The Queen's General

Twilight was nervous. The girls were expected to arrive in the morning. She had not yet told her friends of the tide of war turning against the ponies. Would they be angry with her for not immediately telling them?

'Probably not…BUT if they are…'

The thousands of different outcomes played out in her head. Everything from Pinkie crying to Fluttershy summoning the forest creatures to destroy her. Her ears hung low in sadness. As she sat there awaiting her friends Luna sensed her anxiousness and knew that she was most likely freaking out on the inside. She placed her hoof gently on Twilights back and spoke.

“Relax Twilight. Your friends are very understanding. If anything they will most likely appreciate that you did not want to ruin their day with such grim news. In fact you friend Spike will more than likely be the receiving end of their frustration for not telling-“

Before Luna could finish her sentence the throne room doors literally exploded as Twilights friends charged through them. Applejack was the first one to speak.

“TWI!!! SPIKE TOLD US EVERYTHING!!! JUST POINT US AT ‘EM! AIN’T NOPONY GOIN’ TOUCH…well…ANYTHIN’ IN EQUESTRIA AS LONG AS WE SIX GOT EACH OTHER!”

As Twilight was experiencing shock, joy, and fear Pinkie Pie slammed into Luna like a pink battering ram. Not expecting the Pink menace Luna was trapped in grip stronger than that of a full-grown dragon. Pinkie squealed at the Princess.

“OH LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY I MISSED YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! I CANT WAIT TO THROW YOU A PINKIE MISSED YOU PARTY!!!! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE CAKE AND CONFETTI AND STREAMERS AND CAKE AND PRESENTS AND PUNCH AND CAKE AND MUSIC AND CANDY AND MORE CAKE TO WASH THE CANDY DOWN AND THEN-“

Luna’s face was becoming a pale blue. Twilight noticed this and used her magic to pry each of Pinkie’s limbs off Luna as if they were bent around her like steel. Luna fell to the ground wheezing. She made a mental note to study the source of Pinkies unimaginable strength.

With a raspy voice Luna spoke to the 5 mares that had destroyed her throne room’s doors.
“Thank you all for being present. There is much to discuss. Equestria is going to-“

Before she could finish Twilight interrupted her.

“How did you guys get Spike to tell you?”

Rainbow Dash was the first to answer as she flew lazily above the other mares.
“Easy… we sent Rarity in your home for like 15 seconds and boom…”

Rarity observed her perfectly polished hooves and let out a lady like giggle. Twilight face hooved. Spike was in for one heck of a lecture. Luna tried to bring the conversation back to her.

“Anyhow my friends I think its time we discussed the plans for-“

She stopped talking when she felt hooves running through her mane. She tilted her head around to find a weightless Pinkie Pie playing with her hair. Luna sighed and closed her eyes as she spoke again.

“Pinkie Pie…What in my sisters name are you doing?”

Pinkie’s eyes were fixed on the flowing night colored mane. She held to handfuls of it. This made Luna very nervous. She worked very hard to keep her mane in perfect condition. Having it ruined was not what made her worry. It was the thought of Pinkie ripping her mane off her head with brute strength that played through her head. Would she banish Pinkie for such heresy? Perhaps take her mane as well? These ideas and precautions played through her head until Pinkie spoke into her ear with a whisper.

“Luna? Did you know your hair reminds me of sugared blueberries?”

Luna’s right eye started to twitch. Just before she could reply to Pinkie’s newfound love for her hair a pair of guard ponies walked through the broken rubble that used to be doors. Luna eyes widened as she recognized General Tullius who walked in between the guards. She saw the despair in their eyes. The three bowed at Luna.

"General.....what happened? Why are you here?"

Twilight and the group turned towards the three before her eyes light up at the sight of the old General. "Tullius!"

Tullius was barely able to raise his arms when Twilight slammed into him wrapping her arms around him. The old General let out a chuckle as he returned the embrace. "Its been a long time Twi. How's the family doing?"

The General knew Twilight since she was very little and ended up becoming close friends to her family. That bond increased, especially when the General had Shining Armor under his command. Twilight pulled away from him with a smile. "They have been doing well. Though my parents and brother with Princess Cadence keep asking when you are going to join us for dinner."

Tullius chuckled. "One day." His face turned seriously as he turned towards Luna who stared at him with curiosity.

"Its good to see you well General though I can't help but wonder why you are here and not at Baltimare."

The General sighed then spoke something that caused everypony mouths to drop in shock. "Baltimare is gone."

"What....do yah mean it gone?" Applejack voiced out the question on everypony mind.

"The changelings have creatures that have not been seen before. They were able to dig a tunnel right in the middle of the city. They stormed into the city......killing everything in their path." Tullius spoke though the ponies could hear the despair in his voice.

Everypony was silent until it was broken by Tullius. "I also was able to see who was leading the changeling horde which is the reason they have been doing so well."

"It's Chrysalis isn't it?"

The General shook his head. "It was not a changeling. Whoever it was led the changelings through the tunnel."

The ponies were silent as they listened to him. "It was a giant figure wearing strange armor that I have never seen."

Luna was silent as she took in his words. If Baltimare had fallen then that would mean Appleloosa was in danger as well! "General, I know you are exhausted, but I need you to take a detachment of guards and defend Appleloosa."

The General reply was cut off by a voice. "Its too late."

Everypony glanced back to the door to see two guards with a prisoner standing in between them which Luna narrowed her eyes at as they approached the group. "Explain Private." Tullius ordered. The guards were silent.

“How many survivors guardsman?”

The guard’s stern face was now replaced with a sorrowful one. With his head low he replied. "None that I know of."

The whole group eyes watered except Tullius and Luna hough their eyes had slightly darkened in sadness. Tullius walked forward and placed a hand on both of the guards. "Head to the barracks for food and rest. We will deal with the prisoner." The two guards saluted and walked out the door.

A silence filled the room. In that silence was a mix of many emotions. While Luna was taking a moment to collect her thoughts as was Tullius, Twilight was focusing her attention on the prisoner in the room. Twilight continued to visually scan the enemy until Applejacks voice broke the silence.

“A-Appaloosa…is gone?”

As tears flowed down the sides of her face she looked around as if expecting some pony to answer her. Someone did. A changeling.

“Yes it is.”

Every one of the mares turned to look at the changeling that just spoke. Applejack looked at him. She shot him a teary glare and took a step in his direction. As she stared him down he continued. "This is just a taste of the horde that is coming!"

“How many of them good folk did ya hurt?”

Before he could answer her he noticed her cutiemark. Three shiny red apples all right next to each other. His reply was not one Applejack liked. Especially when he smiled showing his fangs.

“Are you by chance a member of the Apple Family? I met a pony with a similar cutiemark. He claimed to be a “stallion” of the apple family. It was quite entertaining watching him fight our Jagers.“

Applejack yelled as she rushed the changeling slamming him into the ground. She screamed as she continued to punch him.
“WHAT DID YOU DO TO BRAEBURN YOU VARMINT? IF ANYTHINGS HAPPENED TO HIM I SWEAR ON ALL THE APPLES IN EQUESTRIA THAT-“

Dark blue magic surrounded Applejack and pulled her off of Night Spark. Luna placed the venting pony on the other side of the throne room with her friends. All the girls except for Twilight surround the crying Applejack and tried to comfort her. Tullius was full out glaring at the changeling. Luna looked at Twilight and spoke very sternly.

“Twilight. The General and I are going to interrogate this changeling myself if that is all right with you. I would take this time to comfort Applejack. If a time presents itself I would recommend explaining to them the war at hand.”

Though Twilight had wondered what secrets the changeling held her concern for her friend overpowered that curiosity. She let out a weary sigh, already beginning to feel the pain that comes with war.

“Thanks Luna.”

With that, she joined her friends as they filed out the room.

Luna watched as they did their best to comfort the hurt Applejack. Seeing her subjects endure such hardship was terrible enough for Luna. Seeing her friends feel such pain? She turned and shot a wrathful glare at the changeling. Even before Nightmare Moon, Luna had always been the more terrifying Princess. Her words were harsher and her punishments were more severe. She took as did the Tullius while the changeling rubbed blood off its mouth with its hands that were bound together.

"Who leads the changeling horde?" Tullius asked causing the changeling to pause and stare at him. The silence seemed to last forever causing Tullius to grit his teeth in anger. "Answer me!"

Luna stared at the Tullius in shock. As long as she knew him he had always been comprised though that might have changed when his guards and citizens he had under his command were slaughtered.

The changeling just started to chuckle which soon turned into full blown laughter. "He is our General. He goes by the name of Raam."

"Where did he come from?"

The changeling shrugged his shoulders. "Our Queen summoned him that's all I know."

Tullius stared at the changeling with a hard gaze before turning and walking off while Luna called out to him. "General! Where are you going?"

Tullius stopped as he stood there before finally turned and Luna saw the determination in his eyes. "I am going to ensure that 'General' head is rolling across the ground." With that said he turned and walked out leaving Luna with a changeling who was full out laughing at the General suicide.

Tullius walked through the halls of the castle as he remembered the stare off the two had. 'To stop the changelings....he must be killed.'