Silver Skies slowly walked through the damp and poorly lit tunnel. The few sources of light, small clusters of pale green crystals and luminescent moss, provided just enough illumination for him to make out the tunnel walls. At the very least, he had little fear of falling into a hole, or tripping, but that did little to ease his nerves of the skittering sounds from what watched him in the shadows beyond.

Each step brought Silver closer to his objective, which still seemed unbelievable. Thinking back on it, it really was quite the unexpected mission. Just a few short days after he had returned from a diplomatic mission in the Gryphon lands, he had received an urgent summons from Princess Celestia, herself. Silver Skies had responded to his princess’ call immediately and, upon entering Celestia’s private room, learned of his mission.

~~***~~

“Your Highness, you wished to see me?” Silver asked as he entered the brightly lit chamber.

Princess Celestia stood behind her desk, an elegant carved dark oak with a white marble top, and turned her magenta gaze to her subject. Upon noticing the grey-coated unicorn stallion, a kind smile spread over her face. “Ah, yes, I did wish to speak with you, Silver Skies,” she said. “I know you just got back, but something rather urgent has come to my attention.”

Silver tilted his head slightly and blinked as a lock of his silvery-white mane swept over one eye. “I understand. If it’s as urgent as I assume, given the fact that you summoned me personally to meet with you, then it is of the highest priority. I can begin as soon as you desire, Princess. All of my previous assignment has been written down in my notebook, so I could leave it to be finished at a later date,” Silver replied.

Celestia suppressed a giggle, but her smile did spread wider. “That won’t be necessary, Silver Skies. This matter is urgent, but your other duties can be finished first,” she said warmly and glanced down at the stacks of papers on her desk. Her horn lit up in a golden aura and a short stack of papers levitated up into the air.

Silver eyed the papers as they floated over to hover in front of him. His horn lit up with a deep blue aura as he took the stack from Celestia’s magic. Silver Skies quickly skimmed over the documents. As he got about half way through them, he stopped reading and looked up to the princess. “This is about a meeting with the Changelings?” he asked.

Celestia nodded and her expression turned slightly more serious. “Yes. Their queen has requested an audience with a diplomat.”

“And you want me to handle this matter?” Silver inquired further.

“I felt you would be the best option, Silver,” Celestia replied softly. “You’re about the only pony I could think of to ask. Time and again, you’ve proven yourself capable of handling the more difficult negotiations.”

Silver smiled faintly at the praise, but his expression turned neutral once more before he spoke again. “It’s a gift… in a way. Though I do appreciate your kind intentions behind your reason for selecting me, please refrain from feeling guilty about it. I do not require pity or sympathy for my condition.”

Celestia sighed softly as her gaze flicked to Silver’s right eye. The once red coloration had become a pale milky white – the result of a magical accident in his colthood. “Forgive me, Silver… it is still difficult to not feel some responsibility for what happened.”

Silver Skies shook his head and offered a kind smile to his princess. “There is nothing to forgive. It was my own fault. I paid for my error, but it gave me a valuable experience,” he assured her and then cleared his throat gently. “Now, back to this negotiation… I will take this information and study it later. Is there anything outside of this report that you feel I should know?” he asked.

Celestia’s gaze drifted down to the stack of papers in Silver’s magical hold. “There is still little we know about their kind, Silver Skies. All I can offer you is a warning… to be as cautious as you can. I have little doubt that you can be more than a match for their queen with words, but she has proven herself to be quite capable of violence. Take extra care in your preparations when selecting your escort.”

“There won’t be one,” Silver immediately replied and before Celestia could ask, he continued, “I will not allow anypony to be with me who might involve themselves in the negotiations. I may not have been here during the invasion, but news of the attack spread all across Equestria. There isn’t a single pony that does not know about what the Changelings did. Therefore, I shall not be taking anypony with me. I require an unbiased escort… and you know there won’t be a single pony who would fit that criteria.”

Celestia’s mouth went to speak, but she thought better of it and closed her mouth. She sighed softly and smiled at Silver. “Very well, I shall trust in your judgment. Come to me if you require anything before your departure.”

Silver returned her smile, then it quickly vanished as he eyed her for a moment. “There is more that you do not wish to tell me…” he said gently.

Celestia sighed softly and her gaze turned to eye a few documents on her desk. “Yes… there are a few things I am keeping secret from my little ponies. There is much more to this than I would like to admit, but I feel it best not to tell you everything. Instead… I shall put my faith in your capable hooves. I know you’ll learn of her secrets, but she should be the one to reveal them to you.”

Silver nodded slowly and turned to leave. “Very well, your highness. I shall be sure to pay rapt attention to her and the rest of her Changelings. Good day.”

~~***~~

The tunnel system had no doubt taken Silver deep beneath the surface. He had walked for no less than a few thousand hooflengths, not that he had been counting all of his steps, but it sure felt like it to his hooves. It was only when he started to notice the occasional arc of a hardened green substance on the sides and ceiling of the tunnel that he felt he was near his destination. From the reports, Silver knew the material was a form of hardened slime, which the Changelings had used on subdued victims during the invasion. Seeing it in the tunnel gave Silver the impression that the material had a potentially wide variety of uses, outside of what the reports detailed.

It did not take long before the green slime dominated the walls and ceiling of the tunnel. Silver found it odd that the dirt floor had not been covered. After another few dozen steps, he finally came face to face with the inhabitants of the cave system. There, standing to the sides of a massive set of double doors, completely made up of the hardened green slime, with areas that even seemed to have black coloration, were two armored drones. Each of the black, carapaced Changelings narrowed their glowing blue eyes, their light green armor clinking as they stiffened their bodies.

As soon as Silver Skies got within a few ponylengths from the two guards, the sides and ceiling erupted in a mass if activity. Ports opened up like hinged circular doors, revealing at least a hundred pairs of glowing blue eyes. Silver watched the display with a mild sense of fascination before shrugging and turning his attention to the two guards – ignoring the vicious hissing of the many drones in the tunnel behind him. “Hello, my name is Silver Skies, I’m here as per Queen Chrysalis’ request,” he said to them.

The hissing in the tunnel quickly subsided. The blank expressions the two guards wore faltered for a split second as they observed the seemingly unfazed unicorn in front of them. They were uncertain as to why he had not reacted like others before him. Normally, when faced with such an intimidating display, fear would strike at the heart of the pony. This stallion had been the exact opposite… which alarmed them into being more defensive in response.

The left drone rose up to his full height and stared down the carapace of his muzzle at the grey unicorn. “What business do you have with our Queen, unicorn?” he hissed threateningly.

Silver Skies identified his conversational partner and assessed the Changeling coolly. “Your queen sent a message to Canterlot Castle. She requested an audience with a pony diplomat. I am that pony. Would you kindly have an escort brought here to take me to her? Unless she is currently preoccupied, then I would not mind waiting for her next available convenience.”

The drone slowly sank down to his normal height. There was something strange about the pony in front of him… but he had no idea what. That one red eye was striking, for certain, but the other scarred one made it hard to read the unicorn’s expression – it was so distracting to see such a wound. Not to mention, the sense of calm that the stallion emitted was almost unnatural. Still, the drone knew he had to address the situation properly first, so he held up a hoof.

“One moment…” he said and his pupil-less eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment. After a brief few moments, the drone’s sight refocused on Silver Skies and he nodded to the grey stallion. “What you say is true. The queen is sending somebuggy to escort you into the hive proper.”

Silver Skies nodded and allowed his posture to slip into a more relaxed pose. The threat of being attacked had been lowered, but that did not stop him from keeping his magic coursing through his body, ready to cast a defensive barrier spell at a moments notice. Fortunately, his wait was short lived as the large doors ground open shortly after. A group of seven drones exited the chamber within and surrounded Silver without a word.

It was clear that these new arrivals were different than the guards outside of the hive. The new drones were built leaner than the others and their armor was sleeker and looked to be a darker shade of green than the light green plates of the other guards. Silver’s first thought about the escort group was one of intrigue. Why are these Changelings wearing armor? The reports from the attack stated that none of the invading ‘lings wore any form of clothing, much less armor. It would seem that there is quite the pool of knowledge here in this hive that I can learn, he thought.

The designated leader of the escort drones stepped right up in front of Silver Skies and narrowed her glowing eyes at the unicorn. “Follow us,” she stated with less of a hiss than the other guard. “The queen is waiting for you. Do not deviate from the path we lead you down.”

Silver nodded. “Please, lead the way.”

The changeling group turned in unison toward the large doors and began a steady walk toward them. Silver Skies quickly fell into place at the center of the formation and made sure to keep his position precisely one and a half ponylengths behind the lead ‘ling. He followed her quietly, keeping his eyes focused on as much of his surroundings as possible – partly to be respectful, since most mares got a little defensive if you stared at their flanks, but mainly to stay alert to any potential ambush. Silver still remembered Celestia’s warning about their violent capabilities, so he figured he would remain safe, rather than allow himself to become a bargaining chip… what kind of diplomat would he be if he allowed negotiations to dissolve in such a fashion?

His escort led him through another long tunnel, with many more concealed hatches that hid numerous Changeling defenders. Seeing such numbers right from the start had given Silver slight pause. If there were that many drones in the entrance, then exactly how large was the total population? There must have been a thousand of them so far.

Silver soon came to the first intersection within the cave system. It was obvious that the Changelings had constructed the formation. The tunnel opened into a large dome that split off in multiple directions, with two tunnels going further down into the depths of the earth, three going up, and the remaining two staying at the same level as his current location. A large green gem illuminated the space adequately. Silver Skies was slightly surprised when they took the far right tunnel upward. He had half expected them to lead him further down.

It was within this new tunnel that Silver started to notice the change in architecture. The bland tunnel shifted into a more refined slime construction. Round arcs became squared off, with pillars and cross beams to support the weight of the cave’s ceiling. The space also widened considerably, making passage for the group much more comfortable. And then, the most spectacular part of the structure came into view as they passed by an opening. It was a window, with a barely distinguishable pane of clear slime that looked out over a massive space.

Silver Skies gasped as he noticed the mass of Changelings moving about within the cavernous room. There were three levels to the area, with tall pillars evenly spaced to hold up the high vaulted ceiling. It took conscious effort, but Silver made sure not to stop. Instead, the unicorn simply sighed in admiration and turned his head back to the lead Changeling. “My word, your hive is remarkable. The architecture is praiseworthy.”

The female drone made a quick series of clicking sounds in her throat and spared Silver a brief glance over her shoulder. “Your admiration is… welcomed,” she said with slight hesitation.

Silver quickly noted the uncertainty in her tone. He offered a reassuring smile, even though she had turned her head away. “Indeed. I am truly inspired by it. At some point, it would be an honor to meet the Changeling, or Changelings, responsible for such masterful craftsmanship.”

The drone simply hummed and her wings buzzed gently for a short moment. The tension around the other drones seemed to fade in the following silence. Silver had noticed three of his escorts stiffen when he had spoken. It seemed that he might have triggered a possible hostile reaction when he had spoken up, but avoided it by being genuine in his following expression. He made a mental note to keep quiet from then on. It would not do him any good if he offended them, much less caused them unnecessary stress unintentionally.

Silver Skies saw two more locations that resembled the first open space as they traveled. It seemed that they were places of gathering, where the Changelings could socialize or exchange goods. It was purely an assumption, but it seemed the tiny gems that a few of them possessed were a type of currency within the hive. Silver had only caught a few brief glances as the little pink crystals were exchanged by a few of the Changelings for some other items, which he had no idea what they were.

The path eventually came to an end as the group arrived in medium sized dome. There were three other paths that connected to the room, each guarded by more female drones, but it was the double doors directly ahead of Silver Skies that caught his attention. They were unlike anything else he had seen thus far, since the doors were completely made of massive glowing crystals. The sight was incredible to behold, since he had never witnessed anypony successfully molding crystal into such intricate carved designs. Silver wondered what the images on the doors meant, but was at a loss since the markings resembled nothing that he could recognize.

The escorting drones fanned out, with the exception of the leader of their group. She turned around to face Silver and stared at him with an oddly blank expression. Then her brow lowered and she bares her fangs slightly. “Our queen awaits you within,” she said sternly. “She ordered us to wait outside, but do not assume she is unprotected. We will not let you leave here alive if you act in any unsatisfactory manner.”

Silver nodded calmly with a neutral expression. “Understood. May I enter now, or am I to wait to be summoned?” he asked respectfully.

As if to answer him, the massive crystal doors ground open – the sound low and ominous within the cavern. It seemed that Queen Chrysalis had extended her invitation. Silver Skies looked to the female drone once more, just to make sure it was okay for him to proceed. After receiving a curt nod from her, he walked the rest of the distance and crossed the threshold. As soon as he had entered the room, the massive doors slowly closed with a deep resounding thud.

Silver examined the room closely. The space was large, possibly even more so than princess Celestia’s throne room, and sparsely lit with torches that burned with green magical flames. As for the rest of the room, it was impossible for the naked eye to see anything within the darkness. After enough time had passed, Silver felt it was time he made the first move, since Chrysalis had yet to show herself. “Greetings, Queen Chrysalis. I am Silver Skies. I have come to speak with you, as per your request in the missive you sent to Canterlot,” he spoke to the darkness, quite sure the Queen was within the shadows.

Four more torches lit deeper within the room to illuminate the form of the queen. She sat upon a modest looking throne of black stone in a pose of elegant superiority. Her acid and dark green, slitted eyes peered down at Silver with a fierce sharpness. Then her two-toned voice echoed and vibrated as she greeted her guest. “I admire your respectful tone in addressing me in my own hive, but I already know why you are here and who you are, Silver Skies,” she said lowly and with as much regal poise as one would expect from royalty. Though her fanged grin that followed was slightly unsettling.

“I also admire your bravery in coming to my hive alone,” she continued, a faint glimmer of intrigue dancing behind her piercing gaze, “I had been expecting quite a large number of guards to have come with you. It made my welcome feel a bit… excessive.”

Silver Skies simply nodded calmly. “Indeed, though I must admit it was quite an amazing display. Were it not for their chittering within those hidden spaces, I would never have expected such an intimidating display.”

Chrysalis seemed to ponder that for a moment, a look of curiosity playing upon her face every now and then. Eventually she tilted her head and asked, “How is it that you have remained so calm? Most ponies would have been trembling in fear from my drones, much less being in my presence, yet you stand here without the slightest bit of hesitation.”

Silver nodded again and tilted his head. “I’m just a little harder to surprise, is all. But I could also comment on how you are one of the first to not be as focused on my scarred eye. Your guards took notice of it, yet you have treated me as if my appearance makes no difference – which I appreciate,” he replied with a small smile.

Chrysalis took a moment to examine said scarring. True it was not every day that one saw such a remarkable deformity on another being, but appearance never really mattered to her. She shrugged slightly and tilted her head the other way. “I don’t really see a reason why appearances should matter here. After all, I am a shape shifter. I could have appeared in another form, had I wished to do so.”

“True. In any case, I believe we have wandered off topic,” Silver said, but retained his friendly smile. “Is there any topic of discussion that you would like to address first?”

Chrysalis nodded and fixed Silver Skies with a devious grin. “I’d enjoy discussing about the unconditional surrender of Equestria,” she said and stood from her throne.

Silver Skies eyed her for a moment, silently contemplating the comment. Then he tilted his head and let his expression return to being neutral. “Though I do appreciate the joke, your request was written in the form of a peace treaty. I understand you were quite fond of toying with ponies during your invasion, but I’d prefer to keep this as professional as possible,” he replied calmly.

Chrysalis’ expression instantly went from devious to unamused. “How unfortunate. I had been hoping to goad you on for the next ten minutes. At least you’ve proven to be worthy of proper conversation. You do well in keeping your cool… even in front of me.”

Silver nodded and fixed Chrysalis with an unfazed stare. “Quite. I have been told that I’ve got a knack for killing the mood, but that is neither here nor there. Do you have a point to begin our diplomatic discussion, or should I begin, your highness?”

Chrysalis shrugged and sat down on her throne before lifting a hoof and waving it in Silver’s direction. “You may begin. In all honesty, I’ve never been one for diplomacy.”

Silver Skies nodded once more. “Very well, Queen Chrysalis. I shall go through a list of topics that are standard procedure for an average diplomatic meeting. If any of them strike you as important then we can further discuss them. Is that acceptable?”

Chrysalis nodded with a bored expression on her face. She had a feeling this discussion was about to be one of the most draining events of her life…

Author's Note

Woohoo! Man did I enjoy getting back into this story. Hope you guys enjoyed the read and look forward to the next release. I'm working on my other story at this time, so chapters may take some time to come out for this one, especially with the holidays coming up. My writing will slow down due to extra hours being put in at work (gotta love overtime and holiday pay though).