Transparency: Q. Mint Jewelip

Early Warning flinched as the first thunderous crash of hoof upon door echoed throughout the marble antechamber.

It wasn't as if he'd never heard an earthpony buck something before, the breed was practically known for their ridiculous strength and stamina after all, but something about seeing two heavyset, armored, stallions kicking with iron plated tramplers that likely weighed half as much as his own body...... well, it left him feeling uneasy. Not that anypony would fault him for it, he was an earthpony himself, but the fact of the matter was that even then, there was absolutely no possible way he could ever pull off a feat like those two.

He flinched again as the next batch of kicks caused the towering doors to ring like some titanic bell. Others around him were staring, grim faced and deadly determined as they readied themselves for the moment the doors gave. Aura and Cinder were positively glaring at the door, horns alight with magic as they attempted to aid their compatriots. Beside him, Beachhead's wings were partially splayed as he instinctively bristled and tried to look more intimidating. A few of the others had set their hooves or picked up a spare shield of spear from the collection that littered the floor.

And all the while, Early could only think to himself, "Oh crap.... I am so not ready for this."

"Hey, Beachhead..."

"Early, whatever it is, spit if out, we don't have time for this."

"I was just thinking, with the other changeling right there, and his guards knocked out, shouldn't we have somepony secure him before he wakes up?"

Beachhead frowned again. Damn it! Early just kept pointing out the stuff that should have been obvious. If Beachhead didn't know better, he'd have sworn that stallion was after his job.

With a sigh, Beachhead glanced over and flinched as the third buck echoed through the antechamber. "Go and wake up Bottleneck. Have him take over and guard the changeling."

"Not me, sir?"

"No, not you! Does it look like we've got enough horsepower to take on a changeling ~and~ a mind controlled Celestia? We need every hoof we can get."

Early's eyebrows knit together as he tried to think of something, anything, that might help. "Um... but what about the guards taking on that other changeling in the dungeons?"

Beachhead's one eyebrow crept up his face slowly. "You think you got it in you to get them to come the moment they've got that one taken care of?"

Early's relief was almost palatable as he bobbed his head. "Yes, sir! I know the way and can be there and back before you even get those doors open!"

"Fine, do it. And don't make me regret this, Early. I mean that. Get your sorry flank down there, plant that bug in the ground and get whoever you can to come ASAP."

Early Warning snapped a salute, grabbed a spare spear from the ground, and bolted for the entry hall... pointedly ignoring the squads of unconcious specialists all around them.

Beachhead watched him go, glancing to the ragtag bunch of guards they'd been able to assemble as the forth buck sent the throne room doors screaming inwards on their hinges.

"Damnit, Early.... you're not even out of the room and the door's open. You owe me 75 laps now!" Beachhead shouted before turning to look into the revealed room itself.

Before them - not one hundred feet away - a green unicorn with a hideous white mane stood upon Celestia's carpet, a cup floating beside her. There was no sign of a struggle, nothing to fit with the yelling the herald had mentioned, but there were signs of rampant magic. Guards littered the floor here as well. Weapons and shields, tossed at seeming random. Trained guards toppled in their alcoves or slumped across their brethren from the short tumbles the pegassi had apparently taken on their way to the ground. Even the royal attendant, that stuffy old unicorn that seemed to always be looking just a little above ponies' heads, was laying on the ground. And above it all, Celestia perched like some hulking vulture upon her throne, a look of utter annoyance upon her normally calm and detached face.

That alone was enough to tell Beachhead what he needed. "Guard, TO ARMS!"

And as one, the troop sprinted into the throne room, spears drawn, to surround the unicorn while disciplined eyes watched their millennial ruler with the pitched focus of a viper.

And yet, for her own part, the unicorn seemed to only mutter something under her breath.

Beachhead didn't like it one bit.

-~oOo~-

Early Warning raced through the hallways dodging servants and guards alike. His task was paramount, he needed to get the reinforcements before things devolved further. There was a changeling somewhere below, tearing through the castle while a group of Celestia's Guard were trying their patent best to keep it contained. There were an undisclosed number of invaders littered throughout the castle. There were even at least two dopplegangers of himself, something that made him nervous for an entirely different set of reasons, not the least of which being that the one in the throne room antechamber was a ~unicorn~ and he was an earthpony.

But Beachhead had been very clear with him. He had a job to do and he did ~not~ want to upset Beachhead.... even if he was a scrubby little pegasus.

A scrubby little pegasus with more years of battle experience than his collection of scars.... something that Early ~really~ did not want to think about. I mean, seriously... how many scars can a pegasus collect and still be able to fly like he did? That was some crazy skill.

But the point being: Early had to get down to the changeling, 'plant' it in the ground, and get whoever he could to come and help in the throne room.

And he had to do it as fast as possible.

As he rounded the corner, he saw another clattering swarm of Guard racing towards him. Captain Deep Strike, leading the throng.

Swallowing his pride, he screamed like a filly and charged through them as he yelled that Celestia had been replaced and taken out the guards.

Deep Strike didn't even flinch as he raced past, a glower the only sign he had heard at all as he pumped his massively muscled legs into the charge.

The mass of guards behind him though? Those mares and stallions took on the angry features of a mob... the previous day's invasion still sorely on their minds as they put that much more into getting there as fast as they could.

-~oOo~-

Celestia looked over the squad of guards that had just pounded down her throne room door. A mix of unicorn arcanists and earth pony skirmishers with two heavies and a sprinkling of aerialist pegassi. Not a particularly balanced troop, admittedly, but given the time in which they had assembled, it wasn't a terrible showing.

Nodding silently to herself, she looked to the unicorn before her... the ~changeling~ before her, she reminded herself.

"So then, Miss Nuisance," she paused before smiling a bit, "which I assume is a completely made up name... shall we dispense with this foolishness now? Can we simply get to a peaceable surrender and put this entire unpleasant day behind us?" Celestia floated her tea over again, sipping the cooling beverage and wondering why it hadn't been refilled before she recalled that Kibitz was currently unconscious.

The mare scowled up at her, sipping her own cup, before nodding and gesturing with a hoof. "Absolutely. I will accept your surrender then, and commend you for seeing reason where your subjects clearly lack the ability."

Celestia blinked, then nearly snorted in laughter before remembering her growing headache and thinking better of it. "Not to insult you, Nuisance, but I believe you misunderstand. I am offering you the chance to surrender even now... to let this go and find a peaceful resolution, despite the abnormally bad timing and planning.... especially right after having repelled Chrysalis just yesterday."

The mare scowled more before setting her cup upon a nearby guard's helmet.... much to his displeasure.

"Now look here... I have been absurdly gracious, Celestia. I'm done though. Give me what's mine or I'll take it by force."

Celestia just couldn't believe it. The unicorn... the changeling... just wouldn't give up. It was almost as if she thought she had a trump card of some sort. Nopony... no ONE... should still be pushing that hard while surrounded by guards, let alone after having watched as she had disabled the mare's forces by herself with almost no effort at all. It simply didn't make sense.

One of the guards, a blue pegasus with a lacework of scars across his body, looked right at her. "Princess, begging your pardon ma'am, but shouldn't we just get rid of the changelings?"

Celestia was keenly aware of how every one of the guards who had just come in was suddenly watching her with rapt attention.

"No, Beachhead, was it? No, we are not going to just wipe out the changelings, even if they are invading again. We should try to understand them, to find a happy solution for both our people.... even if they seem to only want to cause trouble."

The expressions that flashed across the pegasus' face were difficult to follow, but the shock that flew across the numerous guards was more worrisome.

"Princess...." he started again, "Shouldn't we ~get rid of the changelings~ before they take over, by any means necessary?"

Celestia frowned again. Hadn't she just answered that? "No. We are not going to take up arms against them. We will find another way." Seriously? Violence? From her gua....

She looked them over again, just as she caught movement from out in the hallway leading to the antechamber. Movement, that looked like a large platoon of well trained, fully organized royal guard, racing toward her with Captain Deep Strike leading the charge.

The meaning became clear instantly. A double feint. With only the briefest of motions, Celestia's horn flicked over the guards littering her throne room for a second time, dropping them, one and all, to the floor.

The mare glanced around, seeming almost suprized, but remaining silent as the room filled to the brim with angry, panting, fully armed and armored royal guard, spears drawn and eyes intent.

"Princess?" Deep Strike intoned with frustration in his voice.

"Hold, Deep Strike," Celestia said with a hoof to her head for a moment, a deep sigh escaping her as her patience wore thin.

Celestia shook her head slowly, rubbing her eyes in resignation. "So, it will really come to this then? You actually are going to force me to have you taken away, imprisoned, interrogated, and all your little infiltrators discovered and likewise imprisoned? You are actually going to require me to choose the least forgiving path just so you can show off? Is that what you want, Miss Nuisance? You want a spectacle?"

Celestia blinked her eyes as she could feel the tears trying to come. She'd asked for this, not 5 minutes prior... that someone would just drop the act and ask her their demands over tea. She hadn't expected it to be this frustrating... this difficult.

That, and her headache just seemed to be growing the longer the mare refused to accept her generous kindness.

"No, Celestia. I want what's rightfully mine, and you damn well know it! If you won't give it up now, then I'll be forced to act! Last chance. Surrender peacefully before things get out of hoof!"

A number of spears edged towards the agitated mare, though most of the guards eyes glanced at Celestia for her reaction.

Finally, the situation was simply too much. Celestia had had enough. "Alright, you. I've given you every chance to let this go, to find a solution that works for us all. I've given you more chances than I should. I've let you insult my little ponies, myself, and even the very nature of civilized discourse. I'm a good pony, a kind ruler, but I can not let you bring harm to my subjects... which you will do if I let this continue. So, let me be blunt. I captured one of your infiltrators today. I interrogated her. I gathered the information needed to prepare for, and repel, your invasion throughout the city with complete effectiveness. You stand here, in my home, in my very own throne room, and continue to threaten and attack both my subjects and myself, while surrounded by guards after I dispatched your ambush? I believe you to be insane, and incapable of reason, and so, with regret, I will be forced to have you taken away to be treated and counseled, to be rehabilitated while your subjects suffer for your foolish dismissal of my offers."

The mare frowned even deeper, her cup floating over in a rapid snap as she finished her drink and tossed it behind her.

"Look, you dappled-ass, cake repository, I've had it up to here with this crap! So you can either give me what I want, or you're going to find out exactly why I came alone!"

Celestia smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Really? While you're surrounded and I've already dispatched your ambush?" Celestia shook her head, the exchange finally wearing on her.

And then an unfamiliar voice echoed through the room as Captain Deep Strike glared at her. "How was the 'tea,' ~princess~?"

Celestia just barely had time to look up from her growing migraine before the sound of dozens of spears and suits of armor turning in her direction set her mind ablaze.

-~oOo~-