Who Rules?: Riposte

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 1

Chapter 2

The light glistened off her chitinous skin like the gleam from a mirror whose silver had gone far past tarnished. For her safety, as well as the ponies around her, she was strapped to the table—despite her protests. Two unicorns circled around her slowly. One of them—a rust-colored stallion with a golden sphere for a cutie mark—there to maintain the shield that kept the space sterile and safe, while the other—a white mare with a scalpel cutie mark—was making the preparations for surgery. They were soon joined by another pony, a female pegasus with a pair of hearts for a cutie mark this time, who immediately began assisting the unicorn mare.

Next to all of them was a machine with a square opening in it. A glow of magic filled that space, spilling out onto the table beside it, adding to the glare of the bright fixtures circling the space, filling it with light.

And Cadance sat above, watching it all.

“How long is this going to take?” The volume was barely above something that only she could hear.

“I don’t know,” Fleur answered. “This is new territory from what they told me.” Cadance felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

As she turned her head, Cadance pulled back slightly. “Me? I’m fine. It’s Chrysalis who should be worried.”

“But you’re worried about her, and more so your role in this whole thing,” Fleur said softly.

“Well, yes, but how could I not be?” Cadance turned back to look at the changeling queen and Princess of Equestria, lying so serenely on the table. “She’s put such faith in me. How can she be so calm?”

Cadance was certain that the sigh from Fleur must have been accompanied by a shrug. “It’s the way that she is. Never show weakness, even in a moment like this.”

“You didn’t see her earlier. She was doing everything she could to persuade me to help.” Cadance glanced over for a moment. “She even said ‘please.’”

“And ponies say that the impossible will never happen,” Fleur chuckled.

Turning back to the theater below, Cadance lingered on Chrysalis once more. The changeling slowly turned her head, and their eyes met. Chrysalis smiled.

“They’re going to be taking her heart out. How does she know that I’ll be able to keep her alive?” Cadance’s voice once more fell to almost inaudible levels.

Still, Fleur again answered. “Because you will.”

“I hope so. I don’t want her death on my conscience.” She shook her head. “This is a crazy plan.”

“I agree,” Fleur stated. Immediately, Cadance’s head turned to her. “What? Just because I believe in your ability, doesn’t mean that I don’t think it’s crazy.” She took a breath. “Still, the idea of her heart being replaced by pure love makes sense. That’s what keeps her alive. Your magic should be able to do everything that her own heart does, and maybe more.”

“I’ll settle for just keeping her alive,” Cadance said with a sigh.

The unicorn moved to stand beside Chrysalis, obviously speaking to her, but the shield prevented any sound from escaping.

“I wish I was closer,” Cadance mumbled. “I think that they are about to begin.”

“We can move you to the theater if you like. You’ll just have to stay out of the way of the surgeon,” Fleur explained. “R thought you might prefer to stay here so that you could still see and use your power while staying clear of the actual events.”

“I know, I know,” she answered with a shake of her head. “I just….” She sighed. “I’m nervous.”

The surgeon looked up at Cadance and gave a short nod. Forcing a smile on her face, Cadance returned the gesture. The alicorn’s horn lit up, adding a pink tint to the room as magic in the shape of a heart formed on the very tip of it—and then sat there, waiting.

Without hesitation the surgeon turned around and brought a scalpel up to Chrysalis’ chest, and then, with amazing precision, she cut into the heavy material of the changeling’s skin. Beside her, the pegasus prepared the tools that the surgeon slowly brought into use.

“Is…is Chrysalis still awake?” Cadance asked.

“She is, but she can’t feel what’s happening. A numbing spell has been cast upon her,” Fleur said, and then continued after a pause, “hopefully.”

They watched in silence while the surgeon went about her work. The view was clear, without any obstruction. With each cut and alteration to the changeling, Cadance winced, feeling with her eyes the pain that must go with it. With remarkable speed the surgeon was able to proceed through Chrysalis’ body, working her way to the core of her being. Then, the pegasus turned up to Cadance and gave a short, curt nod.

The magical heart left Cadance, floating down slowly until it neared the edge of the shield. Just before it touched, a hole appeared in the shell, providing a clear path downward. Carefully, slowly, Cadance brought her magic down, hovering just above Chrysalis’ body, waiting for the precise moment.

Cadance swore she heard it. The actual sound of Chrysalis’ physical heart being cut out and pulled from her body. Every instinct told Cadance to turn her head. To not watch as this horrible thing happened, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

The moment the heart was out, she pushed her magic inside, physically placing itself in the spot where the other heart had just left. She summoned another one, this time moving it without pause, putting it in place and reinforcing the first one.

“I’m in,” Cadance said. “I’ve got this.”

“You’re doing great. Don’t worry,” Fleur reassured her.

The physical heart was moved to the small glowing cube, where it was instantly washed in a strange crisscross of magical energy. It coated the heart, surrounded it in a tight sheathe of magic and then it began to contract.

“What’s going on?” Cadance asked. “What’s happening to the heart?”

“From what I was told, this is the process that will deconstruct the heart and analyze it’s magic. Break it down to its core so that the machine will know what to look for,” Fleur explained.

“Break it down? What do you mean? That sounds like it’s going to be destroyed!” The volume of Cadance’s voice went up with every sentence.

“Well, yes. That’s what’s going to happen. Chrysalis said that your magic would help her regrow a new heart. Her original one will be destroyed in the process,” Fleur stated. “Chrysalis said she told you about—”

Every pony felt it. A wave of energy that coursed through them and over them, washing each with its unique signature. The shield around the operating theater sputtered and disappeared. As did the glow around Cadance’s horn.

Chrysalis screamed and then fell still.

“No!” Cadance shouted. Without a thought, she leapt from her spot, gliding down to land beside the table. The glow of her heart inside Chrysalis’ chest was fading from view. Short, rapid breaths filled Cadance’s lungs. Her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the changeling’s body.

Planning gave way to instinct, and Cadance brought her horn down to rest alongside Chrysalis’ crooked, bent mockery of a horn. Every ounce of drive filled her own heart, and she pushed her magic out of herself, channeling all of it into the other horn. Pink light grew, and then was suddenly filled with swirls of green, which surrounded both changeling and alicorn, wrapping them tightly in a cocoon of mixed magic. At once, the magic seemed to both burst away from them and sink into their flesh.

Cadance collapsed on top of Chrysalis. She could feel herself breathing, but beyond that she wasn’t sure of much. Her eyes worked just fine, though, and she could see a burnt, blackened husk of what was once a heart resting inside the machine.

As her hearing slowly came back to her, a variety of words filtered through. “…magical surge…unknown source…unlike anything they’ve felt…completely ruined…wound healed….”

She blinked and pulled her head back, trying to rise up to her hooves. Quickly she discovered that her muscles were still too rebellious to obey her completely, and she fell back down onto Chrysalis—who responded with a distinct “oof.”

Pulling back again, this time only with her head, she looked down into the face of the changeling queen. A toothy, fanged grin smiled up at her.

“I knew you could do it,” Chrysalis muttered weakly.

* * * * * * * *

The smell of brimstone assaulted Celestia’s nose as she stared out at the great grey-black landscape. Rocks seemed to sit a little more still, and the shadows they cast were slightly darker and deeper. The air did not move by any means other than the figure pushing and pulling on it with their every breath. Perpetual twilight hovered above. Neither light nor dark, it simply hung in the sky, defiantly. Tartarus was exactly as she remembered it.

“Lena, this makes no sense,” she stated, pulling her neck back to the other side of the portal. “How are you here?”

“Well, when you and Luna left Tartarus, she agreed to allow me time away, promising to take my place while I was gone.” Selene’s smile was wide enough to threaten reaching her ears.

“No, no, I knew that. I mean,” Celestia pointed her hoof at the massive hole hanging in the air, “this. You aren’t allowed outside of Tartarus. This can’t happen.”

“I’m not outside Tartarus,” Selene trotted casually around the two alicorns, stepping back to stand next to the very unnatural portal, “I brought it here with me.” Before there was a response, she continued, “and, technically, the ruler of Tartarus is not allowed outside of the realm. For the next two weeks, that is going to be our sister, Luna.”

“One week,” Luna answered.

The other two turned to look at her. “I beg your pardon?” Selene asked.

“The agreement I made with you was that I would come down to Tartarus to rule in your stead for one week, not two.” Luna’s head went high, being countered by her right eye which closed itself halfway.

“Well, yes, you made that promise over a year ago, though,” Selene answered. She then walked up to the larger mare and rapped her hoof against Luna’s dark peytral. “One week a year, Luna. I’m cashing in two years at once.”

“You don’t get to make that decision!” Luna’s voice echoed off the walls.

“Well, you didn’t keep your promise, so I’m taking liberties!” Selene’s voice threatened to overpower Luna’s.

“Pardon my interruption,” Celestia’s calm voice broke their conversation, “but what was that you mentioned about bringing Tartarus here? That seemed rather important, actually.”

“Oh, that,” Selene casually waved a hoof in the air while her eyes danced over the walls, tapestries, and stained glass windows adorning the room. “It’s a new spell I created. I was getting anxious, so I decided to do something about it.”

“A new spell? And did you test this spell out in any way?” Celestia asked, stepping over beside the ombre colored alicorn.

“I did!” Selene smiled. “Just now. It worked wonderfully, I think.”

Celestia glanced over at her wife, whose stare was currently affixed to the ground. Following them, she looked down to see a dark, dismal grey-black beginning to creep into the room.

“And did you consider the side effects?” Celestia’s voice remained remarkably even.

“Oh, there is nothing serious, I assure you. A magical power surge in the area at the very worst. It might disrupt a spell or two, but what harm could that do?” Selene answered. “That is, unless I stay too long. Then there is the slightest chance that the portal won’t close properly and you’ll have a new passage to Tartarus in the middle of your castle.”

Celestia stared at Selene, who continued to look around the throne room. “How thoughtful of you,” Celestia stated.

“Oh, don’t be so dour, Celly!” Selene finally turned her head back towards her sister. “The passage won’t stay open long. As soon as Luna goes through, I’ll close it up, then everything will be perfectly normal.”

“Which brings us back to the point that you are asking more of me than I offered,” Luna growled.

Selene’s chest slowly swelled, filling up with the local air—which caused her eyes to open very wide. “Oh my! I forgot how real air tasted. This is….” She stepped to Luna, slowly. “Sister Luna, I do apologize for my actions, but since your last visit the back of my thoughts have been consumed by the idea of once more walking among the living. And, loathe though I am to admit it, they have crept through to the front of my mind more surely each day. I have likely acted more rashly than I will easily admit, but I have become almost neglectful in my duties in Tartarus. This is not a good thing, as I am charged with keeping many dangerous beings in check.” She smiled warmly. “So, I ask you, please, will you honor your word and allow me this time in Equestria?”

Her head remained high, chin up, as Luna looked down upon the slightly smaller alicorn. “We agreed upon one week.”

“I know, I know, but look at it this way: if you allow me these two weeks now, you’ll have an entire year before this comes up again. If not, then who knows when I might show back up in the few months?” The corners of Selene’s mouth twitched almost unnoticeably.

Luna’s shoulders fell only an inch. “Does it truly mean that much to you, sister, to have these two weeks together?”

Bringing her lips into her mouth for a moment, Selene swallowed. “More than I can possibly explain.”

A look was shared between Celestia and Luna. Eyes shifted, head’s turned, and an audible exhale finished the decision.

“Very well,” Luna said calmly. “I will do this for you, sister.”

“Oh, Lulu! You have made me so happy! I knew I could count on you!” Selene threw her forelegs around Luna’s neck, pulling her into an almost crushing hug.

“You…are…welcome,” Luna squeezed out as she dislodged herself from the nigh-death hug.

“Lulu?” Celestia said softly. “Where did that come from?”

“Oh, come now, she deserves an honorarium,” Selene answered. “She is family.”

Celestia paused. “An honorarium is a deposit of money, Selene. Do you mean sobriquet by chance?”

“Is it? Oh, well, then yes, let’s go with your choice of words.”

The space between Luna and Celestia closed until it was gone.

“Two weeks,” Celestia said. “It doesn’t sound that long.”

“Not for beings that measure time in millennia, no,” Luna answered.

“Do you…? Is there anything that I…?” Celestia’s words caught in her throat, twice.

“Tia,” Luna brought a hoof up to touch her wife’s face, “you will be fine.”

“I know that,” Celestia said, “but can’t I worry about you a little?”

“You’ve worried about me more than a little, already,” Luna answered.

Their heads moved forward until the sides of their horns touched. Slowly they slid down against each other, the ridges of the spirals clacking softly as they progressed, until their muzzles touched.

“Stay safe,” Celestia said softly.

“I will. You do the same,” Luna answered.

Their lips met and lingered for a long, warm moment.

Celestia was the one who pulled away, with a smile growing on her face. “Don’t worry, Canterlot will be here when you return.”

“Given our record of events, I’ll take that with a grain of salt,” Luna chuckled.

A cold feeling ran over their hooves, and they looked down to see the floor turning a pallid grey.

“I should go,” Luna said.

“I know.” Celestia leaned in for another quick kiss, and then pulled back just as fast. “I love you.”

“And I, you,” Luna answered.

There was a pause just long enough to be taken as silence. “You two are adorable!” Selene stated, her voice laughing along with the words.

Taking two steps back, Luna unfurled her wings and then pulled them back to her side elegantly. “I am ready.”

Selene’s smile grew wider. “All you have to do is step through, sister. The Brass City is straight ahead. You should see it in no time.”

“Thank you. I will do my best to keep Tartarus running in your stead.” Luna walked past Selene and stepped into the portal.

“I know you will!” Selene moved directly in front of the opening, Celestia moving to stand beside her. “Oh, and do forgive Tisiphone, she is just a little extra cranky because she doesn’t get to come with me. She should be well past that temper tantrum by now. I’m sure she won’t be too bad.”

Luna’s head snapped back around. “What?”

Selene’s horn took on a bright, silver glow and the portal collapsed in an instant.

“Good-bye!” Celestia shouted, but it only went out to the open air of the room. She felt the air fill her lungs completely and then slowly turned to look at her remaining sister.

“What happened to your horn?” Selene asked. “Is that gold?”

“It…is,” Celestia answered slowly, still staring at the blank space where a portal just lay. “It is also a very long story.”

“Oh, well then, I would love to hear it! Preferably over a wonderful meal. It has been lifetimes since I last ate real food. I really don’t remember what it tastes like,” Selene’s eyes glistened as she spoke.

The breath that Celestia took in finally found it’s way out in a gentle sigh. “Of course, Lena. I think that this is enough to qualify as a special occasion. I’ll see about setting up a banquet.”

“Oh, Celly, that sounds delightful!” She fell against her sister playfully. “But, is there any chance that I can get a little something right now?”

Celestia looked over at the other alicorn, and saw a smile she hadn’t truly seen in centuries. “Of course. Let’s go make a kitchen run.”

* * * * * * * *

The chair slid up easily under the table, putting Rarity a wonderfully exact distance from her plate. This was what made the difference. It wasn’t the big things, like the location, the view, the luxury, or even the clothes—though they did comes in a very close second—that showed the true value of this dinner date, it was the little things. The fact that her date took that extra moment to pull out her chair and then help push it in again. Those were the things showing Rarity that Trixie truly did care about how she felt.

“Trixie hopes that the restaurant is good enough. It isn’t often that I go out to dinner. Mostly I eat backstage,” she said, sitting down across the table.

“It’s lovely, thank you, Darling.” And a simple glance around the room only reassured that statement. And room is a casual description of the outdoor space serving as the dining area for the Neighponese restaurant Trixie had chosen.

A ninety-foot waterfall overlooked the traditional garden surrounding them, bringing the culture of that distant land a little closer—if only in a rather Equestrian-ized manner. All of the wait-staff of the establishment were dressed in somewhat costume-y versions of Neighpon clothing, and some of them seemed to have just a touch or more of their heritage from that region as well. Red was the predominant color everywhere Rarity looked, with enough white to balance it out and make it seem lush. The smells of exotic seasoning and spices filled the area, adding just the right amount of mouth-watering quality to go with the visuals.

“Good. Trixie was wanting someplace special to bring you,” she replied.

The two mares easily matched their surroundings. Trixie was wearing a rather form-fitting dress that transitioned from light blue to dark as it traveled down to her flank. The fabric gave off a gentle sheen to highlight the performer’s curves. Across from her, Rarity was clad in a flowing white gown littered with sapphire sequins around the collar. The train of the dress trailed half her body length again behind her, ending with a hint of sapphire poking from beneath the hem.

Both designs were surprises from Rarity, sprung out when Trixie mentioned that she had reservations for dinner. Trixie was ready in only half an hour. A full hour after she was done, Rarity was ready as well—which would have put them late for dinner had Trixie not lied, claiming they were due half an hour before they actually were supposed to be at the restaurant.

“Oh, Darling, you don’t ever have to worry about something like that. I’d be just as happy sitting in your room and dining on whatever delights that the room service menu had to offer.” Looking across the table, Rarity batted her eyelashes playfully.

Trixie nodded and smiled. “No, you wouldn’t.”

There was almost enough pause for it to be noticeable. “Well, that’s true,” Rarity admitted, “but you don’t have to go and say it out loud.”

“It’s okay. Trixie knows that you like to be on display. And truthfully, I like to show off my prize possession,” she said with a wink. “Makes all of the other ponies rightfully jealous of Trixie.”

“Oh you!” Rarity did her best to force herself to blush, and turned her head away.

Just in time to see another mare jerk her head to the side, suddenly not looking their way. A dark green pegasus with a brilliant yellow mane.

Leaning into the table slightly, Rarity whispered, “I believe that you have been noticed by one of the other diners.” She smiled. “It’s nice to be out with someone famous.”

“It’s one of the reasons Trixie doesn’t go out very often,” she replied. “Well, at least not recently.”

“Recently?” Rarity sat back normally in her chair. “Why, whatever has happened to make things different?”

“Oh, nothing serious, just that it seems to Trixie that all of her fans have become a little more…grabby than she would like,” she said with a nod.

“Oh my! Well, that certainly isn’t a good thing. It’s one thing to be adored—which you should be, by the way—but it is quite another thing to actually lay your hooves on a stranger, no matter how well you think you know them from their celebrity.” Sitting up a little straighter, Rarity tossed her mane slightly.

“Trixie may be exaggerating slightly, but it seems that way, at least. Lots of ponies wanting to touch me as I walk past.” Trixie sighed. “I realize that Trixie is an impressive mare, but they should show restraint.”

“Naturally,” Rarity agreed, looking once more to the green mare. This time she wasn’t looking towards them, at least not when Rarity turned her way, and Rarity lingered on her for a moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“That’s odd,” Rarity muttered.

“What is?” Trixie asked.

Shaking her head, Rarity turned to look back at her marefriend. “Oh nothing, really, just an observation.”

One of the wait-staff, a young earth stallion with broad withers and a perfectly kept black mane, stepped quietly to the table, setting down a bucket of ice with a large bottle in it. “A bottle of Ecurieneuf Du Pape, madams. Courtesy of the house.”

Slinging a towel over the bottle, he worked it into the crook of his leg and carefully twisted a long corkscrew in with his teeth. A tell-tale popping sound finished off the single, smooth motion of his mouth, freeing the cork from the bottle.

The sparkling liquid filled one of the two slim flutes resting on the table, and he waited as Trixie levitated the glass to her lips. With a simple nod he was given the go-ahead to pour the second glass for Rarity.

“Enjoy,” he said with a slight bow before departing the table.

Rarity floated her own glass up. “Well, Darling, what shall we toast to?”

Trixie took a deep breath. “How about we toast to…togetherness.”

“That seems a little…odd, but if you like, Darling.” She raised her glass over to the other until their edges sang from contact. “To togetherness.”

The glasses turned up, and Rarity fought back a giggle from the bubbles tickling her nose. “Delightful,” she said lowering the flute to the table once more. “I do so hope that the food here matches the ambiance. The staff and the guests seem so…” Her voice trailed off as she looked to a table across the way. “Now this is becoming silly.”

“What?” Trixie turned to look at the table where Rarity’s eyes focused. Two mares and two stallions sat, all of them well dressed, having a pleasant conversation. “What is it?”

Rarity gave a slight huff as she openly looked over the room. “Every mare in this restaurant—except for the two of us, naturally—are all wearing outfits from the same designer.”

“Are you sure?” Trixie raised an eyebrow.

“Oh please,” Rarity’s eyes rolled back in her head, “I would know those designs anywhere. Michael Hors. Not a fan, myself, but his style is very distinctly his own.”

“Maybe he has a shop nearby?” Trixie suggested.

“Well, of course he does, but there are at least a dozen other designers who have stores as well. There is no reason that every mare should be wearing his clothes over anypony else’s.”

“Trixie admits that it is unusual, but it’s not wrong. Perhaps there is a showcase for his work? Or maybe…maybe they just like his clothes, and…and they wore them.” Trixie brought her hoof up to her mouth, covering a yawn.

“No pony likes his work that much, Darling. Michael Hors is…well, I don’t…” Rarity barely brought her hoof up to cover a yawn of her own. “Now see what you have me…doing.”

“I’m sorry. Trixie is suddenly very…exhausted,” she mumbled.

“Me too.” Rarity blinked. “That’s…odd.”

“Yes. Yes, it…is…” Trixie’s head impacted the table with enough force to jostle the dishes.

“Trixie!” Rarity tried to push her chair back, but she found it suddenly far too heavy. “What…what is happening…?”

The force of Rarity’s head hitting the table was strong enough to knock the champagne flute over, coating her hair in the sparkling wine, and slowly working it’s way to the edge of the table where it ran off to form a tiny puddle on the ground.

The stallion walked up to their table and slowly looked from one mare to the other. He looked to the people seated around the restaurant and gave two quick motions with his head, one left and one right. Immediately they jumped up and began to scuttle about the room.

Once more the stallion looked down on the two unconscious mares, and he smiled. As he turned away, the shine in his black mane reflected the colors of the room, giving it a faint red sheen.

* * * * * * * *

The curtain had to have a magical enchantment on it. That was the only excuse Cadance could think of, given that she was sure the intensity of her glare was enough to incinerate almost any normal material.

She could hear the doctors speaking to Chrysalis on the other side of it, but it was muffled and indistinct. Given that there was only about eight feet separating their two beds, with only that same light blue curtain acting as a barrier, it pretty much convinced her that it was magic. The sound should have carried straight through it.

“How are you feeling?”

It was an innocent enough question, so Cadance gathered herself—breath slow in, breath slow out—before she gave Fleur an answer. “I’m feeling better, thank you. A little stronger every minute.”

“You should drink something.” For emphasis, Fleur refilled the cup sitting beside Cadance’s bed and pushed it towards her.

Cadance heard the sigh more than she felt it. “Thank you.” She raised the cup and took a small sip and then returned it. Before it could touch the table again she was already speaking. “I should have known she was lying.”

“She wasn’t lying,” Fleur began and then twisted her expression a little, “not per-se, anyway. With your protection, she believed that the heart would stay intact.”

“Yes, she just failed to mention that the original thought was that it was going to be completely destroyed!” Cadance shouted in hushed tones.

Fleur stood there for a minute, waiting. “Would you rather not have been there to save her?” she finally asked.

Again, another sigh. “No. No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’ve thought it a few times, but that’s not what I’m actually saying. I’ll just never understand that mare.”

“She is…unique,” Fleur said with a light laugh. “The sad part is that the heart was destroyed by the strange magical surge that ran through the area. R and his team were only able to get a small sampling of her power to use in the machine. It’s going to make using it spotty at best.”

“I’m not sure that’s really the sad part of all this,” Cadance countered.

Both heads turned as the curtain was pulled back, breaking down what lay between the two beds and revealing the pair of doctors and single nurse who were tending to the other patient.

“…to bring in the other half of this equation.” Half of the doctor’s sentence became clear as he became visible.

With nothing now protecting her, Cadance again wielded her stare, this time directly at her intended target. Chrysalis smiled back calmly.

“Well, we’ve just completed our examination of Princess Chrysalis, and, just as you claimed, there is…no heart.” Dr. Keen Spirit was an Equestrian-renowned physician, and considered by many to be the leading cardiologist in the land. He was an elderly unicorn with a white coat and a white mane. His cutie mark of a single heart matched the pinkish-red tint of his eyes.

“Thankfully, you were there, Princess,” the other doctor added on. In contrast, Dr. Wide Vision was a striking black unicorn stallion, with a light blue mane and eyes. On his flank rested a cutie mark of a stethoscope surrounded by a field of magic, reflecting his expertise in the field of medicinal magic.

“I concur,” Chrysalis said gently.

“So, what’s going on? What happened?” Cadance asked, gruffly.

“Well, I’m not sure I can answer that completely,” Dr. Keen Spirit said, “but from what Dr. Wide Vision and I can assess, your magic has actually replaced her heart.”

“I…I beg your pardon?” Cadance pulled her head back and narrowed her eyes. “I’m not casting any spell. I’m not even using any magic at all right now.” As if to illustrate, her hoof came up and tapped her non-glowing horn.

“True,” Dr. Wide Vision replied, “but I believe that when you physically connected to Princess Chrysalis earlier, you actually formed a sort of magical bond with her. And now, your magic has taken on not only the role, but—from what we can tell—the actual shape of a changeling heart. You and your magic are keeping Princess Chrysalis alive.”

Cadance blinked. “That was sort of the plan…kind of. My magic was supposed to allow her system to stay alive while her heart was out of her body, keeping her safe until she could have it put back in, but…there is no way that I could be doing that.”

“You are, Princess,” Dr. Wide Vision stated. “It’s my belief—and we are working on pure theory here, as the two of you have trotted into completely new territory—that you and she have, well, for lack of a better term, bonded.”

“Oh, no we haven’t!” Cadance shouted.

“I’m very grateful,” Chrysalis hummed.

Bringing both hooves up to her face, Cadance rubbed the area around her eyes, trying her best to push all the negatives back down. Tiny little specs of light showed up in the darkness of her eyelids, telling her to ease up a bit.

“Okay,” she said, revealing herself from behind her hooves, “what does that mean? In how it relates to Chrysalis and myself?”

“Ah, well, that’s an interesting question,” Dr. Wide Vision said. “I’ve examined the magic that is connecting the two of you, and it seems that you are magically tethered as well. If you’re magic were to somehow disconnect from Princess Chrysalis, then she would surely die. And that’s not all, the backlash that would be directed to you might be more than your system could handle, as well. It could potentially kill both of you.”

“Uh-huh,” Cadance droned. “That sounds…great.”

“This magic also has a limited range, I believe,” he continued.

“Meaning?” Chrysalis asked.

“That means that we can’t be too far apart,” Cadance answered. “The question is, how far?”

Dr. Wide Vision took a deep breath. “The one thing we don’t want to do is push that limit. So, to be safe, I’m recommending that the two of you stay within fifteen feet of each other.”

“Fifteen feet! That’s—” She stopped herself and took a deep breath. “For how long?” Cadance asked.

“Well, that depends,” Dr. Keen Spirit replied. “Changelings as a whole heal quite quickly, it helps to make up for the fact that they are physically weaker than ponies in general. Princess Chrysalis is a step beyond that, however, and heals at an amazing rate and, as you can tell from the fact that she survived this trauma, is quite sturdy physically. Her regenerative capabilities are what allowed you to even attempt this odd procedure, and—”

“How long, Doctor?” Cadance interrupted.

He took a breath. “I’d say no more than a few months, but possibly much less. Again, we’re in untested ground.”

“Months?” Chrysalis replied. “That will be an entertaining period in my life.”

“Months. A few…months,” Cadance said slowly. “Tied to,” she stared at the changeling queen once again, “her.”

The sudden silence in the room settled onto everypony’s shoulders.

“Why don’t we give the princesses a moment,” Fleur suggested. She stepped gracefully over to Dr. Wide Vision, running her hoof along her mane as she did. “Perhaps you’d care to go over the details involved over a cup of coffee?”

“Oh, uh, of course,” he stammered, and then joined her as they walked to the exit of the room. Dr. Keen Spirit joined right behind them.

The only one left in the room was the nurse. A buckskin earth mare with black mane and socks, and brilliant blue eyes. Her long lashes batted slightly as she spoke. “My name is Mercysong. I’ll be here until morning. I’ll be back to check on both of you in a bit. If you need anything before then, just press the call button.”

As Mercysong stepped out of the room, Chrysalis’ eyes followed her every step, all the way until the door closed.

“Well, well, well, I don’t believe I could have asked for a better nurse. What was your—” She stopped herself as she turned back to see Cadance doing her very best to burn a hole through her head with her eyes.

“Months. We have to be together for…months.”

“Possibly,” Chrysalis said, “but I’ve been underestimated many times. Perhaps it won’t be nearly so long.”

“How did I let you talk me into this?” Cadance asked.

“‘Please,’ Princess. I said, ‘please.’” Chrysalis smiled over at her.

Cadance’s magic grabbed the curtain between the beds and pulled it out until she couldn’t see Chrysalis anymore.

* * * * * * * *

It was exactly as Selene stated. The walk from the portal to Dis was straight and easy. Still, standing outside the gates, Luna felt lost. Her brow knitted and her forehoof tamped the ground lightly. Looking first left and then right revealed the same view, a long, brass wall devoid of any decoration or delight. Her head moved back to look directly forward, taking in the massive gates into the heart of Tartarus. All she had to do was open them, and she would be inside.

Those words rattled around in Luna’s head for a minute.

“Guards.” It finally hit her. “There are no guards.”

Once more her head turned. Neither side had the legion of dead ponies sitting atop the walls staring down. Nor were there two ponies standing beside the gates serving as sentries.

And Tisiphone was not pacing atop the gate, either.

“Something is amiss.” Her wings spread to their full width, and with one powerful beat she was aloft. A scant moment later her hooves set down on the top of the gate, giving her a clear view of the inner city.

It was chaos.

Debris cluttered up the courtyard. Chunks of stone scattered in all directions, mixed with pieces of brass, twisted and bent. The table where Luna and Celestia had both dined was gone, visible now only as the broken shards mingling with the other stone pieces that were missing from some of the buildings. A force of destruction had made its way through the courtyard, and the city had paid the price.

No pony—living or dead—was visible in the carnage below her.

The only thing that seemed untouched was the great brass tower itself. Its massive height soared above her, almost defying what had happened below it. Luna’s lip curled back, revealing a row of sharp teeth and pointed fangs that she bared in its direction. The feathers on her wings bristled and she let out a loud snort causing her head to twist.

She leapt from the gates before she had even opened her wings. On the fall down they sprung out and she glided to touch the ground once more. The crunching sound beneath her hooves was a reminder of the degree the damage encompassed. The larger pieces were visible, but whatever did this also was able to pulverize stone.

Her eyes scanned the ground, and smaller details came into view. There were broken weapons amidst the debris, but still no sign of a pony in full body—or smaller parts. Twisted and bent pieces of brass furniture and decorations lay half-buried under the fallen walls. Several small—and a few large—craters occasionally dented the ground itself, some with the stone and brass bits inside, while others remained clean.

Step after step, she slowly began to walk the grounds, her eyes wide and vigilant. No matter where she went, the damage went with her. Aside from the tower, it seemed that no building was left untouched. Eventually, Luna was forced to turn once more to that great, brass structure.

Again her heart seized up, and her eyes turned to slits. A sensation froze her to the core and burned the blood running through her veins. The feathers on her wings again stood out, making her seem larger than normal. Her hoof tamped on the ground, this time with some considerable force.

“You will not cow me,” she growled out loud.

Her lips twitched, finally pulling back into a full sneer. And then she screamed. Raw and primal, her lungs vented her hatred and remembrance of the tower and her time inside it in a long, bellowing roar.

Her hooves moved against the ground, running towards the hated building, just as her wings spread and caught the wind, carrying her up, all but parallel to the tower until she came to its peak. Once, twice, and then a third time she circled the tower, her mouth never closing, and her fangs never hidden. A well-trod path on the rooftop revealed itself and she banked over and came to a stop next to it.

A rough, ragged breath pushed in and out of her lungs. As Luna’s eyes opened wider, each respiration became slower and more stable, until everything about her once more appeared normal. She stared at the center of the tower’s roof and the opening there leading down into the core of the building. The entrance leading into The Pit. Filling her lungs, she held it a little longer than needed, and then let it out slowly.

“It was the past, Luna,” she said to no one save herself. “You will not be trapped inside again. There is no one here to imprison you. You decide what happens in Tartarus today.”

Two steps in to her journey towards the opening to the tower, she noticed the sound of her hooves. A normal click-clack of hoof on metal and nothing more. It was not just the outside of the tower that remained whole, but its rooftop as well.

The stairs down turned the moment they passed the roofline, working their way to the walls where they spiraled down, far beyond any depth she could currently see. Her mind tried to piece together where the actual cells inside the tower—the rooms holding the most heinous creatures for their individual tortures—began. The scattered openings along the sides of the stairs began almost immediately, but she wasn’t sure if they were cells or simply rooms. Though why anypony would want to spend time in this damnable tower was inconceivable to her.

So, she walked. Step after step, moving down the spiral, looking for something, anything to help her understand the destruction outside.

The staircase had no railings, and if it were not for her wings and lengthy experience with heights she may have felt uncomfortable. The thought of finding an empty cell—a broken cell—concerned her deeply, however.

The sound rattled up through the tower, echoing off the walls. Glass falling, but not breaking, against a very solid surface. Her head turned, following the instructions her ears gave her, locating the origin of the sound. A room not very far below her at all.

Her wings opened as she leapt out, and she twisted in mid-air, turning back towards the same side of the tower. Without a sound she plunged down, darting towards the open space along the staircase. Her hooves didn’t touch the ground until she was fully inside the space, landing with a wide stance and her horn glowing with midnight energy. Her face was pulled tight into a fierce mien, adding to her already considerable presence.

She was ready for anything. Almost.

Sitting on the floor, amidst several now empty bottles, was a blood red mare with a pair of horns twisting off of her head, spilling back towards her neck. Her tattered black mane hung loosely, and her dragon-like wings rested askew on her back. A black mask was over her face, with brass studs lining either side of her muzzle to look like an obscene grin. Her eyes exposed were left exposed, and they spoke more than her limited dialogue ever could. Deep and worn, filled with a new level of sadness.

“Tisiphone?” Luna asked.

“Niii-iii-iii-iii-iiiigggghhhhttt Brrrriiii-iiii-iii-iiinnnggeerrrr.” Her voice, normally a mix of gravel and razors, added a new sound: sobbing.

“Tisiphone, are you all right?” Luna took a step over towards her. “Have you been injured? Did you have to fight whatever…”

Her own words faded away from Luna as the final statement spoken by Selene replayed in her mind. She looked at the erinyes. Then at the bottles around her. Then back at the mare who was wavering slightly in a sitting position.

“Tisiphone?” Luna took a careful step towards her, trying to meet her eyes. “Did…did you cause all of that destruction out in the city?”

The two mares just stared at each other for a long moment, but eventually Tisiphone’s head slowly moved up and down.

“What happened to the guards?” Luna asked softly.

The huge creature shrugged her shoulders, and then one of her claw-like hooves brought the bottle it held up to her mouth. A thick red liquid poured out freely, with the majority of it going down the mare’s throat.

“That was one hell of a temper tantrum,” Luna stated flatly.

Tisiphone held out her leg, holding the now half-empty bottle towards her new guest.

One of Luna’s eyebrows slowly arched upwards.

* * * * * * * *

“…which led to him being half-buried in a pile of flesh-eating maggots!” Selene exploded into a fit of laughter at her own story. Celestia smiled politely back at her, while raising her cup of tea to her lips.

Though her right eye did twitch slightly. Mostly due to this being the fifth story like this in a row.

“So, tell me something of Equestria, Celly!” Selene prodded. “Listening to one of your stories will certainly give me time to finish my lunch.”

The idea of finishing that lunch seemed more like a dare than a goal to Celestia. Upon arrival in the kitchen, Selene didn’t order something for lunch from the cooks, she ordered everything for lunch from the cooks. Every dish they were able to make, she wanted. Anything that was already prepared, she asked for. The result of these requests led to no less than thirty-five dishes being laid out on the table in front of the newly arrived alicorn.

Celestia had a small salad.

“I can’t believe that you intend on eating all of that, Lena.” Celestia’s eyes wandered over the cornucopia of options while her head shook slowly.

Outside of the two of them, the kitchen was now empty. They sat at a fairly large, round table kept in the corner for the staff to use. The heavy tabletop was littered with stains and scars, with eight mis-matched chairs surrounding it. The two alicorns sat reasonably next to each other, divided only by enough space to allow them to move comfortably.

“What?” Selene finished chewing a bite of an eggplant casserole. “You know that we don’t have food like this in Tartarus. And any that you might send down to me rots in a matter of minutes, so I never can enjoy that, either.” A rather large oatburger floated in front of her, and Selene wasted no time in taking a full third of it in a single bite. That didn’t stop her from speaking, though. “Tell me about the horn!” She waved her hoof towards the top of Celestia’s head.

“Ah, well, my new horn is the direct result of an invasion that was conducted against our world by an alternate reality version of Equestria, actually.” Celestia took another sip of her tea.

Selene stopped chewing. “I beg your pardon?”

A warm smile grew on Celestia’s face. “I wish that it was as…entertaining…as the stories you’ve been sharing, but unfortunately, it’s a tale of death, hardship, and loss, ultimately. An immensely powerful being came here from her world, conquered Canterlot, and in my first battle with her, my horn was destroyed. With the aid of some other ponies, I was able to have this new one forged from the remnants of my old armor. The invader was only beaten back by the combined forces of myself, Luna, Queen Chrysalis, the Elements of Harmony, and…Cadance.”

“Cadance?” Selene’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful.”

“Yes, she is. I would go so far as to say that she was the most important pony involved in the battle, actually. Without her, we would certainly have lost.”

Selene’s eyes focused forward on nothing at all, simply staring down at a space she truly couldn’t identify at the moment. Finally, she looked back up at her sister. “Where is she, Celly? Is…do you think that it would be possible for me to meet her?”

Celestia’s smile grew larger. “Not only is it possible, Lena, but I think it almost a certainty. She is here in Canterlot right now. She’s off on some important errand of some sort, but as soon as it is finished, I can almost guarantee that she will be delighted to meet you.” Her eyes motioned towards the door leading out of the room. “I’m sure she will be at the banquet that I mentioned. That will give you a chance to meet everypony. It’s sure to be a social event.”

“That…that sound wonderful. Meeting a variety of ponies would be magnificent, of course, but,” she paused for a short breath, “but I would rather meet her before. Something more casual.”

“Of course. That won’t be a problem, Lena,” Celestia answered softly. Then her smile faded slightly. “It would probably be a good idea for you to meet Chrysalis before the banquet as well, actually.”

Falling off her like rain, Selene’s softer expression turned to the cheerful exuberance again. “That’s twice you’ve mentioned this Chrysalis. Who is she? You said she was a queen earlier.”

“Yes, she’s a queen, and a princess now as well.” Celestia took one more sip of tea and then set the cup on the saucer. “She is a changeling queen, who now co-rules Equestria along with Luna and myself.”

A large pancake on a fork hung in the air in front of Selene for a moment, and then lowered down as she broke into an uproarious laughter. “Oh, Celly! Oh, that is rich! I forgot how wonderfully dry your sense of humor can be!”

Celestia waited for the laughter to fade somewhat. “I’m not making a joke. I’m telling you the truth.”

The sound of Selene’s fork dropping to the table rang through the room. “Oh, please! You have to be joking. A changeling queen?” Her eyes darted up and down what was visible of Celestia. “Celly! That’s ridiculous!”

“Nonetheless, it’s the truth. Chrysalis is now a Princess of Equestria, and as such, has all of the privileges and responsibilities that go along with it.” She takes a deep breath. “It has been trying at times.”

Selene opened her mouth but nothing came out. Finally she closed it with a loud huff from her nose. “At least tell me that there are good things that have happened, as well.”

“Many,” Celestia laughed. “Though, sadly, they do seem overshadowed by the negative things as of late.”

“Well then,” Selene raised her fork up once again, pancake still attached, “let my arrival serve as the spark to help turn things around to the better! I will help you find the joy that has been missing from your life, and give you happy stories to tell everypony!” The entirety of the pancake was then summarily stuffed into her mouth.

Celestia slowly shook her head. “I can’t believe that you are going to try to eat all of this food.”

The fork suddenly turned around, pointing directly at Celestia. “You go a few centuries without having any decent food and then we’ll talk!” She stabbed a potato covered in butter and cheese. “Besides, who doesn’t like to eat sometimes?

* * * * * * * *

The tight clicking sound arrived at an alarming speed as the curtain between the two beds was yanked back against the wall, pulling Chrysalis’ eyes over in an instant.

“I’m hungry.” Cadance didn’t turn her head or raise her voice. She more growled and grumbled at the bed, just in the vicinity of her room companion.

In her turn, Chrysalis casually let her eyes move across the entirety of the other princess, the corner of her mouth slowly edging up. “Oh, I’m sorry, are we talking to each other again?”

She snorted, she shifted in place, and Cadance finally turned her head to look at the changeling. “If we’re going to be in the same room for months,” her breath escaped in a sigh, “then it would be ridiculous not to.”

“Oddly enough, I’m very happy to hear you say that, Princess.” Chrysalis shifted slightly, allowing her body to move to a more comfortable position to look from bed to bed.

The left eyebrow on Cadance’s head moved up. “Oddly enough?”

“Well, considering our past, it’s not as though the two of us have had what anypony would call a casual, friendly relationship,” Chrysalis admitted. “Nonetheless, conversation with you has always been animated and entertaining.”

“Which part? The thinly veiled threats or the outright hatred?” she asked in response.

“See, you’re already going down the darker path. There really is no need for it, Princess,” Chrysalis stated. “I don’t see why we can’t become friends, even.”

The sound that came out of Cadance was somewhere between a cough and a sputter. “Friends? Seriously, did you just say friends? You have become a very presumptive…princess, haven’t you?”

The space between words was long enough to hear them both breathe. “Did you just stop yourself from saying something a little more venomous than princess?”

The only immediate answer was Cadance shifting in place. Her next words were no answer at all. “Why didn’t you tell me that the heart might be destroyed, Chrysalis?”

“Because I had faith that you would keep it from happening,” she replied instantly.

“It still would have been nice to have a warning!” Cadance’s voice echoed in the small room.

“Would you still have done it?” The smooth buzz of Chrysalis’ voice countered the louder princess.

“I…. That’s not the point!” The volume was lower, but a firm bite remained. “I should have been told so I could make an informed choice!”

“Perhaps, but that is the past, and neither of us can change it,” Chrysalis stated. “And everything worked out in the end.”

“What?” Cadance sat up a little straighter. “This is your definition of everything working out?”

“I’m alive. So are you. And the scientists believe that they will be able to track the other changeling in time,” Chrysalis leaned back, “so, yes, I do.”

Cadance’s head slowly moved side-to-side. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Thank you,” Chrysalis answered. “Also, now that you’ve mentioned it, I’m also hungry.”

A dry creaking sound signaled the door opening. “Good evening, Your Highnesses.” Mercysong backed her way into the room, pulling a cart with her. “It’s time for dinner.”

“Perfect timing!” Cadance leaned forward, her nose already one step ahead of her eyes in trying to figure out what was on the cart. Warm smells tinted with something smooth and silky, yet still sharp wafted over to her. “What is that?”

“For you, Princess, we have one of our chef’s specialties,” she lifted the cover from the dish, revealing the contents, “ratatouille.”

“Ooh, it smells delightful.” Cadance licked her lips and swallowed.

Mercysong moved a specially designed table into place and then transferred the plate to rest in front of Cadance. The display of colors created an immediate visual appeal for the dish, and Cadance waved her nose over it one more time. The combination of herbs and vegetables filled her head, bringing a smile to her face. It was enough to briefly make her realize that one of the scents she noticed was missing from this particular dish.

“And for me?” Chrysalis asked calmly.

“We have the same option for you, Princess, should you want it,” Mercysong stated.

“It does smell wonderful,” she began, “but I don’t actually draw sustenance from that sort of meal. Thank you for offering, though.”

The nurse stepped between the beds and slowly pulled the curtain out until is separated the two princesses.

“So, it’s true that you only subsist on love,” Mercysong asked.

“Well, not only love,” Chrysalis stated, “but love is easily the most filling of emotions. The only true meal we can have, though other, similar emotions will get us by for a time.”

“What kind of emotions?” she asked.

Slowly, Chrysalis narrowed her eyes.

Closing her eyes fully, Mercysong opened them back only halfway. “I might be able to offer you another choice of meal, Your Highness.”

Slipping her long tongue out of her mouth, Chrysalis let it draw back slowly across her fangs. “Why don’t you lock the door?”

Chrysalis watched Mercysong slink over to the door, and then quietly turn the latch.

In a glow of pink magic, the curtain slid open once again.

“You two aren’t going to….” Cadance began, her eyes growing wider. Then to Chrysalis, “You do realize I can give you a boost of love and fill you right up.”

“Actually,” Mercysong said softly, “the doctor has ordered that you not do anything unnecessary, for fear that any extra strain on your magic damage the healing process.” She slinked over between the two beds. “Why don’t I close the curtain again, Princess, giving you some privacy.”

“Yes, let’s not take that chance, Cadance,” Chrysalis began before turning back to the nurse. “Question for you…Mercysong, isn’t it? Do you prefer mares or stallions?”

“I’m fine either way, but given a choice, stallions, Your Highness,” she answered, turning back towards the changeling.

For a second time the sharp smell struck Cadance’s muzzle. This time, however, she recognized it. Her eyes suddenly focused on the plot of the pony in front of her. Once more, she licked her lips and swallowed.

“Then I shall be your stallion, my dear.” A green glow surrounded Chrysalis. When it faded there was no immediate obvious change. At least none above the sheets.

Turning, Mercysong took the curtain in her teeth for the second time since her arrival, and started to pull it out, but was stopped by a sudden magical glow.

“No,” Cadance growled. “I didn’t say you could close that.”

“Cadance,” Chrysalis said softly, “if the mare is uncomfortable, then allow her to have—”

“No,” Mercysong interrupted. “No, I don’t mind.” Her words came out in short gasps.

“Mercysong, don’t let her intimidate you,” Chrysalis brought a hoof up, directing the nurse’s eyes to hers. “Are you sure?”

She said nothing. Leaning forward, she brought her lips to Chrysalis’ face, pausing to feel the changeling’s breath before moving in fully for the kiss. The nurse’s right hoof slipped under the sheet, sliding down Chrysalis’ body until it found its goal. A moan came out from the kiss, with a sound that could have belonged to either mare—or perhaps both.

The sound coming from Cadance’s bed was much more primal. A growl, or something akin to it, welled up from the core of the Princess of Love. Her eyes became slits and her lips pulled back into a snarl.

Mercysong broke her kiss, and moved her lips to the side of Chrysalis’ neck. The changeling raised her head and laid back, giving the mare clear access as she peppered kisses slowly downward. As she got lower, she pulled away the sheets, revealing more of Chrysalis with every new affection she applied, until finally all of her was visible. Staring at the erection before her, Mercysong licked her lips. It easily matched every stallion the nurse had ever been with to this point.

“Go ahead,” Chrysalis breathed. “If that’s what you would like, it would be wonderful for me.”

No other encouragement was needed, and the nurse lowered her muzzle down, placing her lips tenderly against the very end of Chrysalis’ grown cock. The soft kiss brought forth a sigh of pleasure from the changeling, and she closed her eyes, lying back fully to enjoy nothing but the sensation.

Moving her lips along the length of the shaft, Mercysong never left contact with Chrysalis’ cock. Saliva began to make it shine with a clean, slick quality. As her mouth came to the top once more, her hoof took over at the base, once more tenderly stroking. Carefully, Mercysong took the head of the cock into her mouth, letting her tongue swirl around the tip playfully.

“You have such a gentle touch,” Chrysalis whispered.

“Yes,” Cadance growled, her head only inches behind Mercysong’s ear, “and I think that’s about enough of that.”

Both of Cadance’s hooves grabbed the back of Mercysong’s head, and she pushed the mare down, forcing inches into her mouth—and then into her throat. The nurse gagged, coughing and trying to pull back, but her own strength was not equal to the might of the alicorn holding her down.

“Swallow it!” Cadance spat.

“Cadance!” Chrysalis’ eyes popped open, looking down at what was transpiring. “What are you doing?”

She looked up the length of Chrysalis’ body, one side of her mouth turned up towards her ear. “Teaching this little bit how to suck cock. I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”

“You shouldn’t…shouldn’t…” Chrysalis paused, her eyes opening a little wider as Cadance shoved Mercysong’s head down until her muzzle pushed against the changeling’s body.

“That’s right,” Cadance whispered into Mercysong’s ear, “it’s good to see that you know your role.”

Abruptly, Cadance let go of the other mare’s head. Immediately she pulled up until Chrysalis’ cock sprang free from her mouth. Tears ran down Mercysong’s face, trailing the makeup she was wearing along with them. Her eyes turned to look at Cadance, who stared back with a blazing fire inside her.

“Are…are you all right?” Chrysalis stammered.

“She’s fine,” Cadance answered, her eyes still fixed on Mercysong. “Show her that your fine.”

It was a full heartbeat, but Mercysong lowered her head back down, taking a full half of Chrysalis’ cock back into her throat and then beginning to bob up and down.

“I’ve encountered her kind before. I smelled it on her when she walked in.” The laugh that accompanied Cadance’s words was darker than Chrysalis’ chitinous coat. “She has a princess fetish. She’s wanted to fuck a princess for years, and now that she’s got two of them in beds, well….”

Once again Cadance grasped the back of Mercysong’s head, entwining her hoof deep in the mare’s mane. This time, however, she did not press down, but simply kept her hoof there as the mare’s head moved up and down on its own.

“Excellent work, cocksleeve,” Cadance purred. “That’s what you are, you know: a cocksleeve. Your only purpose is to please the cock in your mouth.”

“Cadance!” Chrysalis gasped. “You don’t need to abuse—”

“Shut up!” Cadance’s head spun around to Chrysalis, who recoiled slightly. “Just lie there and take your blowjob, and don’t even pretend that you aren’t enjoying it.” She turned back to bring her mouth up near Mercysong’s ear. “Now, cocksleeve, why don’t you give your princesses some sort of sign that you’re enjoying what you are doing?”

A deep moan sounded from Mercysong as she pushed herself down to the base of Chrysalis’ cock once again. She paused there, opening her mouth slightly wider as if hoping that somehow more would fit inside.

“That’s a good start,” Cadance whispered as Mercysong pulled back far enough to allow herself to breath, but still not taking the shaft out of her mouth. “Let’s see if I can find more proof.”

Cadance’s other hoof slipped between Mercysong’s hind legs, eliciting a sharp whinny from the mare. She pulled her head back, letting Chrysalis slip from her mouth completely. “Oh yes! Yes, please!” Mercysong pleaded.

“Please? Please what? Please shove my entire hoof up your sopping wet cunt? Is that what you want?” Cadance taunted.

“Yesssss!” Mercysong hissed.

“Then get back to work on that cock, and I will!” Cadance commanded.

Without hesitation, Mercysong resumed her task, her head moving up and down at a much faster pace than before.

“Oh. Oh, that feels so good,” Chrysalis said softly. “You’re so good.”

“You can thank me later,” Cadance laughed. “Right now….”

Cadance’s body weight shifted slightly, and Mercysong’s eyes became huge pools of white with a tiny dot in the center of them. The nurse screamed, but it was muffled against the flesh inside her mouth. A moment later Mercysong forced her head down once more, bottoming out, but just for a moment. She then pulled back to the point where the cock almost left her mouth, only to immediately go all the way back down to the base.

The tempo of Mercysong’s actions were dictated by the piston-like action of Cadance’s hoof as it plowed deep inside her willing cunt. Cadance felt the walls of the nurse’s vagina clamping down hard as it was stretched by her full hoof, and that only brought a wider grin to the princess’ face.

“Don’t you dare finish before her! You are servicing a princess—a PRINCESS!” Cadance growled. “You WILL suck her like she deserves, and you WILL swallow every drop that comes out of her cock. Is that clear?”

The sound that came from Mercysong was indecipherable, but Cadance took it as an agreement, especially considering the renewed vigor that the nurse began using. It was like a magic trick. Every second a full-length stallionhood would present itself, only to disappear the following second as it was swallowed down the mare’s throat. Such long, smooth motions began to impress Cadance quite a bit.

“It’s a shame I don’t have a cock like that,” she said with a deep tone. “I’d love to see you swallow a dick from a different perspective. Still, I’m impressed.” To emphasize her point, Cadance thrust her hoof deep and hard, pushing fully against the mare’s cervix. A flood of liquid began to coat Cadance’s foreleg as the mare screamed around the cock in her mouth again.

“Are you cumming? Are you?” Cadance demanded. She didn’t wait for an answer, and instead began to pump her hoof in and out faster and deeper than she had before.

“Oh…oh yes…yes!” Chrysalis body arched, bringing her back fully off of the bed where she lay. Mercysong’s head stopped moving, positioning itself halfway down the length in her mouth, while her throat bulged with each swallow. It stayed that way for a second until Cadance yanked back, pulling Mercysong’s head free and sending a streamer of white shooting across the mare’s face. Twice more smaller loads shot out of Chrysalis’ cock, landing on Mercysong’s face, some of it finding its way into her open, panting mouth, which the nurse reflexively brought back with her tongue and swallowed down

Letting go of the nurse’s head, Cadance also freed her hoof from the mare’s vagina. She moved that hoof up to sit beside Mercysong’s face. “Lick this clean. I don’t want your marecum on my hoof.”

Weakly, but obediently, Mercysong’s tongue came out and began to lap along the hoof in front of her. Cadance turned to look at Chrysalis, but the changeling was looking down at Mercysong, the corner of her eye welling up.

“Thank you,” Chrysalis whispered. “That was…. Thank you, so much.”

With a snort, Cadance grabbed Mercysong’s mane again, pulling on it until the mare was up and off of Chrysalis and the bed. “Get out of here. Go clean yourself up,” she said with a sneer. “Oh, but make sure you come back in an hour or two. I still need my turn, after all.”

The first couple of Mercysong’s steps revealed the battle that she was waging against gravity and equilibrium, but she stopped, took a long, deep breath, and then walked back to her cart with no visible signs of distress. She looked back over at the two princesses, her face an amalgam of the tan of her coat, the black that surrounded her eyes and streamed down her cheek, and the odd crossing lines of fading white that clung to her fur, and she smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Princesses.” She bowed her head. “I will definitely be back for my…rounds…a little later.”

She walked, very gingerly, towards the door, unlocked it, and then pushed herself and her cart outside the room. Both Chrysalis and Cadance watched her every step before turning back to look at each other.

Their faces slowly went from their post-coital expressions back to their regular demeanor. They stared at each other, the thoughts of what just happened running through their minds as they recounted everything that they did, and everything that they said.

Everything.

Gradually their eyes grew to the sizes of saucers as the details sank in. Their individual actions. Their words. Every little bit becoming clear.

In unison, they shouted at each other, “What the hell have you done to me?!”

…to be continued.

Chapter 3

The bottle hung upside down in the air, waiting patiently. It was holding on to a single drop of liquid, dangling just at the edge of the lip of its opening. Several more seconds passed by, and the drop defiantly ignored gravity, unwilling to let that final taste of its contents completely divorce itself.

The pony below was quickly losing all respect that it might have had for the bottle due to its rather selfish attitude. Finally driven to the point of action, Luna lowered the bottle an extra four inches, putting it well within the reach of her tongue, and liberating the last tasty drop for herself.

The bottle flew over her shoulder, already forgotten before it even hit the ground. Or more precisely, before it hit a stack of bottles covering the majority of the ground in that particular area, resonating a glass-on-glass chime that cascaded down to a skittering of glass-on-stone.

“Whatd’ya call this ‘gain?” Luna asked, getting most of the words out.

“Saannnnnnguiiiiine.” The garbled, scratching sound that closely resembled a word came from the pony-like creature next to her. Tisiphone was lounging on her back, with Luna doing the same beside her. It wasn’t clear, but it seemed that the deep red erinyes was slightly larger than the Princess of the Night and ersatz ruler of Tartarus for the next fourteen days.

“S’good,” Luna nodded as she levitated a new bottle up near her face so she could try to stare through the blackened glass at the contents. “It’s got a…a….” Her lips smacked together a few times. “It tastes strong.”

Luna really hoped the sound that suddenly started coming from Tisiphone was a laugh. Letting her head fall over to that side, she saw the huge mare slowly nodding. At first she thought she was smiling, too, but then she remembered that her face was a mask, and that the smile was just a bunch of brass studs.

“Y’know,” Luna started nodding just as Tisiphone stopped, “you should take off that mask. I have no idea what you really look like.”

When she turned to look at Luna, the look in Tisiphone’s eyes clearly showed that she was definitely not smiling. “Nnnnnooo.”

“Why not?” Luna brought the bottle down to her chest, cradling it in her forelegs for a moment. “You know what I look like.”

Tisiphone’s head turned the other direction, looking away from the alicorn. When she spoke, the single word was barely loud enough for Luna to hear. “Uuuuggglllyyy.”

“What?” Luna turned her body and raised up halfway, still holding onto the bottle. “You…you’re just bein’ mean to yourself. I’m sure it innet as bad as you’re sayin’ it is.”

As she turned back around, Tisiphone brought a new bottle along with her. She shook her head and brought the unopened bottle up underneath her mask. When the top of it reappeared, it was completely without a cork. Luna smiled, up to the point where she realized that Tisiphone never spit out the cork.

“Y’know our problem?” Luna asked as she laid back and looked upwards once again. “I’ll tell you our problem. Everypony else! Tha’s our problem.” Her hoof pointed up towards the ceiling, but at nothing in particular. “Outside’a the two of us, there are only two kinds of ponies: the frightened and the jealous!”

Tisiphone responded with a deep gurgling sound, which might have been her drinking or might have been her making a comment. Luna didn’t check.

“I mean, look at us. Just look at us!” Luna took another bottle and brought it to her lips long enough to turn it up once. “We are NOT normal ponies.”

“Godddddesssss.” The sound from Tisiphone was at least identifiable as a word this time.

“Well, yeah, that’s true, but…” once more Luna’s hoof raised up to help illustrate her words, “…but I cannot help that, and it doesn’t change what I’m saying. Everypony seems to love Celestia—some a little too much, if you ask me—but me? Try t’kill your sister and take over the world a couple’a times and everypony is suddenly scared of you.”

Another gurgling sound caused Luna to turn. The normally-narrow eyes of the erinyes were wide and staring right at her.

“Hey, I’ve gotten past it. Finally succeeded, though—when I wasn’t trying,” Luna explained. “Tia even thinks I’m the responsible one now.” After taking another long swig, she continued, “She used to think I was the sexy one.”

“Yoooooou arrrrrrrrrre!” Tisiphone slowly nodded along with her answer.

“Thank you!” Luna said proudly. “And you are, too! I don’t even care what it looks like under that…hood thing. Look at that body!” Raising up slightly, Luna gestured at the full-length of the mare beside her. “I mean…I mean, you’re bigger’n me! And you are in great shape, too! I mean that! You’ve got a body that any mare would just die to have.” Luna suddenly chuckled. “Heh. Die to have. Y’know, ‘cause they would have to die to come here and stuff.”

Luna was pretty sure that it was a laugh that came from Tisiphone…but it still might have been a growl.

“You do have some pretty weird horns, though.” Luna’s head slowly fell to the left, changing her perspective slightly. “I like ‘em, but they are kinda…weird.”

Her eyes went up as Tisiphone’s claw-like hoof came up to trace the shape of her curling horns. A small sound came from her throat.

“No, no!” Luna turned further towards her. “No, they aren’t bad. Not at all. Just, by ‘Questrian standards, they’re different. You’re different! So am I! That’s my point! You and me,” Luna’s hoof pointed back and forth between the two of them several times, “we’re different!” After a moment of silence, Luna fell once more onto her back, eyes towards the ceiling. “Real different.”

The dark glass bottle that Luna held in her magic lifted to her mouth once more. She drained about a third of it.

“Why all the brass?” Luna mumbled. “I mean,” she glanced around the room, “everything here’s brass! I don’t get it.” She took another drink. “I hate brass.”

For several seconds the only sound in the room was the faint clinking of glass as the bottles shifted from one of the mares moving.

“Whaaaaassss wronnnnnnggg?” Tisiphone asked.

“Huh?” Luna turned to her, forehead furrowed. “Nothin’s wrong! What….” Her words trailed off and her mouth fell down into a full frown. One deep breath in, and one heavy sigh out. “I was tortured here, y’know.”

It took a moment, but Tisiphone nodded.

“I felt…weak. Helpless.” Luna took another deep drink. “I hated it. Hated feelin’ that way. Never told no pony that. Not even….” She looked over at Tisiphone, finding the other mare already looking her way. “She came for me. All the way to Tartarus, she came here. Just for me. Did ya know that?”

Tisiphone nodded.

Luna laughed softly. “Oh yeah, I guess ya do. She kicked your butt pretty good.”

Tisiphone growled.

“No, it’s okay! She’s kicked my butt, too. My wife can be pretty bad ass when she isn’t just bein’ pretty.” Luna’s eyes grew large as she spoke, and they seemed to glaze over slightly at the end. “Celestia is so pretty.”

“Sellleeeeeeenne, tooooo,” Tisiphone said.

With a slight shake of her head, Luna came back to the moment. “Yes, she is! You’ve got a damn cute mare!”

Luna’s mostly-empty bottle floated over towards Tisiphone at a rapid pace, causing the erinyes to pull back slightly—until she realized why it was there. Raising her’s up, she brought the two pieces of glass together with a rather dull clink.

“To our hot mares!” Luna brought her bottle back and Tisiphone pulled hers to her lips. Both of them drained what was left inside.

Both mares flopped back, laying side-by-side and staring at nothing in particular.

“We’re lucky,” Luna said. “Those two could have anypony they wanted. I have no idea why Tia wants me.”

Luna’s eyes closed once and then reopened. She could hear a sound that might have been snoring next to her—or possibly Tisiphone rending the flesh from something that she found nearby. She was far too tired to turn and look. Despite her best effort to stop it, Luna’s mouth opened as wide as it could, showing her imposing array of teeth and fangs, and ending with a soft exhalation of breath.

“I’m not perfect,” Luna mumbled. “Not some perfect pink princess.”

A few seconds later, the snoring chorus echoing through the room was enough to frighten even the denizens of Tartarus.

* * * * * * * *

There was a reasonable chance that she was going to wear a pattern in the floor. Every step seemed measured and practiced, following the exact same path each and every time.

“This isn’t good,” Cadance mumbled, shaking her head. “How did this happen? This can’t be happening.”

“Despite your rambling,” Chrysalis answered with a sigh, “I assure you that it is happening. The question we need to concentrate on is, what are we going to do about it?”

“I’m thinking!” Cadance shouted as she walked past the changeling. She walked over to the balcony and paused, looking out at the sweeping cityscape of Canterlot. Ponies were wandering through the streets as the sun peaked over the horizon, most beginning their day, but a tiny percentage heading home for a rest.

“Well, it could be worse,” Chrysalis stated.

Only turning enough so that her voice would easily carry back into the room, Cadance answered, “Really? How?”

“We’re much safer in my quarters. We could still be in the hospital, dealing with the adventures of the amorous nurse,” she answered.

“Heh. That was the best part of it.” Immediately after the words left her mouth, Cadance brought a hoof up to her face, covering her eyes. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” Chrysalis asked.

Cadance turned around to look at the changeling. She sat upon the divan in the center of the room, lounging casually. She looked surprisingly calm.

“How do you have so many base thoughts?” Cadance asked. “I’m assuming this attitude is coming from you, because it isn’t my normal mindset.”

“Oh, that. Well, I don’t.” Chrysalis raised a hoof. “And before you argue, remember that I feed off of base emotion, particularly love. What you are feeling isn’t my thoughts, it’s my hunger.”

“That…that’s horrible,” Cadance said, her voice growing softer than she expected. “No wonder you’re such a retched creature.”

The eyebrow over Chrysalis’ right eye arched up slightly. “Thank you for your kindness, Princess. I think the world of you, too.”

“I didn’t….” Cadance stomped over to the chair beside the divan and plopped down. “I’m sorry. I’m not fully in control of myself, but I think you know that part.”

“I do.” Chrysalis sat up and moved to the end of the divan closest to the other mare. “And I do understand. I’m having issues myself.”

“Issues with being a gentle, kind being for a change! How horrible for you!” With as much effort as she could muster, Cadance tried to push back further into the chair.

“Princess…Cadance,” Chrysalis began, “this is not easy for me, either. I want to help you through the feelings you are having, but you must understand that this is not…me. Every second I have to remind myself that the ultimate end of this is to my benefit. It is worth the effort.” Her hoof reached over and placed itself on Cadance’s knee. “When all this is done, each of us will have learned a great deal, I think.”

Her eyes traveled down to her knee, followed by her hoof removing the changeling’s from her leg. “Are you even hearing yourself? And have you thought once about what this means?” She sat up, bringing their eyes into a direct line with each other. “Months. We’re going to be like this for months. Who knows what this is going to do to us?”

“Yes, I do know that. Which is why we need to start thinking of ways to deal with it, or possibly even correct it. Personally, I’d rather maintain my sanity, thank you.” Her voice buzzed with a calming drone.

“Wonderful plan. Now we just have to figure out how.” The rise and fall in Cadance’s voice revealed her attitude.

“Simple, we talk to Celestia,” Chrysalis said.

The lids of Cadance’s eyes closed halfway and her lips curled up. “Mmmm. I like the idea of bringing Celestia in on—” She stopped herself, and her eyelids opened farther than they should. “Okay, that’s a no! Stop thinking that!”

“Hunger again,” Chrysalis said. “This time out with a meal that I’ve—or actually I believe that might be we’ve—already tasted.”

Cadance locked eyes with her again. “What do you mean? Don’t say that!”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Chrysalis laughed. “Celestia is a fine mare. One of the best I’ve ever—”

“DON’T…finish that sentence,” Cadance interrupted. She raised her hoof up and opened her mouth, but there were no words that came out, just a slow shake and a slower close.

Even after Cadance was back to her relaxed position, Chrysalis waited a moment before speaking. “Well, well, well, there it is again.”

Only Cadance’s eyes moved over this time, looking at Chrysalis without turning her head. “What?”

“That guilt. The same one I tasted last time we were, well, on these exact pieces of furniture, actually,” she answered. “I think that you should tell me what’s going on.”

“And I think you should mind your own business,” Cadance grumbled.

“As you have been so insistent in pointing out, Cadance, for the next few months this is my business. The two of us are going to have to find common ground to live upon.” Chrysalis raised her head up, but kept it level as she looked over at Cadance.

“I don’t think so,” Cadance answered.

“Really?” Chrysalis laughed. “Tell me, Princess, is that you, or is that the connection that we are sharing speaking?”

Cadance stood up and walked away from the chair and up to one of the tapestries. A bright image of Chrysalis stood upon a rise, with beams of glowing green emanating downward onto a gathering of changeling drones looking up at her in awe.

“What is it with you?” Cadance asked in response. “This is the most self-serving image I could imagine.”

“You’re right. It’s nothing like the stained glass image of you and Shining Armor driving my changelings from the city that is in the great hallway downstairs.”

Cadance rolled her eyes, which seemed to drag her head back to look towards Chrysalis. “You know what I mean!”

Chrysalis smiled, showing a hint of fang for the first time in hours. “I am their queen. That is simply the way that my changelings see me.”

“In your mind,” Cadance answered.

“Despite our current connection, Cadance, I still wouldn’t push that particular button,” Chrysalis growled. “I’m certainly not above defending myself if I feel the need.”

“I….” Cadance’s words faded before the sentence really began. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. “I need to be more respectful.”

“If you are wanting to learn what it means to be me, perhaps you can start the process by sharing things about you?” Chrysalis stood and slowly walked over to Cadance, lowering her head slightly as she approached. “What is wrong?”

Her lips went to a straight line and her eyes moved to match them. “Is this that guilt thing again?”

The only answer Chrysalis gave was a slight turn of her head.

With a heavy sigh, Cadance’s withers fell along with her head. “Fine!” she shouted, and then lowered down to barely above a whisper. “Fine.” She paused. “I’m…I’m selfish.”

Both eyes opened wide on Chrysalis. “Selfish? You? Are you sure that you aren’t confused by our new link again?”

“I’m positive,” she said softly and walked back towards the center of the room. “Ever since we got married—and even before then, actually—I’ve never been what you might call faithful to Shining.” She looked to Chrysalis. “I’ve done my best to not keep that fact a secret, but…but he doesn’t know everything. I don’t tell him everything.”

“Why not?” Chrysalis asked.

“To not hurt him!” Her voice went back up, and then immediately back down. “He knows—he understands—my role as a princess. What it is that I am responsible for, and what that sometimes entails, but…I don’t know.” She took a shallow breath. “Things aren’t equal.”

Walking over to her, Chrysalis stood beside the mare and spoke softly in response. “What do you mean?”

An awkward chuckle preceded Cadance’s words. “Did you know that—aside from the obvious times where you took advantage of him—that Shining has never been with another mare? And I don’t mean since we got married, either. I mean, aside from you and I, he has never been with any other mare. Ever. We started dating back when he was in high school, and…I was his first.”

Silence filled the air while the words sank in. “You’re kidding,” Chrysalis finally responded.

“No, I’m not,” Cadance stated. “I’ve been with…honestly, I have no idea how many other ponies—both mares and stallions—that I’ve been with in my life. Easily dozens since Shining and I became a couple, but in that time he has never once,” she glared up at Chrysalis for a second, “not willingly anyway, been with anypony else.”

“Cadance,” Chrysalis began, “that’s because he loves you. Or didn’t you figure that out when you threw me out of the castle that first time?”

“Oh, I knew it before then. That’s my gift, remember? And I love him just as much! But there’s….” Her sentence never finished.

“What? There’s what?” Chrysalis urged.

She sighed. “He’s never been jealous. Not really. He’s always said that he understood. He’s always supported me.”

“And that’s bad how?” Chrysalis asked.

“Because it’s not equal!” Cadance shouted back. Turning away, she dropped her head. “Back when you and Celestia were…. Back when Celestia and Luna weren’t intimate for a while, she and I had a…a moment. I comforted her.”

“Hardly the first to do that,” Chrysalis sneered.

“Stop that!” Cadance bit back. “It’s what happened afterward, though. Luna found out, and she came to see me and…in a dream she took Shining. Right in front of me.”

“Oh….” Chrysalis whispered.

“I was so angry. I actually threatened her.” She turned back to Chrysalis with a smirk. “I might not have won, but I would have torn that mare up.”

“I have no doubt,” Chrysalis said with a nod.

“But, anyway, afterward I realized that I…was jealous. That seeing Shining with another mare, watching as he pleasured her while I was helpless, it drove me mad.”

“And that’s….” Chrysalis pulled her breath in before finishing.

“Not equal.” Cadance shook her head. “He has never once been angry with me. He’s always understood as I go around screwing so many ponies that I couldn’t even give you a count, let alone a list of names. He has relations with one mare—and it’s not even really him, mind you—and I go off the deep end.”

“You knew about me,” Chrysalis stated.

“That’s different. You forced yourself on him while he was brainwashed. You pretty much raped him.” Cadance looked her in the eye. “I was never jealous of you. I felt bad for him.”

Chrysalis snorted. “But with Luna?”

“With Luna it was different. She made it seem like he wanted her more than he wanted me. That I was…that he was…. I got so jealous.” Cadance shook her head, causing the tears that were hanging in the corners of her eyes to fall free.

“And this has led to guilt,” Chrysalis said. “I see.”

“Yes, it has,” Cadance admitted. “Right now, I just….”

“It’s all right, Princess. Believe it or not, I understand.” Chrysalis put a hoof on Cadance’s withers.

“Why?” Cadance swallowed visibly. “Because of our link?”

“If you want to believe that,” she answered with a nod.

“Are you going to tell me about your fixation with yourself now?” Cadance asked.

“No,” Chrysalis answered.

“What?” Stepping forward, Cadance stomped a hoof solidly against the floor. “But you said—”

“Not NOW, Cadance,” Chrysalis cut her off. “In time, I will. I keep my word, as I believe you know.” She took a deep breath. “Though there are things about me that I promise you do not, and may not wish to find out. Changelings are complicated, after all.”

* * * * * * * *

Her hoof rested on the unconscious unicorn’s withers, very gently shaking back and forth. All the while Rarity continued to look around, taking in their surroundings.

“Trixie,” she said softly. “Oh, do wake up, Darling.”

Limestone walls surrounded them on three sides, matching the floor and ceiling of the cramped space. The only possible way in or out was blocked by a series of evenly spaced bars that, to Rarity’s eyes, appeared to be made from brass. If there was more light, she would know for certain.

Outside of the cell—which is all that Rarity could even think of it being—was some form of light that remained just out of view. Barely enough ambient light worked its way into their small space to let her see some details, but not enough for her taste.

“Wh-what?” The pale blue unicorn stirred. “What happened? Rarity?” Trixie blinked once and then twice before her eyes suddenly filled most of her face and she leapt to her hooves in a single motion. “Where are we? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Rarity answered, putting her hooves around her marefriend’s neck. “Are you all right?”

“Trixie is…as good as can be expected. What happened? Where are we?” she asked again.

“I’m afraid I don’t know,” Rarity said with a sigh. “I’ve only been awake a minute or two longer than you have.”

“Well, if you are well, then Trixie sees no reason that we should stay here.” Her horn lit up, magic swelling around its length as she narrowed her eyes at the bars.

“Trixie, no!” Rarity’s hoof lunged out, but she was forced to pull it back away from the powerful bolt that launched from Trixie’s horn.

The magic slammed into the bars, and then arced across them, lacing the metal with a pale blue energy. A second later a flash filled the space, causing both mares to bring a hoof up in front of their faces and recoil reflexively. When they lowered their limbs once more, the bars looked untouched.

“I’m sorry, Darling. I should have stopped you. I already tried something similar. Whatever these things are made from,” Rarity trotted the short distance and touched them with her hoof, “they are very resistant to magic.”

“Well, no harm, fortunately,” Trixie grumbled. “We are still left with the one obvious question, though: who did this to us, and why?”

“The last thing that I recall is the two of us in the restaurant. We were seated next to the couple wearing the single lapel suit for stallion and a simple one-shoulder piece for the mare. Nice enough I suppose, but definitely at least one season out of style.” Rarity stood there rubbing her chin softly. “The waiter came over with a bottle of champagne for the two of us, and the next thing I…oh, wait! You passed out, Darling!” Her hoof went down and she took a half step forward. “You passed right out. There must have been something in the champagne.”

“Then we are remembering the same thing,” Trixie nodded. “We were drugged. What Trixie wants to know is how they were able to get away with it. I would think that both of us passing out would have caused a noticeable disturbance.”

“Unless….” Rarity turned and walked two steps, paused, then turned back quickly, angling her face to catch as much uplighting as possible. “They were all in on it!”

They both stood still for a second or three.

“Trixie begs your pardon?”

“Think, Darling! All of the mares in the establishment were wearing outfits by the same designer. That was no odd coincidence! It was the sign of a quickly organized group, there for the explicit purpose of capturing us for their own nefarious purposes!” Rarity’s smile gleamed in the dim light. “They simply did not consider my own personal observation skills. Ha!”

Turning her head slightly to the side, Trixie said, “You are taking this very well, all things considered.”

“Oh, please!” Rarity casually waved her hoof. “It’s not as though this is the first time that I’ve been captured. Whatever it is that these ponies want, I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way out.”

“Hmm.” Walking past her to the front of the cell, Trixie pressed her muzzle as far through as possible, unable to get even halfway through. “Well, it won’t happen that way.” She turned back to Rarity. “Trixie doesn’t suppose that you can use that Element magic to do anything?”

“Oh, you know better than that. None of us can harness our unique magic without the others present,” Rarity stated, “and even then we have to actually have our actual Elements on us personally.”

“And you cannot summon it here? Or send a message to it to alert the others?” Trixie asked.

“I’m afraid not, Darling. Truth be told, I’m not exactly sure where they are at the moment. I believe that Twilight has them locked in her home somewhere, but I’m not even certain of that. They’re either there or in Canterlot, but I believe they are in Twilight’s care.” Rarity gave a full sigh. “But surely somepony is going to notice you missing! When you don’t make it to your next show then they will send out a rescue team, and perhaps even send word to Ponyville, if it comes to that.”

“It’s possible, I suppose,” she answered with a slow nod.

“Well, look at it this way as well, Darling. Whomever it was who poisoned us, it’s clear that they wanted us alive, otherwise we wouldn’t have woken up…well, I was going to say today, but honestly I have no idea how long we were out. For all I know it could be tomorrow.” Rarity walked around the cell slowly as she spoke. “So, that means that they want something from us, I suppose, though I would have thought that they would at least have placed a guard on the door.”

“Perhaps they don’t have enough ponies to spare?” Trixie suggested.

“Oh, no, no. They had a restaurant full of ponies. If they can afford to do something like that, then they surely can afford to place a guard outside. It’s far more likely that they didn’t want to be recognized, though, thinking on it, the chances of that are quite slim.” She stopped suddenly and turned to Trixie. “Or…there are guards and we simply cannot see them!”

Quickly, Rarity rushed to the bars. She picked up her hoof and tapped on them, sending a chime through the space. “Hello! Hello, there! If you would be so kind as to show yourselves, we would be most grateful. After all, there is nothing that I can do to assist you in any way unless you tell me what you would like. I am not at all an unreasonable mare.” The next words were far softer. “Though I cannot promise that attitude remaining for much longer.”

Trixie walked up beside her. “Oh, Rarity, you are truly a clever mare.”

“Thank you, Darling, but this is hardly the time for—”

“No, I’m thanking you,” she interrupted. “I didn’t want to act so quickly, but I wasn’t sure why you arrived early, so I had to be certain. You understand, I’m sure.”

Rarity’s head pulled back a little and it seemed as though she was trying to refocus her eyes on Trixie. “You aren’t making any sense.”

“Darling. You would normally say ‘Darling’ right there. It’s good to know,” Trixie answered. “But my point is that you, a known agent of Equestria and one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, shows up outside of your planned schedule without letting your marefriend know…you have to admit, it’s suspicious.”

With very deliberate steps, Rarity backed away from the other mare. “You aren’t Trixie.”

“Don’t worry, I was planning on replacing Trixie anyway, you just sped the process along,” the other mare answered. “I did not plan on you at all, but now that you are here, it’s really not a bad idea. Especially now knowing that you cannot let the other Elements know what has happened in any unusual manner.”

A blue glow surrounded Rarity’s horn, crackling with energy. “What have you done with Trixie? Where is she?”

“She’s fine,” a red sheen glistened across the faux-Trixie’s eyes, “for now, at least. As long as you don’t do anything stupid.”

“What do you want?” Rarity lowered her head, keeping her horn aimed at the mare.

She laughed. “You’ve already done what I wanted, at least for now. And as long as you continue to make yourself useful, then you have nothing to worry about.” The faux-Trixie tapped on the bars twice. Seemingly from nowhere, two creatures stepped into view. Deep red creatures with a single curved horn arcing back over their heads.

“You…you’re a changeling!” Rarity gasped.

One of the red changelings stepped to the side of the cell and three of the center bars sank into the ground.

“Yes, I am,” the faux-Trixie stated as she stepped out of the cell, and after she passed the bars moved up once again, locking back into place. “And I am so very much more than that. Thank you for everything, Rarity. I do hope you enjoy the stay.”

Changeling Trixie walked off with the other two falling in behind her. Rushing back to the bars, Rarity peered out as best she could, keeping them in view.

“Where is Trixie?” she shouted after them. “I demand that you bring her to me, or me to her!” The sharp sound of her hoof stomping off the ground echoed clearly through the space.

Her only answer was more laughter as the trio moved out of view. A flash of red filled the space, and the laughter changed, taking on a sharper, rasped edge. Rarity took a step back from the bars, her mind processing what just happened.

In the flash of light, just for a moment, Rarity was sure that she saw a shadow. A much, much larger shadow.

* * * * * * * *

The warmth of the morning shone onto Celestia’s side as she walked through the garden. It made walking feel far less strenuous than she expected. Normally, this was her happiest time of the day, as she got to see her sun once more shine down upon Equestria and all the ponies under her care, but then, she ordinarily slept the night before. Far too often of late her bed seemed a little too large, and last night it was practically gargantuan.

“Celly!” The voice caused Celestia to turn back and look up to see a pair of cloud-like wings, fading away at the edges in a soft, subtle grey, carrying her sister down. “Good morning!”

She lighted on the ground nearby, trotting slowly to a stop beside Celestia. “To you, too, Lena. I do hope you enjoyed your rest.”

“It was glorious!” Selene’s wings spread out a little and then pulled themselves in again. “I’m sorry that I slept so late, though. The day has gotten away from me.”

“Oh, ho ho ho,” Celestia chuckled. “You were the Goddess of the Night once. I imagine falling back into that routine won’t take much effort.”

“True, but that was so very long ago,” she answered, but the long, thin smile growing on her face defied her words. “Though it was so…wonderful to see the stars again. They looked beautiful.”

“Well, I don’t do half the job that Luna is capable of doing,” Celestia said. “I wish you could see what she can do with the night.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” Selene laughed. “Um, and speaking of which….” The alicorn turned her head, looking at the space between herself and the closest pony to her. “What am I capable of getting during the night?”

Celestia’s eyes closed slightly. “I’m not sure I understand. What is it that you are looking for?”

“Well, I don’t want to seem rude, but….” She paused for just a second too long.

“Auntie!” The bright familiar voice caught Celestia’s attention and turned her head. The smile that the voice brought was dimmed slightly by the larger mare walking beside her niece.

“Cadance.” Celestia acknowledged the younger alicorn’s arrival in a warm tone and stepped over to place her neck around Cadance’s in a warm hug. The length of time that Cadance held it surprised her a bit, though. As she finally pulled back, Celesita nodded to the other mare. “Chrysalis.”

“Good morning, Celestia. I hope that we aren’t intruding,” Chrysalis hummed gently. “We were told that you had somepony you wanted us to meet, but,” the changeling looked at Selene with a smile, “this seems…extraordinary.”

“To say the least,” Cadance growled softly as her tongue played across her lips.

“I…um…yes.” Celestia’s mouth moved a little more than the words she spoke, which stopped with a short shake of her head. “Yes, it is.” Stepping back, Celestia gave a clear passage between the two new arrivals and the other figure in the garden. “Cadance, Chrysalis, I am proud to introduce you to my sister, Selene.”
The sunlight shifted as the clouds broke, causing a single ray to shine across Selene. As it passed through her mane it dimmed, becoming closer to a bright shadow than pure sunlight, but as it struck her eyes it caused them to gleam like polished silver. Her cutie mark matched it, shining off the fading darkness of her coat with the same silver sheen, revealing a full moon-like orb inside a cloud of blue.

“You look radiant!” Chrysalis said as she trotted forward. She stopped and bowed, still giving Selene her personal space. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard stories of you, but they do not do justice to you in person.”

“I’ll say.” Cadance walked past Chrysalis, moving in between her and Selene. “You’re gorgeous.”

“Th-thank you,” Selene’s eyes were fixed upon Cadance. Her lips fought to smile without being too large. “You don’t know how happy I am to meet you.”

“I have to admit,” Chrysalis stated, “we already knew you were here. We found out just before we came down, actually. I’m surprised we didn’t find out last night, but then, it’s been a busy day for Cadance and I.”

“How long are you here?” Cadance asked quickly.

“Two weeks,” Selene answered, her eyes still on Cadance.

“Good.” Cadance nodded slowly, which became gradually more shallow with each motion. “I…I mean, that’s wonderful. It’s an honor to have such an esteemed visitor from such an unusual location.”

“Exotic, you might say,” Chrysalis hummed.

“Chrysalis,” Celestia’s voice carried the weight of her words, “could I speak to you for a moment? In private?”

The changeling took a step back and looked over at the sun goddess. “Of course.” With a short bow she broke away from Selene and trotted over to Celestia, who turned to continue walking with her. After a few steps, Chrysalis stopped with Celestia beside her. “I hope this is far enough. I don’t really feel comfortable going any further.”

Celestia spoke loud enough for just Chrysalis to hear. “What are you doing? What is going on?”

Casually, Chrysalis turned to look to her left at Celestia. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what are you doing? What is going on?” she repeated. “Have you done something to Cadance? Why are the two of you acting so oddly?”

“Oh, well, we actually want to speak with you about that,” Chrysalis explained. “This obviously isn’t the correct time or place, but it should happen soon. I’m sorry if things are awkward.”

Celestia stood perfectly still. She blinked three times. “Seriously, who are you?”

“It’s me, Celestia, it’s just….” Chrysalis sighed. “It’s complicated.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Let’s just say that Cadance and I have become…close. In fact, I need to get a little closer to her right now, just to be safe.”

Chrysalis turned around, but couldn’t take a step. A large white wing suddenly blocked her path. “If you have hurt Cadance….”

Chrysalis’ lip went up, showing her fangs. “Oh, Princess, what do you think you….” She took a deep breath and closed her mouth as she let it out. “We’re fine—both of us—though we truly do need to speak about things. I give you my word.” She nodded ahead of her. “And we really do need to get back over there.”

Celestia looked over at her niece and sister. Currently, Cadance was pacing around Selene, who was trying to turn in place to face her directly. Suddenly, Cadance stepped in close, flicking her wing up, causing Selene to open her wings wide in response.

“What the…?” Celestia sprinted over to them.

“…about the size of a mare’s wingspan, don’t you?” Cadance just finished asking as Celestia got close.

“Cadance?” Celestia’s question was as much statement as inquiry.

The pink mare blinked and looked up at the surprisingly dour face of her aunt. “Oh.” She looked up at Selene. “Oh, I’m….” Quickly, Cadance trotted over to stand beside Chrysalis. “I’m so sorry, I just….” She looked up at Chrysalis. “I think we need to go back to the room.”

“That might be a good idea,” Chrysalis agreed.

“Are you sure?” Selene asked. “I was hoping that we could…. That maybe you and I could spend some time together.” The sunlight seemed to create a halo around the ethereal-colored mare.

Cadance swallowed and bit her lip. “I’d really like that,” she said as calmly as possible.

“Cadance and Chrysalis have had a rough night,” Celestia stated. “I’m sure they’ll be fine for the formal celebration of your arrival.” Celestia stared at Chrysalis. “In three days. Here in the castle. Everypony will be there, and I expect that the two of you will want to be there at your very best.”

“Surely we’ll be able to speak before then?” Selene’s voice went up a half-octave.

“I’m hoping so,” Cadance growled. And then blinked again. “I mean, yes. Yes, that would be nice.” She turned quickly to Chrysalis. “We need to get back to your room. Now.”

“So it would seem,” Chrysalis replied. She turned to look at the other two princesses. “You’ll have to forgive us,” she smiled, a single fang poking through her lips, “we just aren’t ourselves today.”

“Yes!” Cadance pushed on Chrysalis, causing the larger mare to turn. “Yes, we need to rest. Get to bed. For sleep!” Cadance began to step away, all but pulling Chrysalis along with her. “Good rest and all!” She looked back at Celestia and Selene. “You two have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t! Or at least invite me in on the—”

“Good morning to you both,” Chrysalis interrupted. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Selene.” This time it was Chrysalis who pushed along Cadance. “And as always, Celestia, I hope that you…. Good morning!”

Almost at the same moment the two mares broke into a canter, quickly moving out of the garden and towards the castle proper.

Selene took a single step towards them, slowly shaking her head. “I have to tell you, Celly, that is not what I expected. From your descriptions I didn’t expect Cadance to be…like that.”

“Neither did I, Lena.” Celestia narrowed her eyes. “Neither did I.”

* * * * * * * *

The wall shattered, sending chunks of solid stone flying. The sound itself was enough to shake the building beside what was left of this one as it collapsed in on itself. The dust barely had time to settle before the rubble that remained shifted and fell to the side as the figure that was thrown through the wall slowly stood up to her full height. Standing in full shadow, her head was down near the ground. Her ethereal mane and tail freed itself from any incumbrance and flowed like deep blue ink in the murky darkness.

Then Luna raised her head up and smiled brightly. “Excellent blow! Your might matches your countenance!”

Tisiphone landed and walked up towards the practically destroyed building. Though her face was hidden behind a mask, the tell-tale signs of a smile showed around her eyes. Dust and dirt fell off of her coat with each step she took.

“Fair exchange! You gave as good as you took,” Luna announced, leaping from the ruins to stand beside her. “You are a most formidable opponent, Tisiphone! I am proud to have you at my side while I am serving here in Tartarus. But enough games for now. We shall call it a draw, lest we turn the city to dust.”

A deep, guttural sound gurgled from Tisiphone’s throat as she bowed her head slightly.

“Which reminds me,” Luna looked around at the destruction, wincing slightly at the new additions she contributed. “We are going to need to get this place cleaned up. Who normally does that?”

“Honnnnnor guaaaaarrrrrdssss,” Tisiphone rasped.

“Ah, yes.” Luna nodded steadily. “And you managed to frighten all of them away. So, that leaves the question of how we get them back?”

Passing beside Tisiphone, Luna began to walk towards the massive doors sealing the city inside its brass walls. Without pause Tisiphone fell in beside her, walking in silence half a step back.

“Actually,” Luna began, “where do the guards come from? Tartarus is a place of punishment for the damned, after all. Being a guard is hardly deep punishment,” she glanced over at Tisiphone, “we have them in Canterlot, after all.” Her eyes turned back forward. “So, who gets to be a guard here? How does Selene choose them?”

A low, deep sound came from Tisiphone. It had no distinction or structure, leaving Luna somewhat lost for a reply. Tisiphone wasn’t finished, however. “Faaaaailllled in duuuutyyyyy.”

“Nonsense!” Luna retorted. “You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, if things were reversed I might have done far worse than you.”

The snort from Tisiphone’s nose turned Luna’s head. The erinyes eyes narrowed and scanned the ground, searching for something.

“What is it? Did I say something to offend you?” Luna asked.

One shake of her head sent Tisiphone’s stringy mane flying. “Noooootttt mmmeeeeeeee.”

“Not you? Then who could I have offended? I certainly didn’t mean—” A glint shone in Luna’s eye. “Oh! You mean that it wasn’t you who failed! It was the guards!”

“Yeeeeeessss!” A raw, broken sound laced through the word.

“They failed in life?” Luna asked. Tisiphone nodded in response. “Well, now they have failed in death, too. They left their post and have not returned.” Luna stopped and Tisphone did the same. “Did you attack them? Directly, I mean.”

Her response was a slow shake of her head.

“Then they are derelict in duty.” The corner of Luna’s mouth twisted upwards. “It sounds as though they lack discipline.”

“Errrrr?” It wasn’t a word, but the meaning was clear.

“No, no, not like that,” Luna laughed. “I meant simply that it might do them well to have a tighter structure. Is Selene undisciplined herself?”

Once more, Tisiphone shook her head.

“Hmm. I suppose that she would have to have structure in place in her position. Perhaps I can speak with her on her techniques at some point.” The pieces of the city surrounded the pair. Luna stared out at the destruction, wrinkling her brow. Her hoof struck the ground strong enough to move the dust. “Nevertheless, it is now my duty to see to this. And the first order of business is to restore the guard and the city itself. I would feel negligent to have Selene come back to something this bad.”

“Nnnnnnn.” Tisiphone responded.

“Which means, first we must find these guards. Is there a way to track them?” Luna asked.

“Nnnnoooo neeeeeed.” Tisiphone stepped up to Luna. “Theeeeeeeyyy coooommmmmme baaaaaaacckk.”

With a cavalier smile, Luna brought her wing up and waved it. “Nonsense! We cannot guarantee them returning.” The smile broadened enough to show fang. “Which means we need to go out after them. Find out what else—where else they might have gone.”

Beneath her mask, Tisiphone’s eyes narrowed down to slits. “Iiiii knnnnoooowwww.”

Luna’s head wobbled for a moment. “Really? You have some means to track them?”

A dark sound rumbled out as Tisiphone nodded.

“Excellent! Then we have a means as well as a plan.” Luna spread her wings wide. “Besides, if they return on their own, they will still be here when we return. This way we are doubling the chance of them being back at their post in time.”

The sound in Tisiphone’s throat took on a distinctive growl quality.

“You aren’t worried are you?” Luna asked.

She paused, looking squarely into the princess’s eyes, but eventually Tisiphone did shake her head.

“Good!” The dust on the ground flew away as Luna’s wings carried her into the perpetual twilight of the Tartarus sky. At first only Tisiphone’s eyes followed, but then her massive, leathery wings took her airborne as well.

Luna’s hooves lit casually on the top of the great brass gates and Tisiphone joined her there. The air was heavy and stale, but Luna took a moment to fill her lungs completely.

“I believe that I could use an adventure of my own.” Luna looked to Tisiphone. “Think we can find one?”

A gleam shone over the black of Tisiphone’s eyes.

“Let’s go.” Luna leapt from the gate. Tisiphone followed.

* * * * * * * *

Even though there was no way that she would admit it out loud, Fleur had no idea what was going on. Why R and the rest of his crew had invited her to join them as they tried to utilize the magical material that was left from the accident with Chrysalis was beyond her, but she was here, and she was watching.

For the past hour four ponies—off and on—were tinkering with the core of the machine. It was an odd combination of spells and science that co-mingled in this one item, causing earth ponies and unicorns to work closely side-by-side as they used force and finesse to find what they sought.

“How is it progressing?” She did her best to soften her voice.

“Slow.”

The answer came from behind the machine, which narrowed the speaker down to one of the unicorns or either of the earth ponies. It was the same sort of answer she expected.

“Perhaps I should go,” she began. “I don’t want to get in your way.”

“No, please,” the unicorn mare on the same side as Fleur—Dr. Whitelace, if she remembered correctly—was quick to answer. “You need to stay.”

“Oh, come now!” Fleur exhaled in a rich, but frustrated tone. “What am I even doing here? This is hardly my area of expertise. I deal with ponies and their personal problems, in one manner or another. All of you surely know that I am not a scientist.”

“That’s obvious.” Dr. Whitelace’s words drove up one eyebrow on Fleur’s forehead. “Still, L wants you here to deal with anything that might come out of this.”

“Might come out of this? What exactly is he suspecting?” Fleur tossed her head, causing her mane to fly back away from her face.

“Answers, he hopes.” The fact that the words from Dr. Whitelace made their way to Fleur was something of a minor miracle. Her muzzle was already buried back in the machine, doing…whatever it was that she was doing. Something. Fleur simply shook her head.

It was bad enough that she had to be here, but the fact that this room was bereft of anything aside from the machine and the ponies around it made for a long time waiting. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all stark white. The light that filled the room came from a magical source of some sort, making the walls seem to glow and wash everything in the same constant color. If it weren’t for the slightest hint of rose in her coat and the pink of her mane, Fleur might find herself lost in the background.

The light clip-clop of her hooves echoed as Fleur walked around the room. The one thing that the room did have was a lot of space. Despite her earlier protest, it would be very difficult for her to be in the way without directly interfering in the scientist’s process.

So, she wander, she walked, and she watched. There really was very little else for her to do. Other than let out a deep sigh, which she did without realizing.

“I understand, Agent Fleur,” Dr. Whitelace said. “If I had the clearance, I assure you that I would tell you to go do whatever it is that you normally do around here.”

“Very little, actually,” Fleur answered. “I work in the field. I don’t spend much time at HQ at all.”

“Really? It hardly shows.”

Choosing to ignore the obvious sarcasm, Fleur continued her circular trek around the room. Gradually, as it had already done several times, her mind began to wander. From what she knew, there was a new alicorn in Canterlot Castle—one that did not have the title of princess—and that should be her focus, not the intricacies of a machine that—

The sharp, sudden sound made her jump. Not an easy task, actually, but she had let her guard down. All of her attention was suddenly focused on the machine, and what she saw.

“What was that?” Fleur took a step in towards the three ponies half buried in the workings of the mechanism. “What just happened?”

“Nothing. No worries.” She was fairly sure that came from one of the earth ponies.

“What do you mean, nothing. That was definitely something,” Fleur answered.

“Agent Fleur,” Dr. Whitelace raised her head up and looked over the machine at Fleur with a smile. “I assure you that it was nothing. A magical discharge, brought on by disconnecting one of the channels that we used to siphon off the magic from Princess Chrysalis. We didn’t lose anything, we simply re-channeled the magic, which caused the sound you heard. It really was nothing.”

“Nothing doesn’t look like that.” Fleur trotted up to the square chamber on the outside of the machine. Her hoof came up and pointed at it. “I saw something. Right here.”

“Likely nothing more than a spark that shot back through—”

“No.” The tone in Fleur’s voice cut her off quickly. Dr. Whitelace took a step back away and concentrated her attention on Fleur’s words. “It was a heart, doctor. It was a black, beating heart.”

* * * * * * * *

“You do realize that you don’t have to spend every moment around me.”

“Of course I do,” Selene answered. “But has it occurred to you that perhaps I enjoy spending time with my sister?”

Celestia did her best to not laugh. “Oh, ho ho ho.” She failed. “I think this has far less to do with me than it does you simply wanting somepony to accompany you on whatever new venture you may have in mind.”

“Well, there is that, too.” Selene did nothing to hide the smirk that crossed her muzzle. “Still, I can’t think of anypony that I would rather go out with than you! You are, after all, the only pony in the entire world who actually knows me.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t make new friends.” The magic around Celestia’s horn moved the quill into position as she began to write out another scroll. “In fact, when Twilight and her friends arrive for the celebration, you’ll surely find yourself with six new friends by the end of the evening.” She looked up at Selene and winked. “That’s sort of their thing.”

The sound of pony meeting cushion in a full-on flopping manner filled the room for a moment. From her new spot reclining on Celestia’s chaise, Selene asked, “That reminds me. When did this go from a banquet to a full-on celebration?”

“As soon as word started spreading of the arrival of a new alicorn to the castle,” Celestia chuckled. “You’re quite the celebrity already.”

“Really? That could be useful.” Selene adjusted herself, moving down deeper into the cushion.

“Useful? How do you mean?” Rolling up the scroll she just finished, Celestia brought a new piece of parchment into place and readied her quill again.

“Oh, just that ponies seem to always want to be with celebrities. Which reminds me, do you know a good brothel?”

The pen scraped across and then off of the paper, leaving a long line of black ink that trailed onto Celestia’s previously pristine desktop.

Turning her head fast enough to actually create a sound, Celestia stared over at her sister. “I beg your pardon?”

“A brothel,” Selene repeated. “You know, a house of ill repute. Bordello. Den of iniquity.”

“I know what a brothel is, Lena! I just…. What in sunlight’s name makes you think that I would know where to find a brothel?” Celestia shook her head sharply. “And why? Why are you looking?”

Looking over at her sister, Selene blinked twice. “I would think that was rather obvious.”

“But, you are…you don’t mean that! What about Tisiphone? I know that the two of you are involved,” Celestia stated.

“Yes, we are. She is also not a part of Equestria, and right now, I am.” Selene nodded sharply.

“That does not give your permission to do what your libido tells you,” Celestia lowered her voice slightly, “does it?”

“We never spoke about it,” Selene answered. “Still, as fond as I am of Tisiphone, she is still a part of Tartarus—and a mare. I haven’t been with a real, living stallion in millennia, Celly.”

“Well, I can sympathize, of course, but still, you are committed to Tisiphone.” Celestia raised her head up higher.

“Of course I am. Don’t forget what it was that put me in Tartarus in the first place,” Selene said.

“I remember perfectly. I tried to stop you from going if you remember, but that time it was because you were being too blindly committed. This time, it might be just the opposite.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Celly. I do value Tisiphone, more than I have valued anypony since I lost Endymion all those centuries ago.” Selene took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “That doesn’t mean that I can’t have cravings, though.”

“Having them and acting on them are different things!” Celestia shifted in her seat.

“I know, I know, and I’ve dealt with them before.” Selene turned towards Celestia, opening her eyes. “Do you remember that stallion who kept bringing you gifts every day for over a year?”

“I don’t,” Celestia replied a little too quickly. “You would have to be more specific.”

“Oh, well then, this was a dark green stallion with a black mane and eyes. He had the most charming little lisp when he spoke—almost unnoticeable unless you listened closely.” The color of Selene’s coat matched the tone of her voice. “Oh, and he had a cock the size of your leg.”

“Lena!” The word came from Celestia as she took in a sharp breath.

“I always liked that stallion,” she purred, “and so did you. I don’t think that I ever told you that I saw the two of you in what you thought were private moments.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking—”

“He was so damn considerate. One of the good ones, I always thought. In more ways than one, actually.” Selene laughed and rolled back, staring up at the ceiling. “I think he made sure that you always had three to his one, at the very least.”

“Oh,” Celestia whispered and looked down to her desk, “him.”

“There was one time that the two of you were on the cliff overlooking the Sea of Chasseur. It was the middle of the night, not quite midnight, but close enough, and a full moon. I could see the both of you down there, I just couldn’t hear you.” While her right forehoof slid down her body, Selene’s left hoof swirled in rough circles over her chest.

“I wish I had been there for the beginning, just to see what led up to the event, but I really can’t complain about what I did get to see.” Selene took a deep breath. So did Celestia. “Like most ponies, you dwarfed him. It was fun watching you push him onto his back so easily. I chuckled, imagining him putting up a little bit of a fight, without having any chance against your strength, of course.”

Slowly, Celestia closed her eyes. “I remember that night.”

“I won’t ever forget it.” Selene’s hoof slipped between her rear legs. “I watched you take him into your mouth. You were able to swallow every inch of that monster, and without a gag, too. I could never do that. I just don’t have the control.” Air sucked in through her teeth. “The best part was when you turned around, though. You sat down and I swear that his whole head disappeared underneath that gorgeous white ass of yours.”

It was quiet enough to hear the sound of Celestia swallowing and the slippery wet sounds coming from Selene.

“I’m sure he was working on your marehood, but the perverted side of me kept picturing his tongue deep inside your tailhole. Whatever he was doing, he was doing so good a job that you couldn’t keep your mouth on him. You reared back, pushing down even further. There was no way he was able to breath.” Her words were transitioning to moans.

“When I saw your wings fly out, I knew what happened. I was so jealous. My hoof was hard at work then, too, though.” She bit her lower lip gently.

Celestia’s hooves remained on her desk, pushing down on it firmly.

“Then you turned around and lowered yourself, lifting your tail to the side. He didn’t need another hint, and quickly leapt to his hooves and mounted you. What he lacked in technique he more than made up for in enthusiasm. It didn’t take long before he was screaming into the night air, and you along with him.” Selene’s hoof worked fast and faster. “And that was…just the…first round that….nnnnnggggghhhh.”

Her hoof was trapped as Selene’s thighs suddenly clamped it in place. Her entire figure curled up until her upper body was off of the chaise. Across the room, Celestia shifted in her seat, the wood of her desk creaking beneath the pressure of her hooves.

“Wow.” Selene laid back on the chaise. “Wow.”

“Selene,” Celestia began softly, but let the volume increase with each word, “what was that? Are you trying to get me that worked up?”

“What? I thought you liked playing with your sisters?” Selene purred.

“Lena!” Celestia turned towards her, eyes snapping open to see a smiling mare.

“You are so easy, Celly.” Selene burst into laughter.

“Are you…? Did you do that on purpose?” Celestia’s mouth hung open.

“Well, it wasn’t by accident.” Selene rolled off the furniture to stand on her hooves once more.

A deep intake led to a deep exhale. “So, that whole bit about the brothel was just to start that conversation to tease me?”

“Oh, no. I was serious about the brothel.” Selene stopped cold in the center of the room.

They stared at each other just long enough for the silence to overtake the room—which was then broken by the two of them falling into uproarious laughter. Celestia stepped over and put her head on her sister’s neck in a warm hug.

“Thanks to you I need to go take a shower now,” Celestia chuckled.

Selene pulled back with a huge smile. “Yes, you do.” Her mouth angled up on her muzzle. “So do I, actually.”

“Not at the same time!” Celestia raised a hoof in emphasis.

“Spoilsport!” Selene stuck out her tongue. She stood and watched as Celestia walked towards her bath and her desired shower, and couldn’t help but smile at the view.

* * * * * * * *

“That was awkward.”

“Very.” Cadance spoke over her shoulder from the balcony, making sure that Chrysalis could hear her clearly. “I’m not sure we’re ready to go about in public just yet.”

“Or even in private around certain ponies, it would seem.” Chrysalis remained just inside the doors, leaning against the jam casually. “What was it with you and Selene?”

“What?” Cadance turned around. “That damn hunger of yours. I saw her as a huge…meal, I suppose.”

“No no no, not that. I’m talking about the way she acted towards you. Didn’t you notice?” Chrysalis mouth turned up slightly. “She was almost panicked to see you.”

“Uh, no.” Cadance shook her head. “No, I didn’t notice that. And how did you? That was the first time either of us met her. Maybe she’s always like that.”

Standing up straight, Chrysalis walked out onto the balcony of her room. The bustle of Canterlot was audible from the streets, but she kept her eyes focused on Cadance.

“It’s my nature to notice things like that. A changeling has to be observant or they are noticed almost immediately. She glared at me, but she was almost overcome to see you,” Chrysalis said. “I wonder why?”

“Ugh.” Cadance dropped her head. “I have no idea. Sadly, I’m not even sure that I’m going to be able to ask Auntie Celestia, either.”

“Oh, you’ll get your chance. We both will, I’m guessing, and pretty soon, too,” Chrysalis answered. “Now, how she reacts—and whether she believes that you aren’t under some sort of spell I’ve cast—that’s a totally different question.”

Cadance snorted. “I can convince her. She won’t have a choice once I—” She then smacked herself in the muzzle. Rather hard.

Chrysalis recoiled, her eyes becoming two giant white pools on her face.

“Do you know what is bothering me most about this?” Cadance growled. “The fact that I never can tell when it’s going to happen! I have no idea if I’m going to be myself, or if I’m going to be you!”

“Which are you now?” Chrysalis asked.

“I have no idea!” Both of Cadance’s arms went up in protest.

Chrysalis gave Cadance a moment before speaking again. “We’re going to have to figure something out, you know. We can’t stay locked away from everypony for months on end. Not only is it just unrealistic, it would also cause many, many rumors about what is going on between the two of us. It could ruin a reputation.”

“I don’t need my reputation even tainted by this,” Cadance said.

“Who said I was talking about you?” Chrysalis replied.

A raised eyebrow was the only response the changeling got.

“Okay, so we’re going to have to do some things publicly,” Cadance admitted. “We’ll just have to keep them limited and controlled.”

“And always together. That won’t raise suspicions, either.”

Chrysalis turned and walked back into her quarters. Like a shadow with a delayed response, Cadance turned and followed a second later.

“It’s really starting to sink in just how bad this situation is,” Cadance sighed. “And goddess, I’m so damn hungry.”

Stepping up to her, Chrysalis rested a hoof on her back. “I understand. We will get through this, Cadance. And remember, we aren’t as bad off as you think.”

Turning her neck around, Cadance stared up blankly at the changeling queen. “We aren’t?”

“No,” Chrysalis laughed, the odd echo-like buzz behind it creating an almost eerie quality. “We’re alive. After what happened, we could both be very dead right now.”

Slowly, Cadance began to nod. “I suppose you’re right. It could be worse.”

The door to the room slammed against the wall as it burst open, barely clearing out of the way as the white-coated stallion ran into the room.

“Cady!” Shining Armor shouted. “I got a message that you were hurt, and I came as quick as I….” His eyes narrowed, focusing in on Chrysalis. “What is she doing here?”

“Oh crap,” both mares said in unison.

…to be continued.

Chapter 1

“Darling!”

The luggage clattered to the floor, but that didn’t even slow the mare down. Sashaying into the room with her hips swaying wide and her head held high, she expected every eye in the place to be firmly focused strictly on her. Considering there were only two other sets of eyes present, that wasn’t too hard to make happen.

“Rarity?” Trixie quickly rose to her hooves and trotted over to her marefriend. “What are you doing here? Trixie wasn’t expecting you for another week.”

Feeling her lips press into the soft flesh of Trixie’s cheek, Rarity lingered a moment, letting her muzzle snuggle a little deeper into the neck before pulling back with a smile.

“I know, but I was able to get away a little early, and I just couldn’t help myself. I do hope that my surprise is a pleasant one and not,” her eyes shifted to the other mare sitting in the room, narrowing slightly as they did, “an inconvenience.”

With the aplomb of a practiced actor, Trixie’s eyes casually wandered to the other mare and then back to Rarity. “You’re never an inconvenience,” she said, turning to walk back towards the couch, “no matter who Trixie might be entertaining otherwise.”

The shape of the room was such that, after only a few steps, it went from a low-ceiling hallway to a soaring space, easily twice the normal height of a room. A massive circular space, it was dominated by windows stretching from floor to ceiling, letting the lights from the Las Pegasus strip flood into the room. In the center of the room were three couches, arranged in a loose semi-circle facing towards each other. A bright yellow pegasus mare with a pale yellow mane lay on one of those couches, her foreleg casually draped off the side and her mane almost hanging over one of her brilliant green eyes.

Making sure that Rarity was only a half-step behind and still close to her side, Trixie walked slowly straight towards that mare.

“Rarity, may I introduce you to Summer’s Light.” The other mare stood to look Rarity in the eye. “Trixie has recently hired her to be my new agent.”

Despite her best effort, Rarity’s eyes still grew slightly at those words. “Oh. Oh, dear, yes. Well, it is a delight to meet you miss Light,” Rarity said a little too quickly. “I…had no idea that Trixie had hired on a new associate to aid her.”

“It’s quite all right,” Summer’s Light answered. “On the other hoof, Trixie has told me quite a bit about you.” Her head bobbed ever so slightly as she spoke.

“She has?” Rarity pulled her head back, but just barely.

“Oh yes, your adventures with and without her are quite the talk, actually,” she explained. “Though oddly, she tends to linger more about you as a mare, rather than the exploits you have experienced.”

“Oh, please.” Rarity turned her head, letting her mane fall down over her face. “Trixie has far too many things to do than talk about some silly mare like myself.” She looked back over to Summer’s Light. “But, by chance, what did she say?”

“Trixie is standing right here,” the unicorn explained.

“She says that, along with the popular stories that are spread around, you are also a very talented costume designer,” Summer continued, seemingly still oblivious.

“Fashion designer, Darling. I’m a fashion designer.” Rarity’s voice danced as she spoke. “Though I have done some costuming for Bridleway productions a time or two, I specialize in couture.”

“Well, if you ever want to stretch your legs a little, there are plenty of shows on the Strip that could use a talented touch,” Summer said with a more pronounced nod.

“Oh, that is too kind, but I’m afraid that my hooves are already more than full, what with my boutique in Ponyville, my role as one of the Elements, and other personal commitments.” Rarity’s eyes shimmered as she fluttered her lids once more.

A half-cough clearing of the throat drew everypony’s attention. “Trixie is happy that the two of you have connected so quickly, but maybe business can be discussed at another time?”

Summer laughed lightly. “I’m so sorry. It’s second nature for me.” She looked back over to Rarity. “Still, give it a thought. Everypony loves your marefriend. Her show is a huge hit, drawing in a packed crowd every night, but I’m sure she’d be willing to share a bit of the spotlight with you.”

Rarity paused a half-heartbeat before answering. “Why don’t we take Trixie’s suggestion and discuss this another time? I would like to spend some time with her now that I’ve just arrived.”

Her eyes rolled back slightly as Summer trotted around the edge of the couch. “Oh, what a silly-filly I’m being. You two don’t get to see each other that often, do you? I’m in the way.” She lowered her head slightly. “It was delightful to meet you, Rarity. I do hope that we get to speak again before you get out of town. How long will you be here?”

“Two weeks, I hope. Ten days at the very least—barring some sort of emergency, naturally,” Rarity answered.

“Sounds wonderful.” Summer smiled and looked to Trixie. “I’ll let you know about what the Whynny says. I can’t imagine that they’ll say no, but even if they do, we have a little room to work with, I think.”

“Excellent. Trixie trusts you on this,” she said, and turned to walk towards the door.

“No, that’s all right, I know the way out. Talk to both of you soon.” Raising her head high, Summer’s Light turned and walked slowly towards the door, her hips moving wide with every step. Both of the other mares watched her until the sound of the door closing behind her reached their ears.

“She’s quite the lovely creature.” The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly as Rarity spoke.

“Trixie is not sleeping with her.” The reply came almost instantly.

“Whatever do you mean, Darling? Why are you even suggesting such a thing?” Rarity’s words sounded more like a gasp than normal speech.

“Your reaction when you saw her was enough. It’s not hard to spot jealousy,” Trixie said with a chuckle.

“I would never!” Rarity moved over and laid down on the couch, letting her body sprawl seductively. “Why would I be jealous of her?”

Trixie simply stood there, letting one of her eyebrows slowly rise. “Well, she is quite the shapely mare. She used to be a dancer, from what she told Trixie, and you can tell by the way that her flank moves. I’ve been walking behind her enough to notice that when her tail flicks just right, you—”

“IT’S…it’s not that important, Darling,” Rarity interrupted. “Why don’t we change the subject to something more pleasant. Like me being here, for instance.”

It was a long moment before it happened, but when Trixie began laughing, it was loud enough to fill the room completely.

Rarity wasn’t laughing with her. “Are you mocking me, Trixie dear?”

“No!” Trixie quickly trotted over to her. “No, not at all. Trixie understands. Really understands. A long-distance relationship isn’t easy, but I’ve spent enough time on the road to make it easier to take.”

A very delicate smile hid the rest of Rarity’s face. “We don’t spend a lot of time together. And you are always surrounded by so many beautiful mares. I…I would understand if you…strayed.”

A light blue hoof moved up to gently stroke a white cheek. “No. No, you wouldn’t. And you shouldn’t.” Their eyes locked. “Rarity, what did Trixie tell you that first night? When I came to your boutique?”

Thousands of words ran through Rarity’s mind, each of them clear as though they happened just the night before, but she immediately recognized the right ones.

“You said you would never hurt me—not truly.” Rarity’s smile became more solid.

The distance between them closed until both lips felt the other’s pressed against them gently. They lingered for a moment before Trixie pulled back once more to the point where she could look Rarity in the eyes.

“And Trixie meant it.”

They stayed like that long enough for everything to settle back into place. It was Trixie who finally broke the silence.

“Why don’t we get you unpacked? Then we can get something to eat.”

“That sounds delightful!” Rarity shifted on the couch, making motions to stand. “Though, truth be told, I have no idea what sounds good to me right now.”

“Oh, Trixie knows what you are going to eat.” Her face contorted into a snarled smirk.

Rarity blinked. “Oh! Oh my! You’re incorrigible!” Then she burst into a giggle and trotted towards the bedroom, baggage in tow.

* * * * * * * *

She stopped at the door and turned to look at the mare following her. Despite her own unusual height, she still had to look up at this particular, well, not quite pony, actually.

“What’s behind this door is not meant for casual eyes, you understand,” she began. “Beyond the actual members, few though we are, the only pony who has been beyond this door is Princess Celestia herself. Even Princess Luna has not ventured beyond them. This is the highest level of security in Equestria.”

“Well, how fortunate that you have chosen to reveal it to me, then, since there is no pony capable of matching my level of secrecy,” the taller mare buzzed happily back.

The lead mare nodded and lit up her horn. A series of squares illuminated on the door in a rapid pattern, and before the other mare was able to fully recant them in her head, the latch clicked and the portal opened to the room beyond.

They stepped through it almost as one, walking up to a solid railing overlooking the work space below. A half dozen ponies were moving quickly, though not without discretion. More as though they knew their every action precisely.

“Princess Chrysalis,” Fleur de Lis began, “welcome to S.T.E.E.D.”

“Well, well, well,” she said slowly, “I never imagined the ponies of Equestria to have such a delightfully duplicitous side.”

“It’s not deceit,” Fleur corrected instantly. “The Special Team of Equestria’s Elite Defenders is an organization created for the sole purpose of making sure that the country is safe from all possible threats it may face from outside—or inside—our borders.”

“And you’ve always done such an excellent job,” the changeling laughed.

Fleur smiled and took a shallow breath. “Once we were able to identify the changeling threat, we took steps against it. I’m sure you don’t need to be told that the castle was secured after your initial invasion, though.”

“Well, you and your little group did a fine job—up to a point. If you were still as effective, I wouldn’t be in this room, would I?” Her eyebrow went up beneath the thin strands of mane hanging in front of her face.

Somehow, Fleur maintained her smile, and simply extended her forehoof towards the stairs leading down. “I’m sure you’d like a tour, and I know that we would love to have your input on some matters. There is no pony in Equestria who can equal your particular skills and knowledge.”

“That is true.” Chrysalis’ nose rose up just a little higher than the rest of her head as she walked down the stairs. “Of course, I’ll have to know everything about what you are already doing if I’m going to help you.”

“I’ll be happy to get you up to speed in all the appropriate areas,” Fleur said from just behind her.

“And just how much do you actually know?”

Fleur sighed. “Me personally? Not as much as you’d think, actually. I’m just a field agent. It’s my job to deal with threats as they happen. The big brains behind S.T.E.E.D. are down here.”

She trotted ahead, passing by Chrysalis to take the lead and guide her along.

“I thought you answered only to Celestia?” Chrysalis asked, casually walking behind the unicorn.

“I do,” Fleur turned her head to look over her shoulder, “or rather, I did. With the new structure in place, it seems that I answer to three princesses now.”

A light twinkled in the changeling’s eye. “True. Still, if that’s the case, then what purpose do these ponies serve? How do you relate to them?”

“My main duty was to keep the princess informed on the state of affairs from S.T.E.E.D.’s point of view,” she answered. “That and to keep her safe from direct threats.”

“Ah, yes. I remember you fighting against me valiantly,” Chrysalis hummed.

The rhythm of Fleur’s steps fell off for just a moment. “I’m aware of my failures,” she paused for a heartbeat, “Princess.”

“Good. That means that you’re aware that you still haven’t answered my question. What purpose do these ponies serve?”

“These ponies,” the stallion’s voice carried clearly to both mare’s ears, “are the backbone of a worldwide organization.”

A dark grey earth stallion with a white mane slowly walked towards them, his right foreleg hesitating just slightly with every step. He casually removed the pipe from his mouth as he moved closer, angling himself directly towards Fleur.

“It’s good to see you Agent Fleur.” He stopped just short of the mare, who couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curling up.

“And it’s always a pleasure to see you, sir,” she answered, and then immediately turned to face Chrysalis. “Princess Chrysalis, may I present L. Sir, this is Princess Chrysalis.”

“I’m well aware of who she is. It’s my pleasure, Princess.” Bowing his head slightly, he still maintained eye contact with the changeling.

“Indeed,” Chrysalis replied. “Are you the stallion in charge?”

Beneath his breath he chuckled lightly. “Well, I’m the pony who’s running the building tonight at least.”

“Why L,” Fleur began, “you’ve always told me that this entire place would fall apart if you weren’t here. Don’t tell me that other ponies have finally managed to find their own way without you.”

“The reason I ask,” Chrysalis continued unabated, “is quite simply that I was told that progress was made in tracking down the invading hive of changelings, and that my presence here was requested. I assume by you, but do correct me if I am wrong.” She narrowed her eyes slightly, but kept them focused on the pony Fleur was calling L. “Yet, the only thing I see here are two unicorns playing with a rod of some sort, an earth pony studying an oddly shaped piece of metal, a pair of pegasi wearing rather unflattering outfits while a unicorn attempts to penetrate them with thrown projectiles, and an older unicorn who has been watching me intensely since I first stepped into the room doing his very best to hide. I see nothing that deals with the red changeling hive at all.”

The stallion turned his head around, looking in various directions. “You just described everypony in this room.”

“A changeling has to be observant,” Chrysalis said with a slight sneer. “If we aren’t, we are quickly discovered.”

“Very impressive,” he said slowly, and then turned back to look at the changeling queen. “Very impressive indeed.”

“Well, we’re fortunate that not all changelings are as observant as Princess Chrysalis,” Fleur added, “or we may have never discovered the red changelings.”

Turning her head enough to look askew at Fleur, Chrysalis replied, “True changelings are observant. I need to rephrase my answer.”

“Well, nonetheless, you’re right,” L stated. “We do want you here because of some progress that has been made regarding the other changelings.” His right foreleg raised up and out towards the far side of the room. “Follow me, would you?”

Without waiting for a response, he began to slowly walk. The sound of two sets of hoof steps to either side was enough to persuade him to continue.

“That ‘old unicorn’ you observed is none other than our head of research, and he has come up with something that might prove to be the key in finding these new changelings,” L stated.

“Then he is the pony that I want to speak with,” Chrysalis replied.

A flare of flame erupted in one of the small side rooms the trio passed. The two unicorns who were examining the mysterious rod were quick enough to dance out of the way before the fire caught them flat-hoofed. It was enough distraction to cause all three to look their way, and when they turned back, the older unicorn was rushing up towards them.

“Did they actually get the flame rod to activate?” Moving past them with surprising energy, he stepped into the room just as the two unicorns released a flame retardant spell to douse the fire. “Extraordinary! I knew that it would work!”

“R?” the stallion named L called out, getting the unicorn’s attention. “May I introduce Princess Chrysalis. She’s here about the red changeling project.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” he muttered. “I assumed as much.” He turned back to look at Chrysalis, and his eyes wandered quickly across her form. No lust or fear showed in his eyes, but more a simple curiosity. “Good day to you, Princess.”

With a short bow of her head, she spoke, “I’m hoping it’s far better than simply good. What is it that you have found out about this upstart hive?”

“Found? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all,” he answered. Luckily, he was quick enough to follow up on that statement before Chrysalis had a chance to respond. “It’s more a case of what we have the potential to find!” His hoof raised up and he started quickly trotting away from the gathered ponies.

A quick sidelong glance from Chrysalis to Fleur spoke volumes. “Um, R, why don’t you explain to Princess Chrysalis exactly what you mean,” Fleur said.

He glanced over his shoulder and spoke as he continued to quickly move across the room. “I was planning on doing exactly that, so long as you all follow me.”

An undecipherable mumble welled up from Chrysalis as she leisurely moved towards the elder, grey unicorn.

“You see,” R began before any pony was close to caught up with him, “we’ve discovered that changelings have a very unique magical signature. It’s the basis that we are using to recognize them when they attempt to move into Canterlot while in disguise.” A short snort burst from his muzzle. “Unfortunately, it’s too cost prohibitive to spread through all of Equestria, preventing us from pinpointing the location of every changeling inside the border.”

“Good to know,” Chrysalis muttered under her breath—but still loud enough for Fleur to hear.

“Still, it got my team and I thinking,” R stopped by a large object, currently covered by a thick cloth sheet, “which led to us developing this.”

Just as the remaining trio caught up to his position, R’s horn lit up and the cloth pulled up and away from the object. They stood still, staring at this odd device. A machine, they were all reasonably certain, due to the levers and knobs decorating one side of it, but on the other side rested a series of crystals, all connected to metallic arms, making it seem almost spider-like. Each of the arms pointed to a larger crystal plate hovering magically between them.

“And this would be?” Chrysalis asked.

“A detector!” R turned to her with a wide grin and bulging eyes. “Not unlike the ones that we have used to find the changelings up to this point, though far larger and immensely more powerful. But you see, we can’t simply use it to find changelings in general. The generic magical aura that they posses is indeed unique, but not very powerful. So, we’ve concentrated this one to find a very specific changeling.”

There was a brief pause as the words sank in. “A queen,” Fleur stated. “This is a machine to find a changeling queen.”

“Precisely!” R all but beamed at her words.

“And have you found this harlot?” Chrysalis took a half-step forward, her right forehoof never fully coming set on the floor.

“Well, it’s not that…no. No, we haven’t,” L answered.

“We can’t,” R explained. “Not yet, anway.”

“Then you have brought me here for no good reason?” Chrysalis asked.

“No! No, not at all. You’re here for the most important reason. You’re here to make the machine functional,” R stated quickly.

“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“We’ve run into a bit of a mess trying to find the right frequency to monitor. Unfortunately, up to this point, we’ve been working entirely in the field of theoreticals, but that can change today with your help. We don’t have to theorize about a changeling queen when one is living in the castle, after all,” R explained.

“I see.” Chrysalis stepped gingerly around the device. “And just how am I supposed to help you out? Do I need to cast a spell of some sort on it for you?”

“Actually, no. What we require is a more…physical element,” R stated.

“Be more precise.” Chrysalis’ eyes took on a faint green glow as she stared at him.

“Well, Your Highness, you see, the magic of a changeling is innate to their system, and we have to break down—that is physically dissolve—a portion of their being in order to tap into its structure. So, unless we have a physical sample to work from, we can’t exactly….” his words trailed off slowly.

The two stallions stood in silence, watching the changeling queen’s expression slowly grow more intense.

“Your body, Princess,” Fleur finally spoke the words aloud. “If they’re going to make this device work—if they are going to find the other hive this way—they’re going to have to remove and destroy a piece of your body.”

* * * * * * * *

She let go of the pillow with her teeth and turned her head to the side.

“Harder,” she groaned. “Harder.”

Immediately her wings were pulled back as he grabbed ahold of them for more leverage, and he did his very best to accommodate her request. Despite his grip, her body began to lurch forward with each thrust, driving her face back down into the pillow and muffling any sound that came from her lips.

Consequently, the sound of flesh slapping together was filling the room, gradually finding itself losing ground to the sound of a stallion’s deep grunts.

Every time he thrust forward, she felt slightly more full than before, and subsequently more satisfied. Yet she still felt empty. Hollow.

A quick toss of her head threw the pillow almost completely across the room.

“Dammit, Shiney, fuck me harder!” She began to push her ass backwards, driving it onto his cock, meeting each thrust with fervor.

“Cadance, I….” He grabbed her more tightly, all but yanking her wings out of the sockets as he pushed her body down and raised up on his hind legs slightly, letting gravity aid him as he pistoned his hips forward with renewed vigor.

Cadance felt her breath being driven out of her chest every time his hips struck hers. Instinctively, she spread her forelegs out, stabilizing herself as much as possible, but it didn’t prevent the impact of her husband’s thrusts driving her chest forcefully into the bed.

The familiar sensation of her anus gripping down onto Shining Armor’s cock sent her head swimming. The tender ring sending jolts of electricity through her body each time he moved either in or out of her rear opening. She rode the sensation, letting the stimulation fully encase her body until it sent her right to the edge of release—and then she denied it. Fought against it with all of her will.

“Cadance, I…I can’t last much….”

That was all the warning she needed. Pulling herself forward, her horn glowed the same familar shade of pink that surrounded Shining Armor and pushed him away and out of her. He flailed back, flipping down onto his back, guided by her magic, and even as his back hit the bed she moved between his legs, her hooves gripping his shaft tightly at the base.

“Not yet,” she said with a deep, raspy voice. “You only get to cum when I tell you. Understand?”

All he could do was stare up at her and give a shallow nod. She held him tightly until she was convinced that he wasn’t about to explode all over her hooves.

“Good,” she growled. Her grip loosened, and her right hoof began to slowly slide up his length while her left went to the heavy sack holding his testicles beneath. “Do you like the way this feels?”

“Uh-huh,” he mumbled softly.

“Do you like it better than when you had your cock buried deep in my ass?” Her voice was like leather and honey mixed as one. “This feeling of my hooves working you? Pulling up on your stallionhood while teasing the cum out of your balls?”

Her hoof moved to the top of his shaft, sliding over the head in small, smooth circles. Each time she completed one of her passes across it, she felt his body twitch one more time.

“I think you like it when I tease you this way,” she sneered. “You love it when I’ve got your dick in my hooves and have complete control over when and how you finally get to cum. I could make you shoot a load in a matter of seconds,” her hoof suddenly moved back to his shaft and began to slide along the length very quickly, causing his body to buck upwards, “or not.” The hoof touching his cock stopped moving and the one holding his scrotum squeezed, just enough to make his body freeze. “I could keep you like this for hours if I wanted.”

The grip on his balls softened and her hoof moved back to the head of his rock-hard shaft. “The only problem is that your poor dick is getting a little dry, and my hoof might not slide the way I like.” She smiled at him with her eyes. “Fortunately, I have a solution for that.”

Leaning forward slightly, Cadance positioned her face directly above his cock. Without moving her head, she slowly opened her mouth and a large, long trail of saliva fell out of it, moving down until it formed a connected line between the head of his dick and the tip of her tongue.

She glanced at his face just long enough to see his eyes firmly focused on the slick spit that began to trail down his shaft. Her lips snapped shut, cutting off the supply and causing the portion left hanging to fall on top of his cock, only to be gathered up immediately by her hoof which began to spread it evenly.

“Fortunately for you, I have other things to do today, so in just a moment or two I’m going to tell you to come,” her eyes sparkled, “and you’re going to, aren’t you?”

“Uhhn,” was the only noise he could manage.

Her head still hovered over his stallionhood, as her hoof began to move faster and faster along it. The lower hoof began to massage the twin orbs that lay beneath the skin of his sack, teasing them in equal part to the shaft above it. In only a matter of seconds, she could feel his body tensing and tightening in a clear sign of things to come.

“Now,” she commanded. Moving her head down, she felt the first ribbon of Shining Armor’s seed splash into her mouth and onto her tongue less than a second before her lips wrapped around the head and she applied the suction to help ease the rest of his load out of him. Her hoof milked him along his length while she let her mouth pull out the full portion of his deposit.

Only when she felt nothing more was left did she finally pull herself back, holding her head in clear view of her husband. He looked up at her face and she slowly opened her mouth, revealing a tongue coated in white. Curling it back into her mouth, her lips closed tightly and her throat suddenly visibly bulged. Once more she opened her mouth to reveal a clean, pink tongue.

“Wow,” he gasped, still trying to catch his breath.

With a light giggle she fell down on top of him, sliding off to one side while keeping one hoof wrapped across his body.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’ll let you know when my heart starts beating again,” he answered. “That…that was amazing. I love you.”

“Awww,” she quickly brought her muzzle over and kissed him on the cheek, “thank you. I love you, too.”

“You finished, right?” He looked over at her, staring into her eyes. “You had an orgasm, too, right?”

“You bet I did,” she lied.

“Good.” He smiled at her and brought a hoof up to rest on her flank. The stayed that way for almost a full minute, staring at each other with a tender touch holding them together. Shining Armor was the first to speak. “So, are you ready to tell me what’s wrong?”

“What?” She pulled away slightly, but not enough to dislodge either of their hooves. “What are you talking about?”

He chuckled. “Well, for the past month you’ve been trying to kill me. I mean, it’s not that I’m actually complaining, but….” Taking a short breath, he continued. “I’ve been drinking plenty of water and trying to eat right, but still, I don’t have the stamina of an alicorn princess, so I’m at a bit of a disadvantage.”

“Oh, so you don’t like sex all of a sudden?” Cadance raised a mocking eyebrow.

“I never said that! It’s just that….” He sighed lightly. “Cady, you know that you can talk to me about anything, don’t you? I would never judge you, and I’m always going to be on your side.”

“Always?” This time she pulled far enough away to cause both of them to bring their hooves back to themselves. “I seem to recall more than a few times that you’ve told me that I was wrong about things.”

“Well, you were,” he answered. “But that’s not a bad thing, it’s just me trying to help. I just…. Well, that came out wrong. What I mean is that I’m always going to support you, even if I take a different side of things.”

“That was such a contradiction,” she laughed.

“You know what I mean,” he said with a frown.

“I do, honey,” once more she reached her hoof over, this time caressing it against his cheek, “which is why I mean it when I tell you that everything is fine. We’re fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

With every fiber of her being she fought to keep her expression level and calm.

He waited before answering, but finally said, “Okay, but I’m serious. If there is anything that you want to talk about, I’m here.”

“I know,” she smiled back at him.

“I mean it,” he reinforced.

The knock at the door couldn’t have come at a better time in Cadance’s mind, even though it made Shining Armor jump slightly. Easing herself out of bed she trotted over to the door. Glancing behind her to make sure that her husband had moved off the bed to stand nearby she gave a quick nod and opened the door.

A short stallion wearing the uniform of the crystal guard stood on the other side at full attention.

“Good evening, Your Highness. I apologize for disturbing you, but you have received a message from Canterlot. It’s marked as most urgent,” he stated, never looking directly at her.

“Most urgent?” Her eyebrow went up. “I’ll be right there.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” If anything, he came to a tighter version of attention. Cadance imagined that he stayed that way for a full breath even after she had finished closing the door.

“Let me put on my uniform and I’ll be right there,” Shining stated as his magic began to gather up the clothing from a nearby chair.

“If you want to, okay, but I’m going to go ahead.” Cadance’s crown floated over from the bedside table to land lightly on her head. She trotted over to him quickly. “If my aunties marked it as ‘most urgent’ then I want to see it as soon as possible.”

She kissed him and looked him squarely in the eye.

“We’re fine, Shiny. I swear upon our love,” she stated.

“I’ll be right behind you,” he said.

“I know.” With a smile she turned and trotted to the door, opened it, and then closed it after she had passed through, leaving Shining Armor alone.

* * * * * * * *

The only sound in the room was the delicate clinking of flatware on china, and occasionally teacup on saucer. It was a more intimate setting than their dinner table, this one just set for two. Still, it was a table large enough to hold eight, easily, even for ponies of their considerable size.

“Are you enjoying breakfast?” Celestia asked, breaking the overhanging silence with a smile.

“Yes, quite a bit,” Luna answered. “The chef never fails to disappoint.”

“She’s taken on a new apprentice, actually. From what I’ve heard, the stallion under her is already impressing everypony in the kitchen. Supposedly has a wealth of creative ideas, too.” Celestia nodded her head slightly to the side. “Time will tell, I suppose.”

“Yes, I suppose it will,” Luna answered with a smile of her own.

They both returned to their plates, bringing up bites of food one at a time. Celestia’s plate still carried a fair selection of the berries on the wheat cakes that she was served, while Luna’s plate was nearly empty, with just a small portion of her far more hearty cheese and potato loaf topped with a selection of fresh herbs. Celestia had a cup filled with tea, currently sitting on her fourth full serving. Luna, on the other hoof, was enjoying a glass of fresh orange juice.

And both of them were staring straight down at their plates.

Celestia’s eyes focused on a particularly large strawberry that she had been saving since the plate was set in front of her. A treat that she was going to give herself as the last bite of her morning meal. Currently she was using her fork to push it around the edge of the plate—for the fifth lap. Her mouth opened halfway and her tongue began to play against her teeth as they slowly dried in the air.

With a heavy sigh, Celestia closed her mouth and shut off her magic, causing the fork to drop unceremoniously to the china plate, creating a very sharp tone.

Luna’s head popped up immediately, eyes wide, staring across the table at her sister.

“Tia?” she asked.

It took a moment, but Celestia answered, “Luna, what the hell is wrong?” Her head shifted, bringing her vision directly in line with her wife’s. “What is happening?”

Luna’s eyebrows raised up together. “I thought we were having breakfast. Have I missed something?”

“Apparently, yes!” Celestia pushed herself away from the table, shaking her head. “You have to have noticed what’s been going on. Every time we are together like this there is…. We’re just sitting here, not even talking to each other. What’s happened?”

Her eyes looked around without her head moving, and then Luna brought them back to focus on Celestia. “Nothing. Nothing has happened, we’re just…comfortable with each other.”

“Comfortable.” Celestia nodded and let the word roll around in her head a few times. “Is that…is that your way of saying that you’re bored?”

“What? No! Of course not.” Luna pushed herself away and walked around the table to stand beside her beloved. “I mean, it’s true that we haven’t tried to kill each other for well over a month now, but….”

“Luna, I’m serious!” Celestia chided.

“So am I,” she replied. “Mostly about the fact that we’re comfortable, though the other thing is true, too. This happens to couples, Tia. There is no tension between us.” She pulled her head back. “Is there?”

Celestia’s lips pulled tight into a line and she stared at Luna. “Maybe.” She sighed. “Maybe I’m just imagining it, but I would swear that you’ve been a little…. Do you still find me attractive?”

Both of her eyes tried to bulge out of Luna’s head. “You must be joking! You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful mare in the world.” Her hoof went up to rest on top of Celestia’s. “Why are you saying all of this?”

“I don’t know.” Celestia spoke softly and shook her head to match. “It’s not just the silence when we’re together like this. It’s when we’re intimate. I can’t help but feel that something is bothering you, but I can’t figure out what it is.” She took a short breath. “At first I thought that maybe you were not wanting to be a Domme right now, so I tried to turn it around the other night, and you were certainly receptive, but…. I don’t know. Something just seems off.”

“I’m sorry,” Luna said gently. “I didn’t know you felt that way. Nothing has changed, Tia. I still find you amazingly attractive and sexy.” They looked at each other for a moment. “You…you still think that about me, don’t you?”

Celestia chuckled. “More than just think it, my love. You might think I’m the most beautiful mare in the world, but no pony—or griffin, or dragon, or anything—could ever hope to be as primally sexy as you are. You are not only gorgeous, but everything about you is just amazing. There is a raw sexuality to you that goes beyond simple words.”

Luna looked at her and nodded with a long, thin smile.

Celestia gasped. “You don’t believe me.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me,” Luna answered.

“That’s not what I said. I said that you don’t believe me. What’s going on? What is this about? Has Chrysalis done something again?” Her mane began to rise up. “I swear that if she has, this time I will—”

“It’s not Chrysalis!” Luna interrupted. “She’s been so focused on finding this new hive and dealing with Fleur that she hasn’t had much time for us. You haven’t even had an argument with her for ten days. A new record.”

“That’s because she hasn’t tried to seduce you for almost two weeks,” Celestia countered. The light laugh Luna let out comforted Celestia slightly.

“Well, she is….” Luna paused. “Have you ever been attracted to her, Tia?”

“To Chrysalis? Are you joking? You must be joking.”

“Even you must admit that she has a certain aura to her that is, well, you called me primal a moment ago. Don’t you think that she’s even more of that than I am?” Luna asked.

Celestia’s face tightened up. “Luna, are you still attracted to her? Is that it? Do you feel that I’ve trapped you?”

“No!” Luna almost lunged towards her. “No, that’s not it. No. We don’t need to go down that path again. I’ve moved on past her.” She shrugged. “I was just wondering if you saw that same thing?”

“In Chrysalis?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Yes.”

“Wait….” Luna pulled back. “So, you don’t find her primally sexy?”

“No. You do, it seems, but no, I do not. At all,” Celestia clarified.

“Is there any pony that you feel that way about?” she asked.

“You,” Celestia said immediately.

“Besides me,” Luna replied in a near-groan.

“No. No pony matches you, Luna.” Celestia smiled. “Now, what is it that has you thinking this way?”

She opened her mouth, but for a full second nothing went past Luna’s lips. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m just…. Maybe I need to try to take over Equestria again. That will probably make me feel better.”

“You already rule Equestria, remember?” Celestia answered.

“As I should,” Luna said with a curt nod. “Still, it’s just not the same. I want to grind you beneath my hoof and make all of the ponies of Equestria bow down before me. I was given the current throne I have.”

“…along with Chrysalis and I,” Celestia added.

“Yes, I suppose it is important to have lackeys around me.” She did her best to remain stoic, but the corner of Luna’s mouth betrayed her.

“It was your idea, oh benevolent tyrant,” Celestia laughed in return.

Luna joined her, laughing lightly at the moment. Moving a little closer, she brought her lips into contact with her sister’s, pressing them together gently.

As Luna pulled away, she paused for a moment to let her horn drag along the length of Celestia’s in an idyl caress.

“Are you okay?” Luna asked.

“I am,” Celestia answered. “Thank you.”

They came together once more, their necks entwining in a loving hug. Celestia let out a sigh as she rubbed her coat against her wife, their ethereal manes intertwining in a colorful display. The smile on her face grew steadily brighter.

And just out of view from Celestia, the smile that was on Luna’s face slowly faded away.

* * * * * * * *

It would be quicker if she flew. She knew that fully and completely. She also knew that flying there would attract too much attention. No pony flew in the castle without a good reason, and letting the ponies of Canterlot Castle put any more attention to her visit would be a bad idea.

Especially considering her current state of mind.

So, Cadance walked. Every step at a steady and easy pace, while a smile played over her lips casually. The only comfort she took from the situation was that, hopefully, she was already aware of her arrival, and wanted to know what was taking her so long to come see her?

The castle, despite its side, was a short walk, and soon enough she found herself standing in front of the door, wondering for a moment if she should even bother knocking. Of course, decorum won out, and she rapped three times on the heavy wood with her hoof.

“Enter,” the hollow voice called from inside.

The last time that Cadance had seen Chrysalis’ private chambers, it was surprisingly barren and roughshod, which is why she hesitated as she stepped into the room today. The walls were now adorned by tapestries, almost all of them new with dramatic renditions of the changeling queen in various poses—while ponies stood below her in awe, of course. In addition to those, the floor now had several nice rugs, with what appeared to be well-crafted furniture resting on them. And all of it was in color—bright colors that seemed to lighten up the room considerably.

“…hello, Chrysalis,” she mumbled as she looked around.

“Finally!” Chrysalis was pacing when she entered, that much was obvious. She came to rest behind a large divan that sat in the middle of the room. “I have been waiting for you all day!”

One eyebrow raised on Cadance’s forehead. “And…?”

“I sent you a summons, telling you it was urgent, and I only found out an hour ago—because I sent a second correspondence—that you were on your way. Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?” Chrysalis asked.

“You know, there is actually a very good reason for that.” Cadance stepped farther into the room, took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then continued. “The message was sent in code. Top security level code. The one that is used when there is a crisis that can effect the fate of all of Equestria. And all it said was to come to Canterlot immediately. I thought that it was a world-threat, so I rushed here today. I left Shining Armor to deal with dignitaries from three different nations. He hates diplomatic work, but because he’s such an amazing stallion, he—”

“What’s wrong?” Chrysalis asked.

“I was just getting to that!” Cadance snapped back, and then closed her eyes for a moment. When they re-opened a smile came with them on her face. “I apologize. I shouldn’t yell. It’s just that you used the top emergency code to bring me here for a visit!”

Chrysalis didn’t move. Her eyes focused on the alicorn in the room with an unblinking solidity. “No, I did not. You might think ill of me all the time, but there are some things that I do respect, and the sanctity of information is one of them. You are here for a very important reason.”

“And what would that be?” Cadance took another step forward.

“My life,” Chrysalis said calmly. “I need you to…save my life.”

“I…I…” Cadance blinked. “I’m sorry, but can you repeat that? I’d swear you just said—”

“That I need you to save my life, yes,” Chrysalis replied. “Now, answer my question: what’s wrong?”

“I just explained that,” Cadance said. “And you’re jumping subjects.”

“No, I’m not. I’m asking what is wrong between you and Shining Armor?” Chrysalis finally moved, walking around the divan to stand in front of the smaller alicorn.

“Nothing is wrong between us! How dare you even ask!” Cadance replied, leaving her mouth hanging open.

“Because normally when you say his name around me I get a small rush from the excess love that comes pouring off of you.” Chrysalis shook her head. “Today? Nothing.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” The normally light voice Cadance used became slightly more staccato. “And it certainly has nothing to do with your health.”

“Of course it does!” Chrysalis spun around and stepped back to the divan, this time turning and sitting on it. She looked to Cadance and then to the chair next to her. “Sit. Please.”

There was a long empty moment. “Did you just say ‘please?’”

“I did,” Chrysalis shifted her head, letting her wispy mane fall across the majority of it, “and I would appreciate it if you didn’t make me say it again.”

Several words ran through Cadance’s head, but they stayed there, and she slowly walked over to sit on the chair near the changeling.

Chrysalis turned her head back, clearly revealing one of her eyes. “You are, of course, fully aware that the search for this invading hive has been my primary motivation lately. There has been a…breakthrough, of sorts.” She took a short, slow breath. “Fleur de Lis’ organization has a machine that can track a changeling queen, it would seem, but it requires a component that is very precious,” she smiled, “a piece of me.”

“What?” Cadance gasped.

“My response was instant: yes, of course I would give them something. I was thinking that they needed something small, perhaps a clipping from my mane or tail, or a small piece of my wing. Even a piece of chiton that I could shed.” Her eyes narrowed. “I was wrong. We tried all of that. Their so-called expert was able to figure out what they needed from me precisely. They need…” she paused, “…they need my heart.”

“WHAT?!” Cadance’s eyes bulged out. “They can’t be serious! That…that would kill you! How can that even slightly help?”

“It will help because it won’t kill me. Not if you keep me alive,” Chrysalis answered.

“I beg your pardon? I don’t have that kind of power, Chrysalis,” Cadance explained slowly.

“Not for any other pony, no, and not even for a normal changeling,” the queen smiled, revealing a hint of fang, “but I’m not a normal changeling, am I?”

“That doesn’t explain anything,” Cadance said.

“Think, Cadance! The most powerful I’ve ever felt—ever been—was because of you and your husband. The love that I fed off of at the wedding, and even more the shared love you were able to channel into me when I fought Coldheart. I believe that you can replace my living heart with your power, keeping me alive long enough for the science-ponies to do what they need.”

“You believe?”

“It’s never been done before, so yes, I believe. We won’t know for certain unless we try.”

Cadance’s head was slowly starting to shake back and forth. “Do you even hear yourself? This is crazy!”

“It is not crazy! It is calculated! I heal very quickly, you know that.” She leaned closer to Cadance.

“I…I don’t know.” The shake of Cadance’s head became more prominent. “I mean, I know you heal fast, but I don’t know about you having your heart torn out. Have you even run this past Celestia and Luna?”

“No. And I won’t, and neither will you. They can’t know,” Chrysalis explained.

“Why not?”

“Because they would try to stop it, of course.”

“And you think that’s a bad idea? Them stopping you?” Cadance asked.

The smile that crossed over Chrysalis’ face was obviously forced—but not mocking. “I don’t want to have to argue.”

“You don’t want to…?” Cadance pulled her head back. “Okay, seriously, what’s going on?

“What do you mean? I told you what is happening,” Chrysalis replied.

“You did, but,” she took a long look around the room before finally looking back at the changeling, “this doesn’t seem to be like you. What’s with the decorations? And your attitude?”

“I…wanted to make you feel more comfortable. I cannot command you to do this, and I am, in every sense, putting my life in your hooves should you accept,” Chrysalis said softly. “I did all of this for your benefit.”

Cadance looked at the tapestries once more. “And yet you chose to have every tapestry have an image of you.”

One eyebrow raised. “Well, it needed to be something worthy of being put into my chambers, still.”

“Ah! Okay, that sounds….” Cadance stopped herself.

They stared at each other, both of their heads shifting slightly to the side.

“So, why the heart?” Cadance broke the silence. “That seems rather specific.”

A heavy sigh proceeded Chrysalis speaking. “Changeling magic is not like pony magic, despite some outward similarities in our species. As the ponies who created this device noted, changelings are imbued with magic throughout their bodies—it isn’t simply in our horns or wings. Changeling queens, however, surpass that, and have both the fully innate magic and a magical store—an extra power source—that allows us to rule.”

“The heart,” Cadance said with a nod.

“Yes. Is it so hard to believe that I have one?” Chrysalis sneered.

Several answers went through her head before she answered. “I still don’t like this plan.”

“Why? Because it will give me something I want, or because you are afraid that it will give me power?” She narrowed her eyes. “Or is it just that you don’t want to help me. Do realize that I will be completely at your mercy while it is happening, so it is the perfect chance for revenge.”

“We do have a history, don’t we?” Cadance said with a sigh. “If I have to choose just one, I’m going to go with the fact that it’s endangering your life, and you’re putting a lot of responsibility on me.”

“If I didn’t think you could handle it, I wouldn’t have asked,” Chrysalis stated. “Though you still haven’t been forthcoming about what is wrong between you and Shining Armor. If your love is weakened, then I may very well die. I’d rather that not happen.”

“Nothing is wrong!” Cadance huffed and tossed her mane. “Would you stop being so insistent about that. Shiny and I are fine!”

The first hint of her tongue just peeked between Chrysalis’ lips, but that rapidly evolved to rolling around her open mouth and a slight smacking sound as she opened and closed her lips gently. Cadance watched her, and saw the changeling’s eyes open wider and then narrow to less than half what they were before.

“You’re feeling guilty,” she stated. “What has you feeling guilty?”

“What? I’m not guilty. What makes you think—”

“I know that taste,” Chrysalis interrupted. “I wasn’t paying close attention the first time it happened, but this time…. That’s guilt, plain and clear.”

The wings on Cadance’s back ruffled, increasing to twice their size without being extended away from her body. “How would you like to have every bit of love sucked dry from you right now?” she growled.

“Well, well, well,” Chrysalis hummed, “it seems that I have struck a nerve. I haven’t heard such statements from you since, well, since you were here from another world.”

The darker color that had flushed Cadance’s face paled, and she heard herself swallow. “No, I…. It was a hollow threat. I would never….”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anypony about what I tasted. That wouldn’t be beneficial to either of us. I just needed to know that it wasn’t a dying love,” Chrysalis smiled. “If you say you still love him, I believe you—now. If you want to tell me, you will. If you don’t….” She shrugged.

Cadance sat there, feeling herself breathe. Every time her lungs filled she paused, letting the sensation of her muscles expanding settle into her memory, and then contracting them once more to expel the air.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Cadance finally answered.

“Does that mean that you’re going to do it?” Chrysalis’ voice went up an octave.

Cadance nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, it means I’m going to do it.” Her lips pulled tight against her teeth. “Let’s go rip your heart out.”

* * * * * * * *

Celestia settled into her throne, flaring her wings out for a moment just so she could bring them in more comfortably. Looking to her left she saw Luna and smiled. And then beyond Luna she saw an empty throne.

“Is Chrysalis joining us today?” Celestia asked.

“As I understand it, no,” Luna replied. “There is a personal matter that has called her attention. She trusts us to run things without her today.”

“It’s good to know that she thinks us able,” Celestia laughed. “Though I am surprised, actually.”

“I’m sure it has something to do with Cadance being here.” Luna’s tone was somewhat cold, and she looked over at her sister with a curious eye.

“No doubt, but we’ve given Cadance permission to handle matters with her alone. We’ve promised not to intervene unless things become life-or-death.” Celestia took on the tone of the teacher and ruler without even realizing she had slipped into it.

It was enough to make Luna smile.

“We really do need to move your throne to the center,” she stated. “You have a much more calm demeanor than I do.”

“Which is why I need to stay right where I am! You have calm and reason on your right, and then you have…Chrysalis on the other side.”

Since the throne room’s reconstruction, the times and methods of the court had changed with it. There was still a rise leading up to the throne, but instead of a single chair, there was a full trio of them resting side-by-side. The thrones themselves were nigh-identical, each of them constructed from what appeared to be gold, with a massive seat and a high back that rose above even the three majestic creatures who used them. It was the color of the fabric on the seats and the adornments that set them apart. Celestia’s throne was in the traditional red velvet, while Luna went with a rich, dark blue. Chrysalis went with a deep black velvet for her seat.

On the peak of the back of the thrones sat three symbols. A full, radiant sun on Celestia’s, a crescent moon atop Luna’s, and a single green eye capping Chrysalis’.

“You just don’t want to sit next to her,” Luna said.

“There’s that, too,” Celestia admitted. She levitated a scroll up from beside her throne and opened it gracefully. “Thankfully, looking at today’s docket, we should be able to handle things without her easily.”

It was coming up on noon, which was the new time they had settled on for court to begin. It started at mid-day and ran until sundown, providing time for an audience with the three princesses for any who were able to schedule it ahead of time—or have a very, very valid reason to be seen immediately. A bevy of guards moved to their positions, being comprised of ponies, Chollima (or bat ponies as most still called them), and even a few changelings.

“I believe that we are scheduled to meet with the planning committee for the new sewer construction that is going on here in Canterlot, and this is a project that Chrysalis has taken—for whatever reason—a great personal interest in, and since I would rather not deal directly with this matter myself, perhaps we could—”

The smell hit both of them a split second before the sound. It was an acrid, sulfurous stench that assaulted their nostrils, burning them and ruining any new odor for the next hour at least. The sound was worse.

A shrill shriek ripped through the room, sounding like a thousand children screaming in cacophonous unison. It was followed by the cry of the world trying to tear itself in half, accompanied by a brilliant black light appearing in the center of the room.

Luna and Celestia were on their hooves instantly, taking a pair of steps away from their thrones to stand firmly.

“Clear the room!” Celestia shouted. “Secure it behind you with all emergency protocols! No pony enters or leaves, is that understood?”

“But, Your Majesties, we—” A guard pony stepped forward.

“Do it!” Luna turned to him with a snarl as much as a shout.

And they did. The guards moved through the room, exiting from every conceivable portal into or out of the space. Once they were beyond they closed the door, followed by the sound of a heavy lock sliding into place. After the final door and lock were set, a shimmer ran through the walls, sealing the room magically.

The black light began to take shape, stretching up and down into a thin line that eventually stood as tall as ten ponies, almost filling the full height of the throne room. Celestia took a moment to glance to her left, and Luna turned to meet her eyes. They shared no words, and instead simply nodded once to each other before turning again towards the line—which used that moment to split itself open.

A tear formed in the air, spreading wide and letting a newfound stench pour out of it, causing a momentary recoil from the sisters. As it grew, the light from it became brighter, moving from pure black to indigo.

Celestia tamped her hoof, pawing at the floor beneath her. Luna snorted and shook her head. Both alicorns lit their horns, preparing for the inevitable.

A single hoof broke through the darkness, clad in a dull brass shoe, burning the floor of the castle underneath it. It was joined a moment later by a second one, matching the first in the manner that the stone beneath it responded.

An ombre colored horse stepped into view, her color ranging from deep purple on her back to mild grey at her hooves, with a mane flowing in the air like oil on water, shimmering red and blue. Her brass shoes matched the harness and crown of five brass spires rising from her head around her spiraled horn. Great wings of such a soft grey that they seemed almost ghost-like grew from her back, while her eyes of shining silver smiled at the other two alicorns.

Celestia blinked. “Selene?”

“Celly!” she beamed. “Luna! How delightful to see you once more!”

Both horns of Equestria’s rulers dimmed to their normal state as the three alicorns came face-to-face. Instantly, Selene pulled Celestia in for a hug, followed by Luna just as quickly.

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

“Isn’t it obvious?” Selene smiled. “It’s time. Time to live up to your promise.” She looked squarely at Luna. “I’m going on vacation, which means that you,” her hoof came up and tapped Luna on the chest, “get to rule over all of Tartarus for two entire weeks.”

Luna replied with the only thing that came to mind. “Oh…kay.”

…to be continued.