"For the last time; we didn't order a giant trampoline," The guard at the gate said to a delivery pony.

I had just gotten back to the castle after a night of shopping, having gathered everything I thought I would need to raise Rainbow. Ironically, that included a trampoline.

"You could have said that before I unloaded it," the delivery pony said. "Somepony ordered one and said to have it brought here."

"Thank you, guardspony, I think I can take it from here," I said as I passed the two stallions, interrupting the guard as he tried to say something else. "Just take it to the clearing with an apple tree in it in the maze, if there's anything to sign, just ask a guard where I am."

I opened the main doors of the castle to a scene of chaos that would make Discord proud. Guards were running about, pulling down drapes and tapestries. A few were even pulling plants out of flower pots and looking inside while Celestia and Luna directed them, almost literally turning the castle upside down trying to find something.

I walked up behind the two princesses and said, "Aw, look at that. I didn't know I meant that much to you two~."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me.

"IlostRainbowDashpleasedon'tleaveme!" Celestia exclaimed as she threw herself to the floor at my feet.

From this angle I could clearly see there was something stuck in her mane, something that had blue feathers. I chuckled as I knelt down and moved some of the almost ethereal mane out of the way, revealing Rainbow sleeping soundly with a pair of earmuffs over her ears. I pulled her out, taking care not to wake her. "You were trying to play hide and seek with her?" I asked humorously.

Celestia spluttered incoherently, staring at the filly in my arms as I walked toward a side hallway.

A few minutes later I was tucking Rainbow into her new crib, making sure she would stay asleep until noon, when Cadence trotted in looking more than a little alarmed.

"Ma-" Cadence started.

"Shh! Rainbow's asleep," I whispered. I led her out and closed the door, still talking quietly. "Now what is this about?"

Lowering her voice to my level she said, "There's something wrong with at least half the guards in the castle. I can't see any of their connections."

.... I'm not going to try to guess what she means there, I think. Wait, so this universe is still trying to follow the show? That means- But if I try to interfere with this- Well, no. It's Cadence and Shining that save the day here. But it's only possible through Twilight's actions. Maybe I can skip all this and talk Chrysalis into accepting an alliance?

With that in mind I ask, "Can you take me to one of them?"

She pointed to one that had been trying to sneak up on me, forcing... him? her? to leap only to be caught by the throat. "So, care to take us to your queen?"

"For what? So you can finish off our race?" the changeling said as he dropped his disguise, though he still wore the armor.

I shifted my grip so it wouldn't cut off his air. "Quite the opposite, actually."

"You know what this thing is?" Cadence asked, looking like she wanted to run instead.

"Yes, though I'd rather they tell you themselves."

The changeling gave me a suspicious look. "Do what you will to me, you aren't going to squeeze any information out of me," he said.

I gave him my best 'are you serious?' look and said, "I'm not going to torture you. I'm just going to ask nicely if you would take us to... Queen Chrysalis."

His dumbfounded expression was mirrored by Cadence's -- though to a much lower degree. Once he got over his shock, though, he looked thoughtful. I could almost smell the gears in his head grinding and sparking. "I-... I need to talk to My Queen before you are sent for," he said at last.

"Well well well, the ones who are trying to ruin our plans," Chrysalis said as Cadence and I walked into a disused war room.

It was the night after we had caught that changeling and let him go. I had decided to bring Rainbow along, so the queen would think she was in the clear position of power. If she was nothing more than a brainless oaf who believed that she was the most powerful in the room.

Time to employ what I learned through the years. "And yet, the shield stays down, the guards aren't alerted, and the Princesses are calm in their assurance that nothing would go wrong with this wedding," I said, keeping a cool expression on my face. "We merely wish to try peace before things break down."

Chrysalis was clearly not impressed with my short speech. "And what of the Pegasi? Where was their peace offering?"

"They had more than enough chances to accept peace," Cadence burst out.

I shot her an irritated look before turning back to the queen, "Please forgive her, she was born less than a century ago and is ignorant to what happened like the rest of the world now-a-days.

"But I must say her words do ring true, in a sense. They weren't forced to change their lifestyle, nor were they forced to betray the pact between the Tribes. Pegasi chose their lot and made their bed themselves." I said as I tickled Rainbow's belly. "Just like you aren't forced to prey on ponies."

"Not forced?" Chrysalis scoffed, flying over to sneer in my face. "Who was it that forced changelings to hide? Who was it that killed every other hive? WHO HUNTED DOWN AND SLAUGHTERED MY SISTERS!?" She dropped her voice to a whisper, "Ponies did. They rejected us and killed us by the thousands."

"And today, they don't know a thing about you. There's no mention of you anywhere. You could start over; stop perpetuating a vicious cycle of cruelties," I said, sorrow entering my voice. "Because in the end, you'll just wipe yourself out."

Chrysalis jerked back, surprised at my bluntness. With a shaky voice, she asked, "How do you know what will happen? We might succeed here and move on to the rest of Equestria."

"But there is an even bigger chance you'll fail and be cut down. Even if you manage to outsmart everypony that comes, you'll lose changelings. It'll be a pyrrhic victory when you put Equestria under your hoof because of all the unnecessary death and destruction."

The royal changeling turned away, pacing back and forth for a few minutes. Once she stopped, her eyes had hardened and she drew up to her full hieght. "You say we'll be treated fairly?"

"I cannot garuntee it, but I shall vouch for you."

"Nopony will know what we are?"

"None but those who were there all those years ago."

Chrysalis smiled and said, "Then I believe we have an agreement."

"You just have to release all the ponies you have taken, first."

"Fine, I'll even give them false memories to make up for the last few days."

With that, we parted ways.