In dead silence, one Queen Chrysalis pored over map schematics, resource distribution and troop deployment. Mulling over everything that could potentially go wrong, a knock on the door interrupted her brooding reverie. Standing, she straightened herself out before clearing her throat.

"You may enter, but know that if you don't have a good reason to be interrupting your queen, I will flay your hide from here to Canterlot and back." Chrysalis watched as the door swung open and Broken-Wing entered. The changeling offered his queen a nod.

"Good evening, Chrysy. I apologize for the interruption, but I wanted to look at the battle plans one more time to see if there are any adjustments to be made." Broken looked over and saw them sprawled out on the queen's bed. "Ah, I see you've already done so."

"Yes, I have. You have nothing to fear, however. They are well thought out. I give my approval." The queen nodded, her expression almost warm and caring. Broken backed up slightly, an unnerved frown on his face.

"Alright then. I'll just be on my way..." He took one last look between the papers and Chrysalis before turning to the door. Before he could move though he felt a hoof gently touched his shoulder. He looked back to see Chrysalis looking at him questioningly.

"What is it?" The queen could see the conflict in his eyes. Broken sighed.

"I understand nothing. I feel like there's a larger story to all of this and you're not telling me." Broken shook his head. "This seems far too personal for it to be a mere grudge, on any part of you or that monster Discord."

"I did promise you an explanation." Chrysalis tapped her chin with her hoof before using her magic to lift Broken on to the bed, his protests largely ignored. "Get comfortable. It's a long story."

Equestria, somewhere north of the Everfree forest 23XX years ago

Hundreds of tents were laid out across the plains of Equestria, each tent housing two or more ponies. The land around them, once lush farm fields and forests, were scarred with the wounds over one hundred years of conflict leaves behind. Everypony there were hardened battle veterans, and the word 'peace' was a fleeting notion, one which had not been experienced in five generations. It had been a long and hard fought war. With the aid of the four pillars, the ponies had managed to keep the gryphons at a stand-still. Things were about to take a grim turn however.

"So they've finally managed to also drag the dragons into this. I had hoped that after so many decades any retribution by the wyrmfolk would be forgotten." Princess Luna finished reading over the latest reports and scowled. Glancing up at the other two pillars currently sitting in the command tent she shook her head. "What could the gryphons ever offer them to bring them over to their side?"

"Not killing one of them, for starters." Celestia raised her eyebrow and glance at Discord, who in turn held his claws up defensively.

"It was over a hundred ago, and it was mostly an accident! Heat of the moment and all of that. Can't they take a joke?" Discord sighed. “Maybe I should have sent them all gift baskets.”

"To a dragon, a century is like a week. Most of them are older than us, they think in the very, very long term. Unlike some ignorant immortals. Just be thankful you cannot truly be killed." Celestia narrowed her eyes at the draconequues.

"Why? Because the dragons would have sent one of their kind to destroy me sooner?" Discord chuckled.

"No. I would have killed you myself." Celestia's matter-of-fact statement forced a gasp out of Luna. "The death of one would be a small price to pay if it meant sparing the lives of all of my little ponies."

"Celestia! What on Equestria are you saying?!" Luna walked over and stood so that their muzzles were scant inches apart. “You know why he did what he did, the sister I know would at least be considerate of that fact.”

"Your sister hasn't existed since the day he dragged Equestria into war. Ponies have died by the thousands. Thousands! You expect me to just accept that and move on? Who are we to play with their lives?" She pointed a hoof at Discord, drawing another scowl from Luna.

"If I remember correctly, it was you that declared war on the gryphons." Luna turned away and snorted.

"Yes but the war with them was winnable! Now we have to contend with dragons, and besides ourselves and Starswirl, who I don’t need to remind you is still stuck in the basement of the castle doing research, nopony has the capabilities of dealing with one. We simply can’t deal with the wyrms if they all decide to wake from their Arcadia and attack us!" Celestia huffed and returned her gaze to Discord, her features softening. "My sister is right, however. I blame you for much more than is your due, and I apologize."

"Tsk, don't worry about it Celly. It happens. Here, have some chocolate milk. It'll make you feel better." Discord waved a claw and two identical frothy glasses of chocolate milk appeared. Luna took hers and drank deeply. Celestia, on the other hoof, pushed hers away and shook her head.

"I am not in the mood for your games today Discord." Celestia looked back at the reports and began reading again. Discord shrugged.

"Suit yourself." Grabbing the glass he proceeded to drink first the glass and then the milk itself, eliciting a giggle from Luna. "I always find the glass gives the whole thing a 'piquant' aftertaste." Discord dropped his smile and turned to Celestia. "Any word from-"

"No." Celestia shook her head. "Chrysalis and her contingent of unicorns promised us reinforcements though, and we have to hope she'll come through, especially now that the dragons are going to be an issue."

"Celestia... that was over twenty years ago. Chrysalis always was flighty. If she managed to convince her troops to abandon our cause..." Luna trailed off, unsure how to finish her sentence. Celestia shook her head.

"While I agree with her tendency of making herself scarce, I don't see her abandoning us outright. Also, being a pillar she cannot be dead. She's going to return, eventually." Celestia waved her hoof in the air. "The fates are probably already poking at her to get a move on already."

"Bah, fate." Discord gave a non-committal shrug. "We're the pillars! If what they say is true, what’s the point in thinking about it if they already know what we’re thinking and how we’re going to act?"

"It is an inevitability Discord. When we came to in our respective forms, we stopped being what we were, we’re not different from mortals. We contemplate because we do not know everything, we act on those contemplations, and we base those actions on the emotion that’s intrinsic to the bodies we inhabit. And though everypony else tends to think of us as gods on Equestria, we’re not very different from them, not anymore." Celestia nodded towards Luna. "Besides, I do not believe you have very much to complain about now do you, or did you think I haven’t noticed?" Celestia glanced slyly while Luna face torched a deep red.

"Celestia, thou art making statements thy know nothing about." Luna's blush deepened and she lowered her head. Celestia looked back at Discord.

"She's so adorable when she slips into the Royal Equestrian voice. Does she do that in private as well?" Celestia raised her eyebrow.

"Only when she's nervous or embarrassed." Discord tapped a claw on his chin for a moment before winking at Celestia. "So about two or three times a week. Four if I'm lucky."

"Discord!" Luna shrieked before shrinking into a small black ball, privately hoping for the earth to swallow her whole. Celestia started gagging on air and shook her head, chuckling to the pair.

"Even in the middle of a war you two can make me laugh. It’s times like these that I feel I could never regret becoming..." Celestia was cut off as a guard burst into the command tent.

"Celestia! Luna! Your majesties! Flyers inbound from the north! Advanced scouts report that besides a few hundred gryphons, several dragons have been spotted with them!" The guard panted for air. Celestia snarled, storming out of her tent to begin issuing orders.

"I want all unicorns on the northern barricades with pegasi providing covering fire! Earth ponies- make your way to the tunnel system, dig additional trenches and tunnels if you must, but keep them out of the air!" Celestia's orders were followed without hesitation. "Primary targets are casters, secondary and tertiary targets are any other gryphons. Under no circumstances is anypony to engage a dragon, is that clear?!”

"Yes, Princess Celestia!" The acknowledgement from the troops boomed through the camp.

"Good. Once the initial wave hits, I want the unicorns to fall back and join the earth ponies. Pegasi are to retreat back to Camp Trotting." Celestia scanned the camp once more before moving towards the front lines. A Pegasus captain strode up to her, giving a salute.

"Captain Slatehide, ma'am. Begging your pardon, but why are we being sent away? We want to stay and fight! We have to show these feathered foals that ponies will never again be food!" The captain looked almost hurt. Celestia shook her heard.

"The pegasi strength lies in the air, and now that dragons are about to enter the fray it leaves you at a distinct disadvantage. We are here to win a war, not to be brave." Celestia frowned at this but regained her composure and continued her speech. "You are a good and brave pegasus, and I can see that your foals and your foal's foals will serve Equestria for many years to come. However, I need you to follow my command on this. Please."

"I... I understand Princess Celestia." The pegasus grimaced, but gave a salute and a nod anyways. "At the appointed time my ponies and I will retreat."

"Very good Slatehide. Now- I need that covering fire set up double-time!" Celestia pointed with her hoof, any warmth or kindness drained from her voice.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Slatehide flew off and began to give orders himself. Behind her, Celestia could hear the tent flaps opening. A moment later Luna and Discord stood at her sides.

"Sister, are we prepared?" Luna could see the specks on the horizon that represented the incoming force. "Can we hold them?"

"Indeed, we can and we must." Celestia sighed. "I cannot begin to fathom the cost of life however. This is going to quickly get messy. We need to deal with these dragons as soon as..." Her words were cut off as they saw a second, larger, set of specks join the first in the air. For a moment she panicked, fearing the gryphons had amassed a much larger force than initially reported, but then the specks began to move in and amongst themselves, and several began to drop from the sky. The second group was fighting the first.

Everypony watched the swarm of combatants move closer, a gout of flame or a flash of magic occasionally visible. Squinting her eyes for a moment, Celestia was barely able to make out the scene unfolding before her. Any thought that it was impossible was quickly forgotten as a dragon fell out of the sky, a small mountain rammed through it’s chest, forcing all three of the pillar's eyes wide open. Several flying beasts of all shapes and descriptions were flying in and amongst the gryphons and dragons, using their natural armaments to quickly and effectively thin their forces. Dozens of manticores, wyverns, and windigos were brutally punishing the feathered aggressors, and while they took a few casualties, it was clear that surprise had been in their favor and the gryphons were already scattering.

Drawing closer, Celestia could see that the strange force of monsters was lead by a dragon itself- a young one, not much larger than any of the other beasts, but a dragon nonetheless. One who seemed capable of casting incredibly potent magic. Celestia could just make out the serene, almost emotionless smile on the young dragon's face as it began to lay in to another of the attacking dragons, opening a wide wound in it‘s side. I know that temperament... Her thoughts lost, she realized that the attacking force would be at their front-line in moments, and frantically began issuing orders.

"Unicorns and pegasi! Spells and arrows at the ready! Target designation still stands! Do not fire upon the beasts or the small dragon, am I clear?!" Celestia's order was met with an indication of the affirmative, though she could tell that they were worried about the monsters as much as they were worried about the gryphons. Taking one last breath, she held it for a moment watching the gryphons draw nearer, before thrusting her hoof in the air and screaming.

"Fire!"

Though the battle had been hard fought, and several ponies gave their lives, the gryphons had been soundly routed and not a single dragon had survived. True to their orders, the pegasi had retreated to Camp Trotting, leaving a force consisting entirely of earth ponies and unicorns. As well as dozens of monsters and a young dragon.

Luna was whooping it up with several of the captains- she was still covered in the blood of the three dragons she had personally slain that day and had yet to come down from her battle high. Celestia sighed. Not over a century ago, they would have been aghast at taking a life. Discord had nearly been exiled from Equestria over an accidental killing, and here Luna was reveling in it. Part of Celestia wanted to say that it was justified- they had pushed back the gryphons yet again, saving their ponies from being meals. On the other hoof, every time they engaged in conflict she could feel something come over Luna that was, even for them, unnatural.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the young dragon that had lead their unlikely allies approaching her. Turning to regard her new ally, Celestia gave a warm smile that caught the dragon off guard. Drawing shocked looks from everyone present, including the random assortment of beasts, Celestia strode forward and wrapped her hooves around the wyrm's neck.

"I always knew you would return." Celestia broke the embrace and stepped back, seeing the dragon's face turn red in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"H-how? How could you have possibly known?! I've spent years perfecting my magic!" The dragon's voice was powerful, but delicately feminine. Both Luna and Discord turned from their conversations.

"Chrysalis?!" The pair uttered in unison.

"The one and only." The dragon twirled a claw and grinned. "What do you think? Do you like it?"

"I dare say Chrysalis, I like your new look." Discord nodded in approval, then began to laugh. "So, you still have no idea what you want to be, so you turned yourself into a dragon and became a zoo-keeper? Not that we minded the help, of course."

"No, that's where you're wrong." Chrysalis shook her head and began channeling a spell. Green flames licked at her feet before engulfing her whole. Where before was a dragon, was now a figure very similar to Celestia and Luna. Rather than the fur of a pony though, thick chitinous plates covered her body, and her wings were membranous like an insect. She cracked a fanged grin. "I know exactly what I want to be. You're looking at it." The assembled ponies and pillars looked on in awe.

"Chrysalis? What manner of creature is this?" Luna was nearly beside herself.

"It was logical really." Chrysalis rolled her hoof in the air. "I discovered through the course of my research that the pony-like bodies most of us adopted are ill-suited to transformation magic. Such spells are intended to work on inanimate objects, first and foremost, and have a reduced effect on living tissue." She gave her body a little shake for emphasis. "Thus, I had to find a compromise. I ditched most of my skin for inert plating, the wings, while inefficient, are also a large part of it. Even my skeletal structure no longer has living tissue running through it. Physically, I'm slightly weaker, and I don't quite have my looks anymore, but you cannot argue with the results."

"No, I suppose you can't..." Celestia was lost in thought, unsure what to make of this latest development.

"Well that's all very well and good for you, but where are the others? When you disappeared you took well over nine-score unicorns with you. Now you return alone." Luna narrowed her eyes. "Where are they?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Chrysalis turned to the assembled beasts and called out. "Line up in ranks! Change form!" The beasts milled about for a moment before forming a half-dozen columns of ten. Similar green flame enveloped them, revealing new creatures- roughly the size and shape of a pony, but covered in the same black plates as Chrysalis and bearing similar wings. Celestia gasped.

"Chrysalis! How could you do this to them?!" Celestia pointed a hoof at the new race standing before her. "Those were the brightest mares and stallions in Equestria. Those were mothers, fathers, foals."

"And every one of them was a volunteer! Not one pony was force to go through the process against their will, and I saw to it that it was painless. We needed the extra marepower." She turned to her new army and waved a hoof over them. "Call upon any one of them, ask them yourself." Celestia grumbled for a moment before pointing at one of the creatures.

"You there. Tell me about yourself." Celestia was trying to be soft-spoken, but by her own admission she had come off as harsh.

"M-my name is Silver Days, Princess Celestia." For having just waged war as a wyvern, the once-mare was timid in the face of Celestia. "I had just received my c-cutie mark when the gryphons sacked the town of Hoofington. M-my parents and brother were t-taken. I was heartbroken, and wallowed in one of the refugee camps for a while." A glint of determination shone in her eye. " Then Chrysalis came and spoke to us. When she offered a chance to strengthen myself, so that nopony else would have to suffer the same fate in such a cruel way, I jumped at the chance. I... I don't think we're ponies anymore, and that makes me sad, but I would do it again without hesitation. Look how many we saved today!" Her face was a mixture of defiant pride and bitter, sorrowful reminiscence.

The whole thing unnerved her, but Celestia didn't doubt the sincerity of her words. She also remembered the attack on Hoofington. A large gryphon force had caught them off guard, and before the princess' could arrive, the town had been leveled. Hundreds of civilians had been slain or enslaved. Celestia had known Day's father personally. It was sad indeed what lengths these ponies would, and had, gone to in order to protect their loved ones. No, it is also why I go through those same lengths. Celestia slowly nodded her head, satisfied that Chrysalis had acted with the ponies' best interests at heart. To her side, however, Luna was not so convinced. She shook her head and turned away.

"Chrysalis, this is madness. They barely resembled the creatures they were born as. Willing or not, what you've done is terrible." Turning on her hooves, Luna stormed away before entered her tent. Discord followed close behind, leaving Celestia and Chrysalis to run damage control with their respective armies. Inside the tent, Luna was weeping, her head down on a table.

"Luna, come now." Discord conjured up a cotton candy cloud to support her head. "Why are you crying? Argue with her methods, perhaps, but her intervention today likely saved more ponies than she ever transformed. We haven't seen her in over two decades! Don't you think we owe her a little something?"

"No!" Luna yelled more harshly than she intended. "No. We took on physical forms so we could exist in and amongst the civilizations of Equestria, act as counterbalances for Equestria’s flow of chaos and order to ensure harmony, we don’t create new species. We’re not deities. That?" She pointed her hoof out the flap of the tent. "That is the act of a god with creatures that do not understand the ramifications of their decision. For all of my great love for them, I would rather see these ponies lose the war by their own hooves then succeed due to our intervention." Luna continued to sob. Discord wrapped an arm around her, giving her a warm smile.

"It's not any different at all Luna. I don't disagree that Chrysalis' methods are... extreme, even for my tastes, however she really is doing it for the greater good of those she loves. We can’t say that we’re willing to do things for the ponies, yet not allow them the same decision..." He snapped his fingers, and a map of Equestria bubbled out of a spring of chocolate, he pointed to the little marshmallow indentation of a mountain. "Look, with our victory today, it puts us one step closer to the mountain-side fort they operate out of. Soon, we won't need to worry about the ponies you-"

"We."

"We care about so much." He chuckled and took a step back, floating on his side in mid-air. "I don't know how much longer this is going to go on for- stone’s sake, we don’t even really know why the dragons are attacking us all of a sudden, last I checked they were all independent of one another. At this rate, we may be at this for another century or two. If we lose hope now, fight over differences of opinion, this will all have been for nothing. You might as well turn yourself into a gryphon, rule them for a change, and learn to love the taste of pony meat." Luna spun on her hooves, jaw slung open, however Discord continued speaking. "I'm just saying. Those creatures out there that used to be ponies? The ones that horrifying you so? They believe so much in not only what Chrysalis is doing, but in all of us, that they are willing to do anything if it means the safety and wellbeing of those they love. It’s not different at all from what we’re doing.”

"Luna, you know how much I loathe the 'order' your sister has influenced the ponies with. Even if it’s necessary, it makes me sick to my stomach some days." Discord sighed and wrapped his arms around Luna, squeezing her tightly. "But I'm willing to put up with it, because I..."

"Yes?" The corner of Luna's lip turned up. "Because you what?"

"Er, like you. A lot." Discord blushed, drawing a mock gasp from the princess. “So just throw Chrysalis a bone will ya? We're all so different, but we all have the same feelings for these ponies. For me? Please? I'll make you all the chocolate milk you want for a month!" Discord laughed, drawing a hesitant giggle from Luna.

"Alright. I may have been hasty in my judgment." Luna nodded. "I will give Chrysalis a chance- for you. How bad could a few dozen new pony shape-shifters really be anyways? I'm holding you to the chocolate milk though. I'll be expecting a few liters of it next toy bed this evening." Luna gave the draconequues a wink.

"That's the spirit!" Discord clapped his claws together. "Now, shall we go out and greet the heroine of the day? Properly this time?"

"Fine." Luna rolled her eyes. The pair exited the tent, stepping up to where Celestia and Chrysalis were busy in discussion. Chrysalis caught sight of them first, dropping her head and sighing.

"I-I'm sorry Luna. I was just trying to do what I thought was best. I..."

"I'm sorry." Luna lowered her own head slightly.

"What?" Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, confused.

"I'm sorry. I overreacted. I don't necessarily agree with your methods, but I understand you were trying to help." Luna walked closer and put her fore legs around Chrysalis' neck. "It's good to see you again. Thank-you for coming back." Chrysalis was shocked, but returned the embrace, warm smile crossing her lips.

"I-I missed you all too, Luna." Breaking the embrace, Chrysalis took a few steps back while Luna sidled up to Discord. The draconequues was giving the princess a smile.

"See? That wasn't so bad at all." Discord grinned.

"No, you're right. Things are going to be fine." Luna returned his grin. "It's like I said- how bad could a few dozen of these new ponies be?"

"About that..." Chrysalis gave a nervous chuckle and bit her bottom lip. "As part of the whole biological change, we also manage to expedite reproduction. These ponies here were many of the ones that initially went with me but..." As if on queue a buzzing sound filled the air, and from over a hill came a swarm of a few hundred of the new shape-shifting ponies. "... their foals, as well as my own, will soon be of age to join the battle." The assembled ponies, new and old, gave a chorus of cheers. Celestia walked up to Chrysalis and placed her hoof on her shoulder, giving a gentle nod to steady the nervous pillar. Behind them, Luna burnt eyeholes into the back Discord’s head. Discord, for his part could only look up at the approaching swarm.

“Hoo boy."