Approaching Apotheosis

by KKSlider

Rating: teen
Tags: Violence, Princess Celestia, Thorax, Death, Human, Princess Luna, Drama, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Romance, Changelings, Original Character
Length: 167854

When the days draw short and the nights grow long, the line between friend and foe becomes harder to see. The formerly-human King Phasma must stand strong with his friends against the encroaching dark.

When ages are segmented and divided in the annals of history, it is done so with great events as breakpoints. The Second Age of Heroes was unanimously declared to have started with the return of Princess Luna and the changeling Invasion of Canterlot.

For thousands of years, the changelings survived beneath The Great Tapestry, that which connects all living and nonliving things. Hundreds of generations worked endlessly to keep their existence a secret. With one command from Queen Chrysalis, the Masquerade was broken.

In a single night, the changelings waged war against Equestria and took the Kingdom by storm. Months later, the war between changelings and ponies has ended. A new tapestry, a new story, must be woven between the two species. Equestria and the Fifth Hive have gone through a dark chapter and have emerged stronger for it.

One war ends and another begins.

As The Sword of Damocles hangs above the heads of the formerly-human King Phasma and his Equestrian counterparts, the forces of light must work on an ever-shortening window before war once again brings Hell to Equus. Dark powers grow in the places that the light does not reach, and they bring one irrefutable truth.

Epitaph is coming.

Cover art by Nixworld.

Special thanks to my pre-readers!

Published 2022-09-09 02:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2025-02-02 02:26:06 UTC

[Extra] CE Character Compendium

Author's Note

This section contains spoilers for Changing Expectations, but not its sequel.

[Extra] CE Character Compendium

Characters of Changing Expectations

Changelings

-Living Royals-

King Phasmatodea: King of the Fifth Hive, former Prince of the Fourth Hive, Pontiff of the Hive Eternal (leader of the changeling species), former Champion of the Hive Eternal (2nd in command of the changeling species). Former human. Tall, has no holes in chitin, red fins, orange magic / slitted eyes. Wields the Adamantium and Mithril hammer God-Splitter. Wields the Adamantium armor set Unbroken Radiance. Murdered as a human by an unnamed robber. Alive.

Princess Chrysalis: Princess of the Fifth Hive, former Queen of the Fourth Hive before its dissolution, former Pontiff of the Hive Eternal. Tall, cyan hair, green slitted eyes and magic. Alive.

Prince Thorax: Prince of the Fifth Hive. Member of the First Fang, in charge of all things pony-related in the Fifth Hive. Love interest is Double Diamond. Brother of Prince Pharynx. Ascended to Princedom during the final fight with the Fourth Hive. Received a vision of his intervention during said fight. Slightly tall, cyan hair / slitted eyes / magic. Alive.

Prince Pharynx: Prince of the Fifth Hive, former Legate of the Fourth Hive. Brother of Prince Thorax. Ascended to Princedom during the final fight with the Fourth Hive. Received a vision of his death during the fight with King Sombra in Nisir. Slightly tall, red hair / slitted eyes / magic. Alive.

-Dead Royals-

Princess Arista Narmer: Princess of the First Hive / Nisir. Responsible for the experiments that brought Sombra into the world. Unknown fate.

The Prophet: King of the Third Hive. Possessed by the Umbrum Gluttony. Led to the downfall of the Third Hive and the possession of most of its inhabitants. The Third Hive was destroyed by King Phasma and The Prophet has not been seen since.

Prince Carotid: Former Prince of the Third Hive. Son of The Prophet. Former bearer of the Adamantium armor set Unbroken Radiance. Light blue mair / slitted eyes / magic. Found dead in the Third Hive’s armory.

Queen Millipede: Former Acolyte of the Third Hive and Protector of the Hive Eternal. Daughter of Prince Carotid. Elevated to Queen status and sent from the Third Hive with the mission of establishing the Fourth Hive and keeping the changeling species alive. Bright yellow hair / slitted eyes / magic. Fate unknown.

Queen Canthari: Former Queen of the Fourth Hive. Established the modern system of love harvesting. Fate unknown.

Queen Maxilla: Former Queen of the Fourth Hive. Responsible for the Fourth Hive’s political and social restructuring: when food stocks dwindled she removed families and created collective broods. Fate unknown.

Queen Sphecidae: Former Queen of the Fourth Hive. Chrysalis’s mother. Rebuilt the main hive spire after a legendarily massive sandstorm tore away most of the outer layers of the hive. She went a bit crazy about Nightmares, almost podding Chrysalis. Killed by Chrysalis.

Princess Prochorodes: Princess of the Fourth Hive. Slightly tall, purple hair, purple slitted eyes / magic. Wielded the Adamantium blade Chela. Perished in the Underhive in the year 733.

-The First Fang-

King Phasma: See Royals.

Prince Thorax: See Royals.

Prince Pharynx: Honorary position, see Royals.

Coxa: Male. Member of the First Fang. Responsible for running the Fifth Hive under Phasma. Love interest is Lacewing. Alive.

Lacewing: Female. Member of the First Fang. Responsible for hunting down Division-P. Love interest is Coxa. Alive.

Oestridae: Male. Former member of the First Fang. Phasma’s personal bodyguard and Praetorian. Killed by Prince Pharynx in the revolution against Queen Chrysalis, killed in the hallway to the throne room while buying time for Phasma.

Tarsus: Male. Former member of the First Fang. Infiltrator trainee. Betrayed the First Fang and Phasma in the revolution against Queen Chrysalis. Was captured, branded a traitor, blinded, and banished to Griffonia. Alive.

-Other Changelings-

Chamberlain Eucharis: Male. Most important changeling drone in the Fourth Hive. Phasma’s father. Personally taught him how to fly. Murdered by Phasma in the revolution against Queen Chrysalis, killed in Princess Celestia’s personal study.

Broodnurses Psocid and Lethocerus: Primary broodnurses of the Fourth Hive.

Cricket: Female. Coxa’s female counterpart. Former Infiltrator for the Fourth Hive. Former personal aide to Phasma. Banished to Nisir by Phasma. Given the task of watching over Chrysalis, should she be stationed in Nisir. Alive.

Sting: Female. Changeling scientist, current foremost expert on magical artifacts from Nisir. Alive.

Thalamus: Male. Member of the Fifth Hive, working under Coxa. Responsible for locations, real estate, etc. Alive.

Thrips: Male. Member of the Fifth Hive, working under Coxa. Has not appeared in the story. Responsible for the suppliers of alcohol. Alive.

Web: Changeling who stayed by King Phasma’s side during the thestral arc. Was possessed by a Nightmare and killed.

Aorta: Changeling that was second-in-command during the mission to the Third Hive.

-Notable Members of The Swarm-

Captain Katydid: Male. Captain of the Thirteenth Legion, “The Red Right Hoof.” Personally trained King Phasma while he was in the Fourth Hive.

General Labrum: Female. General of the Fifth Legion, “Blackened Skies.” Survived the Massacre of Canterlot. Loyal to Phasma. Alive.

Captain Froghopper: Male. Captain of the Fourteenth Legion, “The Unwanted.” Scout leader in charge of the scout legion. Responsible for leading Phasma into the trap set by the pony Double Dealings.

Commander Scorpion: Male. Former Captain of the First Legion, “The Praetorians.” Captured by the Fifth Hive during the final fight with Queen Chrysalis. Currently held prisoner by the Fifth Hive.

Intelligencer Ocelli: Female. Former Captain of the Second Legion, “The Infiltrators.” Killed in the Underhive while the Fourth Hive was securing a route to Canterlot.

Captain Obturator: Male. Formerly the nurse responsible for the health of the royals. Captain of the Twelfth Legion, “Hives’ Finest.” Was in charge of collecting love from the ponies during the invasion. Alive.

Captain Cicada: Male. Former Captain of the Fourth Legion, “The Will of The Nine.” Killed by loyalists during the revolution against Queen Chrysalis. Died in the hall to the throne room, buying Phasma time.

Praetorian Weevil: Male. Sketchy Praetorian that was loyal to Phasma. Killed by loyalist Praetorians during the revolution against Queen Chrysalis, died on the steps in the Canterlot Palace foyer at Phasma’s side.

-The Great Swarm Legions-

The Praetorians: Chrysalis’s royal guards, acted as Military Police as well as direct attachment to Queen Chrysalis and Prince Phasma during the invasion, stationed out of the Crystal Caverns that II and X secured. Current state of existence is disbanded: The Praetorians were replaced with the Red Right Hoof as de-facto bodyguards of the reigning monarchs.

Commander: (Formerly) Scorpion

First Infiltrator Legion “The Infiltrators”: Infiltrator only legion, went behind enemy lines to disrupt them / preemptively attack them. Current state of existence is in limbo: Infiltrators are still needed to gather food, but they operate under the Fifth Hive.

Intelligencer: (Formerly) Ocelli

First Line Legion “Equestria’s Lament”: Mainline infantry legion, their task was the push towards Canterlot.

General: High Marshal Prince Phasmatodea, High Marshal Pharynx

Second Line Legion “Doom of The East”: Mainline infantry legion, their task was the push towards Manehattan.

General: (Formerly) Aphid

Third Line Legion “Blackened Skies”: Mainline infantry legion, their task was the push towards Las Pegasus.

General: Labrum

First Specialist Legion “Panar’s Hammer”: Specialized in breaking defenses. Small in size. Brigades were attached to the First Line Division, their task was to break through any special Canterlot defenses.

Captain: Tetragnath

Second Specialist Legion “Bombardier Beetles”: Specialized in artillery spells. Small in size. Brigades were attached to the Second Line Division, their task was to siege the large East Coast cities.

Captain: Bombardier

Third Specialist Legion “Imminent Swarm”: Specialized in airborne attacks, brigades were attached to the Third Line Division, their task was to help secure Las Pegasus and other pegasus cities.

Captain: Unknown

Fourth Specialist Legion “Will of The Nine”: Specialized in counter-magic operations, small brigades, their task was to assist Queen Chrysalis in neutralizing Princess Celestia, as well as assist Prince Phasma in neutralizing Princess Cadence. Broken during the revolution against Queen Chrysalis.

Captain: (Formerly) Cicada

Fifth Specialist Legion “Underhive Scarabs”: Specialized in underground warfare, very small brigades, trained through fights in the Underhive, brigades was attached to the The Infiltrators, their task will be to secure the Crystal Caves beneath Canterlot, as well as establish a forward operating base for The Infiltrators.

Captain: Nicro

First Logistics Legion “Chosen Conquerors”: Specialized in securing taken territory, podding ponies, and provide logistics for the other divisions

Captain: (Formerly) Chamberlain Eucharis, nominally High Marshal Prince Phasma

Second Logistics Legion “Hive’s Finest”: Specialized in MASH units, mobile healing pod brigades that are seconded to each of the three line divisions, experimental legion

Captain: Obturator

First Exile Division “The Red Right Hoof”: Phasma’s chosen host, made up of exiles and the changeling bodyguards loyal to Phasma.

Captain: Katydid

Second Exile Division “The Unwanted”: The exiles outside of The Red Right Hoof, the advanced scouts for the Fifth Hive

Captain: Froghopper

Ponies

-Royals-

Princess Celestia: Alicorn of the Sun and Bureaucracy. Love interest was briefly King Sombra. Alive.

Princess Luna: Alicorn of the Moon and Dreams. Love interest is King Phasma. Alive.

Princess Cadance: Alicorn of Love. Engaged to Captain Shining Armor. Alive.

Captain Shining Armor: Male. Engaged to Princess Cadence. Captain of the Royal Guard. Alive.

-The Hooferville Three-

Sergeant Quick Search: Light red pegasus with light blue and grey mane. Formerly a Sergeant in the Hooferville town guard. Currently serving as the only pony within the Great Swarm of the Fifth Hive.

Corporal Bray Call: Cream unicorn with lavender mane and green eyes / magic. Formerly a Corporal in the Hooferville town guard. Taught Phasma many spells. Currently serving as Cricket’s replacement as Phasma’s personal aide.

Private Warm Dew: Dark blue earth pony. Still serving in the Hooferville town guard, friends with the other two and Phasma.

-Other Ponies-

Double Dealings: Manehattan mobster who tried to maim Phasma and keep a monopoly on selling alcohol during the Prohibition. Brutally murdered by King Phasma.

Double Diamond: Not to be confused with Dealings. Love interest is Prince Thorax. Alive.

Double Diamond’s Parents: Unnamed. Creative inventors who have business deals / backings with King Phasma. Alive.

-Thestrals-

Elder Sanguine: Female. One of the most experienced and senior Elders of the thestrals. Wears a golden amulet of a twin-tailed comet. Wields a double-bladed axe in battle.

Elder Blood: Female. One of the four witches. Wields twelve daggers that she hurls using magic in battle.

Elder Bone: Female. One of the four witches. Sacrificed herself to finish the cleansing ritual and save King Phasma.

Elder Soul: Female. One of the four witches. Wields a double-bladed polearm.

Elder Mind: Female. One of the four witches. The most senior of the four. Wears a golden outline of a unicorn’s horn.

Elder Eclipse: Too old to fight in combat.

Elder Vigilance: Female. Too old to fight in combat. Wielded hoofclaws.

Elder Serene: Too old to fight in combat.

Elder Bulwark: Male. Wielded two tower shields in combat. Perished during the hunt of the Nightmare set loose in Vallachia.

Lieutenant Sulfur Drip: Female. Thestral soldier. Successor of Elder Vigilance. Wields hoofclaws.

Umbrum

King Sombra: The Umbrum of Pride, Epitaph, Devourer Of The Sun, Doom of Nisir, Doom of the Crystal Empire. Alive.

Lámhmarbh: Umbrum who branded Phasma upon his arrival to Equestria. Fate unknown.

Wrath: Possessed Princess Celestia, merging the two together into Princess Daybreaker. Cleansed by the Elements of Harmony during the Year 1000 Grand Galloping Gala.

Envy: Possessed Princess Luna during the year 0, merging the two together into Nightmare Moon. Banished to the moon for 1000 years when Celestia used the Elements of Harmony on her. Formed a pact with young Prince Phasma to rule Equestria together. Cleansed by the Elements of Harmony during the Year 1000 Summer Sun Celebration and Invasion of Canterlot.

Gluttony: Possessed The Prophet changeling king, merging the two together. Led to the downfall of the Third Hive and the possession of most of its inhabitants. The Third Hive was destroyed by King Phasma and Gluttony has not been seen since.

Sloth: Attempted to possess young Prince Phasma, calling itself “Fear.” Destroyed by Princess Luna before the possession could finish.

Greed: Unknown.

Lust: Unknown.

0- Genesis

“We have anywhere from six months to two years before the world ends.”

“That’s one Tartarus of an opener,” Celestia remarked as she took a swig of her whisky-infused coffee.

Everyone in the room stared at the changeling scientist as she gave her ultimatum. In various levels of dread, fear, and acceptance, the gathered heads of state took the news rather well.

King Phasma sighed, “Six months to two years? When I said ‘keep it short,’ I didn’t mean that short. Give us the slightly longer version.”

The changeling did as she was ordered, “Of course, Your Majesty. Your Highnesses,” she bowed to the other princes and princesses present. “We have determined that the spell holding back the Umbrum and the Nightmare King, King Sombra, will hold for a decent amount of time. How long is difficult to say– but we have confirmed which parts of the containment spell will fail first.”

The changeling pointed to a cork board behind her, where several maps and diagrams were pinned. One by one, the gathered royals took in the details. The pony Princesses– Celestia, Luna, and Cadence– conferred with each other quietly. The two changeling princes, Prince Thorax and Prince Pharynx, shared a look of unambiguous confusion.

“The spell is divided into two parts,” the scientist explained, pointing to one set of diagrams. “Both are projected from Panar’s Gift, the crown located in the throne room of the First Hive, Nisir. The first spell is a physical containment spell. The entire area that was once known as The Crystal Empire has been cordoned off. The second part of the spell is the temporal containment. The entire corralled area has been frozen in time. Preliminary analysis reveals that this temporal containment will fail first.”

“Do we have any estimates for when that will happen?” Celestia asked.

“It could take anywhere from months to years,” the changeling shook her head. “It already is showing signs of severe degradation. The spell’s effects are likely breaking down as we speak. This is a glacially slow process, thankfully, but we lack the knowledge or expertise to safely change the spell. Suffice to say, this spell was cast by a long-dead changeling monarch, and only he would know how to change any of it without the whole spell collapsing.”

“Then we must prepare defenses!” Luna declared.

“The physical cordon will continue to exist,” Phasma said. “Does that mean that we know where they’ll attack?”

The scientist pointed to a theoretical map of the spell’s extent, “Judging by what we’ve seen, there is one weak point in the spell’s physical barrier: Nisir itself. The Nightmares will attack the city with the intent of destroying the crown and its spell.”

“We have our battlefield, then,” Prince Pharynx grunted. “We will make Nisir into the greatest bastion Equus has ever seen. When the Nightmares come, we will throw them back.”

Celestia smiled, “We have the luxury of choosing the battlefield, yes. But we will do more than throw them back into the Crystal Empire: I want King Sombra destroyed and the Crystal Empire saved. If we destroy the Nightmares at Nisir, we might yet save everypony within the lost Empire.”

“We would have to lure them in,” Phasma pointed out. “Get them to fully commit to the assault. The presence of a changeling’s Weave, probably my own since Sombra and I have, err, ‘met,’ will do.”

Luna stood up, “If you must be there, so shall all of us! When this Nightmare horde arrives at the mountain of Nisir, they will be met with the greatest army the world has ever seen!”

Cadence agreed, “An alliance of changelings and ponies. Three alicorns and three changeling royals– four if we can get Chrysalis there.”

“Never before in recorded history have so many demigods gathered for one battle,” Celestia murmured. “Let’s try not to collapse the mountain down onto us. Do you hear me, Phasma?”

The changeling king waved a hoof, “Yes, yes. I get it. I promise I won’t detonate this underground city. It’s our city, after all. I want to keep it in one piece.”

“The Crystal Empire’s capital is a four-day journey by hoof from Nisir,” Celestia realized. “That means once the spell ends, we have some time before they come. We… don’t know if they can fly, gallop without stopping, or if anything would delay or speed their journey…”

Luna picked up where her sister left off, “Then we must assume that the siege will begin two days after the spell fails. Airships can make the journey from Canterlot to Nisir in one day. That gives us a whole day to dig in and prepare what defenses we already have. Phasma, would you permit a few divisions of Royal Guards to prepare the city?”

Phasma sighed, “I’m already allowing in pony scientists. I’ll have the drones there coordinate with the engineers to preserve what we can, and prepare the rest of the city. We’ll turn the place into a killbox.”

“Killbox,” Celestia repeated. “I suspect you can offer some insight on how to prepare this city, then. Urban warfare has been… unexplored in Equus’s history. By the time the fighting gets into the city, the battle is always already lost.”

Phasma nodded, “Sounds about right. Urban fighting has only been an extensive subject since about a hundred years before I… died. I’ll see what I can add to our plans and training. The changelings have already been trained in urban fighting, I’m sure they can help train the Equestrians, too.”

“Then we have a plan set,” Celestia announced. “King Phasma, have you determined who will be in charge of Nisir in your permanent absence?”

Phasma pointed to Prince Pharynx, “Since I will be living in Canterlot and potentially establishing a new city in the caves beneath, Prince Pharynx has agreed to prepare the city in my absence. For now. We have yet to come up with a long-term system– even though permanently putting Pharynx in charge would solve a lot of issues.”

“I’ve told you no,” Pharynx replied.

“Right,” Phasma sighed.

“In that case, I believe we are done here,” Celestia continued. “Luna, Phasma, please make whatever changes you must to get the E.U.P. working together and training for this war. I will begin the withdrawal from the borders of the Badlands and the restationing of the garrisons. The majority of our army at Nisir will be ponies. As for the rest of our soldiers…. If we fall in Nisir, I’m afraid there is little they could do. We will place a number of divisions outside the mountain to make sure that they do not try to bypass Nisir, but otherwise Equestria will scale back our deployment of guards.”

“We can only station so many in the city,” Cadence agreed. “Ironically, that sounds like a good idea.”

“What about me?” Thorax asked.

“You will be with me in Nisir’s command center when the fighting breaks out,” Phasma told him. “I’d prefer you not get involved in the fighting– but when you do, we will go together.”

Celestia ended the meeting, “This fight will determine the fate of Equus. The entire world is depending on us. We cannot fail. We will not fail!”

“As it is woven, so it shall be,” Phasma entoned before stepping out of the meeting room.

Finding his way out onto a balcony, Phasma looked out over the city of Canterlot. The ponies around the Palace were waking up and attending to their morning rituals. Stores were opening up, friends were greeting each other, and the streets were beginning to fill.

Princess Luna walked up beside Phasma by the balcony’s railing.

“Do you think we’ll be ready?” Phasma asked.

“Do you?” Luna asked in turn.

“... It’s gonna be one of those ‘prepare as much as you can’ scenarios, I think. Very common in TV shows, movies, and books.”

Luna chuckled, “There is no dearth of those in Equestria, I am afraid. Regardless, we have faced insurmountable challenges before, and yet here we are. Both of us. King Sombra will be nothing more than another notch on our blades.”

Phasma smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes, and looked back out over the city, “I wish I had your optimism. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that nothing will be that easy. Before this is all over, we’re going to be digging a lot of graves…”

1- Aenid

Act One: As A Hive On A Hill

The steady and droning tick-tock of the office’s clock was the only sound audible as I stared her down.

The overdressed mare was sitting on a well-upholstered chair, one with real gold filigree. The green tie she wore matched her green eyes, which in turn matched the unicorn’s green magic. Despite the tension, she did her best to appear at ease.

As a changeling, I had the unfortunate confirmation that she really was at ease, and either was ignorant of the awkwardness, or was quite skilled at ignoring it completely.

Really, the awkward silence was entirely her fault.

“So….” the mare broke the silence, “where would you like to start?”

“I’d rather sit here and pout,” I grunted. “There’re a million and one things I’d rather be doing. There’s twelve million more that I have to be doing. Yet I am here. With you. For two. Whole. Hours.”

“Then we’d best make the most of our time together, yes?”

“No, we’d best make this our last meeting and never see each other again,” I pouted.

The therapist glared at me and shook her head, “It isn’t my place to give orders. But the Princesses have ordered you to attend these sessions. And, in my opinion, you do need them.”

“What I need is a cold–”

“Your Majesty, please,” The mare pleaded, “take this seriously. I know you don’t want to be here, but surely you understand that you have to be here? You’re a smart stallion. You wouldn't be here if you were anything else…”

All I could do in response was glare at her, cross my hooves, and mutter swears under my breath. We had wasted twenty minutes already in silence and stilted conversation. I was hoping to at least reach thirty minutes.

“Self-righteous, over-inflated egotistical pompous– fine! Fine. I’ll…. talk. I’ll try to take this seriously. Might as well get this over with.”

The mare smiled, “Thank you, all I ask is that you try. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather begin again. Hello, my name is Dr. Sweet Dream. I am a psychiatrist, and a good friend of the Princesses. Princess Celestia has asked me to meet and speak with you.”

I rolled my eyes, “... I am Phasma. King Phasmatodea, if you’d prefer the full title and name. I am the King of The Fifth Hive and the Pontiff of the Hive Eternal. I rule over all of the changelings that are still alive. Princess Celestia has ordered that I attend these therapy sessions. She’s afraid that I’ll go postal or something.”

“What does that mean, ‘go postal?’” The therapist asked and picked up her pen and pad of paper using telekinesis.

“You don’t have to…” I trailed off. “If I have to explain all the references I make, we’ll be here all day.”

She smiled at me, “Please?”

‘Well, if I get to finally explain my references to someone who actually listens to them, then maybe there’s a silver lining to this…’

I sighed, “It means to go crazy. Specifically, in a homicidal rage.”

Her quill dipped into an ink pot as she quickly wrote down some notes.

“Oh my. I hardly think that the Princess fears you so much,” Sweet Dream said.

“It was a joke,” I said in a monotone voice.

“Was it?”

My ear flicked in annoyance, “.... Look, I don’t know. It’s probably a fear in the back of her mind. If she’s smart, that is.”

“Do you think there’s a danger of you going out and hurting ponies, or changelings, in rage?”

I almost told her to screw off. Something held me back.

‘Oh yes, I said I would try.’

“Sure,” I grunted. “You’d be surprised how easily someone can die. And now I have the magical strength to rip cold-rolled steel in half without breaking a sweat. A hu– a pony or changeling body would need a fraction of that strength to rip apart, not counting the natural magical resistance…”

More notes, “I’d like to discuss this later, if you don’t mind. For now, I would like to hear your story. So I have to ask again, where would you like to start?”

The question was not a simple one. We both knew that. I knew it because I lived it. She knew it because Celestia had filled her in on the basics of me before we first met today and gave her some important things to work over.

Normally, Celestia would have done this clandestinely. However, in the hopes of bridging the lack of trust between us, Celestia was forthcoming with her private conversation, as well as filling me in on a bunch of other secrets that concerned me or my changeling subjects. In return, I had told her that I would not make a fuss about attending.

But the question of where to start was already putting me off again.

‘Do I start my story with my birth, or my death? Oh, who am I kidding? It’s not like I’m going to tell her anything about who I was.’

“I hatched over a year ago,” I began, “in the Fourth Hive. The old hive was out in the Badlands, where only Changelings lived on the surface. Anyways, I awoke inside of an egg and broke out… It was weird. I was surrounded by more eggs and strange four-legged creatures that resembled a cross between ponies and insects. Changelings. I was one, too. A larva.

“But… This was not the beginning of my story. Before I hatched, I lived a life as something else. I was… a human. I had a family, a life, a future. It was taken from me. Violently. So then I found myself as this… thing. This changeling royal. More than just a mere drone, I am biologically superior to most life forms. A half-immortal demigod. So essentially, I get to watch everyone else grow old and die while I enjoy eternal youth, and in return, they all saddle me with the burdens of leading the nation. Forever. Celestia and Luna call it a half-curse. I know that in time, I will too. But for now, I can’t help but feel that I’ve achieved what I always wanted. What was denied to me… life.

“Anyways. Changelings: they’re weird. They don’t eat physical foods. They didn’t really have writing at the time– no paper to write on. They didn’t have freedoms, only a totalitarian military state. That’s what you get from over ten thousand years of slow extinction. There were around twenty to thirty thousand of us then. I was taken out of the nursery by my mother, Queen Chrysalis. She personally tutored me, despite my age, and fed me a diet of pure love. Changelings feed on emotions, you know this. Love is…”

I trailed off as I recalled my first taste of the sublime emotion. I had to manually close my mouth and swallow, lest I drool over the Palace’s plush furniture.

“The Greek gods dined on the best food in existence. In their halls of gold and marble on Mount Olympus, they called it ambrosia. It is said to grant immortality to those who consume it. The things humans would do for just a taste… Immortality and the greatest food in existence. I now know what ambrosia tasted like. It was love, without a doubt. Pure love, love freely given and freely received. Once you taste a single wisp of it, nothing else tastes as sweet.”

“That sounds lovely,” Sweet Dream remarked as she continued to write. “Oh, pun not intended. You’re making my stomach rumble, if I may be honest. So, Chrysalis took you from the nursery and tutored you?”

I nodded, “She taught me everything she could spare the time for. I met new friends: Oestridae, Thorax, Lacewing, Coxa, and Tarsus. Chamberlain Eucharis became more involved in my training and learning. Makes sense in hindsight: he was my father. I think around this time I had also met Princess Luna for the first time. Though, of course, she was Nightmare Moon then.

“Chrysalis gave me freedom in exchange for running the entire invasion. Unfortunately for her, I discovered the skeletons she kept in the closet: my brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles that she had lobotomized and entombed within their own bodies. Up till recently, I thought she planned to do the same to me. When the invasion happened– and I had to banish Thorax to appear loyal– it went as planned. We even got to Canterlot and took down the Princesses and the Elements of Harmony. Shame Nightmare Moon bit the dust, she was going to help me kill Chrysalis. But… the rebellion failed. When it started, I killed Chamberlain Eucharis out of anger. I… there’s very little I can say about that. He refused to listen to me, and in my anger I murdered him. Tarsus betrayed me and told Chrysalis about the revolution. A lot of lings died in the resulting ambush. Oestridae was one of them. He sacrificed himself to hold the line while I went to face off against Chrysalis personally. We fought. I lost. In the last second, I teleported away– losing a foreleg as a result. Afterwards… well, you know the rest…”

Sweet Dream shook her head, “We will cover future events in detail, but for posterity, if you would quickly go over the large points?”

I gave a long sigh, “Very well. The invasion failed. Celestia-turned-Daybreaker was quite pissed. My rebellion failed. People were dead or captured. The changelings were pushed out of Equestria by Daybreaker. In the retreat, they took a lot of ponies with them. I found myself in the town of Hooferville and was nursed back to health by the ponies there. In exchange, I briefly joined the guard. It was mostly boring if I’m being honest. I made some friends. I learned what it was like to be crippled. I watched from a distance as the changeling Swarm fled farther and farther away… One thing led to another and Thorax found me. After saving the town from a rat infestation, I joined up with the escaped revolutionaries and formed the Fifth Hive.

“We went to ground in Manehattan and grew from there. After a long period of coordinating with Princess Luna, gathering survivors, and growing the Fifth Hive, we stumbled across an old changeling Hive. The Third Hive, to be exact. In that Goddess-forsaken ruin was a Nightmare possessed changeling king, The Prophet. I had to detonate the sunken city’s artificial sun to kill him. I made it out alive. Surprising, I know, but… something came with me. That Nightmare got a ling killed. More than one person had died to prevent that singular Nightmare from wreaking havoc. We’re going to need the Thestrals’ expertise if we want to win the upcoming war…

“Then came the Gala. Daybreaker died, Discord was freed by me, and the day was saved by the Elements of Harmony. Peace became official between the Fifth Hive and Equestria. Shortly after, the First Hive was found, Nisir. In it, we found some answers; the Nightmares were led by Epitaph. Epitaph, or rather King Sombra, was behind the near-extinction of the changelings and the fall of the Hives.

“After coming home from Nisir, the Princesses and I found an unwanted guest in Canterlot: Chrysalis. Together, we defeated her and the remaining changelings. It was a bloodbath… You know all about that, I’m sure… In the final fight, Thorax and his brother Pharynx ascended to Princedom and Chrysalis was captured. That… mostly brings us to now. There’s some other things, but I don’t exactly want to talk about them.”

“There’s certainly a lot of other things to talk about,” Sweet Dream remarked. “Of everything that happened, what do you believe is the most important to cover?”

I sighed, “Aside from the whole dying thing? ‘Cause that’s really important. Ever since I was murdered, I have found myself to be a lot more brutal when it comes to… well, everything. I was never one to shy away from a fight and now I’ve found myself a lot less reserved when it comes to killing. Also, vices. If something is enjoyable, I see no reason to avoid it. Drinking, gambling, procrastinating– as long as it doesn’t have any long-term adverse effects, why not? I’ve already lost so many opportunities…

“Another thing I should talk about is the whole Ascension thing. I don’t mean what happened to Thorax and Pharynx; I mean what almost happened to me. The lobotomization… Shortly after the failure of the invasion, a Nightmare nearly possessed me. It was bad. Very bad. The thing tormented me with being trapped in my own body, just as I feared. Only a last-second intervention by Luna saved my life. Just being in that damned tank…

“Which brings us to Eucharis. A lack of internal hesitation to murder and a fear of locked-in syndrome. He was just trying to save my life and I killed him dead. I don’t… When I think of the word ‘dad,’ he’s not the first person to come to mind. He never would have been. But I can’t help feel like he was a missed opportunity. Someone who wanted to help me…”

Sweet Dreams cleared her throat, “Perhaps it would be easiest if we started with Eucharis, then. We can work our way back to these two core concepts you have identified. Now, when did you first meet Eucharis?”

I sighed again as I recalled the changeling drone and began to retell his tale.

With a wide sideways sweep of my hind legs, I aimed to topple Pharynx over. Normally, the close-quarters move wouldn’t work against a quadruped, but my legs were long and covered in rock-hard chitin. At the very least, I could hook around one or two forelegs and pull them out from my foe.

Pharynx swore as I forced him to dodge backwards. Narrowly missing my outstretched hooves, the Prince tripped over his own legs and tumbled to the ground with even more cursing than before. He groaned as he punched the packed dirt next to him.

With his stumble, the score for our training duel was twelve to five in his favor. With Katydid busy reorganizing and retraining an entire army, I was taking any sparring partner I could get. Tonight, Pharynx had joined me in the Palace’s courtyard that was used by the Royal Guards for physical training.

I slowly trotted over and offered a hoof, pulling him back up to his hooves.

“These damn legs,” he complained as he looked up at me. “I’m already half a head taller than I was a month ago and I’m only going to get taller?! How the hell do you get used to this?”

“I’ve had to get used to a lot more than just long legs,” I laughed.

Pharynx scowled and looked away, “Hmph. Guess so, but that doesn’t mean I gotta like this. I was at the top of my game! You couldn’t hit me for shit when we fought during the second invasion! Now look at me…. Tripping over my own hooves like a nymph!”

“Relax, Pharynx,” I tried to reassure him. “You’ll get used to it.”

He turned and stomped a hoof, “Not before it gets worse! If I even get close to being as tall as you, then I’ll have to retrain how to fight hoof-to-hoof! I’ll be as bad as you are!”

I frowned, “I’m not that bad, am I?”

“.... No,” he admitted as he studied me. “You’re half as bad as you were when we fought. Training without that big lump of metal is doing wonders in getting you to actually work on your coordination. Where did you learn to move like that? All that twirling and kicking is pretty over the top and inefficient– but it could become something real and dangerous if you refine it… I’d say in a few years, you might have a halfway-decent fighting style.”

Clearing my throat, I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, “Uh, well, you see, I’m kinda emulating a sort of… let’s call him a cyborg warrior who was feared for his skill with a blade and his ferocity. Let’s call him that and not a fictional character used in movies.”

“What the hell is a cyborg?”

“He had to replace most of his body with metal.”

Pharynx’s eyebrows raised, “That sounds like an upgrade.”

“For fighting,” I snorted.

He nodded, “Right. Anyways, where is that hammer of yours? And why are you training more and more without it, now that I think about it?”

I shrugged, “Back in my room. Luna’s room, whatever. I’m training without it because… well…” I cast a glance around, but all the other changelings and ponies training in the large courtyard were out of hearing range. “I may have to get used to not fighting with it. With Princess Procho inside of it, Luna figures that God-Splitter might have to be shattered to free that half of her soul. When we’re ready, of course. We still need to track down the other half and figure out what to do with both halves. Combining them is pretty far ahead of where we are when it comes to Soulmancy.”

“Figures. That’s for the best, anyways; without magic you’re about as fearsome as a falling tree branch.”

“Those kill people, you know!” I jabbed him with a hoof.

He brushed my deadly attack aside, “Uh huh. Unfortunately for you, you won’t be fighting people. Malwaurfs, Nightmares, Dire Wolves, and… what else have you fought this year? Point is, you won’t always have your magic– and it’s then that you need to be at your A-game.”

“Easier said than done,” I muttered quietly. “So. You’re back in Canterlot but not for long?”

“You would know, Mr. ‘Shipping-Pharynx-off-to-the-farthest-corner-of-Equus.’”

I grinned, “Hey! Don’t make fun of my name, it’s a very sensitive topic.”

Pharynx rolled his eyes, “If we’re done here, I’ve got a meeting to go to.”

I sighed and started my stretches to wind down for the evening, “Yeah. Go see your brother.”

“... ‘Suppose it’s not exactly hard to guess who I’m seeing. Hey… King Phasma?”

I frowned, paused my stretches, and stared at him.

“... What…. Agh, nevermind,” he shook his head.

“Ask.”

“.... What was it like to die?”

My gaze dropped to the dirt beneath me, “... I guess I’ll have to get used to that question, now that it’s public knowledge. It was surprising at first. I was… It was over too quickly for the pain to kick in. I was terrified. I was angry. There’s… there’s no way to describe what it felt like. It’s about the same thing as explaining color to a blind person. Does that answer your question?”

Pharynx scuffed the dirt idly, “Guess so. Uh… What…. Whatever. Thanks, Phasma.”

“What brought this question on?” I asked him, only to look up and see that he was walking away.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

2- Helen of Canterlot

The gathered heads of the Fifth Hive bickered and argued around me as I idly twirled a pencil around with a hoof. Around me, the magical torches sent glittering reflections across the smooth pink crystal walls of the Crystal Caves.

The gathered changelings included the two Princes, the rest of the First Fang, Captain Katydid, and my new aide, Bray Call. In addition, there were two other assistants from Coxa’s ever-growing cabinet of staff helping her learn the new role. Considering she was the only pony in the room, she probably felt like a fish out of water.

Nevertheless, the cream colored unicorn was doing a good job of picking things up quickly. We were a long way away from the town of Hooferville where we first met but apparently she was already making friends around the Palace and the Crystal Caves.

‘At least one of us is getting something out of this mess.’

Currently, the changelings were bickering over something I never thought I would have to sit through: a budget meeting. Apparently, the Fifth Hive had grown so quickly in its governmental businesses and divisions that we were now having funding issues.

‘This day just gets better and better. I’m definitely getting a drink after this. No, fuck that. I’m making Luna get me a drink! She’s gonna have to take me out on a date somewhere tonight…’

However, in the end, I had no one to blame but myself. The entire meeting was called due to my lack of foresight.

I had set the three groups of leaders to research and plan the future of each of their respective fields. They would be responsible for the bureaucracy, social and political revolution, and the military advancements of the Fifth Hive.

Each, in turn, created a plan of action. They gave their plans names, even.

The first of these three plans was Operation Pencil. Ever the cunning comedian, Coxa had named his plan of action after what he needed. It called for an expansion and clear division of the Fifth Hive’s hierarchy and ruling organizations and the acquisition of supplies to feed the growing government. There wasn’t much more to be said; it was the transition of unofficial duty rosters of a medieval court to the full-fledged bureaus and agencies of a modern government– if in miniature.

The next plan was Prince Pharynx’s creation. Just as cleverly named, Operation Build-A-Fuck-Ton-Of-Airships came to be when I asked Pharynx, Froghopper, and Katydid to come up with the Fifth Hive’s military advancements. I had put an emphasis on mobility. Too much of an emphasis, as it turned out. While the plan did outline the deconstruction of the Legions and reformation of them into proper combined-arms fighting forces, it kicked the majority of those changes down the road in favor of, well, building a fuck-ton of airships. The need for a rapid response army would only grow in the future and would no doubt be useful in deploying rapidly to Nisir.

Finally, the only plan with some merit was Operation Phoenix. Thorax and I had created it together; outlining the necessary cultural changes, Operation Phoenix would forever shift changeling society away from the totalitarian-communist hybrid government that the Fourth Hive ruled as. Everything from establishing the nuclear family model to revolutionizing the education curriculum was covered under this plan.

‘If only the others would see its importance.’

“Phas! Tell Coxa that I’m right!” Thorax demanded.

“Coxa, Thorax is right,” I said, still twirling the pencil.

“Oh, Phasma’s not even paying attention. Watch: Phasma, tell Thorax that I’m right!”

“Thorax, Coxa is right,” I repeated in the same monotone voice.

“Clearly this means that you both are right,” Lacewing joked.

Sighing, I dropped the pencil and addressed the changelings, “Are you all finished yet? Got it all out of your system?”

“No, I’m not done yet,” Pharynx announced. “.... Cocksucker!” He jabbed a hoof at Coxa. “Alright, now I’m finished.”

Pharynx chuckled to himself and hoof-bumped Captain Froghopper, the leader of the smaller scout legion.

I cleared my throat, “The expedition departs in one day. I have wasted enough time here. You all are receiving the standard budget. Make do with what you can. Expect your proposed projects to be restricted for a while. That means no new airships, Froghopper.”

Froghopper cursed under his breath.

“Thorax,” I continued, “is getting the boost first.” The changelings booed, hissed, and one cheered enthusiastically. “Enough, enough! We need to stabilize the changeling population and the food supply immediately. The Nightmares aren’t coming right away.”

Thorax nodded, “We desperately need to start the next generation soon! I’ll spread word that the restriction on egg-laying has been lifted. Does this also mean that my request for pony-changeling classes has been approved?”

I nodded, “More than that. In addition to the integration and cooperation courses, I want you to look into setting up parenting classes. The Broodnurses should be especially helpful when it comes to larva care.”

“Parenting classes?” Coxa parroted. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The egg-clutch system has been abolished,” Thorax explained. “Meaning, we are expected to look after our own eggs now. Eggs, larva, nymphs…”

Lacewing excitedly clapped her hooves, “This is going to be great! I know a number of other lings that would have loved to be Broodnurses!”

“Well, if it means we get to start making eggs, I suppose the Hive’s internal structure can languish for a few more weeks,” Coxa mused. “But I’m telling you, the sooner we get around to finalizing and officializing the bureaus within the Hive, the easier all of our lives will be!”

Groaning, I put my head in my hooves, “Yes, that. It’s time for something I’ve been dreading. Coxa, I want you to draw up the rough draft for the constitution of the Fifth Hive.”

“The what-now?”

“The constitution. The ponies have one, go ask about it. I’ll send you a list of important things and see if I can give you a rough idea of what I want, but I’ve sacrificed my participation in writing it for the privilege of going to wizard kindergarten. You’ll be enlisting everyone’s voice and help in writing it, so the sooner you get started, the better.”

He frowned, “.... I’ll, uh, get started then?”

“Good,” I lifted my head. “Captain Katydid, how was the initial training session?”

“... We’re going to need a lot of time and effort,” the soldier said. “There were fights, My King.”

“Hopefully those stop soon,” I muttered. “Anyways, keep doing what you can. How’s the pegasus I sent your way, Quick Search?”

“Invaluable,” Katydid smiled. “It’s not easy reintegrating the former Legions into the combined-races military that we need. Quick Search has been great at stopping a lot of fights before they even begin.

I grinned and leaned back in my chair, “That’s good to hear. Maybe we should train a corps of officers just like ‘em…. Name ‘em Commissars. Set them on the task of ensuring mental health and cooperation between Legions as well as with outside military forces… Pharynx. The Expedition sets out tomorrow. Are you all set?”

Pharynx crossed his hooves, “Yeah. For now.”

“The second wave will come in a month,” I waved his worries off.

“You know my opinion on all this,” he growled. “I don’t want to go to Nisir.”

“The Hive needs you–”

“Which is why I’m still going,” he cut me off.

Thorax reached over and hugged his brother, “Don’t worry, Pharynx! I’ll have to come and visit frequently! After all, what’s a colony without setting up things for the next generation?”

Pharynx’s glare and stoic exterior melted away. Slowly, he brought up his forelegs and returned the hug.

I found Luna sitting at the massive desk that had taken up half of the sitting room before her bedchamber. The candle sitting on a silver plate on the desk had burnt low, pooling blue wax around its listing form.

‘Another late night.’

“Hey Luna, why the… long face?” I asked as I strode up behind her.

“What does that mean?” She muttered, not looking up from her paperwork.

“It’s a horse joke. Laugh.”

“Ha.”

I loomed over her, resting my chin on her shoulder as I stared down at her paperwork.

"I am glad you are here," Luna announced. "Talking to myself can only erase so much boredom. And, if I am being honest, I have talked to myself far too much over the past…. How did your meeting go? As boring and dry as my own evening?"

"Yeah… hey Luna, is this stuff important?"

She turned to give me a questioning glance, "Of sorts?"

'Oh well!'

I backed up from her, making her turn fully to give me an even-more-confused stare. Then, with a running leap, I came around the side of the desk and belly-flopped onto it.

Papers were sent flying, the candle was knocked over- and promptly extinguished with a flick of my magic, ink and cooling wax stained my carapace, and, above it all, a highly confused Princess yelled out in alarm.

She stood up in shock, "Phasma! What the hell is… Gah! You loathsome gadfly! Do you have any idea how long it will take to reorganize this mess?!"

As I laid on her desk, I shook my hooves towards her and whined, "Lunaaa! I'm bored! All I've done in the past week is paperwork, therapy, training, and bureaucracy! Take me on a date!"

Luna shook her head, "We all suffer under the cruel tyranny of bureaucracy, Phasma…. Wait. Take you on a date?"

"Yes! I want to go do something somewhere with you."

She tapped her chin, "That does sound like a good idea… Very well, we shall indeed court tonight."

I pumped a hoof, "Yes!"

"But first, you must clean up and organize my entire desk," she ordered me as she got up and headed to the bathroom.

Cringing, I called out after her, "Not-yes! Luna! Wait, come back! Can't I dump this on someone else, like one of the aides or staff members we take for granted?” Groaning, I got up and started picking up the hundreds of papers that I had sent flying, “This is stupid. I’m rich and powerful now, I’m supposed to be immune to the consequences of my actions!”

Our date tonight was to hit the streets of Canterlot undisguised and buy unnecessary gifts and outfits. All in all, it was turning out better than I had thought.

Luna twirled around, presenting her new outfit to me.

She was wearing a massive sun hat that had a bouquet of blue flowers on the rim, a silver necklace with a shooting star pendant, a red coat with a tall collar that I had already forgotten the name of, and her usual silver peytral, tiara, and boots.

I was wearing a blue suit vest, a large brown camel coat, and a noticeable lack of any equivalent to Luna’s tiara.

We had picked out each other’s outfits. It was readily apparent that she had a lot more experience when it came to anything fashion related. The tailor that we were shopping at was able to quickly craft entire coats or shirts in mere hours thanks to magic. So after placing our orders, getting fitted, and picking out materials, we returned later that night for the final products.

They were certainly below the quality that the nobles and royalty of Canterlot usually wore, but that was perfectly fine for us.

“You know, there’s a stereotype to be found here,” I said.

“I think you are right,” she giggled. “After all, the best way to a stallion’s heart is through the markets,” she pointed to my outfit.

“What?”

“I am just glad that you were able to not ruin my good complexion with your choices,” she twirled again.

“No, no, no. You have it backwards. It’s mares that always go shopping!” I insisted.

Luna shook her head, “Nay, it is you who are mistaken. Nag.”

“Wench.”

She blinked, “That is a sailor insult, is it not? Have you spent some time aboard a ship in your years before Equus?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s just an insult,” I explained. “Alright, the clothes are paid for, you have your pendant, and… what was next tonight?”

“Oh!” Luna clapped her hooves. “There is a river, I am told, that runs through central Canterlot. Celestia tells me that many shops have been set up along its banks. It should be an excellent place for dinner!”

“A boardwalk?” I continued after Luna shrugged, “Sure, sounds fun. Lead the way,” I said, gesturing for Luna to walk ahead of me.

As we walked down the streets of Canterlot, enjoying the sights and greeting ponies as we went, Luna and I talked about our week. Occasionally, we were stopped by ponies who wanted to speak with the Princess. Or insult the King. Either way, it was exposure that was good for us. Seeing Luna so cheerfully speak to her ponies made me smile. Both the ponies and Luna were adorable and seeing Luna happy made me happy.

She had spent a thousand years in isolation. Normally, isolation would drive someone insane in a fraction of that time. Luna… I didn’t know how she survived. I didn’t ask.

Several ponies demanded that I personally pay for all their lost wages, all those foals who could have gotten hurt– despite the fact that one only foal had actually gotten hurt by my actions, for lost wages, and any other reason they could make up to demand money from me. Some just wanted to insult me for bringing devastation to Equestria.

Most just wanted to gawk at me with no opinion one way or the other.

My time in the Fourth Hive numbed me to such awkward interactions. They would always be a tiny bit painful to endure, but more often than not I had something to distract me, such as a pony cussing me out with the foul-language of a 6-year-old or a conversation with Luna. The less I paid attention, the better.

Interestingly enough, the ponies who did confront me were… forgiving. Relatively speaking. I would probably be facing push-back and hatred for decades to come, but most ponies seemed to want to vent at me, hear some apologies, then just move on with their lives.

I admired that. I certainly wasn’t capable of letting go of grudges like ponies could.

Eventually, Luna and I found ourselves sitting at a table at some restaurant on one of Canterlot’s boardwalks. There was a small cordon between us and the other ponies; our respective guard attachments that had been shadowing each of us decided that the ponies of Canterlot were getting a little too friendly with us. Since Division-P was mostly still at large, the worry over security was warranted.

“So, tomorrow your expedition sets off,” Luna remarked as she sipped an iced coffee.

“All the wagons are loaded, provisions stocked, routes planned, and paperwork filed,” I sighed. “The recolonization effort officially begins tomorrow. Though, uh, the changelings here in Canterlot may be expanding their numbers sooner than later.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, “Is that so?”

“Yeah. We’re… on the brink of extinction. The Crystal Caves– the Fifth Hive will be expanding our numbers and laying down roots. Canterlot’s eventually going to be a city on top of another city. It’s cities all the way down, Luna.”

“That is… good?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “The nymphs are being brought over from the Fourth Hive. I’ll be meeting them when they get here.”

“Speaking of foals,” Luna scooched her chair closer to mine. “Nightmare Night.”

I sighed heavily in relief. Luna glared at me but continued.

“It is in three days and Twilight Sparkle has invited me to Ponyville to partake in the celebration there. You will join me for these celebrations.”

“Luna!” I whined. “I… My schedule is so packed that sometimes it feels like I have to schedule when to take a shit!”

“You do not shit, Phasma.”

“But what if I wanted to?!”

She batted her eyelashes and leaned close to me, “Pleeeeease?”

“Luna–”

Luna leaned against me, “Phasma. I… this holiday has deep connotations and connections with Nightmare Moon. I need your reassuring presence. And for you to carry the candy they sacrifice to me.”

I groaned, “Fine. I’ll go. I’ll have to rearrange things with Thorax and tell him to–”

“Oh, and do not forget that Celestia is throwing you a birthday party in two days.”

“– go fuck himself, I guess. We gotta cool it with the whole ‘life existing outside of work,’ Luna.”

She smiled at me, “No.”

I tapped the table as I thought, “Can’t move that to… gotta… You’re killing me, Smalls. You and your sister and her damned magical Kindergarten.”

“You will find the time. Leave the scheduling to your aides. You do have aides, right?”

“Yes, Bray Call.” I said. “You remember her, right?”

Her eyes widened, “I do. The mare from the hamlet in which you washed up following the Invasion. How fares your friends from there?”

“Busy. I don’t hear much from Warm Dew but Bray Call and Quick Search are hard at work within the Fifth Hive. Bray is helping me out while former-Sergeant Quick Search is in the Swarm, doing military things. I was planning on visiting him but…”

“But you lack the time,” Luna finished.

“It’s becoming a theme.”

“It will be the theme for the rest of your life. Or for however long you lead your Hive directly. My sister has been at it for thousands of years, whereas I managed in the past to delegate many of my tasks away. Sadly, it will be some time before I can accomplish that blessing again.”

I sighed and sipped my own drink, a cold apple cider. My face scrunched up in disgust as I tried my drink for the first time.

“People drink this shit? It’s like a liquid headache.”

“‘Tis one of the most popular drinks in agrarian Equestria. Most ponies do not drink it for the taste.”

I chuckled, “I could have guessed that. This stuff is non-alcoholic, though. Remember the Prohibition that’s still in effect? So… what was I going to say?”

“I believe you were about to kiss me and shower me in affection,” Luna said, nuzzling me.

“Oh Luna," I whispered. "When I think of you, I start to shake and get all tingly inside. It's like I've broken a rib, only without the mind-numbing pain."

"Ha! That was almost sweet. I will take it."

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

3- Odyssey

Twelve thousand linen sheets. That’s how much the Palace needed to be cleaned in a year.

Around the clock, a staff of no less than four hundred ponies worked to keep the three-digit-room complex dusted, windows washed, food planned, imported, and cooked, floors mopped and remopped and then mopped again, priceless vases replaced when a newer maid inevitable bumps into one sitting on a table causing it to fall (thankfully there’s a closet full of the things), boilers full of coal, enchanted gems replaced in lighting sconces, and gossip to be distributed.

That last one was this morning’s topic of interest. Word worked its way from the kitchen staff, through the various friend groups of the maids and butlers, to the not-very-uncommon hookups between the Royal Guards and the maids, then up the chain of command to Shining Armor, who then relayed the gossip to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Cadance was not at all pleased to hear her fiance spread rumors, especially ones of sensitive nature. As he was relegated to sleeping the night on this couch– the proverbial couch being his personal quarters in the Royal Guards barracks section of the Palace, instead of the three different couches Cadance had in her royal chambers– Cadence resolved to find out if these rumors were true.

Rather than wasting her time following the long trail of tea-spillers and loose lips that sank ships, Cadance went to Celestia. Inevitably, all gossip found its way to her through her aide, Raven.

Cadance found Celestia in the North Wing’s third-floor drinking lounge. Cadance called it by its much shorter nickname, ‘The Room Which You Don’t Enter on Friday Nights.’ It was one of Celestia’s favorite places to relax.

“Cadance,” Celestia greeted her with a smile as she laid down a thick ledger on top of several others.

“Aunt Tia! Sorry I missed lunch, my meeting with the Canterlot Social Society of Socializing ran on too long. Much like their name.”

Celestia chuckled, “Yes, they do love talking. Thank you, by the way. You really are doing me a favor.”

“Nonsense!” Cadence dismissed, sitting down next to Celestia after determining that the chair wasn’t sticky. “I am glad to finally be getting into the deep end of rulership. Though these meetings are tedious, they are something. I’m finally helping Equestria in a real way! Raven, how are you?”

The young mare blinked in surprise and smiled, “Oh, just well, Your Highness! We were getting through this afternoon’s work at an excellent pace.”

“Then I came and threw it all away, huh?” Cadance laughed, elbowing the aide.

Raven nervously chuckled.

“So, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Celestia asked her niece.

Cadance grimaced, “Well, if you must know… I heard something from Shiny this morning. I just wanted to, ah, see if there was any merit to it. Shiny heard it from one of his lieutenants, who heard it from… you get the idea.”

“Go on,” Celestia said.

“Apparently,” Cadance said quietly, “King Phasma was in the kitchens yesterday.”

“Scandalous,” Celestia teased.

“I know! Anyways, the staff apparently saw him getting some food to eat for lunch. And he, ah… broke into tears. Do you…?”

Celestia frowned, “Yes.”

When she didn’t continue, Cadance asked, “Do you know why?”

“Reminder of home, he told Luna.”

‘Well, that would do it.’

Cadance resolved to tell Shiny that the rumors were completely fabricated. At the same time, now she wanted to know what exactly happened.

Celestia sighed, “It is none of our business.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Cadance said.

“Not out loud. Cadance, please, I know you better than that.”

Cadance rolled her eyes, “I understand….”

There was a moment of silence between them. Raven not-so-subtly motioned towards the ledgers with her head. Regretfully, Celestia picked up the one off the top and reopened it.

“.... It was the smell of coffee,” Celestia announced, eliciting a groan of annoyance from Raven.

“Coffee?” Cadance repeated.

“Coffee.”

“I’m sure he’s smelled coffee before. Especially since Luna has discovered its existence,” Cadance thought out loud.

“You don’t choose when to be reminded of what you lost,” Celestia said.

“I don’t recall ever seeing you cry, auntie.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” Celestia muttered. “Now. I really need to get through these expense reports before Raven has an aneurysm. I do hope you’ll join us for the send-off?”

“Ah, that’s in an hour, right?” Cadance asked. “I’ll be there. Shiny will be, too– but you already knew that…”

“.... Speaking of rumors,” Celestia paused her reading again– much to the ire of Raven, “have you heard of the latest one circulating the Palace?”

Cadance leaned forward on her chair.

“Go ahead, Raven. Tell her.”

Raven sighed, “A couple of the Royal Guards have been asking about Phasma. Apparently, they asked him personally if he had to lay all of the changeling eggs since he was the ‘insect royal,’ as they put it. He did not find the idea as funny as the ponies did.”

Five hundred changelings pulled about one hundred sky carriages into the open air beyond the edge of Canterlot.

Starting their journey in the late afternoon would, by all accounts, be considered poor planning. However, the changeling convoy’s first stop would be directly East, not North. They would stop in Manehattan to load up many of the raw supplies needed to supply the recolonization effort. It was cheaper to bring it all and store in the Fifth Hive’s warehouses located there than it was to haul all the materials up the mountain.

Thorax wiped away a tear as he stopped waving. His brother became quickly obscured by the swarm of lings flying behind his position at the head of the column.

“Don’t worry, Thorax,” Double Diamond wrapped a hoof around Thorax’s withers. “We’ll be skiing in Shimmervale in a few months. We can visit your brother in Nisir then!”

“Yes, yes, you’re right,” Thorax admitted. “I just… wish he didn’t have to go.”

“How’re things going within the changeling… Hive?” Diamond asked.

“I’ve got a lot of things to do,” Thorax explained. “More than I know how to do. Or when. It’s all important, yes, but noling’s ever done anything like this. Nopony, either, I think. I have to restructure the entirety of changeling society! All of it! Except the King, of course.”

“Like what?”

Thorax sighed and glanced around. The changelings and ponies that had gathered to watch were beginning to disperse back into the city. Already, Phas and the rest of the real royals had turned away to head back to the Palace.

“Let’s get something to eat, Diamond. I’ll tell you over dinner.”

The two made their way out of the viewing balconies at the edge of the city and looked around for a place to eat. Thorax had money now, which was strange. Before, all expenses were essentially managed by Phasma himself. Now, all the changelings were expected to learn about money and how to manage it. Thorax had some experience from his time in Equestria before he found Phas, but not much. He was being paid quite a lot of bits in his opinion. His position as Prince and as a member of the First Fang had meant that he was very important to the Fifth Hive.

Which was very weird to him, but oh well.

As they found a hole-in-the-wall to get dinner, Thorax explained his situation to Double Diamond.

“Really, I don’t know where to start,” Thorax started. “The changelings are going to have families for the first time in… thousands of years. We also have to train changelings to get along with ponies. We also have to start new relationships, not just with each other but also with ponies. Or we’ll starve. We also… That’s about it for now, but you get the idea. I have a lot to do!”

Diamond whistled, “That is a lot to do, Thorax. Hmm…. You can ask for help, right?”

“It wouldn’t be possible if I couldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t be poss… that means yes?”

“Yes.”

Diamond grinned, “Then ask for help! I’m sure the Princesses will love to help out!”

Thorax groaned, “They’re all busy. Plus, the changelings wouldn’t like it. Ponies, let alone Princesses, reordering our society? I’ve already got my hooves full dealing with the changelings that actually liked the Invasion. The last thing I need is to tell Phasma that I’ve actually started another revolution, this one against him!”

Diamond grabbed Thorax’s hooves, “Whoah, calm down Thorax! I don’t think anypony’s going to start a revolution…! Are they?”

“Probably not,” Thorax sighed. “I’m just so… overwhelmed. There’s a lot that everyone has to do, including me. If I don’t do all these things, everything will fall apart. Being a Prince sucks.”

“Phasma seemed to like it,” Diamond pointed out.

Thorax laughed, “Phasma’s good at it! He brought our species back from the edge of extinction! I mean, technically we’re still there, but now we’re in Canterlot and not as invaders. Chrysalis couldn’t have accomplished that if her life depended on it. And I… would never be brave enough. Pharynx would never be kind enough to seek out an alliance– he’s like Chrysalis in that regard. Phas says we’d do fine without him, and maybe he’s right, but we’re doing amazing thanks to him. At least, we’re better off than we would be without him.

“Anyways. Reforming changeling society. I think I’m going to talk to the Broodnurses about trying to make families. They took care of the egg clutches and the larva, they know and can train changelings in their ways. What I need is some way to get changelings who know how to interact with ponies normally, not like Infiltrators.”

“And the Princesses can’t help?” Diamond asked again.

“No.”

“Not even Princess Cadance?”

Thorax blinked, “Cadance? I mean… I can try asking her. To be honest, I thought she would also be too busy, but families… I guess that falls under her title as Princess of Food. I mean Love. Stop laughing!”

“Heheheh, okay! Okay! You’re gonna go to the Princess, though, right?”

“Yes! Panar, I will. I… ugh. If she’s too busy, do you have any other suggestions?”

Diamond shrugged, “Dunno, dude. Do I look like I’m in government business… things? If Cadance is too busy, then maybe uh…. Shoot. Twilight Sparkle is important, right? Maybe her?”

“Uh, I’ll think about it,” Thorax said. “Probably not, though. So that’s what I’ve been up to. How about you?”

Double Diamond groaned, “My parents. They really want me involved in the family business. I gotta go to business school or they’ll cut me off!”

Thorax frowned, “Okay? So you go to this school, and then you’re done in what… five weeks?

“Four years.”

“Sounds like a terrible school if it takes that long.”

“That’s how universities work, Thorax,” Diamond sighed.

“Oh. What if you went to school in Canterlot? Or Manehattan? Either one works for me, but Canterlot is better.”

Diamond brightened up, “Hey, yeah! Yeah! I can go here in Canterlot, and you can do your… changeling… things. Yeah, dude!”

“Yay!” Thorax cheered.

Diamond leaned over and gave Thorax a kiss, “I’ll go look at some schools later. Maybe I can stay in your place now!”

“Heh, you’re going to get a lot of stares down in the Crystal Caves, but let’s do it!

Lacewing beamed at me with a grin too wide to be physically possible.

“So Phas, whaddya think?”

“I think you put a lot of effort into this,” I said, looking over the blueprints and accompanying model that Lacewing had brought me.

I had spread them out across the desk that Luna had brought into her office for me to use. While I now had an office within the Crystal Caves for personal use, I took every excuse I could get to be with Luna. Unfortunately, at the moment she was out dealing with some reconstruction efforts in Canterlot.

Someone had ruined many of the tracks leading up to Canterlot. That someone was me. Luna had become very accustomed to cleaning up my collateral damage.

‘But in my defense, that Tatzelwurm was going to wreck most of ‘em anyways.’

Lace’s voice brought me back to the present, “I had to talk with a lot of changelings responsible for the Fourth Hive’s structure. Those ponies you sent my way also had a lot to say… This is really gonna be a work of art!”

Lace’s plan for the Fifth Hive’s new home in the Crystal Caves was… ambitious. She had planned out the entire city, layer by layer. With a lot of help from myself and Coxa when it came to actually planning the location of important bits, Lacewing had coordinated with a team of Civil Engineers I borrowed from Celestia. They weren’t exactly knowledgeable when it came to designing a changeling hive buried in the ground, but their insight was invaluable. Lace’s personal touch came to designing the not-as-important public spaces and other rooms.

All in all, it was an extremely intricate, probably over-engineered, and absolutely gargantuan subterranean complex, that would take tens of thousands of mare-hours to build, up to hundreds of millions of bits, and would only be the core of what could eventually be the most complex city on Equus.

“I love it,” I told her. “I want it, and I want it now. Do you have a timeframe for how long this would take?”

“The core structure itself? That could take… up to two hundred years to fully dig out. I’m currently working with Coxa’s staff to make several stages… like uh… like we can build it in layers going outward and downwards.”

I nodded, “That sounds best. This certainly is a work of art, Lace. It’s like an ant-hill in the shape of a diamond… Truly massive in scale. How soon can you set this in motion?”

Lace shrugged, “As soon as all the temporary caves are finished.”

I sat back in my chair, “Thank you for doing this, Lace.”

“It was my pleasure. But it wasn’t the only news I brought.”

I leaned back in my chair, “Go on.”

Lace frowned, “Division-P is still lying low, as is Daring Do. She’s not doing anything. Just staying at home, writing.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, “Right. Downgrade surveillance on her to a single ling team: long-term stake-out. When she makes a move, I’ll want to know. She’s probably taking this time to write her book…”

“The Traitor is also confirmed to have arrived in Griffonia,” Lace announced. “His boat arrived Monday. After he departed, the team followed him for the morning, then began their return journey back here. He’s gone, Phas.”

“No doubt to cause problems for future us,” I said. “Any news from Griffonia?”

“Our spies are non-existent. We’re going to have to rely on Celestia’s information at the moment.”

“Wouldn’t it be best for us to get started on a network now?” I asked.

“All our Infiltrators are focused on gathering food,” Lace explained.

“Right. Not starving is kinda important.”

“I’ve also got a problem forwarded to me from Thorax,” Lace continued. “Apparently, there’s a hardliner group of changelings who were rather enthusiastic during the Invasion. Thorax says they are problematic; they don’t connect with ponies that easily. Right now, they’re essentially blacklisted from interacting with ponies. What do you recommend we do with them?”

‘That’s a good question. We’re in desperate need of drones in all sectors across the Hive…’

“Ha!” I laughed. “I’ve got it! Send some ‘em off to become lawyers, and give the rest duties within the Crystal Caves. If they’re not going to get along with ponies, then they can help us by honing their lack of empathy and learning Equestrian and Hive laws. Having a dedicated changeling lawyer team would be invaluable.”

“Lawyers?” She asked. “.... If you think that’s worth it… I’ll uh, I’ll get on that. More accurately, I’ll kick Thorax’s problem out to Coxa. Make him deal with them. How goes the army?”

“It’s going, alright. A hundred different reforms and revisions have been started. Currently, I’ve got Pharynx, Froghopper, Katydid, and Labrum on reforming the Swarm. Pharynx is now off the Swarm reforms, what with him being sent up north on the Expedition, but the rest will pick up the slack.”

“That’s good. And the money-side of things? How are we looking?”

I grinned, “Very well. Turns out, all you have to do to make crazy amounts of money in life is to start out rich. No surprise there. I’ve looked over the reports that Coxa has whipped up. We’re growing…. We’re probably the richest kingdom when it comes to income-per-person, but our spending power is a very long way away from matching something like Equestria or even Griffonia.”

Lace nodded, “How’s your personal training with Celestia?”

“Very boring.”

“.... Okay. How’s your therapy-thingy?”

“.... Not as boring as I would like.”

She frowned, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not in the slightest,” I said quickly.

“Fine then. But if you die of a stress-induced heart attack, it’s no chitin off my elytra. I, uh… Coxa said that it might be useful for me, if it’s useful for you. ‘Cuz of the whole torture thing, you know?”

“Yeah. Sorry about all that, Lace.”

She shrugged, “We all suffered for the war. Except Thorax and Coxa. Those two got off pretty damn lightly– Thorax especially. Anyways… A little bird– and by little, I mean about the size of Luna but with white fur– told me that you are going to have a birthday party tomorrow.”

“Celestia is hosting it, yes,” I confirmed. “Thought you knew about it already.”

“Well yes, but not from you. You planning on inviting any of us?”

“That goes without saying. All of the First Fang is invited. Just put in a vacation request, and I’ll get around to approving it sometime within the next week.”

She frowned, “Is that some kind of pony-joke? Or human-joke?”

“... Nevermind. All the changelings will soon learn the terror of offices and the daily nine-to-five,” I said.

The door to Luna’s office opened and Bray Call stepped through.

“Hey Phasma!” She waved at me.

“Good evening, Bray,” I returned the greeting.

“Hi Bray!” Lace smiled, giving the adorable Cream-colored unicorn a hug. “How’s it going?!”

“Oh, heh. Hi Lacewing,” Bray returned the greeting. “It’s going well. Fast, I should say. It’s going fast. Lots of things are happening, and I have no idea how to do my new job. But I’m learning and having fun!”

Lace just smiled even more, “That’s great to hear. You should come down to the Caves soon, I have to show you the sculptures the lings have been trying to chisel out. I really think you’d like them!”

The two mares had bonded quickly over their love for… things. To be honest, I’ve been too busy to pay close attention. Nor did I care about the specifics. If they wanted to be friends, then I was all for it.

“I did have something important to tell King Phasma,” Bray coughed awkwardly.

Lace broke the hug and stepped away.

“Phasma,” Bray addressed me. “... Sir. There’s uh… there’s… visitors? An army? Ponies. There are ponies here now. You really need to see this and clear up any confusion.”

“... There’s normally ponies in Canterlot,” I told Bray.

“I mean in the gardens! And not ponies– well they are ponies– but soldiers. Scary ones, too! Vamponies!”

I stood up, “The thestrals are here?”

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

4- A Gift of Earth and Water

Five hundred spears of dark wood and dull metal stood ramrod straight in the light of the setting sun. It would have been more poetic if they caught and reflected the beautiful oranges and yellows. However, the thestrals were nothing if not professional.

They stood in perfectly neat rows, separated by perfectly equal amounts of space. Their formation took up an entire third of the Palace’s training yard. Around them, Royal Guards brandished their own spears and weapons in a show of force. They were also yelling bad words.

‘I wonder if the Royal Guards are upset about this sudden intrusion…. Nah, surely not.’

My own squad of Red Right Hoof bodyguards fanned out around me as I set down. Spying Celestia from above, I had landed close enough to dramatically walk over to join her.

‘Now I’m wondering if ponies and changelings view landing to be as dramatic as walking over. I just can’t; humans ain’t got no wings!’

Princess Celestia was accompanied by her own squad of Royal Guards. They were those specialized commandos that I never got to see in action: the War Wizards and members of Orders whose service records dated back centuries. This time, she was surrounded by a total of six unicorns, three pegasi, and three earth ponies– twice the size of her old personal guard.

Across from Celestia, Elder Sanguine, the de-facto ruler of Trotsylvania– or rather just the city of Vallachia, considering there were few towns throughout the rest of the county– and the thestrals, stood with several other Elders and thestrals.

“–everything so difficult?” I heard Celestia say as I arrived.

“Apologies, Your Highness, if our arrival causes you problems,” Elder Sanguine bowed. “It seems that we have a newly found habit of missing important battles. Though I’m sure you’re glad we missed Nightmare Moon’s arrival… Ah, King Phasma!”

“Elder Sanguine,” I nodded. “To what do we owe the pleasure? If you’re hoping to invade Canterlot, then I’m afraid you’ve lost the advantage of surprise. It’s really going to be difficult to win now.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Celestia laughed sarcastically. “Elder Sanguine here was just saying how Vallachia was ready to stand with Equestria till the end. Really, she meant ready to stand with Princess Luna till the end, but she’s far too kind to say that explicitly.”

“Must be strange, seeing ponies who aren’t utterly loyal to you,” I commented.

Celestia shrugged, “The real problem is that they decided to land an army in the middle of Canterlot without any heads-up. You’re lucky that I had spotted your arrival personally before anypony else did. The whole city would have been in panic if I hadn’t given orders to stand down!”

“Again, I must apologize,” Elder Sanguine said. “We are not used to… Equestria.”

“Why exactly are you here?” I asked.

“The Night Mistress will have need of our spears in the upcoming war against the Blight. The… Nightmares. This time, we intend to be early rather than late.”

“In other words,” Celestia sighed, “now we will have to balance four tribes and a total of two species within our combined army. While I am always glad to incorporate more friends into Equestria, this is quite the inopportune time. Perhaps we will also have to make an official addition to the Canterlot Confederation.”

“We would be honored,” Elder Sanguine bowed. “Though, if I may ask, where is the Night Mistress right now?”

“On her way,” Celestia told the Elder.

“After all these years, we will finally get to meet the Mistress,” another Elder said.

“Princess Celestia, King Phasma, this is Elder Vigilance,” Sanguine introduced the thestral.

As usual with thestral fashion, Elder Vigilance was dressed in a manner that anyone with a passing recognition of fiction would recognize as a vampire. In fact, every Elder had chosen the color scheme of black with red interior for their outfits. The thestral soldiers had a similar, if muted, color scheme and uniform design.

Despite this, they vehemently refused the idea that they were vampires.

“It is an honor to meet you,” Elder Vigilance bowed. “Elder Sanguine will be busy with keeping the other bickering Elders in order in Vallachia. I will be responsible for the Night Guard here in Equestria.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Night Guard?”

Celestia was just as puzzled, “Night Guard?”

“Night Guard,” Elder Sanguine smiled. “Trotsylvania has maintained a rather sizable standing army, considering how small our County is. Given our expertise, we Elders have decided to bridge the gap and rejoin Equestria… in our own ways. Five hundred of our finest warriors, for the Princesses to use as they see fit.”

“That’s…. very kind of you,” Celestia said. “I am–”

Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor finally arrived, exiting the Palace and quickly trotting over to us.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Shining Armor asked nervously. “Princess, I hear that you ordered the Royal Guard to stand down?! There’s–”

“Captain Shining Armor, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance,” Celestia cut him off, “this is Elder Sanguine and Elder Vigilance of Vallachia. And their army.”

“Greetings, Elders,” Luna smiled. “I believe the last we saw each other was the Gala, no? I am happy to see you all. Happier than our aggravated Captain, clearly.”

“Princess, I… For now, I really must stress the importance of these procedures,” Shining said quickly.

“We are not invading,” Sanguine explained.

“You sure look like you are!” Shining insisted.

“Which is why I prevented the alarms from being raised. I recognized the thestrals when I noticed their arrival,” Celestia added. “Thankfully I was stargazing at the time during one of my increasingly-available breaks. Thanks again, Luna and Cadance.”

“It’s nothing, Tia,” Cadance said. “I’ll gladly listen to angry nobles if it means helping out.”

“What if they were invading?” Shining glared at Celestia. “Say, what if they were a species capable of changing how they look?”

“... That’s fair,” Celestia admitted. “I am sorry for causing you to panic, Captain, as well as disregarding protocols. I am used to keeping the ponies calm whenever possible…”

“I am also sorry for not announcing our arrival,” Elder Sanguine apologized. “It is my fault. It will not happen again.”

“... Wait, you’re recognizing that you did something bad?” Shining asked.

“Yes?” Sanguine replied slowly.

“And you are apologizing for it?”

“Yes?” Sanguine repeated.

Shining blinked slowly, “... Huh. Apology accepted. Sorry, I’m not used to ponies stallioning up and understanding that they are in the wrong. I’m used to dealing with King Phasma.”

“And I’ll burn Canterlot to the ground a third time, just for the fun of it!” I snapped back with a smirk.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your sudden and… noticeable visit?” Luna asked the thestrals.

“The Night Guard,” I said.

“The Night Guard?” Luna repeated.

Sanguine nodded, “The Night Guard.”

“Ah, the Night Guard,” Shining nodded as well. “.... What’s the Night Guard?”

“It is something that has not existed in Equestria since my banishment,” Luna admitted. “An all-thestral elite cadre of Royal Guards. Who also work the night shift. The superior shift, if I do say so myself! Regardless this is an… unexpected development.”

“Princess Luna, Alicorn of the Moon, Stars, and Dreams!” Elder Vigilance bowed deeply. “We have come to pledge our swords to you! Forgive our negligence and absence! We will happily give our lives in your service!”

“By the right granted by Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead, I accept your fealty,” Luna intoned. “May I be as deserving of your loyalty as you are of mine.”

Elder Vigilance rose from her bow as the five hundred thestral soldiers banged the ends of their spears against the ground in unison five times.

Luna turned to Shining Armor, “Captain, see to it that the Night Guard have quarters to stay in, food to eat, and so forth. If necessary, I am sure that King Phasma is willing to quarter the thestrals in the Crystal Caves…?”

I shrugged, “We’ll probably need to buy more beds if that happens. But yes, the thestrals are more than welcome within the Fifth Hive.”

“Good,” Luna nodded once with a slight incline of her head.

Celestia picked up where her sister left off, “Elder Sanguine and Vigilance, I invite you both to dine with us this evening. There is much we will have to discuss if we are to welcome thestrals into Equestria.”

“It will be an honor,” Elder Sanguine said.

“There is much to go over,” Elder Vigilance agreed.

“I hope you don’t mind that King Phasma will be joining us,” Celestia said, gesturing to me.

“The changelings are friends of Vallachia,” Sanguine dismissed her worries. “It will be a joy to find out what has happened from the warrior-King himself.”

“I still owe you for saving my life,” I replied. “You will always be welcome in any lands under my protection.”

“Then let us be off, for there is drinking and merriment to be had!” Luna cheered.

Lieutenant Sulfur Drip watched the royalty depart from the training field.

Immediately, Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guards issued orders to the subordinates of his that had been watching from the sidelines. Orders to check for clear rooms, prepare double the amount of food for dinner, and so on were issued. Sulfur Drip, being the second in command of the Night Guard after Elder Vigilance, sauntered over to the unicorn.

“Captain Shining Armor,” she greeted him.

“That’s me,” Shining squinted at her.

“I am Lieutenant Sulfur Drip,” Sulfur introduced herself. “I am the second in command for the Night Guard. I believe we will be working together extensively in the future…”

“Yes, you and the Lieutenants and Captains of every other military organization in Equestria,” Shining huffed. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance,” he said, offering a hoof.

Sulfur Drip bumped it, “Likewise.”

“Lieutenant Cobalt, Lieutenant Simmons, go disseminate the news of our new guests. Er, comrades,” Shining ordered to two Royal Guards standing nearby.

“Nice meeting you, ma’am,” one pony saluted.

“We’ll meet properly later,” the other said before turning smartly and marching off.

Sulfur gave her own orders, “At ease, soldiers! Coal, you’re in charge until Vigilance or I return.”

The thestrals relaxed their postures while a thestral with bronze epaulets saluted, “Yes sir. We’ll try not to mess up the day-ponies’ mustering field while we’re waiting.”

“Well, Sulfur,” Shining sighed, “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover. Let’s get out of the cold and actually get a plan together while our superiors shmooze and socialize with each other.”

“If that is how things are done around here,” Sulfur nodded.

“Great, I’ve got an office with a lot of comfy chairs. Let’s figure this out there. By the way, has anypony ever told you that you sound like a vampire?”

Sulfur sighed, “There have never been any vampires in Vallachia.”

“How would you know that?” Shining pointed out as he guided them into the Palace.

“There’s never been any vampires in Vallachia,” Sulfur repeated.

“Right, so you just dress like ‘em, talk like ‘em, and… I don’t have a third thing, but you get my point.”

The two made their way into and through the Palace in quiet conversation. Sulfur was busy trying to hide her stares at all the strange decorations in the Palace. Diamonds, rubies, gold, paintings, sculptures, and more practically coated every surface. Even the servants’ halls had more décor than what Sulfur Drip had seen in some of the more well of manors. By comparison, the castle in Vallachia that the Elders and Sulfur called home was practically a hovel.

At least, that was the case from Sulfur’s perspective. The less austere ponies and changelings of Canterlot probably had different opinions.

Captain Shining Armor’s office just so happened to overlook the training and mustering fields where the thestrals had gathered. From their higher view, Sulfur could see that the ponies had begrudgingly resumed their training drills and skirmish practices around the thestrals.

The thestrals, for their part, had broken up into little groups to talk amongst themselves. Spears lay piled against rucksacks and the boxes carried all the way from Vallachia. Here and there, a Royal Guard or two were attempting to make conversation with the new arrivals.

Sulfur Drip wished them well on their attempts to socialize, even if she was glad that she was not one of the thestrals forced to talk to one of the day-ponies.

“So, the Night Guard,” Shining sighed as he sat down behind his desk.

Sulfur scratched that last thought away as she realized she did, in fact, have to socialize.

“The scope of our capabilities will be limited,” Sulfur announced, taking a seat in front of the large desk. “There are only five hundred of us for now.”

“Limited to patrolling Canterlot and the Palace, then.” Shining opened a drawer and fished out a dark-blue bottle, “Drink?”

“I was under the impression that Equestria prohibited alcohol.”

Shining shrugged, “Only those up-tight nobles of the Royal Court care. Celestia herself keeps the Palace supplied through King Phasma. It’s one of the few blessings that ling has brought us…”

‘Vigilance did say to partake in Equestrian culture, no matter how strange it is..’

“Then I will partake, thank you,” Sulfur accepted a glass full of liquid.

Taking a cautionary glance and sniff, she deduced that it was wine. However, this wine was white– completely unlike the deep hues of scarlet red that wine should have. She tactfully hid a grimace as she took a sip.

“While in the Palace, I expect you and your ponies to act with a certain level of professionalism and kindness,” Shining began.

Sulfur Drip slowly relaxed into her chair as she got comfortable for the next two or three hours of lectures and arguments.

Sulfur Drip left the Captain’s office flush, frustrated, and bored. Four hours of non-stop talking about rules, regulations, and laws (and apparently how all three were separate things).

Normally, to relieve the stresses of a particularly bad day, Sulfur would either bury herself in her work and train until her bones creaked, or she would get drunk on whatever wine she could get her hooves on. The life of an enlisted soldier often led to the latter method of relaxing being preferred.

'Buck it, we got to meet the Night Mistress and we got reinstated as Night Guards. This definitely is a night for celebrations!'

Sulfur had arrived in the training yard, only to find that all the thestrals had filtered out in the time it took for her to find her way out of the Palace from Shining’s office. Sulfur cursed her luck and tried asking the locals where the thestrals had gone.

Unfortunately, the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies of the E.U.P. found it more entertaining to make fun of her accent and ask her questions about thestrals in general than to help her find her soldiers. Eventually, she managed to learn that the thestrals had gone to the Crystal Caves after failing to secure lodgings within the Palace herself.

“You okay there?”

The voice roused Sulfur from her thoughts. She turned on her hooves, patience already worn thin by the pestering and unhelpfulness of the Royal Guards. A changeling stood behind her, looking at her with those blank, blue eyes.

“... No? Yes. No, I am not,” she said after a moment of surprised silence. “I was looking for my friends. My soldiers.”

“Ah,” the changeling nodded.

“I was told they went to the Crystal Caves,” Sulfur continued.

“That’s interesting.”

“... I would appreciate it if you flew with me there. I am new to this mountain. I do not know the way to these Crystal Caves.”

The changeling nodded again and stuck out a hoof, “Sure thing. Name’s Thalamus. I can take ya there.”

Sulfur bumped the changeling’s hoof with her own, “Lieutenant Sulfur Drip. Might I have your rank, my sister-in-arms?”

“Ha! Sorry, Sulfur, but I’m just a drone. And not a sister. Though since we don’t have manes, I can understand why you would make that mistake,” Thalamus shook his head.

Sulfur blinked slowly, “... Ah. Apologies.”

An awkward silence descended upon the two. Sulfur let it drag on a bit before she realized that it was up to her to continue the conversation.

“... The Crystal Caves?”

“Oh, right!” The changelings chuckled and began buzzing his wings, lifting off from the ground. “I’m done for the night, anyways. Let’s talk more on the way.”

Then he was off.

Sulfur took off from the training yard, catching up quickly to the changeling. She slowed her pace, matching Thalamus’s.

“You are not a soldier,” Sulfur said.

“Every changeling is, in a way. But no, I talk to ponies and file paperwork nowadays.”

“I understand,” Sulfur said, quietly flapping her thin wings. “The soldier thing. Not talking to ponies. Every thestral knows how to fight, even if they don’t serve in the Sisterhood. Or the Night Guard, as it is now known.”

“But you’re a career soldier?” Thalamus asked.

“Yes. I am the successor to Elder Vigilance. I have already been honored with her weapons. You, uh… who is your mentor?”

“Changelings don’t really have mentors,” Thalamus explained. “Well, Infiltrators do. I work under Coxa and King Phasma. There was no one who taught me how to do my job.”

“That is… impressive?” Sulfur guessed.

“Thanks! King Phasma gave me some guiding points, but it was mostly up to me to figure it out. You ponies make even simple things very complicated.”

“The Equestrians certainly do that,” Sulfur agreed. “What is it that you do?”

Thalamus smiled, “It’s boring, really. I keep track of land. Buying, selling, keeping maintained, and so on. The Fifth Hive has stuff all over the Kingdom now. It’s… weird. Nothing like that back in the Fourth.”

“I am sure you will make a fine steward, Thalamus,” Sulfur said.

“Thestrals are new to all this, too, right?”

Sulfur cleared her throat, “To some things. Mostly, we are like Equestrians. Yet such small differences cast wide cams. Chasms,” she corrected herself.

“You sure you’re okay?” Thalamus pressed. “I understand you have a thick accent, but–”

“I am fine. Just had a little bit to drink. Though if I’m being honest, I would prefer more…”

“You can join me for a drink in the Caves. We’ve got all the good stuff in there– way more than the mushroom shit we had in the Fourth.”

“... Strong stuff?”

Thalamus laughed, “Strong stuff!”

Sulfur Drip found herself huddled around a large pink rock. Around her, four changelings were utterly under her spell.

“So no horseapples, there we were,” she continued her story. “The Duke’s barn was gone. Poof. Bam. Made like the stars and vanished. Then, uh… Elder Bulwark arranged to meet the Duke. Because of war. It’s bad… and burning the barn could have started one? He was not happy with me. The Duke was not happy either. I speak with this Duke, yes? This pony, he… said I drink blood of ponies. Very rude of him…”

“Do you?” Thalamus asked, leaning against her as he swayed from side to side.

“Do I?”

“Drink blood.”

“No,” Sulfur gave him as harsh of a stare as she could manage. “No thestral does. It tastes bad. Except when it’s in wine, but daywalkers don’t like hearing that.”

Thalamus shrugged, “We lit-er-ah-ly suck out emotions and eat them. Blood sounds… fine?”

Sulfur snorted, “Yes! You sound more like vampires than thestrals do! Ha… blood… Anyways, where was I?”

“The Duke?” A changeling offered.

“The Duke. I bow and scrape and apologize, and Elder Bulwark paid for a new barn. This Duke accepted the money and apology. Then kicked us out… After we left, Bulwark and Vigilance agreed: the training op was a complete success! But I had to scrub latrines for a week since I got caught. I am also banned from using oil pots. That part stinks worse than the latrines!”

“Making explosions is pretty fun,” one of the changelings sighed. “I’ve got a similar story. Saint Phasma got a little too close to my fireballs and banned me from using them…”

Thalamus laughed and slammed the table, “Kevin, you nearly burned his tail off! Three times! You’re lucky he didn’t kill you!”

“Psssh, he was totally fine! ‘Sides, it’s not like Saint Phasma ever executed anyling.”

“Except for Tarsus,” Thalamus pointed out.

“The Traitor lives, despite all he’s done,” Kevin shot back. “.... Ergh, I think we’re out?”

The changeling tipped over a bottle of spirits, dripping a little bit onto the shiny crystal table. Sighing, he dropped the bottle.

“Think it’s ‘bout time to head in, anyways,” he said.

“Right, catch you guys later,” another changeling agreed, standing up and staggering away.

Soon, it was just Thalamus and Sulfur Drip left at the table. The cave chamber they were in was still occupied, as a number of other changelings and even a few thestrals had gathered around tables in similar groups to their own. It was the closest thing to a tavern that Sulfur had seen all day, and she had been reluctant to leave.

“You wanna spend the night at my place?” Thalamus asked her. “I’ve got an actual bed in my quarters. Perks of being high command!”

Sulfur sighed, “I must stay with my troops in the barracks. Sleeping in a bed sounds nice, though… Wait, one bed? Where would you sleep?”

Thalamus blinked, “... In the same bed?”

“The bed fits both of us?”

“If we’re on top of each other,” Thalamus winked.

“.... That sounds scandalous,” Sulfur said, beginning to blush.

“What? Never had sex before?”

“No!”

Thalamus raised his hooves, “Whoah, calm down. I was just proposing a bit of fun.”

“That is….!” Sulfur breathed deeply, her training already grinding away the anger that had flared up. “That is not how things are done in Trotsylvania…”

“No?”

She crossed her hooves, “No. There is a great deal of courtship! You have not even presented me with moonstones or other gifts! How are we to be together forever if we do not know each other?!”

Thalamus frowned, “Forever?”

“If I bear a foal, do you expect me to raise it alone?”

Thalamus hissed quietly, “That’s not how it’s done in here. Or is it? I don’t know anymore, not with the things that Coxa is planning to announce…”

“How are things done in your Kingdom normally?” Sulfur asked, genuinely curious.

“We.. you know, have fun. Then we part. One ling lays an egg, which is taken to be raised with the rest of the brood. That’s… it.”

Sulfur sagged, “That is… horrible. And not possible! I do not lay eggs!”

Thalamus giggled, “Oh yeah. That’s weird.”

“I’m the weird one?”

Thalamus poked her, “You’re the weird one.”

“Well, maybe you’re the weird one,” Sulfur poked him back.

“Heh, maybe… So it’s a no, then?”

Sulfur opened her mouth, ready to tell him off. But then she thought about it.

‘I’ll likely be taking the vows myself and become an Elder under Vigilance’s guidance. Screw being celibate, I would rather enjoy life before I give everything for the Princess! Vigilance said we would be learning Equestrian culture. This is similar to how things are done in Equestria, I think… Sounds like I have permission!’

“Is there a way to not bear a foal if we do?” Sulfur asked.

“Course there is. All changelings know the spells– if you bear an egg at the wrong moment, it could ruin your standing with the Queen! Even the guys know the spell, since it was required learning. They, uh, didn’t want us to have a lot of eggs…”

“Haha! Then let us retire for the evening!” Sulfur cheered, attracting some stares from the thestrals in the room.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

5- The Best Laid Plans

Celestia shifted the ice pack off her head and levitated a large textbook over to me. Then she levitated over a bar of gold.

"You've been doing okay so far," she said as she replaced the ice pack, "but now comes the practical application. Today, we will be covering enchantment. Some ponies like it. A few even thrive, achieving things only possible in dreams. Most just find out why I drink myself into a stupor every night: life can be unforgiving and very, very stressful."

I took a swig from my glass of water, "Mmm…. Sounds like fun. If I can survive Probability and Statistics One, I'm sure I can handle whatever you throw at me, sunbutt."

Celestia smiled coyly, "Let's see how long your enthusiasm lasts. Tell me about the properties of gold."

"It's a pretty soft metal, and shiny, used as a currency backer for-"

"Tell me about the magical properties of gold," Celestia cut me off.

I rolled my eyes, "It holds enchantments relatively well. For a metal, that is."

"And?"

"And what?"

Celestia sighed, "What's its drain ratio? Capacity per weight? Input and output of mana? Starswirl coefficient?"

Slowly, I lifted the glass of water to my lips, taking a sip while staring at Celestia.

"Well, Phasma?"

I continued to sip.

".... Did you do any of the homework I gave you?"

I answered the stupid question with a particularly loud slurp. It would have been better if I could maximize the noise using a straw, but the ponies didn't have plastic, let alone straws.

"Can you at least make a guess?!" Celestia groaned.

It wasn't my fault she had a hangover and I didn't. She only had herself to blame when it came to her drinking addiction.

"I am so going to enjoy watching as that smirk slips from your face, Phasma. Fine then, if you won't tell me the answers, you will show me. Place a basic levitation enchantment on the bar."

I set the glass down with a satisfied sigh. I did, in fact, know the answers. I managed to do some light skimming of her assigned readings last night while she was shotgunning several cans of beer like a college frat boy. Partying never interested me, which was funny because I was secretly looking forward to whatever Celestia had planned for my 'birthday party' she was holding later today.

I placed the brick of almost pure gold before me and began the process of magically scrubbing it of any lingering mana. Celestia watched with one eye while using the other to steal the jug of ice water from the other side of the room. I laid down the basic template for drawing in mana, purifying it, and channeling it as Celestia poured herself a glass of water.

The enchantment for levitation was easy enough. The whole thing fit together like a puzzle. Or, more accurately, like code.

As I realized that, a dark sense of foreboding sent a chill down my spine.

"Done? Let's see the results. Pull out the blocker and activate the enchantment."

I stared down at the bar, triple checking my work. I already knew the result of this little experiment before it began. Failing to spot any failures, I nullified the border enchantment section on the input, letting the whole enchantment activate.

The bar didn't budge an inch.

Celestia grinned as I checked over the working enchantment. Nothing was out of place. Groaning, I wiped the enchantment and did it all again. Again, I made no mistakes and it didn't activate.

Celestia's smile widened even more.

As I stared at the stationary gold bar, watching the magical process for any change, the entire gold bar suddenly lifted off the ground and started spinning slowly. I had misplaced the exact location of the enchantment, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that I did nothing different and it was working this time.

"Son of a bitch, it is coding!" I yelled.

“Coding?”
I sighed, “Yeah. Something from Earth. This is… like a language system.”

“That’s one way of thinking about it,” Celestia nodded slowly. “It is a very modular, highly intricate system of connections and relationships between countless types of magic. Most of my students draw a connection to a living body, with its many constituent parts working in tandem. But sure, a language.”

“Are there more than one ways to enchant something?” I asked. “That is, different systems of enchanting?”

“... There are runes, but those are old and rather outdated,” Celestia admitted. “Perhaps more modular and less interconnected, they are bulkier and a bit harder to use than standard enchanting.”

I tapped the gold bar, spinning it, “Maybe those would be closer to coding. Building a living thing, huh?”

“Quite. It took you two tries, but you did complete an enchantment,” Celestia pointed out. “Congratulations.”

“What’s next?”

Celestia chuckled, “Now I want you to enchant the bar with a basic defensive spell. We’ll choose a simplistic version of one of the standard issue strengthening enchantments found on all Royal Guard armor.”

Celestia levitated over a piece of paper for me to look over. It was a spell matrix for what seemed like a cross between a shield spell and something more… passive. It was certainly a type of spell that I had never seen before.

“... Oh, I see,” I muttered quietly. “I have to somehow enchant the entire gold bar with this spell, not just one point?”

She clapped her hooves together, “That’s right! The answer to how that’s possible is in the homework that you definitely did. So it should be easy.”

“Yeah,” I said, scratching my chin.

“I think I’ll let you take this task home with you. Err… back to your room? It’s more homework.”

“Why are you assigning me homework, Celestia?” I groaned. “You know I don’t have time for this.”

“Consider it a helpful lesson in statecraft. You’re going to have to find time for tasks.”

I rolled my eyes, “This again? I’m not doing it, Celestia. I understand the value of homework, but I don’t have any time for it. If I shirk my duties, people could get hurt. It’s. Not. Happening.”

Celestia huffed and crossed her forelegs, “.... Fine, fine. You’re right. Things are too hectic and dangerous for such frivolities. Just… try to work on it if you can. If not… Mare, this could take a while.”

“Thank you,” I sighed, glad to not have to fight her on this.

“I suppose that wraps your lessons up for the day. Just a reminder, you and Luna are up for this Saturday’s therapy session. Next week will be all three of us.”

“Joy.”

“You could at least pretend to be excited. After all, it’s not every day that you have your every inner fear exposed and meticulously picked apart by a professional. You don’t have any nobles to do that for you.”

“Yet you see the need to fill up that oh-so-crucial gap in my schedule. Thank you for that, Celestia.”

“My pleasure,” she smiled. “Oh, one more thing. Your party is tonight.”

“Yay,” I said in a plain, sarcastic tone.

“You’ll like it, I promise. I have outsourced some of the planning to one of the Elements of Harmony. All six will be there, of course. It’s imperative that we all bond tightly. I understand that you’ve been combative with them in the past?”

I shrugged, “Getting along with them wasn’t the highest priority. I’m fine with them coming, thanks for asking.”

“You’re going to have fun whether you like it or not. I don’t know if you have realized this, Phasma, but you are in the land of friendship. Your participation is not optional.”

The rest of the day had been filled with meetings and paperwork.

There were a hundred and one Equestrian organizations and divisions of the government that needed cooperation with the Fifth Hive. Everything from officializing the use of medical aid to contracting out the need for engineers for the Crystal Caves’ reconstruction. While there were changelings within the Fifth Hive that were more than qualified for the work, they never had to work under the intense scrutiny and engineering requirements that a modern society dictated as necessary.

The last thing I needed was a cave-in that was caused by inexperienced builders. These engineers could prepare for the worst-case scenarios and stresses– and back up these models with proof of concepts.

That was just one of the countless ways that the Fifth Hive was beginning to work with ponies. What we could do in-house, we did. What we could not, we reached out to forge relationships, both platonic and business.

There was also the matter of Coxa’s Operation Paperclip: the formalization of the divisions and bureaus within the Fifth Hive. While we could not focus any meaningful attention on the matter, we could at least get the ball rolling. So dozens of even more meetings had been thrown onto my work schedule.

By the time dinner had rolled around, I found myself greedily chugging ice water. I had been talking extensively all day. All week, in fact.

Luna had shown up to my desk in her office in the Palace with a grin on her face.

“Phasmaaaaa!” She cheered, pulling me out of my chair.

“Lunaaaaaa!” I cheered back, stumbling as my hooves caught up with the rest of my body. “What are you trying to do, wrench my foreleg out of its socket?!”

“It is time for fun to be had, cakes to eat, and candles to blow out!”

“Right, my party,” I said, still being pulled by Luna. “I can walk, you know!”

“We’re in the gardens! My sister has set up a warming field so that we might enjoy the autumn colors. Hurry up, Phasma!”

“They won’t be going anywhere! Slow down, Luna, you’re acting like a schoolgirl!”

She huffed, slowed down, and let go of me, “You are acting like a geriatric old stallion! This shall be the first proper party I have been invited to in a thousand years! And given your disposition and propensity to not make friends, it will be the only party you will attend in the next thousand years!"

"Heh, you do realize that it is my party we're going to, right?"

"That makes it all the more sad," Luna giggled.

I gasped, "Wha–?! I'm not even invited to your parties?!"

"Nay, you are too much of a bore!"

When we arrived, I found that a golden bubble loomed over the hedges that marked out several of the sections of the Palace’s garden. Colorful streamers hung across the hedges and between the branches of trees. Several braziers had been placed around the main clearing, lighting up the space. Milling around the tables and chairs, everyone that I had come to call friends had arrived: Coxa, Lacewing, Thorax, Celestia, Cadance, Bray Call, Quick Search, Sanguine, and several changelings of the Fifth Hive’s upper command were all talking to each other, enjoying the night. The Elements of Harmony, who I didn’t know well enough to call friends, had dispersed themselves across the little get-together.

Also, Shining Armor was there.

Stepping through this barrier, the cold of autumn was banished and replaced with the warmth of summer. The quiet of the night was also gone, replaced with the quiet conversations and laughter of the partygoers.

“Paging Dr. Boy, Dr. Birthday Boy!” I cheered as Luna and I entered the bubble.

“Phasma!” Several of them cheered.

Lacewing darted over to give me a hug, while many of the others gravitated over to Luna and I.

“Hey losers, how’s it going?” I asked them.

“Terrible, now that you're here,” Coxa playfully punched my shoulder.

“The stallion of the hour is here,” Celestia beamed. “I hope you find everything to your liking. I had a bit of help when it came to party planning,” she winked and nodded to Pinkie Pie.

The pink earth pony smiled and waved from her spot across the party.

“Thanks for this, Celestia,” I said.

“Happy not-birthday!” Bray and Search cheered.

A paper party-horn smacked me in the face as Lacewing blew it right next to me.

“To think,” she said, “just a year ago, you were crawling your way out of an egg, freshly arrived beyond the comprehensible edges of reality! Wow, seems just like yesterday!”

“Congrats on your un-death, Phas!” Thorax giggled.

“Do changelings even celebrate their birthdays?” I asked. “I don’t remember anyone talking about it back in the Fourth.”

“Oh yeah,” Coxa shrugged, “any reason to get drunk. You never got invited because… Well, you were the Prince. How could anyone even approach that subject?”

Everyone else took their turn greeting me. After the initial hellos were over, the big group split back up into several smaller circles and conversations. Bray, Search, and I caught up with each other on how everyone was doing. While Bray and I were meeting daily thanks to her position as my aide, Quick Search had been placed within the Swarm. While that meant that he became friends with Captain Katydid and the rest of the commanders, he was rather isolated from the pair of us.

“Now, it’s not like I never saw any other ponies,” he explained as he grabbed a cupcake to snack on. “Quite the opposite. Since I was a pony– am a pony, last I checked– and since I get along with changelings, I’m kinda acting as one of the liaisons between the Royal Guards and the Red Right Hoof. Nopony listens to me when I try to explain that I only knew you, Phasma, when you were disguised as a pony. In everypony’s eyes, I’m a friend of changelings in general. So I get stuck with helping with disputes, coordinating training, and bringing both ponies and changelings up to speed with each others’ tactics. Gets me out of morning PT, so I’m not complaining.”

“I’m glad you’re finding your place,” Bray beamed. “How are you enjoying Canterlot?”

He shrugged, “At least I have the changelings to shake up the status quo. This place reeked of pompous trash before it was burned to the… ground. Uh, anyways. You’re the one dealing with the nobles and aristocracy, right? How are things up in the lofty throne room?”

“I get horncramps from writing so much, so I’ve been switching to writing with my hooves,” Bray said. “It’s very different from keeping the peace… I went from enforcing laws to watching them being written before my eyes. It’s honestly very humbling. Phas keeps things interesting, though.”

“Is that so?” Search eyed me.

“Celestia’s toddlers– I mean, the honorable and noble gentry of Canterlot– have been trying to impress their will upon me,” I explained to Search. “The ones that approach me directly are easy to deal with. It’s the ones going behind our backs that are the real issue. Still, these rats will chew their way into any well-defended position, legally speaking."

"I find that making sweeping generalizations about anypony is rather unbecoming, darling."

"Hello, Rarity." I turned to introduce the Element to my friends, "This here is Bray Call and Quick Search, my new aide and the first pony in the changeling Swarm, respectively."

"Charmed," Rarity smiled and bumped hooves with the two of them.

"Thanks for saving Equestria," Bray greeted her.

"Thrice, but who's counting?" Rarity chuckled.

Search nodded, "I can't imagine what this place would be like if Nightmare Moon was in charge. Or if Daybreaker remained in charge…"

"Don't forget about Discord,” Rarity added.

“Ah– mm– eeehh, maybe we should forget about Discord,” I quickly threw in. “For no reason in particular.”

Rarity giggled and ran a hoof through her mane, “Oh, you know I am just joking, King Phasma! Everypony understands why you did what you did; it was a bold move to save Equestria! It may become one of your most famous gambits, to be told throughout the ages! Or rather, strategy rather than gambit, if the history books are particularly favorable towards you… It’s the other things you’ve done that are… hard to forget.”

I stared at her, any smile I had long since disappeared.

“... Right. Apologies, King Phasma,” Rarity coughed behind a hoof. “Not to completely derail the conversation topic, but Twilight told me something about your past that I’m particularly interested in.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Go ahead.”

“Well, you see, darling, Twilight told me that your previous world had clothes. A lot of clothes. Everypony wore clothes. All. The. Time. As a fashion designer myself, I couldn’t help but, ah….”

“Salivate?” I prompted.

“Eheh,” she blushed, “something like that… at the idea of such constant displays of art and culture.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but most clothing was far away from three-piece suits and elaborate dresses,” I shrugged.

“Oh, don’t dismiss such things so quickly! I’m sure even the most mundane clothes could offer a literal world of difference! If you’d please, I would be beside myself to hear the tales of your world!”

“You have fun with that, Phasma,” Bray patted me on the shoulder. “I’m gonna go take a leak.”

“... How refined of you,” I heard Rarity whisper.

“Right. Me too,” Search said.

The two ponies split off in different directions, leaving me alone with Rarity.

‘Bastards.’

Thorax clutched the tall glass of water in front of him like a life preserver. Fluttershy silently folded a fallen leaf as Applejack crossed her forelegs in disbelief.

“Now that just don’t make a lick of sense,” Applejack shook her head. “If this Hive of yours was so full of trickery, how’d King Phasma get away with conning away an entire army from Queen Chrysalis?! Wouldn’t some changeling, you know, double-cross the double-crosser? Triple-cross? No, quad-ro-cross?!”

“Some tried,” Thorax said quietly. “But you have to remember, Phas was the Prince. The second in command. Most lings didn’t get to speak with Chrysalis directly. The ones who could… had to be discouraged immediately.”

“How’d y’all do that?”

Thorax found the orange leaves of a faraway tree very interesting all of a sudden.

“... You know.”

Applejack snorted, “Can’t say I do. ‘S why I asked.”

‘Oh Panar, someling come and save me!’

Thorax grimaced, “... Some had their loyalty bought.”

“I thought the changelings didn’t have money,” Fluttershy said.

Thorax smiled, “No. The currency in the Hive was favors, trinkets, duties, and so on.”

“And the others?” Applejack pressed.

‘Phas never said…. but that doesn’t mean I don’t know. You can’t get rid of that many changelings without leaving a trail. The persistent lings– as well as the lings that could easily slip into Chrysalis’s throne room… Phas had friends in low places. Very low places…’

“You wouldn’t like the answer,” Thorax sighed.

Applejack frowned, “... I didn’t think I would. Sorry if I’m putting you on the spot, Prince Thorax. It’s just… if y’all are going to be Equestria’s friends, shouldn’t we know each other’s secrets?”

Thorax double-checked their emotions. Both Fluttershy and Applejack were relaxed, offering samples of happiness. Underneath that sample, Thorax teased out the taste of fear. They were worried.

Thorax frowned, “Uh… I guess?”

“I know you’re a good pony– err, changeling. So just be honest with us, and I’ll be honest with you.”

“That does sound nice,” Thorax admitted. “Okay. But you can’t tell anyone else.”

“I won’t tell anypony else,” Fluttershy promised.

“I can’t make that promise,” Applejack shook her head. “Besides. The Princesses have already pardoned King Phasma for… killing a pony. How bad could this be?”

Fluttershy shivered and ducked behind her mane.

Thorax winced, “... Five changelings found their way into the recycling vats.”

“Five?” Applejack repeated. “... I expected more if I’m bein’ honest. Not that any number other than a big ol’ pie is good, mind you!”

“Five friends. Five stories, hopes, dreams…” Fluttershy whispered.

‘And those five were just when I was in the Hive. Who knows how many there were after I was banished…’

Thorax decided to keep that fact hidden for now, instead choosing to reflect on everything, “... We’ve all seen some horrible things lately.”

“But it’s all behind us,” Applejack said. “No more of that nonsense… I’ll tell the Princesses ‘n Twi about this. But honestly? I don’t think the Princesses will care. Not in any meaningful way.”

Applejack tapped on the table between them, propping herself up with the other foreleg.

“... That therapist of Phasma’s has got her work cut out for her. Or him. Whoever they are.”

“You have to remember that this was all after Phas found his brothers and sisters.”

Applejack shivered, “I’d rather not remember that. His whole family… This Fourth Hive of yours sure was one Tartarus of a place.”

Thorax glanced at Fluttershy, “Yeah. It was hard to be nice at all there…”

“Terrible,” Fluttershy shook her head.

“Hey, Prince Thorax,” Applejack said, reaching out towards the changeling. “Don'tchu worry, we’ve got your back now. There’ll be no more of that in Equestria. None, you hear me?”

“Heh, right. None,” Thorax meekly replied.

“... Right, Thorax?”

Thorax shrunk in his seat.

“... What happened, Thorax?”

‘Uh oh.’

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

6- Of Mice and Mares

Twilight waited patiently as Coxa turned about in his chair. The changeling scribe had been trying unsuccessfully to get comfortable for the past twenty-two minutes.

A stray hole-covered hoof knocked one of the beer bottles off the table next to him.

"Whoops," the changeling muttered. "Good thing I got twelve more, heheh," he chuckled, leaning over the armrest to examine his forest of empty beer bottles.

Twilight fidgeted with her own half-empty bottle of soda.

"It just doesn't make sense," she sighed. "You're telling me there's an entire world beneath our hooves? And it's been there the entire time?! It's not possible!"

"'S not impossible, 's improbable," the changeling slurred.

Twilight's ears perked up, ".... That's just a technicality. No, it has to be impossible. There's been what? A million scrying spells, scans, and other spells cast in the past three centuries alone that would have picked up on this ‘Underhive's’ existence, or at least hinted at its existence? If it exists, how come nopony has ever found it?"

"Filled big ol' beasties. 'N small ones, too," Coxa chuckled.

"No, that would explain why the Underhive has been unexplored, not undiscovered."

"Suppose so," he shrugged.

"So how is it that nopony found these caverns?"

"They're down low," Coxa explained, pointing to the floor as if that would help. "Lower than most mines ever reach. And the ones that do reach that low… heh, there's no garaunteeeee," Coxa stretched out the word, "that…. What were we- Oh. It's easy to miss. Upper two layers are, uh, sporadic. Sparidic. Sp… yeah. Easy to miss. You'll never dig down far enough to hit the Sunken Rot, let alone the Sunless Sea."

"But the spells!" Twilight insisted.

Coxa scrunched up his face in thought, ".... Oh! The Labar… Panar's Labyrinth. That would'a messed up any spells. It's why you can't teleport to there. Or scry it. Makes it seem like the whoooooole Underhive doesn't exist."

"Panar? That's your deity, right?"

"Yuh."

Twilight steeples her hooves as she thought aloud, "What… is this Labyrinth?"

Coxa waved a hoof slowly across the sky, as if conjuring images of the place, "Beauutiful caverns! Crystal, gems, 'n…. some other third thing. 'S beautiful, the stories say. Beautiful. Noling alive has seen it. Last ling who did was… probably Princess Procho. She died, though. Died to death."

"How do these crystal caverns block magic?" Twilight asked. "The Crystal Caves are right beneath Canterlot, and they don't mess with magic… that much."

Coxa shrugged, "Magic. They're magic. Maybe the most magic that's ever magicked! If changelings come from the Underhive– which maybe we do– then maybe… we were born there? Or something? We eat magic, right?"

"Wow," Twilight gasped. "That would be phenomenal! A biome so filled with ambient magic that sapient life evolved to feed off of it! Where did you hear about all of…"

Twilight trailed off when she saw that Coxa wasn't paying attention.

"Rums gone," the insect philosopher cried out in despair, shaking an empty bottle. "I gotta get more. You want some?"

"Uh, no, I'm good. You should also probably stop drinking…"

Coxa frowned, ".... Probably. If I die of liver failure, Lace will be upset. Phasmuh too. 'N Thorax, but he'd cry over a butterfly dying, I think."

The changeling shifted in his seat, causing a bottle on the floor to get knocked over. Hearing the noise, Coxa leaned over to see.

"Hey hey, more rum!" He cheered, levitating up the unopened bottle. "You wan' some?" He asked, shaking the bottle in Twilight's direction.

"No, thank you," Twilight shook her head.

Coxa shook the bottle again.

"... One glass," Twilight relented.

Coxa grinned, "One glass comin' right up, Twiligh'. "

Twilight plucked a clean drinking glass from a table not too far away and filled it up with the slightly green brew. The two tapped their respective drinks together, Twilight's drinking glass and Coxa's… whole bottle of rum. Twilight then took a sip of the drink and cringed immediately, almost spitting it out.

"This stuff is revolting!"

"Heh, yeah…" Coxa giggled. "But welcome to the Hive!"

"What?"

"Drinking shroom juice! You're initiated! Welcome to the Four…. to the Fifth Hive! Yer practically a citizen now!"

Twilight examined the bottle in Coxa's grip and found it to be one of the changelings' own variety of alcohol.

"I haven't signed any paperwork, Coxa. I can't be a citizen of your kingdom."

"We ain't got no paperwork for that!"

Twilight blinked, "... I've never had dual citizenship before."

"Well, now you don't gotta pay Equesssstrian taxes," Coxa slurred. "Oh, but you might be called on to die for the Fifth. Sorry if that happens."

"I can't serve in the military," Twilight scowled. "That's not who I am. Sorry, Coxa, but uh… I'll pass on the whole citizenship thing."

Coxa fake-sobbed, "Alas, we had such meh-memories together! Oh, Twilight, what a future you could'a had… If I listen close enough, I swear I could hear her voice…."

"I'm not dead," Twilight said, keeping a straight face.

"I can hear her now!" He cried out. "She says… I'm a head!"

"Okay, you've had enough," Twilight pulled away Coxa's bottle.

He relinquished it without a fight, "Now she says… you've had a…. Hey Twilight, what rhymes with enough?"

Twilight sipped from her glass, grimacing at the taste.

"... I see why Dash prefers hard cider. Remind me to get you a glass of Zapp-Apple Cider, Applejack swears it's the best in the land."

"I knew you would be a good friend," Coxa grinned.

Elder Sanguine glanced over Katydid and out the window behind the desk. She could see that within the enchanted barrier in the gardens, the changelings and ponies were enjoying themselves.

“We should not be here,” she whispered to the changeling Captain.

“Nope,” he replied.

“So let us depart,” Sanguine gestured to the door behind her. “There are several barrels full of wine that need to be emptied and I intend to volunteer myself for the duty. That is, I plan to get ‘shit-faced drunk,’ as you put it.”

“I just need one more minute, keep watching the door,” Katydid replied, pulling open another drawer from his side of the desk.

Sanguine rolled her eyes and ignored his command.

“I can taste your annoyance,” Katydid announced, “and it is definitely not any closer to the door than five seconds ago.”

“You do not command me,” Sanguine told him.

Katydid spat into a hoof and rubbed the gel he spat along the side of the drawer.

“The point of a prank is to get away with it,” Katydid replied. “Hard to get away with it if we’re both caught inside Shining’s office.”

“This was your idea,” Sanguine said.

Katydid shrugged as he worked on the next drawer, “You’re welcome to pitch in your own ideas.”

“... I do not know the Captain as well as you do. I have no animosity nor ill will against him.”

“Yet…” Katydid whispered in a voice quiet enough that would escape the hearing of most ponies.

“Look, they are serving cake,” Sanguine pointed to the party outside the window. “Let us leave for now. There is wine and cake that I must have.”

“You ponies sure do love your drinks and food,” Katydid shook his head and tutted his tongue. “You should try love. It really knocks the… huh?”

Katydid lifted a piece of paper out from one of the Captain’s drawers. After staring at it, he flipped the small thing around to show Sanguine. The small square paper was a miniature painting of orange armor.

“What is it?” Sanguine asked.

“Orange Praetorian armor,” Katydid answered.

“Praetorians, the elite royal guard of the changelings,” Sanguine recited from memory.

“Except there are only two sets of orange armor in existence– and one of them is back in the Fourth Hive.”

“Is this important?” Sanguine asked.

Katydid shrugged, “It could be. King Phasma will want this armor if the ponies have it. In fact, he’ll be pissed if they are concealing it from him.”

“Is it worth that much?”

“It is to him. It belonged to a hero.”

Katydid shut the drawer, keeping the picture with him. Then, he pulled on one of the first drawers that he gelled up. It didn’t budge an inch.

“Alright, we’re done here,” he announced.

As Sanguine and Katydid conspicuously sauntered out of the Royal Guard Captain’s office, Sanguine realized that she had no idea why they had to do all of this in the first place.

“What did the Captain do to irk you enough to demand a response?” She asked the changeling as they tried to find their way back out towards the party.

Katydid looked over his shoulder, “Hmm? Oh, I can’t remember. I think it had something to do with filing out some paperwork for his Swarm? Or a disagreement over the usage of unicorns? Personally, I think he should just fire everyone else. Unicorns really carried the fight against… everything.”

Sanguine paused, “Are you implying every other tribe is inferior?”

“In the battlefield,” Katydid chuckled. “Magic is magic. What do pegasi even do? Flap aggressively?” Katydid paused at the doorway leading outside, “You coming? If they notice our absence…”

Sanguine worked her jaw, “... On second thought, I think it is best that we take a detour, Captain of the Swarm.”

Katydid raised an eyebrow.

The Elder pointed towards one end of the hall, “The sparring pit is that way. If you believe that only unicorns can fight, I would like to see you prove that.”

Katydid let the door close as he stepped back inside, “Elder Sanguine, I mean no disrespect, but aren’t you kinda… old?”

“Ha! And I will still kick your flank from here to Timbucktu!”

Katydid sighed, “If I get in trouble when you have a heart attack… Fine. I’ll prove to you just how much better magic is than those wings of yours.”

Luna adjusted my party hat, nudging it over into an appropriately jaunty angle. I gave her a smile and pulled her closer to me, hugging her tightly.

“Do you have any tales from when you lived within the Fourth Hive?” Celestia asked me.

“Nah,” I shook my head. “That was mostly just work.”

“How about when you were a guard in that town…. Hooferville?” Cadance offered.

I tapped my chin, “Hmmm…”

“There was the whole ‘Public Indecency' thing you came up with,” Bray offered. At my confusion, she continued, “When the Prohibition kicked in, the Hooferville guard found ourselves with a problem; like the rest of Equestria, we weren’t Canterlot. Daybreaker’s ban on alcohol was… not supported. Enforced, yes, but not supported. So, heh, we’ve got to arrest ponies that are clearly showing signs of intoxication– or had alcohol on them. But nopony wanted to give these family and friends criminal records over some stupid Canterlot law.”

“I don’t remember this,” I said. “The problem of enforcing the Prohibition, yes, but where does the Public Indecency bit come in?”

“You came up with it,” Bray giggled. “One afternoon, we found a mare that was as drunk as a skunk. Something about a lover breaking up with her. Rather than take her in for intoxication, which kinda ruined any chance of joining the guard, getting certain tax breaks, and so on, Phasma– or rather Lone Star here started rambling on about public indecency. Never mind the fact that clothes are rare enough, he was acting like being naked was against the law! Drunk in public? You’re naked, sleep it off in a cell. Selling alcohol? Stop being naked, it’s against the law. Distributing one of those publications that Daybreaker banned? Put some clothes on, and don’t let us catch you again!”

The ponies and changelings were chuckling at the ludicrous idea of public nudity being illegal.

“Not my fault no one’s heard of pants,” I grumbled.

Bray continued, “So many infractions disappeared into this abyss. Even the Captain of the Guard endorsed it! Said he’d rather we didn’t waste time enforcing some penny-pinchers’ laws. Oh mare, last summer so many ponies received warnings or were thrown in jail for a night for being naked!”

I shook my head, “Still don’t…. Oh. Oh. Is this when I arrested the mayor?”

“You what?!” Celestia gasped.

“Hahaha, yeah! Now you’re getting it!” Bray laughed.

“Now this I have to hear,” Cadance grinned, snuggling up with her fiance.

“But if I don’t share the story, then you’ll have to invite me to another party to tell it,” I grinned.

“Or we could just invite Bray Call here,” Luna pointed out.

I gasped, “No–!”

“Anytime, Your Highness,” Bray giggled.

I squeezed Luna, “What about me? What about my needs? What about PhasmaI?!”

“Suffer,” Luna chuckled as she laid her head on my shoulder.

“We seem to be out of beer,” Bray lamented, looking around for any more drinks.

“Perhaps we should take that as a sign,” Luna suggested. “None of us have my sister’s constitution when it comes to drinking.”

“Nonsense!” Celestia stood up. “I know just where to get some more!”

Celestia skipped off– skipped off in search of her number one vice. Quick Search turned to Lacewing, who had joined our conversation group a bit ago.

“Hey, Lacewing?” He asked. “I’ve always wondered… The lings I’ve talked to mention Phasma like he’s a… well, a saint. How do you and his other close friends see him?”

As Lacewing launched into a lengthy explanation that boiled down to ‘it depends on the changeling, he’s just Phas to us,’ Luna pointed to various constellations in the sky and listed off their stories and names. Turns out, there’s a whole wheelhouse of constellations that Luna loved placing around in the sky. Sometimes she would invent stories of interactions between various characters that had been placed next to each other. Other times, she’d create new shapes in the hope that someone would notice.

Our attention was brought back to the ground when the singing that I dreaded most in life started up behind me. The ponies quickly took up the song, with the changelings looking on with confusion. Luna stood up straight, joining the singing and putting me even more in the spotlight.

“Happy birthday to you!” Celestia sang, carrying a large cake with chocolate frosting with her magic.

“Happy birthday, dear Phasma!” The ponies cheered.

“This some kinda cult thing?” Lacewing whispered to Coxa as he and Twilight joined the group.

Celestia set the cake down on the table as they sang. The large cake had a number of candles burning and sparkling across it. In orange frosting– very topical– were the words ‘Happy Birthday Hatchday Phasma!’

“He did what?!”

Celestia’s singing and smile faltered as a certain someone with a very southern accent yelled from across the party. Then, the ponies’ singing entirely dropped off as Applejack, Fluttershy, and a very nervous Thorax stomped over to the table, yelling all the while.

“Just what do you think you’re doin’?!” Applejack yelled.

“... Who?” Celestia asked, looking around in clear confusion.

“No– not you, Princess. Him!” She jabbed a hoof at me.

“... Celebrating my birthday?” I offered. “... Hatchday? Whatever?”

“Huh, you must think you're so clever,” Applejack growled as she closed the distance between us. “Didn’t think anypony’d find out, did’jya?!”

I glared at her, “What are you talking about?”

She banged a hoof against the table, sending silverware and dishes clanging.

“Tarsus!” She yelled. “What’chya did to Tarsus!”

My expression hardened.

“What is she talking about, Phasma?” Celestia asked.

I didn’t answer. I was too busy staring down the angry farmmare. If she wanted an apology out of me, she wasn’t going to get one.

“Luna?” Celestia turned to her sister.

Luna sighed, “The turncoat. Phasma passed judgment against him shortly after the victory against the Fourth Hive.”

“Judgment?!” Applejack repeated. “Is that what you’re callin’ it, Princess? Judgment?! The King here butchered somepony and called it justice!”

“What?!”

“No way…”

“Again?”

Various cries of dismay and outrage came from the ponies gathered, whereas the changelings remained silent. From the Elements of Harmony to the former Hooferville Guard, every pony was upset. Upset with me.

‘Save for Luna.’

“I told you so,” she whispered.

‘Okay, maybe Luna too.’

“King Phasma,” Celestia said, her voice quickly becoming as cold as the fall weather outside of the magical bubble. “Explain.”

I broke off my staring contest with Applejack. Celestia was staring at me from across the table, the candles on the cake below her slowly burning away and dripping wax.

“What is there to explain?”

Celestia snorted in anger, “You know the terms of living within Equestria. Tarsus… this is the changeling who betrayed you? The one who was a friend?”

“Yes.”

“I was under the impression that he was under lock and key– just like the Captain of the Praetorians and the rest of Chrysalis’s important loyalists. What. Happened?”

“I stripped him of his rank, his honors, and his name. Then, I blinded him and banished him.”

“What was that last one?” Rainbow Dash asked quietly.

“I. Cut. Out. His. Eyes,” I said slowly. “One quick slash, reducing them to nothing. Then I banished him.” As Fluttershy began to vomit, I continued, “I wanted to execute him, but cooler heads prevailed.”

“Oh my Celestia–” Twilight whispered, rapidly looking between Celestia and I.

“You bucking remorseless–” Twilight’s brother snarled at me, only to be stopped by Cadance.

“Cooler heads?!” Cadance hissed. “How on Equus is that anything resembling a cool reaction?! You mutilated somepony!”

“You knew about this?” Celestia asked Luna.

Luna nodded, “He could not be dissuaded–”

“You could have stopped this?!” Celestia yelled.

Luna stayed her sister’s anger with a hoof, “No. I… suppose I could have, in hindsight. However, I figured that this could be reversible, all things considered. Changelings do have the ability to regenerate body parts when given their own medical treatment.”

Celestia shook her head, “Luna. You knew this was wrong. You should have stopped it. You should have come to me if you couldn’t.”

Luna scoffed, “When you were stunned and struck with War Fright?” She grunted, “With PTSD? I was on my own.”

“You could have come to me!” Cadance stepped forward.

Luna gave Cadance a withering glare, “I mean no disrespect, niece, but you have not seen the things we have seen. The things we have done.”

Cadance shook her head, “No, there’s nothing you could have–”

“Worse,” Luna cut her off. “No, this was a lesson Phasma needed to learn on his own. I could have stopped it, but he wouldn’t listen to me. I was not about to raise a hoof against him.”

“Maybe you should’a,” Shining Armor mumbled, leaning against Cadance. “Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of fixing ‘em? You’re supposed to stop him!”

“Shining!” Cadance hissed.

“No, the Captain’s right,” Celestia silenced the pink alicorn. “Luna. This is your failure, too. Which makes it mine as well…. Faust above, this is a mess. But you may be right; we might be able to reverse this.”

“No,” I growled.

“Ponies guilty of crimes are given a trial and serve prison time to reform them. They are not punished, let alone brutalized,” Celestia stomped a hoof. “You should know! You should realize that we have done so much for you– excused so much due to what you have been through! Letting Luna handle your reformation was a mistake. I’m sorry, sister, but you’ve been through too much too recently… We both have, now that I think about it.”

“I can handle–” Luna began.

“No, you cannot,” Celestia cut her off. “You are too close. Phasma has to be watched over by somepony who isn’t madly in love with him.”

“Nothing mad about it,” Luna said under her breath.

“I’ll do it,” Cadance volunteered.

“No, I’ll do it,” Shining volunteered, swaying away from his fiancé's side.

“Never going to happen,” I snarled.

“Maybe we could help him in Ponyville!” Twilight interjected.

All heads turned towards her.

“... Right, bad idea,” she admitted.

“We could give ‘em the ol’ one-two with the Elements!” Rainbow said, punching the air.

“And I could give you the ol’ one-two with a blade,” I spat. “No magical artifacts will be used. I dunno what your Harmony will do to me, but I’d rather not find out!”

Celestia sighed, “Then Cadance will take over your progress. I’m sorry, Luna, but it has to be this way.”

Luna crossed her hooves, looked away, and shrugged, “... Perhaps.”

“Then it’s decided,” Cadance said, looking at me.

‘Me? Answer to the Princess of Food? Hmph. If that half-wit soon-to-be husband of hers stays out of my affairs…. Maybe. Or maybe I need to get more pieces on my side of the board before these ponies’ ineptitude gets me killed again.’

“The first thing we need to do is fix this,” Celestia announced.

“It’s that bastard’s fault that so many died!” I yelled.

“No, it isn’t!” She yelled back. “Unless you’ve lied to us, then you murdered the changeling Eucharis at the same time that Tarsus betrayed you! Both of you started killing at the same time, unknown to each other!”

I felt my blood chill at the mention of my biological father.

“No!” I insisted. “I… Eucharis chose to side against me! He refused to listen! I spared Commander Scorpion afterwards!”

“You would have executed or banished him in the same manner you banished Tarsus,” Celestia declared. “It’s time to break this cycle of violence! Only by extending an– where are you going?!” Celestia called out after me.

Thorax, Lacewing, and Coxa stumbled after me, leaving behind the ponies. The few other changelings in attendance stared awkwardly at each other as we departed.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

7- Ides of March

The heavy metal door shut behind me before I even realized where I was.

The other occupant in the room lifted her head. An eye, slitted like my own, stared back at me from behind metal bars. Chrysalis, Princess of the Fifth Hive, rose from her bed as I paced the room. There were no other cells in this specialized holding area. No guards stood within the chamber. Just me and her.

“I hope you didn’t come down here just to exercise,” Chrysalis mumbled, stretching as she tracked my movement.

‘No, I didn’t,’ I thought. ‘Why did I come down here? Why, in my anger, did I turn to the one I hate the most? Used to. Used to hate and fear. Now that spot belongs to Tarsus and Tarsus alone. Damn him!’

“Spit it out!” Chrysalis hissed. “You are loath to come here, especially alone. Tell me, so I can go back to sleep. I can’t rest with the sound of you trotting back and forth like a show pony!”

The phrase shook me from my thoughts.

“That’s a phrase here?” I asked her incredulously.

She stared at me.

“... The ponies wish to bring back the traitor from his exile,” I revealed.

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“The traitor,” I repeated. “Tarsus.”

“Oh, that one. Here I was, thinking you were talking about yourself. You exiled him?”

“Mmm,” I grunted.

“You should have killed him.”

“Tried to, but my own moral checks and balances prevented me.”

Chrysalis sneered, “You mean you lost the courage?”

I snorted, “No, I mean Thorax stopped me. If I had my way, that bastard would be dead.”

“Why do I need to know all of this?” Chrysalis asked, moving towards the side of her well-furnished cell.

The fact that it contained three times the furniture it did when she arrived set off minor alarms in the back of my head. However, she was content to reside in the cell. The reason being–

“After all, it is your job to work with the prey,” Chrysalis cackled while flopping down into her new favorite chair.

The reason being that Chrysalis was happy to sit out the troubles the Fifth Hive faced, taking a reclusive vacation from the world.

I shook my head angrily and rubbed at my right shoulder, where my right foreleg met my torso. My hoof glided over the thin lines where the chitin never rehealed properly. A scar written in the armor I wore at all times, my new flesh.

“Not enough,” I muttered. “The ponies angle themselves well. If I let them, they will back me into a corner and defang me.” Instinctively, I reached up to touch my actual fangs. “The truth is that what Celestia plans for the future and what I plan for the future are not compatible.”

“It’s too late to back out now,” Chrysalis said.

“Too late,” I agreed. “And your plan sucked, anyways. We never would have held Equestria for any meaningful length of time. Not when they outnumbered us two hundred to one. Plus, it was evil. No, we have to push right back to Celestia’s scheming.”

“Again,” Chrysalis interrupted, “I still fail to see how this is my problem.”

I walked up to the bars of her cell, “Pharynx is up in Nisir now. Thorax is… he leans too heavily towards the ponies in his opinions. We never would have gotten this far without that fact, but the levels they go to forgive others… I will never be capable of that. None of us, save for Thorax, will be capable. I need… I need you, Chrysalis. I need you to get your shit together, to–”

“As I said many times before,” Chrysalis said, “I am perfectly willing to let bygones be bygones. Say, you could open the cell right now, and I won’t retaliate in any way. So long as you keep the love flowing, I won’t try to usurp you, work against you, or fight you in any way. If I did, then I would have to be the one conquering or working with the ponies. You’re doing the worst part of rulership for me: getting food.”

“You slaughtered my changelings!”

She shrugged, “You slaughtered mine. Though apparently not enough of them. So what if the ponies want to retrieve Tarsus? Just make sure they don’t.”

‘... She really threw him under the bus, didn’t she? No reward for those loyal to you, Chrysalis? Spineless monster…’

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, “Tch. They won’t be convinced by anything I say.”

Chrysalis smiled. It was not the kind of smile I liked, no. It was the kind I recognized. It was her smile for when she was about to say something equally cruel and clever.

“Did I say ask them to stay their hoof? No, I said to make sure they don’t retrieve Tarsus. Kill him.”

The door behind me ground open as the rest of the First Fang piled in.

“There you are!” Thorax yelled. “We were looking for you!”

Coxa, who was limp on Lacewing’s back, said, “Lotta runnin’... Lotta… urf…”

“I swear to Panar, if you vomit on me again,” Lacewing whispered to her lover, “I will personally file away your horn!”

Chrysalis sighed deeply, “Great, now the whole circus is here.”

Thorax glanced behind me towards Chrysalis, “Why did you come here, Phasma? Why did you come to her?! The ponies are worried sick about you. They have the right idea that you stormed off to do something stupid!”

“... I can’t let them find Tarsus,” I admitted. “I will not let those bastards get away with what they did to me, with what they did to everyone who looked up to me! My life wasn’t enough!”

‘A Dothraki horde on an open field… This could backfire easily, but I have to assassinate Tarsus before the ponies can get to him!’

“Phas–”

“Lacewing!” I hissed.

Lacewing looked away from Coxa and our eyes met. I gave her a single nod. She returned it, knowing what my order was.

Thorax pushed in between us, “Woah, woah, woah! No! No! There'll be no nodding! No unspoken orders! No, you are not killing anyone!"

“It was a mistake to let him live,” I told Thorax. “I should have never let him out of my sight. I should have finished what he started. I didn’t decide the stakes of this war. I never do, no. The only actual fight that I was in full control of, the first Invasion of Canterlot, there were no deaths!”

“That’s not true,” Thorax hissed. He pushed on my chest, “You killed Eucharis at the same time that the Praetorians started killing the Lodge members! You both independently chose the stakes of this war, you and Chrysalis! Celestia was right!”

I glared down at the shorter Prince, “They made their choices!”

“I don’t believe that!” Thorax seethed. “And I don’t think you believe that, either! Changelings might not be able to sense each other’s emotions, but you wear your heart on your sleeve! Even a grub could see that you hate what you did! But you did it! You murdered Eucharis!”

I growled and almost raised a hoof to strike him. Realizing what I was about to do, I stomped it into the ground instead.

“He stood against me! He was going to side with Chrysalis! I tried to stop what happened before it happened! I didn’t want anyone to die!”

Thorax studied me, “It’s not your fault that all those lings died, but you killed Eucharis when you didn’t have to. You killed him when you could have captured him with a single spell. You’re no Saint.”

I flinched, unable to look him in the eyes.

“Oooooh! I am so glad you decided to have your first lover’s quarrel down here!” Chrysalis laughed and clapped her hooves. “This is the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in months!”

Thorax offered a hoof to me, “Stop this, Phas. Stop this bloodshed and hate. You’re never going to be able to move on if you don’t learn to forgive. You’ve made mistakes. We all have. I shouldn’t have been talked into letting you mutilate Tarsus– that was my mistake. I should have held my ground. I didn’t and now all this is happening because of it. We all have our share of the blame, but we all have to work together to make things right. Give Tarsus a real trial, one without us sitting as judges. Show the Hive how things will be done. Be the King they need.”

The hot anger left me. What once fueled me into coming to Chrysalis to vent and ask for advice now left me cold and sore. I panted heavily as I recovered. Yet the coldness reminded me of a memory: how cold I felt when I was murdered.

“The traitor will be dead before sunrise,” I whispered.

Thorax faltered. Then, with wide eyes, he spun around.

“Lacewing?!”

She was gone. During our argument, she had slipped away with Coxa still on her back. It would take her only a few minutes to reach a communication device to give the order to the observation team across the sea in Griffonia.

“Maybe once he’s dead, I can move on,” I said quietly.

Thorax didn’t listen to me. He was already halfway out the door when Chrysalis whistled.

“Promise me you will visit more often, son,” she cooed. “Don’t make me beg! To think, you have been depriving me of all this entertainment!”

As hard as he galloped or flew, I knew that I had delayed Thorax long enough to be unable to find and follow Lacewing. Even with Coxa weighing her down, there were three different communication devices in the Palace alone. She could have gone to any one of them. Thorax would have to guess which one and hope that he could cut her off. A one-in-three chance of stopping the order.

But I knew she kept a personal one to keep track of all the operations involving spying on Division-P activity, Daring Do, and Tarsus. Thorax would be unable to stop my command from going out.

Celestia and Cadance stared daggers at me as we sat on opposite sides of the dining room table. She had just raised the sun and not a single one of us had gotten any sleep yet. Now, she paced the room behind Cadance as we argued.

“How long was it until you rescinded that order?” Celestia asked me.

“An hour,” I told her truthfully.

“Long enough for it to be carried out,” Cadance said.

“Exactly,” I nodded.

Celestia ran a hoof through her billowing mane, “At this rate, I’ll add a cocaine addiction to my alcohol dependency before the year is out…”

“There’s going to have to be consequences for this,” Cadance told Celestia. “I mean more than just the direct consequences of his actions.”

“Oh, really?” I asked rhetorically. “Just what did you have in mind, Cadance?”

“Well, I don’t know. Celestia’s got more experience when it comes to this.” Cadance admitted. “Celestia, what do you suggest?”

Celestia sat down in front of me, “What is there to suggest? He isn’t some errant knight running off on his own. Our options of what to do about this are limited almost entirely to fixing it and making sure it never happens again. Do you have nothing to say for yourself?”

I thought about what to say. I was caught between making a reference to King Robert Baratheon and how he tried to assassinate a threat across the sea or making a reference to Lieutenant Aldo Raine saying he’ll be chewed out rather than executed.

At my silence, Celestia deflated, “Phasma? Is there something I did wrong? Any of us? You promised you would try to be better, so did we fail to uphold our end of the bargain?”

“There’s nothing we did wrong,” Cadance said.

Celestia lifted her tiara off her head, “It sure feels like I’m failing over and over again. Luna, Daybreaker, my personal guards, Phasma… I am surrounded by those I can help, yet I constantly fail.”

Cadance shook Celestia’s shoulder, “Auntie. None of those were your fault. Maybe Luna, but you’ve beaten yourself up for a thousand years– and she attacked you initially. Whatever happened, both of you are walking away better ponies and ready to make amends for that. As for Daybreaker… you just wanted to protect your ponies. The Nightmare that possessed you was to blame for its own actions. Your guards…. That was Chrysalis. Nopony else.. You did everything you could during the second invasion. Finally, as for Phasma…”

Cadance looked at me with undisguised pity.

“He was sent to Equestria already broken. It’s not your fault, Auntie. It’s not even his fault– it’ll take us years to untangle that mess. The best we can do right now is to limit the damage.”

I wanted to tell Candance that her judgment meant close to nothing to me. I wanted to tell her that the only accusations and insults that I kept rolling around in my head belonged to Thorax alone.

'Saint…'

I held my tongue.

Celestia rubbed her face tiredly, “... Phasma, you will spend the rest of the day with Cadance. She’ll be going over boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” I questioned.

“Yes, boundaries. I can’t tolerate any sort of execution in Equestria’s borders. You and I both know that while you are independent of Equestria, you still have to listen to what we say– within reason. Those were the terms of our agreement, the terms of the Canterlot Confederation. Are you going to tell me you’d tolerate what you’ve done if our roles were reversed? What if Cadance killed a changeling and then started killing her own ponies? You wouldn’t trust her, would you?”

Making a concentrated effort to not grind my teeth, I answered, “... No.”

‘I’m sure I could get very creative when it came to resisting, but the tree that never bends in the wind is the one that snaps during the storm. As far as demands go, banning executions and murder is pretty low-bar. Especially since I intended on getting rid of them anyways. Executing people, especially without a trial… What am I, Chrysalis? No, I’m better than her. I know I am. I have to be. There are too many people counting on me. Too many lives that can be changed forever with a mere wave of my hoof.’

“It’s a fair concession,” I admitted. “More than fair.”

Celestia sighed, “... I don’t even know what to do about this. All of this. This is all tangled up and inside out. We’ll just have to hope that your mistake can be fixed before it’s too late. For now, all we can do is get some sleep and wait to find out what happens. Tomorrow, you will not be going to Ponyville with Luna. You’ll be here with Cadance. Think about… Tartarus, just try to understand the scope of what you did. It’s not like I can give you any real punishment.”

“Does this mean I will be taking over observing the changeling’s disguising affairs?” Cadance asked.

“Yes,” Celestia said.

“No,” I said immediately.

Cadance leveled her stare at me, “You don’t have a choice in this.”

“Really?”

“No, you don’t. This is for your own good, Phasma.”

I grunted, “It was the entire First Fang that agreed to the punishment. And further, I do have a choice.”

“Even Thorax?” Cadance asked.

“Yes, albeit reluctantly,” I admitted. “I suppose he thought the same as Luna; that this punishment could be reversed after some time. At any rate, I will not be divulging security information to Cadance.”

“And why not?” The pink alicorn pressed.

“There’s no way in hell that Cadance can be trusted with knowing all of my activities. Nuh-uh. The last thing I need is someone like you having operational security to deny any covert infiltration. Luna at least has some real understanding of when rules need to be bent.”

Celestia pressed a hoof to her face and sighed, “Luna will still handle that aspect of our alliance; she will be in charge of overall changeling activities. You personally will be under Cadance’s guidance when it comes to… you. Can we agree on that?”

I shrugged, “Fine…”

“Good. Circling back to the boundaries issue,” Celestia continued, “there will be no more of this mutilation affair. If you want to punish somepony rather than reform them, fine, but there'll be no more corporal punishments! Prison sentences, community service, choose whatever works, but no physical torment.”

“... Agreed,” I relented. “No executions. No mutilations. Just… prison sentences or banishment. Fits into how I want the Hive to be run, anyways.”

“Then why did you do this?” Cadance asked.

I slammed my hooves down and yelled, “Because I’m tired of people killing me– or getting close to– and getting away with it!”

Cadance and Celestia recoiled at the sudden display of anger.

Celestia recovered first, “All the more reason why you should excuse yourself from such trials. Do you really think this cycle of violence will end? If you want real justice, then let it be delivered without bias and hatred.”

‘Wouldn’t have been a cycle if Thorax had let me end the fucker.’ I closed my eyes and took a slow, deep breath, ‘Alright, just… calm down. Celestia is right. If only because violence begets violence. I had Tarsus right where I wanted him: in chains. I let my emotions control my response. Mostly because that was the correct response, but… whatever. I shouldn’t have pressured Thorax as much as I did. I’m glad I actually did listen to him to the extent that I did, but it could have been a lot less messy. This whole situation could end up like Eucharis if shit hits the fan. Hell, I almost hit Thorax…’

I felt my ears press back against my head in shame, “Yeah, yeah… They’ll rot in jail for the rest of their lives, but at least they’ll still have their lives. The First Fang shouldn’t have been the judges for Tarsus. The rest of the loyalists will have fair trials and… I suppose Tarsus will have to be retried. If he survives.”

Celestia nodded, “Thank you for understanding. Personally, I find tossing the most irredeemable threats into a cell and throwing away the key to be… hmm. Admittedly, it’s perhaps not the best solution, but it’s an effective one.”

As Cadance and Celestia began talking about the various threats that have been permanently sidelined through the usage of life sentences, I couldn’t help but think about Luna and how she was doing. Caught in the middle of everything, the whole situation had to be weighing on her heavily.

‘I swear to Panar, if I catch her moping about like this is all her fault or some other horseshit, I’m going to kick her ass into the next decade. And give her a hug so strong that it’ll break some ribs.’

In my attempts to track down Luna since last night, I ran into Coxa and Lacewing. While Luna and I slept in the same bed, we often woke up at different times, leading to different morning schedules. I had found her already asleep, and when I woke, she was already gone.

Two of my three closest friends were on their way through the Palace when they waved me down.

“There you are,” Lacewing said as she gave me a quick hug. “I couldn’t find you after I went and… gave the order.”

“The Princesses wanted to talk,” I said plainly.

Coxa, sporting a perpetual scowl, grimaced, “Don’t talk so loudly. Damn it all, Lace, why did you let me drink that much?”

“I told you, you ran off after I cut off your drinking. Blame yourself.”

“Damn myself, that guy’s a selfish asshole,” Coxa whispered.

“The ponies aren’t happy about the whole Tarsus thing,” I said, quieter for Coxa’s benefit.

“Psh,” Lacewing rolled her eyes, “as if that wasn’t obvious. They ruined your hatchday party to make a point.”

“They were pretty upset with me after I said I would try to be better,” I continued.

“Be better?” Coxa quoted. “What do you mean by that?”

“No mutilating my own citizens, for starters,” I mumbled.

Lace scoffed, “Tarsus wasn’t a citizen of the Fifth Hive.’

“No, he was a prisoner. How we treated him reflects on our entire Hive.”

Lace glared, “That backstabbers receive punishment? What’s so wrong about that?”

I sighed, “This is going to be a long conversation. Let’s head to Coxa’s office, I’ve got some business with him that we’ll handle after this conversation.” As we began walking, I continued, “The problem is the fact that Tarsus’s punishment flies in the face of what the Fifth Hive will be. We blind Tarsus and then go and promise that the rights of every drone will be protected? That they are free from fear of the Crown executing them?” I shook my head, “Celestia is right. Should’a given the backstabbing prick a real trial and wash our hooves of the whole thing.”

Lace wasn’t happy, “Still, they have no right to say that you are to blame when all of us voted on the trial.”

“That hardly matters when I was the one who promised to do better,” I said. “I have no doubt that while they are upset with you two and Thorax, you three never made any promises. Now that I think about it, they’ll probably want to have a few words with Thorax.”

“They can talk to him all they want,” Coxa argued, “the fact stands that he pulled our verdict all the way from execution.”

“Like I said, a few words,” I smirked. “Compared to the dozens they’ve already given me, I’m sure that that conversation will amount to, ‘You did okay, do better.’ At any rate, Coxa and I will be writing up the first draft of the Fifth Hive’s constitution this afternoon.”

“We are?” Coxa repeated, seemingly always behind on our conversation. “Wait, weren’t you supposed to visit Ponyville with Luna today?”

“Cadance is supposed to talk about boundaries with me. I’d put air quotes around the word boundaries, but we’re currently walking and I have yet to figure out how you guys occasionally walk on only your hind legs. So that meeting will take an hour at most, leaving me with a free afternoon.”

“Why not get it out of the way and go with Luna?” Lace pointed out.

“I have yet to actually speak with Luna since last night,” I sighed. “I don’t know if she’d approve of me ignoring Celestia’s… reprimand.”

Lace grunted, “So not only did the ponies ruin your party, but they also are forbidding you from spending the holiday with your marefriend?”

“When you put it like that…” I trailed off. “... Look, Lace. I’m not happy about it. They have a point, but they are morally upright enough to put a hold on everything to immediately right that wrong. I… respect that.”

“Fuck that,” Lace hissed. “You can tell Applejack to her face that you respect her decision to ruin last night. Write your damn constitution with Coxa, I’ll find Luna and tell her that you’re still going with her to Ponyville.”

“... Thanks,” I whispered. “Also, have you heard back from the agents in Griffonia yet?”

Ent and Giardia loaded the crossbow without a word passing between them. It was a slow and laborious process: too fast would make noise and would alert the other griffons, but too slow wouldn’t even get the job done.

Behind their little hill, the target was huddled around a dying campfire with four other griffons. One of the griffons was asleep. The other three were awake, sharing a quiet conversation with the target.

Ent glared at Giardia and shook his head once.

‘The mission has changed too much. I don’t like this,’ he said without words.

Giardia thrust the loaded crossbow into the griff’s claws.

‘Neither do I, but an order is an order,’ was her reply.

Slowly, they crawled on their bellies to the top of the hill. The way had been cleared of twigs and leaves earlier, exposing the light green grass that grew up in these Griffonian highlands. From their vantage point, the pair had a perfect view of the target. With the fire between them and their target, the assassins had confirmed his identity.

Tarsus the Traitor was disguised as a faded-blue griffon, as blind as a bat. He had successfully garnered sympathy from those without it. Then again, his generous host was anything other than a regular griffon. Ent silently wondered if he was even a griffon anymore.

One of the two griffons sitting at the fire, the one with his back towards the two assassins, sat on a log and towered over the rest. The orange and amber glow of the fire illuminated the massive griffon’s silhouette. White fur faded to light blue feathers at the wingtips, a smattering of golden feathers gave the griffon a halo that was enhanced by the yellow glare of the fire, and the griffon’s armor glinted from between layers of his cloak. This massive griffon wore no armor of iron or steel. Instead, gold and gems peaked out from between the dirty brown overcoat.

Even the massive griffon’s boisterous laughter commanded attention.

He was the source of Ent and Giardia’s fear and frustration. His presence threatened the whole operation. After all, it was one thing to murder a blind griffon with no family in Griffonia.

It was another matter entirely to assassinate an associate of King Cyne Frostwing himself.

How the Traitor got involved with the King was unknown. As far as they could tell, this was their first interaction– yet the two got along together like pigs rolling in shit. Now, King Cyne Frostwing was here, a distance away from any army that swore loyalty to him, shooting the shit with a disguised changeling and only two loyal griffons for protection.

‘Better not miss,’ Ent gulped as he steadied his grip on the wood and iron weapon.

The weapon swayed in his claws. He felt its heavy, unfamiliar weight pull downwards, even as he tried to compensate for the one hundred hooves between him and the target. A drop of green slime slowly dripped from the bolt tip at the end.

Giardia gave him a claw signal. Ent nodded and adjusted his aim to his spotter’s reading on the wind speed. They both froze for a moment as small flashes of color dotted the air around the campfire. Orange, gold, blue, purple… The colors faded away, marked by nothing more than the griffons pointing up in the air.

Ent closed one eye.

‘Panar guide my aim.’

With a twitching claw, he squeezed the trigger. With a thuck, the bolt shot forth from the crossbow. The projectile whistled quietly as it cut through the air. Within a moment, it struck a griffon at the campfire. Immediately, Giardia and Ent squirmed backwards, no longer caring about the sound they were making. The griffons were yelling now.

It was time to leave.

But before the changelings had turned away, they had both seen the poisoned bolt hit the wrong griffon.

Ent cursed his lack of expertise with the weapon and the foolishness of ordering that the shot be taken ‘no matter the consequences.’ Forced to adapt to the appearance of the bloody King of Griffonia, the pair had switched to Plan B: fire a poison-tipped shot and then get the fuck out of dodge.

'Damn Lacewing! That juvenile idiot! If this operation had been led by Intelligencer Ocelli, none of this would have happened!'

What should have been a simple matter of walking up, slitting a throat, and then leaving was now a completely botched operation. The shot had missed and hit the griffon between Tarsus and King Frostwing.

‘At least it wasn’t King Frostwing himself who got hit. The last thing we need is another war. Then again, it may be too early to say that…’

Either way, neither Ent nor Giardia were looking forward to the debriefing and inevitable ensuing shitstorm that would drown entire villages in its path. For a few minutes, as they frantically dodged through the underbrush of the forest, Ent contemplated suicide.

The duty of an Infiltrator was to complete their objective. No matter what, that job had to get done. While he was given carte blanche to kill the Traitor and expose himself in the process, he definitely wasn’t given permission to fail the mission and start a war with the Griffons.

He paused. Giardia stopped alongside him.

“Keep moving!” She hissed.

“... I really fucked up,” Ent muttered.

“Then thank Panar that we answer to him and not her!” Giardia said quietly as she glanced behind them. “We both won’t be headed for the vats! But these griffs sure as hell won’t be as merciful, so get your ass in gear!”

‘Even if Saint Phasmatodea was merciful, he definitely wasn’t going to be happy.’

The quiet woosh of an aerodynamic figure cutting through the air behind him was the only warning Ent got before both of his hindlegs were shattered against the ground beneath him.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

8- Enkidu’s Dream

Lothar is dying.

The fact echoed in King Cyne Frostwing’s mind like a bronze bell, tolling over and over and over and….

Lothar is dying.

Cyne struggled to even remember the seconds before. Rykard had said something funny, Lothar and Cyne laughed, and then a claw-long shaft of wood tipped with an iron wedge had embedded itself halfway through Lothar’s neck.

Cyne’s best friend had fallen to the ground, writhing in shock and surprise. Blood was pouring out of the wound at a rate that spelled doom for the griff.

With a gasp, his mind returned to the present. Rykard was screeching his beak off. The poor blind bird had only heard what happened– but the distinct sound of Lothar’s spine being cracked open and the stunned silence that followed left nothing to the imagination. Somewhere behind Cyne, Maia was frantically scrambling for her own crossbow, screaming at Cyne to take cover. The young griffon would be of no help here.

“What are you waiting for?” Empress Gristle whispered. “Kill that assassin before they kill you!”

As the blood pooled around Lothar’s squirming body, Cyne’s head slowly turned to where the shot had come from.

‘She’s right. I… I can’t help Lothar. There’s nothing– no, he has minutes at best, and nothing I can… The only thing I can do is make sure to catch his murderer!’

With a single powerful beat of his wings, Cyne took to the air. Rykard’s screeches became more frantic when the fire between them was suddenly blown right into the blind griffon.

Cyne made a small mental note to apologize later. For now, he had to find out who had just hurt Lothar– murdered Lothar. Murdered.

On the hill nearby, Cyne found a discarded crossbow. He swiftly picked it up and spun it around in his claws while scanning the area around the hill for clues. The grass was depressed from where the assassin– no, assassins had crawled around. Strands of fur clung to the blades of grass, giving Cyne an idea of what they looked like.

“There’s a mark there,” Empress Gristle whispered.

“I don’t see it,” Cyne responded, eyeing the necklace hanging from his neck wearily. “Where?”

The green gem, wreathed with a gold brace, sparkled with feint magic as Empress Gristle spoke.

“There, Next to your right thumb.”

Cyne swore as he saw what Gristle pointed out. The discoloration in the wood indicated that a symbol had been removed recently from the crossbow.

“The Idol,” he swore. “I knew their promises of peace were utter crap! When I finally get Cardinal Farvald, I’m going to flay that piece of shit alive!”

‘But first, I’m going to break these two griffons into pieces!’

His eyes caught the next clue; to the West, several branches had been broken outwards, away from the hill. With a snarl, the King took to the air once more, hell-bent on catching the bastards who were responsible.

Giardia remained still, her head bent low. I saw her hold her breath as she awaited my response.

"Confirm that," I commanded her.

"The Traitor lives. The Living Hero was there. His presence required a ranged attempt, as any sort of close-range attack would have been ended by the massive griffon. The shot missed. King Cyne Frostwing caught Ent as we fled. I had to attack the King to save him. We're alive, but there are patrols that are sweeping the area."

I sat back, staring at her through the communicator's magical portal.

"How did you defeat this royal Griffon by yourself?"

"I never said I defeated him, My King. I said I attacked him. I stabbed the base of one of his wings with a knife, severing many of the muscles and tendons located there. While he was howling in pain, I grabbed Ent and flew him out of there. If there had been a single other Griffon present, neither of us would have gotten away."

"Wait, didn't you say there was a third Griffon there?"

"She never joined the pursuit, My King. I don't know why," Giardia explained.

"A lucky break, I guess," I mumbled.

"We never found out why the King was with Tarsus without his army," Giardia continued. "He didn't even have bodyguards either. Nor did we know why he was meeting with the Traitor."

I sighed. "Prepare to be recalled. I'll have a team infiltrate in your stead, but we should assume that your disguises are blown. Do the Griffons know of our involvement?"

"No, My King."

"Does the Traitor know?"

"No, My King."

'Damn. Damn it all! Now this is truly fucked! I've got a Griffon King who just experienced what he will assume to be an attempt on his life, I've got one near-dead Infiltrator, and I've got a very-much-alive Traitor!'

"Prepare for retrieval," I told her.

"My King! I can finish the job," Giardia insisted.

"Forget Tarsus," I shook my head. "The mission is over. Just get out of there. That's an order."

The Infiltrator hesitated, "... Yes, My King."

Without another word, the communicator shut off.

"That's not good," Coxa whispered.

"That's an understatement," I growled, putting my head in my hooves. "I’ll go tell Celestia about this. In theory, there’s no believable way for them to figure out that it was changelings behind the attack. But reality doesn’t have to be believable. Let’s just hope things turn out for the better. You know, for once.”

"And if they don't?" Coxa asked.

"Then I'm about to get yelled at for nothing. Ugh. I'll also have to tell Luna. Not right away, but soon. She's not going to like this," I groaned.

"You want me to come with you?" Coxa asked.

"I think their yelling would kill you. Just drink some water and try to get past your hangover."

"... Right," he mumbled, rubbing his head. “Thanks for the concern.”

I chuckled weakly, "If I don't come back, just assume that Celestia has killed me."

Princess Luna looked up at me. I looked down at her.

“Phasma.”

“Luna.”

“... Marvelous… weather we’re having.”

“Yes. You ponies control the weather, so that is expected.”

“Yes.”

“Mhmm.”

“... We must be off. Stallions first.”

“.... Excuse me?” I asked, the strange custom breaking up the awkward conversation.

“It is customary for stallions to enter first,” Luna explained.

“Is it?”

“... No,” she admitted. “Only the most chivalrous of mares practiced such customs, and even then, it was to much ridicule.”

With a shrug, I stepped onto Luna’s carriage. Luna followed after me, sitting down on the one bench and yelled an order to the six thestrals waiting to haul her chariot across the sky.

“Night Guard!” She commanded. “We take to the skies in midnight clad!”

The six Guards each returned a crisp salute before splaying their wings wide and galloping across the runway. Wings beat hard as the carriage approached the edge; before the heavy open-topped chariot could fall off the edge and into the open air above the Palace’s outer gardens, the stallions pulled on their reins and lifted the chariot into the sky.

Despite my own ability to fly, I clutched the side of the chariot and the bottom of my seat out of fear of falling. It was only when we were several hundred hooves above the ground and when the ride steadied that I let go and tried to relax.

As her guards took us from Canterlot and down to Ponyville, I leaned close to Luna to speak to her. Almost instinctively, she extended a wing and pulled me into a half-hug.

“Your friend Lacewing told me you were coming,” Luna said.

“You managed to recognize a changeling? I thought no pony could do that.”

“... She is the only female changeling who deigns to speak with me.”

“I see… You know, we haven’t spoken much about the… trial,” I said.

“No,” she agreed.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Luna repeated. “I just want to enjoy this night. Leave tomorrow’s worries for tomorrow.

Rather than trying to broach the subject again, I remained silent for the rest of the trip.

Thankfully, the Night Guards, while new to Equestria, were not unfamiliar with the duty of hauling sky carriages. With their passable skills in pulling one thing from place A to place B, we were left with a relatively quiet journey to the small town.

When we had arrived above the town, Princess Luna’s carriage plunged through the clouds, descending upon Ponyville. Once again, I found myself desperately clutching the side of the carriage. The thestrals put on the brakes at the last second, coming to a skidding halt in a park close to the town square. Before she disembarked, I watched as Luna bottled up any emotions she felt and put on a wide smile.

“Excellent work,” Luna complimented the thestrals. “As unglamorous as it is, I must ask you all to stand guard near the chariot. Rest assured, there are no threats in Ponyville.”

The thestrals began to untie themselves from the chariot as we stepped away and headed towards the center of town. I saw ponies watching from a distance, each in a Halloween costume, clutching bags that were as colorful as their coats.

“Oh,” I whispered. “Right.”

“Something wrong?” Luna asked.

“I… forgot what today was,” I admitted.

“Why did you think we were coming to Ponyville, in that case?”

“I’ve been busy. Very busy.” I rubbed my eyes, “Did you have a plan for what to do when we got here?”

“I was going to make a dramatic entrance,” Luna sighed. “After last night, I think it is best that we find Twilight Sparkle and… learn what ponies do during Nightmare Night.”

As Luna guided us towards wherever Twilight Sparkle lived, I found myself asking, “Luna, just what is Nightmare Night? Because it looks a lot like a holiday from back home…”

“It is a celebration of fright and treats, I am told. It is said that the foals gather sweets from the townsfolk but must sacrifice a portion to Nightmare Moon, lest she… gobble them up.”

“... And you are looking forward to this?”

Luna smiled weakly, “Indeed!”

Fluttershy ran a hoof through her mane, trying to pay attention to her friends.

The interior of Twilight’s house had thankfully been spared the extensive scary decorations that covered Ponyville. Despite this, Fluttershy found herself struggling to pay attention to the conversation at hoof. Her thoughts kept drifting back to last night. Which, to be fair, had been packed full of… emotions.

‘Then again, changelings do love emotions. I just wish these ones were more pleasant.’

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked up. Rarity had finished putting on her spider-web shawl, completing her look of…. Well, a spider web. A very well made spider web with white threads criss crossing across black canvases. Fluttershy had voiced her opinion that Rarity’s dress and top hat costume was less scary and instead more… elegant. A better alternative, in her opinion, but one that didn’t quite–

“Fluttershy?” Rarity repeated.

“Oh, yes?”

“I asked if you had seen my ribbon? The one with the spider?”

“Oh, yes. You left it on that bookshelf over there,” Fluttershy pointed to where the fake insect sat.

“Thank you, darling,” Rarity said as she retrieved the spooky accoutrement.

Fluttershy watched as Spike and Twilight walked by and up the stairs in their dragon and Starswirl costumes respectively. Twilight was currently plotting out how to show off Ponyville and Nightmare Night to the Princess.

“You seem quite distracted tonight, Fluttershy,” Rarity continued.

“I guess so.”

Rarity twirled, examining her dress in a mirror.

“I think it’d be rather pointless to ask what troubles you,” Rarity mused after she finished her routine. “Cheer up, Fluttershy. Let’s put that whole mess behind us and focus on tonight!”

“I’d rather not,” Fluttershy said meekly.

“You’re doing great, though,” Rarity cheered her on. “You even have your own costume!”

Fluttershy reached up and touched the comb in her mane. At the end of it, a black spider was stuck on, similar to the one on the ribbon that Rarity had tied around her hat.

“It’s not much of a costume,” Fluttershy admitted.

“It’s the spirit of the thing. Now, Princess Luna will want to go out and see the town tonight. Are you okay with–” Rarity paused as Rainbow Dash arrived.

The pegasus had come to a skidding halt after diving through an open window. Decked out in her Shadowbolt costume, Rainbow strutted over to Rarity and Fluttershy.

“Rarity, Flutters. Check it out. How do I look?” Rainbow asked as she struck a pose.

“You look marvelous, darling,” Rarity chuckled. “I must say, whoever put together that ensemble did a marvelous job!”

“Yeah yeah,” Rainbow waved her off. “We get it. None of this was possible without you, Rares. Heh, Rares and Flutters.”

“Pinkie!” Twilight yelled, interrupting the conversation as her voice echoed across the library from the second floor. “Why did you completely rearrange my fridge?!”

“Glad to see you’re not hiding in your home again, Flutters,” Rainbow smiled.

“Well, Nightmare Night isn’t as scary as… Canterlot burning,” Fluttershy swallowed nervously. “It just seems a bit crazy to still be afraid of spiders and witches and other things. Seems less… real.”

Rarity reached over and patted Fluttershy on the back, “We understand. There was so much–”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled. “I heard you come in! Where are you?!”

“First floor!” Rainbow Dash yelled back. Rainbow then turned to the other two mares, “If she heard me land, then she would know where I am, right?”

Rarity shrugged as Twilight trotted down the stairs and over to the group, “She’s had a lot on her mind, I suppose.”

“Rainbow, is the weather clear?” Twilight asked the pegasus.

“Yes, your highness, I worked on my one afternoon off,” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“I got Mayor Mare to clear your next two days off.”

Rainbow froze, “For real? Awesome! I really owe you, Twilight! How did you even do that?!”

Twilight chuckled, “All it took was mentioning that Princess Luna was coming to town on your night off. The Mayor understood the importance of the occasion. On a side note, she might be freaking out somewhere about organizing tonight. Yes, just like I am.”

A knock at the door pulled Twilight away from the conversation. Even after Twilight yelled that the door was open, the knocking persisted.

“Hey Rarity?” Fluttershy asked. “I hope you don’t mind, but I still have to leave early. Not that I’m scared or anything, but if Harry doesn’t get his dinner on time, he gets really grouchy.”

“Don’t sweat it, dear,” Rarity said. “We’ve all got our own responsibilities to take care of. I just hope you plan on– oh wow.”

Fluttershy turned to see what Rarity had begun to stare at.

“What’s he doing here?!” Rainbow Dash growled.

“He is here because he was invited,” King Phasma said as he ducked through the doorway behind Princess Luna.

“Princess Luna!” The ponies exclaimed before dropping into a bow.

Fluttershy heard the King mumble, “I understand I’m big, but I was also the second person to enter.”

“Princess Luna, King Phasma,” Twilight greeted them both. “I’m surprised you came, King Phasma, considering Princess Celestia wrote to me saying you definitely wouldn’t be coming tonight.”

“My schedule cleared up,” the King explained.

“Good evening, Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Luna returned Twilight’s greeting. “Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity. How are all of you?”

"Quite well, Your Highness."

"Pretty good."

"... What they said."

"Hey," Twilight smiled, "are you not going to ask how I'm doing?"

"How are you doing, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna half-grinned.

"Super stressed out," Spike interrupted.

"Oh, good evening, Spike," Luna greeted the dragon. "I don't recall if we have met in person before?"

"Nope," Spike chuckled. "Spike the dragon, number one assistant! Pleasure to meet you officially, your highness!"

Fluttershy beamed as the two shook hooves. Hoof and a claw, at least.

"Likewise, young drake," Luna returned. "This here is King Phasma."

Spike paused, "... Hi."

“Hello… dragon?” King Phasma said slowly. “I have to say, you are the first dragon that I’ve met.”

“And you’re the first changeling I’ve met,” Spike returned.

“Not exactly a great role model,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Rainbow!” Rarity quietly admonished her.

Fluttershy froze when King Phasma looked their way. Clearly, he had heard at least one of them. Rainbow Dash took the initiative to shake off any pretense of courtesy.

“I’m just going to come out and say it. I’m not cool with this.”

“With what?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“Are we supposed to pretend that last night never happened?” Rainbow questioned. “It doesn't sit right with me. If Applejack was here, she’d be agreeing with me.”

Twilight frowned, “I don’t think she would.”

“Nopony is asking you to forget anything,” Luna interrupted. “Just accept that it has been addressed and handled. Phasma is listening to us and is working to make things right.”

Fluttershy looked between the two as they began to argue, her ears pressed back against her head.

“I mean no offense, Princess Luna, but you didn’t exactly help,” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs.

“Rainbow!” Rarity hissed. “We should trust the Princesses! If they say to turn over a new leaf, then we should!”

King Phasma sighed, “Less than thirty seconds here and we’re already getting back into this. You know what? I don’t want to ruin your night with this stuff, Luna. I’ll let you enjoy your first Halloween.”

Princess Luna protested, “You are not–”

The changeling vanished in a bright flash of orange.

“– and he’s gone. And he’s gone!” Princess Luna fumed. “I… I need to find him. Please excuse me.”

“Princess, wait!” Twilight stopped Luna. “We can help fix this.”

“You?” The Princess repeated, staring down at Twilight. “Phasma could be anywhere in town now. You can’t exactly track him down, especially if he disguises. I should be able to recognize any familiar disguise he takes. Horse feathers, this was not supposed to go like this! We were supposed to actually enjoy the night…”

Rainbow Dash, to her credit, was showing signs of guilt. She had shrunk back and her ears were pinned halfway to the back of her head.

“Uh…. sorry, Princess,” Rainbow Dash rubbed a foreleg awkwardly.

“Next time I say that we are handling it, believe me,” Luna told the pegasus. “I understand that I might not have earned your trust when it comes to being entirely fair with him, but do you think I would lie to you? To any of you?”

Rainbow grimaced, “No, Princess Luna. Sorry. I just… I don’t want anypony’s suffering to get swept under the rug.”

“So let us help fix this,” Twilight pressed. “We can split up and cover twice the ground! I’ll go with you, Princess, and Rainbow Dash can scour the town from above! Rarity can go and get Pinkie from where she bounced off to, as well as Applejack.”

Rarity nodded, giving the Princess a reassuring smile.

“If he’s undisguised or whatever, I can find him,” Rainbow confirmed.

“Even if Phasma is not disguised,” Luna countered, “You are the last pony who should approach him right now.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Fluttershy volunteered.

Rainbow turned and stared at Fluttershy in surprise, “You will? You’ll talk to the big scary changeling who…?”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes, “He’s not exactly a dragon. Besides, when did he threaten us?”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and opened her mouth to speak. However, no words came to her, so she lowered her hoof slowly.

“It’s really only been you threatening anypony,” Rarity pointed out. “How many times have you threatened to use the Elements of Harmony against him?”

“... They worked on Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow Dash mumbled.

“They might kill Phasma,” Luna countered. “Or turn him to stone. Or send him to the moon…”

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Fluttershy reassured the taller alicorn. “Rainbow can find him and then I can talk to him. She can apologize later…”

Luna nodded slowly, “... Thank you. We shall go with Twilight’s plan. Twilight and I shall search the town center. Fluttershy and Rainbow, search… wherever you can. Rarity, get the last two Elements and search the edges of the town. Let’s find Phasma and salvage this night before it’s ruined by yesterday’s poison.”

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me.

9- Crossing Cocytus

I pulled the wooden stick out of my mouth, leaving the entire candied apple inside my muzzle. Chewing on the treat, I grunted a compliment to the maker. It was surprisingly not bad. Said maker of the confection was nowhere to be seen, as I was sitting in a booth at some cafe in town, far away from the candy stand where I got the stuff.

As I savored the treat, I continued my secretive work. My work with Coxa had revealed the need for his Operation Pencil; to properly maintain the Fifth Hive and keep up with its ridiculous level of growth, the Hive’s bureaucracy desperately needed expanding, organizing, and formalizing. To that end, I was etching the foundation of the Fifth Hive’s government in purple crayon across a gaudy child’s menu– foal’s menu.

I was putting this newly planned command structure onto paper, drawing the various bureaus as if they were pieces of a complicated flow chart. Even if a department was going to be as small as a dozen lings or less, there were still uncountable amounts of hours of work needed to set everything in motion: dividing duties, selecting lings for placement, obtaining and distributing supplies, formalizing command structures, picking names, planning out potential relationships with other departments…

I was having a lot of fun. Despite my relatively tired state, I was content to work quietly, draw with the crayon that I had pilfered, and eat my legally obtained sweets. Reminded of them, I lifted open the lid on the box sitting beneath the table and pulled out another candied apple.

‘At least there are some benefits to being the Dread Prince.’

The turquoise-colored unicorn mare that ran the stand had practically shoved the box into my hooves when I asked for one.

The bell above the doors to the cafe chimed once again, my ear twitching in its direction automatically. Unlike the previous times, the pony who entered not only stayed inside the cafe but also approached me. When they stopped next to my booth and did not leave, I turned to see who was planning on lecturing me next.

“Fluttershy.”

The yellow pegasus cleared her throat, “Good m– evening, King Phasma. Is this seat taken?” She asked as she gestured to the seat across from me.

A whiff of frustration made me peer over her shoulder. Closer to the door, Rainbow Dash was standing at a distance, one ear cocked in our direction.

“... Go ahead,” I grunted, returning to my work.

“Thank you,” she said as she climbed up across from me.

In response, I pulled out a third candied apple, eating it in a single bite again. The small pony looked up at me with a hopeful expression, making me even more confused.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m here to talk to you. If that’s okay,” she smiled.

“... You’re not afraid of me?” I asked.

“Not quite,” she shook her head. “Though I do not like all the yelling, insults, threats, hurting, and everything else that happens around you.”

I took a moment to get my thoughts together, “... Applejack and Rainbow Dash see me as a monster. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity are certainly not friends of mine. And you… are strange. You do not hate me as they do.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, “Oh my! I forgot that changelings can sense emotions!”

“So then…. Fluttershy. Do you see me as a monster?”

She tapped her hooves together quietly, “No. I don’t think anypony’s a monster. Some ponies just need a lot more guidance than others. In your case, I think you need a lot.”

Rainbow Dash snickered.

My eyes narrowed, “Are you here to subject me to another lecture?”

Fluttershy shook her head, “No, sorry. Princess Luna is worried about you, so we left to try to find you. Rainbow saw you through the window, and I… agreed to speak with you.”

“Where did this confidence come from?” I asked. “Every time I see you, you are either hiding behind someone or otherwise scared out of your wits.”

Fluttershy paused momentarily, “There were good reasons to be scared then.”

I shook my head, “Still, everything I know about you says that you should be the least willing to speak with me. I thought you’d be demanding to have the Elements used on me, in fact.”

Fluttershy paled, “... A few months ago, you would be right, King Phasma. But since then, we’ve… defeated Nightmare Moon, got captured by changelings, talked down a dragon, took down Discord, defeated Daybreaker, and spent days helping ponies whose lives have been turned upside down.” The mare shrugged, “Things aren’t as… calm as they used to be. I wish I could go back to the way things were, but nopony can. We all have to change to survive, and I did. You’re not a… monster, King Phasma. You’re just slower to change.”

“Now she’s calling me slow,” I sighed.

Fluttershy giggled, “Oh no, I didn’t mean to insult you! But you… do make a lot of mistakes and hurt ponies.”

I glared at her.

“But if the Princesses believe in you, then so do I!” She continued.

“Fantastic,” I said sarcastically.

“... May I ask what you’re drawing?”

I held up the defaced foal’s menu for her to see.

Her muzzle scrunched up, “.... Spaghetti and hayballs?”

I scowled, “The future bureaucracy of the Fifth Hive. And it’s meatballs. Meatballs.”

“Speaking of,” Rainbow interrupted, “where is everypony?”

The restaurant that I had found a safe haven in was visibly empty. Rainbow Dash stepped further into the place, looking around for any of the staff or guests. I knew for a fact that there weren’t any guests; the very few that were here before I arrived quickly finished up when I sat down.

“That is strange,” Fluttershy whispered, looking around in bewilderment.

“The hostess is cowering in the kitchen with the cook,” I revealed, gesturing towards the service window that offered a view into the kitchen.

An orange unicorn and blue stallion were peeking over the edge, cowering out of sight when I pointed in their direction.

“Did you threaten them or something?” Rainbow asked.

I sighed, “No.”

“Then why are they hiding from you?”

“I didn’t exactly get the chance to ask,” I said quietly as I went back to sketching out the departments.

Rainbow stalked off to speak with the two ponies unlucky enough to be working on Halloween. As their conversation started up, Fluttershy sought to restart our own conversation.

Fluttershy brushed the hair out of her face, “Princess Luna is worried about you. We’re helping her look for you…”

“I’m worried about Luna, too, yet I don't sic my friends on her. Especially ones that threaten her every time they see her.”

Fluttershy glanced over to Rainbow, her guilt spilling out into the muddied taste of fear that permeated throughout the mostly empty restaurant.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Rainbow has gotten really excited about using the Elements. Last week, she wanted to see if we could use the Elements to get rid of the trash she forgot to throw out on garbage day.”

“And that excuses her behavior?” I growled.

Fluttershy swallowed, “N-no. What I’m trying to say is, uh, Rainbow is the only one wanting to use the Elements. The rest of us are…”

“Realistic?” I offered.

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “She’ll come around to you. You know, after you stop hurting ponies. People.”

I glared at Fluttershy, “I wouldn’t have to hurt people if they didn’t try to hurt me first.”

Fluttershy drew circles on the tablecloth with a hoof as she avoided my stare, “I can understand that. Nature isn’t all… butterflies and buttercups. Bears and lions have to eat, too. It’s just that… the ponies all think that since you’re pretty much an alicorn, you should be strong enough to defeat the bad ponies– people without killing. Or, uh, blinding.”

I scoffed, “Yes, Celestia made that very clear. Look, you’ve been nice to me so far. So instead of telling you off and swearing at you, I’m just going to tell you to drop it.”

Rainbow Dash trotted back towards us, her conversation with the two ponies apparently finished.

“Hi Rainbow,” Fluttershy greeted her friend.

“Flutters,” Rainbow returned. “Yeah, they, uh… yeah. Apparently, one of their nieces had a one-on-one encounter with King Phasma here during the first Invasion of Canterlot. Something about using her as a hostage…?”

I grimaced, “Oh, yes. I still need to apologize for that.”

“So it’s true?” Rainbow asked.

I nodded, “I wanted Captain Shining Armor to surrender, so I used a foal as a hu– as a living shield. It was nothing personal. I just wanted to solve the situation peacefully.”

Fluttershy shivered as Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

“Peacefully?” Rainbow echoed. “You call that peaceful?”

“As opposed to rushing a defended position and getting my lings hurt or killed? Yes, I do.”

“They said you hurt their niece.”

“Barely. I might have nibbled on her emotions, just enough to get a reaction. Honestly though, kids are like rubber– she was going to be fine seconds after that.”

“Hmph,” Rainbow grunted. “You better find time to apologize to her.”

I rolled my eyes and got back to my sketching, “... Well. You two have found me. Now you two can get lost.”

“We told Princess Luna that we’d bring you back to her,” Fluttershy explained.

“I think I’ve already ruined enough of her night,” I shot her down.

“She was really upset when you left,” Fluttershy said. “Um, I think you should be with her. Or at least talk to her.”

I groaned, “... Fine. Whatever she says. Where is she right now?”

“Out looking for you,” Rainbow said.

“And you didn’t notify her the moment you spotted me?”

Rainbow Dash froze, “... Uhhh. I’ll be right back! Make sure he doesn’t vanish, Fluttershy!”

As the RGB pegasus dashed out of the store and launched herself into the night sky, Fluttershy slowly turned back to me.

“... So what do you worry about?”

I frowned, “Hmm?”

She smiled, “You said you worry about Princess Luna.”

“Oh.” I shrugged, “She doesn’t like being alone, for starters.”

“Does she not have many friends in the Palace yet?”

“No.”

Fluttershy drooped, “That’s terrible. What if… what if I could help?”

I raised an eyebrow, “Not exactly much you can help with.”

“Actually, I run Ponyville’s animal sanctuary…”

Both of my eyebrows were raised now, “Are you suggesting that I get her a pet?”

“Mhmm,” Fluttershy nodded.

“That’s… actually a good idea. Thank you, Fluttershy.”

She beamed, “Happy to help! Do you know what kind of pet she would prefer?”

I shrugged, “No. We’ll have to see when we get there.”

Fluttershy got up from the table, “Okay. I live on the edge of town. I’ll show you the way.”

I chuckled, “As comedic as it would be, I think we should actually wait for the rest.”

Luna sighed as the foals retreated from sight.

"They're really enjoying the night!" Twilight tried to cheer Luna up.

"Indeed," Luna said. "But it is not them that I worry about. It is that overgrown colt who I promised to save that worries me."

"Why don't we talk while we look around?" Twilight suggested. "There's not exactly much I know about… err, relationships, but I'm happy to lend an ear if that helps!"

Luna gave the shorter unicorn a smile, "Thank you, Twilight. That means a lot to me. Though I wonder how much we can speak about, given that any conversation will be prone to interruptions from the townsfolk."

Twilight took them down a sidestreet, "We've searched the main plaza. Now we can search the backroads and have some quiet. So, Princess, what exactly, uh, troubles you?"

Luna's muzzle twitched in irritation, "It should come as no surprise that the events of last night and the preceding event before that ails me, Twilight."

Twilight wilted, "I'm afraid that I can't offer any advice on that. Even Princess Celestia seemed at the end of her wits when it came to dealing with that terrible punishment!"

"That's just it," Luna said quietly.

"Could you please explain?"

Luna sent out a magical pulse. When it only returned the life signs of those inside their homes and not anypony out on the streets, she relented.

"Perhaps I could have prevented this all from happening," she began. "Perhaps I somehow could have convinced the changelings to not brutalize the traitor in their midst. Or perhaps I only needed to convince Phasma to stay his hoof. In the end, I put up only a token effort to sway him. For that, I feel… I feel like I have failed."

"Why didn't you?" Twilight asked.

Luna thought for a moment, "... Because of Fort Ripclaw."

"I've never heard of that place."

"I would be thoroughly surprised if you did, Twilight. Make no mistake, your ignorance is intentional."

Twilight frowned, "I'm afraid I'm only becoming more confused, Princess."

"Let me explain. For a thousand years, I have been trapped on my moon. Alone. As Nightmare Moon. In my absence, Equestria progressed. In my isolation, I have… regressed. Much like how King Phasma finds it hard to dispense forgiveness to his enemies following his murder, I find it hard to see myself as an equal to Celestia. No, that is not it. I feel… left behind. I relate to the changelings almost as much as my own kind. The bloodshed. The war. The murder. Equestria moved forward while I moved back."

"But it was never this bad in Equestria's history," Twilight countered. "The closest we get is the famine that followed Discord's upheaval of society, thousands of years ago."

Luna stopped. Twilight stopped, too, and looked back at Luna with worry.

"That is not true," Luna said.

"... What happened?" Twilight asked, fear already present in her voice.

Luna checked for listeners again before continuing, "In the centuries following Discord's defeat, civilization was a mere suggestion rather than a fact in some areas. It took time to rebuild Equestria. During that time, some griffons moved in on the Northeast coast."

"... I recall that," Twilight said. "You and Celestia managed to convince them to leave."

Luna sneered, "You make it sound so… clean."

"So… what really happened?"

"Fort Ripclaw happened. Are you certain that you want to know the truth?"

Twilight looked around. The two of them had found themselves on a street surrounded on both sides by small shops that had closed down for the night. Given the odd decoration, the deserted street fit right into Nightmare Night's scary theme.

"One of the traditions of Nightmare Night is to tell scary stories," Twilight explained quietly. "This is the wrong kind of scary, the very real kind, but… I'll listen. I'm here for you, Princess."

Luna nodded, "Thousands of years ago, the border of what was and what wasn't Equestria was hard to maintain. The world had declined in many ways during Discord's rule, if you can call it that. A marauding warrant of griffons moved into the Northeast, in the Foal Mountains. To cement their rule of the region, they built a fort on top of a mountain. Given that all griffons have wings, such a lofty fort only held advantages. For an entire generation, they operated out of Fort Ripclaw, raiding the villages around them."

"So you and Princess Celestia went to kick them out?" Twilight guessed.

"Quite so," Luna nodded again. "As we neared their fort, we came into contact with survivors of their raids. What they said was… We did not believe it. When Celestia and I, with our army at our backs, arrived at Fort Ripclaw after slowly climbing the mountain it was built upon, we… found the ponies that had been taken in the raids."

Twilight gulped, "They were dead?"

"They were eaten."

"No!" Twilight gasped. "There's been no cases of that in ten thousand years! That can’t…"

Luna cleared her throat, "The beakmarks were unmistakable. Some bodies were picked clean to their skeletons. Others… I will spare you the details."

".... What happened next?" Twilight asked, swallowing what Luna presumed to be bile.

"Next, we 'convinced them to leave,' as you put it," Luna quoted. "The griffons had holed up in their stone castle, Fort Ripclaw. We had let them hide. Asking them to leave was never going to happen, not after what they did. Tell me, Twilight. What is the main export of the towns surrounding the Foal Mountains?"

Twilight automatically answered, "Fire and ice gems. They're used in everything from fridges to ovens."

"And the mines have been productive for thousands of years. We found quite a lot of fire gems in stockpile back then. Now, what happens when a dozen Fire gems are piled up?"

Twilight shook her head, "Their magic would be unstable. They would burst into flames."

"And what would nine hundred Fire gems do?"

Twilight's rear hit the ground as she was forced to think through the physics of such a massive amount of unstable Fire magic.

"You could melt stone," Twilight summarized.

Luna continued her story, "More than just stone. We had let them hide in their castle. When we took the outer defenses, they retreated into the inner layers. So we sealed them in. Every doorway, every window, every chimney, every balcony… Any way they could escape, we sealed. They had rations that would have presumably lasted them at least a whole month. But we had no intention of waiting them out. Nine hundred fire gems were piled high on the roof of Fort Ripclaw. The fire was so hot that it burned through the stone floors and walls, collapsing the castle one story at a time.

"A few tried escaping. They busted open a hole in a wall or tore through the barricades we placed. We didn't capture them. We didn't even kill them. No, we threw them back in. Every last griffon was burned in that castle till not even their bones remained. When the gems had burned through the last floor, when finally there was nowhere for the griffons to flee to and they burned to nothingness, the gems burned even hotter. Down they went, burrowing into the mountain itself. Eventually, they burned a hole in the world's crust, and a new volcano was born. The mountain was renamed to Mount Firehoof, with no records of what happened ever surviving."

"I have a snow globe of that volcano," Twilight whispered. "Nopony ever told– no book ever said– Princess Celestia never told me! She… neither of you would have done something so brutal! So… barbaric!”

“Yet we did,” Luna insisted. “But while Celestia did all she could to forget and bury the past, I can not help but find myself looking back on it more and more.”

“But you said you brought an entire army with you!” Twilight pointed out. “There would have been reports! War stories! Something!”

Luna patted Twilight on the shoulder, "As I said, no records were kept. Those present were sworn to silence. It was an easy thing to ask of them, given that they were the ones who had to bury all the dead ponies that we found. Not even the Griffon Kingdom really knew what happened."

Twilight trembled, “… I don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to believe that my teacher, the one who greeted me every morning and guided me through school, is capable of doing all those things… Was it worth it? Did you feel good? Did you get what you wanted?”

Luna shook her head, “We felt nothing. And, since no records were ever kept, it was not like the Griffons took this lesson to heart. We murdered them all and gained nothing.”

“But this was thousands of years ago. Nothing that bad has ever happened since, right?”

"Nothing except trying to drown the world in eternal night,” Luna scoffed. “Neither of us have forgotten that day, and we have vowed to never let it ever happen again. But while Celestia has continued to improve in the past one thousand years... I have had one thousand years to myself," Luna sighed. "With nothing to keep me company but my memories. I understand that what Phasma did was wrong, but… I don't care. I know I should, but I do not. Celestia and I have done so much worse. I want to help him, but clearly I need help myself…"

“... Why does it feel like the world has lost its color?” Twilight asked, ears drooping. “Ever since the invasion, the world has turned into… this.”

Luna pulled Twilight into a hug– which was returned immediately.

“I wish I had the answers you need, Twilight.”

As the two continued to sit in silence, Luna reflected on the conversation. Even just saying what happened felt like a load was taken off her shoulders. However, so much was left unsaid. So many details stayed within her mind. Twilight didn't deserve to hear them. She was too good, too pure.

'The screams. The begging for death. Half-eaten ponies, desperately trying to put their insides back inside as they lay on top of bones and gristle. The smell of rotting flesh. The smell of burning flesh. How numb I felt when I watched the castle burn.'

Luna looked up at the night sky. Seeing her moon sitting up there, so far away, Luna decided to share one detail with her friend.

"Somewhere on that moon, there's a replica of Fort Ripclaw. In my boredom and isolation, I rebuilt it, brick by moon-dust brick. Celestia decreed that Fort Ripclaw would be forever unremembered. She doesn’t know that our sins shine down upon us all every single night."

A chromatic blur cut through the night sky, interrupting Luna's trance. It curved quickly and started growing in size as it headed straight for the Princess.

Rainbow Dash landed hard, sliding across the street and coming to a screeching halt. Quickly turning around and galloping over, Rainbow greeted the two of them.

"Princess! Twilight! I found him...! Uhh. You two okay?"

Twilight quickly pushed away from Luna and straightened up, "Ahem! Yes, Rainbow. We're okay. Luna was just telling me a sad story."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rainbow pressed. "You look like you got run over by a manticore."

"Rainbow Dash," Luna interrupted, "please take us to Phasma. There is much to discuss."

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me

11- The Mare On The Moon

Luna giggled madly as Tiberius ran between her hooves in circles. The little possum was the pet she had picked out last night with Fluttershy’s aid. We sat in one of the Palace’s sitting rooms, awaiting the therapist to show up.

“Tiberius, play dead!” Luna commanded. When the animal flopped over, Luna clapped her hooves wildly, “Hahaha! Oooh, Phasma! Look at him! Look!”

“... ‘S lovely, dear,” I mumbled, resting my head on a hoof.

“Tiberius, you are such a good boy! H– By Faust’s bones, you’re not even looking, Phasma!”

I lazily raised my head and blinked several times, “... Very cute, Luna.”

Luna shook her head and nuzzled me, “Fret not, you will get used to appearing functional on days when duty calls for the sacrifice of sleep.”

“I don’t want to get used to them,” I whined. “I’d rather go to bed. Why, in the nine heavens, did this have to be scheduled for eight fucking A.M., Luna? We went to bed five hours ago. How are you doing so much better?”

“Faring better,” Luna corrected. “It is because I am excited! I have Tiberius now– look at him! I have never seen a pair of souls become faster friends than Tiberius and I. In addition, I drank half a barrel of coffee.”

“Not drinking coffee,” I sighed. “I tried. I hate the taste, and the smell reminds me too much of home.”

“Then you shall have to endure every biting hour of restless morning,” Luna said, letting Tiberius crawl up onto her hoof. “I shall try to be as joyful as possible for the both of us.”

“Mmmmmeh,” I groaned. “At least be my pillow. And maybe paint some fake eyes on my eyelids for me, like they do in cartoons.”

“Why would they….? Ah. To create a façade, I see. Do others buy into this illusion?”

“Cartoon logic,” I shrugged. “The same kind of logic that lets people talk to animals.”

Tiberius squeaked as he ran across Luna’s foreleg.

“What great boons your people have been deprived of,” she lamented. “... Scoot your chair closer, you may rest against my shoulder.”

“Love you.”

Luna chucked, “All it takes to procure those honeyed words from a stallion is physical comfort. A tale as old as time itself.”

“You got me. I’m in this only for the snuggles,” I said as I moved my chair closer and rested against Luna.

Just as I closed my eyes, there was a knock on the door.

“That would be the therapist,” Luna pointed out. “I hope you have gotten as much rest as possible.”

“Noooooooooo!”

The door to the sitting room slowly opened and a pair of green eyes peeked through the doorway, “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all,” Luna greeted the mare. “Please come in.”

Luna sat up straight as Sweet Dream entered, nearly dislodging me from my place against her shoulder. Tiberius went from Luna’s left shoulder, across her withers, and then onto my head. I shot upright, wide awake, as the possum crawled over my fin.

“Princess Luna, King Phasma,” Sweet Dream greeted us. “It’s an honor to meet you, Princess.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sweet Dream. I have heard great things about your skill,” Luna returned. “Please, make yourself welcome. Or… stay professional? I confess I have never done anything like this.”

“I’ll keep things professional, if you don’t mind,” Sweet Dream winked and took a seat across from us. “Oh. I see there’s a third joining us today.”

Luna grinned, “His name is Tiberius! He is a gift from Fluttershy, and Phasma helped pick him out. He is a clever little possum, most assuredly! And well behaved! Isn’t that right, Tiberius?”

Tiberius squeaked from his place atop my head before I felt him scamper down my neck and back across to Luna.

“I see,” Sweet Dream mused. “Normally, I ask for all pets to be absent for my sessions…”

“You’ll make an exception,” I said.

“Of course,” Sweet nodded. “Now. This is the first group session we have scheduled– and your first ever session, Princess Luna. Your relationship is far from a normal one, as I understand it?”

“At the very least, how it was established was unusual,” Luna conceded. “A political alliance and one-sided power dynamic. Thankfully, that catastrophe was averted.”

“Yes, and Princess Celestia tells me that there might be some issues when it comes to separating your duties of keeping an eye on King Phasma from your feelings for him.”

“That’s no longer an issue,” I said.

Sweet leveled her stare at me, “... Definitely still together, judging by the fact that you are still holding hooves, so then somepony else has taken over that particular duty?”

“Cadance,” I confirmed.

“Well. That makes sense,” Sweet conceded. “Anything in particular spur this change?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Luna and I glanced at each other.

She explained, “Somepony tried to assassinate someone.”

“Assassinate?!” Sweet gasped.

I shrugged, “Before we met, I killed many people, Sweet Dream. Between that first session and this one, I’ve only tried to kill someone once. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a drastic decrease in my homicide rate.”

The therapist rubbed a temple as frustration ebbed from her, “... I’ve got my work cut out for me, that much is certain. Very well, then. If the Princesses are aware of that situation, then we will simply have to address it at our next personal session. For now, let us return to you two.”

“Actually,” Luna interrupted, “I would like to take this session as an opportunity for myself. I… would like to talk about some things with Phasma present. I do not think I could speak about them alone.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Sweet said, with all the enthusiasm that came with switching the conversation topic. “Let’s get started then. What is it that you wanted to talk about?”

Luna’s grip on my hoof tightened as she coiled her foreleg around mine even more.

“My banishment,” Luna said quietly.

Sweet Dreams slowly nodded as Tiberius coiled up in Luna’s lap, as if also sensing the distant, turbulent storms of emotions that churned within the alicorn.

“As you know,” she began, “one thousand years ago, I became possessed by Nightmare Moon, the cruel parasite that preyed upon me when I was at my most vulnerable. Due to my… emotional state, I was taken by it. During our time together, my actions and theirs were… one and the same. When we stood against my sister, she used the Elements of Harmony against us and banished us to the moon.”

She let out a shaky breath, “One thousand years. That is how long I spent on my moon. It was… it was… it simply was. There is no one word that can condense a millennium of isolation. No single idea can capture what I experienced. For though I was mostly Nightmare Moon, the Nightmare had quieted down after a short while. It’s cold up there. And quiet. You can’t even hear yourself scream– only Faust knows how long I tried to. With all the power the Nightmare possession had given to me, I could not even scratch the confines of my prison. I could feel it, though– spells and magics greater than I could understand were keeping me on my moon. I was… alone.”

I gave Luna a slow, reassuring pat on her shoulder. She grunted and leaned closer to me. Every word that she faltered on, I felt the accompanying painful emotions that held her tongue. Emotions that even tasted delicious to changelings soured as Luna struggled with the memories being brought to the surface.

“I had every single conversation with myself that I thought was possible. I counted every star thrice. I tried mapping the surface of my moon– though I had abandoned that task when it became apparent that there was simply nothing to map around. No landmarks, no towns, no forest, no mountains, no rivers, no lakes…. Nothing. Just dust and rocks. I had counted rocks until I simply grew too bored with the effort of reciting each number to continue. Four million, by the way.”

Luna shook her head, hissing in frustration.

“That was just the first ten years. Nine hundred and ninety to go. Not that I knew that. I had, by that point, accepted that I would never leave my moon; it was to be my tomb, for always and eternity. So I spent the next ten years building. At first, I drew pictures in the sand. Every painting I cared to remember. Hundreds more that I made up. Then I sculpted. Then I constructed buildings. One such building was a fort that I have already mentioned to Phasma. I decorated my tomb with cities of dust and rock, inhabited not even by a gust of wind.

“The silence was maddening. Truly maddening. Even when I crushed a castle for the fun of it, all I could feel was the rumble in the rock beneath my hooves. That all took about… fifty years, maybe? By that point, time stopped mattering. My torment was eternal. My hatred, loneliness, and sadness were my only companions. I….”

When Luna started to cry, I went to give her a hug. However, she shrugged me off, determined to continue. She held onto my hoof, though, unwilling to let go. I couldn’t recall feeling so much sadness, anger, and hopelessness during my time as a changeling. I was being whipped around by the sheer depth of the sour emotions. For Luna’s sake, I kept silent and present.

“That’s when it truly began. When I had run out of things to do. When I had nothing more to scream about. I wandered. I slept. I remembered. That was all I did. Every single conversation, real or imagined, I relived. Every battle, I fought a hundred times again. I slept. I dreamt. For an entire age, I stared at the stars. I imagined the future. What I– what we would do when we returned to Equestria. I imagined the world I would build, brick by bloody brick. I slept some more…”

At her silence, I asked, “Are you… do you want to take a break?”

‘I definitely could use one. But–’

“Nay. Tis just… At this point, I believe I was well and truly mad. I cannot remember everything. I cannot account for my actions for what had to be centuries. I have found some scars across my body that refuse to heal, ones that I have no recollection of. I remember one thing, though. Alone. I was alone. Yesterday, I was alone. Today, I am alone. Tomorrow, I will be alone. A year from now, I will still be alone. When Celestia’s sun dies, I will still be alone. It was hell. No matter what I did, no matter how much I pleaded, no matter how much I screamed or cried, I was and always would be alone!”

“Luna!” I gasped, reaching out for her with both hooves.

This time, Luna did not spurn my embrace. She turned to me and practically leapt across the armrests of our chairs to hug me. I felt her shaking in my hug as she worked through the memories and everything that followed them.

At last, Luna must have found the bottom of the chasm within her. Through waves of despair, small sprouts of joy and love wormed their way out. I was internally remarking that the feeling was similar to seeds sprouting up after a forest fire when another blast of sadness rocked the thought loose. My grip on Luna tightened.

“I’m…” Sweet Dream tried to say. “I am sorry, Princess. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Luna nodded slowly against my neck, “... But then something changed. A vision came to me, not one I had thought up nor conjured in madness, but something truly different. A field of white petaled flowers, ‘neath my moon. It was an image which was placed in my mind by a visitor. I crawled towards the feeling and image’s source, long since past the point of dying from the isolation. I was a husk, dead and back again, with a trickle of sanity and strength returning to me.”

I frowned. That scene was… familiar.

I didn’t say anything, though. I was still disorientated from the vast quantities of sadness and anger that had washed over me. I would have certainly collapsed if it wasn’t for the fact that I was sitting down already. Instead, I swayed side to side in my seat, still clutching Luna. It was like I was on dry land after spending an hour or two out at sea or in some kind of wave pool; the sadness had receded, but I still felt its pull.

“A mere touch of the world that I had been cast out from was enough to draw me back to reality. I awoke on my moon, having slept for uncounted years. I paced back and forth as I plotted. I practiced spells I had cast a million times in boredom. I reached out and felt the confines of my prison… and found them wanting. It was possible, I realized, to escape.

“When I felt the presence reach out once more, I reached back with all the strength I had. One could compare it to a boat in a roaring storm out at sea. An oasis of something different. It was a dream. I… had no connection to the Dreamscape in my time on my moon. It was so far away, yet… it was a dream. I plunged into it, greedily drinking in the experience. There, I found him.” She leaned back and smiled at me, “Phasma. Though he introduced himself as Chrysalis, the cunning knave. He spoke to me, bending to my whims like a blade of grass bends in the wind. Somepony spoke to me. When I awoke again, I found myself feeling that much stronger, that much more alive! The days between our meetings felt longer than the centuries I had spent between bouts of madness!

“Then…. it was over. I, Nightmare Moon, broke the spell that bound us to my moon when it was at its weakest. We sought out the Elements of Harmony and sought to destroy them. We did not succeed– thank Harmony– but before I could meet my savior, he was gone… I thought Phasma was dead. We all did. So when I found him at the mercy of a Nightmare, I… I grabbed onto him and never let go. Even though all you did was form an alliance with a monster, you still were the being that saved my life. Thank you, Phasma.”

I exhaled slowly, letting the wild emotions out that had left my hooves shaking, “And you picked a hell of a time to find me. What that Nightmare did was… worse than dying. I could fill a hundred books with terrible, sappy poems about a literal angel coming to save me at my darkest hour… Instead, I will just say: thank you, Luna.”

“It’s every mare’s dream to rescue a stallion in distress,” she returned. “But a poem or two wouldn’t kill you.”

I snorted, “Hey! My poetry is probably far worse than my skills at being a damsel in distress– so I’ll stick to what I’m good at, thank you very much.”

“Mmm, you do that,” Luna whispered. “Now. Uh. Shall I pick up where I left off? I imagine you will want to hear the whole story about our relationship, Sweet Dream.”

“I need a break,” I interrupted before Sweet could say anything. “I… feel like I’m going to throw up.”

Luna blinked, “Phasma? Are you okay– Oh my stars, you’re an empath! I honestly forgot! Are you– I didn’t mean–”

I silenced her by pressing my nose against hers for a second. Then I leaned away and coughed. Sweet Dreams and Luna watched with morbid curiosity as thin trails of blue smoke left my mouth.

“Ah, shit,” I muttered. “That explains why I feel so nauseous. I must have drank in a lot of that sadness there. Urgh, usually my internal reserves are full of love, but I had to empty them to help feed the Hive, and…. Ugh. Yeah, I’m gonna need a minute.”

“I think we both could use a break,” Luna agreed, still shaking slightly.

I forced the quill to steady itself as my magical grip around it quivered.

‘It’s okay. Breathe. Just breathe.’

Reflexively, I held tighter onto Luna, who was asleep on my lap. The alicorn smiled in her sleep and snuggled into me further. That seemed to do the trick, as my control returned and I continued writing.

I was still processing everything. Hearing everything that Luna went through was… it was painful. But I did more than hear it. I experienced just a little slice of that hell. As a changeling, I was used to sensing emotions and not quite caring why the ponies were feeling them. The pure love I frequently felt from Luna had been the first real break from that distancing. It was something wonderful, and it was something just for me. I was loved and wanted.

Now I had a chance to taste the horror her own soul had been through. The mare who cared for me so much also went through pain beyond imagination. The memories that echoed across her emotions were, in every meaning of the word, terrifying.

‘How does someone recover from that madness? Or any madness, for that matter? Even just a few minutes of it has left me shaking…’

I didn’t have the answers I needed. I didn’t even know if I was asking the right questions. I couldn’t rest. I wish I could have been content with simply squeezing Luna like a big teddy bear. I wish I could take away her pain like she took away mine.

A soft tap tap tap at the door shook me from my thoughts.

The door opened shortly after the quiet knocking ceased. Celestia walked in and looked around. When she saw us, she half-smiled and slowly walked over to where we sat. Currently, both Luna and I were on a small couch in the corner of her lavish office. I was working on paperwork, abusing telekinesis to grab paper and fresh ink pots when I needed to.

“At this point, I thought that you were incapable of smiling,” I whispered.

Celestia rolled her eyes and nodded towards her sister.

“I have no cause to be mad at her. How was… therapy?”

“Exhausting,” I said, as if the mare happily snoring on my lap wasn’t clear enough. “She ran out of coffee and burnt out.”

“While you kept working,” Celestia pointed out. “... One would have thought that you would join her in the Dreamscape. Especially considering how late you two arrived last night.”

“Guess I’m full of surprises,” I muttered as I returned to reading the stack of papers placed by the foot of the couch.

Celestia continued to silently stare at me and judge me as I worked. I carefully rubbed my dry eyes as I reread the same page for the third time– only to find that it had been plucked from my magical grasp.

Celestia froze, page halfway towards her, “Ah…. may I read this?”

I sighed and shrugged.

She brought the page the rest of the way towards her, “Sorry. I’m still getting used to having… Wait a second. Grain imports to Las Pegasus?” Celestia quickly retrieved two more pieces of paper from the top, “The report on the deficit of foodstuffs to Vanhoover? Phasma?” She whispered, “This is the crop crisis Luna and I are managing! What on Equus are you doing reading it over?”

“Assembling a plan of action,” I returned, lifting up a thin packet for her to see.

She took it from my telekinesis and flipped through it, “... Well, it’s certainly far from acceptable, but more than enough for a rough draft…. Why did you do this? You’re busy enough as it is with your own nascent kingdom. Why pile on more work?”

I looked down at Luna, “To help her.”

Celestia growled quietly, “You went from ordering assassinations one night to bending over backwards out of the kindness of your heart the next night! You….!” She trailed off as she struggled to keep her voice down.

Tiberius stirred from his place on Luna’s desk, nose twitching as he sniffed the air and ears flicking around as he roused.

“Go on,” I goaded her. “What about me?”

Celestia sighed, “You confuse me so much. Years from now, you’re going to be an amazing friend. But right now, I can’t help but think about what will make you snap next time. Please, just… keep trying. Keep doing more of this.”

Luna stirred, freezing Celestia in her tracks.

When she didn’t wake, Celestia started again, “I came here to tell you that we’ve finished inventorying everything recovered from Division-P. We’ll go over it tomorrow.” I grunted a reply, so she continued, “... How is Luna? What did you two talk about?”

“We told Sweet Dream everything about how we met. Mostly, Luna talked about her banishment. As a changeling, I got front-row tickets to the hell she was put through.”

I didn’t need to be an empath to see the sorrow Celestia felt. She half turned to the door and remained silent for a minute. Tiberius settled back down, curled up, and went back to sleep.

“... Does she blame me?”

“If she does, she hasn’t said as much,” I said.

‘But I honestly doubt it.’

I was petty enough to keep that part unsaid. At least for now.

“How bad was it?” She asked.

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes,” Celestia said without hesitation.

“Then ask her when she’s ready, and she’ll tell you.”

She nodded, “I won’t fail this time. I’ll help you. Both of you.”

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me

12- Praetorian of Rhodes

“Thorax says the nymph clutches are being settled into the Crystal Caves,” Lacewing announced.

“That’s… good,” I said.

“You really need to schedule more visits to the Fifth Hive proper,” Lace told me. “Your presence is desperately needed– for a million different reasons. We’d all prefer it if you spent all of your time down there. You could at least move your office into the Crystal Caves; since everyling else is down there, it’d really speed things up.”

I stopped and groaned as loud as I could. Lace rolled her eyes as she stopped to address my temper tantrum.

“Grow a pair. You can see your marefriend in the mornings and afternoons. Do you at least understand the benefits of working inside the Hive? Actually being with your changelings every day, rather than hiding out in the pony Palace?”

I stomped a hoof, “But I don’ wanna!”

“A couple hours a day. That’s it.”

“..... Fine,” I sighed. “But damn it, my office is going to have to be so damn luxurious! I want poor people for footstools! Gold-encrusted finger sandwiches! Everything!”

“What the hell is a finger sandwich?” Lace frowned.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I’ll have a plate of them, all covered in literal gold shavings! Ugh… Yeah, fine. Since you’re in charge of the Crystal Cave retrofitting, Lace, make sure the royal wing has all the bells and whistles. I’ll move my workspace into there for the workday soon enough, probably after this Nightmare stuff. I'll work there for a few days of the week and spend the rest from an office in the Palace. I can spin it as closely tying our future with the Equestrians'. How are my changelings, by the way?”

“Find out yourself.”

“Okay… how are the nymphs? Are they getting accustomed to the Caves and being close to ponies?”

“Find out yourself.”

“I’d ask Thorax, but he’s been avoiding me,” I said, rubbing the back of a foreleg awkwardly.

“He’s avoiding us,” Lace corrected, feeling just as guilty as I did. “Guess going behind his back like that really pissed him off.”

“Yeah….”

“Oh well,” Lace shrugged and started back down the hallway. “Let him stew in his anger. He’s not going to get any happier when we go back for round two and gut that fucking traitor.”

“Not a good idea,” I told Lace after catching up. “We need to take several steps back and let that whole situation cool down. Capturing…. Tarsus again is one thing, but killing him is another thing entirely. One the ponies really don’t like. And it’s, like, the wrong thing to do.”

“It’s the smart thing to do,” Lace insisted.

I nodded, “Definitely. But we live with our food now. If we go around killing people when we feel like it, they’re going to take every excuse they can get to make life difficult– if not impossible. We’re already staring down the barrel of a food crisis, Lace.”

Lace glanced at me, “... Can we just kill him a little bit? Just slightly?”

“We can lock him in a box and throw away the key,” I offered.

“It’s a start.”

“But we’ll have to do that after things calm down in Griffonia,” I scratched my chin.

We turned the corner and a quartet of Royal Guards came into view. They stood sentry on either side of a rather plain wooden door. They saluted as I approached, surprising both Lace and me.

“Seems they’re starting to appreciate having a King in their midst,” Lace elbowed me.

Ignoring her, I stepped between the guards and opened the door and walked through. The room I entered, a rather spartan storage room half-filled with various boxes, was today’s destination. Princess Celestia and Cadance were both waiting inside, going over several clipboards and examining gold and metal boxes that had been set aside from the rest.

“Phasma,” Celestia greeted me.

“Celestia, Cadance,” I returned. “Remarkable weather we’re having.”

“Is it?” Cadance asked. “I’ve been stuck inside all day.”

“No,” I said honestly.

“Oh,” Cadance grunted. “Hello there. You’re…. C– no, Lacewing?”

“Right you are!” Lace smiled.

Cadance smiled for a second, before it fell from her face, “.... Right. You’re the one who carried out Phasma’s order a few days ago.”

“We have some good news, finally,” Celestia butted in, gesturing to the contents of the room. “With the capture of the deserters in Trottingham, our recovery of Division-P artifacts and equipment is looking…. Far from complete, if I must be honest, but it’s seen rapid progress. This artifact in particular should hold special interest to you,” she said, nudging one of the gold boxes towards me.

Gently, I picked up the box, lifted the lid, and peered inside.

“It’s… jewelry?” I asked.

“More than just the edgy necklace it appears to be,” Cadance said. “It’s a puzzle that has left Celestia confused for centuries. Now, it seems, we have an answer.”

“Confused is an overstatement,” Celestia interrupted. “It was merely an unsolved mystery. I wasn’t losing any sleep at night or anything like that.”

“So what is it?” I asked, lifting the charm out.

It was a red diamond-shaped gem set in a gray and black triangle pendant, with the silhouette of an alicorn rising above the triangle.

“The Alicorn Amulet,” Celestia told me. “The source of several headaches in ages past. Division-P had recovered it while scouring the kingdom for changelings. I was originally planning on simply locking it back up, but Lace revealed something interesting…”

“There was a team of changelings helping in the Trottingham operation,” Lace quickly explained. “One of them reported this artifact’s existence to me, and on a hunch, I checked in with Sting. She’s going to confirm it when they arrive in the First Hive, but according to our notes, the Alicorn Amulet matches one of the empty plinths in the First Hive’s vault.”

My eyebrows raised in surprise, “It’s a changeling artifact?”

“Makes me wonder what other magical trinkets come from your species,” Celestia muttered. “Several ponies with delusions of grandeur had used this artifact in the past to try to usurp power. I imagine your ancestors created the Alicorn Amulet in their attempts to emulate the power of an alicorn.”

I placed it back in the box, “Can it? Emulate the power of an alicorn, I mean.”

“Hardly,” Celestia laughed. “Though, it does give the user quite the boost in power. The cost for this power and knowledge is the gradual corruption of the user. I had assumed that it came from one of the mage towers in Canterlot. Those nobles would do anything to achieve ascension…”

“Little do they know what’s associated with that word. Let’s go with your plan of sealing it up for now,” I said, closing the box. “Dealing with a magical artifact that corrupts its users is a bit too much to take on right now. We can look into researching it safely after the Umbrum and King Sombra have been dealt with. No point creating turncoats before that point.”

“I agree,” Cadance chimed in. “Less so about the studying part.”

“It’s an ancient changeling artifact. At the very least, we can learn more about who we once were,” I said.

“Let’s address that when the time comes,” Celestia said diplomatically. “For now, I’ll secure it in the Palace’s vaults. The rest of the contents of this room are… less important. The Amulet was the most notable item. Still, they belong to the Fifth Hive.”

“Actually, there’s one more thing you should see,” Lace said. “In that box over there, in the center of the room.”

The box she gestured to was a wooden crate marked with ‘UC11’ across the side. Curious, the pair of ponies followed me as I trotted over. I pried open the wooden lid and set it aside. The contents of the crate were hidden under paper wrapping, but a good two-thirds of the box was occupied by bulky objects.

“The one in the middle,” Lace pointed out from over my shoulder.

At her suggestion, I gently lifted up the middle package. It was sizable yet light. Presumably, it was hollow on the inside. I pried away the brown paper that the object was wrapped in, discarding it without care. When I saw a glint of orange, my pace quickened and I tore away the rest with feverish intent.

Soon enough, I found myself clutching an orange helmet. It was a Praetorian design, one of two ever created. One set of the orange Praetorian armor was sitting unused somewhere in the Fourth Hive. The second had been lost with its bearer; the lost member of the First Fang, who had died during the First Invasion of Canterlot.

Praetorian Oestridae, shadow and loyal bodyguard of Prince Phasma.

The friend I had sent to his death.

I fell to my haunches and lifted the empty helmet to look into its empty eyes. When I spoke, my voice was quiet and gravely, like I had swallowed sandpaper.

“A changeling who gives everything to the hive ascends above The Great Tapestry, to the realm of The Six Halls,” I recited. “Those were his words. Who the hell knows what’s in those halls, but that’s where he’s supposed to be…” The pair of Princesses kept respectfully silent as I continued, “According to one Human belief, warriors fallen in battle are taken to the afterlife by Valkyries, the warrior-angels of Valhalla. They would drink and fight and be merry for the rest of eternity up there.”

“Sounds… touching,” Cadance offered.

“I can taste your disgust, pony,” I said quietly. “Funny thing is, if that’s the afterlife that awaited Oest, he’d probably hate me for getting him killed. He hated being a guard, after all. Only signed up to be my Praetorian since I personally asked him. Knowing him, he’s probably up in the Six Halls doing something like starting a garden or taking up meditation, trying and failing to figure out how other people relax.”

Lace shook her head, “More likely, he’s getting shit-faced drunk, wondering how long it’ll take for his friends to join him.”

“Heh, yeah,” I muttered, turning the helmet over in my hooves.

“It’s… never easy,” Celestia said. “Nor does it get any easier. If anything, the foresight of what’s going to happen just makes it worse. But… the pain fades with time. I’m sorry for your loss, Phasma.”

“Didn’t you lose some guards, too?” I asked. “When Chrysalis attacked? What were their names?”

“Moon Dust, Stitch ‘N Time, Rolfor Strength, and Green Hoof,” Celestia recited without hesitation.

“Close?”

“They were part of my personal guard rotation for the past four years,” Celestia explained. “Two of them were on my rotation for eight. Every year, I got their foals Hearth's Warming gifts. This year, I got them killed.”

“It wasn’t your fault…” Cadance said.

“Hardly the same thing as ordering someone to die,” I agreed, “but I get your point, Celestia. I’m sure there are a thousand more stories you’re holding in your heart. I’m sorry for your loss. All of them.”

“Thank you,” Celestia sighed. “Both of you…”

“I’m also sorry,” Lace added.

Celestia snorted, “Thanks, Lacewing. Though now that I think about it… Ah, we’ll talk about it later. Now’s not the time.”

I replaced the lid on the box slowly, “I should also say thank you, Lace. This means a lot to me.”

“It means a lot to all of us,” Lace countered. “Coxa, Thorax, and I all agree: we want his armor on display, where his memory will be honored.”

“... Get the second set from the old Hive when you get the chance, Lacewing. When we start decorating my office, we’ll have both sets standing next to each other.”

With this meeting concluded, I had just one more important thing to do today. One more thing before the afternoon filled with my various meetings with the Fifth Hive’s leadership, at least.

‘Thorax. I’ve avoided him for too long.’

Tracking down Thorax turned out to be more difficult than I first thought. He was avoiding me as much as I was avoiding him. It took me until the late afternoon to manage to find him, since my efforts were constantly sidetracked by the necessary duties of ruling a species.

Thorax wasn't in the Palace. He hadn't set hoof inside there since the night I ignored him and ordered the assassination. Instead, he had spent his time in the Crystal Caves and the daily sortie out into the city. Learning his current schedule from a pair of helpful lings, I managed to find him as he conducted one of his new operations in Canterlot.

Which brought me to his…. Friendship Workshop. Despite the garish title, it was actually a pretty smart idea. Thorax managed to secure a weekly reservation at one of Canterlot's community centers and was hosting an array of activities, all aimed at helping changelings become accustomed to Equestrian society, as well as helping any pony brave or interested enough to stop by to understand changelings.

I sat in the back, almost out of sight, and quietly chatted with a few drones as Thorax stood at the front of the large room, hosting his workshop. Today he was trying to get the changeling to understand consumer economics.

'And good luck to him with that.'

The drones offered me an insight as to why they all bothered to show up: most were interested in the skills and opportunities that Thorax offered, but a few were just taking the excuse to try to meet ponies. Being in a relationship with one and providing love for the Hive came with many benefits, after all.

I warned them to not creep out any ponies that stumbled into Thorax's newly found cult. They seemed to take my advice to heart… Then again, I am the King. They might be listening to my title more than anything else. As an afterthought, I told them to keep attending Thorax's workshops to get an understanding of when it's appropriate to ask someone out.

I seemed to have arrived towards the tail-end of the workshop, as Thorax finished answering questions and gave a quick recap of what he covered today. Apparently, he was teaching the drones the basics of income, expenses, budgeting, stores, prices, taxes, and so on.

As it turned out, the current strategy was to rely on changelings who actually knew about that stuff, in addition to pulling that information from my personal Weave. Given that I actually had some education in economics, that should have been less surprising than it was.

When Thorax finally finished up his little class, I got up from my seat in the back and stalked over to him. Drones got out of my way, bowed, and offered greetings as I passed. I smiled and returned the greeting when I could, but Thorax had quickly noticed my approach and had started to excuse himself from the few drones lingering around to talk to him.

I caught up to the Prince as he trotted through an empty and dim hallway.

"Thorax!" I called out.

With a sigh, he stopped and turned to face me.

"King Phasmatodea."

"Thorax, I need to talk to… Look, can we talk?"

He glared up at me, "We seem to be talking already, King Phasmatodea."

I cringed, "Thorax, please. I came here to talk with you, heart to heart."

"I know. I sensed your Weave and knew you were in this part of the city. What do you want, Phasmatodea?"

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Sorry for what?"

"Thorax, can you please cut the crap? I ignored you and gave the order. I fucked up and I'm sorry."

Thorax shook his head, "You walked all over me. What was my purpose in the First Fang? What did you tell me was the reason why you kept me close?"

"... I wanted your counsel."

"Yet you can just ignore me whenever what I'm saying is inconvenient?" He hissed. "You acted like it was pointless. That I was pointless. I tried so hard to help you, to steer you away from killing needlessly. But you ignored me. Discarded me. Well, sorry to tell you, Phasma," he spat my name with venom, "but now I have something more. Lings listen to me when I talk to them. I can actually help others. I have a purpose!"

"I said I'm sorry, Thorax!" I insisted. "I was wrong to treat you that way! I broke my word and treated you as less than equal. That was wrong."

"Sorry doesn't change the past," Thorax huffed. "You saw only your feelings and decided to take what you wanted. You and Lace both. At least she has the excuse of blaming Tarsus for being tortured! What do you have?!"

"He tried to get me killed! He got Oest killed!"

"Despite your reincarnation, you really are your mother's son. You promised us- you promised the drones that they wouldn't have to fear for their lives in your kingdom. Tarsus wasn't a threat. Not anymore. He wasn’t trying to kill you when you tried to have him assassinated. You just acted out on your feelings, ignoring me when I stood right in front of you and told you that you were making a mistake."

"I'm sorry-"

"You're not sorry!" He yelled, pushing against my chest. "You're not sorry that you broke your word! You're not sorry that you ordered an assassination! You're sorry that you're facing the consequences of your actions. Nothing more. I've tried reasoning with you. But I… I can't. Not anymore. Not right now. I'm sorry Phasma, but I need some space and time to think."

"What can I do to fix this?"

Thorax frowned, "... First, you can set in stone the rights of drones. You're on the right path, have been from the beginning, but this cannot happen again."

"The constitution is being written," I nodded.

"Second, you have to swear that you'll never go against a member of the First Fang again. Not for these group decisions."

"I promise-"

"Not good enough. Not anymore. You have to swear. Swear to Panar, to Luna, to whoever the hell you care about anymore."

"... I swear to Panar, Luna, and the First Fang that we are equals, none above the other."

That mollified Thorax a bit. He gave me a half-nod and cleared his throat.

"Finally, you have to fix Tarsus's eyes and pardon him."

"What?!" I gasped. "Thorax, are you insane?!"

"I swear at times that I'm the only sane one in this Hive. No, Phasma, I'm serious. You have to heal and pardon the traitor."

"Healing is one thing, but I will never give that scum a pardon!" I seethed. "The only thing I'll give him is a retrial! That's the best he's going to get, and he'd better be thankful!"

"That won't work, Phas," Thorax sighed.

"What won't work?!"

"The retrial. You won't find any ling who will give him a proper judgment. Every single changeling will kill Tarsus now."

I froze as I tried to understand his reasoning. My brain kept skipping at the 'pardon' part.

"Think about it, Phas. You, the King, have passed judgment against Tarsus. Doesn't matter if you walk it back and task some drones to rejudge the trial, none of them would deliver a different verdict. None of them would go against the King. Even the former Fourth Hive loyalists would sacrifice Tarsus to pardon themselves and ingratiate themselves with you. He's burned. Noling will touch him, lest they face your wrath."

"... Do they all know about the assassination order?"

"If they don't yet, they will eventually. Not to mention the fact that you already banished him."

I tried to think of a solution.

Before I could come up with anything, Thorax turned away, "Those are my terms for… forgiving you. Until then, it's up to everyling else to help you. I need a break. Oh, and one more thing: Lace needs a therapist, too."

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me

13- Zeus

"The audacity! The nerve! The unmitigated gall!"

With an overhead slam, the metal target was cracked into seven pieces by God-Splitter. A moment later, I pulled over another target and was already swinging away. A stationary target was far from an adequate training partner but it was all I had. I couldn't exactly risk swinging God-Splitter at a changeling or pony, not when it would break any protective dueling enchantments.

"Phasma, please!" Bray pleaded from the sidelines of my training area. "We're now three hours behind schedule! You're going to buck up the entire week if you keep this up! Lacewing, please, talk some sense into our friend!"

Lacewing glanced at my aide, "You're barking up the wrong tree. If I cared enough to spar, I'd be in there, too."

"To think he even suggested pardoning the motherfucker!" I hissed, still spinning and swinging away, dodging imaginary attacks.

"Coxa, can you talk some sense into both of them?" Bray asked.

Coxa looked up from the book he was reading, "... I can try. Look, Phasma, Lace… Thorax is right. Sort of. We can't hold a retrial for Tarsus; we don't have anyone able to actually judge him. I would be all for locking him up and throwing away the key, but we can't. Not without compromising everything we've fought for."

"Bullshit," Lace said, voicing my thoughts.

However, just like me, she had no counterargument.

“Blinding him was too far,” I conceded. “If it wasn’t for that, everyone would have accepted his banishment without question. That was the poison that ruined the whole judgment… But ultimately, the military trial goes against the precedent I’ve been trying to create.”

'Would the drones actually care that I assassinate the traitor? I doubt it. Not at first, anyways. But this would be the first act of our united Hive… It could be a seam, a fault that could split the Hive in half a decade from now. The drones could just as easily wipe this from their collective memory and not give a single damn, but why should I take the risk? Damn it! The last thing I want is for that bastard to be causing me problems for years to come! I just want him dead! Gone! History! Instead, he might be a martyr for a cause which may or may not arise!'

I knew they had a point. I knew it instinctually, like how everyone older than a toddler knew that one day, they would die. No matter how much they raged against the inevitable, the end always came.

However, that line of thought merely reminded me of why I was here in the first place, as well as why I hated Tarsus so much.

"Never!" I yelled. "I'd rather die again than let that bastard go!"

Perfectly unbiased legality be damned, I was going to make sure that bastard paid the price. If it costs me a bit of my soul, then Panar take it.

"Oh mare," Bray sighed. "This is definitely some deep psychological stuff that's beyond what I'm capable of helping with. Phasma! I'm going to go get Princess Luna! Don't rush off! Or if you do, then rush off to complete all the stuff you've fallen behind on, okay?!"

I paused to catch my breath as Bray galloped off.

"It's not going to happen, Coxa," Lace insisted. "And quite frankly, the fact that you flipped so easily kinda pisses me off."

"As I said, I'd be all for locking him up if we had the chance," Coxa explained. "And we did. And we fucked it up. Thorax is right, we've put ourselves into a corner and the only way out that doesn't cause future problems is pardoning the traitor. Executing him or keeping him exiled might not cause any problems…. or it might cause a resurgence in Chrysalis loyalists, threatening another civil war."

"Do you really think the life of one drone matters that much?!" Lace mocked.

"It does to me," I grunted. "It certainly does to the ponies. It does to Thorax. If it eventually doesn't matter to the drones, then I've done something wrong. But I can't pardon him. I can't."

"None of us can judge him," Coxa started, "none of the lings can hide him, and certainly none of the ponies can be trusted to judge him. So…."

"We need a third option," Lace insisted. "We cannot pardon him, and if we cannot kill him, then we'll find another way to get rid of him."

"A third option," I agreed, chest heaving from the intense workout. An idea struck me and I turned God-Splitter over in my grip, "What if we had a judge? A neutral judge, uninvolved in any of this but still a changeling?"

"The war included every member of our species, Phasma, and every changeling owes fealty to you. Even if we found someling who didn't take part in the war, an Infiltrator perhaps, then we'd be back to them selling out Tarsus to save their own hides and pleasing you."

"But what if they didn't owe fealty to me? Or, at least, were autonomous enough to not fear judgment from disagreeing with me…"

"Just who the hell would that be?" Lace asked. "None of us four members of the First Fang can be unbiased. Pharynx doesn't care enough– but I bet that if he was pushed, he'd just pardon Tarsus for the same reason the other loyalists would. That just leaves… Chrysalis. We're not letting her out of that cell to judge her most loyal supporter!"

‘Pharynx would actually work quite well. I think he straight up doesn’t care enough about the situation to have a biased outcome. I’m sure he believes that because he’s a Prince, he’s untouchable. And he’s right to an extent; I can’t exactly argue with Panar herself about her choice in royals. But at the end of the day, I’m not looking for a solution that works, I’m looking for a solution that doesn’t work.’

"There is another," I told them. "A changeling royal uninvolved in any of this. One who wouldn't care either way and would judge fairly if we asked. I think."

"Who?" Coxa asked.

“The one whose soul has been cut in two.” I hefted God-Splitter above my head, "... And if it takes us a lifetime to finally get that royal back? Then I guess our little backstabber will just have to count the rest of his years in a cell."

The gathered leaders of our coalition sat with rapt attention as Captain Shining Armor continued his announcement on our current plans for the war against the Umbrum.

Present were the changeling leaders, consisting of myself, General Labrum, and Captain Katydid, the thestrals, consisting of Elder Vigilance and Lieutenant Sulfur Drip, and finally the ponies, consisting of the three alicorn Princesses, Captain Shining Armor, and a few select Lieutenants of the Royal Guard’s upper echelon. In addition, there were a few scribes and other assistants required for the meeting and those present, such as Celestia’s aide Raven and my aide Bray Call.

Captain Shining Armor sighed, “Which brings us to page four.” After waiting for all of us assembled to flip to that page, he continued, “With all things considered, I am motioning that we scale down the size of the Royal Guard. Our current numbers were inflated to deal with the invasion of our Kingdom, but with the changeling war now over, there is no reason to keep all the Royal Guards enlisted. Many can be discharged back to their families and lives. Overall, I expect to decrease the number of ponies-at-arms by about twenty percent.”

“You want to lose soldiers right before a war?” Elder Vigilance asked. “Are you serious?”

“Quite,” Shining returned. “Look at our expected deployments around Nisir and Shimmervale. There’re only so many guards that will be fighting the Umbrum forces. Even considering the fact that we will be holding several regiments in reserve to deal with potential breakouts, there’s still more Royal Guards than there is a need for.”

“What if the Nightmares prove too much for the reserve regiments?” General Labrum asked. “Or what if we fail to stop the Nightmares at Nisir and have to fall back?”

Celestia leaned forward, “Every single one of our aces will be deployed at Nisir. Every single alicorn. Every single royal. Every single one of our specialists and veterans. We will be holding the mountain and the surrounding valley with quite literally the best that this continent has to offer and then some. In addition, the spell that will keep the Umbrum largely contained has to be kept in Nisir, lest the spell unravel. If we cannot protect this changeling crown and its spell, if that proves not enough to hold King Sombra and the Umbrum at bay, then there is little point in trying to fight them elsewhere. This will be a fight for everything or nothing.”

Celestia’s revelation got a range of different reactions from the people present. The changelings were largely indifferent, having a lifetime of dramatic do-or-die situations under their belts.

The thestrals were somewhat agitated at the plan. From what I could pick out from the quiet conversation between their two leaders, Lieutenant Sulfur Drip and Elder Vigilance, they were not happy about being forced into a pitched battle with no withdrawal plan.

‘Quite an understandable reaction.’

Finally, the ponies were having mixed reactions. The Princesses, having made this decision with Shining, were calm. Their Lieutenants were surprised but were keeping their reactions limited to the fervent minor discussions they were having. The most upset at this was, interestingly enough, Bray Call.

“Phasma, what the buck are they talking about?” She whispered to me.

“They said they are standing down a portion of the Royal Guard,” I whispered back.

She glared at me, “Yes, thank you for repeating that. I definitely didn’t get that the first time. I’m asking why we don’t have a backup plan?!”

“Why don’t you ask them yourself? You have my full permission to voice any questions you have, Bray.”

The unicorn blinked, “... Oh. Thank you.” She turned to Shining, “Excuse me, Captain? I have a hard time believing that we won’t even try to stop them if they defeat us at Nisir. We can’t just be pinning our hopes on one victory and not prepare for the worst, right?”

“That is all we can do,” Luna interrupted. “If we were to lose at Nisir, then every single one of our fallen would be added to their possessed numbers. King Phasma has already given testimony to the fact that they can puppet corpses. A defeat as catastrophic as what you suggest would mean that our armies would be incapable of stopping the Nightmares-made-manifest. Simply put, they would have far too much momentum. The spell is what’s keeping them concentrated in one location. Without that, they could– and would– flood Equestria in a wave of… death.”

Shining picked up, “The alternative would be deploying all our remaining guards along the North, like what we did with the changelings. Problem is, without proper support from alicorns, royals, or thestral hunting squads, their capabilities against Umbrum will be limited. No, we have to concentrate all that we have in order to defeat them before they become too numerous to defeat.”

“We do plan on bettering our capabilities of fighting said foe,” Celestia added.

Luna nodded, “Of course. Captain Shining Armor, please tell our friends about our expansion plans.”

“While the main body of the Royal Guard is decreasing in size, the specialist divisions will be bolstering their numbers with new recruits. See page five,” Shining directed. “Since the number of soldiers that can engage the enemy will be limited, we will have to maximize the potential of each soul on the front line. We advise the Principality of Trotsylvania and the Fifth Hive do the same.”

“Which divisions will be increasing in size?” A pony lieutenant asked.

Cadance chimed in, “The pegasi specialists, The Wonderbolts, will double their roster. The unicorn mage orders will likewise be attempting to double their member count. Finally, the earth pony knight order, The Shields of Canterlot, will be tripling their size. The minor earth pony knight orders will be aiming for a fifty-percent increase in size.”

The ponies nodded along, approving of the decision.

“Finally,” Celestia said, “the S.M.I.L.E. division is being reinstated. All former members that have been investigated and cleared of any potential crimes against peace or changeling rights will be reinstated. Those still under investigation will be held until they face trial or are cleared of charges.”

“What about the one problematic agent?” I asked. “Daring Do?”

“Problematic?” Elder Vigilance repeated. “Didn’t she help save your life? What has happened since then?”

“Agent Do has had some strange… encounters with Division-P and has refused to answer some of Phasma’s questions,” Luna explained. “However, she was cleared by Celestia herself.”

“And will be returning to active duty as soon as she is able,” Celestia finished.

‘Figures.’

“Then we’ll have to discuss the tribunals for the members sooner rather than later,” I sighed.

“Any other questions?” Shining Armor asked.

Twelve different hooves raised. Feeling left out, I raised one of my own.

“This is long overdue,” Lacewing muttered.

“I know, I know,” I said. “I’ve just been busy dealing with the upper echelon– it’s not like Chrysalis spoke to many drones outside of the upper command for the Fourth Hive, anyways.”

Lace nodded, “That’s a fair point. Still, at least she lived with her drones.”

“You think that given the chance, she wouldn’t all-but-abandon the Hive and cling to a source of pure love, content with the knowledge that the Hive will be perfectly fine?”

“You know what, that’s on me,” Lace shook her head. “I tried to compare you to Chrysalis. I shouldn’t have set the bar so low.”

We arrived at our destination shortly after. Setting down on the entrance plaza, about fifty different lings dropped into a bow when my arrival was announced. Chisels, boxes of supplies of all different kinds, hammers, and many other workers’ tools clattered to the ground as they bowed deeply before us.

These drones were working on decorating the entrance to the Crystal Caves. With chisel and hammer, they were carving into the rock an entrance worthy of a subterranean kingdom, set in the gleaming jewel of the world. The work was only just beginning, but a massive section of the mountain had been marked off and the area divided up into quadrants for carving. Two massive changeling statues, half-carved out from the stone wall, would stand sentry on either side of the entrance. Between them– and including on the frame around them– various carvings of vines, angular lattices, crystal sconces, and small depictions of scenes were being planned.

Several nobles had originally thrown a fit at the idea of changelings marking up their oh-so-beautiful mountain, but merely showing them the planned designs did away with those concerns. As troublesome as they could be, having an entire façade of art and statues, four hundred square hooves large and carved into the mountain right by their homes would do wonders to raise property values.

‘As usual, the way to their hearts is through money. No love for art to be adored by all…’

The group of six Red Right Hoof guards at the opened doors were the only lings to remain standing, instead banging their spears on the ground and saluting me.

“Arise, my drones,” I called out. “You are all doing magnificent work.”

“I’ll say,” Lace cooed. “Progress this week has been quite rapid.”

“Did you design the grand entrance yourself?”

She kicked a pebble across the stone tiles, “I may have had a hoof in the matter. But no, this was the collective work of many changelings. I just had the pleasure of herding these cats and trying to get some semblance of planning and greater motif from them. Though, I will admit, the doors are my own personal project. I just need to find the damn time…”

I glanced at the pair of large stone doors that marked the entrance to the changelings’ territory.

“They seem completely blank to me,” I said.

“No shit, that’s because we’re still forging them out of metal and preparing the gem inlays. I’ll tell you all about them later,” Lace smiled.

“Oh. That sounds… like it’ll be a spectacle to behold,” I blinked in surprise. “We’re really going in on the theme of being wealthy, huh?”

Lace laughed, “Need I remind you that the throne room’s doors in the Fourth Hive were similarly covered from floor to ceiling in carvings? I spent so many free hours just staring at those two…. But sadly, all my free time is now taken up by getting the Infiltrators back in order. The ones still acting as spies, at least. Not to mention handling all the Division-P nonsense… Now stop stalling and get a move on!”

Nodding, we passed through the grand doorways of the nascent changeling hold.

‘The final product will be something that could make a dwarf weep if Lace has anything to say about it. Oh Panar, this is so exciting!’

The main hall to the Crystal Caves had been widened out and smoothed over. There were plans to try to add some sort of minecart system capable of going up and down vertical and slanted surfaces, but those had been put far into the backburner. Likewise, the hall itself was practically empty of any sort of decoration save for the equally-spaced-out gem sconces that kept the place lit.

Down and down into the deep we went, the hall slowly spiraling as it descended downwards. We passed many changelings along the way. Some carried boxes. Others hauled carts full of goods. Everyone smiled when they saw us coming and stopped in place to bow. I quickly gave up asking them all to rise, merely resorting to smiling and waving as we passed.

The natural Crystal Caves were all located around what will be the third level of the Hive, with its entrances located nowhere near this part of the city.

“Remarkable what we can accomplish in just a few weeks,” Lace said in passing. “Then again, when our entire workforce no longer has to maintain that massive crumbling pile of resin and had double the rations we used to, everyling is more than happy to pull their weight.”

“Let’s just hope Thorax can stabilize the food situation before we fall back to starvation rations,” I muttered.

We emerged into the Grand Hall after a minute or two of descending. Unlike the First and Third Hives, it had been decided not to carve out one massive cavern to house the entire changeling kingdom. Instead, the Crystal Caves had been divided up into layers, then further into quadrants, then finally, rooms. The first room also happened to be one of the biggest.

It was an extremely spacious cavern, with the walls still being extended further out, shaped roughly as a half-dome. It was the room furthest along in being finished, with countless other halls branching out from the sides of the cavern. Areas all around the room had been cleared away and replaced with planters, stalls, and even a hoofful of dirt patches being seeded with grass. A massive circular sun lamp was still being installed in the very apex of the cavern, capable of lighting the entire room and providing the magical light needed to grow plants down here. A team of unicorns had been hired to invent a sort of magnifier to softly focus the light downwards and outwards. Until it was turned out, the entire cavern was being lit up with glow-moss and enchanted crystals.

The faux-sun was a far cry from what the First and Third Hives boasted, but it was all that was needed for these much smaller central chambers.

Directly beneath our own version of the manufactured sun, a massive hole had been carved into the center of the room, leading to the next layers below– which were still being excavated. The central chambers below would be cylindrical in shape, all connected via this open-air central corridor.

Changelings could fly, after all.

Carts full of crystal and stone were being carted out past us and to several other minor entrances. Changelings flew back and forth, carrying tools, boxes, scrolls, and everything in between as they worked furiously to carve the Hive into the crystals.

As we stepped into the room, the workflow ground to a halt.

"My King!" One changeling called out before bowing, starting a flood of greetings.

"My King!"

"King Phasma!"

"Saint Phasma!"

"My King!"

I smiled, "Arise, changelings! I see you've all been hard at work! This Hive is shaping up quickly into something to be proud of!”

The lings cheered as I struggled with thinking of what to talk to them about. A crowd quickly formed around Lacewing and I.

“I’m sorry for not dropping by sooner,” I said. “I’ve been quite busy, and… to be honest, I’ll use any excuse to stay next to Princess Luna. I’m sure you all know about Love, both how great and addicting it is, as well as how important it is to gather.”

Several lings chuckled while most nodded and grinned.

"But I'm here now! I'll be stopping by more often now that the Hive Eternal is whole again."

'And all the elements of the Fourth Hive's leadership have been integrated or released of duty…'

"My King, do you plan on holding meetings like you did with the Lodges?" One changeling asked.

I blinked, "... I am now. That's a great idea! I'll set up something like a weekly discussion with whoever can attend and try to answer questions or help out where I can. I imagine those little town halls would be quite a bit busier than our old Lodge meetings…"

"We still hold those," another changeling shrugged. "Just, you know, without you, Saint Phasma."

"Good. Keep up with the Lodges. Though their primary purpose is no longer needed, having some kind of forum for everyling to talk equally is very important."

A changeling raised their hoof, "My King, are you holding one of those meetings right now?"

I glanced at Lace, "Is there a chamber big enough for that?"

Lace nodded, "One of the secondary gathering chambers is dug out on this main floor. Not furnished, mind you, but it's open for use. It's like a park."

"To the desolate park!" I cheered, parting a hole in the crowd as I walked.

"It's that way, Phas," Lace said, pointing in another direction.

"To the desolate park!" I repeated, spinning on my hooves to head to the new direction. "Those of you without time-sensitive duties are invited to attend."

Many changelings followed as Lace guided me through the Crystal Caves. The rather plain-looking crystal walls of the tunnel had been decorated with lines of glowing moss in the upper corners. We passed by a hoofful of changelings that were busy seeding more moss, carving more channels for it to grow, or installing the odd crystal torch.

Lace's park was even more bare than she made it out to be. Workers had cut out most of the rounded chamber's floor, leaving a four-hoof deep indent that left walkways and small plazas sticking up. These open areas would eventually be filled with dirt before being seeded with plants. Taking up position on top of one of these small crystal outcroppings, I looked out over the quickly-growing crowd.

Much to my surprise, a pair of familiar faces heralded the arrival of a large group of changelings. Broodnurses Psocid and Lethocerus led a group of other drones into the chamber with a Swarm of nymphs at their heels. The little changelings skipped and hovered as they excitedly pranced into the room behind their clutch leaders. A few playfully tackled or chased each other, but all roughhousing came to an end when the nymphs saw me.

The drones made room for the nymphs and their minders, letting the little ones up to the front. They galloped forward past the clutch leaders and two brood nurses, almost climbing over each other as they gathered right beneath my hooves.

"King Phasma!"

"There he is!"

"The big cheese! He doesn't have any cheese holes, though."

"Mr. King, do you remember me?!" A nymph waved.

"Ahem," Broodnurse Psocid cleared her throat. "Order yourselves, drones of the Fifth Hive!"

At her command, the little nymphs quickly sat themselves in an orderly square pattern- though a few still climbed over their neighbors to get to their assigned spots.

"You're all quite lucky that our new King is much more forgiving than the old Queen!" Broodnurse Lethocerus admonished.

Psocid bowed, "Apologies, My King. The moment we heard that you were in the Hive, your hatchmates practically vibrated with excitement."

"Hatchmates?" I repeated quietly. "You mean…"

"These were the neighboring eggs that you helped hatch, My King," Psocid confirmed. "While you might not remember them, I assure you that your brief presence left quite the impression."

"They certainly are dedicated to you, My King," one of the adult clutch leaders chuckled.

"Oh," I whispered. "Well. I, uh…. It's great to see all of you. I certainly remember you all as fellow larva. It was a… confusing time for me."

One of the nymphs elbowed her neighbor, "See, I told you he remembered me!"

'Are one-year-olds supposed to be able to speak this well? I'll have to ask later.'

"Well you all came at a great time," I said, redirecting the conversation. "I was just about to answer the questions anyone had here. At least, for an hour or two. I assume you all have some questions, too?"

Tiny hooves shot into the air, the nymphs attached to them struggling to stay seated.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me

14- Fates

Pharynx shivered in his greatcoat.

Staring at the body of a dead immortal felt strange. It was like Pharynx was seeing something that he shouldn't be, that he was committing a sin by merely witnessing the confirmation that even royals can die.

The feeling of wrongness was accompanied by an increasingly-familiar sense of dread. Soon, lings will be looking at him in the same way.

Pharynx tore his gaze away from the Skeleton King and stared at the changeling addressing him.

"What?" He asked.

"... I said that the last of the wagons are down," Cricket repeated. "Everyling is present and accounted for and all the wagons are ready for unloading. What are your orders?"

"Oh," Pharynx mumbled. "Yes. I want teams to scout out the Palace, find rooms for storage, sleeping quarters, and-"

"We've already done that, Prince Pharynx," Cricket cut him off. "As you ordered."

"Hmph, good," Pharynx grunted.

".... What are our orders, My Prince?" Cricket asked, patience clearly wearing thin.

Pharynx resisted the urge to glance back at the skeleton wearing the mesmerizing crown, "Unload the wagons. Start a guard rotation for keeping an eye on the food storage, as well as the perimeter of the castle."

"Very good, My Prince. And the rest of the lings?"

"The rest?" Pharynx repeated.

"The rest of the changelings. You know, the ones that aren't Red Right Hoof soldiers?"

Pharynx blanked.

Cricket sighed, "The ponies will be here in four days. I suggest we make sure we have heating, security, physical food, and adequate lighting by then."

Pharynx nodded, "Sounds good. Let's get lights up first, as we need to see, followed by heating. Assemble teams to place heating enchantments on the rooms we'll be using." Pharynx shivered and pulled the collar of his coat tighter around his neck, "The sooner we can get warm, the better."

"I can agree with that," Cricket muttered. "When will we hold our first meeting?"

"Meeting?" Pharynx asked. "Aren't we talking right now?"

"Meeting with the whole colony," Cricket elaborated.

"Feh. The Q- former Queen Chrysalis didn't meet with the Fourth Hive. Why should I?"

"King Phasma met with the Fifth Hive when it was this small," Cricket glared at Pharynx. "It's important to meet the drones and understand what problems they're facing. You shouldn't use Chrysalis as a role model."

"... Probably not," Pharynx admitted.

'But that brings me back to square one; what the hell am I supposed to be doing?'

“Tomorrow morning?” Cricket suggested.

He nodded, “After breakfast. Let’s have the dining hall heated before then. Dormitories first, then the dining hall. After we’ve got that done, we can start thinking about making things habitable for the walking food.”

“Ponies.”

“Walking food,” Pharynx insisted. “They can stay in our city if they want, but the price they will have to pay will be us making snide remarks behind their backs– in addition to whatever deal Phasma worked out with them.”

Cricket sighed, “This is going to be a long assignment.”

“Anything else?” Pharynx asked, turning back to the dead King.

“... What do we do about him? Or the… crown?”

“Leave it. The last thing I want is the whole containment spell failing because we decided to give the poor bastard a proper send-off. No one is to touch the skeleton or even come within ten hooves of the thing without my explicit permission.”

“Prince Pharynx…. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he dismissed without a thought.

“I’m an infiltrator, My Prince. You can’t exactly lie to me and get away with it.”

“What, you all can taste changeling emotions, too?” Pharynx dismissed with half of a thought.

“No,” the errant drone continued, “but you don’t need to be an empath to see that something troubles you.”

Now there were too many uncomfortable thoughts that Pharynx would have liked to keep suppressed. Thoughts of a battle yet to be waged, an end that Pharynx didn’t want, and pile of bodies– with his own on top.

‘So much damn blood.’

Pharynx was pulled out of his memory when Cricket placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“My Prince?”

He grunted and knocked her hoof away, “Get back to work, Cricket, or I’ll find you more work to keep you busy.”

Sometimes, I hated politics. Their ceaseless demand for perfection and effort wore me down like how rain weathers a mountain down to its bedrock. There was no guidebook for politics. No formulas to remember without understanding. No teacher to help me figure things out.

“Every action matters,” I said. “Big or small, everything we do is magnified a hundred times in everyone’s eyes. As it stands, there are only bad memories between ponies and changelings. Actions that stained the streets of every town and city south of the North Meridian line with the blood and fear of the invasion. We consecrate the fallen and their sacrifices. We set hard goals for our guards and soldiers to meet. We put changelings and ponies together in a room and expect them to make friends. To an extent, they do– but we should be doing more than setting hard goals and demanding quotas from our people. Let’s start giving them more positive memories.”

The three Princesses nodded along.

“A celebration should be held,” I continued. “One to mark the beginnings of changeling-pony relations not with a war, but a celebration that the fighting is over. We can give the Red Right Hoof and Royal Guard a night to celebrate, get drunk, and make fools of themselves together. We can give the ponies, drones, and thestrals living in Canterlot a reason to break out the good wine and toast to a future worth fighting for.”

I paused, cringing inwardly when I remembered that I was the sole supplier of alcohol and that my words might be considered self-promoting.

‘Politics.’

“Equestria’s next upcoming holiday celebrates the end of hatred between its tribes,” I began again. “Hearth’s Warming: a day to gather around a warm fire, share a hot meal, and chase away the dark with laughter and kindness. Perhaps one day, we newcomers to Equestria will be welcomed as equals by the fire. But we must let that happen naturally. Forcing our new relationship upon ponies may be seen as possessive, dismissive, and outright malicious by the more conservative minds of Equestria. Instead, I propose a new holiday, one marked a month earlier, to celebrate newfound friends.”

The changelings nodded along this time; Thorax in particular seemed happy.

“With the full backing and blessings of the Princesses of Equestria,” I said, gesturing to the three seated alicorns, “and with the approval of both changelings and thestrals,” I then gestured to the few seated changelings and thestrals present, “I introduce to you all: Lantern Night. The streets and skies of Equestria will be filled with light, from Princess Luna’s Aurora Borealis to paper lanterns lifting into the sky…”

I continued my presentation with only half of a mind paying attention. Every single seat in the chamber was taken– though I was not so disillusioned as to believe that every pony was here for me. It was very rare for the Princess to visit the Parliament of The Principality of Equestria. Now, for the first time ever, all three Princesses were present.

I could have been giving a lecture on the value of gray paint and useless paperwork and still would have had a full house.

All two hundred and ninety-five Members of Parliament were present, consisting of everything from elected officials from city-states to the landed gentry and their inherited titles. Accompanying them were approximately five hundred staff members in the outermost seating layer– including the members of the press and other agencies of Equestria’s sprawling government here to witness the events of today. The viewing gallery above the chamber was packed with a few hundred more observers, many resorting to standing to fit in.

The announcement of a brand new government holiday that had the backing of three Princesses and one Foreign-ish King was going to spread like wildfire. As I paused for breath in between practiced lines, I spied countless reporters frantically writing down my entire speech verbatim. Here and there, video cameras were recording the session, allowed in for the first time in Equestrian history. Their black-and-white footage would be replayed with the more-primitive audio recording, viewed all across the nation.

‘And likely repeated over radios once those start making their rounds in Equestria. Alas, that venture has had significant delays… Then again, I am more-or-less kickstarting the entire electronics economics sector. The amount of progress the Doubles have had is already extremely impressive. Which reminds me, I need to invite them over for dinner soon…’

The assembled ponies clapped their hooves as I finished my presentation. The holiday itself was an ambitious bid concocted by me and Bray Call to associate changelings and thestrals with a brand-new paid holiday. Elements had been grifted from the Chinese New Year celebration back on earth, with many more native elements thrown in. There were plans to prepare thestral recipes and share some of the more simplistic changeling artwork and gifts– though these would be woodcarvings and toys rather than the traditional Uttu-fang carvings and… toys.

Toys are toys. Every foal loves them.

There were other elements to the celebration. Stuff like food and…. music. I was never one for holiday parties, anyways.

The Crown would be hosting the centerpiece of the celebration: a massive feast in the Palace, with everyone who was someone attending. It was planned to be slightly smaller in scale compared to the Grand Galloping Gala, but equal in ambition. Since there wasn’t a huge Hearth’s Warming party hosted at the Palace– Celestia had always kept that holiday for herself– the nobles and well-to-do of Equestria would practically throw themselves at a new, official social club gathering that proved their social status. Especially since it didn’t actually interfere with their own personal parties. The holiday was being put before the Parliament as a proposal, but its implementation was as sure as the fact that the sun would rise in the morning tomorrow.

“I would like to turn the podium over to my assistant, Bray Call, who helped in no small manner to make this dream a reality.”

I stepped back and gestured for Bray Call to take up the podium, nodded once to the Princesses to show my official appreciation for the opportunity, and sat down in the changeling section to the side of the center dias in the chamber. The Magistrate of Equestria introduced Bray Call before she started her own presentation on the different celebration plans.

“Not good enough for Hearth’s Warming?” Coxa whispered to me as I sat next to him.

“I’d rather not give the more touchy ponies a reason to think we’re taking away their holiday,” I whispered back.

“A more forceful response might actually be better, though. We certainly can’t let them entertain the idea that they have a voice in us staying.”

“In due time,” I said, ending the conversation.

I tried to gauge the Parliament's feelings. Unfortunately, with so many ponies in one single room, I was only able to discern the emotions of the ones closest to me. Sure, every pony was smiling and looking on with rapt attention, but that hardly meant that these politicians were pleased. I could imagine that most were happy, as this was something the nobles never stopped pestering Celestia for– a form of official Hearths Warming party at the Palace, but there were plenty of bad eggs that would see it as nothing more than changeling interference in Equestria.

Whoever these dissenters were, they were wise enough to keep smiling and approve of the holiday.

'Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave.'

Luna trotted in place, “Phasma! Why didn’t you tell me that you were planning such a venture?! I could barely contain my excitement in that forum!”

I chuckled, “I, uh, didn’t think that you’d be so excited…”

“You jest! A holiday that takes place during the night, featuring my thestrals and the rarest works of art that I can feature in the sky above?! I feel like a teenager again, first experiencing what it’s like to paint the night’s canvas! Ooh, I have so many ideas! This is brilliant!”

“You know, when you state the obvious like that, it makes me seem like a moron for not including you from the beginning,” I said, smiling sheepishly.

Luna leaned over and pressed her cheek against mine, sighing contently. Quietly, I took a sip of the offered love as she nuzzled me.

“Hindsight always reveals the best path. What matters is that this is not set in stone yet. You have also left plenty of ways for me to be included, and you did give me a heads-up before today. I would have just preferred being included from the start… No matter! I can drown you in my plans and ideas now since the Parliament has approved of the official holiday! Where is young Bray Call? I wish to include her in these brainstorming sessions– as well as embrace her with strength enough to crack ribs! Which reminds me–”

Luna grabbed me and lifted me off the ground in a hug, squeezing hard, burying her face against my chest.

“This is a joyous day! Thank you, Phasma!”

“Love you, too, Luna. Now, uh, can you put me down? People are staring.”

She laughed and set me down, “Oh relax. What is so wrong about a show of affection?”

“It’s embarrassing,” I said quietly.

Luna pressed her nose against the underside of my chin, “But you love it.”

“Shaddup!”

Luna set me down and we gathered ourselves, recomposing and pretending to be the stiff-back royals some thought us to be. I was not lying when I told her that people were staring; we were currently sitting on a bench at the edge of Canterlot’s central plaza, ponies milling about around the massive square centered around the Palace.

One particular pony caught my eye. She was a pink unicorn with a red mane and a strawberry Cutie Mark. I could have sworn that when she walked by and stared at us, I caught a whiff of pure hatred and anger. She turned away when the mare she was walking with not-so-subtly punched her in the shoulder.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if many ponies here have a deep-rooted hatred of me. I did burn down a lot of homes during the first invasion.’

“Phasma, is your schedule for tomorrow important?”

“Hmm?”

Luna tapped her hooves together, “I need to ask for a favor. What are you busy with?”

I shrugged, “I’ve got a meeting with the Canterlot Social Society for the festival. Is your favor important? I can miss this meeting if need be.”

“I see,” Luna said. “I accidentally double-booked two meetings for the same afternoon. I have to run a charity event in Manehattan to raise funds for a new school there, as well as visit the Wonderbolts Academy near Cloudsdale for an official inspection of the Wonderbolt training initiative. I would be in your debt if you could complete the Wonderbolt observation for me.”

“Errr, I get that the Fifth Hive is your ally and all that, but this sounds like it’s a visit from the Equestrian Crown, official inspection and all that. I don’t exactly have jurisdiction or authority in Equestrian matters.”

Luna nodded, “You are correct in that assumption. However, that is exactly why I want you to attend that function. In addition to your presence doing the opposite of rousing support in Manehattan, you acting as an official representative for the Crown will further cement our two kingdom’s relationship.”

“As well as implicitly imply that I speak with your voice on Equestrian matters,” I added. “We’re not married, Luna. Will that cause problems?”

“The nobility are throwing up as much of a fuss as can be expected already. This will not worsen anything. This is just one military meeting, Phasma. Do not overthink it. Your importance in the Canterlot Confederacy can give you any legitimate excuse for attending demonstrations and inspections for our military. But I really do not think that anypony will raise a fuss over this. The Wonderbolts all know the importance of this upcoming war.”

“... They’ll be disappointed when they see me and not their Princess, but I’ll go.”

Luna grunted, “I doubt there will be much disappointment.”

“Oh please, you’re an adorable pony princess. People love you– especially since you’ve done so much to help out Canterlot following Daybreaker’s rise.”

“These are not Canterlot citizens, they are the pegasi primarily from Cloudsdale. They will have a neutral opinion of me at best, as I have had little interaction with either the Wonderbolts or Cloudsdale.”

“I’m sure you have a lot of fans in Equestria already. And if you don’t, I’ll have to work twice as hard to make you feel good,” I said, giving her a kiss.

“I am not saying no to more affection,” Luna grinned, “but what is a fan? I assume you do not mean the tool used to cool off somepony.”

“People who are excited to see you and are followers of your work. You know, someone who… worships is too strong of a word, perhaps some lesser version of that? You get the idea.” I sighed, “I’ll send someone in my stead to the Canterlot Society or whatever. It’s not something that’s worth your time. It was hardly even worth my time, to be honest.”

“Canterlot Social Society,” Luna corrected. “Funny you should mention them, I had to deal with their bureaucracy when handling the Grand Galloping Gala. I can write a personal apology letter for your replacement to deliver. It should smooth over any feathers that will be ruffled by your absence.”

“Thanks.”

Luna chuckled, “You do not have to thank me for doing a favor for me. Now, I believe that we have conversed for long enough! I see an ice-treat vendor over yonder and I intend on buying the biggest confection they have!”

I laughed, “You can tone down the ye ol’ Equish, Luna.”

“Nay, for our fans are present! Hello to you, good pony! And you, madam!”

“Rykard. Step forward.”

The blind griffon did as he was ordered.

King Cyne looked fondly down on the smaller griffon, “I… need to thank you, Rykard. With your help, I was able to say goodbye to Lothar. In fact, if it wasn’t for that damned poison….” The Hero sighed, “What’s done is done. We had a farewell. You were put in danger that night due to how close you were to me. You did all within your efforts to save my best friend, and you eased his passage. For that, I owe you. If there is any boon within my power to bestow that you desire, all you need to do is ask.”

The blind griffon swallowed nervously, “If only… All I wish is to return to my old life.”

Cyne looked around the tent at his followers, “Something we can all relate to. I cannot bring the past back to the present, no matter how much power the Heroes have bestowed upon me.”

“I know, My King.”

“There is something that we can offer,” came a whisper from the pendant hanging from the King’s neck. “Clear away the old bones of yesterday’s hunt and start again.”

“... What I can offer you is a new beginning,” Cyne said. “A place within Griffonia, a place at my table. There is always use for a healer as skilled as yourself.”

Rykard frowned, “I’m no skilled healer, King Cyne. I just had the right amount of knowledge to use at the right time.”

King Cyne gestured to several of the older griffons assembled– then chided himself for forgetting that Rykard was blind.

“There are griffons here that you can study under. Ones who will hone your skill. I offer this in gratitude for being there that night with us.”

“But Your Majesty, I am blind–”

“A trial you will no doubt overcome,” Cyne interrupted. “Anygriff that I stick you with will be forced to be patient and help you find a way. So says I, King Cyne Frostwing. Will you accept?”

The smaller griffon considered the offer. Several soldiers assembled jeered at him, saying there was nothing to think about.

“I will need to swear an oath?” Rykard asked.

“Of course.”

“I… will need to think about it, My King. May I present an answer tonight?”

Cyne nodded, then spoke aloud, “Yes, that is fine. Just do not tarry, Rykard. We will move against Cardinal Farvald soon. The rest of you, eat well tonight. Tomorrow, we fly. Dismissed.”

The griffons filed out of the large tent, with Rykard lagging behind. Once everygriff had left, Cyne ran a claw down the silver chain, down to the green gem that lay slotted in twisted gold framing.

“What did he think, Gristle?” He whispered, slipping back into his old Angriver accent.

“The rooster will accept,” Empress Gristle cooed.

“I didn’t ask what his decision was– no one is foolish enough to refuse a gift from a king! I asked what did he think? Was he excited? Afraid? Did he anticipate this?”

The gem’s spirit mumbled, “As you said, great King, only a fool–”

“Now is not the time for riddles,” Cyne growled. “I thought we were past this. An answer. Give me an answer.”

“... I do not know,” Gristle admitted.

“How?”

“If I knew that, I would have warned you,” Gristle insisted.

“.... Perhaps,” Cyne admitted. “I’ll just have to keep an eye on him, then.”

“Perhaps? You witless cock, have I not steered you truly so far?!”

Cyne glanced down at the gem and forced himself to stop rubbing it.

'Lothar is gone. Gone. Now all I have left is this has-been Empress to talk to. Damn them. Damn them! Damn the Idols and damn the Heroes!'

“... It happened again,” he whispered. “The Heroes have spoken.”

“When?”

“Last night. I… had my meal, and in my content sleep, they came to me.”

Gristle paused, “... When the powers above move pieces, entire kingdoms rise and fall. What did they say?”

Cyne grimaced, “They have… ‘hedged their bets,’ as they put it.”

“... They never say anything straight, do they?” Gristle mused.

The King shook his head, “Considering how many opaque and confusing riddles, metaphors, and prophecies you rattled on about when I first found you, it’s no surprise. Any luck communicating with the Heroes yourself?”

“No,” Gristle said quickly. “Hedged their bets…. Now what could that mean?”

Cyne glanced around the tent and whispered in an even quieter tone, “... I wasn’t alone last night. There was somegriff else there, in the dream with me. It was Cardinal Farvald, the spineless bastard! He was… He was as big as I am, Gristle! He’s a bloody Hero! The bastards above have made sure that no matter the outcome of this war, they’ll come out on top!”

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me

15- Loyalty

When I arrived at The Wonderbolts Academy, all I could really surmise was that the Academy is extremely impractical.

‘I mean seriously, who puts a training facility at the very peak of a mountain? Then again, pegasi have wings… I suppose they have become quite accustomed to hauling supplies and materials high into the sky to keep Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus running. Still, it seems inefficient…’

The Night Guard touched down on the runway of the Academy– and far too close to the edge for my personal comfort. Despite the fact that I had wings, I still maintained a moderate fear of heights. It was simply instinctual.

The thestrals pulling the chariot came to a stop in front of the Academy’s main building, where three lines of ponies were waiting. I rose from the chariot and hopped down, the Wonderbolts Captain calling the ponies present to fall in at my arrival. They all stamped their hooves as they straightened their... necks and not their backs. That was a sight I had seen a few times in this life, especially during my time as High Marshall of the Fourth Hive, but the twist always caught me off guard.

Most of the ponies stared at me incredulously when I stopped before them. The ones in the front row all continued to stare forward, successfully maintaining their military decorum.

‘At least some of these government-employed circus clowns can act professionally.’

“King Phasmatodea,” Captain Spitfire greeted me. “I must say, I am surprised to see you.”

“You all are,” I smiled back. “I can taste the emotions you and the rest of the real Wonderbolts manage to hide. I see the recruits still need to learn how to maintain parade attention…”

While I had spoken with Spitfire once or twice during our nations’ preparations for the upcoming war, I also knew who each of the Wonderbolts were by name. Not because I was some member of one of their fan clubs, like Sir Fancy Pants, but because I had assembled a contingency plan to defeat them back when I took orders from Chrysalis.

Said contingency plan mostly consisted of ‘lure them into a room and beat them up with spells.’ If I couldn’t lure them out from the open air, there really wasn’t a way to defeat them.

Captain Spitfire cleared her throat rather loudly and the Wonderbolt recruits snapped-to, eyes forward. She was flanked by a pair of stallions in similar blue parade uniform, though they had caps on.

“We’ve got a long way to go to find out which of these ponies are Wonderbolt material,” Spitfire said. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, Your Highness, but I was told to expect Princess Luna. I see you’ve got a couple of her personal guards…”

“Princess Luna could not make it,” I explained. I caught a strong whiff of disappointment before continuing, “She has asked me to go in her stead. I am here as an official representative of the Crown of the Principality of Equestria, not as leader of the Hive Eternal.”

Spitfire shrugged, “As you say, Your Highness.” She adjusted her aviators and nodded to her assembled soldiers, “Shall we begin the inspection?”

The Night Guard fell into formation around Spitfire and me as the yellow pegasus started the official inspection.

It was not my first rodeo: simply look regal, pretend that this was all important, and slowly walk past each soldier. The inspection was ceremonial in structure, with actual combat readiness inspections being handled by their relevant military personnel. All the royals had to do was be present and remind everyone who was in charge. Given that I was a Princess for today, I tried my best to at least smile at the new recruits, offering a compliment or a short word of advice here and there.

The very last recruit in the last row caused me to come to a complete stop in surprise.

“Rainbow Dash,” I greeted the Element bearer. “I didn’t expect to see you– or any other Element of Harmony.”

Rainbow Dash broke her rigid pose to smile and toss her hair back, “Yeah, well, I guess we’re just as surprised to see each other! I’m here to be a Wonderbolt. You, on the other hoof, might not fit into the uniform…”

“Recruits!” Spitfire barked. “About face!”

Rainbow Dash stood up straighter and stared forward at Spitfire. The rest of the gathered ponies stifled groans.

“Since you think you can joke around and insult an emissary of the Princesses, why don’t you show King Phasma what a Wonderbolt can do! Remember, one pony mouths off, the whole team suffers! Cold Front drill, quick time!”

“You got it!” Rainbow replied– earning another shaded glare from Spitfire– before hustling over to the runway with the rest of the Wonderbolts.

With a galloping start, the ponies took to the air. Gaining height first and then speed, the pegasi proceeded through a well-choreographed set of flight maneuvers. Personally, I never really cared for the Wonderbolts’ theatrics, and their showiness was one of the reasons why I never really put much thought into defeating them during the Invasion.

“Lieutenant Mustang, once they’re done with the Cold Front, make sure they each do three hundred laps.” One of her seconds saluted before trotting off to the runway. “Sorry for that, Your Highness,” Spitfire apologized.

“Don’t worry about it, Captain,” I reassured her. “I’m quite accustomed to Rainbow Dash’s outbursts.”

Spitfire snorted, “That’s no excuse for her behavior. They’ve all got a long way before they can be considered actual Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash especially. Now come on, let’s discuss how the Wonderbolts are actually doing.”

“I’ll just… make myself busy?” The remaining Lieutenant wondered.

“Lieutenant Typhoon, I’m sure the Night Guard would love to… talk shop?” Spitfire suggested.

The four thestral guards nodded enthusiastically.

As we walked away, Spitfire asked, “So… a fundraiser? Why would the Princesses have to hold a fundraiser for a school? Can’t they just pay for it?”

“Luna didn’t say why,” I said, “but as a matter of fact, I know the reason. It’s uh… kinda my fault.”

“How so?”

“The changeling war. When Chrysalis and the Fourth Hive podded everyone south of Canterlot, it left a lot of ghost towns. Even a ghost city! Luna and… Daybreaker kept the place in shape using their… civilian conservation corps? Something like that. That mostly worked, but there’s still a lot of problems with getting the ponies in those areas back into… harmony.”

“What kind of problems?”

I shrugged as I walked– a hard skill to master as a quadruped, “Lost revenue, wear and tear, food spoilage, crop destruction, and so on. The grass might have been kept cut, but there was no way the corps could tend to the fields or anything like that. So the Crown has dedicated much of its free funds to helping out all the ponies who were podded. I helped Luna out with budgeting so I learned just how big the numbers got…”

“Glad to see the Princesses are watching our backs,” Spitfire said. “Harmony knows those ponies deserve the help. Still, a school? Why won’t the provincial ruler pay for it?”

“That I don’t know,” I admitted. “Knowing the fucked up state of the Equestrian politics, I’m sure there’s a reason… Actually, while I have you, I wanted to ask a question.”

“Ask away.”

“Luna was pretty apprehensive about showing up in the first place. She seemed quite dead set on the idea that you guys hate her. Is there any truth to this?”

Spitfire frowned, “Of course not! The Princesses deserve our respect and admiration, there’s no– oh!”

Spitfire paused and face-hooved.

“Captain?”

Spitfire grunted and started walking again, “I forgot. I made my official introduction to Princess Luna a while back, but I’ve never talked with her heart-to-heart. The last of my predecessors that Princess Luna would have known was Captain Right. She was… To sum up the few notes Princess Day– Celestia has shared with me about the period of time shortly before Princess Luna was possessed by a Nightmare, Captain Right and Princess Luna did not get along. Her Highness was very tight-lipped about the specific, but she detailed a few encounters between the two. Captain Right is also partially responsible for chasing the Thestrals out of Equestria…”

“... That explains a lot,” I sighed. “Would you–”

“I’ll make sure Her Highness knows that she has our full and undivided support!” Spitfire declared.

“Thanks, Captain.”

Spitfire frowned as her boss delivered the news.

I frowned, “A second griffon demigod? What does this mean for us?”

Through the changeling communication device, Celestia shrugged.

“Nothing, I suppose,” she said. “Not yet. It is worth noting that both of these demigods are on opposite sides of the Griffonian civil war. That was your doing, by the way.”

“Your intel suggests that the conflict was inevitable, anyways,” I replied.

“Perhaps. I have already informed Luna and Cadance of the development. Our current stance is the same as before: sit back and wait for the situation to develop. I trust that the Fifth Hive will be doing the same?”

I narrowed my eyes, “Yes, Celestia. We won’t be doing anything.”

“I’d ask that you keep it that way. How did the official inspection go?”

“Passed with flying colors,” I said. “Red, orange, and tan specifically.”

Celestia frowned, “I don’t follow.”

Spitfire sighed, “Rainbow Dash, Your Highness. She mouthed off during the inspection. Not to worry, Princess, if she can become a Wonderbolt, then I’ll make sure she meets that potential and shapes up to be a proper soldier!”

“I don’t doubt that,” Celestia offered.

After a moment of silence, Celestia looked at me and sharply inhaled. In response, I groaned loudly.

“You’re about to ask me to do something I don't like, aren’t you?”

Celestia grinned, “As a matter of fact, I think this is a wonderful opportunity for you to make amends with the Element of Loyalty!

“Kkksssh– sorry Celestia, you’re going through– kkksssh– a tunnel! You’re breaking up– kkksssh!”

“What? I’m not–”

Celestia vanished when I disabled the communication device.

“... What was that, Your Majesty?” Spitfire looked up at me in confusion.

“That was your boss being a pain,” I muttered. “... Alright, fine. I’ll go speak with Rainbow Dash. Do you know where she would have gone after those exercises?”

“Go?” Spitfire repeated. “I don’t think you understand, sir. She’s not going anywhere. Not for the next six hours… What did Princess Celestia mean when she meant the Griffonian civil war was your doing, King Phasma?”

I beat a hasty retreat from her office, “Kkksssh– sorry Spitfire, you’re going through– kkksssh– a tunnel!”

I found the cyan pegasus on the tarmac, performing some stretches as the other recruits flew in circles around the whole Academy. Lieutenant Mustang had moved over to his comrade to talk with the thestrals while he kept one eye on the sky, leaving Rainbow Dash alone on the runway.

“You missed the show!” Rainbow Dash said when I approached her.

“I don’t think flying in circles is much of a show,” I said, glancing up at the recruits.

“It is when I do it, but I meant the routine. You and Spitfire just walked away!”

“It’s Captain Spitfire to you,” I corrected.

Rainbow glared at me, “Just what exactly are you here to do? Find some poor recruit to push off a cliff? Go around, cutting daisies? Kick a puppy?”

I huffed, “I’ve got far more experience pushing daisies than cutting them. Look, I know we haven’t gotten along very well–”

“Why would we?” Rainbow cut me off. “You’re not exactly a nice pony. The Princesses have been very generous with how they treat you after what you’ve done, but you don’t care. You just double down and do worse things!”

“I do care!” I stressed. “It’s just… I’m trying. The sisters have had thousands of years to get an understanding of the limits of their strength. I was murdered a year ago, completely powerless. I’m not exactly able to control most of the situations I find myself in…”

The anger that permeated throughout the air around Rainbow Dash simmered away, “Well, keep trying and you might just make it halfway– and make me lose a bet with Fluttershy.”

I tried to change topics, “You know, I’m surprised you want to join the Wonderbolts. Sorry if I’m being rude here, but you don’t exactly seem like the military type.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, “The Wonderbolts don’t seem like the military type.”

“... Touché,” I smiled. “That is changing, though. Has the Captain not put you through any combat drills yet?”

Rainbow frowned and I sensed frustration, “... No. Those will start after the basics have been mastered. I tried to tell her that I’ve already mastered them, but she didn’t care. I gotta wait for everypony else to catch up! I admit, I’m kinda psyched up to see what kind of fighting moves the Wonderbolts have come up with since the first changeling invasion!”

Rainbow dash karate-chopped the air for dramatic effect.

“... Right, because there weren’t that many fighting maneuvers before I brought war to Equestria,” I pointed out.

“No.”

I cleared my throat, “Which brings me back to my point, Rainbow. Sorry if I’m being rude, but you seem far too… uh… independent to fit into the military.”

“Tch, don’t worry about that! I learn new stuff all the time! The important stuff, that is. I can fit into the Wonderbolts just fine. I was practically born to be a Wonderbolt!”

“But instead, you became the Element of Loyalty…” I muttered.

Rainbow frowned, “Uh, what does that mean? I can be both.”

I continued my train of thought out loud, “You’re the wielder of the most potent weapon the Canterlot Confederacy has in our arsenal. All six Elements are needed. You are… irreplaceable.”

She chuckled, “So I’ve been told.”

“Which means you can’t be risked,” I continued. “No self-respecting commander would be placing you in the front line– or operating above and beyond the front lines, in the case of the Wonderbolts. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are denied entry into the Wonderbolts due to how important you are.”

Rainbow Dash froze, her eyes shrinking as the taste of fear flooded my senses.

“Too awesome for the Wonderbolts? Nah, that’s not possible. Heh, no one’s too cool! I’m going to be a Wonderbolt. I am! Even if I don’t fight up front with everypony else, I can still do other stuff! I can still fly in the shows and–”

I cut her off, “The Wonderbolts probably won’t be able to spare the time to have separate drills. They need every skilled pegasus they can get. I don’t think Spitfire can allow for special cases…”

Rainbow continued to stare at me.

‘... Wait, I’m supposed to be connecting with her, not scaring the shit out of her and crushing her dreams! We can solve this glaring issue later.’

I nervously chuckled, “But then again, you are the Element of Loyalty. You saved the Princesses twice! Luna especially! They’ll make an exception– I’ll make sure of it.”

She blinked and snapped out of her freeze, “No! I can’t just be put into the Wonderbolts just because I picked up a shiny rock in the woods one night! It’s gotta be legit! It’s gotta be because I’m the fastest flier alive! I… No way! This is not cool!”

The pegasus pivoted on her hind legs, crouched low, and launched herself into the sky– narrowly hitting a circling recruit as she flew. She flew into one of the cloud buildings hovering near the academy before bursting through its roof moments later.

“Shit!” I cursed. “Shit pissing fucking–”

I took to the air after her. Rainbow Dash was already a chromatic blur that was getting farther and farther away. Desperately, I disguised myself as a pony pegasus to try to get some more speed.

‘Damn, I really just walked up and… I need to work on my people skills! Sure, I might be right, but damn am I in the wrong to just say it like that! I blame Chrysalis, this is all her fault somehow! Panar, Phasma, aren’t you just an expert at making friends!’

By the time I caught up to Rainbow Dash, I was a wheezing mess. I collapsed onto the small cloud that the Element of Loyalty perched on.

“Guh… Rainbow…!” I muttered.

“Whoever you are, get lost. I’m not in the mood to talk!”

“Wha– oh,” I quickly dispersed my pegasus disguise as I tried to catch my breath. “Mare, I haven’t flown that fast since… uh… last time I flew that fast,” I panted. “Rainbow Dash! I’m sorry, that was my bad! I’m certain there’re going to be at least a dozen solutions to figuring this out. I, uh, wanted to talk to you and make amends…”

Rainbow Dash’s fear had burned away in her short flight and had been replaced with anger and fear. “Yeah? You're also gonna make it rain rainbows while you’re at it? You said it, King Phasma; there’s no way I can be a real Wonderbolt. Not while they have to be at the front line, fighting bad guys! There’s no way Spitfire or the Princesses would let that happen!”

She lifted a hoof and the Element of Loyalty, the red lightning-bolt-shaped gem strung on a gold plate, dangled over the edge of the cloud.

“Where did you get that?” I said, managing to finally catch my breath.

“The Castle of the Twin Sisters,” Rainbow muttered. “Oh wait, you mean now, don’t you? I grabbed it from my room on my way over here.”

“... The cloud house you burst through?” I asked. “Wow, you work fast.”

“Not fast enough,” Rainbow said quietly. “Or too fast? I… I wanted to be a Wonderbolt. I want to be a Wonderbolt! You don’t understand what this means to me, Phasma!”

“I guess I don’t.”

She stared into the dangling gem, “Is this the cost? In all the books I’ve read, when Daring Do gets the treasure, there’s always some kind of cost. She’s gotta leave it behind, or give it up to save somepony, or return it to where it belongs, or… or… Gah!” She stamped her free forehoof into the cloud, “It’s not fair! I deserve to be a Wonderbolt! Don’t I?! Don’t I at least deserve the chance to be one?! I worked for years for this!”

“Look, I’m sorry Dash, I didn’t mean–”

“It’s not you!” She glared at me. “You’re just pointing out what would be obvious in a week when we start fighting drills! If it wasn’t you pointing it out, it would be the Captain, or her lieutenants, or… It’s just not fair! I… I wish I never found this thing. I wish I could just throw it off the edge right now…”

I shook my head, “You saved Luna! You saved Celestia! You defeated Discord after I broke him out! Rainbow Dash, you are a hero of Equestria! You put your name in the history books and earned more fame than you ever could as a Wonderbolt! You’ve saved the world and the Princesses!”

She smiled weakly, “Yeah, we’re awesome. But… I wanted this, you know? It’s my thing. Was my thing. I wanted to be cool enough and fast enough to be a real Wonderbolt, but now… Too cool for the Wonderbolts. It's like a lame joke. And it’s not like I can try to join after the war is over or whatever– do you know how rare it is for the Wonderbolts to actually recruit somepony? Let alone when they have three dozen extra ponies to fill in any gaps when the fighting is done?!” Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes, “I’ll be out of my prime by the time the slots start opening up again… It’s not fair.”

‘Life isn’t fair, at least you’re alive.’

I bit back the spiteful comment.

“Rainbow. You’re going to be a Wonderbolt.”

Rainbow growled, “I told you, I don’t want any special treatment! I’m irreplaceable, like you said. I have to be where the Princesses need me when the time comes, and the Wonderbolts will be too busy to make an exception for me. They’ll be too focused on fighting drills, not show maneuvers! Maybe the Wonderbolts I love have changed so much that they’re something else…”

“It doesn’t matter how irreplaceable you are,” I told her. “I’ll make sure that it’s not a reason to bar you from becoming one. And take it from me, things change all the time. If you try to hold onto the past and never try to find happiness now, you’ll lose yourself.”

“The Nightmares want to destroy everything, King Phasma. You said it yourself! I’m not going to put everypony in danger just because I want to be a Wonderbolt! If I put everypony in danger, would I really be protecting them?”

I tried to think of an answer.

“I don’t know, Rainbow. I don’t know. The military strategist side of me says that it’s just plain stupid to put you in danger when you are needed to wield the Element of Loyalty, but… if I was in your position, I don’t think I could sit back and watch others die if I could save them. Heh, I know I couldn’t. I’ve risked everything to save lives before, even when it made more sense to just save myself.”

“You? Risk your own hide to save somepony else? When?”

I smiled as I connected the dots, “... You remember when I told you about the Third Hive?”

“The one with the zombies? Yeah, it was a pretty good story for Nightmare Night. Why?”

“Did I ever tell you what I had to do to kill the Prophet and his zombie army?”

Rainbow Dash squinted, “No… Oh wait, that was when you blew up the place, right? I remember hearing about that.”

“Right. Well, as I was blowing up the place, two people got left behind. A drone and a pony.”

“A pony?!” Rainbow yelled. “What the hay was a pony doing down there in a changeling tomb?!”

I sighed, “Long story, I think you’ll find out eventually, if your earlier comment is correct. Anyways, it made more sense for me to leave them. I am a King, and orders I give in the future can save more than just two lives… but I might have been able to save those two. So I did. I went back and risked everything for two people. I don’t even remember the drone’s name, just the pony’s. I went back and I shielded all three of us from the explosion that destroyed the entire Hive. I don’t remember what happened afterwards– the overload of my shield breaking knocked me out– but they saved my life in return.

“I nearly died again. I almost lost everything again. But I couldn’t just sit back and watch them die. I don’t think you can either. So… while I’m not saying you should charge head-on into danger, but instead that if we all were the kind of people to just sit back and watch others die, none of us would actually still be here by now. We take risks, make mistakes, and do stupid things in the name of protecting those we care about. And I do think that you training in the Wonderbolts is a good idea. In fact, all six of you bearers should get some real combat training.”

The pony mulled over my story, “... Hmph. I guess I can see what the Princesses see in you, King Phasma. I think if you did more stuff like that and less stuff like invading and killing, ponies would like you better.”

“Thanks, I didn’t think of that,” I deadpanned.

“... It was pretty awesome of you to risk your life for somepony whose name you don’t even know,” Rainbow insisted. “Hey, wait! I’ve got a great idea that solves the Wonderbolt problem!”

“Oh, what’s that?” I asked.

Rainbow Dash tossed the Element of Loyalty my way and I lunged to catch it on instinct before it fell through the cloud.

“You can be the Element of Loyalty! That was some pretty loyal stuff you did: loyal to the ponies– uh, changelings– that look up to you. I bet the Element could work for you! Meanwhile, I can go be a Wonderbolt without any of this sitting-in-the-back nonsense!”

“What?!” I hissed. “Did you not listen to– Rainbow Dash, get back here! Rainbow! Are you forgetting the part where I staged a coup against my mother? How is that loyal?! Rainbow?!”

As the rainbow-colored blur disappeared into the horizon, I sighed and stared down at the glowing red gem in my hooves.

“... Idiot.”

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me!

There's been a small addition to the previous chapter, just at the end of the Parliament scene. It's a bit too big to paste here. Just some stuff about Phasma and the room's emotions.

16- Cerberus

Celestia sighed as I watched her poke at a slice of cake with a fork.

“It’s like herding suicidal cats,” I heard her mutter under her breath.

Instead of reacting to her comment, I continued to fiddle with the magical artifact in my hooves. I could feel the power coursing through the Element of Loyalty. The only other time I felt such a forceful presence was when I was within the range of Panar’s Gift, the synthetic Weave embedded in the crown located at Nisir.

The doors to the dining room opened and Cadance entered. I tried not to let my disappointment show when I realized that Luna was not with her.

“Sorry I’m late,” Cadance apologized. “A flock of nobles has put together a petition to delve further into the nation’s treasury to expand upon Lantern Night’s party. As large as it is, there’s no need to break the bank… Oh, and a number of them are already trying to cut out changeling influence.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Cadance. And my sister?” Celestia asked before I could.

Cadance grunted as she sat down between me and her mentor, “Putting together plans for decorating the night sky. Too busy to join us, she said.”

“Damn,” I whispered.

Just as I caught Celestia’s comment, the pair of alicorns caught my own and glanced over at me.

Cadance smiled coyly, “I must admit, I take no small amount of pleasure in seeing you two love birds pine for each other. If only Celestia would–”

“No,” Celestia said forcefully.

“You’re going to find a snuggle buddy whether you like it or not, Auntie!”

Celestia rolled her eyes, poked at her cake some more, and then turned to me.

“Phasma. I’ll ask how your trip to Cloudsdale went since I imagine that will be the shorter story for your visit.”

I shrugged, “Fine. It was just finalizing a deal for some alcohol production there. Some old breweries wanted to open their doors again and agreed to operate under the Fifth Hive’s name. Of course, we’ll be inspecting the product and ensuring no funny business, but the deal is set to end when the Prohibition is lifted. They’ve already got a distribution system more or less in place. They are getting quite a deal out of it.”

“That’s… awfully generous of you,” Cadance remarked. “Seems kind of counterintuitive to help out your future competition.”

“It is,” I agreed. “However… I want to divorce the changelings from the Prohibition as much as I can. It’s not a good idea to correlate us with one of Daybreaker’s policies that ruined thousands of livelihoods. If I can remake those careers, businesses, and passions, then I’m all for it. The Nightmare’s damage is further undone, ponies like changelings more, and… it’s just the right thing to do.”

Cadance leaned over and patted me on the shoulder, “Good job, Phasma!”

“That is very altruistic,” Celestia nodded, “thank you for that. Kindness is always repaid with more kindness. Though, not often repaid back to you… Now, onto the real question. You’ve already briefed me on what happened– and yes, I’ve spoken to all the Element bearers about securing their Elements– but Cadance hasn’t heard anything. So, go ahead and give us the full story.”

“Full story? Did something happen while you were at the Wonderbolts’ place?” Cadance asked.

I nodded, “Yeah. The inspection itself was perfectly fine… but I had a run-in with Rainbow Dash. She wants to become a Wonderbolt. Makes sense, knowing her. We spoke, I kinda yelled at her and crushed her hopes and dreams and... Yeah. That was my bad. She wants to be a Wonderbolt, but I pointed out that someone as valuable as her wouldn’t be risked on the front line. One thing led to another and she gave me her Element…”

Cadance rubbed her chin, “Did you apologize?”

I shrugged, “Maybe? I don’t remember– she wasn’t mad at me by the end, though. Mostly just frustrated with her situation. Completely understandable, if you ask me.”

“And she gave you the Element of Loyalty to give to Celestia?”

“No, that’s the strange thing. I told her about what happened after the fight with The Prophet, and she got the idea that I can be a bearer of loyalty…”

Cadance and Celestia shared a look.

“Stranger things have happened,” Cadance remarked. “I would have thought of Phasma as being more Honesty, despite being a shapeshifting race… Harmony likes that kind of irony, anyways.”

“Luna and I wielded multiple Elements in our time,” Celestia pointed out. “Besides, it’s not like ponies have a personality that is completely defined by one Element. We need a balance of all six…”

I once again fiddled with the gem, flipping it over in my hooves. I felt tingles in the frogs of my hooves where the glowing gem touched them.

‘Cadance is supposed to take over my reformation or whatever. Maybe I should ask her…’

Cadance frowned, “Still, though I don’t want to sound mean or discouraging, I would hope that the Elements pick a more… mentally stable individual.”

“I managed to wield all six briefly while I was… dealing with Nightmare Moon. Mental stability does not seem to factor in,” Celestia chuckled. “I was not dealing with it all smoothly.”

“You handled it well enough,” Cadance reassured her adoptive aunt.

“Thank you, Cadance. At any rate, I spoke with all the Element Bearers after hearing about this. I have made it crystal clear to all of them, Rainbow Dash especially, that the Elements are not trinkets to be pawned off or hooved away. They must take great care to ensure they are safe and secure… When I heard how each of them were handling their Elements, I fear I may have had a hair or two go gray. Twilight was the best, keeping it in a box under her bed.”

“The best?” Cadance nervously chuckled.

“Fluttershy was the worst,” Celestia continued. “She kept hers on a coat rack by her front door.”

“Maaaybe we should have the Elements here in the Palace for safekeeping,” Cadance said nervously.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Celestia agreed. “Until they get more experience in being responsible. Also, Phasma’s conversation with Rainbow Dash has gotten me thinking. Perhaps it is a good idea to give them some sort of combat training. Not to have them deal with situations in such manners, of course, but if things go bad, then at least they have some training to fall back upon.”

“Shining will probably sleep better at night knowing that his sister can better protect herself,” Cadance agreed.

“It’s settled then. I’ll arrange for them to have some weekly training. Any input, Phasma?”

I looked up, ears pinned to the back of my head, “.... Am I a good person?”

They blinked owlishly at me.

“Yes,” Celestia said. “You are.”

“Yeaaah,” Cadance said slowly and scooted her chair closer to my own. “You just… You are a good changeling deep down. Deep down. Waay–” Celestia elbowed Cadance, “– just barely under the surface. Sorry, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Shining, I think a bit of his abrasiveness has started to rub off on me. Phasma, you’ve been through a lot and have to work your way back up. If you weren’t a good person despite everything, then to be honest, you wouldn’t be here. You tried to find an alternative to Chrysalis’s invasion, you care for your friends and marefriend and you do your best for your subjects.”

“Regardless of all the wrong you’ve done,” Celestia added, “you continue to try to improve. There’re setbacks, yes, but you are making progress. What brought this on? Something you said to your therapist this morning?”

“I talked with her, yeah, but she… She doesn’t matter to me. Not like you two.”

“D’aww, thank you, Phasma!” Cadance said, leaning over to wrap a foreleg around me in a half-hug.

“I’m happy to know that you are comfortable with us enough to open up,” Celestia smiled. “But again, if I may ask, what brought this on?”

I placed the Element of Loyalty on the dining table, “Rainbow Dash. She said I wasn’t a good pony and I kind of agree with her.”

Cadance frowned, “She shouldn’t–”

“She should’ve,” I interrupted, staring Cadance down. “I am responsible for my own actions. I’ve just been thinking about this since she flew away. I…” I broke the stare and looked down at the piece of magical jewelry on the table. “I don’t think I’m a good person. I try to do good as much as I can, yes, but deep down… I don’t care. People act like life is sacred and killing is some horrible sin that never washes away, some line in the sand that shouldn’t be crossed, but I don’t care. Never did. I get that you shouldn’t kill your enemies if you don’t have to– that’s why I’m still alive and talking to you, because you spared me– but I just find it too much effort, too dangerous, and too unreasonable. If there was a line in the sand, I never noticed.”

Cadance upgraded the hug to both forelegs, “Don’t say that, Phasma!”

Celestia sighed, “I’ve seen souls of all kinds. Some are, as harsh as it sounds, irredeemable. Creatures so full of hatred that trying to save them would get others killed in the process. You are far from that, Phasma. Do not for a second believe yourself to be irredeemable– in fact, the mere hope of trying to do better is enough, so long as you continue to act on it.”

“... Thanks, girls,” I said quietly. “Now I’m reminded of a quote. A wise dragon once said: ‘which is greater, to be born good, or to overcome one’s evil nature through great effort?’”

“I thought there were no dragons where you were from,” Celestia pointed out.

“Okay, he might have been completely fictional,” I admitted. “Anyways, I feel like I’ve done nothing but get very emotional lately. Anger, sadness, despair… Can someone else have a breakdown?”

Cadance patted me on the head, “No. You are Luna’s damsel in distress. If you didn’t constantly have breakdowns for her to fix, the thousand years of isolation would catch up to her and cause her to go mad.”

The older alicorn and I frowned as we took in what Cadance said.

“Speaking of which,” Cadance said, “I’ll send word to Luna. You need five units of hugs and kisses, stat!”

I shook my head, “You said Luna–”

“Will put aside what she’s working on to spend time with her needy coltfriend,” Cadance said, ending the hug.

“I’m not needy,” I grumbled.

“Phasma,” Celestia said, “you were literally murdered. I’ve known countless ponies who fell apart completely after much less happened to them. If you just continue to let it out, you will heal faster. It will still be slow, but you will heal.”

“You should also work on your anger,” Cadance added. “Maybe redirect it into something else, like sports or battle training. Just remember, you can absolutely open up to us like this if you ever feel like you want to.”

“Thanks,” I said again.

Our mushy moment was interrupted by Lacewing entering the dining room with a pained look on her face.

“Phas. We have a problem.”

As Phasma and Cadance hurriedly trotted out the door, Celestia switched from poking at a piece of cake to mixing herself a cocktail. She needed something that could satisfy her sweet tooth and guaranteed to make the day go by faster, so she resorted to one of her favorites: one part rum and one part rum.

Together, they made 'More Rum.'

Normally, it would have been far too early to start drinking hard liquor, but Lace delivered grave news. Grave enough to warrant breaking out the good stuff while Phasma and Cadence did the real work. Celestia wanted to go with herself, but she was needed here at the Palace. An attack on the Fifth Hive and her ponies made her writhe in her seat with frustration, yet she remained still.

There was a pair of diplomats from Saddle Arabia present that she needed to host a lunch for, not to mention a score of minor meetings she had to muddle through before she could salvage the evening for herself. Besides, this was an opportunity to further test and hone Cadance's skills in crisis management.

'This attack is bad. Bad with a capital B. Let's hope that no one has died. There's already been so much, and there will be so much more when the darkness comes…'

Drink in hoof, Celestia slipped away from the dining room and begrudgingly headed towards her office. As she sat down behind her desk and started sorting through some paperwork, her mind drifted towards the events before Lace's interruption.

'Phasma is opening up to Cadance and me. That's good progress. Very good. Not that I enjoy seeing somepony clearly in pain, but it means he's beginning to trust us more. Trust me more. I'm happy that I can finally start helping him… Luna will need to know all this. I should ask his permission to share the events with Luna, but the opportunity to ask has passed. I will just have to ask for forgiveness later if he is angry.'

Celestia lightly brushed a hoof against the bottle of rum sitting on her desk. The gold lettering on the black bottle flaked as the keratin of her hoof scratched it away.

'Such an explosive colt. I wonder if he'll cool with age and with good company or if he will keep his emotional streak. Hmm. It's certainly not conducive to good leadership, but… Is it entirely a bad thing? I can't remember the last time I did something rash in anger. It couldn't have been that one griffon warband… I can grieve as truly as anypony else. I can love on rare occasions But get angry? Show my sorrow for the world to see? I've shut away so much of myself that I'm not sure if I left a part of myself behind. I just shut down, like I did when Chrysalis murdered my friends, my guards.'

The memory of the second invasion froze her blood and sent bile up her throat. As Celestia took another swig of the sweetened rum to wash out the acidic taste, she made a mental note to put the trial in motion for the former despot.

I stepped off the chariot as Lacewing refreshed the heating spell keeping us both warm. The gravel road crunched underhoof as I shouldered my way past a cordon of Red Right Hoof and Royal Guards. The five ponies being attended to by paramedics looked up at my arrival.

Then they looked past me at the bright pink alicorn stepping off her own chariot. Cadance greeted the Royal Guards present and moved to speak with the injured ponies. I paused to examine the wagon that they were hauling.

‘Cargo doors ripped off, strong boxes cracked open, and secret cache panels obliterated. The bastards knew exactly how to hit the wagon. They must have a couple of insiders in my outer network of alcohol distributors. No surprise there, the organization has become as porous as swiss cheese.’

Captain Katydid approached me and saluted, “My King!”

“Katydid, it’s good to see you,” I greeted him.

“Wish we didn’t have to meet under such bitter circumstances,” Katydid grimaced.

I sighed, “Give me a rundown.”

Katydid gestured to the injured ponies, “Routine delivery, about twenty thousand bits worth of merchandise. Apparently that’s not a lot?”

“For pricey booze? No,” I explained. “Prices get crazy when things get into macroeconomics.”

Katydid shrugged, “If you say so, My King. Twenty thousand bits of booze stolen. This was this week’s delivery to Las Pegasus. They got everything: the boxes of the regular stuff, the locked-up expensive stuff, and the hidden expensive stuff. That chest had magical protections on it– nothing huge, mind you, but enough to steer away your average unicorn. That brings us to the ones actually responsible…

“The witnesses say that they were stopped by a squad of Royal Guards. Routine inspection for domestic goods, they called it. The Royal Guards had all six ponies and one changeling present lined up as they ‘inspected’ the wagon. Poor bastards didn’t stand a chance…”

“They took the changeling,” I said.

“Whitefly,” Katydid said coldly. “Loyal and a bit of a comedian, I’m told. The ponies all received broken bones and burnt fur from the imposters’ spells, but they were far less gentle towards Whitefly. It seems that she survived, but they took her…”

Cadance approached us with a grim look on her face.

“In a year, they’ll all be recovered,” she said. “But none of them know anything about the missing changeling or who did this.”

“It’s Division-P,” Lace said. “It has to be.”

“Clear as day,” I agreed. “They have Royal Guard defectors and loyalists in their ranks. The stolen goods are something we can survive without worry, but Whitefly? This cannot stand. What are our leads?”

Lace snarled, “The bastards were clean and quick. No records of any patrol in this region. No missing armor or M.I.A. Royal Guards that we can tell at a glance. The ponies were all knocked out quickly, meaning they didn’t see what exactly happened to Whitefly or where the Division-P bastards went.”

“We have nothing?” I asked.

“We have nothing,” Lace spat.

Cadance nodded her head towards the ruined sky chariot, “No evidence left behind?”

I sighed, “If this were some sort of cheesy adventure novel or L.A. Noir detective film, the perps would have left some glaring obvious clue in the wreck. Something like a seal that points us to the city which they are hiding out in.”

Cadance grimaced, “But we don’t live in one of Spike’s comics. No clues, then… I’ll handle the investigation with the local guard units and any nearby Royal Guard divisions. You two investigate things on your end.”

“I’ll continue following up on the leads I already have,” Lace added. “Not that there’s many…”

I glanced at the injured ponies, distracted by the medical professionals tending to them, “I’ll check through the Fifth Hive’s companies and employed ponies, see if I can find any leaks.”

‘Or, more likely, find someone else to do the investigating.’

“We should clean all this up before more ponies hear about it,” Cadance declared.

“No,” I countermanded. “Let’s bring the news crews here.”

“But that could start a panic,” Cadance said. “If ponies hear that Royal Guards are being impersonated, it could shake faith in the Crown…”

“It will make them fear Division-P– and put a spotlight on their actions,” I countered. “The last thing we should be doing is sweeping their dirty work under the rug. Yes, ponies will question their local guard units and Royal Guard stations, but why shouldn’t they? Division-P is infiltrating those.”

Cadance let out a long sigh, “... I don’t know. I see the merit in your idea, but it goes against what Auntie Celestia has taught me so far. Let’s put it before the older Princesses before we bring the public here. Right now, we have the time to decide the best course of action, so let’s use that time.”

“Agreed,” Lace agreed. “Let’s go crack some skulls!”

“Or, you know, arrest them,” Cadance ruined the fun.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me!

There's been a large retcon to CE's ending, if you haven't seen my blog post.

17- Remus

Errant embers from torches carried by changelings drifted towards the crystal floor, light flickering as they fell. The sound of burbling water accompanied the soft crackle of the wood and wax torches. Four hundred pairs of eyes watched as King Phasmatodea, Pontiff of the Hive Eternal and Panar’s Will made manifest, strode down the aisle in his full panoply of war.

His Adamantium armor, Unbroken Radiance, clanked with every step he took. His war hammer, God-Splitter, swayed from side to side from its position above his back as Phasma rested the handle against his shoulder while he walked.

Behind the King, a trail of attendants followed. They bore holy artifacts: a few of the tapestries from the Fourth Hive’s throne room and many golden and silver goblets, swords, symbols of The Great Weaver, and more. However, unlike the tapestries of old, these ornamented pieces were nothing more than the metals and gems they were made out of. It would be this ceremony that would imbue them with the holy properties that were always attributed to ancient artifacts and valued holy treasures.

Captain Nicro of the Fifth Legion bowed deeply when his King approached the altar. As the royal stepped up, the attendants fanned out in a semicircle around the dais. It was a simple box made from a solid chunk of rose marble hewn and hauled up from the Underhive pass. At its base on the raised dais, a spring spouted from the ground and collected in a large rounded pool. At nine points, water flowed leisurely into small channels cut into the ground and towards the edges of the room.

Nine equal spaces divided the room between these channels. The first two were the smallest and contained the main walkway to the doors of the temple’s chamber. The other seven sections were larger, hosting the gathered changelings rather than more empty aisles, and each ended in bare plinths below large carved spaces that would host stained glass windows once the room was completed. Six empty plinths accompanied six empty windows. The seventh, opposite from the door, contained a stained glass window of a changeling in orange Praetorian armor, bearing a shield in front of him. His statue stood tall and proud behind King Phasmatodea.

‘Seal the room.’

The voice over the Weave came as a rush. Captain Nicro was at once filled with an ingrained desire to obey his King’s command. He rose from his bow and watched from his place behind the altar as the four Red Right Hoof guards in their Nisir armor exited the room and closed the heavy banded wooden doors.

King Phasmatodea spread his forelegs out towards the gathered changelings.

“Brothers. Sisters. Leave behind your duties, titles, and stations. Behind these doors, we are equals. I have brought you all here for you all have proven yourself as steadfast, loyal, caring, and dependable warriors of the Fifth Hive. Your numbers have been drawn from both sides of the civil war. Your actions have shone through the bloodshed and grim reality of our species’ downfall. Your bravery and dedication to protecting and guiding those who look up to you have been an unrecognized layer of chitin around us, safeguarding the Hive Eternal from fear and doubt.”

Phasma lowered his forelegs, “I have seen artifacts whose power cannot be attributed to mortals. I have witnessed a literal miracle, two mortals gaining near-immortality. I have lived beyond death itself. It cannot be denied that there is a power above us all, trying to keep us afloat. Panarthropo. Harmony. The Ancestors. Each species has its own guardian. Each species has its own rites, rituals, and methods of worship– but the war against the Umbrum has come at a great cost to the changelings. We have lost so much that we do not recognize what we once were.

“But we shall not despair. No, we will strike the earth and forge a new identity! Just as we carve out this Hive in the Crystal Caves, we also reclaim the lost First Hive. We have traded in the Masquerade Protocol, that had dictated our kind’s diplomacy and subterfuge for over ten thousand years, in exchange for an alliance with Equestrians. We shattered our old identity and forged a new one in its stead!

“Now, I bring you all here to this temple that has been carved out in our new city. In the world where I am from, holy sites were called such because, in times long past, saints or gods themselves were said to have visited the sites, were buried there, or were associated in some other way. By those notions, this room is nothing more than a recently excavated cavern. This water here is nothing more than a natural spring.”

Nicro glanced down at the clear water collected in the shallow basin. A broken reflection of the torches and gathered changelings flickered in the rippling water. He could barely spy out his own reflection in the corner of the pool, behind Phasma’s.

Phasma continued, “We are changelings. We are forging a new identity for our entire race. So we shall forge our new holy sites, as well. Let this chamber, this water, these words, and those present be blessed by the greatest strength that the Hive Eternal has ever possessed: ourselves! Our ancestors dedicated their lives to upholding an unbroken Masquerade. Millions over the history of our race have given all that they had for the Hive Eternal. Each of you has proven capable and willing to uphold and honor this tradition. Each of you was nominated by your brothers and sisters for a reason. You have proven valiant enough, brave enough, and empathetic enough to not only continue the legacy left to us by our fathers and mothers, but also improve and build upon this legacy.

“This past year has been the darkest the Hive Eternal has ever seen. We have come closer to the brink of extinction than ever before. War has ravaged our people, and another looms on the horizon. But shining examples of changeling strength still shine through this darkness! When the Fourth Hive was ordered to make its way through the Underhive, and you all were faced with an unending darkness, it was Nicro here who lit the way! I was not there to witness his bravery and selflessness, but he would not be here before you if you all did not select him as the first among equals.”

Nicro reflected on the months in the dark. As Captain of the Underhive Scarabs, the glorious duty fell to him to map the Underhive and get the Fourth Hive to Canterlot. While he knew caves, those Goddess-forsaken pits of the damned put every little bit of skill and knowledge to the test. He lost over a thousand changelings in the first month alone. Keeping the tunneling on track northward proved just as difficult as keeping them clear, just without the cost of changeling lives.

‘Over two thousand drones dead, yet I am the hero?’

“There is one other champion who must be recognized, one who has given all that he had for the Hive Eternal. Just as I look to him for inspiration, I invite all of you to venerate Praetorian Oestridae The Unyielding for his bravery and unbreakable loyalty to the Hive Eternal. When his duty came, Oestridae held the line against an army! When the last of the Will of Panar fell in defense of their cause, Oestridae remained! He gave all that he had for a cause that he did not– could not– know for certain if it would succeed or fail.”

‘Oest… There’s a name I haven’t heard in months. There’s a hero.’

Most changelings involved in the upper echelons of the Swarm have heard of the Praetorian. He was a formidable soldier, one who did his duty to his end. Prince Pharynx had spoken highly of the fallen soldier, even though the Prince considered him a traitor at the time. Such a notion was… disputed by the Fourth Hive’s now-defunct counsel of drones.

“So let us dedicate ourselves and our lives to continue his fight! Let us consecrate this city, this temple, this chamber, and all within by the courage of our beating hearts and our unbreakable faith in the Hive Eternal! The world has conspired to erase us in the past, yet we remain! Time and time again, the Hive Eternal was pushed to the brink of destruction, yet we remain! Now, we rise stronger than ever! Where all others fall, we remain!”

Phasma’s voice sang to Nicro across the Weave, and he found himself joining in the crowd’s response.

“We Remain!” The changelings cheered.

“By all the power that The Great Weaver has invested in me, by all the courage of those fallen so that we may stand, and by the dedication of those who still live for the Hive Eternal, I consecrate this holy order of the Hive Eternal!

“Brothers, sisters, step forth and be anointed as Chaplains of the Order of Oestridae. As it is woven, so it shall be.”

At his command through the Weave, the attendants in front of the dais produced golden chalices that were dipped into the pool. The gathered changelings stepped out from their orderly rows to be blessed by the attendants. Each changeling knelt as the water was gently poured from the chalices onto their foreheads while prayers to Panar were quietly spoken.

Nicro knelt as Phasma stood over him with his own chalice.

“Nicro of the Underhive Scarabs,” Phasma said. “Do you accept the duty for which you were nominated: the leadership of the Order of Oestridae?”

“I accept,” Nicro replied.

“Do you swear to uphold the Will of Panar, to protect the weak of the Hive, and to stand against its enemies?”

“I swear,” Nicro replied.

“Do you accept the duty of guiding not only the drones who look up to you, but the Chaplains of this order itself? Do you accept the burden of training and selecting new candidates for this first and only holy order?”

“I accept this burden,” Nicro replied.

Phasma lowered the chalice to Nicro’s mouth and tipped it forward, letting Nicro drink from the water. After a moment, he withdrew the cup.

“I, Phasmatodea, bless this water with what power I have been granted as Pontiff of the Hive Eternal. Let the faith of your own beating heart carry you the rest of the way. Like your Chaplain brothers and sisters, you shall be a warrior dedicated to defending the Hive Eternal. You shall be a mentor to those looking for guidance. And, most importantly, you shall be a friend to the changelings who need you. You shall defend the weak, uplift the poor, and guide the tired. As it is woven, so it shall be.”

“As it is woven, so it shall be,” Nicro replied.

“Rise, Grandmaster Nicro.”

Nicro stood as Phasma retrieved a cyan cloak and placed it around Nicro’s shoulders. The cloak left the right foreleg bare, with a small shield-shaped golden clasp on display across his right shoulder. Nicro saw the other Chaplains receive matching cloaks with each anointing. However, his alone had a gold trim around the edge.

Grandmaster Nicro looked out over the four hundred Chaplains and made a silent promise to be worthy of the honor bestowed upon him.

“Thank you for inviting us, Phasma,” Celestia smiled.

Her smile waived for a moment as she glanced down at the ‘food’ that sat on her plate. Changeling cooking was… new to everyone involved. And since she couldn’t taste any of the emotions that had been baked directly into the recipes, she was missing the majority of the flavors.

“It’s a sign of trust and friendship,” I returned the smile. “And no, noling’s expecting you to enjoy the food.”

She gently pushed the plate away, “If only ponies said that to me more often. I’ve had countless meals that were closer in composition to refuse than edible food. Not that your food is terrible, just….”

“Unremarkable?” I offered.

Celestia giggled, “Quite.”

“I’d say that’s a victory. Not too long ago, the changelings only worked with love and whatever meager scraps were grown in the Greencave back in the Fourth Hive.”

The white alicorn looked around our table. The celebration marking the beginning of the changeling’s new city, particularly the planned-out temple complex, was being held inside the Crystal Caverns, in the temple’s outer rooms. The sanctuary where the ceremony was held was several corridors away, with everyone gathered in what will be the main ‘yard.’ Many, many lings were present, with the rest having their own celebration with their friends throughout the Hive. The only ponies invited were the Princesses, my aid Bray Call, Quick Search– who was currently a valuable member of the Red Right Hoof and potentially will be invited into the newly founded Order in time– and Twilight Sparkle.

Oh, and Shining Armor and two thestrals were present. They had gravitated towards a table with the leaders of the Swarm.

Twilight was busy pestering Grandmaster Nicro with questions. Cadance was sticking close to Celestia’s side, patiently observing everything and answering questions that the occasional ling would ask her. As the Princess of Food, she was remarkably popular. Quick Search and Bray Call were catching up on everything they missed while separated. As for the most important princess of the three…

“Are you going to be the new queen?”

“Indeed!”

“Does that mean you’ll be King Phasma’s new mom?”

Luna was having fun with the nymphs that crowded around our table.

“Er,” Luna balked. “Not quite.”

“Not even in bed?” Cadance whispered, to which I just rolled my eyes.

A second nymph piped up, “What does a queen do, then?”

Luna shrugged, “Queen things.”

The nymph paused, nodded, turned to her friends, and repeated, “Queen things.”

“Queen things!”

“.... What are queen things?”

The collection of miniature changelings all turned back to Luna for answers. The taste of fear pulled my attention away from the spectacle, and I left Luna to her fate.

Celestia was staring at me.

"Something wrong?" I asked her.

Celestia blinked, shut down her outward fear, and smiled, "Not here. Tonight."

Cadance's eyebrows raised in chorus with mine, "Something we should be concerned about?"

Celestia patted Cadance on the shoulder. "No, no. It's just becoming more clear what we need to do. Phasma, make sure my sister and Cadance are present for our chat. In the meantime, I would like to speak to Twilight about- oh! Now that's unexpected."

I turned to follow her gaze.

Channeling no small amount of energy, I teleported myself across the entire chamber to the entrance, where a pony was being escorted in by half of a squad of Red Right Hoof guards. At my sudden appearance before them, the soldiers snapped to attention.

Daring Do bowed before me, "Hello, Your Majesty."

People were already breaking off their conversations to stare at the interruption. The yellow pegasus was wrapped up in some sort of paltry disguise consisting of a purple cloak, red glasses, and a gray sunhat.

“What is she doing here?” I hissed at one of the guards.

The guard saluted, “She stated that she has dire news for Princess Celestia, My King! Given the implied urgency, and that her identity is known to us and she was confirmed to not be a disguised–”

“Get Celestia,” I ordered one of them without taking my eyes off Daring Do. “What is the urgent news?”

I gauged her emotions as she hesitated to respond. Detecting generic emotions was a skill any changeling had, but only trained Infiltrators could detect specific emotions with exactness. As far as I could tell, she was…. Anxious.

‘Better than hatred. Or she’s good at disseminating and hiding her emotions. She is a spy, after all.’

Daring exhaled slowly, “In hindsight…. I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

I ignored her apology, “What is the news, pony? Make it quick before I throw you out myself.”

She cleared her throat, “The Parliament. I’ve learned from a friend that there’s a conspiracy brewing to remove the changelings from Equestria.”

I raised an eyebrow, which she correctly took as a cue to continue.

“The faction seems to be led by Marquess Deep Pockets, Duchess of Appleloosa. I haven’t learned how many support her…”

‘That is bad news. Still, it's something we suspected would happen, and it’s good to put a face to the threat. If this info can even be trusted, that is.’

By now, Celestia had arrived, along with Cadance, Twilight Sparkle, and Coxa. I risked a glance and saw that Luna and the rest of the changeling high command were too busy to back me up.

Daring Do remained quiet as I relayed the news to the Princesses.

“There,” I said. “The news has been delivered. Escort her out.”

“Who is this?” Twilight asked.

“She’s–”

“Dr. Dazzle. An agent of S.M.I.L.E. and an archeologist of sorts,” Daring quickly answered. “Your Majesty, there’s one more thing I wanted to discuss. My application to stay in Nisir and research the ruins there was denied…”

“Correct,” I smiled. “Guards, make sure she finds the door.”

“Wait!” She yelled. “I’ve already laid the groundwork for the greatest discovery in centuries! That city is over ten millennia old, everypony’s going to be talking about it for decades to come! Not only would I lose the opportunity to study Nisir further, all my work–”

“Get. Out.”

Daring looked pleadingly to Celestia.

“Don’t look at me,” Celestia told her. “I am merely a guest at this function. King Phasma is free to disallow specific ponies from entering as he wishes, just as the same can be done for any Equestrian city.”

“But you cleared me of any wrongdoing!” Daring insisted.

“You were pardoned of any suspicions from her,” I corrected her. “In the eyes of the Hive Eternal, you are barely short of being declared an enemy.”

“But I was just helping you!” Daring blurted out.

I bared my teeth at her, “My patience is limited, unlike my authority! If you don’t stop stalling and get out, I–”

“King Phasma,” Twilight Sparkle interrupted, causing me to bristle and turn on the smaller unicorn.

She shrunk down and took a step back before smiling nervously, “If Dr. Dazzle is correct, she’s the first pony to research the ancient changeling city. It would be a rather cruel disservice for all of her work to be thrown away…”

Coxa shook his head, “Twilight Sparkle, Dr. Dazzle here was involved with Division-P in some way. She has refused to elaborate and explain, and is de-facto banned from setting hoof in any changeling land as a result.”

“And now she is leaving,” I added. “Guards.”

Twilight looked to her mentor for guidance. It was Cadance who actually provided it.

“... Twilight, why don’t you walk with… Dr. Dazzle. The mare can tell you more about her situation, and you can argue on her behalf.”

“Whatever,” I grunted. “I want two more squads to follow them and make sure she leaves.”

The guards saluted as I stalked away. Coxa, after quickly motioning for two more Red Right Hoof detachments present to follow my order, caught up with me. Celestia mentioned something to Cadance involving a ‘friendship problem,’ and followed up back to the other side of the room. Cadance stuck with Twilight and left with them.

“That info definitely could have waited,” Coxa said as we passed by changelings who turned back to their own conversations.

“She clearly just wants to go back to Nisir,” I agreed.

Celestia caught up to us three and walked by my side, “What she says is troubling, however. The Marquess is likely rallying all the southern Lords and Ladies to her banner.”

“I don’t believe she was telling the truth,” I growled as we sidestepped a group of dancing drones.

“Appleloosa was the first province to be hit by the invasion,” Celestia explained. “The entire South is a hotbed for anti-changeling movements.”

“That’s true,” I sighed. “The cycle of revenge and all that. First the shipment was hit and the drone foalnapped, now this…”

“I do have some good news,” Coxa announced. “The constitution is almost ready. It’ll definitely be ready before Lantern Night. We can have it signed as part of the celebration.”

“Ah, yes, the constitution you are writing,” Celestia mumbled. “I forgot about that. It certainly sounds like an amazing idea, and a step– no, a leap in the right direction. It’ll certainly make Lantern Night more meaningful. In addition, I know many ponies will relax a lot more when they learn that their new changeling neighbors have… how do I put it? Modernized?”

“Mhmm, codifying hu– changeling rights, and all that,” I said. “We’ll need to work hard to make sure ponies trust changelings. Not that this is to appease ponies, that’s just a nice bonus.”

“So Phasma,” Celestia began, “why don’t you tell me more about this Order that we’re celebrating?”

“The original plan was to group up the most reliable and supportive soldiers and give them the rank of commissar,” I explained. “Then I realized: why attach something with so much negativity to the role? Why not make them chaplains instead? That way, instead of being associated with executions and firing squads, they’re more of a morally supportive role.”

Celestia frowned, “Commissars? I’ve heard of them, but they never executed ponies before. Or rather, elk. The grimness of defending their snow-buried borders necessitated a heavy hoof, I heard. Not that the elks’ kingdom is still around, mind you. Discord did away with that.”

As we sat back down and tried to resume where we left off, several nymphs detached themselves from Luna to huddle in front of my seat at our table.

“My King!” One said with a wide smile, hopping up and down. “Queen Luna said we can go visit the ponies on the surface! I wanna see Canterlot!”

A chorus of ‘yeahs’ and ‘uh huhs’ echoed from the rest of the miniature drones. I smiled outwardly but glared at Luna, who gave me a smirk and a wave.

‘Yeah, might as well throw them to the wolves while we’re at it! The security risks alone might give me an aneurysm! But maybe, with enough guards, we can give them a few field trips… I guess I have to see Thorax again. Hopefully, he’s willing to talk with me.’

“I’ll look into it,” I told the hopping nymph.

“He said yes!” He cheered.

“I said I’ll–”

“We’re going outside!” A second yelled.

I groaned, and instead of addressing the growing warcry of ‘we’re going outside,’ I announced, “Alright, little ones. Why don’t you all go back to Queen Luna and ask when she plans on laying the next clutch of eggs?”

“Aren’t eggs laid by many changelings?” The first nymph asked.

“Aren’t nymphs supposed to struggle with two-syllable words?” I groaned. “I’m the King, and the King says Queen Luna lays all the eggs. Don’t you want more nymphs to play with?”

The kids took a moment to digest the information. After sharing a few looks with each other, they hopped back over to Luna.

“More nymphs! More nymphs!” They cheered.

I casually sipped from my drink as I eavesdropped on Luna’s conversation with the Nymphs. It didn’t take long to get the reaction I wanted.

“What?!” Luna yelled. “I do not lay eggs! No, it– oh! You are mistaken, little ones. It is the King who lays all the eggs. Go ask Phasma when he plans on laying the next clutch!”

“Turnabout is fair play,” I muttered into my cup.

Author's Note

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18- Mandjet

A flash of cyan briefly paused our game of Mahjong. Luna and Cadance, after taking a second to observe the surroundings, made their way over to our table. We were sitting at a luxurious beach resort, enjoying some warm weather. The resort was one I cobbled together from bits of memories, both of hotels I stayed at and commercials of places I would never see.

“Sister,” Luna greeted.

“Sister,” Celestia returned. “Cadance.”

“Auntie,” Cadance returned. “Phasma.”

“Princess of Food,” I smiled.

Cadance rolled her eyes as Luna sat next to me. There was barely enough room for the both of us on my chair, and there were two empty chairs explicitly for the new arrivals, but Luna decided to squeeze in next to me all the same.

“Hey, Luna. I left two seats open for you and Food.”

“I much prefer this one! What are you playing?”

“A game from his world,” Celestia announced as Cadance took a seat.

“It seems…. complicated,” Cadance muttered, looking down at the large assortment of tiles in front of Celestia, myself, and the center of the table.

“It’s like poker, but more complicated,” I said.

Luna picked up a tile and examined it, “What is the appeal of it?”

“Despite its complexity, it's far more relaxed than poker,” Celestia explained. “I’m actually enjoying it, though I fear it will take me a long time to memorize the rules.”

“I would love to learn,” Luna told me. “Deal me in!”

I reshuffled the tiles and laid out four hooves of tiles, not-subtly motioning for Luna to take a real seat. She refused, forcing us to share a single side of the table. I spontaneously conjured up two extra rules sheets for the new arrivals.

“So, what was the business that could not be spoken of at the party?” Cadance asked as she scanned the sheet.

Celestia’s face darkened, “We’ve delayed it long enough. The time has come to put Chrysalis on trial for her crimes against Equestria.”

Cadance glanced at me, “A touchy subject. Why now? Why did you even wait?”

“There’s a lot that goes into this,” Celestia stared at the tiles on the table. “Gathering evidence and testimonies, deciding the best course of plan, picking a suitable time. In addition…”

I was used to relying on changeling’s innate abilities to sense emotions from ponies, but I felt none from Celestia. In the Dreamscape, none of my empathic abilities worked. The basic body language training I received from Chrysalis was of no aid when the Alicorn of the Sun chose to hide her emotions behind millennia of masks.

“It was….” Celestia resumed. “It is not an easy thing to do. Facing her after she killed my friends right in front of me. So much easier to lock her away and forget she existed.”

“That does seem to be your modus operandi,” I joked.

“It is a regressively simple and reliable method of dealing with powerful foes, but redemption clearly offers more rewards,” Celestia remarked, giving me a half-smile. “Chrysalis certainly has a long road if she is ever to… stand with us as equals.”

Luna scratched her chin, “And the secrecy?”

“Some of the things Celestia is suggesting might upset changelings and ponies alike,” I said.

Luna quirked an eyebrow, “Like what?”

Celestia flipped three matching tiles, “Pon. We’ve agreed on a panel of three judges. No jury. As for the judges, we’ve agreed on Coxa, Cadance, and Elder Vigilance.”

“Me?” Cadance pointed a hoof at herself. “Why me and not you three?”

“Phasma and I are far too emotionally involved to be unbiased,” Celestia sighed. “And Luna will also be biased against Chrysalis, as she spent much of her time after the initial invasion cleaning up and dealing with the aftermath of Chrysalis’s decisions. In addition, her closeness to Phasma means that she has been and always will be following his opinions on her.”

“I am more than capable of forming my own opinions!” Luna said, still glued to my side. “It just so happens that Phasma and I agree on this subject; Chrysalis sucks eggs!”

“Up top!” I cheered, high-fiving Luna.

“Alright, I guess that explains me,” Cadance said, playing some tiles hesitantly. “What about Coxa and Elder Vigilance?”

“I wanted Lacewing,” I said, “but Celestia wants a more… level-headed changeling on the panel. I trust Coxa, so ultimately, it’s fine with me. Better him than someone like Thorax, who would be way too soft on the bastard who nearly turned my brain into a piece of modern art.”

“Finally,” Celestia picked up, “Elder Vigilance is an excellent neutral party between our two kinds. Nominally pony-oriented, the thestral tips the scales slightly in Equestria’s favor when it comes to judgment. Given that Chrysalis’s crimes are against Equestria–”

“She’ll also be judged for crimes against drones,” I added.

Celestia paused, “Right, as Phasma said. However, most of the more… severe crimes she has committed were against ponies and Equestria as a whole. Overall, the panel is a fair representation of who she has wronged, filled with overall cool heads and reasonable people.”

“That sounds good to me,” Luna judged.

I shook my head, “There’s a problem that we’ve run into. The problem that would upset changelings, hence the secrecy. The biggest issue with all of this is that Panar directly intervened with our fight and saved Chrysalis’s life. That means that the Goddess has personally spared her and that any judgment rendered against her would be… controversial. The exception to this is if I passed the judgment myself, as I am the Pontiff and therefore Panarthropo’s representative on Equus.”

“Ugh, religion,” Luna groaned. “If I had a grain of sand for every conflict that was spurred by matters of faith, I would have my own shoreline.”

“We were brainstorming solutions right before you two finally arrived,” Celestia explained. “We’re currently stuck without a good enough solution.”

I nodded, “What she said. Also, Riichi.”

“What does that…?” Cadance mumbled, checking her sheet.

“It means I’m about to win. Any suggestions?”

“Already?” Celestia moaned.

“It’s a garbage hoof,” I chuckled. “The only solution I can think of is to have me on the panel, but for previously mentioned reasons, that’s a no-go.”

“So you have to be involved in the decision-making process,” Cadance said. “What if… what if you had some sort of veto?”

“I guess that could work,” I shrugged.

Celestia expanded upon the idea, “What if you had to approve or veto the punishments specifically? That way, we circumvent any issues of you personally being a judge, and you are still involved in the process.”

I frowned, “I’m surprised you want to give me that much power, considering I’m already being watched closely by Cadance.”

“You wouldn’t be choosing the punishments, just approving them,” Celestia explained. “Pon, Riichi. I think I’m getting the hang of this… The three judges would be coming up with the verdict and punishment, and you will have ultimate approval or denial, but you won’t be coming up with the decisions yourself.”

“... That would work,” I nodded slowly. “The changelings would certainly accept that. Would the ponies?”

Celestia sat back as she thought about the question, “... There will be ponies who will decry the trial as fixed with the mere presence of changelings. There’s no convincing them, not without resorting to locking the changelings out of everything to do with Equestria. Any reasonable pony would accept this as being fair. That’s the best we can ask for.”

Luna reached for a tile, “Pon. That’s three of a kind, right?” I nodded, and she continued, “Let us not waste our efforts on those who will never be convinced. We should proceed with this at once.”

The sisters and I looked at the last person present.

“... I’ll do it,” Cadance said. “I’ll sit on the panel. I have to say, though, it doesn’t seem necessary to hold this conversation in secret. I don’t think even the changelings would have cared that much.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia said. “Given the sensitivity of the subject at hoof, I didn’t want to step on Phasma’s tail. Religious affairs can be unexpectedly sensitive on matters that seem asinine to outsiders. At any rate, I also appreciate the opportunity to hang out with you three. Our schedules often pull us apart. I have some functions tomorrow that I’d rather procrastinate thinking about, and you all are an enjoyable distraction.”

Cadance stretched a wing across the corner of the table and wrapped it around Celestia.

“Aww, Auntie! I’ll happily play these grandma-games if it means hanging out with you!”

“Thank you, Cadance,” Celestia smiled.

Luna yawned, “While I would very much prefer to simply lounge around on that pleasant beach over there or even take a dip in the pool, I will play these games designed for senile gossipers if it pleases you all.”

“You can choose the game next time,” I smiled, kissing Luna on the cheek.

“Huzzah! We shall go for a relaxing game of axe-throwing! So, sister,” Luna switched subjects, “what is it that you are doing tomorrow? Something tedious and boring?”

Celestia smiled. But I was getting used to correlating the monarch’s body language with how she really felt. I could tell from experience that she had put just too much effort into the smile for it to be real.

Cadance and I frowned, but both of us stayed quiet.

“... Some ceremony,” she said simply. “As I said, I’d rather not think about it more than I have to. Phasma, have there been any more attacks from Division-P since they targeted that convoy two weeks ago?”

I shook my head, “Tripling the guards and forbidding any ‘random stops’ from the Royal Guard did the trick. There were a few instances where that ruffled feathers with local guard garrisons, but we seem to have thwarted any further attacks. There is a matter of a break-in at one of our Manehattan storehouses, but there’s no proof that it was Division-P.”

“You suspect them nonetheless?” Luna guessed.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I returned, shrugging. “It’s not paranoia if they’re actually out to get you. A number of crates have gone missing, but… With the basis of my little empire being as morally dubious as it is, this kind of stuff was to be expected. Our assets were initially very well guarded, but after moving everything to Canterlot and the Crystal Caves, security in many facilities has been lacking. Vetting trustworthy ponies to employ is a slow process.”

Luna chuckled, “Yet one the changelings must excel at, no?”

I sighed, “Still, whatever it is that Division-P is planning, I just wish they were doing it out in the open.”

“Better the demon I know,” Luna quoted back to me.

The weather was passable.

The sky was overcast, with a light scattering of snowflakes drifting downwards. Fall had been wrapped up and winter was beginning in earnest. The cold weather and light snowfall was the preamble to scheduled dustings later in the week.

Celestia wished it was raining.

Her armor didn’t fit. It was too small around the stomach and hips, too large around her shoulders and chest, and too alien from centuries of unuse. These details were being attended to in time, but time always seemed to run short when it mattered most. Celestia made a mental note to join in combat training with somepony. Whether it was with Luna, Phasma, or Cadance didn’t matter.

A Royal Guard’s armor clanked as he shifted on his hooves behind her.

‘Yes, yes. Time to get on with it.’

She gave Captain Shining Armor a single nod. The Captain stepped forward three paces, halting twenty hooves out from Celestia. He shouted his lines in a commanding tone.

“Atten-tion! Swords of The Morning, present arms!”

Celestia held her emotions in check as she stood facing the Captain. She was standing alone in the small clearing between the rows of Royal Guards that lined the courtyard. When Luna and Phasma had heard about the ceremony, both had offered to be by her side. Celestia had refused.

“Swords of The Morning!” Captain Shining Armor called out again. “Present arms for relief!”

Celestia had stood through hundreds of these ceremonies in the past, almost entirely without issue. Never had it been so… cold. Normally, there were four Royal Guards, usually unicorns of esteemed war mage orders, by her side, presenting their golden swords for the Captain to bestow upon the next rotation.

Now, there were four white caskets, each had a plumed helmet colored pitch black and detailed in intricate gold filigree. A flag of Equestria lay smooth across each casket beneath each empty helmet.

The Captain held their four ceremonial gold spears by his side, not letting their gleaming tips touch the ground.

“Warrant Officer Moon Dust, present arms!” Shining barked.

Celestia swallowed bile, “Moon Dust fell in defense of Equestria in the line of duty. Her blade has fallen.”

‘Her skill with a brush was sublime. By the time she retired and honed her practice, I’m certain a piece of hers would have been on display here in the Palace. She fills no canvas now, just a box.’

“Warrant Officer Stitch ‘N Time, present arms!” The Captain ordered.

It wasn’t easier the second time, “Stitch ‘N Time fell in defense of Equestria in the line of duty. His blade has fallen.”

‘His cousin Fleur-De-Lis was as devastated as I was when I broke the news to her. The stallion went through so much heartache. At least his story has a glorious ending. But what use is glory to him now?’

Celestia stood still, waiting for the Captain to announce the name of the third pony who died by her side.

“Rolfor Strength fell in defense of Equestria. His blade has fallen,” she recited at her cue.

‘I’ve gained many new drinking partners, but none can replace him. To think, he dared to make such crass jokes in front of me… Ha, slide down the bar stool!’

She smiled a little bit at the punchline of his joke. The smile was gone by the time she had to announce her fourth failure.

“Green Hoof died in defense of Equestria. Her blade has fallen.”

‘I miss seeing her emerald eyes when I wake up in the morning. I miss the tea she would prepare for me, not knowing that it tasted like boiled mud. It was the thought that counted– but there are no more thoughts from her, now.’

Shining Armor turned to the four ponies behind him, “The Swords of The Morning have fallen! May Harmony welcome them. Who will take their blades, their shields, their duties?”

The first of the four stepped forward and returned the call to arms.

Celestia had dealt with death before. Even death inside the ranks of the Swords of The Morning. The last time was one hundred and thirty years ago when Sharp Tongue died of an aneurysm while Celestia and her guards were attending a festival in Las Pegasus. This was the first time any had fallen in combat, let alone all four at once.

‘Harmony willing, there won’t be a repeat of this ceremony after the fight with King Sombra.’

Luna lurched upright and blinked her eyes rapidly. A piece of paper slowly peeled itself off her face as she regained her bearings. A glance at the steadily-ticking grandfather clock showed the time as one in the morning.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Luna groaned as she rubbed her head. She had fallen asleep at her desk, with her latest work scattered across its top. Yawning, she rearranged the scattered papers back into their proper order. At some point in the past hour, Phasma had wandered off and left Luna alone to continue their studies. Luna glanced across at the war hammer lying on the pedestal, slowly rotating in the pedestal’s magical grip.

She snorted and regarded their work; mapping every single organic leyline and surface of the half-soul housed within the weapon of war was an extremely tedious task, but the two had completed the duty. While there was not much meaningful progress gained from mapping out the structure of the soul, the process served as an excellent learning opportunity for the both of them. Soulmancy was a field of magic completely new to both of them, and there weren’t any tutors or other guides to pull knowledge from.

‘The price paid for this knowledge is far higher than what I would prefer. To think, I willingly give up what scant hours of sleep I am afforded just for this venture… But if we can somehow bring this Princess Procho back to the world of the living– or worst case, let her pass on peacefully, then it will all be worth it.’

Luna yawned, reclining in her chair as she shut her eyes.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Her ears twitched at the sound. The monotonous clacks were far more preferable than complete silence, yet Luna still found herself becoming more and more aware of the fact that she was currently alone. It reminded her of the sound of her own heartbeat. That further reminded her of the eons she spent alone on the moon, in almost complete silence…

Luna blinked as she strode towards the double door leading out towards the main hall. Coming to a halt outside, she coughed awkwardly as the two Night Guards snapped to attention.

“I am… going to the kitchens to get something to eat,” she announced.

‘Why am I announcing this? I need nopony’s permission to go where I please in my own home. On second thought, I could very much use the company.’

“... One of you, accompany me,” Luna ordered.

The guards saluted and Luna started to walk away. After a moment, one of the two followed her.

‘Now, where did Phasma go? If I do not find him in the kitchens, then something else must have acquired his attention… Unless he is sprawled somewhere in my study and I missed him. Wherever he is, he had better not be retired to our chambers already. If he has sought the comfort of an actual bed and left me drooling on my desk, I will have his hide! Chitin! Same thing!’

When they finally arrived at the kitchens, Luna was frustrated to find out that the errant bug pony was not present. A quick conversation with the kitchen staff to procure a midnight snack revealed that Phasma had, in fact, stopped by to appropriate some ice cream from the kitchen’s freezers.

Now emboldened with the knowledge that Phasma had acquired ice cream and hadn’t shared any, Luna set out on his trail. With her loyal guard, of course. It wasn’t long before the pair of ponies managed to find the changeling; he was in the middle of a conversation in one of the Palace’s spare studies, specifically the one he had staked out to be his own when he wasn’t lounging around in Luna’s.

“So, what do you recommend we do, boss?”

“Get ready to infiltrate.” Luna recognized that voice as Phasma’s. “All of them. I’ll run it by Luna and get approval, don’t worry about that.”

‘Just who could he be talking to this late? I know he’s no morning pony, but nothing good happens after midnight…’

Luna signaled for the guard to stay as she slowly entered the room, catching the tail end of his conversation.

“And uh… I suppose we’re not doing things the same way we dealt with Double Dealings?”

“No,” Phasma said. “I’m still getting flak for all that. Let’s see if we can capture everyone, turn ‘em over to the fuzz, and get the assets as a finder’s fee. I’ll hash something out with Celestia about that. We may need to offer to return all stolen assets to those who can prove that they owned them, but the lion’s share can be retained.”

Luna now saw that Phasma’s back was to the door as he was speaking to a changeling in one of those magical portal-like communication devices. Luna didn’t recognize the changeling nor his voice, but he seemed to be in an office building. Beside the portal, a small container and a pair of stacked bowls lay forgotten.

Phasma continued, “And if you see anything that seems related to Division-P, go straight to Lacewing. With the raids on our transports, they might have a hoof in this, too.”

The drone nodded, “Straight to Lacewing, you got it, boss…”

Luna bristled at the mention of the zealots.

‘Those damned wretches. How could they even come to exist?! Equestria was supposed to be better than that!’

Phasma suddenly spun around and faced Luna. By his side, a pair of magical curved blades were conjured from thin air. His snarl froze and slipped away as he recognized Luna.

“It’s just you, Luna.” He sighed as he let his combat spell flicker away. “Ever heard of knocking?”

“Phasma. I awoke to find myself… alone in the study.”

He quickly moved to embrace Luna, “Oh, uh, sorry about that. I slipped away to try to get some ice cream for the both of us and, uh, got sidetracked. I didn’t mean to leave you alone.” He broke off the hug and gestured to the changeling patiently waiting on the other side of the magical portal, “Luna, this is Thripps. Thripps, this is Princess Luna. Thripps handles suppliers for the Fifth Hive.”

“Good evening, Thripps.” Luna greeted the drone. “Though I could not help but overhear you talking about something decidedly not related to selling spirits.”

“A pleasure to meet ya, Queen Luna,” Thripps bowed.

“I am a Princess, not a Queen,” Luna corrected, a bit confused.

The drone chuckled, “Not according to my niece. Even if you weren’t involved with the King, you’d still be held in high regard by any changeling, Princess Luna. Even Chrysalis’s supporters– what few still remain– respect you for your help.”

“Err, thank you, Thripps,” Luna frowned. “I am happy to help anypony in need. Now, about running something past me…?”

Phasma cleared his throat, “Thripps is handling Manehattan operations now that we’ve moved shop over here to Canterlot. At least until we can officially find someone to take over that duty. Today– or rather yesterday, something rather troubling happened. A few trespassers were caught breaking into one of our warehouses. Several crates had been hauled off before they were chased away. They had a turncoat on the inside that let them in. While these thieves got away, the turncoat didn’t.”

“And he’s been singing an interesting song,” Thripps chimed in.

Phasma glared at Thripps, “Seems like the other gangs in Manehattan aren’t content with the Fifth Hive monopolizing the alcohol industry, and are starting to make moves against us.”

“That is troubling news,” Luna rubbed her chin. “And you plan on infiltrating these criminal organizations?”

“Yep.”

Luna shrugged, “I see no reason why not. So long as– you have already addressed the Double Dealings incident, never mind. Now, when you say that this traitor was revealing information, did you…?”

Phasma frowned, “No. We didn’t torture the girl, Luna.”

“Just making sure,” Luna tried to placate him. “This is a very sensitive subject, and you have proven willing to use less than scrupulous means in the past.”

“Fine, fine,” Phasma accepted the answer. “That’ll be all, Thripps. Keep me up to date on anything important.”

The drone saluted, “You got it, boss! I’ll make sure Lace knows about anything real bad that I find.”

With that, the portal rapidly shrunk before fizzling out entirely.

Phasma gave Luna a small kiss on the cheek, “Sorry about letting you sleep on that chair. I can imagine that it wasn’t comfortable. And sorry for leaving you alone. I really thought I’d be back before you woke up.”

“It is alright, Phasma. Though, I will not object to a bribe,” Luna smiled.

Phasma hastily retrieved the bribe from the table, “Ice cream is a legal tender in Equestria, right?”

“It shall certainly suffice,” Luna said as Phasma hoofed over a bowl.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me!

19- We The Changelings

It took a concentrated effort to keep control of my body. I discovered changelings could chirp from Thorax, and Luna proved that I was more than capable of chirping myself, but it was not something I wanted to do in public. It felt too… embarrassing.

I was positively vibrating with excitement– hence the fear of chirping– as I stood besides Thorax, Coxa, and Lacewing. The documents before us were pre-signed by Pharynx– a necessity, given his rank as Prince and a faux-member of the First Fang. However, he had presumably signed the papers and simply moved on to the next batch of paperwork that awaited him in whatever room in Nisir he took up as his own office. We had an audience.

An audience of several hundred changelings and ponies.

Dozens of reporters, many officials from Equestria’s Royal Court, the Princesses themselves, and many thestrals accompanied the excited gathering of drones. All of them had been carefully vetted and their identities confirmed before they could enter the crystalline city that the changelings had collectively called dibs on. Few ponies ever got the privilege of seeing the nascent city, so this was the public’s first look into what we were doing with their natural wonder.

Our faces were constantly lit up with the flashes of cameras as we signed the Constitution of the Fifth Hive. Formally declaring the rights of every single changeling, in perpetuity, no matter what a royal says. I was carving in stone what I wanted the Fifth Hive to be; even if I died now, I would leave behind a legacy of freeing the drones from the unequivocal control that the royals exerted on them prior to my arrival on Equus. Granted, they welcomed that control far more than the average human would, but even they had limits.

We were giving them a right to a fair trial, a right to housing and food, the right to work where they want and unionize, freedom of speech, a right to amend the constitution, and much, much more. Many of these rights would fly over their heads for a long time– I couldn’t imagine this generation deciding to unionize in the corporate empire I built for them, but when the time comes, they would have the resources and rights necessary. No longer would they be subject to the whims of Queens and Kings alike.

The structure of the Fifth Hive was also set in stone; Operation Pencil was now in full swing as Coxa got the foundations of each of his desired bureaus laid. With plenty of room to grow, the bureaucracy of the Fifth Hive would be able to handle the rapid modernization already pushing the changelings into the economic spotlight. Of course, there was also the formalization of the countless institutions and processes that you took for granted in a modern nation: government-issued identifications and hatching certificates, handling all the payments– in addition to rations and housing– for all the changelings, inspections and expansions of the city within the Crystal Caves, issuing business permits, formalizing the process for the Red Right Hoof to enforce laws and process suspects and convicted criminals, the process of judicial courts themselves– currently appointed by myself, and many, many, many more government-related structuring.

This was all before taking into consideration the gargantuan task of creating some sort of law-making body.

For now, that task was shelved. There was simply too much to do right now, and the law-makers would get in our way. Our species’ survival was still at risk and those delays could easily prove fatal. For now, we figured that the drones would want a democratic system, though to what extent would have to be planned out once the dust had settled.

The Swarm had also been formalized, though few effective changes took place. Instead, the Swarm received plans and instructions for how to expand in the face of new technologies and branches. I don’t know if firearms would ever be invented, but in the future we would most likely need some sort of navy and airforce.

But the ponies and changelings were hardly cheering for the opportunities to file the correct tax paperwork. All the focus was on the usual stuff: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

My smile stretched ear-to-ear as I signed the Constitution of the Fifth Hive, officiating the loss of my own powers. With the exception of Tarsus’s trial, it wasn’t like I was abusing my changelings in ways that these laws protected. Though in my defense, the bastard deserved to be abused– and I’m sure he would have been hanged quite quickly after being put before a human war tribunal, had all this taken place on Earth.

‘Smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.’

I waved a hoof at the cameras, the Adamantium horseshoe glinting in the flashes. It felt almost like a waste to use Adamantium for such small and insignificant pieces of clothing. It wasn’t even armor, more so an equivalent to the gold and silver equivalents worn by Luna, Celestia, and Cadance. To complete the set, I was wearing a simple Adamantium crown with a large orange gem in the center. The raw Adamantium had been recovered from the scrap that was once my gorgeous peytral.

‘I’ll make Division-P for ripping that apart. One day…’

“We done here?” Coxa whispered to me.

“Almost,” I whispered back. “Are things ready for tonight?”

“Lantern Night’s gonna be one hell of a party,” Coxa confirmed.

With the constitution officially signed, its pages were collected by Bray Call and taken away for duplication and safe storage. The media ponies slowly stopped taking pictures, instead switched to writing down notes and discussing with each other what they had just witnessed. The princesses walked over to join us in conversation.

“Congratulations, Phasma!” Luna cheered as she launched herself at me.

With an ‘oof!’, I managed to catch her at the cost of the air in my lungs. The smaller alicorn squeezed me as she gave me a big kiss.

“Luna!” I moaned. “There’s people with cameras watching!”

“Nothing under the moon can stop my affections,” Luna grinned. “... Except if you do not consent– but that is neither here nor there! Tis a monumentous day for changelings!”

“It really is,” Celestia agreed. “I can imagine you’re practically glowing with pride, all of you.”

Lace, Coxa, and Thorax all shared a smile and puffed out their chests.

“All those hours filing paperwork and planning were for this,” I said. “Feels like we’ve accomplished something huge today, even if all we did was sign a piece of paper.”

Bray returned after hoofing off the constitution, “Now this is why I signed up to be a pencil pusher! History in the making!”

“You’ve done an amazing job over the past few months, Bray,” I complimented. “That goes for all of you. None of this could have been possible without any of you.”

“That’s not true,” Thorax said. “I’m sure we could have survived without Coxa.”

The shorter drone elbowed Thorax, “You wish! You’d still be figuring out how to get the Lodges started without me!”

Lace nuzzled Coxa, “We know you did most of the work here, Coxa. We’re just stealing some of the glory for our own reputation.”

“We all had our roles,” I said, “but yes, Coxa did a lot of the heavy lifting with this particular one.”

“You laid the groundwork,” Coxa shrugged. “I just wrote it down and made everything nice and tidy. But if you all insist, I’ll martyr myself and take all the credit! Now, enough chatter. Let’s break out the good stuff!”

“Here here!” Celestia cheered. “Though, this is your opportunity if you want to make a speech,” she nodded towards the ponies with cameras that were finishing up packing their gear.

“Our actions will speak louder than any word we say,” I shook my head.

“Plus, I don’t know if the ponies will care about anyone other than Phas delivering a speech,” Thorax said.

“They’d listen to you,” Cadance said. “The ponies would know of the four royals involved. Maybe Pharynx least so, but your name is becoming more and more well-known thanks to your frequent workshops and public outreach programs.”

Thorax smiled, “I’m happy to hear they’re having an effect, but I’ll leave all the talking to Phas.”

I almost missed the sheer amount of excitement that Bray was emanating, as Luna was still hugging me.

“To think, six months ago I was arresting ponies for loitering,” Bray said. “Now I’m here, with the Princesses and changelings! C’mon, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go celebrate!”

Luna pulled her cloak closer as she leaned into me, gazing up at the lights filling the night sky. Lantern Night was now fully underway, with celebrations filling up the streets and the skies alike. While the sky was being flooded with orange lanterns bobbing around and rising through the cold air, the main plaza of Canterlot had been cleared of the usual stalls and replaced with tables, chairs, food and drink, festive games, and… well, stalls again, but these were offering themed treats and knick-knacks.

“When I was… on the moon,” Luna began quietly, “I could see every star in Faust’s Light. A river of stars, stretching from one dusty horizon to the other. It didn’t fade away with day’s arrival, nor did any city lights dim its majesty. It was there, always present, always beautiful. For many centuries, I believed that I had crossed over unwillingly to the great beyond… I was angry– I was always angry during my banishment, of course, but I was angry at the idea that I had been robbed. An experience that one would have once in a lifetime. At the end of it, to be exact. I have always wondered what it would be like to travel across that river. What would I see? Would the stars flow underhoof like a stream’s current? Would they surround me as they floated and fell like snowflakes?

“Now, tonight, the night sky has been made into a reflection of delusions long past. I… I wish I could fly up there and see what it is like. I would very much like to soar between the lanterns, following their path as they leave behind all else.” Luna stood up straighter and gestured towards a group of ponies lighting lanterns nearby, “Judging by the way those pegasi shuffle their wings and spread them ever-so-slightly, I am not alone in this desire to fly. Unfortunately, it is quite impossible to fly in such cluttered airways.”

I grunted a reply, “Hmm. Maybe there’s a spell that lets you phase through objects?”

Luna rubbed her chin, “No such spell exists, not to the extent of my knowledge. Though such a spell, if it does exist, would undoubtedly require mastery in its respective field.”

I shrugged, “Then I guess we’ll just have to make it a reality in the Dreamscape.”

“Ha! That sounds like a worthwhile endeavor! We shall fly together.”

A pair of ponies being stopped by our guards brought an end to our conversation. One of the guards turned to us for directions.

“Ah, Brilliant Cut, Bunny Hill!” I yelled a greeting. “Let them through, guards.”

The white-coated pair of ponies passed through the cordon and stopped in front of Luna and I, bowing deeply.

“King Phasma, Princess Luna!” Brilliant Cut beamed. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”

“Cut, please, just Phasma,” I said. “Luna, this is Brilliant Cut and Bunny Hill, the father and mother of Double Diamond.”

Luna nodded, “Ah yes, Double Diamond, Prince Thorax’s paramour. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

“The pleasure is all ours,” Bunny Hill returned, standing up straight with her husband.

“Any friend of Phasma’s is a friend of mine,” Luna returned. “That way, Celestia cannot hope to bridge the widening gap in our contest…”

“Uh, contest?” Brilliant asked, sharing a look with his wife.

“You need not worry about it,” Luna waved a hoof dismissively. “It is a trifle game. Whomever has the most friends wins. Despite having ten centuries of an advantage, I have left Celestia back at the starting line.”

“We’re glad to hear that you’re adjusting well,” Bunny nervously chuckled.

“I recall Phasma mentioning experiments of yours,” Luna broached. “Something about a hoof-held machine capable of performing mathematics?”

“The calculator!” Brilliant smiled.

“An apt name,” Luna chuckled.

Brilliant nodded, “Yes, an inspired idea! It took many iterations, and countless breakthroughs, but we believe that we have a working model…”

I rose, “You serious?! That’s amazing news!”

“That’s not all,” Brilliant beamed. “Using enchanted crystals as the medium for the processing, we can get started on mass production within the month!”

“Within the month?” I quoted. “I… I’m not familiar with enchanting. How is that possible?”

Bunny explained, “It’s a simple matter of setting up a macro-enchantment that can imprint smaller patterns on even low-grade crystals. Now, neither of us are unicorns, but I know enough to know it can be easily done… with an initial investment.”

“Sounds good,” I smiled. “I love it when bits start to grow on trees. How much will these magic beans cost?”

“A modest sum,” Brilliant explained. “But it’ll require more than bits. As it so happened, we have an opportunity to keep the cost down. Last I heard, a certain someone was shoveling tons of low to medium grade crystals into boxes as quickly as they managed to get said boxes?”

I blinked in surprise, “The Fifth Hive’s excavation! Brilliant, that’s brilliant!”

“Not to cut in on your conversation,” Luna said, “but you mentioned a working model?”

Brilliant and Bunny shared a wide grin before Brilliant reached into his saddlebags and produced a large, boxy calculator. The bottoms were several times larger than what I was used to, but the overall shape and screen were familiar enough.

“Getting the screen to work was an unexpected hurdle,” Brilliant said, turning it on. “And the battery will need to be replaced after a few months of usage. But! But but but! It works!”

“May I?” Luna asked, extending a hoof.

Brilliant hoofed it over, “Absolutely, Your Highness!”

As Luna examined the device and pressed a few buttons, I spied a pony crossing the far side of the plaza. Now, that wasn’t unusual. There were a total of a few hundred ponies and changelings in Canterlot’s central plaza at the moment– though none of them came close to the cordon of Royal Guards and Red Right Hoof soldiers. This pony was…

Familiar.

She was a pink unicorn, with a red mane and a strawberry Mark. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t personally remember her. However, the information was practically pushed into my mind from my Weave subconsciously. I had, in fact, seen this pony before.

I had seen her once in public, when she had passed me while outputting emotions of extreme hatred.

“Looper,” I commanded one of the Infiltrator Red Right Hoof soldiers. “The pony Northwest of us, at the far end of the plaza and passing underneath the sign for that bakery. Pink coat unicorn. See her?”

“... Yes, My King.”

“Follow her. Don’t be seen. If she does anything suspicious, arrest her. Monarch, shadow Looper and sound the alarm if anything goes wrong.”

The two changelings stalked off, the first discretely discarding their armor and donning a disguise. As they left, the two guests shuffled around anxiously and Luna leaned over to me.

“Trouble?”

“We’ll see,” I answered her.

“It has only been two months since the last dregs were burned out of Canterlot,” Luna replied. “Three or four since their downfall during the Gala. It takes time for the skirmishers to test defenses, Phasma. They may be bold, but I doubt they have the capacity to strike us so soon.”

“Happy is the city,” I quoted, “that in times of peace, dreams of war.”

Brilliant cleared his throat, “This is… Division-P you’re talking about, right? We’ve heard rumors, but…”

Luna turned to them, “Worry not. They are growing bold, but we are ever vigilant. Phasma is right to be on guard. There is no shadow that they can hide in from us.”

I nodded, “They mostly work through their pawns. For the past month, the gangs of Manehattan have been growing increasingly bold.”

“We’ve heard and seen things in Manehattan,” Bunny remarked. “The ruffians and thugs marking up territory even in the… ahem, affluent areas. This is related to those monsters?”

“Yes,” I confirmed, “but don’t worry. With the combined efforts of the city’s guards, the Royal Guards, and my own Red Right Hoof, we’re catching them before they even realize that we’re onto them.”

“To segue into a more pleasant topic,” Luna said, lifting up the calculator, “I would like to show this to my sister. That is, if you two do not mind? I am certain she will be even more taken with it than I am! And I am already shaking with excitement at the idea that this tool will cut down on one of our most dreaded duties: paperwork!”

“The… Princess?” Brilliant stammered. “P-Princess Celestia?! Why we’d be honored, Princess Luna! By all means, show her– keep it, in fact!”

Bunny stepped forward, “Not that we aren’t honored and excited to have your support, Princess Luna! It’s just that, uh, we grew up only seeing–”

Luna lifted a hoof to stay them, “Do not worry, I understand. ‘Tis not easy to shake decades of upbringing.”

Despite her words, I tasted hints of sadness coming from her. I reached out and grabbed her hoof, holding it with my own. Luna looked over at the gesture and smiled, her sadness banished for now.

“Your support really means a lot to us,” Brilliant insisted. “Without Phasma’s support, and your support of him, we would have never achieved any of this.”

“Then celebrate,” Luna commanded. “Today is a day of giving thanks for our changeling friends. Enjoy yourselves. I know I will tonight...”

“Luna!” I hissed.

“... When I see all the pleasant dreams of our subjects. What?”

“N-nevermind,” I muttered.

The pair of ponies chuckled quietly, bowing as Luna left us to go show off to Celestia and claim our achievement as hers.

‘Suck it, Celestia.’

The rest of our conversation was comparatively subdued, moreso talking about their son, Double Diamond, and his coltfriend, that one changeling named Thorax. The pair were excited to see such a kind soul become a part of their family, and were excited to hear about the outreach and diplomatic projects that Thorax was heading.

“Most of the drones can pull basic capitalism info from my Weave,” I was explaining. “But that’s far from an intuitive understanding of how and why you want to save or spend money. The old Fourth Hive operated on a bare-bones favor-for-favor trading….”

I trailed off when Looper, Monarch, and the Red Right Hoof guards returned. The guards had the pink unicorn between in and in cuffs. Brilliant and Bunny shrunk back at the sight of the pony with her horn-suppressing ring on.

“Your Majesty,” Looper greeted me. “We caught her sneaking off to an alley and bringing out these bottles.”

The drone offered up a sealed glass bottle, one I recognized as a specific brand of wine that the Fifth Hive distributed. Now, the Fifth Hive was currently the only distributor– though that was soon to end if Celestia’s talks of the Parliament’s votes was anything to go by– but there were many old, pre-Prohibition brands that simply closed up shop, if only for the time being. This bottle was one of ours.

I took it from the drone and examined it closely.

‘Filled and sealed. They seem to be after our goods… that is if this pony is even Division-P after all, and not just someone sneaking away some extra booze for later. They’re stealing as much as they can get, but why? Surely they know that they can do very little harm, all things considered. Is there some parallel to Earth, something to do with the Prohibition?’

“Wait,” I said, staring back up at Looper. “Did you say… bringing out?”

The former-Infiltrator nodded, “Yes, My King. She didn’t have them when she went into the alley, but had them when she came out.”

I rechecked the bottle and found the match number. While I didn’t myself recall it, my Weave once again supplied the requested knowledge…

“One of the stolen batches!” I gasped. “Monarch! Alert the Princesses and Royal Guard! Tell them… tell them to put an end to the festivities. Stop everyone from drinking!”

“My King?” Monarch questioned.

“Go!” I ordered her.

At once, the drone saluted and buzzed away, heading straight for the cloister of Royal Guards that protected the Princesses.

“The rest of you Red Right Hoof, spread out and make sure that– nevermind.” I grunted and switched to speaking over the Weave, “Changelings of the Fifth Hive! Hear me and obey: Lantern Night is over, be on alert for Division-P activity. And get the ponies to stop drinking any alcohol!”

The rest of the guards around me saluted and started spreading out and ruining tonight’s fun.

Satisfied, I halted the former Infiltrator, “Looper. Show me this alley. I need to confirm it for myself.”

“What’s going on?!” Bunny asked, panic edging into her voice.

I turned back to them, “Sneaking in poison into Canterlot would be very difficult. But booze? I know exactly how easy that can be. You two, go home. The party’s over.”

Leaving the stunned ponies behind, I followed Looper to the far side of the central plaza. As we walked, ponies shrunk back– guided by the nearby changelings to go home.

“Poison?” Looper asked. “Are you sure, My King?”

“No, hence the need to confirm it. But… it lines up with my knowledge of my former life.”

The drone shivered, “Thank the Goddess you were sent to guide us, then, King Phasma!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I muttered. “This is the place?”

Looper had guided me to an alley between a bouquet store and some jewelry store.

“Yes, My King. I found a large opened crate just around the bend to the right, next to the dumpster and just out of sight.”

I froze, staring down at the cobblestones. The ones in front of me, the ones I physically couldn’t step on, were unremarkable. Completely normal smoothed stones that made up the numerous sidewalks and streets of Canterlot.

Except these ones were in an alleyway. Unlit, urban, and as filthy as an alley could be in the heart of Canterlot.

“... Drone, what is your name?” I asked over the Weave.

“What?” He asked. “It’s Looper, Your Majesty. Are you alright?”

“Just making sure,” I said quietly. “Are you sure it's in there?”

The drone looked around, “King Phasma, I examined it myself. It’s there. What’s wrong?”

I swallowed, “Nothing, just… just keep an eye out. Make sure no one but the Princesses enter after me, okay? And redirect any changelings if they pass by and have them stand guard with you.”

Looper saluted, “I’ll make sure no unauthorized pony enters, My King!”

I looked down at the stones.

‘Just walk forward. People might die if that crate holds a clue to all of this. If people have been poisoned, if there’s a way to detect it, if there’s a sample there… What was it that Dr. Sweet Dream said? Some bullshit about how strength is fighting on despite the hardships–’

“My King!”

Another Red Right Hoof soldier arrived, skidding to a halt in front of us.

“Name?” I asked again over the Weave.

The drone bowed, “Trachea, My King. Oh, checking our identities. Good thinking, Your Majesty! B-but I bring grave news!”

“What is it?” I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

“Ponies have started getting sick, My King. We’re stopping everyone else from drinking more, but it seems to match symptoms of a slow-acting poison! But it’s only ponies getting sick, not changelings! Medical prof–”

“A false flag attack!” I growled. “Trachea, Looper. Guard the entrance.”

Before I could think twice about it, I stomped into the dark alleyway. An orange tinge suffused the alley as I lit the palace up with magical light. Shadows twisted as I walked forward, eyes on the prowl and ears literally on the swivel.

Things were different this time. Even though this was a space between the facade of Canterlot, everything was still nice and shiny. Aside from a light dusting of snow underhoof, the ground was clear. It was colder, though considerably drier. Most importantly, I had a real purpose to be here. I was here to save lives, not to cut a corner.

The intersection was empty. The alley that opened up on my right was unremarkable. I had slowly checked the corner, throwing the light out the instant I peeked, making sure to have blinded any would-be attackers.

But there was nothing. Not even a rat scurrying away at the light. The place was just… empty.

Stepping forward, I eyed the many doors and corners as I looked around. The dumpster that Looper mentioned was right in front of me, pressed against the wall and almost overflowing with garbage. Next to it lay a large wooden crate, rectangular in shape and propped open.

‘Time is of the essence, Phasma. Get to work.’

Briefly pausing to scan it magically for traps, I looked into the crate and found more bottles of wine. The box was two-thirds empty, empty slots suggesting that Division-P had distributed over thirty bottles of poisoned alcohol already.

‘Poisoned alcohol. My hunch was right. It was another parallel to Earth and its Prohibition. This time, I can make sure no one dies or gets seriously hurt.’

I pulled out a bottle and ripped out the cork, pouring out the red liquid and scanning it with an analyzing spell.

‘That’s got to be some hint! If I can at least identify the poison, then we can…’

My left ear twitched as I heard the sound of metal almost silently grinding against metal.

‘No! Not again! Not again, not like this, not when there is so much I can do!’

My heart beat. It beat and it beat and it beat, drowning out every other sound. I heard nothing but the blood pounding in my ears. I sensed no emotion. I saw nothing but what was in front of me. I smelled nothing but the rank stench of days-old garbage.

Thump thump thump thump–

But I knew they were there.

Thump thump thump–

And they were here to kill me.

Thump thump–

Unless I killed them first!

Thump–

Muscle and chitin moving like a finely tuned machine, I dropped the bottle and spun around quicker than a heartbeat. Time seemed to slow as I flew around, but it didn’t slow enough for me to cast a shield spell. Resorting to physical means, I raised my right foreleg in front of me. It was the same one that was obliterated months ago.

Thump–

A green blade cut into the front of my leg, cleaving through the chitin, flesh, bone, and the rest again as it came through the other side, halting as its speed was robbed by my own flesh. Droplets of blood splattered across my face and chest as I lowered my leg, pulling the thin blade down with it.

Thump thump–

The unicorn clutching the blade with a hoof stared in shock. In an instant, I took in every detail I could. Their coat, their mane color and style, the thick clothing she wore that disguised the armor underneath, and the look of hatred that burned within her eyes. Finally, I took in the far off details: there were seven more unicorns and pegasi, silently hurtling towards me from every corner of the alley.

Thump thump thump–

‘Not again! Never again! Never!’ I screeched in my mind, giving her a matching look of hate as I bared my fangs. But I offered the unicorn no taunts or witty phrases. I only gave her a single spell.

The orange light sped from my horn like a bullet. It expanded into a vertical blade that shattered the Adamantium blade between us. It kept going, growing larger and larger. First, it parted her fur. Then it cut her skin and flesh. Fractions of a second after that, it cut deeper, ripping apart bone and organ like a hot knife through butter.

With hatred still burning in her eyes, the pony was bisected from horn to hoof.

Thump thump thump thump–

I was showered in the viscera that sprayed from the pony as the orange blade continued to cut. Stone chips flew upwards from the ground as the cobblestones were ripped apart by the lower edge of the curved spell.

The two halves of what once was a unicorn had started to sag and split apart when the rest of the murderers descended upon me. There was no time for shields, nor teleporting away. I didn’t even think about teleporting away until much, much later.

“Die!” I screeched, dripping blood from my face as I faced the new attackers.

The ponies offered up their own challenges– which I promptly ignored. The blood was still pumping too loudly in my ears to listen, even if I wanted to.

I conjured two short blades made of magic and parried two physical blades an instant later. In the second before a brown armored unicorn finished casting some spell at me, I swooped low and picked up the handle of the lower half of the shattered Adamantium blade using a hoof. I did not have speed on my side. I never had. I was a huge changeling, towering over these lesser assassins. Though each one was far faster than me, I had strength and flexibility that none of them could hope to match.

My heart continued to beat so fast it threatened to burst right from my chest as I spun around and around, blocking and parrying blow after blow. The spell that the unicorn was brewing up finished its casting process and I immediately tasted metal. As I blocked blow after blow from the cloaked ponies, I had kept one eye on the unicorn’s horn and managed to maneuver my head under its direct path. When the spell came out, it was so fast that I didn’t even see it pass by. There was only a thunderclap and the taste of metal.

And some severe pain at the tip of my muzzle, where the spell came close to hitting me.

The two ponies who were trading blows with me dove in to secure the kill. I slumped towards the ground, dropping right underneath the two of them and springing forward like a coiled viper. The brown armored unicorn had not been prepared for me to simply dart past his comrades, and his next spell died on his horn when I sunk the shattered Adamantium blade into the space between his peytral and neck guard.

I wrenched the blade free and hurled it behind me at the fourth pony to join the combat: a pegasus in white armor, similarly hidden under a dark cloak. She blocked the attack, but the two unicorns had been distracted by the thrown blade, allowing me to cut one right through the neck, beheading him in a single stroke.

These assassins were far from the most difficult opponent I had faced. There were a lot of them, however, and they were still going to kill me if I even made so much as a single mistake. Dodge, parry, duck, dive, parry again, and on. The pegasus and remaining unicorn pushed me backwards as I avoided their blows, contorting like a possessed person. All those hours training in the ring gave me the edge I needed to use my new technique to avoid the flurry of blows leveled at me. A few scored lucky hits. Some even cut deeper than chitin.

I kept the two of them at a distance, using my spells to slice at them. I tried to look around for the last three ponies that should have joined the ambush by now. Between attacks, I found that they had gone after the two guards by the alley’s entrance. The Division-P assassins were doing a good job at pushing the guards out from the alley and further away from me.

Trachea the changeling crumpled when one of the two assassins struck them right in the horn mid-spell.

Grunting in anger, I dove behind me and grabbed the top lid of a circular trash can and hurled it at one of two pursuers. At the same time, I pumped a large amount of mana into an ice spell directed at the second. She expertly dodged the attack, leaving the suddenly appearing spikes of ice piercing nothing but air.

But the maneuver bought me a few seconds. I turned towards the pair of ponies trying their hardest to kill Looper, reached out with my telekinesis, and grabbed one of them. Their natural magical field worked hard to resist me– I kept pouring mana into the low-level spell to counter this.

“Here I am!” I screamed aloud and over the Weave.

The pony flew to the right and knocked over his companion by accident as I mentally, and physically, reared back and wound up. The pair of ponies by me recovered and started to close the distance between us once more. They would not be in time so save their friend.

“Here I remain!” I screamed again, my chest heaving from the effort.

With every last scrap of panic-driven power left in me, I threw the pony squeezed in my telekinesis. I had aimed simply away from the remaining changeling, to the left specifically. Unfortunately for the pony, my aim was flawed in my haste. Instead of flying off into the sky and maybe surviving with a miracle, maybe being picked up mid-air by one of those Wonderbolts attending the festival, the pony clipped the corner of a nearby building due to the bad angle.

The living missile whistled through the air before blasting the corner of the building. From our perspective on the ground, the pony was nothing but a blur before the corner of the building exploded outwards and away. The ground shook underhoof as chunks of broken brick, mortar, lumber, shingles, stone, metal gutters, and chunks of what was once a pony scattered across the sky. I saw the highest of this macabre debris field from my spot in the alley, as it crested over the roofs of the surrounding buildings.

I was still screaming when the two nearby assassins lunged for me. The unicorn’s Focused Will laser beam cut a second hole in my left foreleg and I crumpled to the floor from the sudden lack of support. As I fell, the pegasus’s wing blades skittered across the chitin of my back, cutting neat grooves into the exoskeleton but failing to get any further.

I turned the fall into a roll, kicking off from my right and sweeping right into the pegasus. Her blades slashed and brutalized the stone around me as she attempted to dice me up while being flung off her hooves. I ignored her.

‘Never going to kill me! Never! Never!’

The unicorn was the bigger threat in my eyes and had to die next. Still yelling, I attempted to flashbang them as I rolled back onto my three good legs. In response, my horn flared up in gut-wrenching pain and orange sparks. I stumbled and choked on the pain as my recovery returned to the ungraceful fall it started as.

The unicorn hadn’t had time to avoid me, however, and I knocked him over when I hit him. We went down onto the ground, tumbling and kicking. Using my heavy weight, I pinned him underneath my good foreleg. He tried to charge another spell to end the fight, blue magic gathering around his horn. Still screaming, I swung my head down onto the pony’s neck. My two fangs stabbed straight into the pony’s exposed throat, and I bit down for all I had. Wrenching my head backwards, I was once again sprayed with blood as a chunk of the pony’s flesh came with me.

As the pony clawed at his own bleeding throat, the armored pegasus flew past me… and straight into a wall. She fell from the stone masonry into an unconscious heap on the ground. Still huddled over the struggling pony, I turned to look over my shoulder at the pegasus’s attacker.

About thirty Royal Guard ponies were flooding into the alleyway, with many pegasus having to take to the air to fit into the enclosed space. At the forefront of their charge was Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, and Captain Shining Armor.

‘Murderers! Thieves! Liars in disguise, I’m not going to be fooled, not again! Never again! Kill them all!’

I bared my bloody fangs at them, hissing as the blood dripped from all over my body.

“Phasma!” The fake Celestia called out.

I rose to face them, pressing down onto the fallen unicorn’s horn with a hindleg. The fake Princesses took a step back at the sight of me.

“Phasma, it’s us. We’re here to help!” Cadance called out, stepping closer. “Calm down, and get away from that pony! He needs help!”

At her words, I saw the Royal Guards rounding up remaining ponies in the alleyway who were still breathing, and administering first aid. I wasn’t about to fall for such an obvious ruse. I hissed a challenge. The Division-P agents disguised as Royal Guards leveled their spears at me. Through the pain and confusion, I tasted their fear in the air.

‘They still have the disguise necklaces. You can’t fool me! I’ll rip out every last one of your throats before I go down! I’ll kill you all!’

“Princess,” the fake Captain of the Guard said, “that unicorn doesn’t have long!”

Celestia’s face darkened as she nodded.

Her long horn lit up in golden magic, giving me ample time to throw my weight to the side and avoid the magical bolt that shot out from her horn. Unfortunately for me, the damn thing tracked me as I dodged, slamming into my chest and sending me to the ground for the final time. A cold feeling diffused across my body from the spell, numbing the countless wounds that crisscrossed my chitin. It did nothing for the mind-splitting pain in my horn, and only took some of the pain off for my twice-punctured foreleg. Another thing it did was completely paralyze me from the neck down, leaving me gasping on broken cobblestones, staring across the alleyway at the opened crate of bottles that started everything.

‘No! No, no, no! It can’t end like this! I was so close! I was going to live! Panar take you all! I can’t die like this!’

Ponies scurred past my view, with a few stopping and hesitantly watching me, spears pointed up away from me. When I saw the pony disguised as Celestia walk into view and up to me, I snarled, barely able to turn my head to get a better view up at her.

The impersonator hesitated, glancing across the devastated alleyway.

“Phasma!” Luna cried out over the barking of orders that filled the alley.

The fake Celestia stepped back, her white long legs in my vision replaced by blue galloping ones.

‘Bastards! Going to kill me while wearing the face of Luna, are you?! I’ll kill every last one of you! I’ll come back and kill you all!’

She slid to a halt, metal horseshoes grinding on stone as she slid.

“Phasma, we are here! It is I, Luna!”

“... Back!” I wheezed, bearing my teeth at her.

The impersonator stepped closer to me. I was helpless to stop them; I couldn’t even twitch a hoof. It didn’t help that my body was twitching and shaking all on its own. When the pony was within reach of me, I sensed something that drove ice into my veins.

“... Love?” I whispered.

“Yes, it’s me!” Luna yelled, closing the distance between us.

The alluring emotion flooded my senses. Luna took the opportunity to hoist me up, embracing me and drowning me in the ambrosia. I gasped, completely slack in her grip.

“Ph-Phasma,” she whispered, “don’t you dare leave us alone here! We were a fool to leave thy side, even for a second! These dogs will pay for what they did!”

“It’s clear they already have,” Celestia said plainly, standing at a distance from us. “Captain…”

Shining Armor saluted, “I’ve already given the order to lock down the entire city, Princess! Nopony is getting in or out without us knowing! We’ll… we’ll get control once more! This won’t happen again!”

“What even happened to begin with?” Cadance said, staring in horror at the mare ripped in half.

“Poison,” I mumbled.

“Poison?” Luna questioned. “Oh! Your runner delivered the message, Phasma! Thou needn’t fear, we have rushed all the ponies afflicted to the hospital! No more shall die today! But pray tell, what happened here, Phasma?!”

The only thing I could do in response was groan, shut my eyes, grasp the Thread of Emotion, and start feasting on the offered love as I shook like a leaf in Luna’s grip.

Celestia regarded the bloodiest scene her city had seen with sadness.

‘No, far from the bloodiest. The changelings endured far, far worse months ago. The whole place feels tainted, now. Its purity has been corrupted by so much fear and hatred. Now once again, death visits our walls. None of this should have happened…’

All around her, Celestia found suffering strewn across the white cobbles of the alley. Pegasi flew the only injured attacker away, and two ponies were taken with relatively light injuries. The rest were laying still on the stone, their blood pooled and already icing over in the winter night’s air.

Celestia had to swallow bile when she saw the two halves of the pony lying next to each other, like an apple cut down the middle.

Then there was the living to consider. With the three surviving ponies being taken away to the cells or to a maximum security hospital ward– and the injured changeling quickly taken away by the Red Right Hoof changelings trying to pour into the already crowded alleyway, the only one left to account for the whole thing was dripping blood into her sister’s fur. Phasma was shaking as he embraced Luna. Celestia watched her injured friend with thinly veiled sadness. A few paramedics with the Royal Guard had stopped by and were wrapping the worst of his injuries up, but there were many cuts and small wounds that they didn’t bother trying to address here, and there was nothing they could do about the sparks of magic still sizzling from his horn.

‘Mana blowout. Really bad, at that. Normally, that sort of thing comes with long-term ramifications, but going by Phasma’s story about his initial horn health issues, he might just pull through with nothing but scars… Scars that can be healed using changeling healing pods. Oh Harmony, what I’d give to find a way for ponies to use those miracles…’

Several of the changeling leaders had arrived and were gathering around Phasma, notably the First Fang and Phasma’s generals. Celestia began walking over to the group, chips of rock crunching under her boots as she approached. A glint caught her eye; Celestia leaned down to pick up a crown of green metal and one large orange gem, lying discarded in the chaos and smeared with blood.

She beheld the headpiece, studying its newly-found scratches and bloodstains.

“Must’ve dropped it in the fight,” Cadance said, causing Celestia to turn to the smaller alicorn.

‘Stars above, I’ve forgotten what m– our duties are!’

“Cadance,” Celestia said, “Can you go visit Canterlot General? Do what you can to help there.”

Shining leaned over from his huddle of Lieutenants, “Actually, Princess, if you don’t mind me suggesting, I think everypony should get back to the safety of the Palace. We don’t know if there are future attacks, and…”

“I can help,” Cadance insisted.

Celestia looked down at the crown gripped in her hoof, “... The Captain is right. The last thing we want to do is create more trouble for everypony to worry about. Let’s get a brief explanation from Phasma and head back.”

The Princesses resumed their walk over to Luna and Phasma while Shining Armor returned to his subordinates to coordinate securing the whole block building by building.

‘An assassination attempt in my city. Our city! And such a brutal way of putting it down, I have so many questions…’

The gathering parted for the pair of alicorns. Celestia stopped before her sister and the changeling royal. Luna’s ears twitched as Celestia arrived, and the younger sister repositioned herself so that Phasma was leaning against her side as they both faced the crowd. Phasma did his best to sit up straight– an admirable feat considering the fact that he should still be completely paralyzed.

“I’m not going to ask something as foolish as ‘are you alright,’” Celestia said. “But I hope you’re at least feeling calmer…”

Phasma pressed his chin to his chest, “Pure love helps… They tried to kill me, Celestia. They tried to kill me again…”

A chill worked its way up Celestia’s spine.

“In an alleyway again!” She realized. “Do you think they knew? The details of your death are not public.”

Phasma shivered, “Don’t know. Don’t want to die…”

“Why did you come here without protection?” Cadance asked. “You only had two guards, and you were hounding us earlier about how likely it was that Division-P was going to make a move!”

“Poison,” Phasma said. “That crate over there. We need it to get a cure, to save lives! I didn’t want to wait, didn’t want anyone to die…”

Celestia glanced at the mentioned crate, “Any proper poison would have killed regardless of whether or not it was identified. Still, I appreciate the effort and worry, Phasma.”

“... So it’s all for nothing?” Phasma whispered.

“No–” Celestia began.

Luna cut her off, “Yes! You suicidal colt, we nearly lost you! You are never going anywhere without half a dozen guards, do you hear me! I can’t lose you!”

“Sorry,” Phasma mumbled.

“Nopony can fault you for trying to save lives,” Celestia argued. “If the same thought crossed any of our minds, we would have done the same.”

“I certainly would have,” Cadance admitted, rubbing a foreleg. “Is there nothing we can do with the poisoned wine? No way we can make things easier for the ponies who are sick?”

“We will take it in to investigate it, but the worst symptoms are non-fatal,” Celestia summarized. “We can try to create some sort of detection for the poison for the future, though I suspect our foes will simply switch poisons– or tactics altogether.”

Cadance frowned, “Speaking of which, isn’t it a bit strange that only ponies got sick? Is Division-P going to–”

“Princess!” A Royal Guard called out as she approached.

“What is it, my little pony?” Celestia asked as the guard bowed.

“We’ve found something you all need to see in the building!” She explained, pointing to the building directly behind their huddle, across the alley from the crate.

Phasma tensed, “Ambush…”

“No,” Celestia muttered. “Look. There, in the window!”

All heads turned towards a small horizontal window on the back of the building. Though it was quite dark, the illumination provided by the Royal Guards glinted off a metal case and glass lens that sat behind the closed window. Below it, a Royal Guard’s spear was tentatively poking the device.

“It’s a camera,” Cadance pointed out. “That’s a restaurant from the looks of it, they wouldn’t have something as expensive as a camera pointing out the back for no reason!”

“It looks recently placed,” Coxa said, hovering up to see through the window.

“It’s all a false flag attack,” Celestia realized. “Only ponies got sick and they recorded a fight involving Phasma killing their agents! Wait, wouldn’t that video show them attacking him with actual swords?”

“Edit the video?” Phasma asked.

“Edit?” Luna questioned.

“Change,” the changeling explained.

“You can do that?” Thorax asked. “Just change what a camera records?”

Phasma grunted, “I guess? Hey, can I… go to the hospital or something? Or can you hit me with that stun bolt again? Please?”

“Let me help,” Cadance said, stepping forward to administer some first aid.

“Thank you,” Luna said. “Healing was never my forte…”

Celestia spoke up, “I believe we have adequate healers within the Palace. We should return there immediately.”

“... Your Highnesses,” the Royal Guard said. “There was one more thing of note we found by that camera…”

Attention returned to the guard as she produced a set of four pitch-black beetles and presented it to the collection of rulers.

“A changeling communication device,” Thorax identified it. “They must’ve taken it during the war with the changelings. Just how many of these exist, Phasma?”

Phasma sighed in relief as Cadance applied a new numbing spell, “Mmm…. Dunno, couple. A dozen?”

Cadance turned away from Phasma to examine the device, “I am guessing they were using this to receive orders and coordinate the ambush?”

‘Meaning we can identify who is in charge of this operation. They might not expect their communications to be compromised so quickly, and we can catch them off guard. If they reveal any details about their location on accident, we can find them and bring them to justice!’

“Activate it,” Celestia commanded.

“What?” Coxa asked in disbelief.

“I just realized all of us, the leaders of the Canterlot Confederacy, are in one place,” Luna said quietly. “Perhaps we should disperse, or at least move to the Palace now?”

“That’s exactly why Lacewing isn’t here,” Coxa said. “Celestia, are you sure you want to do that right now?”

“The whole city will know about the attack within an hour,” Celestia pointed out. “We must act with haste! Is there a way to track where it connects to?”

“No,” Phasma answered. “That would have been a glaring security breach of the invasion. The only clues we’ll get are what we hear and can see.”

The Royal Guard set the beetles down onto the ground as the alicorns and changelings lined up before it. At Phasma’s prompting, a Red Right Hoof soldier nudged the beetles into position with his magic, causing them to light up in green magical energy and start up the device. A circular looking-glass portal was conjured into being above the beetle set. All eyes were upon the pony who was standing on the other side of the portal.

The sky blue unicorn sat with his back turned to the portal, leaving only his cloudy-gray mane and drooping red cloak visible. His ears twitched as the portal activated, linking their devices. Celestia drank in the details about the scene around the unicorn: a lavish office, but one far from the obscene decor found in Canterlot. The curtains were drawn shut on the window, and there were no paintings Celestia could use to identify the office’s owner or location. The style matched Canterlot high society, meaning it could be anywhere in Equestria. Anywhere within a mansion owned by somepony who loves to emulate Canterlot without actually living in the city. Celestia also made a mental note of the colors of the stones and woods found throughout the office, even trying to memorize the grain of the pink marble columns seen on the far wall. She stretched her mnemonic techniques and used a spell to make a mental snapshot that could be reconstructed later.

As for the scene itself, the unicorn was sitting behind a desk covered in papers and books, too far away to be legible– though not for lack of trying. Overhead, a silver chandelier adorned with crystals shed light onto the large study, illuminating the scene from above.

‘Somepony wealthy, who has ties to Canterlot high society, wealth to flaunt, but clearly doesn’t have the exact suppliers that most well-to-do ponies in Canterlot have– so they have to live outside the city. That… does not help. In all likelihood, this means he is hiding in a manor owned by a political ally. I will have to recreate this image and see if anypony I can count on can identify it. Rats, I could have really used a camera right about now!’

The unicorn cleared his throat and spoke to the portal behind him, “I take it everything is ready, then?”

Celestia opened her mouth to address the traitor, but Phasma beat her to the punch.

“Your lackeys are dead. Soon, you will be sharing their grave.”

Jurist Lord Artful Acumen turned slightly to face the portal, one faded-red eye staring back at the ponies and changelings. Celestia noted that his old War Mage armor had considerably more damage than last she saw.

‘... Didn’t he have purple eyes?’

“Ah… The Prince of Terror, I presume?” Acumen greeted. “These were not the circumstances I wanted us to meet, Prince Phasmatodea of the Fourth Hive. And it is good to see you three in good health, Your Highnesses,” the unicorn bowed.

“Artful Acumen,” Cadance sneered. “I should have known.”

Artful Acumen turned his chair to face the portal. On the chest of his scarred armor, his dented medals dangled on ripped ribbons. The gold highlights of his armor had faded, and the main black coloring had been stripped away around the many marks of battle.

“Surrender, traitor,” Luna said plainly, “and you will receive a just trial.”

Acumen raised an eyebrow, “And if I don’t surrender, I’ll receive an unjust trial? That was rhetorical, Your Highness. I see the changeling literally already at your ear. It brings me no small amount of pain to see Equestria brought to such a state, but never fear, I shall not rest until you are all free.”

“Good to hear you want to do things the hard way,” Coxa chuckled. “I was worried that things would get boring.”

Acumen’s face twitched, “Princess Celestia, I am sorry that I failed you and left you to these dogs. I will set things right, I promise.”

“You can set things right by surrendering peacefully,” Celestia told him. “You and you alone can stop this bloodshed.”

“Bloodshed,” Artful Acumen repeated, nodding slowly. “I am sorry that more ponies had to die tonight. Ponies who believed in Equestria with all of their hearts. But their deaths will not be in vain– nopony’s death will be unremembered. As you say, Princess, only I have the ability to end this occupation without bloodshed. And I intend to.”

“What are you planning, fiend?!” Luna demanded.

The unicorn stroked his long white beard, “The ponies of Equestria will not sit idly by as the insect menace takes root within the Palace. Ponies all across the kingdom are fighting for you, Your Highnesses.” Acumen raised his forelegs high in the air, “We will use the tools you gave us to free you! We will force these parasites into the light! On every street, in every town, in every province, we will resist! Hear my words, Prince of Terror; you will have a chance to comply, to lay down your arms and surrender peacefully. The ponies of Equestria will make their voice known. Defy the acts of Parliament, and there won’t be a single friendly face from Dodge Junction to Rainbow Falls!”

Phasma looked to Luna, then Thorax, Coxa, Celestia, and Cadance before answering Acumen.

“... Your days are numbered, Artful Acumen. We are coming for you. By the grace of Panarthropo and Harmony, justice will be delivered to you and all who flock to your banner.”

Lord Artful Acumen gave one derisive chuckle before severing the link.

20- Alicorn Farm

Act Two: To Kill A Changeling

“What is all of this?”

“Right. So you know how you planned on moving your office and staff over to the Crystal Caverns? Well, since you can’t do that now– security reasons and all that, we’re bringing it here. Just the important bureaus, the ones that need direct communication immediately.”

I sighed and rubbed my eyes, “Fine. Sure. But why here?”

Coxa pointed to me, “Because you’re here. There’s still a lot that needs to get done– a lot, considering yesterday’s events.”

“I meant here, in this room, Coxa. Why did you feel that it was necessary to bring twenty changelings into my hospital room uninvited?!”

Luna stirred against my chest. I held my breath, but thankfully she stubbornly clung to sleep.

“Technically, it’s a medical ward room, not a hospital room,” one of the drones behind Coxa said.

“Coxa,” I said quieter, “Get your goons out of here and go find somewhere else to dump this stuff.”

“There’s no room,” he insisted. “We’ve already crammed as many lings as possible into those spare rooms near your office. Oh, by the way, my desk is in your office for the time being. If you want a room to yourself, you can move into the Crystal Caverns.”

I patted Luna on the head, both as a self-reassuring gesture and to push her nebulous mane further from my face.

“Not gonna happen. Not anytime soon.”

“Exactly,” Coxa smiled. “So we’re roomies! Lacewing is operating out of some sitting room on the sixth floor. It’s a bit further away from us, but the view is to die for. Thorax is… staying in the Crystal Caves. He wants to be with the drones while he’s here in Canterlot. By the way, he said he’ll be visiting Manehattan more often; Double Diamond still wants to spend some of their time there. I’ve gotten Thorax set up with being steward of the Manehattan operations as a result. He… doesn’t get the logistics, so that’s still going to be handled by Thalamus. Really, he’s in charge of the pony outreach programs.”

“Coxa,” I groaned, rubbing my eyes again. “While I appreciate you telling me this directly, get the rest of the changelings out of our bedroom before I get up and kick each of you out myself!”

The twenty drones in the room froze, looking to Coxa for orders, boxes of forms and orders still clutched in their hooves and telekinetic grips.

“... Fine, we’ll crash somewhere else,” Coxa grunted. “Boys, go find somewhere else to take over. Somewhere with a pool table, if possible.”

The changelings saluted and began the process of moving their work and workstations from the small room.

“Can’t believe you even thought that was a good idea,” I muttered.

“What? It’s not like we’ve put a high value on personal sleeping spaces before,” Coxa pointed out. “Hell, you bunked with us in Manehattan.”

“This is different,” I said, refocusing on cuddling my marefriend. “You don’t just set up offices in sterile hospitals- and further, I want to actually take the damn day off. Besides, that was always temporary. Back me up here, Celestia.”

The white alicorn’s ears flicked in my direction, but she continued to stare out the window. She had sat there unmoving for the past hour.

Coxa continued, “The most important thing is that we’re close to you, Phasma. You have to be close for shit to get done in a timely fashion. You’ve already banned us from setting up shop in Luna’s office–”

“And bedroom,” I growled.

“– so we have to work something out,” Coxa finished.

“This is the freaking Palace,” I hissed. “How is there not enough room? This place has rooms specifically meant just to collect dust!”

Coxa shook his head, “We’re already taking up a number of the free rooms available. Places we can patrol and keep a tight lock on, Lace is still unconvinced that we smoked out every Division-P sympathetic Royal Guard…. Look, I’ll squeeze in lings where I can, but I’m taking your personal office for myself while you’re indisposed. Speaking of which, any news on that end…?”

I nodded towards my immobilized left foreleg, “Internal bone has been punctured straight through. It’d take months to heal on its own. I’m dealing with this mess, then I’m on ice for a week in a pod.”

The drone sighed, “I can work with that. We’re all happy to hear you’re relatively okay, Phasma. Hell, when the news broke, everyling was cheering for you. A whole team of assassins cut down like lichen growth! We’re practically having a second holiday today!”

I sighed and leaned my head against Luna’s, “Glad to hear it. Anything else, or can I rest?”

“I’ll let you sleep,” Coxa said, raising his hooves in a placating gesture. “Thorax and Lace will stop by later today. All three of us are keeping a tight ship right now, making sure everyone is accounted for and nothing has gone missing. My henchlings will drop off some orders for you to sign, but otherwise I’ll see you tomorrow, Phasma.”

“See you, Coxa,” I said.

When the door shut behind my friend, I turned to the last person in the room. She had remained silent while staring out the window, her presence in her own medical wing unquestioned.

“I’m surprised you’re not needed to directly help out, Celestia,” I said quietly.

Her muzzle twitched as she turned her head slightly towards me, “The cleanup crew finished picking up the last pieces of the pony you dashed across a quarter of the entire Upper District. We will not hear the end of that disaster, not for at least another decade. While your changelings have been celebrating the victory, we’ve been quite literally picking up the pieces.”

“Sorry, Celestia,” I told the back of her head. “Next time I’m ambushed in an alleyway– which would be the third time– I’ll think about public relations before I kill my would-be murderers.”

“.... I am sorry.”

I rolled my eyes, “Let’s just skip that and get to the part where you lambast me for defending myself, Celestia.”

Celestia turned away from her window, looking at me with tears in her eyes. That detail came as a shock, as I had not detected any sadness at all in the room.

“I’m sorry, Phasma. This all happened in m– our city. You’re obviously not celebrating what happened, but seeing such disregard and blasé attitude from the changelings just– it’s just bucking frustrating! Those attitudes are what started all of this. When I say that this should never have happened, I mean that either these perpetrators should have been caught long ago or you should have enough skill and experience to handle all of those bloodthirsty warmongers with ease. But as always, there’s never enough time. You did what you had to do.”

I frowned and nodded towards my immobilized left foreleg while Luna pressed up against my right side.

“I’d give you a hug, Celestia, but I’m a bit stuck. How are you doing?”

“... Well enough, I suppose,” Celestia mumbled. “I’m not the one covered in wounds.”

“They pumped me full of stuff that’s got me feeling all warm and tingly inside,” I smiled.

Celestia giggled and wiped away the water in her eyes, “Yes, well, try not to get too used to the feeling. I will need your aid in the coming days. That is why you are forgoing the usefulness of a healing pod.”

My smile slowly slipped away as I thought about her words.

“Celestia, what’s going to happen to the survivors?”

She frowned, “If this happened a year ago, they would have been thrown into Tartarus without a trial. Whereas you were still a fugitive when Double Dealings tried to murder you, this was an outright assassination attempt against somepony who is effectively a Prince of Equestria. Now, they will face a short trial, will be found guilty, and then… I don’t know. I guess I’ll throw them into Tartarus for the time being. If we have to move them to a maximum security prison due to the… number of future captives, we shall handle that then. Regardless, they will never see the light of day again.”

I leaned back in my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

‘... I guess that’s that. Most of them I killed personally. The rest rot in a jail cell forever. Hmmm…. Am I supposed to feel happy? Sad? I just feel… frustrated.’

“Speaking of trials,” Celestia announced, causing me to turn back to her. “We need to decide when Chrysalis’s will be. We have finished preparations for all the evidence and witness testimonies…”

Just as Celestia trailed off, the door to my medical ward room burst open, and a panicked pink alicorn galloped through. Cadance came to a screeching stop before us, waving around a newspaper in one of her hooves. Luna shot upright, blinking away sleep and in a defensive posture. I placed a hoof on her shoulder to calm her down as Cadance yelled at us.

“Phasm– Celestia, Luna, there you are! You three need to see this!”

Celestia trotted over to the side of the bed as we all read the newspaper Cadance presented to us.

Luna snorted and laid back down to sleep, "Good luck with that, sister."

"Now we know what Division-P's plan is," Cadance said while Celestia and I read the newspaper. "I have to give it to them, but this is much more clever than fighting."

Celestia groaned, "Motherf–"

“Marquess Deep Pockets!"

The Marquess didn't smile. This was an occasion for a glare, a hard state that communicated her disapproval. The flashes of the cameras lit up her diamonds like a school of fish reflecting sunlight.

"We have already said all that needs to be said!" Deep Pockets stated. "The changeling threat has not passed! It has seeped its insidious claws into the heart of this great nation! The New Harmony Coalition stands against this menace, just as our brave and fearless guards have done. How can we abandon them? How can we fail them so?! We must come together and stand united to save Equestria! The Bill Against Foreign Influence is the only way to protect yourselves and your families!"

The mare grunted, shaking her head in disgust as the massive collection of camera crews tracked her movement down the steps of the Parliament building.

"My friends across the aisle are using words to scare you. Using the buzzwords their chitin-covered masters tell them to. Let me be clear! This is not a call for abdication! The Princesses always have been, and always will be, our rightful rulers! They alone have earned the right to wield the power yielded to them by the vaunted Princess Platinum! This is a call to action! We must save them! The Princesses need us! After centuries of risking life and limb, is this not the bare minimum we can do for them?!"

There was a chorus of murmurs and agreements from the gathered crowd. Marquees Deep Pockets gestured to the ponies behind her; over fifty of her fellow members of Parliament were arranged at different levels across the steps, giving their own opinions and statements to reporters from their respective districts.

The Marquess gestured out to the crowd.

"And here we stand united, ready to save Equestria! We must check the changeling threat within the kingdom, just as the E.U.P. holds our borders! The capture of that tyrant is not the end! We will not rest until the Princesses are guarded against their influence and for that Prince of Terror to be brought to justice! For peace! For prosperity! For Equestria!"

"What a load of ponyshit."

Thorax's muzzle twitched at the swear. Coxa tossed the newspaper into the trash as he sat there, trying to think.

"I mean, honestly, you think the Princesses are going to abdicate?" Coxa ranted. "And forget that hogwash about it not being abdication- these restrictions would mean they couldn't even wipe their asses without permission from Parliament! Their expenses would even be under review!"

Thorax fished out the newspaper, spreading it out to read again. Double Diamond hovered over his shoulder, pressing against the young Prince.

"And don't even get me started on that laughable, unenforceable, ridiculous, stupid demand of Phasma abdicating to Thorax! No offense, Thorax."

"None taken," Thorax muttered, rereading the passage on the front page.

Coxa paced the floor, "I mean, honestly, do they expect us to just roll over and let them tell us how to run our kingdom?!"

"No," Lace replied, thumping the radio and leaning in close to it. "They expect us to fight it and give them a casus belli to force us out of their borders."

"So let me get this straight," Diamond murmured. "Those Division-P ponies are behind this?"

"Yup," Lace replied, not turning away from the radio. "Blasted thing, tell your parents this model sucks!"

"A-and they got two-thirds of the entire Equestrian Parliament behind them on this?" Diamond continued.

"Yup," Lace repeated.

"Woah," Diamond gasped. "That is so not cool, dude. Why are so many ponies listening to them?"

"That's a job for Phasma and Celestia to figure out," Lace told him.

"Why me?" Thorax asked. "They want- they're demanding Phas steps down, but why me?"

"Because you're…" Lace trailed off.

"Manageable," Coxa finished.

Lace nodded, "Manageable. The ponies like you. You weren't involved in any of the planning and offensives of the invasion, and I'm sure they are counting on controlling you somehow."

Thorax frowned, "I'd never betray my friends like that! I can't lead the entire changeling race- and I definitely can't usurp one of my best friends!"

Diamond chuckled, "Just goes to show how little these ponies know about you changelings."

"Mmm, I dunno," Lace cut in. "Thorax is the most pliable out of the entire First Fang. And if push comes to shove, changelings change. We bend with the wind if it takes that to survive."

Thorax shook his head, "I mean, we like to say that, but how long have we been upholding the Masquerade Protocol? Ten thousand years? I dunno guys, this could ruin everything…"

Diamond nuzzled Thorax, rubbing their cheeks together before he kissed the Prince's neck.

"Hey, relax, handsome. You got this far, now's not the time to quit. You've got me, you've got your friends, and you've got the Princesses on your side. It'll be okay, Thorax."

Thorax couldn't help but smile and return the nuzzle, "Aw, thanks, Diamond."

"Phas said Celestia is on it," Lace chimed in. "Something about the Princess calling all her little knights to defend her. Let's just focus on each of our parts, the things we can control."

Coxa grunted, "Business as usual?"

Lace nodded, briefly flashing a smile to her coltfriend, "Business as usual. I'll keep hunting these dogs, you keep filling out pieces of paper and pretending you're as cool as me, and Thorax will keep working on bridging the gap between our kinds."

Lace gave the radio another hard thump. Before she could even lift her hoof off the device, a burst of static preluded the sudden cutting-in of swing music. The genre had taken off and was taking the kingdom by storm, following the changelings spreading it to their speakeasies.

"Mhmm," Lace grunted happily. "Steady as she goes, boys. Steady as she goes."

The steady tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the corner clearly unnerved Mayor Mince. Celestia sighed, rearranging the quills on her desk for the thirty-eighth time that day.

"Mayor Mince, I know I am asking for a lot, but we are out of options."

The stallion barked a laugh, his bushy white beard shaking.

"You are asking me to end my entire career! That's a lot more than a lot!"

Celestia sighed and looked at the aging politician. The mayor had put on his best suit for Celestia and even put on his well-polished medals from his days in the Royal Guard.

Celestia recalled his service. He had served in the Palace itself on the night shift. The greatest action he had seen was when a griffon murderer was apprehended in the lumber yards outside the city proper. Yet he wore enough metals to put Commander Hurricane to shame.

'I've really coddled them, haven't I?'

Celestia cleared her throat, "As I said, I am out of options. I am calling upon you to serve your kingdom once again, Mayor Mince Meat. I need you to stall the bill. Drag out the debate long enough for me to mount a capable offense to this ridiculous nonsense."

"My city is in full support of this bill," the stallion insisted, leaning forwards. "The poll results came in today. For goodness sake, Cincinneighti was hit harder than any other pony city! Every last pony podded- including my whole family! I only just got my wife and daughter back! You really think I should side with them?"

"We have captured the one most responsible for what happened, Mayor Mince. Chrysalis will face justice for what she's caused. Don't let all of our work be for nothing. Don't waste everypony's efforts and lives. This is bigger than us. Bigger than revenge. If we do not hold the peace, there will be more war. You know what that entails, Mince. You know the price to be paid."

He faltered, falling back into his chair.

Celestia sighed again, already hating herself.

"When your father-"

"Don't you dare bring him into this!"

"- When your father died, I was heartbroken, Mince. To give up your life for your kingdom is something terrible to happen to a young stallion. But he went after that hydra, knowing he could buy time to save lives. He knew the danger. He knew the cost. And yet, his comrades all say he did so without hesitation. He was a courageous and smart stallion, the likes of which are a rare breed. But he knew his duty. He knew he would be leaving you behind. I know his last thoughts were of you and your mother, Mince Meat. Now, I am asking you to tackle this hydra. You are correct; it will be the end of your career. Your fellow ponies may even insult or jeer at you, but it is time for you to save lives. That is what heroes do."

Her office was silent, save for the ever-present tick-tock, tick-tock.

"... I know it's hogwash," Mayor Mince said. "But my duty is to uphold the wishes of my constituents."

"Your duty is to protect them and serve their wishes to the best of your abilities. This bill is not protecting them. It is arming our enemies and defanging our ability to fight back. You know I'd give up my powers if I had to, that isn't the issue. There is no other option, my friend. No other pony I know I can rely on. I need you, Mayor Mince, to save Equestria."

The stallion groaned and wiped his eyes, "... Were the rumors true, Princess? I remember you there, at the funeral. Were they true?"

Her heart hurt.

"... Yes. But he met your mother on tour, and that was that."

Mince scowled, "That was that?"

Celestia shrugged, "I am a busy mare. And in time, the hottest embers can cool. Ours was young, so it was no surprise."

The Mayor tapped the arm of his chair.

"... For the kingdom."

The alicorn nodded wearily, "For the kingdom."

Orange slitted eyes. Black chitin. Red fin. Four legs. Looking carefully, I could see the small ridges and faint lines that marked where my body had been broken or torn apart. The most recent incident having put my foreleg in a sling…

Foreleg…

I blinked, looking away from the mirror. Even a year later, it was hard to accept at times. A year. I have been a changeling for a year.

My foreleg hurt. My whole body hurt, but my foreleg most of all. The pleasant warmth of over-the-counter drugs had long since faded, leaving me with the brunt of the pain. But I got to sleep in Luna's bed again, so there's that.

I pushed away from the wall, hooves clopping against the tiled floor.

'Fuck this, I wanna give Luna a hug.'

It had only been two days since Lantern Night, and each hour felt like a marathon for no particular reason. After being reassured by Celestia that she would handle the ridiculous pony bill, my only duty was to rest and recover.

A shiver went up my spine as I shouldered the bathroom door open. A familiar sensation of dread and wrongness filled every bit of my being. I slowed, turning and preparing a laser blast to cut my would-be assassin in half.

The room was empty.

I stood there, panting, deadly spell primed and ready.

'Other room?!'

I turned back and shouldered the door open, ready to cut to ribbons whoever was in my way. But the main room of Luna's quarters was empty, save for the alicorn herself. Luna looked up from her desk, staring at me. My spell fizzled away as I tasted her love- and growing fear.

"Phasma? What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," I stuttered, slowly making my way back over to her.

She met me halfway, kissing my cheek and pulling me into a hug. I wracked my brain for any detail I had looked over, trying to find any clue for why I felt like I was on danger.

I felt a second Weave present, and the bottom of my stomach dropped- 'No wait, Chrysalis is in the dungeons. That's over. So… what?'

I kept waiting for the axe to drop, but it never did.

"Luna, something’s wrong," I whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't- I don't know. S-something."

Yet despite my insistence, nothing had gone wrong. Nor could I figure out what tipped me off. Luna's hooves rubbed my back as she pressed into me.

She hummed into my ear, "This room has more wards than most bank vaults, my love. If somepony was here, I'd know it. Did you hear anything? See anything? Taste any emotions?"

My ears flattened backwards, "No. Just you, Luna. J-just you…"

I raised my good hoof, returning the embrace and resting my head on her shoulder. My heart, beating a dozen times a second, slowly climbed down as I submerged into her love-filled embrace. My rump hit the ground as I lowered my guard.

"I don't… um… Thank you, Luna. I don't know…"

"Easy, you big bug. You are breathing like you just ran a hundred laps in the training yard."

I grunted, blowing her big, flowing mane out of my face as I leveled my breathing.

"Sorry. Thought that I was… in danger."

"Are you?" She asked.

I paused, thinking. "... I don't think so. I can't think of anything I notice. And you're here, Luna. You've got my back."

She broke the hug slowly, pressing her nose against mine, and looked up into my eyes.

"And don't forget it, Phasma. I am here. Hmm… My therapist explained a similar… incident I had shortly after my return to Equus. It happened more than once. I have been recently told that they are panic attacks."

I scowled, "I don't have panic attacks, Luna! I don't. I'm fine."

She stared back, eyelids drooping to an 'I don't believe you' position.

"I'm fine!" I insisted. "I… I am… L-Luna, I almost lost you!"

I was processing my own outburst when Luna pulled me back into a hug. I blinked, suddenly finding my eyes blurry. Alone in this room with Luna, I let out a quiet sob.

"I almost lost you. And my friends. And the Hive. E-everything, those bastards almost took everything from me again!"

"There it is," Luna sighed. "I was wondering how long you would hold it in. It is okay to be upset, Phasma. My sister and I are in agreement: this seems almost deliberately designed to invoke your past trauma. They hit you where it hurt most."

I grunted, swallowing and blinking away tears, "E-everything. It was… the fear was visceral. I could feel it pumping through my veins! A-and just now, I thought, I thought…"

Luna just nodded against me, rubbing my back and avoiding my immobilized foreleg.

"Shit," I cursed. "I'm sorry for constantly being nothing but a mess, Luna. You deserve more than that."

She leaned back and pressed a hoof to my lips.

"I love you just the way you are, Phasma. Scars and all. And I am speaking of the scars on your soul and psyche, too. I want you to be you, nothing more."

I found myself tearing up again, "Ah. L-Luna, I love you so much..."

She grinned, the love pouring from her like a cool salve for my aching foreleg, "I love you too, My King. Now! What say you rest your legs and calm your nerves with me."

Luna led me back to her desk and directed me to sit in her oversized chair. I did so, then found her pushing me to the sides and back of it, making room for herself as she hopped up on it. The alicorn pressed her back against my chest and pulled the chair closer to her desk. Though she leaned to the side and avoided my bad foreleg, her proximity forced me to snuggle up close behind her.

Taking the rather obvious hint, I wrapped my good hoof around her and rested my head atop hers as she worked.

"Now," Luna began after a minute of quiet cuddling, "Chrysalis's trial will begin soon. After that, let us take a brief sojourn away from Canterlot. Maybe check up on Nisir and the progress of everyone there?"

"Mmm," I grunted, smiling. "Sounds good."

I must have passed out against her as I blinked and suddenly the sun's rays were cutting through the room at a fierce angle, the great big ball of plasma approaching the horizon. I yawned and stretched what little I could, the blue alicorn still cuddling up against me.

"Good afternoon, my love."

I yawned, "Mmm! Morning, pretty mare. Or afternoon, I guess. How long was I out?"

She lifted a document off her table and lifted it up to my muzzle. I took it, blinking away sleep as I read it.

"Three hours," she replied. "This was on my desk. Care to explain?"

"Uhhhhhh," I uhh'ed, scratching my head in confusion. "Hmm. Right, Lacewing suggested we infiltrate the households of all the Parliament members that are in support of that brain-dead abdication bill."

Luna snatched the request form out of my hooves, huffing. This close to her, I felt the anger pulse uneasily from her core.

"This is exactly what those fearmongers are preaching about, Phasma. You propose we- you infiltrate into the personal estates of all these ponies, and then what? What if a single one of the nearly three hundred Infiltrators is discovered? Do you even have three hundred to spare?!"

I cleared my throat, "We'll figure that out. Recall them from other operations."

"If a single is discovered-"

"If a single pony finds proof of Division-P involvement, the whole operation would be worth it," I interrupted.

"And then what? How exactly do you want to explain to Equestria the blatant disregard for privacy and rights this would require? This is… Celestia has this in hoof, Phasma. Would you agree?"

I sighed, "Yes, I trust her, but… I feel like we should be doing more. Division-P has revealed its involvement and I'm supposed to just… wait? Pretend like nothing is happening?!"

Luna turned upwards, nuzzling my face as she loomed straight up at me.

"No, Phasma. When you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. And you have quite the hammer! We shall proceed as we always have: working closely together to pull any thread we might find till the whole thing unravels. Then you use your hammer."

I kissed her cheek, "I guess I can live with that.”

21- Judgement (XX)

I flexed my foreleg, half paying attention to Bray Call. She flipped through the packet, highlighting an after action report from an engagement with Division-P aligned gangs in the outskirts of Manehattan.

“With the engagement with the Dockyard Dogs, we can expect a lull in the tertiary fighting. Also, the colts in blue over there will have an easier time- what with half of the gang either locked up or hospitalized…”

I nodded, “Sounds like you’ve all been busy while I’ve had my three-day nap.”

Bray paused and examined my foreleg, “How is it?”

I flexed again, showing off the two circular cracks on either side of my foreleg. The puncture wound had healed up, though there was a considerable amount of internal healing left to do.

“Sore. And I have to be careful not to get injured there again for the time being. The healing job was a rush. So that means no training for the time being.”

Bray nodded, “That’s a lot better of a prognosis than any injury I’ve seen in my time in the guard. Now, onto the next matter… Our efforts to stop the Parliament’s bill from coming to the voting floor have failed. Princesses Celestia is continuing to delay it, but… we’re not sure if we have the votes to defeat it.”

I glanced over to Celestia, who was busy conversing with her aide, Raven Inkwell.

“... Schedule a meeting between all of us, Bray. The Princesses and the Princes. Should this stupid power grab come to pass, I want contingencies in place.”

Bray nodded, “On it. Though it might be easiest if you just, you know, leaned over and asked. Isn’t that right, Princess Luna?”

Luna grunted, “Hmm? Yes, Phasma, whatever Bray Call said is correct.”

“You aren’t even listening!” I protested.

“Too late,” Bray smiled. “Her Highness agreed with me! Speaking of royalty… can I just say, I never expected to be here!”

The pony gestured to the throne room around us. The movement caught Luna’s eye, who gave me a smile before returning her attention to her own aide. I was sitting on a fancy chair to her side, while Thorax had a similar chair on the far side of the raised dais, next to Celestia. In front of us, four of Celestia’s special guards stood proud in their black armor. At the base of the dais, a pair of Red Right Hoof Chaplains stood on either side, closer to me and Thorax.

There were three chairs spaced evenly apart ahead of the dais. There sat Coxa, Cadance, and Vigilance. The changeling drone, alicorn, and thestral sat in quiet, staring ahead past the massive cordon of guards, towards the closed doors.

Beyond the line of Royal Guards, the throne room was filled to the brim with about two to three hundred ponies. Camera crews, news reporters, Parliament members, nobility, and ponies of all walks of life had filed in to witness today’s events.

“To be here, in the Princess’s throne room,” Bray whispered, “... it is something I’ll never forget. Not to mention what we’re about to witness.

“It’s going to be interesting,” I agreed, paying more attention to the pain in my leg than anything else.

Bay lowered the clipboard, giving me a strange look.

“How are you feeling, Phasma?”

I raised my eyebrows, “Slight pain. Otherwise… I don’t know. Jittery. Nervous.”

“I’d call you a liar if you said you weren’t nervous,” Bray smiled softly. “But we’re just observers…”

I looked ahead, “This is a long time coming.”

At the sight of a trio of Royal Guards proceeding up the cleared red carpet path down the center of the room, straight towards us, I rose from my throne. To my left, Luna, Celestia, and Thorax rose as well. The four of us stood tall, looking out over the sea of ponies and changelings.

Cameras began rolling as conversations died off. Celestia’s voice cut through the remaining sound, ending any lingering chatter in the room.

“Bring in the accused!”

The pair of orange doors swung open on the far side of the room. Escorted by no less than ten Royal Guard war mages and four Red Right Hoof Chaplains, Chrysalis strode into the throne room. She held her head high, glaring down her nose at us- though her intimidating looks were sabotaged by the clinking of her chains.

Chrysalis stopped at a wooden pulpit centered before us, in the middle of the path to the throne. The guards chained her to the little pulpit and stepped to the side. She leveled her gaze up at Celestia, glancing at me only momentarily. Celestia’s voice shouted out over the sound of cameras taking pictures and quiet whispers.

“Read the charges!”

Cadance spoke up from her central seat in front of Chrysalis, matching Celestia’s volume in the echoing chamber.

“Chrysalis, former Queen of the Fourth Hive and the Hive Eternal. You stand before this tribunal accused of violating the peace of Equus, countless crimes against the pony race, murder and butchery of your own children, and crimes against the rights of life of the changeling race. How do you plead?”

Chrysalis smiled, baring her fangs at the court, “Why, innocent, of course! All my actions were in–”

The immediate outrage and uproar in the room was silenced by Cadance stomping her booted hoof against the arm of her chair.

“Order! We will have decorum here! You were not asked to explain your actions, Chrysalis. Only your plea. Your actions will be put under review by this tribunal of our three kingdoms. It is in review of the evidence brought before this tribunal that your innocence or guilt will be determined. The scope of your crimes are so heinous that there will not be the standard defense and plaintiff of your case. Only us three judges, and you.” Cadance rose from her chair, looking up at Chrysalis. “I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Principality of Equestria. I stand to judge you in the name of the ponies of Equestria which you have wronged.”

Elder Vigilance rose from her chair, “I am Elder Vigilance of the Duchy of Vallachia. I stand to judge you in the name of the ponies of Vallachia, a neutral party.”

Coxa rose from his seat, “I am Chamberlain Coxa of the Fifth Hive. I stand to judge you in the name of the changelings of the Hive Eternal which you have wronged.”

Cadance raised a hoof to us four seated above and behind her.

“It is by the grace of us Princesses of Equestria, and the King and Princes of the Hive Eternal, that this tribunal has been granted the authority and power to place judgment upon you, Chrysalis. May Harmony have mercy on your soul.”

Chrysalis looked at me specifically and gave an almost imperceptible nod before she answered, “I’m a changeling, Princess Cadance. Harmony wants nothing to do with us!”

-Two Hours Earlier-

The cold air of the dungeon stole the heat away from my body. The love-enriched gel dried away with each step, giving my chitin a slight rainbow hue as we walked. Ahead, four Royal Guards looked up at our arrival.

As they crossed their spears against the door, one of them spoke to me.

“There are no scheduled visits for today.”

I leveled a glare her way, and the pony’s confidence started to crumble, “Since when did I need to book time in advance?”

The guards shared a glance before their leader answered, “... You know why, King Phasma. Security is tighter today for a reason.”

“Let us in,” Luna said, catching up to me. “You might try to refuse Phasma, but do not attempt to refuse me. I say we have authority, thus we do.”

Once again, the guards shared a nervous glance. But I could sense their resolution already shredded. After a few seconds of hesitation, they lifted their spears, unbarring our passage. Grunting, I pushed the heavy metal doors open with my telekinesis and strode in. Luna followed a step behind, shutting the doors behind us.

Chrysalis looked up from her couch behind the iron bars. The book she was reading lowered from her muzzle and she tucked it under her barrel as her eyes scanned every inch of us.

When I came to a stop before her cell, Chrysalis dry heaved and rolled her eyes, “You reek of love, Phasmatodea. You had better not come straight to me after coupling with your alicorn lover without properly cleansing yourself! I thought I taught you how to be presentable in public!”

I bared my fangs at her in a snarl, “I emerged from a healing pod not fifteen minutes ago. You know why we are here.”

She sighed, “Yes. The date of my… trial. I would tell you that this is all an exercise in futility, but you and the ponies seem so dead set on making a whole show of this. I suppose I can appreciate that. Appearances are everything, are they not? Are you planning on telling me why you were in a healing pod, Phasmatodea?”

Absent-mindedly, I rubbed my healed foreleg against my chest.

“Division-P attacked. They attempted to kill me. They did not bring enough assassins.”

Chrysalis stared at me. Her eyes furrowed and her nose twitched as she stared me down. In an instant, she vanished from her spot on the couch and slammed against the bars of her cell. I leaped back in surprise, adopting a defensive posture at the same time as Luna interposed herself between us, shielding me from Chrysalis.

“Watch your step, despot,” Luna growled. “You are on thin ice already. You do not want to find out what happens when you sink below.”

The imprisoned royal nodded to herself, content with her little scare- yet no smile or hint of pleasure was visible on her face. She looked past Luna, above the shorter alicorn’s head and at me.

“You shouldn’t fall for such cheap tactics. I know you don’t. There’s something more. Something you aren’t telling me, something that has put you off balance. I trained you to be above such sloppy threats. What aren’t you telling me, my son?”

Luna straightened up, but didn’t move from her spot between us.

Biting my tongue and trying to calm down, I answered, “It was hard fought. There was a chance I could have died.”

Chrysalis sneered, “Don’t try to lie to me, boy. You only embarrass yourself. I can read you like an open book. Spare me this pointless bickering and tell me the truth.”

“You do not owe her anything you do not wish to give,” Luna whispered back to me.

“Hmph. Thanks, Luna,” I whispered to her, grateful for her support. “... It was hard fought, but still one-sided. I slaughtered them, decorating half of Canterlot in their blood.” Luna’s disgust at my comment killed that train of thought before I could end it myself. “It was… where it happened. That’s what mattered.”

“Where it happened?” Chrysalis repeated.

I nodded, “An alleyway. At night. Just like last time, when…” I broke off, rubbing the back of my neck, finding my throat suddenly closing up in fear.

The former queen offered no insult or jest. She looked me over again, this time her eyes lingering on the foreleg I was hesitant to put weight on. Then she looked Luna over, judging the smaller pony.

“You killed them all?” She asked.

“No,” I shook my head. “The ponies stopped me before I could.”

‘Though, by the end, I was out of magic. My victory was not a sure thing…’

Chrysalis straightened up, looking down her nose at me.

“No one tries to kill a royal and gets away with it. If you or the ponies do not dispatch these assassins, I will. No one tries to murder my son and get away with it!”

“No one except you,” Luna growled. “Need I remind you that you are still living, thanks only due to the fact that we are far more forgiving than that?”

Chrysalis turned away from us, “Any death Phasma would have suffered at my hooves would have been temporary. Need I remind you that I am the most accomplished necromancer alive?”

Luna snorted, “Most accomplished living necromancer outside of Tartarus, perhaps.”

“You did not come here to trade barbs.” Chrysalis said, slowly turning back to us. “Let’s end this charade. If you plan on dragging me across Canterlot in chains, then stop delaying.”

“That will not happen,” Luna told Chrysalis.

“We’re better than you, remember?” I taunted mother dearest. “Today is the first day of your trial. Your actions as leader of the changeling race will be put under a microscope– that means to examine closely.”

“I’m aware,” Chrysalis rolled her eyes.

“Everything from your tyranny and executions of the drones to the invasion will be examined,” I continued. “Witnesses will be called and questioned. Drones and ponies both will lay out the facts of your actions, and a panel of three judges will determine your fate. The Goddess may have spared your life, but that does not mean you are saved from punishment.”

Chrysalis grunted, sneering at us, “So then. I plead guilty to whatever you say I am guilty of, then you throw me into a cell until you can drag me out to fight the Nightmares, is that it? Fine. Whatever gets this over with as soon as possible.”

“No.”

She frowned at me, “No?”

“You will plead innocent,” I commanded her. “You will fight to prove your innocence. You will question witnesses and build up your case to prove that you are innocent- that you either didn’t do these crimes or did them for a good enough reason to be excusable.”

“Why?” Chrysalis questioned. “Why should I play your game? What point is there to this?”

I stepped close, standing beside Luna, “I want to drag you through the mud, Chrysalis. I want you to show your reasoning for everything you did. If it’s good enough, that’s one less reason to hate the changelings. If it does not hold up, then that’s one more weight around your neck, dragging you down and keeping you further away from us and potentially endearing the changelings to ponies. Either way, the Hive Eternal benefits from your plea. Fight for your innocence. If you truly were doing Panarthropo’s work, you have nothing to fear, correct?”

“Sacrificing me to appease the pony masses, then,” Chrysalis said. “Fine. I see the merit in what you say. But why should I do all this when the end result will be the same for me personally?”

“You’ll do it for the Hive,” I told her.

“I will,” Chrysalis said. “But I demand something in return nonetheless. You will acquiesce.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you need me,” Chrysalis smiled. “I will put on your little show. I will stand by your side and fight in the greatest war our species has ever known. I will do as you command, and more. This is Panar’s will. But this means you cannot simply put me in one of your pony jails and forget about me. I need the opportunity to stay sharp. I need to train. To spread my wings. To become a better fighter. That means staying out of pony prison.”

“There are opportunities for all that while incarcerated,” Luna spat back.

“You dare take that risk?” Chrysalis mocked. “Everything is at stake. If I can train to be a fighter in your prisons, it certainly would be at a reduced capacity to fight compared to me being free to train and grow as I please.”

“You’re never going to do what you please ever again,” I countered.

She waved a hoof through the air, “You know what I mean. I need sparring partners. I need the royal library full of spell tomes and biology books. We need every advantage we can get our hooves on for this war with the Nightmares, correct? Is that not what you have been telling the drones and Royal Guards?”

I nodded slowly, “... Every advantage. You’ve been hearing far more than you should, prisoner.”

“By all means, punish me,” she continued. “But do so in a way that still lets me be of value to the Hive Eternal.”

“Meanwhile, the collar around your neck is as loose as possible?” Luna hissed. “Your honeyed words are useless. Neither of us have the power to determine what your exact punishment will be.”

Chrysalis cursed, “Moron! Do not tell me you surrendered all control to the ponies, little princeling!”

“Not all control, no,” I said.

Chrysalis scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Any lost control is control you’ll never get back.”

“Is that so?” I asked, sneering at her. “I’m sure you’re an all-knowing expert on rulership. How did solving our species-wide problems go for you? You want to know how much progress I’ve made?”

“Whatever,” Chrysalis mumbled. “I shall play my role in your little play as ordained. I will fulfill whatever meager sentencing is put upon me. But don’t think you can sequester me away forever, my son. As much as I enjoy sitting back and enjoying the fruits of the labor of others, I am not a mere drone. I am a changeling royal, leadership is in my blood.”

“Regardless of what the future holds,” I said, “you will be taking orders from me. You’ve shown that you are incapable of ruling without oversight.”

“If you are to rule at all ever again,” Luna emphasized.

Mother Dearest gave me an insincere smile, “I am not in disagreement with that, Phasmatodea. Panarthropo has shown that your side was the correct one- not to mention the fact that you had proven your point yourself when you and the alicorns faced us. You can ingratiate yourself with the ponies as much as you want; just don’t expect me to start writing petitions to the pony Parliament, attending tea parties, standing around in a circle singing, or whatever else ponies do when they are not standing around eating grass off the ground.”

“Good,” I said slowly. “Your cooperation is… appreciated.”

‘Goddess knows she could make all this as difficult as possible for us. Instead, she’s doing everything we want. At least that’s one less headache I have to deal with.’

“Is there anything else you came to say to me?” Chrysalis asked.

“There is.” I paused, waiting to get approval from Luna. When she gave me a nod, I sighed, “Your reward. For doing everything I say, for following my commands not just today, or tomorrow, but in perpetuity. That means forever, by the way.”

“A reward? My, aren’t I supposed to be on trial right about now? I thought those ended in punishment, not reward.”

Luna grunted, “We have decided not to keep this secret from you any longer. It is… potentially morally wrong to keep you from this truth.”

Chrysalis furrowed an eyebrow, prompting me to continue.

I pressed a hoof against one of the metal bars, “I know why your ritual to resurrect Princess Procho failed.”

Chrysalis laughed, covering her muzzle with a hoof, “Nhah hahahaa! That’s good! I am the greatest Fleshmancer in history- you couldn’t possibly hope to surpass my skill in that field! And I know your precious pony friends wouldn’t dare let you dabble in Necromancy. If I can't figure out the setback, neither can you.”

“Luna and I are the most knowledgeable Soulmancers alive now,” I announced.

Chrysalis’s joking mood slipped away as she thought, “Soulmancers? I suppose if you want to learn how to swim, you must start at the shallow end. Then tell me, fledgling, what has your dabbling in the matter of souls discovered? That Procho’s soul failed to bind to the egg? Your very presence here is testament to that fact, princeling. Anyling could have figured that out.”

“Her soul never made it to the Nine Halls,” I declared. “She never made it to the afterlife.”

“She still dwells here on Equus,” Luna added.

The former queen chewed on our words. She started pacing her cell, spinning on her hooves each time she reached the end of her small space.

“... Never reached the Nine Halls? She’s alive?! Impossible! I saw her body! There’s nothing that… Then again, Panar knows what’s down in the Underhive… How did you learn this?” She reared back and placed both forelegs on the bars in front of me. “Where is my daughter?!”

I stepped back slowly, “You’ll get your answer if you swear your fealty and comply with all my orders.”

“You already know my answer,” Chrysalis said slowly. “As I said before, you have proven the merit of your methods on the battlefield, to say nothing about the fact that the Great Weaver has given her direct approval. You have my fealty, King Phasmatodea. Where is she? Where is Princess Prochorodes?!”

22- Birds Of A Feather

Griffonstone was burning.

The acrid smell of smoke mixed with the hot-stench of freshly spilled blood. As King Cyne Frostwing prowled around Cardinal Farvald, he swallowed the drool pooling in his beak. His claws and paws splashed through cold pools of blood and pushed aside corpses. He wanted to taste his earned victory- but he had not earned it yet.

The other Living Hero grunted, flicking his rapier towards Cyne. The move was deftly parried by the King’s warclaws, the sound of metal against metal echoing across the yard.

Around them, the remains of their army tended the wounded, took stock of the dead, and watched. In fact, the vast majority of Griffonstone had stopped to watch. Those that weren’t trying to put out the fires, at least. Red and green banners fluttered in the wind as the perimeter of the courtyard was packed with silent griffs, each awaiting the result of their demigods’ duel.

Cyne’s charge was dodged by Farvald, just as it had been the previous fifteen times. They had been going at it for quite some time now. The space between them had been utterly ruined by the glancing blows of their blades, cobblestones cut and crushed into gravel from their fury. The sun had approached the horizon. Their fury had not waned even a little bit.

“End this madness,” Cardinal Farvald growled. “There is no point in us fighting!”

“I will have your skull,” Cyne growled back. “You murdered my friend. You tried to kill me. Stop begging. It’s pathetic.”

Lunge. Parry. Thrust. Dodge. Swing. Swipe.

A knight’s armored corpse was obliterated when it was caught between them. As their fighting neared one edge of the gathered crowd, the closest griffon observers took to the sky, beating tired and bloody wings as their weapons and banners draped below them, clutched in their talons.

“I did not attack you!” The Cardinal insisted. “I have never raised a blade against you, young Cyne. It’s not too late to end this. We could rule together!”

“Liar!” Cyne hissed, chipped metal claws missing Farvald by a paw’s length.

Metal clanged against metal as Cyne bore out his anger on the older griffon. The two Heroes fought on, Cyne with strength and Farvald with speed.

“Imagine, two Heroes ruling together,” Farvald hissed between his attacks. “The ponies have conquered the skies together! What could we, the mighty griffons, accomplish?! The whole continent could be ours! Every mountain, every city, from sea to sea! Why must we fight over scraps when there is a feast to be had?!”

“I will never fight by your side!” Cyne yelled. “For my pack-brother, your life is forfeit! I would burn the world to ash just to see you pay!”

“But I did not order his death!” Farvald repeated.

Cyne pressed forward, “Your assassins left their weapons behind! I saw their cloaked bodies! Their sigils and colors matched your pathetic church! You should have bought better ones if you intended on killing me!”

Farvald grunted, “I need no assassins if I want to kill you, cub!”

When the old, gray griffon thrust his rapier towards him, Cyne let the blow hit. The ancient, storied blade of yore cut through his own tabard. Enchanted metal and gold splintered at its cut, but the real damage was to Cyne’s left lung and closest rib. The cut collapsed the lung, impaling halfway through the Living Hero.

But Cyne had let the blow connect for a reason. He grabbed the Cardinal by the arm, claw blades impaling into the older griff’s shoulder. With a pained grimace, King Cyne Frostwing slashed his other claw down his foe’s face. Metal was rent just as much as the old griff’s beak as his face was half-torn off, yet the metal claws continued their path of destruction downwards. Cardinal Farvald was cut open from eyebrow to collarbone, his royal blood gushing out in rivers of red.

Cyne let Farvald fall to the ground, watching as the old griff drowned in his own blood.

“For Lothar,” he spat, slicing Cardinal Farvald’s head clean from his shoulders, ending his pitiful gurgling.

Snarling, King Cyne Frostwing looked around the courtyard. Blood dripped from the rapier in his chest. He ignored it for now.

“Brothers. Sisters. Sons and daughters,” he panted, voice ringing out across the crowd. “Kneel to your King!”

His army knelt at once, taking positions of supplication as they cried out, “Long Live King Cyne Frostwing!”

Cardinal Farvald’s army followed a few moments later, shocked at the sight of their demigod’s death. Many likely fell to their knees in horror in grief. Cyne didn’t care why, only that they knelt. With a roar of triumph, King Cyne Frostwing announced to the city that he had won.

The war was finally over.

As the Cardinal’s forces stood down and surrendered their weapons to Cyne’s soldiers, the victorious champion took stock of the situation. With the Cardinal’s faction dismantled, all of Griffonia was practically his. Sure, there were the Greenbark bandit clans to deal with and the Sachen Bulwark would need an in person visit and promises of recruits and supplies to earn their loyalty, but the entirety of the Griffon Kingdom was Cyne’s for the taking. When the historians wrote of the war between the Crown, the Sword, and the Idol, they would tell of the Crown’s triumph over all others.

“Empress Gristle,” he whispered, watching his griffons start cleaning up.

“King Cyne Frostwing,” his pendant answered.

“It is done. There is Peace in Griffonia once again.”

“And as I promised, you are the griffon standing at the top.”

Cyne reflected on that. When he had found the magical pendant, he was nothing but a squire in Lady Adela’s Crown faction. With a great deal of strength, cunning, and risk-taking, Cyne Frostwing had risen through the ranks to be a King. And a Living Hero at that!

“... It was costly,” he admitted. “Lothar should be here. He should have been here to witness it all.”

“Heavy is the head which bears the crown,” Gristle said.

Cyne sneered and bent low, scooping up Farvald’s decapitated body.

“Then tonight, all of us shall drink and feast in honor of who we’ve lost along the way.”

Cyne blinked, aware that he was aware again. He rose from his seat with a pained groan, stretching and rolling his shoulders to work out the knots created from his uncomfortable sleeping arrangement. He surveyed the room as his mind rebooted, processing what it had just experienced.

His mind was still reeling from his second meeting with the long-dead Heroes.

The griffons of his warhost were sprawled out in various displays of content and post-drinking-collapse, snoozing away the morning hours. Most were likely dreaming of the same thing they had been doing before passing out: drinking, feasting, and mating.

The thought of dreams stole any warmth from Cyne’s heart like an icedagger through the spine. He shot upright, frantically searching his person for the pendant. His claw ran down the length of the silver chain around his neck, grabbing hold of the gold charm and pulling hard. The silver links shattered as he started to storm out of the room.

“Gristle,” he growled, keeping his voice low to not wake anygriff else. “Gristle!”

He pressed a claw into the green gem, threatening to crack the precious jewel.

“Mmm, King Cyne?” Came a quiet voice. “I did not expect that you-”

“You knew!” Cyne hissed.

He hurried through the halls of the castle. The one or two other griffs he bumped into or passed by quickly got out of his way and bowed. His eyes scanned each of them, just in case they were the one griff he would be searching for after dealing with Gristle.

“Knew what, Your Majesty?” Empress Gristle asked innocently.

“Cut the bullshit,” the Hero cursed. “You’re nothing but a liar and a fraud! And worst of all, you knew!”

“I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about,” the magical pendant insisted. “What did I know?”

King Cyne Frostwing arrived at last at his intended destination, throwing open the doors to the balcony and stomping out to the edge. He held out the claw that clutched the snapped metal chain, letting Empress Gristle’s crushed gold pendant swing in the freezing winter morning air. Two thousand lengths beneath, the snow-covered valley that surrounded Griffonstone lay like a scaled-down model of the countryside.

And Gristle’s pendant hung precariously over the sheer drop, nothing separating her from the fall save for the claws holding her snapped chain.

“King Boreas said it himself!” Cyne cawed. “There never was an Empress Gristle! Not in his time, not in the time before him, and most certainly not in the years after him! Nogriff has heard of you in the Great Roost!”

“Those jumped-up autocrats dare-”

“No!” He cut her off. “Enough! No more lies! Nothing you say will save your life! Die with dignity, or die in shame, either way you’re going to die today!”

“My King,” Gristle said hastily, finally picking up that Cyne wasn’t buying into her lies, “w-would you really have kept me if you knew I was just a common griffon?! You would have cast me-”

Cyne snarled, clicking his beak at the piece of jewelry, “You’re not even a griffon! Skinwalker! Featherdancer! Vermin! Your machinations are over, I will kill you for once and for all, changeling!”

“M-My King!” Gristle whispered as Cyne’s claw relaxed its grip a hair and let the pendant drop a talon’s length. “Please! I have done nothing but serve you!”

Cyne snarled, “You knew!”

“Knew what?!”

Cyne shook his claw, sending bits of gold filigree snapping off and falling into the wispy clouds beneath them.

“Those assassins weren’t meant for me! Lothar wasn’t meant to die that night! Cardinal Farvald never tried to kill me!”

“I didn’t-”

The charm slipped further, only the end of the snapped chain being held now.

“The blind wisegriff,” Cyne revealed. “Rykard. You and he are hatched in the same flock. Both of you claim to be griffons, but nogriff can work against Griffonia without the Heroes knowing! Those assassins were sent to kill the changeling that claims to be Rykard. Why?! Why did they try to kill him?!”

“I don’t know!” Gristle said, her gem flashing purple. “I knew he was a changeling, but I don’t know anything else!”

Cyne shook his head, “Even if I believed that, you still lied to me. That bolt was meant for his neck. Griffonia burned because the assassin fowled their shot! You knew something was wrong, that there was more to the scent, and you remained silent! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t crush your gem and scatter the dust to the wind!”

Gristle was silent, faint flashes of purple revealing that she was still present.

“... I brought you this far!” The changeling named Gristle said. “You were nothing but a squire for a noble when you found me. With my advice and guidance, you have become the most powerful griffon to fly the skies of Griffonia in centuries! The Masquerade decrees that I cannot reveal anything about changelings- but that seems to be gone now!”

“What if I asked you to tell me everything about the changelings? How to find them? How to kill them?”

Gristle fell silent.

Cyne snorted, “Thought not. You are not loyal to me. Why would I have a turncoat like you in my court? You’ve already lied to me once, vermin! If I hadn’t listened to you… maybe Lothar would still be alive.”

“You wouldn’t be King,” Gristle said. “You wouldn’t be a Hero.”

“... We were meant to be Kings together,” Cyne whispered. “Lother and I, side by side. No withered old bastard like Farvald ruling with me, but Lothar! Strong Lothar! Wise Lothar! My Lothar! You insects took him from me! I lost him because of you!”

“I’ve done nothing but try to help you,” Gristle insisted. “Nothing! I have given you all the wisdom I could without revealing myself!”

Cyne shook his head, “Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. Perhaps I should leave your fate to the Heroes. Let them decide if you should shatter or if you should live on in your cursed form. Life or death? Which will they decide? I leave your fate up to them, but your sentence is clear to me. Empress Gristle, you are a liar and a fraud, and I cast you out of my kingdom!”

Cyne pulled his arm back, and with a yell he hurled the enchanted pendant as hard as he could. The dented charm soared through the sky, glinting in the morning sun as it sailed away into the distance. Cyne watched it fall, his eyes easily tracking it as it fell further and further from his city.

His scowl turned to a look of surprise when a fireball intercepted the discarded pendant. Two wings of fire emerged from the ball, and Gristle’s gem trailed behind the fireball as its metal chain was gripped in talons made of flame itself.

“Philomena,” Cyne whispered the phoenix’s name, recognizing it from Lady Adela’s storybooks.

The legendary creature swooped across the sky, leaving a trail of steam where it cut through the thin clouds. The bird flew west, away from the city and with the enchanted gem still in its clutches.

“Life it is,” King Cyne Frostwing muttered under his breath. “... One skinwalker down, one to go.”

I slowly pushed the goggles up. The sight of Princess Procho’s flaring half-soul vanished from sight, yet her voice remained in my mind. God-Splitter hovered in its containment field, glowing red-hot from the spells we had been casting on it in the past hour. The very mechanism that made it one of the best weapons of war in existence was preventing us from finding out more about the half-soul contained within.

“What?! Why- who- how?! You are… Why are you here?!”

Luna stepped away from the chalkboard as I repeated to her the words spoken over the Weave.

“... I am nothing like you!” Her voice rang in my mind.

“Princes Procho?” I asked over the Weave. “Can you hear me? What’s going on? Where are you?”

Luna quickly hoofed me our Soulmancy journal and I started jotting down our words so far.

“I… see,” Procho said quietly. “Where are we going? Do you even know where we’re-”

Luna leaned over my shoulder as I wrote, reading while keeping an eye on my hammer.

“Keep repeating your questions,” Luna instructed. “I will observe her soul for any notable changes if she responds. Perhaps we can finally figure out what is triggering these brief moments of connection.”

“What is happening, Procho? It is me, King Phasma, we may have spoken before.”

The half-dead Princess continued her conversation with this unknown individual despite my questioning. I kept repeating my questions, and she kept ignoring me.

“Why? There is nothing… You speak of my mother, you pompous candlewick! I do not… Yes. Yes. Of course I’ve heard of him, the Masquerade Protocol was everything!”

“She may be speaking about you,” Luna remarked.

“It seems so,” I muttered, still writing everything down.

“‘Pompous candlewick,’ what could that mean?” Luna wondered. “... There are few creatures who could be so closely associated with fire. None of which are creatures prone to conversations.”

“Fine then. Take me to this changeling king. There’s no point in staying in Griffonia anymore. If I can…”

Princess Procho’s voice started to fade away.

“Princess Procho? What happened? Where are you? Where are… I think she’s gone again,” I sighed, saying the last part aloud.

“Her soul has reentered a state of dormancy,” Luna observed using a spell. She added her own observations and data points in our experiment journal, “I will need to go over some of this with Celestia; she has a better mind for the higher points of magical theories. It may take some time to replicate triggering Princess Procho’s soul. At any rate, it seems we know where exactly her other half lies. Or lay, if this half-conversation is anything to go by.”

“Griffonia,” I nodded. “Makes sense, I guess. More sense than being further east.. As for what the hell is happening over there, your guess is as good as mine.”

“Do you not have agents observing the banished drone? The one you tried to assassinate, an action which sparked a civil war and caused the deaths of thousands?”

I shied away from her, rubbing a foreleg, “You don’t know that! The griffons are fierce creatures, this King Cyne more than the rest. I can’t imagine he would be happy sharing power with that other Hero. Farvald, was it?”

“I suspect the truth will become known to us in time,” she said, shaking her head. “Come, we must report this to Celestia at once. And you did not answer, what do your spies say?”

Luna closed the thick, partially-filled tome and made for the door. I followed at her side. As we left our room, our compliment of eight guards formed up ranks around us. Even with the assassination attempt weeks in the past and the fact that we were in the middle of the Palace, no chances were being taken.

“I recalled them, remember? Cadance is responsible for that now.”

Luna nodded, “Ah. Of course. We shall be informing her, too, of course.”

I bit my tongue, “.... And Chrysalis.”

My marefriend snorted, “Indeed, her too… After everypony else. Perhaps before the witnesses are called up to testify tomorrow. I am sure she will be happy to hear of her daughter’s whereabouts. Make sure your Fifth Hive leadership is also appraised of this development.”

“Of course.”

Luna continued, “I cannot say I have any experience in any matter such as this. We might want to inform the Element Bearers, because… well… you know, they are capable of incredible miracles with the artifacts at their disposal.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Huh? This doesn’t seem like a situation that can just be hoofed off to them and expect them to figure it out.”

“They have been quite capable of handling the strangest scenarios so far,” Luna said, looking over her shoulder up at me. “Speaking of which… Celestia has an idea.”

“She tends to have those,” I chuckled. “She and I like to plan. What is it?”

She looked at our guard contingent, “Your drones are equally sworn to secrecy, yes?”

“For the eighth time, yes Luna. I’ve told you about the lengths drones go to serve royals. It’s a bit disturbing, if I’m being honest.”

The four drones around us didn’t react- but I did taste hints of anger from the four Royal Guards accompanying us.

“As you know, we are on a strict deadline,” Luna began. “The war is coming. Ponies and changelings will die. It is a terrifying and daunting fact, but a fact nonetheless. Celestia is hoping to stack the deck as much as possible in our favor. Seeing the overall progress with you and your changelings, Cadance and her have… concocted a scheme that is hard to accept. I myself remain not entirely convinced, but risks must be taken to minimize our losses.”

“C’mon, Luna. What is she up to?” I groaned.

She grit her teeth and her apprehension simmered from her like a heat-haze.

“... She wishes to utilize the Element Bearers to offer an olive branch to Discord. My sister believes they are capable of bringing out his better qualities and convince him to rein in his more… destructive tendencies.”

I face-hoofed, almost taking a tumble as our entourage walked through the halls.

“Of course she wants that. That is insane. Like, Discord-level insanity. Do you honestly believe that could work?”

“There’s a chance,” Luna whispered. “As I said, it is risky. That is not in question, and I am likewise skeptical of our odds of succeeding. But what if we do succeed? What if? The Elements have worked miracles in the past and if we are lucky, they will do so again.”

“Aren’t things kinda too volatile in Canterlot to let the genie out of his bottle? We’re in the middle of Chrysalis’s trial for Panar’s sake!”

“Keep your voice down, Phasma. Let us ask these questions when the four of us are together. But… if you are against this, I must ask: do you intend on throwing your weight around to stop Celestia’s scheme?”

I scratched my head, “Goddess, I don’t know. I suppose I can. But should I? I kinda sat out the entire fight with Discord before and you ponies eventually got him back under control. Considering I am not under much flak for releasing him, it might be best for me to stay away from this. Arguing against this could be considered hypocritical. Plus I’m lazy and up to my fangs in work. This trial is making rulership damn near impossible, with half of each day dedicated to just sitting in a chair watching it unfold.”

“Nopony would mind your absence,” Luna offered an out.

“Not gonna happen,” I sigh. “You know as well as I do that I just have to be there. I can’t name the specifics of why. To grant legitimacy? To provide a public face for the changelings condemning her? Because seeing her go down makes me smile? Either way, I can’t imagine the history books talking about this without me being present.”

“The choice is up to you,” she said, walking a bit closer to brush shoulders with me. “You have my full support, no matter what you decide.”

“Thanks, Luna. That means a lot to me, ” I smiled.

She smiled back, “The specters of the past may be hard to stand up to, but with friendship, anything is possible.”

24- The Hierophant (V) & The High Priestess (II)

Coxa stood in front of the witness stand. At his beckoning, I placed a hoof over my heart.

“Do you, King Phasmatodea ‘The Comet’ of the Fifth Hive, Pontiff and Champion of the Hive Eternal, swear by the Goddess Panarthropo to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

“I swear.”

Coxa nodded once before returning to his seat, “You may question the witness, Chrysalis.”

The former-queen stepped out from her little podium and walked towards me, halting before my guards. I placed both hooves on the edge of the wooden witness stand, watching her every movement. Chrysalis, despite her time in a cell, was looking as… as much herself as ever. A part of me wished something about her would be lesser for spending so much time in the dark.

“Phasma,” She addressed me. “What is our relationship?”

“You laid my egg,” I returned calmly.

“I meant our familial relationship, as well as professional.”

I rolled my eyes, “You are my biological mother, and was my boss and ruler while I lived in the Fourth Hive.”

“When did we first meet?”

I scoffed, “Seriously?”

Chrysalis just smiled, “Unless our three judges here have any objections, you will answer my questions.”

I felt an eyebrow twitch, “We met when I hatched. You were there on that first day.”

“You remember hatching?”

“I do.”

Chrysalis feigned surprise, half-turning away from me and looking at the crowd of ponies, “Changelings don’t have memories of their time as larva. Ponies don’t remember their time as newborn foals.”

“I remember everything,” I said. “You know this. You took special interest in me because of this. You know the reason why I remember.”

“Of course I do. But why don’t you illuminate the public? Say it for the court? You were intelligent from the very first moment you hatched– curiosity, potential, and calmness that no larva could possess. How?”

“I have something of an old soul,” I joked.

“Without the sarcasm,” she said, waiving a dismissive tone.

“Reincarnation. Despite hatching a year ago, I am far older than that.”

“Reincarnation,” she repeated, slowly pacing back and forth in front of me. “Let’s keep that in mind. What do you remember from your time as a larva?”

I sighed, “You took me from the broodmothers and watched over me personally. To tutor and train me.”

“Yes, I did. I took no small amount of time from my busy schedule to tend to your… needs and growth. What was our early relationship like?”

I shrugged again, “You pushed me to learn a lot very quickly. There was no resting, no relaxing, no taking things slow. From my larva stage, through nymph stage, and finally adult, I was under constant time constraints and strict expectations. Failure was not tolerated.”

“How was the rest of your life, outside of our interactions?”

I cast my memory a year back, “... I was isolated. It was months until I spoke with someling that wasn’t you or Eucharis. Or Katydid.”

“Who is Eucharis? Or Katydid?”

I glared at her, “... Chamberlain Eucharis, your second in command of the Fourth Hive. He took over a lot of the training as I reached adulthood mere months after hatching. Captain Katydid, current commander of the changeling Swarm and a friend of mine. He was just a lowly officer when you dragged him from whatever duties he had to train me in magic.”

Chrysalis sighed dramatically, “So. A reincarnated prince. Taught everything by his mother and mother’s aide. Now that you have some… experience outside of my Hive, would you say that anything I taught you was… malevolent? Evil?”

I blinked, “... Yes.”

Chrysalis turned back to me, “What exactly?”

I sat back, thinking, “You mean aside from the whole caste-based society that I was to rule? Your hatred of Celestia and ponies was a frequent underpinning of many lessons from what I recall.”

“I do not hate ponies!” She hissed. “I just consider them…”

“Prey,” I finished.

“As you say,” Chrysalis said quietly. “Is that inaccurate?”

“People are more than mere biology,” I shot back. “Through cooperation, they are not prey; they are symbiotes. Allies. Friends.”

“Did you know this at the time? Did you believe this? Did you have proof?”

I shrugged, “I knew the facts, and could only guess beyond that. We need ponies to survive. They didn’t know we exist, and we had been keeping it that way for generations beyond count.”

“Moving on,” Chrysalis rolled a hoof, “what else did I teach you?”

“To be a ruthless ruler,” I shot back. “I remember having to watch you render judgment on a changeling drone who was caught in possession of a book. You told them the punishment was death, but said you were ‘mercifully’ granting them over a year's worth of punishment detail. Cleaning the acid recycling vats, if I recall correctly. A dangerous, filthy job. I remember… being tested on this, having to explain your judgment.”

‘I remember part of me agreeing with that. I… was–’

“And did you agree with the judgment at the time?” Chrysalis asked.

“You would never have accepted any other answer.”

She shook her head, “Answer the question, King Phasma.”

“For the most part, no! Sentencing someone–”

“So you partially agreed with me?” Chrysalis interrupted.

“I…” I halted. But when the silence forced me to continue, “... A bit.”

“Why? I thought this was an evil act?”

I crossed my forelegs, “I was… not in a good place at the time.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I snarled at her, “You know damn well what I mean! You isolated me! You controlled everything I was taught! You were constantly putting me under pressure to succeed! You used love like a drug, forcing me to constantly work for it like an addict in need for another hit! And to top it all off, I was just murdered!”

“Enough!”

The loud voice silenced the room.

Cadance, the one who had yelled, spoke again, “You will have to control yourself, Phasma. If you need a break, ask for it, but you must control yourself.”

Slowly, I realized that I was standing. Not only that, the witness stand had a crack running across it– starting where both my hooves were embedded into the woodwork. My guards were hunched over, each in a defensive posture around me. I withdrew my hooves from the damaged stand, wrapping them around me as the guards relaxed back to their regular posture.

“Murdered?” Chrysalis whispered.

“I was murdered,” I repeated, forcing calmness into my voice. “For no reason at all. Murdered in an alleyway! It was… I was shot in the chest by a… weapon. Fiercely hot sensation in my chest. Then growing coldness as I bled out. I felt my heart stop beating. I felt… scared. Confused. It hurt… It took longer than you would think to die. You have no idea what it was like. None of you!”

There was a pause. Chrysalis was just standing there, staring at me. The quiet murmur of the crowd whispering to each other was eventually interrupted by Elder Vigilance.

“Are you finished with your questioning, Chrysalis?” The older mare asked, gesturing to me.

Chrysalis blinked, “... For now.”

As she silently stalked back to her podium, Cadance turned towards me, “Phasma. Do you need a break?”

“... I don’t know,” I said quietly, running a hoof over the cracked wooden surface in front of me. “N-no. Ask your questions.”

‘It’s important to keep the momentum up. While every pony in the room is listening, while we have their undivided attention… It’s important…’

No flash camera or radio mic was allowed in the courtroom. However, there were enough newsponies packed into the crowd that every major city would have their own version of a headline article about the trial within hours of each trial session ending. What was being said here would spread to every corner of the country by nightfall.

“Phasma,” Coxa’s voice pulled me back to the present. “With consideration to how ponies are and what your past life was like, was life in the Fourth Hive good?”

“No.”

“Was your quality of life worse?”

I nodded, “Absolutely. Everyone was hungry. There’s no such thing as luxuries. And there were the drones themselves…”

“Did you not like changelings?” Coxa pressed.

“No! No. It wasn’t like that. You just… couldn’t really trust others much in the Fourth Hive. Anyone could report you. Anyone could betray you.”

“Did you make many friends?” Cadance asked.

“No, I didn’t. During my Infiltrator class, I made a hooffull. Coxa, Lacewing, Thorax, Oestridae, and T-Tarsus. You can count Katydid as a friend, but beyond them, there was no one I could completely trust.”

“You are the first changeling we are hearing from,” Vigilance pointed out. “I would like to hear what life was like for the average changeling… drone. You said everypony was hungry?”

“Everyone was hungry,” I repeated. “The changeling species had been on ever-increasingly strict rationing for generations. We were running lower and lower on love.”

Vigilance leaned forward, “And these drones could not trust anyling but their closest friends and family?”

“No. Aside from the occasional sibling, most changelings had no idea who their family was,” I clarified. “You could trust your closest friends, but noling else.”

“Changelings don’t know their families?” Vigilance asked, frowning and tilting her head in confusion.

“No. Eggs are separated from their parents and raised communally.”

“Why?” Vigilance asked.

“Yes or no questions only,” Cadance reminded her fellow judge.

Vigilance grumbled but continued on, “Was this system… beneficial?”

I shrugged, “Maybe? It certainly allowed more indoctrination and opportunities to enforce loyalty to the throne.”

“Was this a long-standing tradition?”

“Y- No? Yes and no?” I sighed, “It was established by Chrysalis a few centuries ago.”

“These drones,” Cadance stepped in, “did they face similar training as you? High expectations and constant lessons?”

I shook my head, “No. That was just me.”

Cadance switched gears, “Did Chrysalis know about your past life? How it ended?”

“No,” I said quietly. “I kept that secret.”

“If you did not have Chrysalis in the room with you, would you have given that drone with the book a different sentencing?”

I paused, “.... No. Chrysalis would have found out.”

“And if she didn’t find out, would you have given a different sentence?”

I scowled, “Yes. It was just a book…”

“But you agreed with her sentencing?” Cadance asked.

“Y- only a little bit. I…”

“Was the sentencing too harsh in your opinion?”

“Of course!”

Cadance nodded, “But you still supported some part of her sentencing?”.

“I th-think so…” I said slowly. “There was so much going on, I didn’t– I didn’t have much time to think about anything.”

Then Coxa switched the questioning entirely, “Was Chrysalis the largest influence on you during these first months?”

“Yes.”

“Was Eucharis the second largest influence?”

“Yes,” I repeated.

“Were any of his lessons and morals different from Chrysalis’s?”

“No,” I shook my head. “He touted every bit of propaganda and entirely supported everything she did.”

“Your past life,” Vigilance prefaced, “were you a changeling?”

“No.”

“Pony?”

“No.”

“You weren’t anything from this world, were you?” Coxa asked.

I slowly shook my head, “N-no. I was a human. A bipedal primate from the planet Earth. It’s… pretty much Equus, but we’re alone on our world.”

“So suddenly being a changeling was…. disorientating?” Coxa prompted.

“Extremely, yes,” I agreed.

“And your morals as a human,” Coxa continued, “are they comparable to a changeling’s?”

“Yes?” I said slowly.

“Are they comparable to a pony’s sense of morals?”

I shook my head, “No. Ponies are often kinder than humans.”

“Do you know why that’s the case?” Cadance asked.

I shrugged, “Sure? Equus is more peaceful than Earth. Or at least, Equestria is. No wars, no real droughts or famines to worry about, corruption seems to be lower…”

Cadance leaned forward, “And did this different set of morals help you consider Chrysalis’s actions to be tyrannical?”

“Yes. I had an outside perspective.”

The pink princess continued, “So you went from being a human, to being murdered, to suddenly finding yourself a changeling, while isolated and influenced by Chrysalis and her close second in command Eucharis, while they used information and access to food to control you and keep you on a strict and brutal learning and training program?”

“.. That’s correct, yes. And once those lessons ended, I was immediately put in charge of the Swarm.”

The three judges of the tribunal shared a look and nodded to each other.

“Then our cross-examination ends for now,” Cadance declared. “We will be adjourning for an hour-long break.”

I sighed and wearily rubbed my face, looking at the ground. Slowly, I rose from my seat and stood on shaky legs. Around the room, ponies and changelings were filing out of the room, conversing quietly, or standing guard if they were on-duty guards.

I froze and looked up, feeling Chrysalis’s eyes bore into me. She was sitting behind her podium and giving me a blank stare. Her eyes met my own and I turned away, heading for one of the doors at the corner of the room furthest away from the main entrance. My Red Right Hoof guards stayed in formation around me as I left.

Thorax and Luna flew down from the dias, meeting me at the door and walking with me out. Luna reached over and grabbed one of my forehooves, holding it while smiling.

“You are doing good, Phasma. I question the wisdom of giving in and being questioned now, but regardless, you are doing a good job.”

“Thanks, Luna,” I said, leaning over to nuzzle her.

“Yeah, Phas,” Thorax agreed. “You’re doing great! It means a lot to everyling that you can just take to the stand and call her out like that! Now where’s my nuzzle?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be mad at me for trying to assassinate Tarsus?” I asked quietly, heading into the nearest sitting room and flopping down onto an obscenely luxurious sofa.

Luna sat next to me, still holding my hoof, while Thorax sat down in a chair opposite of us.

“I… still am,” Thorax said stiffly. “You know my demands about that. But this… I’m not abandoning you when you need friends the most.”

I smiled, “... Thanks, Thorax.”

“I worked too hard to stop you from being a sociopathic tyrant to lose all my progress.”

I stopped smiling, “Thanks, Thorax.”

“I’m not joking.”

“You’re overreacting,” I said, giving Luna an appreciative smile for being with me.

Thorax sighed, “We have to look out for each other. And you’ve made it quite clear that you need the most looking-out-for by far.”

“Thought you said you were taking a break from me,” I pointed out.

“... I’m supporting you for the trial. Then I’m going to Manehattan for a month with Double Diamond.”

I took in his words, “... Fine. That’s… fine.”

‘We can survive without him for that long. He deserves a break with his coltfriend. He can… have his space. He’ll be back. It’s just a month.’

Coxa cleared his throat, “After your lessons, when Chrysalis started withdrawing from your daily life, what happened next?”

“I was put in a class to learn basic Infiltration skills, but when that ended, she made me Champion of the Hive Eternal and High Marshall of the Swarm. It was pretty sudden.”

Vigilance pitched in, “Is this when Chrysalis commanded you to invade Equestria?”

“Yes. It was right before she made me High Marshall. She said the changelings fought the ponies in ancient times, and we lost. But now we will fight and win. Things would be different, I guess; Equestria may have had the Elements of Harmony, but we had the element of surprise. Chrysalis told me to lead the invasion of Equestria and to defeat… Princess Cadance.”

Cadance asked the next question, “So were you trained to be a military leader and to fight me?”

“N-no,” I said, scratching my head. “She just… expected me to do those things– to figure it out on my own. Overnight, I went from having a tight leash around my neck to being thrown into the deep end and expected to sink or swim. Noling knew how to fight an open war, so it just… the responsibility went to me.”

“Did Chrysalis tell you how the invasion was to be handled?” Cadance continued.

“No. Yes. Both? She had some overall demands, but that was all.”

Coxa prompted, “Such as the treatment of ponies?”

I shrugged, “Yeah. Sort of. She demanded that love be harvested. We had only one way of doing that and securing the captured lands: podding ponies.”

“Did you try alternative methods?” Vigilance asked.

I once again ran a hoof over the cracked wood, “Sort of. There were no other known methods to gather love. After reforming the entire structure of the changeling Swarm, a specific Legion was created to handle the podding of ponies. In the months before the invasion, I had them try to find other methods. I was too busy to look for alternatives myself. There was so much to do, and only so few hours in the day.”

“What else was Chrysalis involved?”

I slowly sighed, trying hard to remember, “Not much. She was to fight Celestia, we were to pod the ponies. Beyond that, I was expected to do all the heavy lifting and planning. Oh, she did give me a deadline for the invasion: the summer solstice. Which gave me only a hooffull of months to get everything planned and moving.”

“Did you have other duties?” Coxa asked.

“Not really. Aside from completely reorganizing the changeling military all by myself, that is. There really wasn’t much of a structure before I came into power; there was no need for any forward thinking with the Swarm, for there was never any need to fight in formations or anything like that. There was only some organized clearing of the Underhive tunnels closest to the Hive generations back.”

“Were you still isolated from other changelings?” Cadance asked next.

“No, of course not,” I shook my head. “I had my small group of friends from the Infiltrator class, and now I was building an entirely new leadership for the Swarm. Not friends, but… acquaintances. I met with the common drones, spoke with them, learned about them, and led them.”

“How did you lead them?” Vigilance asked me. “How did you treat them? What did you speak with them about?”

I shrugged, “Like… people? Chrysalis taught me to be an aloof tyrant, to enforce my will through strength and a caustic sense of nobility. In public, I, of course, retained an element of this. But behind closed doors, I spoke with the changelings and talked with them heart to heart. They spoke, and I listened. I picked my generals for the skills and strengths, not because they brown-nosed. I heard the plights of the drones, and planned to fix it all.”

“Is this when you broke faith with Chrysalis?” Cadance wondered.

“It is,” I confirmed, shifting in my seat as the former-queen watched with a blank expression from her stand. “I sowed the seeds of revolution at this point. Hiding it all under the cover of reforming the changeling Swarm from bottom to top, I gave the drones a place to talk with each other without fear and hate. From there, their woes all wove the same tale; if I wanted to end the death and fear that gripped out species, then not only would I have to solve the hunger crisis, but I would have to remove the queen at the heart of everything.”

Cadance nodded once, “The hunger crisis. Let us address that. What were your goals for the invasion?”

“To conquer Equestria, and by extension feed the changeling race forever more,” I answered.

“Did you find any alternative?” Vigilance asked.

“No,” I said simply. “Chrysalis announced that our entire species would be dead of starvation before the year was out. Before that, even. I saw what was left of our stockpiles; we would have all been dead before the leaves changed colors and fell from their branches. The clock had run out. It was invasion or death, Feast or famine, conquerors or corpses.”

“Phasma,” Cadance addressed me. “Did you ever try to convince Chrysalis? Work with her? Get her to seek less absolute terms of control?”

“No,” I snapped. “What came after the fall of Equestria no longer mattered. I had no idea what Chrysalis planned, save for one thing: she never intended for me to survive.”

“That’s a lie!” Chrysalis growled, features twisting in anger.

“Hush,” Cadance admonished her. “Would you care to explain, Phasma?”

“There was a… misunderstanding, I guess,” I said slowly, drawing out the pause. “I discovered something horrifying- so terrifying that drove the revolution forward, no matter the cost. If doing everything I could for the drones wasn’t enough motivation, I now had a fate worse than death weighing me down. For during my time in the Fourth Hive, I broke into the most secure location in the entire hive. The Vault, our locked library of all history ever recorded of our species. What was left of it, anyways. The majority of knowledge it held had to do with the Fourth Hive, with very little remaining of the previous hives. I recall finding some records on love extraction, but the methods were far more brutal and lethal than merely podding ponies, so that was ultimately a bust.

“The records also spoke of other changeling royals before me. Siblings, aunts and uncles, and so on. Each and every one of them was dead– that was obvious by the fact that Chrysalis and I were the only living royals around. But many fates of these changeling royals simply listed… ‘reprocessing,’ I believe it was. It would take another infiltration of the Vault to uncover just what horrors lay behind such an ominous word.”

Vigilance leaned forward in her seat, “Go on. What did you find?”

Slowly, I turned to face Chrysalis as I told the next part of the story. Her anger from before had fled and for the first time ever, I saw a different emotion playing across her eyes.

‘Shame? Regret? Sadness? Too little too late, Mother Dearest.’

“I found where my egg was created. I found the fates of my siblings who had passed away centuries before. I found Chrysalis’s laboratory, where she conducted her fleshmancy experiments and rituals. Science melded with arcane arts were turned towards unhatched eggs, and… my siblings. A few had not passed away at all, but yet lived. Left on the cusp of death, their broken, shattered, and disfigured bodies had been stuffed into vats and their skulls cracked open. She… Chrysalis lobotomized them. Sections of their brains were excised, others overgrown. She cultivated them like crops, manipulating their minds to create a Weave for the Fourth Hive– which the changelings all used to retrieve and store information. None of us knew the cost of our collective library. None of us knew of the Princes and Princesses of the Hive Eternal, trapped within their bodies, unable to scream, cry, move, or even blink. Pluck from the release of death and damned eternally… And, revealed at last, was one empty vat. One tank awaiting its occupant. There was only one conclusion I could draw that would leave me prepared for all potential eventualities; either Chrysalis had to die, or I had to before she could turn against me.”

The throne room descended into a cacophony of ponies reacting to the horrible news. However, all of my attention was on the former queen sitting before me. She was slowly shaking her head from side to side, not bothering to hide her sorrow.

“It was not meant for you,” she told me silently over the Weave.

“How could I see it any other way?” I shot back.

Chrysalis looked down at the floor beneath her hooves. “... You couldn’t. You made a wise assumption. A very wise one.”

“... You made the exact same assumption, didn’t you?” I wondered aloud after Cadance had gotten the courtroom under control.

Heads turned my way, confusion mingling with horror and anger in the emotional melting pot around us.

“I did,” Chrysalis replied, raising her head to meet my stare.

“Phasma, you are on the witness stand,” Cadance said. “Not Chrysalis. We are asking you questions here, you may ask Chrysalis any questions you have at a later time.”

I ignored her, “What happened, Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis sat up straight, “Queen Spheradae, my mother, had gone mad. My siblings had been Ascended before I was hatched, and I found them just as you had. I found one vat left empty and I made the same connection you did. So I killed her, just as you tried to kill me.”

“You didn’t destroy that lab? You didn’t free your siblings?!” I hissed angrily.

“I didn’t know!” She yelled, stamping a hoof down. “How could I?! Nothing could repair the damage! Not even necromancy brought any changes! They were husks to the world, so I used them the only way I could!”

“Chrysalis! Phasma!” Cadance growled. “Enough! There is obviously much you two need to discuss, but this is neither the time nor place. As pertinent as this information is, there are rules and regulations to this tribunal.”

“Coulda fooled me,” my equine ears picked up Celestia muttering.

“Chrysalis,” Cadance turned to the accused. “If you wish to plead your case directly, you can take the stand yourself. Do you wish to do that?”

The green royal bared her teeth in a snarl, “... No! I… I want to cross examine the witness.”

Cadance turned back to her fellow judges, who silently considered the motion.

“Seems as good of a point as any to switch,” Coxa said.

“Agreed,” Vigilance grunted.

Cadance sighed and faced Chrysalis, “Very well. You may ask Phasma questions directly.”

The former tyrant approached me from her podium in the center of the court. Whereas before she stalked, prowled, or otherwise approached with planning and malicious intent, Chrysalis was now subdued. Calm, even.

“Phasma,” she began, “let’s talk about the need for the invasion. We’ve heard from so many ponies about what happened, but why did it happen?”

“We were starving,” I said, ear flicking in annoyance at answering the repeated requisition.

“Did you, as Prince of the Fourth Hive, see or feel the effects of starvation yourself?”

I scoffed, “Of course! I may have been given a generous diet of pure love to begin with, but I distinctly recall you cutting off the tap while I was still a nymph. I was put on a rationing system– albeit a more generous one than the drones endured. And, of course, I saw everyone else starving, too.”

Chrysalis motioned for me to continue, “You are the first changeling to speak to this… court. Tell everyling here what it was like. What did you see specifically?”

I frowned, “... It’s hard to summarize it. Far more often than not, it was an unsaid pressure. The hunger wasn’t like someone in front of you, talking to you, pushing you around, hurting you. It was like an observer– or a weight on your shoulders. It tainted everything in the Hive. Everyling focused on their duties foremost. Everyling was just that much quicker to anger and mistrust. Everyling lived in austere living conditions that to this day shape the way they see the world. No one had… possessions. Not many of them, at least. No beds, no books, no games, no art, no treats or snacks or anything else food-related, no…” I shook my head, “It would be quicker to list what we did have. The Greencave, that being the place where all things organic were grown or farmed within the Fourth Hive, supplied what little it could. Namely various mosses, lichens, mushrooms, and other vegetation used to dilute the food rations and help cover up the negative effects of starvation. If a ling was clever, he or she could trade for some things. A tool here, some shroombeer there, a small statute or simple jewelry for themselves or someling they wanted to woo. But for the most part, there was duty and not much else.”

“If no one had any possessions, why didn’t they make them?” Chrysalis asked. “Why weren’t there any wood carvers, tailors, farmers, blacksmiths, and so on?”

Scoffing, I answered, “There were few craftslings because we couldn’t spare them. Or we just outright lacked the resources. Most lings were duty related to some essential function of keeping us all alive. And we didn’t have many farmers because there was no point. Changelings can eat food but we need love to survive.”

Chrysalis nodded, pacing slowly, “And the only way to get it was from ponies?”

“We could get it from any sapient species. The ponies were the closest and most numerous.”

“How did the changelings gather love? That is, before the invasion.”

I crossed my forelegs, “Infiltrators. Rarely, a pony was… foalnapped. Taken from their life and secreted away to the Hive. Dead to the world and used for food for the rest of their life, that was the only consistent and constant source of food. Otherwise, the Infiltrators harvested love themselves.”

“And how did they do that?”

I suppressed a groan. It was annoying explaining these things to the person who had taught me all about them. It was like I was enduring one of her horrid tests all over again.

“... They infiltrated. Hence the name.”

“Can you briefly describe the process? Make sure everypony here knows just what an Infiltrator is, what they do, and why?”

“The ‘why’ I already answered,” I said, gritting my teeth. “They had to gather love for the Hive. Without it, we would starve. As for how, they would travel from town to town, city to city, sticking to the peripheries and disguising themselves as ponies. Sometimes they would have to foalnap someone, put them in a pod, and live out their life for a brief time. The pony would not remember their absence, and the Infiltrator would harvest love from their family during their time with them.”

“Why didn’t the Infiltrators do this instead of foalnapping ponies?” Chrysalis asked, looking out over the gathered crowd watching us.

“It’s slower,” I explained. “An Infiltrator gathering love is limited by the time it takes to learn of their target and/or about the ponies around them, the time it takes to slowly siphon love while masquerading as a pony, the time it takes to carefully leave the area without raising suspicions, and the time it takes to get that love all the way back to the Hive. Podded ponies supply love as quickly as the pony takes to recover from the last feeding. And before you ask, yes, that is much quicker.”

“How many changelings were Infiltrators?”

I scowled even more, “I don’t know. To this day, I still don’t know. The Fourth Hive struggled when it came to anything resembling organization, census information, and anything else that keeps track of the people that make up our race. The Infiltrators were shrouded in secrecy. Only you and the leader of the Infiltrators, the Intelligencer, know any real details about their number or organization.”

Chrysalis swept a hoof across the room, “And this Invasion of Equestria was going to change the entire starvation crisis?”

“We would have more podded ponies than we knew what to do with, yes,” I said slowly.

She smiled, “You’ve talked, both in public and in private, about my rule. What I’ve done, what I haven’t done, what I should’ve done. So, Phasma, I leave the question to you; if you were in complete control of the Fourth Hive, how would you have solved the imminent starvation of our species?”

I blinked in surprise, tilting my head slightly to the side.

“I… uh… I would have deployed more Infiltrators to begin with.”

“Yes, these Infiltrators which you know so little about,” Chrysalis snickered. “Tell me, how long does it take to train a single Infiltrator?”

“Decades–”

“Did we have decades?” Chrysalis cut me off.

“You certainly did,” I snapped back. “We’ve been starving for generations! You could have employed as many Infiltrators as you wanted!”

Chrysalis smiled even wider, “Do you know that for certain?”

“What?”

She stepped towards me, “What limits the amount of Infiltrators the Hive has?”

“I don’t know,” I grunted. “You never told me. As far as I can tell, we’ve kept the number of Infiltrators limited to keep our species a secret. The Masquerade Protocol. It’s the most sacred and long-lived rule any civilization of Equus– or my homeworld– has ever followed. Ever.”

“Why was staying a secret so important?” Chrysalis pressed.

“Because we didn’t have the ability to defend ourselves. Not against any real kingdom. We only defeated Equestria due to speed and an overwhelming element of surprise! Mostly the surprise part. If we were exposed, even a single duchy within Equestria could have stomped us out!”

“But you would have risked breaking this Masquerade Protocol?”

I nodded, “If it was that or starvation, yes.”

“Did you approve of the Invasion of Equestria at all?”

I shrugged, “I guess? As a last resort, it was our species’ best hope for survival.”

“As you said, that was predicated on the element of surprise. If more Infiltrators could have been deployed, and one of these rookies exposed the Hive, what would happen then?”

“It would have been over for us,” I admitted. “No element of surprise means no invasion.”

“Do you still support sending out more Infiltrators?” She asked.

I nodded slowly, “The risk would still be better than the risk we faced with the Invasion. The only reason why our species still exists is because the ponies are willing to understand and forgive us, and because they are not desperate enough to crush any threat with lethal force.”

“Would you have changed anything about the invasion itself?”

Shaking my head, I told the court, “No. I planned it myself. We had to go all in, and we had no better way of dealing with ponies captured. We couldn’t just take a town or two– anything less than ending Equestria would mean the kingdom would simply turn its attention to us and end the Fourth Hive.”

The green royal turned to face the three judges, “So you are weighing two great risks against each other. Would you say it’s a matter of opinion on which risk was greater?”

“I suppose so, yes. I would still go with more Infiltrators.”

Chrysalis spun on her hooves, walking right up to me. The Red Right Hoof soldiers interposed themselves, standing between me and the much taller-than-them former-queen.

“What if there was something else limiting the creation of Infiltrators?” She asked. “Something you don’t know about?”

‘What are you playing at?’

“How am I supposed to answer that question?” I asked.

Chrysalis leaned forward, “What if there was only a finite number of Infiltrators that could be properly trained? What if we had been sending out the max number for centuries? Would you have sent out regular changeling drones?”

“No,” I said immediately. “We would be exposed within weeks. Days, even. I would have gone with the invasion.”

“... What if I said that each Infiltrator has to be molded by hoof? What if each one required the presence of several Weaves to impart in years the knowledge and skills of generations that would normally require decades– maybe even centuries to learn?”

Before I could answer, Cadance jumped in, “Chrysalis, that is speculation. If you wish to prove that point, you will have to provide evidence, material or witness.”

‘Is… is that the true purpose of the Fourth Hive’s synthetic Weave? It was meant to brain-wash drones with the skills required to be a perfect spy, and storing other information was just secondary? If so, why didn’t I know about it or notice what was taking up the majority of the Weave? Why didn’t anyone but Chrysalis and the Infiltrators?’

As much as I hated it, the magical thingy that had been a part of my soul and mind since the day I had hatched was something I knew little about. Weaves were… strange. Alien. Mysterious. Creepy. The reading material I found on them during my time in the Vault was… sparse. I was looking for other things at the time, anyway. I didn’t like thinking about what I didn’t know about my own mind. It sent shivers up and down my spine.

But Chrysalis did know a lot about Weaves.

And she asked her next question, “Then hypothetically, Phasma, if you couldn’t make any more Infiltrators, would you have done anything differently than what I did?”

I quickly jerked my head towards Luna, “I was making a deal with Nightmare Moon, it would have spared us from whatever nightmare the ponies would go through under our total occupation. I would have worked with the ponies as much as I could!”

“Did that alliance work out?” Chrysalis said, still smiling.

“.... No,” I answered quietly.

“And was that option available to me?”

“No, Nightmare Moon only approached me.”

Chrysalis slowly turned and headed towards her little podium, “Then I ask again; if you could not make any more Infiltrators, and only had the options I had at the time, would you have done anything differently regarding the starvation crisis?”

“.... No,” I said, unsure of my answer. “Aside from what happened after we had won the invasion, that is.”

“Do you even know what my plans were for that?” Chrysalis chuckled, sitting down.

“I thought I did.”

Chrysalis ignored me and addressed the panel of judges, “I have no more questions at this time. Instead, I would like to call up my next witness!”

“We’re not done asking Phasma questions,” Coxa shook his head. “Besides, it is not your turn to call up a witness.”

“You should have also requested witnesses in advance,” Cadance sighed, shaking her head. “But we will continue to humor your request. When it is your turn to call a witness, who will you be calling?”

“Intelligencer Ocelli!” Chrysalis declared proudfully. Then she faltered, “No, wait. She’s dead. Ah! I know! That Infiltrator who was so close to Phasma. The one who tried to convince us not to invade a second time. What was her name….?”

Coxa sighed, “You mean Cricket?”

“That’s the one!” Chrysalis cheered, banging her stand. “I call up Cricket!”

Cadance looked to me, and then to Coxa. Coxa answered for me, “She’s up in Nisir. It will take some time to retrieve her.”

Cadance nodded once, “Perfect. Send the order once we convene for the day. Cricket can testify before the tribunal when she arrives in Canterlot in a few days. I trust there is no issue with that?” She asked, looking over to me.

I shook my head, still mulling over what Chrysalis was trying to state as fact.

‘If there was no way to get more Infiltrators, then I would still go with the invasion. I’d have to. Everything or nothing, that was the plan. And given how hostile Earth can be, fearing the risks we feared wasn’t just… rampant paranoia, there was a genuine risk of us dying out. Or becoming slaves. Or… who knows.’

“Good,” Cadance said, interrupting my thoughts. “In that case… I believe we should convene for the day. In favor?” The other two judges voiced their agreement, and Cadance continued, “Then we will convene tomorrow to continue the questioning of the current witness, King Phasmatodea.”

Tracing the broken shards of wood of my podium one more time, I sighed inwardly. I expected to be furious by now. Not listless and lost.

'But that still means she’s a cruel, callous monster who ruled with an iron hoof.’

25- Morana

The Hive was abuzz with activity. And yes, I am allowed to use that pun.

The large, mostly empty room I was using as my throne room was almost completely bare and a shadow of the glory that the Fourth Hive's throne room maintained.

But it was mine, and we were always improving it. So I sat behind a desk hastily set up in front of my throne, working away while Luna held the attention of most of the room's occupants. Before me, the heads of the Fifth Hive's alcohol network, Thrips, was telling me of something urgent.

I didn't have time to hold court- far too many things being rushed and put on the backburner for that- but I could talk to a few changelings and run the Hive for a hoofful of hours. The First Fang had really stepped up in the months since moving into the Crystal Caves, but with two of us heavily involved with the trial, the work had quickly started piling up.

“Now that Coxa's little pet project is underway,” Thrips began, “I feel like the Royal Acquisitions Bureau is gonna need a higher budget. After all, if you wanna make money, you're gonna have to spend it first.”

“Costs are rising across the board,” I told him, quickly signing off on Coxa's submitted plans for additional changeling bureaucracy. “Not to mention the fact that we're going to have to spend a fortune on improving the armor of the changelings we're sending to fight the Nightmares. Better armor means less- fewer deaths.”

“Didn't ‘cha already get armor for everyling from Nisir?” Thrips asked.

I nodded, “Yes, but the enchantments have all faded. We need to renew them, and not even the E.U.P.’s personal enchanters are cheap.”

Thr drone scratched his chin, “Just outta curiosity, how big is that bill looking?”

I glanced up from the whittled-down stack of papers, “We're still working that out. If we're sending five hundred drones, then we'll need five hundred sets of changeling armor enchanted. So…. twenty million bits?”

‘All that money and I can pay it with a single signature. Man, being a king is crazy.’

“Is that the official number?” Thrips asked.

“We've still got to figure out who is filling the enchantment order.”

“Five hundred changelings?” Thrips clarified.

I leaned back and across the room over to Luna. The Princess was surrounded by three dozen nymphs, and was raging to them the tale of the Grand Galloping Gala, and the subsequent defeat of Daybreaker and Discord.

“The ponies will be making up the majority of the military present. Two hundred thousand mares and stallions will be digging in around Nisir. Considering the entire population of our species is a tenth of that… we will only be sending a nominal force.”

Thrips bristled, “Now, I might be a businessling, but even I would love a chance to kick the asses of the bastards responsible for making our entire king so miserable! You ask any ling, King Phasma, and they'll beg to fight back! We should be sending the entire body of the main fighting Legions!”

I chuckled and shook my head, “This is something I'm talking about with the First Fang and Captain Katydid. If you want to volunteer, you can get in line when we start drawing lots. Should I expect to see you up on the front lines yourself, Thrips?”

Thrips glanced around nervously, “As much as I would love to, there is the fact to consider that I can best help the Fifth Hive as a support role…”

“Thought not,” I said quietly. “Leave this to us, Thrips. We've got to balance the needs of the Hive with the needs of Equus.”

That seemed to mollify him, “As you say, My King. Two hundred thousand ponies… all soldiers, no less.”

“The budget, Thrips?”

“Oh! Yes. The market is soon opening up, My King. The pony Parliament is due in three weeks to review the ban on alcohol. Our monopoly will come to an end. I suggest we pour as many bits as possible into expanding our operations and grow as much as possible while this feast of love is on the table. The demand is there, My King, we just need the supply!”

I laid my quill down and regarded the drone, “And just how much are you asking for?”

“As much as we can spare, Your Majesty.”

“Your budget is already fifty million bits a year and growing with every month, Thrips. How much more can you even spend?”

He steeples his hooves, “Every bit we can get our hooves on. I've worked ahead, King Phasma. I've been working with Thalamus, and we're assembling a plan to expand every part of our alcohol network. Suppliers, transportation, storage, and sales. We think we can get a speakeasy up and running in every city from Vanhoover to Trample Bay before the legislation goes into effect. And beyond that, we can line up deals with stores to have our products on the shelves the day the ban ends. No pony can negotiate these deals ahead of time. Just us. So, My King. Every bit we can get, we'll quadruple that in five months' time! In a year, forty times! The stronger of a hold we establish, the wider the margins.”

‘That's…. A massive return on investment. The changelings would no longer be just the runners of speakeasies, we would be the number one supplier of alcohol in Equestria. And that's just the alcohol part of our business side. Once we hit the ceiling on that, we can use the profits to pivot into funding the Diamond's technologies.’

I looked back at Luna. Her happiness was almost literally warming up the nymphs and drones gathered around her. I found myself smiling widely as she spoke of the terror of Discord's destruction, gesturing wildly over the heads of the nymphs.

‘Each and every one of these nymphs could get an education. A real one. They could get healthcare, housing, food, safety, and opportunities only afforded to the rich. The changelings could get a future brighter than we ever could as conquerors. Bits make the world go ‘round, and we could have so many that we won't know what to do with them. I guess I can go full Scrooge McDuck and get a pool of gold to dive into– and break my neck! What a way to go…’

I turned back to Thrips, still thinking it over.

‘So what's the catch? It has to be time. We'd be investing all of our resources into growing our economic strength at the cost of our military. Profits a year from now won't matter if Sombra attacks seven months from now. There's no way I could risk everything for greed.’

‘Where are we on our timeline? The Nightmares can attack any time between four to twenty-two months from now. This is gonna require some help.’

“Get your plan together by nine in the morning tomorrow, Thrips,” I said, “Present it to Coxa and get his approval. Then run your plan by me.”

Thrips bowed quickly, “Yes, My King! But I'll need an estimate of how many bits we will receive for our plan. How much can we spare, My King?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to secure a loan, and I can’t be sure they’ll give us what I ask for... If Coxa and I approve your plan, you will have two months to spend five hundred million bits.”

The drones blinked. Then blinked again.

“Five hundred million, Your Majesty?” He said slowly.

I sighed, “I'll have to put the expansion of many projects on hold for a bit, and most importantly I'll have to secure the loan from the Royal Bursary. So get to work, Thrips. The door on that closes tomorrow.”

He scrambled for the door, “You got it, boss! I'll get something worthy of your attention by tomorrow!”

I watched him leave. Then I resolved to go over to Luna, leaving my work unfinished on my temporary desk.

‘I'll need to also speak with Lace. If we're expanding that much that soon, Division-P will swarm like hornets at the opportunity of infiltrating our networks. Every speakeasy will be a target. Every caravan a risk. Every employee put in danger. It will be war with Division-P all over again.’

‘... But it’s better to draw those bastards out from the holes they cower in before the real storm gets here than to let them join forces.’

I weaved my way through the seated changeling nymphs to Luna. Seeing me coming, the closest to Luna scooted aside. As I sat down, Luna immediately wrapped a hoof around my shoulders and pulled me against her as she continued her story. This close to her, her mirth was like a furnace. Feeling and seeing her happy made me happy in turn.

“The Elements stood side by side against Daybreaker!” Luna exclaimed. “The ponies stood against their Princess that they had looked up to their entire lives! Enough was enough, action demanded to be taken against the evil that infected her! Enraged, Daybreaker let out a roar, her fiery mane doubled in size, and she stamped a hoof down on the floor. Stone cracked as she declared that she would burn us to ash if we would not stand with her! She gathered a mighty spell of fire, coiling it around her like a whipping lash, and whipped out to kill our heroes!

“But her fell lash was met by a mighty bulwark, as I stood between her and the Elements of Harmony! ‘No more,’ I cried out! ‘No more shall your hatred burn the kingdom we built together! Celestia, I will not rest until you are saved!’

“Again and again, her fiery rage broke upon my shield. The world turned over itself as Discord's madness made itself known, and everypony fell to the ceiling. The bearers scrambled to their hooves and channeled their power into the ancient Elements as Daybreaker and I exchanged blows. The walls shook, the ground cracked, and the skies split as I stood my ground! Every blow intended to end us was met with a counter-blow against her! Even as my attacks were blown to pieces and my shields crumbled, Daybreaker was doomed to fail; for I had stalled her long enough for the Elements to end the Nightmare.”

I grinned wide as I looked out over the small sea of black chitin and blue eyes. The little nymphs were utterly enraptured by Luna’s story, and their enthusiasm was infectious. That was, until, unbidden thoughts suddenly found themselves at the forefront of my mind. I had realized how easily I could kill these little children: a single flex of a muscle, a single thought.

The smile slipped from my face as I forced myself to think about anything else. I had been experiencing such thoughts with increasing frequency- though those were memories more than anything else. Nowadays, when I pick up my hammer for practice, I am forced to think about all those I killed. I didn’t regret what I’ve done… for the most part. The drones I carved through at the Canterlot Massacre, when I cut through the loyalist forces to reach the Palace like Sauron cut down men and elves… They didn’t deserve their deaths. Their last moments stuck with me, stuck like barnacles on the underside of a ship.

Rather than letting this train of thought slip away, I resolved to speak to Luna about it later.

Meanwhile, the gorgeous Princess had been continuing her tale, “By the powers of Magic, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter, and Honesty, the burning rage that cursed Celestia was cleansed. Struck one by one by their beams of magic till Daybreaker was caught like a fly in a web, the Nightmare was scoured from this world, now and forever. Her cries of rage were drowned out by the sound of the sheer volume of magical power coursing through the air into her. In a bright flash of white light, Daybreaker was scoured from reality. Never to rise again, never to threaten the world and its inhabitants, the Elements ended her like they ended Nightmare Moon. Though there would always be more threats on the horizon, dangers of other Nightmares taking Daybreaker’s place, as well as the regular failings of mortals. More to the point: Discord was still free and wreaking havoc across Canterlot. With no time to rest, the Elements set off to find and once again seal away his maddening, terrible power…”

Luna slowly looked across the gathered crowd of lings. With a mischievous smile, she spoke her next words quietly.

“But that is a tale for another time.”

The crowd’s reaction was immediate and unanimous.

“Aw, come on!”

“No!”

“What happens next?!”

“Awww!”

“Does anyone die?!”

Luna raised a hoof, “Be calm, little nymphs! I promise I shall regale the end of this tale to you all, next time I have the chance. But I have duties to attend, and so do you all. I am certain the hour of your curfew draws near, hmm?”

One of the clutch leaders chuckled and spoke up, “Yes, Your Highness. The little ones should be heading to bed. I am sure they are all very thankful for the chance to listen to your story, Princess.”

The nymphs nodded– and a few bounced in place.

“Thank you, Princess!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Thank you, My Queen!”

Luna chuckled, “Then sleep well, little ones. Sweet dreams.”

The clutch leader bowed as he started to gesture and push the nymphs towards the throne room’s door, “Thank you again, Your Highness. This was truly an honor. And good evening to you too, My King.”

“G’night,” I responded with a short wave.

The nymphs swarmed towards the exit, excitedly chatting with each other– and more than a few reenacting the fight with a few tussles, tackles, and mimicking the sounds of spellfire. Luna breathed deeply, turning slowly to give me a kiss.

“And good evening to you too, Phasma. Finished with your duties for the night?”

I grunted wearily, “Far from it. I’ve got two meetings to get to before the sun rises.”

She nuzzled the underside of my muzzle, forcing me to smile. “Oh? The daylight has run out, my paramour. I know you are a night owl, but the trial starts early tomorrow. You still must carry out your daily training and magical studies. Whatever tasks you have will have to wait.”

“Mmmm. Unfortunately, there are still hours of the night which I can squeeze out productivity. I need to send the summons to Cricket up in Nisir, and I’ve been meaning to talk with Lacewing. So I’m gonna meet up with each in the dreamscape briefly.”

Luna grimaced, “I would be a hypocrite if I said using the Dreamscape for business is…. Highly distasteful. But I use it to safeguard ponies and their dreams. I do not conduct royal business using it.”

I sighed, “I know, and I’m not going to do it often. Goddess knows I get few enough hours for myself as it is, but this is important. Besides, my talk with Lace will mostly be pleasure, not business.”

Luna relaxed a little, “Very well, then. You know, it has been some time since we have had a night to ourselves. Perhaps tomorrow night you and I should relax together in the dreamscape?”

I gave her a kiss on the cheek, “Actually, I was thinking that once I’m done with my, uh… testimony, we can take a short vacation. A week or so. Maybe even visit Nisir and see what they’ve been up to?”

Luna grimaced again, “Our time is in very high demand, Phasma.”

I slumped, “I know. It’s just… It’s just that this is all… a lot. The trial makes me feel like I’ve just stepped out of the ocean, feeling the waves still pulling me this way and that way. The constant practice both physically and mentally with my training and Celestia’s tutorship leaves me feeling tired constantly. Then there’s the… you know, assassination attempt. I… I understand how ponies feel, now. Sometimes I just look around and wonder who might be a spy trying to kill me. It’s… exhausting.”

My marefriend hugged me tighter, “It is a lot to take in at once. This was the life my sister and I had while we were uniting the tribes. It is not easy, it is exhausting, and the scars will remain forever. It is hard, Phasma, but I am here for you. We all are. We must share our burdens with each other, lest one of us stumbled and be dragged down… again.”

I nodded, “Luna? Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course.”

“... In the space between moments, when your mind wanders, random memories come to mind. Most people will often be reminded of embarrassing moments, regrets, or whatever else their mind randomly shunts to the forefront of itself. None of those come to mind anymore. I haven’t thought of an embarrassing moment in… well, ever since I arrived to this world.”

“What do you think of instead?” Luna asked, tilting her head.

I looked down at my hooves.

One moment, I was sitting next to her, our broken reflections looking up at us from the polished crystal floor. The next, I was swinging God-Splitter. Blood splattered across my armor and face. Bone cracked and crunched as I murdered with ease. Death rattles rasped from broken, dying changelings. It was one thing to see a picture of someone whose skull had been crushed. It was another to crush it yourself, see the blood and brains ooze from it, and listen as the person slowly died.

“War.”

“That’s… normal,” Luna said quietly. “Have you spoken to your therapist about this, Phasma? She can help start the healing process.”

I drew in closer to myself, “I don’t trust her.”

She frowned, “Dr. Sweet Dream has been vetted–”

“I don’t trust her,” I stressed. “Someone told Division-P about my past. She’s the most likely candidate.”

“You will have to,” Luna sighed. “I’m sorry, Phasma. I wish I could say more. I wish I could take the pain away. I wish I could fix all that’s broken around me. But I can’t. I’m as mortal and fallible as you are, and I am no therapist. Celestia trusts this doctor. I trust her, too. We are certain that she is not the source of this leak, if the circumstances of that ambush was, in fact, not merely coincidence. You have given her a chance already. Has she disappointed you?”

I didn’t reply. Silence dragged on for a full minute as I stared at my warped reflection, till I stared past it at the scenes of mayhem that played out earlier in my mind. Shaking myself free from Luna’s grip, I stood and rubbed my head, forcing the images out of my mind once more.

“It’s getting late, Luna. I’m going to bed. Will you be joining me?”

“Wherever you go, I go,” she replied, slowly standing. “But do not think this conversation is over.”

“Yes, and isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black,” I snapped. “We’d have a better job of using our time more effectively if we weren’t glued together.”

“You still bear the scar on your foreleg of what happened last time I let you out of my sight,” she snapped back. “Do not think that I intend on rushing back to my previous follies. I can protect you best when you remain at my side.”

The happiness from Luna had been bled away. Frustration and anger replaced the warm joy that I felt minutes ago from her. I had ruined the moment she gained from opening her heart to the nymphs and sharing her story.

“... Sorry,” I mumbled. “I just… let’s just go.”

A snowstorm raged outside as the room was lit and kept warm by a flickering fire. It's orange and red glow cast across the refurbished chamber, giving everything a similar hue.

Huddled up near the fireplace, a changeling drone was cursing under her breath. I watched as she chucked more logs onto the fire, sticking out her hooves to warm them up.

I stepped out of the shadows behind her. The soft scrape of my hooves on the stone floor caused one of her ears to flick towards me. She turned fully, looking at me. Her pupils widened as she turned away from the fire and looked towards the dark.

“... My King?”

“Cricket.”

She rose to her hooves and bowed. I squinted as the fire was no longer obstructed, and stepped closer. The room was bitterly cold despite the fire's presence, and even just a few paces closer made a world of a difference.

“I didn't think I would…” Cricket trailed off. “I didn't expect to see you so soon, King Phasma.” She rose, looking up at me, “This is my dream, isn't it?”

I nodded, “It does not seem like a pleasant one.”

Cricket grimaced and glanced at the fire, “By all means, warm yourself at the fireside, My King.”

I stayed where I was, between her and the darkness.

“You are being summoned. You will testify in Canterlot at Chrysalis’s trial. Tomorrow, you will begin the journey south, and will attend the trial for however long is required. All other duties can wait.”

Her eyes drifted away from me, to the ground by my side. She lifted a hoof, as if wanting to step closer.

“King Phasma. I… I am sorry for not telling you.”

I remained silent.

She looked back at me, “Please, you have to understand. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, looking down my nose at her. “I invited you into the Fifth Hive. I made you a member of my inner circle. I gave you a duty and purpose that was integral to the survival of everyling around you– with benefits matching that. In return, your every word was a lie to me.”

“I couldn’t say anything!” She stomped her hoof. “I couldn’t! I couldn’t!”

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”

“Couldn’t!” She insisted.

“.... Explain.”

Cricket slumped, rear dropping to the floor, “I… Infiltrators can’t break our vows, King Phasma, in the same way you can’t really stop breathing. Theoretically, you can, but realistically… We are all sworn to silence. No, we are made to be silent. In the same way we are built to be the perfect tool for the Hive Eternal, any ability to dissent is removed.”

‘There’s something more to Infiltrators, isn’t there? Chrysalis was oh-so-subtly hinting that there was some sort of limiting factor on their creation, aside from the obvious. So what is it? The way Cricket is describing it, it’s like they are psycho-conditioned, like the gene-warriors of Warhammer. Hmph, why bother speculating when I can just ask?’

“Cricket, how are Infiltrators made?”

The smaller drone hugged herself, fearfully glancing at the window. Outside, the snowstorm raged on, heedless of our conversation.

“They aren’t. Not anymore. Not after the rebellion. The Fifth Hive can’t make any new Infiltrators.”

“What are you talking about?”

“My King… it's the Weaves. I don’t know how, but Chrysalis used her own Weave and the Weaves of the captive royals to imprint memories, skills, and directives onto us. In addition to all the learning in the classroom, in the field, and in tutorship, we were ingrained with the skills needed to be a perfect spy using the gestalt memories held by the Fourth Hive’s Weave. That was its main purpose, beyond all others. It could only make a few a year– the process took time and was dangerous.”

“So it is psycho-conditioning,” I muttered.

Cricket blinked in surprise, “My King? You… know about what I’m talking about?”

I nodded slowly, “I’ve read about it. In fiction, that is. So… my brothers and sisters– and I suppose aunts and uncles– were turned into prisoners in their own mind so that they could be used to fabricate the perfect spies? Is that right?”

“Yes, My King.”

“And rules were imprinted onto each of you, preventing rebellion?”

“Yes, My King.”

“Then how did you side with me? You lied to me, but you didn’t… actively sabotage me. Why? How?”

Cricket pointed to me, “Your Weave, My King. We are bound to the will of the Pontiff. Spending so much time away from Chrysalis’s Weave and being around yours weakened its hold on me– on all of us Infiltrators in the Fifth Hive. That’s how Infiltrators are… inherited. It’s not like our souls can read and adhere to legitimacy and inheritance, it has to be… simpler and more biological than that. Even now, in the Dreamscape, I feel your Weave. I feel the pull to obey every order of yours. I haven’t felt it since I left for Nisir.”

“Is that why you acted so dedicated to me? Because you were nothing more than a slave to what I am?”

“No!” Cricket shouted in surprise. “No! My King, you… I’ve already told you the truth. You fight for drones. You’d die for us. Compared to Chrysalis, you are a Saint!”

I scoffed, “That’s a poor comparison.”

“It’s all we have,” she said. “You were all we had. Not a Prince, but a promise. A promise of a future where changelings no longer starve, no longer hide in the dark, no longer worry about extinction, no longer have to die in duty to the Hive Eternal. Not because we stopped serving the Hive, but because our lot would be improved by so much that nothing would threaten us. You were a promise to end the cruelty of Chrysalis’s reign. She was our Queen, and we all were bound to her, but… You can witness only so many executions before you wish for the same pain to be visited upon your ruler. She was wasteful. Cruel. Unfit. We could never rise against her, but we could help you in what ways we could.”

“So if the hold was weakened, why didn’t you tell me the truth?!” I demanded.

“Because I was scared!” She yelled. She sniffled and breathed hard, “... I… All my life, I have been bound to Chrysalis’s will. Supporting the Fifth Hive instead of returning to the Fourth was… new. Unknown. Terrifying. I shouldn’t have been able to stay, but I could. I shouldn’t have been able to ignore the Fourth Hive’s situation, but I could. I didn’t know what I could or couldn’t do anymore. All I could do was take one more step, one more step further away from Chrysalis. I… can still hear her voice. I can still hear the will of the Fourth Hive in my own voice in my head. That’s what it’s like, you know, to have those rules pressed into your soul like a hoof into clay. You hear your own voice telling you that you can’t do something, or you must do something else. After a month of this, you no longer are able to tell which thoughts are yours and which aren’t. I’ve been an Infiltrator for over a decade, My King.”

‘There is still so much I don’t know. I… My Weave… What is it capable of? What does it do to the changelings around me? What is it doing to me? Is it even doing anything to me? Infiltrators… we need them. Even if we are allies with Equestria in perpetuity, having access to the best spies in existence is an asset that cannot be ignored. But there has to be a way to get them without brainwashing people. I… need more information.’

Finally, I stepped closer to Cricket. Entering the firelight, the orange flow flickered across my chitin as I stood before the crying drone. Sighing, I extended a hoof and gently lifted her head so that she was looking up at me.

“Return to the Fifth Hive. Testify against Chrysalis. Then, you will tell me everything you know about Infiltrators. I want to know the specifics, and if the process can be recreated. I want answers, Cricket. I want the truth.”

“Y-yes, My King!”

“Are you obeying my orders because of what I am, or because of who I am?”

“Because of who you are,” she insisted, “My King.”

“How can you know that? You just said you can’t tell which thoughts are yours or not.”

Cricket hesitated, “... Because unlike Chrysalis, you give me hope, not just a sense of duty.”

After thinking about this, I turned away, towards the darkness, “I want the truth about Infiltrators, Cricket. We will talk further after the trial.”

Before I left, I noted that the howling wind outside had subsided, and the warmth of the fire had finally filled the room.

26- Cocoonase

“King Phasma, what happened when you confronted Chrysalis the first time?”

“There’s quite a bit of leadup to that,” I said derisively.

Vigilance nodded, “Of course. Would you mind starting where appropriate?”

I sat back in my chair, scratching my chin, “... Canterlot was ours. We had taken down– I had taken down Luna and Cadance. Chrysalis was fighting Celestia still, but that was more or less a bygone conclusion. Even if Celestia won, she would have to deal with me and every other changelings in the city first. So, with victory all but secured, I gave the order to begin the coup against Chrysalis. My forces gathered together in the front foyer of the castle for the push against Chrysalis, while I went to find Chamberlain Eucharis. The second in command of the Hive– outside of myself, of course– could not be allowed to roam free while we were fighting. I wanted all of Chrysalis’s higher echelon pinned in place before I felt I could safely take her on. Didn’t want any reinforcements helping her out, you see.”

“We’ve heard mention of this before,” Cadance interrupted. “This is where your forces were ambushed, correct?”

Cadance knew all of this, but as with many questions before, this was for the posterity of those watching the court proceedings.

“Yeah,” Coxa said quietly. He quickly shook his head, “Tell them, Phasma.”

I stared at the wall behind the three judges, “It was a bloodbath. Chrysalis’s personal guards weren’t taking prisoners, so neither could we. I wasn’t there when it started, but I was there long enough to never forget how quickly someone can die. That was my first taste of… of war. Real war.”

“So Chrysalis learned of your coup and struck first?” Vigilance asked, leaning forward in her chair.

“Yes. And… no,” I sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s…” I started, then stopped. “She did strike first, but so did I. I can’t lie about that, only that our actions were magnitudes apart. She ordered a massacre at the same time I committed a single act of murder.”

“How did your duel with Chamberlain Eucharis go?” Vigilance asked.

“It wasn’t a duel. I found him in Celestia’s personal office, going through her books. I was alone with him. I… tried to talk to him. I tried to convince him that the revolution needed to happen. I tried to convince him that Chrysalis had to go.”

“But he did not listen?”

I shook my head slowly, “I… You have to understand where I was at the time. This was a hoofful of months after discovering what happened to my siblings. I was certain that I was going to be next. When Eucharis started to walk away from me– when he said he was going to Chrysalis directly and tell her everything I was going to do… I panicked. I didn’t think about what I could do to resolve the situation in the best way, no, all I thought about was how Eucharis was going to get me lobotomized. So I murdered him. I cut him down.”

“Then what happened?”

I stared at Vigilance, caught off guard by her immediate transition and lack of reaction.

‘Perhaps Trotsylvania’s history is painted with much more violence than Equestria’s…’

“... Right before I killed him, he had briefly explained why he was going to Chrysalis. It wasn’t out of blind loyalty, a promise of a reward, or fear for his own life. He was going to tell her everything because of me. He wanted to save me. Apparently he had worked out a deal with Chrysalis; he would report everything I did to her, and in return she wouldn’t… kill me.”

Coxa asked the next question, “Do you think she would honor that deal?”

I twisted in my seat to stare at Chrysalis. She was holding her usual plain expression, doing nothing more than watching me.

“Not at the time. Of course I wouldn’t have. But… I think so now.”

“Was this kind of deal common?” Cadance asked.

I frowned, turning back to the judges, “No. It was only Eucharis who could have made such a deal. Noling else mattered. Not to Chrysalis. Eucharis had more than just his position, he had her ear and her heart.”

“Her heart?” Cadance echoed.

“Chamberlain Eucharis was Chrysalis’s lover. He was… my father. He revealed this to me in his final seconds as he bled out in my hooves.”

Though I spoke my words calmly, internally I was a mess. Eucharis’s death was the first person I ever killed– and not only that, it was the one kill I regretted the most. It would have been so easy to just stun him. A single zap and he’d be down for the count, easy to rope up and put in a corner to deal with later. He was never really cruel to me– callous at times, obviously, but never cruel. He was trying to save my life in his own twisted way.

Cadance banging her hoof on her armrest snagged my attention in the same way it put an end to the wave of whispering and gossiping from the pony peanut gallery. From my spot on the witness stand, I was subjected to the crowd’s flurry of emotions, and few of them were pleasant to experience. They were not taking my overall story well.

As if I needed to be a mind-reader to figure that out.

‘But the question is, are they going to be made at me? At changelings? Or just Chrysalis?’

Cadance, Coxa, and Vigilance were staying at me expectantly.

“... I’m sorry?” I grunted.

“What happened next?” Cadance repeated.

I shook my head slowly, “Uh. Right. After that, I went and took out Captain Scorpion, the leader of the Praetorians. With the head bodyguard out of the way, I felt that I had a good chance of taking Chrysalis down. That was when I found out what Chrysalis had ordered and what her Praetorians had carried out.”

‘But in the end, it was always going to be a leap of faith. I just had no idea how far I would fall short.’

“Which was?” Coxa prompted, as if he wasn’t there that day.

“War,” I answered, looking past him.

What came next was not easy. Cadance, Coxa, and Vigilance had me describe the horrors of the ambush at the foyer. They had me describe the death, the chaos, the uncertainty, the fear. I had to describe my loyal soldiers being cut down by my side. I had to describe my wings being torn to shreds.

I had to describe ordering Oestridae and the other Will Of The Nine legionaries to die for me.

By that point, I had stopped paying attention to the pony peanut gallery, to Chrysalis, and even to the judges themselves. They asked questions, I gave them answers. I went over the fight with Chrysalis– how absolutely one sided and brutal it was. After giving them the rundown of my sorry state when I got away, they had me flash forward and describe what happened during the second invasion of Canterlot. Those questions were almost easy to answer. The Canterlot Massacre, the battle where I cut through my own drones like a scythe, was the one caveat. But I had been talking for hours by then, and falling into a routine was simple enough.

Each death I described just made the minutes tick by even faster.

There were plenty of other testimonies for the second invasion as a whole, though, and so the line of questioning directed towards me was more so for the final confrontation with Chrysalis. It was awkward to try to convey the fact that Panarthropo, the Great Weaver, spared Chrysalis through divine intervention. Something like that shouldn’t have been admissible in court, yet the ponies seemed to accept it with minimal questions.

‘I’m so very far from Kansas right now.’

I don’t remember being dismissed from the witness stand– and I most certainly don’t remember Chrysalis asking me any more questions– but it must have happened shortly after all that, as I was sitting back in the throne between Luna and Thorax.

I found it almost amusing how the part of my testimony that likely mattered most was pretty much blanked from my mind. However, instead of finding it humorous, I just kept thinking about Eucharis, Oest, and everyling else who died.

Then it was over for the day. My part was over, the trial was adjourned for the evening, and everyone was filing out of the throne room. Luna led me out by the hoof– which was exactly when I realized I had been holding her hoof ever since I sat back down after my testimony– and we retired to what was quickly becoming our usual sitting room. After a minute, Celestia and, to my surprise, Cadance joined us. Normally, she and the other two judges would keep their distance from us while all the trial was going on. Finally, Shining Armor showed up, trailing behind his paramour with a small smile across his face.

Celestia daintily sat down on a couch by the warm fireplace before us, while Cadance opted to stand in front of me, stealing away the heat of the fire from my chitin. Shining stood to the side, careful not to crowd me– an act I spotted right away.

“Phasma,” she greeted me, “you did well today. We’re all proud, and thankful for everything you’ve done to get our kingdoms to this point today. You did well.” When she got nothing in return but a stare from me, Cadance continued, “It is unusual that Chrysalis declined to cross examine you again, so you should expect to be called up to the stand at least once more. But the hard part is behind you, Phasma.”

“I just spoke some words, nothing more,” I said quietly. “It’s not like I fought her again.”

“It’s more than that.” Cadance pointed towards me, “You’ve been through a lot in the past year . We all have, but your path has had the most twists. I feel like it’s important to remind you that this is how justice is supposed to be dished out, not like how Double Dealings or Tarsus was dealt with.” Before I could so much as raise my metaphorical hackles, Cadance raised a hoof, “Now, I’m not chastising you, just saying you’re doing good. I’m still in charge of your ‘reformation,’ remember? This was a huge day for dealing with Chrysalis in a modern, ethical way.”

“Hardly modern,” Celestia mumbled. “I could fill a book with all the legal inconsistencies that I’ve seen with this trial.”

“Then start writing,” Luna rolled her eyes. “Twas a fine trial. These minor incursions against bureaucracy are well welcomed!”

“It’s still going on,” Cadance reminded them. “We’ve got… a lot more evidence and testimonies to go through.”

Shining stepped closer, “At any rate, congratulations on standing up to your mother, Phasma. Outside of the battlefield, that is. I think it's safe to say that barring any future issues with the tyrant, her reign is officially at an end. You've finished what you started a year ago. How do you feel?”

I glanced at Luna. She was sitting by my side, still holding my hoof. More than that, my favorite pony had rested her chin on my shoulder, leaning into me.

“Tired,” I answered honestly. “Doesn't feel like victory at all. I'm just… tired.”

Shining winced, and the emotions I sensed from him indicated that he was struggling with guilt. “I think we all are. Look, Phasma, I… about Lantern Night. I'm sorry for what happened. As the pony in charge of security, that failure is on me. It'll never happen again- Katydid and I are making sure of that.”

“Thank you, Shining,” I replied quietly. “I'm sure you and Katydid will work well together.”

Though he nodded and started walking away, I could tell Shining was feeling the exact same emotions he was feeling before my acceptance of his apology. I knew I should care. I should say something to him, that I should tell him he couldn't have stopped the ambush, tell him he's done an outstanding job, and tell him that I trusted him with my life. I almost let the moment slip away, but Luna's hoof suddenly squeezed mine. I found the strength to fight against the tide of apathy that felt like it was washing me away.

“... Shining,” I force out, causing the stallion to turn back to me. “There is no pony I trust more with the duty of our safety than you. Thank you for watching out for all of us.”

Shining grimaced, “Nopony you trust more than me? What about your Captains, Phamsa?”

“No pony, not nopony,” I stressed the difference.

“Ah,” Shining grunts, chuckling once. “Right. I won't let you down.”

“You don't trust me the most?” Luna asked, curiosity piqued.

Now it was my turn to chuckle. I press my muzzle against Luna's, nuzzling her.

“No. If you had your way, you'd be carrying me around in an oversized harness on your chest, or something else equally embarrassing.”

Luna chuckled, bumping her shoulder against mine. Then she paused, as if remembering something. Her expression turned neutral as she faced Cadance.

“May I have a word with you in private, niece?”

“Of course, auntie Luna,” Cadance nodded.

My mobile space heater rose and left the room with Cadance a pace behind her. Rather than letting the silence settle, Celestia stood from her chair and sauntered over to a table on the other side of the room. She grabbed a pair of drinking glasses and a filled glass decanter, bringing them back over to me.

“I have received notice from the Royal Bursary that you were in pursuit of a loan, Phasma?”

“That’s right.”

Celestia smiled, “Then let’s talk business. I hope you don’t mind, of course, there is no way I could delegate such an important task to anypony else. Drink?”

I shrugged, “Whatever floats your boat. Your money, your business. And… sure, I’ll take a drink.”

Celestia split the glasses between us and started filling them, “Sorry for not offering you one, Shining, but you are on duty.”

“As you say, Princess,” Shining nodded.

We raised our glasses and knocked them together, each taking a sip. The strong whisky that I found myself choking down nearly made me cough it all up and drop the glass, but I held on.

“Damn it, Celestia, what kind of proof is this?”

She smiled and rolled her eyes dramatically, “You should know, you sold me the bottle. Now, how much do you want, and for what purpose? And yes, this was already passed on to me, but I want to hear it all from you. Straight from the pony’s mouth.”

“Five hundred million bits, as soon as you can deliver it. I want to expand the Hive’s supply chain and cement it before the market opens up again.”

Shining’s ears flicked upwards and towards me, and the faint taste of surprise followed suit shortly after.

Celestia knocked her glass back and poured herself another, “... That can’t happen. What would ponies say if they learn that the crown is profiting from a ban it put in place? I would be stealing the livelihood of so many ponies.”

“And you don’t consider our deal already ‘stealing’ this livelihood?”

“The difference is that you aren’t the one who started the Prohibition, and you aren’t the one who can end it. Not that I… You get the point.”

I stared into the glass, watching the brown liquid swirl around as I gently shook it, “So that’s it, then? Just a simple no?”

“Well, I never said that,” Celestia chuckled, setting the decanter down.

‘Finally, I was half expecting her to chug the damn thing.’

“Last I checked, Celestia, there isn’t exactly a bank in Equestria with the capital around to transfer that kind of money at the drop of a… bit. Only the crown has access to that kind of funds.”

Celestia raised her glass towards me, “You can have your loan…”

“But?” I prompted.

“But the deal will have to be on my terms,” she announced, finishing her second glass before I was a quarter through my first.

I shook my head, “It’s a lot, but if you’re planning on gouging us on interest–”

“Not the loan itself,” Celestia interrupted. “I don’t actually care about making money, Phasma. My goals and aspirations are far more… meaningful.”

“What’s your ask?” I said, taking a sip and managing to not embarrass myself this time.

Celestia poured herself a third fill, “The Diamonds’ labs that you sponsor. I want exclusivity for their products, and more. I want no exporting them outside of Equestria, I want research programs with the crown-sponsored schools– and I want changelings involved in these programs, too– and I want guarantees that any inventions your partnership cooks up will be civilian in nature. No weapons, Phasma. None.”

I snorted and gently set my glass down on a nearby table, “... That’s a lot to ask for.”

“For five hundred million bits?” She asked incredulously.

“The devil’s in the details, and you’re being quite vague with the term ‘programs,’” I said, steepling my hooves. “For all I know, these programs will have costs adding up to far more than five hundred million bits.”

“In time,” Celestia shrugged. “In decades, perhaps. But you will have made your money back by then, and the fruits of our shared labor will be more than enough to meet the costs. I want research grants, joint teams, internships available to universities across the Principality, and the gap between our kingdoms’ pools of knowledge to be officially bridged. We will start with combining our efforts into exploring this new avenue of science you are opening up.”

I realized what she was getting at, “Wait, you want to use the Diamonds’ lab to get all of Equestria in on mechanical and electrical engineering?”

“Yes!” Celestia said, her smile widening.

“... How long have you been hoping to get something like this going?”

Celestia giggled, “Since you announced your support of a research laboratory. I have been a teacher for a very long time, Phasma. I know a promising candidate when I see one, and the knowledge and wisdom that comes with your influence with the Diamonds could propel Equestria forwards decades ahead of its time!”

“I suppose that was always the plan for me. So… essentially, you are saying that the Diamonds will get a government contract with Equestria, only it’s the Diamonds footing the bill?”

“And their inventions cannot leave Equestria,” Celestia repeated. “And no weapons.”

“Oh noooo,” I fake-whined, “I won’t be able to export to… Griffonia! Is there even a viable market for high quality mechanical or magical goods there?”

“More than you’d think. The griffons are nothing if not quick on the up-take.”

“... How long will the Diamond lab– or, let’s be frank, the changelings– foot the bill for these cooperative research programs?”

Celestia glanced up at the ceiling, “Good question. It will take some time to get rolling, so let’s say… fifty years.”

“If I could whistle, I would,” I chuckled. “Fifty years… to effectively pay off five hundred million bits. Yeah, we can do that. It’s not my call to make, though. This is ultimately the Diamonds’ decision.”

She leveled a stare at me, “Do you believe they would refuse?”

“... Not if it’s the Hive footing the bill in the end,” I acknowledged. “I can’t think of a reason why they would say no.”

“I would be happy to make a presentation to them directly, if that would help,” Celestia offered.

“I’ll speak to them immediately,” I waved her off. “The sooner we get those bits, the more return on investment we can get. Okay… jumpstart Equestria’s industrial revolution– only this time, I get complete control over it, and will have the knowledge of its consequences and how to best mitigate them…”

Celestia just nodded, smiled, and took another sip of her whisky.

“... I want Trotsylvania to be excluded from the no-export ban.”

Celestia pointed to me and exclaimed, “Brilliant idea! All three members of the Canterlot Confederacy, working together! This will bring them closer to both of us, too! Done!”

I sat back in my chair, “... Fifty years. I don’t have a concept of time that long, Celestia. How… do I know that this is a fair deal in that regard?” I asked openly.

She tapped her glass in thought, “Would you like me to lay out my reasoning and planning?”

“Please do.”

“I would be more than happy to foot the bill myself– this opportunity is well worth the cost– but the loan will help your Kingdom grow quite a bit. I will be honest, you will need the extra leg up when it comes to… ingratiating yourself with Equestrians. Outreach programs, charity, job opportunities, investment, sponsorships… it’s going to cost a lot of bits to claw back the good will deficit that was incurred with the two invasions. This will push your metaphorical train along the right tracks to get that done in a single generation. And this is all before considering the benefits of having the technological and magical marvels the Diamonds are producing! A whole new generation of sorcerers and scientists, working together across two species and three different kingdoms! A paradigm shift in the making, if I may be so bold!”

I chuckled– her enthusiasm was infectious, “And it’s worth it to the Fifth Hive?”

“Of course!” Celestia insisted, setting her glass down and scooting closer to me. “Think of it; you will have your opportunity to make your money back quite quickly with this loan. The cost of getting the whole thing moving will scale with time. How many years will it take to expand it to the point where it starts comparing to the loan’s value, Phasma? How much opportunity for profit will you have had by then? How much more will be unlocked by the inventions of our shared program?” I nodded along, in agreement. Celestia continued, “Now, I want to also include the lives that will be changed. Saved, even! Imagine what we could do with the changelings’ healing pods! Or the communication portals you have! Imagine what the changelings could do with pony science– hay, you’re already dipping your hoof into the water with that. Think of the marvels that could be commonplace in just a generation. Now, what about four generations from now? Together, we can be more than the sum of our parts, Phasma!”

“Alright, alright!” I laughed. “I know! Okay, I’ll talk to the Diamonds as soon as possible. If they say yes… I will agree to the deal.”

I stood and stuck out my hoof. Celestia rose to eye level and shook my hoof.

“You won’t regret this, Phasma. That, I swear.”

“... Even if the only thing to come out of this is finding out how to get healing pods to work for ponies, it would be worth the cost alone, bits or no bits” I said. “People are people, no matter what species they are.”

Shining Armor grunted, sharing our happiness, “Glad to hear that you’re not in it just for the bits, Phasma.”

It was at this moment that Luna and Cadance stepped back into the room, looking decidedly more grim than when they left.

“Phasma,” Cadance began, “what’s this I hear about you no longer talking with your therapist?”

“Aaaand like that, the moment’s gone,” I said quietly, my hoof dropping to the floor as quickly as the smile dropped from my face. “I suppose I deserve this for accidentally ruining your moment last night, Luna.”

“Your apology was already accepted for that,” Luna said. “Now explain to the nice mare about your fears, and we will help come up with a solution and advice with you.”

“... I gotta go back to work,” Shining said, making for the exit. “Have fun with your chat!”

There was no such excuse to get me out of this.

‘Lucky bastard.’

27- Kneel

“You’re going to have to speak to a psychiatrist, Phasma. This isn’t up for debate.”

I threw my hooves up, “Who told Division-P which button to press against me, hmm? That wasn’t exactly common knowledge!”

Cadance shook her head, “Nopony knows. It may have been just a coincidence–”

“I have every reason to assume otherwise,” I interrupted.

Cadance walked forward, approaching me slowly. She reached out and placed a hoof on my knee.

“Look, Phasma, Luna has brought me up to date on your fears. If your current pony isn’t working out, I’m sure Celestia and I can find a new one: a pony who is thoroughly vetted and couldn’t have spilled your secrets. How does that sound?”

I crossed my forelegs, “... I guess, sure.”

Her hoof dropped to the floor as a smile raised the corners of her mouth.

“I’m keeping her though,” Celestia said quietly. “You may not trust her, but I do.”

“Next time you are feeling this way,” Cadance redirected the conversation, “please bring your grievances to me. Are you okay with doing that?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure, Cadance, I’ll do that.”

“We’re here for you,” she continued. “I want you to feel comfortable with opening up to me–”

“I get it, I get it!” I waved her off, chuckling. “Sheesh! Get any more mushy on me and I’d mistake you for mashed potatoes.”

“Same goes for you,” Cadance said, elbowing Luna. “If you need to voice any concerns about your therapy, I’m sure I can help iron out the kinks.”

“My therapy is going along very well,” Luna said curtly.

‘Yet you still follow me around like your moon follows Equus.’

Instead of making my snide remark, I reached out and took Luna’s hoof. She smiled at the gesture, offering me a burst of love.

“Indeed,” she continued, “I believe that I am making progress. It is… not easy to talk about what happened– or rather, what did not happen, but it is a comfortable place to vent.”

“What about you, auntie Celestia?” Cadance asked. “Since I am checking up on these two, might as well see how you are doing.”

Celestia smiled, but being an empath I could taste her hatred and grief, “It is going well. Thank you, Cadance.”

“Celestia…” I warned her.

She looked at me, confused. Then, she frowned, shook her head, and took a sip from her drink.

“It is… going. I do not know if I am able to say more.”

Cadance gave Celestia a reassuring hug, “That’s all that we can ask for, auntie. But I’m sure you’ve had this exact conversation many times.”

“I can’t remember,” Celestia shrugged. “It’s been a very, very long time since anything this catastrophic happened.”

“One might say it was a thousand years ago,” Luna said quietly.

As I gave her hoof another squeeze, reminding her of my presence, Celestia put on another smile, “It was longer than–”

“Don’t,” I ordered her.

“What do you want me to say?” Celestia asked, smile vanishing. “That it wasn’t easy? How can I say that compared to what my sister went through?”

“You can start by not comparing wounds,” Cadance said, chin on Celestia’s shoulder. “It does nopony any favors. We all hurt in our own ways, and the depth of other wounds does not make our own vanish.”

Celestia glanced at me, “... It is not easy. I close my eyes, and I see the friends I have lost. I wish I was stronger. I wish I had stopped their deaths from happening. I wish I had stopped the attack on Phasma’s life from happening. I wish I never failed my sister. I have enough wishes to strike each and every star from the sky– but none of them matter. The reality is that I have failed time and time again. But you are right, Cadance. It does me no good to wallow in pain and ignore myself. I… We are all broken ponies. Each of us commands the lives of more souls than we could count, yet we are more hopelessly flawed than any of them.”

“We have each other,” Luna told her sister. “None of us are alone. Not any more, and never again. This time is different, for this time we each have help.”

Celestia smiled, and this time there was no deception.

The Fifth Hive was in a perpetual state of construction.

This was a simple reflection of our new status and rise through Equestrian circles, and was just as thematically present in my throne room. Deep within the Crystal Caves, in our Fifth Hive’s new Hive, the nexus of my empire was being quite literally carved into the stone.

Today, the Fifth Hive received its newest batch of decorations, and my station became even more cemented in. Two dozen banners had arrived, each hoof-tailored, dyed, embroidered, inspected, and approved to my liking. Eight of them hung from the newly-carved rafters of my throne room, draping down a third of the way to the floor, four on each side and equally spaced. There was one more pair outside the doors to my throne room, and the final two hung on either side of the Fifth Hive’s surface entrance in Canterlot’s outer district. The new standards of the Fifth Hive declared ownership of the Crystal Caves for any and all to see, proudly displaying my personal heraldry of a simplistic orange phoenix firebird on a vertically-split field of blue and green.

Adopting the phoenix as my heraldry was a no-brainer, and casting it in my color was equally the correct choice. As for the colors green and blue, it served both as a reminder of the world I left behind– and eventually the new one I found myself on, once ponies and changelings got to see its majesty from orbit– in addition to representing the green magic and blue eyes of the changeling species. It represented them just as much as it represented me.

And now, I sat upon my crystal throne, wearing my green Adamantium crown with its pristine orange jewel, looking out over the fire-lit and enchanted-gem-lit throne room. The Red Right Hoof stood at attention on either side of me, spaced throughout the room and the chambers beyond to safeguard us all.

‘I’ve come a long way from being crowned in a bar in Hooferville.’

There were a lot of Red Right Hoof guards today. The throne room had almost as much security as the Equestrians’ palace did during the trial. While this was certainly going to be noticed by the changelings of today’s topic, it was security I was not going to forgo. The majority of the First Fang and the Fifth Hive’s leadership was present tonight to bear witness to the Infiltrators swearing their loyalty, and above all else, giving a goddess damned explanation for who and what they were.

By my side, Luna sat on an equally-high throne. She was as inseparable as she has ever been since the assassination attempt, albeit this time she had genuine cause to be present. While this was nominally a Fifth Hive business that was about to be conducted, Luna was invited to bear witness and voice her opinion– and that of Equestria’s. The only other pony present, Bray Call, was at my other side, helping me with any and all documents I needed to go over.

Beyond us was the First Fang, that being just Coxa and Lacewing. Thorax was gone, still, and Pharynx’s position was honored by a second empty chair. He was still far from a real member of the First Fang, though.

Finally, lining the back of the throne room was the rest of the Fifth Hive’s leadership. Everyling notable from the Swarm and the Fifth Hive’s leadership positions was present tonight: Captain Katydid, General Labrum, Froghopper, Thalamus, Thrips, representatives from each of the Lodges, a drone representing Thorax–which was a surprise, especially considering I don’t recall ever meeting the drone, and a few other drones from Lacewing’s and Coxa’s cabinets.

The doors to the throne room were pushed open. A small procession of drones filed in three abreast, walking out of march step despite their little formation. At the head of the column was the drone chosen by them to speak for all the drones filing in.

Cricket eyed the banners as she passed them. Undoubtedly, she was drinking in all the new details that had come into being since her exile. While some details had unfortunate connotations, such as the massive amount of security present while I greeted my supposedly-loyal Infiltrators, or the fact that the higher dias of the Fifth Hive consisted of me surrounded by ponies and noling else, I had to let go of the finer details. Business and practicality came first.

Cricket and the Infiltrators came to a stop before us. The drones fanned out behind Cricket, forming a semi-circle behind her. Cricket bowed and the rest followed suit, their noses touching the cold stone floor. In total, something like a hundred Infiltrators were here and bowing. There were at least four hundred more that Lace kept track of.

We couldn’t recall everyone, as we still needed them to safely gather love for the Hive, so this ceremony would have to be repeated a few times.

“Your Majesty,” Cricket greeted. “I am here as requested, as are many of the Infiltrators of the Hive Eternal.”

“Cricket,” I nodded to her, “Rise. All of you, rise. Do you speak with the authority of the Infiltrators?”

She and her ilk rose from their bows, “That is for you to decide, My King.”

“Is it?” I questioned. “Last I checked, noling outside of Chrysalis herself really understands your order. I will ask again, and you will provide some clarity with your answer; do you represent the Infiltrators?”

Cricket hesitated, “... I have been voted in to represent us all. What few could vote, at least. With your permission, I can speak for the rest.”

‘So, our efforts to keep the Infiltrators separated and too busy to coordinate any sort of cohesive action was a success. I’ll have to thank Lace later for organizing that.’

“You know why you are all here,” I said. “The Fifth Hive needs to know that we can trust you. All of you Infiltrators. You have proven yourselves to be the illusive spies that the Hive Eternal has needed to survive, but with the founding of the Fifth, your allegiances must be made crystal clear.”

“We are loyal to the Hive Eternal,” Cricket said, pressing a hoof to her chest. “As Pontiff, you are the leader of the Hive Eternal. We are loyal to you.”

“When the Fourth Hive still existed, who was to say that Chrysalis was the pontiff?” I questioned.

Cricket pawed at the ground, “... Our conditioning prevents us from having a say in that. We just… we follow the royal we have been exposed to the most.”

“So you follow the royal you’ve been around the most, not the Pontiff.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why lie to us?”

“We’re supposed to follow the Pontiff,” Cricket said, ducking her head, “but in reality… it seems that being around you eroded Chrysalis’s hold on us enough for us to have a choice.”

I tapped the arm of my throne in thought, “... That would mean creating offspring as a royal comes with a lot of risks to the stability of the realm.”

“We are always loyal to the Hive Eternal,” she added. “Starting a civil war would destabilize the Hive Eternal, therefore we cannot influence anyling to start an insurrection. In fact, we’re trained to stamp out insurrection. You were unique, as the Fifth Hive was physically separated from the Fourth Hive. If you were still within the old spires, we would have to sit out on the sidelines– or actively fight against you.”

“Explain to the court what you told me. Tell us how Infiltrators are made, Cricket.”

She cleared her throat, “In addition to all the field work, classroom training, and practice we get, Infiltrators are subjected to intensive conditioning from the Weave. The… synthetic Weave of the Fourth Hive was used to instill skills and knowledge that would normally take decades to learn. An Infiltrator absorbed this knowledge in a month, followed by further conditioning at the two week, one month, three months, five months, seven m–”

“I think we get the idea,” I put up a hoof to stop her. “So now that the Fourth’s Weave was… put to rest, there can be no more new Infiltrators?”

Several of the Infiltrators shared worried glances.

“... The skills are within your Weave, all is not lost,” Cricket said slowly. “The process of accessing those skills and core memories is… slower. Much slower. But it is possible.”

I rubbed my eyes, “And I suppose no one here has any idea how to do that?”

Coxa chuckled, “I’m certain that only Chrysalis knows how to do that.”

An idea occurred to me, “Coxa, arrange to have the Vault’s contents moved over here to the Crystal Caves. Set it up as a library, save for the rare and precious volumes. We’ll have to set up a system for keeping close track of those.”

“It’s all rare and precious tomes,” Lacewing said. “It’s not like Chrysalis kept a library of mass-printed books, it’s almost all one-of-a-kind volumes written by her or changeling aides.”

“Then start copying them,” I ordered them. “This is all besides the point. We know next to nothing about making Infiltrators. We’ll have to get that information from Chrysalis… Cricket, from what you’ve explained, your loyalties should be split. How can I know that all of you are willing to swear fealty to me? To the Fifth?”

“The Fourth is no more,” she shrugged. “It’s rather simple. The Great Weaver intervened directly. Your victory was ordained by the Nine Halls, noling will ever side against you. Not unless you start doing a lot of stupid things really quickly, and even then I think changelings would only lock you up.”

“Mother Dearest had plenty of hardcore supporters,” I countered.

“Had. Past tense. They are… neutralists, if anything. Certainly not waving flags with your face around, but you won’t experience any open rebellion from anyling.”

Coxa leaned towards the gathered Infiltrators, “Which just leaves you lot. Noling outside your order truly understands how you think.”

“... Or within our order,” Cricket said quietly. “I’m sorry, I cannot offer more. We could choose, and we have chosen you, King Phasma. Your path leads the Hive Eternal to the greatest future. This is a fact, not an opinion.”

“Hard to take a perfidious liar at her word,” Lace countered. “We had an Infiltrator on the First Fang. Look how that turned out. A bloody civil war and our friend Oestridae dead.”

Several members of the Order of Oestridae solemnly touched the metal clasp holding their cyan cloaks around their forms.

“Indeed,” Cricket nodded. “And as I have told you all in the past, I am deeply sorry for your loss. We have all lost friends. The welp made his choice, he sided with the old guard. The brands in his mind were still raw and he lacked the wisdom that comes with age and experience.”

“New Infiltrators are fiercely loyal, then?” I asked.

Cricket nodded again, “Loyalty is the first thing that is instilled.”

“This practice smells of fowl sorceries,” Luna remarked. “It would be wise to discontinue that aspect.”

“Do we know if we can even modify the process?” I questioned. “A task for later. Cricket, you withheld all this information from me. How can I know that I have your full loyalty?”

Her gaze fell to the ground as she thought, rising up to meet mine a few moments later, “... I chose you. When the Fourth Hive arrived in Canterlot, they contacted all of us. The council in charge was being influenced by Chrysalis in a myriad of ways. I could have easily sided with her. Instead, I spoke to the Fifth Hive’s defense. I was confronted by Chrysalis directly, and I did not budge.”

“Can we confirm this?” I asked the other changelings present.

“Here,” Bray Call said, levitating over a packet of papers. “Transcript from the interrogation.”

“Thanks, Bray,” I smiled, taking the papers.

“... Page forty-two,” she offered helpfully.

Flipping to the page, I skimmed through and read aloud the words, “... The entire Parliament unanimously voted to continue the war, said Councilor Midge… Then you told them, ‘We've formed a mutually beneficial pact with the ponies. We can end the war peacefully.’” I skimmed through more, but shook my head slowly, “I am seeing no affirmation of loyalty, Cricket. You remained carefully neutral during this deposition.”

“You think that wasn’t enough of a statement?” Cricket asked. “If I was lying about being loyal to you, wouldn’t I have supported the invasion?”

“She also identified with the Fifth Hive,” Luna noted. “She said, ‘we have found a way,’ not they have found a way.”

“They could be playing a long game,” Lace suggested.

“They could be doing exactly what they claimed: staying neutral,” Coxa countered his marefriend. “If leaning towards the winning team…”

“They are too great of an asset to ignore,” Katydid noted. “They are our kinds’ greatest asset outside of the royals themselves.”

“Their value cannot be understated,” Thalamus said, eliciting murmurs of consent from the bureaucrats present.

“... Maybe we should maintain the status quo?” Lace suggested. “Keep them at leg’s length where we can see them clearly?”

I shook my head, “We cannot risk the machinations of a fifth column within our kingdom. Our mettle will be tested again, and soon. We must stand united.”

‘Cricket has been very vocal about supporting me– from the very beginning of the Fifth Hive, in fact. She was, admittedly, one of its architects. But to think that she is of the same ilk as that turncoat bastard… There’s gotta be something, some gotcha that proves once and for all that we can trust them. They are too skillful at being manipulative to take them at their word…’

“What do you think, Luna?” I turned to my better half. “They have been trained to say and do exactly what is needed to maintain their secret identities. By that fact, we cannot trust their word. How would you figure this out?”

General Labrum chuckled, “We could use those loyalty exposures, or whatever.”

Luna shot the General a glare, “I am sure you can guess what equestria's position on mind control is. You are already treading in dangerous waters with the Element Bearers following your ordered assassination attempt of the one you have passed judgment on, Phasma. Do not make things worse.”

“So how would you deal with them?” I pressed.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Luna smiled. “Aside from the former member of the First Fang, have there been any other betrayals?”

“No Lodge invited an Infiltrator into their ranks,” Labrum explained. “As per the King's orders at the time. We didn't give them a chance to betray us.”

Luna dipped her head in acknowledgement, “What about the Infiltrators within the Fifth Hive? Cricket was not the only one, was she not?”

“There were a number of us,” Cricket revealed. “Many of us found it easier to slip away from the war front, rather than make a fighting retreat.”

“And yet, there was no sabotage within the Fifth Hive,” Luna said. “They have shown you nothing but support, if limited and from the sidelines. I say they have proven themselves worthy of trust.”

I sat back in my throne, rubbing my chin, “Hmmm. Let's put accepting the Infiltrators to a vote. Coxa, Lace?”

“Aye,” Coxa said.

“... I abstain,” Lace said.

I looked towards the other changelings, “What says the Swarm? The Lodges? The Order?”

“Aye,” Captain Katydid answered.

“Nay,” General Labrum shook her head. “The Lodges will never trust them fully. We can adapt to survive without them.”

Captain Nicro nodded thoughtfully, “Aye. With her miracles, Panarthropo has already spoken: extend an olive branch to those we considered enemies.”

There was a cascade of whispers and quiet agreements from his comment. With a deep breath in, I took Luna’s words to heart, and with a long exhale, I casted out the doubts.

“... Aye,” I announced. “And with that, the ayes have it. The Infiltrators shall be sworn in to the Fifth Hive and reaffirm their loyalties. But! No longer shall one of their order be their mouthpiece. Henceforth, the Intelligencer, the leader of the Infiltrators, shall be a changeling uninitiated into the Infiltrator ranks. They will be an outside observer, a carefully trusted individual to wield our most deadliest blade.”

“As you command, My King,” Cricket bowed

“Lace, you are already in charge of monitoring the Infiltrators and using them. Will you become the first official Intelligencer of the Fifth Hive?”

“Sure,” Lace said casually.

Slowly rising from my throne, I stepped past the cordon of guards, towards the Infiltrators. Four chaplains moved with me, but I stopped them with a raised hoof. It would be important to be amongst the Infiltrators without a guard- a sign of trust, that when I ask for their oaths, I would consider and accept them fairly.

“Cricket. Do you know the ritual for accepting the oath of an Infiltrator?”

The smaller drone looked up at me and shook her head.

“Not without the brands that enforce loyalty. The knowledge of these rituals are within you, My King. You must use your Weave. The words are there, and are yours to shape, if you but command them.”

I closed my eyes and searched my inner mind. The space inside my head where I first heard the skittering and scratching of a thousand insects, where the words of this world rang like echoes of a grand bell, where I continued to feel the ebb and pull of changelings nearby. I pulled on it as if I was taking part in the First Lesson, over a year ago. It was there. Words, actions, meanings, gestures, and spells all designed for a purpose I could not glean. It was like staring out a window into the rain and seeing a pattern in the droplets coursing down the glass that should not be there. I knitted it all together, cut out the spells, and rewove the ritual.

Then, I opened my eyes.

“Kneel,” I commanded.

The words echoed throughout the chamber in a mimicry of the cry across my Weave. At once, every Infiltrator kneeled. In perfect synchronicity, the Infiltrator’s knees hit the red carpet that led up to my throne. My orange elytra lifted from my back and my large insectoid wings buzzed loudly, lifting me off the floor. Hover just above the ground, I lifted my forelegs and spread them wide, pointing my hoof upwards, as if presenting the world to these changelings.

“Infiltrators of the Hive Eternal: I, King Phasmatodea of the Fifth Hive, Pontiff of the Hive Eternal, by the grace and guidance of The Great Weaver Panarthropo, architect of the Grand Tapestry, command you to listen and obey. By my words, know your Order. By my orders, know your Will. By my will, know your Command. As it is woven, so it shall be.”

“As it is woven, so it shall be!” Each and every one of them echoed.

“You are the spear of the Hive Eternal. You are the scalpel whose precision is boundless. You are the agents of the oldest hierarchy in The Great Tapestry. As your forebearers have served, as your offspring shall, so too will you obey the commands and edicts set forth. As it is woven, so it shall be.”

“As it is woven, so it shall be!”

“I name thee Infiltrators of the Hive Eternal. The Masquerade Protocol is no more, but your subterfuge shall remain undetected. Never shall you reveal yourselves: not for a soul, not for your own. Upon your shoulders, I place the greatest burden: the survival of the Hive Eternal. As it is woven, so it shall be.”

“As it is woven, so it shall be!”

“You will never again terrorize the loyal servants of the Hive Eternal,” I commanded, threading the words into the ancient ritual. “No enemies within shall be your concerns, only enemies without. Your skills will never be turned against fellow changelings. Your reports never upon anyling but each other and those defaced by the Hive Eternal. You are a weapon of the people. As it is woven, so it shall be.”

“As it is woven, so it shall be!”

I lowered myself down to the ground, letting my wings settle on my back but keeping my large elytra splayed to either side. I walked up to Cricket and pressed my right foreleg against her forehead.

“Arise, Infiltrator Cricket, daughter of the Fifth Hive.”

Cricket rose to her hooves, looking up at me with undisguised pride. I turned from her and stepped before the next Infiltrator in line, and commanded them to arise, fetching their name from the Weave. One by one, each and every single Infiltrator was addressed by name and welcomed into the Fifth Hive.

When I had worked through every single changeling drone, I stalked through their ranks, striding through the middle of their formation and turning back towards them once I reached the front.

“Be welcome, brothers and sisters all. Let no doubt be cast on your allegiance, let no hatred set us apart. These words were once secluded in secrecy, held for millennia from the ears of outsiders. Your Order shall hide no longer. As I have spoken, so it shall be.”

I turned my back to the Infiltrators and strode back to my throne, where the rest of my friends, underlings, and hierarchy sat and stood at attention. Taking my seat, I looked out over my royal court, packed full of changelings– and the two ponies at either side of me.

I gave a single nod to Bray Call, who smiled and addressed the room, “All hail King Phasma!”

“All hail King Phasma!” The changelings cheered.

28- Rupert’s Drop

I chuckled and clenched my eyes shut, shaking my head in disbelief.

“You… Brilliant, you can’t just say that!”

Brilliant Cut chuckled, “Why not?”

I groaned and scooted closer to him, “Because it’s your life? You can’t just shrug and say- say that!”

“I trust your sense of judgment–”

“Don’t repeat yourself!” I cut him off. “I just told you that your next fifty years could be set in stone. You can’t just waive that off and leave it to me!”

“Why not?” The white coated stallion smiled, green mane shaking as he laughed. “I’d rather just skip the theatrics.”

“Fifty years–”

Brilliant sighed and set down the glowing orange crystal he was working on, “Listen, Phasma. I’ve been in the business for thirty six years now. I’ve learned to sort the diamonds from the slag–”

“Can you explain without a diamond metaphor?”

“Can, but I won’t,” he smiled. “As I was saying, I’ve learned how to get a measure of a pony. Or, rather, changeling in your case. Your actions have spoken more volumes about your character than needs to be said!”

I raised an eyebrow, “Got away with murder and burning Canterlot to the ground?”

The thought cut through Brilliant’s train of thought, “That’s… I thought you said the Princesses were taking both seriously?”

I reached out and pushed Brilliant’s project, spinning it around and around, “Well, the killing Double Dealings part they are not too thrilled with. Celestia has been drilling me non-stop about finding my limits and being in control of every fight I find myself in. What happens when I’m not in control, well…. You were there that day.”

Brilliant laid a hoof on my shoulder, “I was. Though the headlines might call you a butcher–”

“Please don't remind me."

“– I understand that we have entered harrowing times where such acts of violence and cruelty are… becoming commonplace. I remembered what you showed me in Locksdale. I don’t know what exactly put you in that mental state, but I know the Princesses are on it– because I trust them, just as I trust you. At least, I trust your word and judgment in this situation concerning our deal with Princess Celestia.”

I groaned and rubbed my forehead, “Fifty years, Brilliant. You don’t even want to go over it with Bunny Hill?”

The stallion looked around, “I would like to, yes, but didn’t you say you were bringing her here, into this dream?”

I glanced above us. The ceiling of Brilliant Cut’s laboratory had been replaced with a vast expanse of stars, nebulas, and galaxies.

“... She isn’t asleep yet,” I shrugged.

Brilliant rubbed his chin, “It’s poker night for the mares. She must be winning good if she’s not in bed yet.”

“... I guess I’ll give the go-ahead to Celestia in the morning,” I said, admitting defeat and pushing Brilliant’s contraption back his way.

“Think of it this way, Phasma: I trust the Princesses, and I trust your word. If both of you say this is good, then it is good. Celestia has steered our country for thousands of years, and with your help this lab went from being a run-of-the-mill workshop to ground zero of miracles!”

I scoffed, “Hard to call it run-of-the-mill when you’re sitting on a fortune from a gem empire, Brilliant.”

He waved a hoof dismissively, “As I’ve said before, gems aren’t as valuable here as they are in your former life.”

“Whatever,” I sighed. "I give up. I can't convince you to not to sign away the rest of your life to your new insect overlords. Welcome to the Hive."

I levitated over a thick brown satchel, its gold clips practically popping free from its faux-leather surface. Even at a pace’s length away, I could sense the countless layers of protective magic upon the gold-embroidered satchel.

“Here you go, Thrips. Lose it, and I’ll have to look into getting a one-way-trip ticket to the moon with your name on it.”

The drone blinked in surprise, taking the offered bag and clutching it against his chest.

“... Wait, really? Already? This is….?”

“All the documentation needed for the three hundred million bit loan,” I confirmed. “You’ll have to make trips to several banks to get the accounts unfrozen from their initial creation, I’ve been told. Better hop to it, time is of the essence.”

Thrips bowed deeply, nose practically smacking into the red carpet of the Royal Palace, “Yes, My King! I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t, Thrips. That’s why I’m giving you this duty. Be sure to leverage everyling you need from the Bureaus to get your project in motion. In fact, you might need to just outright triple the size of your little department within Coxa’s mess of bureaucracy.”

“That was outlined in the plan– I’ve got to go, My King! I need to get started now!” Thrips said, hooves skittering across the ground as he spun around and took off for the nearest exit. “I’ll give my status reports to Coxa!” He called before he turned the corner.

Luna, who had watched the quick interaction with growing amusement, chuckled behind a hoof.

“My, he certainly seemed to have the energy required for the task you set upon him.”

“He’s the one who came up with the idea, I sure hope he’d have the energy,” I chuckled, giving Luna a nuzzle. “Now, what’s next on our schedule?”

“The next session of Chrysalis’s trial is not due to start for another three hours. I have managed to clear my schedule for this brief window. Before the trial resumes, I would like to work further on our Soulmancy project.”

Luna began walking towards our chambers. Or rather, her personal wing that I was taking up residence in like black mold. Her little complex of rooms held more than just her office and bedroom: a rather sizable sitting room, personal bathing and pool, and moderately-sized magical lab had all served the two of us for the past few months.

As usual, my group of six Red Right Hoof guards took up posts besides Luna’s Night Guards at the door, leaving us in privacy within. We made our way to the lab, entering the two-story chamber and splitting up. Luna stalked down the stairs and headed over to one of the wide tables covered end-to-end in stacked-up tomes. I walked up to the railing directly in front of the door, admiring the wonder of the place for the thousandth time. One wall was entirely glass panes that overlooked the Palace’s gardens. The two walls on either side were covered floor-to-ceiling in bookshelves. Countless magical tools, contraptions, and workstations filled the space between the walls. Atop one pedestal, God-Splitter bobbed in magical energy, an enchanted magnifying glass focused on the center of its head. Atop other pedestals, various magical projects belonging to the Night Princess swayed up and down.

“If you are going to stay up there all day,” Luna’s words cut through my thoughts, “I recommend taking up painting. Might as well capture the moment for all to appreciate.”

I grimaced, “You’ve seen my attempt at drawing.”

“Then I suggest lending me a hoof. The soul detection spell is almost ready, Phasma, and you are better at penning the structure of spells down than I am.”

I rolled my eyes and made my way down, “More like you want me to do the boring parts while you do the fun spell casting.”

“... As is my right as Princess of these lands!” Luna grinned. “Come, my squire. If you ever want to make knighthood, you will have to scrub the chamber pots first!”

I took my crown off and placed it on one of my own claimed spaces across from Luna, brushing aside several loose papers. I turned the Adamantium, jewel-encrusted jewelry to face me, staring into my warped reflection in the green metal.

“I should finish the enchantment on my crown. Celestia’s been on my ass to get it done so we can move on in our lessons.”

“Very well,” Luna relented. “I shall let you have your excuse and do the work myself. But! In exchange, you will be accompanying me to a meeting with Elder Vigilance tomorrow. Operations with the Night Guard will be expanding throughout Equestria starting in two weeks, and there is a lot of prep that needs to be done beforehoof. If they could have the changelings aid them, I would greatly appreciate it. She also would like to bring to our attention a training session outside of Canterlot between the three armies.”

“Sure, sure.”

“And,” she continued, “I shall also meet with the Manehattan Social Society of Socialites. They wish to air some grievances about certain activities within their vast city. Certain activities pertaining to a new economic powerhouse sweeping up the disparate and fringes of society?”

“They sound like a bunch of busybodies who hate that I am giving the downtrodden a chance at making a living,” I growled out. “Social society of socialites– I mean it’s like they’re not even trying, they just want to hear the sound of their voices for as long as possible.”

“I would like you to be there, Phasma. Not just because I value your company now more than ever, but also that being confronted by the one they lay accusations against will tame the more… zealous outbursts from them. And perhaps allow for a healthy, harmonious outcome.”

"Do you really believe that?"

"No, I want you to grind them into the dirt like the busybodies they are. Politely. See it as a chance to stretch your legs, politically speaking."

I shrugged, placing my crown on a bulky box and raising an armature. The device zapped the crown with gold energy, and the layers of enchantments started glowing. Each gem on the crown was suffused with different colors– each dependent on their school of enchantment– and various miniature leylines that marked the connections between the pools of magic glowed blue. I began the unenviable task of fiddling with the thing.

Unlike my peytral, which was able to project an effective shield across my entire body, the limited amount of Adamantium and the positioning of the artifact at one end of my body meant that I would have to focus on more localized spells. A magnet to keep it on my head, several layers of shield that projected downwards and covered my head and neck, and most importantly of all, a small air conditioning and heating spell.

Because the absence of air conditioning was a constant gripe during the summer months, and if I could find a way around that, I would be one happy bug.

“There is something I need to discuss, Luna.”

“Go on,” she prompted, neither of us looking up from our work.

“I want to go to Nisir. Like, this week.”

That pulled her attention from her work, and she fixed me with a confused stare, “... That is rather unprompted.”

“Is it?” I questioned, swallowing some uncomfortable emotions. “This whole… trial has been…”

Luna frowned, “I see. With that in mind, I can understand your desire to flee–”

“I am not–!”

“Running away?” She raised an eyebrow. “What would you call it?”

I crossed my forelegs, “A checkup! I need Nisir to be progressing well, and it is where we will be learning more about our upcoming foes. It’s important to stay on top of things.”

“All of which can be learned from letters, lessers, and dream visits. We are too busy to abscond, Phasma.”

I jabbed a hoof in her direction, “You mean you’re too busy! I have been quite good at delegating and giving my lings jobs, Luna.”

“Just so,” she said. “There is much to catch up on– we are not even close to being done handling fallout of the Lantern Night assassination attempt, Phasma. Need I remind you of the brewing public relation nightmare that–”

“All the more reason for me to vanish for a few days,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Four shops, five houses, and two streets painted in gore, Phasma!” Luna hissed back. “Division-P’s supporters are having a field day with their own martyrship while we stay cooped up behind our high walls. Celestia needs Cadance and I to be constantly present in the public’s eye– and for you to be there at the trial. While my sister is working overtime to get political plays in motion, Cadance and I must play fire marshal before this gets out of control. Even an absence as short as one week could be the tipping point!”

I faltered, looking away and down at the floor, “I– I just… I did my part. I gave my testimony. Now I’m just a ceremonial piece at the trial, doing nothing more than wasting time and enduring more of her presence. Look, I can just go to Nisir alone–”

“No!” Luna leaned over the table, “I almost lost you. I’m not going to risk that again. You are staying within eyesight until we have the wretches responsible for the attack on your life in chains and thrown into the depths of Tartarus! I can’t lose you, Phasma, not again!”

A tall pile of books fell to the side as Luna reached over and pulled me up into a hug, trying her best to hold me from across the table.

“I can’t lose you,” she repeated. “I can’t be alone. I can never be alone again– I have had too much time alone. I hate the sound of my own voice in my head, Phasma. I hate the sound of silence even more!”

I returned the hug, letting her bury her face into my shoulder.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I reassured her.

“There are so few things I can enjoy these days,” Luna continued quietly, her sadness like a bottomless ocean, each reassuring nuzzle and rub I gave her sparking currents of happiness and love. “I.. can’t enjoy any of my old hobbies. Painting, writing, cooking, sparring, horticulture and alchemy… It feels like nothing from my old life brings me joy, nothing save for being with my sister, my new niece, and you.”

“... This can’t continue forever, Luna. We can’t stay attached at the hip, not while we have so many important duties.”

“Let those duties fester,” she whispered. “Let me have this for as long as I can.”

I kissed her on the cheek, “Fine. I can… put off the visit. Come on, Luna, let’s go lay down.”

“We have to work on our magical studies,” she said, voice muffled from her face still being pressed against me.

“You just said let them fester. C’mon, Luna, I think we need to just take a break for a bit.”

“Very well,” she sniffed, breaking the hug. “I will cave to your idea.”

I blinked, “What? That was your–”

Luna smiled coyly, “If Celestia bemoans your lack of progress on your studies today, you will just have to face judgment.”

Sighing, I dragged her up the stairs, out of the workshop, and over to one of the couches in the private lounge. As I relaxed in front of a roaring fireplace, Luna draped herself across my chest, trying to be as close as possible to me. I levitated over a blanket and covered us both, returning her affectionate nuzzles as I lay back.

The blue alicorn relaxed on top of me, basking in the warmth and company offered, and I coaxed more and more pleasant emotions out of her. Unfortunately, while she slowly calmed to the point where she slipped into the Dreamscape, my mind remained racing with thoughts.

Despite the fact that I had dropped the topic of Nisir, I still felt that I needed to go there soon. There were so many mysteries there. So many answers left to be uncovered and secrets used. From the Gift of Panar, that marvelous crown that shone with the light of galaxies, down to the history of Sombra that was entwined with my race’s history, what knowledge we found in that frozen city would make or break the war.

My thoughts drifted to my past. I had lost so much, and lost a bit more beyond that. Without Luna and the dozen or so friends I had made, I had no idea where I would be right now.

‘Dead, in all likelihood. Adrift, probably in another world past this one, haunted by death and failures. If I die again, am I to start all over again? Is this gift a curse, where there is no afterlife for me? No chance to be reunited with those who have passed through the veil? Or have I already been united… Have I spent an eternity in a paradise, and lose my memory of that in exchange for rebirth? Will I ever see my family again– the real one, not the bastardization and mockery that I have here? Will I ever see Oestridae again?’

Luna shifted, murmuring and pressing her chin against my neck. I hugged her, ruffling the fur at her withers. She smiled in her sleep, which in turn brought a smile to my own lips. I let my head drop backwards and stared up at the ceiling. The quiet crackle of the fire and the soft breathing of Luna were the only company to my thoughts.

‘Seems unfair that even after crossing the path of death, that I am still left with many of life’s greatest mysteries. What’s a stallion gotta do to get some answers? Oh, who am I kidding, no one's ever gonna figure that out. At least I get to cuddle ponies. Like big, cute teddy bears, filled to the brim with delicious–’

A sudden, loud ringing bell jerked me into action.

Rolling off the side of the couch, I practically smothered Luna under me as I weaved a thick orange shield into being around us both. My head darted from side to side as I rapidly scanned the room.

“Phasma–” Luna’s quiet voice emerged from under me.

‘There!’

The ringing was coming from the main entrance. The thick golden doors remained closed, though.

‘Some kind of anti-breach alarm? A security alarm? Are we under attack?! Who would–’

“Phasma!”

I dared to look down. Luna’s muzzle was sticking out from under my chest.

“Please get off me, dear, before I buck you off.”

“We are under attack!” I hissed.

“... What?”

I sheltered her further, drawing my forelegs close on either side of her muzzle, “The alarm! Someone has broken into–”

“That’s the doorbell.”

I froze, confused, and looked down, “Huh?”

“I said that is– oh, will you get off of me?!”

The orange bubble around us popped as I slowly stood up. Luna was quick to dart out from under me. Fixing me with a glare, she shook herself awake and gestured towards the door.

“I said ‘that is the doorbell.’ You’ve heard it before, Phasma. It means that there is somepony that needs to talk to me?”

“I…” I gritted my teeth, trying to get my breathing back under control. “I thought we were under attack.”

“You’ve heard it before!” She repeated.

“... I’m sorry,” I whispered, ears pinned back in embarrassment.

That stole the wind from her sails, and Luna deflated on the spot, “Ah. I understand, I think. But was your first reaction to danger really to try to smother me in my sleep?”

“I was trying to protect you.”

Luna blinked owlishly, “... I see. That is… that’s actually nice to hear. I must confess, I have never been with anypony large enough to do something like that. Normally–”

The ringing of the bell cut Luna off, and she turned towards the door, wrenching it ajar. Immediately, one of her Night Guards stuck their muzzle through.

“Your Highnesses!” She hissed. “There’s an emergency!”

Luna pulled the door fully open, revealing the Night Guard and a Red Right Hoof changeling soldier standing next to her. The pair were looking at us with panicked expressions.

“What happened?” Luna questioned them as I slowly walked over.

“It’s the guards!” Her servant said in a quick tone. “They’ve begun fighting!”

The drone clarified, “an argument turned bloody, Your Highnesses! They’re in the primary training field!”

Luna’s face pulled back into a tight scowl, “The very best we have to offer, descending into madness?! Phasma, to me!”

I stepped up beside Luna just in time for a cyan bubble to materialize around the two of us. The world outside bled away, colored out by Luna’s magic as we were ripped from one location to another. A second later, when the bubble turned translucent and faded away, the interior of the Palace had been replaced with the open sky and snow-strewn field of the royal ground’s training yard.

There were around three hundred people in the yard, with the majority being the E.U.P., and the rest made up by thestrals and changelings. There was a clear divide between the Equestrians and the rest of the crowd– a visible space between the two groups as they huddled together and faced off. Between the two lines, blurs of gold, black, green, and an assortment of pastel colors marked where the argument had turned physical. Elder Vigilance, Captain Shining Armor, and Captain Katydid were in the middle of the chaos, physically restraining changelings and ponies, or barking orders to break up the brawl.

When Luna and I arrived, the closest to us fell back in surprise. The whole yard fell in surprise when Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice shook the field.

“Cease this madness at once!”

Ponies and changelings scrambled back, staggering to their hooves and facing us. Those who were throwing hooves in between the groups stooped, bloodied, dusty, and glaring daggers at each other.

“In formation,” I growled, my voice carrying across the yard. When everyone– ponies and changelings– started to line up in rank and file, I pointed to the bloodied rabble rousers struggling to get in position. “Not you. You lot stay where you are, where we can all see you.”

“Where’s Captain Shining Armor?!” Luna demanded, staring down ponies as she walked down the line between the groups. “Elder Vigilance?!”

The three captains of the armies came galloping down to meet us– the old crone Vigilance dragging a mare by the ear, despite her advanced age.

“Your Highness,” Shining said, skidding to a halt, “we’ve been breaking up the worst of the fighting!”

“What happened– how did this happen, Captain?” Luna snarled.

“We don’t know yet,” Vigilance answered. “We’ve been too busy trying to mitigate the damage. These whelps started going at each other’s throats while we were busy planning the excursion.”

“Excursion?” Luna frowned. “No, tell me about that later. Get the wounded to the infirmary, and have them watched. We will get the answers out of those later.”

“Yes, Princess,” Shining half-bowed, before turning and gesturing to several Royal Guards trailing behind him. “Lieutenants, you heard the Princess. I want a ward sectioned off–”

“Katydid, Vigilance,” I addressed the other two Captains. “Get everyone out of here. Get them to their barracks, lock them down.”

“Get squads uninvolved to handle everyone,” Luna cut in. “Pull them in from off-duty rotations, patrols, wherever you must. I want every pony and changeling in this yard to be identified and under close watch!”

“As you command, Mistress,” Vigilance bowed.

“I mean it, Elder Vigilance,” Luna continued. “Not a single soul here can slip away– though we may already be too late in that regard.”

My heart started racing as I followed her train of thought, “Slip away? W-wait, are you suggesting that this could have been caused by–” I catch myself and drop my voice to a whisper, “– by spies? By Division-P?!”

She placed a hoof on my shoulder, “Perhaps. See to it, you two.”

“Yes, Princess Luna,” Katydid nodded as Vigilance bowed again.

The two scurried off, collecting subordinates and distributing orders like Shining was still doing a few paces away from us. Mind racing and matching the pace of my heart, I quickly formulated an idea and spoke a command through my Weave.

“All changelings in the training yard will bow and rise on the count of three. One, two… three!”

With hones practice of using my Weave to coordinate actions, every changeling dropped to their knees, the front ones– and stood back up. The ponies all startled and looked at them in confusion. Luna fixed me with a confused frown.

“What was that?”

“Eliminated half of the suspects,” I clarified quietly. “Everyling was in perfect sync, none present are ponies posing as drones.” I turned to face the ponies, “Which means that if we do have Division-P agents here, they would be among the ponies–”

Luna’s hoof on my shoulder squeezed, “It may not be the case at all. It is good to take precautions and investigate. Come, Phasma, we–”

With a flash of bright gold light, Celestia teleported into the center of the field. Upon seeing the two armies in attention position, facing each other, Celestia slowly turned around, saw us, and rushed over.

“I’ve been informed what happened, I am glad to see you two have gotten this under control. Where is– ah, there’s Captain Shining Armor. Shining?”

The stallion bowed quickly to the white alicorn, “Princess!”

Meanwhile, my focus was still on the Royal Guards, both in and out of uniformed standing in rank and file. I kept trying to look for any clue that would tell me who was a traitor, any sort of emotion, but the emotions were all jumbled up into a soup and I couldn’t see anything that gave them away.

Celestia addressed Shining, “Go– ah. Right, you already gave orders, haven’t you, Luna? Keep… doing whatever Luna ordered.”

“Yes, Princess!”

‘Just what exactly am I supposed to be looking for? A dagger? Some magical device that could be used as an explosive? Was that all just an attempt to lure us all into the same place for another assassination attempt?!’

Celestia nodded, walked over to us, and cleared her throat, “Right. Mind giving me a rundown?”

“Not much to explain,” Luna said, launching into a quick summary of our orders.

One of the Royal Guards, a shorter unarmored mare with a strawberry-pink mane and white coat, glanced at us. When she noticed me returning the stare, she snapped back into an at-attention position.

‘If they’re here, ready to attack, which angle will they come from? Will they make their move if they see me watching? Is that mare an agent?’

I was shaken side to side suddenly, quite literally shaken out of my thoughts. I looked to my side and saw Luna looking at me, her hoof still on my shoulder. I tasted her concern and worry before she even spoke, “Phasma. Your horn is glowing, what spell are you casting?”

“I– I’m not casting anything,” I shifted around uncomfortably, realizing I had prepped a shield spell to cast at a moment’s notice.

I let the nascent spell go, letting the magic flowing out of my horn and back into my body, but my marefriend still looked at me with undisguised concern.

“Celestia, take over,” Luna whispered to her sister.

Said sister glanced at me before answering, “Of course.”

Luna started dragging me by the hoof towards the Palace. I lagged behind for a second, stumbling from the unexpected action before catching up.

Still trying to keep the ponies to my side in view, I whisper-yelled at Luna, “Hey! What are you doing?!”

“Finding somewhere quiet, but preferably still in view,” she answered back.

She led us away from the gathered soldiers, stopping before one of the stained glass windows beside the main entrance to the Palace. No one entered or exited, so she nodded to herself before putting her back to the congregation of Royal Guards, Red Right Hoofs, and Night Guards.

Her disregard for her own safety pushed my heartrate just a little bit higher.

She placed her other hoof on my shoulder and sat down in front of me, nearly blocking my view. I struggled to see past her wispy, ethereal mane.

“Phasma.”

“Luna, you’re in the way!”

“That is intentional. Phasma, look at me.” Fidgeting, I looked her in the eyes. “This is a tense situation and worth caution, yes. But you are… unbalanced. I am here at your side, and now Celestia is here, too. Take a breath and calm yourself.”

“Calm? Luna, there might be assassins right behind you!” I hissed, pointing over her shoulder.

“I know. But it is of extreme importance to remain calm in situations like this, Phasma. Do you even know what spell you were casting?”

“A shield spell, I guess.”

She smiled at me, “Good. That is good instincts, drilled well. But we cannot risk casting spells unaware, Phasma. What if you throw an attack against something that surprises you? An innocent might get hurt. Just… breathe. Can you do that for me?”

I kept my mouth shut, nodded, and tried to follow her directions. Finally, she let go of my shoulders and scooted over to sit by my side, facing the yard. That made calming down a whole lot easier.

“I don’t like you disregarding potential danger like that,” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.

“... I weighed blocking your view and forcing you to focus on me against any actual danger posed to me at this distance, and decided that you hurling a fireball to be the bigger danger,” Luna revealed, holding my hoof closest to her. "Besides, only a fool relies solely on their vision. There are many more senses, Phasma, and mine have been honed well enough."

I gave her hoof a squeeze, “I don’t like this, Luna.”

“I know.”

“This could have all been a ploy to pull us out and attack us.”

“Perhaps.”

“We could still be in danger. We didn’t even check to see if that was the real Celestia!”

Luna snorted, chuckled quietly, and shook her head, “There are few ponies who are capable of casting a teleport spell, Phasma. In fact, I am sure that my sister has a list of all of them somewhere. Now, add that to the fact that they would have to be maintaining a disguise spell on top of that. Do you know anypony capable of that?”

“... No. The only pony I know of who can dual-cast spells is Twilight Sparkle, and she doesn’t have the capacity to do that with a teleport spell.”

She nodded, “Celestia and I are more than capable, but I am afraid neither of us have quite mastered dual-casting. You need a certain…” She trailed off.

“Insanity?” I offered.

Luna giggled, “Insanity. No regular pony can partition their mind to such an extent as casting teleport with other spells. I must admit, Twilight Sparkle may one day have the mana pool to achieve such a feat.”

“What about the rest of the ponies, the ones already present? What if one of them launched an attack against us while we were standing in front of them? How can you discount such a threat?”

Luna chewed on my words, “... My reactions have been honed to a blade’s edge. Further, my peytral and tiara have their own protective shields that project over my body.”

I bit my tongue, refraining from grinding my teeth together.

“What about me? What about their most likely target? I left my crown and its built-in shield in the lab, Luna.”

At that, Luna looked away from me, towards the gathered soldiers.

“Oh. You are right. I should have been paying more attention to blind spots such as that. All the more reason to remove you from the situation. Come, Phasma. Celestia has this well in hoof. We can contribute nothing more by being here.”

“I don’t think we have enough time to relax again before our next scheduled activity,” I said, still trying to control my nerves.

“My sleep was disturbed, and far more importantly you are having a panic attack. I think we have earned a break.”

I snarled, “I am not having a panic attack! We are under threat!”

“You are twitching like a volatile flask of Electrum Mana, your eyes are darting side to side quicker than a stallion on spiked raw salt, and you are charging a spell you were not even aware of. The danger is there, but you are quickly becoming a bigger one.”

“Can you blame me?!”

Luna stood, “Absolutely not. Now, let us take our leave. We will return to this matter before long.”

With one last glance at the training yard, I relented and followed her inside.

29- Hadrian

“When I said we would get to the matter later, I did not mean ‘five minutes from now.’”

“You should’a been more specific, then, moonbutt.”

Luna glared at me, making her opinion on that nickname quite clear.

“We have less than two and a half hours until the trial resumes for the day. As before, I am approving of your suggestion of taking that time for ourselves. Since you decided that resting was out, the least we can do is focus on our studies into the arcane.”

I shook my head, “After what happened? Our people are at each other’s throats when we need to be working together, Luna!”

“And our Captains are working on de-escalating the situation, investigating, and will prepare a briefing for us. Furthermore, my sister is there to supervise. This will develop into countless headaches before the day is out, Phasma. You must learn to reclaim minutes of your life where you can.”

I gritted my teeth, “I can’t just… You said it, Luna. Division-P could be here, within our walls!”

“That has always been the case. Do you not recall the thievery of artifacts? The shakedown of the Royal Guard following Chrysalis’s defeat? There have always been traitors wearing helms of gold. This changes nothing. We do not even know what started the fight, dear.” Luna levitated over our soulmancy journal, shoving it into my hooves, “The soul sight spell is ready for testing. Prepare to cast it.”

I lowered the book to the table, “Assassins in our ranks–”

“The way forward is not jumping at every shadow. Look, Phasma, I understand your fears. They are real, but you mustn't let them control you.”

“I’m not– Luna, I can’t just bounce around like you do. You’re so quick to move on, to switch emotions, to just hop forward. I’m still thinking about the Royal Guards around us potentially wanting to kill me, all those thoughts that won’t let me just sit down and relax, and your panic attack at the thought of being alone. I can’t really let go of things. It feels like so much happens so quickly, and– and I never even got to say goodbye. Not last time, and not before Lantern Night. If I… If I had died again, I would have died alone, in the cold and the dark. Again.”

Luna remained silent, her gaze settling on the table between us.

“I can’t just bounce back like you do,” I repeated. “I don’t know how you do it– if you’re repressing how you feel, then you’re doing that better than Celestia can. I’m not you, Luna.”

The corner of her mouth raised into a smile, “Thank Faust for that. Two of me would be too much for anypony to handle. Though I suppose with your abilities, there is potential for a prank…”

A shiver went up my spine, “Not transforming into the opposite gender. Nuh uh.”

She raised her head, sniffled, and rubbed her eyes, “I’m sorry, Phasma. I am not repressing anything, I promise. I’ve just had plenty of time to linger. Time enough for the rest of my days to be spent galloping. I do not know what to do to take away your pain, but I will keep trying.” She rose from her seat, slowly walked around the table, and sat down next to me, wrapping me with her wings. “I keep moving forward because I do not want to dare look back. I find that therapy helps. I find that lingering brings nothing but pain. I find that company keeps the silence at bay. I am just doing the only things I know to try to help you.”

“Right. Well. I will try the therapy thing again, even if it is a waste of time,” I said, pulling her wings closer around me like a blanket. “As for the whole company thing, I do love spending time with you. But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, Luna. I… I really think I need to visit Nisir. And I hate Chrysalis’s stupid smug face and don’t want to see it.”

“If you feel so strongly pulled to that cold waste, I will speak to my sister. Perhaps she can find a way to excuse us both for just a weekend. Or, more likely, yoke us into doing stately tasks on our way north and back.” She rested her chin on my shoulder, “Now. The spell?”

Lifting the tome up, I read through Luna’s latest work. The tweaks she had made on our latest experiment looked fine to my inexperienced eye. I steadied my breathing, pushed away thoughts of ambushes, and focused on the spell.

“If your spell melts my horn, then you’re buying me a new one.”

Luna scoffed, “You are involved enough in this spell’s creation to absolve me of blame. It is not going to melt your horn, love. If anything, it will detonate it.”

The spell was a wide area of effect vision spell, casting a bubble around the viewer and gathering energy around designated hot spots. These spots would be visible to the caster, glowing through any object between their eyes and the chosen points. Of course, being soulmancy, these hot spots were souls.

Gathering the necessary energy and casting the spell, I was flash-banged by a bright orange light. Blinking away spots, I turned to look at Luna. Centered within her chest was a dark blue star, wisps of energy acting from its fiery form and whipping across her body.

“Did it work?” She asked.

“Close result, yes.”

“What about further?”

I turned away from her and looked towards the doors to the workshop. Beyond, smaller, distant suns burned with hot, magical energy. Four brightly colored spheres turned in place, lashes of energy reaching out within the body of a pony each. Beside them, four smaller suns spun even faster, and each shot out energy at a much faster rate. Mana arced from these smaller suns like the energy inside a plasma lamp, the tendrils bending and almost audibly crackling with power as they reached out to touch different points in each person’s body.

Blinking in surprise, I craned my neck down and looked at my own chest. I could see the energy behind my chitin, pulsing electric currents of mana glowing as bright orange as the burning sun within me. Even within God-Splitter, the remaining half of Princess Procho’s soul matched these characteristics.

“Test success,” I said, wonder stealing the volume from my voice and leaving me whispering. “Test success! Luna, you have to see this!”

“Now I simply must!” Luna grinned as she looked over the written form of the spell.

I let the energy drain from my horn and the magical light show faded in an instant. When Luna nodded, closed her eyes, and began casting the spell herself, I quickly flipped the grimoire to a new page and started jotting down our findings.

“That is… mesmerizing,” Luna breathed, joy filling her tone as much as it filled the air around her. “Wait, there are two kinds of–”

“Yep!”

“–Phasma! There are tangible differences between species!”

“Yep!”

“What could– what are those emanations of energy originating from changeling souls?”

“Magic, I would assume,” I offered, still writing down everything in detail.

“Magic?” She parroted. “Are you certain? What makes you think that? This could be anything, Phasma!”

“Changelings are creatures of magic,” I explained. “We eat magic. We practically breathe magic. We most certainly use magic throughout our entire bodies. It makes sense that those tendrils of color are the magic coursing through our bodies.”

“We should put that to the test!” Luna declared, smile widening.

Quickly, I jotted down another hypothesis, “Alright. Here’s a hypothesis for that: if I put on a disguise, then you’ll tell me how smart and handsome I am for figuring it out before you did.”

“You do not get rewarded for making educated guesses, my paramour,” Luna scoffed. “However, I can tell you for free that you are charming, handsome, and sometimes halfway to being clever.”

“I’ll take it,” I said quickly, setting down the oh-so-flammable book and stepping off the chair to adapt a disguise. “Get a good look at me casting a spell, too, Luna. That way I can rub your face in it twice.”

She clapped her hooves in excitement, “Our original spell was nowhere near this level of sensitivity, I cannot wait to see what casting a spell will do to a soul! I am ready when you are!”

With a smile and a wink, I pulled upon the Thread of Change, letting my mana flow into it. Tongues of orange fire sprung into existence, wrapping around me. The world grew in size as I shrunk down to the size of a unicorn. A taller than average unicorn– a more handsome than average unicorn.

When Luna saw Expected Value burn into being before her eyes, she gasped and clapped her hooves.

“Ha- hazah! You were right, Phasma! You must be the luckiest stallion in the world, you were right!”

“Luck had nothing to do with it,” I said, dispelling the disguise. “I’m just that smart. I know things. People pay me to know things, you know?”

“Luck! A very educated guess at best, but yes, you were right! Verifiable results– oh. Wait. What is that…. ”

I frowned, shifting uncomfortably on my hooves, “That's not something I want to hear while you're looking at my soul, Luna. What is it?”

She leaned closer to me, inching closer and closer till her nose bumped into my chest. This came as a surprise to her, as she startled backwards, blinking away the spell.

“Apologies! I saw something most curious and wanted to get a closer look. It seems there is more activity than what might be initially gleaned. Ah, there is more work to do, Phasma! We must increase the power and sensitivity to the- write this down,” she directed me, pointing at the grimoire. Quickly, I did as I was told as she continued, “There are faint ripples around you that I can see. It does not seem to be present for the other changelings, but obviously we will need to pull one of them in here to confirm that. It resembles heat distortion on a dry, hot summer day… Pulses outward from your core, going Faust knows where…”

I tapped the page with a quill as Luna trailed off, “Weaker magic? Or some other kind of energy picked up by our detection spell? Or maybe some known phenomenon that we don't know about? We should bring these findings to Celestia, Twilight, or whatever.”

Luna nodded, “I shall bring our findings to my sister tonight, if only because she is excited to hear what new discoveries we are making.” She looked over my shoulder and pulled on a rope by the door, “Let us summon one of your drones and we can confirm a theory I have.”

The excitement of the moment cooled away, lowering my mind back into the currents of thoughts from earlier today. I bit my lip and looked away, a gesture that did not escape Luna's notice.

“Hmm? Out with it, changeling.”

“It's just… I want you to reconsider the idea of going to Nisir.”

Luna groaned, “Again? We have discussed this, Phasma. Neither of us can spare the time. Truly, is visiting the city that important? What urgent matter requires your physical presence? Did you not already assign Prince Pharynx to that frigid ruin?”

I gritted my teeth, “I just need a break from this place. I need a break from her. Every day I spend listening to everything she’s done is another day I spend sitting with anger boiling through my blood. Even if, if, if… if the things she did to my siblings was somehow warranted, everything else just–”

The doors to the workshop ground open and I bit my tongue. A Night Guard strolled in, stopped at the railing and looked down at us.

“Princess?”

Luna directed the drone, “Go fetch one of the changeling guards standing beside the door, please. We have need of their assistance.”

“Yes, Princess,” the armored mare saluted before leaving.

As her hoofsteps echoed away, I let go of a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I tried to pick the conversation up again but my train of thought faltered. By the time the Night Guard returned, this time with a Red Right Hoof Soldier, I had all but given up on trying to convince Luna.

‘And it’s not like sneaking out is a good idea. I really am stuck here in Canterlot while things develop in Nisir, accelerate in Manehattan, and who-knows-what is going on in the South. Marquess Deep Pockets is up to no good, I’m sure of it. And speaking of people who have promised to make me miserable, where is…’

“Hey, Luna?”

Luna had taken up our grimoire and was writing down her own notes, “I theorize that the faint magical emanations coming from you are your Weave, Phasma. If my theory is sound, then there should be no similar phenomenon with any other changeling.”

“Unless it has to do with the depth of one’s mana well,” I countered.

“... Unless somepony can prove me wrong, I shall declare my theory correct!” She declared, casting the soul detection spell once again. “Hold still, young changeling soldier. When I say so, I will need you to put on a disguise. We are testing a detection spell, you see.”

“Of course, Princess,” the drone nodded.

“Luna,” I tried getting her attention again, “where is Prince Blueblood?”

“Blueblood?” She asked, her tone conveying all the contempt she had for the pony. “Why, I imagine he’s out galavanting and hobnobbing with those with more wealth than sense. Why do you ask?”

“Better to keep your enemies where you can see them.”

She snorted, “He’s well below the standard for an enemy, Phasma. He simply distrusts you with all his being, is all.”

“Uh huh. You don’t see the problem with that?”

Luna leaned in close to the drone, squinting, “You overestimate his capabilities and capacity for action.”

“Last time I underestimated a foe, I was left half-dead, down a leg, in intense pain, and lost beyond hope in the deep woods.” I cleared my throat and pushed down those memories, “I’d just like to keep a tab on what he is up to, is all.”

Luna scoffed again, “Are you not already doing that?”

“... Within reason,” I admitted. “There’s only so much spying we can get away with, Luna, let alone without your official approval.”

She leaned back from the drone, “Feh, nothing so far! My theory grows more sound by the second! Adopt a disguise, my little changeling.”

“Your changeling? My, Luna, I didn’t know we were married already.”

The Princess laughed, “Haha, perhaps we should! I would love nothing more than to elope and leave behind all those benchwarmers and busybodies who would be just as interested in the banquet table as the wedding.”

“You know, I am a Saint of my own religion,” I winked mischievously at her. “I could officiate our own wedding. We could get married somewhere romantic, say…. Shimmervale?”

I sensed a small spike of anger within Luna. Visibly, her hoof stopped writing and she paused in her examinations of the disguised drone.

“... I have told you already, Phasma. No. We cannot go to Nisir, not unless it is a matter of life and death. We must be seen here, presiding over Chrysalis’s trial.”

I crossed my hooves and grumbled angrily to myself– but my professional whinging was interrupted by the drone clearing his throat.

“You wish to go to Nisir, My King?”

“That’s right,” I answered.

He continued, “But you… have to be seen here, in Canterlot?”

“Which would make traveling a quarter of a continent away a bit difficult, yes.”

The drone pawed at the ground, clearly unsure if he should continue.

He did anyways, “What if… you just had two drones disguise as you two while you two left?”

I snorted derisively at the idea, and Luna initially followed suit. However, when she started to rub her chin, smile, and turn to me, I started shaking my head.

“Uh uh! No way, Luna! There’s a hundred and one ways it could go wrong, not to mention the first and most obvious way being the changeling on trial knowing it isn’t me. It’s stupid, it won’t work.”

But Luna just kept smiling.

“This is a terrible idea.”

“So you keep saying,” Luna responded out of the corner of her mouth, keeping her eyes forward.

“What if something goes wrong?” Phasma asked.

Luna risked a glance at her partner, “Then we handle it. We have three armies and two alicorns here in the city.”

“Not for long,” the King pointed out. “The bulk of the forces are moving out of this city this evening and making for the hills for their training exercise. That investigation is also under way, remember? This is a stupid idea, stupidly timed, and stupidly executed.”

“Will you two be silent?!” Celestia hissed. “Some discussion may be permitted, but you are lucky there is a mild sound dampener spell between us and the hundreds of ponies watching us.”

Luna resisted shaking her head in frustration, instead adopting the prim and perfect mannerisms taught to her, “Behave, Phasma, and we both get our reward.”

Her ear twitched at the quiet sound of gagging next to her.

Phasma shook his head, “Eugh! You do that far too easily, you know? Such a lack of decorum had seen a number of drones executed…”

Luna pointed towards Chrysalis, who was watching them out of the corner of her eye as a pony stood behind the witness stand, giving her testimony.

“Which is exactly why we are here, Phasma! Now hush!”

Without warning, a gust of wind brought in a small cloud of dust, condensing down into a letter that floated into Celestia’s waiting hooves. The Princess opened the sealed letter, drawing confused looks from the pair, and rapidly read through its contents.

“This week’s letter seems to have been written by Rainbow Dash,” she said quietly. As she read its contents, she slowly rotated it upside down, then right-side up, then upside down again. “... Reading is… something… everypony can enjoy? Inkwell, would you mind taking a message? I need to tell Twilight to offer hoofwriting classes to her friends.”

Phasma sighed, “... Why is it you are going along with this whole thing, Princess Celestia?”

“Because next week is my turn,” the white alicorn answered. “Now remain silent and look regal, young changeling, unless you want to explain to Phasma when he returns just why our plan was ruined on the very first day.”

I pulled the overcoat tighter around me, buttoning up the collar and pulling my hat down further on my head. Pony fur theoretically should have kept me warm just fine, as Luna and the rest seemed mostly okay in the winter cold, but I kept finding myself shivering. The freezing mountain air just cut straight through my jacket and pony disguise, no matter what I did.

“Bugs aren’t meant to be this far up north,” I lamented.

My marefriend turned away from the edge of the landing strip, “Then why did your ancestors build a city up here?”

I sniffed, getting close to the gray thestral and rubbing against her side, “Because they were stupid. Should’a made their place somewhere warmer. Why couldn’t ancient changeling society have dug their Hive into the pony-Bahamas?”

Luna giggled, “You were in such a rush to get up here, and now once we arrive you immediately start complaining? You are like a cat, Phasma. You want in the room, now you want out of the room, but wait no let me back in…!”

I reached down and held her hoof, “I’ll be a lot happier near a big fire. Come on, let’s get inside.”

I pointed the way forward, and Luna stepped ahead, leading the way into the small tunnel carved into the face of the mountain, away from the small airship we had taken here, and into Nisir. The back of my skull buzzed with the presence of the synthetic Weave, looming over and around me like a shadow.

30- Manifest Destiny

The walls of the tunnel pressed in around us, never more than a leg's length away to either side. The cart ahead of us, pulled by a sturdy changeling, rocked side to side as it was pulled over the bored-out and smoothed-over floor.

It would be some time before the tunnel from the base of Nisir's mountain to the city itself was anything more than a claustrophobic hallway. The fact that it had been bored out in such a relatively short amount of time was thanks only due to the power of magic and being a literal king. Getting blasting caps and permits was quite easy when you could say ‘I am dating your Princess, and also this mountain is mine.’ After all, Nisir was officially sovereign territory of the Fifth Hive, not Equestria.

The access tunnel was vital in cutting down the time it took to get into the city, even if it created a security concern. Supplies and personnel could be moved in and out a hundred times faster than scaling the mountain and dropping them in from the open hole in the ceiling. We would have to expand the tunnel's size and add proper gates to it later.

Warm, yellow-tinged light periodically flashed across our faces as we passed each enchanted gem mounted on the walls, the loaded cart ahead obscuring them until they were within reach. After a considerable amount of time walking, the pattern of lights were suddenly broken when the walls vanished, falling away and being replaced by distant, faintly visible metal plating far, far above our heads. We had passed the threshold of the tunnel and had finally arrived in the ancient changeling Hive.

For a moment, just long enough to send my heart racing, I imagined assassins on either side of the tunnel’s mouth, poised to cut me and Luna down. But when the moment passed, I breathed out slowly, my right hoof darting for Luna’s closest. That nearly tripped her up, but she took my hoof and gave me a smile as we walked into the city.

“Something on your mind?” Luna asked, leaning to the side away from me to look past the cart ahead.

“Just… worried about an ambush there. Now I’m thinking about other things.”

She squeezed my hoof, “Then by all means, talk away.”

I felt my ears pin backwards, flattening themselves along my fin, and I hummed the tune that had stolen my train of thought. “The world was young, the mountains green; no stain yet on the moon was seen. No words were laid on stream or stone, when Durin woke and walked alone…”

The alien warrior princess leaned back towards me, resting her head against my shoulder as we walked, her hips bumping against mine as I whisper-sung the old Tolkien poem. Snow crunched underhoof as we journeyed into the ruins. Our path was lit by metal gas lamps, their buzzing providing both light and warmth against the near-arctic cold. Stone, metal, snow and ice, and materials I could only guess at were piled high around us. The main road had been cleared, and clearly work had begun on preparing areas for both study and inhabitation, leaving detritus piled high and left to be ferried out of the hollow mountain. Though there were ample spots that would have been great for ambushes, I found that my focus was entirely on humming my tune and being with my marefriend in the moment.

“You’ve sung that before.”

I frowned, “I have? I mean, it is pretty catchy, so that’s no surprise.”

“It certainly has a charming spirit to it,” Luna remarked, leaning away from me as we turned a corner. “Your old language is so… rumbly.”

“Rumbly? Is that even a word?”

She giggled, “If it isn’t, I shall order the dictionaries to be amended so that it was always a word.”

I gasped, “You tyrant!”

Her giggles grew to quiet laughter, “Hahaha…! Hmmmm. This is… hardly an ideal spot for a quiet weekend, Phasma.”

“No, but I’ll take what moments I can get. That’s what you said to do, right?”

Luna grinned wider, “Ah, yes, that does sound wise enough to be my own words.”

Our caravan started to rise. The city slowly sunk beneath us as we climbed a great hill, arriving at the heart and nexus of the frostbitten ruins: the royal palace. Its new defenders stood high on the battlements and on either side of the barren gatehouse. The changelings refrained from saluting as the caravan passed though, instead looking straight ahead, as stoic as the fragmented remains of the statues that stood sentry on either side of the open gateway.

They undoubtedly knew I was traveling in the supply caravan, but I had called ahead to make sure everyling knew that Luna and I were in disguise. We had taken up disguises that wouldn't have held up to close scrutiny, but I figured that was fine. The caravan crew were all trustworthy ponies and loyal drones. Still, it was important to at least mitigate the odds of our charade being detected outside the controlled environment that was the First Hive's colony.

Speaking of my Weave, I noticed something else scratching at the back of my mind. Behind the powerful presence of the synthetic Weave within Panar's Gift, a weaker, nascent hivemind was pushing up like a flower springing from a forest floor.

‘Pharynx. Already, his Weave is strong enough to be felt at the due of the palace's grounds. This is really making me wish we had knowledge on what Weaves actually can do. Too many unknowns, too much lost knowledge…’

Continuing the metaphor of new life springing from old detritus, the colony within the heart of the dead city was first signaled by more paths cleared in the snow- and more accompanying magical street lamps that gave off heat as well as light, then by the occasional patrol of Red Right Hoof soldiers, then finally the non-combative members of the colony. Drones pushing wheelbarrows, ponies wrapped up in winter coats or with thick scarves tied around their neck walking in groups or carrying objects this way and that, and the occasional huddle of changelings and ponies around some ruin of the ancient Palace, pointing things out, digging them up, and casting spells on the stones.

‘The colony is bringing life back into this ancient ruin. Within a few years, I wonder what this place will look like. I wonder what opportunities it will give us. So much potential…’

Many perked up at our arrival, both for the promise of new food from the South, and for the arrival of their monarchs. The pony scientists, all verified and checked three times over before being accepted into the cooperative research program, weren't kept in the dark about our arrival. If they weren't interested in meeting me, then they most certainly would be interested in seeing their Princess.

Our caravan arrived at our final destination: a courtyard in the center of the ancient Palace. The space, formerly bare, was now stockpiled with crates, barrels, piles of rock and debris, and a large number of people working to offload the wagons. Drones and hired hooves worked as a well oiled machine to clean off each cart as they parked, while new arrivals were being directed into a line. Getting close to ponies again, Luna and I adopted our disguise’s personas, acting as newly-met colleagues once more.

The changeling giving directions to the new arrivals called out across the courtyard, “Cricket, so nice to have you back!”

The Infiltrator had arrived with our airship, giving me more of an excuse to come all this way North. I had wanted to see how she settled in. Unfortunately, the fact that we changelings can feel Weaves meant that hiding my presence from her was an impossible effort. That didn’t stop me from discretely leaning to the side to watch them.

“Latch!” Cricket greeted the drone from her spot at the front of the line.. “Yes, you’ve heard the good news, I’m sure; I’m not dead!”

“Trust goes both ways, you know,” Luna whispered to me.

“Shush, I’m watching my telenovela.”

The heavy stone doors slowly slid shut behind me, cutting off Luna’s and Cricket’s conversation. Before me, a grand space and roaring fireplace had quite clearly been the First Hive’s royalty’s favored relaxation room. Now, the chairs and tables that filled it could be described as anything but royal.

I knew for a fact that the Frostborn Expedition had sourced it from a cheap furniture shop in Shimmervale.

Prince Pharynx stood with his back to me, brooding as he stared out a window. If our species had arms instead of four legs, I was sure that he’d have them crossed, or behind his back, looking as regal and brooding as physically possible.

“Your Majesty,” he greeted me.

“Pharynx. There’s no need to stand on ceremony between us,” I said, breaking the ice and quickly getting closer to the warmth of the fire.

He half-turned his head towards me, staring at me with one eye, “I… need to talk to you, Phasmatodea.”

I snorted, “Yes, I got that from your request to speak to me in private. If this is about this colony, there’s no need to have it behind closed doors. Anything that can be said to me, can also be said to Luna.”

One of his ears flicked in irritation, “No. Or, I suppose, it does have to do with the colony… I have been thinking. Thinking a lot, actually. There’s not much else for me to do up here than to… contemplate.”

When he turned back to the window– which had been replaced with a small gem projecting a forcefield to keep the cold out, glass was hard to bring in here, I cleared my throat, “Go ahead.”

“... I am stepping down as leader of this small Hive. I cannot remain here in Nisir, not for a single night longer. If I must, I will resign my post as Prince to do so. It… never meant much to me, anyways.”

“Oh,” I grunted in surprise. “That’s… Okay. I guess I can find someone else to lead this place. Worst case scenario, I’ll teach the drones how to do elections.”

Pharynx’s eyes snapped to me, confusion and frustration as plain as day written across his features, “What?! What do you mean, ‘okay?’”

Now it was my turn to be confused, “What do you mean, ‘what do you mean?’ I said I’ll find someone else.”

“... That’s it? I said I’m quitting and you are just accepting it?!”

I glanced side to side, “Should… I argue? Did you want me to argue?”

Pharynx stamped a hoof in frustration, “Yes! N-no... I… I expected you to. You forced me to come here as punishment, after all.”

“Punishment?” I echoed. “Pharynx, I needed a commander who could oversee and plan defensive embarkations and create contingencies. I assume these are all in place?”

“Of course! That took me a week, not a day more!”

I shrugged, “Then you can leave. I’ll need you or someone else just as powerful here when the night draws closer and the Umbrum are clawing at our door, but until then it’s okay.”

The newly-risen Prince stalked closer to me. At this close distance, I could feel his new Weave. It was… different. I knew the strange brushing sensation from my time near Chrysalis, and this mountain held another Weave– albeit synthetic, and from his Weave I could grasp ideas and concepts that were entirely new to me. That being said, most of the knowledge within his Weave was about how to fight.

‘He’d make a good training commander, now that I think about it. If drones can pull any concept from our Weaves, and his is filled with his skill and experience, he could impart that knowledge onto any warrior…’

“You ordered me to be here. You shut me down when I protested. You condemned me to this frozen hellhole. But now you cave at the slightest push?!” His voice raised to a yell as he pushed me back, “Day by day, never seeing the sun, shivering in the dark, forced to look out this damn window and see the spot where I will die- and for what?!”

“I-”

But he continued, “There was no real reason to keep me here! If you were not punishing me, why exile me?! If you had no other orders for me, why was I kept here?!”

“Pharynx?”

“What?!” He barked, snarling as he pressed me against the wall I backed up into.

Slowly, I reached up and placed my hoof over his, pressing down to lower both from my chest. I looked down into the smaller prince's eyes, trying my best to figure out a solution to this.

“I said I needed you here to plan the defense. This is the battlefield that will decide if everyone on this planet lives or dies. I'm sorry that you were kept here longer than needed; things are busy down south, to the point where I have not been able to check up on your progress until now. I put you here because you are the greatest military commander that I can trust, Pharynx. I entrusted you with the task of starting the defenses of the most important battle for a reason.”

“And now that the plans are made?!” He growled.

“You are relieved of duty,” I said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Someone else will take over.”

Pharynx grabbed my hoof and pushed it off his shoulder, “I am leaving! The sooner I get out of this place, the better. I will not spend my last months in my grave.”

I frowned, “Pharynx, what's all this about your death? Is there something you want to tell me? Is the city undefendable?”

The little prince froze, “No! That's not… it doesn't matter, nevermind.”

“Clearly, it does matter, Pharynx.”

Slowly, he looked over his shoulder at the shielded window.

I tried again, “Pharynx. Pharynx, look at me. Is there something you want to tell me? Something you need to?”

I watched as he struggled to find the words. His mouth opened and closed. His eyes darted to the side.

“... A soldier's duty is to protect the Hive at all costs.”

“Aye,” I said, still unsure of what he was talking about. “And this battle will likely result in many deaths, but there's no need to be so fatalistic about it. There is always hope.”

“Not for me,” he whispered.

I tried again to physically reassure him. This time, I pressed a hoof against his chest. He reached up and grabbed it, as if he intended to push me away again. Yet he didn't, instead choosing to stand there, holding onto my fetlock.

“Pharynx?”

He looked up at me, “I don't wanna die. It's different. It's not doing my duty, it's… It feels like jumping into the mandible of an Uttu spider, Phasma. Every day, I share out and see the skulls and my own body. It's there, I swear it- I can still picture the steam rising from my own blood. I don't wanna die, not when I finally have my little brother back again.”

“Pharynx,”I said, getting an understanding of what was going on, “Thorax had mentioned you saw something when you Ascended. What was it?”

“My corpse,” he growled, equal amounts of hatred and dread in his voice. “There were other bodies, but mine was the freshest. I was bleeding and h-headless, unm-moving… I don't… Phasma, w-what was it like to die?”

“There's no-”

“Don't lie to me. Please.”

I sighed, “Fine. You really wanna know? It was painful, slow, cold, and agonizingly lonely. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

In the silence between us, I swore I could hear the echo of the gunshot.

“No,” he admitted. “But it's what I needed to hear. I don't know what to do. What… what do I do, My King?”

I glanced down, seeing that he still held onto me, “First thing will be to get you out of here. Then I guess you'll need therapy.”

Pharynx grimaced, “Is that really… beneficial?”

“For some people. Not really for me,” I revealed. “It's worth a shot. Next, you're going to have to tell Thorax. I think he's been worried about you.”

He stiffened, “I would rather not. He has enough to worry about-”

“Tell him!” I hissed. “He can handle it, and you need the help you can get!”

His gaze– and hoof– dropped to the floor. My foreleg followed suit as he collected himself.

“Yes… Yes, you’re right, My King. Thorax deserves to know. He’s not the nymph who was banished from the Hive anymore, he’s got chitin thick enough now. Heh, that sounds like a pony lesson, getting him kicked out to let him grow and all that.”

“If you love someone, set them free,” I quoted. “If they love you, they’ll come back. Typically for lovers, but I think it can be applied to any friendship or kinship.”

Pharynx grimaced, “Just because you hang out with him, doesn’t mean you have to quote him.”

“It’s a saying from my world, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it exists here.” I sighed, “Besides, Thorax doesn’t talk to me nowadays.”

“What? Why?”

I shrugged, “I ordered the assassination of Tarsus without his approval.”

The little prince blinked, then nodded slowly, “Yeah that’ll piss him off. I’m still mad at you, you know.”

“That’s fair.”

“You shouldn’t have forgotten me up here.”

I rolled my eyes, “Yes, I apologize for that. I’ve been busy with Chrysalis’s trail, Division-P, traitors within the E.U.P., creating an empire from scratch– no, worse from that, from various broken pieces that will kill you if not slotted in correctly, combat training, magical education and experimentation, running an expanding corporate empire, and dealing with Coxa when he doesn’t get his morning coffee.”

“I’m more important than at least half of those,” Pharynx insisted.

“Now, do you want to go skulk in Shimmervale for the next two days until the next airship gets here, or will you join our tour of Nisir?”

He grunted, “I’ll give you your damn tour. Come on, let’s get to where the eggheads are nested. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”

The egghead nest in question was a large room with both a fireplace in use and a far wall of windows, now replaced with shimmering fields.

Once it may have been a sitting room or large bedchamber, but now it was filled with desks, filing cabinets, boxes, and arcane devices. The combination of scrolls piled high on desks, chairs pulled close to the fireplace, and warm yellow lights gave the place a very cozy atmosphere to it. In fact, it was so cozy that one of the ponies inside was happily snoozing away at his desk, snoring loudly and undoubtedly earning some severe neck pain when he woke up.

“This is the main research lab,” Sting explained as she led Luna, Pharynx, and myself into the room. “There are supporting research spaces around the castle, but this is the main one. Keeps the warmth the most, y'know?”

The drone was eventually put in charge of the changelings’ side of things, both by virtue of her skill and by virtue of the fact that I had put her on the spot to explain everything way back when we first found the city.

‘I swear if these buggy bastards start electing leaders based on how many words I've spoken to them, I'll have to kick some asses.’

Luna and I nodded while Pharynx grunted a response, “Yeah. They've been hauling the bits and pieces of this dump into the other labs to study, while keeping the juicier morsels in this room.”

Sting smiled abashedly as she backwards-shuffled towards the sleeping pony. Reaching out a hindhoof, the drone kicked the pony's rear, sending him lurching off the chair in the other direction. Said pony, colored black with a white mane and tail, squawked in surprise as he scrambled to his hooves.

“What the hay was that for, Sting?!”

Sting smiled in a manic fashion before she gestured towards us, “Naper, this is His Majesty King Phasmatodea, Her Highness Princess Luna, and of course His Highness Prince Pharynx- which you already knew.”

The pony dropped into a bow- and I swore I heard his neck and back cracking from the stretch all the way across the room.

“Your Highness…es! And… Majesty!” He exclaimed, raising from his bow and tripping over his words as he finally took in our presence.

His gaze lingered on me longer than on Luna, as he drew himself up taller. I tried my best to ignore the familiar cocktail of emotions suddenly sent my way.

“Would,” he said quietly, licking his lips. As an afterthought, he continued, “... you excuse my impropriety! I am Naper, head of the Royal Institute of Canterlot's archeology department! Or, at least, I was. I'd gotten bored of the politics of the office, and preferred to have my nose buried somewhere else other than books.”

He stared up at me, smiling as I turned towards Sting, “Right. Sorry about the sudden intrusion, I realize that our visit was more or less a surprise. I hope I didn't trouble you too much?”

“Not at all!” Naper beamed. “We live to serve you!”

Sting pantomime gagging behind Naper's back, “To be honest, My King, we have been scrambling to get things ready and presentable for you. Naper here fell asleep compiling the summaries and practicing his presentation notes.”

Suddenly remembering the existence of his papers, the black earth pony sauntered over to his desk, grabbing a few and fixing a pair of small yellow reading glasses to his muzzle.

“Analysis on the city has yielded a number of interesting finds,” the pony began. “We've had to split up into a few different teams to handle our biggest projects. Namely, we have the records team, the Adamantium team, and the anthropology team.”

“Fascinating,” Luna said in an impressively flat tone.

“Now, Princess,” I chided, “just because you find things boring doesn’t mean they aren’t important.”

“Some creativity could go a long way,” she shot back.

I pursed my lips, “Fine. Naper, Sting. These three teams have been renamed to Team A, Team One, and Team Blue. It’s up to you all to figure out which is which.”

Luna giggled, “Better!”

“Hardly,” Sting groaned. “I mean much better, Your Highness and future Queen of our Hive!”

“Now strike the names because they will get confusing,” I said.

“Tch, bore!” Luna admonished.

“This… records team,” I ventured, “what have they found?”

Naper smiled, “Quite a lot, as it turns out. Come, I will show you the goods!”

Pharynx lifted a hoof, “Wait.”

Naper faltered, “Prince Pharynx? Is something wrong?”

Pharynx paused, shook his head, and cleared his throat, “Save them for last.” He turned to me, “Their finding is the most dramatic, and your tour here should end on a high note.”

I nodded, “Alright, then. Sounds like a plan, Pharynx.”

“Or don’t,” he quickly added. “You’re the king, not me.”

I turned away from the tsundere Prince, “Naper, Sting. Let’s start with anthropology.”

“It wasn’t easy, learning how ponies– or rather, changelings– lived ten thousand years ago,” Naper began. “But without hard work and getting our hooves dirty, our efforts were rewarded with a huge load. Of findings, that is!” He added, winking at me.

‘Between ponies fawning over me and ponies fawning over Luna, I’d like to think I have the better deal. At least no one is erecting secret shrines in my honor… that I know of.’

31- Vulcan

“Though faded over the course of ten thousand years, strong preservation spells were laid over the First Hive as a whole,” Sting explained, leading us to the far side of the research lab.

“It didn’t save everything,” Naper added, walking side-by-side with the drone. “But coupled with the isolated nature of the city, there is far more intact in Nisir than what could be expected from a city whose age is measured in millennia. The whole place was hermetically sealed and forgotten, disturbed only by earthquakes and the cold blade of time.”

Luna frowned. “Earthquakes? Is that the cause of the cracking and collapse of the buildings here? I would have assumed that the damage would be more severe if the ground itself was seeking to bury this city.”

“Not at all,” Naper countered, bowing slightly to the Princess. “Earthquakes happen all the time, just rarely in the strength capable of shaking cities, which I’m sure is the kind you’re thinking of, Princess. Enough movement could cause stresses and cracks in the buildings overtime, weakening them. The fact that most still stand is a testament to ancient changeling building and enchantment techniques. I dare say that at its height, it may have even rivaled Canterlot’s macro-engineering in its complexity!”

Sting scoffed, “With the dead sun that hangs above this city? I think it’s easy to see how it shined brighter than the capital of your empire, Naper.”

The pony pursed his lips and nodded, “True! These ancient changelings have gone farther than most science fiction authors dreamed possible! Now, with other ruins, we have to resort to things like pottery, paintings on ceramics, sculptures, and surviving knowledge to piece together how those long past lived. However! Nisir is unlike most ruins; we have scraps of actual records and physical paintings that we have recovered. We recovered this one from the throne room.”

Naper pointed out to a space on the wall, where a tattered piece of painted cloth hung in a frame. Three panels stacked on top of each other of varying quality held faded pictures of changelings. The top and bottom were ragged and threadbare, the image only partially visible. The center panel only had the sides cut off, providing the most intact image. The top depicted the bottom right half of… something pink. A heart, perhaps, judging by the downward curve at the top? Rays of pink spread out from it, like how sun rays were depicted. Both ponies and changelings gathered to the side in a crowd. In the second panel, changelings were seen bringing amphoras of pink to a royal changeling who sat upon the throne, wearing the same crown as the one adorning the skeleton sitting there. The final panel showed the crowned royal before several kneeling royals. At the forefront was Princess Arista Narmer, the pale gold changeling who had recorded the four crystals I viewed when I first arrived in this city. The rest were colored dark green and light red, with another being torn away and only their bowed head visible on the surviving shred of the painting.

“One monarch, and several others below him,” Sting remarked. “That one at the front is Princess Arista Narmer, the one you described from the crystal recording.”

“Correct,” I muttered, rubbing my chin. “That must mean the crowned one is the Emperor Megatypus, who Princess Arista mentioned briefly.”

“And whose skeleton sits on the throne to this day,” Naper concluded. “At least, so we assume. There’s always the chance that a different royal took up the crown and seat at the last minute.”

“We already know that Nisir grew fat on the Crystal Heart’s love,” Luna said. “That much was revealed through the first visions. This piece of art, while resplendent in its antiquity, ultimately tells us nothing new.”

Naper shrugged, “It does hint at the existence of other royals besides the Princess that were present within Nisir. This was the first major discovery within the Palace; we started from the throne room and radiated our search outwards from there. The amount of findings has been… staggering, to the point where we have quickly run out of room to properly study and display everything. Most of it is deteriorated scraps that can only be appreciated for the very, very small glimpses into what life was like ten thousand years ago. Bits of plates, pottery, scraps of paper that hold a few words, so on. The cutlery survived mostly intact, in case you are interested in several hundred forks, knives, and spoons.”

I blinked in surprise, “Forks, knives, and spoons? These changelings were eating physical foods regularly?”

“Apparently,” Sting smiled. “Speaks volumes of their ability to afford luxuries, doesn’t it? Also makes you wonder if the other two previous Hives had that luxury, or if it was until the Fifth that changelings could eat pony foods again. We’ve also been mapping out the city as a whole, both for study and for defenses. This place had it all, King Phasma! Food stores- both physical and what we assume is love storage, ample housing, bathhouses, and… stuff! From what we can tell, the housing goes several layers under the street level. We’ve been mostly avoiding exploring those, out of fear that there might be connections to the Underhive. It’s taking some time, but we’re going tunnel by tunnel and mapping the whole underground. So far, it doesn’t seem like anything gets close to the Underhive connection in the middle of the city, but there’s no telling if something burrowed up from there.”

“I’ve heard plenty of tales of that place from your kind,” Luna said, glancing downward at the floor beneath her. “I can’t imagine you could sleep soundly at night knowing there might be an open passage to that Tartarus…”

“We’ve seen no signs of wildlife native to the Underhive,” Pharynx said confidently. “Trust me, I know what that looks like.”

Suddenly, I was reminded of the fact that hundreds, if not thousands of changelings had died down there in the past year, working to tunnel all the way over to Canterlot. It’s a damn shame their sacrifices are for nothing, as there is no way to secure that tunnel against burrowers for future use. Nor was there any reason to go back to the Fourth Hive.

“The structures of the homes have revealed something rather peculiar,” Sting moved the conversation along. “They seem to be stacked, vertically speaking. There are many tunnels that connect the warrens, but by and large all the underground chambers lie beneath the hoofprint of the estate above.”

“We believe they are servants,” Naper added. “Or changelings pledged to the manor’s owners. The city is divided by loyalties to the upper class.”

I shifted on my hooves uncomfortably, “This is the first Hive we’ve seen with nobles, then. I wonder, were these nobles all royals?”

“As a matter of fact,” Sting began with a wide smile, “the proportions of all the doors and halls in the manors fit that idea!”

“There must have been dozens of royals, then,” Luna remarked. “At least a hundred!”

“How far down do they go?” I asked.

Naper licked his lips and glanced beneath my chest, “We’ve been seeing how far down we can go, but it’s slow work. Takes a lot of practice and patience…”

String shook her head, “For the love of– at least a dozen levels. We haven’t been able to go further than that yet. There’s also evidence of some larger chambers down there: common rooms and the like.”

“Like… the Fifth Hive?” I ventured.

“Precisely!” Naper beamed. “There is a whole city beneath this city! We are merely scraping the surface of it all!”

I whistled, “Damn. Just how many lings lived in this city?”

Sting glanced at some charts on one of the desks, “That depends on how compact the drones’ living situation was. If it was like Canterlot, easily ninety thousand. If it was like the Fourth Hive, we’re looking at half a million.”

“Half a million,” I echoed. “... And we’re what, fifteen thousand now? Seventeen? Half a million in this city, and there were six other cities just like it across the globe…”

“We haven’t found anything to do with the other cities mentioned in the record you saw,” Sting said. “Sorry, My King.”

“Perhaps in time, we might find those lost civilizations, too,” Luna offered a smile, “What else can you tell us about these ancient people?”

Naper scratched his neck, “Uh… they ate physical food?”

“Perhaps it’s best if we move on,” Sting suggested. “We’re still piecing everything together, and getting this place habitable takes up more time than you’d think.”

“What next? Adamantium?” I asked.

“Adamantium, My King,” Sting smiled. She grabbed a necklace from a nearby desk and tossed it over to Naper, who caught it in his hooves. “I’ll go get the others. You cover the basics and bring ‘em over, Naper.”

With that, the drone made for the door.

“You got it,” Naper winked at Sting before turning his attention to us. “This here is one of the disguise necklaces recovered from, uh… from Lantern Night.”

The reminder froze me in place. It was only when Luna stepped closer to me and brushed against my side did I let out the breath I was holding.

“The other copies are being transferred up from Canterlot,” Naper continued, “the ones that aren’t going to be used, at least. We’ve recovered all of Division-P’s research notes on them. They are… mostly functional, as you’ve seen. But mostly functional comes with plenty of problems. But! You’re not here to hear about the necklaces, you’re here to hear about Adamantium.”

“There’s not much info we have on it,” I admitted. “The records were… thin, and the knowledge that Chrysalis was willing to share was even thinner.”

Naper held out the necklace, letting the segmented green pieces of metal dangle, “With patience and hard work, and a lot of getting our hooves nice and dirty, we’ve managed to coax out a load of information.”

“Ugh,” I gagged, immediately trying my best to ignore the mental image the pony was putting in my head. “Less innuendos when talking about my mother, please and thank you.”

“Sorry,” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “But uh… Yeah she has talked a lot more since you last tried to pry that information from her. In exchange for some amenities– all authorized by Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, or Princess Cadance– we’ve learned the process for smelting Adamantium.”

Luna frowned, “I authorized no such exchange.”

Naper froze, “No? Uh. You may need to… audit the security in and around her holding cell, then.”

“Vicious snake,” I heard Luna curse under her breath. “I see. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Naper. Please, continue.”

“Right! Anyways, we’ve recorded that info and made copies in triplicate. One copy for up here, one copy in the Royal Palace’s restricted archives, and one extra copy for the Fifth Hive’s Crystal Caverns’ library.”

“We have a library?” I asked. “Wait, we made copies of that information? Isn’t that… supposed to be a state secret?”

“The making of the copies was approved by your office,” Naper frowned.

“It was?!” I gasped.

‘Wait, is this some deep conspiracy and plot by Division-P to coax out information from the changelings again? Are they plotting to get all the information on processing Adamantium so they- oh wait.’

“Wait, no, it was,” I said, relaxing again. “Sorry, I've been signing a lot of paperwork recently. I think I was worried about that knowledge being lost to time, and figured that the metal being so scarce would mean that the knowledge itself isn’t exactly important enough to keep secret.”

The pony nodded before continuing, “This metal is nothing short of a miracle. Other comparable materials, such as gold, enchantable silks, and gems lack the longevity, purity, and strength offered by Adamantium. This wondrous metal you changelings discovered is nothing short of the world’s only perfect palimpsest; any number of enchantments can be placed, erased, and written over on Adamantium without losing any potency of the enchanting medium. It’s the perfect blank slate! And that’s not even getting to the amount of enchantments it can hold, which we have yet to discover an upper limit on!”

This piqued Luna’s interest, whose ears shot upwards, “No upper limit? Not even the most pure of diamonds can boast that. What are the drawbacks of Adamantium?”

Naper set the necklace down, “The obvious: aside from the mountain of the stuff lying in the middle of the city, the occasional artifact from here, King Phasma’s war hammer, and his broken-down peytral that Division-P divided up, there exists no significant quantity of Adamantium. What we have is all we’ll get. That is unless you were planning a trip to the Underhive?”

“No!” I said a bit too loudly.

“Definitely not,” Pharynx agreed. “We lost so many soldiers just scraping by the top layer of that underworld. Adamantium and Mithril are found only in the lowest layer.”

“Oh, Mithril,” Naper said, looking longingly at the ceiling above him. “What we’d all give to study that mysterious substance…”

“I’m not breaking God-Splitter,” I shot him down.

“I know, Your Majesty. Moving on, I believe it is time for our two-fold test!”

“What kind of test?” Luna asked.

Naper made for the door, “... Can I use my innuendos again?”

I grunted, “I’d prefer it if you didn’t.”

He turned to face me while walking, “Pleeeeeeeeea–”

“Fine!”

“Yes!” He pumped a hoof. “So this test has some walking to get to. We– and by we I mean ponies and changelings who like metal, rocks, and gems a bit too much– have been looking at the old forge district of the city. Judging by the information from Chrysalis, we have positively identified an Adamantium forge. There’s more, too, with an iron forge and an alloy forge. Bronze, maybe. Looks like Nisir had very successful mines down below, sourcing not only iron, but also coal, copper, and a little bit of tin. Mostly coal, though. We’re still scratching our heads when it comes to how they got all the materials to match their coal production… maybe stole it from shipments from Griffonia?”

“Where’s the innuendo in all of that?” I found myself asking.

Naper smiled coyly, “It lies with the answer to the question: where were the changelings bringing in resources from? Currently, it seems as if the city was entirely hermetically sealed from the outside world. But there simply must be an entrance! The changelings must have been discretely receiving loads through a back door…”

“Alright,” I sighed, “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“You really should not have,” Luna agreed.

Naper must have run out of talking points as the rest of our trek passed along in silence. I took the time to admire the forlorn ruins of this ancient Palace as we walked through its halls. The kind of decoration and life it saw in its hay day must have been something to behold. Eventually, we passed through the Palace’s threshold and entered the proper, crossing a bridge over what had once been a canal or moat.

We walked up to an abandoned train station, a small open little platform that sat flush against the edge of the former canal. Naper hopped down onto the track, and we all followed suit. An assortment of guards joined us as we trotted across the rail line. The tracks cut above what used to be the wide park below, the one that separated the three inner districts from the massive sprawl hugging the edge of the cavern. It was raised above the ground, like a speed rail or aqueduct, giving us a gorgeous view of the snow-covered tomb. Our destination was the nearby forge district, filled with low, square-ish buildings and countless trail lines. The re-sealed entrance to the Underhive loomed nearby, like a large open plaza, leveled flat and paved over in metal.

‘The world was fair in Durin’s day…’

Rows of statutes of changelings stood across the walls as we entered the largest forge. They lacked any holes seen in drones of this age, instead each statue was as solid as the stone that they were carved from. With enough hard angles and straight lines to remind me only of a Tolkien dwarf hold, the forge’s interior was a spacious temple that stole sound with its majesty. The snow covered the grounds near the chimney chutes, open gateways, and near holes in the ceiling, but the rest of the workshop had been left exposed.

Bare from the beginning, it lost no luster or glory in ten thousand years of abandonment. Burnished copper, iron, gold, and more coated the walls, floor, and ceiling in intricate lattice work patterns. The statues were adorned with oversized suits of armor that matched the ones we liberated from the Palace’s armory, but with far more adornments of gems: beryl, pearl, and opal pale studded barrel plates, vambraces, grieves, and boots like kings of Earth could only dream of Diamonds, rubies, gold, and more wreathed iron peytrels, helmets, and spears and swords gripped in unmoving hooves, gleaming bright in the light spells cast by our party.

Then there was the forge itself. It cut the vast space in three parts, taking up the majority of the center. On either side, smaller workstations, forges, anvils, tool sets, unfinished works of armor and weapons, tools, and construction materials lay where their masters had set them down before their doom, never to pick them back up. Carts full of ore had been pushed against the low circular forges, ready for processing. Many more empty carts stood quiet on tracks, awaiting their duty and cargo.

‘This is more than a forge. This is a temple. To what, to whom, we may never know, but this was where the changelings of ages past made their proudest works…’

“They were cut down by the hundreds,” I whispered, my voice carrying across the empty hall.

Savage rends, gashes, and blown-out walls littered the sacred space. Spellfire had scorched many walls and floors black, crystalizing where the dark magic coalesced. Many of the completed suites of armor had been ripped to shreds, punctured and cut through, and sorted by the dozens in one of the corners. Beside the tomb of hundreds of suits, broken spears and swords lay in neat lines.

The archaeologists had cleared the remains of an ancient massacre from this hall. Nothing had remained, nothing save for the armor and weapons where the ancient heroes fell. Here, in a room that held more glory and splendor than I had ever seen on Earth, and would never see again until I stepped hoof in Canterlot’s Palace. Here, where the greatest works of an entire civilization were forged into being. Here, where hundreds fought for everything they knew and were cut down by the Nightmares that must have flooded the city.

“They were cut down in the thousands,” Luna corrected me. Her eyes scanned the room, picking out details that I missed in my reverence, “Look there. And across that wall. And these gashes across the metal grate beneath our hooves. These were directed attacks. This is… this is not just a slaughter, it was a battlefield. That workstation right there, that was a holdout. This main thoroughfare, a killing ground. That gate right there– blown inwards– a bulwark fallen.”

I twirled around, following her hoof as she pointed out each and every detail. In my mind, the phantom sounds of ringing anvils and the hiss of molten metal were dashed away, replaced with the clattering of swords and spears, the crying of the dying, and the wicked hellfire of spells.

“This was a last stand,” I realized, feeling my chest starting to hurt. “The guards of Nisir made their stand here– not the Palace! This is their tomb! But… why? Why here?!”

“Noling knows,” Pharynx answered, stepping forward to admire an even gash through the stone, as deep as a pony’s foreleg. “This was the only large battlefield we found. Everywhere else… the guards died in squads. But here? Hundreds.”

“Thousands,” Luna corrected him, slowly spinning around as she gazed at the chaos.

Pharynx grunted, “We recovered over three hundred sets of destroyed armor–”

“Thousands of souls met their end here!” Luna insisted. “The fights– the battles– the sheer destruction speaks of no fewer!”

“... Then where are the rest?” Naper asked. “Prince Pharynx is correct, we’ve positively identified the equipment for five hundred thirty-two soldiers.”

I felt a chill stab through my body as I spoke the words, “They marched to the Crystal Empire. He took them, all of them.”

Pharynx squinted at me, “What do you mean?”

“The Third Hive… The Nightmare there, The Prophet, he commanded a legion of the dead. Hundreds of skeletons rose to unlife, with the sole intent of killing us.”

Naper glanced at the stacked ruined sets of armor, “All the armor sets we found in here were completely destroyed.”

“There was nothing left for their users to be reanimated,” I hissed. “That bastard!” I stomped, ringing the metal track underhoof, “He slaughtered the people of Nisir and used their corpses as soldiers in his army of Nightmares!”

“What?!” A new voice gasped from the door.

I turned to see Sting leading a large group of changelings and ponies inside. I stood up straighter, burying the hatred and fear as I addressed them.

“This is the final resting place of Nisir’s finest. This forge complex was where the changelings made their last stand.”

“We knew there was a fight here,” Sting nodded as everyone filed in. “But a last stand? As in, for the entire city?”

Luna chimed in, “It has been eons since I’ve seen a battlefield of such caliber. Of this, I am certain.”

“Why would they fight here and not the Palace?” One of the new drones asked.

The changelings and ponies were caught between bowing to me and Luna and discussing the new disturbing finding amongst themselves.

‘We are standing in history. This room, this building, witnessed so much and stood for so long… It feels thick around me, like I’m swimming in water. With a nudge, I push away someone’s last moments. I turn my head and catch a glimpse of a heroic sacrifice. I know my drones and the ponies here are professionals and carefully cataloged every detail before moving the armor, but… Recolonization has never felt so wrong.’

“... This isn’t why we were brought here,” another pony mumbled.

“No, it isn’t,” I agreed, turning back to Naper. “We will have to leave questions for later. We have so much to learn about Nisir’s last day. What was it that brought us here, Naper?”

“The, uh… forge,” he said quietly, staring at the archived armor sets. “Sting…”

Sting hurried over, “We are ready to restart the forge, My King. This place used to forge iron primarily, with one central forge dedicated to Adamantium. Naper is suggesting we may need to consider studying the room with our new understanding.”

“It is important to have a full study of any archeological sites…” I agreed, trailing off. “You all did your duty, did you not? Every item cataloged, every detail recorded, pictures taken, videos recorded?”

Sting looked up at me, “Yes, King Phasma. We are ready to begin forging as soon as possible. Shall we proceed?”

“But we may need to reexamine certain finds!” Naper insisted.

The two started bickering, and a slight shrug from Luna told me that she had no opinion on the matter.

‘Restarting the forges. A nice gesture, a symbol for starting anew. But is it worth compromising the forge’s ancient battleground? We’ve already cleared out most of it… What are we ultimately gaining from the forge being fired up today?’

I looked past everyone, towards a pair of open doors at the far end. The sealed gate to the Underhive lay beyond, illuminated with the lamps that were cropping up around the city. Its new makeshift center faintly glowed purple with arcane energy.

‘There’s no telling how strong the temporary seal is. If we can reforge the Adamantium door, we can safely secure the main entrance to the deep. I’d rather not have this place go the way of Moria, but that means ensuring that the colony isn’t slaughtered.’

“What do we do, King Phasma?” One of the drones called out, ending the small arguments that had cropped up.

As all eyes turned to me, I answered, “Safety is our number one priority. The temporary seal on the Underhive entrance may eventually prove itself not up to the task, and the entrance is too large to collapse safely. Nisir is to start repairs on the gate immediately. The forges shall be brought to life and the Fifth Hive will station no less than two hundred of its finest monster hunters on guard, to protect everyone against enemies below… and above.”

“As you command,” Sting bowed deeply.

“Pharynx,” I addressed the Prince. “You will pick out the best warriors for this assignment.”

“Most of them are already in your little cooperation project with the Royal Guard,” he pointed out.

“Then pick the next best.”

“As you command,” he said, half-heartedly. “But I don’t need to be here to do that.”

I was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of this place not having a heavy-hitter such as a royal or an alicorn. But with Pharynx throwing in the towel, there simply was no choice but to accept this.

“Now. With that settled, it is time to breathe life into this old forge once more. Sting, Naper, let’s get this ball rolling.”

The main control room was stationed right next to the doors we came in through, sitting high and overlooking the whole forge. It seemed frivolous and useless in the grand scheme of things, but perhaps whoever was in charge of this clearly-considered holy place wanted a clear view of every workstation. The controls themselves consisted of one large panel at the front of the room, sitting in the middle of a wall-sized window out into the workshop. Levers, smashed and faded gems, and a few unidentified contraptions were torn to shreds. Whoever had died here long ago had put up one hell of a fight.

“– lava pools beneath the city. From our magical scans, it seems that the whole mineshaft into the Underhive is surrounded by the magma,” Naper was explaining. “A nice, warm space, wrapping around the shaft and keeping it snug.”

“Like a moat?” I suggested.

“Precisely!” He beamed. “We can’t tell how thick the mineshaft walls are, or if there are magical protections keeping them secured against the magma cavern. None of us dare to breach the temporary seal to get a better look, so our initial scans are all the info we have.”

Luna looked out into the forge by my side, “And the warrens that the changelings inhabited do not intersect with this lava cave?”

“They all seem to end at least halfway into that empty area between the outer ring and the three central circles,” Sting offered. “Long before approaching the magma.”

“Deeply penetrating scanner spells suggest the presence of canals throughout that would channel the magma underneath the city,” Naper continued explaining. “Your Majesty is welcome to try his own deep penetrating spells, if he wants to see for himself…?”

“Yeah you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I said under my breath. “I wonder if that’s a system to heat up the entire city. What are the odds of us flooding the warrens with lava if this pump system works? Surely in ten thousand years breaches would have formed due to earthquakes and shifting rock.”

“It is very likely,” one of the ponies, a geologist, chimed in from the crowd at the back of the room.

“You said it yourself,” Pharynx told me, “the Adamantium gate must be reforged as soon as possible. If we lose a few tunnels, then so be it.”

“So be it,” I agreed. “I am ready to begin.”

Sting levitated over a large scroll, placing it before me on the control panel.

“Here’s the ceremony Chrysalis uses for the Fourth Hive’s forge. The instructions are written between the passages. Pull those three levers on the left side, twist that knob, and push the red ruby on the right side. That turned the pumps on in our test run.”

“... They had big red buttons ten thousand years ago?” I asked, eyebrows raised as I stared at the gargantuan ruby.

“Big red buttons?” she echoed.

“Nevermind. Electricity stuff,” I dismissed her. “Another hallmark of civilization, I guess. Farming, religion, permanent settlements, and big red buttons… Roll cameras!”

Behind me, two separate teams of changelings and ponies turned massive camera units on. Film rolls clicked as they churned, the devices quietly thrummed to life. One pony, wearing a headset, gave me a nod. I turned back to the panel and scroll, scooting a large, old-timey ring-and-spring microphone closer to me.

Gently, I picked up the large scroll, and slowly unfurled it, falling to my haunches so I could use both forehooves. Clearing my throat, I read the words loudly for everyone to hear.

“By the grace of Panarthropo, Weaver of the known universe, under the aspect of creation, I, King Phasmatodea of the Fifth Hive, Pontiff of the Hive Eternal, consecrate this forge!”

I paused, pulling the three levers on the left side. Alone both sides of the forge, small hatches ground open as steam escaped into the air.

“Let her hoof guide our hammers. Let her voice inspire greatness. Let her will be done, here and now, forever and always!”

Turning the dial, the floor beneath our hooves began to rumble. Massive metal gears began to turn along the walls. Belts wrapped gears shook to life, straining under pressure as they moved. A few snapped, the renewed strain proving too much for whatever ancient, enchanted material they were made from. One set of gears creaked loudly before tipping to the side and falling off entirely from the wall. Yet overall, the entire forge slowly began to come to life.

“We thank the Goddess for the bounty she has provided. We honor the sacrifices made to bring it to our anvil. And now, we shall reshape the heavens. As it is woven, so it shall be!”

I gave the big red button a dramatic slam, the ruby clicking as it was pushed into a recessed position. Great sluice gates ground open, rusty metal flaking as they scraped against their guards. The glow came first; distant, growing in luminosity, and unmistakable orange. When the molten rock emerged, it flowed slowly, pushed along by the magma pumped up behind it.

It flowed freely into thin channels into the stone paths, splitting off into the side forges. Each forge began to glow yellow and orange as the molten rock began to pool in the metal and stone vats. The white light given off by the lamps mixed with the orange, red, and yellows of the lava, bathing the forge in a flickering spectrum of warm colors.

“The Great Weaver dwells in all realms. May she dwell within our great works once more!”

And for the first time in ten thousand years, the forges of Nisir roared to life.

32- Ta-Runda Runda Runda Rom

The metal-ringed crystal felt cold as ice in my hooves. A striking crack bisected it diagonally, ruining its perfect shape.

“We got lucky this time,” Pharynx was explaining. “I viewed this crystal, and… Quickly made the decision that only you can view these records.”

“How many were recovered?” I asked.

Naper adjusted his glasses, “We’re working on five promising finds, in varying states of degradation. This was the least degraded, both magically and physically.”

“And we got lucky,” Pharynx repeated. “King Sombra didn’t appear in this one. But he might in any other one.”

“And he manifests through any image of himself,” I acknowledged. “I didn’t think of that– you’re right, Pharynx, only I can view these records. I am still Chrysalis in his eyes, a loyal servant.”

He half-smiled, “I may not be a philosopher or scientist, but I know how to read an after action report, and made sure to be up to date on this bastard.”

“So, what is this crystal about?”

“Best you see for yourself,” Naper said. “Somethings are better felt than just described. This one might be the last in Nisir’s timeline, I’ll give you that much. What Prince Pharynx described… I’d love to experience the ride myself, but this gate is only unlocked by a royal’s key. Your personal key, Ph–”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I sighed, trying to relax in the small chair.

The ancient stone thing had been padded with pillows, but that didn’t change the fact that it was designed for drones and ponies half my size.

Luna changed topics, “Pharynx, is Nisir ready to cooperate with the Royal Guard to start on defenses?”

“It’s ready to be expanded, yeah. The next wave of colonists can come in, get the forges ready, start cleaning the ruins up more, and the ponies can start throwing up their houses in the fields outside. Gonna cold as shit, though.”

“There shall not be anything as permanent as houses out there,” Luna explained. “But that is good news. I shall relay it to Captain Shining Armor. It is high time that the scouts and engineers began preparations for the anterior defensive lines, and start marking out where the Royal Guard shall defend outside the city.”

“Not joining our little fortress?” Pharynx asked, raising an eyebrow.

“There will be Royal Guard presence within the city, of course,” Luna nodded, “but we need to make sure that the Nightmares simply do not wander past Nisir. As it so happens, we have more ponies with spears and armor than we know what to do with. It will be cold, but that’s what magic, protective layers, and firewood is for.”

“The sooner, the better,” I agreed.

“It would be best if we learn more about Panar’s Gift, that crown atop the remains of the ancient Emperor of the changelings,” Luna reminded us all. “If we can control it, we can control the containment spell and funnel the Nightmares into our trap. So, Phasma, quit stalling, stallion up, and hop hooves first into your spooky vision crystal. These are our best leads.”

“One spooky vision crystal vision coming up,” I sighed, and tried to pick it up with my magic.

It flashed orange along the crack as the world faded to black.

“Log One-hundred-forty-six-dash-gamma. The quarantine has failed. The scourge has appeared in the Western Quarter, taking five dozen souls in the first night. An additional eighty perished from exposure to the crystal residue creeping up from the lower hive quarters in the North. Or, at least, so the guards say. I know for a fact that they just barred those warrens off and declared everyling dead inside. In time, they will be made correct. Seven hundred dead this week alone. Tiamat Station has found a cure, but given that we only have news of this cure and no actual cure… this is just the latest of the Dragon Fly’s propaganda pieces. The Emperor has a firm grip on what everyling hears these days.”

Princess Arista’s pale gold eyes shut as she rubbed her temple, fatigue eroding her posture.

“No word from Prince Spiracle. It’s been two moons since his last letter. I don’t know what to tell Ant. She keeps asking about him. What in the Nine Halls am I supposed to say? That it was likely slow and painful? That his body might be host to something other than his soul?! No, no. She cannot know. The truth will break her. It certainly hurts me, and I am over a century old. Goddess, I can just picture him walking through that door, asking me if I know what uttu tastes like.”

She paused to rub her eyes.

“Emperor Megatypus won’t make the announcement. Spiracle’s name will not be carved into the Hall of Remembrance, not until his body is found. As far as the Hive is concerned, Prince Spiracle is still alive. Everything is fine, so the official status goes. It’s only a matter of time before the scourge reaches the Palace. All four quarters will be lost in a moon’s time, and Panar shall not spare us the rod for our foolishness.”

She rose from her desk, grabbing the crystal and walking with it. The small circle of reality moved with her, revealing a wall with a large stained glass window. She reached up and pressed a hoof against it, staring out of the room.

“It’s him. I know it was his doing. Subject 001. Him and the subjects like him. Nisir is strangled by the malignant magics that pool in the Umbrums’ presence. The barrier between worlds grows–”

The scene shifted suddenly.

An abrupt cut replaced the calm atmosphere with a hectic, frantic message. Princess Arista lay on the ground, levitating the crystal up to her eyes. The room shook, dust fell from the ceiling, and distant banging sent Arista flinching.

“–over. Ten thousand stood, ten thousand died. I don’t know if the rest got out, there’s no way to follow them. The twins shut the way behind them– and damned the rest of us. Panar bless them, they may have saved the Hive Eternal. But I know it’s here, in the Palace. That Which Devours, Subject 004. I didn’t see it– of course I didn’t– but I found the hollowed out remains of Panar’s Finest. I think they were protecting–”

The room shook again, and Princess Arista looked around her frantically.

“– Dragon Fly. I don’t know where my father is, I imagine the throne room, but I know that thing is between me and the Emperor. And… and… he was there. I saw him with that thing. He wore shadow like a cloak, but I know those eyes anywhere. He will kill me. I know it. I feel it! He’s hunting me, even now. Mi amore, my ancient flame, my own husband… Spiracle. Ant is… Where is Ant? Sh-she was was with me. Y-yes, we were flying for Tiamat Station…”

Arista grimaced and pounded the top of her head with a hoof.

“N-no! Subject 004 was there! Think, think, think! Where is Ant?! She was with me! I remember… her screaming…”

“There you are,” a gravelly voice from outside our perspective drawled out. “My love, why did you hide from me? Didn’t you miss me?”

The crystal was levitated away from Arista, dropped into a drawer of a white wooden desk, and pushed shut. The voices continued outside of view.

“P-Prince Spiracle! Ah! I w-was just… thinking of you!”

“We know, love.”

“Y-yes, of course. I was just thinking of you.”

“You already said that, my dear.”

“Of Ant!”

“I’m sure you were. Come, Arista. The stars are beautiful tonight. Why don’t we watch them together, just like old times? We can make a new Ant…”

“Th-that sounds lovely. Goddess, I missed you, Spiracle.”

There was a sound of stones, metal, and chitin dragging against stone. Then, a gasp as the vision cut off abruptly.

Slowly, I lifted my head and blinked my eyes open.

“–putting together a puzzle. A blank puzzle. A blank puzzle with multiple incorrect solutions. But we don’t know if they are incorrect until the whole thing is finished. See what I’m getting at?”

“I do, thank you, Sting. Patience shall be the virtue at which these ancient messages are brought back to us– ah, Phasma. How was your nap?”

I rubbed my head as Luna walked up to me and helped me out of the chair.

“Ugh. That was… quite a lot to take it,” I grunted, taking a flask of water that Luna offered. “Thank you.”

“Twas nothing, love,” she smiled back. I recoiled slightly, which drew immediate concern from the alicorn, “What is the matter?”

“The vision,” I said, drinking more water.

“Yes, Pharynx filled us in during your absence. You will show me later tonight in full detail, but are you well?”

I nodded slowly, “Yeah, yeah. That one was… painful to leave.”

“Likely due to the damaged crystal structure,” Naper theorized. “Not only that, it seems quite clear that the crystal’s original contents were haphazardly overwritten.”

“The final words of this kingdom, I suspect,” Luna mused, looking around the room. “Unless somepony else was creating magical recording gems capable of withstanding ten thousand years of degradation. Who knows?”

'First a plague, then the demons came. It ended suddenly, too, with changelings being possessed, and... hollowed out? I don't know what That Which Devours does, but I don't want to know.'

Naper cleared his throat, “Prince Pharynx was kind enough to transcribe the vision. Here, please read it through and correct any errors or add any other details you noticed, Your Majesty.”

A small stack of papers were levitated over my way, and the group continued their conversation as I tried to ignore my pounding headache and go over the words scrawled on paper.

‘This hoofwriting is atrocious– ahhh right, changelings only recently got paper. Not that mine is… any better…’

“Bit bold of you to tell a King what to do,” Sting not-so-quietly fobbed off Naper.

“I am sure the King will have no complaints when I take charge. Errr, respectfully.”

“Just had to squeeze that in there, huh?” I muttered.

The pony winked, “I know just where to squeeze.”

“Walked into that one,” I sighed, going back to checking the transcripts.

Grabbing a nearby quill, I scrawled some notes in the margin, and quickly tuned out the surrounding conversation for a time.

“What next, Phasma?” Luna asked suddenly.

“Next?” I repeated, slowly looking up from the papers.

“Three teams, A, One, and Blue. Three presentations. All done. Now what?”

I set the papers down, straightening up, “Huh. That’s a question. I suppose with work out of the way, we have a weekend together, don’t we? Hmm, if only there was a resort town nearby where we could–”

Luna nuzzled into my neck, splaying her wings further out. The large primary feathers floated gently on top of the hot water, even as her inner wings sank below, dragged down by the heavy liquid. She purred contently, mumbling into my chitin.

“You look like a dead animal when you are on your back like that,” she cooed, shutting her eyes.

“Habit,” I replied. “Plus, it lets me hold you tight. Couldn’t do that if we were both on our bellies, hmm?”

I proved myself right by pulling my alicorn in for a close hug, rubbing her back gently.

“Mmmfff. Good point…” she whispered. “... Y’know… usually at a winter resort, you are supposed to go out and enjoy the winter.”

“Yeah but it’s cold outside,” I complained, resting my head back on the edge of the hot tub. “Inside, I get to be with you. And not freeze to death.”

“I shall inform my sister of a new defensive protocol against changeling incursions: setting the cooling of the Palace to below freezing.”

I pressed a fetlock to my forehead, “You wound me! To think, my own marefriend, plotting to get rid of me! We’re like bed bugs, Luna. You’re never gonna be rid of us.”

The mare seized up at that, hackles raising, “Feigh! Do not dare to even mention that pest! Those monstrosities are Faust’s most wretched curse!”

“There’s no spell to get rid of bugs like that?”

Luna opened her eyes, glaring up at me, “There are spells a’plenty for removing a pest infestation from one’s home. But bed bugs? Those things have a natural resistance to magic!”

A shiver went up my spine, shaking Luna as she rested on top of me, “Euck! On one hoof, that is horrible, Luna! On the other, I wonder if it is possible to make armor out of bed bugs…”

“They would have to be alive for that feat to be in effect.”

“I’mma chalk that up as a ‘no,’ then.”

She sighed, “Phasma… We really should get back to our duties in Canterlot. We cannot abscond from leadership. You yourself have received three important tasks since arriving up here. We cannot hide forever.”

I tried to shrug– then stopped when it threatened to topple Luna over into the water.

“I will address them when I get back. The only urgent message came from Celestia, and she even started it with ‘when you return.’ Nothing truly time sensitive.”

That didn’t deter her, “Perhaps. But I have also received missives, have I not?”

“No, I only get them because I stalk my employees in their dreams, making sure they never truly have time off from work.”

Luna pursed her lips, “That has got to be against an ancient treaty or law…”

“If you can come up with an instantaneous communication method that cannot be intercepted, let me know. Radios are still a long way from being secure, let alone ubiquitous.”

“Regardless, your drone’s report on the findings of the E.U.P and the Legions infighting is of great concern. It will take us outside of Canterlot just as we arrive. That is going to be a headache to schedule when we are going to be behind on our tasks.”

“There’s a simple solution to that,” I ventured. “One of us goes, the other stays in Canter–”

“No.”

“Luna–”

“No.”

I sighed and sat up, dislodging the princess from her perch atop my pecs. My neck, actually, but that didn’t work with the alliteration.

“Luna, we have to talk about this. We cannot go everywhere attached at the hip. It just isn’t feasible–”

“Feasible?! Phasma, you were nearly assassinated! In ages past, I would have confined you to our chambers until the threat was truly passed!” She pressed her forehooves against my chest, pushing me back against the tub’s ceramic edge, “The only reason why there are not two dozen guards with us at this moment is because of my presence at your side! Your order to increase security in Nisir shall not go into effect for potentially weeks, and it does nothing for security in Shimmervale.”

“I’ve got six Infiltrators on watch in this small town,” I pushed back, both literally and figuratively. “We’ve scoped out every native, and keep an eye on visitors.”

“... Truely?”

I nodded, “Of course. This town is right next to Nisir, Luna. Wouldn’t do to let Division-P set up shop under our noses.”

“Why was I not informed about this? Am I not your handler– ah, that is to say, your liaison for infiltrations?”

“It’s a low-level infiltration,” I deflected. “You don’t get notified about anything like that.”

“That is true.” Her emotions and expression soured, “But that does not change my decision to stay at your side! I will not lose you!”

I reached up and gently held her hooves, “I appreciate the concern, Luna. I really, really do. I’m not gonna lie and say it’s okay, that I’m fine, or that I’m not scared. But you know this can’t go on. We need to be all hooves on deck to take out these bastards, and we can’t do that when both of our schedules are handicapped. I need some freedom, there is simply no alternative.”

With a groan, the splayed-out alicorn shook me off and rose to her hooves in the water, doing her best to level a stinging glare down at me. You didn’t have to be an empath to tell she was getting annoyed.

“Phasma. This is not up for debate. Safety is paramount!”

I stood up, towering above my marefriend, “Those who dare, win. This is not the first time I’ve put myself at risk to win, and it shall not be the last time. I’m scared, Luna, but not helpless. How many times are we going to have this argument?”

“How many times will you insist on bringing it up?” Luna scowled.

I shut my eyes and growled in frustration.

‘It would be so easy, wouldn’t it? Accepting the rear command position, sitting pretty behind a row of guards. Never letting the enemy get close. Never being personally threatened. But we can’t fight with two hooves tied behind our backs, not when the whole world is on the line.’

“I’m ready to die, Luna.” I opened my eyes, taking in her shocked expression and flinch. “If that is the price I must pay, then so be it. At least this time my life will be worth something. We have to defeat Division-P before the Umbrum threat arrives. If we don’t it’s game over. That means putting ourselves in risky positions in order to accomplish everything we can as fast as we can.”

She pulled away from me, “Now is no time for dangerous thinking, Phasma.”

“You know I’m right,” I continued. “We can’t pull our punches, Luna. All. Hooves. On. Deck.”

She left the tub, drying off in silence as my stare bored holes into her back. Slowly, I followed her, flash drying with a spell.

“Everything or nothing at all, Luna. We fight for everyone depending on us. We fight for each other. We fight for ourselves.”

“You act as if we are at war,” Luna said softly, staring out the window at the stars beyond. “The hearth crackles quietly, the stars twinkle above, the ponies drink and celebrate without a care, but we are at war. These are the words you are saying. I see no fire, only a challenge on the horizon.”

“Do you deny it? Division-P is an enemy within our borders. They will sabotage us, willingly or unwillingly, in our fight against the Umbrum. We have to crush them.” I took a deep breath, “No cost too great, no price too high. We have to do everything we can to smoke those bastards out and kill every last one of them!”

At last, Luna turned to face me. Her face hardened, and I tasted cold pain ebbing from her, poisoning her warm love.

“You are too quick to draw your blade, Phasma. Things are not so desperate.”

“How can you say that when the Umbrum plan on killing all life?”

“Because they will fail!”

I shook my head, “You say that with such certainty.”

She lifted a hoof, frog upturned, “The Umbrum are not the first to make for such barbaric goals. Nor shall they be the last. Monsters, tyrants, and despoilers mark the epochs of our world. Yet for every would-be conqueror, there is always a heroine who stops them. Take a step back and breathe, Phasma.” She flicked her hoof, as if something was stuck to it, “The world is not ending today, nor shall it end tomorrow. Blood will be shed, aye, but I have faith in Harmony. You should have faith in your Goddess that victory will be ours.”

I sneered at her, baring my fangs, “I have tasted death, pony. I have seen a world dying slowly with each passing day. I have stared down demons, monsters, and killers. This world is not perfect. Harmony is not a promise, it is an endless work that we toil for. A republic, if we can keep it.”

“If we let fear govern our every actions, we will tread the path of tyrants–”

“Oh!” I scoffed. “Well! You were quick to jump from fearing my death to preaching about not fearing defeat!”

“And you are quick to preach about harmony after calling for the death of all those who oppose us!” She countered.

Slowly, we circled each other, trading barbs like blows.

“We stand to lose everything! How can we justify holding back and risking defeat?!”

“Because we are stronger than this! We have endured, and we shall always endure. It is our duty! You, young welp, are still learning the pace of things! Harmony is not easy, it never was! We take things in stride and protect those under our wings when the storms come!”

“I can’t believe you are making this argument,” I said, throwing my hooves up exasperatedly. “How can you say there has ever been a threat like the Umbrum?! How close has the world come to ruin in the past?”

“It fell to ruin when Discord crushed every civilization from horizon to horizon! Cities fell, demigods were cut down, and the world stopped making sense! And yet, my sister assisted me in ending that threat and restoring the world. At the end of the day, Harmony always wins.”

“And did Discord bring an Army with him?! No, he was one target, one person you could use the Elements on! King Sombra has laid waste to two kingdoms already. You think he doesn’t have the numbers to destroy a third when his forces have the power of necromancy?!”

Luna shifted her posture, dismissing the threat as much as she dismissed my words, “I recognize he is a threat, but I will not fall from the light to burn away every shadow he casts. You let fear guide your actions far too much, love.” She then stepped closer, fixing me with a glare as anger entangled with pain, “This is what led to you killing Double Dealings. This is what led to you trying to assassinate Tarsus. This is what led to you murdering your own father.”

I clenched my teeth to prevent them from shivering in the cold. I backed up slowly, slipping into the unicorn disguise I had arrived in. Luna studied my movement, blue eyes tracking each step towards the door.

“There are seventeen thousand changelings left,” I broke the silence. “That’s fewer people than the town I was born in. Every day, the love reserves shrink, and we grow closer to starving again. Every damn day, those bastards who tried to have me killed are free to walk about, targeting my people, attacking my businesses, plotting with politicians to kick me out. You say the world isn’t ending? The walls have been closing in on changelings for ten thousand years. When the end comes, we will stand when all others fall.”

I ripped the door open with my magic, and left.

33- Decimation

33- Decimation

Two hundred shovels met the cold packed dirt around Nisir. The scouts of The Royal Guard had arrived, and were set to make a temporary encampment as plans were laid for the defensive lines behind the lonely mountain.

The Royal Engineers would arrive next after the base camp was established. They would mark out trench lines, fort emplacements, bulwarks, barricades, supply lines, camps, fallback lines, storage areas, main roads, latrine pits, drainage channels, and potential grave pits. The great plans worked out by Shining Armor, myself, Luna, Celestia, and several hundred assistants, engineers, and aide-de-camp would become reality over the course of months. The majority of work would be performed by the two hundred thousand ponies who were due to be stationed in the tundra, but the work began today.

Not that I was there to watch or care.

It was a bit warmer towards the heartland of Equestria. Instead of freezing my balls off, I was only freezing my nose off. Snow was almost up to the knees of the average drone, packed down where ponies and changelings had shoveled it away and marched the rest of it into a tough floor. Behind me, my own aide-de-camp was struggling to keep up.

“Phasma, slow down!”

Bray Call stomped through the snow ahead of the contingent of six Red Right Hooves, calling out to me.

I paused, grinding my teeth as I looked back, “Right. Forgot what it’s like to have normal-sized legs.”

“Not to mention I’m carrying all of your paperwork,” she growled, panting as she caught up.

I eyed the bulging saddlebacks and backpack weighing the mare down, “I said I could carry them.”

“Your armor would tear the bags to shreds,” she pointed out. “Besides, it’d ruin the whole evil aesthetic you've got going on.”

I glanced back at the Adamantium armor covering my back. Unbroken Radiance was not exactly suited for a leather backpack, all covered in spikes and hard edges.

“Plus think of what ponies would say! They'd see you carrying everything, and your right hoof mare with nothing. Rumors of me being weak would be circulating within minutes!”

“Let's just get this over with,” I dropped the argument. “The sooner we deal with the troublemakers, the sooner we can get back to the Palace.”

Our arrival at the encampment was met with several salutes, and many more bows, the ponies and changelings received me with the respect and reverence respectively that I had grown to ignore. Many tents and campfires were lined up in neat rows, with both races mingling together. Though predominantly they stuck to clusters of their own kind, seeing them together was a relief, however.

We were directed to one of the larger tents as the whispers and pointing started. Two of my guards went in ahead of me, and the other four fanned out, securing each of the corners of the tent. Even with two guards- one pony and one drone- at the tent flap, there would never be enough security.

Bray Call stepped in next, clearing her throat and proclaiming, “Announcing His Majesty King Phasma!”

A shimmering wall of warmth greeted me as I joined her, a welcome reprieve. About a dozen changelings and ponies stood around a table covered in maps, papers, and dirty mess kits.

“Your Majesty!” General Labrum and Captain Katydid bowed.

“King Phasma,” Elder Vigilance bowed.

“Your Highness,” a stallion wearing a Lieutenant's epaulets saluted.

“This is Lieutenant Sturdy Blow,” Katydid explained for me. “Captain Shining Armor is busy in Canterlot.”

“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant,” I said, shaking hooves with the pony.

His slow blink was prepared by the confusion I sensed, “Uh, likewise, your Highness.”

‘He must have been given hell growing up. All those unfortunate nicknames and jokes…’

“I see The Night Mistress has taken more than a pace away from you, King Phasma,” Elder Vigilance mused.

“You have news?” I asked, neatly skirting the issue.

The two ponies glanced at the changelings in the tent.

“Our investigation is complete,” Katydid explained, “and everything lines up. The fight was started by changelings.”

As Lieutenant Sturdy braced for an explosive reaction, I just let out a long sigh.

“All things considered, I'm glad this isn't worse. Goddess knows I've already got a steadily growing pile of cases of drones breaking pony laws.”

“You seemed pretty convinced of outside influence, Sir,” Lieutenant Sturdy remarked, slowly relaxing.

“I know for a fact that they stirred the pot,” I nodded, “but the drones snapping first makes sense. Our curriculum growing up didn't exactly include conflict resolution. Unless you count firing laser beams at a target as conflict resolution, which I definitely do.”

“I'm sure the Princesses have a different opinion,” Bray chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, “Yes, yes, something about not hurting other people if I can solve things non-lethally. Katydid, get the perpetrators in formation. I will deal with them right now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he bowed, before being a good commanding officer and immediately shoveling off the task to a subordinate.

“I am freezing my fangs off, where's the coffee?” I complained.

Vigilance pointed to a pot in the corner, “I am afraid we have drained this vessel of its lifeblood, Your Majesty.”

“I guess I'll have to hunt for some, then. Bray,” I turned to the mare. “Let's have this done before lunch. I want to be back in Canterlot in time to clear out handling the changelings arrested by local guards today.”

Bray produced a clipboard and flipped through a few papers as we marched out of the command tent and into the cold, “And what of the changelings who broke the Fifth Hive's laws?”

I started peeking into the neighboring tents, looking for supply storage, “Complicated. We gotta finish ironing out the Hive's judicial system, which is gonna be a gigantic pain in ass since no one has law degrees.”

“You could just use pony attornies?”

I grimaced, “I am rather uncomfortable with only putting ponies in a very influential position within my new kingdom. They could be a very good influence, but ultimately I want changelings to be our own thing.”

“You could have changelings apprentice for the lawmares? Have them a step behind, studying and learning?”

“That might end up being the best solution, at least until the next generation starts achieving higher education. Schedule a time to pick out some drones to act as judges, and others to act as lawyers. I'll have to be hooves-on for every court case for the next decade at the very least, but everyling can learn from me, at least.”

As Bray wrote down my orders, I managed to find the supply tent. The pony there saluted as I entered, and frowned as I stole a few packets of instant coffee.

“Ah, military grade, where everything is made by the lowest bidder. Sorry Quartermaster, no time for paperwork,” I greeted him before ducking out of the tent. As we headed back to the coffee maker in the command tent, I issued my next directive, “I will also need to meet with the E.U.P.’s artificers. The spell rangers in the Griffonia war hold interest to me, I want to see if we can commission a new line of them.”

Bray frowned, “That's ancient history, sir. Not to mention the fact that we're not trying to bring down fortress walls.”

“I'll educate you ponies on the use of modern artillery in a bit, just write that down. They look too much like Howitzers to pass up.” I started making a new batch of coffee, interrupting the general's meeting once again. “Actually, make some time to educate everyone, Princesses and Princes included, on human world wars. This world might not have guns, but I swear to Panar, if I see generals sending waves over the top of the trenches…”

“My King?” General Labrum tilted her head.

“Royal story time,” I explained. “It's about time I educated you lot on the errors of my world. And, more importantly, tactics. We need every advantage against the Umbrum. Katydid! Are they ready?!”

“I… have sent for them, My King. Thankfully, the last batch had returned from marching an hour-”

“Coffee?” I offered Bray the first cup.

She took it gratefully as I magically flash-heated another cup.

“Katydid, Vigilance, Sturdy Blow. Be honest with me. I want this combined army in perfect form within six months, will we make it?”

“Six months?” Lieutenant Suturdy grunted. “Without a doubt. That is, your Highness, if this matter regarding the riot is buried so far we will never see the likes of it again.”

Elder Vigilance nodded, “The young stallion is correct, Night Lord. These growing pains were expected, but we will succeed.”

I nodded, “Good, And don't call me that. Lots of negative connotations. Katydid?”

My friend considered the question, “These are the best drones the Legions have to offer, My King. The loyalists from Chrysalis’s faction are few and far between. Everyling else will adapt. In six months, these thestrals, ponies, and drones will consider each other clutchmates.”

On cue, his subordinate returned, saluting. “Sir, the drones requested are in formation at the parade ground.”

I glanced past the changeling. Through the tent flap, I could see twenty-two changelings standing in their Red Right Hoof armor. Silently, Labrum handed a list over to Bray, who handed it over to me. Or hoofed it over, if you wanted to be pedantic.

“Bray, when you're done with your coffee, go out there and announce my arrival. Take the six guards, too.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Generals, you can resume… whatever you were talking about before I got here.”

As the commanders huddled back around the table, I scanned the list, line by line, and dedicated each name and rank to memory. It was an easy matter to access my own Weave and sense who each drone was out there. That was how most changelings simply knew each other. That and the obvious small differences that ponies couldn't bother to learn.

As Bray headed out, Lieutenant Sturdy cleared his throat.

“Your Highness, since you are representing the Princesses today, I should say that a little speech from you will go a long way. After you have dealt with the ins- the changelings involved, sir.”

After a long pause that made the stallion suitably uncomfortable, I answered, “Order a general muster once I'm done with them. I can spare a few words before I leave back for Canterlot.”

And hearing the echoes of Bray Call announcing me from across the camp, I teleported out of the tent.

With a flash of orange and soft crackle, I appeared before the drones, towering above them in my Adamantium armor. Each and every one of them stood up straighter as they took in my appearance. Belatedly, I realized I was still holding onto the entire pot of coffee.

‘That hampers my pissed-off look quite a bit. Damn. Better roll with the punches.’

“With more duties than I can count, I find myself here, in this frozen forest, with you lot,” my voice echoed loudly across the snow-strewn field. “You have each failed your King.”

Slowly, I began to pace through the ranks, drinking straight from the steaming pot, sneakily using a cooling spell with each sip. The warmth was a much needed reprieve from the cold, which I flaunted in each of their shivering faces.

“The Legions demand much from you, I know. They demand perfection. They demand bravery. They demand loyalty to your fellow soldiers. It is in this last path that you have all failed! You have failed the Legions, you have failed me, and you have failed the Hive Eternal!”

Show crunched underhoof as I wondered what they were thinking. Changelings couldn't sense each other's emotions, so I couldn't cheat and all but mind-read them. Were they ashamed? Stubbornly proud? Angry? I had better find out.

I went back to the first in formation. “Lance Corporal Tibia. You served the Legions for two years with loyalty. Why did you attack your comrades in arms?”

The drone looked up at me, “My King! They insulted your honor! I had to defend you!”

‘That lines up with the account Lacewing found. Insults about me turned into a hoof fight. What a waste.’

“And?”

“And… I do what duty demands, My King!”

‘Anger. Trash.’

I moved onto the second drone, “Private Cicada. Why did you attack the Royal Guard you were training with?”

She looked up at me, “S-sir. I couldn't stand hearing them insult you, sir. I've seen clutchmates killed for less in the Fourth.”

“And?”

“And… I failed you, My King.”

‘Shame. There is hope yet for her.’

“Step back,” I ordered her, before I moved on to the third.

On and on this continued. By the time I had addressed each of the twenty-two lings, five had stepped back. The rest held too much pride in honor for a second chance. I returned to the front of the formation, leaving the empty pot with Bray.

“It is true in ages past that you would have been killed for insulting the King. It is true that Chrysalis continued this tradition, dealing with any who insulted her or her position. And I am so very glad each of you believe that I am no different from her, that I place as much stock in my honor. I am glad each of you disobeyed a direct order to work with the ponies, instead resorting to violence against those who you are supposed to trust your lives with.”

I stomped a hoof, “Damn my honor! I don't give a shit if someone called me a murderer, or a monster, or a ‘cock sucking princess!’ I would gladly give my honor to save a single one of you, yet you all have put worthless words above protecting the Hive Eternal! You have proven yourselves a danger to everything we hold dear, and a threat to the Hive. The crown thanks you all for your many years of service, but you are hereby relinquished from duty. Those of you who took a step back, stay where you are. The rest of you are coming back to Canterlot with me for reassignment. Now get marching to the airship!”

A few stuttered in disbelief, but they all inevitably started marching towards the camp's exit, glancing around and back at me. I heard a few strike up fierce whispers between each other, but my attention was on the hoofful that remained.

“You. Each of you has displayed remorse, an understanding for what you have done, and a wish to undo it. Because of this, I will grant each of you a second chance. You will report to Captain Katydid for demotion, punishment detail, and an opportunity to prove yourselves worthy of the trust I am giving you. You will not fail me again. Dismissed!”

“Yes, My King!” They yelled, bowed, and filed away.

As I watched them go, I whispered to Bray, “Six months, Bray. If the basics aren't nailed down before then, Goddess help us.”

“Do you really think the Umbrum will attack that soon?”

“No. But Division-P surely will.”

It was some time until the three leaders got every pony and drone back in formation in the very same field that I had just discharged nearly two dozen of our finest from service. By the time the hundreds of drones, changelings, and thestrals were all lined up and spit-polished, word had gotten out. Those who had witnesses the walk of shame and heard me yelling had spread the word. The ponies looked puffed up and happy with the results, the thestrals were ambivalent, and the drones looked either chastised or equally uncaring.

“King Phasma.”

“Katydid.”

“The troops are ready. You won't be joining us for any exercises or drills after this? You could always benefit from training, My King.”

I glanced down at my former instructor, “The issue nowadays is finding my enemies, not defeating them. I'm afraid there's too much work to be done, I cannot stay.”

“As you say, My King. You have turned into a fine warrior.”

“Thank you, Katydid. I'm glad you were in the right place and the right time to be picked as my instructor.”

Lifting my elytra, my insect buzzed to life, lifting me above everyone's heads. All eyes darted towards me as I hovered in front of the army.

“Stallion, mares. You all have worked hard to get to this point! When your country called, you answered! You are each a veteran of a war that has taken friends and family away from you. Your thestral comrades may have been spared this war, but their generations-long duty has left them with lives just as hard as your own! Look to your left! Look to your right! These are the people who put their lives in your hooves, and in turn who will carry your life in theirs! When our enemies come, they will be met with steel and courage! Take pride, soldiers, for you stand tall and unwavering against the dark. Others will look to you for inspiration. Your friends and family will rest easy, knowing you are standing watch. The path ahead will not be easy, but Harmony and the Goddess put you on this path because they know you alone have the strength to endure. You do your Princesses and King proud! Tonight, rounds are on me!”

That got them cheering, and I set back down as the ponies cheered for Harmony, the drones cheered for the Hive Eternal, and everyone cheered for free booze.

‘Soldiers are easy to please. Good food and good beer, same with humans.’

“Excellent speech, Your Highness,” Lieutenant Sturdy saluted. “But uh, I am not sure our reserves-”

“I'll have a pallet offloaded from the airship I arrived in,” preempting his complaint. “The one thing the Fifth Hive never has to worry about running out of is alcohol. Bray, we're done here. Let's get the drinks offloaded and get back to somewhere where I'm not gonna break my teeth from shivering too much.”

As the officers dismissed the gathered soldiers, I couldn't help but wonder just how many of them were die-hard loyal to Division-P. A hoofful? A dozen? Or none at all, and all of our troubles were of our own making?

‘Nah, probably a dozen.’

I shut the door to Celestia's office behind me. Glancing down at the space in front of her desk only twice before I managed to scoot past it, I cleared my throat to catch her attention.

“What's up, sun butt?”

Celestia looked up from her disturbingly large stack of paperwork, her reading glasses perched on her nose, “Phasma. There you are. Luna had asked where you went.”

“She wasn't in her room,” I remarked.

“My sister has gone to Vanhoover. There is a celebration that needs a princess to officiate, and she was in a hurry to make herself scarce. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?”

‘Ah shit.’

“I think the fact that we're in different rooms, let alone different cities, defeats the purpose of lying. Yes, something happened.”

Celestia folded up her glasses and placed them down, “I had hoped that the fact that I am Luna's sister would defeat the purpose of lying. Would you mind giving your side of the story?”

“The trip to Nisir went well, until it didn't. I'll tell you about it later. Afterwards, Luna and I were… patiently waiting for the airship to take us back when the topic of our duties came up. I pressed the point that we cannot continue like this, attached at each other's hip, and she resisted any change to the status quo. We argued and I stormed out.”

“That is all?”

“That's it,” I shrugged.

She reclined in her chair, staring at me, “And you decided that leaving Luna alone, fully knowing that she has serious issues with ever being alone, was a good idea?”

“No, I did not think that. I knew we would reach a breaking point eventually, and I did not want to-” I broke off and grit my teeth. “This is between Luna and myself. What was it that was so important that it required sending a runner for me?”

The old geezer frowned, “My sister's well being is absolutely my concern, but I shall let sleeping hounds lie and let you two hash it out. I sent for you because Chrysalis obviously saw through the disguise ruse and has demanded to speak with you as soon as you return.”

“But she played ball and didn't give up the ghost?”

“She said nothing publicly. Say what you will about her, and we do for several hours a day for the past month, she at least understands the gravity of our situation.”

I nodded, “I'll see her now. Can you come with me?”

Celestia was mildly surprised, “You are asking me to accompany you? After you had a fight with Luna about attending duties alone?”

“Chrysalis is an exception. Last time I talked to her alone, I ordered the assassination of someone. Which was entirely justified, I will add, but… It's best if someone more passive is with me. Please?”

She smiled, “Of course, Phasma. Come then, to the tyrant's lair.”

She had even more furniture than last time, adding a radio, another long couch, and a metal pole to her collection. I immediately looked away from that corner and repressed the memory within seconds.

“And here comes the triumphant champion,” Chrysalis cooed, twisting down from her spot on the ceiling, gracefully setting down before the iron bars of her cell. “I was wondering when you would pay your dear mother another visit.”

“I was putting off for as long as possible,” I said. “I've been told you are a bad influence and that smoking isn't cool, contrary to what you told me.”

“There was something you wished to discuss?” Celestia prompted.

“Yesss,” Chrysalis hissed quietly, stalking up to the bars. “You had failed to show up to my trial for the past few days. I appreciate you coming around to my point that this whole thing is pointless, but it feels more insulting than anything else!”

“My attention was required elsewhere, while I still had to officially be present,” I answered. “Nisir is being recolonized and studied.”

As before, news of the First Hive mollified her, “Nisir? Tell me, oh great King, what pearls of knowledge has the ancient Hive yielded today?”

“Some tactical information, plenty that reveals its history. Nothing that concerns you, Chrysalis.”

“Maybe I should pay a visit myself,” Chrysalis thought aloud. “Have a drone disguise as myself and sneak off…”

“You are not going anywhere,” Celestia commanded.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, “Oh, Tia. I fail to see why this is all so important to you. Quit dragging out the formalities and be done with it. I will comply with any parole restrictions you-”

“Parole?!” Celestia laughed. “You… you… You will meet a deserving punishment in time, murderer.”

“Oh please,” Chrysalis huffed, “it's not as if this is a real trial. There's been no discovery, no adherence to any court procedure, it's publicly broadcasted, and I was not given any opportunity to have legal counsel of my own!”

“When did you become an expert in legal rights?” Celestia questioned.

Chrysalis nodded towards a book laying on the couch in the corner I was desperately trying to look away from, “Phoenix's Guide to Right Ruling, amongst other titles.”

Celestia's eyebrows launched towards the moon, “You have been reading law books?”

The bug shrugged, “I don't exactly have many distractions here. Now, I know that you could have ended this trial weeks ago. Why go on? What do you gain from delaying the executioner's blade, Princess Celestia?”

“... We're waiting,” Celestia said simply.

“We are?” I turned in surprise.

Celestia nodded, “We are. Our opponents within Equestria will be pushing a bill to restrict our powers after repealing the ban on alcohol. We will use your sentencing to steal the headlines and focus away from outrage against the Crown. Until then, we drag out the trial.”

As I digested this information, Chrysalis began to laugh.

“Heh… Mmmmhehehe hahaaaa! Celestia! Oh! My!” Chrysalis pressed her face against the bars of her cells,” Princess of the Sun! Using me as a sacrifice to draw attention and power away from your enemies! I had known you as a vicious foe from my fights against Daybreaker, but this… You have never been so attractive,” she smiled, her long tongue drawing out and wrapping around one of the bars of-

I promptly turned away and started dry heaving, “I- hrk. Goddess, burn out my eyeballs! Hhrrr-!”

My disgust was joined promptly be Celestia, who bristled at the display, “You will have to do worse than that to unnerve me, murderer. Come, Phasma, our business is concluded here.”

‘-long tongue writhing up and down, pumping-’

“Yeah!” I yelped, scrambling for the door.

34- The New Deal

“Nothing in the south,” Thrips swirled a glass of wine, sniffing it before putting it down. He shooed away someone outside the vision of the communication device, “No, no. The patrols are fine. No, you can see your King later… As I was saying, Your Majesty, we have not dared venture south of Canterlot. You know better than I how that goes.”

I slowly rolled a glass ball between my hooves, “Yes, I have. No friends were made in the path of our invasion.”

Thrips tapped the rim of his glass, “But in every other direction, the news is good! We’ve gobbled up every bit o’ property that’s promising from here to… somewhere distant! All that’s left are the ponies who are holdin’ out for the tunnelshake’s end, so to say. I got my girls and boys putting the pressure on ‘em, but following the new way of doing things is a bit restrictive.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Meaning?”

He chuckled nervously, “Gotta keep reminding ‘em that we don’t bust kneecaps no more.”

“Fantastic,” I deadpanned. “I don’t want any diplomatic incidents, Thrips.”

“I know that, My King.”

I paused, “I have some news. In three days, the New Harmony Coalition will announce the vote to end the Prohibition. It’s going to get stalled, but only for a week at most.”

Thrips froze, “... That’s bad news for us.”

“How much of the loan is left?”

“‘Bout hundred and ten mil’ bits, King Phasma.”

I couldn’t help but smile in surprise, “You spent one hundred and ninety million bits in three weeks?”

“We already spied out the prospects, if ya ‘member,” Thrips returned my smile. “The hard work was done, we just had to lure ‘em out with a big ol’ bag of bits. What should I tell the lads now? Get those sales in before the news hits?”

I scowled, “No. That sounds awfully like insider trading, or… something illegal. I don’t want to abuse Celestia’s secret intelligence to make money.”

“Why–”

“It’s bad,” I cut him off. “Morally wrong.”

“Ah.”

“Just… finalize any sale that can be finalized in a day. For the rest, let them stall out and die.”

He took a sip and considered my orders, “... What about the rest of the dosh?”

“We’re gonna pour it into the Diamonds’ workshop and industrialize. Diversity of our portfolio and all that,” I said, reaching over to pet a calculator sitting on Luna’s desk. “You are gonna make us so much money. Yes you, yes you are!”

The doors of Luna’s study chose that moment to open, and I pulled my hoof back like it was on fire. Sitting up, I saw my tall, dark, and beautiful mare enter the room. The quiet rumbling of Luna’s emotions derailed any thoughts I had about business.

“Thrips, I gotta go. Keep up the good work. Or, uh, stop the good work. You have your orders.”

“Yes, boss,” he saluted.

I pulled the beetles apart, ending the magical looking glass. Luna walked up to the desk and deposited a thick tome onto it, pushing my little beetles to the side as she did so. Only then did she glance at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but found that I couldn’t quite start the conversation. Luna turned away from me and headed for the door.

Quickly, I scrambled out of her chair and ran after her.

“Luna!”

She slowed to a stop, peeking over her shoulder back at me, “Phasma.”

Any plan I had to address our argument faded into white noise.

“I… How was Vanhoover?”

She set her jaw, “Our venture went well. Our subjects were glad to see us, and We them.”

“Don’t,” I faltered. “Don’t talk like that.”

“Should We not?” Slowly, Luna turned to face me, looking down her nose despite being significantly shorter than me. “After all the lengths you have gone to ensure that We are both cognizant of our duties?”

I could feel the sadness in her. I was drowning in it myself, both my own emotions and hers. My hooves itched to hug her, but I didn’t think that would have been received well.

“You know what I meant, Luna. I wanted some breathing room- the ability to do a day’s work without being tethered to you. I didn’t mean staying apart in a city halfway across the continent for two weeks.”

“Hmmph,” Luna grunted. “Are you certain? Last I recall, you stormed out and left me alone.”

“You weren’t listening to me,” I said slowly, secretly grinding my hoof against the carpet. “I can’t rule in my court and yours at the same time. If I have to spend more days inside the Crystal Caves, then we need time apart.”

“Oh? That must make it all alright, then,” Luna pursed her lips. “I was not listening, so you had to take your leave and abandon me.”

“Abandon?” I hissed quietly. “I was the one who chain-teleported all the way to the nearest city, and rode by train to Canterlot! You still had the airship to take back home. It was your decision to take it to Vanhoover instead.”

“That does not matter!” Luna growled, stepping close and pressing her nose against mine. “You left me there! You walked away from me! I was alone! All the comforts in the world would never replace a much needed friend, and you were not there. Did you envision that I retired back to the bed, to enjoy wine in silence? Or that I would simply sit by the fire for the weekend, fit to return and forget your trespass?”

I felt heavy, like I was being pulled towards the floor.

“I didn’t think–”

“No, you did not,” she agreed.

I started again, “I’m sorry, Luna. I was frustrated, and still am, but I never wanted to leave you alone. Not in that way.”

She looked away, mouthing silent words before speaking again, “You know what I fear most, Phasma.”

“Waking up back on the moon,” I answered.

“For a moment, I wondered if that was part of the nightmare. To be promised reprieve, only for it to slip away. For everypony to slip away from me. I miss you, Phasma. I want to embrace you, but you have hurt me.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I repeated. “I want to make you happy, Luna. I don’t want to leave you alone like that, but…”

“But what?!”

“But a drowning mare will drag their helper down with them. How–”

The corner of her lip rose in a snarl, “We are supposed to be a team! We are supposed to be there for each other. Is this what I should expect, for you to run at the first sign of trouble?”

“Let me rephrase- I cannot tell the difference between enabling and supporting, Luna. I cannot undo one thousand years of pain, and it is unreasonable to demand me to be present with you at all times every single day. Not when we have duties beyond each other. I want to help you, Luna, but that means things must progress forward. If we keep as we are, how long will it go on?”

She seemed placated somewhat by my answer, scanning the floor for answers, “I shall speak to my therapist about making progress. Perhaps the current method of attack is impotent.”

Shame dogged at my heels, and I felt compelled to apologize.

“We should be talking about these things,” I realized. “I should’ve come up with solutions rather than just complain. I’m sorry, Luna, I will try to do better by you.”

Luna dabbed at the corner of her eyes, “I shall accept your apology, so long as you do not pull a stunt like that again. I cannot continue if I fear your disappearance at any moment, Phasma.”

“What about our royal duties?” I asked, squirming in place. “With fights growing in Manehattan, changelings are going up against local law enforcement more often. I also have to deal with drones breaking our own internal laws. Until I get a court system set up, I have to micromanage everything. This is on top of every other duty as a King. I am going to be spending most of every day in the Fifth Hive. How can I promise to be there for you if I know that’s a lie?”

“That is… fine,” Luna said slowly, scratching her foreleg fitfully. “I will survive with the company of others, and will rest easier knowing there are several tonnes of rock and numerous guards between you and danger. And by teleporting, you can eliminate the risk during transit between here and there. So long as I have you during my morning, evening, and nights, I can go without during the day. But you must promise to never turn your back to me like that.”

“I promise,” I made a cross-motion across my heart. “I give you my word.”

Luna nodded once, “Let this matter be settled. Should you bring forward grievances like this, we will both endeavor to figure out solutions, rather than ignore them till they fester. Speaking of ignoring, how goes your therapy, Phasma?” At my silence, she continued, “When was the last session you attended?”

I did not have an answer to that.

“See to it that you fix that. I shall see you at supper,” Luna finished, heading for the door. “My sister has something to discuss during it. Do not be late.”

A city was being built under the hooves of the people of Canterlot. The homes were still being claimed from rock and crystal, and the beginning of a marketplace was slowly forming in the central chambers, but the city was earning its spirit. Grass, flowers, glowing moss, and small shrubs were now welcome in the avenues, gardens, and corners of the Fifth Hive. Doors of wood and windows of glass and metal had been fitted to the honeycombed facade that lined much of the main chamber. The far side from the grand entrance was marked out, original plans scrapped to introduce a magnificent space for a market and park, from which the subterranean city would spread off like shooting roots. Each prominent space had been claimed by a drone with intent to create something where before there was nothing.

Great banners of split blue and green silk edged with gold now hung in the corners of the grand chamber. A field of red, interrupted by a two winged orange phoenix, crying up and to the side. My sigil, my symbol, my story.

The city was lived in. A steady stream of carts bearing stone and crystal shards hauled away debris from the excavation to be stored in warehouses, but now finer goods accompanied them in wooden crates. The changelings’ crafts were simple, with no great skill, but they were ours. In time, with the newly found abundance, skill and personality would come into being with each piece of art, tool, or good.

The Crystal Caves were a hold now. Nascent and crying out to the world for the first time, but they were truly a mountain hold. What few visitors had been approved to enter spoke in hushed tones to their friends and fellows of a city of gold and crystal, a hidden jewel underneath the great Canterhorn mountain. They spoke of the changelings warmly, as a people breaking their backs to make something worthy of being loved. They spoke of the King Under the Mountain, the once Dread Prince.

To many whose lives were overturned in my wake, they still placed that moniker upon me. A divide in Equestria was widening, its borders drawn by my conquest half a year ago.

Lacewing pressed her hooves against the furled up parchment, fighting its urge to curl.

“The markets and park will intermingle,” she was explaining, “out here in the main square. It shall have three layers– Goddess knows what we shall do with so much open space. Ramps, staircases, vast open air shafts will connect them all, marked here, here, and so on. I have left the centers of each side blank for further expansion, should we ever need more.”

She piled more scrolls onto the table, covering up the plans for the central park, “As for the lower layers, progress is good. We have sealed the way to the Underhive, as per your request. We are still contracting trustworthy wizard towers to enchant the steel gate, but the way is now shut. This leaves two ways in and out: the King’s Gate in Canterlot, and the Queen’s Gate at the base of Canterhorn, near the village of Spree. We expect the Queen’s Gate shall see more activity in time once its construction is done, as most economic activity will shift to… ah, you know what I’m talking about Phas. I imagine you’ve got plans on plans for that.”

I nodded, giving an encouraging smile to a team of drones who passed by with picks.

“Yes. Once the freight elevators are done, we will no longer have to lug materials through the city and down the mountain. Spree’s about to get a whole lot bigger and richer in the next century, I think.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Coxa said, lounging on a chair next to us. “Can’t wait to see what– oh wait, only one of us here’s gonna live for centuries. What’s the ETA on the elevators getting done?”

“Two years,” Lace said.

“Two years? Might as well be old and infirm by then,” Coxa griped.

Lace giggled, “We’re working hard, mossbreath, but digging is a world away from designing elevators capable of carrying literal tonnes, not to mention powering them and training lings to operate and service them. We can get stairs and a ramp down to the base alongside the elevator shafts within a month if we pause excavation on the central chambers, but why bother?”

“Nehhh,” Coxa groaned, “and here I was hoping that we’d be self-sufficient in the foreseeable future. How’s the court thing coming along, Phasma?”

“Painfully. Having to pick out candidates for judges and lawyers out of the hundreds you’ve sent me is… slow work. Add that to actually being a judge myself for lawbreakers– oh yeah and ruling a kingdom– and everything just eats up each other’s time. I have a war to prepare for, a kingdom to rule, another kingdom to be a diplomatic envoy to, a corporate empire to manage, a city to build, an education and training regime to complete, and a marefriend to please. It’s a wonder I have the time to blow it all off and make it other people’s problems while I hang out with you guys.”

“You never had a problem with delegating before, why start now?” Coxa grinned up at me.

I wilted, “Because it messes up my underlings’ plans and schedules? Every time I do something like this, I know for a fact that a minimum of three people are going home late.”

“I know,” Coxa continued to grin. “It’s fantastic! Vacation time, money that we don’t know how to spend, improved healthcare, better rooms and more food, and a King that will actually listen to complaints rather than threaten anyone who annoys them. Life has gotten so much worse for the average drone.”

I considered the idea of starting to take censuses and making Coxa’s life even more miserable. That led me to ponder on the political activity of my Hive.

“... What are the Lodges up to?”

Lace coughed, “So successful that they don’t know what to do with themselves. They had to constantly fight the loyalist faction within Chrysalis’s Fourth Hive, and now with no real opposition they just kinda sit around and draw pictures in the dirt.”

“They’re going to be busy when the Fifth Hive’s Parliament is established,” I pointed out. “Coxa, what’s the status on that?”

Coxa looked like he bit into something fowl, “Stalled. That’s the one thing the Lodges are doing. They want you to have absolute power, and the idea of elections for a body to make laws once you grant it the power to is… unpopular.”

“The drones don’t want democracy?” I questioned.

“Not if they can have your absolute monarchy instead.”

I growled, “Those bastards! I wanna sit back and do nothing but get fat after this is all over! They’re going to ruin my retirement plans!”

“Speaking of retirement,” Lace cut in, “have you heard from Thorax, Phas?”

“That has nothing to do with retirement,” I said.

She nodded, “Yeah but I needed to segue into asking about him. You still correspond with him, right?”

“Correspond?”

She frowned, “You do write to him? Or talk through magical portal thingies?”

“No?”

Lace facehooved, “So Thorax left weeks ago and you haven’t checked up on your best friend at all?”

“He said he wanted the space!” I tried to defend myself. “You think I should ignore that and try to contact him?”

“Perhaps not,” Lace acquiesced, “but I would go patch things up with Luna immediately if I were you.”

I rubbed my head, “Yeah, yeah. She just returned today. Moving onto topics that I am not embarrassed to talk about, how are we faring with the raids from Division-P?”

Lace looked around, “Can’t talk about that in public, Phas.”

“We’ll speak tonight, then,” I said, reminded of our relatively public place.

Our piece said and progress surveyed, we retired to the royal wing of the Crystal Caves to spend the afternoon drinking around a fireplace. Thorax’s absence was sorely felt, but I welcomed the chance to take a breather and enjoy time with friends.

When I returned to the Palace that evening for dinner, Celestia had two surprises for me.

“This came for you in the mail,” Celestia levitated over a white envelope to me.

I took it gently, putting down my knife and fork. My meal was more or less a sample of what the Princesses were eating, more so to try the fancy cooking than anything else

“I’m sure I get a lot of hate mail,” I said, looking the letter over.

“Some,” Celestia admitted, “but this one came by dragonfire.”

I looked at her, “... From Spike in Ponyville?”

“I know of no other dragons who send me letters.”

Luna’s eyebrows raised and she leaned across the table towards me, “For what reason would your protégé write to Phasma, sister?”

“It wasn’t Twilight,” Celestia smiled.

“Sweet Apple Acres,” I read the return address. “That’s…. Element of Honesty Applejack, right?”

Celestia nodded, “Correct.”

“The mystery deepens,” Luna said, failing to hide her curiosity.

I took a clean knife from an empty spot next to me and opened the letter. Cadance clapped her hooves in excitement.

“This is wonderful news! Perhaps a chance at making new friends!”

I chuckled, “Considering how we last parted, it’s more likely a death threat than anything else.”

“Ponies do not send each other death threats,” Celestia glared at me. “... Most do not, at any rate, and the Bearers are exemplary models of character. We can all learn something from them– indeed, many things.”

The writing was in cursive, and while tough to read, I could parse it just barely enough to not have to ask for help. Catching a whiff, I brought the letter close to my muzzle and sniffed it.

“Pie? Why does this smell like pie?”

“The Apples are renowned for their apple products, especially baked goods,” Luna recalled.

‘Wait, why did I sniff a letter sent through the mail? This thing could’ve had a biological disease on it, like Anthrax…. What am I kidding, ponies don’t have Anthrax. Though I wonder if there are magical poisons that could kill through inhalation…’

“Uh, Celestia?”

“Yes, Phasma?”

“Does your staff check letters for any… poison?”

Celestia hissed and recoiled, “As a matter of fact, all pieces of mail are sterilized before they reach out hooves. Too many, ah, enthusiastic devotees of my royal figure.”

“You’re not the only one,” the Princess of Love added, staring into her wine goblet.

I tried not to think about that, “And letters received from Spike?”

Celestia shrugged, “If somepony malevolent is sending letters containing poison using Spike, we have bigger things to worry about. In addition, I am lazy and feel that implementing security measures against such an event is not worth it.”

“I guess no one wants to kill you, just me,” I said. “This is… an invitation?”

“Friends!” Cadance cheered.

“To what?” Luna asked.

“Dinner,” I read. “Applejack is asking me over for dinner tomorrow. Why?”

“I suspect nopony knows except the mare herself,” Celestia smiled coyly. “You will just have to attend this function and ask her yourself.”

I sat back in my chair, staring off at the far wall, “I guess so. Luna, would you like to come with me?”

“Does the letter mention a plus one?”

I glanced down, “No.”

She shook her head, “Though the Apples would never turn me away, I would never presume.”

Confused and full of questions, I set the letter down on the table. Clearing my throat, I addressed Celestia.

“Your sister mentioned some important news?”

Celestia dabbed at the corners of her mouth, “As I have kept you informed, the New Harmony Coalition seeks to end the Prohibition in three days. Our loyalists will succeed in only delaying this vote, as they lack the support needed to smother the vote before it starts.”

My ears flicked, “Why is that? Seems strange to vote against something Daybreaker implemented.”

“That’s because of what comes next,” Celestia said. “Immediately following the repeal of the last of Daybreaker’s far-reaching policies, our spies that have infiltrated the New Harmony Coalition have discovered a plot to introduce a vote of No Confidence. For our own protection against foreign influence, the ponies seek to shut out the Princesses from our own government.”

Cadance and Luna stared in shock. Luna’s anger grew to match Cadance’s confusion.

“Insolent pups!” Luna growled. “They’d dare to usurp our right to rule?!”

“That’s drastic,” Cadance gasped. “To throw away all that they look up to is… paradoxical.”

Shining spoke up for the first time tonight, “What’s a declaration like that gonna do? The alicorns are our rightful rulers, by appointment by Harmony itself. We can just ignore that nonsense!”

“It’s not that simple,” Celestia explained. “A vote of no confidence passing would legally limit our power considerably. To simply ignore it would delegitimize our government, our rule. The common pony would be a lot more hesitant to trust the government. Members of the Parliament loyal to the crown would not appreciate the idea of their power being ignored, and we would lose their support. Truly, if it passed, we shall ignore it, but the consequences would be dire. At best, our government will be immobilized while individual loyalties are tested.”

“And at worst?” Shining shrank in his chair.

Celestia shrugged and took a sip of wine, “Faith in the government falters completely. Bonds will be devalued, taxes dodged, we will immediately slide into an economic recession, and every institution will be scratching their heads and battening down the hatches for a terrible storm. Interest rates go up, loans get harsher, and every pony suffers in daily life because a few nobles think that we are being mind controlled.”

“There could be a run on the banks in that scenario,” I ventured. “A bad recession with no faith in the government could lead to ponies pulling money from banks. It doesn’t sound likely, I will admit, but everything I’ve seen points to ponies being far more prone to mass panic than humans.”

Cadance tilted her head, “What happens if there is a ‘run on the banks,’ as you put it?”

“Things go from not good to very, very bad,” I replied. “If we are preparing for a deadly war, an economic depression will cripple the war effort.”

“So what are we doing to put an end to this madness?” Luna asked her sister.

“I am gathering every bit of political sway I can,” Celestia straightened her back. “Every favor, every loyalty, every coercion I can muster. Even if sways these ponies away from us afterwards, we cannot allow the vote to pass. As Phasma pointed out, the crown cannot falter while facing this upcoming war. I believe we stand a good chance of shutting down this vote– but next time they push it forwards, it shall be even more difficult to kill. We will have to smother Division-P and its political ties before that happens.”

“How are we faring on that front?” Cadance asked, looking to me and Luna.

“Division-P is scaling up its attacks against changelings,” I recalled Lace’s report. “I will find out more tonight, but anything in the South is becoming tenuous to protect.”

Shining leaned closer, “Their activities are limited to the South?”

“And Manehattan,” I added. “Gang warfare is escalating there, too. Lots of ponies with grudges against the new top dogs in their town.”

Shining pressed, “How about infiltrating Division-P itself?”

“Plans are in motion,” Luna confirmed. “It is hard, these ponies are paranoid of infiltration. We are limited to replacing arrested agents, and those opportunities are few and far between. We are lucky there are no spells to detect changelings, but there are many conventional methods to make infiltration difficult.”

“Difficult, but not impossible,” I pointed out. “We have the best spies in history. It’s slow, but it’s happening.”

“S.M.I.L.E. is operating on the outside,” Celestia joined in. “We have several leads to follow, and I believe we have a positive identification on where Lord Artful Acumen was during his communication with us on Lantern night. We are working to confirm it, but Marquess Deep Pocket’s father in law has a manor with a deep wine cellar that matches the description. If this is true, then we have an avenue to limit the New Harmony Coalition’s support.”

“Anything to change the tune would be helpful,” Luna nodded.

“Speaking of which,” Celestia winked, “we have a plan. Cadance and I came up with it, and it’s quite a good one.”

We all leaned forward, save for the Princess of Food who already knew the plan.

“Is that so? A plan for what?” Luna asked.

“We need to keep the public from supporting Division-P’s side,” Celestia said. “Anything we can do to keep the New Harmony Coalition off their hooves and stumbling is good. To steal the spotlight, on the day they announce the vote of No Confidence, we shall end the trial of the former Queen Chrysalis and announce her verdict and sentencing.”

“You had my attention,” I smiled, “and now you have my interest. You have come up with sentencing?”

Cadance nodded quickly, “We have. This is what we’ve been delaying sentencing for. Us three judges have come up with a few prospective sentences, but we are confident you will support our main proposition.”

‘It’s happening. It’s finally happening! Chrysalis is finally getting what she deserves for trying to scoop my brain out. Or rather, for trying to kill and resurrect me. Goddess, she is a messed up nutcase. Is that better or worse than– nah who am I kidding, anything is better than locked-in syndrome.’

“Well?” I leaned over the table. “What are you waiting for, a dramatic cut that ends the scene before you reveal your plan? What will be Chrysalis’s fate?”

Cadance smiled at me and took a deep breath, “Queen Chrysalis will–”

35- Best Background Character

Slowly, I rapped my hoof against the wood door.

“One second!” Came a muffled voice behind its sturdy form.

Nervously, I glanced behind me. The evening sun was crowning the tops of the apple trees, casting spears of golden light through the bare branches and avenues between the mighty trees. In the far distance, Ponyville, the homeplace of the greatest headache to villains of this day and age, bustled about with its Friday night activities.

The door creaked open and a foal trotted out. She stopped, looked at my legs, and every so slowly craned her head up to look at me. A pink bow, bigger than her skull, bobbed on her mane as she blinked owlishly.

“Woah. You’re big!”

“You’re small. Glad we established that.”

A creeping dread overtook her mood and she visibly swallowed a second later, “You’re the… the Dread Prince, aren’t ya?”

I leaned down– and the filly took a step back– and smiled, putting my fangs on display, “Yes, I am. You must be the one known as Apple Bloom.”

Her eyes widened, “You know who I am?!”

“Not really,” I straightened up. “I just made sure to know the names of the family members of the Elements of Harmony. I was invited,” I produced said invitation, waving it magically around. “So if you were hoping I would conquer your town, that’s gonna have to wait till after this weekend.”

“Apple Bloom!” Her sister’s voice echoed from the open door behind her. “You better be in the kitchen with Granny and not answering the door, like I told you!”

Apple Bloom lifted a hoof and almost turned away to scamper off. But she was hesitant to let me out of her sight.

“... Tender Taps said he saw you hurt Sparkling Water. He said she’s afraid to go outdoors now.”

I scowled, “Am I supposed to know….” Then it occurred to me, I did know one of those names, “... Sparkling Water, bright blue coat, white mane and tail?”

Apple Bloom nodded slowly.

‘Ah. The hu– the living shield, way back when I crushed Shining Armor and took him and Cadance captive in Canterlot. Haven’t heard that name in a while, not since someone annoying demanded I apologize to her.’

“Who the f– who is Tender Taps?”

“He’s my friend!” She yelled, as if that would explain anything. “Applejack says–”

“Applejack says you should get back to helpin’ Granny,” Applejack said, appearing in the doorway behind Apple Bloom. “Get a move on!”

Apple Bloom plodded back indoors, throwing one last glance at me over her shoulder before she disappeared around a corner.

Applejack cleared her throat, wiping flour off her cheek, “Evening, King Phasma. I see you got my letter.”

“Yes, much to my… confusion,” I tilted my head. “Last I checked, you wanted nothing to do with me after I ordered the assassin–”

“How’s Tiberius?” She changed the subject, glancing back to where Apple Bloom disappeared off to.

“He’s fine?” I asked more than said. “Applejack, I can sense your emotions and your sisters, but I also saw two more souls in that house. I don’t appreciate being dodgy and suspicious, not when there are killers about.”

“Shh!” She lifted a hoof, “I don’t want my sister hearin’ this talk of killers ‘n whatnot.”

“She’s in the far corner of the house,” I said after checking with the soul sight spell.

Applejack relaxed, “She loves eavesdropping. The other two ponies are my grandma, Granny, and my brother, Big Macintosh. They’ll be joinin’ us for supper.”

“I see,” I said, and whispered over the Weave, “Stand down, lings. You can report back to the airship.”

Unseen to the pony standing in front of me, seven Red Right Hoof soldiers retreated from the edge of the roof, flying back to where we had parked our airship over the Everfree. I still would have to check to make sure that neither of the remaining ponies were replaced and disguised Division-P agents, but I was likely safe.

“If’n you don’t mind me asking before I invite you in, have you fixed the mess you made with the griffons?”

I chuckled, “Absolutely not. Getting involved in any way could lead to the griffons blaming us and starting a war.”

Fear cut through the mare like a blade, “Oh Celestia. You really messed up there.”

“Did you invite me out here to opine about your morals?” I asked, gesturing to her.

“No, no,” Applejack said, then added in a whisper, “I need ‘yer help, King Phasma. I’m not gonna forgive ya for what ya did, but with three Princesses on your back, I’m gonna worry about my own hearth ‘n home.”

I looked around her farm behind me. The barn was sturdy. The trees, though looking as bare as an Equus native’s backside, looked healthy enough to me. I couldn’t see any major problem with her hearth nor her home.

‘Good. If she called me out here to raise a barn or clear some field or something, I’d be pissed. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I do an honest day’s work.’

“Alright, I’ll help. What do I need to do?”

Mimicking her sister, Applejack blinked in surprise, “You haven’t even heard what I need help with, yet you’re agreeing to help?”

I sneered, a bit angry that I even had to explain this, “Luna is forever grateful to you and your friends for saving her from that Nightmare. I don’t think I need to explain how much she means to me, and by extension what you did to save her. Whatever you ask, within reason, I shall help with…” then I added as an afterthought, “so long as it doesn’t involve any of those ‘friendship lessons’ Twilight writes about to Celestia.”

“Reservations about your character aside,” the mare stepped to the side, “I was raised with manners. C’mon in, mind the… ceiling. Never had a house guest as tall as you before.”

“Applejack, not to be rude myself, but I need to know why I am here. I am a very busy ling, and had to put off meeting with legal counsel about some assault charges racked up in Manehattan. May I know why you invited me here?”

She froze, then let out a dramatic sigh, shutting the door behind her as she stepped out.

“It’s Big Mac. I need your help convincing him to not gallop off ‘n get hurt.”

My eyebrows shot up, “Die?”

She shrugged, “He’s got it in his head that Equestria needs his help. He wants to join the Guard. No matter how much Granny and I tell ‘em that he’s needed here with four hooves on the ground, his head’s in the clouds about this. I think listening to Rebel Radio’s got him all riled up.”

“Rebel Radio?”

She scoffed, “Surprised you haven’t heard of it, Mr. Government Stallion. Some folks down near Dodge Junction have their own station and have been broadcasting about both the changelings and the Nightmares, how both are goin’ after innocent folks and that we need to prepare.”

I groaned and rubbed my head, “This is getting too real. You ponies are too cute for isolationist, militarist propaganda. Okay, and you want my help convincing him to not join the Royal Guard?”

She nodded, “Mhmm. Figured you’d know best how to convince him otherwise.”

“You didn’t think to ask Luna for help, the one who has seen more wars than she can count on her… hooves? All four of them?”

“As a matter of fact, I did ask Celestia for help. She said you’d be the pony– or, uh, changeling to talk to.”

I ran a hoof over my head, combing my fin back, “I see. Did she give a reason to directing your request to me?”

Applejack shook her head, “Nope, and I didn’t press for one. She’s a busy Princess.”

“But you’re willing to bother a King?”

“C’mon now, King Phasma, you’re the King of like ten thousand changelings. The mayor of Manehattan is responsible for thirty times as many ponies as you, to say nothing of the Princesses.”

“Fifteen thousand!” I screeched.

She chuckled, “I’m yanking yer chain. Anyways, you’re here. You still willin’ to help us out?”

I scratched my head, “I’ll go talk to him, not sure how much I can convince him considering I’m a complete stranger to him.”

“Don’t discount yourself, King Phasma,” Applejack said, fixing me with a scowl. “You’re a warrior, and one of the scariest ones alive. The stories that have come out of the Canterlot Massacre paint the Dread Prince as the most brutal warlord alive. If anypony can scare Big Mac straight, it’s you.”

‘Brutal warlord. That’s not exactly the ringing fame you’d hear of great leaders like Augustus Caesar. Then again, I think most school history books left out the whole conquering, enslaving, and sacrificing children thing he did.’

I returned my attention from my ego to the tan pony, “You want me to scare him with the reality of war?”

She threw up her hooves, “I don’t care how you do it, just keep him here on the farm. Harmony knows what we’ll do without him when the snows melt, let alone if something happens to both me and him when the Nightmares arrive!”

“I’ll talk to him,” I placated her. “I’ll try my best to make the worst case scenarios obvious, but ultimately it’s his decision.”

“Thank you,” she sighed.

“... Unless it becomes prudent to bar him from military service,” I thought aloud, tapping my chin. “Being related to the Element of Harmony means that targeting him could throw you off balance, and keeping him away from danger might be required…”

“You think the Nightmares would go after Big Mac if they saw him?”

I gave the pony a shrug, “It’s what I would do. That’s why there are no less than ten Infiltrators in Ponyville: to watch you and your families and ensure no major danger comes around.”

“There are how many changelings in Ponyville?!”

I pressed a hoof to her lips in an instant, “Yell it louder, why don’t you! In hindsight, telling the Element of Honesty to keep a secret may have been a mistake…”

She pushed my hoof down, looking nonplussed that I had physically shut her mouth, “I am capable of holding a secret, mind you, so long as it’s to keep ponies safe. I won’t say nothing to nopony.”

Regardless, I resolved to not tell her that the actual number was fifteen Infiltrators. There were also Celestia’s agents to consider, of which two were stationed within Ponyville from her tiny network.

‘Then again, does a ten year old count as an agent? I should hope not, if Celestia is employing child soldiers then I need to up my evil game.’

“Now, come on in,” Applejack about-faced and invited me in behind her. “Dinners ready in half an hour. Y'all don’t mind corn, do ya?”

“Not at all.”

“Good, ‘cus Big Mac got it cheap and in bulk last Wednesday. Big Mac is in the cellar, tryin’ to shore up one of the pillars. If’n you don’t mind, it might be best to introduce yourself.”

I ducked low and walked in, careful to not scrape my horn on the doorway and ceiling beyond. Bumping into a wall full of old photos, I seriously considered disguising myself as a pony-sized stallion when Applejack guided me over to the cellar stairway. From the way she smothered a giggle after I bumped nose-first into a wall, the levity was helping to break the ice.

‘Considering the fact that they are mad I used pony-shields in a hostage situation, perhaps playing the clown for a bit will ease the tension. As Luna said, it’s best to not piss off the most important heroes in Equestria’s history behind the Princesses.’

The wine cellar was colder than their cozy home above, leaving my breath visible in the air. My hooves clacked against smooth stone as I tucked my tail between my legs. On either side of me stood rows upon rows of thick barrels. Each was the size of a small drone and were piled upon each other on damp, rotting wooden shelving. Years marked each batch of apple cider, as well as a lot number below that. I didn’t need to be the most powerful person in the alcohol industry to know of the famed Apple Acres cider and Zap Apple jam. Sadly, we were far out of season for that latter rainbow-colored rarity, and only booze was hoarded and aged down here.

Ahead, the space opened up into a little workshop. A worktable was piled high with boxes of screws, nails, broken bits of metal, a vice, and more tools than you could shake a stick at. Beside it crouched the stallion of the hour. Big Macintosh was screwing a metal plate into the top of a support beam, up on his hindlegs as he screwed in a bolt. When he heard the distressed screams of the stair’s weathered floorboards under me, he turned to look over his shoulder.

His eyes widened, eyebrows shot up, and a screwdriver fell from his mouth as the Dread Prince entered his dark, damp, and cramped workspace.

“Big Macintosh, name’s Phasma,” I said, sticking out a hoof and tilting my head to the side in order to avoid turning my horn into a stick for spider web cotton-candy. “I’d say that I’m a friend of your sister, but that’d be lying.”

“What…” He stared at my hoof, trailing off. “Yer tonight’s guest?”

I chuckled, “I was as surprised as you are when I received her invitation.”

“Why?”

“She has a lot of reasons to be mad at me, but had extended the invitation to me. It would have been rude to refuse.”

He shook his head, “Why did AJ invite you? That don’t make a lick of sense. Yer King Phasma, not a guest!”

I snorted, “Tonight, it seems, I am both.”

“What a load of cow pies!” He cursed. “Granny would never let somepony like you under our roof for no reason. Why are you really here?”

‘Hmm. Better not beat around the bush. If he’s anything like his sister, then he values honesty above all else.’

I idly pressed a hoof against one of the casks of cider, inspecting it as I spoke softly.

“Your sister wanted me to speak to you about your desire to join the war.”

“Oh. I see,” was all he said.

His emotions spoke far more. Confusion and bitterness fell away, pulled out like a trap door. Love, pride, and a kind of colder anger filled the red stallion.

“You are set on it?” I asked him.

“Eyyup.”

“Why?” I asked.

“None of yer business,” Big Mac said, glaring at me.

I scoffed, “It was made my business when your sister invited me over to discuss it.”

“She shouldn’t have done that.”

I let my hoof fall from the barrel, “Maybe. Or maybe your action is driving her up a wall with worry, causing her to look to anyone that could help.”

“That don’t sound like AJ.”

“Stubborn streak, refuses to seek help from others,” I recited her file’s biography. “I am aware– there are few living in Ponyville not aware of her famed self-determination.”

“Yer not from Ponyville,” he said, connecting the dots, “so how do you know that? From Princess Luna?”

“From the many layers of security watching you all from afar,” I revealed.

“Spying,” he growled.

“Someone tried to assassinate me a few weeks ago. You think we wouldn’t keep tabs on Equestria’s most powerful heroes and those close to them? You think we don’t constantly worry about you all becoming targets?!”

Big Mac flinched, and his emotions rolled over like a violent storm. Guilt, flavored with fear, mixed with his prior emotions.

“Is my family in danger?”

I shook my head, “Not at this time. Those that target me, Division-P, are pony supremacists. Going after the Elements of Harmony lies completely outside of their goals. They may try to convince them, sure, but they wouldn’t target such famous paragons of virtue.”

“But AJ wanted you to talk to me about joining the Guard?”

“She doesn’t want you to do it, no.”

He laughed, “Neither do I! But that’s duty, ain’t it? You do it not ‘cus you want to, but because you have to.”

“You don’t have to join the Royal Guard, Big Mac.”

The pony frowned, “We all have to do our part. Some of my drinkin’ buddies had friends who got hurt chasing the changelings out of Equestria. My grandpa served for five years. Now, the Princesses are talkin’ ‘bout how things are gonna get worse. They need everypony they can get.”

“The war effort is not short on… ponypower,” I said, struggling to guess the correct replacement for ‘man.’ “Many guards will not even see combat. We’re hoping to end it all with a single battle, after all.”

“So it’s not even dangerous to join,” he smiled at his little victory.

“It could be,” I said. “Unless your posting is deliberately chosen, there’s no telling what you might face.”

“We could get hurt at any point in our lives. That’s just life.”

I changed tactics, “Your sister is already helping the war– in a huge way that few others can match. Your family is punching far above your weight in terms of helping Equestria. We are all already indebted to your family, Big Mac. Your sister saved Luna and Equestria both, that’s something none of us can ever repay.”

“Ask not what yer country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. If this war really is all or nothin’, how can we give less than our all?”

I reeled, almost stumbling back as this red talking horse in an alien world was quoting American Presidents to me.

‘Holy hell! This guy is pretty smart! Pretty sure he’s convincing me at this point, not the other way around!’

Once more, I decided to change tactics.

“Look, Big Macintosh, I’m not going to lie. Your sister is going to be in a lot of danger. As the bearer of Honesty, she’s going to be on the front line against an army of demons. The kind of monsters that should only exist in horror movies. I should know, I’ve faced them. The odds of her getting hurt or dying is not low. In fact, the only people in more danger are those who will have to throw themselves between her and the monsters trying to kill her. Applejack is a civilian, not a soldier, but she’s ready to do anything it takes. And now, she’s asking me to stop you from getting hurt.” I sighed, “Let’s say something happens to her. And, as a Royal Guard, you are put in danger to protect others, and now something happens to you. Both you and your sister are called upon to pay the ultimate price to save the world. Where does that leave your family? Where does that leave your little sister?”

“Granny–”

“Won’t last another two decades. First, Apple Bloom lost her parents. Then, she loses her brother and sister. Finally, she’ll lose her last close family in time, her grandmother. She’ll be alone on this farm, surrounded by ghosts. You want to serve Equestria? Make sure that AJ still has a home and family to return to when she returns from war, if she returns.”

Now the guilt overpowered every other emotion, bleeding his resolve dry.

“... I could be stationed somewhere safe. Could even ask the Princesses–”

“Is that what you want? To serve someone nice and safe, depriving someone else of that chance, just so you can claim you served Equestria at a time of war?”

“I ain’t no coward!” He stomped a hoof.

“Then stay where you are needed most. Stay here, and stay safe. Let Applejack fight her battles knowing that her little sister will always have family by her side, no matter what happens to Applejack.”

Big Mac scraped a hoof at the ground, nervously glancing around, “Do you really think she’s gonna get hurt?”

“She’s no alicorn, yet she’ll be going against alicorn-tier threats, Big Mac. People are going to die in this war. A lot of people. Death comes for us all eventually, whether we are ready or not. All that remains is to see who goes sooner, rather than later.”

He remained silent, now intently staring at the ground beneath his hooves. I could see that he was still grappling with the idea, figuring out where he stood. At any rate, I said all that I could. Slowly, he walked past me and up the stairs. I followed behind, giving the basement one last look. With the light streaming in through window wells, the place had a cramped, dusty, and crowded feeling.

It reminded me of the home I lost.

“... Do you say grace?”

The four Apples looked at me, each as baffled as the last.

“What’s that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Nevermind. Thank you for inviting me… Applejack,” I said, still not believing it.

“Thank you for coming,” she replied. “Now we don't want all this good food to go to waste. Dig in!”

And what a feast it was. Hoof-churned butter and freshly baked cornbread, cold and refreshing cider, bowls of what Applejack explained was grits, buttered corn on the cob, collared greens, and a massive dish of hot apple cobbler for dessert. As much as I savored that last one, a specter hung over the room as we ate. Being an empath, the tension boiling over into anger was an unwelcome meal.

Not that changelings dislike any particular emotion, it was just awkward.

“Lovely dinner,” I said.

“Thanks,” Applejack said.

Big Mac and Granny Smith remained silent, looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. They contributed the most to the turbulent atmosphere, but seemed reluctant to speak.

Apple Bloom looked up at me, “Why’d you kill all those ponies?”

“Apple Bloom!” AJ and Big Mac hissed in stereo.

“Yer lucky my granddaughter let you in this house,” Granny Smith threw her hat into the ring. “A line of salt around the porch should’a kept you out for good!”

I sighed, “That works on other fae, not me. I’m a fae king, I oppress others and mess with people’s minds for the fun of it.”

“More like hurt ponies for the fun of it,” Apple Bloom grumbled.

“Or worse,” Applejack said quietly, doing her best to kill her collared greens with a fork. “I mean, I didn’t invite him here just to berate him, Apple Bloom and Granny! This is our guest, and we discussed this!”

“Discussed don’t mean agreed!” Granny sneered.

I slammed my hooves on the table, startling everyone. They lurched back in their chairs away from me, afraid of an outburst of anger.

“Alright, that’s enough!” I silenced them. Then, I pointed to Granny Smith, “You don’t like me. I know that, and I am not trying to change that. I was invited here by your grandaughter, so please keep the peace until I leave. I won’t start nothing,so long as you don’t.”

She crossed her hooves, “Hmph. I have yer word?”

“You have my word as king, and my word as bond,” I confirmed.

Granny Smith shrugged, “Then I’ll keep an eye on you and leave the rest to the Princesses.”

I pointed to Big Mac next, “You… the things I said earlier. Those things.”

“Eyyup?”

“Think about them.”

“Eyyup.”

Applejack got pointed at next, “You.”

“Me?” She pointed to herself.

“You. The dinner was nice, I especially loved the apple cobbler.”

“Thanks?” She said, sheepishly rubbing her neck.

Apple Bloom was last to receive the point, “You. Real life is complicated, and sometimes the only way forward is to hurt the people who–”

“Don’t go giving my grandfoals rotten moral lessons!” Granny interrupted.

I slowly shut my mouth and turned to stare at the haggard mare, leaning back in my chair and staring her down. To her credit, she didn’t falter when the giant insect three times her size was trying his best to melt her mind with his anger.

AJ intervened, “Apple Bloom, why don’t you–”

“– Stay here,” I finished for her, never taking my eyes off the problem in the room.

The foal nervously chuckled, “Yer not gonna hurt us, right?”

“Huh?” I gasped, head snapping towards the little herbivore. “Why would you– no, no I am not.”

Apple Bloom swallowed and sat up straighter, “Then yer not gonna kill anypony anymore?”

“... I have to protect my family,” I tried to appeal to the obvious commonality between us. “My drones are my family. They are my citizens, my soldiers, my friends. They are all I have. Chrysalis may be my mother, but I don’t consider her family. Sometimes, you have to do what you have to do to protect those you love. You live by the Everfree; if something came from there, would you try to ward it away and risk your own health, or would you fight back?”

“Monsters from the Everfree aren’t ponies,” Apple Bloom said confidently.

“Monsters from the Everfree also don’t try to lure you into an alleyway away from your friends to hurt you. Again. The comparison isn’t perfect, Apple Bloom, I know, but things get complicated quickly in my life.”

“So you’re going to keep hurting ponies?”

“The ones that keep trying to hurt my changelings, yes.”

“Then apologize to Sparkling Water. She didn’t try to hurt nopony.”

“The filly?”

Apple Bloom nodded, “Apologize to her. You hurt her bad, and I ain’t talking about cuts or bruises.”

I relented, having already told Shining Armor that I would, “She does deserve–”

“Make a promise,” Apple Bloom. “Promise on your honor as a king. That’s important, right? Like a Pinkie promise?”

‘Wow. She cornered me into that. Now I actually have to get off my ass and find this single pony in a kingdom full of them.’

The other three members of the Apple family looked quite happy as I tilted my head to the side and slumped forward in defeat.

“I swear as King of the Fifth Hive that I will make a personal apology to Sparkling Water.”

The filly’s muzzle slowly split into a wide grin as she savored her win.

“Good,” she said.

“Heheh, she gets that from my side of the family!” Granny Smith cackled.

I rolled my eyes and shoveled another forkful of lukewarm cobbler into my mouth.

Applejack shut the front door behind her, outwardly looking as unsure of herself as I sensed she was.

“Thanks for talking to Big Mac, King Phasma. And for not making this dinner a disaster.”

“Thanks for the food, Applejack.”

She pursed her lips and looked me over, “I see what the Princesses see in ya. Lots of work left to do. Lots of work. But there’s hope for you yet.”

“Glad to hear I have your approval. I can sleep soundly at night now.”

“You don’t have many friends, do you?”

‘... Coxa, Lace, Bray Call, and Quick Search. I have five including Warm Dew way off in Hooferville. I doubt I can consider Thorax a friend, not since he left a month ago. Any other subordinate would be iffy to consider friends. Could I count Cadance, Celestia, and Luna? That would be eight friends, being optimistic.’

“No, I don’t,” I admitted. “Do not invite me out here again.”

36- Metamorphosis

Sandfly knocked on the sturdy wooden door. The metal bands across its boards were emblazoned with small pictures of flagons, causing Sandfly to snort in disgust.

‘We’ve got too much of everything now, except what matters.’

The slot at eye level pulled open and a pair of cyan eyes looked out at him.

“Green Cistern’s closed tonight,” a rough voice came from the other side of the door.

“I am invited,” Sandfly said confidently.

The drone behind the door narrowed his eyes, “Don’t know ya.”

“I am invited,” Sandfly insisted.

“Who you with?” The eyes scrutinized Sandfly, as if there was more to the drone than his chitin.

“The Hammers.”

A low bark of laugh accompanied the shake of the bouncer’s head, “You don’t look like a Hammer!”

Sandfly grinned, “You wanna step back and watch me prove it?”

“... No,” the bouncer changed his mind. “One second.”

The slot slammed closed and muffled voices yelled at each other, leaving Sandfly looking around in boredom. The Fifth Hive’s main rooms were bustling with the evening’s goings on. Even here in the far corner, space was already becoming a premium. Boxes were stacked high, drones opened makeshift stalls and barked prices at passersby, and many surfaces were still being smoothed out, replaced with greenery, or machinery. It was a chaotic mess.

It was home.

When the slot opened again, another drone was peeking one eye out.

“Ey? Who’s it?”

“Sandfly.”

The new changeling scoffed, “Sandfly?! You oughta be dead and in a ditch!”

Sandfly winked, “Many have tried, and that many are dead.”

“Hahaha, well what are you waiting for, get in here!”

With several clicks, the heavy door swung outwards, emitting a low cloud of smoke and the sound of conversation and clinking glasses. The drone in the door motioned Sandfly to enter, and all but pulled him inside, shutting it behind the two.

Sandfly found himself in a large tavern, with real wooden floorboards, tables from wall to wall filled with drones, chandeliers dripping with stacks of candles, and a far wall lined with bottles of wine behind a stocked bar. To the left, a stage had been fixed with a large radio sitting on the edge, with a sizable crowd sitting around it. To the right, drones were fixated on a large wooden table topped with green fuzz, thrusting wooden poles at balls clattering against each other.

“You look like you’ve never been in a speakeasy, Sandfly,” the older drone elbowed him.

“I haven’t,” Sandfly said from the corner of his mouth.

He grunted in surprise when the older changeling threw a hoof around his shoulders and shook him, “It’s great, ain’t it?! Sparky and some of his friends from the Fourth Legion got it together. Apparently, he got stuck on this side of the frontline and found his way into the Fifth Hive before the war ended. They got while the getting was good.”

“Bullshit!” Sandfly chuckled. “Sparky building something rather than burning it down? Try something more believable, Captain.”

The older changeling extended out a hoof, and Sandfly bumped it with his own, giving a sharp nod to his superior officer. With a nod, Tetragnath led them through the busy tavern, skirting around tables and dancing around drones with plates full of mugs of foamy beer in their telekinetic grips.

“Where've you been, Sandfly? We thought you were lost with your brother. Were you intentionally hiding that ugly mug from us?”

“No, Captain Tetragnath.” Sandfly nodded towards his right foreleg, extending it out for inspection, “Flame spill hit me on the perimeter wall. Hive’s Finest had me podded for two weeks, the flames got me that bad. By the time I was out, we were well on our way to the Fourth. Then I got assigned to ‘carry this, fetch that,’ duty. Had me hauling shit and patrolling tunnels till two weeks ago.”

The two walked up two steps to an elevated area, making for an occupied booth. Three drones looked up at their arrival, scooting aside as the Captain sat down.

“Boys and girls, this here’s Sandfly from Beta Squad. Turns out, he’s not dead after all.” Tetragnath introduced him.

Sandfly bumped hooves with each of his fellow Legionaries as one asked, “You’re Weevil’s brother, right? I heard you both ate it in the Palace.”

“Never made it past Canterlot’s outer wall,” Sandfly corrected. “Until today, technically.”

Sandfly found himself repeating his short and miserable story to the three drones.

“Say, Captain,” he turned to Tetragnath, “what’s up with the locked door, anyways? This some kind of officer’s club we’re in?”

Captain Tetragnath chuckled, “Nah. Any drone is welcome here, but tonight it’s a private party. Several of the Lodges are celebrating– and with the news, we’d rather not risk some Loyalists caving in our tunnel.”

Ah. Politics. Something which escaped Sandfly’s understanding.

“Why would they cause trouble? Don’t tell me the Tyrant’s hooflickers somehow support the Prohibition?”

One of the other drones, Smoke, laughed, “Haha! No! They’re gonna be pissed about the other news!”

Sandfly frowned, “Other news? What’s going on?”

Captain Tetragnath motioned a waitress over and snagged a beer, sliding it over.

“It’s Sprout!” he smiled. “Tastes like beetleshit, tastes like home!”

Sandfly grabbed the mug and took a swig, suppressing a shudder, “Y-yep! That’s… ugh. What’s the news, Captain?”

Tetragnath nursed his own mug, “The old Queen’s getting the noose.”

Sandfly nearly spat out his drink as he slammed it on the table, “What?!”

“No, not the noose,” another drone by the name of Thunder said. “Banishment!”

“I’ve got fifty bits on cutting her tongue out,” Smoke cheered.

“It’s the noose,” Tetragnath insisted. “The King’s not that barbaric, Smoke, and there ain’t no way he’d let her out of his sight by banishing her!”

“He did it with that traitor from the First Fang,” Thunder shrugged.

“So… something’s happening to her today?” Sandfly pieced together.

Smoke nodded, “Mhmm! After the ponies repeal the ban on alcohol, we should be hearing the surprise news over the radio. They’re gonna switch it from music over to live broadcast when the King passes the sentence.”

“Holy shit,” Sandfly gasped. “It’s happening? It’s actually happening?!”

Tetragnath raised his glass, “Tonight, justice will be served for every brother, sister, friend, and lover lost to the acid vats! Justice will be served for squandering our Hive’s chance at victory! Tonight, the King will reign triumphant, once and for all!”

Sandfly and the other drones cheered and banged their mugs together, and many nearby changelings hollered in excitement.

‘Finally! Those bastards are finally getting what’s coming to them! King Phasma better kill the rest of those Praetorian bastards!’

“For Weevil,” he cheered, smiling as his eyes watered.

“For Oest!” Tetragnath toasted.

“For old Lice and Stegasta!” Smoke raised his glass.

“For Tunnel Crew Twenty-One!” Thunder said, shaking her head.

The five tipped their mugs back and drank their foul Sprout, coughing and hacking as they finished their glasses.

“It’s on!” Someling called out from the crowd. “Quick, switch ‘em all over to the news!”

“Three hundred and twenty-two yays, fifty-six nays, and fourteen abstains! The motion passes!”

A quiet chorus of polite applause echoed through the grand chamber as the ponies stomped their approval. The gathered three hundred ninety-two members of the Parliament of Equestria congratulated each other or stared across the space in quiet stewing anger as the Prohibition was officially ended.

Lord Speaker Daisy called out, “The motion shall be presented to the Crown for final signing. Congratulations to Lord Fancy on your bill passing.”

The few members of the press allowed in snapped their pictures from the far walls of the Parliament’s ornate main chamber, with several more jotting down notes and holding microphones up to capture the momentous occasion. Lord Speaker Daisy flipped over her stack of papers, examining the next one in the pile.

“... Marquess Deep Pockets has motioned for the floor for the proposal of bill Seven-Nine-Five, The Bill Against Foreign Influence…” Daisy trailed off. Slowly, she lifted her head from her desk, “Marquess? What is the meaning of this?”

Marquess Deep Pockets stalked from the rear of the chamber’s raised rows, several members of the New Harmony Coalition straightening up as she passed them. The pink-coated mare shimmered in the afternoon sunlight cast from the tall windows as it caught the many diamonds on her gold dress.

“We have motioned for immediate consideration of The Bill Against Foreign Influence,” she announced as she approached the Lord Speaker’s podium in the center of the room. “You will find the adequate number of votes to begin consideration.”

Lord Speaker Daisy flipped through the pages, “This was not scheduled, Marquess. You had filed for time to speak about your Bill for Las Pegasus’s expansion, not this.”

“Priorities have changed,” Marquess smiled, “and we must put Equestria’s safety at the forefront of our attention. The motion is seconded, Lord Speaker. Unless you are refusing your duty?”

Daisy leaned back, almost shrinking in her chair, “Not at all, Marquess. You… have the floor.”

Deep Pockets nodded and swiftly took the center podium, looking out over the gathered stallions and mares.

“Esteemed members of this great chamber, we have long since dictated and inscribed the will of the Princesses as we guided this great Princedom for generations uncounted. We have, in our wisdom, sought to understand the Crown’s desire for peace and prosperity, and have made it our lives’ goals to embody it. The health of our great nation is the health of our own mind and souls; the two cannot be untwined. This past year has been the most difficult we have seen in our lifetime, and indeed it may yet be the most catastrophic this great land has ever seen! War! Invasion! Occupation! Destruction and death! Plagues of woe that had never before held purchase over our towns and hills were forced upon us all, separating families and destroying livelihoods.

“Now, evil is taking root within our fair city, in the Palace we swore to protect! Those who we have looked up to our entire lives have fallen victim, and it falls to us to take their shield and continue the fight! The changeling threat is not over, and is more dangerous than it has ever been! We are not at peace! We are, as we have been for the past half year, in a state of war! Our way of living is being threatened! Our Princesses are being controlled! Our Kingdom is in danger! We must seize the reins and protect the Crown from doing any further harm to itself. While the changelings infest the Palace, the Princesses must be safeguarded from outside influence!

“It is with a heavy heart and no small amount of trepidation that the New Harmony Coalition officially puts forth The Bill Against Foreign Influence. In order to ensure the security and continued stability, we officially call for a Vote of No Confidence in Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance of Equestria! This great chamber has guided Equestria for centuries. The time has come for us to assume full responsibility for its health. For the good of the Kingdom, and for the good of the Princesses, I implore all of you to stand with me against the insidious threat that is already all around us!”

The chamber was split down the middle between applause and outrage. Ponies stamped and clapped in approval as the press took a flurry of photos, casting the Marquess in near-constant white light from the flashes.

‘Two hundred and ninety-five votes and the Prince of Terror and the Tyrant Queen’s malice will finally be over.’

I nodded to Bray Call, who stepped back towards my side. Luna was looking at me for confirmation, and I gave her a slow nod, which she passed along to Celestia.

‘It’s time.’

Celestia tapped the armrest of her throne three times. Cadance’s ear flicked back at the sound, and I faintly sensed fear coming from her direction.

‘C’mon, Cadance, harden your heart and steel your nerves.’

“I believe we have heard enough,” Cadance said, rising from her judge’s stand and motioning for Coxa and Sanguine to join her. “You may take your seat,” she dismissed the changeling witness that was telling a tale of Chrysalis’s tyranny over food rations. “Court is adjourned for ten minutes, after which we will return from a short deliberation with the final verdict and sentencing.”

Many ponies were slouching from the grueling day of sitting down and listening to war crimes. Not that I blamed them, this was hardly fascinating stuff after the first five hours of testimony. Now, weeks in, this was the first new news that had been spoken in the throne room. But boy, did it get people moving. Ponies frantically confirmed with each other about what they just heard. Final verdict. This trial would come to a swift close and Chrysalis' future would be writ in stone.

The three judges filed out of the room, leaving Celestia, Luna, and I standing before the ponies. Chrysalis looked up at me from her little podium. Her calm expression betrayed how she felt. She was not smug, nor was she gloating, as she did not know what was going to happen next.

Chrysalis was worried about the…

No. That's not right. Chrysalis was not worried. She doesn't worry about anything, ever. Concerned. She was concerned about the potential punishment. Death was out of the question, of course. Not even Phasma would go against The Great Weaver's judgment, no matter his independent streak. There were many fates worse than death. Many things.

In fact, that exact topic had been the matter of discussion for many of these pointless trial days. The worst cases were also of no concern to Chrysalis; the ponies were involved in the decision-making process, and would no doubt lack the stomach for the more brutal choices. No, Chrysalis was not concerned about being maimed.

But Phasma is a creative Prince, and he would have the loudest voice in deciding her fate.

She had hoped the divine intervention would alleviate the greatest pressure of his grudge against her. Instead, it merely opened the gate a crack. He still blamed her for Ascending the Princes and Princesses of the Fourth Hive. The crux of her arguments had been that the process was necessary.

And that he would do the same, if given no choice.

They both knew the truth. He was a killer, and was willing to plunge his hooves into the chest cavity of whatever cadaver he would have to in order to protect his kingdom. She admired that quality, and was proud that he learned it from her.

Now was a moment between storms. A calm before a battle. Six thrones lay empty before her. Six souls were deciding her fate. Officially, of course, as she knew they had drawn up plans long before this day.

If Chrysalis was being honest, she admires the plan. Holding onto her and keeping her fate up in the air until her doom would be of service to the ponies and the changelings. It was devious. She would have even found Celestia downright attractive for being the mind who orchestrated it all, if not one for one tiny, itty bitty detail.

It was her fate up in the air.

“Prissy little Princess,” Chrysalis cursed under her breath, resisting the innate urge to grind her teeth together. “Should've killed her when I had the chance.”

What's done is done. No matter what, she was determined to weather the storm.

Chrysalis rose up to her hooves seconds before the six of her executioners returned. The doors swung open and all rose to attention as the most powerful living beings on the planet entered the room. Followed by Celestia.

When they took their places, Cadance called for everyling to sit, but the six remained standing. Chrysalis guessed they wanted her standing, too.

“Chrysalis of the Hive Eternal,” the Princess of Food began. “We have labored long to tally the crimes you have committed. You have hurt ponies and changelings alike. The evidence of your wrongdoings eclipses the good you have brought to our world.”

“Circumstances included,” Coxa said next, “We find you guilty of tyranny, murder, breaching the peace between kingdoms, and conspiracy to end Equestrian society.”

‘Nothing about mutilation or mistreatment of my offspring? Have my arguments… had a point? They listened to me?’

The final judge, Sanguine, looked down her nose at the former-queen, “We have come to a collective decision regarding your fate.”

The old bat’s harsh voice grated Chrysalis's ears. She really hated when that thing spoke.

For the first time, Phasma spoke officially from his leftmost-seat of the three on the raised dais.

“For your crimes against our people,” he said, “you are forbidden from ever holding power within the Hive Eternal. Never again shall you order anyling, save for any personally assigned to you by me and me alone. You will never be Queen, nor will you ever be a Princess. You hold the rank of citizen, equal to that of any other drone.”

Chrysalis’s lips pulled back in a snarl. She growled out a threat, baring her fangs, “A drone?! You d-”

Luna cut her off, voice loudly echoing off the walls like a great bell, “For your crimes against Equestria, you owe a great debt to be repaid. You shall work every day to repay that debt for two hundred years, taking any task your superior gives you.”

Chrysalis's eye twitched, “Superior-?”

Luna continued, “Good behavior shall be rewarded, and delinquency will be harshly stamped out. You shall be assigned to a task force under the Crown to hunt down any threats to society and good company. These members will be hoof-picked by King Phasmatodea, but make no mistake: all three Princesses of Equestria hold rank over you now.”

The insect queen felt rage flow through her whole body. Honestly, this was exactly what she had expected from all of this. In fact, it would be far better than imprisonment. But that didn't make it Sting any less- oh no, the thought of taking orders from Princesses, let alone mortal ponies, was infuriating!

Finally, the last in line of the three leaders of the world gave her sentencing. Celestia looked down at Chrysalis with pity. With pity.

“Your heart overflows with hatred. It pours out like a waterfall, washing away any decency still within you. King Phasma was eased from the path you set him on, but it is clear that there will be no easing for you. You must be dragged kicking and screaming to redemption. You will learn the core tenets of kindness, generosity, laughter, honesty, and loyalty- the core values of friendship. Until that point, your freedom to use your magical gifts will be greatly restricted.”

For a second there, Chrysalis was w- concerned that-

“Furthermore,” the alabaster annoyance continued, “the evil rotting in your heart must be expunged. It is not enough to learn friendship; you must unlearn hatred. As such, your own freedom of language will be strictly monitored. You shall never curse, threaten, or mock anypony ever again.”

Chrysalis's eyebrow twitched, “You're going to police what I say, now?”

“Finally,” Celestia sighed, “Your own identity must change. You have built up a personality of cruelty around yourself, hiding behind it like a fort's walls. To facilitate this change, this new horizon being granted to you, you will be known as North Star. May you find your redemption in time.”

‘That's a pony name. A pony name. Not a changeling name, not a royal name, and not my name. Not my name.’

The former-queen stood there, mouth still frozen open in a half-formed protest as she gripped with the thought. It was ridiculous. It was stupid. Her name was Chrysalis, no matter what this milk-drinking, daisy-licking tree fuckers ever said.

“I am Queen Chrysalis-”

Cadance stamped her hoof. The metal boot changed against the floor through the carpet, magically amplified, and for a moment Chrysalis only heard her breathing and heartbeat.

“This trial is adjourned. The cases of your subordinates will be handled by the Fifth Hive's courts. You will be assigned a special agent for further instructions. Guards!”

“I am Queen Chrysalis!” She hissed, spittle flying. “I am chosen by the Goddess! You do not get to tell me who I am!”

Royal Guards seized her by the shoulders. She pushed them back, easily overpowering the stallions.

“I am the voice of the Goddess, I am the Hive made manifest! Your petty words are hollow, Princess! You mean nothing to me!”

It was not Celestia who descended from her throne, but Cadance. The pink pony princess strode down to meet Chrysalis, stopping before the shackled royalty. Chrysalis drew in a breath to bestow a curse upon the upstart imbecile when Cadance whipped her head forward and fired a beam of teal magic at Chrysalis. The bright beam struck Chrysalis in the eye, and the world fell out from under her.

Down she plunged, chains clinking as Her Majesty smashed muzzle-first onto her podium, pain radiating from her teeth as she slid off. The red carpet welcomed her royal visage with indifference, and the Queen's jaw lay ajar. Her tongue dropped onto the carpet, forcing her to taste its fuzz. She tried to recoil, but struggled to even blink.

“Oh, I am sorry!” Her attacker said, peering down from the podium to her. “Guards, please carry North Star to her new chambers. We are finished here.”

‘We are not finished here, you miserable morsel! When I am done with you, you buffet of morons, I will bury you in an unmarked grave, high in the mountains where nothing grows! Your frozen corpse will lay there for a thousand years! Your name will fall from memory– all of yours–’.

Magic levitated Chrysalis up off the floor, her own protective aura subdued by the inhibitor around her horn. Her face still dragged against the floor, leaving an undignified trail of saliva.

‘– and I will take everything from you, you and Celestia both! You will watch it all burn! You will beg for death for those you love, just to spare them! Then, and only then, will I turn my knives onto you! For you hear me, Princesses?! I will devour you while–’

Her captors dragged her away, and Chrysalis got one last glimpse at those bastards.

Celestia, with not a thought between her ears, failing to hide her smile. Cadance, looking on with feigned concern and no small amount of hidden amusement. Luna, the utterly unremarkable shadow of Daybreaker. And Phasma, who had already turned his back to leave.

Chrysalis didn't know whether she hated that he didn't even keep his attention on her- that he had already dismissed her existence- or a tiny, almost imperceptible amount of relief that her son and heir was not witnessing the disgraceful display.

‘This is not the end. I am Chrysalis, I am Queen, I am Authority! This is not the end, you fools!’

38- With Your Shield, Not On It

Act Three: Fahrenheit 295

“Princess Procho…” I said slowly, trying to think of what to say. “I have been hearing your voice for quite some time now. It’s good to put a face to a voice– or rather, an amulet to a voice.”

“I have to say,” Procho chuckled, “the reports never mentioned how… different you look. Like an aberrant from the Underhive. If I didn’t know better, I would be suspicious of what you are. You are lucky that Philomena vouches for you.”

Philomena cawed, arching her back as she spat flames in my direction.

“... She also apologizes for the delay,” Procho said.

“You can speak bird?” I asked incredulously.

“I’ve had a lot of time on my claws,” she answered. “But first: I heard that you defeated Queen Chrysalis. Is this true?”

I nodded, “I am the undisputed Pontiff of the Hive Eternal.”

“She’s dead…” Procho’s voice trailed off.

“She’s alive,” I corrected her. “You just missed her trial. Guilty of being a tyrant, killing drones without trial, so on. She’ll serve her two century sentence as an agent of Equestria in anonymity.”

“The Queen is alive– and serving Equestria?

“That is correct.”

Procho laughs. It’s more of a bird’s caw than anything else: a single shrill note, starting high and ending low, dragging itself out.

“What has the world come to?!” She wheezes. “This is a new age, without a doubt! Where up is down and down is up! Where changelings walk undisguised as slaves of ponies! Where the hatred of gods shakes the sky!”

Cadance cleared her throat, looking nervous, “S-slave?! There are no–”

“To think,” Procho interrupted, “that your words were cast back centuries, ensnaring my imagination for eons… the wonder I held for you, usurper, was beyond words. A whisper in my mind. A warrior whose tales reached even the far shores of Griffonia. Yet here you stand, and I see you plainly. A usurper. An aberrant. A fool. You act and look nothing like a changeling should.”

I stepped forward ahead of everyone else, closing in on the amulet and the phoenix.

“I think that’s quite enough,” I said, my patience wearing thin. “Princesses, I will handle this for now. Procho, I understand you’ve been through a lot, but I’m not going–”

“That’s Princess Procho to you, usurper. I am the heir to the Fourth Hive. And if you are so intent on destroying my mother’s legacy, I–”

I chuckled, baring my fangs in a wide smile, “Ha! You are nothing, Procho. The Fourth Hive no longer exists. You are no Princess. I was being kind and respectful before, but you are rapidly wearing out your welcome. Now, I am sure you’ve been through a lot, and I am more than willing to start over and forget this. You have a lot of questions. So do we. Instead of spitting on our hospitality, why don’t you try some cooperation instead?”

The trapped soul hissed within her gem, “You insolent welp! I am Empress G–”

Philomena spread her wings and cawed harshly, fanning flames across the frozen courtyard. I leaned back from the display as the phoenix fixed its unblinking yellow eye on Procho. The former-princess sighed deeply before she began again.

“... Y-yes. You are correct, Philomena. I must apologize. You are correct… King Phasma. I have been through a lot. Recent events have worn my patience down to blunted claws, and I have been separated from my kind for far too long. In fact, I realize that I have been upholding the Masquerade protocol as a griffon’s soul for almost ten times longer than I was even alive as a changeling.”

I nodded, “So, are you ready to begin again with a new first impression?”

“I would say yes,” Procho slurred her S’s in the griffon-fashion, “but there remains the question of my mother’s fate. I might apologize for my harshness, but I will not tolerate her enslaver. You and your pony overlords hold no interest to me…”

“She’s not enslaved!” Cadance insisted. “She is a prisoner of war, serving out her sentence for crimes against Equestria and the Hive Eternal, as determined by a court of law!”

“And what crimes could a Queen possibly commit against her own kingdom?” Procho asked, incredulously. “She is the Hive Eternal. Her word is law.”

“I say otherwise,” I shrugged, “and the rest of the royals agreed that I stay as King. So my word is law, and my word is that every changeling has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Meaning Chrysalis retroactively has broken the laws protecting those rights. I’m talking about executing changelings who didn’t deserve death, Procho.”

“A Queen serves the Hive Eternal in whatever way she sees fit. If she has to remove the chaff so the swarm can survive, then that is the Weaver’s will.”

I scoffed, “Pfft. You’ll have time to de-program from religious fanaticism later. You don’t have to take my word that I’m in charge now, you can ask Chrysalis herself later.”

“I fully intend to,” Procho said. “But I am glad to hear that you won’t stop me. In fact, I want nothing more than to see my long-lost mother immediately. I have an after action report to deliver.”

I shook my head, “I said later. I don’t think she’s in a mood for visitors, and I want to break the news of your survival and return in a way that makes her more… receptive to what I want her to do.”

“Bold of you to proudly announce that you plan on manipulating my mother to my face.”

I couldn’t hold back the laugh for long, “Ha! You have been away for a long time. Boldly manipulating people is what our f– us royals do best. You will get to see her tomorrow, Procho. Is that acceptable?”

“Hmm. Tomorrow,” she repeated. “... Yes. Yes, that is acceptable. Tomorrow. One day. Two hundred seventy years of waiting, now only one day remains.”

I gestured to the row of alicorns behind me, “Now, I assume you have other questions? Or are you ready to begin introductions?”

“I suppose we should address the alicorn in the room. Or, alicorns, rather. Word of your… alliance with them reached Griffonia, of course. As had word of you burning down their glittering city of gold. As you can imagine, I had only rumors to work with. Explain to me why and how the Masquerade Protocol was broken, and why you stand shoulder to shoulder with our greatest enemy. Are you their conqueror? Slave? Puppet?”

“It started as a wartime alliance with Nightmare Moon. You familiar with her?”

“Hmm. Foal’s tales told to pony offspring to keep them pliable?”

“Close. This foal’s tale was real. An alicorn possessed by a demon, trapped on the moon.”

Princess Luna stepped forward, “For a thousand years, I watched the world turn without me. The demon and I were so full of hatred we would take any opportunity to take our revenge. When we stumbled across Prince Phasma in a dream, we were quick to strike an alliance. We intended on overthrowing our sister, Princess Celestia. I believe you are familiar with her.”

Celestia smiled and waved at the gem.

“Then what?” Procho said, moving on.

“Nightmare Moon died. The demon was purged, and Princess Luna was freed. Our alliance was dead in the water. Which brings us to the Masquerade Protocol; it was Chrysalis who killed it. Our food supply had dwindled to the point where mass starvation was an inevitability, and she decided to go for one massive invasion– a final hurrah and chance at survival for changelings. She assigned me to handle it. To my credit and detriment, I succeeded relatively well. Only, then I alone stood against Chrysalis without Nightmare Moon.”

Procho grunted, “Why did you even try to usurp our Queen?”

“Ascension,” I said, seizing up as a shiver went down my spine.

I began to regale the tale of the Invasion of Canterlot, my rebellion, and eventual near-demise at the hooves of the demons. I made extra sure to lay on the compliments and praise thick onto Luna for saving my life, who smiled and gave me a wink. I wrapped up the story with a short summary of growing the Fifth Hive as a resistance against Daybreaker, and explained who the Umbrum are to begin with, followed by their defeat and the second invasion of Canterlot– and the end of the Fourth Hive.

When I finished giving my far-too-rushed story, Procho went silent for a minute. I looked back at the ponies, and Celestia gave me a reassuring smile, and Cadance a single nod, before I turned back and waited for Procho to finish her rumination.

She at last broke her silence, “Very well. That all tracks. I suppose. This all depends on my meeting with my mother, of course. I do not know how I feel about this transfer of power, however.”

“As I said, the other royals voted I stay King.”

“Just how many siblings do I have alive?”

“Hehe, just me,” I chuckled. “The other royals– two Princes of the Fifth Hive– aren’t related.”

“... What.”

“They ascended– in the ancient usage of the term. They were born drones and were made royals by the Goddess. I was there. Lots of us were, in fact, there.”

“... Do you expect to believe any of that?”

“Again, Chrysalis will confirm all of this. Reality doesn’t have to be believable, little miss soul-trapped-in-a-gem-for-three-hundred-years.”

“Ha!” She barked a single laugh, quieter and more reserved this time. “This is quite the development. A never ending streak of unbelievable twists, King Phasma… It certainly demands a lot to be believed.”

“Then I probably shouldn’t tell you how old I am. Now then, shall we begin again? My name is King Phasmatodea, ruler of the Fifth Hive, Pontiff of the Hive Eternal. You are welcome to stay, so long as you follow everyone’s rules.”

“Princess Prochorodes, of the Fourth Hive. No matter its current state. I will obey your laws so long as they are reasonable. As for our preys’…”

I leaned forward, “You will follow Equestria’s laws when they aren’t in conflict with the Fifth Hive’s. That’s not up for discussion. I don’t know what you are capable of doing in your current form, but whatever your limits are, you will stay in line or we will have issues.”

“So long as they are reasonable,” Procho said, intent on having the last word.

Celestia began to walk forward, “I assure you, Princess Procho, that we–”

“That’s far enough,” Procho growled.

Celestia stopped in her tracks, looking to me to see how I wanted to handle this.

I shrugged,“Tomorrow, then, you will have proper introductions to the Princesses of Equestria and Princes of the Fifth Hive. Tonight, I can bring you to a private room where you won’t be disturbed.”

“... You, King Phasma, have my permission to pick up my amulet.Ensure that my meeting with my mother is a priority.”

Slowly, I walked closer until I could retrieve it with my telekinesis. Philomena cocked her head at me, but made no protest. Sharing a look of acceptance with Luna, Celestia, Cadance, Lace, and Coxa, I headed out the door alone. Well, I did have a contingent of eight guards with me at all times now– but other than them, all alone.

I decided to leave Procho’s amulet in Luna’s research room, stashing it in my desk on the far side of the two story spacious laboratory. On my way out, I passed God-Splitter. I turned to look at it as I walked: the Adamantium and Mithril weapon of war spun slowly on its pedestal.

‘Do I tell her about God-Splitter? She hasn’t exactly earned any extra attention or care from me. If I don’t tell her, it could be an interesting blind experiment. Half her soul, laying across the room. Will she react? Will she dream? She hasn’t said anything yet, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t feeling anything right now. This is the closest the two halves of her soul have been together since… since… Another thing I will have to ask her, I guess. But do I tell her?’

When I climbed the stairs to the door and pulled it open. Slowly, I looked over my shoulder across the dark room.

‘If I were in her situation, how would I react to someone withholding that truth from me?’

I would demand answers in blood. That wasn’t a question.

“One last thing, Princess Procho.”

“Yes?” She called out, voice muffled and quiet from the distance and her spot in a locked and enchanted drawer.

“Do you see my war hammer?”

“... It is on the edge of my vision, yes. Is that Adamantium?”

I nodded, before realizing she wouldn’t be able to see the gesture, “It is. Forged by Chrysalis, and enchanted just the same. I named it God-Splitter after its ability to destroy any spell it touches. It would take me years to be able to replicate the enchantments I can see on it. It was made from your weapon and the material you brought back.”

“Chelicerae…!” she all-but-whispered with reverence.

“The very same. I bring it up because there’s something you should know about. God-Splitter contains the other half of your soul.”

Before she could react, I left the room and pulled the door shut.

My marefriend dragged herself into bed, flopping on top of me. She let her chin rest of my shoulder as she hugged me tightly.

“That was an experience.”

I snorted, “Yeah. We’ll definitely scan her amulet with spells later, when she’s more agreeable to that.”

She lifted her head, scowling at me, “A centuries-dead changeling is dropped into our courtyard by a phoenix, after spending its time in Griffonia, and the first thing you have to say in private is that you want to scan the amulet? You have much in common with my sister, Phasma.”

I shivered, “Agh! Don’t say that!”

“And her apprentice, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Oh come on, I’m not that bad with my nerdiness?”

Her scowl softened into a smile, “Is that so? Then it must have been some other stallion who has been nagging me to play Mahjong with him.”

“It’s a really fun game, you’ll love–”

She rested a hoof on my lips, “Yes, yes. That was not an invitation to opine.”

She slowly lowered her hoof. We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, simply enjoying being pressed against one another.

“You know,” she began, “the Dreamscape is becoming more turbulent. I will need your help hunting errant Nightmares that plague the ponies. Soon we will be up to our withers in these blights.”

“I’ve got work tonight,” I sighed.

“More clandestine meetings? I doubt your drones appreciate having their sleeping hours taken up by work, as well as their daylight hours. What is the urgent matter?”

“I need to speak with… Thorax,” I said the name despite the lump in my throat. “He’s going to have to be here for all of this tomorrow.”

“Oh, of course. Send him my well wishes, I miss our Sunday outings.”

“Um… about that. Last time I spoke with him, he declared he was done with me and left for Manehattan.”

She tilted her head to the side, “You have not spoken to him since? Written a letter? Anything?”

“He needed space.”

Luna frowned, “Uh huh. Is that the truth, or is it the view you took to defend your own feelings?”

I groaned and shut my eyes, “Goodnight, Luna.”

“You can not run from your mistakes forever, Phasma.”

“I’m literally going to go face them right now, woman!”

“Ha! I will concede that point. Goodnight, Phasma,” she said, nuzzling my cheek.

“Goodnight,” I repeated, returning the gesture. “Make sure your schedule is clear in the afternoon for the weapon demonstration I mentioned.”

“... Phasma, tomorrow is Hearth’s Warming.”

“The fuck is a Hearth’s Warming?”

I found the buggy fruitcake on one of those swan boats you see in cheesy romantic movies. Yeah, those things. He was with his coltfriend, Double Diamond, relaxing in the earth pony’s lap.

I walked across the surface of the pond, solidifying the dream as I went. I stopped before the lovebirds, clearing my throat and catching Thorax's attention.

“Phas? What are you doing standing on water?”

“This is your dream, Thorax.”

“Oh,” he said, leaning back to loom up st Double Diamond.

“I can bring him here if you want, but I have urgent business to discuss.”

Thorax sighed longingly and sat upright, “You could have said hello sooner, Phas.”

“You said you wanted a vacation. From me.”

He pursed his lips, “I did say that. In that case, thank you for respecting my boundaries. I saw the news. I am proud of you, Phas. How you handled Chrysalis I'd masterful, and you did so well to get over-”

My features pulled back into a scowl, “I didn't choose her fate; I merely approved it.”

“Oh,” he said again, with the same inflection. “Then uh… I appreciate the honesty?”

‘At least he's not mad at me any more. Or rather, his anger cooled to a low boil.’

“Thorax. Urgent business.”

“Right! Right!” He said, straightening up. “What is it?”

“I need you and Pharynx in Canterlot tomorrow night.”

“Are you… inviting us over for a Hearth’s Warming dinner?”

I groaned, “Not you, too. We're changelings, Thorax. We don't celebrate Hearth’s Warming.”

“We could! Its a good holiday! The second best, behind Hearts and Hooves day! I don't think I need to tell you why changelings will love that one.”

I rubbed my face, “Fine, fine. I'll bring Christmas over and all the drones will celebrate a holiday for a religion that doesn't exist in this world. That sounds hilarious enough to implement.”

“What's a Christmas?” He asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Hearth’s Warming for humans. But with religious undertones. We're getting off topic!”

He nodded, “What's the urgent business?”

“Philomena, Celestia's phoenix, has returned. And she brought Princess Procho's soul-enchanted amulet with her. I told Procho that I would introduce her to everyone tomorrow, including her mother.”

Thorax's eyes widened, “That is urgent! A new friend! I'll tell Diamond to cancel our dinner plans- I don't want you hanging around your mother without me, if possible.”

I clicked my tongue, “Tch! I am perfectly capable of filtering out her input, Thorax.”

“Then why don't you?”

“... She makes too much sense, sometimes.”

He stared at me, “We'll be there. And Phas?”

“Yes, Thorax?”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming.”

“Yeah, merry Christmas to you, Thorax.”

He leaned forward, placing his hooves on the edge of his swan-shaped raft.

“What did you get your marefriend? I am curious.”

“The concept of Trench Warfare. Though, I've been told weapons demonstrations can be delayed a day if they are not life or death situations, so it'll have to wait another day.”

“War?!” He reared back in shock, “Phas! Tell me you didn't forget to get Luna a gift?!”

I turned away and stalked towards the edge of the pond, where it fragmented away into pure white.

“Phas!” He called out, clambering overboard and trotting over the still water. “This is a Hearth’s Warming crisis! You and I have got to get a gift tomorrow! I won't let you end the day without giving one to your special somepony.”

“I swear,” I grumbled, “it's like you're more pony than changeling.”

“And you're not more human than changeling?”

“... Everywhere is closed, Thorax.”

“Don't worry! I’ve got a friend in ponyville who can whip up a Hearth’s Warming emergency gift! Rarity! She owes me a favor after I modeled for her last week.”

“Rarity?” I turned to face him. “The element of Generosity?”

“Mhmm!”

“I don't want to see the Elements, Thorax.”

He gave me big puppy dog eyes, “Don't you want to get a gift for the person you love?”

I faltered, “Well, yes, but she already knows I didn't know what tomorrow is.”

“That's another thing. How don't you know?”

I shrugged, “It never came up.”

“Never?”

“Never never.”

“Don't you live in a castle filled with Hearth’s Warming decorations, in a city coated front street to street in garland and ornaments?”

I kicked at the water, “I've been busy. Figured it was just winter decorations or something.”

“What about the rest of the country? You aren’t cooped up in the castle all day every day, right?”

“You’re right, I just ignored all those banners strung up saying that tomorrow is Hearth’s Warming. It never came up, Thorax!”

“What about your businesses!” He threw his hooves up.”You had to give ponies the day off!”

“I don’t handle the day-to-day stuff anymore!” I yelled back.

Thorax grabbed me by the collarbone- ‘collarchitin?’- and shook me, “I refuse to believe this B.S.! You couldn’t possibly have not known what Hearth’s Warming is!”

“I didn’t, okay?!”

“Aaaagh!” He yelled out, almost skewering my neck when he faceplanted into my chest. “You. Me. Ponyville. Tomorrow.”

“I’ve got– Thorax, I’m busy!”

He lifted his head to stare daggers up at me, “Then I’ll just have to ask Rarity to wing it, and you’ll owe both of us big time.”

“That… could work,” I said, tapping my chin. “Just be sure to mention it’s for Luna. Mentioning my name isn’t going to win you any favors with her.”

Then his eyes lit up, “Ooooor, you can take us both to Rarity right now, while she’s sleeping!”

“... Panar damn it.”

We were gathered around the Christmas Hearth’s Warming tree, relaxing on the many sofas and chairs that formed a semi-circle across from the tree and raging fireplace. Celestia was regaling us with one of her stories, this one was about when she accidentally outlawed figs. And fitting with her character of being a functional alcoholic, Celestia was idly twirling a goblet full of wine.

Honestly, goblet was selling the thing short. It was a gold chalice that made tankards of beer look like shot glasses. Celestia probably could have beaten Thor in a drinking contest, all things considered.

It was a decently sized party, with the guests ranging from the three Princesses and now three Princes of the Hive, to Shining Armor, Coxa, Lace, Elder Sanguine, several members of Celestia and Luna’s staff, Bray Call, Quick Search– who I managed to drag away from a party in the barracks, and a few members of the Fifth Hive’s bureaucracy. And Double Diamond was there. Couldn’t leave Thorax’s top out of the picture, after all.

Luna relaxed into my shoulder, fiddling with the end of her scarf. Rarity had delivered– something simple, of course, given the time crunch. Luna wore a bright orange scarf, and I wore a dark blue one. I had expected Luna to give a smile while inwardly not care for the little gift, but its simplicity made it all the more endearing to my alicorn.

I guess being surrounded by the ritziest and gaudiest decorations all day every day made you appreciate honest pieces of work.

I planned on taking the scarves back to Rarity when I had the chance. I had the idea of adding a little moon to my blue scarf, and a little phoenix to Luna’s. For now, though, I simply had to give the unicorn a hefty tip on top of her rush fee for the pieces. According to Thorax, when he said it was for Luna, she was going to do it free of charge. Then he mentioned my name, and suddenly she had a chart to consult for rush holiday delivery fees.

I found that far more hilarious than Thorax did. Money didn’t matter much to me anyways. Not in quantities that were less than the GDP of developed nations. The Fifth Hive was raking in the dough, and within six months our income would grow exponentially to fifty times its current size at the minimum.

‘Which reminds me, I need to talk to Celestia about getting another massive loan for enchanting the Red Right Hoof’s armor sets. A quarter of a billion bits should cover it. Not now, though. Apparently these people don’t like talking about war during the one day of the year that is dedicated to kindness, generosity, and uh… stuff.’

For now, I relaxed with Luna, cuddling up against her and nodding along to Celestia’s dramatic tale. I had the entire morning and a chunk of the afternoon off. Not by choice, of course, but because the Princesses insisted on a day of rest, so any plans involving them had fallen through.

This evening, I would still need to bring Procho to Chrysalis. Something I was simply indifferent to. I’m sure it would be an emotional, sappy scene of a daughter and mother uniting for the first time in centuries. But really, it’s Chrysalis we’re talking about. How sappy could she possibly be?

Thorax returned from the nearby kitchenette with three whole pans of freshly baked cookies, offering it to everyone he passed. The army of treats were whittled down as Thorax made his way around the circle, till he grabbed his seat with Double Diamond at the far end of the circle.

I pulled Luna close and smiled ear to ear, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

‘Not the found-family I would have imagined having, but thank Panar everything has worked out so far.’

“Merry Christmas, you Godless heathen,” I whispered to her.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, you bloodstained war criminal,” she smiled back.

39- Duck! And Cover!

Four changelings clad in Adamantium armor saluted as I entered the room, their boots clanking against the ground as they straightened up. Their charge, wearing a puffy winter coat, looked up at me like a lounging cat, hatred in her eyes for daring to disturb her.

The quarters were plain and Spartan in nature, sacrificing luxury for security and simplicity. Even the Royal Guards’ barracks was considerably nicer than these pitiful rooms.

“King Phasma,” North Star acknowledged me, green slitted eyes narrowing. “I hope you didn't come here to gloat. I've been called many things in the past, simply giving me a new label will not break me. I am, and always will be, Chrysalis.”

I immediately dismissed the four guards, and they promptly filed out of the room; this would be a complicated conversation, and they didn't need to overhear. Having the extra muscle would be nice- but they would be entirely out of their depth in this fight. Instead, I had arranged for the three Princesses and two Princes in the next room over to listen in on our conversation. If anything went wrong, the five most powerful beings on the planet would be reinforcing me in five seconds flat.

“I see you still have your magic inhibitor ring,” I pointed out. “Has your handler not judged you stable enough for removing that during combat practice?”

She sneered, “I do not need my magic to crush an opponent.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” I said, recalling how terrible I am during my magicless sessions. “In any case, no, I did not come to gloat. There is someone who wants to see you.”

“Oh?” She leaned to the side, peering at the shut door behind me. “And where might they be hiding, hmm?”

I grabbed the necklace hanging off the side of Unbroken Radience's chest piece and extended it out. Procho's amulet dangled from the chain, bent pieces swinging gently.

North Star looked down at the magical jewelry, cocking an eyebrow, “Dear son of mine, I'm afraid your mind is going. We refer to objects as things, not people.”

“I am no object,” came the soft voice. “Though I understand why you'd think otherwise.”

North Star snorted, “What is this? Some party trick?”

“Not what, but whom,” I corrected.

Procho took a breath- ‘Interesting, considering she has no lungs or mouth.’- before speaking, “You have not changed at all, mother. Princess Prochorodes, reporting in. I may have missed my rendezvous at the Underhive gate.”

North Star's eyes widened. She looked up at me, then back down at the amulet. She repeated this twice before shaking her head.

“Princess Procho… Where the hell have you been?! You were supposed to report back two hundred and seventy years ago! And why do you look like a piece of jewelry?!”

‘So much for kinship towards your own daughter,’ I thought, features falling flat. ‘Should've expected that. At least this means Chrysalis isn't sexist or plays favorites: she abuses all of us equally.’

“Your Majesty-” Procho said reflexively, causing me to gently shake her amulet.

“Not anymore. North Star has no title.”

The former-tyrant snarled, “Enough of your games, Phasmatodea! I have been waiting for this moment for longer than you can imagine! Princess Procho, explain everything at once!”

“I- y-yes, Mother,” Procho said. “And to think I was worried they had replaced you with a fake… Our mission to the Underhive was a success. We retrieved the Adamantium and Mithril successfully.”

North Star rolled her eyes, “Yes, yes, we recovered that from your corpse. What happened, Procho?! You died a single league from the gate! I had the Underhive sealed completely, out of fear of some great monster so close to the Fourth Hive!”

“There was a great monster!” Procho confirmed, voice dropping low. “Many of them. But the worst was…. We couldn't kill it. It followed us, and we couldn't kill it.”

“What was it?” I asked, curiosity increasing.

I had learned about some of the megafauna of the Underhive, and there were some really horrendous things down there.

“We couldn't kill it,” Procho repeated. “We couldn't- I had to lure it away. It picked us off, one by one- I had to lure it away so that Midge could escape. Did she… make it?”

“There were no survivors from your expedition,” North Star said coldly. “I had ordered you to survive, not to sacrifice yourself for one measly drone!”

“Midge died?!” Procho gasped. “Was it all in vain? N-no, I successfully lured it away. If it had attacked the Fourth Hive…”

“What was it?” I pressed again.

“I can't remember,” she admitted. “Only bits and pieces remain from those days, and nothing of that thing.”

“You can't remember what killed you?” I asked incredulously. “I can remember what the concrete felt like under my hands when I fell. There's no way in hell you could have forgotten what killed you, not even after three hundred years.”

“I don't remember,” she said. “I only remember where we found it. It was deep, lower than any other megafauna ever found before. My Q- Chrysalis, do you recall anything living within Requiem? Anything at all?”

North Star mulled over her question, “The records of that place are sparse. Nothing dangerous enough to kill a royal, no.”

Requiem. The deepest layer of the Underhive. A place so filled with magic that it dripped from crystals forming overnight down there. It was the source of all Mithril and most Adamantium that has ever been found. I heard tales of it, and nothing more. The ultimate goal of any expedition, the treasure trove which thousands have lost their lives to loot.

“The monster was there, gorging itself on magic,” Procho continued.

North Star scowled, “If there was such a danger close to the Fourth Hive, past expeditions would have encountered it.”

Procho continued, “We had wandered north. Far north. The usual tunnels down had been infested or blocked, so we walked further. There's something else. We found a city in the Sunless Sea. It was half-submerged, and beginning to list to the side as the ground gave way. But it was there, in that pitch black ocean. We found our way down to Requiem through it. The ponies, griffons, and everyone else on this planet don't know about the Underhive. Which means that city was…”

“The Second Hive,” I whispered in reverence.

“An older Hive, it has to be,” Procho agreed. “We didn't have time to properly investigate, too much running. There were things in the dead city. Apparitions. Visions. Ghosts. The city may have been dead, but it was far from empty.”

North Star looked at me, “A Hive in the Sunless Sea. Does that fit with Nisir's records?”

I nodded, “Tiamat Station. They must've evacuated from the First Hive to the Sunless Sea's research station and made it into the Second Hive.”

“You knew about this place?” Procho asked, bewilderment bleeding into outrage. “You knew and didn't tell anygriff?!”

North Star shook her head, “Not until this moment, thanks to your failure to report back. But King Phasma discovered both the Third Hive and the First Hive. The First Hive's records-”

“I'm sorry, what?!” Procho yelled. “So not only did the Usurper end the reign of my Queen which lasted thousands of years, and make peace with our mortal enemy, but he also found two ancient changeling civilizations?! In one year?!”

“Yep,” I said bluntly.

“And you expect me to believe that?!”

“Yep.”

Procho made a noise between snarling and skirting in derision, “Wormfood! I see madness has taken these lands, and those I held dear in a past life! I will not sit here and buy into your faces and empty boasts-”

“Be silent, girl!” North Star hissed, leaning so close to the dangling necklace that some spit got onto the gem.

‘Ew.’

North Star continued, “In but a single year, this hatchling cracked Equestria wide open, sundered its cities, and even still forged an alliance with our food that has the potential to cement the Hive Eternal's greatness forever! You may think him a self-entitled, delusional, stubborn idiot, but none can argue with results!”

“Wow,” I blinked slowly in surprise. “That might be the first time I've ever heard you admit that my way was right. And genuine praise, too?”

“Oh, shut up!” North Star bared her fangs. “If I had my way, you would have been punished for gambling our species’ future by being crushed and smeared against the walls, only to be resurrected into a new body and forced to clean your own corpse off the walls with a mop and bucket! Imbecile!”

My face pulled back into a tight grimace, “You know, that's not that bad of an idea. Maybe I should give the walls a new coat of paint in Chrysalis red. I'd have to leave out the resurrection bit, of course, but you wouldn't exactly be able to complain!”

‘From a single genuine compliment to threatening to kill me. Asshole. I need a damn drink… Fuck, is this the kind of thing that turned Celestia into a washed-up alcoholic?’

“Where were the Hives?” Procho asked, derailing the argument.

I was still experiencing emotional whiplash and glaring daggers at North Star, so the pompous thing spoke instead.

“First Hive is to the North, inside a mountain. Third Hive is apparently to the South, under a jungle. Or it was, until someone blew it up. Idiot.”

“.... King Phasma, did you blow up one third of our species' entire history?”

“Yep.”

“Why?!” Procho wailed. “I gave my life for this Hive, yet you blew up- agh! You dimwitted, claw-dragging, flightless, featherbrained pig-fucker! There are no words to describe the desecration of-”

“Shut the hell up,” I said, letting the necklace partially slip towards the ground. The sudden drop got her to shut the hell up, so I explained, “It was nothing more than a coffin filled with the undead, anyways. I had to destroy it, or else I would have died. Its King had been possessed by a Nightmare, and he was strong enough to kill us all! I have no intention of dying again, Procho.”

“You have died, too?” She said, faltering. “No, you aren't distracting me from this. What the hell are you going I'm about, now? Nightmares?”

With a weary sigh, I recapped everything about Nightmares, from Nightmare Moon to King Sombra. For added effect, I also explained that I was from another world, killed and resurrected here. It went exactly how you'd expect.

“Yet another load of bullshit,” Procho cursed like a sailor. “You're mad. Completely mad! A creature from another world? Of all the things I've seen in my time, nothing is as ridiculous as this fantasy!”

North Star turned away and climbed on top of a threadbare bed, one of the only pieces of furniture in this miserable room.

“It's true,” she said.

“Not you, too!” Procho whined. “Somegriff clearly put lead in the Fourth Hive's water supply!’

“His story is true,” North Star insisted, examining her hoof with a bored expression, failing to hide the smirk from me. “I attempted to resurrect you from the dead, and instead ended up with him. I knew I shouldn't have cheaped out with the sacrifice and gone with actual virgins’ blood.”

The two bickered on: Procho ranted, North Star explained, only to lead to Procho ranting some more and demanding an explanation of another tangent. Given how much North Star was grinning, I'd say she was taking pleasure in making her own daughter miserable with the flood of information.

I set down Procho's amulet on a small wooden nightstand and began pacing the room. There was something about Procho's story that didn't make sense. I needed to think.

‘All of it. Her entire story doesn't make sense. How the heck could she even forget a moment of her death?! Three hundred years later, it should still be her most potent memory!’

“What in the Goddess's holy name do you mean he's only a year old?!”

‘A monster so terrible it laid waste to a team led by a battle-ready Princess. Not a single memory of the fight remains. This all sounds familiar. Scarily familiar. Could it be…? The Nightmares have been hunting changelings, but could that thing really have found its way to the Second Hive? If so, how long after the fall of the First did it take for the Second to die? Can the timeline add up?’

“Are there any more revelations I should know about? Does he shit gold?!”

‘But it has to be That Which Devours! A Nightmare, or Nightmare-borne monster, killing everything before it and leaving behind confused, rattled changelings. Procho even sounded like Princess Arista of the First Hive when they both described their monsters. Damn. Damn! If this is true, there are Nightmares in the Underhive! If they are down there, all of Nisir's defenses could be compromised.’

“I hate this place. Take me back to Griffonia, the world at least made sense back there!”

‘There's no way to maintain a coherent front line if the enemy is digging up from under our hooves. We’ll have to thoroughly check the tunnels underneath the city. At this rate, it'll be easier to pay several million bits to fund a team of Canterlot scientists and have them use seismic spells to simply map the whole system, like how humans use machines to scan the underground. Specialists, months of operations, security clearances, and thorough enough background checks that even the color of their piss is recorded…’

I rubbed my head and groaned as my train of thought derailed, “This is the strangest Christmas ever. Procho, I think I know what killed you.”

“No! No, no, no! No! No more revelations! No more talking! Any time either of you open your mouths, I feel a piece of my sanity melting away! Put me back in the drawer! I'm done with this world for today!”

I made for the door, “That's something I can get behind. Goodbye, North Star. Be good or I'll skin you alive.”

‘I need info, and time to gather it. I need Nisir's teams to get their hooves on any records they can get working, and I… shit. I need to speak with Sombra next chance I get, don't I? Trick him into revealing if That Which Devours is still down there. So much to do, so little time…’

“Wait!”

I froze, head snapped around to North Star. Mother Dearest had reached out a hoof towards me, her grin faltering into a pained expression.

“King Phasma…”

“North Star?”

Her mouth opened. Then shut. Then opened again as she struggled to speak. Finally, she cleared her throat, furrowed her brows, and jabbed a hoof towards me.

“You got lucky! Don't forget that! Your alliance with the ponies failed the first time, don't let it fail again!”

I grunted an acknowledgement, “Hmph. If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were about to say thank you or I'm sorry.”

“Then it's a good thing you know me better,” she growled.

“You really think that was a Nightmare down there?” Celestia asked, fortifying her coffee with an entire bottle of whiskey.

‘Oh- make that two bottles.’

“Everything lines up,” I nodded. “Which means I have a lot more concerns about Nisir's security.”

Celestia offered me a glass, which I accepted and placed down the moment she turned her back, “Indeed. It seems the Underhive is going to be a problem. What have your changelings done about security?”

“Against the Underhive?” Pharynx asked. “We've got some enchantments on a temporary seal.”

“The forges will still work on repairing the Adamantium gate soon,” I promised. “In the meantime, we have to start mapping and sealing tunnels. We could really use a royal to help up there.”

“Find another one,” Pharynx grunted.

I sighed heavily, “I guess I can enact Operation Lazarus.”

“What's that?” Thorax asked.

“Emotionally blackmailing Chrysalis to use her fleshmancy skills to create a new body for Procho. Granted, Chr- North Star will likely jump at the chance to build a new body for her daughter, but I need to be sure they aren't gonna overthrow me or anything. Also, I have to fix Procho's soul before that can happen- and duct tape doesn't work on souls.”

Luna tapped me on the nose, causing me to recoil and snort, “In the meantime, we should order North Star to handle the dangerous work. I am certain Her Former Majesty has no room to brook arguments against the task.”

“We'll have to plan it out with her handlers,” Cadance said, mulling it over. “Maybe make a system of three weeks of tunnel duty, two weeks of light friendship building. Preferably, we can lean more on the light work and swap over to fully trying to reform her after a while.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Celestia cheered, raising her glass in a toast no one joined in on. “Phasma, is that weapons demonstration still on for this afternoon?”

“Mhmm. Furthermore, I'll have to bring every one of you into a dream tonight. Luna, I'll obviously need your help for that. It's time to show you how humans wage war. We're going to need every advantage we can get against the Nightmares, after all…”

Basemont, which the Canterlot locals referred to as The Basement, was a small community nestled at the base of Mount Canterhorn, hence the name. Mostly, it functioned as a nexus for shipping and smaller manufacturing shops. Given it'd position as the first stop on Canterlot's rail line, it also was the jumping off point for any pony wishing to hike, camp, or otherwise enjoy the countryside.

It also had a thriving weapons manufacturing district.

Okay that was a lie, more like a struggling district. Most of the E.U.P.’s stuff was made in-house, but for any private security guards and any niche items the military used, Basemont was the way to go for quality. As it just so happened, there was one business that supplied niche weapons to the E.U.P. that had piqued my interest.

Cadance looked rather put off by today's business, glaring at the nearby snowdrifts as if they spilled her morning coffee. Celestia and Luna fared better, instead looking bored as the ponies set up equipment in the firing range.

Yeah, firing range. That was the real reason why this company was here in Basemont and not in Canterlot.

“Spelljammers?” Shining Armor questioned as the ponies wheeled out my prototype. “The Guard already has a dozen cannons, King Phasma.”

The ornate gold cannons fired crystal balls that could be enchanted up to a hundred days prior to a fight before losing potency. For maximum effectiveness, they were enchanted right before firing.

“Inaccurate, costly, and largely ignored,” I listed off. “This is an upgrade. Oh Captain, my Captain, between a war mage and a spelljammer, which is proffered in battle,”

“Battle mage every time,” he answered, leaning forward to examine the artillery piece.

“Right! A mage is far more versatile than these big ol’ boomsticks. These spelljammers were used typically only in siege situations to allow less capable unicorns to easily combine their power to fire upon a city’s walls.”

Celestia nodded, “And as you said, they are inaccurate and too costly to use in any other situation. What makes this cannon different?”

“Range hot!” The range master called out, the ancient stallion giving me a nod. “You are clear to fire, Your Majesty!”

With a dramatic flourish, I pointed out to a series of targets down range, “Behold! The horde of Nightmares charges our lines! Out of range of any bow, and any spell fired would be slow enough to counter with a shield! But the spell-infused cannon balls of a spelljammer are too fast and too strong to be shielded against, making the perfect weapon!”

Cadance raised an eyebrow, “You solved the inaccuracies?”

“Sort of!” I proudly declared, and signaled the crew of two unicorns standing at the ready. “First target! Fireball! Fire at will!”

Each pair of ears in the range flattened backwards, pressing down onto earplugs, as the cannon boomed. A glowing purple light spat from the mouth of the large and ornate gold cannon, spinning a trail of blue embers as it screamed across the range. The cannon rang in everyone's ears and vibrated teeth with the unmistakable ‘Kuh-shurrrr!’ of a Soviet missile artillery.
The group of five wooden pony cutouts two hundred and fifty meters down range was obliterated in a massive fireball, the snow around them flash boiled.

‘Katyushas are back, and they sound angrier than ever!’

“Second target! Lightning!”

The unicorns lifted a crystal bullet the size of their torso into the mouth of the cannon, pushing it in. One recharged the firing plate by channeling magic into the firing wick, and they looked back to me for the command as they both enchanted the shot.

“Fire!”

Another scream accompanies another bright light- yellow this time- as the spelljammer made to kill its foes at five hundred meters (lengths, as the locals called it). The shot fell wide to the right, but it hardly mattered. The round shattered, expelling its deadly payload; arcs of lightning crackled all around it, like the center of a spiderweb too painful too look at. The wooden targets were ripped to shreds and scorched black, as was much of the ground around the remains of the shell.

“Third target! Earth shatter!”

Load, recharge, enchant, readjust aim, stand at the ready.

“Fire!”

One thousand meters away, a large smudge of cut outs stood in line formation. Death screamed towards them, a reddish-brown hue trailing embers of black. It hit the right side of the line, far from the center, but it didn't matter one bit; a massive spike of stone shot up from the impact- the tallest peak of a hundred similar spikes, each lowering in height and angle as they spread out from the impact like a wave. Targets were, once more, reduced to wood chips in the onslaught that rose from beneath their hooves.

“Fourth! Hell round!”

One thousand five hundred meters. An entire mile. It took a magnifying spell to see them at all.

“Fire!”

The ponies ducked away from the cannon as they fired. It rocked back on its heavy wooden base. The rear frame, the long piece which hooked up to a cart to allow the artillery to be moved, dug a furrow in the dirt as the cannon was pushed back.

At the mouth of the weapon, a wide ring of displaced air rippled out, and a cannon shell screamed out for one final time. The white light hiccuped: the pain-inducing screech interrupted itself with consistent fwuffs as similar ring-shaped shockwaves periodically pulsed from the shell.

Given that I designed the damn shell, I knew that the round was actually sucking in air and displacing it behind the round, pulling itself forward and gaining speed as it bared down upon its victims.

The kinetic impact would have shattered a stone wall. Instead, it threw up a cloud of dirt perfectly in the center of the cluster of targets. The dirt vanished instantly as everything within twenty meters, or fifty hooves length, was sucked into wards the round, then with a delayed boom was violently ejected. Scraps of wood and a hail of dirt filled the air around the implosion. Not a single target was left standing, and a neat crater was gouged in the center of the explosion radius. Finally, anything within an additional thirty meters would have been gunned down by the hail of fragmentation.

The ponies staggered back as the sound hit us a second after impact.

“Stallions, mares, for your consideration: Spelljamer two-point-oh, Howitzer edition.”

The alicorns and Royal Guard looked at each other, bewildered at the new effectiveness of what was a mere curiosity before I added rifling and changed the crystal balls into crystal bullets.

“We'll take a hundred,” Luna grinned.

10- Eros and Psyche

The bell above the door chimed as Luna stepped into the cafe, followed shortly thereafter by Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. Sighing, I rose from my seat to greet them.

“Luna– oof!”

She practically launched herself at me, grappling me tightly in a hug.

“Do not run off like that!” She growled, her muzzle still pressed against my chest.

“It was quite clear that I am unwelcome here,” I told her. “I don’t want to ruin your day off.”

“Our day off!” Luna stressed.

I glanced at my blueprint for the Fifth Hive, “This has been anything but a day off.”

Luna broke the hug, “All the more reason to not leave me! Do you honestly believe that I would enjoy this night, knowing you are off skulking somewhere and feeling abandoned?”

“I do not sk– okay, maybe I do, but I do not feel abandoned!”

Luna rolled her eyes, “If anything is certain, it is that you have a penchant for drama.”

After the initial flood of love finished overwhelming my emotional senses, I noticed a rather glaring spike of sadness in the room. Twilight Sparkle was staring at the floor, completely still.

“What happened?” I asked.

Luna’s ears flicked backwards, “I told Twilight a rather depressing story. I will relay it to you later. Right now, I… would like to speak to you in private. Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy. We will converge again at the Golden Oaks library in a few minutes. Please find Rarity and Applejack in the meantime.”

“No problem, Princess,” Rainbow saluted.

Fluttershy smiled, “Okay, Princess Luna. Thank you for listening to me, King Phasma. We’ll, uh, talk again soon.”

Twilight cleared her throat, “... Sounds good, Princess. We’ll see you there.”

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked her friend.

Twilight nodded slowly, “Yeah. I just have some things to talk about with the Pr– with Princess Celestia next time I see her.”

The next part of their conversation was cut off when Luna enveloped us both in a flash of cyan magic. The warm, quiet comfort of the café was immediately ripped away and replaced with the bitter howling wind. Newly trained instincts kicked in before I realized that not only were we in the sky, but that I was falling. My large insect wings buzzed loudly as I caught myself and flew back upwards.

Luna stood on a cloud– one that I had fallen straight through.

She spoke over the wind, “Apologies! I forgot that changelings can not stand on clouds like pegasi can.”

“We’re also not covered in fur,” I returned, still hovering in front of her.

“You can change that at any time, I am quite certain!”

I grimaced, “I don’t like disguising when I don’t have to. I’m not a trained Infiltrator, and I want to remain as me when I can. You know that, Luna.”

Luna frowned, “... Yes. Sorry, I just wanted somewhere where nopony could overhear us.” She gestured to Ponyville, which now lay below us. Strings of lights, lone streetlamps, and many candles cut through the night. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“... Reminds me of home,” I admitted. “That’s one sight that I’ll never see again: the night lights of Earth.”

“You said you’ve never seen it in person,” Luna pointed out,

“Pictures exist. So do videos. At least, they existed where I came from.”

Luna sighed and lit up her horn with cyan magic. Four short bursts shot out from the tip, targeting each of my hooves as I hovered before her.

“There! Now you can stand on a cloud– for the next fifteen minutes, at least.”

Setting down next to her, I tried to cast my own spell across my body. This one was a basic warming enchantment, made to keep out the cold of winter. After three failed tries, Luna sighed and cast it on me herself. Unsurprisingly, she got the basic enchantment down on the first try.

“Thanks. Alright Luna, no one’s going to hear us now,” I said.

“... I would like to start with an apology,” Luna said, rubbing a foreleg awkwardly. “I wanted to put this off until later, but it seems that Harmony conspires against us. Drama and echoes of the past haunt us both like bygone specters of the dead. We need to talk about Tarsus.”

“Fifteen minutes,” I reminded her.

“It’ll hardly take even half that length,” Luna muttered. “The night you and the First Fang sentenced him, I gave only a token resistance. I was content to let you make your mistake and learn from it. I thought that it could be reversed in time. I… knew I should have done more to dissuade you. To dissuade you all. Yet I did not.”

“I doubt you even could.”

Luna shrugged, “Perhaps. But the fact that I did not is… it is not good, Phasma. I told you that I would help you. However, only Thorax was the voice of reason that night. For that, I’m sorry. All this has come to pass because of my inaction.”

I frowned, “Luna–”

She lifted a hoof to stay my protest, “There is more. I… do not think that your actions were severe– no, that isn’t right. I know your actions are severe, but I do not believe they are. Before you say anything, yes, your actions mattered most out of the First Fang.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” I told her. “I know how it looks; I am the King, and even though it wasn’t my decision alone, it is ultimately my name that carries the weight when others hear about it. And I was also the one who promised you and your sister that I would try to be… less violent.”

“Just as it is your name that the blame unjustly falls to, it is my fault that all of this happened,” Luna summarized. “But as I said, I do not believe your actions to be so incomprehensible. I spoke with Twilight about this, and I know that I will be speaking about this again tomorrow when we go to… therapy. I told Twilight about a grievous and brutal act that my sister and I committed shortly after Discord’s defeat. Even though it was some time ago, the memory feels as sharp as when it first happened. We slaughtered a warband of griffons in a way that would make even the most brutal of warlords– such as your mother– blush.. In my past, there were a thousand other battles that were even uglier than what transpired on that mountain. Compared to the things I have done, your actions seem almost tame.”

“Discord’s defeat…. This was more than four thousand years ago.”

Luna nodded, “Yes. Yet it haunts me.”

“Luna, that’s almost as old as the pyramids!” At her confusion, I explained, “One of humanity’s oldest monuments. Shit, I still think of cringey and outright horrible things I’ve said and done as a child, but this is on a whole different level of history.”

“A fact that Twilight is grappling with,” Luna explained. “How does one measure a mistake? A sin? How long ago it happened? How many ponies were hurt or killed? How unjust it was? You have done something brutal quite recently– which looks even worse when propped up with the death of Double Dealings. I have done countless horrendous atrocities that have stained my hooves red– but because those were in the past, you expect me to believe that they do not matter? Twilight’s misgivings are proof to the contrary. Celestia and I are not perfect. We have done horrible things. What is important is that we have learned from our mistakes and have never repeated them.

“The fact that I let you retread those mistakes with only a paltry opposition is a mark of failure, Phasma. I must… reconcile the difference between what I know and what I believe. I failed when I did not try to stop the First Fang’s sentencing– even if my attempts would never have succeeded. I failed you when I stood by and let you take all of the blame. I must ask for your forgiveness for these…”

I groaned, “Forgive you for my actions? Luna, your mental gymnastics are making my head hurt. As you said, there was likely nothing you could do– and as for letting me take all the blame, well… Apparently I needed the lesson to be brutally hammered home. After the party, I went to Chrysalis and I… completely overrode Thorax’s voice on the First Fang. I ordered the assassination of the traitor.”

Luna grimaced, “Celestia informed me this morning of what has transpired. I had originally hoped to delay all of this until tomorrow…”

“There’s more,” I said. “Not only does Tarsus live, he was with the Living Hero, the newly crowned King of Griffonia. The King likely thinks that it was an attempt on his own life. An act of war.”

“Does he know that it was you?”

I shrugged, “There’s no conceivable way he could know…”

“No way that you know of,” Luna pointed out.

“Exactly,” I sighed. “I told Celestia all of this.”

“What was her reaction?”

I frowned, “... Muted. I expected to be yelled at. Instead, she just fell back on her vices and told me to inform her of any new developments.”

“Another mistake to remember,” Luna grunted. “Another pyramid in time... What is important is that this never happens again. I am not so naïve as to say that you should approach the King and take the blame. Let us follow Celestia’s lead and let this… blow over. If he eventually discovers the truth, our concealment will look bad. If he would have never discovered the truth save for our confession, then we would have started a war that could have been avoided.”

The conversation fell into silence, overtaken by the constant whistling of the wind that carried the cloud across the sky.

“Thank you, Luna.”

“For what?”

“For sticking with me. For giving me something to look forward to, despite everything and everyone I’ve lost. For understanding. It feels like every action of mine is looked at under a microscope. What would have been perfectly acceptable in my previous life is now seen as practically war crimes here. It means a lot that you are still trying to help me.”

She chuckled, “There is a reason why the last truly despicable action Celestia and I have committed was over four thousand years ago. You know, aside from the actions of Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker. We hold ourselves to such a high degree that these things can never come to pass. With time, you’ll make it. I know you will.”

“Yeah, no pressure.”

Luna took both of my forehooves and leaned up to give me a kiss.

“Thank you for taking all of the heat off me,” Luna smiled. “Nopony is even talking about how Nightmare Moon nearly tried to take over the world a second time, or that they miss complaining to Celestia instead of to me. Your horrible actions– and your mother’s– have made reintegration quite easy. In all seriousness, I am wanted and appreciated now. In the days before my corruption, I always felt the opposite. It may be selfish of me to say this, but your invasion has been a blessing. And yes, thank you for sticking with me this whole time. Going to sleep those first few months was a lot easier when I knew that I had a friend I could talk to all night long. I’ve had enough loneliness to fill a hundred lifetimes.”

“I'm happy to give something back,” I grinned as I gave her a kiss.

“As much as I would like to hold onto this moment, it is time to return," Luna lamented. "I will relay the full story of what happened on another day. Tomorrow, during our therapy, I would like to…. tell you what I experienced during my banishment."

"Are you sure, Luna? I know you don’t like talking about it."

She gripped my hooves tighter and nodded, "I do not wish to. But for this wound to heal, I must rip off the bandage."

"Okay. I'll be there for you," I promised. "And not just because I got the equivalent of a court order to attend."

When we returned to Twilight Sparkle's house, I was in a much better mood. When Fluttershy immediately offered me the chart that I had accidentally left behind in the café, I was in an even better mood.

'Why can't all six of the Element Bearers be like Fluttershy? Hmm… I wonder if there's a way I can turn all of them into clones of her. Yeah, that's a perfectly sensible and moral thing to do. I'll approach Twilight with the idea later.'

I stowed away the drawing under my elytra for safekeeping. I would have to deal with the uncomfortable scratching sensation against my wings, as I lacked any sort of backpack or saddlebags.

The Elements and Luna were quietly talking about things that both did and didn't matter when the door to the library opened. Two ponies, one a prim and proper unicorn, and the other a backwater country-girl earth pony, entered the library.

"Sorry for the delay," Rarity apologized as she greeted her friends. "Applejack here wanted to finish up some family business before coming over."

The Element of Honesty was wearing a scarecrow costume for Nightmare Night. At her mention, she waved to everyone present.

"Sorry, everypony. Granny was stuck making some more caramel apples. Apparently, they're selling like hotcakes tonight! I had to lend a helping hoof."

Fluttershy gave me a side glance. I returned the gesture of a small shake of my head.

"Where is the Element of Laughter?" Luna asked, looking around the room.

"Watching over the Cakes’ foals," Rainbow explained. "That's the family she lives with."

"Then we are set for tonight's expedition!" Luna declared. "Let us be off. I wish to see how the holiday named after my scourge is celebrated."

Luna, with eagerness to match the missing pink pony, pranced out of the library. The rest of us scrambled to follow her out. Our first and longest stop on our little tour of Ponyville would be the main street and the stalls that lined the thoroughfare. There were plenty of ponies still outside, going from house to house, demanding candy. The costumes were a lot less complete than I expected. Most ponies only wore one or two parts of a costume each.

'Then again, ponies don't exactly wear costumes.'

Ponies stopped and greeted the Princess. Several foals shrieked and hollered when they saw the alicorn. A few even offered up portions of their haul as a sacrifice. But I knew as an empath that there were none that were actually afraid of her. Despite being brought up upon the idea that Nightmare Moon was a demon to be feared and supplicated with candy, none of the foals actually feared her.

They were scared of me, however. Parents visibly scooted their foals out of the way or even just further away from me when they spotted me. As such, I gravitated towards the back of our little pack as we traveled through the town, meeting ponies.

With Luna being distracted with a few stalls that would have fit right into a carnival, I was stuck with finding something to occupy myself. I could have joined her, but I never really found bobbing for apples or similar games to be appealing. Trusting Twilight Sparkle to make sure Luna was having a good time, I looked around for an activity within eyesight.

'... Oh! Now there's an idea!'

The corner I headed to was a small art stand with some slightly-spooky Halloween-inspired paintings up.

'Nightmare Night. Whatever. As long as the owner doesn’t start asking questions about shit I don't want to talk about, I'll kill some time here until we move on.'

The stall owner, a cream-colored earth pony mare wearing a skeleton costume and a bone-white mane, didn't even flinch when she saw me walking over.

"Good evening, King Phasma." She greeted me.

"Hello," I said. "Nice… paintings. You make them yourself?"

"Actually, my marefriend Lyra made them. I'm just watching her stall while she fixes her costume."

"... Have we met before?" I asked suddenly. "Your voice sounds familiar."

"No," the mare said.

"You sure?" I frowned. "I could have been disguised at the time…"

"Have you ever been here, to Ponyville?"

"No," I relented. "Sorry, I just thought I recognized you. Err… how much for one of these paintings?"

"The price is on the painting."

"This one doesn't have a price," I pointed out.

I levitated the painting from where it rested against the stand and showed it to the mare. The painting was of a frog sitting on a lilypad, its reflection in the water distorted.

She nodded, "I see. It probably got mixed up with this batch. I guess I can sell it to you for fifty bits… You sure you don't want a Nightmare Night one? This is the only time Lyra sells these."

I shook my head, "The person I'm giving this to won't be interested in the others."

'Lace loves painting. Lace loves nature. Surely, she'll love a painting of nature.'

The mare shrugged, "Fifty bits."

I patted down my haunches out of habit, "I seem to have left my wallet at home."

"I'm sure one of the Elements would be happy to lend you the money. Or if you really don't have a way to pay, I could give it to you…" the mare suggested. "This is for your marefriend, right? Princess Luna? We all owe her a lot."

I shook my head, "No, it's for a friend. Her name is Lacewing."

The pony froze. Up to this point, she remained as cool as a cucumber. But when I mentioned Lace's name, a spike of emotion pulsed from her like a boat's wake. It took me a second to identify the emotion.

It was hatred. Specifically, a niche subset of hate, one directed inwards.

Guilt.

Everything clicked into place. I had, in fact, met this pony before.

"Take it," she said. "On the house."

"Thanks… Inquisitor," I said quietly. "She'll love it."

"Shhh," Sweetie Drops hushed me. "My name is Bon Bon."

I nodded, "Bon Bon. I can pay you back. I don't exactly have a shortage of bits."

She insisted, "Just take it. I saw the full debriefing. It doesn't feel like I've done enough. Please, take it."

"Thanks. And I really do mean thank you, Bon Bon. You saved a lot of lives. If you need anything at all…"

"I'll go to my boss first," Sweetie insisted. "But sure, if she can't help, I'll ask you. I'm just happy to help."

"Take care," I said, struggling to find a way to hold the painting without it being distracting.

"You too!" She called out as I walked away.

Sighing, I carefully stuffed the painting underneath my elytra, on top of the drawing. It was pretty uncomfortable, and I couldn't even close the elytra all the way anymore, but it would have to do.

Luna was still busy with the distractions the little fair offered. She had moved on from bobbing apples to throwing darts at balloons filled with glow-in-the-dark paint. Twilight and Rainbow were hurling darts alongside Luna while Rarity and Fluttershy chatted off to the side.

The last of the five had sauntered over to me.

"Thought the Princess said you were too busy to come," Applejack greeted me.

"Our schedules are subject to change," I told her.

"... Dash said you were fixin' the mess you made. Is that true?"

"Are you here to interrogate me?"

Applejack frowned, "No, I just believe ponies have to eat their supper before they can get their dessert."

"I am monitoring the situation," I explained.

"Sounds like it's not fixed."

"It's not."

She rubbed her chin, "Something happened?"

"Yes."

"... Can you tell me what happened?"

I glared down at the smaller pony, "I'm having a wonderful day off work, thank you."

Applejack nodded to Fluttershy, "Fluttershy said you were workin' when they found yah. I don't think askin' a few questions is pushing too hard, do you?"

"... I made things worse," I admitted. "You got your answer. Now leave me alone."

Applejack paused, "... Anything we can help with?"

"You?" I asked incredulously. "There's nothing anyone can do but sit back and hope this spark doesn't blow into a forest fire."

"Huh. Well, thanks for being honest with me. I, uh… I saw you buy something from that mare earlier."

"Don't you have something better to do than to spy on me?" I snapped.

Applejack took a step back, "Woah, I didn't mean nothing by it. I just meant that, errr… Look, maybe I'll just talk to you in a bit. Sorry about putting you in a bad mood."

As I left Applejack behind, Luna saw me and quickly pranced over.

“Phasma! I have won many games!” She cheered.

“Totally,” Twilight chuckled when she joined us. “Princess Luna is a natural.”

“And Twilight only sabotaged herself in three out of the six games!” Luna smiled. She continued as Twilight froze, “I think she picked up that I played most of these a few times in my day. There are only so many ways you can reinvent the wheel, dame Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight chuckled nervously, “Oh, you, uh, noticed? I just wanted to make sure you had a good time, Princess!”

Luna lifted the smaller unicorn up and hugged her, “I know! You really are trying to make this a wonderful night, thank you! Come, all of you, I have been informed of a ‘haunted maze’ that must be conquered! We shall split off into pairs when we delve into it. Phasma! With me!”

I snickered as I started walking to this maze alongside Luna, “Just the two of us, all alone, in a maze?”

“Head out of the gutter, wayward King,” Luna elbowed me. “We will not be alone in the maze. Nor are such scandalous thoughts that are implying proper in public.”

“N-not even… hoof holding?” I whispered.

“Hmmm… Since you have been cooperative so far, I can indulge your fantasy,” Luna chuckled, taking my hoof as we walked down the moonlit street.

Author's Note

I have a Ko-Fi if you want to support me

23- Nástrǫnd

“Alright Celestia, sell me the idea of unleashing a chaos god. Considering the fact that I was responsible for the last time, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt; he has his uses.”

Celestia chuckled, “I was expecting a more hostile reaction. Thank you for at least having an open mind.”

“Do not think you have a clear pasture to graze on, sister,” Luna grumbled. “I for one believe your idea is meritless. Faust knows things were bad enough last time Discord was unleashed- and the threat of the Umbrum still looms on the horizon, do we really want to risk the safety of Equestria while there’s already a sword hanging above our heads?”

Cadance quietly sipped her tea, her eyes darting between the three of us as we argued.

“Conversely,” Celestia countered, “I could argue that we cannot risk not reforming the draconequus. With a snap of his fingers, armies can be reduced to… You remember.”

“I remember,” Luna echoed, “which is why I must stand against this.”

I cut in, “So Celestia, do you have any particular reason to think that this scheme of yours has a chance of working?”

Celestia poured me a cup of tea, which I accepted with a smile and put down on a saucer the moment she turned away.

“As my sister has told you numerous times, the Elements tend to have a mind of their own,” Celestia said. “The bearers can use their will to… suggest to the Elements what course of action is preferred. When we used the Elements on Discord the first time, we wanted to stop him forever. To seal away the hurt he was causing and cauterize the wound across Equus. The second time, the bearers had the same aspiration. But what if we turned the Elements to less…. permanent means? Every time we have purged a Nightmare–”

“So, twice,” I interrupted.

“– the victim has been left in a state of weakness. Our powers were diminished. If we can… drain Discord’s mana pool in a similar manner, we may create the opportunity to speak to him. Truly speak. His aloofness would be hard pressed to find purchase when he cannot even hover or change the color of his fur.”

Celestia fortified her tea with some spiced rum, leaving me and Luna to share a look of disbelief.

“I remain unconvinced,” Luna said simply.

“I… It’s a big risk, Celestia,” I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. “Last time he was free- when I set him free, he stripped me of everything with a snap of his fingers. Everything. I was quite literally as powerless and fragile as a pillow. What if using the Elements on him just… sets him free? I don’t– I don’t want to be turned into a stuffed animal again, Celestia.”

“It’s a risk,” she admitted. “No small one at that. We are discussing unleashing the greatest danger to Equus since… horsefeathers, there is no greater threat than Discord. Even King Sombra might not stack up to the draconequus’s ferocity and capacity for destruction. But we can give Discord something he never had before: a chance.”

Luna snorted, “I distinctly recall asking him to end his reign of terror before we sealed him away.”

Celestia grunted, tapping a stirring spoon against the side of her tea cup as she thought.

“... That we did. But I believe this plan has more of a chance of success. If we humble him, truly humble him, then he will have no choice but to hear our words. No veneer of entertainment and power to hide behind. No new horizon to turn to- new town to terrorize.”

‘I can’t imagine what living during his reign was like. Never knowing if your town would become the subject of an insane god’s curiosity for the evening. Strike that, I definitely know what it’s like. It’s like being tossed into a washing machine and left to tumble.’

“Cadance,” I broke the silence, “what’s your opinion?”

The young alicorn looked up from her seat, setting down a newspaper as she considered my question.

“I share your fears, Phasma. But I’ve learned to face my fears, to show a brave face and raise my shield against them. You helped no small part in that, though not in the way friends would help each other.”

I raised an eyebrow, remembering meeting her while she was hacking apart a dummy of myself.

“It’s scary,” Cadance continued, “but together, we stand to gain so much. Give peace a chance, I say.”

“Make peace with the god of chaos?” Luna all-but-snarled. “You are young, dear Cadance. You didn’t see the world under his reign. The grotesque horrors, the end of civilizations, the sheer madness of it all. What happened during the Gala was but a taste of the poisoned meal his freedom will offer.”

Celestia sighed, “Sister. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me Discord standing with us won’t save lives. Tell me that he doesn’t deserve a chance.”

Luna paused, “... I don’t like it.”

“I know you don’t,” Celestia acknowledged. “But you see the merits in my idea, do you not?”

Luna made to answer, paused, then looked at me.

“... There is too much at stake. I say nay.”

“I vote yes,” Cadance shrugged.

“... Phasma?” Celestia asked. “You seem to be the deciding vote. Do we free the most dangerous creature to walk the planet, or do we risk losing more lives?”

Frowning, I tapped the arm of the chair I was sitting in. It was an extravagant thing, more expensive than anything I had ever parked my ass in during my previous life. I imagined all the time that went into making it. The cutting of the tree, the carving of the wood, the harvesting of the fabric’s material and stuffing, the stitching by hoof, the lacquering, the bartering and trading of the chair till it landed here in some random sitting room in the richest palace in the world.

Then I thought about how quickly all of those hundreds of hours of effort could vanish if someone came close with a match.

“Things are too fragile right now,” I said at last. “The changelings and ponies are already at each other’s throats. While an outside threat might unite us, well, we’ve already got one of those. Another day, perhaps. Or… maybe we can keep him in our back pocket.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Mutually assured destruction,” I mused. “If we can somehow arrange for Discord to break free should we fail to stop King Sombra, maybe he can end the Nightmares himself. Sure, the world would be plunged into a second age of chaos, but life will continue, won’t it? In time, new heroes or heroines can end his madness.”

The princesses shared a look, Luna nodding while Celestia frowned.

“I like that idea better,” Luna said.

“Of course you do,” Celestia mumbled.

“Burn the garden to let new life spring up,” Cadance nodded. “I can… understand that. How we can accomplish that is another matter entirely, however.”

Celestia set her cup down in its saucer, “Then it’s decided. We shall free Discord at a later date, when we can focus entirely on him. We will arrange for him to break free should all of us fall while defending Equus against the coming darkness.”

“On that note, Phasma and I have discovered something urgent,” Luna announced. “Something you should know.”

I detailed our findings from earlier. Princess Procho’s whereabouts, what she said over the Weave. As Celestia ruminated over our findings, Cadance raised a few questions.

“She didn’t hear you, Phasma?”

“No. But she was talking about me.”

“How So?”

I nodded to Luna, “We’ve got the conversation written down. The half I heard, at least. She mentioned a changeling king. Not many of those, I reckon.”

“May I see the written transcript?” Cadance asked.

“Of course,” Luna nodded, producing it and levitating it over. “We have started recording any findings alongside what Phasma can remember of his previous conversations and overheard snippets. Our progress on learning Soulmancy from the ground up is progressing remarkably well, though we still have much to learn. Practical applications of our knowledge seem to be… limited for now, but I am of the belief that should we obtain the other half of Princess Procho’s soul, we may be able to successfully reunite them and heal her.”

“This is good,” Celestia mused into her tea. “Who knows what our next step will be after healing her soul, but the act itself is important. Harmonious. Or whatever, I’ve never done anything like this before.”

I tapped my hoof on the armrest again, rubbing my chin in thought.

“Bit for your thoughts?” Luna asked, leaning towards me.

“What?”

“What are you thinking, Phasma?”

I shrugged, “I’m thinking of striking a deal with the devil.”

“Which one? They seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days.”

“The one that we’re going to hear the witnesses for in an hour,” I said. “Chrysalis. We’ll need to tell her about this. It’s her daughter.”

“About that,” Celestia put her drink down and looked at me. “I don’t want either of you to contact her during the course of this trial. None of us Princesses, Kings, or even the Princes of the Fifth Hive should be communicating with her. Tampering with the trial, security risk, call it what you will, but I want all of us to take a step back from Chrysalis.”

I grunted, “You don’t have to sell me on the idea of not being in the same room as her for longer than I have to. You’ll get the news to her?”

Celestia nodded, “I’ll have an intermediary deliver the news.”

“Candlewick,” Cadance mumbled, looking up from the Soulmancy journal, and we all looked at her. “Princess Procho calls the other participant a pompous candlewick. Sound familiar, auntie?”

Celestia’s eyebrows shot up, “She is rather picky with the company she keeps. I’m happy to hear Philomena is okay- she’s been gone for longer than she ever has before. This is indeed good news!”

“Philomena. Your phoenix?” I asked, recalling the name.

The sun princess smiled, “My phoenix. She vanished sometime during or after your invasion of Canterlot. She’s gone on little sojourns before, so I wasn’t too worried. But as the months dragged on, I was beginning to fear something had happened to her…”

“Apparently she decided to take a vacation to Griffonia while Canterlot was burning,” Cadance mused, returning to our journal. “And has taken an interest in Princess Procho.”

“I don’t follow,” I said, frowning. “Procho was talking to a phoenix? What makes you so sure? Last I checked, phoenixes can’t talk.”

“Won’t talk,” Celestia corrected. “They can talk to a select few. Don’t ask me what the criteria is to understand or earn the chance to hear their words, I haven’t a clue. But this is her. I know it. I feel it.”

Cadance giggled, “Also Celestia called Philomena a pompous candlewick in public four centuries ago and the nickname stuck.”

“She burned my favorite dress because I refused to let her eat the Mayor of Canterlot’s dog!” Celestia groaned, pouring rum directly into her tea. “I mean honestly, did she really believe I would ever let her?!”

“Is it possible that Procho learned this nickname?” Luna asked me.

I shrugged, “I didn’t- but my training lasted all of half a year. Now, as much as I’d love to stick around, I need to go meet with the First Fang before the trial picks up.”

Celestia glanced at a grandfather clock in the corner of the room, “In an hour?”

“They’re holding a meeting that I’m already late for,” I said, rising from my seat. “I need to tell them about Procho, and catch up on what I’ve missed today.”

“Then we better hurry,” Luna said, rising.

“Luna, you don’t need to keep following me like a shadow.”

“That’s what I thought last time,” Luna said quietly. “Our foes are sending assassins after you. Assassins! In Equestria! You are not leaving my line of sight till that scum-sucking bastard responsible is in chains!”

I sighed, ears pinned back in embarrassment as we had this argument in front of Celestia and Cadance.

“... Fine. Whatever. I guess you’ll also just have to sit through me holding court tonight, too.”

“Indeed I will. You better have a chair for me right next to yours.”

I smiled, “I’m sure the boys can find a bar stool or something for you.”

“The tribunal calls Captain Ironshod of the New Horseleans Guard to the stand to testify against Chrysalis.”

There was a quiet murmur that passed through the gathered ponies. While the trial was open to the public, that did not mean it was open to the public per se. Celestia was quite content with her choice of hoof-picked ponies. No chance for Division-P to infiltrate her own court, no sir. Every last pony was some sort of castle staff or vetted, background-checked government contractor who had absolutely no ties to the renegade murderers tarnishing her name.

And if that wasn’t enough, the thirty or so guards around, amongst, and between the civilians and the court itself was a second deterrent against any suspicious activities, the thick invisible magic shielding was a third, and Celestia would have liked to think that common decency was a fourth deterrent.

But she had let go of such foalish notions long ago.

The old captain took to the stand, acting as tired and fragile as he looked.

‘What are you sighing about, Ironshod? You’re not the one who will be sitting through four weeks of witness testimony, evidence examination, and worst of all: sobriety.’

“Please introduce yourself,” Cadance instructed the Captain.

“I am Captain Ironshod, I am in charge of the city guard for New Horseleans.”

Cadance nodded, “Do you know why you are here today?”

Celestia tuned out the line of inquiry, shunting it to the back of her mind. She was paying attention in only the barest sense, and would be able to recall what was being said while in actuality she was thinking and focusing on other things. It was a finely honed skill that saved her sanity from a terrifying amount of hours listening to nobles over the centuries.

She glanced to her side past Luna and at Phasma. The King was looking nervous. Not outwardly– he had been trained not to show such emotions by the mare on trial, but Celestia saw the signs. A twitch of the tail, flick of the ear, and light tapping of a hoof on the arm of his throne.

‘The former-human was the one who personally took apart this town, I imagine he has a lot of things to be nervous of. But I’ve already spoken with Ironshod myself weeks ago; there’s nothing that’s about to be revealed that the princesses and I don’t already know, nor anything that he should be afraid of being said aloud.’

The changelings’ break-neck paced invasion of Equestria had started out terrifyingly efficient. The southern towns and cities had been scouted out, isolated, and drained at such a rapid pace that Daybreaker was still trying to study how it was done months after the cordon had been set up around the Badlands. To this day, Celestia was still scratching her head at some of the finer points.

‘This is not how I imagined this year going down. Invasions, Nightmares and possessions, crimes against sapient races, murder, torture, assassins… What has become of my kingdom? What kind of rot was festering beneath the veneer of calmness that led to this insanity?’

Celestia nodded slowly. Ironshod was describing the suddenness of the attack on his once-peaceful town.

‘The hatred and hot-bloodedness that Division-P instilled couldn’t have sprung up overnight. Not even Daybreaker had enough time and influence to pull together such a tapestry of vileness. Where did this all come from? How did it start? How did it grow? Was it a lack of vigilance on my part? Did I miss the signs? Did I aid the growth of this malignant cancer at the heart of my life’s work? I’ve been rather distracted- but how could I not? My sister was due to return and I had several proteges to train…’

The corner of her lips tugged upwards towards a smile before Celestia smothered the motion. Cadance was leading the questioning of the witness. The alicorn was doing an excellent job of using Ironshod to paint a picture of what had gone down in the first large settlement taken by Chrysalis’s ordered invasion.

‘Cadance… You grew up so quickly. You’re making a fine Princess, dear. No matter what life throws at you, I know you now have the strength, knowledge, and friends to get you through it. Together, we’ll all guide this kingdom through the night. Or should I say kingdoms, plural? Though they are small, Vallachia and the Fifth Hive are not to be discounted.’

Throughout the questioning of Captain Ironshod, Chrysalis remained silent. The former-despot was sitting behind her little podium, watching the inquiry with a neutral expression.

“I think that will be enough for now,” Cadance said, clearing her throat. “All agreed? Chrysalis, you may question the witness yourself now.”

The changeling shook her head, “I see no need.”

‘... Chrysalis knows how a trial works, right? I could have sworn I got somepony to explain it all to her.’

Shining Armor stared down Sulfur Drip and Katydid.

“This isn’t the news I wanted,” Shining sighed, shaking his head and glancing out the stained glass window.

The blurred figures of ponies and changelings in the training yard outside faded into each other through the colorful glass. Through the depiction of a guard at his sentry post, they all looked the same to Shining.

“Would you rather we lie?” Katydid asked.

“No,” Shining said to the changeling captain. “But we’re supposed to have progress to show for all our hard work. How long have the soldiers been working together? How long ago did you arrive in Canterlot, Sulfur Drip?”

The thestral shrugged, “Two months or so.”

“And yet you tell me that the three tribes, the thestrals, and the changelings are at each other’s necks? Is this just a few bad actors, or is this endemic? Katydid?”

“I can’t tell,” Katydid admitted. “With so many ponies so close together, it gets hard to pick out specifics. I’ve been too busy working with the Chaplains of Oestridae to police our own ranks to police yours, Captain Shining Armor. Need I remind you, there’s plenty of drones within the Swarm who would love to repay the pain Division-P inflicted upon us, heedless of who they repay that pain to. The Red Right Hoof may be taking up the majority of our combined drills, but anything involving the other Legions takes a lot of oversight and coordination with the Chaplains.”

“There’s hatred in the hearts of both armies,” Sulfur summarized. “I’ve been working hard with the rest of my fellow warriors to bridge the gap and undo the damage being done, but there’s only so many of us. Not to mention those bloody newspapers are aflame with vampony rumors and gossip. It is like flying into a gale! Your warriors are quick to imbibe in nonsense, Shining.”

“Yes, well, there’s ten thousand Royal Guards in Canterlot alone,” Shining said. “With a lot of ponies, you’re going to get a lot of different kinds of mares and stallions. The changelings and thestrals are present in relatively few numbers. You can select the best and most level-headed to represent your tribes.” Shining sighed, rubbing his temples. “Are we at least making progress? Are we farther along than where we started?”

“Of course,” Sulfur Drip said immediately. “By all accounts, the changelings and ponies ought to still be at each other’s throats. We’ve made a lot of progress, but it’s being undone rather quickly.”

“Undone?” Shining asked. “What do you mean?”

Sulfur flicked a wing in irritation, “The trial. What else could I mean? That is putting more stress on everypony than anything else. The warriors who have had horrible pasts with the other species have been moved away from our joint forces, but everypony’s eyes are on this royal affair.”

Shining shrugged, “We can’t exactly call that off. And making it private is above our paygrade.”

“If we cannot take the trial away from our warriors’ ears, then we must take our warriors away from this trial,” Sulfur announced. “We shall conduct hunt games away from Canterlot!”

“... That could work,” Katydid said, scratching his chin. “Good idea, Lieutenant Sulfur. War games away from the city might help things calm down. Especially with everyone shoulder to shoulder in the tunnels. Errr, mud?”

Shining sighed, “It is a good idea, but there’s a rather large problem. There’s a lot of Royal Guards that would have to be moved out of Canterlot for this. Let’s… Let’s get the process started. I’ll see what I can do about getting my ponies out as quickly as possible, but it’ll take a few days to get everything in place.”

“I will find a suitable location,” Sulfur Drip added. “Somewhere nearby with enough room for all of us and locations for mock-battles and drills. There’s enough nearby wilderness for that not to be a problem.”

“I will work with Lieutenant Sulfur to prepare the area,” Katydid announced. “Together, we should have our impromptu training grounds ready in short order. That way, you can focus on mobilizing your soldiers, Captain Shining.”

Shining smiled, “I would appreciate that. Just don’t go tearing out somepony’s garden, or cutting down trees in some national forest.”

Luna propped her head on a hoof.

This was the fourth day in a row of testimonies against the changelings and Chrysalis. Pony soldiers and civilians spoke of their experience at the hooves of their new insectoid allies, and Luna was worrying that having this open to the public wasn’t such a good idea.

But Celestia had reassured her that keeping things secret was worse. The ponies deserved the truth, no matter how painful it was. But so far, everything that had been spoken of could be levied against Phasma and the rest of the changelings as much as it could be blamed on Chrysalis.

At least Phasma had conveniently stayed out of the worst of the fighting and podding. Like a specter of death, he had observed and oversaw the destruction of the pony kingdom from an aloof distance. Still, that was not a very good thing to be associated with someling who was supposed to be Equestria’s newest and closest ally.

Luna had been apprised of Cadance’s plan for the trial. Phasma had been informed, too. The three judges had planned on interviewing all the ponies first to establish the facts of the Invasion of Equestria, then move onto the second invasion, then Chrysalis’s reign of terror within the Fourth Hive. The plan was to slowly push Chrysalis’s involvement more and more into the spotlight, ending with her specific actions as a ruler.

Unfortunately, that meant that during the first part of the trial, things did not look good for the changelings.

“What happened next, Fancy Pants?” Coxa asked.

The stallion shuddered, “I couldn’t move. The spell they hit me with left me like a shaken martini! I was dragged into the streets and picked up by a pair of changelings. They… I saw them dragging other ponies out into the streets. The Jets’ home was burning. The skies were burning! Ponies I knew for decades were being dragged through the mud- just like me!”

The unicorn paused, hyperventilating.

“Do you need a minute?” Cadance asked.

“N-no,” Fancy said, clearing his throat. “It’s just… Everything we knew was turned over that day. Canterlot- no, Equestria went from being unassailable to conquered in a single night. Nothing made sense. Nopony knew anything. Nopony could fight back. I had no idea if ponies were still alive or not– if I would still be alive in a few minutes.”

“What happened next?” Elder Vigilance asked.

“I… don’t know. I mean, what happened next is I passed out. Or feinted. I, uh, I’m not a medical pony, so I don’t know the difference.”

“When did you wake up?” Cadance asked him.

Fancy shrugged, “Hours later, I think? It was a Royal Guard that woke me up, pulling me free from some… thing. It was like an egg. I was brought to other ponies, all equally afraid and disheveled as I was, and we… waited. The Royal Guard were still securing the city, making sure no changelings were lurking around.”

“That’s all for now, Fancy Pants,” Elder Vigilance said, dismissing him.

‘Let this be the last witness we need for the invasion,’ Luna sighed internally, glancing around the room.

“The tribunal dismisses Sir Fancy Pants,” Cadance announced, pausing to look at Chrysalis. “Unless you have any questions for him?”

“Nope!” Chrysalis said with a wide smile. “I’m sure every word he said was true!”

A murmur went through the crowd of gathered ponies, like the whispering of a gale.

‘So much for proving her innocence.’

Cadance, Coxa, and Vigilance shared a glance before Cadance shrugged and moved on.

“In that case, the tribunal will call up it’s next wit–”

“Actually,” Chrysalis interrupted, “I would like to call up my own witness.”

Coxa sighed, “We had already asked if you–”

Chrysalis cut him off, “You’ve called up… what, twenty witnesses so far? Thirty?”

“Thirteen,” Vigilance replied in a bored tone.

“I think it’s only fair that I get at least one of my own!” Chrysalis insisted. “This is supposed to be a fair trial, right?”

A magical bubble appeared around the three judges. From her spot behind them, Luna couldn’t read their lips, but it wasn’t a tough guess as to what they would decide.

‘At last, the dragoness sheds the moss growing on her and unfurls her wings. You have a lot of lost ground to make up for, Chrysalis.’

The bubble vanished and Cadance spoke for the rest, “We have decided to grant your request. You may select a witness to–”

“I want them to speak now,” Chrysalis interrupted. “Right now.”

“It takes time–” Coxa began.

“I call King Phasmatodea of the Fifth Hive to the stand,” Chrysalis proclaimed.

The gathered ponies’ heads all snapped to the seated king, while Luna cursed inwardly.

‘That miserable wretch! She dare try to provoke him, after we provided her with news of her own daughter?!’

“That is not up to you, Chrysalis,” Coxa growled. “All witnesses are given time to prepare themselves. You cannot dictate when they take the stand, if they agree to at all.”

Luna read Phasma’s face. A twitch of the cheek here, a furrowing of an eyebrow for a split-second there– he was mad, and so was Luna. This was not the plan. Phasma was to testify against Chrysalis towards the end of the trial, the crown jewel in her damnation. His words are to be the coup de grace that ends her tyranny once and for all. For him to testify merely a third of the way through the trial was–

“As it is woven, so it shall be,” Phasma’s voice rang out, cutting through the noise of the room like a claymore through wool. “I will take the stand.”

Luna leapt to her hooves at once. On my right, Thorax cast a silencing bubbling around the dais, shrouding the royals in privacy.

“Phasma!” Luna hissed. “You do not need to give in to any political theater your mother is playing at! We are in complete control here, to speak out of turn could jeopardize the tribunal’s case against Chrysalis!”

“Yeah Phas, you really should think about this before rising to her bait,” Thorax said. “I mean really, what do you gain from saying yes?”

I slowly rose from my throne and stared Chrysalis down. She looked up at me with a smug, innocent look.

Everything was leading up to this moment. I had bested Chrysalis on the battlefield after tasting a bitter defeat by her hooves. I had thrown my lot in with the drones, broken millennia-long traditions, and changed the course of changeling history now and forever. From my very first act of defiance against Chrysalis, everything was building to this crescendo.

I had bested Chrysalis. Now, it was time to prove to everyone– ponies and changelings alike– that there was nothing Chrysalis could say or do to justify her actions.

‘I told you to fight for your innocence. I told you to try to prove that your cause had merit. Instead, you want to take me down with you?!’

“If she wants to drag me through the mud, after everything I’ve said to her,” I growled, “then she’s going to have to hit me with her best shot. If you come after the king, you’d better not miss.”

Before Thorax or Luna could say anything more, I cast the ponies’ version of the teleport spell, emerging at the witness stand below and to the side of the raised dais. My crown, enchanted as it was, shifted on my head and required some adjustment as I sat down in the booth. My Red Right Hoof guards scrambled to reform around me, placing themselves between me, the cordoned off crowd to my right, and Chrysalis standing by her podium in front of me.

She was still smiling.

‘Oestridae. My soldiers and officers, my friends, and everyone else who suffered and died due to her tyranny: I shall be the first to damn her. I have led the way. I have granted others strength to stand and voice opposition to her oppression. I have ended her bloodshed for all of you. But this? This is for me.’

I looked over my shoulder to Cadance, Coxa, and Vigilance, “As I was the first to stand against her, let my voice be the first to damn her. I will prove for once and for all that Chrysalis, former queen of the Fourth Hive, is an evil failure of a tyrant. As it is woven, so it shall be.” I faced Chrysalis, spitting the last words, “Read. Me. In.”

37- Trinity Test

Rainy Day slowly paged through the notes, nodding slowly. She nodded once to her companion, who left immediately to fetch the payment.

“This lines up with the scraps we have,” she said, closing the binder full of stained papers. “The physical quality could be better, but it's all here.”

“It wasn't easy to get out,” the seller said. “Security is tighter than a hangmare's noose.”

“We know,” Rainy sighed bitterly. “You upheld your end of the bargain, professor, so we'll uphold ours. I'm just surprised you managed to pull it off. The Princesses have everything sealed in vaults.”

The seller pushed her glasses up her nose, “Plenty of reasons for an entomologist to be interested in changeling biology. The Crown is interested in getting access to healing pods; with the right honeyed words, you could even meet the Princess herself.”

Rainy scoffed, ”Yeah, I'm sure Princess Daybreaker has plenty of time to meet up with us. No, we'll wait till she's saved before approaching directly. Thank you, Ladybug.”

Ladybug was a false name for their accomplice. At least, Rainy Day hoped it was a false name. Their teams had confirmed some presence of a Ladybug within the biological research teams at Locksdale, but it was never clear if this was a pseudonym used by the staff there, or an actual pony.

Her minion returned with a small crate. He pulled off the lid, wood creaking as the nailed popped out. Ladybug leaned close, craning her neck to see inside. Rainy stretched a wing out and scooped out the trinket, letting it dangle off its silver chain. A four leaf clover of emeralds glinted in the evening light.

“Hope's Ward, in perfect condition.”

Ladybug took the charm with her own yellow wing, inspecting it closely. Rainy saw the gems sparkle in Ladybug's dark rose colored eyes.

“I can feel it's magic,” the pegasus whispered. “This is the real deal, alright.”

Rainy Day quirked an eyebrow, “Few non-unicorns can feel magic like that. I'm surprised you can.”

Ladybug folded her wings, vanishing the charm from sight, “It pays in our line of work to be quick witted, doesn't it? I'm sure you have a dozen tricks up your sleeves.”

Rainy gave another nod to her companion, “We're done here. Keep your ears out, Ladybug, for Equestria might need your help again.”

The two turned to depart, stowing away the crate in their wagon and setting off. Ladybug watched them go, before taking out a small wand and tapping the necklace with it. The wand glowed green.

She let out a sigh of relief and put the necklace on without delay. Then, with a mighty flap of her wings, she took to the sky. Once she was far, far out of view, she switched wigs mid-flight, her multi-toned gray hair showing for only a moment.

‘One down, three to go,’ Daring Do thought.

“It's done,” Celestia said with finality, slumping into a high backed chair.

I slowly lowered myself to the couch, unwilling to unwind.

“We should toast,” she said, nodding towards the fully stocked bar in the back of the sitting room.

Coxa cheered, “Agreed! If there's one thing to be thankful for, it's having our afternoons back.”

“I am in agreement,” Vigilance said, taking an armchair as if it were a throne. “This farce trial was a toll on my time. We must turn our attention to the war.”

“What do you want, Cadance?” Celestia asked, already pouring herself a drink.

She was also either pouring a drink for the rest of us- and only bothered to ask Cadance what she wanted- or was planning on draining four additional glasses. Both were equally likely.

“Camomile, please,” Cadance countered politely.

“I shall order a drink from the kitchen,” Luna furthered. “I was offered an Iced Mocha while in Seaddle, and it is quite the refreshing beverage. Would you care for one, Phasma?”

Celestia wilted, “I thought I was supposed to be the boring one. Come now, Chr- North Star has been defeated, thoroughly and for good! We shall be dealing with her as a headache, but no longer as a threat. I for one welcome the chance to celebrate banishing the fear of her from our hearts! It's time to have fun- and that's an order!”

Luna sat down next to me. She turned towards me and pulled me into a hug. The shorter mare rested her chin on my shoulder. I returned the hug, squeezing her gently.

“How are you faring?” She quietly asked.

‘How am I faring? Chrysalis is gone. Out of my hair, out of my life, sentenced and banished from my daily life. She'll be far removed from her little loyalist faction. Her political power has been killed and buried. She can't hurt anyone with her stupid plans anymore. I should be happy.’

“I don't know,” I said.

“Tis better to be unsure than to feel unwell,” Luna said.

I resolved to bury myself in work.

I broke the hug and cleared my throat, “Coxa, where do we stand on Division-P?”

The drone scrambled up onto a couch sized for an alicorn, “You gotta ask Lace that.”

“We'll meet tonight in the Hive and figure out a plan. With them pushing for the Vote of No Confidence, now is the time to put pressure on them.”

Celestia waved a glass in the air, “Why is no one having a good time? I specifically ordered everyone to have fun!”

“Yes, sister, we shall toast,” Luna accepted a glass. “This is one more nightmare to put behind us. Let us hope for more to be buried soon!”

“A worthy cause to celebrate,” Vigilance agreed, taking a glass immediately.

‘Boot licker.’

“To the Canterlot Confederacy,” I reluctantly joined the toast.

Shining strode in, stopping to give Cadance a kiss, “Your Highnesses, that was an excellent-”

“Captain! Drink!” Celestia grinned as she poured and dispensed out another tonic.

“To good health and a better future,” Cadance toasted with her partner.

Coxa raised the final glass,”To winning tomorrow's battles.”

‘We have a war room,’ I thought, practically prancing as I entered the war room.

Situated between the royal wing and the military section of the Crystal Caves, it was perfect for planning operations with high security. It was located behind several layers of security, and each adjacent room could not be lurked in by spies listening through walls. The securest location for secrets would always be in the Dreamscape, but you couldn’t bring written materials into there.

“I want a giant map of the world on that wall,” I said, pointing to a blank surface. “This circular map of Equestria is good and all, but I want the wooooorld!”

Lacewing shook her head, distributing little miniatures across the map table of Equestria, “Phas, focus. From what we can tell, Division-P is preparing to ramp up. We need to hit them now and hard while we still can.”

“Easier said than done,” Luna replied, slowly rubbing her chin as she relaxed in her chair. “How does one hit a foe who remains elusive? This is the problem that has hounded Equestria for six months now.”

“Our spies have reported many holdouts and sympathetic government officials,” Coxa said, adjusting many of the red-colored markers in the South. “We can sap much of their support by going after all these ponies now.”

“And then what?” Luna said, frustration painting her posture. “Say we arrest these nobles. How long can we hold onto them? On what charges can they be found guilty of?”

“Supporting Equestria’s enemies,” I said, returning to the table, circling it slowly while dragging a hoof across the rim. “Conspiring against the Canterlot Confederacy. Conspiracy to commit regicide. High Treason. Take your pick.”

“What of the optics of the maneuver?” Luna flicked a hoof dismissively. “A political party introduces a Vote of No Confidence and suddenly we start arresting its supporters? Princesses of Equestria or not, we would lose support of any remaining politicians within a fortnight. As much as I vie for a return to the way things are– with these petulant fools’ powers curtailed, we cannot lose the support of the ponies the Crown relies on to keep society functioning. Perhaps if a war was not on the horizon, we could endure such chaotic transitions of power, but we could spend centuries pondering what ifs.”

“Are you suggesting we just let them get away with it?” Lace scowled.

“Nay,” Luna shook her head slowly, “we must be more clever than them. We must chase them out into the open and arrest them on something the public can get behind.”

“Does the public have to get involved?” Coxa asked. “What if we just quietly take out these traitors?”

I clicked my tongue, “Their absence would be noted quickly by their friends, who would then make all the noise they could. No, that is not an option. Did Celestia say how long she would be?”

Luna shook her head.

Coxa tapped the head of a red miniature, “Can we set them up? Blame them for something they didn’t do, and use that as reasoning to arrest them?”

“They would decry that with the loudest voices they could,” Luna replied.

“They’re gonna do that anyways,” I said. “That’s… not a bad idea. It won’t hold up for long, though. Might have to save that for a desperate, last-second maneuver.”

Lace bared her fangs, “Damn it! We know who’s siding with who! We should just be able to bring them all down! There’s got to be a solution, something we’re not seeing…”

“There is a nuclear option…” I trailed off.

“Nuclear?” Luna leaned forward. “As in… irrevocably destructive?”

“Precisely.”

“What is it?”

I looked towards the door, “Best wait for Celestia and Cadance to show up before I introduce that idea. I’m sure they have their opinions on it.”

“Tease,” Luna grunted, leaning back in her chair.

“Their attacks are growing,” Lace reiterated. “They are hitting convoys with more and more frequency. It’s been mostly minor injuries so far, but we are losing a lot of product. And, far more worryingly, it’s only a matter of time before ponies and lings start dying by the clutch. We know they’re going to escalate. We can’t just let public opinion dictate how this war is fought. We can’t let drones die because we are afraid of how the public will view us.”

“I agree,” I said, placing both forehooves on the edge of the map. “We need to do something drastic.”

The doors slowly creaked open, emitting a pair of pony princesses. The four Red Right Hoof soldiers outside saluted and pulled the doors closed behind them. Cadance and Celestia hurried over to the table, grabbing their seats quickly.

Celestia cleared her throat, “Something drastic? I do hope you are not planning on making headlines in my kingdom without at least letting me know.”

“I am here,” Luna said. “It is not your kingdom, sister. It is ours.”

“Yes, of course, I apologize, Luna.,” Celestia recovered. “My point remains, I need to be informed of anything that alters our political schemes.”

“What held you two up so long?” I asked. “What was so important that you two are an hour late to plotting our New World Order?”

Celestia and Cadance shared an uncomfortable glance.

Cadance smiled awkwardly, “We’ll tell you in a minute. It’s going to derail this whole meeting if we bring it up now.”

“Agreed,” Celestia added.

I was now even more intrigued, but Luna had other ideas, “Sister, Niece. Phasma was just about to share his more dangerous plots, you are just in time. Phasma, your… nuclear option?”

Slowly, I reached out with my magic, drawing a line with it across Equestria. I divided up the Kingdom into several provinces. The North, the East, the West, the Center with Canterlot, and the South. I divided the South further into ten provinces, drawing their lines across mountain ranges, rivers, and deserts.

“We must control Equestria,” I began. “We need to enforce borders between its many settlements. Our enemy moves with impunity, fleeing our patrols with ease. By placing Royal Guards all across Equestria, namely the South, we stand to nail these bastards down long enough to hit them hard.”

Luna, Coxa, and Lace nodded, while Celestia ruminated on my plan. Cadance grit her teeth as she took in the implications.

“That’s going to stir up a lot of problems,” she said. “Not to mention the obvious consequence of spreading the E.U.P. out when we need them ready to fight in the North.”

“That last part is what gives me pause,” Celestia agreed. “I am not comfortable with placing the bulk of our forces too far to recall in a moment’s notice.”

“We can hold several divisions back,” Luna offered. “The forces destined to fight within Nisir and the closest around the mountain can be stationed here in Canterlot. We have the airships needed to move them. That way we can both secure Canterlot and the future battlefield against the Nightmares.”

I grinned, “The Red Right Hoof will be deploying in a similar manner. If we keep the core of the E.U.P.’s spear tip as a rapid response force, we can get the defenses in Nisir garrisoned in two days flat. Given the distance from Nisir to where you two say the Crystal Empire was, that gives us two days of wiggle room.”

Celestia tapped her armrest, “... We do not have enough airships. It will take seven months to make more.”

“Requisition them from the public,” I suggested.

Cadance flinched, “That’s… If we must, we can.”

“Let us do it,” Luna matched my grin. “Our greatest warriors shall descend from the skies, clad in midnight black! We can scour this world of the Umbrum blight!”

“We can leave behind support in Nisir,” I suggested. “Prepare it and the outer defenses for rapid garrison.”

“What would that look like?” Celestia asked me.

“Air strips, supply depots fully stocked with non-perishables ahead of time, security perimeters, semi-permanent housing– trenches, preferably. Yes… trenches. We need to prepare Nisir and the surrounding valley for war.”

“Trenches?” Luna frowned, “What on Equus would we need those for? We are not holding nor assaulting a castle. Barricades would be more preferable.”

“I’ve been taking inventory of what tools your army has,” I said slowly, “and I have a few ideas. I hate to let the cat out of the bag, but it’s time to take some ideas from Earth’s wars. Celestia, Luna, you two will need to come with me tomorrow. Bring your royal checkbook.”

“We shall have to make it short,” Celestia said, “there is still much to do.”

I tasted disappointment from Luna, “This is all well and good– and enticing, but hardly worthy of the moniker of ‘nuclear option.’ Unless the stories you have told were overblown?”

“No, these are all steps we should be taking immediately, no matter what,” I explained. “My nuclear option targets Division-P; we must take them down. No matter the consequences, they cannot be allowed to cause strife while we fight for the future of our world. But legality and public outrage bind our hooves, preventing us from going after them.”

“What do you suggest?” Cadance prompted me.

Slowly, I leaned forward, “If all else fails, we must take down every supporter of Division-P. We cannot jeopardize the war effort. I motion, should every scheme fail, to arrest each and every one of them simultaneously.”

Celestia snorted, “Hah! Even if we do accomplish that, there will be many more supporters who we failed to identify.”

“That’s why we institute the nuclear option: we declare martial law across Equestria. No crossing province borders. Sundown curfew. Override the authority of any local guard. Reevaluate any sentencing for those guilty of treason or disrupting the guard– tripling them if we have to. Suspend any rights ponies have to a trial until the crisis is over. Shut down any public radio station and clamp down on freedom of press. No one moves unless we say so. No one says a word without our permission. Divide and conquer, the old fashioned way.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Luna agreed instantly.

Lace cheered, “Hard and fast! Quick and dirty, just like the invasion!”

“Agreed,” Coxa tacked on.

“Surely you can’t be serious,” Cadance said quietly. Quickly, she found confidence, “That is simply going too far! I agree, if it comes down to it, that might be a necessary move, but we are so far removed from the worst case scenario that there’s no point even considering such options. I mean, honestly, restricting a right to a trial? Shutting down the entire country? We cannot lose our morality during this fight. Celestia, tell me you aren’t considering this.”

Celestia let out a sigh and looked down at the floor, “In truth, I struggle to find reasons to not enact that plan right at this moment.”

“Auntie–”

“No, Cadance,” Celestia closed her eyes. “Just no. I have seen so much of the kingdom I held together for the past thousand years simply… drift away. So many ponies have been hurt, and many killed. I watched my four most trusted guards, the Swords of Morning, get cut down in front of my eyes. Something must change. We… we cannot allow Equestria to fall simply because we are too afraid of violence.”

“I believe in Harmony,” Cadance said, gathering herself. “I believe that ponies strive to be better every day. I believe that we are working to achieve something great, and that we don’t have to throw away what we worked for and become tyrants at the first sign of trouble. With the power of friendship, we stand a better chance at finding allies and strength within ourselves than with the power of domination. I understand what’s at stake, yes, but now is not the time to throw ourselves into the fires of self-sacrifice! How many innocents will be thrown into cells? How many will lose their livelihoods from the economic shutdown? We have months till the most likely Nightmare invasion window– years at the most. How long would you imprison civilization?”

“As long as it takes,” I said. “The time has come to revolutionize how Equestrians see war. This isn’t some casual affair to be discussed over tea time, eating apple fritters and marveling at the weather. People are going to die. It’s time we take their sacrifices seriously.”

Celestia chuckled, “And to think, this time last year, I was preparing for Hearths Warming, wondering if I’ll spend the next with my sister at last. Now here we are, Hearths Warming Eve, discussing topics reserved only for Equus’s darkest of ages. My heart says to end the pain, no matter the cost, but my mind says to listen to Cadance. We will file this idea away, ready to be called upon in Equestria’s darkest hour.”

I shrugged, “I called it the nuclear option for a reason.”

“We have enacted martial law in the past,” Luna said. “I see no difference between this invasion and prior ones.”

“... Thank you for listening, Celestia,” Cadance said, gently laying a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder.

“With that decided,” I said, “care to share the reason for your tardiness?”

Celestia straightened up, “Oh. Yes. We received a visitor. Someone you will find most interesting, Phasma.”

“You had my curiosity,” I raised an eyebrow. “Now you have my attention. Just who is it?”

I emerged from the portal sprinting. In the cold courtyard nestled deep within the gardens of the Royal Palace, my breath billowed like steam. Behind me, the royal sisters, Cadance, and my two friends followed. But my entire attention was what lay before me. Just behind the ruins where a fountain once stood, the very same fountain where Chrys– North Star and I fought and determined the future of the Hive Eternal, a lone sapling stretched bare limbs into the sky. It was hunched over, curled not just from the weight of its new occupant, but from the snow that had covered it like a blanket.

That snow was gone now, and its greatest limb was charred black. Orange talons clutched onto the sapling, its owner’s pure yellow eyes looking back at me as it cocked its head to the side. Philomena the phoenix firebird had returned.

Between her talons and trapped against the charred bark was a shattered silver chain. Strung at its apex was a dented golden charm, set with a cracked emerald that pulsed purple with energy. The energy rippled as a feminine voice issued from it, beamed directly into my mind.

“Well, well, well,” Princess Prochorodes said. “If it isn’t the royal that I’ve heard so many whispers about. King Phasmatodea, I presume?”