Chapter forty five

The door to the dining room opens, as servers come in with food while breakfast is prepared in a slightly more professional and ordered fashion. Not so much the bustling kitchen that was in over its head the previous night, but now a smooth working machine of efficiency that any castle would marvel at with awe. Many ponies earlier had taken up the part of continuing some smaller tasks long in to the night, so while this is for some breakfast, for them it’s dinner.

Luna, having long been up in to the night already, eventually found some sleep somewhere in to the time of just after three in the morning, and now is up once again as the dawn sun needs to be risen. Sitting out in the dining room sipping her morning coffee, the table is in the process of being set as the mare remains there without lifting a hoof to help, but not by her own accord. The princess of the night has already been told to sit down and take care of herself for once now, mostly by Twilight herself as she and Flash are up almost as early as Luna, and helping out here and there.

Bringing out a few more cups from the tray, Flash sets them next to each place mat, as his marefriend does the same with the plates and does her best to keep the cute grins and smiles between them, low key in front of Princess Luna. All the while the young alicorn finds herself tossing her mane about her neck in just a way to cover the bite marks that trail up and down.

“I really must be helping you all… you have already done so much,” the lunar princess tries to get up, before having a lavender hoof press on to her shoulders.

“Oh no you don’t,” Twilight insists, “you have done more than enough for us, now sit down and relax.”

“You know that’s not my thing…”

“Well try it sometime,” the younger alicorn simply replies after refilling the older princess’s coffee cup, “I mean you were up long after us.”

“Well… I wouldn’t say that much longer…” Flash mutters under his breath, getting a rather bashful snicker from the youngest princess in the room while the older one remains oblivious to their side conversation, and unaware to the actions that followed their shower the previous night and the commotion that came shortly afterwards.

More talk is silenced as the rest of the gang comes in, each one trying to keep a straight face as they look at their royal friend across the ways, half way expecting to see her sporting just bucked hair the morning after. Though Twilight made it a special point to brush out every single knot and tangle in her mane to keep it looking as normal as possible, something that Rarity is even proud of her for managing to hide the acts of her first tryst.

“Good morning, girls,” Luna says to them with more energy thanks to the caffeine running through her system, “I trust you all slept well?”

“Oh you can imagine after they day we had…” Rarity says, eying Twilight across from her as they sit around the table at the head next to the moon princess, and each take their turn putting food on their plate.

“How about you two?” Rainbow gestures to both Flash and Twi at the table, “how did you two, sleep?”

“Oh, well…” Twilight uses a small spell to pinch the cyan Pegasus from across the table, and watches her wince, “…it was much better laying with Flash after getting the grime off of him.”

“Don’t like sleeping with a sweaty colt?” Pinkie asks, at first not even realizing the implications that the comment could mean.

Both of them hold their tongue, recalling their condition after their late night act. Though thankfully the silence is broken by the quiet mare, attempting to bring some eyes off the couple, “I must say, Princess Luna,” Fluttershy mutters. “It has been lovely staying here, even if the circumstances may not be the best.”

“They may not be, but I am great full to have you all here none the less,” Luna nods her head. Perking her ears up at the sound of the door opening again, she looks around to see her brother in law walking in, pushing the doors wide with his claws as his daughter sits idly on his shoulder. Both aunts get up to meet them, as they embrace the husband in the warmth of their fore hooves from his previous experience.

“Good morning, Discord,” they say to him in unison.

“Good morning you two…” he beams at them, though it’s painfully obvious that it’s a forced smile and holds no grounding behind it. The only reason the prince even holds that on his face, is the very foal that sits atop him, as she slides off in to the hooves of Luna. Before a word is even said though, Rosebud wraps her little hooves around her aunt’s neck and gives her a hug like she would never see her again.

“I love you, aunt Lulu…” Rose mutters.

The sapphire princess feels a tear from the daughter falling down her neck as she looks dumbfounded at both Discord and Twilight. Though when the father just gives her a blank stare and nods slightly to her, the message is conveyed perfectly and the sister in law knows exactly what is going through the young princess’s mind. Giving the foal some comfort and returning the gesture, Luna puts a wing around her little body and squeezes her in tight to her chest. Letting her loose just enough to lightly kiss the top of her head.

“I love you too, Rosebud,” Lulu beams, rubbing her nose against the young princesses’. The group goes back to the table and takes their seats. For the remainder of the meal, they remain silent, for the most part. Other than the slight whispers between Twilight, Discord and Luna, as the prince fills them in on what happened last night in the child’s bedroom.

“So she knows now?” Twi raises her brow, watching him nod to her.

“I told Rosebud last night when I brought some soup to her…” Discord strokes his daughter’s hair, watching her munch away on what food is placed in front of her, considering there wasn’t much in her stomach the previous night, “she seems to be taking it as well as expected… but I don’t know how we’re going to take care of him, with all this going on.”

“It may, just have to wait…” Luna puts a hoof on his shoulder while they eat small snippets here and there.

A nurse comes in to the room as she stands off to the side at first, shiftless a little and not wanting to upset the royal meal. Though after being noticed by the lunar princess, she gestures her over with one hoof and the timid mare comes in slowly to Luna’s side, bowing at first before she speaks to her ear in a whisper. Luna sits there listening for a few seconds before her eyes widen suddenly and she drops her cup on to the table, spilling the remains of the caffeinated brew on the cloth. The disturbance is more than enough to get the rest of the group to look back up at their beloved princess to see what is troubling her.

“Thank you, nurse…” Luna says to the mare as she trots off, and she rises so the gang can hear her better, “its Celestia… she’s waking up.”

Celestia tosses and turns in her bed, comforted by the soft cushions that have been placed around her, but at the same time distraught from the uneasy feeling of not being able to sleep. In her motions the princess of the sun flips out of the bed and hits the ground below her. Now looking up at the ceiling above like an endless abyss. “That could have gone better…” she mutters to herself before getting to her feet. As she looks around through she finds that the princess in fact is the only one that is in the room right now. For the usually occupied med ward, the mare is all alone, as she steps out in to the center aisle. That though doesn’t seem to last long, when she hears the faint sound of her name being called out.

“Celestia…” the little voice mutters, causing the sun goddess to look about for the source.

“Hello?” Tia asks out, “is somepony there?” The door is closed and the windows are shut completely, so it can’t be coming from outside.

“Celestia…” she hears it called again, no matter where she moves in the room though it seems to have the same tone and volume, not getting louder or quieter. It’s like the voice is right next to her…

“Please show yourself…I mean you no harm.”

“Celestia…” the princess hears one more time.

“Who is it?” Tia finally asks. After hearing the voice multiple times, something becomes apparent, it sound familiar. The rather sultry and almost seductive toned voice rattles about her brain as the princess tries to put a face to the sound, “I…I know you…”

“Yes… you do…” she hears the voice, now breathing in to her ear.

Celestia turns around, only to see Queen Chrysalis standing there before her. Holding her son Havoc in her mouth, as the queen’s fangs dig in to his neck and drain the life out of him while the bright red oxygen rich blood drips down his body and starts to pool itself on the floor. Without even saying a word, Celestia jumps in to action against the witch. Using her wings to try and dash towards the queen, though her efforts are halted as she falls helplessly to the floor. Looking down at her legs, she sees that one of them is missing and she remains in a puddle of her own fluids that now drench her pure white coat as the target of her aggressions leaves her be while walking down the aisle towards the door.

“Chrysalis!!!” Tia yells out of anger, “I will find you! You killed my boy…” tears start to well up in her from both the sheer rage and sorrow, “my son! Do you hear me?!” Celestia yells out to the queen as she starts to waltz out the room. Tia’s son still in her teeth as she walks, leaving only a trail of blood droplets on her way out, while the sound of a mother with her heart and soul torn out, follows in her wake, “Queen Chrysalis-s-s!”

Nurses try to restrain the bucking mare in her bed as she flails wildly to the wind about them. Unknown to her, Celestia has clocked a few in the jaw, gut, side, and head as she yanks left and right while they try to get a grasp on her, and keep the princess from hurting herself or others. “Some pony hold her down!” a doctor yells as he pulls out a syringe with some painkillers in it. As the others get hold of her finally.

“Chrysalis…” Tia mutters under her breath, half awake, and half asleep. Not even really feeling the needle slip in to her vein, enough to keep her calm her nerves down. But not to knock her completely out of it.

“Okay then…” the doctor tosses the needle in to the trash and wipes off his brow of sweat. Looking over his shoulder, he sees more royalty come in to the room, likely to see the monarch herself. Steadily walking over to them, he bows his head in response and gives them a quick summary of her condition, “Good morning, your majesties…the princess is coming in and out of consciousness and should be with us quite soon,” he rubs the sore spot on his jaw where the sun goddess kicked him earlier, “We ahh… had to drug her again though.”

“What was that screaming we heard while walking down the hall to here?” Fluttershy asks as she looks over the shoulder of those in front of her to see Celestia laying there.

“That sadly was her…” the doc explains as they circle around her, “Celestia seems to be calling out the name of the changeling leader in her sleep… she has been doing that for quite some time now actually.”

“Chrysalis…” Discord mumbles under his own breath, as he clenches the fist that doesn’t hold his daughter.

“Yes that’s the one…” the doctor motions the nurses to loosen the straps that held her down moments ago, “we needed some way of holding her, so she didn’t end up hurting herself or another… again.”

“Again?” Twilight raises the question.

The doctor awkwardly scratches the back of his head, “Ahh princess Celestia has some very powerful legs. Some of us got clipped while trying to hold her on occasions.”

“Are you all alright?” Luna looks him over and the other nurse as they pack up the sedation kit.

“Oh princess you don’t need to worry about us, we are doctors after all,” he chuckles to try and lighten the mood for them. All the while a nurse steps away from him sporting a black eye and shoots him a glare with her good one, “I’ll leave you all be though, I know you must be eager to see her by now and I won’t be far away…” the doctor is thanked by a the gang for his work and the work of his fellow nurses as he backs out of the room.

Leaving them all to welcome the beloved princess back in to the mortal, painful world. Discord slowly strokes her lovely flowing mane with his eagle talon as Rosebud gets in to bed with her mother, curling up next to her chest and off from the side that lost its original hoof. The comfort of having her friends and family surrounding her, warms the princess at her very core, something that no amount of painkillers or other drugs could have ever managed.

“Chrysalis…” she mutters one more time as her eyes gradually start to open to the light around her, and the smiling faces of those that she meets.

“It’s okay, Tia…” Discord reminds her, holding her hoof now closer to his own chest.

It’s some sort of shock to have them all there with her right now after such a day like she had, almost to the point that she can’t even tell if this is real or not. “Are you all…?” Celestia asks, still bewildered by their presence. Looking down though, she knows the soft and gentle touch of her daughter against her chest, even through the slight haze of the drugs. At that moment the maternal instinct of a mother takes hold and Celestia knows for a fact that this is all really happening to her, “h-h-how long, was I out?” she stumbles out of her mouth.

“All night, sister…” Luna draws in closer to her family member, “after the…ahh…surgery, you were sedated and left alone to heal, so the procedure could take effect.”

“Surgery?” the wife looks back from her sister to her husband, “Procedure?”

“Dear…” Discord says after seeing her odd and confused glances to them all, getting her attention he looks down at the still covered limb that she now wears. Her eyes follow his and she sees the bulge of a limb, which she cannot feel. Trying to move it is useless, as she effortlessly just tries to even think lift in her head, but to no avail. “Celestia, you may have try harder than that…” her husband tells her while she glances over to him, “It’s, just a little heavier than your old one,” Dissy responds while Rose remains blissfully unaware what is happening.

Focusing all her mind to it, Celestia imagines lifting the limb up and off the bed and in to the air. Controlling her breath, lowering her heart rate, and even getting a bead of sweat from the concentration. The remaining muscles in what’s left of her leg tense up, and in a short time the limb starts to shake and then lift… as the cover comes off. Up right next to her face, for her eyes to see, is a seemingly alien piece of metal, sculpted and shaped to look natural. There isn’t much you can do when you have a hoof removed, other than get a prosthetic.

A few springs can be seen in the center, along the primary support shaft, to act as shocks. While the joints have large hinges to give movement to the wearer, all the while, bolts and rivets hold it all together. Even having several fastening bolts and wires holding it to her body, as cables can be seen running out of her stub, and down the shaft of the limb. The iron plating along the side that covers the internal workings, has holes punched out so that the strength isn’t effected a lot, but the weight is lessened. Something that is crucial for a winged pony. Though the Equestrians aren’t the furthest when it comes to technology, that title goes to the Gryphons to the west of them.

The ponies of Equestria, sure know how to make do with what they can get their hooves on. Adding magic in to the mix, one can get some creative false limbs to replace those that have been lost for various reasons. And being the princess of the entire kingdom, one would imagine that Celestia would have a vast range to choose from. Even having the ability to get her own artisans to make one custom, just for her. Though no matter how you may put it, losing a limb is something that no pony will ever get used to… even a princess. Her heart drops out of her chest and hits the floor, just as fast as the false limb does the bed. The face of sheer confusion and terror of what happened to her finally clicks, when Celestia sees that she has in fact lost a limb. Now being replaced with that of a metal leg, it hits the soft mattress with a dull thud as the princess remains speechless.

Normally any other would have flipped out right now, just as Tia was about to. Though when she sees Rose crawl over and take notice of the limb, she tries to keep herself under control so as not to frighten her daughter. “I…I… don’t know what to say…” she watches her daughter examine the limp from a distance, while a blank stare remains on Celestia’s face of twisted emotion, but hides it all for her kin.

“None of us would right now, Celestia,” AJ answers, holding her cowgirl hat over her chest. Seeing the princess trying to hold in her true views on what she wants to say, for the sake of her child. Applejack knows that expression from anywhere, simply because she has had that several times with her younger sister.

“How do I…?”

“The cables are fused to your muscles,” Luna runs her hoof alongside the limb to show her how they trail up, “as you flex your muscles, you can move the limb like you would your original leg. Though they have been damaged and you need a little more will to get it to do your bidding…but your body will adapt over time, and it should get easier.”

Celestia focuses her mind to lift the heavier appendage then she is used to, bringing it slowly to the soft face of her daughter as Rose is tentative at first. Having the unfamiliar piece moving towards her, the little foal looks up to the limb with worry. Before she leads her eyes to that of her caring mother. Still warm and kind, like nothing has changed in the slightest, and in a silent message, tells her that everything is alright.

Now with renewed confidence, Rose leans in and feels the cold metal touch her skin. At first it reminds her of how she found her mother when she fought with the queen, though as the metal starts to warm up from the contact. Rosebud gets more and more comfortable around it, and rests her head on the metal hoof, that even sports extra treads in the base for added grip.

A heartfelt smile graces both mother, and daughter at the same time as even a light chuckle pops up in Celestia, “Is it… permanent?” she asks while Rose leans in to the limb.

“Well if you’re asking if we can grow you a new limb…” Discord starts to answer his wife sarcastically, much to the dismay of those around him while they start to face hoof themselves, “…then more than anypony dear, I think you should already know that answer.”

“Discord…” Tia snaps at him, bringing the metal appendage up to his face mere inches from his muzzle, “You are lucky I’m married to you. Also, I meant can I get another one, switch it out for one that better suits me?” she looks over the limb, closely scrutinizing every detail. Celestia may not be one that deals too much in medical issues, though she does know technology. “This is a general purpose leg, just to get me on my feet… so to speak,” she bites down on her lip for the poor choice of words.

Luna giggles at both the comment of her sister, and the fact that said sister, nearly clocked her husband right there in the room, “I know we can find one for you… though first things first…”

They all hear the sound of metal pinching itself, as the joints scratch against one another even through the grease from the angered mare, “Chrysalis…” Celestia mumbles as she clenches her hoof.

“Exactly… and she isn’t the only one to deal with on top of that,” Twilight brings up, recalling the encounter at the Tree of Harmony.

“What do you mean?” Celestia ask, considering she is really the only one who is out of the loop in this matter.

“It seems Hun that the queen has found herself a king…” Discord leaves open, “King Sombra, the once ruler of the Crystal Empire, now stands by her side.”

“…If I wasn’t so angry I would say figures at the two…” Celestia rolls her eyes after hearing that note, “Seriously? There just perfect for one another.”

“Well then, you may want to save more comments on that mater for later, because there is more to that story…” Luna elaborates for them, “After speaking with the changeling that Twilight and her friends managed to bring back after their trip, I have learned a few things now from him… thanks mostly from Discord’s… persuasion.”

“What can I say?” he shrugs his shoulders, “I’m good at what I do.”

“Oh I’ll say… however, for now, let me continue,” Luna starts to pace about before them as she explains the plan, while Rose has made herself more than comfortable by her mother’s new limb, and even rests there in a light nap. “The queen wanted the Elements of Harmony to be taken, so they can’t be brought out and used against her, Sombra, and her army when the time comes,” she starts off, “Seeing as they could be removed fairly easily for a short time and used against them, it was imperative that they were taken out of the picture… though thanks to having Sombra as a partner in this, we all know he likes to corrupt things? The King and Queen plan on corrupting the Elements, and using them for themselves, against Equestria.”

The dead silence among them is apparent as the news seeps in to each member there, though it doesn’t last very long, “She got that idea from me,” Discord pouts at the mention of the copycat.

“You’re not helping, Dissy…” Tia reminds him so they can get back on track, “The Elements are still connected to Twilight and her friends though?”

“That’s still true,” Rainbow pops in, “even if they tried to corrupt them somehow, wouldn’t that connection to us protect them?”

“Normally you would be right, Dash,” Luna lowers her head, “neither Chrysalis nor Sombra are nearly enough powerful to take on the task and turn the most powerful pieces of magic known to us evil… but when you consider that Queen Chrysalis is a changeling, what do they draw power from?”

“Feeding off the love of others,” Rarity answers the obvious.

“And who ‘loves’ Chrysalis?” Luna over embellishes the term.

“Somb-” Celestia starts to answer her sister before stopping in her very tracks, the final piece clicking in to place now as she sees the picture, and the very reason the queen was likely able to best her earlier, “Sombra… Chrysalis is feeding on his love for her, and that’s what’s going to make her strong enough to turn the Elements.”

“It was her plan, all along,” the younger sister goes in to what the changeling said on that very matter, “Chrysalis needed a partner for more than one reason. One, to have somepony to back her up in a fight with Equestria. And two, to help power her gift.”

Celestia goes back to all the bantering that she had with the queen while she was here, drawing out one crucial point, “Chrysalis said though that she wasn’t really feeding off him. She was getting the love, naturally.”

“Again, all part of the plan,” Luna continues in to that point, “that was the important part, and why she targeted Sombra. This was a colt that already hated Equestria for everything that it had done against him, so he was the perfect ally in this scheme. Chrysalis didn’t have to put on a mask and trick him in to falling for her. Simply helping his own vendetta, and using her skills in seduction, the queen was able to make Sombra fall for her. Without him even knowing, the king is fueling her power, and he’s being drained through his own infatuation,” Luna takes a much needed breath after that mouth full, “the queen meant to bring him back, Chrysalis doesn’t love him, not like he probably thinks. She’s just using him, just like she planned to.”

“But wait just a second here…” Pinkie stops them while she holds a hoof to her chin, “When Queen Meany was here at the wedding, and fed off Shining Armor. He was weaker afterwards and couldn’t even cast a spell… wouldn’t Sombra realize something was making him weaker by the second? I can’t imagine him taking too well to being used like food by her.”

“…Well, Pinkie certainly has her moments here and there,” Spike answers for them through their silence, “and when she does, she’s right. Sombra has an ego larger than me when I started to feed my greedier side of things, there is no way he would stand to the Queen using him like that.”

“Not if he can’t tell…” Twilight whispers under her breath, enough for Celestia to hear.

“What was that, Twilight?”

“When we fought Sombra, the armor he was wearing had crystals all over it, adorning nearly the entire suit,” she tries to get her own thoughts together as well.

“If they were in fact, crystals from the Crystal Empire,” Flash jumps in to lend a helping hoof, as this is the first time he is hearing this information, “he may be drawing his power from them…”

“… and compensating for what the king lost…”

“Then he would never be able to tell,” both Flash and Twilight finish as they face each other. Looking back at the rest of the group to see them all staring, awkward doesn’t even begin to describe this situation right now as they snap back to their original positions. Promptly ignoring the snickers they get from the bunch.

“Yea…” Twilight looks away and starts to blush, “I mean it makes sense.”

“Well I’m glad to see you two are getting along better than ever…” Celestia chuckles to herself, watching the couple giggle in return as some of Twilight’s friend just roll their eyes. For they are the ones that know exactly what the two have already done, “however, was anything said as to where the queen has gone sense then?”

“Not that the changeling knew… he was sent out with Sombra before they departed their original establishment,” Luna responds shaking her head, “they did change location, but he hasn’t a clue as to where.”

“I could try and-” Discord cracks his knuckles once again. Though is halted when Celestia herself raises a single hoof to silence him.

“That won’t be necessary… if he knew where they were, he would have told us. After all I know how you can get when it comes to interrogations,” Tia pats his claw still by her side now, “For now though, let us get out of here…” the princess states as she scoops up her daughter in her hooves. Nuzzling the tiresome princess in her grasp before passing her off to Discord.

“Are you sure you want to try this right now?” Discord asks her, though he already knows the answer to that one.

“I may have lost a limb, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be bed ridden the rest of my life… besides all I’ve done is sit in bed, while you all have got to work,” Celestia gently places her natural fore hoof on to the ground before attempting to place the fake one. Once all her weight is on it, she tries to lift the one she was born with and soon stumbles to the ground. Thankfully being caught by the mane six as they gather around to support her, “thank you girls…” Celestia says before managing to clamber back to her feet as she fights the urge to drop again.

Though gratefully she is able to stand up right, and even while lifting her own flesh and blood hoof. She keeps her footing and slowly but surely starts to move forward. It’s an odd feeling having to learn all over again to walk. Something that many will never know, but those that find out, will learn and re-learn to appreciate it. For now though the princess is just glad she can walk amongst much loved friends on her own as they head out the door of the med bay.

Walking amongst the castle that is still being repaired, Celestia finally gets a grasp of the magnitude of what actually happened to the place while she toyed with the queen in their own little battle. As she was fighting her, her own guards were attacked and had to look after one another. Even her sister and husband were at each other’s backs as this all went down. Blood being scrubbed off the ground and pieces of armor and weapons getting carted off, gives Rosebud a rather uneasy feeling as she buries her face in the shoulder of her father. Him now resting a claw on her shoulder to comfort her, it’s not much… but it does remind her that the world isn’t completely lost now.

“Things are almost back to normal around here…” Discord says while they walk through the throne room, “well almost normal that is…”

“I can see what you mean…” Celestia looks about and can see that cleanup is almost done as the window repairs fill in what they can until the true art work can be put in place. Many of the stained windows that tell a decent amount of history have been broken in to pieces, though thankfully their blueprints and actual details have been saved and can be returned to their once stellar image. “We’re going to have to get that one repaired, by the way…” Celestia gestures to a particular window missing its original sheen.

“Do we really have to bring that one back?” the prince in the room groans when he realizes what window it is. The others having not a clue, other than maybe Rainbow Dash.

“Hey… it does give a healthy reminder to you to behave, now doesn’t it?” she tacks on while walking down the hall still.

“One that you particularly love to throw in my face when you can.”

“Oh please, you know that I still-” she stops midsentence, as the sun princess reaches a window that has been untouched in the fight, other than maybe some dust here and there to be wiped off.

Never the less, the flowing images of her meeting her husband yet again, the wedding that came after, and the kids soon thereafter, are lit up bright as day while the sun shines on through. There just below her, in the mists of her legs, is her son Havoc. Forever now plastered in her memory and immortalized in the castle itself.

The little colt that was so different from others, because what he looked like in comparison, and who his father was. Absolutely adored his mother, because she knew past his appearance, and saw him for the sweet little child he was.

Yet now… he is no more.

Killed by a vengeful queen, in a game with her crazed lover. The others in the group, other than Discord and Luna, say back while the latter two carefully step up to either side of her. Watching as Tia hangs her head low. The gravity of this situation hits home fuller than the image of him being pinned to the wall, repeating itself over and over in the back of her head like some sort of twisted movie.

“Sister…” Luna tries to reach out with her own hoof, before seeing her regal sister jerk back with her false one. The metal appendage is brought crashing down on to the tile floor with enough force to crack it, and leaving some of it pulverized in to dust under the rage of the princess. While the actual limb remains intact.

“She will be broken…” Celestia says coldly, not even flinching at the thought of putting Chrysalis’s skull underneath her hoof and cracking it open like an egg.

“And I know, that both of them will be crushed in the end,” Discord stands by her side now. Gently putting Rose on the back of her mother, while the foal wraps her hooves around Celestia’s neck. “Though all we have to do is find her…”

“That is going to be easier, than you may think…” Luna gets a few odd glares from the couple as Celestia puts a wing over Rose and nestles her cheek against her daughter’s.

“Care to explain that one?” Dissy follows.

“Well I’ve been a very busy pony now…” Luna says, rather proud of herself at all she’s done, “considering I am the princess of the night. I usually sleep during the day for the most part… though that said, I am not unaccustomed to pulling an all-nighter, or in some cases, an all-dayer. And on top of that, in the mists of the chaos, I managed to get several trackers together and sent them out on the trail…”

“You have been a busy pony,” Tia teases her sister, as they both bump their flanks together. Before walking away from Luna and Discord to the rest of the group, so as to try and hide the rather devious grin that plasters her usually beautiful and caring face, “Hopefully, it will pay off in the end.”

“Tia… you’re not thinking of doing anything irrational are you,” Discord asks, as he catches his wives expression.

“No…”

“Don’t lie to me now, Celestia…” Discord calls her bluff, “I know that expression, and you have a horrible poker face.”

“I was thinking along the lines of full scale invasion…” she says like it is nothing more than a party plan, or a get together, or an afternoon tea. Not the talk of total all-out war. Both Luna and Discord look at one another, they have never heard Celestia jump to such a thing in the past right off the bat, usually always the one to find some sort of alternative and leave the matters of war to her husband. Though at the same time they can’t really blame her, after all killing those responsible has crossed their mind on many occasions, heck, if not all day. Celestia turns around just long enough to see their expressions. Surprise in her sister, while Discord remains only growing a rather prideful grin that he’s rubbing off on his wife, “What? It has always been said that ‘revenge is a dish, best served cold’… tis it not?”

“Though I’m going to go out on a limb, and say that it doesn’t carry over in this case?” Discord asks the obvious, already starting to get some blood lust in his eyes at the very thought of war.

“Well it should be served cold…” Tia remarks before the group continues down the hall, “…unless you burn your enemies from this planet.”