Sisters

by Dragon Genesis

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Romance, Adventure
Length: 5713

Siblings stick together through all of their hardships. There will be tough times but they will come around. But what if one you thought dead came back and once invaded your country?

Celestia and Luna are sisters, toughing it out through all of the difficult times. They stuck together, even after Nightmare Moon. To them, family is extremely important.

With Nightmare Moon threatening to come back without the aid of Luna and Sombra rising once again in the empire, family is what they are going to need the most. However, what happens when the changeling queen Chrysalis comes back asking for forgiveness and reveals herself to be their long lost, and long thought dead, sister?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-02-01 16:10:28 UTC

Prologue: The tale of Princess Chrystal and the Changelings

Faust was currently the ruler of the entire rising nation of Equestria, the name for the country consisting of all three tribes.  She was an alicorn, what many thought to be the perfect race.  In some sense, they were right.  Alicorns were a combination of all three tribes.  Earth Pony strength, Pegasus flight, Unicorn magic.  They were perfect in many senses of the word.  They were even immortal.

She wasn't the only one of her kind, however.  There were actually three more.  All three were her daughters.  One was in her mid thirties and was the oldest.  Another was in her late twenties, around twenty-seven if she recalled.  Then there was the youngest of all three, reaching around twenty-one.  All were beautiful young mares and were all tied to something they held dear.

The eldest, Chrystal, was bound to the magical energy that flowed through living things.  As long as the smallest of creatures still lived, so would she.  Chrystal was a white mare with a teal mane, her cutie mark were tendrils of teal magic surrounding a blooming flower.  That's right, plants counted.  Some would label her as an earth pony because of this connection.  However, earth ponies are connected with the earth itself, not the life forms on it.

Next was the middle child, Celestia.  Also a pristine white mare, her mane was flowing pink.  Her cutie mark was more straight forward as it was of the sun.  Celestia was bound directly with the sun, using its magic to guide it through the sky.  Without her, the sun may as well hurtle to the earth.  It took a large group of ponies to do what Celestia did by herself without much restraint.  For her, it was as natural as levitation.

   Lastly was Luna, the baby of the three.  She was an indigo mare with a darker blue navy mane.  Her cutie mark was just as straight forward as her sisters.  The crescent moon.  It was the same as Celestia, just the moon.  She helped balance it all out  in the long run.  Faust was thankful for this, it meant less unicorns to sacrifice their magic to moving a giant rock through the sky, though Luna would murder whoever called her moon a rock.

Faust has always loved her daughters more than anything that this rock of a planet could give her.  Sometimes, though, even that isn't enough.  Out of her very ability to see a ponies life in the form of a book, she could have never expected this.

~~~~~~~

"Mother!"  Faust stopped as she hear the distressed voice of her eldest.  She turned around where she could hear hoofsteps approaching her.  She could also her groans of agony as well as shouts and screams.  She took a fearful step forward just as her daughter ran around the corner with her guard in tow.

Faust gasped as before her stood her daughter, her feathers molting off of her wings and falling onto the floor, leaving to insect wings behind.  Holes drilled themselves into her hooves and into her ever twisting horn.  Her gorgeous teal mane was growing darker.  Her daughter's fearful eyes were turning green, even her whites, as tears streamed from her face.  This same process was happening to each of her guards as well.

"Mother, you've got to help me!  I just opened the jar a-and the smoke-". Faust stopped her and looked her in the eyes.

"What jar, my child?"

“The jar we keep in the vault.  I was just so curious."  As she watched, Chrystal's fur started to turn black and hard as her skeleton was moved from inside of her to outside.  Fangs started to poke out of her mouth, curving around her bottom lip.   Faust looked her over, tears filling her eyes.

"I-I can't."  Silence, or at least close to it as you could get.  Chrystal stared at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean you can't?  You discovered it and placed in our vaults!  How can you not know how to stop this?" Asked Chrystal, tears flowing like waterfalls.  Faust plopped down onto her haunches.

"It feeds off of ones sin.  Greed for you by the looks of it.  I have tried to destroy it, counter it, but no matter what spell, what artifact, it holds ground."  Faust lowered her head to the ground she had failed.  A simple 'I will always love you.' would not work here.

"But what do I do?  I can’t rule like this!" Exclaimed Chrystal.  Faust sobbed slightly.

"Leave.  Leave before the spell finishes and takes complete control over you," said Faust, refusing to even look up at her daughter.  She could hear Chrystal stammer, trying to think of a response.  She finally sighed

"What about Tia and Lulu?  What do we do about them?" Asked the eldest daughter.  Faust sighed.

"I will tell them you are dead.  Once the spell is finished, you will be nothing but a small spec of life within a cloud of darkness that will run your body," said Faust, tears rolling down her cheeks.  Chrystal moved forward and embraced her mother in a tight embrace, sobbing as she held her, "I still love you, remember that.  This hurts me as much it does you but we have to make this sacrifice," said Faust cradling her daughter.

"Goodbye, mother."  There was a flash of light and all of the changing ponies from before disappeared along with Chrystal.  Faust broke out sobbing, mourning the loss of one of her daughters.

~~~~~

Shortly after the news of Chrystal's death, the two remaining sisters sent out search party after search party for the elder.  Finally, after fifteen years, the two gave up the search after finding no leads.  She was labeled as deceased but was soon forgotten in time due to how shortly she ruled.  However, she was later known by a different name.

While they were searching for Chrystal, a new species was discovered and reported to the royal family.  The creatures were labeled changelings for their ability to shapeshift into other ponies.  They seemed to share similar features to insects as well as a similar monarchy to Equestria.  From what gathered, the queen was named Chrysalis.

The two sisters demanded that they encounter the changelings to try and create relations and probably gain a lead on Chrystal.  Faust, however, denied them the chance. She knew full well who the changelings were.  She had no doubt that Chrysalis would start war, considering what she was created of.  The sisters fought to be given the chance to start relations but soon gave up as it was obvious that their mother would not move her position.

Queen Chrysalis had stayed her position on the border of Equestria, stealing love from border towns and keeping hidden.  For the two thousand years before Nightmare Moon, she had kept a strong grip on Chrystal.  However, her grip weakened on her banishment.  For that next week, her changeling subjects listened in complete confusion as the sound of sobbing came from the royal bed chambers

Her grip was weakened again when Chrystal organized the invasion of Canterlot.  While she made it appear like she was invading solely to take all the love from Equestria, she actually was trying to get blasted by the Elements of Harmony.  Earlier that year, her sister Luna was freed from the curse she was currently under.

When her plan was only mid way through, Chrysalis regained her control on her, actually bringing her decoy plan into play.  She went to take over Canterlot and utterly failed.  Both in failing to take over Canterlot and to get blasted by the elements.  This brought Chrystal and Chrysalis to their current state.  Only a handful of surviving changelings and running from the Equestrian Royal Guard.   But now, Chrystal had enough.

Reunion

The crisp night air blew against Twilight as she sat in the Royal Gardens, causing her recently acquired wings to shiver at the cold wind through the sensitive primaries.  Either than the instinctive movement, Twilight did not move from her spot in the gardens.  Her gaze fixed on the glowing orb of the moon high above her.

Her sense of magic were tingling in the back of her mind, a feeling similar to when blood starts running back into a limb that fell asleep, or had its supply of blood cut off momentarily.  It was starting to cause a slight headache in the back of the lavender alicorns mind, but that wasn't all that she was focused on.

Whispers.  Dark and quiet.  She could not make them out, but she could hear enough that they were exactly the kind of whispers you would want to hear.  They were dark, foreboding, evil.  It made her skin crawl and slight familiarity ran through her.  She knew this voice, but from where?  And why was the only word she could correctly hear was her own name?  It wasn't a friendly mention.  The words were spat out, hatred and fury poisoning the ends as the whispers tried to wound her with the words.

Twilight's long, purple and pinkish mane blew to the side as another small gust of wind moved it.  She could tell by the moons position that it was close to midnight.  Any guards that would see her would be vastly worried.  Their Princess sat in the gardens, gazing at the Moon.

The Moon, another object to catch her attention.  It usually gave off a noticeable amount of magic when being set or raised, and even then you had to be on castle grounds to feel it.  However, she could feel a different field of magic, yet again familiar to her, but from where?  It confused her to no end and she couldn't decipher any of it.

"I don't think it is the best time to be gazing at the moon, Twilight."  Twilight jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to its source.  Princess Luna stood high and regal as she joined herself next to the lavender alicorn of magic.

"Oh, um, good evening, Luna." said Twilight strained a smile on her face.  This did not go unnoticed by the night princess.  Luna frowned and nuzzled her side.

"Twilight, 'tis morning.  Very early in the morning but morning nonetheless.  Something must be trouble you.  I have watched you for the past half hour and you have not even moved till I joined." said the Princess.  Twilight sighed and looked up at the moon.

"I hear voices, feel magic, and it's all coming from the moon.  It just doesn't feel right." said Twilight.  Luna nodded.  Twilight was more sensitive to magic than the other three alicorns.  She can detect the smallest trace of magic where the others have to concentrate hard on detecting it to even get a faint trace of it.  She was without a doubt stronger than the rest of them, she just doesn't know it.

"I have felt it as well, Twilight.  I know not of what it is, but you are not the only one concerned.  Come, it's late and we have court in the morning." said Luna, guiding the young alicorn down from the cloud.  It probably was just her own fatigue, but she could have sworn the energy disappeared.  She shrugged it off and continued to guide Twilight to bed.

~~~~~

"Who is next, Captain?" Asked Celestia as a stout stallion left the throne room.  On either side of her sat her younger sister and her former student, the latter looking rather tired.  The current captain of the guard opened up his list, running a hoof down the list.

"A Chrystal Skies, ma'am."  Celestia frowned.

"Why does this name sound familiar?" Asked Celestia.

"Maybe a relative of a previous Chrystal Skies from the past century?" Suggested Twilight.  Luna shook her head.

"No.  I remember it also, but from where...."  Luna froze as her mind came to a conclusion.

"Sister, do you remember Mighty Moon, Regal Sun, and Crystal Skies?" Asked Luna.  Celestia's eyes widened.

"B-but we are the only ones alive who know of that!" Exclaimed Celestia.  Luna bit her lip.

"Unless she never really did die." Celestia shook her head.

"Bring her in,"  commanded Celestia, leaning forward in her seat, Luna following suit.  Twilight sat confused, wondering what her two fellow alicorns were talking about.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Twilight in a hushed voice, leaning towards them.  Celestia sighed.

"There were originally three royal pony sisters.  The oldest, however, died even before the Chaos War.  Well, that's what we thought.  We were told she was killed and looked for her for around fifteen years," said Celestia

"Due to lack of evidence and leads we were forced to pronounce her dead.  No pony except me and my sister knew she ever existed.  Though this, pony..." Luna was cut off as the doors to the were opened.  Celestia and Luna froze as a white mare with a teal mane and emerald eyes entered the room, a sad smile on her face.  Her back was covered by a brown cloak which she dropped onto the floor to reveal a pair of pristine white wings.

"We meet again, Mighty Moon and Regal Sun," said Chrystal, tears flowing down her face.  Celestia and Luna bounded from the throne and tackled her into a hug, the three of them sprawling out.  The three of them laughed, tears streaming down each of her faces.  Twilight watched as the two princesses removed themselves from the third alicorn.  Said alicorn slowly stood.

"We thought you were dead.  What has happened to you?" Asked Luna, wiping tears from her eyes.  Twilight watched as the smile from Chrystal's face was wiped away almost instantly.  She looked away, finding the ground more appropriate.  Chrystal let go of her disguise, her white coat giving way to black chitin.  Her light teal mane become a dark jade.  The three of them gasped as Chrysalis stood before them.

"This, this happened." said Chrysalis.  Instinctively, Twilight fired a binding spell at Chrysalis' hooves, causing her to topple to the ground.  Chrysalis fell to the ground and laid there, doing nothing.

"If you don't believe me, hit me with the elements of harmony.  Or you could go ahead and ask yourself how I knew our childhood names.  Despite being a teenager, I always played with you two like a filly your age." said Chrysalis, smiling sadly.  Celestia stammered, looking her over.  Luna was doing the same, wondering if she was telling the truth.

"Twilight, retrieve the elements, I want to see if she is lying."  Twilight nodded and disappeared in a lavender flash, leaving the three of them alone in the room together.  Chrysalis found herself looking away from the sisters and at the far wall.  The royal sisters themselves sat and watched the changeling, trying to piece things together.

"I have a question," stated Luna, gaining the attention of the other two alicorns in the room.  "If you are Chrystal, why is it you are a changeling?" Asked the lunar princess.  Chrysalis sighed.

"I am possessed by a parasite like Nightmare Moon.  The elements of harmony were non-existent back then, since they weren't found until 5 CW when they were used against Discord, so I was forced to live out like this," said Chrysalis, looking back up at her sisters.

"And the invasion of Canterlot?" Asked Celestia.  Chrysalis laughed.

"A horribly failed attempt to get hit with the elements of harmony.  Chrysalis took control before I could even make it to the wedding and attempted to take over.  Obviously, she failed both," said Chrystal.  The two sisters went back into thought.

"But how are you able to talk freely?  You could currently be Chrysalis for all we know," asked Luna.  Chrystal chuckled.

"I've been possessed for well around four thousand years.  Her grip on me is weak enough, but she is still a threat," said Chrystal, shifting into a better position, "Actually I have come here both wanting to get out of this horrid body and to warn you."

"Warn us about what?" Asked Celestia.  Chrystal went to open her mouth when the doors were opened and she was tackled by a prismatic blur.  She grunted as she was thrown back first on the ground and pinned beneath a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow mane, the red element of loyalty around her neck.

"What are you doing here, Chrysalis?" Growled Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty.  Chrystal could just barely see the other five elements run in after their friend.

"Enough!  Remove thyself from our sister!" Shouted Luna, causing the windows to rattle.  Chrystal winced at the loudness of her voice but chuckled at how she reverted to Old Equestrian.  She remembered when they switched to that way of speech.  It was odd on the tongue, but she got used to it after awhile.

The five other elements who were not aware of Chrystal's existence blinked in surprise.  Rainbow Dash cautiously stepped off the changeling while keeping her eyes on the princess.

"Little Lulu taking command.  I remember when the only thing you commanded was stuffed animals against the terrifying dragons." said Chrystal with a smirk, rolling onto her side.  Luna blushed and looked away.

"I may still do that on occasion." admitted the lunar goddess, causing the others to stare at her.

"Old habits die hard," said Chrystal, smiling.  She looked over at the six elements of harmony staring at her.

"Are you just going to stare at me or use those element of harmony things?  I'm not getting any younger,"  The elements looked at each other then back at her.

"You want us to use the elements on you?" Asked Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow.  Chrystal rolled her eyes.

"No, I came in here and got rid of my disguise because I wanted a fucking cookie," said the changeling, sarcasm dripping from her voice.  Pinkie Pie, a pink earth pony mare, took this literally.

"You have to go into the kitchens to get cookies silly," said the mare, shoving her face into Chrystal's.  Chrystal looked over at her sisters and raised an eyebrow.

"It's Pinkie Pie," deadpanned the sisters in unison.  Chrystal slowly nodded her head, trying to understand.  She eventually shook her head and scooted away from the mare.

"Look, all I want is for you to hit me with the elements then I will explain everything.  But please hurry, I can already feel her returning," said Chrystal, shifting on her spot on the floor.  Celestia looked over at the six slightly confused mares.

"Do it, we need to know something and only she can tell us," said the solar goddess, shifting from hoof to hoof, anxious to see the outcome.  The six elements hesitated before going into their positions around Chrystal, the changeling preparing herself.

"Lulu, does this hurt?" Asked Chrystal as the elements started to rise off the ground.

"I don't know.  I can't remember," said the indigo alicorn with a shrug.

"You lucky son of a-"  A scream tore from Chrystal's throat as the elements rammed into her in the form of a rainbow.  The two celestial sisters flinched and held themselves back from rushing to her aid.  Her screams did not help them.

Before their eyes, Chrystal's dark chitin gave way to a soft, white coat.  Her mane and tail lightened to their natural teal.  Her wings once again bore soft, pristine feathers.  Her fangs retracted into her skull and left her with normal teeth once more.  Her horn straightened out and all of the holes drilled into it and into her were filled.  Finally, her Eyes turned back into their more natural emerald.  Before them, in her full glory, was Princess Chrystal.

"You...fucking...bitch.  That...hurt," said Chrystal between breaths.  Celestia and Luna tackled their elder sister into a hug, their magic breaking her bonds as they leaped at her.  The trio sprawled out on the floor, laughing and crying as they held each other.  Everyone but Twilight stared in mild confusion.  Twilight, however, smiled.  It was truly a sight to see when sisters are reunited after so long.

New Threat

Sisters

A New Threat

Written by Dragon Genesis

Edited by TheGreatEater

The group sat inside on of the more private studies of the castle, Chrystal being the center of attention.  She was an alicorn Princess that was supposed to be dead for over four thousand years so it was only right that they focus on her.

Chrystal shifted nervously as all attention was on her.  The start of the changeling race, the bane of many foal hood nightmares, the haunting reminder that you can't trust everything you see.  Within four thousand years she did more damage secretly then any would have ever thought.

Her race started wars, battles, assassinations, brutal murders, slaughters.  Sometimes to benefit from the love and sympathy that was given off in the aftermath, sometimes for revenge, and sometimes, and most twisted, just for her own personal entertainment of watching ponies and other races suffer.  Chrysalis was dark, evil, deceiving.  Completely different from Chrystal, but part of her nonetheless.

She now sat here, explaining her past to the elements as well as filling them all in on her last four thousand years, including her influence in wars, assassinations, and slaughters all over the world.  It was actually her who had blown apart one of the tallest buildings in Equestria.  A tower whose name she forgot in Manehatten.  It still haunts her.  Ponies screaming in pain as they threw themselves out the windows to end their suffering.  And Chrysalis enjoyed every second of it.

"I hope you understand all of this haunts me to no end," said Chrystal, examining her hooves as though some ancient secret that had nothing to do with murder was hidden in them. "All of the things done were not of my free will.  All I could do was sit back and watch as she murdered thousands."

"So, every large scale slaughter, assassination, and war started because of changelings?" Asked Celestia, staring at her in shock.  Chrystal nodded.

"Yup.  Find the most vulnerable and unstable target and set them off.  It was a sure fire way to start a bloody war," said Chrystal, shivering at a memory of her murdering a gryphon family in a way to start a civil war.  She knew that Celestia was aware of how most of the wars started giving her the knowledge of what she did.

"But why?  What was her gain from this?" Asked Twilight.  Chrystal laughed.

"Gain?  Out of the four hundred plus slaughters and assassinations was there a gain.  Out of the thirty wars in the past four thousand years, only two had a gain.  The rest was pure enjoyment in watching everyone kill each other," said the white alicorn, placing her head in her hooves, "And out of the three million that fell to my hooves, only one did she ever regret killing only because she wanted to give him everlasting torture."

"The older, the more evil," concluded Luna.  Chrystal nodded.

"Exactly!  Which is why I'm glad I got her purged from me.  Which I can't thank you girls enough for.  She was an absolute bitch," said Chrystal.  Celestia nodded.

"I had first hoof experience with her so I can't agree more on how glad I am that she's gone," said the solar goddess.

"I'm just glad I'm not the only young sibling anymore," said Luna.  The three sisters broke out in laughter, the elements just watching.  Twilight, however, found herself watching Chrystal.  It wasn't that she didn't trust her  it was more of the fact that she was...interested in the mare.

"Oh!" Said Chrystal, as if remembering something, "Where is mother?  I never got to see her during the invasion," The six elements stared at her in confusion while Celestia and Luna froze.

"Chrystal, how much of Equestria's history are you aware of?" Asked Celestia slowly.

"Wars and political incidents.  If it didn't make world news, I probably don't know it. That, or I just didn't learn about it in general because I was leading some sort of campaign," said Chrystal.  Celestia and Luna glanced at each other before standing.

"Follow us," said Luna, starting towards the balcony.  Chrystal cocked her head before following.  The three sisters took flight and angled toward the gardens, Chrystal following behind with a quizzical look on her face.

The three flew down into the gardens, settling upon the lush green grass, Chrystal wobbling a bit as she got used to her wings....again.  Celestia and Luna then led her through a small labyrinth, statues of ponies that Chrystal had no memory of but guessed were important littered the small alcoves.  Finally, however, they came to a large clearing in the center.

A large statue of Faust adorned its middle, the alicorn standing tall with a smile that could melt away the ice of the coldest regions of the planet.  The statue was dirty and worn with age, possibly having been moved at one point.

"Inside are the ashes of Mother, preserved in an urn to survive the millennia.  She was killed during Discord's initial uprising and the fall of Equestria," said Celestia, watching Chrystal slowly approach the statue.

"She's been dead for over three thousand years and I never knew.  I was too busy running love gathering in the Gryphon Empire, thinking Equestria was done for,"  said the alicorn,falling onto her haunches before the statue, "And all because I was so fucking stupid and let loose that parasite."

"You couldn't have known," said Celestia, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"But I should have.  If I just listened when mother told me not to open it, if I didn't give into curiosity and greed we wouldn't be here in this situation, mother would still be here, you two wouldn't have grown up thinking your sister died.  This is all my fault," Tears started to fall from her eyes, "I'm supposed to be there and protect you and I failed that as my duty as your older sister!  Why am I even allowed one this planet after what I have done?!" She cried out, falling forward and shoving her head in her hooves.

"Because you are still needed to help fix what you created.  Help clear the names of all the changelings who turned back into ponies just now," said Luna, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"Those ponies died years ago.  The changelings of today were pure changelings.  They died today once the elements broke the curse," said Chrystal darkly.  Luna backed away slightly.

"Then at least fight to make things right," started Celestia, "Fight to wash away your sins with the deeds of good you can accomplish.  Don't give up and leave us so soon after returning," said the solar goddess.  The teal maned alicorn let out a sob and leaned against her sisters.  She could sense that they had company not far off, but she didn't care.

"I will make this right," said the alicorn softly, "For all of those who fell to my hooves, for my mother, I will make this right.  I will do anything I need to do to make sure of it," said Chrystal as she slowly stood.  She winced slightly, pain still coursing through her body from the blast of the elements.  She turned towards her sisters and the elements.

"And I know just where to start."

~~~~~~

The group now sat in a large meeting room, Chrystal being the center of attention.  The former changeling queen gave a quick look over the attending ponies.  Her sisters, the six elements, a few war generals, and two ponies she would like to have confronted under better circumstances who were staring at her, trying to find out if she was real.

"Alright.  Now, the reason I came to this castle had a few meanings.  One was to remove my curse, another to destroy the changeling existence that I so foolishly created, and the third was to give off a warning that we may be heading into war with foes many of us wish stayed gone," said Chrystal.

"And just who exactly are these foes?" Asked a grey Pegasus.  Chrystal did not know his name but could tell by his ranking and uniform he controlled the air forces of Celestia's army.  Chrystal looked around a second time before dropping the bomb.

"Nightmare Moon and King Sombra,"  There was a sudden influx in volume as the commanders and leaders started shouting at her.

"Lies!"

"They are dead!"

"Impossible!"

"Unless you have forgotten, I am proof that a race thought to never feel kindness and pain does, if only a spec.  I say nothing is impossible," said Chrystal glaring at the ponies in the room.  They shrank back.  However, Twilight decided it was time to answer her questions.

"Princess, the elements destroyed the nightmare when we freed Luna, how is it she is back when Luna is right here?" Asked the mare, gesturing to the shocked indigo alicorn.  "Besides, the blast from the Crystal Heart should have killed Sombra."

"Twilight, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I know very well that the Crystal Heart does not kill.  I did create the damn thing, after all," said Chrystal.  She looked back over the room, "As for Nightmare Moon, she is much younger than Chrysalis, so much more powerful and durable.  The elements removed her, yes, but just slapped her on the moon.  With how unfamiliar you six are with protective and sealing wards, she was able to break free and walk freely among us with ease once she recovered."

"And to help take revenge on Equestria she called upon Sombra," finished Celestia.  Chrystal nodded.

"Correct.  But they wanted more.  Nightmare Moon knew what Chrysalis was and thought it would be best to try and recruit her.  Of course, she did not know of her weakening power so she didn't know it was I who refused the offer.  I told that how much I would love to watch Equestria burn, I only work alone.

"They, however, made the mistake of sharing the slight details of their plan to me.  I can tell you entry points, targets of interest, and the main method," said Chrystal.  She sat back down once she was finished and let them mull it over.

Chrystal watched as the ponies talked and discussed, her own sisters conversing privately.  She hated how they got to meet each other properly for the first time in four thousand years and they spent it on military speak.

But we can't really help it, can we? thought the alicorn.  Oh well, I will have time for all of that later.

She averted her attention to a mare she only observed through another's eyes, Twilight Sparkle.  She knew a small chunk on her rise to power and of her history since Chrysalis kept tabs on her after the invasion.  In a sense, the two had a good share in common, despite Chrystal's inability to pursue her passions for a large amount of time.  Both shared a large amount of curiosity, loving to explore and learn as much as they could, Chrystal was just a bit more adventurous in that regard.  Plus, there was the factor of something that the eldest alicorn saw dwindling, books.  Each of them loved the prospect of sitting down just to read, cutting off from the world.

You and I are one in the same Sparkle.  If only I got to know you in better circumstances. thought Chrystal with a small smile at that moment, one of the generals sighed and stood, grabbing the rooms attention.

"I'm still weary on this whole situation.  Madam, Princess, whoever you are, how much can we trust your war knowledge?" Asked the grey earth pony.  Chrystal chuckled.

"General, I, in theory, led wars, raids, invasions, and slaughters for the past four thousand years.  My war knowledge is much, much more than anyone in this room, even my sisters.  The only thing you have to worry about is if my explanation is simple enough for the ponies in this room," said the alicorn.

"Are you saying we are bad at our job, ma'am?"

"Considering I was able to sneak in, act as an horrible copy of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and nearly succeed in an invasion that was literally pulled out of my ass last second, yes.  I am saying you are very horrible at your job," said the alicorn with a smirk.  This was received with a growl as the current captain stood.

"How dare you judge our security?!" Shouted the unicorn.  Her smirk swapped for a scowl as she stood, glaring at the members of the meeting, making them shrink back.

"And how dare you talk down to a princess?  Let alone one that gives life!" Said Chrystal, stamping down her hoof.  "The only reason I'm cooperating with the guard is because I sadly can't go in this alone.  Now, you should trust my knowledge, shut up, and listen to what I say," When she received no complaints she sighed and walked over to the wall where the map of Equus hung, Equestria, of course, being the largest country on it.

She pointed to just between the badlands and Equestrian border, "This is where I last saw them, just after my meeting with them. Now, if I remember correctly," she moved her hoof down to the far ends of the badlands, just north of the small Zebra nation that was located on the continent, "They should be traveling here first before hitting three other ancient sights."

"And what are at these sites?" Asked the general coldly. Chrystal glared at him before speaking.

"They had enough sense not to tell me.  All I know is that it gives them enough confidence to walk into enemy territory by themselves. Needless to say, I'm very wary of them until I can figure out what their purpose is."

"And what, might I ask, are we supposed to do with these?" Asked the captain.  Celestia watched with a slight smirk as she watched her sister's eye twitch dangerously, looking like she was ready to leap over the table and beat the stallion.

"We beat them there, figure out what their purpose is, and stop them from advancing from there. I would think it to be very, very common sense," replied the elder alicorn.  The generals and captains spoke before the Captain of the Guard spoke up.

"I'm afraid we cannot conduct searches and raids that far out and weaken our defensive support here in Canterlot. Your proposals are denied," Oh Faust help the poor fool.  Chrystal jumped over the table, a feat considering she had hardly had control of her own body once again for very long, and tackled the Captain, causing the surrounding guards to direct spears and magic at her.

"We are not dealing with a race so old that their abilities have been weakened because the parasite that created them is too old for this shit!  We are dealing with a still very young dark parasite, and a King of Shadows who have proven themselves mighty foes to all of us alone.  They are now working as a team and you are proposing we sit here and wait it out while they gather items to make themselves stronger?  Are you trying to turn the city red with your own blood?!" The captain shaked in fear as the white, ancient alicorn glared at him.  She snarled and stepped back.

"If you foals are too incompetent to do anything logical besides sit here with a death wish, I will go raiding these ruins myself.  Those who want to join me, you are more than welcome to, though I do prefer not having to foalsit,"  There was silence as her proposal was processed.  She then glanced behind her at the six elements and her sisters, finding eight hooves raised in the air, two alicorns grinning at her.  Grinning back, she spoke.

"Well, things sure just got a lot more interesting."