Smoke and Mirrors: Through Changeling Eyes

Chapters

The Generals' Game Part 2
The Generals' Game Part 3
Carbon's Story: The Generals' Game Part 1

The Generals' Game Part 2

Carbon didn't know what to expect when he set up the apple cart in the Ponyville marketplace. All he knew was that he expected it to be a lot more engaging than this.

The general sighed, listening to the voices of the swarm in his mind to ignore his growing boredom. Business was surprisingly slow despite the crowds of ponies wandering about, so Carbon took advantage of that time to exchange information with the changelings in Ponyville in order to gather knowledge on Applejack and the other five Elements of Harmony he was tasked with incapacitating. Once he had learned all that he could from these changelings, he busied himself with planning the invasion and gathering reinforcements from changelings outside Ponyville that weren’t blindly loyal to Double.

The only bit of excitement that occurred during these hours was news that a changeling had been captured by the guards. He wasn’t completely sure on the details, other than that it involved another changeling disguised as Daring Do, two bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and Yakpony Sax. Carbon wasn’t sure what to make of that last part, though the former ones were worth looking into once he was done with this apple selling business.

“Yes, Transparence, of course we’re going to rescue Reflect.” Carbon said, ducking behind the apple stand as he spoke with a changeling who was close friends with the captive changeling. “We’ll meet tonight to discuss the details. Until then, find out when the guards intend to transport him to Canterlot for trial. Our best bet will be to attack the guards while they are in the process of transporting him.”

“Hi there, you must be Applejack.” A pony spoke from the other side of the cart. Carbon muttered a quick farewell to Transparence and popped his head out from behind the cart to meet his next customer.

“Yes indeed ma’am, that’s me. What can Ah do for-” Carbon suddenly broke off as he got his first look at the pony. She looked like a pegasus, but the small green flames of a changeling crawled erratically over her, and her changeling signature was impossible to discern. Furthermore, her disguise itself, aside from the manestyle, looked exactly like Daring Do.

“That’s her! That’s the changeling who got Reflect captured!” Transparence screamed over the link. Carbon ignored her as he continued to stare in shock.

“Um, is something wrong?” The changeling asked, nervously pawing at the ground. Carbon noticed that her left leg was wrapped up in a cast.

The general shook his head and smiled. “Sorry, ya just… reminded me of somepony, that’s all.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” The changeling muttered.

Can she not see that I’m a changeling like her? That would require complete separation from the swarm, and the only way to achieve that is-! Of course! Carbon realized: the changeling before him had a broken horn! Carbon quickly decided to uphold his disguise until he could get a chance alone with her. “Well anyway, yer correct. Ah’m Applejack. Ah don’t believe Ah’ve seen ya around here before. Ya new in town?”

“Yeah, I am. I just got here this morning. I’m Mirror Match.” The changeling responded.

Mirror Match? Really? Carbon frowned, giving her an unamused stare. “Mirror Match, huh?”

“Wh-What’s wrong with it?” Mirror asked defensively.

“Nothin’, it’s just a rather strange name for a pegasus, that’s all. Sounds more like a unicorn name.” Carbon responded. Honestly, you’d think a changeling would know to come up with something more original.

“Yeah, well, it’s my name; can’t do anything about it.” Mirror said.

Carbon decided it would be best to move on to a different topic. “Hey, no need to get defensive, yer name’s perfectly fine. It’s a pleasure to meet ya, Miss Mirror! Anyway, did ya need something, or did ya just come here to chat?”

“Um, well, I was actually looking to buy an apple. It’s for my friend, Fluttershy. You know her, right?” Mirror responded.

Friend? You say it as though you mean it. Carbon thought. He reflected on what he knew of the Element of Kindness. “Oh? Yer friends with Fluttershy? That’s pretty impressive. She’s real timid, ya know? Didn't think she’d warm up to a stranger like yerself.”

“True, but I’d say we get along pretty well.” Mirror said. Her timid yet genuine smile as she spoke only served to confuse Carbon further. “So anyway, I’d like to buy an apple, please? These look really good.”

“Well, ya have good tastes, then. These here are apples fresh from Sweet Apple Acres, bucked just this mornin’. Best apples on this side of Equestria.” Carbon said, trying to imitate the enthusiasm of a real farmer selling their wares.

“Really?” Mirror asked.

“Well… probably.” The general said, not sure if the claim was true or not. “Anyway, yer new in Ponyville, so ya get yer first apple free of charge! It’s a little promotional thing we've got goin’ on.” Again, he didn't know if that was true either, but it seemed like something Applejack would do.

Carbon grabbed an apple and dropped it in a bag, passing it off to the pegasus-changeling. She stared at the contents of the bag almost longingly for a few seconds before looking back up at him. “Um, is it okay if I have one more apple, please?”

“Sure, ah’d never turn down a chance at business. Course, yer goin’ to have to pay fer this one.” Carbon said, “One apple, so that’ll be one bit, please.”

The changeling frowned suddenly. “Um, I don’t… have any money.” She admitted, her ears folding back in embarrassment.

Carbon frowned as well. This changeling was really off her game. “Really? Not even one bit?”

“No… I’m sorry.” Mirror said, staring down in shame.

Carbon honestly didn't care about whether or not the disguised changeling paid, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for her. She seemed so lost and vulnerable without her horn. The general sighed and said, “Well, if you really can’t afford ta pay, ah suppose I can let ya have another freebie just this one time…”

“EXCUSE ME…” An amplified voice called out. Carbon hissed softly at the assault on his ears as he turned to see a cultured unicorn wearing a pair of glasses, saddlebags, and a gold necklace approaching them. She bore a striking resemblance to the Element of Generosity, but her identity escaped him.

“Who’s this mare?” Carbon asked the swarm.

“Don’t know. None of us have seen her around here before.” Morph answered through the link.

“There, now that I've got your attention…” The mare said in a normal tone of voice. Carbon directed a suspicious glare toward her.

“Um, who are you?” Carbon asked.

The unicorn put on a look of mock surprise. “Oh, where are my manners? So sorry! My name is Sparkler. Are you Applejack, by any chance?”

Carbon nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. Did ya need somethin’?”

“No, no, just getting to know the locals, as you say. I assume you know my cousin, Rarity?” Sparkler asked.

“Cousin? None of you said anything about a cousin.” Carbon scolded his soldiers.

“We didn't know she had one.” Morph said apologetically.

“I see. It’s fine, though; I can handle this.” Carbon thought. He turned to Sparkler and said out loud, “Yer Rarity’s cousin? Ah didn't know she had one.”

“We don’t exactly get along well. But, I’m staying here in Ponyville for a while, and Rarity has generously offered to let me stay with her during my visit. So in the meantime, I’m getting to know the townsponies better. You understand, right?” Sparkler explained.

“Well, ah suppose so. Ah’ll ask Rarity about ya later.” Carbon said. He couldn't overlook something like this if he was to successfully deceive the Elements of Harmony.

Sparkler frowned slightly at the comment, then turned to look at Mirror beside her. “Hello, dear. What’s your name?”

Mirror visibly tensed up at being addressed by the unicorn. “Uh, I’m Mirror Match.”

“Mirror Match… such a wonderful name.” Sparkler said, earning a grateful smile from the changeling. Carbon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “So, what are you here for?”

“Oh, I… I’m buying an apple.” Mirror answered. “Though I suppose it’s not really buying, since I don’t have any bits…”

“Ah’m givin’ her a freebie just this once.” Carbon spoke up, “She’s new to Ponyville, so ah’m cuttin’ her some slack, that’s all.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that.” Sparkler said, her horn beginning to glow. One of her saddlebags opened up and two gold coins floated out of it. She handed them to Carbon, then pulled two apples from the pile. “There, I’ll take one for myself, if you don’t mind.”

“Um, sure…” Carbon said, watching the unicorn as she placed one of the apples into Mirror’s bag and took a bite of her own before walking away.

Mirror quickly looked between the bag and the departing unicorn, then swept up the bag and flew after her. “It was nice meeting you Applejack. Hey, wait up!”

Carbon watched the changeling with concern as she caught up to Sparkler. “Do any of you know who that changeling was? Her aura’s too erratic to fully make out.”

“No, not really. Do you have any idea, General?” Morph asked, several changelings echoing her uncertainty. Carbon thought hard about her question for a while before answering.

“I can’t be certain, but judging by the name, I think that might have been scouting drone #721, Mirror.” Carbon answered.

“Mirror? You mean the changeling who always goes off to visit the cocooned ponies in the hive?” Morph asked.

“Yes, her.” Carbon said, “Anyway, it’s not important right now. I’ll try and speak with her later, but for now, we need to focus on the invasion, and on our rescue of Reflect. General Carbon out.”

Four nights later, Carbon was standing outside the Ponyville prison with several other changelings, hidden behind a cluster of trees as they looked at a large wagon parked near the building. “Are we ready, Transparence?” General Carbon asked, looking at the changeling currently disguised as a green pegasus mare. He himself had transformed into a caramel-colored unicorn. Transparence looked around at their assembled rescue team, which consisted of eight changelings in addition to the two of them. All ten were disguised as members of the Royal Guard.

“Yes, General. We’re set to go.” Transparence confirmed. “The guards are still preparing for transport.”

“Can you see Reflect?” Carbon asked.

“Reflect is being held in a cage near their wagon, General.” Transparence answered.

Carbon nodded. “Does every changeling remember the plan?”

The changelings all nodded in the affirmative. He pointed through the trees of the forest at the wagon. “Then let’s move!”

The ten changelings rushed forward, galloping the short distance toward the stopped wagon. As they neared, Carbon saw that there were only two guardsponies patrolling around Reflect’s cage. The general smirked; only two guards? These ponies were making this rescue almost too easy.

The stallions stopped and took notice of the squad of fake guards coming toward the camp. One guard trotted over to the disguised changelings, and Carbon stepped forward to meet him.

"Captain Springfield reporting for duty with orders from Shining Armor himself." Carbon recited, using the name of a Canterlot captain.

"Really?" The stallion said skeptically, "No one told us about backup arriving."

"The order was given out just now. Her Royal Highness wanted to make sure the prisoner got back safe and sound to Canterlot for his trial." Carbon paused for a moment, glancing with concern toward the cage holding Reflect. The changeling’s eyes were bright with hope at the sight of his rescuers, and he was struggling to keep a grin from spreading across his face. "He is safe and sound, correct?"

The guard looked toward the cage, then turned back with a nod. "Just a little under the weather, that’s all."

"Mind if we see him?" Carbon asked, making a move towards the steel cell. He stopped mid-step when the guard side-stepped in front of him.

"Woah there," He said sternly, "Nopony is going near that prisoner."

"But we're backup!" Transparence argued, "We have as much authority over this matter as you do!"

“Patience, Transparence.” Carbon warned her mentally, “This is a gentle procedure. We want to get out of here without too much trouble, so let’s handle this with diplomacy.”

"That remains to be seen," The stallion said angrily, "Let me run this by my commanding officer..."

“Okay, diplomacy’s failed. Let’s take them out.” Carbon commanded quickly, his horn glowing and firing a stun spell toward the guard. The guard didn't even have time to react before the blast hit him and sent him crashing to the ground, limbs twitching and face frozen in shock.

His partner cried out in shock and rushed to his partner's side. He looked up at the fake captain accusingly. “You!”

Carbon didn't give him the chance to continue, incapacitating the guard with another spell. “Go, quickly!”

The rescue team reacted immediately, running over to the cage and breaking the chains that held it together. Reflect grinned widely, gratitude clear in his expression.

“I knew you’d come!” Reflect said, “I knew you wouldn't let those ponies take me!”

“Of course not, Reflect.” Transparence responded, “The swarm’s got to stick together, after all!”

A blast of amber magic suddenly shot past Carbon’s face, and the general turned to see four unicorn guards running toward them, having heard the commotion. “The reunion will have to wait. We've got reinforcements here!”

Carbon turned and fired off another stun spell, striking an advancing stallion and sending him crashing to the ground. “Transparence, keep Reflect safe; the rest of you, take them out!”

The changelings nodded and ran forward, intercepting two of the guards and leaving Carbon to take on what seemed to be their captain. The two traded blows with each other and tried to hit the other with close-range magic, but while the captain had the advantage in physical strength, Carbon was much more skilled in magic. He suddenly teleported and reappeared behind the stunned stallion. Rearing up, Carbon brought his hooves down on the captain’s back, forcing him to the ground.

“Good night, Captain.” Carbon hissed, blasting him with a burst of magic. The general stepped off the unconscious stallion and turned to the rest of his team, who had taken care of the last two guards. “Take them away, put them somewhere where nopony will find them.”

The changelings nodded and began dragging the defeated guards away toward the forest. General Carbon scanned the area to make sure their fighting hadn't attracted anymore unwanted attention, then turned and grinned at Transparence. “Transparence, I assume you’ll be taking care of Reflect?”

“Yes, if that’s suitable, Reflect.” Transparence said, looking at said changeling.

Reflect nodded. “Fine by me. Can’t go back to being that blue pony anymore, can I?”

“I doubt it. We’re trying to avoid suspicion. By the way, how’s recruitment going?” Carbon asked Transparence. “Once we replace these guards, it should be easier to bring new changelings in.”

“Indeed. I've spoken with every changeling that’s come into Ponyville since the failed invasion, and they’re happy to help get revenge for the swarm.” Transparence answered, “Combined with all the changelings that were already situated in Ponyville, I’d say we've got enough soldiers for a successful invasion.”

“Maybe for the normal ponies of Ponyville, but the Elements are another matter.” Carbons said, “If the invasion is to have any hope of success, they must be eliminated first.”

“Do you have a plan for that, General?” Transparence asked.

“Oh, I’ll come up with something.” Carbon said, smirking malevolently. “By far, the most dangerous is the Element of Magic, but she shouldn't be much trouble to take out. After all, you must be aware of the little mutant she let into her home, correct?”

“Of course, General. Ditto, right?” Transparence said. Carbon nodded in confirmation. “And then there’s Mirror, too. She’s staying with Fluttershy, after all. Are you going to use her as well?”

“Oh, most definitely.” Carbon nodded. “Of course, I have to get her alone first, but there’s a party for her being hosted tomorrow night. That’ll be as good a time as any.”

“By the way, General, I should probably make sure you’re aware of this.” Transparence said somewhat nervously. Carbon looked at her, raising an eyebrow in concern. “One of the changelings that’s come into Ponyville…”

“Yes?” Carbon asked.

“Well, you remember the pony who found our hive before the invasion? The one we put in a conversion chrysalis?” Transparence began.

“Yes, I remember. Golden Harvest, if I remember correctly.” Carbon nodded. “Are you saying she’s in Ponyville?”

“Yes, she is, and she doesn't seem to want anything to do with the invasion.” Transparence said, “You don’t think she’ll be trouble, do you?”

Carbon thought about it. A rebellious synthetic changeling who had not been properly rehabilitated would be nothing but trouble. “I’ll take care of her. For now, though, let’s all return home. You all did a remarkable job tonight; you’ve earned a rest. Attend the party tomorrow, relax. Just leave everything to me.”

“How could this happen?! How could Queen Chrysalis have made her High-General?!” Carbon shouted, furiously pacing the floor of the council chamber.

“I don’t know. Queen Chrysalis always did have a soft spot for the empathy-sick hatchling.” Another changeling general said. She was the only one who had stuck around to listen to Carbon’s rant, and she seemed to watch him with thinly-veiled amusement. “By the way, you might want to stop that before you dig a rut in the floor. I don’t think Queen Chrysalis will like that in her council chamber.”

“This is serious, Portrait!” Carbon growled, though he stopped pacing. He slumped down, his voice carrying a defeated tone. “How could Queen Chrysalis have chosen her? She’s not fit for this job. She doesn't care for the swarm; she only cares about that pony.”

“Oh, I know, Carbon.” Portrait said, “And I’m sure Queen Chrysalis does, too. She probably chose Double because she’s crazy powerful and smart. You know what they say about her; all brains, all brawn, no heart.”

Carbon didn't say anything, so Portrait continued. “Empathy sickness is a funny thing, you know? I mean, I like ponies too - or at least I did, before you guys stuffed me into a cocoon and changed me into this! No hard feelings, of course; I’m quite happy with my current lot.”

Carbon looked up at her. With how much like a changeling she acted, it was easy to forget that General Portrait had once been a unicorn by the name of Portrait Art who had been captured and transformed into a synthetic changeling after she wandered too close to the hive. Carbon and Portrait were currently cut off from the swarm due to a spell Carbon had cast on the room, so he couldn't hear her thoughts, but sometimes he wondered if she has really as happy as she claimed to be.

“Now that I think about it, it’s actually pretty funny.” Portrait said, “I’m a pony who lived the changeling life and decided she liked being a changeling, and Double’s a changeling who lived the pony life and decided she liked that better! Isn't that ironic, Carbon?”

Carbon shrugged and looked away, staring at the wall of the cavern. The general was just about to head off to his living chamber to brood in silence when Portrait spoke up to someone that wasn't him.

“Image! Pattern! Come on in, I wanted to talk to you!” Portrait said, smiling at two changelings passing by the chamber entrance. The two young scouting drones exchanged confused glances, then flew into the room. The both suddenly stopped as the spell on the room cut off their link to the swarm, and Portrait smiled comfortingly and motioned toward Carbon.

“His spell. General Carbon doesn't want the whole swarm listening in on his rant, though with how loud he is, I’m surprised they haven’t heard him anyway.” Portrait laughed when the general glared at her, “Aw, lighten up Carbon! I’m kidding, sheesh!”

She looked away from the general and back to the two changelings. “Come on, you two, take a seat! There’s no need to worry; mean old General Switcher isn't here to yell at you!”

Image and Pattern exchanged looks once more before flying over and taking seats at the long table in the center of the chamber. Portrait gave them a sympathetic smile. “How are you two doing? Well, I’d hope.”

“Y-Yes, General Portrait. We’re doing fine.” Image said, looking at her brother out of the corner of her eye.

“I’d hope so. Such a shame about High-General Echo, isn't it? You two were there at the battle sight, weren't you? You saw him die.” Portrait said, frowning sadly.

“Y-Yes, we were there. With High-General Double.” Pattern said, “We didn't exactly see him die; the griffins were keeping us occupied. But we saw the rock slide-”

“Yes, we know about the rock slide.” Carbon interrupted. He stared down at the ground sadly. “High-General Echo’s death has hit us all hard.”

“A true tragedy, indeed. High-General Echo was beloved by all the swarm.” Portrait said, shaking her head. “I know Queen Chrysalis doesn't want the details of that horrific battle to get out to the swarm, but would you care to tell us more about it? After all, they say talking out your traumas is one of the best ways of dealing with it.”

“There’s not much to tell.” Image said, “Queen Chrysalis explained most of it. Our attack on that griffin outpost was exposed and we got into a fight with the griffins, and then High-General Double caused that rockslide-”

“Wait, what?!” Carbon practically shouted, looking at the two drones with renewed interest. He flew over to them, ignoring how they cringed in fear as he got near. “Say that again.” Queen Chrysalis hadn't mentioned anything about Double’s involvement in the attack…

“H-High-General Double b-blasted the cliffside over the outpost with magic. She said that if we couldn't capture the outpost, then we should just destroy it instead.” Image said, stumbling over her words. “S-She gave us all warning about it, but High-General Echo was attacked by that griffin and…”

“I see…” Carbon growled, thinking over the drone’s words. “So that rockslide wasn't a coincidence; Double caused it…”

“What are you saying, Carbon?” Portrait asked, tilting her head inquisitively.

“Think about it. Double always did want to be High-General, and High-General Echo was in the prime of his life; he wasn’t retiring anytime soon.” Carbon said, “The only way to become High-General at this point would be if the current High-General was to pass away…”

“Are you saying Double planned to kill High-General Echo in that attack?” Portrait asked, glaring lightly at Carbon, “That’s a very serious accusation, Carbon.”

“Now don’t assume; I’m not saying anything.” Carbon rebuked, “Still you must admit the circumstances are rather strange. The High-General died in an attack that Double just happened to be a part of, and then she was chosen as High-General by the Queen right after. It could be just coincidence, but you never know…”

Flapping his wings, Carbon flew over the three changelings and landed at the entrance to the cavern, smirking at them. “I’ll be leaving now. It’s been nice chatting with you.”

Carbon flew off, and the spell on the chamber shattered, allowing the thoughts of the swarm to flood into the minds of the three changelings once more. Portrait, Image, and Pattern exchanged confused looks as they stared after the general.

---

Sure enough, the rumor spread like wildfire through the swarm’s link. Within days, every changeling in the hive was convinced that Double had purposely killed High-General Echo in order to become High-General herself. Double was ostracized by the swarm to the point where the only ones who would approach her were Photo, the other generals, and Queen Chrysalis herself, who magically cut Double’s connection to preserve the poor changeling’s sanity. Furious with the rumor and obvious sabotage of her High-General, Chrysalis ordered a meeting of the hive in the main chamber.

The main chamber was an enormous cavern that could hold every changeling in the swarm. Every changeling currently in the hive was there, and Queen Chrysalis stood above them on a large ledge, Double and Photo beside her, the High-General curled up in panic with her friend trying her best to comfort her. Queen Chrysalis slowly turned her withering glare on the assembled changelings, her gaze resting on Carbon for several accusing seconds. The Queen’s thoughts were closed off to the swarm, which many considered to be a blessing given how upset she was.

Chrysalis held up a hoof for silence, waiting until the swarm quieted down before speaking. “Since the beginning of our changeling kingdom, we changelings have always been connected, sharing every thought, every memory. So with all that, I was quite certain that the one thing we’d never have to worry about within the swarm would be lies and false rumors. Obviously, I was mistaken.”

The Queen stamped her hoof on the ground, sending out a wave of magic through the cavern to scare the changelings assembled before her. “I am very disappointed in all of you. I had thought that we would have enough trust in each other to not accuse each other of conspiracy and murder based on mere rumor!”

Chrysalis’s anger faded somewhat, and she shifted into a more relaxed stance. “Now, this is partly my fault. I should have told the whole truth of Echo’s death instead of hiding a part of it. But hear me now; the reason I withheld that information is because I saw no need to reveal it. High-General Echo’s death was an accident, nothing more! High-General Double did indeed cause the rockslide, but it was merely an unfortunate effect of her initial intent to simply bring down part of the cliff to destroy the outpost. Echo would have escaped the larger collapse had it not been for that griffin dragging him down into it. His death was not conspired or planned, and I am appalled that you could possibly think otherwise!”

The cavern remained silent, and Carbon could feel the collective shame of the swarm at their foolish assumptions. Queen Chrysalis surveyed them all for a few moments longer before speaking. “Now, let’s put this incident behind us. I don’t want to hear another word of this again. You are all dismissed.”

The changelings slowly fled from the main chamber, and Queen Chrysalis flew over to Carbon, stopping and glaring down at him with venomous anger. “I know you were the cause of this, General. I am not known as the Queen of Lies among my enemies for nothing; you cannot keep anything a secret from me.” Her eyes narrowed further. “Do not let this happen again.”

Chrysalis flew off toward her chambers, and Carbon stared after her, feelings of shame and anger warring within him. An amused giggle from behind broke him out of his thoughts. “That could have been a good move, General. Shame you didn't plan it out further before executing it. It really was an accident, after all; no lies there.”

Carbon turned around to see Double hovering before him, a smug grin on her face. “What are you talking about?”

“Our game, General. Don’t tell me you've forgotten.” Double said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Carbon rolled his eyes. “ Isn't that game over? You’re High-General now, aren't you?”

Double shook her head, making small clicks of disappointment. “Tut tut, General. That’s not what our game was about. True, that was an essential part of it, but our true game is something much bigger.”

“Will you stop being cryptic and just tell me what you mean?!” Carbon growled. The High-General’s thoughts were still blocked off to him, so he had no way of telling her true feelings or intent.

Double just continued to smile, shaking her head once more. “You’ll find out when the time comes. Just know this: the Generals’ Game has barely begun. You've made your move, and in time, I’ll make mine. Look forward to it, General.”

“What is that crazy changeling doing, Morph?” Carbon growled, watching Mirror run through the crowd of ponies in a panic through the eyes of his subordinates. This party Pinkie Pie threw was supposed to be in honor of the changeling, but she sure didn't act like it. Carbon couldn't help feeling concern for her once more; from what he remembered, Mirror had always been a rather confident changeling amongst the swarm.

“I don’t know, she just- ooh, that had to hurt!” Morph said, cringing as she saw Mirror crash straight into Twilight in her blind panic.

“You don’t think she’s got brain damage in addition to a broken horn and leg, do you?” Carbon asked, taking a bite of an apple cupcake at the desert table. Hmm, not bad.

“Possibly. I’m pretty sure she was a lot less jumpy before.” Morph said. The changeling listened in on the conversation for a few more minutes, with Carbon listening as well. At one point, Carbon felt Morph freeze in fear at a comment of Twilight’s.

“Well, it’s getting a little crowded in here. I didn't realize so many ponies lived in Ponyville; it feels like there are more here than usual.” Carbon heard over the link.

“She’s onto us…” Morph said.

Carbon rolled his eyes and sighed. “No, she’s not. Be serious about this. Just keep watch on her for now and-” Carbon paused as he saw a flash of bright blue out of the corner of his eye. “Hold on. I’ll be right back.”

Carbon turned to see Rainbow Dash land in front of him. “Yes, Rainbow?”

“Hey, Applejack. I just wanted to come talk to you… you know, about yesterday.” Rainbow Dash said hesitantly, “I’m sorry if I made you mad. I didn't mean it.”

Carbon sighed, recalling the incident she was talking about. The pegasus had tried to goad him into participating in some insignificant contest, and he had lost his temper and shouted at her. He had managed to cover it up with an excuse about Applebuck Season, but the incident, along with some suspicious signs of tampering around the old apple cellar and an unexpected rain shower courtesy of an overcurious Mirror, had left him in a rather sour mood that day.

Still, Carbon put on a friendly smile. If he was going to uphold this charade, he might as well make an effort to be kind to these ponies. “S’okay, Rainbow. Ah know ya didn't. Ah was just feelin’ a bit stressed yesterday, that’s all.”

“Right, so then, do you want to hang out here?” Rainbow Dash asked, visibly relieved.

“Sure, Ah got nothin’ better to do.” Carbon muttered, “So, how’s life fer ya? Anything interestin’?” He asked in a louder tone.

“Nah, not really.” Rainbow shrugged, “Although, there is one thing. You know that new pony, Mirror, right?”

“Yup, Ah know her. Saw her yesterday at the farm when she was tryin’ ta get a raincloud, apparently on your orders.” Carbon said, giving her an accusing stare at the last part.

“Heh, yeah well, did anypony tell you about what happened at the library when Pinkie and Fluttershy brought her over?” Rainbow Dash asked, trying to change the subject.

“…Nope, Ah don’t believe anypony has. Why don’t ya tell me?” Carbon asked, genuinely curious. Ditto’s connection to the swarm was still out for some reason, so he had no one looking into what was happening inside the library.

“Wait… is that Golden Harvest?” Morph’s voice inquired in his head, and Carbon turned his attention away from the talking pegasus.

“What?” Carbon asked.

“G-Golden Harvest! She’s talking to Mirror by the dessert table. Can’t you see them?” Morph answered.

Carbon looked away to see Mirror and an earth pony wreathed in green flames a short distance away. The earth pony was glaring at her and saying something to the frightened changeling, but Carbon didn't have time to listen as Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“Hey, are you listening?” The annoyed pegasus asked.

“Of course Ah am!” Carbon said a little too quickly, “Somethin’ just caught mah eye, that’s all. Continue.”

Rainbow Dash stared at him for a little while longer before breaking into a smile. “Well, if you say so!”

As Rainbow began speaking once more, Carbon looked to see Golden Harvest walking away with Mirror staring after her in stunned silence. He was only half-listening as he tuned into the link once more. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t know, General.” Morph said, sounding very nervous. “H-Her thoughts were blocked off!”

“What?!” Carbon shouted mentally, feeling Morph cringe over the link.

“I swear she wasn't like that when she first came in. Granted, I didn't pay much attention to her thoughts; they were so full of anger and hate, I was worried I could get hate poisoning from them. But I guess she cut her thoughts from the swarm afterward and we just never noticed.” Morph hastily explained.

“But how did she do it? Only the changeling generals know how to hide their thoughts, so who could have taught…” Carbon trailed off as a chilling thought came to him. “Double… nevermind. Just keep watching her. I’ll deal with this later.”

Ignoring Morph's flux of concern toward him, Carbon turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash just to hear the end of her sentence. “…and then she just kicked Twilight right in the face!”

“Really? She just bucked her fer no reason?” Carbon asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I don’t think so. I wasn't actually there for it; Pinkie Pie told me what happened.” Rainbow Dash said. “She said Twilight was getting a little too up-close-and-personal about the whole Daring Do thing.”

“Ya mean like how ya were around her?” Carbon asked smugly, unable to resist riling up the pegasus.

“Hey, she looked exactly like her! You can’t blame me for getting excited! But still, I wish I could have been there to see that! Twilight’s an egghead, sure, but she doesn't need to be bucked in the face for it!” Rainbow Dash laughed.

Carbon was about to respond when a loud bump and a cry of pain came from underneath the desert table. The two stopped talking, and Carbon turned around to stare at the ground, seeing something beneath the tablecloth. He lifted it up to see Mirror laying on the ground, rubbing her head and whimpering softly.

“Mirror? What are ya doin’ down there?” Carbon asked. Rainbow Dash looked under as well to see what Carbon was talking about. “I thought I told you to watch her, Morph!”

“You told me to watch Golden Harvest! I can’t pay attention to everything at once!” Morph defended herself.

“I…uh…” Mirror said, crawling out from under the table and standing nervously in front of the two ponies.

“Were ya eavesdroppin’ on us?” Carbon asked, frowning at her. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow in wordless confusion.

“I-I just overheard you, and I wanted to find out what you were…” Mirror trailed off uncomfortably, and Carbon took notice of how some ponies were being drawn to their commotion.

“Well? What did ya want?” Carbon asked again, dismissing the onlookers.

“I…” Mirror squeaked, practically shaking with anxiety. “I…have to go water…the…sun…well, look at the time! I gotta go! Bye!”

Without warning, Mirror turned and rushed out the bakery door, flying so fast that the resulting wind knocked several ponies over. Rainbow Dash and Carbon stood there in silence, staring at the spot where she once was.

“…One day, I’m going to challenge that pony to a race! I wonder if a thundercloud going off next to her will be enough to get her going…” Rainbow Dash said. Carbon gave her a deadpan stare in response. “…What?”

“Nothin’.” Carbon muttered, shaking his head.

“Um, General? We have a problem…” Morph said through the link.

“What sort of problem?” Carbon growled. He was not in the mood for this right now.

“Golden Harvest is gone. I've spoken with the other changelings, and she’s not in the building anymore.” Morph explained, “One of them said that she just left, right after Mirror did. Sir, you don’t think Golden Harvest has a grudge against Mirror, do you?”

“Anything’s possible.” Carbon said. “I’m going after them. Stay here; this could get ugly.”

Looking back at Rainbow Dash, Carbon made up a quick excuse to leave. “Ah’m gonna go out and check up on her, make sure she’s okay. Ah’ll be back soon.”

Without waiting for a reply, Carbon barged through the crowd of ponies and changelings to emerge into the cold night air of Ponyville. He transformed and flew off, tracing Golden Harvest’s signature out into the outskirts of the town, near the border of his thought-concealing area spell. Carbon reached it just in time to see Mirror and Golden Harvest, both in changeling form, engaged in a fierce battle; one in which Mirror was clearly losing.

Carbon watched the battle from afar, hovering in the air. Golden Harvest was clearly bent on killing Mirror, and that was something he couldn't tolerate. The general tuned in with the rest of the swarm. “Can you all see this?”

Thoughts of confirmation answered his question. “Yes, General. You’re not going to let this stand, are you?” Morph asked.

“Of course not; that synthetic changeling will pay for this. On my orders, you will all attack her at once. Understood?” Carbon asked.

“Yes, General!” The swarm chorused.

Carbon continued watching until he saw Golden Harvest lunge and pin Mirror to the ground. The smaller changeling made no effort to escape as her attacker began charging up a spell. “It’s now or never. Now!”

At his command, every changeling within Ponyville collectively aimed their anger at Golden Harvest. The onslaught of thought broke through the barriers created by her spell and exposed her fully to their fury. The synthetic changeling began screaming in pain, stumbling off of Mirror and landing on the ground, where she continued screeching and holding her hooves to her ears in a futile effort to block out the furious shrieking in her mind.

Much to Carbon’s surprise, however, Mirror got to her hooves and ran over to Golden Harvest, trying to help her. She screamed the changeling’s name, first crying out “Golden Harvest,” and when that failed, she shouted “Carrot Top” instead. Carbon didn't understand why, but that got her a hoof to the face as Golden Harvest somehow fought through the swarm’s attack to get on her hooves. The insane changeling lunged at Mirror once more, and Carbon readied his magic to attack.

But someone beat him to it. A blast of purple magic shot out of nowhere to strike the synthetic changeling and knock her out of the air. Carbon looked down, only to see the last of a purple bubble popping out of existence. Someone else was here! That was teleportation… could that have been the Element of Magic?

Carbon pushed it from his mind for now as he flew down to land on the ground before the two changelings. Mirror stared at him in shocked recognition. “General Carbon?!”

Carbon ignored her, watching as Golden Harvest picked herself up to continue fighting. He couldn't help feeling impressed by her determination, but the synthetic changeling needed to be taken care of right now. Narrowing his eyes, Carbon immediately charged up a powerful blast of magic and shot it at her. Golden Harvest, too hurt to dodge, let out a scream of pain as the magic coursed through her. As the light faded, she fell to the ground and laid still.

“Is…is she…?” Mirror asked, clearly shaken by the brutal attack.

“No, just unconscious.” Carbon answered. He quickly brought up his thought barrier again to speak privately with the changeling. “It’s good to see you again, Mirror. I was worried for you.”

“You were?” Mirror asked, breaking into a smile. “I’m so glad you can recognize me!”

“Yes, well, it was difficult to tell exactly who you were thanks to that,” Carbon said, gesturing to her broken horn. “But I was able to make the connection easily enough. My apologies, though; when I figured it out, I spread the information to every changeling in Ponyville’s range. Golden Harvest must have picked up on it.”

“Wait, the rest of the swarm knows I’m here?” Mirror asked, “Why hasn't anyone said anything to me?”

“We knew your horn was broken. You wouldn't have recognized anyone, and could have jeopardized our cover if we had tried anything.” Carbon said. He gave her a somewhat accusatory look, recalling the incident with Reflect. “Well, you would have jeopardized more changelings’ covers, anyway.”

“Th-That was an accident! We didn't know!” Mirror stuttered. “What happened to him, anyway? I heard he escaped.”

Carbon nodded. “Reflect? Yes, he escaped. We helped him. I organized several changelings together, and we attacked the guards and rescued him while they were getting ready for transport.”

“What happened to the guards?” Mirror asked.

“…It’s better that you don’t know.” Carbon said simply. Granted, being cocooned in the Everfree Forest probably wasn't as bad as whatever she was imagining, but he couldn't resist messing with the skittish changeling.

“…What happened to her?” Mirror asked, looking towards Golden Harvest’s unconscious body.

“The swarm doesn't take kindly to rebellion. Any changeling that tries to rebel or desert the hive is severely punished through mental assault.” Carbon answered, “As for what led to this, well, some ponies just can’t handle being part of the swarm. This is a common result of conversion.”

“What? That’s horrible!” Mirror gasped, “Being part of the swarm is supposed to be a good thing! The best thing that could possibly happen! Why would conversion end up like…this?!”

Carbon rolled his eyes. This was the problem with most common drones; they were too blindly loyal to understand that the swarm’s way wasn't completely perfect. “You’re too young, too idealistic; you wouldn't understand.”

Changing the subject, he then smiled down at Mirror. “Would you like to meet the changelings here in Ponyville? I’m sure they’d all be happy to see you again.”

“Really?!” Mirror asked, her eyes lighting up with joy.

“Of course. You’ll be able to finally stop hiding from that Element of Harmony wielder you’re living with and stay with us!” Carbon said, “You’ll finally be amongst family again!”

Mirror’s smile fell suddenly. “What? Why? There’s no harm; she knows who I am!”

That stopped Carbon cold. Frowning, his eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief. “What?”

“Fluttershy! She knows I’m a changeling! Pinkie Pie, too!” Mirror explained, breaking into a smile. “They know, and they’re okay with it! They’re my friends, sir!”

“Friends?” Carbon repeated, his voice full of distain. “Changelings can’t be friends with ponies! It’s impossible!”

“What do you mean?” Mirror asked, looking genuinely confused. “They like and accept me despite what I am, and I care about them! I like being with them, and they like being with me. The three of us are friends. How is that impossible?”

Carbon kept his steady glare on her for several moments. A horrifying thought suddenly came to him, and his eyes widened in realization. “You have the empathy sickness.”

“The…what?” Mirror asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“The empathy sickness!” Carbon repeated, “Every so often a changeling returns to the hive with the ability to feel emotions towards non-changeling species. It’s called the empathy sickness.” The general was beating himself up on the inside. Stupid! I should have realized this as soon as she brought up that pegasus at the market!

“How is that a sickness?” Mirror asked.

Carbon stared at her in disbelief. Did she really not understand? “It hurts our ability to survive! How would we be able to feed if we felt compassion for our food sources and guilt every time we took love from them?”

“That doesn’t mean anything! I can feed just fine! There’s nothing wrong!” Mirror protested.

“…Would you choose them over the swarm?” Carbon asked suddenly. He had to know how far gone she was to the sickness.

Mirror was taken aback by the question. “What? No! I mean, I love the swarm, but with my horn broken, aren't I just a liability? Aren’t I better off just staying with one of the Elements? And what of Queen Chrysalis’s orders? She said that we’re supposed to blend in and stay hidden in the event of her absence, so isn't it better that I stay with ponies that know me and can help me?”

She was making excuses, and Carbon knew it. “…I suppose so. Though I have to wonder if the Queen’s orders still hold up in the event of her death.” Mirror looked horrified at the thought of Queen Chrysalis being dead, but he brushed it off. “Come on, we should get back to the party before any guards show up.”

“But…what about her?” Mirror asked, pointing to the unconscious Golden Harvest.

“She’ll wake up soon enough. Hopefully she’ll have the sense to go back to the hive.” Carbon lied. The synthetic changeling knew about the invasion; there was no way she would be allowed to return to the hive. Looking at Mirror, he realized that the sick changeling would never agree to the invasion, and would likely alert the Elements if she found out.

With the empathy sickness, he couldn't even let her see that he had replaced an Element of Harmony. He shifted forms to a brown earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie mark. This would likely keep her from asking questions. He began walking back towards Ponyville. “Are you coming?”

“Um, yeah. Hold on, I’ll be there soon.” Mirror answered. Carbon left the changeling and began the slow walk back, allowing himself to become lost in his thoughts.

Double. It has to have been her. What other changeling would teach that spell to a synthetic changeling? Even General Portrait wouldn't do that. Carbon thought, Is this what she was talking about? Is this her move? It’s not a very good one. What could she have possibly hoped for a newly-converted changeling to accomplish?

Another thought suddenly came to the general. Does this mean she knows? How could she? I’ve blocked us all off from the swarm, and I’ve made sure no changeling’s exited Ponyville since my arrival. Perhaps she just recognized the shield around Ponyville and realized it must have been my spell…

This revelation brought up new worries for the general. If High-General Double was aware of the invasion, or at least that something was up, then perhaps the invasion should be postponed? Or maybe it would be better to speed up and launch it before Double has the chance to mobilize. Carbon let out a loud sigh as he walked, old anger returning.

Regardless, you will not win, High-General. You may think you’re in control, but believe me: I will not go down without a fight…

The Generals' Game Part 3

“So, you all had it too, then?” Carbon asked. He had gathered a group of six changelings in the deeper parts of Sweet Apple Acres’ orchards for a quick meeting due to a bizarre dream they had all shared during the night. The changelings all nodded their heads.

“Yeah, every changeling in Ponyville did.” Morph answered, “It’s weird. I mean, we normally share the same dream anyway, so that’s nothing strange, but I didn’t recognize anything in that dream. A beautiful valley? Butterfly ponies? That weird chimera?”

“Wasn’t that Discord?” A changeling spoke up. All eyes turned to her, and she shrunk beneath their gazes. “I-I read about him in a book, and he escaped a little while ago, didn’t he? Queen Chrysalis even saw him during that.”

“Yes, but she doesn’t talk about that anymore, Copy. Still, it’s strange that we’d all have a dream about someone like Discord. And what about those other things? None of this makes any sense.” Morph moaned.

"…So, every changeling in Ponyville had that dream, right?” Carbon suddenly asked. Morph looked at him in confusion. “Maybe I’ll be able to get in contact with Ditto now.”

“That mutant?” Morph asked, “That’d be surprising, considering how weak her magic and connection is for a changeling.”

“Maybe, but I’m going to try anyway. She lives with the Element of Magic; she could be useful in the invasion.” Carbon said. Despite his worries about Double, he had decided to continue with his current course. He focused on Ditto’s signature, trying to get through and connect with her weak magic spark. “Ditto? Ditto?”

"…It's me, Ditto." The mental voice came. Carbon smiled in triumph. Despite how weak the voice was, he had succeeded in making contact at last.

“Ah, Ditto! It's been a long time,” Carbon said, "It's General Carbon. I need to inform you of a few things; namely, an invasion of Ponyville. Many changelings are stationed here, searching for all the stranded ones. We’ll begin in less than a month’s time." His words were brief and informal, but he needed to get his message across quickly; he didn’t know how long this weak link with Ditto would last.

“General Carbon?” Ditto thought back, “There are other changelings in Ponyville?”

"Yes, there are many. Some are in bad condition; you’re friends with the scouting drone, Mirror, right? Her horn was broken off on landing, and others may be just as injured.” Carbon said. "If you want to find me, I'll disguised as an orange earth pony mare. I’m sure you can figure out who."

"But, wait, what about Queen Chrysalis?" Ditto asked.

Carbon frowned, his mental voice solemn. “She is dead.”

“What?” Ditto asked, stunned. Her weak connection suddenly cut out, and Carbon sighed in annoyance.

“Mutants…” He muttered, “Hard to believe Queen Chrysalis saw potential in her to bring her along in the invasion of Canterlot. She’s just a nursing drone; hardly fit for combat.”

“Wasn't High-General Double a nursing drone as well?” Copy asked. A glare from Carbon kept the changeling from speaking any further about the subject.

“By the way, what happened with Golden Harvest?” Carbon asked Morph, “You said she was gone by the time you came to find her?”

“Yeah, just disappeared.” Morph confirmed, “You don’t think she just ran away, do you?”

“It’s hard to say, but we can’t do anything about it anymore.” Carbon muttered, “Let’s hope she doesn’t cause any more trouble for us. Speaking of trouble, I’d advise staying away from Mirror.”

“Because of her empathy sickness?” Copy asked.

“She was a total wreck when she got back to the party,” Morph said, “I hope it’s not contagious.”

“Regardless, stay away from her. She’s too far gone; I wouldn't be surprised if she turned traitor on us during the invasion.” Carbon warned, “Anyway, meeting dismissed. If you have any more to say, use the swarm’s link to do so.”

The changelings nodded and dispersed, Morph joining up with Carbon as they walked back to Ponyville, talking about plans for the invasion along the way. They reached the end of their conversation by the time Ponyville’s streets came into view.

“So you understand, right?” Carbon asked, “I’m trusting you to make sure every changeling is in their proper spots when I give the command to attack.”

“Just leave it to me, sir.” Morph said. “By the way, how are you going to put that mutant to use? She’s barely strong enough to maintain a mental link, let alone fight.”

“I figure she’ll be more useful for intel and lulling the Element of Magic into a false state of security.” Carbon answered, “Speaking of which, I should probably get back in contact with her to tell her more about that…”

Concentrating, Carbon searched for the weak, flickering spark that signaled Ditto’s connection to the swarm. Latching onto it, he opened it up and prepared himself to make his presence known.

“I want to tell her about the invasion, but General Carbon will be so angry with me if I do! Maybe I’ll just hide under a rock while it’s going on-”

The general froze, listening as Ditto continued to speak about the invasion to another changeling; Mirror, judging by the erratic aura. Sensing his shock, Morph tuned in on the conversation, her eyes widening as well. The two listened in stunned silence.

After hearing the close call with Ditto almost revealing Carbon’s pony identity, the angered general cut off the connection swiftly, making sure that Ditto would feel the shock from it.

Carbon turned to Morph, eyes narrowed. “It appears the mutant is a traitor. Sick with empathy, no doubt. She’s useless to us now.”

“So, what are we going to do?” Morph asked, looking somewhat scared. Of course; two changelings were now infected with empathy sickness. For all they knew, it could be contagious after all.

“I trust you can get rid of her soon.” Carbon answered, “We can’t risk her exposing our plan too early.”

“Of course, General. Just leave it to me!” Morph said, saluting. She turned and ran into an empty alley, a quick flash of green emanating from it as an orange pegasus flew off into the air.

Carbon watched her fly off and sighed. “So much trouble…”

Carbon suppressed a growl of annoyance as he stood behind Applejack’s apple stand in the crowded marketplace. He had had plans to aid in the preparations for the invasion that day, and earlier he had intended to check in on the apple cellar to make sure no one had found the cocooned pony within. Apple Bloom, however, had insisted he let her accompany him on the day’s work, so he had no choice but to go with her to maintain his cover. And so Carbon found himself selling apple products to any pony who wanted them while he tried to instruct his soldiers on their tasks through their mental link.

“So, that’s your plan to get rid of her, then?” Carbon asked Morph through the link, watching Apple Bloom run off into the crowd. He had finally managed to get the little filly to leave him alone and give him some time with his soldiers. Hypnosis magic was so convenient.

“Yep, that’s it.” Morph’s mental voice responded, “Pretty lucky that she happened to get caught on camera like that, huh?”

“Lucky indeed,” Carbon agreed, “So, you’re already delivered the photos to the guards, then? They don’t suspect anything?”

“Not a thing.” Morph confirmed, “It should only be a matter of time before she’s caught and-”

A scream of terror and several angry shouts drew Carbon’s attention away from his subordinate. Peering through the crowd that was quickly gathering, he saw a black unicorn huddled in fear before two guardsponies. The unicorn’s eyes opened wide, revealing themselves to be a solid purple beneath.

Right on time, Carbon observed casually, a malicious smile crossing his face at Ditto’s plight. Now the little traitor will get what she deserves.

“Wait, don’t hurt her!” A voice shouted, and Carbon turned to see a familiar pegasus leap in front of the cowering mutant.

Tch, Mirror! Carbon growled mentally, What in the name of the Queen does she think she’s doing?

“You can’t hurt her! I won’t let you!” Carbon watched as Mirror desperately tried to plead with the guards to spare Ditto’s life. The attempt was quickly going south, however, as the guards grew suspicious of the disguised changeling as well. The confused murmurs of the changelings watching the scene reverberated through his mind.

“Tell me she’s not going to…” Morph began, but cut herself off when Mirror’s eyes flashed green and she proclaimed her identity as a changeling for all of Ponyville to hear. “…She is.”

Carbon paid his subordinate no mind as the two guards began striking out against the rogue changeling. He saw Ditto disappear in a flash of green light, and the general let out a hiss of frustration. “Morph, go after her.”

“Roger that, sir.” Morph saluted.

In the few moments it had taken Carbon to issue his order, the fight between Mirror and the guards reached its end. A blast of magic from one guard’s horn knocked her out of the sky, and the stallion quickly pinned the downed changeling. From the corner of his eye, Carbon saw a few disguised changelings in the crowd make a move to help her.

“Remain where you are. She may be our sister, but remember that she has sided with the ponies.” Carbon commanded, “She must pay for her actions.”

The changelings halted their movement, but a few uncertain mental voices still reached the general. Carbon turned back to Mirror and the guard above her, whose spear was raised in preparation for stabbing through her.

Carbon narrowed his eyes. “This is the fate of all traitors.” he thought with finality.

“Grimoire, Spell Tome, what are you doing?! Stop!” A female voice shouted, and Carbon whipped his head around to see Twilight Sparkle racing toward the scene.

“Ugh, enough with the interruptions! What is she here for?!” Carbon shouted mentally as the unicorn proceeded to argue with the guards to spare Mirror’s life.

“S-Sir, I’ve found Ditto!” Morph announced, “It took me a little while to locate her after she teleported, but she’s just outside the market. She must have told Twilight what’s going on!”

Carbon clenched his teeth in anger, silently wishing he had fangs to bare at the moment. “Figures. That mutant is going to ruin everything!”

“Sir, what if that unicorn knows about the invasion?” Morph asked, “Changeling paranoia is high enough as it is! We’ll never be able to properly organize our plans if she reveals them!”

“Calm down, Morph!” Carbon growled. He watched as Mirror, now aided by the Elements of Kindness and Laughter, fought back against the two guards. “They won’t get the chance to do anything. We’ll begin the invasion here!”

Cries of shock and surprise assaulted Carbon’s mind at his declaration. “Now, sir?!” Morph asked.

“We’ll proceed on my orders. Take this moment now to prepare yourselves!” Carbon instructed, “Spread the word! I want changelings spread throughout Ponyville to attack everywhere at once!”

“As you command, General!” Morph saluted, and the thoughts of several other changelings echoed her. Carbon focused on the large purple shield created by Twilight behind which she, Mirror, and the two other Elements hid. He watched and waited as the traitorous changeling and her friends turned and ran through the crowd out toward the edge of Ponyville. Once they were out of sight, Carbon chuckled softly, a smirk crossing his face.

“I had hoped for a little more time,” He said to himself, “No matter, though. At least we don’t have to deal with those two empathy-stricken foals anymore. Serves them right, those traitors.”

The general’s eyes flashed green and his smirk grew into a malevolent smile. Raising a hoof to his head, he gave his orders to the swarm.

“This is General Carbon, addressing all able-bodied changelings in the Ponyville area. It appears we’ve been found out. Begin the invasion.”

And with that one command, the dam broke. “You heard the general! Move!” Morph’s voice created a chain reaction of activity and excitement through the link in the back of Carbon’s mind. The general leapt up on top of the apple stand and mentally addressed the changelings in the market even as he felt the changelings on the edges of Ponyville transforming and launching their attack.

“All changelings in the market area, wait for my signal to attack.” Carbon ordered, his eyes on the angry unicorn hiding behind her magic shield. Focusing, he could feel her anger reach a breaking point under the two guard’s relentless assault.

“That…is…ENOUGH!” Twilight shouted, her eyes flaring open. Recognizing the signs of a coming influx of magic, Carbon quickly leapt down from the stand and hid beneath it.

“Brace yourselves!” Carbon mentally shouted in the instant before Twilight’s shield exploded outward, knocking every pony nearby off their hooves. The cart in front of Carbon rocked from the force, and several apples toppled off. A few landed on the general’s head, and the angered changeling stood up and rubbed at the spot beneath his hat as he peered out behind the stand.

“Everypony, just listen to me! For goodness’ sake, you’re acting like foals having a tantrum!” Twilight yelled, her shield gone. “Now, I am going to say what I’ve been trying to say and you are all going to be quiet and listen! Is that understood?!”

The crowd, both ponies and changelings, nodded meekly, and Carbon resisted the urge to chuckle at the scene. As Twilight continued to speak, he slid back behind the stand and, quickly and quietly, returned back to his changeling form. His horn glowed green as he crept up on top of the apple stand, unnoticed by the unicorn.

“Everypony, we are all in grave danger!” Twilight said, “There is going to be an invasion, right here in Ponyville! There are a number of changelings among us, disguised as normal ponies, and while this will alert them to having been discovered, it is imperative that the ponies here are made aware of this threat so that we aren't-”

Carbon didn't give her the chance to finish as he fired a strong blast of magic at the unicorn, sending her crashing into a cherry stand. Smiling smugly, he gloated, “I believe you were going to say, ‘caught off guard’?”

The general raised a hoof into the air and closed his eyes. “Now.” The changeling in the crowd took the cue, reverting back to their natural forms and stirring up a panic among the real ponies as they took to the air and began attacking. Carbon jumped down from the cart and took Applejack’s form once more as he slowly trotted up Twilight, who was recovering from his attack.

“A lovely sight, isn’t it?” Carbon asked, scanning the scene of total mayhem and destruction. He let his eyes flash green as he looked back at Twilight, and the unicorn responded with a venomous glare.

“Queen Chrysalis, I presume?” She asked, voice full of hate.

Carbon’s grin fell away. “Queen Chrysalis? Not quite, but I’m the closest we've got to her at the moment. The name is General Carbon; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Twilight continued to glare at him as she took a battle stance. She looked him up and down with an analytical gaze. “So you’re the leader of this invasion, then?”

Carbon just smirked at her aggressive display. “You could say that. With Queen Chrysalis gone, there’s quite a power struggle amongst the changelings, and this invasion is key to proving my strength.”

“Gone? What do you mean, gone?” Twilight asked, anger giving way to confusion.

Carbon frowned and narrowed his eyes. “That’s not something you need to know about. All that matters now is that Ponyville will fall to the swarm, and the remaining ponies in this pitiful town don’t have the power to stop it.”

“Your plan will never work!” Twilight growled, “Princess Celestia will catch word of this and stop you!”

Carbon rolled his eyes at the unicorn’s naivety. “Oh, I've prepared for that. You ponies fall so easily for the hostage situation, and even your precious princess will have to back down once she sees how many ponies we have at our mercy.” He broke again into a gloating grin, “Especially when we have one of your Elements of Harmony, as well!”

Twilight was silent for several seconds as she seemed to contemplate his words. “So what are you going to do now, then? Kill me?” She asked, her horn glowing threateningly.

The General just laughed at her words. “There’s hardly need for that. A dead pony can’t love after all, and besides, without the rest of the Elements of Harmony, you’re hardly a threat to us. If I recall correctly, you’re missing three…”

Sensing Twilight’s growing frustration, Carbon turned and deliberately walked away slowly, one eye trained on her for any sign of attack. “I believe we've both got more important things to do now, anyways. I’ve got to make sure a certain treacherous changeling is out of the way for good…” He thought of Mirror, who despite lacking magic was a much bigger threat than Ditto, “…and you've got your friends to worry about.”

Carbon nodded to his left where Rarity was lying on the ground several meters away, her hooves held to the sides of her head and an agonized expression on her face while her cousin Sparkler stood protectively over her. He briefly questioned the odd sight, but quickly shrugged it off. It wasn't important right now. With a burst of flame and the flash of a newly-revealed horn, Carbon left the chaotic scene, reappearing on the edge of the Everfree Forest.

“She’ll probably have gone this way…” Carbon mused, looking between the dark forest and the cottage a short distance away.

“Do you need any help, General?” Morph asked, checking in on him while she gave orders to the changelings in Ponyville.

“No, I can handle this on my own.” Carbon replied as he flew over to the door of Fluttershy’s cottage. His horn glowed and blasted the door open, startling the animals inside with his sudden entrance. Carbon trotted inside and looked around the dark cottage, noticing right away that there was no pony or changeling presence within.

“The Everfree Forest it is, then.” Carbon muttered. A carrot suddenly hit the side of his head, and the general rubbed at the spot as he turned to see a white rabbit glaring up at him. Deciding he wasn't in the mood to deal with this, Carbon used his magic to forcefully grab the rabbit. The bunny struggled in his telekinetic grip, and Carbon chuckled menacingly.

“Don’t think I’m going to waste my time with a nuisance like you, rabbit.” Carbon growled, chucking the creature at the wall and watching as it fell down, unconscious from the impact. He shook his head in annoyance as he left of the cottage. “Animals, the bane of any changeling’s existence…”

Teleporting over to the Everfree Forest’s entrance, Carbon flew through the dark woods, keeping to the path as he went. After all, if they did go this way, I doubt they would have just ran into the forest without a plan. Wasn't there a zebra who lived here?

“Yeah, Zecora. She lives in the forest, not too far from where you are right now.” A changeling, who Carbon recognized as Copy, confirmed. The general pushed down the surge of anger that rose from her interrupting his thoughts.

“Yes, thank you, Copy. I’ll go find this Zecora then, and if the traitor isn't there, then I will return to aid you all in the invasion. General Carbon out.” Carbon thought back, indicating that he wished to be left alone for now.

Flying through the quiet, peaceful forest, Carbon found he had little to do but reflect on the situation. “All this trouble for one treacherous changelings. It’s a shame she had to lose her horn, otherwise we could have resolved this matter much more easily. Well, at least she’ll be easier to deal with once I do find her.”

If I find her… Carbon pushed the nagging thought from his mind as he continued on through the forest. After a mere five minutes of quick flying, he finally spotted something that looked to be someone’s home. It wasn't hard to spot, being built into a gnarled tree with exotic masks and bottles decorating the outside, and when Carbon trotted closer to the hut, he could hear the sound of voices from inside. Listening closely, he heard, to his surprise, a soft voice singing what sounded like his Queen’s lullaby. Hearing the somber tune, the general smiled at having his theory on Mirror’s location proven correct after all.

Carbon quickly decided that practicing some subtlety might do him some good this time instead of breaking in the door like he had at the cottage. Shifting his form back to Applejack’s, he knocked harshly on the hut’s door.

A bit of muffled arguing came from within the hut before the high-pitched voice of Pinkie Pie called out, “Who is it?”

“Pinkie, is that you? It’s me, Applejack.” Carbon answered, being careful to emulate the earth pony’s accent. “Open up, will ya? Ah need ta talk with ya.”

“…Okie dokie, Loki!” Pinkie replied after a moment’s silence. She opened the door and bounced away, allowing the disguised changeling to follow in after her. Inside, Carbon saw Fluttershy and a zebra he assumed to be Zecora, but Mirror was nowhere in sight.

“Applejack, for what reasons have you come?” Zecora asked, sounding skeptical. “Does it concern what these three are running from?”

Is she… rhyming? Carbon kept his expression neutral and pushed the thought aside for now. “Pretty much. Ya’ll caused a pretty big commotion back there. Lots of ponies are pretty mad about it, ya know.”

“We didn't mean to cause trouble. We were just protecting a friend.” Fluttershy said quietly. Carbon could feel the anxiety practically rolling off the pegasus.

Carbon chose to ignore her and quickly scanned the hut for the absent Mirror, realizing that he was going to have to get rid of the two Elements now and go search for her. He smiled and nodded at the two ponies, then let his eyes glow a dangerous green and his smile turn dark as he prepared to return to his true form. “I know you didn't mean it, but you still have to pay…”

His transformation was interrupted when a dark pink blur came out of nowhere and crashed into him. The two flew straight into a wall, disturbing the decorations mounted above them. Carbon shook his head and opened his eyes to see a darker, straight-haired version of Pinkie wreathed in chaotic green flames glaring down at him.

“Get away from them! I won’t let you hurt them!” Mirror shouted, eyes bright with fury.

Carbon stared up in shock for a moment longer before returning a glare of his own. Rearing his hind legs, he delivered a solid kick into Mirror’s stomach, launching the traitor off and allowing him to get back on his hooves. He advanced toward the winded changeling, intent of finishing her off while she was down, but stopped when he saw Zecora throw something out of the corner of his eyes. Turning, the general was engulfed in a cloud of green powder, and he squeezed his eyes shut and coughed as it got in his eyes and mouth. What kind of attack is this?

Angered by the cheap trick, Carbon prepared to turn his fury on the zebra when an itching, burning pain began to spread across his body. He opened his eyes and gave an involuntary shout of pain and horror as he found his coat engulfed in smoke and green flames. The fire spread until it covered him completely, and Carbon cried out as his natural magic turned against him. He collapsed, and laid on the ground burning for several agonizing seconds until, finally, the flames and pain died away.

Carbon laid panting for several more seconds until he opened his eyes and realized he was back in his natural changeling form. What… what did she…?

A gasp reached his ears, and Carbon looked up to see Mirror pressed up against a wall, eyes wide with shock. “General Carbon!”

Carbon let out a low hiss as he stood up to glare at the traitorous changeling. Mirror returned the glare after a moment and leapt between him and the other three occupants of the room. The protective display disgusted him. “Standing against your own general, Mirror? It would seem your empathy sickness has completely consumed you, after all.”

Mirror visibly flinched at the insult, but quickly composed herself and maintained her defiant stance. “I…I don’t care if my feelings are the result of some disease! They’re still my friends, and I’m going to protect them!”

As to be expected… Carbon closed his eyes and sighed. “Of course. Such a disappointment. It can’t be helped, though, and besides, the last thing the swarm needs is a disloyal soldier.”

Another flinch. “I’m not disloyal!” Mirror yelled, “I just know there has to be a better way to get the swarm what it needs than through an invasion!”

“Um, excuse me…” Both changelings turned their heads towards the timid pegasus that had spoken. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but if you’ve been Applejack all this time, then where’s the real Applejack?”

Carbon opened his eyes and quietly regarded the pegasus. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about her. She’s perfectly safe. She’s confined within one of our holding chrysalises, just like all the other ponies we’ve replaced, and none of them have been hurt…yet.”

“Yet?” Fluttershy repeated fearfully.

Mirror growled threateningly at General Carbon. “You lied to me about your pony disguise, didn't you? You made it look like you had replaced Doctor Whooves, when you had really been replacing Applejack this whole time!”

Carbon waved a hoof dismissively. “Guilty as charged. If I had shown you who I was really masquerading as, you would have told your new pony friends right away. Changelings with empathy sickness can’t be trusted.” He couldn't resist a smug grin as he finished his explanation, “It’s why I arranged for dear Ditto to be discovered.”

This seemed to strike a nerve. Mirror stared at him, mouth agape and left eye twitching. “…What?”

Carbon rolled his eyes at the sheer naivety the young changeling displayed. “What, you haven’t figured it out by now? Ditto has empathy sickness. She’s grown attached to the Element of Magic, and she’s no good to the swarm now. She would have just been a liability during the invasion, so I arranged for her to be revealed to the guards. It was quite simple, really; she brought it upon herself by not being more careful when she went out that night. All it took was to have one of my soldiers steal the photos that some colt took of her and to deliver them to the guards.”

“…You did it? You’re the reason Ditto was discovered?” Mirror asked, her voice rising in volume. “You’re the reason I had to reveal myself to protect her?!”

“You have no one to blame for your misfortune but yourself.” Carbon rebuked. The treacherous changeling had no right to try and claim the moral high ground! “You chose to protect her and reveal yourself. Though I must say, you doing that worked out in our favor. No pony is going to trust you now.”

“Monster!” Carbon barely had time to be surprised at the speed in which Mirror crossed the distance between them and slammed into him, sending them both crashing through the door and out into the Everfree Forest.

“ You've ruined everything!” Mirror screeched, pushing and pinning him against a tree. Carbon opened his eyes and blasted the mad changeling into a tree opposite them with his magic. The blow was sufficient to revert her to her changeling form, and before she could recover, Carbon brought his hooves down hard on top of her wings, pinning her.

“G-General Carbon!” Carbon heard Morph’s frantic voice call out to him.

“Do not worry about me; focus on the invasion. I can handle this myself.” Carbon instructed her. He turned to glare down at the struggling changeling under him. “I told you, you brought this on yourself. If you hadn't tried to defend her, this wouldn't have happened.”

“Ditto’s a part of the swarm! I couldn't abandon her!” Mirror shouted.

“She’s a mutant! She’s weak! And her empathy sickness has only made her weaker!” Carbon shouted back, infuriated by her blind loyalty. “It’s done the same to you, too! Changelings can’t care for ponies, it’s unnatural!”

“What’s wrong with empathy sickness? If it was that bad, wouldn't every changeling know about it by now?” Mirror asked, “What’s wrong with being able to feel love towards ponies?”

Carbon hissed softly, recalling a certain changeling far too similar to the one before him. “Empathy leads to disloyalty. Just look at High-General Double.”

Haunted by memories, Carbon didn't notice his hold on Mirror had loosened until the changeling suddenly bucked upward, knocking him off and allowing her to take to the air. She turned back around to stare at him, a respectable distance between the two.

“What do you mean?” She asked, cocking her head quizzically.

“You don’t know this either? I know you’re a young changeling, but could you be any more ignorant?” Carbon asked rhetorically. Granted, most drones didn't know about Double’s condition, but the traitor didn't need to know that. “High-General Double has had empathy sickness ever since she was a hatchling!”

“W-What?” Mirror asked, her surprise obvious.

“Queen Chrysalis preferred it to be kept a secret, but it’s not hard to figure it out.” Carbon said, “A freak teleporting accident as a hatchling lead to the High-General getting amnesia and being taken in by a pony family in Canterlot, where she bonded with a unicorn filly. When Queen Chrysalis came to retrieve her and wiped the family’s memories of her, poor Double went mad trying to convince the Queen to return them to the little unicorn. The only reason she even became High-General in the first place was to gain the Queen’s favor.”

The general soon felt a few jolts of shock through his link to the swarm from changelings who weren't aware of Double’s history. “Yes, it’s true. High-General Double’s in love with a pony. You didn't think she was just quirky for no good reason, did you?” Carbon resisted the urge to facehoof when a few answered in the affirmative. Ignorants…

“…What does it matter?” Mirror asked, “High-General Double is a great leader and she does everything she can for the swarm! She’s a little weird, but she’s not crazy!”

“She cares more for one pony than she does for the entire swarm.” Carbon responded, “In the wake of Queen Chrysalis’s disappearance, she is unfit to command the hive.”

“And you are?” Mirror challenged, earning an angry hiss from the general.

“Yes, I am.” Buzzing his wings, Carbon shot into the air after Mirror, who swerved out of the way and took off into the forest. He flew in pursuit of the fleeing changeling, keeping a steady pace with her as they wound through the trees.

Soon though, Carbon found it difficult to keep up with the smaller, more lithe changeling as she weaved through the trees in an attempt to lose him. Quickly realizing he would never catch her at this rate, Carbon made use of the one thing he had and she didn't: magic. The general fired off blast after blast from his horn, and the distance between them quickly closed as Mirror was forced to focus more on dodging than flying.

Carbon was just about certain he had her when the changeling suddenly shot up into the trees above. Carbon stopped abruptly and tried to pick her out through the dense cover of leaves, but he saw no sign of the dark shape. A sudden rustling from behind was his only warning before Mirror crashed into him, pinning his wings and sending both changelings falling down to the forest floor below.

Recovering from the crash, Carbon opened his eyes. He swore his heart nearly stopped when he found himself facing several bright blue flowers. Realizing he was surrounded by them, Carbon looked up and saw Mirror still perched on top of him, smirking triumphantly.

“Poison Joke? Are you insane?!” Carbon yelled, instantly recognizing the troublesome blue plant.

“Of course I am. I have empathy sickness, remember?” Mirror said sarcastically, still grinning.

Carbon hissed at the sarcastic retort. He suddenly pushed off the ground, easily knocking Mirror off and into the Poison Joke as well. Flying upward, he turned and glared towards the changeling.

“Ugh, I don’t have time to deal with you anymore. I have an invasion to command and complete before the spores take effect.” Carbon said, quickly regaining his collected demeanor.

Mirror’s smile fell. “Invasion? You mean it’s already started?”

Carbon nodded, frowning. “Much earlier than I would have liked, but yes, the invasion of Ponyville has begun. You have your friend Ditto to thank for that; that empathy-stricken foal just couldn't keep quiet about it when she ran into the Element of Magic again. I’ll have to punish her for that later.”

“Don’t you dare harm her!” Mirror yelled at him.

“And what are you going to do about it? You’re just a simple drone. You can’t do anything on your own, and I’m done with you. Goodbye, Mirror Match.” Carbon said, venomously emphasizing her pony name. He ended the conversation by teleporting off in a burst of flame, leaving the forest and reappearing on the outskirts of Ponyville.

“Are you okay, sir?” Carbon looked up to see Morph flying up to him, concern clear on her face.

Carbon snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’ll be fine. Let’s just get this over with quickly so I can get some changelings working on the Poison Joke cure.”

Morph nodded, but did not look fully convinced. “Right, of course, sir.”

Together the two returned to Ponyville, where Carbon fully immersed himself in directing the invasion, hoping to forget about the trouble he had with Mirror. Sadly, the universe didn't want to comply with his wishes today, as scarcely fifteen minutes later, a frantic changeling mentally cried out for him.

“G-General Carbon! The traitor Mirror is back! She- AHH!” The cry was abruptly cut off, and Carbon winced at the mental backlash from the violent cut. Carbon did not want to deal with Mirror after the Poison Joke incident, but as the leading general, it was his duty to deal with threats to his soldiers. Recalling where the changeling had called from, Carbon flew off, quickly coming to an area of Ponyville where a white pegasus stood amongst a crowd of unconscious changelings.

Taking advantage of her back being turned to him, Carbon fired off a blast of magic and nailed the disguised changeling with a clean hit. Mirror cried out in pain, but quickly recovered and turned to face him, eyes narrowed in determination.

“Still trying to stop us? When are you going to learn that you’re just a drone, and that you can’t do anything on your own?” Carbon growled as he landed.

“But that’s just it, sir. I’m not alone.” Mirror responded, steeling herself for battle.

“We’ll see about that. You still don’t have any hope of being able to defeat me. A mere soldier stands no chance against a general.” Carbon said, rearing up onto his hind legs with his horn glowing for attack.

“Probably not, but I can still try.” With that, Mirror spread her wings and flew into the air, shooting towards General Carbon as he fired a burst of green fire straight at her. His attention was completely focused on the changeling; he wasn't going to allow what happened in the Everfree Forest to happen here. She had caught him off guard here, but he was ready for her this time.

One drone was not going to be an issue this time.

How in the name of Queen Chrysalis did one drone manage to become such a big issue?!

In the span of half an hour, the rogue changeling Mirror had headbutted Carbon with a broken horn, bucked him into the air with an earth pony’s strength, blasted him with unstable magic from said broken horn, and most frustratingly of all, had triggered the Poison Joke’s effects early and reverted him back into a weak hatchling. Granted, she had helped to return him to normal, but that was just because her own transformation abilities had gone so out of control that she had to make the cure if she didn’t want to keep looking like a draconequus.

But thankfully, that whole humiliating experience was finally at an end. Looking down at the changeling with a broken horn and a newly-broken wing beneath his hooves, Carbon readied himself to finish the traitor off once and for all.

“Well, this has been fun. You've certainly put up more of a fight than I expected from a mere soldier, but I have an invasion to command and it’s time you were taken care of! Any last words?” Carbon hissed, smiling cruelly.

Mirror narrowed her eyes and directed her most hate-filled glare at the general. “Go choke on my hate!” she hissed, venom lacing her every word.

Carbon recoiled slightly, startled by the harsh changeling curse. Did she really want him to…? His smile fell and he glared down at her, his horn glowing and ready to strike. “You contemptuous little-!”

He never finished, because at that moment a clothed hoof struck the side of his head with near-blinding speed, knocking him off the younger changeling. The general crashed down on the ground, the sudden hit succeeding in dislodging his helmet and sending it skidding away from him. Already tired out by his fight with Mirror, Carbon found himself struggling to recover from the unexpected hit. What was that?

The general got his answer when he got back to his hooves and saw Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, wearing a strange caped suit. He didn't bother to retrieve his helmet as he prepared himself for battle once more, but the sudden growth of the buzzing noise around them and Morph’s panicked shout stopped him cold. “General Carbon! We have a big problem! The rest of the swarm is here!”

“Indeed they are, dear Morph,” A new, horrifyingly familiar voice cut in, “Ooh, you’re in trouble now!”

No, it can’t be her! Not now! Frozen in horror, Carbon turned to see a pink unicorn standing a short distance away from him. Carbon didn't even need to see the flames surrounding her to know who she was; her smug smile and pose told him everything he needed to know.

“What’s wrong, General?” Double asked, mental voice feigning ignorance. “What happened to all the confidence you had leading this invasion earlier?

“Double!” Carbon hissed, making sure she could feel every ounce of his rage. “What are you doing here?!”

“Oh, General, you should know better than to think you could keep something like this a secret from me!” Double responded, “Though, you always were short-sighted and arrogant like that. It’s probably why Queen Chrysalis chose me as High-General over you!”

“As if you don’t have the same flaws!” Carbon shot back, “You were only chosen because you’re a magic prodigy; your empathy sickness should have made you instantly unqualified for the position of High-General!”

Double rolled her eyes and smirked. “My empathy sickness is not a flaw, General. I know what’s best for the swarm, and let me be the first to tell you that an ill-planned invasion of Ponyville with only a fraction of the swarm involved is not one of those things.”

Carbon fumed silently at Double’s words. Now that her part of swarm was fighting against his, the chances of the invasion succeeded had dropped immensely. He hadn't her to mobilize so quickly; he had planned for the invasion to be over by the time she came, especially since it had been launched earlier than intended.

“Aw, don’t feel bad now.” Double said, her smile once again light and cheerful. “Look on the bright side; this will go down in history as the first ever changeling civil war! With us at the head of each side! We’ll be famous! Or infamous, depending on how this goes, I suppose.”

The sudden change in topic just served to confound and frustrate Carbon further. The High-General’s attention shifted from him to Mirror as she stepped forward to answer the changeling’s question. Both Mirror and Fluttershy stared at Double in shock. No doubt surprised by her resemblance to the Element of Magic… Carbon thought bitterly.

Double, on the other hoof, found their astonishment amusing. “Oh, don’t mind me, I was just having a friendly chat with the general when I heard your question and decided to jump right in! Isn't that right, General?”

Carbon refused to say anything, opting only to hiss softly and glare at High-General with a mix of scorn and caution. Double was a variable even he couldn't hope to predict; now that she was part of the equation, he could only guess as to what would happen next.

“General Carbon, what do we do now?” Morph’s fearful mental voice asked.

Carbon silently weighed their options and let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. We can’t surrender, that’s for certain, but our chances of victory are low unless I can defeat Double myself. Our only options at this point are to keep fighting.”

“Are you sure?” Morph asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll handle Double. Just continue with the invasion.” Carbon said solemnly. He felt just as uncertain in their chances of victory as his subordinate did, but there was no turning back at this point. It’s truly do or die, now…

High-General Double, back in her changeling form and having successfully convinced Mirror and Fluttershy to leave, turned her full attention back to General Carbon. “So courteous of you to wait for us to finish our conversation, General.”

Carbon ignored the statement. “Where’s that old doll you’re always carrying around?”

Double frowned, but after a brief moment the ragged plush popped into existence beside her. “Right here. I wanted to keep him out of danger, but since you’re so eager to see him…besides, he’s feeling restless; we both want to see our friends again so much! Isn't that right, Mr. Smartypants?”

Carbon hissed in disgust at her affectionate yet creepy attitude toward the doll. “You’re absolutely insane!”

Double grinned mischievously, pulling her doll away. “Ah ah ah! Is that any way to talk to not only your superior, but a prodigy amongst changelings? Or do I need to prove my power to you again…”

At her words, he general’s anger suddenly disappeared, replaced with paralyzing fear. “You wouldn't! Not with so many changelings nearby!” Even Double wasn’t that reckless with the lives of her soldiers, was she?

“Oh, but I would!” Double laughed, shifting back into her unicorn form. “Besides, you brought it on yourself! If you hadn't started this invasion, I wouldn't have a reason to do this!”

A maniacal smile adorning her face, Double’s horn glowed with a dangerous light. She began quietly whispering to herself. “I wish, I wish, for this I wish…”

Hearing her dreaded chant, and fearing for his brothers and sisters, Carbon sent out a desperate message to every changeling nearby, both under his command and not. “General Carbon to all changelings within the immediate area: get out of range, now!”

“Dodge this, General! Feel the power of my Starlight Rain!” Double shouted, laughing madly as she fired a single green spark into the sky. Carbon watched as the spark reached a high point and exploded, a green ring expanding from it as ten fireballs rained down like shooting stars. Buzzing his wings, Carbon spun and swerved to get out of the way as four came down around him, one after another, leaving large, smoking craters where they hit. The general was thankful that five of the fireballs had completely missed him, saving him from further narrow brushes with death.

A panicked cry for help suddenly reached his ears, and Carbon turned to see an injured changeling staring up at a star shooting down toward him. Without thinking, General Carbon teleported right next to the changeling and knocked him away. He barely had time to summon a magic shield before the fireball came crashing down on top of him. The shield shattered, and Carbon was engulfed in the green flames of Double’s spell. He managed to remain standing, though, and the pain and smoke soon faded away, revealing Double’s surprised stare.

“You saved that soldier, nearly at the cost of your own life. You actually care about them, General?” Double asked, and Carbon could tell that she was genuinely shocked at his show of compassion.

Carbon glared at her, offended by her astonished tone. If there was one thing he prided himself in as a general, it was his loyalty to the swarm. “Of course. No matter what, I’m still a general, and it’s my duty to protect my soldiers when I can. A weaker changeling wouldn't have survived that attack.”

“…You’re a good general, Carbon.” Double admitted. Carbon was surprised by her compliment, but he focused himself as Double’s eyes became wild and her voice increased in volume. “It’s just such a shame you had to go and pull this. Now you’re destined to lose everything!”

The High-General dissolved into loud, excited laughter while Carbon steeled himself for another attack, now far more cautious than before.

“I’ll show you who the stronger of us is, General!” Double shouted, reverting back to her true form. “Let me show you exactly why I’m the High-General of the Changelings!”

Carbon’s horn immediately began glowing with power, but before either could launch an attack, a earsplitting boom and flash of light disrupted the two high-ranking changelings. Both looked up to see a lighting-laced rainbow ring bursting outward across the sky. Carbon stared at the sight, momentarily frozen in awe of the beautiful, but no doubt dangerous spectacle.

“A Sonic Rainboom!” Double laughed, buzzing her wings in excitement, the battle seemingly forgotten. “ I've always wanted to see one of these in person, but they wouldn't let me leave the hive to see the last three! Ha ha, finally! This is so-!”

Breaking from his trance, Carbon took advantage of her distraction to launch a powerful bolt at the High-General and send her smashing through the closed window of a house. He fired another beam through the building, cutting its support and collapsing it on top of the changeling. The light from his horn died down as he watched for movement beneath the rubble.

A soft green glow from beneath the wreckage was his only warning before the pile exploded outward. Double hovered above it, her shell battered and her armor dented, and Carbon smiled at having successfully hurt her. Instead of focusing on him, however, Double held up her Mr. Smartypants doll and inspected it for damages, smiling when she found none. Carbon was genuinely stunned by her skewed priorities. Satisfied, though, Double then cast a minor healing spell to remove the worst of her own injuries and turned to face General Carbon.

“Now are you ready to actually battle?” Carbon asked rhetorically, ready for an attack.

“Battle?” Double asked, touching the ground and letting out a brief giggle. “This is no battle, General! The word ‘battle’ implies you stand a chance of defeating me, however small.” Her voice quickly turned vicious. “You have no chance!”

The High-General suddenly fired a large beam of magic from her horn, and Carbon returned the attack a moment later. The two identical beams collided in a burst of light and fought for dominance as their owners poured all of their power into them, though neither was gaining any advantage over the other. After a few minutes spent at a stalemate, Double began laughing to herself.

“May I ask what’s so funny?” Carbon growled, being careful not to let his concentration waver or his attack falter.

“You may.” Double responded, “It’s just, I remember all the times you called me a traitor for wanting to be with her again, but given that your actions here are a direct violation of the law of Queen Chrysalis, that actually makes you the traitor! Isn't that funny?”

Carbon didn't answer, but Double didn't seem bothered by the lack of a response. She broke into a malicious smile. “And since you’re a traitor to the swarm, I’m now fully authorized to do this!”

What? Stunned, Carbon realized too late what she was about to do. Double raised her hoof and sent out a command to her swarm. “Get him.”

A soul-piercing shriek suddenly sounded in Carbon’s mind. The general buckled, his concentration breaking completely as thousands of angry mental voices from his brothers and sisters assaulted him at once. He barely had time to scream before his beam faltered and Double’s own magic broke through to strike him at full force. The wail in his head was abruptly cut off as Carbon’s limp body flew through the air to hit the ground. He came sliding to a halt and didn't move.

Barely conscious, Carbon slowly opened his eyes to see Double standing over him. The little changeling gently ran a hoof along his head. Carbon felt a rush of indignation at her touch, but his body hurt too much for him to make the effort to move away.

“I really must thank you for this, General.” Double told him, “You invasion provided me with the perfect way to get rid of you without losing the Queen’s favor. If I had tried to get rid of you any other way, I would have been the one labeled a traitor instead, and I would have lost my position, if I wasn't executed outright.”

Too tired to even think, Carbon didn't reply, so Double continued speaking. “That was clever of you, though, putting up that spell to keep the thoughts of your invasion force separated from the rest of the swarm. If I hadn't already known about your plans from the start, we wouldn't have found out until after it was over.”

That got through to his pain-addled mind. Carbon stared up at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she was saying. “That’s right, General, your plan was doomed from the very start! I knew all along, and everything has gone according to plan! Now all that’s left is to finish things up…”

Double levitated Carbon’s discarded helmet and placed it on his head. His confused look at the kind action earned a smile from the changeling. “Trust me, you’re going to need that.”

Green fire engulfed her as she returned to her Twilight Wish form. “You know, up until this morning, I was willing to forgive your transgressions and simply have you demoted to soldier rank. But then you attacked Twilight. Blasted her into a cherry stand, hurt her. She’s my friend, even if she doesn't remember me, and I won’t forgive that! So now, you have to die.”

The High-General backed away and began her quiet chant. “I wish, I wish, for this I wish…”

As she spoke, her horn glowed and fired a magic spark into the air that burst into twenty smaller fireballs. Double’s Starlight Rain fell down on the town, smoke and fire filling the air as they crashed down on the houses and shops nearby. And amongst the fire, Carbon laid there, utterly defeated. Dimly, the general hoped that she really would kill him here; at least then he wouldn't have to deal with the burning shame of his crushed pride and the realization that all his work and ambition had been for naught…

The general gave one last look at the star falling toward him and at Double’s smiling face before he calmly closed his eyes. The star crashed down, and everything fell silent.

General Carbon sat silently in a cell deep within the hive, legs bound by heavy chains. He raised a hoof to the stump where his horn used to be, recalling the painful memory of an enraged and very much alive Queen Chrysalis destroying it. Double had not been so merciful as to kill him with her attack, and the general had later woken up in the Ponyville square in the presence of his queen. He was not altogether certain of how he felt seeing her before him; relieved at her being alive and well, no doubt, but also frightened and ashamed of her anger and disapproval. His queen’s punishment had been the final nail the coffin of his ambitions, and the general had been forced to fully realize that his invasion had been foolish and destructive to all involved.

Carbon shuddered and curled into an even tighter ball than he had already been in. The memories were painful to recall, broken remnants of his pride and honor. A shadow, illuminated by the light of the green flames nearby, broke him out of his thoughts, and Carbon looked up to see his guard and hatchlinghood friend standing before him. Match stared down at him, his eyes holding disappointment that stung deeper than any anger.

The guard stood there silently for a long time, his gaze fixed on the disgraced general. “…Why did you do it?”

Carbon stared back at him, confused by the question. “Why did I do what?”

“Everything.” Match replied, “The invasion, disobeying Queen Chrysalis’s orders, dividing the hive against Double… just, why?”

Of course, that was the answer he had been expecting. Carbon bowed his head and thought about his own answer for a long while before he finally spoke. “…I had to prove I was better than her.”

“A better what?” Match asked, louder this time compared to his previous soft tone.

“A better leader. I needed to prove I was better for the swarm than her.” Carbon answered.

Match stood on his hind legs and placed his forehooves against the bars of the cell. “You are better than her.”

Carbon lifted his head and stared up in disbelief. “What?”

“Don’t you get it, Carbon?” Match asked, “You are better than Double. Maybe you’re not better than her in magic or in strategizing, but you’re better than her in different things, things that matter!”

Carbon continued to stare at him, not grasping what he was saying. Match gave an exasperated sigh before continuing. “Look, Double is miserable, okay? She may not look like it, but she is. She’s a misfit because of her empathy sickness, and the only changeling who seems to genuinely want to be her friend is Photo. But Double doesn't care about that; all she cares about is that pony, and everything she does is for that pony. She didn't become High-General because it was her life’s ambition or anything like that; she did it because it was a step on her way to getting back to that pony. She spent her entire life chasing after a past that was taken from her, and because of that she never learned to actually enjoy and be happy with what she currently has! That’s what makes her miserable!”

Slack-jawed astonishment filled Carbon’s mind at his friend’s insightfulness. “But-!”

“I’m not done yet!” Match interrupted, “But you, you were different! You had friends; me, Morph, even General Portrait! And you had goals! You became a general because it was something that you wanted! I… I remember the days before you became a general, when we would both just work our hardest and do our best for the swarm, and after the day’s work we would party into the night and just have fun!”

Match dropped back down onto four hooves and spoke again in a quieter, sadder tone. “But we don’t do that anymore, do we? You've let your desire to beat Double run your life and make everything into a huge competition! Can’t you see what your obsession has done? Why couldn't you have just backed down? You had the position of general; a position given to six out of thousands of changelings! Why couldn't you have just been happy with that? Why did you it reach this point?”

“Because of pride, dear Match, something I doubt you fully understand.” Both changelings looked up to see Double flying in from the prison chamber’s entrance high above, a chessboard enveloped in her magic beside her. She landed and smiled at Match.

“You’re a clever one, aren't you, figuring all that out?” Double said, “But you were wrong about one thing: my past isn't lost to me. It’s right within my grasp, and I’m going to get it back.” She turned to look at Carbon, still speaking to Match. “Now, if you would, I’d like for you to leave. The general and I need to have a little chat together.”

“But I-!” Match began.

“That wasn't a suggestion.” Double interjected forcefully. “Leave now.”

Giving the High-General a suspicious glare, Match turned and flew out of the cavern. Once he was gone, Double set the chessboard down on the ground before the cell, within Carbon’s reach. “Let’s play a game, General. Or should I be saying ex-general, now?” She giggled softly and moved a piece, prompting Carbon to follow with a move of his own.

Carbon examined the changeling carefully. She shouldn't have seemed threatening in any way. She was tiny compared to him, barely larger than a grown hatchling, with only her jutting helmet making her seem bigger than she really was. Her large blue eyes and bright, childish smile should have made her seem even younger and more innocent. Granted, that was the appearance she put on, and it seemed to fool mostly everyone, but Carbon knew better.

Looking up at Double’s triumphant grin at seeing him defeated and chained before her, Carbon realized something. He had always known it since the day their “game” began, but he could only now find the words that, though so simple, fully described how he felt.

He hated her. It was as simple as that. He hated everything about her. He hated how she hid her true thoughts like a pony instead of a changeling, he hated how she smiled and giggled at her own jokes that only she understood the meaning of, he hated how she was always one step ahead of him in everything throughout their entire lives. Double must have been able to feel the anger radiating off of him, because her cheerful smile morphed into a look of false concern.

“Is there something wrong, General?” She asked in that sickly sweet tone of hers. “Are you mad at me? I don’t see why; I won our game fair and square after all…”

“Fair and square?!” Carbon repeated loudly, his hate giving him the strength to speak out against her. “ You've never played fair at anything! You didn't deserve to win, and you don’t deserve to be talking to me from the other side of those bars!”

Double looked at him quizzically, then looked back down at the chessboard. Without saying a word, she pushed a pawn diagonally to take one of Carbon’s own pawns. “Oh really? Then what, pray tell, do I deserve, then?”

“Nothing!” Carbon spat, “All you are is a selfish, spoiled brat who thinks that, just because you’re a magical prodigy and you have the Queen’s favor, that you’re entitled to whatever you want!”

Double’s eyes slowly narrowed, and Carbon could feel the indignation roll off of her. “ I've worked hard for my position, General,” She said in a low voice, “ I've had to work to maintain my favor with Queen Chrysalis, and I've made enormous sacrifices to get to where I am now. Do not think otherwise.”

Carbon scoffed and lifted a hoof to move one of his knights and remove the pawn Double had just moved. “Sacrifices, right. But always for you and your foalhood friend, never for the swarm.”

“I care for the swarm!” Double growled, shocking Carbon with the intensity of her anger. “Do not for a moment think that I do not love my brothers and sisters here! Believe me, I would not have become High-General if I did not genuinely care for them.”

“Maybe, but you’ll always care for that unicorn more.” Carbon retorted, not believing her for a moment.

Double’s anger slowly receded, and she settled back down, moving one of her pieces on the board once more. “I can be loyal to both the swarm and to my friend, General. They need not be mutually exclusive. But, I guess that’s your problem, isn't it?”

The confusion was clear in Carbon’s gaze. Double chuckled at some realization that only she saw as funny. “You’re too set in your ways, General, too caught up in your hatred of the ponies and the griffins and every other creature out there. You’re too convinced that we changelings are the victims, and that because of that, we are rightfully entitled to take what we want by whatever means from our oppressors with no hope or thought of reconciliation. And because of that, you just keep pushing forward without stopping to think that there might be a better way than your way.”

Double paused her explanation for a moment, putting on that sweet smile that he hated so much. “But that’s to be expected, isn't it? After all, you’re getting old, and the old are always so stubborn!”

Carbon was caught off guard by the rude comment. “O-Old?! You’re only a few years younger than I am!”

Double laughed at his sputtered response. “Details, details! My point is, you’re too inflexible. You’re convinced that your own way is right, and that every other way is wrong. But you’re the one who’s wrong. There can be peace with the ponies; there can be friendship, there can even be… well, I think you know what I mean! You felt the rainbow, the harmony, didn't you? That harmony is the ultimate proof that your view of the world… is wrong! Simply wrong, General!”

Carbon chose not to say anything, to not point out any hypocrisy he could surely find in her words, and the chamber fell silent as the two focused on their game. Eventually, Double stood up and looked toward the cavern entrance. “I have to go now. We have to prepare for your trial. It might be the last time we see each other, after all!”

Double turned to leave, but before she could fly off, Carbon spoke up. “It will never last, you know. Ponies and changelings are too different; this peace will fall apart sooner or later.”

Double turned to him, a thoughtful look on her face. “We’ll see, won’t we? I doubt you’ll live to see it, though.”

With that, Double let out an echoing laugh and took off, and Carbon stared after her until the buzzing of her wings could no longer be heard. He looked down at the chessboard she had left behind. Her own white pieces were arranged in such a way that no matter where he moved his black king, he was trapped; a checkmate. She had never bothered to announce it.

Carbon curled up and closed his eyes once more. He hated Double for so many things, but if there was one thing he hated her for more than anything else, it was that he hated her for being right.

Carbon lifted his head groggily, emerging from the collective dreamscape of the swarm and into the waking world. Only the barely-flickering flames lining the walls lit up the room, and he looked around for the source of the noise that had awoken him. He soon found it in the form of a changeling standing at the edge of his chamber entrance. Even without her armor, he recognized her instantly.

“General Portrait?” Carbon called, staring at the synthetic changeling. He shook the sleep from his eyes and focused on her. “Is something wrong? It’s the middle of the night.”

Portrait stared back at him, uncertainty in her eyes. She met his gaze only for a few moments before diverting it to the ground. Her thoughts were blocked off, shrouded in a fog of magic. As expected of a synthetic changeling, he supposed.

“…Well? Are you going to say anything?” Carbon asked again when Portrait failed to respond, “If not, please return to your chamber. You’ll need your rest.”

…It’s nothing,” Portrait muttered, turning away from him. Carbon could feel the torrent of emotions whirling within the other general, but over what, he couldn't even begin to guess. She turned her back on him and prepped her wings for flight, but before she could begin, she looked back at him. Her eyes shown with regret and sadness that was all but incomprehensible to him.

“…Just, don’t let your ambitions control your life, Carbon. Don’t let them become obsessions. Please keep that in mind.” And then she was gone, the buzzing of her wings still echoing in the chamber.

Carbon stared at the spot where she used to be, mulling over the words that made just as little sense as the emotions she had given off. “It doesn't matter now. I’ll figure it out later.” The general shook his head and settled back down, drifting off to sleep moments later.

The trial had come and gone, heavily weighed against the general’s actions by the changelings he had wronged in the invasion.

Carbon stood in chains, a drone stationed on either side of him, before Queen Chrysalis in the hive’s court chamber. The room rarely saw use due to Chrysalis’s tight rein on the swarm’s actions, and as such, the trial held for him today was a very big event. Every changeling capable of attending was seated in the stands, staring down at him with a variety of expressions ranging from wonder to disgust to pity. Though he couldn't hear their thoughts, Carbon was still painfully aware of the emotions they directed toward him.

Queen Chrysalis glared down at him, face stern but unreadable. Double sat to her right, the changeling practically buzzing with excitement and anticipation. To the Queen’s left, Portrait stared down toward the ground, not looking at anyone in particular, but every once in a while she would direct her dejected gaze to Carbon for a brief second before looking away yet again. Carbon could even spot Mirror and Ditto in the crowd, Mirror standing protectively beside the mutant and glaring at the disgraced general with unhidden anger. Morph was not present; as Carbon’s right-hoof changeling in the invasion, she would be tried after his own trial ended. The crowd of changelings suddenly fell silent, and Carbon looked back up to Chrysalis, who held a hoof up for silence. She set her hoof down and began to speak.

“Sentry drone #137, formerly General Carbon,” Chrysalis said, voice strong but impartial, “We have heard both sides of the story concerning the ill-planned invasion of Ponyville, and have decided that, as the leader of this treasonous endeavor, judgment must be passed upon you for your crimes against the Changeling Swarm. At long last, the swarm has come to an agreement.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, the smallest flame of anger sparking within. “As Queen of the Changelings, I, Queen Chrysalis, hereby declare you to be…”

Carbon closed his eyes as Queen Chrysalis gave her sentence and sealed his fate. In the resulting uproar, the former general thought he could hear High-General Double’s haunting laugh echoing in his mind.

“I win, General…”

Carbon's Story: The Generals' Game Part 1

“The invasion was a failure. A dismal, dismal failure.”

“Queen Chrysalis is dead.”

“Maybe.”

“Possibly.”

“Likely.”

“This cannot stand. The swarm will not be humiliated like this. We must retaliate.”

“How?”

“The Elements of Harmony. They reside in the town of Ponyville. Take it, and their ultimate defense will be gone. Equestria shall be ours.”

“FOR THE SWARM!”

Carbon’s eyes shot open, and the changeling’s wings buzzed frantically as he lost his precarious balance on the branch of a tree. He caught himself as he fell and gently lowered himself to the ground, taking a few moments to get his bearings. His body ached, and his connection to the swarm was blurred and unintelligible. He looked up at the tree he had been laying in up until now, taking notice of the plump red fruits hanging from its branches.

An apple tree. The general observed. He looked around, seeing dozens of similar trees in every direction. It would seem I’m in an apple orchard.

Carbon frowned, solid blue eyes narrowing as he listened for any sound. Aside from the chirping of birds, the orchard was quiet, but after a few moments, his trained ears picked up the faint sound of voices. Getting to his feet, the changeling checked for any injuries and, detecting none, set off in the direction of the sound, tense and wary for any sign of movement. As he walked, he reflected on past events, the last things he could remember before waking up in that apple tree.

It all came back to him quickly. The invasion had been a failure. Somehow, the ponies had managed to create a barrier even stronger than the first one, one which had managed to push out every changeling in Canterlot. Staring up at the sky, he tried to gauge how much time had passed since then. He had no way of telling, but judging by the hunger gnawing at his stomach, it must have been a couple of days at the least. A twinge of worry ran through Carbon’s body; if the barrier had been able to incapacitate a changeling general as powerful as himself for so long, what could it have done to the weaker soldiers under his command?

Carbon shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn’t think about that now; he had to focus on his current situation. So, I’m in unfamiliar territory, alone, weakened, and disconnected from the swarm for an unknown, but hopefully temporary, amount of time. There are other creatures nearby, most likely ponies. If they are hostile, I could probably fight off one of them, but in my weakened state, my chances of success against a group are low. I will need to maintain a stealthy approach until I have more knowledge of the situation.

Up ahead, Carbon could see a large red object, and as he moved closer, the object revealed itself to be a barn. He stared up at it, looking between it and the orchard several times. I’m on an apple farm. Any ponies around here are likely to be earth ponies with exceptional physical strength. In my state, this could be trouble.

A young voice with a Southern accent caught the general’s attention. “Come on, Applejack! Ya promised Ah could go play with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo once we got back! Ya can’t go back on yer word!”

Panic flickered in Carbon’s mind as he backed off from the edge of the orchard and quickly flew up into the nearest tree to hide. He laid completely still to avoid shaking the leaves and giving himself away as he peered out at the barn. In front of it, a little filly and a gown mare – both earth ponies, as he had predicted – walked into view. The filly was looking up at the mare with pleading eyes, but the older pony just ignored it as she shook her head.

“Ah said no such thing. Ah said ya could go play with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo after we finished up our chores fer the day. Remember, we left Big Mac with both of our shares when we went off ta the wedding; he must have been runnin’ himself ragged tryin’ ta keep up with everythin’!” The earth pony, apparently called Applejack, explained.

“But-!” The young pony tried protesting.

“No buts, Apple Bloom. Now get inside and go get ready; come out and meet me when yer ready to go.” Applejack interrupted her.

There was no more argument, and the pouting filly, whose name Carbon had just learned was Apple Bloom, slowly walked into the barn. As the barn door shut behind her, Applejack sighed and trotted over to an apple tree a short distance away, giving it a kick that knocked every apple from its branches.

Carbon stared down at the pony as she worked, a spark of recognition drawing him to try and remember where he has seen her before. After several seconds of deep thought, the answer came to him in a bolt of realization.

An Element of Harmony! Carbon almost shouted the words out, but managed to catch his tongue before any sound escaped and gave away his location. The general’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at the mare, one of the six ponies his battalion had been tasked with capturing to prevent them from retrieving the elements and stopping the invasion. His thoughts went back to traces of thought he had caught from the swarm before regaining consciousness, remembering what was said about the Elements of Harmony. A cruel smirk crossed the general’s face as he watched the unsuspecting earth pony. If he captured and replaced her here, he would have the perfect disguise to enter the nearby town – Ponyville, the swarm had said – and get into contact with other changelings, as well as to break up the element bearers’ power in one fell swoop. Carbon’s calculating mind quickly came up with the perfect way to capture the earth pony without trouble.

Moving quickly, he leapt from the tree, his horn glowing as he used his magic to muffle the sound of the shaking leaves. Landing on the ground, he darted behind a nearby tree, out of Applejack’s sight, and quickly shifted form, the flames fading to reveal the form of Apple Bloom. Quickly checking himself over to make sure there were no obvious flaws in his disguise, Carbon ran out into the open and trotted up to Applejack, putting on a bright, childish smile as he did so.

“Hey Applejack! Ah’m all ready!” Carbon said, doing his best imitation of a Southern cowpony accent. He didn't have much trouble; he had masked himself as a member of the Apple family enough times to make it convincing.

Applejack smiled down at the disguised changeling. “Well, good ta see yer in a better mood. C’mon, the sooner we get this done, the sooner ya can go off and find yer friends. Let’s start with these trees here, okay?”

Carbon’s eyes flitted to the barn, watching to make sure that the real Apple Bloom wasn't coming out. The general frowned slightly as a trace of worry crossed his mind. No, this won’t do at all! That filly will be out any moment now, and then this will all be ruined!

Quickly covering up his displeasure, Carbon smiled back up at Applejack. “Actually sis, Ah was thinkin’ we could start further in, work our way forward, ya know?”

Carbon could only hope that Applejack would agree to his proposal quickly. Applejack thought about the idea for a few seconds that lasted far too long to him before nodding in agreement. “Okay, that’ll work fer me. C’mon, then, let’s get started.”

The changeling suppressed a sigh of relief as Applejack turned and walked into the orchard. He couldn’t afford to be discovered now, not when he was still so weak from the invasion. Carbon followed closely behind her, soon running up to trot beside the earth pony. Applejack turned her head to look down at the shapeshifted filly and smiled. Waves of love flowed off her, and Carbon nearly tripped over his hooves in shock at the strength of the mare’s love for her little sister. Such love, such power. I knew the Apple family ponies were close, but this…

The two continued walking further into the orchard, Carbon staying silent and absorbing Applejack’s love in small amounts as they went so as to avoid potentially alerting the apple farmer to his true nature. Regardless though, the strong familial love was intoxicating, and Carbon failed to notice the wooden door in the ground until he tripped over the iron handle. The general crashed face-first into the wood, and Applejack rushed to help him back to his hooves.

“Apple Bloom, are ya alright?! Ya need ta be more careful, little sis, ya could have been hurt!” Applejack fussed as Carbon stood up, trying to regain his bearings.

“C’mon Applejack, Ah’m not a foal! Ah can take care of myself!” Carbon told her, hoping to calm the element bearer down before she did something that could blow his cover. He looked down at what he had tripped over, seeing a large wooden door in the ground. He leapt off and peered down at it. “What is this?”

The question slipped out before he could stop it, and Carbon froze in fear as he realized that the question could ruin everything if Apple Bloom knew what the door was. Luckily for him, however, Applejack didn't seem to notice anything strange about the question, instead grinning as she stomped a hoof on the door.

“This? This is the old apple cellar we had a while back. Didn't ya ever wonder why we got that new apple cellar a few months back?” Applejack asked.

“Um… Ah guess?” Carbon said, deciding it was better to act ignorant. It wasn't very hard, given that he had no idea what she was talking about.

“Well, anyway, this old cellar was a might inconvenient. All the way out in the orchard, far from the farm; it was a real chore ta come out here fer supplies whenever we needed them.” Applejack explained.

Hearing this, an idea popped into Carbon’s head. “Ah see. That’s really interestin’, Applejack. Can we take a look inside?”

Applejack frowned slightly, as she looked at what she thought was her sister in confusion. “Look inside? Why would ya want ta do that? There’s nothin’ in there.”

“Ah’m just curious.” Carbon lied, “Please, Applejack? Just fer a bit?”

He looked pleadingly up at her, doing his best impression of a cute, puppy dog look. He beat down his feelings of indignation at having to appeal to a pony, reasoning that it was all in the name of benefiting the swarm. Applejack stared at his for a few moments before sighing in resignation.

“Alright, fine. Ah’ll show ya inside.” Applejack said, smiling good-naturedly as she hooked a hoof around the handle, giving a strained shove as she flung the wooden door open. She did the same with the door next to it, revealing stairs leading down into the old cellar. Applejack slowly walked inside, Carbon following close behind her.

They soon reached the bottom of the stairs, and Carbon had to struggle to not cough and gag in the stale, dust-filled air. The light from outside revealed an empty room, the dust and cobwebs covering the floors and walls being the only things inside. Applejack walked further in, looking around the cellar with clear disgust.

“Sheesh, sure don’t want ta be down here fer long. Lucky we’ve got that new one now, don’t we?” Applejack said, chuckling softly. Carbon just nodded, his eyes narrowing and a malicious smirk spreading across his face as he shifted back to his true form. Applejack, who had her back to the changeling, failed to notice the change.

“Well, anyway, that’s it. Told ya there was nothin’ here ta see. Now let’s go before-!” Applejack didn't even have time to turn around before a burst of green magic slammed into her. The blast sent the earth pony crashing into the wall of the cellar, her hat falling off as she fell to the floor. Carbon slowly stepped up to her and watched as Applejack struggled to recover from the powerful attack charged with her own love for her sister. She looked up at him, her eyes widening in shock at the changeling before her.

Carbon smirked at her uncomprehending gaze. “You didn't think the swarm would go down like that, did you? We’re not out just yet.” His voice shifted to that of a young filly with a Southern accent. “Thanks fer the love, sis.”

Applejack barely realized what was happening before another blast of magic took her out for good. Carbon’s horn glowed again, tendrils of green magic shooting out to coil around the unconscious earth pony. As they covered her, the tendrils solidified into a green chrysalis, the pony inside suspended in a similarly-colored liquid. He telekinetically lifted the cocoon to the ceiling, the sticky substance attaching to the ceiling and leaving the chrysalis hanging.

Carbon smiled at his handiwork. The holding chrysalis would keep the earth pony contained long enough for him to find another changeling to reinforce it, and after that, there would be no chance of her escaping to warn the other element bearers. Carbon’s gaze shifted to a corner of the cellar, where Applejack’s hat had fallen after his initial attack. Carbon walked up to the hat, staring down at it in thought for a few moments. His horn lit up and he fired a beam of energy down at it, reducing the hat to cinders.

Green flames wrapped around Carbon once more, leaving him in the form of Applejack. The general reached up a hoof and tugged at his own Stetson hat, smirking cruelly at the pony trapped in the chrysalis. “Don’t ya worry none, Applejack. Ah’ll cover fer ya. Nopony will even notice yer gone…”

With that dark note, Carbon trotted back up the stairs into open air, kicking the doors of the cellar shut and, after returning to his true form, magically forming heavy chains to wrap around the handles and seal it. Convinced that nopony would be getting in without him noticing, Carbon shifted back into Applejack’s form and cheerfully walked through the orchard, back toward the barn. He reached it just in time to see Apple Bloom, the real Apple Bloom, run up to him. The filly glared up at him, a frown on her face.

“Applejack, where were ya? Ah came out here and ya were just gone!” Apple Bloom whined.

Carbon resisted the urge to roll his eyes and smiled down at her instead. “Sorry, Apple Bloom. Ah just wanted ta get a head start on all our work. Anyway, why don’t you get started here? Ah’m goin’ out inta town fer a little while.”

“Oh, are you gonna take the apple cart out?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Uh, yeah, sure. That’s the plan.” Carbon said, latching onto the excuse to leave. “It’s in the barn still, ain’t it?”

“Should be, unless Big Mac moved it, but Ah don’t think he did.” Apple Bloom answered. Carbon breathed a mental sigh of relief that his assumption of the apple cart’s location turned out to be right.

“Right, so ya can get started on buckin’ these apples here, and Ah’ll get ta sellin’ them in Ponyville.” Carbon said.

“Sounds like a plan, sis.” Apple Bloom nodded, “And then after, Ah can go play with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, right?”
“Yeah, of course.” Carbon said, not really caring about what the filly did. “Just get yer work done first.”

“You got it! Ah’ll have these apples bucked in no time!” Apple Bloom said, rushing off to get started.

Paying the young pony no further attention, Carbon trotted into the barn and found the cart, piling it high with apples and then pulling it out into the open. He set off down the road toward Ponyville, thinking about his situation as he pulled the apple cart along.

Carbon focused on his link with the swarm, trying to get through the shell-shocked haze that the barrier had left in his mind. A few mumbled voices sounded in his head, but he couldn’t make them any clearer no matter how much he focused. Sighing, Carbon continued to walk down the road in silence, resigning himself to merely waiting for his connection to reestablish itself.

“Hey Carbon, you've heard about that new changeling, haven’t you?” A young changeling asked his friend.

“Of courzze I have, Match. Who hazzn’t?” Carbon asked, the hatchling’s voice buzzing as he tried to make an “s” sound. Carbon had always found the tic annoying, having dealt with quite a bit of ridicule for it, so he had begun getting speech therapy from an older drone to try and correct it. Match didn't pay any attention to the buzz, however, which was one of the reasons they were close friends.

“Yeah, but do you know the details?” They say she’s a prodigy that used to live in the hive, and that she’s been living with a pony all this time.” Match told him. “They also say she’s actually friends with that pony! Can you believe it?”

Carbon had heard all this from the rest of the swarm, but he still found the news hard to believe. Changelings didn't become friends with ponies; it just didn't happen. Nonetheless though, he was curious to see this strange changeling for himself. “Where izz szzhe?”

“I think she’s supposed to be here soon. Photo’s showing her around, I’ve heard.” Match said. A wave of affection flowed off the hatchling as he said the other changeling’s name, and Carbon smirked knowingly at his obvious crush.

“You szzhould talk to her. It can’t hurt, you know.” Carbon told him.

The affection quickly turned to embarrassment. “T-Talk to her?! Why?”

“Szzhe already knowzz you like her. Every changeling doezz.” Carbon reminded him. The swarm’s connection made it nearly impossible for any changeling to keep secrets from each other, after all.

“Well, yeah, but… Oh, she’s here!” Match said, quickly changing subjects as the other changeling hatchlings in the room broke into curious chatter and swarmed around the entrance of the nursery chamber.

A young female voice rang out above the noise. “Hey, back off! Don’t you have any manners? She’s still getting used to everything, so give her some space!”

Carbon and Match walked closer as the crowd reluctantly dispersed, revealing a female hatchling and a pink unicorn filly. Carbon stared at the filly, seeing small green flames leap across her pink fur and her white and purple mane and tail, a sign of her true changeling nature. “Izz that her? The pony?”

“Yeah, that’s Double.” Match told him, “Well, they did say she was a bit weird, so I guess this is what they meant.” Catching his words, Photo shot Match a withering glare, causing the other changeling to shrink down in shame.

Carbon looked back at the disguised changeling. She looked absolutely miserable, alternating between staring despairingly down at the ground and shooting hateful glares at any changeling that got too close. The hatchlings were now keeping a good distance away from her, while the nursing drones watching over the hatchlings stared at her with thinly-disguised pity.

Photo led the upset changeling further into the chamber, whispering encouragement to her. The two stopped in front of Carbon and Match, and Photo smiled at the two of them.

“Carbon, Match, this is Double. I’m helping her adjust to the hive.” Photo explained, clearly proud at having such an important job. “Why don’t you introduce yourselves?”

“Oh, um, sure…” Match said. He held out a hoof to Double and said, “I’m Match. I’m in training to be a sentry drone. You’re Double, then?”

The shapeshifted filly looked up and nodded silently, not returning his hoofshake. Carbon could feel the hate rolling off her.

Match gulped audibly and withdrew his hoof, chuckling nervously. Carbon turned to Double and gave an attempt at a friendly smile. “My name izz Carbon. It’zz a pleazzure to meet you.”

A spark of interest flared in the changeling’s dull eyes as she stared at him. After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, she finally spoke. “What’s wrong with your voice?”

Carbon recoiled in shock at the blunt, rude question. His eyes narrowed into a glare, an indignant hiss escaping his mouth. “What kind of quezztion izz that?!”

“Calm down, Carbon, she didn’t mean any harm.” Photo said, looking to Double. “Right, Double?”

Double didn't take her eyes off of Carbon. “No, I meant it.”

Photo facehoofed at the response. Match took a step toward the unicorn-changeling, ready to defend his friend. “Hey, what sour emotion did you choke down this morning-!”

Double’s head whipped around at his voice, her horn suddenly glowing with a bright, dangerous green light. Carbon didn't think twice as he leapt in front of his shocked friend, taking a burst of green fire that sent him flying across the chamber. Photo and Match stared at Double in horror, backing away as several rocks were ripped out of the ground, floating threateningly around the hatchling. Tears gathered in her eyes as she glared at nothing, eyes focused on something that wasn't there.

“I didn't want this. I didn't want to come here, away from my friend and my family. I didn't want to be with any of you!” Double screamed. The mad changeling’s horn glowed even brighter, and the rocks shot into the air, falling down and slamming into the ground like meteors. Changelings screamed and flew toward the cavern exit in panic as the rocks rained down around the chamber. “I don’t want to be here! I want to go HOME!”

Carbon stared through bleary eyes, watching as Double shouted out her rage, her magic reaching blinding levels of brightness. Two nursing drones flew in and landed on either side of her, their horns beginning to glow. Eventually, Double’s cries died down and the light faded as her magic exertion took its toll, and the changeling collapsed to the ground as the magic of the two older changelings lulled her to sleep. One came closer and picked up the sleeping hatchling, giving a sad look to the other before she turned and flew out of the chamber.

The other one turned to Photo and Match, who had not left the chamber with all the other hatchlings, and shooed them out as well. She turned and walked over to Carbon, picking up the injured changeling and carrying him away toward the infirmary chamber. “That was very brave of you, Carbon. Just relax now; everything’s going to be just fine.”

Carbon growled in anger as he pushed the memory away. Everything’s going to be just fine….Hah! It had never gotten better; things had only gotten worse. That wretched, empathy-sick changeling was an insane menace to the swarm, and Queen Chrysalis had saw fit to not only make her a general, but eventually the High-General, second-in-command of the entire swarm!

Breaking out of his thoughts, Carbon looked up in relief to see the shops and homes of Ponyville in front of him. The changeling general pulled his apple cart with renewed strength as he looked around, seeing a few ponies here and there with small flames clinging to their coats. A couple of those disguised changelings made eye contact with him, breaking into smiles before adorning confused looks at being unable to hear his thoughts.

“General Carbon?” A soft whisper reached Carbon’s ears, and he turned to see a changeling disguised as a blue unicorn with a blue and white mane and an hourglass cutie mark. He grinned at the mare, recognizing her changeling signature.

“Morph! It’s good to see you again.” Carbon said in a low tone so no ponies would overhear. Morph was a changeling who had replaced the unicorn Minuette after she had been captured by the swarm months before. She was also one of his most loyal and trusted followers.

“Call me Minuette while we’re here, General.” Morph whispered, smirking mischievously. “Or should I say, Applejack? Where is she, anyway?”

“Cocooned in an old apple cellar.” Carbon whispered back. “Nopony’s finding her. Speaking of which, I’ll need someone to reinforce the chrysalis so she doesn't get out.”

“I’ll find some changeling to do that, you can count on me.” Morph said. She took a few steps forward, lifting a hoof to point at a house. “Why don’t you come in? We can talk in there.”

Carbon nodded and followed after her, unhooking himself from the apple cart and leaving it near the door. He briefly worried about not having any pony to attend to the cart, but he quickly brushed the worry aside, as the cart and its contents meant nothing to him, personally. He followed Morph inside the house, seating himself down at the dining table while Morph collected some cookies onto a plate. As changelings, neither of them had any real use for pony food, but Morph seemed to enjoy making them nonetheless.

Morph gently set the plate down on the table with her telekinesis and took a seat across from Carbon. Her smile suddenly fell into a frown, and an aura of intense anger radiated from the changeling. Carbon just barely managed to avoid flinching under her glare.

“General, forgive my disrespect, but the swarm must have answers. What. Happened?” Morph growled.

Carbon maintained a neutral face, calmly reaching for a cookie and taking a bite out of it. “You tell me, soldier. What do you know already?”

Morph’s eyes narrowed further. “All we know is that three days ago, our connection with the entire invasion force was suddenly cut off. That connection has just now begun rebuilding itself.”

“Three days?!” Carbon yelled in shock, horrified that his crash had been bad enough to render him unconscious for so long.

“Yes, three days.” Morph repeated, “And not a day after the link was cut, we’d begun receiving news that the changeling invasion of Canterlot was foiled. Every town is now on high alert for disguised changelings, and paranoia is running rampant. Changelings all across Equestria are being discovered and imprisoned by Celestia’s guards. How did this happen? How did the invasion fail?”

“…You said the connection has begun to reestablish itself, correct?” Carbon asked. Morph nodded in confirmation. “Can you help reestablish my link with the swarm?”

Morph nodded again. “Yeah, I can. I've actually been helping changelings who had stumbled into Ponyville after the invasion, but none of them had a very clear recollection of the invasion’s events. Do you know what happened?”

“Yes, I remember.” Carbon said, “But it’ll be easier for me to show you than to tell you.”

“Of course, General. Hold still, then.” Morph leapt up onto the table, shoving her plate of cookies aside as she walked over to Carbon and placed her horn to his forehead. Her horn glowed with green light, and Carbon felt her magic run through his skull. Slowly but surely, the muffling haze in his mind cleared and the voices of his siblings rang out loud and clear in his head. A familiar giggle rose up above the voices, and a jolt of fear and anger ran through Carbon’s body.

Morph drew her horn away in shock at the sudden rush of emotion, and as soon as she did, Carbon reverted back to his changeling form, his horn glowing. A wave of green light suddenly burst forth and spread out around him, engulfing the entire town and disappearing as quickly as it had come. Morph stared blankly at the general, but her expression changed to horror as realization dawned on her.

“The swarm…” Morph gasped, “General, what did you do?”

“Relax, Morph. I didn’t do anything too drastic.” Carbon said, changing back to his Applejack form. “I merely cut off the changelings in Ponyville from the rest of the swarm. This should keep her from listening in on our plans.”

“Her?” Morph repeated, “…Oh, you mean High-General Double.”

Carbon nodded. Morph was one of the large numbers of changelings that did not approve of Double being the High-General, so he knew he could count on her to understand his reasoning for cutting them off from the swarm.

A look of confusion crossed Morph’s face. “Wait, plans? What plans? What are you-”

“Patience, Morph. Our soldiers need to hear this as well.” Carbon’s mental voice went off in her head. Carbon looked up at the ceiling, his eyes glowing softly. “Attention, all changelings in the Ponyville area. This is General Carbon. Can you hear me?”

A chorus of confused voices met his question, changelings demanding to know why their connection had been restricted so suddenly. The general frowned and sent a burst of stern, commanding emotion through the link, quieting their words beneath his will. “That’s better. Now, if I’m reading the situation correctly, we’re all in a rather tough spot, aren’t we?”

The confusion remained, though several changelings voiced confirmation of his assumption. Soon though, thoughts of fear and panic began to break out amongst the hive mind as they all tried to inform Carbon of their troubles.

“The invasion failed!”

“The ponies are getting suspicious! It’s getting harder and harder to keep our cover!”

“Queen Chrysalis is gone! No changeling’s heard from her since the invasion! What if she’s-”

“SILENCE!” Carbon shouted mentally, his thoughts so loud and forceful that Morph and the other changelings cringed and cowered before him. The hysteric voices died down, and Carbon waited to make sure there would be no further interruptions. “I’m well aware of your concerns, and believe me, I intend to address them. Now, you’re all certain that Queen Chrysalis is missing?”

“Y-Yes, General. No changelings heard from her since the invasion failed.” Morph spoke up, “You were there, so perhaps you know?”

Several changelings echoed her desire for knowledge of their queen’s whereabouts. Carbon sighed and focused on his memories of the invasion, revealing them to the fraction of the swarm within Ponyville. “Those two ponies, the one Queen Chrysalis had tried to replace and the captain of the guard, they repelled the invasion with a powerful barrier spell. Queen Chrysalis was at the center of it.”

Shocked gasps rang out in his head. Morph looked at the general, fear clear in her eyes at the possibility none of them wanted to believe. “Does… does that mean…”

Carbon thought back to the fragmented words he had heard through the link shortly before regaining full consciousness, and a somber silence fell over the changelings. “…Yes, I believe so. It is…. highly unlikely Queen Chrysalis survived that attack.”

The silence persisted, and Carbon could feel the changelings’ fear and anxiety. They had no reason to doubt the truthfulness of Carbon’s words, as he was the only general to participate in the invasion, and they feared for the swarm’s future without their Queen to lead them as she had since the first generation over a thousand years ago. One timid voice suddenly rose up to address Carbon. “But, if Queen Chrysalis is dead, then doesn’t command of the swarm fall to-!”

“NO!” Carbon shouted, both mentally and out loud, startling the changelings back into silence. “High-General Double is not fit to lead the swarm in troubled times such as now! She cannot be looked to for proper leadership!”

The majority of the changelings present found themselves agreeing with the general. High-General Double was a brilliant and powerful strategist, but she was also secretive, childish, and something about her was just off enough that most changelings found themselves doubting whether or not she could be trusted to look out for the swarm’s best interest. Nevertheless, Carbon knew that some of the changelings within Ponyville would support Double, and right now, he needed them on his side, not hers.

“…I will lead the swarm.” Carbon declared. A cacophony of shock and doubt rose from his soldiers, and Carbon quieted them again with another show of willful force. “Portrait, Switcher; none of the other generals are fit to lead the swarm in the aftermath of this disaster. I will lead us to victory. We shall have our revenge upon the ponies that defeated us.”

His confidence served to encourage the other changelings. General Carbon was by far the most capable and commanding of the changeling generals, and when Queen Chrysalis chose the new High-General in the wake of the previous one’s death a few years back, the majority of the swarm was certain that Carbon would be chosen. Chrysalis choosing General Double instead came as a shock to all of them.

“Revenge? But what can we do?” Morph asked, “Without Queen Chrysalis, how can we possibly stand up to Celestia and Luna? Or the Elements of Harmony?”

Carbon grinned smugly at her question. “Come now Morph, have you forgotten what we are? We’re changelings: masters of deception and secrecy. We’ll do what we've always done; infiltrate and destroy our enemies from the inside, leaving them none the wiser to what’s happening before it’s too late.”

Morph’s eyes lit up as it all clicked in her mind. “Of course, we can kidnap ponies, hold them hostage. And the Elements of Harmony, they live here in Ponyville; you've already taken care of Applejack!”

Carbon nodded, and the other changelings began chattering excitedly amongst themselves as they quickly grasped the basis of their plan. “Exactly. The princesses can’t directly attack us without putting their subjects in harm’s way. At the very least, we’ll be able to make a deal with them that should prove beneficial to the swarm.”

The same soft voice from earlier broke through the crowd to speak to Carbon. “But, what about High-General Double? Will she approve of this?”

Carbon snorted in exasperation, his anger obvious. “Of course she won’t. That love-spoiled changeling won’t do anything unless she has the Queen’s permission.”

“But, then how will we-”

“We’ll just carry out our plan before she can do anything about it. No doubt she’ll grow suspicious about Ponyville being cut off from the swarm, but she also has to maintain order in the hive and deal with the changelings all across Equestria.” Carbon explained, “I’d say we’ll have a month before she takes any sort of action, and that’s more than enough time for us to take over Ponyville.”

Carbon turned to look at Morph. “Morph, begin acquiring knowledge of Ponyville’s security. I want this town defenseless by the time we attack.”

“As you command, General!” Morph saluted, “What about the Elements, though? From what I learned of the invasion, they’re by far the most serious threat to our plans.”

“Just leave the Elements of Harmony to me.” Carbon said, tugging at his hat. “Good ol’ Applejack will take care of them.”

Morph laughed softly, and Carbon turned his thoughts to address his soldiers. “Changelings, begin infiltration of Ponyville! We invade in three weeks’ time!”

The changelings burst into mental cheers, cries of “For the Swarm!” resonating in Carbon’s mind. The general trotted toward the door, stopping to look back at Morph and smile.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, Minuette, I have some apples to sell.”

“Stop worrying, Carbon.” Match said, circling the changeling and inspecting his armor for any chinks or weaknesses. “You’ll do fine. You defeated all those other contenders, after all.”

“You know this isn't the same.” Carbon muttered, “This is the final round. The changeling I go up against will have defeated all of their opponents as well. And besides, you know who also joined up…”

“What? Double?” Match asked, “You can take her. You’re better trained than she is, and honestly, that changeling is a total nut.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.” Carbon growled.

Match rolled his eyes and put up an encouraging smile. “Ah, lighten up, Carbon. You don’t even know if she will be your opponent; for all we know, some other changeling already took her out. Just get out there and win that general position!”

Carbon sighed and steeled himself for the coming battle. In the wake of General Clone’s death, Queen Chrysalis sought out a new general for her Council through a tradition almost as old as the Queen herself: the General’s Game, a competition in which changelings fought against each other for the honor of becoming one of the Queen’s six generals. Carbon had fought his way handily through his opponents to the final round, and now only his final opponent stood between him and his goal.
The low sound of a bell rang out through the hive, signaling the beginning of the final round in the General’s Game. Carbon turned to Match, who nodded back. “Time to go.”

The two changelings took to the air and flew out of the chamber, travelling down the empty, winding tunnels to arrive in an enormous chamber arranged like a stadium, with thousands of changelings assembled in the stands to watch the match. Down on the battlefield, Carbon could see two changelings waiting; his opponent and the sponsor who supported them in the competition. As Carbon and Match drew nearer, the cheers of the spectators grew louder, though the noise was purely physical; Carbon’s mind was clear of all thoughts but his own. This was a precaution set up by Queen Chrysalis herself whenever two changelings fought, in order to ensure that they did not take advantage of the swarm’s link in their battle.

Landing down on the field, Carbon looked up to take a look at his opponent. Even though he expected it, he couldn't help feeling a jolt of surprise at seeing Double sitting down at the opposite end of the stadium, wearing a set of armor custom-made to fit her smaller frame and with Photo at her side. Carbon always wondered how Photo could possibly care for the unstable prodigy as much as she did. True, Double’s attitude toward her siblings had improved significantly over the years, but her pony-like thoughts were still all but incomprehensible to most changelings, and Carbon knew that her cheerful, friendly attitude was just a mask for something else, even if he wasn't sure what exactly.

The roaring cheer suddenly grew louder, and Match’s voice snapped Carbon out of his thoughts. “Carbon! Queen Chrysalis is here!”

Carbon tore his eyes away from Double and Photo to look up at the highest spectator stand. Queen Chrysalis hovered down to the stand, gently landing and walking to the edge to look down at her subjects. She raised a hoof for silence, and the cheering instantly died down, the changelings waiting eagerly for their Queen’s words. Chrysalis smiled benevolently down at them before speaking, her horn glowing as she cast a spell to project her voice throughout the cavernous chamber.

“My beloved subjects, the moment you’ve all been waiting for has arrived!” Chrysalis spoke out, “Welcome to the final round of the General’s Game!”

The swarm broke out into cheers once more, and Chrysalis held up her hoof to silence them again. “Know this, that the winner of this battle will receive the honor of becoming one of my esteemed generals and a member of my Council. And the two changelings fighting for this honor? None other than sentry drone #137, Carbon, and nursing drone #563, Double!”

The cacophony of sound rose up once more, though Carbon couldn't help feeling the slightest hint of embarrassment at his Queen’s description of him and Double. No drone had any designation higher than a number and a name, but it still felt underwhelming coming from the Queen herself. Carbon brushed those thoughts aside, though; once he became general, he would have a much more imposing title by which he would be addressed by.

“Will the competitors please meet in the center of the field.” Chrysalis ordered.

Match and Photo smiled encouragingly at their friends before retreating to the stands to watch the battle. Carbon and Double trotted to meet each other at the center of the stadium, holding out their hooves to each other as a sign of good sportsmanship.

“May the best changeling win.” Carbon said as they shook hooves.

Double gave him a sugary sweet grin as she responded, “Don’t worry, I intend to.”

Put off by the arrogant response, Carbon broke off the hoofshake and glared at the smaller changeling, who just giggled softly at his anger. The two separated and returned to their positions on opposite ends of the field.

“Now, remember the rules.” Queen Chrysalis continued after the cheers grew quiet, “No outside help from your sponsors, and no killing. Everything else is fair game. Begin!”

Double wasted no time in attacking. As soon as the order left Queen Chrysalis’s mouth, the smaller changeling’s horn glowed brightly before unleashing a powerful burst of magic in Carbon’s direction. Carbon’s wings began buzzing furiously, and he leapt out of the way as the blast sailed past and crashed into the wall behind him. Undeterred, Double continued to fire burst after burst of energy at her opponent, and Carbon continued to dodge each one of them. Finally, Carbon stopped and turned, firing a blast from his own horn at an oncoming beam. The two attacks collided and held for a split second before exploding in a flash of blinding light, covering both changelings in thick smoke.

Carbon burst out of the cloud of smoke, emerging back into open space as the smoke covering Double was blown away by a bubble of energy. Carbon shot down toward the now-exposed changeling, who stared up at him in shock for the precious few seconds he needed to reach her…

…and to shoot straight through her. The shocked changeling crashed into the ground, his opponent vanishing like mist. As Carbon tried to recover, Double faded into view above him, her horn glowing as she grinned maliciously down at him. Carbon saw her at the last second and tried to leap out of the way, and Double’s attack struck the ground right underneath Carbon, blowing the changeling across the field. The changelings in the crowd that supported Double cheered loudly for her successful gambit.

“Tch, an illusion. Should have known.” Carbon muttered, quickly getting back to his hooves. Double wasn't one to engage in direct, clean combat; she always had something up her proverbial sleeve. Another beam of magic prompted Carbon to summon up a shield to reflect the attack back at Double, who simply rolled out of the way and shot toward him.

Carbon reared up to meet the charging changeling, only for Double to teleport at the last moment. A flash of light behind him signaled Double’s appearance, and Carbon resurrected his shield just as Double brought her glowing horn down to meet it. The magic from her horn collided with the shield, shattering it and blasting Double across the stadium. The changelings supporting Carbon applauded, and Carbon wasted no time in taking off toward the downed changeling.

Double recovered just before Carbon could bring his hooves crashing down on her, twisting her body so that his hooves struck rock instead. Double teleported a short distance away to give herself time to get back to her feet, and Carbon teleported to meet her. The two engaged themselves in a sort of close combat fight, Carbon throwing powerful strikes of his hooves while Double nimbly avoided each attack. She made no effort to fight back; being both smaller and younger than Carbon, she was no match for the stronger changeling in a straight hooffight, and they both knew it.

Slowly but surely, Carbon forced Double back toward the walls of the stadium, his hooves flying too quickly for her to concentrate on her magic and dodge at the same time. Eventually, Double’s back pressed up against the wall, and the changeling froze in fear. Carbon smirked triumphantly as he raised his hooves for a final strike, but just before he could land the blow, Double lashed out with a quick, weak jab to his right backleg. The hit didn't even manage to knock Carbon down, but it threw him off balance just long enough for Double to bring up a shield to block his own attack. When his hooves made contact with the glowing barrier, Double grinned and pumped a burst of magic into the shield, blowing it outward and tossing Carbon all the way to the other end of the field. He hit the ground hard, but quickly recovered and picked himself back up.

Carbon held his ground and watched for Double’s next move. Across the field, his opponent was staring at him and muttering words that were drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Her eyes were wide and seemed to hold the slightest bit of…was that fear? Carbon didn’t have time to dwell on it, however, because Double was now glaring at him with new determination. She crouched down, still muttering under her breath, and her horn glowed brightly with magic. Carbon tensed up, preparing himself for another teleportation spell or another blast of magic from the changeling before him.

So when a small green spark flew from Double’s horn into the air instead, Carbon was understandably caught off guard. Watching it, he began to wonder if Double was mocking him, but that opinion soon changed when the spark exploded, releasing a ring of green energy and five enormous fireballs. The fiery stars rained down around Carbon, the first striking the ground beside him and exploding in a deafening burst of magic. Carbon snapped out of his shock, and kicked his wings into motion, wildly and narrowly dodging each blast that came toward him.

The last of the five fireballs, however, hung in the air and fell more slowly than the others, as though tracking him. A quick glance at Double, whose horn has glowing and whose eyes were focused intently on the spell, confirmed his suspicions. Carbon quickly realized that he wasn't going to be able to dodge the falling star of magic, and while the rules prevented Double from killing him, Carbon knew that the fireball would crush any barrier and take him out for good no matter what. Hissing in frustration, he looked back toward Double and suddenly came up with an idea. Carbon came to an abrupt halt, landing on the ground. His own horn glowed, and Double was surrounded in a green glow. Caught off guard, the smaller changeling’s concentration broke as she was dragged over to Carbon. He reared up and pinned Double to the ground, looking up at the fireball shooting toward them.

“What are you doing?!” Double shrieked, “My Starlight Rain will take us both out!”

Carbon briefly considered commenting on the name of the attack, but quickly decided against it. He smirked triumphantly at the scared changeling. “That’s the plan.”

Then the star crashed down on them both, exploding and filling the arena with light and smoke as the crowd fell silent.

---

Carbon slowly opened his eyes, his head throbbing and his vision blurry. He was suspended in a glowing green liquid within a large chrysalis, though its magical properties ensured that he had no trouble breathing. Outside the cocoon, he was dimly aware of a few voices around him, which soon became clear as his mind returned to full consciousness.

“…C..bon…Carbon…hear me?” The familiar-sounding voice said, “Carbon, can you hear me?”

Carbon gave a small nod of acknowledgement, turning his gaze to see Match peering at him from outside. The other changeling broke into a smile upon seeing that his friend was okay.

“It’s okay, Carbon, no need to panic or anything. You’re in the infirmary chamber, inside a healing chrysalis.” Match explained, “That was a pretty nasty battle, but you’re all healed up now, so they should let you out now that you’re awake. Double’s already out; you took that hit worse than she did.”

Carbon looked away from Match to the side of his chrysalis, seeing Double, now out of her armor, with Photo beside her. Photo was smiling and speaking to Double, and Double was cheerfully responding, though she frequently looked aside to glare at Carbon. Carbon hissed in annoyance, but the cocoon prevented any sound from escaping.

Match was right, though, and within minutes, two nursing drones had entered the chamber and used their magic to split open the chrysalis. Carbon fell out, heavily breathing in real air and drenched in the healing liquid. As soon as the two drones finished drying him off, Match trotted up to him and smiled.

“Good to see you’ve recovered well enough.” Match said, “That attack looked downright vicious.”

“Yeah…” Carbon muttered, trying not to remember the feeling of scorching magic running over his body. “How long were we out?”

“Several hours, but it’s no big deal. It’s about nighttime, but it’s still the same day, if that’s what you mean.” Match explained, “Now c’mon, Carbon! Now that you’re both awake, Queen Chrysalis is going to announce the winner of the General’s Game!”

“Winner?” Carbon repeated, “But, we tied, didn't we? We were both knocked out at the same time.”

“Maybe, but there hasn't been a tie in the General’s Game in centuries.” Match said, “So it’s up to Queen Chrysalis to decide. Now let's go; we don't want to keep her waiting!”

Carbon nodded and followed Match to the entrance, Double and Photo trailing closely behind. The four changelings took to the air and traveled the short distance back to the stadium, where Queen Chrysalis and most of the hive were waiting. The changelings landed at the center of the field and stood at attention before their queen. Chrysalis smiled down at them and began speaking.

“My beloved subjects, we've had quite the turn of events today.” Chrysalis said, her voice magically amplified. “For the first time in centuries, the final match of the General’s Game has ended in a tie!”

The swarm gasped dramatically, eagerly awaiting the Queen’s decision. Carbon and Double looked at each other and glared, simultaneously turning away and looking back at Chrysalis.

“Now, as established law states, in the event of a tie, the Changeling Queen will determine the changeling to become her new general.” Chrysalis went on, “And I am pleased to say that I have made my decision.”

Every changeling was silent, waiting with bated breath. Carbon suppressed his nervousness as the moment of truth drew nearer. Would Queen Chrysalis choose him? True, it was Double’s attack that took them out, but surely the Queen would recognize that he was better suited for the role? He drew in a deep breath as he looked up at Chrysalis for her decision.

“The changeling who will become my new general…” Chrysalis said, pausing for dramatic effect, “Is…”

The changelings waited with both excitement and anxiety, Carbon and Double most of all. However, a twinge of suspicion and confusion rose up in Carbon as he saw a mischievous smile suddenly spread across the changeling queen’s face.

“…Both of you.” Queen Chrysalis finished.

Just three simple words, and the chamber exploded. Changelings cried out in shock and anger, and Carbon and Double were both frozen in shocked incomprehension of their queen’s declaration. “What…” They both breathed simultaneously.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and held up her hoof once more, but when the swarm failed to fall silent, her patience faded quickly. Her horn glowed, and she sent out a burst of magic that shook the chamber, scaring her subjects into submissiveness. The queen put on a strained smile as she looked down at her two generals.

“Yes, after careful consideration, I have decided to make you both my generals.” Chrysalis said, “Double possesses immense power and creativity. Carbon possesses great determination and adaptability. All are traits I look for in my generals, and I have decided that the swarm will benefit from having you both in my Council.”

Carbon stared up at his Queen, struck speechless by her decree. Double was the first to snap out of her trance and speak, “T-Thank you, Queen Chrysalis! I promise I won’t disappoint you!”

Carbon snapped back to reality and bowed, trying to maintain his composure. “As will I, my Queen. You will not regret this decision.”

“I’ll hold you to those words…” Chrysalis said. She turned and looked back towards the crowd of changelings. “You are all dismissed! Return to your duties immediately!”

“Yes, Queen Chrysalis!” The swarm said in unison, the changelings dispersing and flying out of the chamber. As they left, Carbon walked over to Double, who watched him with a cautious stare.

“Well, it seems we’ll be working together now.” Carbon said, feeling uncomfortable with talking to the changeling who made no effort in hiding that she hated his guts. “That was a good game, Double.”

“Was?” Double repeated, blinking in surprise. “Why, the game’s barely started, General.”

Carbon blinked in confusion. “What?”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Double said, eyes glinting with madness. “You’re trying to take my position, you’re trying to keep me from gaining the Queen’s favor, you’re trying to keep me away from her. Well, I won’t let that happen. The Generals’ Game has just begun, and believe me, this is one game you won’t win.”

With that, Double turned and flew off, and Photo gave Carbon an apologetic look before flying after her. Match put a hoof on the new general’s back, startling him out of his dumbstruck state. “Come on, let’s go find Queen Chrysalis. I think she forgot to take off the spell blocking your mind from the swarm.”

Carbon nodded and followed after his friend, doing his best to focus as Match congratulated him on becoming a general. He smiled and spoke enough to satisfy Match, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Double’s hateful promise out of his mind.

“The Generals’ Game has just begun…”