The knock on Luna's door came far too early in the afternoon for her liking. “What is it?” she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“Breakfast, Princess,” a mare replied, her voice muffled by the wood. Luna didn't quite recognize her, but it sounded like one of the servants of her estate. “May I come in?”
“You may enter,” Luna said. The door swung open and the gray-coated mare pushed a cart into the room. “What time is it?”
“Um, just after noon.” The mare awkwardly curtsied before gesturing to the food. “It's freshly prepared, Princess, with eggs and muffins, and a few other things. It is a big day, with the wedding and all.”
Luna nodded. “Thank you. I will try it in a moment.” She climbed out of the master bed and stretched, her wings and joints popping. Her magic opened the blackout curtains on the windows an inch at a time, letting the sunlight stream into her master bedroom. For all her dislike of royal privilege, the modest estate was an excellent place to retire for the day.
She saw the mare still standing next to the tray. “Was there anything else?”
The servant blushed. “The, um, chef made it special, Princess. He wanted to know what you thought of it?”
She must be new, Luna thought, noting how she kept glancing towards the door where her noctral Night Guards, Sanguine and Penumbra, stood outside. No, she is new. She started four days ago. Wasn't she more confident than this? The sleepy fog was slow in lifting from her mind. The food did smell good. It can wait until I've checked the wards around Canterlot. Tia and Captain Armor are likely too distracted by the royal wedding.
She jolted awake at her last thought, reminded of the threat to Equestria. She eyed the food still sitting on the cart. Now that she paid attention, she could smell a hint of odd sweetness to it.
“You look familiar,” Luna said as she looked up from the tray. “How long have you been working here?”
“Oh. This is my first day, Princess.” She curtsied again. Luna could see the stiffness in the gesture, and there was something strange about her eyes.
An imposter, Luna thought, or mind magic. Perhaps paranoia, but a false alarm would be preferable to the alternative. She tapped her hoof twice on the floor, and her guards' ears perked in unison. Both silently entered the room and waited.
Luna unfurled her wings for effect. “We were introduced half a week ago, and I told you to call me Luna. All of my staff call me Luna. And if my chef wanted an opinion, he'd ask.” She tapped into her magic, searching for a proper augury to whatever spells were on the mare. “Now, identify yourself.”
Luna expected denial, confusion, or an attempt to escape. Instead, the servant uttered an inequine hiss and lunged at her. By the time she'd raised her hooves in defense, both Sanguine and Penumbra had tackled the mare, slamming her head into the floor. She went limp for a moment; as Luna watched, her form melted and changed. Dark chitin replaced her gray coat, and insectoid wings sprouted from her back.
Changeling. Luna recognized the creature from both written and personal history. They occasionally hunted alone, but the tainted food suggested something far more sinister. But how would they know I’m here? We’re miles away from the city or any towns. Even most of the Royal Guard aren’t privy to this location.
Suddenly, it snarled and wreathed itself in green flame. Sanguine and Penumbra jumped back, and the changeling leaped to its feet. Luna lowered her horn and quickly fired a bolt of shadowy energy at it. The aberration gasped, weakly clutching the wound on its chest before collapsing.
Silence reigned for a moment. Sanguine moved to cover the door while Penumbra poked the barely twitching body. “Should we dispose of it, Your Highness?” Penumbra asked.
Luna shook her head. “No time. There are certainly more changelings here if they were attempting to drug me, or worse.” She paused, thinking, but her hopes did not match the reality of the situation. “I would imagine the entire staff has been replaced. At least a dozen changelings, likely more. They can take anypony's form, including yours, so stay together as best you can.”
Both nodded; the guards were already versed in countering infiltration and illusion.
“I will need my armor from the study on the first floor,” Luna continued. “Then we can focus on freeing the staff and hunting down the remaining occupiers. Let's move.”
After Sanguine checked around the corners, Luna headed into the hallway towards the nearest staircase, guards in tow. She made it halfway there before another servant stepped into view.
“Halt,” Luna called out. “Identify yourself!”
The servant paused, eyes wide, then growled as Luna's horn lit up. The disguised changeling ducked under her magic bolt and ran at her, screeching. To each side, her two guards kept an eye on the approaching foe and the other end of the corridor; they would stay out of her line of fire until the changeling got close.
Luna refined her aim, and a second bolt tore into the beast's neck and wing, sending it tumbling to the ground only a few paces away. It went still. “Continue moving,” Luna said. For all her skill at battle, she disliked taking lives. These were the first since even before her banishment.
She exhaled softly and hardened her heart. They are attacking my place of solitude and threatening the ponies I hold dear, she thought. Violence is never the answer, but I'm not being given a question.
They continued down to the first floor with no further contact, and Luna felt an anxious tingle in her wings. The sounds of battle had certainly warned the others. Her eyes flitted from doorway to furniture, plans forming in her mind for each ambush she could imagine. The door to the study was cracked, and she motioned her guards to cover the entrance, only to have the door swing open.
Luna focused on the figure standing in the center of the bookshelf-lined room. This changeling was easily half again the size of the others, with sharper angles to its form, a longer horn, and dark blue armor covering its head and chest. Its eyes were smaller, but they glowed with a sickly green light. She recognized it as a consort breed: strong, cunning, adept with magic, and often acting as a leader for a group of changelings.
Its chuckle was gravelly and decidedly masculine. “I see you didn't agree with our cooking,” he said with a fanged smirk. “A pity.”
Luna snorted. “This is an act of war, consort. My sister and I will find your hive and ensure any further threat is removed. Permanently.”
His smirk only grew. “That may be difficult for both of you once our victory is complete.” Luna suppressed a slight frown, not allowing her emotions to betray her as he continued. “Since your surrender is unlikely, we will simply take what we desire.”
A short hiss was their only warning before two changelings charged through the door behind them. Her guards immediately leaped to intercept them, tumbling to the ground in a tussle of fur, chitin, and fangs. The distraction nearly cost her as the consort's long horn lit with magic, and green energy crashed against her hastily raised barrier. She fired back with a blast of shadow, but his own magical wards deflected it into one of the bookshelves. Papers and dust flew across the room as they squared off opposite one another.
Luna weighed her options. Her guards appeared to be fighting themselves as the changelings had copied their opponents. She doubted the consort could truly match her power and experience, but he had numbers and surprise on his side. The secret door to her armory was just to the left if she could reach it.
Sanguine cried out in pain. Luna glanced over before she could stop herself, and her own opponent took advantage of the opening. A green aura settled over her, crackling like electricity, and pain stabbed into her from a hundred different points. Her muscles began to seize up under the onslaught. She knew of the spell: it would immobilize her, cloud her mind, and leave her open to capture, or whatever else he chose. She could feel her magical wards slipping as she lost the focus to maintain them, let alone go on the offense again.
Her legs trembled, threatening to collapse under her, when she heard something falling. Complex magic was now beyond her reach, but every unicorn worth her mark could lift an object. So she did.
“Surrender is your best option,” the consort growled. “My queen wants as many of you intact as poss—” A particularly heavy thermodynamics book slammed into the side of his head. The aura vanished from around her as he strengthened his wards, expecting her magical assault to resume. She obliged with a wordless cry, tearing volume after thick volume off the shelves and flinging them into his body, then formed a mini-cyclone of loose paper around him. Another tendril of her magic hit a hidden switch, and one of the bookshelves swiveled inwards.
“Fall back!” she cried, forcing her cramped body to move as the consort stumbled around in a blind rage. With her magic mostly restored she cast her disruption spell over the grappling ponies. The two changelings reverted back to their original forms, slightly dazed, while Penumbra and Sanguine recovered and flitted through the doorway. Luna ducked through the passage and closed the door behind them.
Her guards were scuffed, but neither seemed wounded. “Are you injured, ma'am?” Penumbra asked.
Her muscles still ached and twitched, but the worst of it had passed. “No,” Luna said. “Bar the door.”
Sanguine and Penumbra braced themselves on either side of the swiveling panel to prevent it from turning. “Entrance secure,” Sanguine reported. “It won’t hold for long, though.” On cue, a green flash shone through the seams as an impact rattled them both.
“It won’t have to.” The hidden room was small and had few furnishings, save for a small desk, a stack of books, and an alicorn-sized mannequin against the back wall. Metal armor rested on its head, chest, and haunches; banded guards protected each leg and the leading edge of both wings. The deep purple of the plates, almost closer to black, contrasted with the bright silver trim along the edges. Faint sigils adorned the polished surfaces, hinting at powerful enchantments.
Her war-plate was a relic of a harsher time in history. She hoped she wouldn’t need it for long.
Luna’s telekinetic field lifted the pieces off the mannequin. Her chestguard affixed itself on her torso, quickly followed by the rest of the armor. Each of the pieces seemed to fly onto her by their own accord. The silver trimming glowed as segmented plates spread over her torso and neck. It did not cover more than half of her coat, but she was more than adequately protected by its enchantments and her own wards.
The last piece of armor, her helmet, replaced her crown. Silvery threads filled the fluting on her horn, focusing and amplifying her magic. She felt each piece seamlessly shifting like an extension of her body as she stepped away. The shadows in the room lengthened as a swarm of bats leaped from the dark corners, shrieking and flapping as they circled her. Their bodies joined together on her back to form a black, billowing cloak.
At Luna’s nod, her guards backed away from the splintering door. She gathered her amplified power for a spell just as a changeling’s head rammed through the wood paneling. The abomination looked at her, snarled, and summoned its green flame to widen the hole.
My turn, she thought. Her charged magic blasted the changeling—and the door—across the room. The other changeling barely dodged the flying debris. Sanguine and Penumbra pounced and struck it down. Luna's horn glowed as she readied another spell, but the consort was already out the door.
Penumbra turned to her. “Orders, ma'am?”
“The two of you should locate and free the estate staff. The cellar is the most logical prison.” She held up a hoof, forestalling any objections. “Do not fear for my safety now. I will be well-protected, and I now wield more power than all of them combined.” Such use of her magic was not without its costs, but she brushed that concern aside. There would be time to rest later.
Both of them bowed their heads. “As you command, Princess.”
Luna nodded. “Go now, my guards,” she said, following them through the study's door. The living room was abandoned, and Luna suspected the consort was gathering his forces. “I have hunting to do.”
Even after her guards flitted out of sight, Luna strode through the halls with confidence. Her senses were heightened by magic, allowing her to sense everything in a short range around her. When a changeling thought to spring the inevitable ambush by charging her from behind, she easily brought a hindleg to bear and smashed its skull with a kick.
The doors on either side of the hallway burst open, and sickly green light poured from each room. Three changelings blocked her retreat, while two more stepped out in front of her, each wreathed in fiery magical energy. At the very end of the hall, the consort strolled into view.
“It is your turn to surrender, changeling.” Luna spoke with her full authority. It was almost a bluff since there were certainly enough to bring her down if she wasn't careful. “You have lost any advantage you once held.”
The consort laughed. “I think not. You are far outnumbered, pony, and your guards are not here to protect you.” His horn glowed green as he charged a spell. “But by all means, try to resist. It will be my pleasure to break you.”
Luna brought a spell to mind. “It seems I must be a terrible disappointment, then.” She aimed her horn at the changelings in front of her. A crackling sound like crystals breaking echoed down the hallway as she snap-froze the air around the two. Their ice-rimed bodies fell to the floor, unmoving.
The consort snarled and cast a beam of green energy, forcing her to duck. She would have hit him next, but her magic-enhanced senses flared as the other three changelings charged her from behind. The closest one leaped into the air, hoping to reach her more vulnerable back without being kicked. She turned her head and gripped its wing in her levitation, pivoting the creature into the wall with a satisfying wham.
A blow from the armored edge of her wing broke the neck of the second changeling. It crumpled on the floor in front of her hooves.
The third was on her before she could bring any of her other weapons to bear, and it scrabbled at her armor and protective wards with an unnatural hiss. The green aura spread over her body again, sparking ominously, and the tendrils of pain sought to work their way into her again. This time, though, she felt her armor grow warm as it absorbed and deflected the energy back into the spell, shielding her from all but an annoying tingle across her exposed coat.
She dipped her shoulder, feigning injury. The changeling on her back seized on the weakness and closed in, biting down on the dark fabric of her cloak. The material shifted, and suddenly the abomination found itself mobbed by dozens of screeching bats. Its grip loosened just as another green light flashed at the end of the hall.
Luna turned again, and the consort's bolt struck the side of her attacker. It cried out as the energy spilled over its form, and her wards flared, nearly reaching their limit from the strain. She roughly shoved the changeling and it fell backwards, blinded by the onslaught of dark, winged forms. She returned fire with her own magic, forcing the consort to scramble away as it tore through the wall. Her second blast tore another door off its hinges. Upon realizing her feint, the consort quickly ducked through the hole and out into the sunlight.
“So, he wants to play outside,” Luna murmured. Her attention briefly turned to the crippled changeling on the ground. It gasped for breath, weakly struggling even as her bats left it to settle back on her shoulders. She silenced it with a spell, then stepped over the corpse, her cloak all but fabric once again.
The consort stood on the second floor balcony, looking east towards Mount Avalon and Canterlot. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust once she stepped outside, and curiosity had her follow his gaze. The sight gripped her heart: the sky around the city was filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dark shapes. The changelings weren't just trying to kidnap her.
They were invading in force.
“You're too late, pony,” the consort sneered. “Even your greatest magic cannot stop us all. My queen will have her victory.”
Luna started to see the plan. Thwarting the attempt on her had still cost her time. And any response from within the barrier would be slowed due to the wedding. Fire coiled in her belly as the pieces fell into place.
The wind began to blow faster.
“You will not succeed,” Luna said, planting her hooves in a solid stance. “Your queen may be strong, but she has made a fatal mistake in crossing us. Her armies will not be enough.”
He laughed at her, gesturing up towards the sky. “Won't be enough? You are an old fool.” His grin grew wider as shadows extended over his form, and he stared her down. “Our numbers blot out the sun itself. What do you have?”
“Strength, harmony, and magics beyond your understanding,” she replied, her voice deathly cold. “And another thing: that darkness isn't your fellow changelings.” Her eyes glowed pure white. “It's stormclouds.”
The consort's face fell as he looked up, and thunder rumbled in the blackheads hovering above the estate. He rapidly beat his wings, looking around for any shelter. With none apparent, he snarled and pointed his horn at her heart. Sickly green energy built around it as he gathered his strength for one last spell.
Before he could finish it, a bright flash lit the balcony as lightning punched through the consort's body. Any scream was drowned out by an explosive peal of thunder, and when the afterimage faded from her eyes, she saw smoke rising from the charred, crumpled corpse before her.
With a thought, she dismissed the clouds. Weather had always easily responded to her moods, but she couldn't recall using it as a weapon. The briefest regret tugged her heart as she wondered what else this new war would teach her before it was over.
Then, the doubts were gone. She turned away from the burnt corpse and trotted into her estate. Plans began to take shape in her mind. She would need an army of her own.
Thanks to her sister's meticulous preparations, she knew exactly where to get one.
Luna found Sanguine, Penumbra, and the real staff in the cellar; cut-up lengths of rope lay on the floor, and several of the ponies rubbed at their ankles to restore their circulation. All of them perked up when they saw her, and an ice-blue earth pony, Lap of Luxury, cried out in joy.
“Luna! Nice outfit,” he said, grinning. “I take it these sideshow freaks won't be troubling you or my staff any longer? Sounds like some property damage, though—”
Luna raised a hoof to cut him off. “The estate is secure.” She waved her guards over. “I apologize for being short, but there's little time. While we have been fighting, an army of changelings has moved to blockade Canterlot.” Soft gasps echoed around the room. “Sanguine, Penumbra. The two of you will guard the staff in case they were expecting reinforcements.”
Sanguine frowned. “With respect, Your Highness, our place is at your side.”
Luxury politely coughed and took a step forward. “If I may, we can handle ourselves. You need guards more than we do.”
Luna looked between them, then slowly nodded. “Very well. Please, stay safe. I will return as soon as I am able.” She softly smiled to acknowledge the farewells of the staff, then turned and climbed the stairs once again with both guards in tow. They trotted through the main hall and out the back door, taking wing as soon as she saw the sky was clear.
Once they were just above the treeline, Luna banked south. Sanguine and Penumbra followed without a word, though she could see them squinting against the midday sun. After a mile of flight, she could see a clearing in the forest lined with rows upon rows of tents. Ponies cantered back and forth between tents, and gathered in open spaces with armor and weapons ready.
They're already mobilizing, Luna thought. One less thing to worry about. Several pegasi on a perimeter patrol barked alarms and winged towards them, but fell into an escort formation when they saw her clearly. She made a mental note to update identification procedures as they led her to a large tent with banners decorating the entrance. One of the guards ducked inside as soon as she landed.
Her thoughts churned as the other guards lifted the tent flaps for her. By rights she held equal rank and responsibility to her sister, and they both shared the role of commander-in-chief of Equestria's armed forces. This was the first time she would exercise her authority, and while Celestia had been quite encouraging, she still held doubts. They salute me during inspections, she thought, but will they follow me into battle?
Luna pushed her concerns to the back of her mind; Equestria needed a Princess and a leader. She had to bring an army under her direct authority and lead them to reinforce Canterlot. If they resist, I outrank all of them. We don’t have time for debates when innocent ponies are depending on us. She steeled herself as she strode into the tent.
"Generals and commanders," one of the guards said, "I announce the arrival of Her Royal Highness Luna, Princess of Equestria."
The score of ponies in the tent snapped to attention. “As you were,” Luna said, and looked at those she would be leading.
Grand Strategies, the General of the Army, stood like a statue at the head of the war table. His stance suggested he preferred something heavier than his gold-trimmed ceremonial armor, and Luna could see scars and calluses under his groomed ashen coat. The five generals around him were another unicorn, two pegasi, and two earth ponies; all had been examining the battle map of Mount Avalon and its surroundings, with flags and markers pushed around by aides whenever a scout reported back.
Luna held everypony's attention. This moment would be the ultimate test of the bridge over her thousand-year gap in rule. If they doubt or challenge my authority, I must be prepared. There’s no turning back now. I will have to lead these ponies. Luna had always served better as a tactician than a commander, at least in the old days.
Then again, times had changed, and she had to change with them.
"Generals, commanders," she began, her voice firm. "Equestria is under unprovoked and deliberate attack by an invading force. As Princess, it is my duty to respond to such threats in kind." She afforded herself a slight pause. "And as Princess, I am issuing a call to arms. Our active forces will march to relieve the blockade of Canterlot, where I will coordinate further military action with Princess Celestia." Luna's gaze swept over the assembled ponies. "If there are any objections to this course of action, they will be duly noted."
One of the younger commanders turned to the other generals. "Can she do that, sir?"
Luna nearly spoke, but held back her words when Grand Strategies rounded on the mare. "Yes, Lieutenant Commander, a Princess of Equestria is the highest ranking military authority, and therefore Princess Luna will issue orders that we will all follow." He leaned forward, the edge in his voice born from decades of command. "Is. That. Clear?"
The mare scrambled to rigid attention. "Y-yes, sir. Perfectly clear, sir." She blanched and kept her gaze forward. "I have no objections, Your Highness. My sincere apologies for the interruption."
Luna regarded her for a moment before nodding. "Accepted. We will need to take precautions against infiltration, especially when we engage the enemy. Their primary advantage in battle is subterfuge and sowing confusion, and while my power is great, I cannot be everywhere at once."
Nor can I possibly disrupt thousands of individual disguises, she silently added. While it was the whole truth, her authority did not rest on complete and open honesty.
“We will do what we can to minimize the risk, Your Highness.” Grand Strategies gestured towards Canterlot's marker on the war map. “What of the barriers surrounding the capital? How long can we estimate they will last?”
“With proper maintenance, even siege engines would take days to break through. The changelings have none.” Luna lit her horn and tapped into her end of the wards around the city. Long-distance casting was an acceptable strain, given the circumstances. “Continue carrying out the deployment. I will make certain the defenses are holding.”
As she examined the established magics in her mind's eye, problems became immediately apparent. Some of the wards had gone dark, and others were drifting out of synchrony like an untuned violin. Even with Captain Armor being wedded, he would not have allowed the spells to go lax. She shifted her attention across the web of spells until she could focus on the barrier itself. Its energies were dwindling as if it had gone unmaintained for the entire day.
Luna restrained herself from a surprised outburst as impacts began to register; the disruptions in the spell matrix were communicated directly to her magical senses. The changelings were attacking the barrier, and without a source of power, her forces would not have several days to plan and maneuver. She sent a message through the spell network to both Shining Armor and Celestia; while it was basically a signal flare, it would at least let her know one of them was paying attention.
No response came. After a minute of observation, she withdrew most of her ties to the wards, save for the barrier and a path for a signal to return to her. But what could possibly keep both from attending to the defense of the city? She remembered the battle in her estate. They can change shape and pass as just about anypony. Shining Armor could have been ambushed, but Tia is stronger than I. Not even one of their queens...
The pieces began falling into place. A changeling queen impersonated someone close to Shining Armor. Cadance, Luna realized. She seemed different during tea last week. How could I have been so blind? She knew why. Because it looked like stress, and Tia hadn’t mentioned it.
She brought her thoughts back to center. There's a changeling queen impersonating a Princess, feeding on a strong source of love who also happens to be the lynchpin of Canterlot's Royal Guard and magical defenses, and therefore could have isolated Tia. Her heart rose in her throat as she remembered one final detail. And she had just made the Elements of Harmony her bridesmares...
“General,” she said, her voice sharp. “We must march on Canterlot immediately, and in force. The defenses were compromised from the inside and will collapse far sooner than anticipated. How quickly can we move and still be battle-ready?”
Grand Strategies frowned. “We have two regiments of infantry and four pegasi battalions mobilized, Your Highness. At a double march they could be in the city in less than an hour. The flight wings could arrive in a quarter of that time, but that would leave the ground forces vulnerable.”
Luna ran the numbers through her head. “The barrier will not last an hour. I will lead two regiments of pegasi to establish a beachhead for the rest of the army. The others will protect the ground forces. Send pairs of messengers to the reserve forces and bring them to active duty.” She paused, taking a breath. “I cannot reach my sister. The level of infiltration required to bring down the city's defenses suggests she was ambushed. If our counteroffensive fails, you will take command of Equestria's armed forces from this location and begin drafting militias at your discretion.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” Command experience granted the stallion no small mastery over his emotions, but she could still see an edge of shock in his eyes. His voice remained steady despite the incredible implications of her orders. “And if we are able to hold ground in the city?”
“Our highest priority is recovering the Elements of Harmony and their bearers. Celestia and Captain Armor are secondary. Treat Princess Cadance – and for that matter, any key ponies – as top-level threats until their identities can be verified. Civilians will need to be checked as well.” She exhaled softly. “It will not be an easy fight.”
“Wars are never tidy, ma'am.” He glanced over to the war table. “Our troops have skirmish experience at most, but they have trained hard. They will follow wherever you lead.”
Despite everything, a small smile formed on Luna's lips. “Thank you for your support, General. It means a great deal.”
He bowed. “It's my honor to serve, Your Highness. I look forward to meeting you in Canterlot.”
She knew he would not leave his post until the battle was won. “Until then.”
Luna opted to fly into position above the assembled ranks, giving her the opportunity to work her will on the weather once more. Wisps of cloud gathered under her hooves until she was standing atop an ominous-looking stormcloud. All the better for my image, she thought. Let them see the darkness is on their side, for once.
“Equestrians! Hear me!” Her amplified voice echoed over the ranks; while most were already looking at her, their attention was now undivided. “By now, you have heard the reports: an army of changelings has crossed our borders and laid siege to Canterlot. The magical protections have been sabotaged from within. By my authority as Princess, I have assumed command of the armies.”
There were murmurs and ripples through the ranks, but nopony raised a voice in question or challenge. Heartened, she continued. “Our task is to break the assault on the capital. The enemy will be prepared for our arrival. They are cunning, coordinated, and highly deceptive. If they succeed in taking Canterlot, all of Equestria will be in danger.”
Luna shifted her hoof on the cloud to produce a low rumble of thunder, and poured determination into her voice. “That will not come to pass. They may be strong, but they fight only to pillage and enslave. We are not fighting for fleeting riches or vain glory. We fight to liberate our brothers and sisters. We fight to protect our loved ones. We fight for every Equestrian threatened by this menace, and for every freedom we hold dear. We. Will. Not. Fail."
The soldiers were nodding, agreeing, even beginning to cheer. Luna felt a thrill run through her. "This is my promise to you: when the day is over, they will know our fury. Let them fight and fail, let them fumble and flee. Let them run into the shadows and hope the darkness will save them." She grinned. "I promise you as Princess of the Night, they will find no refuge there."
She raised her voice above their battle cries. “I will personally lead the effort to break the siege on Canterlot. Flight wings Flash and Thunder, form up on me.” Eight hundred pegasi took to the air and began assembling formations alongside her. “We will be the vanguard of the counter-offensive. The rest of you have your marching orders. Move out!”
Luna returned the unified salute of the soldiers on the ground, then kicked the cloud under her away and took to the air. She resisted the urge to fly ahead. Wasting energy would do the ponies in Canterlot no good, but she still set a brisk pace for the pegasi following her. The battalion commanders and their aides flew alongside her to organize their plan of attack.
A mere minute through their in-flight briefing, Luna felt a jolt. “The barrier protecting Canterlot has collapsed,” she announced. Her estimates had been fairly accurate. “We must move as quickly as possible.”
While she laid out her tactics, part of her mind was busy trying to assemble a strategy. Luna knew little about the changelings beyond the basics, but she could imagine they would keep the civilian population panicked to minimize resistance. Their ability to shapeshift was too versatile for her liking. Once they had control over an area, uprooting them would be incredibly difficult.
Luna's mind was brought back to focus as they rounded the mountain pass. Even from half a mile away she could see plumes of smoke rising from scorched craters in the spires and streets. Every few seconds, a new explosion would add to the grisly scene.
She breathed in, and out, and ran through her strategies again. They would claim a section of the city and hold it until the main army could retake the rest, street-by-street if need be. None of my ponies will become slaves to these aberrations. Not now, not ever.
Black shapes darted between buildings as one battalion of pegasi descended towards one of the southern overhangs, but none rose to challenge them just yet. She suspected they would ambush them as soon as they'd landed, and judging by the positions the commanders called out, she was not the only one who thought the same way. The first squads of pegasi passed over the outer wall and came to a running landing on the empty stone courtyard. Others took up positions in the air, or stationed themselves by various buildings and streets. They were part diversion, part strategic front able to strike half the city.
Luna briefly examined their deployment, then nodded and banked right with the other four hundred pegasi. Canterlot's main gate had several craters in it, but it remained standing. She could see forms with glints of gold running along the wall. The occasional bolt of magic arced out into the streets. Further off, she could hear screams and the distant clamor of pitched fighting.
“Friendlies from the south!” Luna called out. Several heads swiveled atop the wall, and a ragged cheer rose as the Royal Guard caught view of their reinforcements. Many of the guards had scuffed coats and dented armor, and a number of changeling corpses littered the ramparts and ground below. None were moving. The Guards on the wall made room for Luna, her own Night Guard, and several squads of pegasi. The rest of her battalion began setting up a perimeter in the clearing between the gate and the city itself.
A Royal Guard lieutenant trotted out of the gatehouse. “Princess Luna? Words don't cover how glad I am to see you, ma'am,” he said, bowing before looking up at the remainder of the approaching pegasi. “And the airborne, to boot. Thunder Battalion?”
“Yes,” Luna said. “It heartens me to know we were not too late. What is the status of the city, Lieutenant...?”
“Lieutenant Bulwark, Your Highness, and it's pretty bad out here. Most of the Guard were caught in rotation or surprise inspections, or some other nonsense. The barracks were overrun, and none of our higher-ups have reported in.” He hesitated, and his voice strained a bit as he continued. “The Captain said the barrier would last a whole day if we were attacked, but he gave us the new schedule this morning. I don't mean to be insubordinate, but we’d be in much less of a mess if he hadn’t.”
Luna held up a hoof. “I have reason to believe the architect of this invasion employed mind magic on Captain Armor,” she said. “As the stallion responsible for many of Canterlot's defenses, he would be the most logical target.”
Bulwark grimaced. “Mind magic? That would explain a lot. Anyway, as far as we know, this is the biggest resistance front. Information's been pretty tight since the attack started, but we do have scouts, of a sort.” He looked out over the city, and pointed. “Ah, here they come now.”
Luna turned to see five blue and yellow streaks heading towards them. They flared their wings and landed in sequence. As soon as they saw Luna, they hastily bowed.
“Your Highness! Reporting for duty,” their leader said. Spitfire, Luna recalled. “We just did a pass over the city. So far it looks like these things are keeping civilian casualties to a minimum, but they're not being gentle, either.” She watched the airborne wing setting up positions past the gate. “Are these the reinforcements?”
“Our advance guard, yes,” Luna said, turning slightly to include the lieutenant in the conversation. “The ground forces and two more flight wings will be arriving in half an hour.” Her worries nagged at her, and she turned back to Spitfire. “Did you see the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, or my sister?”
Spitfire pushed her flight goggles onto her forehead. “Yes, to the first. We watched them try to get into Canterlot Tower, but at least a couple hundred changelings captured them. I haven't seen Princess Celestia at all, but if she wasn't with them...” She shook her head. “I'm sorry, I wish I knew more.”
“You did what you could.” A loud crack and rumble drew their attention. Luna could see the roof of a familiar building collapse, nearly bringing down the entire structure. “Isn't that Celestia's school?” she asked.
Spitfire's voice grew quiet. “It looked like a bunch of ponies were holding off the changelings in there.”
Luna allowed herself a silent hope that the ponies had escaped. Once the moment passed, she returned her focus to the invasion as a whole. “If the Elements have been captured, we must find a way to rescue them. What else can you tell us about the enemy forces?”
They reported their findings to her. All five Wonderbolts had been watching different parts of the city, and with their help Luna quickly pieced together a rough view of the occupying forces. Many were centered around the wedding hall and Canterlot Tower. Pockets of civilian and Royal Guard resistance were scattered across the city, but they wouldn't last long once the initial confusion settled and the invaders grew more organized.
First step, she thought, is keeping this gate secure for the next twenty minutes. She dispatched the Wonderbolts as messengers to the rest of her army. Until they arrived, the Royal Guard and pegasi could only expand their sphere of control so far, and even that would be threatened by changeling infiltrators.
Or, as the cries of alarm signaled, a more direct attack.
The insectoid aberrations poured out of a side street and charged the pegasi formations. The unicorns on the wall took aim, and their magical blasts knocked several of the changelings to the ground. Luna watched her soldiers brace themselves and hoped months of training had prepared them. Whinnies and hisses filled the air as the two groups slammed into each other, kicking and biting. The pegasi lines barely budged, and quickly gained the upper hoof as they were reinforced.
Luna wondered at the paltry size of the attack. Forty against four hundred? Most eyes were on the fight. Luna turned her gaze to the other streets, and felt a jolt as she saw flashes of movement. A diversion. Of course. Their dark forms didn’t rise above the buildings, trying to slip in as close as possible. Luna counted easily over a hundred, and more seemed to be joining them.
If I intervene, it could take an hour to recharge my magic. Tia and the Elements would be at the queen's mercy. Officers shouted orders once the force was spotted. The pegasi not already fighting wheeled on the approaching threat. If I don't, we may be crippled or even overrun. The pegasi's light armor was built for speed and harassment tactics, not static defense of a ground position. What good is my power if I don't use it to help?
Luna spread her wings and launched herself from the wall. I will deal with the queen later. Several soldiers at the very front yelped as their Princess landed next to them, followed closely by Sanguine and Penumbra. The changelings swarmed along the street towards them, and several began to glow with sickly green magic. Luna lowered her head and took aim, feeling her own magic build within her horn.
It took less than a moment to charge the spell, and she fired it immediately. A wave of magic slammed into the airborne changelings flying ahead of the ones on the ground, sending them wheeling out of the air. Most of them would quickly recover, but the delay gave her time to cast the more complicated spell.
Her magic graced the air and stones between them and the changelings. She drew upon their physical energy much as she would control the weather, and within moments the street before them was coated in ice as the temperature plummeted. She continued to draw the heat into a holding space, gritting her teeth at the effort of keeping the energy contained.
The changelings hissed, but pressed forward through the bitter chill. Luna could see them slowing, slipping, and starting to fall as the temperature took its hold. The cold air, however, was just a side effect of her spell. With the stone beneath the changelings colder than the air, she took the excess heat and transferred it to the cores of those rocks.
With the trap set, she released the holding spell.
Luna watched as the street shattered. Stone fragments sliced through changelings by the dozen. Their cries filled the air as her magic shielded her ponies from the blasts and the worst of the cold; thankfully, they pulled back rather than press the attack. She felt a little lightheaded, but she was pleased with the results.
A pegasus next to her whistled. “Maybe they'll think twice about coming back, now.”
“Let us hope we're that fortunate.” Luna turned her attention to the other fight, only to see those changelings had retreated as well. She took to the air again. “Form up,” she ordered, her voice carrying across the square. “They will be regrouping for another assault.”
The pegasi took up new positions, joined by several squads of Royal Guard from the wall. Luna could hear the buzz of insectoid wings, and her eyes caught more movement among the buildings. They'll come in full force this time. She felt her reserves of magic slowly refilling, but she had to conserve her power.
“Hold fast, soldiers,” Luna said. “Our reinforcements will arrive any minute.” She looked for the next wave, but only saw regular ponies running towards them, screaming in terror. Her heart sank as she realized many of them were in disguise. By the time they were one street away, she saw the changelings behind them, nearly double the number of Luna's defenders.
The civilians will be panicked, the impostors will strike at us with our backs turned, and the main force will seek to overwhelm us. They have chosen this battle well. She steeled herself and listened to the commanders yell out engagement orders. Whatever happens, we must hold this gate.
The civilians were only paces away from their ranks, but a flash of light from within the city grabbed Luna's attention. The wedding chapel, she realized. The magic streaming from the building lifted her heart and brought an unbidden smile to her face, which grew wider when she realized what was about to happen.
“Brace yourselves, soldiers!” The pink and purple light flared and expanded in a great nova. While the buildings and ponies in its path were left untouched, the leading edge slammed into the changelings like an unstoppable force. Their would-be attackers screeched and tried to flee, only to be caught by the magic as well; it flung them out of the city by the hundreds and off towards the Badlands. She watched their forms recede until they disappeared.
The battle was over.
Luna breathed a sigh of relief. Below her, the pegasi and Royal Guard were cheering and even embracing one another. She allowed them to continue for a moment before sharply whistling. “Excellent work, but there will be time to celebrate later. Canterlot still needs our help.”
One of the pegasi raised his voice over the others. “One more cheer for our Princess!”
The ensuing outburst was short, but loud. They were cheering her. Her heart nearly caught in her throat. “Thank you,” she said. “Stand by for your orders.”
As Luna returned to the wall to coordinate troop deployment, and usher in the arriving ground forces, she overheard a Royal Guard ask one of the pegasi, “So, what if one of the bugs got caught against a wall?”
The soldier smirked. “Heh, chunky salsa. Serves them right.”
She suppressed a laugh at the mental image.
Communication across the city was rather confused, and it took nearly ten minutes before Luna could even confirm her sister's location. Once she was certain her presence wasn't immediately needed, she flew at a rapid pace towards the wedding hall. Thankfully, Celestia was standing on the balcony waiting for her.
“I'm relieved to see you, Tia,” she said upon landing. “How bad are your injuries?
Celestia chuckled and pointed at her horn. “Just sore, nothing damaged. I think my pride took the worst beating.” She briefly recounted the details of her fight with the queen. “Luckily, at least one of us wasn't caught off guard.”
Luna smiled. “I suspect interring me at a slightly remote estate helped matters.” The light mood did not last long as her gaze swept over the battle-torn city. “This is not exactly good fortune.”
“Perhaps,” Celestia murmured. “So much went wrong, so much was overlooked. Luck is about all we had left.”
“I'm sure we will get to the bottom of how this started,” Luna said. “For right now, relief efforts are well under way. The border is being secured as we speak, though I doubt the changelings will be able to launch another attack so soon.”
“That's good.” Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “The Elements and the wedding couple are currently recuperating. Given the state of the city, they've chosen to postpone the wedding until tomorrow.”
Luna frowned. “Forgive me for being blunt, but wouldn't it be wiser to delay the occasion even further? At least until the city is better secured?”
“Wiser, perhaps,” Celestia said. “I share your concerns, but the bride and groom have been through trying experiences. They don't want this upset to disrupt their relationship.” She looked out at the city. “Still, Canterlot needs time to calm itself and begin healing before our ponies can appreciate the good news.”
“I understand, and I'm certain our ponies will rise from this disaster stronger than ever.” Luna nuzzled her sister. “As for you, don't push yourself. I'll take care of the sun until the doctor is sure nothing was damaged.” She glared until Celestia rolled her eyes and relented. “Oh, hush. I'm sure I can devote at least a couple hours to daytime.”
Celestia snickered. “You fill me with eternal confidence, Lulu.” A pegasus messenger called Luna's name. “That's your cue. Will you make it to the reception tomorrow evening?”
“I may be a little late,” Luna said. “You'll have to tell me what I missed.”
“Of course,” Celestia replied. “Take care, sister.”
Luna smiled and spread her wings. “You too. Give my regards to Cadance and Shining Armor.” She took flight, ready to return to her makeshift command post across the city. As she banked, she took one last glance at the balcony. Princess Celestia gazed down at the families reuniting in the streets, her expression grim despite their cries of joy.
The contrast troubled Luna. Does Tia think this was somehow her fault? She hoped not, but while she had been the one to seek outside causes for the suffering of their ponies, Celestia internalized. She will blame herself. For acting poorly, for not acting, it doesn't matter. This is not a family member's self-destruction or a rampaging god of chaos. Tia will see this as something she could have prevented.
"Looks like I'll be watching after you this time, sister," Luna whispered under her breath.
Author's Note
Editor: AdrianVesper
Proofreaders: Adjudicator - hwrogers - Toothless the Night Fury - ABagOVicodin
Prereaders: Forfaox - Rezz
Cover art by Zyleeth
