The flaming, floating queen froze. "WHAT?!" she bellowed, her words echoing through the entire Hive. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

"I said no," Commander Amas repeated. He glared up at his queen. "You are going against the will of the Hive and the queens before you. Changelings are meant to be a violent race, not a peaceful one." He spat out the word peaceful like it was venomous. "We have spent several days preparing for this war, and we are not going back! I'm not the fool, Thysanura; you are. You think the ponies would see reason? Well, you thought wrong! I will continue this war, and nothing will get in my way!"

"How dare you," Queen Thysanura whispered. Her fire flared brighter around her. "HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME! Amas, I hereby relieve you of your duty. YOU ARE NO LONGER COMMANDER OF THE CHANGELING ARMY, and in addition, I BANISH YOU FROM MY HIVE – FOREVER!"

"Your orders mean nothing to me, Your Majesty," Amas sneered. Quick as lightning, he zipped to the door on his wings and saluted his queen for the very last time. "Goodbye, Thysanura, I wish you bad luck forever." His horn started to glow.

Before Thysanura had time to react, a beam of green magic slammed into her. It struck her out of the air, and she was thrown back against the wall. Clouds of smoke filled the room as her fire was quelled and her dying magic failed her. When the vapor cleared, Amas was gone.

Thysanura was faintly aware of the two Changeling guards who rushed into the War Room with cries of shock and concern. Their voices and shapes blurred together in her mind. Her vision swam and darkened. Fiery pain touched every part of her body.

"Commander . . . Amas . . . is . . ." she croaked weakly, barely able to hear her own words.

And then everything went black, and she knew no more.

Emerald fired another blast of magic from her horn and stumbled back, panting heavily. Her attempt bounced off the deflective crystal walls and finally smashed into a mound of gemstones, shattering them to dust. Her horn flickered weakly, and smoke rose from it. Tentatively, Emerald licked a hoof and gently touched it to her horn. It stopped glowing and smoking.

"We . . . have to . . . get out of . . . here," Ruby wheezed, gasping for air. She snuffed out a tiny flame that had been burning in her tail. "Must . . . warn them."

They had been changed back into their natural forms. Ruby was every bit as beautiful as Emerald had imagined, with a silky scarlet mane and tail and Queen Thysanura's shocking green eyes. She also possessed immense magical knowledge and power, perhaps even rivaling Equestria's greatest unicorn mage, Star Swirl the Bearded.

Ruby's ears twitched. She instantly froze and spun around to face the impenetrable door, where the magic gems glowed. "Did you hear that?" she hissed, crouching down low.

"Hear what?" Emerald frowned and started to walk up to the door, but Ruby's magic snatched her back by the tail.

"Don't. It could be someone dangerous," the older princess whispered. "Stay down with me. You didn't hear those voices and hoofsteps?"

Emerald swiveled her ears around and strained her hearing. Ruby was right. Faint hoofbeats and what sounded like a duet of male voices were slowly approaching their prison door. She listened harder. The hoofsteps sounded light, hollow. "That sounds like Changelings," she muttered to Ruby. "Two male drones. I wonder what they're here for."

"We're about to find out." Ruby nodded toward the door. The enchanted jewels had started to glow brightly.

The heavy door banged open, and two normal Changeling drones entered. They were carrying a tall, once-regal queen Changeling between them. Her wings looked ragged and torn, her chitin scarred and smeared with small streaks of bright red blood.

What went unnoticed by Ruby but not by Emerald was that the two Changelings' eyes were glowing unnaturally white.

The pair of drones carelessly tossed Queen Thysanura into the cavern as if she weighed no heavier than a pegasus feather. The pathetic-looking old queen collapsed in a heap on the hard stone floor and did not get up.

Ruby and Emerald wore matching faces of absolute shock. They stood frozen, completely stunned. What was this? Thysanura was their queen! Had she been overthrown somehow?

But that's impossible, Emerald protested silently. Mother can't be beaten that easily.

"She's done for now," one of the Changelings said roughly. He spat at the three royal Changelings – his superiors and rulers! "Come on, let's go. Bye-bye, Your Highnesses."

The second drone curled his lip at Ruby, Emerald, and Thysanura before leaving. The door slammed shut behind them, the gemstones flaring once to lock it.

Ruby immediately rushed to her older sister's side while Emerald just stood there like a statue, too astounded to do anything else. "Emerald, niece, she needs help," Ruby called to her, crouching next to Queen Thysanura.

Emerald blinked a few times, then nodded and hurried over. "Of course. What happened to you, Mother?" she asked out loud, not exactly expecting an answer.

Thysanura was in far worse condition than she had looked. Her delicate wings were shredded to bits, so much that Ruby thought she might never be able to gain flight again. Bloody scars, burns, and blisters marred her chitin armor, looking very painful, no doubt. At least Thysanura was unconscious, unable to feel anything right now.

She was wrong.

Thysanura opened her eyes. She was floating in swirling blackness and shadows, hanging suspended in the air. She did not need to use her wings to hover this time. Strangely, she felt no pain at all, only a quiet calmness.

Am I dead? Is this the Changelings' spiritual realm, the Black Heaven?

"No, Thysanura, you are not dead yet," said a hauntingly familiar voice behind her. "You are on the brink of death, but there are those who could save you."

That voice . . . No! It can't be! The sound brought fresh tears and memories to Thysanura, and she slowly turned around. ". . . Mother?" she whispered. Part of her hoped that it was not truly her mother, and the other half desperately wished to see Flitterwing again.

Standing behind Thysanura, with a gentle, loving smile on her face, was the former Changeling queen. Her now-ethereal mane and tail billowed calmly, and she was clad in a flowing robe woven of translucent black-and-white mist.

"Mother," Thysanura said softly. She ran to Queen Flitterwing and threw herself into her mother's warm embrace, realizing that the other queen was see-through – an apparition. Tears spilled from her eyes, and she buried her face in Flitterwing's mane. She felt like a little filly again, crying in her mother's tight clasp.

Thysanura looked up at Flitterwing's face, expecting to see resentment or anger. But instead, all she saw in her mother's shimmering eyes was a deep love and compassion. "Mother, I'm so sorry," she murmured, her cheeks wet with salty tears.

"Shhh, do not cry, my sweet," Queen Flitterwing whispered with a tender smile. She softly stroked her daughter's mane. "I have forgiven you already, long ago. I am very proud of you, my precious little Thysa."

"How can you be proud of me?" Thysanura cried, lifting her head to stare at Flitterwing. "I killed you! It's my fault that we're here! I could have stopped this from happening! But no, I chose to start a war and –"

"No. No, Thysanura, it is not your fault," said Flitterwing. She held her daughter by the shoulders and looked into Thysanura's eyes. "I have always loved you and believed in you. You have always been my pride. I promise you, nothing will ever, ever change that." Which, of course, only made Thysanura cry harder.

"Always do what you know is right," Flitterwing continued. "I love you, darling."

Thysanura managed to smile through her tears. "I love you, too, Mother." She blinked away the teardrops, which fell into the darkness.

Queen Flitterwing started to fade. "Wait! Mother, come back!" Thysanura cried. She tried to run after her mother, but she stayed in place. "Wait! I have questions for you! Mother!"

"I love you, Thysanura. Remember that."

Flitterwing was gone. Thysanura stopped, her throat raw from shouting. A bright light grew in her vision, and she was swept up in a field of white.

"Look, I think she's waking up."

"Are you sure she's going to be okay, Ruby?"

What? My sister? Thysanura's muddled mind failed to put two and two together. She struggled to open her eyes. When she did, a blast of light assaulted her vision, and she quickly slammed her eyes shut against the blinding illumination. She tried again, and succeeded in keeping them open this time. Then she attempted to move, and a bolt of pain zinged through her battered body.

"Stay still, sister." Ruby's voice, a voice she had not heard in a long time. "You've been badly injured. It would be best to stop moving right now."

Thysanura took the hint and tried to remain motionless. When her eyesight cleared, she saw the familiar faces of her sister and daughter looking down at her, their eyes filled with concern. Ruby's horn glowed, and a tingle passed through Thysanura. A little bit of the throbbing sting faded, but it was still there.

"W-where am I?" Thysanura rasped, turning her head painfully. She caught sight of mirror-like crystal and heaps of glittering jewels. The crystal cavern where I banished Ruby and Emerald. For the second time in her life, she felt remorse, a sharp pang of guilt that weighed down on her heart.

"I think you know, Mother," Emerald answered. Thysanura winced at the sharp undertones in her daughter's voice.

"You changed back from dragon form?" the old queen asked. She twitched as Ruby's healing spell sent another ticklish sensation through her.

"Yes. Being a dragon was not much to my liking," Ruby replied, her eyes fixed on her sister's wings. She touched one of them. "Can you feel this, sister? Your wings are quite ruined, and I don't know if you can ever fly again."

"N-no, I can't feel my wings at all." Thysanura started to feel a slight panic. "What do you mean, I might not ever fly again? No! That's not possible! My wings heal very rapidly." I can't lose my ability to fly! Flight was the only thing I had for freedom.

"Please, calm down, Mother." Emerald gave a reluctant sigh. "Unfortunately, your wings are shredded and partly burned to ashes. What Ruby means is, we don't know if you're going to lose them. It is entirely possible that they might heal."

Possible isn't good enough, Thysanura thought, but she held her tongue. Ruby and Emerald were doing their best to help her. "What – what other injuries do I have?" she questioned, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Gashes, blisters, and second-degree burns all over your body," Ruby said in a medically professional sort of way. "We've managed to bandage the cuts with healing magic, but some of the worst ones will most likely scar. Luckily, the burns will fade in due time." She very obviously did not mention the wings again, and Thysanura didn't press her.

"Can I stand up now?"

After a moment of hesitation and back-and-forth glances between the others, Emerald finally nodded. "Yes, you can try, and we'll help you, but try to be slow and careful," she said. "We don't want to risk opening your wounds again."

Gingerly, Thysanura sat up, wincing as her back cracked loudly. With the minimal assistance of Emerald and Ruby, she slowly accomplished the task of getting to her hooves and standing on her own. Her body still ached, but it wasn't as bad as before. "Thank you."

"Why are you here, Mother?"

Emerald's blunt question caught Thysanura by surprise. "Well, I suppose I should tell you sooner than later," she said. She started pacing back and forth to work out her kinked muscles, ignoring the tiny twinges of pain each step brought her. "Long story short . . . I decided to end the war planning, and Amas refused to listen."

"Who is Amas?" Ruby looked at Thysanura, and then Emerald.

"The commander of the Changeling Hive army," Emerald answered. She tilted her head at her mother. "Or is he the former commander? You did say he denied your orders, Mother."

She is so smart. She would make a good queen someday. I am so proud of her. "You're right. I relieved Amas of his position and banished him from the Hive, but he defied me. He said that he would continue this war, with or without me. Then he attacked me." At this, gasps of shock escaped from Emerald and Ruby. "And, well . . . I think it's safe to say that I am no longer the Queen of this Hive."

"What? How can one little Changeling drone dethrone his ruler?" Emerald demanded, stunned. "Wait! Did you see that the drones' eyes were glowing?" She glanced at Ruby, who shook her head in puzzlement. "He enchanted our Changelings! That must be why they were so cooperative with him!"

"That's impossible," Ruby hissed angrily. "That lowly rat! But how can he be powerful enough to do an enchantment of that level? He must have had some magical help from someone very powerful . . ."

"He bested me in a fight," Thysanura said dryly. "A magic fight. And then he threw me down here, I guess. Perhaps Amas has already declared himself the Hive's new monarch? I wonder what the unenchanted populace is thinking right now. But enough from me. What are your sisters doing in Canterlot, Emerald?"

"Warning Princess Celestia and Princess Luna of this war," Emerald sighed. She shared a glance with her aunt. "Rightfully so, now that Amas has presumably taken over our Hive." Her voice conveyed the anger she felt at this, a simple Changeling drone besting her family and stealing the throne.

"Then we must go to them and inform them of this." Thysanura's pacing became brisk as she thought deeply.

"Yes, but how will we get out of this cavern?" Ruby asked, gesturing at their surroundings. "And even if we did, how would we get to Canterlot with you, sister? Perhaps you should stay here."

Thysanura turned with a smirk on her face and a bright glint in her eyes. "But I have a plan. I know every secret of these caverns. And that is just part of the fun! Now, listen to me."

"Brilliant idea, Thysa," Ruby said lightheartedly, brushing dust off her chitin as they walked. "I don't know what we'd do without you!"

The former queen had come up with this brilliant plan, which Ruby and Emerald had helped sharpen and perfect. First, they combined their magic to disable the door's magic gems with an old, incredibly powerful spell that only Thysanura knew – "They underestimated us," she'd said with a scoff, once they had exited the cavern. "That was hilariously easy." Then came a surprise: apparently, Amas had sent two enchanted Changeling drones to guard the prisoners outside the door. The three royals had been more than happy to knock out both of them and throw the guards into the cave. After feeding some of her magic into the jewels to lock the door, Thysanura was now leading Ruby and Emerald through the labyrinth of tunnels.

When they reached the exit to the tunnels, Emerald put a hoof on her mother's shoulder. "Wait."

"What is it, Emerald?" Thysanura asked, turning to face her daughter. To her surprise, tears were glistening in Emerald's eyes.

Emerald smiled. "I am proud of you, Mother. You chose to end the war instead of continuing the pointless battle. I forgive you for everything you did. Thank you." She hugged Thysanura tightly, and after a moment of surprise, the former queen smiled and embraced her daughter back.

You will always be my pride.

"Now comes the fun part!" Thysanura cheered as they emerged above ground, into the fresh air. Well, it was as fresh as the air in the Wastelands can be. ". . . Teleportation!"

Her horn lit up. "Onward to Canterlot, Equestria!"

With a cheerful POP! and a happy POOF! and a flash of green magic, they were gone.

Author's Note

Aren't surprises so surprising?

I just had a random burst of inspiration with this chapter; that's how I got it finished one day after the last one. Yay for quickly finished chapters!