Two Weeks Later (Week 34)-

“Shining! Twily!” Velvet called. “Don’t wander far! We’re having dinner soon as your father gets back!”

“We won’t!” Shining scampered off with Twilight towards an outcropping of rocks. “We’re just gonna go look for Smarty Pants!”

Velvet rolled her eyes. She turned her attention back to the bubbling stew she was tending to. “Never out of energy, those two…”

Shining and Twilight began their hunt by nosing around the giant rock pile. Er, giant to them, anyway. It probably wasn’t all that big to a grown-up.

“Of course she’d play hide and seek now!” Twilight searched all around the edges. “I told her not to wander off!”

Shining hid his grin. He’d seen where Twilight had ‘accidentally’ left the doll, of course. She played this game a lot. “I warned you to keep an eye on her.”

Twilight giggled. “I thought I was! She must’ve snuck away when we were playing around the tree.”

Shining feigned surprise. “Do you think she might still be over there?”

Twilight perked up. “Hey, yeah! She can’t have gone far!”

Shining bent into a crouch. “Race you there!”

Twilight smirked, then scampered off in a cloud of dust.

“Ack!” Shining took off after her. “Twily! You’re supposed to wait for my signal!”

“Nah-nah!” She blew a raspberry back at him. “Can’t catch meeeeee!”

It was something of a family secret that the Hollow Shades were a hidden gem to go camping. Nestled in the heart of an ancient pine forest, the valley played host to a wellspring of wild magic that’d caused the trees to grow to titanic size. So large in fact, they stretched up to conceal the sun to leave the valley in perpetual twilight. It was tradition to visit once every summer to enjoy the cool weather and some family fun, taking in the mystic scenery while enjoying the time away.

Shining and Twilight ran to the massive pine tree they’d been playing around earlier. The gargantuan roots were partially exposed, snaking and twisting around to make a perfect playground. Shining and Twilight ducked and dodged around the edges of the obstacle course, and while Shining could’ve easily caught up with and surpassed her, it was only right for his baby sister to win once in awhile.

“There she is!” Twilight pointed beneath the arches of one of the smaller roots. She put on a burst of speed.

Shining did a double-take as he was left behind. “Whoa, Twily! Wait up!”

Twilight covered the last few dozen yards in a purple blur. The trunk of the ancient pine rose up a few scant feet away, looming high, high above. Said trunk was bigger around than their entire house, the far-off branches big and sturdy enough to support even the largest of creatures.

“HA!” Twilight grabbed Smarty Pants in a tacklehug. “Hehe, silly Smarty Pants! Did you get lost again?”

Twilight was so caught up she didn’t notice the thud… thud… thud… from above.

Shining shook his head as he caught up to his sister rolling on the ground. “So this is where she was hiding.”

Twilight held Smarty Pants by the scruff like a mother cat. “Yep!”

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Shining tilted his head. “C’mon. It’s almost time for dinner.”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “Awwww, I wanna play some more!”

“After dinner,” Shining said. “Mom’s gonna wonder where we went—”

THUD… THUD… THUD…

A downdraft hit their manes.

They both looked up...

WHOOMPH!

A mighty blast of air blew them back against the tree. A humongous something landed in behind them with a deafening CRASH, the sounds of snapping roots were deafening as the earth trembling, the smell of fresh earth and moss filling the air.

“Pony filth,” a booming, gravelly voice said. “You pollute this place every year with your stinking presence, and NOW, you even come near my lair?!”

Shining’s head was spinning. The back of his head where he’d hit on the tree felt wet. His vision was blurry, but he could just make out a purple blob beside him shaking and clutching his leg.

“Sh-Shiny…”

There was a terrible set of tremors. The dim sunlight was blotted out by a foul shadow as a putrid blast of air washed over them. Shining’s nostrils burned with smoke and sulfur, but all he could tell upon looking up was the thing was orange, and it was big.

“You won’t escape.” The space around them grew heavy with a loud click. “I’ll mount your charred bones at the entrance of this valley, insects! Let it serve as a warning to the rest of your disgusting kind!”

There was a terrible sound, like the inflating of a bellows—

ZZZRMMMMM!

The thing shrieked. Shining smelled sizzling flesh as something hit the ground with a meaty thud. The shadow spun around, its scythe-like tail slicing over their heads.

“SHINING!” he heard Mom yell. “TAKE TWILY AND RUN!”

Shining’s eyes refocused. He now saw what’d attacked them, but he had no idea what it was. It had claws the size of carts, scales the size of shields, and razor-sharp teeth like longswords. It had wings, but the right one was nothing but a freshly-bloodied stump.

“YOU DARE?!” The creature charged at Velvet, who Shining spotted in the direction they’d just come.

Velvet let loose another vorpal ray. This one’s aim was true, spiralling straight towards the creature’s neck...

The creature dodged, the ray sailing past to drill straight through the enormous tree. It responded by unleashing a cone of hellish fire point-blank in Velvet’s face. She didn’t even have time to dodge as the tsunami of flames engulfed her.

“MOM!” Shining tried to rise, but he fell back to the ground in a dizzy slump.

The creature swiped its tail again. Spines sharp enough to gut a pony lashed dangerously close to Shining and Twilight, the roots snapping and crunching around them. Thin splinters and chunks of wood battered them as the air grew hotter, the roots starting to catch aflame.

POW! A blast of force punched the creature square in the jaw. It squawked and staggered as the silhouette of a mare became visible in the flames.

“YOU DARE?!” Velvet charged out of the scorching blaze, her mane and tail like white brushfires. “I’LL HANG YOUR CARCASS FROM THE CANOPY!”

She rained down a flurry of blows so great it cracked the ground beneath. The creature reeled and fell flat on its belly, covering its head and wounded wing… but still continued to swipe its tail. The deadly limb grew closer and closer with each pass, now only inches from Shining and Twilight...

Velvet noticed. She punted the creature away and dashed past to the tree to her children. She grabbed Shining and Twilight in her aura and galloped away at breakneck speed.

The creature roared. It smashed its fists into the ground, causing a tremor that sent Velvet stumbling and sprawling.

“DIE!” The creature pounced, intending on crushing all three of them with its bulk...

FLASH!

...but it never landed. Instead it hung suspended in the air, it’s multi-ton weight enshrouded in a blue aura.

“Excuse me,” a cold voice said. “That’s my family you’re assaulting.”

Shining felt a chill. A sudden, powerful magic washed over him like an arcane wellspring. A familiar pony appeared beside them, his horn like a miniature star, staring down the massive beast with murder in his eyes.

Velvet gasped. “Honey!”

Night tightened his crushing grip on the creature. “Give me a few minutes with our friend here, won’t you? I’d like to demonstrate something we scientists call vivisection.”

“Y-You…” The creature gasped and wheezed. “WHAT?! How’d you... dispel my dimension lock?!”

Night narrowed his eyes. There was a shrill, humming whine, his horn glowing even brighter. Night’s ridiculous magic kept on building… Building… BUILDING… the oppressiveness of the air wavering…

SNAP!

It was like a curtain of glass fell away. The stifling feeling in the air shattered to tiny pieces, all returning to normal.

Night spat on the ground. “You’re next.”

Then he hurled the creature back, SLAMMING it back against the ancient tree with impossible force. The colossal tree swayed ominously like a willow in a strong breeze.

“Velvet, sweetie,” Night said in a calm voice. “I’m not going to hold back.”

Velvet hesitated. “Night…”

Night whirled on her. “GO!”

Velvet winced. She pulled Shining and Twilight close to teleport—

But then the world froze. Silence reigned for several seconds as Shining blinked and looked all around, still hovering in his mother’s stilled aura. Not a single thing around him moved so much as an inch, the entire world now like a painting.

“What the…” Shining said.

“Quite the interesting dream, nephew.”

There was a sound like swishing fabric. An opening in the air beside him split open wide, then wider still until it formed into the shape of a dark blue door. The crescent moon handle turned, and through it walked a familiar smiling face.

“The reports state your father is merely a reclusive astronomer.” Luna freed Shining and set him on the ground. “Nowhere have I heard anything of him holding such incredible power.”

Shining craned his head up—wayyyyyy up. Compared to a young colt, Luna was an absolute giant! He didn’t even come up to her knees! Thin, tall, and lithe, she radiated a soothing aura that sharpened his senses.

Shining squinted. “Is this…?”

“Forgive me, if I’d known this was an unpleasant memory, I’d have stopped it sooner.” Luna’s gaze lingered on the creature pinned to the tree. “Though I see now where you and your sister have inherited your gifts.”

Shining felt himself. It certainly didn’t feel like he was dreaming. “...I’d totally forgot all about this. I didn’t even have my cutie mark when it happened! Twily couldn’t have been more than four.”

Luna cocked her head to the side. “Tell me, how powerful is your father? To overpower an elder dragon’s dimension lock, let alone shatter it with such ease...”

Shining’s thoughts sobered. He looked at his father, an irate effigy of arcane might. The sight made Shining shudder even frozen in time.

“I don’t really know if I’m at liberty to say.”

Luna gave him a flat look. “Nephew.”

“He’s my dad!” Shining burst out. “You expect me to just go around blabbing his secrets?! He’s kept this quiet for a reason!”

“A quiet that’s not going to be kept anymore,” Luna replied with narrowed eyes. “Rest assured, I shall be speaking with both him and Celestia about this. What you have right now is the chance to do damage control. Take it, or leave it.”

Shining’s ears drooped. The withering glare of an annoyed grown-up drilled into him, Luna’s enormous form even more imposing. His perspective was such that he couldn’t tell if she just looked bigger, but it had the same effect either way.

There was a pause. Shining eyes flicked back and forth as he weighed his options, the edges of the dream growing blurry, then refocusing.

“...We call it the Dad Threshold,” he said.

Luna cocked her head. “Dad… Threshold?”

Shining groaned and rubbed his temples. “I’m so gonna get reamed for this… Look, the only other ponies that know about this are Mom, Twily, Spike, and recently Cady. We only ever talk about it amongst ourselves.”

Luna clucked her tongue. “Hence the name.”

Shining sat back on his haunches. “And I don’t actually know how powerful he is, so I can’t help you there. He may have gone off somewhere in his younger days to push his limits, but not that I’ve ever seen. He’s got the most control I’ve ever seen in a magic user, and he’s never been one to show off.”

The scene faded and reformed into another memory. Night, Velvet, Shining and Twilight were all together in a museum examining the ancient items on display. Velvet had a baby carrier on her back carrying an infant Spike, and both Shining and Twilight had their cutie marks.

“What I DO know is that power and control are pretty much all he has,” said Shining. “No finesse, no dexterity, no maintaining multiple spells at once. Most unicorns can keep up at least five or six spells at the same time, but I’ve only ever seen Dad manage two. That means if he’s holding multiple things in his telekinesis, it all gets affected or moved in the same way.”

The family got to the center exhibit: A display of ancient stone architecture. The dense slabs were each one over twelve feet high and six feet feet thick. Shining’s family walked among the stones to examine the weathered patterns carved upon them.

Suddenly, the fire alarm went off.

BWEEP-BWEEP-BWEEP-BWEEP-BWEEP

Twilight shrieked. Her aura erupted around her, bursts of wild magic shooting off her body that struck the tremendous slabs. There was an ominous rumbling as they wobbled and swayed.

Velvet snatched Memory-Shining and teleported with him and Spike. Night went to grab Twilight, but an errant bolt knocked his hoof away.

The immense stones fell towards them both...

ZING!

Night’s magic field had extended outward to encapsulate the entire room, halting everything. Only Twilight and Night were unaffected.

“D-Daddy…” Twilight whimpered with glowing eyes. “Help…”

Night focused on her. His tongue poked out his mouth as he enshrouded Twilight’s aura and brute forced it back into her. Little by little, her freak power surge died down...

KA-RUNCH! CCCCCCRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH!

...but Twilight’s aura wasn’t the only thing compressed.

“He’s found ways around his limits like letting go of things one thing at a time, but it takes all the concentration he has.” Shining nodded towards the scene. “Which he can’t always afford.”

Luna cringed. Where once there’d been a display of ancient monoliths were now fifty coconut-sized orbs. “Indeed.”

Twilight’s eyes returned to normal. “Daddy! Stop! The rocks—”

“Focus on me, Twily.” Night kept on muscling her magic down. “Find your center, just like I showed you. Breathe in… breathe out… In… good, now out... that’s it...”

“Imagine a new threat to Equestria’s has emerged,” said Shining. “A threat so terrible and powerful, it could destroy everything as we know it. Something along the lines of Discord, Tirek, Chrysalis, or Sombra.”

Luna’s eyes fell. There was one more villain on that list that went unsaid.

“We’ve got all kinds of defenses against those kinds of threats.” The memory froze, and Shining went over to stand beside his sister. “The Elements of Harmony, the Crystal Heart, the military, you, Celestia, Cady… even me. All are designed to defend our citizens while minimizing casualties and preventing collateral damage, and I’d say we’re successful for the most part.”

The memory returned back to the Hollow Shades. They were back in the clearing where the dragon had attacked, but where once was a grove among the pines...

“By the moon,” Luna whispered.

The land was blackened and scorched. The gargantuan trees were felled and snapped in two, the fallen logs sheared and blown to pony-sized bits. The uneven ground was littered with branches, ripped-up roots, and oversized pine needles, creating a landscape of ruin that stretched out for hundreds of yards. The acrid smell of sizzling mana was heavy in the air… as was the odor of entrails.

Shining surveyed the scene. “If all of our nation’s defenses were to fall... if a situation were ever to go so horribly wrong that Equestria might be no more... if there was no other option left to be able to stop the threat in question... THAT’S the Dad Threshold. A scenario so desperate and hopeless, that ANY solution’s acceptable, no matter the collateral damage.”

Shining turned around to Luna. “The closest we’ve ever got to the Dad Threshold was with Tirek. He seriously considered stepping in then, but when he heard Tirek was essentially an energy vampire, he reconsidered and got out of the country with Mom. If Tirek had gotten ahold of their magic on top of everything else…”

Luna swallowed hard. She’d seen a lot of things in her immortal life, but that incident still frightened her.

“Are you starting to see why my family hides this?” Shining asked. “Control or no control, who’d want to be neighbors with someone capable of this? For crying out loud, ponies are wary of Mom because of her fire affinity! Imagine what’d happen if they knew about my dad!”

Luna frowned. True, Shining sounded sincere, but the subtext was clear as day.

“That can’t be the only reason,” she said. “Your family’s not told anyone of this to my knowledge—not the authorities, not me, not my sister, nopony. Why?”

Shining drug a hoof in the dirt. “It’s like I said. If every single one of Equestria’s other defenses go down, we still have Dad. The enemy can’t prepare for something hidden.”

Luna pursed her lips. Granted, Equestria had faced a lot of threats and calamities lately, and with Shining and Twilight being on the front lines, it was understandable they’d want some kind of ace in the hole.

But even with that being the case…

“The dragon.” Luna’s gaze flicked to the severed tree stump. “Your father killed it?”

Shining looked away. “He never would say.”

Luna decided that was best left unanswered. “What of this?” She gestured to all around them. “Is this his greatest act of destruction?”

Shining snorted. “As if this wasn’t bad enough. He wasn’t even winded afterwards, Luna.”

Luna worked her jaw a few times. Where the sun hadn’t been visible before, it now shone down through a rent hole in the canopy. A hazy magical fog was rising up into the sky that was tinted the slightest bit of blue.

“I’ve heard reports of dragons having lairs inside our borders, but this is the first I’ve heard of one in the Hollow Shades.” Luna glanced at the severed wing. “Granted, ponies seldom come here in the first place…”

Shining idly drew a few shapes in the dirt. “Dad’s family has camped here every summer for over thirty years, and they never saw a trace of it. You’d think a fire-breather the size of a mansion would some leave evidence around....”

Luna shook her head clear. “We’ll discuss this further once I speak with your father. The choice of course is his, but I refuse to accept that his abilities are so specific or dangerous that they cannot be repurposed in some way. If I may be frank, I think his anxiety and paranoia has affected the rest of you.”

Shining kicked at a stone. “Do whatever you feel’s right, I guess.”

“Indeed I shall. But for now…” The memory faded, and suddenly they were on the edge of a serene lake. The moon watched over them as the stars twinkled bright, the distant bubbling of a waterfall tickling their ears. Glowing mushrooms and moon lilies waved in a warm breeze while lily pads drifted in the shallows. Mountains resembling the Canterhorn Valley dotted the horizon around them, their caps topped with snow.

“I’ve come to speak with you regarding our changeling guest,” Luna said. “The probing spells of my examiners found no trace of foreign influence on his psyche, so I believe that what he’s told us is true. We would now like to send him your way.”

Shining barely heard. He was too busy staring at his reflection in the lake.

“Uh...” Shining poked at the water. “Have I been a kid this whole time?”

Luna laughed. “If you wish to take another form, feel free. I’ve personally taken the opportunity to not be pregnant. Perhaps you might enjoy the same, hmm?”

Shining stared at his younger face. Innocent eyes blinked back at him that hadn’t yet been dulled by the weight of the world.

He tore his gaze away from the water. “What was that about the changeling?”

Luna laid on her stomach on the grass. “Ahhhh… Tia and I have decided to send him up to the Empire. He’ll be arriving on the morning train with Apogee. I’ve notified Mi Amore and Twilight Sparkle, as well.”

Shining grunted. “So we’re really using him as a guinea pig.”

Luna’s brow creased. “I don’t know whether Mi Amore can be to his kind like I am to the thestrals, but at the very least, we’ll have created a sustainable environment for young Thorax.”

Shining raised an eyebrow. “Thorax? Who—wait… the changeling?! He has a name?!”

Luna smiled. “He chose it with some help from Maria. He IS self-aware, after all.”

Shining exhaled out his nose. A self-aware changeling… stars preserve him...

Luna plucked a nearby lily. “I expect you and your charges will treat him well. Your feelings towards his race are understandable, but Thorax does not share the cruelty of his kin. He is a not a prisoner, dear nephew. He is a refugee.”

Shining looked like he was trying to swallow a lemon. “Errrrgh… you DO realize how hard this is gonna be for Cady and me, right?”

Luna’s eyes went soft. “You are strong and brave, and Mi Amore is kind and just. Together, you’ve persevered through challenges I thought impossible. If Mi Amore truly does hold the key to the changeling’s salvation, she’ll need her mate alongside her. You must be strong for her sake.”

Flashes of sickly neon green taunted Shining’s memories, echoes of a loopiness that’d once fogged his mind. He could still feel it… a rough, forked tongue on his neck, the sharp edges of a carapace nicking his inner thighs as she commanded him to...

Luna looked out over at the lake. “I’ve soothed your pain with all the power I have. Queen Chrysalis is many things, but I am the master of the subconscious, not she. You have my word that Thorax is free of her influence.”

Shining sneered. Pushing aside the shadows of the past wasn’t something one just did, damn it! It was all too easy to gnaw on a grudge like a dog on an old bone, and you know what? It felt good to do that sometimes! Let go of his bitterness? Ha! That was rich, coming from HER of all ponies! He had every right to resent the changelings, so who cared how he felt about it?! Toxic feelings like that only stood to corrupt alic—

Oh.

…

...

shit.

Shining felt something strange tickle his back. He looked, and now noticed that a pair of ghostly feathered wings adorned his sides. They spread out to their full span at his urging.

“...I can’t really afford to let dark feelings fester, can I?” he said.

Luna’s face was grim. “An alicorn’s most insidious foes are the ones we create in our minds. As you said earlier, we are blessed with the power to fight monsters. But if we’re not careful, we can become monsters ourselves. Our immortality gives those ghosts of the past ample time to corrupt us, dear nephew. Learn to purge yourself now... or fall, as I did.”

Shining looked up at the starry sky. The implications of his ascension had been in the back of his mind for weeks, but he hadn’t ever stopped to think—really think, about what it all meant. Power, immortality, abilities most ponies only dreamed about, influence and social status that lasted throughout history… this was the first time somepony had pointed out it all came with a warning label.

A hollow laugh escaped Shining. “We’re certainly held to a higher standard.”

Luna nodded. “Such is our fate.”

Shining grunted. Letting go of a persistent grudge wasn’t something that happened overnight, but he hadn’t gotten where he was in life by letting a challenge get the best of him. He was too stubborn for that.

“Tell me more about Thorax,” he said. “What else should I know about him?”

Luna patted the grass in front of her. “Please.”

Shining relented. He plopped down on his belly to mimic Luna’s sploot.

“Oh!” Shining stretched out further. “I can’t do this while awake!”

Luna smiled. “A reprieve from procreation.”

“Ahhhhh...” Shining rolled around in the grass like a puppy. “I’m okay with thisssss~”

Luna watched him roll around a moment before speaking again. “You should know that Thorax is younger than he looks. Changeling drones mature quickly in body, but their minds develop similarly to ours. He’s only about nine years old by my reckoning.”

Shining stopped rolling. He listened to Luna on his back, his little legs tucked in to his body.

“He doesn’t understand much about pony culture,” Luna went on. “He only knows as much as we’ve told him, but he’s a quick learner, and he’s comfortable following orders. I doubt he’ll give you much trouble.”

Shining glowered. “How’s Cady supposed to help him, exactly? I get that we think the changelings may be similar to the thestrals, but nopony’s told me HOW you cured them. I do remember escorting you to their part of Canterlot after you were purified years ago, but if you did anything then, I didn’t notice.”

Luna’s eyes widened. Gradually, her gaze drifted to the mountains, the air still and silent.

“I forgot you were with me when I saw...”

“The graveyards, yeah.” Shining rolled back onto his stomach. “I came in one evening to find you panicking because you couldn’t feel the thestrals in the Dreamrealm. I spent that whole day teleporting around with you in my shadow so we wouldn’t cause an uproar. When we finally got to the cemetery… well. That wasn’t a very good time for you.”

Luna looked down at the ground. “F-Forgive me, my memories from those weeks are hazy. The Elements of Harmony...”

Shining waved her off. “You don’t need to explain anything. You were so out of it you couldn’t even remember anyone’s name half the time.”

Luna decided not to comment. Instead she took a moment to gather her thoughts, her wings moving one at a time.

“An alicorn’s magic is… pervasive,” she said. “Regardless whether it’s a passive ability or active one, faint traces of our power always are left behind. It’s normally harmless, but in some unique cases, it can become… toxic.”

Shining clicked his teeth. “I see.”

Luna smoothed out a patch of grass. “I created the thestrals in the century before my fall. I was looking for volunteers to assist me in watching over the night, and once I’d gathered a suitably-sized group, I placed a slew of blessings upon all of them: Nocturnal tendencies, various sharpened senses, an affinity to dream magic, a more stealthy and thematic appearance, and most importantly: souls that no longer craved the light. I was quite lonely in those days, you see, and while I was indeed trying to make a better night patrol…”

Shining could see. “You wanted a community. Actual like-minded ponies to talk to, not just empty corridors and vacant streets.”

Luna hung her head. “Perhaps if I’d done it sooner… but the madness had already taken root in me. Evil infected my mind and soul before long, and in the end, Celestia was left to steward both the day and night. And with her magic being used to use the heavens month after month… decade after decade… century after century…”

“Her magic started seeping into your domain,” Shining finished. “Which… did what, exactly? Contaminated it?”

Luna tilted her head back and forth. “The imbalance wasn’t such that it affected most ponies, but the thestrals are more sensitive to such things. They need my magic to thrive, and with the darkness becoming diluted over time, their souls became more and more starved. It first manifested as malaise, but malaise then turned into apathy, then to depression, then listlessness, and finally…”

Shining had read the reports on that much. The condition had had a ninety-five percent mortality rate by the time Luna had returned. Those that survived rarely lived past forty. “So what was the solution?”

Luna waved her hoof, and the image of a batpony appeared. “Cleansing the night of Tia’s magic was a taxing matter by itself, but even that wasn’t enough. To rouse them, I had to give them prolonged exposure to a most concentrated form of my power I could. I began actively projecting my magic in an aura and letting it radiate from my very being, performing as many acts within my domain as I could in their presence. I exercised my abilities and manifested the power of dreams and darkness to the fullest extent, and that was finally what brought them back.”

The earth and waters pulsed. The air around them grew heavier, the stars growing brighter and clearer. The flowers bloomed and became more alive as a corona of violet shimmered around Luna.

“I did it here.” Her voice now held a faint echo. “I brought them all here when they slept, where my very presence was like a soothing balm to them. They were drawn to me like a magnet through the Dreamrealm, and miraculously, the majority of them stabilized in days. Within a few months, every single one of them was cured!”

Shining raised his eyebrows. “Only a few months?”

“Yes!” Luna said. “Even the worst cases recovered! I’d never seen anything like it!”

Shining sucked on his teeth. That was certainly impressive, but whether or not they should expect those kinds of results here…

Luna made the image shift. Instead of a batpony, it now showed a changeling drone. “Mi Amore’s powers have always been secondary to her knack for leadership, and she’s never developed them much to my knowledge. However, if she manages to get ‘over the hump’, as they say, we can see how Thorax responds. If Mi Amore feels she can still do more, we might be able to go from there. I know her magic is tied to the Crystal Heart, so perhaps she can use it to boost herself?”

The word ‘draining’ made Shining’s ears twitch. His thoughts drifted back to the past few weeks,

“Did you start rehabilitating the batponies here in the Dreamrealm while you were recovering yourself?” he asked. “While I was your bodyguard?”

Luna’s voice faltered. She rubbed her forearms with a small laugh. “I… e-erm, knew you’d have to report it to Tia…”

Shining pushed the annoyance of that aside for now. “I’ll make sure Cady starts slow, but I’ve got a hunch on something I wanna test out. This could have HUGE implications if the ch—Thorax responds somehow, so we’ll all have to meet up then so we can start making more plans.”

Luna’s face was blank. “Plans? Plans for what?”

Shining’s grin was like a wolf’s. “For getting more changelings, of course.”

The red-eye train to the Crystal Empire never had many passengers. A few businessponies and tradesmares, maybe a government official or two. The receiving platform almost never had anypony waiting when it arrived, either, so it was a bit peculiar to see a single curly-coated pegasus guard hanging around.

Rex hated the world at the moment. She’d had one of those annoying occurrences where you wake up forty-five minutes before your alarm is scheduled to go off, so she figured she may as well get going rather than wake up even more tired. It was still dark out, and well before the Canterlot train was scheduled to arrive, but that was fine. She actually liked a bit of quiet time before—

TWEEEEEEEEEEEET!

A train whistle sounded across the rolling hills. The snow-flecked southern train rounded the bend, bits of ice still flying off its roof and windows.

Rex sighed. “Of course.”

The loud HISS of steam accompanied the train’s full stop. The doors opening with a pleasant chime, and a grand total of seven passengers got off. The first six paid Rex no mind as they passed, yawning and muttering and bleary-eyed.

The last, however, was alert and well-groomed, her lunar armor glinting in the moonlight.

“First Lieutenant Apogee,” Rex said as the mare approached. “Welcome back... to—erm, is... that a schnauzer on your back?”

Apogee saluted, careful not to jostle the sleeping puppy. “Major Rex, ma’am! I bring urgent news from Princess Luna!”

She produced a scroll sealed with an embossed crescent moon and presented to Rex.

Rex did a double-take upon seeing the seal. “Who’s the message for?”

Apogee nudged the scroll closer. “To whomever received me in the Empire, ma’am.”

Sighing, Rex took the scroll. It glowed faintly at her touch, projecting a ghostly image of the Equestrian Coat of Arms.

Rex felt a chill. She opened the official message and read its contents...

…

…

...

“...That’s not a schnauzer,” she said.

Gleaming wasn’t sure when she woke. The sun wasn’t up yet, and all was dark and still. A warm presence against her back informed that Cadance was spooning with her, a long wing draped around them beneath the blankets. Her slow, soft breaths felt warm in Gleaming’s mane, their measure almost hypnotic.

It took Gleaming a second to realize she wasn’t a kid anymore. or male, for that matter. The slower sensations of her body faded back in like a wave, accompanied as always by a syrupy, deep-seated warmth. A lack of tickles in her abdomen informed her the kids were still asleep, but they’d likely be active before long.

Gleaming tried not to laugh. Not only did Cadance have her wing around her, she was hugging Gleaming like an oversized teddy bear. Her wife’s infamous sleep-snuggling had once again trapped her in its dreaded grip. It was a bit awkward with her not really being the big spoon anymore (less than half an inch separated them last they’d checked), but judging by how peacefully Cadance was sleeping, she didn’t likely care.

Silly, silly wife. Gleaming smiled. What am I going to do with you?

Excxept there wasn’t much Gleaming could do. Teleporting would wake Cadance up, as would any other efforts to get out of bed manually. About all Gleaming could do was either go back to sleep, lay there like a log, or do something to wake Sleeping Beauty.

She was mulling over her options when an abrupt ache made the decision for her.

O-Oh...

It flared up suddenly like a bubbly giddiness in her chest. In mere seconds, Gleaming’s sleepy mind was snapped awake and alert, overtaken by a familiar frazzled feeling.

What the… Gleaming reeled. REALLY?! I-I know we usually have sex in the morning, b-but...

She fidgeted in Cadance’s hug. Her heart beat faster, her mouth feeling strangely dry. The syrupy warmth in her belly was growing hotter, travelling lower, morphing into a newfound heat. Her tail was unable to twitch or flag between them, but she could already catch whiffs of her scent rising up from the covers.

Almost on its own, Gleaming’s horn glowed with familiar intent. Cadance’s limbs began to lengthen around Gleaming, her wings enveloping them entirely. Her organs shifted with a faint gurgle, followed by a slight creak from her bones adjusting. Her mane shortened as her muzzle squared out, and her breathing stuttered for a second before getting clearer. Cadance’s body swelled, her muscles thickening and bulking, her chest growing deep and broad. Before long she was a proper big spoon, surrounding Gleaming in a strong, feathery embrace.

Cadance’s privates were the last to change. Her clit became engorged, protruding more and more as it shifted size and shape. Her marehood became a heavy sack, the fat testes and internal systems switching. Her nuts finished forming right at the same time as her penis, which remained out of its nascent sheath, already half-hard and twitching.

It was amazing that Eros slept through the entire change. He merely hummed and pulled Gleaming closer, his sail-like wings caressing her. Although he did begon to rouse when Gleaming freed his dick to reposition it at her flower...

Gleaming licked her lips. She waited while Eros rose to full mast, his growing cock inching up to brush against her. She had NO idea why she was so sensitive right now, but Eros’ initial touch sent a delightful jolt up her spine. She held him steady as his head pressed more and more at her entrance, swelling longer... harder... thicker, growing to that huge size she’d come to love. She funneled more magic into his hefty balls, making them bloat bigger and fuller, hearing them churn as they made more and more seed..

Gleaming bit back a moan. Her nethers were spreading from the building pressure, so very eager to swallow their prize! Eros didn’t even have a full boner and he was already threatening to invade her, his glistening head leaking almost as much as her! She forced herself still and just laid there, panting, snuggled in his hunky grip while the anticipation built like a powder keg...

Eros woke right as his head popped in.

“!!!” His sharp inhale was like a hiss. “AH?”

Gleaming let out the moan she’d been holding in. She squeezed her muscles and sucked more of him inside.

Eros only had a second’s hesitation before thrusting properly. “S-Sneaky little…” He snorted as he sensed her emotions. “Holy—you are horny as HELL!”

Gleaming felt every inch of his cock enter her, and it merely spurred her on. She guided his hooves to her sextuplet-filled belly.

“Unnnggh…” Eros nickered and groped her, his dick sinking to the medial ring. “You just get bigger every dayyyyyyy…”

Only eight and a half months pregnant, and Gleaming looked full term with quads. Her latest growth spurt was only now ending, and she ate more and more with every meal, devouring portions that would feed a half a platoon. Her fertile womb was like a heated hill beneath the blankets, and she herself had grown yet another inch, every bit of her blooming with life and heat!

Eros rocked his hips with each thrust, his pushes accompanied by his wife’s sexy gasping and murring and mewling. His nostrils flared with the heady scent of healthy mare, and he nibbled and tugged on Gleaming ears, her sounds peppered with short squeaks.

The blankets did little to muffle their sounds. Eros moved back and forth with practiced ease, Gleaming’s tunnel easily molding to his dick. He barely even registered how big his balls were; all he cared about was the need. His thrusts gained strength, his medial ring slurping into her, his twitching cock coating her insides with slick pre.

So… f-full! Gleaming’s tongue lolled out her mouth. MORE!

Eros bit her mane and yanked. Gleaming yelled and arched her back as he hilted deep, fucking her again and again and again. He claimed her pregnant pussy without pause, his size a boiling rod of steel that fanned her desperate flames. She moved in time while clamping down with her powerful core, and soon his moans joined hers to shatter the morning silence.

Gleaming’s first peak blindsided her almost as much as the lust. Eros hit her g-spot with a particularly strong thrust, and her voice cracked as her walls spasmed and squirted all over Eros’ crotch. Sensing victory, Eros did it again and was rewarded with another stilted cry. He began pleasuring her sweet spot in a horny trance, their emotions caught in a loop, the springs inside them tightening all the faster. He fondled her belly in a rush, its firm size larger and more pregnant than almost any other he’d seen. Even laying down he could feel its weight, like an enormous medicine ball filled with foals… their foals. THEIRS.

Gleaming was awash in the sensations. Eros had found the rhythm and was dragging out her high, a second orgasm crashing right into the first. Thrust after thrust he spread her, feeding her clenching hunger and then some. Every twitch and small movement was bliss, but she wanted… no, needed more! She needed to feel him coat her walls… fill her with all he had!

She didn’t need to wait long. Her lewd noises were always what tipped him over the edge, and soon he fell out of the rhythm, his fat cockhead flaring, his volleyball-sized nuts gurgling. He caught Gleaming off-guard in a deep, moaning kiss, and with one final thrust—

Gleaming saw white. She felt it travelling up his thick shaft before he erupted within her, spurt after spurt of thick jizz only adding to the racing heat. Eros held her tighter, kissed her harder, his swollen balls unleashing load after load that just went on. She kissed him back with equal ardor, their tongues mingling as he thrust mightily, her thirsty tunnel soaking up his gift.

YES! Gleaming squeezed him as hard as she could. YES!

Eros couldn’t stop. There was so much built up, so… very... MUCH! The pent-up feeling consumed him as he clutched and pistoned with lusty strength. He held nothing back as his cock gushed in long spurts, their sweaty bodies entwined, the pressures staying at a peak. Gleaming took all he gave and more, their tongues dancing even as he violently jerked his hips, the smell of sweat and sex heavy in the air.

Every fresh load made Gleaming’s eyes swirl with color. Electric energy raced through her like liquid fire in her veins. Eros was getting rougher by the second, but she matched his zeal bit for bit, the bed rocking and trembling like a dingy in a storm. Gleaming’s third orgasm approached like a looming wave, building with each burst of seed that suffused her as her legs quivered and shook.

Eros was a stallion possessed. He was still going strong, jerking and humping and cumming like a geyser. Gleaming was getting warmer with each offering he gave, but that just him made her fuck her all the faster. Adrenaline and endorphins swam through him like a coital cocktail, his eyes uneven as he pushed on. He began sucking her horn in long pulls, his tongue swirling around and tracing her spiralling grooves.

“EROS!” Gleaming let out a girly squeal. “ERRRRROOOOOS~”

It went on like that for some time. Gleaming goaded him on the whole time, and he felt revitalized every time he threatened to come down, his nuts seemingly bottomless. He pushed himself to limits he didn’t even knew he had, and Gleaming never once stopped him, cradling and rubbing her huge belly alongside him, feeling the faint flutters and twitches within.

Neither of them knew how long it lasted, but it was long enough that the beginnings of dawn were starting to light the room when they came down.

Eros nuzzled and kissed Gleaming’s neck with a more tender touch. “Holy shit, babe…”

Gleaming shivered. Even after all that, the desire, the urge… “K-Keep, keep going…” She clutched the nape of his neck. “Don’t stop...”

Eros chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. I will. Gimme a sec.”

Gleaming bit her lip so hard it almost bled. Eros was still lodged inside her, hard as a diamond and shifting his hips the way she liked. “Th-This has to be hormones...”

“Noooooooo, y’think?” Eros just coasted for a bit, gliding smoothly in and out of her. “Ngggh… did Luna visit you?”

Gleaming gave a jerky nod. “A-Apogee’s bringing a friend…”

Eros squinted at the clock. They had about an hour and a half before they were scheduled to meet. An hour and a half to finish, get cleaned up, eat breakfast, and be downstairs ready to—

Gleaming’s long moan cut his thoughts short. “A-After… after I’m finished... milking you…” She rippled he inner muscles around him. “We’ll go into the b-bathroom, and you can milk me, okay?”

...Well, at least that took care of breakfast.

“Would’ve been nice if Princess Luna had given us forewarning.” Rex warily eyed the snoozing ‘puppy’ as they walked down the castle halls. The schnauzer was on a leash of some sort, but that was about as effective as a bridge made of dental floss. “I hope she’s at least notified Princess Cadance and Princess Gleaming.”

Apogee winced. “I hope so too, ma’am.”

Rex was used to dealing with stress. She’d worked with Gleaming and Cadance long enough to have her fair share of adventures, and she operated well under pressure. It wasn’t her place to question the choices of the princesses, only to carry out and enforce them within the scope of the law.

But cripes, man...

Rex signalled to a passing guard patrol. “You two! Stop!”

The pair of guards saluted. “Ma’am!”

“Send a message to Their Majesties.” Rex tilted her head at Apogee. “Tell them Princess Luna’s envoy has arrived early.”

“Right away!” The two ran off towards a flight of stairs.

Apogee had a thought upon watching the soldiers go. “Uh… permission to speak freely, Major?”

Rex glanced at her. “Go ahead.”

Apogee looked around. “This leads to the throne room, doesn’t it? Is that where we’re having this meeting?”

Rex nodded. “Why?”

Apogee ran her tongue along her fangs. “I’d advise against that, ma’am.”

Rex frowned. “Elaborate.”

Apogee indicated the puppy. “He’s, um... afraid of throne rooms.”

Rex just stared at her.

Apogee fidgeted in place. “The Noctis—Lieutenant-Colonel Maria, that is, has been monitoring his dreams. She told me he’s been suffering a recurring nightmare that takes place in a throne room. He’s had a nasty panic attacks in Canterlot because of it.”

Rex chewed on her lip. Pity or lack thereof aside, trying to have a discussion with a panicked anything didn’t make for a fun morning. “Did the Lieutenant-Colonel suggest an alternative?”

Apogee tapped the floor. “She’s said he’s most comfortable underground.”

Rex thought for a moment before getting an idea. “Then I think I know just the place.”

Whirrrrrr…

Gleaming was in the bathroom, front legs bent, her huge, heavy belly brushing the tile floor. Her head was resting on a floor pillow as a heavy-duty suction cup pumped the bounty of her left breast into a bucket-like container.

“Errrroooooooos…” She hiked her tail up higher as a pair of soft lips tended to her right breast. “Mmmmmrrrrhhhh…”

Eros slurped Gleaming’s milk like he was dying of thirst. Creamy and sweet, her taste was as addictive as the rest of her and then some. He took a break from her breast to instead bury his snout in her flower and drink her nectar.

Gleaming crooned low. The rush was indescribable, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as Eros’ slithering tongue explored every nook and cranny.

They both knew they needed to start getting ready soon. They had a busy day ahead of them like always, and much as they wished it, they couldn’t spent the whole morning having sex. They were important ponies with important jobs after all, and they were expected they keep to a strict schedule—

*kssshht* “Excuse me, your majesties? *kssshht*

The voice echoed around them like a legion. Eros sprang away from Gleaming in a clumsy backpedal before falling into the shower with a whinny.

Gleaming whipped around. “Honey!”

SH-PPP! The movement pulled the suction cup off.

“Shit!” Gleaming had to stopper the flow of milk pouring all over the floor. Once handled, she went over to see to Eros.

*kssshht* “This is Corporal Diamond Dust...” The voice was coming from a glowing crystal mounted on the wall. “Major Rex has asked me to inform you Princess Luna’s envoy has arrived ahead of schedule.” *kssshht*

Eros was dazed, but unhurt. Gleaming helped him up as they exchanged a dark look.

“Horseapples,” Gleaming whispered. “She doesn’t know about the changeling.”

“Bet she does now,” Eros muttered back. “Ugh, I forgot she was even meeting Apogee this morning. Damn! I hope she’s not freaking out.”

“She’s a soldier. She’ll handle it.” Gleaming stole a quick final kiss. “But we should make this up to her somehow, though.”

Eros nodded. “Agreed. We owe her for this.”

*kssshht* “Are you there, Your Majesties?” *kssshht*

Eros scowled at the crystal. “Duty calls.”

“I got it.” There was a few awkward seconds as Gleaming waddled over, but upon getting to the counter, she enshrouded the crystal in her magic and cleared her throat.

“Could you repeat that, Corporal?”

*kssshht* “Apologies for the interruption, ma’am... Major Rex ordered me to tell you Princess Luna’s envoy—”

There was a sound of another pony approaching.

“...What?” A brief pause. “Oh, um… Sergeant Beryl has an updated message, General. She’s asked to deliver it herself...”

There was a series of shuffles and crackles.

“Sergeant Beryl, ma’am,” a voice said. “Major Rex has taken the envoy down to the Silver Sanctum. She’s asked you and Princess Cadance to meet her there ASAP...” *kssshht*

Gleaming raised her eyebrows. She looked back at Eros, who mouthed, “The Silver Sanctum?”

Gleaming shrugged. Likely it had something to do with the changeling, but who knew?

Eros rolled his eyes. He nodded and switched on the shower sprays.

“Tell her we’ll be down in a half hour,” Gleaming said into the crystal. “Also, inform the Major that Princess Luna contacted us last night through the Dreamrealm. That’s all.”

*kssshht* “Understood...” *kssshht*

Gleaming sighed. Even with teleporting, they’d have to multitask to get ready in that short of time. Wouldn’t be the first time they’d had to scramble, though. They’d make it work.

Gleaming picked up the milker and brought it with her into the shower. Upon checking it, she saw it already contained three-quarters of a liter from one breast alone. And that one wasn’t even done! Her tits gotten so big that they now brushed against her thighs, and her output had jumped up a lot ever since getting pregnant with foal number six. Something told Gleaming that her output was just gonna keep climbing, too...

“Quite the interruption,” Gleaming turned on a few more of the nozzles to let hot water soon spray both of them from all sides.

Eros snorted. “We’re about to be parents, hun. Our lives are going to be nothing but interruptions.”

Gleaming chuckled. “What wonderful things we have on the horizon.”

The Silver Sanctum was both a mystery and an oddity. Located in the underground levels beneath the castle’s open arches, it was an unassuming room with a low ceiling, reflective floors, and silvery etchings on the walls like spiderwebs. Nopony could remember the room’s original purpose, nopony knew when exactly it’d been made, and since few ponies spent much time in the lower levels to begin with, not many even knew about it. It’d mostly just been used for storage, but nopony felt right having such a nice room go to waste, so it’d been refitted into an auxiliary meeting room of sorts.

Except it hadn’t been used since.

Rex’s eyes were glued to the still-sleeping schnauzer as she stood by the Sanctum’s exit. There’d been some refreshments brought, but she the only thing she was in the mood for was a stiff drink.

“I wish he’d chosen to be a kitten,” she said. “I like kittens.”

Apogee ate her sliced mangos in silence. She liked to gum them with her lips, sucking the juice out of each bite before taking another.

“When did he eat last?” Rex asked.

Apogee put down her fork. “I’m afraid he’s had nothing but ambient love ever since we found him. I’m keeping him asleep right now so he can save his energy.”

Rex furrowed her brow. “You’re keeping him asleep?”

Apogee shrugged. “All thestrals can keep willing creatures in the Dreamrealm for a few hours at a time. It comes naturally to us.”

Rex’s eyes strayed back to the puppy. “And how willing is he?”

Apogee followed her gaze. “He—”

FLASH!

“I got here as soon as I could!” said Twilight. “Where’s the changeling?!”

Apogee let out a high-pitched skree!

Spike toppled off Twilight’s back. “Gah! Twilight, I was still riding you!”

Rex’s hackles rose. “Princess Twilight?! What—”

“A soldier came and told me about the envoy! He said you’d brought them down here!” Twilight saw the puppy. “Oooh, Is that him?! Can I examine him? I brought my instruments!”

A series of metallic devices floated out of an arcane portal. She went about setting them up as Spike picked himself up off the floor.

“Treating me like luggage…” Spike brushed himself off with a scowl. “Oh, hey! Breakfast!”

It took Rex a second to realize. She’d told the guards to go get the princesses. She’d never specified which ones.

FLASH!

“We’re here, Rex!” Cadance called. “Is everything okay?”

Rex ran a hoof down her face. “After a fashion...”

Gleaming did a double-take. “Good, you sent for Twilight. She should be here for this.”

“Hi, Gleaming!” Twilight said. “Hey, can you draw an Aldryshri array around the table for me?”

Gleaming cocked her head. “An Aldryshri array? What magic are you trying to detect?”

“His.” Twilight pointed at the puppy. “I wanna see if his transformation registers.”

Gleaming tensed upon seeing the little ball of fur. “Oh, jeez...”

“Erm…” Apogee dropped into a bow. “Your Highnesses—”

“None of that.” Cadance bade Apogee to rise. “Save it for when we’re in public.”

“These’re good!” Spike devoured another cheese danish in a few bites. “Gleam-Gleam, you should try ‘em!”

Gleaming waved him off. “I’ll wind up eating that whole spread if I get started, Bud. I’ll eat after this.”

Spike laughed. “I thought you needed to eat like, a whole city’s worth of food every few minutes.”

“Brat.” Gleaming accepted a piece of chalk from Twilight and began drawing. “Might wanna watch out, else I might eat you.”

Rex waved Cadance over. “I can take Spike back up to Princess Twilight’s quarters if he’s bothering you. He was brought along on accident.”

Cadance hadn’t even realized Spike was in the room. “Hmm, he does more for Twilight than you think, so it’d be better if he stayed. YOU, however, can go if you want. We’ll make this up to you later.”

Rex’s eyes flicked back and forth a moment. “I want a paid week of vacation starting Hearts and Hooves Day. No questions asked.”

Cadance considered that a moment. “Done.”

Rex immediately opened the door and zipped out in a flash.

Apogee clicked her teeth as she watched Twilight and Gleaming set up the instruments. She wasn’t sure what was a greater shock: having three of her nation’s rulers spontaneously appear out of nowhere, or the changes in Gleaming from just three weeks prior. She was taller, she looked stronger, the colors of her coat and mane were brighter, and her belly was much, MUCH bigger! Her maternity brace snugly enveloped her bulbous bump, and the bra she had on was the biggest she’d ever seen!

“I-If I may...” Apogee swallowed hard. “The Dark Lady has asked that we address the primary reason for my visit before moving on to other matters. There’s much we need to discuss regarding the B.R.E.A.S.T.S. campaign.”

Spike chortled into his juice.

Gleaming didn’t even look up. “Cady, did you grab the file?”

“Yep!” Cadance produced a thick navy folder with illustrations of bat wings.

Apogee quirked an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Latest progress report delivered to us by our project leads,” Cadance floated it over to Apogee. “Everything we’ve done so far is in there: names and info of those on our end, details of the hospital construction, plans for future expansions, office locations for new staff, all that stuff.”

Apogee skimmed the folder’s contents. The information was surprisingly detailed, containing all Cadance had just said and more. It seemed communications between Canterlot and the Empire were moving forward on several fronts already.

“This... makes my job a LOT easier.” Apogee handled the folder with considerably more care. “Although, I’m not seeing the plans for volunteers to travel down to Canterlot to be artificially inseminated. Are you aware the mistress has already arranged transportation and accommodations for the volunteers?”

Cadance resisted the urge to facehoof. She knew they’d been forgetting something.

“Once the process is complete and pregnancy’s been confirmed, the mares will return to continue their care here in the Empire.” Apogee paused as she re-read a page. “I... didn’t realize how much work the Empire’s already put into this.”

Cadance smiled. “We said we were going to help with the campaign. Did you think we were kidding?”

Apogee’s nose remained buried in the folder for another moment or two. “To be honest, if we’re already this far along in the plans and processes, we could get things started in a few weeks! Does it say anywhere in here what supplies and staff you’re needing?”

“Towards the back!” Gleaming called. “If Canterlot can supply the medical staff, we can cover the supplies... Erm, Twily, is it clockwise or counterclockwise for the concentric circles?”

“Counterclockwise.”

“Right...”

Apogee flipped to the last few documents. “That shouldn’t be an issue. The Dark Lady introduced incentives to medical schools to expand the market for specialists when the campaign first began. One such incentive was the authorization of time spells so they could be trained quicker.”

Cadance frowned. “Time spells? I hadn’t heard anything any about that.”

“I had!” said Twilight. “They consulted me on which ones to use!”

Spike smirked. “Good thing you didn’t give them the one that creates a time loop warning yourself about nothing.”

“That was only one time, Spike...”

“I’m not surprised you haven’t heard,” Apogee said to Cadance. “The announcement didn’t get much attention when it was first made, and it’s mostly flown under the radar since then. The press just didn’t seem all that interested.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with Cadance. The use of time spells in academia was quite a controversial topic, so a royal decree regarding it should’ve made a fair bit of waves. Why hadn’t it?

“Maybe I’m not as in touch with current events as I thought,” she muttered. “Has there at least been a fair number of ponies interested?”

Apogee set the folder to the side. “Oh, yes! Enrollment rates have skyrocketed. It’s just getting veteran doctors and administration that may prove a challenge. There shouldn’t be any issue in meeting immediate demand, though.”

Cadance recalled hearing something similar at the Revel. She swore, this process just kept getting more and more complicated. “It’s not definite, but we’re working on a long term solution for that.”

Gleaming had now finished drawing the array and was watching Twilight run some kind of scanner over the puppy. There was a faint buzzing noise emanating from the device that never rose or fell in pitch.

“Nothing. Darn.” Twilight put the device away. “I wonder if a Shal’vi ritual would do anything?”

“Twilight,” said Spike. “Remember what happened the last time you tried that? With the crystal reagent?”

Twilight blinked. “Right… Good catch, Spike.”

Spike went back to his mini-donuts. “S’what I do.”

Gleaming covered her mouth. “Snrrrk… you discovered how sensitive the natural crystals are up here, didn’t you?”

Twilight gave Gleaming a dull look. “Thanks for the warning. That explosion stung like the dickens.”

Gleaming held up her hooves. “I didn’t think you’d use crystals from anywhere but the apothecary! What, did you go traipsing out in the fields gathering specimens?”

“She totally did!” Spike said, laughing. “Gathered a whole bag of ‘em!”

Twilight gave him a dirty look. “Shall I say what happened when you bit into one of them?”

“...Shutting up now.”

“Here.” Cadance stamped her hoof, causing the floor to ripple. A sphere-like blob rose up at her command to coalesce into a crystalline shape, pulsing a moment before hardening. “How many do you need?”

Twilight stared. “You—You can just do that?”

Cadance winked. “Crystal Princess, remember?”

Spike stood up in his chair. “Ooh! Can I try one?”

Cadance tossed one into his open mouth, which he caught and loudly crunched away.

“Mmmm…” Spike gave her a thumbs up. “Sh’good!”

“Even average spellcasters risk overloading the wild crystals here,” Gleaming said to Twilight. “We’d be spending a fortune on imports if Cady couldn’t make scores of reagent-safe ones on command.”

Twilight chewed on her lip. “...In that case, I’ll just take two for now. And I’ll be sure to only take ones from the apothecary from now on.”

As Cadance was conjuring the crystals, Apogee came up beside them, silent as a ghost. She raised an eyebrow upon seeing the arcane drawing on the floor.

“What all else do we need to talk about?” Gleaming asked her. “We might have to hold off talking about more until you’ve had a chance to go through the report.”

Apogee started. “Huh? Oh, yes… It’s going to take me some time to go through all this, so if you’d all like, I believe it’d be fine to address the matter of the changeling now. Would you like me to wake him?”

Cadance shifted back and forth on her hooves. “I’d like to take a look at his soul, first. I can see similarities between you two by just the surface emotions, but it’s been a long time since I examined a changeling. I want to see how similar this ‘condition’ really is.”

“Look at his soul? What do you—” Gleaming perked up. “OH! Okay!”

“Want me to look, too?” Twilight said.

Cadance smiled. “Let’s all of us do it.”

Gleaming moved the puppy to the floor with magic. Cadance came over by Gleaming’s right, Twilight standing at her left.

Gleaming then gave Apogee a very serious look. “What you’re about to see does NOT leave this room. Are we clear, First Lieutenant?”

Apogee saluted. “Ma’am! Yes, ma’am!”

Twilight patted Gleaming’s shoulder. “Think you can handle it?”

Gleaming smirked. “I’m feeling good today.”

Twilight laughed. “Just like we showed you, then. Give the magic the intent, and it’ll do the rest.”

Gleaming nodded. She searched within for the grape-sized spark, and it responded to her call, flaring bright and suffusing her with hot, lively power. Twilight and Cadance did much the same, their eyes shutting in unison…

Zing!

The room grew abuzz with static. Gleaming, Cadance, and Twilight’s eyes all snapped open, but they were now filled with pure white light. Their combined gazes drilled into the puppy all at once.

Apogee took a step back. “Th-That’s… what?! General, YOU—b-but that means—”

Spike threw a mini-donut at her. “Shhh!”

Apogee meeped and clamped her hooves over her mouth.

The puppy’s soul was a twisted mess. Neon green and sickly, it was riddled with tiny holes like swiss cheese. Just the sight of it made Twilight and Gleaming shudder.

“What the...” Twilight felt her stomach flip. “How is even he alive?!”

Cadance looked like she was attending a wake. “You should’ve seen Chrysalis.”

Gleaming’s Soul Sight was blurrier, but she could see well enough to know the changeling’s soul wasn’t healthy. She looked to compare it to Apogee’s soul for similarities...

“Hrm.” Gleaming glanced back and forth. “So, uh… Apogee’s soul...”

“That’s normal,” Cadance said right away. “For a thestral, at least.”

Unlike the pastel-colored soul of most ponies, Apogee’s was a deep, inky indigo, like someone had taken a piece of the night sky and rolled it up into a ball.

...Or at least it would look like that, if it didn’t have a collection of grey gashes crisscrossing all over.

“Those pale marks...” Twilight squinted. “They’re scars?”

Apogee’s silhouette flinched.

Cadance was grim-faced. “You’re quite the survivor, Miss Apogee.”

Gleaming sucked on her teeth. So this was the remnants of the affliction she’d heard so much about. She had to admit, upon seeing the two races side by side...

“What do we even call an affliction like this?” Twilight wondered. “Soul sickness? Spirit poisoning? Some kind of metaphysical atrophy?”

Cadance shrugged. “I’m more concerned with fixing it. Judging by this, if this really is the same ailment, then it’s much, much more advanced for the changelings.”

Gleaming had to agree. “Looks like this is gonna be a heavy lift, hun.”

“Mmm.”

They compared a little longer before letting their power fade. Gleaming let out a heavy breath as her vision went normal, a faint pressure building behind her eyes.

“Ech... ” Gleaming rubbed her temples. “That’s still a little rough.”

Cadance rubbed her back. “You did great.”

“You really did!” said Twilight. “That was… what, almost a full minute there? That’s almost twice as long your first time.”

Gleaming smiled at both of them. “How about you, Cady? You alright?”

Cadance beamed. “Yep! Don’t even notice the strain anymore!”

Apogee looked between the three mares, her mouth half-open. “Erm…”

Gleaming regarded her. “We’ll be making the announcement ourselves in a few months. Understood?”

Apogee abruptly realized why the changes in Gleaming had been so drastic. “U-Understood, ma’am.”

“Good.” Gleaming gave her belly an idle rub. “Now, about that chat with our guest.”

“Can I have him shapeshift a few times to see if the Aldryshri array can detect it?” Twilight asked. “Pretty please?”

Gleaming brushed her mane out of her face. “Don’t go totally mad scientist on him, Twily. He’s just a kid.”

Spike sat up in his chair. “A kid? How old is he?”

Gleaming turned to him. “About your age, I think. Luna said they just get adult bodies quicker.”

Spike looked at the puppy with new interest. “That so…”

Cadance tilted her head. “Go ahead, Apogee.”

Apogee nodded. She gestured for them all to move back, then swivelled the puppy so he was facing the other way. She crouched down beside him and made an odd chirp in his ear.

…

…

...

The puppy stirred. He wiggled and twitched before letting out a huge yawn, his beady little eyes fluttering open.

“Mnnnhhh…” He shook himself. He got up into a sitting position, his eyes not yet focused. “A-Apogee? Are—yawn—are we there yet?”

Gleaming’s heart skipped a beat. The voice was young, but it still had that alien quality that lingered in her nightmares.

“Yes,” Apogee said. “Don’t be alarmed, but there are some ponies behind you who’d like to speak with you.”

The puppy hesitated. He raised his head to sniff the air, his forked tongue flicking out an instant.

“The love princess,” said the puppy. “And three others.”

Apogee took off the puppy’s leash. “Can you show them your true form? Will that be alright?”

The puppy’s tail twitched. Slowly, he nodded, and Apogee moved back to give him some space.

FWISH!

Green flames engulfed the puppy. His form stretched and contorted, growing until he became a pony-like creature with a jet-black carapace and hole-riddled legs. He had a sharply curved horn and thin, translucent wings, and his mane was grey and rough-looking.

Gleaming felt Cadance tense. She looped their tails together and squeezed.

The changeling turned to face them. The sclera of his eyes were pale blue, his milky irises were barely visible, and when he blinked, they saw his eyelids were sideways. He offered them a wan smile, but that just showed off his long fangs.

“H-Hello!” he said. “My name’s… uh, Thorax! Thorax, yeah… Nice to meet you.”

The three royals were stone-faced. They merely stared, their jaws clenched tight.

Thorax’s ears drooped. ”Erm…”

“Whooaaaa!” Spike scampered up to Thorax. “Your fangs are way longer than mine! That’s awesome!”

A pause.

Thorax stared at the strange purple creature who’d just approached. “...Thanks? I always thought they were—wait. Are... you a dragon?”

“Sure am!” Spike held out his claw. “Name’s Spike! Good to meetcha, Thorax!”

The adults were at a loss. They watched as Thorax and Spike shook without even a speck of hesitation.

Thorax gasped and danced in place. “I’ve always wanted to meet a dragon! Can you breathe fire? Are you able to swim in lava? Do you really eat gemstones? Can you actually sense magic?! Wow, your scales are really shiny! Are all dragons so clean?”

Spike laughed. “Whoa there, dude! Yes, I can breathe fire and swim in lava, but I can only sorta sense magic. I have to be specially linked to someone to do it, and that’s kind of a family-only thing. And as for the shiny scales...”

Spike pointed over his shoulder at Twilight. “She gives me an acid bath once a week to get out the icky stuff in my scales. Feels good, but I gotta rinse off really well or I start burning things.”

Okay, THAT snapped Cadance out of it. She looked to Twilight with wide eyes. “An acid bath?!”

Twilight gave her an odd look. “What? Three-to-one mixture of concentrated acetic and nitric acid. Cleans off the grime and polishes his scales.”

Gleaming snickered. “I’ve seen Mom do it for him a few times, Cady. Don’t worry, he loves it.”

Cadance’s mouth fell open. She knew dragons were tough, but she didn’t think they were that tough!

Thorax’s gaze flickered to Twilight, then Gleaming and Cadance in turn. His tongue flitted out again like he was tasting the air. “Your family?”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Don’t mind them. My sisters can be weird sometimes.”

Gleaming blanched. “Hey! I’m not weird!”

“Ha! You’re the weirdest of everyone here!” Spike said without looking back. “Have I told you your magic’s been feeling warmer and warmer ever since Hearth’s Warming? If that’s not super-weird, I don’t know what is!”

Well, Gleaming couldn’t really help that. “...Lemme know if it starts to bother you, okay? We might have to cut my link until all this is over.”

Spike turned to face her. “Are you kidding?! I love lots of heat! That’s why Celestia’s magic is the best!”

Twilight chuckled. “He says Celestia’s magic feels like soaking in a lava pool.”

“It really does!”

Cadance decided that was enough of being a wallflower. “Ahem… Welcome to the Crystal Empire, Thorax. I’m Cadance, the ‘Love Princess’, as you put it. This is my wife, Gleaming Shield, and Twilight Sparkle, my sister-in-law.”

Thorax waved to each of them.

“Psst!” Apogee caught Thorax’s eye.

“OH!” Thorax bent into a clumsy bow. “S-Sorry…”

Fear. Fear and anxiety, worry, and dread. These emotions spiralled in Thorax’s mind endlessly in a spiral, all tinged with a gnawing, clawing hunger. Cadance had expected to feel as much, but strangely, his feelings didn’t have the harsh, burning sensation she’d been anticipating... nor the ‘echo’ she’d come to associate with the changeling hive mind.

Cadance’s voice was filled with awe. “You really are cut off from them, aren’t you?”

Thorax stood back up, his face all smiles. “I KNEW you’d be able to tell. Don’t worry, I could never hear them very well, anyways.”

Cadance spoke almost as fast as Thorax had to Spike. “How’d you cut the link? Did you do it yourself? I didn’t even think that was possible! Chrysalis must have noticed you do it! Why didn’t she stop you?”

Thorax stared at her for a moment, then slowly shrugged. “Cutting it wasn’t hard. Any changeling can do it they really want to, we just… don’t.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked.

Thorax jerked his head like he’d swallowed a bitter pill. “It feels like biting off your own tongue.”

Spike made a face. “Ouch.”

Cadance took a step forward. “Do you know if there are there any others like you? How did you managed to escape? Did you have to fight your way out?”

Thorax shuffled his hooves. “I got out because I was near the hive’s outer shell when they realized I’m a defect. Most like me get discovered when we’re younger, so noling was used to dealing with a defect that knew what was going to happen to them.”

Cadance probed a little deeper. She focused her mind on his, feeling out the depths of his emotions. “So there are others, but...”

Thorax’s face fell. “They don’t last long. My brothers and sisters chased me, but most stopped once I cut myself off. Then all of them stopped once I got past the safe zone. Noling goes beyond that.”

Cadance stopped her prodding. “The safe zone?”

“The anti-magic field surrounding the hive,” Apogee cut in. “He’s told us it’s caused by an ancient artifact deep within the changeling hive, which Chrysalis apparently uses as a throne.”

“Mother calls it the Seat of Hydia,” said Thorax. “She’s said she carved it from a dark stone long ago.”

Cadance sucked on her teeth. That was good info, but what they were actually supposed to do about it...

Gleaming spoke up. “Chrysalis is your mother, then? Is she the only one who lays eggs in the hive, or are there others?”

Thorax turned to Gleaming, his tongue flitting out again. “Erm, the hive mind doesn’t tell nymphs about stuff like that until after our first molt. I know my clutch was one of the queen’s, but she has clutches all the time, so...”

Gleaming held back a laugh. In most cultures, being the son of a queen granted you some pretty high status. Guess changelings were different.

Thorax kept looking at Gleaming with those same curious eyes. His tongue darted in and out like a fleshy whip, almost faster than she could see.

“...Six?” Thorax blinked several times. “Wow, I didn’t know ponies could have so many eggs at once! Will you be laying them soon?”

Spike snorted so hard a jet of flame shot out.

Gleaming couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Ponies don’t lay eggs, Thorax. I think Twilight might have to teach you a thing or two about mammals.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up like a kid on Hearth’s Warming morning.

Spike whispered out the side of his mouth. “Run, bro.”

But all of it went over Thorax’s head. “Mam… mals?”

Cadance looked between Thorax and Gleaming. “I didn’t know changelings could sense things like that. Is that why you keep sticking out your tongue?”

Thorax put a hoof behind his head. “Ah... yeah, heh-heh. I know it looks kinda silly. The hive normally senses love as a whole, but it turns out I can just taste it in the air, too! There are six different love sources in your mate, so… six mam-mals! Erm… you DID know there were six, right?”

Gleaming snickered. “I can’t even pretend that’s a fat joke.”

Spike’s suppressed laughter was starting to make him cough. “Don’t worry—snrrrk—Thorax… Might wanna keep an eye on her, though… pfft… She only had five foals a few weeks ago! Who knows how many she’ll wind up having!”

“Spike!” Twilight said.

Spike burst out laughing proper.

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “Pretty sure it’s gonna stay at six, kiddo. Just because I can still get pregnant doesn’t mean I should.”

Apogee stared at Gleaming like she’d just grown a second head.

Meanwhile, Thorax couldn’t have been more lost. “You’re right, Spike. Your sisters are weird.”

Cadance couldn’t help but be impressed. Not only by the adaptation, but in how good of a front he was putting up. He was scared out of his mind and yet he was acting more level-headed than she was!

“Do you know why my Aunt Luna sent you here, Thorax?” she asked. “What she wants me to try with you?”

Thorax cocked his head. “She said you might be able to ‘fix’ me. Can you?”

Cadance suddenly felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. She recalled the conversation she’d had in the Dreamrealm with Luna, comparing capabilities and assuaging fears.

“Maybe,” Cadance said. “But I can’t promise anything. I’ve never done this before. ”

Thorax wilted. “Can you at least get me something to eat?”

Cadance could tell how hungry he was. He was thin and pale, his barrel shrunken and shrivelled. There was a bleary look in his eyes as he spoke, almost as if he was dizzy.

“Yes,” she said. “If nothing else, I’ll make sure that you’re fed.”

Thorax breathed out a sigh. “Thank Mother.”

Cadance widened her stance. She looked within herself, calling—truly calling the divine power she embodied. She was usually content to skim its surface, but this was different. This’d be the first time she tapped into her full power since Sombra’s death.

Her magic was more sluggish than chilled molasses. It felt about as good as exercising a weak muscle, and harder to break through than a writer’s block. “I’m SO gonna be feeling this later…”

A shivery feeling built in the air. A dense aura enshrouded Cadance’s horn, not blue, but pink. She grit her teeth as she delved deeper, sharp pains lanced through her head as sparks jetted off her horn.

Gleaming watched her. “You alright?”

Cadance stamped her hoof again. “Just… a little... rusty!”

“Stop pulling,” Twilight said. “Push and stir. Once it’s loosened and starts flowing, it’ll manipulate a lot easier.”

Cadance heeded the advice. It took some doing, but sure enough, she was able to call her magic forth proper upon tapping it from every angle. The walls and floor shimmered all around them as Cadance’s power crept forth, the divine energy spreading from her horn to encompass her in a soft corona.

Thorax felt something within him stir. It was an eerie tingle in his chest, electric and growing stronger by the second. His wings buzzed on their own, and he didn’t even notice himself inching closer little by little...

“Uh, honey?” Gleaming eyed Thorax. “I think that’s—”

“NO!” Cadance delved as deep as she could. “Just… a little… MORE!”

Upon the word ‘more’, Cadance’s aura swelled, energy erupting from her in a mighty pulse. Gleaming watched as all the expelled energy shot out, then bent in an arc to siphon straight into Thorax like it was being sucked in.

Thorax’s eyes dilated. He fell back on his haunches, his muscles going slack, his jaw falling open.

It was like watching air rush in from an airlock. Cadance’s power was nothing more than shimmering pink haze, but Thorax was a magnet for it, the look on his face like he was being drugged.

“Fascinating...” Twilight said from behind a quill and parchment.

Spike had a huge smile. “Feels all airy and bubbly.”

Cadance could only keep it up for a moment or two before dialing back her power. She made sure to still exude an aura, just not as visible or palpable.

“Phew…” Cadance’s posture sagged. “Wanted a big burst to start there so he didn’t go into a feeding frenzy. How do you feel, Thorax?”

Thorax had a dreamy look on his face. “Ah-hehehe…”

Twilight looked up from her note taking. “Apogee, do you remember how it felt when Luna first started treating you? What was it like?”

Apogee looked down at the floor. “Like being pulled out of a deep swamp. It felt like I’d been slowly slipping away, but the Dark Lady brought me back. She brought us all back.”

Twilight studied Apogee closer. “It felt like that right away? Or later on?”

Apogee snapped out of her thoughts. “At first, it was just soothing... magnetic, almost. I knew I wanted to be around the mistress, but I didn’t really know why. I just felt better when I was with her.”

Cadance rubbed her temples. “This is gonna be hard...”

Gleaming nuzzled her. “You don’t have start doing it twenty-four seven. Maybe start with an hour or two a day, hmm? We’ll can start tacking more on once you’re stronger.”

That actually didn’t sound like a bad idea to Cadance. “But that means I need to be with Thorax during that hour. Even if our schedules weren’t packed, how would I explain mysteriously disappearing off somewhere that long every day?”

Oddly, it was Spike who had the answer. “He can disguise himself, can’t he? Just take him with you.”

There was a long pause.

“Can you?” Gleaming asked Thorax.

“Hehe.” Thorax was swaying back and forth. “So nice…”

“Yo!” Spike elbowed him. “Equestria to bug-boy!”

Thorax jumped. “Huh?! Wh-What?”

“How long,” Gleaming said slowly. “Can you keep up a disguise?”

Thorax blinked like his eyes were dry. “If I keep getting love like this, I bet I could go a whole week! Maybe longer!”

Gleaming turned to Cadance. “Sounds like we might have a plan.”

Cadance ran her tongue along her teeth. “We might.”

Twilight rolled up her parchment. “What’s the least conspicuous persona he could adopt? I don’t think he should try to copy anypony else; that’d just create a whole slew of problems. It needs to be a new identity that’s completely his.”

Cadance wracked her brain. The immediate thought was to pass him off as some sort of assistant like Spike was to Twilight. There hadn’t been any aggressive dragons in the Crystal Empire for ages, which combined with Spike’s status as a local hero, meant the city’s opinion of dragons was actually pretty high. Not to mention it was pretty well-known Spike came along with Twilight to important meetings, so most didn’t even bat an eyelash at it anymore.

Cadance looked at Thorax... then at Spike right next to him.

The two of them stared back.

...

“Thorax,” Cadance said slowly. “How good are you at taking notes?”

Thorax quirked his head. “Notes?”

Spike saw where this was going. “Uh-oh...”