Seraphis Virtuosoby AbsentialucciChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4ProloguePrologue Scootaloo wasn’t sure when it happened, all she knew was that one moment, she was excitedly chatting with Sweetie and Applebloom, the next… screams. Sounds of shattering glass, distant explosions. Everypony around her started panicking, and she was separated from her friends. She darted under and around hooves, left and right, over and over until she was completely disoriented. All she wanted to do was find some place she could hide. The tables! Of course! If she could get under the tables, she’d be safe. Well, at least safer. She wouldn’t be in danger of being trampled. Trying to center herself in the chaos, she breathed deeply. Slowly, her senses returned. The tables weren’t too far, now that she wasn’t fleeing aimlessly. She took another deep breath, calculated a route between all of the panicking ponies, then she dashed forward. She dodged a pair of forehooves slamming into the ground in front of her, jumped over a Unicorn who had fallen amidst the confusion, and swerved around an unusual looking pony. She couldn’t tell if the pony was a mare or stallion, but it looked like a weird Pegasus. There were wings, but they were weird looking. Almost like a beetle. And there were holes in random parts of its coat. She ignored it, staying focused on the table. Just a few more hoof lengths, and she would be able to take a quick breather, and decide what to do next. She dove under the table, breathing heavily. She swallowed hard, moistening her throat. Had she been screaming? She shook her head, then winced and hissed in pain as she hit a table leg with her head. Rubbing her head with a wing, she was able to take in the chaos surrounding her little island of solitude.There were a few Unicorns and Earth Ponies lying on the ground, not moving. Maybe they’d hit their heads? There was certainly fruit punch pooling around them. Maybe they’d been knocked into the punch bowls. To her left, she could see two regular Pegasi wrestling in the air with three of the weird looking Pegasi. Maybe it was a game that only Pegasi who could fly played together. To her right, she saw three Earth Ponies, dressed as Royal Guards. They had their weapons out… was there a training exercise? She soon got her answer as two of the strange Pegasi dove at them from the air. She averted her eyes as one of the Royal Guards speared one of the Pegasi. The other strange Pegasus tackled one of the guards to the ground. She only now noticed that the weird Pegasi were armed. This wasn’t a training exercise! And the Pegasi who were wrestling… She turned back towards them, and gasped before covering her eyes. The two Pegasi were no longer flying… their attackers stood above, flicking blades clean. She peaked out from behind her hooves. The red liquid on the ground wasn’t fruit punch… it was blood! And the weird Pegasi were attacking the wedding guests! She watched in horror as the three attackers turned from their slain victims towards the two remaining Earth Pony guards. They were about to attack them from behind! She scrambled from under the table. The screaming seemed more distant now. All around her, guards and some guests were fighting with the attackers. It was a losing battle. But maybe she could help the two guards nearest her. “BEHIND YOU!” She screamed as loudly as she could. The three ambushers jumped, having been startled by her. One of the guards whirled around, Scootaloo could now make out that she was a Unicorn, not an Earth Pony. She didn’t let the three attackers recover from their shock. Immediately with her horn aglow she threw the table Scootaloo had been hiding under into the ambushers, knocking them flat. Her companion, who was still facing away from Scootaloo, towards the two attackers in front, turned his body. One of the attacker’s swords was deflected by his armor, and he plunged his spear into the other, impaling it. Before the first could react, he stepped over the fallen attacker, and lined up a solid buck. He hit dead on, catching the remaining attacker in the cheek and neck. There was a sickening crunch, and Scootaloo watched it crumple to the ground. She was frozen in shock. Just like that, she had seen life snuffed out of five, maybe more creatures! She started trembling. The mare looked at her for a moment, before she was instantly by Scootaloo’s side. “Sergeant! Check on our three would-be ambushers. You know what to do if they're still breathing. Check on Flicker, Clouddust and Echosong. On the double!” The Earth Pony snapped a quick salute before carrying out her orders. The Unicorn mare slowly approached Scootaloo, eyes scanning everything, though there was a brief respite in the immediate area. Scootaloo started breathing quickly and shallowly. “Hey, hey, it’s okay!” The mare’s voice, harsh in her commands, was soft when addressing Scootaloo. “It’s okay. You’re safe for now. But I need you to come with me. We’re setting up an evacuation point.” Scootaloo stared at her, eyes dilated, vision darkening at the edges. “W-wha… h-how?” She could barely form words with her mind rushing with adrenaline. “I’m Captain Sunflash. You’re safe with me and my team. Can you tell me your name?” Scootaloo tried to forcibly slow her breathing. “That’s right, slow down. If you keep hyperventilating, you might pass out.” The mare was right in front of Scootaloo now, she opened her forehooves invitingly. Scootaloo’s natural aversion to touch left her, as she darted into the inviting forehooves of an adult. “There we go.” Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around the Captain, babbling and mumbling. It was as if she couldn’t get close enough to her. “You’re okay. You saved me and Sergeant Spade, did you know that?” Scootaloo nodded, burying her face into the chest fur of Captain Sunflash. “What’s your name sweetie?” Scootaloo felt herself calming down. Though there seemed to be a cloud in her brain, causing her thoughts to seem distant. “S-Scootaloo… ma’am.” “I’m just Sunflash for you, Scootaloo. Thank you for saving Spade and I.” Scootaloo just nodded numbly. A short cough sounded behind her, and she tensed up. “Report, Sergeant.” Sunflash’s voice hardened as she saw her comrade approach. “Corporal Flicker is dead, but Private Clouddust and Lieutenant Echosong were only injured.” “We’ll have to mourn Flicker later. Are Clouddust and Echosong fit to move?” “Yes ma’am. Their wounds aren’t life-threatening.” Sunflash nodded. “Okay.” She squeezed Scootaloo. “I’m going to let you go, but I want you to stay close to the four of us, okay?” Scootaloo slipped out from her grasp, and silently nodded. “Right. Lieutenant! Private! I want you two on either side of Scootaloo here. Sergeant, you take the front. I’ll follow up on the rear. Understood?” Sunflash’s comrades gave her a chorus of affirmative words. Sunflash nodded. ‘Alright, just like your training. Starburst. We’ll quickly and efficiently move through here, link up with any other Royal, Solar or Lunar guards. Our main priority is getting these civilians out of here safely. Move out!” Scootaloo found herself being ushered through the room. The four guards seemed to be moving around her in an efficient and professional manner, as though she were royalty. In a way, it was almost unnerving. As a team they checked any pony who had fallen. The fighting seemed to have moved away from the room, further outside. Scootaloo could hear the sounds of fighting. Her four guards turned into six, and she was joined by two more foals about her age, and five adults. All the others who had been in the room, including her friends, were either dead or missing. Scootaloo numbly moved in tandem with the other two foals, who wore similar expressions to her own. “Okay everypony. We’re heading outside. Captain Armor should be organizing an evacuation. We’ll get through this. Stay together!” As one, the group burst outside. The distant sounds of fighting suddenly came crashing down in full force onto Scootaloo. One of the foals she was with, a little Earth Pony filly, crouched down, whimpering. Scootaloo looked at her other small companion, another Pegasus colt. They had a brief, silent communication, then they both pressed on either side of the Earth Pony filly. “Come on, the guards will keep us safe!” Scootaloo hissed, her colt companion nodded. “Yeah! They’re awesome! Come on Blossom!” They gently nudged Blossom forward until she started moving. “W-what’s your name?” Her voice was a high-pitched squeak. Scootaloo could tell she was on the verge of panic, and was desperately searching for anything to distract her from it. “I’m Scootaloo. Your name’s Blossom?” She nodded shakily. “B-Blossom Fall. A-and this is my friend, Cider Press.” The Colt nodded to Scootaloo, though she could see in his eyes that he was just as scared as Blossom and herself. Summoning all of the courage she could, she put on a tough face. “Well, Cider, Blossom. Stick with me. I saved Captain Sunflash and Sergeant Spade here. So they’ll doubly keep us safe. We’ll get through this!” Despite everything going on, Scootaloo felt warmed when both Blossom and Cider seemed to visibly relax. They’d get through this. Then they’d find her friends, and everything would be perfect again! She tried to push the sight of the ponies they’d passed by who did not join them. She would not think about them. She would not dwell on them. She wouldn’t! She had to be strong! Strong for her two new friends, and strong for her two missing ones. Scootaloo steeled herself, and moved confidently with the group, as they made their way towards the Evacuation point. Chapter 1Chrysalis was not happy. Yes, the invasion had overall been a success. But in all of her planning… all the years of preparation and infiltration… she had failed to consider one thing. “Princess Luna…” Her voice came out as an aggravated hiss. “Could one of you explain to me…” She reared up, showing off her impressive size in comparison to her Generals. “Just how that particular bit of information slipped the net?!” She allowed herself a small moment of vindictive pleasure at how her generals cowered before her. They, each and every one, had started out as drones. Chrysalis made sure to pay attention to all of her drones. Yes, many were identical and only fit to serve… but depending on the creature she had mated with, some drones came out different. Either physically, or mentally. She took special interest in these subjects. Many would distinguish themselves, and climb the ranks. She expected the best from each and every one of them. And in turn… each and every one could be removed. Demoted. Chrysalis sighed mentally. The general in charge of her information net, a drone with the genetic markers of a Griffon, had gotten lazy. Sloppy. And though he had served her well for nearly a decade… he failed her when she needed him most to succeed. With a second Princess out and about… it would be significantly harder for her to convert Equestria to her cause. Princess Luna was a rallying point, and she had escaped Canterlot with a sizable portion of its defensive garrison. “General Setae. Front and center. Now.” A trembling Changeling moved closer to her. “Y-yes my Queen?” Chrysalis turned her cold, hard gaze down on him. “Remind me, General, how long have you served as Netmaster?” “M-my Queen! Please! The Lunar Princess… she–” “Answer plainly, grub!” General Setae flinched at the force of her voice. She took no pleasure in making him feel fear, but an example had to be set. “T-twelve years. Three months. Seventeen days, your Highness.” “And in that time you served me faithfully…” The general visibly relaxed. “...Until now.” Chrysalis continued, voice unsympathetic. “Until the greatest moment of our Hive! The moment, I may remind you, was only possible with accurate and updated information. Which is why we have our net. And why you bare the name ‘Setae.’” Setae tensed. He knew what was coming. “General Setae. Who is next in line? The one who you hoof-picked to act as second Netmaster. Who you screened, and trained to replace you, when you faded away?” Setae swallowed hard. “Caster… Confluent, your Highness.” “Fetch him.” Setae hesitated. “Now, General!” Setae scrambled up from his submissive bow, then nearly tripped over himself in his haste to carry out his last order as General and Netmaster. Chrysalis did not move a muscle. Nor did she utter a word. The rest of her Generals maintained their stance, and silence. None wanting to earn the ire of their Queen. It wasn’t long, though it likely felt like a small eternity for her Generals, before General Setae returned. A young drone following behind him. Chrysalis silently looked the Caster over. He had little to no discerning marks, as was typical for most drones, save for one mark across his mesothorax. While most drones sported three straight lines, two of his lines crossed the middle one. Unusual. The general scrambled back to his spot, front and center, bowing so quickly that he nearly imbedded his fangs into the carpeted floor of the throne room. Confluent slowed, and bowed with more dignity. “General Setae.” Chrysalis began, watching Confluent carefully. She detected a momentary flash of disgust in his eyes when she spoke the General’s name. Good. He knew that his General had displeased her. He would offer no sympathy. “You have disgraced and endangered this hive with your carelessness. You failed to pass on vital information to your Queen at the hive’s most crucial point of history! For this disgrace, I, Queen Chrysalis of Hive Mantis, hereby strip you of rank and name!” Chrysalis noticed a hint of satisfaction flash across Confluent. He was certainly ambitious. This gave her hope in her next steps in the war with Equestria. One thing her former Netmaster hadn’t failed in, was finding a worthy successor. “No longer shall you walk with freedom within, and without the hive. No longer shall you be entitled to the privileges of Generalship. You are nothing more than a drone! Fit for nothing more than the honor of carrying out your superiors’ orders! No longer will you carry the name ‘Setae.’ You are nameless. Begone! And pray that you never fail your Queen again!” The drone unsteadily got to his hooves, then turned tail and fled away from the glare of the Queen he had once served. Chrysalis turned her attention fully on Confluent. “Caster Confluent. Step forward.” He did so, with self-control and dignity. Chrysalis noted that for later. “How long have you served as Caster?” Confluent saluted smartly. “Ten years, three months, seventeen days, my Queen.” Chrysalis nodded. She of course knew this already. “Caster Confluent, you have proven competent and efficient in all of your tasks. There remains a gap in the chain of command. A gap that must be filled, post haste.” Chrysalis inhaled, then proclaimed. “I, Queen Chrysalis, of Hive Mantis, hereby promote you to Netmaster. You will be free to come and go from the hive as you see fit. You will be my eyes, and ears across the world. Our information net remains intact, and I expect you to acclimate quickly to your new responsibilities. No longer do you bare the name Confluent. From here on, you carry the name of Setae. My Netmaster, and General. Serve your Queen faithfully, and you will be rewarded. Fail me…” Chrysalis trailed off, not needing to finish her sentence. General Setae stiffened and saluted once more. “It is my honor and duty, Majesty, to spread your will across the world. I will not fail you." Chrysalis nodded curtly. “See that you don’t. Dismissed.” Setae turned smartly, and marched out of the throne room. Chrysalis watched him leave, then turned her attention to her remaining Generals. “Let this serve as a reminder. Failure will not be tolerated. You are the trusted advisors of the Queen. Now go!” Her Generals saluted as one, then turned and marched out. Chrysalis suppressed a sigh, then sunk into the throne she had rightfully earned. She allowed herself a few moments respite, before rising once more. She carefully tapped into the mind of the collective, bracing herself for the sudden influx of information. She followed a few threads until she found the individual she was looking for. Codex Master. Fetch me anything we have on the Lunar Sister, Princess Luna. We have much to study. It took but a moment for her to receive a confirmation. She rubbed her eyes. It would be a long night, but she was accustomed to long nights. The greatest path towards success, was planning and information. And Chrysalis had no intention of sacrificing the momentum she had picked up. Equestria would submit. Every creature had their weaknesses. Princess Luna was no different. All it would take is the right application of pressure. In the meantime, everything else would proceed as planned. She would not idly sit back, waiting for her enemy to strike back at her. “Soon, Princess… soon you too will submit. Equestria will be mine.” *** Princess Luna, lunar diarch of Equestria. Nightmare Moon. Princess of the Night. She had many names, some lost to history, some remaining from the civil war that had ripped Equestria in two, and some she only shared with her most trusted friends. Centuries of history and culture… and none of it mattered. None could save her city from attack. She had failed in her sacred protection of the night. She could still see Canterlot in the distance, its protective magic shield long since having collapsed. All she could make out, were the dark forms. Fighting was still breaking out, Canterlot would not be so easily suppressed. Occasional bursts of arcane light pierced through the darkness of the new moon. Her enemy had chosen its time well. She tore her gaze from the scene below her, and surveyed her collection of guards and civilians. Even now, there could be infiltrators amongst them. She could only hope that they would be found in time. They knew it would be foolish to reveal their nature now., but she would find them. She always found her enemies. And they would pay for daring to attack her ponies. Without another word, she began the march towards the nearest town. Towards Ponyville. “Harsh Echo. Captain Sweet Siren. Attend me.” Silently, her two summons flanked her on either side. The rest of her guards set about organizing the refugees. She knew they would keep a close eye on any and all, including each other. Thestrals, Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies. All dispersed before their Princess, like water from stone. They kept their distance, as Luna conversed in soft tones with her Captain and attendant. “What’s our situation at a quick glance, Captain?” Sweet Siren snapped his leathery wing in a salute. “We have a ramshackle collection. Royal Guards, Lunar and Solar. They’re integrating with each other well enough, though there are some disagreements on protocol.” “What disagreements, Captain?” Luna kept her gaze straight ahead as she spoke, Harsh Echo silently walking beside her. “Mainly amongst guards of the same rank, from different branches of the guard. I am the highest ranking commissioned officer, but several of the noncommissioned officers are quietly arguing their seniority.” “We cannot afford such discourse. Identify the main cause of the disturbances, and have me a list of names put together by the time we reach Ponyville. We must squash this cancer early, before it has time to fester.” Sweet Siren snapped a salute once more, then fell behind the two of them. “The Captain seems quite capable, my lady.” Harsh Echo commented idly, not breaking her pace. “Yes… we are lucky to have him amongst those who escaped.” “You sound weary, my lady.” “Alas, I can’t hide anything from you, Harsh. Truth be told… I’m not sure what to do. My sister’s fate is unknown, Canterlot is under attack, yet we’re here. Outside the city limits. And even now, we could have traitors in our midst.” “You made the right decision, my lady. Equestria needs some degree of leadership intact, and if you’d stayed you would surely have been captured or slain. Just…” Harsh caught herself, and Luna turned her piercing gaze to her. “Just as my sister was.” She finished for her. Harsh held her gaze, unfaltering. “Yes, my lady. You couldn’t do anything else other than what you already have.” Luna turned back to the road ahead. “I know. Elysium, I know. It doesn’t make it any easier though.” “Such is the burden of command. You’ve known this for centuries. There is no one here more important than you. I haven’t forgotten that. You must not lose sight of that yourself.” Luna bowed her head, allowing one last sign of weakness, before she dropped the mask of cold calm over herself once more. “I will need your help in organizing the resistance and recapture of Canterlot. Our first priority is to reach Ponyville safely, and set up a base of operations. I want you working with anything you can find. Scrolls, ancient texts, myths, anything you can get your hooves on. We do not know our enemy, and our enemy knows us. Until that is remedied, we are at a disadvantage. I want you to start a screening process. Basic tests, cantrips for Unicorns, feats of weather manipulation for Pegasi, affinity for the energies of Equus for Earth Ponies, and tricks of moonlight for Thestrals. Things that all creatures know of from a young age, things that should be second nature. With luck, we may weed out some of the infiltrators amidst us.” “You think there are many?” Luna was silent for a few paces. “I am certain of it. Any creature of suspect is to be detained immediately. I will perform my own investigations through their dreams, but the screening of thousands will take time. It would be most helpful to have leads that could narrow down my efforts.” Harsh Echo bowed her head, and touched a wing tip to her temple, a traditional gesture of respect amongst Thestrals. “It will be done, my lady. I am at your disposal as you see fit.” Then she too fell back, melting into the mismatched group of guards and refugees. Luna was left alone with her thoughts. Not even a year has passed since my return. This is a different world than I remember. Ponyville was nothing more than a single farm when I rose against my sister. She cursed herself. Foolish. Uncoordinated. A reaction of emotion, without thought. This time it would be different. She would not make the same mistakes she had made in her childish rampage against Celestia. Information was the key to victory. She would have to keep her emotional side in check. The very fate of Equestria depended on it. Luna clenched her jaw, and picked up the pace of the march. There would be no stopping until she reached Ponyville. The screening process would be refined, and she would enlist the help of any she could find. Greatness was hidden inside every creature. She just had to find the ones whose spark was being ignited at this time of tragedy. She would have to be weary, however. Periods of great change had the equal potential to release the inner darkness within every creature. She was beginning to formulate a course through history, but navigating the course was its own challenge. “One thing at a time…” She muttered to herself. She marched on. Movement and flow. The currents were dangerous and turbulent, but a skilled navigator knew how to use them to her advantage. At least she wasn’t alone, even if she felt the absence of her sister like a black hole within her… She was not alone. Chapter 2In the darkness of a nearly empty room, a Zebra was pacing. She was accompanied by one other Zebra. But he knew better than to speak, he wasn’t paid to speak. “We knew this was a possibility…” For Watcher Zenith of Zebrica, however, what was supposed to have been an easy day with few tasks for her to accomplish, had instead turned into a eight hours journey to meet on the neutral ground of the Sacred Pool. Her hooves were sore, and the elaborate adornments she was expected to wear did not do her any favors. She stopped pacing, and turned towards her guard. “Where in the name of the Great Sand Serpent are they?!” Her voice never seemed to change in volume, but the tonality was clear to anyone who bore witness. She was not happy. “Is this a bad time? I can always fly around the pool a few hundred more times to give you time to stop your fuming.” Zenith whirled around, behind her with an insufferable grin on his face, was Galahad, the representative from Griffonia. “Galahad…” Zenith hissed, which seemed to only delight the Griffon even further, if the widening grin on his face was of any indication. “Zenith! It’s so good to see you again!” She scowled. “I see your insufferability has not changed over the years…” “And why should it? My insufferability as it were, just so happens to be the reason creatures like me sticking around.” He winked at her, before dropping lightly to the ground. “Is that so? From what I’ve heard, the emperor just wanted to get you out of his head crest.” “Maybe so, but he can’t wait to see me again. We have a good working relationship.” He said, unfazed. Zenith snorted. “So says you.” “Do I detect a hint of something you don’t want me to know?” He said with a grin. “Don’t flatter yourself. It is unbecoming.” Somebody cleared their throat importantly. “If the two of you are quite finished. I do believe we have something to discuss?” Zenith and Galahad both turned to face the newcomer: a huge red Dragon with his head held high, loomed over them, disapproval written clearly on his face. Galahad, of course, was unworried. “Lotantor! Welcome, welcome you big smoke breather!” “Such displays of impudence are punished severely in our kingdom, Griffon.” Lotantor growled in his low, threatening voice. “But we’re not in your kingdom, are we?” Galahad walked up to him, meeting the hostile, slitted expression. “And you’re under direct orders to not do anything… rash, are you not?” Lotantor scowled. “Good then!” The Griffon clapped his talons together. “Now that we’re all friends again, why don’t we actually discuss the matter at claw, shall we?” Zenith exhaled, long and slow. As infuriating as he was, Galahad was right. “Queen Chrysalis’s attack on Canterlot was sudden, brief, and brilliantly executed. But we have reports that Equestria is rallying, in spite of this. Are our previous findings incorrect? Do the Equestrians have a fighting spirit after all?” Lotantor scoffed. “Everycreature can be pushed to violence. It is folly to underestimate someone due to such small-minded logic. However… It is most unusual. From what we know of the Mantis Queen, her spy network is large, vast, and highly sophisticated. She uses it for quick, ruthless campaigns. What changed? Why is Equestria different? All projections indicated that she would be able to take control of the city in a matter of days. She would replace any messengers, and any heads of state. Not to mention taking the form of Princess Celestia herself. Equestria should have been conquered without even knowing it.” “You two are failing to account for one, crucial piece of information,” Galahad’s voice was intolerably smug. “I’m positively shocked that you two would even show up to such a conference with outdated information.” Zenith and Lotantor exchanged glances, baffled. “Well, Griffon. Spit it out already. Your pontifications are beginning to bore me.” Zenith remained silent, but met Galahad’s gaze, tilting her chin questioningly. He smirked. “Oh now this is just perfect. Allow me to lord over the two of you, just a few moments longer.” He stretched his wings, luxuriating in his aura of superiority. “It would seem like the two of you believe Equestria to be a monarchy. However, this is both flawed, and outdated. For you see, Equestria is no monarchy…” He paused, the absolute silence weighing heavily in the air. “It is, and always has been… a diarchy.” Chapter 3Luna exhaled slowly. She hadn’t had much of a chance to decompress. Everything seemed to happen in a whirl, her guards reporting the attack, leading them through Canterlot and collecting as much of a fighting force as she could… the march to Ponyville, and subsequently setting up their Forward Operating Base. She was amazed she still had the energy to stand. When was the last time she’d slept? Yesterday? The day before? She couldn’t remember. “Damn it, Tia…” She whispered. “What am I supposed to do? Where did we go wrong? How did we get caught off guard so completely?” She knew there would be no answer, her sister was missing, possibly dead. Her nation’s capital was occupied, and she didn’t have nearly a large enough army to take it back. She wasn’t even sure she would be able to get the various guard groups to get along. Her vision started blurring again, as it had several times throughout the chaos. This time though, she let the tears flow. “Damn it!” It was too much. She threw herself to the floor, sobbing fiercely, and shaking her body. She was angry. At the infiltrators for so brazenly attacking her ponies. At her sister, for insisting that the wedding continue as planned, even in spite of the circumstances. At her ramshackle guards, for not being able to put aside their rivalries when Equestria needed them most… but above everything, she was angry at herself. She was responsible for the safety of Canterlot. She was responsible for security. Her sister had a duty to make an appearance, and had thus relied on her to ensure the ceremonies proceeded without incident. She had failed in her duty, she had failed. There was a soft knock on the door to the room she had found herself in. Luna was half tempted to ignore it, to wallow in her sorrow some more. But at the second set of knocks, she pulled herself from the floor, and set about erasing all signs of weakness. A few cantrips and glamor spells later, she turned to face the door. “Enter.” Her voice was cold, and crisp. Worthy of a commander. Harsh Echo’s familiar form appeared in the doorway, she bowed before Luna, spreading her wings as out as she did so. “We have established ourselves within the Town Hall, the general hospital is being utilized to its fullest ability as we have wounded refugees and military personnel alike. Apart from some mildly confused looks, we haven’t had any issues from the local population, but they will need to be addressed soon. I would recommend by noon tomorrow,” Harsh’s crisp no-nonsense voice gave way to a softer tone. “My lady, I must insist that you rest. It will be a busy day tomorrow, and we need you at your best.” Luna sighed. “I’m afraid that is much more easily said than done, Harsh.” “I can tell when my lady’s heart is heavy,” Harsh hesitated, then raised a wing to her own face. “The spellwork is cleverly hidden. But my Lady would be hard-pressed to fool the eyes of this humble servant.” She left an opening for Luna, allowing her to expound if she wished, but not pressing her. Luna dropped her gaze. “I promise that I shall try to get some sleep.” “There’s a local alchemy shop nearby, I could always procure a sleeping potion should the need arise.” It was times like this that Luna knew she had chosen well in appointing Harsh Echo as her attendant. These rare moments of dryness that she never could figure were intentional or not. “That will be unnecessary, Harsh,” Luna said with a half smile, “I suspect that as soon as I find myself in a bed, I will find it much easier to fall asleep.” “I also must insist that my Lady keep her oneiromancy to a minimum tonight.” Luna frowned. “I have to check in on them. It could be critical for the remaining defense within Canterlot.” Harsh stepped closer, and used her wing to tilt Luna’s chin up, forcing the princess to look her in the eyes. “Two hours. You can spare two hours, no more.” Luna’s lip curled into a wry smile. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that that sounded like an order from you.” Harsh didn’t break her stern gaze. “When it comes to the safety and healthiness of my lady, I outrank everyone. Including herself if the need be.” She dropped her wing and stepped away. “I will procure the sleeping potion anyways. If you aren’t in a sufficiently deep sleep, I will not hesitate to administer it, regardless of your wishes.” Harsh bowed once more, then turned around as if to sweep out of the room, but she paused just before crossing the threshold. “I made sure to have a room prepared for you as soon as I carried out your initial orders. The local library, Golden Oaks, has a room. The Good and Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle takes up residence there when she’s not on official business. Seeing as she is missing, we commandeered her room. It will prove sufficient.” Harsh didn’t turn around as she spoke. “Please, Princess…” Her voice was shaky, and then she was gone, to leave Luna with her thoughts once more. *** Luna had decided on a course of action, she would heed Harsh’s words, and minimize her dreamwalking for the night. Truth be told, she was honestly relieved that somebody was willing to tell her to do so. It made it easier for her to follow the directions, helped alleviate the stab of guilt she felt for giving herself rest. The first pony she tried to contact, of course, was Celestia. But… something was blocking her. In her long life, nothing before had ever managed to block her so absolutely. Celestia was as unreachable as a corpse… She did not like that train of thought at all. She turned her focus back to the task at hoof. A name popped out at her, one she was mildly surprised to find, but nevertheless she followed the strand to its host. Twilight Sparkle’s dreams were always dutifully organized, every piece of her subconscious filed away in neat little filing cabinets. It was something that Luna had always found endearing. Now though… Twilight’s subconscious was scattered and jittery. As if she hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Luna cautiously continued following the string, hoping it would eventually lead her to Twilight’s inner self. She saw the wedding invitation flash above her, forming a sky to the mindscape, she then saw it rip down the middle and catch fire. She saw the disapproving looks of her friends looming from the shadows, jeering at her. Worst of all… she saw her sister. Luna stopped with a gasp. No, it wasn’t Celestia. Not really. It was a recent memory of her. Celestia loomed over Twilight, impossibly huge. Her face a radiant glow, representative of the sun she controlled. “You have a lot to think about.” Celestia’s form then turned her nose up, and walked away, ignoring the tears that were flowing freely from Twilight’s eyes. The Unicorn curled up into a ball, sobbing. Luna slowly walked towards Twilight, making sure that the thread was leading to her, before settling on the ground next to her. “My sister can be… scary at times. Hurtful, even. But I assure you, Twilight Sparkle, she would never have wanted to see you reduced to this.” Twilight let out a soft, choking gasp. As if she were forcing thorns out of her throat. “Pr-Princess Luna?” She rasped. Luna smiled down at her, gently running her wing down the Unicorn’s back. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle, Good and Faithful Student.” Twilight slowly uncurled from her ball, and wiped her eyes. “I don’t feel like much of a good and faithful student…” She mumbled. Luna studied her; noting the tension across her body, the bags under her bloodshot eyes, and her disheveled mane. “Perhaps a change of scenery is in order.” She tilted her head up, horn glowing, and summoned the mindscape around her, causing it to collapse into darkness. A few quiet moments passed, before sunlight started filtering into the space, as if it were filling a room at sunset. It was the gentle and warm sunlight, friendly and joyful. A contrast to the solar fury upon Celestia’s face earlier. Slowly, color began to wash over the two of them. Shapes took form, a breeze seemed to pick up, and before too long they were laying on a red and white checkered picnic blanket at the top of a gentle slope. Spread out below them, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns formed. “Oh wow…” Twilight’s voice was awestruck. “Yes, the art of oneiromancy is a beautiful thing, Good and Faithful Student.” Luna watched Twilight’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. She always found this part fascinating to watch. She saw Twilight’s face shift from confusion, to recognition, then back to confusion and undercut with a tiny semblance of fear. Yet, yearning to burst out she saw clear, apparent curiosity and understanding forming. This all happened in a manner of moments, but everything was there. Clear as a cloudless night lit by the stars and a full moon. “I see you putting the pieces together, Twilight Sparkle.” “This is a dream then? And… and you’re visiting me?” She seemed to shrink away from Luna. “So… you saw…” Luna silenced her with a wingtip. “You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Luna looked into Twilight’s eyes, smiling gently. “Tia is many things. Wise, kind, warm. All aspects associated with the sun and good weather. But what else can you tell me about the sun, Twilight? I mean the celestial body, not its manifestation on Equus.” Twilight frowned, touching a hoof to her chin. “It’s likely made up of gasses, if I were to hazard a guess as to its composition, it will likely be made up of mostly hydrogen. Maybe 65 to 75 percent? The remaining 35 to 25 percent would be primarily helium, but I would bet that it is made up of several smaller portions of other elements too.” Luna kept smiling. “What about its effects on Equus and the solar system?” Twilight’s frown deepened. “Where are you going with this, Princess?” “Humor me.” Twilight sighed, but continued. “It is likely at the center of our solar system. We would orbit it naturally, but we don’t, and haven’t for… millenia. That is why you and Celestia control it, to maximize our yields from our crops, right?” “More or less correct, yes.” Twilight wasn’t done though. She kept speaking, gradually increasing her speed. Luna watched with satisfaction as the tension slowly began to fade from her body as she talked about something she was comfortable with. She listened to several minutes of solar facts that Twilight knew just off the top of her head, before gently interrupting her. “You’re only mentioning the scientific parts. Not how it makes us feel.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion, so Luna clarified. “Yes, the sun is gentle, warm and cheerful in a way. But at the same time, it seeks to burn all it touches. Our atmosphere dissipates the most harmful effects, but prolonged exposure can still have adverse effects. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, yes? Well, the same can be said for the wrath of the sun and the warmth of it.” Luna paused again, watching the gears turn in Twilight’s head once more. “So… Princess Celestia would also have a… harsh side to her? Is that what you’re saying?” Luna nodded. “My sister sometimes is… ignorant to the way her words impact those around her. Especially those who mean the most to her.” Twilight was silent, staring out over the school. “Why did you bring me to this place specifically, Princess?” “I always found it to be a place of relaxation. I was still involved, but could keep my distance. I thought that it might soothe your thoughts.” “You called me Good and Faithful Student…” Luna looked over the school herself. “Ah yes. Another reason I brought you here. Was it ever explained to you what that title means?” Twilight snapped her gaze to stare at Luna, who was chuckling. “I’ll take that as a no,” She sighed, affectionately exasperated, “Typical Tia. Not wanting to embarrass her students. She never could bring herself to explain the significance of that title.” Luna turned to look at Twilight again, gently closing the Unicorn’s gaping mouth with a hoof. “The Good and Faithful Student is one of two titles bestowed upon exceptional Unicorn students at her School. There can only be one Good and Faithful Student at any time. And once the title is bestowed, it is forever attached to the bearer. It is a sign of absolute trust in its owner.” Luna poked Twilight with her hoof. “That’s you, in case you weren’t following.” Twilight’s mouth seemed to be moving of its own accord, and though no sounds were emerging from it, Luna could perfectly see the flustered babbling. She continued. “It’s not only a sign of trust though. It also distinguishes someone who is under the personal tutelage of the Princesses. Specifically Celestia.” Twilight looked to be short circuiting, but she managed to gather herself to say a few words. “You said someone not somepony…” Luna chuckled. “Indeed. The Good and Faithful Student can be any creature on Equus. In fact, there have been many bearers. Hippogriffs, Pegasi, Griffons, Zebras, Earth Ponies… there was even a Dragon once upon a time.” “A… Dragon?” Twilight squeaked. “Yes, Dragon Lord Ritrax. Though he wasn’t Dragon Lord when he was bestowed the title.” Luna sighed a little wistfully. “Dragonkind and Ponies got along much better back then…” She trailed off, lost in memories for a time, then continued speaking. “The Good and Faithful Student is a creature, hoof-picked for training.” “Training for what, exactly?” Twilight asked. “To be a Prince or Princess herself, dear Twilight.” Twilight was silent for a very long time, eyes widening. “Oh! No. Nonononono! I-I couldn’t! Th-that’s your duties! Yours and Celestia’s! I-I wouldn’t dream of… of replacing either of you…” “There is no replacing, Twilight. One day you will rule on equal footing alongside us.” “But… But… I’m just… just…” Luna cut her off. “You’re just the bearer of the Element of Magic. Leader of the Elements of Harmony. Harbinger, of the Tree of Harmony; Equestria’s oldest, and greatest relic.” Luna barreled on, not allowing Twilight to interrupt her. “You are the one who brought together the Elements to banish the darkness within me. You returned the Alicorn Amulet to safety, and weren’t corrupted by it in the process. Many have tried to do such a thing before… Their bones and the bones of their victims are all that remain.” Twilight staggered back, eyes wild. “Be still, Twilight Sparkle. Think it through, just as you did with the sun and Celestia.” Luna watched her intently. Gradually, Twilight slowed her breathing and closed her eyes. She took one tentative step closer, then another, and eventually settled back on the blanket alongside Luna. “You… mentioned two titles?” She asked, eyes still closed and brow furrowed. “I did.” “What… is the other title?” Luna looked back over the school, her eyes fixated on something distant and only visible to her. “I believe you already have a suspicion.” Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and she focused on a shape in the distance. A cloak, full of stars and billowing in the wind. A figure was barely visible, a flash of blue and a hat firmly set atop the head of the figure. “The title of The Great and Powerful is the inverse of the Good and Faithful Student., the title belongs to one who was traditionally selected by me.” Chapter 4“But that’s… you were…” Twilight trailed off awkwardly as Luna chuckled. “It would seem that my sister kept the tradition alive, regardless. I am curious who the others were during my banishment for a millennium.” “So… Trixie…” “My sister saw something in her. And while I haven’t been around for much, I do try to keep up with the news. I am indeed aware of her little… incident… with the Alicorn Amulet. While I cannot discredit your impact… she was still able to remove it of her own volition. Something that few ponies seduced by its dark magic have been able to do.” “But she only took it off when she thought the fake amulet my friends and I made would give her more power.” Luna smiled. “It’s been a while, but tell me dear Twilight. What is one of the first tests a Unicorn undertakes at Celestia’s school?” Twilight frowned, touching a hoof to her chin. “It…. It's how to identify magical items. So we can better prepare ourselves when encountering them. Why?” “Well, since you clearly remember, are you quite certain that Trixie would forget? If she earned the title of Great and Powerful, she must’ve been one of the top students at the school.” “She was… I pulled her records after she was imprisoned. She graduated as the Salutatorian. Her expertise was in fine control of her magic…” Twilight gasped, “Are you saying she was fighting the amulet’s influence?!” “That is exactly what I’m saying, Twilight.” “But… she was in Canterlot at the time of the attack… So were you, Princess! Cadence must be possessed! Or something! That’s why… but if you’re here…” “All hope is not lost, Good and Faithful Student. Many members of the guard escaped, and accompanied me. We are planning our counterattack as we speak. We have made encampments at Ponyville, and it looks like those still trapped within are still fighting. We have been crippled, but not destroyed.” “And… What about Celestia? Is she organizing the resistance within the city?” Luna’s expression darkened. “I… have lost contact with my sister. I cannot find her.” Twilight’s hopeful expression melted away. “So… does that… is she…” Luna stamped her hoof. “No, Twilight Sparkle. Not until I see a body will I believe that. She’s still alive. She is just beyond my reach. And she cannot help us. But she is not gone.” Twilight shrank back from her, and Luna realized that she had grown to twice her normal size. She took a deep breath, then shrank as she exhaled. “We will find her, Twilight.” “I hope so… Princess.” The two of them watched the sun set into the ground of the dreamscape, reality fading into darkness around them, before they found themselves back in the throne room where Luna had initially spoken with her. “But I cannot do this alone, Good and Faithful Student.” Twilight stood up straight and met Luna’s eyes. “How can I help, Princess? I’m at your service.” She lowered herself into a bow. “What do you remember last, before sinking into unconsciousness?” Twilight was silent for a few moments. “I remember… Cadence coming back into the room… I apologized to her… then her eyes flashed green and there were bright green flames and… I-I think I sank into the floor? Everything went black after that but I-I remember intense, burning pain. As if my very soul was being wrenched from my body…” Twilight took a few steadying breaths, “Then I… I found myself here.” “You say her eyes flashed green?” She nodded. “And the flames surrounding me. I remember them vividly. A dark, sickly green. One that radiated poison.” Luna was silent, deep in thought. “Here are my orders, Twilight. When you awaken, do not panic. Calmly study the surroundings around you, and tell me everything you see. If anyone in Equestria can take note of every single detail, I know it’s you. The more pieces we find, the more of a clear picture we can make of our enemy. If it is safe to do so, try to extricate yourself from your location. Canterlot’s defenders will soon need someone to give them hope. Can I rely on you to do that for me?” Twilight looked stunned. “Me? But… but Princess… What can I do that they can’t do for themselves?” “You are Celestia’s prized pupil. You are a clear, and direct link to the Princesses. Do not underestimate the effect that will have on these soldiers. They will keep fighting, so long as they see that you are doing the same. You have more sway over our ponies than you realize, and I suspect that you will surprise even yourself with what you can do.” Twilight still looked doubtful, but slowly she nodded her head. “I-I will do as you command, Princess. If… If you think that I can help, then I will do whatever is necessary.” “Good,” Luna sighed, “Do not lose hope. We will communicate by your dreams. But I must go. I must rally what troops I can through their dreams.” Twilight bowed once again. “I won’t let you down, Princess.” Luna smiled down at her. “Celestia chose well, in appointing you.” Luna then raised her horn, and melted into the ether. She ran through the list of officers in her mind. She could not reach Captain Armor, Captain Honeypetal would have been near Celestia… she had to assume the worst, especially since there was no link to her dreams. If she was still alive, she wasn’t asleep. Captain Sunflash though… Luna followed the thread. The first of many officers tonight. *** Chrysalis hissed, long and slow. She felt her anger radiating off of her, reflecting and transferring across the hive, making it agitated. She exhaled, trying to let go of the waves of anger that flooded over her, drones that were angry would be easier to defeat. Before her on the table of the Royal Banquet Hall within Canterlot Castle, were several books. She glared at them, the words oneiromancy and dream walking floating across her view. “Your majesty?” Chrysalis shifted her focus to her Netcaster, General Setae was bowing before her. “Yes, General?” “I was merely checking on you. I felt the anger as it flowed through me. Did you find something?” Chrysalis scowled. “Unfortunately yes. Tell me, Setae, are you familiar with the concept of oneiromancy?” Setae hesitated, not sure how to answer. “You may speak freely, General.” Chrysalis said. “It has not come across my studies, your majesty. What does it mean?” “In short, and simplified terms, it is a type of divination magic. One that can give glimpses into the future, through dreams. Our dear Lunar Princess is an expert in its practices.” Setae inhaled sharply. “So you mean…” “Yes, General. She will be able to catch glimpses of the future through nocturnal meditation. This will make her a formidable enemy.” “But surely, your majesty, with our iron hold on Canterlot, its impact will be lessened?” Chrysalis nodded absently. “Were that the Princesses only power, yes. Unfortunately, the texts mention that she has the ability to walk amongst the dreams of her subjects. These two powers in conjunction with each other… Canterlot will not fall as easily as we anticipated. Its remaining defenders will be organized, and work as an army without any breach in the chain of command. Communication will still be an issue during their daytime operations, but at night… It will be as if she could call a council with no issue.” General Setae was silent. As Chrysalis watched him, she could almost see the gears turning in his head. His brow furrowed, and he kept glancing behind him. “Something the matter, General?” Setae met her gaze. “No, your majesty, just thinking. In my own studies, I came across several texts that mentioned a… forbidden treasury of sorts. Hidden within the castle. Several powerful artifacts were said to be contained within it. Maybe… Perhaps we can find something to help us?” Chrysalis closed her eyes, thinking. “While I do not wish to associate myself with Pony magic… It may be our best shot. Have you found anything that gives a definitive answer as to where it’s hidden?” General Setae shook his head. “Nothing definitive. Just clues, mostly,” He stomped his hoof twice, and three drones came in carrying heavy sacks, “Several books mentioned something about only the nobility being able to access it, those with… special titles. I could not find what these titles were, but they were linked very closely with both of the Princesses.” Chrysalis approached the three drones, all of which had bowed before the two of them. She noted with some vindictive glee that the new Netmaster had used his predecessor to help him carry his research. “You work quickly, Netmaster. I am pleased.” “Thank you, your highness,” Setae bowed, then continued, “The armory needs both a Princess and the title holder in order to open. Not necessarily at the same time, but it needs to detect them both to open. I suppose the idea is that only the Princess and her most trusted subject working together would be able to open the armory. It would… react somehow to their magical signatures.” Chrysalis smirked. “Their magical signatures… you say?” “Yes my queen. I could not find any records of our species within their books. This enchantment would have been made without them knowing our powers. Have you fully absorbed the Solar Princesses power?” Chrysalis closed her eyes, and with her horn glowing a bright green, she grasped for the tendrils of Princess Celestia’s power. It gave her some resistance, but she was able to subdue it, and channel it through her horn. She shuddered, thrumming with power. “Ohhhh… yesssss… It is glorious.” Setae hesitantly took a step back. “My… Queen?” Chrysalis opened her eyes, which she felt were burning. But it wasn’t just her eyes. It was spreading across her body. She collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain. The three drones in the room also collapsed, and Chrysalis could see that they were smoking. The power… it was too much to channel! She could feel the heat washing over her hive… Drones were collapsing across the city. She needed it out! She needed it out NOW. But she was helpless. If she tried weaving her magic with it again, she would risk completely combusting! She felt something touch her head. She tore her gaze off of her drones, and saw Setae, his teeth gritted, smoking just as much as the drones, but with a black rock clasped firmly in his hoof. Nullstones. Yes, that would work. Chrysalis reached with a hoof and moved Setae’s hoof to touch the stone to the tip of her horn, where she knew she was channeling the magic. Almost at once, the heat faded. Being absorbed into the stone, which Setae promptly dropped with a yelp. It hit the floor, smoke now rising from it. Setae hesitantly reached towards it again, but Chrysalis stopped him with her magic. “No, don’t! It’s overloaded. Any more magic and it could burst!” Setae froze, then slowly backed away. As did Chrysalis. “Is that… was that…” “Come here, General.” Setae jumped, then approached Chrysalis. She bent down and studied his carapace. His hoof that was holding the nullstone was charred an even darker black, its sheen having disappeared. When she touched it, they both winced. It still felt hot to the touch. “Hold still.” Chrysalis whispered. Then she channeled her own magic through her horn. First fixing the damage to her internal leylines, then spreading out to Setae. He gasped, then sighed in relief. The pain on his face slowly faded, as did the internal pain she sensed within him. “You majesty… promise me, that you will never try to channel the power of the sun directly ever again!” Chrysalis barked a laugh. “You dare speak to your queen that way?” Setae froze, then fell into a bow. “My apologies, your majesty. I spoke out of turn.” Chrysalis lifted his chin with her hoof, gently smiling down at him. “I’ll forgive your slight this time. Your actions just now saved my life, and most likely the lives of all of the Hive. And I promise you, I will not try to channel the power of the sun in the same way ever again. Celestia’s power must be great indeed, to be able to contain such power at all times of the day.” She sighed. “I suppose this means we’ll have to use her directly for our purposes with the armory. Tell me, does she have any favored subjects? We will have to take the nullstone ring off of her horn for this to work… and a hostage will be necessary, lest she destroy us all.” Chrysalis shivered. That power… that control… Would Princess Luna have similar strength? She thought about that for a while. No, if that were the case, Luna would have single-hoofidly retaken the capital. Maybe she held such power once but… her millennium spent on the moon may have weakened her? Chrysalis pondered this. Yes, that had to be the answer. They were… lucky to have caught the Diarchs off guard. Because if the mere taste she had just had of the power within Celestia was of any indication… She could have burnt all of Equestria at any point if she so desired. The only thing stopping her from erupting… was the ponies that would be caught as collateral damage. A weakness we must continue to exploit… if we are to have any chance in this war. She felt a hoof prod her in the shoulder. She was shaken out of her internal musings. She pretended not to notice the slight smile that was on Setae’s face for the brief moment before he wiped it off his expression. “I said, your highness, that we actually have one of her most favored students in custody.” “Who is this pony?” “None other than the only Element who saw through your disguise as the Princess of Love…” Chrysalis felt a grin spreading across her face, and she let it. Exaggerating it even. “Twilight Sparkle… Yes, of course. I think it is high time that we… fetched her.” Things were still proceeding as planned. Equestria was fighting more than she anticipated… but the cracks were starting to show. Eventually resistance would crumble. And then… Chrysalis looked over her drones and Netcaster, she noted that he helped them all up and was supporting the weight of his predecessor. There was not a single shred of malice or jealousy within them. Setae had already earned their respect, possibly because he had saved their Queen’s life. This land… it is one of plenty. A magical Nexus point of the natural leylines. My children will never again grow hungry. We will become whole, once more. And then the other Hives will finally see… that I should be Queen, not just of Hive Mantis… Chrysalis allowed herself a smile. But Queen of all Changelings.
ProloguePrologue Scootaloo wasn’t sure when it happened, all she knew was that one moment, she was excitedly chatting with Sweetie and Applebloom, the next… screams. Sounds of shattering glass, distant explosions. Everypony around her started panicking, and she was separated from her friends. She darted under and around hooves, left and right, over and over until she was completely disoriented. All she wanted to do was find some place she could hide. The tables! Of course! If she could get under the tables, she’d be safe. Well, at least safer. She wouldn’t be in danger of being trampled. Trying to center herself in the chaos, she breathed deeply. Slowly, her senses returned. The tables weren’t too far, now that she wasn’t fleeing aimlessly. She took another deep breath, calculated a route between all of the panicking ponies, then she dashed forward. She dodged a pair of forehooves slamming into the ground in front of her, jumped over a Unicorn who had fallen amidst the confusion, and swerved around an unusual looking pony. She couldn’t tell if the pony was a mare or stallion, but it looked like a weird Pegasus. There were wings, but they were weird looking. Almost like a beetle. And there were holes in random parts of its coat. She ignored it, staying focused on the table. Just a few more hoof lengths, and she would be able to take a quick breather, and decide what to do next. She dove under the table, breathing heavily. She swallowed hard, moistening her throat. Had she been screaming? She shook her head, then winced and hissed in pain as she hit a table leg with her head. Rubbing her head with a wing, she was able to take in the chaos surrounding her little island of solitude.There were a few Unicorns and Earth Ponies lying on the ground, not moving. Maybe they’d hit their heads? There was certainly fruit punch pooling around them. Maybe they’d been knocked into the punch bowls. To her left, she could see two regular Pegasi wrestling in the air with three of the weird looking Pegasi. Maybe it was a game that only Pegasi who could fly played together. To her right, she saw three Earth Ponies, dressed as Royal Guards. They had their weapons out… was there a training exercise? She soon got her answer as two of the strange Pegasi dove at them from the air. She averted her eyes as one of the Royal Guards speared one of the Pegasi. The other strange Pegasus tackled one of the guards to the ground. She only now noticed that the weird Pegasi were armed. This wasn’t a training exercise! And the Pegasi who were wrestling… She turned back towards them, and gasped before covering her eyes. The two Pegasi were no longer flying… their attackers stood above, flicking blades clean. She peaked out from behind her hooves. The red liquid on the ground wasn’t fruit punch… it was blood! And the weird Pegasi were attacking the wedding guests! She watched in horror as the three attackers turned from their slain victims towards the two remaining Earth Pony guards. They were about to attack them from behind! She scrambled from under the table. The screaming seemed more distant now. All around her, guards and some guests were fighting with the attackers. It was a losing battle. But maybe she could help the two guards nearest her. “BEHIND YOU!” She screamed as loudly as she could. The three ambushers jumped, having been startled by her. One of the guards whirled around, Scootaloo could now make out that she was a Unicorn, not an Earth Pony. She didn’t let the three attackers recover from their shock. Immediately with her horn aglow she threw the table Scootaloo had been hiding under into the ambushers, knocking them flat. Her companion, who was still facing away from Scootaloo, towards the two attackers in front, turned his body. One of the attacker’s swords was deflected by his armor, and he plunged his spear into the other, impaling it. Before the first could react, he stepped over the fallen attacker, and lined up a solid buck. He hit dead on, catching the remaining attacker in the cheek and neck. There was a sickening crunch, and Scootaloo watched it crumple to the ground. She was frozen in shock. Just like that, she had seen life snuffed out of five, maybe more creatures! She started trembling. The mare looked at her for a moment, before she was instantly by Scootaloo’s side. “Sergeant! Check on our three would-be ambushers. You know what to do if they're still breathing. Check on Flicker, Clouddust and Echosong. On the double!” The Earth Pony snapped a quick salute before carrying out her orders. The Unicorn mare slowly approached Scootaloo, eyes scanning everything, though there was a brief respite in the immediate area. Scootaloo started breathing quickly and shallowly. “Hey, hey, it’s okay!” The mare’s voice, harsh in her commands, was soft when addressing Scootaloo. “It’s okay. You’re safe for now. But I need you to come with me. We’re setting up an evacuation point.” Scootaloo stared at her, eyes dilated, vision darkening at the edges. “W-wha… h-how?” She could barely form words with her mind rushing with adrenaline. “I’m Captain Sunflash. You’re safe with me and my team. Can you tell me your name?” Scootaloo tried to forcibly slow her breathing. “That’s right, slow down. If you keep hyperventilating, you might pass out.” The mare was right in front of Scootaloo now, she opened her forehooves invitingly. Scootaloo’s natural aversion to touch left her, as she darted into the inviting forehooves of an adult. “There we go.” Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around the Captain, babbling and mumbling. It was as if she couldn’t get close enough to her. “You’re okay. You saved me and Sergeant Spade, did you know that?” Scootaloo nodded, burying her face into the chest fur of Captain Sunflash. “What’s your name sweetie?” Scootaloo felt herself calming down. Though there seemed to be a cloud in her brain, causing her thoughts to seem distant. “S-Scootaloo… ma’am.” “I’m just Sunflash for you, Scootaloo. Thank you for saving Spade and I.” Scootaloo just nodded numbly. A short cough sounded behind her, and she tensed up. “Report, Sergeant.” Sunflash’s voice hardened as she saw her comrade approach. “Corporal Flicker is dead, but Private Clouddust and Lieutenant Echosong were only injured.” “We’ll have to mourn Flicker later. Are Clouddust and Echosong fit to move?” “Yes ma’am. Their wounds aren’t life-threatening.” Sunflash nodded. “Okay.” She squeezed Scootaloo. “I’m going to let you go, but I want you to stay close to the four of us, okay?” Scootaloo slipped out from her grasp, and silently nodded. “Right. Lieutenant! Private! I want you two on either side of Scootaloo here. Sergeant, you take the front. I’ll follow up on the rear. Understood?” Sunflash’s comrades gave her a chorus of affirmative words. Sunflash nodded. ‘Alright, just like your training. Starburst. We’ll quickly and efficiently move through here, link up with any other Royal, Solar or Lunar guards. Our main priority is getting these civilians out of here safely. Move out!” Scootaloo found herself being ushered through the room. The four guards seemed to be moving around her in an efficient and professional manner, as though she were royalty. In a way, it was almost unnerving. As a team they checked any pony who had fallen. The fighting seemed to have moved away from the room, further outside. Scootaloo could hear the sounds of fighting. Her four guards turned into six, and she was joined by two more foals about her age, and five adults. All the others who had been in the room, including her friends, were either dead or missing. Scootaloo numbly moved in tandem with the other two foals, who wore similar expressions to her own. “Okay everypony. We’re heading outside. Captain Armor should be organizing an evacuation. We’ll get through this. Stay together!” As one, the group burst outside. The distant sounds of fighting suddenly came crashing down in full force onto Scootaloo. One of the foals she was with, a little Earth Pony filly, crouched down, whimpering. Scootaloo looked at her other small companion, another Pegasus colt. They had a brief, silent communication, then they both pressed on either side of the Earth Pony filly. “Come on, the guards will keep us safe!” Scootaloo hissed, her colt companion nodded. “Yeah! They’re awesome! Come on Blossom!” They gently nudged Blossom forward until she started moving. “W-what’s your name?” Her voice was a high-pitched squeak. Scootaloo could tell she was on the verge of panic, and was desperately searching for anything to distract her from it. “I’m Scootaloo. Your name’s Blossom?” She nodded shakily. “B-Blossom Fall. A-and this is my friend, Cider Press.” The Colt nodded to Scootaloo, though she could see in his eyes that he was just as scared as Blossom and herself. Summoning all of the courage she could, she put on a tough face. “Well, Cider, Blossom. Stick with me. I saved Captain Sunflash and Sergeant Spade here. So they’ll doubly keep us safe. We’ll get through this!” Despite everything going on, Scootaloo felt warmed when both Blossom and Cider seemed to visibly relax. They’d get through this. Then they’d find her friends, and everything would be perfect again! She tried to push the sight of the ponies they’d passed by who did not join them. She would not think about them. She would not dwell on them. She wouldn’t! She had to be strong! Strong for her two new friends, and strong for her two missing ones. Scootaloo steeled herself, and moved confidently with the group, as they made their way towards the Evacuation point.
Chapter 1Chrysalis was not happy. Yes, the invasion had overall been a success. But in all of her planning… all the years of preparation and infiltration… she had failed to consider one thing. “Princess Luna…” Her voice came out as an aggravated hiss. “Could one of you explain to me…” She reared up, showing off her impressive size in comparison to her Generals. “Just how that particular bit of information slipped the net?!” She allowed herself a small moment of vindictive pleasure at how her generals cowered before her. They, each and every one, had started out as drones. Chrysalis made sure to pay attention to all of her drones. Yes, many were identical and only fit to serve… but depending on the creature she had mated with, some drones came out different. Either physically, or mentally. She took special interest in these subjects. Many would distinguish themselves, and climb the ranks. She expected the best from each and every one of them. And in turn… each and every one could be removed. Demoted. Chrysalis sighed mentally. The general in charge of her information net, a drone with the genetic markers of a Griffon, had gotten lazy. Sloppy. And though he had served her well for nearly a decade… he failed her when she needed him most to succeed. With a second Princess out and about… it would be significantly harder for her to convert Equestria to her cause. Princess Luna was a rallying point, and she had escaped Canterlot with a sizable portion of its defensive garrison. “General Setae. Front and center. Now.” A trembling Changeling moved closer to her. “Y-yes my Queen?” Chrysalis turned her cold, hard gaze down on him. “Remind me, General, how long have you served as Netmaster?” “M-my Queen! Please! The Lunar Princess… she–” “Answer plainly, grub!” General Setae flinched at the force of her voice. She took no pleasure in making him feel fear, but an example had to be set. “T-twelve years. Three months. Seventeen days, your Highness.” “And in that time you served me faithfully…” The general visibly relaxed. “...Until now.” Chrysalis continued, voice unsympathetic. “Until the greatest moment of our Hive! The moment, I may remind you, was only possible with accurate and updated information. Which is why we have our net. And why you bare the name ‘Setae.’” Setae tensed. He knew what was coming. “General Setae. Who is next in line? The one who you hoof-picked to act as second Netmaster. Who you screened, and trained to replace you, when you faded away?” Setae swallowed hard. “Caster… Confluent, your Highness.” “Fetch him.” Setae hesitated. “Now, General!” Setae scrambled up from his submissive bow, then nearly tripped over himself in his haste to carry out his last order as General and Netmaster. Chrysalis did not move a muscle. Nor did she utter a word. The rest of her Generals maintained their stance, and silence. None wanting to earn the ire of their Queen. It wasn’t long, though it likely felt like a small eternity for her Generals, before General Setae returned. A young drone following behind him. Chrysalis silently looked the Caster over. He had little to no discerning marks, as was typical for most drones, save for one mark across his mesothorax. While most drones sported three straight lines, two of his lines crossed the middle one. Unusual. The general scrambled back to his spot, front and center, bowing so quickly that he nearly imbedded his fangs into the carpeted floor of the throne room. Confluent slowed, and bowed with more dignity. “General Setae.” Chrysalis began, watching Confluent carefully. She detected a momentary flash of disgust in his eyes when she spoke the General’s name. Good. He knew that his General had displeased her. He would offer no sympathy. “You have disgraced and endangered this hive with your carelessness. You failed to pass on vital information to your Queen at the hive’s most crucial point of history! For this disgrace, I, Queen Chrysalis of Hive Mantis, hereby strip you of rank and name!” Chrysalis noticed a hint of satisfaction flash across Confluent. He was certainly ambitious. This gave her hope in her next steps in the war with Equestria. One thing her former Netmaster hadn’t failed in, was finding a worthy successor. “No longer shall you walk with freedom within, and without the hive. No longer shall you be entitled to the privileges of Generalship. You are nothing more than a drone! Fit for nothing more than the honor of carrying out your superiors’ orders! No longer will you carry the name ‘Setae.’ You are nameless. Begone! And pray that you never fail your Queen again!” The drone unsteadily got to his hooves, then turned tail and fled away from the glare of the Queen he had once served. Chrysalis turned her attention fully on Confluent. “Caster Confluent. Step forward.” He did so, with self-control and dignity. Chrysalis noted that for later. “How long have you served as Caster?” Confluent saluted smartly. “Ten years, three months, seventeen days, my Queen.” Chrysalis nodded. She of course knew this already. “Caster Confluent, you have proven competent and efficient in all of your tasks. There remains a gap in the chain of command. A gap that must be filled, post haste.” Chrysalis inhaled, then proclaimed. “I, Queen Chrysalis, of Hive Mantis, hereby promote you to Netmaster. You will be free to come and go from the hive as you see fit. You will be my eyes, and ears across the world. Our information net remains intact, and I expect you to acclimate quickly to your new responsibilities. No longer do you bare the name Confluent. From here on, you carry the name of Setae. My Netmaster, and General. Serve your Queen faithfully, and you will be rewarded. Fail me…” Chrysalis trailed off, not needing to finish her sentence. General Setae stiffened and saluted once more. “It is my honor and duty, Majesty, to spread your will across the world. I will not fail you." Chrysalis nodded curtly. “See that you don’t. Dismissed.” Setae turned smartly, and marched out of the throne room. Chrysalis watched him leave, then turned her attention to her remaining Generals. “Let this serve as a reminder. Failure will not be tolerated. You are the trusted advisors of the Queen. Now go!” Her Generals saluted as one, then turned and marched out. Chrysalis suppressed a sigh, then sunk into the throne she had rightfully earned. She allowed herself a few moments respite, before rising once more. She carefully tapped into the mind of the collective, bracing herself for the sudden influx of information. She followed a few threads until she found the individual she was looking for. Codex Master. Fetch me anything we have on the Lunar Sister, Princess Luna. We have much to study. It took but a moment for her to receive a confirmation. She rubbed her eyes. It would be a long night, but she was accustomed to long nights. The greatest path towards success, was planning and information. And Chrysalis had no intention of sacrificing the momentum she had picked up. Equestria would submit. Every creature had their weaknesses. Princess Luna was no different. All it would take is the right application of pressure. In the meantime, everything else would proceed as planned. She would not idly sit back, waiting for her enemy to strike back at her. “Soon, Princess… soon you too will submit. Equestria will be mine.” *** Princess Luna, lunar diarch of Equestria. Nightmare Moon. Princess of the Night. She had many names, some lost to history, some remaining from the civil war that had ripped Equestria in two, and some she only shared with her most trusted friends. Centuries of history and culture… and none of it mattered. None could save her city from attack. She had failed in her sacred protection of the night. She could still see Canterlot in the distance, its protective magic shield long since having collapsed. All she could make out, were the dark forms. Fighting was still breaking out, Canterlot would not be so easily suppressed. Occasional bursts of arcane light pierced through the darkness of the new moon. Her enemy had chosen its time well. She tore her gaze from the scene below her, and surveyed her collection of guards and civilians. Even now, there could be infiltrators amongst them. She could only hope that they would be found in time. They knew it would be foolish to reveal their nature now., but she would find them. She always found her enemies. And they would pay for daring to attack her ponies. Without another word, she began the march towards the nearest town. Towards Ponyville. “Harsh Echo. Captain Sweet Siren. Attend me.” Silently, her two summons flanked her on either side. The rest of her guards set about organizing the refugees. She knew they would keep a close eye on any and all, including each other. Thestrals, Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies. All dispersed before their Princess, like water from stone. They kept their distance, as Luna conversed in soft tones with her Captain and attendant. “What’s our situation at a quick glance, Captain?” Sweet Siren snapped his leathery wing in a salute. “We have a ramshackle collection. Royal Guards, Lunar and Solar. They’re integrating with each other well enough, though there are some disagreements on protocol.” “What disagreements, Captain?” Luna kept her gaze straight ahead as she spoke, Harsh Echo silently walking beside her. “Mainly amongst guards of the same rank, from different branches of the guard. I am the highest ranking commissioned officer, but several of the noncommissioned officers are quietly arguing their seniority.” “We cannot afford such discourse. Identify the main cause of the disturbances, and have me a list of names put together by the time we reach Ponyville. We must squash this cancer early, before it has time to fester.” Sweet Siren snapped a salute once more, then fell behind the two of them. “The Captain seems quite capable, my lady.” Harsh Echo commented idly, not breaking her pace. “Yes… we are lucky to have him amongst those who escaped.” “You sound weary, my lady.” “Alas, I can’t hide anything from you, Harsh. Truth be told… I’m not sure what to do. My sister’s fate is unknown, Canterlot is under attack, yet we’re here. Outside the city limits. And even now, we could have traitors in our midst.” “You made the right decision, my lady. Equestria needs some degree of leadership intact, and if you’d stayed you would surely have been captured or slain. Just…” Harsh caught herself, and Luna turned her piercing gaze to her. “Just as my sister was.” She finished for her. Harsh held her gaze, unfaltering. “Yes, my lady. You couldn’t do anything else other than what you already have.” Luna turned back to the road ahead. “I know. Elysium, I know. It doesn’t make it any easier though.” “Such is the burden of command. You’ve known this for centuries. There is no one here more important than you. I haven’t forgotten that. You must not lose sight of that yourself.” Luna bowed her head, allowing one last sign of weakness, before she dropped the mask of cold calm over herself once more. “I will need your help in organizing the resistance and recapture of Canterlot. Our first priority is to reach Ponyville safely, and set up a base of operations. I want you working with anything you can find. Scrolls, ancient texts, myths, anything you can get your hooves on. We do not know our enemy, and our enemy knows us. Until that is remedied, we are at a disadvantage. I want you to start a screening process. Basic tests, cantrips for Unicorns, feats of weather manipulation for Pegasi, affinity for the energies of Equus for Earth Ponies, and tricks of moonlight for Thestrals. Things that all creatures know of from a young age, things that should be second nature. With luck, we may weed out some of the infiltrators amidst us.” “You think there are many?” Luna was silent for a few paces. “I am certain of it. Any creature of suspect is to be detained immediately. I will perform my own investigations through their dreams, but the screening of thousands will take time. It would be most helpful to have leads that could narrow down my efforts.” Harsh Echo bowed her head, and touched a wing tip to her temple, a traditional gesture of respect amongst Thestrals. “It will be done, my lady. I am at your disposal as you see fit.” Then she too fell back, melting into the mismatched group of guards and refugees. Luna was left alone with her thoughts. Not even a year has passed since my return. This is a different world than I remember. Ponyville was nothing more than a single farm when I rose against my sister. She cursed herself. Foolish. Uncoordinated. A reaction of emotion, without thought. This time it would be different. She would not make the same mistakes she had made in her childish rampage against Celestia. Information was the key to victory. She would have to keep her emotional side in check. The very fate of Equestria depended on it. Luna clenched her jaw, and picked up the pace of the march. There would be no stopping until she reached Ponyville. The screening process would be refined, and she would enlist the help of any she could find. Greatness was hidden inside every creature. She just had to find the ones whose spark was being ignited at this time of tragedy. She would have to be weary, however. Periods of great change had the equal potential to release the inner darkness within every creature. She was beginning to formulate a course through history, but navigating the course was its own challenge. “One thing at a time…” She muttered to herself. She marched on. Movement and flow. The currents were dangerous and turbulent, but a skilled navigator knew how to use them to her advantage. At least she wasn’t alone, even if she felt the absence of her sister like a black hole within her… She was not alone.
Chapter 2In the darkness of a nearly empty room, a Zebra was pacing. She was accompanied by one other Zebra. But he knew better than to speak, he wasn’t paid to speak. “We knew this was a possibility…” For Watcher Zenith of Zebrica, however, what was supposed to have been an easy day with few tasks for her to accomplish, had instead turned into a eight hours journey to meet on the neutral ground of the Sacred Pool. Her hooves were sore, and the elaborate adornments she was expected to wear did not do her any favors. She stopped pacing, and turned towards her guard. “Where in the name of the Great Sand Serpent are they?!” Her voice never seemed to change in volume, but the tonality was clear to anyone who bore witness. She was not happy. “Is this a bad time? I can always fly around the pool a few hundred more times to give you time to stop your fuming.” Zenith whirled around, behind her with an insufferable grin on his face, was Galahad, the representative from Griffonia. “Galahad…” Zenith hissed, which seemed to only delight the Griffon even further, if the widening grin on his face was of any indication. “Zenith! It’s so good to see you again!” She scowled. “I see your insufferability has not changed over the years…” “And why should it? My insufferability as it were, just so happens to be the reason creatures like me sticking around.” He winked at her, before dropping lightly to the ground. “Is that so? From what I’ve heard, the emperor just wanted to get you out of his head crest.” “Maybe so, but he can’t wait to see me again. We have a good working relationship.” He said, unfazed. Zenith snorted. “So says you.” “Do I detect a hint of something you don’t want me to know?” He said with a grin. “Don’t flatter yourself. It is unbecoming.” Somebody cleared their throat importantly. “If the two of you are quite finished. I do believe we have something to discuss?” Zenith and Galahad both turned to face the newcomer: a huge red Dragon with his head held high, loomed over them, disapproval written clearly on his face. Galahad, of course, was unworried. “Lotantor! Welcome, welcome you big smoke breather!” “Such displays of impudence are punished severely in our kingdom, Griffon.” Lotantor growled in his low, threatening voice. “But we’re not in your kingdom, are we?” Galahad walked up to him, meeting the hostile, slitted expression. “And you’re under direct orders to not do anything… rash, are you not?” Lotantor scowled. “Good then!” The Griffon clapped his talons together. “Now that we’re all friends again, why don’t we actually discuss the matter at claw, shall we?” Zenith exhaled, long and slow. As infuriating as he was, Galahad was right. “Queen Chrysalis’s attack on Canterlot was sudden, brief, and brilliantly executed. But we have reports that Equestria is rallying, in spite of this. Are our previous findings incorrect? Do the Equestrians have a fighting spirit after all?” Lotantor scoffed. “Everycreature can be pushed to violence. It is folly to underestimate someone due to such small-minded logic. However… It is most unusual. From what we know of the Mantis Queen, her spy network is large, vast, and highly sophisticated. She uses it for quick, ruthless campaigns. What changed? Why is Equestria different? All projections indicated that she would be able to take control of the city in a matter of days. She would replace any messengers, and any heads of state. Not to mention taking the form of Princess Celestia herself. Equestria should have been conquered without even knowing it.” “You two are failing to account for one, crucial piece of information,” Galahad’s voice was intolerably smug. “I’m positively shocked that you two would even show up to such a conference with outdated information.” Zenith and Lotantor exchanged glances, baffled. “Well, Griffon. Spit it out already. Your pontifications are beginning to bore me.” Zenith remained silent, but met Galahad’s gaze, tilting her chin questioningly. He smirked. “Oh now this is just perfect. Allow me to lord over the two of you, just a few moments longer.” He stretched his wings, luxuriating in his aura of superiority. “It would seem like the two of you believe Equestria to be a monarchy. However, this is both flawed, and outdated. For you see, Equestria is no monarchy…” He paused, the absolute silence weighing heavily in the air. “It is, and always has been… a diarchy.”
Chapter 3Luna exhaled slowly. She hadn’t had much of a chance to decompress. Everything seemed to happen in a whirl, her guards reporting the attack, leading them through Canterlot and collecting as much of a fighting force as she could… the march to Ponyville, and subsequently setting up their Forward Operating Base. She was amazed she still had the energy to stand. When was the last time she’d slept? Yesterday? The day before? She couldn’t remember. “Damn it, Tia…” She whispered. “What am I supposed to do? Where did we go wrong? How did we get caught off guard so completely?” She knew there would be no answer, her sister was missing, possibly dead. Her nation’s capital was occupied, and she didn’t have nearly a large enough army to take it back. She wasn’t even sure she would be able to get the various guard groups to get along. Her vision started blurring again, as it had several times throughout the chaos. This time though, she let the tears flow. “Damn it!” It was too much. She threw herself to the floor, sobbing fiercely, and shaking her body. She was angry. At the infiltrators for so brazenly attacking her ponies. At her sister, for insisting that the wedding continue as planned, even in spite of the circumstances. At her ramshackle guards, for not being able to put aside their rivalries when Equestria needed them most… but above everything, she was angry at herself. She was responsible for the safety of Canterlot. She was responsible for security. Her sister had a duty to make an appearance, and had thus relied on her to ensure the ceremonies proceeded without incident. She had failed in her duty, she had failed. There was a soft knock on the door to the room she had found herself in. Luna was half tempted to ignore it, to wallow in her sorrow some more. But at the second set of knocks, she pulled herself from the floor, and set about erasing all signs of weakness. A few cantrips and glamor spells later, she turned to face the door. “Enter.” Her voice was cold, and crisp. Worthy of a commander. Harsh Echo’s familiar form appeared in the doorway, she bowed before Luna, spreading her wings as out as she did so. “We have established ourselves within the Town Hall, the general hospital is being utilized to its fullest ability as we have wounded refugees and military personnel alike. Apart from some mildly confused looks, we haven’t had any issues from the local population, but they will need to be addressed soon. I would recommend by noon tomorrow,” Harsh’s crisp no-nonsense voice gave way to a softer tone. “My lady, I must insist that you rest. It will be a busy day tomorrow, and we need you at your best.” Luna sighed. “I’m afraid that is much more easily said than done, Harsh.” “I can tell when my lady’s heart is heavy,” Harsh hesitated, then raised a wing to her own face. “The spellwork is cleverly hidden. But my Lady would be hard-pressed to fool the eyes of this humble servant.” She left an opening for Luna, allowing her to expound if she wished, but not pressing her. Luna dropped her gaze. “I promise that I shall try to get some sleep.” “There’s a local alchemy shop nearby, I could always procure a sleeping potion should the need arise.” It was times like this that Luna knew she had chosen well in appointing Harsh Echo as her attendant. These rare moments of dryness that she never could figure were intentional or not. “That will be unnecessary, Harsh,” Luna said with a half smile, “I suspect that as soon as I find myself in a bed, I will find it much easier to fall asleep.” “I also must insist that my Lady keep her oneiromancy to a minimum tonight.” Luna frowned. “I have to check in on them. It could be critical for the remaining defense within Canterlot.” Harsh stepped closer, and used her wing to tilt Luna’s chin up, forcing the princess to look her in the eyes. “Two hours. You can spare two hours, no more.” Luna’s lip curled into a wry smile. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that that sounded like an order from you.” Harsh didn’t break her stern gaze. “When it comes to the safety and healthiness of my lady, I outrank everyone. Including herself if the need be.” She dropped her wing and stepped away. “I will procure the sleeping potion anyways. If you aren’t in a sufficiently deep sleep, I will not hesitate to administer it, regardless of your wishes.” Harsh bowed once more, then turned around as if to sweep out of the room, but she paused just before crossing the threshold. “I made sure to have a room prepared for you as soon as I carried out your initial orders. The local library, Golden Oaks, has a room. The Good and Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle takes up residence there when she’s not on official business. Seeing as she is missing, we commandeered her room. It will prove sufficient.” Harsh didn’t turn around as she spoke. “Please, Princess…” Her voice was shaky, and then she was gone, to leave Luna with her thoughts once more. *** Luna had decided on a course of action, she would heed Harsh’s words, and minimize her dreamwalking for the night. Truth be told, she was honestly relieved that somebody was willing to tell her to do so. It made it easier for her to follow the directions, helped alleviate the stab of guilt she felt for giving herself rest. The first pony she tried to contact, of course, was Celestia. But… something was blocking her. In her long life, nothing before had ever managed to block her so absolutely. Celestia was as unreachable as a corpse… She did not like that train of thought at all. She turned her focus back to the task at hoof. A name popped out at her, one she was mildly surprised to find, but nevertheless she followed the strand to its host. Twilight Sparkle’s dreams were always dutifully organized, every piece of her subconscious filed away in neat little filing cabinets. It was something that Luna had always found endearing. Now though… Twilight’s subconscious was scattered and jittery. As if she hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Luna cautiously continued following the string, hoping it would eventually lead her to Twilight’s inner self. She saw the wedding invitation flash above her, forming a sky to the mindscape, she then saw it rip down the middle and catch fire. She saw the disapproving looks of her friends looming from the shadows, jeering at her. Worst of all… she saw her sister. Luna stopped with a gasp. No, it wasn’t Celestia. Not really. It was a recent memory of her. Celestia loomed over Twilight, impossibly huge. Her face a radiant glow, representative of the sun she controlled. “You have a lot to think about.” Celestia’s form then turned her nose up, and walked away, ignoring the tears that were flowing freely from Twilight’s eyes. The Unicorn curled up into a ball, sobbing. Luna slowly walked towards Twilight, making sure that the thread was leading to her, before settling on the ground next to her. “My sister can be… scary at times. Hurtful, even. But I assure you, Twilight Sparkle, she would never have wanted to see you reduced to this.” Twilight let out a soft, choking gasp. As if she were forcing thorns out of her throat. “Pr-Princess Luna?” She rasped. Luna smiled down at her, gently running her wing down the Unicorn’s back. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle, Good and Faithful Student.” Twilight slowly uncurled from her ball, and wiped her eyes. “I don’t feel like much of a good and faithful student…” She mumbled. Luna studied her; noting the tension across her body, the bags under her bloodshot eyes, and her disheveled mane. “Perhaps a change of scenery is in order.” She tilted her head up, horn glowing, and summoned the mindscape around her, causing it to collapse into darkness. A few quiet moments passed, before sunlight started filtering into the space, as if it were filling a room at sunset. It was the gentle and warm sunlight, friendly and joyful. A contrast to the solar fury upon Celestia’s face earlier. Slowly, color began to wash over the two of them. Shapes took form, a breeze seemed to pick up, and before too long they were laying on a red and white checkered picnic blanket at the top of a gentle slope. Spread out below them, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns formed. “Oh wow…” Twilight’s voice was awestruck. “Yes, the art of oneiromancy is a beautiful thing, Good and Faithful Student.” Luna watched Twilight’s reaction out of the corner of her eye. She always found this part fascinating to watch. She saw Twilight’s face shift from confusion, to recognition, then back to confusion and undercut with a tiny semblance of fear. Yet, yearning to burst out she saw clear, apparent curiosity and understanding forming. This all happened in a manner of moments, but everything was there. Clear as a cloudless night lit by the stars and a full moon. “I see you putting the pieces together, Twilight Sparkle.” “This is a dream then? And… and you’re visiting me?” She seemed to shrink away from Luna. “So… you saw…” Luna silenced her with a wingtip. “You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Luna looked into Twilight’s eyes, smiling gently. “Tia is many things. Wise, kind, warm. All aspects associated with the sun and good weather. But what else can you tell me about the sun, Twilight? I mean the celestial body, not its manifestation on Equus.” Twilight frowned, touching a hoof to her chin. “It’s likely made up of gasses, if I were to hazard a guess as to its composition, it will likely be made up of mostly hydrogen. Maybe 65 to 75 percent? The remaining 35 to 25 percent would be primarily helium, but I would bet that it is made up of several smaller portions of other elements too.” Luna kept smiling. “What about its effects on Equus and the solar system?” Twilight’s frown deepened. “Where are you going with this, Princess?” “Humor me.” Twilight sighed, but continued. “It is likely at the center of our solar system. We would orbit it naturally, but we don’t, and haven’t for… millenia. That is why you and Celestia control it, to maximize our yields from our crops, right?” “More or less correct, yes.” Twilight wasn’t done though. She kept speaking, gradually increasing her speed. Luna watched with satisfaction as the tension slowly began to fade from her body as she talked about something she was comfortable with. She listened to several minutes of solar facts that Twilight knew just off the top of her head, before gently interrupting her. “You’re only mentioning the scientific parts. Not how it makes us feel.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion, so Luna clarified. “Yes, the sun is gentle, warm and cheerful in a way. But at the same time, it seeks to burn all it touches. Our atmosphere dissipates the most harmful effects, but prolonged exposure can still have adverse effects. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, yes? Well, the same can be said for the wrath of the sun and the warmth of it.” Luna paused again, watching the gears turn in Twilight’s head once more. “So… Princess Celestia would also have a… harsh side to her? Is that what you’re saying?” Luna nodded. “My sister sometimes is… ignorant to the way her words impact those around her. Especially those who mean the most to her.” Twilight was silent, staring out over the school. “Why did you bring me to this place specifically, Princess?” “I always found it to be a place of relaxation. I was still involved, but could keep my distance. I thought that it might soothe your thoughts.” “You called me Good and Faithful Student…” Luna looked over the school herself. “Ah yes. Another reason I brought you here. Was it ever explained to you what that title means?” Twilight snapped her gaze to stare at Luna, who was chuckling. “I’ll take that as a no,” She sighed, affectionately exasperated, “Typical Tia. Not wanting to embarrass her students. She never could bring herself to explain the significance of that title.” Luna turned to look at Twilight again, gently closing the Unicorn’s gaping mouth with a hoof. “The Good and Faithful Student is one of two titles bestowed upon exceptional Unicorn students at her School. There can only be one Good and Faithful Student at any time. And once the title is bestowed, it is forever attached to the bearer. It is a sign of absolute trust in its owner.” Luna poked Twilight with her hoof. “That’s you, in case you weren’t following.” Twilight’s mouth seemed to be moving of its own accord, and though no sounds were emerging from it, Luna could perfectly see the flustered babbling. She continued. “It’s not only a sign of trust though. It also distinguishes someone who is under the personal tutelage of the Princesses. Specifically Celestia.” Twilight looked to be short circuiting, but she managed to gather herself to say a few words. “You said someone not somepony…” Luna chuckled. “Indeed. The Good and Faithful Student can be any creature on Equus. In fact, there have been many bearers. Hippogriffs, Pegasi, Griffons, Zebras, Earth Ponies… there was even a Dragon once upon a time.” “A… Dragon?” Twilight squeaked. “Yes, Dragon Lord Ritrax. Though he wasn’t Dragon Lord when he was bestowed the title.” Luna sighed a little wistfully. “Dragonkind and Ponies got along much better back then…” She trailed off, lost in memories for a time, then continued speaking. “The Good and Faithful Student is a creature, hoof-picked for training.” “Training for what, exactly?” Twilight asked. “To be a Prince or Princess herself, dear Twilight.” Twilight was silent for a very long time, eyes widening. “Oh! No. Nonononono! I-I couldn’t! Th-that’s your duties! Yours and Celestia’s! I-I wouldn’t dream of… of replacing either of you…” “There is no replacing, Twilight. One day you will rule on equal footing alongside us.” “But… But… I’m just… just…” Luna cut her off. “You’re just the bearer of the Element of Magic. Leader of the Elements of Harmony. Harbinger, of the Tree of Harmony; Equestria’s oldest, and greatest relic.” Luna barreled on, not allowing Twilight to interrupt her. “You are the one who brought together the Elements to banish the darkness within me. You returned the Alicorn Amulet to safety, and weren’t corrupted by it in the process. Many have tried to do such a thing before… Their bones and the bones of their victims are all that remain.” Twilight staggered back, eyes wild. “Be still, Twilight Sparkle. Think it through, just as you did with the sun and Celestia.” Luna watched her intently. Gradually, Twilight slowed her breathing and closed her eyes. She took one tentative step closer, then another, and eventually settled back on the blanket alongside Luna. “You… mentioned two titles?” She asked, eyes still closed and brow furrowed. “I did.” “What… is the other title?” Luna looked back over the school, her eyes fixated on something distant and only visible to her. “I believe you already have a suspicion.” Twilight’s eyes snapped open, and she focused on a shape in the distance. A cloak, full of stars and billowing in the wind. A figure was barely visible, a flash of blue and a hat firmly set atop the head of the figure. “The title of The Great and Powerful is the inverse of the Good and Faithful Student., the title belongs to one who was traditionally selected by me.”
Chapter 4“But that’s… you were…” Twilight trailed off awkwardly as Luna chuckled. “It would seem that my sister kept the tradition alive, regardless. I am curious who the others were during my banishment for a millennium.” “So… Trixie…” “My sister saw something in her. And while I haven’t been around for much, I do try to keep up with the news. I am indeed aware of her little… incident… with the Alicorn Amulet. While I cannot discredit your impact… she was still able to remove it of her own volition. Something that few ponies seduced by its dark magic have been able to do.” “But she only took it off when she thought the fake amulet my friends and I made would give her more power.” Luna smiled. “It’s been a while, but tell me dear Twilight. What is one of the first tests a Unicorn undertakes at Celestia’s school?” Twilight frowned, touching a hoof to her chin. “It…. It's how to identify magical items. So we can better prepare ourselves when encountering them. Why?” “Well, since you clearly remember, are you quite certain that Trixie would forget? If she earned the title of Great and Powerful, she must’ve been one of the top students at the school.” “She was… I pulled her records after she was imprisoned. She graduated as the Salutatorian. Her expertise was in fine control of her magic…” Twilight gasped, “Are you saying she was fighting the amulet’s influence?!” “That is exactly what I’m saying, Twilight.” “But… she was in Canterlot at the time of the attack… So were you, Princess! Cadence must be possessed! Or something! That’s why… but if you’re here…” “All hope is not lost, Good and Faithful Student. Many members of the guard escaped, and accompanied me. We are planning our counterattack as we speak. We have made encampments at Ponyville, and it looks like those still trapped within are still fighting. We have been crippled, but not destroyed.” “And… What about Celestia? Is she organizing the resistance within the city?” Luna’s expression darkened. “I… have lost contact with my sister. I cannot find her.” Twilight’s hopeful expression melted away. “So… does that… is she…” Luna stamped her hoof. “No, Twilight Sparkle. Not until I see a body will I believe that. She’s still alive. She is just beyond my reach. And she cannot help us. But she is not gone.” Twilight shrank back from her, and Luna realized that she had grown to twice her normal size. She took a deep breath, then shrank as she exhaled. “We will find her, Twilight.” “I hope so… Princess.” The two of them watched the sun set into the ground of the dreamscape, reality fading into darkness around them, before they found themselves back in the throne room where Luna had initially spoken with her. “But I cannot do this alone, Good and Faithful Student.” Twilight stood up straight and met Luna’s eyes. “How can I help, Princess? I’m at your service.” She lowered herself into a bow. “What do you remember last, before sinking into unconsciousness?” Twilight was silent for a few moments. “I remember… Cadence coming back into the room… I apologized to her… then her eyes flashed green and there were bright green flames and… I-I think I sank into the floor? Everything went black after that but I-I remember intense, burning pain. As if my very soul was being wrenched from my body…” Twilight took a few steadying breaths, “Then I… I found myself here.” “You say her eyes flashed green?” She nodded. “And the flames surrounding me. I remember them vividly. A dark, sickly green. One that radiated poison.” Luna was silent, deep in thought. “Here are my orders, Twilight. When you awaken, do not panic. Calmly study the surroundings around you, and tell me everything you see. If anyone in Equestria can take note of every single detail, I know it’s you. The more pieces we find, the more of a clear picture we can make of our enemy. If it is safe to do so, try to extricate yourself from your location. Canterlot’s defenders will soon need someone to give them hope. Can I rely on you to do that for me?” Twilight looked stunned. “Me? But… but Princess… What can I do that they can’t do for themselves?” “You are Celestia’s prized pupil. You are a clear, and direct link to the Princesses. Do not underestimate the effect that will have on these soldiers. They will keep fighting, so long as they see that you are doing the same. You have more sway over our ponies than you realize, and I suspect that you will surprise even yourself with what you can do.” Twilight still looked doubtful, but slowly she nodded her head. “I-I will do as you command, Princess. If… If you think that I can help, then I will do whatever is necessary.” “Good,” Luna sighed, “Do not lose hope. We will communicate by your dreams. But I must go. I must rally what troops I can through their dreams.” Twilight bowed once again. “I won’t let you down, Princess.” Luna smiled down at her. “Celestia chose well, in appointing you.” Luna then raised her horn, and melted into the ether. She ran through the list of officers in her mind. She could not reach Captain Armor, Captain Honeypetal would have been near Celestia… she had to assume the worst, especially since there was no link to her dreams. If she was still alive, she wasn’t asleep. Captain Sunflash though… Luna followed the thread. The first of many officers tonight. *** Chrysalis hissed, long and slow. She felt her anger radiating off of her, reflecting and transferring across the hive, making it agitated. She exhaled, trying to let go of the waves of anger that flooded over her, drones that were angry would be easier to defeat. Before her on the table of the Royal Banquet Hall within Canterlot Castle, were several books. She glared at them, the words oneiromancy and dream walking floating across her view. “Your majesty?” Chrysalis shifted her focus to her Netcaster, General Setae was bowing before her. “Yes, General?” “I was merely checking on you. I felt the anger as it flowed through me. Did you find something?” Chrysalis scowled. “Unfortunately yes. Tell me, Setae, are you familiar with the concept of oneiromancy?” Setae hesitated, not sure how to answer. “You may speak freely, General.” Chrysalis said. “It has not come across my studies, your majesty. What does it mean?” “In short, and simplified terms, it is a type of divination magic. One that can give glimpses into the future, through dreams. Our dear Lunar Princess is an expert in its practices.” Setae inhaled sharply. “So you mean…” “Yes, General. She will be able to catch glimpses of the future through nocturnal meditation. This will make her a formidable enemy.” “But surely, your majesty, with our iron hold on Canterlot, its impact will be lessened?” Chrysalis nodded absently. “Were that the Princesses only power, yes. Unfortunately, the texts mention that she has the ability to walk amongst the dreams of her subjects. These two powers in conjunction with each other… Canterlot will not fall as easily as we anticipated. Its remaining defenders will be organized, and work as an army without any breach in the chain of command. Communication will still be an issue during their daytime operations, but at night… It will be as if she could call a council with no issue.” General Setae was silent. As Chrysalis watched him, she could almost see the gears turning in his head. His brow furrowed, and he kept glancing behind him. “Something the matter, General?” Setae met her gaze. “No, your majesty, just thinking. In my own studies, I came across several texts that mentioned a… forbidden treasury of sorts. Hidden within the castle. Several powerful artifacts were said to be contained within it. Maybe… Perhaps we can find something to help us?” Chrysalis closed her eyes, thinking. “While I do not wish to associate myself with Pony magic… It may be our best shot. Have you found anything that gives a definitive answer as to where it’s hidden?” General Setae shook his head. “Nothing definitive. Just clues, mostly,” He stomped his hoof twice, and three drones came in carrying heavy sacks, “Several books mentioned something about only the nobility being able to access it, those with… special titles. I could not find what these titles were, but they were linked very closely with both of the Princesses.” Chrysalis approached the three drones, all of which had bowed before the two of them. She noted with some vindictive glee that the new Netmaster had used his predecessor to help him carry his research. “You work quickly, Netmaster. I am pleased.” “Thank you, your highness,” Setae bowed, then continued, “The armory needs both a Princess and the title holder in order to open. Not necessarily at the same time, but it needs to detect them both to open. I suppose the idea is that only the Princess and her most trusted subject working together would be able to open the armory. It would… react somehow to their magical signatures.” Chrysalis smirked. “Their magical signatures… you say?” “Yes my queen. I could not find any records of our species within their books. This enchantment would have been made without them knowing our powers. Have you fully absorbed the Solar Princesses power?” Chrysalis closed her eyes, and with her horn glowing a bright green, she grasped for the tendrils of Princess Celestia’s power. It gave her some resistance, but she was able to subdue it, and channel it through her horn. She shuddered, thrumming with power. “Ohhhh… yesssss… It is glorious.” Setae hesitantly took a step back. “My… Queen?” Chrysalis opened her eyes, which she felt were burning. But it wasn’t just her eyes. It was spreading across her body. She collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain. The three drones in the room also collapsed, and Chrysalis could see that they were smoking. The power… it was too much to channel! She could feel the heat washing over her hive… Drones were collapsing across the city. She needed it out! She needed it out NOW. But she was helpless. If she tried weaving her magic with it again, she would risk completely combusting! She felt something touch her head. She tore her gaze off of her drones, and saw Setae, his teeth gritted, smoking just as much as the drones, but with a black rock clasped firmly in his hoof. Nullstones. Yes, that would work. Chrysalis reached with a hoof and moved Setae’s hoof to touch the stone to the tip of her horn, where she knew she was channeling the magic. Almost at once, the heat faded. Being absorbed into the stone, which Setae promptly dropped with a yelp. It hit the floor, smoke now rising from it. Setae hesitantly reached towards it again, but Chrysalis stopped him with her magic. “No, don’t! It’s overloaded. Any more magic and it could burst!” Setae froze, then slowly backed away. As did Chrysalis. “Is that… was that…” “Come here, General.” Setae jumped, then approached Chrysalis. She bent down and studied his carapace. His hoof that was holding the nullstone was charred an even darker black, its sheen having disappeared. When she touched it, they both winced. It still felt hot to the touch. “Hold still.” Chrysalis whispered. Then she channeled her own magic through her horn. First fixing the damage to her internal leylines, then spreading out to Setae. He gasped, then sighed in relief. The pain on his face slowly faded, as did the internal pain she sensed within him. “You majesty… promise me, that you will never try to channel the power of the sun directly ever again!” Chrysalis barked a laugh. “You dare speak to your queen that way?” Setae froze, then fell into a bow. “My apologies, your majesty. I spoke out of turn.” Chrysalis lifted his chin with her hoof, gently smiling down at him. “I’ll forgive your slight this time. Your actions just now saved my life, and most likely the lives of all of the Hive. And I promise you, I will not try to channel the power of the sun in the same way ever again. Celestia’s power must be great indeed, to be able to contain such power at all times of the day.” She sighed. “I suppose this means we’ll have to use her directly for our purposes with the armory. Tell me, does she have any favored subjects? We will have to take the nullstone ring off of her horn for this to work… and a hostage will be necessary, lest she destroy us all.” Chrysalis shivered. That power… that control… Would Princess Luna have similar strength? She thought about that for a while. No, if that were the case, Luna would have single-hoofidly retaken the capital. Maybe she held such power once but… her millennium spent on the moon may have weakened her? Chrysalis pondered this. Yes, that had to be the answer. They were… lucky to have caught the Diarchs off guard. Because if the mere taste she had just had of the power within Celestia was of any indication… She could have burnt all of Equestria at any point if she so desired. The only thing stopping her from erupting… was the ponies that would be caught as collateral damage. A weakness we must continue to exploit… if we are to have any chance in this war. She felt a hoof prod her in the shoulder. She was shaken out of her internal musings. She pretended not to notice the slight smile that was on Setae’s face for the brief moment before he wiped it off his expression. “I said, your highness, that we actually have one of her most favored students in custody.” “Who is this pony?” “None other than the only Element who saw through your disguise as the Princess of Love…” Chrysalis felt a grin spreading across her face, and she let it. Exaggerating it even. “Twilight Sparkle… Yes, of course. I think it is high time that we… fetched her.” Things were still proceeding as planned. Equestria was fighting more than she anticipated… but the cracks were starting to show. Eventually resistance would crumble. And then… Chrysalis looked over her drones and Netcaster, she noted that he helped them all up and was supporting the weight of his predecessor. There was not a single shred of malice or jealousy within them. Setae had already earned their respect, possibly because he had saved their Queen’s life. This land… it is one of plenty. A magical Nexus point of the natural leylines. My children will never again grow hungry. We will become whole, once more. And then the other Hives will finally see… that I should be Queen, not just of Hive Mantis… Chrysalis allowed herself a smile. But Queen of all Changelings.
