Chapters Mirror of Altered Reality
Two years had passed since the Princess of the Sun banished her little sister to the moon. Celestia struggled to keep her little kingdom from falling to ruin. Outsiders wanted in, insiders couldn't get out. She had to expand. The thought of living alone in a castle that was meant to be ruled by a pair, suddenly made it feel... empty. With decisive action, she closed the doors to the castle in the Everfree Forest, and looked for better ground on which to build her new home.
Why she chose the side of a mountain... who knows? Even with the help of Starswirl the Bearded, and several other noteworthy mages, construction took another 2 years. Once complete, Celestia sat atop her new throne and sighed. Starswirl, friendly as he was, asked her what the matter was.
"I know not, Starswirl. Just, I had thought this new haven would be built with my sister at my side. Had I noticed sooner the hatred consuming her, mayhap I could have..." Celestia turned to her side, and imagined her sister in a similar throne.
"There is naught you could have done. This world is on a path, and nothing may deter it so easily. And while you inherited her duty to rise and set the moon, so too, have you inherited the responsibility of her three elements. What I cannot fathom is why you would not want them nearby?"
Celestia turned to her old friend and smiled. "Yes, my sister is gone, as well as several threats from the past. None of which likely to return at any time. Unfortunately... Naught matters in that regard, for now is the time of peace. I need no defense from that which does not exist."
Starswirl looked out through the stained glass window at the horizon line. "Celestia, I know you meant not what you did. But little choice you had, and I'm sure you feel sorry." He turned back to her and slowed his words. "But, do not forget: you cannot change the past, only act in the present, to affect the future."
"Wise words, but as usual, your lecture is riddled with crypticism. I am to act now, to obtain a future I cannot comprehend? Then if it goes how I do not desire, there's no way of undoing that which has been done. As a wizard of time spells, you know that better than anypony."
Starswirl chuckled a bit before replying, "Ah yes, cryptic indeed. Remind me, was it you or your sister who wielded the magic element?"
"I did."
"That's right. You did. Then is it any wonder how you came up with the correct answer to my 'cryptic' lecture?" Starswirl turned toward the door. "Forgive me, princess. There are matters I need to attend to. I'll return in the morning, and can have a nice cut of dessert." He left the room, closing the doors behind him.
"Sometimes I think he knows more than he lets on, other times, it feels like he's not all there." She sighed once more and looked out a the horizon. "I just wish there was some way, to see what could have been, had I not done what I did."
"Perhaps there is a way, child," a voice called out. "If you seek it."
"Who goes there?" Celestia called out. No reply sounded through the empty room. "I did hear you."
"Then listen closely, young one," it replied. Celestia got behind her throne and glanced around the room. "You desire to see a world where all is as you believe it should be. A reality that does not truly exist."
"But one that could have. To see my sister once more, I will gladly do anything."
"Anything, you say?" A bright flash of light filled the room as a large white alicorn stood in the middle. Her red flowing mane and tail emitted a warm glow. "Come, child."
Celestia squinted at the figure, and stepped out. Even as considerably sized as Celestia was, this new alicorn towered over her. "Who ... are you?"
"I am The Divine Creator, The Ultimate, The Mother. I am All, I am One. As I have many names, I may take many forms. My abilities are grand and miniscule, and none are without price."
"Is this some illusion?" she asked warily.
"Think what you will. Answer me this: do you desire to see the world you described?"
"More than a- wait... If you have an ultimate ability, why not bring my sister back from the moon?"
"That is her punishment for trying to force others to respect her. Is that not how you justified it? Her banishment is her punishent but yours as well. I cannot undo that. I can, however, grant you this." Her horn lit a rainbow of colors and created a reflective surface, bordered in gems. "Beyond this mirror is a world, much like this one, but one where your sister is at your side." Celestia stepped toward it, and reached a hoof out to breach its surface. "Know this: my power is not without drawback. The mirror will only be passable every 30 moons. 3 nights from the day it opens, it will close for another 30 moons. This mirror will first open 3 nights before the next new moon. And correct me if I am wrong, there will be one tonight..."
"There ... will be. Why are you doing this?"
"Consider this a gift to you. As it now belongs to you, you may do with it what you want. Destroy it, live beyond it, give it away, it matters not to me." Her horn lit once more as another light grew in brightness around Her. "I bid you farewell, child."
"Wait! I still have so many questions..." Too late, had she requested more time. Alone she sat, before her new mirror. "A world lies beyond this mirror. And it will open tonight."
Starswirl burst through the door, sending scraps of wood in all directions. "What happened in here? I saw a bright ligt, then the door locked. Are you well?"
"I am. Come look at this." He walked to her side and looked at the mirror. "It's a gift to me."
"You conjured a mirror. Congratulations." He looked at her with worry. "I am not amused by your want to look in a mirror. Farewell." He teleported out and fixed the door in the process.
"Wait, that's not... Oh whatever."
That night, Celestia stepped through the mirror and crawled out on the other side. She looked up to see a large wooden structure. Behind her was a wooden construct resembling a horse. Several creatures were going into the structure wearing absurd amounts of fabric. Terrified, she backed through the portal and emerged her pony form.
After several quick breaths, she moved the mirror behind her throne. So that if by some accident, something tried to get through, it would hit the back of her throne and fail.
Wait a minute... I ... did I see ... She moved the mirror slowly and stepped through one more time.
On the other side, she looked over herself and tried to right herself, as she saw them do. "My sister could be in there."
"Hm, I wonder who that could be. Perhaps an attendee?" She looked and saw a gray being with a long white beard wearing fabric with bells attached. "Might be as though I can help you."
"You are... Starswirl... Yes?"
"I am. Intriguing that you know me, yet we've never met before. I am indeed Starswirl. I am a new instructor at this establishment. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance." He offered his hand in introduction.
Celestia looked at it, then at her own. Slowly, she reached out and grasped his. "Forgive me, but I may need help traversing. These legs are not what I am used to."
Over the course of the next couple days, Starswirl lent his aid in discerning the existence of Celestia's sister. All went without interruption as a majority of the students were out for the day. The few that remained did not care too much to see an instructor supporting a student around. The Study was visited, along with the main office. Scrolls were looked through, and images scoured. Finally, she found it: an image of Celestia and Luna in a scroll dated last week. With this new information, Celestia let slip a single tear and a smile. That very night, Celestia disappeared from that world, and took with her that scroll.
From that day, onward, that scroll has remained one of Princess Celestia's most prized possessions.
In the decades before Equestria, a creature existed in the desert in the western land. For some reason, he was made by combining limbs from various other beings. A goat leg, a draconian wing, a lion paw, to name a few. He was not always as corrupt as he eventually became. In fact, he started out rather harmless. One day, in his thinking tree, he began to wonder why he was created in the first place.
"Isn't it obvious?" he responded to himself. Literally. There were two of him in the tree. "You're here to make sure things are working together. Harmony. That is why I was made." Discord looked to his twin, a normal looking being. No mismatched parts, no disorderly acts. His name is Harmony.
"You're here to make sure I work together with you ," Discord replied. "Two opposing forces working together, but which of us drew the short straw?"
"Neither of us. We are equal in measure to each other, none better than the other, you know that." Harmony looked over at his brother and turned into an eagle. "Our only difference is our role."
"Yes, yours is being good, and mine is being evil. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Then why do you sulk?" Harmony asked, landing by Discord's side.
"You think I'm sulking?" Discord started laughing. "That's the best joke I've heard all day. You know what they say, it's all down hill from here." He quieted himself and glared at Harmony.
"Your sarcasm isn't amusing. If I am not around to keep you in check, you could end the world."
"If you're not around, I'd be down one stick in the mud." Discord snapped his eagle talon and turned Harmony into a stick in a bucket of mud. Harmony quickly reverted back to his eagle form and frowned.
"Why do you contend with me so? We were meant to rule together." Harmony did not retaliate. "If all goes well, there may be hope for you yet."
"I don't hate to break it to you, 'brother', but if I were to rule, it certainly wouldn't be at your side."
"I painfully wait the day when your eyes will open, and see the future of this land and its possibilities."
"This land is a desert! Not a blade of grass for miles, and water, even further! If civilization were to thrive, it's doubtful to start in this wasteland. Being here, it's a form of imprisonment." Discord scorched the tree as it turned to ice, then melted into thin air. "You and I are its only residents."
"Come now, Discord. Destroying the laws of nature at this age will throw out your back." Discord's spine fell out of place as he used it as a cane. "Not literally."
"What good is sarcasm, if not to be taken at face value?" His spine curled around Discord and clicked into place. "Besides, if you weren't so boring, I wouldn't have to destroy nature's laws."
The two beings continued their debate well beyond sundown. Harmony fell asleep as a large snake in the sand while Discord found comfort in a hammock between two palm trees.
"I would like nothing more than to be rid of him forever."
"And defeat the purpose of scales?" a voice replied. "That sounds a bit selfish."
Discord looked around and saw his brother had stopped moving. "That's not me... Who's out there?" he asked. No reply. "I know you're there, there's no sense in hiding from me."
"What fun is there in making sense?" it responded. Discord made the trees and hammock disappear as he scanned the desert. "You desire to be rid of your other half? To see to it that he no longer extsts?"
"If only that could actually happen..."
"Then I might be able to help." A blinding light came up from the sand as a tall white alicorn stood over Discord. "Listen close."
"And what are you?" he asked, walking around the new creature. "Never seen the likes of you before."
"I am The Divine Creator, The Ultimate, The Mother. I am All, I am One. As I have many names, I may take many forms. My abilities are grand and miniscule, and none are without price."
"The desert heat must have gotten to me. I'm hallucinating." Discord pinched himself and winced in fake pain. When he looked once more, it was gone. "Hah, nice try, mirage."
It reappeared behind him without warning. "You think me to be a mirage?"
"Not so much any more. Tell me, with all your cosmic power, what's stopping you from ruling the world?"
"It is not my place. Now tell me, to see your brother fade from this world, what will you give?" she asked.
Discord thought for a moment. "That's the thing: you're taking away Harmony, all that remains is Discord. And you know, I can ignore the laws of equivalent exchange, so this is a one-sided agreement."
"I see. Then allow me." She enveloped Harmony in rainbow hued magic and lifted him into the air. As his body writhed, it began to expand, contort, and change form. When it descended, in its place stood an odd looking mirror. "I will take your brother, and gift you this in return."
"Ooh, shiny. What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Destroy it, destroy with it, give it away. As it is yours, you may do with it what you want. But know this: No action is without reaction. For every good an evil, every up a down. Every life, a death. This endless cycle is called balance. You are Discord. Your brother is the Mirror of Balance you see before you."
"You turned him into a mirror. What's stopping him from turning back?" Discord asked running his claw over its surface.
"His life ended, and he was meant to live. With death, there is life. This is your curse: you will live the rest of your life, and add his to it. You are now, incapable of growing old."
"That doesn't sound so bad. Now I can spread all the chaos I want." Discord tossed the mirror into the sands and erected a stone pyramid over it.
"With every evil, there is good," she whispered. "Only when you are both, can you attain true peace." With that, she vanished.
Now free from his brother's watchful gaze, he began turning the world into his playground. Until the princesses showed up. Together with an ultimate force of good, they were able to imprison the ultimate force of evil. There is karma in his story; when he tossed aside harmony, harmony came back for him.
The Crystal Empire. The shining pillar of hope in the frozen wastelands in the north. Ponies everywhere, having fun, giving their contribution to society in the only way they know. One individual, who had studied that peculiar mineral, retired for the night. Unlike the Crystal Ponies below, he felt alone. No father to scold him, nor mother to love him. He was tuly alone. Prince Sombra was unique, for he had no mark upon his flank. Yet he still ruled the land.
His subjects knew, but did not know how to act because of it. To be a part of an empire to a prince with no mark... it was almost dishonorable. It became clear to the prince that his position could be overthrown at any time. Only reason it hasn't yet, was the order to keep every pony out of his castle walls. As he lay in bed, many thoughts crossed through his mind. Thoughts of freedom, of joy, of sorrow. Feelings of anguish of not having parents, of pride for the kingdom he created in spite of his failings.
"'Truly I have hit a tough spot in my life. As my time creeps closer, so too grows the shadow of failure in what I could not accomplish.' And that's enough for tonight." Sombra closed the book and placed it on his nightstand. "Tomorrow is a new day, and I have more research to conduct." He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Sombra woke up the following morning to a riot outside his room. "Come out, false prince! We'll not wait any longer!" With that, the door to his room shattered, and the posted guards flew in to protect him. Wave after wave of ponies flooded the room, as the prince teleported away to a safe room, leaving his guards to deal with things.
"Early morning, and already an overthrow attempt. They won't find me up here." He turned and saw the Crystal Heart. "Why do they hate me so? It is the result of being markless? Is it that bad to not have a talent?"
"I don't believe so, my Prince," the standing guard announced. "After all, you have lead this land to greatness, in spite of your tragedy."
"Thank you, White Wind. Your words are a melody of inspiration." He sighed and looked over the edge at his falling empire. "Where did I go wrong... What happened that made everything go to tartarus?" White Wind was silent, as the prince sought no reply. "Nevertheless, this is my castle. They will learn not to intrude upon my domain." He faltered.
"It appears you are not wholly convinced. Before you are two paths, I see. One is the path of the leader. This one will be full of trials, tribulations, and an immensely heavy back load. The other is the path of the conqueror. Down this path, you will find darkness, but at the same time, you will have no work to do, as your subjects will do it all for you."
"You believe there are two ways to rule subjects? To be loved or feared?" Sombra walked closer to his guard. "Which do you prefer?"
"It matters not which path you walk. You are my prince, and therefore am bound by duty to obey." White Wind looked at the prince with fear in his eyes.
Prince Sombra saw it and stepped back. "You think me to be a conqueror, is that the right of it? You fear me. You are not loyal by choice!" His heightened volume pushed back the guard. "You, and the rest of the land will have right to fear me!"
"You are convinced, then?" a voice called out. "Of the path you wish to walk?"
Immediately, Sombra turned to the stairs, seeing nothing. "Show yourself, coward!" No response. "Show yourself or I will force you out!"
"Such bold words from a lonely prince." A blinding light forced Sombra to shield his eyes. "Have you the ability to back them up?"
"I need not to," he replied as the light dimmed. It revealed a tall white alicorn with a burning red mane and tail. "For you are here now, whatever you are..."
"I am The Divine Creator, The Ultimate, The Mother. I am All, I am One. As I have many names, I may take many forms. My abilities are grand and miniscule, and none are without price."
"The... Mother? Of who?" Sombra walked closer to the towering pony. "Me?"
"To all life on this planet. That includes, but is not limited to, you, Prince Sombra."
"Why have you come? Surely there is a reason."
"I am here, to grant you that which you desire most: the ability to instill fear with a single look." Her horn lit up a rainbow of colors as a dark outlined mirror took form. "I give you a mirror that peers into the very soul, and traps the viewer in an illusion of their deepest fear."
Sombra walked over to it, then turned back to White Wind, who had vanished. "What do you want me to do with it..."
"Destroy it, conquer the world with it, give it away, it matters not to me. It is yours to do with what you want." A bright light wrapped around Her as she disappeared inside it, leaving his new mirror.
"Hmm. Darkest fear... What do I fear most?" Sombra looked into the mirror, and became trapped.
"Sombra? Sombra!" White Wind called out. "Sombra, my Lord, what have you done?!" The world around him turned to ruin before his very eyes. Pillars of lava erupted from the ground, nopony in sight. Sombra looked at his guard, or rather, his mangled form.
"You should not have defied me. This, is your end." Sombra lit his horn a black glow, and dissolved his guard into dust. "You feared me first, but you will not be the last. All of Equestria will bow down to my power!"
Sombra shook his head out of the illusion. "Perhaps it didn't show me my fear, or rather what became of me should I use its power to instill fear to everypony else..." The door broke down, revealing himself. Sombra quickly moved the mirror into their line of sight and they all froze in horror. Every one of them started mumbling, then crying out for help. Some went insane, and jumped. Others stayed in place. This is incredible! He turned the mirror away as they all snapped out of it and fell to their knees.
"What ... did you do to us..." one asked.
"Your fear, tell me what it was!"
"you... you ruled us for eternity..."
"Then so it shall be!" he bellowed. He forced each and every pony to gaze into his mirror. Over the years, he forced them to rebuild a dark castle. Only to be sealed away in the very far reaches of the tundra he once called home.
King Sombra had the last laugh, as he and his partner split ways, the Crystal Empire vanished into nothing..
After the defeat of the tyrant King Sombra, the princesses returned to their castle to lick their wounds. Some wounds are harder to get rid of, as Luna knows all too well. Having been put in charge of the military, what little there is, had put her n front lines more times than anypony else. Against nations that would seek to rule the new land they earned. That night, the sisters rejoiced over their victory in the throne room.
"Why do you celebrate? The empire is gone completely! Not destroyed, but non-existant!" Starswirl the Bearded said angrily. "You are either fortunate or very un fortunate that is all that happened. I get that you had the elements with you, as a trump card, but even so-"
"Now Starswirl. The empire is gone, yes, but its inhabitants are with it. In time, I am sure it will resurface, and when that time comes, my sister and I will do it right." Celestia looked at her old friend and waved for him to come over. "You have got to look at the bright side of things."
He reluctantly walked over, a stern expression plastered over his face. "I will hear none of that, Celestia. What bright side is there to decimation?"
Luna looked up from her bandaged wing. "Art thou expressing the smallest amount of unfairness? We did not witness your attempt to quell the situation. Why? Oh, correct us if we are in the wrong, but thou decided not to aid in our infiltration!"
"No, you're right. I wasn't there. But maybe I should have. Would things have changed? Not likely. King Sombra was a powerful unicorn, capable of bestowing fear into all around him with a single look. And his accomplice did not make things easier, I heard." Starswirl sat before his friends.
"Thou hast known of such a being, yes? This... creature?" Luna asked.
"No. Before, I've not seen the likes of it."
"I'm just glad the elements were able to imprison it in Tartarus. 'Tis a fit place for a monster. There it will experience pain eternal."
"If thou ask us, we believe imprisonment was too soft a punishment. Why did the elements not banish it to the tundra like they did Sombra?" Luna inquired to her sister.
"That, I do not know. Perhaps it was not wholly evil. To think it could have acted how it did due to Sombra's influence might be an accurate explaination." Celestia stood and glanced out of the opening in the wall. "He may be gone, the empire along with it, but how long will this peace last?"
"'Twill last as long as it needs to, dear sister. This era of peace could last a decade, or a millennia, either way, we will be here to see it through."
Celestia lowered the the sun as Luna raised the moon to replace it. "Luna, what if it doesn't last at all? All will have been for naught."
"Now, Tia. Don't frown. Rest. The day has been long. As always, we will watch the night skies." Luna stood and walked to the doors. "Starswirl the Bearded, thou should make for your quarters as well. It won't do to slumber under the same canopy as Tia." Starswirl followed her out.
Luna went for a walk through the woods to a secret place, whereas Starswirl went home. She convinced the animals to stay on guard as she enjoyed her peace and quiet.
She had sat down and gazed into the pool of water in the middle of the open area. "Night after night, the same story unfolds. I wake up, I raise the moon. I go to sleep when I lower the moon. Day in day out the cycle repeats. The only ones around me to talk to are animals."
"You have a unique location to reflect upon yourself, child," a voice called out. "In solitude you reside?"
Luna stood and looked around, seeing nothing. "Reveal thyself!" No response. "Thou cannot hide in darkness forever!"
"I was hiding?" A light filled the cave as a large white alicorn with a red flowing mane appeared. "What about you?"
"I'm not hiding from anything. Tell us who you are!"
"I am The Divine Creator, The Ultimate, The Mother. I am All, I am One. As I have many names, I may take many forms. My abilities are grand and miniscule, and none are without price."
"The ultimate? Ultimate what?" Luna asked, stepping closer.
"Ultimate being. An alicorn, like you and your sister, but one that has lived since the beinning of time. It was my birth, that spawned this world and everything on it many millennia ago."
"Why have you come here?" Luna waited, then added, "Does thou wish to do battle?"
"No, of course not. I just wish to hear your troubles."
"As much as I would like to tell you, how do I know I can trust you?" Luna lowered her horn and lit it up.
"You can't, but ... maybe you can trust yourself." Her horn lit up a rainbow of colors and a similar aura pushed Luna into the water. "Just relax..."
Luna teleported out and landed on the opposite side. "You!" she cried. "Y-" She stopped, and looked down at a dark blue hoof protruding from the water's surface. In confuson, she reached out and grabbed on. With enough effort, Luna pulled the pony from the water as it began gasping for air. "What is going on here..."
"We could ask you the same thing..." she replied. "Why are there two of us?"
"Luna, meet Luna. Two of a kind, existing apart from each other. Though, if you choose... You may decide to inhabit the same vessel, and share your lives," the alicorn offered. "Never again will you be alone."
The two Lunas nodded, and a spell was cast on them. Their bodies mixed and combined. The end result was scarcely different from the two components, with the exception of a voice in Luna's head. "What did you do to me?" she asked.
"I made it so you can live two lives. Experience things that you could not otherwise." Another glow began wrapping around Herself.
"Wait, how do I undo this?" Before she heard a reply, She was gone. "Why has this happened..."
Why not? We wished for no more solitude. We were granted no more solitude.
It would not be until years later that the second voice compelled Luna to desire more attention than what was given her. As a result, she found herself on the moon with herself to keep company.
Two centuries after Luna's unfortunate banishment, the hivelands stirred with ceremony. It was coronation day, to proclaim their next princess. Only at the time, it wasn't called the hivelands. There were ponies everywhere, all sorts. Colors, marks, size, race, no combination repeated itself. Their city was small, at its inception, and since grew to rival that of Canterlot. Because of its size, the ruler of their land decided it best to sink their own city into the earth.
There it settled, in the badlands to the southeast. Their queen at the time fixed all damages to the castle and the ground above them. One unicorn mare, questioned why this had to happen.
"If it didn't happen, we'd have been forced into submission by the princess," her friend replied. "Don't get me wrong, I'll miss the surface world, but it's always changing. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll rise and claim our own corner of Equestria for ourselves."
"It's just not fair," Crystal replied, "We were doing just fine. Why the sudden change in location? I'm telling you, something's not right with our leaders."
"It's not fair, to us. But our opinion doesn't matter to the rulers, you know that as well as I do." Her friend smiled and walked into her house, leaving the door open. "No sense dwelling on it now. You can lead your revolution tomorrow," she said jokingly.
Crystal laughed and followed her inside. There, Crystal offered to make tea. Once done, they sat down and talked about their new world. About Crystal's wish that things could one day go back to how they were.
The following morning met with a pounding at the front door and a stern, "Crystal! Your presence is requested in the castle." She opened the door and saw a stallion wearing the guard colors black and green.
"What is this about? H-Hey!" she cried as they pulled her away. She could do nothing against them, for that meant penalty. Everypony knew not to go against the will of the rulers, so quietly she followed. Crystal was thrown at the hooves of the princess and queen of their land.
"This is the one who talked of revolution... Crystal, your name is, yes?" She nodded slowly. "Leave us." She watched as the guards left the room. "I will not have an uprising in this city. What is your problem, so that we might see it through?"
Crystal stood, bowed, and replied, "Why did we need to change where we lived? Surely our surfaced city would be seen as an opportunity to join forces with-"
"That's what this is all about?" the queen asked. "You want to know why?" She turned to the side and brought in a royal guard from Canterlot. "This stallion was caught snooping around the surface. I saw it as an investigation. I will not allow Celestia to push her nose where it doesn't belong."
Crystal looked at the green pegasus, wings and hooves bound. "Is this true?" she asked him.
Before he could respond, the princess interrupted, "Of course it's true, why would he be here otherwise? Besides, what do you care?"
"I'm just ... curious, is all."
"Of?" the queen asked.
It was wrong to imprison him like this. Maybe if I get him out of here, he'll help me be free. "Curious to know how he got down here."
"That, you can ask him yourself." She turned to the prisoner and added, "And if he doesn't respond, then throw him in the dungeon sentenced to death."
Crystal walked over to the stallion and sat down in front of him. He looked up at her quietly. "Is there any way he can sit up? Looking down at him like this... I feel sorry for him."
"He'll lay on his side," the princess responded. Crystal looked over at her, and saw a sword leaning up against her throne.
that must be his... She looked again at him. "First, who are you?"
"I am a knight in the service of her highness Princess Celestia. I am called Regulus."
"How did you get down here?"
"I was ambushed by your military, bound and dragged away to this castle. My weapon was taken from me and I was thrown at the hooves of your rulers."
I see his memory is in tact... "Why are you here? And don't lie."
He was silent for but a moment. "I am here to discover where the city has gone. A week ago, we at Canterlot received a missive asking that a representative be sent to negotiate a peace treaty. Lo and behold, when I got here a few days ago, the city had vanished. Then I was ambushed, like they knew I'd be here."
"Preposterous! I never sent any missive ! Lies! All of them! He's here to spy on us! To find our weakness!"
I don't know which to believe... "I'm done. It is a comfort to me that a threat is neutralized. Long live the queen." Crystal turned and bowed to the rulers, and whispered, "i'll see what i can do to help you." After that, she was escorted back to her friend's house.
~~~~~~~~~
"Chryssi! I'm so glad you're still alive! I only meant it as a joke. The whole, 'revolution' thing. I'm so sorry, I di-"
"Calm yourself, girl. It's fine," she interrupted. She turned to the door and smiled, "Thank you for your continued service."
"What happened? Did they hurt you? Are your limbs still attached? How's your mental state?" Her friend's barrage of questions only made her laugh.
"I'm fine, really." Crystal looked around quickly. "Come, I want to play a game with you." She lead the way to the upstairs bedroom and closed the door.
"What's this about?" She watched as Crystal locked the door, shut the windows, and listened.
"They're holding an investigator from Canterlot at the castle, a pegasus by the name of Regulus. And I don't think he's going to last the week if their torture methods keep up."
"You're scaring me... What are you up to?"
"I'm going to rescue him. If I can get him out, he can take me to Canterlot where I'll finally be free. And if I have to do it alone, I will." She looked at her friend with a serious frown.
"You're going to get yourself killed, you know. Sneaking in is one thing, out is another story."
"He has a sword. I'm getting that first. I know roughly where it is. As well as the cell he'll be in. Getting thrown in one myself will finally come in handy."
"The weapon vault. So, you're going tonight?" Crystal nodded. "I'm sorry, but if you get caught, you'll face the death penalty, along with anypony you bring with you, for treason. I won't be faced with that. I'm sorry. You're on your own."
"Then stay put and don't tell anypony. I'll be back by morning." She walked out and was stopped at the stairs.
"Stay here for now. If you go out there now, you could be caught again. Go in the night." She leaned in. "For all our sakes, I hope this plan is a success. When you make it big in the big city, don't forget about us."
The two enjoyed their day until the lights in the city dimmed and went out. Crystal was ready. She had familiarized herself with the layout of the castle from memory. "Now, if I can figure out how to change the way the queen thinks, then things will go well."
"But first you must change yourself," a voice called out. "Both inside and out."
"I thought you were asleep?" She looked at the closed door to find nothing. "Ivy?"
"Not quite," it replied. A bright white light filled the room as a tall white alicorn graced the small area. "I have a piece of advice for you. When you get him out, you will be captured. When you are in front of the princess and queen, that will be your only time to free your fellow ponies from rule."
"Why are you telling me this?" Crystal asked her.
"Because, I want to. The last pony I wanted to see change the world, decided to try and rule it for himself. But you, you want to change it for the better. If you decide to free your fellow ponies, I will see you again... In the meantime, a parting gift." Her horn lit up a rainbow of colors and surrounded Crystal within. Once complete, her form fell to the floor, a creature with a horn and wings. Her coat changed to black as well.
"What did you do to me?!" she cried.
"I gave you the ability to change into anything you want. The drawback is this: you can only feed on the love from others."
"Who are you even?"
"I am The Divine Creator, The Ultimate, The Mother. I am All, I am One. As I have many names, I may take many forms. My abilities are grand and miniscule, and none are without price."
"You can take many forms... And you passed that ability to ... me?" She nodded. "Then why do I look like a bug?"
"You are called a Changeling. A name befitting your powers of transformation. Try to think about what you looked like before."
Crystal closed her eyes and imagined her previous body. With a quick burst of flame, she stood there, as she was before. "It worked. When does it wear off?"
"When you attempt to change again. In time, you wll learn to control this power. But know this: your magic will forever be a green color. Even when you change." Her light grew in brightness as she disappeared. "You don't have long."
Crystal looked herself and flew out the window as the pegasus guard that took her away. When she changed, she got the armor as well. After a short flight, she landed at the base of the castle. No guards had seen her, thankfully. She was able to sneak inside, get to the weapons vault and retrieve the sword. However, she tried to get the sword out of its sheath, but that failed. So she changed to a unicorn guard with two sword holders and placed the one on one side, and a different one on the other. Getting in was easy, getting out was harder. She heard hoofsteps just outside.
Crystal knocked on the door. "Is somepony out there? I'm trapped!" she called.
Quickly, the guard unlocked the door as she ran out, taking sharp breaths. "You alright? What happened?"
"The prisoner escaped, and locked me in there. I don't know which way he went."
The guard turned away and replied, "I'm sure we'll find him. We took him down once, what's once mo-" He didn't hear the sword unsheath, nor did he see it plunge into his underbelly. Death was swift and painless.
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this." She wiped off the blood and sheathed it once more. With her magic, she dragged the body inside the room, shut and locked the door.
She walked the halls as a unicorn guard and came to the dungeon entrance. "Finally, a replacement. Only one of you?
"Yeah. Just me. But don't worry. I have two swords and can cover both your shifts." The guard on the left gave her the keys and trotted off with his buddy. Are all guards this dense? Once they were out of sight, she opened the door and descended the stone steps to the cells below. Most of the prisoners were asleep, but one. She whispered, "Regulus? Reguluuuuuus..." She heard a rock collide with an iron bar half way down the hall. She hurried and saw him strung up by his forelegs. "Regulus. Hold on, I'll get you out of here." Quickly, she unlocked his cell door, and began unlocking his cuffs.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"It's me, the mare from earlier."
"It's a trick, right? You're a stallion." He watched as she changed into her form from when they met. "How did you-"
"No time to talk. Can you stand?" He did so and looked at her sword. "Yeah, I kinda stole this from the vault. I know it's yours." She gave it to him and watched as he drew it effortlessly.
"The Sword of Masters has returned to me." He turned to her, and strapped it to his side. "Ma'am, you have my thanks. Now get out of here before you get caught."
"Actually, that's what I wanted to ask you. Can you take me with you? I don't want to live here anymore."
" ... Fine, but I cannot liberate your city from its rulers."
"That's fine. I have a feeling that'll be my job." She walked him out of the cell and stopped when she saw search lights. "That didn't take long. Can you fight?"
"Better than you." He flew forward and knocked the first few stallions over while clearing the path for Crystal. She changed into a pegasus and flew after him. Getting used to wings was easy, since she was a pegasus before. When she got out of the dungeon, she saw he had killed them. "Which way is out?"
"Uh... This way!" She flew down several halls, above the oncoming guards and arrived at an opening in the walls. "There!"
"Great, let's go! UGH!" he cried, as a bolt of magic hit his side. From the force, he was shot through the opening. As it was too late to go back to come to her rescue, he turned and fled to the edge of the cavern.
"Let him go," the queen ordered. "I don't know who you are, but you are in serious trouble! Huh?" the queen asked.
"Forgive me, your Majesty. I almost had him." There stood, in her place, an earth pony guard. "Had I come but a few moments sooner."
"To my throne room. You will tell me all you have witnessed." As the queen walked with Crystal at her side, she looked at her guard.
"What spell was that? If you don't mind my asking..."
"A degenerative magic spell. I gave him the worst illness a pegasus can get. Best of all, it goes through any immunities the pony has, so he won't live much longer."
In the throne room, Crystal knelt before her rulers, posing as an earth pony guard. The princess was furious at the fact that her first prisoner had escaped. "How could this have happened!? Where were the guards?!"
"Uh... Princess?" one of the guards began, "I gave my keys to a unicorn guard with two swords."
That was me Crystal thought, returning to her upright position. "How could you? Could you not tell he was committing treason?"
"Well, he said he was there to cover our shifts, so..."
Another guard interrupted, "I should say this now: Earlier, I found a body, stabbed in the underbelly, by the weapon's vault."
"Then we have a problem," Crystal said. "Somepony here, who knows all of this, is a traiter." This is too easy.
"And nopony leaves until that traitor is dead at my hooves. If I have to kill all of you, I will," the queen demanded.
The guards looked at each other. "So, a unicorn guard broke into the weapon's vault, killed a stationed guard, took two swords and took over your shifts at the dungeon doors." Crystal began pacing. "Then, he freed the prisoner and escaped?"
"Yes. But then there's something different: We didn't find any hoofprints in the blood pools."
"Hmm... You mean to say that they flew? Both of them? Unicorns can't fly." Crystal approached the guard. "And I doubt they'd take their time to walk over the corpses."
"True... but then what about when we saw him fly out? Where was his companion then?"
Crystal closed her eyes in thought. "That, is a good question... I doubt the traitor would be brave enough to come to this room willingly."
"You are incredibly perceptive. How can we be sure you aren't the traitor? After all, I did find you at the scene of his escape before anypony else," the queen noted. "You look suspicious."
"My apologies, your Majesty, but I lack the wings to fly, and a horn with which to break through the vault door. It couldn't be me." Crystal felt she was being stared at by the other guards.
"You know what it looks like? It looks like you're trying to manipulate us into believing that an alicorn did this. Or you're just covering for yourself somehow." the princess stepped down from her throne and walked to Crystal. She immediately bowed. "Draw your blades. All of you."
They did so, and held them out. "What is this about?"
"One of you stabbed the guard in front of the weapons vault. That one is our culprit. And there would be traces of blood on the sword that did the deed." She lit her horn and went over the blades one by one. "Blood is not easily cleaned from iron." Nothing. The guard sheathed it and stepped back. "Next. This assailant had two swords. One of which was the sword brought by the prisoner, the other from the vault itself." Again, nothing. He stepped back as the first one did. "Next. This pony then went to the cells and relieved the guards stationed there, and got the keys in the process. Then you proceeded down to the cell, freed him, and 'flew' away." Still no traces of blood. Crystal could tell she'd be caught. "Next. After 'flying' out, you and he flew over the remainder of the guards to the opening where the queen shot him with magic." Nothing, and Crystal was next.
"Next. The traitor was with him, the entire time he was out of his cell, until the time he flew out, by himself. ..." She looked up at Crystal. "And it, somehow, is you ." She looked at Crystal's side and noticed the ring of keys hanging from a loop of metal. "What do those keys unlock?"
Crystal stepped back and began laughing. "You claim it's me? I picked this sword up from the floor outside the dungeon."
"Then where is yours? If you are on duty, you already have a blade. In that case, you'd have two now."
"The key ring was taken from the vault doors," she tried to argue.
"Nonsense. Only one key is on that ring. Anything else you want to dig your hole with?"
"I swear, it's not me! I can't fly or use magic!" get through that.
The princes stepped back, and sat on her throne once more. "And that's what I can't understand. All the evidence points to you, but I don't get how you could change form. Who are you?"
Crystal hesitated, then transformed into her former unicorn self. "It should come as no surprise." She grabbed the swords in her magic and stabbed the four guards in quick succession, then pointed the blades at the queen. "Tell me, what will you do, if I leave now?"
"I would see to it that every citizen in this city be placed under constant surveillance, to see that this treachery does not happen again." Crystal glanced at the princess, who built up magic in her horn.
Quickly, she pointed a few at her throat, forcing her to look up. This aimed her horn at the ceiling. "Your one-pony rescue attempt went further than any other."
"Before I end your lives, there's something I want to know: Why did you really sink the city?"
The royalty looked at each other, then the queen sighed. "I feared the power of the monarch of Equestria. So I appointed a princess and ascended to Queen in doing so. Having more royal members would grant me greater influence over the land. It's true I sent the missive, and I did ambush him with several guards. Even now, he flies back to Canterlot with a warning. That spell, will kill him. It saps away his ability to fly. Once the Princess of Equestria saw our power, she would know not to interfere with our way of life. It was for the ponies in this city that I did all of that."
"The ponies of this city were too afraid to stand up to you! But I'm not like them. You want Equestria to see you as an equal? You went the wrong way about it. Forcing others to follow you isn't right. If anything, you started a war between us and Canterlot! The only thing to do now, is have a change of leadership. And since you remain committed to your ideals, then there's but one way." Slowly, she plunged the swords into the throats of the queen and princess. "And that, is with your fall."
"That seemed a little dark," the familiar voice called. "But, you succeeded. Regulus is free, your fellow ponies are no longer in danger, and you are able to step up to the throne and rule how you desire. You keep what you kill after all."
A light filled the room as Crystal returned to her changeling form. "You... planned this?"
"To an extent. As promised," she lit her horn and materialized a mirror of black and green. "Step through, and see your dreams a reality. Or, do nothing, and shoulder the burden yourself. I can only show you the door. It is up to you, to open it." Just as quickly as she appeared, she vanished. "The choice is yours: change your world in your eyes, or remain like that, forever."
Crystal looked at the mirror, and it reflected her form. What is this... some trick? I walk through this, I ascend to queen and claim this city as mine. I ignore it, this city has no ruler, and will likely crumble. She stepped up to the mirror and stopped. "This had better be worth it..." She stepped through the reflective surface and emerged a different creature. Taller, with a horn full of holes. Her legs longer, also with holes. She grew wings which also had holes in it. Then she saw her mane. It changed to a teal color, while her coat turned black. "... Is that all? That's almost a let-down. !" Upon hearing her voice, she noticed it was lightly raspy, and almost like there were two voices. She changed into her former self and teleported back to her friend's house where she stood waiting.
"Chryssi!" she said, enveloping her in a warm embrace. "I'm so glad you're alive."
"Ivy! I'm sorry to have worried you. Are you alright?" She nodded. "Good." Crystal closed her eyes and looked to the castle. "The queen and princess are dead now."
"And the prisoner? How's he?" Crystal turned back to see her friend had turned into the same bug creature she was before. "What... what's wrong?" Crystal began shedding tears of sorrow as she hugged her friend once more. "You're scaring me again."
"I'm- I'm so sorry Ivy. I didn't know this would happen..." She lead her friend to a mirror and watched the horror spread across her face as she realized what she was. "I'm so sorry..." Throughout the city, screams were heard as an entire mob of Changelings stormed the castle, demanding an answer. "Forgive me, but there's something I need to declare to the city." She teleported away once more as she appeared in the throne room.
The door burst open as several waves of changelings flooded the room. their charge was halted at the sight of the slain royalty and a large version of them standing over them. "What's going on?"
"The queen and princess have been slain. You are now under new rule. Trust me when I say, we will not be restricted to the shadows. We will go out into the world and earn our place in it. But first, there need to be some changes to our current home."
"Who are you supposed to be?" one asked.
Crystal looked at the crown atop her head and smiled, "I am your new Queen. Queen Chrysalis."
In solitude from the world, group after group invaded the world, returning only when they've gathered enough love to sustain themselves. Under new rule, they transformed the castle and city into a hive for themselves, making themselves at home. Love is their food source, and easily obtained in the world of ponies. The queen herself has lead the charge on more than a few occasions, all flying under the radar of Princess Celestia. Nothing was out of place. They never revealed themselves. Ever.
One day, the queen caught wind of an alicorn being made, and set her sights on the new princess.