“Chrysalis?” murmured Aela, her eyes wide at the sight before her. Every hair on her body stood as the energy coursing through the air washed over her.

“There's no way...” replied Chrysalis, all she could do was stand there and stare, utterly bewitched by the sight before her eyes. He was a mortal, he claimed to be mortal! No mortal should hold that much power!

Bardac's entire body had become shrouded in aetherial energy, taking the form of the draconic armour forged in his home land. Wisps of energy clung to him, slowly vanishing into thin air as they drifted from his form. Turning slightly and raising his staff, he took aim at the army of Daedra behind them and in a single, sweeping arc, erased them from existence. Not a word was spoken.

Aela swallowed a lump in her throat before carefully hopping off Chrysalis's back. With her wings tucked close to her side, she approached the Nord and laid a hoof on his leg. “Are... you okay?” she asked softly. She knew they were surrounded by all sides, but Bardac wasn't acting normal.

“They feel pain,” murmured Bardac, swinging his staff in a long, sweeping arc in front of him. Yet, for every Daedra that fell, two more would replace it. “They remember their death. Why do they march towards it? No matter...”

Aela didn't move a muscle as the staff swept over her head. She didn't have an answer and even a glance back at Chrysalis didn't solve anything. Chrysalis looked just as confused and concerned as the thestral. “Bardac? Are you still with us?” Aela asked, giving his knee a firmer nudge.

Bardac finally looked down, offering a small tilt of his head. “Everything is fine, Aela,” he replied. Without even looking, he swung the staff behind him and obliterated a small, winged creature into dust. “I simply feel a little more violent than usual.”

“Just a little?” asked Chrysalis, her horn glowing a bright, vivid green as she impaled several flying Daedra on small, shimmering spears that danced around her body. “Just how many are there and just what are these things?” Hissing quietly, she looked down in disgust at the strange, winged, monkey like figure by her hooves. “There's no end to them!”

“End,” said Bardac thoughtfully. “Yes, it is time to end this.”

Aela and Chrysalis looked at Bardac in alarm. Not so much for what he said, but for the insane spike of raw power that radiated from his body.

“End... I wonder what truly is the end,” Bardac murmured under his breath. Spearing the handle of his staff into the ground, Bardac raised both arms by his side. The very air crackled around him. Slowly, he brought his hands together, wrists touching with his fingers splayed out. The ground around the Nord started to shudder under the compressed magic forming between his fingers. Bolts of lightning arced across the ground, gouging out great trenches in their path. “Fly.”

They didn't need to be told twice. With a great spray of dirt and dust, Chrysalis and Aela took off and didn't stop until they were near the roof of the colossal cavern near on ninety feet above the rocks. Looking down, they could only watch as the Daedra ignored them and continued to close in on the Nord.

Every last drop of Bardac's power was focused on a single point between his fingers. Then, he fired. The entire cavern erupted in a thunderous explosion, a stream of lightning burst from Bardac's hands, disintegrating all in its path. Daedra scattered, but it wouldn't save them. Soon, the ground started to become thick with ash, colouring the black rocks grey as Bardac slowly twisted from left to right. One of the gates took a direct hit, yet it barely left a scratch. Without warning, the spell fizzled out. Inhaling deeply, Bardac bellowed, “DISCORD!” It felt like the entire volcano shuddered under the force of Bardac's voice. “SHOW YOURSELF!”

The one Bardac called Discord slowly picked himself up off the ground, coughing out several small chunks of rock. While he hadn't taken a direct hit, he had been completely trampled by several Daedra trying to escape certain disintegration. Much to his dismay. “Incompetent allies, worse than competent enemies,” Discord grumbled to himself and with a snap of his fingers, teleported into the middle of the cavern. “I swear it's nearly impossible to fi—” A streak of blue missed his cheek by millimetres, leaving the scent of just scorched flesh behind. “You have my attention.”

“The gates,” said Bardac, his voice barely able to hold the unrestrained hatred in his words. “How do I close them?”

Discord raised an eyebrow, chuckling loudly. “Oh it's quite simple,” he said, snapping his fingers to instantly appear by Bardac's side. Not quite in striking distance, but close enough to make it uncomfortable. “You go through it, wander around Oblivion for a little bit, find the main tower, climb to the Sigillum Sanguis and take out the Sigil Stone. Should take you about half an hour... each.”

Bardac slowly looked over at the three towering gates, the aetherial armour pulsing dangerously. Already swarms of fresh Daedra were spilling out of the portal, replacing those that had been turned to ash. “Will they ever stop coming?” he asked himself quietly, raising his staff towards Discord once more. “I will kill you before the volcano eru—” The ground trembled ominously.

The cavern started to glow with a pale orange glow, mixing with the soft red that came from the Oblivion gates. “Kill me before that, you mean?,” Discord chuckled darkly, flicking a smouldering stone off his shoulder. “So what now, great Dovahkiin. Tell you what. I'm a generous sort. You get one last move. Call it pity.”

He didn't even need to think. Looking up, Bardac called out. “Aela, Chrysalis. Come down.” He didn't expect he'd have to resort to this, but needs must.

The duo glanced at each other nervously before landing beside Bardac. Chrysalis opened her mouth to speak, only for Bardac to shove a rolled up scroll into it. Spitting it out, Chrysalis scowled, “What was that for?”

“Teleportation scroll. Do not ask how or why. Use it, both of you. Return to the Crystal Empire,” said Bardac calmly, extending his arm before shaking off his gauntlet. A thick black tendril burst from his palm in a spray of blood. Slowly, the black mass started to expand, twisting and convulsing until floating before him was an old, thick black book. “I cannot protect you from this.”

Discord eyed the black book, taking a small step back. “You made a deal with him?!” he spat, eyes widening.

The book slowly opened, pages flittering in an unseen breeze before they settled on a page that held strange, illegible symbols. “Knowledge for knowledge,” replied Bardac. “Knowledge of power.” The ground around Bardac split in all directions. A low, dark chuckle rolled from his lips. “It is a shame, really. I am not sure how much this mountain can take. I could simply collapse the magma chamber, or I might bring the entire mountain down on top of us.”

That sealed it for Aela. Picking up the scroll, she ripped it open, threw herself around Chrysalis's neck and shot Bardac one last, pleading look before the pair of them were ripped from the mountain in a loud, echoing crack.

Placing his bleeding palm against the pages of the book, Bardac whispered, “Bring you forth the lovestruck mute who preys with vigour on his love, and set the sky alight with all who dare to struggle 'gainst our move. For we are they who own the night and all who dwell without us fall; we drink the mind-grapes formed of thought and wail a tumult on the wall. To sweep.”

“I could kill you, so easily,” said Discord, taking another step back. “One snap of my fingers and poof. All ov—” He screamed... screamed until his throat bled as a thick blue beam made contact with his chest.

Bardac rose his head to the sky and closed his eyes, drowning out the shrieks of pain from the Lord of Chaos. He knew what was happening to him. The Staff of Magnus was stripping down every last magical defence he had, draining his magic then... his life. It would have felt like his very soul was being ripped apart from the inside out. “Fus... Ro... DAH!”

“Best weather we've had all year,” said Rampage happily, staring out from the edge of the shield protecting the Empire. “Still, you think those three will be alright out there?”

“It's still cold enough to turn you into a gelding,” replied Shining Armor. While he was co-ruler, he was still a royal guard at heart and enjoyed the occasional patrol. Looking across out of the shield, he let out a low whistle. “If it wasn't so cold, that'd be a nice place to spend the summer.”

Rampage and Shining Armor continued patrolling along the empire's border. It was a quiet patrol usually, the outer edges of the empire was used exclusively for farming. “Probably, though I've never heard of a nice, quiet picnic in the snow before,” chuckled Rampage. Eventually the duo reached the northern most guard post. A small hut barely big enough for the pony inside it. “Afternoon Grey Lag.”

An old, greyish brown and grizzled looking pony was sat on an old, wooden stood inside the hut. Upon hearing his name, he dropped the top of his newspaper and grunted, “Tiny, Captain.”

“Anything to report?” asked Shining Armor. Upon closer inspection, Shining sighed. “Seriously Grey Lag, let us rebuild this hut of yours. You've been a guard here since the empire was liberated and this hut has to be as old as the empire itself!”

Grey Lag slowly looked up at the crooked roof, then to the bowed walls, the back and left side were even missing planks. Snorting quietly, he gave his newspaper a flick, “Nothing to report and you can fix it when I'm dead.”

“Won't have to wait long,” snickered Rampage, earning a mug right between the eyes.

“Impeccable aim,” chuckled Shining Armor, though he did give the sizeable lump a quick check.

Rampage shook his head violently, his eyes dancing. “Damn it, what do you keep in that thing, concrete?” Snorting loudly, he glared out of the shield to try and focus his vision. Only to squint and mutter. “Captain? I think Aela and Chrysalis are back. That or that mug hit me harder than I thought.”

“Just the two of them?” questioned Shining Armor, his horn igniting to slowly lift the shield, creating a gap for the pair to walk through. “I wonder where Bardac is... something must have happened for him to send them back.”

Nether of them walked through.

“Just what're you playing at?!” spat Chrysalis, her wings flared wide, her horn pulsing dangerously with barely restrained magic.

“He was about to kill us both!” shouted Aela, her own wings tucked tight to her side. “If we hadn't escaped then and th—”

The Empire trembled.

They froze. All eyes locked on the ground beneath them. As quickly as the tremor came, it stopped.

A thunderous crack echoed through the Empire, then... Mount Everhoof moved.

“No way...” muttered Rampage, staring slack jawed up at the mountain. “Captain. What am I seeing here?”

Shining Armor could only stare, the same expression on his muzzle. He didn't answer, he couldn't answer. It felt like he'd been watching for hours, yet what he witnessed was over in a matter of seconds. A third of Mount Everhoof had started to crumble, great fissures splitting the rock as millions, if not billions of tons of rock crushed all that lay beneath it.

“He did it... he actually did it,” muttered Aela, she couldn't tear her eyes away.

Chrysalis glanced over to Aela, her wings folding close to her body. “I believe I owe you an apology, Aela... it seems he was indeed, going to kill us.” Hissing loudly, Chrysalis turned towards the Empire and strode through the hole created in the shield. “That mountain will not be his tomb and I will not be forever indebted to a corpse!”

Following Chrysalis, Aela flew in and landed next to Shining Armor. “Chrysalis, it's not as simple as that,” she said, giving her head a shake. “But... you're right. We can't leave him in there. Shining Armor, how soon can we mount a search and rescue attempt into the mountain?”

Shaking his head violently, Shining Armor returned to his senses. “Into the mountain? Wait... where's Bardac?” he asked, though it didn't take long for him to put two and two together. “Oh buck me sideways...”

“Are you going to do it or am I going to have to do it myself?” asked Chrysalis, her voice unnervingly calm.

“You could try, I highly doubt you'll the guards or anypony for that matter to listen to you,” retorted Shining Armor. “Landslides, avalanches. We're trained for that. Half of the largest mountain in Equestria? Maybe even Equus? That's just too much, even for our team. I've got more lives to think about here than just his.”

“We can't sit around and do nothing!” replied Aela, her voice breaking. “He saved our lives, he saved all our lives!”

Shining Armor looked between Aela and Chrysalis. “What're you talking about?” he asked, “Saved our lives? You were looking for a single Dremora.”

“And we found it,” hissed Chrysalis, rounding on Shining Armor, her wings buzzing furiously. “We also found its hive. An infestation.”

Aela shook her head slowly, stepping between Shining Armor and Chrysalis, just in case. “Mount Everhoof is... was... an extinct volcano. These things managed to reignite the magma core and were just about to blow the top off of it,” she said. “I think... Bardac brought down the mountain to bury them all, to cover these... gates they were coming through so nothing could anymore.”

Shining Armor glanced over at Rampage and Grey Lag. All he got was two unsettled stares in return. Swallowing slowly, his horn pulsed slowly, opening the shield. “I'll... see what I can do,” he said slowly, “All I can do is call for volunteers. Guard and civilian. They'll know what they're getting themselves into, so I can't say for certain how many will turn up. We can't force anypony.”

Chrysalis let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. “Then I shall call for my own reinforcements as well,” she said. With a buzz of her wings, she shot through the gap in the shield before Shining Armor had a chance to close it.

“Did she mean what I think she meant?” asked Grey Lag, watching the green shape shrink into the distance.

“Well, if there's a bright side to all this,” said Rampage hesitantly. “Changelings are good diggers.”

“Aela, go with her,” said Shining Armor. “Keep things under control until we can arrive. She seems to trust you, or at least doesn't openly hate you.”

Aela gave a salute and raced off after Chrysalis before Shining Armor shut the shield behind her.

“What now Captain?” asked Rampage.

Shining Armor sighed deeply before turning to look upon the Empire. “Honestly Rampage? I don't have a damned clue.”

Deep within the core of the mountain, a creatures stirred. Battered and bloody. An arm hanging off by nothing more than scraps of skin and muscle. “Why... why is this happening? I'm a god! God's don't get hurt, god's can't die!” Discord hissed, pulling off the tattered remains of his useless arm. Somehow, by some miracle, he'd been trapped, but not crushed between two colossal boulders, barely enough room to turn on the spot.

A quiet, weak chuckle echoed through the rubble. “Immortal... doesn't mean... invincible.”

Discord knew that voice, it made his blood boil. “You. You did this to me!” he all but screeched.

“You... did this to... yourself,” Bardac murmured. He couldn't move, he couldn't see. His mouth tasted like copper every time he spoke.

Discord looked down at the bloody stump sticking out of the tattered sleeve of his robe. “You've only delayed the inevitable. We'll create more gates, more Daedra. Equestria will fall,” Discord whispered, “Then Equus will be mine to control once more, like it suppose to be.”

“Once... more?” Bardac questioned.

“I'm sure by now you're aware of my... counterpart lurking around Equestria,” exhaled Discord. “We are one in the same. Not that it matters. This mountain will be your tomb. I'll be dealing with him later.”

“So... he knows of Tamriel,” Bardac murmured, he could feel his strength draining. The song of Sovngarde echoing in his ears.

“The other way around, milk drinker,” growled Discord. “We are born of Equus. I know of Tamriel.”

There was no reply.

“It took you that long to die? Impressive,” Discord huffed to himself. “About time though.” Lifting his remaining arm, he snapped his fingers. Once... twice... finally on the third attempt, he was finally able to teleport away to lick his wounds.

The mountain was quiet. Chrysalis wasn't sure how long it'd taken her to reach the destruction, yet, for a while all she could do was stand and stare at the devastation in front of her. She barely even noticed when Aela landed heavily beside her, kicking up snow as the thestral skidded to a halt.

“Chrysalis, please tell me you didn't mean what I thought you meant back in the Empire,” Aela panted, her wings ached and her lungs screamed for air. “You know what will happen.”

Chrysalis looked across as Aela. “Not once, but twice has Bardac saved my life,” she said quietly, her horn pulsing in rapid flashes of green light. “My children will be arriving soon.”

Aela was about to respond, but found the words catching in her throat when she watched Chrysalis sit down, staring at the mountain in front of her. “You're risking more than just a prison sentence, Chrysalis,” Aela said after a while. It was the only thing that came to mind and as the thestral sat down next to Chrysalis, all they could do was watch and wait.

“They may do what they wish with me. After we find him,” Chrysalis replied with finality.

It took only minutes for the first changeling to arrive, flying in from the east and settling without word behind Chrysalis. It didn't even acknowledge Aela. A few seconds later, a second changeling arrived from the west, taking its place next to the first. This continued for a good half hour, one or two changelings arriving a few minutes apart before settling in a line. Then...

“Chrysalis?” asked Aela, slowly looking to the south. She could hear it, the unmistakable buzz of insect wings filling the air. Changelings from all corners of Equestria were gathering above the Crystal Empire before heading towards them.

“I'll answer your questions later,” replied Chrysalis as she stood up and turned to watch her children arrive. “No changeling can ignore the call of their queen.” One after the other, the changelings landed, forming row after row of a black, buzzing mass.

“There's got to be over a thousand changelings here!” gasped Aela, looking up at Chrysalis. “You didn't have this many when you tried to take over Canterlot!”

“I've been busy,” said Chrysalis before uttering a single command. “Find him.”

Aela watched in awe as over a thousand changelings descended upon the rubble of Mount Everhoof in a din of crackling magic and buzzing wings. “What should I do?” she asked.

“Follow me and help me choose which boulder to move, I... still need your eyes,” replied Chrysalis before taking to the air. Upon joining her children, she set to work. Changeling magic could not only bond rock to one another, preventing cave-ins. It could also melt it as though it was made of tissue paper. Obsidian proved to be no challenge at all.

Aela took off right behind Chrysalis. Working as one and in a surprisingly short amount of time, they started to make a significant dent in the mountain of debris that laid before them. The changelings worked like a well oiled machine. A third used their magic to lift and move the giant, house sized boulders, while another third focused on melting, splitting and doing what ever they could to make each one more manageable. The final group of changelings were left with the task of remelting and stacking the debris in piles away from the mountain. Eventually this started to create a small, yet stable tunnel that started to snake its way into the bowels of the mountain.

They worked for hours without rest, without a single word being uttered. The only break came when Aela looked up to see a large group of ponies heading towards them. Perhaps two, three hundred strong. “That's more than I expected,” she murmured.

“Go take over from who ever is in charge,” replied Chrysalis, sweat glistening off her mane. “We've been working for hours. Every second is precious and I don't want confusion.”

“I'll see what I can do,” said Aela, giving her head a shake. “I don't have mu... Princess Cadence is here.” There was no mistaking that shade of pink. “Looks like she brought a squad of guards with her too.”

Chrysalis just snorted, “She should have stayed in the castle.” With an almighty groan of effort, Chrysalis slowly shifted a boulder to the side and glued it firmly to the others below it. “Deal with them.”

Aela gave Chrysalis a small nod and flew down to greet Cadence. They were close enough to the mountain now that they could see the sweat dripping off every single changeling. “Princess Cadence,” said Aela, giving a bow. She recognized a few of the guards with the Princess. Rampage, Sun Spot and Blast Burn had all volunteered.

Cadence stopped and stared at the mountain, her eyes were red, puffy and still brimming with tears. “Aela,” she said quietly, giving the thestral a small nuzzle, much to Aela's surprise. “I'm so glad you're safe.”

Hesitantly, Aela returned the nuzzle before taking a step back. “I didn't expect you to be here so soon and with so many!” she said, glad to have some reinforcements.

“There's no way we're gonna let him rot down there,” said Blast Burn, stamping her hoof. The snow around her seemed to fizzle and melt.

Sun Spot and Rampage gave a nod in agreement. “Mountain or not, we're getting him out,” said Sun Spot.

“Amazing what you can do with the right incentive,” said Cadence, smiling sadly before wiping her eyes with her wings. “They know what they're getting into. My magic, our magic is here to help.”

“Thank you, Princess,” said Aela, exhaling slowly. “The unicorns can help move the boulders and dig the tunnel, the pegasi can team up with the spotter changelings.” That just left the earth ponies. Tapping her head, Aela finally added. “Have the earth ponies start breaking up any rocks the changelings drop off to the side. We need all the room we can make.”

Cadence gave a small nod and turned around to address the ponies before her. “Please, be careful my ponies. If you see anything move that's not surrounded in a magical aura. Move, move and grab as many ponies and changelings you can,” she said, slowly taking off. “Stick together.”

Without question, those who volunteered uttered a loud cry of unity. The pegasi took off while the unicorns and earth ponies joined in, standing side by side with the changelings, taking as much strain as they could off of them.

More hours of solid, tiring work passed by. The sun was starting to set and the light was fading fast when a single changeling who'd been digging within the tunnel burst out towards Chrysalis. With a single nod, the changeling sped back down into the tunnel with Chrysalis hot on their hooves. Aela and Cadence were close behind. Something had happened.

The tunnel was damp, dark. It was wide enough for three changelings to stand side by side as it snaked through the mountain much like the lava tunnels that it replaced. Eventually, the end of the tunnel came to a stop in front of two colossal boulders. Each easily three times the size of those they'd been moving outside. “There,” hissed the changeling, pointing between them.

“By Luna's moon,” breathed Aela. In the dim light of green changeling magic, Aela could make out the shape of a figure trapped underneath the rock in unmistakable black armour. Many questions ran through her mind, each more critical than the last. She couldn't find her voice to ask any of them.

“Your accuracy with these tunnels is... disturbing at best,” murmured Cadence, slowly approaching where Bardac laid and pressed her wing tip softly against the side of his head, then down against the side of his neck. There was just enough room next to him for a single pony. In the faint light, she tried to ignore how little of Bardac's body she could see, focusing only on his head.

“A changeling speciality,” muttered Chrysalis. Her horn pulsing once before turning her attention to Cadence's wing. “Anything?”

Cadence froze. “Doctor,” she whispered. Her wings extending. “We need a doctor. I brought a doctor!” It was all she said before disappearing back up the tunnel in a flurry of wings, hooves and dust.

Chrysalis couldn't believe what she heard. In a heartbeat, she was by Bardac's side, her own wing tip pressing against the side of his neck. It was like an ant tapping against her... but it was there. “How... how are you alive?” she whispered. Chrysalis doubted the Nord could hear her. “We took so much time getting to you. If we let you die now...”

“We won't,” said Aela quietly. “We can't. He's forever reshaped Equestria, just to save us.”

Cadence returned within minutes. An elderly, dark pink unicorn floating by her side surrounded in a soft blue glow. “I have a doctor!” she called out, landing and skidding to a halt. Dropping the unicorn off carefully, Cadence took a few steps back, giving the unicorn room to work.

Chrysalis stood back into the tunnel, watching the unicorn carefully. “I don't care how you do it, just save him,” she said quietly.

The old unicorn looked up at Chrysalis, adjusted his glasses and smiled, “I'll do what I can. I haven't lost one yet.”

“Do your best, Pin Prick,” said Cadence, “You're the most experienced doctor we have.”

Pin Prick looked behind him and simply smiled before approaching Bardac. His horn glowing brightly. “Oh dear,” he said to himself. “This is a bit of a pickle you've gotten yourself into.” Pressing the tip of his horn against the side of Bardac's neck, Pin Prick closed his eyes and focused, the tip of his horn changing colours in rapid succession.

“Is this... normal?” asked Aela quietly, looking up at Cadence.

Cadence shook her head slowly. “I wouldn't know, Pin Prick has a knowledge of medical magic that far exceeds any other pony, even in Canterlot. If he doesn't know it, it isn't worth knowing,” she said.

Pin Prick sighed loudly, catching them all off guard. “Well, I've got some good news and bad news,” he said, giving Bardac's head a light tap with his hoof before taking off his glasses to give them a wipe on his chest. “Good news, he's alive for sure. Pulse and a blood pressure, surprisingly.”

“Dare I ask the bad news?” asked Chrysalis, raising her eyebrow slowly.

“I'd say he's playing chess with the reaper and the poor colt's on check,” replied Pin Prick. “His entire right side is nothing but a flesh pancake right now. Which might explain why he's alive.”

“And how does that explain how he's still alive?” hissed Chrysalis, her horn pulsing angrily.

“Because it didn't land on his left side,” answered Pin Prick simply. “Whether he knew where the rock would land or simple luck. His heart isn't crushed and he's still got a working lung. I can't say for sure about the rest of his organs.”

“Will he survive?” asked Aela hesitantly. “Can we move him?”

“Certainly, though it's not without its own risks. It should go well, as long as we follow these next steps carefully,” Pin Prick said. “Princess Cadence. Firstly I'd like you to get a nice, firm grip on our friend here. ” When Cadence's magic formed around Bardac, Pin Pricks horn ignited in a soft, amber glow. “One or two immobilization spells... to keep everything in its place. We wouldn't want anything falling out of him.” His amber glow soon joined Cadence's blue. “Chrysalis, if you please. I'd like you to dig a nice, big hole underneath him so we can slide him out.”

“Something tells me this isn't your first time doing this,” muttered Chrysalis, eyeing the old unicorn suspiciously. Either way, she did what he requested and slowly started to clear away the rock underneath Bardac until they had a hole and a path wide and deep enough to slip him out.

“Who do you think founded the empire's search and rescue team?” asked Pin Prick proudly. “This is my speciality.” However, his thoughts changed rapidly as they slowly pulled Bardac free of the rocks. “I don't envy him right now. I'd even dare to say the recovery is going to be worse than the injury. We can fix him up, good as new, but it'll hurt.” Pin Prick paused and muttered quietly. “If he survives the trip back. Poor colt's lost a lot of blood and I've no idea how much he can lose.”

“He's not the first crush victim Pin Prick has brought back,” explained Cadence, beads of sweat forming on her brow as they slowly moved Bardac back up the tunnel. They had to move inches at a time. “It's a painful process...”

Aela felt a shiver run down her spine. All she could do was follow behind them. “How does it work?” she asked quietly.

Pin Prick looked over and explained. “It's not pretty. First we cut him open, reset all those little pieces of bone that've been smashed. Then we do the same to his organs. I might have to get in a minotaur or two to help out with that one. Their chest structure are almost identical, besides the fur.” Adding another layer or two of his spell. Pin Prick continued. “Of course, not all the bone fragments can be saved. So we'll have to help him grow new bones. The zebras have a wonderful potion that regrows bone. Teeth too! Though I don't think it's the same one.”

“All of that sounds... utterly horrific,” said Chrysalis, shivering violently. “Broken chitin feels like thousands of tiny daggers... cutting and stabbing from the outside.”

“I have no doubt,” replied Pin Prick sympathetically. “Exactly what this poor colt will feel, except his will be on the inside. The immobilization spells, I had to learn them to stop my poor patients from hurting themselves even more by thrashing about in pain.”

“What about painkillers?” asked Aela. “Surely such an intense treatment calls for them!”

“You'd think so,” said Pin Prick sadly. “Those potions have a nasty habit of stopping them from working.”

Cadence shivered slightly, her fur standing on end. “He must be in so much pain...” she murmured softly.

“Right now? He probably can't feel a thing,” said Pin Prick. “When he wakes up? Every foal in ten miles will probably learn some new curse words.”

The journey back up the tunnel was long, cramped and humid. The fresh air of open mountain range greeted the four like an old friend once they stepped out of the mouth. A stark contrast to the musky air from the depths.

Cadence breathed a sigh of relief as evening sun washed over her. Inhaling deeply, she looked over her shoulder, staring into Chrysalis's eyes. “Considering your actions today. I have little reason to doubt that your service to Bardac in genuine... many in the empire were starting to question it. Though, now you are no lo—”

“It's two to one,” interjected Chrysalis, her eyes narrowing. “I might have helped drag his sorry flank out of there. But he's the reason we're all not currently drowning in lava and Daedra. I'm still bound.”

“You almost sound glad,” said Cadence, her eyebrow slowly raising as well as the corner of her lip. Without another word, her horn pulsed brightly and with an almighty crack, disappeared along with Bardac and Pin Prick.

Chrysalis simply hissed loudly before her head hung down, the tip of her horn almost touching the snow. Bardac was in safe hooves, though not out of trouble. Her children were safe, yet her job wasn't done. “Some of my children and I are going to stay here in the mountains for a while,” she said, glancing towards Aela. “I need to see with my own eyes that those gates are destroyed.”

“Considering we've just pulled Bardac out from inside there... I'm not taking anything for granted,” said Aela, shaking her head. “How many do you intend to keep?”

Chrysalis rose her head and slowly looked over to her children. “Around fifty,” she replied. “I'll also be sending one of my children back to the Empire with you and the other ponies. One of my most obedient daughters.”

Aela was about to reply until she saw something gold glittering in the snow not far behind them. Moving over to pick it up, Aela discovered it was Bardac's wrist band. “I'm surprised this survived,” she said, looking it over. It was badly dented, but otherwise intact.

“Are you ready to return?” asked Chrysalis, slowly looking over to where her children gathered. “If so, I will send the rest of my children away.”

“I'll go with the others when they're ready to leave,” replied Aela, tucking the band underneath her right wing as she folded them flat against her body. “Before I leave, could you tell me a little about the changeling you want to bring back to the Empire?”

Chrysalis's horn pulsed twice and out of the changeling crowd, a single one took to the air and flew over. “This is one of my daughters,” explained Chrysalis, gesturing to the hovering changeling. “She'll be serving Bardac in my... absence. Treat her as you have been treating me, Aela.”

Aela looked up at the changeling and almost instantly noticed several differences between her and the others. Instead of a dark green tint to the upper half of her chitin, hers seemed to have more of a soft purple hue. Her body and legs were devoid of any holes to speak of and her horn, while still curved, was noticeably bigger than those of her siblings.

The changeling landed and looked somewhat curiously at Aela, yet didn't say a word. Instead, the changeling looked up at Chrysalis, her horn pulsing several times in a soft, purple glow.

“Can she talk?” asked Aela, she'd cottoned on a while ago that the changelings spoke mostly by those strange pulses. “What about a name?” After all, Aela didn't want to go around calling the changeling 'it' all the time. That would be downright rude.

“Flitter,” replied Flitter, a small smile gracing her lips.

“This is where we part ways, for now,” said Chrysalis, giving the thestral a small nod. “There is much to be done.”

“They're still, probably, going to come after you when I return without you, for now though with Bardac out of action... I'm in charge of you and your changelings,” said Aela, “I'll do what I can, but I don't quite have the... flair that he does for getting ponies to listen.”

Chrysalis let out a small chuckle, much to the thestral's surprise. “Even I do not possess that talent,” she said, her green eyes showing the first sign of a true smile. “This is... difficult for me to say, Aela. I feel as though I owe you a debt of gratitude,” she said quietly, her tongue rolling over her lips as she tried to find the right words. She couldn't. Sighing softly, she looked down at Aela. “Please. Let me know what happens.” And with that, she turned, took off and slowly disappeared into the tunnel she and her children had worked so hard to create.

Aela looked between the mountain, Flitter, the changelings that were starting to leave and those who remained. Then finally down to the large group of ponies and guards. Some of which she saw were starting to shiver. “Shall we head back, Flitter?” asked Aela, extending a hoof slowly towards the purple hued changeling.

Flitter looked at the offered hoof curiously, her horn pulsing once... then she reached out and took Aela's hoof in her own. “Yes,” she said, releasing Aela's hoof before standing side by side with the thestral.

With the changeling in tow, Aela made her way over to the group of ponies freezing their tails off. Clearing her throat, Aela announced. “As a member of Princess Luna's Lunar Guard. I want to thank each and every one of you. Your help today has been... invaluable.”

An older looking pegasus approached from the crowd. Light blue in colour with first hint of grey around his muzzle. “I gotta say Miss,” he said, the smallest hint of a southern accent. He wasn't a native crystal pony. “We weren't too sure about comin' up here... but after seein' who we were draggin' out. Kinda makes it worth it.”

Aela eyed the pony suspiciously. “You know him?” she asked, taking a step towards the pegasus.

The older pony shook his head slowly. “Not personally, but my nephew does. Been tellin' me all sorts of weird and wonderful stories about that young stallion,” he replied, chuckling softly. “Considerin' when they first met, he'd taken him hostage.”

“Hostage...” muttered Aela, rolling her tongue along her lips in thought. Then it clicked. “Sweeper! You're Sweeper's uncle?”

“Smart cookie. Name's Duster,” Duster said, waggling his right wing in a small greeting. “Now, shall we get movin'? I'm startin' to get ice in... places.”

Giving a nod in agreement, Aela gave a sharp whistle. “If everypony is ready! Move out!” she called out. Several pegasi took to the air though none of the unicorns decided to teleport. “If anypony needs a break, please speak up!” With that, Aela started to head back down the mountain with Flitter humming softly by her side.

“The Master,” said Flitter, still humming a soft tune. “What is he like?”

Aela tripped over her hooves and drove her head so deep into the snow that it took Rampage to pull her out. Spitting out a maw full of snow, she snapped her gaze to Flitter. “Master?!” she coughed, still spitting out chunks of white.

Flitter simply tilted her head to the side. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked, her voice never losing that soft, strangely happy tune.

All Rampage could do was bite his hoof, stifling the laughter bubbling in his chest.

Aela coughed loudly, clearing her lungs of the several pounds of snow she was sure she inhaled. “No, no... you just surprised me, that was all,” Aela said, eyeing the changeling. “I haven't known him that long myself actually. Only a few days.”

“Mother has told me about him,” said Flitter, nodding her head sagely.

“Oh?” pondered Aela. It certainly peaked her interest to hear what Chrysalis had to say to her children. It was uncharted territory for Equestria, changelings were an unknown to many, if not all the other species of Equus. “What did she have to say?”

Flitter stopped, looked up to the sky and giggled, “That he is the most powerful idiot you never wish to anger.”