Chapter Nine - Severance

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Gilda had finally arrived at the rebels' camp along with Pierce and his troops.  What greeted them was a settlement of men, women, and children who lived in tents at the base of a mountain far away from the castle.  They had travelled in silence for most of the way, just in case J'aggerdov's soldiers had come after them again.

"Let's get this off of you, Ma'am," one of Pierce's men said as he grabbed some nearby tools and began to tamper with the lock on Rainbow Dash's wing restraints.

"Thanks, that'd definitely make things a heck of a lot easier for me!" Rainbow Dash said, smiling.

"So what's your deal, Pierce?" Gilda asked as she looked around the camp.  "I didn't know there was a rebellion in the Griffon Kingdom."

"That's what the canaries call it," Pierce replied, shaking his head.

"Canaries?" Gilda and Pinkie Pie asked in unison.

"Sycophants, loyalists, anyone who refuses to tell J'aggerdov that he's wrong about anything," Pierce replied.

"And the King called you rebels for doing that?" Gilda asked, cocking an eyebrow.  "I've questioned his decisions, myself, and he never did anything like that to me."

"I don't know what sort of relationship you have with him," Pierce replied, "but most folk aren't granted audiences with the King.  As you probably know, the King communicates with the population of this land via appointed representatives from each city and village."

"Right," Gilda replied, nodding her head.  "I had kinda forgotten about that.  It's been a while since I've lived here."

"We came from a poor village far to the north," Pierce continued speaking, "a place where the famine has been particularly brutal.  I had been elected by my fellow villagers to go to the King and beg him to reconsider his isolationist policies."

"Isolationist?" Rainbow Dash asked as Pierce's companion continued to fiddle with her harness.

"J'aggerdov and his ancestors all felt the same way," Pierce explained.  "They believed that asking for or accepting aid from other countries was a sign of weakness unless some form of conquest was involved."

"Which not every griffon agrees with, by the way," Gilda added.

"Right," Pierce replied with a nod.  "But the King has absolute power, and each member of his army is trained at a young age to follow his orders without question.  Each King for the past few hundred years has used the Griffon military primarily to guard the borders of our Kingdom on all sides.  Nothing gets in or out without a King's permission."

A grunt of frustration could be heard as a screwdriver snapped in half in the lock of Rainbow Dash's harness.  "Damnit," the Griffon said.  "Hold on, I need to get our locksmith on this."

"In the past, the Kingdom was self-sufficient." Pierce continued, ignoring him.  "But in recent years, the land has become barren.  All over the country, the farmable areas have been dying out.  The animals that we used to hunt have seen a massive drop in population.  I told the representative that the Griffons could no longer afford to keep to themselves, that we needed outside help or our people would die!"

"Well duh," Pinkie said, "of course you need outside help!  You should just ask Princess Celestia!" She smiled brightly.  "She would be all 'I'm super-nice so I can't let these poor Griffons starve! Applejack, bring me your finest apples, we're gonna give 'em to hungry Griffons!'  Applejack's my friend by the way, and she's super-nice too, so she'd do it!"

"Uh...huh," Pierce replied, eyes widening as he took a step away from her.  "Sounds great, but the problem is that the representative told me to leave the castle and never return.  That our self-sufficient lifestyle was the cornerstone of our pride as a species.  I told him I wouldn't drop the issue no matter what, so he made up some story about how I threatened to attack, and my entire village was deemed a rebel stronghold."

'That's crazy!" Rainbow Dash shouted as the Griffon from before returned to her side with a locksmith who began to inspect the restraints.  "You couldn't tell anypony the truth?"

"The thought did cross my mind," Pierce replied.  "That was before a squad from J'aggerdov's army showed up and laid waste to the village."

"...oh." Rainbow Dash said, bowing her head.

"After that," Pierce said, "we decided that if the representatives deemed us rebels, that's exactly what we'd be.  J'aggerdov has proven in the past to care very deeply about his people's well-being, not just their pride.  The problem is that he's surrounded by yes-men who wouldn't dare question a single decision he makes, so if a rebellion is what it takes to make him realize that his policies are killing our people, then that's what it takes."

"I hate to tell you this," Gilda replied, taking a step toward Pierce.  "But King J'aggerdov already found a solution."

"He what?" Pierce asked.

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash declared triumphantly as her bindings came lose at the locksmith's touch and clattered to the ground.  She grinned widely and stretched out her wings.  "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!  What was that about solutions, G?"

"It can only mean one thing," the old locksmith said, turning away from Rainbow Dash and toward Pierce.  "J'aggerdov's finally gone ahead and taken care of the yeti!"

"Not this again..." Pierce said, smacking his forehead.  "Please, Clement, not in front of the guests!"

"They need to know!" Clement shouted.  "I seen it with me own eyes!"

"Yes, yes, you've told us," Pierce said, waving the elderly locksmith away.  "Big ape-like creature, flowing garment, gray, hairless flesh.  Wandered the Kingdom three years ago cursing the lands."

"With some kinda crazy potion!" Clement added.  "He used a potion to destroy our farms, poison our trees, and kill our wildlife!"

"Yes, of course it did," Pierce sighed.

"Sounds like the sasquatch we just saw!" Pinkie replied, approaching Clement.

"You... you seen it, too?" Clement asked, raising his head.

"Well, maybe," Pinkie replied, stroking her chin.  "Did the ground get all crickly-crackly whenever it was around?"

"Yes!" Clement replied, jumping a few feet off the ground.  "And it shrieked!"

"Omigosh!" Pinkie said.  "Ours totally did too!"

"What are they talking about?" Pierce asked, turning to Gilda and Rainbow Dash.

"When we escaped the castle dungeon," Gilda explained, "something... we call it the sasquatch... it chased after us.  And I have to admit, it looked an awful lot like what your buddy Clement, there, is talking about."

"You can't be serious," Pierce said, resting his face in the palm of his hand.  "And three, two, one..."

"I told ya so!" Clement shouted, nudging Pierce.  "I told ya it was real!"

"Let's say I believe this," Pierce replied.  "Is Clement right, Gilda?  If this yeti, sasquatch, or whatever it is really did cause this nation's famine, and it's now in the castle, does that mean the hard times are over?"

"No," Gilda replied.  "If that... thing really is responsible, J'aggerdov doesn't know it.  He was discussing strategy with it.  I think it's his ally."

"Then what solution are you talking about?" Pierce asked.

"Invasion," Gilda replied.  Pierce and Clement went wide-eyed as Pinkie and Dash nodded.  "I don't know all the details, but he's planning to launch a joint invasion with the Diamond Dogs to the east of Equestria, and the Changelings to the northeast.  J'aggerdov plans to conquer Equestria.  The Griffons will claim its food and wildlife, the Diamond Dogs will claim the land itself as their new home, and the Changelings will claim its people to feed off of."

"What!?" Rainbow Dash screamed, scowling and taking to the air.  "Look after Pinkie Pie, I'm getting back over there now and warning Princess Celestia!"

"Hold it!" Pierce said, floating up in front of Dash.  "You'll never get past the border guards.  You'll just wind up back in the dungeon if you try to leave!"

"I don't care, I'm gonna risk it!"

"Dashie!" Pinkie shouted, sternly.  "Getting recaptured won't help anypony."

"So what should I do, then?" Rainbow Dash asked, frowning at her friend.

"Granny Pie always said that the bigger a problem, the calmer we have to be when fixing it.  Think about it:  If the sasquatch is really what's causing famine here, then Jaggydoff wouldn't know that," Pinkie explained.

"So?" Dash asked, landing on the ground and facing Pinkie.

"So we have to tell him, silly!" Pinkie replied, smiling.

"She's right," Pierce added.  "We need to find a way to confront the King and tell him what we know.  That might be enough to stop this invasion, or at least our people's part in it."

"King J'aggerdov considered me a special advisor before I sprang Pinkie and Dash," Gilda said.  "I'll help you guys get to him if I can."

"And in the meantime we just let our friends lounge around in Equestria while a war's coming from all sides!?" Rainbow Dash asked.  Pierce whistled loudly, and a blur darted down past Rainbow Dash's head.  A pigeon landed softly on Pierce's outstretched arm.

"Homer, here, is small and fast enough to evade the border guard," Pierce said, lifting his arm a little.  "He's the fastest carrier pigeon I've ever had.  Gilda," he said, turning to her, "I want you to write down on a sheet of paper everything you know about the invasion.  We'll attach it to Homer's leg and get it to the pony Princess as fast as possible.  Is that alright with you, Dash?"

"Hmph," Dash pouted, sitting on the ground and folding her arms.  "I'd rather handle it myself, but I guess it's alright."

"Aw, cheer up, Dashie!" Pinkie said, tapping her friend on the head with a hoof and smiling.  "We get to be diplomats!  This is gonna be way more fun than Las Pegasus!"

"Is she always like that?" Pierce whispered to Gilda.

"Yeah," Gilda replied.  "Used to drive me nuts, but now I think I get it.  That pony eventually makes friends with everyone she meets.  If we're gonna make King J'aggerdov reconsider centuries of Griffon foreign relations policy, we're gonna need her to soften him up."

"Alright," Pierce replied.  "Let's get to work, everyone!"

...

"Obviously, I know that none of this is real," Twilight began, as all of the images of her friends save for Applejack vanished, "so why are you keeping up this charade?"

"You underestimate your own feelings," the fake Applejack replied, grinning.  "The mere image of Applejack is causing you to exhibit emotions that I can harvest.  Your love for all five of your friends is great, but your bond with this one in particular... yes, you rely on her strength often, and you trust her more than anyone else you know.  You view her as an elder sibling of sorts."  Twilight averted her gaze as the apparition licked its lips.  "You don't need to respond, I already know I'm right."

"So, this illusion was created to surround me with the ponies I care about the most," Twilight replied, continuing to avoid eye contact.  "I'm guessing your captives all find themselves in a world like this one, and the love they then experience from their connections is harvested and used to feed the Changelings."

"Very astute, as Delacroix said," Applejack replied.

"Who is Delacroix?" Twilight asked, raising her brow and shuddering.  "What is Delacroix?"

"I have no idea," Applejack replied, shuddering as well.  "I was made aware of his existence at the same moment you were.  Up until now, all of our dealings with the other factions involved in this plan have been mediated by a unicorn named Clarion Call.  Whoever or whatever Delacroix is, if he believes he is using Queen Chrysalis, his arrogance will cost him dearly."

"You refer to the Queen in the third person," Twilight observed, tilting her head and sinking into a sitting position on the floor.  "I was under the impression that you were the Queen."

"I haven't been the Queen for nearly ten years," the apparition replied, shaking its head.

"I'm not sure I follow," Twilight replied.

"When a Changeling Queen reaches a certain stage of her life cycle," the false Applejack replied as their surroundings shifted from a hallway in the Crystal Palace to a room that was similar in nature to the one Twilight was actually in.

"She undergoes a transformation into a different sort of life-form.  Once I was of age, the nature of my existence was altered."  Twilight beheld a Changeling, similar in appearance to Chrysalis, but much more haggard with visible wrinkles covering her face.  Applejack gestured towards the Changeling as she encased herself in a cocoon of similar appearance to the Changeling pods.

The ceiling of the large room faded away, leaving the sky visible, as the Sun and the Moon took turns rapidly shooting across the sky, night changing to day once every second.  Finally, time slowed down, and Twilight's gaze returned to the cocoon, which was now three times its original size.  Twilight gasped as the apparatus began pulsating like a beating heart, connected by many thousands of small veins to the walls around it.

"I took my mother's place as the Central Nervous System for the Great Hive and beyond, while my daughter took my place as Queen," the former Queen explained, still in the form of Applejack.  "All of our prey who are captured are connected to me.  I provide each and every one of them with an illusionary world best suited to harvest their love, then I process that love and disperse it among my children."

"I see," Twilight replied, nodding slowly while continuing to stare at the pulsating pod.  "That must be a very taxing job, and I can't imagine how difficult it must be to sacrifice your body and freedom to do it."

"I believed at the time that I would be sacrificing my mind, as well," the Nervous System explained.  "I didn't realize until I underwent the transformation myself that a Central Nervous System retains her consciousness.  The creation of dreams from memory is an involuntary biological action, my mind is only as involved as I want it to be."

"And you never had second thoughts?" Twilight asked.

"I did it for my daughter, and my people," she replied.  "I don't know if you ponies have ever experienced a ravenous hunger akin to that of a malnourished Changeling, but it is a maddening sensation that I have felt before, and will never allow my daughter or her children to feel."

Twilight frowned as she heard this, and Applejack's form twitched slightly, its eyes growing wide before it shook its head.  "I have to ask, why are you telling me all of this?" Twilight asked.

"You are a pod that knows what is happening to her," the Central Nervous System replied, the nearby cocoon now throbbing in rhythm with Applejack's speech.  "Nothing like this has ever happened before.  You are the first sentient creature I've spoken to since I became..." she jerked her head towards the pod.  "The interaction is... pleasant.  Furthermore, there is no way you can escape, regardless of what you know.  I have no need to hide things from food."

"I see," Twilight replied, nodding.  "Well, if that's the case, would you mind indulging my curiosity a bit?"

"Of course," the Central Nervous System replied.  "The longer I talk to you in the form of your friend, the more emotion I can harvest.  What's more, that fleeting moment of empathy you felt for me as I explained my motivation was especially satisfying."

"What other factions are involved with this invasion?" Twilight asked, lifting her head slightly.

"Chrysalis, through Clarion Call, has allied herself with King J'aggerdov and his Griffon Kingdom, as well as the Diamond Dog known as Mahugpin, and the nation he commands."  Applejack gestured first to the left, then to the right, as apparitions of the aforementioned leaders appeared on either side.

"I've never heard of Mahugpin," Twilight replied, shaking her head.  "And I was given to understand that the Diamond Dogs were a gang that lived on the outskirts of Ponyville."

"They are an underground nation on a continent directly south of the Great Hive," Applejack replied, shaking her head.  The room shifted completely, and Twilight and Applejack now stood directly above the ocean.

In one direction, the towering Great Hive could be seen on the horizon.  In the other direction, a coastline was visible.  The setting Sun did, indeed, place the coastline to the south.

"I already know what the Changelings have to gain from conquering Equestria," Twilight replied, looking down at herself.  "But the Griffons and the Diamond Dogs?  Why would they want to attack us?"

"The Griffons simply want to reap the benefits of Equestria's fertile soil, their own land being quite barren, and growing more so within the last four years."  Twilght and Applejack, despite being perfectly still, were now rocketing across a cracked and dry land, its surface dotted with tall mountains, but no visible vegetation.

"The Diamond Dogs wish to actually make a home there.  In their current environment, they live under constant threat from a larger, deadlier predator."  Twilight was now in a vast swampland with trees all around her.  Among them lurked hulking shadows emanating low, sustained snarls.

"And Clarion Call was the one who united all of you?" Twilight asked.

"That is what my daughter had told her subjects," the Central Nervous System replied as its Applejack form glanced off to the side.  "Though clearly she has been keeping at least one secret from them."

"Were you able to glean anything from Delacroix's memory?" Twilight asked.

"He only interfered with your pod for a few seconds.  I saw the memory you saw."  Twilight's perspective was once again returned to the man strapped into the chair, beneath the dome.  Time seemed to have stopped around her, as nothing, even the gray cloud, was moving.  "This memory is four-thousand years old."

"The structures, the technology, this bipedal species..." Twilight Sparkle whispered as she found herself standing in the hall of the Crystal Castle once more.

"To think that such a civilization, so much like our own, existed four thousand years ago, but could vanish without leaving a single known trace of their existence.  Where could he have come from?"  She scratched her chin slowly, extending her lower lip in a pouty expression.

"It doesn't really matter," Applejack replied.  "Delacroix is insignificant in the grand scheme of things."

"I suppose that's a logical assumption for the time being," Twilight replied.  "I have another question."

"Ask," the Central Nervous System replied.

"Applejack and I were kidnapped by your people.  Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were leaving for a trip with a Griffon friend of Dash's.  Rarity and Fluttershy were still in Ponyville last I knew.  Would I be correct in assuming we were each kidnapped in pairs by the corresponding factions?" Twilight asked, narrowing her gaze.

"Yes," Applejack replied, grinning.  "You're a clever one."

"Thank you for everything you've told me," Twilight replied, rising to her feet.  "I'm sorry to hear that your people must stoop to such reprehensible tactics in order to obtain nourishment, and I would very much like to help you some day, but for now, if I'm going to save Equestria, I need to be going."  The Central Nervous System actually laughed.

"You've got a sense of humor, to boot!  I think I will speak to you on a regular basis, Twilight Sparkle."

"When it comes to magic, visualization is the key," Twilight replied, causing the Nervous System to tilt her head.  "For example, when it comes to my teleportation spell, the trick is to visualize myself moving from point A to point B in the blink of an eye.  Were I to use that spell here, I would be visualizing two locations that didn't actually exist, and therefore would not actually be casting any spells, though you'd probably shift me yourself so I wouldn't catch wise."

"What's your point?" the Central Nervous System asked, her fabricated orange ears now tensing up.

"My point is that I know where I actually am," Twilight replied.  "I know I'm contained within a pod, and I know that pod is contained within a large, dimly lit chamber within the Great Hive."  Applejack's eyes began to widen.  Twilight Sparkle grinned.  "That's right.  I have my point A, and I have my point B."

"And what makes you so sure I haven't prepared for a loophole like that?" the Central Nervous System asked, a forced grin spreading across her face.

"By your own admission, nothing like this has ever happened before," Twilight replied, her grin shrinking.  "Although we'll find out for sure right now."

"Stop!" Applejack commanded as she extended a hoof, her eyes wide.  "Yes, you're right, I don't know what will happen.  Our minds are linked, Twilight Sparkle.  If you sever the connection from the inside, it could destroy us both!"

"Then release me," Twilight replied, looking the apparition straight in the eye, unblinking.

"I can't!" the Central Nervous System spat back.  Twilight sighed and shook her head gently, seating herself again.  She scrunched her eyes shut, and throttled the magic in her horn.  "No, stop it!  Are you insane!?"  Twilight's only response was a groan that began to escape her throat as the magical aura around her horn grew in size.

"I'm in the pod, I can see myself in the pod," Twilight thought, visualizing her true location.  "There is a space directly in front of me, where Delacroix stood, between myself and the real Applejack."  The Central Nervous System gasped as Twilight became engulfed in a bright, lavender light.

"No you don't!" she shouted, charging at Twilight, only to find that her body passed right through Twilight's form.  The light and magical pressure grew in intensity.  "To think that she can concentrate hard enough to be unaffected by my illusion," the Nervous System thought.  "Please, I'm begging you, do not do this!" she shouted, raising her hooves together.

"I'm inside the pod," Twilight thought again, "I'm inside the pod... AND NOW I'M NOT!"  Twilight began to scream as a stabbing pain shot through her head, the sound of a female voice shrieking in her ears.  This was followed by a blow to Twilight's back and shoulders, and then everything went silent.

She opened her eyes, which needed a moment to adjust, and she became aware of her surroundings.  She was lying on the floor, directly next to the pod that had once contained her.  She allowed herself a triumphant smile before standing up, only to fall right to the floor again.

Her vision was blurred, and she felt as though the room was spinning, but she forced her gazed upward and beheld the pod containing Applejack.  She shook her head vigorously, and that seemed to align her vision just a bit.  Gritting her teeth and squinting, she forced herself to her feet.  She did not fall this time, but stumbled a bit until she was slumped up against Applejack's pod.

With all of her might, she slammed her horn against it, cracking the surface.  She pounded against the crack with her hooves, until the opening was large enough for her to dig into.  With all of her might, she pulled her hooves in opposite directions as her headache returned and her vision darkened.

Finally, the surface gave way with a sickening crack.  Twilight lost her balance and fell onto her back once more as Applejack came tumbling out of her pod, soaked in a smelly green fluid.  She coughed three times before slowly opening her eyes.

"Applejack?" Twilight groaned, finally making eye contact with her friend.

"Yeah, it's me, sugarcube," Applejack replied, standing up and giving Twilight a smile.

"We-" Twilight began before she felt Applejack's hoof on her lips.

"Shh, I know," she said, nodding.  "The pod put me in your memory, just like it put you in that Delacroix feller's.  I'm all up to speed.  You don't look so good, but don't you worry, I'm gonna get us outta here lickety-split.  You just focus on restin' up."

Before Twilight could reply, she was hoisted onto Applejack's back.  She grimaced as she felt the pod's fluid squished beneath her, but was otherwise grateful for the chance to rest.

"The other prisoners," Twilight said.

"It'll take a lot more ponies than just us two to free 'em, but we'll make sure Princess Celestia knows about 'em when we get back home," Applejack replied softly.

"Thank you," Twilight whispered, a tear streaming down her face as Applejack began to walk.  Exhaustion overtaking her, she began to lose consciousness, her head resting against Applejack's mane.  She heard the sound of a third voice groaning in her ears, but thought nothing of it, as she could see nobody else around them.

...

"So you sent the families home?" Princess Luna asked as they stood side by side in front of the stained glass window depicting Nightmare Moon's defeat.

"Yes," replied Celestia, nodding slowly.  "I believe it's for the best, with the attack that took place the other night."

"How are the guards?" Luna asked, glancing over at the destroyed compartment wherein the Elements of Harmony had once been kept.

"Stable, but neither has regained consciousness." she shook her head as she said this.

"And you suspect that Clarion Call was behind it?" Luna asked.

"For now."  Celestia replied.  "I don't know if he's working alone or if he has accomplices, but Shining Armor told me that he claimed to have only directly handled the abductions of Rarity and Fluttershy."

"And you still think this is a ransom attempt?" Luna asked.

"I think that's the most likely motive," Celestia replied, turning to her sister.  "I told their families to keep watch for any demands that may come to them.  Still, now that he has the Alicorn Amulet, who knows what he'll do."

"Not even close, Princess," a voice echoed from behind them.  Celestia and Luna turned to see Clarion Call standing at the opposite end of the long hall from them, a friendly smile on his face.  He seemed to have gotten a bit taller since the last time they had seen him.

"And so you finally appear before us," Celestia said, furrowing her brow, as she and Luna began to approach him.

"You will release your prisoners immediately," Luna added.

"Wish I could," Clarion replied, shaking his head, "'cause I get it, really.  Their families miss 'em, they've got responsibilities, they're heroes, they've left a pretty big void, right?  I'm afraid that's just not part of the boss' plan."

"So you are working for somepony else," Celestia replied.

"Celestia and Luna," another, much deeper voice softly spoke behind them.  The sisters tensed up immediately, and their eyes grew wide.  "Has it really been four thousand years?"  The alicorn pair spun on their hind legs to behold Delacroix who, like Clarion, was smiling at them.  "Do you still remember me?"

Celestia was at a loss for words, the only sounds coming from her gaping mouth being short, shallow breaths.  Luna, on the other hand, took to the air immediately.

"Prepare to die, monster!" she spat, raising her voice to Royal Canterlot level as she loosed a magical blast so powerful that Clarion Call could feel its pressure all the way from where he stood.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Delacroix replied in the moment before he was consumed.  Celestia shielded her eyes from the glare of the attack as a painful shriek was heard coming from its impact point.

"I do not care how it is you have returned, and I will not let history repeat itself!" Luna's voice boomed as she increased the intensity of her attack, resulting in cracks forming in the wall and floor around it.

Suddenly, the screaming ceased, and a powerful shockwave knocked the beam away from Delacroix and back into Princess Luna, sending her skidding across the floor, smoke trailing from her horn.

"While she's vulnerable," Delacroix commanded, giving Clarion a nod of his head.

"Gotcha!" Clarion shouted, charging up a spell of his own.  Before Celestia could react, Princess Luna vanished in a white flash of light.

"What did you do!?" Celestia asked, activating her own horn.

"I used my teleportation spell," Clarion explained.  "Only, thanks to this wonderful little trinket of mine, I can use it on other ponies without using it on myself as well, even on alicorn Princesses if they've been softened up a little, first."

"Where did you send her!?" Celestia shouted, stomping her hoof against the floor.

"Yeah, see, that's the thing..." Clarion looked off to the side, sucking his teeth.  "I didn't actually specify a location, so she's technically nowhere."

"Nowhere!?"

"Right, like I don't know what she's seeing or feeling right now, but she's not here... in this world," Clarion explained.  Celestia quickly imprisoned him within a stasis field that even the Alicorn Amulet could not yet break him out of.

"I'll deal with him after I've dealt with you," Celestia hissed, turning to Delacroix.  "I don't understand how you could possibly be standing here before me, Delacroix.  The Elements of Harmony-"

"Did little more than sweep me under the rug," Delacroix interrupted, shaking his head and taking a few elegant steps toward her.  Cracks began to branch out from his feet along the floors and up the wall behind him, reaching the stained glass window.  Celestia could feel the pressure emanating from him.

"When did you gain the ability to use magic?" Celestia asked under her breath, baring her teeth.

"When you used the Elements on me," Delacroix replied.  "Your attack allowed my body to attune to its properties."

"You orchestrated the abductions..." Celestia's words practically died on her lips as she turned to confront Clarion.  "You ignorant foal!"  From inside his prison, Clarion pointed to himself, jutting his lower lip forward in a pouty expression and elevating his brow.

"You have no idea what he's capable of!  Whatever he promised you, you won't get it!  The only thing he even cares about is-" she was cut off by a blast of Delacroix's chaotic energy, which sent her to the ground.  Clarion Call was released.

"No dice," Clarion replied, preparing his second teleportation spell.  "Delacroix, here, broke the seal you put on my magic, sweetheart, so he's already given me what he promised.  Bye, now!"  He gave a delicate wave of his hoof.

"No, you don't understa-" Celestia was interrupted once again as she vanished without a trace.

"Two for two!" Clarion declared.  "Kingdom's ours now, right?"

"We're not invincible, remember that," Delacroix replied, gently shaking his head.  "The rest of Equestria stands before us.  The Elements of Harmony must be found."

"Speaking of which," Clarion replied, walking towards his partner, "I think Sparkle's little dragon manservant or whatever back in Ponyville might be able to help us out."

"Then that's our next destination," Delacroix replied.

"May I ask what our dearly deposed Princesses meant when they talked like you three had a history together?" Clarion asked.

"You may not."