, due to having only one wing. Quickstike soon took care of that with another toxic stream. Another roar and another crash, and the Marrowwock was robbed of its flight.
The Marrowwock caught on now and went after Quickstrike, but he dived into the sand. The living skeleton sprayed its marrow around itself, making all the surrounding stone, and began to dig into the sand with its long claws. Inferno and I then flew back to the beast and we began to attack, me with my magic and Inferno with fireballs. They didn't do anything to the Marrowwock, but it did switch the monster's attention to us. It tried to slash at me with it's talons, but I managed to dodge them, and Inferno barely missed having his legs reduced to a puddle.
The Marrowwock knew our strategy now and was constantly moving. It may have not had its scythe tail and wind, but now it scurried on the sand, like a giant undead lizard. The beast also got smarter, spraying its acidic marrow around itself every few seconds, and it that wasn't enough, it began to predict our attacks.
And then the Marrowwock caught Inferno.
"AAuaghhhhh!!"
"Inferno!!"
I rushed over to help Inferno, but I was knocked away by a wave of sand the Marrowwock kicked up, and I fell to the ground. As I got up to my hooves, I heard Inferno howl in pain and I immediately turned to see. The Marrowwock had pierced Inferno's chest with one of its long sickle-like claws, not in any vital organs and not very deep, but enough to make Inferno squeal. The skeletal beast played with Inferno by moving its claw around inside him, causing even more pain, yet didn't kill him. The nightmare wanted to torture Inferno, and destroy him only when agonizing torture was comparable to a feather.
It was at that point where a strange blood-like fluid began to leak from Inferno onto the sand below it. If only I had known....
I was too worried for Inferno. I couldn't attack, or the Marrowwock would surely melt him.
Then, underneath the Marrowwock, Quickstrike's snake arm spit out a toxic stream right at the horror's spine, and the beast shrieked as its body broke apart in two. I flew in as quick as I could and managed to at least lessen the impact of Inferno's fall, and we crashed into the sand.
"Inferno..." I was panting hard.
"Roaylty....? You-?"
I put my hoof to his mouth and shushed him, and then realized I was lying on top of him. The heat went through my body again. I wanted to pull myself away, but....., I also wanted to get closer. I felt myself leaning forward, my face getting closer to his. I looked into his eyes, and I could tell Inferno was incredibly confused with my behavior, and to tell the truth, I was too. I never felt this was for anypony before...
Our intimate moment was interrupted, however, by the thunderous roar from the Marrowwock. Inferno tried to get up, but his injury prevented him from doing so. I on the other hoof, couldn't move; I was paralyzed by the Marrowwock's eyes again. It's as if they drained away my will to fight. Marrow poured down from the Marrowwock's jaw as it crawled over to us. I could feel all of its anger, all of its rage, all of its lust for our gradual and agonizing demise. All of this in the skeletal horror's eyes. Those black.... endless.... eyes...........
"Yer not gittin' mah Sugar-Bot!!"
Quickstrike leapt onto the Marrowwock's skull and his snake head bit hard into it. The beast roared and tried to shake him off, but Quickstrike held on.
"Yee-HAAWWW!!"
Quickstrike fired his toxic stream into the dragon's skull, causing it to utter a scream. I cannot describe how it sounded, nor would I want to, for the sound was too unholy to describe. The Marrowwock screamed and flailed around, kicking off Quickstrike, who landed near us. It writhed in the sand, wailing and screaming as the poison corroded its way into the beast's skull.
With one last terrible shriek, the Marrowwock crashed into the sand before us, reaching for us with a long bony talon, and staring at us with its void-like eyes.
Then it was still. The damned abomination of darkness was dead, and I saw the blackness vanish from the nightmare's sockets as its unholy life returned to the hell it came from.
And all of us were silent.....
"Yeehehah! Yeah! I whupped that bonehead!!!"
I then remembered why I can't stand Quickstrike...
"Heheha..." He passed out and he began to return to his Changeling form. I saw his snake arm retract into his body and his hoofed leg returned. The sound of it was a bit disturbing, and the snake began to slide out from Quickstrike's behind. He was completely exhausted; he must have used every bit of strength he had.
I sighed and turned to Inferno, "Can you stand?"
He nodded and slowly got to his feet, holding his wounded chest, and he walked over to the unconscious Quickstrike. He bent down to pick him up, but I used my magic to lift Quickstrike instead.
"No, you're wounded..."
Inferno looked at me and was about to speak, but I silenced him and put Quickstrke on my back.
"....Very well Royalty........."
We left the lifeless skeleton of the Marrowwock behind us.
Some time after the three left, a remaining drop of marrow leaked form the Marrowwock's jaw and dripped into the small puddle of blood form Inferno's wound.
It began to boil and a shadowy black mist emanated from it....
We traveled for an hour through the wastes until we finally saw something other than sand and rock, and I saw that I went back the way I came from, because I could see the castle...
"Equestria...."
"Royalty?"
I turned to him; he was still in his Predacon form, though he's still wounded and barely able to stand.
"It's Canterlot... the capital of Equestria..." All the memories of my invasion returned to me as I said that. I'm surprised that I'd forgot all about it..., considering it was the reason I was here in this wasteland..., and the reason I met Inferno...
"Royalty...? Are you okay...?"
I snapped out of my dreaming and turned to him again, "I was recollecting.... about this place...."
I stopped, and looked around. I saw another abandoned caravan and we immediately set up our camp there. I placed Quickstrike in the wagon, and then took some cloth and tended to Inferno's wound finally.
"I'm sorry you had to travel without your wound treated...."
"Royalty.... you're.... kind... and caring..." He sat and rested.
He knew I cared for him? Does he feel the same? I remain alive because of his love, but he doesn't suffer from it... I don't know....
"Ughhhh....." Quickstrike began to stir and he got out of the wagon, "How'd we all git here...?"
"The Royalty carried you here on her back, so return her gratitude..."
"Hehe..., Sugar-Bot 'carried' me...? Well...." He slowly walked over to me, "I reckon ya enjoyed it, din' ya Sugar-Bot..?"
I smacked him across the face; he began to irritate me.
"HEY!!"
"You deserve that for your vulgarity snake! If I was able, I would've done it myself!"
"Hey! I think I should git somethin' fer savin' yer our slaggin' hides!!"
I decided to interject, if only to spare myself the migraine from their arguing.
"How did you even transform, Quicktrike? I thought you couldn't?"
Quickstrike strutted back to me, "Well..., I jist couldn't let ya go kill yerself Sugar-Bot..., so I did all I could ta transform... and somehow, I was able ta..." I could tell he was as confused as I was, "I really dun know...."
The sun began to set and I realized how tired I was. The fight and the trek took so much out of me, and it took only now for me to realize that... I decided to turn in and I lied down, while the two Predacons stayed up.
I dreamt of him... and me... but I'm not ready to talk about it... It was........
