Mage in Equestria: Live For The Swarm part 2

Once again, you find yourself surrounded by books of all sizes, the smell of parchment and dust wafting about.

It has been a little over 3 months since you've found yourself in Chrysalis' hive.

It's awfully hard to keep track of time underground, so you've gone by your natural clock to keep track of the days.

You've spent much of your time in her library, reading of the worlds history.

You find it a bit odd that this world is also called Earth as your own was.

The map was however completely different.

It took quite a while to learn how to read the language the once great Changeling empire uses.

Chrysalis had no patience for academic fuck ups.

Much to her delight, she discovered you were far smarter and faster to catch on than she initially thought.

After all, if you can learn the forgotten language of Dagon's disciples, then you can learn just about anything.

Of course, your knowledge regarding proper pronunciation was... off to say the least.

Perhaps if you had gills and a mouthful of tentacles, you would not be here now, stuck underground.

Chrysalis, pleased with your hunger for knowledge unleashed you upon her library.

She wanted you to learn their history.

The Changelings once ruled a vast empire stretching to nearly all corners of the earth.

They devoted themselves to archiving knowledge when not fighting back the ponies that sought to topple their rule.

Their attempts to keep their lesser subjects under control proved successful until the ponies' princesses rose to power.

The changelings sent their greatest champions to battle against the 2 ponies and their warriors, only to fall at their hooves.

Chrysalis and her king exhausted their best warriors against the princesses and were forced to resort to less honorable tactics.

They began hunting them down at night, sweeping over their towns and villages like a plague.

The changeling's sleek black forms were near invisible in the night sky and the ponies learned to fear the darkness.

However, even with their advantage with guerrilla warfare, the changelings were no match for the wrath of Celestia's sun.

The power of her blinding flames proved too much for them to handle as they were forced under the earth.

The empire fell and a new one took it's place.

It was after the great war that Celestia's sister ruler grew jealous of her majesty.

The ponies were still taught to fear the night, even much after the war.

This was when Luna, the ruler of the night was banished to her moon as punishment for not lowering it.

Since then, nothing has happened, other than the unsuccessful raid on Canterlot.

The war had wiped out all subspecies among the changeling ranks, save for the drones.

The only surviving royalty was Chrysalis, her mate slain by Celestia's flames.

They have since been incapable of reproduction as a species.

Combat was futile as well as the drones were workers, not warriors.

The Changeling empire was brought to ruin all because of the ponies' jealousy.

This did not bode well with you on account of how knowledge should be shared with all.

Those who teach should be revered, not slain.

You grew to despise the ponies and all of Equestria's citizens.

The Queen was pleased with your biased views.

She was so pleased in fact, that she began to teach you changeling magic.

Her patience with you grew as you proved to be a valuable asset to her hive.

Because of her teachings, you have not had to physically eat for almost a month.

Her lessons on how to absorb emotions to sustain your life force kept her favored little toy alive.

You now spend about an hour each day kneeling in one of the feeding chambers.

The very same one you awoke in over 3 months ago.

The ponies suspended in the pods dreamed and spilled forth their emotions in waves.

They dreamed of the day the changelings abducted them and their fear.

They dreamed of their homes and their lives; how they longed to go back.

Above all else, they dreamed of friendship and love.

These were most powerful in the small horses, their little hearts full of the stuff just waiting to be drained away.

Their love sustained you just as though you were a changeling.

Of course, all these gifts and hospitality the Queen had shown you was not free, oh no.

You spent many hours each day helping the hive expand.

Not only did you take the position as architect, but you also planed out the location of every tunnel, every new chamber and ever form of defense.

You even assisted the drones in physical labor, much against your wishes.

After so long in the cold dark earth, you grew fond of the little creatures.

They were like siblings to you.

A vast collective of brothers and sisters that you grew to genuinely care for just as they grew to accept you as one of them.

You watched over them and made sure they were all well, you made sure they were all content with the dwellings you planed out for them, hell, you even drank with them from the spring.

Though they could not speak to you, you knew they were fond of you.

They were your family.

 

After another long day spent reading and practicing your magics, you return all the books to their shelves.

Leaving the vast cavernous library, you head down the tunnel leading to the main hub.

There you are met with the sight of your brothers and sisters, buzzing about performing their daily tasks.

A sharp turn to your left and you come to the tunnel leading the the water spring.

There are about a dozen little drones drinking deeply from the pool.

You take a place next to one, kneel down and cup the cool water in your hands.

As you bend down to drink, you notice your Queen's reflection.

You let the water splash back down and you turn to greet her with a bow.

You were Anon, Edlritch Mage but you were no impolite oaf.

>"Rise Anon, I have need of you."

You return to your feet and follow her as she leaves the spring.

"What would you have of me?"

You are keeping her pace by her side and she turns to look you in the eyes.

>"Battle."

You stiffen and begin to grow nervous.

Your combat skills were nearly nonexistent.

"You know quite well Chrysalis that I am no warrior."

>"Yes, yes, I know, but neither are my subjects."

"I have never been in any sort of fight."

Now she is growing annoyed at your attempts to avoid the conflict.

She stops and turns to face you fully.

She glares at you with those stunning green eyes of her.

>"You will fight for your home human. I did not take you for a coward until now."

You let out a sigh with some effort as there was a good sized lump in your throat.

There was no way to avoid this.

You were going to have to try to kill something.

The key word being "try."

 

You ascend up the tunnel leading to the surface.

The only tunnel you can actually walk up as you could not fly.

Self levitation was quite strenuous on your mind.

You reach the end of the tunnel and are met with the sun's glaring rays.

A circular formation of drones stand ready outside the entrance, gazing out at the endless sea of dunes.

The Queen had given you near to no information regarding your opponents.

All she said was to watch the skies.

Shielding your face form the sun with your hand, you turn your attention to the air.

You don't see anything but clear skies.

Perhaps the scouts saw a mirage or something?

Wait, there is a small black speck above the horizon.

It seems to get larger as it comes closer.

Squinting your eyes, you come to find there is more than one.

Still nervous, you look at your own numbers.

About 2 dozen drones stand by you.

At least numbers were in your favor.

What were once but small black specks in the sky now come into view as large birds.

You can hear their mighty feathered wings beating the air.

You stand at the ready with your brothers and sisters as the 5 creatures land on the dune opposite of yours, at least 30 meters.

You can now get a good look at them.

They're not birds at all, as they have the back end of a lion.

Standing tall and proud before you, is the meanest looking pack of marauding griffons you have ever seen.

Well, the only pack of griffons you have ever seen.

From the looks of it, they have been in the desert for quite some time. Their feathers are dirty with sand and sweat.

Leather packs hang at their side containing pillaged loot they acquired from whatever raids they led.

You have only seen but a few camels in your time in this realm and could tell quite quickly they were easy prey.

These marauders must make a living stealing from small villages and caravans.

After they are content with the numbers they see, they advance.

For some reason, you were expecting something smaller like ponies, not griffons.

One could easily bring down at least 5 drones at once without tiring.

You however, were the game changing variable.

You had magic, they did not.

With that in mind, a portion of your nervousness turned to confidence.

They've taken to the air, leaping to your dune at you and your companions.

It's now or never Anon.

You begin channeling energy through your body, reaching out to the billions of grains of sand.

You scoop up the sand with your purple aura, forming massive tendrils.

The entire dune you stood on has shifted into a series of tentacles which you hurl at the invaders.

All but one evade the massive amounts of sand you sent through the air.

The griffin is slammed to the sand and enveloped in it's crushing force.

You will the other tendrils you brought forth after the other attackers.

Your companions have since scattered in an attempt to gather at a better formation.

Another griffin is batted out of the air like a fly.

You grin in satisfaction at the blood soaking the sand and the feathers floating in the air.

Only three left and your confidence is absolute.

The very land was your weapon and the marauding beasts stood no chance.

Your battle companions have since formed up and managed to bring one griffon to the ground with their combined effort.

While they handled that one, you were left with the other two who were now panicking in the air.

You take the moment to surprise them with a new tendril that you rip forth from the dune beneath them.

They dodge the erupting sand and make their way to the mound of changelings.

They intend to free their friend.

You intend not to let them escape.

The griffins screech like eagles as they dive towards the struggle.

The changelings know better than to take on more than one and disperse.

The griffin that was held beneath them, though battered, stands and takes to the air, joining the others.

They are ignoring you, dodging your sands.

They want to take out the easier prey first.

One swoops down and manages to pin down a drone while the others continue the chase.

You do not intend to let any harm come to your sibling.

You send a blast of sand at the griffin, knocking it off the drone.

The ball of sand and birdcat meet the stone rim of the tunnel entrance with a smack.

The griffons have decided to cease their assault and flee.

You will not let them escape.

Putting all your focus into an enormous stretch of dunes beneath the fleeing griffons, you bring two walls of sand the size of football fields around them.

A loud rumbling crack rings forth from the impact, followed by the sound of shifting sand.

You release it all back to the earth.

You are exhausted but your home is safe.

From the looks of the battle, all of the drones are more or less unscathed.

You decide it was more of a slaughter than a battle as you wipe the sweat from your forehead with your hand.

Channeling that much power through your body was extremely strenuous.

You and your companions return to the cold earth to rest, eager to escape the harsh desert.

After all, you earned it having taken on 5 griffons.

 

After your decent back to the hive, you immediately return to the spring.

This time, rather than kneeling, you drop to your hands and knees and bury your face in the cold.

You toss your head back after you've had your fill.

You close your eyes and let your soaked hair drip water down from your shoulders.

You find it hard to open your eyes again as sleep urges you to rest.

You return to your feet and walk back to your room.

You've decided to take up residence in a small area near the library.

After removing your robes, you come to the back wall and lean your back against it, sliding down to a sitting position.

You are far to tired to tell Chrysalis of your victory yourself and decide to leave that to the drones.

You close your eyes and welcome sleep with open arms.

Just as you are drifting off, you feel something against your arm.

You look down to find a drone snuggling up against you just as a cat or dog would.

It's coat is cool against your skin and you wrap an arm around it, pulling it in closer.

You recognize it as one that you fought with.

The rest stand at entrance to the room and seem as though they are hesitant to enter.

You open your other arm, gesturing for them to join the two of you.

They happily trot towards you and each take places all around you.

The cold blooded creatures are cool against your body and you allow them to get comfortable before you close your eyes again to sleep.

Content with your bed of changelings, you once again begin to drift off.

Today was a long day.

A very long day indeed.