Who Rules?: Circles

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Deep inside, he was disappointed with himself. It was bad enough he was sitting there watching the mares trot around the track—again—but he was doing it in plain sight. Well, actually, he wasn’t sure if that was better or worse, but the fact he was doing it was pretty bad.

Regnant Troth was starting to think he might have a problem.

“Woof,” he muttered to himself, ignoring the annoying side of him thinking he had a problem. It was the fourth lap for the unicorn provoking the comment, and she had already been running before he got there. She was tall, lean, and gorgeous, with a stunning white coat and a lush light pink mane currently tied back away from her face. And all of this before dawn.

He briefly reconsidered the concept of him being in plain sight. True, he wasn’t hiding, but being a dark blue Chollima with a black mane did make him rather difficult to spot in the purple haze of the pre-dawn night. And standing just on the other side of the fence near a tree did make him much, much harder to locate.

Yeah, he was pretty sure he had a problem.

And not just his compulsive voyeuristic tendencies, either. His job was now on the line. Princess Luna and Tenebrous Quill made it perfectly clear they consider him a screw up, despite his years of service. Which made no sense at all. Sure he was a little late sometimes, but that doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to ignore his contributions. He was a member of the Night Guard! He served and fought against both Chrysalis and Coldheart when they invaded Canterlot, giving his all to protect Equestria. And even though one of those invaders now lived here—which made no sense to him at all—he would gladly lay down his life again. Even if it was protecting Princess Chrysalis—which even thinking the name made his muzzle crinkle up.

Plus, he was a stalwart. He guarded Princess Luna at every court, making sure no pony was able to get in anything that might harm her. He was the front line. The first defense. There was no way that any pony was going to get anything past him!

“Hi.”

Having wings helps when you jump about a meter into the air from shock. Mostly in the sense it allowed Regnant Troth to catch himself and gently return to the ground without face planting. He felt his heart in his throat, racing well beyond any reasonable number to count in regards to a healthy lifestyle. The narrow slitted pupils almost disappeared in his yellow eyes as he focused on the mare standing across from him on the other side of the fence.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” she said with a smirk.

“You, uh,” he cleared his throat quickly, “you didn’t startle me. I was just checking on…something higher.”

“Of course you were,” she could barely suppress her giggle.

“Um, so…” He glanced nervously to either side, looking for something to give him focus. “How can I help you?”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. I’ve just noticed you over here a few times watching me run, and I was curious why you didn’t come out and run, too?” Her eyes were half lidded, and seemed to be that way naturally. Despite being half hidden, he found himself getting lost in those purple pools.

He swallowed reflexively.

“I’m just making sure purple are okay,” he said weakly.

“Purple are okay?”

“Ponies! Not purple. Eyes meant…I! I meant ponies. Purple. Ha. That doesn’t make any sense, does it? No, not really.” He was nodding the whole time.

“You’re one of the night guard, right?” she asked, the smile unable to leave her face.

“Yeah-huh. I sure am.” He was still nodding.

She nodded in time with his head until he noticed and suddenly stopped. His nod was instantly replaced with a wide, awkward smile.

“Most of the Chollima don’t come out and fraternize, especially during the day,” she said. Her eyes glanced up. “Well, near day anyway.”

“Yeah. Our eyes don’t like the bright light so much,” he answered. He suddenly shook his head sharply. “Hey, you said Chollima.”

“Well, that’s right, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yeah-huh. It’s just…you didn’t say bat-pony.”

“I know. I was the one who said it.” She opened her eyes a little further and turned her head slightly.

“But no pony uses that. Well, almost no pony, anyway.” His mouth was hanging slack and he was staring at her directly.

“You seem to be having a tough time with this,” she said. “Do you need some space to let it settle in?” She took a half step backwards. He moved against the fence in response.

“No! I mean…no. No, I understand, I’m just…amazed.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she laughed.

“Oh, yeah! Yeah, do. That’s what I meant,” he fumbled over himself. “I meant it in a good way. A compliment kind of way.”

“Good.” Her face was tight as she tried to not openly giggle again.

“So, um,” he searched for something to say. “Why are you out here running so much?” Mentally he smacked his own forehead.

“I have to keep in good shape. For work,” she answered. “Running helps do that.”

“Really? What do you do? When you aren’t running, I mean.”

“I’m a model,” she answered. “And I really should get back to my run. I have a couple more laps I want to do, and I have some work later on, so I have to get ready for that, too.”

“Oh. Okay. That’s…okay.” He nodded. Again. “You go run. I’ll just…not stare. I swear I’m not staring.”

“Well, whatever you think is best,” she chuckled. She turned and started to trot away. “It was nice talking to you.”

He watched her for a full second before his eyes shot wide. “I’m Regnant Troth!” He yelled. “That’s my name, I mean.”

She turned and trotted slowly backwards for a bit. “Nice to meet you, Regnant.”

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Fleur. Fleur de Lis.”

She turned and trotted away a little more quickly. Regnant watched her run away—trying not to stare, and failing—while he slowly nodded. He caught himself and stopped. He wondered for a moment if there might be something wrong with his neck.

* * * * * * * *

She could feel the sun waiting to rise. Tugging at her. Begging her to let it begin its journey across the sky. And as always, Celestia listened.

Her eyes blinked open and her head slowly turned around, scanning the dim light to gain her bearings once again. Twisting her head to the side she found no pony in bed with her. She was alone. The heavy sigh from her did little to hide the sound of the curtain fluttering near the balcony.

Lightly she stood from the bed and walked to the doorway. A familiar figure stood outside.

“Good morning,” Celestia said gently.

Luna turned, looking back over her shoulder. “Oh, my apologies. I didn’t hear you rise. Time has gotten away from me somewhat this evening. It’s been a rather hectic night.”

“Yes, so I heard. How do you feel?” Celestia stepped out beside her.

“Tired,” Luna laughed. “I’m not used to such things.”

“It is an unusual event, that is certain.” Celestia turned and looked over Canterlot. No snow was falling, but the city remained blanketed in white. In a short while the sun would rise and so would the temperature, but not enough to melt the snow. Winter Wrap Up was still weeks away.

“Yes, it was.” Luna’s tone caused Celestia to turn to her. “You had nothing to do with that, did you, Tia?”

“With what? The ponies who came to see you? What would make you think such a thing?” She recoiled slightly.

“Because it…felt like you. As though you were wanting to make me feel like the ponies were seeking my aid and guidance more so than usual.” Her voice was dark. “Or that you were testing me.”

Celestia’s head shuddered. “Testing you? What do you mean, testing you?”

Luna filled her lungs, and let them out slowly, a mist of steam expiring from her. “I have been thinking. A great deal, actually. About myself and Equestria, mostly.” She turned to look at her sister. “They will never trust me. Not the way they trust you, will they?”

“Of course they will!” Celestia answered instantly. “They know what you did against Coldheart and how you risked your life and limb to save not only myself, but the country from devastation. You are-“

“I am the darkness who threatened to destroy their Princess and sink them all into eternal night,” she replied. “Do you truly think they will forget that soon?”

“They have already forgotten that, Luna. They came to accept you very quickly. You know that. Why are you thinking this suddenly?” Celestia raised a wing up and lowered it over Luna’s back. “They love you.”

Her head dropped down slightly, eyes lowered to look at the floor. “I wish I was as confident as you, Tia. I do wish it was true that they love me like they love you.” She looked over at Celestia once more. “When I look into their eyes, I see fear. And, so help me, I like it.”

“Luna,” Celestia laughed. “Ponies do not line up in droves to see a princess they fear. They come to see a princess they respect.”

“Really?” Luna snorted a laugh in response. “Yes, they come out of respect to speak with the Princess of the Night so they can discuss all of the important events of the day. Things like vicious attacks on outhouses by neighbors. The devastating obstruction of a window by a new building being erected. And the tragic loss of a cat that has yet to return home. Truly, matters desperate for royal guidance.”

Shaking her head, Celestia answered, “Luna, you are looking at this the wrong way. These are matters that must be dealt with by somepony. They chose you to help them.”

“Why not you?” She answered curtly. “Why not come to you for these matters, then?”

Celestia opened her mouth silently for a moment. “There isn’t time. I deal with as many as I can, but matters of state have to take precedence over those matters. It is why I have put judicators in place to deal with such things. It gives me time to—“

“Lessers. You can use whatever word makes you happy, Tia, but you allow lessers to deal with these matters because they are beneath you.” Her voice grated in her throat. “And now they are coming to me.”

“No, no! Luna, you are twisting my words. I wasn’t saying in any way that you are beneath me,” Celestia pleaded.

“And yet, you just did.” Luna’s wing popped up, pushing Celestia’s away from her.

“Luna, what is going on here? Where did all of this come from? I don’t understand.”

Luna turned, her hoof stomping into the floor of the balcony firmly. “I don’t know,” she muttered. “The stress of the evening. The weather. Doubts left behind from Coldheart. I don’t know.”

“Doubts? What doubts?” Celestia asked calmly.

“It doesn’t matter,” Luna grumbled.

“It does matter. You shouldn’t feel—“

“I said it doesn’t matter!” Luna spun back around, fangs bared and energy trailing from her eyes. “Do not force this matter, Celestia. Is that clear?”

The wind washed over them, a chill carried across their flesh.

“No,” Celestia answered, her voice like steel. “It is not clear. And it is not something I will sweep aside and ignore. You are my sister, you are my wife, and you are a Princess of Equestria. If there is some doubt in you—something that may jeopardize our love or Equestria—I not only deserve to know what it is, I insist upon it.”

“Well, you will have to forgive me, Your Majesty,” Luna snarled, “but I do not feel like sharing at the moment.” She stepped back and unfurled her wings.

“Luna…” Celestia said firmly.

“You have a duty to perform, Your Majesty. I will do mine, and then the day can begin.” Pushing off of the balcony, her wings beat once, carrying her upward. “Good day.”

She banked and swept off, arcing downward and then quickly curling up into the dark sky.

“Luna!” Celestia stepped to the edge of the balcony. Her voice pierced the sky as she watched her sister fade into the distance. “Come back here! Luna! Luna!!”

* * * * * * * *

The snow crunched under her hoof. She settled it in, turning and twisting until it found a solid surface beneath the powder, and only then did she take her next step. The cold pierced and soaked into her, numbing her halfway up her leg. One corner of her mouth opened into a snarl, but she let no sound come out. Slowly she took another step.

“I do not understand this, Princess,” Dapifer stated. “You know the cold is harmful to you, yet you come out here every morning and subject yourself to this pain.”

Her eyes shifted, staring at him through the thin veil of her teal mane. “Yes, I do.”

“And as I said, Princess, I don’t understand why.” Dapifer moved towards her, raising a blanket to put over her back. He stopped when her head jerked around and her eyes bored into him.

“Then you do not understand the truth behind weakness. You can never let your own weakness be your defeat. You must rise above weakness and put it beneath you.” She turned and took another step forward, her hoof crunching the snow. “My changelings may not be active in this cold, but I am their queen. I will overcome this…annoyance.”

Dapifer huffed a cloud of steam and stepped up, levitating the blanket over her body. Her head spun towards him once again.

“You have nothing to prove, Your Highness. You are, as you stated, active in this cold. You make it a point to receive ponies in this cold. You have nothing to prove to anypony.” He met her gaze without flinching.

Her fangs came clearly into view as her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed. Then, slowly, it softened and she raised her head up, extending her neck high. “The only one you should ever seek to prove anything to is yourself, Dapifer. I don’t do this for anypony save myself.”

“And…?” he quickly added.

“And what? Do you truly think there is some grand scheme behind me walking in this accursed snowfall? No, my aide, there is none.” She turned to face him directly. “In your life, what do you consider your greatest accomplishment?”

His eye flinched. Chrysalis looked at him openly, no animosity or duplicity in her expression. It worried him.

“When I was twelve my father took me to the Empyreal Acumen Tourney, held every other year here in Canterlot. Princess Celestia herself was in attendance. The theme of the Tourney that year was ‘Innovation.’ I had already cleared through the local competition in my home town, and then qualified at the top of my class at the regional meet in Phillydelphia, and then found myself in the final score of participants. I was the third youngest one there. I ended up placing fourth overall, and it brought me to the attention of Vigilant Scryer, who was at the time the Privy Counsellor for the crown. After a conversation with my parents, he convinced them to enroll me in the Junior Assistant program at the castle where I would finish my education. He took me under his wing—literally in his case, as a pegasus—and taught me the need and roll of the aide in the castle.” He stood up tall and took a deep breath. “And I have never failed to live up to that honor.”

She nodded at him. “And what do you see as my greatest accomplishment?”

His neck twisted slightly before he brought himself back to look at her. “I am sure you might consider your invasion of Canterlot an impressive event, or possibly your battle with Coldheart a few months ago, but I would prefer to think the time you have spent as a Princess of Equestria to be your finest accomplishment.” He smiled.

“I see,” Chrysalis purred. “I understand how you could think those things about me. It makes sense. And for your achievement…” She shrugged her shoulders. “Honorable. Respectable. And ultimately, very disappointing.”

Fire burned in his eyes as his jaw slid back and forth, threatening to grind his teeth. “Disappointing? I…disagree, Your Highness.”

“It is, though.” She took a step towards him, her size looming above him. “It means your greatest accomplishment is in the past.”

“That is what you asked,” he said through tight lips.

“No, no. I asked what you consider your greatest accomplishment. I gave no specific time. You chose to limit yourself that way.” She brought her neck down, bringing her head level with his. “I do not choose such limits for myself.”

“You deceived me, Your Highness,” he grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. “I did no such thing. And could you be more trite? Accusing a changeling of deception…” A heavy sigh echoed from her.

“I meant no insult,” he clarified with a brief bow of his head.

“Oh, I know that. I am allowed to make a joke, aren’t I?”

He nodded. “Tell me then, Princess, what is it you see as your greatest accomplishment?”

Her chest swelled out and her head turned to one side. The slightest hint of a fang reveled itself under her faint smile as the tip of her tongue came out and flicked against her upper lip for a moment. “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” He raised an eyebrow. “What happens tomorrow?”

“I have no idea,” she said. “That’s what makes it so promising. Every day is another opportunity for me to accomplish something magnificent, and then go beyond it the day after.” She stepped beside him, looking over her shoulder into his eye. “My greatest accomplishment is the one I will achieve next, no matter what or where that might occur.”

She strode on, moving back towards the castle once again.

“That is what ambition truly is, Dapifer. You can consider this a free lesson in the matter. Now, let’s go back inside where any reasonable pony should be in this weather. I have some things I want you to gather for me.”

He turned around and watched her stride towards the building, each hoof rising up high out of the snow. His head began to shake back and forth without him realizing it.

“I was the one who thought it foolish to come out here in the first place,” he mumbled as he trailed behind her.

* * * * * * * *

A flash of light coated everything in the room in a shade of gold for the briefest of moments. Fleur closed one eye reflexively, mad at herself instantly afterward for doing it. She knew better. You never close your eyes when something sudden happens. It was the easiest way to be caught off guard, and in her line of work that usually meant very bad things.

In this case, though, she knew she was safe.

“Princess.” She bowed her head easily towards the statuesque white mare now sharing the room.

“Please, Fleur, there is no need for such formalities.” Celestia walked over to the other mare and draped their necks together, pulling Fleur into an informal hug and then released it to look her in the eyes. “How are you? We never do get to spend any quality time together just speaking.”

“An unfortunate side-effect of my job, Your Majesty. Such familiarity could ruin my position by exposing my relationship with you.”

Celestia walked past her, stepping towards the table at the nearby window. The sun was high overhead, lighting the room while keeping much of it in shadow at the moment. “I doubt it would be so severe. I already see you and Fancy Pants at several social occasions each year, so extending that out—“

“Extending that out puts me in a greater spotlight of association with you. I keep a high profile on purpose, but in a much different spotlight. You aren’t exactly known for dealing with vacuous socialite models for friendship.” Fleur moved over to the table, sitting across from Celestia.

It was a smallish room, circular in design, with stone walls covered in tapestries, and only the sole window on the northern wall and no visible doors. A few heavy tapestries hung from the walls, helping to soften the noise. Most of them were blank, serving more function than form, but one did bear the stylized image of Luna and Celestia rearing over an orb seemingly comprised of half sun and half moon.

The sole piece of furniture in the room was the table where they sat. There were only two seats, but both were ornate and solid in their design, and were quite weathered and worn from usage. On the table was a pot of tea and two cups.

“Well, it still seems sad we only truly speak in secret,” Celestia stated. Fleur only nodded calmly in response.

“Tea?” Fleur asked.

“Please.” Celestia displayed a polite, but genuine smile.

A pink glow surrounded the pot, raising it up and gliding it over to Celestia’s cup, smoothly pouring it three-quarters full. She levitated the pot over to her cup and filled it to the same level as Celestia grasped hers magically and brought it to her lips.

“Mmmmmm.” Celestia closed her eyes and held the cup under her nose for a moment, filling her lungs with the aroma to match the flavor still playing across her tongue. “There are two things about you, Fleur, that I will never understand. First, how you manage to find such wonderful teas to share with me, and secondly how you get them into this tower for us to share.”

Lowering the cup from her own lips and setting it on the table, Fleur smiled gracefully. “And I am not going to answer either of those questions, Your Majesty. It would completely ruin my mystique.”

A soft laugh spread from Celestia’s throat, dampened by another sip of tea.

“May I ask why you called this meeting, Your Majesty? We aren’t scheduled to speak for another three weeks,” Fleur asked as she ran her hoof around the rim of her teacup.

“Why do you think?” Celestia kept her eyes and voice level.

She took a deep breath and held it for a moment. Her hoof came away from the table, moving to sit against her chest as she spoke. “You’re concerned about Princess Chrysalis and her daily activities. The purpose behind all of her open courts and open—at least for her—nature. And, as I have already told you, it’s my belief she is using them to feed passively. She’s sustaining herself from the admiration and support she is building through this goodwill demonstration.”

“And that hasn’t changed?” Celestia asked.

“No, Your Majesty. If it had, I would have already informed you. She seems to be playing a waiting game.”

Celestia took another sip of tea, the warmth of it on her throat half-closing her eyes and drawing her shoulders up slightly in response. She opened her eyes and looked back over to Fleur. “Good. I suspected that to still be the case. She flaunts it openly beneath my balcony every day, so it’s not like she’s trying to keep it hidden.”

“Then that isn’t why you summoned me,” Fleur stated, twisting her head slightly.

A quick sigh preceded Celestia’s answer. “No. No, it isn’t. I want you to find out what is happening with Luna.”

Fleur raised an eyebrow. “Can you be more precise? Is there a specific event or aspect you want me to investigate?”

“Perhaps.” She set the tea down and looked out the window. “Last night an unusually large number of ponies showed up to the Night Court. For some reason it upset her deeply. I want to know why.”

“Why it upset her or why the ponies showed up?” she asked.

A laughed snorted out of Celestia in a single puff of breath. “Both, I suppose.”

“Why don’t you ask her directly why it upset her?” Fleur asked bluntly. “You two don’t keep secrets from each other, at least not since you became a couple.”

It was Celestia’s turn to raise an eyebrow as she looked back across the table. “And how much do you keep tabs on my sister and I?”

“As much as you would expect me to, Your Majesty. I would be remiss if I didn’t.”

“True.” Celestia nodded slowly. “Well, since you already are keeping in the know, do you have any clue what brought on last night’s events?”

“No.” Fleur shook her head. “I can find out, though. I may have a connection there.”

“Who?”

“I don’t want to give out a name. At least not until I determine if that pony is willing to work with me—one way or another.”

“Do I want to know what that means?” Celestia asked.

“Probably not,” Fleur stated cooly.

“Thank you.” Celestia returned to her tea, lifting it up again and taking another sip. “You have been an excellent friend, Fleur.”

“No, Your Majesty, I haven’t,” she answered. “A friend wouldn’t do half of the things I’ve done—or inevitably will do.”

“They would if they knew it was the right thing,” Celestia said with a smile.

“Then let’s hope I always remember to do the right thing,” Fleur responded with a chuckle.

They both raised their cups and sipped their tea.

* * * * * * * *

“Not again. Not again. Not again.”

He was reciting the words under his breath as a mantra to himself, hoping that somehow saying it out loud might alter the truth of the matter. He was late for the Night Court—again.

Many things rushed through Regnant Troth’s mind. Most of them involved Luna standing above him, fangs bared, and him pleading for his life—and not in a fun way, either. A couple of the thoughts were about Luna laughing as he was stripped of his position and relegated to new duty as the latest guard of the prison latrine. And then there was that one image of the pink-maned mare he met at the track the previous night—she had a very familiar face.

Thoughts and realities came to a sharp collision as he raced into the Throne Room, slowing to a trot in the hopes Luna wouldn’t notice, and…she wasn’t there. He looked around quickly, trying to spot where she might be hiding—though why he thought the Princess of the Night would hide from him never really crossed his mind.

Other guards were in place. The main doors to the hallway were closed. The throne, however, was empty. He glanced across at one of the other night guards and motioned vaguely towards the throne, opening his eyes wide as he did. The other guard shook his head slowly and turned away.

“She’s not here.”

He lurched backwards, but kept his hooves on the ground. Too many damn mares startling him lately…

“I, uh, I can see that.” He nodded quickly, affirming his statement.

Tenebrous Quill rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky. This would be your last night, otherwise.”

“You aren’t going to tell her?” he asked.

“Why should I? I don’t want to be the tattle-tail pony. Besides, one more night on the job shouldn’t be a long wait,” she said with a smirk.

“One more night, what do you…” His brow furrowed. “Oh. I get it.”

“And here I thought you had no good qualities,” she scoffed.

He looked around quickly, and turned back to her with a sour expression. “So, where is she, anyway?”

“She told me earlier that some matters of state had arisen and cancelled the court for tonight. We will be resuming normal duties tomorrow,” she replied. “Well, most of us will, anyway.”

“Yes…ma’am,” he replied reluctantly.

“Glad you understand,” she said calmly.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and held it, counting to ten. After he reached ten he went ahead and held it for five more seconds just to make sure, and then he released it. He opened his eyes and, much to his shock, Tenebrous Quill was still there, staring at him with a smile.

“Um, can I help you?”

“Oh I sincerely doubt that,” she answered. “You do still have a full night’s duty tonight, though.”

“I do?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. Somepony is going to have to stand outside those doors and tell every single pony who comes up that the Night Court is not in session this evening. I’m sure they will all be very understanding. Well, some of them, in any case.” If anything her smile grew wider.

His mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. “I…can’t we just put up a sign or something?”

“That wouldn’t be respectful to the citizens of Equestria. I want a pony out there dealing with their concerns.” She leaned in towards him. “All night long.”

His wings stiffened—and not in a good way—as his mane bristled up. Clenching his teeth, he spoke slowly, “Since you’ve already made up your mind, ma’am, may I ask a question?”

“Please do,” she answered.

“What in Tartarus did I do to piss you off and make you hate me so much?” The volume of his voice was low, but the words behind it were shouted.

She gave a half-nod with a smirk. “Candidly? You have done nothing—and that is exactly the problem. You are lazy. You have no discernible skills or abilities. You have no aspirations or goals. From everything I have been able to put together on you, you got to this position through luck and happenstance, and if it were not for a decided lack of competent ponies with experience, you would have been removed from your position months ago. You are, in short, a waste of this court’s time and effort.”

He stood there for a moment, staring openly, his eyes now narrowed but his mouth still hanging open.

“Okay,” he began finally,” but what did I do to piss YOU off?”

Slowly, her eyes closed, a soft pop issuing from her mouth as her tongue clicked off the roof of her mouth.

“Go into the hall,” she instructed, leaving her eyes shut. “Tell every pony who comes up to the door there is no court tonight. Be polite and concise.” She finally opened her eyes, glaring over at him “Is that perfectly clear?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I got it the first time you told me.” He nodded, his neck sliding to make it move at an angle.

“Good. It’s pleasant to know something makes sense to you. Now, get out there and do your job.” She wheeled about on her rear hooves, walking away briskly. The small shoes on her hooves clicked against the hard floor.

Shaking his head, Regnant Troth turned and walked to the door he guarded almost every night. He opened it slowly, only creating a small enough gap for a single pony to step through. Immediately, he was met with the gaze of hundreds of eyes as all of the ponies on the other side stared at him suddenly. From their look, it seemed as though they had been waiting a while, and they weren’t happy about it.

He swallowed hard.

“Crap,” he muttered, and stepped through to the other side of the door.

* * * * * * * *

The quill rested above the paper, not moving or even touching the parchment itself. Just as it had been for the past twenty minutes. Her eyes focused on the page, but all she could see was a blank field of nothingness. With a resolved sigh Celestia sat the quill back in its holder and took a step back away from the desk.

Her head turned and looked towards the window. The moon shone down through the curtains, still fairly low on the horizon. As she said she would, Luna had performed her duty. Lowering her head slightly, Celestia noticed the large ice ring surrounding the moon that night, and it reflexively brought a smile to her face for some reason.

Slowly she stepped over towards the window, stopping just as she entered the direct light of the moon. She sat down on the floor, still staring outside. Lifting her right wing up, she gracefully brought it around until it was beside her head. Softly and carefully, she twisted her neck and brought her lips up to nuzzle through her feathers, pulling on them in a firm, calculated manner. The ones that did not pull free she straightened and brought back in line.

“You still do that.”

Her head snapped around at the words. They were barely more than a whisper, but they blazed in her ears. A shadowed figure stood on the far side of the room, staying out of the light from the candle.

“Luna?” Celestia’s voice rose in anticipation.

“Ever since I can remember, you have preened yourself when you were nervous or bothered. It’s the first time I’ve seen you do it since I returned from the moon.”

Celestia half-smiled as she lowered her eyes slightly. “It’s the first time I’ve been afraid since then.”

The sound of Luna’s hooves clacking against the floor were crisp and clear in the silence of the room as she stepped out into the light towards her sister. “The first time you’ve been afraid? I’m trying to decide if I should be offended.” There was a hint of laughter in her voice.

“I wasn’t afraid of you when you were a threat to Equestria. I didn’t have time. I was too adamant about saving the ponies who relied upon me—especially you,” Celestia answered calmly.

“You always have put others ahead of yourself.” Luna walked further, finally coming to a stop and sitting down on Celestia’s left in the pale moonlight. “I wish I could say the same.”

“You are a kind, caring soul, Luna. Don’t think otherwise.” Celestia smiled weakly.

“No, I’m not. I am a proud, selfish mare who does what she feels is best for herself first and foremost. If I can find a way to do that for the benefit of others, then I will, but—“

“Luna, stop,” Celestia brought her wing up to Luna’s lips, silencing her. “There is no need to disparage yourself. I will not deny that you have darker urges than I do, but the fact you are able to overcome them and be such an amazing pony, princess, sister, and wife is a testament to your character.”

A short laugh rested deep inside Luna’s throat. Celestia started to remove her wing, pulling it to fold to her body, but found it suddenly motionless. She could feel Luna’s lips holding on tightly to one of her primary feathers.

Gently, Luna pulled on it, tugging at it and then pulling the strands in line with her lips when it held tight. Then she moved to the next feather on the wing, testing and then using her lips and tongue to align and coat the surface with protective fluid.

Celestia held her wing in place, letting Luna move from feather to feather, cleaning and caring for them one after another. In short time she came to realize she had stopped breathing, and did her best to resume that activity without bringing undo attention to herself.

Thankfully, Luna continued, and Celestia watched as she moved up along her wing, going from primaries to secondaries, and then briefly to secondary coverts before she finally raised her head up to look her directly in the eye.

“I’m sorry, Tia.” Her voice was soft and her eyes softer, the predatory quality buried beneath a sheathe of compassion. “I should not have spoke to you like I did, nor flown off in a huff.”

“You were upset. I don’t blame you,” Celestia choked. “I’m sorry I said things that made you leave. I’m just glad you came back.”

Luna’s laugh was much more audible. “Did you really think I was gone? I dug through the mountain below us looking for you. I’m not exactly one to give up easily.”

“Oh, I am very aware of your persistence. I’ve been on the wrong end of that a few times,” she joked. Luna winced.

“I’m sorry about that, too,” she stated.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Celestia quickly responded. “Everything has worked out for the best.”

Luna’s lips turned up into a smile as Celestia pulled her wing back and folded it to her side.

“Are you willing to tell me what was bothering you earlier? You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she quickly added.

Wordlessly, Luna turned her head to stare out the window at her moon, and a long silence followed. Celestia waited patiently.

“I was afraid,” she finally answered.

“Afraid? You?” Immediately Celestia regretted her words, but the emotion was genuine. She quickly did her best to play it off. “I don’t think that’s really possible.”

“It’s very possible, Tia. It’s something I’ve felt ever since Coldheart’s invasion.” Luna took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“You keep mentioning her and what happened. Did something occur I need to know about?” Celestia asked.

A quick glance passed from Luna to the horn resting on Celestia’s brow.

“My horn?” she asked. “Something about my horn bothers you?”

A slow nod built up with Luna. “Yes. The fact that you lost it, actually.”

“But I fixed it. Everything is fine, Luna.” Celestia smiled and brought her head forward, glancing over at her sister.

“I almost lost you, Tia.” Her eyes stayed focused out the window. “I couldn’t protect you.”

“Luna, you don’t have to protect me. I’m perfectly capable to taking care of myself,” Celestia answered.

Luna turned to look at Celestia with moisture filling her eyes. “No. No, you aren’t. You are going to die, Tia. Something, somehow, at some point will kill you. You will be gone and I will…I will still be here. I’ll always be here. We will be forever apart.”

“Luna…”

“And what is more, the ponies will hate me, possibly more than they already do, because I didn’t save you. I do not have your kindness inside me, Tia. I have darkness, not light, and it is only kept in check by you. Once you are gone, I…I do not know what will happen.”

“Luna,” she whispered. “Oh, Luna, don’t think that way. Firstly, I have no intention of dying, by any means at any time.”

“No pony does, Tia.”

A warm smile grew on her face as Celestia brought her hoof up to touch Luna on the cheek. “Then I suppose you and I should follow the lessons of the mortal ponies, and live every moment together as something special.”

“Every moment with you is something special,” Luna replied.

Their eyes locked. Neither of them willing to turn away or speak, lest that single sensation be lost forever. Eventually the darker alicorn inched closer, turning her muzzle slightly until her lips found Celestia’s, and at that moment they both closed their eyes, letting the emotion continue through their kiss.

Finally, Celestia pulled back, lifting her eyes half open while remaining focused on the floor. “Mistress, I—“

“No,” Luna cut her off softly, and Celestia glanced up to see a crooked smile on her wife’s lips. “No, tonight I just want to be Luna. Please?”

Celestia stood, rising up to her full height and holding a hoof out for her sister, who took it and rose up to stand beside her. Laying a wing across Luna’s back, Celestia guided them both over their massive bed and crawled up onto it. Luna followed close behind. Magic lifted Luna’s chest plate and crown from her, placing them on the table beside her sister’s.

They lay together, facing each other on the bed. Luna brought her hoof up and touched Celestia on the cheek, gently caressing as she drew it back towards herself. As it reached the front of her mouth, Celestia brought her own hoof up to hold it briefly, kissing Luna’s fetlock and the top of her hoof before letting it travel away. Celestia followed the hoof towards her sister, tracking towards her muzzle and once more finding her lips for a passionate kiss.

Their lips still together, Luna raised her right wing up and started to move it over. At the same time, Celestia brought her left wing above the bed, meeting and pressing against Luna’s until their feathers began to intertwine. Pinion and primaries overlapped each other, rendering an odd checkerboard mix of black and white above the bed in a soft canopy.

Beneath it, they continued to find each other in a kiss. Meeting and breaking apart, only to return and explore carefully, pulling and pressing with their lips.

Celestia was the first to move, breaking her wing free of Luna’s and shifting herself slightly above her sister. Her kisses trailed away from Luna’s mouth, tracking across her muzzle and onto her neck. She was in no hurry, letting herself linger on Luna’s neck, finding the tender zones causing Luna to moan and writhe beneath her. She could feel her wife’s pulse racing as she planted a series of kisses down the neck, tracing the vein running along the side.

Languishing for a moment at the point where Luna’s neck met her barrel, Celestia carried herself along the full width of the area before venturing further down.

Luna closed her eyes and rolled onto her back, a smile growing on her lips as she felt Celestia move down to her marehood. Tiny electric jolts raced through her flesh, igniting a fire inside her, both in body and soul. She could feel herself rising up, meeting her sister’s tongue as it darted and played along her sex.

Her mouth fell open, and she sucked her lower lip in between her teeth, biting down softly. Inwardly she chuckled, proud of herself for training Celestia to please her so well—but she knew that wasn’t true. Celestia was more experienced than she was, and she was much better at expressing her love. All of the sensations shooting through her body were a clear indication of nothing more than raw emotion translating to passion.

As the fires in Luna’s loins grew, so did her passion to reciprocate it.

Celestia felt Luna’s forehoof grasping down, trying to find and pull on her own leg. The indication was very clear, so she raised herself up, moving her mouth away from the tasty treasure she had been enjoying to shift her own body, positioning herself over Luna so they both had equal access to each other.

Luna lunged upwards, slathered her tongue against Celestia’s sex, finding her opening drenched and ready for pleasure. Immediately, Celestia returned to her task, once more locking her lips down around Luna’s marehood, sucking gently as her tongue teased against the hardened nub waiting in the folds.

They lay there, locked together, sharing all of their energy and all of their emotion, channelling it into a single physical act. As their fever rose, the intensity of their administrations increased. Luna wrapped her hooves around Celestia’s flank, pulling her down tightly to hold her in place as she continued to coax all of her sister’s juices free from her sex.

Deep groans grew louder from Celestia, starting in her chest and rising up to be muffled against Luna’s dripping pussy. Luna could feel the slight tremors beginning in her sister, her sex clenching and releasing rhythmically at an ever increasing pace. Luna latched onto Celestia’s clit, sucking it into her mouth and raking it against the sharp points of her fangs as gently as she could, while still lashing against it softly with her tongue.

That was all Celestia could take. Her head shot up, rising away from Luna’s sex as she screamed along with her release. A torrent of cum issued from her pussy, and Luna sucked on it, drinking as much of it into her mouth as she could manage.

Before the first wave fully subsided, Celestia once again returned to her task, intent on bringing as much pleasure to Luna as she had to her. The tongue slashed along the length of Luna’s marehood, parting the lips and giving access for Celestia to plunge her tongue inside. Pushing as far as her long, strong, wet muscle could manage, she drove into Luna’s cunt, driving in at the same tempo and intensity she felt as her orgasm continued.

The raw, primal intensity of Celestia’s loving assault was enough to push Luna over the edge, and in moments she felt herself erupting with an intensity every bit the equal of her wife’s. A roar, deeper and darker than Celestia’s cry, resonated against her sister’s still spasming sex.

Celestia’s felt her face covered in a strong stream of she-cum, splashing against her jaw and nose, and carrying up to strike her throat, soaking into her coat. She moved her mouth up, trying to catch the fluid releasing itself against her, only to find it splashing against her mouth and lips, and falling against Luna’s legs and belly.

Eventualy, not even the formidable endurance of two goddesses could keep them going, and they collapsed onto the bed in a heap of flesh. Celestia lay on top of her sister, panting hard and heavy, her brain slowly returning to a more normal level of sentience as Luna did the same below her.

The fact she was lying on her wife finally registered, and Celestia slid off and to the side, lying immediately beside her once again. With another display of strength, Celestia turned her body around to come face-to-face with Luna once more before she collapsed onto the mattress.

The stared at each other in silence, both of their faces twisted delightfully up in a wide smile. A tear broke and streamed down Celestia’s cheek.

“I’m sorry I upset you earlier,” Celestia said, “but I must admit I was very happy with our mutual apology.”

Luna laughed. “I noticed. I must say I enjoyed it myself.” Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Don’t get used to it, though. You do understand you are still my slave.”

It was Celestia’s turn to laugh. “Of course I do, and I wouldn’t want it any other way, Mistress.”

“Good.” Luna stretched over and placed a soft kiss on Celestia’s lips. “I didn’t hurt you with my fangs, did I? I was trying to be very careful.”

“You were fine, Luna. I didn’t even notice.” Celestia laughed again. “Besides, with as rough as you were on me last night, it would have had to have been something extraordinary to cause an issue. Not that last night was a problem, but this was a very pleasant change of pace.”

There was a pause, and then Luna raised her head up slightly off the bed.

“Last night? What do you mean, last night?”

* * * * * * * *

Chrysalis reclined in her chair, her body lounged out casually in the massive oblong circle. The dark cushions beneath her held her head high and perfectly in line with the book floating in her magical grasp. The words ‘Rites and Rights: An Equestrian Codex’ were inscribed in ancient script across the cover of the thick tome. The changeling’s tongue passed over her teeth again and again, pressing against the fangs threatening to draw blood at any moment.

“I really must take a moment to properly thank Dapifer,” she mused aloud. “He has proven to be a most excellent assistant.” She raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps I will even keep him around.”

She levitated the book to the table beside her chair, and took a moment to stretch her body. To any casual observer it seemed as though her limbs actually grew slightly as she pressed them out to loosen her muscles.

A quick glance to her left confirmed what she knew was there, and she grasped it with her magic and brought it slowly towards her. She sat up in her chair, bringing her haunches underneath her as she settled in again.

The tray floated in front of her, holding a single, simple cup and a large, flattened kettle. She raised the kettle up and poured the steaming liquid into the mug, and then set the rest of the tray back down on the table where she plucked it from moments ago.

She stared at the cup of hot liquid in front of her and frowned.

“Then again, it was Dapifer who got me addicted to this horrid brown liquid,” she muttered. Despite her protest, she brought the mug up and inhaled the fumes, closing her eyes for a moment and then bringing the cup to her lips. She pulled down a sip, feeling its warmth carry down all the way into her stomach.

“Damnable liquid,” she grumbled, once again holding the cup under her nose.

The doors to her chamber rattled against the walls as they were thrown open in a sudden burst of sound and energy. A few small items—treasures and mementoes of Chrysalis’s previous accomplishments—fell to the ground, only increasing the cacophonous din in the room.

A single figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted in the light from the hall. Waves of dark power cascaded off her body, leaving her form obscured save for bright white fangs and glowing draconian teal eyes.

Chrysalis casually turned her head to look at her.

“Oh, hello Luna,” she droned. “How are you this evening?”

The figure in the doorway remained silent, her form swelling up to an immense proportion, threatening to block out all light around her. Chrysalis carefully replaced her teacup with the kettle on the table and then stood from her chair, turning to face the other mare.

“Did you finally get to have a talk with Celestia?” Her voice was rich with honey.

Luna moved a single step into the room, the tiles beneath her hooves cracking.

“We…have things…to discuss…” The words growled out of her, barely making it through her clenched teeth.

The right side of Chrysalis’ mouth curled up into a sneer as she brought her chin closer to her throat.

“Oh, do we…?”

…to be continued.

Author's Note

I am aware that I spelled "tattle-tail" incorrectly. It just seemed better for a pony to use that spelling.

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Some days, he just hated his job.

“I understand that, ma’am, but I didn’t do it. I can’t tell you why the princess cancelled the Night Court, but…well, I’m out here telling you that.”

“But I’ll have you know that my husband and I traipsed all over Equestria to get here, and we only did so because we were told that tonight Princess Luna was seeing ponies with our particular issues. I don’t think that I have to explain that we have our own needs and concerns!” She turned to look at the stallion beside her. “Isn’t that right, Benedict?”

“I—“ He didn’t get past a single word.

“Besides, we have waited patiently here for the past hour just to get to the front of the line to find out that we made this trip, and then waited, for nothing! I simply insist that we see some official tonight! Even if Princess Luna is unavailable there must be some member of court who is willing to hear our complaints and issues.” She turned to the stallion again. “Benedict, I want you to tell this young colt that we have to see somepony!”

“I—“ Cut short again.

“Well this night is not going well, and obviously a complaint will be made about the callous disregard that the nobles are showing to the common ponies. Why, this could be the start of an uprising if they aren’t careful! And we are just a small sample of the ponies affected by this outrage! Benedict will tell you!”

They both turned to look at the stallion, who remained perfectly quiet, his eyes focused on his wife. He waited. And waited again.

“It was just rain,” he finally said softly.

“It was our daughter’s wedding!” She stomped a hoof soundly on the ground. “We petitioned the weather pegasus to make sure that the scheduled rain be moved to a better date, or at the very least kept far away from the ceremony. And what did we get? A soggy wedding! It was ruined!”

“She was happy,” he mumbled.

“All of the time and planning I put into that event was wasted. Wasted! Not a single pony was able to enjoy the sugar sculpture that I had made for them in the shape of grain and a barrel to symbolize their coming together!” She ranted.

“Grain and a barrel?” he muttered.

“We’re brewers!” she shot back at him. “And don’t think that you are off the hoof, either, young colt! I want to hear something from you about this situation right now!”

Regnant Troth looked at her while pointing his head towards her husband. “I’m glad I’m not him.” The husband nodded very slightly. “Now, if you don’t mind, there are other ponies to help.”

That was only partially true; the line had finally faded, so now it was just the stray pony wanting to complain, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. Gently, he pushed the woman aside while she continued to mumble about her plight. Her husband gave him a sympathetic glance, but Regnant shook his head. He wasn’t the one needing sympathy right now.

“Long night, huh?”

His head almost snapped off his neck as it turned to her. He blinked twice, and then shut his eyes tight for a count of two and then reopened them. She was still there.

“Uh, hi,” he said finally.

“Hi yourself,” Fleur de Lis giggled. “I wasn’t expecting it to be so hard to see you tonight. I didn’t think the Night Court was this busy.”

“It’s not.” He shook his head. “It isn’t.” He did it again. “I mean…this is odd.”

“So, you don’t normally get this kind of turnout?” she asked.

“Only last night and tonight,” he answered.

“Really? Wonder why…?” She glanced around, seeing a few ponies still milling about and filtering into the hallway.

“Uh…I don’t know.” He looked around with her, and then finally back at her—and found her staring at him as well. “Oh! Hi.”

“We’ve been over that,” she said. “We can do it again if you like, though.”

“No, no! I’m good.” He nodded.

“Well,” she took a deep breath and smiled, “I was wondering if I could convince you to have dinner with me? Before your next shift, perhaps?”

He looked to the side and back. “With me?”

She answered with a short nod.

“Um…yes?” he squeaked.

“Good. Why don’t we meet at The Gilded Grass. My treat.” She took a half step backwards.

“That place is expensive,” he answered.

“I have expensive tastes. How does 7:30 sound?” She turned her head and her mane fell down over her face, hiding half of it from view. Her one visible eye fell half closed.

“I like that time.” His jaw sat hanging open.

She turned sideways towards him, keeping her gaze directed his way. “Then it’s a date.”

“It is?” He blinked repeatedly.

“That’s…usually what that sort of thing implies, yes,” she laughed softly.

“Oh. Then…yeah.” He nodded quickly. “It’s a date.”

A quick toss of her head threw her mane back away from her face. “I’ll see you tonight, Regnant. Don’t be late.”

“No! No, I will not. I’m never late!” He swallowed hard. “Not me.”

She trotted away with a giggle. He stared at her flank the entire time.

“How in Tartarus did you manage that?” a voice said from beside him. He looked over to see a fellow guard walking slowly up to him, eyes wide and mouth open.

“What? Her? I just…” he paused. “I have no idea.”

“Fleur de Lis? Seriously?” the other guard asked.

Regant pulled his head back slightly. “You know her?”

The other guard turned his head. “Uh, yeah. She’s probably the biggest name fashion model in Equestria. She’s been on the cover of pretty much every magazine I can think of.”

Fleur de Lis. Fleur de Lis. The name rattled around in Regnant’s head a few times before finding a landing place. As it settled in, his eyes opened wider and his pupils grew smaller.

“Holy Celestia!” he shouted. “That’s Fleur de Lis!”

* * * * * * * *

“Would you care for some tea?”

Chrysalis levitated the pot and a cup from the table where they were resting. Stepping into the room, Luna’s magic slammed the entrance to Chrysalis’s room shut, once again rattling the walls and threatening to shake anything left on them to the ground, and then enveloped the doors in a cocoon of dark magic.

“Is that a no?” Chrysalis asked calmly.

“How dare you!” Luna spat and stalked forward towards the other mare. Her eyes glowed black and her fangs glowed silver. “Did you think that I would not find out?!”

The tea was casually returned to its resting place and then Chrysalis turned to look back at Luna. She smiled broadly.

“Do you think that I am an idiot?” she asked.

“Given recent events,” Luna took another step forward, the stone floor screamed beneath her hoof, “yes.”

“Of course you do,” Chrysalis took a step towards Luna, her demeanor remaining even and placid. “Well, allow me to clarify and expedite this, then.” She looked Luna directly in the eye. “I am not an idiot, and I most certainly was the participant in the matter that brought you here tonight.”

Energy bristled around Luna’s horn. Her eyes narrowed and a growl grew in the back of her throat. “Then give me one reason why I shouldn’t destroy you right now…”

A light chuckle rose from Chrysalis before she spoke. “Well, there are many answers to that question, but why don’t I stick with the simplest one,” she rose up, extending her head to rise to her full height, “what did I do wrong?”

“What did you do? Do you jest?! You forced yourself on Celestia!” Luna screamed. “You raped my wife!”

Chrysalis smiled more broadly. “No. I didn’t.”

“You…just…ADMITTED IT!” Luna reared up and slammed her front hooves back to the ground, shattering the stone floor beneath.

A green glow surrounded a heavily bound volume that floated over to Chrysalis. She opened it casually to a marked page in the middle of the book and looked over the text. “Hmmm. I’ve been reading a great deal on Equestrian law lately, and what happened between Celestia and myself was,” she shut the book, “perfectly legal.”

Luna’s lip trembled. Her nostrils flared with every breath. “Do not think you can twist your way out of—“

“Tell me, Luna,” she interrupted, “how faithful have the two of you been? Have either of you taken on any extra lovers since you became a couple?”

“That is not the—“

“Does the idea that Celestia may have taken on an extra lover without your knowledge upset you so much?” she asked.

“You know that she did not! She—“

“Isn’t here. Why didn’t Celestia come here herself if she was so upset by what happened?” Her tongue licked along her fangs slowly.

“I. Told. Her. Not. To.” Luna growled.

“Ah, yes. I was very surprised by your…shall we say unique?…relationship with Celestia. I’m sure she obeyed you instantly. She truly loves being a submissive little beast, doesn’t she?” Chrysalis chuckled.

“Say that again. I want you to say that again so that I have the final reason to tear you in half,” Luna’s hoof scraped into the stone, leaving a deep furrow behind.

“First off, I am only stating the truth and you know it. As soon as I realized her preferences, she turned to putty that I molded, and I am sure that you do the same. And secondly…” Chrysalis took a step forward, bringing her muzzle to muzzle with Luna. “…not on your best day.”

The room filled with blue-black energy, rolling and spilling out and across the floor, racing up the walls and across the ceiling. At that same moment, Luna lunged forward, squaring her horn against the crooked, notched equivalent on Chrysalis’s forehead.

“Do you think this wise, Luna?” Chrysalis snarled, giving no ground to Luna’s might. “Open conflict between two Equestrian Princesses? In this time of crisis showing such open animosity—because I assure you it will get out—can do nothing but destroy a country that is trying to rebuild from tragedy.”

“You are a monster. No pony will mourn your passing,” she barked in reply. Sparks arced from the point where their horns met.

“This isn’t about me, is it? This is about Equestria,” Chrysalis spat, “and you!”

“Me?” Luna reared back, her hoof smashing across the changeling’s muzzle, twisting it to the side with a sharp smack, and causing the mare to stagger back a step. “How dare you turn this to me!”

Slowly, Chrysalis turned back towards her. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her tongue snaked out to lick the trace of blood from the corner of her mouth. “Yes, Princess, you.” She shifted to the side, her eyes still focused on Luna. “Tell me the real reason that you made Celestia stay in her room. Was it because she told you she was too weak to stand after our encounter? That she was too euphoric to move or respond in any way? That I satisfied her more in my one encounter than you ever have…and you were afraid that she would want more?”

A scream of primal rage powered Luna forward while tendrils of electric power arced from her body. This time Chrysalis was prepared, and she turned the fury of the the princess against her, easily deflecting Luna’s attack and pushing her on past with a shove of her own magic.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Chrysalis droned. “It’s not shameful to be the second best she’s ever had.”

“I. Will. Kill you!” Luna screamed at the top of her lungs, again leaping towards her tormentor.

This time Chrysalis met her head on once more, flashes of green and black power filling the room and tearing at the walls and furnishings. The impact alone sent all the contents of the room scattering, leaving the two mares pressing against each other with clenched teeth in the center of a barren space.

“You do not have the strength, Luna. Not without destroying half of the castle. I may not have the power that I had from feeding on Cadance and Shining Armor’s love, but I have been sated, and the power I gained from Celestia last night is enough to stop you!” Chrysalis let a burst of green energy explode from her body, pushing Luna back, but just barely as her hooves once again dug themselves into the stone floor. “So if you want to add to Equestria’s pain, by all means…continue.”

Luna stood there, her body trembling as waves of magical power radiated outward. Both mares waited, staring intently into each others eyes, neither flinching from the other. With an almost imperceptible subtlety, the light returned to the room as the black and blue magic retreated back into its master.

“No,” Luna rumbled. “No, I will not further your damage. This castle will not suffer because of you.” Her eyes lightened from solid black to teal with slits of black inside them. “But you must pay…”

“Really? And how do you propose to do that?” Chrysalis scoffed.

Luna pulled back her lips, exposing her fangs. “By humiliating you in the same manner you did my sister.”

Magic the color of midnight surrounded Luna’s horn, and traced down along her body until is found its destination below and behind her. The magic entered into her sex, and pulled forth a stallionhood of sizable proportion that hung between her legs. Luna raised her head proudly, staring down her muzzle at the changeling.

Twisting her head to one side, Chrysalis peered beneath Luna, measuring her visually. As her head came back up a snicker fell from her mouth, and as she looked directly into Luna’s eyes it grew into a chuckle.

“With that?” she laughed.

With a grimace on her face, Luna lowered her head down to peer at Chrysalis from beneath her brow.

“No offense, Princess, but,” Chrysalis gestured vaguely her direction, “that is hardly intimidating.”

“I’m sure you will still feel that way when you are feeling it on a personal level,” Luna scoffed.

“It’s no wonder Celestia reacted the way she did, considering what I’m seeing,” Chrysalis stated. A green glow surrounded her body and a new appendage appeared between her legs. A very sizable appendage. “Now this is something to brag about.”

Luna’s eyes fell upon the stallionhood growing from Chrysalis’s nethers, and despite any intent, her eyes widened.

“You know she was choking on it, don’t you?” Chrysalis stated, shifting her body to give Luna a more direct view. “I can understand why, if she was used to swallowing that little thing.”

“Little?” Luna’s head snapped back up, staring directly at Chrysalis.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. By most standards, what you have is…nice,” she said with a soft tone, “It’s just that, while you are good with transformative magic, I am…well, I am the queen of transformations, aren’t I?”

“And…I’m supposed to be impressed?” Luna sneered.

“Aren’t you?” She took a step to Luna’s side, staying just out of reach. Luna’s eyes followed her, and glanced downward. “It’s understandable. As I said, your sister was sufficiently…stirred by it.”

“I am not—“

“You are. It’s all right to admit it,” she interrupted, and then sidled up directly beside Luna. “Look at us both. I’m easily half again as large as you are. Is that the best that your magic can do?”

“Do not taunt me, Chrysalis,” Luna growled.

“I’m not,” she said softly. “I’m simply making a point. If we are going to compare our…abilities…we should do so honestly, don’t you think?” Chrysalis met her eyes. “So, honestly, is that the best your magic can produce?”

“It is more than sufficient,” Luna answered.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Chrysalis smiled. “Would you like to touch it?”

“What?!” Luna took a step away from the changeling. “How dare you!”

“It was a simple question, Princess,” Chrysalis slowly moved to walk around in front of Luna, heading towards her other side. “You’ve been staring at it so intently that I just assumed…”

Luna’s head snapped up as Chrysalis’s words struck her. She stared directly at the other mare’s eyes. “I was just…”

“Just what? Curious? Fascinated?” Chrysalis continued to step around her, pacing gingerly as Luna turned slightly to keep a clear view of her. “Or is it something else?”

“Choose your next words carefully, Chrysalis,” Luna snarled.

“I think you’re jealous.” Chrysalis’s lip curled up on the right side. “The only question really is are you jealous of me…or Celestia?”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

Chrysalis continued to pace around her, this time with Luna remaining still and turning her head as she passed out of view waiting for her to reappear—only she didn’t.

“It means that I can smell it on you. It means that as much as you want to have my particular gift right now,” Luna suddenly felt Chrysalis’s hoof press against her sex, and she could not repress the sudden gasp of pleasure, “you would much rather have me use it on you.”

Luna tried to turn, only to find Chrysalis’s other front hoof grasp her firmly by the mane, pulling her backwards as she continued pressing the hoof against her marehood in a small circle.

“L-let go of me, or so help me, I’ll…” Luna’s voice forced itself to a lower octave.

“No,” she answered simply. “No, I don’t think so. I think that I’m going to tell you to get down on your knees, actually.”

“I will never—“

Her voice was suddenly cut off as Chrysalis leaned forward and growled into her ear. “You will do exactly what I say, Is that clear?”

“I…I…” Luna’s voice stammered as her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes blinked rapidly and her lip quivered.

“I want you down on your knees, Princess. Head down and ass up. Is that perfectly clear?” Chrysalis pulled hard, yanking back Luna’s head as a point of emphasis. “Is it?!”

“Y-yes,” Luna whimpered.

“Do it!” Chrysalis threw Luna’s head away, and the black mare sank to the ground instantly, in the exact position Chrysalis instructed. Her muzzle lying on the ground while her flank stood high behind her.

She heard Chrysalis laugh.

“You don’t even understand what is happening, do you, Princess?” Chrysalis’s voice was thick and heavy as she continued to press against Luna’s dripping sex. “Let me explain, then. No pony has ever controlled a sexual encounter with you, have they? That’s because there is no pony that could possibly be your equal—save perhaps your own sister, and we both know she is too much a simpering little sub—except for me.”

She pushed harder against Luna’s marehood, beginning to work the tip of her hoof inside. Luna’s breath was coming in short, sharp takes, her hooves now suddenly clutching the stone she shattered only minutes ago. Her eyes were clenched tight, a hint of tears forming at their edge.

“Beg me,” Chrysalis spat. “Beg me to fuck you.”

“N-no. I won’t do that,” Luna forced out the words. And then she felt a hoof pressing down on the back of her neck.

“That was not a request. Don’t make me tell you again,” Chrysalis instructed. “Do it.”

She hesitated. The pressure on her neck and the feeling against her sex was nothing next to the weight she felt inside. It astonished her when she heard the words come out of her mouth.

“Please?”

“Please what? Be specific!” Chrysalis commanded.

“Please…fuck me,” Luna’s voice cracked.

A soft laugh filled the room as the changeling stepped back away from Luna.

“Turn over. Onto your back, Princess,” Chrysalis said.

Immediately, Luna did as told. She lay flat on her back, with her legs curled up and her wings slightly unfurled to either side to provide extra support. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw the dark figure of Chrysalis standing between her rear legs. She looked down and beheld the massive erection that stood proudly underneath Chrysalis, and from the corner of her eye she could see the impressive, yet smaller, erection of her own.

“I—I will get rid of—“

“Don’t you dare!” Chrysalis snapped, anticipating her words. Green magic surrounded Luna’s lower half and curled her up until she was almost bent at a ninety degree angle. “I want that tiny little thing to stay right where it is.”

Luna’s dick was directly above her own face.

Chrysalis wrapped her forelegs around Luna’s rear legs as she hoisted herself up and placed her hard she-cock across Luna’s sex. With deliberate precision she began to rub the length of her shaft along the sopping opening, covering it in the mare’s juices.

“I’m sure you can see what a truly impressive feature actually looks like now, can’t you, Princess? And I know that you can feel it,” Chrysalis purred. Luna could only nod in agreement. “Well, lucky for you your cunt doesn’t appear to be quite as diminutive as that thing you call a dick. I’m sure I can fit my length all the way inside you, yes?”

“No,” Luna whispered. “No, it’s…too big.”

A taunting caricature of a smile rested on Chrysalis’s face. “Well, I guess we’ll have to find out, won’t we, Princess?”

Chrysalis rose up slightly, and positioned the head of her she-cock at the opening of Luna’s marehood, and then with a slight shift of her hips she pushed inside. Luna gasped as her eyes flew open in surprise, at both the sensation and the fact that it did fit. And she was equally surprised at how difficult it was to catch her breath suddenly.

“Ooh, you are a tight one, aren’t you, Princess?” Chrysalis gently rocked her body, sliding in deeper and deeper with each tiny thrust. “My cock probably feels like it’s prying you apart, doesn’t it?”

Green magic surrounded Luna’s erection, and began to massage it in tempo with Chrysalis’s intrusion. Reflexively, her mouth fell open.

“Do you understand that I am superior to you, Princess? That I am, in fact, a queen, while you cannot ever achieve such a lofty title. I deserve it. You do not.” Chrysalis’s lips pulled all the way back, revealing a full mouth of fangs dripping with saliva.

She tried, but Luna couldn’t find any words. All she could do was shake her head slightly. The tempo of both Chrysalis’s cock and the magic around her own increased, as the huge cock began to plunge deeper than she imagined possible.

“Say it. Say that I am your queen!” she spat.

“N-no…” Luna whispered.

“Say it!” Chrysalis’s assault on her sex reached a fervid peak. “Say it, now!”

Her mind reeled, and her body followed. Before she knew what she was saying, it came out. “You are a queen.”

“Your queen! I am your queen, Princess!” Chrysalis was pressing down on her legs and body, contorting it further, and bringing the head of Luna’s cock almost against her own lips.

“You…are my queen,” Luna stammered.

“Shout it! I want your sister to hear you scream it out!”

Lune was lost. There was no place or purpose, there was only the sensation that was assailing her from two points. There was only pleasure and the pony causing it.

“You are my queen!” her voice echoed off the walls.

And moments later, so did Chrysalis’s scream. Luna felt wave after wave of cum flood into her womb, filling her like never before, even as Chrysalis continued to thrust her massive she-cock inside her convulsing cunt in time with each spasm.

It was at that moment that Luna’s own orgasm erupted. She felt the walls of her vagina contract, trying to milk that massive organ of all its precious fluid and fill her beyond where she already sat. And simultaneously, her own cock released its contents. Cum spurted out onto her face, covering her in her own sticky white fluid. Her face contorted constantly, each wave of pleasure sending another jolt through her body and another splash of semen onto her face.

She heard Chrysalis growl above her.

Eventually, it stopped, or at least subsided to the point where she felt it would stop. Chrysalis pulled herself free of Luna’s sex, and dropped her lower half unceremoniously to the floor. She felt the changeling’s load begin to seep out of her pussy, past her tail, and onto the floor.

“Lick that off your face. Taste your own cum and realize that I was the one who put it there,” Chrysalis commanded. Without thinking, Luna did as she was told.

As her mind began to return, Luna heard the sound of something being dragged across the floor. She didn’t bother to look at it. As gracefully as she could manage, she rolled over onto her stomach, gathering herself. Sharp, lurching breaths filled her lung in bursts, bringing the world back to her in pieces. With deliberate motion, she picked up her right foreleg and tried to position it under her to help her stand.

“And just where do you think you are going?”

Luna turned at the sound of Chrysalis’s voice, bringing her head around to see the changeling reclined on her chair, back in place from the force that threw it aside. She opened her mouth, hoping for words, but none came.

“You are not done,” Chrysalis explained. She opened her legs wide, revealing a glistening marehood waiting in the dim light. With one hoof, Chrysalis pointed at it. “Now, crawl over here and get to work.”

There was a long moment’s pause, and then Luna slowly turned and began to drag herself over to the waiting mare.

* * * * * * * *

She tread back over the same steps for the countless time. Her eyes focused on the floor in front of her, not to watch her step but because she wasn’t able to concentrate enough to look away. And approximately every twentieth step she accompanied it with a deep, heavy sigh.

“I should not have let her go alone,” Celestia said aloud. “What if she takes it too far? What if Chrysalis takes it too far?”

Reaching the end of her chosen path, she turned around and started back.

“I should have gone. It should be me up there confronting Chrysalis, not Luna. I can’t believe I let her do this.” She stopped walking and shook her head. “No, that’s not right. She forced this on me. Which makes me more the fool. Emotion should never control your actions.”

Turning away from her worn path, Celestia strode over to the window, staring out into the night. A dim glow surrounded her golden horn, and the window slowly opened to the frozen air. She inhaled deeply, feeling the chill play across her coat and ears.

Her ears bristled back and her coat shivered, bringing a welcome sensation to her. She smiled out at the moon, hanging calmly in the cold sky.

“She is a grown mare,” Celestia said to herself with a shake of her head. “I shouldn’t be so concerned.” She took another deep breath. “I just wish she hadn’t been gone so long. I will give her another…half an hour. After that, I will go up there myself.”

The light snuffed out in the room behind her, causing Celestia to turn with a start. Shadows fell across the space, with only a faint twinkle of starlight shining in its depths. She squinted her eyes, searching for more details.

“Luna?” she asked softly. “Is that you?”

The was a long pause before she heard her sister’s voice answer weakly. “Go away, Tia.”

“Luna, what’s wrong? Are you all right?” She took a step forward, moving towards the hidden figure in the shadows.

“Stop!” Luna yelled. “Don’t come over here.”

“What are you talking about, Luna? What’s wrong?” Celestia took two more steps, only to be stopped suddenly by another outburst.

“You need to leave, Tia! Right now!” Luna growled.

“No. I am not going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong? What happened between you and Chrysalis?”

“It’s none of your concern,” Luna’s voice dropped off.

“You are my wife, Luna! Of course it’s my concern,” Celestia walked with a purpose, directly towards her sister. “And come out of those shadows.”

Celestia’s horn flared to life, casting a warm glow into the room, illuminating her sister for a moment—but only for a moment.

“Don’t look at me!” Luna shouted and then dissolved into a midnight ethereal mist that slid across the floor and under the far door leading into the private section of their quarters.

Celestia stood there, unmoving and unblinking, her eyes still focused on the spot where Luna had just stood. Her mouth opened up and then she slowly closed it again.

Turning her head slightly at first, and then all the way to look at the door, Celestia’s face fell and her eyes looked for an answer through the closed door. The image of her sister standing there was burned into her mind, preventing her from moving or acting at all. Every detail was there: Luna’s expression, her eyes, her coat, her mane, and mostly… Celestia closed her eyes, normally at first but increasingly tighter with every passing moment. No matter how she tried, the image wouldn’t go away.

Across Luna’s forehead, in bright green, three words were written: Property of Chrysalis.

* * * * * * * *

There was a light whistle as he made his way to the table. Carefully, he set the four volumes he had carried with him down, and moved around to the other side of the table to settle in to his seat. He looked to one side to see his cup of coffee—black, no sugar—still steaming slightly in the crisp air of the morning, and then to the other to see two extra quills sitting beside the extra wells of ink—one red and one black—in perfect order. With a deep breath, he moved the top book over and opened to the bookmarked page as he brought the coffee over to his mouth.

Dapifer loved his job at times, and this was one of those times.

Four books filled with details and data regarding everything under his assignment, with careful notes and financial data to corroborate every action and occurrence under his responsibility. Everything had a place, and he made sure that each and every item was in that place. Which brought him delight to no end.

The basics were already put in place by ponies under him, filing the information and recording it properly in each of the volumes: one for costs, one for inventory, one for new employees and outside contractors (along with their roles and responsibilities), and another for employees and outside contractors who were no longer viable. It was his job to know these things, and his pleasure to do his job.

It was doubly pleasurable since this was the first time that he would get a chance to review the books since taking his position as Princess Chrysalis’s aide. In the few short months since her coronation it was a far higher priority to make sure that Canterlot was operating and rebuilt, as well as making sure that the new princess was going to act according to her new station. So far, so good.

Plus, he had the added benefit of having the whole day to himself. Princess Chrysalis was on the first of her required days off, which meant that he finally had time to do a few things for himself. So, he was using that time to get caught up on some neglected paperwork.

He couldn’t be happier.

The first book was a blue ledger that tracked all of the transactions pertaining to Princess Chrysalis and her court. He always thought it best to start with numbers and then expand that information with the details of the people and companies involved.

His pen tracked down the right side of the page, as he sipped gently from his cup of coffee. His whistling had transformed into a low hum of a tune he couldn’t quite recall, but he knew he heard it at a concert a few months back. It might have been that quartet from Ponyville who appeared for The Princess Trust Benefit Concert, but he couldn’t be sure. He remembered that it was a stallion singing lead, with a trio backing him up, and that the tune was obviously catchy, but his mind couldn’t recall exactly their name or the title of the song.

His quill suddenly stopped.

“That’s odd,” he mused aloud. He flipped back two pages and scanned down the page, and then forward one page, and then one more, each time covering the same section. One eyebrow went up as the other one went down.

Setting that volume aside, he levitated the green one to him, indicating the newer employees and connections. Opening it up, he traced back to just after The Second Battle of Canterlot and Coldheart’s defeat, and began to go over the list of clients and employees that had been added. Understandably, it was a very long list considering the loss that occurred during the invasion, but it wasn’t too dense to daunt him.

Five pages in, he found what he was looking for, along with several other things that caught his eye. He left out a short snort, and, after a deep drink of his coffee, levitated the red volume—containing the defunct employees and contractors—to him and placed it beside the green one. Like the previous one, the section of the book he read was thick and dense, and like the previous volume it did not deter him at all. He found exactly what he was looking for—on the same line and same coordinating page as the green book.

The black volume floated over and he opened it up, quickly turning to the corresponding dates from the blue one. He shifted all four volumes around so that he could look at each at a single glance. Everything lined up in each book perfectly—and that made no sense at all.

Sitting back, he brought the quill up to his mouth, where he lightly pulled the feathered end through his lips. He did it again. On the third go round he put it between his teeth and chewed lightly.

“That’s just damn peculiar,” he muttered as his eyes shifted back and forth.

Three times each in two books, and then a single matching entry in the other two. The first of them all on the exact day. A new merchant is added to replace an older merchant who no longer was in business—despite the fact they were a good distance from Canterlot—who sold and was paid on the same day for goods that were ordered that exact day. That didn’t fit in with the logistics. Not at all.

And each detail traced back to the same court, with the same authorized signature behind each one. But why would Luna’s court need all of this? It didn’t make sense to him, and that was an issue. The day had been going so well up to this point. It should have been a simple, pleasant task to balance out all of the ledgers. And they did balance, but…too well.

Only one thing to do. He had never met the mare, but she was surely as aware of him as he was of her, and she was the pony who was going to have the answers he sought. Which meant it was obviously time to go introduce himself to Tenebrous Quill.

He pushed away from the desk and then levitated each of the four volumes up and placed them into his saddlebags. Lifting up the cup he drained the last bit of coffee and set it back down, licking his lips afterwards.

He stepped around the desk, heading towards the door with the hum of the song returning. His right forehoof stomped slightly just before he reached the door.

“The Ponytones! That was it.” He smiled and opened the door. “I’ll have to look up and see what happened to them.”

* * * * * * * *

“Luna?”

She kept her voice soft and low, hoping to get a better response this time. Her sister had disappeared into the bathroom hours ago, and hadn’t said a word since. Celestia was reasonably sure that she was still inside as there had been no indication of magic and she definitely hadn’t come through the door. From time to time she was still hearing the sound of water as well, so the chances were very high that Luna was still beyond the door.

There was no proof, though.

“Luna, please, say something. Let me know that you are okay,” Celestia pleaded. “You’ve been in there for hours now. I’ve already had to make excuses to miss court today, which means we both cancelled on consecutive sessions. We don’t need the ponies starting to talk, now do we?”

She tried to make that last bit sound humorous, but she was feeling no mirth whatsoever. Her motions were far distant from anything amusing, in fact.

“Luna, you need to answer me,” she said more forcefully. “You cannot hide in there forever.”

Nothing. No response at all. Just like the last two dozen attempts. Celestia stepped a full body-length away, ruffling out the feathers on her wings for a moment as she pulled her chin down towards her chest. The muscles on her neck and shoulders appeared under her coat, flexing tightly as she strained against them. A deep breath and slow expulsion of air made them disappear—almost.

Turning around and placing her back to the door, Celestia pawed at the floor with her hoof, trying—and failing—to not scratch the polished stone. Her teeth ground together with her eyes focused on the distant wall—or maybe well beyond it—while her tail flicked quickly behind her.

She closed her eyes softly at first, but with every passing second they clenched more tightly. When she opened them again there was a deep fire glowing behind them. Slowly she turned around, once more facing the door to the bathroom. Her head raised up until she was staring down her muzzle at the barrier.

“Luna,” she said clearly and as calmly as she could muster, “I’m coming in. Don’t try to stop me.”

Golden magic surrounded her horn, but before she could use it the door opened a crack. She let her magic fade and waited, expecting something more. A few seconds passed before her patience faded again and she once more lit her horn and pushed the door open.

The sunlight fell through the high windows of the room, seeming to fill it with light, save for one spot. A dim gloom surrounded a single pony who sat in front of a sink and the mirror above it, staring back at her own reflection with a blank expression.

“I still see it,” she whispered. “It won’t go away.”

Celestia took several careful steps into the room. A cloth, still damp, sat on the basin in front of Luna. There was a faint stain on it.

“I keep scrubbing and scrubbing, but it won’t go away.” Luna’s eyes never moved. Never blinked.

As she got closer, Celestia saw a very rough and ragged area on Luna’s forehead. The words she saw earlier were gone, but a deep tint of red lay beneath Luna’s coat.

“Luna?” Celestia finally spoke.

She turned at the sound of her name, looking at Celestia with the same empty eyes she saw in the reflection. With the direct view, Celestia could see a long trail of red that ran across Luna’s forehead where the skin had been rubbed raw beneath her coat.

“Luna. Oh, Luna,” Celestia’s words fell and she hurried to her wife, embracing her firmly. Her forehoof wrapped around Luna’s neck, pulling it firmly against her own, squeezing her tight and secure. Luna simply sat there and let it happen.

After some time, Celestia pulled back and looked her sister in the eyes once again. “What happened, Luna? Are you all right?” The question seemed foolish to Celestia the moment after she asked it.

“I…I don’t know,” Luna whispered. “Things. Things happened.”

“Did she hurt you?” A darker sound rumbled behind Celestia’s words.

For the first time, Luna moved her eyes. She turned to stare at Celestia and blinked twice, and then she slowly shook her head. Her voice all but cracked as she spoke. “No. No, she didn’t.”

“She…didn’t?” Celestia’s eyes almost closed as she stared.

Luna shook her head again.

“Then…” Celestia’s voice trailed off and she took a deep breath as she stepped back from Luna. “Luna, tell me what happened.”

“I can’t,” she said softly.

“Luna,” Celestia’s voice slowed down and each word came slowly and clearly, “I am going to ask you again, and I want you to answer me: what happened?”

“I…” She shook her head slowly.

“Dammit, Luna!” Celestia suddenly grabbed her sister and roared in her face. “What did Chrysalis do to you?!”

“Nothing!” Luna twisted herself free, pushing back from Celestia. “Something. I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

“Oh, something happened, Luna. I walked in to find you sitting here, staring at yourself in a mirror, after hours of being alone. I just want you to tell me what it was!”

“No!” Luna shouted back, and then her voice went soft again. “No.”

Celestia’s eyes became slits and her lips a single line on her muzzle. Sparks of magic played around the edge of her horn. Quickly, she stepped forward and grabbed Luna, turning her towards the mirror once again.

“Look at yourself, Luna! Really look at yourself! There is blood on your forehead! That you put there from scrubbing it!” She spun her back around and scowled at her. “If you don’t tell me what she did, then I will go ask her.”

“No!” Luna screamed loudly, grabbing hold of Celestia. “No, don’t do that!”

“Then tell me,” Celestia growled.

Luna shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet. I…I need to figure some things out first.”

“Figure some things out? Like what?” Celestia’s voice was cold and terse. “Maybe I could help you with that? That’s what both sisters’s and wives are supposed to do, after all, and I believe I still qualify in both areas.”

Once again, Luna shook her head, but as she did, her face slowly turned to a scowl. “Why are you being such a bitch? This is a personal matter, and I just want some time.”

“Personal?!” Celestia’s eyes went wide. “Do you remember what sent you to her in the first place? I don’t think things can get much more personal than that! Now, are you going to tell me, or…”

“Or what?” Luna stood upright, puffing out to her full size. “What are you going to do about it, Tia? I don’t want to talk about it, and I forbid you from going to speak with her!”

Celestia blinked multiple times.

“What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Luna stated. “I will talk to you about what happened, but I will do it when I am ready to, is that clear? Until then, do not concern yourself with this matter, or with Chrysalis.”

Simultaneously, Celestia rolled her neck and shoulders in a slow, deliberate motion, and as she did her wings unfurled slightly, feathers ruffled.

“Say that again.” Celestia’s voice was steel. “Tell me once more what I can and cannot do, Luna. I want you to do it…one…more…time.”

With a snort Luna stepped forward and began to walk past Celestia. She didn’t make it.

“We aren’t done here,” Celestia snarled as her wing flew out to block Luna’s path.

Magic burst from Luna, surrounding her in a corona of midnight energy as her eyes went white with power, pushing Celestia away, but just barely. Golden power surrounded Celestia with an intensity that made it difficult for Luna to look at her directly.

“Stand down, Luna,” Celestia ordered.

“Do not threaten me,” Luna countered, baring her fangs.

“I will do as I see necessary.” She raised her head up, her mane rising to scrape the ceiling of the room. “And now, by my authority, I order you to stand down.”

“Your authority?!” Luna barked. “And what authority do you have over me, sister? We rule equally, do we not? You have been saying that to me for months now!”

“Even so, I insist that you tell me what happened, or so help me, I will drag it from Chrysalis in any way I see fit. She has been an enemy of Equestria, and—“ She cut herself off.

“And?” Luna added. “And what, Tia? And so have I? Is that where you were going?” Her lips pulled back into a snarl.

“Yes!” Celestia shouted. “Yes, you have, and I will not stand idly by and watch a conspiracy form under my muzzle. Now, what are you going to do?”

Half of the room was drenched in pure light that died in the oppressing shadows before it could reach the far side of the chamber. In the middle of it all two mares stood still, a penumbral barrier buffeting between them, neither willing to move.

“Leave, Tia,” Luna stated. “Go away right now, or this will not be pleasant.”

“And you are still giving me orders,” Celestia countered.

Luna took a deep breath, and then spoke words like razors. “Then may I ask you to leave, sister, dear. I would like some time to myself. Until this evening, please?”

“Of course, Luna,” Celestia snarled. “I will be more than happy to leave you alone. Perhaps you will be able to come to terms with yourself while I am gone.”

“I will spend every moment doing just that,” Luna spat.

“Good,” Celestia replied. “It will be nice to see you do something productive.”

The room was filled with magic. The walls were alive with dual energy, rolling and churning against each other at the border where they met. And even with all that power the room felt amazingly cold to both sisters.

In a flash of light, Celestia disappeared. The darkness of Luna’s magic immediately filled the void where she had stood.

* * * * * * * *

He was smiling. Above and beyond everything else, he was making sure that he was smiling as hard as he possibly could. To the point where his face had started to go numb—which was a good thing considering the amount of pain the smile created for the past half hour.

Of course, by concentrating on the smile, he had totally forgotten to speak.

“Are you enjoying the meal?” Fleur asked.

He nodded. And smiled.

“I particularly like the treatment the chef gives to oats here. He adds a layer of complexity to them that I haven’t figured out yet,” she nodded knowingly, “but I will. I’m determined.”

He smiled back at her.

She took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out slowly. Her hooves came up and rubbed her temples while she shut her eyes. When she moved them down she saw Regnant’s smiling face. She sighed.

“Okay, so when did it finally hit you who I was?” she asked bluntly.

He blinked rapidly, his eyes shifting from side-to-side—while smiling.

“This is the part where you stop smiling and speak to me,” she encouraged.

He moved his mouth, gradually working from smile to words. “Uh…last night.” His hooves immediately came up to rub his jaw. “Ow.”

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you lock up a group of muscles for a while,” she laughed. “Well, I have to give you high marks for showing up. Most ponies would have run away screaming.”

“That would have been rude,” he took a moment to speak while flexing his mouth open and closed.

“Well, rude is a personal perspective. I’m actually rather hard to offend.”

“The night isn’t over yet,” he offered.

A sharply dressed pony stepped up to the table carrying a bottle on his back. He gracefully turned and presented the label to Fleur, who peered at it for a moment, and opened her mouth to speak—only to stop and stare across the table. “I believe my companion should be addressed about this.”

The immaculately coiffured pony raised a single eyebrow and turned with a slight bow and stepped over to Regnant. He presented the bottle label to him.

Regnant stared at it blankly for a moment. There were words in another language all over the place. He thought it was Prench, but he couldn’t be sure since he had never been to Prance—or read their language. He glanced up at the sommelier who silently gave him a cue to nod.

He nodded blankly.

Turning to one side, he pulled an instrument from his pocket that Regnant would have sworn he saw in a seminar about resisting torture if captured. Oddly, he simply used it to remove the cork from the bottle with a slight pop. He turned back and presented the cork to Regnant.

“Uh…thanks.” He put the cork in his pocket. The sommelier closed his eyes for a moment.

Pulling Regnant’s glass to him, the sommelier poured a single sip of the wine into his glass and stepped back. Regnant stared at it for a moment, and then glanced up at the pony, who made a motion with his lips as if to drink. Staring straight at the pony, Regnant took the glass and raised it to his lips and sipped the wine.

The strong tannic flavor crashed into his mouth, causing him to wince briefly. Resorting to his tried and true response, he looked at the pony and smiled.

With a slight nod he poured a glass for Regnant and then stepped over to pour into Fleur’s glass. The thing that surprised Regnant as he let his eyes travel from the glass to the mare was that she was smiling—and it looked natural. He briefly admired her skill, and then felt his shoulders relax.

Fleur raised her glass magically, and took a small sip. Her eyes opened slightly. “Excellent choice.”

“Uh…thanks. I didn’t do anything, though,” he stated.

“You didn’t crumble. That’s important. Just like showing up after you figured out who I was. What finally clued you in, by the way?” she asked and took another sip before setting the glass down.

“Well, actually somepony told me,” he said. “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? That just means you said yes because of me and not because of who I’m supposed to be,” she laughed.

“Uh, speaking of which,” he rubbed the side of his head, just below his ear, “aren’t you involved with Fancy Pants? I don’t need to make somepony else mad at me.”

“We’re only friends,” she stated. “Don’t worry.”

He let out a big sigh and slumped a little bit more.

“So, who else is mad at you?” she asked.

“Hmmm? Oh, uh, well, sort of everypony I work with. Not everypony, actually, but more my boss. And her boss, I think.” He looked off to the side as he spoke.

“Who’s your boss?” She lifted her glass and took another sip.

“My boss-boss, or my boss? My boss-boss is Princess Luna, so it doesn’t get much more boss than that, actually. But my boss below her is her aide, Tenebrous Quill. They’re both kind of scary, actually.”

Fleur laughed. “Does everything frighten you?”

“Huh?” He looked over at her.

“You seemed a little scared of our dinner date, and of the wine, and now you’re telling me that you’re scared of your bosses. Just wondering how scared you actually get.” She sat back slightly and waited for his answer.

“No. No, I’m not scared. Not at all. I just…” He stopped and sighed loudly. “Okay, I’m not the best pony at dealing with others. I always seem to say or do the wrong thing. Heck, they’ve told me that the only reason I have my job is because there isn’t anypony better right now. As soon as they get somepony else, I’m gone. They can’t wait to replace me.”

“What have you done to make them so mad?” she asked.

“Uh, well, I kinda have a problem being late to work. I get distracted by…stuff.” His eyes wandered around the room, avoiding her gaze.

“That can be a serious issue, actually. You were on time for dinner, though. Early, in fact,” she said.

“I wanted to be here,” he said quickly, looking over at her finally.

“So you don’t want to be at work?”

“Well, not really. I mean, it’s not a bad job, and I’m lucky to have it, I just…I don’t know. I think what I am had more to do with me getting the job than what I can do.”

“What can you do?” she asked.

“Well, I’m actually really observant. I notice odd things all the time that others miss. I can miss the obvious sometimes, but odd little things stand out to me.” He shrugged. “I just don’t know what I can do with that other than what I’m doing right now.”

“You’d be surprised,” Fleur muttered. “So, tell me about this boss of yours. What’s he like?”

“She, actually. I don’t know, I guess she’s good at her job. She certainly has control of the room when she’s there. I’m guessing that Luna likes her, too. Tenebrous is always right by her doing stuff for her. I guess that’s her job, though.”

“Stuff? What kind of stuff?” She leaned in towards him.

“I don’t know. Just stuff. She directs the guards, me included. She organizes the court that she deals with and everything. She gets Luna food and drinks. You know, all that kind of stuff.”

Fleur stared at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing. “How long has she had the position?”

“Not long. I think she got the promotion about the same time I did. After the whole mess with Coldheart,” he explained.

“Did you know her before that?”

“No. I never heard of her before that, but some of the other guards knew her. They talk all the time.”

“They do? Always the same guards?” she asked.

He looked up at the ceiling, doing his best to ignore the detailed frieze covering it, and clicked his tongue. “Yeah. Always the same ones. I guess they’re friends.”

“Do you ever see them together away from court?”

“No. No, not really.” He pulled back and screwed up his face. “Why are you asking all of these questions about my job?”

“Because, I have a deep personal interest in your work. In fact, I think we should leave and go visit your boss. I’d love to meet her.”

She smiled at him, and he suddenly felt very, very uncomfortable again.

* * * * * * * *

“What was I thinking?”

Her voice was soft and broken. She stood on the edge of the cliff looking down on Canterlot. In the calm of the night the city looked peaceful, which was only amplified by the gentle fall of snow adding another blanket to the streets and buildings. The waterfall beginning its fall beside her cast tiny ice crystals from the mist growing from the cascading water.

A strong wind flew up the front of the cliff, riding beside the waterfall, blowing her ever-flowing mane high above her. The faint glints of light sparking through her mane still shimmered in the dim light of the moon overhead.

“She needed me and I…I don’t know what I did,” Celestia spoke her thoughts aloud, hoping that hearing them might add sense to their jumbled nature. “I almost attacked her. I could have hurt her. I could have almost destroyed her. It wouldn’t have been difficult at all…”

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes closed for a moment.

“No. No, no. That’s not right. It’s not her. It’s not me. I have to remember that.” Her eyes fell down on a balcony she had stared at many times. “It’s her. It’s her fault.” Her face turned to a scowl. “That bug gloating in my castle—and I have waited long enough.”

Her wings unfurled, catching the wind. The feathers spread out, raising her up slightly from the ground. She used its force and glided up into the darkness. Her body arced gracefully up and around, taking her on a circular journey around her beloved city. The devastation was still apparent from above. On the streets, careful attention was taken to create the illusion of peace and calm once more reigning in Equestria. Peace was the heart of the city and of her ponies, and she would do anything to maintain it.

As she lighted on the balcony, her heart was calm and her mind was clear. She hoped it would stay that way.

The doors opened easily under her magic, and she stepped through them at once, bringing a burst of cold air and snow with her.

“Good evening, Celestia. What brings you here tonight?”

Celestia fixed her eyes on Chrysalis, who sat calmly with a book and a cup of tea. She seemed totally non-plussed at her arrival.

“You know why I am here, Chrysalis.” Celestia raised her head up and folded her wings back. “We need to talk.”

Chrysalis laughed. “Funny. Your sister said almost that exact same thing last night.”

The hairs of Celestia’s coat bristled for a moment. “I’m glad that you remember things in such detail. It will likely be quite useful in the coming minutes.”

Stepping into the chambers, Celestia took in her surroundings. Many items in the room seemed to be casually thrown about, as if they were out of place for some reason. The majority of the room still carried the order and decorum she expected from an Equestrian Princess—even Chrysalis.

“I am a bit surprised to see you come in through the balcony, though. Didn’t feel like visiting through more conventional means? Such as a door?” Chrysalis levitated the book over to the table beside her chair.

“This is more of a personal visit than official,” Celestia stated, stepping to stand two lengths from the changeling. “I want to know what happened.”

“Do you? Well, I guess I can provide you my perspective.” She stood from her chair and faced Celestia. “I entered your chamber in disguise, and approached cautiously. Once I was sure that you were—“

“NOT…what happened between us,” Celesita interrupted. “I want to know what happened between you and Luna.”

“Why don’t you ask her? You two are beloved after all,” Chrysalis purred.

“Because I am asking you.” Celestia let some energy well in her eyes. “And I advise you answer.”

“Ooh, forceful,” Chrysalis laughed. “I’m sorry, Celestia, but I don’t intimidate. I thought I made that clear.”

“Well, I’ll have to correct that, as well.” Celestia slowly stepped around the room, keeping her eyes on Chrysalis. “Besides, I would have thought you would want to tell me. Aren’t you the type to gloat?”

“No, actually. I enjoy my success, but if I spend time praising my past I will never live up to my next goal,” she explained. “And you seem far more agitated than normal, dear. Why is that?”

“Don’t call me ‘dear.’ Never call me that again,” Celestia growled. “You are an aggravating insect.”

Chrysalis recoiled, though it was difficult to tell how much of it was genuine and how much exaggeration. “Name calling? You? Now I know you are upset. Did something happen between you and Princess Luna?”

Celestia lunged, driving her head towards Chrysalis, who was able to counter the lunge and parry the great alicorn’s golden horn—but just barely. Celestia pressed her advantage, driving Chrysalis back several steps before the changeling regained her hooves.

“Give me a reason to go further, Chrysalis. Just one,” Celestia snarled.

“You have so much in common with your sister. Still, perhaps it is better that I give you a reason not to go any further,” she countered with a strained voice, and then called out to the side. “Oh, Princess?”

Celestia felt her before she saw her. The shadows of the room folded against themselves and left a figure in their wake. The distraction was enough for Chrysalis to take advantage, and she twisted her head free, spinning Celestia’s head around sharply. The golden crown on her head went skittering across the dark stone floor, and Celestia followed it until it came to a stop—beneath a silver-clad hoof.

Luna stood in the room in full battle armor.

“Luna? What are you doing here?” Celestia asked.

“Stopping you,” she answered. “I thought you might try this.”

Celestia went slack-jawed. “Try what? I came here to talk! She’s the one—“

“Who did nothing. I watched, Tia. You assaulted her.” Luna took a step forward. “I’m here to make sure she’s safe.”

“Not that I couldn’t take you,” Chrysalis whispered.

Celestia snapped her head around towards her. “Be quiet, bug! Or I will add to the holes that lace your body!”

“Celestia!” Luna drew her attention back. “You need to leave. Now.”

“Not until I get answers!” She stamped her hoof down, breaking some stone.

“Between the two of you this whole floor is going to need replacing,” Chrysalis sighed.

“Shut up!” Celestia shouted at her, and then turned back to Luna. “And you start talking! What is going on!”

“And I told you to leave!” Luna shouted in return. “We will discuss this in due time!”

The stone beneath her hooves sizzled as Celestia stepped towards her sister. “This is due time. We will discuss it now.”

“It sounds like the two of you need some alone time. Perhaps I should leave,” Chrysalis said lightly.

Celestia jumped back, flaring her wings out in front of Chrysalis. “If you take one more step I will reduce you to ash. Is that clear?”

A dark mist rose up between them and coalesced into a familiar form. “No, you will not!” Luna shouted. “This is your last warning, Tia!”

“Then I am duly warned!” she shouted. “And now let me warn you: I will not tolerate any unrest in my kingdom. The two of you are among the greatest threats that this nation has ever faced, and if I have to I will drive you both to Tartarus forever to save it.”

“I beg your pardon?” Chrysalis stepped to the side, clearing the view to Celestia around Luna. “Now, Celestia, I admit that this ruckus has been a world of fun, but I don’t believe that either of us has threatened Equestria lately.”

“Lately!” she barked. “Equestria is in too much turmoil to see either of you rise to power! I will stand up for what is right!”

“And so will I.”

Luna’s voice was calm and even, but with enough power in her words to cause all eyes to fall upon her. She took a deep breath and stared at her sister.

“Princess Celestia of Equestria, by the laws and regulations set down in the charters that formed this country, I question your right to rule.” Her head rose up as she looked down her muzzle. “I challenge you for the throne of Equestria.”

…to be concluded

Author's Note

"Well, that escalated quickly..."

Yes, I know. And yes, next chapter is the last one. And yes, everything will make sense--including the attitudes and behaviors of some of the characters in this story.

Just thought I would be proactive about those concerns.

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

“Uh, I thought you wanted to meet my boss—or bosses?”

As Regnant shuffled back and forth on his hooves, Fleur had her hooves on the door leading into the private quarters of Tenebrous Quill, carefully keeping them hidden from his view. To him it seemed like she was shifting her body every time he tried to move to see what she was doing, too.

“I do,” she answered calmly, “I just like to know who I’m meeting before I meet them.”

“Does…I’m not sure that makes sense,” he answered. “Isn’t that why you meet somepony? To get to know them?”

She turned around and looked at him with a wide smile on her face. “That entirely depends on the person you are wanting to meet.”

With a slight push from Fleur the door to Tenebrous’ quarters swung open smoothly and silently.

“How did you do that?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Do what? I just opened the door. Anypony can do that,” she stated.

“Uh-huh.” He stepped forward to stick his head inside her room. “She’s not in here, anyway. I told you she wouldn’t be, so let’s head—“

“Nonsense,” she pushed past him into the room. “We’re already here. Might as well take a look around.”

“Get out of there!” He quickly glanced to either side to assure no pony saw them, and then followed her inside. “We can’t be in here!”

“We are in here,” she said and moved over to the desk in the room. “Might as well take a look around.”

“No!” He whispered as loud as he could and stepped over to her. “No! We cannot be in here. This is wrong!”

“It’s not wrong. I’m just getting to know her,” she said with a smile.

“I can’t let you do this. I’m sorry.” He stared at her with steely eyes and a thin mouth.

She smiled with a soft sigh. “Your name is Regnant Troth, son of Curious Night and Coxswain’s Eye. You have a sister by the name of Monvillea, but the two of you have never been very close as she left for school before you were born. You never had many friends growing up as they considered you a little too ‘odd,’ and you felt uncomfortable arguing about it. You went into the academy at the insistence of your father, who always wanted to serve but wasn’t physically able. Your mother still sends you packages with her homemade cookies to help get you through the rough times, which she feels is every minute you aren’t at home. Most of the time you keep all those cookies to yourself, but sometimes you take them and leave a plate in the guard’s mess hall, but don’t identify them as being from you.” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Did I leave much out?”

He blinked. His jaw hung slack. He blinked again. “How…how…?”

“You kept staring at me while I was running. I wanted to make sure you weren’t somepony dangerous.” She gently moved him aside and opened the drawer to the desk. Her horn lit up and items gently shifted around inside the drawer.

“But…but some of those things, they…I mean…” His eyes opened up wide. “Who are you?”

She laughed and continued to go through the drawer, and then slowly closed it a moment later. “Do me a favor and look through her closet. See if you find anything unusual.”

“What?” He shook his head violently. “No. No, no. I can’t—“

“Regnant,” she turned and spoke to him softly. “I need your help. Like you’ve already told me, you are very good at noticing odd details. I need you to put that to work right now. Hopefully we won’t find a thing, but—“

A knock came on the door and both of their heads spun towards it. A cocoon of magic appeared around Regnant’s muzzle, and Fleur stepped in front of him, placing her hoof in front of her mouth in a sign of silence. With great care she stepped towards the door and released the magic from Regnant.

“Miss Quill? Miss Quill, I need to speak with you, please?” The voice on the other side of the door was smooth and eloquent. “I do hate to disturb you at this hour, but there are some unusual inconsistencies in our journals that need clarification.”

Fleur stepped to the door, putting her ear next to it momentarily. She waited.

“I don’t mean to sound rude, but I did hear you in there a moment ago. If you don’t want me around, all you have to do is open the door and—“

The door was opened and closed in a flash, with the result of Fleur pulling the individual from the other side into the room with them. He stumbled inside, almost tripping and falling to the ground completely.

“—tell me,” he finished dully. His eyes darted back and forth between the two ponies who met him inside. “Who are you?”

“I was about to ask you that same question,” Fleur said as she locked the door carefully.

He stood and straightened his jacket with his magic. “I am Dapifer, Personal Aide to Princess Chrysalis. And now I demand to know who you are and why you so rudely pulled me into this room. You are not Tenebrous Quill.”

“You know her?” Fleur asked.

“Not personally, but I do know of her. It is my duty to know such things.” He glanced over at Regnant, who was smiling awkwardly. “And aren’t you a guard? Who are you?”

He nodded towards Fleur. “I’m her date.”

“Why are you here?” Fleur asked. “You mentioned something about a discrepancy.”

“I’m afraid that is none of your business, madam. Now, if you will kindly move aside I won’t—“

“We’re investigating under the authority of Princess Celestia, so it actually is our business,” she explained.

“We are?” Regnant asked.

Ignoring him, she continued. “What was the issue, Dapifer?”

“I’m supposed to believe you are acting on orders from Princess Celestia? What makes you think that—“

The clank of metal rang against the floor. He glanced down and saw a badge bearing the golden emblem of the sun. Below it were five letters: S.T.E.E.D.

Dapifer looked at it and slowly raised his head up to look at her. “Y-you’re an agent of S.T.E.E.D.?”

“And I need you to tell me what you were here for, please,” she said softly.

“Uh…excuse me?” They both looked over at Regnant. His eyes were sagging and his eyebrows were peaked. “What? What what?”

“S.T.E.E.D. is the most secret organization in the Equestrian military. A shadow organization to insure the country’s greatest enemies are always under close watch, and the most important ponies are protected. The Special Team of Equestria’s Elite Defenders,” Dapifer stated, and then looked over at Fleur. “I just never thought I would meet one of them.”

“We’re off topic,” Fleur jumped in. “Please, Dapifer, why did you come here?”

“Well, I don’t know how it can help you out, but, well…” His horn lit and four journals rose up from his saddlebags. “I was going over the books. Something I feel is a requirement for somepony in my position, to make sure everything is running smoothly. I haven’t had a chance to—“

“Cut to the problem,” Fleur interrupted as she retrieved her badge.

He grimaced for a moment. “Here.” He opened the four books. “All of them are indicating the same thing on the same day.”

“And that’s a problem how?” she asked.

“Logistics,” he answered. “It can’t work that way.”

“Explain.” She stared down at the books.

“Here.” He turned the books towards her and pointed at them in turn. “This volume indicates four separate purchases, each received at the exact same time and in the exact same amount. And this one shows those orders being placed.”

“So?”

He pointed again. “The orders were placed on the same day they arrived. And they were shipped from…” he shifted the other books into place, “…here. Which is days away from Canterlot. And what’s more, the supplier was changed from one used for years to a new one due to the destruction of the first.”

“There was a great deal of loss in the Coldheart Invasion,” Fleur stated.

“That’s just it. That location isn’t anywhere near any of the battles. It’s on the far border of Equestria, and the date it was destroyed was days after the events were complete,” he explained. “It wasn’t a part of the war.”

Her eyes moved from one volume to the next, reading over the information and absorbing it the best she could.

“What are these orders for?” she asked.

“Tea,” he said. “An unusual amount of tea.”

One of Fleur’s eyebrows went up. “What’s the name of the plantation?”

“Succedaneum Estates. I’ve never heard of it before,” he said.

“Neither have I,” she answered, “and that’s not possible. Who placed these orders?”

“Tenebrous Quill,” he said. “That’s why I came here.”

“Then it is definitely time to have a talk with this young mare,” she said and turned quickly to open the door. She stepped halfway through before his words brought her pause.

“Wait…I never got your name.”

She looked over her shoulder at him. “Fleur. Fleur de Lis.” She smiled. “Let’s go!”

Dapifer was just behind her as she trotted out the door and down the hall. He had fully cleared the door himself before Regnant began to walk out of room.

“I’m on a date with a spy,” he muttered as he nodded slowly. “Cool.”

* * * * * * * *

“You would dare?” Celestia growled.

She paced slowly in a circle, moving around her opponent, keeping her directly in view. In turn, Luna walked counter to her, staying equidistant from her at all times.

“I would, and I do,” Luna answered. “You are no longer fit to rule, and as such it is my duty to remove you from the throne.”

Celestia’s lip curled up. “You traitorous witch! You always said you lusted after the throne, but you hid it behind the promise of never acting on it. Now I know just what your promises are worth.”

“Liar! You were hoping I would do this! You always feared me and never truly trusted me!” Luna’s mane and wings flared out as she shouted at her sister. “Which surprises me all the more that you would do this to your own country.”

Celestia’s eyes grew to immense proportions. “What? You come here and join up with that monster,” her wing pointed directly at Chrysalis, “and you accuse me of betraying Equestria? Is that the plan you two have concocted? To convince Equestria’s ponies I am the villain and the two of you heroes? That the changeling queen and Nightmare Moon are what is best for them?! You foals! My little ponies will never accept either of you!”

Luna nodded slowly. “So, the truth comes out. You have always plotted against me. Always pitted the ponies of Equestria against me. Time passes, but nothing changes, does it, Celestia?”

They circled each other, auras of pure night and day slowly growing around them, bathing the room in a shadowed mix of light and darkness. The few undamaged items in the room began to wither and decay underneath the magical assault.

“I will never surrender Equestria to you,” Celestia snarled.

“You will have no choice,” Luna answered.

“Ladies,” Chrysalis interrupted, “as much as I am enjoying—“

“Shut up!” Celestia turned and barked at her as flame leapt from her eyes. “When I have properly put my sister in her place, I will deal with you. As I should have the moment you arrived.”

“How gracious,” Chrysalis answered.

“Leave her alone!” Luna brought Celestia’s eyes back to her. “This isn’t about her, is it?”

“Actually,” Chrysalis began again, “I thought the both of you—“

“Do not aggravate things!” Luna shouted. “I will deal with my sister!”

“You never have, nor will you ever, be able to do that, or have you forgotten your many defeats?” Celestia stated.

“Hear me!” Chrysalis released a burst of green magic filling the room. Both of the other mares turned to her. “I do not know what has gotten into either of you, and as entertaining as I am finding this, I will NOT be ignored or dismissed. Now, personally, I don’t care if you tear each other limb from limb, but I strongly suggest you do it outside. I have already lost enough possessions for one night.”

“Do not give me orders, bug,” Celestia said, halfway lowering her eyelids and her voice.

“She’s right, Celestia,” Luna countered. “This is a formal challenge, not an open brawl in the halls of our castle.”

“Formal challenge? You jest,” she scoffed.

“No, I do not. I challenge you for the crown.” Luna raised her head back up.

“I do not think so,” Celestia replied. “I will issue an edict banishing the both of you. If you do not heed it, I will be forced to take action.”

“Actually,” Chrysalis interrupted, “according to the bylaws of Equestria, set forth by—well, the two of you, actually—when a ruler is believed to be acting in direct jeopardy to the wellbeing of Equestria, that individual may be challenged for the crown.” She raised the book in her grasp. “I believe it is informally referred to as The Discord Clause.”

Celestia turned and glared at Chrysalis, who in turn smiled wide enough to reveal a hint of fang.

“Where did you get that book?” Celestia asked.

“From the Royal Library. I had my aide bring it to me. I was looking for some light reading.”

“Do not quote Equestrian law to me.” Her voice rumbled through the room. “I have upheld the law for—“

“Too long,” Luna interrupted. “It is time for you to step down, by choice or by force. Do you accept my challenge or is this to be something far worse?”

There was an audible snap in the air as Celestia turned her head back towards her sister.

“YES!” Her breath was deep and ragged. “Yes, I accept your challenge.” She glared and took three steps towards Luna. “But know this: when we are finished and I have defeated you…again…there will be a cost. Is that clear?”

“It is up to you to name the time and the location,” Luna replied coldly. “As well as the terms.”

“Oh, well, then let’s speed this up, shall we,” Celestia stated. “The time is now. The location is our garden outside. And the terms…” She moved up to stand nose-to-nose with Luna. “The terms are simple: one of us must surrender, completely…or die.”

“I beg your pardon?” Chrysalis asked. “This isn’t my challenge, but that seems a bit extreme to me.”

“Accepted,” Luna answered, ignoring the changeling. “Princess Chrysalis, as the only other member of royalty in Canterlot at this time, you will serve as official witness. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Celestia said with a nod.

“May I choose to agree or disagree?” Chrysalis asked.

“No!” they both answered in unison.

“Well, well, well,” she purred, “I was hoping to have an impact here, but this is beyond even my hopes.”

They both turned to look at her.

“Don’t think you are immune, Chrysalis,” Celestia stated. “There are still ramifications to what you did to me to be resolved.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to go to all this trouble just to say thank you,” Chrysalis said.

“Shut up!” Luna snapped. “If you were half as smart as you pretend to be you would keep your mouth closed right now!”

“Oh, Luna,” Chrysalis sighed, “that hurt.”

With a few steps, Celestia walked up to stand before Chrysalis. “When this matter with my traitorous sister is settled, you and I will finish this once and for all.” She glanced over her shoulder at Luna. “I will be outside.”

In a flash of gold, Celestia disappeared, leaving a void of light in the room.

“I do believe she is upset,” Chrysalis said with a laugh.

Luna stepped past her, heading towards the balcony. “You are a fool, Chrysalis. You don’t seem to understand one simple fact.” She turned and looked at the changeling. “If my sister defeats me, she will kill you. If I defeat her, well,” she smiled, “then I will kill you.”

It took two steps and a leap for Luna to take flight off from the chamber, gliding out into the cold of the night. Chrysalis slowly walked onto the balcony and stared after her, bracing herself against the chill of the air.

“I am beginning to question the value of this princess nonsense,” she laughed. She took flight after Luna, her wings buzzing against the silent backdrop of snow.

* * * * * * * *

He walked into the room the same way he had a hundred times before. At least, he hoped that’s what it looked like. This time he wasn’t showing up for work, though—he was already working in a sense. Nonetheless, he was walking with a calm, cool demeanor—for him. He hoped.

“What are you doing here?”

He jumped. He was sure he jumped when he heard her voice. Naturally, the best option was to continue to jump like he planned it all along. Sort of like a dance. A very awkward dance.

“And what are you doing?”

Regnant turned to look at Tenebrous with a wide smile on his face.

“Just…dancing.” He nodded as he smiled.

“Are you feeling well? You look like you are in pain,” she stated.

“Nope. No pain. Not a bit.” He still smiled.

“All right,” she answered slowly. “Then let’s move back to the original question: why are you here? You have tonight off.”

She was standing in the middle of the throne room, which wasn’t at all unusual for her at night, as she would normally be assisting Luna with the Night Court. The guards stationed around the edge of the room were also normal for the situation, as there were always guards in this room unless under strict orders to not be here. And he wasn’t supposed to be here. Which did make him stand out a little.

“I…was looking for you, actually,” he admitted.

“Me?” She raised an eyebrow. “Why would you ever want to seek me out?”

“Uh, well, I had a few questions to ask you. Work stuff. Kinda personal work stuff, actually.” He nodded repeatedly.

“They couldn’t wait until tomorrow night?” she asked with a sigh.

“Surprisingly, no,” he answered truthfully.

She sighed again. “Fine. You have three minutes. Go.”

“Uh, can we talk someplace else?” He glanced around nervously. “Someplace private.”

“No,” she answered flatly. “If you want privacy, schedule a meeting. You want to talk now, talk now.”

“Oh…” He looked around and nodded again. “Well, um…” He pointed his head towards the side of the room, and took two steps that way. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then reluctantly followed him.

“What is it?” she asked with a less-than-patient sound to her voice.

“Well, um, you see,” he scratched the back of his head. “Okay, there’s this mare, and…well, I was kind of hoping that…you see she—“

“Would you just get on with it!” she shouted. Regnant flinched and screamed a little more like a mare than she did.

“ShelikesteaandIwashopingyoucouldgetmesome.”

Tenebrous leaned in towards him. “I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, uh, this mare, she likes teas, and well, you always give tea to Luna, so I was kind of hoping you could…get me some?” He smiled.

“No.” She turned and started to walk away.

“What? Hey, wait!” He started after her, only to freeze as she spun back around.

“I have just about had enough of you,” she took a step towards Regnant, who reacted with a step back. “You are a barely competent guard who seems to hold no regard for his station or his responsibility, let alone the honor of the court. Now you are coming here asking asinine questions to me in the middle of my work? Do you really have that little respect for Equestria?”

“Uh…no?”

“Get out of my sight,” she growled.

“Can you at least tell me where you keep the tea? So I can get my own sample?” He smiled again.

She turned her head slowly to her right, arcing it over in a semi-circular motion. “Why are you suddenly obsessed with this tea?”

“No reason!” he blurted out. “I, uh, just thought that, you know, since it was good enough for Princess Luna that, heh, she might be impressed. Maybe.”

“What’s the name of this mare?” she asked with a cold voice.

“Name? Uh, well, I…uh, don’t want to say. She’s…I’m keeping it a secret.”

“I insist,” she turned to walk towards Regnant, who continued to back away. Until his rump hit a wall and she stood directly in front of him. “And actually, I now have some questions for you…”

“There you are, Regnant!” The deep, sultry voice caused Tenebrous to turn around. A tall, beautiful white mare came cantering into the room, tossing her mane to one side. She giggled before she spoke again. “You took that turn in the hallway and I lost you for a minute.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry,” he replied as he scooted out past Tenebrous. “I was just, um, talking to my boss.”

“You’re the mare who loves tea?” Tenebrous asked.

“Oh yes, how did you know? I just adore a good cup of well brewed tea. It sets the palate off in just the right way, don’t you think?” she replied.

“It depends. Well, the Princess enjoys a good cup now and again as well. You might want to try the red oolong from Werthier Farms. She seems to truly enjoy it.” She turned and took a few steps away. “Now, if the two of you will forgive me…”

“Oh, really? I had heard she was drinking that new Succedaneum brew,” Fleur said casually.

Tenebrous froze. She stood motionless for a moment. They could see her chest swell out and then deflate. Slowly she turned around, a small smile on her face. She looked over at one of the guards near the doorway, and then back at the two ponies in front of her.

“I do hate inconveniences,” she said, her voice as calm as night. “Nonetheless, they do occur, and must be dealt with as they arise.”

“Oh, um, well, we don’t want to be any trouble,” Regnant swallowed as he spoke. “We’ll just go ahead and go, then.”

“I don’t think so,” she stated and turned to walk towards the center of the chamber.

The sound of doors locking filled the chamber, causing Regnant and Fleur to move their vision around the room, watching ponies take up position in front of the exits. Their eyes finally fell on the only open door in the room—the one they entered through—just in time to see two guards entering the room, dragging another pony with them.

“Release me!” Dapifer shouted. Immediately afterward, as if to oblige, the two guards tossed him unceremoniously forward, where he stumbled while attempting to stay on his hooves. “I will not be treated this way! I am the personal aide to Princess Chrysalis!”

“Chrysalis?” Tenebrous asked as she climbed the ramp to the Equestrian throne. “Ah, you must be Dapifer. I’ve heard of you. I thought it best to keep my distance, though.” Upon reaching the top, she turned around and sat down on the throne. A huge grin grew across her face.

“We found him lurking outside, Regent,” one of the guards stated.

“Yes, yes. I’m sure he was with them.” She indicated Regnant and Fleur.

“Regent?” Regnant asked. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a title, you idiot. My title.” She shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know how you were able to even make it past your training. Not that it’s going to be an issue for much longer.”

The last doorway shut with a thunderous finality.

* * * * * * * *

They stood opposite each other, eyes locked. Around them, snow fell lightly, glimmering in the faint magical light issuing from both of them.

“Surrender now and I may be lenient.” Celestia rose to her full height, her voice burning below the surface.

“I was about to offer you that same opportunity,” Luna said with a voice cold as the night surrounding them.

The details of the Royal Garden was hidden under a blanket of white, creating a barren canvas for their upcoming symphony of violence.

Almost lost in the snow, Celestia stood still, her multicolored mane flowing far out to her right. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes glowed with intensity, revealing a fire inside needing to be quenched.

Across from her Luna was almost invisible in the darkness. Her right hoof pawing slightly at the ground, looking for something firm beneath her. Fangs appeared briefly each time she pulled her lip up into a small snarl.

Between them was a grey figure. She glanced to Luna first and then to Celesita, letting her smile grow as she looked both ways. Her tattered cerulean mane loosely swayed in the wind. “I suppose this is actually the last opportunity the both of you have to just call off this nonsense. I suggest we all go back inside for a bit of fun.”

“Fun?” Celestia snarled at her. “What did you just suggest?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Each of you is very entertaining on your own, but I was wondering what it would be like to have the two of you at the same time.”

“Chrysalis!” Luna shouted. “I have not spoken to my sister about that.”

She brought her hoof up to her mouth, feigning shock. “Oh! Have I spoiled a surprise?”

They both looked over at Celestia, who remained still in the snow.

“Do you really think I didn’t figure that out?” she asked. “I’m just disappointed I didn’t foresee it myself. Trusting the two of you under my roof, that is where I was foolish.”

“You are blind,” Luna spit. “Blinded by your own arrogance and paranoia.”

“And you took advantage of me!” Celestia shouted. “Never again.”

“No, because after tonight you will no longer rule Equestria!” Luna shouted back.

“Ladies, ladies…” Chrysalis stepped forward, yawning. “This is the last chance to back out of this. Hmmm?” She glanced both ways, finding both mares still concentrated on each other. She shrugged. “Very well. You will battle until one of you surrenders, at which point the challenge is over and the winner declared. I shall serve as overseer to this contest. Are you both ready?”

She looked to Luna, who nodded sharply. Turning to face Celestia, she saw the white alicorn nod agreement slowly.

“Very well then,” she took a few steps backwards, “begin.”

The smell of ozone filled the garden as lightning crackled around Luna’s form. Riding the bolt of energy she propelled herself to Celestia instantly, colliding with her sister defiantly. The impact resonated like two trees crashing against each other in the open woods, with cracks and sharp snaps accompanying the blow.

They tumbled together, casting a huge cloud of snow into the air. Chrysalis lost sight of both of them momentarily, but as the snow settled once again she beheld them. Wings unfurled completely, they were locked together in a desperate moment. Teeth gnashed, hooves raked flesh, and arcs of magic laced across the both of them. Blood was already staining both of their coats.

No words were spoken. They simply chose to unleash raw, primal rage in a physical display of might, trying to batter the other one into submission. Beneath them, the snow gave way, fleeing from every blow landing between them, clearing out a patch of wintered grass hiding under it.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of white sent a figure sprawling through the air, tumbling hooves over head. She tried to steady herself, but didn’t have sufficient time before her sister was upon her. Luna tried to deflect Celestia’s attack unsuccessfully, finding herself once again airborne as her sister piled into her with all her might.

A sharp scream pierced the night, the first sound either mare made—but it was not a sound of pain. A cry of anger and frustration escaped Luna as she finally caught herself with her wings, turning in air to confront her opponent once again.

Luna’s eyes glazed over silver, and then turned to brilliant white as she focused her magic into a single bolt of energy splitting the night. Bursting in a wide cone, it enveloped Celestia completely, stopping her in mid-flight and and sending her smashing into the ground. She rolled and toppled along the ground, crashing into and through one of the statues residing on the far side of the garden. It fell in pieces around her, a large chunk of stone rolling to rest beside her head.

From the corner of her eye she saw a flash of motion, and twisted enough to lash out with her hind legs, kicking with all her might. She felt the hard resistance of bone jerk away from her attack, and turned to see Luna staggering backwards. After a quick shake of her head, Luna lunged forward once again, and this time Celestia turned to rear up and drive her hooves into the helmet Luna wore, once more sending the mare recoiling backwards. With another shake of her head and a loud, dark hiss, Luna leapt forward a third time. Again, Celestia rose up to strike—and missed.

Luna slid up under Celestia’s body and drove her horn deep into the space between her right foreleg and her barrel. Blood rushed down Luna’s horn and seeped onto her helmet as she lifted and twisted her head.

Celestia made no sound, save for the rapid beating of her wings as she forced herself up high and back away from Luna’s attack. The ripping of flesh accompanied the moment Celestia completely separated herself from the intruding weapon, and she stumbled and fell onto her back. Instantly she twisted around, the snow underneath her shifting from pristine white to dark red—along with her own coat. With supreme effort she attempted to rise, only to discover her right foreleg unwilling to cooperate.

Luna stood above her.

“Yield,” she growled. “You are beaten.”

“Never,” Celestia spit back.

Luna took another step forward.

“I will not say it another time: Yield!”

“I would sooner die,” Celestia snarled.

She stood there for a moment, and then Luna raised up her head. “So be it.”

Across the way, Chrysalis yawned and watched with a large grin. The fight had carried them both so far away she had to pursue from her original vantage point. Beneath her, the snow crunched under her hooves, though she was scarcely aware of it. Watching the two princesses beat each other bloody was her sole focus.

She stopped, and arched her back in a quick stretch before watching Luna stand menacingly above her sister while blood poured from Celestia onto the ground. A short laugh came out of her, and she briefly cursed the fact that she couldn’t hear what they were saying to each other. It must have been priceless.

Unfortunately, she was just too tired to get any closer right now. She curled her legs up underneath her and lay down on the ground, somewhat annoyed by the snow cushioning itself below her.

Silently she cursed herself for being so tired. She may never get another opportunity to see one, or both if she were lucky, of these princesses humiliated—or worse. She just needed a little more energy, and she could be next to them, watching the whole while. Perhaps it was best to rest right now. Just for a moment, anyway.

She closed her eyes and the snow began to pile around her.

* * * * * * * *

The three of them looked up at her sitting on the throne of Equestria. Coldly she stared down at them, gently tapping her front hooves together. Regnant swallowed audibly.

“So,” she began, “I really need to know just how much the three of you know. Why don’t you make this easy and tell me.”

“What are you talking about?” Fleur asked with a toss of her mane. “Whatever this is, can it hurry up? I have important places to be.”

“And that’s another thing…” She pulled back and lolled her head to the side. “What is a supermodel doing dating a…well, him.” She pointed towards Regnant.

“What? He makes me laugh,” she said with a flutter of her eyes.

“I do?” he looked at her curiously. She giggled.

“Tenebrous Quill, I demand you release me immediately!” Dapifer stated with a small stomp of his hoof. “This is most unbecoming of another member of the court attache.”

“Well, you are every bit as proper as the reports stated. You do everything by exact decorum and direction, don’t you?” she laughed.

“And that is a problem how, exactly?” he asked defiantly.

“It makes you predictable,” Fleur answered. “Easier to manipulate.”

Tenebrous’s eyebrow went up. “Suddenly the model displays insight. Interesting.”

“It seems to me the time for a ruse is gone, don’t you agree?” she answered as she took a step in front of the other two.

“You first,” Tenebrous leaned forward in the throne, staring down intensely at Fleur. “How much do you know?”

“Tit for tat. I’ll tell you something, you tell me something,” she replied.

“What are you doing?” Regnant whispered. She dismissed him with a small wave of her hoof.

“You aren’t exactly in a bargaining position,” Tenebrous stated, gesturing around the room to the dozen guards who seemingly waited for her orders.

“We are if you want to find out anything,” she answered. “Such as how many others know what we know.”

“All right, that’s a good place to start: how many others do know?” She sat upright.

Fleur paused, clicking her teeth together for a moment. “Only the three of us right now…”

Regnant and Dapifer both turned to stare at her with wide eyes.

“That changes, however, if I don’t stop the spell which automatically files a report to the princess.”

The two stallions both let out the breath they didn’t realize they were holding.

“Which princess?” Tenebrous asked.

“Both, actually. Luna and Celestia,” she answered.

“You’ve left one out,” Tenebrous stated. “So you aren’t informing Chrysalis?”

“Not for my reports. Dapifer may have other plans, though. He’s closer to her than I am,” Fleur stated.

“Ah yes, dear Dapifer,” her attention turned to him. “How is it you came to be here?”

“There were discrepancies in the books. I wanted to get them clarified,” he stated.

“Really? Where?” Tenebrous asked.

“Everywhere, actually. The information in the journals seemed wrong, as though it was either fabricated or added on at a later date without using proper notation. I assume you were the pony who made those errors?” His eyes looked up and down her body as he took in her measure.

“No, but I will make sure they never happen again. Thank you,” she nodded towards him.

“Wait a second! Just…wait.” Regnant took a step forward and turned to look at the other two ponies beside him. “I thought this was going to be an exchange? She asks a question, then you ask a question, and then back and forth like that. So far, she’s been asking and you two have been spilling all the beans. I don’t get it.”

“No, Regnant, she’s been telling me everything I wanted to know,” Fleur answered with a smile.

Regnant raised a hoof up and opened his mouth, only to let it hang there for a moment. Finally, he put his hoof back down and spoke, “What?”

“She obviously doesn’t understand the details of court protocols. The surface level material, yes, but the finer details which must be learned over a longer course of time as you move up in rank she doesn’t understand. She isn’t working alone, as is evidenced by both the fact that these guards are protecting her right now, and the fact that she had somepony else make the entries in the journals. Also, she is concerned about others finding out what we know, which means she works in secrecy as much as possible. She was particular in noting that I didn’t mention Princess Chrysalis as well,” Fleur stated.

Regnant stared at her. “Which means…?”

“Simply put,” Fleur looked up and stared directly at her, “she’s a changeling.”

Tenebrous let out a slow, deep laugh.

“No, no,” Dapifer stepped in. “No, that’s not possible. I work with Princess Chrysalis on an almost daily basis. While I would hardly call her one of Equestria’s outstanding citizens, I don’t believe she would undermine the court—at least not so directly. It would surely be found out and ruin her current position. Besides, I have been studying changelings intensely since my appointment, and I can assure you they are all hibernating right now due to the cold, save for Princess Chrysalis herself. The only way Tenebrous could possibly be a changeling…” His voice trailed off and his pupils shrank to dots.

Slowly, Dapifer turned to look up the ramp at the figure sitting on Equestria’s throne. His next words came out slow and soft.

“…was if she was from a different hive.”

She filled her lungs with air and then slowly let them out. Tenebrous shook her head. “Clever, clever ponies.”

A flare of red covered Tenebrous, like a fire burning off her flesh, leaving behind the figure of a slightly taller changeling the color of dried blood. Just behind a horn curving back sharply, long, streaming strands of a mane began at the back of her head and ran down the middle of her back, ending between a pair or translucent wings. A thin, hairless tail whipped about behind her casually. A row of thin, sharp teeth revealed themselves in her grin as she stared down at them with glowing red eyes.

“A different hive? There are other hives?” Fleur looked up at Tenebrous. “Then why are you working with Chrysalis?”

“Working with…?” She threw her head up and the room filled with a cackling laughter. As it subsided, she spoke again, “Oh, oh I’m sorry. I have obviously given you too much credit.”

“Enilighten me, then. What are you doing here?” Fleur asked.

“To take over, of course. To dethrone the reigning monarch,” she smiled.

“You want to take out Princess Celestia?” Regnant chimed in.

“Their deaths would only be an added bonus if it happens.”

“Deaths?” Dapifer’s voice became frail. “You are here to kill the princesses?”

“I don’t care about your pony princess! I am here to remove the QUEEN!” she spat back.

There was a heartbeat’s pause.

“You’re here to kill Chrysalis,” Fleur stated. “You want to eliminate her from her hive so you can assume control of it. How?”

Tenebrous raised an eyebrow. “You want to know? Why not? You won’t be able to do anything about it, anyway.” She stood from the throne and stepped to the edge of the dais. “You already stumbled on the means to our victory, in any case. I have been slowly corrupting both the queen and the princesses, creating a situation where they will do my work for me.”

“With the tea, I suppose,” Fleur stated.

“Exactly. We have been studying the lot of you for some time, preparing ourselves for the inevitable. All of the royals here seem to have an addiction to that stupid brew, so it was easy to work it into their system. The fact Chrysalis herself started to imbibe it was an added bonus.”

“What about—“ Regnant was suddenly cut off by Fleur’s hoof on his mouth.

“Shh, she’s monologuing,” she whispered.

“It was easy enough to imbue the tea with changeling magic, the key was to make it so weak that it was virtually unnoticeable. Over time it would build, slipping into the victims in small, subtle ways. Changing them for our use.”

She looked around the room, staring at the various stained glass effigies decorating the walls.

“All of this beauty and peace. Such an easy thing to disrupt.” She looked back down at them. “The tea alters the victim’s perceptions. It brings to the surface deeply hidden fears and desires, altering their deepest feelings and clouding their judgment. They aren’t even aware of what is happening. The effect is sudden, actually, brought on by a strongly emotional event; something causing the victim’s body to have a strong physical or magical reaction. Once the poison is working it eats away at them, devouring their reason and turning them into a being of twisted emotion. And then they are lost…forever.”

“I don’t understand,” Dapifer said quickly. “Why do that to the princesses?”

The smile on Tenebrous’s face twisted into a sneer. “Because they are enemies. Chrysalis will do something foolish, and either Luna or Celestia will act on it. At worst it will start a war between Equestria and her changeling hive, but…” She laughed again. “I think a more likely outcome is that one of them will go too far, and Chrysalis will either kill or be killed by one of the pony princesses. If she kills one, the other will surely kill her, and if she is killed…perfect.”

“You underestimate the princesses!” Regnant shouted.

A pony burst through the doors, and then stopped suddenly at the sight of the ponies gathered. He looked at the red changeling standing on the throne platform and bowed sharply. “Regent, we have reports of the pony princesses battling. Queen Chrysalis is with them.”

Tenebrous raised a hoof up and looked down at Regnant. “You were saying…?”

“He was about to say that this is your one chance to surrender,” Fleur stated. “In the name of the Equestrian Nation, I command you to lay down your weapons and face justice.”

Her eyes opened wide and her body lurched as she began to laugh silently. “You must be joking.”

“On the contrary. These guards may be mind controlled, but I’m willing to wager they aren’t able to stop me from getting to you,” Fleur said. “So, surrender now, if you are wise.”

She kept her gaze on Fleur for a moment, and then slowly turned to look at the guard beside the door. Flashes of red began to appear throughout the room as the night guard transformed from their disguises into the blood red changelings.

“Or not…” Fleur muttered.

“I am not so foolish as to come alone, pony. We are never alone. Where there is one, there shall be another. We are Legion,” she announced.

“We are Legion!” the changelings repeated back to her.

Regnant recoiled from them slightly. “Uh, well, they seem to have that part memorized.”

“Are you ready?” Fleur looked at Regnant, her eyes cold and sure.

“For what?” His eyes were large and uncertain.

“I’m counting on you,” she said confidently.

“For what?!” he sounded slightly panicked.

A flash of brilliant pink magic propelled Fleur up and towards the throne platform, directly at Tenebrous Quill.

“Are you crazy?!” Reganant shouted.

“Here they come!” Dapifer drew his attention back, and Regnant was suddenly faced by the view of several onrushing, unhappy changelings.

“Aw…dammit,” Regnant whined and his shoulders slumped—for a moment. Before the first changeling got to him he took to the air, flying straight at the onrushing foe. His hoof met the changelings jaw, sending it reeling backwards. He arced over and brought his rear hooves in contact with another nearby changeling, driving it back into a third. A short, sharp twist brought him back to the ground just as three more got to him.

“Their undercarriage!” Dapifer shouted. “They’re vulnerable on their undercarriage and neck!”

“Right!” He yelled back and lunged for another one.

Dapifer lost sight of him as others surrounded Regnant, and he caught site of the two who were closing on him. “Oh no…” Desperately, he glanced up towards Fleur and Tenebrous, but no help was coming from there.

At the moment, Tenebrous and Fleur were locking horns, pressing against each other, testing their strength.

“You’re grossly outnumbered, unicorn,” Tenebrous said.

“And you know numbers are your only strength. One pony can take out several changelings. This is over,” Fleur stated firmly.

“Several regular changelings, yes, but I am a regent! You will fall!” Mustering her strength, she pushed Fleur away and took flight. The buzz of her wings lifted her high, but hardly beyond the reach of a unicorn’s magic.

A brilliant blast of pink energy spiraled out of Fleur’s horn. Tenebrous met it with a magical blast of her own, only to see it shrink back away from the unicorn’s attack. She was only just able to slip to the side of it, but as it passed her by it clipped her wing, sending her back towards the ground. She fell behind the throne, and Fleur jumped after her.

Meanwhile, Dapifer was running for his life. His limited magical ability kept tossing items behind him, hoping to throw his pursuers off the track. From the snarls and snorts he could at least assume he was annoying them, but he didn’t dare take a moment to look back for fear he would stumble.

Instead, he was racing in a wide circle, intent on coming up to Regnant. One look at Regnant’s situation caused him to hesitate, though. It seemed as though at every moment there were four changelings on top of Regnant, kicking and biting and slowly wearing him down. He would drive one away, only to have it instantly replaced by another. There was already a thin line of blood trailing from the corner of Regnant’s mouth, and he was certain it would be getting much worse very soon.

Swallowing back his fear, Dapifer lowered his head and charged straight forward as fast as he could muster. He grabbed the closest thing he could see, a planter resting on the edge of the room, and thrust it in front of him. With a scream he hoped sounded more blood curdling than terrified he ran into the fray, knocking changelings back and away with his newly created battering planter.

Fleur heard the fight, but had issues of her own. By the time she had landed behind the throne, Tenebrous was nowhere to be seen. Immediately she lit her horn, training both her physical and magical senses to anything moving nearby—and got nothing. She narrowed her eyes and made a magical call and one flash of light later a small glass orb hovered in front of her. The magic holding it aloft disappeared and it fell to the ground, smashing to bits and releasing a fine dust which rose into the air. With another glow of magic the dust spread out, covering everything within sight—and revealing the outline of a changeling disguised against the wall.

With no hesitation Fleur let loose another blast, and with a hiss Tenebrous revealed herself once more, leaping forward with fangs exposed towards the unicorn. Fleur was barely able to react in time, catching her and rolling back, tossing her away, and then springing back onto her own hooves. She felt something warm running down her right foreleg and saw the red with a quick glance.

“You won’t win,” Tenebrous laughed. “Your princesses, your kingdom, and especially the thrice-hated Chrysalis will all fall to nothing!”

“Thrice-hated? Well, right now I think even Equestrians have only two reasons to hate her. Sounds like quite the story.” Fleur took a few steps to her right, keeping the wounded leg out of Tenebrous’s view.

“One that you won’t have time to hear,” she jibed back.

Fleur looked past Tenebrous to see the battle continuing behind her. Regnant and Dapifer were standing flank-to-flank, one of them kicking and punching like a well-trained soldier, while the other was wielding a planter like a madpony. She smiled at the fact that more changelings were lying unconscious than were still fighting.

“Seems like I might,” Fleur stated. “Your changelings are losing.”

“You misunderstand. They don’t have to win. Our battle is already over.”

“You won’t be getting out of her, Tenebrous—or whatever your real name might be—so I don’t think you will be able to go back and lead your hive in any case,” Fleur stated.

Tenebrous smiled at Fleur and then suddenly tossed her head back in a wild laugh. “Lead the hive? You are a deluded pony. I am regent, not queen! I was sent here to die to complete my task. I don’t fear you!”

“Oh really?” Fleur let her lip curl up. “You should.”

She rushed Tenebrous, and caught her in a cocoon of magic, driving her back to the fight raging against her companions. Even as she pushed them back, she saw hooves strike Dapifer on the skull, sending him to the ground in a heap. She pushed on, throwing Tenebrous at the changelings and sending them bowling over in a heap. Regnant turned to her, his breath shallow and ragged.

“What…why in Tartarus…did you do that? Run…off like that?” he gasped.

“I didn’t run, I was being strategic,” she smiled.

They both looked up to see a half dozen changelings staring at them, fangs bared and dripping, identical in appearance.

“Regnant, do me a favor. Name each of those changelings,” Fleur requested.

“What?” he asked with a squint on his face.

“Which guards were they? Which one is Tenebrous?” she clarified.

“Oh.” He looked over and scoured them for a moment. Then he pointed them out in rapid order. “Front door, front door, side door, side throne, window,” he nodded with the last one, “and that’s Tenebrous.”

Tenebrous blinked, resuming her normal form, standing a head taller than the other changelings. “What?! How is that possible?”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re new here,” Fleur’s voice was silk. “Since the first changeling invasion, our soldiers have learned to identify changeling characteristics. Now that you’ve revealed yourselves, there is no way you’ll be able to hide. And since we know to look for a different hive, well, you won’t get past security again.”

“You lie! There is no such protocols!” Tenebrous spit.

“Obviously, you didn’t get the memo. Probably an oversight in paperwork.”

They both heard a sound not unlike a growl come from her. She glanced down at Fleur’s leg. “It doesn’t matter! We still outnumber you, and you are both wounded. You won’t defeat us.” She raised her head up. “Good-bye, Ms. de Lis.”

Red magic surrounded her horn for a moment—and then arced out, lacing through the other changelings. Their bodies shook and contorted, writhing in pain from the magical overload until they fell to the ground. The magic turned inward and jolted through Tenebrous’s body, until she slumped down to the floor with a scream.

“What the…?” Regnant looked on in confusion.

“Thank P-division for that. Changeling dust. Rises and adheres to a changeling in the area, messing with their magic. I wasn’t sure it would work on these red changelings, but…” She trotted over to Tenebrous.

“Y-you haven’t won,” she said weakly, fighting consciousness. “You cannot win. We are…never alone. Where there is one…there shall be another. We are…Legion.”

“So I’ve heard,” Fleur responded stoically. “Don’t worry, though, we’ll get you healed up well enough to answer questions, and you can tell us all about it.”

Her body lurched awkwardly as she laughed. “No, you won’t. Long live Queen Ersatz!” Tenebrous clenched her jaw tightly, and Fleur heard a sharp cracking noise. A moment later her body began to glow and hum.

With wide eyes, Fleur leapt away, landing next to Regnant and Dapifer just as the ball of flame erupted from Tenebrous, filling half the room in an instant with fire. After a half-dozen seconds it faded away, leaving darkly scorched walls and floor behind—and a magical force bubble containing two ponies huddled above an unconscious one.

“Wha…what was that?” Regnant slowly lifted his head up as Fleur lowered her shield.

“Final orders,” she replied. “I’m just glad I got that spell up in time or we’d be like them.” She nodded towards the piles of ash where changelings recently were lying.

“Wow,” Regnant whispered, and then he shook his head. “Oh, and what was that about me identifying them. There isn’t any protocol for that sort of thing.”

“I know that, but they didn’t. You told me you could spot the details others missed, and I trusted you would be able to do what I asked. It threw her off enough to try a spell to destroy us quickly,” Fleur explained.

She glanced down at Dapifer who moaned slightly.

“Take care of him!” Leaning over, she grabbed Regnant in her magic and bent him over until he lay beneath her. Her lips came down and covered his, pressing into a deep, hard kiss. His eyes became pools staring up at her. When she pulled back and magically turned him back onto his hooves, he staggered unsteadily. “Thanks for your help.”

She turned and began to sprint out of the room.

“Wait! Where are you going?” he cried after her.

“I’ve got some princesses to save!” she shouted over her shoulder and raced out of the room.

* * * * * * * *

The sun rose in the night.

Blindingly bright, a brilliant white uprising of energy exploded around them, driving Luna up and away from her sister. A cry halfway between shock and pain was drowned out by the intense sound of the blast as Luna spun and tumbled through the air.

There was a distinct lack of visual orientation. Everything was moving too fast to get a fix on any sort of direction—but she didn’t need her eyes. Reaching out she felt the moon, and unfurled her wings to raise her up towards it, flying high above the ground and the destruction below. In only a matter of seconds her vision was completely restored and she turned to identify her sister’s location, and was surprised to find her missing.

“You will not win, traitor!” Celestia’s voice cried.

The light flashed in the corner of Luna’s eye, and she acted instinctually. A beam of pure magic lashed out of her horn, expanding greatly as it moved away and impacting the one rapidly closing in on her. The two beams expanded rapidly into a massive ball of energy, floating above the castle gardens.

Black and white power spread, not mixing as it circled around each other, clashing and repelling where it touched. Sparks flew inside the massive sphere of power, as smaller battles waged to try to determine the ultimate victor in this test of raw strength.

Just when it seemed no side would prove superior, Luna’s magic pushed the sphere, shattering it and piercing a bolt of midnight into the surrounding sky—and found nothing. A bolt of energy side-swiped Luna, driving the breath from her and pushing her sideways through the air. Before she could turn to face it, another bolt battered her from directly above. Her wings faltered for a moment, but not long enough to drive her from the sky.

“Teleporting…” she growled and raised a sphere of shimmering darkness around her. “Coward! You won’t face me directly?!”

Outside her own shield, Luna saw another sphere form, burning with the intensity of the sun. Immediately she felt the heat roasting her alive. Sweat matted her coat and her air was burned away. With all the strength she could muster she expanded her own shell, trying to force the flames away, and found herself wanting. The sudden heat was proving too much for her, draining her power too quickly. Changing strategies, she brought her shield back closer, and forged a lance of solid night. With a scream of desperation and defiance she thrust it into the fire and pierced the shell, and in that moment she shifted into a mist and followed it through, disappearing into the darkness.

* *

Celestia winced as the sun sphere was penetrated. Her right leg was still curled up under her body, pressed against herself to stem the flow of blood. The sudden jolt of magical force shot through her and found that wound, aggravating the pain she was trying desperately to ignore. The light of the sun held no distress for Celestia, so seeing through this orb of her own creation was nothing, and she realized the moment Luna fled.

“Running, sister? And you call me a coward?!” she shouted. “You cannot hide! I will scour all of Equestria if I need! I will find you!”

“I am right here.” Lightening rained down around Celestia as the words reached her ears. Arcs of pain shot through her, scorching flesh and contracting muscles. Hundreds of pinpricks of power laced through her body, contorting it and causing her mouth to open in a silent scream of pain. From the core of her being she summoned her will, and let it out in a flash fire.

The lightning assault stopped. Celestia spun towards the sound of the voice to see Luna, coat smoldering in the after effects of the flame, flying towards her. She lowered her head and summoned up a wall of golden light. Luna snarled and increased her speed—and Celestia smiled.

When Luna struck the wall, it did not shatter. It did not crack. It didn’t even stand firm. The wall collapsed down, surrounding her and enveloping her, covering her like a blanket a thousand times thicker than any she had ever imagined. Celestia watched as her sister flailed about, fighting to keep herself aloft while spells sparked from her horn to rid her of the gelatinous coating. With a short huff of her breath, Celestia turned and rose skyward.

* *

From Fleur de Lis’ perspective, things looked bad. As she ran out into the garden, her eyes were focused skyward, watching the magical show unfold above her. Her mind raced faster than her hooves, searching for a solution to this before the princesses, Canterlot, and possibly all of Equestria paid the price.

“This is bad. This is bad. This is bad.” The words echoed again and again, vocalizing her innermost thoughts. Then her eye caught an image in the snow. A dark patch that shouldn’t be there, and a desperate hope appeared. She raced towards it with renewed intensity.

* *

Chrysalis felt something on her face. And then again. Annoyingly, it repeated itself multiple times, like a water drip she couldn’t locate. She sneered at it. At least that’s what she thought. It was hard to tell for some reason. Why was it so hard to tell? And why wouldn’t that annoying drip go away from her face?

“…get…have to…now!”

Was somepony yelling? At her? How dare they! She would have to put them in their place. Right after she stopped that facial issue.

“…Princess Chrysalis…this instant…so help me…”

That voice was close. And it…was in time with the facial issue. What was happening? Where was she?

She blinked her eyes open and saw the hoof headed towards her muzzle. All she could do was watch as it struck her soundly and slapped her head to the side.

“Princess?!” a white mare—rather attractive at that—was yelling at her. “Wake up, Princess! I need you. Stay with me!”

“Wha…who are you?” Chrysalis asked weakly. Her hooves shifted, trying to raise her up, but there was no strength.

“Not important. What is important is you listen to me right now. I need your help. Can you move?” Fleur asked.

“I…I am Chrysalis, of course I can—“ Her hooves gave out from under her as she tried once again to lift herself up.

“I was afraid of that. It’s too cold for you.” Fleur stepped back. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but this is going to hurt.”

Bright pink swelled around Fleur’s horn and then surrounded the changeling. The light changed slowly from pink to red, melting the snow beneath Chrysalis’s hooves. At first, there was no reaction from her, but after a moment Chrysalis’s face contorted, shifting into a tight snarl, followed by a roar of pain.

“What. Was. That?!” Chrysalis shouted at Fleur.

“I just heated up your body. It won’t last. We only have a couple of minutes, maybe,” she answered.

“A couple of minutes for what?” Chrysalis eyed this pony, glancing up and down the length of her.

Magic gripped Chrysalis and turned her head towards the sky. “That!”

Above her she saw a ball of glowing goo surrounding Princess Luna, with Celestia flying higher and higher above it, glowing in the night sky.

“Ah yes,” Chrysalis purred, “the princesses little duel. Why is that important to me, again?”

“Because, if we don’t stop them, you’re going to die,” Fleur said. “Another changeling hive has poisoned their minds so that they will kill you.”

Chrysalis turned her head down slowly, her eyes gaining a deep green glow as she looked at this white mare in front of her. “What did you just say?”

* *

Content with the height she had reached, Celestia stopped beating her wings and shifted her weight around and angled her head towards the ground. Folding her wings back, she plummeted downward.

A corona of light formed in front of her as she sped downward, beginning a pale blue and then changing hue, becoming a rainbow of color streaming behind her, finally exploding into a circle of rainbow light. And then again. And again.

The ground approached at a frightening speed, impossible for any mortal to comprehend. The small dot of golden glow below her created a target, and she aimed directly for it. Within three heartbeats it had moved from a dot to a full figure, with Luna still struggling against the spell binding her. She had almost freed herself, and would be clear in another second or two—which she didn’t have.

Celestia impacted her sister as a blur, and before anypony could actually register what occurred, they hit the ground. A dome of white rose, covering the entirety of the garden and impacting against the castle proper. Windows shattered on the castle and rocked throughout the city, threatening to crack or fall from their frames. Small children woke and cried, while adult ponies were jolted upright in bed.

The darkness fell in behind the blast, and for a moment it was impossible to see what was left behind, but as everything adjusted all that was visible was a clear, barren space. One figure rose up, slowly, carefully, standing in the debris. She paced forward several steps, one wing dragging the ground and the foreleg on the opposite side hobbling as it refused to take any weight. A trail of blood could trace where she began to the point where she stood over her sister.

“Now…you shall…surrender,” Celestia’s voice said in short, ragged breaths.

Luna lay at her hooves, her body bent and broken. Her neck twisted back at an impossible angle. Three of her legs hung loosely, unable to move, while the fourth had a spur of bone jutting out through the flesh. One wing was bent underneath her, and the other lay back across her flank.

It was only through an impossible force of will that she was able to move her head and speak.

“You…would not…surrender. You expect…less…of me?” Her voice was the texture of rock slicing through silk.

“I expect…you to acknowledge me! Equestria is mine! I protect it!” Celestia’s voice grew louder with every word. “I will not allow you to poison and destroy it!”

“You never did trust me,” Luna growled. “You feared me becoming more popular than you. Replacing you in the hearts of ponies.”

“I EXPECT YOU TO OBEY!” Flame sparked from her eyes and ran along the length of Celestia’s mane. “And if you do not—if you do not surrender and accept me as Equestria’s true ruler—then you shall die.”

“Heh.” Luna snorted. “Ha ha. HA HAHAHAHAHAHA!” Her eyes snapped towards Celestia. “You idiot! I cannot die! Or have you already forgotten that fact? You cannot defeat me, Celestia. I will always be there, and you will always have to deal with me.”

“THEN YOU SHALL BE AN ETERNAL PILE OF ASH! I WILL BURN YOU INTO NOTHINGNESS!!” Her voice bordered on raw as she screamed.

“Yes!” The voice was startling familiar, causing Celestia to joltingly turn towards it. A tall, regal figure stood only a short distance away. A white, brilliant coat saw licks of flame dance over it, and intense fire danced in place of her mane and eyes. It was Celestia, but not the princess as she knew herself—this was her Nightmare form revisited. “Cast her down and we shall forever be free of her and her wretched influence!”

“Wha…how are you…this is not possible,” Celestia muttered.

“Anything is possible,” she hissed. “And with my power and influence, together no pony will ever stand against us!”

“No!” Celestia shouted. “I rid myself of you! Twilight Sparkle saved me, and returned my soul. You are not real!”

Nightmare Celestia smiled. “Then how are you having this conversation, Princess?”

“I am not! This is…this is in my mind! You are not real! And I…I…” She turned to look at Luna, lying prostrate at her hooves. The silver of her helm reflected a figure in the dim light, who had sparks of fire playing in her eyes and along the length of her mane. Celestia’s breath caught in her throat. “I…I…”

She closed her eyes. “I surrender.”

“You what?” Luna snarled. “Is this some trick?”

“No,” Celestia opened her eyes. The flames were gone. “I surrender. Equestria is yours.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” Celestia turned in time to see her Nightmare form engulfed in green flame, transforming back to her true form. “I don’t think I could have kept that up much longer.”

“Chrysalis!” She shouted. “How dare you?!”

The changeling laughed. “Well, as much as I would love to argue about this, Princess, I’m afraid that…I can’t…” She toppled over, falling to the ground in a heap.

“What…?” Celestia stared and took a hobbling step towards the fallen mare.

“Your Majesty!” another voice interrupted. Celestia turned to see Fleur de Lis staring at her. “Your Majesty, I beg you to listen to me. You have been poisoned. You, Luna, and Chrysalis all have been poisoned. You are not yourself.”

Fleur took two tentative steps towards the alicorn princess.

“Look around you, Princess. This is not you. This is not something you or Luna would do. Not to Equestria. Not to Canterlot. Not to each other. Remember who you are and what—and who—you love.”

Her mouth opened, but Celestia waited to speak. She let her eyes travel to the side, seeing Luna doing the same as their eyes met. Celestia closed her mouth, while Luna bared her teeth. Slowly, Celestia turned back to Fleur.

“What…have I done?” Tears streamed down Celestia’s cheeks, and her voice faded to little more than a whisper. “Luna, what have I done?”

The weight of her body seemed to overwhelm her physical strength, and she collapsed to the ground. Immediately she fell to one side, her body limp in the snow, tears freezing as they touched the ground.

* * * * * * * *

Epilogue 1 -

“…so it was not Chrysalis or her changelings who were to blame. This new hive refers to themselves, apparently, as the Legion Hive, and from what Tenebrous said with her final words, they are under the rule of a Queen Ersatz. They use a very different method and tactic to achieve their results, and have a different hierarchy of authority. At this time we are unaware if they feed off of love or emotion at all. Their physiology, while superficially different, reacted identically to known changeling counter-measures, however, so we do have means to track and neutralize them.” Fleur stood and stoically gave her report in the moderately-sized room. A single window let in the mid-afternoon light, adding color to an otherwise drab and ordinary spot. One bed. One chair. One table. Nothing fantastic or royal about it.

“And what steps are being taken to find out more about this new hive?”

Fleur took a deep breath. “Not much, I’m afraid. Not yet. Right now we have re-instituted full screenings of every pony serving in the castle, confirming they are not changelings in hiding. They were able to get in very deep, so we are taking no chances, Your Majesty.”

A deep breath preceded a heavy sigh. “Please, do not call me that. I am…uncomfortable with it.”

Fleur waited a moment before she spoke. “May I speak candidly?”

After another sigh, she nodded.

“Princess, you must accept what happened. It has been three weeks, and in that time all three of you have been recovering both physically and mentally. Princess Cadance has served admirably in your absence, and the citizens of Equestria are accepting of what they are being told, but they are going to need to see their Princess—the one who rules Equestria. They are going to need to see you.”

Princess Luna looked at Fleur and shook her head. “I do not rule Equestria.”

“I’m sorry, but you do,” Fleur stated bluntly. “You may not be happy about it, but that responsibility has been officially passed to you.”

“I do not know how!” Luna shouted from her bed, and felt the pain shoot through her body. She lay back gently, gathering herself. A nurse stuck her head in the door, but was quickly waved off by the princess. “My sister is needed. I do not know how to handle these situations. It is beyond me.”

“It doesn’t have to be. The only reason you feel it right now is that you haven’t embraced it—not yet. You will. You will because Equestria needs you to do so.”

“I…don’t know,” Luna sighed.

“If I may make a suggestion, Princess?” Fleur asked.

Luna nodded slowly.

“As I have told you, I was greatly assisted by a guard under your service by the name of Regnant Troth as well as by Chrysalis’s aide, a unicorn named Dapifer. I would like to recommend they both be promoted from their current position to assist Equestria—and you.”

Luna closed her eyes somewhat. “Are you suggesting I take on Regnant Troth as an advisor, Fleur de Lis?”

Fleur turned her head, slightly. “Oh dear me, no. I wouldn’t wish that upon anypony.” She smiled. “I do recommend you keep him as a personal guard, however. A close one. He may not be exactly the most wise pony I have ever known, but he has a genuine quality to him that you may find exactly what you need right now. Now, as to Dapifer, I—“

“No,” Luna interrupted. “He shall stay with Chrysalis. He is already familiar with what has happened, so keeping him closer to her is the wisest course of action. Besides, from what you have said, and I have been told by others, the two have built something of a rapport together. I won’t break that apart. If you would like, you may bring him in to find a suitable replacement to Tenebrous Quill, however.” She shook her head. “It is a shame, too. I found her to be quite efficient in her task.”

A small laugh broke from Fleur.

One eyebrow went up on Luna’s face. “You find something funny, Ms. de Lis?”

“Yes, actually. You’ve been sitting here complaining that you don’t want to take on the responsibility of running this nation, but the first two suggestions I gave you were immediately dealt with in a swift, authoritative manner. Like Equestria needs.”

“Those were small issues, and nothing along the lines of what is needed to run Equestria,” she countered.

“Actually, it’s exactly what Equestria needs right now. Swift, definitive action. In case you haven’t noticed, Princess, things are not stable right now, and if something isn’t done quickly then we might see others encroaching upon our borders in much more overt ways than the Legion Hive has already done.”

Luna nodded slowly. Her eyes ventured out the window, seeing the edge of the sun creeping down into view from the top of the window. She turned back to Fleur.

“And what is it, exactly, we are planning to do about the Legion Hive?”

A huge smile grew on Fleur’s face. “I have a few ideas, actually.”

* * * * * * * *

Epilogue 2 -

The vase smashed against the wall, sending the nurse scattering to the side.

“Please, Princess, do not throw things like that,” she pleaded.

“Do not tell me what to do! And stop bringing me these ridiculous decorations. They are doing nothing but—“

“I understand, Princess. I’ll make sure nothing like that is brought here again,” she answered quickly. “I’ll leave you alone for a while.”

“See that you do! And next time you come back, bring something useful to me!”

The pony hurriedly made her way to the door, and stepped back in shock as she attempted to step through it. Quickly she bowed and stepped aside, letting the grand white alicorn step past her.

“Hello, Chrysalis,” Celestia said as she nodded to the nurse who quickly slid out of the room. “I see you are keeping the staff busy.”

“Oh, what joy! I am paid a visit by Celestia herself! My life is now enriched!” Chrysalis grumbled. “Since you are here, does that mean I am finally allowed to exit this overly cloying prison?”

Celestia glanced around the room. Aside from the various scars on the wall—no doubt put there by its current occupant—it was a pleasant, if somewhat dull space.

“The room isn’t that bad, Chrysalis. I was in one almost identical to it, actually,” she said. “All three of us had to be kept apart and under a close watchful eye, you realize.”

“Yes, I was told that several times, actually,” she hissed. “How considerate of them…”

Celestia walked to the window and gazed outside. “You have a pleasant view, at least. The mountains are lovely this time of year.”

She sensed Chrysalis behind her.

“You realize I could have left at any time, don’t you?” she asked.

Celestia slowly turned to face the changeling. “Of course. Any of us could, but we all knew better, didn’t we?”

“Really? How so?” Chrysalis stood face-to-face with her.

“We don’t want the other ponies to begin to question us, do we? You least of all,” Celestia said.

“Me? Why would they question me?” Chrysalis raised a hoof to her chest with a gasp.

Celestia tilted her head. “Please, Princess, don’t feign emotion you don’t have. You know that if you had left this room everything you have been trying to build—all of the good will you have created for yourself—would have vanished in an instant. That wouldn’t fit in with your plans, now would it?”

“My plans?” Chrysalis’s voice fell down an octave.

“Yes—whatever those might be. Don’t ever think me a fool, Chrysalis,” she said gently.

“Oh, I never think of you that way, Princess,” Chrysalis cooed.

Celestia smacked her lips once.

“Yes, well, I wanted to come speak with you to not only let you know that the…let’s call it quarantine time, has passed for all of us, but,” Celestia looked her square in the eye, “to have a personal little talk.”

“Really? What about?” Chrysalis turned her head slightly.

“I want you to know that you have been cleared of all immediate wrongdoing in the attempted coup against the throne. It has been decided—by a committee led by Princess Cadance herself—that you are innocent. You had nothing to do with the other changeling hive.”

Chrysalis’s lip curled up into a snarl. “No, I had nothing to do with them. And now that we are finished here, I will take my leave. I have a hunt to begin, and another hive to destroy.”

“Not so fast,” Celestia replied instantly. “I never said we were finished, did I?”

Chrysalis growled.

“There is no need to be so harsh, Chrysalis. I just need to discuss some matters with you,” Celestia began. “Let’s start with that other hive, shall we?”

“What about it?” she spat back.

“You will not be hunting for it,” Celestia stated plainly.

Chrysalis’s eyes shrunk to slits. “Are you suggesting that you will stop me?”

“No. I am suggesting we will aid you.”

She pulled back, blinking. “Aid me? What?”

“You are a Princess of Equestria. This is an attack upon all of us, and as such we will all act accordingly. Which includes finding our foes and dealing with them in the best possible manner,” she said.

“Best possible manner? What sort of pony double-speak is that?”

“Simply put, Chrysalis,” Celestia continued, “we need your help, and you need ours. We have resources you do not. If you are going to play the role of the princess, you will have to accept that things are done in a particular way now.”

Chrysalis lowered her head. “But there will be a hunt for them, yes?”

With some hesitance, Celestia nodded. “In our way, yes. And you will have input on that.”

“Excellent,” Chrysalis purred.

“Now, to the other points,” Celestia said immediately.

“Oh, there’s more?” Chrysalis asked. “May I make a point? I have been kept here for weeks with no food! The emotion I have been feeding from has been almost non-existent! I am starving! Can we discuss this later?”

“No,” Celestia’s voice was firm and clear. “And I realize you haven’t had much food. Though if you had been more receptive of the flowers and other items that were sent to you…”

“I can’t feed from that!”

“No, but you can learn that ponies might actually want you to heal. And those ponies might actually provide you with some food through love that is given to you, not forced,” Celestia stated.

“What’s wrong with a little force now and then?” Chrysalis took a step closer. “I seem to remember a certain princess enjoying that not too long ago.” Her muzzle moved closer to Celestia’s. They could feel each other’s breath on their faces. “Perhaps you were just wanting to make me this hungry so you could feed me yourself?” Chrysalis’s mouth moved closer.

“Oh, Chrysalis,” Celestia whispered, “if you get any closer to me, I will make sure you are physically incapable of leaving this room for the next five years.”

There was a pause, followed by a light chuckle as Chrysalis pulled back. “You’re still upset, aren’t you?”

“You raped me,” Celestia said. “I don’t forgive or forget that easily.”

“I was under the effect of a poison, Celestia. I couldn’t control myself,” she countered.

“I know, which is why we are talking right now,” Celestia nodded, “but I want you to understand that anything else like that will be faced with the most desperate of responses. Most. Desperate. Do we have an understanding?”

Chrysalis shrugged. “Well, you know where my room is.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Celestia replied coldly.

“Don’t flatter yourself either, Princess. We both know the truth,” Chrysalis snapped back.

Celestia shook her head as she walked past the changeling. “You are a sad creature.”

“I am a hungry creature,” she stated. “Can I go get something to eat now?”

“Yes, of course,” Celestia paused at the door. “Oh, one more thing.” She looked Chrysalis in the eye. “You were reading a book on Equestrian law the night my sister challenged me, and I found her waiting in your room. How coincidental…”

“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?” She answered. “I don’t know how that happened. I was just brushing up on the law of the land, myself. She was amazingly accurate with her challenge, though. I was impressed.”

“I’m sure you were,” Celestia kept her voice low and even. “We can play these games, Chrysalis, you and I, but I want to make something clear: leave Luna alone. Completely.”

“She is a grown mare, Celestia. I think she is allowed to choose what she wants, don’t you?” Chrysalis’s fangs appeared.

“Yes, of course, but I want you to remember this conversation.” Celestia bowed her head. “Princess.”

Chrysalis bowed hers in return. “Princess.”

Celestia exited the room gracefully, leaving Chrysalis alone. She filled her lungs slowly, and then let the air out with a huge grin growing on her face.

* * * * * * * *

Epilogue 3 -

The door moved smoothly, but stopped suddenly halfway open.

“Oh…hello.”

She turned from the window to face her and nodded. “Hello yourself.”

“I…I honestly don’t know what I expected. I will leave. My apologies.” She started to turn, but didn’t complete the motion before she was verbally stopped.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Luna. Come in.” Celestia took a few steps away from the window towards the center of the room. “Please.”

Luna took a loud breath in and held it. Three steps into the room, she closed the door behind her and stood still.

“Are you well?” Celestia asked. “Fully healed?”

“Mostly.” Her voice was flat.

Celestia nodded. “My only issue is my right foreleg. The physicians say it will likely be another month or so before it is back to full health.”

Luna stared back silently.

“It’s good to see you, Luna.” Celestia took several steps towards her wife, a small smile creeping onto her face.

Luna nodded silently.

A heavy sigh rose and fell out of Celestia’s lungs. She took a step back and gestured into the center of the room. “Luna, come in. We obviously need to talk.”

“I…” Luna stiffened. “You’re right. Of course.” Awkwardly, Luna moved past her sister and to the center of the room. She turned and faced Celestia suddenly. “I will not hold you to what happened. The throne is still yours, of course.”

Celestia smiled. “No. No, I want you to have it. For a while at least. Perhaps…after a while…we can share the throne together. Truly.”

“I don’t feel right about what happened. I was not in control when I challenged you. My mind was…cloudy. I wasn’t thinking properly.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Celestia shook her head. “You deserve the throne. I do not.”

“How can you say that?!” Luna moved towards Celestia. “There has never been a more kind, loving ruler than you. There never shall be! If any pony truly deserved to lead others, it is you.”

“That’s exactly why you need to be on the throne,” she replied.

Luna blinked. “I…don’t understand.”

“We were not on the throne of Equestria for long before you…were sent away. I was not always a kind, trusted ruler. After you left, I was lost and confused. I made many, many mistakes. Thankfully, I had Starswirl to help guide me, but I had to be there—on the throne—to learn.” She moved up next to Luna. “So do you. It is your time.”

“I…I…” Luna stammered.

“I will be here to guide you, just as Starswirl guided me. Any questions. Any issues. Anything at all. I will do what I can, but you will sit on the throne. And you will make mistakes,” Celestia said softly.

“Tia,” she took a deep breath, “are you sure about this? The ponies may think I have usurped the throne, truly—and frankly, I wouldn’t blame them.”

“I would. And I will be there to tell them the truth. That I have decided to step aside and let my wife rule Equestria for a time. I will not be out of the public eye, Luna, I will simply just be…a Princess.”

Luna lunged forward, her hoof wrapping around Celestia’s neck, pulling her tightly to her. After she recovered, Celestia put her own hoof around Luna’s neck gently.

“I was so afraid,” Luna said. “The things that…” She pulled back to look Celestia in the eye. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Not truly.”

Celestia took another deep breath. “And that is why you will sit on the throne. When this poison rushed through us, what was your first thought? The deep thing that was dredged up from your soul?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “You wanted to protect. To protect me from what Chrysalis did. To protect Chrysalis from what I was going to do to her. To protect Equestria itself when I went too far. I wish I could say the same.”

Celestia pulled back and turned away for a moment.

“Tia, you were under the control of this poison as well. More so than any of us, actually, since you drank the most. It was only natural that—“

“No.” She turned back, a tear in the corner of her eye. “No, that is too simple. It pulled up the truth from me, as well. The fact that, somewhere deep inside me, no matter how much I deny it, there is a part of me that doesn’t trust you. That thinks you are still the monster that wants to hurt me and my little ponies. That puts you and Chrysalis together.” She shook her head. “No, it is time for me to learn as well. To let myself stand back and have others make choices for a change. Trust them to do the right thing.”

Slowly, she stepped over to Celestia, once more embracing her, but with a much more tender touch. “Then I shall be there for you, too. I don’t ever want us to hurt each other again.”

Celestia laughed. “Please. It is hardly the first time, and I am sure it won’t be the last. With beings such as ourselves, we cannot ever promise something will never happen. Time changes everything.”

“I suppose.” Luna chuckled. “After all, we are accepting Chrysalis as a princess.” She pulled back to look at Celestia. “We are still doing that, yes?”

She nodded. “We are. She has more to learn than either of us. Who knows? In time, perhaps she will be as wise a ruler as she is devious.” Celestia closed her eyes halfway. “Which reminds me… How was she able to bed you? You of all ponies?”

Luna swallowed hard and pulled away, her eyes staring at the ground. “I…don’t want to talk about it.”

“Luna,” Celestia chided, “I am your wife, your sister, and your friend. I love you more than anything in the universe. If there is any pony you can talk to about anything, it is me.” She smiled and softened her voice. “Now, please, what happened?”

Luna’s eyes darted back and forth. “Shwsbggrnme,” she mumbled.

“I beg your pardon?” Celestia asked.

“She…she was…” She looked up at Celestia, a pleading look in her eyes. “Do I really have to say this?”

“You don’t have to, no, but you might feel better if you do,” she suggested. “If you would rather not, though, I understand.”

“I…I don’t understand. I am not like that. I don’t know why I reacted the way that I did,” Luna said softly.

Celestia lifted up her head. “I think I might.”

With a speed that caused her head to shake slightly, Luna stared back into Celestia’s eyes. “You do?”

“Perhaps,” she walked around the room, heading towards the window. “From my experiences with Chrysalis, and my conversations with Cadance and others, it is very clear Chrysalis envisions herself as…an alpha.” She looked back at Luna. “And perhaps the first one who has ever had the ability to stand up to you.”

“I still don’t see—“

“AND,” Celestia interrupted, “somewhere deep inside of you, brought out by that same changeling poison, was a desire to give up control—at least for a little while—to somepony who you saw as stronger than you.”

“She is not stronger than I am, Tia,” Luna stated.

“No, but she might have given you that perception at that moment. Isn’t that possible?”

“That…is possible,” Luna whispered. “Too many things have happened. I don’t always want to be responsible for everything.”

“And you do not have to be. I love you, Luna, and I would do anything for you. Anything,” Celestia said.

“I know. I love you, too, Tia, and feel the same. I’m just not sure what to do about this,” she replied.

“I will remind you, Luna,” Celestia said, “that I defeated you in our duel. The only reason you won was due to my surrender.”

Luna blinked and pulled her head back. “Tia, that is hardly—“

“Ah!” Celestia raised a hoof up, and stared directly into Luna’s eyes. “You will call me Mistress. Is that clear?”

“Tia, I—“

A sudden snap cracked beside Luna’s head. She glanced over to see a golden buggy whip floating in the air. “Did I NOT make myself clear?! How are you to address me?”

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but it slowly pulled back into a wide smile. “You did…Mistress.”

“Excellent.” Celestia’s eyes smiled at least as wide as her mouth. “You may kiss my hoof to apologize.”

Lowering her eyes, Luna stepped over to her wife—and her new Mistress—and lowered herself slowly to her knees and placed her lips on Celestia’s golden shoes.

A rush went through Celestia, and she had to repress a visible shudder when her sister kissed her hooves. Her teeth bit into her lower lip as the kisses continued.

Looking out the window, the last bit of snow was melting from the shadows on the ground. Blooms were peeking up through the dirt, bringing a long absent color back to the Equestrian landscape. The world was new again.

Winter was over. Spring was here.

THE END

Chapter 1

Chapter One

A delicate field of white laced through the air, descending over Canterlot in a silent parade. From her balcony, Celestia watched the snow glisten in the fading light of her sunset. A deep breath and peaceful release were the harbinger of the smile growing onto her face.

Mid-winter was never her favorite time of year, but she had to admit the beauty of it was still captivating at times. It was almost enough to ignore the temperature tumbling down along with the snow.

“How is she doing?”

She looked over her shoulder with a smile, seeing Luna standing in the doorway to the balcony. Wordlessly, she nodded her head to one side, angling it down towards the ground below. Luna walked up beside her and peered over the railing.

Far below, in the middle of the castle garden, she was attending to her own version of court. Dozens of ponies gathered around, waiting for their opportunity to speak and be heard by one of Equestria’s newest celebrities—Princess Chrysalis of the Equestria, Queen of the Changelings.

“I don’t trust her,” Luna sneered.

Turning with a slight laugh, Celestia nodded. “Good. That means the only surprise you should get is a pleasant one.”

“I think you are being too kind, allowing her to do this. It undermines you.” Luna took a step backwards and turned to head back inside their chamber.

“I think you mean us,” Celestia corrected, following Luna inside.

“No, I meant you.” she shook her head, casting aside the few specks of winter clinging to her mane and coat. “She isn’t looking to humiliate me.”

“Oh, ho ho ho,” Celestia chuckled again. “You underestimate her still. I don’t believe we will ever fully understand her schemes and plans.”

“Only because you continue to let her do it!” Luna snapped.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware I was offending you by…what was I doing again?”

“Do not be coy, Tia. The more rope you give that monster, the better the chance she will bind us all in some trap.” Luna turned to her, eyes glowing in the dimming light.

It had been over a year now, but Celestia was still growing accustomed to seeing those eyes and not feeling fear. Dragon’s eyes. Black slits in fields of teal, indicating a predator. She couldn’t help but smile at them now.

“Luna, I am not being coy. Nor am I being foolish. We have discussed this many times. Chrysalis is now a Princess of Equestria, and as such she is entitled to respect. She is also indebted to perform a myriad of tasks for the betterment of all—both pony and changeling.” She stepped over to her wife and nuzzled her on the neck. “And besides, the only way we will truly know her loyalty is if we give her the rope and the opportunity.”

Luna lifted her head up and draped it over her sister’s neck. Their ethereal manes intermingled, creating an aurora effect between them.

“I am not angry with you, Tia. I am angry I got us into this situation,” she sighed.

Gently, Celestia pulled back, looking Luna directly in the eye once more. “Never blame yourself. Equestria was in crisis, and you were the only one able to act. You made the right decision.”

She snorted her reply and shook her head. “That is much easier for you to say. It was not your action that brought this upon us. I have a constant reminder of what I did living with us.”

“Really?” A dim glow surrounded the golden metal horn protruding from Celestia’s forehead. “I have no idea what it is like to have such a thing.”

“You are mocking me?” Luna growled.

“No, my love, I am merely stating how we all paid a price from Coldheart’s invasion, and we must all live with the consequences. You are not alone.”

“Hmmph!” Luna walked over to the balcony, staring out towards the setting sun. “At least your horn doesn’t threaten to overtake Equestria.”

“No, but you do that. All the time, actually,” Celestia replied with another chuckle.

Looking back over her shoulder, Luna grinned at her with sharp fangs. “Well, you can’t take all of the darkness out of me, now can you?”

“Nor would I wish to, Luna. I love you for who you are. Nightmare and all.”

“Good.” One side of her mouth curled up into a sneer. “I have to raise the moon, and then attended to my night court. You will be keeping an eye on her?”

“Only casually. She is on her own for the most part,” Celestia answered.

“I wish Cadance was still here,” Luna grumbled. “She knows the threat involved.”

“The return of the Crystal Kingdom required us to take action, Luna, and there is no pony more qualified than her to lead them into a new era.”

“Oh, I understand,” Luna answered, “I just don’t like it.”

“It certainly seemed to make Cadance happy to put some distance between her and Chrysalis,” Celestia laughed.

Luna nodded slowly. “I will be back later. I hope you will be awake.”

Raising an eyebrow, a grin grew on Celestia’s face. “If that implies what I think it does, I’ll make it a point to stay up.”

“I love you,” Luna said as she leapt from the balcony, unfurling her wings and taking flight to the peak of Canterlot Castle.

Walking back onto the balcony, Celestia followed her sister’s flight until she disappeared behind another tower.

“And I love you, Luna.”

Snow fell around her. She followed a single flake down past her balcony as it traveled towards the dark green figure on the grounds below.

**********

“Who’s next?”

Her voice droned, buzzing like a copy of itself playing just out of sync. She stood in the garden, a dark weed in a field of pristine snow, attending to a line of ponies growing steadily longer each week.

“A mister Drawloom, Your Highness.” She stifled a wince at those words. A queen should never be addressed as a princess, despite her current situation. Glancing over at the unicorn beside her, she nodded. So far, she was impressed with this pony. Not once had he questioned his position as her aide, and he was quick to understand her own unique needs and desires. “Shall I send him over?”

“Yes, Dapifer, please do.”

With a single gesture, Dapifer called forth an older stallion with a blue coat and a purple mane. He nodded repeatedly as he approached Chrysalis.

“Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you.”

She forced a smile at him. “You are very welcome. How may the royal line of Equestria assist you today?”

The stallion continued to nod. “Thank you, thank you. I have, have been petitioning the princesses—Celestia and Luna—for some time. Petitioning them for some time, yes. You see, I have been manufacturing my hoof-stitched rugs for many, many years now, and they have never once given me the right of exclusivity on my product. All I ask is no other pony, griffin, or otherwise creature living in Equestria or beyond, be able to duplicate my work without the harshest of penalties. Harsh penalties. Can you help me, Your Highness?”

Dapifer looked to the princess, and watched her eye twitch slightly. He suppressed a laugh—and a smile—as she struggled to maintain her composure.

“Thank you, dear…Drawloom, I believe, for coming to me with this matter,” Chrysalis stood straight—neck high, head bent, wings and tail in relaxed positions—smiling thin enough to not expose her fangs to these small ponies. “As a changeling, I understand what it means to be looked upon as something not unique. And I, of all beings, understand what having your own unique skills and talents means, despite outside perceptions. Now that you have brought this matter to me here, in this open court where all may be heard equally, I can bring this matter to the attention of my fellow princesses, and press upon them to bring a satisfactory resolution to the matter.” She turned to her aide once more. “Dapifer, be sure to get this pony’s information so he may be contacted at a later date.”

“Of course, Princess Chrysalis,” Dapifer motioned for Drawloom to follow.

“Oh princess!” Drawloom shouted as he was being escorted away, “I should probably get you samples of my work so you can show them to the others. I would hate for them to get my original work confused with the impostor items floating around Canterlot.”

“Yes, of course,” she droned. “Dapifer will handle all of that.” She glanced down at her shadow stretching far across the field and smiled inwardly. Her wings came to life with a buzz, lifting her into the air where she hovered high enough for all to see. “I am afraid that with the setting of the sun, this common court must also retire. I will do my best to convince Celestia to let the sun linger a while longer tomorrow so I may speak with more of you, but for today, we have come to an end.”

Guards stepped forward, positioning themselves between Chrysalis and the ponies gathered to speak with her. In a very calm and orderly manner, the crowd dispersed, heading back to their lives. Chrysalis turned and walked casually—but at a reasonable pace—towards the castle proper. With every step her pace increased slightly until she finally burst through the door and into the warm halls of Canterlot Castle. Immediately she sprinted for the hearth awaiting her beyond the door.

“Curse them!” she spat. “Why must those damned weather ponies subject us to this ridiculous climate.”

She stepped close the fire, feeling the heat penetrate her carapace and bring some sensation back to her body. Bending her joints back and forth slowly, she closed her eyes and soaked in the warmth. Her lungs filled more easily and tension fled from her body. Her legs curled under her as she lay down quietly.

“Princess?” Dapifer’s voice shocked her back to the moment, with no idea how much time had passed.

“Yes, aide?” she slowly turned to look at him.

“You really should be more careful, Princess. You know how the cold affects changelings.” He walked over towards her, levitating a mug of steaming liquid. “And yes, I do realize you don’t get much pleasure from it, but this tea will help to warm you.”

“How kind of you,” she took the mug from him, drawing it to her in a green glow of her own power. “And how do you feel things went today?”

“Well, Your Highness, it entirely depends upon the goal intended. You met with a total of seventy-one ponies, the most yet, but of those ponies, only a dozen or so had any real matters needing any attention from the court. Most of the others were simply seeking attention or complaints regarding previous claims.”

He was a fairly young pony for his standing, perhaps a few years younger than Twilight Sparkle and her collection of bothersome pests. Tall and lean, he sported a blue-green coat and bright green mane, with sharp eyes matching his mane. He showed no particular talent for magic, but his skill at organization was exceptional.

She couldn’t wait to replace him with one of her own changelings.

“Yes, that last pony seemed particularly colorful,” Chrysalis droned. “I have a feeling he has been through this once or twice before.”

“Often, in fact. He has seen both of the other princesses on several occasions, dating back to before Princess Luna’s return, in fact,” he chuckled. “I expect you will see him several more times. Assuming you continue this, at least.”

She raised an eye at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing, Princess. I just know this is not optimal weather for you or your kind,” he stated.

“And why do you think I continue to go out in this weather?” she brought the tea up to her lips and sipped the warm, dry liquid. Dry. She could think of it no other way, as all it did was make her thirsty for something satiating.

“It isn’t my place to judge such things, Your Highness,” he answered.

“Nonsense. I asked you to tell me, so you will. Right now.” She sat up straight, resting the tea on the side of the hearth, her eyes fixated on his.

“Very well,” he straightened himself, trying desperately to reach two-thirds of her size. “You seek approval. You know you are not welcome in Canterlot—or Equestria for that matter—and are trying to find some means to correct that, for whatever purpose you have in mind. I would like to think it was to understand the ponies you now live with openly, but I fear it is simply a means to an end. Perhaps for food, or even as a prelude to another invasion as you worm your way into our society.”

Her eyes opened wide as her chin lowered slightly.

“I will have my resignation on your desk in the morning, Princess,” he nodded as he turned away.

“Whatever for?” she said with a smile. “It’s nice to have a pony who is so direct with me. Most of the time they are too worried about stepping on the hoof of the changeling and causing a scene. I like it when ponies don’t try to hide things from me. They should never do things they aren’t particularly good at.”

He turned back to her. “You wish to keep my services?”

“Absolutely. I insist upon it, actually.” Her lip curled up into a sneer.

“You do understand that I am loyal to Equestria, and if I feel you are doing anything to harm it, I will report you immediately to the princesses.” He stood still, calmly facing her.

“Which is exactly what I want. With you as my watchdog, my actions will seem so much more believable, don’t you think?”

He stood there quietly in reflection.

“Very well. I accept your terms.” He stepped gingerly towards her once again.

“Excellent.” She levitated the tea up once again, resting the warm cup against her cheek. “We have never really taken time to talk to each other, Dapifer. On an informal basis, I mean.”

“I try to keep work and personal life separate, Your Highness.” His chin was high and his shoulders square.

“Well, then let’s talk about your professional life. Do you want to better yourself, Dapifer?” she asked.

“I serve Equestria,” he answered immediately.

“That isn’t what I asked,” she replied. “I don’t question your loyalty—you’ve made that abundantly clear, in fact—I just want to understand your ambition. You seem rather young to be in your current position, and I wonder if you got it through your own achievement or through…connections.”

His face drew in and his eyes narrowed. “Thank you, Your Highness, but everything I have achieved in my life I did though my own means. I do not, nor will I ever, ride on the tail of another pony to get a position.”

Her mouth opened into a wide smile, and her long, forked tongue slithered out of her mouth and drew around her lips before drawing back inside.

“Well then, Dapifer, let’s talk about how you might be able to further your career…”

**********

Rushing down the hall, he bumped into three stallions, two mares, a pedestal holding a memorial shield given to the castle by visiting dignitaries from some foreign land (he really didn’t know which one), and even a wall he forgot wasn’t actually a doorway, it just painted to look like one at a glance—to him, anyway.

The sad part was it was the third time this week.

His breath was ragged as he finally made the correct turn and came spilling into the Throne Room, hooves doing their very best to stay under him the whole time.

“You are late.” Her voice was dark and cold, with a visage to match. Looming high above him, staring down from both an imposing position and status, she kept her head held high, even as she parted her lips slightly to reveal teeth like pearly shards of glass. “Again.”

He kept thinking he should feel scared or something, and wondered briefly why he didn’t.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I promise it won’t happen again, Your Highness. I promise!”

“You said that the last three times, Regnant Troth,” Luna replied with a heavy sigh. “My tolerance is wearing extremely thin.”

“I know! I know! I was just…” The actual days events went through his mind. Eating. Playing cards at the hall. Eating. Standing outside the trotting track to watch the mares—while doing his best to not be creepy. Reading comics. Thinking about the mares he watched at the trotting track—and REALLY trying to not be creepy. Eating while cursing himself for being so creepy. Realizing he was late. Running here. Yeah, none of those really worked. “I had important business of state to deal with.”

“What was it?” she replied quickly.

He stared straight at her. Unmoving and eyes unblinking. “I’m sorry?”

“What was this important task? The one so dire it caused you to be late to duty yet again.” Her voice was calm and level, with no edge or threat to it at all.

Now he was scared.

“I…It’s really…” He took a deep breath. “I’m not at liberty to say.” He paused. “Your Highness.”

Her eyes turned a colder shade of teal. “You are not at liberty to tell me? Luna, Princess of Equestria and co-ruler of the Empire. You cannot tell…me?” She licked her upper lip once.

“Uh, no ma’am.” He smiled—as hard as he could possibly manage.

“Regnant Troth, you do understand why you still have this position, don’t you?” Luna asked.

He swallowed once. “Because of my undying devotion to the crown?”

She shook her head and brought her left hoof up to push aside her helmet and rub her forehead. “Because we are so short-hooved thanks to Coldheart’s invasion that we cannot afford to send any pony away right now. Every single willing mare or stallion is being taken in and trained, and since you have been on staff for over four years—four years!—you have a position of some importance at the moment.” She leaned her head down to look at him more closely. “Remember those three words: At. The. Moment.”

He nodded slowly. “At the moment. Understood, Your Highness.”

“Nonetheless, if you continue along this path, I will still see fit to relieve you of duty, is that clear?” Luna stated bluntly.

“Yes, Your Highness.” His voice was soft and uncertain.

“That is not the tone of one of my personal guard,” she growled.

“Yes, Your Highness!” He raised up and spoke clearly, staring forward and not at the princess.

“Better,” she purred. “Now, it is time to begin court. Open the doors.”

A quick salute and he stepped forward to open the large set of double doors leading to the public chamber outside the Throne Room. As usual, there was a much smaller contingent of ponies gathered there, and most of them were here to deal with the less savory aspects of life in Equestria. Things more fitting of a Princess of the Night than the shining Princess of the Sun representing everything bright and cheerful in the land.

They filed in, passing by his station and moving to the official queue to meet with Luna and her personal advisor—a mare named Tenebrous Quill, who he never did like. She was always a little too…stiff. The other members of the Night Guard were okay with her, but she never did feel right to him. It wasn’t his place to judge, though.

He stood at his post, watching every pony enter, searching for anything dangerous they might be carrying. He was the first line of defense. The visual line. He was also the first test for any of them. Most of them stared, they couldn’t help it. It was the lingering stares that set off notices. Not that he wasn’t used to stares.

Bat-Pony. He heard that term thousands of times over the years. Hated it each time. Seemed like an insult. A derogatory term used by people who judged him and his brethren simply by their looks. Technically, his people were the Chollima, but most didn’t use that name—or even ask about it. They just assumed Bat-Pony was the right term and used it openly.

Of course, Earth Pony wasn’t much better in his mind, so he tried to never say that, either. The most upsetting aspect was the fact he never bothered to ask any Earth Pony what they wanted or should be called. He felt like such a hypocrite. So, he just tried to use simpler terms for everypony. What’s wrong with just…pony? Seemed to make sense to him.

He glanced out the door, taking in a quick measure of how long things should take tonight. The line had grown. It went down the hall and around the corner. It never did that. He shifted to one side, hoping the new perspective would change the laws of physics and make the line shorter somehow. It didn’t.

“What the hay…?” He stepped out of the room, walking down the hall slightly, searching for the end of the queue. It currently stretched down to the end of the hallway, and was growing as pony after pony were lining up, still. “Oookay…”

He turned and walked back to his post, giving all of the ponies a once-over as he made his way back. Glancing up at Luna on the throne, she was talking to the first pair of ponies for the evening, and it was obvious she had no idea what was happening. His right hoof lifted up slightly, considering getting the princess’s attention, but dropped back to the ground almost instantly.

He licked his lips, and shot a quick burst of air out between his teeth, making a very faint whistling sound. Eyes locked on Tenebrous Quill, he did it again, waiting for her to glance his way. She heard him. He knew she heard him. She was way too uptight to not notice something like a guard whistling, but he had no idea if she was going to be too immalleable to even glance his way or not.

So far, it was a not.

“Gran banble, frantal bar uchet…” He mumbled so tightly no one could understand him if they tried. He wasn’t sure he understood himself, actually.

With a clenched jaw and wrenched face, he shot another quick burst through his teeth. This time, the whistle was piercingly loud.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him—including Tenebrous and Princess Luna. He smiled weakly and laughed nervously. Desperately, he locked eyes with Tenebrous and motioned his head towards the doorway and the line extending beyond.

After leaning over and saying something to Luna—who immediately went back to talking with the pair of ponies at the base of the throne—Tenebrous marched quickly and deliberately towards Regnant Troth.

“Hey,” he began as she got in soft vocal range. “Sorry about that, I just wanted—“

“You’re relieved.” She gestured out the door with her muzzle. “You will get a new assignment tomorrow.”

“No! No, no! I wasn’t trying to be—“

“Didn’t you hear me?” Cold grey eyes stared at him, no mirth or joy apparent at all. She walked up beside him, eyes never wavering.

“Would you just shut up and look out there!” He growled under his breath as he jabbed a hoof towards the line.

She leaned out with a huff, letting her gaze travel past him. Then she took a step to the side and craned her neck out a little further, her eyes narrowing. A dozen more steps carried her out into the hall with him staying at his post and watching. Finally, she turned and trotted back to him.

“Where did all of these ponies come from?”

His eyes bugged out as he shook his head quickly. “You think I have any idea? Why do you think I tried to get your attention? I thought you needed to know about this.”

Her nostrils flared out as she huffed out a frustrated breath. “You’re thinking too much. Return to your post.”

She walked up the throne ramp and leaned over to Luna, who raised up her head, looking down past the doors at the line extending out of sight. And then she did something Regnant Troth never expected: she smiled.

Regnant Troth raised both eyebrows, turned back to the line, and let out a long sigh.

“Looks like it’s gonna be a long night…”

* * * * * * *

The paper floated effortlessly in the air before her, surrounded by the golden glow of her magic. The smile on her face was equally effortless, brought about by the words lying on the scroll as she read them aloud.

“…so I want to thank both you and Luna for giving Shining Armor and I this opportunity. The Crystal Empire has been a challenge thus far, but we are finding a home here, and are grateful to be near ponies who are more…agreeable with us. We hope you and Luna are not having any undo difficulties of your own. Your Niece, Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess of the Crystal Empire.”

If anything, her smile was bigger as she gently rerolled and lowered the scroll to her desk, setting it beside the regalia she removed a short while before. Magic gripped the quill on the corner of the desk and lifted it up, bringing it to her mouth and tapping it against her lower lip as she contemplated her response.

Her considerations were broken by the sound of her bedchamber door slamming open.

“Unbelievable!” Luna proclaimed as she stepped into the room. “I do not know what has brought out so many ponies this evening, but the court is overwhelmed with petitioners. They line up well beyond the end of the hallway and the line seems to be constant! It is quite infuriating.”

Celestia lowered the quill back into place as she turned towards her wife. “And hello to you, Luna,” she chuckled.

“Hello,” Luna snorted as she stomped across the room.

“Well, at least you got through it. You are back in the comfort of your own room once more and can relax.” Celestia moved over to kiss her, only to be frozen in her tracks by the frigid gaze of Luna’s teal eyes. “You did finish, didn’t you?”

“I just told you they were lined up well beyond the end of the hallway,” she growled.

“What? What are you doing here? You’ve got to go back. Those ponies may need urgent attention.” Celestia took two steps towards the door, only to be stopped by a strong grip on her hindquarters. She turned her head back to see her sister strongly grasping onto her.

“I am on a break. I needed to do something to let off a little…excess frustration…before I exploded.” Her fangs glinted under her lips. “I will go back as soon as I feel…satisfied.”

Celestia lowered her gaze slightly, her cheeks turning a faint rose in color. It was nice to feel so desired. “Luna, you are insatiable.”

A growl rose from Luna’s throat as her lip curled up.

“Mistress! I of course meant Mistress Luna!” Celestia blurted out. Her eyes flashed up for a scant second, and then back down to the ground. “Forgive me!”

She waited for a response, standing there unmoving. Every second that passed became longer as Celestia lingered on the possible outcome. Her hooves shifted slightly, but she wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or arousal.

“Well?” Luna finally asked.

Celestia waited for more, but only silence filled the room. Her eyes shifted over towards Luna, still maintaining her focus on the floor. “Mistress?”

“You beg for forgiveness, yet you are still standing?”

Her eyes shot wide as her knees hit the ground, lowering her head down instantly. “Forgive me!” she almost shouted.

A hoof brushed against and through Celestia’s mane, filtering through the nigh-ethereal nature of it and grasping onto the substance beneath. The soft touch turned harsh as Luna’s hoof yanked Celestia’s head to the side.

“You hesitated. Do you not want to be my pet any longer? Do you no longer desire my touch?” Luna spit at her.

“Yes, Mistress! Of course, Mistress! I—“

“Roll over!” Luna threw her hoof away, tossing Celestia’s mane to the side as she cut off her sentence. After a moment, Celestia lurched to the side and rolled her body over, coming up once again onto her knees.

“Are you that stupid?” Luna stood over her, snickering. “I suppose I should know the answer already, but sometimes you can amaze me, slut.” She kicked Celestia in the side. “Roll over onto your back! Is that clear enough!”

“Yes, Mistress!” Celestia lurched again, this time shifting her weight until she lay on her back, legs curled up above her. Both her mane and tail spilled out onto the floor, creating a kaleidoscope around Luna’s hooves.

The dark princess chuckled, staring down at the prone mare beneath her.

“I have a special task for you tonight, pet.” Luna’s voice was cold. “I do hope you are grateful for what I am going to give you.”

“I-I am always grateful for any of your gifts, Mistress,” Celestia whimpered, her eyes focused down towards her belly.

“Really? Well, you should look up, then.”

Slowly, Celestia brought her head back, her eyes rolling up to see what waited above her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw it.

Swaying back and forth between Luna’s legs was something unusual. She was accustomed to Luna using her magic to transform her clitoris into a penis, but the massive thing hanging between her legs now was…frightening. Almost twice anything she had ever seen from her before.

“Mistress, you…” she couldn’t finish her thought.

“Impressive, no?” Luna laughed.

“Y-yes, very, but Mistress, I’m not sure even I could—“

“Are you questioning me? Are you?!” Luna shouted.

“No, Mistress!” Celestia answered. “I-I trust you.”

“Yes. Yes, as well you should, pet,” Luna stepped forward, bringing the head of her phallus directly above Celestia’s head, swinging to and fro. “You need to remember you are a primordial goddess, after all. You are immortal, and have survived things no other pony in all of Equestria could hope to overcome.”

“Yes, Mistress,” she gulped back, eyes hypnotically following the motion of the cock over her. “Thank you, Mistress.”

“Lick it!” Luna growled.

Celestia raised her head, pivoting it up on the point of her golden horn, as her tongue lashed out and slathered across the head of Luna’s massive member, glazing it with a thick coat of saliva. A deep, primal moan echoed through Luna’s barrel. Taking that as a message, Celestia continued to assault the weapon, driving the tip of her tongue across the head and pulling back with a tangy taste of pre-cum she ran over her lips.

“Tell me, slut,” Luna began, “how long do you think you can hold your breath?”

“M-mistress?” Celestia whimpered.

“We’re about to test that out, I was just curious what you thought.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never measured it,” she answered. “It’s a very long time, but…”

“Oh, I do hope it is long enough. I guess we will find out.” Her voice turned sharper suddenly. “Open your mouth!”

Celestia’s jaw fell slack, her tongue extending out to provide a softer passage for what she knew was coming. The head of Luna’s cock pressed against Celestia’s tongue, pushing it and rubbing it firmly, adding even more slick slime to both the tongue and her dick. Her jaw stretched back slightly as Luna pressed the first edge of her cock into Celestia’s mouth, letting it rest there.

“Don’t just lay there, slut. Suck!” Luna spat.

Lips closed down around it, and Celestia was in shock at the thickness of the thing in her mouth. She barely had any room to move her tongue at all, but did her best to swirl it around the head as she applied a gentle suction.

“Mmmmm,” Luna cooed, “you are an excellent slut, aren’t you? I should reward such an excellent slut.”

The tingle of magic filled the air, and Celestia felt something forming and pressing against the inner portion of her thigh, and then moving towards her body. It passed over her dripping sex, lingering there for a moment. Closing her eyes, Celestia moaned against the flesh in her mouth. The magical thing between her legs parted her lips slightly, and then pulled away. She felt it slide to her tailhole.

“What is this? This hole of yours?” Luna asked, pulling her cock out of Celestia’s mouth.

“I-it’s yours, Mistress.”

“Of course it is. Everything on you is mine. I want specifics,” Luna’s voice was razored velvet.

“It is only for you. It is yours and yours alone,” Celestia answered.

Luna slapped Celestia across the face with her dick, the weight of the organ causing an audible smack. “You are not answering me, slut! Tell me what hole that is!”

“It-it’s my tailhole,” Celestia mumbled.

“Your what?” Luna thrust her dick against Celestia’s face again.

“My…my ass, Mistress,” she said quickly.

“What?”

“My asshole! It’s my asshole!” Celestia said.

“Yes,” Luna let her dick rub gently against Celestia’s lips. “Yes, it is. And here is what is going to happen. I am going to push my magnificent cock down your throat, and at the same time, I am going to shove this lovely bit of magic up that tight little asshole of yours. My goal is to get them to touch each other somewhere around the middle of your body.”

Celestia gasped, but she didn’t have time to volcalize anything as her mouth was suddenly filled with Luna’s dick. There was no soft, subtle prodding, but rather a continual forceful pressure as the massive length worked its way to the back of her mouth and pressed against her throat. She felt a gag tense up and lurch against the dick—doing nothing to halt Luna’s thrust.

Which is the exact moment the pressure against her tailhole pushed inside. The girth of this unseen intruder was nothing compared to the massive monster in her mouth, but its unrelenting invasion still caused her pause. Both ends of her were being harshly violated at the same moment.

And by the sun, she was loving every second of it.

Juices spilled out of her pussy, coating her asshole and the tendril worming its way inside. Deep phlegm coughed up and coated Luna’s dick as the dark mare began to pound in and out, forcing her way further down Celestia’s throat with every thrust.

Air became a challenge, as Luna was barely pulling out far enough to allow any breath passage past her own flesh—and that space seemed to be decreasing. Celestia could feel mucus leaking from her nose, dripping down her muzzle as her body rebelled against Luna’s intrusion.

“Now we find out, slut. We find out how long mighty Celestia can go without air while she is being used as a filthy little cum bucket,” Luna hissed as she leaned her hips fully forward.

Celestia’s eyes became pools of white, barely broken by the dot of color in their center as drool and phlegm ran out of her mouth and down her cheek. Tears streamed down, joining the mixture of fluid beginning to pool under her head as Luna unrelentingly drove her dick down deeper and deeper.

“I can feel my dick down at the base of your throat, slut. I cannot wait to fill your belly with my seed,” her voice was an animalistic rasp.

The thrusting in her rear passage was nearly the equal of the one on her throat. Harder and faster the magical construct drove into her, spreading her hole wider than it had ever been before. A scream formed somewhere deep inside Celestia, but found no avenue of escape, so it internalized into a series of spasms, jolting her body around the two assailing phallus fighting against each other as she came. Her cum squirted out, covering whatever magical form was inside her ass, and certainly leaving a massive amount on the floor beneath.

“Ah yes!” Luna growled. “You are a filthy slut, aren’t you? Let me give you a sweet reward!”

She thrust her hips down, bottoming out inside Celestia’s throat. The weight of Luna’s body pressed against Celestia’s jaw, and she could smell the dripping wetness of her sister’s pussy. The sun princess’ eyes fluttered, her body completely ravaged by this primal assault. And then, Luna came. Spurt after spurt of cum shot out, filling Celestia’s stomach. She could feel the spunk passing through Luna’s shaft as it went over her tongue and down her throat, emptying somewhere deep inside her, again and again. Eventually, the cum ceased, and Luna slowly pulled herself free. Celestia’s head fell to the side, impacting the floor with an audible thud.

She lay there, panting and exhausted, while Luna stepped back away from her slowly.

“Thank you,” Luna said softly. “I truly needed that.”

Celestia didn’t have the strength to speak, but she smiled back at her sister.

“Now, I expect you to clean up the mess you made. Lick up every drop of drool and cum you put on our floor. If you don’t, I will notice, and I will not be happy.” She bent down and kissed Celestia on the cheek. “And I wish I could stay and watch, but I have to return to the waiting ponies.” She walked easily to the door. “After all, somepony has to run this country.”

Luna laughed as she shut the door behind her, leaving Celestia alone.

A few minutes later, slowly and carefully, Celestia brought herself back up to her knees, where she rested for a moment.

“Whoa,” she said. “That…was…intense.” She blinked a few times, filling her lungs with rich, deep breaths of air. Glancing down, she saw the pool of her own saliva in front of her, and then a glance back revealed the puddle of her own cum. With a smile growing on her face, she bent down and began to lick it up off the floor.

* * * * * * *

Luna trotted down the hallway with a lilt in her step. The smile on her face traveled from ear to ear as she thought about the time spent with Celestia. The intensity of the moment. The power she held over her.

Ahead of her, she could hear the sound of the night court in full activity. Ponies argued. Ponies begged. Ponies led their own dreary little lives, begging their princess for a better future.

Princess Luna stepped into a deep shadow in the hallway—and Princess Chrysalis stepped out the other side of it, the smile on her face larger than ever. She slowly walked up to stare into the Throne Room. Luna sat there, a frustrated look on her face as she dealt with the huge number of ponies on this unusual evening.

“Princess,” Dapifer announced himself as he approached. “I hope everything went well in your meeting with Princess Celestia.”

“Yes,” she droned. “Yes, I would say it went absolutely perfect. We had a very spirited exchange, actually, but I feel we both left feeling quite satisfied with the results.”

The pony stood there for a moment, staring at the changeling. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You swear to me that you did nothing to endanger Equestria.”

“Dapifer, please, I have only the best interest of everypony at heart.” She stared at the dark princess resting on the throne. Her tongue slid over her lips. “Both Celestia and I want the very same thing, in fact.”

…to be continued.