Crimson

Discord appeared in his suite in the Canterlot Castle, and looked down at the bed he had spent many nights changing and morphing to his will. This night, however, he didn't bother to experiment or even think of something wacky to do with it. Instead, he simply fell onto it, face first, and groaned in pain, clutching his body where Five had pummeled him. As he contemplated some way to aleviate the aches to his very being, he thought back to the alien and smirked.

"Haven't... felt this bad... since I tried to teleport inside out."

With that said, Discord rested his face on the pillow, and drifted into a painful slumber.

\\\//////

Chrysalis wandered through the hallways of the Pale Horse with her eyes out for anything that might harm her Changelings. As she did, Sid conversed with her by keeping her informed on the status of those in the Medical Bay.

"And after penetrating the carapace as you instructed," Sid continued in his usual monotone, "I found several infections in group A, C, D, and E, all with the same toxins you described."

The Queen felt like hissing in rage at the memory of several of her loyal subjects being poisoned by Manticores that had decided to hibernate early. After she had put them down like the animals they were, she had tried to remedy their poison through the use of herbs in the forest. However, after days of searching, she had all but given up on the prospect. Until now.

"Will they make it?" she asked.

"Yes. The toxin is incredibly similar to one found by the UNSC almost a century ago on one of the Outer Colonies. I've already given the patients the serum, and have sterilized and treated the infections. They'll recover within the next two to four weeks."

Chrysalis teared up with joy and managed to smile for the first time in actual months. For once, things were finally looking up for the Changelings. Her thoughts began to drift back to her previous plans, and finally, returned to anger when she began to think of Canterlot. The city where she had met defeat at the hooves of Princess Celestia, and that damned couple.

"My Queen," a voice in the Hive spoke to her.

"What is it, my child?"

"There is a new creature in the town. I watched it walk towards the center, under the veil of night. It was unlike what we have seen before."

"How? What did it look like?"

"It walked on two legs, was covered in red armor, and was carrying several objects that resemble the Haven."

The Queen's eyes widened as she heard this. There was a creature out in Ponyville that had objects that resembled the "Haven," as her brood had called the ship.

"Show me," she commanded.

Without hesitation, her vision melded with that of the scout in Ponyville, and memories that weren't hers began to display themselves. There, in front of her, was a massive biped in red armor, that in of itself resembled the Pale Horse. Who she saw walking with it, however, made her heart stop.

'No... no, not now... why? Why!?'

"My Queen?" the scout spoke.

"If you can, try to watch this anomaly, but at all times, stay away from those ponies!"

"Of course, ma'am."

With that, the connection between her scout and her mind separated, and she was left staring into the empty hallway, close to a heart attack.

\\\//////

Five heard several steps coming down from the higher parts of the residence and looked out to a small window.

"About damn time," he muttered to no one.

The Spartan grabbed the MA5D and made his way up the stone staircase to the main area of the building. When he ducked beneath the doorway, he saw that Twilight and Spike were both up and looking at him from another room.

"Oh, good morning, Five," Twilight spoke with a smile. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"No thanks, I'm good."

'Rather not risk having my insides melted by alien food, thanks,' he thought to himself.

"Well, alright then."

The two made way to the other room while Five looked out the main windows to the building. The streets were bustling with activity, as the roads were drowned in a variety of colors and sizes of ponies. It almost made Five sick to look at all the changing colors.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he caught something glisten in the sky. Upon zooming in, he watched as several golden figures were pulling a small object towards him. On the back of what they were pulling, however, was a familiar punching bag.

"Well, look who's back for round two," he said while smirking under his helmet.

\\\//////

Celestia shifted on her hooves as the Royal Chariot pulled her across the sky towards Ponyville Library.

'If it hurt Twilight in any way, I'll throw it into the Sun and make it burn for a thousand years,' she thought darkly.

With a shift of her shoulder, Celestia could feel the sting of pain from her right wing, where the machine had done... something. All she knew was that they had to remove a piece of metal from her joint, as well as splint the limb so that she could recover properly. Her appendage wrapped up and her magic left slightly disoriented with her healing, she felt as though the very fate of her people rested on how well she could talk down a demon of metal.