• To Where and Back Again. 1 Moon after the Episode.
"KILL ME!" Thorax screamed as he laid in the hospital wing.
His elder brood mate rolled his eyes. Pharynx never was good with the whole "Emotional Support" thing. The biggest problem is that he was secure in his jerkiness.
Pharynx still hadn't embraced the changes to the hive but... Thorax was grateful for him staying. Most of the unreformed changelings, had left to find Chrysalis, but a few had stayed, including Pharynx...
Why Thorax wasn't sure. Thorax liked to think it was his brother's way of saying "I Love You", staying by his side even though he disagreed with him... but who knows what was really going on inside the captain of the changelings' head.
"For Mother's sake," Pharynx scuffed, "All you've done is laid a few eggs. It can't be THAT bad."
"YOU TRY IT!" Thorax screamed.
This was Thorax first time laying eggs. It was exhausting and painful and just HORRIBLE! And he would have to do this once a moon after this! His body had finally reached maturity and for Queen Changelings that meant their bodies started asexually manufacturing eggs.
The Changeling nurse did a quick scan of him with 'her' horn. Truthfully she was just a drone and had no gender but Changelings call themselves by whatever gender they identified with. Only Queens had a gender and they were all asexual females.
"That's it, take deep breaths," The nurse insisted, "In... and... Out..."
Thorax obeyed as he pushed the last egg out... they were so small. Only the size of his hoof. How did they hurt so much!?
"There we go," the nurse smiled as she cleaned the final egg and put it on the cart with the others. "All done."
Pharynx yelled, "That can't be it! He only laid 7 eggs so far! Chrysalis laid dozens of eggs at a time!"
The nurse waved off, "This is perfectly normal. Thorax is a young queen."
"King," Thorax insisted. He spent his entire life identifying as a boy. Just because his body ascended into a female when he took over the hive doesn't mean he didn't still see himself that way.
Truthfully there were no male changelings. Only genderless drones and asexual Queens.
The nurse rolled her eyes, not seeing the hypocrisy in that, "My point is. Thorax is young. His body is barely physically mature enough to have offspring. He won't be able to produce as many eggs as Chrysalis, for at least a thousand years. We'll be long dead by the time Thorax reaches full maturity."
Thorax hung his head. He didn't like being reminded that all his friends, siblings, and even the children he had just laid, would all die in just a few hundred years.
Changelings, and nearly everything else on Equus, lived about as long as ponies, but Queens? Changeling Queens were cursed with longevity. They could still die... just not of old age. He could very well be in his prime longer then their planet lived.
Pharynx showed a rare look of sympathy, "Get some rest," he ordered his brother.
"But..." Thorax tried to find the words as he looked over at his eggs.
They were still transparent, due to being so newly laid, but they would harden and develop white spotted shells within another moon... but for now... he could see inside them... see the bodies of his still developing children. They were the first naturally born reformed changelings. The first in recorded history... born without sin... and would never know what it was to be hungry... They were his first children... suddenly all the pain he endured had become worth it. He wanted to be a better parent then Chrysalis. He would actually know their names, and raise them with all the love they could ever want.
"The nanny clutch will look after them with the other nymphs," Pharynx assured, "You can snuggle them after you wake up, but for now you're no good to anyone. Even Chrysalis needed rest after laying her eggs. And we both know she is a thousand times tougher then you."
"So you suddenly believe me it hurt." Thorax eyed suspiciously.
Pharynx glared and gave their new King a wack upside his head.
"OWIE!" Thorax exclaimed, with royal dignity fitting his station.
"Quit being a whiny wimp and go to sleep," Pharynx ordered before looking at the nurse, "Escort the eggs to the hatchery and put them under heating lamps."
The nurse rolled her eyes, "I've been a nurse for nearly 400 years. I know what to do with eggs." She insisted before she began pushing the cart out.
"Don't!" Thorax ordered and the nurse sent a puzzled look at him, "Bring some equipment in here and put them under the lamps. I want to keep them close."
Pharynx rolled his eyes, "They're safer in the hatchery."
"You can move them there once I'm out of recovery," Thorax insisted, "For now I want them near me."
"They need the humid air of the Hatchery," Explained the nurse.
"Then make it more humid in here?" Thorax ordered, "A few mist spells would do the trick."
The nurse sighed, "As you command, your majesty."
Thorax gave one last longing look at his eggs, but had to agree with his brother. He was tired... he needed... rest...
It was only a few hours later that Thorax was woken with a start. He had heard something crash and looking around he screamed when he saw the source.
On the floor, in the fog, was a broken vial, and standing over it... was Chrysalis. She was caressing his eggs! They were all floating around her as she touched them.
"Get away from them!" Thorax screamed but he couldn't get up. The restraints on the bed had been fastened over him in his sleep. Even his horn had a magic suppressor on it. The way Chrysalis was standing over him with the eggs floating around her suggested she dropped the vial on purpose, to wake him.
Looking around frantically Thorax saw it was well into the night. He was alone.
"Can't a mother stop by to visit her grandchildren," Chrysalis smirked as she examined the eggs. "Despite appearances you actually do have good genes as a Queen," Chrysalis commented. "3 out of 7 eggs are warriors instead of common worker drones. Not bad for your first birthing."
Chrysalis smiled, remembering her own first litter of eggs. Her very first brood. "You'll cherish the memories of these little ones for the rest of your life... and grieve like no other creature can comprehend when you outlive them."
"Don't hurt them," Thorax begged.
Chrysalis flew into a rage, striking the young King across the face before getting control of herself. She glared menacingly and spoke in a grave whisper, "Don't you dare think that of me. Whatever else I am. Whatever else I have done. I have NEVER been anything but an excellent mother. Everything I did was for you and your ungrateful siblings. I would never hurt an innocent egg!"
Thorax wasn't sure if he believed her.
Chrysalis sighed, "I came to offer you peace. You are just an ignorant grub and obviously don't realize what you are leading your hive to."
"There is nothing wrong with sharing love," Thorax glared.
"Besides the fact it is disgusting," Chrysalis grumbled. "Your feeding off your own siblings, you beastly grub!"
Thorax glared, "It's better then hunting for food, just to bring it back to YOU."
"That went to feed the entire hive," Chrysalis insisted.
"We were miserable before! Constantly hungry and in a constant state of fear, OF YOU,"
Chrysalis scuffed, "So I am, admittedly, a little strict. However most of your siblings appreciate a firm hoof."
"Firm hoof? You killed anyone who crossed you! Your own children!"
Chrysalis just scuffed, "I did not come here to be lectured by a grub. I came to offer you a chance. I am rallying the remaining hives. The other Queens will follow me. I will take this one back by force if I have to... but believe it or not, I don't want things to come to that. You are just misguided in your ignorance.
"I will allow you to maintain your indecent lifestyle, even keep this hive for yourself, it's a security issue now that the ponies know where it is. All I ask is you obey my rule and stop all these ridiculous plans you have for building relations with the other species."
Thorax glared, "I'll pass."
Chrysalis roared, "You don't understand what you're doing! Just what you are opening up your siblings and even your own children to! Don't you know anything of our history! The other races can't be trusted. All they are good for is food!"
Thorax glared, "That was a thousand years ago. Ponies have changed, just like you have. I remember our history. How you were once a just and benevolent Queen. I don't know if that's just propaganda or if the millenniums really did change you, but you clearly aren't like that anymore!
"I don't care if you offer us the moon itself I will NEVER go back to bowing before you! The Hive was never a home under you! We lived in fear and misery. You claim to be a good mother but did you even know my name until I left the hive! I won't doom my siblings back to that. And I won't leave the other hives to your mercy. I will save each and every hive FROM you."
Chrysalis looked strangely... proud? "You have more ambition then I ever gave you credit, Grub."
"It's not ambition!" Thorax glared in response. "I never wanted any of this. You forced me to take the throne! All I wanted was to make the Hive an actual home! I tried reasoning with you, even pleading with you. Everything that happens from here is on YOU... I will save my family."
Chrysalis glared, "You can't begin to understand what you're doing. There hasn't been a Changeling civil war in ten thousand years. Would you doom all our hives to that?"
"All I wanted was for you to show compassion," Thorax glared. "You long since proved you're incapable of that."
Chrysalis shook her head, "Then there is nothing else to say." She gently put the eggs back under the lamp by Thorax bed. "I had hoped you would see reason but it seems your dead set on taking everything from me. Congratulations grub, if it's war you want, it's war you'll get. I won't go quietly," with that she teleported away.
• Triple Threat. 1 Moon after the Episode.
Thorax had tried everything to convince the other queens to join him... almost everything. His new friend Ember had some ideas.
Thorax stared out at the hundreds of Queens in the large chamber. They were all still corrupted by their hunger.
"Thank you for coming," Thorax smiled.
Unfortunately one of the queens called him out, "It's not like we had a choice! You sent your dragons to intimidate us!"
Thorax held his smile in place, although it was more nervous now. He muscled through it and remained strong, like Ember had taught him.
"I just wanted to show you one of the benefits of befriending the other races. You all have been ignoring me for too long. So here is what is going to happen. You are going to cut all ties with Chrysalis, and join me."
The hall shot out with waves of protest.
"That's Enough," Thorax glared before screaming, "Quiet!" tapping into his magic so that his voice all but roared across the hall, like Twilight showed him, stunning the audience into silence. "Fact of the matter is, Chrysalis wants a war so as long as you feed off the unwilling, you are a threat to my hive... and threats I won't tolerate."
All the Queens were shocked. this was the 'meek grub' Chrysalis told them about?
Thorax looked grave, imagining the loss of life ahead. "With the dragons supporting my army, I hope you all realize the fight would not go in her favor.
"I ask, no demand, you join the winning side. I won't force you to share love but you WILL NOT shame those that choose to, as you will be largely reliant on them. You, nor your citizens, will feed on the unwilling or deceive others for love. You will not kill Changelings or any other Sapient creature. You will remember that changelings are a family and give all those of your hives a voice in how it is run.
"In exchange for relenting to this you will be compensated with something more valuable then gold. I will give each of you a voice," Thorax promised, "You join me and obey these simple laws and I will let you determine the rest. I will listen to you and be willing to compromise in most things. I will form a council of Queens where we vote on all matters together. Where WE determine our own fates. I will guide the chamber as Chairman but I will only have one vote on all matters same as any other Queen. Join me and I won't rule through fear but compassion for all hives,"
Many of the Queens actually stood up and cheered, where others looked worried.
One who remained seated whispered to the other beside her, "Can we really go against Chrysalis?"
The other snorted, "Not if you know what's good for you."
"But look at this," The first gulped, "He's got 3 quarters of the room giving him a standing novation. Then there is the little problem he's got freaking Dragons on his side. Let's not forget the sun god and ponies, AND the god of chaos!"
"The sun spirit has grown weak so long from her rightful place in the sky," The other queen reminded, "She's already fallen to Chrysalis before, and true gods are forbidden from interfering in mortal wars. Discord can't actually do anything to help the traitors,"
"What about the dragons?" The first harshly whispered, "He's got all the dragons across the planet helping him!"
"Then we just need allies of our own."
• To Change a Changeling. The Day Afterwards.
Pharynx looked at his reflection in the mirror, at his new antlers instead of antennae. There were only a few other warriors in the hive, most of them had fled with Chrysalis. The few that stayed behind looked a lot like him. He had to admit, they looked a lot more powerful and were easier to tell apart from the drones.
Unreformed changeling warriors were just more colorful then drones. They were stronger, and even had greater magic, but they looked pretty much the same.
Reformed Changelings were another story. Pharynx could get some serious use out of this bigger, leaner, body and antlers. He even liked how his colors were darker as a warrior then a drone... but still, "The hive has grown far too complacent," he repeated something he had been saying for months.
"I know," Thorax sighed, sitting on Pharynx's bed of comfy mattress and blankets. Thorax had done a lot of trading with the ponies to get a bunch of luxuries up here. He had gone as far as to replace everylings sleeping boulder with a proper bed. He was making everything about the changelings soft.
"We need to- wait," Pharynx blinked, snapping his head at his brother in surprise, "Did you just agree with me!?"
Thorax chuckled, "I know. It must be the end of the world... but seriously." Growing more grave, "you're right. We're relying too much on support from the dragons. Their army was too busy to help us with one little Maulwurf and we barely beat it back! It's been nearly 70 moons since the dragons took over for our military duties and we have completely forgotten how to defend ourselves in the process! I agree, we have grown far too complacent. I need you to arrange drills for us and the other hives. Not just for the warriors either. The drones need to learn self defense to,"
Pharynx blinked before eying his brother, "What has you so worried all of a sudden. Not that I'm complaining, as you effectively just made me general of the army, but-"
"It's too quiet Pharynx!" Thorax yelled, "Chrysalis threatens to crush our hive and then disappears off the face of Equus! How is that possible!? She must be plotting something!"
"Chrysalis is probably the last thing I'm worried about," Pharynx admitted.
Thorax gaped at him, "How can YOU, of all lings, say that!?"
Pharynx shrugged, "It's been almost a year now, and besides that one time she broke in, nothing. Nearly all the changelings sided with you. Tartarus, all who joined you even embraced your gross sharing love hippy nonsense. You even got me doing it!
"With Chrysalis' limited forces, and our alliance with the ponies and dragons, the two most powerful races on the planet, she just isn't a threat to us. The most I'm worried about from her is spies sabotaging our progress, but she couldn't hope to win an actual assault. We are fine Thorax, I promise... but I'm still whipping the hives back into shape," Pharynx insisted, "You never know what could happen."
• Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location.
Chrysalis grinned, forcing it to be pleasant instead of her usual devious smile, as she looked around the table. After nearly a year of talks her little group was finally ready to come together. They were finally on the edge, just a little push and they would swear loyalty to her cause. Yaks and most importantly Griffins were all sitting across from her.
Grampa Gruff, Elder and unofficial leader of the Griffin ruins, growled, "My species used to be feared and respected across the globe! We were the pinnacle of power once. Our treasury hoarding trillions in gold, but when we fell on hard times did the ponies come to our aid! NO they closed their boarders and forgot we existed for a thousand years! Now they suddenly come back into our lives, and try to corrupt our youth, because our way isn't good enough!"
"It's just not right," Chrysalis nodded with false sympathy.
Gruff eyed, "You say you can restore the Griffins to our former glory, and put those ponies in their place. If you can make good on your word I'm all for it. The Griffins have a long history of slaying dragons. If we put our army to task, they won't bother you none," he swore.
Prince Rutherford looked less convinced, "Ponies are ignorant and think they better then yaks... but some ponies get Yaks. Ponies Yaks friends,"
"I'm not asking you to go up against the ponies," Chrysalis assured. "You can help my army take on my wayward children."
"But good changelings pony friends," Insisted the prince.
"They aren't 'good' Changelings anymore then I am 'evil'," Chrysalis scoffed. "Ponies betrayed my creatures. They will betray yours. All I am asking for is your help reclaiming my rightful throne. A throne your pony friends helped steal by insighting a coo. Does that sound like something honorable creatures would do?"
The prince frowned, "Yaks help Changeling Queen. Changeling Queen been good to Yaks. Respected Yaks. Appreciate Yak Culture but no try to steal it with fake not yak nonsense. Yaks help reclaim thrown but Yaks no fight ponies for Changelings."
"And I wouldn't ask you to," Chrysalis smiled. If all went according to plan the ponies would turn the Yaks against them themselves.
Chrysalis knew she was being a bit of a hypocrite, allying herself with these creatures, but unlike her dimwitted spawn she wouldn't make the mistake of trusting them. They were tools. She would continue to manipulate them until they outlived their usefulness. Then consume what's left.
• A Year of War.
It took some time, but each ling, within every affiliated hive, had come to embrace the change. Sharing love was widely accepted by all those under Thorax domain. Even amongst the Queens.
Although, it wasn't without side effects. Sharing Love triggered the absorption of massive amounts of magic, and depending on the flavor of the energy, in the environment, caused the lings to mutate in different ways.
Each Hive had mutated into various kinds of bug ponies, depending on the environment surrounding their hive. There were now several races of changeling, with each of the original queens now grubs of their own race.
There were Hives such as the Forest-Lings, with wood branches and moss growing out of them. The Moth-Lings, who were very Fluffy and cute... and held an odd obsession for lamps. With even more lings based on Crickets, Bees, Wasps, Spiders, Butterflies, and of course Thorax's own hive of Fae Beetles.
Then there was the Doppelganger Hive. These were changelings that mutated in a swamp with low levels of magic. As a result, they only partially transformed. With no hope of unlocking their full potential.
Their holes had been filled, as well as their exoskeleton having become more colorful (although still darker colors), and they all grew manes of colorful spider web like hair. Even the male Drones.
Each race of lings, still had Workers, Drones, and Warrior lings. With each breed having different characteristics, unique to both their station and species. However, as none of Thorax's Queens had any use of infiltrators anymore. Those had been reassigned as "Cuddle Bugs". In order to spread love around to those who needed it.
All Lings maintained their shapeshifting. As they could change into near anything. From people, to inanimate objects, and even creatures that only existed in their imagination. With each race having their own quirks, with the occasional unique abilities beyond transformation magics.
They all still function like a bee hive. While there were a lot of females, as workers, most of them were barren. The few Queens lay eggs, instead of live births. Then those eggs hatch into adorable little grubs.
However, all their children would be born as there new species.
There were hundreds of such lings wandering Thorax's Hive. Acting as the ambassadors of the other hives. In near constant contact with their queen, and her advisors. Thanks to their own psychic links in the form of "hive minds". Which was connected to all under their Queen's Domain.
No "foreign" changelings were needed at the other hives, as The Ambassadors, gathered within Thorax Boarders, allowed them to discuss everything with all lings between each hive, through their Ambassadors.
These Changeling Queens were meeting today. With plans to go over the War effort with.
But first Thorax needed to be briefed.
The War raged on. The reformed changelings and dragons were now vastly outnumbered. Things had gotten worse when the ponies got involved to fend off the Yaks and Griffins. Not long after Zebras, Deer, Cows, Goats, Buffalo, and Giraffes all join Chrysalis' side.
Thorax and his allies were still winning, but by inches. Nearly every battle had armies in the thousands, but each victory reduced them to hundreds.
Thorax looked out at all this death, reduced to mere statistics on paper, and wept... Then Pharynx kindly whacked him upside the head.
"That's not helping..." Thorax muttered, as he hugged his body pillow of Spike, and buried his face into it.
They were in the war room, going over the casualty list of their latest victory. Thorax had taken to bringing something to snuggle as he heard it. He was no military genius. These were all Pharynx's strategies. His older brother just kept him advised.
Thorax was the All-Mother now. Pharynx wouldn't let him risk himself on the battlefield and Thorax didn't know anything about strategy. Thorax just handled the day to day matters of his hive, lending support to the other Reformed Queens, and nursing his own hatchlings... he was aware of what was going on in the war, but not actually part of it.
Pharynx growled, "You need to pull yourself together!" He ordered.
"Maybe we should just surrender," Thorax wondered. He knew they were technically winning... but each battle came at such a high cost.
Pharynx hit him again, "Do you honestly think that would stop her! This isn't about US anymore! She has the majority of the hooved races in her clutches! They don't even realize what will happen if she wins. She'll enslave them all, along with every creature on our side. She's trying to conquer the planet!"
"She just wants us..." Thorax insisted, "Chrysalis could care less about the other creatures."
"Exactly," Pharynx glared. "If we surrender, we'll go back to being slaves. While she turns the rest of the planet into live stock.
"Look at these battle tactics, she has used, really look at them. It's like she's not even trying to protect her own forces. They are focused purely on doing as much damage to us as possible, with no defense. Our scouts have even reported, unreformed changelings, feeding on their own 'allies'.
"Chrysalis is using the other races in her army as cannon fodder, while she rebuilds her nest. She is having us kill each other, and once we are all weak, she's going to swoop in and conquer the planet!"
"How would she do that?" Thorax blinked, "She's got pretty low numbers herself."
Pharynx growled, "I was getting to that. Our spies have successfully infiltrated Chrysalis forces, although we still haven't found her new hive. What they have been able to gather is... troubling.
"She has been artificially aging her hatchlings, with age spells. She lays dozens of eggs a moon and it's been over a year! She has a good sized army again, yet we barely see any unreformed Changelings on the battlefield. She's holding them back and not letting her allies know just how many forces she has.
"She is purposefully weakening the other races, with her strategies, and could care less about who actually wins these battles. She just wants to do enough damage to both sides so she can more easily conquer all of us later on. Her goal isn't to win the war... it's for everyone else to lose."
"How do we stop this?" Thorax gulped.
"If we can find Chrysalis... we can kill her, and save every creature."
"KILL QUEEN MAMA!!!" Thorax gaped. For all of his desire to save the hives. Killing the first all mother... his mother, never factored into it.
Pharynx sighed, looking away from his younger brother. Thorax always had been soft... innocent. Part of him wanted to do what he always had. And shield the grub from the horrors of the world. But Thorax was king now, and they were at war... that luxury was no longer available.
"Without a Queen," Pharynx explained, "the new hive won't know what to do. We can go in and help them... the other races might still want a fight, but that is when you can use some of your diplomacy. If we take out Chrysalis the war should end soon after."
Time Skip: Just glossing over some key events, that wouldn't be fun for me to write
• The War Intensifies:
Queen Nova sat on her throne, as she observed the surfacer, but he wasn't like other surfacers. He came from far away, the other side of the planet. He was a shapeshifter. His army stumbled on them some months ago, traveling the oceans of sea serpents to find their enemies nest... Nova understood a thing or to about trying to proactively protect your citizens.
He called himself "Thorax" leader of the "Fae Beetles", what everyone was coming to call his breed of "reformed changelings".
Nova sighed, "My people have been warring with the Hippogriffs for generations, although we once lived peacefully in the same kingdom. I guess you could say I 'get it'. This war has cost us much."
The changeling, in the shape of a sea pony (perhaps to make her more comfortable?), looked at her with such sympathy in his eyes, "We are hoping to end our own war soon. With the death of our former tyrant we will be able to turn to diplomacy, to convince the other rulers to lay down arms."
"What do you need from us?" Nova asked, "We may control the seas, but we are kinda useless on the surface."
"All we want is medicine and nutrition," Thorax insisted. "All my resources are devoted to the war effort. We need better potions and food to feed our allies. You help us and I promise, my forces will help you. We will protect you from the Hippogriffs."
And that is how the Hippogriffs got involved in the global war.
• Tempest:
During the World War, Chrysalis finds Tempest and offers her assistance. Chrysalis tells her she has the knowledge to fix the Mare's horn, but currently lacks the power to do it. She needs the power of the Alicorns, using a staff made from the root of the tree of Harmony, and Twilight as the focus, since she is the Element of magic. She promises to fix her horn in exchange for the staff, once it is completed.
Chrysalis says that she knows Tempest has seen the tree of Harmony in her travels and can harvest the root with her raw magical power, thanks to her broken horn. Tempest agrees.
Chrysalis sends an unnamed changeling, who literally has no name, with Tempest to keep an eye on her. Tempest comes to call the Changeling "Grubber" after hearing Chrysalis refer to it as "Grub". Tempest and Grubber go to the tree of Harmony and she uses her broken horn to launch enough destructive force at the tree to slice off one of it's roots. The tree attacks her back and they are able to just barely escape. Grubber becoming badly injured to protect her. This endears him to her a bit yet she still treats him relatively poorly as she believes he will eventually betray her.
Tempest then leads an attack of changelings against Canterlot and uses orbs to trap the other four principles as stone statues, including Flurry Heart. However Twilight is able to get away with her friends. Tempest tracks the 6 to a Yokai Cat named Capper who offers to sell the ponies to her, but he has a last minute change of heart and let's them escape, while tricking her to follow him. She takes him prisoner and well interrogating him onboard her Airship, Grubber spots a Sonic Rain-boom.
They find a group of Yokai bird pirates, who once again let the mane 6 escape. Becoming frustrated Tempest destroys their ship with the crew and Capper trapped on it, leaving them to die as they fall from the sky... and forgetting The Yokai birds, can shapeshift into birds that can fly. As they take Capper with them.
Tempest finally captures Twilight, when she becomes isolated, after trying to steal an artifact from their allies the Sea ponies. Tempest gloats over Twilight losing her friends, as Tempest believes friends will always turn their backs on you when things get hard.
Chrysalis absorbs the other Alicorns magic, using Twilight as the focus. After the changeling Queen has the staff she tries to use it to kill Tempest. Grubber jumps in the way of the blast, sacrificing his life for her. This shocks Tempest to her core, as she can't imagine anyone actually doing that for someone else, outside of a story book.
Tempest and Twilight fight Chrysalis, the rest of the Mane 6 appear with the friends they have made over the course of the Adventure. The seapony princess has the orb Twilight tried to steal and uses it to transform the Mane 6 into their Rainbow forms. They overwhelm Chrysalis and are able to get the staff away from her. She teleports away and her army occupying Canterlot immediately do the same.
While the ponies celebrate, Tempest mourns over the loss of Grubber, who she just now realizes was a true friend.
Discord appears to her at the end, and promises to look after Grubbers soul for her, but it is the most he can do.
• Sombra:
Something is wrong with the tree of Harmony. As the war rages, it gets weaker, until one day Sombra appears to finish the job. He destroys the tree of Harmony, releasing the entire Wendigo species that was contained inside.
Sombra proceeds to brainwash the population of Ponyville, into a fit of depression and rage so that their conflict feeds his masters. The Mane 6 battle him, but he defeats them. Then the Wendigos spread all across the planet. The chapter ends with the warring species calling a truce to save their planet from the Wendigos.
• Final day of the War.
Hate, rage, and grief had consumed the world... letting them return.
Sombra looked out into the snowy wasteland, that was once Appaloosa, and smiled... but he could no longer remember if it was forced. Blood stained the snow, as his masters fed on the carnage.
Finally, after a thousand years, these monsters would pay for what they did to him. At last he fulfilled his purpose, at last... the wendigos had returned.
They had been trapped within the tree of Harmony, for nearly 2 thousand years. Trapped there, by Clover the Clever and her friends, at the founding of Equestria. But the Global War had weakened the Harmony magics that bound them. Allowing Sombra to destroy the tree, and free his masters.
The various armies had re-united to fight off their true enemy. Dragons and Griffins, Hippogriffs and Seaponies, Changelings reunited with Changelings... they all forgot what they were fighting about, and together joined, in a single force to fight back the Wendigos.
This was the final battle to decide the fate of the world. This was their last stand... too bad they didn't stand a chance, the shadow bender thought with a smirk.
It was too late. Too much blood had been spilt in this war. Too many lives lost. Too much misery had infected the planet, and made the Wendigos strong.
Sombra stood on the cliff and just watched... his heart aching as he tried to cling to all the things the ponies did to him. The unprovoked beatings, the cries of "Demon" at the mere sight of him... with the peasants near constant attempts to kill him... but his curse was too strong.
The shadows protected him. Moving like fog around him. He was born a monster, a demon of shadow. Rejected by the ponies, constantly told he was the monster... how could he become anything else?
The Wendigos offered him salvation in their service. They offered him companionship and acceptance. They reached out to him, as he traveled the Shadow Realms, feeding his rage and despair... and he allowed them to feed off him in return.
The Wendigos could speak to him, but they couldn't leave his realm. They wanted back into the mortal world. To taste such lovely despair. So they told Sombra what he needed to do to feed them. With mind control helmets.
They could not only control those wearing the helmets, but could feed off them. Fueling the Wendigos, and weakening their prison.
That plan had failed, but it was fate the creatures of Equus took it on themselves, to destroy the Harmony of the planet.
Once the world was their's, he would rule the slave armies, keeping them miserable so that their pain would feed his masters...
The world would be blanketed in an eternal winter. All would suffer as he had. He would finally have his vengeance on this world... Why wasn't this making him as happy as it had in his dreams?
Behind him he heard the sound of crushing snow. Turning his head, he saw a Stallion. A plain brown stallion with a darker brown mane... and an hour glass cutie mark.
"Doctor," Sombra growled, his voice echoing in his throat. He slowly smiled as he reminded, "You are no threat to me. I know the laws of gods. You are forbidden from interfering in internal wars."
"So many rules," The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I was never so good at following them. However there are always work arounds. So long as I don't use my godly skills, I can still help."
Sombra actually laughed, "You think you can beat me without your powers! I am the master of shadow and decay! My curse is strong enough to overwhelm Alicorns! You think you can stop me!'
"I can," The Doctor said simply, with no real malice or fear... or any trace of doubt. "With a very special power, one the ponies taught me. The power of friendship."
Sombra became enraged. His body turned to fog and he spread out to consume the sky. He roared as he stared down the Doctor, fully ready to kill a god.
The Doctor spoke just as Sombra was about to charge. "I know what you are," but those simple words caused the demon to pause, "And I know the crimes of the Crystal Ponies."
Sombra eyed, before those eyes widened. "... You know?..."
"I know," The Doctor nodded. "but perhaps you'd like to tell me about it, anyway."
"The three tribes don't like to admit it, but there are far more then 3 kinds of ponies. There are the horses of Saddle Arabia. The Bat Ponies, evolved from Thestrals. The Seaponies, the Hippogriffs, even the changelings. We are all part of the same Animal Family. As we were all, once, the same species... this includes the Crystal Ponies... and my own ponies...
"Shadow Ponies evolved from a race of magical horses called 'Nightmares', but we are no more evil then the Bat Ponies... they just wanted to live their lives... the Crystal Ponies saw our very existence as unholy... Crystal ponies are creatures of light, descended from celestial beings. Where Shadow ponies are, by our nature, creatures of the night... It is the Crystal Ponies holy duty to cleanse Equus of all dark things. And so they hunted us to extinction... all but me...
"I was only a child, a baby... prince to the fallen king... to the victor goes the spoils." Sombra looked back at the Kami of time. "I was a trophy. An exotic pet... bastards even had me gelded to insure my race dies with me... I grew up in the Empire, as the princess' personal slave, though we had no word for it... she was kind... her mother, the Queen, was not...
"As I said, I was a baby when they took me. I didn't know anything about my ponies, nor my native powers... I was beaten the first time I accidentally used my shadow bending... all I knew was that I was a captive forced to labor, hated by all... all but the Princess...
"One day she helped me escape... she freed me... she pointed me in a direction and told me to run... to not stop until I learned where I came from... it was several weeks, in a cold blizzard, until I found what she was talking about... the ruins of my father's kingdom. What I found, at first, startled me."
"Wendigos," the Doctor Acknowledged.
Sombra nodded. That was, after all, fairly obvious. "They had taken shelter in my family's ruins. And in gratitude they taught me of my ponies." Sombra lightly touched his cape, "Even gave me momentos of my family line. They educated me, taught me to read and write, such knowledge long kept out of my reach. Then they showed me the royal library, which was filled with secret spell tomes and dark rituals I used to unlock my full power. They showed me true kindness, not out of pity but respect. They believed I could save them from suffering my ponies fate.
"They held nothing from me, telling up front of the prophecy and how I was their only hope... and telling me about the war between my ponies and the Crystal ponies... a war so old and ancient no pony even remembered what started it... who was truly in the wrong...
"Then Princess Luna warned the leaders of both our civilizations. She had a vision... she foresaw the destruction of both our great ponies, if we didn't end the war... the Crystal ponies offered us a peace treaty... after so long my ponies thought the war was finally at an end... but it was a sham...
"They used the signing as an excuse to get all of their army behind our walls... then, with they ink still wet on our treaty, the begun their attack... they killed everypony... not even the children were spared... only me, as a trophy. As a warning to the other tribes... yet somehow, history has forgotten all that...
"I returned to the Crystal Empire, blessed by the darkest of magics my ponies had long since forbidden... and learned the Queen executed her own daughter... for the 'blasphemy'... of showing me pity... that is when I knew. Crystal ponies are the true definition of evil. So sinister in their hearts they believe their actions holy...
"Still I showed them kindness. I refused to fulfill the prophecy. I killed some, yes, many actually. I will not deny I took pleasure from it. But I let most live. I insured their species would survive... I was the first slave ever known to ponykind... and I created an army of more...
"The Crystal ponies will not escape Justice! They will pay for what they did to my ponies. History will remember their atrocities!... and I will be harolded as the hero who saved them from themselves. I will bring Justice to a race of monsters!"
"Sombra," The Doctor's eyes were filled with pitty. "I'm Sorry. I'm so sorry... but that doesn't excuse this." gesturing at the war below them.
Before Sombra could counter, the Doctor continued. "I realize the Wendigos were the only creatures to show you kindness... but you must understand, they are using you. All you did was trade one master for another."
Sombra bared his sharp teeth, before turning back into fog. "What would you know of it!!!" he demanded, though not for an answer.
"It's true." The Doctor insisted. "But not for the reasons you think. You see Sombra, you're not just a shadow pony. No no, that wouldn't explain you're sheer level of power.
"You were born with a very special gift. Magic is tricky like that. Sometimes it comes out in odd ways, but it doesn't make you a monster. You are a Shadow pony, with a shadow bender Archetype on top of that. The sheer level of manipulation your capable of... made your family very proud."
"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW OF MY FAMILY!!!" Sombra raged. His fog like body, twisting aggressively.
"I know they wouldn't want you, to live down to what ignorant primitives thought of you. You. Are. Beautiful. And there are children out there just like you. Misunderstood, lost, you could do so much to help them."
Sombra growled, "You won't stop me with some random speech!"
The Doctor smiled and bounced a bit, "Is kinda what I do."
"You can't stop the war!"
"Oh I don't give a buck about this war," The Doctor rolled his eyes. "As you said, it's an internal affair. If it was an invading interstellar army, or some demon apocalypse, I would be all over that. But the planet chose this route for themselves, it's part of the whole 'free will' thing, and as you said. I am forbidden from interfering."
Sombra growled, disbelievingly. "You said you were here to help them!"
"... I'm here to help you."
Sombra paused.
"Honestly, why must people constantly misunderstand me," He huffed childishly.
"Why?" Sombra asked.
"Truth?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I look at you and I see everything wrong with the world, all worlds. I see a child, hurt and confused. Shunned and talked down to. A monster created by the cruelty of Sapience.
"You don't have to be that. You don't have to be what the world demanded of you. I can help." the doctor raised his hoof, practically begging the shadow pony to take it. "And in return, all I ask is you help others, so that the next generation doesn't have to suffer like we did."
"Like WE did?" Sombra hesitated.
The Doctor smiled, "I understand what it's like to be shunned for being different. To be told you would be responsible for horrible things... to grow up to do far worse then anyone imagined. I know what it's like... to want to change... I was given a second chance. It's time you got yours,"
Slowly, the fog gathered together and Sombra reformed. He looked at the extended hoof, then at the Doctor's expectant face. He truly believed... in him...
When the Wendigos below looked up for Sombra, ready for his attack, all they saw was an empty cliff.
• After the Battle, once the Wendigos were at last driven off:
"So..." Chrysalis huffed as she watched the armies celebrate. She stood in a tent with the other global leaders... discussing peace.
Her fear of the Wendigos, was the only reason she was considering it. Her plan had almost worked. She had turned against her 'allies' ready to conquer all the world... when the Wendigos appeared and ruined everything.
She long since thought the spirits of conflict were extinct... the now three way war was forced to end as they all united against the Wendigos. They won in the end, driving the beast back... but at what cost?
"That's it, is it? The battle is won and we forget we've been slaughtering each other for near 200 Moons."
Thorax sighed, "I don't think the world will ever forget."
Chrysalis scoffed, "Naive grub."
Celestia walked over to her, standing by her side and watching the celebration, "Forgiving, is not the same thing as forgetting."
"Changelings once lived like this," Chrysalis looked around at her children, all her children, laughing and drinking with the other races. "We embraced you... and thought you returned our feelings. We protected you and helped you... and in return you enslaved and butchered us... crushed thousands of innocent eggs... I won't make that mistake again."
Chrysalis began walking off but stopped, looking back at Thorax. "I will admit. In my need to protect you, from my mistakes, I forgot what I was trying to preserve. I now realize I can't force you to see things my way... and perhaps I should change how I do things a bit, but never forget... everything I did... was out of love for my children... for you...
"but I will finally accept you are destined to repeat the worst of my decisions... I'll be here when it all blows up in your face. See you in a few thousand years."
• Post Global War:
After their defeat, The Wendigos were approached by a race of "Sub-ponies" called "Time Ponies". They claim to bring a gift from Sombra. Before offering the Wendigos berries, which come in flavors of: despair, hate, anger, violence, and fear. Which meet all the nutritional needs of the emotional parasites.
The bushes even grow in winter. So the Wendigos can farm them in the snowy wasteland of their territory.
The Wendigos may have lost their war, but because of Sombra (who convinced the Doctor to help), they gained the ability to become truly independent, without need of hurting any Sapient creature.
• 8 years after the Ling Wars:
Wendigos didn't have traditional family dynamics. Instead whenever they lay eggs they put them in a Hatchery where the child is raised by qualified teachers until they are a teenager. Then the child chooses which clutch they want to belong to. Each clutch is responsible for running a different task to insure the community thrives. Wendigos do not get money for this. Instead they live in a utopian society where all work for the good of the community.
Wendigos are, by nature, fierce apex predators. They believe they are the ultimate lifeform, and do not recognize other creatures as sentient, which is why they feel no issue using them for food.
Frost Bite is 5 years old and tired of constantly being teased by the other children for being so meek and gentle. He runs away and meets Tempest, who he feels he knows somehow. She recognizes something in his eyes and ask, "Grubber?" but Frost Bite doesn't know who that is. Still he invites himself to travel with the pony. As they leave Frost Bite swears he could see a shadowy monstrosity in the snow, Discord, but when he looks nothing is there.
• 6 years later:
Doctor Whooves arrives at Tempest's cabin in the frozen north, a few miles outside the Crystal Empire. He informs Tempest that Discord asked him to enroll her adopted son into his school. She ask what else Discord told him, and the Doctor warily admits that Discord said the foal was a newly claimed Cleric of his, a Wendigo reincarnation of The Changeling Grubber. Tempest sighes with Relief, "Thank Celestia, I'm not crazy,"