Author's Note

Yep...gonna have to go back over this chapter once or twice, but so far I think it's going well.

Chapter 2: Talking with Royalty

Ponyville
Pov: Strychnine

The Solar Sister stood there, astonished...that astonishment quickly melted into something akin to anger "What do you mean? This had better not be a trick."

I chuckle "I am not Chrysalis...tricks are not my business. Do you truly wish to know?"

"I do, Strychnine." Her horn grew bright for a time, and a large golden circle appeared on the ground around me. "What you stand in is a called a truth ring. Do you know what it does?"

I smile. "No. But I can draw conclusions based on the name. Tell me Sunbutt, do you remember when you broke into my Fortress all those years ago?"

She nodded "I do. You barely put up any fight"

"Allow me to explain why, but with a quote from a....dear friend of mine" I chuckle. " ' A farmer comes home one day to find that everything that gives meaning to his life is gone. Crops are burned, animals slaughtered, bodies and broken pieces of his life strewn about. Everything that he loved taken from him...his children. One can only imagine the pit of despair, the hours of Job-like lamentations, the burden of existence. He makes a promise to himself in those dark hours. A life's work erupts from his knotted mind. Years go by. His suffering becomes complicated. One day he stops, the farmer who is no longer a farmer, sees the wreckage he's left in his wake. It is now he who burns, he who slaughters, and he knows in his heart he must pay.' "

The three ponies before me stood in shocked silence....almost made me chuckle. After a few moments of silence, the new Alicorn spoke

"What happened?" She asked in a near whisper

"I will need you to be specific...quite alot has happend." I chuckle

"To you" She corrected

"Well you see...long before I was an Emperor...a Tyrant...I was a soldier. I was just another cog in the machine. It was me and my two friends...Drax, and Monarch. We served together for three years. Three long years, our hive was at war with the Draconaqui. After those three years...I was to go home. I was to go home to my loving wife...and my beautiful baby girl...but when I came home, I found my house in flames. Many soldiers did. Queen Scarlet had declared us as 'War Criminals' for following her orders...and had ordered our families exterminated. We confronted her...and when she admitted guilt, I was blinded by my rage. I did things that day I would rather leave unsaid...and afterwards my mind was clouded by rage, and grief. When I finally...woke, I guess you could say...I was shocked. When I looked back through the haze, I learned I too had slaughtered families...tortured the youth." I chuckle humorlessly at the pity I saw flash through their eyes "I dare say...had you and your sister not fought your way to me, I very well would have ended my own life."

I paused for a moment...to recollect my feelings "Now then, Celestia, Solar Princess of Equestria...do you accept my surrender?"

She did not reply. After a few minutes of her standing there, I thought I had put her into a state of shock...little did I know, I was soon to be the one shocked. "...no. I instead propose an alliance"

I laughed at that "And what do you hope to ally with? After all I have no Empire anymore, all I have is myself."

Her grin caught me off guard...her reply shooke me to my core. "No...Emperor. A few of your loyalists managed to escape me and my sister's forces. We don't know where they fled, but I have reason to believe they have made a hive somewhere within the western everfree" she smiles "Now then...about that alliance?"

I smirk "Celly, you know as well as I do that I need to talk with an advisor before any decisions are made. You go get yours, and I'll go see if I have one." I say...we both shared a laugh

Princess Celestia has grown soft...then again who hasn't. And now I'm off to find this hive, hopefully they'll have an advisor...if not, then I'm sure I can find someone that will work as a temporary advisor. After all how hard could it be?

Note to self...I should stop tempting fate with that line

Western Everfree
Pov: Strychnine

Well...it took a few hours...but I found what looks to be the enterence to their hive...they even have a guard. I decided to land infront of him...just to see what he would do

He yelped, and had a spear to my throat within seconds "W-Who are you, and how did you find this place?"

"Emperor Strychnine, you moron. What other seven foot, two horned changeling with a scorpion tail do you know?" I retort

"Forgive me my liege, you landed in front of my bad eye..." he says

"Ahh, well is this better?" I ask, stepping into view of his other eye

"Yes sir. We have been waiting for you, our captain would like to have a word with you...if she isn't preoccupied." He says, before motioning me to follow him. He leads me to attempt near the center of the encampment. He then motioned me to stay put, and stepped inside. Then I noticed something I didn't whilst walking. There were Diamond Dogs in the hive...so therefore the captain had made a treaty with a Diamond Dog tribe. Or had beat their alpha into submission.

"The Captain will see you now sir." He said, poking his head out

"Well then, best not keep her waiting." I say, walking past him and into the tent

"Emperor Pointy tail, it is a pleasure to see you again." A familiar looking gryphon says

I stood there, shocked...only one gryphon has ever said that to me and lived to tell the tale "Silver? Is that you?" I ask

"Yep, good ta see ya alive." Silver responds

"But...how? I saw a pillar go down on yo-"

"That, is a story fer another day..." She asked, placing two bottles onto what looked to be a war map

"......Drinking contest?" I ask, hesitantly

"Yes, why? Don't tell me that little stone prison of yours made ya a lightweight!" She grins

I chuckle, taking one of the bottles in my magic "Buck no, I can still outdrink you!"