The Ambassadors

Chapters

Prologue ~ The Request
Chapter 1 ~ The Preliminary meeting
Chapter 2 ~ The Stroll
Chapter 3 ~ The Trade
Chapter 4 ~ The Survey & The Reconciliation
Chapter 5 ~ The Fair & The Treaty
Chapter 6 ~ The Scars
Chapter 7 ~ The Immigration

Prologue ~ The Request

A long time ago, there was a large civil war that broke out in the old land. This stemmed from a simple difference of opinion that resulted in the birth of a fear and the start of a grudge. The leaders of both nations wanted stay together being close friends. Unfortunately their subjects were not so considerate. Tensions got high, blood was spilled, and reputations were tarnished. With them being far too gone to save, the leader and the surviving sane subjects were left to pick up the pieces. The nations drifted apart however and went their separate ways, forgetting each other after many generations.

Recently, the nations encountered each other again under vicious circumstances. The Changeling Kingdom didn't exactly endear themselves to the Equestrian Principality no thanks to our queen's reckless actions. I'm ashamed to say this but I indirectly had a hand in this plan although I didn't know it at the time. I know she has good intentions and did this in the interest of her subjects, and I have deep respect for her, but it did nothing to improve our relations and only made things worse. But I have been talking to her brother the prince. The prime minister. My dearest friend. We have an idea that could benefit both sides. It would supply us with much needed food and resources. It would give them much needed military support, especially with the foes they have been encountering recently. We both have good reasons to seek this alliance. I only hope both sides are willing to listen to reason.

"Teeeeeeen-hut! Front and center!"

The training grounds were busy with soldiers running their drills. After the wedding invasion plan failed miserably the captain decided to retrain every one of his troops. Part of him knew this wasn't their fault but he couldn't take any more risks in the future. Regardless of whose to blame he need to keep the standards of his men. As he ran his rounds and observed his work he got an unexpected, but welcome, visit from the prime minister. "If only my sister put more thought into her plan. I hate to see them work their exoskeletons off like this." the prince said with a disappointed sigh. "It's not their fault our queen is incompetent. No offense sir." Captain Valour said in his normal cynical tone. "Heh. We both know Chrissy means well. Her whole reason for that stunt in the first place was to give us a food and energy source, something we so desperately need right now. I love my sister and respect her but she needs to learn that some things can't be solved by brute force. We are a strong race but that doesn't mean we're stupid."

Under the night sky the two friends were traveling overseas, the glow of the moon lighting their way. Valour looked over to his companion in the chariot. Something seemed to be bothering him.

"I just don't understand it." Vigour said out of the blue catching the captain's attention. "We all used to be so close. Chrissy, you, and I all were inseparable when we were all young. Remember when we would lay under the moon on nights like this and just look up at the stars? Whatever happened to that?"

It was true. The 3 changelings were the best of friends in their youth. Vigour looked up to his older sister who in turn would show him the love he craved. Valour was his first outside friend and Chrysalis looked after them as they played and would even join in on occasion. Everything changed after the death of the King. Being the oldest offspring, Chrysalis had to step up sooner than she wanted to. She had a hard time managing a classroom of foals let along a whole kingdom. That didn't stop her from trying her damnedest though. Not long after, their mother fell ill and she too passed on. While she had help from advisers and personal assistants she was starting to feel empty. Vigour dedicated himself to politics while Valour enlisted. She put on a strong face for the masses but with her only surviving family miles away she was on her own. Amazing what a combination of stress and loneliness does to the mind.

"We grew up." Valour simply said.

1 week eariler

"Sister! I'm sorry for interrupting but I have a message for you. You may want to read this one right now."

Princess Luna hands her sister a scroll with a familiar insignia on it.

"The Changelings?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are sister."

The air was tense as the sun princess remembered the incident right there in Canterlot 3 years ago. The attempted invasion of the Chrysalis regime and the wedding that was the source of it all. Sure the invasion was thwarted but it inflicted emotional damage to her faithful student, not to mention the collateral damage to the city. All was resolved but the constant fear of Changelings hung above the heads of everypony. The thought of someone close to you being kidnapped and replaced with a spy was enough to make all of Equestria shudder. Celestia shook of this thought. In the current moment she had to know the contents of the scroll. Slowly she opened it and read aloud.

Dear Princess Celestia of Equestria

I know this is an unusual request coming from us but I wish to meet with you and the leaders of your kingdom to discuss a possible alliance. I feel it would benefit both of us. We are having a resource crisis, food and energy in particular. I hear you are coming under fire from various threats in the past years. We can provide support for each other and strengthen both of our kingdoms. I also hope to foster a friendship between our citizens though this is purely a secondary goal on our part. I implore you to consider this and will respect whatever decision you choose to make.

Sincerely Prime Minister Vigour

"An alliance?" Luna said incredulously. "I don't know, it sounds somewhat suspicious to me." Celestia was suspicious about it herself but the Prime Minister had a point. Equestria was suffering from a lack of military strength and if they could make peace with the Changelings they could gain a powerful ally.

"I'm going to gather delegates from the other cities. Luna, I need you to inform the Elements of Harmony and Discord. I would like them present just in case things go wrong."

"But sister I still think we should discuss this."

"I know Luna, we will. But I want to inform everypony else so that we can make our decision."

"But-"

"Let's just see where this goes Luna."

Chapter 1 ~ The Preliminary meeting

We arrived early as requested by the princess. Celestia wanted to have a preliminary meeting with the prime minister to discuss terms and agreement during the official assembly. Before even setting foot in Canterlot I could see the look of confusion and worry on their faces when we approached the castle. Prior to the private meeting between my dearest friend and the co-rulers of Equestria, I had talked with some of the royal guards and my own men.

"Listen up men. No one is to enter the castle without permission from both the princesses and the prime minister. No one is to shapeshift during their time here. No one is allowed to start a fight without reasonable foundation, and in the case of riot, use of the most minimum amount of force is allowed only when necessary. Unless said otherwise, the royal guards stationed hear are to be treated as allies. Disobedience will NOT be tolerated and the violators will be SEVERELY punished. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir yes sir!"

Valour was clear and to the point. He did not want to screw things up. He then turned to the Canterlot guards who were standing in attention.

"During the hours of the meeting between the prime minister and the princesses, Nopony, Changeling or otherwise, myself included, is allowed to enter without a summons except in the case of emergency. My men were given orders to follow the laws and customs during their visit here. If you see them clearly break the law without regard for anyone else, you have permission to arrest them and alert me immediately. That said, I also do not take kindly to any harm befalling my men out of resentment, fear, or any malicious intent. And I feel the need to remind you: Though I am an advocate of peace, I will not hesitate to beat the absolute crap out of anyone with intentions to sabotage the meeting, regardless if pony or Changeling. Am. I. Clear?"

Both the Canterlot guards and the Changeling soldiers couldn't help but gulp at that last statement.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now then, gentlecolts: DISMISSED!"

Inside the castle, the Changeling prime minister was escorted to the throne room by one of Princess Celestia's personal guards. He was noticeably apprehensive around Prince Vigour, who took notice of this.

"Have you worked here long?" the prince said trying to break the ice.

"Uh, about 5 years." the guard said having been caught off guard by the question.

"I see. Do you enjoy serving the Princess? I hear she is well respected and loved by her subjects."

"Yes I like it here. Everypony looks out for each other and it's a relief to know my family is safe. Well here we are. The princesses are waiting on the other side." the guard said opening the door. On the other side Vigour was greeted by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, albeit hesitantly with the latter's case.

"Hello Mr. Prime Minister, I apologize for calling you here on short notice but I... Well, you see..."

"We want to take precautions. No offense to you personally but we still haven't fully recovered from the wedding day incident." Luna said bluntly causing Celestia to wince.

"I don't doubt that one bit. I've noticed the tension within the city when we arrived."

Celestia exhaled in relief. "Yes I won't deny it. We're all apprehensive. I myself had a personal run-in with the Changeling Queen." the sun princess said while eyeing her horn.

"You fought Chrysalis?" the prime minister looked in surprise. "Then you were the one that she imprisoned in the cocoon. I heard one of her soldiers talking about it. I swear, her regime follow her so blindly."

"Regime?"

"About a decade before the invasion attempt, we had a disagreement that split the kingdom apart. Looking back in hindsight the argument was so minimal that its not even worth mentioning. Nevertheless, our sibling rivalry back then did not set a good example for our subjects. As a result, we divided into two regimes." the prime minister sighed. "I guess we should be more concerned with our own union more so than the alliance."

"I don't think so. If the issues you outlined in your request are as grave as you say then it would be in the best interest for your kingdom if you were to solve those first. Take it from me, its easier to negotiate with citizens when they're not belligerent from hunger."

The prime minister nodded. "And when their not irritable they'll be easier to befriend with your people. Yes, I do see your point." Vigour was a bit embarrassed that he didn't think that far. He cleared his throat as he began to speak again. Before he could though he was interrupted by Luna.

"By the way, when you were talking about the queen earlier you mentioned a sibling rivalry. That would make you and her..."

"Brother and sister, yes. To be more specific she is my older sister. I am the prime minister but I'm a prince unofficially. When she talked about her invasion plan, I was thoroughly against it. I wouldn't allow my regime to endanger themselves like that. I tried to talk her out of it.."

Luna leaned forward in interest. "And how did it go?"

Vigour stood in silence for a brief moment, as if to gather his thoughts. "Well..."

"STUBBORN CICADA!"

"IGNORANT IMBECILE!"

"DUMBASS DULLARD!"

"IDIOT WITH GRAY HAIR!

"I HATE YOU!"

"I HATE YOU A SLIGHTLY LARGER AMOUNT!"

"...Let's just say we're not on speaking terms...." The princesses looked at each other in awkwardness. They were reminded of a thousand years ago. After a moment of silence, Vigour started chuckling. "I think we got off topic here. Why don't we get to that discussion?"

Chapter 2 ~ The Stroll

During my visit, I decided to make some rounds around the city. Not for any particular reason, I just wanted to walk and take a look at Canterlot culture. Admittedly, I wanted to see if the nobles and aristocracy was any better here than back home. Sadly this was not the case as I noticed they were just as stuck up and snobbish as the nobles I know, if not more so. This was especially true with a certain prince that I had the displeasure of meeting. Even now I couldn't accurately tell you how much I just wanted to slug this pompous plot hole across the snout. Heck, I'm not sure I could stop myself if I did.

One mare in particular though I remember fondly. A white unicorn who, like myself, was called to Canterlot on important business. She seemed like the rest at first glance but once I talked to her, I could tell there was something higher. A certain air about her that made her stand out. I can't describe it, but talking to her was a pleasant experience.

"And then I smashed my glass slipper. True story."

"Sounds like that idiot wasn't the prince charming you were expecting. Can't say I'm surprised though. After meeting the guy myself, I would've have smashed my glass slipper too. Over his head. With a baseball bat. Covered in nails. Made of molten iron."

"I get the distinct impression you're not fond of him."

"Well I work personally with our prince and he's much more tolerable. Then again, he actually works." Valour took a deep breath. "This guy. I could already tell I was going to hate him the minute I heard his voice."

"Well, I suppose if you did assault him, he'd have to change his name to Prince Bloodstain."

The Changeling captain chuckled at that. "I'll have to remember that one."

The two continued to walk around Canterlot talking, eventually stopping to sit at a restaurant. Rarity was either unaware of the fact that other ponies were giving her strange looks for talking with a changeling, or she didn't care. Valour himself was starting to relax a bit carrying a casual conversation with a lovely mare. His own men never saw him taking any off time, let alone with a female companion, so it was a surprise to them to see him opening up so easily to somepony he just met. Considering how strict he was, it was an even bigger surprise to see him so friendly. The changeling soldiers could only look at each other in astonishment as they went about their patrols.

"So your the element of generosity?" Valour inquired.

"Oh yes. I met my best friends during the same week. Actually it's because of them I've made it this far. I highly doubt I would even be here without them. I just wish I remembered that during the wedding rehearsal five years ago." the white mare said with some shame in her voice.

"Hm? Did something else happen?"

Rarity bit her lip when she realized what she said. "I- Well I don't want to burden you with it."

"If it was during the wedding then I'm already burdened with the shame of the invasion. And not because it failed. If you want to talk about it, than I insist."

They went to a secluded area where they could talk in private. Once there, the unicorn sighed a long drawn out sigh. "Very well. You see... I disappointed my closest friend. I'm not the only one but I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself for it."

The Changeling captain raised an eyebrow at this. "Go on..."

She went on to explain what happened before the invasion happened. How Twilight Sparkle acted, the deception, the outburst, and the rejection. Vigour listened in attention never interrupting.

"Dammit Chrysalis..." he said when she got finished explaining. "You've done more damage than you're aware of."

"I know Twilight forgave us after that. In fact, that's why I'm sore about it. I just..." Rarity began to falter in her words.

"You feel like you got off too easily." the captain bluntly said.

"Ye-yes. But how did you-"

"I understand your situation better than you think. Trust me, it's a feeling of pain I know ALL too well."

Valour closed his eyes, possibly to hold back a tear. "It's a very helpless feeling. When you've done something you don't feel you should be forgiven for. You're ready to do anything, go to Tartarus and back to earn forgiveness. And they let you off without even so much as a slap to the face."

"Valour..." Rarity was starting to regret bringing up the subject but she was curious now what kind of past her new friend has. She was debating whether or not to ask when it was decided for her.

"I have a wife you know. She's 16 years younger than me, probably around your age right now, maybe older." Rarity was surprised. Not that because he was married but because he was older than he looked. She was currently 27 which would make him about 43. "She was a former slave who had no where to go. I'll admit, I befriended her out of sympathy. I grew up on the streets before I met Vigour so we had similar backgrounds. Poor child. She was so skinny when I took her in."

"That was awfully generous of you." the unicorn said with a smile. This seemed to only make Valour hurt more though as he looked away.

"I've hurt her more times than I care to admit. Even before we married. There was a time where we had a fight. Things got heated and one thing lead to another, and I... I hit her." Now HE was starting to falter.

Rarity was beginning to understand where he was coming from.

"I instantly regretted it. Once I did it I ran out of the house in complete shame. I probably spent a good 3 hours out in the rain that night, thinking I could never face her again. As jaded as I was, I probably bawled more in that one day than I have my entire life. It went beyond the shame of hitting a lady. This was the lady I loved. She brought out the best in everypony who knew her. The idea of never being able to face her again hit me HARD. But when all was cold, I felt her warm embrace. She wasn't mad. She wasn't even remotely frustrated. She just smiled and told me she didn't blame me for what happened. She said I was the reason she was so upbeat and optimistic. I turned around and embraced her back and kissed her on the forehead. And that was basically my proposal."

"My point is: if your friend is willing to forgive you for something you don't believe should be forgiven, It's a sign of a good friend. You realized your mistake, you talked it out, and she forgave you. And in the end, is that really such a bad thing?"

"I guess it isn't." Rarity said warmly. "Its funny, ever since the wedding incident, I thought I would never be at peace with myself for what happened. Now, I'm eased by what started it all in the first place." The two laughed and started walking again.

"Rarity! We've been lookin fer over an hour for ya! Where yall been?"

"Oh, Applejack. I've just been talking to a new friend. You know, maybe an alliance with the Changelings isn't so bad after all."

The earth pony gave her a strange look and was about to say something when Pinkie Pie came bouncing by with Rarity's bags. "Hey! Those are mine! Give those back!"

"She really does remind me of you Kuwagata; Beauty on the outside, beauty on the inside..."

Chapter 3 ~ The Trade

The prime minister had talked with Princess Celestia on many issues, but the one he was most concerned with was food. While we are creatures that gain power from emotion, we still need proper nourishment. Food was getting scarce back at home; fertile soil was hard to come by and most livestock was lost to vandals and criminals. Our queen's reckless actions made it difficult to recover what we had lost.

So the sun princess had an offer, but we needed to talk it out with her subjects, specifically a clan of farmers reaching across the land. They had produce and livestock they could sell us and judging by the princess's words, they were having just as much trouble financially.

A week after the meeting, we assembled an entourage of merchants and workers alike and left for Ponyvile, the town where the clan's head were located.

"I have to say, the community is much nicer than Canterlot."

It maybe because the invasion incident was isolated in Canterlot or it maybe because the upper class are just xenophobic, but the residents of Ponyvile were a lot more accepting of the changeling ambassadors, Many even said hello, especially a certain pink mare. Captain Valour was somewhat annoyed by her antics but the jolly Prime Minister managed to carry a conversation with her all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Nopony else could understand the conversation very well.

"And then I played like ten instruments at once and led them out of Ponyvile and everypony else was like "uhhh" and I was all like why do you think I was gathering all these instruments in the first place?"

"So your town was practically eaten by parasprites?"

"Mmhm!"

"Talk about eye candy."

Pinkie perked up a smile. "Hey, next time you're in town I gotta throw a party for ya!"

"I might have to think about that. Maybe when we're not on business. Thanks for making the ride here interesting though." With a wave goodbye, Pinkie Pie hopped away.

As the changeling caravan was approaching the ranch house, Applejack was standing outside with the entire Apple clan. This was a huge opportunity and if all goes well, it would see a large increase in profit, something the clan desperately needs. Applejack had mixed feelings about this though. One one hoof, there was a foreign nation ready to buy large stocks of food as well as give away equipment to make harvests much easier and cheaper, therefore optimizing income. This would help tremendously to pay for damages and lost of crops. On the other hoof, these same foreigners were indirectly responsible for causing said damage in the first place. And after having a personal brush with them, she knew full well how dangerous they could be if relations between them turn sour. Then again, they were the ones who wanted to make peace.

"Are you sure about this?" Big Mac said.

"Not really. But ah think we should be open minded. We'd benefit mighty fine if it works out."

Braeburn spoke. "Ah dunno cuz, ah still have my doubts."

"Me too Braeburn. Me too."

The wagons parked near the barn. The merchants disembarked, as did the two leaders. After a brief moment of stretching from the long ride, VIgour approached the Apple clan.

"You have quite a farm. It's pretty nice. Serene. Must be nice living here."

"Ah'm sure it's not as nice as living in a cozy palace." Applejack said trying her best to hide a callous tone.

"Oh you'd be surprised." Vigour said flatly. "Our home isn't all that cozy anymore. Or even remotely quiet. Plus you don't have to deal with the idiotic joker of a monarch that supposedly leads our nation. Supposedly."

"Pa....Pardon?"

"Forgive my lack of professionalism. My sister the queen and I have been arguing more and more as the days go by. I don't mean to take it out on any of you."

Applejack was a bit puzzled. This prince wasn't at all what she was expecting. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what to expect but he was just so... casual. Not that this was a bad thing, he did seem easy to talk to.

"Yeah well ah do know what it's like to have a spat with yer sis. Suppose yer mighty sour at her huh?"

Vigour paused for a bit rolling his eyes a bit. "Uh..."

"Seriously Chrisy, what in the actual Tartarus were you thinking with that plan?! Let's say you succeeded in taking over Canterlot. You would've revealed yourself eventually, if not from simply recklessness, because let's face it you're on a roll with that one, then authorities would figure it out eventually. And don't give me that gathering enough power crap! You know full well emotional power fluctuates at any given time. What if there was some secret weapon we didn't know about? What would you have done then?!"

"Yeah well... shut up. Stop questioning my subtly."

"Your subtly? Oh please, your about as subtle as a train wreck. On a boat."

"You know what.... f**k you."

"Well f**k you too then!"

"No, f**k you!

"F**K you!"

"F**K YOU!"

"F**K! YOU!"

"Yeeeeeah, boats on a sail with that one...."

The Apple clan looked at each other in confusion with that statement. "This is mighty awkward." Braeburn finally said. "Eeyup."

"Look." Applejack began. "Why don't we git down ta business?"

"Probably a good idea." the prime minister said with a laugh. "Valour, I don't think you'll be needed with this one."

"Are you sure that's wise sir?"

"I'm fairly confident it'll be fine. If I need you I'll light a signal. Feel free to take a look around town."

"Heh. Don't mind if I do." Valour turned to walk back when he was stopped by a merchant. "Need something Array?"

"Uh sir, I... was wondering if I could accompany you. Seeing as how we've got a surplus of workers on both sides, I talked it out with the others and they're okay with it." said the merchant. Valour looked back at the prince who simply nodded. Shrugging, the captain looked back at the merchant.

"Sure, why not?"

Chapter 4 ~ The Survey & The Reconciliation

I'm not quite sure what it was about Ponyvile, but it has a much nicer atmosphere than our homeland. Something about the way the sun shines on this place make it seem so much more colorful and appealing to the eye compared to the gray and foggy cities I know. Even the citizens are more colorful in more ways than one. It was a welcome change of scenery.

The merchant I befriended during my walk around the town turned out to be a stagehand for the kingdom's Thespian Committee who volunteered to help with the trade. He wanted to join me to look for a birthday present for his wife, one of the committee's producers. I decided to seek the help of Lady Rarity, whom I met the week prior. From what she told me, she owned a boutique in town that doubled as her home. We found our way there thanks to the help of a lavender Pony; an Alicorn, local librarian, Lady Rarity's friend, and recently crowned princess of Equestria. She was nice enough to escort us to the Carousel Boutique.

"Thank you so much for helping me with this! I appreciate it a lot." the stagehand said expressing his gratitude to Rarity.

"It's no problem at all. I apologize if the measurements are inaccurate though. I don't have her here in person so I had to improvise a bit. My supply of gems are also dried up because of a previous order too."

"She's not gonna mind. Modest garments are more her style. Spring green is a nice touch as well. You work fast. Impressive."

"With the kind of orders I tend to get, you get used to meeting deadlines."

"You know, the Committee's next project is coming up within the few months. We could use an expert costume designer, would you be interested in contributing? You would be well compensated for your work."

"Really?! Are you sure about that?." To say that Rarity was flattered by the offer would be a massive understatement. Sure, she had filled orders for plays in the past, including when she got her cutie mark and contributed to the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant a few times, but this would have been the first time contributing to a project that big. Her work would appear in big shot theaters and opera houses. Especially considering the committee was looking to set up a branch in Equestria. It was a huge opportunity for her career, one that almost seemed too good to be true.

"My wife is one of the producers of the program. I can put a word in for you. And seeing your work first hoof, It shouldn't be hard to get recognition."

"Oooh that sounds exciting! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.... Um, I'm sorry I never did get our name."

The stagehand felt a bit dumb when he realized this. "Array."

"Oh Array, thank you!" Just as the stagehand was about to leave with the gift box containing the dress, Rarity had one more thing to say. "Oh and if you see Valour again, please give him my gratitude as well. Had I not met him, I would've never gotten this offer of a life time." Array nodded in acknowledgement and walked out the door, heading back to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Excuse me but do you mind if I ask you something Captain?" the Alicorn bookworm said.

"Shoot."

"This may seem like a weird question but do you mind if I do a survey?"

This peaked Valour's curiosity. "A survey of what exactly?"

"You see, I don't have any books on changeling history or biology. The only thing I know is that they're insectoid ponies and that they feed off love. I would like to record as much information as I can." Twilight said trying to be as inoffensive as possible.

Valour couldn't help but crack a grin. He was actually amused. "You really are Celestia's disciple. Okay, I don't see why not. I'm not a scientist but I'll try to answer your questions the best I can." At this, Twilight reached into her saddlebag and took out a notebook and pencil.

"Now then, first quesiton: I know that changelings feed off love. Do you use other emotions?"

"First off, we technically don't feed off emotion, we harness energy from them. We still need real food to function properly just like any other life form. I suppose we could have a diet of emotional energy if we really wanted to, but doing so would lead to serious malnutrition. Let's see, how should I explain this?" Valour paused for a bit to think of a comparison. "I guess you could say emotion is like fuel for magic while actual food is, well, energy. Does that make sense?"

"I think so." Twilight said writing on her notebook.

"To answer your question, we are not limited to love. Actually, most of us have a preference for what emotion we like, but different emotions give different amounts of fuel. After all, just because somepony doesn't like carrots doesn't mean their any less healthy for you. If you look at it this way, the emotion of love is comparable to broccoli, spinach, salmon, or rich which by the way is a personal favorite. On the other side of the spectrum, the emotion that gives the least amount of fuel would be hate, comparing it to foods with empty calories or high amounts of fat. That said, too much of the fuel causes backlash and negative results when it reacts with some spells. In the case of Queen Chrysalis in the wedding incident, the overflow of love between Shining Armor and Princess Cadance combined with the former's barrier spell caused a reverse magnetism effect which forced them out of Canterlot. Think of it as putting too much air in a balloon: the balloon needs air in order to float but too much causes pressure and it breaks. Same goes with changelings, though they don't die but rather they get sick or disoriented and it's temporary."

"Changelings need a balance of fuel and nutrition to operate correctly: we need the fuel to carry out body functions, like say digestion, and we need the nutrition to gather and use said fuel. To forego one deprives us of the other. You can make a similar comparison with food and water."

"Hm. Interesting." Twilight said trying to write faster. Valour took a minute to let her catch up. "While we're on the subject of food, are changelings primarily herbivores or carnivores? And in the case of the latter, what is the primary source of food?"

"Both actually. Plants are harder to digest for us though, so our main diet consists of the meat and protein group, which tends to be mostly of fish and poultry since those types of animals are fairly easy to find. Beef and lamb is uncommon, but not unheard of; because of how scarce they are back home, they're considered a delicacy. A popular choice recently seems to be nuts. Bread is another one since it's a very filling food. For the fruit and vegetable group, we use lot of apples and corn. Like I said, we all have our preferences."

"So omnivores leaning towards the carnivorous side?"

"Eeyup."

Twilight felt her stomach growl. All this talk about food reminded her that she missed breakfast. "Uh, do you think we could continue this survey another time? I've got a gotta get some lunch." she said blushing.

"I understand. I should probably check back in with the caravan anyway."

One month went by as a steady trade system was set into place between both nations. The changeling kingdom used their surplus of funds to pay for Equestria's flourishing supply of food. The day of the official treaty hearing was approaching and the leaders of both sides were fairly confident of the outcome. However, a certain prime minister was reviewing his relationship with his sister. After hours of thinking, he got up and headed to the queen's chamber.

"Chrissy, I implore you, think about the situation. Our kingdom is prospering thanks to their help." Vigour said opening the door. Chrysalis was standing by the window watching the rain outside.

The changeling queen turned back to look and sighed. "Little brother? I suppose I can't deny that. Yes, you were right. Your plan was better. My logic was flawed."

Vigour was taken aback. Normally, his sister wasn't this humble. He wasn't complaining but he wasn't prepared for it. After nearly a decade of arguing every time they crossed paths, he was ready for another falling out.

"I've been thinking. You've done more for this nation in the past 60 days than I have in my entire reign. You've succeeded where I previously failed. When I started, I didn't know what to do. But instead of acting on impulse, you did research. You evaluated the problem and rose up to the challenge with glee. Me? Most of them just think I'm arrogant and incompetent; and they'd be right." she quickly looked back at the window to hide her face, but Vigour could see her reflection from where he was standing. She was starting to cry.

The prime minister moved closer to his sister. "Chrissy, are... are you okay?"

She wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry Vigour. I'm feeling low. Why did I have to be the older sibling? Why did I have to be the one to take father's place? I'm just... I don't deserve the crown. I think I'm going to-" But before she could finish, her little brother put his hoof on her shoulder.

"Sister, I'm not going to lie, I don't approve of your past actions. Many of us don't even now. But we know you had the welfare of this kingdom in mind. Incompetent? Perhaps. But arrogant? Come on! We don't really think that. Just look at how many loyal subjects you have."

"But-"

"If you still question the loyalty of our subjects, just think about this: many of them were doubtful your invasion plan would succeed. I should know, I talked with a lot of them. And yet on that day, many of them could have deserted if they wanted to. But they didn't. Even after the failed invasion and you were left to recover, they stuck with you. What do you think that says about you?"

"I see your point but I still don't know. I still made you mad with our arguments."

"Oh please! THAT was just us being siblings. We've always been close sister, no amount of arguments can make me look up to you any less." That really touched her heart. She started crying again

"Chrysalis. If there's one thing you have over me, it would be charisma. I operate on the logical and reasonable side of the government. You operate on emotion and enthusiasm. I make actions based on what they need. You make actions based on what they want. If we start working together like we did when we were foals, than we stand to gain much more. What do you say Chrissy?"

The older queen wiped away another tear then smiled. "Yeah. Yeah I'd like that a lot." The two embraced each other in a hug.

"I love you, big sister."

"I love you a slightly larger amount, little brother."

Chapter 5 ~ The Fair & The Treaty

Today was the day. Delegates, leaders from all across the Equestrian and Changeling kingdoms, gathered together to attend the treaty hearing, officially nicknamed "The Auxiliary Convention" by the newspapers. This was one of the most important events in the history of our kingdom. Considering the 2 months leading up to this day, both sides already foresaw the conclusion yet they were still eager to hear the official verdict themselves. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't restless from anticipation myself. I would have liked to be present at the hearing myself but I was put in charge of the security checks. The prime minister, my dearest friend, trusted me to ensure the safety of everyone attending the convention, both the delegates and the citizens, and I have no intention of disappointing him.

The convention was being held at the Crystal Empire due to the sheer size of the convention. Among the many visitors, over half of them were Changeling citizens. Aside from attending the convention, many of them wanted to bask in the beauty of the city and to attend the Crystal fair. Several of them I know personally, one of them being my beloved Kuwagata. I wish I could have accompanied her during her visit but alas, my duties demanded attention. Fortunately, she was indeed accompanied by a group of mares I trust.

"Sergeant Roach! I going to need your help."

"Yes Captain. What do you need me to do?"

"I'm going to need you and your men to set up 12 patrols across the city: 6 ground patrols and 6 air patrols. Shining Armor has the crystal guards stationed at the palace so your job is to patrol and provide security during the hours of the convention. Rules of engagement are the same as the preliminary meeting: in the event of a riot, use of the most minimum amount of force is allowed only when necessary, and no shape shifting is allowed during their visit with the exception of the hidden guards. Said hidden guards are posing as attendants outside the city and bodyguards disguised as assistants and servants. Order your men to cast passive recognition spells before they start their patrols so they can see who is who. If you find a disguised Changeling whose aura does not match the proper wavelength, apprehend them and bring them in for questioning. All guards have instructions to keep in contact and update with each other using closed-circuit telepathy spells, announcing by rank, name, and number in that order. Run roll calls every 20 minutes on the dot; if one guard fails to respond, notify me and the other soldiers immediately and raise the security level to 2 until the situation is resolved. Any questions?"

"No sir."

"Very well then, you are dismissed. If you need me, I am going to be at the palace running security checks for the delegates with Private Widow for the first hour before the hearing starts. After that, I will be joining in the patrols."

"Understood sir."

"Thank you for showing me around this city." Kuwagata serenely said.

"Aw shucks. We've been here many times before sugarcube. Our friend Twilight here is actually the sister of the city's governors." announced Applejack proudly.

"Applejack!" Twilight responded modestly.

"I must ask darling, are you Miss Kuwagata? I met your husband back at Canterlot."

"Oh you must be Lady Rarity." She giggled. "Valour speaks very highly of you."

Kuwagata spoke differently than everyone else the group met. She lost the ability to speak because of an illness which did permanent damage to her vocal cords and she couldn't physically talk. As a result, she communicates using a selective closed-circuit telepathy spell, one that allows any within a wide radius to hear her. She could choose who could hear her whenever she wanted but the radius shortens when she's weak, and disables when asleep.

"Hey Applejack? Do you know where the others are? I lost track of Pinkie Pie and I haven't seen Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy since we arrived." Rarity inquired. "We should introduce them to our new friend here."

"Ah saw Fluttershy talking ta Big Macintosh back at the stands. Well, maybe talking isn't the right word." Applejack giggled. "She sure wus stumbling over her words and boy howdy she wus redder than the stallion she wus talkin ta."

"Yeah, I've seen her getting shy around him lately. Well, shyer/" Twilight added.

"She's been talking about him more during our spa days. Do you think she...."

"Ah think it's safe ta say at this point she has a thing for him." Applejack said smiling.

"And your okay with that?" said Twilight hesitantly. "I mean, he IS your brother."

"Sugar, Big Mac's a grown stallion and Fluttershy is a grown mare. If it wus anypony else, I probably would be more skeptical. But this is Fluttershy were talking bout. If she wants ta pursue it, Ah'll support her all the way. Sides, she'd be in good hooves with Big Mac."

"You all must be really close." Kuwagata said out of the blue.

"You could say that." Twilight responded.

"Back on subject, Ah can't say Ah know where Pinkie and Rainbow are. If Ah had ta guess, Ah'd say RD is with one of the Wonderbolts somewhere round here."

"Probably Soarin." Rarity said without missing a beat. "Next to Spitfire, he's the pony she idealizes most. In more ways than one." The girls all giggled.

"Oh yeah, I forgot she graduated from the Wonderbolt academy awhile ago. We've just seen so little of her since she got accepted, and with the work I've been doing since getting these..." she gestured to her wings. "I've been learning how to fly myself."

"As fer Pinkie, she's lookin after Apple Bloom and her friends. Spike is with em as well. This convention is being held side by side with the Crystal Fair and you know how she loves parties."

"Maybe I could meet them another time then. With my husband working hard today, I'm happy to have somepony to company me here. He's a real gentlecolt but he's extremely dedicated to his job."

"Similar to a certain OTHER Pegasus, right Twilight?" Rarity said with a hint of amusement.

Twilight was a bit dumbfounded. "Pegasus? Do you mean Rainbow Dash?"

"Nah, you know who she's talkin bout Twi."

It took a few seconds to sink in but when she realized it, the Alicorn began to blush. "WHA- NO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN! Flash and I are just friends, nothing more!" Twilight said turning her head to the side.

The other girls simply laughed.

"Duke of Manehattan."

"Check."

"And lastly, Mayor of Ponyvile."

"Check, and check. Captain, that should just account for all the delegates."

Valour nodded and walked over to the room Celestia and Luna were in. "Your highness, we are ready to begin at anytime." He bowed and turned to leave.

"Sister, shouldn't Twilight Sparkle be here as well. She is a Princess, wouldn't it make sense?" Luna inquired.

"I wanted to have the Elements of Harmony on standby seeing as how Discord is being..."

"Discord?"

"A total ass, yes." Celestia said unimpressed. "Besides, we have a representative from Ponyvile present here already."

"I still have mixed feelings about this sister."

"I know Luna, but I'd say we're making a great friend with this. I've talked to Twilight Sparkle and her friends and they told me about everything that's gone on since the preliminary meeting. Captain Valour is a competent and practical leader and I think that having him on our side would greatly fortify our security. Which is why Shining Armor trusted him with the city parameters. From what I hear from Rarity, he is also an upright fellow as well."

"I suppose I could say the same for Prime Minister Vigour. His work has done wonders for improving relations between our nations. I honestly think he's as good a leader as you." Celestia smiled at this. "There's still a doubt in the back of my head, but I'd be lying if I said I was against this."

"You and me both." a voice said behind them. They turned around and saw the Changeling Queen along with her brother.

"Chrysalis?" the sun princess said.

"My sister wanted to say something to you before we began the hearing." Vigour said with confidence.

Chrysalis walked up to Celestia. The awkwardness levels went through the roof. Nether of the rulers held any personal grudge against each other but there was still some tension between them for the fight they had when she revealed her true self for the first time at the wedding. Celestia knew first hand how powerful she was; even though she was backed up by the excess love energy, Chrysalis's magic power made Celestia strain much more than usual though she hid that fact for the sake of her subjects. Chrysalis herself had been a bit drained from casting her mind control magic on Shining Armor; it would be scary to see her if she were operating on full power. Even if Luna was present, Celestia wasn't sure if it would have made a difference. The Changeling Queen took a deep breath.

"I... want to apologize."

Celestia blinked. "What?"

"I'm directly responsible for all this. If it weren't for my actions 5 years ago, we all wouldn't be in this mess. Even though I did it in the interest of my subjects, it's still no excuse for locking up your niece."

Celestia stood there with a blank expression on her face. She looked at Luna and then back to Chrysalis. "You know? I'm not really sure how to respond to that. I don't really blame you for anything but I am still a bit sour for what happened to Cadance." Then to everyone's surprise she started laughing. "Strange. I always expected this conversation yet I can't think of a proper response."

"So... do you think we could.... start over?"

"I've encountered many threats in my day. Believe me, when you live as long as I do, you see them a lot. All things considered, your pretty decent now that I get to know what you're really like. I think we can put the past behind us, for the sake of our subjects." She looked over at the stain glass windows. "Isn't that right Discord?"

The Draconequus emerged from the window. "How did you know I was here?"

"Discord, it's not that difficult to tell when your around."

This prompted a chuckle from him. "By the way Celestia, don't think I didn't hear that comment you made about me earlier."

Celestia turned back to the queen. "I'm not sure how things will be down the road, but I'm willing to go through with this." She glanced at Luna.

"I suppose I am too." she said after a pause.

Chrysalis extended her hoof. "So what do you Princess Celestia? Truce?" Celestia extended her's as well.

"Truce. For the time being at least. Now, why don't we start the hearing."

Chapter 6 ~ The Scars

Having canceled the project this one was leading up to, I decided to still keep this one but turn it into a more casual slice of life story. Some stuff from the project may be referenced in later stories but for the most part, this one will be updated and edited pretty much whenever the hell I feel like it, whenever I have an idea I want to do. All I can say is that it won't just center around Vigour and Valour or the treaty anymore.

As expected, the treaty hearing was a success. The two nations were officially allies and on their way to becoming friends. While there are still some individuals who are apprehensive, arguing over the issue wouldbe pointless.

While our kingdom's conditions began to improved, it wasn't long before Changeling citizens immigrated to Equestria, probably for fresh starts, maybe for a job exchange, maybe for a simple change of scenery. Regardless of the reason, the rulers of both nations were at least pleased to see their subjects eager to socialize with each other. Among those immigrating were a few of my men, most of which had families who wanted to see the world outside their country. Many of them applied for a transfer to Equestria and aside from a few, they were granted. Seeing as how I knew them personally, I felt an obligation to accompany them on the airship as they relocate; even though I am their boss, that doesn't mean I don't associate with them every once in awhile.

"Your majesty? What are you doing here?" Valour inquired.

"Really Valour, what kind of queen would I be if I didn't attend the first migration of my subjects?" the queen responded with a smirk.

"I see. My apologies my queen-"

"Valour please. You, my brother, and I have all been friends for a long time. I think we can drop the formalities. At least when we are not working."

"With all due respect-"

"I insist. Just address me by my name. My brother would prefer the same."

"Alright then Chrysalis. I just didn't expect you to be present here, let alone traveling with us."

"Well in all honesty, I haven't been a very good queen lately." Chrysalis said with a sigh. "Ever since the infamous invasion plan failed, I was ashamed of myself to the point where I'd been neglecting my duties. I'm lucky I had you and Vigour to run things in my absence because the kingdom would be far worse off. I simply want to make up for those 3 years of neglect, starting with this."

The captain nodded and went back to inspecting the boarding onto the airship. Chrysalis went aboard herself to mingle among the occupants. Taking some cues from Celestia, she wanted to pursue a more casual relationship with a few of her subjects. Some were still kind of intimidated being around royalty though. She attempted to strike conversations with them trying to get them to address her by her name and not title, but to no avail. Growing tired of it, she decided to just watch the scenery in a secluded part of the ship. She closed her eyes began to reminisce about her youth as she gazed into the sunset.

"Excuse me your majesty." a voice said beside her.

The queen looked to see the source of the voice. It was Kuwagata who was accompanying her husband for the 2 day voyage. The two knew each other mutually through their relatives but hardly talked to each other.

"Oh uh, hello Lady Kuwagata. I'm surprised to see you here." Chrysalis responded not knowing what else to say.

"Valour promised he would take me around Equestria to sight see. It's our anniversary soon and I've been missing him." she said with a blush. "I have a surprise I want to tell him too but I want to wait until the right time."

"Oh? Do you mind if I ask?"

"Actually, I want him to be the first to know. With all due respect your majesty."

"Just call me Chrysalis hon." the queen smiled. "Your my best friend's wife."

The two watched the sunset, waiting for the ship to set sail. The voyage was setting off during the evening, for no particular reason other than the passengers preferring to operate at night. Chrysalis didn't mind. She loved the night air and the dusk that came before it. While she was content, she couldn't shake a thought at the back of her mind. Her companion had taken notice.

"Um, Chrysalis? Is something bothering you?" Kuwagata asked with concern.

"Hm? Yeah. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well your tearing up dear."

The queen didn't know she was starting to cry. She quickly wiped away the tear. "My eyes must be dry or something. I'm okay." she said with an unconvincing smile.

There was some silence between the two for a bit before Chrysalis dropped her smile.

"I'm not fooling anyone am I? To tell you the truth, I'm not alright. I'm been dealing with some depression for a long time. Today is the day my father, King Yellow Jacket, died."

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry." Kuwagata said feeling guilty for prying.

"It's okay. I appreciate your concern." She rested her head on her hoof on the railing. "I loved him a lot. I would always spend time with him while my brother had mother's attention. We would watch the sunset every day before I went to sleep." She then frowned and sighed. "Then that day came..."

"I was standing beside my father welcoming guests for a social gathering held annually to commemorate the founding of our nation; kind of the equivalent of the Grand Galloping Gala that Equestria has. I was 13 at the time, a young princess adored her loving father. He said I should have been trying to make new friends at the party but there were no other Changelings there my age that really interested me. Besides, I was not one for socializing at the time. I wanted to be by his side, where I'd rather be. However, one of the guests tried to assassinate him. Some punk trying to get famous or something, I don't know what was going through his head. He used a dagger and stabbed him twenty-nine times. The guy was arrested but there was nothing we could do to save my father. He lost too much blood and died before he got to the hospital."

"My god. That must have been horrible." the younger mare said with a shudder.

"Horrible doesn't even describe it. The assassin was cocky and arrogant. He practically taunted me as I saw him in court. Heartless bastard, killing a husband and father just to make a name for himself. Of course, he was convicted of first degree murder, regicide, and treason and sentenced to death. I thought he got off too easily though so I decided that if he was going to be executed, he was going to die in the most extreme agony known to equine kind." she said gritting her teeth.

"Do....Do I dare ask your Maj- I mean Chrysalis?"

"Let's just say that since he killed my father through overkill, I did the same to him. If that miserable pissant son of a bitch was so willing to spill blood, surely he was ready to suffer the same."

"Ugh, curse my curiosity."

"Heh, okay. But just remember, you asked."

She began to go into colorful detail about what she did. First she had some carpenter nails hammered into him, one for each time he stabbed her father, only placed in less lethal areas so he wouldn't die so quickly. They were held over hot coals before they were hammered in to make it hurt more. When that was done, she took matters into her own hooves. She then used his very own dagger to torture him. First by slashing at his wings and slicing more holes into them, eventually ripping them out of his back. Then she hacked away at his horn with the intention of sawing it off, nicking his face up something awful and slashing one of his eyes in the process. Then she just let my fury go as she stabbed him endlessly. The guards were too terrified by this act of violence to tell her to stop, so she just kept on. By the end of the day, she had stabbed him well over 100 times. Needless to say, he was deader than dead.

"Yikes! I'm sorry I asked." Kuwagata said creeped out.

"I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away with that." She looked away. "I'm not sorry for what I did to him though. I know father told to love and tolerate but... Some men deserve what they get. And him? He didn't think a young princess was capable of such brutality so I had to show him that even some flowers have thorns." The queen started shaking her head. "What bothers me is that I could've prevented father's death. I was right there with him. But instead, I just stood there petrified with fear. And then I viciously murdered that punk. It felt good at the time but now.... I just feel so dirty."

"For what its worth, I think he got what he deserved." Kuwagata said trying to comfort her queen.

"Thank you dear. From that point on, everything fell apart. The invasion incident was only the most recent in a long line of blunders. After father died, mother stepped up to rule but she too fell from illness. I love my brother but I cursed being the older sibling as I had to step up in mother's place. I tried my best to manage the country but I was crippled with emotional scars that just wouldn't go away. I didn't really seek therapy at the time because I didn't feel like I had the time. But what disappoints me most is that my father is out there somewhere. Watching me." She drooped her head in shame.

Kuwagata hugged the queen, who promptly returned it. "Thanks for listening dear. I feel much better."

"Sometimes, you just have to talk about your scars before they can heal."

After an half hour delay, the vessel finally set sail for Equestria. Valour, legs stiff from standing for so long, stretched as he walked aboard the ship. The passengers were still up and about but he just wanted to sleep off an achy days work. He walked back to his cabin and removed his uniform. Kuwagata was already in bed so he carefully crawled under the covers.

"What took so long handsome?" she said nuzzling him.

"I didn't know you were awake. Did you fair okay while waiting for me?"

"I talked to the queen for awhile. She told me about a part in her life she wasn't particularly proud of. And her father."

"The assassination of her father I take it? I remember that. I was already enlisting by the time that happened. Ugh, so much senseless bloodshed."

"I didn't know she killed someone at such a young age."

"I don't blame her for what she did to him, I would have done the same thing if somepony did that, but how relentless she was doing it. Had a hard time keeping my lunch down after seeing the corpse."

The couple curled up for the night, Kuwagata content to sleep next to her love for a change. Though she had something she wanted to tell him, she felt it wasn't the right time yet. He was tired and she wasn't in the mood, she just snuggled in his hooves and enjoyed being with her stallion, closing her eyes before long.

Chapter 7 ~ The Immigration

The migration voyage was relatively uneventful. There was really nothing worth mentioning. My beloved Kuwagata and Queen Chrysalis became friends with repeated conversations. I was happy to see both my wife and one of my closest friends form a casual relationship. Kuwagata had been acting strangely over the past few weeks that I'd seen her. By that I mean, she has an extra bounce in her step and was more content than usual. Whenever I ask her she insists she's just her bubbly self. I know she's right but I feel there's something more to it.

Nevertheless, I went about my duties as usual. On average it takes about 3 or 4 days for an airship to travel between the two countries, assuming all goes smoothly. We never risk flying out into sea on our own. Our fleet consisted of 3 airships: Prime Minister Vigour's ship containing mostly nobles, Queen Chrysalis' ship which contained several civilians, many from the Thespian Committee, and my own which housed soldiers and their families. As we arrive in Canterlot, we were greeted by the royal family, along side assistants ready to help our immigrants move and settle in. Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements, many ponies we respected were present... as well as Blueblood for some reason.

"Princess Celestia. I'm pleased to see you again."

"As am I Prime Minister Vigour. Queen Chrysalis." the sun princess responded.

"We trust arrangements are set up?" Chrysalis asked.

"Yes. We have several volunteers helping with the workload." Luna stated.

Valour assisted the ponies as they helped immigrants unload from the airships. Kuwagata tried helping as well but got easily winded.

"Kuwagata dear, why don't you relax." Chrysalis said with concern

"Are you sure?"

"I think we have enough here to unload. I'll tell your husband to meet you later."

"Oh, okay then. Thank you."

Twilight and the others loaded packs and supplies onto wagons. Some of the immigrants were moving into Ponyvile and the girls thought they'd make a good first impression on their soon to be neighbors, which was appreciated. Rarity was approached by a certain Changeling mare in particular.

"Excuse me. You would be Lady Rarity by any chance, would you?"

The unicorn in question glanced back and something caught her eye.

"Yes, that I am. That dress your wearing. It looks familiar."

"I should hope so. You made it." she said smiling. "I'm Lady June, Array's wife."

"Oh you're the producer of the Thespian committee!" Rarity beamed.

"Well, rather I'm A producer but yes. I must say, you do lovely work."

"Why thank you Lady June."

"Call me June please."

Lady June was a noble that the queen held in high regard. She was one of the producers and sponsors for the Changeling Thespian Committee. She was very pretty by Changeling standards having a long soft baby blue mane and tail, very few holes in her body, and glossy skin that shined with a polished sheen. She was only slightly taller than Rarity but was no less friendly. Unlike many of her fellow upper class associates, she prefers to dress modestly and isn't afraid of manual labor; her husband Array works on sets and she likes to help every now and then.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the deal my husband proposed. I'd be more than happy to have you contribute to our society. We have a project planned in the works for our debut here in Equestria. If you wouldn't mind that is."

"Oh absolutely! I'd be honored." Rarity was trying to withhold her excitement. "What do you have planned?"

"Well I would like to set up a branch in this country, starting with Canterlot. We thought about preforming with a mixture of Pony and Changeling actors. It would be the first time in the history of our society performing with other races."

"Sounds delightful. What will you be performing?"

"We haven't decided yet. We need to make sure everypony is on the same page before we start anything major. But I do have a couple plays in mind." June said winking. "By the way, I love the dress you made. Really silky and it matches my mane. Though I had to modify it slightly to accommodate my wings."

"My apologies on that. I had to improvise since I had no model at the time."

"It's not your fault. I'm sure you've never made a dress for a Changeling before. I can guarantee you will have more customers though. The other nobles just love exquisite products."

Rarity giggled. "Among the many good things that have happened to me, meeting your husband ranks up there."

"Indeed."

The two mares laughed as they talked more while working. Twilight noticed this, as did the others.

"Looks like Rarity made a friend." Applejack said. "And an important one from the looks of it."

"That's Lady June." a bespectacled Changeling said. "She's a high ranking member of the Thespian society. I'm Antlion by the way."

"Thespian soceity?" Rainbow Dash said. "You mean like actors?"

"Something like that. She herself can't act very well but she works to promote shows. She plays an important part in an important business."

"So what's so important about acting?" Twilight inquired.

"For our race, quite a bit. First off, our kind shape shifts and impersonate ponies. Because of this we need to be fairly good actors to be convincing impostors though I doubt there will be a need for that now that our nations are allies. At most, they'd would provide covert security."

"Makes sense. If you can't act like the one you're impersonating, your cover will be blown more easily." Twilight was reminded of the wedding incident when Chrysalis failed to imitate Cadance.

"Aside from that, theater has a large place in our culture. See, a long while back our country was in the midst of a recession. Queen Peridot, Chrysalis' great great grandmother and one of our more memorable monarchs, provided funds to a club of thespians wanting to entertain the citizens. The queen had a love for theater, musical theater especially, and wanted to provide a distraction from the economic problems going on at the time. The club was successful and it eventually grew into the modern Thespian society as they provided more jobs ranging from set designers, actors, orchestras, choreographers, the list goes on. When the queen eventually died of heart disease, the citizens mourned her loss and would honor their queen by performing her favorite play on the anniversary of her death. From then on, theater has been a driving cultural force in our nation and remains the most popular form of entertainment for us."

"Thanks for the interesting history lesson." Twilight said. "I'm going to have to add that to my notes later."

"So ah guess the shape shifting helps wonders for actin huh?" Applejack said

"You'd think so, but no that's not how it works. Our kind can't change into other Changelings. The ability to shape shift is also limited depending on gender. Females can only change into female ponies where as males can change into either male or female. This has to do with the X and Y chromosomes; females only have the X chromosome while males have both, therefore they have both options. I don't really know the science behind it but that's the main reason the military recruits male soldiers. Besides, we can't transform into fictional characters."

"Well that sucks. I woulda liked to see somepony change into Daring Do." Rainbow pouted.

"Daring who?"

"Daring Do. You know, greatest explorer in fiction ever? Has a whole book series around her? Best selling series right now?"

"Sorry. Never heard of her."

"Seriously?!"

"I don't read very many narratives lady. I'm just a toy maker."

Back on the airships Valour was making sure the correct luggage was handed to the correct passengers. Unfortunately, he had to work with a certain prince whom he despised.

"Ugh, I don't see why I should have to do this. Is this what the servants are for?" Prince Blueblood complained as he unloaded with the other workers.

"Aw quite whining. A little physical labor builds character, something you lack greatly." Valour retorted.

"If it weren't for auntie Celestia making me do this, I would smack you across the muzzle!"

"Don't let that stop you. Hell, not like it would make a difference with your prissy hooves."

"Why I outta-"

"Hey Sergeant Roach. You getting this?" Valour said as if to taunt the prince. "This guy thinks he could take me in a fight."

"Ha! As if he had the balls." the sergeant said playing along.

"Whadaya think Roach? Think I should give him the first punch? Just out of sympathy."

"Why not? He ain't got muscles."

"Are you mocking me?!" the prince snorted.

"Oh noooo. You don't need my help for that." Valour smirked.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You think you can just waltz right up here and insult me like I'm dirt?"

"Oh please, even dirt is more respectable. At least it has a purpose."

Vigour took notice of the argument by this point. "Oh geeze, not this again..." he said planting a hoof to his face. "I swear, every time they cross paths, it always results in a fight. Welp, better go break it up."

"My wife has more muscles than you, that's how weak you are."

"In that case she must be desperate to marry you. I'll bet she's as ugly as a hydra." Blueblood declared.

Vigour stopped. "On second thought, I think I better not get involved."

Valour paused for a moment with a disgusted look on his face. "....Sorry, what?" he said as a nictitating membrane slid over his eyes. His soldiers who overheard the argument stopped what they were doing and looked at the two stallions in worry.

"You heard me." Blueblood confidently continued. "The only reason she came to you is because nopony else would accept her. I'll bet 5 bits they kicked her like some dog out in the streets. I must say, you must not have high standards. Why don't you bring her here so I can show her what a real stallion is." he finished with a stuck up laugh.

The soldiers started backing away in fear of what they thought was going to happen. Valour was very protective of his wife and insulting or threatening her was a very, VERY easy way to get yourself killed. But Valour was taking this surprisingly well all things considered. All he was doing was giving him a death glare with his eyes now clouded from the translucent membrane covering them. He stood up taller than Blueblood and looked down on him.

"Tell me Prince Bloodstain." he calmly, yet menacingly said. "Do you know what a eunuch is?"

"No." the prince said confused.

"Would you like to become one?"

".....No." he said again, this time worried.

"Then do you want to continue with the disrespect?"

".......No...."

"Than I suggest you take that worthless pile of rotting mutilated meat you call a face and run away like the little filly that you are."

"With pleasure..."

The prince galloped away as fast as he could screaming in fear, running past the princesses and queen who stood there dumbfounded. The mares just looked at each other before Vigour came back.

"What.... just happened brother?" Chrysalis asked blankly.

"Valour happened Chrissy. Never insult the wife of a stallion who can suplex a hydra."

"That's our military leader for ya. Strong and intimidating."

"I'm glad my nephew was wise enough to run instead of fight then." Celestia said.

"But not wise enough to keep his mouth shut in the first place." Luna inserted. "If you ask me though, he kind of deserved that. Maybe it will teach him a lesson."

"I doubt that Luna." the sun princess said shaking her head in disappointment. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him."

Valour turned away for a moment to regain his composure. He took some deep breaths still furious at the prince for his words. "Alright everypony." he said turning back. "Nothing to see here. Let's get back to work."