Chapters "Spike!", Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs. that dragon was nowhere around unless she hollered to get his attention like this. It was always so .. frustrating at times, and yet, she was like a mother to him. In the last few months he even started saying,"alright mom," when she asked something of him. The rest of her friends thought it was very motherly of her to allow it. But this was not a today to get distracted. they had too much to do that just couldn't wait. Her, Spike, and Sunburst were heading to the Crystal Empire to visit with Cadence and Celestia. It wouldn't take long to get there, maybe a few hours by train, but it would be worth it in the end anyway.
"Yea, mom, what's up?" Spike had started to grow a bit, and was no longer the size of a baby dragon. He was still a few centimeters shorter then Twilight but it wasn't anything to fret over. He continued to stand there with those soft green eyes of his staring right back at her.
"You need to get ready, we're going to meet Sunburst at the Train station here in Ponyville before we leave for the Crystal Empire. Starlight had planned on coming to, but Trixie's back in town and they plan on spending the rest of the week together. I can just sense something more between them growing every time they spend more and more time together", she chuckled as Spike started to pack. Trixie and Starlight had started to realize as of late that there was something more between them then just friendship now. But that is a tale for another time she thought to herself.
Just for a minute, she pulled Spike over to her with her left wing, and hugged him. "You know that i'm proud of you don't you," she let slip.
" i know, mom", and he was right. Spike had been with Twilight since the beginning, she was the one that hatched his egg with her magic. She was his mother in his mind. There was no denying it. And he would always defend her no matter what. This wasn't anything that was part of his Dragon Code. This was something more. For Twilight, this was a mother's love. She understood now everything that her own parents must of gone through raising her and Shining Armor.
"All ready Mom," came the final call as they set out to meet up with Sunburst. This would be like any other morning Twilight thought to herself. Nothing could go wrong, could it? Those were the kind of words no pony wanted to hear right now. She kicked herself in the back of her mind as she said that. Of course something could go wrong. It's happened every time she's thought those specific words out loud or privately to herself. Then bam, instant dilemma. It happened when she worried over a non existent problem that her future self tried to warn her not to worry about.
"Ah, Princess Twilight, you made it on time i see", Sunburst found himself stuttering again. Every time he was with her he stuttered. Starlight thought that at one point Twilight was trying to steal him away from her until Glimmer realized that she didn't actually like Sunburst that way. It had taken awhile for the lilac coated unicorn to realize that she was in love with Trixie, and all it took was watching her new friend nearly kill herself during the stunt with the Manticore over a month or two ago.
As they boarded the train, the conductor shouted out the last chance to board for the Crystal Empire.
The Badlands
"What do you have to report Sentry?", A Changeling in obsidian clad armor asked of the one before him. Sentry had been a spy for the Changeling hive for all his adult life, and yet there was something clawing at his mind as of late.
"It's just as we thought," he said, a slight buzzing noise echoing from his mouth as his mandibles clacked for a brief moment. He had come to the realization that what he was about to be asked to do would hurt a certain pony he had fallen in love with. And that was something that was deemed unspeakable, especially in front of Chrysalis. Every pony had been given the impression that changelings didn't have hearts. What no pony, especially Twilight, knew was that at one point they did have hearts, but due to an event that occurred over a thousand years ago, and Chrysalis' minor part in it, they had been cursed by a powerful unicorn wizard. Unless the curse was lifted they'd never be able to feel real emotions ever again. Over the years there were moments where the curse had weakened on its own to where a few changelings could actually feel emotions again, but only a small number, including Sentry. Chrysalis on the other hoof, had been cursed to be a twisted husk of what she once was. The original Crystal Princess.
"Go on," the other Changeling told him.
"Princess Twilight and the Royal Crystaller Sunburst are returning to the Empire from Ponyville," Sentry concluded to his commander. His real commander, and not the one he had to report to when he was in his camouflage state. In the back of his mind he secretly thought of what this would do if the pony he truly loved, ever found out that he wasn't even a pony. What would that do to her sanity.
" Good, i'll relay this to the Queen," His commander told him, " you should return and keep up appearances, we don't want them thinking you've gone missing or anything," he told Sentry with a sly grin spreading across his face. If they could break a certain princess, turn her against her fellow ponies, Chrysalis could move right in and take over the Empire without barely lifting a hoof. What her commander or the Queen herself realized was that Sentry was in love with this "princess" and would do what he felt was right in the end, regardless of what it meant to his own life. And for that, if they did find out, he'd be branded a traitor and exiled from the Hive.
But what Sentry didn't know was that Chrysalis was preparing to replace all the Princesses, and the Element Bearers, with changelings. Or that a certain protege of Twilight's would tharwt her plans. He also didn't realize that there was another changeling living close to the Crystal Empire, or that he'd play a role in the Queen's downfall. But he would soon. This mystery changeling would also befriend Spike right after Flash had saved him from falling off that cliff. Spike ended up sliding down a hole in the ground, and stumbled upon this other changeling by chance.
The two of them had become friends, so much that even Twilight ended up vouching for him after being convinced that even Changelings can be good.
Author's Note
Someone i follow on here gave me the idea for this one. Hope someone enjoys this. Im not gonna let the neigh-sayers on here keep me from wanting to continue writing. If you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all. Its not that hard. If all anyone can do is Negative reinforcement, there's something wrong with them.
Nopony, not even the other two Princesses had suspected that Flash was actually a changeling spy. He had to keep it quiet no matter how much he wanted to tell them, especially Celestia. He felt conflicted deep down. If he told her of all ponies of what he really was, he was sure that she would of had him immediately executed for his actions.
"Take a breath,", he thought for a moment. He had to tell her, he owed Celestia that much as far as he was concerned. His heart was racing as he approached her personal chambers. As he knocked on the door, a voice beckoned him to enter.
"Ah, Flash? Was there something you needed?", Celestia could tell there was something worrying him, he looked like he was sweating bullets while in her presence.
"Yes, there is Princess. I need to know that you wont have me executed for what I'm about to tell you."She stared at him blankly as he said that. He had a hard time reading her expression right now.
"Of course, you have my word,"She could tell that whatever it was, was risky enough to ask her for her word. She got up from her desk and put a hoof on his shoulder, in an effort to reassure him.
"I'm a changeling your Highness.", despite telling her this, the Princess still held her hoof close to his body. Flash started a feel a bit uneasy despite her reassurance.
"Why are you telling me this Flash?", she seemed more concerned and disappointed then being angry. She was always like a second mother to the Royal Guard. She seemed sadder at this revelation than disgusted.
"Ever since i took this position i felt more of a connection to you then i had to Queen Chrysalis. The more i thought about it, the more i realized that I'd die for you. And i'd die to protect Twilight. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you Princess." She could tell as he said this, that he was eliciting a number of emotions. She had always been taught that changelings were devoid of emotions. That they always had to steal those of others to survive.
As much as it pained him, he had to remain under cloak and maintain his cover as a member of the Royal Guard. He couldn't reveal his position, not even to another changeling that might be disguised and in the Empire as well. He had to maintain his cover at all costs, that was until he spotted Spike near a dangerous ravine and had to make a snap call right then and there. Should he rush over and stop SPike from falling to his death, or stay put and watch as Twilight's faithful assistant and adopted son fell to this fate, and watch how it affected Twilight. No, he thought, he wasn't gonna let that happen. He loved her too much to allow something like that to befall a mare of her stature. After finally making up his mind, he decided to do what he knew was the right decision. Maintaining his mask this long had drained half his magic stores, and he couldn't maintain it when he was so nervous about seeing Spike fall off the edge of the ravine. That and he hadn't fed himself since starting the night shift. He had drained the love from some ponies in a cafe earlier, but not enough to hurt them permanently, and not enough to keep himself going after this.
Sentry also began to doubt Queen Chrysalis as he rushed over to where Spike was. He had started to doubt her after the failed invasion of Canterlot, and even now when he was tasked by her to continue spying on Twilight. It's not like it was easy for him. Spying on the pony he loved felt wrong to him. He had spent most of his years undercover, keeping tabs on select ponies, and relaying the information back to Queen through contacts on the outside of the Crystal Empire. But this was something different. He had heard from another changeling awhile back that Chrysalis had recently considered assassinating one of the princesses and taking their place. Wait he thought.. ASSASSINATION!??!
It was after that memory surfaced that he made his choice, one he'd live with for the rest of his life. Plus being a changeling meant he could tell if there were any other changelings nearby better then any detection spell the most powerful unicorn or alicorn could cast. Another obstacle came to mind, he'd have to deal with Shining Armor at some point, something he was dreading to say the least.
When no pony was around he crept over to the side of the ravine and dropped his camouflage when he was sure no pony saw him, and flew over to Spike as the dragon's footing slipped and nearly sent him tumbling down into the ravine.
The small dragon opened his eyes to find himself in the jaws of a changeling, and realized he was hovering over the ravine. As they got back to safety, he just stared at it. This thing could of let me die he thought to himself, but it didn't. This only prove one of Twilight's theories that maybe not all Changelings were bad. There was that one at Cranky and Matilda's wedding after all. And it turned out that Fluttershy had found that one in the woods nearest her cottage and decided to help it. It had even spoken to her and thanked her for her kindness. She had learned that not all of the Changeling Hives agreed with what Chrysalis had done and condemned her for her actions. It had even been stated that if she neared any of the other Hives seeking help, she was to be shunned immediately.
"I dont know what to say", Spike muttered, and it was true. The young dragon was currently at a loss for words. He turned around and hugged the changeling thanking him all the while. The next act was entirely Sentry's idea, this was the moment of truth. What he was about to do would brand him a traitor to the Badlands Hive for the rest of his life. But none of that mattered now, he knew that deep down it was the right thing to do, even if meant that Twilight would discover that a Changeling held true feelings for her. Even if that meant she'd never return them in kind at least she'd know how he felt about her all this time.
"I need to see Princess Twilight and Celestia,"He spoke in a buzzing and raspy voice.
"Are you sure, i mean that you want them to know a changeling's been in the empire all this time?", The way Spike worded it made Sentry pause in thought for a moment, before deciding to go ahead with it.
"Yes, I am sure." he said it with such finality that Spike nodded in agreement as the two of them walked back to the Castle. This was it he thought before allowing Spike to push open the Doors to the Crystal Palace.
Twilight was standing there talking to Celestia and Cadence when Spike walked in, with a changeling following behind him. Within seconds the Crystal Guards were upon him, Spears drawn as if ready to skewer him right then and there. He couldn't blame he thought. He'd of done the same if he were in their hooves, literally. Then the unexpected, well unexpected in regards to the other ponies in the room at least. Spike turned around and stood up from where he was briefly resting on the floor after what occurred earlier.
" Wait!", bellowed from Spike's mouth, " He just saved me from falling off the edge of the Ravine near the back of the Castle," he could see the anger in Cadence's eyes, start to soften as she listened to him. And with that she commanded the guards to stand down for now. That was one disaster averted Sentry and Spike both seemed to think at the same time. The thing that pained Sentry more was the look of utter shock and confusion on Twilight's face. He noticed she was also scanning the room for ..him, The pony Flash Sentry. What she didn't seem to take in at first was the way this changeling was staring at her.. with tears in his eyes.
In moments he was expecting to be engulfed in the aura of her magic and interrogated, he didnt know why, but that thought raced across his mind for a split second. And it never came to pass. He looked up to see her hoof extended out in a show of friendship. He took her hoof in turn and thanked her for the opportunity to become friends. Twilight, he thought to himself, this is just the beginning. He asked her if they could speak privately for a moment. Twilight turned to Cadene and Celestia and told them she needed to speak with the Changeling privately and that they shouldn't worry about her safety. The two of them walked out onto the balcony of the northern spire of the castle, and Sentry knew what he had to do.
"There's something i have to tell you, Twilight.", He was so formal about it, and yet there was something familiar about him when he said her name that way. It finally dawned on her just who was in front of her. And she decided it didn't change anything between them, in fact it solidified it even more because he was showing her that no matter what form he was in, he loved her with every fiber of his being. He loved her. It proved that Changelings could in fact feel, and not just feed off of emotions to survive. Whats more, she would learn that they did in fact have hearts, most were just cursed from ever being able to connect to them ever again, including Chrysalis. And the truth revolving around her would affect not only Twilight's faith in her hero Starswirl, but Celestia's trust in his memory as well. This was merely the first stone to be cast in a series of events that would not only alter their perception of Starswirl, but that of two others that Twilight knew of. One being her newest friend Starlight Glimmer, and the other being somepony that they'd thought they had heard the last of.
He was the Fallen King.
A Nameless darkness began to stir in the Northern Wastes of the Crystal Empire. A form grew out of the broken off remnant of a red and glistening Unicorn's horn. A shape began to form into a blackened wisp of smoke and what looked like a grin crept across its shapeless facial form.
They thought they were rid of me, they were sorrowfully mistaken.
North of the Crystal Empire winds were blowing, the cold kind of wind. Winds that had not seen the light of day for nearly a thousand years. Yet still harbored centuries filled with the hatred that had once dominated half of Equestria during the time of the Three Tribes. And the one place a bitter and dethroned King could find some allies. Something slept here that the ponies of Equestria had forgotten about, and more then even that. A lonely spirit dwelt here, long forgotten by her friends and loved ones that had passed after her long ago.
Even Luna would of been stunned that a fate such as this had befallen a pony that she had deemed such a close friend. How this pony's body had gotten this far north though was a mystery that had been lost to the annals of time. Not even famed adventure pony Daring Do would of been able to solve it. But that didn't matter. Not to Sombra.
Soon they'd all be giving into their worst fears, and if he played his cards right, they would be giving into more then just their fears when it came to a certain Princess.
She'd give into the night once again.
And a Nightmare would once again be set upon Equestria's doorstep.
The spirit of a small pegasus filly that had found this place long ago and took up refuge in its icy caverns. One that found a way to stay in the world of the living when it should of moved on to the light long ago. She haunted the caverns of ice that Sombra was now walking down. He had lost it all again, coming back after being banished over a thousand years ago, and at the hands of Luna no less, gnawed at the corners of his mind. He had offered them his advice on protecting Equestria from future threats, and they repaid him by stealing his kingdom out from under this hoof the first time, and then handing it to that usurper, Cadence the Princess of Love.
Grrr, I will make them sorry they ever crossed me, he thought to himself. He would get them back, both of them. But mostly he'd return the favor to Luna. He still swore she'd of made an excellent queen in his mind. She was far more fit to rule then that wretched sister of hers. Even all these centuries later, and he still believed it to be the truth.
"Hello... who's there?" a small bluish white pegasus filly stammered.
"Somepony that wants to be your friend," Sombra found himself choking on the word before spitting it out there, he hated himself for even uttering that 'word'. One thing that struck him as he stared at her, waiting for an answer, was how translucent she was. He was after all speaking to one that was in most senses dead. And it made sense for the Spirit of Winter to be a pegasus, they had controlled the weather for thousands of years after all.
"A..a friend? I haven't had friends in so long,", she spoke solemnly, and as much as Sombra hated it, he could actually take pity on her. He had a friend once, but she betrayed him and his confidence to Princess Amore. She looked up at him with seemed like hollow eyes, after all, even in death she was still rendered blind. How cruel of a joke to be denied the one thing you were never granted with, even in death.
Her voice was like ice through his heart. Her words were like a flood that rendered him speechless. She used to have friends, but that was over the course of a thousand years before she had been trapped here. She was lonely and she knew it. Having another pony here to listen to her was such a joy.
"She seems lonely," Sombra thought to himself. As much as it sickened him to say it, he almost felt sorry for her. That somepony like her had been stuck here for as long as he had existed was something that he could relate to. She looked at him as he turned to face her.
"I use to have a friend, but she hasnt visited in forever. I really miss her. We used to go on long walks together and enjoy her beautifully crafted nights. The more i spent with her, the shorter my life seemed to get. I never understood why."This friend of hers interested him.
"If i may ask, who was this friend of yous," He feined interest to make it seem like he actually cared about what her thoughts were.
"Oh, her name was Luna," Ahh, he thought so the PRincess of the Night was once friends with this ghost pony that haunted the Northern Realms. He decided that he'd pay Luna a visit here in a bit. Just enough to slide the knife in as it were.
As they walked to a spacious cavern, Sombra caught something glint off the ice, just from the corner of his eye. The Winter spirit took notice of this and asked if he wanted to see ' it'. And of course he responded with a resounding yes. As she took him over to what was glinting off the ice, Sombra took notice of something else, something a bit more disturbing. He froze in his tracks when he saw the body of a bluish white pegasus encased in ice near the other object that had caught his attention. The Winter Spirit could only stare at what was once her own body, now frozen and entombed in this place for eternity. She had come here in her final days of life, only to end up alone and frozen here.
"Oh...", the spirit commented," It's been so long since I was encased here,", again the feeling of pity and remorse returned to the fallen king. Maybe it wasn't too late to make one friend, he thought. At least they'd have each other in the coming troubles ahead. They finally turned to what he had originally come here for. Not that having her by his side wasn't a bonus. He even knew of a resurrection spell that Twilight didn't have in any of her books.
There in front of him, also frozen in ice, and long forgotten by time itself, was the ancient Runeblade, Frostmourne, along with the crown and armor of one of the most powerful beings to ever exist. Along with this find, and his new 'friend', and the other allies he'd make, he'd take his Kingdom back from those usurpers. The king of Shadows, the fallen unicorn King Sombra, would make everypony that had ever cheated him suffer for as long as he deemed it fit. They'd learn what happens when you betray one of his power.
Ever since his revival, he felt a draw to this place he was in now. It was as if something was calling to him in the deepest recesses of his mind, crying out for vengeance, for an escape from this place. Looking back at those bones and pieces of dried flesh and matted strands of what were once a soft white man, Sombra could tell that this spirit must of been here for as long or longer then he had been around.
Before the two of them walked towards the entrance of the Cavern he turned to his new ally with his spoils in hoof, and asked her a simple question.
"What's your name small one?", he might as well find out sooner rather then later.
"Oh, that.." she paused, " My name was Snowdrop," she spoke.
As he prepared himself for the coming conflict, a song was echoeing through out the recesses of his mind, its words aptly describing what would happen to those that had done him wrongs.
The world is a place where the villains wear a smile on their face
And they'd burn, the whole lot of them Sombra thought. Twilight, Cadence, Luna, Celestia, even Twilight's friends. They'd all pay their dues before being dealt with. His plans for Twilight would be enough to not only break her mind, but leave her his slave. She'd obey his every whim when he was done with her. He had felt her potential even from atop that Crystal spike that he was standing on before the Crystal Heart had destroyed his body, but not before he had stored most of his essence into his horn. The song was still resounding through his mind.
He'd cause them more then just sleepless nights. He'd make sure they begged to be killed. He'd burn them down though like an angry god, wrathful and ready to hear them pray for mercy,only to get the executioners blade brought down on their heads. how much had he really hated Radiant Hope for doing what she did in the end though? As he looked down as The Spirit of Winter, he was reminded of the soft smile she used to wear when they shared a bed together. She also had such a hopeful outlook on things, even when he accepted his fate and sought to the rule the empire, Sombra realized what she did was to save the pony she loved, if not for what he had become.
He decided that thoughts like that were best left for another time to dwell on. He got down and picked his newest companion up with his magic, and placed on his back. Even though she was a spirit right now, he could found he could still grasp her with it as if she were still flesh and blood.
"Thank you, I can tell we're getting close, Even if I cant see. Do you feel better now?", she spoke, still unable to actually see anything, feeling that the comment might make herself still feel better about the irony of her situation.
"Yes, I do feel refresh if you must know,", He had slept in that abandoned tower they found on the outskirts of the empire, and for the first time in centuries, sleep in a physical form didn't bother him one bit.
If only you had come with me Radiant, he was pondering again
As they neared their destination's outer border, Something felt off to the fallen king. Why wasn't he being affected by the Crystal's Magic as before? He had no way of knowing that only months before the Heart itself had been shattered when the newest Princess, Flurry Heart, let out a sonic wail. He could also sense an atmosphere of fear course through the air of the Empire. He turned his head back and nodded to his other companions that he had enlisted on the way here.
Thousands of years ago the Wendigos had fed on the hate and mistrust of the Three Pony Tribes. There had been countless border skirmishes between the Earth Ponies and the Unicorns that fed their cold desires. The Pegasi were no better off. One Tribe would blame the Pegasi for the turbulent weather, the Earth ponies blamed the Unicorns for the bad weather because of their natural talent for magic. It continued on this way until the night of the first Hearths Warming Summit. The Three tribes came together to met out a compromise, a way to end the fighting. It wasn't until that night that the three leaders and their assistants made progress after getting trapped in that cave. After the creation of the Friendship Fire, the Wendigos lost the power to affect the tribes at all.
So they slept in the caverns and chasms of the Frozen North, just like Snowdrop, and awaited their chance to once more drive the Ponies apart. If Sombra hadn't happened along, they'd still be slumbering for another thousand years. Some historians have even come up with the premise that the dreaded Sirens were somehow connected to the Wendigos, others have have speculated that the Sirens were actually ponies, but were cursed because of a terrible tragedy they caused on their native island.
The past though meant nothing special to Sombra. All that mattered was the here and now. He could smell her from a mile away. The Usurper, the Crystal Princess, Princess Cadence. And whats more, we could smell another creature here in the city. One that hadn't been here since he ruled over it.
A Changeling.
One that would challenge his position, or so it thought. They were bugs to Sombra after all. He still couldn't believe that Chrysalis had the misfortune of being cursed into what she is now. And how would Cadence feel about it he thought? To her Chrysalis was nothing more then a villain trying to feed and expand her empire. How would Cadence have felt is she had known that both her parents didn't die the way she was told. That in fact her mother was still alive?
Or that Starswirl the Bearded was the one that cursed Princess Amore for daring to side with Sombra in the beginning, in what was to be the largest deception ever played. He didn't just overthrow her rule, it was secretly given to him in exchange to his love. Which the king never did give her. So in return after his banishment at the hooves of the Royal Sisters, PRincess Amore was found out for her crime and sentenced to life as a hideous Bug pony, as were any and all subjects that had aided her. Which only numbered in the hundreds.
He could feel the hunger in blade now as he wielded it with his magic, a hunger that would end up consuming both him and those that followed. For unbeknownst to the Princesses, he had discovered that the bodies of the dead lingered in the frozen wastes of the north, and that they hungered for retribution against those that were once their kin. All semblance of self lost to the ages, leaving nothing but cunning, and ravening corpses that hungered for pony flesh.
And he would bring Hell to their doorstep.
Author's Note
Looks like Somepony is getting visited by a certain EQG Villain >:)
Cold Winds Blow
Cadence traveled down the hallway like she always did when she was preparing to settle down for the night. Only this night was different.
She was already asleep and passed out on her royal bed. The dream she was having though, was another matter. One that was both all too realistic and disturbing at the same time. It would be the disturbing part that would affect the Love Princess' sleep the most right now. There was darkness stirring somewhere in the Northern Kingdom.
One that was all too familiar.
What?!, she screamed, the shadow getting closer and closer, and that small pegasus again. Standing in the middle of the room, crying awhile staring south. Always to the south it seemed. Cadence had been having the same dream for the last week or so. It was the same every night. And this was no different.
There was no way else that the Princess of Love could describe it. It was like something was whispering into her ear the most horrific things imaginable. She just could not shake the feeling that she was being watched, even in her dreams. But that wasnt the only thing that was driving her mad tonight.
Princess Cadence was having the same dream from last night, again. She'd find herself in the halls of her castle, the long corridor to the throne overwrought with snow, and the roof of it melted away by what seemed like erosion from the passage of time. What chilled her heart every night though, was the small white pegasus filly that was always standing at the entrance to it. She seemed so lost and innocent, yet she always appeared translucent when Cadence approached her.
And yet she always seemed to look past Cadence and towards the south of Equestria. And the same question always left her lips. It was always the same question Cadence had noticed.
"Why didn't you come back for me Luna?", the small pegasus filly lamented. And before Cadence could answer her, she'd wake up every single time. It was the most nerve wracking thing. As she awoke, she snatched a quill, ink, and a scroll in her lavender magic and set about asking Princess Luna about what her dreams have been meaning as of late.
Dear Princess Luna, I have been witnessing the most unsettling thing in my dreams as of late. Every night I go to bed, I am seeing a small bluish white pegasus filly standing in the corridor to the Crystal Throne room. I don't know quite what to make of it. Every time I try to approach her, she always looks past me, staring towards the south. And she's constantly uttering,"Why Luna? Why did you abandon me here?", and before I can say anything to her, I always wake up.
If there is anything you can do to help me interpret what it means, I would be greatful
Your niece Princess Mi Amore Cadenza
(Princess Cadence)
Canterlot
Luna's patrol of the Dream Realm could be relaxing at times, giving a nudge here and there to fillies in need, as she had done with the CMC on more then one occasion. But this felt different. She couldn't assuage the feelings she had been getting as of late, and when she woke up, she was a bit surprised to see one of her night guards in her bed chamber.
"Forgive me Princess, but you have an urgent letter from your niece in the Crystal Empire,", The Guard levitated the scroll of parchment over to the princess before seeing himself out.
As Luna read the scroll, she felt a pit start to form in her stomach. The description of the filly was all too familiar. Luna climbed out of bed and opened her writing desk, pulling out her own quill and ink, and wrote a response back to Cadence as soon as the scroll was pressed against the wooden oak desk.
"I am quiet familiar with the filly you described, but there is no way it could be her. For you see she died nearly one thousand years ago, prior to my becoming Nightmare Moon. She was a dear friend that I still find myself thinking about. Her name was Snowdrop, and she was the most innocent pony that I ever had the pleasure to be friends with.
She was also blind, and yet that doth not stop her from being so charming while in her presence. I wanted to write this to you so that you would be able to communicate with her. If needed I shall learn the extent of her being in your dreams the next time I doth patrol the Dream Realm.
Signed Your Aunt Princess Luna
Could it be after all these years, these centuries, that she found a way back? Without her sister's knowledge Luna had taken the body of her cloest friend Snowdrop, and buried in a place that seemed fitting for the filly's name. The cave she visited in the Crystal Empire's northern wastes seemed the perfect place to lay her dead friend to rest. Before leaving, Luna encased the body in ice, to prevent any predators from finding it and using it for food. Little did she know that her long dead friend's spirit had lingered, not ready to leave the world of living. Always wondering why Luna had abandoned her there. And yet neither of them had an answer.
Luna had thought that she had placed most of doubts of her abilities in the past. But this was proving to be something else entirely.
"Calm yourself Luna, you have a job to do,", The princess of the night told herself as she climbed into bed and readied herself for her duties.
Luna decided to pay the Dream Realm a visit ahead of her scheduled rounds, and found something most disturbing when she got there. It was over wrought with nightmares. She could see Twilight Sparkle being in a nightmare scenario where her friends all abandoned her, and a shrouded figure was pretending to be her only real friend. When asking the figure's name Twilight was simple told by them, "my name is Midnight",
Its like a chess game, he thought to himself. Every piece on the board were being moved into position, and it was all coming down to these last few pieces. As far as he was concerned no pony would even be ready for what was coming. Their defenses wouldn't be sustainable for very long. And soon he'd have his empire back. But how could he of known that Chrysalis would be coming after a group of ponies, and that it would put the both of them on a collision course with each other.
The Queen's mind was now consumed with rage and the thirst for revenge. All it took was a level head for her to seek out an ally to aid her in her quest. Or the fact that she still had a small number of Changelings that were still loyal to her.
Sombra was all set to attack the Empire, but a certain event to the south ended up delaying it without his knowledge. There had been a changing of the Guard in the Changeling Hive in the Badlands. Chrysalis had been ousted and a new leader installed in her place. Even Flash was unaware of this at first, that was until Twilight told him on the way back to the Empire during a train ride. She told him about how Starlight had convinced the Changelings to turn on Chrysalis without using any of her magic.
Apparently her throne had been made of an ancient dark stone that absorbed anything but Changeling Magic. That and she had been replaced by a changeling, along with her friends for the last few days. She felt it was very disconcerting that something like that happened to her. She couldn't get past the fact that she had let her gaurd down like that. She was always so sure of her inner defenses before now. Starlight was still getting used to being back in control of organizing what others asked her of. She had been so hesitant to be in a position of authority that she had she'd of relapsed or something. But the events of the day proved otherwise. They proved she was ready the next step and accept even more trust and confidence. She swore she'd be ready in the future.
After hearing that, Flash realized that he needed to speak with this new Changeling ruler, named Thorax, and ask for a parlay. He wanted to let Thorax know that he wasnt a danger to the others, and that he proven himself to be a good friend or more towards Twilight. His love for her was enough to keep him going, even if he had to sacrifice himself to save her, he would of gladly done it. These next trials would put that devotion to the test.
5 months after her Defeat
I AM GOING TO KILL HER!, Chrysalis screamed. Of course no pony heard her, the town she had come to was empty and devoid of life for some reason. All she could do was focus on Starlight.
That wretch, the queen thought to herself, I'll savor the moment I end her miserable life.
Hoofsteps. Getting closer.
Chrysalis ducked into one of the empty buildings to spy on who was approaching her location. There were six of them, The Elements of Harmony. But how could that be, she heard along her travels as of late that they were all in the Crystal Empire. She stayed hidden while listening in on their conversation.
"I told you we shouldn't of gone back there," the Pink one spoke," Now that Traitor is in charge, and the moment we show our faces again, we'll be executed. He's not the rightful heir, Queen Chrysalis is." and with that they all turned to look at a familiar face.
The others nodded in agreement. Little did they know, their Queen was right in front of them, hiding in an adjacent building, waiting for the moment to avail itself so she could make her presence known. As soon as they stopped talking, she emerged from where she had hidden herself, and much to their surprise.
As soon as she was within full sight , they all dropped their camouflage, showing their Changeling forms.
"Yes," she mused," I did, but what's more important is that we get out of here before others come,"and with that, Chrysalis, and the few supporters she had, left that deserted village and headed into the mountains. There they could hunker down in one of the caves and plan their next move. It wouldn't be long before she would teach both Thorax and Starlight what it meant to cross her path. She'd kill that self serving traitor and make Starlight Glimmer's death as slow and methodical as she could.
No pony upstages the Changeling Queen and gets away with it.
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
Every war has its costs. Victories, losses, the list goes on and on. What's more frightening? The loss of a friend, or the loss that comes from losing one's sanity? Cadence never knew that kind of pain, but Celestia and Luna did. They had known it nearly a millennia. The pain of Snowdrop's death had affected Luna in a way that Celestia could never have known.
For the longest time Luna had hated herself for leaving Snowdrop's body in that cavern. She had told herself that it was what her dear friend would have wanted. Celestia thought it would have been better if they had entombed here in Canterlot. Luna scoffed at that. She felt that Snowdrop's spirit would have preferred to be free among the clouds, especially during the wintertime.
After seeing Cadence's letter the pain started to return. She had to tell herself that she had a job to do. She had to get back to patrolling the Dream Realm after seeing Twilight's nightmare. It had been enough to give the princess of the night some pause to be concerned. She picked up the nearest dream sphere and entered it. She was not ready for what it contained. It was from a pegasus named Dead Loyalty. She used a concealment spell to keep the mare from seeing her. Luna watched the scene unfold before her.
"Get down!" Loyalty screamed as she grabbed a pony next to her. They were both wearing military uniforms that hadn't been used in over 400 years.
"What are we gonna do Dead? Most of our squad is dead or captured", The pony could only stare at their friend before getting an answer.
"We're rushing that position and taking out those Flak 88s. Then we call in air support."She was so disconnected by the tone of her voice. She'd rather see the mission completed then mourn the loss of their squadmates. As they grabbed their weapons and charged the enemy lines, Luna exited the dreamsleeve. She had seen enough.
She had to find out where this pony was living and why their dreams were so saddening and disturbing. She also felt a strange connection with them. Like Dead Loyalty was somehow familiar to her. Almost like she was a distant friend that was just now coming back to the forefront of her mind.
It was one of the many catalyst's for her transformation into Nightmare Moon. All that pain, anger, and jealousy had taken its toll on the indigo blue coated Alicorn. It had festered for years, but it all came to a head when Snowdrop died. She was Luna's only real friend other then her sister.
The only one that truly knew and loved Luna's beautifully crafted night.
And the only one that could cause Luna to have a relapse.
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges.
"In times of war, the law falls silent."
That was the translation that came to luna's mind after Cadence had described her most recent nightmare to the midnight blue alicorn. Among all of this information, there was one crucial detail that became apparent. In her most recent dream, she also told Luna she saw a shadowy figure lurking in the shadows. A shapeless mass of black that bore two greenish and purple colored eyes.
She also described a feeling of utter hatred in those eyes when she stared into them. That was when they both realized the only being on record to share that likeness was Sombra. But he was presumed defeated after the events that had transpired in the Crystal Empire. Luna came to the cold realization that he was not dead as they had all hoped for , but that he was just unable to maintain his form like he had before.
What they didnt know was that in order to maintain a solid form all the time, he required a certain amulet in order to do so. The princess of the Night decided it was best to inform her sister of the latest news. Sombra had a trick up his sleeve this time. One that none of them would see coming until it was too late. This pony would be their undoing. And in an ironic way , it was Celestia's fault in reality. She had unknowingly provided him the means to bait and ultimately bring the pony in question under his sway.
How fortunate for him that she was coming home to Equestria to visit her friend Twilight and Princess Celestia. This pony was still doubting herself after some recent events in other dimension that she had fled to years earlier began to make her question where she wanted to find herself in life.
His new Queen would burn away all before his hooves. His enemies would not be able to stop the coming cataclysm. She'd have an entire army to lead in his name. Equestria would be altered in ways no pony would be able to imagine.
Solaris would be born from the ashes of the pony once known as...
Sunset Shimmer.