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by tom117z

Chapter 44: 44 - Revelations

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The Crystal Empire



Night was falling once again, and Broad Sword stood with his wife at a blockade, located at the exit of one of the city’s numerous alleyways. They had identified the area where the mysterious changeling was seemingly keeping to, and were lying in wait for Shining and Vladimir to do their part while the other Crystal Guards kept the changeling boxed in. Their blockade was on a T-junction; from one direction Shining Armor and Vladimir would herd the changeling, while the place they were guarding was a quick exit out onto the street. The other direction only led to a dead end where the only exit was to fly up and over the buildings. While the changeling was more than capable of doing just that, the trap would already have been triggered.

Now they just had to wait.

“Where are they?” Scarlet shuffled nervously. “Do you think they encountered trouble?”

“You worry too much,” Broad Sword reassured. “They will do their job and then we can do ours. We just have to be patient.”

“I hope this plan works. It would be nice to get some shore leave in this shore leave.”

Broad Sword laughed. “Yes that would be nice. At least it doesn’t lack for excitement.”

Scarlet smiled. “True. Very true.”

Broad Sword’s face morphed into a scowl. “Since we have the time… why won’t you be returning to the EUP?”

“Huh?” Scarlet looked over towards her husband.

“You told me when we arrived you wouldn’t be returning to the EUP after this. I have yet to gain a definitive answer as to why from you,” Broad Sword said. “I enquired with Shining and even Princess Cadance about it, but all I got in return was those damned knowing smirks. You know how much I hate being out of the loop, so honey, please tell me what is going on.”

Scarlet sighed, but with a small smile formed, and Shining Armor’s words rang in her ears again. “I suppose now is a good a time as any.”

“For what!?” Broad Sword blurted out, a slight twitch in his eye.

“I…” Scarlet took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. “Broad Sword, I love you. So much. So much so I just know you are going to be a great father to our foal.”

Broad Sword froze as if he became victim to a wendigo.

“I’m pregnant,” Scarlet told her husband. “I found out when we got back to Canterlot from our honeymoon. I’ve been trying to tell you but-“

She was cut off as Broad Sword pulled her into a passionate kiss, and the two remained there contently for what seemed like days.

“You are amazing, you know that?” Broad Sword whispered as their lips parted.

“You’re not angry I took this long to tell you?” Scarlet asked nervously.

“Angry?” Broad Sword raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to be a father. How could I be angry with you?”

Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief.

“So, boy or girl?” Broad Sword asked enthusiastically.

Scarlet chuckled. “I don’t know yet, I’m due back at the hospital when we get back.”

Broad Sword took her hoof. “Well I will be there to-"

That was when the changeling nearly smacked right into them as it turned the corner, skidding to a halt mere inches away as the two ponies turned towards it, mouths agape at the surprise entrance.

The changeling stared at them for a few moments, being so close that Broad Sword and Scarlet Snow could see the changeling appeared to have a feminine build, finally cluing them in on the gender.

“Higottorunnowgobye!” the changeling blurted out as she turned tail to run in the opposite direction as fast as she could.

As she ran Shining and Vladimir skidded sharply around the corner in pursuit.

“Come on you two!” Vlad shouted as he chased the changeling drone.

Husband and wife both nodded as they fell into formation behind the Prince and Lunar Captain in pursuit of the fleeing drone.

After a few more twists and turns the alleyway opened up into a small box shaped plaza; there was a fountain in the middle and several benches spread around, the only exit that could be seen was a door leading into a building. A locked door.

Soronis looked around in panic. They just couldn’t give her a break! Every time she believed herself safe, able to return to her sister, she was quickly proven wrong. They had been at it for days, and it seemed like she had run out of road.

The changeling looked up and saw only one option of escape as the ponies came up behind her and began to bear down upon Soronis. She opened her gossamer wings and buzzed into air, flying as fast as she could to the top of the buildings.

Sparing a glance behind her, Soronis was confused to see the thestral and Pegasus not giving chase while the other two’s horns were silent.

She found out why however as she reached the top and smashed straight into a cyan magical barrier that sent her tumbling back down to the ground.

Princess Cadance landed on top of her barrier with her horn still glowing, looking down onto the crashed changeling.

“Nice one honey!” Shining Armor shouted up to his wife as he and the other began to approach the changeling.

Soronis looked up and her eyes widened fearfully as she saw them approach. She tried to get up but pain forced her back to the floor.

She was finished.

The ponies were surprised however when a small black missile shot past them from behind and took an aggressive stance in front of Soronis.

“Stay away from my sister!” Puellula screamed at the ponies.

“A child?” Broad Sword muttered.

“Puellula no!” Soronis shouted. “Run, get out of here! Please!”

The nymph didn’t listen. “If you come any closer I will hurt you. Like, really bad!” Puellula bared her small fangs in an attempt to look threatening, instead just coming off as more adorable than anything.

The barrier dispelled and Cadance dropped to the ground just behind the two changelings, causing Soronis to grab Puellula and try and hide her under a wing in an attempt at protecting her beloved sister.

However, Cadance offered no hostility, instead giving them a kind smile. “What are your names? You can call me Cadance if you would like.”

“Huh?” Soronis seemed incredibly confused.

“You’re just a child and her teenage sister, as far as I can see. And from the looks of you, you two are starving siblings, struggling to survive.”

“H-how can you tell?” Soronis stuttered.

“I am the Princess of Love. I can sense you are filled with love from the Crystal Heart, still undigested. Your sister however is starving! I can barely sense any within her.”

Tears began to brim Soronis’ eyes, and it wasn’t long before she completely broke down and tears began to rapidly fall to the floor.

“Don’t be sad sis, please?” Puellula pleaded as she gently nuzzled Soronis’ chest.

“Please don’t hurt us.” Soronis sniffled. “You are right, we are starving. We have no home to go back to, no queen, not even a hive mind. We’re dying!”

Shining Armor grimaced. “Twily told me not having a queen and hive mind is like losing a vital organ, a changeling’s life span is greatly reduced.”

“Who is Twily?” Puellula asked.

“My sister. She is a changeling herself. A princess.”

Soronis looked up. “Wait, what? Who is her mother?”

“Queen Chrysalis. She was adopted by my family when she was extremely young due to… difficulties.”

“So… you are not going to hurt us?” Soronis asked hopefully.

Vladimir smiled at the two changelings. “Kid, all you had to do was ask for help and we would have given it. Though I can’t say I didn’t enjoy such a good chase; I almost felt young again.” His smile became a smirk.

Soronis stared at the ponies in disbelief. “I… I didn’t know. I though you would do terrible things to us if you found us.”

“What are we going to do with them?” Scarlet asked. “We can’t leave them out here.

“We will take them back to the palace,” Shining said with finality. “We will get them fed, provide them some real beds and then, when my sister returns from the council, I can send her a message. She would be more than happy to welcome you into her hive.”

Soronis stared in disbelief. “A home? A hive? You are-"

“Yes,” Shining responded. “No one, pony or otherwise, deserves what you two have endured. Your days on the streets are over.”

The Prince grunted as he was glomped by the sisters. “Thank you! Thank you!” He was forced back onto his haunches.

Shining chuckled. “You’re both welcome,” he muttered as he gently pried the two off of him with his magic.

“Before we go,” Cadance interrupted. “I would really like to know why you are here at all. What happened to your hive?”

Soronis’ face fell. “We heard about this place from a small earth pony village, a place of love. After seeing our hive destroyed, it seemed the best option.”

“Your hive was destroyed?” Vladimir gawped.

“Yes. A few months after our brother went missing.”

“Your brother vanished?” Cadance gave them a look of sympathy.

“Yes,” Soronis replied as Puellula sniffled sadly. “Serpens was always rather severe to others, but he always cared deeply for us, and promised to protect us.”

“And you have no idea what happened to him?”

“No,” was the reply.

“So what happened after that?” Cadance asked softly.

She came.”


Vespula’s Hive, Two Years Ago



The whole hive rumbled as an explosions went off somewhere within. Soronis and Puellula cowered behind their mother and father as the throne room doors suffered under the impact of a magical blast, the enchantments holding it together failing quickly. Dozens of other drones lined the room under the protection of changeling guards dressed in all black armor.

Queen Vespula sat on the throne, a look of steel on her features. She didn’t even flinch as the doors finally burst from the hinges and shattered into thousands of fragmented pieces.

Queen Crudelis casually strolled in, flanked by guards in red and blue armor. Vespula’s guards bared their fangs threateningly, but stayed guarding the civilians.

“Queen Vespula, you disappoint me. Your agent has failed.”

“I noticed,” Vespula coolly stated. “And now you destroy everything I have built.”

“You knew the consequences.”

“I never had much of a choice, did I?”

Crudelis smirked. “No.”

“Then let us do battle, Crudelis. And should I fall, you let my subjects leave.”

“Without a hive they will suffer anyway,” Crudelis pointed out.

“They will have a chance, that is enough,” Vespula rebuked.

Crudelis smirked, and charged her horn a terrifying red.

Vespula leapt from her throne and just in time to meet Crudelis’ red beam of magic with her own green, the two colours mixing as they collided and giving off terrific sparks and flames. The two queens struggled momentarily to one up the other as they pushed with all their might as the changelings looked on in anticipation.

However, Vepula’s eyes could only widen in horror as Crudelis suddenly began to gain ground and push back on Vespula’s own beam, and she could do nothing as her magic was exhausted and Crudelis’ stream of magic reached her horn. Several of her watching drones shouted out in terror.

Vespula screamed in pain as her crooked horn shattered, the queen dropping to the floor clutching her head as blood began to pour down her face and create a sickening puddle on the floor.

Crudelis calmly walked to stand over the downed queen, who looked up and spat blood into her murderer’s face.

“I hope Queen Chrysalis strikes you limb from limb for all you have done…” These were Vespula’s final words of defiance.

Unfazed, Crudelis lit up her horn with a crazed, animalistic snarl and parted Vespula’s head from her shoulders.

All of the deceased queen’s drones clutched their heads in pain as the hive mind was destroyed, their connections to their peers lost in a second.

“Wipe them out, all of them,” Crudelis declared.

Crudelis’ drones launched into action, one of the first attacks striking down the father of Soronis and Puellula before they could even react.

“Run!” their mother screamed as she grabbed onto her daughters and began to run through the chaos and out of the throne room.

Several civilians and protecting guards followed them out, many more dying in that throne room, the guards barely being able to put up a defence with the disorientation all the drones now felt in the hive mind’s absence.

One by one all fell to enemy blades and spellfire, until only three remained.

They ran and they ran until the hive’s exit was in sight, and then they stopped, Soronis looking at her mother in confusion.

“Soronis,” her mother addressed the young changeling. “Take Puellula and go.”

“W-what?” Soronis stuttered as tears streamed down her face.

“You will never make it if one of us doesn’t hold them off,” her mother tearfully said as the sound of approaching hooves became louder and louder.

Soronis’ mother placed a gently hoof onto her cheek. “Take care of each other, promise me that.”

“I… I promise.”

Her mother nodded as she picked up a nearby weapon from a fallen guard and began to walk back towards the approaching death.

“I love you.”

“Mama no!” Puellula screamed as Soronis used her magic to lift her sister onto her back and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.


Present Day



“-and the rest you know,” Soronis concluded her story to the gathered ponies.

“Queen Crudelis,” Shining said. “I know that name.”

“As do I,” Cadance spoke. “I think we need to talk to Twilight.

“Agreed. Could you three take them back to the palace?” Shining asked of Broad Sword, Vladimir and Scarlet.

Vladimir nodded. “Come on you two. We’ll get you settled in.”

“One thing,” Cadance stopped them. “What was your brother’s occupation?”

“Infiltrator,” was Soronis’ reply.

Cadance nodded grimly. “You can go.”

When all the others had gone, Shining turned to his wife.

“I know that face.”

“What face?” Cadance asked.

“The foreboding ‘everything is awful’ face.”

The Princess sighed. “Crudelis already has a history with Twilight’s hive, and she destroyed the hive of this Queen Vespula, but there is something else.”

“What?”

“Crudelis destroyed their hive because an agent failed in doing something. This was the same time their brother went missing.” Shining’ eyes widened as she saw where his wife was going with what she was saying. “The same time that Twilight was nearly murdered by an unidentified changeling infiltrator posing as Broad Sword.”

“You think Serpens is the culprit?” Shining’s eyes narrowed.

“It is only speculation, but yes.”

“Which would mean Crudelis is behind all of this. And she is actively trying to kill Twily.”

Cadance slowly nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, we need to warn her!”

Cadance nodded, glowing her horn a bright cyan as she teleported herself and her husband directly to their study.


First Hive



Twilight recognised what was going on.

She was running down the exact same endless hallway as she had the previous night. She knew what would happen if she turned back, who she would meet.

“I need answers,” Twilight said to herself to calm her nerves.

Then, just like the previous two times, she turned back around and walked through the dream emulating the First Hive.

Like before the walk back was far shorter than it should have been, and it led to a single wooden door. Slowly, she pushed the door open, cautiously making her way inside.

That was when she once again saw the bodies.

The changeling guards she had with them on the day she was injured along with the two Solar Guards she also had with her that day. And of course, the broken body of Sergeant Longshot, his battered crossbow laying just a few metres away with blood soaked into the frame.

“Back again?” a mocking voice enquired.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Twilight defiantly stated.

A demonic chuckle echoed throughout the room in response. “Lying isn’t good for the soul, Sparkle.”

The bodies of Twilight’s friends began to appear again, Twilight completely unable to move a single muscle. She was locked in place as she awaited the inevitable.

A knife flicked past Twilight, held in a putrid green aura. The face of the grotesque mixture of Broad Sword and a changeling was in her peripheral vision. The knife began to close in, nearing her chitin and her heart.

Only for it to stop as a lavender aura gripped the blade.

“What?” The creature tried to move the knife.

“I’m bored of this,” Twilight growled.

The changeling princess pried the blade from the creatures own magical grip and tossed it to once side as she spun to face the creature head on.

Snarling, the abomination of Twilight’s nightmare launched a green bolt of magic at her, only to be intercepted by a shield. Twilight lunged to the creature and pinned it to the floor, fangs glared threateningly. It tried squirming from her grip but found itself unable.

“Who sent the assassin two years ago?” Twilight demanded to know.

The thing smirked. “How should I know? I’m just a figment of your imagination.”

“I heard the name, and somewhere in my mind that memory exists. And you are the key to unlocking it, so tell me!”

Twilight stared the creature in the eyes, all defiance fading away as it sighed in defeat.

“Queen Crudelis sends her regards,” Broad Sword’s voice spoke, sounding all around her.

“Queen Crudelis sends her regards,” it repeated.

That one phrase repeated over, and over. The rage in Twilight built every time she heard it uttered.

“Finally,” Twilight muttered.

Twilight looked down at the thing she had pinned to the floor and it looked back. She considered it for a moment in disgust, before sinking her fangs into the creature’s neck and ending its life.

Author's Notes:

Just FYI, the last Flashback chapter was mainly added as a final bit of cutesy comic relief. Things get a little dark pretty quickly this point on. This is the middle act, the 'empire strikes back' if you will.

Also, did any of you guess Soronis and Puellula were the sisters of Serpens? I did sprinkle some clues in 'Chase' and 'The Council' :raritywink:

Next Chapter: 45 - Change Of Plans Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 16 Minutes
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