Author's Notes:

The Usual Disclaimer:

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So many threads to keep straight in this story *Sweats*

CHAPTER 30

“Another six hours.” Dappled groaned and resumed banging his muzzle against the wall, vainly willing the frustration he felt to leave. "Another six hours until the reinforcements from Canterlot arrive and take over.".

Scout had been quietly taken aside by Chrysalis herself for some purpose, leaving Dappled Light and Peach Seed the task of looking after the three Changeling ‘Foals’, and while Dappled enjoyed not having to watch out for inappropriate shenanigans from the clueless 'female' Changeling, having her at the side of the infamous Queen of the Changelings filled the young Unicorn with dread that he might have done something very foolish or otherwise given the Changelings a weapon to use against the Ponies.

It was odd, however, that the Queen would leave her most vulnerable family-members in the hooves of the Ponies she had surrendered to, but Peach Seed had said it was likely a gesture of trust, given the circumstances.

And of course it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Peach Seed’s large and terrifying wife, Candy Apple, had probably chased the rest of the Hive’s Drones and Soldiers into some dark corner and was drilling them relentlessly on some of the finer points of Pony etiquette while Chrysalis had gone into hiding in a broom-closet. Dappled kept that little thought to himself to avoid a second docking of his pay.

“And … boop.” Dappled turned to look at his Commanding Officer, the mild-manned Peach Seed, catching him booping the nose of one of the little black fillies, who giggled and fell over, clutching her muzzle, while the other jumped off the coffee-table onto the pile of cushions, stubby little legs kicking madly as she rolled off the side, squealing with laughter, the white-coated colt waited impatiently for his turn to be ‘booped’.

“You’ve had a lot of practice with this sort of thing, sir?” Dappled asked tiredly, wondering how the older Stallion could possibly have enough stamina to deal with the three hyperactive young Changelings after their vigorous game of ‘hide so well two Royal Guards couldn’t find them’ that had sent Dappled and Peach into a panicked frenzy.

“Five children, and eleven grand-children, you're darn tooting I'm used to this.” Peach Seed said with obvious pride, ‘booping’ the little white Colt in turn, who giggled, ran in a tight circle and then rushed forwards to snuggle against the Stallion’s chest, joined moments later by first black Filly. “Candy and I are hoping for great-grand-children, but the grand-kids want to pursue their careers for a few more years before settling down and starting families. I can understand why, given that my Candy and I started a bit too early, but I do miss having children to take care of.”

“Faaaaaust … so many kids, that had to be a lot of work.” Dappled found the words leaving his mouth before he could think about what he was saying.

“Children are a lot of work, and perhaps the greatest, and most rewarding, responsibility anypony can ever take on, more important than a soldier’s oath to serve Princess Celestia even. Being a parent is the most profound and sacred responsibility anyone, regardless of species or creed or belief, can ever have, and not everypony is capable of owning up to that responsibility.” Peach Seed replied after a few moments of awkward silence, holding the two giggling Changeling ‘foals’ to his chest. “Children are not something a Pony should have because they think it will make a marriage stronger or save it, or because it’s their ‘duty’ to some doctrine or belief, or because ‘everyone’ has children and if you don’t have them, you’ve wasted your life. I’ve had to help too many Guards who came from families where their parents never grasped that truth, where the children were pushed to the side of their parents’ lives for the sake of a career, or social climbing, or worse still, came into this world because their parents thought they had to be parents, regardless of if they were capable of being such at the time.”

“I see …” Dappled murmured, wondering if he was about to be put through some kind of lecture. One of the advantages of his remote posting was that it kept his family’s nagging about grand-children down to a monthly letter.

“I don’t think you do, Dappled. These children are the offspring of Queen Chrysalis, the same Changeling Queen who launched an all-out assault on Canterlot and almost took the capital. The same Changeling Queen who kidnapped three fillies from a town called Ponyville to try and draw Princess Twilight into some sort of ambush.” The older Stallion continued, his voice growing hoarse with emotion. “And now that same Queen is dragging what remains of her family into Canterlot to surrender? To expose them all to hundreds of Guards who were humiliated by Changeling Drones in combat, to thousands of Ponies who were chased or imprisoned during an invasion of their home city by strange, Pony-like bug-creatures who could assume any form they wished? What kind of future will they have in Canterlot, because sure as the Sun rises, Princess Celestia cannot allow a threat like that to just walk back across the border. They’ll be trapped in a city where almost everypony hates them on sight. These three children will grow up there, surrounded by bitterness and spite, and come to believe that that kind of atmosphere is normal and acceptable.”

“….Oh.” The Unicorn Guard said quietly after a lengthy pause, the two foals snuggling up to Peach Seed apparently getting bored and rushing over to join their sibling in her game of jumping off the coffee-table and onto the pillows. “I didn’t … yeah but I can’t see Princess Celestia allowing anyone to …”

“Allow anyone to hate them? Allow anyone to discriminate against them?” Peach Seed said softly as the three foals giggled as they wiggled their way out of the pile of cushions and began to awkwardly climb back up onto the coffee table. “Nopony, not even Celestia, can be everywhere at every moment. Perhaps Chrysalis has a plan, but I wonder if she’s ever truly considered the cost that will be paid for that plan to succeed? Or who, I should say, will pay the cost.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Your Highness, are you okay?”

“I am … fine, Guardspony. Just … leave it be.” Celestia sighed as she marched down the hallway to the Cell of Ultimate Confinement, with two guards in-front of her, one at her side and four more behind her, dreading the thought of seeing her former student catatonic on the ground once again.

Once, I considered you like a daughter, Sunset. You had such potential, such a fire within you that would have set Equestria marching forwards again from this rut the stale-mate between myself and the Nobles have left our country in. The Princess of the Sun thought morosely as they rounded the final corner, and the solid adamantite door became visible, the dark, stubbornly non-reflective metal grim and jarring against the polished white-granite walls of the rest of the area.

“Majesty!” The Guards at their posts saluted, but otherwise did not move as Celestia approached.

“Thank you, Guards. Has there been any change in Sunset’s condition?”

“Once the Magi were able to use disintegration spells to remove the bulk of the substance trapping her limbs, the prisoner was levitated onto the bed and hasn’t done anything else but lay there and mumble to herself.” The door-guard on the left said, looking to his cohort for confirmation.

“All we’ve been able to make out is that she desperately wants to see Twilight again, your Majesty. And she harbours an intense hatred of Luna.” The door-guard on the right added.

Oh, that’s just terrific, considering how entangled Luna and Twilight are right now.

“I see. Have the enchantments on the door been holding up against her abilities?” Celestia asked after a lengthy pause to digest the news of Sunset’s continued obsession with Twilight. “The Magi said that the counter-magic charms would work against her Charm-gaze …”

“Your majesty, we aren’t certain, the prisoner hasn’t even looked at the door since she regained consciousness. She just lies on her bed, staring at the wall and mumbling.” The right door-guard answered, looking a little pale. “Your highness … what is she? There are rumours that she is a fiend, or a new Princess. What actions should we take if she starts to hurt herself in the Cell? The Magi refused to answer our questions, and Commander Rosebush is busy with the legal department right now.”

“Sunset Shimmer has corrupted herself into a Succuponi, a literal Mortal Fiend, and I am personally ordering you that, in the event that Sunset attempts to injure herself, you are to remain at your post and merely call for myself or the Circle of Magi. She was almost strong enough to escape the binding spell I used, and her regenerative abilities are the strongest I have ever seen in one of her kind, thus it is highly unlike she will be able to physically injure herself to any lasting effect, and the warding circles built into the Cell of Ultimate Confinement should ensure her magic is turned back upon itself the moment she attempts even the simplest spell, be it to escape or harm herself.” The Solar Princess said, spreading her wings slightly to make herself look more imposing, to ‘hammer home’ her point. “As a Succuponi, her gaze is mesmerizing and has the potential to subvert your will. You are not to have any physical contact with her, even at the cost of her suffering. Anything she asks for will be relayed to the Circle of Magi, or to myself if they are unavailable. Nothing is to be given to her without either the explicit approval of either myself or the Circle of Magi, is that clear?”

“Your highness!” The two door-guards saluted earnestly. “We understand and obey!”

“Excellent. Now, stand at the ready, I wish to speak to Sunset, and I have no idea how she will react. She blames me for her banishment to Earth, after all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sunset.”

It was all wrong. That stupid mare, Trixie, had gotten tangled up in Sunset’s plans to woo Twilight, Twilight had become confused by all the chaos and hadn’t recognised Sunset as a fellow Alicorn and had rejected her in that confusion, that horrible dusky blue-black Alicorn had put the moves on her Twilight, then Celestia had … Celestia had …

“Sunset. Can you hear me?”

Celestia had called down the power of the Sun. And it had hurt, unlike the last time Sunset had been bathed in that power, when it had felt like being bathed in warmth and light and … hope. The sensation of being engulfed in Celestia’s solar magic had felt disturbingly similar to the pain from when her muzzle had been burned on the magical shield in the basement of the library, but a hundred times worse. The pain had gone past the mere physical sensation of her skin and flesh being seared away, and had become more akin to a continuous stream of spears of molten rejection stabbing into her body and burning … something inside her. Something she hadn't felt before.

“Sunset. Sunset! Guards, are you certain Sunset has not harmed herself?”

“No, your Majesty! She simply … does not respond, not to anything or anyone. The prisoner simply lays there and mumbles to herself, like we said before.”

Prisoner? I am a prisoner? Twilight’s tentacles … I was trapped … I remember … a train? Celestia … crying?

Sunset lifted her head and blearily looked around her surroundings, feeling a growing sense of dread at the seamless white stone walls, the functional cot and toilet, and the single opening, a solid door of bleak adamantite with a grill near her head-height, where Celestia’s flowing, tri-coloured mane rippled.

A cell? Celestia put me in a cell? Sunset blinked a few times, trying to think of where she could be. Surely there was no way that Celestia would have …

“She’s moving, call for the Royal Physician, one of the Second-Circle Magi under Bleak Mountain’s command and tell Vault Guardian Shale that I want the Urn of Urudin’s Ashes, and I want it in a hurry.”

“Majesty!” Came the shouted response, and the clatter of hooves on stone floors.

The Castle? I can break out of these cells with ease! I am a Princess, and Celestia is a fool if she thinks mere stone and metal can hold me!

“The rest of you, I want you on standby in-case Sunset … no! Sunset, you must not …!”

Twilight. I want to see Twilight again! Sunset thought, feeling a surge of joy fill her as she imagined meeting Twilight again, explaining the situation and taking her away from Equestria, someplace where they could be together, learn to love one ano-

As the teleportation spell spiralled out from Sunset’s gilded horn, swirling over her body, the eddies of golden-and-red magic rippled, then swayed, then turned back upon themselves, flowing back up the ‘Princess’s’ neck and shoulders and forcing themselves back inside the tip of her horn.

The effect was devastating. Sunset shrieked, falling off the cot and suffered a seizure on the ground, bat-wings thrashing, tail and legs lashing out in pain as gilded, cloven hooves drew sparks from the magically hardened stone floor.

“Sunset! SUNSET! Guards, release me this …!”

“Your Majesty, you cannot! She is a Succuponi, she could corrupt …”

“… Still my responsibility! I trained …”

“… Reckless and …”

“ … Needs help ... “

And then Sunset knew only darkness, and an overwhelming despair at being alone, and so far away from her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sparkle house was large, after all it had been a gift to Night Light and Twilight Velvet from a great-uncle on Velvet’s side of the family who had given his blessings to their union, and left them his home in his will.

Several bedrooms, five libraries, three bathrooms and a truly massive kitchen, most of which had been kept locked up, more to do with keeping a hopelessly inquisitive little purple Filly out of trouble than any lack of use for the rooms, especially given how Velvet had commandeered several rooms for life-sized ‘modelling rooms’ for her writing career, but now …

Night Light sighed and tried to ignore the many glares boring their way through the back of his skull from the lounge-room where the wives and partners of their little get-together had ensconced themselves, as the regulars at the Bronze Leaf sat at the kitchen table, smoking and playing poker while their wives and partners ‘discussed’ the new living arrangements.

If Bluebone’s assassins don’t kill me, the amount of angry estrogen in the next room will. The aging Stallion through morosely, taking a sip of his cider as he considered the cards in his hoof.

Spud and his three wives in the old research room, where there’ll be enough room for them all. We’ve got the single Stallions all together in the 2nd floor library, we’ve got Bronze Gong and his partner in the spare room next to that, and Star Streaks and his partner in the northern spare room on the 1st floor … The aging Unicorn tallied up the head-count and came to the unhappy head-count of seven Stallions and fifteen Mares in an old ‘manor’ house only built to accommodate perhaps twelve Ponies at once.

“We’re going to face Tartarus itself in the morning.” Night Light muttered, earning a confused look from Spud.

“Oi, what do y’mean?”

“Think, Spud. All those Mares, lined up for the three bathrooms. Three old, cramped bathrooms, first thing in the morning, at our age? It’ll be at least two hours before they’re all done with that kind of bottle-neck, let alone having all us Stallions hanging around trying to get our share of time under the hot water.”

“Oh …. Ooooooooh, tha’s not good. Me princesses do love their morning pamperin’, they’ll be right surly if they’re made to hurry up.”

“My wife always takes at least forty-five minutes to get ready…” Another Stallion muttered, looking from his hand of cards to the pile of chips on the table, then back again and wincing. “You got a lemon tree out back, Light? I think it’s going to get a lot of watering …”

“Faust … I suppose we could set up a latrine and a shower-block in the yard, but Velvet will give me hell about digging up the gardens …” Night Light groaned, dropping his muzzle down into his hand of cards and closing his eyes as he imagined the long, pointed ‘discussions’ awaiting him. “I can only hope Thunderwing has had better luck on her mission … she runs the Thestral colony, she’s got to have a better idea about how to deal with this kind of life-style than I do!”

“Celestia did give us permission to do ‘anything short of treason or murder’, you know, to keep ourselves and our families safe until Bluebone’s trial was over.” Star Streaks pointed out, pushing a small stack of chips towards the pile in the middle. “10 more bits for me chaps, I’m feeling good about this hand.”

“Bit too rich for me, I’m out.” Bronze Gong sighed, dropping his cards onto the table. “You know, I still say we should have commandeered one of the abandoned warehouses next to the Bronze Leaf and hunkered down there. At least there’d be enough space for everyone to have some privacy that way.”

“Not the best good idea, those warehouses are all but abandoned fer a reason. Damn termites came through a few years back an’ ate their way through most of the supports. Damn foal’s fart would knock half of them down.” Spud muttered, pushing a stack of his own chips towards the pile, earning a groan of protest from the Stallions still in the game. “Night Light’s house has plenty of space between it an’ the surrounding houses so there’s no-where for a sneak to hide, a high wall brick wall to keep most Ponies out an’ sturdy doors and windows. Once we get the Unicorns to work an’ get this place charmed up ‘gainst scryin’ an’ teleports, it’ll be a nice safe lil’ bunker to hole up in.”

“Ugh, I know, but all of us crammed in here is gonna fray everyone’s nerves real quick.” Bronze Gong muttered as the remaining Stallions all considered their cards and the pile of chips in-between them all. “I just want to take the fight to the Shadow Council now, knock them on the head, put them in Horseshoe Bay and just get back to my normal routine.”

“Speak of which …” Night Light said, leaning in close and giving each of his friends a nod. “I’ve a plan to do just that, if Celestia and Rosebush start dragging their hooves. Tonight, after the wives are asleep, I want you all to meet me in the den, and we can discuss how to proceed.”

“Damn straight!” “Sounds good to me.” “About hoofin’ time, Night. Thought you’d gone soft on us!”

All I need now is Thunderwing to come back from her ‘mission’ with some good news. And then somehow try to get her and my wife to stop walking on egg-shells around each other …