Liliana’s wings twitched as she stood beside Twilight, her eyes dancing back and forth. She was obviously nervous, but a gentle touch from the Archmage stilled her.

“Relax.” Twilight smiled at her. “It’s not every day you open your own business; enjoy it, while the moment lasts.”

“It’s not that.” Lily groaned, dancing from hoof to hoof. “I’m anxious. We’re desperately low. Personally, I’m fine, but there are some drones that aren’t faring so well.” She looked out at the audience once more, and as Twilight followed her gaze, she could tell the lack of magic was wearing thin. Among the tenuous party-goers were a myriad of changeling drones, all disguised so as to remain anonymous. These ponies in particular were putting on a brave show, but their eyes appeared sunken and hollow. They were wearing thin.

“Well, no reason to hesitate, then.” Twilight strode forward, mounting a small stage set up just outside of the newly-completed business. “Mares and Gentlecolts, may I have your attention?” The sorted crowd stilled their murmurs and turned their eyes to Twilight, expectant smiles on their faces. “It’s with great pleasure that I welcome Lily to our city, and thank her for opening our new bar! As thanks for her patronage, all drinks tonight will be free,“ she lifted a hoof, a wry grin on her face. “Within reason.” A ripple of laughter went out, and she knew there were likely to be a few in attendance who abused the privilege, but that was to be expected.

“I see no reason to delay any longer, and I’m sure I speak for both of us when I welcome you to Lily’s Bar and Grill!”

Lily snipped the red ribbon spanning the door, ushering in a wave of bright-eyed and eager changelings mingled alongside curious ponies and other eager members. There were even a few griffons in attendance that evening. Pre-mixed cocktails and drinks were waiting on tables and all along the bar, quickly snatched up by eager changelings and other lushes. Upbeat music began to thump through the bar, coaxing everyone in out of the warm spring night, promising dancing, drinks, and excitement.

As soon as the majority of ponies had left the street to make it inside of the bar, Twilight and Lily stood at the threshold, both of them wearing a smile.

“Better?” Twilight asked.

“Oh yes. We’re already feeling much better…” She closed her eyes, giving a deep sigh from the very bottom of her lungs. If Twilight were being honest, she hadn’t seen Liliana this relieved in all the time she’d known the fledgling queen. “Are you joining us?”

“For some food, sure… but I think I’ve had my fill of drinking for the next decade.” Indeed, the mere thought of drinking made her feel queasy. She and Lily had been on a bender ever since discovering the properties of toasts and their relationship with Changeling magic. Lily looked none the worse for the wear, but Twilight needed a few weeks to detox. Already, the music was wearing on her nerves. It’d be a long night, but she owed it to her new friend to stay for at least a while.

“No problem; I understand completely. Come on, I’ll cook my lettuce wraps.”

“Ooh, yes please!” Twilight followed after Lily into the warm bar, the two of them meandering through the crowd towards a roped-off VIP area. Lily’s Bar and Grill took root on the Commercial side of Canterlot, amidst it’s modest shopping district and upbeat restaurants. It wasn’t a seedy establishment, but rather, warm and welcoming; promising good food and better drinks. The Canterlot Elite might not indulge, but there were plenty of working-class ponies who would love nothing more than to indulge in a night full of good music and stiff alcohol.

All of this was a convenient cover, of course… the real purpose behind the bar was to give wayward changelings a place to come and sustain themselves off of the camaraderie and cheer that came alongside a good toast. Even as Twilight made her way into the VIP section, the bartender lifted a shot and so did everyone else in the bar. The tingle of changeling magic rustled over Twilight’s horn, insuring that every drone that had just taken a drink would live to see another day.

Free drinks brought a large crowd; they were still charging for food, but already there were ponies dancing and laughing, talking, getting to know any one of the myriad changeling in disguise in the crowd. They remained that way thanks largely in part to Twilight and Lily’s planning. Ushering in a veritable horde of the black insect-like creatures would inevitably upset the already-shaken members of Canterlot high society. Over time, Twilight would begin educating citizens about the new form of magic these changelings fed off of, and revealing them to society bit by bit. Over the course of about two years, she had planned to introduce pamphlets and classes, as well as a few radio programs and advertisements to stop demonizing changelings and start accepting them. In fact, Trottingham had already accepted several changelings into their supplementary guard, giving them quarters and a daily ration of alcohol for life-sustaining toasts. She’d be keeping a close eye on the situation out there, but she felt certain things would work out in the end.

Indeed, things did seem to reach a natural conclusion. Liliy’s horde, weak and broken as it had been, was now flourishing with the introduction of this new brand of feeding. Twilight had simultaneously avoided genocide, and made a fast friend to boot.

“With soy sauce and chili powder; just the way you like it.” Lily beamed, shuffling a heaping plate of diced vegetables, sautéed to perfection and dripping with goodness. Twilight shoveled a small pile into one of the leaves of lettuce and rolled it all up, biting into the delicious delicacy with gusto.

“I swear, you’d beat the castle’s chefs any given day.”

“You’re flattering me.” Lily blushed, mirroring Twilight. The two of them ate in silence for a few moments, taking time between bites to look out at the bustling floor of the bar. Conversation was in abundance, and there were several pairs truly tearing up the dance floor; earning cheers of approval and admiration from the onlookers.

“So, how is Luna?” Lily asked timidly. Twilight’s mood sobered a bit.

“It’s difficult to reverse-engineer your spell. She’s still weak, but recovering. It’s a process; day to day.” Twilight nudged a small chunk of veggies back into the rest of the roll and finished it off, savoring the juice and spicy seasoning. “I’m sorry, Lily, but she’s still not feeling well.”

“I just feel terrible about the whole ordeal,” Lily whined. “I’m the one that caused her such agony, I just- I… I wish I could do something to help.”

“I promise, I’ll let you know the moment I think of something.” Twilight laid her hoof across Lily’s with a warm smile. They had discussed this extensively the past few weeks, debating what could have put Luna in such a state, and what the best course of action to restore her to her former strength would be. Liliana’s imprisonment spell, despite only lasting for a few short days, had nevertheless all but killed Luna by sapping her love for Twilight inch by slow inch. Furthermore, she’d been trapped inside a very intricate prison, designed to lock her away from the world at large. She was stuck inside a mirror of the pendant Twilight wore, the same one she had given to the princess before her trip to the library near Saddle Arabia.

Following Lily’s downfall, Luna had been released, but the time in that prison had sapped her of her strength. Celestia had spent much time with her sister in the caverns beneath Canterlot, using the incumbent energy there to help rejuvenate Luna, but still, there was only so much that could be done.

Now, almost a month later, Luna was getting stronger day by day. Twilight and Lily had spent two weeks travelling all across Equestria, saving ponies captured by changelings and spreading the word of their new source of sustenance. Another two weeks after that, Twilight and Celestia had worked hard at preparing this new bar, so that Lily had a place to feed her horde. It had taken quite a few bits and more than a few twisted hooves, but they had managed to rush the development of the building for the promise of a repayment. They were taking a solid two percent of all the bar’s profits, and given that changelings had to drink with others in order to remain alive, they stood to make a fair bit of money from this investment.

The party was in full-swing by the time Twilight and Lily finished their food. The changeling queen slipped away to join her drones. Twilight remained alone in the roped-off VIP area alongside a few other well-to-do faces, who had reserved seats in advance upon hearing about the bar’s foundation. Even they were enjoying themselves, sharing drinks with what Twilight assumed were disguised changeling waiters and waitresses. Another plate of lettuce rolls made their way to her table, courtesy of Lily, and Twilight happily ate her fill. She declined drinks, but sat in the relative dark, watching the dancing, drinking, merrymaking ponies enjoying themselves.

It was a peace she hoped would last.

----------

It was close to midnight when Twilight took her leave. She’d bid Lily goodbye with a friendly hug and a promise to visit soon, making her way back to the castle by moonlight. It was indeed a beautiful night, the near-full orb of light illuminating the streets beautifully. She took her time pacing the quiet streets, leaving the music and conversation behind in favor of quiet, broken only by crickets and the wayward hoot of an owl hunting in the night.

It was nights like that night Twilight wished Luna was at her side. The glimmering stars seemed lackluster when it wasn’t her hoof that painted them, and even the moon’s silvery light lacked the same brilliant glow Luna could coax from it. More than that, though, Twilight missed the warm body by her side. She missed Luna’s lips on her neck, or the way she’d nibble the edge of her ear. She missed making love to the princess, sleeping through the night with a dark wing draped over her, an eager kiss waking her up before the next day’s first light.

“Soon, Twilight. Soon.” She picked up her pace through the dark streets towards the castle. Tonight was the night she was to return to work as the Archmage, ensuring her constituency was taken care of. First order of business was a meeting with the Midnight Committee, followed by assisting Celestia with raising the sun. Given Luna’s weakened state, their cycling had taken much longer to do, since Celestia had to manage both as she had during Luna’s millennium-long exile. It was a taxing process, leaving Twilight alone to handle matters for a solid four or five hours while Celestia recuperated.

Following that, Twilight needed to return to the cavern and ensure their shields were re-done. The changeling shield was still uncomfortable for their new allies to pass through, so over the course of the next few weeks, Twilight had resolved to extinguishing it. Some part of her mind regretted doing so, as the shield was one of her predecessor’s greatest accomplishments. Nocturnal Glow had done much for the kingdom in his time, and she sorely regretting not getting to know him before his passing. Taking down his shield felt not unlike killing a mentor; someone to be honored and respected.

As she arrived in the castle, Twilight steeled herself. It was bound to be a long few days.

----------

It had been a week since Twilight had returned to her duties, much to the appreciation of Night Dancer and Warden. The hour was late, well after they had risen the moon and Celestia had gone to sleep. Thankfully, it was a Sunday, and the throne was closed for council. She had the evening to herself, but there were notes to compile and reports to draft. It was boring work, but some small part of Twilight delighted in the monotony. It was a part of her life now, and she took to it with gusto.

Tonight was a different sort of night, however. She didn’t have any need to knock, and indeed, as she flew in through the window, she did it as if it were her right.

“Good evening, Luna.” Twilight smiled, hardly looking up from her documents.

“Is that any way to greet your wife?” Luna purred, advancing to lay her wing over Twilight’s back. She drew the unicorn’s ear between her teeth, eliciting a faint moan and a whimper. “It’s been almost a month since we’ve had a night to ourselves.”

“Shame, that.” Twilight shivered, nevertheless running a quick field of magic over the princess’ flanks. It wasn’t Liliana posing as her lover, and that made her smile. Her Luna, the real Luna, stood right beside her. She finished the clause she’d been working on and left the quill in the inkwell, turning to Luna with a warm smile. “I’ve missed you.”

“Not nearly as much as I.” Luna closed the distance between them eagerly, her lips plastered to Twilight’s. She surrendered into the kiss, all the stress and worry that had built up pouring out through her lips. Twilight felt great joy fill her chest as their pendants snapped together, the magnetic hold keeping the two stones tight as their kiss lingered. As soon as it ended, Luna rested her forehead to Twilight’s, the base of their horns hugging close.

“I feel much better, having you by my side.”

“I’m assuming Celestia’s finished, then?”

“Only just now. I think I’m finally cured.” Luna inhaled through her nose, stretching her wings out to feel the air. “It feels as I ever have… Powerful, ready, eager.” She looked down to Twilight, a hunger in her eyes the poor unicorn had missed. She drew a lip between her teeth, still looking up at her lover.

“Are you… ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Luna’s horn glowed densely, picking Twilight from her hooves with the sort of ease a mother would a foal. Twilight went along without a complaint, the thought of leaving her work behind hardly making a mark on her mind. The only thing she felt just then was the dire need to feel Luna under her hooves once more.

As they impacted the sheets, Luna’s lips already laying a withering assault along the length of Twilight’s neck, she closed her eyes and thought to herself, ’I’m finally Home.’

----------

Celestia was probably the most relieved that Luna was finally back (aside from Twilight herself, of course.) The next morning, Luna had put her blessed night to sleep and helped usher in Celestia’s bright day without any trouble whatsoever. Twilight was thankful for the help as well, since Celestia could now handle court in the mornings. That left her time to catch up with other constituents, chiefly Bastion.

“Good morning, Twilight.” Bastion seemed awfully cheery for a Monday. “Sleep well last night?”

“Hardly.” Twilight yawned, sipping from her coffee. “Luna was ravenous.”

“Aww, poor you.” Bastion teased as his hoof ruffled her mane playfully. Twilight glowered and batted at his flank, making the big unicorn yelp at the impact. “Now that’s just mean.”

“Come off it; I’m exhausted. Let’s just get this over with, yeah?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Bastion poked his tongue out and led the two of them down into the caverns by way of a winding stairwell. By now, the path was as familiar to her as any, and the two of them walked it confidently. Their first stop was the very first shield that Bastion had shown Twilight almost two years ago, when teaching her about the magic of shielding. The shield that Nocturnal Glow had cast to repel changelings.

“Did you bring your notes?”

“Yeah, I caught up with Lily yesterday afternoon to finalize them. We’ve got everything we need to know to take it down without hurting any changeling inside. Thankfully for us, their entire magical field appears to be different from what it was.”

“Fascinating.” Bastion’s voice echoed off of the vast cavern’s walls, coming back to them on an echo. Twilight finished her coffee and left the mug by the end of the staircase, to be taken back up when they were finished. “I’m actually kind of intrigued by Changeling physiology… Do you think…?”

“I can ask if she’d be willing to meet with you. She’s been awfully forthcoming with information whenever I ask about it, so I’m sure she’d be willing to chat.”

“Oh good, because, you’ll never guess, but I think one of her drones was in the Officer’s Club last night.”

“No way.” Twilight arched an eyebrow. “How’d they manage that?”

“They came as a guest, that one smarmy lieutenant in the cavalry, what’s his name… Aah, crap. Spearhead?”

“The name rings a bell.”

“Well, he brought a date with him. She was a pretty little thing, nice flanks, but her laugh was obnoxious. Anywho, I swear she was giving him bedroom eyes the whole time. But she had that same feel about her, you know, that emanating aura?”

“I know the feel.” Twilight pursed her lips. Each changeling had about them a slight field of magic. Most unicorns had it as well, but changeling couldn’t disguise theirs very well. It’d be lost in a crowd, but any individual could easily be identified as a changeling, provided the unicorn focusing on them was familiar with their energy . Both Bastion and Twilight had been studying their magic the past week, working at bringing down Nocturnal Glow’s old shield. While Liliana’s changelings were markedly more different than Chrysalis’, the shield was still uncomfortable for them to pass through. It could be done, as they had during Twilight’s wedding, but not without making them shift into their original form, and with the added effect of making them incredibly dizzy.

“Anyway,” Bastion continued. “She was laughing and drinking all night long. I even toasted with her once. Hardly felt a thing.”

“It’s a pretty surreptitious event. I can only feel it if I’m really focusing, and half the time the shot’s too much for me to handle. I’d like to think almost ninety-nine percent of the unicorns in Equestria wouldn’t have the slightest clue what’s going on if they’re feeding a changeling. Really, it’s just you, me, the princesses, and maybe Warden or Night Dancer.”

“Hrm. Don’t forget Shining. How’s he holding up, by the way?”

“Expecting.” Twilight bubbled with joy. She’d just received a letter a short while ago that Cadance was giving birth to a second foal sometime soon. “He’s coming to visit soon. Would you want to join us for dinner, maybe?”

“That’d be swell, thanks. Ah, here we are.” Bastion pulled up short as he and Twilight arrived at the pulsing, living shield that Nocturnal Glow had cast several long years ago. It reacted to their presence, drawing close as if welcoming an old friend. Much like changelings were alive and could change, so too this shield had to as well. It was a living creature born of magic, its beating heart being the core of energy that Twilight and Bastion fed on a weekly basis. It couldn’t exactly speak, and didn’t have any distinguishing features, but the shield was nevertheless alive.

Twilight smiled as her magic leapt to life, reaching out to caress the shield’s battery. The spell-form leapt to life before her, the skittering lines of magic as familiar to her as the back of her hoof. Bastion stood beside her, the two of them surveying the myriad arches and formulas.

“So, unless I’m mistaken, if we keep the fourth anterior arch intact, but channel its result into the second node, we’ll unravel the Major Arc while preserving the fourteenth fractured arch and the seventh binaural node.”

“Close, but it’s actually the sixteenth whole arch, and the eight binaural node. If we go fourteen and seven, we’ll collapse the second leg, and kill every changeling inside.”

“Lemme see those notes.” Bastion gestured, and Twilight passed off a sheaf of papers she had in her saddlebags. Bastion flipped through them, but grunted as he came across the formula. “Alright, I see… Think you’re ready?”

“Yeah,” Twilight sighed, her expression sobering. She’d tried to avoid thinking about it too much, but this shield had been forged by Nocturnal Glow. He’d poured part of his energy; a portion of his very soul, into this shield. And here they were, about to snuff it out and dissipate that energy into nothingness, all to save a few changelings some dizziness. “Oh the times, how they are ‘a changin’.” Twilight glanced to Bastion and gave him a slight nod. Together, they executed their plan, the same one they’d been discussing the whole past week.

Slowly, the shield around them began to pulse. As Twiilght’s magic gripped key points in the arches and nodes of the magical formula, it felt the change. Its heart began to cower in fear, but Twilight kept it close, keeping it from withdrawing to another part of the caverns. It began to pulse faster as it sensed what was happening.

Sadly, Twilight couldn’t let it go. As she finished her changes, she cast a field over the entire formula, solidifying her changes and forcing the spell formula to get back to work. But with the new changes, the shield couldn’t keep itself running anymore. Energy from the battery began to leak into the air around them, the silvery magic scintillating as it arced through the air. Bastion threw up a mild shield to keep them safe, and Twilight watched the battery deplete. All around them, the heart of the shield began to dwindle, its movements growing more sluggish and weak. Twilight spared a glance to her side, and saw Bastion’s jaw was clenched.

“Hey,” She said, laying a hoof on his side. “Nocturnal Glow was a damn fine Archmage.”

“I know he was.” Bastion sighed. “He was the Archmage first and my grandfather second. I’m not sentimental.” He grimaced. “If anything, I’m kinda glad… It’s kind of like putting him to rest.”

“Still.” Twilight sniffed. “He did a lot for Equestria. This shield is no exception.”

“Yeah.”

They fell silent after that, watching the last life leave the shield. The arcs and formulas around them flickered out, fading away into nothingness; just raw energy dissipating into the air. Twilight watched the last silvery light fade away, leaving only Bastion’s shield illuminating the walls around them. Twilight replaced it with a soft orb of her own. Where once a battery of raw magic had fueled a massive invisible shield around Canterlot, now sat nothing, the crystals and other dormant spells glimmering faintly in the light of her magic.

“Well,” she groaned, cracking her neck. “I’m gonna go check on Lily, make sure we didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna get some rest.” Bastion groaned. “I’m on fire watch the next few nights. Keep me posted on when Shining gets back, yeah?”

“Absolutely. I’m sure he’s eager to see you again. You two were friends, right?”

“’Bout as close as we could be. We didn’t hang out outside of our duties, but we were always joking and laughing whenever we worked on something together. It’d be nice to see what he’s like when he’s not in uniform.”

“Hehe. He’s kind of a dork.” Twilight giggled. “He used to play Orcs and Oubliettes.”

“You’re joking.” Bastion arched an eyebrow.

“No, seriously! I actually used his paladin in a campaign I tried to organize back in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie ate his character sheet.”

“Huh.” Bastion shook his head. “Never would a guessed. Anyways, let’s get out of here.”

“Shall we?” Twilight let Bastion lead the way up and out of the caverns. They bid farewell back in the castle proper, with Twilight making her way to the throne room. Luna and Celestia were both handling court, though they seemed to be on recess as Twilight poked her head in.

“Twilight, how are you?” Celestia asked warmly.

“Fine, we’ve just finished taking down Nocturnal Glow’s shield.” She glanced about, but none of the guards seemed to be worried. “I’m assuming everything went over well?”

“Some minor discomfort, but none of the changelings seemed to have dropped disguises; at least, we haven’t had any reports yet.”

“I think I’ll stick around, just in case.” Twilight smiled, taking up a spot near the princess’ dais. Luna glanced down at her with a warm smile.

“You don’t have to, Twilight. We can handle anything that comes our way.”

“Eeh, gives me time to relax.” Twilight shrugged. “And an excuse to be away from reports.”

“Do you have many?”

“Come on, Luna.” Twilight gave the princess a teasing wink. “The Archmage’s job is never finished.”