Dawn's Story

The sun was now high in the sky, and the top of old Changeling Hive was just barely visible on the horizon. After we had gotten out of Canterlot, we hadn't encountered a single creature. Not pony, nor Changeling. If this walk was to take any longer, I was going to collapse from exhaustion.

"Have you put any thought towards how we're going to get in some rest?" I asked.

"Not really. That probably would have been a good thing to think of before we left." Starlight responded.

"Yeah, no kidding. I hope we can squeeze in a nap before we head back to Canterlot."

"Maybe the Changelings will need time to get ready. That's when we'll sleep."

"That's assuming they take forever to get ready. Odds are there's only going to be fifteen minutes, tops."

"Why do you have to be such a downer?"

"Me!? I'm the downer!? Do you even listen to yourself when you talk?"

"No, not really."

We laughed.

Like Starlight had said, it had taken all night, and half the day, but we had finally arrived. I had never been here before, but I could tell that this place had once been meant to strike fear into the hearts of potential attackers. While it had recently taken on a less hostile mood, it was still a bit eerie. This place did not, however, have the feeling of emptiness that I had recently noticed in Ponyville and Canterlot. That meant good news for us.

"It looks like a maze in there. Do you know where you're going?"

"Sort of. At least the walls aren't moving anymore."

"The walls used to move?"

"Back when Chrysalis was in charge, yes. They stopped when we blew up the throne."

"Sounds like I missed all the fun."

"In the heat of the moment, it was anything but fun. Now come on. We have to get to the top. That's where the throne room is."

"Once again, I find myself saying: 'I'll follow you.'"

We passed a few of the 'Reformed' Changelings on the way to the top, and I have to say: they were definitely different. I didn't even realize they were Changelings at first. I had to have Starlight tell me why there were strange looking ponies roaming the Changeling hive.

Finally, we made it to the top, where we were greeted by a slightly larger Changeling- presumably the new leader. Starlight introduced him as Thorax, before going off to talk alone. Having nothing else to do, I laid down against one of the walls, and passed out. Who knew walking for almost twenty-four hours straight could be so exhausting?

I rose before the sun, early in the morning. Starlight had fallen asleep pressed up against me, which would have been weird if the room wasn't freezing. It was mid-spring, meaning that the nights were still cold enough to leave frost in the morning.

Aside from us, the room was empty. The Changelings had all gone off to their version of bedrooms for the night. This struck me as worrisome, as it may mean that they weren't willing to help.

I slowly got up, so as not to wake Starlight, and walked out to the balcony. The sky was just beginning to change colors, indicating that the sun would soon be joining us. I simply stared at the horizon. Though I had seen it thousands of times, I still found the sunrise to be one of the most beautiful things. Being named after it didn't help.

I watched the new dawn until I heard hoofsteps behind me, and a groggy voice call my name. I must not have gotten up slowly enough, but that was fine. It would be nice to have somepony to share the sunrise with.

"Sorry, Starlight. I tried not to wake you."

"No, no. It's fine. I needed to wake up anyways."

"What's the word from the Changelings? Will they help?"

"Yes, actually. They want a chance to get back at Chrysalis for all of her crimes. They wanted to leave shortly after sunrise."

"I was afraid that they weren't going to help, since they had gone to sleep."

"They simply wanted a good night's sleep before the inevitable fighting takes place."

"That's the first good news I've heard in days. This calls for a celebration!"

"Take it easy there. You're starting to remind me of Pinkiepie."

"First, I have no idea who that is, and second, that's not what I meant. I simply wanted to watch the sunrise, and I was hoping you'd join me?

"I don't see why not."

And so we watched the sun rise, standing side by side in the frigid air. I didn't want to say anything, because it might ruin the moment. Similarly, Starlight remained silent. We stood, and we stared, and I became aware of something. I was feeling something that I almost didn't recognize. For the first time in a very long time, I actually cared for somepony. I had the first pony I was willing to call a friend since before I was branded as a traitor. What would I do if I lost her? Hopefully, I would never find out.

With the sun now fully visible, and the first Changeling beginning to rise, we went back inside. Thorax met us there, and we began discussing our plan of attack.

"Scouts report that there are more of them than originally anticipated. I've also heard that there are still several squads of the Royal Guard in hiding. If we add up our numbers, plus the last of the Royal Guard, we still may not have enough to win this fight." Thorax reported.

"We may not need to wipe them out. If you lead the main force in from the west, I can use the initial chaos to lead a small team in from the east." Starlight stated. "You just need to buy us enough time to reach Chrysalis."

"I just don't understand how there could be so many of them. When we beat her, the majority of the Changelings sided with us."

"You seem to forget that she's the one that lays the eggs." I added.

"Now that you say that, it does make sense." Starlight agreed.

"That just means we have to stop her for good, this time. I'll assign you two a small detail. When we kick down the front door, you slip in the back."

"Understood."

"Then we need to get moving. I want to be there by noon."

That was it. The plans were made, and the Changelings began taking to the skies. Realizing that Starlight was the only one who couldn't fly, I asked how she planned to get there.

"Using our combined magic, we should be able to teleport the entire way." She explained.

"Why didn't we do that to get here?! That walk was exhausting!"

"Because I've never tried such a teleportation before, and I didn't want to risk winding up in the castle, where the enemy was."

"I guess that makes sense." I admitted.

Soon, we were joined by four Changelings, and we prepared to cast the spell. By simply concentrating on where we wanted to go, we were there. Now it was just a waiting game. When Thorax's troops engaged on the western side, we would slip in, and go for Chrysalis. Unfortunately, we were at least two hours ahead of Thorax, so we would be here for some time.

All we could do was prepare for the upcoming fight. What we didn't know, was that no amount of preparation would really make us ready for these next few hours. There's a very good chance that what happens next will define the future of Equestria, and quite possibly, the world.