Two weeks. Two weeks was an eternity when any moment of sleep might prove one's last.

Tisiphone looked over the reports, little had changed, yet the world still hung like a rollercoaster cresting the drop, waiting for the smallest spark to send events into motion. Radiant Pine spent his fury searching Seattle endlessly. Still, the sustenance provided by the spa and temple met her children’s needs, though increasing the number of Changelings was not an option without more food. Gaining more food though meant risking detection. Yet increasing the ranks of her Soldiers was the only real advantage she held over the Couch Mare Club. Fast, Cheap, Done Well. Pick two of the three. Or one in her case.

“Tisiphone, you look almost as worn as Cameo, Circle Farm will wait another day,” Bloom noted with concern from the far side of the council table.

“The waiting is getting unbearable. Luna apparently has her own timetable and the CMC seems hesitant to act. We still haven’t found Pine's giant tree or where he’s keeping the Golden Heart. The only thing we’ve learned in the last weeks is the Country Club where the CMC has its nest.”

“First-mover disadvantage. We leveled the field by taking the Diamond. Now they are unwilling to move while evenly matched.”

Tisiphone gave a wry laugh. “…and of course, each is more than willing to wait to see who is brave enough to want a round with the Changelings first.”

“So it would seem. By the way, Seven was asking how much longer she needs to observe the special matrix protocols?”

“Until I’m not at risk for Eye of Providence backtracing anything suspicious, or getting into data that leads her to the spa or temple. Having a Technomancer on Glass Darkly’s team brings new opportunities and these new headaches. I’ve already been very select in the histories I’ve given out, emphasizing the CMC, but I fully expect there will be some hard questions at some point. Technomancers have an uncanny ability to find odd patterns in information.”

A knock came at the door. Mellow Mite stuck her head in. “My Queen? The medal ceremony for Far Flight and Odyssey Solo will be starting soon.”

“Did Frizzle have any questions about the décor I referenced?”

“The one with the space wizards who blew up the Death Moon? Nope.”

Tisiphone began to put on a ceremonial dress.

“Mellow, what is that smell? It’s been wafting across from the Kitchen all morning?” Bloom scrunched up her nose.

“You mean pizza?” Tisiphone interjected.

“Yes, piz-za.” Mellow stumbled over the words. “Deep dish, Chicago style, Frizzle said. Pony food, requested by the Scouts.”

Bloom turned a little green around the edges.

Later

Tisiphone nodded off in a corner as Lapidary tried to coax Cameo into a bite of pizza. Fatigue and a bunch of pizza that not all of her subjects had been eager to embrace finally catching up with the Queen.

Tisiphone walked through the buzz of her hive. The activity and conversation comforting her like a blanket in the attic. Tunnels lined every wall, some were large, these she knew were highways, regional paths that a drone could sprint down pulling a cart if they had to. Large enough to fly through. Others, small, small enough that a drone might have to crawl, capillaries that would lead to every portion of the town above. She knew every drone... but couldn't name them? One asked her a question, clad in crystalline armor... like from the Trids... ? She heard herself give an answer, but had no idea what it was. She noticed there was a fuzzy quality to things, some of the tunnels simply faded to darkness instead of turning out of sight. She didn't have a hive under a village, where was she? A sound from behind her, the cough of a pony.

The realization that she was dreaming came swiftly and abruptly. These are her children, though also to a degree clones of herself. She has paid for each of them with a drop of blood, she has done her best to know each of their names. To know their voices within the psychic buzz in her mind as well as their deeds.

"I must lead, such is my purpose," Tisiphone collected herself, knowing that the moment of fate was at hoof as she turned. Doing her best to keep her face a neutral mask, for what good it will do.

"The Lady of Dreams, I presume?"

Tisiphone gave a slight bow.

A mare, slightly shorter than Tisiphone, but with the graceful build of an alicorn. Blue-Purple coat, regal shoes and a flowing mane deep as the sky twinkling with unobstructed stars. Just like the trids. Exactly like the trids. Different though, only in the detail that she has a slash of pink in her mane. It's too bright to be real, and it shimmers with a mind-numbing parallax- it's in front and behind the stars at the same time, it moves when Tisiphone looks right at it and fades away when she looks away. Unforgettable in vividness, always seeming to pull at the edge of her gaze.

She looks around, casually taking in the room, not answering your question directly. "Quite the place you have here. Tad too clean to match my experience- but I suppose anyone can dream."

Tisiphone remained wary. Almost as it is shown in the trids was a touch convenient, it made her wary. She would know, in what feels like a former life she was the one who wove the lies that made cheap sets and ponies look exotic and expensive.

"Everyone dreams, few have the courage to make theirs reality. The rest die ignominiously," Tisiphone shrugged emphasizing her point.

"I’m surprised you haven't ferried your favorite minion here. I'm curious about what she dreams about these days."

She thinks a moment, "I'm not sure of whom you speak. I do not lack for followers. I hope your knowledge is not so limited. Unless I've estimated your capabilities in utmost error."

Tisiphone waves a hoof in dismissal and emphasizes her next sentence.

"The fact I'm not dead or in one of Pine's labs says everything that needs to be said about that. Now as for yourself, I must congratulate you. It is not often that I get played, usually it is the other way around. If you hadn't been overly cute earlier with attempting to show me that your alter ego had no magic, I wouldn't have even suspected."

Luna shrugged. "It's the crime of the thing, even I can only conceal so much of my power. As it stands though, you're right on schedule. How fares your research into the Protector's toys? You have quite the workspace if I'm not mistaken."

"I know what they are, I know why the Couch Mare Club seeks them. Pine's intentions are a more difficult book to read. You would think a giant tree would be easier to find."

"It was a worthwhile ruse, yes. Some here-to-unknown awakened tree, secret and justifying every expense." She nods slowly, looking at one of your drones scuttle past, "His intentions are not far from The Nightmare, though his methods are significantly... cleaner."

Tisiphone moved a step to the right desperate to keep control of the conversation. The revelation that the Parabotany angle was a ploy by Pine unsettling. She gestures in Shakespearean fashion. "A cult seeks to kill a Goddess, the Wizard in his mighty Castle seeks to do what exactly with his tree, kill the Goddess’ shadow? Or perhaps empower her? And what does the Goddess think?"

"You play the fool, young queen." She gestures to her hair, "Yet, my ends are beyond your grasp."

Tisiphone grew annoyed at the verbal sparring.

"Possibly. It would not surprise me. After all your ends have been beyond the grasp of your subjects before. They did not understand the Night and I recall that particular bout of cognitive dissonance wound up with you banished and widely considered insane.

But that is neither here, nor there. Now, the ponies do not understand what I am, what I represent. In attempting to build a world of magic, all neat and safely bubble wrapped, they did not understand the forces they would unleash. I may not understand your motives, I may play the fool from time to time but I must question..."

Tisiphone waves a hoof towards the surface...

"Is this your utopia?"

Luna shakes her head, a tad annoyed. "Nothing so selfish."

"Then what would you create in its stead?"

She looks past Tisiphone at nothing in particular. "Radiant Pine always said that it wasn't for us to build." She looks back at the Queen, her eyes hard all of a sudden. "My sister and I were to protect, to guide. Not to rule, or lead, but defend."

Tisiphone held her steely gaze. "You must forgive me for being incredulous that Radiant Pine would say that. Given that he rules in all but name now...and builds evermore, only for his works to increasingly cause the dry rot he claims to fight. Or has he decided that defending his ponies means defending them from themselves?"

"He seeks to defend them other threats, predators. You, for example." Luna shakes her head solemnly, "I think he intends to finish his task and step back. But he's from another age. The cat can't go back in the bag, so to say.

"Not anymore, at least."

"Then his hate has blinded him to the fact that we will always return. The cycle will keep repeating, and like a fool that keeps flame from the forest because they fear its beauty will be lost they only make a total inferno inevitable. The rose does not exist without its thorn, the day cannot occur without night, you of all should know this.

Pine's crusade is self-defeating. There are worse things than me waiting in the wings, and even should I die, there will another to take my place, and one beyond her, and one beyond her, ad infinitem. You haven't clarified what you wish, but I will grant you this insight, I would have this cycle break. I am not Chrysalis, I have no desire to conquer, but by the same token I will not see my people wiped out again."

“A strong statement from one who preys on the innocent. Do you expect me to grant you my blessing?”

“I expect the recognition that it is hypocritical for the rabbit to declare the wolf evil. The wolf keeps the hare quick, the deer alert, and the forest in balance. Your father raised up a diarchy to rule and in such the ponies entered a thousand years of stagnation. Now the ponies have pulled down your statues and your father again seeks control through the velvet-covered gauntlet. If not a magic tree what then does he seek?”

Luna grew quiet. “He seeks solutions in the way he knows best. He is from another time when such solutions would not bring ruin to all. I will not say more on this now, but if you would not have your precious Hive destroyed and razed to ruin then you will collect your wayward friends, I have a final job to offer you.”

Tisiphone’s face grew drawn. “You would have me walk into your domain and trust that I would freely walk out again?”

“Do not mistake me, Amethyst Queen. You have done much to garner my anger. I did not kill you before because your extermination is meaningless against the larger threat. I do not kill you now because even despite your under hoofed betrayal, you have through your self-centered goals ensured a delicate stalemate and thus bought time. I have no reason to believe that whatever Nymph of yours is next in line will not do something rash should the Hive be thrown into chaos. For now, I have offered a truce, do not try my patience further. Unlike you, my word can be relied upon.”

Tisiphone answered with a faint smile. “I am what I am, and all this talk of my imminent demise is most vexing. I still have three of the Interdictor Cores.”

“And yet your first argument was to rationalize. You have three Cores you barely know how to wield. I have seen your aura. Make no mistake, you will behave yourself until this crisis is resolved or I. Will. End. You.”

“Very well,” Tisiphone answered coolly, “We shall sit down and discuss an arrangement as reasonable adults. There is one minor detail. The others are under the impression that the Emerald and Amethyst were the petty trinkets of a Yak king, and since destroyed. Nor have I clarified my role concerning the Diamond. It would be greatly problematic, and disruptive should these points be clarified.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Your loyalty to your friends is noted. Do not expect me to lie for you.”

“Do not mistake me,” Tisiphone retorted, “I am quite loyal, but there are older, deeper oaths to family. Blood is thicker, and my blood runs green.”

Tisiphone stared at Luna as the world around her dimmed. Only the streak of uncomfortably strange color in Luna’s mane staying until the last.

A Dream away

“My Queen! Tisiphone! Are you alright?!” Tisiphone was vaguely aware of Facet shaking her shoulder.

“I can’t find any ritual links! There’s nothing to block!” Bloom’s hooves passed by Tisiphone’s muzzle.

“Well power up the Cores in the lab, surely the interference,” Lapidary interjected.

“No…no,” Tisiphone croaked as she finally managed to wake feeling terribly groggy.

“She’s alright!” A dozen changelings shouted at once…

Tisiphone held up a hoof, then started to hyperventilate. For a moment her hooves shook as she struggled to come down off the adrenaline high, it was worse than some of the Cram comedowns she had experienced.

“Did you defeat her?” Lapidary asked with a hopeful note.

“You know how I said I was never going to work for Ms. Who again, nor likely for Glass Darkly’s team to do so?

I lied.” Tisiphone looked into the eyes of her children and sighed.

Later

She will extort you for one or all of our Cores.” Facet looked across the council table.

“Likely,” Tisiphone answered flatly. “I have no intention of surrendering them all, but depending on what she offers.

“We fought and died for the third core,” Cameo narrowed her eyes.

“I know,” Tisiphone answered quietly, holding her hooves together. “and for that, you have my thanks. But I sense an opportunity. She’s right, she’s stronger than I am. She could destroy us. However, there are few that meet that standard. She’s opposing Radiant Pine, her own counselor at an earlier age. This has the capacity to wound him in a way that a thousand years of war never could. Beyond that, Celestia is gone, Nightmare Moon doesn’t care. The rest of the Alicorns are embroiled in their own petty intrigues. Who is left to oppose us if Pine falls and the price we enforce on Luna is a free hoof to do as we will? I know you bled for that core Cameo. I miss Chuckbug, Digs, and the others. I will not be distracted from the long term goal, if need be I will sell those cores dearly, I will write that contract in my own blood if need be, and gain for this Hive the ponies’ recognition of our right to exist.”

“It would be strange to rely on trusting the same Alicorn that saw us hunted down.” Bloom demurred.

“Chitina attempted to win through terror and the swarm. Chrysalis attempted to win through deception and the swarm. Erytora attempted to win through guile and the swarm. I have no intention of becoming the ponies’ pet as the Emerald Queen did, but if it is possible to secure an enduring future for the Hive, then I am willing to discuss the price. For to win a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme Excellence is gaining victory without fighting.

I beg your faith Cameo, I know what these Cores cost us, but if this prevents us from needing to refight the Battle of the Badlands every generation, then surely the prize is worth the cost.”

Later, Elsewhere

This was going well, Glass Darkly thought. A Radiant Industries Cyber Security honey trap and now this all in the same morning. Getting the others to agree to the meeting had been relatively easy. Getting them to ignore the various lures that Pine was seeding all over the place to see who would be lured in was harder. Getting the remainder of Darkly's erstwhile allies to seriously consider a job offer that was riddled with 'need to know, and you don't need to know' omissions was the hardest.

“I’m sorry I have no idea who you work for. I’m out,” Eye of Providence rose to stand up.

Glass Darkly held his hooves together and counted the seconds Eye of Providence had left to live. Perhaps one last attempt.

“Eye of Providence, perhaps you should sleep on the decision. Maybe you will find with fresh eyes greater clarity.”

The technomancer turned, his eyes going wide, the gears clearly spinning in his mind.

“I don’t think that’s going to…,” Eye of Providence began.

CRASH…the table went flying, a flicker of magic revealed Ms. Who for her true form. Glass swallowed hard. It was true, you could lead a pony to water, but….

“I am trying to save the world here,” Luna’s eyes flashed with anger and frustration.

“Why didn’t you say so…?” Eye of Providence turned back.

Later

Glass Darkly lifted the tumbler to his mouth and sipped the smooth fiery liquid that went down warm despite being frost cold. It was strange to sit alone at a nice table at a top end restaurant that was currently serving naught but ghosts and echoes. The shattered table had been pushed off to the side. In front of him a dozen different scenarios were laid out. Hours had passed alone like this.

The sound of fancy shoes on wood made his ears twitch, he looked up as mane of starlight slid into the seat on the opposite side of the table.

“I take it the rest are still busy perusing your catalogs and stockrooms.” Glass snorted.

“Yes we are alone, and yes, though the fox did take some time to sample the fruit drawer.” Luna looked over the various Augmented Reality displays.

“Your plan is simplistic and has an uncomfortably high number of uncontrolled variables. Too much hinges on how the CMC and Pine react to your appearance.” Glass interjected, criticizing Luna's plan to offer herself as bait to draw out the other factions.

“I take it you are going to presume to suggest your own plan. I trust it is at least better than Providence’s plan to save the world by turning Seattle into a nuclear wasteland.” Luna searched the face of her guest.

“Coincidentally I and my staff, have been considering the problem of mana control recently.”

“Prithee I wonder why.”

“The CMC should be our first target. Their assets are significant but several orders of magnitude lower than Pines’. We COULD attack the Country Club, but this makes us fight on their terms. They have operated by having better intelligence and immense power in the shadows. We fight them, by forcing them into the open, by forcing them to respond to a threat they cannot ignore.

They have every reason to know at this point that I have two cores and may suspect I have three. They sent Endgame to steal them from me after all. They have one. It is entirely reasonable that where they failed, Ms. Who might prevail, especially if they are aware of her true identity. It will be leaked that you have the two cores taken from Glass Darkly. Your own ritual shortly to begin to overwhelm them before they can complete theirs. Mana control for offense and defense are two sides of the same coin. My staff considered something along these lines to keep the cores under control, though the bill was beyond us at the time.”

He brings up a rough sketch of an Elichium array. The rare mineral that made gold seem an economical purchase, but capable of diverting an immense amount of magic.

“This will block counter rituals. Shunting mana around a site in an endless loop. I see your intent,” Luna reviewed the diagram.

“They will be forced to come and we will meet them. Providence is strangely set on playing a turncoat. I have no issues with this, it’s Providence's plot being risked. In every battle the CMC have sought to bypass the strength of their opponent. In doing so, they have become predictable. We will feign weakness, a gap in the defenses when in actuality it will be our greatest strength. They will bring the Alicorn Amulet, the Ruby, as it is their only hope of countering two Cores in opposition. In the end, we will take the Ruby from them and the CMC’s threat is done.”

“And prithee how do you plan to deal with Radiant Pine?”

Glass Darkly took another sip and set the tumbler down. “It isn’t possible to beat Radiant Pine, not through conventional means.”

“How strangely defeatist of you.”

“You forget Princess of the Night, this body may be young. I may have only been awake again for a short while, but my spirit is almost as old as you. I was there at the end. I bore witness through the Hive mind as your father crushed each of the Queens in succession. Whatever defense you might employ, whatever stratagem we might use to break into the bunker that holds the Golden Heart it is still a siege. Pine is unmatched in siege warfare, he saved Equestria in an age past by winning a siege amongst the stars.

There are tens of thousands of Knight Errant officers in Seattle alone, including several High Threat teams. There will be regiments of Firewatch, flotillas of automated drones, a legion of spirits, and the combined craft of the greatest military-industrial complex in Equestria. I do not doubt that we are individually more powerful than the average security pony, but once that battle starts there will be an endless stream of reinforcements coming. Radiant Pine is akin to a bulldozer with one gear, forward. Success in pitting our strength against that bulldozer is an edge case. It requires everything to go right. We do not chance the fate of the world on an edge case that requires Pine to play to our script.”

“So then how would you do it?”

“I missed the opportunity to take the Golden Heart by two weeks. I am certain you know the Cores have the power to open an astral rift, through them, one can physically enter the metaplanes.”

“Of course I know that, it is precisely what I’m trying to avoid!” Luna gave Glass a look like he wasn’t playing with all his marbles.

“Yes, but have you considered that the rift can be directed, to Firebase HARMONY for example, a stable self-contained meta plane. No Horrors unleashed by Pine's flawed ritual.”

Luna’s moment of rage was subsumed as the concept consumed her thoughts. “The Heart is long gone, and I have never walked HARMONY'S battlements. I do not know the way.”

“Then perhaps to a place you do know. The Lunar Prison. The cores are massively sympathetic. They resonate. We force the Cores to discharge. We will be rifted to the Lunar Prison, as will the Golden Heart and any around it. Beyond the reach of Pine's legions.”

Luna’s eyes grew harder. “There is a thousand years’ worth of rage, regret, and loneliness within that plane.”

“Do not think I am not aware of the danger. It is bold, risky. Just a little bit unhinged, and that is precisely why it will work.”

“I will need all the Cores to do this.”

“I expected as much, as I expect mine returned when we have saved the world.”

A bottle flew off the shelf, carried within a corona of stars. Luna was silent as she poured two glasses. A faint light in the table shone as the liquid was cooled. The glass fogging over with condensation.

“I cannot permit you to keep three. I would not permit any or at most one were I to have my say, but I am certain you would not agree to this and we would be at an impasse.”

Glass swirled the liquid. “Your certainty is correct, those Cores safeguard my children against a second genocide.”

“Two, no more,” Luna solemnly stated, “One is a powerful trinket, two makes one the equal of a great Alicorn at a stroke, three –“

“Three would require all the Alicorns working together to counter.” Glass interrupted, “Which will likely never happen. Three and my people are beyond any danger. Do not think that I unaware of this.”

Luna whispered a response. “Three and you would hold the power to end the world at a stroke by admitting the Horrors whether by intention or accident.”

“I have no reason to do. I have stated before I have no interest in duplicating Chrysalis’s megalomaniac idiocy.”

“You have the full attention of Radiant Pine, when this is done do you also wish to have my undivided attention as well? Or the undivided attention of any who would wish to gain that power” Luna gave a wan smile. “I cannot be certain that they will stay with you. The risk is too great. I do know where you sleep, others may learn… Do not force my hoof on this. I can be every bit as implacable as Pine…or conversely, shall I leave dealing with you to some pony else?”

Glass was silent for a long moment. He weighed the glass in his hoof before finally speaking.

“My children fought, bled, and died for those cores, first against the CMC and Endgame, then against your PIne's minions. Promises are cheap, what I am giving up here is not. I would have an Invocation.”

“Absolutely not,” Luna erupted, “I will not at a stroke create a Hive of ultra-changelings!”

“Then what?” Glass pressed his luck. “Money comes, money goes, and an inordinate amount has flowed through my hooves in the last year. Wealth does not address my needs.”

“Your definition of an inordinate amount of money and mine are two very different things.” Luna emphasized before finally raised the glass. “When this is over it will be awhile before it will be safe to do much openly. The assets I am prepared to part with could make that time quite comfortable.”

“Money and Geas Oaths, neither you nor any you command will ever bring harm to me or mine evermore.” Glass refused to flinch.

“For your own oath that you will not seek further Cores, cause the end of all things, or seek to emulate Chrysalis or Chitina.”

Glass Darkly sat for a long moment.

“With two other minor trifles, I will agree to your terms. A copy of the original Detect Changeling spell formula as developed by Radiant Pine. You were there in the age past when this spell was invented. Any pony can buy the sanitized version from their local magic shop. I would know the original with all the original details from Pine's hoof himself.

Secondly. We will be fighting the greatest mages each of these factions can muster. Years ago, for one moment, Chrysalis stood as equal to your sister from the love stolen from an Alicorn. I can feel your serenity from across this table, you who famously wrestled with your guilt and overcame it. I would have a small portion of your serenity, not to the point of permanent harm, freely given. Is that too much to ask for saving the world?”

Luna was silent for a long moment, weighing the offer.

“It would be wise for you to not make me regret this.”

After long moments hammering out minor details and petty turns of phrase Glass Darkly raised his drink, “praise be to new frenemies. I trust this location is astrally secure enough for what must come next?”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Do not question my competence.”

“I question everything, it keeps me alive.”

Nevertheless, Glass Darkly got up and pushed away from the table. Here surrounded by a restaurant that didn’t exist, in a building that wasn’t what it seemed, both looked into the astral as the masking briefly fell away.

The Princess of the Night, her mane marred by the slashing scar, stood in her full umbral radiance. Stars twinkled in her mane, her eyes looked out from under a horn the color of the night sky just before total darkness. She held out her hoof. Another was stretched out to meet it. This one pearlescent white. Two slits stared out from eyes that seemed as liquid amethyst. A flicker of aquamarine diaphanous wings straightened the mane of the same color.

“I, Queen of the Ameythst Hive, Tisiphone, first of her name, true heir of Alecto do so swear to be bound. Should I break this vow may all magic forsake me…”

Tisiphone waited for Luna to speak her part, her mind diligently watching for any omission or substitution. It took several minutes to get through all of it.

It was not the best possible outcome for the Amethyst Queen, and she had accepted significant limits. Yet the price exacted from the surviving Royal Sister for the power to save Equestria from her former champion and her shadow had been steep. The power to equal a great Alicorn in the hooves of the Changelings.

Later, Elsewhere

The five stood in ritual witness, albeit one needed a crutch. Their Queen stood in the center, a small moon-shaped bottle held an amethyst fluid that occasionally sparkled with stars. Wordlessly, the Queen took the bottle and drank it, draining it dry. For a moment all was normal, then the five Nymphs eyed each other as their leader sank to her knees babbling incoherently. Arcs of Amethyst magic skittered across her coat, jumped between her wings, and the magic corona around the Queen’s lightning bolt shared horn changed subtly, small motes of light flickered.

It was several long minutes before Tisiphone’s breathing returned to normal. As the Queen rose her mane periodically swayed slightly as if a gentle breeze acted on her and her alone.

“…. They say no high is as good as your first.” Tisiphone panted. “I beg to differ, by all the Hives that was incredible. I suddenly realize why she was so accommodating on that point now. She knew I was going to want more after getting a taste. I may have just made a big mistake. “

“You’re not going to sell us for more Alicorn juice? Are you mommy?” Facet teased like a mewling grub before chuckling.

Tisiphone laughed, “Nothing so extreme, but drek am I going to have a hard time saying no if she wants help with something and offers another hit.”

The Nymphs grew silent for a moment as their Queen sent echoes of the experience into the Hive mind.

“Queen, you should apologize to Frizzle after this, you've ruined regular serenity-ade for everyone now.”

A few chuckles echoed in the room. Bloom finally opened an ornate manacase. Tisiphone felt the increased potency of her magic, now super-charged with a portion of an Alicorn's serenity, it surged in time to the tendrils of power coming off the revealed core, the ancient heart of a device built in Trottingham to defend Equestria. Trottingham, where the defeat of Chitina had become all but inevitable. The irony was poetic, she held the core in her hoof and bent her will towards it. A long moment passed until slight echoes of amethyst light flickered in the diamond's depths.

“Thirteen Months, thirteen months I have danced, alternately played the fool and the sage. Known victory, tasted defeat. There is but the climax and final curtain left. My children, my mother planted the seed for this reckoning a millennia ago. Let us be ready when the hour comes.”

Six faces looked on eagerly, lit by the soft radiance of the Nightmare Diamond.

Later

Mellow held up a commlink, Tisiphone was surprised to see she had a call. Her team had been busy pestering Luna for ever more exotic toys. Though she couldn’t blame them. The task at hoof was daunting, every advantage sorely desired. Seven had spent the last week installing bits and pieces into the SWAT armor captured from Endgame. The various notes from several hastily learned spells were spread across her personal space at the rear of the Council Room.

Tisiphone took the commlink and did a double-take. “Glitter Glam?” The question echoed. Tisiphone realized she had almost forgotten about Dante’s old friend.

“Yo, Glitter,” Tisiphone answered in Dante’s voice.

“Hey Dante, just wanted to check in with you. Been a while. Since when do you have staff?”

“Eh it has been. Not my staff, this production just doesn’t let us take calls on set. Let me tell you, don’t ever pick up work for Stalliongrad Trid. They’re a right bugbear to work with.” Tisiphone lied in the voice of a pony that naught but an affectation now.

“Oh you are working? I and the lads were a bit concerned after you drifted off after that business with Speculum.”

“Yep, the only sure thing in life. Gotta earn my oats somewhere, didn’t mean to leave you hanging, but I was just sort of…done with the studio after all that mess, had other projects I wanted to follow up on.” Tisiphone moved an AR window out of the way to show a diagram of three cores in sequence, and the utterly massive magic discharge it would grant.

“Picked up a little bit of side work to keep the bank account topped off, regretted it a touch. Still things are looking up.” Tisiphone continued, the deep baritone sound very out of place.

“Well, that’s kind of why I wanted to check with you. Speculum’s replacement got a rather interesting call. First claimed to be a talent agent. Wanted to speak with the pony that had done the Emerald changeling bit for the Rainbow Force movie. Called it a nice bit of work. Of course the office wasn’t entirely pleased about the fact that someone had an advance copy. We’re not due to start dropping trailers and such for another week in time for the big ad campaign. They wouldn’t say where they got it.

Anyways, I’ve got some bad news. One of the last things Speculum did just before his um…fall from grace…was have you uncredited. You’re just listed as back up junior illusionist. So Ms. Fancy Pony was trying to get clarification on you. The guild of course, well, you know their stance on talent poaching. They didn’t give her much. Even after she started getting real snippy with them, and let slip that she was with Radiant Industries.

She got rather heated about the whole thing, said some rather choice words. Boss called in the Horizon security team. I didn’t tell you this, by the way, but they said the call back traced to Detrot to the main corporate office there. Overheard one of the guild lawyers saying he was going to let things lie, he didn’t need to get into a fight with Golden Lilly’s office over her feelings getting hurt because her headhunting attempt got sloppy.

I don’t want to see you leave Dante, but it does sound like there might be an opportunity there if you want it. I didn’t want to see you lose out, just because of internecine corporate politics.”

Dante was silent for a moment.

“Thank you, Glitter, this means a lot to me…I’ll think about it.”

“Hey no worries.”

Tisiphone hung up the call.

“The plays the thing....where I’ll catch the conscience of the king,” she slowly orated the old line from Hamlet.

“My Queen?” Mellow looked on with interest.

“Golden Lilly is either the Emerald Queen or a lieutenant. She’s Pine’s right hoof. It would make sense that the Emerald remains the lapdogs of Pine. I suspected as much for a while, but I do so love when serendipity clarifies the point.”

“Does this change anything?”

“Possibly…probably not, but if for some reason she’s in proximity to the Golden Heart in several days I’m going to greatly enjoy what comes next. Luna is not going to let me kill Pine, of that I am sure. However, I doubt Luna cares one way or the other for the Emerald Hive. If so, fate willing. I’ll get a chance to remind the Emerald Hive that their treachery has not been forgotten….or forgiven.

Now, please let Bloom know I want to go over our backup plans again in an hour.”

Author's Note

Game Notes: The mission was little more than a setup for the conclusion of the game (and hence this story) in the next mission/chapter. Through Glass Darkly had to repeatedly warn other characters against traps laid by the Couch Mare Club and Radiant Pine.

Radiant Pine's scheme is finally revealed by Luna. Pine has been working under the cover of a supposed Parabotany project. His real goal is to use the Cores of the ancient Interdictor project, a device created during a time of much higher back ground magic to stop extraplanar access, as part of a ritual to cut off access to the deeper, more problematic (in Pine's view) planes of magic. This would severely weaken the Nightmare aspect and wipeout all Changelings. However, Luna has found a flaw in Pine's ritual. The ritual instead of shutting the door to the deeper planes would instead rip it off its hinges and create an astral rift that would allow the worst predators (the Horrors of the Shadowrun setting) of the ultra deep planes of dark magic to access Equestria.

As such Luna cannot permit Pine to carry out his ritual, as Pine has refused Luna's counsel, and intends to doggedly move forward. It is clarified that many of our prior missions were the result of Luna's attempts to sabotage Pine's efforts to setup his ritual.

As previously discovered the Couch Mare Club is attempting to empower the Nightmare aspect, and bring about eternal night, that they would rule as the minions of the Nightmare.

The remainder of the Shadowtrot team (both in and out of character) remains unaware that three of the Cores are in the possession of Changelings or that Glass Darkly is in fact a Changeling Queen. A private treaty is reached between Luna and Tisiphone with both recognizing that Luna is easily more powerful than Tisiphone, but Luna cannot afford the attempt to destroy Tisiphone without seriously risking a level of chaos that would result in Pine destroying the world by accident.