The Equestrian Monomyth - Book 2 - Complexs of Disharmony

Queen Chrysalis, AKA 'Princess Farsania', was enjoying her weddung dress in front of a mirror of her guest room. Who could have thought this? Changelings had passed from Public Enemy Number One, to an ally of Equestria, nice and easy! They should have a shortage of allies or something! Bah, who cares, as long as she achieved what she wanted to. This marriage was symbolic, of course. The only reason to be at disguise was because Luna didn't stand changelings, but after the wedding, she'll reveal herself and laugh on her face. Ohhh! That'll be something for remember!

Chrysalis smirked. She had everything covered. According to her treaty with Celestia, carriers will make regular travels to the castle, to harvest Cadance's spell in magic containers to feed her hive and herself. The Princess won't even have the need to leave the castle, if that was what could had Celestia concerned. And that will keep her away from her Thorax! That was... perfect! Now, she had a trustful and abundant source of food, with which she could experiment with, so she could find her so long desired way to harvest feelings from other non-sentient living things, maybe mushrooms or something. She had so many improvement plans! Changes in her society's customs, more equitative distribution of wealth, ranking according to individual achievements and not just by killing each other! In short, in the five months she has lived among the ponies, she had realized how wrong was her ancestors, and how much they can learn from each other!

"Ohhh... If only mother and father could see me now." Mourned Chrysalis, sorrowful.

Suddenly, a knocking in the door startled her, and she quickly turned again into 'Princess Farsania': "Who is it?"

"It's the butler, Your Highness." It was heard from outside the door.

'Ah, it's Hakim.' Chrysalis thought: "Come in!"

A butler looking stallion entered the room, and closed the door: "Greetings, my Queen."

"Greetings, my dear subject. Is everything alright?"

"Yes. In fact, I want to have a word with you."

"Well, speak then."

"My queen. Are you sure about this?"

Chrysalis 'Farsania' giggled: "What are you talking about? Of course I'm sure! Nothing could be better for us changelings than this!"

Hakim looked at her with disdain: "For real? Are you going to throw our pride to the garbage, only for a few crumbs?"

Chrysalis looked to Hakim, surprised: "It's not crumbs, Hakim. It's all that we need! Our race has payed a high toll for it's ambition in the past, and I'm not commiting that same mistake! From now on, we changelings will only make fair trades, and we will earn our sustenance with honest work."

Hakim chuckled: "What? Are you crazy? We changelings are nothing but kidnapers and murderers! That's how we've survived all this time!"

"That times have ended, Hakim! This is the dawn of a new age! You should learn from Thorax! He never had to kidnap or murder to get food!" Angrily replied Chrysalis.

"That filthy half-breed? Puaj! He disgusts me! Wandering half Equus, pleading for care like he was a beggar! He's a shame for our race!"

"How could you be so ungrateful, Hakim?! Have you forgotten how many times he saved us all?! He's an irreplaceable subject, and my King to be!"

"Ha! That's just too much, littering our race with that filthy half-breed blood..." Hakim complained, with a rather insulting tone.

"That's enough, Hakim! I've allowed you to be honest with your thoughts, but you're insulting me already!" Chrysalis interrupted him. "We've talked enough! Dismiss!" She turned around, upset.

But Hakim didn't move. Chrysalis turned the head to him: "Haven't you heard?! Leave inmediately!"

"I'm not taking more orders from YOU!"

Chrysalis turned around, with teeth clenched, sharpening the eyes:

"I hope this's some kind of joke, Hakim, or I'll have you execut... I mean, imprisoned!" She threatened him, shooking the head.

"Imprisoned?" Hakim chuckled. "See? Mixing up with those puny ponies only have weakened you, Chrysalis. And it seems that you'll won't stop until you have extinguished us all!"

"Extinguished?! Hakim, how could you say such thing?! I've saved us all!"

"Saved us? From what? We were doing fairly well until you had that idiot idea of 'cutting the snake's head' sticked on your shell!"

"That was before I knew the truth! I was blinded by thousands of years of unjustified hard feelings and hatred! The ponies aren't so bad as the elders kept telling us! And doing fairly well? Hakim, how having such a poorly surviving rate could be 'fairly well'?!"

"Of course it is! The survival of the more fitting! Natural selection!"

"Natural selection? Don't make me laugh, Hakim! In the ancient times, a Changeling Queen could have easily a dozen eggs per batch! Nowadays, they were lucky if they had one or two! I've been unable to hatch a single one by myself, I think that I'm infertile or something!"

Hakim smirked: "Then, it seems that you're not of any use for us."

Chrysalis frowned and sharpened the eyes even more, and walked until she pushed her forehead against Hakim's: "And what exactly do you mean with that, Hakim?" She asked with a rather threatening tone.

But, suddenly, her eyes and muzzle opened wide, as she felt the cold of a metal blade piercing her chest. "Agh!" Then, she looked to her open wound, with the dagger still nailed on her body. Then, she looked to Hakim, dumbfounded, and her muzzle started to pour her green blood: "Hakim... what have... you done?" She barely could say before drooping down to the floor, struggling for breathing.

Hakim looked to her, smirking: "I just did what must be done. Matriarchy has driven us Changelings near extintion, thus proving that Queens are unworthy to rule! And rejoice, because you're right! It's the dawn of a new age! It's time to a change in management! It's time for us males to arise!" He raised a foreleg, triumphant.

A green tear appeared on Chrysalis' eye: "No... Hakim... please... All has... been solved... Celestia forgave us... please... don't..."

Hakim evily chuckled again: "Solved? Do you think that Celestia will forgive us again, when she discover that her filly... is half-changeling?"

Chrysalis eyes quivered: "What... what have you done...?"

"Ohhh, just a little addition to my achievements. Remember, eleven months ago, when you sent me, disguised as a gryphoon, to spy on her at the Empire?" Hakim bragged.

Chrysalis meekly shooked the head in despair, realizing what that meant: "No... no... no..."

"Yes, yes, yes. It was easy! I just put some sleeping powder in her beverage, and when she fell half unconscious... mmmmmhh mwah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Evily laughed Hakim.

Chrysalis closed her tearful eyes and sobbed: That stupid male drone had destroyed all that she worked so hard to build...

"Well, I'll rather have you witness the greatness of our ascending, but I can't risk you giving the alarm." Added Hakim, roughly pulling the dagger out from Chrysalis' body, making her to mourn of pain. "So, say mommy hi from my part!" He smirked again, and raised the dagger to finish her off...

"This isn't fair, Tia! You just raised a royal decree, and now I have to get married with Shining Armor almost forcefully!" Was complaining Cadance.

"I don't understand, Cadance. That wasn't what you want? You begged me for it." Celestia replied. Then, she cuddled her filly with tenderness: "Say. Isn't she gorgeous?"

"Yes, she is..." Said Cadance, smiling with tenderness, Then, she replied: "And yes, I know that I asked you for it, but it's different now!"

"How's different?"

"I... I knew somepony else..."

"You did?" Celestia giggled. "Where? Wait. No. Don't you tell me. A changeling?!" She asked with a mixture of surprise and joy.

"No...! I mean... yes.... how did you know?"

Celestia looked up, pensive: "Hummm... Let's say that I have... some sort of sixth sense for this stuff."

Cadance shrugged the eyes: "That's not funny, Tia."

Celestia giggled again. "What do you propose, then? To cancel the wedding?"

"No! That'll break Shining Armor's heart... again. Just... I'm still... I need to talk to... you know who."

"Alright, be my guest, then. Just remember: Careful with what you desire, you may get it." Celestia waved a hoof, and returned to cuddle her filly. "What? What does wants mommy's little filly? Cooch cooch cooch cooch."

Cadance shooked the head: "That wasn't any helpful. You know?" Then, she turned around, walked to the door, and stopped short, and turned around again, her eyes moved to a side, and then back to see her aunt: "Tia... humm. Can I get some help here? I don't want to face her alone."

Celestia laughed: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha. What?! Don't you tell me that you're afraid now! You two seems to get along so well!"

Cadance closed the eyes and clenched the teeth: "Stop mocking on me, Tia! This's important to me!"

"Alright, alright. Take Twilight with you. That way they'll start to get along too."

"Twilight? Does she knows...?" Cadance asked, relieved.

Celestia nodded. "She does."

"Twilight, I'm so happy that you've agreed to help me in this troublesome affair. I assure you that I have absolutely no intention in hurting your big brother. It's just a matter of... that I want to make sure that everything is alright and..." Was telling Cadance to the purple unicorn while both were trotting to Queen Chrysalis, 'Farsania' room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses right there. Let's make this clear. The only reason because you want to talk to her is because you want to screw up the wedding." Twilight interrupted her, with a rather angry tone.

"No no no no! I assure you that no! I just want to put a dot or two on..." Started to nervously reply Cadance, but they were arrived already to their destination, and Twilight interrupted her again by knocking the door:

"Your Highness, it's Princess Cadance and Twilight Sparkle! We want to have a word with you!"

Inside the room, Hakim was startled by the unexpected call, and he looked back, second that Chrysalis took and, gathering the last of her strenght, teleported outside the room.

"Ahhh!" Screamed the mares otside, scared when they saw the changeling queen injured.

"Chrysalis! What happened?!" Asked Twilight, quickly casting a Life Force Healing spell on the queen.

"Mutiny..." Meekly warned Chrysalis.

"But what in the Tartarus is that?!!" A ragged voice was heard, and Twilight and Cadance raised the head to face Luna, who was watching them with quivering eyes and stiffed legs, in the deepest of confusions: "A CHANGELING?!!"

Twilight gulped, horrified: "Jesus Christ..."

The castle's walls rumbled, and dust fell from the roof, and Celestia quickly covered her filly with her forelegs, frightened: "Holy Heavens! What's happeniiiiiing?"

"IT'S A CHANGELING QUEEEEEEN!! THEY KILLED MY FAMILYYYYYY!! I'M GOING TO KILL HEEEEEER!!" Screamed Luna, like possesed, trying to break Twilight's shield by attacking it with all she got.

"No! Wait, Luna, wait! They're not the enemy anymore!" Was Twilight trying to stop her. Then, she turned her head to the scared Cadance: "Cadance, look for my coltfriend, quick!" And she teleported her to safety.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL!!" Screamed Luna again, turning into Nightmare Moon, when I appeared and hugged her.

"That's enough, Looney Mooney! That's enough! Calm down, please, calm down!"

Luna slowly returned to her old self, and hugged me too: "What's happening to meeeee? Why I can not control myseeeeelf?" She sobbed.

Hakim teleported where his henchmen were: "What happened, my King? It's done already?" They asked.

"No! Everything screwed up! We have to strike right now!" He explained. "Call our secret weapon!"

"Yes, my King!"

I was walking quickly around, wondering if I should give the combat's clearing for action, when, suddenly, all the wings of the pegasis, except Dashie, and all the horns of the unicorns, exept Twilight, dissapeared, along with all the spears the guards had.

I had no doubt then: "Seventh Seal Life-Force Magic Cancelling Surrounding Effect!" I quickly shouted, and all the wings and horns reapeared, but not the spears.

Discord.

Without wasting anytime, I pulled the alarm electric switch, and quickly teleported out of the castle, where I could see the God of Chaos mocking: "I'm baaaack! Seems that we're missing some chaos here, so I've brought some friends to play!" And, saying this, he clacked his fingers, and a batallion of dragons and another of gryphoons appeared just from nowhere. "Have fuuuuuuun!" He mocked again, and disappeared as the bucking coward he is.

I smirked, as all around me, well concealed Anti Air guns appeared from behind the castle's walls: "Open Fire!" I shouted. Hell, I always had wanted to said that.

The battle quickly generalized, and among the chaos of the civilians running in panic, I had work for everypony.

The guards quickly gathered the concealed firearms that I had strategically spreaded all the city, and quickly organized in platoons, opening fire against the invaders. Everything could have been under control, but, then she appeared: Daybreaker. Well, not exactly Daybreaker. For outside the alicorn looked liker her, but her only half-lidded eye was... colorless. There was no life, no soul on that undead body.

"Groooooowl." Drooled the partially rotten alicorn, and, unsheating her only sword, she flown to attack me.

Just perfect. Now I have to deal with a zombie Sun Goddess, so, I wouldn't be able to take her down until I could find the puppeteer.

Shining Armor, Cadance and a team of the very best royal guards quickly reached Celestia: "Your Highness, quick, you're no longer safe here!"

"What's happening?!" She asked, standing and carrying her filly in a bag she had on her loin.

"We're under attack! Come on, this way!"

The guards trotted, pointing their guns, until the next room:

"Clear! Move, move, move!"

Between Twilight and me, we're giving Daybreaker a beating of the best, but, as she was undead, everytime she fell, she stood up again, once and once again, and her strongest attack, the SunBeam, was giving us real trouble.

"Love!" I told my marefriend. "This isn't gonna end until we find the puppeteer!"

"But what can we do? He could be anywhere!" She replied, looking around, while taking down Zombie Daybreaker for the ninth time.

"Try a reversal Locking Down spell, or I don't know! Whatever that came to your mind!" I suggested, taking down Daybreaker yet again.

Inside the castle, some dragons managed to bypass the AA Guns, and entered thru the windows:

"Ahhhrrg! I want roasted pony!" They roared, but, almost instantly, they were received by a bullet's rain.

The ponies, strategically hidden behind columns and furniture, shot them, and when the dragons came too close, they galloped back, while the rearguard covered their withdrawal: "Contention fire! Cover me!" they said, firing over the intruders and taking them down.

Shining Armor opened a door, finding some royal guards there: "Don't attack us! We're guards!" They said.

Shining Armor shrugged the eyes, and said: "X-ray Vision spell!" And blew the tap of the brains of the changelings. Yep, as easy as that, because, as changelings are bug-like, they have an exoeskeleton instead of the mammal's endoeskeleton, and any X-ray sight will reveal they're boneless, unlike vertebrates like the ponies. So, any boneless pony was a changeling. Period.

"Quick, ponies, come over here, were saying Rarity and Fluttershy, trying to take the ponies that had hid around to safety. They were quite a few, including foals and fillies. Rarity from time to time was raising her Rarity-made sniper rifle, which she called 'The Judge' and taking down a gryphoon or a dragon with a single shot.

Fluttershy looked, shocked, how a huge dragon fell nearby them: "How... how did you do that?" She asked, astounded.

"Just shot between the eyes." Answered Rarity, raising the gun and taking down another dragon, pretty high to see where his eyes were. Then, she, with all the cold blood of the world, turned around, while reloading her rifle, and walked away very calmed, and the corpse of the huge dragon fell behind her, on the place where she was just mere seconds ago. Rarity finished reloading the gun and commented: "Thou art been judged."

Suddenly, about a dozen of gryphoons approached: Rarity has no time to take down so many!

"Stand back!" Said Fluttershy, and she trotted to the front, and opened her muzzle. No sound came from it, but all the gryphoons covered their ears with their claws and fell to the ground, rolling and shrieking of pain, where Rarity took down all of them with her two handguns.

A tear fell from Fluttershy's eye: "Why do we have to do thiiiiis?" She asked, sorrowful, biting her lower lip.

"Is them or us, Flutters, and they're not going to have mercy with the foals! Come on!" Rarity pulled her crying friend away.

Inside the castle, the princesses were taken to a safe place, and Celestia turned to Cadance: "Cadance, I trust in you with my life, so I'm going to leave you protecting my filly! I have to help in the battle!"

"Negative, Your Highness! Our duty is to protect you both!" Sternly replied Shining Armor:

"But I saw Daybreaker outside! My ponies need me!" She replied.

Shining Armor pointed to her and then to the floor with a foreleg: "Stay put and shut up, Your Highness! And that's an order!"

Celestia shooked the head 'What?'. But she complied, and sat on her fours legs on the blanket, and carried her filly to cuddle her. "Are you hungry, my beauty? Come, take mommy's tasty milk." She told her, breast feeding her with tenderness. Cadance opened her muzzle wide, amazed by the unicorn captain's attitude.

I was mentally counting the time until my spell's effect will disappear, then that degenerate of Discord will came back to screw everything up. I know that he's uselessly clacking his fingers somewhere, waiting for my spell to vanish. Fortunately, the enemy's number has been reduced enough, and Luna joined to battle Zombie Daybreaker:

"Hey! But that mare wasn't dead?!"

"She's dead."

"What?!" Exclaimed Dashie, frightened, who had joined the fight recently too. "Dead?! But dead, like a zombie?!"

"Exactly."

"Ohhhh nooooo." Dashie trembled of fear, with her forelegs in her muzzle. "Zombies gives me the creeeeeeeeps."

Pinkie finally found Discord: "Ha! I found you! Surrender, horseshit!" She ordered him, smiling.

Discord started to twist around himself: "Oh no. She found me! What I'm gonna do? What's gonna be of me...? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" He launched a sneer laughter.

Pinkie raised an eyebrow, dumbfounded, but then, she looked behind her, and she saw Hakim:

"Well done, Discord. I'll take care from here." He smirked, while Discord disappeared.

Pinkie got ready for battle, but Hakim was more that she could manage, and knocked her down.

"Good, now they'll had to surrender." He evily chuckled.

Discord was enjoying his 'prowess', when he hear a familiar voice from behind him: "Discord, how could ya?"

He turned around, to find Applejack, angrily looking at him.

"AJ!" He looked around. "What are you doing here? You can't fight! Run away and save yourself!"

"Wha'?! And wha' about the others?! Screw 'hem, then?!"

"That's right! I don't care about the others! Only you!" He replied.

"And why do ya do this, if ya care about me?! This is hurtin' me taa!"

"This isn't hurting you! Is hurting the others! Not you!"

"Tha' wasn' wha' Ah mean! If ya hurt mah friends, ya hurt mah feelings!"

Discord sneered again: "How can that hurt you? Hakim promised me that he was gonna spare you!"

"Wha'? Ya did a deal an' all?! Ya buckin' traitor!" AJ trembled of fury. "Ah thought ya was mah friend!" She complained with tearful eyes.

"I am! That's why I'm protecting you!" Discord opened both arms.

"Ya aren' protectin' me! Ya are hurtin' me, by hurtin' mah friends!"

"They're not my friends, AJ! So I have no need to protect them!"

"But they're mine, an' Ah need to protect 'hem!"

Discord did a disdainful gesture, crossing the arms: "You know what? Screw you!"

Applejack looked him with tearful eyes: "Then, tha's it? Ya don' love me?"

Discord looked at her, dumbfounded: "What?"

"Then, if ya don't love me, Ah'll kill mahself!" Said Applejack with despair, and put a hoof in the left side of her belly: "Ah only have to press hard here, and Ah'll have an internal bleedin' an' Ah'll die! So, tell me, are ya goin' to help mah friends or not?!"

Discord scrunched the maw an looked down, upset.

Our battle with Daybreaker has turned quite boring, as it looked like: Take her down, she stands up, take her down, she stands up, repeat. Ugh! This is not gonna ever end! Suddenly, Hakim appeared:

"Having fun, puny ponies? Look who I have here! The Mistress of Fun!" He smirked, levitating the frazzled body of Pinkie Pie, with a dagger on her neck to ransom us.

"Sorry. He got me." She mourned.

We all looked to him with anger, while struggling with Daybreaker.

"Well, this is how is going to be. You're going to surrender to me, King Hakim, and you will anoint me as the new ruler of Equestria. Otherwise, your friend here will have her last party. Mmmmm mwah ah ah ah ah ah ah!" He evily laughed, and his eyes turned red for a moment. Only then, I spotted, in his neck, the amulet of the alicorn. Shit.

But, while he was laughing, he wasn't paying attention, and Twilight, remembering how Daybreaker lost with Pinkie for being laughing, took the chance and froze the dagger, making it unable to cut. Then, I quickly teleported Pinkie to safety, while Twilight shot Hakim.

"What the...?!" He complained, receiving the five-fold shot directly on his shell. But it looks like that he had a magic shield or something protecting him, because he managed to recover and escape anyway.

"So well?!" Asked AJ to Discord, and how he didn't replied, she did the gesture to push her side.

"NO!" Discord shouted, extending bothy arms. "Alright, alright! I'll help your friends!" He accepted, upset, and turned around, just to face Hakim. Discord opened his eyes wide, scared.

"Betraying me then, huh? Give me your magic!" And Hakim stripped Discord from all his magic, leaving him laying in the floor, deflated like a punctured balloon. Then, he flown to AJ. "Good! My booby prize!" And he levitated AJ to take her hostage.

"No, wait Hakim! You promised that you'll spare her! You promised!" Discord complained.

Hakim evily laughed: "Mwah ah ah ah ah ah! And you believed me?! You're as fool as you look like, if not even more! Changelings, retreat!" He ordered, and all the remaining changelings made their leave.

About a half on a hour later, all the dragons and gryphoons were either dead, wounded or taken prisoner, so, all the weaponry could focus on defeating Daybreaker. All the AA guns, the gunponies, Twilight with her five-fold attacks, Luna with her dark beam, Pinkie and me with Hadou-kens...

"Grooooowl" Growled Zombie Daybreaker for a last time, and her shield give in, and she exploded in a disgusting spurt of bad-smelling rotten flesh and blood. What a shameful end for such a lofty warrior...

Twilight flown to Discord and shook him very roughly, very angry: "Discord! What did you do with AJ?! Tell me before I'll kill you!"

"Hakim took her! Hakim took her! Please don't..." He meekly pleaded.

"Where?!! Where did he took her, Discord?! Answer me!" Twilight interrupted him.

"I don't know! Maybe to his hive, but I'm not sure!"

Twilight dropped him and looked backwards: "I know who knows."

And everypony and me left, leaving Discord there, alone, forgotten, weak and disabled, among a pile of shambles and dead bodies.

"Chrysalis! Tell me where your hive is, at once!" Twilight demanded to the changeling queen.

"Yes, yes. I'll take you there..." Meekly agreed Chrysalis, with weary face and standing up on trembling legs.

Twilight lit her horn, reading the mare's vitals and realizing they were too bad for her to do that trip, so she rolled the eyes and shooked the head: "No, Chrysalis. Just... give me your hive's location. That'll do." She demanded with a more friendly tone.

"Alright." Agreed the queen, lightening her horn to give her hive's coordinates. "And I know this is too much asking, but please, don't harm my Thorax. He's not like them. I beg you!" She pleaded with tearful eyes, sitting on her four legs again, as she barely could stand on foot.

"And how are we supposed to know who he is? All of them look the same!" Twilight replied, triangulating the hive's location.

"You'll know when you see him." Assured Chrysalis.

Twilight lit out her horn: "Got it!"

Luna gave some steps forward, with a maniacal smile: "Good! Can I kill her now? Can I? Can I?!"

"No!" We denied at unison.

"You can kill me if you want to... All this is my fault..." Sadly commented Chrysalis.

"Yes!" Happily said Luna, lightening her horn, but I grabbed it, dispelling her spell, and denying with a finger of the other hand.

"OK! We have no time to waste! Let's rescue AJ!" Said Twilight. "Dashie, Pinkie, come along! Rarity, Flutters, stay here, to protect and serve, as you know how!"

"Don't worry, Twilight! I have all the mean guys on the eagle's eye!" Happily informed Rarity, raising her Rarity-made sniper rifle. Which was a piece of work, I must say.

"I... hummm... I'll do my best." Agreed Fluttershy, still a bit shocked, but confident on her skills.

Then, I turned to Luna: "You come too. You'll have the chance to kill as many changelings as you want."

"YES!" She joyfully jumped in place.

Recklessly entering the hive was a very-very bad idea. They could have some hive-size magic dampening trap, and we'll be in trouble. The best way to approach them is to make them to get out.

Luna turned to Twilight, happily proposing to her: "Hey, I have the perfect way to settle our issue! A changeling-killing contest! The one who kills more, wins, and keeps the stallion! What do you say? Do you agree, yes?"

Twilight scrunched the muzzle, unease about killing for fun: "Hummm... and taking from you the pleasure of destroying your sworn enemies? That'll be so unfair from my side!" She said with a fake smile, pretending that she 'generously' were giving her that 'honor'.

"Oh! You're right. Bucking horns! I'll have to think in something else..." Luna complained, upset.

Twilight walked to me: "How are we gonna do this, love? We can't just start to attack the hive, some shambles could fall over AJ, and hurt her."

I analized the situation: "We'll take care of them like we do with bug infestations in my world: With pest control."

"Pest control?" She asked, without undestand.

I smirked: "Smoke."

"Smoke, like, asphyxiating them?"

"That's right."

"But that... won't asphyxiate AJ too?"

"Not if we use the right chemical compound."

"Ah. And then what? They come out and what do we do? How do we manage them?"

"Easy. We leave the minions to Luna, and the rest of us take care of their leader."

"What?!" Twilight backed her head off, horrified. "Luna wants to kill them all! That'll be genocide! I can't be partisan of this, love!" She angrily refused.

"That's why I brought her here, love."

"What?!! This was your plan from the beginning?!! How could you?!!"

I shrugged the shoulders, indifferent: "What's the big deal, love? I told it before leaving the castle."

Twilight shooked the head, enraged: "What the prfft?! I thought you were joking!"

"How was I gonna be joking in a moment like this, love? Are you crazy?"

Twilight turned around, upset, and she turned to face me: "I don't know! I mean, you're making mean jokes all the time! I thought...!" She clenched the teeth and the eyes: "I can't be part of this, love. I can't!"

I smiled: "Remember what Celestia told you, about being forced to do things that you don't want to?"

Twilight looked at me, dumbfounded. "Yes... but I never thought..."

"This is war, love. And war never changes. It's always cruel, harsh, and forces you to make this kind of decisions. You should understand that if you're gonna rule someday." I told her. "And if we want to save AJ, we have to do this."

Twilight lowered her head, sorrowful, and tears started to fell from her closed eyes. I hugged her with tenderness.

"Love, I'm sure that Celestia had to make decisions like this hundreds, if not thousands of times. But she did it, because she had a kingdom to protect, and, with great powers, come great responsibilities."

"Love, then, I think that I won't be able to succeed her. If ruling Equestria means doing things like this, then, I don't want to rule. Let that burden to somepony else."

I smiled: "Celestia will be very disappointed when she hears that."

"I don't care. Let's save AJ and get this horseshit over with."

After covering all but one of the hive's entrances, we gathered enough bug-killer and made a big campfire in front of the hole, and using a wind spell, we sent the smoke inside the hive.

It wasn't long until the bugs started to come out like... bugs. Luna gave herself the great time, making among them a big slaughter, and when Hakim came out, green for the poisoning, we dropped all together against him. Nevertheless being weakened, Hakim put a fight so hard, that I had no other choice but to anchor him with my knees to the ground, and to punch him, and to punch him, and to punch him, until he moved no more.

Well, as I recalled, the amulet of the alicorn only can be removed by it's wearer. But, when I grabbed it, it easily slipped off.

Hakim was dead.

Inside the hive, we found AJ safe and sound inside a cage. We found no changeling else. At least, not alive.

"And Thorax?! Where's my Thoraaaaaaaax?!" Cried Chrysalis in the deepest of despairs, when she found out the news. "How could you do this to meeeee?! Why didn't you killed me fiiiiiirst?!"

"That was I said." Commented Luna. "Allow me to end with her suffering." She gave some steps forward, but I pulled her back again. "Hey! There's no reason to keep this... thing... alive!" She complained, pointing the changeling with a foreleg.

"She's riiiiight! Let me die, pleaaaaase!" Chrysalis pleaded, crying the snots out.

"Wait, Chrysalis, wait a sec. We have no confirmation of Thorax's demise. Maybe, if you had described him better to us."

"He was green, and he had mane and tail, and a unicorn-like horn!" Explained Chrysalis, sobbing.

We looked each other: "Well, all of them were green, by the poisoning, and the hair could have been burned by the fire." I commented. "But a unicorn-like horn? We didn't see anyone like that."

"Huh?" A glimpse of hope came to Chrysalis. "You... didn't...? Then, could he be... ?"

"Still alive? Yes, he might be." We agreed.

"Then, somepony has to return to the hive, and look for him! If he returns there, and find every changeling dead, he... he'll surely commit suicide! Please! Send somepony there, I beg you!" Chrysalis pleaded, desperately waving a foreleg.

"But what's thiiiiiis?!" Asked Thorax to himself, shocked, when he returned to the hive, finding the horrible massacre that had taken place there.

The flower bouquet that he has brought to give to his beloved auntie, fell to the ground, and his quivering eyes, soon were shedding tears.

There he stood, motionless, speechless, thoughtless. Every changeling had died. All his family. He was alone in the world. Why he couldn't be there, when everything happened, so he could have died with them? Why did he had to live, just to watch such a gruesome scene?

He drooped to the ground, sitting on his four legs. Nothing mattered anymore. He has no strenght to go on. He fell to a side, breathing with difficult. Death. Yes. That'll appease his suffering. He slowly closed his eyes...

"Hey, dude! Are you still there?!" I clacked my fingers on his face. "Come on, stand up! Your auntie is worried sick for you!"

Thorax barely opened his eyes: "You're lying... she's dead... like everychangeling else..." And he closed the eyes again.

"Come on, your auntie is alive! How do you think that I found this place?" I told him.

Thorax opened the eyes again, hopeful: "Truly? For real? Did she sent you... to look for me?"

"Yeah!" I joyfully confirmed. "So stand up and don't do like Marcus Antonicus and Cleopatra, dude!"

Thorax shrugged the eyes: "Who?"

I sighed, annoyed: "Never mind..."

The amphitheater was again the place for a public trial, where Discord, powerless and frightened to death, was brought among the boos of the crowd.

"SILENCE!!" Ordered Celestia: "Discord, you've been brought to this trial, because of your recurrence on your crimes and betrayals, and I have forgiven you twice already, and, too much for my regret, you've proven that you can't be trusted. So. Have you something to say in your defence?"

While that was happening, I was asking my marefriend: "Did you tell Celestia already?"

"No, I didn't."

"Why? You know that you've to tell her sooner or later, and the sooner the better."

"I know! I..."

Suddenly, Discord said: "Well, if it's because of crimes why I'm being judged here, then why do you have such a bloody murderer unpunished?!" And he pointed me, making Twilight to stop short speaking and we both looked at him, surprised.

"What are you talking about, Discord? Explain yourself!" Demanded Celestia.

"In the Everfree forest, there's a cave with a pool filled with the corpses of half the forest animals! And he killed them all!" He pointed me again.

All the ponies gasped, horrified, and I gritted the teeth: That damned jerk, harmful up to the bone!

Celestia looked to me, dumbfounded and scared: "Rascal, that what he's saying... Is... is that true?"

Well, seems that the karma finally got me around. Remember that I told that I had spoke only the truth? Well, I spoke the truth, but not ALL the truth. Just put yourselves in my shoes! Imagine that you're gonna met your potential girlfriend, or marefriend in this case, for the first time, and you're aside a huge pile of dead bodies, and then, with the smoking gun still on your hands, you walk to her, saying very happily: 'Hello, I mean no harm!'.

See my point?

So, I slowly stood up, and confessed: "Yes, that's true."

All the ponies gasped of horror again, and I swear that I saw the smirking Discord to grow a pair of Satan's horns.

My marefriend looked at me, with that enigmatic expression of hers that always concerned me, as I can't figure out what she's thinking: "Love... when do you were thinking in telling me this?" She asked, slowly shooking the head and shrugging an eye.

"Well... I..." I scratched the back of my head. "... never."

"Never?" Twilight backed off her head, and then she turned the head, nodding in disapproval, looking mindlessly around. "Never, huh? Oh, boy." And she turned around, loinside to me.

A frozen wave passed thru my body: Oh God! I'm gonna lose her!

"Love, please! I was another person then! I'm different now! I swear that I'm incapable to harm anypony for no reason! Please, love!" I almost sobbed, thinking nothing but the worst. "Forgive me, I be..." I stopped short pleading, as a slight twitch on Twilight's lips betrayed her 'anger'. I shrugged an eye: "Love?"

Twilight slowly turned the head, and she was chuckling, with the eyes closed: "Love, that was... priceless!" She chuckled even more.

I opened my smiling mouth and put both fists in my waist: "I can't believe this, you got me again, you lil' devil!"

Twilight turned around and jumped to my chest to kiss and hug me: "I knew already. I was there, and the only thing that I found, was savage beasts and predators that got what they deserved. Thank you, love, for making the Everfree a safer place for us ponies." And she gave me a kiss so romantic, that all the ponies were charmed:

"Awwwwww." They cheered.

Discord's smirking disappeared, and it was replaced by an angry face and gritting teeth.

Celestia put a hoof in her chest, sighing of relief: "Well, with this little 'discording' solved, let's hear the charges from the prosecutor..."

Thorax turned his head to Chrysalis: "Love, there's something I need to ask you."

"Yes, darling?" Asked the changeling with tenderness, looking to him too.

"I know that you told me that a volcano killed all the hive, but I was there again, and I didn't find any. Not even lava. Anything. Are you sure it was a volcano?"

"Of course, my teté." Smiled Chrysalis, gently rubbing the stallion's muzzle with a foreleg, causing him to bristle.

"Love, I'm trying to tell you what that's is too suspicious! It's like they were slaughtered on purpos..."

That pissed off Chrysalis, and she sharpened the eyes and gritted the teeth: "Do you want to know what really happened? Do you? I was there and killed all of them, by myself!" She shouted, upset.

"What?! Why?!" Sobbed Thorax, shocked.

"Because I haven't enough space to fit all of them in the hive!"

"Love! How could you did such thing?! They were your own...!" Started to complain Thorax, with crying voice.

"I told you that it was a volcano! How do you want me to tell you, in draconian?!" Chrysalis blurted, interrupting him.

"Ah. Love, please don't scare me like that again." Thorax sighed, relieved.

"Then, you stop asking stupid questions to me! And shut up already! I want to hear the verdict!"

"A... alright..."

"... and given all the facts and evidences, this jury find the prosecuted, guilty of all the charges."

"Ehhhhhhh!" Cheered the ponies.

Then, the attorney stallion turned to Celestia: "Now, it's up to our liege to decide his fate."

"Thank you, attorney. There's anypony that wants to speak in his behalf?" Celestia asked.

"Ah! Ah wan' to talk in his behalf!" AJ stood up, smiling. "Your Highness, he did all tha', 'cause he wanted to protect me, 'cause he loves me!" Then, she turned to Discord, with quivering eyes: "Do ya love me, Discord? 'Cause Ah love ya, with all the strenght of mah heart!"

Discord frowned: "No, AJ. I don't love you."

"Wha'?" Asked Applejack, with tearful eyes and scrunched mouth.

"I can't feel, so I can't love. Love makes sense. And what's the fun in making sense?" He said with indifference.

Applejack sat on her hauches, sobbing, and Rarity and Fluttershy quickly hugged her, to confort her as much as they could.

Celestia raised a scroll and a quill: "Well, given the fact that the prosecuted refused his defense, and taking in account the verdict given by the jury, I hereby decree that the prosecuted gets banished to the Tartarus, lifetime, at once. Let's see how he manages there without his powers, in the company of the 'friendly' folks that roams there. Carry on." She ordered, signing the royal decree.

"Yes, Your Highness." Complied the guards, taking away Discord in a cage to his final destination.

Discord sadly looked to Applejack, as he was taken away: "Sorry, AJ, but it's better this way..."

Then, Celestia stored the scroll, and happily said: "Well, now to the happy part of the soiree! We're having four weddings today!"

"Ehhhhhh!" Cheered the ponies.

"First couple: Fluttershy and Flash Sentry!" Announced Celestia, raising a foreleg, pointing to the bridegrooms, who saw each other, having the happiest day on their lives.

"Flash Sentry, do you accept this mare as your beloved wife, to love her in all times, to protect and respect her until the death takes you apart?

"Yes, I do."

"Fluttershy, do you accept this stallion as your beloved husband, to love him in all times, to protect and respect him until the death takes you apart?

"Yes, I do."

"Now, if there's anypony that have something to say for this wedding to not to take place, that speaks now, or remain silent forever." Indicated Celestia.

Nopony said a word.

"Then, by the rights that my status as this nation's liege confers me, I hereby declare you, Husband and Wife. You can kiss the bride." Celestia concluded.

"Ehhhhhh!" Cheered the ponies.

Next, Thorax and Chrysalis followed. And Shining Armor and Cadance. I looked worriedly to Pinkie, waiting her to say something on the 'speak now, or remain silent forever' part, but she just whispered, sobbing and with tearful eyes: "I'm so happy for them." and she turned around to cry on Rainbow Dash's shoulders.

Finally, our turn arrived: Twilight Sparkle and me. AT LAST! At the three is the pot, isn't? And Twilight was so nervous! It was like she was expecting something awful to happen any second.

"Gustave Foreman, do you accept this mare as your beloved wife, to love her in all times, to protect and respect her until the death takes you apart?

"Yes, I do."

"Twilight Sparkle, do you accept this stallion as your beloved husband, to love him in all times, to protect and respect him until the death takes you apart?

"Yes, I do."

"Now, if there's anypony that have something to say for this wedding to not to take place, that speaks now, or remain silent forever." Indicated Celestia.

"I hate you, Twilight! I hope you die!" Was heard in the crowd, but nopony could identify the shouter, and nothing else was said, either.

Twilight almost passed out.

We all looked around for some tense seconds, but as nothing else happened, Celestia sighed with relief, and concluded:

"Then, by the rights that my status as this nation's liege confers me, I hereby declare you, Husband and Wife. You can kiss the bride."

"Ehhhhhh!" Cheered the ponies.

Then, I touched my flamboyant wife with a leg, and told her, with a forced smile: "Tell her now..."

Twilight forced a smile too, sweating cold: "Your Highness, there's something I need to tell you..."

The amphitheater trembled with Celestia's Royal Canterlot Voice: "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, TWILIGHT SPARKLEEEEEE?!!!"