DEC 1 Friday.

I sweep my life magic senses over the area and use more of my magic to pick out whatever details I can. Seven beings in total, moving slowly in this direction while in a single file line. They are on the ground and walking, but beyond that, I can't make much else out at this distance.

While my mind gathers information on my new priority Chrysalis removes her foreleg from the Love Cell's shield and looks, both confused and satisfied I think. It's still hard to nail down Changeling expressions and using my space magic to see them isn't helping with that.

She goes silent for a long moment before turning back to Celestia. "You found a way to gather love magic, didn't you?" She quickly reasons out our source of love magic. "That one with you wouldn't be able to make something that pure. So this is why you wanted this meeting." I'll give credit to Chrysalis, she's not stupid.

Celestia nods a bit and keeps her smile seeing the more subdued and interested Chrysalis. "Correct, through a great effort a few of my ponies have made it possible to gather and store love magic through enchantments alone." Celestia takes a more revealing approach and seems to copy me in being a bit more straightforward.

The Changelings are dumbstruck, but the conversation is interrupted by me standing up and turning to the Changeling opposite of me. "How well can you see in this darkness?" I ask already forming a plan inside my head and needing more information. My talking catches everybody else's attention.

The Changeling twitches slightly at being addressed and glances at Chrysalis, she nods a bit but looks more on edge again. The Changeling looks at me and seems to shrink a little as I continue to stare at them, "Not well? We can see but not very far. A dozen feet at best in this darkness." The female voice answers with some hesitation.

I nod and turn to Chrysalis. "Did you bring others?" She looks surprised at my blunt question.

She looks me up and down before answering. "I can assure you I didn't. Why?" She sounds believable and my question definitely wasn't expected.

"We have trouble, I'll be back shortly, Your Highness." I won't explain more as they could spot us with magic or an affinity and decide to have one of them run off and report things. I quickly walk away from the table before breaking out into a silent full sprint into the darkness.

I sense the Changelings and Chrysalis standing a bit and looks around quickly. "What?! What did he mean by that, are we under attack?!" She says a bit loudly but I don't catch the rest as I run through the thick snow, the lightening spell being the only reason I can run at all as I'm not fully sinking into the snow.

The seven beings become more clear as I get closer and it's painfully clear they are trying to be stealthy. They hide behind trees and rocks and make sure to move slowly through the forest as I near them. For my part, the plan is simple, ambush them before they can run.

I go through my mental library of spells and pick out a few that could work before deciding to take a more physical approach, it's best I hold back I would rather not kill someone. I try to pull my mind away from any doubts as I near the being's location, around a hundred feet away I get a better look at them.

They are all Changelings, none of them in disguise probably to use their natural color to blend into the darkness. They also all have weapons, small daggers, and a short sword, nothing long-range or large though. I change my direction and start moving around to the back side of the line they are in.

The trees are thicker here and without my senses, I'd never be able to see them all. I slow down a lot, take a moment to steady my breathing and start to creep closer to them, the closer I am the better this will work. I'm less than twenty feet away and I can finally pick them out from each other with good detail, they have small bags along with the weapons on them and are staying completely silent.

After some hesitation and thought I keep my main weapon sheathed as I want them alive, and they shouldn't be too threatening. Better safe than sorry though, so I ready my dagger to block blows when needed. I take a breath and move forward in another full sprint.

I target the second to last in line as I want them to be driven to the others if they try to run. I see the back three notice me after I'm less than a few feet away. "ATT-" That's all one is able to get out before I'm able to reach the back two in the line. I tackle the one who screamed out with my body and grab the other in my field.

I hear both call out in pain as I slam the one I tackled into the ground while the other was slammed into a tree before I cast a sticking spell on both in quick succession. A beat later I cast a large-scale silence spell around the area, it will prevent any sound from escaping.

The flash of the runic matrix lights things up for a moment and the other five turn back to see me before everything goes dark again. I quickly turn to the others as they draw weapons, "The the fuck is that thing?!! Shit kill it and run!!" The one closest to me calls out.

I don't give them time to prepare more and dash for the next one in line. The first two are on their backs and unable to do much while being stuck, the one I stuck to the tree seems to have been knocked out from the blow as well. The one I move towards doesn't draw their dagger in time and I'm able to grab them first. I slam a hoof into a foreleg and hear a crack, I then slam another hoof into his other hoof before tossing him to the side.

I cast a sticking spell as he lands on the ground and stops abruptly stuck in place, but then I feel some heat as a fire spell of some kind hits the faceplate of my armor. Two more changelings charge me when I get hit and the other two sling spells at me from behind them, I tilt my head to avoid a water spell of some type. "Fuck!" The Changeling I just downed coughs out in pain.

I ready my dagger and move quickly to avoid one of the two charging me while sticking the hindleg of the other to the floor to delay them. I grab the first Changelings dagger in my field and just pull it away from them as hard as I can, it's pulled from their magic, and I hit them in the face before also sticking them to the floor when they land from the blow.

I sense something at my back as a downed Changeling I trapped sends a spell at my flank, I move out of the way and the Changeling with a trapped hindleg falls over dodging it after it passes me. I cast a weak lightning bolt behind me aimed at the Changeling behind me who's still stuck and see the Changeling I just hit in the face is also knocked out.

I move on and use my field to break both forelegs of the Changeling with his hindleg stuck with a twin snapping sound before and charging them. "RUN!!" One says to the other, only for me to use my field again and break a leg on each of them. "AHHH!" The continuous cries of pain come from any of them not unconscious.

I catch up with the two trying to run quickly as they only make it a dozen feet, and tackle one while throwing the other at a tree like before. The one I tackle has the sense to cast a spell and a torrent of fire washes over my top half before I can raise a hoof and hit them in the head as well. I take a moment to move my head away from any smoke created by the spell and check I'm not on fire, while also sticking the last two Changelings down.

I feel so many feelings and thoughts go through me, but right now is not the time and I need to get moving before things go bad. I unstick the two I just captured and the one I threw at a tree looks fucking terrified of me, "W-Wait, you won't be taking m-" I cast a very weak lightning bolt on them to shut him up. "FUCK!! AHH."

I move them both with my field over to the other five, who are all still dealing with their broken legs or trying to escape. "Try to run and I'm taking your limbs." My cold and deep voice threatens with as much seriousness as I can muster. "Don't resist and you will live," I call out to them.

My voice doesn't seem to help with their fear, but most of them seem smart enough to realize fighting me more is a bad idea. I move quickly and because I can't pick them up with space magic without them seeing the effects of space bending, I have to get creative with my field.

I take the two I'm carrying in my field alone with one of the unconscious ones and stick them all together as one item. I do the same with the other four, having to use a lightning spell on two of them as they resisted my efforts causing them more damage. When I'm ready I have all seven in my field suspended in the air, along with collecting everything they dropped.

It only takes me a minute and once I'm done I start moving back to the meeting. I spend a moment silencing them all so they can't make noise or hear anything, I also cast an opaque shield around their heads preventing them from seeing anything. It all takes a bit of magic to make the spells last for a few hours until we leave, but it's worth it.

As I walk back into the clearing I walk into the light slowly and they all stop talking to look over at me. I drop the Changelings in the small snowless area and everyone jumps a bit. "We had uninvited guests," I say as Ash Mark quickly moves over to me and looks at them, I nod to her and let her deal with them for now.

I sit with them at the table again and ignore the shocked and fearful looks a few Changelings are now giving me. "I apologize for my abrupt exit. Have I missed anything important, Your Highness?" I ask, deciding to just get my role in this over with as that fight has given me a lot to process.

I was running off of adrenalin the entire time and now I'm starting to feel bad. I know they were threats and had weapons on them, but it still doesn't make me feel great about hurting another being. All the injuries I inflicted can be healed and none of them died though, so I'm doing better than I thought. :By magic, am I getting used to this shit?:

Celestia keeps her mask in place and nods at the sight. "No Sir. Shadow, I've just been asking about who they could be." She looks at the injured Changelings. "Is that all of them?" I have everyone's attention right now and they have probably noticed the slight damage to my armor.

I nod. "Yes, seven in total, mostly daggers and a sword." I turn to Ash Mark. "They also know some combat spells." Ash Mark nods in response and the other two guards come over with some rope they apparently had with them. "None got away and they seem to be alone."

Celestia nods. "Thank you." She turns back to Chrysalis. "It seems your rival is paying attention to this more than we thought." She says, implying a few questions behind her words. The Changelings and Chrysalis look torn between a fear of me and some form of amazement.

Chrysalis stares at me for a long moment. "I must agree, thank you, Sir. Shadow." She sounds actually honest with her words as well and I nod back in recognition. "I can assure you if nothing else they are not with us. I have no intention of attacking you, especially when you have brought something so important."

I do think she's telling the truth, from what we've seen she has been reasonable so far. Something like seven Changelings is nowhere near enough to fight someone like Celestia, even with Chrysalis and the other five included. I think it's just not something she's dumb enough to do.

Celestia keeps her smile and nods. "I didn't think so, but it is good to know. We don't wish for any hostilities with you as well. I am curious if you may know how they found us though?" She asks and Chrysalis hisses a small bit.

She looks at the injured Changelings before turning back. "My hive is large, and we do bring in the hiveless to help with numbers. It seems someling close to me has provided information they should not have." She looks annoyed and also a bit angry, not that I can blame her.

Celestia nods. "It is an unfortunate thing that such happens. Back to the topic at hoof, would you mind explaining the Love Gatherer and Love Cell, Sir. Shadow?" I nod and step up to be closer to the table. I do take note of the Changelings being tied up and bandaged, the guards are also using bandages as blindfolds.

I notice that Cricket seems legitimately terrified of me while Chrysalis's Changelings are just fearful, she's not a combatant though so it makes sense. "The entire system developed consists of two parts." I start to explain like I've just done nothing of interest.

"The first is a larger gem that gathers ambient love magic, because it only gathers love It is very pure, this is the Love Gatherer. The Love cells are a small gem that can store the collected love. Both effectively copy what you all do naturally." I explain concisely without giving much detail.

They looked shocked when Celestia told them we had such a thing, but having it explained even in simple detail seemed to have let it sink in for them as they looked shocked again. "It, copies our abilities?" I nod as that was the original idea behind the spells involved. "If it only takes gems, then such a method could be scaled, endlessly." She says and they all start to realize just what we have to offer them.

Celestia shifts herself a bit closer. "Correct, it is also the main reason we have been so forward with our attempts at a meeting. We do not wish to be a part of this war, but it seems your rival has given us little choice. But to openly do so isn't an option." Celestia hints at what she wants.

I notice Chrysalis tense a bit. "I see. So you wish to provide help to us instead?" She goes silent for a moment. "Let me be frank, I do not like the idea of my hive being used in a proxy war." She states clearly and the mood shifts a bit as a lot of the fancy words seem to be tossed away finally.

Celestia straightens a bit. "And I do not like the idea of somebeing taking my ponies. To be frank, we have a common interest." Celestia says in a more authoritative tone, but then relaxes it some. "I see no reason we should threaten each other though, not when we both have subjects at stake."

The meeting has taken a much more serious turn very quickly and the tension rises more as things progress. Eventually, Chrysalis nods slowly. "I can agree that you are not my enemy, and I am not yours. What exactly do you want out of this then?" She says more levelly but the earlier illusion of subtlety is now gone for both of them.

Celestia brings out a few papers from under her wing. "Well, to start. A better way to communicate, and an agreement to not attack the other." She moves over the papers to Chrysalis. It's a small start, and that agreement is probably not that robust from how thin it is.

But at least getting a better way to communicate and an agreement to not kill each other on sight gives us a starting point. We're basically tempting her with the idea of more cooperation and maybe us sending them a good amount of love as support for their war.

It definitely means we're involved in this, but it means we aren't jumping into a full agreement for support at the start. Chrysalis spends a few minutes closely looking over the papers and glancing at me from time to time. I think I've made an impression on her.

She puts down the papers. "I'm willing to agree to this, after some revision. A few of these points are simply not practical." She says in a level tone as she starts the real negotiation. That was also expected, "I am fully willing to have better channels of communication though." she says in a tone implying those two things are dependent on each other.

Celestia smiles and moves over to the other Love Cell she brought with her. "Consider this a gift then, to our communication." That might as well have been a small bribe. "Of course, we may discuss the terms, I suppose a few of them could be out of reason." Celestia moves a quill onto the table and passes it over.

Chrysalis looks at me. "Wonderful to hear, but if you wouldn't mind I am rather curious as to what type of expert Sir. Shadow is?" She digs for information and stalls for time to think at the same time. I look at Celestia without turning my head but she seems fine to let me speak for myself on this one.

"I am an adviser in spellcraft," I answered unhelpfully. "I am also here as a protector for her Highness," I answer with some half-fake pride, I want them to get the wrong idea after all. My blunt and simple answers seem to not surprise her, she just nods in acknowledgment before passing the papers back to Celestia after changing a few things.

She looks at me with a smile that shows her teeth. "You truly are skilled then Sir. Shadow. To take down so many Changelings so quickly, I didn't even hear anything." She compliments me and again she digs for information. While Celestia quickly reviews the edited papers that were passed back to her.

Celestia speaks up. "Yes, he is. These terms are agreeable to me, with a few small changes." She passes it back to be reviewed yet again. "Shadow, can you please help them with the captives?" I can tell she wants to stop me from being questioned more, so I just nod and do as asked like a good knight would.

I move over to the Changelings and start to look over the wounds I made as they continue to talk. It goes into talks about the wording and details of the agreement and there are a few points they seem to be arguing for or against. Chrysalis proves to be a half-decent negotiator as they continue while minutes stretch on.

I look over the Changelings I fought, well not really it wasn't much of a fight. All of them have some form of mild head injury, broken and checked chitin, or several broken bones. I used a scanning spell on them and I can confirm they have bones, yet another reason to consider them an offshoot of pony kind.

Still, I feel a mix of emotions looking at them. Most are awake but they won't be going anywhere, I'll make sure of that. I keep my senses on them as the meeting finally comes to an end, earlier than anyone expected it would I think. I guess me beating these Changelings into the dirt and the temptation of what we have to offer really sped things up.

With how careful they have acted I'd expected that getting even a simple agreement would have taken the entire night. They both sign the agreement and Chrysalis is the first to stand up, she nods to Celestia. "Princess Celestia, until we meet again. Same to you Sir. Shadow." She says suddenly looking at me on the sidelines.

I look at her for a moment and raise an armored hoof to my chest in a simple salute. "A pleasure to meet you, Queen Chrysalis," I say back, fully turning to face her as I do so. I can respect a ruler who at least cares for their people enough to stare down Celestia, and there's no reason to make a bad impression at the end.

Chrysalis and her Changelings quickly take to the air and disappear into the night sky without another word. This was certainly interesting if nothing else, and even a bit productive. Celestia moves over to the carriage, she casts a spell and all the Changelings go to sleep instantly. "Take them back in the carriage, I'll bring them back with me." She instructs the two pegasus guards.

I'm tempted to stay with them, but they are bound, sleeping, and will be in transit for less than fifteen minutes so it should be fine. Celestia turns to me, Cricket, and Ash Mark. "Please stand near me." We do as asked and a minute later we watch the carriage leave.

We vanish in a flash of light and reappear inside Celestia's office once again. She turns to Ash Mark and Cricket, "Please leave us, and thank you both for coming." Celestia still has her royal tone and both nod back, each glancing at me as they leave the office.

Once the door is closed Celestia very quickly casts a few spells on me and pulls out some paper to look over the results. I wouldn't mind being checked for injuries so don't even question it, and it will put her mind more at ease. She sighs a bit and lays on the couch after seeing the results. "Are you fine, Shade?" She asks with an informal and concerned tone.

I nod and take off my helmet, noticing a black scorch mark where that fire spell hit me. "I feel fine, a few light bruises though." The Changelings didn't put up much of a fight and the hits they did get in did very little to me. "Please make sure that carriage actually arrives," I added a small worry of mine.

Celestia smiles softly at me. "I will, and that carriage is tougher than it looks. And I assume Ash Mark is already preparing things as we speak." She levels her head with mine. "But that's not what I meant, are you ok?" She asks gently and I get what she means.

I sigh a bit and nod. "Things went well, and while I don't like doing that things worked out. Like you said they would. Right now though I just want some sleep, and time with my bird." I answer honestly to reassure her. I am feeling decent overall, but I'm tired and need time to think.

She nods and smiles more. "You played a large part in that, she was more reluctant before you came back." She stands up again and gives me a kind stare. "Good night, Shade, go get some rest. I'll send you a letter with details later." I nod with a smile of my own. "And send me a letter if you need to talk, I'll be sad if you don't." She half-jokes.

I chuckle softly. "I will. Good night, Celestia." I turn to my shadow. "It's time to go home Girl." Entropy slips out of my shadow and Entropy waves a little to Celestia before teleporting us home.

I spend a moment in the silence of the Void. :What a day:

Author's Note

Thanks for reading. :]
Current year is 995

I decided to speed things up a bit, not sure how I did on the politics side of things but I think it makes sense. They signed something to prevent an immediate fight if something happens, and agreed to talk more.

As for Shade? Well last time he got in a fight with a Changeling the horror was more slow, building up over time. So this time I made the combat more brutal, short, and... Snappy.