Chapter Eighteen: Inferno Of Sparks

The Hive sat in an eerie silence for the time of day, though almost no light could be seen through the dark and thick clouds flowing gently across the dusk sky. The floor of the land of changelings stirred only slightly as the inhabitants waited for what seemed to take forever, restlessness growing within each changeling every second. Despite the slow and agonizing patience that the changelings had to sit through, a feeling of excitement also filled their hearts, knowing that they would finally be able to do what they have wanted to do for so long. Three days The Hive had gone without love to feed on, and the changelings within The Hive began to grow weak, but they retained enough energy to remember what they would be doing, and how to master the cruelty inside of themselves. With the guidance of a spectacular leader from speculation around The Hive, the changelings could only wait in the large plain that used to be a forest until the leader they heard of would arrive.

Queen Chrysalis stood at the small replica of a balcony on the side of the mountain that overlooked the field of changelings, scanning her eyes over the vast area that had become The Hive. The landscape of mountains and forests had been depleted of almost all of its life, but that did not halt the expansion of the relentless onslaught of changelings. Digging further out of the original point where The Hive began, Chrysalis slowly took over the section of the outskirts of Equestria she had made her home. Mountains turned into mounds drilled with tunnels and the flatlands turned into complicated paths and bridges, the changelings under Queen Chrysalis’s rule began to see why Chrysalis had been working them so hard. Their most prized accomplishment, however, was kept to the queen herself.

The spire that the changelings had worked so hard on was finally completed after three days of nonstop construction, and Chrysalis could never have been happier without it. Staring over the entire Hive and beyond, the spire proved to be the most menacing landmark within The Hive. Built with over ten floors for various different uses, the spire stood almost as high as the clouds that swirled around in the sky. As promised by Chrysalis, Tranquility and the other mares that Augury had brought to The Hive remained in the base of the spire, safe from any harm the changelings dared to inflict on them, though they were subject to Chrysalis running her eyes over them profusely in disgust. The majority of the ponies had finished the process of assimilation, though the two princesses still awaited the force of changelings to take over them. Despite her staying in the spire for almost the entire three days that had gone by from her last talk with Augury, Chrysalis longed to go back to her private quarters at the top of the spire, the queen staring at the tower overseeing The Hive in the distance from the balcony she waited on.

A small commotion of hissing and stomping of hooves rumbled in the vast field of changelings in the valley below Chrysalis’s balcony, the changeling queen adverting her eyes from her spire to the balcony beside her. In her state of mesmerization, Augury had managed to walk right next to her without warning her of his presence, Chrysalis slightly jumping at the sudden sight of the changeling general.

“I assume they’re ready.” Augury spoke, glaring out at the field of changelings that seemed ever so disgusting to him.

“For about thirty minutes, yes. What took you so long?” Chrysalis snapped.

“I was taking care of something. Nothing you should worry about.”

Chrysalis briefly motioned her head to the changelings awaiting Augury to begin. “Then get on with it. My hooves are getting tired.”

Augury nodded and stepped forward to the edge of the balcony, clearing his throat quickly before sparking an amplifying spell in front of him, a transparent dark blue shield floating out in front of him. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t even be here.” Augury started, his voice instantly growing in volume as the sound reached the blue shield. “I don’t like any of you, lets get that straight. But, since I’m not a fiend like all of you are, I’m not going to leave my loved ones behind.”

A chatter of disgruntled hisses grew within the field of changelings, but died down as Chrysalis stomped her hoof on the balcony, sending a loud crack echoing through The Hive that silenced the changelings that began to let their anger take over them.

“I told you to come here to give them orders, not insult them. This is your first impression on most of them, don’t blow it.” Chrysalis warned.

Augury paid no attention to Chrysalis’s remark. “That said, you are to follow my orders when we are out of The Hive. If you don’t like it, deal with it. Have complaints? Keep them to yourself. I don’t want to hear a word from any of you unless you’re telling me something important, and by important, I mean it better be something about the mission. Your lives are meaningless to me.”

Chrysalis hit Augury on the side lightly, but the changeling general only continued on coldly. “We will be leaving for Cloudsdale tomorrow morning. If you don’t know where that is, you’re more idiotic than I thought, but I will be leading the way their, so try not to get lost. Each and every one of you sorry souls are to capture and cocoon as many ponies as you can and bring them back here. Your queen has set up a designated area near the mountains for feeding grounds, so bring the cocoons there. Remember that your targets are pegasi that have been flying for their entire life, so don’t underestimate their abilities in flight. Not only should you be wary of the pegasi themselves, but keep caution of the royal and honor guards that are in Cloudsdale. They are dangerous, they are ruthless, and they will kill you without hesitation. Try to take them out at a range. When that first magic bullet is fired from us, you better be ready to haul flank into Cloudsdale and take out as many of the guards before reinforcements arrive, which isn’t going to be long. I have assigned designated groups to keep a safe trail back to The Hive. Your job is to eliminate any ponies that decide it’s a good idea to follow us back. If you can, capture them. That’s it for now. Go back to your work.”

A rumble of stomping hooves roared quietly in the field of changelings below, and despite the applause coming from changelings, Augury felt a feeling of worth in the mix of changelings. However, not only a second later were the changelings dispersing from the large field extending from the base of the mountain, the stomping of hooves replaced by the fluttering of wings. Augury let go of the amplification spell he had cast and sighed tiredly, leaning forward and resting his forelegs on the railing around the balcony’s edge.

Chrysalis walked to Augury’s side and rustled his mane, though Augury only stood still and stared out at the emptying sheet of changelings. “Though you may have been a bit rough on some edges, you got the message to them.” Chrysalis said. “You’re their leader out of their home, I expect you to take care of them.”

“No promises.” Augury poked at Chrysalis.

“No promises as in ‘I’ll make sure they turn out just fine’?” Chrysalis warned.

“Whatever floats your boat.”

“Augury.”

“I’ll try my best, alright? I’m not a military commander.”

“Well now you are. Think back to those books you read from the Equestrian military, maybe they’ll help you.”

Augury stuck his tongue out partially as Chrysalis floated away from the balcony, heading of quite hastily towards her spire. The changeling general was left alone on the balcony in the darkening mountain range, though a few changelings from the crowd still hung in the area as they returned to where they had made their homes. Augury perked his ears up as he heard a set of hooves set down on the balcony behind him, but the general stayed firmly where he was. A moment of silence passed as Augury stared out at the clearing skies above The Hive, not taking any notice to the presence he felt behind him.

A strangely familiar voice spoke out from behind Augury. “Do you have a moment, general?”

Augury formed a confused mold on his face and he slowly turned around to see who was talking to him, and sure enough, his suspicions were right. Despite the voice having a snake-like accent to it, Augury quickly noticed where the voice had come from, a voice that he had been longing for so long. The body that the voice came from, however, was not the body Augury had hoped for. Hooves drilled with holes, horn curved and pointed, mane and coat similar to that of Tranquility’s silky and grey, eyes bright cyan, and fangs hanging from her upper lips, a changeling assimilated Tranquility stood firmly in front of the shocked, confused, and almost terrified changeling general staring at her in disbelief.

“Tran... quility? What... what... no, this can’t be right. This can’t be right! What did I do!? What happened!?” Augury shouted, backing away fearfully from the changeling standing in front of him.

“Wait! General, don’t be alarmed, I’m not who you think I am.” The Tranquility look alike began, holding her hoof out to Augury. Her voice was almost emotionless.

Augury stopped in mid step as he heard the phrase come out of the changeling’s mouth. “...What do you mean? Who- who are you then?” Augury asked slowly, trying his best not to break down into a ball of hopelessness.

“Queen Chrysalis has made a changeling similar to the one you know as Tranquility. I am that changeling. She told me to come see you after your speech.”

Augury ran his eyes over what seemed to be Tranquility. “Chrysalis did this? What in Equestria for?”

“She said something about keeping your mind healthy. Also for me to see what you think of h-”

Augury quickly lifted his hoof to the changeling’s mouth, beginning to accept that the changeling wasn’t Tranquility. “Hang on. You’re a changeling fitted with the appearance of my marefriend, I get that. There’s just one thing I need to know. Answer my question and nothing else, alright?”

Tranquility nodded as Augury lowered his hoof away from her.

“When... uh, when were you hatched?” Augury began. “If you can’t remember clearly, that’s fine, I just need a rough estimate. Can you tell me that?”

“Around a week ago.” Tranquility recalled. “I remember seeing you from the edge of the clearing that used to be the queen’s spire. I was told not to approach you.”

“I assume that it was Chrysalis that told you that.”

“Yes.”

“I see. You’re a... copy of Tranquility with the appearance of a changeling, then.” Augury let out an exasperated sigh and sat down quickly, lifting a hoof to his face and shaking his head.

“Is something the matter, general?” Tranquility asked.

“No. Nothing’s wrong. It’s just... I don’t know. I’m confused.” Augury said as he took his hoof of his face.

“I could explain again if you want.”

“I understand, there’s no need for that. There’s something else I want to know, though. Do you have any of Tranquility’s... memories?”

Tranquility tilted her head as she thought intently, but eventually found something. “I have a faint recollection of some past events with a grey stallion by the name of Salvation. Is that useful, general?”

Augury chuckled to himself. “Actually... yes, that is. You wouldn’t mind coming over here, would you?”

Tranquility shook her head lightly and walked forward to Augury, the two changelings falling into a small silence. Augury rested his hoof on Tranquility’s cheek, amazed, yet disgusted at the creation in front of him. Chrysalis had been able to create an almost perfect copy of Tranquility with the appearance of a changeling, even taking the time to put some of Tranquility’s memories into the changeling, though Augury felt a little enraged that Chrysalis had tapped into the original Tranquility’s mind for the memories. With the process of making the copy out of the way, however, Augury was only staring at an almost complete Tranquility.

“You’re... just like her.” Augury muttered.

“I was made that way, yes.” Tranquility replied, smiling only just.

“Uh... right. Here, just... take a seat for a second next to me. You’re probably tired from standing up while you were waiting for me in the crowd.”

Tranquility nodded her head and walked to Augury’s side as the changeling general faced to the balcony’s edge, both of them sitting quietly as they stared out at The Hive.

“What is the purpose of this, general? Are we waiting for something?” Tranquility asked, looking around with a confused expression on her face as if she were looking for something.

“No, we’re not waiting for anything. And, it’d be nice if you wouldn’t call me general. Just call me by my name, okay?" Augury said, setting his eyes on Tranquility.

The confused changeling met her gaze with Augury’s. “Then what would you like me to call you?”

“I... call me Salvation.”

“Salvation? The stallion from my memories? Does he have significance to you?”

“I am Salvation... well, barely.”

“You do not look like him, and from your speech you do not sound like him.”

Augury almost let his voice unleash its anger on Tranquility, but he quickly repressed the desire to shout back into himself. “...Yeah. I guess so. Things have changed. Unfortunately... I may have as well.”

“But you are a changeling. You have always been like this, have you not?”

“It would seem that way to you, but I have known myself longer than you have. Tell me, what memories do you have that are Tranquility’s?”

Tranquility put a hoof on her chin for a second. “I remember a night sky with a full moon. Salvation was there, holding me.” Tranquility felt a pressure on her hoof, but paid no attention to it. “We were talking about something. A sort of-”

“Saying that you used to go by. Your mother’s.”

Tranquility continued. “Salvation and I laid back and we stared up at the sky. We started to recite a...” She quickly paused and thought for a second. “... a saying that my mother had said to me. I only remember a few lines, but I think I can start it. I think it goes... um...”

“Happiness, time spent with the ones you love. Push aside the sadness, and stare into the sky above. Reflect on your past, hold on to the memories, and you’ll have nothing to fear. The present isn’t the best place to be, when within your eyes, are tears.” Augury recited.

Tranquility quickly turned to look at Augury, a sense that she had felt had been missing slowly rising within her. A feeling that she had been made to feel.

“I think that’s what you’re trying to remember.” Augury said, staring into Tranquility’s eyes.

“You... you are Salvation.” Tranquility said quietly. She slowly lowered her eyes form Augury’s calm stare, noticing Augury’s hoof resting on hers.

“I don’t know what Chrysalis was planning when she made you... but whatever it was, I think it worked.”

Tranquility returned her eyes to Augury’s. “What do you mean?”

Augury laughed gently. “Nothing.” The changeling general focused his sight on the landscape off of the balcony. “Nothing at all.”

______________________________________________________________________

The morning had risen not too long ago, and with the rise of the sun, The Hive also vitalized with its inhabitants. Chrysalis slowly awakened in her bed that was held in the very top room of the spire, stretching her legs out and yawning loudly. Despite the rest of The Hive and the spire having a more ‘changeling’ feel to them, Chrysalis’s quarters had somewhat of an elegant touch, though it was not far from the style of the rest of The Hive. Bland from almost any color than green and black, Chrysalis’s room blended in with the rest of the spire and The Hive, though its height was quite the sight. Having not been raised around ponies, Chrysalis’s taste in decoration was a bit different than what a normal pony would think looked good, as the only furnishings within her room were a bed, a large mirror on the opposite wall from her bed, a cabinet for not even Chrysalis knew what to do with, an assortment of unneeded tables lining the room’s walls, and a quite comfortable circular rug that matched the room’s shape. A disaster of a home to others, a sanctuary to Chrysalis and her subjects.

Queen Chrysalis smacked her lips a few times, stretched a bit more, and rubbed her eyes before she rolled in her bed and opened her eyes to meet the sun raising in the large window off to the side of her room. What met her eyes was not what she had expected, however.

“Explain.” Augury said directly, his unemotional face not an inch away from Chrysalis’s.

The changeling queen just about fell off of her bed as she saw Augury, but quickly caught herself with a flutter of her wings before her back hit the ground.

“Augury!? What are you doing in here!?” Chrysalis shouted as she set herself down on the floor of her room.

“I should be asking the questions, but hang on a second. These blankets are nice...” Augury rolled around cutely in Chrysalis’s bed with a large grin, trying his best to shed off some of his mane and coat on the large mattress stuffed with a squishy material.

“Stop it! Right now! Get out!” Chrysalis pointed to the window.

“Right after you explain to me why I was confronted by a changeling copy of Tranquility yesterday night.” Augury said with a smile as he came to a stop upside down on the bed, his head hanging off of the side nearest to Chrysalis.

“I made that changeling to try and see if I could recreate ponies with certain memories. I guess it was a kind of success with the report she gave back to me later that night after you fell asleep.”

“What? You two are collaborating with each other?”

“Not collaborating, experimenting. Well, I’m experimenting, she’s the experiment. I heard you got quite the night’s sleep last night.”

“I take no meaning out of my actions with that little replica you made. I miss Tranquility, alright? The little copy you made was the closest thing I had to holding her again. Naturally, I took the chance.”

“So you embraced a changeling?”

“Don’t think anything of this. The only reason I took her in was because she was like Tranquility, nothing else. So, how did you get some of Tranquility’s memories? You got a rather precious one, I must say. I’m also not too happy about it. You owe me something.”

“For borrowing some memories? You should be thanking me. If not for those memories, the changeling I designed would have just thought of you as another changeling. The only reason she felt something with you was because of those memories of Salvation.”

“I really hope you’re not planning on doing this again. You’re creating beings that are just copies of another being. That’s a bit harsh, considering the changeling that you design from a pony is pretty much just a clone worth nothing.”

“Worth nothing? You had fun with your Tranquility replica, don’t deny that.”

“She’s not mine, she’s yours. I only...” Augury closed his eyes and shook his head. “Lets just drop it. I’m sick of talking about this.”

“That’s probably for the best. You still have yet to lead the changelings to Cloudsdale today. They’re probably getting ready right now.”

Augury sighed and rolled onto his stomach. “Yeah, yeah, go to Cloudsdale with the changelings and carry out the mission, I get it.”

“Well then I expect to see this operation as a success with minimal casualties.”

Augury hopped off of the bed and onto the floor of the room. “You’re asking a lot for my first mission as a commanding general.”

“You’ve handled two princesses.”

“Barely.”

“That doesn’t change the face that you were able to capture them. Now go.”

“Whatever.”

Augury trotted over to the window overlooking The Hive, stopping for a second to hatefully admire the view of the landscape. Sure enough, the changelings had built the spire quite a ways upward, Augury able to see the edge of The Hive where the vegetation began.

“Before I go, Chrysalis, I want to know one more thing.” Augury said, turning his head back to Chrysalis, who was staring at herself in her mirror.

“What is it?” Chrysalis asked as she played with her mane.

“You said that you made the replica of Tranquility to see if you could create ponies with certain memories.” Augury paused for a second. “Why?”

Chrysalis fixed her eyes on herself as the question came from Augury’s mouth, the changeling queen finding a small red tint on her face. “...No reason. I was just... testing it out, seeing if I could. You should go now.” Chrysalis said quietly.

“If you say so.”

Chrysalis watched Augury fly away from the spire out of the corner of her eye, making sure that Augury was long gone before she even moved an inch. The changeling queen sighed and stared at herself back in the mirror, noticing that the red tint in her face had faded as the sound of Augury’s wings flapping disappeared.

______________________________________________________________________

“Platinum, get over here.” Valor called out from a cloud floating on the outskirts of Cloudsdale, the pegasus royal guard staring off at the cloudy sky.

Another pegasus royal guard set himself down on the cloud next to Valor, taking off his helmet. “What? See something?” Platinum asked.

“I don’t know. Cloudsdale isn’t scheduled for a bit of a drizzle, is it?”

“A slight rainfall, yeah. Why?”

“Those clouds out there.” Valor lifted his hoof and pointed it at a rather large group of dark clouds drifting slowly towards the city in the sky. “Those don’t look like ordinary storm clouds, more or less the ones that Cloudsdale had sent out earlier. Should we send out a group to check them out?”

Platinum examined the storm clouds for a second. “Nah. I’m sure they’re fine. Come on, Cloudsdale isn’t protecting itself. We have to keep a watch out.”

“Unless the other hundred royal guards are busy admiring the scenery as well, I think Cloudsdale can deal with a few royal guards off.”

“We have a job, we stick with it. Besides, I heard the captain of the honor guard was told to make a stop here to check up on us.”

“What about Shining Armor? Why isn’t he checking on us?”

“Something about needing him in Canterlot. There are honor guards here, too, you know, and they don’t take orders from Shining Armor. Now let’s go, I don’t want to get caught off duty when the captain comes around.”

“Hey, maybe if she does catch us off guard we’ll be able to admire that fine-”

“Stop right there, Valor. I’d rather not have this conversation again.”

“You know you want some of that, don’t deny it.”

Platinum sighed frustratedly and began to fly back towards Cloudsdale. “Shut up and get back on duty.”

The city of pegasi was not too much different than Canterlot and the other main cities of Equestria by now, considering that royal and honor guards roamed the outskirts and major landmarks within Cloudsdale. Citizens, royal guards, and honor guards alike, they stood wary of the air around them, watching and waiting for something to happen. Military reserved for the ground cities, Cloudsdale was at a slight disadvantage in defense, though the guards posted in the city in the sky kept true to their word when they swore to protect Equestria, no matter the consequences. Despite their loyal, brave, and powerful nature, the royal and honor guards of Equestria were still susceptible to paranoia and fear. With the threat of being attacked radiating from everypony that passed by, the ponies of Equestria began to question their safety. Their fear of being attacked was justified, as Cloudsdale would be the first to experience the full wrath of changelings.

The storm clouds that Valor had spotted earlier were right to be suspicious of, all of Cloudsdale soon finding out that they were hiding much more than just rain. As the ominous clouds grew closer to the city of pegasi, a buzzing sound resonated in the air around Cloudsdale, the royal and honor guards turning away from their work to the strange noise. The pegasi flying around Cloudsdale came to a halt in their day as well, fluttering their wings to float as they focused on the large storm clouds heading toward their home. Cloudsdale had become silent, the buzzing originating from the dark clouds sweeping slowly over the city replacing the day to day ambience that Cloudsdale provided. The clouds came to a stop in one place over the city of pegasi, blotting out the sun in the afternoon sky. The drizzle that the storm clouds carried within them slowly began to fall on Cloudsdale, and with it, came the shattering sound of shrill howls bolting through the air.

One by one, hundreds of changelings plummeted from the aphotic sky letting loose the full fury of its storm now, lightning following the changelings falling like missiles. Panic did not take long to strike as the first few changelings showed themselves. All pegasi alike, they scattered the air as the changelings recovered from their decent to the city, aware of the danger that the grey fiends came with. The royal and honor guards soon snapped out of their shocked and almost horrified phases, quickly remembering their duties in Equestria. As the pegasi ran in pandemonium and the changelings wreaked havoc on the helpless citizens, the guards posted in Cloudsdale acted as quick as they could to stop the madness. Their efforts, however, were soon blocked by a force they had not expected. Along with the rain and lightning came large sweeps of dark blue flames from the clouds above, their precision enough to smack the royal and honor guards racing around straight out of the sky. Though the rain was able to put the guards out before they received too much burns, the force of the powerful waves of fire dazed them severely.

Augury stared down from the caliginous clouds as he finished his initial swarms of fire produced from magic, panting lightly because of the energy he had used. The raid on Cloudsdale started out as perfect as he had planned, already almost half of the royal and honor guards either confused out of their minds, struck by the lightning within the storm clouds, or shot down by Augury’s fire. Cloudsdale faced a threat that it was not quite ready for, and the outcome of the attack proved this even further. Quite a few of the changelings that Augury led to Cloudsdale had already captured and cocooned a number of ponies, starting off towards the direction of The Hive. Civilians helpless and the royal and honor guard dwindling in number from the wind or the changelings themselves, Cloudsdale seemed to be defeated.

The changeling general overseeing the wreckage that Cloudsdale had become slowly lowered himself to the clouds that made the city, letting his wings rest by his sides as his hooves touched down on the cloud tuft below him. Pegasi raced through the air with changelings close on their tail, a brief display of a changeling striking a civilian out of the air showing itself to Augury every once and a while. Hungry as they were, the changelings weren’t holding anything back against the city in the sky, unleashing their full potential of power as the royal and honor guards challenged them daringly. The peaceful aura that hung around Cloudsdale had quickly transformed into a horrifying display of devastation, taking everything it could with no intent of stopping.

Augury felt a strike of guilt seep into him, his hooves starting to tingle with a strange sensation that seemed almost familiar. Quickly, however, the feeling in his hooves emerged to be something else other than an emotional side effect. The lone changeling watching the raid on Cloudsdale tilted his head to the cloud beneath him, instantly recognizing the aura that emitted from the cloud he stood on. Augury kicked himself off of the cloud and flapped his wings to catch himself in the air as he begun to fall, spinning himself around just in time to watch a large pillar of electricity erupt from the cloud he was on not only a second earlier. Taking note that the lightning strike that merely missed him was not natural, Augury took caution as he set himself down on another cloud, turning his head to the sky as he came to a complete halt. A silhouette stayed still in the dim light of the sun making it through the storm clouds, a voice chuckling from the mare flapping her wings as she starred down at Augury.

“Always surprising me more and more. Your reflexes are fast for a changeling.” Thunder Rend said as she lowered herself to the cloud Augury had evacuated, Augury recognizing her voice and her stature as she came closer.

“Thunder Rend. You survived the the fall out of the window in the palace, I see. I don’t remember you having wings.” Augury growled, squinting slightly at the winged and horned mare.

“A temporary modification in order to walk on clouds given to me by Celestia. It didn’t take long for the news of your little attack on Cloudsdale to reach me as I was on my way here already. I almost exploded with joy when my orders were to exterminate the notorious changeling ‘Augury’ himself. Much more exciting than just a check up.”

Augury smirked. “Try not to let your guard down this time. You wouldn’t want to take another fall of that height.”

“A precaution that I won’t need to take with these wings. I would like to thank you in advance, however. You set up the perfect environment for me.”

Thunder Rend grinned maniacally as her horn glowed with a blue electrical aura, tilting her head towards the sky as she let out a collection of wicked laughter. The sky above Augury and Thunder Rend quickly lightened with copious amounts of magical energy, the rumble of a deadly barrage of lightning seeping into the air of Cloudsdale. His coat prickling with the energy building within the clouds above the city of pegasi, Augury didn’t have to think twice about escaping the area he stood in. Not a moment after Augury dived from the cloud he previously stood upon, a massive array of lightning pierced through the dark clouds surrounding Cloudsdale. The lightning strikes soared in a jagged tube pattern through the cloud Augury flew away from, continuing on its path towards the ground below, leaving behind a booming roar of thunder. Using the cover of the stray clouds whirling through Cloudsdale as Thunder Rend provoked the storm, Augury dodged the thunder strikes directed from Thunder Rend one after the other only barely, a few of them nicking his tail as they bolted past him. The effects of the growing storm were not only affecting Augury and Thunder Rend, as the changelings and pegasi still within Cloudsdale began to get caught within the howling winds forming in a funnel.

Augury soon found himself overwhelmed by the whirlwind that the petty storm had been manipulated into, his fragile wings snapping backwards as the wind carried him away from the convoluted path he tried to lose Thunder Rend in. The changeling general grew helpless as the tornado Thunder Rend had created took him in its path, whipping Augury in a circle around the center of the funnel, where Thunder Rend continuously shot bolts of lightning at Augury as she stabled herself with her wings. Augury reached out randomly as he passed by one of the heavier buildings within Cloudsdale, latching on luckily to a pillar that seemed to hold its ground on the front of the building it attached itself to. Bolts of lightning still barely missing him, Augury planted his back against the pillar and held onto the cloudy structure with all that he could, trying his best to keep his mane out of his face as the violent wind whipped his hair around.

“Come on, Augury! This isn’t any fun!” Thunder Rend shouted from the middle of the tornado, relentlessly unleashing blue pulses of electricity towards the building Augury had taken hopeless refuge in.

“Having myself twirling around in this funnel you created while being shot at is not even remotely close to fun! Do you even realize what you’re doing to Cloudsdale!?” Augury yelled, though he could barely even hear himself over the wind blowing around him. Augury flinched as a machine that looked as if it came from the cloud factory knocked out the top portion of the pillar he held onto.

“Cloudsdale can be rebuilt! What matters is that you don’t make it out of this with your life!”

“There are plenty of other changelings, why don’t you focus on them!?”

“They didn’t send me out of a window looking over a mountain side!”

“Yes, but they are also-!”

Augury felt his muscles tense as a flash of blue, electrical light surrounded him, the changeling general trying his best to keep his grip on the pillar. His efforts to hold on were slashed away, however, as his muscles returned to their normal state, Augury losing the grip on the pillar and soaring along the building’s entrance. Augury reached out and grappled onto another pillar before he was carried away from the building completely, setting himself back on the floor of the cloud the building rested on.

“Almost got you with that one! Let’s see how much longer you can last! I can do this all day!” Thunder Rend shouted, continuing to fire pulses of blue electricity, this time with more confidence, as she now knew that she could hit the helpless changeling.

Augury looked around frantically for a way out of the situation he was trapped in, trying his best to keep out of the way of Thunder Rend’s attacks. If he stayed any longer, Thunder Rend would without a doubt get the best of him, but if he left, Augury would be open to Thunder Rend far more than he would if he stayed in cover. The changeling general cursed out loud as he became frustrated, slamming his head backwards against the pillar behind him. An idea suddenly popped into Augury’s mind as a cloud passed by the entrance of the building Augury held onto, the cloud quickly being shredded to pieces and joining the large funnel that surrounded the area Thunder Rend and Augury were in. If Augury couldn’t show himself to Thunder Rend to attack her, he would have to use the force of the wind to aid him.

Augury closed his eyes and focused on his magic, slowly making small manipulations to the energy as the spell built in his horn. His horn glowed with a dark blue aura, and soon after the aura completed, an inferno of dark blue flames erupted from Augury’s horn. The fires were quickly swept away with the twirling winds and clouds, Augury continuing the stream of fire for as long as he could. The dark blue fire spread along the funnel that Thunder Rend had provoked from the storm clouds, creating a large twister of flames, blocking anything from coming in or out of the tornado. Thunder Rend watched as the fires encircled the entire tornado, turning the whirlwind of electricity into a raging inferno capable of tearing down a small city. Not even the rain that pelted Cloudsdale could put out the rampant fires.

As the fires completely formed around the tornado behind the building that Augury held onto, Augury detached himself from the pillar he had a death grip on, taking the only chance that he would have to end his plight. Thunder Rend, beginning to worry slightly, still had a few tricks within herself. Watching Augury manipulate his trajectory to the top of the fiery funnel, Thunder Rend had no way of escaping the trap Augury had put her in. Her only option was to fight fire, with fire.

{ Optional music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvOteu42isc }

Coming to a stop at the top of the tornado, Augury stabled himself in the air, taking a moment to look around. The storm had gotten to the point where not even Thunder Rend could control it back to what it started out as, lightning bolting through the sky in every direction at Cloudsdale. Knowing he didn’t have much time to act, Augury began the final step of his plan, but to his surprise, so had Thunder Rend. Both captain and general started to withdraw the fire that made the violently swirling tornado, a line forming in the middle of the whirlwind where the fires separated in two ways. The fire that Thunder Rend drew to herself with her magic turned from dark blue to light blue, adjusting to her magical aura as it collected behind her in a compressed ball of destruction. The fire that engulfed the tornado depleted and the two rivals staring at each other in a vertical line, the test of endurance began.

Two forces of directed fire raced toward each other at the motion of a hoof, light blue racing upwards, dark blue racing downwards. The collision between the columns of fire sent a large initial wave of flames from the impact, forcing a ring of wind and flames outwards that sliced through the tornado with ease, cutting the funnel into two sections, which each slowly dwindled into nothing. Augury and Thunder Rend remained determined to overpower the other, both of them glaring intently at each other through the fires that danced and fought in between them.

Starting to feel her strength weaken already due to her previous attempts to hit Augury with bolts of electricity, Thunder Rend resorted to her initial idea, though her remaining energy would be dried up if she continued with her course. A ball of light blue electricity slowly formed underneath Thunder Rend as she built up a spell, trying her best to focus on the duel of fire at the same time. Smiling as she smelt victory close in on her, Thunder Rend began to bring the ball of electricity in front of herself to fire at Augury, but something quickly interrupted the what looked like a flawless plan.

Thunder Rend slowly turned her head to the changelings that had finished their objective in taking as many ponies as they could, the fight in the middle of the city catching their attention. Seeing their leader in distress, they took the only action they could as they gathered in a formation that resembled the tornado that had been seized. Thunder Rend let out a shrill cry as numerous, practically hundreds of bullets of bright green magic rammed into the ball of electricity, directly at her side.

A blinding light erupted from the early destruction of Thunder Rend’s potentially fatal ball of electricity, followed by a spherical burst of air and a sound of thunder. Augury, not realizing what had happened, continued to throw fire down towards the area Thunder Rend had been in, though he quickly ceased as the wave of air pushed him up further into the sky. The conflicting blue fires had come to a standstill with both Augury and Thunder Rend losing control on their respective attacks, the light and dark blue generators of fire dissipating into smoke and blowing away into the calming wind. With Thunder Rend’s out of control weather spell dying down, the clouds that had torn apart the city in the sky began to merge away and separate into small tufts of floating white cotton, carrying along with the withering wind further into Equestria. Cloudsdale showed itself from the darkness of the storm, the quietness almost eery with the thunder and rainfall gone from the ears of the changelings in Cloudsdale. The clouds that had made up the city were scattered around in various places throughout the sky, Cloudsdale looking more like a casual cloud cover than a city, though some of the buildings stood on weak platforms with minimal damage.

Augury took a moment to himself high above Cloudsdale, staring around for a brief moment to admire the peaceful air space. He lifted his right foreleg up in front of him to examine it. The dark grey coat along the outer side of his foreleg had been singed along his entire leg, some parts actually quite burnt from either lightning or fire. Figuring it would take care of itself, Augury let his leg drop to his side, sighing lightly in relief as the strife between him and Thunder Rend had ended. Augury began to realize the energy it had taken to withhold his own against the captain of the honor guard, a wave of exhaustion quickly washing over him. Panting slightly, Augury lowered himself to the level in the sky that the decimated Cloudsdale floated in, the remaining changelings he had brought along on the mission patiently waiting in a large group of about fifty in one of the weather factories. Augury set his hooves down on the fluffy surface of the clouds the weather factory stood on, still panting quite heavy as he scanned his eyes over the changelings in front of him.

“Where are the rest of you?” Augury asked calmly, trying his best to stay up on all four of his hooves.

A changeling wearing dark blue armor and a dark blue helmet stepped out in front of the group, carrying a familiar pony on his back. The pony’s blank white coat and crimson mane had been severely burnt, along with two blank spots of skin on each of her sides where the bases wings used to rest. Her armor had been destroyed, only leaving her with what used to be a new helmet barely holding onto her horn.

“The other changelings have returned to The Hive with cocooned ponies or have fallen in combat. We were able to take care of the royal and honor guards while you distracted their captain. I have her on my back, as you can tell, if you want her.” The changeling spoke. His voice seemed to be more sophisticated and almost lacking a snake-like tone.

“And what makes you so special to be wearing a helmet and armor?” Augury asked bitterly.

“A changeling officer, general.”

“Do you have a name?”

“No natural changelings have names, sir.”

“I see.” Augury stood up straight as he slowly regained his strength, though his legs quivered just barely. “Thunder Rend, the pony on your back, is she alive?”

“Out cold, but alive, yes. Not even she was protected from her own magic once we intercepted the spell she was building.”

“Good, good. I... uh, thank you. For helping me.”

“We are sworn to protect those who lead us and follow his or her word. We only acted on instinct. It is nothing to be thanking us for.”

“Sure. What’s the situation on the ponies? How many were you able to get?”

“A large portion of the city’s population. The rest were able to escape.”

“What about the guards?”

“The guards we were able to restrain and cocoon are on their way back to The Hive. The others were disposed of. Your attack plan proved to be a success for The Hive, General Augury. Your guidance is appreciated greatly.”

Augury levitated Thunder Rend off the changeling’s back and over to his own, gently resting her down and stabilizing her with his wings. “Spare me the theatrics. Get back to The Hive, I’ll be following shortly after.”

“Yes sir.”

The group of changelings within Cloudsdale lifted off of the cloud and started flying off back to The Hive, some of them nodding towards Augury before they began the journey back to their home. Augury was quickly left alone within the weather factory with Thunder Rend on his back, her light breathing the only other sound than the wind serenely coursing through Cloudsdale. The afternoon sun had peaked through the clouds that blocked it out earlier, sending down columns of light to the once city of pegasi. The lone changeling in the sabotaged city in the sky trotted along the soft cloud that made the floor of the weather factory, coming to a slow halt at the large doors that made the entrance of the building. The entrance provided a clear view of Cloudsdale, though it may have not been the prettiest. Cloudsdale would need to be rebuilt again, as not only Thunder Rend’s storm had damaged the city. The changelings had mutilated the city’s buildings and structures, torn apart every aspect of the city they could see to find any pony that they could restrain and cocoon.

Augury tilted his head downward and flopped his ears against his head, biting his lip as hard as could in anger. He stood on the verge of almost letting his stomach empty as his eyes blurred with an almost red tint, the full impact of what he had lead to Cloudsdale taking its tole with utmost effect. Not only had had he made Cloudsdale a floating wasteland of clouds, he had made the ponies that inhabited the city become involved with the changelings. The thought of innocent ponies being used to a food source and assimilating into changelings filled Augury mind, the changeling general just about ready to let loose his anger on the nearest object.

A metallic taste slowly seeped into Augury’s mouth as he continued with his thoughts, though he quickly realized he had forgotten to take lip out of between his teeth. Augury released the grip his teeth had on his lip, feeling a warm liquid run down his chin and drip from his face. The changeling general only stood in silence as he stared at Cloudsdale from the entrance of the weather factory, reminding himself that he was doing this for the one he loved.

He would need all the convincing he could get from himself to keep with Tranquility. Next Chapter: [19] Fire And Ice Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 49 Minutes