Armor for two

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6 (rewritten)
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 9

Chapter 1

It was a little past midnight when Cadence woke up from her sleep with an alarmed look on her face: she had heard a light noise, like a whistle.
She reached her night stand and took the crystal lamp, the she flicked it on with her magic, only to find herself face to face with a pony-shaped insect-like creature.
The changeling, not wasting a second, put her forehooves on the alicorn muzzle in order to prevent her cries.

"I know very well what you are thinking and it's wrong," said Chrysalis fixing her eyes in the pink mare's "Now, before you unleash your magic and turn me into a stain on the wall, think a second: why do I have come alone while not standing a chance against you? Because I want to talk, just talk; I do intend you no physical harm. Now I'll release you if you promise me not to scream, ok?"

Cadence nodded and was released.

"You said you wanted to talk, so what is it?" asked Cadence still trying to figure out why she hadn't summoned the guards.

"It's about the wedding: we have a very little problem..." explained her tapping her forehooves together.
Then she looked around, in search of something.

The room was pretty wide and clean, mostly occupied by the huge bed; ther were a wall sized dresser on the far side of the room, two nightstands on the sides of the bed and a small bookcase near the door. Everything was in light shades of white and blue.
Only one thing was missing: Shining Armor.

"Where's your husband?" asked Chrysalis.

"Well, he insisted on training the guards on person, so now he is out with the night patrol," sighed Cadence "Why?"

"It would have been better having both of you, well, whatever, the problem is that my marriage with him is, technically speaking, valid," explained the changeling with a whisper that would have made anypony think that she was Fluttershy disguised.

The pink mare rised a hoof and pointed it towards her guest, then to herself, only to pass out a second later.

"Well, at least she didn't scream," said the changeling queen sitting on the bed.

It was almost two in the morning when a scroll appeared in Celestia's room in a cloud of smoke and fell on her head.
Startled, she jumped up hugging her life sized Luna plush, a bit weary after a thousand years but still in good shape, and babbled something about explaining why the cookies had vanished.
She then took notice that she was alone, and then of the letter.

"I just hope this is not Twilight telling me about her 'adventures' at the night club again..." she mumbled opening the scroll with her magic.

Dear aunt Celestia,
I have a huge problem caused by equestrian law and I was hoping for you advice: -that damn insect- queen Chrysalis has come here claiming that she is legally married with my Shiny!
What should I do? Please answer soon.
Your niece,
Cadence.

"Oh, I guess this is just the kind of problem that my advisor foresaw when I approved that law on polygamy half a millennium ago..." she said while trying to stifle her impulse to laugh.

Chrysalis and Cadence were sitting on the bed while waiting for Celestia's answer.

"I just realized a thing," said the alicorn "If you're married with Shiny, who's married with me, it makes you queen of the crystal ponies too!"

"Yeah, and it also forces me to live here... Leaving at the hive our poor children."

"Did you just say our?"

"Yes: as the marriage makes me queen here, it makes you two king and queen of the changeling as well."

At those words, Cadence face was twisted by horror as she jumped at Chrysalis feet begging: "Please, tell me that I wont start laying eggs!"

"What?!" asked her with a stupefied expression.

"I mean, doesn't the queen of changelings lay eggs?"

"Do I look like a ant? Well, maybe a bit, but I don't lay eggs! Changelings are born from cocoons!"

"But you always say that changelins are your children!"

"When you are born to rule a dying kingdom you feel like a mother with starving children..." she explained as tears started forming in her eyes.

Now, Cadence was loved by the xenophobic crystal ponies for her incredible kindness, the same that pushed back her aversion for the insect-like creature sitting near her and that pushed the alicorn into hugging the changeling.
Queen Chrysalis, used to feeding on love but not to feeling it was dumbstruck: was that pony hugging her for real? Was that love?

In that moment, a letter popped out of a smoke cloud, only to fall at their hooves.

Dear Cadence,
I'm confident that you understand the difficult situation in which Equestria is right now, with the changeling fear spreading and the civil war in the Griffin-Minotaur Empire aggravating, so I encourage you to try understanding your new sister-in-law and her kind.
I also take this opportunity to inform you that the dragon flame mail service will be out of order for a week.
Your faithful,
Princess Celestia.

"Is she sure that we are sisters-in-law?" asked Chrysalis scratching the back of her head.

Cadence simply passed out.

Still tired for the sleep she had lost, the alicorn rose up from the bed and sat, looking around. It was early in the morning, and the sun was raising up.
She hugged the pony sleeping under the blankets near her, finding her husband a bit too hard and skinny.

"Honey, you have to stop wearing yourself out like this: you're losing to much weight," she said.

"I'm quite sure you're not really concerned with my well being," sighed 'honey' with a raspy, double-toned voice "And please, don't scream."

"Chrysalis! What are you doing there?!"

"Sleeping."

"I mean: what are you STILL doing here?"

"And where else should I go? Law forces me to stay in the Crystal Empire!" she protested raising up.

In that moment, somepony tried to open the door.

"Disguise yourself!" whispered the alicorn.

"Cadence, are you in there? Why is the door locked?" asked Shining Armor knocking at the door.

"I'm here dear, what's with the commotion?" asked her opening the door.

"I'm glad to hear that: yesterday evening a changeling breached my barrier," he said entering the room; he stopped noticing her wife wasn't alone "Who are you?"

"My name is Green Cloud and I'm an old friend of your wife, your majesty," answered the intruder with a deep bow.

Chrysalis had turned herself into a black coated, green eyed pegasus with the same green mane she had in her normal appearance. She had a set of three white clouds as cutie mark.
She was, of course, sparkling like anypony else in the Empire.

"Are you sure she is who she says?" he asked to the pink mare, still glaring at the guest.

"O-of course she is!" she was sweating bullets.

"Very well, but next time a friend of yours comes to pay a visit, let me know beforehand. Of course you're welcome, Green Cloud, and I'm sorry for suspecting you."

"No offence taken, your majesty," she said with a courteous smile.

Chapter 2

"Why are we going into the library?" complained 'Green Cloud' as they paced through the palace corridors.

"To find a solution to our problem, did you forget already?" answered Cadence slightly annoyed.

"I know why we're doing this, I mean why don't we simply ask to that egghead of our sister-in-law?"

"Twilight isn't- ok, maybe a bit, but I'd like to keep this story from spreading further, and moreover she's perfecting the spell to unmask the changelings... Do you really want her around?"

"You make a point," sighed the pegasus as they reached their destination.

The castle private library was huge, nothing comparable to the public one or the Canterlot one, but still impressive. At the very center of the bookshelves-filled room stood a tall statue of an armor clad unicorn with an evil grin and a fierce look.
A smilingly infinite quantity of books covered in dust was sitting on the bookshelves. Chrysalis felt a bit of discomfort while looking around.

"You can remove the disguise, if you want: nopony comes around here apart from me and my husband," explained Cadence in a sad tone.

"Why? Crystal ponies don't like to read?" joked 'Green Cloud' before being engulfed by green flames.

The alicorn pointed towards the statue and said: "That's king Sombra, previous ruler of the Empire, one of the worst beings in the whole Equestrian history and a tyrant; it's no wonder they feel unnerved around that ugly thing."

The changeling noticed that he was standing on a square base sustained by a great number of small ponies, most barely standing but some completely crushed.

"Why don't you simply destroy that thing?" she asked.

"He was a sly fox: many of those books are linked by magic to that statue, so that they have to be close by... And that they share the same fate." said Cadence with a sigh.

They reached the law section and started searching for useful information.

"Say, how is it that the air is filled with love in this city?" asked Chrysalis while staring a black horn-shaped tablet.

This was known as the slate of king Amur Habir, great great grandfather of king Sombra, first to write down the laws in the Empire history; those are surprisingly impartial, punishing very harshly every crime and everypony following the principle of 'an eye for an eye'.

"The crystal heart, which projects the huge barrier that keeps the Empire safe, works using love infused magic. It's also the reason why everything around here sparkles."

"You're telling me that your main defense is pouring out love? That's incredible! How do I get one of those? This could easily solve every problem of my kingdom!" exclaimed Chrysalis as happy as a little filly on Heart Warming Day.

"I fear it wont help: it's also powered by the love every crystal pony give it on the Crystal Fair Day," explained Cadence in a very sad tone "I'm sorry."

"Well, I guess hoping it was an unlimited love generator was a bit too much," sighed the other hanging her head.

They resumed the search, occasionally pointing out a useful edict or a bizarre law, like the one preventing mares in the Empire from having intimate relationships with hedgehogs.
Eventually, around lunch time, they left the dusty library without having accomplished anything.

The room, like the rest of the hive, had black walls made of chitin with holes oozing green liquid every couple of meters; it was round in shape, with a range of five meters, with one light blue orb in the middle, pouring it's gleam over the darkened room.

"Your predecessor has gone missing, so we made you in order to give our kind a proper substitute. Do you understand your task?" asked an emotionless male voice coming from the orb.

"Yes father," said the changeling filly sitting in front of it.

She looked like a mini-Chrysalis, but all the green parts were colored like cinder, while her voice was less raspy and more high pitched than the changeling queen's.

"You are born perfected to lead the changelings as their new queen, and you will do better than your predecessor. We shall name you Ashley, because every queen has a name."

"Thank you father," answered the filly with another bow.

"Then, queen Ashley, what will be your first decree?"

"I summon the council and the generals, now!" ordered her with a scowl.

"They are coming here. Why do you need them?"

"Chrysalis was weak. I'll show the changelings that they can rely on their queen by giving them the one thing they want and need: love! We cannot expect the equestrians to love us, not after the mess that foal made at the wedding, we have to get it by force!"

Part of the wall opened in front of her, letting a small number of changelings enter. They bowed in respect.

"You summoned us, father of our kind?" asked one of them.

"Yes my children. This filly here is your new queen, her name is Ashley," droned the orb "She needs your help to give our kind its due."

"We're born to serve your will, queen Ashley," the group said in unison, bowing again.

"Excellent" said her with a triumphant grin while buzzing her little wings.

The lunch, in the alicorn's plan, should have been a moment to relax and replenish the energies they spent searching the library, but she had forgotten a certain particular. They were still walking down the corridor towards the dining room, when a voice diverted their attention from the chat they were having.

"Cadence!" shouted an overjoyed lavender mare trotting towards her, ending the charge with a tight hug.

"T-Twilight?" asked Cadence in confusion.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" asked the unicorn, her eyes starting to water.

"Of course I am, Twi, I simply didn't expect to see you here this soon again," replied the pink mare hugging her back and preventing the waterworks.

"Don't you remember the letter, sweetheart?" asked Shining Armor, who had been sitting nearby the entire time; a trace of tension lingered in his voice.

"Which one? We read an awful lot every evening!" lamented Cadence, before asking Twilight "Wait, you're here for the statue in the library right? Aunt Celestia said something about sending a expert... Who, of course, would be you, my magical filly."

"You promised never to call me this again!" protested a blushing Twilight.

They laughed together.
When the giggles subsided, the lavender unicorn noticed the pegasus, who had remained silent for the whole time, fixing her glaze on the one mare that ruined her plan.

"Oh, I didn't notice you, I'm so sorry."

"Don't sweat it, dear. My name is Green Cloud and I'm an old friend of Cadence" said Chrysalis forcing a smile that resulted quite convincing "And you must be Twilight Sparkle, I presume. I heard a lot about you..."

Twilight blushed again.

"I see you girls are enjoying yourselves and I hate to butt in, but lunch is ready," stated Shining Armor with a grin and a mocking tone.

The four of them reached the dining room where Spike was already sitting.
It was a long room with three high windows on one side and three big tapestries presenting scenes of the Hearth Warming Day legend. They sat at a long table made of white crystal, dressed with a red tablecloth and surrounded by red velvety cushions.
After the due introductions, they started eating their meal, which ended about an hour later without any other event worthy of notice.

Author's Note

First of all I would like to thank you all who red this story, who liked it, who faved and or rated it: THANK YOU, you gave me a great joy.

Now, for the news, I'll try to keep the new chapter release rate to once a week at least.

Thanks again

Chapter 3

Twilight Sparkle sat half exhausted in front of king Sombra's statue.

"Maybe I should try to sever the links with the books while I pierce the shield protecting the statue?" she said panting and frowning.

"Or maybe you should just take a break?" suggested Spike, who was sitting on a nearby pile of books.

"I think the little dragon is right, miss Sparkle," said 'Green Cloud' from the top of a bookshelf, where she was reading a scroll.

Cadence, due to her position as queen of the Empire, was currently unable to join the search for useful laws or edicts.

Twilight fixed her gaze on her, thinking back at the discussion she had with her brother after lunch.

"Twi, can we talk a little?" asked Shining Armor placing a hoof on her sister shoulder, sure of being out both of his wife hearing range and the pegasus'.

"Sure Shining, what is it?"

"What do you think about Cadence friend?"

"She seems a nice mare, why?"

"Well, she showed up right after my barrier registered a changeling entering the city and Cadence never mentioned her to me, nor I remember seeing her at the wedding."

"Now that you mention it, I don't remember her either..." said Spike nodding.

"You want me to shoot a changeling revealing spell at her?" she asked with a conspiring look.

"No: if I'm proved wrong Cadence will be outright mad at me. I have duties to attend, but you can keep an eye on her since you both will be in the library."

"Yes, I guess you two are right," sighed Twilight lowering her head.

"Ah-ah! I found it!" beamed the pegasus jumping in the air.

"Uhm, miss Cloud, can I ask what have you found?" asked Twilight shyly.

The pegasus glided down to the floor, landed with grace in front of the unicorn and started explaining with a smile:

"I confirmed my suspicions: we're not sisters-in-law!" said the pegasus with a triumphant smile.

"Well, of course you and I aren't."

"What? No, I was talking of me and Ca- I mean, my friend Rainbow Cascade. Due to certain unfortunate circumstances we ended up being married to the same stallion, an error that we want to rectify as soon as possible, of course," explained the black mare, hoping that her slip went unnoticed.

Luckily for her, the unicorn was too stupefied to notice.

"I pity the guy," said Spike nodding.

"This scroll here says that this Sombra guy had-wow, quite the playcolt uh?-fifteen wives and that they were concubines, not sisters-in-law!" continued 'Green Cloud'.

"No, that's another thing: I'm pretty sure that sisters-in-law is the right term," corrected Twilight.

"Wait, how does this solve the problem?" asked Spike scratching the top of his head.

"Well, it doesn't, but I was curious," mumbled the pegasus.

"Anyway, miss Cloud, the easiest way to solve the problem is divorce," suggested the unicorn with a matter-of-fact tone.

"I know, but our husband isn't aware of the story, and we wanted to solve this without him noticing," said the black mare with a sigh.

"May I ask why?" asked the lavender mare.

"We totally see him jumping down a tall building if he knew..." said the pegasus shaking her head.

The three of them returned to their respective activity, passing the rest of the afternoon without anything noteworthy.

The small changeling paced back and forth behind the dusty, old, red velvet curtains of the only auditorium in the hive.
More than half the changeling population was able to attend the event, the others would soon hear the good news too.
She took another calming breath and closed her eyes. She was nervous, but she thought it was normal since it was her first speech.

"Your majesty, it's almost time," said the changeling on duty of raising the curtain.

"I'm ready," said Ashley putting in place a strand of grey hair "Open the curtain."

She stepped with slow but determined pace towards the podium and took place behind it, a small set of steps was added in order to let her be visible since the podium was taller than her.
The audience roared its approval at her apparition.

"My loyal subjects, my children, today I bring you a good news!" she said aloud in order to be heard by everypony "We are in a difficult situation, that's undeniable, but we can still rise from our ashes to get what is ours!"

The statement gained mixed reactions from the crowd.

"Queen Chrysalis knew this very well and so she launched her offensive in Canterlot, but she was defeated because she messed up with her disguise."

The crowd morale was dropping at the mention of the wedding.

"After that disaster we cannot hope anymore to get the ponies to love us, so we shall resort to more drastical measures: if they fear us, then they'll discover that it's not enough!"

The audience was getting infervorated by the speech.

"We shall march on the Crystal Empire, a promised land in which love fills the air, and conquer it! The changelings shall never face starvation again!"

The crowd roared its approval with force. For several minutes, Ashley had to wait to complete her speech.

"In less than a week I will reach maturity, and then we will launch our offensive!"

The audience exploded with enthusiasm, cheering for their queen.

In the rear of the crowd, a single changeling with four purple lines on each leg, was still in disbelief at what he had just heard, his right eye wide in stupor while the left was forced closed by a deep vertical scar.

"This is going to be a problem," he muttered to himself, massaging his temples with his forehoofs "This queen is even more of a war bringer than Chrysalis, I must stop this madness before our race is lost."

He slowly left the auditorium and trotted away, shaping a plan in his mind.

The throne room was a large square with the massive doors in one corner and the two regal seats in the opposite, a soft velvet carpet of an indefinable shade of purple, which Shining had baptized 'darker than Twily coat but lighter than the darker stripe in her mane', connecting the two extremes. There were many windows on each of the four walls, and a smaller one behind the thrones, giving access to the wide balcony that towered over the city main plaza.
In this room, the royal couple was holding court.

"For the last time miss Shine, there is no chance that your closet is haunted by king Sombra, and the inspection proved my point," said an exasperated Shining Armor massaging his head with a hoof to the white mare with blonde mane in front of him.

In another part of the city, a certain closet laughed in a maniacal way.

"But -" tried to protest Light Shine.

"No buts. For your peace of mind I'll send a guard with you, but I don't want to hear about this anymore, understood? You're now dismissed."

The mare left, muttering to herself.

"Is there anyone else?" asked Cadence to a nearby page.

"No, your majesty," answered the colt with a bow.

"Very well. You can leave dear."

The page bowed again and left the room.

"I can't believe that mare... Talking about something else, sweetheart, you never mentioned your friend to me before," said the white unicorn looking at his wife.

"Didn't I? Oh dear..." said the alicorn taking time to build up something "We met years ago, before meeting you."

"She can't be much older than Twi, my age at max."

"Oh, I assure you she is older than you," she said with a giggle "Anyway, we met in Canterlot, at a wedding of a noble."

"And you are absolutely sure that she is who she says?"

"Don't worry honey, even if she was a changeling, I'm sure that I'm totally safe in the palace with you," she said hugging him.

"I couldn't stop Chrysalis," stated him hanging his head.

"We have already talked about this: you were under mind control, it's not your fault!"

"But if Twi didn't show up..."

"Then your main problem would be her wrath for not being invited," said the pink mare laughing.

The day flew by, and so the evening. When nighttime arrived, however, a bit of chaos came to disrupt the peaceful time: Shining Armor, concerned about the safety of both the Empire and its inhabitants, suggested that the two guests would sleep together, providing the rogue changeling as explanation and hoping for his sister's support in this last attempt to uncover something fishy about the black pegasus.
Needless to say, Twilight and 'Green Cloud' weren't very pleased with the idea of sleeping together: the first still had doubts on the pegaus, her main concern was her privacy, while the last knew that her disguise won't be up once she fell asleep.
And of course, the two mares made themselves sure to express their concerns. Animatedly.

"Look, either this or with one of my guards. You choose," half shouted the white unicorn at a certain point.

The idea didn't sound appealing to the girls, who, without another word, retired themselves in their chamber.

"I cannot believe my brother... Ah, the nerve!" said the purple mare once the door was shut, still keeping her voice low in order not to wake the sleeping dragon on her back.

"You can view it from his point of view, but maybe it's better to just forget and go to sleep," suggested 'Green Cloud' wisely.

In that moment the two of them noticed the room.
It was mainly similar to the royal chambers, less luxurious of course, but with one striking feature: there was just one large bed.

"Man, this is going to be awkward," muttered at the same time the two ponies.

Chrysalis frantically searched for a solution darting her eyes around the room.

"I guess there's no helping it," sighed Twilight tucking herself and Spike under the blankets.

The pegasus sighed in defeat, then took place on the other side of the bed, hoping not to be discovered.

"Good night, miss Sparkle,"

"Good night to you, miss Cloud, and call me Twilight," answered the unicorn stifling a yawn.

"Call me Green," said the other with a hint of sorrow in her voice, hoping she would actually have the opportunity to be called that.

Author's Note

And with the third chapter the first day of story turns to an end.

Again, thank to you all who like my work!!

Chapter 4

The dark quiet room resounded with the sound of knocking at the door.
A pair of gray eyes flashed open to stare at the source of the noise.

"It's seven o'clock, the time you commanded to be woken you up, my queen," said a raspy voice from behind the door.

"Yeah, yeah, thank you," answered a slightly annoyed changeling filly.

She got up from her bed, flickering on the light providing orb at the center of the room with her magic.
She walked slowly towards the mirror and let out a sigh, noticing that she hadn't matured yet.
She thought that it had to be expected, given that only two days had passed. Yet she felt mocked by her reflection, for in it she saw an adult trapped in the body of a filly, which too few took seriously.
She left the room in a rather bad mood, pacing slowly towards the nearest feeding grounds.

The feeding grounds were much like a self service: a long line of greenish cocoons, mostly empty, near which stood four long lines of changelings, waiting to have their share of love.

She walked straight past the nearest queue, gaining some insults from a pair of changelings that didn't recognize her, followed by their begging for forgiveness.
Ignoring them, she reached her destination and proceeded on absorbing some love from the entranced mare in the cocoon.

Once satisfied she turned and walked away, ignoring all the bows and cheering going on around her.

Her mood improved by the meal, she trotted gingerly towards the war room.
It was a bit far from her quarters, so it took her some time to reach the wide circular room where the three generals of her army were waiting her.
They all looked like any other changeling, except that they had a deep blue crest in the back of their heads, descending down their necks.
They all bowed their heads when she entered the room.

"Very well, what news do you have for me?" she said sitting at the table with them.

"The preparation of troops is going smoothly, my queen," said the one in front of her.

"The mobilization of the civilities is at the 47%, increasing steadily, my queen," said the one on her right.

"The gathering of food is slowed down, my queen," said the last.

"What? Why?" asked the shocked filly.

"Some changelings under my command started acting strange and released some of the captured ponies, my queen. They have been mind controlled," answered him cowering in fear.

The trio expected various kinds of outcome, all of them along the lines of 'a bloody blind rage terminating their lives in a very painful way', but nothing of the sort happened:

"Very well," she simply said keeping her cool "I already have some ideas on who is the perpetrator. Now, for the battle strategy, what do you suggest?"

The meeting with the general had exhausted her. The afternoon announced to be even worse.

She walked tiredly towards the nearest feeding ground, finding it unsurprisingly cramped.
This time, she decided to eat a different treat, so she disguised herself as a normal changeling and toured the room, eating out the anger from her subjects.

She was in fact her father masterpiece: engineered to be a perfected version of Chrysalis, while they were similar in aspect and power, she had a stronger personality (or so her father thought), and by sheer luck she could eat any feeling (except fear, for some reason).

She later left, feeling much better, and went towards her quarters.
The guard standing in front of her room bowed upon seeing the filly.

"Stand up. Go and fetch me the infiltration squad leader," she commanded entering the room without giving a second glance to the guard.

She was lying idly on her bed, staring emptily at the black ceiling, thinking on the meaning of her life: she was sure that the attack was a necessity for her people, but there wasn't really any other way at all? Nothing could be done?
The trail of her thoughts was disrupted by a knocking at the door.

"Enter," Ashley said with a plain tone.

Part of the wall slid down disappearing into the floor, revealing a changeling bearing both the insignia of the infiltration squad, a set of four purple lines on each leg, and a smaller version of the generals' crest, again in purple shades.

"Did you summon me, my queen?" asked the newcomer bowing.

"Yes," she answered jumping down her bed and starting pacing in front of him "I have found evidences that somepony is trying to sabotage my invasion using mind control over some workers. Do you know what this means?"

"I assure you that I -" started saying the still bowed changeling.

"Oh, I know very well that you, as any other ranked changeling, have your mind monitored by our father, and I'm not accusing you. No, I'm pointing the accusatory hoof on your underlings: the only changelings out of our father control able to use a minor mind controlling spell," explained Ashley raising his head with a hoof under her chin.
"Now, do you recall any strange behavior?" she asked starting to pace once again.

"My underlings are used at hiding thoughts and emotions, it will prove hard finding the culprit. May I suggest to arrest the whole team?" explained the squad leader.

"Twelve units away from their mansions won't dampen too much the preparations," mumbled the queen before shouting "So be it! Guard!"

The door slid open once again, revealing the guard she had called.

"Yes, your majesty?" he asked bowing.

"Both of you, go, take some more soldiers and arrest the whole infiltration squad! You are dismissed!" ordered Ashley.

A minute later, she was once again alone with her thoughts.

Ashley trotted with haste towards the war room, eager to discover the results of her strategy.
Upon approaching the room, she noticed that six guards stood on both sides of the door; between those, she recognized the one that stood out of her quarters.
She walked past them and into the room, where twelve changelings bowed at her appearance.

"Those are the prisoners, my queen," said the infiltration squad leader.

"I see just eleven of them," pointed out the queen.

"Yes your majesty, one of my underlings is nowhere to be found," apologized the still bowed leader.

"I guess that we have our first suspect, but I don't like superficial works," she said pacing slowly in front of the now standing line of changelings.
"You," she said stopping in front of the seventh from the right, her voice sounding sweet and comforting yet still raspy and double toned "Did you try to stop the invasion? Don't lie: I am good at finding liars."

"No, my queen," he answered without changing his expression.

"And you?" she asked to the one on her left.

"No my queen."

She continued her interrogatory without a comment until she questioned everypony.

"I must praise your work, commander, they are really good at hiding feelings and thoughts. They almost fooled me. Almost..." said Ashley trotting back to the squad leader with an amused tone.

"My queen?" asked the confused changeling.

"They all sabotaged the invasion," explained her with a serious tone.

The culprits shared a worried look between them.

"But not out of their free will: they had been controlled by somepony, the missing one I'd say."

"I'll find him my queen, let me handle this," said the commander putting a hoof on his chest.

"No, I need you for another task. Clear your underlings' minds and secure that the food gathering isn't hindered anymore. Keep your underlings near, understood?" she ordered.

The whole troop nodded.
She walked out of the room and addressed the guards:

"Go and tell the other guards that we are searching for the last member of the infiltration squad. He is a dangerous traitor, so pay attention. Bring him back alive, but you have permission to kill him if he resists. Go now."

The guards bowed and trotted away in different directions.

Ashley nodded, pleased of how she had handled the situation. She then walked towards her quarters wearing a satisfied expression.

She looked expectantly to the captain of the guards standing in front of her.

"Well? Where is the traitor?" she asked.

"We don't know, your majesty," he said hanging his head "He is for sure out of the hive: we found two unconscious sentinels and a track of hoofprints, but nothing more."

"I see... Very well, captain. Cease the search but double the surveillance. You can go now."

When the changeling left, she decided it was time to go to bed.
She went to the mirror and looked at his reflection.

"It wasn't such a grand plan, uh?" she asked to the image "What will you do if the invasion ends like this? Maybe you should have tried to have a word with Celestia, they say she's very understanding and kind... No, if we wait for the ponies to accept us, we will become a memory! I must convince myself that this is the right curse of action!"

She then flew on the bed and laid to rest.

"We wont suffer anymore once the attack is concluded, this I promise to my children," she murmured before drifting into sleep.

Author's Note

Okay, I know what you're thinking: why are you telling us about Ashley and not about Chrysalis really embarassing wake up?

Worry not my friends, you'll have it too, in the next chapter!

Chapter 5

Chrysalis opened her eyes and watched around: everything was clad in a salmon fog. She smiled: she was still completely rolled up in the blanket, meaning she was still undiscovered.
She considered that it was a kind of record: three nights of infiltration in a royal palace and only a pony knowing of her.
She focused on the sounds of the room and heard a light snoring. She then looked out of the blanket from a chink in the silken wall around her and ascertained herself that the way was clear.
She then peeked out of the bed sheet and almost screamed: in a corner there was Twilight, sitting in a armchair while reading a book with a black and yellow cover.

"Good morning, Green," said the unicorn without looking away from the text.

Silence fell as the queen processed the fact that her cover wasn't blown, apparently.

She moved out of bed and towards the bathroom door, where, before entering, she stopped.

"Good morning, Twilight," answered her, being sure of imitating the voice she used as Green Cloud.

She then entered the bathroom and stifled a giggle: the pony that saw through her disguise at the wedding didn't recognize her while undisguised.
With a pleasured smile, she entered the shower, singing a merry tune.

The gray earth pony stallion sitting on the train let out a sigh while it started slowing down. He was slender, with white mane and tail and had his left eye covered by a bandage.
He looked at the fast passing scenery out of the window, contemplating the seemingly endless white blanket of snow that covered the land.
He was thankful of having found a seat on this express train: if he hadn't, it would have taken more than just a day to get to his destination.
He had done a good job planning his escape in advance and evading the queen's eye, but now his main problem was how he could earn the trust of the royalties of the Crystal Empire, since a failure would mean that all of this mess would have been for nothing.
He winced slightly at the idea of being incarcerated for life, an end pretty much sure for any changeling, whatever his purpose might be, but he was old and maybe they would set him free once the invasion was over if his information proved to be useful.
As soon as the train stopped, he left it hastily: there was no time to waste.
He trotted towards the shimmering magenta barrier and entered the city, relieved that there wasn't an anti-changeling force wall.
Unluckily for him, it was something else.

Twilight attention was diverted from the book she was reading by the purple yawning dragon sitting on the bed.

"Good morning Spike, did you sleep well?" asked the unicorn putting aside her copy of 'exorcizing for dummies'.

"Morning Twi. I slept well except for that bump... Did you bring again a book to bed?" answered him massaging his head.

"It happened just once when I was small! Anyway no, why? And what bump?" asked the mare raising an eyebrow.

"I'm quite sure that at a certain point I hit something hard..."

"Don't be silly Spike, you must have dreamed it."

"My head doesn't think so," tried to reply the dragon, but a knocking at the door cut Twilight's attention.

The lavender mare stood from the armchair and went to open the door, revealing a sturdy looking grey stallion wearing a full plate armor.

"Miss Sparkle, I'm here to make sure you, your assistant and miss Cloud are safe," asked him in an authoritarian tone.

"Again about the rogue changeling?" asked the unicorn hiding her annoyance.

"Yes and no: while we didn't found the rogue, the king's barrier signaled another changeling trespasser. Is it everything all right here?"

"Sure, nothing to -" started to say the mare, when she felt a surge of magical power in the direction of the bathroom.
"Stay here," she ordered to the confused earth pony before rushing to the bathroom.
"Green, are you all right? I felt magic being used in there!" she yelled pounding the door.

In the bathroom, the pegasus cursed her roommate magic awareness under her breath. She opened the door, a towel wrapped around her middle section and her mane dripping water, with a preoccupied look.

"What's happening in there?" said 'Green Cloud'.

"I felt a surge of magic power in there and, since there are two changelings around, I wanted to check if you were fine" explained the unicorn trying to look through the steamy air behind the black mare.

"Don't worry Twilight, I'm fine: no changeling in the bathroom, nor anything else, take a look for yourself. May I suggest that the surge you felt came from Cadence room?" said 'Green' rubbing her mane with the towel.

"Is everything all right, miss Sparkle?" asked the guard from the door.

"Yes," answered the lavender mare turning around "But you might want to check on Cadence room."

After a light breakfast, Cadence and 'Green Cloud' headed for the library together with Twilight and Spike.
While the latter duo resumed their study of the cursed statue, the two queens walked directly to the deepest part of the law section, where the most ancient tomes rested, hoping to solve their problem.

"Uhm, Green," whispered the alicorn after a while.

The pegasus hummed in response, without moving her eyes from the book she was inspecting.

"You're not sparkling!"

"Yes."

"Did you hear me?" asked rhetorically the pink mare.

Again, the pegasus hummed.

"Chrysalis!" hissed Cadence visibly annoyed.

"What are you doing? Do you want to expose me?" answered the angry pegasus, trying to understand if Twilight had heard her companion.

"No, you're doing a fine job by yourself: you're not sparkling!" retorted acidly the pink mare.

"Whoa! I was just eating a bit of love in the air!" she gasped looking back at herself.

A second later, her body began to sparkle once again.

"Thank you Cadence, sorry for my outburst..." said the pegasus lowering her eyes.

"Don't worry: changeling or not, you are still my sister-in-law," replied the alicorn in a sweet tone putting a hoof on the changeling's shoulder.

They shared a warm smile.

"I'm starting to wonder why you aren't the element of kindness: I mean, you're helping me, who threatened your life and stole your special somepony!" said 'Green Cloud' resuming the search.

"You know, over the past days I grew to understand you a bit better: dismissing you and your kin as evil monsters would just mean that I am the monster, giving the cold shoulder to somepony who tries to make up for her mistakes," answered Cadence with a serious expression, before adding with a giggle "And I assure you that Fluttershy is far kinder than me: she would care for Discord or Sombra themselves if they would appear in need at her door!"

They shared an heartfelt laugh while the black mare inspected the dusty tomes. She stretched her hoof to grab one hidden behind the others: it was bound in red leather, the title obscured by a thick layer of dust.

On that faithful day, the flourishing civilization of dust mites living on that tome was almost wiped out by what the survivors called since that day 'the black blowing goddess'. One of the mites started a cult, predicting her return at the end of time, and became one of the richest mites of all time, but that's a story for another time.

After blowing away the dust, Chrysalis proceeded inspecting the parchment pages of the tome named 'Imperial Marriage Laws'.
Some minutes later, Cadence right eardrum was almost blown by her friend's scream.

Author's Note

So here's the promised wake up, even though it's not the same day.

As for how Chrysalis knows this song... That's up to your immagination folks *laughs maniacally*

Chapter 6 (rewritten)

Twilight and Spike heard the scream and raced as fast as her legs (since the dragon sat on her back) could bring them to the source of the noise.
The unicorn mind raced even faster towards a wide range of possible causes for such a scream, varying from the most obvious 'changeling attack', to the outright insane 'Pinkie Pie, after having pierced the texture of reality, appeared in the library, ponynapped Cadence and Green Cloud and brought them to a party in a parallel dimension where Discord is free'.
In that same moment, in another dimension, Pinkie Pie and Discord, who were currently having two glasses of chocolate milk while sitting on an upside down tree(or maybe they were the ones upside down), both sneezed.
As she reached the source of the scream, the duo found a very strange scene: 'Green Cloud' and Cadence where dancing happily in mid air, wearing big smiles on their faces.
Soon another pony arrived, an armor clad red earth pony stallion. He, the unicorn and the dragon stood there with a confused expression until the dancing couple noticed them.

"Oh, ehm... I suppose you heard the scream," said the blushing pegasus while the duo hovered to the ground.

"Eeeyup," said the stallion in a way that sounded familiar to the lavender mare and to the dragon.

Spike made a mental note to ask Big Macintosh if he had a relative in the crystal guards.

"It's nothing, really: we found what we were searching for," said the alicorn waving a dismissive hoof with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry," said the black mare hanging her head.

"Well, better like this," said a very relieved Twilight.

"Uhm, I'm sorry to intrude, my queen," said the Big Mac lookalike bowing "His majesty the king has requested your presence."

"Sure, lead the way," answered Cadence.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a certain mare was currently looking skeptically at a closed door.

"Let me get this straight: you're saying there's an army of insect-like love-feeding creatures, which I never heard of before, coming here to conquer the empire? And you know about this thanks to a divination spell?" asked Bright Shine to her closet door.

"Precisely," drily replied Sombra from the other side.

"You realize that you enslaved us, right? Why should I trust you?"

"You don't need to trust me, you just need to open the closet, and I can also give you something as payment," said the king with a calm and alluring tone.

It's a little known fact that in his youth, before learning advanced dark magic and ruling the empire, he had a short but dazzling career as door to door seller. And he was extremely good.

"And what can you give me? You're trapped in my closet!" protested the mare.

The unicorn would have facehoofed if he had physical form, then he said with impossible calm: "How does it sound to you queen Bright Shine? And let's add immortality and magic, because, despite what you think of me, I'm generous and kind."

The white mare took a pair of minutes to think about the offer. It sounded too good to be true.

"Are you trying to cheat me?" she asked after a long minute.

"You're the ONLY pony on Equestria that can release me from this pitiful state! Why in Tarnation should I cheat you?"

"Because you are you."

"True, but I don't sell smoke: I have a certain moral code, you know?"

Again, the silence fell as Bright Shine resumed pondering the alluring offer.
After a long minute, she smiled, a cryptic smile that was too hard to read. She neared the door and turned the key.

A couple of minutes later, the guard and the two queens where walking towards the dungeons.

"Isn't the throne room the other way?" asked 'Green Cloud' slightly confused.

"We aren't headed towards the throne room, apparently; I'd say we are going in the dungeon. Did you catch one of the changeling?" guessed Cadence.

"Eeey-I mean, yes, your majesty," corrected himself the guard.

'Green Cloud' gasped, but neither of the two seemed to notice.

"Then, why am I required?" asked the alicorn.

"The prisoner claims that he has very important information for the safety of the empire but he won't speak unless in front of both their majesties," explained the stallion.

"Then maybe I shouldn't be here," suggested the distressed pegasus.

Cadence tried to ask what was the problem, but the guard anticipated her declaring that they had arrived.
The dungeons consisted in a long hall of blue crystal with many cavities of the same color and material closed by black steely bars. The purple lamp-gem hanging from the ceiling gave an eerie aspect to the complex.
They walked in silence for a minute or two, their hoofsteps echoing in the empty cells, until reaching Shining Armor, who was sitting in front of the chained prisoner.
The king swiftly dismissed the Big Mac lookalike after greeting the two mares.

"Well, now that the queen is here, what-wait, what are you looking at?" asked the unicorn upon noticing that the scarred changeling was fixing 'Green Cloud', who in return was glaring daggers at him.

"What is she doing here?" asked the prisoner in a raspy, accusatory tone.

"Who I entertain myself with is none of your concern!" replied harshly Cadence.

"If you say so," muttered him "Anyway, for the matter at hoof, you are in great danger: my queen is willing to attack the empire."

"We already kicked Chrysalis' flank, we can do it again!" commented proudly the stallion, not noticing that the pegasus was grinding her teeth.

"Yes, that's true, but my queen is not Chrysalis anymore," replied the changeling, surprising his audience "The new one maybe is not much stronger than her, or you, but she is much more determined!"

"What do you mean?" asked the alicorn fearing the answer.

"In Canterlot you were almost subdued by some thousands of changelings, this time she's moving the entire hive," explained the prisoner.

"That's all nice and well, but why should I trust you? The changelings are notorious for being deceptive," asked the king raising an eyebrow.

"What if I give you a proof of my good intentions?"

'Green Cloud' glared her chained children, her stare saying "Don't you dare!".

Unfortunately for her, the changeling pointed his hoof at his former queen and declared: "That pegasus is one of my kind, specifically the one that goes by the name of Chrysalis."

"Guards!" shouted the white stallion pointing his horn at the pegasus.

"Oh, come on Shiny! That's obviously a lie!" protested his wife.

Meanwhile four bulky stallions appeared behind the nearest corner and offered a salute to their majesties.

"Seize the pegasus, but don't hurt her. One of you go fetch my sister," ordered Shining Armor.

"Stop this non-" started shouting the pink mare, only to be stopped by a black hoof on her shoulder.

"Nothing of those is necessary, I surrender," declared 'Green Cloud' in her normal raspy, double-toned voice hanging her head.

Green flames engulfed her body, revealing her true aspect. An awkward silence fell on the group.

"I think that the words that you're searching for are 'Seize her', Shining dear," murmured Chrysalis.

While in the dungeon Chrysalis was contemplating the fact that her father had replaced her and that the only being that cared for her was a roaring bonfire of anger three floors above her head, said bonfire was currently keeping her husband out of their room.

"Open this door Cadence!" shouted Shining Armor to the white, wooden, and more importantly, locked entrance to his room, where his wife was currently hidden away.

"Shiny, I don't think that barking at the door is a good way to solve this problem," said Twilight, who was sitting in the corridor with him, in a concerned tone.

As hinted by the librarian, a shimmering light blue wall materialized in front of the door.

"So be it!" he muttered before facing his sister and saying: "Twilight, break down that wall"

"Do you realize that you're asking me to overpower a defensive shield created by a goddess? I could break one of yours more easily!" she said half shocked and half stupefied.

"You... You're right..." he said, abruptly sounding far more tired "I'm sorry Twi, I wasn't thinking straight. Let's go: I'll escort you to your room."

"But Cadence-" protested the lavender mare.

"There's nothing we can do now: let's give her some time to sort things out quietly" explained the white unicorn as he started walking down the corridor, soon followed by his sister.

They strolled slowly down the empty and silent corridors, their hoofsteps muffled by the omnipresent velvet carpet.
While Shining was deep in thoughts trying to figure out the reasons behind Cadence's anger, his sister was stricken by sudden realization.

"Brother, do you realize that you made me sleep with Chrysalis?" said Twilight with a wry smile.

The king stopped both walking and thinking. He turned and looked at the lavender unicorn as if she had just stated her love for Discord.
He didn't pale, but only because he was already white.

"I'm sorry sis, I never meant to put you in danger: I mean, I suspected her to be a changeling, but at the wedding you and your friends bucked a hundred drones and I sent five guards out of your room, just in case. To think I did this to you... I sorry, very, very sorry," he said embracing her.

"Don't worry: nothing bad happened so it's all right. Just, next time something happens, think better on the consequences, all right?" she said in a lecturing-time tone.

"You're not angry?" asked a very surprised Shining Armor.

"Of course I am! Yet, I think that fighting with you now wouldn’t do any good. Moreover, you're my B.B.B.F.F., I think I can forgive you, but just this time," she said with a wink and a playful smile.

"I see, thank you L.S.B.F.F." he said relaxing.

They hugged again, then they resumed pacing.

In the end, while Chrysalis slept in jail, the king of the empire slept on the couch.

Author's Note

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, remember this very well Shining.

[EDIT]: Last scene rewritten: Shining was out of character. A very big thank you to CommanderX5 and DustTraveller for making me understand my error.

Chapter 7

"Now I want to know every detail of the attack plan," ordered Shining Armor looking at the chained changeling in the cell in front of him.

"I don't know the details since I’m a low rank, but the strategy is basically keeping on the siege until you surrender," explained the prisoner.

"And if we don't surrender?"

"You will, Shiny," said Chrysalis from the nearest cell "Sooner or later you will run out of energy, and your sister might not be able to keep the barrier up long enough for you to recharge; moreover, your precious crystal heart is not a treat to our kin, but a buffet."

"How many units are we talking about?" asked the unicorn ignoring the changeling queen’s words.

"Less than five thousands soldiers," answered the drone.

"That's good: we can keep them at bay long enough for the reinforcements to arrive," commented the white stallion relaxing a bit.

"The civilities are more than seven thousands and before you ask, capable of fighting."

The silence fell like lead and stayed until Shining whispered: "What should I do?"

“Kill the queen,” said Chrysalis in a bitter tone.

“What?” asked the king, not expecting help from her.

“If you kill the queen, the hive will be like a headless chicken: some will keep up the siege, but the largest part will either run or attack randomly, blinded by the flow of pain they’ll feel through the telepathic link my kind shares,” she explained sighing.

“Why are you telling him?” asked the enraged changeling.

“Why are you helping me?” asked the confused unicorn.

“I think it’s time you have a chat with your wife,” she simply said, biting down a grin.

After the meeting, Shining Armor gave dispositions for the defense of the city: the entire population was forced to took refuge in the palace while the guards built blockades in the streets; everypony willing to help was given a task, ranging from preparing siege supplies to real enlistment in the guards.
Two pegasi were sent to Canterlot to ask for help, but the king knew that they would have been alone for a day at least.
Both Twilight and Cadence helped in the preparation, creating moats with spikes out of the crystal pavement, barbed wire draped between near buildings and hideouts for the archers.
The weather, in the meantime, tried its best to kill the spirit of the soon-to-be-seized ponies with a constant weak rain.

And while the rain started subsiding and the sun got nearer the horizon, Shining Armor and Cadence found themselves alone on the balcony; they hadn't talked since the night before.

"It was such a lovely city," sighed the alicorn looking at the panorama before her still red eyes.

"In a pair of days everything will be back to its hold self," offered her husband with a weak smile, circling his wife shoulders with a foreleg.

“I’m really sorry for yesterday evening, I shouldn’t have lost my temper,” said the unicorn after a while.

"It’s ok, I know you were concerned for the empire and for me,” said the pink mare with a small but sweet smile, which faded swiftly when she continued “It’s just that you kept on saying I was mind controlled by Chrysalis…"

"You have to admit that this doesn't sound this much strange: I mean, she’s known for being deceptive.”

“I know, but you wouldn’t listen to me even after Twilight had checked me up… It hurt a lot seeing that you didn’t trust my judgment,” she said as tears started flooding her eyes once again.

“I know: I was a jerk and I’m very, very sorry Cadence. I know that what I did was inexcusable, but can you forgive me?” he said wiping away her tears with a hoof.

“To love is to know that you’ll be forgiven, Shiny; we are both at fault, so you have to forgive me too,” she said hugging him “I love you.”

“I love you too, Cadence”

They stood still for a couple of minutes, enjoying the warm feeling, before breaking the embrace.

“Anyway, why are you siding with her? Why didn’t you say anything?" he asked as the hug broke.

"I think we have a more pressing issue at hoof now," she said pointing at a dark cloud that was coming their way.

"My queen, crystal city is in view!" said one of the commanders flying near the now fully matured Ashley.

"Are you serious? Wow, I didn't notice the massive, shimmering, magenta dome in the middle of nothing that's right in front of us!" retorted her sarcastically.

"Oh, maybe we could find you a pair of glasses in the city..."

Ashley facehoofed. Hard.

As the sun started to set, the changeling swarm made itself visible while landing right outside the dome.
She inspected the city with her gaze, searching for a week spot, but she noticed something else instead.

"Are those three ponies with a white flag?" she asked her commander pointing at the source of her doubt.

"I'm happy to see that you're eyes are already getting better, my queen!" said with glee the changeling noticing what she was pointing "That seems to be a delegation of peace."

"Stop saying nonsense about my eyesight and follow me with some guards!" she said advancing towards trio.

While over ground the two parties' delegations were meeting, or to be more precise, arguing on who was to pay respect to who, in the dungeons held place a much more interesting discussion:

"Why aren't you running away? Those cells aren't enough to contain you," asked the changeling.

"I have nowhere to run," answered Chrysalis in a sad tone.

"What? You're a master at illusion spells, you can go wherever you want!" said the shocked changeling.

"Yeah, but here I found a pony that accepted me. I have nowhere else I want to be," she answered sounding even sadder.

A silent tear fell to the ground from the ex-queen muzzle.

"Why did you leave the hive?" asked the changeling after a while, his voice draped in sorrow.

"I had to solve a legal problem..." she said with a renewed emotionless tone.

"We could have helped! Your subjects -" he protested.

"I KNOW!" Chrysalis shouted cutting his phrase "But not every problem could be solved our usual way. Moreover, I told father what I was doing!"

"But he said you left us... That you severed the mind link with him..." he muttered as realization came to the changeling mind.

He wanted to share this information with the others, but his mind found it's own link to the hive severed. Yet he felt another link.

"We're just pawns: all that matters to him is the hive survival," said Chrysalis through their mind link.

"Why did you do that? I'm just a traitor."

The ex-queen could feel his pain in her mind.

"No, you are self-conscious, and that's a great thing," she said with a smile, then she sighed and continued "I'd like to promise to form a new hive with your help, but I doubt I'll see again the light of day."

"And the alicorn? She was on your side! And I don't think that ponies have death sentence."

"She's the queen but she's not like me: she will do what her subject ask because she hasn't absolute powers. And no, they will simply keep me in jail, or in stone..."

A roar came from over ground.

"It has begun," said Chrysalis hanging her head.

The three thousands soldiers on the city streets watched as the sky was obscured by a massive cloud of black bodies. The humming of their wings created an inaudible cacophony that corroded the ponies nerves.

Reminiscent of how they broke his barrier in Canterlot, Shining Armor shaped it with sharp spikes pointing outward, hoping to stop their reckless assault.

The entire swarm took flight as instructed by the generals and waited for the attack order. Instead, they were ordered to land on the barrier and stomp it, so to prevent meaningless losses and still waken the city only hope.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the mass, five changelings grouped around their queen. They had green stripes around their whole body, like zebras, and lacked wings: they were the sorcerers, the changelings master of arcane power.
At Ashley's signal, they focused their green magic blast in front of her, grapping the barrier and pulling it apart.
After almost five minutes, a hole large enough to pass through was opened and stabilized.

"Now is the time, my children! Follow me: CHARGE!" shouted the queen jumping in the hole.

At the sight of the black creatures flying inside the barrier, Cadence's voice, empowered by her magic, echoed on the city: "They breached! Stop them!"

A horn bellowed the fire signal, and Twilight was almost sure she had seen a bouncing pink pony playing it.
Received the command, many arrows flew towards the invaders, mowing them down.
After a second, a shimmering magenta wall appeared in front of the hole and fused with the barrier, stopping the flux of enemy soldiers.
As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, less than twenty changelings were still inside the city; unfortunately, all of them were flying at high speed towards the palace, leaded by their queen.

Author's Note

And so the war begins...

Next week chapter may come a bit late due to some important matters that will require my full attention, but don't give up hope.

Chapter 8

The number of those who made it inside was smaller than how Ashley would have liked, but they were more than enough to take down the unicorn who made the barrier, so they all flew straight towards the palace.
More volleys of arrows were thrown towards them, this time joined by magenta and azure magic blasts, cutting down the ranks even more, but it didn't matter to the queen: soon other breaches would open and more of her subjects would be to her side.

Having come near enough to their objective, every member of the group covered himself, or herself in the queen's case, with an hemispherical green shield and launched themselves towards the three ponies on the balcony.
This proved to be a bit too rushed since most of the faceplanted into many shimmering light blue walls of force, leaving only Ashley and two of her private guards to face the armor clad pink alicorn left to cover the other two retreat.

"Well, well, well, the little pony princess is now ready to bow her head to her new queen?" asked Ashley with a smug grin.

"New queen? Please, you're just an overgrown flea!" retorted Cadence, her voice dripping poison.

"Bark all you want, little pony, for that's all you can do! Guards, get her!" answered the changeling queen without dropping her grin.

Instantly, the two bulky guards jumped at the pink mare, pinning her down. Such a maneuver would have proven good with an earth pony or a pegasus; unfortunately for the duo, Cadence had a horn too.
She grabbed them with her telekinesis and sent one slamming in the marble floor, the other in the palace crystalline walls.

"I can bite too," she said with a determined look while rising once again.

This made Ashley drop her grin in favor of an angry expression.
Her twisted horn lit up and let out an emerald green blast, which the alicorn dodged swiftly.
They jumped at each other, lashing magic bolts and flailing their forelegs.
One green blast charred some of Cadence left wing's feathers, but in return she jabbed the changeling in the muzzle, cracking slightly her carapace on the right cheek.
Ashley, having evidently lost her temper, let out a huge, dome-shaped wall of flames that incinerated everything in the balcony, namely the two guards since the pink pony succeeded in jumping over the edge.

"Serve you right: nopony dares to scar my beautiful face," said the queen contemplating the now black floor of the balcony before reaching for the window to go after her prey.

Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, Twilight was fiercely fighting her urge to panic, resulting surprisingly victorious at the price of the 'lives' of seven stress balls, the number of causalities increasing by the minute as she kept squeezing them between her front hooves.
She was sitting on the bed of one of the many guest rooms, which was identical to the one she had shared with queen Chrysalis just a pair of days before, while her brother stood at the window, occasionally reinforcing the barrier or mending it where new holes were opened; Spike, who was sitting near the lavender unicorn, kept passing her new 'victims' to squish as soon as they were required.
They didn't speak, for it would simplify the task of pinpointing their position through the illusions the librarian had weaved in the corridor. And in that silence filled with tension, they heard a set of hoof pacing down the hallway.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The hoofsteps' owner proceeded past their room, the noise slowly fading.
The three of them let out a sigh of relief.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The hoofsteps echoed once again in the hallway.
The stress was swiftly becoming unbearable for the only mare in the room, particularly thanks to the fact that she had destroyed the fifteenth and last ball some seconds earlier.

Clip-clop, clip.

The sound stopped, another one clearly audible: Twilight was hyperventilating.
In an instant, Spike launched himself on his mother/sister doing his best to silence her, as the stallion readied himself to fight.

Knock-knock.

The one on the other side of the door started knocking on the wall, testing if it sounded empty or not; luckily, the librarian's illusions took that into account too, returning the typical sound of a full, twenty centimeters wide, stone wall.
The pony in the hallway hummed, clearly satisfied by what she heard, then no sound could be heard anymore.
The three in the room exchanged worried looks as the silence stretched for a minute, then finally came a sound. Quite unfortunately for them, it was the crack made by the door while succumbing to an explosion of bright green flames.

"Found you," chimed a double-toned, raspy voice from the hallway.

Queen Ashley grinned knowing that her victory was within hoof reach as she made the first step in the room.
A bright magenta ray prevented her from making a second, forcing her to summon a green shield.
A strong flash of light made her drop her grin, as the three disappeared in thin air.

"What do we do now?" whispered Twilight into her brother hear, her voice barely audible.

She had teleported the three of them out of the changeling sight, but they still were pretty near being in one of the other bedrooms.
They could hear the queen's muffled screams of rage through the closed door.

"You can hide, but I won't let you run again!" shouted the enraged queen.

Both unicorns could clearly feel the massive surge of magical power in the hallway. Twilight paled visibly.

"Twi?" asked Shining Armor, his worry for the sister he loved clear in his voice.

"That's a disaster: she casted a powerful teleport-interdicting spell! I seriously doubt that even Cadence would be able to overpower that!" explained the mare as the panic came back with the strength of a tidal wave.

A loud blast could be heard down the corridor, clear proof that Ashley was searching the chambers, followed by the changeling's two-toned voice expressing her disappointment.

"What's the plan?" asked Spike moving his gaze between Twilight and her brother.

Another explosion, this time nearer.

"When I yell, you two run as fast as you can. I'll buy you some time," explained the lavender unicorn with a determined look on her face.

"I wont leave you behind!" hissed the baby dragon.

"Nor will I!" echoed the stallion while the blasts from the corridor where getting dangerously near.

"You must stand Shiny, or the empire is done for, and you Spike must help him for me," retorted the immovable librarian.

The two males wanted to argue on that point, but Twilight silenced them as the last explosion got the closest room on their right.
The three of them braced themselves from the coming blast. As the door exploded in a rain of wooden shards, the librarian let loose a beam of magenta energy and yelled.
Shining and Spike, unable to leave the mare, charged on towards the tall shadow in the cloud of dust raised by the demolition.
Soon, magenta and green beams bolted between the two parts, followed by dark green flames, yet in the end the trio's efforts were for naught, since the queen easily subdued each of her opponents through magic, like blasting the little dragon into a wall or telekinetically smashing the stallion in the floor, or through mere brute force, as bucking Twilight in the face.

"You lost, and with you the whole empire!" boasted Ashley approaching the nearly unconscious king with a smug grin "I admit that you gave me some troubles, but in the end I can say that this day has been just perfect."

Her horn glowed to life once more, ready to discharge.
There was a flash of green light and Ashley's hooves lost contact with the floor as she was tossed further in the hallway.

"That's sad," commented a different two-toned, raspy voice as a new set of crystal-like black holed hooves entered Shining's field of vision "You even stole my most famous line."

Author's Note

Trivia: originally I intended on placing Sombra in this chapter as an helping hoof for the seized ponies, but I decided that he would never help those who forced him into a closet, so I removed him; yet, expect to hear some news from our king of the closet soon :twilightsmile:

Chapter 10

At the crack of down, the two alicorn princesses arrived in sigh of crystal city, their rather large army following in suit.
The golden morning light shone bright on their complete armors and on their soldier's.
They were prepared to see a besieged city, to hear the cries of dying ponies and changelings, to fight till death; they were even prepared on seeing the city already fallen in the hooves of the changeling queen.
What they didn't expect and couldn't anticipate was a fluffy maned pink pony waving a 'welcome princesses' flag and faint party music in the distance.

"Tia, correct me if I'm wrong: isn't that the element of laugher? Ms. Pie if I recall right," asked Luna eyeing the hyper energetic mare.

"That's her," said Celestia frowning as they landed in front of the pony just outside the crystal heart barrier.

There, the music was clearly recognizable.

"Welcome princesses!" chirped Pinkie Pie dropping the flag and starting to bounce in place with an impossibly large smile "The party has already started, you better get inside quickly!"

"Pinkamena, would you please explain what are you doing here?" asked Celestia in her usual motherly tone.

"I'm welcoming you, of course. And call me Pinkie! All of my friends call me so!" answered the pink mare with unchanged expression.

"What we intended to ask thee is: shouldn't thou be travelling from Ponyville towards here with the other elements at the moment?" explained the dark alicorn.

"Oh, that! Yes, I was with the girls, but then my tail went twitchy, my right hear floppy and my left rear knee shaky, meaning that a friend of mine needed me, and since I was in Ponyville but nopony was searching me it should have been Twilight, who was already here. So I came here and threw the best 'We have won and Chryssy saved the day, yay!' party!" said the earth pony impossibly fast.

The two alicorns looked even more confused, until salvation came in the form of a smiling but clearly worn out lavender unicorn.

"Pinkie, I take over from here. You are needed inside," said Twilight before bowing to the princesses and then nuzzling her mentor.

"Oh, this is my jam!" exclaimed the party pony rushing inside.

"Twilight, would you kindly explain?" asked the white alicorn still wearing a confused expression.

"Yes Twilight Sparkle, we would greatly appreciate," enforced Luna.

"It's very simple: the changelings attacked the city and managed to break through Shining's barrier, but Chrysalis, who was already here, succeeded in stopping them by engaging in duel their new queen and won, so they retreated," explained the librarian.

"And Pinkam-Pinkie?" asked a still confused, but clearly relieved, Celestia.

"Oh, she's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. I wouldn't try to delve anymore in that: it could be very dangerous, trust me..." answered the unicorn with a shrug.

"Then what art we waiting for? Let the fun start!" said Luna gingerly trotting inside the barrier.

Celestia and Twilight exchanged a light chuckle before following her, the army behind them.

The changeling woke up in a verdant forest she didn't know.
The high pine trees, which were all around her, left very little sunlight filter through the dense canopy.
Her eyes adapted rapidly to the penumbra but to little avail: a dense undergrowth obstructed the view almost completely.
She decided to check her own body before trying anything else.
Rising her head caused a surge of nausea, but she endured it and looked back.
Her shell was burnt and cracked in many points, but it seemed fine, and so looked her gray mane and tail; what she was worried about were her wings, completely charred to cinders.
Ashley decided it was time to try to stand. After an initial wave of nausea which almost knocked her back she conquered some kind of equilibrium on her wobbly legs.

"Very well. Now, how did I get here?" she voiced her thoughts looking around.

The changeling noticed a pretty big hole in the canopy a little to her left and started pacing in the opposite direction.

"There's nothing for me in the empire, nor there is at the hive: I'm only an outcast" she said bitterly hanging her head, before an idea stroke her mind: "This could be a great opportunity to live a different life: I can travel around Equestria, or I can find a nice pony village to settle down and sell flowers..."

Ashley kept on evaluating her different possibilities for a while, until she crossed the reach of the wood and found she was little far from Crystal City train station. In the distance, a train was arriving.

"Perfect, I'll board that train and settle wherever it stops first long enough to heal my wings, then I'll start travelling," she said giggling like a little filly (well, by pony standard, a week old is a little filly so she didn't care).

She charged her horn and casted an invisibility spell, then she trotted towards the station.

It was almost ten in the morning as the train whistling came to a stop in the station.

"Move out girls!" said a certain cyan pegasus darting down out of a window.

"Calm down Rainbow: rushing into the swarm would only prove to be a bad idea," said Rarity stepping down the train with Applejack and Fluttershy.

"Calm down? The train is one hour late! If the changelings won in the meantime..." said the justly enraged pegasus smashing her forehooves together.

"It seems pretty calm aroun' here, don't ya think?" asked the farm mare looking around.

In fact, the train station was deserted, and no sound could be heard except the solitary whistle of the wind and their hoofsteps on the crystalline floor.

"I knew it, we arrived late! Now they'll hear me!" said Rainbow launching herself towards the head of the train.

"Now hold on, sugarcube!" exclaimed the orange mare biting the daredevil's tail.

"Rainbow dear, maybe the princesses were enough to stop the changelings, did you consider that possibility?" asked Rarity while positioning herself in front of her interlocutor.

"Then where has everypony gone?" asked the rainbow maned mare landing between the fashonista and Applejack and motioning all around them with her forehooves.

"Maybe they are all in the city?" suggested Fluttershy in a whisper.

"Why don't we go and check the city before making a deal of it?" proposed the unicorn pointing the near pink dome.

After having come to an agreement, the four of them started pacing cautiously towards Crystal City. As they started moving, the butter colored pegasus eeped and jumped behind Rainabow.

"What is it, sugarcube?" asked the orange mare.

"I think I herd something moving near us," stammered Fluttershy while trembling behind her fellow pegasus.

The group closely inspected the area but couldn't find nothing at all and resumed their march.
Only when they disappeared inside the barrier Ashley decided to leave her hiding spot on the train roof and let herself into the carriage through a window.

When the four remaining elements of harmony finally set hoof in the city perimeter, they realized exactly why the station was deserted; everywhere, beside the unused fortifications, could be seen the leftovers of what could only have been Pinkie's latest party: streamers, confetti, balloons and even a pair of half eaten cakes.

"Oh girls, you finally made it! Too bad the party has already ended..." chirped a voice from a side alley.

There, eating the poor remnants of a multi-layered cake, sat the mastermind behind all that devastation, the one and only Pinkie Pie, waving a hoof at them.

"What happened here? Where are the changelings?" asked Rainbow after overcoming the shock.

"Oh, that's a very long story! I'll let Twilight do the storytelling, but last time I saw her she was napping on princess Celestia's head wearing her crown, I guess they both had far too much punch. Want some cake in the meantime?"

Chapter 11 Author's Note

IMPORTANT: this chapter is set in Haywaii, a fictional state situated in the warm seas east to Equestria which shares almost nothing with its human counterpart Hawaii.
Any mention to really existing people, things and or places is completely unintentional and bears no hidden significance.

Chapter 11

A week after the failed attack on the Crystal Empire, Warm Sun sat peacefully in his study, his forelegs behind his head and the rear ones on the big mahogany bureau in front of him.
The study was quite wide and square in shape, mostly occupied by the desk and three big coordinated chairs; the white walls were decorated by tribal mask and two surfing boards. All in all, it didn't give off a bureaucratic aura, looking more like a travel agency.
Sun was a yellow coated, lime green maned earth pony and the current governor of the Independent Republic of Haywaii, yet, with that flowered shirt on he didn't look the part.

"There's nothing better than idling in here, well except surfing," he said wearing a wide satisfied smile.

His idling was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Mr.Sun, I'm sorry to intrude," said his secretary, an elderly red unicorn with her silvery mane tied in a bum, entering the room "There are two visitor that asked to meet you. They seem to be ponies of the high spheres."

"Strange: I haven't received anything announcing an official visit..." mumbled the governor before ordering: "Whatever, let them in! Last thing we need is to anger some foreign aristocrat."

A minute later, the door opened and two ponies made their way in the room: one was a gentle looking, white coated, blonde earth mare, the other a vicious looking, gray, male unicorn clad in a full armor and wearing a red regal mantle bordered in white that complimented his black mane.

"Welcome to our joyful land! I am Warm Sun, governor of this republic. To whom I have the pleasure to talk?" welcomed them with a wide smile.

"Good day, my good governor. This mare here is my fiancé, Bright Shine, while my name is Sombra. We traveled from the far crystal mountains only to meet you," explained the unicorn in a grave tone exercised in years of public speeches.

"Oh, my best wishes for your wedding," he said shacking one of Sombra's forehooves, before commenting: "You must be famous, since I'm sure I have already heard your name. Are you a politician in the empire?"

"We can say so," chuckled the mare.

"Then, what do you need from this humble pony that requires travelling through an entire continent?" said Warm Sun sitting and inviting his guests to do so.

"Your country," simply answered the unicorn, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Excuse me? I think I misheard"

"We are taking over this country, my dear ex-governor," explained the now evilly smiling Bright Shine.

"You what? Ah, I see, it's a joke!" said the yellow stallion patting Sombra's right shoulder with a nervous laugh.

"I am well known for being a cruel tyrant, not a funny comedian," answered the unicorn blocking Sun's leg with his telekinesis "Now, would you kindly ask your defense forces to surrender? I'm sure that we all prefer to avoid useless bloodshed."

"The joke has gone too far. GUARDS!"

Immediately six bulky stallions in navy blue armor entered the room. One of them, wearing a matching helmet, intimated the two to surrender.

"Bright dear, would you kindly?" asked Sombra without even bothering to turn.

"Fine, but you are much too lazy for a pony in your position," she conceded mocking him.

She stood, facing the guards and closed her eyes. In the arc of an instant, a series of black crystal shards started sprouting from her spine, culminating with a five-pointed shard on her forehead, mimicking both a unicorn's horn and a crown. When she reopened her eyes, they were flowing with dark magical energy like Sombra's usually did.
The six guards exchanged confused and terrified looks.

"What was it? Ah, right: surrender and yada yada or I'll show you what colors are your insides," she said with a vicious smile.

It turned out she wasn't as gentle and kind as she looked, and perfectly fine with Sombra's methods, as long as she profited from them too; it also turned out that he didn't love her, but having a being as powerful as him and devoted to boot was a good thing, and she was beautiful too so he didn't complain when she asked him to marry her.

The guards did what were paid for and charged Bright Shine, well, five of them since one ran away screaming "Pink, they are pink!"
A deep purple aura surrounded those five brave stallions as they found themselves floating in mid air; a second later they were flying out of the window towards the ocean, where they 'landed' two kilometers offshore, five from where they stood.
They would have later been saved by two fisherponies who were passing by.

"Y-you killed them?" asked the shocked governor.

"No, of course! It would have been a waste: such disdain for danger is commendable," said the mare returning to her previous form.

"Now, you plan on resisting again or we can proceed with your surrender speech?" asked the unicorn finally letting his interlocutor's leg go.

It had been a fairly normal day on Harmony Beach, the most beautiful in Haywaii and just a mere three kilometers away from the government office, with surfers in the waves, mares tanning on the shore wearing only alluring swimsuits, and foals playing around.
Then, as the hottest ours where coming to an end, five stallions flew over the sand line and into the sea; that by itself could have been not that strange, if it wasn't for the fact that the stallions clearly didn't have any means to fly.

But the strange things were just starting: less than ten minutes later, a massive projection of the governor's head appeared in the sky over his office.

The apparition stared apprehensively in the empty space before it for a couple of minute, the it nodded and started saying with a sigh: "Citizen of the Independent Republic of Haywaii, I have a very important announcement: due to external pressure, I resign role as governor of this country with immediate effect and, even though it's unusual for a democratic state, I design as my successor king Sombra."

With a static noise, the image shifted to from Warm Sun's defeated face to the dark unicorn's grinning one.

"Greetings my new subjects! As my first act, I declare the end of this country and the birth of the new Independent Kingdom of Haywaii and nomine me it's ruler!" boomed the image with the king's low voice.

Everywhere, the ponies, who were initially mad at Warm Sun, were now cowering in fear of what else the new king might had prepared for them.

"On a side note, I pick the occasion to extend to everypony an invitation to the royal wedding between me and my fiancé Bright Shine, next week," said the image in a more cheerful way.

The whole Haywaiian population blinked in surprise at the missed display of tyrannical cruelty.

As Pinkie Pie is usual telling, the best way to gain a pony's trust is through a party, and that's precisely how things went for king Sombra: having learnt that being too oppressive with your subjects brings only a duo of unsatisfied goddesses, he did his best in leaving things as unchanged as he could (apart for the fact that he held absolute power and that he introduced a cult of his person), an effort that his new subject appreciated greatly.
Thanks to this, Sombra's new kingdom went on without any major complication for more than two hundred years, when an unfortunate accident involving a coconut, an ice sculpture and princess Twilight Sparkle caused a diplomatic incident and the subsequent war, which ended with king Sombra and Bright Shine making their own kingdom and themselves disappear into nothingness for the next millennium, but that's a story for another time.

Chapter 12

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 9

"You!" hissed the changeling queen while getting once again on her hooves "What are you doing here?"

"C-Chrysalis?" muttered Shining Armor looking up to his savior.

"Yes, Shiny dear. Now everything will be all right," she answered caressing him; her comfort lulled him to sleep.

A visibly angered Ashley launched a green blast towards her predecessor, but it ended smashing against a light blue wall, courtesy of the pink mare standing near her smallest sister-in-law.

"Thank you, Cadence. Please, keep them safe while I take care of her," said Chrysalis levitating her husband near the other two ponies and one dragon.
She then turned to face her successor, who was at the far end of the corridor, and said with a harsh tone: "Now, want to push your luck with me or retreat peacefully?"

"You pathetic excuse of a changeling, you think you are a treat to me?" asked Ashley unbelieving what she heard, her voice dripping poison.

"Face reality sister, we are on even ground about power, and the army wont intrude a battle between queens risking to anger the one who comes out victorious. Either you go back to the hive or you hope to be luckier than me."

The younger changeling exclaimed with a scorned look: "On even ground?! I think you're overestimating yourself! I am the strongest changeling alive, and I'll show you your place!"

After those words, she jumped at her opponent, ready to buck her on the neck.
Chrysalis didn't say a word but prepared herself for the fight.
Soon, jabs, hooks and even a pair of uppercut flew between the two changelings engaged in a very close combat; most of them missed their intended target, but many others reached chests, necks and even faces, leaving in some cases deep indents or cracks in their shells.

"And now the two contestants take a step back to study a new strategy," commented Spike in a piece of door shaped in the form of a microphone as the two separated breathing heavily.

"Spike, what are you doing?" asked a mildly confused Cadence.

"I'm giving a commentary on the boxe match, what else?" explained the dragon as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Uh, sure, what else..." muttered the alicorn shaking her head.

Meanwhile, the two queens had taken breath and started pacing in circle, studying their opponent.

"Why are you helping the same ponies that made your plan fail? What do you hope to achieve?" asked Ashley stopping at the far end of the circle from where said ponies and dragon stood.

Chrysalis looked behind her back and saw that all the audience's eyes were pointed on her, even Twilight's and her brother's, who had both regained consciousness. She looked at the pink mare, asking a silent question with her gaze; Cadence only nodded.

"Originally," said the green-maned changeling with a heavy sigh, her head hanging low and her eyes shut "I came here to solve a legal problem born during the attack on Canterlot. I asked Cadence's help, since said problem interested her too. I wasn't trying to obtain anything incredible, just to make that marriage invalid."

"Wait just a second, why did you want to nullify my brother's marriage with Cadence?" asked the lavender mare corking her head in confusion.

"Not with Cadence, Twilight Sparkle. Or should I say, sister-in-law?" explained Chrysalis with another sigh.

The reactions to that news were various: there was a light thud as Spike fainted, an unintelligible blabbering from the librarian, two almost identical stupefied expressions from Shining and Ashley, complete of blank stare and hanging mouth, and a badly suppressed chuckle from Cadence when she saw said reactions.

"You've already gained control of the empire?! Why didn't you say that earlier?! We could have simply entered with your permission!" exclaimed the current changeling queen after a couple of minutes.

"Well, technically speaking she has no powers, officially," mumbled the alicorn as if she was excusing her sister-in-law's actions.

"I wouldn't have let the changelings take over the empire!" shouted Chrysalis rising her head with pride.

The silence fell on the group, lasting for a good pair of minutes until Shining Armor found the heart to voice everypony thoughts: "You wouldn't?"

"In this place I found a pony that accepted me for who I am, that helped me setting things right and that loved me as a friend: I wont let you nor any other changeling ruin her life!" she exclaimed stomping her right forehoof.

"Then I suppose there is no way to make you change your mind, right?" asked Ashley as her horn was enchased in a green aura.

"I'm sorry, it's all father's fault," said the other changeling charging her horn as well.

"You stopped the attack outside, I guess."

"Yes, right before saving Shining Armor. Luckily us queens can recreate a severed mind link."

"That explains why nopony came to help me," sighed Ashley before saying "This will be the last attack, you better be prepared, sister."

The two emerald blasts met in the middle of the distance between their owners, and there they started to wrestle, like in an inverted game of tug of war.

"As I said, we are on even ground," said Chrysalis, her features strained for the effort.

Suddenly, Ashley's beam got bigger, pushing back her predecessor's.

"No, you are wrong: I can eat every emotion, not just love, and with them I can easily overpower you!" boasted the youngest queen while giving her everything in that attack.

Chrysalis fell on her knees under such magical pressure. As she tried desperately to find a way to out, hope slowly started to fade.
She shut her eyes trying to restrain tears. But when only a small, flickering flame remained in the dark sea of despair she had fallen into, she felt that unbearable pressure weaken.
She opened her eyes to see a pink horn next to hers, supporting her beam.

"I wont let my friend and sister-in-law down when she needs me the most!" said Cadence with a sweet smile.

Unfortunately, even with Cadence's love and help, they only managed to slow down the advance of Ashley's beam.
At that moment, something that the green-maned changeling didn't expect happened as a magenta beam intertwined with hers and the alicorn's: Shining Armor, seeing his wife (well, technically it should be wives, but it mattered little to him) in danger, stepped up and gave his own help.
That was enough to bring the situation to a stall once again.

"Nicely played, but your two friends wont last eternally Chrysalis!" said Ashley, knowing she was right.

"Twilight, would you please stop rambling about Cadence laying eggs and give us a hoof?" asked the stallion as beads of sweat started running down his brow too.

"Laying eggs? Eww! Why would you think something so gross?" commented the grey-maned queen with a disgusted face.

"Because we call our subject children. They seem to be fixated on this idea..." replied Chrysalis with a shrug.

Meanwhile Twilight, who had finally stopped babbling, didn't need a second call from her brother and rushed to help, adding her own magic to the multicolored beam.
Soon the situation turned in Ashley's disfavor, her ray being slowly pushed back.
It wasn't immediately perceivable, but Chrysalis could definitely feel her sister's beam losing power. Initially, she thought it was due to the help she was receiving, but, as the contact point between the two fluxes neared Ashley's horn, she realized that the truth was different.
There was a huge explosion of energy and bright light when the multicolored beam touched the black chitin of the shell of the youngest changeling queen, which forced the other four to shied their eyes with their hooves while a magenta barrier appeared in front of them.

The elder queen couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a single raspy "goodbye" in the middle of the deafening cacophony caused by the blast.

The conflagration demolished the crystalline walls, ceiling and floor of the corridor near the origin point, leaving a huge spherical cavity in the palace.
As Shining shield was dropped, Chrysalis darted towards the hole, searching for anything that could give away any information about the other changeling destiny.
Cadence approached her and put a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder.

"I don't think she deserved to be pulverized," said the once again official queen of the changelings in a sad tone.

"Nopony deserves that," offered Twilight approaching the duo.

"She wasn't," said the stallion in a matter of fact tone.

Three pair of eyes darted from the hole, to him, and to where his extended hoof was pointing.
There, in the wall at the far end of corridor, could be seen a weird, pony-shaped hole.
Chrysalis didn't know what to say, nor knew the others, so they stared in silence, until a voice broke the moment:

"Twi, you'll never guess what crazy dream I had!" said Spike getting once again on his feet, oblivious at what had just happened.