Advertisement
Not a member of Pastebin yet?
Sign Up,
it unlocks many cool features!
- >You are Nightmare Moon.
- >Empress of the Equestrian Empire.
- >You find yourself walking down yet another dark, dim hallway in your castle.
- >At this point, you suppose that your castle’s lower halls must be a cliche of some sort.
- >The number of times that either you or your troll has walked one of these passages is too many to remember.
- >Behind each door, some new, frightened, traitorous pony hopes to be graced with your presence, and offer cries for mercy.
- >Cries that, more often than not, fall onto deaf ears.
- >…
- >Yet the pony - neigh - this… thing, that you are walking toward was much different.
- >As you continue down the hallway, the foul stench only grows stronger in the air.
- >The doors on either side stop, leaving only an empty, long voyage toward the door at the other end.
- >Per usual, you quickly cast a spell, filtering the odor from your snout.
- >Something that is required, given this particular prisoner’s… habitat.
- >A chuckle escapes your lips.
- >Perhaps /habitat/ isn’t the proper term.
- >You’re entirely aware that this isn’t the creature’s preferred living conditions; you simply find your arrangement more fitting.
- >Finally reaching the room, you approach the door before stopping to listen for a few seconds.
- >…
- >…
- >…
- >Silence.
- >Perfect.
- ---------------
- >You slowly open the door, allowing light into the room for the first time in nearly a week.
- >Instantly, your eyes detect movement, as if the floor itself is moving away from you.
- >You suppose that, in a strange sense, it is.
- >Flaring your horn, you shut the door, and illuminate the room, revealing the occupant.
- >Chrysalis.
- >Or as she prefers, /Queen/ Chrysalis.
- >That’s not to say that she is the only living creature in this room.
- >Far from it.
- >Hundreds, - neigh - thousands of cockroaches frantically scurry across the floor, and over her body, trying to avoid your light.
- >Magots and mealworms slug along the ground, and between the various holes of her hooves.
- >You advance a few steps, clearing the ground before you with magic and fire, before lowering yourself, and sitting a few feet from the creature before you.
- >Only now realizing your presence, Chrysalis attempts to raise her head and make eye contact.
- >Unfortunately, the chains prevent her head from raising all of the way, forcing her to stare awkwardly up at you.
- >Not that it’s particularly important.
- >Her mouth, held upon by an o-ring, prevents her from forming words.
- >Deciding to begin the /conversation/ you speak.
- “Hello my little Dung Beetle…”
- >The anger that occupied her eyes for the first few months has passed, and she no longer protest to her new title.
- “We trust that you are taking good care of your new swarm which we have generously provide you with?”
- >A cockroach quickly craws out of her mouth, and down her neck.
- >She closers her eyes for a moment, and nods slowly.
- >You smile.
- “Very good!”
- >You can’t help but find the scene before you humorous.
- >Over the first few days of her stay, she found much pride in her swarm.
- >Deciding to be a generous Empress, you’ve allowed her to keep her old company.
- “You see little Beetle? We promised we would teach you how to properly care for your hive!”
- ---------------
- >You chuckle at your own words.
- “After your failed assault on our Empire, we felt you may have needed instruction on how to properly care for a swarm…”
- Chrysalis attempts to avoid your gaze, and looks away from you.
- “Celestia kept many records on your kind, so we know a great deal about your breed’s habits…”
- >You look down, and see an abnormally large cockroach, and lift it into the air.
- “We’ve read the reports; her guards would hunt down changeling among Equestria’s citizens…"
- >Holding the roach between yourself and Chrysalis, you watch as it’s legs squirm, pathetically attempting to reach for ground.
- “Her academics would study them, and observe their habits…”
- >You extend one of it’s legs, almost detaching it from its body.
- "They would probe them, and even dissect their filthy husk.”
- >You notice Chrysalis has begun to also observe the roach, although her eyes are somewhat distant.
- >Releasing the leg, you continue.
- “But she was merciful, and permitted your kind to seek shelter and food amongst our ponies…”
- >You notice how Chrysalis eyes glance toward you quickly, before returning to the insect.
- “However, after your recent actions, we feel as if this may have been a mistake…”
- >With a trivial amount of force, you crush the cockroach, causing its fluids to leak onto the ground before you.
- >For a moment Chrysalis flinches, although you can tell she’s attempting to withhold her emotions.
- “We see now that, perhaps the extermination of this infestation would be the best course of action…”
- >Scooping up the dead insect’s juices, you casually smear them onto Chrysalis’ lips, and into her mouth.
- “The collapse of your hive will once again, be your fault…”
- >Instantly, she shifts her body, and looks at you.
- >Moans leave her mouth, but with the ring in place, they are incomprehensible.
- ---------------
- “Without leadership, they’re unable to control themselves- the hive is beginning to fall apart...”
- >You pull on her mane, forcing her head back.
- >Again, she forces her eyes closed as her tongue snakes it way out of her mouth.
- “Perhaps we should put them to the sword, and save ourselves the hassle of providing for such creatures.”
- >In what you assume to be an effort to gain your attention, she quickly begins to beat her wings, which, after your careful preening, are nothing more than a few support limps, with no connective tissue.
- “We’ve located your hive Chrysalis - we know where your kind have hidden themselves after the attack…”
- >Your words receive a clear reaction, as the emaciated insect before you moans, and fights against her chains.
- >After a moment, of consideration, you decide to provide her an chance to earn control of her mouth once again.
- “Would you like to say something little Beetle?”
- >She steadies herself, and looks downward, before nodding.
- >This exchange has become somewhat routine, and while you know she’s not entirely sincere in her responses, your steady assault on her pride has bore much fruit.
- “Then tell us, are you our Equal?”
- >She shakes her head, forcing a few meal worms to fall from her face and lips.
- “So what are you then?”
- >”Ah ah ahhhh ahhh”
- >Pretending to understand you continue.
- ”A Dung Beetle? Is that what you are?”
- >She nods.
- “So you enjoy laying amongst the filth of the land?”
- >She nods.
- “And your natural position is below that of ponies, is it not?”
- >Her reaction is much more delayed, but after a long moment, she finally concedes, and nods.
- >Satisfied, you remove the ring.
- ---------------
- ”Very well then, since we are a generous Empress, we shall give even the lowest of creatures our attention…”
- >Before speaking, Chrysalis quickly spits out the few remaining creatures that find their way into her mouth.
- >Although her body is still craving with the creatures, she makes no effort to fight the losing battle.
- >”I don’t believe you… you didn’t find our hive…”
- >You can’t help but giggle at her tone.
- >While it’s clear she’s trying to be firm and retain her /royal/ mannerisms, she’s lost much of her previous vigor.
- “Oh? Didn’t we? Tell us then, exactly what /did/ we find in the Badlands?”
- >You can see her eyes shift for a moment.
- >”You’re… you’re lying. No changelings ever went-“
- “Ditto.”
- >Her sentence dies.
- “Ditto is the /thing/ that you left in charge of your hive during the attack.”
- “After your failure, most of your changelings attempted to hide in Equestrian for a new months before returning, hoping we might miss their movements.”
- “Unfortunately, they were incorrect, and led us directly to your home…”
- >Although she’s failed to look at you, it’s clear she is struggling to maintain composure.
- >Her /skin/ has tensed, and her /wings/ have flared wide.
- >Most telling however are here eyes, which have drawn to constricted near pin-heads.
- >You let the moment linger, giving her a chance to formulate a reply.
- >”Don’t - Don’t you /dare/ touch our swarm Nightmare, or we shall kill both you and your beast where you stand…”
- >Her voice is soft, but undeniably venomous.
- >Had you been an average pony, you have no doubt it would have struck fear into your heart.
- >Fortunately, you are not an average pony.
- >So instead, you chuckle.
- ”Threats Dung Beetle? Is that truly the best idea considering your current position?”
- ---------------
- >You laugh again.
- “Truly you must be an insect, even the avians have greater intelligence than you…”
- >”Don’t patronize me Nightmare! I won’t stand for your game-“
- >You immediately grab her throat with magic, and choke her words dead in her mouth.
- >The room grows cold, and the various creatures all stop moving.
- >Whatever fire was in her eyes dies almost instantly.
- >What a small show of force and can do to trot one’s memory…
- >Slowly you stand up, before closing the distance between yourself and the creature.
- >Lowering your head, your snout is only a few hairs from her own.
- >You watch as her eyes frantically bounce back and forth between your own, unsure of where to focus.
- >Her wings fall flat, and her ears quickly lay against her head.
- >You speak.
- ”You /will/ play our /games/ you stupid, insolent slime.”
- “You are our /plaything/, and we shall do with you as we see fit.
- >Releasing her neck, you raise your head upright, while she coughs and wheezes.
- >”You’re actions shall determine the fate of your swarm - we suggest you think before you make such foalish remarks again.”
- >Before she can recover, you place the ring back into her mouth, once again removing her ability to speak properly.
- >Turning you leave, you hear her attempting to stand, and frantically struggling against the chains, hoping to get your attention.
- >No doubt she fears you intend to harm her hive.
- >Looking over your shoulder, you reply.
- ”We do not intend to exterminate your kind this eve little Beetle…”
- >Stepping into the hallway, you face forward.
- “Although we shall need good reason not to end them tomorrow.”
Advertisement
Add Comment
Please, Sign In to add comment
Advertisement