Well it's been a little bit, but if I'm being honest with you I found myself struggling on how to write the final part of Parlave Oum.
And so after scrapping it a couple of times, I've finally decided on this one.
Let's get to it.
Begin!
Parlave Oum
(Part Five)
Richard Pov
'This isn't what I thought would happen.'
The thought was small, simple and yet undeniable.
This wasn't what I believed would happen when Chrissy and I were dragged here. I had expected a screaming match, something filled with vitriol that would inevitably bring the attempt at diplomacy crashing down.
I had expected Celestia to pull something terrifying…and when I was dragged inside the dome and watched Chrissy die, I had thought my fears justified.
The fact that all I had seen was some sort of illusion to punish me did not allay them. Sitting as I was, I still expected Celestia to pull something. And as I looked at her, looked as she in turn looked at her sister with an expression I couldn't read for the life of me…
I felt my nerves rising once more.
I looked at Luna…at Emily…I didn't know what to call her. She was my sister, but also Celestia's…and yet the things she said, the memories she had awoken within me were telling me, screaming at me that she was indeed my sister and mine alone.
And yet her appearance would throw that away.
I didn't know what to think of her, of the whole situation. Part of me wanted to pull her to me and never let go. For if she was Emily, if she was my sister then surely I had no reason not to.
And yet if I was understanding her situation correctly then she was as much Luna as she was Emily.
Which would make her Celestia's sister as much as she was mine. And so the urge to hug her faded, replaced instead by an urge to stay the fuck away from her.
'We're under a truth field though…surely that means that I don't have to worry about her attacking me?'
My thoughts were of no help, with each one more confusing than the last.
'I'll just have to wait and see what comes of this…'
What other choice did I have?
"Now then," Luna said, smiling at me. "I believe it only right that we start with Richard first, seeing as he is the reason the dome was summoned."
A golden glow shimmered around every one of us, resting upon our mouths where it stayed. Mine remained for only a moment however, the glow vanishing after a second or two.
I blinked and looked at Chrissy, the mare frowning as she tried and clearly failed to open her mouth.
"I've asked that we are only allowed one question at a time," Luna explained, ignoring Celestia's frown. "Once you have asked your question and it has been answered, the next one along will ask theirs and so on. It should come into effect shortly."
I frowned as I remembered what she had said, going over it a few times before nodding and looking at the Ponies sitting opposite me.
'Celestia, L-Emily, Cadance and her husband…but who do I ask a question to first? And what should I ask? I need to think about this…'
I immediately looked at Lu…Emily…fuck if I knew what to call her.
'Let's just call her Luna for now, saves time.'
Agreeing with the thought, I looked at Luna and pondered on what question I could ask her. Or even if I had one that I hadn't asked already.
'What am I saying, I have a shit ton to ask. Are you sure you're really Emily, or a part of her as you say? And if so then why do you defend Celestia when all she's done is cause me and Chrissy pain?'
…
'Not a bad question actually, but I only get one before it switches and I need to make it count.'
I looked briefly at Celestia and tried not to snarl at her warm smile, whatever distress she had displayed before clearly gone, or rather hidden behind her usual mask.
'Oh yeah, I have questions for this fucker…'
And I did, I didn't even need to think about Cadance and Shining. To be fair they were kind of irrelevant and I was a tad unsure why they were even in the dome with us.
"One question per person, fine," I muttered, trying and failing not to glare at Celestia who in turn merely smiled back, clearly amused by my expression. "Why do you need only me for your little save the Ponies project? Is there no one else or did you just stop once you learned that I was suitable?"
The golden glow around her muzzle evaporated, the mare in question continuing to smile at me as it did so.
"We tried multiple species, Richard," she replied, evident enjoyment in her tone though for what reason I did not know. "Yaks, Griffons, Dragons and more. We tried them all and every one of them failed. The only individual that has come back with a positive result has been you. Your seed alone contains the potential to cure our stallions infertility. The sheer amount of potential is in fact rather staggering. And as such I and my top scientific advisors firmly believe that you and only you can save us."
I opened my mouth only to find is suddenly impossible, a golden glow covering it, numbing it so heavily that attempting to so much as smile felt difficult. I had no idea how Celestia was still managing to do so.
Still, my turn was over and my question had been answered.
'This one question thing certainly works…'
The golden glow flickered around Chrissy next, my mate blinking rapidly for a moment as it faded away.
"My turn then," she muttered, rubbing her muzzle gently before looking at those opposite us. Her gaze quickly flicked onto me, her eyes asking me something.
Are you okay?
I nodded at the silent question, forcing myself to give her a smile despite the magic making it difficult to do so.
Are you?
She returned my smile with her own and nodded, reluctantly turning away from me as she looked once more at our opposition. Her gaze moved from Pony to Pony until it finally settled on one.
"Why are you here?" she asked, eyes narrowed as she looked at a rather nervous Cadance. "I get why those two are, but why you and your husband? What role could he possibly play here?"
Cadance looked clearly uncomfortable with the question, but the magic of the dome showed that once more, it didn't give a damn as it forced the words out of her.
"Celestia asked that I attend to see what reaction I could draw from you," she answered, rubbing her hooves together anxiously as her eyes darted from Chrissy to her husband and back again. "I-I didn't want to come but Celestia told me that nopony can harm another inside it, so I would be safe."
She paused and looked at her husband. "Shining came with me because I asked him to…because I f-feel safe with him next to m-me."
She paused again, a clear sweat on her brow as she tried and failed to fight against the dome's magic. "Even since the invasion all I've dreamed of is you. Nightmares of you killing him and me and everypony I know. L-Laughing at me as you r-ripped him apart."
'Fuck me…'
I had guessed from her frightened reaction to Chrissy earlier on that Cadance was clearly scared of her. Whatever bravery she'd obtained during their little pissing match had long since faded.
But still…even though I didn't like the Pony. The way she all but tripped over her words in complete and utter fear made me feel somewhat sorry for her.
And as I glanced at Chrissy…
The dome finally let up on Cadance and she let go a noisy, tearful breath. Tears dripped slowly down her cheek before they were wiped away, the pink mare looking at the golden table and nothing else.
A moment passed, then two then three, and still the dome stayed silent. The turn had not yet passed.
"I'm sorry."
Cadance looked up at Chrissy in clear disbelief, her husband mirroring this to a tee as they both gawked at my mate. Even Celestia looked surprised, her mask broken for but a moment before it returned.
"You're…sorry?" Cadance echoed, blinking rapidly.
Chrissy sighed and looked up at the sky, muttering to herself so quietly that without my abilities, I could not hear her.
"I am," she replied, turning her attention back onto her and smiling sadly. "For the invasion, for ruining your special day, for traumatising you. I…the invasion was never supposed to happen. It was never planned when I came to Canterlot. My original plan was to swallow my pride and meet with Celestia, and perhaps come to an agreement that would save my children. We…we were starving, and despite all my best efforts, I could do nothing about it."
Celestia blinked at this and frowned, but was overshadowed by Cadance's reply.
"Then why did you not keep to it?" Cadance asked, clearly bewildered. "Why did you change from a diplomatic meeting to an invasion?!"
Chrissy chuckled darkly, self-loathing clear in her eyes for the briefest of moments.
"Because I met you and your husband," she replied, ignoring their questioning looks. "I was in disguise walking the streets of Canterlot when the two of you came out of Rouges Café. The moment you did, I was hit by love so powerful, so filling it almost knocked me flat."
She closed her eyes and sighed. "It was too much too quickly, a taste I hadn't had in centuries. I had to have more, I had to take it and feed my children. Diplomacy was forgotten after that, after all what did I need with diplomacy if I could simply replace you and feed upon Shining's love for the next few decades? I could feed my children for decades…you have no idea how much a temptation that mere thought was."
"I still don't understand why you invaded," Cadance said, confusion clear on her face. "I-If all you had to d-do was replace me. Then why did you also invade? Y-You could have killed me and replaced me, and nopony would ever have been the wiser."
Chrissy laughed and shook her head, the laugh itself bitter and cold, not at all her usual one of warmth and joy.
"Love…is addictive," she replied, eyes closed. "Especially for a Changeling. Just a mere taste of it can alter the thoughts of an otherwise clearheaded one. The moment I replaced you and imprisoned you below Canterlot…the moment I sampled a true chunk of love as opposed to the breeze I got upon seeing the two of you…"
She opened her eyes and…cried, a lone tear trailing down her cheek.
"The moment that happened, I lost all control of myself," she whispered, lips trembling as she stared at something I couldn't see. "I had his love, but I wanted more, I needed more, I deserved more! …and like that I was gone, and only a monster remained. A monster that cost me everything, a monster that cost me my children, all of them. Every mother and father and child…they all died that day, because of me and me alone."
Cadance was staring at Chrissy, simply staring, not making the slightest movement as she watched her rub her tears away. I tried as hard as I could to move, to reach for my mate…but the dome would not let me.
I was powerless to do anything, no matter how badly I wanted to pull her to me and hide her from the world.
"Did we kill your children?" Cadance asked, her voice a mere whisper as she looked at her husband, the stallion in question giving her a wide eyed stare. "The magic, our l-love. We banished every Changeling from Canterlot. D-Did we…"
Chrissy looked at her in silence for a few seconds, just looked, nothing more…
"Yes," she replied, eyes closed for a brief moment. "And no. Your magic alone did not kill them, the love it contained within it did. It was too much and my children they…they…it overwhelmed them."
She opened her eyes. "But make no mistake. I killed my children that day. Every action that led to their death is on me and me alone. Do not…I do not blame you, not anymore."
There was a loud gong and the golden magic emerged once more, covering both of their mouths, though neither seemed to notice as they simply stared at the other.
I had no idea why the dome allowed them to speak for so long when it only allowed me a single question. And yet…I was alright with it.
'This must have been weighing on Chrissy for years. Why have I never asked her about it? Lord, I'm such a shit mate…'
Resolving to give her all the love I could later, I settled for a reassuring smile instead once she eventually turned from Cadance and looked at me with teary eyes.
'What I would give to hold her right now…'
"Are you okay?" Shining's voice snapped my attention onto him…only to gawk as I realized he'd asked his one question to his wife instead of us.
The mare looked at him and shook her head, her eyes reflecting the clear love she had for the stallion. "No, no I'm not. I…I just want to go home and hold you."
Shining seemed to deflate a little, a sad look on his face and opened his mouth.
But the magic returned before he could say anything more, prompting him to sigh and fall back against his chair, clearly upset at the situation.
I actually felt rather sorry for him…
A quick glance at Celestia rewarded me as I caught the frown she directed at him.
'Someone's not happy he wasted his question.' I mused, fighting back a smile at her clear displeasure. 'What a cunt.'
Speaking of Celestia…
The golden glow flickered and left her muzzle, the tension quickly becoming so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Especially when she immediately looked not at Chrissy or Luna, but me.
Right at me.
'Here we go…'
"So many questions," she said softly, smiling all the while. "Where do I begin…hmm. Oh yes…"
She leaned on her hooves and continued to smile at me warmly. "Just to alleviate a couple of concerns I have with you. Do be a dear and tell me, exactly how many have you killed and why?"
Of all the questions I expected, this was not one of them. I had expected her to demand where we were hiding, or perhaps what exactly it was that I didn't find attractive about her.
'If she had then we'd be here for fucking hours…'
But still she had asked and the magic denied any attempt to stay silent…
"I have killed two of your guard and your sister's corrupted soul," I replied, the second part surprising me as much as it surprised them.
I hadn't know what it was exactly that I had killed in the dream realm, but in here it seemed that even if you didn't know, you still told them.
Luna looked at me and smiled, her expression encouraging and for the briefest of moments I didn't understand exactly why.
Until I did.
"I have also killed a man called Robert Peth," I continued, making no effort to hide my rage at the memory of the man. Luna flinched at the name and quickly became uncomfortable, though she clearly tried to hide it from her otherwise oblivious sister, who was perhaps thankfully focused solely on me.
"I killed the guards because I couldn't control my magic nor my hatred, both of which would never have been affected had Twilight left us alone!"
Celestia frowned but only for a moment, her smile replacing it as she gestured for me to continue.
"Luna's corrupted soul died because she damn well fucking deserved it," I snapped. "She was a monster and you fucking knew it. I feel no regret in killing her. I'd do it again and again if I could!"
If I had hoped to get some negative reaction then I was sadly let down as all I received from my vitriol was a sad sigh and a small smile.
'If she gestures for me to continue one more time, I'm going to find some way to rip it off!'
"And I killed Robert Perth because he raped and molested my sister for years," I ground out, anger coating each and every word. "He bragged about it, was pleased by it. I wasn't quite as pleased…"
I grinned viciously. "And neither was he when I cut his dick off and slit his throat."
"I…see."
For the first time in memory, Celestia looked distinctly put off by my words. And although I was loath to use my sister's rapist as something useful, I was pleased that the bitch finally seemed to find something about me unattractive.
Almost unbidden, I felt my eyes drawn to Luna, said eyes widening at the tears falling down her face.
"Emily?" The name left me without thought, unfortunately drawing everyone's attention onto her.
She looked at me and gave me a watery smile, shaking her head as she furiously wiped away her tears. She tried to open her mouth…but it wasn't her turn and as such she couldn't say a thing.
She frowned and bit her lip, but eventually sighed and smiled at me.
"Luna, do you remember what he's talking about?" Celestia asked, staring at her strangely. "Do you-"
The dome's magic closed her mouth with such force I heard her teeth click, the mare wincing in surprise at the action. A muffled cry quickly followed as the sound of something reached my ears, my eyes widening in surprise as a red mark appeared on her flank.
In the shape of a hand.
'Did she just get spanked?'
"Silly of you to try and ask for more than you're allowed, Tia," Luna said, barely giving Celestia a second glance as the last of the golden magic left her muzzle. "Chrysalis and Cadance needed theirs to be more. You did not."
She looked at me and then back at Celestia, before returning to look back at me. "And yes I do know what he's talking about. I lived it you insensitive mare."
Her angry expression…for the briefest of moments it was almost like I was looking at Emily again.
'She looked at Gary like that when he tried to kick her out.'
Indeed I remembered it…
"Men only darlin," Gary drawled, slicking his greasy black hair back almost absentmindedly. "You wouldn't understand, being a girl and all. But then Rich don't need no bitch sponging off his money anyway."
I was already pissed off at Gary interrupting our movie night, and so wasted no time in swinging-
SLAP
Only to stop and stare at the nasty looking handprint on his left cheek.
"You fuckin' bitch!" he screamed, moving forward threateningly for all of a second before Emily punched him, knocking the skinny turd on his arse.
"Now you listen here you little shit," she growled, grabbing his hair and pulling at it angrily. "Richard and I were watching something before you came here uninvited. So why don't you do yourself a favour and fuck off back to whatever hole you came out of."
"You gonna let her treat me like that?!" Gary asked, screeching as she twisted his hair. "Agh! Fuckin' el' fine! Lemme go you fuckin' tart!"
Emily smirked and let him go, watching with amusement as he scrambled to his feet and move away from her.
"Don't bother coming round again, Gary," I said calmly, enjoying his expression. "Or I'll pin you down and let her cut off that mop you call hair."
"Fuck you Rich," he sneered, moving back quickly when Emily made to swing at him again. "I thought you was tight, but you're just a bitch! What she doin', Twenty a blow, thirty a fuck?"
"She's my sister you dick."
"Bet you're still fuckin' her though."
I moved an inch before he ran and slammed the door behind him.
"Leave it Richard," Emily said, her fingers interlocking with mine as she placed her head on my shoulder. "He's not worth chasing."
I let go a breath of air and looked at my clingy sister, smiling at her rapidly reddening cheeks.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," I replied, chuckling. "Come on, we're only at the boggart bit. We've got a few more to go."
I smiled as I remembered the rest, especially at how she had fallen asleep towards the end of the movie.
It was a happier time…
"What are you thinking about?"
The question snapped me out of my thoughts, only to realize everyone was looking at me.
I blinked and looked at Luna, who was simply smiling at me in a very…very familiar way. I felt the magic begin to compel me, but I didn't try to fight it. I didn't need to…or want to.
"Gary," I replied, smiling as her briefly confused frown changed into a rather wide grin. "When he interrupted us."
"We were watching Prisoner of Azkaban," she said softly, grin widening. "I decked him."
"You did," I agreed, enjoying the expression on her face. "In your defence he did try to kick you out of our home."
"He was such a dick," she giggled, ignoring Celestia who was once again staring at her as if she'd sprouted another head.
A brief frown appeared on Luna's face. "Was I too clingy back then?"
"A bit," I replied, shrugging. "But I didn't mind. It felt nice to be wanted."
"It wasn't anything nefarious," she said, rubbing her chest nervously, revealing a rather nasty looking scar beneath the fur as it parted. "You just…you made me feel safe."
"I know."
She sighed and rubbed her face, before looking around at each of us and sighing again.
"Well we've come no closer to making a deal, so let's move on and make it," she said, the golden glow leaving our mouths a few moments later. "And the deal I propose is this-"
"Luna, I should be the one to begin this," Celestia interrupted, wincing at the look Luna gave her. "I asked for this to begin with. Let me at least put forward the start of it. Alterations can come after."
Luna glared at her sister for a few seconds, the silence clearly uncomfortable for Celestia until she sighed and nodded once.
"Fine," she said, frowning. "Then let's not waste any more time. Go ahead."
Celestia frowned at her but seemed to silently agree as she turned around and looked at me.
"Okay Richard, here's the deal," she began. "I propose that you return to Canterlot with us. You will be given residence as you had before, it need not be in the Palace but I must ask that it be in Canterlot. Once you have returned, you must also begin to give us samples of your seed as you once did."
She took a breath but left no room for me to give my input as she continued.
"In return for your good deed. You may have anything within my power to give you. Or if you wish for solitude then I shall of course agree and leave you be. I will not attempt to talk to you beyond when you come to give your samples, or if later down the road you decide that you no longer have animosity towards me and mine, we can both mutually agree to remove that part of the deal."
She stopped and looked at me, apparently finished with her beginning pitch.
"Good start," I said, not even trying to hide the mockery in my tone. "Here's a better one. How about you just leave us alone and work this shit out without me? That sounds pretty good to me."
Chrissy chuckled, much to Celestia's apparent annoyance as she sighed and shook her head.
"And yet not to us," Celestia replied, smiling at me. "Come now, let us be adults here and come to an agreement. You know that I will not settle for anything less then you giving us your seed once more. So perhaps we can start from there and move forward…or if you like we could sit in here until the end of time, feeling hunger and thirst but never actually dying from it. Not a preferable option, but an option still."
I began to snarl a retort…
"Richard." Luna's voice caught my attention, but it was her expression that kept it.
Pleading, begging almost…it was almost like…
"I know how you feel," she said quietly, ignoring everyone around her but me. "I really, truly do. It's a shitty situation and after everything that's happened to you, I don't blame you for wanting to watch it all burn around you. But please, please try to look past your anger. Please try to look past Celestia, and instead look at the problem itself. We're dying out Richard, we are dying out. Every single race of Pony is going to fade away into nothing unless you help us."
Celestia opened her mouth only to close it at the furious look Luna gave her, the latter turning her attention back onto me.
"Look," I said, rubbing my head and trying my best not to look at her face. "I'm not saying that what you're saying is wrong, it isn't. But I just…I just want to be left alone with Chrissy. I've had enough of Pony shite to last me a lifetime, and I'm just…I'm done with it, I really am. I've had enough."
Before she can say anything, I continue. "We woke up today and found out that Chrissy is pregnant. A child, Em. We've got a child on the way. That's supposed to be good news, and I should be happy as fuck about it. But I'm not and the only reason why is because of her."
I point at Celestia and try to repress my anger at the fucking smile I get in return.
"The only reason this dome is even a thing today is because of her," Chrissy chimes in, clearly all but ready to tear Celestia's face off. "It could have possibly killed our child! But then again, I guess she'd find it amusing if our child died. I wouldn't be surprised if it was indeed the case."
"All the death that I've caused was done for the good of Equestria," Celestia replied smoothly, her firm belief undeniable in the dome. "As I've said before. They were terrible and merciless, but in doing so allowed Equestria to become what it is today. None of it was easy to do, but it was necessary."
I only just caught the uneasy looks Cadance and Shining gave each other, but was soon brought back to Chrissy who scoffed at her words, drawing the Alicorn's attention onto her.
"Something to say my dear?" Celestia asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. "You cannot possibly tell me that you, a killer, disagrees that killing is sometimes hard but necessary? How many you must have killed for the good of someone or something else, I can only imagine."
My mate looked at her for a long, drawn out moment.
"Killing is easy," Chrissy said, a sad look on her face. "Oh it starts off hard, don't get me wrong there. The first time I killed, I was being attacked by an angry mob and defended myself a little too well. The moment I returned to my mother, I vomited all over her floor."
She paused for a moment, clearly remembering the ordeal before she turned and looked at me, frowning ever so slightly. "But then you begin to see enemies where none exist. You lash out at any who appear a threat to you and yours. And after a time it all becomes routine, just another day. Separating those who deserve death from those who are simply an inconvenience becomes too difficult a task to manage and so you stop bothering."
Celestia's smile becomes a tad more smug, but before she can open her muzzle, Chrissy cuts her off.
"But the moment the justifications come is the moment where you've truly lost any and all right to claim benevolence!" she snarled, glaring at the startled Princess angrily. "So no, I'm not perfect. But I've never claimed to be a saint and I never will. You cannot claim such either, not with all the blood staining your hooves. So do not sit there and judge me for my actions when yours far surpass them!"
"Enough!" Luna shouted, slamming her hoof on the table. "We are here to make a deal, not to have to pissing contest! So can we please stop getting side-tracked and make one, please!"
She looked at Chrissy as she finished, pleading with her eyes for my mate to agree.
"Fine," Chrissy hissed, glaring at Celestia before looking back at Luna and nodding once. "If it can get us out of this fucking dome then fine, let's get this done. Make your piece since Celestia's was clearly a load of hot shit."
"Then let's keep it short and sweet," Luna said quickly as she turned to look at me once more. "Richard, come back to Canterlot, at least for a short time so we can set everything back up again. We'll set up somewhere away from the Palace for you and Chrysalis to stay. Donate your seed to us once a week until we no longer need it. As soon as that is the case, you will be informed immediately and can then leave if you have chosen to stay in Canterlot. If you have not then you'll simply receive a missive wherever you are staying at the time."
She paused and looked at Celestia, who in turn was giving her a rather cross look.
"You will also be given a promise of peace from my sister. She will not contact you or seek to knowingly harm you herself or through others until the deal is done. After which…well, hopefully we will at least have learned to tolerate the other by then."
If she was cross before, Celestia was downright angry now.
Luna ignored her however and stopped talking for a moment, letting us both take it all in.
I looked at Chrissy. "What do you think?"
"I think that I hate all of this and would rather go back to our hi-home," she replied, glaring at Celestia hatefully. "But ultimately this decision is yours love. I will follow whatever you choose to do."
I blinked in surprise at her answer, receiving a warm smile in return.
"I trust you," she said, love for me reflecting clearly in her eyes.
I rubbed my head and looked back at Luna, my gaze slowly turning to Celestia as a question came to mind.
"Are you absolutely sure that there is no other way to save your kind then me?"
She frowned lightly and shook her head.
"We have tried nearly every conceivable option, Richard." Celestia replied. "You are our only hope."
"And if I'm not compatible anymore?" I asked, amused at her little flinch. "Ah, you thought I wouldn't ask. But I'm not entirely Human now. If I am not compatible, you will leave us alone."
She stiffened a little before smiling softly. "As you so wish, we will leave you be."
Her visage swiftly became something else, something almost stern. "However if you are compatible as you once were, then you must honour the deal too. You must stay in Canterlot as you once did for at least a short time, though I will tell you that if Chrysalis reveals herself to my subjects, whatever their reaction becomes is on her and her alone."
She looked at Chrissy and smiled in a way I really didn't like. "I will make no effort to protect her. So it may be prudent to stay away until we have no need of Richard, no?"
She ignored Celestia's clear attempt to rile her up and looked at me, our eyes meeting.
"You'd need to disguise yourself again," I said quietly. "But…how?"
'She told me before that she'll need to stay in her other form after a short time. She won't be able to transform.'
Celestia looked surprised at my question, but for once remained silent and watched us instead.
Chrissy frowned for a moment before smiling and nodding, seemingly to herself.
"I have a good disguise," she replied, smiling at my confused look. "We'd just need a good cover story for it."
It took me a moment…
"Oh," I uttered, smiling back as I realized what she was getting at. "Of course."
Chrissy turned away and looked at Luna. "What's the public knowledge about Richard right now? What do they think has happened to him?"
Luna blinked. "As far as they are aware, he has returned to his world. Celestia deemed it prudent not to cause a panic and inform them that a Changeling had been living among them for over a year. Only a fair portion of the guard know and were sent out actively to search for him, you met some of them today. The rest however do not know any more than the average civilian."
"Then it works perfectly with my plan," Chrissy said, nodding to herself.
"Care to inform me?" Celestia asked.
"Not really."
She opened her mouth but I cut her off before she could say anything.
"I do not trust you," I said, my voice low, dangerous. "If I suspect that you've concocted some scheme to reveal her and hurt her and our child, I swear that I will make you suffer."
Celestia cocked an eyebrow and smiled at me, apparently amused at my threat.
"If I do indeed do so then by all rights the old magic will punish me for it," she said, smiling at me. "It cannot be fooled or deceived. Therefore there is nothing that I can do to...how do you say, rig the system?"
"We'll see..."
"Then do we have a deal?" Luna asked, looking at Chrissy and I hopefully.
I looked at my mate and she me…
I sighed and rubbed my face, regretting everything as I looked at Luna and said…
"We do."
The dome gave off a loud gong as its magic entered each and everyone of us, seeping into our skin…and then the great golden thing itself smashed into smithereens.
And vanished.
My power came back to me immediately, there was no slow recovery. Just a mere blink of time and it was back, my armour, my ability to sense emotion.
Everything was back, and as I looked around at the now winged and horned Celestia, I realized that everyone else had their power back too.
And yet something felt…different. I could feeling something…two somethings that were nearing us, getting closer.
'What is that?'
A shuffle of movement brought my attention onto Celestia, the two of us staring at the other, waiting, watching for the slightest movement to give us an excuse.
But then I remembered, our baby!
"Chrissy is it-"
She smiled and nodded quickly, said smile growing wider with each nod. "It's fine love, it's perfectly fine."
I breathed a sigh of relief and made to move only to be interrupted by Celestia's voice.
"If I might interrupt, we should get moving," she said, giving my chitinous armour a brief glance before sighing almost inaudibly.
"Wait," Chrissy snapped, looking around at the empty field suspiciously. "Where's your guard, they were here before. Where are they now?"
Celestia smirked and rubbed her barrel absentmindedly. "Oh, well they're likely in your hiding place by now."
Chrissy's eyes widened, as did mine but for an entirely different reason.
"You sent them to our hive?!" I shouted, eyes glowing with power as I took a step towards her.
"Ah, so you were hiding in a hive then," Celestia said, winking at me. "Thank you for telling me Richard."
"You fucking-"
"How did you send them there?" Chrissy interrupted, holding a hoof up, gesturing for me to stop.
Celestia smiled and shrugged. "I merely requested that they follow your signature back to the source. It's a simple spell, even you could learn it."
Chrissy's eyes widened for a moment, before turning...almost sad. "Those poor fools. You've sent them to their deaths, Celestia."
Celestia frowned and gave her full attention to Chrissy, suddenly alarmed. "And how exactly have I done that? No one lives there besides Richard and yourself, or am I mistaken?"
"The hive is alive, you dumb cunt!" Chrissy spat, glaring at the Princess. "Did you never enter the hive when you burned Naerx's to the ground?
Celestia shook her head but before she could reply, Chrissy continued.
"If anyone other than a Changeling were to enter the hive uninvited, it would at best kill them!"
"At best?" Luna asked, her expression torn between worry and anger as she looked at Celestia. "What do you mean?"
Chrissy's expression softened as she looked at her, a sad sigh leaving her muzzle.
"The hive does not waste resources, alive or dead. Those poor fools are either already dead, or have been assimilated into the hive mind."
"Assimilated?"
"Transformed into new subjects," Chrissy replied, frowning deeply. "A Queen cannot change other species into Changelings outside of choosing a King, this much I will share. But the hive has a magic all its own. And if your guard have wandered in there...then I'm sorry. But they're likely no longer your guard anymore."
Luna's eyes widened in disbelief before she turned to face a horrified looking Celestia.
"Is there no end to your stupidity?" she whispered, her expression horrified. "Even I know not to send someone into unknown territory. It was one of the first lessons Father taught us!"
A rustle of movement was all the warning I received before two thumps forced me to spin around, my eyes wide as I took in two Changelings.
Normal Changelings, one of which carried a sword in his mouth.
Chrissy moved forward quickly and stood next to me, staring at the two warily…a subtle sadness emanating from her.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I truly am."
"Don't be," one said, female by the sound of her voice. "My name is Fleetfoot, we met before. And he's Pearl, my Captain."
"Yes, I tried to goad you before," Pearl said after he dropped his sword, looking at me sheepishly. "My apologies, I was…grieving."
I was flabbergasted at the change in him, in them both. What had happened to them?
"Captain Pearl?" Celestia's voice sounded behind me, nearing me. I edged away as she stood to my side, Chrissy's fury spiking dangerously as I tasted it. "Is that truly you? Do you recognise me?"
Anger.
I had felt Chrissy's, tasted it even. But the anger emanating from both of the Changelings before me was so intense it made me feel winded.
"Oh yes, we both know who you are," he said quietly, his tone dangerous. "We've both seen…exactly who Princess Celestia is."
Celestia caught on quickly and raised a hoof. "Do not believe the lies you have seen. Remember who you are Captain. Remember who you swore to serve and protect."
He stared at her for a moment, perhaps two…before he lifted his sword and threw it at her hooves.
"Consider that me deserting," he quite literally spat, the mare joining him as she spat on the sword.
"And me," Fleetfoot snarled, giving the Princess a look that could melt steel.
"Please, I can help you," Celestia said. "I'm sorry this happened to you. But if you come back then I can try to change you back."
They both ignored Celestia and looked over at Luna, a strange expression on their faces before they turned and looked at us.
"My King," Pearl said.
"My Queen," Fleetfoot followed.
"We swear allegiance to you both. We swear to serve and protect both you and the hive until our dying die. So we swear, so mote it be."
They both finished at the same time and bowed low…and as they did so, two bright lights seemed to come alive inside my head. I could…see them, feel them, know them.
They were Pearl and Fleetfoot.
They were our subjects.
"Rise," Chrissy ordered, sadness emanating from her still. "I accept your pledge and so welcome you into the hive. You serve the King and Queen, and as such are now our subjects. Protect us and we shall in turn feed you, and ensure your lives are long and fruitful in the coming years."
I wasn't entirely sure, but I believed that I had just seen some kind of old Changeling magic.
She then looked at the two of them and smiled, a small smile but a smile, nonetheless.
"Sak'ruit a fon," she said, the words unknown to me.
And yet…I understood them.
'You may bond with each other.'
The two of them smiled widely up at her and bowed low once more.
"Thank you my Queen," Fleetfoot said. "We…we were not allowed such before, your generosity is wonderful."
"Can you return to your previous appearance?" Chrissy asked.
They looked at each other and frowned…and then in a burst of green light, the both of them suddenly looked like Ponies.
Pearl was a brown coated stallion with hazel eyes and a short, cropped hair.
Fleetfoot was a cream coated mare with brown eyes and a long brown hair.
'I guess their armour really was enchanted.'
They looked nothing like the pure white Ponies I had seen a few hours ago.
"I'm not sure how we knew to do that," Fleetfoot murmured, looking down at herself. "I feel like I'm wearing a coat."
"You'll get used to it in time," Chrissy remarked sadly, shaking her head as she looked at Celestia and hissed. "Fucking useless cunt."
She gestured for me to follow as we walked towards Luna, the two new subjects following behind us without so much as a word.
It felt weird.
"So tell me," Celestia asked loudly, ignoring Chrissy's rolled eyes as she turned her head and looked at her. "How exactly are you going to disguise yourself?"
Chrissy smiled…a very dangerous smile.
And then changed in a long, two second flash of green magic, the mare replaced by something a little closer to home.
Well, my old home anyhow.
Celestia's mouth opened and stayed that way, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at Chrissy.
Our new subjects looked at her much the same, but quickly regained their faculties and smiled up at us.
"This is how," Chrissy said, smirking at her expression. "Oh don't mind the tits, he certainly doesn't."
She gave them a little jiggle and smirked before reaching out and taking my hand, gripping it tightly as she turned a little slower than I believed she intended.
"One foot in front of the other, right?" she whispered, using her long hair to hide her face as she looked up at me worriedly. "Really don't want to fall over in front of her."
I chuckled and smiled down at her, enjoying how her small nose wrinkled cutely.
"Don't worry love," I soothed, stroking her cheek gently. "I've got you."
And I've got you! 7000 fucking words just to get out of the fucking dome!
No more! No more fucking dome! Woo hoo!
May be a few errors here and there, will edit in the morning.
Stay Snuggly! :D
