A Princess in name, a Queen in heart

The Sun peaked over the horizon, Flurry paused for a moment watching the sunrise. She had been running over nearly the entire Empire, if she wasn’t tracking a suspicious pony, she was coordinating her Guard regiments. They had found a total of seven cult hideouts, including the first one Flurry found four of them had mares tied up in some form. The regulars had tried taking the mares they had found back to the Spire, Flurry had nearly attacked one guard when he attempted to refuse Flurry when she insisted on taking them elsewhere. Currently, there were fifteen mares sitting in Tappers, the bartender stallion doing his best to calm each of them. By the time Flurry had returned, the little bar felt lively, she had no idea how he did it be her was thankful to Tap regardless. Flurry and Tap stepped out the front of the bar, taking in the cool morning air.

“You get them all?”

“Yep, we’ve been going over the Empire with a fine tooth comb the last couple of hours. The leaders and members are all in the Spires dungeons, we were able to sort out them from the other stallions they had coerced into going along with them.”

“I heard about that, a few of the ladies in there mentioned something like that. What's going to happen to those colts?”

“Most came forward when the searching started, a few hid thinking we were coming to execute them, they really had ponies scared. As far as what's going to happen, I’m not sure just yet, one problem at a time.”

“I’ve been hearing talk of leaving the Empire, some just can’t be here anymore, first Sombra now this, it's a bit much for them.”

“Crystal Dust was the same, I sent her someplace safe. I can do the same for any that want to.” Flurry lifted her helmet off, her main laying flat with sweat. “Right now I need a drink and a shower.”

“Well, you just happen to be at the best bar in town.” Tap said smugly.

“Naturally Tap, I’ll make sure you're covered for anything tonight.”

“Oh don’t even try, it was my honor. Now let's get you that drink.”

Flurry followed Tap into the bar with a smug grin and a roll of her eyes.

~o0o~

Flurry had turned down the drink, instead, she addressed the gathered ponies, telling them that the cultists were all locked up. There were many sighs of relief, Flurry also offered any mare who wanted it a way out of the Empire. About half of those gathered took the offer, Flurry told them she would be sending them to the safest place for them. There were many tearful thanks, no longer fearing the wrath of the crown Flurry led the group out of Tappers. Flurry’s Guards guarded the group as they made their way through the city, they stopped only long enough to put those who wanted to leave on a train bound for Canterlot with instructions on what to do. Arriving at the Spire Flurry found the reserves and recruits she had called up lining the way to the Spire, they stood at attention as Flurry led her group underneath the Spire, where she was confronted by Shining Armor.

“Flurry Heart, why do I have three full regiments refusing to be dismissed until you do so?”

Flurry was a little surprised herself, she hadn’t thought they would wait for her to dismiss them once the search was over. She couldn’t help but feel rather proud.

“Because they are loyal Guard under my command.” Flurry announced loud enough for every pony to hear. “Guard! Dismissed!”

The Guards gave a salute before breaking formations, only the three standing with her and the other mares stayed. Flurry turned back to shining.

“These mares are witnesses in this whole ordeal, I hereby place them under my personal protection.”

Shining nodded. “There not the only ones, several have come forward with stories, counting these six that brings us up to about twenty.”

“There was fifteen, the others were too afraid to stay in the Empire. I’ve sent them somewhere safe that I trust.”

“And where would that be?” Shining asked with a raised eyebrow.

“For their sake, I’m keeping that secret, they only know where the train was headed, not where I sent them, and it will stay that way for now.” Flurry’s voice broker no argument.

“I guess I can't very well force you. Let's get them settled, we have a long way to go still.”

Flurry, Shining, and Silver were sitting in Flurry’s study going over records, Silver had been keeping very detailed accounts of everything that had happened, and something he found worried him.

“That can’t be right.” Flurry said looking up from her document.

“If everything I’ve been told is accurate, along with their own records it is, and it worries me.”

Shining Armor just hung his head. “Ten years? How have they been doing this for ten years?”

“As I pointed out, they started with very few members, working very quietly. The first five years there were only ten stallions involved, it's only in the last five that they have expanded to where they are.”

“So not all hundred some odd pony were in this from the start?”

“No princess, it only started with these select few. But those with similar ideas were naturally drawn to them, it was only a matter of time.”

“Even still, over ten years of this… abuse, how have we only seen,” Flurry paused looking at another document. “Twelve births? I mean if we were talking about a dozen ponies, sure. But counting those not in the empire, we have about forty mares that were forced into this, and of those that left only six were pregnant, and that was all of them.”

“And thus why I’m worried, I find them appealing in every sense, but they seem to be aware of declining birth rates and dwindling population. By my rough estimate, we could see crystal ponies dying out in about five or so generations, and that's counting each cult pregnancy.”

Flurry sighed. “And that is worrying, you are right. We need to find out what's going on, as well as finding some way of boosting our population. But that comes after, right now we need to deal with these monsters.”

“Right, now I’ve left a copy of all these for the Empress, so as soon as she goes over them we should-”

“What do you mean ‘when’? Where is she?” Shining asked in a frigid tone.

“I-uh-th-that is, she has been in the royal suit since the both of you left last night, or so the guards have said.”

Flurry glared. “You mean to tell me, while me and Shining, as well as every Guard in the Empire, was out running our flanks off, she's been sleeping???”

“I don’t know, I just left the documents for her earlier, her guards said she hasn’t left since she went in.”

Shining and Flurry exchanged looks.

“Something is wrong, it's not like Cadence to just… lock herself away.”

“I don't know, have you noticed she hasn’t really spent a lot of time around me, even though she was so adamant about having me back?”

Shining was lost in thought for a moment. “I thought she was spending time with you when I was overseeing the guard, or doing my part of running the Empire.”

“Nope.”

“We need to talk to Cadence, Now.”

~o0o~

Flurry and Shining stepped into the royal suit, it was like a medium size house built into the Spire. The entryway and common area were empty, Flurry checked the study while Shining checked the bedroom, both were empty. Coming back to the common room both had worried looks.

“The guards said she never left, yet she's not here.”

“This isn’t like Cady, she wouldn’t walk away from an emergency, and she wouldn’t just disappear. The only time she did was when she was foalnapped by Chrysalis.”

“Last I knew she was dead, so that's out. Is there any place she might go? Someplace only the two of you know?”

Shining paused a moment, then he had an idea. “There is one place.”

Leaving the suit proper both ran down the hall, a few doors down was a single room that hadn’t been touched in years, Flurry’s original bedroom from when she was born. Entering the room Shining and Flurry saw only a pitch black room, Shining activated the light gems in the walls, both of them froze when she saw Cadence. She was standing over Flurry’s old bed, tending to something in it. Flurry and Shining glanced at each other before Shining spoke up.

“Cady, what are you doing in the dark?”

“Shhhh, you’ll wake Flurry.”

Shining looked to Flurry, who had a worried look. Stepping up next to Cadence, Shining looked into the bed. In it was Flurry’s old blanket, it had been folded and wrapped to give it the appearance that something was in it.

“Cady, Flurry’s over there.” He said pointing to Flurry.

“No, no shiny dear, she’s right here, right where she belongs, my sweet little baby.”

Flurry stood across the bed from Cadence. “Cadence, who am I?”

Cadence didn’t reply, seemingly not have heard Flurry.

“Cady, who is that there?” Shining pointed to Flurry.

Cadence looked up, then looked around, it was as if she couldn't see Flurry at all.

“Who are you talking about dear?”

“Cadence, Flurry is right there, that’s her old blanket.”

“Shining Armor, are you implying that I don’t know where my own daughter it?”

“Ya because I’m over here, not in there.”

Again no response.

“Cadence, what’s wrong with you?”

“Shining nothing is wrong with me, you're the one questioning our daughter. Now stop making such a racket, you’ll wake her and I just got her to sleep.”

“Shining, ask her how old ‘I’ am.”

“Cady, how old is Flurry now?”

Cadence gave Shining a deadpan look. “She's two weeks old, I know we haven’t gotten a lot of sleep but you should know that.”

“She thinks she’s back before I was foalnapped, but why-”

Flurry was cut off when Cadence gasped in shock, she was looking down at the bed in a panic.

“Flurry? FLURRY! Shining where’s Flurry Heart!?”

“Cady she's right there, what's happening?”

Cadence began searching the room, ignoring Flurry even bumping her out of the way in her search. Before either could react, Cadence shot from the room in a blind panic. Flurry and Shining ran after her, still utterly confused as to what was going on.

“Raise the alarm, Flurry Hearts gone missing!”

“She's reliving your foalnapping, but why?”

“I have an idea, but we need to grab her.”

Cadence was frantically telling the first guard she came across to organize search parties, he was about to carry out his orders before Shining had yelled out to belay those orders.

“Shining!?! Flurry is missing what are you-?”

Cadence was cut off as Shining tackled her to the ground, he held her down using his magic to block hers.

“I can't hold her long, whatever you're going to do Flurry.”

Flurry wasted no time, she met Cadence eye to eye, touching her horn to Cadence’s she let her magic wash over them. Flurry knew a few healing spells, as well as diagnosis spells, she just hoped she wouldn’t find…

“Oh no…”

“What?”

“Changeling mind control magic, we were taught to identify it in the hive, but there is something different, it's like it's coming from her.”

“How is that possible? Spells have to come from the caster, not the target.”

“I’m not sure, and no mind spell I’ve ever seen could last years, a few months maybe, but not years.”

“SHINNING! *HISSSSSSSSSSSSS* FLURRY!”

“D-did she just hiss?” Shining asked, eyes going wide.

“Wait, oh please don’t let it be,” Flurry cast her magic again, going deeper than before. “It's a curse.”

“WHAT!”

“It's a changeling curse, but I’ve never heard of one… this… strong…. No…”

“Flurry?”

“Twilight told me Cadence face the Evil One by herself, right?”

“Yes... you mean then?”

“When else could this have happened?”

Cadence was now thrashing and hissing, trying to find purchase but failing on the crystal flooring.

“Why now?”

“I don’t know, I have almost no training in this kind of magic, I can only identify it, I have nothing to counter it.”

“What do we do? What can we do?” Shining was starting to sound desperate.

“There is one, and only one thing we can do. We need to go to the only experts who would know how to counter something like this. We need to go to my hive.”