Seraphis Virtuoso

“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.