[TFE] December Event: Hard Choices: Starving Chaos

Published Dec 12, 2022, 6:16:22 PM UTC | Last updated Jan 10, 2023, 2:50:19 PM | Total Chapters 2

Story Summary

Queen Vespa's decision is non-negotiable. Th changelings that have recently revealed themselves have been given no choice: they must return home for the changelings to unite with Equestria once more. Though this doesn't sit well with those who know the truth: many were born here - will Princess Dawn Bringer abandon and sacrifice her own subjects for fragile peace?

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Chapter 2: Starving Chaos

“What do you think will happen?” While a question, Moonstone’s tone was optimistic as she glanced over at the unicorn stallion walking next to her. “I mean - look at everything!” She gestured with her muzzle towards the signs and posters that lined business windows - there were even signs posted in yards that would allow them.

 

Mint Chip hung his head as he stared forward glumly, his tail practically dragging on the cobbled street as his ears fully drooped. He was glad that his friend was being so positive, but he had a nagging suspicion that Queen Vespa wouldn’t be so easily swayed by their efforts. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by another familiar voice behind them.

“I don’t mean to burst your bubble, darling, but I don’t think Her Highness is going to budge on the matter.” Looking back, the two saw Velvet Wing gliding down to walk beside them. “She has an entire hive to look after herself, it must be dreadful knowing you have subjects far away that you can’t do anything to help if they need it..” She waved a crimson hoof nonchalantly, a small fanged frown on her lips as she looked at her friends - noting Moonstone’s muzzle twisting from a cautious smile into an almost silent snarl.

“I’m simply asking you to look at it from her perspective - mind you, I’m against it as well!” She sighed, ears flicking back as she trotted ahead.

“And she should consider what her people want as well!” Moonstone hollered back, ears pinned flat against her skull as she grit her teeth, stomping a hoof before continuing to walk. Mint glanced over at her, and couldn’t help but feel worse for having spoken out a week ago. Feeling his gaze, the zebra looked over. “Not you too..”

“I..” He began, his voice failing him as he shut his mouth, his tail lashing lightly behind him as he found himself glaring at the street beneath him.

“Look.. This is their home too!” She noised, her long ears drooping as she gave him a gentle nudge with her shoulder. “You helped a lot of people find the courage to speak up about this-”

“Hurry up, dears!” THey heard Velvet holler from ahead. Looking up, the two saw the bat pony mare waving her hooves to get their attention. “It’s starting, hurry!” The two quickened their pace, trotting over and tried to find a good spot to observe the oration. The crowd was abuzz with mixed opinions - some were not afraid to be vocal about kicking out their insectoid neighbors while others rebutted with the fact that they had been born and raised in Ponyville like they were.

 

The trio glanced around, making a mental note of how many guards were present.. It was actually alarming that this many were needed for such an occasion. Was there something that wasn’t being said? Something going on that no one was aware of? Mint Chip felt the familiar pangs of anxiety beginning to sting in his chest as Velvet gently ruffled his mane with a hoof.

“Breathe, dear..” She hummed in a reassuring tone, though when he glanced up at the mare he saw her eyeing the guards as well. Her larger bat-like ears were perked, swiveling and twitching at every little sound - something was going on.

“Yeah, everything will be fine.” Moon whispered as Princess Dawn Bringer gestured with a wing. The murmuring and clamoring of the crowd quieted in an eerie silence took its place. What came next, however, made Mint Chip’s heart drop into the pit of his stomach.

 

Queen Vespa stepped forward, tall and proud as she splayed her butterfly-esque wings in a regal display before she ordered for her subjects to come with her back to the hive. The crowd erupted as ponies and changelings alike were enraged.

“LET! THEM! STAY!”

 

“YOU PROMISED!”

The guards lining the street tensed as they braced themselves to deal with the rioting crowd, pushing back the ones who had begun to rush towards the royals in outrage as Vespa’s eyes begin to twitch before squeezing shut and she took to the air - the sun catching her wings as they beat like a hummingbird’s, casting beautiful reflections of different hues and patterns on her surroundings.

The Queen shrieked, losing composure as she demanded to know what the masses would do, given her position. Would they have her people starve?

 

Her form emitted a dark mist.. Her form twisting, changing, colors darkening, her smooth silhouette sharpening as jagged tears appeared in her wings and mane - as if they were deteriorating. The Queen hissed and chittered sharply, her eyes cut like laserlight as she scanned the crowd for her subjects - most of which had started to collapse, causing shrieks of terror from the crowd as they themselves began to change into darker, more monstrous forms.

 

“Seize them!” She shrieked, pointing her claws at the changelings that refused her order, “We are going home!!” The guards nearest to the Queen had also changed, hissing as they stayed near their ruler. Others, however, quickly lunged into the crowd, attacking any who would stand between them and their quarry.

Mint Chip felt his blood freeze as he stared in horror at the sight in front of him. The Queen’s monstrous form as well as the changelings that seemed to follow her orders with a bloodlust. Moonstone hopped to her feet, ears pinned back as she tugged at the stallion with a hoof, her other feet almost dancing in place as she gave him a violent tug away from a group that had gotten pounced by one of the Famished.

“M-Minty, we gotta go!” She hollered shrilly as she looked down at him, but saw he was completely frozen in shock. Velvet was on his other side, hissing and shoulder shoving the panicking crowd away from them on her side.

“Now-” She grunted, shoving another away, “-is not-” she yelped as she got shoved over, almost pulling Mint with her before she slapped the changeling away with a wing, -”THE TIME!!” She pushed herself to her feet, shaking the stallion while Moonstone took over trying to keep them from getting trampled or worse. “Mint, dear, snap OUT OF IT!” She yelled, slapping him with a hoof.

Pain.

Mint stared to the side, eyes focusing as he moved a hoof to his cheek then pulled it away to look at it- Blood. He slowly looked over at Velvet Wing who was yelling in his face and saw behind him that Moonstone had been pinned by a Famished trying to get at another changeling behind her as she thrashed and kicked with her hooves - only to miss as the Famished’s jaws snapped at the changeling behind her.

“PROTECT THE FALLEN!!” Yelled a voice over the chaos, Velvet quickly looked over to see the silver-toned Unicorn she had had lunch with a while back darting through the crowd in an attempt to reign in the masses of the crowd. Many followed suit, shoulder checking or headbutting the Famished away from their prey.

Before she knew it, Mint had lunged out of her hooves, his horn sparking to life with volatile pink magic as his hooves pounded against the ground.

“GET OFF OF HER!” He screamed, loosing a bolt of magic from his horn and causing the Famished to tumble through the crowd. “Are you ok?!” He breathed, quickly using his magic to help her to her hooves as she gave a shaky nod, though one look at her told him that she wasn’t. She had claw marks on her face and shoulders, as well as one of her ears was nicked as blood dripped onto the street.

 

If I hadn’t froze, this wouldn’t have happened. He thought. He couldn’t help it. He had let his fear get the better of him and now his friend was hurt.

“Get back! GET THEM BACK! CONTAIN THE CHANGED!!”

 

The two snapped their attention to the squire that was barreling through the crowd, prying Famished after Famished away from their prey with his magic, hoping to some extent that they could get away before he had to let go to grab another. Mint watched in awe before he stamped a hoof and turned towards Velvet, giving her a nod as his horn sparked with more magic.

“We have to get everyone out of here!” He hollered over the panic, “PUSH THEM BACK!” The bat pony mare nodded in agreement as she took to the air, using her momentum to knock back Famished to be pushed by wall after wall of pink magic. He could feel his head starting to pound, but knew he had to keep going. This wasn’t going to stop until one side, or the other, was contained.

 

Moonstone let out a shaky sigh as she watched the two join the fray then turned to the changeling mare behind her.

“H-hey, you ok?” She asked, holding out a hoof as the changeling shook her head. “What’s wrong?” Moon’s ears pinned back as she looked her over - she looked fine physically, but..

 

The changeling shook her head again and again as she sat on the ground, her form shaking, barely able to support her weight and she kept blinking.. Was something in her eye? Moon leaned in, trying to whisper reassuringly as she caught pinpricks of eerie light from the changeling’s eyes, causing her to step back.

Pain. Hunger. An intense loneliness that enveloped her entire being - washing, or crashing rather, over her in a wave as she shuddered.. Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes.

“I don’t.. Want to..” She rasped, eyes wide as terror ripped into her and a presence pressed on her mind. A familiar and comforting presence, a warmth in the cold pit of loneliness. The Queen wanted her subjects, her family, to come home.

 

“D-don’t want to what..?” Moon stammered, smiling nervously as she stepped back. The changeling continued to shake her head as the same dark mist flowed forth, her form almost beginning to twist into sharper shapes as her color darkened, but her eyes burned.

“..GO HOME!” She shrieked as the famine pheromone took hold and she jumped to her feet, tail lashing and teeth gnashing as she hissed at the zebra, causing her to stumble back and fall onto her flank. A shadow loomed over her - looking up she saw the monstrous silhouette of another Famished screeching before getting tackled by the changeling - now Famished - that she had helped.

“NOSH HOMB!” The turned changeling snarled, her voice muffled as she drug the Famished from the zebra with her maw before tossing them forward, stomping her hooves as her wings droned angrily. “THAT NOT HOME!” She screeched again, her face twisted into a morbid display of pure rage as tears streamed down her cheeks, flecking the stone under their feet as she stomped again and fired a couple of magic bolts from her horn at other Famished.

That’s not home.
That’s not home.

That’s Not Home.

THAT’S NOT HOME!!

 

The thought blazed through her mind like wildfire as she screamed and clawed her way through the thick haze of her mind. Any attempt at speak came out as guttural screams and screeches, the words drastically shortened from sentences to barbaric barking, but she didn’t care. The oppressive presence of their Matriarch continued to press on her consciousness.

Please, come home-

That is NOT my home!

You are my people-

No-

Come home-

NO!

Please..


The turned changeling mare thrashed and screamed as she darted through the crowd, smashing other Famished off of their prey or blasting them with bolts from her horn as she made her way towards the Queen, her eyes flaring like fire against a night sky.

“WON’T GO!” She hissed, blasting a bolt at Queen Vespa as a guard quickly deflected it with their chitinous armor. Lips twisting into a toothy snarl as they stepped forth, their own horn sparking with magic. She knew she likely wouldn’t win against a changeling guard, but part of her wished, hoped, that Queen Vespa would hear her mental pleas-

This is our home, please don’t take us away..

---

2,086 Words

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Comments

  • Jan 11, 2023, 11:42:29 AM UTC
    Pas is glad to know he at least looks slightly heroic in passing even if he's faking it hard in his book. Poor kiddos though!!
    • Jan 11, 2023, 5:23:34 PM UTC
      Even if he's faking it, he is still able to inspire others with his bravery, even in such a disaster. I can't wait to see how he grows from this <3
  • Jan 11, 2023, 2:18:55 AM UTC
    You captured the chaos of the scene so well omg
    • Jan 11, 2023, 5:04:51 AM UTC
      Ahh, I was hoping I would! Thank you so much! <33