Chaos Origin Chapter 9

Vengeful War Declared, Pure Hope Prevails

Red Feather spoke to the nurses and doctors much better. He felt more comfortable when they walked in to check on him, even if they did so unexpectedly. Sometimes he even kept a small conversation with them. Though he remained quiet for the most part, the crystal pegasus had quickly become a very liked patient in the royal infirmary, and he did not have many objections to their attentive care.

Thanks to his conversation with the princesses and Wilder, Red Feather regained some confidence and faith in everypony’s good intentions. He began to believe in their promises, and in turn reassure himself. Perhaps there ist hope for the Crystal Empire after all...

The positive thought made him happy, and it surprised him quite a bit. He had not felt happiness during most of his life. It ist so strange and... sad... But this wilt not be for long. Soon, we wilt all be happy again. It wilt no longer be uncomfortable to be close to one another, like we were before.

He was sure that things would be very different for him and all the other crystal ponies, once King Sombra was defeated by the princesses and their friend.

He developed more faith in the new ponies that he had met in the short time since he had arrived in the land that was still growing, but already so different from the Empire. It was filled with kindness, peace, and warmth that got to everypony and just made them believe in something good.

He walked to the window and stared at the princesses’ kingdom with a small smile.

It was nowhere near the development of the Crystal Empire. It did not even have a name. However, it had happiness and harmony among its subjects, something that the Empire ceased to possess long ago, and never developed again.

He wished that he could live in the welcoming land. He wished so with all his heart. He wanted to forget about everything and just become one more citizen of the kingdom. He would live with the other subjects of the princesses’ and forget all about the terrible place from where he had escaped.

...But he dismissed those ideas with a resigned sigh.

He knew it was not possible to do any of that. He could never do something as terrible as leaving his comrades and crystal ponyfolk behind--forgotten, tortured, and enslaved. He would sacrifice the happiness that he had discovered, the dream life that he wished for, in order to give all of the Empire the opportunity to experience freedom as he had.

It was better that ALL of the crystal ponies had freedom, and not just Red Feather, in his blissful happiness that would never be complete without everypony else.

He would make the best of his stay in the kingdom, but knew that he would have to return to the unpleasant memories of the Empire, in order to help those that still suffered their unfortunate and unfair punishment.

He paced around the room, debating whether or not to walk around the palace just yet. He could hear faint music from downstairs, but that did not exactly encourage him.

He sighed and looked at himself in the mirror. “No, I think I will just stay here and rest. I need it. And it will save the princesses any unnecessary attention tonight.”

Red Feather’s shadow grew and took the silhouette of Sombra.

The King snarled and whisper menacingly. "Just what dost thou want to find here? What dost thou expect from those two? Those little fillies cannot help thee. Not thee, nor anypony else that thou hast so shamelessly left behind."

Red Feather gasped as he heard the King’s voice. His eyes opened wider from the shock of staring at the dark silhouette on the shadows. “N-No...”

He started to tremble in fear as his voice lowered to a weak whisper. "I-It ist thee...” He scooted back, bumping against the wall and dropping some things from the bedside table. “It cannot be. I-I thought I had...” He shut his eyes closed and cowered away from the swirling shadows. “Oh, no, no, no...!”

The silhouette became a transparent form of Sombra. He stepped closer to Red Feather as he whimpered. "Hm. Why dost thou not bow in our presence? Hath thou forgotten thy manners, runt?"

Red Feather gritted his teeth as he stared at Sombra’s form. He tried to turn around, but could not make his body move from the paralyzing fear. "P-Please... Please, just leave me be... Let me be! I-I escaped, thou cannot get to me here! I escaped thy rule and kingdom, now leave me alone!"

Sombra grinned grimly as he watched the frightened pegasus. "Thou escaped indeed, but thy friends were not as lucky. Thou wouldst not believe the resistance that they put against our torture, when We grew bored and decided to find out where thou were.”

Red Feather gasped again as he shivered. No, he did not... He could not have...

“Thou must have left a plan with somepony--and thou didst--with quite some reliable pony friends of thine. We must commend them, but they still were not an obstacle for long, brave and determined as they were. Thou shouldst be proud of their will and loyalty. We suppose that wilt be all that remains of them.”

Red Feather shook his head quickly. He could almost hear the pained screams of his friends. The ones that had so devotedly helped him plan and carry out his escape.

He had promised them he would find a way to help them out as they helped him. Most of them had families to support, families that they longed to liberate, too...

"N-No... Thou, thou didst not... Thou couldst not have...! No!" He held his hooves over his head, shaking violently with fear and shock. He glared up at Sombra with desperation and anger in his gray eyes. "What dost thou want from me?!"

Sombra laughed at Red Feather’s breakdown. “How amusing. Only after thou hast endangered everypony here and in thy former kingdom... Only after THAT thou wilt yield to our demands? How ironic... Well, We wilt humor thee.”

He appeared closer to Red Feather, making him jump and cry out slightly. “We want thee to return to the Crystal Empire and bow before us once again. Thou had the honor of being our servant, not a crystal miner or a test subject for our spells. Yet thou didst not like thine easy life, didst thee? Foolish ingrate."

The crystal pegasus cast his sad look down upon the floor. He was still shaking, both his body and his voice. "I-It ist so... so different here... The ponies... The princesses behave like true, considerate rulers... Why can thou not treat us like that?”

His pained look turned into a glare. He had to hold himself back from attacking the shadow, for he knew that he would only hurt himself. However, he did growl as he confronted the shadow king.

“Why... Why can thou not be a good leader to us?! What have we done to thee to deserve such cruelty and torture?! I don not want to return to thee and the hell that thou callest ‘thy rule’. I do not want to go back, but I wilt not let my comrades suffer. I wilt not leave them to thy merciless cruelty, it ist not fair!”

Sombra chuckled a bit as he watched the pegasus and his rare, sudden fit of courageous determination.

Red Feather stomped his hoof on the floor. “Thou wilt see, King Sombra. Thou WILT be stopped. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wilt stop thee, and I will help them!"

Sombra's eyes glowed white as he summoned an air blast that wrecked the room, injuring Red Feather again in the process. He grinned as Red Feather looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes again.

"Thou wilt, now? Heh. Congratulations, fool. Thou hast just successfully declared war against us, upon this kingdom. Let us ask thee something, thou grandest fool of all... Dost thou truly believe that their ordinary stallions will match the Black Crystal monsters that We now have for guards?"

Red Feather limped back against the wall. "I... I... No... N-Not those...!" He looked aside nervously as he heard some nurse ponies approach. No... This cannot be happening... Not to them...!

Sombra laughed again as the shadows that had merged with Red Feather’s inched closer to the pegasus. "We wilt see thee at the battle field, welp. Unless thou art yet again the coward that thou were when thou escaped the Empire. Hopefully thou shalt not leave THESE fools behind. We very much look forward to destroying thee along with them..." He vanished and Red Feather’s shadow became normal once again.

He groaned a bit as he pushed himself up and wiped tears away from his eyes. He was still trembling a lot, frozen on the floor. All his previous hope was gone, and all he could think about was how he had betrayed and deserted his kind, at the Empire.

And how very much he wished he could just fly, or even run, away again...

No, I cannot do that--I won't! I wilt not do it again, not to them. They do not deserve it. My Empire did not deserve it, either... My friends... He turned away. I cannot abandon the princesses too, I have to stick by them... Regardless of what it wilt cost... “I-I have to...”

“Sir Red Feather?”

“Sir Red Feather, ist everything well in there?”

He yelped as the nurses came in. He started to pant a bit as he scooted away from them.

Once again, they had a hard time calming him down as he began to hallucinate desperately. Oh, no... What am I going to do...?! “L-Leave me alone! Leave! Just, just go! All of thee!!”

“Red Feather!” One of the nurses grunted as she held him down while he was restrained.

“Quiet down, no need to get violent, Red Feather!” Another nurse looked at him worriedly as the doctor walked in and managed to calm him with the proper medicine.

The other nurse sighed and looked at Red Feather as he slowly relaxed, but still muttered while drifting off to sleep. “We better call the Princesses...”

The light violet, eldest of the young nurses shook her head. “No. We cannot disturb them, this ist one of the most important nights of the kingdom. The Princesses need to be at their very best.” She fidgeted with her long, dark blue and purple mane.

The doctor walked in as Red Feather was carried into his bed. “I am glad thou were able to think so selflessly, Glitter Dawn.”

The mare bowed her head and stepped back as the dark green unicorn doctor walked in, concentrated on the charts written on the clipboard.

“The kingdom ist still developing, alliance measures like this need to be taken. The Princesses trust us to be able to handle our guest, so we shalt do our best without disturbing them.” He looked at the trembling pegasus. “We wilt need nurses to look after him, starting right now.”

“I wonder just what shook him up like that.”

“Methinks it was one of those nightmares again...”

The doctor turned back to look at them as he headed out the door. “Ladies. Please, our duty awaits.”

The nurses blushed slightly and walked out of the room with him. Some of the group looked at the notes in their clipboards while others called some more of the staff for help with different tasks.

Red Feather groaned and opened his eyes a bit. “King Sombra... He ist... He wilt destroy this...” I should at least warn them...

He blinked when a gentle, smaller hoof touched his own. “H-Huh...?” He opened his eyes a bit more to see who had stayed behind with him. It was one of the younger nurses, apparently an apprentice or trainee.

She was a cute, friendly earth pony. Her mane was dark pink, almost red, in a short-cut style. The color of her coat was pale cerise, and her eyes were light spring green. Her cutie mark was a pink heart with a red cross behind it.

She looked like any typical nervous young mare that barely started her medical training. She had been too shy to speak up in the presence of the other experienced medical authorities, but now that she and the poor distressed patient were alone...


“P-Please do not let it worry thee. I... I know that thou must be going through a hard time... But, if thou dost not get good rest and get better... Thou wilt never be able to overcome it, sir...” She smiled at him as she sat down beside his bed.

Red Feather blushed slightly when he looked down at her and saw her kind smile. Then he groaned and held his head. “I... I am sorry. I...”

She nodded and held his shoulder encouragingly. “I understand. That tranquilizer wast rather something, wast it not?” She chuckled a bit.

Red Feather sighed and nodded quietly.

She pulled the blankets up to cover him. “Whatever it ist that troubles thee... Whatever it wast that made you come down here to seek help...” She looked up at him with a calm face. “We art sure that the Princesses, and even us, wilt not let thee down, Sir Red Feather. We wilt try our best to lend a very much needed helping hoof to thee.”

“But... But everypony... I only... Thou hath not the slightest idea of what I... What I have just done... What have I done...?! Oh, I am so terribly, terribly sorry...!”

She frowned with confusion as he saw him stammer to himself. “Sir Red Feather...”

He wanted to face her properly, to at least apologize, but he could not fight the fatigue much longer. He closed his eyes as his breathing slowly began to even. “I am sorry...”

“Why dost thou apologize, sir?”

Red Feather covered his eyes with his leg as he spoke. She wilt have to do... “Listen to me. Something bad... Something bad ist coming... Thou must... Thou must warn...”

She shook her head and covered his mouth with her hoof before he grew restless and agitated again.

Red Feather gave her a surprised look. What art thou doing? No, thou must listen to--

“All I care about now ist that thou restests properly, Sir Red Feather. Please do that for me. I am to be thy nurse for the night... Or at least for a few hours. I would like to show my mentors that I am doing a good job on my first night turn. Not only that, but it would be an honor to properly take care of thee too, sir.”

He watched her as she talked with such a sweet and determined confidence and resolution... His trembling actually ceased; not because of the medicine that he had been given, but because of her words and her encouraging smile. It soothed him enough to calm down on his own.

“What... What ist thy name, young one...?”

She blushed at his question, then waved her hoof dismissively at his formality. “Oh, please... I am actually quite younger than the others, I just recently got my cutie mark, a few years ago, really...”

Red Feather raised an eyebrow as the nurse smiled again, proudly displaying her cutie mark, which expressed her passion and care for tending to the sick and needy. “Hm...”

“But my name is Pureheart. Nurse Pureheart.” She sighed and shook her head with slight embarrassment. “Quite a mouthful, I know, but--”

“It ist... A very fitting name... I very much like it, Nurse Pureheart...” He turned over on his side, after he forced his eyes open to look at her one last time. He even managed a small hopeful smile for her. “Thou art doing... a fantastic job... I thank thee, and wilt support the with all my gratitude.”

Young Nurse Pureheart stared at him, blushing a bit more after he finished complimenting her.

She thanked Luna’s lovely stars that the dashing, adolescent patient was no longer conscious to watch her blush like a giddy school filly at every drowsy, wonderful compliment that he had given her before he finally drifted off to an easy sleep.

Oh, dear... By Celestia, this ist unbelievable... Pureheart, get a grip! Why dost thou attend the Medical Wing of the Palace itself and claim to be a proper nurse worthy of such training...

She shut her eyes closed with an agitated, flustered expression. If thou wilt succumb to such foalish, immature behavior?! Oh, no, it cannot work like this, I have to do my best and act mature! Oh, but he ist just, so... So... So cute!! A-And I am the one taking care of him!! He said I was--what did he say? Oh, sweet princess, he complimented me!!!

She then blushed brightly and cleared her throat as she tried to compose herself. Focus! Focus, Pureheart, or thou wilt never make it to the ‘Nurse’ title! “I-I best get to work...” She took a deep breath and smiled nervously as she ordered the things that had been scattered around the room, during Red Feather’s panic attack, while they were not present.

That reminded him of something he had said... She frowned a bit and looked back at the red crystal pegasus, just as he turned over and muttered something in his deep sleep.

“The ‘bad’ thing that he mentioned... I should probably tell the others...” She walked up to the bed to make sure that he was alright. “They will question him better, and find out more about this...”

She felt Red Feather’s forehead, checked his wings, and vital signs, then smiled as he remained peaceful and out like a light. “I daresay this ist the best rest thou hast had in a long time... Hm, sir Red Feather?”

He looks so tranquil like this... He must be having quiet, relaxing dreams right now, thanks to the medicine... She sighed and put her front hooves back on the floor after she made his pillows more comfortable. I wish he could be this calm when he was awake, too... That thing he mentioned... If I tell the others, they wilt surely come to question him, to dispose of any doubts or fears... But...

The nurse nuzzled Red Feather, then walked away from the bed after she turned on a night light. That should keep nightmares away.

“I am supposed to do a good job. And doing a good job implies letting a patient get his rest. Thou wilt get all the rest thou needst, sir Red Feather. No interrogating disruptions until thou art better.” She giggled and took the clipboard from the bed.

I wilt not let anypony down tonight. With that thought, she closed the door of the room gently and put the clipboard on the box by the door for the doctors to check later.

---

Upon hours of walking through a dark swamp, Sombra, followed by five black crystal guards, came upon an enormous cave that was nearly covered by green slime, and constantly echoed with a loud buzz through the whole area.

The crystal objects came to life once again and guarded Sombra from all sides as they made their way through the dark, swampy area and headed closer to the large cave.

Sombra breathed in the toxic air that surrounded them. He was unharmed, but still disgusted by the stench.

"She must know We art here by now... Damn, this place... Why of all of them did she have to choose something as repulsive as this?! Ugh, for a queen, she really has no class at all..."

He grimaced as he waded through the slime, then made another repulsed face. “Ugh. Guards! Clean this filth away! We art the Emperor of the Crystal Empire! Our royal presence hast no need for this disgusting--”

Before he even finished, two guards already waded through the dense slime and pushed away. They quickly cleared a path for him after the crystal pony guards vanished the green substance with their magic.

“Heh. That ist what We call efficiency. Now, let us move!”

Two non-pony servants walked over to meet them. They looked rather like insects with the figure of ponies. Their bodies were green and gray, with holes all over, their wings transparent, their eyes green.

The black crystal guards stepped aside but were on guard as the insects approached.

Sombra spoke calmly as he stared at the servants in front of them. "We art not here to start a fight.”

The servants frowned a little as Sombra stepped forward. “...”

Sombra smiled a little as he sw their wary expressions. “We came for an audience with the queen. We have an offer that she would definitely interest her, for it ist quite a bargain.”

The insect-like creatures looked at one another. One of them took the shape of the shadow king to speak. "And who’re you, exactly?" He did not speak with the formality or way of speech of the times.

The species appeared to have speech customs of their own, for they were quite far away from both the Crystal Empire and the developing land that would be the kingdom of Equestria.

Sombra drew black magic from his horn and shot the untransformed creature with the blast. "One whose time would be wise not to waste.”

The copy of Sombra shivered as the real king stepped closer to him and glared menacingly.

“We advise thee to drop thine act, if thou valuest thy disgusting life. We wilt not have filthy creatures like thee taking our form." He smirked as he watched the creature return to its original form. "Go inside and tell thy queen that King Sombra awaits at her entrance.”

The creature frowned and stepped back as Sombra gave it orders. “...”

“Go! Foolish creature, if thou upsets us again, We wilt make sure thou regrets it! Thy species reproduce like insects, so We art sure that two casualties wilt not affect her." He glared at the cowering servant as he made his black, red-tipped horn glow again.

The queen of the insect-like creatures appeared in front of Sombra.

Her insect body resembled an alicorn’s in figure. It was very dark grey, with green covering her back, where her transparent wings were placed. Her mane was dark cerulean, the color her eyes was bright green. Like her subjects, the queen’s body also had holes, from her horn to her lower hooves. Even her mane and her wings were gnarled at the ends.

She pushed her servant away from the threat of Sombra’s magic, then glared at Sombra himself as more of her subjects gathered behind her. "Thou art wrong, Sombra."

She stood at the steps of her lair, keeping her distance from the king and his guards "Unlike thee, We care for our children. And they in turn care for us quite well.” She smiled at her subjects, then narrowed her eyes and turned back to the king. She stepped down as her servants fluttered behind her.

“Thou better propose something good, shadow king. Otherwise, thy bargain wilt be something entirely different to what thou came here for." Unlike her servants, she kept the traditional, formal ways of speech, since she was a queen, after all.

Sombra chuckled a bit as he stared at the queen. “We art honored with this audience, Queen Chrysalis. We have come with a warning for thee.”

“Oh. A warning?” Her eyes narrowed again as she stared at him suspiciously.

“It ist a menace that threatens us both. Two menaces, really. The Sun and Moon Princesses, Celestia and Luna. We art sure thou rememberest them well."

Chrysalis grimaced at the mention of the alicorn princesses. The pathetic daughters of the wretched royal couple, of the wretched King that had banished her clan, the mighty Changeling Kingdom, to the filthy and shameful swamp lands beyond Froud Valley.

She hissed with hatred at the memory of the Sun King. "Those stupid little foals! Why would they be a threat to us?! They do not even have a kingdom of their own yet, they art absolutely pathetic!”

Hm, the stories were right. The Changeling Queen really does hold a great deal of contempt and hatred in her heart. All towards the Princesses. He grinned as he stepped closer to Chrysalis. Excellent. Just what ist needed for us to win this upcoming war.

“We agree that the sisters art not... half, the glory that her parents used to be...”

The Changeling Queen hissed again. Her wings fluttering as she turned her hateful glare and anger upon Sombra. “GLORY?! What dost thou mean, ‘glory’?! They were NOT glorious! If thou art as smart as thou claimest to be, shadow king, We suggest thou follow our advice and watch thy mouth!”

“Right, right... Forget the blasted subject. What We meant wast--”

She stomped her... holed hoof, forward to cut him off before he finished speaking. “Those sisters art nothing of a threat to us. They do not even know of us yet! Hah! Ignorants.”

She paced around the damp ground, smirking to herself. “They only acknowledge what ist right below their petty little princess noses. Our domain ist not as... popular in legend as thine. With unique crystal ponies, such an advanced kingdom and all." She gave him a look and raised an eyebrow.

"Heh. Very well, they art not a threat. They do not know of the Changeling Kingdom in full. But... What will happen once they do learn of thee?”

Chrysalis frowned as Sombra continued to speak in a casual manner.

“Creatures that feast on the love of others, that have the ability to camouflage as other creatures that art loved... Dost thou think that the princesses wilt not care about that? Like their parents before them, they wilt not just let all of thee be while thou endanger their kingdom.”

Chrysalis gasped a little as the realization hit her. She growled and turned to look at the king again.

“The threat of the Love Destroyer ist too much, it overshadows the rest of the Changeling nature. They are seen as nothing but monsters everywhere, and hath never been given the chance to show otherwise. The Princesses will never understand what thou art, even as they destroy thee. All they will need to know ist that thou art dangerous, which wilt be followed by an attack. A strong attack against the Changeling Kingdom. That wilt be rather quick.”

Chrysalis looked down, and shivered a bit. She remembered when the Changelings were rounded up by a young King and Queen.

A little white filly, barely older than a newborn foal, laid behind the couple with her caretakers as the royals confronted the Changelings.

Chrysalis herself had not been much older than that royal filly. She had been surrounded by her kind as well. She remembered clearly how frightened she had been. She cried the whole time as she cowered behind the fierce, hateful warrior that was her mother.

The strong, blinding attack from the royal couple was the last she remembered of any life she might have had outside the swamps and the Changeling Cave. Everything else, every other moment of her life, she had lived it in those wastelands, hating the ponies, their rulers, but most of all, their emotions.

Sombra stood right before the queen as she hissed and growled again. He looked up at her with a serious expression. “By the time they learn about thee, their armies of gold-wearing stallions wilt be at full force. No forest, mountain or swamp will be too small for their power lust.”

She looked aside as he made shadowy silhouettes appear in the air, showing her a powerful army of crystals and Changelings combined.

“But... If we formed a union and attacked when they art still weak... We could easily crush them, Queen Chrysalis. Their kingdom and subjects would be ours, and we would finally do what we wished with them.”

Chrysalis eyed him suspiciously again. She was full of hatred and thirst for revenge, but she was no fool. “Thy statements art interesting. But We know there ist a catch.” She turned to face him with a raised eyebrow. “What dost thou want from us?"

Sombra chuckled and bowed his head a bit. "Only a union between our armies. Our black crystal soldiers sided with thy Changelings. Aid the war on our side, and thou wilt see profit for thee and thy... children."

Chrysalis continued to stare at him before she smiled a little. "Very well. We wilt help thee.”

She walked beside him and smirked. “We want thee to know, however, that We art not the kind to trust our allies, Sombra. As soon as We suspect anything... We wilt desert thee and take what ist ours.”

“And leave us to our own, even after we have formed this union?”

Chrysalis laughed a bit. “Of course! After all... How hard can it be to beat two pathetic little fillies? If thou lieth to us, thou wilt have to find out for thyself.” She glanced at him. “Art We understood?”

“Yes, of course--”

“And another thing.” She smiled a little and pointed at the other changelings. “Our subjects wilt be free to feed on some of thine. We want servants and ponies of the Empire alike. Thou they art all servants, according to thee. In truth, really, we want the emotions of thine subjects to feed us while we succeed and beat the young princesses. We have to eat, after all."

Sombra sighed and nodded. "With our victory, Queen Chrysalis... Every Canterlot mare, stallion, filly and colt wilt be thine to feed on. We guarantee that."

He displayed an image through a portal, the image of the Everfree Forest. "All have heard of this forest. Thou as well, We presume. Our soldiers art already there. A ball ist celebrated in the city of Canterlot tonight. They wilt be too tired in the following days to fight us back efficiently. Rendezvous thy troops with ours, and our deal shalt be made."

Chrysalis nodded as she stared at the image of the forest. She raised her head to look at Sombra as he turned to leave with his guards.

"We wilt meet thee there in the morning in two days’ time, Queen Chrysalis. We shalt expect a quick victory." With that, Sombra and his soldiers marched away from the cave.

Chrysalis smiled a little as she watched the image through the portal vanish. "Very well... Thou hath heard, our dears. We art to make a trip tomorrow. It appears as though our chance to sabotage Canterlot has finally been granted..."

The changelings followed her back to the cave. She did not say another word until she was sure that Sombra had left. She wanted to share the intimate, joyous moment of vengeance with her beloved and loyal subjects alone.

She looked up at a bright green, glowing cocoon that held the body of a female changeling inside. The silhouette of the body seemed very similar to Chrysalis.

“You see, Mother? I knew there would be no need to risk any more of our members. The chance would come to us sooner or later, we just had to be patient. Always patient.”

She looked at her subjects as they stepped closer to her. “At last, the opportunity to rise against that blasted royal family has come! Maybe we didn’t get the pleasure to end the King and Queen, but their daughters will be more than enough.”

“Their precious daughters will suffer the wrath of the Changeling Queen and her subjects! For we are NOT to be banished and forgotten... That’ll be the Sun King’s mistake to pay for... With his beloved descendants’ blood!”

The Queen turned to look to all of the changelings that awaited eagerly. “My children, we won’t show mercy in this battle! We will be ruthless to them--just like they were to our parents, our ancestors, and us! King Sombra doesn’t matter, he is only our way to get what we truly want. What we seek is revenge that we seek. The sweet, glorious taste of revenge!

The changeling subjects all clopped their holed hooves as loudly as they could in excited response to Chrysalis’ speech. They hissed and buzzed in rejoiced agreement to their beloved queen’s words.