Equestria's Supreme Commander

It's been three days since the whole Crystal Empire/Caribou thing, and right now, I was jogging along the exterior of my base in the desert, and was passing the tech three area of it. I was jogging for a few reasons. One is because why the hell not. The second being I didn't have an Xbox or PC on me. Third and final being I wanted to be in shape if I got into a fight with something without my ACU.

Anyway, as I was jogging, I saw the more recent addition to my base, a Quantum Gateway. I had one built here at Alpha and Ramses so I could go between the two quicker, instead of relying on an ACU mounted teleporter. I would use it only when I needed to go someplace the Gateway wouldn't get me in range. Canterlot, for instance.

So, yeah, that was what I was doing for about three hours before the radar system here at Alpha gave me an alert. Changeling magical signature detected on mile north and approaching.

"Great," I muttered to myself. "Spook One, move in and keep an eye on them. Mole One, do the same and stay cloaked." Like I told Twilight, I gave them those designations to make it easier to give orders to individual units using my implants. Anyway, I continued my jog, being on the part that would take me to my ACU, as the land scout and spy plane, reverse respectively, meaning the first one I mentioned, the Spook, is the second unit, the spy plane, made their way. I was just a few steps after giving the order when the plane arrived, and, from the feed form its camera, I saw a small entourage of changelings protecting a chariot of some kind, but I couldn't see what was in it.

The Mole arrived just as i reached my ACU's feet and began to climb, and it supplemented the Spook's view with a different angle of the same view, and, of what I could tell from both views, it really was a small group, and they were on their way here. Two possibilities here. One is they are simply passing through, which I honestly doubt, as changelings are not the most public race, and would probably try to hide as much possible unless they were showing themselves for some reason like at Canterlot, or something else.

The second possibility was they knew I was here, which I find likely, as it took a while to get the base to the radar stage, which left a little room, and that went into sub possibilities, one being they want to try get me peacefully out of here (good luck, because I'm not leaving.) or an alliance with me.

I was brought out of my thoughts when a second alert came in. Alicorn teleportation signature detected. Energy consistent with recorded signature of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and amount given off indicate a group of eight.

My eye twitched. These ponies just love to show up in my life. "Location?"

Position designates them being half a mile behind changeling signal, and following it.

Fuckers. May as well do this personally. "Keep Mole and Spook one on overwatch, but have Spook One watch the ponies."

There was no verbal reply, but the camera feed from the spy plane did refocus on the ponies and I saw Twilight and the bearers, which was expected, as well as the other two alicorns who still had horns.

You know, now that I wonder about it, I wonder what Cadence was up to then.

Okay, anyway, I set my ACU to move on an intercept path with the changeling chariot, and the ponies, indirectly speaking. Seeing as how we wer eon a course for each other, we met in the middle about ten minutes after I left the base.

I turned the ACU head down to face the changelings. "What do you want," I asked through the external speakers.

"Our Queen wishes to speak with you," one of the guards said, and even from here, I could hear the fear in his voice.

"Then don't keep me in suspense," I said. "And to be chivalrous, whoever your Queen is, my name is Josh. And yours?"

The door on the carriage- which now that I think on it, what's making the thing go, I'm not seeing horses or something of the like- opened, and two other guards wearing black onyx colored armor with swords in their scabbards stepped out, along with a female changeling as tall as I guessed Celestia to be from estimation with Twilight and Cadence with a flowing, black and green dress that did not seem to impede her movement at all, as if she were in the nude. The figure was Queen Chrysalis. "I'm called Queen Chrysalis," she said. "You're the one who killed Tirek?"

"Indeed I am," I say. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to make an alliance with you," she replied. Huh. Possibility two, sub possibility two. Go figure.

"I would be happy to, but I do not have a building for diplomatic meetings, or any buildings for that matter." It was here I remembered something. "Though if you follow me to my base, I can get us someplace for that." I just hope Cadence keeps her word, as I need a building for the diplomacy, and she's the only pony who owes me a favor. But before that- "Oh, and Celestia? I know you're there. Either you reveal yourself and tell us why your here, or I blast you, your sister, and the Elements out of here."

Twilight-1st

I guess the fact him knowing we were here wasn't surprising, given how easily he had freed the Empire. So, I guess I should explain why we were there.

Well, me and the girls were in Canterlot earlier that day to meet with Celestia and Luna. At the time, I though it would have had to do with what happened three days prior, as I hadn't been able to meet with either after it because they were bogged down by paper work.

I was wrong.

We were escorted to the Throne room by a stock white and blue solar guard in golden armor. "The princesses are inside," he said.

"Thank you," I said before we headed inside, seeing the two princesses, standing at one of the windows, overlooking the city of Canterlot. "You asked for us, Princess?"

"Indeed I did, Twilight," Celestia said as she and Luna turned around.

"A guard patrol in the desert has found a changeling hive, Luna said, getting to the point, surprising the six of us, Rarity even gasping.

"Those beasts have a hive in Equestria," she asked, appalled.

"It is worse," Celestia said. "It isn't just any changeling hive. It belongs to Chrysalis, the one who attacked Shining Armor, may his soul find peace, and Cadence's wedding."

"Then what are we waiting for," Rainbow, as impatient as ever, said. "Let's go stone her flank!"

"Restraint, Rainbow Dash," Luna said. "We only know where the hive is, not the amount of changelings in it."

"Then what are we gonna do," Applejack asked.

"We were planning on using an invisibility spell to sneak in, then put Chrysalis to sleep with a spell before bringing her here for trial," Celestia said. "I wanted you six to come if your rainbow forms are needed."

Yeah. Even they called it that. Sure am glad we haven't used it recently. Anyway, the six of us agreed, and from there, we teleported to the desert and, with Rainbow in the air, we saw the carriage, and followed it. From there, well, nothing happened until then, when Josh called to Celestia, which let us know he somehow knew we were there.

"How'd he know we were here," Applejack asked.

"I don't know," Luna, the one who had cast the invisibility spell, said.

"I do," I said. "When I was in the Empire while the Caribou were there, I saw what his technology could do first hand. Just the armor he's wearing protected him from whatever spell the Caribou had going, and it was trying to turn him. It wouldn't surprise me if his tech could let him see through an invisibility spell." And it was here that I was, metaphorically speaking, hit by a train because I had told the girls of what happened in the Empire, and no detail, except for the plan, was withheld, and I saw a slight look of what I later realized as fear on Celestia's face.

"Uhm, Sugarcube," Applejakc said, "when did ya go to tha Empire? An' what in tarnation are 'Caribou'?" I freaked out here, for obvious reasons.

What does she mean? I told them about what happened in the Empire three days ago, I thought, panicking. I know i did, I even wrote it down on my checklist of things to tell them the next day, and Spike checked it off, and I double checked it on the double check-check list. So what happened?

Fortunately, I was brought out of this by Josh speaking up from his ACU. "Three seconds until I blow you all back to Canterlot the fun way. Well, fun for me, that is."

"Wait," I yelled, casting a counterspell on myself to make me visible to everyone as Josh raised his ACU's main cannon. "We were following Chrysalis!"

"Twilight Sparkle, are you mad," Luna asked. "If we are right, it will kill us."

"No, he won't, Luna," I replied.

"Why were you following her," Josh asked. "Also, how is Cadence doing, considering?"

"To bring her to Canterlot for trial," I replied to the first. "And well, I guess. I haven't seen her since then."

"Noted," he replied. "Now, two options exist for you and your friends. Either A: you return to Canterlot, and forget you saw me, or B: you come with me and Chrysalis for negotiations, or at least ensuring there will be no hostilities between you all. I do not care which you choose, but I will warn you. If the changelings and I reach an agreement, if you attack them, you attack me, as I protect my allies."

It was here that the others became visible, and their answer was not very surprising. All variations of "no", just to keep it short for you all.

With that, most of my friends left. Luna, though, actually stayed. "Um, Princess," I asked, "why are you still here?"

"Because it is better to have the changelings as an ally than that thing as an enemy," she replied, and she had a fair point.

"Sister, Twilight, come on," Celestia said from behind us, a teleportation spell charging on her horn.

And this is where my life changed first, and I did the one thing I didn't think was possible. "No," I said to her, surprising myself as well as the others, but I think the one most surprised was Celestia, and I went further. I guess a little of my frustration of being a practically useless princess bubbles over. "And seeing as how I'm a princess, I don't need to follow every order, and can't be labeled as a traitor by saying 'no' to you, princess," I said, crossing my arms. I actually felt proud there. I guess it was because I was growing a little, showing that I was willing to speka my mind, even against Celestia.

"And as a co-ruler," Luna said, "I have the authority to make treaties."

Celestia sighed. "So be it, then," she said before she and the others teleported away, and I felt sadness for abandoning my friends before Luna put a hand on my shoulder.

"You are growing into your role, Twilight Sparkle," she said. "Faster than Cadence, actually. It was shortly after my return that she spoke against Celestia for the first time. I know as she said it was the first time."

"Thanks, Princess," I said, "but I do fell kind of bad for doing that."

"To be expected for the first time," she said.

"So, I assume you two wish to come," Josh said from his ACU, making us face him.

"Indeed we do," Luna said.

"Then I recommend you either fly along side me, or ride with Chrysalis, as it will be a while for you all to get there."

"What do you think, Luna," I asked.

"I think I will ride with Chrysalis, so that I may try to find her reasons as to Canterlot. You?"

"I think I'll rid eon his shoulder," I said, blushing a little. "But before, do you remember my repor ton the Empire, including the Caribou?"

She nodded, at least helping me ensure I wasn't going mad. "Indeed. I find it odd that the others did not, seeing as how you told them shortly after my sister and I. I doubt even Rainbow Dash is that forgetful."

"It is weird, isn't it," I asked. "Almost like something stopped them from remembering it." I shrugged. "I guess i can try to find out later. I guess I'll see you in pony later."

"Indeed you will," Luna said before she spread her wings, and flew down to where Chrysalis was as I flew to the ACU's left shoulder.

"Interesting to see you here, Twilight," Josh said as I landed and we began to move, the speakers having been lessened. "And I heard what your friends said, and I think I may be able to help."

"How," I asked.

"A simple theory," he said. "You see, all over the desert, I have small forward operating bases protected from magical detection by jamming devices, and an unfortunate incident with a unicorn a day ago in the range of one such jammer taught me it was able to jam some magics. You were in the range on one by literally an inch, as well as Luna, while Changelings have a protective magical field around them, and I reoutfitted my ACU with the same tech upon learning that. That would mean-" he said, trailing off for me tofigure it out

"Whatever it was, it was magical in origin," I replied.

"Exactly," he said. "And your friends were outside the range. "And that would beg the question, to which I have a few guesses for the answer, I would like to say, as to who cast it, and why?"

"But who would be strong enough to do that?!"

"What do you mean," he asked.

"I mean who would be powerful enough to cast a spell that actively rewrites ponies minds all. . .over. . .Equestria," I said, thoughts coming in.

"I take it you have a few ideas of your own," he asked me.

"Yeah, I do," I replied. "But if it's alright, I need sometime to think on them."

"Of course," Josh replied.

Luna-1st

Chrysalis and I were her carriage on the way to wherever we were being led, sitting on different sides, the interior guards on either side of us on opposite sides of the carriage. "So," the changeling queen said, "I'm surprised you wish to have a treaty with us, considering the wedding."

I shrugged. "I figure it better to have you as an ally rather than having this demon as an enemy."

"Fair point," she said, crossing her arms. "And why do you call him a demon anyways?"

"He did kill Tirek-"

"Like you don't think that was a good idea in private?"

"-. . . Good point. Anyway, there's also his appearance."

"You're colored dark, an if any thing with horns could be considered an evil, then you, your sister, Twilight Sparkle, formerly Princess Cadence, I had changelings in the Empire when it happened, and I know what happened there, and you don't need to worry, they remember, and every unicorn could be considered villains."

"I find it funny you're able to say that when all of pony kind see your kind as monsters."

She shrugged. "Maybe, but unlike ponies, our first law isn't 'Love and Tolerate all creatures.' By the way, nice hypocrisy, seeing as how when our kind first met with ponies one thousand years ago, your first action was to purge us. And don't lie, i had agents in your government then, and I know that the laws were back then."

"You were draining our subjects of their life force," I retorted.

"Of only a few," she replied calmly. "And even then, those few knew of us, and some were even married to ponies who knew, and were forced to leave when their mates were found to be changelings."

"And yet you attacked Canterlot."

"Do you know why we attacked," she asked.

"Celestia said because you wished to have revenge on us because of a thousand years ago," I replied, to which the queen laughed.

"Maybe, but that would have been a side benefit I could care less about," she said. "We did it because we were hungry, and there was a spell that prevented us from feeding on ambient love energy unless it was being directed towards us. Before you say we could have disguised to get that, we were, but it didn't provide enough sustenance, and we avoided diplomacy because we knew what your tyrant of a sister would do to us just on sight."

"Celestia isn't a tyrant," I yelled.

"Isn't she," Chrysalis asked. "She let you be forgotten from history except as a story, and even then only let your corrupted persona be known as an old mare's tale. She pushed your, for lack of a better term, 'modernization' on to her student to begin with, as if she wanted no part of you, has done only one thing since your banishment herself, that one thing being losing to me when she tried to stop me, and put her student and friends in danger. And, to top it off, she thinks the god of chaos can easily be bent to her rules. Does that not sound like a tyrant, if not a dictator at least?"

I opened my mouth to retort to her, but, before I could say anything, my brain had processed what she said, and, much as I would have hated to admit so then, she did have a good point. "I suppose you think you have a point," I said in the end, not yet wanting to admit it.

"More then just 'think'," Chrysalis said. "But tell me, where were you during the wedding, anyway? None of my agents knew where you were."

"I was visiting some friends in the Void," I replied. "Which, now that I think on it, Josh has a similar energy to one of my friends."

"Meaning?"

"I do not know," I said, shrugging. "But still, I doubt it is important."

"I'd be careful there, Princess," Chrysalis said. "Often, what we don't think is important is. I speak from personal experience."

"Is that how you failed to take Canterlot," I asked with a slight, joking smile.

"No, that was me just gloating," the queen replied with a similar smile and a small chuckle. "I was talking about Discord coming free when I tried to take over Ponyville and the Elements and turn the half of the bearers into changelings."

"Why would you try to do that?"

"So your sister would be forced to live knowing changelings in her border, and yo remove them would be to get rid of three national heroes," she replied. "Can you think of any other way short of taking over a nation, which would be a financial nightmare, by the way, to make her accept changelings?"

"If what you say is true, I suppose not," I said. It was here the carriage stopped, and both of us heard Josh outside.

"We are as far as the carriage will be useful," he said. "Best to exit now, and do as Twilight is and ride on the shoulders."

We looked at each other, and she shrugged. "I don't see why not," Chrysalis said. "Guards, follow."

"Yes, Ma'am," her guards said, and we left the carriage, her and her guards before me, and each flew up onto one on the shoulder's of Josh's machine, me going to the same side as Twilight.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle," I said upon landing. "You seem troubled."

"It's nothing important for you, princess," she said. "Oh, and you may want to put a shield up, seeing as how we're going through an artificial portal, and i have no idea what may happen to somepony who's not shielded."

"I had figured that," I said as I put a shield over myself and Twilight. "Did you hear that, Chrysalis?"

"Indeed I did," the changeling queen replied from the other side.

"So, is everypony ready," Josh asked.

"Yes," we all said.

"Then get ready," he said before walking into a building that had beams of purple and red energy going up and down, causing us to teleport.

Josh-1st

So, yeah. We went through the Cybran gateway in the desert, and came out the Aeon one in the arctic, which is when I made my way to the Empire. "Before you ask, Princess Luna," I said, "Princess Cadence did say she owed me a favor for freeing the Empire. I plan on cashing it in is all."

"That's not exactly how she worded it," Twilight said, "but the meaning is the same. I guess you need someplace to carry the negotiations out?"

"Yep, and I know Celestia isn't eager to have me anytime soon," I said. "Besides, I figured one of the terms would be for Chrysalis to help the Empire rebuild as compensation for the wedding. I'd help, but I don't want to risk hurting a civilian by accident, and I don't know where most of them stand in regards to me."

"Actually, most of them wanted to make a statue of you," Twilight said. "Only reason they didn't was bcause they didn't have you to model for it."

"They do realize I destroyed their only form of protection, right?"

"Yeah, but most do realize why you did it, and that you didn't have a choice," Twilight said. "Plus, your army up here could protect them just as well."

"Fair point," I said as I exited the Aeon base. With the size of each step of the ACU, it took me ten minutes to get to the edge of the Empire, and Cadence and a small group of guards were waiting for us. I stopped just before I would have hit grass, and had the ACU head look down. "Hello, princess," I said. "How are you and your subjects doing?"

"Well," she replied, the stump where her horn used to be hidden by her hair. Well, much as it can be, considering her horn's gone. "Why are you here, Josh?"

"I'm calling in the favor you owe me," I said. "I require a building to do diplomatic shit I know I'm going to find boring with Chrysalis, the changeling queen from your wedding."

"You want an alliance with the changelings?"

"She came to me," I said. "So, do I get the building?"

"You'll need to come out of that."

"Figured as much," I said before unstrapping myself from the seat and climbing up to the main hatch, then sliding down the ladder on the left side of the ACU, passing by Twilight and Princess Luna, who followed down with their wings.

"You look different than I had expected." Luna said to me.

"Okay, how many thought that," I said pointing to the ACU, "was my actual body?"

"To begin with, just about all of my friends, myself, and Luna, Celestia, and Cadence," Twilight said. "Now, I'm thinking all of Equestria except me, Luna, Cadence, and Celestia."

"What do you mean, Twily," Cadence asked, walking up.

"Long story, Cadence," Twilight said, and the two did their traditional greeting, which looks more creepy than cute in anthro, by the way.

"Hello, Cadence," Luna said. "Twilight Sparkle told us of what happened here three days ago. I am glad to see you are well, considering."

"Thanks, auntie," Cadence said. "I'm kind of surprised you're here."

"Because of the changelings, or me," I asked.

"Both, seeing as how news from Equestria paints you as a monster, and it was confirmed by my aunts," Cadence said. "And, well, my wedding."

"I thought it better to have Chrysalis as an ally than Josh as an enemy," Luna said.

She sighed. "Fair enough, I guess. Come on, I'll show you to what I'm using as my home until a palace can be built." With that, she went to meet with Chrysalis while leading us into the city to some unknown destination. On the way there, I saw multiple crystal ponies, now looking like Earth ponies with bright skin, I imagine as a result of my, ahem, glassing of the Crystal heart. Yes, I know that's a Halo term, but it's appropriate for this.

Anyway, just about each of them was working on reconstructing stuff that was probably damaged in the air runs by my units, and most saw me, stopping what they were doing to bow. Yeah, I was surprised too, as were Luna and Twilight. "It seems they hold you in the same position as young Spike," Luna said. "Then again, you did save them from another state of being enslaved, even if the males at the time thought differently."

"How'd you even know the Caribou were here, anyway," Twilight asked, to which I shrugged.

"I had one of my spy plane units investigate a magical signature my scanners didn't recognize, and saw it was the Caribou. I sent the message to Canterlot, which arrived around the same time I used the ACU mounted teleporter, which took thirty minutes to charge, by the way, to teleport outside the barrier," I said.

"Did you do the same to know where we were," Luna asked.

"Yep," I said. "To be fair, though, I would have intercepted you all even if you weren't following Chrysalis to keep my base a secret." I then tilted my head, thinking. "You know, if I had a blueprint of the palace, I could probably use an Engineer or my ACU to replace it, now that I think on it."

"That was a bit of a random thought," Twiligh tsaid.

"Eh, sometimes my mind goes off course," I said. "Usually when I'm talking, though. My mind is not as organized as some."

"That I can sympathize with," Luna said.

"So, Princess Luna," I said, "what's your stance on what I did to Tirek?"

"In all honesty, he got what he deserved," Luna said. "If Celestia hadn't turned into a pacifist after the first Caribou invasion, he wouldn't have come back."

"They invaded before," I asked, surprised.

"Indeed they did, ten years before my banishment and five after Discord's first imprisonment," she said. "They nearly beat us, but Celestia faced their king alone, and I had thought them killed, seeing as how we did not see them."

"Uh, Luna," Twilight said, "as much an introvert I am, even I know the only way to make a patriarchal race like the Caribou is to, well. . ."

"To be crass," I said, "to let them fuck her brains out. Just how old was Dainn, anyway?"

"Dainn," Luna asked. "That was the name of their king to begin with!"

"Oh," I said. "Well, with that, it explains a lot with Celestia," I added in a mutter, namely how Celestia of all ponies went from a black collar in the canon of Fall of Equestria, which is to say those who are against the Caribou regime, to a willing red. Seriously, I may hate her, but of all ponies, I would not peg her for that.

"But my sister would not give in to those beasts," Luna said.

"Well, we can discuss it later," I said. "Namely after negotiations."

"Yeah, it's not like it will mean the destruction of Equestria if we go off it for a while," Twilight said. That got looks of surprise from Luna and I as we continued to walk. "What?"

"It's not like you to not worry about something, especially where Celestia's involved," I said. To veer any questions off, I added, "I have my sources."

"He is correct," Luna said.

"Well I am the one to have come up with and vocalize it first," she said, crossing her arms.

"Fair enough," I said before the group stopped at a two tiered, crystal house that was definitely a noble house, if the fancy and pointless decoration was any indication.

"We're here," Cadence said.

"So I guess we head inside, then," I ask.

"Yep," Cadence said. "If you four will follow me," she said, and we followed her inside, the changeling guards staying outside.

Cadence led us inside and to a dining room with a rectangular table, five seats on the large sides, two on the smaller. "So, who's the owner of this place," I asked.

"Me," Cadence replied, taking a seat at one of the head chairs. "Shining and I bought this in case something happened with the palace for official business. Probably a good thing, I guess. And you guys can take a seat."

With that, we took seats on opposite sides of the table, Luna and Twilight on one side, Chrysalis on one side, and me on the same side, but a chair away. "So, what are we going to discuss first," I ask.

I'm going to spare you all the details of this part of the story, and go straight in to what was the outcome. Chrysalis and her hive, as reparations for Canterlot, were to help the Crystal rebuild and such, would not attack Equestria unless it attacked first or declared war, and were to provide me a place to rest outside my ACU, as well as food, in the desert base, while the Empire did so here in the arctic. As such, I would help protect both from enemies. As for myself and Equestria, it was simple: if they did not bother me, I would not attack them, but if something came up that either they couldn't handle or threatened me as well, I would step in. No tech yet, I don't trust Celestia to not declare war on me once she finds out how to use my tech.

It had been, and this is to the second, as my HUD also had a clock, five hours since the whole thing started when it ended. "That went better than expected," Cadence said.

"Agreed," Luna said. "I just hope Celestia does not wish to revise it. She thinks my banishment has left me incapable of doing treaties."

"Sounds like she's hogging as much of the power for herself," I said.

"You sound like Chrysalis," the lunar alicorn said, to which I shrugged with indifference. It was here that a crystal pony guard rushed in.

"Princess," he said. "I have a message from Princess Celestia!"

"Great," I muttered as the scroll said message was on was handed to Cadence, who opened and read it.

"Uh, Auntie, Twilight?"

"Yeah," Twilight asked.

"Auntie Celestia just said you were corrupted by dark magic and have allied with Josh, or 'The Demon', as she called him in the letter."

"Oh dear fucking god, here we go," I said, pinching the part of my face where my nose led into my forehead. "Anything else related to me?"

"Yeah," Cadence said. "And it isn't good."

"What is it?"

"She wants you to return Luna and Twily, as well as her husband-seriously? She has a husband?"

"What's the name?"

"Dainn."

"Nuke missile silo one, target but do not fire on Canterlot," I said. "Well, that explains a lot about that universe. And if I don't?"

"She'll declare war, and defeat you herself."

"And that confirms it," Twilight said.

"What," I ask.

"That spell your jammers protected me and Luna from? There were only two beings who could cast one like that, and with hindsight being twenty-twenty, I think I know who cast it."

"Who?"

"Celestia did."

Nuke silos one through three, target but do not fire on Canterlot. "Well, here's my reply," I say standing up. "You want war, Celestia? Well, you little Caribou cock slut, I plan on giving you war with all of my forces. I simply wished to be left alone, but events, including your stupidity, has not allowed that. So, to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, I challenge you to a one on one duel in the Crystal Empire, where I currently am, with every piece of equipment we have. You get every spell, and I get my ACU. But I warn you now, if you face me, you will not win."