“Your Majesty!” A voice called through the hive, frantic. “The tree! It’s been disturbed!” A black body smashed into the wall with the speed at which it was running, nearly shaking the room.

“A disturbance at the tree?” A sultry voice sounded from overhead. It was like syrup, traveling across the messenger, drowning him in its sweetness. “What could have possibly caused this?”

“It was a pony!” The smaller body uttered, almost hissing the final word. “It absorbed the remaining magic! We shall be forced to find a new feeding ground!”

Deep within the Everfree Forest, past the edge and found in a clearing just beyond, lived a group of Changelings. Though Queen Chrysalis, a since-banished Changeling Queen fed on love, this species fed on magic. The Changeling overhead screamed so loud it could have shattered glass at this information, pacing the room instantly.

“Your Majesty!” The messenger Changeling exclaimed, trying to come to the aid of his leader, “What should we do? What can we do?”

Vibrant crimson hair swaying as she stepped around the messenger, the Changeling Queen angrily paced into another room within the hive. Queen Lilith wasn’t a force to be reckoned with. Standing tall above all the other Changelings, twirling horn often lit up with red magic, she fed off of any pony that wandered too close to her hive. As of recently, one of the Element Trees outside of her home was the source of her magic. Feeding off one of those trees could have lasted a lifetime! And now that some foolish pony had taken it from her…

Lilith scoffed as she wondered what her next move would be. Sharp teeth shone under red eyes as she grinned, “Darling!” She called, her syrupy voice still smooth as ever despite its volume. “Can you come to help Mother with something?”

Almost as quickly as the messenger had notified Lilith, another small figure raced into the room in which she stood, his silhouette similar to the Queen’s.

“Dearest, do you remember when I told you that one day you would have to venture out into the world of those… ponies?” Lilith lowered her head to be in line with her son’s, speaking directly to him.

Prince Leviathan, the only biological son of Queen Lilith, was the heir to the Sacrificial Hive or the Red Hive’s throne. He absorbed the second to most amount of magic in the hive. He had wild red hair that splayed around his head, deep red eyes, red wings, and holes throughout his black legs and long black horn. He smiled up at his mother, too trusting of her plans, “Of course, Mother. Is that today?”

Lilith nodded simply, her lashes emphasizing the slow blinks. “Yes, darling. That’s today.”

“Emerald Shield! Eyes up here, cadet!” The captain’s voice called, angry. Or at least, that’s what Emerald figured angry sounded like. Captain Brandish always sounded upset at the very least and it was hard to tell when actual anger was present.

“Yes sir!” Emerald saluted to the Pegasus captain, shaking himself out of the thoughts he had been getting lost in.

“Jeez, dude!” Another Pegasus laughed beside Emerald. “What’s got you so distracted recently? You close with that Unicorn kid?”

“What?” Emerald turned to his coworker, confused.

“You know,” The Pegasus reiterated, waiting for Emerald Shield to catch on to what he was saying. At the lack of recognition on the green pony’s face, the other guard continued, “That Unicorn from the Magic Academy! One year ago tomorrow it’ll officially be ten years since he went missing. The academy holds a memorial every year since it was such a tough loss. I heard he was one of the most powerful students since Princess Twilight!”

Emerald just nodded, blue eyes narrowing at the story. He’d been one of the royal guards for a similar amount of time– ten years or so now. He’d trained to become a top guard, but never high enough to replace one of the top-ranking captains. The similar anniversary of his and this student’s departures and arrivals rang a few alarm bells in the Pegasus’ head and he smiled at his coworker as he dismissed himself for lunch.

“I’ll be back in fifteen,” Emerald said simply, making his way down the castle halls toward the bathroom.

Emerald Shield was one of Canterlot Castle’s resident guards. He was just a hall guard, not a personal guard for any of the royalty that resided within the walls of the building. It was a low-profile career that he’d trained all his life for, more or less. He’d been privy to tons of private conversations throughout the guards’ rankings, the victim of some lousy rumors, and the breaker of a couple of hearts. He was well-known among Canterlot’s staff.

“Leviathan! I told you to call me tomorrow!” A voice hissed through a small crystal ball, concealed within one of the pockets of Emerald Shield’s guard armor. As he removed it from its hiding place, it automatically called his mother: Queen Lilith of the Red Changeling Hive.

“I had to clarify!” The green Pegasus’ body was surrounded by a halo of light that traveled up his coat, turning to a deep grey as it did so, revealing the Prince of the Changelings underneath the costume. “You want me to find the pony that stole the tree’s magic, right?”

“Yes, darling,” Lilith hissed through the crystal ball.

“He went missing a decade ago. Did you know that?” Leviathan hissed back at his mother, fangs showing. “Why am I parading around Canterlot knowing that he could be anywhere?”

Lilith rolled her eyes, waving her son off easily. “Oh, please. I have kept tabs on every location within ten miles of the hive. There’s a trader that resides within the Everfree Forest. He’s wary of strangers but socializes when ponies come through where he stays. You’ve been developing a persona, darling. Something foolproof so he can’t see through the disguise when you go find him!”

Leviathan pursed his lips, unhappy with this answer but understanding of his mother’s reasoning for the implantation of him as a royal guard so long ago. “Wouldn’t it be suspicious?”

“Hm?”

Leviathan clarified, “Wouldn’t it be suspicious to find him right as the anniversary arrives? If he’s living alone in the forest for so long, wouldn’t he develop a sense of paranoia? Or at the very least, some sort of lack of trust of new ponies?”

Lilith tapped a shining hoof on her chin in thought. “You’re right. Head to the forest immediately. Make any excuse at your silly guard job; you won’t be returning.”

Leviathan’s eyes widened. “I’m leaving for good? Today?”

“Yes, dear. That’s what all this has been about!” Lilith scoffed. “That Unicorn is a reservoir of all the magic we’d need for centuries. If you can bring him back to the hive we’ll be able to feed off of his energy forever! No more luring dumb magic creatures. Only ponies.”

The prince nods wordlessly, sighing as he transforms back into Emerald Shield. “Okay,” He agrees, “I’ll leave now.”

“I don’t believe you,” The purple Unicorn stated simply, expression bored. “I’ve tried all sorts of recipes for years and nothing’s worked.”

Emerald Shield smirked, nostrils flaring. “It’s not a curse that requires a potion to cure. It requires an artifact.”

The two ponies behind the Unicorn seemed quite confused. The pink Unicorn was flickering her eyes between Emerald and the Unicorn, unsure what to do. The blue Pegasus looked lost at what was being discussed. Emerald couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“I’m sorry, who are you again?” The pink Unicorn asked, one brow raised.

“I’m Emerald Shield. I’m a guard at Canterlot Castle.”

“And you’re in the Everfree Forest to… talk to me?” The purple Unicorn wasn’t sold. Crap. Emerald needed to think fast.

“One of my friends got sick with something that the royal doctor didn’t have proper ingredients for. They said they’d be able to ship in the stuff in a day or two but I figured I’d come out here and see if you already have it. I know you trade with ponies from far-off lands.” Saved it. “And you are?”

“Periwinkle,” The purple Unicorn spat, clearly tired of dealing with ponies for the day. “What did you need? I know most of my stock from memory but I might have to walk back to check.”

“Uh,” Emerald struggled for a moment. What was something just rare enough not to be in stock in the royal pharmacy? “Seapony tears.”

Periwinkle cocked his head and raised an eyebrow in response. Crap. Wrong answer!

“I live in the forest. I don’t have Seapony tears. Let the pharmacist call in the order for your friend. Sorry.”

“Can we get back to what Emerald just said?” The blue Pegasus spoke up suddenly. “He knows about a cure!”

“Yeah, sure,” Periwinkle rolled his eyes. “Come on, Canterlot through this patch of vines. Go home, or wherever you came from, thanks.”

“I knew someone with the same curse!” Emerald tried, whatever he needed to earn this Unicorn’s trust. If this didn’t work he’d need to build a whole new character to trick him with! “She had just the horn crystallized, though. There’s this monument at the edge of the forest and just one touch of the crystallized area to the monument cures it instantly.”

Periwinkle paused, seemingly thinking for a moment about the sudden offer of a cure.

“If you’ve been making potions for years to no avail, why not try this?” The pink Unicorn suggested. Thank you, stranger! “He seems nice enough. And we could come with you! We suggested finding a cure, too, you know!”

“Yeah! Hibiscus is great with magical spells so we can be pretty resourceful. And I go camping almost every weekend! I’m great with nature!” The blue Pegasus chimed in.

“Oh, I mostly meant I’d take you,” Emerald said to Periwinkle, who just smiled.

“No, no. If they want to come I think they should. I don’t trust strangers very easily, but if three strangers are all going to travel with me, I think we’d all be equally untrusting of each other to travel safely.” One crystal hoof in front of the other, the purple Unicorn began his trip back into the Everfree Forest. “Lead the way, Emerald Shield.”

Author's Note

yippee!!! i like how i wrote this chapter. the introduction from the past, the pre-meeting Irradiance moment, and then the actual meeting! emerald/leviathan and irradiance is a fun dynamic to write. sorry this one is shorter! ill make the next one longer to make up for it :)