Reformation of the Hives

by law abiding pony

First published 17th of April, 2015

War has ravaged the changeling jungles while Queen Twilight Sparkle and Queen Rainbow Dash remain aloof of the conflict. However they will be thrust upon center stage, whether they like it or not.

It's been twelve years since Twilight awakened as a changeling. With Phoenix Roost's focus on economic and population growth, the hive has grown strong.

The rest of the changeling hives have been ravaged by war for years with Twilight's brood remaining aloof. Sphinx psyker immigrants have dispersed throughout not only Equestria but as far as the Griffin and Minotaur nations, eager for a new life away from the paranoia of their homeland.

Yet for all of Twilight's desire for leave the rest of the queens to their wars, the Home Guard's proclamation will force Twilight to return to the jungle of her rebirth.

Real cover art pending.

As always, big thanks to Boldish42 and A Bitter Pill for editing.

1: Rebirthday

Parties in Canterlot were hardly rare events, and when Pinkie Pie was in town, the weekly party count usually doubled. The Sparkle Manor was as lively as ever with one this very night. The large backyard and much of the manor itself was crowded with ponies and changelings alike as everyone sang to the playfully embarrassed lavender matriarch standing near the pool.

“Happy Re-birth day, to you!” They all sang with merriment filling the air along with spilled champagne.

“Happy Re-birth day, to you!” Rainbow Dash had a foreleg wrapped around her beloved sister swinging Twilight Sparkle back and forth with the rhythm of the song.

“Happy Re-birth day, dear Twilight/Momma!” Giggles spilled across the crowd between ponies and drones.

“Happy Re-birth daaaay, toooooo yoooouuu!” Cheering heralded multiple corks being launched from their bottles coupled with thundering hooves and buzzing wings in applause.

Pinkie Pie rolled out a massive three meter cake with big bold letters ‘Happy 12th re-birthaversery!!!!’ “Heeey everybody! Let’s carve this cake!”

Twilight snickered and took the large knife in her magic and cut the first piece. Barely a second after she had her plate, ponies and drones alike raced forward to devour the confectionary delicacy that only Pinkie could make.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash hastily made off with their slices before the throng of drones could crush them. The pair found a quiet corner to eat. “Twilight, I gotta say, for a birthday party, we’ve done more talking than dancing.”

“But I need to talk,” Twilight replied with a goofy imitation of Rarity’s daughter.

Rainbow retorted with mumbled sarcastic nonsense. She spotted Night Light squeezing his way through the crowd with a middle-aged unicorn mare in tow. “Twilight, honey! Even with you being as tall as you are, it’s nearly impossible to find you. I had to wait for the song to single you out.”

The aging stallion roped both queens into a hug to which they eagerly returned. The trio had caught up with each other earlier that night, but neither matriarch was going to pass up an embrace from their father and adopted father, respectively.

“Natural camouflage, daddy,” Twilight joked while flicking her mane over. She had been letting it grow longer than usual to match Rainbow Dash’s nearly meter long mane and tail. “Can never be too sure if the PCE is still hanging around.”

“Well they would be foalish indeed to attack tonight with the princesses here.” Night Light looked over to his female companion and waved a hoof at her. “Uh, I actually have someone special to acquaint you with. Please, let me introduce my new marefriend, Azure Skies.”

Rainbow noticed Twilight’s aura flicker wildly at that. Her parents’ divorce had been hard, and she was sure that Night would have wallowed in misery alone with his children living so far away from home. He has to grieve the hard way. Props to him for burying his past.

“Ah, hello, your highness,” Azure babbled, clearly uncomfortable around royalty. “I have to say it is a profound honor to meet you.” The poor unicorn wasn’t exactly sure what to do with a changeling diarch. Do I bow, curtsy, kiss her hoof, what?! Falling back on what she knew, Azure simply stuck her hoof out to shake. “I know I can’t replace Velvet, but I hope I can bring happiness to the family, if, well you know…”

Azure wilted at her own clumsy words. Twilight simply smiled and shook the embarrassed mare’s hoof. “You seem like a good mare, Azure Sky, I hope father and you make each other happy.” She noticed Ratchet hovering nearby waiting for the conversation to end.

Night Light smiled broadly at his daughter’s approval. The way things looked last time I was there, I lost all hope of getting the real Velvet back. Casting the sour thought away, he refocused on the present. “Ah what a time to be alive, when a father needs his daughter’s approval for courting another. I didn’t think I was that old just yet.” He knew full well about the Day of Mourning, and how Twilight had grieved for the loss of Velvet’s love, but he still wanted to keep his daughter as happy as possible.

With the ice broken, all four of them peeled out laughter, giving Twilight the perfect excuse to telekinetically nudge Ratchet into the conversation. “Since he’s here,” Twilight started with a sly wink to the confused consort, “you might as well meet my Prime Consort, Ratchet Altair. Ratchet, this is my father’s marefriend, Azure Sky.”

Quick on the uptake, Ratchet shook Azure’s hoof who had absently left it up after Twilight let go. “A pleasure to be sure.”

Rainbow Dash decided to split her awareness to puppet a drone back in Phoenix’s Roost and started up a Hoofball game. If my body’s going to be stuck here talking instead of actually partying, then I’m going to put my brain somewhere else. As long as I stick around Sis, she won’t mind.

Rainbow didn’t get far into her hoofball plans when Iron Fist all but barged his way into the conversation. The old minotaur was as craggy as ever, and had aged well, revealing only a scant few grey hairs. “There, you are, Queenbow!” Rainbow gave a fang filled smirked at the pet name.

The conversation ground to a halt as Iron Fist let the head of his wooden mallet drop to the soft grass. “The time for talk is over. Now we must spar or else I’ll go mad with these docile pony customs.”

“Ha!” Rainbow came forward while eagerly buzzing her wings. “Anytime, anywhere. I’ll put you on the ground in nine seconds flat.”

“Ah, so you’ve improved. Good! My son shall assist me in battle.” He let off a deep belly laugh at the prospect of having a good fight. “Since your heir being groomed into flabby administrator, bring one of your warrior brood instead. It shall be a glorious battle, one worthy of my changeling friends and allies!”

“No doubt.” Rainbow didn’t even need to do anything more than mentally ping her sister to say her temporary goodbye. To the rest, she merely nodded before following after Iron Fist <Hey, Thunderfury! Bring your shields and report to me, we’re going to have a little fun with bull one and bull two.>

The drone had been in the middle of watching a group of griffins, sphinxes, and a few ponies play poker when the call came in. Much to his chagrin, Thunderfury had been banned from playing due to his hive mind and other drones blanketing the room. <Now that’s the kind of fun I like.> He double checked that his shields were still on his back before taking off. <I’ve always wanted to get some combat data on minotaurs.>

As Rainbow Dash and Iron Fist began to exchange bruises for the next hour, Aegis and Blitz were exiting one of the showers after a round in one of the guestrooms that the drones had decided to make a temporary ‘love palace’ for the party’s duration. Blitz was completely out of breath and was leaning against the cool wooden walls after the hot shower with her royal counterpart. <Wow, Aegis, when did you learn to do that with your fingers! By the First Mother I thought I was going to die!>

Thanks to Rainbow’s intense training regimen, Aegis was only slightly out of breath, so she was able to stand unassisted while flexing her flesh and blood hands. <Rasua showed me some moves. You’d be surprised what kinks that girl has.>

While Aegis was completely at ease resting on two legs in public with ponies, Blitz was far less keen on it. If either changeling princess dropped back onto four legs they’d easily be as tall as Luna.

As if Aegis would let me stay on four hooves around here with an excuse like that. It took her a moment to fully comprehend Aegis’ comment. “Wait, what? You bedded with Rasua?! But I thought she was…” Blitz groaned as her tired brain failed to find the words. “What do mammals call it?”

“Straight,” Aegis answered while joining her counterpart in slipping to vocalization. “Sadly I did not. Buuut, Thunderfury did, and I got both his and Rasua’s consent to watch his memories of their little get together sessions to get pointers.” Aegis rubbed her fingers together, reminding Blitz of the last several minutes.

Twilight’s teachings had given Blitz more composure than Aegis, so she was able to pass the gesture off with an amused snort. “Where is Rasua anyway? I haven’t seen her all night.”

Aegis’ eyes lost focus as she communed with the changeling half of the security detail. The act left Blitz to pass the time by looking out of the window towards the collection of Royal Guards and Jevruun Vrunningee watching over the guests. The years had seen the Equestrian military being armed with a number of infantry weapons including the new clockwerk repeating rifles. The entire weapon was covered in multiple failsafe inscriptions to make sure only the designated owner could fire it. It’s not perfect, but it’s worked so far. Plus the refit of Equestria’s military has us rolling in bits.

Aegis perked up, catching Blitz’s attention. “She’s over with Uncle Shiny talking about the Crystal Empire.”

“She’s not a very discreet spy is she?”

Aegis just shrugged. “As if our ambassador in the Federation mainland is any better. It’s how nations play the game.”

“It’s a credit to your mothers that you understand the International Game,” a voiced called out from the behind Aegis. Both princesses turned to find Cadence with a pleased expression and an aura to match. “You two are lucky to have Twily and Rainbow for both mothers and mentors.”

Aegis grinned and glomped her aunt-in-law while Blitz sheepishly twirled a lock of her prismatic mane with a finger. Crud. If she could sneak up on us, we need to stop vocal-talking about that stuff. “Hey Aunty Kay. Life in the Empire as calm as usual?”

Cadence used her magic to smoothen Aegis’ rowdy mane. “You mean boring? Yes, though I don’t know if I should be glad or sad about that.”

Aegis gave one last squeeze before letting go. “Well you’d be far less bored if you and Uncle Shiny finally had a foal or two, ya know.”

It was an old argument, and Cadence had little hope to pass it off smoothly. “Tell that to your uncle. Part of the problem of being an alicorn is that I can’t use the biological clock of menopause as an excuse.”

“I’m sure he’ll come around,” Blitz offered placatingly. “Maybe he’s just scared of the idea after looking at all seventy one thousand offspring between Aunty Twilight and momma. At least if you count the nymphs and eggs.”

Cadence chuckled at that before an idea struck her, causing the pink mare’s grin to turn sinister. “I might just have to threaten him that I’ll get rebirthed into a queen to make my own foals if he doesn’t give me some soon. Do you have any idea how awkward it is to be the Alicorn of Love without any children of my own?”

“Probably as weird as a queen with no drones to her name,” Aegis replied flatly. She completely missed Blitz’s chiding glare and was oblivious to Cadence’s flustered state thanks to the alicorn’s careful composure.

“Well I’m sure I can get him to come around soon enough” Cadence said to shift topic. She cantered over to try and locate her husband in the crowd. “You two aren’t that far off from going off on your own.”

Aegis grinned wickedly as she looked down at her belly mentally prodding it to hurry up and start making eggs.

Even Blitz was being swayed by the royal hormones flowing through her, and had to work to keep eggs off the brain. “Yup, Resta says we should start oviparing in a couple of weeks or so. She’s convinced that being overdosed on love all the time and our proximity to,” she paused to glance conspiratorially around before leaning into Cadence’s ear, “the Tree,” Aegis leaned back to speak normally. “Is accelerating our overall development faster than Momma Twilight intended.”

Cadence couldn’t stop herself from laughing at that. “What a crazy idea. Being overdosed with love is such a bewildering concept.”

So is living without the song of the hive mind, Aegis mused defensively. Thankfully even she had the presence of mind to keep that thought to herself. “Our queen-mothers have been stockpiling building materials and bits. We’re already breaking ground, but we’re in no rush to get everything going right away. Even if we started laying tonight it would still be another three years before we had any adult children.”

“And another year or so after that for them to be educated enough to start running a hive,” Blitz stated matter of factly.

Cadence was still bewildered by the whole thing. Twilight’s rebirthday was a clear indicator on how old Aegis was. She’s not even a teenager, and Aegis is going to be a ruler soon. Not to mention Blitz is even younger. “Don’t you feel like you should have more time just by yourselves?”

The question baffled the princesses. Logically, they knew about the pony life cycle, but they didn’t truly understand it. Blitz glanced at her mildly confused counterpart before mirroring that expression to Cadence. “What do you mean?”

Now it was Cadence’s turn to feel slight embarrassment, but she still wanted to ask. She uncomfortably cleared her throat before continuing. “From what I understand, normal changeling princesses require something akin to three decades to become queens. You’re barely getting a third of that between you.”

Aegis wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that, but Blitz used every ounce of Twilight’s tutelage. “Well, I don’t mean to sound disrespectful, but we’re changelings. We’re all so different from each other it’s a wonder we can even consider ourselves one single species. What’s normal for another, would be weird for us.”

“I see,” Cadence conceded. “That must be a real pain for cross hive medical treatment, if such a thing happens.”

Aegis snorted derisively. “I doubt that’ll ever happen outside of our mothers’ bloodline. Well, the Home Guard don’t count. The war down there must be winding down by now, one would think, so who knows.”

Rasua sat at the bar with Shining Armor downing shots of whisky with the best of them. The unicorn was right there with her, matching her drink for drink. “I must say, what is it with griffins?!” She roared with inebriated delight. “Did someone pluck a sphinx in half and plant an eagle in the hole?!”

Shining’s shot glass wavered erratically in his magic. “I bet the gardener who pulled that one off was drunker than we are!”

The pair laughed uproariously with Shining ordering another round for the both of them with a wobbly shake of his hoof to the nearest bottle. Rasua absently watched the pegasus barkeep refill her shot with drunken enthusiasm. “Hey I just had a thought.”

“Careful now, those hurt ya know?” Shining laughed at his own joke, but Rasua was too drunk to process it.

“Do griffins lay eggs like other birds?”

Rasua’s head hung low as she stared at the blank faced Shining Armor who was trying to remember. “Ya know, I’m pretty sure they do.” He wildly swung his head around to look at her. “Hey, you both have kitty cat back halves. Do you lay eggs?”

She waved an angry finger at him, but it looked comical if nothing else. “It’s not a kitty cat, it’s a proud feline warrior body! And no, we don’t lay eggs. I can’t think of any cat things that do.”

“The griffins do,” Shining deadpanned.

Rasua threw her hands up in exasperation. “What?! You gotta be crazy! Why would the bird half make the mammal back half lay eggs?!”

“Well, ask him then!” Shining Armor pointed to the figure behind Rasua. She turned around to find an immaculately dressed male griffin who was glaring at them with insulted fury the likes of which had never been seen in the aviaries before.

“So,” Rasua slurred, “what’s the deal with you and eggs huh?”

“You drunken louts are appalling.” He snorted derisively and turned his beak up. “I half expected this from you arrogant sphinxes, but you, Prince Shining Armor, I expected better.” With a loud harrumph, the griffin stormed away from the bar.

A flash of dread passed over the unicorn after he noticed griffin’s the ceremonial saber. “I think that was General Razor Beak. Oh that won’t be fun.”

“Ha ha! Prepare the royal couch!” Rasua belted off snorting laughter at her drinking buddy’s expense.

Cadista sat on a stone bench near the far corner of the hedge fence at the back end of the property. The area was much quieter, and the din of the hive mind was more than enough to keep her company. She was more than happy to let her daughter have her day with all of her pony family. The former queen was a little shorter now, about the size of a consort, and she now had the round irises and glowing eyes to match any drone. With her ability to lay eggs removed, she no longer had any expansionist desires, nor the queenly pheromones to match. All in all, the only real thing she kept of her royal blood was her gender, ability to resist mental domination, and her psionic prowess.

Yet despite her desire for a quieter corner to rest after hours of intermingling in party, she was not alone. Arya had come along with a scant few Tea’la. The plant ponies were still sluggish with integration into such a technological society, but celebrations were universal. Arya spotted the false-consort and approached Cadista with her wooden wings wrapped around several drinks.

“Hail, friend Cadista. Why you seek escape from celebration? This is grand time for living, yes?”

“For many, I’m sure,” Cadista replied calmly. Twilight was never able to smoothen the translation spell due to how different a plant brain worked. For the moment though, Cadista suppressed a sigh, refusing to let her mood fall. “But not especially for me. My daughters have become strong and independent of me. My life’s goal is complete.”

“You use strange ideas.” Arya thrust a drink ladden wing at the former queen. “Life work always there. If you done with one, get another one.”

Cadista genuinely chuckled and took a couple of drinks off of the plant pony. “I am old, my leafy friend, all I’m good for these days is being the wise elder.”

Arya gave her the narrowed gaze of a pony who had a little too much alcohol, or in her case, too much sugar. “You say that as bad thing. Is good thing, very, very important that old teach young.” Cadista wordlessly nodded at the point. “And on other leaf, life purpose not need to be better than old one. Just a new one.”

“You have a way with words, you know that?” Cadista had listened to Twilight and even Rainbow Dash say the same thing multiple times, but there was something about the green and brown Tea’la that always made those thoughts weigh heavier than usual. “So what should I do, besides advise my daughters?”

“My no know. I Tea’la, Druid Guardian of the Tree, not wise one. You know what you should do, but no do it. So you need do it or you stay sad ever more.”

“I’ll think on it,” Cadista replied automatically as she did to Twilight and Rainbow whenever the topic came up. For a moment, it seemed that Ayra would leave Cadista to her painfully sugary drinks. However, the plant pony latched onto Cadista’s foreleg and pulled her to her hooves.

“Bad mojo on you. You must have cleansing ritual, is only way to banish sad spirits. Come this way!” Ayra bounded over to the deep end of the pool and jumped in with a howling warcry.

Cadista was more amused than annoyed at being forced from her isolation, but only just. She ignored the wary looks from the scores of swimming ponies and drones and waited for Arya to surface. “Come into the pony-lake! Water is soother of spirit. I know because I am druid.”

At any earlier time in her life, Cadista would have refrained from joining the rambunctious plant pony. Now however, her pride as a queen was all but gone. I’ve done my part. Perhaps I’ve earned a chance to have some fun.

Casting hundreds of years and multiple lifetimes of decorum aside for the night, Cadista gently slid into the cool water and floated there without a word. The act spread like wildfire across the grey drones in attendance before going hive wide. Cadista was allowing herself some public form of enjoyment. Clearly, the Silver City would be abuzz with gossip within seconds.

Ayra felt happy sap spread throughout her veins. She paddled over to the lounging queen with her wings acting as poor flippers. “The spirits that watch you are happy now. Their singing is joyous, friend Cadista.”

Cadista didn’t believe in the Tea’la spirits, but she smiled at the compliment all the same. “Glad to see my ancestors approve.”

The night progressed with wild abandon. Twilight Sparkle found herself sitting a large circular couch with her closest pony family, Ratchet, Princess Luna, and Rainbow Dash who was sporting some new bruises. In addition, Rainbow’s parents had finally caught up to their daughter after her sparring match. Sadly, Celestia had to bid farewell for the night an hour earlier.

Prism was a lean but muscularly built stallion who still wore his army soft cap wherever he went, even though he was long retired. Howling Wind was a sky blue pegasus who never tried to hide the pride in her eyes every time she looked at her husband or daughter.

As was becoming the norm, the queens leaned against each other, relishing the other’s proximity. “So, Colonel Prism,” Twilight started up after polishing off her beverage. “I think father has never heard about how you and Howling Wind reacted to RD becoming a changeling.”

Rainbow glowered at her sister. “Ah come on, Twi, don’t ask them that! I have a repu-”

She got no further as that’s when Howling Wind flew over and embraced her beloved daughter. She inadvertently caused Twilight to back away a little from her sister. “Oh momma’s little flier was scared to the high heavens, she was shivering on her hooves like a frozen puppy. Wasn’t she Prizzy?”

“That she was,” Prism replied with a mirthful grin at the prospect of dishing out parental embarrassment. “Poor girl was scared stiff with just the idea of showing us her half and half state, so much that we didn’t know anything about it until after my little Rainbow woke up a royal bug.”

Rainbow buried her face in her hooves and groaned as old self-consciousness threatened to overwhelm her. Not even a military career could get her to ignore parental mortification. Not that her mother noticed, and continued where her husband left off. “She came in like the little trooper she is without using any disguise magic. Just strode right in and told us what happened.” Wind mussed her daughter’s unruly mane. “To think she believed a little thing like holes and fangs could stop us from loving our only daughter.”

“Well to be fair,” Rainbow announced through her hooves, “I had some good reasons at the time to be anxious, what with Twilight’s lack of success.”

Both Twilight and Night Light soured at that, even if Twilight was expecting Rainbow’s poor choice of words. She glanced over at Night Light and was pleased to see that Azure Sky hugged her father a little tighter. She’s supportive, even in subtle moments.

Prism glowered at Rainbow who only reacted because she sensed his aura grow chastisingly bitter. “I see your mouth still runs a mile ahead of your brain. I apologize for her lack of social graces,” he said to the Sparkle family. “Between us, her drill instructors, and commanding officers, we never could ween that out of her.”

Luna carefully watched the whole exchange, including who Twilight’s gaze was focused on. Did she really bring that topic up just to gain some insight on Night’s marefriend? Luna cast the annoyed thought aside. “So, Azure Sky, you started work quite recently at my Royal Observatory correct?”

The pale blue unicorn nodded briskly. “Yes, princess, that’s also where I met, Nighty.” She nuzzled his neck briefly. By now, Rainbow had recovered from her embarrassment and Wind was returning to her husband’s side.

“I was there by request of the Chief Astronomer,” Night Light said with wistful remembrance, “when we met each other.”

The couple went on to tell the tale while Twilight carefully masked a detection spell by simultaneously levitating her cup to drink. She’s not a changeling, or using any enchantments. So she’s probably who she says she is. “That’s interesting,” she said warmly, “I still find time to stargaze even now.”

Azure Sky grinned and was about to go into her favorite constellations when a Lunar Guard caught her attention as he whispered into Luna’s ear from behind. She passed it off to speak. “Well I’ve always been fascinated by the ponyhead nebula. It’s eerie, really.”

“It does seem strangely similar, to be sure,” Twilight conceded with a thin smile. “Although recently I’ve been infatuated with the Cat's Eye Nebula. It feels like a distant queen is looking back at me.”

Azure took a moment to truly notice the queens’ cat-like eyes. “It does doesn’t it. Although I’m sure we all thought that of Messier 57.”

“The great eye in the heavens,” Twilight identified with an interested hum.

Rainbow Dash nudged her sister. <Hey, Luna looks like she’s about to step in.> Once she had her sister’s attention, Rainbow sat up. “Something wrong Luna?”

All eyes turned to the midnight mare who rose to her hooves. “There are two changeling drones at the front gates claiming to be from the ‘Home Guard’.”

Rainbow remembered that only pony guards were stationed at the front. No wonder I didn’t hear about it first. “This must be important if the HG are coming all the way here to speak with us personally.”

Twilight kissed Ratchet before joining her sister on getting up. “Excuse us, everypony, we’ll be back shortly.”

Rainbow took a slight lead in moving to the front. <Aegis, Blitz, report to the front gate pronto. We have emissaries from the Home Guard here.>

Aegis had been contemplating on finding a way to see what Cadence’s love tasted like when the call came in. Both princesses shared a bewildered stare before taking to the air. <Why would they come here when our hive’s way down south?>

Blitz lightly slapped her counterpart’s head. <Haven’t you been paying attention to our training? The Home Guard are traditionally barred from speaking to puppets if there is a major species wide issue. They must speak directly to the queens and nopony else.>

Blitz made sure to keep Twilight and Rainbow in on the conversation, to which Twilight was equally pleased with Blitz as she was displeased with Rainbow’s area of instruction. Rainbow knew exactly what her sister was going to say before the words even formed in her mind. <Hey, we’ve had to crash course them in queenhood 101 in barely four years. What do you think Blitz’s job is?>

“Neither one of us had the luxury of all these extra years,” Twilight reminded her.

“Exactly,” Rainbow all but shouted, temporarily drawing eyes towards her. “I wouldn’t wish that on anypony, let alone our royal kids! Besides, we had our pony lives to draw experience from.”

Twilight followed her sister out the front door and saw the two princess buzzing over the roof to join them. “Let’s just be glad we have them in-hive for at least another four years while their drones mature.”

Twilight’s instincts surged at the prospect of Aegis maturing into a proto-queen soon, but her logical side was adamant in training both princesses before they moved out.

Aegis and Blitz landed next to their mothers right outside the gate where a pair of thestral guards were watching over the two undisguised Home Guards. Blitz had to remind herself that most changelings didn’t have fur. Ugh. I hate chitin. Looks so cold and uncomfortable to snuggle up against compared to fur.

The two chitin bound drones genuflected at Twilight and Rainbow’s approach while the two ponies backed off a ways. “Queens Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, we thank you for granting us an audience.”

Twilight gave a respectful bow, prompting the others to do the same. Then both queens started speaking in unison. “Rise, honorable Home Guard. An audience is the least we can do for your ageless service. What brings you here?”

Assuming the speech pattern was a show of unity, the left drone barely reacted to it. “Your highnesses, it has been four years since Queen Silandrus’ death. With war still raging across the home-jungles, the Ebony Throne has remained vacant for too long. By ancient accord enacted by the First Mother, since no one has stepped forward with enough support to name themselves the new Prime Matriarch, we are calling a temporary end to the fighting. By the First Mother’s will, we will name a new Prime Matriarch, as is our right by tradition.”

Rainbow spoke with dubious interest at the news. “That could be trouble. Who did you pick?”

“That can only be disclosed officially at the Summit itself,” replied the right drone. “We can only say that every surviving queen must be in attendance. Failure in this could lead to being declared rogue. Including any heirs, as usual.”

“As if we’d miss a Summit meeting,” Twilight replied flatly. “When will it be held?”

“In two weeks’ time, your highnesses” replied the first with a slight twinge of relief.

“Then we will depart tomorrow morning,” Rainbow announced definitively. “Blitz, I want you to lead the preparations first thing tomorrow morning. Aegis, shore up the security detail. We’re still open to attack until a three days before the meeting itself.” She looked at the pair of princesses with a stoic glare. “I want no surprises between now and the start of the Summit.”

“Yes, my queen,” they barked back. The princesses physically paused while giving off dozens of orders to the various naval crews, but ultimately it didn’t take them long.

Twilight mentally nodded in satisfaction with her sister’s commands. “I guess now we’ll get to see our grandchildren.”

“That’ll be a hell of a reunion,” Rainbow scoffed. “I don’t think we’ll be able to take any of them to court for visitation or custody battles.”

“We’ll see,” Twilight replied crytically. “For now, we should enjoy the rest of the night while we can.” With the orders given, the princesses joined their mothers inside, but everyones’ thoughts remained in the jungle.

2: Changeling Politics 101

The changeling royal navy was making a very brief stay in Phoenix’s Roost before heading out to the Summit. With the construction of a cloakable tender vessel, Rainbow Dash was able to size down the cargo capacity on both capital ships, allowing better tactical movement at the cost of slightly reduced independent operational range. The removal of the hatchery from the Deception was enough to make room for the new Octavia engines.

Little of that knowledge passed through Rasua’s mind as she disembarked from the Deception at the Phoenix’s Roost airship dock, mostly because of the massive hangover she was nursing with a canteen of water. What she did know however, was that the refit of Octavia engines onto the frigate worried her greatly. I know Aegis said these engines were in development for decades, but the willingness they show to so quickly embrace any new technology is frightening. What if that diplomat of theirs gets his mitts on something important back in the homeland? They may have one over on us in airships, but we have more than the lightning cannons and electrified crossbows they’ve seen so far.

Shaking such musings aside, Rasua made her way to the edge of the dock which hung a good fifteen stories up. Stretching from the central palace to ten miles at the outer walls was a complex of civic planning that was superb as far as Rasua was concerned.

The industrial district blanketed the entire south half of the hive with a singular spire jutting up to match the palace in height. The forest of smokestacks rising above the factories and warehouses belched grey and black smoke that was being pulled towards the spire.

Rasua remembered seeing large blackened lumps being constantly removed from the base of the spire, but ultimately didn’t bother finding out what was being done with them. They could be dumping them in the ravine or selling them for all I care.

The northern half of the hive bore all of the residences, primarily small apartments or large boarding houses for those drones that didn’t require much personal space. A large number of parks and other buildings one would find in a normal city spread out, each one filling some need for Phoenix’s Roost.

Rasua choked down her whiskey induced migraine and leapt from the dock, flying off towards a specific building that was flush against the northern stone wall. Since I’m not going south with the royal family, I’m free to get my next session before going back to my smithing work.

Her path was beset by thousands of nymphs flying or running all over the hive. While the local drones were able to ward the nymphs away from anything dangerous, that didn’t include poor Rasua. The hungover huntress was being stalked by a swarm of curious nymphs. Rasua was assailed by constant questions to which she gave short answers until she finally reached her destination. Thankfully a caretaker was already present and chased after the nymphs to shoo them away from Rasua. With the changelings gone, Rasua found several sphinxes milling around the two story structure. A large sign read ‘Federation Immigration Office’ in both Vespid and Felionian. Clutching her psionic-dampening smithing medallion to make sure it was there, Rasua landed near the front door. The building itself was rather generic with regularly spaced windows and a roof access. It bore the brass and gunmetal grey finish that prevailed throughout most of the technophiles basic building colorscheme.

The three sphinxes near the door all bore the brand of a psyker upon their forehead. It was a crimson brand of a stylized open eye seared upon them by the either the government or the Order to show to the world that they were willing practitioners of their psionic abilities. The only sign of them being Psykira was a single lock of blue dyed hair across the left side.

The three of them knew Rasua on sight as the one who scouted the Alliance as a safe harbor for the Psykira. “Hail, honored huntress, have you come for Dr. Arvatus?”

She nodded briskly. “Yes, is he in?”

“He just returned from lunch barely a minute ago.” He pointed a paw at the front lobby towards an aging Egyptian tom who was chatting with the secretary.

“So he is, thank you,” she replied in a friendly manner. Glad the Sestapo works as discretely as they’re known for. We haven’t intercepted a single warning from the Order’s monks in Equestria so far.

The reception lobby was almost completely empty, save for a scattering of waiting room chairs. Dr. Arvatus noticed Rasua’s entry almost immediately and smiled at her. “Ah, my honored huntress. I was just thinking about you. I feared your time in the pony capital might have caused you to miss your treatment.”

She shivered at the idea. “Believe me, I was scared that I’d lose three years of progress if I was too late as well. But I was able to convince my masters that my presence was unnecessary in the southern jungles.”

Arvatus waved towards the hallway before walking towards his office with Rasua falling in behind him. “So I see. How was the party? Was it as extravagant as everyone expected it to be?”

“I don’t really remember much of it,” Rasua admitted with only a hint of self-consciousness. “I had to get drunk to keep your work from unraveling. I didn’t expect the royal family to stay in Canterlot as long as they did.”

Arvatus caught a whiff of stale alcohol. She doesn’t like drinking this heavily. I think she’s developing additional fear about her phobia returning. “Well, you are here now. Let us get started.”

The doctor’s workplace was akin to a psychiatrist’s office complete with patient couch, desk, various personalized nick nacks and statuary of various individuals important to Arvatus. Chief among them was a figurine of Rasua on the right side of his desk. It was a tribute to the jane who helped him in more ways than she could possibly know.

Rasua took to the couch and rested her head on the end closest to Arvatus’ chair. “I’m sure you know the routine by now, keep your mind’s eye on that which you fear most,” he said while taking a small paper cup and filling it from a water cooler nearby.

“Thank you.” She downed it in one go while taking her dampening medallion off. Getting comfortable, she pulled up images of spiders, millipedes, the sound of hundreds of buzzing changeling wings, their eyes, and worst of all, the tens of thousands of them speaking with one voice. With their constant gentle glow, their eyes always looked like compound bug eyes from even a short distance to her.

As she pulled all these fears to the surface, Arvatus primed himself by massaging his temples and focusing on Rasua’s surface thoughts. From there he followed the pathways they all shared to her entomophobia. He perceived it as a knot of tangled rope from which he started slowly pulling apart as he had done since their first session years ago. Too quick and he might cause any latent psionic potential within her to awaken. Too slow and he would never see appreciable results. “So tell me, how goes your relationship with Thunderfury?”

Active conversation was encouraged during sessions, yet Rasua’s migraine had kept her silent thus far. “Difficult, doctor, you already know these changelings find monogamy laughably backwards at worst and unnecessary for them at best.”

He nodded while placing his hands on her head, careful to avoid messing up her hairstyle. “They are a very strange culture to get used to, I agree.” He teased a strand of the knot free, letting it dissipate. “But the lack of psyker phobias really helps smooth things over.” Almost makes me wish the Harieta province had stayed out of the Federation, but war would have followed us there.

No further attempts at conversation were made and silence reigned for over an hour as Rasua relaxed her guard to let Arvatus work more freely. Eventually he released her head and leaned back in his chair mentally exhausted. “There, that should negate your fears for another week.”

Shuddering a moment, Rasua climbed back to her paws. “Thank you doctor. You are a credit to Psykira everywhere.”

Arvatus took a cup of water for himself and sipped it. “Hardly. I am simply abiding the Faithocrattic oath, as any good doctor should.” He leaned forward as Rasua made for the door. “One thing before you go.”

For a brief moment, Rasua thought he would ask for payment for once. Being the one to realize the Equestrian Alliance as a safe harbor for Psykira, Arvatus usually waived all fees for her. “I noticed the knot of fear weakens every time you have,” he coughed uncomfortably, “intimate relations with Thunderfury. It is as I expected, you have the Grenger Disposition.”

“I am not familiar with that, doctor.”

“Most aren’t,” he chuckled, “especially since medical Psykira specializing in the mind like myself are few and far between. It’s difficult work, and even more so to practice safely.

“GD simply means personal contact, real love, or simple friendship can make my efforts more natural and permanent for you. Which is rare,” he added with an amused guffaw, “since the focus of most phobias can’t really be loved, only tolerated. But if you can resolve your personal issues with Thunderfury’s polyamory, or any other changeling I suppose, you could rid yourself of your phobia for good.”

“…Interesting, doctor. That might be necessary if I am to remain the Sestapo’s agent here.”

Rasua was about to leave but her curiosity got the better of her, and she stopped at the door before turning back to him. “Doctor?” He looked up from her file and hummed inquisitively. “I’ve been wondering about the changeling hive mind ever since Aegis first told me about it, but I never cared to know more about it until after asking for your services.”

“Ahh, I see. You wish to know what it sounds like, yes?” Rasua moved back over to the couch after nodding. He closed the file and sat behind his desk with a creased brow. “It is… very dangerous to psykers like us, though I’m glad those Psykira who opt to remain in Phoenix's Roost are strong enough to resist it.”

“How is it so dangerous? Thunderfury has always told me it is central to their society.”

Unbidden memories came to him, making Arvatus pinch his nose. “I’m sure it would cause no physical damage, though I have no evidence. But the reason it’s dangerous, huntress, is that it is a nigh irresistible siren’s song.” She gave him the puzzled look all non-psykers gave him when talking about such things. “Oddly enough, every drone I have ever come in contact with is almost completely mute psionically.”

Rasua did a double take. “Surely you jest. How can there be a siren song if they’re mute?”

“I said almost, honored huntress,” he said with less mirth than she expected. Arvatus cupped his hands and spread them out. “For us sphinxes, without our childhood training, we all radiate our surface thoughts like radio waves. These drones however, send their messages like a lightning bolt to their queen. While they refrained from speaking on it further, I suspect this technique is perfected during childhood.”

Rasua mulled over the information, filing it away in her mind. “You keep talking about the drones. What about the queens? I imagine that must be very different if they are the psionic hubs they claim to be.”

“Oh very much so,” Arvatus nodded in agreement. “I actually approached Queen Rainbow Dash around spring last year, to give thanks for providing sanctuary to us. Out of morbid curiosity, I let my inquisitiveness surpass my better judgement and asked to briefly connect to this wonderful hive mind I kept hearing about.”

Rasua’s jaw dropped. “I thought prolonged linked minds went against the Psykira covenant.”

He gave a self-deprecating sigh. “It does, which is why I only wanted to catch a glimpse of it.” He gave a short humorless laugh. “As you might expect, she warned me against it, saying that it was a threshold no one outside of the changelings themselves should cross.

“But in my arrogance, I protested, stating that my mental discipline was strong enough to resist any addictive nature. To her credit, it took me five separate requests on different days, but eventually she granted my request for a single minute. For the life of me, I wish she hadn’t.”

Rasua furrowed her brow when he shuddered at the memory. “Was it that traumatic?”

“Yes, but not in the manner you’re thinking,” he clarified with a halting finger. Arvatus centered himself as the memory of the loud welcoming chorus of voices from all vocal ranges assailed him. Arvatus had to forcefully shake his head to clear it.

“I was wholly unprepared for the hive mind. No sphinx could be,” he attested while jabbing a finger on his desk. “The moment I was brought into the changeling Link, I was surrounded by tens of thousands of voices. It felt like I was thrust into a giant forum with hundreds of conversations that weaved together with harmonious order.” He wrung his hands trying to put the mind-numbing experience into words. “But it - it wasn’t something you’d find in something as mundane as a school cafeteria. There was something like a carrier wave that brought a form of order to it all. The constant chatter sounded more like a song, all unified by the queen’s orchestration. Queen Rainbow’s presence was strangest part to it all.”

“They say they’re the focus of each section of the hive mind,” Rasua stated with growing worry on how far her doctor went with this little experiment.

“Oh they are,” Arvatus declared flatly. “But they are unlike any sound I have ever heard. I can only describe it as a heavenly tone not unlike your mana-tap chant. What I can tell you is that Rainbow’s psionic voice was guiding me to join the choir. It was completely automatic for her.”

Arvatus choked up just thinking about the beauty of it, and had to pause for several seconds to compose his voice. “I nearly caved in to add my voice to that holy chorus, but Rainbow’s conscious mind must have been watching me closely because she severed my connection before I could add my own voice to that choir.” He remained quiet for a minute, brooding on foolishness he thought he had long grown out of. “I didn’t want to leave it, honored huntress. At that moment, I would have given my life to remain a part of the Link.”

“That’s… unsettling,” Rasua admitted hesitantly. “If what you say is true, this it is a testament to your fortitude that you have resisted that siren’s call for so long,” Rasua praised with a thin reassuring smile.

Arvatus gave a self-deprecating huff. “For you, huntress, I will speak the truth. I do not deserve your approbation. I wanted to be reconnected. By the Great Cycle I begged and pleaded for the longest time, and to be honest… what scares me the most is that some part of me still does.”

Twilight Sparkle stood silently on the bridge of the Longshot as it was preparing to depart for the jungles. Captain Darya, one of Rainbow’s drones, calmly overviewed her crew’s performance. She was a newer strain with improved observational capability over the hive mind itself, allowing her greater awareness over the battlefield. The strain was made in direct response to the carrier’s fighters. Rainbow Dash may not believe in the carrier, but she’s wise enough to give it a chance. At least until her new cruiser is complete. She’s already promised to gift it to Aegis and Blitz, but I can at least use it for the Summit trip.

With no need to micromanage, Twilight searched the hive mind for one ambassador in particular. Gem Shield was far to the northwest along the griffin-pony border where a large mountain range currently hosted a dragon horde.

Twilight pinged Gem with a puppet request which was quickly granted. With a rush, Twilight’s awareness raced across the hive mind to fill Gem Shield completely. She found her far away daughter in a personal cavern nestled inside an open wax sleeping cocoon that was a staple for on demand sleeping accommodations. Gem never was one to enjoy modern technology. A small torch at the entrance provided the only light source.

Twilight was about to leave the rather spartan room when Spike appeared at the door. “Hey, Gem, just got those notes back about the next migration location.”

He paused after catching Gem’s wide grin and cat-like eyes. Twilight, in Gem Shield’s body, admired the young drake Spike had become over the years. Spike had grown to match Princess Luna, with wings that were not quite large enough to carry him aloft though that would inevitably change. He was about as lanky as any teenager who hadn’t quite filled out yet. “Hey, Spike, how’ve you been?”

“Terrible,” he groaned before dropping the box to hug his adopted sister. With him being so much taller than a drone, Twilight had to rear up to embrace him. He let go first and started ranting while digging through the scrolls. “Okay, I admit, hanging out with my own kind was really good for a few years, I even managed to get Garble to back down from raiding anymore phoenix nests.”

“He’s the one you met on your first dragon migration, right?” Twilight asked while moving to the other side of the box. She wasn’t sure which scroll he was looking for, so she opted to just let him work.

“Yeah, that’s the one. Prick.”

“Language, Spike,” Twilight warned.

He deflated briefly with a sigh before continuing. “My bad. Anyway, I’m getting sick of this place.” He quickly looked to the cave entrance to make sure no other dragons were possibly listening in. Sensing no one, he returned to the crate and found the right scroll. “My people are so preoccupied with hoards and general bickering with each other, it’s a wonder the matriarch has any real power over them at all.” He waved the scroll at Twilight. “There’s only so many times I can go to the bathroom without a toilet or running water around here before I go crazy. Or wake up in a dark cave without even a straw bed, or fridge for breakfast, or even a book to read! I only get scrolls to read, and even that’s frowned upon here!”

Giving him her best reassuring smile, Twilight nuzzled Spike. “I know it’s rough around here, but it’s draconic tradition. They think technology separates people from the world they’re connected to.”

Spike spat in disgust at the concept. “Well it’s stupid. Who’s to say the world doesn’t want us to live like cave people? If you ask me, I think the reason why we have so many intelligent species is so that somebody gets the right idea that tech and magic needs to be constantly improved, not so our brains are rotted by idiotic backwards thinking. What good’s a brain if all you use it for is survival?!”

It was a rant he had given often enough that Twilight knew what he meant, even if the words changed. “I agree completely, Spike. But it is the dragon’s way.”

“Well it’s not my way!” he huffed angrily. “At least not when I can leave this dump. I haven’t even been able to see any of my pony friends, or even go to your birthdays. At least with Gem around you can visit me.”

“I understand your frustration. Outside of my bloodline, no other queen sees the value in non-biological technology. Such as it is though, you only have to stick around long enough for Gem and that cranky old unicorn Wise Consul to earn the matriarch’s trust enough for you to return to the Alliance. The Rites of Velandus should be over in a few months, and then you can come home.”

Spike perked up at that and cast Twilight a thin smile. “I still have your old basket, just the way you left it,” she added with a teasing smirk.

“You still have that thing? I probably can’t even fit my foot in that anymore,” he chuckled loudly. Spike could feel some of his dragon aimed resentment begin to cool.

“Never fear,” Twilight announce with a hoof twirl, “I’m sure I can commision a replica to fit you.”

“Ha! At that point, you might as well call it a full-fledged bed than a basket.” Spike finally remembered the scroll he held, unfurled it, and then passed it on to Twilight with a deep frown. “I had some news for Gem Shield, but you might as well hear it too. The matriarch is finally letting you guys off the hook from that assassination attempt by finally accepting your hive as a separate nation from Chrysalis.”

“That’s great!” Twilight beamed as she started reading.

“If only,” Spike amended with a sour tone. “She’s demanding two metric tons of starlight infused sunstone in tribute to be delivered to her by the time the migration reaches the next location or she won’t add Phoenix’s Roost to the list of protected nations.”

“What?!” Twilight scanned the scroll with shock and indignation rising in equal levels. “But that would allow any dragon to raid us for gems, gold and whatever else they may want!”

Spike twirled his claw dramatically. “As the matriarch oh so delicately put it ‘not my problem anymore.’ I tried to tell her that your hive’s defenses would be more than enough for any pissed off dragon, but she couldn’t care less. Makes me sick.”

Shoring up Celestia’s tutelage, Twilight took a deep breath to focus on the solution instead of the problem with only limited success. “So is she purposefully asking for the impossible? You can’t infuse sunstones with starlight, let alone two tons of it.”

Spike grumbled as he sat down. “No offense to her, but the whole thing is partially Luna’s fault.” Twilight’s planning for a rant came to a halt at that. “She showed up a few months ago with a big pile of gems as part of the once a decade princess visit. The ‘cherry on top’ of it all was a starlight infused sunstone barely the size of my finger.”

“So let me guess,” Twilight growled at the scroll. “The matriarch or someone important liked it and now thinks she can blackmail two tons of it out of us since we’re friends with Luna?”

“That and she loathes the fact that you focus so much on tech,” Spike added bitterly.

“I think if anypony has any right to say whether or not we’ve lost our connection to the world, it would be Arya and the other Tea’la.” Twilight rubbed the temples of both her puppet and her real body. Even Gem Shield, who was observing it all from the back of her mind, groaned at the news. “I’ll be sure Rolled Scroll passes the message to Luna. It’s entirely possible that the sunstone is easy for her to make or find.”

Twilight forcibly pushed those thoughts aside for the moment. “As troubling as this is, I don’t want my visit to be all about bad news. How are you getting along with Slytha?” she asked with a knowing grin. I always knew Spike’s crush on Rarity was just a phase.

“Ah well, you know,” Spike flustered with reddened cheeks. The purple drake tried to scowl at her, fully knowing she was playing with him. “I don’t think it’s going to go very far,” he said with masked regret. “She’s got the hots for Deventh.” Spike spat his name as if it was poison.

Seeing her attempt failed miserably, Twilight hugged him again. “Don’t worry, I’m sure another dragoness will come around in time.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Spike shrugged defeatedly.

He’s done so much for everypony, only to lose Slytha… An idea struck her, making her gasp in joy. “Hey, Spike, what if I found a fire ruby for you?”

Spike blanked for a second before a toothy grin cleaved his face. “Yeah, yeah! That would work! Slytha always said fire rubies are her favorite, but there aren’t any anywhere near the roost.”

“Don’t worry about that, Spike, I’ll get it taken care of. Gem will tell you when I find one.”

“Awesome, thanks, Twilight!” He ran over and scooped her up in a crushing hug.

“Anything for you, Spike,” Twilight wheezed out.

“Spikivar, I require your presence immediately,” boomed a growling dragon from deeper within the cavern. Twilight and Spike shuddered at the ear rattling roar echoing in the small chamber. “Your matriarch suffers an itch.”

Being the center of a free-love hive, Twilight’s fears immediately went to the gutter. Spike rolled his eyes and dragged himself to the door. “Bah. She’s so old, every time she eats rubies her spines start itching like mad.”

Twilight sighed in profound relief, but kept just enough composure to keep a compassionate visage. “I suppose I’ll have to leave you to it. Just remember you’ll finally be able to come home by late fall.”

Dreams of being Twilight’s assistant again and living in a place where plumbing was expected, gave him the strength to keep going. “Thanks, Twilight, I hope we get a chance to talk again soon, but I’ll need to join the scavenging party after tending to Itchy Scales.”

“Well good luck,” Twilight called out as Spike ran off. From the depths of her mind, Gem Shield wordlessly indicated she had duties to tend to soon as well. <Thank you for your assistance, Gem. Have a good day.>

Twilight’s dominating presence in Gem Shield’s mind faded as quickly as it had come. With Twilight’s attention focused elsewhere, she missed Gem squirming on the ground relishing the ecstasy after being puppeted. “Ohhhh, yeeeaaahhh.” Her eyes rolled back as waves of pleasure washed over her.

The flotilla which set out from Phoenix’s Roost consisted of three ships, the Deception, Longshot, and a tender vessel called Cornucopia. With the loss of Stripped Gear and it’s volcanic crystal factory, cloaking crystals were exceedingly difficult to produce. As a result they were rarely used anymore, save for the Cornucopia due to its vulnerability.

Twilight insisted that their flightpath avoid the ruins of Stripped Gear lest bad memories color their actions in the Summit. From her elevated perch on the Longshot’s bridge, Twilight watched the flight deck crews drilling to launch the biplanes.

Ultimately though, Twilight trusted Rainbow’s assessment. At the very least they might be a shock value instead of any real tactical usefulness.

Twilight looked to her left to find Aegis watching the crews with an eagerness usually reserved for flamethrowers and eggs. “They’re beautiful aren’t they?” Aegis pressed her face against the glass trying to drink in every action of the crew and pilots. While she genuinely favored the pilots, Aegis was doing so more to ignore the large swaths of burnt and diseased trees the warships passed by on their way south. The sight of it all disturbed Aegis to no end should such forces ever be leveled against her home.

“To look at, from an engineer’s standpoint at least,” Twilight conceded, breaking Aegis out of her dark thoughts. “But I’m glad you seem to like them. The Longshot will be your flagship after all.”

“I still don’t know what you and Aunty have against fighters.” She looked up at her mother with a borderline condescending eyebrow and half frown. “Our whole business model is maximizing each individual drone’s combat ability isn’t it? What better way than fighters to do that?”

Twilight shook her head at the headstrong princess. “I don’t focus on combat, Aegis, and you know that. I can defend myself in a fight, but I leave everything else to Rainbow. If she thinks the carrier is a bad idea, then I’ll back her decision. You know we only kept this ship operational because mother insisted we give the concept a chance to prove itself.”

“Well don’t worry about that,” Aegis declared as she refocused on the aircraft. “I’ll figure out a way to make it work even if you two can’t.”

“You’d better,” Twilight warned with masked mirth, “I’d hate to see all the bits dumped into this ship end up being a waste. I’ve always tried to instill creativity in all my children.” She gave her daughter a loving smile whereas Aegis responded with a curious look. “Let’s see if all that effort’s paid off,” Twilight added while poking Aegis’ ribs.

“Gah!” The poke coincided with an abdominal cramp. Aegis bounced away from her mother’s invading hoof causing Twilight to giggle. Ignoring the poke, Aegis rubbed her abs grinning maniacally. “That’s the third cramp since yesterday. You think I’ll finally start laying today?”

Twilight frowned before pointing out the bow window. “I hope not, because we’re here.”

The Longshot’s forward engines shuddered to a halt with the Ebony Castle looming ahead. Unlike the hostile jungles below, it showed no signs of the war. The black edifice was immaculate as always, bringing a strong sense of nostalgia in Twilight.

<Alright, everypony, keep an eye out for the other queens. We have five hours before the Summit is in session.>

Joining her sister’s announcement from the Deception, Rainbow Dash added her own.

Everyone scrambled to obey with the shuttle pilots and Queens’ Guard in particular preparing to depart. Aegis scowled at how the biplanes were being left on the flight deck. What’s the point of having them if we don’t use them? <Hornet squadron get out there and scout the area, but don’t engage.>

Aegis waited for Rainbow’s reaction to the first time those fighters would be scrambled for a non-drill. This time Rainbow spoke to Aegis alone. <Why bring them out? Fluffy’s the only one they can really scout out, and we can already see him.>

Aegis found herself steepling her fingers to think. <First off, our pilots and deck crews have only had practice so far. There’s no real risk of combat this close to the Summit, so it’s good experience. Plus it’s a psychological attack, which is perfectly legal. With the fighters, they know that the same focusing tactic Silandrus used against the Deception won’t work against so many fast attack craft.>

<You’re assuming they even consider these fighters a threat, Aegis. The other queens could assume they’re scouts and nothing more.>

<Then all the better,> Aegis smirked as the first plane took off. <If the others underestimate the fighters, we surprise them with their lethality. If they overestimate them, then they’re a deterrent until they think of a counter strategy. Either way, we win.>

Rainbow snorted in approval. <Sound ideas, just don’t let your love of this ship blind you.>

Waiting for the second of the five plane squadron to take off, Aegis made for the stairwell and the shuttle hangar below. <No offense, Aunty, but I could say the same thing to you about the Deception.>

With an hour left until the Summit, the four royals of Phoenix’s Roost cantered through the hallways of the Ebony Castle with a squad of eight Queens’ Guard behind them and a pair of Home Guard taking the lead.

While she kept her expression and aura neutral, Twilight was still troubled by being here. <It doesn’t feel the same without you here, momma.>

Cadista remained in Phoenix’s Roost going over the latest budget projections. <You’re strong and resilient, Twilight, and I gave up my crown years ago. I am no longer welcome to the Ebony Castle.>

Twilight walked by a tapestry depicting the First Mother’s victory in battle. It was the same tapestry she had seen the first time she came to this lonely palace. She glanced backwards at Aegis and Blitz who weren’t even bothering to hide their bipedal movement and hands.

<You’ll do fine, my daughter. This may not be a quick meeting, but it should be simple enough. Someone will be named PM, and little more than that outside of a headcount of who’s left so far.>

Being so in tune with her sister, Rainbow Dash, picked up on the conversation. <And see who has our grandkids.>

While Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Cadista conspired about their rival queens, Blitz cringed when an abdominal cramp nearly made her drop to all fours. This is bad.

Aegis saw Blitz absently rub her lower stomach. <You’re getting them too?>

The discomfort lingered for only a minute before passing. <Yeah, but it doesn’t seem to be that bad,> Blitz realized and let her hand drop.

Aegis buzzed her wings out of excitement.

<Honestly, I only want this Summit to proceed smoothly.> Blitz gulped when the two Home Guard drones flanked one last black stone door.

“Please, only your royal majesties in the chamber itself,” the corporal on the right announced respectfully.

Twilight turned to Intel and her squad. “You know the drill.”

“Yes, my queen,” Intel snapped a salute and barked some quick orders to the other drones to stand at the ready. Intel called out to Aegis as she moved to follow their mother into the Summit. <Make some enemies in there!>

<You know I will!> Aegis snarked back. Squaring her shoulders, Aegis marched past the door with every intention of making her mark on changeling society.

If they were honest with themselves, Twilight and Rainbow Dash didn’t really know what to expect. Several queens were already present and waiting. Polybia was the first to catch the pair’s eyes. She was in the middle of talking with an unrecognized queen who looked tired, worn out, and had the look of recently molted chitin across her left foreleg and chest. By contrast, Polybia looked physically imposing with a self-assured expression and dominating stance. However, both Aegis and Rainbow Dash noticed there were odd discolored splotches on her chitin, starting on Polybia’s horn and becoming rarer near her tail. Polybia only stopped talking to watch Aegis and Blitz walking by on two legs with obvious confusion and bloodshot eyes.

Kreesus sat flanked by one other queen and a single proto-queen if her height was anything to go by. Aegis was surprised to see that proto-queen was not part of Twilight’s bloodline due to the lack of any fur. <If I had to guess, I’d bet that’s Silandrus’ daughter.>

While her two apparent allies whispered to each other, Kreesus stared at Twilight with mixed emotions that neither Twilight nor Rainbow could read with any certainty. Sitting quietly beside Kreesus’ single queen ally was a diminutive blue princess who had chitin covering her entire barrel and half of her neck. Fur grew along the princess’ legs and head and it looked as if that fur was started to grow over the leading edges of the chitin.

What really caught Twilight’s attention though was Chrysalis seated off to the side in an isolated section of the amphitheater with only Jstrul, and two princesses at her side, one purple and one blue. The princess’ had the same strange mixture of chitin and fur that Kreesus’ ally possessed. However Chrysalis’ strong and collected demeanor could do nothing to hide the vicious scars crisscrossing her chitin. Her whole neck was a dull pink due to the chitin being completely shed and a new shell growing in.

Jstrul had both of her eyes gauzed over and a chipped fang. With no medical salve of their own, Jstrul had dirty bandages covering her barrel, though Twilight could only discern dirt, not blood, soiling the once white strips.

Lastly, Captain Thoran, leader of the Home Guard, was standing alone near the empty seat Silandrus once occupied. “Announcing Queen Twilight Sparkle, Queen Rainbow Dash, and their heirs, Princess Aegis Altair, and Princess Blitzkrieg respectively.”

Blitz groaned and smacked her face out of exasperation. “Did he really have to use my full name? It doesn’t even match my job in any way shape or form!” she grumbled under her breath along with a few Prench obscenities.

Unbeknownst to Blitz, Rainbow shot an apologetic look at her daughter. Well not everypony can be prophetic with foal names anyway.

Almost everyone in the room was keeping to their own council, and not gawking at Aegis or Blitz’s bipedal movement. Like Rainbow before her, Aegis growled at the lack of interest. <Does nothing faze them? I bet I could have five heads and they wouldn’t give any of them the time of day.>

<Don’t feel too bad, Aegis,> Twilight stated flatly. She would have injected some humor, but the blatant presence of purple and blue princesses was almost insulting. <They barely reacted to Rainbow walking in as a full queen.>

Doing her absolute damnedest to ignore her sister’s verbal prodding, Rainbow Dash was glowering at all the queens with princesses. Unlike her sister, she wasn’t hampered by trival things like ‘diplomatic grace’. “I’ve heard of shameless salad tossers before, but you all take the rutting cake! None of you had the First Mother damned common courtesy to recolor any of our grandchildren so it wasn’t stupidly obvious?”

Polybia cast a condescending eye at her. “We have had more important matters to attend to than insulting Queen Twilight’s intelligence. You, however, are more than capable of doing that for the both of you.”

Rainbow jumped to her hooves fully intending to lay out some verbal murder. “Oh yeah?! I bet you’d love to know our consorts were keeping score on you sorry hags. A corpse would be a better lay than any of you.”

The collected queens scoffed more than anything else with Kreesus speaking the general consensus. “We have better uses of our time than frivolous bedroom exploits, Rainbow Dash.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing then,” Rainbow replied with a snide grin. “And that’s Queen Rainbow Dash to you, you repulsive honorless traitor!” Kreesus’ reaction was almost all the satisfaction Rainbow needed.

“Pardon my impertinence, your majesties,” Thoran interrupted before the Summit could descend into anarchy. “But it appears all surviving queens and their heirs have joined us, and the allotted time for the Summit to begin has elapsed.”

Rainbow halted her tirade, but never stopped glaring at Kreesus. It finally took a mental prod from Twilight to make Rainbow retake her seat. <Save it for the battlefield when it comes to that, sister.>

Returning to her sister’s side, Rainbow Dash silently glowered at their rivals. <Fine. I’d rather wait until the Steamrunner is operational anyway.>

Queens are completely insane, Thoran mused darkly. I’m so glad we Home Guard don’t have one. Satisfied that the various royals were listening, Thoran continued. “It has been four years since Queen Silandrus’ death was confirmed. As my messengers have informed all of you, since no other queen has been able to gather enough political support to be nominated as the next Prime Matriarch, it falls upon us, the Home Guard, to name a successor.”

A gentle rumble of gossip passed quickly as Thoran continued after a moment. “Until that successor accepts the position, I will be acting as temporary Head of Summit, and act in accordance to the rules of conduct Queen Silandrus enforced previously.

“We of the Home Guard have debated this selection ever since Silandrus’ death on who would best fit the future survival of our species. Records indicate that this choice is usually difficult, but in this case, it was not.” The rumor mill tripled in volume, so Thoran simply spoke over it. “We of the Home Guard have decided to name Queen Twilight Sparkle as the next Prime Matriarch.”

While Kreesus and many other queens were shocked by the declaration, Polybia however jumped to her hooves frothing with rage. “Are you mad, drone!?”

Twilight was completely speechless in all of this with Rainbow Dash going bugeyed. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You want Twilight to be PM? Rock on!”

“She’s far too young to be the Prime!” Kreesus added with much more composure than either previous speaker. “She’s barely into her first century. She can’t even rule a hive by herself!”

To his credit, Thoran remained firm in his position. That never stopped you from allying with Yumia and Cadista. Keeping the thought to himself, Thoran answered her with only the barest hint of his snide musings. “From my understanding, Queen Twilight’s style of rule is voluntary, not a symptom of weakness. As for her age, she is the eldest queen capable of producing love. That love is ultimately the deciding factor.”

Chrysalis remained oddly quiet throughout it all, not that Polybia noticed as she spat hatred at Rainbow Dash. “Neither of you are true changelings! You’re half-breeds that destroyed the sanctity of the First Mother! The Home Guard be damned, neither of you have any right to be on that throne!”

“We have just as much right as you do, fanatic,” Twilight stated with all of the aristocratic sass she used to put up with in Celestia’s court.

Rainbow took to hovering in the air, but stayed close to her sister. “Besides, the HG didn’t ask us to vote. They’re the ones who get to pick.” She kept her gaze on Polybia, but mentally nudged her sister. <This is all legit right?>

<As far as I know,> Twilight replied quickly.

Not desiring to waste her breath confronting Twilight or Rainbow directly, Kreesus zeroed in on Thoran. “You’re making a mistake. Twilight is too weak to rule a hive by herself, let alone the rest of us, even if the position of PM is little more than a figurehead!”

The ‘debate’ faded from Aegis’ awareness as she felt something solid shift in her gut. Her jaw dropped and her eyes dilated to the size of dinner plates as she felt four objects move in her abdomen before moving down her canal. “Holy frick, it’s happening now!?”

Aegis looked over to see Blitz was sweating profusely as she grimaced and squatted down. Blitz started pressing down on her stomach, but Aegis was too preoccupied to finish watching. She looked down to see her first egg fall out of her and roll on the stone bench. Barely two seconds passed before the second egg came, followed by the third and fourth soon after.

Completely ignoring the world around her, Aegis scooped the eggs up in her hands just to make sure they were real. A manic grin that would feel right at home in a mental asylum cleaved Aegis’ face as her vision centered on the four lavender eggs in her hands. Her wings were buzzing so fast out of exhilaration she started floating up. “I – I – I laid eggs. I, me, Aegis, I laid eggs! I finally laid eggs! I’m a proto-queeeeeeeen!!”

Aegis didn’t even need to manually feed them love. The raw emotion she radiated being more than enough to satiate them. Between Aegis and Blitz, their love was so intense that it radiated throughout the amphitheater. The range and strength was more than enough for the other changelings in the room to siphon off some for themselves. Aegis fed the glowing eggs a little bit anyway to link them to her. It was only then that she turned to Blitz and saw her quartet of blue eggs were also glowing, though Blitz’s exultant grin was rapidly fading to mortification when her eyes drifted off the eggs.

Confusion washed over Aegis as she followed her counterpart’s gaze to find all the other queens staring at them ranging from Polybia and Kreesus’ shock, to Chrysalis’ steely visage.

Aegis found herself being telekinetically yanked back down to her seat, with an extra magic field keeping the eggs secure in her hands. Twilight gave her daughter a brief hug. <We’ll celebrate when we’re not smack in the middle of the Summit. Take your eggs to Intel, get cleaned up, and race back here.>

<R-right, yeah, okay.> Tucking her eggs close to her chest, Aegis flew off to the exit. Blitz caught up to her, with her eggs held firmly in her magic.

Blitz’ embarrassment was so profound her disguise magic went wild, causing her whole head to turn bright red. Things were only made worse for her embarrassment with the fur on her nethers and back legs being damp.

Aegis got the door and swung it open. <Because we of the Sparkle bloodline love to make a scene.>

Blitz found it difficult to be mad at Aegis when she was still wrestling with the elation of her first laying.

Once the two new proto-queens closed the door behind them, Chrysalis turned back to the now silent Summit. “Well, if Queen Twilight is capable of producing a proto-queen in less than twelve years, that’s more than any of you have accomplished,” she deadpanned towards Kreesus and Polybia.

“Hey, I’m here too ya know!” Rainbow shouted sourly. “In case you hadn’t noticed, one of those proto-queens came from me!”

Kreesus was more or less able to conceal her shock at the scene, as were most of the other queens, including Chrysalis. Polybia, however, was dumbstruck by it all. As Chrysalis so diplomatically put it, Twilight had barely been a changeling for twelve years, and Rainbow Dash even less than that, and they had already produced not one, but two proto-queens. This was not sudden news to most thanks to their spies, but to have it so flatly pointed out was a blow to everyone’s pride, even for Chrysalis herself. That wounded pride was far worse for Polybia who had let her information network decay into complete ignorance of everything outside of the jungles. Luckily for Twilight, she had been expecting this would happen fairly soon and collected herself first. “Captain Thoran before I accept your nomination, I need to know exactly what that entails.”

The other queens found their voices and moved to raise more objections when Thoran shouted ahead of them. “The floor recognizes Queen Twilight Sparkle.” The others silenced themselves more out of habit than any regard to the purple queen. Wanting to get out of the increasingly hostile and bizarre Summit meeting, Thoran talked quickly. “As Prime Matriarch, you may preside over the Summit as you so please. In addition, you are granted the status of ‘Last Bastion’ which means that no one is allowed to make war upon you because you stand as the “last bastion” of our species. Records show that it was Queen Silandrus who created this law upon acquiring the position after the last jungle-wide war ended up killing all but three queens out of the twenty seven before the war. A startling parallel to our current situation, wouldn’t you say?” He added with veiled disdain. “It is generally believed that is why she lived as long as she did. She only fought wars she knew she could win.”

Polybia couldn’t believe her ears and snarled at him. “Are you trying to tell me we wouldn’t be allowed to attack her at all!?”

Not wanting to push his luck, Thoran didn’t chastise her for speaking out of turn. “Only in self-defense. Should the Prime Matriarch declare war on you, you may end the war in any way you see fit. As always, a war only ends when both parties cease hostilities.”

Chrysalis steeled her voice and stood up to get Thoran’s attention who nodded at her. “The floor recognizes Queen Chrysalis.”

“I agree with Thoran’s decision.” Twilight, Rainbow, and even Thoran himself did a double take. “The Prime Matriarch is meant to be the last of our kind should the jungles claim us. Regardless of age, we must have love production as a species.” With renewed fire, Chrysalis glared at Polybia who was staring daggers right back at her. “Since no other love-maker is of age yet, let alone in possession of their own hive, Twilight is the most logical choice.”

Chrysalis briefly shifted her gaze to Kreesus who was fuming, but Chrysalis knew she wasn’t stupid enough to deny reason. She turned back to Polybia who was silently promising a painful death. “Our future should be all that matters, not your pathetic little fantasy world of scriptures that your bitch of a mother made about the Silver City and the First Mother.”

To the end of her days, Rainbow Dash would swear Polybia spontaneously combusted out of pure rage. “You will regret that, Chrysalis,” she said in a low growl. “I will not accept the Prime Matriarch being some outsider!” She jabbed an accusatory hoof at the former ponies. “I will have nothing to do with a Prime who treats our most sacred beliefs as nothing more than some research project!”

“Ultimately, that it is not your decision.” Thoran countered with just enough authority to stop Polybia’s rant. The zealot charged her horn to incinerate him where he stood.

“Not another word, drone!”

Flames licked at Thoran’s chitin, but before he could be consumed, Twilight and Rainbow Dash fired off a counterspell at both him and Polybia respectively. Kreesus and Chrysalis jumped to flank Polybia and charged their horns. “Have you gone mad, Polybia!?” Kreesus shouted with bewilderment and indignation in equal measures. “Thoran is still acting PM. Attacking him is tantamount to going rogue!”

Polybia scanned the queens who were arrayed against her. Even her singular ally was paralyzed in fear between siding with her or being declared rogue along with her. “As if any of you can stand against me now.” She let go of the spell and shoved past Chrysalis to focus on Twilight Sparkle. “Not even your warships will save you, profligate!”

Thoran recovered from the shock of the sudden attack and pointed at Polybia. “You have broken the Summit Accord! I hereby declare you rogue and your crown forfeit, as is your life!”

Kreesus and Chrysalis wasted no time in firing off two killing curses, but Polybia deflected one with a burst of mana, and dodged the second. Spoiling for a fight, Rainbow Dash charged headlong straight at Polybia with her wings glowing white hot with Arcane Wing magic. Twilight shielded her sister during the charge but Polybia blasted everyone with a blinding flare.

Everyone who was looking at Polybia got caught in the spell, an intense flash blinding them. Except for Thoran, every queen either reactively shielded themselves or wildly fired spells in all directions.

By the time Twilight sundered the spell on both Rainbow and herself, Polybia and the princess of her ally were gone. Rainbow Dash rubbed the spots out of her eyes and looked around to find her target. “Is she insane?! Why would she go rogue like that?”

Chrysalis expanded her magical senses to compensate for her blinded vision, but she couldn’t sense Polybia. “She’s gone mad after using corruptive dark magic for so long.”

Twilight flew over to help her sister, and to learn more. “What kind of dark magic?” <Rainbow, I’ll figure out more here, see if you can locate and stop Polybia.>

<Already on it.> Rainbow Dash removed herself from the gathered queens when Captain Darya spoke over the hive mind. <My queen, Viper squadron has eyes on a queen fleeing the Summit theater, are you and the others alright?>

Seems like you made a good call, if for the wrong reasons, Aegis. Rainbow Dash focused on the carrier captain, glad that she had something to work with. <It’s Queen Polybia, she just attacked the Home Guard captain, and went rogue. I think she has one of our grandchildren with her. Chase her down and try to rescue the princess if you can!>

Darya’s blood ran cold and she couldn’t process the news while Rainbow relayed similar orders to the Deception. <S-seriously?>

<Yes, seriously. Now get your plot in gear!>

<Y-yes, my queen, at once.>

Within seconds, five biplanes angled to intercept the rogue queen while all the royals converged on Polybia’s ally demanding answers.

Author's Notes:
Will the Maniac be revealed as the puppet master? Was Celestia ever possessed by a demonic cake? Is Spike a human in a dragon suit? Did the Dark Mare get sexual release when Apollo 11 landed on the moon? Will Pinkie Pie ever become a queen???

Answers to all of this and mooore!!
: Yes! It'll be like the mirror lake all over again, I promise to do better this time!
........... right now
No, yes, no, yes, and oh my noooo.
:awww

Ling Politics 202 up next with an understudy of cliffhangers.

3: So Much for Solidarity

What is this? No pony episode this week?! Then allow me to offer up some pony words instead.

Viper Squadron leader Rusty Spring throttled up the engine of his Hornet biplane and rumbled off the Longshot. He was the last one back in the air after refueling since Aegis’ scramble order came in over five hours ago.

He tapped the Octavia pressure readout as the engine coughed to push the aircraft in a near vertical take off. “Come on, baby, I know you don’t like waking up.” Wish the lab coats had figured out how to keep the engine going during refueling.

A few coughs and growls later, Rusty eased the hornet away from the flight deck and banked towards the Ebony Castle. Overall it was an uneventful mission so far. Once he was back at his patrol rotation, he looked at Fluffy hovering off in the distance which, as expected, remained passive.

His wingmate, Greasy Piston seemed to know what he was looking at even with her aircraft being on the opposite side of the castle. <That thing’s creepy as hell idn’it?>

Rusty rolled his eyes, but ultimately just let Greasy ramble on about nonsense. When you live with a choir in the back of your mind for so long, one more voice in your ear doesn’t matter much. He was far more interested in the blackened and charred landscape below the mesa. Stretching for miles in all directions were large swaths of dead ground with oddly geometric sections of living jungle trapped within. Looks like the queens have been going at each other’s throats hardcore down there for some time now. Kinda odd how close it is to the Castle.

Passing over the ruined city surrounding the castle, Rusty spotted hundreds of sleeping drones of all colors. Such is the life of a mindless drone. Just sleeping their lives away waiting for something to do. Not like a fight would start up now of all times.

Rusty lazily watched the world spin as he entered into orbit around the castle when Darya called out to the squadron. <Be advised, Vipers, the shuttle will depart the castle’s docks soon with our newly christened proto-queens’ eggs.>

A round of acknowledgements rang out from the pilots with Greasy snickering at the hive mind wide shout Aegis had let off a few minutes earlier.

<You guys heard Aegis’ manic giggles over the Link right? I don’t think even momma and Aunty like laying eggs as much as she does,> another pilot named Breaker replied derisively.

A round of stilted laugher passed through the pilots when the last pilot, Aileron, spoke up with a troubled tone. <What the… is anypony else seeing this?>

Almost as one, hundreds of drones started killing the others in their sleep, but before any of the other pilots could comment on it, Greasy yelled over the squadron section of the Link. <Whoa, there was a big flash on top of the castle where the queens are!>

Fear spiked through the pilots as their gaze was caught between the all-out brawl starting up below them while some looked up at the Summit amphitheater where a lone queen jumped off the ledge and fled straight down towards the ruined mesa city.

Rusty started sweating in his cockpit despite the rushing air. <Captain, are you seeing this?>

<Yes, Viper Lead, I’m relaying this to mother. S – ah – stand by.>

Darya’s shaky tone matched Rusty’s nerves at the sight of battle around the Summit. This ain’t right. The Summit’s supposed to be a sanctuary! ... of sorts.

Polybia barely got a fourth of the way down when Darya barked over the squad’s local sub-link. <Polybia’s gone rogue! She’s got a princess with her, orders from the top to separate them. Secure the princess and eliminate Polybia!>

Rusty instantly banked his fighter to obey even as his mind reeled at the news. <Somepony actually went rogue? What are they, nuts!?>

<Aw heeeeell yeah!> Greasy whooped with far too much cheer. <Looks like we get to bag ourselves a queen! Ah bet you all a trip to Manehatten Ah get the kill!>

Rusty moved to sweep around the castle to get a bead on Polybia, who had spotted the fighters. <Damn it, Greasy, she has a hostage! Breaker, Cloud Strife, get in as close as you can and try to pull the princess free with your magic. The rest of us will back you up.>

Breaker formed up to Cloud’s left wing as the pair dove down to close in on Polybia.

The whirling high speed hum of the biplanes quickly reached Polybia’s ears and she immediately tried to incinerate Breaker’s aircraft, but the flames only slipped around the Octavia field instead of burning the pilot.

Breaker poured on the speed only to find several acidic green bolts flying up at him from below, with one shot tearing a hole into his fighter’s left wings. <I’m hit, we’re taking fire from the drones below!> His controls were shaky, but the aircraft wasn’t downed that easily.

<Stop your blubbering, Ah’m on it!> Greasy jeered as she pointed her nose down to locate the threat. A flock of twenty drones had broken off from the all-out battle in the ruins below and were firing up at her wingmates. “C’mon ya mindless cannon fodder, time to eat!” Greasy cackled as she unloaded ten bursts from her flak cannons.

The group of drones were torn apart, but more were breaking off from the fight below with several of Chrysalis’ black drones in hot pursuit.

Cloud was close enough that she could see the blue princess wrapped tightly in Polybia’s legs. The wind tore over her open canopy and at her goggled face. She angled her craft around to get alongside of Polybia.

However Polybia was having none of that, and fired off three quick bursts of magic at the aircraft, punching holes in the tail section, and completely tearing the rear half off. “Oi, I’ll kill you for that!” Cloud jumped from her doomed aircraft and tackled Polybia in midair. She shot off random bolts at Polybia’s face while trying to wrestle the weeping princess free. “Give her up, Poly!”

One blast nailed Polybia in the jaw, but she refused to relinquish the panicked princess. “I can’t!” Polybia managed to get her back hooves underneath Cloud and kicked her off. With enough distance between them the queen aimed her horn and launched a fireball, charring the drone’s fur and wings off.

The other pilots watched helplessly as Cloud plummeted in freefall. Raging at the loss of their wingmate, with only the captive princess staying their retaliation. Yet before Polybia could refocus on escape, five of Chrysalis and Jstrul’s drones managed to break through Polybia’s defenders from below and tackled the rogue queen. “You’re so predictable, Polybia,” Chrysalis mocked through her puppets before a wave of hatred rolled off of her when Yeelindrus’ broken body flashed across Chrysalis’ reddening vision. “It’s a shame the technophiles’ wrath is too quick for my liking, but we all make sacrifices.”

Between the five of them, the drones were more than able to physically overpower Polybia and wrenched the princess from her grasp. With their prize in hand, two of the drones cast a sleep spell on the panicking princess to keep her from struggling as they sped away. The remaining three drones kept Polybia’s wings pinned and pulled on her horn to make it too painful to cast spells. They capitalized on the queen’s lack of physical prowess and spat gooey green glue all over Polybia’s wings and joints to end any hope of her freeing herself.

The four of them tumbled out of control while dozens of Polybia’s drones broke off from the fight below to save their queen. Rusty was unsure what to do until Rainbow barked at him and everyone else in the squadron. <Sticky Spit’s as cold as ever, kill Polybia immediately, even with Chrissy’s drones in the way.> At least Cloud didn’t give her life for nothing.

That was all Greasy needed to hear as her aircraft finished reloading. <No love lost there. Rusty, Aileron, let’s give her some pepper!>

The three biplanes lined up the tumbling queen and unloaded thirty flak shells at Polybia. The shredded bodies continued to fall as an unrecognizable mass. However, Polybia’s drones didn’t go crazy with the death of their queen as Chrysalis and the pilots expected. As one, Polybia’s remaining drones froze stock still for a few seconds before wailing a soul crushing psionic scream. As they screamed, the signature purple laced ebony aura of black magic poured out of their eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouths in a horrid miasma. The dark cloud enveloped all the remaining drones from the other queens, rotting the flesh and chitin off their bones, with numerous lost souls twisting around the forming maelstrom.

<By the First Mother, what the hell is that!?> Greasy freaked over the local Link.

Similar shocked expletives escaped from the other pilots with Rusty pulling his fighter away from the growing dark storm. <Get clear of it!>

The remaining fighters sped away to safety, but none of the other drones were fast enough to escape, save for the two with the princess, having ascended high enough away to escape the storm’s fury.

The tempest grew to match the Ebony Castle in size before coalescing into an ethereal shadowy form with massive barbed horns that curled over and over to form a crown. Two impossibly black pits for eyes formed as its head stared down upon the queens in the Summit Amphitheater. Twilight and the other queens, who had been interrogating Polybia’s ally stared up at the demonic cloud that lorded over them, as a massive bell rung a single gut rattling deep note.

A feeling of dread overcame Twilight as her mind put a name to the looming form above them. Grogar?! Twilight’s stomach plummeted at the sight of the legendary demon.

Grogar waited until the bell’s echo faded before speaking in a booming, breathy voice. “The wheel tuuuuurnssss.”

Twilight’s terror rose sharply as the cloudy specter took a deep breath. Rapidly telling her sister what to do, the both of them cast a shield dome of golden magic over themselves. Sensing it was not a basic defense shield, Chrysalis trusted Twilight’s magical knowledge and kept her blinded sister from leaving the shield dome. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Queen Twilight.” As she spoke, Chrysalis added her own magical strength to the shield with her sister joining in shortly after. Seeing this, Kreesus mirrored Chrysalis’ actions after telekinetically pulling all of the princesses into the shield dome. A sinister grin escaped the shadowy figure as if he had been waiting for everyone to gather into a single target. Grogar breathed his miasma directly on the queens’ shield before any of them could have second thoughts.

Thoran fled the rapidly spreading mist by flying out and away from the castle itself while giving a warning to the rest of the Home Guard. With Grogar’s attention focused completely on the gathered royals, the great shadow ignored him completely. The demon’s cloudy body expelled itself upon the barrier as well as flooding the castle itself, sinking down through the old palace, killing and rotting everything it touched.

The corrosive magic burned away at the shield, but the queens poured every bit of magic they had into Twilight and Rainbow’s barrier to keep it strong. Even then, the two queens’ horns began to burn and ache under the strain.

Twilight started seeing spots from the strain as the toxic cloud continuously poured over the huddled changelings.

Grogar’s cold piercing gaze narrowed upon them and redoubled his breath attack upon the golden shield.

“I don’t suppose you could trouble yourself by teleporting us away from this infernal thing,” Chrysalis demanded with regal tact.

“In case you hadn't noticed,” Twilight growled back with pain in her voice. “I’m a little busy here! What’s stopping you?”

The howl of rushing winds beating down on the weakening shield caused Chrysalis to dump more mana into the barrier. “I had hoped our combined efforts would give you enough wiggle room to get us out of here.”

Twilight ignored any further conversation to focus. Having little of her sister’s arcane strength, Rainbow Dash started to buckle under the strain, causing her to drop to one knee. Her pain forced her head down, but she kept pushing back. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a blue princess looking up at her with fear and a desperate hope for safety in her watery eyes.

With renewed determination, Rainbow redoubled her efforts, but the spectral ram showed no signs of slowing as the world around the royals was cast into shadow.

The sound of shipboard artillery roared through the rushing fetid air followed shortly by the rolling thunder of exploding shells. Grogar roared in shock and disbelief before losing cohesion. His cloud body attempted to reform but another volley of golden light blasted the miasmic demon apart.

Twilight kept the shield up since there was still a heavy mist clinging to the floor, the task made much easier without the torrent of death pressing down on her. Captain Rourke called out to her. <My queens, light-magic bombardment successful. Is everypony alive up there?>

<For the most part,> Rainbow muttered back as she scanned the other changelings around her. Rainbow felt a pounding migraine coming on around the length and base of her horn. <Aegis, Blitz, you two alright?>

<We’re safe, momma,> Blitz answered promptly. <Aegis, and Intel’s squad made it to the shuttle before the castle’s lower levels could be flooded with that gas.>

<Yeah, me too.> Rainbow broke communication to look around. Those who had princesses were in the middle of trying to calm them down with various methods and degrees of success. Rainbow arched a curious eyebrow at Chrysalis who stiffly hugged her purple daughter and gently stroked her mane. Maybe Twilight was on to something after all.

She turned to Twilight to find her sister was brooding with a worried scowl. Leaving her sister to her thoughts, Rainbow was about to summon a gust of wind to blow the lingering mist away when a massive shadow fell upon the Summit theater.

A gut-vibrating shrill cry drew everyone’s attention up towards Fluffy as the living airship closed in. The leviathan created a massive gust of wind with several wings, sweeping the misama away before moving off at Kreesus’ command.

Finally free of the toxic mist, the royals spread out again when Twilight and Rainbow dropped the shield. With her daughter calmed and now sleeping restlessly on her back, Chrysalis faced the former ponies. “You continue to surprise me, Queen Twilight Sparkle. You have light magic shells for your ship now too?”

Rainbow glowered at being ignored again. “For your information, Chrysalis, the light-blessed ammo was my idea.” Chrysalis decided to honor Rainbow by giving her a neutral look as the former pegasus continued. “After what happened with that old nag, Silandrus, I made sure we had some countermeasures against dark magic.”

“Well, it worked quite well,” Kreesus butted in, ignoring the hateful glare of both former Equestrians. The mention of Silandrus reminded them of the fall of Stripped Gear, and it was no secret that the living embodiment of loyalty could never forgive her. “I still can’t believe Polybia of all changelings would defile the sanctity of the Summit though.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Twilight replied coldly, trying to forego her resentment of traitorous queen in favor of the moment. “I think that shadow being was Grogar.”

None of the other queens even so much as batted an eye at the name. Twilight groaned and rubbed her temples. “Of course none of you would know him. Stupid genetic indifference to history,” she grumbled under her breath. “We can talk about it later, we have more pressing matters to tend to, such as seeing if there are any Home Guard left in the castle.”

Chrysalis hummed in mild disapproval while Jstrul held up a hoof for everyone to wait. “You Equestrians have been too far removed from the war if you think the danger is passed. Polybia’s been using necromancy for at least the past year. We can’t assume she’s dead until we destroy her body completely.”

Rainbow sneered at the blinded queen with it painfully evident in her tone. “Poly got shredded into a pile of meat. She’s deader than dead.”

“No,” Twilight warned with a waving hoof, “Queen Jstrul is right. Any time there’s a necromancer involved, you can never discount the dead without a proper inspection and disposal of the body. And if Polybia summoned even a fragment of Grogar, then we need to confirm she’s truly dead.”

“Just who is this Grogar individual?” Chrysalis asked flatly.

Twilight measured the crowd of queens, gauging just how she wanted to word her response without sounding overly frightened and weak. “I thought he was just some obscure fairy tale Celestia shared with me a few times during Nightmare Night. He is a demonic ram from Tambelon - a necromancer of untold power. I don’t remember what his goals were, only what the pictures of him looked like.”

“Perhaps Polybia simply used his image to strike fear,” Kreesus replied dismissively.

Rainbow could feel her sister’s conviction in her aura. “Right. Ol’ Poly used the image of a fairy tale demonic goat that meant nothing to any of us except Twilight.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “That makes total sense.”

Polybia’s ally was curled up in the center of the gathered royalty, thus far staying quiet. She only spoke up when she saw Chrysalis’ drones deliver her abducted daughter to the Summit theater. “Given the dangers, perhaps we should return to our hives and continue these talks via proxies.” She suggested almost hopefully.

Kreesus tentatively stepped onto the pockmarked stone and was glad to see there was no lingering effect. “Don’t even try it, Sectovaria,” Kreesus growled threateningly. “You still need to tell us of any other contingency plans Polybia may have laid.”

With everyone’s attention back on her, Sectovaria shielded her prized royal daughter in her forelegs. “I don’t know anything. My pact with Polybia was that she would provide military protection in return for raising her newest love-producing daughter in a way that would keep that production possible.”

Twilight looked down at the now awake, curious but frightened princess with sympathy. She wanted more than anything to retreat to her airship and shake off the horror of seeing Grogar made manifest, but she checked her fear in front of the other queens. “If she has one, why was she absent from the Summit?”

“Because she hasn’t even hatched yet,” Sectovaria rebutted defensively. “Polybia knew she could never raise a love-maker, but saw that I could.” Sectovaria nodded towards her daughter as evidence.

“Probably all that ludicrous dogma of hers,” Jstrul said with a condescending sneer. A moment of silence came when no one joined in the mockery.

That moment gave Rainbow Dash a chance to investigate Jstrul’s comment, not so much for its message, but for what Jstrul was not saying. The blinded queen attempted to look steady as a rock as she fumbled to return to her original seat with Chrysalis guiding her back. Rainbow, however, noticed their wings were twitching nervously and their ears were in constant motion at every little sound.

Rainbow saw those same signs in Kreesus who was putting on a convincing stoic face. However the cracks in that façade appeared in her allied proto-queen, Valera. She had lost all composure and was clinging to Kreesus like a terrified filly. Kreesus was giving her a side long hug that was just as tight as Valera’s own. Rainbow noticed those same signs in every other queen present, including her sister. Everypony’s completely freaked out from the attack, and trying to hide it. Might be a good idea to end the Summit soon before anyone else goes insane. <Hey, Twilight, why don’t you agree or decline to this PM position already. Everypony’s probably too close to losing their marbles to bother objecting one way or the other.>

Twilight shored up her composure by spreading her stress and fear throughout the hivemind. <And you’re not? We just got attacked by a necromancer that makes Sombra look like a foal!>

Rainbow gave her sister her patented ‘Cold as Ice, Fang Filled Smirk of Awesomeness and Radicalness’. Sadly, a few seconds showed that that wasn’t enough to get her point across. <I’ve been fighting from one big baddy to the next for practically my whole life since that whole Nightmare Moon thing. Some giant cloud goat isn’t a step up in my book.>

<Grogar’s a ram, not a goat.>

<Same difference,> Rainbow replied dismissively as she focused on getting the squadron to investigate the approximate location of Polybia's remains.

Twilight told herself she should have expected such flippancy over seemingly minor details from her sister, but even to this day it rankled her to no end. Looking around, Twilight found Captain Thoran had returned, and was now fidgeting in place near the ebony throne. It doesn’t take a genius to know he’s desperate to assess the damage and casualties below.

“Captain Thoran,” Twilight called out loud enough to grab his attention and everyone else around her. “I’ll accept your nomination for Prime Matriarch, but on the stipulation that my sister and I share the throne.”

Twilight knew the other queens would immediately object so she turned to them to head it off. “We rule a single hive together, it is only fitting that we share this throne as well. Should either of us live long enough to be rebirthed, we’ll both abdicate the position.”

Even Rainbow Dash was stunned at first, but saw her sister’s logic and held her tongue. Well at least then they can’t just flat out ignore me.

Thoran thought it over briefly. “It is unprecedented, but as Prime Matriarch that is your prerogative. The wording of the First Mother’s formation of the Summit never said there could be only one.”

Jstrul was able to speak a single stilted word of protest before Chrysalis silenced her with a gentle hoof to her mouth. “I need to think on this, sister,” she whispered.

As Jstrul tried to argue with Chrysalis, Kreesus was also in deep thought. The other queens gave half-baked objections but Thoran’s knowledge of the actual rules and traditions shot them all down. None of them had the right of veto since it had taken so long for a new Prime Matriarch to be named.

Chrysalis eventually waved at Thoran to gain the floor. “While I think Queen Twilight Sparkle is doing this out of loyalty to her co-ruler, I believe this is a necessary decision in regards to ‘Last Bastion’.” Both former Equestrians looked at her curiously. “Due to their shared hive, any future aggression towards Queen Twilight could be indirectly aimed at Rainbow Dash since the right of ‘Last Bastion’ wouldn’t extend to her otherwise. In effect,” Chrysalis gave Twilight a respectful nod, “this simply takes care of a loophole, and little else. Besides that, the Prime Monarch has no power outside of this chamber.”

“Wasn’t it your dream to be Prime Matriarch?” Jstrul whispered to her sister.

“That will have to go to one of our daughters,” Chrysalis returned in hushed tones with veiled resignation. “I would not disgrace the position or the throne with an obsolete queen, even if I fit that category. Besides… This two queen system might be the key we’ve been overlooking.”

All eyes shifted to Kreesus as the last objector, but she ultimately sat down in a huff. “I can accept the condition Queen Twilight gave regarding rebirth. I withdraw my objection.”

Silenced into impotent resentment, the other queens followed their allies’ into reluctant acceptance. With that, Thoran finally felt free to step down from the raised dais of the throne and waved Twilight and Rainbow towards the seat. “Then all matters are settled. I will leave your majesties to any further deliberations.”

Rainbow finally took a long look at the Ebony Throne only to find a broken pockmarked nub of stone remaining. “That’s great and all that, but I think somepony’s going to need to make a new chair for both of us.”

Thoran wilted at the sight of the once proud throne. “I’ll add it to the list of repairs,” he added with a defeated tone. He made his way for the exit, but stopped halfway there. “Before I go, however, I would like to place a formal request for any aid your majesties can bequeath. Our hatchery survived, so even early egg donations would be much appreciated.”

Chrysalis’ eyes glinted with predatory mirth. “Since Queen Twilight Sparkle is now Prime Matriarch, and had been thus far removed from the jungle wars I suggest that she be the one to lend such aid.”

Rainbow Dash saw her moment to one-up Chrysalis and grinned wickedly. “We’d be happy to give aid, but that’s rather difficult with our non-aggression pact in place.”

For the first time all day, Chrysalis truly looked at Rainbow Dash with something other than condescension or disapproval. “I’m sure we can renegotiate terms.”

Mentally giving her sister accolades, Twilight Sparkle addressed Thoran. “We’ll have engineers down here as soon as the other royals depart.”

“Thank you, Prime Matriarchs.” With his job complete, Thoran left before any further bickering could start up.

Kreesus watched him go before addressing Rainbow Dash. “You have forces sweeping where Polybia’s body landed. Is she truly dead?”

Even though she wanted nothing to do with that traitor, Rainbow knew Polybia was a bigger threat. “There’s a lot of gore and meat down there, along with tons of broken chitin, but no one’s ID’d Poly yet. It’s possible her body got completely destroyed by that shadow cloud goat.”

“Don’t bet on it,” Jstrul warned. “We’ve lost enough battles thinking her dead can’t resurrect themselves. We’ve had to start burning the bodies because it’s not even safe to capture some for experimentation.” She waved at her eyes for emphasis

Chrysalis mulled over it all as the others spoke before voicing her own concerns. “Queen Twilight, you said earlier you know of that being. Grogar I believe you said. I get the feeling he didn’t want to make himself known,” Chrysalis stated darkly. “I propose everyone here suspend hostilities and marshal our strength to root out the truth about this potential threat to us all.”

Twilight saw the signs of battle fatigue make a resurgence in the five remaining queens. At any other time, I’m sure someone would call her out for weakness, but no one here is willing to push that particular issue.

Kreesus all but jumped at the chance. “I agree. Polybia has been able to pick off the lion’s share of the lesser queens since the wars began. At the very least, a cease-fire until her death can be verified is more than acceptable.”

Chrysalis carefully masked a knowing smirk at Kreesus before facing Twilight. “Since you have such a knack for research, and… legal access to Canterlot and it’s allies’ libraries, I suggest you be the one to search for any information you can get on this Gorgar person. We must know our enemy to defeat him. Assuming that shadow being wasn’t just a case of psychological warfare.”

“I can agree to that,” Twilight replied with hesitant approval. Is she on the level, or is she playing one of her games? “We’ll renegotiate the terms of our non-aggression pact later today. For now though, if there is nothing else, I move to end today’s Summit.”

Twilight looked expectantly at Rainbow Dash who was more or less staring off into space. Yet her sister’s scrutiny was enough to bring the blue queen’s attention back to the present where she gave Twilight a confused look. <What?>

<You’re the PM too. We both have to close the meeting.>

<Oh fine.> Shoring up her rarely used regal bearing, Rainbow Dash spoke with that eloquent tone that Celestia had briefly tried to teach her before realizing the futility of her efforts. “I concur to close today’s proceedings.”

Not wasting any time, Kreesus, Valera and their ally fled immediately. Chrysalis, her sister, and Twilight stepped over to one of the side rooms to discuss the pact, while Sectovaria tried to leave quietly. Rainbow quickly moved to intercept her. “Hey, you with the face, you’re not going anywhere just yet. How do I know you’re not running off to bring back Polybia as a zombie or something?”

“Because she went rogue that’s why,” Sectovaria wanted nothing more than to leave, but the sound of a few passing biplanes made her wilt at the thought. “L-look, I’ve only been a queen for three years. I lost my mother barely five months after that, I just lost my military security, my primary love source, and now everyone’s going to go after me the instant this whole Grogar thing turns out to be just some hoax Polybia used to scare everyone. I need to leave to have any chance in saving my hive.”

Rainbow didn’t budge as she pinged Twilight to verify Sectovaria’s story. Unfortunately, the only knowledge Twilight had was that Sectovaria was a recognized late-stage princess at the last Summit five years ago. “...Fine, good luck to you then.”

Sectovaria began to move away but stopped after catching Rainbow giving her princess a forlorn frown. “W-wait, Queen Rainbow Dash. Can I ask something of you?”

Rainbow did a double take at finally being addressed by her title for once. “What is it?”

Sectovaria chewed on her cheek and tried to summon the courage to voice her request. “I - I know how much you former Equestrians care about your offspring, royal or not. I barely have five hundred drones to my name, including love collectors. Without Polybia’s support, I’ll never be able to gather enough love to feed Khirala,” she said while moving a foreleg away to reveal the cowering blue princess not even a year out of the shell. “Or defend ourselves for that matter.”

Khirala fumbled back over to hide behind her mother’s hoof, tugging heavily on Rainbow’s heartstrings. “If you can’t support Khirala, why did you create her then?” she demanded heatedly.

The dark grey queen tried not to cower at Rainbow’s ire, but her emotions were too raw to resist backing away. “I didn’t have a choice! When Polybia killed my mother, she came after me, easy pickings and all that,” Sectovaria admitted darkly. “The only way to save myself was to say I could raise a loving daughter, and that I could do the same for her.”

Casting aside any regal bearing, Sectovaria laid down on her belly to properly comfort Khirala. After she coaxed Khirala from her sniffling so she could look upon her grandmother without excessive fear, Sectovaria continued. “It’s worked so far, so Polybia gave me her royal egg in exchange for all the love and protection I would need. I don’t even know if the nymph will even be capable of producing love in the first place, but Khirala can.”

With her granddaughter’s well being on the line, Rainbow Dash didn't even bother trying to rationalize things. “So you’re in a bad way, I get it.” Rainbow looked down at the blue princess. “Khirala is my granddaughter, but you seem to care for her like any real mother should,” Rainbow stated definitively with a hint of overt approval. “I can offer you protection, love crystal shipments, and even a place to settle your new hive, but would require an oath of fealty to both me and my sister.”

“That… is a good offer,” Sectovaria said defeatedly at the ground. “I admit I only expected to survive a month at most without Polybia’s protection. Attempt to hide out in a pony city or something.” Shoring up what little regal bearing she had, Sectovaria looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes. “For both my daughter and my own survival, I pledge my undying fealty to you and Queen Twilight Sparkle until you release me, or death takes me.”

Despite Kreesus’ betrayal, Rainbow Dash was still willing to take any other queen at her word. This was mostly because Chrysalis had never gone back on hers, much to Rainbow’s continued surprise. “Good to hear it. For now, instead of a city, I want you to relocate your hive up north to the Chaos Lands, and take your daughter with you.”

Hope she had not dared to indulge in, shown forth in a grateful smile. This was better than being given some small slice of the northern jungles with outside protection, nor was it a relocation to Alliance territory where she would come under scrutiny of Equestria. The Chaos Lands?! That is so far away from the jungles, none of the other queens would ever bother me again! “T-thank you, my liege.”

“Hey, you’re the mother of my grandkid, and you seem like a cool cat down on your luck. But since you’re going to be our newest ally, we’ll send over regular love crystal shipments so you can focus more drones on building your new hive.”

“That would be most helpful, thank you. What form of tribute would you require in exchange for that and your protection?”

Rainbow Dash had to think of that for a moment before it came to her in stark realization. “I want you to start having intelligent drones like Twilight and I. Chances are good that Khirala will have intelligent drones by default, and they are critical to a love producing hive.”

“I… see,” Sectovaria shifted uncomfortably as she climbed back up to her hooves with Khirala asleep on her back. “I was always told intelligent drones were too great of a risk to the queen… But if you and Queen Twilight were willing to elevate two of them into princesses, maybe those fears are unfounded. With a basic alchemical template I could start alchemically altering myself to create them naturally.”

“Great. I’d also ask about you shedding the chitin… but I think that bit at least, should be your choice. We’ll go over more details later, but before you go...” Rainbow said conspiratorially. “What will you do with Polybia’s royal egg?”

“Simple. I’ll keep it in my current hatchery and safeguard it from scavenging animals and feral drones. If Polybia’s not truly dead, she’ll come for it. If she’s alive, I let her take it. I don’t think it wise to keep a possibly undead queen from what is hers, rogue or not.”

“Maybe…” Rainbow tapped her chin until an idea struck her. “Actually, that’s pretty smart thinking. Keep Poly’s egg where it is. If she takes it, then we’ll know for sure whether she’s alive or not. Any other queen would simply destroy it. Should anyone except Polybia enter the hatchery, tell them that egg’s off limits by my authority.”

Sectovaria’s gaze went vacant for a moment before focusing back on Rainbow. “As you wish.”

“Cool beans, now, since you’re having to move so far north, why don’t we give you a lift as far as Canterlot in our airship? Unless you got something you need to do personally.”

Sectovaria’s eyes dilated at the thought. She looked out at the two distant warships with the handful of fighters still patrolling the skies. “I admit I never expected to think of those ships as anything other than a threat… But yes, that would make things much easier, I appreciate it.”

Rainbow smirked and wrapped a far too friendly foreleg around Sectovaria’s neck. “Stick with us kid, and you’ll go far.”

Sectovaria forced a grateful smile in return. Technically, I’m a year older than you.

While Rainbow Dash spoke with Sectovaria, Twilight had the ignoble task of dealing with Chrysalis and Jstrul. “So it’s settled then,” Twilight said flatly. “Until the issue with Grogar and Polybia is resolved I have free access throughout the jungles without breaking the Non-aggression pact.”

“And in return you only have to give us any information you have on him and we’ll give you any news on Polybia.” Jstrul kept her tone level, but she was still having internal struggles. Why is sister wanting to deal with them at all? This whole Grogar thing is just some foalish fairy tale. Perhaps sister is just using this as an excuse to force a reprieve to give us time to regroup.

“Well, if that’s everything,” Twilight looked to Chrysalis and Jstrul who made no move to speak further, “then I’ll be going.” I hope Celestia has something more than children books on Grogar.

Chrysalis smirked as Twilight flew off to the waiting airships. “We should thank, Polybia, really. This pause in the war will help us far more than Kreesus.”

With them being the only remaining royals in the amphitheater, Chrysalis was able to wait for her sister to summon a seeing-eye drone. “You really think we’ll be able to challenge her? She’s made mistakes, but tactically, she’s almost on par with the technophiles in terms of current strength.”

“Maybe so,” Chrysalis replied with more than a little irritation. “But we should prepare in case Grogar actually exists. It is not like Twilight to jump upon flights of fancy, especially since pausing the war is of no benefit to her or her hive.”

Deep in the green heart of the vast jungles, Polybia’s hive chittered and writhed as a large lump of bulbous tissue was carried in by two drones through the smooth tunnels. The way was lit by glowing algae along the walls.

Deep underground, the two drones located a frothing hot pond of teal liquid. It radiated a faint light, casting the small chamber in murky shadows. The lumpy flesh was carefully deposited into the pool.

The flesh squirmed and thrashed violently as bones formed and muscles grew. The legs formed first with soft chitin growing along them, then came Polybia’s head breaking out of a weakening membrane before her body finished reconstituting itself.

She heaved herself out of the pool still covered in the slushy substance. “May you rot in Tartarus, Chrysalis. I should have known you were up to something when you visited Thoran last month.” Polybia’s rapid regrowth left her physically exhausted, and she laid there panting out of breath. Her veins felt like they were on fire while her nerves ached, and muscles spasmed from the rapid growth. Good thing I wormed that soul separation spell out of that wretch, but by the First Mother does it hurt.

Aside from the two drones that had brought in Polybia’s “contingency plan” there was only one other thing inside the chamber besides the pool. It was a pod with dozens of wards, both physical and magical, with only the occupant’s head clear of the wax. “Well, well, my reluctant student was able to master the art of using a phylactery after all,” a barely interested baritone grating voice range out. “A pity you used a lump of living flesh to do it. A crystal vase serves as a much cleaner soul vessel.”

Polybia glared daggers at the proto-queen sized ram. He stared right back at her with hollow pits for eyes that glowed red like embers of a dying fire. “I told you I’m only going to use necromancy to win this war. The moment I’ve conquered my rivals I’m casting this vile magic away, along with you.”

“You only make things harder for yourself that way,” the ram replied as if he were speaking to a child. “I don’t need a pond of muck to restore my body every time it’s destroyed.”

Polybia shakily climbed to her hooves. “I don’t even want to know what you do use.”

“Oh don’t be so rigid, Polybia,” he said with affected disappointment. “You would be capable of so much more if you put aside such misguided morals. It’s not the spells themselves that are sinful, only how you use them. Even the Equestrians are more… tolerant of necromancers than you, although they regulate it far too heavily for my tastes. Who’s to say the First Mother wouldn’t approve of more advanced necromancy?”

Polybia stopped as her mind grew fuzzy. Her vision lost focus the longer the necromancer stared at her. I must still be weak from the revival. Doing her best to shake it off, Polybia turned to face him. “I refuse to dishonor the First Mother! Even if none of the other queens seems to care for her anymore, at least I still will.”

“I said nothing about dishonor, Queen Polybia. I merely recommend that maybe you should reexamine your scriptures. Perhaps they are not as stringent as you originally believed. After all, the last remaining faithful queen mustn’t fall victim to misinterpretation.”

Polybia growled and strengthened the shielding in her mind. “Don’t toy with me, Grogar! I will not let you twist me into your puppet!”

“You can’t blame me for trying,” he chided while tugging at his restraints for emphasis. “I’m not going to sit here idly, and be your little Well of Power every time you need to syphon my essence for your little war.”

“I will take what I need, and whenever I need it. Remember that, Grogar,” Polybia rebuked with a bitter scowl.

“For now, perhaps. In any event, it seems you’ve dug quite a deep hole for yourself. I wonder how much longer it’ll be before you have to step down from your high morals to save yourself. After today’s little incident…” He narrowed his gaze with a hint of a smile coming to him. “Speaking of which, what is the last thing you remember before your body was ripped to pieces?”

“I don’t have time for this, Grogar, I need to retrieve my royal egg. Without a hostage, Sectovaria will destroy it soon.”

“I should certainly hope not,” Grogar said as Polybia departed. “Killing sinless youths is a dark stain to bear indeed.” Polybia looked at him with confusion clearly written all over her face before leaving the chamber. Grogar’s gaze followed her even after she faded from view. I wish you would have modified that dead-mare spell. It galls me to no end to have my image broadcast for the world to see.

Author's Notes:
Was Polybia originally a minotaur? Did Stick Spit drop out of middle school? Did Jstrul make a pact with Sargeras for new eyes?? Did Aegis bet Blitz that one of their first clutch would want to be royals?!
Find out one of these and mooore, next time on Reformation!!

4: Four Queens, Rogue High

Nestled within the tender vessel Cornucopia, the shipboard side hatchery could easily hold a month’s worth of eggs from both queens. However that did not account for four egg layers, but thankfully the majority of the alcoves were empty.

Aegis Altair leaned against Blitz while gushing over eight of those eggs in particular. She had Blitz wrapped into a tight side long hug. “It’s finally happened, Blitz, we’re becoming queens!”

That was almost enough to pull Blitz’s gaze away from her enclosed eggs. “Technically we’ve been turning into queens ever since being reborn.”

“Oh shush, you know what I mean,” Aegis snorted while nuzzling her counterpart. “What do you think they’ll hatch with; hooves or hands?”

“I would imagine hooves, since that is our natural state.” Blitz waggled her fingers, even now, still in awe at how natural they felt. Over the years, she had developed a much higher level of dexterity with her fingers than she ever thought possible. Aunty did a really good job on me. I wonder if she made our hands superior to even the sphinxes.

The pair was mostly oblivious to Gear Ratio who was swooning along with her fellow caretakers a few meters away in the control room. The four of them were eternally grateful for the glass divider between them and the proto-queens. Gear had a professional reputation to maintain, and squealing in joy like a nymph was rather unbecoming, in her eyes anyway. “To think, girls, we’ve got to service not one, but three proto-queens’ first clutches.” A round of joyous giggling passed through the group of caretakers.

One of the assistants put the finishing touches on the eggs’ nutrient solution and cranked several wheels to cycle the liquid. “Don’t forget, sisters, our caretaker corps will double within the year to handle the new workload. But…” She gestured for her coworkers to lean in close so that she could whisper. “I heard from Gentle Touch that there’s talks of retooling the hive’s economy to support a second pair of princesses as soon Aegis and Blitz move out.”

Gear Ratio looked at the pair of proto-queens with anticipation before the comment finally registered and she looked at her co-worker with disbelief. “Get out!”

“No lie,” Caretaker Feather Soft replied manically, “Buz Bug’s honor!”

“Girls, we’re the luckiest caretakers to ever live!” Gear Ratio and the others squealed and dance-hugged each other for a few moments before an alert bell started ringing, making the drones jump back at the controls. “How about we celebrate after we’re off-duty.”

“Agreed,” the rest replied bubbly.

Gear Ratio took a deep breath before refocusing on her work. Ultimately it had only been a timer instead of a problem cropping up so she addressed the matter quickly. With little else to do but monitor the eggs, Gear Ratio looked out at the rows of incubators, and the two proto-queens who were close by. I hope they really didn’t hear any of that.

Any embarrassment was quickly forgotten when her eyes drifted over the proto-queens’ wings, and seeing something was off about them. “Feather Soft, Jelly, come on, we need to perform our first proto-queen physical.”

The group slid up next to Blitz who jumped a little at the sudden appearance of the three drones. “Alright you two, you know what needs to happen.” Gear made a snapping noise with her magic causing Feather to start inspecting Aegis from top to bottom while Jelly assaulted Blitz with medical probes. Gear went over to Blitz’s wings.

Aegis instinctively went rigid as her medic/caretaker started with a quick scan for irregularities. “Couldn’t you guys give us a bit more time to admire our first clutch?”

Blitz took it in stride, completely at ease with the inspection. It helped that this was a bi-weekly event for them. Probably going to be a daily thing now. “Come on, Aegis, you know such rapid growth needs to go smoothly. Any complications now could take decades to correct if you hassle them.”

Gear Ratio didn’t get far before she paused at Blitz’s wings. Along the mare’s long prismatic gossamer wings, was an outline of Rainbow’s all too familiar cutie mark, formed by Blitz’s longitudinal veins. Before saying anything, Gear inspected Aegis’ broader red wings and quickly identified she had an outline of Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark that was becoming more pronounced as the veins thickened.

At this point, Gear Ratio scowled and flew over to face the tall blue mare who now rivaled Princess Celestia in height as she stood on two legs. “Blitz, did either of you decide to alchemically alter your wings? You know how dangerous that can be during the proto-queen stage.”

“What are you talking about?” Blitz turned around and flared her wings to see what the issue was. “I barely understand the alchemy of my design, let alone have any inkling on how to alter it safely.”

Everyone started looking at Blitz’s wings as their owner quickly quieted at the sight of the pattern. “Hey, sweet tat, Blitz.” Aegis teased by ribbing Blitz. “I knew you loved your momma, but damn.”

Blitz puffed her face in irritation before looking at Aegis’ wings. “Well that’s the pot calling the kettle black. You have Aunty Twilight’s mark on your wings.” She jabbed an accusatory hoof at her counterpart.

Before Aegis could compound the confusion, Gear Ratio cleared her throat. “Now, let’s not get out of hoof here. This might just be a prank Aunty Rainbow is playing on us. In fact…”

As if on cue, both matriarchs of the hive entered the hatchery to find their prized royal daughters. Rainbow was quickest and charged in for a squashing embrace, nearly knocking the caretakers aside. “Ha, ha! Congrats, Blitz, you’re a momma now!”

Aegis met Twilight halfway and the two hugged for a long moment. Aegis had to momentarily drop to all fours to do so properly. “I was so worried you might have been caught by Grogar’s attack.” Twilight pulled back to give her daughter a pride filled smile. I’m so glad her hive presence is so much brighter now, it was impossible to miss her survival. “So, was your first laying all you hoped it would be?”

Blitz blushed furiously at the embarrassment while Aegis laughed it off. “I couldn’t ask for better than announcing to the whole world Blizzy and I are ready to enter the big stage via a public laying.”

“I certainly can,” Blitz shot back without any real malice. “But…” she heaved a sigh as Aegis climbed back up to two hooves. “At least it saves time on sending letters out, right?”

“Oh that’s right,” Twilight announced worriedly. “I was so caught up in everything I completely forgot to inform Rolled Scroll and Blue Flare what to actually tell Celestia about Grogar.”

With Twilight momentarily preoccupied, Gear Ratio took a moment to slide in between the royals and fix Rainbow with a knowing scowl. “Aunty RD, I have to ask, did you tamper with their alchemical formula without our foreknowledge?” she asked while pointed at the proto-queens.

“I tamper with lots of things,” Rainbow countered innocently. “I can’t be expected to remember all of them.”

Gear flew up and gently tugged Blitz’s right wing out to show the outlined cutie mark on them. “Then maybe this can jog your memory. Honestly Aunty, I hope this isn’t your handiwork.”

Rainbow lit up and ‘ooo’d’ at that sight of the outlined cloud and thunderbolt. “Interesting…” she purred with pride and delight, “but no, I didn’t do this.” Her inspection came to a quick halt and she turned to Gear Ratio. “Hey, GR, who’s my consort for the day?”

“Ahhh,” she shook her head to compensate for the subject change. “No one, not for the next two days.”

“Great, then I’ll lay right now.” One of the caretakers ran off and returned with a pillow and a couple of towels.

If they were honest with themselves, both Aegis and Blitz felt a serious twinge of jealousy and anticipation at Rainbow laying a full clutch of fourteen eggs. With only changelings around, Rainbow had long since lost any reservations about laying in front of them.

By the time Rainbow fed her eggs and gotten cleaned up, Twilight reawakened from her communion with Rolled Scroll. “Okay, girls, I’m going to have my diplomatic staff and a few others sent over to Canterlot Archives to search for anything on Grogar as soon as Celestia gives them the go-ahead. As for us, we’re going back to PR to put together a proper naval force.”

Blitz was puzzled by that. “We’re coming back here?”

This time it was Rainbow who answered. “Sis and I are, at least until Polybia is dealt with.”

Twilight started where Rainbow left off. “I examined the remains of the body via proxy as I came onboard. There’s strong evidence that the body hasn’t held a soul for at least a month, but I’m not that familiar with necromancy, so there’s no way to be sure.”

“Don’t you worry your eggbrain about that!” Rainbow jeered playfully while patting Twilight’s head. “I already got a plan to find out if Polly Pocket is alive or not thanks to Sectovaria.”

“Yeah, I know…” Twilight tried to ease up by reveling in the fact that Aegis was now a proto-queen.

Yet before she could voice her renewed good humor, Rainbow slid up next to Aegis. “It’s almost a pity you started laying, squirt,” she jeered while ribbing Aegis. “But at least now you get to have practical experience at long range command of a battlespace.”

Aegis’ mixed smile fell crestfallen. Blitz on the other hand was more than happy to avoid tangling with a necromancer that could bring her aunt to nervous shakes. “Maybe we could help with the archives research? With the rail line between the hive and the primary Equestrian network now complete, we could use incubation cars while we’re there instead of relying on airships which will be needed elsewhere.”

Aegis gave her counterpart the Ultimate Rage-filled Scowl of Supreme Displeasure. <Why are you pulling us there when we have so much crap to do to make sure we mature properly!>

With Twilight considering Blitz’s preposition, it gave her time to respond. <Because there’s no reason we can’t do that in Canterlot. Even if we have to be discreet around ponies who don’t understand.>

“I like it,” Twilight said at last, making Aegis wilt. “Good thinking, Blitz. I’ll order an incubator train car to move to Canterlot station immediately.”

As Twilight started outlining her plan in more detail, Gear Ratio was getting tired of waiting and silently flew up and pulled one of Aegis’ wings open to show the pattern to her mother. Aegis wanted to pull it back into a resting position, but Gear kept looking between Twilight and the wing, trying to get her to notice without having to resort to pinging her.

Aegis was about to snap at the chief caretaker when Twilight finally turned to see what her daughter and chief caretaker were silently fighting over. Gear Ratio finally stopped tugging when Twilight narrowed her eyes at the pattern. “What the…” She briefly used her magic to sniff out any disguise magic and found none. “Aegis, why is my cutie mark on your wing?” Much to Aegis’ protests, Gear flew over to pull the other wing open. “Wings?!”

“So neither of you did this?” Gear asked worriedly.

“I may be more vain since becoming queen,” Twilight answered hesitantly after thinking of all the artwork and architecture that decorated Phoenix’s Roost, “but nowhere near that level.”

Gear Ratio’s mane started frizzing out. “Complications are bad, really, really, bad! What if this gets worst! What if they start growing extra limbs or cancer!?”

Panic started rising in the room with Twilight at the forefront. Within seconds the vessel lurched into motion. “Okay, we need to get back to the hive, scratch Canterlot. Aegis, Blitz, you’re restricted to your quarters until we get this sorted out.” <Resta, get sick bay set up for medical testing, pronto!>

Out of all of them, Rainbow Dash was more confused at her sister’s reaction, than the existence of the marks. “Why are all of you getting so bent out of shape? They just got cutie marks… in a really weird place that are copies of yours and mine. How’s that a bad thing?”

“Of course it’s bad!” Twilight flustered with spittle thankfully flying over Rainbow’s head as she ducked down. “Changelings don’t get cutie marks! This could be a sign that something else is wrong, something we didn’t account for! I have to tell mother, maybe she knows what to do!”

“Now hold on,” Rainbow swatted Twilight with a wing before she could speak with Cadista. “You and I are still part pony right? That’s the whole reason we can still produce love and all that,” she stated while rolling a hoof in the air. “So I would think that all of our kids, royal or not, are part pony then too right?”

“If that were true, then wouldn’t the drones get these too?” Blitz offered while showing off her mark.

“Yes, that’s right!” Twilight agreed, descending deeper into panic. “This might be a major problem with our bloodline that could only show up with royal daughters! UGH!!”

Rainbow had seen her sister mentally spiral out of control one too many times to let it happen again. She smacked her sister with her wing again, this time a bit harder than before. “Twilight, you seriously need to chillaxe!”

Aegis, Blitz, and Gear Ratio cringed at the impact leaving Twilight speechless for a moment. The purple queen blinked a few times before using her breathing technique, something Blitz and Gear quickly mimiced. “Right… thanks, sis.”

“Anytime, Twilight.”

Twilight’s mane continued to frizz out but her expression had settled down to mostly calm. Can’t work properly if I get too wigged out anyway. Shoving her nerves aside, Twilight started scanning her daughter while Gear Ratio and one other caretaker inspected Blitz. “Okay… so, I only did minor work on your brains to make you more adaptive to shapeshifting hands and bipedalism, so I’ll start there.”

Out of the pair, Aegis was far less worried as she stared deeply at her wing pattern while scratching her chin. “You know… I think I’ve seen this wing thing before. Like, when I was still a drone.”

Twilight halted before she could grab a magical probe one of the caretakers had brought in. “What do you mean?”

It took Aegis almost a minute to place the memory. “I just remember seeing this pattern show up every once in a while in my sex partners’ wings for a few moments after climax, but it never lasted long, and no one ever said anything about it, so I thought it was normal and didn’t pay it much attention.”

“Which partners?” Blitz asked quickly. “Because now that I think about it. I’ve seen the same thing a few times, but only with my clutchmates.”

“I ahh… heh haha… I didn’t exactly keep track,” Aegis shrugged shamelessly and a bit sheepishly.

Rainbow snorted in amusement. “Well I’ve never seen it.”

“Nor I,” Twilight confirmed with mixed relief. “But if you’ve seen it since being a drone, this might not be a disaster after all.”

Rainbow scoffed at the whole issue and teased her sister by flicking her nose with a wing tip. “There you go again, thinking the sky’s falling over a cutie mark that just wanted to move. Are you sure there isn’t a pill for that?”

“I’m going to ignore that,” Twilight stated with a harumph. Over the next few minutes, Twilight’s scans failed to reveal any other complications, causing her to blush in embarrassment. “I can’t find anything wrong so far, but,” she warned with a raised hoof while her sister rolled her eyes, “this could simply be an early sign of something insidious. I can’t go in too much depth with just my horn and this small scanner,” she waved the brass tool for emphasis. <Cancel that last order, Resta, sorry.> Sickbay doesn’t have any scanning equipment the hatchery doesn’t.

Pointedly ignoring her sister’s ‘I told you so’ face, Twilight addressed her chief caretaker. “Gear, keep a close eye on them until we get back to the hive to do some proper inspections.”

“Yes, my queen.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at the whole thing. “Honestly, I thought the appearance of a cutie mark was a good thing.” Twilight had already walked over to the hatchery control room to speak further with Gear Ratio. “Annnyway, when this whole cutie mark insanity blows over, as I know it will, maybe you two can customize them to fit you better.”

Blitz was still concerned about it, but Aegis shared her aunt’s jovial attitude. “What? You don’t want your cutie mark displayed even more for the world to see?”

“Ha! No need for that when I have tens of thousands of kids with my coat, mane and wings of awesomeness. Even more so if Blitz never alters her coat or mane colors. Once you guys are full queens and can change it safely, I think you should personalize them. It’s not every day somepony gets to choose their cutie marks… or should we call it wing marks?”

“Well I’m glad you two are having a blast,” Blitz huffed. She glanced worriedly at her mother’s cutie mark outlined on her wing. “I really hope you’re right momma. I really do.”

Deep in the fetid jungles, a small contingent of drones approached a cave entrance covered in wax along a jagged rocky outcropping. Reptilian eyes shone forth from the leader as she tried to locate the guards that should have been there.

Aside from the noise of lesser insects and birds, the jungle was unnaturally quiet being this close to Sectovaria’s hive. Has she relocated that quickly? Where could she possibly go? Fearing a trap, she sent two drones out in the open ground between her underbrush hiding spot and the cave entrance.

The pair made it across without incident, further worrying Polybia. As one, all twenty of her advance force charged into Sectovaria’s hive. With only a few soldiers spared to cover her flanks, Polybia’s primary puppet raced through the darkened tunnels, knowing exactly where to go.

However nothing barred the way, driving her fears ever higher. It was only when she finally arrived at the hatchery did she find other changelings. Two of Sectovaria’s guards stood at the entrance, but Polybia could not see further in due to the large organic door akin to a sphincter sealing the hatchery away.

There’s no way she’d negotiate with me, now that I’ve been labeled a rogue, she thought with renewed fury towards Chrysalis, but I have to know the fate of my egg.

All of that crossed her mind between the time of seeing the guards and charging in to attack. The two guards tensed, but seemed to refrain from using their bladed arms or spines upon recognizing Polybia’s drones. With their guard lowered, Polybia pinned the left one under her puppet’s alicorn sized girth while the rest of her troops killed the other soldier before laying siege to the door. “Sectovaria, answer me!”

Having expected this, Sectovaria responded quickly by puppeting the captured drone. “Polybia. This may go without saying, but due to… recent events, our treaties and my fealty are nullified. I no longer answer to you.”

“Rogue or not, Sectovaria, you better still have what belongs to me,” Polybia growled with her horn glowing threateningly. “Or I will hunt you down to the depths of Tartarus if I have to!”

Even with it just being a puppet, Sectovaria cowered at the pool of dark magic gathering in Polybia’s horn. “I’m not an idiot, Polybia. I kept your egg safe and sound. Although I don’t know how useful it’ll be once she loses her ability to love.”

Polybia’s drones confirmed the royal egg was alive and unharmed, lifting a massive weight off her shoulders. Not that she allowed that to show through her puppet. “Don’t worry about that. I… thank you, for not killing or stealing it away. However little you take my word, I will leave you alone for it, so long as you stay out of my way.”

“Y- you’ll get no trouble from me. Not that I could do much to you anyway.”

Without further ceremony, Polybia’s drones retreated from the hive. Ultimately she was torn on Sectovaria. Such a pushover, for a queen, and yet she has a loving daughter… What a cruel joke.

For her part, Sectovaria leaned back in her chair. The ship’s cabin was starkly different compared to the welcoming comfort of soft wax, plush leaves, and glowing lichen of her home. Will Polybia actually leave me alone? She looked sane, but no sane queen would ever get themselves declared rogue like that.

A large part of her mental power was devoted to moving her drones north, so she didn’t notice Khirala tugging on her leg until she started whimpering. With a forced smile to hide her deep-seated fears, Sectovaria picked her up and started rocking her while feeding the nymph some love as she searched for the nymph food one of Rainbow’s drones had provided earlier. “Don’t you worry little one. You’re safe now.”

She continued to whisper soothing stories that ultimately got Khirala to drift off into a fitful sleep. I hope all the stories of Twilight and Rainbow being too soft on their family are true. It’d be my luck to go from one psychopathic master to another.

Heaving herself up, Sectovaria made her way to the door and opened it to find two blue guards just outside. “Tell your queen that her fears were justified. Polybia is still alive.”

Far removed from such dreadful events, Celestia was actually having a rather pleasant day at court. The nobles were noticeably less bothersome, the lobbyists pushing fewer one-sided bills, and most surprisingly of all, there were more than seven petitions and propositions that were genuine improvements. She tried to ignore the facts that six of them were done out of selfish aims, but she took her points when she could. Why does Luna’s court get most of the well-meaning lobbyists?

Currently, she was silently reviewing a monument construction project proclaiming the harmonious peace between the known races to be built in Ponyville. “I have to say, I love the idea, Steel Chisel. I think a statue of all friendly races, including the immigrate sphinxes would go a long way towards continued harmony. I think Ponyville would be the perfect place for it.”

“I knew you would, Princess,” the dusty unicorn stallion replied excitedly at the prospect of a contract. “With Ponyville’s recent growth though, you might need to rename it Pony City.”

It was a horrible joke, and several royal guards’ military bearing were tested to keep from groaning. Celestia was able to titter politely. “We just might,” she agreed while signing the petition. “I will have my secretary provide you the detail on how to proceed from here.”

“Thank you, Princess, you won’t regret it!”

Steel Chisel departed with such a bounce in his step he almost missed the changeling ambassador, Blue Flare, barging into the room nearly tripping over the hapless sculptor. “P-Princess Celestia, there is an urgent situation from the jungles!”

Celestia put up a halting hoof towards the next supplicant as her brow furrowed along with her smile evaporating. “What happened?”

Not wanting to cause a panic, Blue Flare flew over, bowed quickly and moved to speak in the diarch’s ear. “One of the other queens, Polybia, has gone rogue, and Aunt Twilight believes she is allied with an ancient being named Grogar.”

“Grogar?” Celestia looked at the ambassador with bewilderment. Blue Flare nodded in affirmation. It took Celestia a few moments to place the unfamiliar name. “But he’s just a foal’s book villain I read to her once during Nightmare Night. He was never real. What is she basing this off of?”

“Just a giant cloud demon bearing his likeness assaulting the Summit. She said that it was even accompanied by the tolling of bells as the old stories go.”

That got a troubled eyebrow lift out of the old alicorn. “That is troubling.” ’The Grim Tales’ never was a very popular foal story collection. And has fallen even further into obscurity over the millennia. I highly doubt a changeling queen would use such an obscure image… “I assume Twilight wants access to the archives for research.”

“I always tell Scroll that Aunty is too predictable at times,” Flare replied with an amused smirk. “But yes, she does.”

“Very well, and get Aged Page to assist you. If a fairy tale has come to life, he might have some insight on the matter. At the very least he’ll get a kick out of it.”

“Thank you, your highness. My queens send their gratitude.” Blue Flare bowed again and departed, leaving many of the ponies, guards and court members alike, in an uneasy state.

Celestia quickly noticed the wave of concern chilling the room. I really hope Twilight is wrong about this one, she thought now that the old story tales were being pulled from the depths of her memories. Something like Grogar should stay imaginary.

Grogar festered in his cocoon prison as he was brought into a familiar chamber by a small group of drones. The room itself was vast with several tall pillars made from a sort of wax and rock based cement keeping the chamber stable. There were thousands of pods blanketing the walls and pillars, each containing prisoners from many races both near and far, average and exotic.

The necromancer’s smoldering fury was dampened a bit after he passed by a sleeping sphinx. The oddity of seeing a new creature barely passed through his ancient mind before turning back to look at the destination.

In a small clearing, several pods had been harvested from the stores and lined up beside Polybia. He scanned the lot of them with mild curiosity. “What’s this? Are you giving me a selection or a feast?”

“The latter,” she stated distastefully. “With my rogue status, I will need more of your power than ever before.”

“So you’re trying to… fatten me up, as they say.” Ultimately, he never got much of a rise out of her any time he spoke about feeding time. To think there are mortal species out there with the same disregard for sapient life as my bedeviled kin.

“I know not their crimes, or even if they’re guilty. Just eat your fill. I will drain you later.”

With a quick burst of magic, Polybia activated an anti-magic barrier so powerful it even managed to give Grogar a migraine. Once done, the drones removed his bindings and sliced his cocoon open so he could move freely.

The old ram jostled his stiff limbs while casting his ears about, picking up the sound of numerous drones nearby, just waiting for him to make a wrong move. “And what if I don’t desire to feed? I have no interest in your little war.”

Polybia eyed him dangerously. “Then I will drain you anyway. The demonologist was quite specific about how close I can bring you to true death.” She had two of her drones pull one of the captives off the line and threw it at Grogar’s hooves. “At such a weakened state, even a demon of your power can be made to feel true pain.”

“Child, I was ancient before your species even existed,” Grogar replied with supreme disinterest. However he distinctly caught on to the demonologist comment. That would explain things. “I have experienced pain beyond your imagination, and you think you can do worse? You do know which realm I came from don’t you?”

He started lazily studying the offered prisoners more closely, starting with the one at his hooves.

“And yet you wander this realm, rarely if ever leaving. You may not be from this world, but I doubt you are as indifferent to pain as you would have me believe. However…” Polybia walked over to him slowly. “Perhaps torture is the wrong tool.”

Grogar remained passive towards her advance. She stopped a few inches away. “If you’re unwilling to fuel my war, I’ll simply have to return these prisoners to their respective societies.”

Grogar’s ear twitched, but otherwise revealed nothing. “Why would you give up your food?”

“I have over nine thousand of the very worst criminals their societies have brought forth in various secure locations, Grogar. By far, too many for my own needs.” She eyed him, searching for any sign of emotional tell. “And now that all of the other queens are arrayed against me, I can’t keep them all. You keep telling me my sins weigh heavily upon me, so killing any of them in cold blood certainly isn’t helping in that regard. In fact,” she added with a knowing smirk, “the only logical thing to do would be to release them at various cities. I’m sure they can find new lives for themselves out there.”

“...It would be a shame if all that sin were to go to waste,” he said with measured poise. His eye fell upon the prisoner below him. It was a minotaur bull with scars almost hidden by the pod’s coating.

With practiced ease, one of the drones carefully sliced it open and pulled out a green gel covered arm. Ignoring the mess, Grogar bent down and sliced the arm to withdraw some blood. He licked his hoof, humming in culinary delight. “Murder, child rapist, and… Oohh, now that’s a kink I haven’t tasted in a long time. This will almost be worth the trouble you put me through, Polybia,” he said as he turned his gaze up at her. “But don’t think this buffet will win you salvation when all of this is over. I will claim your soul one day.”

“You still don’t understand changeling queens, do you, Necromancer?” Polybia huffed in disdain. “We are not some common riffraff you can find in any other civilization. I don’t care about my fate.” Only that of my progeny, she added to herself.

“So you claim,” he replied with a disbelieving tone. He tore open the rest of the sleeping minotaur's cocoon, scowling all the way. Just a bit longer, Polybia, and your mind will no longer be your own.

Grogar’s teeth sharpened into knives as he bit down on the bull’s gut, and tore off a mass of flesh, forcing the minotaur to awaken screaming. Polybia watched in muted horror as the demon slowly devoured the bull, all the while keeping him alive as long as possible. Within short order, Grogar consumed the body, bones and all, and still looked famished for more. Where does he put it all?

Grogar repeated the process eight times, cursing Polybia all the while as he put the last few alterations to his mana. It was slow, tedious work under the anti-magic field, but hardly as impossible as Polybia believed. That plan was put on hold after he tasted a sphinx’s blood. “Petty theft, and little else,” he muttered quietly. He pushed the arm back into the pod. He looked at Polybia carefully, before adopting a disinterested look. “He’s not to my liking. Put him back.”

“I am not your chef, demon,” Polybia stated darkly. “This one is producing only a trickle of love. He’s of no use to me.”

“Then I suppose you’ll just have to release him back into the wild,” Grogar returned with thinly veiled contempt.

“Fine then.” Three drones grabbed the pod and made for the exit. “I wonder how long he’ll survive the jungles.”

Grogar appeared to not care in the least. However he used the distraction to alter his internal magic. “Not my concern anymore.”

“Perhaps…” Polybia replied contemplatively. A few moments later she commanded her drones to take the pods back into storage. “You’ve eaten enough, in any event.” Five more drones flew over and grabbed Grogar before starting to encase him in wax so Polybia could personally apply the wards and seals. “I will come for you shortly.”

Grogar hid a satisfied smirk as he was carried away to the pool room. It’s taken quite awhile, but I finally altered my magic enough. We’ll see who comes out on top, Polybia.

Author's Notes:
Is Grogar a goat in ram's clothing? Will Blitzkrieg ever love her full name? Will Pinkie Pie develop cake flavored deodorant? Why didn't police snipers shoot the Rhino at the end of the last Spider-Man movie?
Find out maybe none of these and moooore, next time on the Reformation!!

5: The Demonologist

Aegis liked to think she had impressive patience. After all, she suffered years of princesshood, biweekly medical checks, her mother and aunt’s sometimes ridiculous tests, and then there was the “Cake Incident”. She shuddered at the terror of so much cake batter.

All of the seemingly fruitless research wasn’t exactly helping matters. Several paper stacks and old tomes dotted the ground floor with drained tea cups scattered about. Blitz wanted coffee above all, but the caretakers forbade it for the time being.

“Hold still, please,” Gear Ratio asked while inspecting every square inch of the purple proto-queen’s scalp. “Four bulbs. Excellent, your crown is growing in nicely.”

Aegis started scratching the bulbs with those delightfully dexterous fingers. “They itch like crazy.”

Gear gently smacked the hand away. “Don’t irritate them. The bone hasn’t hardened yet so if you mess with them, they’ll break and you’ll start growing in a second crown. Now, drop down so I can set up the probulator.”

“Joy,” Aegis grumbled as she reluctantly returned to her original quadruped stance. She eyed Burny, who was resting at her hooves, and picked it up in her magic to nuzzle her favorite weapon. He just doesn’t feel complete without a loaded fuel canister, but the castle staff keep getting all uppity about it.

Gear Ratio rolled over a machine as large as Celestia herself. Aegis would have blanched at all of the prods, needles, clamps, and various other implements of medical torture were it not a daily ritual Gear seemed to love doing, with an evil cackle at that. Whelp, I know what I’m banning the moment I start ruling my future hive.

A tittering giggle drew Aegis’ ears towards Blitz who was getting inspected as well. A few weeks had passed since the Summit, and the group was now in their personal suite in Canterlot Castle. It was actually Twilight’s old home before moving to Ponyville, which gave everyone a huge sense of wonder. Though that wonder was subdued for both proto-queens. “Aegis, you really need to just let the caretakers work. The sooner they're done, the sooner we can go back to our research.”

Aegis grumbled and groaned, but otherwise quietly complied to be poked and prodded. Mother neglected to mention how much the caretakers would probe us with cold steel tools. Actually, you know what? Screw it, my first act as queen will to make all medical probes double as sex toys.

It had already been late afternoon when the caretakers had begun, and by the time they finished, it was already well past sundown. A knock on the door was followed up by a voice. “Kitchen Service.”

Feather Soft was the only one not occupied by the examinations, having been taking notes. As such it fell upon her to answer the door, only to find Princess Luna waiting on the other side. “Good evening, Caretaker.” Feather jumped in surprise, but managed to speak without stuttering.

“Princess Luna, it’s an honor!” Feather stepped aside to allow Luna and the servants entrance.

With a respectful nod, Luna stepped in to find the other caretakers abandon their physical while the proto-queens happily cantered over. Aegis more than the others after seeing the two serving carts laden with food being wheeled in by the servants. “Hey, Princess, what brings you here?”

The three royals exchanged brief hugs. “I’ve been so busy as of late, I’ve not had a chance to see you since you arrived.” Luna sized them up. It was ultimately difficult to gauge the progress of the two changeling proto-queens towards full physical maturity since they were much taller standing on two legs. It is a little odd feeling when they kneel down to hug, rather than go back onto four legs. “I trust the city’s been kind to you.”

“Funny you should say that,” Blitz answered with a face somewhere between humored and confused. “We went to go sightseeing this morning and ponies kept asking us if we were costumed minotaurs.”

“Or a new species,” Aegis continued with a snicker, “and that one kid who thought we were changeling infested minotaurs coming here for a cure.”

Luna couldn’t help but to chuckle as the caretakers took turns hugging Luna. “Well it is certainly better than pitchforks, and hazmat suits.”

Leaving the royals to their chat, Gear Ratio shooed her staff over to set up the dining table. Blitz laughed only to slowly stop at Luna’s serious expression. “Ah… Well, anyway, umm, I’m glad that didn’t happen.”

“As are we all,” Luna replied with a brief sly smirk towards Aegis. “Archmage Aged Page is not the young stallion he used to be, so I have brought his latest findings with me,” she said while summoning several pieces of paper and an old tome.

Aegis’ face lit up at sight of the documents. “So he actually managed to find something? And here I thought we’d be stuck with fairy tales, ones that I hope have been blown out of proportion.”

Blitz hummed thoughtfully before her face lit up with an idea. “I think we should go over all of our information first, and you, Luna, can correct or add where we’re lacking.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Luna remarked. “Why don’t we try in one of your Linkscapes for better visualization?”

Aegis and Blitz were about to telekinetically grab the food Gear Ratio had brought over when Luna’s comment made them all hesitate. “Wait a second, since when can you enter our hive mind?”

Both proto-queens were momentarily surprised they spoke in unison before Blitz shook it off as a fluke. "I thought your part in defeating Silandrus was just you piggybacking off of momma."

Luna shot Aegis a calm smile. “That is true. Nevertheless, you forget, because I am one with The Dreamer, I am psychic. However, I view the hive mind differently than what’s been described to me. To my sight, your hive mind appears more as lights and souls, rather than a choir, so I can't truly join your Link. However, I believe I can at least enter Linkscapes since they are likely just a different form of lucid dreaming.”

“Incredible.” Blitz stated with an amazed tone. “I think it’s worth a shot.” Blitz turned to Aegis who nodded in agreement.

“Just so long as you don’t actually join the hive mind. I really don’t want to have to explain to mother that you’ve been enveloped like Aunty was.”

Gear Ratio quickly set the plates down before quietly scampering off to join her staff. Undoubtedly to gossip, Luna mused with a hint of laughter.

The trio ate for a bit as Blitz pulled upon Twilight’s lessons and crafted a Linkscape in the form of a grassy meadow with rolling hills. “Okay, everypony, I think we’re ready to start.”

With practiced ease, Luna’s mind departed her body with just enough intelligence left behind to keep eating. Since Blitz was not resisting her, Luna was able to enter the proto-queen’s mind without incident, and followed the tether of her consciousness to the waking dream. The Linkscape appeared to be a blobby window to the meadow until she passed through into the faux dream world.

There she found Blitz and Aegis waiting for her with excited expressions written all over them. “This is too cool!” Aegis cheered. “I would say I wish we could have done this sort of thing with Aunty all those years ago, but” she squashed Blitz with a sidelong embrace, causing her counterpart to wheeze despite not needing to breathe. “Then I wouldn’t have the best mare in the world for a counterpart.” She nuzzled Blitz with deep affection, who couldn’t help but to snicker and return it in earnest.

“I think it all worked out well for everypony involved,” Luna replied diplomatically. This being her first time in a Linkscape, Luna took stock of her senses and mental condition, if only to have an excuse to not look at her companions’ lack of inhibitions. Luna wanted to make sure she wasn’t slowly becoming too attached to the hive mind. It never hurts to be cautious. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, but keeping herself alert, Luna turned to the heatedly amorous pair of future queens. She coughed loudly before speaking. “Show me what you have, if you have a moment or two.”

Blitz suddenly remembered Luna was still there as she and Aegis were in the middle of an intimate kiss. She broke off and momentarily became vaporous to slide out of Aegis’ grasp before reforming slightly away from her. “R-r-right, sorry. Okay, so, we’ll start with the foal tale Celestia originally told Aunty Twilight.”

Aegis giggled at her counterpart’s insecurity about public displays of affection around non-changelings. <You’re so cute when you’re flustered.>

<Hush, you,> Blitz replied without any real force. <Next thing you’ll suggest is trying to fertilize each other’s eggs.>

<Oohh, that would be an interesting position, what with lacking a-.>

The image of a stylized ram portrayed in an oil painting appeared. He had dark blue fur, curling horns, and stark angry red glowing eyes. His maw was filled with knives, bearing a cruel hate filled grin. Upon his neck was a bronze metal band that had several thin bells on it, with a much larger one hanging from the bottom. Overall, he was only slightly larger than other rams Luna had seen in her day. Even then, he didn’t quite match her in height. His fur was scraggly and unkempt, but it was impossible to know if that was just an effect of the painter’s style or not.

“Necromancer Grogar,” Aegis opened up with a calculating gaze upon her foe. “The three folk tales were all over the place on describing him, even in the same story, but I think we nailed down the most common factors.”

Blitz circled around the portrait to stand at Aegis’ right. “In one instance, he is said to be a ruler of sorts. His kingdom was called Tambian.”

“It’s Tambelon,” Luna corrected as she waved a mental copy of Aged Page’s notes. “It’s supposed to be a subdivision of, or at least closely linked to Tartarus.”

“The storybooks must have lost the original spelling,” Blitz replied as she summoned a piece of paper into existence and scribbled on it. It disappeared a moment later when the amended text appeared above Grogar’s head.

Aegis stared contemplatively at the demonic ram. “All the kiddy stories we found said he kills whomever he pleases, sending their souls to either Tartarus at large, or to be enslaved within Tambelon.”

“I have no real information to add on that part,” Luna stated with a worried frown. “Other than that it seems to be either both, or that he personally picks which place the victims are sent.”

“The old stories also said that he raised the dead to destroy whole cities, or to gobble up bad little foals.” Blitz created a ghostly pony, and a zombie one. “The legend says that with each victim he gained two more soldiers: the mindless corpse, and the ghost.”

“That’s roughly what the archmage uncovered as well,” Luna added. “Though I have to question the validity of these legends. As you originally feared, it’s all too likely that these stories get blown out of proportion. Did you find anything on his goals, or is he just an engine for destruction?”

“None that I could find,” Blitz replied with Aegis shaking her head. “But judging by the language of the stories, the writer either fully believed he was writing fiction, or was so overloaded with superstition that everything they say is suspect.”

“Yeah, that one kept saying Breezies are heralds of famine and drought,” Aegis scoffed. “The guy also said that Grogar was actually an earth pony originally, and also a minotaur for a while before becoming a demon.”

“I noticed a similar trend in Page’s notes,” Luna stated with mounting concern. “But it’s entirely possible that there were other spirits and demons either mistaken for Grogar, or were actively using his name to spread fear.”

“I hope that’s all we’re dealing with here then,” Blitz stated with waning fear. “Polybia might have secured an alliance with a demon or con artist posing as Grogar. For all we know, Polybia could have used the necromancer’s image on purpose because she thought Twilight would hold us all back while we investigate Grogar.”

“That’s certainly a possibility,” Luna agreed. “If Polybia went rogue in the manner you told me, I would expect a queen to use disinformation like this.”

The hive mind chimed the late hour causing both changelings yawn sleepily. Blitz felt around the hive mind to find that Twilight was highly distracted in other matters. “Hey Aegis, do you know what Aunty’s up to? She’s usually very punctual.”

“I can answer that,” Luna said with deep concern. “Thanks to her sister’s prodding, both Twilight and Rainbow are out exploring less… savory sources of information.”

Intel ‘la ‘Gence, Ferrum, Counterspell, and Thunderfury strode through Lower Canterlot disguised as a quartet of pegasi drifters along a narrow mountain road. Lower Canterlot was perched the very slope of Canterhorn Mountain along northern face, opposite of the old monastery.

Taking up the rear guard, Thunderfury gazed to his left. Without even a railing, the thin road flanked a sheer drop for thirty meters before reaching the roof of another building below. During his training, Thunderfury gained much needed insight into the ground-bound lives of unicorns and earth ponies. <This place is a death trap for non-fliers.>

Had anyone been able to see through his disguise, they would have found Thunderfury bearing his mother’s catlike eyes. Rainbow Dash was watching the expedition through him, but letting him remain in full control for the time being.

Twilight Sparkle kept her misgivings about this dilapidated community masked behind scholarly lectures. <This place used to be called Little Griffintown. Celestia used to tell me stories about it’s marvelous festivals and culture.> Through Intel’s eyes, Twilight silently mourned the glory days she never got to see. <Now though… It’s little more than a slum. I’ve only heard that something ruined griffin pride long ago, but I can’t remember why off the top of my head. Celestia’s planning on rezoning it all, but she’s got to be careful or she might trigger a diplomatic incident.>

Intel didn’t look back at her squad mate to avoid giving any hints to their silent conversation. Like Thunderfury, she too bore her mother’s eyes. <Mother, are you sure Aged Page was right about all this? This doesn’t look like the kind of place an ‘unofficially’ sanctioned demonologist would set up shop.>

The path came to a collasped rope bridge, forcing everyone to fly across. Ferrum was outwardly bored but inwardly scoffing at his commander. <And how many demonologists do you know?>

<Alright, kids, enough,> Twilight fussed to keep them focused. <We need to find an old mare unicorn with a cracked horn and a missing front leg.>

Counterspell pulled his tattered cloak tighter across his face as he passed by a skeletal old griffin who had flies buzzing around his rasping beak. Disgusting.

Rainbow Dash hummed negatively. <No way. I remember being down there a few times to locate some of our less disciplined Wonderbolts and a kidnapping case once where the local police asked for outside help. The only reason none of you are getting mugged is because you’re in a group. It’s more natural for this area than walking solo.>

Intel kept trying to look suspicious of others but also nonchalant. Not something that came easy, even for a changeling. She spied a young pegasus colt no older than she was, chronologically at least, who eyed them like a hawk until the squad passed in front of a dilapidated house.

The path was so eroded and narrow that she had to take to the air to keep from falling. As soon as the last squad member followed suit, the group felt an overwhelmingly powerful magical force muscle past their natural resistance to telekinesis.

With a yelp, Intel was dragged into the house along with the rest of her crew to find a glowing mana engine holding them tight while three earth ponies with crude black market replica muskets held their weapons leveled right at them. A unicorn stepped away from the bulky engine’s controls, bringing the changelings’ attention to her and the Ponies for the Conservation of Equestria graffiti tag behind her.

“Well what do we have here,” the unicorn announced with a drawl. “I would have thought the police finally realized they aren’t welcome down here.”

“What the hell makes you think we’re cops!?” Counterspell shouted accusingly. “Is there a badge on me that I didn’t know about? Did someone tattoo one on my flank without my knowing!?”

Twilight and Rainbow tried to think of a plan, so the drones decided to stall. One of the earth gunponies snorted dismissively. “We saw the lot of you coming down from Middle Canterlot, and we’ve never seen you before. Besides, all of you walk too stiff to be riffraff.”

Ferrum let off a terse laugh at Counterspell. “Well lookie there, CS, somepony thinks you look respectable.”

“Will you two shut up!” Intel growled at them. She turned to the leader, forcing her disgust of the bigot down. “Look, we all got thrown out of the Guard for nearly beating some Ling Lover to death up there. We were actually coming down here to find work. There’s always somepony needing some muscle down here.”

“We should know,” Thunderfury said with general disdain.

The earth ponies kept their weapons trained on the disguised drones, but they looked to the unicorn for direction. The mare glanced behind her, knowing the P.C.E. logo was clearly visible. “A likely story. I was in the Guard myself not too long ago, and I don’t remember any of you. Who was your commanding officer?”

Using Thunderfury’s voice, Rainbow Dash was the one who answered. “That old prick Captain March Step of the Forty Eighth Regiment. I couldn’t stand the guy after finding out he had a griffin fetish.”

Using Rainbow’s information, the remaining three changelings gave similar stories about fellow guardponies and Twilight supplied some gossip on castle life until Intel was the last to speak. “And the old nag had the gall to tell me I was wrong, so I clocked her so hard she’ll be needing a new set of dentures.”

The earth ponies were smirking at the mental image, but had enough discipline to keep their weapons up. The unicorn still frowned suspiciously. “Enough!” she barked harshly.

The room fell silent as the mare studied each of the disguised changelings intently. Twilight started to fear that they had pushed the cover story too far, and were moments away from having to resort to violence. Not sure how effective that’ll be with the mana engine forcing our children to be sitting ducks.

The unicorn watched each of her hostages with a slow steady eye as her magic tightened around the engine’s controls. She hunted for any sign of deception, no matter how faint. Eventually though, all she could do was huff bitterly.

“Fine... You proved you at least can act like former guards. But you’re all from different units, so…”

The changelings watched as the unicorn returned to the mana engine’s controls and let Counterspell fall to the ground. She telekinetically grabbed a spare rifle from behind her chair and gave it to him. “You should have no loyalty to any of them. Kill one, and I’ll believe you. Don’t, and I’ll have you shot right here and now.”

Counterspell stalled for time while verbalizing his disgust for the shoddy weapon in his hooves. <Mother, have you figured out how to overpower the mana-engine?>

<Not without physically being there. That mana engine is some serious hardware. It’s even got a counter-TK field in effect, so you can’t simply switch it off from there.> It doesn’t look to be of changeling make. This could be a bad sign. <Regardless, if the engine was our only problem, the four of you could overpower it, but the earth ponies would notice and open fire.>

Counterspell spotted a removable anti-telekinesis ward on the rifle. A back up? These guys aren’t fooling around. <Trust me guys, I got this.> He narrowed his gaze at Thunderfury who started to wiggle futilely within the mana-engine’s grasp.

“Now wait a minute! We just proved we’re who we say we are, there’s no need for this!” Thunderfury shrieked out of convincing fear.

The unicorn mare pulled a dagger from under her chair and leveled it at Counterspell’s spine. “You’ve proven you were Guard. But now I want proof you’re not undercover agents. Shoot him,” she demanded of Counterspell, “Or we kill you and make one of your buddies take the next shot.”

“Fine by me,” Counterspell lied smoothly, “Never did like you much, Paddle Bat, you always bitched too much.” Adopting the standard Royal Guard firing stance, Counterspell aimed and fired at the distraught false pegasus. With everyone so focused on Thunderfury screaming a death knell, Twilight used Counterspell’s horn for a subtle alteration of the air, making it sound like the bullet hit flesh rather than the concealed shield. Rainbow Dash had successfully guided Thunderfury to fidget so his hidden shields were at an angle that caused the bullet to ricochet outside.

Noticing none of this, the unicorn only saw what they wanted her to: a simple execution. Satisfied, the mare had the engine throw Thunderfury out of the room and down the cliff before any blood could fall. “You’re either very dedicated to your cover story, or you might just be legitimate. But there is one other thing…”

The trio of earth ponies readjusted their aim back towards Counterspell as the unicorn charged her horn. “There is one other group who has such disregard for the lives of others.” With a pulse of magic, she bathed Counterspell in purple magic. Twilight instantly knew the spell, and couldn’t help but to smirk. My old disguise removal spell with quite a few nasty improvements. Honestly, did you really think I wouldn’t have developed a counter to that root design?

Having no way to see the distant queen’s superior grin, the unicorn frowned when Counterspell remained a pegasus. “They’re clean.”

The earth ponies lowered their weapons, but kept them at the ready in case any of them wanted revenge for Thunderfury. With a few adjustments to the controls, the unicorn shut the mana-engine down and let the remaining two Queens’ Guard drop to the ground. “The P.C.E. is always looking for new recruits, but Don Cannoli will want to know you’re in the area first.”

“And where can we find him,” Intel growled, forcing herself to keep her eyes away from the door.

“You don’t find the Don, he finds you. But all the same, go the pawn shop two levels down along Edge Street. You’ll run into one of Cannoli’s people down there before long.”

“Yeah, sure, sure,” Ferrum said dismissively as he made his way towards the door.

Intel leveraged every ounce of her self-control to keep from attacking the terrorists right then and there, instead opting to just silently leave. That left Counterspell to toss the spent firearm at one of the earth stallions. “We’ll visit him soon enough.”

“Don’t make him wait too long,” one of the stallions warned. “Cannoli doesn’t tolerate disrespect and if you piss him off, you can forget about working with us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ferrum replied before he too left the house.

Twilight was far more reserved about her distaste for the group.

The thought of any ponies calling the P.C.E. comrades made Rainbow’s blood boil. <I’ll have the Guard notified immediately. If the P.C.E. is packing hardware like that, we got some flank to kick. But right now, you guys aren’t in a position to take on a P.C.E. cell.>

<Can’t we just talk to this demon guy later? Now that we know about the engine, we can storm the place,> Thunderfury commented, sharing his mother’s bloodlust.

<We only know about four ponies and a single engine. There’s no telling what kind of network they have down here,> Twilight countered with her usual motherly tone.

Rainbow jumped in smoothly as her sister quieted. <Right. And besides, if we did anything to them, we’d probably piss off some police chief or guard captain for ruining an investigation or something because the rest of the cell would go to ground. For now though, keep moving up the path. You should get there in a few minutes, barring any more foalnappings.>

The three remaining false pegasi regrouped once the P.C.E. house and the suspected lookout colt were out of sight. They found Thunderfury disguised as a scraggly pale brown unicorn lazily leaning against the cliff. Even without their empathy, they could tell he was badly drained of mana.

He was wearing a new cloak that was even more ragged than his old one. <Well that was fun. Momma’s gotten worlds better at illusion magic. Had every lookout within half a mile thinking I’m still a corpse back there.> He showed off his torn cloak as if it was a fashionable accessory. <And I found some new digs to boot.>

<Getting shot is fun?> Counterspell snarked. <Must be why our enemies keep jumping in front of our guns.>

Rainbow Dash ignored the banter. <Keep going. Thunder, let them move on a bit before following after.>

Shuffling through the rundown sections of Lower Canterlot, the drones finally reached a small storehouse with a sign reading ‘Grizwalo’s Junction’. By any normal standards, anyone would think the business went under long ago.

Intel rounded some broken wooden crates to find a beggar huddled around the cargo entrance to the building. The beggar was sleeping on her belly, seemingly oblivious to the midday sun beating down on all of them. <Broken horn, missing leg, that must be her.>

Thunderfury stopped trying to act like he wasn’t tailing the group and moved forward to meet up with his squad as Rainbow Dash took full control over him. Twilight did the same with Intel before stepping up to the beggar. She had to keep up appearances of a new criminal so she adopted a harsh tone. “Hey, old mare, you know where we can find a friend of ours?”

A dry raspy cackle escaped the mare’s parched lips. Her neck audibly cracked as she turned to look at Twilight with lifeless eyes. “What kind of friend? I can be yours for five bits.” Her crusted eyes looked over the other three disguised drones. “Ten bits for the lot of you, what do you say?”

Even for the free-love changelings, none of them wanted to go anywhere near that topic with her. “I think we’ll pass,” Twilight stated flatly. “We’re more interested in meeting with Tobi.”

The broken mare cackled loudly as if she was not made of bone and muscle, unnerving the drones. “So you want the special do ya!? Well it’s in the back. Come along.” With surprising strength, the mare got to her hooves and pushed her way inside one of the broken side doors into the storehouse.

Twilight watched her go before turning Intel towards the rest of the squad. <Counterspell, Ferrum, stay here and watch the exit. Make sure we don’t get ambushed coming back out.>

The pair sent their acknowledgements before taking positions around the building while Intel and Thunderfury followed after the beggar.

However, instead of stepping into a disused storehouse, the pair stepped into a candlelit library filled with dusty tomes, arcane diagrams on the floor and on paper, a few skulls of various species, and a young looking earth stallion bent over a stone altar. “Always horrible timing,” he complained morosely.

Twilight scanned the room and looked back at the door to find solid stone with an ivory door frame. The frame itself had the magic scent of unicorn horns. Rainbow was equally confused, but left her sister to the exploration. She focused her attention squarely on the pony.

When Twilight finally gathered her wits, she took a closer look at the pony and his altar. Some glowing green liquid was slowly bubbling, as if it was evaporating in the open air.

Rainbow Dash’s arcane senses told her he was using a glamor spell. Feels like the spellwork is entirely different from our disguise magic, but the end result is the same. Is he a non-pony? Or has his trade of choice corrupted his appearance? “Fel-Weaver Schadenfreude, we’re here because Aged Page said you’re the one to go to for information of demonic nature.”

One of Schadenfreude’s ears turned backwards towards Twilight and Rainbow. He reached for a gnarled old staff with enchanted bones hanging off of it. With a rattling clatter, he stomped the butt of the staff on the ground, causing the glowing liquid to condense into a pool before slithering back into a cup he then set upright.

Finally, he turned around to reveal a very plain looking face with grey eyes matching his drab gray fur and mane. His cutie mark was obscured by a fine cloak. “Is that so?” His eyes flashed red for a few seconds before he returned the staff to its original resting place. “So what’s your poison? I doubt he’d send you if all you wanted was to bargain your souls for power.”

“We want all you’ve got on a demon named Grogar,” Rainbow demanded bluntly.

“Grogar?” he asked incredulously before quickly masking his surprise. “Afraid I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Twilight fished inside Intel’s cloak and pulled out a decent sized bag of bits and threw it down. “We don’t have any souls to spare, but we can pay your monetary price at least.”

“It’s not a question of money, Miss…”

“Call me Loki,” Twilight said.

It took Rainbow a second to remember she was occupying a male body. “Rainy Days.”

Schadenfreude gave Thunderfury a curt nod. “As I said, Miss Loki, I can’t divulge anything about Grogar for another month. A client of mine paid for my extended silence regarding him, and quite handsomely at that. When you’re in my kind of business, your word is all you have to keep ponies like the archmage from frying you where you stand.”

“Even if that knowledge could save the world?” Rainbow rebuked harshly.

Schadenfreude made a dismissive sound and walked over to a filled wine glass and drain a little of it. “I’m a demonologist, Days, I follow my contracts better than any lawyer that ever existed. If it’s in my contract, I abide by it.”

“A snake who stays true to his word, can’t say I expected that,” Rainbow huffed. “But that is at least something I can respect.” Schadenfreude merely shrugged at the derogatory name. It was beyond tame in his book, and suspected it was in his as well.

“As can I,” Twilight began as she let her eyes wander around the cramped room. “But I have it on good authority that client of yours was a changeling. One, Polybia, if I’m not mistaken.”

To his credit, Schadenfreude didn’t react at all. “It’s possible. My client base is quite large, so I wouldn’t doubt at least one changeling decided to request my services. And before you go flashing some obscure law at me, Aged Page and I agreed that I abide by my client’s native laws and customs. Not necessarily Equestria’s.”

“Funny you should mention that.” Rainbow saw her opening and took it. “Let’s say that client was Polybia. Are you familiar with the concept of rogues in changeling society?”

This time he actually chuckled. “Changeling society? Outside of those bugs down in the Everfree," he prodded with a knowing smirk, "there is no society with them. Just a bunch of egomaniacal queens ruling soulless subjects. It’s unbelievably droll.”

“You’d be surprised,” Twilight interjected with an unexpected grin at the stallion’s flippant posture. “Being declared a rogue queen is a serious problem. You see, all of that queen’s loyalties and agreements are considered completely null and void. Any and all contracts you have with her are no longer binding.”

“How convenient.” Schadenfreude settled down in a leather chair and sipped his red wine. “And why should I believe you?”

Sharing a nod between them, Twilight and Rainbow dropped their disguises with a flash of purple and fuchsia magic. Schadenfreude looked at them with not as much shock as they expected. “We are Queens Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. I would like to think we know something about changeling society and its laws,” they announced in unison.

Schadenfreude’s amusement lasted only a few seconds before he slipped into an intrigued expression. “How very interesting… I admit this is the first time I’ve seen one of you Phoenix’s Roost changelings up close. But even if you’re right about this rogue law, unless you have some tangible evidence of my assumed client going rogue, I simply can’t help you in regards to Grogar.”

Rainbow Dash tossed an even heavier bag of bits at his hooves. “I'm sure you have your own way of checking.”

Greed flashed through his eyes as he scooped up the money. “I'm glad you understand.”

His glamor spell shifted slightly, revealing his teeth were razor sharp. Schadenfreude bit down hard on his foreleg and let his blood spill into his wine glass. “Gelnath feltu, Feralian!”

He threw his bloodwine onto the stone floor, splattering it everywhere and sending broken glass in all directions. Twilight flinched a little as one spec of the wine touched her fetlock. The stench of chemically burning fur started to fill the room before the blood pulled itself off her leg. The crimson liquid formed a pentagram beside Schadenfreude’s chair.

Both mares waited nervously. Oily fel magic saturated every inch of the room, trying to claw its way into their minds. Rainbow Dash could feel the corruptive magic pouring out of a hole that formed in the middle of the diagram. The poisonous energy tried to crawl up their hooves, but Twilight burned it away with a bubble of holy magic. Rainbow followed suit, but her shield was actually much stronger than her sister’s, much to Twilight’s chagrin and disbelief.

Twilight watched Schadenfreude carefully as the stallion gazed deeply into the abyssal opening in front of him. The fel magic swirled around him, caressing him like a lover. Rainbow Dash had to suppress a gag. <Grooooss! Who ever thought magic could try to hit on you.>

“I would keep those barriers of yours up,” Schadenfreude warned with a smirk. “Unless you want the demons on the other side to mark you. Once they do that, it’s nearly impossible to avoid an exorcism. Unless you’re interested in studying the darker magics?”

“Thank you but no. And you could have warned us sooner,” Twilight growled. Using holy magic was highly difficult for her. Holy magic from the Silver City was drawn upon far differently than from the Elysian Fields of ponykind. I don’t get it though. I’ve seen mother pull upon the City’s holy magic with such ease, and yet I have to work so damned hard to keep even this bubble up. If it wasn’t for the other queens at the Summit…

Finally, a diminutive shadowy figure crawled out of the floor portal. It spoke with a hollow echo that grated the changelings’ ears. “Master… How can this one serve?”

“Go to the Record Keeper. See if my contract with client Ginger Bell is still in effect.” Schadenfreude grabbed a raw and meaty bone off the end table to his right and tossed it at the small demon. It’s mouth expanded to double its body’s size and devoured the whole thing in one go.

“As you wish, master.”

A whirlpool seemed to form, rapidly sucking all of the fel energy back through the portal along with the demon. The portal closed and the bloodwine cracked and dried in an instant. Schadenfreude got up to retrieve another glass of wine.

Rainbow Dash saw tiny shadowy creatures peek out from various nooks and crannies and take the remaining shards of glass away. “We shouldn’t have to wait long,” Schadenfreude explained as he poured a new glass. “I gave it a particularly tasty treat. I believe you can appreciate expediency.” He waved a hoof at a pair of red velvet chairs across from him. “Please sit. I get so few high profile visitors… from this plane of existence anyway.”

Twilight scanned the furniture and found no obvious traps before accepting the seat with Rainbow taking the one to her right. “This might be a dumb question to you, but how can you trust those things?”

He chuckled louder than Twilight thought proper while letting his true blood red eyes flash from behind the glamor spell. “Just like mortal beings, demons come in all shapes and mentalities. But unlike mortals, they are bound to any contract they sign to the absolute letter. Even if he wanted to, my little messenger could never lie to me.” He briefly pulled a scroll out from his cloak before replacing it. “I keep his contract close at hoof to make sure of that.”

“I see,” was all Twilight was willing to say on the subject. “Assuming this record keeper is up on current events, and he reveals you are free of your contract, we will still pay you handsomely for any useful information regarding Grogar.”

“I’d expect no less,” Schadenfreude stated flatly. He examined the two possessed drones with intense curiosity. “Tell you what. I’ll offer you a discount in exchange for some information about the two of you.”

Rainbow spoke before Twilight had a chance. “We’re not saying a thing until word comes back from your bookie. If he’s been slouching we’re not giving information for free.”

A wide toothy grin cleaved Schadenfreude’s muzzle. “Fair enough. I’ll be willing to offer this discount to any future dealings we have. It’s obvious you hate even being in this room,” he directed more so at Twilight than Rainbow Dash. “But I can offer a great deal of services, even to more… legitimate governments. After all, I wouldn’t be on retainer with the archmage if I wasn’t. He’s getting along in years, even for a unicorn of his power. I’d prefer to stay off the most wanted lists, on the mortal plane at least.”

<Is this guy for real?> Rainbow asked her sister. There was an air of disbelief in the warrior-queen’s tone.

<He is,> Twilight confirmed. <Celestia always told me that for all the good she tries to instill into ponies, criminals and worse have always been there. That’s why she used to tell me ‘Sometimes the only one who can find a rat...’>

<Is another rat,> Rainbow finished with deep scowl. <Yeah my C.O, Spitfire, gave that speech a few times back in the day.>

<Basically. It’s not pretty, but Equestria will always need unsavory agents to help the rest of us combat beings like Grogar. Celestia likes to keep the really important ‘rats’ close at hoof.>

<Tch… Yeah, I get ya,> Rainbow spat.

“We can start things off cordially enough,” Twilight began with a thin smile after finally addressing the demonologist. “I will answer what I deem unimportant to national security.”

Schadenfreude’s grin never wavered. His eyes turned a smoldering red again. “You won’t regret it. I know Page hasn’t… by and large,” he shrugged. “So tell me, your highnesses. The last changeling client I had, I could see her for what she was right away, even with her flawless disguise. But you two…”

His grin shifted from mirth to fascination. “To the best of my admittedly limited knowledge, your drones are typically carbon copies of their queens. The curious exception is that your drones possess fully fledged sapient souls, but I'll get into that later. What I really want to know is how these carbon copies of you have souls as individualistic as normal ponies. You must be altering them somehow, but no one seems to know how. Not even my contacts.”

“So you want to know about that?” Rainbow carefully avoided using the word ‘alchemy’. “If you think you can use that to improve yourself, then you better be ready to become a changeling to do so.”

Schadenfreude’s grin fell into a scowl and slumped back in his chair. “Is that so? What a shame.” He saw Twilight was about to speak but waved her off. “I don’t care to learn anymore about it then. I respect you, but I have no interest in becoming one of you.” He took a long drag of his wine. “That being said… How does a whole hive of changelings possess souls that are are such seamless mergers of changeling and a pony?”

“What?” Twilight and Rainbow Dash asked in unison.

“Oh it’s as plain as day to me, now anyway. I knew exactly what you four were the moment you approached my door.” Schadenfreude watched them carefully to sniff out any deception. “I don’t identify people by their face, but by their soul. Griffins, ponies, zebras, and changelings all have such unique souls from one another. So I have to ask, humor me if you please, why do both you two and your little drones outside have such unique souls?”

“Well…” Twilight was still a little weirded out by the news, as was Rainbow. “My sister and I were converted into changelings, but I thought that was public knowledge.”

Schadenfreude hummed in contemplation. “Yes, I know of it. I’ve personally seen a pony’s soul be corrupted to the point where she was indistinguishable from a demon. A soul mutates to fit the mind and body, so I anticipated such a change in both of you. However, it’s your children that fascinate me. They also possess this smooth melding where instead I expected them to have predominantly changeling souls. I find myself wondering if I’m gazing upon a whole new species rather than a simple hybrid.”

“A lot of people say that,” Rainbow snarked. “Our whole body-change-science alters who we are. Sometimes the only thing the different hives have in common is that we all call ourselves changelings.”

Schadenfreude deflated a little. “I see… So this melding is just a common side effect of your transformative abilities? It could be possibly tied to your original connection to the elements, but that, too, is beyond my… legal reach. Yet more disappointment. Ah well,” he stated with mild resignation. “Then tell me this, did you purposely intertwine your souls or is that a side effect for pony to changeling conversion?”

“Entwined souls?” both mares responded in surprise. “What do you mean?”

Schadenfreude keenly noted that neither queen seemed at all bothered after speaking in unison. “You honestly don’t know?” He slouched back in his chair, his interest rapidly morphing into dismissiveness. “I wouldn’t worry yourselves over much. It’s probably harmless.”

<This guy’s screwing with us,> Rainbow said before her sister could start to overthink it. <Any sort of ‘intertwining’ is probably just a holdover from the elements. Just leave it be before he starts stringing you along.>

Twilight was able to reign in her shock, and settled into a more passive posture. <Yeah… maybe.>

It wasn’t long before some of Cadista’s earlier remarks started to surface. Yumia was my other half… My soulmate. Was mother just being dramatic, or was there more to it than just our old ties to the elements?

Whatever it is, it can’t be too dangerous. Our hive mind focuses on maintaining individuality, so a soul merger is unlikely. Even so, I’m going to need to speak to mother when our business here is done.

Fel magic started filling the room, emanating from the original portal. The tiny demon crossed over much faster this time, and crawled out almost immediately. “Master, the client committed a heinous act indeed, for the Keeper says the contract is void, but not broken… odd, no?”

Schadenfreude looked to the queens with intrigue. “Not really. You may go.”

Wordlessly, the demon retreated back through the portal which closed after it. “So you’re free to spill the beans?” Rainbow half-demanded impatiently.

“Indeed I am,” Schadenfreude confirmed with a wave of his now empty wineglass. “I’ll keep my payment in simple bits. For a demon of Grogar’s caliber, five million bits sounds reasonable.”

“three million,” Twilight countered. “I should push for two and a half since you said you’d give us a discount.”

He flashed a toothy smirk. “That was with the discount. But… I like you two, your highnesses. I have a feeling you’ll be good customers.”

Fat chance of that, both queens mused while keeping their expressions from shifting.

“Fine, but three and a quarter million is my final offer. Business expenses, you see.”

“Deal,” both queens said in unison. “We’ll open a bank account at the Canterlot Reserve under the name Fair Skies for you.” Rainbow Dash levitated Twilight's unclaimed bag of bits on the ground and slipped it back inside Thunderfury’s cloak.

“That is acceptable.” Schadenfreude got up and walked over to his bookshelves while scanning the titles.

Rainbow hesitated for a few moments as something bothered her, more than the room at least. “Just out of curiosity, what did Polybia pay you?”

“Souls,” Schadenfreude replied without inflection.

Both queens’ hearts went cold, and it took Twilight a moment to speak evenly. She thanked the stars the demonologist’s back was turned so he didn’t see their pale faces. “Drone souls?”

“No.”

…

Schadenfreude wasn’t bothered by the heavy silence in the least. While he couldn’t sense it, he just knew the queens were probably ranging from horrified to furious. He was not wrong. At last, he reached the tome he was seeking and withdrew it. “Ahhh, here we are Grogar. Where would you like to start, hmm?”

Author's Notes:
Will the Pretty Clean Elves sue the PCE for copyright violation? Is Grogar's immortal weakness lemon juice? Will Cadance's new song 'What is Love? Me.' hit the top charts? Can Celestia get a tan before it's too late? Will Thunderfury ever escape trade chat?
Find all of this and mooore, next time on the Reformation!!*

*By reading this sentence, you have waived all legal and social rights to actually get an answer to any question ever posted in the A/N.
As always, extra thanks go out to my stellar crew of editors: A Bitter Pill, and Boldish42

6: Contingency

A dozen questions raced through Twilight and Rainbow after Schadenfreude told them of Polybia’s method of payment. Most of them centered on disbelief and shock. I know those other queens probably see non-changelings as nothing more than food, but this is a new low, Rainbow mused darkly. Poly better hope I never get my hooves on her.

Schadenfreude ignored the queens’ obvious anger as he pulled the relevant tome from the shelves and reclaimed his seat and wine glass after topping it off. He was however, surprised neither of them were condemning him for accepting such payment. Are they ignoring it so I can give them the information first, or do they actually accept it as standard business practice for me?

In any event, he had no use for a client that was too furious to conduct business in a professional manner. “If it’ll put your minds at some level of ease,” he started flatly, snapping the queens from their brooding. “Most of the souls had already damned themselves. They were simply going to Tartarus a little early. Well… after I make use of them, anyway.”

“Most of them?” Twilight asked darkly. “And what about the… morally salvageable souls?” It didn’t sound quite right, but she didn’t know of any other way to say it to a demonologist.

“I give them over to Aged Page, of course.” He grinned behind his wineglass as both queens look at him in renewed silent scrutiny.

“Is that the other reason you’re not on government wanted lists?” Rainbow half accused.

“I suspected that would be the obvious conclusion.” His smug grin never left as he started searching the tome for the relevant information. “Ultimately it’s not a terrible arrangement for all parties involved. Such souls… are less useful for my purposes, so I don’t lose all that much, and the Archmage gets to soothe his conscience by giving those souls over to clerics or paladins, or whoever he gives them to, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Twilight shook off the creep factor of the demonologist’s laughter at the whole thing. “As grateful as I am to hear of your… charity work, I would prefer to move along to the Grogar issue.” Twilight cleared her throat and nodded towards the notes.

Schadenfreude cast a overly humored smirk at her. “Down to business, I like that. Now, Grogar. What would you like to know first?”

It was Rainbow who spoke up. “Did Polybia form an alliance with that goat?”

“Ram,” Twilight corrected automatically.

Ignoring the sisters’ quirks, Schadenfreude answered without even looking at his documents. “Based on what she wanted to know, I strongly doubt it. She came here looking for ways to bend him to her will. Cantraps, true names, the usual routine. Grogar isn’t someone you can simply control, he is only a half demon after all. He may not have all of the powers a full demon possesses, but he doesn’t have as many weaknesses either.” He saw in their eyes that he would need to elaborate. “To the best of my knowledge, Grogar was originally an earth pony mare, though I know not his original name.”

“A mare, you gotta be kidding me,” Rainbow scoffed. I know that sort of thing is commonplace among the hive, but outside of that?

Schadenfreude smirked at the irony. “I’ve actually dined with him a few times. Fun fact, Chardonniegh is his favorite wine.” He saw neither queen was interested in trivia. He shrugged at the lost humor. “In Grogar’s own words: “gender is a construct of life, and I am necromancer by trade”. He simply adopts the gender of whatever new body he possesses as his own because he doesn’t see the point in changing it. Personally I think he’d change his tune if he bothered to get laid every once in a while.”

“Fascinating… truly,” Twilight said with an obvious lie. If Polybia was looking for binding spells and tools, it’s possible that there is no alliance, and she took control over him by force. Doesn’t mean they didn’t strike a deal after she met with Schadenfreude though. “The sexual predilections of demonic necromancers aside, how do we defeat him?”

“That is a simple matter that is anything but,” Schadenfreude replied, taking a moment to enjoy the queens’ irritation. “Grogar is no more powerful than anyone else without his Band of Bells.”

“Bells? Seriously?” Rainbow snorted in amusement.

“I’m sure bells took on a more significant meaning in whatever mortal culture Grogar originally belonged to,” Schadenfreude shrugged. “He wasn’t exactly forthcoming in that regard. Either way, because he is not a full demon, Grogar can’t bring his full power with him every time he swaps bodies once the old one dies. So he locked most of it into his bells which, as you can imagine, is far easier to take with you from one body to the next.”

“That’s it?” Twilight asked incredulously. “Take off his necklace and his power is diminished?”

“Partly. The problem is that that power diffuses into his current body until the bells themselves are empty vessels,” Schadenfreude clarified with a serious tone. “You would have to kill his body, then ward his bells from being summoned to where ever he has a spare body lying around. Taking the neckband without killing him would be largely pointless.”

Despite such welcome news, Twilight couldn’t help but to feel dubious. “If this is such a big weakness… How well known is this vulnerability, in your circles?”

“I do so love it when my customers ask the right questions,” Schadenfreude said with slightly growing respect. “It is very well known indeed. Grogar was not always as powerful as he is now. The nature of his self-altered soul means he’s stuck with this particular problem, and many of his enemies have taken advantage of that over the centuries.” He took a sip of his wine before grabbing a tobacco pipe and lit it with a candle. “I think it is a general rule of his to believe all of his enemies know about it.”

“Can we reason with him, perchance?” Twilight knew her sister was going to rebuke that idea until she silently reminded Rainbow who they were talking to.

Schadenfreude puffed on his pipe, letting the throat burning smoke waft away. “But of course. He’s as civilized as they come, so long as you don’t anger him. I dare say he would be irked by our little discussion. Not that I gave away his secrets, mind you, but at how little you paid for them.” Schadenfreude’s eyes wandered up to the ceiling with that ever present unsettling grin plastered on his face. “He always assumed he would be worth at least half a billion bits. I must say I am writhing with anticipation on what his response will be once he discovers how much those secrets actually sold for.”

“Just so long as he directs any vengeance solely upon you,” Rainbow started with a smug grin of her own, trying to play his unsaid game. “I’d like to watch.”

“Care to see if I’m worth a prolonged contract, your highness?” Schadenfreude’s flat teeth were suddenly replaced by yellowed fangs. “I’m almost tempted to tell Grogar myself. At least once this whole Polybia issue he has is resolved. She wouldn’t be the first to forcefully enlist his aid.”

“This has happened before?” both queens asked with mixed levels of surprise and disbelief.

Schadenfreude let off a sensible chuckle. “His demonic half is a succubus… well,” he paused with a head tilt, “incubus now, at least. If you ask me, I believe he quells the remaining incubus urges he has left with the bondage part of being a prisoner. Not that he would let it show.”

“Are you saying he still possesses modesty?” Twilight asked with a sarcastic snort.

“Ha! You are not as blinded as most mortals, Queen Twilight Sparkle, I’ll give you that.” Schadenfreude entirely missed Twilight forcibly hiding her confusion at guessing correctly.

Rainbow Dash was admittedly not the sharpest bowling ball outside of combat, but even she could see something was off. “Wait a minute… how does a half sex-demon never get laid? I thought that was supposed to be their thing.”

Twilight looked to Schadenfreude for answers only to find the stallion was for once at a loss for words. “You know… I never actually gave that much thought. Demons are creatures of emotions, but I suspect his use of necromancy has twisted his body to the point that such urges are smothered.”

“Well that makes sense,” Twilight added with a contemplative shallow frown. “All magic use influences the wielder, be it holy, arcane, or demonic if one school is used excessively over the others. Necromancy is no exception.” She looked at Schadenfreude for confirmation of her next theory. “Even if demons are indeed creatures of emotion, they are still living organic beings. Since necromancy eventually renders the practitioner undead, most of those urges die with them.”

“Quite an interesting idea, your majesty. I know of nothing that could contradict you.”

“Okay, so we know he’s an emotionless smart zombie demon.” Rainbow drew upon Twilight’s knowledge of necromancy to think of a meaningful question. “What about his… phylactery?” I think that’s how you say it. “Can we find it and break it?”

“It’s possible,” Schadenfreude admitted easily. “If I read her right, Polybia was by far most interested in finding Grogar’s phylactery. Not as impossible as ignorant ponies think. Even the most powerful necromancers have a limited range on their phylactery. If they go beyond that range…” Schadenfreude clapped his hooves hard. “His consciousness would be torn away from his vessel and pulled back into the phylactery.

“So if we grab it, we can just fly away with it to disable him?” Rainbow leaned forward in her seat at the prospect of a quick win.

“Assuming you find it, of course,” Schadenfreude countered with a smirk. “He’d have to keep the soul vessel here on the mortal plane to keep the bond between his body and phylactery strong.”

“So he can’t cheat in hiding it?” Rainbow mirrored Schadenfreude’s devilish smirk. “Now that is something worth knowing.”

Polybia stumbled into her hatchery, still glowing with the chilly mana of Grogar’s power. The massive chamber was blanketed in her eggs, and those stolen from the most recent queen she had eliminated from before the Summit. Even if they were not of her blood, they were still viable soldiers.

Grogar’s mana fought against hers as Polybia struggled to bring it under her control. He’s doing something with his mana. It’s never been this difficult to subdue. Still, I need it’s power before attacking Kreesus.

She summoned a pair of caretakers to help carry her so she could put more focus on the riotous mana. By the time she was brought to her destination, most of Grogar’s power had been brought to heel. However it still lingered around her head, clouding her vision. She forcibly shook herself to clear it to little effect. I guess he wants even less food.

Resting before her in a large alcove of the main hatchery were dozens of green glowing pods filled with pony captives. Twilight may have gotten us to return all of the love farmed ponies, but loopholes are too easy to exploit.

The four dozen captives were not actually used for love harvesting, but for knowledge instead. With a hive of dimwitted, but surprisingly competent drones, there was always going to be something that would be impossible to accomplish with Polybia’s direction alone. The ponies here were used for their assortment of talents. Farming, medicine, logistics, combat tactics, and anything else Polybia perceived as useful skills.

With her mental strength returning, Polybia perused over the mass of pods.

“Now… Which of you are the least important?” Looking over the gathered specialists and mulling over the state of her war torn hive, her focus fell upon two of her older pods. “Thanks to Kreesus’ last raid, my farmlands are diminished to the point where I don’t need as many agriculture experts. I can make do without you for a while yet.”

She looked down at the pair of caretakers sitting beside her, awaiting to fulfill her wishes. “Cut those two from their pods and bring the royal egg to me.”

“At once,” they replied emotionlessly.

Carefully removing them from the ceiling, the caretakers moved the pods near their queen and went through the motions of awakening the occupants and carving them out of the pods. Polybia arched a disapproving eyebrow at the pair when enough pod fluid had been washed off of them to see them clearly.

As with all of her pony specialists, they had been partially converted by the pods themselves into changelings. Otherwise connecting them to the hive mind would have been impossible. However, it was impractical to completely stop the transformation, only immensely slow it down. As as result, these two captives had been in the pods for so long they had grown fully formed horns and glossimer wings. While their hooves were black chitin, the fur had only retreated a few inches above the fetlocks. Short fangs poked out from their mouths and their fluttering eyes were indistinguishable from any other drone. Outside of that however, they looked like normal ponies, save for their cutie marks being a garbled mess of color.

Polybia scowled at the hybrids. Damn. Perhaps they’ve been in there for too long. I don’t need mindless servants, I need someone who can act independently… for once. A small spark of hope remained as she noticed the rest of their fur remained thick and strongly colored. The cutie marks were not entirely missing, that at least gave her some confidence and stopped her from ordering them back to the pods.
“Quasi, speak!”

The pale greyish yellow furred stallion of the pair was big and nearly as tall as Luna without her horn. The pod had done nothing to diminish his toned build. “I hear and obey, my queen.”

The curly carrot haired mare looked up Polybia with ghostly hatred in her eyes, but it was dwarfed by her devotion. “I live to serve, my queen.” She had faint peach colored fur with turquoise eyes.

Polybia regarded the brilliantly red maned stallion with an inquisitive eye. “What do you remember of life before the hive?” She questioned hoping to find enough intelligence within them for her purposes.

“Ah worked a farm, but don’t rightly remember what exactly Ah was farm’n,” the stallion replied hesitantly. He wanted to rub his head, but the presence of his queen held him back.

“Do you remember where you used to live?”

The mare wracked her brain, and was able to mostly ignore her forbearance about rubbing her head. A frustrated scowl marred her features. “No, my queen. Only that I helped with the farm. Maybe we were farmhooves or we owned it.” She looked at the big pale yellow stallion. “But I remember him quite clearly.”

Perhaps you remember enough to be useful after all. Polybia saw the growing spark of intelligence in their eyes as some of their memories came back. “Do you think you could reintegrate into pony society?”

“If that is your will, my queen.” The stallion replied evenly.

“I - I would like that, my queen,” the mare said with extreme reservation. “B-but only if you wish it, of course.”

If they have this much emotion… well, the mare anyway, then this might work out acceptably. Stallions have always been able to get away with being less emotional in Equestria if I recall correctly.

Even so, their appearance could make it all useless. Injecting the knowledge of disguise magic into the two quasi, Polybia was ready for her final test. “Disguise yourselves.”

While the stallion accepted the knowledge without issue, the mare had to blink away tears of pain. Polybia saw the tears, but felt no will to resist from her. Grey-green flames washed over the stallion first with the mare recovering from the sudden migraine for a few seconds. The mare felt her queen’s heavy glower hanging over her before she too hid her changeling features.

Polybia inspected the pair with a critical eye for several minutes. “Your plot marks are still garbled, and both of you are still earth ponies. From here on, you are to disguise as unicorns or pegasi only.”

The pair replied with the stallion becoming a pegasus, and the mare a unicorn. Squaring her shoulders, Polybia had her royal egg brought before the former earth ponies. Excellent. They have enough natural loyalty with that necessary spark of intelligence for the task at hoof. “I have a mission of the utmost importance. From here on out, the defense of this egg and its occupant is your sole purpose in life.” Polybia weaved a weak geas of devotion and loyalty before sinking it into both quasi. Any stronger and it would impede their mission.

“What would you have us do?” the stallion asked while the mare carefully took the egg in her magic almost instinctively.

“Take the egg north into Equestria, and wait for it to hatch within the next ten days.” Polybia withdrew a hoof sized gemstone and a necklace with a diamond shaped into a heart. “I have a love collector in Middle Canterlot. Go there, you will receive more instructions as needed.”

It didn’t take the mare long to realize what she was holding. Some small part of her wanted to smash it then and there. Revenge for all the years she had been held captive would have been so very sweet. Another part fought against the first, wanting to protect the unborn life. The lion’s share of her mind cared nothing for the internal war and held it’s charge protectively as the queen had commanded. “But my queen, this is a royal egg! Shouldn’t it stay here with-“

“Enough!” Polybia barked harshly at being questioned by an underling. The mare cowed towards the stallion out of fear. It took Polybia a moment to realize the mare had not actually disobeyed her, but was only expressing concern. Good. This should work better than expected. Still expressing her ire, Polybia lowered her voice. “You show independent thought. A dangerous thing to have for a quasi, but for this task, it is necessary.”

Marred with confusion, the mare calmed down and gently placed the egg on the waxy ground at her hooves. Polybia made a few other commands over the hive mind before continuing. “I have tried raising a love producing daughter multiple times, but they have always ended as failures. As far as I can tell, they require a pony style upbringing to continue producing love. Something I realize is completely beyond me. So you two are my plan B. Go to exit forty seven. I have soldiers there that will escort both you and the egg into Equestria. Do not fail me, quasi. Now go!”

“Yes, my queen!” the stallion replied quickly before scooping up the egg. He made to leave when he noticed the mare was much more hesitant.

“M-my queen. I-I don’t think any part of Canterlot is a good place for us.”

More questions? This is why I prefer simple-minded drones. Taking a partial example from Cadista’s bloodline, Polybia opted to heatedly explain herself rather than slap the mare into submission. After all, she was queen. Blind obedience was a fact of life, and a cherished one at that. “Deal with it. I have no other love collectors beyond the jungles. There has been no need to replace those lost with all of the prisoners I’ve collected.”

The stallion glowered at the mare for angering their queen, but the rebellious spark within her flared with new life in defiance all the same. “I - I understand, my queen,” she stated placatingly. “But all we know is farming. We know nothing of city life.”

Did she simply guess I was going to have them stay there, or did she actually figure it out? Every fiber of Polybia’s being and upbringing demanded that the mare be killed on the spot. Unbound quasi are too dangerous.

A few motes of Grogar’s mana swam around Polybia’s head, clouding her vision and derailing her thoughts. It took her more time than she would have liked to clear the cotton from her brain. When she she finally regarded the mare shaking in terror, a different thought came to mind. “Perhaps you’re right… Your assignment will be long term, and my royal daughter will be depending on you.”

Polybia was struck with inspiration as her inquisitive wandering eyes fell upon the rest of the cocooned quasi. “Leave. I will find something among the rest of these experts with which to aid you. For now, time is short. Be gone!”

Surprised that the mare had not ended up as a red smear on the ground, the stallion pulled his companion up by her fore leg and led her to the exits with the egg in tow.

Polybia seethed at what she had to do. Damn you, Twilight Sparkle. Just by existing you have torn changeling traditions asunder. Coddling upbringing for love, and now I have to suffer two high level intelligences being awake and aware in my Link, even if they are little more than quasi. Polybia watched over her hatchery, trying to will her cocooned soldiers to hatch.

However, those same traditions dictate that I take this path. Better it is to have a love producing queen who’s too soft, than a proper but love dependent daughter.

Still… If I happen to come out on top of this little war, I can always reclaim my daughter when she is of age.

In the end, Polybia knew love was not the sole reason she was sending her daughter away. A queen had to think of everything, and plan for even the worst event possible. I know that look in Grogar’s dead eyes. He wants revenge. That much is beyond obvious. Even with all of my contingencies in place, I will not leave my daughter vulnerable to him by keeping her in the hive.

A little over an hour after first meeting with Schadenfreude, Twilight and Rainbow departed from their children's’ minds to return their awareness back to Twilight’s royal chambers. (Only after Intel and Thunderfury found some privacy first, for modesty’s sake.) The pair was resting against each other on the sofa. With the sun dipping below the horizon, the only light within the room was a single reading lamp on the far end and the lights of the hive below.

Rather than getting up immediately, Twilight leaned a little more heavily on her sister to enjoy her presence a while longer. Rainbow reciprocated without complaint and affectionately nuzzled her in return. Twilight became aware of Ratchet snoozing on her other side, and couldn’t help but to breathe in contentment.

The two queens, and one prime consort, basked in each other’s love. I was blind for years before Rainbow became my sister. Maybe it’s the Equestrian in me, or Celestia and Luna’s example, but I feel so much more… complete with her at my side.

While it was never said, all it took was for Twilight to feel Rainbow’s delicious unconditional love to know she felt the same way.

Yet with all things, the problems of the world conspired against them to end the moment of peace far too early. Gentle Touch spoke to the pair, dragging the sisters back to the present. <My queens, I’ve finished recording all of the information Schadenfreude gave us and placed it in a partitioned section of the Linkscape Archives, as well as sent copies to the alicorn sisters.>

<Very good, Gentle, thank you.> Twilight gently kissed Ratchet before gingerly extracting herself from the couch. The act forced a reluctant Rainbow Dash to do the same, but Ratchet slept through it all.

The heavy scent of lubricant and welding smoke still wafting from his workbench lent credence to his exhaustion.

Rainbow Dash stretched like a cat, buzzing her wings lightly to get the kinks out. <Captain Darya, how are the bi-plane upgrades coming?> With Captain Rourke and the Deception acting as honor guard for the proto-queens in Canterlot, it fell upon the moderately inexperienced carrier captain. As a result, Rainbow had to walk her through a lot of it.

Rainbow remained neutral. <Did you make sure they use the same octavia grade?>

<...Ah, yes! The quartermaster has been informed of the request.>

Twilight sniffed out the fretfulness in the shipmaster and left her sister to her duties with one final nuzzle before departing into the central corridor.

I’m sure Rainbow can settle anything on that front. It may not be combat, but she’s gotten a lot better at directing the logistics side of things too.

It didn’t take long before Twilight reached the door leading to her mother’s quarters. Cadista’s quarters were just a bit smaller than Twilight’s personal workshop/bedroom. A short ping announced her a moment before entering.

Akin to her home back in Stripped Gear, Cadista had filled the walls with paintings over the last four years. Without a hive to rule, and the queenly pair more than able to run things on their own, Cadista dove more deeply into her artwork, at least when her work as the hive’s economic trade advisor allowed it.

Currently, Cadista stood before an easel with a paintbrush clasped in her orange magic. By in large, most of her works were either cityscapes or renditions of the various machinery found around the technocity. So it was a pleasant surprise for Twilight to find her mother working on a piece of what looked like abstract art vaguely reminiscent of the baking disaster Pinkie’s son had a hoof in some time ago.

Twilight remained respectfully quiet since her mother was completely engrossed in her artwork. For an empath, watching her mother express herself upon canvas was a breathtaking experience. It’s one thing to go to an exhibit and try to interpret the artist’s mood, but to feel those emotions as they’re given physical form?

Twilight gave off a wistful sigh, unwittingly snapping Cadesta out of her zen state. The sudden shift in Cadista’s emotions made Twilight squeak out of embarrassment, but her mother took it in stride while putting her brush down. “Your aura is mostly clear. I assume your meeting with the demonologist went well.”

“It did. Schadenfreude gave us enough information to deal with Grogar, one way or another.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Cadista started cleaning up her paints and brushes, knowing she was unlikely to return to her zen state for the rest of the night. “I hope you didn’t have to bargain away too much. Fel Shapers and summoners are always out for number one.”

“Just bits, thankfully. It’ll hold back the construction of the newest aluminum foundry by a few months, but that’ll give the miners time to have rotating vacations for a little while. Explore Equestria or whatever they decide to do with themselves.”

“Like hoofball?” Cadista verbally prodded with a smirk.

Twilight huffed in suppressed irritation. “Yes, even hoofball. Though I can’t imagine why so many of my kids find it fun.” She tried to distract herself by looking out of the grand open balcony and down to the bustling hive below. A sea of lights upon the inky backdrop of the Everfree. Canterlot’s spear of light in the distance really ties it all together.

Cadista snickered over her daughter’s harmless ire. “Reminds me of the old days.” She almost said ‘good old days’, but Twilight and Rainbow’s success was enough to trump the time when Yumia still lived. “Yumia and I used to joke how our eggs kept getting switched at birth. I never understood why so many of my children took after Yumia so strongly, and vice versa.”

Twilight’s ears perked up and she turned away from the view of the city lights. “Actually, that’s part of the reason why I’m here.”

“Oh?” Cadista asked while never turning away from her cleaning work. She moved on to sealing up her paint tubes.

“Yes… Schadenfreude said something odd. He mentioned that Rainbow Dash and my souls are intertwined. Rainbow is just passing it off as our old connection to the Elements of Harmony, but I…” She scuffed the ground nervously. “I wouldn’t be bringing this up if it was just Schadenfreude’s comment alone. I feel like Rainbow Dash is more than just a sister to me.”

Cadista slightly turned away from her work to give her daughter a sarcastic sidelong glance. “So she’s sending your heart aflutter?”

“No!” Twilight rebuked with puffed cheeks. Knowing her mother was teasing her, she buzzed her wings in short lived irritation. “Honestly, I think that would spoil it for the both of us.”

“Really? Well maybe next lifetime then,” Cadista added with an attempt to inject some humor.

“Back on topic,” Twilight said with a slacking scowl. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I feel so… complete around RD. More so than when I’m immersing myself within the hive mind. I was wondering if you and Yumia experienced such a thing.”

Cadista’s smile faded and was replaced by an old pained frown. She was at least glad that her back was turned to Twilight so she wouldn’t see it, even if she could sense it. “Yumia and I… Had something I’ve never seen in anyone else, though I admit I have seen some signs of it in you two. I wouldn’t be surprised if such signs soon popped up between Aegis and Blitz.”

It didn’t take long before Twilight put the pieces together. “You think it’s because we rule side by side?”

“That’s my theory.” Cadista finished with the paints and started putting everything away into cupboards. “The Equestrians have that phrase: soulmates. A romantic term to be sure, probably even true. But from what I’ve seen, it is only half of what two queens experience when they rule side by side. The bond they share is unbreakable, and that’s not always a good thing.”

Cadista turned fully to face her daughter and raised a hoof to cover her chest. “I’m not going to sugar-coat this, Twilight. I fully believe I carry a piece of Yumia’s soul with me, even today. Just as she did with a part of mine. When she died,” Cadista forced her tears back, but couldn’t stop her eyes from going bloodshot. “A part of me died with her, in more ways than any pony could ever understand.”

Twilight quickly embraced her mother with a crushing hug, partly to give her a daughter's love, and partly to keep her from getting any dark ideas. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Cadista was taken off guard by the sudden heartfelt embrace. Am I slipping, or is she reading me better? The topic and Twilight’s mournful aura chipped away at Cadista’s stoicism. I can’t let her see me like that.

Try as she might, Cadista couldn’t reign in her deepening despondency. “No, no, it’s better this way.” Cadista blinked away a few rebellious tears, and took a deep calming breath. Even after all this time, I still have tears to shed?

With long practiced ease, she restored her composure; even going so far as to use disguise magic to hide her puffiness. “I was going to tell you, I needed to tell you, but I wasn’t sure how or when. I didn’t even fully believe it was happening between you two until you brought it up.”

For a long while, Twilight held her mother close, giving Cadista time to rebuild her mask. The old former queen still had some of her pride, and bottled the old melancholy up as best she could. Eventually, she separated from Twilight to give her daughter a look that bore the weight of the world behind it. “You and Rainbow will be as close as two people can be, without being joined at that hip, but never lose her, Twilight. Don’t ever lose her!” She tapped Twilight in the chest to drive the point home. “You’ll lose all color in the world if that ever happens.”

“I won’t, momma.” Twilight snuck in a brief nuzzle. “I promise you and Rainbow that.”

“We made the same promises to each other, Yumia and I. You may not be the militant that Rainbow is, but…” Cadista trailed off, feeling any further words were unneeded. She wanted nothing more than to let her emotions drain out. “You might as well go tell her about it then.”

“Yes, of course.” Twilight made to leave, but hesitated at the door. She turned back to see Cadista stoically watching the city below. A small twinge of worry crossed Twilight’s thoughts. “For what’s it’s worth, mother. I’m glad it happened with Rainbow Dash. I get the feeling that this is how we queens are meant to rule, side by side with another. Why else would it happen so naturally? I know RD is the happiest she’s ever been.”

Cadista debated whether or not Twilight was trying to simply make sense of it, or trying to comfort her in imagined guilt and unhealable pain. “Perhaps.”

Twilight stood at the door waiting for Cadista to continue, but silence was her only answer. In the end, Twilight wordlessly departed to speak to her sister. This was not a conversation she felt would be sufficient over the Link alone.

Aegis all but threw herself onto the balcony lounge chair attached to her mother’s old castle home. Her bones ached, her muscles burned, her wings hung limp by her side, and her mane was matted with sweat. “Why was that last lap so hard?”

Blitz flopped onto a large cushion on the ground next to the sofa, and was in even worse shape than Aegis was. “We’re not drones anymore, remember? Our bodies are designed for fertility, hive command, and bipedalism, not physical prowess.”

Aegis merely groaned loudly in reply. It was a coarse sentiment, but one that Blitz shared. “Now I know what Aunty felt like after finding out she was a royal.” Aegis brightened considerably after seeing Gear Ratio canter over with a pitcher of royal jelly tea, the first she’d seen all week.

“Now I want you two to drink every last drop. This is fresh off the train barely an hour ago.”

Both proto-queens needed no further prompting and used their magic to pour the cups and down their first round. Aegis wanted to use her hands, but she struggled to close a fist after the latest round of experimental exercises. It’s not exactly easy coming up with new workouts for muscles that never existed a few years ago.

Several minutes later, Aegis downed the last drop from her glass before sighing in culinary delight. “Ahh! Now that hit the spot. Another round, we got eggs baking here!”

Blitz drank the last of her share with far more social grace than her counterpart, which wasn’t saying much. She stifled a yawn, and blinked blearily. Like Aegis, her body was still acclimating to oviposition, so between that, the exercise, medical examinations, and her body’s rapid growth, Blitz was utterly exhausted. Unlike Aegis however, she didn’t start off with an athletic body so she dragged herself to her hooves. She was actually amazed she was able to stand on two legs at all. The thought of walking off on four legs didn’t even occur to her fatigue addled mind. “You go ahead, I need some sleep.”

“Before you do,” Gear Ratio stated while taking a clipboard one of her caretakers brought her, “I suspect you might want to hear our latest findings regarding your wing marks.”

Summoning a little mental strength, Blitz flared her wings to look at her mother’s cutie mark outlined on her wings. “Fineee,” she half groaned at being denied her rest.

“It’s good news, so I thought giving it to you now would help you sleep, Blitz.” The proto queens perked up a bit as Gear Ratio finished scanning the important details on the report. “So far, I have seen no negative symptoms regarding the marks. Your wings are as strong to be expected. While everything else looks green, your mana seems to pool around the symbols, much like how mother and Aunty’s magic is strongly tied to their cutie marks. I would still like to study them,” the proto-queens groaned and sagged at the news, not that Gear Ratio seemed to mind. “At least until one month has passed after you’ve fully developed into queens. After that we can postpone them to simply monthly visits and maybe even phase them out entirely if no complications arise.”

“A silver lining at last!” Aegis ranted before her attention suddenly snapped towards the star filled sky.

Blitz felt an alert go out over the four royals, but the message was focused on Aegis. “What’s wrong?”

Shrugging off her fatigue as a wave of adrenaline coursed through her, Aegis moved over to the balcony railing and pointed towards the north. “Something’s not right. There’s an Equestrian naval ship approaching the Deception unannounced.”

Blitz and Gear Ratio followed Aegis’ hoof towards the frigate. It was on station above the recently built naval airship dock that was adjacent to the Palace District. From this distance, it looked as if there was a tender vessel moving over towards the frigate.

Blitz tilted her head questioningly. “I didn’t think the Equestrians had adopted tender vessels yet. It’s still new to us.”

“They haven’t as far as I know,” Aegis replied worriedly. She had to control herself to keep from flying off to figure out what was going on in person. She didn’t exactly trust her wings right now, adrenaline or not. “But that ship’s getting way too close. Since Aunty’s not here, I have overall command of our visiting forces. I’ve already given word to have the local authorities drive them off, but ponies communicate so slowly it might take an hour. As for us, it’s not like we can give warning shots over Canterlot itself, so I told a few crewmembers to go over to the other ship to tell them to back off.”

“Why is it not slowing down?!” Gear Ratio yelled as the tender vessel was closing too quickly.

“It’s an attack?!” Aegis freaked as her messengers to the other ship were getting fired upon by unicorn spells. The Deception tried to bank away from it, but the armored warship was too sluggish. The tender vessel slammed into the port side, splintering against the reinforced steel hull of the frigate.

For a moment, Aegis gave a smug grin and pumped a fist in victory when the Deception showed no sign of damage after it rocked from the impact. “Changeling engineering, baby!” Yet that smirk vanished when a huge explosion consumed both ships in a blinding arcane fireball.

Everyone watching the skies that night were dumbstruck as splintered wood careened throughout parts of the city.

The Deception emerged from the fireball trailing the telltale blue flames of burning octavia along the port side as it slammed into the naval docks beneath it, destroying the airbags of two Equestrian warships. The weight of all three ships snapped the dock apart before they sank to the forests below Canterlot Mountain.

Blitz and Gear Ratio were utterly stunned while Aegis ground her teeth. Rage erupted within her as her mind cycled through possible suspects ranging from Polybia, the PCE, and even Chrysalis. She started barking orders over the hive mind for damage control and to set up rescue parties from the soldiers who were on leave in the city. The proto-queens’ wings buzzed with righteous fury, their earlier fatigue forgotten completely. Aegis tightened her grip on Burny. “Blitz, when we finish rescuing the survivors, we’ve got some heads to collect.”

7: The Wheels in Motion

Celestia sat alone at her rarely used war table, deep within Canterlot Castle. The oppressive pale marble of the windowless walls seemed to bear down upon her. The last of her advisors had departed barely a minute ago as she took a moment to organize her thoughts against the lack of sleep.

Several newspapers were cast about in front of her. While she knew much of what happened above the naval docks last night, a relatively new habit of hers was to read the headlines to see what the people knew.

ALLIES UNDER ATTACK!
FLAGSHIP OF PHOENIX ROOST SUNK BY EQUESTRIAN NAVY VESSEL!

Celestia became heavily agitated by such an inflammatory headline, and hoped it was alone.

THE DECEPTION DESTROYED BY DECEPTION!
ATTACK SINKS TWO EQUESTRIAN SHIPS AND CRIPPLES THE CHANGELING FLAGSHIP!

Celestia glowered at the dark humor, hating it even more when it stirred a ghost of a laugh out of her. She was about to gloss over a third newspaper when there was a rapping knock on the oak doors. She took the papers and shuffled them into a neat stack. “Enter!”

A pair of earth pony stallions emerged and bowed briefly before cantering over to either side of the Celestia. “I hate to tell you this, Princess” said the beige stallion with a non-descript black mane, “but I warned you this would happen.”

“So it truly was the P.C.E?” she said neutrally, revealing nothing.

“Undoubtedly,” said the albino stallion circling around to her right. “Our colts are still sifting through the bodies. We’ve only found three groups: the hybrid changelings, Equestrian sailors still garbed in uniform or sleepwear, and ponies in civilian garb.” The albino heaved one of his saddlebags off and dropped it on the table to start pulling out records. “As I’m sure you already know, naval dress code regulation aboard ship expressly forbids civilian attire.”

“The P.C.E. is also the only criminal group with entirely anti-changeling goals,” his beige companion finished. “If I may be frank, your highness, if we had the funding and horsepower I asked for, we might not be in this problem.”

Celestia fixed him with a measured scowl. “Director Mild Spice, your own reports confirmed that P.C.E. membership was at an all-time low, and due to recent efforts, public approval of Phoenix’s Roost was nearly on par with my sister. All the signs said you didn’t need a doubled budget.”

Spice’s accomplice cleared his throat. “I understand the needs of a balanced budget, your majesty, but with rogue griffin bandits increasing along the national border, and the monitoring of all Matriarch aligned dragons, our department has been stretched too thin to keep a desirable level of surveillance on the P.C.E.”

“We can bicker about blame another time,” Celestia stated tersely. “Right now, I want your plan on how to handle this. The destruction of two of our own warships, the docks, and the loss of the sailors themselves should obliterate any public support these…” It had been a long time since she had to use the word floating around in her mind. Bandits, pirates, mafia, and more were bad enough, but this one was the worst of all to the ageless alicorn. “These terrorists had left. I want all of you to-”

A much angrier banging on the door resounded through the chamber, stifling any further discussion. And here comes a glimpse of the future. Celestia steeled herself, shoring up all of her diplomatic clout. “Enter.”

Aegis all but kicked the door open as she stormed in with Blitz right behind her. “With all due respect, princess, what the hell?!” Celestia spied the heavy bags under Aegis’ bloodshot fatigued eyes. Neither proto-queen had gotten an ounce of sleep after personally joining the rescue efforts alongside Luna and the Canterlot emergency services. “How could this happen right next to your castle!?”

“We’re in the process of discovering that ourselves, Proto-Queen Aegis Altair.” Celestia shifted her attention towards Blitz who was just as fatigued, but veiled her animosity better than her counterpart. “We will find out who did this, and punish them accordingly.” She noticed no drones had followed after the pair. “I’d like to wait until your mothers can join us.”

“They aren’t coming,” Blitz replied with some semblance of diplomatic grace. “That light show you might have seen above the Everfree… Well, let’s just say Aunty Twilight doesn’t trust mother to keep from biting somepony’s head off and causing tensions between us.”

And Aegis has more control? Celestia mused silently to herself.

“Plus Aunty thinks this is a good test for our crisis management skills.” Blitz finished with a terse grimace. Hell of a first crisis test though.

Aegis’ horn flashed and Burny was summoned with a fully loaded fuel canister and its pilot light already lit. The two earth ponies jumped back a step after realizing it was a flamethrower, one of the most feared and controversial weapons the changelings used regularly. “Give me a target, a building, a suspect, anything!”

Unlike her subordinates, Celestia didn’t believe Aegis would actually do anything rash, in this room anyway. “We need to be calm and collected. The last thing we need is you leading a charge along the streets breaking into houses looking for suspects. That would only play into the P.C.E’s hooves.”

“So it was the P.C.E?” Aegis demanded heatedly. Her grip on Burny tightened at the prospect of using it.

Mild Spice did his best to appear unafraid. By the goddess, who thought it was a good idea to make this pyromaniac a breeder?! “That is what my department’s informants are trying to ascertain, but as of now we only have speculation to go on. I highly doubt the destruction of two pony warships and part of the naval dock was part the plan, so they’re probably going to deny any responsibility on this.”

“Then that’s all the more reason to go out and bust some heads!” Aegis shouted with murder in her eyes. “We’ve got the best infiltrators in the game, but this is your turf, so give us something to do!”

Celestia glanced at Blitz to find the same call for blood in her deep scowl as well, and counted herself fortunate it wasn’t directed at her or her ponies in general. They aren’t former Equestrians like their mothers. Aegis and Blitzkrieg will be far more difficult to handle once they form a nation of their own. They don’t seem to possess the same conviction for peace their mothers have. All it took was for several memories to surface of the recent battles Twilight and Rainbow had found themselves in ever since becoming changelings. All the more reason to keep their ire in check and properly directed.

“Mild Spice has been requesting additional horsepower and funding for a while now.” Celestia pointedly did not look at the smug ‘I told you so’ face he was making, and opted to gesture a hoof at him. “I admit we haven’t tried joint agencies before, but if anything, now is the time to combine our efforts more closely.”

Aegis was taken aback by the proposal while Blitz saw it for what it was. “’Turn tragedy into victory.’ Aunty taught me that quite a few times. You want to use this as an excuse to tighten the alliance even closer.”

“You disagree?” Celestia said in that thought provoking tone that always worked on Twilight in her youth.

Despite herself, Blitz gave a short chuckle with a half grin. “Not at all. Aegis and I of the same mind with our mothers. We want this alliance to strengthen to the point where ponies are as comfortable around us as the three tribes are to each other.”

Aegis shouldered Burny after turning the pilot light off and crossing her arms. “Not to mention it’d be the perfect slap to the face against these bastards.”

“Good luck with that if these changelings keep adding on more weird body styles,” Mild Spice’s assistant whispered in his ear.

Ignoring his assistant's comment, Mild Spice stepped back up to the table. He gave both changelings a respectful nod. “The Equestrian Intelligence Bureau already has a taskforce assembled, but as the princess stated, we’re short-staffed.” He had to keep his mind off the potential of greater access to changeling technology. “We’ll accept any assistance you can offer.”

“The crown will offer expanded funds,” Celestia added with a stern visage. “This attack was perpetrated right here in the Equestrian capital, and most likely by some of my own subjects. To do any less is irremissible. In addition, the EIB is a publicly acknowledged agency. I’ll be making a statement to the press about this joint arrangement.” It was Celestia’s turn to put some fire in her speech and bang the table with a hoof. “I want the world to know that nothing will break this alliance.”

Aegis huffed in approval before taking a seat opposite of Celestia. She let Burny rest on the side of her chair as Blitz took a seat of her own. “Glad to see you’re not taking the soft approach, Princess Celestia. I’ll pull our best spies out of the neighboring kingdoms. I’d rather not have drones fresh out of the shell for this.”

“A prudent call,” Celestia replied as she smoothly reclaimed her typical warm yet commanding tone.

Mild Spice went about planning the cooperative element in his head while his assistance gave the proto-queens a puzzled look. “Begging your pardon. But I was under the impression Phoenix’s Roost hadn’t started its intelligence agency yet.”

“We haven’t, technically.” Blitz replied with a hint of mirth across her lips. “Our meager team doesn’t go after military or political secrets.” As if anyone except the sphinxes could be a military threat.

“They’re out there assessing the markets,” Aegis jumped in. “Honing their skills on more… legitimate secrets.”

That didn’t sound very impressive to either earth stallion, but Celestia had to hide a frown behind a neutral façade. Luna warned me that changelings are naturally secretive. I can only hope that Twilight and Rainbow can continue to guide that nature along constructive avenues. So far so good though… “We’ll get started on having all of our up to date information ready for your perusal then,” Celesia said half to the changelings, and half to Mild Spice. “The sooner we root out the culprits the better.”

Blitz hummed in thought for a moment before glancing at the princess. “Then might I suggest recruiting Aunty Applejack to spearhead the media front on this? Her dedication to the factual truth during the original public relations campaign earned her quite a bit of respect for brutal honesty, even among our harshest… opponents to the formal alliance. Even the P.C.E. could never argue effectively against her.”

Aegis’ wings buzzed in agreement while Celestia simply nodded with an impressed smile. “Must be quite a reputation indeed since I believe you were barely a hatchling back then.”

Both proto-queens couldn’t help but to feel complimented by Celestia’s usage of the changeling term. Blitz flashed a simple diplomatic smile that Celestia instantly recognized as belonging to Twilight. “Mother and Aunty Twilight believe hatred is born from ignorance and fear. No pony has such conviction to the real truth as Applejack. Besides, the public will almost certainly be expecting her to speak on this attack as everypony is going to start pointing at the P.C.E. very soon,” she glanced at the scattered newspapers on the table, “if they haven’t already.”

Celestia marved at Blitz’s reasoning. “I must say, Twilight has taught you well. I have a feeling you will make an excellent civic ruler.”

Aegis scoffed playfully and snatched one of the newspaper with her magic. “I think we all have you to thank for mother’s savviness.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia admitted with a rare admission of ego. “As for Applejack, I have little doubt she’ll accept the request.”

Rainbow Dash was buried horn deep in her work trying to juggle the naval preparations and tightening security around the hive. Fuel, food, spare parts, border checks for non-changelings, bolstering the national guard, and focusing the patrolling gunships closer to the hive, all of it crossed Rainbow’s plate with the mare taking it all in as best she could.

By themselves, it might not have been overly difficult, but Rainbow Dash was chomping at the bit to personally put those who killed her children and crippled her favorite ship into the dirt. Her seething dark mood wasn’t helped by the fact that Twilight talked her into letting their daughters handle that matter. I know my girl will jack them up, but by the First Mother, we should be up there, not stuck down here getting ready to trounce Poly Pocket. “Grraaa! I can’t even keep producing eggs once we move south!” Rainbow Dash raged as she leapt from her bed and started beating on a well worn bucking bag

Twilight Sparkle was snapped out of her Link-Trance by her sister’s outburst. “I know it’s tough, Rainbow, believe me I do, but it needs to be our daughters that handle the attack. At this point it won’t do us any good if you or I handle it.”

Rainbow Dash kicked the bag hard enough to nearly strain her leg. She glowered at her sister with anger, although it was not directed at her. “Why? We have to show we’re not going to take this crap lying down! A and B aren’t ready for this kinda thing!”

“And we were, when we went up against dragons, diamond dogs, Discord, and then Chrysalis’ army during my brother’s wedding?” Twilight challenged with a little steel, forcing Rainbow to back down a bit. “Fact is, we’re doing all we can to train them to be proper and competent queens. Not only do they need this to grow, but it will also allow us to focus on our more dangerous tasks.”

“I distinctly remember losing our fight against Chrysalis,” Rainbow Dash muttered just loud enough to be heard.

“Which only proved how far we still had to go. But I gave this task to them for one other reason.” Rainbow returned her attention to the object of her physical abuse and started beating on it again, leaving her sister to keep talking. “The public still sees the two of us as former ponies, and believe much of our loyalty to Equestria stems from that. However, they don’t know what to make of our daughters since they have always been changelings.”

“Wait,” Rainbow stopped mid kick to look at Twilight with a conspiratorial grimace. “So you’re using the death of our kids and the destruction of my ship for a PR stunt?”

“Way to make it sound dirty,” Twilight half growled. “I’m trying to make the best out of a horrible situation! We’re not a group of friends with no pony relying on us to make big picture decisions anymore, and we haven’t been for well over a decade.” Twilight matched Rainbow’s glower with her own.

“Then why can’t we at least look like we’re personally going after both? That way we don’t look like we couldn’t care enough about our bloody flagship getting crippled to do it ourselves!” Twilight actually hesitated her follow-up at that. Seeing she was gaining ground, Rainbow continued pressing her point. “I get big picture stuff, okay? I’m not a fly by my tail daredevil anymore.”

Twilight cocked a sarcastic eyebrow at that, making Rainbow fluster. “Your prank career aside, my point still stands. The fact of the matter is, sister, is that we need to let our daughters handle it.”

“And I say we need to make sure that the ponies don’t think we’re just passing the buck like we don’t care!”

Twilight glowered at her stubborn sister’s scowling face before suddenly dropping her stern expression and turning away dismissively. “Very well, have it your way. You want to ignore focusing on Grogar and leave me to do it all? Go ahead, but…” A thread of fear surged through Rainbow whenever her sister took that tone.

Twilight’s horn glowed briefly as she summoned a book. It wasn’t just any book, oh no, it was the gold encrusted first edition Daring Do and the March of the Yao Guai with AK Yearling’s signature right on the cover addressed specifically to Queen Rainbow Dash. Rainbow’s eyes widened at the sight of the new book with her wings flaring instantly. “I - Is that the uncut version!?”

“It sure is!” Twilight replied with a coy tone. “Buuuut, since you’ll be staying here, you won’t have any reading time that steaming down to the jungle would afford, so I guess you’ll just have to wait to find out what happens in the fight against the Legion of Doom. I’ll just have to read it all by my lonesome…” She cast half lidded eyes at her sweating sister. “And announce spoilers throughout the whole trip.”

Rainbow scrunched her muzzle in a patented Massively Uncool Scowl of Eternal Shame. “That’s low.”

Twilight levitated the heavenly book to her side. “I mean it when I say this plan is for the best. I know you’re itching to fight these morally bankrupt scum, but this is as much of a civic matter as it is a military one. Aegis has learned well from you, hasn’t she? I know Blitz will do us both proud. So trust not just me but them as well. Do that, and the book is yours.”

Rainbow chewed on the inside of her mouth for several moment. Her eyes darted between her sister’s face and the seductive book right next to her. “I probably won’t have time to read anyway with all the work I have to do.”

All Twilight did in response was to waggle the book a little bit with a lopsided smirk that said ‘I know you’ll make the time’. Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat before dashing forward and snatching the book with her magic before wrapping her legs around it, all while keeping herself aloft. “Okay fine, you win, cheater! This better not come back to bite us in the flank or it’s on your head.”

Satisfied, Twilight nodded with a thin smile. “I have every confidence that Aegis and Blitz are ready for this. They are our heirs after all. The public will see that sending both of them on this task is evidence enough that we are serious about the attack, especially since rumors are already circulating in the other nations about the war brewing in the jungle. Without Silandrus keeping explorers out, there’ve been many sightings of non-ponies down there lately.”

Neither queen got any further into the conversation when Captain Rourke spoke over the Link. <My queens, I have the damage report on crew and ship ready.>

Rainbow hung her head in exasperation. She focused entirely on Rourke, knowing full well her mood would be dictated by the report. Twilight got up and briefly nuzzled her sister to try and calm her down. <Go ahead, captain. I’m glad your injuries were minor.>

<Thank you, my queen. If it wasn’t for the starboard octavia engine, we’d have been as bad off as the two equestrian ships. Good thing we upgraded to it too, we were tilted so far off center the old propeller engines wouldn’t have helped at all.> Both queens carefully held out optimism after hearing that. While they sensed the loss of life over the hive mind, an exact count was very difficult to determine.

So the ship’s still salvageable?! A different matter still clung to Rainbow’s thoughts. <What about casualties?>

Rourke paused at the question. I thought they’d be able to tell already. Then again, I don’t know how a queen’s mind works. <Twenty seven dead, sixty wounded including myself. Eight are in critical condition. That’s nothing compared to the ponies though. Both crews were loaded up with soldiers shipping out to the Chaos Lands. Neither ship had any survivors outside of the pegasi who got clear before we all hit the ground, including a Wonderbolt squad.>

Rainbow’s earlier fury was renewed in earnest. <Those bastards don’t care who they hurt, not even the ponies they claim to protect from us! Not even the constant ‘civil war’ with the minotaurs is that wrong.>

Twilight shared her sister’s revulsion until a dark realization hit her. Oh no… What if this is exactly what the P.C.E. wanted? I hadn’t even thought of what the other races would make of this. She’s probably already suspected something, but I better warn Celestia about how the other nations will view this attack. At the very least our ambassadors should be taking careful note of anything unusual.

Not wanting to worry her already hell-bent sister any further, Twilight refrained from voicing the concern and quietly passed the news on to her ambassador Rolled Scroll. She got off her chair and looked towards the Long Shot hanging off in the distance above the naval yard. <Thank you Captain Rourke, keep us apprised of the situation.>

Acknowledging the dismissal, Rourke bid her farewell, leaving Rainbow Dash fuming at everything in general. She took a sidelong glare at Twilight, but ultimately held no anger towards her. “Okay, okay, I get it, Poly and Grogar are the bigger threats. It’s just that…” She groaned aloud in frustration. ”They’re more than just our kids, Twi. They’re our royal kids-”

“They’ll have the princesses, some of our best infiltrators, the backing of Equestria, and our pony friends if the need arises,” Twilight gave her sister the dark, fang-filled humorless smirk of a mother wronged. “Which is more than we had going for us up against Nightmare Moon and all the others back in the day.”

Rainbow sat there in contemplation for several long seconds before growling dismissively. “Fine. I don’t like it, but maybe you’re right.”

At any other time, Twilight would have been both proud and happy to see her sister learning to let their royal daughters carve their own path. Circumstances as they were, she’d have to settle for just pride. “How long until we’re able to join the other queens against Polybia? They might be willing to wait, but Polybia knows she’s on a time limit.”

Rainbow grimaced as she quickly went over the various reports her drones were feeding her. “Ten days, tops, eight if we push it, but I don’t like sloppy work, especially on those flimsy fighters.”

“It takes time to steam south, they can fine tune it on the way,” Twilight offered.

“That is with them doing it along the way,” Rainbow countered flatly. “I’m also counting on Poly to try and ambush us in some way before we even get to the jungle. Not to mention a hundred other things on my plate before the week’s out. At the very least, it’ll give me some time to keep an eye on Sectovaria before she crosses into the Chaos Lands a few days from now.”

Nodding, Twilight made to leave her sister’s room. “I’ll leave you to it then. The girls may be handling who attacked us at Canterlot, but I need to personally handle the diplomatic fallout for the time being.”

That was one battle Rainbow was more than happy to sit out. Unless it involved the minotaurs’ ‘aggressive negotiations’, diplomacy was not her forte. Barring that, Rainbow buzzed her wings in acknowledgement to her sister before refocusing on her work, but one thing still nagged at her. <Hey, sis, can we hold the Day of Mourning early, before we leave? I really don’t want this hanging over my head.>

Twilight wilted a little at her sister’s morose tone. <Of course, Rainbow, we’ll do it the day before setting out.>

Polybia stood atop a precipice at the very fringe of a rival hive’s territory, northeast of her own hive. The jungles here along the leading edge grew unchecked by changeling hooves. The thick canopy shrouded Polybia from the glaring noon-time sun.

Ordinarily, the creeping vines in the area would be trying to latch onto the queen’s legs to sink her into the earth for fertilizer. However Grogar’s necrotic magic withered the vines around her while forcing others to shy away.

Polybia was becoming more discolored with her face and upper neck becoming a pale blue as she gathered the stolen magic together. Violetia… I may not be able to attack Kreesus directly just yet, but I can return the favor for that raid against my farmlands by eliminating you with one fell stroke.

Summoning up Grogar’s power, a massive deep roar resounded throughout the jungle, chilling the distant drones and their queen to the bone. Polybia’s horn shone forth with icy blue magic as thundering steps cracked the rocky ground and shook loose rocks into the gorge below. Two massive Silence Behemoths emerged from the jungle, snapping trees aside to make room for their muscle bound girth. Their scaly grey hide easily snapped the wooden obstacles along their path, with their draconic tails swaying behind them. The once-proud natural predators against changelings now served a queen with all the devotion of a mindless servant.

The behemoths’ ten eyes glowed with the same icy blue magic swirling around Polybia’s horn. Huge gashes crisscrossed all over each beast, exposing muscle and shriveled organs to the open air. However, no blood leaked out of their cold dead flesh. Their Link-silencing power lay dormant for the time being as they flanked their master. Though they towered over her at more than fifteen meters tall, Polybia did not flinch, fully knowing they were in her thrall in death.

“Violetia, you should have sided with me all those years ago. Now you’re going to pay the price for such a lack of foresight.” She sneered at the prospect of unleashing her wrath, and savored the moment for a bit before finishing the marking spell. Now, every forest green changeling would be marked for death in the eyes of the behemoths. Bellowing another bone-rattling roar, the two beasts’ talons cracked the rock beneath them before they leaped across the short chasm and charged forth to kill for their mistress. Once they were safely out of range, Polybia commanded them to reactivate their Link silencing abilities, ensuring the doom for any changeling in their path.

Excellent. Even if Violetia does somehow manage to bring down both of them, this will give my egg carriers enough of a distraction to flee without incident.

An idea struck her as she peered through her spies along Kreesus and Chrysalis’ hives. Most of their drones were focused within the hives’ territory, as if waiting for reinforcements. Hmm… No doubt hoping Twilight and her warships will tip the scales. Well… one warship now. What fortuitous timing. Perhaps I can devote more forces into this assault after all.

Polybia summoned up an army of drones to her position, awaiting the behemoths’ defeat. Not only her living drones, but the undead corpses of other drones answered the call of their mistress. The mass formed up behind the tree line near Polybia. “I think it’s time to add another crown to my collection,” she sneered at her expected victory.

As the sounds of battle started ringing out, Polybia started flying back to her hive, content to watch the violence unfold from the eyes of her living drones. The other queens can act like they’re allied with each other all they want. None of them could set aside their pride to pool their forces in one place, so I will pick them apart like the prima donnas they are. I will earn your forgiveness, First Mother, for being declared rogue and losing your blessing.

As much as she hated the other queens for it, Polybia couldn’t deny she was legitimately marked as rogue. All of this must be another test from the First Mother. It has to be. These trials over Grogar and being rogue have to all be part of her plan to mold me into her perfect instrument.

Polybia gazed up at the midday moon where she believed the portal to the Silver City rested. “I will regain my honor as queen. The others will either vote to restore it, or will die by my hooves.”

Author's Notes:
Will Applejack discover a long lost flavor of apple? Can Twilight survive the dark hidden super secret?! Will Rainbow Dash's shipping fantasy of Daring Do and Ahuizotl finally become canon in the next book? Will there ever be a cure for hanghoof? Will I ever get around to putting in questions in the last A/N?
Probably none of these answers and mooore, NEXT TIME on the Reformation!

8: The Home Front

After the last chapter was so tiny baby small, I have brought Heavy Chapter Guy to the front! Enjoy!

Canterlot. To most it was a city of marble and the seat of Equestrian power, hanging off the side of a mountain. For the quasi mare, crouched behind a shrub along the road up the mountain, the city looked like a fortress. A ghost from her memory. The palace sitting near the crown was deeply familiar, yet the sight of smokestacks along the middle section of the city chilled any fond memories she had. She wasn’t sure of the reason, as she loosely recognized it as a sign of industry, but the mare didn’t like the sight of it.

Her stallion counterpart was at her side, keeping out of sight from passersby while holding Polybia’s royal daughter on his back. The recent hatchling was stabilized in between his gossamer wings. Not that he had too much to fear of her falling since he was laying on his belly. There were only a scant few travelers along the road since most took the train, but there were normally a decent number of patrols as well. Thankfully, the local guards weren’t examining any travelers along this route too intensely. The exodus out of the jungle had been exceedingly exhausting.

Fleeing the jungle and evading Equestrian notice had taken longer than they had hoped. The egg hatched a few days ago, leaving the quasi’s escorts in bad shape. Within the span of two days days the princess demanded far more love than any of them could provide. One by one, the drone escorts sacrificed themselves to give their entire love reserves to the ravenous princess until they all dropped dead. The quasi escaped this fate, only by virtue of not necessarily requiring love to survive.

At present, the stallion carefully watched from behind the thick nook of shrubs as a light blue unicorn cantered by as she pulled a gaudy wagon behind her. Some part of him felt a thrill of excitement at seeing the stage wagon but that thrill struggled against the deadened feel of his nerves. Without love neither quasi were capable of more than sluggish movement that could make a drunk pony look like the pinnacle of lucidity. Thankfully for both of them, their minds were still as sharp as before starvation set in and could not die from love starvation directly.

The two quasi were resting, panting for breath from their week-long exodus from the changeling jungle. Dodging roving changeling patrols and the jungle denizens had been difficult compared to the comparatively lax security in Equestria. Could have saved a day of travel if we could have passed through Phoenix’s Roost, but the queen forbade it, the mare mused bitterly as she weakly checked the nymph’s breathing by raising her fetlock near the princess’s mouth. The geas induced pressure in the back of her mind softened slightly when she reaffirmed that the little royal still lived. Every effort from both quasi was geared not only to keep the princess alive, but also asleep. It was not a difficult task since the princess had passed out from love starvation hours ago.

In one of the brief moments the princess wasn’t dominating her thoughts, the mare’s will to defy her queen raged within her. It grew constantly, and yet it was still a weak voice compared to the dominating voice-of-command of her queen over the hive mind. If only I could rid myself of her control, but… The quasi reached up and tapped her changeling horn, still feeling weirded out by its presence. A pang of maternal concern washed over her as the geas flashed in her mind, making her double check the sleeping princess. Fearing his fatigue would let the sleeping nymph fall, he asked the mare to assist him in moving her. They opted to keep the princess snug alongside him. She fidgeted sluggishly as her little body hibernated to save itself. His deep fear over the nymph’s welfare was carved into a heavy frown, even as sweat rolled off of him.

The geas was only making it harder on the mare who could do nothing to help the little nymph. She tried to break the feedback cycle of mounting fear for the princess’ life by focusing entirely on herself.

With the mad dash from the jungle hive, it was only now that she had a spare moment to actually reflect on herself. The most prominent thing she latched onto was the spike that always hovered at the top of her vision. I remember some old class lesson about unicorn horns. Part of your brain is in them... or maybe it’s a separate nerve cluster? She heavily rubbed her temples in exasperation at how hazy her old memories were. The lesson itself stuck out to her, but her teacher, classmates, even the name of the school was trapped behind a cottony haze that refused to lift. Either way, ain’t no way Ah can cut this off without killing mahself. There ain’t no way in Tartarus Ah’m off’n mahself after being freed like that. Ah want to live, dang nab it!

“Hey,” the stallion said calmly, breaking the mare from her brooding. She snapped her head up to look at his undisguised self. She felt a pang of sorrow seeing him like this, but suspected he was content with his changeling half. “Ah want to know where you stand in all this.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?” she replied genuinely. It was rare to hear him speak aloud. He usually preferred speaking over the Link, but Polybia despised such high intelligences speaking over her hive mind.

“The geas may compel you to protect the princess. But Ah know somethin’s off about you. Our queen may not be able to sense it this far from the hive, but Ah can tell. You’re aura is growing more sour every passing day.” While his tone was accusatory, his posture remained neutral. “Our lives belong to both Polybia and her,” he said nudging the princess, “and their will is our own, no matter who we used to be.”

“It’s not that,” she lied unconvincingly. “Ah’m just terrified the love collector might not reach us in time to save the princess.”

That much was convincing to him, but he suspected that was more the geas talking than her. “She’ll be here soon. It’ll be close, but the queen is sure that the princess will survive.” The pressure of the geas on the back of her mind softened a bit at the reassurances. “But that ain’t the whole story now is it? Spill!”

The mare turned away, somewhere between shame and relief. “Ah’m overwhelmed with the prospect of being around ponies again. Just wish it was in a smaller town again.”

As with his companion, the stallion was also resenting the cloudiness of his thoughts. His unquestioning loyalty to Polybia was unblemished, yet as of late, he regretted his harsh treatment of his companion. Like it or not, mah queen decreed that we work side by side. Better for the princess that we remain amicable. He glanced out of the shrub to find no one in sight before finding a level soft patch of grass to rest the weakened nymph upon. Despite the princess’ miserable state, there was little he could do until the love collector arrived. Truly the queen was wise to make the geas weak or Ah’d be crippled with worry.

Refocusing on the mare, he tried to remember how to comfort others. His memories were sadly lacking in that regard, not even Polybia granted him any knowledge in that field, so he opted to lightly place a hoof on her withers. “Look – Ah – uhhh – Ah know it’s rough. The queen asks much of us. We don’t have the same clarity of purpose that pure drones have, Ah’ll givya that. But she’s count’n on us ta get this job done. If we do good, she might start letting us speak over the Link more, or, or…” He searched his limited knowledge of her for some comforting words. “-Let us find a more outta the way place to live since ya don’t like the city and all. Or heck, she might even give us names!”

The mare was dumbstruck that he was trying to comfort her at all. It was nice, familiar, something she desperately longed for, but she couldn't help but to question the reasoning behind it. He’s probably just saying all that to make work’n together easier. Ah wish Ah could really believe he cares about me. She gave him a stink eye while casting worried glances at the princess to make sure she wasn’t going anywhere. “Speaking of names,” she stated dismissively, “We need some if’n we’re going to spend any time around ponies.”

Feeling rebuffed, the stallion huffed while looking at his ruined cutie mark. It looked like spinach and mustard smeared over his flank. Any semblance of an icon was long gone. Well that’s no help. “If Ah recall correctly, Canterlot is mostly unicorns. So we should pick names like them. Ah’ll be… Paint Brush?” he half asked, still trying to make sense of the splotches of color on his flank. “Unicorns are big time artsy ponies, right?”

“I’d rather have mah old name,” the mare fumed aloud. “But if Ah have to make a new one…” She was about to pull a name out of her plot like Paint Brush did, when her original name slammed into her thoughts like a freight train. Ah know who Ah was! Or at least mah name anyway.

Paint Brush started testing a low maintenance version of his disguise magic, keeping his pony aspects alone, and simply hiding his changeling features, save for replacing his changeling horn with that of a unicorn. “Well? Just think’a something before the love collector shows up, or worse, a patrol.” Fearing just that, he started looking for an alcove to hide the nymph in, but their hiding spot was painfully sparse in the already cramped hiding place.

Now more than ever, she wanted to keep her pony guise that of an earth pony, but for now, she’d settle for the name. “I’ll go with Pear Butter,” she said with finality. “It’ll go well with my fur.”

“Don’t match your fuzzed up cutie mark,” Paint warned with a grimace. "Not that much would Ah guess.” He spotted a few travelers coming up the pass. He tried to pass himself off as someone just looking to get out of the sun for a bit in case they spotted the quasi. “Sides, we gotta go in as unicorns, and Ah don't think they're usually named after food.”

“Ah know that!” she barked, caring less for being spotted. “Who’s to say a unicorn can’t be called that, huh? Ah’m going with Pear Butter and that’s that!”

“It’s gunna get us caught!” he growled under his breath to avoid drawing attention. “What kinda unicorn gets an earth pony name?”

“Me, that’s who!” Pear Butter stomped her hoof, stubbornly holding her ground.

Paint Brush wanted to argue, but felt it was useless if her conviction could get that much of a rise out of her even with her being so badly weakened from love starvation. A ping from nearby made the words catch in his throat if only because Polybia had been the only one to ever do so. Tossing away the leaves, he instinctively tried to make the unconscious princess look more presentable. The nymph’s short rainbow hair was starting to get tangles and her fur had little pieces of plant matter that he couldn’t remove in time.

Pear peered through the shrub to find a forest-green pegasus headed straight for them. “That’s our contact.” She made sure her disguise was in place with Paint Brush following suit.

The pegasus mare landed softly within the shrub and dropped her disguise to levitate several pink crystals out of a saddlebag. “Give her here, quickly.”

Obeying, the quasi did as instructed and watched in silence as the undisguised drone took the simple crystal necklace from around the princess’ neck and fed crystal after crystal’s worth of love through the necklace before it moved on into the nymph. Pear Butter saw that the entire left saddlebag was bulging with love crystals.

The pile of discarded crystals piled higher and higher around the drone’s hooves. Neither quasi knew much about love feeding, but even they could tell that using over thirty crystals with no sign of stopping was a bad news. The pair were starting to lose hope when the pile started to reach the drone’s fetlocks. The drone was starting to scrape the bottom of the bag when at last the princess could take no more, leaving the latest crystal with a faint glow remaining.

The princess stirred, but remained asleep with a much more peaceful look on her small, blue-furred face. The drone sighed in relief. “I almost feared I didn’t bring enough.” It took one look at the sagging quasi before picking up the last six crystals and gave three to each of them. “Here, you need your strength to keep from drawing attention.”

The feeding had been exactly what the quasi needed. With her nervous system’s strength returning to normal, Pear Butter felt her muscles come alive again with renewed vigor. She flexed her legs to get the stiffness out with Paint Brush doing the same. As they did so, the drone wrapped the nymph in a blanket and deposited her in the other saddle bag, hiding her from view, while gathering up the crystals and returning them to her bags.

“We should move, we’ve lingered here for too long as it is.” Without another word, the drone doned its original disguise of a pegasus mare and started walking up the path towards the city. Pear and Paint jumped to followed after her. “Keep your heads down and your posture relaxed. We need to get into the city without being targeted for random checks. Ever since the attack on that warship, going in the normal route is safer than sneaking in.”

Pear Butter was put off by the mare’s feel over the hive mind. It wasn’t the dim but sharp voice of drones, instead it shared a lot in common with Polybia herself, only several orders of magnitude weaker. She waited until a passing wagon went out of earshot to speak. “Ah thought our queen despised intelligent minds over the Link.”

“Free standing ones, yes,” the love collector replied without inflection.

This time, Paint Brush shared in Pear’s curiosity. “You mean like conscious quasi like us, Miss…?”

She gave him a long disapproving stare before turning front again. “You can call me by my cover name, if you must. I’m Stopwatch.” A modicum of sorrow colored her voice. “And you have my sympathies for not being pure drones.”

Pear Butter bristled, but held her tongue about it. “So what does that make you?”

“My body has all the brainpower and more of a typical pony, but it is my deeper connection with our queen which gives me the spark of intelligence. In essence, I am the queen, but only a partitioned part of her mind in a separate body.”

Pear Butter dropped any further line of inquiry while Paint Brush burned with envy. “What an honor! Not only to know you always have the queen’s favor by simply existing, but to be a part of her as well!”

And be killed on a whim or if Polybia ever dies? No thanks. Pear Butter fell into silence for the rest of the journey towards Canterlot. The small rebellious voice continued to gain strength with every passing step. However, she couldn’t help but to feel troubled every time she looked at Paint Brush and his unwavering devotion to Polybia. Why do Ah feel this need to… to do something to help you. But help you do what, exactly?

Aegis Altair paced back and forth within a crowded third story hotel storeroom presiding over a sting operation down in the streets of Middle Canterlot via a window. With Rainbow Dash placing the best of the Queen’s Guard under Aegis’ command, the proto-queen felt confident in this sanctioned raid being successful. If there’s anything we have over the ponies, it’s combat experience.

Camped out with her was Intel’s squad, Caretaker Feather Soft, and a single thestral acting as liaison for the Night Guards stationed one floor below. For all of their built-in natural subterfuge talents, espionage was more of a matter of racial honor than actual skill for the changelings of Phoenix’s Roost. As such, it was actually the thestrals who were not only keeping watch on the suspects’ apartment building, but calling the shots as well. Aegis’ forces were to be the muscle behind the coiled punch that was waiting to be thrown.

Just as well, Aegis brooded as she couldn’t see much activity outside. Blitz was right that the ponies should be in charge of this while inside Canterlot. Still, if it were up to me, we’d have stormed the place by now. The police have already built enough of a case to justify the raid on top of Celestia and Luna’s blessings.

Intel double-checked her gas mask and trio of tear gas grenades. While the drones had gas masks, the ponies didn’t. I still don’t get those guys. Just because they don’t have any training fighting with the masks they tell me to only use the gas as a last resort instead of part of the breaching action? By the First Mother I wish Aegis was calling the shots. At least they let me have authorization to use them instead of waiting for the commander to give the order.

Putting aside her general distaste for Equestrian rules of engagement, Intel refocused on rechecking her quad-barreled shotgun. The rock salt loaded weapon was a finicky prototype so she had to make sure nothing was clogging the gearwork. Even with her maintenance check, she was keeping a close eye on her tensed proto-queen. <You’re not going to do anything stupid I hope. I know you haven’t laid today’s clutch yet.> She glanced at Feather Soft who looked decidedly out of her element among so many warriors. She was trying to distract herself with a game of solitaire.

Aegis turned away from the window to look at the Guard Captain with a bemused expression. Like her mother before her, Aegis’ royal blood gave her no overall authority over her siblings, but she still found such candid comments amusing given her position. <Come now, you know me. I was all about eggs waaay before becoming a royal.> Her tone became a lot more strained.

“Pah,” Intel scoffed aloud as she wiped down the excess lubricants with a small rag. “I’m running the outfit better than you ever did,” she said with playful mockery.

Aegis rolled her eyes and turned back to the window. “Only ‘cause you have more experience now, than I did back then.”

“All I hear are excuses,” Intel teased back with a grin.

“She’s got you there, sis,” Ferrum jabbed, earning a raspberry from Aegis.

When a bit of activity outside grabbed their attention, the room fell back into silence. It ultimately was just a dog being let out of the apartment, but no one started talking again. Aegis kept rubbing her lower belly in some vain attempt to speed her clutch along.

The thestral liaison had been working with changelings since the beginning of the formal alliance, and yet he still couldn’t get used to those conversations constantly switching between Linkspeak and vocalized Vespid. Instead he resigned himself to waiting for the ‘go’ order. In the meantime he couldn’t help but to marvel at the oddity of mainstream pony architecture in regards to Aegis. You’d think with everypony being so much shorter than those bipedal queens, they’d have to duck everywhere they went, but most rooms and doors fit them well enough. …I wonder if that’s so minotaurs can be accommodated in any given building for some odd diplomatic reason.

The other thing that occupied him were the oblong cylinders across each changelings’ combat harness that gave him an involuntary shudder. He remembered the after-report about tear gas usage on the monastery, and had reluctantly agreed to it’s use as a semi-last resort. Command loves their new guns, but balks at giving us time to train with gas masks because they might frighten the civilians? It’s not like we’re using it on non-combatants. Aegis is right, we should be using the gas first thing, but it’s out of my hooves now.

For the time being, the targeted four story apartment was quiet. A few shapes passed by curtained windows, but otherwise the occupants were making it difficult to get a headcount. Aegis’ empathy sensed the gathered changelings were a mixed bag of emotion. Intel was masking her nervousness well enough to seem calm and collected from the other drones, but Aegis’ royal blood could sniff out her true feelings. Mare or stallion, Intel always gets like this before an operation. She’ll fall into place once things get moving. Thunderfury was overly excited, and was practicing various shield stances, but kept his magic low to keep the arcane sense of any unicorns in the target apartment from possibly noticing him.

Aegis didn’t get a chance to assess the others when she saw two ponies and a single Grecian sphinx tom down in the street approach the apartment lobby. Aegis strained to get a better look at him, but it was impossible to see any real details without a spyglass. However she was still able to make out the large triangular object on his back that was wrapped up in thick white cloth. <No doubt a crossbow, but what’s a sphinx doing with these guys?>

Ferrum joined her at the window with an equally confused expression. <Maybe he’s a mercenary. Just hired to do a job.>

Intel shoved her head in between her two clutchmates to take a look for herself. <Word has it that the Federation military was being restructured from the old system of separate nations into a unified one. On top of that, our diplomat’s found out that a massive chunk of their military budget is being shifted to R&D. I bet you anything that there’re a lot of out of work soldiers out there looking for any jobs they can find.>

Aegis scowled at the news.

<Not to mention most hate psykers like us,> Ferrum added coldly.

The trio of suspects waited by the front door after knocking. After several long seconds, the door opened revealing an orange earth pony mare with a black mane who had half of her left ear missing.

The weathered mare meant little to Aegis, but the thestral who was watching from the other window bristled. “That’s Knife Point. She’s wanted for several murders including an attempt on Prince Blueblood’s life. This is the first we’ve seen of her joining up with the P.C.E. though.”

The group watched intently as the newcomers exchanged words that were lost to the wind. There appeared to be some minor bickering at first, probably details on payment Aegis surmised, but the trio was admitted entry shortly thereafter.

The door of the hotel room opening behind them all made the changelings turn back to see a mare thestral Night Guard in riot armor carrying a quarterstaff with a stun enchantment. Aegis remembered she was the task force commander. “We’ve waited long enough, and the perimeter around the building's been established. Intelligence says most of the residents will start leaving for the night shift jobs soon. We go in now and sort them all out later, let’s move!”

Applejack stepped off the train at Canterlot station with a purpose in her step. The throng of ponies boarding and departing the train swarmed around her in a mass of color. The long train ride always bothered the farm mare. Lounging around for hours on end was reserved for sleeping and just about nothing else as far as she was concerned. She turned around to gaze back into the train car. “Woooawwee! Good to be able to stretch mah legs again.” She would have loved to do some practice bucks, but the dense crowd made it impossible. “Come on Apple Bloom, you don’t wanna miss your honorary cousins now do ya?”

A soft yellow mare with a stark red mane decorated in a pink bow pulled her way out of the press of bodies trying to exit the passenger car. “Sorry, it ain’t exactly easy ya know, with all the- aahhh!!” Apple Bloom squeezed through only to stumble to the dirt under the weight of her luggage. “Ow,” she moaned from under it all.

Applejack chuckled at her sister before cantering through the crowd and gave Apple Bloom a hoof to pull her back up. “There ya go, Sugarcube. No harm done.” The farm mare relieved her sister of a few suitcases loaded with books, spare pink bows, and other essentials.

“Thanks.” Apple Bloom’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, even if no one else seemed to care outside of having to walk around her.

Applejack took a moment to indulge the pride she had in Apple Bloom. Her sister had grown into a fine, proud mare. Her mane was ruffled, and still bore her trademark pink bow, though it looked far smaller on her now than during her foalhood. As befitting a proper lady, her coat was immaculate and her posture, although dampened by the heavy saddlebags, exuded strength and proper upbringing. Well, proper as far as Applejack was concerned, not Rarity.

Liquid pride fell from Applejack’s face as her muzzle curled into a smile. “Look at you all grown up, ready to start fancy school’n. Ah can’t tell you how proud Ah am to see you go’n to Twilight’s Engineering College. Yer goin’ to be top a’ your class, Ah just know it!”

She hugged Apple Bloom with all her might, making it hard to breathe. Apple Bloom returned the embrace, but kept an eye out for any ponies her age that might be in the area. It wouldn’t do to get an embarrassing nickname so early. “Well, Ah’m just glad the farm’s go’n be okay without me. Ah couldn’t live with mahself if Ah put the farm in jeopardy by leave’n. Ah promise to make the family proud!”

Applejack wiped her tears away and led her sister towards the station’s interior. “Ah know you will. You got a knack for buildin’ and tinker’n Ah ain’t never seen before. And even better, Sweetie Belle should be in Canterlot as well, attending Luna’s school for Gifted Artists. Kinda odd name for including singers too if you ask me, but all the same.”

Apple Bloom gazed out at the white marble splendor of Upper Canterlot before the train station obscured it all with their entry. “Yup, and with Scootaloo already a trainee Wonderbolt, the three of us will be able to hang out together all over again!”

The two sisters lapsed into small talk as they made their way through the station’s early evening traffic. Neither of them were strangers to cities or large crowds, but it was rare enough that Apple Bloom felt an electric current running through her at the prospect of refining her special talent. Ah can’t believe Ah finally made it! Right here in the big city. Sure there’s Phoenix's Roost, but this is where Twilight’s biggest co-op university is.

Her eyes fell upon one of the reasons the crowd was so dense a ways up towards the front of the train. A minotaur delegation centered around Crown Prince Cho’Gal was milling around as servants stacked the luggage. There was an angry scowl on Cho’Gal’s face that worried the young mare.

“Ah there you are!” a familiar voice called out, stopping both earth mares in their tracks and pulling Apple Bloom’s attention away. They didn’t have to search long before spotting the bipedal changeling bearing Rainbow Dash’s colors. Blitz’s thin, albeit tall, profile allowed her to easily slip through the crowd as the Apples moved over to join her. It also helped that most ponies were still put off by the notion of what appeared to be a minotaur changeling, and gave Blitz a moderately wide berth. The proto-queen grinned widely at the two old friends. “And you came too, Apple Bloom?”

“Ayup!” The trio quickly exchanged hugs. “Ain’t no way Ah’m missin’ orientation.”

Blitz giggled at herself. “Oh that’s right, well, congratulations on your acceptance. I only wish that was the only reason for your visit.”

Applejack huffed with a mix of pragmatism and irritability. “That downright despicable attack on that ship a’ yours and the princess’ request meant we ended up sharing a ride together. Speaking of which…” Applejack glanced around at the passing ponies nervously. More than a few of them gave Blitz a weary look. “Don’t you think it’s a mite dangerous to be out here all by your lonesome?”

“Oh it is,” Blitz replied with a lopsided smirk as she tapped a finger on her clockwerk vambraces and jingled the necklace on her neck. “I have my own defenses in place without the need for obtrusive guards. I am the civic queen-to-be after all. Celestia taught me some pointers on how to read a crowd.”

Apple Bloom marveled at the proto-queen’s forearm armor, knowing full well that changeling equipment was never to be taken at face value. The vambraces were brass colored steel, if Apple Bloom’s keen eye was correct. It was, over all, simplistic looking save for the high quality straps and the shallow indentations along its surface that were almost lost in the overall smoothness. If Ah had to guess, Ah bet those’re maintenance panels, and the real magic is all inside. There ain’t nothing that changelings make that can be taken at face value.

“If it’s all the same though,” Applejack stated friendly enough, “we should get move’n.” She spotted a few sphinxes in civilian dress up in the rafters giving the changeling hate-filled looks. The majority of Federalists never bothered keeping their hatred of psykers a secret. At the very least they mostly directed that hate at the queens alone due to their superior psionic capabilities compared to the drones. Unfortunately, that did little for Blitz and her tell-tale reptilian eyes.

“We stick around any longer and somethin’ is bound ta’ happen anyway,” Applejack warned as she put in a little more speed to her gait.

Blitz followed Applejack’s gaze towards the sphinxes who jumped a little in fear of her. The group bid a begrudging retreat, but tried to make it look like they were leaving anyway. Blitz shrugged. “They can fester all they want. A requirement of any sphinx immigrants is to spend five months at the hive. That way we know there won’t be any “problem children” gaining citizenship. Any visitors wouldn’t dare attack me. If not out of fear of the alliance reprisals, then the Sestapo deters them enough.” So far anyway. “But you’re right, there’s no need to risk it. We should go to the university first,” she directed at Apple Bloom.

A mass of activity over the local hive mind on Aegis’ corner of the Link jerked Blitz’s head to the north. “Actually, it looks like something’s going on right now after all.”

Blitz started walking towards a carriage with the Apples following close behind her. Applejack didn’t like how Blitz kept stealing glances to the north every time the line of buildings broke to allow her to see past them. Ah know that face. Aegis is gettin’ into trouble something fierce.

Intel raced through the open window of her team’s hotel and across the street like a purple spear. Sheathing herself in a cone of lavender-orange mana, Intel was joined by seven other changelings causing many of the ponies below to have flashbacks of the first invasion of Canterlot. An equal number of thestrals and local police ponies followed in their wake.

The changeling squad smashed through windows and solid walls with a great crash of shattered glass and masonry. A single pegasus police officer barked orders through a megaphone. “This is the Alliance Domestic Police Force, surrender immediately, you are all under arrest!”

Intel only barely heard the warning as she smashed into a game room complete with a billiards table. Three stallions jumped back in shock at her sudden entrance and fell back at the sight of her shotgun. Intel quickly assessed the two earth ponies and one unicorn. “Keep your hooves where I can see them, and don’t even try to use magic,” she directed at the unicorn.

The two earth stallions quickly dropped their pool cues and onto their haunches while lifting their forelegs up. The craggy muscle bound unicorn however magically shoved his companions at Intel while bolting for the open door.

The thestral ponies that followed in after Intel arrived barely in time to see her vault over the two living projectiles and fire a shot at the fleeing unicorn. “Go after him, I’ll secure these two!” the first one barked at her.

“Got it!” Intel yelled back as she took cover by the door right as two mana bolts sailed past her head. The thestrals settled in at the opposite side of the door waiting for her signal. Alarmed shouting erupted from the room beyond as well as scrambling hooves and clattering items.

Intel rolled into the common room and fired off a couple of her own mana bolts at the fleeing unicorn, conserving her ammunition. There the unicorn barged his way through a collection of two dozen scrambling individuals, composed of multiple species. Several poker tables had been overturned, chips covering the ratty carpet like snow. A scant few of them surrendered immediately at the sight of not just Intel, but three other changelings and a pair of thestrals emerging from exterior rooms of their own.

However the vast majority of the beings, ranging from ponies, zebras, minotaurs, and even a scant few sphinxes jumped up to fight, heedless of the warnings. Intel brought up a circular metal shield in her magic and charged forward with the rest of her kin following suit.

The unicorns tried to raise arcane shields of their own or fire off kinetic bolts, but Counterspell lived up to his name by slamming the butt of his warstaff on the ground and muttering his mother’s incantations, destabilizing all unicorn style magic save for telekinesis within the building.

Without the enemy’s mana shields, Intel fired at a minotaur bull charging at her with his fists at the ready. The rock salt did little to pierce his thick hide, but a few particles got into his eyes making him flail around wildly. Thunderfury weaved into the charging crowd like a needle to hit the biggest threat. His shields crackled with power as he slammed full force into a second minotaur bull, shocking him into unconsciousness.

Thunderfury would have gotten swarmed by the other criminals were it not for the four thestrals and one pegasus guard that raced in after him, further disrupting the hasty defense. Thunderfury grinned wickedly as he worked. His shields ripped through the air against his unarmored opponents stunning everyone it touched with electric wrath.

The police were hardly idle. The thestrals’ staves whirled around, smashing against targets constantly. Thunderfury saw a sphinx jane about to clobber him with a chair right when his shields were out of position, but a blast of rock salt from Intel threw the jane off balance long enough for Thunderfury to finish her off with an electric shield to the chest.

Right as it seemed that the police were wrapping things up to start their arrests, one of the Egyptian toms that had feigned surrender at the beginning used the commotion to slip behind his large chair, pull out a repeating crossbow and leveled it at Counterspell. Thunderfury tried to get his shields between the two of them, but the tom acted first and fired off three rapid bolts.

The first bolt carved a thin grazing line across Counterspell’s face while the second was deflected by the staff. The third however sunk deeply into his chest, defeating his thin armor as if it were paper. The moment he cried out and collapsed, the unicorns in the room varied between forcing the police off of their brethren with shields and reviving those too stunned to fight.

With Counterspell’s incantation gone, Intel and the other changelings brought up their own shields to deflect the incoming storm of arcane bolts from the hostile ponies. <They aren’t panicking like they should be! We might have to use lethal force. CS, are you alright?>

She desperately wanted to check on him, but the P.C.E. demanded her attention. <Oh you know, just a punctured lung. Nothing-> He coughed up blood, but the act was lost to everyone when a thestral mare bellowed a challenge, forcing the rest of the police force to go in after her.

Intel took the time to fire off a few supporting arcane bolts while painstakingly reloading her shotgun for the larger sphinxes and minotaurs. Her real objective was to remain beside Counterspell as Ferrum tried to move him out of the room. <We need a medic!>

She barely had a single barrel loaded when an Egyptian jane broke through the line of police ponies and made a beeline straight for the wounded Counterspell with a short sword held high.

Intel fumbled to pull the ramming rod out of her weapon as the jane closed in. “Psyker filth be purged!”

Ferrum turned on his hooves before reaching Counterspell to face down the jane with a sneer. The swordling growled a challenge and pulled his brother’s skysteel longsword off his back and angled it to block the downward thrust of the jane’s blade. The runes flashed upon impact, sending secondary kinetic impact through the blades, knocking her sword out of position. “You come to our land, you leave that bigotry at the rutting door!”

“Sphinx or changeling, all psykers must-” Boom The jane was abruptly cut off by Intel’s shotgun at near pointblank range, ravaging the sphinx with lacerations all over her left side and shedding her clothing and burying themselves within her. The salt itself redoubled the pain making her cry out in sheer agony, giving a newly arriving police pegasus to cuff her.

Ferrum dropped his weapon to pick up his bleeding squadmate. Intel started reloading her weapon again and gestured Ferrum towards the new holes the task force was creating. “Get him out of here, I’ll keep your sword.”

With a nod, Ferrum made for the exit while Intel started giving new orders to the squad. Even with the new arrivals, the suspects were rallying even stronger than before with an organization Intel thought impossible. She growled at the sight of a police pegasus getting pulped by a minotaur's hammer. This is getting out of hoof. She started pulling her gask mask on while priming three tear gas grenades. <Gas! Gas! Gas!>

The other drones backed off to quickly put their own masks on, feeling pity for their pony allies.

Aegis paced in front of the window of her lookout room with her wings buzzing impatiently. While she was still unable to piggyback on a drone’s eyes, she could still hear the chatter going on from the task force.

Every iota of her being wanted to be down there with her clutchmates. Every time she heard a spell go off, a gunshot, or cry of battle, she had to check herself before racing over with Burny in hand. “I can’t do it. I still haven’t laid today’s eggs yet. Damn it, after that whole siege of Stripped Gear crap, the worst problem my princesshood has endured was the toilet backing up! And now when we have the P.C.E. being dilwads and that Grogar guy, yet I’m stuck here at the whim of my eggs!”

Caretaker Feather Soft was trying to enjoy a spot of tea off in the corner of the room. With the soldiers-turned-police gone, she was finally able to get a sense of peace. Much like her clutchmate, Blue Flare, Feather Soft had a dignified mane style, but didn’t wear clothing, mostly because the nature of her work would soil them far too regularly. “And here I thought this was exactly what you wanted, sister,” she said with obvious sarcasm. Due to the tight relationship the two queens had, the purple and blue changelings felt more like siblings than cousins. “To spend days, weeks, or even years on end laying eggs for all eternity.” Feather swooned dramatically with a weak hoof to her forehead, much to Aegis’ annoyance as she shot her a sour look that could curdle milk. “Such is the dream life for me, as you always said.”

Aegis groaned loud enough to put her mother to shame. “Is there anything you can do? Make me start laying now, or make it so I can actually hold onto the eggs for an hour or so, or delay their production for just as long?! I should be down there doing my job wrecking face!” She turned back to the window and winced when she saw one of the hotel’s windows blow out from magical fire.

Not even Feather Soft could ignore that one as panic started spreading through the streets. She cringed at the screams and stampeding hooves from all those who briefly let their curiosity superseded their caution. “With all due respect, Aegis, your job right now is to wait out your maturation until you’re a full queen.”

Aegis scanned the area around the P.C.E. structure, looking for any way to contribute. Giving orders right now would just distract them.

The grocery store adjacent to the hotel across the street had ponies fleeing into the streets when a whole section of wall from the P.C.E. building collapsed and fell onto the store, causing more noise than actual damage.

It took Aegis a moment to see that one of the Guard pegasi had been tossed alongside the wall, and remained still. One Grecian jane and a unicorn stallion leapt down from the new hole. <Intel, we got two runners on the west side, can you get to them?>

Intel slammed the butt of her shotgun into the jaw of a minotaur bull who took the hit like it was tickling him. <No can do, we just happened to raid a damn recruitment center. We need reinforcements more than anything else.>

“That’s it, I’m going down after them!” Aegis was halfway out of the window when what felt like a giant vice clamped down on her tail and started to drag her back inside.

“Oh no you don’t!” Feather grunted with effort from the other side of the room. “You’ll just get hurt if you start laying in the middle of a chase! You know you can’t fly properly while laying!”

Aegis yelp in pain, but kept trying to force her way out. “I can’t just let those two escape, what if they were the ringleaders?!” Weaving a spell her mother taught her, Aegis easily vanquished Feather’s telekinetic hold.

She locked eyes on the two suspects, yet before Aegis could even get out of the window the familiar feeling of eggs descending into the ready position halted her in an instant. “Not now!”

She shuffled back inside and skidded along the wall as her eggs starting coming. “Why didn’t you come like ten minutes ago, come on!”

The heavy sound of dozens of feathered and leathery wings upon the air filled the air outside, making Aegis try to look outside. A large number, no less than twenty by Aegis’ count, of police ponies converged on the suspects filtering out onto the roof in an effort to escape. Her efforts were halted entirely as Feather Soft raced over to start cleaning up the three eggs already present. “Let Intel and the ponies handle things. You have your own job to do, sis.”

Even from her poor angle of the window, Aegis was able to spy several Royal Guard ponies arriving on the scene, but none of them seemed to change direction to intercept the two suspects she had seen. If the sirens flooding the streets were any indication, the paramedics were on their way as well. The worst part of it all to Aegis, was sitting on the sidelines, as if she couldn’t fulfill her obligations as the militant queen. This is going to be the longest eight weeks of my life.

Blitz daintily stepped out of the public restroom of a fine diner barely ten minutes’ trot from the train station with a sheepish grin as she approached the awaiting Apple sisters. Thankfully the room had been empty at the start, and the two earth mares were more than enough to ward away any of the restaurant’s patrons for a several minutes, along with a healthy tip to the manager for the inconvenience. A grey-furred caretaker with a closed egg crate bid a hasty retreat right after the proto-queen left to make her way to the train yard.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Blitz said with a brightly flushed face, so red she almost looked like a beet. “I can’t really control when that happens just yet.”

Applejack snickered and clapped a hoof on Blitz’ back before walking for the exit. The proto-queen lifted herself back up to two legs as she left the restaurant behind. Apple Bloom was enamored at the sight of her forehooves morphing into hands. “Shoot, girl, Ah may not be hanging around Phoenix's Roost as often as RD did Stripped Gear before she went Ling, but ya don’t need to feel embarrassed about that ‘round me.”

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement as the trio made it back into the street. “After sum of the stuff mah friends and Ah crusaded, that’s not weird at all. Sides,” she added with an elbow bump on Blitz’s leg. “If it weren’t for you guys, Ah’d a never found mah cutie mark.” She waggled her hip, showing off the gear shaped red apple.

Happy to see her family friends so understanding, Blitz momentarily dropped down to four legs and squashed them both in a tight hug. “Thanks. But I think you would have found your mark without us, Apple Bloom.”

“Pshah, not as cool as this one though,” Apple Bloom countered with a light-hearted smirk.

“Well, now that delay is out of the way,” Blitz turned to Applejack. “Let me escort you to your palace suite to drop your luggage off before taking Apple Bloom on a tour of the university.”

Applejack sighed with a mix of determination and old anger. “Fine by me. Ah got a lot of thinking ta do on what to say about this whole sabotage attack on the navy. Bunch of backwards thinkin’ cowards if you ask me. They’re willin’ to go on a suicide attack, but can’t get it that you changelin’s are the best thing to happen to Equestria since Luna’s return? It’s sad more than anythin’ else.”

Apple Bloom noticed a passing thestral in the air. “Ah mean, just the Jiyya fruit was huge. Let alone all the fancy new gizmos around the farm that makes Apple Buck season a breeze. I mean, even Granny Smith is in love with that so called ‘new-fangled whatchamacallit’ that carts off all the apple buckets leaving us free to keep bucking the trees.”

Blitz’s heartfelt smile was radiant at the praise, and when her empathy told her both earth mares were truthful in their accolades. This was the real reason Blitz wanted to have the same connection to ponykind that her mother had. The Apples were true friends that Blitz would hold onto dearly. It also helped that by her very nature, the changeling wanted as many sources of genuine love as possible. “Thank you, really. Most ponies know about that part of a queen’s life, but it’s more of a tolerance and ‘out of sight out of mind’ thing than any real acceptance.”

“Ah don’t see why,” Apple Bloom tutted as they made their way past a pair of massive elevators suspended on meter-thick cables that brought ground-bound passengers between the various levels of Canterlot. The sheer density of pedestrians made their progress slow down considerably, even if it was still the best way to get to the palace. “Griffins lay eggs, and no pony minds that. You’d think all of the old wars ponies and griffins would have more of an effect than Chrysalis’ single invasion. Not to mention that griffins used to eat us. Ah’d think that’d be worse than emotion sucking… ah, no offense,” she added with a sheepish chuckle.

Applejack and Blitz couldn’t help but to look about nervously at the throng of bodies. Even with Blitz’s safeguards, all it took was one assassin to get lucky. Apple Bloom relaxed with Blitz merely shrugging at the unintended insult. Feeling that the conversation wasn’t going to start back up until they were clear of the dense mass of ponies, Apple Bloom started looking around at all the sights of her home for the next four years or so. The first thing that caught her eyes was mint green unicorn mare several paces ahead of them who had stopped dead in her tracks. Her utterly dumbfounded expression was giving her earth pony friend a half worried, half irritated look. Apple Bloom followed the unicorn’s gaze towards Blitz. At first Apple Bloom feared the unicorn was a bigot, but then noticed a maniacally wide grin cleave her muzzle as she started bouncing on her hooves. Weird. The earth pony dragged her gushing friend away right as Apple Bloom’s group walked past them.

Wanting to keep her mind away from the odd mare, Apple Bloom looked down a shallow flight of stairs to one of the massive elevators. They were quite open to the sky, and could easily fit forty ponies side by side five ranks deep. Their gold colored frames and elegant metal artwork sang of traditional pony art style from the classical period several hundred years ago, but the elevators themselves were only half a century old.

Apple Bloom’s eyes danced this way and that, but came to a stop when she saw two ponies on the closest elevator. There was a pale yellow stallion with a bright red mane who was as gigantic as her big brother, and a peach mare with an orange mane that reminded her of Applejack. There was a strange ghost of familiarity about them, like she should know them. Then it finally clicked. Wait a second… they look like ma and pah from those pictures Granny has in her album! Apple Bloom was inches from asking her sister to look at them until she saw both ponies turn their heads to talk to a pegasus and revealed their unicorn horns. Oh. Weird. Ah must be imagining things. She shook her head and turned away. Honestly, Apple Bloom, it ain’t like they’re the only ponies to have those colors ya know.

Seeing her friend and sister were getting away from her, Apple Bloom raced through the crowd to catch up to them.

Pear Butter rocked on her hooves as she and her two traveling companions finally entered the love collector’s domicile, directly above a bordello. Every fiber of her being wanted to just slouch onto the old moldy couch near the door, but the huge part of her still loyal to her queen kept her on her hooves, waiting for orders. The effects of the love feeding faded in lieu of true muscle fatigue from the exodus.

“This room is safe, and I have an arrangement with the madam of this establishment.” Stopwatch took the wrapped up princess out of the saddlebag and inspected her carefully to make sure everything was in order. “You may drop your disguise and rest.”

Both quasi complied with Paint Brush staying by the center of the room awaiting further instructions. While Stopwatch’s preferred disguise was that of a mare, her true form was more of an ‘it’ in Pear Butter’s eyes. Probably so she doesn’t have any qualms about… servicing any client. Pear Butter flopped onto the moldy couch in a heap. It stunk to high hell and it felt grimy, but at that moment she was too tired to care. The rest of the room had that faint scent of the hive she originally awoke in, but it wasn’t strong enough to identify if one didn’t know the origin. I doubt she services anypony in here.

“As much as you may want to,” Stopwatch stated at Pear Butter after placing the resting nymph in its waxy alcove and hiding it behind a tablecloth. “Do not form any wax cocoons. I know those are more comfortable than these pony-style beds, but they are far too conspicuous to the madam who visits me up here every so often. I’ll need your assistance in getting rid of the princess’ wax bed once she’s been relocated.”

Pear Butter cast a wary eye at Stopwatch, noticing with a touch of dread that the love collector was solely directing that warning at her, and her alone. “Do I even want to know why you’re saying that first part to me?”

Stopwatch cocked her head at the question. “You mean you don’t know how we make wax? Well, I’m sure you’ll find out on your own before too long. Just be sure to clean it up when you do. It’s bad enough we need any wax at all for the princess, because a crib would have been hard to explain away to the madam.”

The collector started scrounging up some food after sequestering away empty love crystals. While Stopwatch was doing that, Pear Butter pointedly distracted herself with observing her lodging. Stopwatch had the whole top floor to herself, no doubt marking her importance to the establishment below. The entry hall led to a number of rooms, which Pear suspected was where Stopwatch brought her clients. This room, however, was more of a small condo. From the couch she could see the moderately well-stocked kitchenette, the hidden alcove, and a rickety dining table with equally flimsy looking chairs. The wallpaper was a bland brown that matched Stopwatch’s chitin and disguise’s fur color. A few rooms branched off behind the kitchen.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to be getting any orders, Paint Brush cantered over to the kitchen. “Is there any way I can assist in cooking?”

“Do you even remember how?” Stopwatch asked while grabbing a pot and several items from the icebox. “I may be a subdivision of the queen’s mind, but I cannot inject knowledge into you. I doubt Polybia would bother either.”

Paint Brush shook his head sadly. “No, I can’t recall any cooking ability, but I can at least observe. Our queen gifted us with knowledge of mating habits for various races so we could support ourselves.”

“Fitting,” Stopwatch replied. “The Madam is in need of another escort.” She turned to briefly glance at Pear Butter. The former pony had heard every word, and was holding her hind legs tightly with her tail pulled close. Stopwatch sniffed dismissively and returned to her food preparation.

“It’s perfect work for us really, although it would look too suspicious to speak for two new employees at once. There are many eyes out there looking for our kind. These Equestrians may permit those from Phoenix’s Roost, but they will be suspicious of any one who looks like a half changeling who doesn’t have purple, blue, or grey fur. Not to mention that running into either of those runs the risk of identifying you as not part of their hive mind.”

The conversation petered out as Stopwatch started instructing Paint Brush on how to make a simple yet filling stew. Pear Butter settled on staring at the body length mirror next to a fireplace. Her eyes fixated on the gnarled tan colored horn jutting out of her head. She brushed a fetlock against it, still acutely aware of how alien it felt. It was wrong. It didn’t belong there, it shouldn’t be a part of her. Her wings fidgeted as if to remind her of the other part of her that was wrong.

Now that she wasn’t running for her life through the jungle or fearing detection and death slinking through Equestria, these festering thoughts clung to her mind’s eye like glue. I shouldn’t be like this. I know I used to be a pony. A normal pony. Not some thing corr-changed... Her rebelliousness swelled, but her built-in loyalty was not going to fall away so easily.

Pear Butter stared at her hooves. The tan chitin shell stood in stark contrast to her gold fur. It’s like my queen started from the inside and her mut-changes only recently started showing on the outside. Am I nothing more than a changeling with pony skin, or is there something more of the old me inside?

The old Pear Butter and the new quasi tore at each other within the mare’s head, vying for control. Yet with the hive mind still active within her subconscious and the geas Polybia placed upon her, rebellious thoughts was all she could muster.

Pear Butter lost all track of time as her old personality struggled against the compulsions of her new anatomy to the point where a loud hoof stomp nearby startled her back to the present. She found Stopwatch glaring at her in disinterest with a steaming bowl held aloft. “Here, you will need your strength.”

“T-thank you.” Pear sat up properly and took the offered bowl and spoon into her magic. A small part of her twinged in irritation at how natural she slipped into using telekinesis.

By now, Paint Brush was already eating at the table with Stopwatch joining him. “Pear Butter, you used to be farmer. How well do you think you could perform in carpentry?”

The mare sucked on the first bite of agreeable stew for a long moment to think. “Ah think Ah could do that. Ah probably had to do a lot of that on mah old farm, Ah’m sure it’ll come back to me.”

“Good.” Stopwatch took a few bites before continuing. “I’ll arrange an opening for you down by Split Beam’s shop in Upper Canterlot. That will put you close enough to the target house to keep watch over it without being conspicuous.”

“Target house?” Paint Brush queried as he wolfed down his food so he’d be free to speak. Pear Butter sat up a little straighter in expectation.

“More like target family.” Stopwatch downed the last of her broth in one long swig. “The hatchling princess needs to have a massive amount of love to survive, as I’m sure you noticed. However, I alone can’t do that. I fed her two months' worth just to satisfy her today. No matter how many clients I service, lust just isn’t as nutritious as actual love, but it can serve us in a pinch.”

“But the princess can’t make do with just a pinch, right?” Pear asked already knowing the answer.

“Exactly. So I’ve been scoping out families across Upper Canterlot for the perfect surrogate parents.” Stopwatch got up and cantered over to a desk, rummaged through it before producing several manilla envelopes. Each one had a family name and crest on them. She took one envelope and deposited its contents on the table: maps, photographs, charts, and other data sheets. “Given the imminent timing of the princess’s hatching, the Harthworth family is the ideal family to raise the princess to ensure she retains the ability to produce love.”

Paint Brush sifted through the charts, which he quickly realized were the target family’s finances. “Ah guess the money won’t be a problem. A twenty five thousand bit a month profit? Gaw dang that’s a hefty sum.”

Pear Butter checked over the dozen pictures. Only two unicorns were in all of them. A stately if haughty looking yellow stallion with a slicked back brown mane. The wife was much better looking to Pear’s eyes. She had a gentle warmth about her in all the pictures, but the most telling attribute was her advanced pregnancy. “You’re going to put the princess with this family as a sister or somethin’?”

“No, a replacement.”

Stopwatch’s flat statement made Pear’s veins run cold with ice. Her rebellious self surged forward to speak her mind, but Paint Brush unwittingly cut her off.

“So we’re switching foals? Seems easy enough,” he forced out with a neutral face. “Ah assume we have some way of giving the princess a long term disguise.”

Pear was livid and stamped her hoof on the carpeted floor, but her geas concerning the princess’s well-being silenced her scathing tongue. Stopwatch saw the furious mare, but made no effort to ease her mind. “Actually no, the child was stillborn.”

Pear wilted under the news and said nothing, leaving Stopwatch to continue uninterrupted. “The family is in mourning, and emotionally vulnerable. A client of mine told me several old family friends of theirs are expected to visit tomorrow so we have to act fast since I believe this family is the best candidate. I stacked the deck by bribing the weather captain to push the next rainstorm to coincide with the visit.”

Stopwatch tapped the photo of the Harthworth manor’s front door. “Ponies are notoriously herd minded creatures, and bleeding hearts to boot. I’ll be leaving the disguised hatchling princess on the doorstep of their house during the friendly visit in the middle of the rainstorm.”

Paint Brush let off a dark chuckle. “That’s pretty smart a’ ya. Between wanting ta’ take in a new foal, the very presence of the family friends adding some guilt to any thoughts of abandonment, and the cold, wet rainstorm to makin’ them even less likely to reject the foal. Hook line and sinker.”

“That’s about the size of it,” Stopwatch concurred.

Pear Butter sagged in her seat as guilt weighed down upon her as if the world was on her withers. “At least the family gets a loving daughter out of it.”

“See?” Paint Brush added. “Everypony wins. So it’s just Pear and mah job to keep a loose eye on her from a distance then. Should be a cakewalk.”

“Only if we do things right,” Stopwatch warned before looking at Paint Brush. “Now give me the items our queen gave you for the princess. I’ll need them for when the princess wakes up.”

Aegis fumed at everything in general as she listened to the earth pony police chief give her an after-action report with Princess Celestia and several other ponies sitting around the same table.

The group was in the original palace conference room where Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and several other officials had discussed the changeling threat after the wedding all those years ago. While much of Celestia’s focus was on the police chief, the timeless mare couldn’t help but to see the dark irony in it all. Here we are, with Twilight’s first royal daughter discussing the threat of radicals acting against changelings rather than radical changelings acting against us. Yet another joke the universe shares with no one.

As a show of unity and trust, Celestia had Aegis seated to her right while the police chief was at her left.

“...Moving on to the preliminary findings,” Police Chief Hoofcuffs drolled on as she had been for the past hour. “This was an unexpected timing for all of us. If our prisoners’ comments during the arrests are to be believed, we interrupted a large meeting between several key crime families, two rogue mercenary companies, and three radical groups, including the P.C.E. Unfortunately we only caught minor soldiers and a couple of lieutenants. The real leaders of each group either evaded capture or weren’t present yet.”

“I could have stopped at least two of them from getting away,” Aegis growled under her breath. “There were so many fleeing the building that the perimeter guards couldn’t catch all of them. Even with so many arrests, the proto-queen looked about as glum as a certain bald donkey. At least none of my siblings got taken out, but a few came close. Her thoughts momentarily shifted to Counterspell before she tossed them aside to focus on the present.

Although it wasn’t meant to be heard, Celestia managed to catch the whole thing. “Very good chief. Continue your interrogations and keep me appraised of any news. Be they ponies or otherwise, we can not accept such a strong presence of the criminal element in the capital of all places.”

“As you order, your highness.” Hoofcuffs nodded curtly before resuming her seat.

Celestia turned to a earth mare who was scribbling furiously on a notepad. “Administer Field Runner, how is the public handling the raid?”

The mare quickly nestled the pencil on her ear. “Mixed at the moment. Several reporters are getting eye witness accounts of ponies wishing the chaos would stop in the city, others are glad we’re taking such quick action, and a small minority is saying we’re only making things worse by such open violence on the streets of Canterlot.”

A scrawny stallion with crooked glasses leaned forward for attention. Celestia quickly identified him as her primary speech writer. “I anticipated this development, your highness, and have several speeches outlined and being delivered to your personal study for your perusal as always.”

“Excellent, thank you, Silver Tongue. If there is nothing else?” she looked around the assembled ponies and single changeling for any comments. When none were forthcoming she banged the table three times with a gavel. “Very well. Dismissed.”

The various officials hastily gathered up their papers and shuffled or flew out of the exit, eager to get back to work, or go to the nearest bar and drown the coming night away. Unsure of what to do, Aegis began to rise to leave as well, but a brush from Celestia’s wing gave her pause. Aegis saw Celestia's desire to speak in private written on her face so she slumped back down.

The ageless alicorn knew better than to patronize the brooding proto-queen. She had seen it all before in Twilight’s youth. “Aegis, your mother and I shared an open-door policy. If you ever need an ear outside of your hive-mind to speak to, please feel free.”

Aegis sighed heavily and traced a circle on the table with her index finger. “Were you around before the Hearths’ Warming Event?”

“Barely,” Celestia confirmed. “I was among the immigrants who left the old lands, barely old enough to remember the exodus. My sister and I became alicorns that same year though.” She levitated the condensation-covered pitcher of water and refilled Aegis’ empty cup. “It was a hard time for everypony.”

Aegis gave a small nod of thanks, but didn’t touch the glass immediately. The setting sun cast the room into brilliant oranges and yellows that would have gotten a rise out of the pyromaniac any other day. “How long did it take before the three tribes stopped hating each other? How long did it take before ponies like the P.C.E. stopped existing?” Aegis gave Celestia a pleading look that made Celestia forget for a moment that she wasn’t speaking with Twilight. “How long am I going to have to attack and kill ponies before we can truly be united with the three tribes?”

Celestia took a big risk and moved close enough to drape a caring wing over Aegis shoulder. It eased her heart that Aegis leaned into it slightly, but largely only accepted it’s presence. “It took centuries, Aegis. I’m sorry for that. The three tribes largely found cooperation a better alternative fairly quickly after Hearth’s Warming. As it was then, and as it is now, most modern ponies find the Alliance between us to be better than the alternative. But for groups like the P.C.E. to fade away? They never truly do. Even now there are small groups trying to promote one tribe or the other above all others.”

“But those are the minority right?” Aegis asked hopefully.

“Yes, they are quite impotent most of the time. So long as intelligent beings exist, there will be deviants that go against what is ultimately best for society. Although…” Celestia affixed Aegis with a soft smile. “I’d imagine it’s easier for you with the hive mind as a point of unity.”

“Maybe not, Princess,” Aegis replied with a ghost of a smile. “But you have a more fascinating focus of unity that I still can’t fully wrap my head around.”

Celestia arched an eyebrow at the unexpected comment. She knew of many facets of unity and harmony between ponies, but she wanted to hear Aegis’ point of view. “Which is?”

“I don’t really know,” Aegis answered truthfully. “None of your subjects have a built-in compulsion to obey your will. There is no clear unifying voice to look to for in moments of doubt, no guiding song of the consensus for when the queen is too busy to respond.” She gave Celestia a studious look. “Personally I think the fact that a nation of individuals has grown as large as Equestria, let alone for it to prosper as much as it has, would be impossible without all this evidence to the contrary.”

Taking on a tone of casual debate she used so often on Twilight Sparkle, Celestia took a few sips of her tea to give the impression she was thinking. “So you think it is dumb luck we ponies have stumbled onto a working system?”

Aegis huffed dismissively and snatched one of the biscuits at the center of the table. The spread had been exhausted by the other officials over an hour ago. “I don’t know. All I do know is that for all your failings at keeping a tighter consensus, you have a leg up compared to us in at least one aspect.”

Celestia reheated her tea with a touch of magic. She had dealt with Twilight enough to know when to strike at the point instead of dancing around it. “You mean my ponies are less affected by a poisonous consensus, and can resist it. Or if I ever became unstable or evil, my subjects could better resist me than drones to their queen.” The bitter memories of banishing her sister came to mind.

“Rutting hell,” Aegis exclaimed while trying to rub away a headache. “You don’t pull any kicks do you?”

“Not if the situation calls for it,” Celestia cooly replied.

Aegis stared agape at her for several moments before recovering. She managed to claim a ghost of a smile. “That’s exactly it, yes. The drones of my kin may be sapient and strongly individualistic compared to other hives, but we are all ultimately influenced by the will of our queen-mother.” She gave Celestia a stern grimace to press her point. “It is for that reason I wanted to keep my drone-like loyalty to my mother hard-wired in my reborn self. It is also why I convinced them that the only royal children any of us should ever have are reborn drones because it is inconceivable to me that my queen-mothers would ever act against Equestria. And by extension, it is almost impossible for Blitz and I to do so as well.”

The massive form of the cloudy ram towering over the Summit crawled in her mind. A place so sacred to every changeling being defiled and vandalized by the monster’s corrosive breath sent shivers down Aegis’ spine. “There’s nothing more frightening to think about than a hive mind divided by warring queens.” I can only imagine the damage Polybia could have caused if we were all joined in a single hive mind.

Celestia frowned deeply at the information, vowing to herself to take it to heart. “I can only imagine, but that leaves you vulnerable. Even my sister, as kind and passionate as she is, succumbed to darkness. How would you react if Twilight or Blitz suffered a similar fate?”

Aegis downed a few sips of water only to discover she was famished with a curtain of fatigue washing over her, making Aegis yawn loudly. Her sour mood deepened as she contemplated recent events. “You want my blunt opinion?” She searched Celestia’s passive face to gauge her reaction. “I honestly don’t know. I might be able to keep following the right path, or I could just as easily follow them down that dark future. All it takes is one queen, one Polybia, one Chrysalis to cause a whole hive to suddenly turn on everypony else. For my bloodline though, one queen could cast our entire nation into shadow.”

Aegis hesitated at the mental image of a nightmare overtaking any of her fellow royals. The specter of Grogar possessing any of them froze her heart with fear. “I - I think I should lay down.” She got up, bowed respectfully towards Celestia. “Gotta go eat something first or I’ll never hear the end of it from Gear.”

Celestia returned the sign of respect and climbed to her hooves as well. “And I must be ready to lower the sun. Sleep well, Proto-Queen Aegis.”

“You too, Princess, and… thanks for the talk,” Aegis said before slipping through the door. At the moment, she wanted more than anything to lean against a wall and rub her head to try and ease the tension. Sadly the presence of so many castle staff and other officials forced her to trudge up to her quarters.

Things were so much simpler in my drone days. I ate, fought, guarded, and did whatever I wanted to. She kept a neutral face as she passed by several ponies, and saw a serving cart. She swerved over and snatched a strawberry and cream hors d'oeuvre from the cart, and thanked the waitress. I never really paid much attention to all the crap momma and Auntie Rainbow put up with outside of combat before getting mother’s blessing. Maybe if I had, I would have thought twice before convincing mom to rebirth me.

But there’s nothing for it now. I just hope I don’t ruin all the goodwill mother’s worked so damned hard to achieve.

Author's Notes:
Will Blitz switch out her reptilian eyes for cat ones? Are queens secretly reptile people? Will Apple Bloom become the next Oppenheimer? Will Applejack ever stop loving bucking? Will the Ponies for Culinary Excitement ever go through with the lawsuit? Will Pinkie Pie ever develop Pastry Gas!?
Tune in next time to potentially get answers on the next Reformation!!!!

Happy 4th everyone!
p.s. i hope my horse words didn't interfere with horse episode.

9: Not at All According to Plan

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash stood within one of the two medium sized dry-docks normally used for freighter construction. The yawning well-lit chamber was alight with activity as drones of all colors worked on the metal beast housed within.

Sadly for Rainbow Dash, it was the mostly fangless tender vessel known as the P.R.N. Breadbasket that had only two light defensive guns on the ventral and dorsal sides. Like its sister ship the Cornucopia, it was painted with inverted colors of purple and blue trimmings on brass colored primary paint compared to the actual warships. The ship was several meters shorter than the Deception and thinner too. What set it apart from the Cornucopia, however, was the primary cargo bay that ran the entire center of the ship had both of its port and starboard doors pulled open with large docking booms extending outward making the ship look like a cross.

Twilight studied the Breadbasket from not only her eyes, but that of the shipwrights putting the modifications through the tests for deployment. “You can’t help but to see the irony in this,” Twilight half teased her resolutely stoic sister. “Converting a tender vessel to a gunship carrier even after always saying the Longshot is a miserable warship?” She cast Rainbow a wry smirk. “What would Aegis say to this?”

Rainbow arched an extremely sardonic eyebrow at Twilight while flicking her tail in anxiety. “She wouldn’t dare say a word. You know as well as I do that until the Deception can be repaired the gunships are our biggest weapons.”

“Still don’t trust the bi-planes to get the job done?” Twilight asked with more seriousness than Rainbow expected.

She had to take a moment to remember that Twilight really trusted her on such matters. Even if it should have been expected, it still helped Rainbow’s mood and pride. “No, I don’t. They’re fast, I’ll give them that, but there will always be a need for big guns.”

“To beat back any big things Polybia or Grogar might throw at us?” Twilight said with more statement than question.

“That, and it’s the perfect deterrent.” Rainbow gazed out to the west staring past the dry-dock’s walls. “I don’t think the chimp-cats would have backed down at the sight of a few gnats.”

Thinking on it for a bit, Twilight eventually nodded. “I can see the logic in that. How soon will the Breadbasket be ready?”

“Tonight actually,” Rainbow replied with a touch of pride. “The engineers have been pulling triple shifts, so we’ll be able to fly out at first light tomorrow.”

“Good… good,” Twilight said at length while rubbing her chin. “The sooner we take care of Grogar and Polybia, the sooner we can fully focus on the P.C.E.”

Both queens stood in silence for a few moments, simply to take comfort in each other and enjoy the ever present sounds of industry. Yet the moment didn’t last when Blitz pinged both of them. <Aunty Twilight, momma, I hope you’re doing well.>

Rainbow was always happy to hear her royal daughter’s voice and wished she was there to physically hug her. <Can’t complain outside of the obvious,> she half growled at the recent sabotage of her favorite warship. <For now though, just overseeing the final stages of the expedition prep work. How about you?>

<Did Applejack get to Canterlot safely?> Twilight added.

<Yes, she’s fine. Applejack’s going over a few things before her media interview after lunch today, while Apple Bloom is settling nicely into the university dorms. I extended your apologies for not being able to be there in person, Aunty.>

<Thank you, Blitz, it’s been a whirlwind of activity down here getting everything set up.> Even through the hive mind, Twilight’s fatigue was painfully evident.

Blitz replied with a note of good humor. <But I contacted you for a different reason. A friend of yours, Lyra Heartstrings, wants to ask a favor. Rolled Scroll and Blue Flare are standing by for puppeting if you need.>

<Lyra?> Twilight’s ears perked up at the name of her friend and smiled. Twilight locked in on her son’s voice in the Link and slipped her consciousness on through.

Rainbow Dash was about to leave it at that, but ended up shrugging. Meh, since Flare’s already there, I might as well see what this favor is. The dock crews got it handled.

The two queens found themselves in Twilight’s old condo within Canterlot Castle. Much of the old architecture was the same as it had been for centuries; marble walls and floor, grand windows, the massive timewheel, and the sheer scale of books upon books. The early morning sun cast light on several recent additions, namingly Blitz’s worktable covered in minor gadgets that she tinkered with to distract herself from the P.C.E. issue, and a few clockwerks were scattered about, standing at attention or carrying various items for their creators.

Sitting on a sofa in that awkward style that Twilight knew her for was the familiar mint green unicorn Lyra Heartstrings with her blue and pink maned earth pony friend (whose name escaped Twilight at the moment). The instant Lyra saw Rolled Scroll’s eyes change she ran over and hugged the puppeted drone. “Twilight! Ah, it’s been forever, you silly bug you, how’ve you been?!”

Twilight took a moment to recover from the hug attack, but managed to return it before separating. Rainbow Dash snickered at the whole thing from Blue Flare’s position a few paces away in a chair. “About as well as can be expected given recent events.” Lyra’s beaming smile weakened a little. “But fine otherwise, what’s up?”

“It’s always so weird hearing you speak with a stallion’s voice,” Lyra snickered, earning a mildly impatient half frown from her old friend. “Anyway, I know you’re busy these days, and I wouldn’t call you up like this for just a social visit.” Lyra faltered a bit as if her carefully planned sales pitch was useless. It didn’t help her that she only just realized Twilight had asked her a question. “Well, you know, my life’s about as normal as it gets for me.”

“So not at all?” Twilight teased with a growing smile.

“Ha! Don’t you know it!” They both giggled for a few moments, causing Lyra to fall into small talk. “I just finished up a concert tour from Fillidelphia and the like.” She turned to the earth mare. “You should have seen Bon Bon when she got so drunk she clambered onto the bar that night and danced with a shot glass in her-”

Bon Bon shoved her way into the conversation, bumping Lyra enough to derail her story, and gave Twilight a friendly smile and nod. The two were more friendly acquaintances than actual friends, but that wasn’t a free pass for social embarrassment. “Good to meet you again, Queen Twilight Sparkle,” Bon Bon bowed and repeated the greeting to Rainbow Dash.

“Likewise,” Rainbow added briefly.

Twilight said much the same before returning her attention to Lyra. “I’d love to catch up, but as you guessed, I’ve been way too busy lately. What did you need?”

Lyra rubbed her foreleg nervously, but made a valiant attempt to keep her expression positive. “I’ve seen Aegis and Blitz walking around on two legs for a few years and I was hoping you could do your changeling transformation stuff to give my hands back.”

Both queen stared wide eyed at first Lyra, then each other, then back at Lyra. “What do you mean ‘give them back’?” Twilight asked with confusion written all over her.

Lyra took a deep breath to steady herself for possible rejection. “You know that mirror you keep under lock and key in your castle? I’m originally from the world on the other side of that.”

For the longest moment, Twilight stared at Lyra with a blank face only blinking once. “What?” Her head jerking back and her eyes shrank. “Wait, what?!”

“I know you’ve at least been researching the mirror, if all that equipment around it is any indication,” Lyra added with a knowing tone, yet kept her face friendly. “I figured either you or one of your kids had to have found a way to go through at least once, am I right?”

“Aahhh…” Twilight sweated a bit at the question. That was supposed to be classified! “This is what I get for giving you nearly free reign in my castle,” Twilight glowered. “Yes, I’ve been to Canterlot High and beyond several times now. But! I also saw that world’s version of you at the school, and that Lyra acted like she’d never met me before the first time.”

“That’s because we switched places, like, a long time ago before we started at the School for Gifted Unicorn. You remember that time I asked you to help me relearn how to use magic after an accident? You even got Moondancer to help with that.”

It took a few moments, but Twilight remembered the incident quite clearly. “Yeah, you just said you got zapped by some bad guy. It was like teaching a foal, a weird experience, since I was barely a filly myself.”

Unlike her sister, Rainbow Dash was giving Bon Bon far more attention. The cream colored mare had none of the surprised expression Rainbow expected of her. So she’s here for support rather than truth dumping on everypony at once, eh? “So why did you and your clone switch worlds?”

Lyra let off a nervous giggle and fumbled with her hooves as she sat down. “Well, it may seem silly to everypony, but it’s a common thing for girls that were my age back then to love unicorns and ponies in general. So when I stumbled my way into this world and became a unicorn, I was ecstatic. Long story short, I bump into this world’s Lyra and she had a thing for hands, so she went to my world.”

“What about your friends and family?” Blitz asked with sudden worry about Lyra’s seeming abandonment. “You gave all that up?”

“Not by choice,” Bon Bon jumped up in her friend’s defense. “She didn’t know about the thirty moons thing.”

Lyra nodded sadly. “The two of us bounced in and out of the portal for those two days, she brought bits and a couple of magic trinkets to that world and I brought some of my father’s engineering books to show off tech I couldn’t carry with me. After the portal closed, I thought I was stuck here forever, so I took up my other self’s life, and I bet she did to mine.”

Now I get what she meant by getting her hands back. “Well I set it so the portal can be activated at will,” Twilight announced with a reassuring smile. “I wish you had asked me sooner, I wouldn’t have kept you from going back home.”

Lyra teased a lock of her hair for a bit. “I would like to see how my original family’s doing, but Equestria is my home now.” She smiled a Bon Bon. “Besides, I couldn’t leave my new friends and family.”

What understanding Rainbow had gotten from her sister’s offer was now totally blown away. “If you want your hands back, but don’t want to go home, then what do you want?” She can’t possibly be asking for what I think she is.

Here goes nothing, Lyra mused worriedly as she turned to face Blitz. “I want to be reborn into a biped like her.”

The room went dead silent.

Lyra tried to act like she wasn’t nervous while both queens were dumbstruck by the request. For her part, Blitz was caught between surprise and a touch of flattery. However the reality of it all put a damper on her mood. “Sorry to tell you, Lyra, but that would probably be a bad idea.”

“I already thought it over for years since seeing you and Proto-Queen Aegis running around for the past couple of years. I-I’ll pay handsomely, of course, I know it’s expensive.” Lyra glanced at Bon Bon for support. Her confidence returned at her friend’s nod.

“It’s not that simple,” Twilight explained as she tried to let her friend down easy. “The rebirth process can only create a changeling, it’d be impossible for you to remain a pony.”

“I’ve already thought it over with both my parents and Bon Bon here,” Lyra countered with a stoic grimace. She still glanced at Bon Bon for support, and was thankful when her friend nodded. “Besides, I already went through one species change, I think I’ll do even better a second time.” It helped that my parents in both world are hippies.

Twilight half-glared at Lyra’s attempt to be dismissive. “And what of the memory loss I told you about? Putting it all in memory crystals isn’t the same, and I’m not in the habit of having unplanned princesses.”

<Awww, did I really put you off having wild nights with wild stallions, Twilight?> Rainbow was snickering so loudly she got a chastising glare from her daughter and sister. Rainbow just rolled her eyes and let Lyra say her piece.

“Y-yeah, that’s a problem, sure,” Lyra stumbled a bit after Rainbow’s outburst, but she had been working on this pitch for years. “But I know you’ve been working on that problem. You’ve fixed it at least a little right?”

I don’t remember telling her that. Twilight’s glower soured, but ultimately she didn’t deny it. “A little. The research is embarrassingly frustrating. The brain is so enormously complex that the rumors from the Imperial thestrals kinda scares me as to what the royal family of the Moonlit Empire were doing to their test subjects. However…” Twilight briefly debated with herself on whether or not she should even say this next part. “I’ve managed to get it so a drone rebirth can still retain one year’s worth of memories.” More like stumble on it, she mused irritably. “Everything else is wiped clean.”

Blitz remembered being part of that research team. “You can put everything else into memory crystals of course, but it’s just not the same.”

“I know the risks,” Lyra pleaded towards Twilight. “Come on Twilight, you know me! You really think I’d ask for something like this without knowing what was involved?” She was inches from getting on her knees to beg, and Twilight saw that in Lyra’s misting eyes and slightly quivering lower lip.

Even so, Twilight studied her old friend for a long minute of silence before sighing sadly. “Lyra, because it’s you, I’m going to try to ignore the fact that you hid this from me for so long.” The mint green mare’s ears wilted at that. “You aren’t the first person to come to us for rebirth or some form of body modification after Aegis revealed her current incarnation.” Twilight tried to say this next part as gently as possible with an expression to match. “But I’m going to have to tell you the same thing I’ve told everypony else: no.”

Lyra forced herself to remain strong, hoping for some argument to come to mind. To buy time, she tried looking to Rainbow Dash who vigorously shook her head. “Uh uuuuhh, no way. I’m not fighting Twilight on this one.”

To the surprise of the changelings and Lyra herself, Bon Bon stepped up towards Twilight. “Memory isn’t the only problem, you’re worried about political backlash aren’t you?”

Lyra curled her lip in a sneer at no one in particular while Twilight nodded sagely. “Exactly. We just got attacked by the P.C.E. Rebirthing a pony is the worst thing we can do right now.”

Rainbow gave a dismissive snort. “I can just see the headlines now of the Pony Inquirer: Changelings Advance Conspiracy to Convert Equestria.” She started rubbing her temples expecting a headache to pop up at just the thought of it.

Lyra gave Twilight a stern glare of steel. “You’re not really going to let those punks dictate what you do, are you?”

“It’s not a question of-” Twilight started but Lyra stomped her hoof for her to stop.

“It is, Twilight! You can say you’re not negotiating with those terrorists all you like to the press, but everypony knows that you tiphoof around trying not to anger the P.C.E. Why do you think they’ve grown so bold lately? They’ve got you running scared of them!”

Rainbow Dash was thrown into dark brooding by the scathing statement while Twilight tried to remain diplomatic. “Maybe we should be, Lyra,” Twilight added with a glint of steel in her tone. “They brought down my flagship in a single act! We need to be more careful now more than ever, and poking the beehive by rebirthing you would be like shooting ourselves in the hoof! And believe me, it would be front page news for somepony.”

Bon Bon hugged Lyra trying to get her friend to calm down and try again later when Rainbow Dash jumped off the couch and marched over to properly join the conversation. “No. Actually, I think that’s the last thing we need to do!” Everyone, even Blitz was rendered confused. “I’m not one for politics, but I know battle. The P.C.E. is just like another army. What little we’ve gotten out of the interrogations have told me they’ve wised up since the monastery. They’ve built up, they’ve planned, they’ve recruited, they’ve done it all right under our noses. I say provoking them is exactly what we need to do, and rebirthing Lyra would be perfect for that.”

Twilight gave her sister a bewildered head tilt. “I don’t think I heard you correctly. Are you saying we should do the exact opposite of what we’ve been doing for the past decade, a plan that Celestia herself said was the best plan!?”

“Times change, sis,” Rainbow countered with a sidelong smirk. “Everypony who’s level headed enough to see we’ve got the best interests of the Alliance at heart is cool with us. The ones left are die hards who will never see the truth.”

Lyra and Bon Bon felt the two queens were inadvertently pushing them out of the conversation as Twilight pressed a hoof against her sister’s chest. <I appreciate your input, Rainbow, but there’s a word for this kind of ‘battle’ and it’s called diplomacy. How would it look to those we have won over to our corner to start taking a more militant stance?>

“They’d say it’s about rutting time we showed some backbone!” Rainbow rebuked by shoving the hoof off before begrudgingly switching to the hive mind. <Look, between you and the princesses, these ponies have had twelve years to see the light. If Celestia herself can’t get these ponies to see straight by now, then your kid gloves won’t help either.>

<You know the world’s more complicated than that,> Twilight countered weakly. <Ponies have always been slow to change. As misguided as the P.C.E. is, they still think they’re doing what’s best for Equestria.>

<Misguided is right,> Rainbow snorted in distaste. <Ignoring the good we’re doing, ignoring the princesses, and fixating on Chrysalis’ invasion as ‘the only time we ever showed our true colors’? Pretty much every prisoner from the raid was saying that.>

Twilight felt like she was punched in the gut. Some part of her wanted to believe her hive’s actions over the years had at least put some inkling of doubt in even the worst members of the P.C.E. <They all said that? They had to have at least some doubt, right?>

<Wrong,> Rainbow stated firmly, making Twilight wilt. <Face it, sis, you can’t handle these guys like everypony else. They don’t think within your tight and compact rationality. They think it’s rational to get rid of us! They’ve done enough mental gymnastics to paint themselves as the good guys!> Rainbow gave Twilight a smirk somewhere between sarcastic and revulsion.

Twilight admitted to herself that she hadn’t listened in on the prisoner questionings. Rainbow’s words struck a chord with what she really hoped wasn’t true about the P.C.E. mindset. “Just-just give me a moment, please, I need to think.” Twilight shuffled over to the couch, her eyes unseeing as she mulled over some additional information Rainbow shared with her covering the interrogations. Knowing how her sister could get, Rainbow Dash decided to leave her sister to her thoughts.

As much as she loved the idea of provoking the most reviled of enemies, a position Rainbow originally assumed only Chrysalis would ever occupy, her honed military mind knew she had to plan carefully. That’s assuming Twilight does continue to try and do it all herself again.

Rainbow stepped away from Twilight to speak with Lyra. The unicorn’s worried yet hopeful face belied the fear of rejection. “Yo, Lyra, let me just get this straight, for the record.” Lyra nodded quickly while Blitz intently watched on since she had been out of the loop during her queens’ argument. “You’re seriously hard core on getting hands and two legs back, knowing full well that there’s more to being a changeling than getting wings and wall walking right?”

Seeing her chance, Lyra put on a brave face, only glancing at Bon Bon for a brief moment for her approval. “I am. I’ve talked with a whole bunch of your drones over the years. I know I’ll most likely have to be connected to the hive mind, and be rather dependent on it.”

Rainbow Dash looked back at her sister who started half listening. “You will, yes. My sister and I have a reputation to maintain, and while you may be an old friend of Twilight’s, that doesn’t give you a free pass to start acting like a fool.”

Lyra nodded, having already long since accepted that condition. “There’s the compulsive loyalty that goes with it, cause I guess there’s no chance of me being a queen is there?”

Rainbow’s thoughts darkened, but kept her outward expression neutral. “Do you want to be a queen?”

“Pah, Lyra’s already a drama queen,” Bon Bon joked in a poor attempt to lighten the room. While Rainbow let the corner of her lips turn up, it was Lyra’s exasperated ‘stop it’ face that made her cringe. “Well, I mean… I’ll be quiet now.”

“Anyway,” Lyra started again, “no I don’t.” She couldn’t help but to sweat under Rainbow’s scrutiny, knowing full well the queen was probing her with her empathy. “I’m sure you two find it rewarding, but I really want to avoid having foals.. or nymphs in that case.”

Good. If that’s what she wanted I’d give her the door, pissing off the P.C.E. or not.

When Rainbow didn’t show any disapproval, Lyra felt her hopes rising. “And then there’s the compulsive loyalty every drone has,” she counted off out of a very old habit with her hooves. “But everypony knows you guys are in tight with the princesses, so it’s not like you’d ever betray Equestria. Well, everypony with half a brain knows that anyway,” she added with a short lived chuckle. “Plus there’s the love feeding, and where a female drone makes wax, and then-.” Lyra paused when Rainbow Dash gave a mildly bewildered look. She couldn’t help but to fume a little. “Hey, I did my homework here, I know what I’m asking for here.”

“It’s true,” Bon Bon added in as she stepped up to be beside her long-time friend. “I made her wait and think on it for the past two years to make sure she wasn’t being impulsive.”

Twilight cut her musings short after hearing Bon Bon. “Really?” She turned to Lyra. “Even with Rainbow’s idea sounding better the more I think about it, I was still going to say no. You always jumped at things and forgot about the details too easily, Lyra.”

“Well not this time!” Lyra flared with surging hope. “I admit Bonny here,” she wrapped the earth mare into a squeezing side hug, “made me really do some research on it, but even with all the other stuff, I still want to go through with it.”

Twilight mulled over the idea some more while meeting her sister’s gaze. A conversation passed between them that needed no words, not even the hive mind. It lasted barely a minute before Twilight eventually faced the thus far silent proto-queen. “Blitz, since Lyra is a musician, I think it would be best if she was reborn under you.”

“So you’re really going along with this?” Blitz had to ask. Her eyes danced between her two queens before throwing her hands up in surrender. “Alright, sure, but you gotta be willing to work outside of music,” Blitz directed at Lyra in some hope that she could persuade the unicorn away from this plan of action. “You can do what you want in your free time, but we don’t operate like ponies. You’ll be free for about a year or so, but after that Aegis and I will be starting to build our hive. I won’t be able to spare anypony to take up a career in music until Tradewinds is on it’s hooves. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

I half hoped I’d be allowed to keep living in Ponyville, or at least Phoenix's Roost where I could still focus on music… Lyra forced her ears to stay upright, refusing to let the changelings catch even a whiff of doubt. “If that’s what it takes to stay in this work and get my hands back, then I accept!”

Sensing that one of the changelings might use some other means to dissuade her from her course, Lyra summoned a rolled letter, her trump card. “And before you say it, I already got signatures of endorsement from both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!”

Everyone, even Bon Bon was startled by the revelation. “When did you do that!?”

As Twilight unfurled the letter to read, with Rainbow Dash hovering over her shoulder, Lyra gave Bon Bon a smirked with half-lidded eyes. “Just a little extra insurance, you’re the one who gave me two years to think on it and build a case.”

Bon Bon pulled in to hiss into Lyra’s ear. “And you never thought to tell me you were bothering the princesses about this!? Why didn’t they tell Twilight or Rainbow?”

Lyra rebuffed her friend’s exasperated frown with a playful grin. “I asked them not to, and that I wanted the reveal to wait until your two-year waiting period was up.”

<Yup, that’s their hornwriting alright,> Twilight said to Rainbow with an impressed tone. <Luna even left a little bit of her magic attached to the letters.>

Rainbow Dash took the letter as the final straw needed to put her plan into motion. She looked to her daughter and Lyra. “Alright, we’ll do it, but,” she warned before Lyra could jump for joy, “are you willing to play this up to the media and likely become a target of the P.C.E?”

Even with the warning, and Bon Bon’s surge of worry to the point where she huddled near her partner, Lyra didn’t wilt from her manic grin and swishing tail. “You’re going to use that to give them a good thrashing right? Payback for the Deception and all that.”

“That’s right,” Twilight reluctantly confirmed even though the plan made her nearly sick with worry.

<Then it’ll be the perfect time for our friends in the Equestrian military to demonstrate the same loyalty we’ve shown them. Plus, it might even make the P.C.E. bold enough to do something stupid,> Rainbow countered before giving Lyra a firm nod. <Big time.>

It was a dark and stormy night, as planned. The Harthworth Estate’s normally cheery atmosphere of carefully manicured rose bushes and trees cut into various animal shapes was subdued by a brooding depression that Stopwatch and Pear Butter could feel even without their innate empathy.

A small number of carriages were trotting around the long circular courtyard where servants waited with umbrellas to whisk their high society guests in and out of the rain. From their hiding place in one such carriage across the street, the two mares cradled the sleeping nymph who was being kept that way by a spell.

“Even the lights of the front porch feel moody,” Pear mused aloud as she turned away from the scene after closing the carriage’s curtains. The downpour made it difficult to hear the coming and going of ponies thanks to the distinct noise the rain made on the roof.

“Then we’ll give them the perfect gift to brighten their day,” Stopwatch replied mechanically.

With her deeper connection to her queen, Stopwatch pulled the necessary information she needed to fulfill her goal. Taking the pendent Polybia had given the quasi, she formed a unicorn mare disguise with a deep red coat and black mane and tail. “You’re originally a pony, how does this look for the princess’ disguise?”

Pear Butter cringed at the sight of it. “You’ve been spending more time among ponies than me, why can’t you make the guess?”

“Because I only deal with adults,” Stopwatch snarked with a superior tone. “We have to make the child look appealing to increase our chances.”

“Ah see…” Pear Butter gave the changeling a once over before shaking her head. “Ah don’t like it, but Ah’ve always been a fan of purplish blue fur on fillies. Just makes them so cute,” she mused aloud, giving herself an all too brief escape from her trapped reality.

“You remember that much?” Stopwatch asked as she cycled through various shades of color until Pear waved for her to stop at a dark shade of purplish blue.

“Well, not directly, no, but Ah remember seeing this one mare yesterday that had a fur color Ah’d die to have.” Stopwatch gave her a sour look, making Pear's ears wilt. “Well, if Ah had a foal, Ah’d love that color all the same.”

‘Hmfph, fair enough. Now, what about a mane?”

“Ahh…” Pear started at Stopwatch, trying to think of a good combination. “Maybe navy blue? Solid color.”

Stopwatch adapted her disguise to match and tweaked it until Pear Butter was satisfied. “There, that should do.”

Pear Butter watched in fascination as Stopwatch held the pendent close to her chest with her horn glowing faintly. Her disguise seemed to liquefy and poured into the bright ruby within the pendent. Stopwatch’s chitin started to show through as the watery magic dripped off of her only to be soaked up to the very last drop by the now glowing ruby.

She waited a minute or two for the glow to shift from the dark purplish-blue of the fur to the standard acidic green of typical changeling magic. “There, now it’s ready for her.” Stopwatch gently placed the golden chain around the nymph and pressed the jewel onto the base of the princess’ horn. Both jewel and horn glowed together before the liquid magic burst forth again to completely cover the child. “Alright then, with the queen’s modifications, not even the archmage or Twilight Sparkle herself could sense this disguise, let alone defeat it.”

“What about a cutie mark?” Pear asked as she subconsciously rubbed her flanks. “How will she get one if she’s a changeling?”

“Simple, the spell is designed to wait until early adolescence and takes what she subconsciously desires or is passionate about and pull a relevant image from her memory.”

“But…” Pear Butter was crestfallen and looked at the poor nymph with pity. “It won’t be real.”

Stopwatch stopped working the final steps on the permanent enchantment to give her quasi companion a flat, almost annoyed face. “No, but otherwise she’d, at best, live her pony life as a blank flank, or worst, be discovered and killed.”

“Right…” Pear Butter decided to push the possible future out of her mind and refocused on the estate. By now, all of the guests had arrived and there were no guards or servants keeping watch outside. The only thing standing between them and the door was a large gold painted gate and the hammering rain that made detection unlikely.

Pear Butter idly watched lightning crackle above, and took a simple pleasure in the sound of heavy rain. There was a strong whiff of natural scents about it that sang to an old memory that she desperately tried to bring to the surface. Any part of her old life was precious, and she knew that the more she remembered, the more independent her will became. Ah was able to bend the rules Po-Po- mah queen, try as she might, Pear was having difficulty thinking of Polybia as anyone other than her queen. She put down, Ah just need to break free enough to try and rescue Paint Brush from it next.

“Keep watch,” Stopwatch announced just loud enough to startle Pear Butter. She wanted to pout at the drone, but Stopwatch had already wrapped the nymph up in cloth along with her pendent. The drone slipped outside after disguising herself as a pegasus stallion.

Pear Butter watched on as Stopwatch crept forward and bounded over the gate with a few flaps. She raced over to the front door, and checked the windows to see how close any servants were to the front doors. Stopwatch waited under the dense downpour waiting for a passing servant to walk towards the next room. At that moment she canceled the sleep spell on the disguised nymph and gently laid her down on, of all things, a welcome mat. Enchanting her hoof, Stopwatch proceeded to bang on the door so loudly Pear could hear it over the rain.

Cold and hungry, the princess started wailing and thrashing around as Stopwatch raced off to hide in a bush. It wasn’t long before the pegasus maid responded to the noise and opened the door. She stepped back in astonishment at the foal she found on the ground, and scanned the front courtyard for the parents, and upon seeing none, she scooped the princess up in a wing before sequestering her inside.

Stopwatch waited almost half an hour for anyone inside to lose interest in watching from the windows to sneak her way back into the carriage. “There, now we wait to see if the child is kept or sent to an orphanage.”

Pear Butter gave her superior a towel and watched the estate as she had been. “Let’s hope it works out. It’d be suspicious if we had to hypnotize a family to adopt her from the orphanage.”

Stopwatch lifted the front seat up and withdrew a small basket with cucumber sandwiches. “True, but if it comes down to it, we need to find a home for her, one way or another.”

She gave Pear Butter her half of the meal while falling into silence as she ate.

There they waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Eventually the rain briefly lessened enough so that the tolling bells announcing the late hour from deeper in the city could be heard. The road was barely visible, save for the spots of yellow light cast from the streetlamps. Their usually bright candles, dampened by the wind and rain, truly only served to illuminate themselves. Through it all, the guests at the Harthworth Estate had not left yet, and the window lights flickered in the distance.

“Well no pony’s gone out to take the princess to the orphanage, or kicked her back onto the curb, so that’s a good sign, right?” Pear Butter looked to Stopwatch only to find her asleep on the seat. Pear slumped in her seat, more out of exhaustion and boredom than anything else.

Pear wanted to rest too, but she felt the geas compelling her to stay awake, to make sure the princess was secure. Stupid spell. It’s strong enough to make me do stuff, but too weak to make me like it.

She felt as if it was almost time for the bells to resound again when at long last, the front doors opened to let the first of the guests depart. Pear quickly sat upright and tried to identify what was going on, but her night vision was as poor as most ponies. So she jostled Stopwatch with a hoof, making the love collector awake with a jump-start. “The guests’re leav’n. I reckon the new mother will be hold’n the baby.” Stopwatch pulled herself up to watch. “That’s what Ah’d do if Ah were her.”

“Most likely,” was all Stopwatch said in return. It didn’t take very long before a worried scowl crossed her face, making Pear fidget with concern.

“What’s wrong?” She tried to peer out there, the streetlights were making her naturally poor night vision even worse.

“Could be nothing…”

“But…” Pear trailed off.

“I see the new father at the door, but he looks more like he’s bowing and apologizing to the guests as they leave. The wife isn’t there.”

“Maybe she’s asleep with the princess,” Pear offered hopefully. “Ah know for a fact that new mothers will sleep with the baby, bonding and all that.”

“You would know?” Stopwatch inquired with a disbelieving tone.

Pear Butter stopped trying to look out the window and slumped in her chair. “Ah don’t remember their names, but Ah know Ah had been a mother back before…” She scowled at her body, the act entirely missed by Stopwatch, “all this happened to me.”

Stopwatch stopped paying her much attention as she continued her observations. It wasn’t long before her ears fell and her wings involuntarily buzzed. “Oh no.”

Chills ran down Pear’s spine, even without the geas causing it. “What? What’s wrong?” She tried looking out at the departing nobility, but all she could make out were grey blobs.

“One of the guests has the princess, First Mother curse them!” Stopwatch slammed a hoof on the carriage wall, growling all the while. “They didn’t accept her!”

“H-how?!” Pear was floored by the news. “Did the disguise fail or something?”

“Damned if I know.” Stopwatch put on a earth pony mare disguise and got ready to start pulling the carriage. “All I could see is the nymph was still covered in the blanket. We have to follow the purple stage coach. We can’t let them dump the princess off the side of a cliff or give her over to an orphanage.”

“They wouldn’t actually do that would they?!” Pear called out as Stopwatch threw herself outside and tried to hitch herself up without being suspicious to the departing nobles. With the rain in the way, Pear was left without answers.

Even if she’s a mind enslaving royal, that girl still deserves a chance ta’ be a better person than that bi- my queen. With nothing else she could do besides worry herself into a stupor, Pear moved to the front of the carriage to watch the princess-takers’ stage coach as Stopwatch followed after them at a distance.

While Pear Butter was still quite unfamiliar with Canterlot’s layout, especially during a rainy night, even she could put some of her fears at ease when she noticed the nobles’ carriage was not headed for the sheer drop on the side of the city. Instead it was heading closer to the mountain.

Seems like they’re headed deeper into the royal district. Her mind exploded with worst-case scenarios. What if they’re going to the palace to turn her over to the alicorns!? They must have discovered the princess isn’t a pony!

Stopwatch seemed to come to a similar conclusion and the carriage started to speed up, only to fall back again when the nobles turned off the main street towards some of the more aristocratic manors.

Even with her weaker empathy, Pear Butter felt confusion waft off of Stopwatch, which mirrored her own. After passing several houses, the nobles finally pulled up to one of the manors.

Stopwatch made note of it and continued pulling the carriage until they could turn a corner before unhitching herself out of sight. Pear Butter stepped outside as the drone waved her towards the manor. “Come on, we need to see what’s going on.”

Nodding, Pear joined Stopwatch in running through the thunderstorm. “Maybe the Harthworths were too distraught, and this family adopted her instead?”

“I can count the number of ‘noble’ families who would do that on one hoof, and that included the Harthworths. The other families on my list would have needed some blackmail or hypnosis to take what they’d see as a street rat. That or too dangerous to the princess.”

This time, there were two well armored guards posted just inside the closed gate. However, Stopwatch didn’t need to get up close to know who they were, and stopped dead in her tracks. “Oh come on! Why them? Why?!” She stomped on the slightly flooded street, splashing enough water to draw the attention of the guards, but she didn’t care anymore. “She’s going to disconnect me for sure when she finds out!”

Pear Butter sheepishly waved at the distant guards and pulled her irate superior away from the brick walls to placate the guards. “What’s wrong? Is the family evil or anti-changeling or something?”

Stopwatch slumped in defeat and let the quasi drag her back to the carriage in her magic. “I don’t know if this is better or worse than that, but it seems that the princess was just taken in by the Sparkle family.”

Author's Notes:
Will Twilight discover the devilish ruse? Can Lyra resist the amorous mentality of Twilight's bloodline upon rebirth? Will Pear Butter remember the missile codes in time?! Can Rainbow Dash wrestle the truth out of which word to use when she puppets a consort?! Will she need to resort to asking Twilight?!?!
Fear not dear readers! Find out at least one of these next time, on. The. Reformation!!

10: Needs More Twilight Sparkle

If there was one thing that Night Light had missed other than the smiling face of his former wife (before her descent into madness), it was the laughter of children. The Sparkle Manor’s dining room rang with the woefully missed cheer that had been absent for far too long.

Night Light was perched on the edge of the long mahogany dining table with the bubbling little unicorn filly spouting baby babble and waving her hooves around trying to catch the spoonful of applesauce.

The bright sunny morning was a very welcome change, even if the angle of the sun was causing a glare that stabbed into Night Light’s eyes. Yet it wasn’t enough to make him move as he focused entirely on the infant. “Here comes the airship, make way at the dock!” The filly opened as wide as she could as the small spoon came closer, right before Night Light was going to give her the food, she lunged forward and snapped it up.

He was mildly startled, given that neither of his children would leap at food with such gusto. “My, you must have been hungrier than I thought.”

The child only giggled and beamed brightly at the caring stallion. She tried to wiggle out of her highchair, something Night Light had kept from Twilight’s childhood, in an attempt to get at the rest of the bowl of applesauce.

Clopping hooves upon the stone tile floor heralded the family butler’s arrival. “Might I suggest letting the little miss have the bowl, sir. She looks about ready to gnaw the spoon.”

Night Light let off a happy chuckle that only Azure Skies could ever bring out of him lately. “Perhaps you’re right, Pranceston, she must have had it very rough to be so snappish towards food.” As suggested, Night Light brought the bowl over to her high chair. The little filly gave a long, almost childishly evil, cackle at the bowl that was as big as her head before dunking her muzzle into the sweet fruity mush.

Pranceston’s unflappable flat expression was marred by a single raised eyebrow. “The young miss is a spirited little one, isn’t she?”

Night Light’s fatherly instincts forged a glowing smile at how happy the filly was. “That she is.”

“Have you selected a name for her yet? If you’re serious about the adoption, I shall need one for the paperwork.”

Night Light’s answer was cut off by the approaching hoofsteps. Azure Skies looked like she had grabbed hold of a Tesla coil. Her hair was sticking up all over the place with sleepy bags still under her eyes. “Foooood.”

Pranceston hummed in mild disapproval. “I shall see that the kitchen is alerted to your request.” He turned to Night Light. “Your morning paper, sir.”

“Thank you, Pranceston,” Night Light replied before addressing the disheveled mare. “I heard you kept little Stellar Drift nearby while you worked last night.” Pranceston picked up on the name on his way out, and made a mental note of it.

Azure slumped heavily in her chair and leaned against Night Light while humming affirmatively. Night gently wrapped a foreleg around her, pulling the sleepy mare in tight. “She didn’t fall asleep until-” *yawn* “well after midnight. Just glad I don’t have to go into the observatory today.”

The middle aged mare nuzzled against Night Light while keeping one eye on the foal currently annihilating the applesauce, spilling it everywhere in the process. “I’m so proud of you, Nighty, for taking in Stellar like that. Ginger Slice’s behavior was horrendous.”

Night Light sighed sadly at the memory of last night. He used his magic to pull some of the applesauce off the highchair and Stellar Drift’s coat and put it back in the bowl only for her to repeat the process. “You really didn’t meet Ginger at her best, Azure. On any other day she’s the kindest mare one can be, albeit with a mild arrogant streak, but… She gets paranoid when she drinks.”

“Still though…” Azure glanced about to see none of the servants were in earshot, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Thinking changelings poisoned her unborn child and then tried to push Stellar on her as a replacement?”

Night Light had to remind himself that Azure didn’t have an aristocratic upbringing, and had little reservation about speaking of such scandalous topics. Actually, scratch that, the noblemares are worse by far. I can only imagine the scandal they’ll bring up after this adoption becomes widely known.

Even so, he wasn’t going to hold it against her, there were just some battles not worth fighting. “It does seem rather farfetched. While it is true that there are other queens out there, apart from Rainbow Dash and my daughter, that doesn’t mean they are the source of all our ills. Besides,” he added dismissively, trying to change the subject, “everypony scanned Stellar Drift with the latest disguise countermeasures posted by the Royal Guard. Cadance and Shining Armor proved to all that Stellar is just a normal little unicorn.”

“I thought I felt my ears burning,” a gruff voice called out from the dining room’s open entrance. All eyes turned to Prince Shining Armor who had a small tray with a steaming coffee pitcher and a few cups. Azure Skies licked her lips at the tantalizing aroma of Neigher’s Coffee. Shining walked over slowly with a confident swagger.

Stellar Drift looked up from her bowl, face completely covered in applesauce, and spouted happy baby babble while fidgeting in her restrictive chair, trying to get to Shining Armor. Night Light eased Azure back into her chair before getting up for a hug. “Good morning, my boy, how’s your better half? She’s usually up before you are.” he asked teasingly with a wink.

Shining Armor had the biggest grin on his face, and wasn’t fazed in the slightest as he put the platter down and gave his father a massive hug. “She’s feeling a little under the weather at the moment,” he replied with a sudden down turn in his expression, though Night knew his son well enough that the frown was forced. “And is probably cursing my name at the moment.”

Stellar Drift had not left Shining’s field of view, and the little filly was starting to rock the chair trying to free herself, shouting all the while. Brotherly instincts jumped to the forefront, allowing Shining to bypass his father’s confused grimace. Shining freed the excited filly from her chair with his magic and brought her over for a hug. “You making sure that applesauce knows who’s boss?”

The filly peeled off a girlish squeal fumbling in the air until Shining gently placed the messy filly on his back. Years of watching over Twilight and the filly’s clingy nature made it easy for him to take the spreading mess of applesauce across his back with little more than an amused snort.

Night Light wasn’t going to let his son’s last comment go by unanswered and flashed a disapproving frown. “I didn’t see Cadance drinking last night, so why is she sick?”

“Let alone cursing your name?” Azure Skies added.

“YOU!” Shining’s reply was cut short by Cadance leaning against the doorway. “I’ll get you for this!” Night Light and Azure Skies took an involuntary step back from the irate alicorn. The ill mare raced forward and grabbed her husband by the neck, nearly causing Stellar to lose her grip, and planted a massive kiss on him. “I can’t believe you made me wait so long!”

Night Light was at a loss, but Azure Skies recognized the twinkle in Cadance’s eye. “Wait... are you? Really!?”

Cadance let her husband go, if only to make sure Stellar didn’t fall off. “Yup, just tested myself this morning!” Cadance picked up Stellar Drift in her magic and spun in circles. “You’re going to have a niece or nephew!”

Applesauce started flying everywhere as Stellar giggled madly at all the attention. Night Light originally thought the news of a pony grandson or granddaughter might have been deadened by the sheer number of changeling grandchildren. He silently thanked Celestia he wasn’t so jaded yet. With a deep belly laugh, he clapped Shining Armor on the back. “Congratulations to both of you! Don’t hesitate to ask for any advice, Celestia knows your sister never bothers to ask,” he added with a harmless grunt.

Cadance imagined Stellar as her future foal and squashed the little unicorn in a big hug to which the child eagerly reciprocated. “Thanks, Nighty. Knowing him,” she said tilting her head at Shining, “we’ll need all the help we can get.”

“Psh,” Shining huffed dismissively. “I’m an awesome big brother, and going to be an awesome father, just you wait. Besiiides, we’ve got a castle full of staff to help out, we’ll be fine.”

“Passing the buck as usual I see,” Pranceston drolled from behind a food cart laden with breakfast dishes. He wheeled the cart over to the table with the ever present professional air about him. “It’s a wonder you ever made it into the Guard, let alone it’s captain.” Shining rolled his eyes as the butler turned to Cadance. “You have my congratulations, princess. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer mare.”

“Thank you, Pranceston,” Cadance replied with a playful smirk directed at her husband. She grabbed a wet washcloth off the side of the cart with her magic and sat down to start liberating the apple sauce off of Stellar Drift.

Azure Skies levitated a cup of coffee and a scone before sitting down next to Cadance and Stellar. Cadance had to fumble with the towel as Stellar kept trying to run away to play. “You mind if I help, princess? She can be a hoofful.”

“Yes, thank you.” Cadance couldn’t help but to smile at how much the astronomer was trying to learn the ropes. She really must be more serious about Nighty than I thought.

As for the stallions, Shining armor took a seat near his wife while gathering some food as his father did the same. Pranceston ducked under the food cart and rummaged around. Night Light pulled his eyes off of the giddy filly when his butler brought over a yellow trimmed piece of paper. “Sir, it seems the Canterlot Times has just sent out a breaking news insert for today’s paper, with a rather interesting article.”

“Really? They usually don’t do that unless it’s something big.” Night Light latched onto the news insert while nibbling on some toast. Shining Armor scooted over to read over him. Night started reading aloud for the mares’ benefit.

Even with the morning coffee only barely starting to jump start her brain, Azure was intrigued by such a rare thing as news that couldn’t wait for tomorrow’s paper. She listened in while finishing up Stellar’s grooming with Cadance. “Breaking news from Phoenix’s Roost. Pony volunteers to be reborn as a changeling, and her request is… accepted?” Night had to admit he was rather stunned by that.

“I thought Twilight said she didn’t want to do rebirths,” Shining Armor commented in between sips of coffee and bites of a bagel.

“I thought so too,” Night replied as he took a seat to keep reading. Both mares let Stellar Drift play around the room with Twilight’s old toys as they joined Night Light in reading the article. “Ever since the Equestrian Alliance was established, the stance of the two changeling queens has been to deny all requests for rebirth, citing personal reasons. However this newspaper has just received confirmation that this ‘closed door’ policy has changed. There is currently no statement regarding the reasons for this sudden change in policy which has reporters clamoring for answers. At present, both Proto-Queen Blitz and the pony volunteer, by the name of Lyra Heartstrings, will be holding a limited press conference tomorrow evening at Canterlot Castle. No official statement has been given by the princesses, except for the fact that they approved of Lyra Heartstring’s request before she ever approached the queens on the matter. No date as to when the rebirth process will begin has been given.”

Azure Skies scratched her head trying to make sense of it all. “I was wondering when they were going to cave in and start doing that, odd timing though.”

“Very odd,” Night agreed. He sighed while continuing to read silently. “I was planning on telling Twily about Stellar Drift but if this little stunt is what I think it is…”

“Might be best to hold off for a while?” Shining Armor asked already suspecting the answer. “With both her and Rainbow Dash going off to confront that rogue queen, Stellar might be too distracting.”

“That might be for the best,” Cadance concurred reluctantly. As much as the sisterly instinct told her otherwise, it was Cadance’s leadership experience that made her agree. “We’ll tell her after she returns. But this rebirth stunt seems rather dangerous doesn’t it?”

“This has Rainbow Dash written all over it,” Shining Armor huffed as he downed the last of his coffee. “I better go tell the Guard to add more security around the house. Just in case they try to get to Twily through us.”

“Better add some escorts to Rainbow’s parents as well,” Cadance suggested while trying to find out where Stellar Drift ran off to. A quiet filly is a destructive filly. At least until she’s old enough to read.

“You don’t really think that’s necessary do you?” Azure Skies asked worriedly. She shrank a bit at the stern visage Shining wore. “I mean, they only dislike changelings right? They’ve never bothered us before, right?”

Shining Armor painfully recalled that first day when Twilight returned to her pony family after her rebirth, and shook his head. “Maybe not, but they never attacked the Equestrian Navy before either. It pays to be prepared.”

Arkmane Asylum was a cold metallic complex carved onto the side of an unnamed mountain far to the northeastern territory of Equestria. It clung to the snow swept mountainside like an iron blister. Howling wind blew ice crystals all along the walkway leading away from the open air train station. An aging grecian sphinx padded along with a thick furred jacket wrapped around him. An earth pony physician cantered along side him, ever wary of being swept off his hooves and cast down the side of the frozen mountain. He too wore a furry jacket covering every inch of him as he guided the sphinx to a metal door at the far end of the walk way. Against the strong wind, a whistle pierced the late evening sky as the train departed for warmer climes.

The pair reached the sealed door that lacked any obvious means of opening it. The earth pony waved an unwieldy enchanted wand half the size of his foreleg over where the door handle would be. A loud hiss and heavy clank of screeching metal made the door seem to pop off its frame, allowing the pony to push the door open and admit himself and the sphinx tom inside before closing it behind them. They found themselves in a small receiving room that doubled as a security checkpoint with a one way mirror along one side..

With the warmer air of the facility being pumped into the receiving room, the earth stallion pulled his mask off and used his mouth to rummage in a front pocket. From there, he produce a large identity slate and held it up to the mirror for a few moments as the security guard within check it.

“Not many places are so cold in the Federation, Doctor...” the sphinx announced idly.

“Clear Mind,” the stallion answered through chattering teeth. The click of the interior door allowed the earth pony to return his slate to his pocket. “Don’t worry, Doctor Arvatus, it’s much warmer inside.”

The rush of hot air confirmed this as both new arrivals shed their warm clothing, except for their white doctor’s coats.

The hallway was quite short, but had many sliding panels that Arvatus assumed concealed security barriers. “I’m sure I could do a lot of good here, but I cannot leave my patients back in Phoenix’s Roost for very long. So many of them still require weekly or monthly sessions.”

Clear Mind nodded sympathetically. “I fully understand. It’s difficult to leave good patients in the care of another, even if you know the other physician is competent.”

The pair cleared the hallway, only to make a detour to a door on the left instead of going straight. Within, Arvatus found several wooden lockers and flickering lamp lights. Clear Mind turned the fuel up on a few of them so they could see. He guided Arvatus towards a locker on the far left side. “Here we have your identity slate, please don’t lose it, and a key to your new office; two oh eight in the C wing.”

“Office?” Arvatus asked in surprise as he gathered the two items from the otherwise empty locker. “But I am only here for one patient, or do we hold therapy sessions in the office as well?”

Clear Mind chuckled briefly. “It’s not recommended, doctor, the offices are for your privacy and paperwork. As gracious as our accommodations are around here, we don’t get as many physicians as we would like, so we have plenty of office space available.”

“I see.” Arvatus placed his cold weather coat, hat, mask, and tail protector inside a locker while taking the key and identity slate. “How is the patient anyway? Has she been allowed to remain aware of world events?”

“She is currently in her cell up in B wing. Patient 2409-B is a low flight risk so long as her magic is dampened. As for world events, we felt that allowing her access to her favorite newspaper would assist in alleviating her paranoia, so she’s probably reading that as we speak. As per Doctor Kevorkian’s original orders, we’ve allowed her access to uncensored news to keep her condition from deteriorating any further. However…”

Arvatus adjusted his doctor’s coat to be more comfortable, but it didn’t take him long to realize Clear Mind was hesitant to continue. “Has the patient gotten worse?”

“Yes and no.” Clear Mind shook his head as he spoke in a defeated tone. “2409-B has well… You’ll see in her file and in person.”

An hour later, Arvatus stood before cell number 2409-B. The hallway had a frigid feel to it seemingly at odds with the warm air. The cold tile flooring wasn’t doing Arvatus any favors and the small barred windows to the outside were completely whited out with snow. Had the facility been a resort, Arvatus had no doubt it’d be a successful one. Clear Mind told me the individual rooms have a heat vent. I hope he wasn’t exaggerating.

He gave the patient file one last review before placing it in the slot next to the door. At least the staff told the patient I was coming.

Steeling himself with practiced resolve, Arvatus unlocked the door and pocketed the key before stepping inside. “Miss Twilight Velvet?”

As the file had outlined, Velvet occupied a padded room that was completely covered in torn out newspaper clippings. Arvatus already knew each and every one of them were about Phoenix’s Roost and Twilight Sparkle in particular. Each one had a string held up by glue connected to the vast collection in a twisted mess that Arcatus was sure that not even Velvet could follow anymore. They let her have string? Either it’s easily breakable, or she must not be a flight or fight risk… I hope.

Arvatus heaved a quiet sigh of relief that the rooms temperature was quite conformable, but the same could not be said for the mare hunched over her bed. Velvet was tearing out another article with a small brush coated with glue waiting near by.

Velvet had not reacted to the door opening, and continued muttering just shy of being audible to the aging sphinx. However, she turned her head at the unfamiliar voice when Arvatus repeated his greeting. The act revealed her deeply suspicious half-crazed eyes and deep tear troughs below her eyes. Her mane was a ragged mess and her coat disheveled, but the absence of body odor convinced Arvatus that her physical state was not due to negligence by the staff. “Who are you supposed to be?” she croaked in a dry raspy voice as she eyed his white coat. “Another shrink telling me I’m twisted and sick, hmm, hmm? Not my fault none of you can see the evidence when it’s smacking you in the face.”

Not wanting to let all the hot air out, and seeing she wasn’t overly hostile, Arvatus fully entered the room and closed the door behind him. “I am Doctor Arvatus, formerly of the Federation.”

Arvatus remembered bittersweet tales involving Velvet Sparkle from some of the older drones back at the hive. This was not the proud aristocrat, nor was she the deranged criminal mastermind some of them had made her out to be. Still, she’s not the worst I’ve seen.

“So, Doctor Arvatus, why don’t you just skip the charade for once and just tell me you’re really a changeling here to replace me? All this talk and sitting around is a waste of my time.” As if that were the end of it, Velvet returned to her newspaper clippings.

“Please, Miss Velvet, I am simply here to help you through your situation,” Arvatus admitted freely. “However, it is my personal code that I only assist those willing to accept my help in regards to my… unique talents.”

“Ha!” Velvet exclaimed without facing him. “Unique talents indeed. How can they be so unique if all you changelings are alike, hmm? Hypnosis, body snatching-” In a flash of violence that caught the old hunter off guard, Velvet burst from her bed and nearly impaled Arvatus’ chest with the point of her horn. “And dying!” The only thing that kept him alive was the blue shield that was wrapped around Velvet’s horn, stopping her in her tracks and canceling out any magic flow. “But I suppose you can’t even do that right.” It was only now that Arvatus saw a pair of blue glowing crystals on the ceiling undoubtedly responsible for why he wasn’t skewered on her horn at the moment.

Scratch that, definitely a fight risk. She’s right on par with the average Federal when they find out I’m a psyker. Leveraging his decades of experience with the unstable, Arvatus stood his ground and spoke peacefully. I truly hope that string snaps easily. “Miss Velvet, if I was truly here to harm you, don’t you think it would have been easy with the restraints active?”

Velvet pulled away from him which caused the barrier to dissipate. “I don’t know what your game is, changeling, but rest assured I will fight you and that imposter daughter to my dying breath!”

Seeing that normal tactics were getting him nowhere fast, Arvatus switched gears to a technique he used often against anti-psyker zealots. He pulled out a small runestone, no bigger than his thumb and caused it to brighten with psionic energy. “What if I told you, I represent the P.C.E. and have come to extract you from this prison,” he lied smoothly through his teeth. “This stone will keep our talks private.”

Velvet sized the doctor up and down. He’s big, too big for an average changeling disguise. Special breed maybe? Some news reports said sphinxes hate mind bullet throwers, and changelings are a whole race of them. “You’re a P.C.E. agent? Yessss….” She waggled her hoof out of barely contained glee. “That makes more sense. Why would a sphinx side with those changelings, you hate their kind, that’s what I’ve seen...

“Wait! How do I know you’re truly with the P.C.E?” Velvet inquired with resurging suspicion. “That voice fritzer could have come from anywhere! If you’re not a changeling, then bring me lemon juice.”

“Lemon juice?” Arvatus asked with carefully veiled confusion.

“Yes! of course, lemon juice!” Velvet screeched angrily. “I’ve seen it with Clear Mind and that quack Doctor Kevorkian. They broke out in hives and swelling, just like all changelings must!” Velvet cackled at the memory, and fiddled with an empty cup that smelled of citrus. “The rest of the imposters always cower when I throw the juice at them, they fear it, they don’t let me have lemons anymore, mongrels. Bring me some of the pure stuff, not that swill from the cafeteria. I want to test to make sure it’s real lemons before you rub it on your face. You pass the test, and then I believe you!”

“Very well.” Arvatus let the runestone go dark. “I will return shortly, Velvet Sparkle.”

“You best! More time means more chances of discovery!” Fearing imagined eyes behind the walls, Velvet went back to continue covering them with news reports.

Out in the hallway, Arvatus put as much distance between him and Velvet’s cell as quickly as possible. Insane sphinxes I understand, but lemon juice? Really? These ponies are a different breed to be sure. Either way, if I can just gain enough trust, hopefully I can peel away the logic fallacies in her mind, and let her see the truth with unclouded eyes. This is the least I can do for Queen Twilight Sparkle for all she’s done to save my kin.

Lyra Heartstrings busted through her bedroom door and flopped on her bed with a tired laugh. Her bedroom in Ponyville was mostly in order with only a scant few items out of place. A few dresses here, a sock on the lampshade over there, and a music stand was toppled over by the bed.

Lyra kicked her legs up in exaltation that her plan worked, causing heavy shadows to fall on the two others walking through the doorway. “Hands! Bon Bon, I finally get my hands back! Woo Hoo!”

Bon Bon let off a dismissive huff at the expected eccentric behavior. Intel followed after her, taking in the room, it was always a new and exciting experience for Intel since she fully believed the owner’s personalities were reflected in their domiciles. Messy, but charming. Just like Lyra. I might have to get momma to start looking into expanded personal living space after things settle down around the jungle. I’d love to have a place this big.

“I’m happy for you Lyra,” Bon Bon said, masking her pang of worry for her friend’s impending rebirth and memory loss. “But you’ve been repeating that ever since we left Canterlot.”

“Hey,” Lyra half shouted at her friend while rolling over to her belly. “I know that tone. Don’t worry, Bonny, I won’t forget you after all this. A year’s worth of memory is all I need.”

Intel turned away from a fresco painting of Ponyville to give the musician a disbelieving frown. “How do you figure that? It takes a lifetime of memories to make you who you are.”

“Yeah, true,” Lyra conceded as she got up to canter over to her closet. “But nopony remembers every second of their lives right? All I gotta do is record all the important stuff, like our friendship, why I wanted to be reborn in the first place, my music lessons, and my life from beyond the mirror.”

Intel had no real idea in what context a year’s worth of memories worked since she had never been reborn, and decided to not speak of it. “So why did you drag us back down to Ponyville anyway? The press conference is going to be held at Canterlot Castle.”

“To start packing of course!” Lyra replied as if it was obvious. “There are two things I want to do here before we head back. First off, I need memorabilia to remember as much a equinely possible, ‘cause as they say, touch and smell are strongly linked to memory. Plus, the sooner I get ready, the sooner I can get those delicious hands.”

Bon Bon looked at Intel and shared a shrug. “Fair enough. Just pick out what you think will help and I’ll box them up and ship them to PR for you.”

“Good idea,” Intel nodded as she joined Lyra by the walk-in closet as the unicorn lit the room with a horn-light. The closet was almost a separate room in and of itself, an addition Lyra ‘had to have’ when she first moved into town. Now however, only the hanging dresses were in any semblance of order while the floor and shelves were crammed with boxes and loose junk. Thanks to her telekinesis, Lyra never had to actually walk very far in. “...We have to be on the evening train back to Canterlot if we want to be rested up for the conference.” While Intel liked to think she avoided her mother’s OCD, the sheer pigsty on the floor and shelves forced her to back away. Thankfully, a question bubbled up to distract her. “So what is the second thing that you needed to drag me down here for?”

Totally oblivious to Intel’s repulsed reaction, Lyra started to pull out all kinds of odd and ends from her closet after pushing the dresses aside. The items were mostly loose memorabilia from her concert tours along with boxes of assorted junk. “The Lyra of this world suggested that we bring special stuff from each of our worlds and take them through the mirror. My father was a hippie, but he was always drawing, what I know now, were structural engineering blueprints. I figured that there would be some stuff in there that you technophiles could use.”

While Intel’s focus was militaristic, she recognized the value. “Interesting. Even if we can’t use any of it, I know mother would love to study the architecture of another world.”

Lyra already knew that, but was glad to hear confirmation. “Cool beans. The other big thing I’m looking for is my old photo album from my life in Canterlot. It’s got to be in here sooomewhere.” She scowled at the prospect of her prize being buried in the dense clutter.

Bon Bon ducked under a flying pair of socks and a rubber duck as the unicorn haphazardly tossed the junk out of the closet. “I told you you should have cleaned this out years ago.”

“I know, I know. I just never got around to it. It’d be my luck that the album and books are in the back where all the moving boxes are.”

Intel caught most of the flying junk with her magic before they could knock over any lamps or other breakable things. “I can understand the books being in storage,” for ponies that don’t love them, “but if the album is so important to you, why didn’t you keep it somewhere more accessible?”

Lyra stuck her head out of the closet and pointed at a thick book on top of her wooden dresser. “I have a different photo album of my life after moving to Ponyville. Please make sure to pack that for me, Bonny.”

“Of course, Lyra.” Bon Bon took the album and placed it on the bed which she was treating as Lyra’s ‘take it with you’ pile. Yet before returning to the closet she hesitated and started looking through all the memories her friend captured on film. Pictures of Bon Bon’s confectionary store, photos of various friends, and some sneak pictures of Bon Bon herself that made her snicker. She’s such a scoundrel. I don’t care what it takes, I have to make sure she remembers as much as possible.

The onslaught of flying clothing and junk from the closet went unabated for almost half an hour until Lyra finally pulled out a big unlabeled cardboard box. “Oh my gosh, Bonny, I think this came from Canterlot! See? It even has the little doodle of my cutie mark on the side.” She gasped excitedly. “This is it! I knew I brought the books with me!”

She wasn’t sure? I wonder if momma knows who exactly we’re bringing into the family. Intel huffed from amongst a knee-high pile of clothing and refuse and extracted herself so she could witness the box opening. “You didn’t unpack everything?”

“Duh, I’m a musician, not an engineer,” Lyra replied with harmless teasing. “What would I do with architecture drawings?”

“Point taken.”

Dust and stale air popped out of the box as Lyra opened it, making everyone go into a short-lived coughing fit. Lyra and Intel used their magic to blow the dust away. “No. Way! It’s my old backpack!”

Lyra pulled out a bright green school bag that rattled with an attached keychain. Her mood and heart sunk as a strong moldy smell erupted from within. The backpack was in tatters with holes chewed through several parts of it. “Wha- what happened?!”

Bon Bon examined the holes with untrained eyes. “Looks like a Munch Moth or something. Did you clean it out before packing?”

“I thought I did… maybe.” Lyra’s eyes misted over as she gave it a hug and stroking it gently. “There there, I’ll get somepony to fix you up, I promise.” She gave it to Intel with care. “I think Rarity’s Carousel Floatique is in Trottingham right now, but I bet someone in PR can fix it right?”

Bon Bon and Intel gave it some weird looks as Intel rotated it in her magic. “It looks bad, but I’m sure we can do something for it.”

Lyra breathed a sigh of relief, much to Bon Bon’s amusement at her friend’s antics. Honestly, she can be so sentimental, but I love her for it.

Lyra began sifting through notebooks, pencils, a trapperkeeper, and a few other items, all to locate the engineering drafting papers. However, she paused at the trapperkeeper for a moment after seeing the mirror world’s version of a unicorn printed on it. “Hey Bonny, check out how weird my old world’s unicorns were.”

Bon Bon snickered at the absurdly long face, while Intel scoffed at the silliness of it. Not wanting to suffer boredom, Intel returned her attention to the bookbag once Bon Bon placed the trapperkeeper on the bed. Intel examined the whole bag, finding little of interest, except for the jingling keychain offering a glimpse into the mirror world’s culture. Most of the objects on the keyring were tiny cats, dolls who had long since lost most of their fake hair, plastic covered slips of paper with inspirational phrases Intel couldn’t read, and a single long metal object that starkly stood out among the rest. She was about to dismiss the bag and toss it on the bed, but the long metal object stuck out to her on how alien it looked compared to the rest of the keyring.

It was the heaviest thing on the ring with a flat circle on one end that tapered off in what looked like a narrow brass cone. The wide cylinder part was pierced so the keyring could hold it. The strange item was longer than her hoof and she could see lettering on the flat circle.

“Nooo!” Lyra cried as she pulled up ruined blue paper that flaked off from her magical grip. “It’s ruined! All my daddy’s drawings!”

Bon Bon fanned her hoof over her nose. Well that explains the smell. “Sorry Lyra, I think the mold monster from two years ago must have had a few spores left.”

“But - but - daddy loved those, I thought being in an out-of-the-way box like this would protect them from all the crazy that happens in this town!”

Intel examined the bottom of the box’s exterior and saw a big discolored spot that was starting to spread onto the carpet. “Move out of the way, We have to kill the fungus now before that thing reforms.”

The two ponies backed away as Intel took her powder horn and poured some black powder on the patch of mold. She weaved a hard shield shield dome over the mold and sparked the gunpowder, letting it burn through the mold and into the box. “Somepony get a few buckets of water. The last thing we need is a house fire.”

“I’ll go get it,” Bon Bon announced as she rushed from the bedroom.

Intel looked to Lyra who was crying as the flames licked at the bottom of the box. Her sympathies went out to her. “It looks like the mold only damaged the paper instead of infesting it, since it didn’t have much access to oxygen. We’ll need to call in a pest pony just to make sure nothing’s infesting the inner walls.”

Lyra wiped her tears away, but more soon replaced them. “O - okay.” This is horrible! First daddy’s drawings are ruined and now I can’t pay for my hands.

With the fungus destroyed, along with a big chunk of the carpet, Bon Bon returned with a water bucket. Lyra insisted that she put the fire out on her own while Bon Bon fetched some cleaning supplies. Intel eased up with the danger passed, and wanted to brighten the mood, if only with a minor distraction.. Lyra didn’t deserve this. She’s weird, but a good mare all the same. Intel searched the room for something to talk about as Bon Bon returned with cleaning items. The two ponies started cleaning together, sharing a few brief words as they got the ash off the ruined carpet.

Eventually, Intel’s gaze returned to the backpack she had discarded at the foot of the bed. The long heavy cylinder thing returned to her attention. Intel brought the bag back over and pushed the object forward. “Hey Lyra, what is this thing?”

The mare in question looked up from her work with a sunken face. “That thing? It was a gift from my Uncle Robert. He was an army snip…” Lyra trailed off as her irises shrank to pinpricks. “Holy cow,” she shrieked a cheer. “I can pay you guys after all!”

“Didn’t momma already tell you, you didn’t have to pay fo-” was all Intel could get off before Lyra reclaimed the backpack and used her magic to pry the object off.

“No way hozay!” Lyra’s energy returned in full force. “I said I was going to pay, and I am! ...Just not with daddy’s books like I thought.” Lyra pushed the sadness away for the moment and plastered a massive grin on her face. “This my future sibling is a bullet.”

“A… bullet? This big thing?” Intel asked incredulously as she pulled it back to examine it with far more scrutiny. She rummaged around her utility harness and pulled out a small lead ball out of her ammunition pouch. “This is a bullet, I don’t know how something like that can be a bullet unless it’s fired out of a cannon or something.”

Bon Bon was at a loss and kept her peace as Lyra took the cartridge back. “No no no, that’s not how they work.” She opened her mouth, but shut it again to think. Darn it, I was only nine when Uncle Robby was telling me about these things. How do they work again? “Okay, I think this part right here,” Lyra began as she pointed a hoof at the brass cone, “is the part that flies out and hits things. This big ol part here holds all the powder and stuff. And… I believe the weapon kinda pops the big brass part out of the gun all by itself after it fires.”

Now Lyra had Intel’s undivided attention. “This thing holds both the bullet and the powder all in one ready to go package!? How does it fire though?”

Try as she might, Lyra couldn’t remember and shrugged. “Sorry. I’m sure my uncle showed me at one point, but I can’t recall how. But you guys are smart, with that, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Intel studied the cartridge for a few more seconds before pocketing it. Gotta admire the mare’s willingness to adhere to her own sense of obligation and honor. “Yeah, I bet we could. On behalf of the queens, we consider this your payment in full.”

The swath of jungle was burnt and charred. Scattered around Chrysalis were the broken bodies of changelings and numerous reanimated creatures of the jungle, both large and small. The stench of cooked meat and the nose tickling fallout of heavy spellfire permeated the air. The skies above were dry with grey clouds mixing with several columns of black smoke as vegetation fueled several fires.

Even the very ground was blackened, but not all of it was ash. Necromantic energy had sapped the life out of the very soil for a whole mile. Even for the jungle, it would take decades to heal. Chrysalis herself bore such scars upon her muzzle and all along her torso, but a vindictive sneer creased her face all the same.

A halting cough came from Polybia whom she held underhoof. A razor sharp blade, torn from the body of a drone, slowly sliced into Polybia’s neck. Chrysalis applied just enough pressure to start cutting through the chitin, but no where near enough to kill quickly. Polybia’s horn was snapped completely off and was oozing dark red blood. “You surprise me,” Polybia spat out with blood oozing from her mouth, “Chrysalis. I never thought you would take to the field in person. Especially when half your army died in the first hour.”

“Adaptation,” Chrysalis sneered as she used her blade to lift Polybia’s head. “That is what we live by, is it not? You can not imagine how long I’ve wanted to hold your life in my hooves, Polybia. I’ve always hated your holier-than-thou façade.”

A blood-flecked laughing cough shuddered through Polybia’s broken body. Much of her discoloration from necromantic use had faded. “You really think you’ve won?” Her one good eye tracked up to leer at Chrysalis. “The battle maybe, but hardly the war. I will return, and the dead will serve me once again.”

Chrysalis didn’t show it, but she knew very little about necromancy, outside of what Polybia had shown through battle. “Perhaps I should just keep you here then, if you can return after death. You can’t return if you never die.”

“You really think we’re talking right now because you’ve taken me alive?” Polybia spat with smug dripping from every word. “The only reason we’re speaking is because I was so sure you’d cower and hide until the technophiles came to save your worthless shell.”

Chrysalis’ anger flared and she almost stabbed Polybia in the neck, but she checked her flash of rage. “I never needed anyone outside of my sisters, and I certainly don’t need Twilight Sparkle or her little airships to crush you! But if you can truly leave at any point...”

Finding several charred branches and severed limbs, Chrysalis drew the diagram of the teleportation nullifier she engineered after watching Celestia’s version. “You can never suffer enough for what you did to my sister Yeelindrus, but let’s see what this does to give you a taste of justice.”

The moment the diagram was complete, Chrysalis stabbed the makeshift chitin sword deep into Polybia’s chest. As Polybia’s soul was being torn away from her dying shell, the diagram flashed with Chrysalis’ green magic. The diagram barely detected the soul transfer and flared to life, trying to rip Polybia asunder.

While Polybia’s soul easily slipped through the spell, it slowed her down just enough so that she felt every inch of her old body being shredded by the diagram trying to keep her trapped. The pain was so deep, so soul scarring that Polybia was writhing in agony for an hour after her new body reformed.

Chrysalis watched as Polybia’s body was shredded to a bloody smear on the dead ground. “If you really do come back from that, I hope you felt every last bit.” I better burn the bodies too, just to be safe.

She sent the order out to what remained of her forces, which was far too few for her liking. A puppeted drone flew over while Chrysalis used her magic to counteract some of the poison flowing in her veins. The queen could mitigate even necrotic poison for hours, but she too had her limits.

Chrysalis prepared herself for a fight, but realized it was Kreesus’ drone. She made a show of dropped her building spell, but she could never truly lower her guard in the presence of the ‘traitor’. “I trust you’ve kept the salvageable drones alive.”

“Of course.” Kreesus spat out a large glob of salve and presented it to Chrysalis. She might have snubbed the gift any other day, but the sheer number of small cuts slowly sapped her strength. With none of her drones being close enough to apply the salve for her, Chrysalis took the glob in her magic to apply it to herself before it dried. Though Kreesus kept her expression neutral, she took mild satisfaction in seeing Chrysalis having to use another hive’s salve. That’s what you get for ruining it for the sake of sticky resin. “Thanks to Fluffy, I’ll be able to reconstitute all the biomass that wasn’t tainted by necromancy into new drones.” Of course, that accounts for less than a tenth of the bodies.

“You better make sure you return any drones of mine that you recover. We need every blade and horn should Polybia resist the grave again.”

“And why would she fail to escape it this time, compared to the five other times we’ve killed her?” Kreesus said between dispensing more salve. Even though Kreesus’ salve was designed specifically for her own brood, it could at least stop the bleeding.

Chrysalis looked off into the distance, hoping it was in the direction of Polybia’s hive, and flashed a cruel fang-filled sneer. “Before she escaped her broken body, I gave her a little parting gift. If we’re lucky, it’ll have killed her. If not, she wouldn’t dare enter the field of battle again.”

“Were it so easy,” Kreesus grumbled distantly. “I have news that Twilight’s fleet has finally decided to move south on our position. Typically slow, just like her mother.”

“Cold metal has always been slower than flesh,” Chrysalis replied absently. “They are like a lumbering giant. Slow to act, but powerful when active. I say we let her do the lion’s share of the fighting from here on. No need for us to bleed anymore while she’s still in top form, sans one warship.”

“Agreed. If the so called Longshot is half as resilient as the Deception she can weather the brunt of Polybia’s forces. All the same, we better pin down Polybia’s hive location before Twilight arrives. Those airships are notoriously fuel hungry, and I doubt she can scavenge for coal.”

“Wood burns just as well, does it not?” Chrysalis retorted with a dismissive snort. “Worst comes to worst, we can at least defend her supply lines. For now though, you search along the Tiamese River, and I’ll scout along the Behemoth’s Jaws Gorge. We’ll flush Polybia out eventually.” And when we do, I’ll personally send her wretched soul down Cerberus’ gullet. Let her come back from that.

Author's Notes:
Will Velvet discover the CIA radio frequency to her teeth? Can Polybia stop eating Necro chips at just one? Will the Munch Moth ever find social acceptance, or is it doomed to munch forever? Will Lyra bring about a changeling cultural revolution?! Will Star Wars 7 be a repeat success of the prequels?!!?
You definitely won't find any of these answers on Wikipedia, but you might find them here! Next time, on the Reformation!!!!!!

11: Wounded Mind

Doctor Arvatus was no stranger to damaged minds. Convincing Twilight Velvet to allow him inside her mind after passing her lemon test was child’s play. However he only had real experience with the eddies and flows of sphinx minds, so Velvet provided a particular challenge that he tried to prepare himself for. Sadly, most of that consisted of chanting I think I can. I think I can. repeated to and from the cafeteria. At present, his consciousness swam through a torrent of images and voices crowding around him so densely it was nearly impossible to sort through all of them.

“You have one of those things for a daughter?” chided an unfamiliar arrogant voice across Arvatus’ right ear. “Royalty or not, your family’s not welcome in my establishment.”

“Well, one can hardly expect a changeling to speak the truth now can you?” scoffed a haughty stallion. “All they are capable of are lies. Makes me wonder how much of a saint the Element of Honesty could actually be to do business with the little devils.”

“Did you year that one of Baltimare’s city councilmares revealed herself to be a changeling!” exclaimed another haughty voice. “As if you needed any more proof they know nothing but duplicity. I heard she shut down the ban on salve products. Typical self serving-”

“They’re everywhere!” shouted a thready and frightened voice, cutting off the last one. “Mark my words, they’ll put us all into pods, just like the wedding!”

A nonverbal tsk of disapproval brought his attention to the left where Arvatus saw a ghostly unicorn mare looking through him. “Don’t worry too much, Velvet, at least Shining Armor is still a proper heir to the family name.”

“Well of course the princesses are going to justify Twilight’s ‘rebirth’. You really think they’d wage war against an enemy that are natural infiltrators who couldn't care less about dying?”

“I fully understand your pain,” another voice called out softly to Arvatus’ left. As he waded deeper into Velvet’s mind, the voices were starting to be matched up with spectral images of their owners. This time it was a sympathetic looking stallion with a blue coat and mane, but his image was too fuzzy to glean anything else. “My Shimmer Skies was replaced by one of those things. I didn’t need the Guard to take care of that body snatcher. Even though the princesses have to play to diplomacy to avoid war, I know with all my heart that they are relying on the citizens of Equestria to act where they cannot.” He reached out a hoof as if to pick Arvatus up from a seated position. “I know of a group who could help you. They will denounce us, strip us of our possessions, and our freedom, but I know that they will secretly thank us.”

The next part of the foggy memory surprised Arvatus since it was the first time he’d hear Velvet speaking back. “And what if we fail? If we can’t free Twilight from that living hell, I…” she shuddered, unable to continue from her grief.

“We have to try,” the nameless stallion replied definitively. “Once she is free of Cadista’s influence and the slavery of her changeling instincts, I know for a fact that Twilight would vindicate our actions to the princesses. Once Cadista can no longer control her, the princesses will finally have a free hoof to deal with Cadista and the rest of those vile creatures as they deserve.”

Arvatus tried to stabilize the memory so he could see the stallion more clearly, but the memory was snatched away, as if trying to hide itself. Cursing his loss, Arvatus created a momentary bubble of silence around his consciousness to think. It would be impossible to shift to each and every memory that caused Velvet to turn against Twilight. Besides, I’ve seen this sort of insanity before. The real Twilight Velvet is buried under so much noise and doubt that she can’t reach the surface anymore. If I can find her core and rid her of all this clouded vision, I just know she’ll give up the PCE. I have to go deeper.

Even in his line of work, Arvatus rarely had to work with a mind that was burying itself so completely in its own hysteria and paranoia. Layers upon layers of memories tried to confuse his path to the point where even his experience was at its limits. I need to find the right threads. Something the core personality would cling to.

It took several moments, but he had an idea as to what to look for. Lost in the maze of agonizing memories of changeling Twilight was a dream of a young purple filly in a classroom. Arvatus saw a Twilight as a filly jumping around Princess Celestia cheering for her newly acquired cutie mark. Yes, this should work.

Mentally taking ahold of the memory, Arvatus located several threads connecting the memory to dozens of parts in Velvet’s mind. Only one of them caught his eye as it pulsed far more regularly. Just as I suspected. She’s clinging to the happiest parts of Twilight’s pony life.

Following the brightest thread, Arvatus plunged into the increasingly dark and rage filled thoughts that were colored by depression, regret, and defeat. They rolled off of him like molasses, trying to muddle his mind the further he went. Even his vision of the mindscape was clouded with countless images and sounds. It pained him to continue. Every inch along the glowing tether was paid for in headaches both dull and stabbing. These ponies may not be psionic, but their innate magic makes mind walking against the mad or unwilling dangerous.

In his real body, Arvatus felt something wet drip on his lip and a copper taste entered his mouth. She has such a powerful mind! I have to reach her soon, or I’ll be forced to retreat. I can’t deflect any of it until I see her core personality.

The fear, sadness, and hate filled memories swirled around him like thick viscous tar yet were too rapid to see them as anything other than a mass of noise and color. The single thread was nearly lost in the maelstrom again and again as phantom memories and nightmares roared at him with abandon.

Arvatus’ pounding headache intensified even further when he at last saw the tether ending in a recreation Twilight Sparkle as a unicorn. Unlike the memories, which were either flat images or spectral beings, this Twilight Sparkle looked solid and real.

Twilight Velvet’s core manifested itself as her outer appearance as she embraced her unicorn daughter, unspoiled by changeling magic. Twilight Sparkle was hugging her back, both mares crying out of joy. “You freed me, momma. Spawning those horrid abominations and liking it was a living hell.”

Velvet started petting her scared daughter’s mane with all the care a mother could have. “I know, honey, I know. Now that’s your free, the princesses can finally act to their true intentions.”

Now that he could see the threads’ destination, Arvatus was at last able to form a psionic barrier around him and then extended it to envelope Velvet. He stepped back in shock when Twilight Sparkle’s doppelganger was not dispersed by the act.

However, the act did draw the attention of both mares to the intruder. Velvet was the first to act by interposing herself between Arvatus and Twilight. “Doctor!? You lied to me! Only a psyker could reach me here, and all of them love that queen.”

Twilight Sparkle cowered behind her mother’s protection whimpering in fear. “Please don’t let him take me. He’ll turn me back into a changeling, I just know it!”

“I am not here to harm anyone. My name is Doctor Arvatus, and yes, I am a Psykira.”

“I knew it!” Velvet growled, seeming to fall into her outer self’s paranoia. “You’re working for that insect that claims to be my daughter!”

Arvatus saw several darker memories start to swirl into Velvet and used a mental spike to slash them away. Velvet shuddered from the act, but held her ground. “I admit I have found work in Queen Twilight’s hive, but I am here on my own volition. She does not know I’m here.”

Some of Velvet’s thready tone shifted back to normal. “And why should I believe you? You’re probably here to kill me, or at least make sure I never leave this hell.”

Arvatus studied the stormy mindscape around them. Velvet and the rest of them were floating in a void of blackness, yet they had no problem seeing one another. All in all, it was a grim sight that worried Arvatus greatly. “Miss Velvet, if I was here to kill you, I wouldn’t go through all the trouble of entering your mind. If I wanted you to remain in the asylum, I wouldn’t have to do anything at all.”

“Lies! The P.C.E. will free me,” Velvet spat venomously. “If not by an agent, then when they free my daughter.”

Understanding dawned on Arvatus like. The Twilight hiding behind her isn’t some delusion, it’s her vision of an ideal and unaltered Twilight Sparkle.

“Perhaps they might,” Arvatus conceded to Velvet's mild surprise. “Tell me, Miss Velvet, just to clarify things, you do not see Queen Twilight as your daughter?”

“She is a mockery!” Velvet held the unicorn daughter tightly as if she was afraid Arvatus would tear her to pieces. “My Twilight would never kowtow to them, let alone birth more of them!” Velvet spat as if the very words were toxic.

“I see. Then I know what to do.” Drawing upon his vast experience and mental fortitude, Arvatus drenched Velvet’s mind with his power. The torrent of oily memories swirling around them thinned and dispersed, leaving them in a white space devoid of landmarks. Velvet cried out in pain and curled into a fetal position as Arvatus cleared the storm away.

Twilight Sparkle’s phantom remained, trying to rouse Velvet from her catatonic state. When at last the white space was cleared of blackness, all that remained were various clear windows into more tame memories. Velvet rolled to upright herself and stared at the sphinx questioningly. “What - what did you do to me!?”

Though he didn’t show it to her, Arvatus’ physical body was sweating profusely and his temple was throbbing heavily. “I shoved all the outside influences that people have had on you about changeling Twilight aside. Now, it is only you, and her. No friends, no enemies, and no family to get in the way.”

“And what is that going to prove?” Velvet demanded heatedly.

Arvatus shakily pointed at one such memory with Queen Twilight. “See for yourself.” With a swipe of his claw, he pulled the memory down for her. He didn’t know which memory it was, but ultimately he was betting that it didn’t matter. Velvet kept her phantom Twilight close, and kept one eye on Arvatus and the other on the memory.

The memory was nearly a decade ago. Queen Twilight Sparkle was playing a game with ten of her nymphs in the library of Sparkle Manor. The fillies were easily the size of seven year olds, and were playing an old game Velvet never thought she’d ever see again: find the book.

Twilight had all her nymphs lined up in front of her while the memory’s point of view remained hidden away near the door. “Alright, girls, clue number one: I have spells and mysteries. Clue two: I was written by somepony who doesn’t know a thing about magic.”

Before she could list a third clue, three of the nymphs leapt up into the air, their tiny wings buzzing with a high pitch. “Oooo! I know where it is!” “Nu uh, I do!” “I’ll get the book first!”

The other nymphs either chased after their kin or scrambled up to their mother for more clues. The real Velvet’s impatience and ire grew, but she stopped short of lashing out. The longer she watched the memory, the less revulsion she felt for the purple changelings. Twilight’s mannerisms, her posture, her loving tone of voice, even the way she doted on each nymph reminded Velvet of how she used to care for Twilight.

Arvatus saw the confusion and misery well up on Velvet’s face along with the mindscape turning a murky brown. He picked another memory at random and flung it over to Velvet’s opposite side to make sure the two memories didn’t interfere with each other, inadvertently resulting in phantom Twilight yelping in surprise.

Velvet turned around at the noise to find a memory of Queen Twilight bearing down on her with a fierce scowl. “How dare you keep asking me that! To go back to being a unicorn and abandon my children just to satisfy the status quo? Can’t you see how hypocritical that is, especially coming from you mother?!”

“I - but-” Velvet’s automatic reply died on her lips. For the first time in her life, she didn’t see the changeling clinging onto her daughter’s soul, but her daughter fighting to keep her children.

Renewed fury crossed her face and she swept a hoof across the queen, dispersing her. She refocused on Arvatus. “What trickery is this? You think you can so overtly toy with my mind and think I’ll magically see things your way?”

Arvatus paused before bringing a third memory forward. Instead he closed the distance until he was face to face with Velvet. “The only trick I’ve done here is remove the noise.”

“What noise? Don’t toy with me with cryptic words.” She got up in his face wanting to cast him out, but her mental focus wasn’t what it once was, and he firmly held on.

“Your reality is all based on perspective, but people can change your perception on others. Here, now, there shall be no one from the P.C.E, no one from Queen Twilight’s friends, no anyone. Just you and those memories. Just like the ignorant bigots of my homeland, you have let others control you through their own mistrust and hatred.”

A vile sneer plastered over Velvet’s muzzle. “So that’s the real game. You’re an outcast who found somepony willing to give you a roof over your head instead of killing you on sight? You’re no different than the changeling posing as my daughter.”

Arvatus looked upon the hate filled mare with sympathetic pity. “You are just like how I used to be. You’re so used to hating her that you’re incapable of understanding and acceptance.”

Velvet slapped him as hard as she could across the face. Though the attack caused pain, there was no blood in the mindscape. The phantom Twilight poked her head out from behind her mother and glared at him. “Momma’s nothing like you! She only wants to free my body so I can come back!”

“Isn’t she?” Arvatus challenged calmly. With a paw, he reached into his chest and pulled out a small globule of himself and threw it at Velvet.

The shocked mare tried to shield herself with a foreleg but instead of any pain, her world was completely replaced by an sun-lit alleyway. The mindscape was only visible from above and the two ends of the alleyway. Surrounding her were three sphinxes in the white and gold robes of the Order. She looked down at herself to find she was wearing the same attire. There was a cowering adolescent grecian tom looking at each of the monks with terror in his eyes.

One of the jane monks spoke in a mechanical manner, as if she was reading him his rights. “You bear the mark of the Psykira, an enemy of the state and our very way of life. Do not resist and your entry into the Great Cycle may reward you with a better life.”

“I’m not a Psykira!” the tom cried out. “Bertha Ultsis tattooed this damn mark on me against my will! I don’t even have psychic potential!”

A second monk spoke up with a snarl. “You disrespect the Ultsis family by even uttering their name, profligate. You know full well we can’t test you for the cursed ability while under a city’s dampening field.”

“W-what about those testing chambers you Order people have? You could take me there.”

This time, the voice came from within Velvet although she easily identified it as a younger Arvatus. “Felsgrad doesn’t have an Order temple large enough to have one, and as my brother said, it’s too dangerous to take you outside the field.”

With the memory being so personal, Velvet felt Arvatus’ sick satisfaction grow enormously as she raised a loaded crossbow and leveled it at the accused. “May the cycle restore you to a better life.”

The psyker tried to fly away, but he never had a chance against crossbow bolts. One sank into his chest, another into his right wing, and a third hit his neck in rapid succession. The other monks stepped back and started chanting on the evils of the Psykira while Arvatus dropped his crossbow and stepped towards the crippled sphinx. Velvet tried to pull herself away from the memory, but the real Arvatus pushed all of his will into making her watch.

Velvet couldn’t stop herself from leaning over the Psykira’s head and whisper with cold murder in Arvatus’ tone. “I hope disgraceful filth like you come back again and again as worms to be crushed under paw like the insects you are.” Shifting one paw into a hand, Arvatus and Velvet ripped the bolt out of the victim’s neck and started stabbing. Eyes, chest, neck, anywhere there was soft, yielding flesh.

After ten stabs the tom was still. The memory vanished with Velvet shuddering at the violence of it. Phantom Twilight was painfully silent as Velvet finally tore herself away from the imposed memory. The monks and alleyway vanished, but the bloodied and broken body remained.

“I was barely an initiate back then, long before I was tested for psionic potential. It took decades and my own awakening to see the monster I had become,” Arvatus said as he moved between Velvet and the corpse. “He was my first murder, but he certainly wasn’t the last Psykira, proven or otherwise, that I killed in the name of societal preservation.” He watched Velvet trying to shake off the horror of what she witnessed. “This will be the fate of Twilight Sparkle, and all of her children, if the P.C.E. should ever succeed. Is that truly what you want? To murder your own daughter in cold blood to ‘save’ her?”

Velvet found her strength again and ran over to tackle him. He was surprised she actually could assault him, allowing Velvet to wrap her forelegs around his neck and shove her face into his. “You self-righteous foal. Awakening with new abilities is one thing, being forced to become a different species is another! The only thing I can do for my daughter now is to kill that Queen and free her soul to the peace of the Elysian Fields. That thing isn’t my daughter anymore!” she screamed with all the festering heartache of the past decade.

“I beg to differ,” Arvatus countered harshly as he pointedly looked back at the corpse. Velvet glanced up to follow his gaze, only to find the bloodied corpse was now the dead remains of Queen Twilight laying on the monastery grounds near Canterlot. In that moment, she expected to feel elation, or at least relief at seeing what she had been wishing for so long.

But that was not what happened. Stripped of the outside influences of the past twelve years, the only thing Velvet saw in that moment was her Twilight Sparkle lying there dead. Her horror was redoubled when the bloodied and broken crossbow bolt was now held aloft in her magic.

Phantom Twilight’s voice sniffled from behind Velvet. “Why momma? Why did you kill me?” Velvet pushed herself away from Arvatus, and spun around to see phantom Twilight appeared just as she had when she first returned to Canterlot after her rebirth. “I’m sorry I’m not the same anymore, but I just wanted us to be a family again.”

Velvet’s mindscape clouded over with startling rapidity. She dropped the crossbow bolt and wept into her hooves. Phantom Twilight remained nearby repeatedly asking what she had done to lose a mother’s love. It was more than Velvet could handle. The typhoon of emotions returned in full force, ripping at Arvatus with returned hostility. Before he could lose sight of Velvet, he expended the last of his mental strength in forming a protective shield around her, so her mind would not break again, and that the separation of outside influences on Velvet’s perception would hold out for at least a day.

He snapped back into the physical world and collapsed to the floor next to Velvet’s bed. He gulped air as if he been drowning, his heart was pounding, and blood caked everything from the nose down, and dripped on the floor. Velvet was weeping into her pillow muttering too softly for Arvatas to hear what she was saying.

After recovering his wits, Arvatus grabbed a washcloth from a large pocket in his coat and started cleaning himself up as best he could. That was more violent than I expected, but she had the reaction I was hoping for. Few people are naturally hateful, and from what I’ve heard, Velvet was not one of them.

Noting the blood on the padded floor, Arvatus pressed his cloth tightly over his nose and stumbled for the exit. He fought against lightheadedness and a stabbing headache as he left the cell, only to find an orderly and Doctor Clear Mind waiting for him. Both ponies jumped to his aid with Clear Mind lifting Arvatus up from his front left side while the orderly gave him a replacement wet cloth for his nose. “Heavens, Doctor, you look like you went ten rounds with a minotaur cage fighter.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Arvatus nodded in thanks to the new cloth. “Sorry to trouble you son, but I left quite a trail to clean up.”

“No worries, doc,” the peppy orderly said. “Can’t be any worse than what most spill around here.”

The orderly ran off to gather the cleaning supplies while Clear Mind wanted to check on Velvet, yet Arvatus had to come first. “Did you make progress?”

“I think so,” Arvatus replied nasally. What I’d give for a cold compress for my head right now. “I was right about her. The patient’s criminalistic paranoia stemmed from the company she kept, outside of the family. I have no doubt that over time, she had listened to enough anti-changeling fearmongering that she lashed out as she did. I’ve seen and experienced this countless times in my homeland.”

“She certainly let herself go off the deep end after arriving here,” Clear Mind commented with a sad shake of his head. “What is it that you plan to do, should you cure her, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Arvatus stopped and blankly stared at the opposite wall. The howling wind reflected his troubled thoughts after dredging up his own painful memory. “I want to give her a chance to atone. The same chance that was given to me a long time ago.”

Today was the day. Lyra fidgeted nervously in a back room near the Canterlot Castle’s primary news reception chamber. It was early morning, barely half an hour past breakfast. Bon Bon was at her side gently rubbing her back while giving her friend brief nuzzles. A pair of filled memory crystals laid on the cushion with her, both filled with highlights involving Bon Bon.

All four of the royal changelings were present, Twilight and Rainbow puppeting their respective diplomats. If it was just speaking to a crowd, Lyra would be in her element after all the concert tours she’d been on. Her only real source of fear was the threat of violence that was sure to erupt either during or right after the press conference.

Lyra used her old meditative techniques to calm herself as she had done early in her music career. Aegis and Rainbow Dash quietly snorted in amusement every time Lyra would hum aloud. And here I thought Tree Hugger was the only one who did that, Rainbow mused.

Rainbow stuck her head out of the large curtain separating them from the gathering reporters. Even though Canterlot was the cosmopolitan capital of Equestria, there were still only fourteen reporters awaiting them. <Aegis, how’s the security looking?>

<Well let’s see,> Aegis started as she counted with her fingers. <The Royal Guard are stationed at their customary positions, and in eight additional positions around the room. Luna helped me fashion a mana depletion array hidden on the ceiling in case of an attack by unicorns. I also have Intel and Ferrum posing as out of town reporters. To top it all off, a contingent of the Dusk Guard is waiting in the next room incase somepony gets physical.>

<Good work,> Rainbow replied with a heavy dose of pride. <I’m sure Captain Whirling Blade can handle everything else.>

Twilight saw Lyra come out of her meditation and shared a few quiet words with Bon Bon. She trotted over with a reassuring smile. “You feeling ready for this?”

Lyra squeezed Bon Bon’s hoof and nodded. “About as much as possible.”

Twilight was happy to see the pair had such a strong relationship. I better make sure they get a chance to keep that after the rebirth. “Well you’ll be pleased to know that mother’s given me the trick to keeping your mane and coat color, it should help with your memory retention.”

Bon Bon sighed in relief with Lyra doing the same. “You’re going to do great, Lyra.”

The rear door opening brought everyone’s attention to Celestia’s entry. Ever the morning person, she looked immaculate. “Good morning, everypony. Shall we begin?”

Twilight wished for nothing more than to hug her old mentor, but Bon Bon and Lyra’s presence made her shy away from doing more than beaming a smile. Rainbow Dash pushed herself away from the curtain. “As well as possible on our end.” She turned to Lyra. “Just do your bit and follow Aegis’ lead if things get hairy.” Without further preamble, Rainbow departed Blue Flare’s body, leaving the mare in front of everyone, and suffering from post-puppet arousal.

<Mother!> Flare cried before racing to the restroom under a dense fog of embarrassment.

Twilight sensed Rolled Scroll fearing a similar faux pas, and gave him wordless reassurance. “Thank you for heading this up, Celestia, as much as I trust Aegis and Blitz,” she shot both proto-queens approving smiles, “I think the public will be far more tolerant with you presiding over the conference.”

“It’s only natural,” Celestia replied. “I was the first to sign her letter of acceptance.” She turned to the mare of honor. “Are you ready to proceed?”

Trying to shore herself up as if it was just another concert, Lyra puffed out her chest. “Of course, Princess. A-after you.”

With a curt nod towards Lyra, Celestia wordlessly motioned for the others to follow while Twilight departed for the same restroom as Blue Flare before leaving her son to… recover.

Intel yawned loudly and scratched herself as she sat in the midst of the reporters. Her disguise was that of a portly yellow unicorn, and she was loving every second of it. She nudged the thin stallion to her left with a fat elbow and a greasy hay burger dripping with manennaise, (which is totally different from mayonnaise), ponyradish, and mustard in her magic. “Yo, String Bean, you look like your life sucks.”

The stallion shuddered in disgust at the sandwich and the collection of four soiled wrappers and crumpled napkins. The slathering of sauce over Intel’s muzzle nearly caused him to gag. “And what could give you that idea, lardo?”

Intel chuckled a belly laugh and slapped him heavily on the back. “You ain’t got no meat on them bones, but you’re a funny one, I’ll give ya that!” She waved the burger in front of his muzzle, making him shy away from it. “Come on, take a bite. It’s good for you.”

He didn’t even want to touch it with his hoof and pushed away from it, irritating the reporter beside him. “I’d rather not clog my arteries with trash, thank you.”

“Too bad.” Intel shoved a chunk of it in her gullet and moaned noisily in culinary delight. “Omf mmff Celesmma, tiff is-” she took a long moment to simply enjoy it and leaned her girth towards him. As soon as she cleared her mouth she let off a long, heavy, onion scented sigh of satisfaction. I am going to have to run fifty miles to burn off just one of those things, but it was worth every bite.

One of the earth pony Guards walked up to the side of their isle and spoke with the tone of authority. “Is there a problem here?”

Before the stallion could say a word, Intel waggled the dripping burger at him. “Yeah there is, I’m running out of food, could you be a dear and get me another quadruple bypass whammy burger?”

“She’s being intolerable, and she smells like unwashed socks,” the stallion protested, only to get a sly wink from Intel. “She is an insult to journalist everywhere, and I demand she be removed.”

The guard took one look at the obese mare rolling in her chair stuffing her face with the remnants of the sandwich. “I’m going to have to ask you to remain orderly. The conference will begin shortly.”

“You lot are no fun. Now Trottingham, they know how to keep the sticks out of their plots!” she rambled with a wide sweep of her hoof and spittle flying everywhere.

The guard would have said more, but Celestia entering the room making the Guard snap to attention and the various reporters to stand in respect. Playing her role, Intel fumbled to get off the chair to do the same.

Striding in behind Celestia were Aegis and Blitz, walking on two legs as always, with Lyra and Bon Bon bringing up the rear.

The gathered reporters started taking pictures immediately, but all of them were professional enough to withhold questions for the moment. Celestia took her place at the podium and wove a spell to enhance her voice while the others stood behind her. “Thank you all for coming.” She briefly studied each reporter’s expression, barely hiding her smirk at the sight of Intel. So she lets her hair down while in disguise, eh? “Thus far, there have been over sixty individuals requesting to be reborn into the Phoenix Roost hive. For various reasons, all of those requests have been denied.

“Due to extenuating circumstances however, Miss Lyra Heartstrings, here,” Celestia extending a wing at Lyra who waved at the reporters taking pictures, “is the first to be granted her request. I will leave any questions to her and proto-queens Aegis Altair and Blitzkrieg.”

Blitz almost groaned at her full name, but managed to keep it down. She stood up along with Aegis and Lyra and replaced Celestia at the podium.

Almost immediately, a news mare shouted a question. “Miss Heartstrings, is it true you’ve always had a fixation on polymorphed states and are using the changelings to get what you want?”

As Celestia took her seat, she expanded her voice spell over the others, giving Lyra the chance to be heard clearly. “Isn’t everything we do, an act to get what we want?” The crowd quietly murmured in agreement. "As for my interest in physical transformations, yes, that’s true. I have never made that a secret, especially to my fans.”

Huh… I didn’t realize she had such integrity. Aegis glanced at Blitz and found no surprise in her aura. That’s what I get for not paying attention to things outside of security.

Intel felt it was a good idea to put in her two bits. “Miss Strings, this all seems pretty sudden and permanent, have you given this much thought at all?”

“My friend Bon Bon made me agree to a two year waiting period to see if this is what I really wanted to do before approaching the two royal families for permission.”

The reporter sitting next to Intel wasn’t in the slightest interested in what Lyra’s quirks were. “Queen Blitzkrieg, Notepad CBY News, your hive has turned down rebirth applicants who were terminally ill, under death threats from various persons, or crippled beyond medical assistance. Why did you suddenly accept Miss Heartstrings?”

Blitz quietly cleared her throat. “Until recently, we did not believe the political climate was appropriate for such a move. In addition, we have to be very selective even within our own tribe, because rebirthing anypony is exhaustively expensive. We simply can not use rebirthing for cheating death on even a small scale.”

“You talk of political climate,” Notepad jumped in before another could speak, “and yet your flagship was crippled just barely a week ago. This hardly seems like wise timing.”

Aegis frowned in pensive anger and stepped forward, barely letting her mother’s political stoicism take hold. “It is true that just before accepting Lyra’s request we were attacked, but we are not going to be intimidated by cowardly terrorists.” Celestia and Blitz questioned where Aegis was going with this line of commentary, and had to exert effort to remain quiet for her. “Yes, we have flat out refused everypony who has come to us, thus far, but that was due to several critical reasons, chief among them being the complete memory loss that those undergoing drone rebirth would experience. Now that we’ve corrected that issue to some extent, we’ve decided to start a trial period. If Lyra settles well, we might look into accepting others.”

<Good spin on that,> Blitz said with a quiet sigh of relief.

<Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Blitz.> Aegis stepped back to be in line with her blue counterpart.

<Paying attention to the reporters now!> Aegis cut off abruptly using a touch of disguise magic to hide her flushed embarrassment.

A different reporter butted in, keeping Notepad from hogging the speaking time. “Leaking Presses, Canterlot Times. Is it true this whole thing is one big stunt to antagonize the P.C.E? and if so, are you condoning the endangerment of innocents just to force a conflict with them?”

Blitz wasn’t expecting such a direct question on that topic, but she answered smoothly. “We are not forcing any conflict here. We are simply giving word about Miss Heartstring’s rebirth because it is the first time this has happened outside of an accident, like my mother, or extenuating circumstances in regards to Queen Twilight Sparkle. There was the threat of open war between Equestria and the changeling hives of the jungle had Twilight Sparkle died.”

“Isn’t Equestria not already under threat of a civil war?” Notepad rebuked with heated undertones. “Not only is there a stunning disparity between the PR navy and that of Equestria itself, but the common pony can barely tolerate your kind. You really think this little stunt of yours will convince people you’re still just trying to ‘coexist’?”

This time, it was Celestia who answered after rising to her hooves. “Since we are at peace with our neighbors, Mister Notepad. There has been no need for the Equestrian military to modernize to such a degree. What Phoenix’s Roost does with it’s own military’s advancement is their prerogative, and theirs alone.” He tried to speak up, but Celestia kept speaking over him. “As for the common pony’s well being. That has always been at the forefront of my mind for centuries, and I see the same goals in our ally’s royal family.”

Lyra, Blitz, and Aegis cowed a little under Celestia’s frigid tone. Even when she was speaking to their credit, Celestia’s tone produced no small amount of fear in all who heard it. “I make sure to stay in touch with my subjects, and public opinion of our changeling allies is at a record high. So I would very much like to know which ponies you’re referring to, Mister Notepad.”

“The good ponies of Saddle Arabia, your highness,” Notepad replied with quickly fading distaste. “It is no secret that tensions there are strained at best.”

Blitz scowled heavily at the presence of an Arabian. Strained is too weak of a word. Since those guys boarder the changeling jungle’s eastern side they’ve always feared going in because it always ended in death. Ever since granny and Sticky Spit revealed our species, the Arabians finally have a face to blame for generations of explorers and families disappearing.

Aegis saw Blitz forcibly trying to mask her scowl. <Hey, aren’t those the guys who think alicorn rule is poisonous to the rest of ponykind?>

Oblivious to the changeling conversation, Celestia afixed a stony smile at the foreign reporter. “I’m sure your king has a very different opinion, Mister Notepad. Now, why don’t we all return to our questions under amicable terms?”

Seeing a need to defuse the situation, Intel raised a hoof. “Well said your majesty. Miss Heartstrings, it has been said that memory loss is a chief problem with non-royal rebirth, given the real danger of personality death.” Intel had to sound like a cutthroat reporter at least. “How are you going to still be you?”

Pleased that the situation had been defused, Celestia stared Notepad down until he retook his seat. Once done, she too reclaimed her seat as Lyra answered the question, although Celestia didn’t listen as she already knew the answer. I suspected as much. The P.C.E. isn’t stupid enough to attack an obvious trap right here in the palace. Their image was already damaged enough by destroying two Equestrian troop transports and all of the soldiers along with it. Assaulting the palace would have been too much, even for the radical element.

That would probably leave only the most fanatical members, and likely expose the ringleaders if they were captured. It looks like we’ll have to have a much more subtle trap if we’re to catch more than recruiters in a hotel.

Celestia kept a close eye on Notepad for the duration of the conference. He kept his mouth shut the entire time, only condemning him further in her eyes. I think he realized his mistake in naming Saddle Arabia. I’ll have to get Whirling Blade to tail Notepad, and see where he goes. Perhaps this trap wasn’t a failure after all.

Grogar never claimed to be an overly patient being, and yet Polybia still found ways to shorten his fuse. He struggled in vain against the restraints of his half-cocoon as Polybia’s body reformed itself from her latest assault on the rival hives. He had a pounding migraine and black blood dripping from his ears and nose from a mental battle with her that had ended as little more than rout for him.

As for Polybia, she was recovering from her body’s destruction faster and faster with each ‘death’. Grogar glared at her as Polybia pulled herself out of the muck of the quickening pool. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were getting off on dying all the time.”

Polybia ignored the verbal jab and took a long moment to finish letting her new body reform. The instant it was done, Polybia raced towards Grogar faster than his dead eyes could follow. She gripped one of his curved horns in her hoof and gripped the other in her magic. “You malevolent snake! Did you honestly think I wouldn’t sense your attempt to switch bodies with me during my recovery?” she purred in his ear. “I paid handsomely for information on you, ram, and your plan was obvious right from the start.”

Grogar grunted in dull pain as Polybia started draining his mana. “No amount of psionic defense could have held me back. With all the mana you’ve stolen, your body should be under my control regardless!”

Polybia lashed out with a lance of cutting magic and started slicing at grogar’s left horn near the root. “Fool. I only kept that power in myself at the beginning. I’ve been dolling that power to my drones for a while now. Your power of control is too diffuse to take me directly. Not that I allowed you to sense that.”

Grogar refused to express any further pain from his horn getting slowly cut off. “I’ll tell you this now. You better utterly destroy me right here and now, Polybia, or I will make my revenge so unending, you’ll forget you were ever anything other than my plaything.”

At that, Polybia stopped cutting the horn halfway and decided to rip the rest of it off with multiple tugs from her magic. Grogar’s pain tolerance, even as an undead, had it’s limits and he roared in pain as the horn was torn free from his head. He glared pure malice into Polybia who examined the detached horn with a critical eye. She spoke without looking at him in a clear sign of disrespect. “Oh don’t worry, Grogar, I plan to make sure your essence is completely destroyed when I’m done with you.”

She afixed an arrogant sneer on her face and waggled his severed horn at him. “I will tear you apart, piece by piece, purify your mana so that it has no connection to you, and then by this war’s end, you will be nothing more than a stain upon the world’s history.”

“Wars are never quick, Polybia,” Grogar chided. “I’ll rid myself of you long before it’s over.”

“You will try, I’m sure.” Polybia started walking off with his horn. “For your attempt on my life, I’m taking your horn. I might find a use for it.”

Grogar’s fury boiled unchecked at the mutilation and failure. The halls of Polybia’s hive echoed with his howling unholy rage. So loud in fact, that Polybia was forced to have several drones erect sound dampening spells to keep from giving the hive’s position away. “I swear you will suffer an eternity for this, Polybia! I will have satisfact-”

Any further yelling was halted by Grogar’s cocoon stretching and wrapping over his mouth, leaving only muffles to fill the single room. Demons are slaves to their nature, but you, Grogar. You chose to become one. You deserve neither pity or mercy. Besides, I need to work on something special for when Twilight arrives with her new warship.

Author's Notes:
Will Arvatus find out why Velvet loves Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Can Lyra get super hands? Will the Long Shot prove its worth? Are we prepared for the inevitable invasion of the mole people!?
Probably find out none of these on the next episode of Horse Words!!
Big thanks to my editing team: A Bitter Pill, Boldish42, and PhiliChez.

12: The Last Night in Safe Harbor

Rainbow Dash brooded within the bow observation blister of the Long Shot. The midday sky was partly cloudy, and the carrier was just leaving cloud cover as it came over a long abandoned train depot. It was the same place she had first seen a changeling airship, and it brought back fond memories of her time spent in Stripped Gear.

Now however, the depot was covered in green as the jungle rapidly reclaimed what belonged to it. Vines had started covering the long rail bridge spanning over the gorge, leaving half of it looking like a wall of vegetation.

As for the jungle itself, it cared little for the urban decay, seeing it only as more ground to claim. <Captain Darya, make sure we fly over the ruins. Let the crew see what will happen if we fail.>

The Long Shot angled a little closer to true south, though she didn’t notice much since her mind was scattered throughout the hive mind, watching over the drones continue to prepare the carrier for war. She also had a general awareness of the Deception as her brood shipped it back to the hive for repairs. As a consequence to Rainbow deffusing herself so much, she missed Twilight entering the room. It wasn’t until Twilight closed the heavy steel hatch behind her, that Rainbow finally noticed her. “There you are. I thought you’d be down in the hangar hammering out strikecraft tactics.”

“We’ve done enough planning for now,” Rainbow replied as she looked back at her sister. Twilight walked up alongside Rainbow Dash and nuzzled her affectionately. Rainbow returned the gesture, always enjoying the flavor of Twilight’s love. “The crews need time to actually practice, and no pony made a fighter big enough for me to pilot.”

Twilight snickered, and spoke without separating from Rainbow. “And here I thought you didn’t like the idea of carriers.”

Rainbow huffed and turned back to the landscape below. It was deceptively peaceful from such an altitude. “I don’t, but it’s all we’ve got right now. Although I still don’t really have any good ideas on how to use these fighters against massed drones. So when things go belly up, I want to be here in person to fight.”

“We can do a lot more good through hive meditation, rather than participating directly in battle, than you give credit for,” Twilight amended. “But that’s not why I’m here.” She succeeded in getting Rainbow’s attention. She’s getting antsy about not being able to oviposit since both ships lack a hatchery, thanks to the tender’s refit. I have to try to keep her mind off it.

Knowing that would be no easy task, Twilight was more than happy at a recent event. “Since we’re still a day or so out from where Chrysalis said Polybia’s advance forces are, I suggest you steal a little bit of RnR while you can.”

“As much as I would love to take a nap, I doubt that’s what you have in mind.”

“Well…” Twilight shot her sister a wry grin. “Rasua said the Psykira have a gift for us, and they want to present it to us before we get too busy with the war.” Her tone grew thready along with her smile wilting. “You know, in case they can’t when all things are said and done.”

Rainbow wasn’t exactly sure what to say right off the bat. She tried to identify the ruins of Stripped Gear off on the horizon, but the Long Shot had slipped inside another cloudbank, causing the glass to be covered in condensation. “Are you trying to say I’m working too hard?” she asked with a sidelong smirk.

“Along with Tartarus freezing over under a flock of flying pigs,” Twilight teased as she used a foreleg to drag her sister to a cushion. Something told Twilight that verbally expressing her pride in Rainbow Dash would be perceived as patronizing to the sometimes unruly queen. Instead, she opted to give Rainbow a tight hug before nestling down in a cushion of her own.

It didn’t take Twilight long before her eyes went a little out of focus as most of her consciousness departed. The very nature of the request caused her to send the vast majority of her mental focus to her puppet, but she left just enough brain power behind to keep her body from getting into trouble. Rainbow’s face twisted into a scowl as she too took her seat. If I split my focus on anything else, I’m not going to have enough brains to control my body. <Airling Greasy Piston, come over to the bow observation blister and keep an eye on us while we’re away, would you? I don’t want Murphy’s Law acting up while we’re focused on the hive, and have Poly sneak an assassin in.>

The pilot in question groaned as she was about to fold her hand in poker with the rest of Viper Squadron. <I’ll get it covered in a jiffy, momma.>

Rainbow sent her thanks before leaving her daughter to her devices. Piston smirked at her squadmates and tossed her poor hand of cards on the table. “You bucks got lucky that momma needs me for bodyguard detail. Catch y'all later.”

Rusty Spring used a bit of magic to flip the folded hand over and snorted. “Sure we were. Have fun on detail, Greasy.”

Rainbow Dash followed Twilight’s advice and puppeted a daughter of hers near the hive palace’s main gates. The clear skies above the hive were darkened by the shadow of the palace behind her and a heavy lift construction airship hovering over a two story tall wooden crate resting at the base of the long wide steps. The changeling honor guard flanked the steps while a large gathering of sphinxes milled around the massive crate.

Rainbow noticed that a number of sphinxes were taking hammers and other tools to the base of the crate to break off the bottom.

“What do you think it is?” Rainbow followed the voice to find her sister inhabiting the body of one of her own daughters. Twilight had that knowing grin which frustrated Rainbow from time to time, but it was Twilight’s purple and orange cutie mark that made her raise a question. “Why are you showing your cutie mark on a puppet?”

Twilight wiggled her hips a little. She sensed the drone’s ecstasy at being able to wear her mother’s cutie mark, which caused Twilight to chuckle a little. “Well, since we keep talking to more and more non-changelings while occupying a drone, I figured we could show our cutie marks so others can identify us without needing to see our eyes first.”

Rainbow mulled over the idea briefly before Twilight motioned for her to follow down the steps. Could help with things. With a flash of magic, Rainbow painted her cutie mark on her puppet’s flanks.

By the time the pair reached the bottom of the steps, Twilight noticed that Rasua was talking with a few Psykira. A moment later, Twilight realized that almost every Psykira living in the hive was present along with numerous Imperial Thestrals and a handful of Tea’la. Arya stood at the front of her people while waving her large wooden wings at the queens to be seen. What surprised Twilight more, was the sight of Pinkie Pie jumping high enough to quickly grab the queens’ notice with the baker’s cheering being as friendly and obnoxious as ever.

Rainbow grinned widely as she spied the pink mare’s son perched on his mother’s withers, along with Rarity, her thestral husband, and their two children near the front of the crowd. Wait a sec, why didn’t any of our kids tell us our friends were visiting? Rainbow and Twilight noticed the ever bashful Fluttershy mixed in with their friends, but she practically lived in the hive already since she cared for the nymphs on a regular basis. Lastly, but certainly not least, Cadista herself was keeping a dignified air about her while hovering above the ponies friends. Yet pride was radiating off of her like the sun.

Twilight sensed the Tea’la, thestrals, and her friends’ auras were alive with barely contained excitement. As for the Psykira, their collective aura matched their faces which were alive with anticipation. A swarm of nymphs filled every nook between the adults, trying to see what all the fuss was about.

It didn’t take Rasua and her conversation partners long to notice the two queens. The four of them approached the queens with an elderly Grecian jane taking the lead before all three Psykira bowed deeply to the queens. Rasua simply dipped her head in respect as the elder sphinx spoke in reverent tones. “Your highnesses, thank you for agreeing to such a hasty audience with us.”

“Not a problem at all, Wise Huntress Belkaria,” Twilight nodded in respect. “We are not expected to reach the combat zone for several more hours.”

Belkaria sagged in relief a little, glad that she wasn’t inconveniencing the queens. She rose to her paws and gestured at the workers to stand by with a wing, while keeping her gaze fixed on Twilight and Rainbow. She took a deep breath to begin her address. The act also got the other Psykira to quiet down to listen. “A little under four years ago, Psykira like myself fled the Federation to live here in the Equestrian Alliance. I must admit we were fearful of the Sestapo’s offer of sanctuary via deportation. All we knew of the Alliance species were that you were powerful and… love fire,” she said with tightly controlled fear as her gaze briefly wandered to the twenty foot tall statue of Burny near the palace entrance.

“To our everlasting gratitude,” Belkaria continued with a brief warble of emotion. “We’ve found more than an alien country, but a new home filled with beings who understand and accept us. Here we can practice our psionics without fear of persecution. And for that, we can never truly repay you, but we hope this will give some small recompense.”

With a final gesture of her wing, the airship’s engines poured on the power a few moments later and lifted the large wooden crate away from the cargo within. Twilight and Rainbow’s eyes widened considerably at the two story tall statues that were revealed.

The one on the left was a larger than life statue of Twilight Sparkle made of pure amethyst. Large ruby wings reinforced with a steel skeleton flared out from her back with her cutie mark made of darker amethyst and fire opals.

Rainbow Dash was equally enthralled by her statue. The whole thing was a sky blue aquamarine with stained glass wings that constantly shifted in a prismatic hue. As with Twilight, the cutie mark on Rainbow’s statue was made of precious gems as well.

The two statues stood on a large brass base that was crisscrossed with engraved gearwork. The two queens were standing side by side, each with a foreleg outstretched in a welcoming friendly gesture. The two queens’ inner wings were pressed against one another in a grecian tradition to represent the pair’s unconquerable bond. The statues didn’t go unnoticed by the drones and the skies were quickly filled with them as they gathered to see the gift.

The two dumbstruck queens’ expression satisfied Belkaria and the other sphinxes to no end. “We hope you will accept this gift to you, as you have so graciously gifted us with a home.”

Twilight stared at the gesture of gratitude in profound amazement. It was no secret that sphinxes made statues of those they revered. She raised a hoof to her chest with an emotional tear falling away. After years of struggle to gain a semblance of general acceptance among ponies, the deep meaning of this gift from the immigrated sphinxes rendered the former librarian at a complete loss for words.

The same was only partially true for Rainbow Dash.

One look at the statues was all it took to plaster a huge grin on her face. She buzzed into the air to take a closer look and was joined by at least two dozens nymphs doing the same. “By the First Mother this is crazy awesome!” She gave extra attention to her stony doppelganger's prismatic wings and nodded in approval. “Me like, me very like.” The nymphs were mesmerized by the dancing colors. Rainbow Dash looked back down towards Belkaria. “I don’t care if I’m not the civic queen. We’re putting this baby in the main square!”

Twilight blinked away a few tears and nodded. “That is an excellent idea. On behalf of Phoenix’s Roost, I thank you, Wise Huntress Belkaria,” Twilight looked out at the throng of people and friends before magically projecting her voice. “And thanks to all of you for this momentous gift.”

The crowd let out a round of cheers and hoots. The Queens’ response was exactly what they had hoped for and they were utterly thrilled.

Despite not being a Psykira, Rasua was as swept up in the jubilation as anyone else. Over the years, the Imperial thestrals, changelings, and Tea’la had learned about the importance of statues in Federation culture, and they soon joined the jubilation.

With both queens fully engrossed in examining the statues, Belkaria had a moment to step up to Rasua. “You have done your forebearers proud, young huntress. I only wish we could honor you with such a gift for the role you’ve played.”

A part of Rasua burned in irritation at the truth of it, but she managed to keep it concealed behind a veneer of good will. “Don’t think too much on it. I chose the life of the unsung hunter long before setting paw on this continent.”

Rasua noticed Twilight waving at both of them, however she also noticed a familiar grecian tom in the crowd who wasn’t matching the ambient fervor. Yet it was the yellow feathered hat he was wearing that gave away his importance to her, and her alone. “I think the queens want to speak further with you, elder. I bet they want to know how we managed to fuse so many gemstones together so flawlessly.”

Belkaria’s eyes lit up at the prospect of that line of inquiry. “She’ll be shocked to learn that Mrs. Rarity had a lot to do with that.”

Rasua nodded as the old jane padded over to speak with Twilight. Speaking of Rarity, I wonder just how much time and effort it actually took her. Nobody, no matter how honored the individual, the sculptor would always require a commision, and yet she didn’t take a single bit. Casting such idle musings aside, Rasua slipped through the crowd towards the tom. However she had to detour into a bookstore after the tom went in first.

With the statue event going on, the changeling store clerk had her face plastered to the window and only gave the two sphinxes a passing glance as they started browsing the selection. Now that she had a better look at him, Rasua identified the tom as the same Sestapo agent that had been stationed in Stratholme at the time she moved to Phoenix Roost.

Rasua started speaking in in a dialect of her province’s native language, while also keeping friendly tones as if he were an old friend. The language was rarely used, but perfect for the Sestapo since magical feedback spells were naturally woven into the syntax and most of the vocabulary. It was all geared to cause translation spells to misfire. “I trust you found your way here without incident.”

“Of course, Field Agent. Trade is slow between Stratholme and the Alliance, but allocating a single freighter airship will do that.”

Rasua glanced back at the store clerk who looked ready to bolt to join the celebration. Rasua browsed some Equestrian imported books to play the part of customer. “How did things go with the council?”

“As well as can be expected. Now that they know we’ve been actively resettling Psykira outside of Federation territory, they didn’t seem too keen on remembering the ‘kill on sight’ law they inherited from most of the former nations. So long as they’re out of our country, it’s not their problem. As they were so fond of saying.” he added with a snide grin.

Rasua shot him a surprised look, albeit brief. “Even Councillor Martok and his cronies? He was elected specifically to ‘kill all psykers in existence’.”

“Weeelll… let’s just say that Martok’s wife would be none too pleased if she found out that Martok’s board meetings were not always with his cabinet.” It went without saying that the Sestapo was playing a dangerous game, making sure they didn’t look like sympathizers.

“I didn’t think adultery would be enough for a hardliner like him,” Rasua replied after she found a book that actually had an interesting title. Sadly, she couldn’t pay much attention to it.

“It wasn’t, but he has vices that make his intense view of psykers look tame.”

He allowed Rasua a moment to digest the news, yet it was she who broke the silence first. “The queens have been happy with my efforts, and say I’ll be free of my obligation by year’s end.”

The tom’s face soured. “I hate to spoil your relief, field agent, but the Director wants you to remain here indefinitely.” He expected her stunned expression and acted to clarify her orders. “The Director feels your connections with Alliance royalty is too valuable to give away at this time.”

Rasua busied herself with the book as her mind churned. She wanted to bring this matter up with the Director himself. She wanted to serve her term with the queens and be free to live the life of her choosing. She wanted to be with her family again. “The Psykira have ingratiated themselves with the bugs. Why not recruit from their number?”

The tom stood mouth agape for a few moments before replacing his cool mask. “You know full well we’re already treading on thin ice as it is. We have to look like we’re deporting the psykers as a punishment for existing. Do you have any idea what the council would do if they decided to launch a formal inquiry and discovered we had a Psykira on payroll?”

Rasua bit down on a curse. Angering her handler wouldn’t do her any good, and there was always a pillow to scream into. “Forget I asked.”

“I will,” he stated definitively, “for both our sakes. Try to look on the bright side, field agent, you’re going to earn a place in the hall of the nameless hunters before much longer.”

Rasua’s eyes went wide at that. Deep within the Sestapo headquarters, was a vast hall filled wall to wall with statues of the most honored operatives. The bureau inherited both the hall and the tradition from one of the old province’s intelligence agencies. Those honored statues were left nameless, known only to the Director himself. “As much of an honor that is, at least tell me I’ll have a replacement at some point.”

“I’ll pass word back to the mainland. But I would suggest settling down, field agent.” That got a rise out of Rasua, but she held her tongue. “There are worse assignments to have, and I’m sure there’s more than one tom who would be proud to be your mate.”

Rasua’s thoughts went straight to Thunderfury. Thankfully she was able to keep from blushing. There’s no way he could know about us. “I’ll do what I can to make the most of my assignment then,” was all she said. Perhaps this means I don’t have to hold back with him anymore.

“Glad to hear it,” the tom answered with a knowing grin that Rasua missed entirely. “While I wish that was the only news I bring, there is a more concerning matter brewing back home.”

“Let me guess,” Rasua interrupted with a stern grimace, “it has to do with the Order.”

“So you’ve noticed they’re on the move?”

“Not directly, no,” Rasua answered worriedly. “The P.C.E. has been far more active lately than usual. From what little they tell me in such matters, Captain Intel ‘La Gence stopped all four sabotage attempts against the hive in the past four years. Within the past month though, there’s been one major attack, as you know, and three other incidents that she and her team have neutralized.”

It was troubling news, but ultimately didn’t concern the tom over much since it was out of his mission scope. “What makes you think the Order has to do with that?”

Rasua knew that tone. He knows something, but he wants my information first. “Nothing, not one single clue. Though I find it worrying that the biggest anti-psyker organization amongst our society - a society that has vilifies psykers since before recorded history, is now ignoring the hive and the openly living Psykira that reside here. Why have they done nothing publicly, not even speaking aloud against them, to this point?”

He had a flash of disappointment on his face. “I had hoped you had something concrete, since we’re lacking any real evidence ourselves, as far as I know. Not that we could actually do much about it outside of warn the Alliance, but they know to keep an eye on the Order already.”

Rasua feared as much, and fished out some bits for the book. “Proto-Queen Aegis put me on security detail for the hive itself after seeing so many sphinxes in that raid on the P.C.E. recruiting center. If any of our brethren attack Phoenix's Roost, I’ll be sure they’re interrogated… properly.”

“Then I’ll continue to search for answers on my end.” The tom was suprised to find a book on translations between Vespid and the primary sphinx language. He threw a few bits on the table near the cash register, if only to play the part of a customer. Since the drone ran off to take a closer look at the statues, it wouldn’t do to steal. “Good hunting, field agent.”

“To the hunt,” Rasua replied automatically as she watched him leave. I may be stuck here until the Director gets someone else in the changeling royal family’s good graces, but I’m still going to visit my brother and father once the queens return from the jungle. Rasua looked out the window at the puppeted drones. In person that is.

With her mind made up, Rasua departed the bookstore after dropping money on the counter as well. As honorable as the statues are, I bet it’s giving Aegis a security nightmare. I better find a Jevruun Vrunningee drone so I can speak with her.

With no one giving her any mind, Rasua departed for the Headquarters of the Queens’ Guard in the palace, leaving the festivities behind.

Outside, Twilight and Rainbow were surrounded by their pony friends, Cadista, and over thirty nymphs. Some sphinxes wanted to have their children kissed by the queens, but weren’t sure if the custom would translate well, so they kept a moderate distance.

Rarity finished hugging Twilight and glanced at the statues. “So you like? I helped fuse the gems into one solid piece.”

“Seriously?!” Rainbow half shouted in surprise. “That must have taken forever!”

Pinkie Pie, still as energetic as ever, shoved her head in between the queens. Her son, Pie Slice, was sleeping like the dead on his mother’s head, even in the middle of the loud cheering. “It totally did! I had to bake her my Parent Cake Special like a hundred times to get it all done in a month.”

Twilight glanced at Rarity who went a little green at the memory of it. Pinkie pulled the queens’ head a little close so she could whisper at both of them. “It has my secret up-and-att’m sauce in it.”

Twilight gave Rarity a heavily concerned look, only for the fashionista to wave it off. “Don’t worry, Twilight, I already saw the doctor about getting detoxed. I simply had to finish it before you got busy with that Polybia nonsense.”

Twilight grumbled to her sister, and got a mental grunt of approval from Rainbow. Outwardly however, Twilight remained grateful. “Thank you again, Rarity, the statues are beautiful.”

Fluttershy found an open spot to slink her way inside the circle of friends and scrambling nymphs. “You two’ve done so much for everypony, it’s good to see you get some recognition.”

“Hey, it’s not just us two,” Rainbow replied with a friendly smirk. “It’s everypony. You guys, the kids, even the sphinxes, bat ponies, and the Tea’la have pitched in to make the Alliance go smoothly.”

Cadista was on the fringe of the crowding friends. While she was normally friendly to all, an image that was cemented by the throng of nymphs climbing all over her, few non-changelings ever really found her approachable. Even now, they kept a short distance out of a mix of intimidation and respect. “Now if only the mainstream ponies can see what the sphinxes see,” she commented more harshly than she wanted. “It’ll be the only way groups like the P.C.E. will ever die out.”

Pinkie Pie knew in an instant that comment would drag the mood down, so she spoke up before it could happen. “Hey now, nothing good ever came without some good ol hoof grease! Besides, we need to partay!”

“It can’t be for long, sadly,” Twilight stated morosely. “Our ship is already back in the jungle. We’re going to need our entire focus on Polybia and Grogar.”

Rainbow Dash tapped her chest. “And besides, we’re borrowing our kids right now, and I know they’d want to do their own thing before the party dies down.”

Twilight and Rainbow heard their puppets’ thoughts argue to the contrary, but they were resolutely against taking so much time away from their children’s fun.

“Maybe we can catch up on things over lunch?” Fluttershy offered. Among her friends, Fluttershy’s old anxiety around crowds was far weaker than in years prior, allowing her to speak with more natural assertiveness.

“That sounds wonderful,” Rarity agreed. After the others gave their agreements, the group moved on to one of the dining plazas.

It wasn’t long before the dining plaza exploded with festivities. People of all races wined and dined on the impromptu holiday. Sphinxes, pegasi, and drones performed aerial dances to the amusement of those below, some gracefully flitting about while others moved wildly. The queens ordered some of the hive’s stockpile of food to be cooked up for the event. While not the crème de la crème of culinary delight that most Equestrian cities could create, it served well enough.

There was even an Imperial thestral music band that was playing somewhere in the distance, but neither Twilight nor any of her friends and nearby family could really hear them. The group of friends were gathered around a few tables that had been huddled together. Rarity’s thestral husband, Epaulets, was perched up with one hoof on the table and gesturing with his wings, holding everyone in rapped attention.

“So there I was, trying to peddle a few traditional Imperial vel’tia dresses out of some back alley in Manehatten without a clue on how to run a business in this far flung future. No marketplace, outside of building shops I had no hope in affording, no tools, and not a bit to my name. When the love of my life,” he turned to flash Rarity a thankful smile, making her blush a little. “Comes over and offered to show me how to sell my merchandise in the exotics market. Made a fortune in a weekend.”

“I could see he had real talent,” Rarity explained offhandedly, “so I made some introductions, and called in a favor or two.” She was currently keeping an eye on her children, Cloudy Skies and Summer Seas, who were playing tag with the gaggle of nymphs that had followed them from earlier.

Epaulets scoffed at his wife’s modesty. “You made it seem like no trouble at all, so I thought these friends were nothing more than friends who were rich snobs like her, not that I said it to her face at the time.”

Rarity smacked him with her magic, but held a giggle back. Rainbow Dash snickered, giving little effort to hide it. “That’s being kind, eh, Rares?”

“It’s still far and above what you manage on a good day,” Rarity teased back with a lady-like harumph.

Epaulets wrapped a leathery wing around his wife and gave her a wink and a smile, casting any sort of irritation she had for him to the winds. “Well I go in there,” he continued his tale without missing a beat, “thinking at best I might get saddled with a guru and have to sell my designs for room and board. But these dresses were specially made for the royal family you see, so they were my magnum opus, and I was immensely proud of them.”

Pinkie was bouncing in her seat wanting to blabber the punchline, but Pie Slice waking up hungry distracted her.

“So I go over to Photo Finish, who I assumed was the guru based on how the mare carries herself. After hearing so many songs playing in the building on the way to see her, I thought that I was expected to sing the Litany of Apprenticeship.”

Rainbow and Twilight gasped in between shock and a burst of humor. “You didn’t!” Twilight half cried while Rainbow was in tears. Fluttershy’s face burned with sympathetic embarrassment.

Rarity couldn’t help but to titter aloud. “By Celestia I thought Photo was going to have a conniption from all that howling and yodeling on your long career and lineage.”

“So what did you do next?” Fluttershy asked even though she knew the story. She always found it fascinating, so her attention remained fixated.

“Well Photo Finish was about to throw me out the door when she saw the multicolored threading pattern in the dress I was holding on my back and grabbed it and left me at a loss because I was expecting her to yodel back at me.

“So then she goes into shock before yelling I have ‘Da Magicks’!” he exclaimed with a flare of his wings and tossing his nose into the air. “After that she wanted fifty dresses by month’s end,” he added with old fatigue.

“I simply had to let him use my shop,” Rarity interjected. “Poor stallion was as lost in Equestria as Princess Luna was when she returned from her banishment, no doubt.”

The conversation devolved into small talk about catching up with everyone daily lives, how the kids were doing, and over all a friendly conversation that whittled the hours away. Fluttershy, as was typical of her, was the most silent of the bunch. Yet she was hardly content with that, since she had something to ask Twilight and Rainbow Dash, but found it difficult to get the timing right. It didn’t help that her pegasus daughter was grabbing half of her attention by being cute as a button as she nuzzled Fluttershy’s chest. The little filly had her mother’s timidness in spades, and was fearful of joining the other foals in play.

Fluttershy’s stocky brown earth pony husband, Nick Nack, gently nuzzled her. “Be strong, and speak your mind,” he whispered reassuringly.

Bolstered by his quiet support, Fluttershy found the nerve to speak up loudly enough to be heard. “Excuse me, Twilight, Rainbow.” The conversation died down with Fluttershy admirably not missing a beat. “I’ve been wondering about the whole difficulty with getting more ponies to see your hive as another pony tribe, and I might have an idea that can help.”

Both queens were always eager to hear of such ideas, at least when they came from a reliably friendly source. “I’m all ears,” both queens said in unision. ‘What’s up?”

“Umm, well,” Fluttershy pushed her mane out of the way to reveal her hiding daughter, Gentle Breeze, who yelped at the sudden exposure. “My little Breezie was good friends with a few nymphs, but she’s sort of lost touch with them after they hatched into adults. I think part of the problem with some ponies might be that there are no childhood friendships that can spring up.

“So is it possible to maybe slow that down for a few nymphs?”

The request seemed decent enough to Rainbow Dash, but it slammed into Twilight like a freight train. She blinked at Fluttershy for a few moments before finding the wits to speak again. “I… I never thought of that.”

“Seems like a cool idea to me, if we tried that out on a few kids,” Rainbow added. “But I don’t know if that’s possible.”

All eyes turned to Twilight with Rarity speaking her piece. “I have to admit, it would reduce how alien we changelings are to many ponies out there.”

Even Cadista, in her distant corner of the table arched an inquisitive eyebrow in anticipation of her daughter’s response.

“I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t think we can do that on a permanent basis, but I can try for a dozen clutches or so.”

Cadista was pleased to hear Twilight wasn’t planning on completely reversing one of the best advantages changelings had. “Since you’re going to be busy in the homeland, why don't you let me take care of researching that particular project. It’ll give me something to do while waiting for…” Cadista caught herself before saying ‘for Polybia to retaliate against the hive itself’ aloud. So she said it over the Link Instead. Not wanting to be rude to those around her, she kept speaking. “You to return while you’re busy down south.”

At that moment, the hive mind resounded with the turn of the hour along with the large dirigible above the hive sounding its fog horn for the non-changelings. Twilight moaned in frustration at how quickly time fled. “Is it so late already?”

“The Long Shot should be well into the jungle by now,” Rainbow added. “We should get back.”

Twilight nodded in agreement and gave everyone an apologetic smile, but didn’t get a chance to speak before Pinkie bounced over and squashed her with a crushing hug. “Now don’t you worry your little buggy brain, Twilight! I know you girls will come home safe as can be!”

“I hope so,” Twilight replied softly. “See all of you later!”

Twilight and Rainbow almost departed their puppets then and there, but the two drones hastily reminded them of the side effect of being puppeted, causing both queens to teleport to the nearest barracks before departing their hosts. The swarm of nymphs let off a collective groan of disappointment before several caretakers came over and took charge, herding them towards more kid-friendly sections of the festival.

Rarity watched the two puppeted drones vanish with worry deeply etched on her face. “Dear,” she said to Epaulets, “You hear things from the Imperials living here. Do you think they’ll be okay?”

If there was one thing that never really translated well to the Imperials, it was lying about a military situation to calm civilians. For them, it was a fundamental right for all to know if there was a hostile army or some other threatening force. “Pray for luck, everypony,” he said loudly enough for Fluttershy and the others to hear. “What I have heard of Polybia and Grogar... is more troubling than waking up in a time lost city surrounded by lost ones and bodies.” He gave a stern look at the fretful ponies. “The best thing we can do is give the queens no reason to split their attention between home and the warfront. Keep them focused on the south.”

Although he couldn’t see her, Cadista nodded and hummed in approval. “We can do that best by keeping the P.C.E. away from the hive. Let Aegis and Blitz focus on the bigots outside these walls while the rest of us look after those within.”

Rarity saw her children were exhausted from play, snoozing with a few nymphs near the table with a caretaker nearby keeping an eye on them. “I have noticed the distinct lack of fashion around here. I can settle the Fashion Floatique here for a while, maybe uncover some scandalous gossip from the non-changeling rumor mill. Besides, none of those rapscallions would dare lay a hoof on the Bearers of Harmony.”

“I’ll stay too,” Fluttershy added with that steel in her tone that had grown immensely since her younger years. “Thanks to Nick Nack’s help, I don’t have any animals to care for at the moment, so I can stay to help watch the nymphs and foals around here.”

“An excellent idea,” Rarity commended with the stallions giving similar accolades.

Without missing a beat, Pinkie leapt up onto the table and struck a martial arts pose. “And I, Pinkie Pie, will make sure there’s always a party! Who can attack good ol’ PR when there’s one of my shindigs going down?”

Cadista quietly chuckled as the ponies started going into details. You are so lucky, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. To have such friends who will take the initiative to help you like this. I hope you don’t lose sight of what you have, in lieu of what you don’t.

Strike hard, and strike true, my daughters. Show those blinded queens the strength of our bloodline.

Author's Notes:
Will [redacted] ever find out where the six-[redacted] man is? Can Twilight Sparkle save [redacted] before it's too [redacted]? Will [redacted] ever get that [redacted] cookie? Can the Long Shot's [redacted] prove that it has the heart of a warrior? Can Rasua [redacted] her [redacted] [redacted]?
You are all guaranteed to find out all of these answers when [redacted]!!!
-edited by Sestapo HQ

editor's note-
I'm almost done!
-Boldish42

13: Skirmish Above the Ruins

Polybia brooded within a personal Linkscape. It resembled a cave covered in pale yellow wax. The chamber was well lit yet lacked any noticeable light source. A ghostly table allowed her to walk through it as she paced in circles while she studied its surface.

The table bore a map of the entire Cresnox Jungle with colored zones and lines indicating Chrysalis and Kreesus’ areas of control and the last known location of their drones. Just shy of dead center was the Ebony Castle, both as a reference point and her ultimate goal.

Polybia’s enemies controlled a deceptively small area in the north eastern quadrant and small pockets here and there along various mountains and rocky terrain along the entire northern half of the continent. Polybia controlled or at least harassed almost everything else.

Summoning a long straight stick into existence, Polybia looked over to a handful of quasi minotaurs and griffins standing around the table. As with Pear Butter and Paint Brush before them, their real bodies were entombed within pods, while their minds were completely enslaved to Polybia’s will. During times of conflict, they served as different aspects of her mind, rather than separate individuals. “Commander Talon, as you expected, Kreesus’ stranglehold over the mountains is proving a nuisance in trying to dislodge her from the Kel’das river region.”

“She wishes to keep the mountains out of our hooves to serve as docks for Twilight Sparkle’s fleet,” Talon replied with little emotion. Due to his tight connection to the queen, he was unable to speak in griffin terms or language. “It is a common tactic among the Griffin Kingdoms. Should we allow Kreesus to stay, it will make Twilight Sparkle all the more dangerous.”

Polybia glanced at a minotaur for a possible solution. “Thoughts, Split Horn?”

“The Empire faced such tactics many times before. We would typically hire pegasi or unicorn mercenaries to create storms on the mountain to force them to leave, or take refuge in caves. Either way, they were in no position to stop our infantry from climbing the mountain and slaughtering them on the ground.”

Polybia hummed in contemplation as she stared at the target mountain. “… I don’t have access to such mercenaries, but with some modification, I could create a miasma of undeath that will rise rather than sink in the air, provided the wind cooperates. That could serve the same purpose.”

Polybia’s attention was interrupted when scouts along the far north reported sighting an airship. Passing that information onto the war map, Polybia purred in dark delight at the carrier approaching the ruins of Stripped Gear. “There you are, at long last Twil…” Polybia checked herself after remembering the last battle fought over that hive. “No. Twilight only offers support. It is you, Rainbow Dash, who I should be dueling from here on.”

Polybia scanned what forces she had in the immediate area. Phoenix Roost’s intervention had been expected right from the start, and Polybia had a contingent in reserve waiting for them. The only problem was knowing where the airships would approach from. “I should have expected them to fly over Stripped Gear. Probably some reminder or prop for a motivational speech.”

The Long Shot appeared to be alone and uncloaked. Interesting… Perhaps their cloaking crystal industry is more difficult to rebuild than I had thought. The question is: Does that mean Rainbow Dash will be smart, and more cautious, or still as reckless as ever?

Polybia finished assessing her local assets. Unfortunately, thanks to Chrysalis’ recent raids, Polybia didn’t have enough strength in the region to directly threaten the carrier. Not if it’s going to remain so high up. But…

The memory of the bi-planes’ weapons shredding her bodies to a red mist jumped to the forefront of her mind. “I think I should destroy those things first, and I just so happen to have enough local strength to make that happen.

“Alright, Queen Rainbow Dash,” Polybia challenged as she started directing her forces, “let’s see what you can do without your precious flagship.”

From her perch in the Long Shot’s short control tower, Rainbow Dash peered through her mounted binoculars near the bow-side windows. The caldera that held the ruins of Stripped Gear loomed in the distance. Rainbow could barely make out the broken spires that once served as the palace and shield tower. A few columns of black smoke rose from the ruins, undoubtedly from the hive itself being melted by the steadily rising lava.

I hope everypony is watching. We can’t let Stripped Gear be repeated. Her mind drifted to recent developments at the hive. If only Lyra had dug into that box two years ago when she first saw Aegis’ hands. We might have had some sort of new gun by now to take advantage of that crazy advanced bullet cartridge. Ultimately she heaved a heavy sigh. ’Course I don’t think Sis would have granted Lyra’s request so early either.

“My queen,” a voice called from behind. Rainbow turned to see it was captain Darya standing proudly in her crisp white and gold naval officer’s uniform. Unlike most of the others, she preferred to wear her soft cap as well, keeping it perfectly snug next to her horn. “I’ve been thinking. Some of the bi-planes are fitted with a two-drone cockpit. We might be able to use them as long-range scouts, in case Polybia has anything waiting for us.”

Rainbow did a few brief mental calculations on the amount of reserve fuel both on the carrier and in the cloaked tender vessel following behind them. “I don’t think we can spare the fuel to keep scouts up at all times. We can stick with the ‘Boom’ team taking that role for now.”

Darya’s face grew pensive. “But, my queen, we’re traveling at thirty knots. The boom team is designed for speed, not endurance. They would have trouble staying ahead of us for long, and have an ever harder time returning to us if they scout behind us.”

Any further argument was cut short when one of the crewmen on watch on the balcony surrounding the bridge waved frantically at her. <My queen, we’ve got a force of unknown drones coming right for us!>

Rainbow and Darya jumped at the news and ran to the spotter as he turned back to his mounted binoculars where two other drones were keeping an eye out. “How many and where?” Rainbow demanded hastily.

“I’d say just under two hundred at twenty kilometers,” the next spotter over announced as the first one reclaimed his glasses. “Coming directly from the ruins of SG!”

Not needing to man the binoculars in person, Rainbow simply borrowed the eyes of all three spotters. “We’re not expecting to see Sticky Spit or that traitor for another day, it’s gotta be Polybia.” As if to confirm her suspicions, the incoming drones changed to a loose formation. “They’ve spread out, probably expecting flak, definitely not friendly.” Rainbow bit back a curse as one of her children spoke out.

“The Long Shot’s guns can’t hit them until they get much closer, my queen,” he said as if expecting her next orders. “They’re short range defensive only.”

Darya was antsy not only to put her crew, but her own training and drills to the test. This could be the moment momma finally understands what Granny Cadista sees in this ship. With bubbling resolve, Darya tapped her mother on the flank. “May I, my queen?”

Pride notwithstanding, Rainbow Dash knew full well that her heart rested with slugging it out on the Deception with it’s big guns, not the ballet Darya wanted to practice. A good leader knows when to defer. “Alright, captain prove to me that this ship was worth it.”

With only the briefest of thankful nods, Darya turned back to the bridge. Since only changelings were onboard, Darya ignored the intercom and addressed the crew via the Link alone. <All hooves report to general quarters! Group One, Group Two, scramble immediately!>

The crew jumped into action as Twilight teleported to the shield room and began warming up to the task at hand. As for Rainbow Dash, she took her place on one of the two thrones located on the bridge and entered a hive meditation centered around the ship’s gunners and pilots, emboldening them to supernatural talent and fervor.

Several aircraft were stored on the flight deck’s surface, and always ready to fly, but the pilots that were on duty were currently practicing their skills at hurry-up-and-wait in the briefing room just under the control tower. Rusty Spring and his fellow pilots surged with anxiety and manic excitement when the order to scramble came in as they flipped over chairs in their rush to get outside. “You heard the captain, get your tails in gear!”

Greasy Piston hooped and hollered the whole way up. “Anypony get more kills than me gets a free round!”

As the pilots reached the flight deck, Darya addressed the bridge crew. “Change heading to east by northeast, and increase elevation by four degrees as soon as the squadron is in the air. Let’s keep our distance.”

Polybia watched the opening act of the battle unfold with keen interest. The so called ‘carrier’ was turning away from her encroaching swarm while twelve bi-planes had been sent out to intercept with less than ten kilometers between them. She fully expected a shield similar to the one the Deception had in the Battle of Stripped Gear to pop up, but it failed to appear. Not yet anyway. They must be saving their strength for when they need it.

Taking a moment to mentally step back, Polybia felt confusion wash over her. “…Strange. Rainbow Dash always came across as someone itching for a close fight. It isn’t like her to stay aloof.”

“Perhaps she has finally learned that most queens should stay out of direct combat,” Commander Talon offered plainly. “In any event, our scout force will likely be slaughtered even with intervention.”

“Then we better make the most out of it,” Polybia replied coldly.

Taking more direct control over the swarm, Polybia had the drones race down to the tree line, only to be taken aback by the speed of the aircraft. They were easily going triple the speed of the carrier and more than double what even the fastest of her drone strains were capable of.

Even with such speed, Polybia was able to drop her swarm below the jungle canopy only a few seconds before the first flight of aircraft dove down in a wedge formation and strafed the expected location of Polybia’s drones. She felt the loss of a few dozen, but scattered them enough so that the second group only injured a few and killed none. Good, they can’t see very well under the dense canopy.

Deciding to wait and watch, Polybia kept her drones hidden and unmoving in the trees to see how Rainbow Dash would react. Split Horn snorted while scratching a ghost of an itch on his arms. “Strange, the machines are acting more like pegasi formations rather than naval ships.”

Polybia split her focus on two things: casting offensive magic, and scrutinizing the movement patterns of the aircraft. To the first task, Polybia shied away from casting any directed mana attacks to avoid giving away her drones’ position. Yet something strange, though not entirely unexpected kept happening. Every incineration spell, rapid decay, freezing, confusion curse, or even simple telekinesis failed to grip not only the aircraft but the pilots as well.

Within the span of a minute, not one spell could touch the bi-planes. No matter what school of magic she used, every attempt seemed to ripple over the aircraft like water over glass. With one final test, Polybia directed the force of all of her remaining drones to incinerate the lead aircraft of the squadron angling back around to do a strafing run on the area where her drones retreated to the tree line.

This time, the fire fully manifested around a rippling barrier that showed no sign of weakening, but it did serve to cause the pilot to panic and fall out of formation temporarily. Polybia growled at the implication and cut off the spell to save her drones’ mana supply. Either that drone is undisciplined, a likely possibility, or this defense was unexpected by even their creators.

Filing that information away, Polybia was about to shift tactics to directed-fire spells when she noticed three other aircraft were flying in. While she originally passed it off as reinforcements, the oddity of their flying formation gave her pause.

Unlike the wedge formations of the first squadron, these three planes were flying in a vertical triangle. Polybia saw the first group of fighters backing off before taking a lazy turn back towards her swarm. What are you planning? Not taking chances, Polybia ordered half of her drones to slip away back towards the ruined hive while remaining under the tree cover.

With the Long Shot under no apparent risk of attack, Twilight Sparkle refocused her attention on puppeting her three children piloting the newcomers to the battle. Once the aircraft were close enough Twilight engaged the autopilot, which amounted to little more than locking the control stick in place, and focused on her spellwork. You really think the jungle will hide you? Here’s a gift from momma!

The three aircraft started glowing as Twilight fed her puppet’s magic into the built in runes along the fuselage and wings. A pale green bubble formed around the tight formation before exploding forward in a tidal wave rushing forward. The magic permeated the jungle and covered the hiding drones within.

Before Polybia could discern the purpose behind the enchantment, flak fire from the squadron tore into the canopy with far greater accuracy. Thanks to the spell, each hostile drone was illuminated to the eyes of the pilots.

While the trees still provided good cover, there was nowhere they could hide. The aircraft broke formation to hit the drones from all angles, with the flak making even direct line of fire unnecessary.

Ultimately though, Polybia was stalling to buy time. She woke another quasi, this time an elderly unicorn stallion, and summoned him to the Linkscape. “Magus Spell Twister, I need you to devise a counterspell to this illumination enchantment.” She fed him all the sensory input from her dwindling number of drones.

The magus huffed in bemusement. “An adaption of Feather Quill’s divination locator. This will take time, my queen. A day or so at most.”

“Very well,” Polybia replied idly. Sensing she had stalled long enough for her plan, Polybia ordered the survivors out of the nooks and crannies and charge the divination aircraft, firing bolts of fire. They were quickly cut down once they exposed themselves from the tree cover. “Now let’s see if they take the bait.”

Rainbow Dash awoke from her hive meditation after the last enemy drone was shot down. She found Darya was hovering near the window with binoculars and a wide grin on her face. The rest of the bridge crew looked in good spirits at the success of their first live action skirmish. Darya heard Rainbow’s throne rustling under the queen as she stood up and turned to face her mother. “We stopped them just shy of eight kilometers out, nowhere near close enough for any spell. Not bad eh?”

“You did well, Darya, but this attack was only to test our capabilities.”

Focusing predominantly on the ship and her crew, Rainbow Dash was able to keep a weaker version of the hive meditation active, if only to keep the pilots from suffering from withdrawal. “We need to stay alert.” <Boom Team, get out there and scout the ground below us, I don’t want to fly right into a trap.>

The scout team barely sent their acknowledgements when Rusty Spring reported to Rainbow. <My queen, the spell illuminated a second group of drones fleeing south into the lands surrounding Stripped Gear. Should we pursue?>

<Towards Stripped Gear?> Rainbow hummed in deep contemplation. That whole area is nothing but overgrown ranches and crop fields, easy pickings. <Yes, chase them down but stay away from Stripped Gear itself.>

<Copy that,> Rusty and the other flight leader replied before passing the order to the rest of the pilots, causing them to give chase.

Rainbow pushed more mental power into the hive meditation, but stayed awake to brood over the conflict. Is it possible Poly is trying to lead us towards the hive and an ambush? Sounds like the kind of prickish thing she’d do.

Polybia kept a neutral expression as the rest of her advance force was picked off one by one. Unlike the first position, the remainder of her drones were entering one of the overgrown livestock ranches and corn fields. Tall grass was no substitute for the iron bark trees against the fighters, and the last of her forces were annihilated in short order.

Ultimately the cost was worth it by far in terms of information gleaned. “So… each flying machine can only launch ten of those tiny explosives at a time before they pull away, five from each wing weapon.”

“Ten seems to be all they need,” Commander Talon remarked sternly. “The explosions are small, but more than enough to damage several drones at once.”

Through her puppeting, Polybia felt every wound inflicted on her drones, with no lasting pain upon her personally however. Pain was a useful tool for adaptation, and here was no different. “For now, perhaps. Kreesus used a similar type of attack a few hundred years ago. It won’t be perfect, but it’s possible to give my drones some resistance to that flak.”

Split Horn leaned heavily onto the war table as the miniature bi-planes fanned out and turned towards Stripped Gear. The caldera was smoking along the edges, revealing the once thriving city was now completely uninhabitable. Much of the lower sections of the hive was a mess of slag, and the old shield tower was leaning over, but was just barely still standing. The palace itself was a mountain of loose debris. “We might have a problem.”

Polybia and Talon joined him at the map with her calculating frown devolving into a scowl. “Damn. If those fighters move too far ahead, they might discover the ambush meant for the warship itself.” She looked to the giant orange crystal leaning precariously on the edge of the shield tower. She had a few drones hovering around it and ordered them to hide. She quickly repeated the command to the rest of her forces. It was a gamble to be sure. The caldera was excruciatingly hot, even for those breeds which were adapted for it. “It can still be salvageable, provided we are not detected.”

Rusty Spring enjoyed a new benefit to Rainbow’s hive meditation. Through the eyes of the other pilots in his squad, Rainbow fed him up to date information on the condition of the other aircraft. With the last of the hostile drones dead, and no current orders, he took a moment to do the math. Down to half ammo for me… and a quarter for that nut Greasy Piston. <Greasy, get back to the LS for resupply.>

He could almost hear her grumbling shock. <Are you kidding me? What if there are more of those bugs out there?!>

<That’s an order, airling!> he rebuked tersely.

Greasy was at least wise enough to keep from broadcasting her vulgar tirade and banked away from formation. However, Darya kept his attention away from the ornery pilot. <Remain on station, Wasp Squadron.>

<Aye, captain.>

Rainbow Dash peered through the eyes of the observation drones, with most of them keeping their gaze fixed on Stripped Gear. At present, it looked quiet and undisturbed, or at least as much as a slowly melting hive could look like. The drones keeping an eye elsewhere also reported zero contacts, and even the Boom Team gave the all clear along the port and starboard flanks of the ship.

With Aegis busy up north, Darya was Rainbow’s stand in for chief advisor. “Seems rather weak of Poly to welcome us with only a single platoon.”

“Well the jungle is a big place, my queen,” Darya replied while fidgeting with her wings. “It’s possible she didn’t think we’d come down this way.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed at the notion. “No way. This is our old haunt, and we know the terrain here best. If I were her, I’d have had a bigger army stationed here than that.”

“Perhaps Chrissy and the traitor have had more success than they’ve let on,” Darya suggested with a brief burst of excitement, “And Poly had to redeploy the rest of her welcoming committee.”

“I’d like to believe that, strangely enough,” Rainbow added with an eye roll at being allied with Chrysalis of all people. “But I can’t shake the feeling Poly’s got something bigger waiting for us somewhere nearby.”

“If we’re expecting a trap, the ruins of Stripped Gear would be an obvious place,” Dayra stated flatly with Rainbow nodding in agreement.

After thinking on it for a little bit, Rainbow Dash glanced down at the shipmaster. “Pretty sure the caldera’s turned the hive into a furnace… but then I wouldn’t doubt the other queens would love to use that to test new heat resistant strains.”

“None of us could survive there, but the planes might.” Darya felt an electric thrill in anticipation to Rainbow’s next words, causing her wings to buzz noisily. “You’ll finally get your wish to use the bi-planes as scouts.”

I’d still prefer dedicated scout craft, but I’ll take what I can get, Darya mused bittersweetly.

Rainbow Dash brought Darya into a Link conversation. <Hey, Twilight, we can fly over the thermals the volcano’s putting out right?>

Down in her shield amplifier, Twilight Sparkle was getting a little bored and had split part of her mind so she could read one of Rainbow’s trashy romance novels. She was briefly considering calling Ratchet up from the engine room for a little love when Rainbow’s request came in. With no enemies nearby, Twilight spoke without putting her book down. <Yes. Since the Octavia engines are able to compensate for sudden changes in turbulence, we can fly over safely. Provided the volcano doesn’t start erupting ash and soot.>

<Perfect, thanks.> Rainbow closed the conversation before addressing Darya again. “We’ll have the fighters scout ahead over the ruins while the Boom Team covers their flanks.”

Rusty stretched inside his cockpit to loosen up some stiff wing muscles when the order finally came down from Dayra. <Be advised strikegroup, your orders are to scout ahead to make sure the Stripped Gear ruins are clear for transit.>

Rusty Spring cringed at the orders, but said nothing more than his acknowledgements. Stripped Gear is too much like home. Seeing it in ruins like that gives me the willies.

He looked out at the other ten aircraft around him as the squadron banked towards the sleeping volcano. Greasy is probably landing on the carrier by now, but it’ll take her a while to rearm. Maybe next time she’ll make sure her shots count. Rummaging in his cockpit, he pulled out a small pair of binoculars and started sweeping the area.

All was quiet as the aircraft made their way towards the abandoned hive. The city itself was an appalling mess. It’s once great monuments to technology, it’s gleaming brass architecture, and magnificent castle was little more than a slagged and broken wreck. Rusty couldn’t help but to keep seeing parallels between the ruins and Phoenix Roost, and the sight of it threatened to break his heart were it not for Rainbow’s meditation keeping his emotions from sinking too low. <Alright Flight one, spread out and keep an watch for anything moving.>

Angling to the north along the old residential sector, Rusty couldn’t escape the nagging feeling of being watched. I really hope it’s just ghosts watching us, and not anything physical.

He made a long slow orbit to the far side of the hive, beginning to drop altitude and slow down a little to be able to peer down alleyways more clearly. He angled his craft to get a better look, but he couldn’t do it for long because the raw heat forced him to pull his head back into the cockpit, but something caught the corner of his eye, forcing him to look back out.

<Ambush!> Rusty acted instinctively to warn the other pilots and pulled up and away from the alleyways. Barely a second after he broke away, he saw the leader of Flight Two’s tail-section catch fire as the two left wings were torn from their mountings not even half a kilometer away from him. The fighters scattered in all directions with Rusty almost clipping his wingmate’s rudder.

He nearly missed Rainbow’s broadcast to retreat screaming in his head when he saw a thick line of small mana bolts arcing towards him from the right. Yanking as hard as he could on the stick, he forced the bi-plane up to slow down and let the lethal stream of spellfire pass right by him.

He tried to turn back to the northwest and the carrier, but a second barrage of fire forced him to dive south west instead. The turn was so sharp he inverted his aircraft with the first hailstorm of death turned like a large searchlight back towards him.

From his inverted position, Rusty looked down to see that a large drone, easily the size of a queen with a massive horn, was the source of the magical flechette looking to scythe him in two. In a snap decision, he deliberately went into a stall by halving the output of his octavia engine. The two streams of lethal mana boxing him in tried to react to the unexpected direction, but the beams moved slower than Rusty expected.

His bi-plane plummeted for several seconds making his heart hammer in his chest. An explosion and falling debris heralded the destruction of another wingmate. Gunning the throttle on both engines, Rusty arrested his fall and corrected his stall with his landing gear scraping along the shattered ruins of the hive. Now that he was so low, the maze of broken buildings gave him some cover, but he could already feel the heat from the lava below, and his instruments were quickly warning him of the engines heating up. That’s when he saw it in front of him. One of the large drones just tore the wings off of another bi-plane right as it flew over the walls of the caldera, sending it spinning out of control.

Keeping a telekinetic hold on his firing trigger, Rusty lined up a shot. Yet his first shot was spoiled when a line of teal mana-fire blazed from behind and went past his head ripping one of his wing supports to pieces. He banked around a half-melted brass wall, watching as the barrage of mana beat against the wall harmlessly.

Wish my plane was small enough to hide behind that. He juked back to the left while drawing a bead on the original target. The drone had a large glowing thorax that dimmed the longer it fired. In a brief second, he noticed the drone’s horn moved very slowly as it arced it’s latest attack, and only moved quickly when not firing. In that same instant, he realized that quick movement was so it could aim directly at him.

Already seeing his death, he unloaded the remainder of his shot at the same time the drone fired at him. Rusty’s shots connected first, pulping the drone in a mass of blood before it exploded in unstable magic. Rusty flew right through the cloud of loose mana, but the act allowed the original anti-air drone to score a glancing hit on his tail rudder, and blowing off the left landing gear. The hit knocked out his automatic flak cannon reloader causing a thick tail of smoke to trail behind him.

Nevertheless, his airplane refused to fail him, it crested the ridge of the caldera coughing up smoke all the while. He dove down to keep the wall of the caldera between him and any other hostile fire.

Once over the lip, he raced away as low to the ground as possible. Rusty was drenched in sweat and he only now realized he was heaving his breath. His bi-plane was rattling slightly from the damage, making his teeth chatter, at least he hoped that was why they were chattering.

He kept stealing glances behind him, praying that none of the hostile drones wanted to venture beyond the shattered walls of the hive. His second look saw a few other planes escape in much the same way. The last plane he saw was belching fire from it’s tail like a meteor.

The pilot of the doomed plane bailed out and tried to fly under her own power. However the aircraft’s speed was too fast and the ground too close for her. She flailed in the air before falling to the dirt and rolling down the outside of the caldera. Any hopes Rusty had that she survived were dashed when the plane exploded a few moments later, peppering the area in flaming shrapnel.

Rusty found the rest of the flight home was free of hostile fire, he made sure to thank the First Mother. Keep it together, Rusty, just get back to the carrier, debrief, and then curl up in your rack with a bottle of brandy.

Polybia huffed in mild chagrin at the sight of the fighters fleeing for their lives. “So I only destroyed a pittance of those small flying machines instead of the real prize. You disappoint me, Rainbow Dash, at the very least I wanted to see the direct combat potential of that ‘carrier’ of yours.” Her attention shifted to the shield tower in Stripped Gear. “I was going to leave things as they are… but I think I should punish you for such a poor show.”

With a brief command, Polybia had her drones by the shield tower dislodge the giant orange crystal and allow it to fall to the broken ground below. She watched eagerly as it shattered into a dozen useless pieces. She idly noted that a scant few of her drones were killed by return fire, but only those who were designed to attack the small nimble fighters. The larger, more powerful living cannons that were meant to attack the capital ship itself had remained quiet and out of sight. I really wanted to get a feel for that ship’s armor, if not kill it in a single battle. It looks like you’re going to force me to play the long game, Rainbow Dash.

After assessing the damage, Polybia found most of her losses were incurred from the intense heat, fortunately, that did not include any of the heavy fire drones. “A worthy sacrifice for the information at least. Now I should be free to refocus on the Kel’das Mountain range for the time being.”

The mood on the Long Shot’s bridge was somber, shaken, and reproachful. Both queens watched from the control tower’s small balcony as the last few aircraft limped back on board. Not one fighter of the scout flights had escaped undamaged, though for some of it was comparatively light. The Long Shot started steaming away from the ruins of Stripped Gear with the Boom Team keeping a close eye on the path ahead.

Darya fidgeted nervously at her mother’s side, trying to find the right words to say. This is bad, but if we hadn’t scouted to verify where Polybia was hiding, it could have been our ship that was caught in that trap. Unsure of how Rainbow was truly taking this miserable first engagement, Darya took off her captain's hat and held it close with a hoof. “M-my queen, I cannot express how sorry I -”

“What are you apologizing for?” Rainbow stated quietly as she kept her gazed fixated on the limping aircraft. Twilight watched her sister, but said nothing yet. “You were the one who originally suggested using the fighters as scouts.”

Darya floundered, not sure how to respond. “I -ah- I…”

“But I had the final say,” Rainbow whispered with deep strain in her tone, yet the anger was directed more at herself than Darya. “I should have listened when you asked for dedicated armored scout craft instead of settling for any ol’ plane.” Her tone grew bitter while biting her lower lip. “I should have listened to Twilight when she told me to stop focusing entirely on the Deception!”

This time, Twilight placed a hoof on her sister’s withers. “Rainbow, there’s no way we could have predicted the P.C.E’s attack. You’re working with the best we’ve got.”

Rainbow shrugged off the hoof and gave her a defeated glare. “We’re changelings remember? Adapting to anything is what we do, and I didn’t. I sat there thinking our flagship was the trump card to it all, and passed off what I thought of as a glorified freighter to her!” Rainbow fumed while waving a hoof in Darya’s direction.

“Even that adaptation takes time, an open mind, and trial and error, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight admonished lightly. She knew better than try to send calming thoughts over the Link, fully expecting it would backfire. “Carrier and fighter warfare is totally new to us. We’re too used to the heavy armor of the Deception to use the same strategies anymore. All the training and drills in the world can’t make up for real experience. You taught me that, sis.”

Rainbow averted her gaze away from Twilight before settling on the pilots below. She modified her aura to exude mournful pride in them. It was a small consolation to her that it seemed to help them. “We lost seven planes on a scouting mission, Twilight,” Rainbow whispered hoarsely at her sister. Dayra had never seen her mother so torn, and nuzzled her leg, eliciting little more than a slight waver to Rainbow’s sad frown. Twilight kept a strong front in the face of Rainbow’s dismal aura, morale was already hurting enough. “And nearly as many pilots. I failed all of us for not giving the ship more of a damn budget.” Rainbow growled bitterly while kicking the metal wall. The lance of pain was nothing compared to the scar on her pride.

Twilight joined Darya in embracing Rainbow. “The important thing, RD, is to learn from this.”

“My pride cost us the lives of our children, sis. My pride in the Deception, in thinking that the Long Shot was ‘good enough to at least be the Deception’s escort’. How many have to suffer the mistakes of my pride before I learn that, huh?”

“Sis,” Twilight started with her adopting a stoic grimace, “we may have to accept that losses are going to be a fact of life in carrier warfare, just like it is with the infantry.”

Rainbow Dash’s breath caught in her throat, and for several long moments she stood stock still looking down at the busy flightdeck. Slowly, the false bravado in her aura seemed a little less forced. “You may be right,” Rainbow whispered.

Before Twilight could get in another word, Rainbow Dash teleported to the flightdeck to keep herself busy and help the crew. Darya shakily put her hat back on, while the hat was light upon her head, it’s true weight rested on her heart.

Far from the scene of battle and largely ignorant of the recent defeat, Aegis and Blitz stood near the gifted statues from the sphinxes. However, the recall of a freighter off the Manehatten trade route and the sudden orders for strike craft production to double along with tripling the number of pilots in training was hard to miss.

Both proto-queens were leaning against each other, mirroring their mothers in the eyes of those around them. Blitz’s heart was aflutter at the meaning behind such a profound gesture. “This is proof that we’re going the right way, Aegis. It shouldn’t be long now before even the P.C.E. is nothing more than an unpopular fringe group.”

“Assuming it’s not simply replaced by anti-psyker fanatics,” Aegis replied with only mild bitterness. “But it’s good to see all our work is bearing fruit. You think we can get a statue of us next?” Blitz only answered by pulling her head back to give Aegis a sarcastic smirk. “You know, you can be holding Twisty the Wrench and I can be holding Burny.” Her face lit up with a massive evil grin. “Ooo, and it can have real pyrotechnics and shoot fire!”

“Maybe we should stick to just illusionary fire, love,” Blitz giggled before kissing Aegis’ cheek.

“A shame,” Aegis replied playfully before returning Blitz’s affection in earnest. The two embraced, fully losing themselves in the moment and in each other’s love. Both proto-queens were enraptured by the flavor of the other’s love. Aegis especially was stunned by the recent change in Blitz’s flavor as it seemed to resonate within her at a level she thought only Twilight’s love was capable of.

The two stretched the tender moment to a minute or two before eventually separating to find a room, only to see Lyra run up to them with a memory crystal held in her magic. “It’s done! I’m ready for the lingification!” I still think handification is a better word, but Bon Bon insisted.

Aegis separated from Blitz and gave the ecstatic bouncing teal mare a bemused look. “That was fast,” both proto-queens stated in perfect sync.

Aegis continued alone, “Huh, granted I had duties to tend to, but transcribing my memories to crystal took a month.”

Lyra deposited the crystal into her saddlebag. “Oh I’ve been putting all of my memories into crystal for about a year now. I figured even with total memory loss I should at least record them anyway for use later. All I’ve been doing since getting your approval was finding out which memories I wanted to make sure I remembered.”

“I see…” Blitz said idly. “Well Aunty Twilight already got the alchemical formula ready before she left. If you’re truly ready then follow us.”

Lyra looked behind her to see Bon Bon giving her silent encouragement. Lyra’s grin fell a little before she turned back towards the proto-queens. “Can I meet you at the entrance to the hatchery? I want to say one last thing to Bon Bon.”

Aegis nodded approvingly while Blitz spoke enthusiastically. “Alright I’ll see you by the Tree.” Aegis may be older, but I’ll get the first adult drone at least.

With that, Lyra cantered the short distance towards Bon Bon who was sitting on a streetside bench that was backed by decorative shrubs. Snickering at one of their favorite pastimes, Lyra nuzzled her friend before sitting next to her. “Thank you, Bon Bon, for seeing me through all this.”

“That’s what friends are for, Lyra,” Bon Bon replied wistfully while placing a hoof on Lyra’s rear leg. “You’ve been a bright star ever since you fell into my life, and standing by you is the very least I can do.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic, Bonny, your life was hardly a dark place before I came around.” Lyra ended up sighing and pulled out her gold colored lyre. “Even though I really want this… Teetering on the edge, I’m a little scared of how much I’ll forget of our time together. I saved all the times I think were most important, but there was still so much to lose. So many little memories.”

“Then we’ll make new ones together,” Bon Bon said with a reassuring hug. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”

With misting eyes, Lyra pressed her lyre into Bon Bon’s chest. “Watch over Stringy for me, will you?”

Holding back a tear of her own, Bon Bon wrapped a foreleg around the instrument and held it dearly. “Of course, you silly mare. He’ll be at my side waiting when you wake up.”

With one last kiss on the snout, Lyra ran off towards the hatchery. Bon Bon watched her go until she rounded a corner. She didn’t turn away for the longest time, letting the sun slowly dip towards the horizon before at last looking down at the lyre. I’ll be waiting for you, Lyra.

“Mind if I join you?” a voice called out from behind her, causing Bon Bon to jump into a defensive stance. She dropped it in an instant after realizing it was Aegis leaning against the bench’s backrest giving her something between a sympathetic smile and an approving smirk.

“Your highness, I’m so sorry,” Bon Bon rushed placatingly as she dropped into a low bow. “I thought you were-” she caught herself before breaking secrecy. “-somepony else.”

“Forget about it.” Aegis waved off before taking a seat in a posture nearly identical to Lyra. “My brothers and sisters noticed you’ve been sitting here for over an hour. I probably don’t need to guess why.”

Bon Bon recovered from her bow and hesitantly took her spot back on the bench after Aegis waved her hand at it. The cream colored earth mare was wary of opening up to anyone outside of Lyra. If Proto-queen Aegis is going to be Lyra’s new family, I guess I can at least talk about her.

Taking a long, slow, steady breath, Bon Bon tried to keep from burdening Aegis with her worries, but if she was outright asking her…

“I know Lyra will be different after she wakes up,” Bon Bon began slowly. “We first met soon after she got stuck in our world, so I remember all those silly little quirks she used to have: constantly trying to walk on two legs, not understanding basic hoof gripping magic, let alone unicorn magic at her age, and she always said words like someone, and everyone. She always said Canterlot like Camelot and messed up other city names all the time.”

Bon Bon let a short giggle escape at the fond memories. Aegis easily saw what was bothering Bon Bon most. “Well I can’t say she’ll be the same Lyra you’ve grown up with.” She let the statement lie for a moment, making sure it eroded any misconceptions. “While I can’t say to know what momma was like during her pony years, I’ve seen what the hive life has done to Aunty Rainbow.

“She’s a different person to be sure.” Saying otherwise would probably have AJ give me a ‘whoopin’ for lying right now. “But at the same time,” she added almost too quickly after seeing Bon Bon wilt, “RD is still as crazy cool, loyal, athletic,” As much as a queen can be, “and as much of a prankster she had ever been as a pony. Lyra will have some different goals and dreams when she hatches, but I have no doubt that she will glomp you at first sight.”

Bon Bon let a relieving shudder pass down her spine while Aegis mulled over her answer. “Well, you may need to wait for her to use the memory crystal first, then she’d jump your bones.”

Bon Bon’s face flushed furiously at such talk in public, but the message was heard. “T-thank you, your highness… I - I needed to hear that from somepony else.” I really hope what you gain is worth what you lose, Lyra, but this was your choice, no pony else’s.

Aegis was about to leave Bon Bon to her thoughts, but she caught herself right before climbing to her hooves. “There is one thing you might want to prepare for, just in case Lyra didn’t notice or mention it earlier.”

Bon Bon’s heart skipped a beat. With all the things she and Lyra had thought they had accounted for, adding to that long list was not a happy prospect. “What would that be?”

“All the lings of Momma’s bloodline, which includes Aunty Rainbow as well, are very polyamorous.” Bon Bon’s gulp was missed by Aegis since she started looking back at the statues in contemplation. “Momma likes to hide it, but everypony knows the consort sessions are a daily highlight for her, and Aunty is delightfully shameless about it. And I could go on all day about my personal record in one week. In fact, it all started with a bet against Intel-”

“Thank you, your highness,” Bon Bon interrupted hastily while making a stopping gesture with her hooves. “It is a lot to think about. Have a good evening, Proto-queen.”

“Same to you,” Aegis added with a shrug. She passively watched Bon Bon bid a hasty and embarrassed retreat. Shame, it’s a great story. I’ll have to share it with Lyra some time after she wakes up. Who knows, I might finally get to bed a former pony and mark another thing off my bucket list. I wonder if Lyra’s love flavor will change like Aunty’s did.

With the moment’s good humor passing slowly, Aegis’ eyes eventually drifted from the statues to the south. Both queens refused to mention the ambush over the past hour. Just as matters concerning the hive and P.C.E. were kept quiet as to not distract the queens from the campaign, the same protocol was in place for losses in battle. Well, if things were going terrible, momma would let us know no matter what. I really hope she rips Poly a few new holes.

Aegis’ gaze drifted up to the sky as she halted idle musings in lieu of giving orders to the anti-P.C.E. taskforce over in Canterlot. She didn’t get far before her thoughts were interrupted by a small hoof tugging on her left hoof. Breaking contact with Intel, Aegis jumped a little by looking down to see an older purple nymph, couldn’t be more than a week or so from entering a chrysalis, hiding behind the armrest of the bench.

“Umm, sister, could you play Vaults and Villains with us, pleeeeease?”

Aegis noticed nymphs and young sphinxes poking their heads out from the bushes with childlike anticipation written all over their faces and auras. She couldn’t help but to rustle her younger sister’s mane. “As fun as it sounds, kids, I don’t-”

“Before you say no!” the nymph interrupted with a waiting gesture, catching Aegis flat footed. The nymph was prepared for instant rejection and pulled out a rule book from her saddlebag and hastily flipped through the pages. “We found a way to get Burny into the game without breaking the rules.”

Aegis’ brain came to a screeching halt before taking the book into hand. The nymph hovered over to her side and pointed at the entry. “The new rule book introduced the engineer class in tribute to us. You can make any single device wearable on your person at character creation.”

That grin. It was slow, cruel, and maniacal all at once as it cleaved Aegis’ muzzle with a malevolence that could put Sombra into a traumatized coma. The gleam in her eye matched the grin in all of it’s terrifying power. One might think Nightmare Aegis was manifesting if she didn’t already possess fangs and slitted eyes. The children and nymphs were spared this soul sapping depthless horror thanks to the covers of the book concealing the pyromaniac’s visage.

The manifestation of wrong was gone in a flash when Aegis closed the book to think. Well, I need practice in splitting my focus on multiple places anyway, and I don’t need to be physically present anywhere today, so… She beamed a warm, totally not evil, smile at her little sister. “Alright, girls, I have some time.”

Jubilant cheering erupted from the children who either raced off to the nearest community center, or tried to pull Aegis towards the same location.

Author's Notes:
Will Commander Talon's fiery passions ever melt Polybia's icy heart? What sort of unspeakable evil will Aegis unleash with her VnV Burny? Will Lyra return to Bon Bon, or will she assimilated into Lyra of Hive? Is there truly a Nightmare Aegis, or was it all a figment of your imagination? Why didn't Harry Potter just used a gun and turn them into Lead Eaters?
You might just find out one of these NEXT TIME on the Reformation!!!

14: Of Heroines and Reality

Apple Bloom sat at her dorm room’s desk as she poured over the latest reading material and homework assignment. Unlike every other school she had seen, Twilight’s Engineering College was fully modernized to hive standard: electric lighting in every room, automatic doors, the new craze of air conditioning, elevators, and for the top 0.1% of students, their own clockwerk servant. Although several older students ended up building their own personalized models.

It was a tactic Twilight Sparkle employed to fuel the love of engineering in her non-changeling students and drive them towards success, yet for all of that, there was still one thing that baffled Apple Bloom to no end.

Her dorm room was a small affair, enough space for a set of bunk beds, a pair of desks, and enough personal storage space for most needs. Her roommate was a sophomore male purple drone. This was yet another strategic decision on Twilight’s part. Every pony student living on campus had a drone dorm mate to promote long-term cooperation between the tribes, although having a stallion dorm mate was Apple Bloom’s idea. “Hey, Sine Wave, do you have a partner for the practical in Sprocket’s class? He seems a mite heavy hooved for a first year first semester teacher if ya know what Ah mean.”

Sine Wave let of a snorting giggle that sounded a tad feminine to Apple Bloom. “Yeah, he gave mother a really hard time before she became a queen, but no I don’t have a partner yet, so I’d be glad to take up your offer.” Plus it helps that the queens are offering extra bits to those who take pony partners. “But we’ve barely gotten into the week.” Sine floated the syllabus over Apple Bloom. “See? Just because we know it’s coming, doesn’t mean we know what the professor wants yet. It’s just a heads up.”

Ah keep forgetting all the guy drones were girls first. Maybe Ah can draw the stallion out of him over a few months. Making sure to keep her eyes from lingering on Sine Wave’s handsome physique, Apple Bloom refocused on the conversation and scowled at the paper. “Ah was wondering why he didn’t say anything about it yet. In all my other years of school’n when we were told of our assignment is when we got it.” Apple Bloom tossed the syllabus up for Sine Wave’s magic to reclaim it.

Sine Wave merely shrugged as he refiled his papers into a short filing cabinet. “Its how Granny Cadista ran her schools, and I guess momma liked the model.” Sine walked over to his closet where he kept his tools and school uniform. Said uniform consisted of little more than a yellow hard hat with Twilight’s cutie mark serving as the school’s emblem. All other safety equipment was kept at the various workshops. He pulled the hard hat on before making his way to the door. “Anyway, it’s your first weekend, so don’t sweat it too much. I’ll be back later.”

“Okay, see ya,” Apple Bloom replied as she carefully watched him go. Damn it, AB, this is no time to go colt crazy. Focus on getting squared away.

Sine Wave pulled to the side of the exit as a familiar pegasus and unicorn slid inside. Apple Bloom brightened considerably at the sight of them. “Heyya, Sweetie Belle, Scoots!”

“We’ve been looking for you all day, AB,” Scootaloo shot back with a trademark grin. She was wearing the khaki casual uniform of the Equestrian Navy consisting of a snug shirt and white soft cap with the name R.E.N. Manehatten stenciled on the front.

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried to find us first,” Sweetie Belle chided with mild annoyance. “You’ve been here for four days according to Applejack.” Sweetie Belle had a very functional teal dress on that made sure to keep freedom of movement a priority.

Apple Bloom abandoned her desk and ran over to hug her childhood friends while all three of them giggled at the reunion. “You two know how Twilight is big on learn’n. Even the first week here’s been as hectic as a herd of cows running from a flock a’ bugbears.”

“I can imagine,” Sweetie Belle replied conspiratorially looking down the hall Sine Wave had walked down. “So what’s with the roommate, huh?”

“He’s pretty handsome, right?” Apple Bloom started bluntly. “He’s like the perfect roommate too.”

“The Lings are pretty weird about relationships though,” Scootaloo replied with confusion written over her face. “What with them never wanting to settle down with a single partner. Doesn’t AJ disapprove of that?”

“It’s not like that,” Apple Bloom retorted with a hoof wave. “I mean, if he wants to, that’s cool, but no a drone’s the best roommate for school. Like Twilight, he won’t wander in late drunk off his rocker, he can help with study’n and homework, and whenever estrous comes around he can help me out with his heat-seeking missile and can’t get me pregnant. It’s like…” Apple Bloom started counting with her hooves. “Like six wins in a row.”

The other mares thought about it before either shrugging in Sweetie Belle’s case, or nodding approvingly for Scootaloo. “You really put some thought into that, not bad, Apple Bloom.”

“No kidding,” Sweetie added.

A light blinked on, making Scootaloo yipe out of excitement. “Hey, Sweetie, you could totally market lings as a safe and satisfying alternative for heat with your celebrity status!”

Sweetie Belle turned beat red with hostile irritation. “Absolutely not! The last thing my career needs is adding that to my resume! Not to mention my parents and sister would kill me.”

Apple Bloom giggled from behind a hoof while Scootaloo sighed in feigned sorrow. “A pity. You’d make a killing.”

Sweetie Belle refused to grant the idea any more attention. “So anyway, we should celebrate you finally making your way to Canterlot, AB. I’m actually going to be singing at the Marestrum Institute who's hosting the comic con all week. Why don’t you gals come watch, I can get you free tickets.”

“I’m on shore leave for a few days,” Scootaloo added with growing excitement at hanging out with her friends. “I’m down for it.”

Apple Bloom glanced back at her wooden desk that was still draped in notes, books, scrolls, pencils, and a few engineering tools. Well, there’s no telling where the Navy’s going to take Scoots, and it is just the first week of school. She turned back to her friends and nodded. “Sounds great, why don’t we hit the town until then?”

Sweetie Belle turned to Scootaloo with a conspiratorial eyebrow wiggle. The pegasus rolled her eyes in short lived exasperation before all three cheered. “Cutie Mark Crusader Town Painters, YAY!”

Doctor Arvatus once again found himself within Twilight Velvet’s mindscape. Gone was the hurricane of turbulent memories, instead he stood in the center of a maze of staircases and doors. Stairs ran along the walls, curved in on themselves, led into solid walls, the ceiling and to nothing at all. The doors themselves were carbon copies of each other, making it all the more difficult for Arvatus to figure out where to go first.

I’ve never seen anyone in her mental state have such a defense against intrusion. I see where Queen Twilight gets her craftiness and quick wit from. "How many times must we play this game, Velvet?” he challenged. His voice echoed throughout the expansive maze.

No answer was forthcoming.

“Tsk.” She’s hiding from me. Seems that silencing the outside influences has had an effect.

While the maze was somewhat different than what he had seen before, Arvatus was by no means foiled. With some effort, he placed a psionic marker on each door, making them glow in different color patterns.

Shielding himself in psionic energy, Arvatus made his way to the first door he suspected was not a trap. Pushing it open carefully, he discovered a small room with wall to wall chalkboards. Formulas upon formulas were written in extremely small print or in tiny diagrams. However there was a dissonance that kept flittering about. Even Arvatus’ predatory eyes could barely track the swiggle of black thread that shot around under and over the chalkboards. Strange… How can she form such a defense and yet have underlying mental instability? This must be taxing her far more than her sleeping outward appearance lets on.

He was about to search another door when he saw several equations give off brief flashes of white light. Bingo! Attaching a thread to hundreds of equations in the area, Arvatus waited for one of them to hit. At first, the blinking equations stopped, as if Velvet felt something was off, but Arvatus was careful, and minimized his presence by fading into an outline of a shadow along the wall.

Despite his experience, Velvet’s awareness was just as elusive as he was, keeping him from locating her central consciousness. Slowly, over the course of several minutes, Velvet’s attention shifted away from the equations and they started to blink again. The instant one of his marked equations flashed, Arvatus was flung through the maze of stairs and doors at lightning speed. Under arches, over a forest of doors, and a rat’s nest of disjointed stairs, Arvatus sailed right into the heart of the labyrinth.

The heart was a solid iron cube with a singular minute hole that the thread was pulling him towards. Upon entering the hole, Arvatus found himself in a well-lit operating theater. It was a small room with steep tiered seats reaching five rows high. A pony sat in each seat giving a critical eye down at Velvet who was standing near two parallel operating tables with Queen Twilight strapped in one and unicorn Twilight Sparkle in the other.

The audience was mostly unfamiliar to Arvatus, save for Night Light, the princesses, and Shining Armor. The majority of the rest looked like nobility with a small number of ponies looking like middle or lower class.

“Why do you continue to stall, Madam Velvet?” challenged a more familiar stallion with a blue coat and mane. “We need only to discover the cure for the changeling condition.”

Velvet tried to obey, but Princess Celestia held out a hoof to stop her. “Stay your magic, criminal! How long do I have to stand by Queen Twilight’s side to show you I have no double meaning for our alliance?”

“She is ageless,” countered one of the nobles, giving no forbearance to Celestia’s station. “The princesses are used to playing the long game. Cure Twilight Sparkle and you will see her true intentions.”

“Y-yes, of course,” Velvet turned to the queen, only for Night Light to stand in his seat. “Let her go, Velvet!” The mare turned to her husband in muted shock. “How dare you treat her like she’s still a filly hiding under your tail? She is a grown mare with her own ambitions!”

“Her ambitions are not her own!” countered the blue stallion with an angry wave of his hoof. “How can you call yourself a father with such flippancy?! Your daughter needs help!”

“Enough!” Velvet screamed with tears as she banished the audience with nothing but a ripple in space to mark thier passing. She collapsed to the floor for nearly a minute before shakily climbing to her hooves. The silence during that time was deafening. Velvet constantly shook with raw emotion. Though she had no need for breath here, she was gulping air as if she were on a mountain. Silent tears streamed down her face, carving rivers in her fur.

Only the two versions of Twilight remained with their eyes fixed on Velvet. “Save me, momma,” Unicorn Twilight pleaded shakily.

“I don’t need rescuing,” the queen stated angrily. “Save from you.”

“She’s not me,” the unicorn cried. “I love you!”

“I tried to love you,” the queen added with harsh bitterness and a hateful glare. “I would have gone to the four corners of the world for you. But you wanted me dead, going so far as trying to do the deed yourself.”

“I’m still in there, reaching for you, momma.”

“Life happens, mother,” the queen barked as if saying the word was poison. “It’s almost artistic in how it ruins plans, isn’t it?”

“That’s not me speaking!” unicorn Twilight said through mounting tears. “Cadista turned me into a puppet.”

“No more of a puppet than I was to you,” the queen rebuked maliciously, causing Velvet to stumble back a few steps. “Cadista lets me makes my own choices, allows me to rule how I want, and grants me the freedom to go against her wishes if I so chose. When did you ever give me such privileges before Cadista broke me from your control?”

Arvatus saw Velvet was trembling, though with sorrow or rage was hard to tell. “I never held you back, Twilight. You were the one who wanted to go to Celestia’s Sc-”

“And what happened after that?!” the changeling roared, causing Velvet’s hind legs to give out from under her. “My whole world became nothing more than books! You pressured me to spend every waking hour studying until that’s all I knew. The library became my second home, and books the ‘only friends I’ll ever need.’ It got even worse after Princess Celestia took me in!” the queen’s rage was flowing out of her like inky black oil, running down her form and oozing onto the floor. “No matter what the princess tried, I was too far under your hoof to ever make friends until she practically kicked me out of Canterlot! It got to the point where I only had three things in my life: my family, Celestia, and books! You made me abandon everything else!”

This time, unicorn Twilight snapped back. “We were in the most prestigious school imaginable, and then the Princess’ protege. If momma hadn’t pushed us, we’d have flunked out in a month! Do you really think we could have survived Celestia’s tutelage without momma’s support? Some ponies aren’t meant to have a foalhood.”

Arvatus had heard enough and stepped forward to make his presence known. “You can face those you’ve wronged here in your little corner of the world,” he said, causing all three mares to face him. He focused more on Velvet who looked positively unhealthy. Her coat was matted and thin, her mane was an absolute mess of knotted hair, her eyes were sunken to the point of being in shadow. Velvet’s frame was disturbingly thin, with her skin taut against her ribs. “But you can never heal if you don’t accept the truth.”

Both Twilights were silent as Velvet spoke with a thready voice that could have been lost to a small breeze. “You would have me accept her?” she waved a hoof at the changeling. “I loved my daughter more than life itself. All I’ve done is make the changeling in her all that much stronger.”

“Queen Twilight Sparkle may wear that one’s face,” Arvatus nodded at the same changeling, “but Twilight Sparkle is more than the child that either hates you or loves you.”

“Don’t piss on my head and call it rain,” Velvet wheezed out. “Whether or not Twilight is Cadista’s puppet, which she has to be, I’ve lost her…” Velvet turned to nuzzle unicorn Twilight, who readily returned the affection. “Why can’t you let me have this?”

“Because none of it is real,” Arvatus stated with iron and a stamp of his paw. “And this self delusion is slowly killing you.”

“Lies. I’m just tired of your constant intrusions,” Velvet said breathlessly. She started fumbling with unicorn Twilight’s restraints.

Arvatus raced over to stop Velvet from freeing the unicorn. “Wrong! Look at yourself. You are the only figment of Twilight Velvet left. If you don’t accept what you know to be true, there will be no recovery from this madness.”

“Let me go,” Velvet ordered feebly, as Arvatus kept her hooves away from the locks. “I don’t care about any of that!” she wept. “I just want my daughter back.”

“Both of them are your daughter,” Arvatus rebuked with a slicing motion from his left wing. Velvet hesitated, more out of confusion than anything else. “For they are one in the same.”

“They can’t be,” Velvet countered with no strength in her words. “I only did what any good mother should do.”

“At first,” Queen Twilight sneered with an angry leer.

“But your obsession drove me away,” the unicorn added.

A tremor shook the operating theater at the unicorn’s words. Velvet was speechless as the queen continued. “How many times did I try to be a good daughter after my rebirth?”

“How many times did you wish I had died in that jungle?” the unicorn accused.

Arvatus pulled away from the restrained Twilights while Velvet collapsed to her belly at the relentless accusations. “How long did you plan to kill me?”

“Were my father and brother acceptable casualties?”

“I never stopped loving you.”

“When did you stop loving me?”

Velvet’s fur was falling away in patches, revealing pasty grey skin. “I never stopped loving you, Twilight, I swear!” Her voice was so quiet that Arvatus couldn’t make out all the words.

“Then show me,” the queen demanded.

“Show me a mother’s love,” the unicorn added. “Show us.”

Arvatus expended a sizable amount of psionic power to conjure three levers on a narrow raised platform in between the two restrained Twilights. The word ‘release left’ ‘release right’ and ‘release both’ stenciled on the handles. “I can not do this for you, Velvet. I can only help you get there.” Velvet only gave him and the levers the briefest of looks before returning her attention to the Twilights. “Make your choice, Velvet. Die with the sweet lie, or live with the ugly truth.”

A second tremor rocked the theater, along with most of Velvet’s mane falling to the floor. Her tail only had a few strains left on it. With more effort, Arvatus shrank the levers and moved them within arms’ reach of Velvet.

Velvet’s gaze lingered on her unicorn daughter for what felt like an eternity. Twilight’s pristine lavender coat, her mathematically perfectly cut mane, the love and worry in her eyes, and that purple and white cutie mark they were all so proud of. Even here, in her own mind, Velvet tried to conjure what Twilight would have looked like with alicorn wings, but she didn’t have the strength anymore.

With a snapping rip, the upper seating section broke away with nothing but a black void beyond it. Arvatus was stunned that the labyrinth from before had completely vanished. Is her last spark of sanity collapsing that quickly!? Filled with a sense of urgency, he walked over and gently took Velvet’s right forehoof. “Velvet. You have the power to make this right.”

Velvet’s head slowly turned to face him with nothing more than black pits for eyes. “Why do you care? Wouldn’t the real queen be better off with me dead?”

With a ghost of a smile, Arvatus sunk down to his belly on the cracking wooden floor. “If I truly believed that, I would have never come here. She tries to hide it, but I know that Queen Twilight Sparkle wants nothing more than to feel a mother’s love from you again, if only for the briefest of moments.”

Twin lines of bare grey skin marked the passage of yet more tears down Velvet’s face. She averted her gaze out of a surge of intense numbing shame. Another chunk of the seating fell away into the empty void. If I linger too long, I’ll be sucked into depthless insanity with her. Arvatus tried to focus on his patient. With another exertion, he reshaped the levers into buttons and moved them directly in front of Velvet.

The motion caused Velvet to look at the trio of buttons then up to Queen Twilight. The changeling said nothing, save to stare at her challengingly, as if saying her mother didn’t have the strength. However, there was thinly veiled sorrow in the changeling’s visage that struck Velvet in her heart.

The queen was mostly correct. Velvet was so weak, she couldn’t lift a hoof. All she could muster was shaking her hoof on the ground. I’m so sorry, Twilight.

Arvatus’ survival instincts screamed at him to leave when the theater crumbled away to nothing more than the Twilights still restrained on the tables, and the shrinking platform where he and Velvet were still sitting. I won’t go back to PR a failure. If I leave, so do the buttons.

With a final effort, Velvet let her head drop. Her snout painfully slammed into a button. Her head flopped to one side to see both Twilights roll off their respective tables. Her daughters looked at each other before pressing a forehoof to the other, causing both to merge into one. The whole Twilight was still a full queen, but she wore the caring expression unicorn Twilight had.

Arvatus took to the air to allow Twilight to canter over and embrace her mother. “I’m here for you, momma, just like I’ve always been.” The black void was pierced by a bead of white light that grew ever so slowly.

Velvet was too weak to move, but the barest hint of color returned to her face. Twilight Sparkle rested a crimson wing over Velvet to shield her from the black abyss that still surrounded them. Velvet leaned against the changeling queen, weeping with what little strength she had left. “I’m so sorry, Twilight. I… I was wrong, I’m sorry.”

Twilight stayed close to her mother as Velvet repeated her apology time and time again.

With the last of his spare psionic energy, Arvatus empowered Velvet’s core. There, that should be enough for her to recover for now, but I will need to return tomorrow to strengthen her further. Lacking the energy to remain, Arvatus vanished from Velvet’s mindscape, leaving mother and daughter to heal together.

A shame it’s only her image of Twilight, instead of the real one. But… it is a step in the right direction.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat within the Stirrup Theater of the Arts listening to Sweetie Belle ensnare her audience with soul-touching jazz. The comicon was no place for high culture opera, oh no, here every song had the same energy as the comic super heroes the event was here to celebrate.

The audience stomped their hooves to the beat of the drums while Sweetie Belle poured her heart and soul into every verse and dance move. Her electric energy ignited the ponies, and Scootaloo especially, as they all swung to Sweetie’s tune. Apple Bloom got a chuckle at all the cosplayers dressed as heroes and villains alike all joined together to hear Canterlot’s top rising star sing a popular hero’s theme song.

With the music rising to one last crescendo, Sweetie Belle slid on stage before stopping right next to the edge. “I’m still in a dreeeam, Raaaaaat eeeeaterrr!” she sang, pouring over every note. She peered at a random stallion with a sultry wink while the horns and drums gave a final few notes. Sweetie gave one last whisper in the mic, “rat eater…” before the curtain fell.

Thunderous applause resounded through the convention hall as Sweetie Belle was replaced by quieter atmospheric music. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined in with equal zeal, stomping their hooves.

“Come on, AB, we should go meet her backstage,” Scootaloo suggested with a nudge.

“Sounds good ta me.”

Pear Butter primped in front of the mirror backstage to get her costume just right. She was touching up her Mistress Mare-velous’ lasso along with several other paid costume wearers for the various booths and tables. Paint Brush grumbled as he circled her, making sure every aspect of the costume was in order. While Paint Brush had altered his colors and cutie mark to blend in with a crowd, Pear Butter took on a light tan coat with a dark blue mane and tail, perfectly fitting her new alter ego. Those colors alone, and her instilled changeling acting ability, allowed her to take the job of booth-mare.

As per usual, Pear Butter was in the guise of an earth mare, but that was equal parts for the job as it was her preference, while Paintbrush was still a unicorn stallion. One of the very few spells that Polybia bequeathed them was a privacy bubble since the queen adamantly refused to allow them to hive-chat unless she was directly speaking to them. “This would be a lot simpler if you just used your First Mother given horn,” he fumed as he straightened Pear’s hat with his magic. “You could have gone as the Matter-Horn at least.”

“Don’t ya think it’d be a mite suspicious if all disguised drones were pegasi or unicorns?” Pear did her best to think of herself as a mutated pony before anything else, but her body and hive mind refused to allow her such luxury. “The guards won’t randomly search an earth pony.”

“This is Canterlot, damn it! An earth pony sticks out far more than a bunch of unicorns,” he hissed angrily. He wanted to berate her further, but she started giving him the ‘pained look’. It was subtle really, a slight frown, sad eyes, and a partially furrowed brow, it all pulled at his heart, telling him to stop. The worst of it was his empathy, fully telling him she didn’t want to anger him.

Slowly, Paint Brush wilted under ‘the look’ and rested an apologetic hoof on her. “Look, Ah - Ah’m sorry, Ah just don’t know if this is going to work.”

Feeling a small amount of good humor returning, Pear pecked him on the snout. “It’ll be fine. Besides, Mistress Mare-velous is supposed to be an earth pony anyway. It pays well, and if I keep the job for the whole convention we can finally buy the good ID forgery.”

He let off a sigh. All around him the other actors started cantering out to their respective places, leaving the dressing room increasingly empty. “I can’t believe the princess was taken in by the Sparkles of all ponies…”

“I thought the queen was going to make Stopwatch’s head pop for sure,” Pear mused aloud with only the barest minimum of worry in her tone. I still have no way of freeing myself from the hive mind, and until then, Polybia owns me. Casting such thoughts aside, Pear appraised herself in the mirror and the comic book cover of Mistress Mare-velous, and found she was an excellent match.

“Jus’ remember to practice your magic though. Once the Sparkles put out a request for a nanny, they’ll want a unicorn for sure, ’specially since the princess is in th’ guise of one as well.”

“Ah don’t like it… but ya have a point. Still,” Pear stated with iron, “if Ah have to be a unicorn for the foreseeable future, Ah’m at least going to be an earth pony for the week.”

A stagehand bounded through the gathered actors, “to your booths in ten minutes!”

“Ah better get go’n. Bye, Paint.” With a brief hug, Pear Butter fled the dressing room and ran for her place.

Paint Brush shook his head as he departed the room as well.

As expected, Sweetie Belle was beside herself with glee when her friends found her in her private room. Apple Bloom smirked as Sweetie held a banana like a microphone, and was singing with her eyes closed. In the unicorn’s mind, her adoring fans were star struck by her talent.

“Great job out there, Sweets,” Scootaloo said with a smirk of her own. Sweetie Belle blushed and placed the banana back in the fruit basket near her mirror. “Had the whole crowd under your spell.”

“Yeah, you always had a talent for it,” Apple Bloom added as the newcomers shut the door behind them.

“Heh, thanks, gals. It may not be the concert halls of Broadway, but I’m getting there.”

“So what do you wanna do?” Scootaloo asked as she used the mirror to make sure her uniform was still in top shape.

“Weeeell,” Sweetie used her magic to grab several flyers and show them off to her friends. Each of them was an ad for the various booths with most of them focused on the Power Ponies. “I wanted to get one of the first printings of the newest PP comic. They’re finally giving Matter-Horn’s origin story a much needed overhaul, and I wanted to clear that horrendous first story out my head asap.”

Scootaloo snagged one of the flyers in her wing to take a closer look. “I don’t know about MH, but Zapp is the coolest by far.”

Apple Bloom scoffed and playfully swatted Scootaloo’s ear. “Yer only say’n that ‘cause Rainbow Dash and Rarity turned into them when they all got sucked into that comic book when Twi was restoring the old castle.”

Sweetie Belle shuddered at the memory since she had been visiting Phoenix’s Roost at the time. “The drones were not happy about that one.”

“We can argue who’s best later, let’s go!” Scootaloo started shoving her friends towards the backstage hallway. “I want to get my official Zapp plushie before they’re sold out.” Before leaving her room, Sweetie Belle telekinetically grabbed a brass pendent off her chaise lounge.

The other crusaders allowed themselves to be pushed all the way out until they were inches from the door between them and the main hall before Sweetie rolled out of Scootaloo’s grasp. “Wait up a sec.”

Donning her simple looking pendent, which had a smooth face, save for a small ruby gear in the center, Sweetie Belle fed her magic into it. Her friends looked on in silent curiosity when Sweetie suddenly erupted in lavender-orange fire. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were taken aback by Sweetie Belle who now had a charcoal grey coat and frosty blue mane. “What do you think? Good disguise right?”

“Oh, so you can walk around in peace, not bad, Sweetie,” Scootaloo chuckled at her friends’ boxing mitt cutie mark.

“That’s the first Ah’ve ever seen sumthin’ like that. Can’t ya just use your horn for disguises?”

Sweetie shook her head. “Only somepony like Twilight or the princess can mimic changeling magic. I have to use this thing to do the same,” Sweetie said while proudly tapping her gifted pendent.

“Well at least it’ll keep us from gettin’ swamped.” Apple Bloom briefly wondered how the pendent worked when Scootaloo decided she had’ enough and finally shoved them out to main conventional area.

As Sweetie Belle expected, there were a number of ponies, mostly stallions and colts, who were disappointed at the fact that she had yet to show. Sweetie took the lead and quietly waved her friends towards the primary booths so her voice wouldn’t give her away.

The convention hall was a massive affair, for the limited space Upper Canterlot could afford at least. The ceiling rose two stories high and was filled with banners of a variety of different super heroes and villains from both rival comic book companies, RC and Mareval, along with a few more obscure titles trying to make a name for themselves. Along with the normal gathering of ponies, the CMC noticed a surprisingly large number of bat pony foals, none more than ten years of age, scattered all over the place.

Guess mah sister’s industrialization of the Jiyya trees is really starting to bear fruit.

Apple Bloom laughed inwardly at her own pun as the CMCs ignored most of the souvenir peddlers for their first destination. The comicon truly impressed both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo with its turn out. Ponies of all walks of life, both poor and noble, perused the plethora of merchandise and attractions. Dozens ponies waited impatiently in front of several closed doors, undoubtedly waiting for an event to start.

Yet due to the building's size, it didn’t take long for the three childhood friends to reach the official plushy stands. The trio was in luck. Since Sweetie Belle’s short concert was a big selling point, most events were pushed back until her performance ended, meaning the crowd around the plushies was relatively small.

“Sweet,” Scootaloo cheered with a wing pump, “let’s grab’m while the line’s short. AB, you got our bits right?”

“Yeah, yeah, one sec.” The trio cantered over to the back of the line while Apple Bloom fished into her saddlebags to retrieve three sacks of coins. “Honestly, y'all, if you was plannin’ on buyin’ stuff, ya shoulda brought your own bags.”

“And leave my bits unattended in my ‘private’ room during my performance? No way,” Sweetie said defensively.

“I sorta forgot mine, sorry,” Scootaloo shrugged sheepishly.

Rolling her eyes and side bumping Sweetie, Apple Bloom decided to drop it while observing the advertisement banners above the stands. I might just get a Mistress Mare-velous… Her eyes wandered over to the various booth mares dressed up as the comic characters and grinned widely at a new idea. OH! I can get it signed by Mistress Mare-velous as a joke gift for Applejack! It’ll be easy to give it to her in person since she’s still in Canterlot. Might as well buy an official lasso while Ah’m at it. Apple Bloom snickered at her master plan while evilly rubbing her forehooves together.

Pear Butter had to admit, this gig was easy money. She stood next to a stand of Mistress Mare-velous comics and dolls. The merchant next to her was doing all the work, frantically taking orders, bits, and doling out the toys. All Ah have to do is smile, wave, and occasionally strike a pose. Wish these conventions happened every week.

A young earth colt left the line with his father keeping his place so he could walk up to Pear Butter. The colt had a look of pure wonder in his wide eyes and slightly slack jaw. “Are you the real Mistress Mare-velous?”

Flashing a heroic smile and striking a pose with her lasso in hoof, Pear Butter caused him and several other children nearby to gasp in awe. “You can count on the me and the other Power Ponies, good citizen!”

The other booth mares nearby jumped to Pear’s side and struck equally heroic poses. “Power Ponies, Ho!”

“Wooowww!” The colt bolted back to his father and practically tackled the poor stallion as he dug into his saddlebags. The colt shot back with a pencil and notepad in his mouth. “Can I get your autographs?”

It wasn’t long before all six booth mares were swarmed by foals of all tribes in their desperate attempt to get autographs from their favorite characters. Pear was not only happy to see so many young smiling faces, but the love they radiated was refreshing beyond measure. So much better than feeding on lust from a crystal.

Pear Butter was more than happy to make each child’s day by signing away at all who requested an autograph from her. Although she was a little nervous when she noticed several blue and purple drones and nymphs were there to get autographs as well. Thankfully, most of them only wanted signatures from Matter-Horn and Zapp. I hope they don’t have any way of detecting me.

Trying to put the Phoenix Roost changelings out of her mind, Pear Butter was more than happy to have the throng of ponies serve as a distraction. When none of the drones, even with some coming over to her, seemed to have any suspicions about Pear’s true nature, she more or less relaxed back into the role of Mistress Mare-velous. A few dozen autographs and photos later, she was fully engrossed in her job. Making so many ponies happy and the bits of love they unwittingly gave her almost made her forget that she was a quasi enslaved to Polybia’s will. Thankfully, Polybia tended to leave Pear Butter and the others in Canterlot to their own devices, so the queen’s influence was typically minor.

Sadly, Pear’s good mood came to a screeching halt when she locked eyes with a particular pale yellow mare with a bright pink bow. The mare in question had a plushy of Mistress Mare-velous on her back with a matching lasso hanging around her neck. Something deep struck Pear in her core at the sight of her. The world, even the already quiet hive mind seemed to slow to a crawl, and for the life of her, Pear Butter couldn’t understand why. Her eyes misted over as she stared at the pale yellow mare in utter silence.

Apple Bloom glanced behind her, trying to see what the booth mare was staring at before turning back around and waving a hoof in front of Pear's face. “You okay there, MM?”

Pear Butter blinked as the world snapped back to normal speed, and quickly wiped her tears away. “Sorry, fair citizen, Ah thought Ah saw young Timmy who was lost to the Maniac.” She cleared her throat and glanced at the plushy’s tag-of-authenticity. “Ya wish for me to sign your action figure?”

Apple Bloom arched an eyebrow at her shift in speech pattern. “Ah wouldn’t exactly call it an ‘action figure’ but yeah.” She took the doll in her mouth and rotated it so the tag was facing Pear Butter.

“...And who should I sign it for?” Pear asked, hoping to glean some insight on the mare’s identity.

“Tag’s a little small for a full name,” Apple Bloom mentioned glumly. “Just sign it for mah sister AJ.” Filing away the initials for later investigation, Pear Butter deftly signed the small tag. “Thanks, MM, go ah… have a good day savin’ the city and all.”

As Apple Bloom turned away, Pear Butter watched her closely. She took notice when Apple Bloom hoofbumped an orange sailor. Pear went back to giving signatures and photos while she waited for the sailor to close in on Zapp who was next to her. Once the sailor was close enough, Pear casually leaned in close to read the name patch on the sailor’s right breast. So that yellow mare is friends with a sailor named Scootaloo and has a sister with AJ as the initials. I’ve got to find out who she is… But I better leave Stopwatch and Paint out of this. They might tell the queen and she’d command me to avoid her.

Pear Butter could only pay the rest of the day a fraction of her attention. Her mind kept circling around the pale yellow mare constantly. Damn, I wish she had been getting that doll for herself. I’ve got to find out who she is.

Author's Notes:
Will Mistress Mare-velous' secret identity be revealed? Can Sweetie Belle expand to singing instrumentals? How does the Hulk keep finding blue jeans that can stretch when he goes green? Just who died and made her First Mother anyway? Just what does Fluttershy really hide under all that hair?!
Find out possibly none of these and noooone, next time on the Reformation!!!!

Disclaimer: It should be noted that missile, in ye old'n times, means any projectile, not a rocket.

Hives: The Next Generation (bonus)

Aegis and Blitz all but burst from the moving freight train in a dead heat as it settled into PR North Station. It had pulled into the railyard deep within the eternally busy industrial sector of the hive. Had it been any other occasion the pair would have waited for a passenger train, but time was critical. Both proto-queens’ only goal was reaching the hatchery. Profound aggravation and jubilation coursed through them in almost equal measure. <Why did Princess Celestia have to host that joint conference with us on the same day our first eggs were hatching!?> Blitz cried for the thirtieth time in the past three days.

Aegis only spared her counterpart a pained glance before returning her attention to the front so she could weave around an aluminum foundry. <That’s running an alliance for you.> Can’t believe I’m the one telling her that.

The pair made their way through the hive with prismatic and lavender contrails racing after them. They even fought to ignore their rapidly shortening breath, such was their haste. By the time they reached the Tree of Harmony, the proto-queens were dead on their hooves. Aegis had to lean against the wall while Blitz morphed to stand on four legs in order to keep from dropping fully to her belly. It actually surprised her on how odd it felt to have hooves instead of hands.

Aegis said mentally so she didn’t interrupt her heaving breath. Everything from her wings, legs, and chest were crying out in pain. No wonder Aunty hated her time as a proto-queen.

<At least we can’t get fat cause of the egg laying,> Blitz jested in her silver-lining approach. “It’s only for seven more weeks.”

Except Aunty never got even half her old speed back. “Fair enough, I guess.”

Blitz’s small smile faded a little after noticing some of Aegis’ disapproval was directed at her, so she shifted her stance to bipedal again before she was ready.

She was overcome by a dizzy spell, but Aegis used her magic to catch her before shuffling forward to support Blitz in her arms. “Come on, Blueberry, we’re close enough to practice teleporting.” Blitz raised an eyebrow at the new pet name, but didn’t complain.

The enchantments powered by the Tree normally made it impossible to teleport into and out of the entirety of the hatchery complex, but the proto-queens’ royal bloodline allowed them to partially bypass that security measure. With a series of three quick teleports, Aegis and Blitz blinked their way past nymphs, caretakers, and the hundreds of incubators.

While the hatchery was the name for the entire complex, the nursery was only a subsection of it, albeit a big one. The division between the main chamber of incubators and the nursery was nearly fifteen meters of solid rock with numerous entryways behind noise dampening doors, making the separation a stark one.

Unlike most places within Phoenix Roost, the nursery was completely coated in purple and blue wax in symmetric patterns all over the floor and walls. The nursery itself was partially under construction with work crews striving to expand the subterranean complex as a whole. The nursery was grid-like in its layout of hallways and rooms, so Aegis and Blitz found their destination with ease.

And there they were.

Bouncing around in a playpen with two supervising caretakers, Blitz and Aegis found their first three sets of hatchlings. They were rolling around and playing with pillows, plush toys, and each other. However, the moment they saw their mothers, all twenty four nymphs rushed to the fence jumping for joy as they tried to reach the proto-queens.

<Shall we?> Aegis asked Blitz with a grin cleaving her muzzle.

Blitz responded by flying over the fence and settling down on her belly while her blue nymphs raced over to jump all over her. Aegis quickly followed suite by landing near Blitz, allowing her purple nymphs to tackle her.

Aegis held four nymphs in her arms and lovingly squashed them, completely forgetting her earlier fatigue. Each nymph was mesmerized by their mother’s large eyes, chirping and trilling their delight at her presence, while the other nymphs crowded around Aegis’ neck and torso. While the nymphs in her arms nuzzled Aegis’ arms and face, the proto-queen herself was shedding tears of unadulterated joy. All the misery about how restrained she was due to her maturation into a full queen fled her mind now that she was surrounded by her children. Aegis started rubbing a nymph’s mane, making the little bug curl up into her hand. Last but no less important, was the love the nymphs poured into her. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, pure, innocent, and absolute. Only Twilight’s love for her was superior to this, but Aegis’ mother was only one person, not a dozen. I’m finally here, Aegis thought as she magically pulled more nymphs into her hug. All the work, all the tests, it was all sooo worth it.

Aegis’ ear perked up at the sound of sobbing nearby. She turned her head to find Blitz with a huge smile and misting eyes as she had gathered as many nymphs into her arms as she could fit. Aegis smirked as Blitz buried her muzzle into the pile of nymphs as they all clung to their mother. Slowly, Blitz wormed her muzzle free of her children while able to have one eye on her counterpart. “I can’t thank you enough, Aegis.”

“I told you being a queen would be the best feeling in the world,” Aegis shot back with a ‘told-you-so' smirk.

Blitz sniffled and nodded while ignoring a few accidental horn pokes and jabbing little hooves. On a scale of insignificant prices, they were mere drops compared to an ocean. “If you hadn’t talked me into joining you into becoming a royal…” Blitz couldn’t find the proper words in the face of the mind-numbing bliss of her nymphs’ presence. Just how close was I to declining Aegis’ original offer? A whim? What if she had asked me on a different day? What if I had been assigned a long-term project, would I have dropped that for the tests? She turned away from Aegis and pulled her head back a bit to look at her gathered nymphs. Their glowing eyes full of wonder and love, the little tuffs of multi-colored manes that sang a sonnet that resonated with her heart on a level rocked Blitz to her core. I don’t care if it’s the royal blood making me think this way, I love being a queen-mother.

Both proto-queens and nymphs cuddled in peace for several moments until a familiar voice cut the silence. “Kinda reminds me of you when you cuddled your first nymphs, Rainbow.”

Both Aegis and Blitz snapped their heads around to the pair of caretakers bearing the eyes and cutie marks of their mothers. Twilight Sparkle held a knowing and proud smile while Rainbow Dash did the same with even more excitement. “Can’t blame her,” Rainbow snarked with her grin widening at the sight of her granddaughters. “They’re awesomely cute.”

Aegis took her nymphs into her magic so she could stand up. The nymphs giggled and squealed at the sensation of levitation. Since the caretaker drones were so short compared to her bipedal stance, Aegis dropped to her knees so she could rope her mother into a crushing hug. She nuzzled Twilight, while the matriarch lovingly did the same. “Thank you for believing in me momma.” Aegis finally caved in and started crying as well. She floated the nymphs over so they could climb over her again. “I promise to be worthy of this.”

Twilight pulled out of the hug and planted a motherly kiss on Aegis’ brow. “My dear, you’ve already proven yourself time and time again. A queen must keep the best interests of the hive in mind, and you have yet to cause any doubt.” Aside from the pyromania, but that’s controllable.

For her part, Blitz giggled as she wiggled her way out of the swarm of sky blue nymphs to glomp her mother. She started whispering hushed gratitude over and over in her mother’s ear as she didn’t trust her cracking voice. Rainbow Dash bore it all with knowing grace, with her own first nymphs being pushed to the forefront of her mind. “So what’d I tell ya, girl? Being a momma is the best feeling in the world isn’t it?” Blitz could only reply by nodding and hugging her mother even tighter.

Eventually, Blitz remembered she didn’t have to vocalize to speak. <It’s indescribable, momma. For the first time since my rebirth, I feel so… complete.>

<Well, as Granny Caddy/mother always tells me, no queen is complete without her children,> the two queens said in unison.

The four royals, plus twenty four nymphs, basked in each other’s presence. It was Aegis that let go first, if only to remove the three little changelings hanging on her mane. She turned around and levitated all of her nymphs to sit in front of her, making Rainbow and Blitz break contact to observe. “What’s up?” Rainbow inquired with a short pained yelp when one of the nymphs poked her puppet’s ribs with a horn.

“I know the caretakers usually name us, but between you and momma, I think we have a tradition to maintain.” Aegis hummed in thought as the nymphs started swarming over her again.

Blitz walked over on all four legs so her nymphs could ride on her back. “What tradition?”

Aegis started rubbing her drones’ heads, finding it oddly soothing to pet their manes and scratch behind their ears. “I got my name after catching momma’s attention, as did you when Aunty Rainbow first saw you.”

Blitz gave her mother a sidelong glare to which Rainbow snickered and shrugged. “Hey, your name fit like a glove at the time, Blitzkrieg.”

Twilight watched in silence at what her daughter would see in her first few children. She was all too familiar with the rather loud, and sometimes obnoxiously cute, chirping and trilling from recent hatchlings. So who’s it going to be, young one?

Following Aegis’ lead, Blitz tried to think of a way to reveal something special about a particular drone in her three clutches as well. Her attention spread out among the toys as her children returned to gathering around her like ducklings. Blitz discarded the pillows in lieu of the plushies and baby blocks. Well… If Aegis was named because she defended Aunty from a clockwerk head, and I got my stupid name from running all over the place to chew on things, then maybe I can find someling who stands apart.

While Blitz’s thoughts were kept to herself, Aegis was thinking on almost the exact same lines. Looking around, she found a giant stuffed teddy bear easily the size of a queen off in the corner. Just like momma did, I have to find my little protector, Aegis mused with bubbly laughter.

Twilight and Rainbow shared quiet snickering, knowing full well how their royal daughters felt. The two matriarchs drew close so they could lean on one another. While the war over the jungle weighed heavily upon them, Twilight and Rainbow Dash allowed themselves this little moment.

Aegis watched helplessly as her progeny climbed all over her, completely ignoring the teddy bear with mild exasperation. Taking a page from her mother, Aegis used a touch of magic to throw her voice into the bear. “Rawr! I’m going to eat you all!” she growled while making the bear take swipes at herself.

It took the nymphs barely a moment to take notice of the supposed threat before most of them charged in wings buzzing. Aegis grinned with glee as one nymph starting biting the bear’s paws, while others jumped on the legs and swarmed over the brown plushy like ants. Yessss… goood. One of you will be my champion for sure, just like I was… am to momma.

Aegis continued to throw growls and childish threats through the bear while her dauntless warrior brood stalwartly acted in her defense. Even some of Blitz’s nymphs heard the terrifying monster of ultimate fluffiness and joined in on the assault. “You think you can defeat me?!” Aegis all but snort-giggled at the scene. “I am Commander Bear of Bearington!” It was only then that Aegis noticed one nymph was crawling her way towards the head of the bear. Aegis angled the plushy so the hatchling wouldn’t fall, in addition to allowing the nymph to reach the head more quickly. She waited for the nymph to reach the face before throwing her voice again. “Rrraaawwrrrr!”

To Aegis and Twilight’s surprise, the nymph immediately looked to Aegis while the bear roared. The little changeling waved at Aegis frantically with her left foreleg that was shakily trying to morph into a hand, but she couldn’t get much further than the hoof splitting apart for a few moments before reverting back. Does she know it’s a trick? both purple royals inquired.

Scanning her other children, Aegis saw each and every one of them, including Blitz’s nymphs, were attacking the teddy bear, but the one on it’s face was nuzzling the bear. Twilight’s face lit up at the little one’s actions and leaned into Aegis’ ear. “Looks like you found the smart one, relatively speaking.”

Nodding, Aegis allowed the bear to admit defeat and fall limply to the ground while she levitated the investigative little nymph and cradled her in her arms. “Looks like I found my little... Espy.” Aegis rubbed the nymph’s mane, making her curl up in her mother’s hands while letting off a content trill.

Espy didn’t have her mother alone for long before all her siblings rushed back over to tackle Aegis.

For her part, Blitz was having less luck. With Aegis’ interference with the bear, her attempts at finding her special little ling among her hatchlings with a few building blocks was thwarted. <Aegis! You know how protective hatchlings get.>

<Sorry, ‘bout that,> Aegis replied sheepishly with a shrug. She started tickling Espy while levitating some of her nymphs on top of her while giving some to Twilight to cuddle.

Scrunching her muzzle, but letting the issue drop, Blitz hummed at her nymphs while Rainbow Dash cantered over to be beside her. “Don’t worry too much about finding a point-one percenter now, Blitz, so long as I’m here we’ll find...” Rainbow trailed off as she spied a nymph crawling up on top of Blitz’s head. Blitz’s eyes went crossed as she attempted to follow her mother’s gaze where her horn was. The nymph buried its muzzle below Blitz’s mane and started licking her horn. Shivers of all kinds ran all up and down Blitz’s spine and deep in her brain at the slobbery assault. Every attempt to try and levitate the wily hatchling sputtered and died since Blitz couldn’t focus properly. Rainbow Dash would have come to her daughter’s rescue, but Blitz was cringing so badly it looked like her face was being stretched. Rainbow Dash let off in full tilt laughter as Blitz curled in on herself while her magic sputtered and spat erratically out of her horn in useless attempts to get the nymph away from her head. “S-s-stop that!”

Aegis and Twilight looked on in bemusement until Blitz finally gathered enough wits to grab the nymph with her hands and removed her from her perch. Blitz shot the nymph a scowling the likes of which has not been seen on this Earth, but the little drone only chirped happily and wiggled in her mother’s hands.

“Hey Blitz,” Aegis said with a smirk, “you should name her Slobber Dog.” Renewed chuckling came out of Rainbow while Twilight hid her giggling behind a hoof.

Blitz huffed and turned away from her counterpart. “And inflict my misery on her? No thanks.” Rainbow gruffed and waved a dismissive hoof at the verbal jab. That’s one family tradition that’s never getting off the ground. Cradling the nymph in the crook of her arm, Blitz did her best to wipe away the drool from her horn. “I think I’ll name you Gremlin.” The filly let off an evil cackle at her mother’s wiry grin. “Fitting to be sure.”

Hours later, Aegis and Blitz laid their eggs for the day, which gave Twilight and Rainbow an unwanted excuse to return their full attention back to the jungle. Shortly thereafter, the caretakers were in the process of shooing the proto-queens out of the nursery. In fact, Chief Caretaker Gear Ratio had just finished physically pushing Aegis over the threshold between the nursery and the hatchery-proper. “You can play with them as much as you like later on when they’re old enough to leave the nursery, but as you can see,” she waved a wing back at the hundreds of young nymphs they had just walked by, “we have our hooves full here, and I’m sure there’s lots for you to do too, sister.”

Aegis had to buzz her wings at the door to keep from falling. She glanced at Blitz who was equally miffed at being separated from her hatchlings. “Come on, Gear, they’re our first kids. Can’t we at least get the day with them?”

Caretaker Feather Soft, who had been escorting Blitz to the door, bowed placating to the proto-queens. “Don’t worry, we just want to make sure they’re all well fed and healthy enough in the four months before they can attend school. You know how much work goes into each nymph right?”

“Ah…” Aegis drew a blank along with Blitz. <Did you ever take part in the caretaker corps before going into engineering?>

<It doesn’t work like that,> Blitz corrected, <Not that you would know going straight into the military arm… but ahhh.> “Okay, you win,” Blitz relented with Aegis reluctantly doing the same. “I still need to check up on the aeronautics retooling of factory seven anyway.”

“Oooh, I’ll go check on the R&D girls about that bullet cartridge Lyra gave us.” With a happy spring in her step, Aegis skipped her way through the hatchery, singing the praises of queen-hood.

Satisfied the proto-queens were going to occupy themselves, the caretakers left Blitz standing there and retreated into the nursery. Blitz’s gaze turned to a small subsection in the hatchery-proper at the very far north end. That’s right. I haven’t seen Lyra since I saw her enter the cocoon. I know it’s only been a few days, but, it couldn’t hurt to see her.

Blitz took the time to walk down the vast subterranean complex, rather than teleport or fly. The massive support pillars blanketed in chrysalises and the constant movement of blue and purple changelings of all ages brought up a of surge of anticipation that filled her chest with joy. Even after so many years, it’s crazy to think that I’ll have a hatchery like this running at full steam once Tradewinds is founded.

Surrounded by all of her brothers and sisters, Blitz wanted to go back to using four legs, but Aegis’ words ran in her mind at the thought of it. “I have faith that our adaptation is far and above any other single generation improvement ever before. The only difference is that we have to work to prove it. We can only really do that if we start thinking on two hooves by living on two hooves.”

Ultimately, Blitz allowed herself to drop down to four legs anyway. You know what? I believe we should think of this as having the benefits of both worlds, and we shouldn’t neglect one form for the other.

Smiling at her new revelation, Blitz mulled over how to express this idea properly to Aegis. Unfortunately, Blitz had gotten into the habit of rubbing her chin while in thought, and it was annoying difficult to do that while on all fours. With a grumble, Blitz held her ground and tried to walk on three legs. This isn’t over, Aegis!

She lost herself in thought for the rest of the walk over to the rebirth section until she almost tripped over several bundled small tubes. “Woaah.” Blitz took to the air slightly before looking around to catch her bearings. She was halfway into the rebirth section, which was really little more than a small alcove in the granite walls. The stone was covered in purple wax while five alcoves consisted of the entirety of the area.

With the sheer expense of rebirth, there were only two filled pods. One was a volunteer to become a new strain of drone for future consort purposes while the other housed Lyra Heartstrings. Blitz was taken aback when she saw Cadista munching on a plate of tacos while watching over Lyra, and hadn’t noticed the grey matriarch until now. “Gramma Cadista,” Blitz announced reverently, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Cadista swallowed her bite and turned her gaze away from the sleeping form of Lyra to take in her favorite blue granddaughter. “I’m somewhat of an expert on pony-to-changeling rebirths, so I thought that my eye could be of some use here.”

Blitz cantered up to her. “Come on, gramma, you know as well as I that Gadget wanted you to get some fresh air. At least during lunch.”

“And I’m getting so much of that down here, now aren’t I?” Cadista added with an amused sniff. “It’s been a few days, girl, how’ve you been?”

“Well I just got back from playing with my children for the first time,” Blitz replied dreamily. She twirled in the air as the memory of it made her yearn to return. As a compromise, she brushed her nymphs’ minds with her love and attention.

I guess there’s no hope for any of my royal descendants being as aloof as queens should be, Cadista shook her head before taking on an edge of command in her tone. “Well we better make sure their mother is healthy. Stand up straight!”

Purely out of reflex, Blitz jumped up to two legs and stood at attention with her arms spread out. Cadista’s horn started to glow as she started her inspection of Blitz’s coat around her stomach and flanks. “I assume Gear or one of the others has already done a check up on you today?”

“Yes, ma’am. I couldn’t stomach doubling my milk intake, so I figured I could mix in evaporated milk into all the jelly I’ve been eating.” Blitz turned a little green around the mouth, “wasn’t my best success.” That stuff is gross after the first two glasses.

“Lateral thinking, glad to see Twilight’s efforts on you are bearing fruit, even if you only achieved moderate success. Now if only I can get Aegis to do so more regularly,” Cadista deadpanned with a flat expression.

“She tries, gramma, but you know her brain’s on security and war all the time.”

“Yes, yes, I know all too well how the militant queen operates,” Cadista replied with a huff. “At any rate, about the milk. Your brood will probably need to keep a high calcium diet more than any other.” Cadista scrutinized Blitz’s coat, and was pleased at the rich color and fullness of it, indicating excellent health. “I would suggest finding a way to alter your personal taste to enjoy milk rather than tolerate it. In the meantime, try yogurt and cheeses instead.”

“Yes, ma’am. But you know how Aegis is,” Blitz stated almost automatically. “She’s probably more of a reason we have the two queen system than any sort of tradition you and Yumia started.” By now, Blitz only fidgeted and flinched briefly at the poking and prodding. Cadista only hummed in muted contemplation at the comment. “I swear, sometimes I wonder if she should be the one with blue fur instead of me,” Blitz added while idly tugging on her forearm’s fur.

“Are you saying you would switch?” Cadista replied. She started pulling the fur apart to inspect the skin underneath.

Giving a smirk Cadista missed, Blitz flipped her rainbow mane to cover her eye and played with it in her fingers. “Not a chance, I love mother’s mane colors. Aunty Twilight’s colors are nice, but mine are just too perfect.”

“Hmm. A nation of purple and blue queens. That’d be a sight to see, though I wonder if you might add some variety to the colors later on.”

Blitz’s ears wilted along with her good cheer fading. “You are going to see it, right, gramma? New colors or not?”

Cadista adopted a thin smile and nuzzled her granddaughter. “Don’t worry about me, young one, you’ve got enough on your plate as it is. How’s your hip? Has going back and forth revealed any abnormalities?”

Rolling her eyes at the obvious topic shift, Blitz started an old exercise of switching back and forth from biped to quadruped stances. “I start to get a little sluggish if I switch too often in a day, and I start to get sore.”

“Hmm, could just be fatigue, the fact that you’re still growing, or any number of things. We’ll have to fully investigate after your maturation is complete.” Cadista placed an ear against Blitz’s hip and motioned for her to continue. “And your forelimb shifting?”

“Same thing, too often and I get slow and sore. Plus I get really hungry if I shift them more than once or twice a day.”

When Blitz’s hip joints didn’t make any unordinary sounds, Cadista stepped away and appraised her bipedal granddaughter. Her inspection complete, she brought forth the plate of food which still had three more tacos on it. Blitz’s eyes dilated in stark hunger that blasted its way to the front. Blitz didn’t even hesitate as her body demanded what had to be done. She wolfed down all three before having the wits to even ask. “I’ll have some royal jelly tacos brought down for you.”

“Eww, jelly on tacos?”

Cadista tittered inwardly as she inspected Blitz’s hands as they slowed their transition between hoof and hand so they could be better evaluated. “You need more than just calories, child, properly made royal jelly has the majority of everything you could possibly need.”

Blitz had eaten the tacos so quickly she had barely tasted any of it, but the thought of more jelly unsettled her stomach. “I wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t already eating three pounds of it a day.”

“Such is the life of a queen, child.” Cadista hummed approvingly at how smooth Blitz’s hands morphed into hooves and back again. I must say, Twilight, you reverse engineered the sphinx shifting beautifully. “Your progress is excellent, as expected.”

“Thanks, gramma.” Blitz flexled her hands a bit before looking over at Lyra with her lighthearted smile fading a bit.

“Something troubling you, child?”

“Well…” she started nervously fiddling with a lock hair while her wings twitched. “I don’t know how to feel about Lyra.”

“What is there to fear, young one? She is becoming one of us, and will have a drone’s love and loyalty to you. She knew all of this going in.”

“It’s not that so much.” Blitz took a deep breath to buy time to think. “Lyra’s almost forty years old, I just turned eight last month.” She looked into her grandmother’s eyes, looking for answers. “What does that make us besides queen and drone? I mean, biologically, she’d be my child, but how can I call someone four times older than me my daughter, or hell even sister? She’d be more of an aunt than anything else. I mean, isn’t that why momma and Twilight act like sisters instead of mother and daughter?”

“That would put a damper on the queen-mother stance. Saying she is anything other than daughter would put her on equal or superior position. It may not sound clean and efficient, but you’ll just have to live with it.”

Blitz plopped on the floor while dragging her palm over her face. “I was so sure, you’d have an answerrrrr.”

“If it’ll put your mind at ease,” Cadista said with a brief note of humor, “physically, Lyra will be no older than any other changeling that has hatched into an adult.”

“What really?” Blitz asked with a head tilt.

“Yes. While a royal rebirth allowed me to keep Twilight’s age the same, a drone rebirth always resets the age to a new adult.”

“...Huh. I didn’t know that.” Blitz brightened a little and flashed a warm smile. “Thanks, gramma.” She roped Cadista in and gave her a kiss on the cheek before buzzing over to touch Lyra’s chrysalis. I hope you accept that. The only thing left is to figure out what to do once you’re awake.

Author's Notes:
What is the real story behind Cadista's knowledge of diluting royal blood? Will Blitz remember to not feed Gremlin after midnight? Will Aegis' pyromania pass on to her brood? Why didn't Darth Vader realize the Emperor lied to him after finding out he had a living son, let alone daughter? Can Rasua and Thunderfury remember the safety word in time?!
Find out all of these and mooore, when I finish calculating the one billionth place of π!* Disclaimer: note that I have to calculate, not google the number.

Horse episode, horse movie... and horse words, all in one day!? What is this sorcery!!

15: Mission Impossaling

Down in the deepest darkest recesses of the changeling jungle, a hive that was halfway to becoming a necropolis festered in the hot rain. The living and the dead patrolled the trees, green and blackened alike, that covered the subterranean hive. The air was choked by the stench of decay, which was compounded by the humidity of the jungle.

Yet even with the dead working alongside the living, the jungle did not submit. The near omnipresent drone of insectoid wings around the hive was joined by a buzz of another treble. Eyes, both pale blue and milky white looked to the south to see a writhing black cloud filtering through a swath of dead trees that scarred the dying land.

Polybia’s reaction was both rapid and predictable. Several small fires set in strategic places around the hive’s entrances were guarded by drones. Under her direction, they threw in several pounds of tinder composed of grey vines into the fires, causing them to burst forth into bonfires belching greenish smoke.

Well over a dozen drones started whipping the air into a slow tornado to keep the smoke concentrated on the hive. The hoof sized insects were rebuffed by the sickly bitter smell of the smoke and wind, but the scent of death was still in the air and they were hungry.

Behind it all however, lay a single ebony drone perched over the lip of a hive entrance. It’s chitin was, for the moment, grey and mottled like the rock face it hid behind, with green reptilian eyes watching everything unfold.

So, Polybia has never bothered to move beyond using rust vines against bloat flies, Chrysalis mused derisively as she waited for her chance to slip inside. Through the spy strain’s enhanced binocular vision, Chrysalis spotted only a pittance of the local drones’ eyes were visible beyond the gentle blue glow. Even then, all of them were rounded irises, not the slits of a full puppet.

Good, my little raiding party along the north river must be diverting attention away from even here.

Once a group of drones arrived with more vines for the fires, Chrysalis’ spy slipped into the tiny cave hole barely two drones across. The buzzing and distant scraping of hoof and claw against rock urged Chrysalis to push the drone to its limit. It sprinted down the dark winding tunnel, lit only by the occasional bio-luminescent moss. In such cramped quarters, it would not take much for a passing drone to bump into the spy.

Chrysalis made it almost a hundred feet through the long steep tunnel before the ground trembled with oncoming drones. Does she already know I’m here? Chrysalis looked around and saw an air vent to the lower levels and dove through the opening, leveraging the spy’s small frame to squeeze through. She had barely managed to get her tail over the lip of the hole before several ghoulish drones thundered past carrying more vines.

Good, they didn’t pause in their step as they went by the hole. I should be good to go, but I’ll send a couple more spies on through. Poly will expect at least some attempt to infiltrate after an attack from bloat flies.

With her goal of sabotage in mind, Chrysalis commanded the spy to descend further into the depths of Polybia’s lair.

The Long Shot steamed through the skies over a raging jungle river far below. The clouds were heavy, so moving unseen was fairly easy. Twilight Sparkle was with her sister on the carrier’s bridge, as they stared out into the dense grey soup of the cloudy overcast. Rain was pouring down onto the jungle below, but for the ship it was almost like being caught somewhere between flying the air and an ocean. Water clung to everything, making the drones eventually abandon the exterior observation posts out of futility.

Even the planes were grounded, leaving the pilots with little to do but get some restless sleep. Both queens were also looking through the eyes of the drones manning the ventral observation blisters, which thankfully had windows shielding them from the elements. The carrier rocked from the constant turbulence as it pressed on through. The tender vessel-turned-gunship-carrier Breadbasket lagged behind, trying to find tamer air currents since its jury rigged design and deployed cloak crystals were at risk in such a storm.

Twilight Sparkle gnawed on a haunch of meat, more to distract herself from the tedium between battles than to satisfy any hunger. She was still in a good mood after seeing Aegis with her first few clutches of nymphs, and wanted to stay that way until the ship arrived at Chrysalis’ hive barely half an hour away. Weather permitting of course.

A pang of deep seated wrongness flashed through her mind before she could numb it with a few sips of hard royal tea, one of the few benefits that made such periods of time bearable. She was able to mostly banish the wrongness since she knew full well what the cause was. This is what I get for moving out of the jungle, our supply lines are going to be quite long. She absentmindedly rubbed her flat stomach. Can’t make eggs until the Column of Spring gets closer. She swallowed her chunk of pork before giving her old breathing exercise a few tries to recenter herself.

The wrongness abated for the most part, allowing Twilight to focus on her sister. If I’m having problems with this…

She briefly studied her sky blue sister sitting in the throne next to her, noting Rainbow’s aura was mostly clear with a sense that she was stubbornly clinging onto a happy thought. The throne, if it could really be called that, was little more than a swivel seat that was large enough to accommodate a queen. With a playful smile, Twilight magically made Rainbow’s throne turn to face her, prompting a chuckling smirk out of Rainbow. “How are you holding up, Rainbow?”

“Just psyching myself up for the next fight, and meeting Sticky Spit.”

Glad that her sister had given her a valid reason to keep her mind off eggs, Twilight squared her shoulders at the worrisome prospect. “I’m not sure how compatible our technology will be with the other queens’ tactics.”

Rainbow blew a dismissive raspberry. “You let me worry about that, you just keep them in line during ‘negotiations’.” Rainbow’s face soured heavily at the thought of Kresus. “I don't trust the lot of them.”

“I can do that,” Twilight replied with a healthy dose of confidence.

“I just hope we brought enough holy-imbued ammo for the fighters,” Rainbow commented with a note of concern. “The pilots went through double the amount of ammo I expected them to last time.”

“I’m sure the resupply ships will get here in due time,” Twilight replied with a slight hitch in her voice. “We’ve already pulled half our merchant fleet into resupplying us.”

“Yeah I know…” Rainbow trailed off and might have left the matter alone, but something bothered her, causing her to eye Twilight carefully. “You know, sis, I couldn’t help but notice something.” To her credit, Twilight acted curious and unaware. “I may not know much about magic outside of combat applications, but even I’ve noticed you’ve had some serious problems using holy magic.”

Twilight’s face burned from embarrassment, which was made worse by the presence of the bridge crew. After all, combat magic or not, Twilight was the embodiment of magic not the sooner-sleep-than-study Rainbow Dash. Twilight had repeatedly attempted to address this fatal logic error of the universe without anyone being aware of it, and yet Rainbow was outright calling her on it. “Ah-,” Twilight started to explain and only to stutter along. “Well, I - I just don’t-”

Rainbow watched in mild amusement as her sister wrestled with making an excuse or telling the truth. Thankfully, Rainbow could see Twilight’s aura was tinted orange from simple embarrassment rather than a blacker color from a dark secret bubbling up in her sister’s thoughts. “You might as well fess up or I’ll sick AJ on you.”

The image of an irate farm-mare with bucking hooves a flying did not sit well her, not one bit. “Alright, fine…” Twilight prepared herself for some verbal zingers. “I’ve never been able to use holy magic like I used to before my rebirth, and I don’t know why.”

In light of the expected battle with Grogar, Rainbow put a temporary hold on her loose mouth. Survival came before delicious verbal lashings, most of the time. “What kind of trouble do you think it is?” Rainbow asked with a slightly cocked head.

“W-well, ever since I was reborn, my…” Embarrassment made Twilight hesitate until Rainbow prodded her with a hoof. Twilight said over the link so she could save at least some face. Of course, Rainbow wasn’t going to let her off easy.

“What do you mean, you can only summon half?”

Twilight’s gaze danced around the room causing each drone she saw to quickly turn back to their station and act as if they weren’t shamelessly eavesdropping. “Yes, half,” Twilight relented while sagging in her throne. “I just don't understand it. None of either of our children ever have this kind of issue.”

Rainbow Dash leaned back in her throne with a self-satisfied smirk that would put the Cheshire Cat in his place. “Really now? And now the day has come where pigs are flying and ‘ol Chrissy is a bonafide saint.” Twilight scowled in her seat as Rainbow oozed with satisfaction. “The day has finally come where I, Rainbow Dash, the least magically intelligent person on this planet,” who has a horn anyway, she added to herself, “get to teach you about magic.”

She raised a hoof for Twilight to wait. <Gentle Touch, you owe me a thousand bits,> Rainbow broadcast to both the drone and her sister.

“Wait, you can!?” Twilight replied wide eyed.

<Aww, no way, Aunty,> Gentle replied with a mix between a groan and shock, not knowing Twilight was hearing it too. <You gotta be kidding me!>

<Nope,> Rainbow scoffed, enjoying every second of this. <I’ll fill you in on the details in a moment.>

Twilight fumed in her chair until Rainbow finally addressed her. “Now, you were saying you could only summon half your old power with holy magic?”

“...Yes,” Twilight replied with her trademarked Fanged Sisterly Scowl of Biblical Indignation. “I just don’t understand why since none of our magi children have any problem wielding holy magic.”

Rainbow Dash made a show of scratching her chin while half-whispering “half.” She clopped her hooves together. “You know what, sis, I bet you’re only drawing upon the Silver City, aren’t you?” Rainbow said with an eyebrow wiggle.

Twilight hated to admit it, but she was perplexed by the question. “Ahh… Well of course. I’m a full blooded changeling, and my soul is bound to the Silver City.”

“Ahh, but see that’s where you slipped up,” Rainbow chided playfully. “You became a changeling, you were born a pony. Both you and I are equally tied to the City and the Elysian Fields.”

Twilight blinked slowly. Her mind churned at the statement, trying to make sense of it. “B-but… wait, how does that even work? If you’re talking about what that demonologist said about our souls being an even merger of pony and changeling, that doesn’t account for our children since they have the same kind of soul.”

Rainbow lost most of her superior smirk and shrugged. “Hey, I don’t know the ins and out of holy magic. All’s I know is that I’m a changeling that used to be a pony. I tried asking Elysia for aid and I got it, so I’ve been calling on both the Fields and the City whenever I have holy work to do.”

“I… I can’t say I thought of that.” Twilight turned away in thought as she tapped her chin. Calling upon the old incantations, Twilight opened herself to the Elysian Fields and asked to be shielded from harm. The old prayers sang in her thoughts as her horn prepared to mold any oncoming power into a shield. It was sluggish at first, as if Elysia had almost forgotten about her. Yet all too quickly it forgave her and lent her the aid she requested to the best her soul could carry.

Twilight felt the age old familiar warmth of holy magic fill her very being with a shield quickly forming around her. Rainbow Dash let off an approving huff. Twilight’s shield formed around her like a second skin, rather than a dome. Because she intended no harm to Twilight, Rainbow’s hoof passed through easily to pat her on the back. “Leave it to you to overthink things, now you just gotta ask the Silver City at the same time to get your old strength back.”

Twilight absently stuck her tongue out as she wrestled with aligning the two sources of holy magic into a single spell. Rainbow Dash added pointers wherever needed, which sadly was almost at every point. What’s easy on paper isn’t exactly simple in practice, Twilight cheered at the new challenge.

The two queens toiled on this lesson for several minutes as the clouds parted a little, revealing the landscape below. The ventral observers to call out shortly thereafter to the queens and shipmaster. <Landing zone identified, we’ve arrived at Chrysalis’ hive.>

As Captain Rourke started giving orders, Twilight let go of the holy power. “Thanks, Rainbow, I’ll have to work on using both at the same time when I get a chance. But for now, we have some diplomacy to conduct.”

Rainbow’s good mood wilted with a groan. “...Joy.”

Chrysalis’ spy finished digging a small hole for itself into the side of a vast chamber. It was completely dark, save for some glowing moss that was covering the ceiling and walls. The room was absolutely covered from floor to ceiling in eggs. Caretakers ran to and fro, tending to them while some eggs hatched. She hummed worriedly. I don’t understand it. This is the fourth nursery I’ve come to and this one is practically overflowing as well. This isn’t even her primary hive cluster, so where is Polybia getting all these eggs? Was she able to steal my secret to egg-laying drones after all?

Seeing that the nursery was not a worthwhile target for her saboteur, Chrysalis pulled away from the hole and filled it in to cover her tracks. I better see if I can find the source of these eggs.

The main tunnel the spy slid back into was busy, filled to the max with drones, both living and otherwise, on their way to perform various tasks. Chrysalis quickly donned a disguise to match them, including their scent. In this area of the hive, the drones had little to no oversight by Polybia, evidenced by their eyes having a strong blue glow. Chrysalis was able to slip past them easily as long as she didn’t accidentally interfere with any of their movements. Instinct and simple commands ruled down here, and Chrysalis made sure to let the hive run like clockwork until she found a target worth destroying.

After filtering through the main thoroughfare for another half hour, Chrysalis finally found something that piqued her interest. A small tunnel branched off at a section that was otherwise completely devoid of chamber entrances. However, it was the inward facing guards brimming with holy-enchanted weapons and armor that made Chrysalis purr with satisfaction. Now why would dear ‘ol Polybia need guards with holy-weapons, hmmm?

Slipping away from the rush of drones, Chrysalis found a spot near a boulder sticking out of the wall and started digging. The spy was perfectly suited for such work and quickly disappeared into patch of soft earth. It took a little while, but through echolocation, Chrysalis eventually found the expected air pocket of end chamber. Circling around, Chrysalis poked an eye-hole through into the last chamber’s wall near the floor.

Within was a pool that gave off a green glow, casting its pale light over the small rocky chamber. There two more guards inside the chamber itself near the exit that looked highly alert. Chrysalis had seen the look before. The guard's’ eyes darted to and fro over the small chamber, their ears were alert, their weapons held tightly. These won’t let me pass so easily. Chrysalis contemplated whether or not a single odd pool was worth the trouble until her gaze fell upon a large cocoon, easily large enough to house a queen. Her breath caught in her throat as Chrysalis realized she beheld a ram with a single horn. The wax of the cocoon was inscribed with runes, complete with warded chains, covering the deeply encased entity all the way up to his neck. His eyes burned a hateful crimson and his jaw was practically set in stone as he undoubtedly contemplated his escape or revenge fantasies. His eyes drifted over to the antsy guards, but as of yet he remained silent.

How very interesting. Weaving what little mana her spy possessed, there wasn’t enough strength left for a sleep spell after crawling through the jungle for the past month, so Chrysalis lulled the guards into a state of calm instead. The pair went back to being passive, allowing Chrysalis to finish burrowing her way into the chamber. The ram regarded her with silent curiosity.

“Well, well, you must be the infamous Grogar I’ve heard so much about,” Chrysalis purred with contemptuous amusement. “You’re shorter than I had expected.”

Grogar’s eyes drank in the spy, taking note of every detail. “Your color and eyes betray you, Chrysalis. Given all that Polybia speaks of you, I’m surprised you wormed your way here.”

“Polybia is nowhere near as competent as she makes herself out to be, but then again…” Chrysalis waltzed over and hesitated before touching the chains, fearing an alert ward. “She’s done a marvelous job keeping you under control.”

Grogar gave an unimpressed grumble. “As much as I let her think. I assume you are here either to find me, or cause damage to Polybia.”

“I admit, I was not expecting to find you, but alas, this puppet doesn’t have the strength to break your bonds. But, it does have enough to kill you here and now, necromancer. I’m sure you can reform at your phylactery. Be a dear and slaughter Polybia for me.”

“I would rather you not,” Grogar rumbled, making Chrysalis look at him curiously. “I did not come to the jungle just to see my prize snatched from me.”

“Prize? Do you prefer to be Polybia’s guest?” Chrysalis asked with far more sincerity than sarcasm.

“I will tell you the same thing I told Polybia. I want the body of a royal changeling. One way or another, I will have what I want. You can either help me, or stay out of my way.”

Chrysalis eyed Grogar in a new light, with her mouth forming a pressed line. “And just what would you do with the body of a royal? Would you possess it? Would you perhaps merely become a more competent rival than Polybia? I have heard tales about you, Grogar.” Chrysalis glanced back at the guards, making sure they were still unresponsive to her. “You are an age old terror if the ponies have anything to say about it. Why should I help you become one of us?”

Grogar took in every facial expression, every little movement in the spy. She doesn’t trust my intentions, a shame. “Because I can destroy Polybia from within, and once I have her body, you will have nothing to fear from me.” Unless you damn your soul as she has, he added to himself.

“That will never happen, Ram!” Both Gorgar and Chrysalis turned to see the guards both wore Polybia’s eyes. The spy was pulled away from Grogar by one guard’s magic with a dampening field formed by the other to keep Chrysalis from casting. Then she brought the spy over to one of the guard’s face so she could lord over it. “It’s a shame you can just turn off the pain from a puppet, we still have a score to settle after what you did the last time you killed me.”

“That was for what you did to Yeelindrus! You deserved every scrap of that pain a thousand times over.” Chrysalis spat a wad of sticky salve in the guard's eye. A malicious sneer crawled across Polybia’s guard as she idly wiped away the salve before it could harden.

“Poor misinformed Chrysalis,” Polybia cooed as if to a child. “Don’t you mean, what I am doing to your dear sister?”

Chrysalis’ blood ran cold and her breath caught in her throat. “Impossible. I made sure to-”

“Nothing about death is beyond my reach, Chrysalis,” Polybia chided darkly. “She will never know the peace of the Silver City.”

Chrysalis’ stunned expression morphed into one of depthless hatred, yet before she could act on that fury Polybia’s guard cleaved the spy’s head from it’s body with a swift movement of the guard’s halberd.

Polybia glared at Grogar who was watching her with contempt. “That was foolish, Polybia, Chrysalis strikes me as a mare who will not act irrationally out of hate.”

“She’s already out for my blood, ram, a little more incentive will hardly change things.”

My magic must be eroding her mind better than I thought. “Sooner or later you will slip, and I will be there to claim what is mine.”

“I would rather suffer my final death than give you a royal’s body!” Polybia declared while leveling the blade of the bloody halberd at his head. The other guard approached the spy’s tunnel to make sure there were no more of them. “But if and when that happens, ram, I will make sure to drag you down with me.”

“You will try,” Grogar rumbled with dark amusement. “But I know Tartarus far better than you ever could.”

Chrysalis seethed with barely contained anger from her throne. Her throne room was decorated in the various artifacts that Twilight had brought back from Rookhaven, tactfully arranged to flaunt each and every piece while also giving respect to the First Mother. Damn you Polybia, you best hope that was only a bluff, or so help me Grogar’s vengeance will be tame compared mine.

She brooded for a long while, mostly to calm down and think a bit more rationally, but also to mull over what Grogar had told her, and how she might take advantage of his words. So he wants to become a queen, eh? If even half of Twilight’s research on him is accurate, then that would be even more dangerous than Polybia as she is now. The thought of a demonic hive chilled even her frigid heart.

A few drones on the surface signaled that Twilight and Rainbow had arrived near the hive’s primary entryway. She sent a command for the drones to escort the new arrivals to the throne room to give her more time to think. Actually… If I play this right… Chrysalis recalled Kreesus’ lone full queen ally still practiced rebirth, making a conniving grin split her muzzle. “Maybe I can make Grogar subservient to me entirely of his own volition, maybe I can capture Polybia and offer her up to him as a bargaining chip.” Still, I have to approach this carefully. Perhaps form a contract with him. Demons are hidebound by any that they sign, and I give him what he wants he’ll have no ability to betray me.

The risk warred with the possibility of increased power in her mind, pushing her decision back and forth between. More power and a more stable upbringing for my loving daughters, or eliminate a potential threat. What to do, what to do.

Chrysalis was so lost in thought that she didn’t immediately react to Twilight and Rainbow entering the room with Kreesus coming in from a second entrance to the west. Well, no need to decide now. But I’m sure Twilight will have some necessary information for me. After all, she thought with an inward smirk, she’s been so very helpful in sharing her knowledge.

Chrysalis pulled herself off the throne and affixed an oily grin. “Ah, Queen Twilight Sparkle, Queen Rainbow Dash, here at last.”

Rainbow Dash was already sour with Chrysalis at seeing all of the hard-won treasures that she and Twilight had secured from Rookhaven being flaunted about, like Chrysalis had earned it all. However it was the presence of Kreesus that pushed the militant queen that much closer to fraying her diplomatic nerves. <Tell me I don’t have to speak to that traitor. Sticky Spit is bad, but at least she’s as honest as a snake can be.>

Twilight didn’t answer her sister immediately since Chrysalis had finished speaking. “We ran into some difficulties with our navy, but we’re here to lend our support, Queen Chrysalis.” Twilight was curt, but respectful in her tone. At the very least, we, well I won’t be the one to sunder this alliance, she mused worriedly at her sister. “Shall we get down to business?” she asked to both Chrysalis and Kreesus after turning her gaze to the red queen.

“After sitting out of the fight for four years, you act as if you suddenly have a sense of urgency,” Kreesus growled.

Rainbow Dash was only able to hold her wild tongue in check by her sister mentally asking her to calm down. Even then, Rainbow’s very being as the embodiment of loyalty itself, raged at the presence of the traitor. “The war was not our problem,” Twilight replied smoothly with all the passive-aggressive poison of a Canterlot noble, “since we no longer had a stake in the jungle. You saw to that, after all.”

Chrysalis wanted to keep the military alliance intact, but she was enjoying the verbal sparring too much to interrupt. After all, posturing was the norm for changeling politics. Nay, it was expected. Far be it for me to interrupt such entertainment too early.

Kreesus glared at the sister queens, her pride denying any small wish she might have had to make amends. “I did what had to be done! Your mother understood that, and that’s why we were friends once.”

“Is that all friendship is to you?” Rainbow pushed backed her sister with burning fury in her eyes as her wings glowed dangerously lethal. “Your kind will never understand. You talk big about advancing our species, but you don’t give a damn about honor or loyalty. It’s always one big game to one-up each other. You may have played nice with Granny Caddy, but don’t lie to my face and say it was friendship. A friend would never have betrayed her so completely that she destroyed her own royal blood! She gave it all up after what you did so that we could focus our resources on Aegis and Blitz.” Rainbow shoved her face into Kreesus’ own. “How Cadista ever found it in herself to actually forgive you I’ll never understand.”

Kreesus flinched backwards with suppressed sorrow briefly crossing her face before she hid it again. “S-she?” Kreesus grunted to get control of herself again and resolidified her expression to one of stoicism. “Well, at least she understands the way things are. Giving up her own reconstruction in lieu of the next generation is what any self respecting queen would have done in her position. A pity the two of you haven’t learned that lesson properly. What else was she to do?”

“And you wonder why all your attempts at raising a loving princess were failures,” Twilight deadpanned. She wasn’t actually sure how much longer she’d need to keep posturing without looking weak. I really hate these games.

Kreesus’ fury looked as if it was going to make her pop a blood vessel when Chrysalis stepped in with a silky smooth tone. “Ladies, ladies, we can have all the meaningless drama we want by perusing Canterlot’s inspirational gossip tabloids. Why don’t we discuss the war over dinner? The sooner Polybia is dead, the sooner we can all go back to hating each other.”

Twilight centered herself to resume Princess Celestia's style of diplomacy, but she couldn’t do that quickly enough to keep Rainbow’s tongue from flying off the handle. “There is no way in Tartarus that I am sitting at the same table as that traitor!” Her mana infused wings vibrated angrily, making the other queens nervous.

“Would you prefer the nymph’s table instead?” Kreesus rebuked with cold fire. “Hate me all you want, but Polybia is the bigger threat.”

Twilight had found her diplomatic train of thought again and held a hoof out to hold Rainbow back. “Agreed.” “Lead the way.”

Rainbow tsked angrily and spat at Kreesus’ hooves before releasing the lethal magic on her wings. She followed her sister and Chrysalis towards a Rookhaven dining table where a meal was being laid out by drones for them and the last few queens who were due to arrive shortly. Once Twilight and Rainbow turned away from Kreesus, the red queen’s steely visage cracked a little. I took everything from you, Cadista. Your hive, your queenhood, even your pride. How could you forgive me for that?

I can’t believe Rainbow would lie about that, she’s too blunt and emotional, but I need to be sure. I need to hear it from Cadista. Kreesus recalled the names of a few love collectors in Ponyville that Cadista used to have. At least one of them should still be living there. Not wanting to give the other queens any sign of weakness, Kreesus quickly made her way over to the table so she wouldn’t be missed, though her mind was elsewhere. Roseluck was one of them, surely Cadista would have retained her hive mind over her brood.

Oblivious to Kreesus’ plans, Chrysalis sat at the head of the table, in the biggest chair of course, and watched as her sister and the last queen, Valera, arrived. “Now, why don’t we jump right into it, yes?”

Author's Notes:
Did Polybia actually get ahold of Yeelindrus? Did Applejack find her one true love? (Beyond apples) Can Rarity instill a love of fashion into her tomcolt daughter, or will she be destined to tomfoolery forever? Is Pinkie Pie finally going to admit she procreates through budding? Did Emperor Palpatine get resurrected into the body of that soccer ball droid?!
You might find an answer or two here, next time on the Reformation!!
also, BOOKS!!!
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Bonus: Paper Medium for the Purpose of Literary Preservation and Distribution

Ever since Phoenix Roost’s founding, Ponyville was fast becoming a busy town. That fact was only going to grow exponentially once the rail line between Ponyville and the hive was complete, but for now, the town was bereft of visitors save for the three hundred blue and purple changelings enjoying town life.

In the late morning of the their week-long vacation, Princess Aegis and Royal-Candidate Blitz were at Sugar Cube Corner along with ten other customers, both pony and changeling alike, as they celebrated a very momentous event. Aegis lifted her cupcake in her magic like a toasting champagne glass at her vacant-minded friend. “Well you’ve finally done it, Blitz,” Aegis announced to wake her friend up. “How does it feel to win the right of royal rebirth?”

Blitz’s mind was a pile of goo that tried to slosh around in her head to work up a response. To buy time, Blitz bumped her cupcake against Aegis’ own. “Exhausting,” she said at length. “I swear, if I didn’t have this week off, I’d probably die of brain overload.”

“That bad huh?” Aegis replied derisively as she took a bite out of her confectionery treat.

“Tests, diplomatic adaptability training, tests, engineering creatively projects,” Aegis cringed a little as Blitz unleashed all the pent up anguish over the past two and a half months. “And I don’t think I’ll ever forget that accursed Kobayashi Maru, more tests, then there was that whole thing with logistical training about avoiding famine with a failed harvest and still maintaining full egg production between two queens, loved that one,” Blitz groaned heavily while face planting the table. Her speech was muffled by the table. “Did I mention the tests?”

Aegis licked the bit of frosting off her nose after polishing off the cupcake. “Preaching to the choir, sister.” She took sip of lemonade before continuing. “Just wait until after your rebirth where you have to take speaking lessons.” Blitz said nothing, but gazed up at her purple sister with an inquisitive look. “You know, the Royal Phoenix Roost Voice, so you can speak with authority and presence to people both in and outside the hive. Helps build morale, as our mothers are oh so fond of saying.”

“Joy.” Blitz grumbled at how far removed her life was going away from more important goals, like inventing a new engineering marvel.

“But hey look on the bright side,” Aegis stated with a wry grin. “You get to be a queen one day, that means we’re both going to be the next contestants on Changeling Evolution!”

All Aegis got out of Blitz was a tired snort. Aegis passed it off as just fatigue. She’s still thinking like a drone. Give her a year or two of royal blood in her brain and she’ll come around. That line of thought made Aegis continue the one-sided conversation with a little more zeal. “I mean you totally earned your ‘princess-to-be’ necklace.”

Rolling her head to the side, Blitz gently rubbed a hoof along the silver chain on her neck which was adorned with Rainbow’s cutie mark. If the necklace meant anything to Blitz, it would be Rainbow’s absolute faith in her. With Aegis’ love giving Blitz some much needed mental energy, she smiled and pressed the pendent tightly to her chest.

Aegis saw Blitz clutching the necklace with the blue drone’s eyes misting over a little. Time to press it home. <You get to be more than a drone, you get to be Aunty Rainbow’s first heir, and as she worded it, ‘super special awesome’.> Sadly, Blitz’s happy tears sapped much of her diminished mental strength, so all Aegis got out of Blitz was a feeble hoof wave and an equally miserable ‘yeaaa’. <Did I mention as the civic queen you get to head and/or supervise all of the engineering projects within our future hive?>

Blitz might have come up with a cheerful reply at that one, but at that moment she was too exhausted to think happy thoughts beyond knowing Rainbow had chosen her of all people to be her first heir. What was left of her remaining brainpower was solely devoted to devouring the vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting.

Seeing that she was getting nowhere fast, Aegis let the conversation drop, and to allow Blitz to mull over her words. Well, my princess exams were murderous, and I had a hoof in all of Blitz’s class testing… I think I need to make this vacation of hers a memorable one.

One by one, the dozen sugary delights were consumed into their depthless maws as Aegis made a mental checklist on how to have the best week ever, that didn’t involve Burny or egg laying, much to her displeasure. This vacation should be all about Blitz. So, I should probably get with Pinkie Pie to help get some ideas.

Thanks to sugar, time, and Aegis’ evolving love for her, Blitz’s mind started to return to normal. So it was that it took Blitz three and a half cupcakes to pause long enough to notice the fluffy treats had writing on them. “Happy Funnaversery. What do you think this is about?”

“It’s Pinkie Pie,” Aegis shrugged. “Does she need a reason?”

“Point taken.”

Blitz finished off her cupcake while Aegis returned to her checklist, but didn’t get far when normalcy took a nosedive when the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran up to Pinkie at the cash register wearing, of all things, Pinkie Pie costumes. The Crusaders were well on their way to marehood, but they still had that youthful energy they were famous for. That same energy was being tested as the three fillies bounced all around the room like Pinkie Pie trying to hold a secret. Apple Bloom bounced in front of some drones giggling like a schoolgirl. “Fun! Fun! Fun!”

Scootaloo jumped over to Pinkie and vaulted the display case a couple of times. “Fun! Fun! Fun!” Pinkie snort-laughed manically at the whole thing.

Some of the ponies started giggling along with the pink baker as Sweetie Belle found her way over to Aegis and Blitz’s table. “Fun! Fun! Fun!”

Blitz eyed Sweetie Belle like she had grown a second head. Aegis was at least trying to live up to her royal status by laughing behind her hoof. “Is there a new Pinkie holiday we missed?”

Ever the performer, Sweetie Belle didn’t break character and joined her friends chanting ‘fun!’ over and over before they departed the store. Left without answers, Aegis and Blitz twisted around in their booth to look out the window and see the fillies join a few of their classmates who were all wearing Pinkie Pie costumes. They too were bouncing around the center of town chanting “Fun!” along with at least a dozen adults.

“You think this about the Funnaversery?” Aegis asked no one in particular.

“Yup-a-ruunie!” Both changelings turned around to find the real Pinkie Pie snickering as she watched the kids outside. “I thought it’d be a great way to turn a groan day into a silly day, and ponies have way too many serious days.”

Blitz checked the hive mind for the date, but didn’t think she had time to ask either queen about it and stalling the conversation without being rude to Pinkie. “What makes today a groan day?”

“Weeell,” Pinkie waved her hoof to stall her embarrassment. “A while ago I found a mirror pool that could make clones of me, and my other-mes sorta kinda maybe caused some trouble for the whole town.” Without even missing a beat, Pinkie saw the judgmental confusion. “So to help the town remember this day with smiles instead of groans, I had costumes made for all the ponies who wanted to participate for some good fun!” Pinkie pointed outside to some adults who were costumed up as the pink baker and bouncing around.

That’s when it hit Aegis. An idea. Some might call it fun, some might call it mad, but to her, it was genius. <Hey, Blitz, we need to round up all our brothers and sisters in town. I have a plan.>

Blitz replied with a hopeful half-smile.

<No promises.> Aegis took the cupcake carrying box and closed the lid. “Sounds interesting, Pinkie. Mind if we join in the fun?”

“As if you need to ask, silly buggy.” Pinkie’s first thought was to grab more costumes from Rarity’s boutique, but she remembered the changelings’ disguise magic. “Just remember, only harmless pranks. Wouldn’t want to make smile day a groan day again.”

“I’ll keep her in line,” Blitz replied with a leering eye at Aegis. “It’s going to be my job before too long, and I might as well get some practice in.”

Aegis vaulted over the table and made her way to the exit. “Well you better keep up, future princess.”

Blitz scoffed and chased after her fleeing sister while Pinkie Pie gasped comically loud. “Future princess!? Looks like I got another party to plan. Woo Hoo!!”

It wasn’t long before Aegis had summoned all two hundred drones in Ponyville (minus Cadista’s former love collectors), to her mother’s old tree library. Since the battle with Tirek was mostly fought away from town, thanks to the Deception, the house had avoided destruction that may have theoretically occurred to it in other realities, and had since become a sort of hive away from hive.

Already, numerous drones were chatting about the Funnaversery on the first floor of the old tree house. The crowd buzzed with excitement, which also made speaking aloud all but impossible with buzzing wings, at the plan Aegis had in store for the day.

Blitz and Aegis stood alone on the loft near Twilight’s old bed. Twilight originally didn’t want to give it up, but her queen sized body was simply too large for it. So for the time being, Aegis honored her mother by taking up residence here during her vacation.

<Alright, everypony listen up!> Aegis shouted to calm her rumbustious kin. Most settled down, though for many it was their first vacation and they wanted to enjoy every moment of it. <Now as most of you have seen, the Funnaversery is all about dressing up as Pinkie Pie and channeling our inner fun. But I say, why should today be limited to just Pinkie Pie?”

Thunderfury jumped to hover above his fellows. “Ooo! You mean we should go as our queens!?”

“You got it!” Aegis cheered, making the drones buzz even louder in anticipation. “But since Pinkie is a pony, we should go as the original pony versions of our mothers.” The crowd quickly spoke their agreement, prompting Aegis to continue. "Now we need to make a big entrance to start things off, but after that we should split off to cover more ground." Aegis summoned a quill and large roll of paper from a nearby desk. "I'll make a list of all the key places around town for us to visit, and assign groups there. Once done, we can go wherever we want."

As Aegis went about making her checklist, Blitz was fine with remaining silent, but a worrying idea struck her not long after Aegis started. “Wait!” Most drones stopped mid-disguise to look up at her questioningly. “Shouldn’t we ask our queens about this first?” Most of the drones grumbled worriedly and naturally looked to Princess Aegis for leadership.

Acting quickly, Aegis leveraged those speaking lessons to take on a voice of reassuring command, and utilized her royal blood’s subconscious authority over drones. “Don’t worry about it, girls, it’s just some harmless fun, plus we’re only doing the same thing the ponies are. Besides, we don’t need to ask the queens every time we want to do stuff, right?” Aegis searched the crowd’s aura, seeing many of them come around, but there were still some wary siblings out there. Aegis switched tactics and called upon Rainbow’s style of pep-talk. “Hey! Our bloodline’s critical advantage over the other hives is independent thought and taking the initiative without needing to bog our queens down with little stuff. We have to take this holiday by storm and show not only Equestria but our queen-mothers that we’re totally taking social integration to heart.” By now, she could feel her siblings’ excitement with many of them on their hooves or wings, waiting for Aegis to give the final word.

Aegis’ reptilian eyes dilated at the real sense of accomplishment. We get to make our mothers proud and they don’t even need to babysit us. “Alright, lads and lasses-”

“Hold on!” Blitz shouted over the general buzz, making Aegis groan impatiently. “We can’t go around chanting ‘fun’ though, it’s not as fitting as it is with Pinkie Pie.”

The general murmur around the house was in agreement leaving Aegis in doubt as well. She’s got a point. “So we need to chant something momma-clones would say?”

“Exactly,” Blitz replied with her mother’s prankster streak shining through in a mischievous smirk. “And I know exactly what we should do.”

Applejack chuckled at her market stall at the small group of ‘Pinkie Pies’ bouncing all over the town square. “Silliest thing Ah ever did see.” Sour memories of a failed barn raising due to clones sat in the back of her mind, but the farm mare was willing to sit on those reservations to let others have their fun.

Lyra Heartstrings came up with a bit purse in her magic. “Heyya, Applejack, I’ll take a dozen of your best reds.”

“Gotcha covered,” Applejack replied happily as a few more Pinkie Pies passed by. Both mares shared mild pleasantries and idle banter as they exchanged bits for produce. However, Lyra stopped just short of walking off again when the ground trembled beneath her hooves and the air itself vibrated around their ears.

“Do you feel that, Applejack?” Lyra asked as she noticed a pebble rattling on the ground.

“Yeah,” Applejack replied worriedly as she flattened her ears to protect them. “Feels like it’s coming from the library.”

The mares turned in that direction to behold a jumping and flying tidal wave of blue and purple. Applejack’s eyes narrowed to pinpricks at the jubilant mass of ponies roaring forward.

“Books! Books! Books!” the crowding purple unicorns chanted as they leapt to and fro, filtering through the stunned ponies while a dense cloud of blue hung over head. “Pranks! Pranks! Pranks!”

Lyra was tickled pink as two Twilight Sparkles bounced over and jumped in circles all around her. “Books! Books! Books!”

“You want books eh?” Lyra fished around her saddlebags and pulled out a paperback almanac. She waggled it in her magic with the drones playing along and eyeing the literary treat like expectant puppies. “I’ve got study material for all things astroloooogyyyy!”

“Books! Books! Books!” the pony Twilights chanted with delight. They glanced between Lyra and the waggling book trying their hardest to keep from laughing at the silliness of it all.

Lyra flung the book high into the air, easily giving the trio of Twilight enough time to chase after it and catch it in their magic. The trio zipped off with their prize. Applejack rounded her stall to stand by Lyra’s side. “Ah was afraid Pinkie’s holiday might spread like wildfire with Twi and RD’s kids.”

“They’re so cute though, aren’t they?” Lyra mused wistfully as she tried to pick out the slightly taller form of Aegis. Soon my pretty hands… soooon.

Fluttershy was at the other end of the market looking for Zecora’s ‘once every two week sales day’ stall. I hope she remembered to grab those herbs I needed, or else I won’t have enough medicine for the week.

Fluttershy was flying low to the ground, as per usual, humming along to keep her spirits up. Her pace slowed when she heard chanting and occasional bouts of laughter coming from further up ahead. There was the expected gathering of ponies going about their daily shopping, but what confused Fluttershy was that the amassed throng of purple beings was their focus. It was only until she got closer that Fluttershy could see they were not Twilight’s drones, but Twilight herself, with about a hundred copies of herself running around chanting ‘books’. It was only now that Fluttershy saw several ponies and schoolchildren, who were obviously not disguised drones due to the imperfections in their costumes who were joining in shouting ‘fun!’ all over the place.

“Pranks!” yelled several voices from right behind Fluttershy making her yelp and jump frightfully into the air while turning around. She found several pony versions of Rainbow Dash snickering maniacally before flying off in different directions.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy heaved as she got her heart rate under control. “I feared this day would come.” Good thing I had Angel Bunny prepare a shelter.

“Pranks!” yelled some more Rainbows from behind Fluttershy, causing her to freak and race over to Zecora’s stall. The drones looked sheepishly at each other and bolted for less panicky prey.

Fluttershy came to a screeching halt at the shaman’s stall when she found Zecora giving the stink eye to the sleeping Rainbow Dash perched on top of the stall’s sign. “Welcome friend, Fluttershy, I hope you too have have not had problems from on high.”

Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow’s imposter who was draped over the flimsy sign that was threatening to buckle. “Naps, snnnzzzzzkk, naps,” the disguised drone moaned sleepily.

“Oh well, I wouldn’t say that, exactly,” Fluttershy said as she quickly looked backwards at the sound of feathered wings on the air, only to find it was a passing lime green pegasus. Some part of her briefly wondered how changelings managed to make that sound while disguised. “But, um, they’re just having fun.”

Fluttershy realized her mistake the instant the last word left her mouth. A half dozen pink ponies raced up yelling “Fun! Fun! Fun!”

Yelling in fear, which sadly ended up sounding like she was playing along, Fluttershy was chased by the six Pinkie Pies all the way out of the marketplace before they bounced away to find more unhappy ponies to cheer up.

Zecora sighed at both Fluttershy and the false Rainbow Dash still limply draped on her sign. “These ponies and their crazy way, I’ll have to go by her house later today.”

Rarity was many things; a fashionista, a mother, friend to both pony and changeling crowns, a dressmaker, and a businessmare. However, it was rare that people took notice of just how shrewd of a businessmare she actually was. Even now with her second foal barely a month away, she toiled away at the store floor, making sure her stock was ‘just so’.

The sound of leathery wings heralded her husband’s arrival from upstairs. “I thought I’d find you down here, toiling away as always.”

“My dear, Epaulets,” Rarity cooed as he came in for a loving nuzzle. “Would you have me wasting away in bed while our foal-to-be saps me of my strength?”

“As if you let that stop you the first time,” Epaulets replied with a wink and a kiss. “I know better than to try and stop you, but you should at least let me take more of the workload for the time being.”

“No time for that now, darling,” Rarity declared as she waddled her way over to stand at the ready for the expected customers. “Today is important.”

Epaulets stood there quizzically, yet his unspoken question was not answered by Rarity, but by the clamor going on outside. Rarity nodded towards the door, prompting him to take a look. However he barely got three steps before the door exploded open to reveal a Rainbow Dash, three Twilight Sparkles, and Sweetie Belle dressed up as Pinkie Pie.”

“Fun! Pranks! Books!” they cried as they bounded into the room all smiles and smirks. Rarity gave her sister a knowing grin before going right into her sales pitch. “Well heavens me, but it looks like we have a clone parade today!” Rarity pulled a rack of dresses over that had a book motif, ranging from decorative script, to having layered fabric appearing as pages of a tome. The brief moment of the Twilight Sparkles breaking character was all Rarity needed to pull up a second line of outfits. “I even made some dashing book suits for those you who are colts under that disguise.”

One purple unicorn blushed and pulled over to peruse the suits. Sweetie Belle was caught between embarrassment at her sister capitalizing on the holiday like this and being impressed for the same reason.

“Pranks, pranks?” chirped the Rainbows as they swirled inquisitively around Rarity.

“I haven’t forgotten about you,” Rarity teased.

She looked to Epaulets who was now stuck with scoffing laughter. So that’s why she wanted me to work on those motifs. “Come one, come all, to the finest garments any self respecting prankster should wear.” The two Rainbows were joined by three more that flew in, along with two more Twilight Sparkles. “Comfortable, unisex, and yet won’t get in the way if you need a quick escape, and even has pouches so you need not burden yourself with saddlebags.”

“Pranks! Pranks! Pranks!” they chanted as the Rainbows swarmed over the outfits. Many of them saw potential uses for such utilitarian clothing in soldiering or engineering duties, and quickly snatched up the whole line.

“Now don’t worry about paying now,” Rarity said at the expected question, though mostly so none of them had to break character. “I’ll pass the tab along to your mothers.”

It wasn’t long before drones of both colors cycled through the boutique and quickly took Rarity and Epaulets’ entire stock.

Rarity leaned against her thestral husband smiling all the while. Sweetie Belle came up to her with a mildly disapproving half-smile. “Rarity, you’re so bad sometimes.”

“Oh posh,” Rarity dismissed with a hoof wave. “I’m already giving them the friend’s discount.”

“Not to mention the changelings are in terrible need of some different colors,” Epaulets added with a proud nod to his work. “Blue, purple, and brass can get a bit stale after a while.”

“I hope so,” Sweetie Belle replied with a little less sour in her tone. Poor bugs may look like adults, but they’re like kids in so many ways.

Aegis couldn’t be happier as she ran through town with Blitz at her side along with a small group of her blue and purple kin. “Books! Books!” she said at random passersby as her group somehow managed to round town hall, the spa, and Rarity’s shop only to return near the library without realizing it.

Dusk was upon Ponyville by the time most Ponyvillians were used to the new additions to the Funnaversery so they passed it off with mild yet tired cheer. Hunger and thirst clawed at Aegis, but not only did she want to keep having fun, but saw it as a test of her endurance.

Off to the side, she spotted an orange unicorn mare sitting alone on a cafe bench. Yet it was the book she had her nose stuck to that made Aegis grin. Aunty isn’t the only one who likes a good prank.

Mentally pinging her purple siblings, Aegis led them away from Blitz and the rest to stalk the new mare that she hadn’t seen in her literary tour of the town. The trio of Twilight Sparkles crept the long way around the cafe’s outer fence. A few passing ponies saw them and it didn’t take much for them to identify their hapless target. Some ignored it and moved on while a few stuck around to see a harmless scream.

Aegis gingerly crept over the fence while her two cohorts simply bounded over it, thankfully the cafe had soft grass to quiet their landing. As one, the three disguised changelings jumped right behind the blissfully unaware unicorn. “Books! Books! Books!” they cried as the Twilight Sparkles bounced around the mare’s table.

“I hear you’ve had fun today,” the orange mare said with a snorting nerdy giggle. Aegis and the others stopped bouncing around and looked at the orange mare with confusion at the familiar tone. “I hope you didn’t smudge my good name too much today.”

The orange mare gave Aegis just long enough for her to see the unicorn radiated the tell tale sign of non-changeling arcane illusion magic, a sort of mana runoff that was obvious to her now that she thought to look. Upon Aegis’ realization, the orange mare seemed to warp and grow as magic rippled off of her like water to reveal the real Queen Twilight Sparkle.

One of the stallions in the small crowd jeered, “Busted!” Others in the crowd joined in the schadenfreude.

Aegis and her cohorts did a good impression of Fluttershy by squeaking and jumping backwards while dropping their disguises. “Oh, ah, hey mo- I mean, my queen. It was all harmless fun, honest.” The two drones dumbly parroted Aegis.

“Uh huh.” Twilight stood to her full height to eye her royal daughter. “Now, Aegis, I hope I can walk through town without any dirty looks.”

“Umm…” Aegis gave her best innocent smile. “You may want to avoid Cranky Doodle’s house for a while.”

Twilight’s face soured progressively worse as the same stallion jeered some more ,”OOooo you did it now, girl.”

Aegis wanted to give the stallion some lip, but Twilight’s Motherly Glower of Parental Vexation rooted her gaze. “Anypony else?”

“There was that brown guy with the hourglass mark that dropped his ice cream cone after we ambushed him,” one of the drones offered hesitantly.

“And we may or may not have scared Granny Smith up an apple tree.”

“I thought you purple guys chanted ‘books’ not ‘pranks’,” the stallion heckled with mounting amusement.

Aegis purposely shifted her eyes between her mother and the stallion, but Twilight remained unmoving as if she couldn’t even hear him. “I trust you didn’t just leave her up there, did you?” Twilight sighed in relief when they shook their heads. “Very well, you may enjoy the rest of your week, my daughters. From what I’ve seen, the holiday was a grand success,” Twilight added with a sly wink and smile. “Since you managed to expand the holiday, we should make this a yearly event, what do you say?”

“That’d be stupendous, my queen,” one of the drones cheered while Aegis inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. The turnaround in the conversation saw the crowd dispersing, leaving only the heckling stallion behind.

“Do you think we could do the rest of your pony friends next year?” Aegis inquired eagerly.

“You better ask them in advance first,” Twilight conceded, but her tone grew stern again. “But before we go into any of that, Aegis, I want you to try to make it up to Granny Smith, Cranky, and whoever the other stallion is. Any success can be reversed if any of them hold a grudge about it.”

“Yes, my queen,” Aegis and the others replied with deflated enthusiasm.

With a queenly nod and an amused smile, Twilight pulled away from the table, threw her forelegs out and let her expression go from queen to mother. “Now come here you three.”

Aegis and the others beamed smiles at the prospect of Mother-Twilight time and raced over to glomp their matriarch to form a pile of fur and giggles. Aegis was fastest and got the coveted spot where she could fully wrap her arms around Twilight and nuzzled her chest. All three of them basked in Twilight’s motherly love as if it was the light of the Silver City itself. Twilight in turn let her children’s love wrap around her like a warm blanket on a cold night. “You all make me so proud.” She hugged them a little tighter, flooding them with her depthless love.

Between Twilight’s praise, the embrace, and her mother’s love, Aegis dearly wished she could prolong this moment for an eternity. A small part of the back of her mind pondered the future. I wonder what it will feel like on the flip side.

As always, it was Twilight who had to break the embrace with one of the drones looking into Twilight’s eyes with pride. “Will you be staying long?”

“The whole week,” Twilight replied, much to the trio’s profound delight. “Gentle Touch is more than capable of running things for that long without me.”

Aegis and the others cheered wildly and pranced around Twilight. “Does this mean we get momma-time with you all week?!”

Twilight tittered behind a hoof. “Well it wouldn’t be much of a vacation if I spent it as Queen-Twilight now would it, just remember it’s not just you three,” she added with a knowing smirk. Before Aegis and the others could explode with excitement, Twilight continued. “Now off you go for now, and have fun while you can,” Twilight focused on Aegis, “Rainbow and I will be redoubling your training after the vacation to make up for the week.”

“Ah, that’s future me’s problem,” Aegis remarked before turning to wave the drones to come with her. “Come on, girls, I heard Applejack’s got some hard cider waiting for us.”

“Now you're speaking my language,” cheered one.

“Yes! That stuff’s stupendously good!” yelled the other.

Aegis cast one last questioning leer at the lingering stallion who was busying himself with reading over the cafe’s menu on a stand-up chalkboard, but since his aura remained a playful yellowish green instead of a more insidious color, she ultimately dismissed him. The trio sped away to fully enjoy the week.

With them gone, Twilight sat back down to enjoy her book with a waiter bringing over a few hayburgers and some root beer. With only the waiter and a few remaining diners of the cafe remaining nearby, the stallion cantering over to Twilight before being wreathed in magenta flames to reveal Rainbow Dash puppeting Thunderfury. “Gotta say, Twi, this was a crazy fun day.”

Twilight playfully rolled her eyes at the obvious word play. “Ha, and that it was.” With only a thankful nod to the waiter, Twilight dove right into her burger. <How long did it take before you joined in the fun?>

“All of about two seconds,” Rainbow snickered. “Had to jump from kid to kid every so often so I wouldn’t take anypony’s whole day away.”

“Well that was thoughtful of you,” Twilight said with a blissful mouth full of heavenly food. Omnivore or not, Twilight still loved a good and greasy hayburger loaded down with onions, pickles, and swimming in ketchup.

“Yeah well you know me, I am the nice one,” Rainbow teased as she leered at Twilight.

“If that’s the case, we’re all doomed,” Twilight shot back with a chuckle. Her mirth died as her breath caught in her throat. “Wait… you jumped from drone to drone? You at least made sure they had some privacy before departing them right?”

Rainbow turned away with a superior fang filled grin. “Of course I did, what do you take me for?” Thunderfury started to worry and prepared to bolt for an alleyway should Rainbow release him right then and there.

“A shameless prankster,” Twilight deadpanned with an unamused lifted eyebrow.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Rainbow replied innocently.

“Everything from the day I met you and on,” Twilight rebuked while blowing a raspberry.

“Guilty as charged.” Rainbow cackled, offering no further defense. “By the way, Pinkie’s throwing a final party to close the day out. I’m physically on my way over now. You going to be there?”

The famished queen downed the last bite, and used the bun of a second burger to wipe the ketchup off her face with practiced success. <On my vacation? Wouldn’t miss it for the world.>

Author's Notes:
What is this, bonus month!? What sort of horrors did Blitz suffer to earn her royal status? Will Fluttershy get rebirthed into a Tea'la? Has Discord filed his taxes yet? What happened during the Pinkie Pie Chocolate Factory incident? If I cracked corn in the forest, would Jimmy care?
You'll probably maybe sometimes never find out any of these answers from me, unless some unspecified event happens at some point somewhere over yonder.

16: Of Queens and Predictably Clever Equestrians

On the extensive list of things Twilight Sparkle never thought she’d be doing, dining with Chrysalis and Kreesus on moderately amicable terms was decidedly at the bottom. Chrysalis was right at home, on multiple levels, in her chair at the head of the table with her sister Jstrul sitting to her right. As always, Twilight and Rainbow sat together. That left Kreesus at the other end of the table with the young queen Valera, daughter of Silandrus, sitting opposite of the former Equestrians.

A team of drones delivered an assortment of dishes, primarily vegetarian in nature, save for the mildly disquieting smell of the stew they set in front of Twilight and Rainbow. Chrysalis purred at their discomfort. “You’ll have to excuse the lack of flavoring, I don’t get many meat eating guests.”

She wouldn’t actually try to poison us now of all times, would she? Rainbow grumbled at the congealed mass of glop in front of her. Any idea that Chrysalis couldn’t cook was cast aside at the lavish assortment of grains and vegetables set before the rest of the queens, all sauteed and seasoned to tantalize her senses. “If it’s all the same to you, I think we’ll get our meat from the ship.”

Twilight at least gave the gelatin mass a try, only to gag on the horrid, tongue clinging insult to chefs everywhere. “I’ll have a salad if it’s all the same to you.”

Kreesus tapped her hoof impatiently, and ignored the mild banter of accused pamperedness directed at the two former ponies. I have to get a drone to Ponyville and find Roseluck. Maybe… Maybe there’s a chance.

Kreesus’ sole major ally, Queen Valera, noticed how distracted Kreesus was. “I’m surprised you haven’t joined the fun.”

She managed to save face by looking up from her barely touched meal with a gruff inquisitive hum. “What are you going on about?”

Any banter Valera was about to propagate was cut short by Rainbow Dash leaning over her plate. “How about we stop playing games and get to planning our strategy?”

Twilight Sparkle scowled at the other queens. “I think the less time we all spend in one room, the less likely our alliance will fall apart.”

Chrysalis slowly nodded to the point. “A sound idea.” She paused to take a bite of lettuce. “Until recently, we’ve been able to keep Polybia and her undead legions in check. However in the past few months her swarm has been continuously bolstered by every kind of undead filth you can imagine, drone, beast, even specters, whatever she deems as potential soldiers.

“However,” Chrysalis continued with a wicked grin. “Kreesus’ spies have determined that Polybia doesn’t command her undead hordes like the hive mind, but through semi-royal drones serving as generals of a sort.”

“Wait, wait, what do you mean semi-royals?” Rainbow asked. Despite the ill company, Rainbow was glad to take center stage away from her sister now that they were in her world now.

“We’re not exactly sure what they really are,” Jstrul elaborated reluctantly as she absently rubbed her bandaged face. “They’re drones that don’t have the tell-tale glowing eyes, but they have rounded irises. Plus, they have been observed to have personalities that are distinct enough to not be typical puppets.”

“So either Polybia’s been taking lessons from your hive, or she’s going off the deep end,” Chrysalis added with a smug smirk. “Either way, they die if severed from the hive mind. We only found that out when a Silence Behemoth rampaged through an army that was trying to subdue it and got too close to the puppet general.

“You should have seen the glorious irony of the undead all immediately turning on Polybia’s living forces. Sadly, ever since then, these ‘proxy generals’ have been too well defended against the majority of our assassination attempts. Thus far, we’ve only killed them in conventional battle, but by then, killing them hardly matters.”

“Which is where we come in,” Kreesus cut in bitterly, gesturing to herself and the Equestrians. “Your ship is a concentrated force, so you can cut deeply into these armies and assassinate the generals without having to cut through the entire swarm first. Since Polybia can’t control the undead remotely, we need only kill these ‘generals’ to make her armies slaughter each other.”

“What’s this, we stuff?” Rainbow growled at Kreesus. “As far as I’m concerned, you can keep your fishery stanky plot as far away from my ship as possible. I want somepony else being our support.”

“You speak as if I want this either,” Kreesus fumed, but didn’t rise to the bait. “Because of my darling Fluffy, I’m the only one here who has the knowledge of where you can hide your airship should you need repairs. And I already have multiple strains designed to support Fluffy in combat, which translates somewhat to keeping your tinker toy in the air.”

“Well don’t get too comfortable,” Rainbow huffed before sliding into a superior smirk. “We have a new ship about to be released from dry-dock, the Steamrunner.”

Although it galled her to do it, Rainbow Dash reluctantly started to give some specifics. They need to know what we can do if we’re to operate effectively. All it took was some expectant looks from the others, and Twilight giving her a mental nudge to finally go through with it. She sat back in her chair to give some last second hug to her hive’s biggest kept secret. “…We’re classifying it as a cruiser under Griffin naval standards,” Rainbow started idly scratching her chin. “The Steamrunner is larger and more heavily armored than the Deception. However, frontline combat is not its sole purpose, so we only gave it armament comparable to the Deception. Instead the Steamrunner carries a full brigade of infantry.”

Rainbow Dash leaned forward in her chair to take a few bites of her new salad while Twilight finished. “We designed it so after our ships secure the surface, our infantry can storm the hive.”

“So you do have the stomach for getting your precious drones’ hooves dirty,” Kreesus remarked offhandedly.

“We allowed them to mate with you didn’t we?” Rainbow snarked with a caustic frown. Kreesus bristled, but managed to keep her cool. “Of course, we had to quarantine Steel Edge after you had your “fling”. Didn’t want any STDs going around the hive after all.”

Kreesus snapped, and jumped out of her chair to the ready, with Rainbow Dash doing to same in answer to the challenge.

Twilight was quick to try and restrain Rainbow with a hoof baring her chest. “Save it for Polybia. Imagine each other’s faces on the enemy if you have to.”

“Sound advice,” Chrysalis purred with a playful eye. “If we’re done bickering, then let’s all sit back down and discuss how we’re going deal with Polybia once and for all.”

It didn’t take much more than a cursory glance from Twilight to get Rainbow Dash to sit back down, having had her fun. Kreesus outwardly glared malice into Rainbow Dash while inwardly sighing. I’m not sure whether I actually deserve the abuse or not anymore.

Jstrul was the first to begin. “We’ll keep Polybia’s forces busy on all fronts, to make sure she can’t spare enough forces to overwhelm your ships. That way you can suffer the brunt of Polybia’s armies for once,” she stated with only thinly veiled irritation. Rainbow fumed at the attitude while Twilight took it impassively. “And try to destroy priority targets, along with the generals, while you’re at it. You do that, and Polybia’s swarm will tear itself apart, piecemeal.”

“Sounds logical,” Twilight added evenly, glad that Rainbow had a distraction from Kreesus. “You have current knowledge of her troop movements. Where should we strike first?”

Chrysalis hummed approvingly. “So eager to get started, or just want to show off your toys?”

“Don't act like you don't want to see our guns turned against someone else for a change,” Twilight replied with a half frown.

“I wasn’t aware we had ever come to blows outside of the wedding, but fair enough.” Chrysalis had a drone show up with several copies of the jungle map, so that every queen would have one. It had various areas shaded green and red with more details surrounding a location barely twenty miles south of their current location. “Fortunately, you’ve come at a good time. Polybia is advancing on my principle farmlands a ways south of here. I was planning on taking her head on, but now that you’ve finally honored us with your presence-”

Chrysalis paused for but a moment, as if it pained her to address her as an equal. “Queen Rainbow Dash, I trust you can do this without your frigate leading the way.”

Rainbow gave off a smug grin at the address, but couldn’t help but to feel slighted. So you finally have to acknowledge me as queen, eh? ‘Bout time. “We’ll get the job done, you guys worry about covering our asses. How long until she attacks?”

“Given what we know of Polybia,” Jstrul started as a seeing eye drone poured over the map. “Before first light.”

“Then we’ll attack at midnight tonight,” Rainbow stated forcefully. “If Poly Pocket has any tactical sense she’ll attack earlier than we expect, so we just have to hit her first.”

The rest of the meal was spent going over minute details over the plan of action. While Rainbow was busy with strategizing, a part of Twilight Sparkle was steeling herself for the trials to come. May the First Mother grant us the strength we need to endure Grogar’s power.

For her part, Chrysalis was also distracted from the battle ahead of her. Grogar… what to do, what to do… Should I just eliminate you and play it safe? Well, I haven’t gotten to where I am today by playing it safe. The real question is, is destroying you the smart move?

Princess Celestia truly loved partly cloudy evenings. The gorgeous tapestry of purples, oranges, and yellows across the sky sang to her love of art. Currently, Celestia rested in her secluded retreat on the far side of Canterlot Mountain. She found a certain charm in the carefully manicured stone path between the conservatory and the palace. It was a quaint and secluded mountain trail with mountain grass sticking out here and there, giving it a rugged charm. However, even here in the east conservatory, she found little peace. While her lunch had only just arrived, it remained untouched as the ageless alicorn’s eyes were fixated on the southern horizon. Pensive worry weighed heavily on her heart. My dear Twilight, perhaps I did you a disservice by teaching you to solve such problems face to face. So many good leaders die leading from the front. I hope neither you nor Rainbow Dash meet a similar fate.

Steeling herself, Celestia returned to her meal and floated over a half-filled scroll along with a quill. I am tired of the rumors about this alliance with PR being called ‘fair-weather’ friends. She hated it even more because fear of a PCE retaliation to military assistance in the past had stayed her hoof. That ends tomorrow. The PCE be damned. Once I deliver this speech the first wave of ships and troops will be on their way to face Polybia and Grogar side by side with Twilight.

Celestia penned several lines and ate most of her soufflé when what felt like a headache inducing wavefront pushed past her. Celestia’s unicorn magic cut out almost instantly, causing her scroll and fork full of food to clatter down to the brick tiled floor. Old combat training kicked in, causing Celestia to flare her unhampered alicorn magic as she jumped to a defense stance. In the absence of her more mortal types of magic, Celestia’s core being of Celesti, Spirit of the Sun, manifested in full. Her mane and tail roiled like the surface of the sun while her eyes became like minature burning suns in of themselves. Lastly, her body started radiating heat, quickly turning the conservatory into an oven.

Sweeping her gaze across the room and windows revealed no immediately threats, aside from the cushions and plants starting to burn from her scorching presence. With none of her mortal magic available to stifle the heat, Celestia focused her senses on finding the source of the mana dampening to shut it down before she started melting the floor. With her magic sense alert, Celestia felt the collection of enchantments on her regal attire had been completely torn away. In addition, the Weave of the World was being pushed away from the building with incredible force, making any spell casting all but impossible. Who could do this!? Even I would need a building sized array to affect the Weave so powerfully.

Celestia quickly removed her regalia before they could start melting into her fur, and resolved to find the source of the disturbance. She was startled to sense that who or whatever it was, they were close to the front of the conservatory. Celestia bolted to the only door in the room to check the small entry room between the front door and her impromptu dining area. No one is supposed to know I’m here except for Luna, and my personal guard.

The room beyond revealed both of her unicorn solar guards were unconscious. Fearing her alicorn magic might burn her most trusted guards alive, Celestia shielded herself with the large ornately painted steel doors to see if the guards’ chests continued to rise and fall from breathing.

Good, they are alive at least. A field this devoid of mana would keep any unicorn out cold, but it looks like I found them before whoever is causing this got here. Either that, or they’re waiting for me to come to them.

Knowing her guards were safe for the moment, Celestia swept her senses forward into the heart of the magic-void to find a single pony buffeted against the mana winds. With her white hot alicorn magic at the ready, Celestia bounded over her guards and burst the front doors open to confront the pony.

What she found gave her pause. Standing roughly twenty meters away from Celestia was a large machine, easily rivaling her in size with several glowing tubes, chugging gears, and a steady cloud of grey exhaust while giving off a high pitched whir. Beside it was a blue unicorn stallion in a royal navy officer’s uniform wearing a thick protective ring around his horn to keep from passing out. Celestia was momentarily disarmed by him prostrating himself before her, giving her cause to look for any concealed threats. Fearing her own heat, Celestia shut the door behind her and slowly side stepped away from the building to keep the guards from roasting.

Her fiery mane and tail expanded along with her senses, baking everything it touched as Celestia searched for any hidden threats. It didn’t take her long to locate several ponies hidden among the rocky terrain just beyond the path.

“Princess Celestia, you honor me with your radiant light,” the bowing blue stallion said above the whine of the machine. Celestia kept her eyes fixed on him while keeping her senses on the hidden ponies.

Acting as if she was satisfied she and the stallion were alone, she shrank her flaming mane and tail back to a more normal size while addressing him. She couldn’t see his name tag, but his rank was evident on his shoulders. A naval officer? “What is the meaning of this, Commander?” In this form, Celestia’s voice resonated great power that threatened to burn with but a whisper.

“I am Commander Gleaming Light of the E.R.N. Trottingham,” he said with unwavering reverence. “As for why I am here, please allow me to extend my apologies for meeting you like this, your highness. I know you have lived these long and difficult twelve years with a heavy heart. Always watching your step, fearing even a slight misspoken word would reveal your true motives. My gift to you and admittedly to myself, are these precious few moments. With this machine, I have pushed the Weave back, and in the process, have destroyed any and all listening spells and disabled any spying changelings nearby.”

Celestia was wise enough to let him ramble on for a bit longer, if only to let him continue volunteering information. “We’ve discovered that drones are just as affected as unicorns by the Weave being pushed aside. As a result, you can speak without Cadista and her ilk listening in,” he said with a thread of hate under his reverence for Celestia. “I beg your forgiveness for any inconveniences my dampener has caused you.”

“That explains the how, Commander,” Celestia stated with a chilly tone. Gleaming Light felt it unsettling that his fiery princess had such ice in her voice. “But not all of the why.”

“I am a lieutenant in the PCE, my princess,” he replied evenly despite his unease, “and I came to you today to speak with the true you behind your public face.”

Celestia bristled at the admission, but let her head cool almost as fast as it had heated up. This is obviously a game or a trap. A real PCE leader wouldn’t be so daft as to approach me directly, hidden assassins or not. “I don’t suppose you’ve come here to confess you’re actually a true loyalist who joined the PCE to secretly spy on them, by chance?”

Gleaming Light tried to keep his hopes up in spite of the implications of her words. His composure wasn’t helped by his profuse sweating. Even if she was standing nearly twenty meters away on a slightly windy mountain top, it felt like he was standing before an open smelter. “To be honest, princess, no. I joined the PCE because I fear those love-sucking vampires will be the death of our great nation. Even so, I know my organization has much to answer for. The loss of ponies’ lives is intolerable, and the debacle at the docks was beyond inexcusable.” Celestia leveraged her countless years of politics to keep a cold and calculating expression. For now though, she remained silent, giving him the rope to hang himself with. “Ever since that disaster at the docks, and Dame Applejack’s… biting condemnations, and these long, long years of your public denouncements, many of us are having a crisis of faith… Myself included.”

“Is that so?” Celestia commented condescendingly.

Gleaming Light sweated bullets at Celestia’s cold reception, and hoped it was only the heat. Is she testing me? Why would she, now that she can finally speak freely!? “Yes, it is, your highness. My group has endured all these years of you publicly condemning us. Some are now taking it worse than others. I beg of you, Princess,” Gleaming groveled in front of her, not daring to step one inch closer to his smoldering princess. “In this brief moment of free speech, now that we are all laid bare, please tell me you’ve secretly supported us. That you denounce us publicly, yet thank us in your private moments.”

“And here I was thinking you had long since wedged cotton in your ears,” Celestia stated bitterly, making Gleaming gulp loudly. “Well then, let’s clear the air between us.” She fixed him with a deceptively neutral stare that stood in stark contrast to her roiling fiery mane. “I despise every single thing that your organization has done, and I’d sooner banish myself to the sun than ever thank you.”

Gleaming was stunned as his world threatened to crash down around him. “But you did it all to secretly try to free Twilight Sparkle from Cadista’s control!”

Celestia’s age old composure threatened to break into a snarl. “Do you think me so weak that I couldn’t do that myself? That I would lie to my people, or the world for so long and so completely?” Gleaming tried to speak, but Celestia’s harsh gaze froze him in place. He was not a regular observer in the Day Court, and had never seen so much fury manifested in such a stoic expression. It was Celestia’s eyes, burning a brilliant orange of the sun that ultimately betrayed the furnace of rage she held in check. “Since you’ve been so kind to present me a chance to speak without you ignoring me,” she stated coldly, making Gleaming recoil. “Let me put this as blunt and perfectly clear as possible. In all these years, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash have remained masters of their own will since the beginning.

“I pried, I searched, and I did everything under the sun to see if they were being controlled, and I found nothing,” she stated with all the steel her voluminous experience granted her. “If I had any inkling that Twilight Sparkle was being controlled by any force, Cadista or otherwise, I would not hide my true will for the sake of diplomacy. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash were and remain paragons recognized by the very Elements of Harmony themselves. Including Loyalty. You believe that I would allow Equestria’s greatest defenders to be controlled by another?” she demanded incredulously.

By now Gleaming Light was shrinking in on himself as his world crashed down around him. “I would not lie to my subjects to secretly find some way of purging any foreign control over either of them. No, I would have been right at the forefront, I would tell everyone the truth in this matter. Both queens are far too important to national security to do otherwise.” While Celestia was heavily invested in both queens emotionally, she refused to let that color her words, not in front of her little audience of terrorists.

“I – I understand, princess.” Gleaming tried to adopt a dignified stance, but ultimately the weight of Celestia’s words crushed what was left of his spirit. “I… I accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”

Celestia’s fury hiccupped at him surrendering so quickly. “You clung so dearly to the idea I secretly praised you that tightly?” And remained sane? she added derisively to herself.

“It was all we had,” Gleaming replied half-heartedly. “Those of the founding members of the PCE, I like to think, did it all because we thought it was what you wanted of us. After you sent the Element Bearers to restore Princess Luna, defeat Discord, and thwart the First Invasion of Canterlot, we all assumed this was but another trial for us all since Twilight was corrup… changed. With her under Cadista’s control, you couldn’t use the Elements to free her, so I stepped in with twelve others to found the PCE.”

“And yet I have never concealed my true will concerning any of those threats,” Celestia chastised bitterly. There’s no way he knows under what pretense I originally sent Twilight to Ponyville for. “Instead you think I would willingly let Equestria’s ‘enemies’ settle within our borders, gift them that land, and help merge our two societies? All for the sake of two mares?”

For someone who had surrendered his fate to her, Gleaming Light took offense to being indirectly called a fool. “Did you not do the same for Princess Luna?” Celestia’s stoic mask cracked with anger at him using her sister against her. “Anypony who spent any kind of time in the palace could tell Twilight Sparkle was practically family to you.”

Celestia’s reply was cut off by the mana-void engine started clanking loudly enough to draw their attention. “What is it doing, Gleaming?”

“It’s failing early?!” He got no further before the engine gave off a startlingly unhealthy grinding noise followed by belching black smoke. Scant moments later part of the machine actually blew off, with the whole thing proceeding to topple over. “It was never designed to hold the Weave back for very long. Just long enough to give you a chance to speak without any changeling enchantment eavesdropping on us.” Or possible mind control.

The Weave didn’t wait for him to finish that thought as it rushed to fill the void. The mana rocked them on their hooves, giving Gleaming Light a chance to duck and cover, but was less kind to the engine. The implosion of mana reacted violently with the inner workings of the machine, causing the whole thing to explode in a hail of shrapnel. With her alicorn magic unrestrained in her body, Celestia was more energy than flesh and blood, allowing her to stand in the face of the explosion that was actually chilly to her. The flying chunks of metal embedded deeply in several places in her body, but they simply melted and fell through her into the growing puddle of molten rock at her hooves.

Instead of any blood that she would normally spill, her ethereal body simply wavered at the holes punched into it before reforming back to normal. Once she was cleared of shrapnel, Celestia stepped out of the hissing puddle of rock before allowing her mortal magic to return to its balanced state, causing her eyes and hair to return to normal. Her body cooled rapidly, causing the air around her to roil wildly. Finally, she shivered a bit as blood started pumping through her once more. Haven’t done that in while. Gleaming must have done some research about me to not be startled by my inner form. Celestia might have found her return from incorporeal to flesh and blood exhilarating were it not for the pony who caused it in the first place.

Gleaming Light was not fortunate enough to repair such injuries so quickly. Though being thrown into a prone stance allowed him to survive, he had bits of metal and crystal embedded in his entire left side. Damn. I knew I didn’t have long before it failed, but it never exploded like that during testing.

He had no time to assess his injuries, attempt to stand, or even check to see if the princess was unharmed when Celestia’s shadow loomed over him. She magically probed his body to make sure his life wasn’t in danger. “While I am typically proud to see my subjects exercise initiative. In your case however, it pains me to see such potential squandered like this.”

Gleaming didn’t bother resisting as she hefted him up in her magic for transport. His gamble for the past decade was a complete and utter failure. “I am truly sorry, Princess, we thought we were doing your will.”

“If that was your real aim, then you will tell me where all of your fellow conspirators are located so the Guard and the military can deal with them accordingly. In particular, I want any surviving members of the attack on the Deception.”

“Of course, Princess,” he hissed in agony to which Celestia was in no mood to ease. “But not everypony will submit when they hear the truth, even if I tell them directly.”

Celestia started slowly walking back over to the conservatory with Gleaming in tow. While she had a prisoner to handle, she still needed to make sure her personal guards were well enough to send a message to the palace. I think I burned all of my scrolls, so writing a letter is out until I make it back to the palace, and teleporting with him injured like this would only kill him. “Let me guess,” she replied with forced neutrality. “Those ‘honorable’ original members started to leave once they realized they had been mistaken. So you had to turn to more unscrupulous recruits?”

“For the past four years, yes, Princess. If you could find it in yourself to forgive Discord, can you show this old fool and what few true Equestrians are left in the PCE some modicum of mercy?”

It took her a few more steps before Celestia came to a halt as her mind churned. “Discord is a victim of his nature, but more importantly, is only one person. Even now he remains closely watched.” Celestia trailed off as she latched her magic onto half of the hidden ponies and forcibly pulled them out of hiding to hang in front of her. Each of them yelped in surprise only to either shudder in fear of reprisal, or hang as defeated as Gleaming was. “You on the other hoof, are far too many to give such a pass.”

Celestia turned to yell at the rest of the hidden ponies. “If you wish to see any level of mercy from the crown, I want the rest of you to spread the word to your miserable brethren. Go to the southern palace guard station within twenty four hours and I will remember this cooperation when I decide your fate. Now go!” she commanded with all of the authority her crown possessed. The remaining ponies fled by air or hoof to do her wishes.

With them gone, Celestia turned back to her collection of prisoners. “In fact, I think I already have something fitting in store for you all.”

Through the creeping depths of his defeatism, Gleaming Light remembered something with a gasp. “Wait, Princess, as a token of our sincerity, I can give you the time and place of the attack we were going to conduct today.”

Celestia’s regal mask nearly broke under the sorrow and fury, but reigned it in before it could manifest. “The day is almost over. Speak quickly, Commander.”

Gleaming Light glanced at the setting sun to guess the time. “Phoenix Roost was supposed to be unveiling some kind of new ship from the dry docks earlier today. We were planning to have it’s destruction serve as a gift to you when you-”

Heedless of his cries of pain from being yanked in front of her, Celestia glared Gleaming down face to face. “HOW?”

Earlier that day…

Blitz groaned as she stood atop an elevated platform near the airship dry-dock. A gathering of citizens, both changeling and non-changeling alike were currently being dazzled by the Steamrunner as it departed the shipyard. Its 650 foot length gracefully inched its way out into the world. It had a steel finish to it’s paint, a contrast to the brass found on the Deception and Long Shot. Like the Deception it had four primary gun batteries, and a scattered array of close defense guns. Along the dorsal hull, twin Octavia sword-like pipes thrummed with power.

However, unlike the Deception much of the ship’s exterior was nearly bereft of gun emplacements. In their stead stood five hundred of the hive’s best infantry in the latest metal plated leather armor with their rifles gleaming in the sun. One hundred combat Clockwerks filled in the gaps. Behind the soldiers and along the stern half of the warship were a series of closed hatches where thousands of drones could deploy in rapid succession. Only the occasional small mounted gun and one of the primary deck batteries on the ventral side interrupted the assault hatches.

The ship had streaks of sky blue and lavender to give it a dash of personality beyond the business end of a gun. Upon it all, Aegis stood on top of the command bridge so she was clearly visible to the cheering crowd below. <And I’m telling you, they aren’t just regular infantry, they should be called the First Airborne Brigade.>

<But we all have wings! How does ‘Airborne’ make any sense?> Blitz shot back. She finished giving the cast-off ceremonial speech and just waved at the crowd and the soldiers and sailors on the Steamrunner.

<It would make sense if you know why Equestrians and the other races call different soldiers different names based on what they’re trained in.> Aegis stood tall and proud while posing with Burny at the photographers hovering nearby. Launching new ships in Equestria was always a cause for some fanfare, but new warships were a rare sight.

<You’re just pulling the ‘militant’ card so you can get what you want.>

Aegis snorted in amusement. <Hey, when we get our hive set up, you can name allll the civilian stuff, but you gotta let me have at least this much.>

Blitz grumbled in reluctant agreement. <Agreed, but I’ll remember this verbal contract when we start making ships of our own one day.>

Aegis wilted under the mental snickering she felt wafting from Blitz. Why do I feel like I’m going to regret that…?

By now, the Steamrunner was slowly moving towards the western end of the hive along the standard maiden voyage route for all Phoenix Roost ships. Once the new cruiser gained a little altitude, a gunship escort slid over to take up formation with the Steamrunner.

The ceremony ended shortly thereafter as the cruiser moved off to begin its shakedown. Aegis was eager to get started and retreated inside to find Captain Rourke managing the bridge. “How’s that leg treating you, Captain?”

Captain Rourke looked up from the latest report from the engine room and gave her mechanical right foreleg a few test flexes. She tried to hide it, but pain lanced through her limb every now and again. “Just fine. Still haven’t gotten the hang of wall-walking with it yet.”

“I can relate, a bit,” Aegis said hesitantly at memories of her old hand and toe gauntlets. “You sure you want to give up the Deception?”

Rourke passed on a few commands to the crew, causing the ship to tilt slightly as it changed heading. “The Runner’s different from my old ship, true, but the Deception’s not going to be fit to fight for months if not a year. Our queens need my experience once the Runner’s good to go.”

“Fair enough,” Aegis replied with an approving nod. “I’ll leave it to you to put her through her paces then while I do my rounds.”

“By your will, sister.” Rourke returned her attention to the crew while Aegis cantered off to inspect the airborne’s drills. <Engine room, let’s bring the ship up to full steam. I want to see if the Steamrunner can live up to the name.>

Within moments, the whole ship vibrated under the deep baritone thrum of the engines spooling up to full power. Every last changeling on board reveled in the proclamation of technological power.

The hour was growing late when the Steamrunner was at a dead stop over Ghastly Gorge as it started testing its damage control response times while Aegis monitored the Airborne drilling assault deployment action. About half way through, Rourke pinged her with concern. <Aegis, we have a civilian griffin merchant ship coming in from the northeast.>

<What? But the gorge isn’t on the normal trade routes.> Aegis ran over to the nearest window to spy a small dot in the distance. It was a sizable freighter, easily as big as the Steamrunner itself. Flashbacks of Canterlot made her scowl. <A little too convenient for a freighter to be this far away from the trade lanes right when we’re in the middle of a shakedown cruise.>

<It wouldn't be the first time the Everfree toyed with a ship's navigation compass,> Rourke replied with all the confounding calm of a naval officer. <Although I do agree that the timing is curious.>

Something tells me it's not. <Load up live rounds in the main turrets, but don’t take aim just yet. I’ll order the gunship to divert the freighter, and request some additional gunships from the hive.> Aegis turned to the brigade commander who already had several officers waiting for orders on whether or not to resume drilling. “Colonel Powder Charge, ready the mares for close combat. I got a bad feeling about this.”

“Uhhh,” the colonel started hesitantly, only for Rourke to give him the questionable honor of giving Aegis some bad news. “We don’t have any ball or powder on board."

Aegis down looked at him as if the colonel had grown another head. “Why not!?”

“We only had training equipment up until yesterday, and troops only had time to polish their new rifles before the ceremony.” Powder Charge wilted a little at Aegis’ mounting exasperated scowl. Her imposing size at being nearly a full queen wasn’t helping him stay calm either. “But the new arms are scheduled to arrive this Tuesday.”

“Well a lot of good that does us now!” Aegis growled as she pulled Burny off her back and checked the gauges. “Do we at least have bayonets?”

Powder Charge and the other officers nodded quickly. Aegis calmed a little. “At least we have that, and the clockwerks. But I’d rather it not come to that. Worst come to worst, we can shoot the freighter down with the main guns if need be.”

Aegis' easing nerves started to fray again when she noticed the Colonel and his staff looking around nervously. "We have ammo for the deck guns, right?”

"We don't get those in until Tuesday, sister." Powder Charge started agitatedly rubbing his foreleg while Aegis was about ready to blow a gasket.

“So help me, if we have a repeat of Canterlot I’m going to freak!”

Powder Charge flew up and placed a reassuring hoof on Aegis’ shoulders. “Even if the freighter is another PCE attack, we already have a gunship moving to intercept, with plenty of ammo," he added bluntly, "and we’re over an unpopulated area. The gunship can shoot it down if need be. The situation is under control.”

Aegis scrunched her face in painfully deep ire. “I still don’t like it. Why bother a repeat performance when we can see the fireship from miles away?”

A few minutes passed as Aegis led the Airborne throughout the entire ship looking for any sort of weapon, besides her trusty flamethrower. Powder Charge remained at her side while keeping tabs on the gunship as it made its final approach on the freighter. Yet most of her concern was on Aegis and the forest of panicked hairs springing out all over her mane and tail. “Sister, maybe you should calm down.”

“Calm down?” Aegis turned away from the depressingly unhelpful sickbay and the distinct lack of scalpels or anything that could be remotely used as a decent weapon. At least not unless you wanted to swing large pieces of medical equipment around like an unwieldy club, and at this point, that wasn’t looking like too bad of an option to Aegis. “Calm down!? What if the freighter has hidden weapons and shoots the gunship down!? We have to be prepared to fight!” A few more hairs sprung out with Aegis’ panicked face starting to develope an eye twitch. “What if the patrol ships from the hive don’t arrive in time!? That thing’s awfully fast for a freighter, don’t you think?”

Powder Charge communed with the hive mind a bit. “Well the ship is starting to slow down to the gunship’s command. This could just be a misunderstanding.”

“Wait a minute,” Aegis said with a start. “Where’s the medical staff? What if we get casualties in the attack? The hive’s over fifty miles away!”

She’s not listening to me… I wonder if royal blood makes these panic attacks worse, Powder Charge mused worriedly. “They don’t-”

Aegis cut him off with a hoof wave, “I swear if you say Tuesday again, something's going to burn.”

“Umm… they come in next… week,” Powder Charge answered weakly.

Aegis started grinding her teeth while doomsday scenarios revolving in a sunk Steamrunner, and the subsequent disappointment of her mother played rapidly through Aegis’ mind. This is big, this is bigger than big! Momma needs this ship! What if she-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a letter flaming into being in front of her face. Aegis blinked, with some of her anxiety ebbing. The scroll almost hit the floor by the time she thought to snatch it up with a deft hand. “Princess Celestia? Why would she write me a letter instead of asking Rolled Scroll to pass a message along?”

Like Aegis, the purple drones around her, Powder Charge included, waited with baited breath at the unusual letter. The blue drones of the Colonel’s retinue however, were derisively judging them for their proxy hero worship of Celestia.

After quickly breaking the seal, Aegis’ anxiety heightened at seeing the hasty script before her.

Aegis, I hope this letter reaches you in time. I have discovered that the PCE plan to board your new ship when it reaches Ghastly Gorge. They’ll be using a freighter as a decoy. Stay away from the Gorge until you have a sizable force to repel them! Since they are technically my citizens, I give you carte blanche to enact any measure of force necessary to remove the threat.

“By the First Mother…” The letter shook in her magic as realization dawned on her. <All hooves, prepare to repel boarders!>

Meanwhile, down below in the gorge, hundreds of figures gazed up at the lumbering unawares giant airship. One pair of eyes were fixed on the gunship far in the distance. A pegasus pony slid up behind the scout leader with ears alert. “Hey, no one said we’d be going up against a damned capital ship. They’ll tear us to pieces if we attack!”

Without looking away from his spyglass, the leader replied in a gruff tone. “Don’t worry about it. Of all the armed ships they’ve launched, not one of them was carrying ammunition right off the bat. Besides this just means the prize will be that much sweeter.”

“And what about those clockwerks? They’re bound to have those on a warship,” he hissed back, making sure no one else heard him.

“You want to purge the parasites or not?” the scout leader growled back. “They’re tough, but hardly invincible. The sphinxes say they can handle the golems.”

Once the gunship had reached the distant freighter, the scout dropped his spyglass and picked up a signal horn. He blew a long growling note which was soon joined by dozens more. Within seconds, hundreds of pegasi, griffins, and winged sphinxes roared out of the eel caverns along the side of the gorge and raced up to the waiting Steamrunner.

Author's Notes:
Shouldn't they have named it the Octaviarunner? Have you tried Pinkie's delicious Soylent Pink cupcakes yet? Are there three lights or four? Does Chrysalis have the hots for Grogar? Just how high are the Steamrunner's ceilings for Aegis to run around without scraping her horn anyway? Does she use a poison joke ointment to make it floppy so she doesn't have to bend her head all the time? Would she have to call the doctor if it lasted more than 4 hours!? What if Princess Skyla is actually Chrysalis and Shining Armor's daughter?!!?!?!
You have an exponentially low chance of finding out any of this, next time! On the Reformation!

17: Battle and Proto-Queens Don't Mix

Sorry about the odd notification folks, I published the chapter prematurely, but it's all fixed now. Enjoy!

Today was shaping up to be a momentous day. Revealing Light stood with his PCE brethren at the lip of an eel tunnel in Ghastly Gorge. Though he was technically the one in charge, his command was quite loose by military standards. Such as it is, his chief scout was the one who would ultimately give the signal to attack.

The anticipation was almost too much to bear as the changeling warship hung overhead. I can’t believe it’s a warship. What luck! He licked his dry lips, and felt his heart racing at the fight to come. His wings quivered with barely restrained excitement. Today wasn’t going to be just a blow to the parasites. It was going to be a crippling blow.

He looked back towards the hundred-strong group of ponies, griffin mercenaries, and sphinx warriors concealed in his tunnel alone. He found many of them were losing their initial fervent energy once word of the type of ship they were about to attack was intended for war spread. Almost everyone present had studied the changeling navy, and knew their guns were murderous. It was only the knowledge that freshly launched ships lacked munitions that kept them from fleeing into the more inviting maws of the eels lurking deeper below.

Seeing that he might need to give a few words, Revealing Light cast one last look at the retreating gunship to roughly gauge how much time he had. Satisfied he had a minute at least, he turned to his insurgents. “Brethren. What stands before us is the very thing that threatens Equestria, and by extension, all of our lands,” he added to the griffins and sphinxes. “This ship is proof that the parasites are only using the princesses to gain power. How long would it take for them to build a navy that could enslave us all?”

Most of the ponies grumbled in agreement with a few sphinxes doing the same. The griffins remained impassive, simply waiting to get paid. “Twilight Sparkle has been completely consumed by that monster Cadista, and is doing what Chrysalis failed to do. We must destroy the parasites’ symbol of power: their navy.”

The growling note of the signal horn grabbed Revealing’s ear making him turn towards the cave entrance. He picked up his void stone helmet, and agony-enchanted spear. A weapon designed to cause the pain from strikes with it to be spread throughout the body. “In the name of Equestria, purge the parasites!”

Backed by a deafening roar, Revealing Light charged skyward backed by close to seven hundred warriors. The wind tore past his face and wings as he sprinted towards the hapless ship. As they closed the distance, it was clear to Revealing Light that they had caught the parasites completely off guard. The guns didn’t turn to face them, the smaller defense turrets weren’t even manned, and not a single parasite was charging out of the ship to meet them. A short two-note blast of the horn forced Revealing Light to look north where the gunship had altered course far faster than hoped, and was charging full steam to the Steamrunner's defense. Damn, with that hive mind they’re reacting even faster than I thought they would.

Revealing Light was within spitting distance of the Steamrunner when he spotted the nearest entry hatch. He waved at his troops to follow him over. However, before he could grab the latch, a golden shield pushed him back and fully enveloped the queen-sized entry hatch.

“What?” He quickly recovered from the push and tried to ram the barrier with his voidstone armor. Yet instead of collapsing, the golden shield remained steadfast. “That won’t work, boss,” a pegasus from behind called out as she pulled on Revealing’s tail. “Void stone doesn’t work on holy magic, but that stuff’s weaker than normal shields.”

“Then let’s bash it down!” a sphinx growled as he hefted a war mace that crackled with electricity.

A single long note on the horn caused Revealing’s adrenaline to kick into even higher gear. “That gunship will get here long before you break the shield, let alone the hatch too. Spread out and see if you can find any other way inside!”

When everyone spread out from top to bottom of the ship, while Revealing Light raced to the stern. He passed by dozens of others, each of them searching for a way inside, but every hatch, every porthole, even the extremely rare window had that same golden shield. The crew may just be trying to hold us off until the gunship gets back.

The cacophony of his brethren trying to force their way through the shields put a heavy pit of doubt in his stomach. For every second the PCE remained outside, the more of a risk that gunship posed. Revealing Light soared towards the surface deck of the ship, scanning for even a single overlooked entryway. To think those parasites could even use holy magic at all.

A burst of three short and one long noted horn from further astern drew everyone’s attention. Revealing joined his fellows towards a series of large bay doors that was four decks high and fifteen meters across that ran along in separate groups on the port and starboard side of the stern. Each door could easily allow an armored clockwerk through, with each door separated from the last with a foot or two of solid steel. Revealing Light, along with most others, were ecstatic to see the complete lack of defensive barriers around any of the doors.

Any other time, caution would have made Revealing Light call for a slow and methodical breach, but he could already hear the whine of the approaching gunship's engines. Several of the larger griffins and sphinxes were already bashing their way into the doors with shaped metal battering rams or enchanted warhammers. Revealing watched as most of the PCE rushed over to the series of doors before flying over to a quartet of sphinxes over by what looked like an exterior walkway with a reinforced defensive wall for rifle fire. The group was off loading a large cannon that had been broken down into four pieces. With practiced ease, the group deftly assembled the heavily modified spark cannon behind the defensive wall which granted a sweeping field of fire across the upper bow.

Revealing Light flew over to join the craggiest of the four. “Teldarlor, are you sure that thing can take out a warship?”

Teldarlor was not the gunner, so he let his kin ready the weapon. “Something as big as this?” he stamped his paw on the deck of the Steamrunner. “Not a chance in hell. But those little gnats?” he waved at the approaching gunship, which was distressingly close now. “As sure as the sun rises in the east.”

As if insulted by the slur, the gunship fired its two pairs of quad flak cannons. Though barely in range, the hailstorm of exploding shrapnel rained down on all of them, making Revealing and most others dive for what little cover they could find. The cries of dozens of insurgents filled the skies as many fell helplessly down into the gorge below. Teldarlor started singing with a spell orb held up in his hand. A soft blue glow radiated around the crew and Revealing Light.

Though the flak tore many from the skies, those that managed to flee into the blue barriers escaped unharmed. Teldarlor sneered at the bulbous gunship as it maintained its distance while its guns reloaded. “Bastard thinks he’s safe does he? Cladaya, prove him otherwise.”

Revealing covered his ears as the cannon started giving a high pitched whine that grated the ears before firing off a dense orb of raw mana at such blinding speed it looked like a rod of light. The shot missed the gunship, and detonated in a blast of lightning that danced harmlessly over the gunship’s hull.

Emboldened by that, the pilot pushed the gunship closer, and that was exactly what Kladaya wanted. Her next few shots either missed entirely or exploded harmlessly against the gunship. Three more volleys of flak tore at the PCE taking what little cover they could find. However, once the gunship was close enough, Kladaya fired a shot that punched through the thin aluminium starboard gunner’s pod. Even from here, Revealing could see the explosion of electricity sparking all over the gunship’s interior. Black smoke started pouring out of the gunship’s starboard side, but it stubbornly remained aloft.

The port gunner fired off a salvo of flak while the now fearful pilot hastily pulled back, dodging two more shots from the spark cannon. “Think you’re getting away do you?” Kladaya sneered as she adjusted her aim. Her next shot went wild when the Steamrunner listed to port.

The spark cannon started sliding away from the crew who either tried to hold onto the wall or took to the air. Without a unicorn present, no one could stop the heavy spark cannon from sliding right off the side of the ship. Teldarlor roared angrily at the loss of his precious cannon. “Damn psykers! That cost me a fortune!”

Revealing Light shared his brethren’s ire, yet the arrival of a fellow pegasus stayed his tongue. “Sir, we did it! We broke through the doors and our troops are already flooding inside!”

“Good, get a move on before that gunship thinks to return,” Revealing Light pounced on the news and pulled Teldarlor away from the walls. “Forget the gunship, think of how much money the parasites will lose when we destroy this boat.”

Teldarlor bared his teeth at the prospect of revenge and nodded curtly at the pegasus. Revealing Light raced after the informant. Now that they had made it inside, the PCE were opening all of the exterior doors they could get to in order to help move everyone inside quickly. Revealing Light waited impatiently by the closest open door as his troops poured inside.

Revealing started to wonder why his soldiers were filing in non-stop, but his answer came when the door next to him opened up. Within was a large open chamber wholly alien to his expectations for a warship. The chamber mirrored the four decks worth of exterior doors with a wide catwalk ringing an open area that had support pillars crammed with empty slots and cubby holes. Lastly, there was a single large tube off center that transported shot and powder to the dorsal deck gun.

“This place could easily fit hundreds if not over a thousand souls,” Revealing Light thought aloud. “Just what kind of ship is this?”

Casting such concerns aside he grabbed the nearest warrior, a griffin. “You, get a team together and find your way to the engine room. I’ll head for the bridge.”

After giving a curt acknowledgement the griffin wormed his way through the growing crowd of bodies trying to cram inside the ship. The coughing chug of the damaged gunship and a spray of flak from outside was all the incentive the PCE needed to pile inside.

Revealing Light yelled as he threaded his way towards the front where the same griffins and sphinxes who were bashing their way into the hull in the first place were now trying to tear their way past the various hatches leading to the rest of the ship. A few brave souls tore open the deck gun's tube for a possible entry point, but no one could fit. It didn’t take Revealing Light long to find out that all of the exit points were sealed tight.

More stalling. They know time is against us. We might have to settle for just destroying the engine room before the parasites’ reinforcements arrive. “Hunter Vardance, how long until you’re through?”

The sphinx in question had a warhammer sheathed in violet energy that made each blow against the door dent the steel several inches. “Not long now,” Vardance grunted. “Cowards are hiding behind their walls like mewling babes. We didn’t even find a single defender in this... marshaling chamber.”

Several more ear stabbing bangs of steel on steel spoke of their effort as at least a dozen other sphinxes and griffins trying to breach the doors. Revealing Light scanned the dense gathering of his army, packed like sardines along the catwalks. “If I was the crew, I wouldn’t try to defend this chamber either. Far too many entry ways and not enough cover.”

Another slam of Vardance’s warhammer tore one of the hinges off the door, but the lock remained in place. “Aye. If they have any kind of warrior spirit, what little crew they have will be waiting in ambush.”

Vardance readied the final swing when the whole chamber resonated with a bone chilling dirge. The magic heavy song weighted upon the mind with a drumming that threatened to sap the will to fight from even the most battle hardened among them. It was quickly joined in by a choir singing in a language unrecognized by Revealing Light, but it was no less effective at worming its way into his head, filling him with an intangible terror and riddling him with doubt. Seperately, Revealing had the mental discipline to resist either piece, but the choir and drums together seemed to pull up every regret, every moment of doubt he ever had, and brought back the intense guilt he suffered from watching the two Equestrian troop ships being destroyed when the Deception crashed into them.

Some small part of him realized that the soul-weaking song wasn’t coming from a PA system, but from the very air itself as it permeated his mind.

“Psykira!” Vardance screamed in fresh rage. “We need a counter-song now!”

Revealing Light was sluggish in trying to fight the effects of the mind-bending dirge when he saw a runic array flash to life directly under Vardance. Dozens more of these arrays lit up all over the marshalling area.

Flashes of orange laced lavender light started popping up all over the chamber with people getting pushed away from the source. The one under Vardance shoved him aside like a ragdoll. Revealing Light barely managed to avoid the sailing sphinx and caught sight of the being who had materialized from the summoning circle. In that brief instant, where time seemed to slow to a crawl, Revealing Light witnessed a winged sphinx clothed in the drab blue armored uniform of the Phoenix Roost Navy scanning his surroundings for a target. The moment the sphinx locked eyes with Revealing Light, the pegasus saw the crimson brand of a stylized open eye on the tom’s forehead. The mark of a Psykira.

Aegis materialized at the very center of the marshalling chamber’s lowest deck with Burny held lovingly in her hands. Three clockwerks covered her back as she gazed upon the disoriented mass of PCE before her. Calling upon the Silver City, Aegis wrapped herself in the golden light of holy magic. With a malicious toothy grin, Aegis activated Burny's pilot light and aimed at the closest PCE, a pegasus stallion who was trying to fight the magical-dirge clawing in his head. “Need a light?”

The sphinxes were the first to recover from the dirge, and turned to face her with crackling gauntlets at the ready. With the clockwerks starting to wade into the PCE behind her, Aegis unleashed a gout of burning oil across everyone in front of her, cackling madly all the while.

More and more changelings and Psykira materialized from summoning arrays, adding more confusion and death. With the gunship driving off the PCE from the exterior, more Airborne swarmed over the surface and blocked the exits so no one could flee.

A pegasus darted at Aegis’ right side, away from her flamethrower arm, with arcane wings glowing a hot orange. Knowing she was too slow, Aegis let him strike her body-shield on her right leg, causing a stabbing pain in her horn and pushing her back. However, he had expected to slice clean through and stumbled askew when Aegis’ body remained in his wing’s way. Aegis twisted on her hooves and physically grabbed him by the neck, and threw his face into the steel floor.

Aegis kicked the pegasus away, far enough to roast him with a gout of flame. She kept firing while sweeping her flames across the PCE behind her who were starting to fend off the Clockwerks, with one of the automatones being smashed against two warhammers. The burning oil cooked them all, but left the clockwerks more or less intact.

Between the defending clockwerks and the fires surrounding her, Aegis gazed around to get her bearings. A fifth of the Airborne had managed to be summoned and were cutting their way through the enemy, but Aegis noticed the PCE were not panicking like they should have been. A changeling tried to stab a griffin with a bayonet, but the blow was parried by a pegasus while a second griffin came in from behind and skewered the drone.

Joining the din caused by the dirge was a new song in near perfect contrast to the first. The dirge's effect destabilized as the trio of sphinxes singing it were rendered mute for the next several hours. The dirge's collapse caused the battle to teeter as the PCE rallied. Many of the Airborne who were summoned in were either getting cornered, corralled towards their brethren, or being overwhelmed. It’s almost as if they don’t care their escape routes’ve been cut off.

Aegis felt the floor vibrate heavily with a loud clash of metal behind her. She spun around to find a massive Grecian tom with an equally huge hammer embedded in one of her clockwerk guards. He yanked his hammer free of the sputtering mound of twisted metal to face off against the remaining clockwerk and Aegis herself. “To think I get the honor of killing one of the queens personally. Know that your killer’s name is Hunter Teldarlor.”

“I’d tell you my name, but you already know. But I haven’t met my killer yet,” Aegis sneered as she readied Burny. The moment of inaction gave her time to bring her shield back to full strength. With Teldarlor standing between her and the remaining Clockwerk, Aegis quickly thought up a plan. “Clockwerk unit: Gamma Five Oh. Attack pattern theta!”

“Commencing.”

Teldarlor immediately spun around to slam his hammer into the charging Clockwerk, but the robot jumped over the blow while Aegis fired off a stream of burning oil. Teldarlor tumbled under the clockwerk and grabbed a spell orb. “By winter’s touch I shall not burn!”

The stream of oil froze in mid air as a cloak of bitingly cold frost surrounded Teldarlor in a whirling barrier. Aegis scowled, but noticed the cloak wavered as Teldarlor passed over a few of burning bodies. “You honestly think to use fire, parasite!

“Aaayup!” Aegis snarked back as she poured on the flaming oil. The clockwerk charged in from the left side of the ribbon of fire. Teldarlor’s hammer swung down at it, but the clockwerk vered to the side far before it would have reached him. Teldarlor tried to get back into a proper stance, but the unburnt oil was starting pool at his paws and soak into his fur and clothes. The oily reek alone threatened to curse him with dizziness. He tried to fly up and off the slippery floor, but the clockwerk dove in, pushing him back onto the floor, causing them to slid into a mound of cooked bodies.

“Let’s see your cloak defend you now!” Dropping her shield, Aegis conjured a fireball bigger than her head. The clockwerk kept Teldarlor pinned. Having no other resort, he let go of his hammer and grab a spell orb from his belt. “Rebuked!”

Aegis’ fireball fell apart while a slice of mana shot back into her horn, making her cry out and stumble in agony. Gritting her teeth and ignoring the stabbing pain, Aegis prepared a second fireball to spite Teldarlor’s instinctual fear of it.

“Censored!” he cried out, before the clockwerk could smack the orb out of his hand. Aegis nearly let go of Burny at the vice-like headache caused by the counterspell. She stumbled back with black spots forming before her eyes and the hive mind distorted from the agony.

The dizzy spell lingered, but it wasn’t enough to cause Aegis to take her eye off of Teldarlor. “Do that again, and I’ll have my buddy there turn you into a hoof puppet!”

Teldarlor grunted with effort in trying to keep the clockwerk from snapping his bones, yet he chanced a glance at Aegis who was recovering with agonizing slowness. “You’re not the only one with buddies, parasite.”

Clarity sliced through Aegis’ haze and she blindly dove aside barely a second before an arcane wing could cleave her skull. Revealing Light sailed past his intended target and opted to decapitate the clockwerk. The machine locked up, but not so much that Teldarlor was unable to pry it off of himself.

Aegis wavered as the aftereffects of the spell-feedback lingered. Trying to ignore the growing instability of her arcane magic, she launched a torrent of fire before her opponents could act against her. Teldarlor’s weakened cloak of frost couldn’t take the heat any longer and collapsed after barely a second. Revealing Light used Teldarlor as a distraction to close in on Aegis once more with his arcane wing and bloodied spear at the ready, confident his void armor would make any counterattack impossible.

Before Aegis could even think to redirect Burny, a Psykira tom intercepted him with an electrified wrist blade meeting Revealing’s left wing, edge to edge,and striking the haft of his spear. The magic on Revealing’s wing and spat against the blade’s electricity as the two forces vied for superiority. The spear however was broken completely in two, with the point flying away.

Yet it was the angle of attack that forced Revealing off balance. The Psykira’s second wrist blade would have lacerated the pegasus’ foreleg as well had Revealing not kicked the Psykira away and retreated to Teldarlor’s side.

The Psykira flapped his wings to fall back and shield Aegis. “Are you alright, your highness?”

Aegis twisted off the spent fuel canister and replaced it with her lone spare. “Nothing worse than a rough night at the pub. Thanks, Atomosal.”

Teldarlor and Revealing Light were hardly idle as Aegis recovered. Teldarlor reclaimed his warhammer while Revealing begrudgingly tossed his useless spear away and tried to think of an arcane wing pattern that could counter Atomosal's enchantment.

As the Airborne started to make progress in pushing the PCE away from the doors, Aegis’ patch of ground was getting ever more crowded with members of the PCE. The majority of the Airborne had either been killed or had joined with their siblings at the exits.

“Proto-Queen, I highly suggest we get out from the center before we have too many blades to contend with,” Atomosal warned as he saw the PCE was taking notice of them en masse.

If I try to burn them this close, some of them might run right at me and spread the oil on me. Remembering the layout of the ship, Aegis quickly found an unobtrusive hatch leading below deck. “Then let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

Meanwhile, Teldarlor could see the tide of battle turn once more, as the PCE could no longer keep any of the breaching teams at the doors leading further into the ship. It was obvious that the PCE were being herded towards the center of the marshalling chamber. He fished out the last of his intact spell orbs. “Damn it, Revealing, next time you better verify whether or not we’re assaulting a warship. I’m pulling us out of here!”

Revealing Light growled with impotent rage. “We’re not leaving until she dies!” Without waiting for a reply, Revealing charged headlong at Aegis.

Teldarlor spat a curse and pocketed the spell orb to chase after him with his hammer. “Stupid galkof!”

Aegis had just popped the hatch only to feel one of the last things she wanted at that moment: her eggs moving to be laid. She buckled over and clutched her abdomen. Not now! Movement to the side and above caught her eye. She fired off a sheet of flames to fend off the approaching threats.

Revealing Light’s warcry was barely enough to draw Aegis’ attention away from her imminent laying. “Arrgg, Atomosal, get in!” The aftereffects of two counterspells forced Aegis to fall to a knee as her body acted against her will.

Atomosal threw his bayoneted rifle at Revealing, forcing the pegasus to vear off and smack into one of the nearby pillars. “You first, your highness. You-” Atomosal risked looking back at Aegis only to see her lay an egg. Damn! Without asking, Atomosal unceremoniously shoved Aegis down the hatch, who was in no shape to stop him, while grabbing the first egg off the floor and barely snatching the second in his hand as the egg left Aegis on her way down.

Teldarlor caught Atomosal dead to rights with the Psykira in such an awkward position, hanging over the lip of the hatch, and sneered while swinging down with his warhammer to crush Atomosal’s spine. With no other recourse, Atomosal kicked off to fall into the room below, but the hammer struck a heavy hit on his left wing, crushing the bones within.

Aegis landed hard on her back at the bottom of the short ladder and was too busy trying to recover from the wind getting knocked out of her to even secure her growing collection of eggs, let alone check Atomosal. Atomosal himself yelped in pain as he crashed painfully on the hard metal floor beside Aegis. They found themselves in one of the small empty cubical armories that were barely larger than a doctor’s office.

Aegis stared daggers at Atomosal as she wheezed breathlessly. “Stop trying - to play - the hero.”

“Says the royal bug fighting on the front lines,” Atomosal shot back with a pained smirk, “while she can’t stop from laying eggs, no less!” With what tenderness he could muster, Atomosal handed over the two eggs he had rescued.

Aegis breathed a sigh of relief as she tried to collect the eggs that were still coming. However, neither of them had any opportunity to even think to call for help when three devices were dropped down the ladder with the hatch slamming shut behind them. Terror dawned on them after realizing what they were.

Grenades.

Aegis reacted in an instant to telekinetically fling them away, only to realize she tossed them at the only other exit, and nowhere nearly far enough to be safe.

Seeing only one recourse, Atomosal threw himself onto the devices, much to Aegis’ horror as the mare was telekinetically pushed open the lone exitway. Barely a moment later, the grenades exploded in a shower of hot shrapnel. Atomosal’s armor took the brunt of the explosion, yet the rest of him was blown apart in a hail of visceral. What was left of him was blasted back towards Aegis who was curled up in a fetal position. His armor slammed against the walls around her, with one piece slicing her left hind leg. Aegis was showered in blood and bone, with some of that shrapnel and bone digging into Aegis’ flesh, lacerating her in multiple places, and shredding her wings to tatters.

Aegis’ ears were ringing badly, but the last second shield around her head had kept the concussive force from killing her. She uncurled shakily with each piece of shrapnel ripping at her as she moved. The blast had destroyed the lights in the armory, casting her into complete darkness. Ignoring the digging pains, Aegis hastily unfolded herself to inspect her clutch. What she saw pushed the rest of the world out of focus. In her haste to protect herself, she had only gathered two of her eggs properly. The others had been exposed and were now little more than broken puddles of shell and yolk. Out of all of them, only those two eggs remained intact.

Aegis’ mind threatened to shut down at the sudden loss of her clutch. Yet Aegis didn’t get a chance to have a breakdown when a shaft of light appeared from above. Revealing Light dropped down with his wings burning with mana. He wasn’t facing Aegis immediately and feared she had made it through the blackened exit and into the curved and narrow hallway beyond. However, Aegis’ hard breathing drew his attention towards the proto-queen in the other side of the darkened room.

Aegis ignored the dozens of cutting pains as she shakily lifted Burny right as Revealing Light saw her. “That fire won’t kill me before I separate your wretched head from your shoulders.”

Rage. Hot burning rage rattled through Aegis like a demon. Aegis’ common sense warred with her fury. Burny rattled in her grip as she placed the last two remaining eggs into a wall-slot meant for a rifle. “You better hope you’re right,” Aegis replied with poisonous hate. “Because I assure you, your death will be drawn out for weeks.” She grabbed at the wall behind her to climb to her two legs.

“That won’t be happening,” Revealing said darkly. “Even if you burn me, I’ll only cover you with the same oil when I tackle you. I’ll gladly trade my life to take yours.” The dialogue had given Aegis enough time to remember the pegasus was wearing leather armor embedded with void stone. “For Equestria!” Revealing shouted as he charged her.

Aegis let go of Burny while bringing up a holy shield. She balled her right fist and punched him with all of her mounting fury in the face. The blow threw Revealing off course, but not enough to keep his wing from raking Aegis’ shield. The impact lanced pain all through Aegis’ injuries, but it also forced her to turn with Revealing Light as he collided with the far wall. That gave Aegis a chance to grab onto his wings at the root. Her shield fought with his arcane wing, sending sparking mana everywhere. She roared with indignant rage while Revealing screamed with intense pain as he strained to free his wings.

“I don’t know how you managed to smuggle so many of you bastards into the gorge.” Aegis twisted his wings, dislocating them at the shoulder. The act made Revealing shriek in unbridled pain with his magic cutting out. “But you’re going to tell us one way or another.”

In a moment of clarity, Revealing lashed out with his hind legs and blindly bucked Aegis in the right leg, crashing through her weakened shield and throwing her to the floor. Aegis yelled as knives of burning agony lanced through her after falling on her shredded wings. She instinctively tried to grab Burny in her magic, but Revealing’s proximity with his void stones made her efforts slip around her weapon like water over a rock.

“Damn you, Teldarlor, get down here!” Revealing demanded up at the ceiling hatch as he tried to fight back the pain in his wings to finish Aegis off. The proto-queen was bleeding from dozens of cuts all over her body, and she was staggering badly in an attempt to crawl over to her fallen weapon. Unfortunately for him, his dislocated wings shot crippling pain into him at every movement he made, thanks to the feathery appendages hanging limply around his body. The most he could muster was climbing to three hooves.

“Sorry, boss, but the parasites are closing in. We’re bugging out before they can block our exit strategy.”

“Don’t you dare!” Revealing roared with shocked anger. “She’s not dead yet!” He looked back at Aegis to finish her off. Bearing the full fury of his hell-storm of pain, Revealing jumped at Aegis intending to crush her neck if that's what it took.

However, Aegis had finally grabbed Burny with her hands. Using what was left of her strength, she swung its armored side at Revealing’s face, clocking him in the side of the head, and knocking him back towards the far wall. She propped herself up on one hoof, while the other arm shakily raised Burny. However, the sheer scope of her injuries was taking its toll.

Aegis was breathing heavily to stave off the drowsiness from bloodloss. The stench of Atomosal’s charred remains and the reek of her broken eggs made her trigger finger tighten around Bruny. “I should kill you.”

Revealing Light tried to kick her good leg out from under her, but Aegis stumbled backwards to prop herself against a wall, but still plenty close for the flamethrower. Having failed in his assassination, Revealing Light simply glared at Aegis from his prone position on the floor. His pain was so intense he was starting to blackout. “Then do it, parasite!” Revealing goaded.

Ragged breathing and her heart pounding in her ears was all Aegis could hear at that moment. Revealing Light spawned a twin as her vision started swimming from the blood loss. Burny rattled in her shaky hands. Aegis couldn’t even use her magic which had been badly destabilized by the corrosive counterspells and the proximity of the void stones. Burny only stayed on target every few seconds or so. Even in her anger, Aegis couldn’t summon enough strength to pull the trigger. She was too drained to bother thinking about the risk of burning herself this time. The stench of broken bone and sinew was almost overpowering now that her blood loss and full body pain were taking the edge of her adrenaline-fueled hate away.

A massive wave of mana from above heralded a collective gasp of surprise from the hive mind. Aegis heard an echoing sound of hoofsteps from the side passage at the far side of the armory. The moment she saw they were drones, the last of her strength fell away. Aegis let go of Burny and both she and the weapon fell to the floor unconscious.

Some time later, Aegis awoke to a blinding light and leaden limbs. For the longest time, she couldn’t summon the will to bother going further than that. She had a soft bed, warm sheets, and the gentle song of the hive mind; what more could a changeling want?

“Ah, so you’re finally coming around,” said a brusk feminine voice off to the side. “I thought you might.”

Lazyitis reigned a little while longer, resulting in Aegis trying to pass off as still being asleep. Awake or not, she still felt exhausted.

“I hope you don’t plan on letting this clutch go without a love feeding too I hope.”

It took a few seconds, but Aegis’ brain finally synapsed. Her eyes shot open and she bolted to a sitting position. At least that was the plan. Her muscles cramped, making her yelp and fall over.

Blinking, Aegis looked around to get her bearings. She was in her chambers at the hive’s palace. The morning sun was angled perfectly through the sweeping window to jab her in the eyes. Although that was mostly because the bed had been moved. Resta was the only other person in the room, and she was currently glancing between Aegis and a clip board hovering in her magic.

“Well, at least your subconscious priorities are still intact, that’s a good sign.” Resta gave Aegis a bemused frown. “Shocking, given how the royals of our family are such danger junkies.”

The cramps in Aegis’ back and legs went from paralyzing to a throbbing ache. “My eggs! Are they okay?!”

Resta huffed and exaggeratingly rolled her eyes. “You haven’t laid today’s clutch. I merely said that to get you up.”

The very mention of eggs brought the last few minutes of the battle back to her mind’s eye. Aegis shrank into herself as her loss returned in full clarity. “I - I.” A sorrow that surpassed even what she’d felt at Riposte’s death clung to Aegis like a leech. “I was so stupid going out there like that.”

“We all make mistakes,” Resta replied gruffly. Aegis looked at her with reddened eyes and disbelief. Resta grumbled irritably. “I’m not going to elaborate, but there’s been more siblings who died under my knife than I care to admit.”

“At least they got a chance at life…”

“Sure doesn’t make them dying on me any better you know,” Resta stated bluntly. Aegis shot her a death glare, not that it stopped Resta from continuing in the least. “Like I keep telling our mothers,” Resta chastised while poking Aegis’ bandaged abdomen, making the proto-queen fume even harder. “You royals have countless changelings inside each of you, waiting their turn at a chance at life. Yes, you lost ten, sad loss to be sure, but if you die going off on some fool’s errand on a battlefield, all those changelings just die with you.”

“Probably died ‘cause of your horrible bedside manner,” Aegis retorted spitefully.

“And yet she’s completely right,” said a new voice from the door.

Aegis rolled her head over to see Cadista standing in the doorway. Aegis tried to sit up and look presentable, but that only served to agitate all the wounds along her right side, resulting in them reminding her of their presence. “Acg!” Aegis rolled back over to lay on her left side.

The various bandages along her right side developed spots of bright crimson when the wounds beneath them reopened. Resta was quick to act and weaved a spell to keep Aegis from thrashing around and making things worse. “Hold still. Damn PCE made healing magic useless.”

“Useless!?” Aegis asked incredulously through clenched teeth.

“Aye,” Cadista answered as she waited for Resta to do her part in ensuring Aegis would recover. When Aegis settled down, she continued while Resta changed the soiled bandages. “Those grenades they used on you were heavily laced with the same toxin that originally forced me to rebirth your mother.”

Aegis searched her memories at the mention. “Wait, you mean ghast spider venom? How did the PCE get ahold of that?”

Cadista considered telling her the source of her information, but thought better of it for the moment. “The black market. Once word got out about how Twilight couldn’t be healed by magic, criminals and assassins alike wanted that spider. It took a few years, but they’ve clearly succeeded in their efforts.

“It’s because of this exact sort of thing that Yumia and I starting going down the path of technology with limited reliance on magic.”

Resta applied some salve on Aegis’ opened wounds. “Don't want all your eggs in one basket, and all that?”

Aegis shot the doctor a scathing glare at the mention of eggs. “Fine, whatever. I messed up, bad.”

Cadista walked over so she could affix a grandmotherly soft grin at Aegis. She gently scratched Aegis’s mane. “It takes a lot to admit such things to one’s self, especially for royals.”

Aegis hissed in pain as Resta inspected her patient's back. The wings are a total loss. The venom’s saturated everything. It’d take months to purge. Better to cut them off and let the roots regrow naturally from there. “Please keep it brief, your highnesses, but I have to prep her for one last surgery.”

Aegis slackened, sinking into her bed. “I was at least hoping I wouldn’t have to face this until after my kids were adults at least.”

“It’s always a risk we must endure.” Cadista knew Aegis was strong enough to bottle those sorrows until the next Day of Mourning. “But it is ultimately worth it in the long run. Provided you stay off the field of battle. It’s no place for a queen.”

Aegis somehow found the will to give her grandmother a weak smile. “I am my mother’s daughter.”

Cadista huffed disapprovingly. “Yes, and with all the faults that come with it.” When Aegis’ grin didn’t waver Cadista shook her head, but had no real ill will in it. “There are worse faults to have, I suppose.”

Resta moved on to inspect Aegis’ hind legs, and had a bed-pulley prop one leg up for ease of access. “You mean like lacking common sense half the time?”

“Well if I had your level of common sense,” Aegis grumbled, “I’d be just as fun as you are at funerals.” Resta didn’t remark, however she moved away when a nurse arrived with surgical tools. Aegis looked back at Cadista. “We won though at least, right?”

At last, Cadista matched Aegis’ smile. “Aye, that you did. The Steamrunner ultimately suffered only minor damage. Nothing a few days back in port can't fix if we work around the clock. The Airborne didn’t fair so well. Although I’d like to attribute that due to the lack of ammunition.

“As for the PCE, those we didn’t kill were whisked away, likely with the same method the archmage used to abduct Twilight in Canterlot.”

“And the pegasus who was next to me?”

“Intel ‘La ‘Gence is interrogating him now,” Cadista replied with a dark smirk. “But she’s only doing that until I return.”

Aegis dropped eye contact to stare off in the distance. She could only imagine how unpleasant that would prove. “...Good.”

When Cadista didn’t elaborate further, Aegis decided not to press. “They’ll still be ready on time right? The Airborne, I mean.”

“Don’t worry, Blitz is making sure of that.” Cadista looked to Resta who wordlessly gestured to the nurses that she wanted to begin. “Take care, Aegis.”

Aegis watched Cadista stand protectively over her as Resta’s sleep spell started to take hold. “I… will...”

Cadista patted Aegis’ head before stepping away to let Resta move Aegis onto a portable operating table. Without further preamble, Cadista departed Aegis’ quarters only to find Twilight Sparkle puppeting one of the nearby Queen’s Guard.

“Looks like I was too late to speak with her.”

Making sure to close the door behind her, Cadista spotted a small nook to sit down. “She’s fine, my daughter. Though she won’t be flying for a couple of months.”

Twilight cantered over to join Cadista on the uncomfortable bench. It was one of the few that was still a holdover from when Phoenix Castle was still a colony ship. “You may not care for it, mother, but the Steamrunner might very well have been lost if Aegis hadn’t been there.”

All Twilight got out of Cadista with that point was a mild frown conceding the point. “Her paranoia was partially correct at least. The griffin freighter had been paid off to distract the gunship, but-” Cadista remembered that Twilight and Rainbow were both right in harm’s way in the middle of the war torn jungle. “Forget it. I speak to deaf ears.”

It took Twilight a few seconds to realize what her mother was referring to. “It’s the pony in us.”

“So I feared.” Cadista couldn’t help but to huff at Twilight's knowing grin. She loves to test me every now and then. “Seeing how the hive mind isn’t in turmoil, I assume your assault against Polybia was successful.”

Twilight tilted her head and shrugged. “Yes and no. We stopped Polybia’s advance, but her feral undead are proving difficult to root out and eliminate. It’s costing us time since the Long Shot is too exposed to continue on its own.”

Cadista nodded sagely. She brooded until a new drone cantered by and delivered some soda for Twilight. “Sorry, mother, but he asked for this, and I didn’t realize you were borrowing him.”

Chuckling, Twilight took the soda and waved off any discomfort. “Don’t worry about it, Candy Cane.” She took the tall glass complete with a bendy straw into her magic, before sending Candy Cane on her way. Twilight loosened her control enough for her puppet to take some long drags on the soda while Cadista silently communed with the Link to get a clearer picture on the battle’s aftermath. Wow, this cherry soda’s not bad.

Cadista was still going over the carrier’s battle, highly enjoying that her intuition about the carrier was being vindicated. Twilight was doing the same with the soda, when Rolled Scroll contacted her. <My queen, I have news from Princess Celestia.> Twilight hesitated before taking another drink. <In an hour, she’s going to make a public announcement where she’s committing several Equestrian warships to the fight against Polybia and Grogar>

<“She what!?”> Twilight yelled bugged eyed. Cadista gave her a worried look, prompting Twilight to include her on the conversation. <But this is a changeling matter. The public won’t accept it!>

<Not to mention that those ponies have no idea what they’d be getting into,> Cadista added in agreement.

Rolled Scroll added worriedly. <Though I didn’t think it my place to voice such objections.>

Twilight looked to her mother who ultimately shook her head. “Do what you think is best, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded slowly. <Scroll, let me borrow you. I need to speak with Celestia about this before she goes public.>

In her haste, Twilight departed the guard's body without thinking, leaving him in a very embarrassing position next to Cadista. She watched the poor guard run off to recompose himself. The empty drinking glass nearly rolled off the bench, forcing Cadista to catch it. So many unexpected side effects in Twilight’s bloodline. None of my drones ever had such a… compromising reaction to puppeting.

She sniffed the syrupy scent coming from the glass with curiosity. It wasn’t unpleasant, yet hardly appealing to her. So many side effects. I trust Twilight can set things right with Celestia’s daft plan.

Author's Notes:
How exactly does one make a cherry soda taste nothing like cherries? Why didn't Celestia just teleport to the ship and put a stop to it? Does Polybia know the secret to eternal happiness, or eternal bliss? Will Grogar ever share his recipe for horn wax? I mean come on, thousands of years with no cracks or chips? Down right cheating that is.
Will I ever answer any of these questions!? Actually yes! Mostly because I saw some flying pigs so I guess I can do it this once. (Just in case you missed the related comment.)
Celestia didn't teleport straight to the ship because teleportation is short ranged. If you are referring to Lesson Zero, we don't exactly know from Celestia was teleporting from. Given that she had received a letter from Spike it is entirely possible that she was already on her way from the palace. She only teleported on the camera when she saw the chaos caused by the want it need it spell.

18: Turbulent Wind

The Sparkle Manor was an unsettling place. At least for a particular quasi who was doing her best to remain calm, friendly, and competent. Pear Butter couldn’t stop squirming in her seat in the front lounge. All in all, it was a warm and sunny day, with the sun’s brilliance shining through the large windows. The lounge itself was tasteful in its opulence, speaking of wealth that didn’t go out of its way to flaunt.

Pear Butter was disguised as a unicorn, and had gone with a pleasing color originally, mostly to get Stopwatch and Paint Brush to let her go. Yet before approaching the Sparkle Manor, Pear Butter had returned to her natural peach coat and blonde hair. As a personal compromise to herself. If Ah have to be a unicorn for ages, Ah’m at least going to be mah natural colors.

Presently, she was sitting in the least comfortable chair she could find in the room, mostly to keep herself awake among such risky company.

“The master of the house will be with you shortly,” Pranceton, the family butler, said from the door with a very curt and neutral tone. “They are tending to the little one.”

Pear Butter nodded nervously. “Thank you, sir.”

Being left alone, Pear Butter recalled her last talk with Paint Brush in an effort to distract herself. Alright… So. Ah’m glad Ah never used my real name ever since coming here, and after Paint Brush made sure there weren’t no Pear Butter in the city’s records, Ah can finally live by my old name again.

Pear fidgeted nervously when she heard hoofsteps pass by the only door leading away from the lounge. Her anxiety didn’t ebb as much as she would have liked after she noticed whoever it was simply passed by. ‘Course, Paint weren’t the only one looking up names, Pear thought with a conspiratorial grin as she recalled the comic-con. Apple Bloom, Ah don’t know who ya are, but Ah know yer a friend to th’ Sparkles. Maybe Ah’ll get a chance to talk to ya if ya ever visit.

Hoofsteps pulled Pear Butter out of her musings again, only this time it was actually Night Light and Azure Skies. Pear Butter practically leapt to her hooves and hastily gave a respectful bow. “T-thank you for seeing me, Sir Sparkle, ah-” Pear hesitated at the unexpected mare, unsure of how to address her. Yet it was the sudden intrusion of Polybia on her mind that caused her to choke up.

<Y-yes, my queen.>

It took Pear a moment to realize the ponies were talking to her, and mentally slapped herself for being so badly distracted. “-And here I thought my honey was the talk of Canterlot,” Night answered comically, only to get a gentle prod in the ribs from his marefriend.

“Don’t worry too much about him,” she said before giving Pear a friendly smile. “I am Azure Skies, pleased to meet you Miss Butter.”

“The honor is mine,” Pear replied with a little less anxiety at how casual the pair was. A stark and welcome contrast to Polybia and Stopwatch.

Nightlight gestured to an arrangement of furniture with a loveseat and armchair divided by a coffee table. “Please, have a seat and get comfortable. We have much to discuss.”

The group took their seats right as Pranceston arrived with a platter of tea. The beverage was served and Pear tried to put on a brave face while sipping the warm peppermint tea. Being only his marefriend, Azure Skies decided to take a backseat and let Night Light do most the talking. Polybia’s presence was kept light enough that Pear still maintained control, but it was only the disguise that concealed the queen’s eyes. Sadly Pear Butter didn’t get much of a chance to get used to the heavy weight upon her mind since Night Light didn’t waste any time in opening the interview.

“Now, Pear Butter, I want to thank you for applying the position of full time nanny. It’s not a commitment many are willing to take, or adhere to,” he added with a careful studious eye.

“You can count on me, sir,” Pear Butter replied with what she hoped was confidence. “Ah truly love children, and Ah know Ah could get along famously with Stellar Drift.”

“Well I hope so,” Night Light replied with a wiry grin.

“Um, Ah have ta ask, sir, there are bound to be a lot of nannies in Canterlot. Probably better…” Pear trailed off, not sure if she was suddenly hurting her chances.

Night Light nodded as he sipped his tea. “Yes, well, there are plenty to be sure. However, I don’t want a nanny native to Canterlot, and it was your accent that caught Pranceston’s ear. Given who my daughter is, I didn’t want a nanny who might be more loyal to one of the other noble families, filling the child with the typical useless gossip and fads that swirl around the city.

“I don’t want Stellar to grow up a diva socialite. I want her to actually contribute to society, much like her new brother and sister.”

“Well, Ah can certainly agree ta that, sir,” Pear replied with a nod, unconsciously exaggerating her accent. “Pappa always said ya gotta work to eat.”

“As should anyone, noble or otherwise,” Azure Skies interjected with a stern edge.

“Now,” Night Light said with a professional tone. “That being said, I want to groom Stellar to be an intellectual. If by chance she would prefer physical pursuits, as an athlete or soldier,” he added after his son came to mind, “she will still need a strong and well educated mind to succeed.

“Yet it is not enough to simply instruct her, we must be able to instill a love of learning. After all, the best teacher Stellar could ever have, would be her own desire to learn.”

Being so tightly bound to Polybia, and the queen’s inexperience in dealing with intelligent underlings, the queen’s musings leaked into Pear Butter’s awareness. Interesting. Perhaps this will be a boon after all. I’ll be able to use my puppet to gain insight and possible leverage on Twilight Sparkle.

For her part, Pear Butter was having difficulty trying to pay attention to both her queen and the couple before her. So it took her a few moments longer than she would have liked to respond. “Ah must admit, sir, Ah wasn’t expecting such a refreshing outlook from a noble family.”

“Hmf,” Night scowled aimlessly. “Yes, well, sadly most families seem to have forgotten the true definition of nobility.” Azure Skies patted his shoulder to give him symbolic support. “In any case, I’d like to know how adept you are in academics.” Pear gulped as he continued. “Now, Steller is not even old enough to speak yet, and I’m not asking for a doctorate or anything like that.” I’d honestly expect you to be a researcher or doctor if you had one, not a nanny. “So you’ll have plenty of time to brush up on related topics, but I need to know how you would instill a love of learning in our child.”

Given Twilight’s famous studious nature, Pear Butter half expected a requirement along these lines, and had studied up on a few solutions from the Canterlot Library. Unfortunately, that knowledge was getting hard to remember with Polybia’s weight upon her mind. “Well… Ah… Ah would get young Stellar used to reading start'n with pop up books. Get the little sprout ta start thinking of books as being fun first off.” Night Light nodded approvingly. “And…”

This was at least something that Polybia approved of. That much I can agree on. A queen must be intelligent above all else. <Tell them you would show the child how to solve problems with her mind instead of her brawn.>

As per usual, Polybia’s command was that of queen to drone, and Pear had no control over her wording. “Ah would show the child how to solve problems with her mind instead of her brawn.”

“As all ponies should,” Night Light replied with a hum.

The interview progressed over an hour as Pear Butter was prodded and poked, verbally of course, over her potential qualities as a nanny. While Polybia was able to assist via probing her various other quasi for information, the queen’s heavy presence was hard to work with.

It was during lunch that Night Light had given the last question. After Pear Butter gave her answer, he leaned in to whisper into Azure’s ear as she bit into a sandwich. “Well I think she’s a good match so far. Plus, Pear doesn’t have any ties with the other houses.”

“That we know of,” Azure cautioned. “All told, however, do you think she’s ready for the main trial?”

With only a nod in reply, Night Light pulled a simple charm off the tea platter and charged it with mana. Seeing Pear trying to hide her confusion by nibbling on a biscuit, Night Light affixed a reassuring smile on her. “I believe the most important part of any nanny relationship is compatibility. Pranceston?” he yelled behind him.

“Here, sir.” The butler pocketed the charm’s glowing twin right as a bullet of fur and giggles ran out from under him.

The moment she entered the room, Stellar Drift locked onto the two biggest sources of love: Night Light and Azure Skies. The tiny disguised princess was quickly wrapped in the couple’s embrace, giggling all the while.

Through Pear’s eyes, Polybia glowered angrily at the sight of it. Damn you, Stopwatch. It’s bad enough my daughter must be coddled, but taken in by that… blasphemer’s Sire. Polybia’s mind was at war with itself between the boon of gaining insight into Twilight, and the curse of having her sole daughter raised as a pony. Fearing she might blow Pear’s cover with a random bout of fury, Polybia decided it was best to depart.

“Looks like she’s taken by you,” Azure Skies said, snapping Pear from her fearful communion with Polybia. It was all she could do to keep from gasping at the perspective shift. However it still took Pear a couple of seconds to look down and find Stellar Drift propped up on the chair leg and giving off happy baby babble.

With Polybia gone, Pear found herself in strangely familiar territory. She matched Stellar’s smile and bent down to coo at Stellar Drift. “Hi there, little one.” Pear glanced up at Night Light for silent permission to hold the filly. He nodded, prompting Pear to gently pick Stellar up in her forelegs and hefted her up onto the chair to join her.

Stellar Drift was quick to nuzzle Pear Butter, and started cooing at the familiar mare. Pear Butter held back a tear as fragmented memories of holding children flooded her from an age long since gone. Ah - Ah remember. Ah was a mother after all… Ah think Ah had two, or was it three children?

Pear Butter chased that fleeting memory as best could, but it was just shadows of a feeling, faces so indistinct she couldn’t even tell the gender of them, let alone any features or colors. Is the third one mah husband or one of mah children?

Try as she might, Pear couldn’t stop tears from welling up at the pain of such loss. Stellar Drift had fallen asleep cosied up against her chest. Despite it all, Pear could feel a trickle of love flow from the child. Does she recognize me from after hatching? We didn’t keep her asleep all the time before giving her over.

“I must say,” Azure Skies said just loud enough to draw Pear’s attention away from Stellar. “You’re the first one she’s taken a liking to, let alone cozy up to besides us, and only some of the staff.”

Though he was a pale shadow compared to the embodiment of honesty itself, Night Light believed himself to be a good judge in character. He’d be right on most counts, save for love’s blindness during Velvet’s decline. Not even Twilight or Rainbow’s children could ever fool him for long with prank disguises, and he had even rooted out a few of the other queens’ infiltrators over the years by just listening to them over a meal. They all lacked that intangible quality, that he sensed in Pear Butter.

“Ah’m sorry.” Pear said morosely. “Ah’m just-” She didn’t know what else to say. Pear felt trapped - a rat in a cage - between needing to please her queen to stay her wrath, and the mortification of being an emotional mess in front of her would-be employers and charge. She wanted to hide, bury her face somewhere. But no, Pear Butter could do nothing but wait in slight torment.

Night Light studied Pear carefully as the poor mare struggled to keep some semblance of dignity intact. She must have suffered a grievous loss to be so emotional over a child’s affection. Night Light was not blind to the raw pain that Pear kept in check as she doted over Stellar Drift.

Stellar will need every strong role model she can get, and I can hardly turn away such a good honest mare.

“Miss Butter,” he kindly announced just loud enough to cut through her mounting depression. She looked up from Stellar to meet his gaze with red-rimmed eyes. “You would hardly be the first lost soul to come to my family looking for a new life.” Night cast a brief glance at Pranceston who was watching the whole scene impassively. Yet Night knew the old butler was emotional through the stallion’s eyes, a tell he could never truly cover.

While his eyes betrayed him, Pranceston’s voice remained as calm and collected as ever. “Indeed, sir. Your father was an honorable stallion to the last, may he rest in Elysia.”

Night Light stood up and approached Pear Butter who was too stunned to move, save to turn her head to follow him. “Whatever you’re running from. Tell me true, will whatever happened in the past ever come to harm my daughter or this family, should I accept you into my employ?”

If there was one thing that Pear expected of Polybia, was that she wanted Stellar to survive at all costs. “N-no sir, it won’t. And even if it does, Ah’ll lead whatever trouble away from the family. Ah swear on my soul, as long as Ah live and breathe.”

Night Light paused to measure Pear Butter's words and tone. He liked what he saw. “Very well, Miss Butter. I’ll have the staff prepare one of the servant quarters for you. Be here by the seventh bell tomorrow.”

Pear Butter stared at him wide eyed, uncomprehending of her fortunes. “A-A Yes sir!” she yelped as her brain caught up with her. Pear gently slid the sleeping Stellar Drift onto the seat so she could stand free. “Thank you, sir, Ah’ll do everything Ah can to help rear Stellar as you wish.”

Azure Skies cantered up to to Night Light’s side as the stallion let off a brief chuckle. “I’m sure you will. I look forward to seeing your talents first hoof. Until then,” he added with a courteous nod.

“It was nice meeting you, Miss Pear Butter,” Azure Skies added with a polite nod as well.

“Don’t you worry none. Ah can get ready right quick an’ be back before supper if you want.” Pear fought to keep that massive grin from making her look any more foolish than she had already had.

“No need to go that far out of your way,” Night Light replied with a smile. “I plan on taking the three of us to a symphony concert, and I’d only require your services when work demands too much of my time.” A thought struck him after spotting Pranceton in the corner of his eye. He fished out a decent bag of bits from a coat pocket and levitated it over to Pear.

“Here, call it an advance if you will. I will not pry, but I am not unfamiliar with the sort of troubles you may have had to endure to survive until today.” At least if the detective novels have any shred of realism. “If you have any outstanding debts, please do pay them off. I doubt I need to express my concerns of creditors casting their eyes on Stellar or yourself.”

The changeling in Pearkicked in and she graciously took the coin purse in her magic. “Thank you, sir, this is more than enough for… that.” After bowing a few more times as she backpedaled to the exit. Pear bade a quick retreat to gather her wits and report her success to Stopwatch. Ah better use this money to buy some personal effects. It’d look a mite suspicious if Ah return with an full sack.

Azure Skies remained silent until Pear was out of earshot, then shot Night Light an amused smirk. “I have to ask, Nighty, do all of your interviews get so emotional?”

“Not unless we’re discussing money,” he replied with an amused huff. “So you really think She’ll work out?”

Azure smiled at him and planted a light kiss on Night’s cheek. “I - appreciate you asking my opinion in this. I’m flattered, really.”

“I care about your input, Azure. You know that,” he comforted with a brief nuzzle.

Azure blushed at the level of trust he was giving her. She tried to refocus on the original question by tapping her chin, humming all the while. “Personally, I’m not all that comfortable with somepony having an unknown and potentially checkered past taking care of Stellar.” She watched Night Light take the aforementioned filly into his magic to cradle her. “I mean, if we can take her at face value, I’d say yes, but…”

Night Light glanced back towards Pranceton who had remained by the door. The old stallion gave a shaky nod in silent permission. Night Light roped Azure into a side hug. “My father saw a similarly troubled youth many years ago. Though barely a stallion, that youth had a miserable life that would have destroyed him. Instead my father gave him a chance and invited him into our home where he became our family’s most trusted friend. Isn’t that right, Pranceton?”

Surprise caused Azure to turn around to face the typically stoic butler was struggling to keep his composure. “If you are asking, sir, I see a good mare in Pear Butter.”

"If you are so sure of this, Nighty,” Azure relented. “Then I’ll go along. I just hope her past doesn’t cause problems.” With Stellar still sleeping, Azure got an idea. “Why don’t I go get some baby food. She’ll be hungry when she wakes up.”

“Sounds good,” Night Light replied as he returned the earlier kiss and watched Azure Skies leave for the kitchen. It was then that Pranceton stepped forward and looked busy by inspecting the child.

“You honor me and your father greatly, sir. But I must say that your father watched me very carefully for years.”

“Can I trust you to take care of that then, Pranceton?”

The butler dipped his head agreement. “I will be discrete, sir.”

Pranceton backpedaled a step before departing the same way Azure did. Left alone with Stellar Drift, Night Light sat back down to cuddle and keep her warm. He sat there in contemplative silence as he watched the little filly nestle against his fur. She had proven to be a very loving and intelligent filly, always acting to make those around her happy. It was a quality he desperately wanted to preserve. Don’t you worry little one. I’ll make sure you grow up smart and strong like your brother and sister… I’ll have to watch out for your cousin’s influence, though.

Deep within Canterlot Castle, Twilight Sparkle, while puppeting Rolled Scroll, had caught Celestia in the middle of drawing up her orders while speaking with Rainbow in regards to a press release. Within Blue Flare’s body, Rainbow Dash sat back on a sofa with a scone in her maw, while Celestia was at her desk, quill still held aloft with ink threatening to drip on the parchment below. For her part, Twilight was panting from lack of breath in her mad dash through the castle to find her old mentor.

Celestia was hardly surprised to see her former student in such a state, though most of that pity was for Rolled Scroll who was by no means physically fit. “I know what you’re going to say, Twilight, and this is hardly impulsive.”

Twilight was glad that Rolled Scroll had filled her in on Gleaming Light’s surrender during her dead sprint through the castle. “But sending troops to fight in a changeling matter will only weaken this victory!”

“Like hell it will,” Rainbow Dash declared with a smirk.

Twilight shot her sister a scathing glare. <Don’t curse in front of Celestia for pete’s sake!>

<She’s like a kajillion years old, Twi, I’m pretty sure she can handle it.> All Rainbow got out of Twilight was wordless grumbling.

Celestia calmly allowed the telepathic exchange to go on without her for a little bit, giving her time to place her scroll and quill down. She loudly cleared her throat and gestured to the sofa Rainbow Dash was sitting on. “Please, sit, Twilight. It looks like your son could use a breather.”

Twilight was dubious of Celestia trying to change the subject, but she agreed with the idea nonetheless. <Sorry, Scroll. I had to catch her before she sent word to the press or public.> Twilight nodded to Celestia and claimed her seat.

Even though it was practically expected, Twilight always felt honored by her children’s willingness to be puppeted by her.

Celestia levitated a steaming cup of tea and a few scones over to Twilight, while claiming a cup for herself. Rainbow Dash was quick to swipe up all the chocolate scones. Twilight was too distracted by the impending press release disaster if Celestia went through with her plan to care about scones. Ultimately, old habits took over, and Twilight waited impatiently for Celestia to explain.

“You know me to be a champion for diplomacy, Twilight, but rulers such as us must plan for everything, and war is one thing I always plan for.” Celestia sipped her tea. “The fact of the matter is, there is nothing in the world that unites people like a common enemy or threat. The windigos united the three tribes, the first invasion of the minotaur empire brought an end to our two hundred year war with the griffins, and the rise of Discord allowed the Zebras a chance to show themselves as honorable people when they helped the very ponies that had been warring against them for decades.

“This declaration of military assistance against Polybia in tandem with the leadership of the PCE confessing that they were… horribly misguided,” Celestia put diplomatically. Rainbow grumbled spitefully at the wording while Twilight merely frowned at their mention.

However it didn’t take Twilight long to realize some depth to Celestia’s plan. “You mean to send troops that hate us into the jungles, don’t you?”

I’ve always loved her sharp mind. Celestia gave a slight frown and wobbled a hoof. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say they hate you, but more along the lines of belonging to the anti-changeling camp. Admiral Harper hoof-picked the battalions that will be going with you, just to make sure they are willing to follow orders, even if that means putting their lives on the lines for your own.

“The purpose is to have these particularly stubborn ponies realize your bloodline is starkly different than that of the other queens, and thus, be the next step in seeing you more as the newest tribe rather than outsiders.” Celestia fished through her desk for a file. “As I’m sure you already know, Twilight. The common pony can see the difference between your hive and those of the other queens, but sadly that perception only goes skin deep.”

Celestia found the file she was looking for and removed several papers and split them between the queens. The documents were an assortment of statistics and transcribed conversations. Celestia gave the queens a few minutes to go over the reports in silence.

Donut shop patron: “Sure, sure, the PR lings are all hunky dory out in broad daylight, but… I don’t know, mare. How can we really tell they aren’t disguised amongst us right now, feeding on us, huh?”
Shop owner: “Don’t you pay attention to the papers? Those changelings don’t need to feed on us ‘cause they can do it to each other.”
1st Patron: “Oh yeah? Who's to say they don’t prefer the taste of pony over another ling?”
2nd patron: “Ah come on, (redacted) I’ve spent the past three semesters with a few blues and purps. They’ve never done anything wrong, well, ‘cept for TPing the dean’s house.”
1st patron: “See? They act all nice, but deep down…” (speaker looks nervously around) “Just keep an eye on them ya hear? And don’t go down a dark alley if you see one.”

Twilight skimmed through the rest of the data and transcripts in short order, only to sink into her chair at the confirmation of a fear she desperately wanted to be unfounded.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t as put off by what she found. “Are they seriously saying pranks are that bad? What, did they forget ponies pull pranks on each other on a regular basis or something? I know I did.”

“Prejudice is always difficult to combat, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said as she looked up from her press release. “And ponies are as friendly as they are xenophobic towards newcomers. It doesn’t help that, thus far, pony and changeling forces have not fought side by side in battle.” Celestia sighed as she looked up on her way down memory lane. “I remember how it was fairly soon after the unification. The tribes stuck together for the most part, but true unity was barely a pipe dream, even while those original six leaders still lived and breathed.

“It took a war with the griffins before the stubborn hardliners really took the old saying ‘No matter what our differences, we’re all ponies,’ to heart. ‘Course it wasn’t old then.”

Twilight scuffed the soft velvet lining of the couch in a bout of defeatism. Rainbow Dash, however, saw what Celestia was ultimately planning. “So you’re going to send reporters along with the troops right?” Rainbow asked as if she already knew the answer.

“Correct.” Celestia cast her gaze on her former student who perked up a bit. “Between the returning soldiers and the media coverage, the public will finally see that your bloodline can be trusted in both broad daylight, and the dark alleys of the world.” At least as much as anypony else in a dark alley.

Twilight brooded in silence for far longer than even Celestia was comfortable with. Rainbow Dash had initially wanted to wait her sister out by going over the deployment plans. For her part, Celestia knew Twilight just needed some time, and nibbled on her scones and tea with ageless patience. However Rainbow hadn’t acquired such long lived patience, which made her slap the papers down with a huff. “Come on, Twilight, this is probably the best thing we could hope for.” <You know Celestia wouldn’t go to war lightly. Besides, Celestia’s got a year or two on us, she knows this kinda thing a lot better than anyone.>

“...Alright, Princess.” Twilight spoke while shoring up her regal baring. “If you really want to do it this way, then I’ll support you.”

Half expected though it was, Celestia was still moved by how much trust the three of them shared. “Thank you, Twilight.” Celestia let the conversation lapse to give Twilight a few moments to mentally shift gears. “Now that we’re all in agreement, I’ll fill you in on the details so you can share them with Aegis and Blitzkrieg.”

Two days later…

Polybia sat in her primary hive’s throne room as her consciousness permeated her vast brood. She had eyes all across the jungle, following her enemies' every move. Most of that attention was focused solely upon the Long Shot as it hovered in the middle of the remaining bulk of Chrysalis and Kreesus’ swarms.

The pieces move into position, the players reveal their cards, and yet I can’t quite shake the feeling that Rainbow Dash is holding something back.

Polybia ordered several scouts to watch the skies immediately around and further away from the swarms. They must have been able to salvage something of their cloaking technology. So why is that flying hive always visible?

It’s obvious now that it shies away from direct combat, so why doesn’t it have cloak?

Feeling the need to brainstorm, Polybia summoned forth the mental images of her two primary quasi generals: Split Horn and Commander Talon.

The throne room was already fairly small and poorly lit. Only silvery decorations bore witness to her reverence towards the Silver City and her version of the First Mother. This caused the blue glowing images of the quasi to stand out in almost painfully stark contrast. Split Horn knelt immediately while Talon simply saluted.

“Generals, this flying hive’s standoffish nature is proving to be more of a nuisance than I thought it would. After that little tussle over the ruins of Stripped Gear, I half expected the thing to flee in the face of a real army.”

Split Horn grumbled at the memory of the failed attack on Chrysalis’ farmlands. “Such a pitiful cowardly machine. Hiding behind a mountain of bodies instead of being in the thick of battle. At least archers or siege weapons must still dirty their hands.”

Commander Talon tsked at himself. “You are as violent as you are dense, sometimes, Split. Though I can hardly talk when I didn’t realize this sooner.” Polybia’s growing irritation at the generals’ bickering abated when the griffon got back on track.

“I’ve seen this type of warship before,” Commander Talon said with begrudging respect. The statement earned a surprised look from both Polybia and Split Horn. The ghostly griffin raised a claw and created an image of a very old style of Equestrian airship. It looked for all the world to be a river barge held aloft by a massive balloon.

“The Equestrians used a vessel that was similar in concept ages ago, when I still flew alongside my kin. These ships served as platforms for pegasi to not only rest, but to enter battle from high altitude, rather than try to climb up from the ground. In addition they offered better protection and mobility than clouds.

“Not only that, but these warships also served to get unicorns high enough to lend magical support in aerial skirmishes.”

Polybia drummed the edge of her throne impatiently. Is it possible that’s where Cadista and Yumia originally got the idea to focus their military around airships? Polybia shook the errant thought aside. “I hope this means you have a plan to counter this tactic.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard to adapt the old stratagems.”

Polybia settled more comfortably in her throne in anticipation when a harsh taboo occurred: someone spoke unbidden over the hive mind. <My queen, I have dire->

<Stopwatch!> Polybia roared in a flash of rage. <Were you not a fragment of my mind, I’d kill you here and now!>

<But my queen, Equestria is going to war!> Stopwatch said hastily before Polybia remembered she could still enact punishment over the Link.

The news halted Polybia’s ire. “Against whom?” she said dangerously.

<You, my queen.>

<...Is that so?>

Quickly realizing she wasn’t going to be killed via disconnection, Stopwatch tried to shore up some confidence, if only to placate her queen. <Yes. The press is stating a flotilla of Equestrian warships are being prepared to sail to the jungles.>

Polybia went silent. Stopwatch and the two generals waited in cold dread for the expected outburst to come. So… Celestia has finally grown a spine, hmm? Took her long enough.

“Looks like a change of plans is in order. We’ll need to capture either Twilight or Rainbow alive so they can force Equestria to exit the war before they can add their full weight of force.” Polybia mentally dismissed Stopwatch and sent her consciousness far to the south. She puppeted a drone located in a secret hive along the very fringes of the jungles.

It took barely a thought to drag both the griffin and minotaur along with her. Polybia’s latest puppet stood at the lip of a massive chamber with the walls and ceiling completely covered in eggs. Short pillars covered in bioluminescent moss offered poor lightning, but it was more than enough for a changeling to navigate. An uncountable number of drones flew to and fro either carrying eggs, food, or water.

Polybia directed her puppet towards one of several large individuals spaced evenly throughout the area. The individual in question was a queen covered in green chitin that was muttering to herself. However, unlike most other queens, this one had an enormously enlarged ovipositor that dwarfed the rest of her body by several factors. The ovipositor pulsed and quivered as well over two hundred eggs were being created daily.

Drones crawled all over the bloated sack that was simply too large for the queen’s normal lungs and intestinal tract to keep her alive at such a production rate. Even now, after personally overseeing these transformations take place, Polybia was repulsed by the fact that that a few extra lungs, mouths, hearts, two extra GI tracts, and every other internal organ necessary for life had grown in as the ovipositor continued to expand, even years after the queen’s capture. Polybia’s sense of disgust was only partially stymied by the fact that the growth was by far much slower than it used to be. And to think, each and every queen could become the same thing with just a few changes in drone pheromones.

The immobile queen was thus far unresponsive to Polybia’s puppet, and simply muttered constantly with her head down and eyes closed. Polybia flew over to the queen’s head and made a snapping sound with two plates of her chitin. The noise, along with Polybia prodding the queen’s face snapped the green queen out of her stupor.

“Ah, so you’re awake,” Polybia stated with mockery as thick as tar. “I trust your accommodations are keeping you comfortable, Yeelindrus.”

Yeelindrus instinctively tried to back away, but her egg sack proved an effective anchor. “P-please, just let me die. I can’t s-s-stand being like this.”

“If that is your wish, I’ll grant it,” Polybia replied cooly, causing Yeelindrus to look up hopefully. “But only after my rogue status has been reversed. Not before.”

“You… you were declared rogue?” Yeelindrus’ orginal fearful tone slowly morphed into a vindictive sneer as her mind cleared from the pheromones' effects. “Serves you right, bitch. Only the most depraved criminal against the First Mother would ever force another queen into being a Vel’chu!” Yeelindrus slapped Polybia with a satisfying crack, turning the puppet’s face around. “If not true death, why couldn’t you at least give me the dignity of being raised as an undead?”

If Polybia had any anger at being struck, it never showed. “I have no use for an undead queen. The dead can not lay eggs, and I need a swarm the likes of which has never been seen before.” Polybia idly tested the puppet’s injury to make sure it would not interfere with its work once she was done with the puppet. “I’ll have you know, it took quite a bit to bring you back to life. And as repugnant as being a Vel’chu may be,” Polybia’s eyes took on a twisted malicious light. “You don’t want to be undead. At least for now, you get to have a will of your own.”

Yeelindrus growled impotently as Polybia made a show of looking at Yeelindrus’ mammoth egg sack and broken horn. “For all the good it will do you, at least.”

“You best pray Chrysalis never gets her hooves on you,” Yeelindrus threatened as she tried to slap the puppet again, only for Polybia to dodge it this time. Yeelindrus went into a tirade of threats and revenge fantasies, but Polybia tuned it all out, primarily out of boredom.

“You know, I think I’m going to start keeping count of how many times you repeat certain threats. If I recall correctly, this should make it forty two.” Polybia’s blasé faire tone only enraged Yeelindrus further, making her try to reach forward to grab the puppet.

The drones covering Yeelindrus started vibrating and releasing pheromones which took the fire out of her. Polybia shook her head in mild irritation. “Can't let you get too worked up. That might halt the expansion of your egg sac.”

Yeelindrus’ eyes drooped and she calmed back down. She eventually returned to her original state with her head down, eyes closed, and muttering to herself. Polybia huffed indignantly. “Why do I even bother trying to have a decent conversation with you?”

General Split Horn, who had been silent thus far, believed the question wasn’t rhetorical. “Perhaps you queens need more conversation partners other than fragments of your own mind.”

“I suppose I’ll have to settle for the two of you,” Polybia chided. She fully turned around and gave a wide command to the drones in the chamber. Over half the caretakers departed the birthing chamber to locate the hundreds of thousands of adult drones hibernating in countless tunnels buried deep in the soil.

Polybia’s legion was waking up. Polybia actually felt a thrill coursed through her at the sensation of so many minds joining her hive mind. “It’s time I finished this war.”

Author's Notes:
Is Luke Skywalker the big bad this time? Was Jar Jar Binks a Sith Lord all along? Who thought putting R2-D2's illegitimate son's head on a soccer ball was a good idea? If lightsabers reflect blaster bolts, why does no one ever think to use conventional bullet weapons against them? Let's see the big bad sith/ goody two shoed jedi guys counter a few good soldiers with assault rifles, am I right?
Have fun watching Star Wars 7 everyone! Live long and prosper!

19: Fighting One's Pride

The Trunal’kal Mountains stretched east to west along the narrowest points of the changeling jungle. The Trunal’kals reached three hundred miles across with vast oceans on either side. It was here among the snowless peaks on the southern half of the world that Kreesus made her home.

Her hive sprang from a single massive spire, the only mountain that was surrounded by four other peaks on all sides. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash stood within a ventral observation blister on the Long Shot as they watched the hive come into view as the morning sun peeked over the ridge.

Both queens couldn’t help but to be impressed upon seeing the inner side of the four outer mountains was completely carpeted in green. Crops grew along terraces going all the way down the mountains and partially up the sides of the inner spire. Drones were everywhere, tending to the plants while dozens manually operated a long wheel and pulley system bringing in seawater from the ocean below. The hive itself was so high above the clouds that the crews of the Long Shot and the Breadbasket starting to suffer mild lightheadedness and the octavia engines were nearing their operational ceiling.

“Kind of amazing how Kreesus’ hive gets all they need from just three different crop plants, and has adapted to living off of saltwater,” Twilight said to her sister in an attempt to keep her in a good mood. Even though Rainbow was quiet, Twilight had known her long enough to feel Rainbow’s smoldering ire could lead to an incident with Kreesus.

Rainbow Dash didn’t reply. Right now, she was in a little happy place, she was in a ship, surrounded by her drones, the ever enjoyable scents of fresh oil, grease, and lemon scented floor cleaner filled the air, and there was a distinct lack of traitors… inside the ship at any rate.

Outside of the ship however, was something Rainbow distinctly wanted to keep out of mind. Rainbow Dash couldn’t enjoy the rather impressive mountainous farmlands without seeing Kreesus’ backstabbing face around every corner.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Rainbow said after letting the silence hang far longer than comfortable. “The less time we stay here the fewer chances I get to accidently order a bombing run.”

Disgust rippled off of Rainbow Dash like a salty miasma that made Twilight’s nose wrinkle in shared vexation. Not wanting to even see the place anymore lest she actually have that lapse in restraint, Rainbow Dash departed for her quarters, leaving Twilight Sparkle to her thoughts.

Might be best. Kreesus should know to avoid RD as much as RD knows to avoid Kreesus… Twilight leaned against the glass and let gravity drag her face across the surface. The sheer amount of despondency towards her job as diplomat was at an all time high. And with no one else who’s qualified around, that leaves me alone to keep the peace. Joy.

As her analytical mind just loved to remind her, unlike her militant minded counterpart, Twilight Sparkle didn’t have an excuse to remove herself from diplomacy. Even if it was with the queen who brought down her mother’s hive. The very thought of that betrayal made Twilight push herself away from the glass and shake herself.

Drop it, Twilight, just remember what Celestia always said, ‘A ruler’s personal feelings are secondary to the good of the nation’. The memory suddenly made Twilight feel like Celestia was watching her from the sidelines, making Twilight feel self conscious about the next few hours. Well, Chrysalis’ scouts says Poly’s keeping her distance, so it’s up to me to keep everything smooth with Kreesus. Unbidden, and most certainly unwanted, memories of Stripped Gear aflame with Kreesus’ swarm bringing everything to ruin surfaced to Twilight’s mind.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Twilight pushed herself off the glass and did her breathing exercise. Bit by bit, she stuffed all her snark, wit, and pre-made aristocratic sass in a neat little box with a ‘do not open until after war’ label on it. There. Now once this conflict is over and done with, we go our merry way, and forget Kreesus even exists for the next several decades if we’re lucky.

As if to taunt her, a part of Twilight’s mind reminded her of all the young princesses the other queens had, guaranteeing a string of summits in roughly thirty years time. That’ll be future Twilight’s problem, she thought while shoving that little addition into the box as well.

Twilight Sparkle ended up taking lunch in the singular port side observation blister as she watched the first resupply freighter arrive to restock the carrier and the cloaked, jury-rigged gunship carrier Breadbasket.

Twilight Sparkle lightly oversaw it all via the hive mind, allowing Rainbow to rest until the next skirmish. It was a moderately light exercise for her to keep the logistics teams and shuttles moving efficiently, mostly because the drones did the majority of the thinking.

Well over a dozen new pilots and over thirty new fighters would bring the Long Shot back to full strength, yet Twilight still had to steel her nerves for the fighting and loss yet to come. She wasn’t quite sure how to take it that such preparation was getting easier, yet the impact never did.

Trying to keep her mind off of that depressing thought, Twilight refocused on the gargantuan Fluffy, Kreesus’ favorite drone/living airship. The living airship that was more than a match for even the Steamrunner in size. Fluffy had settled down into a truly massive wax covered bedding area near a small reservoir where it started to feed on a warehouse amount of food already waiting for it. I’m kinda surprised the thing can actually land. The skeletal structure alone must be a marvel.

For the next three hours, the rest of the armies of the allied hives descended upon the mountain hive and on the surrounding areas to serve as pickets. By then, Rainbow Dash had returned to the bridge where Twilight was still standing. Partially overseeing the last of the resupply, and partially to examine state of the new aircraft and pilots.

However, Rainbow Dash couldn’t find the strength to focus on that when her paranoia kept drawing her attention to the hive surrounding them. All around the Long Shot was a writhing mass of chitin bound drones blanketing the mountains.

Twilight, through the eyes of the ship’s observers, spied one of Kreesus’ drones flying towards them, gave her sister a confident look and a brief nuzzle. <I’d like to think she’d adhere to the ‘Last Bastion’ clause.>

<Why? Poly’s supposed to be the big time dogmatic nutcase, and she broke one of the biggest no-noes of all time!> Rainbow grumbled, barely keeping herself from vocalizing. Yet she didn’t want to distract any eavesdropping crewmembers.

Twilight sighed at how Rainbow was intentionally pushing her buttons on that. <I’d like to think that’s from the necro-demonic magic rotting her ability to make rational decisions. But we can play it safe and limit just how reliant we are on her.> Twilight waited for her sister to nod agreeably, and smiled at finding a good compromise. <Kreesus may not attack us directly, but she could ‘not save us’ if she had the chance.>

By now, Rainbow Dash noticed the arriving drone as well. <Speak of the devil and she shall appear.>

Rainbow Dash started to speak, but checked herself. She looked down at her hooves in frustration. <...No. She’s probably here to talk about the next part of the campaign.> What kind of example would I be setting for the kids if I let Twilight do all of the work with that traitor? Resolving herself, Rainbow Dash teleported through the glass to await Kreesus above the flightdeck.

Twilight couldn’t help but to smile at her sister’s sense of duty. Just hang in there, Rainbow. The sooner we win this war, the less you have to deal with her.

In a poorly lit rocky hole in the ground, Grogar was unceremoniously dumped on the cave floor, and rolled over to be near a glowing green pool. His chained waxy tomb was as strong as ever. He didn’t have the strength to test it in any case.

Polybia lorded over him, positively brimming with stolen necro-demon magic. Yet that very magic was quickly taking its toll on her body. Polybia’s eyes bore a red haze while betraying a wild slightly unhinged look, a sight Grogar was all too familiar with. Her shell developed discolored splotches everywhere, her holes even seemed to enlarge themselves.

“What’s this?” Polybia chided derisively. “No subtle attempt at possession?” Polybia gazed upon Grogar who looked almost skeletal with his face pulled taunt on his skull while his ribs were painfully tight against his skin. He also shook like he was freezing. “No glare of contempt or revenge fantasies?”

“Give me some time,” Grogar eventually said with an irritating lack emotion. He didn’t even waste the strength to face her. “Your mind won’t last much longer.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Polybia scoffed as she turned around to leave. “Once I deposit your magic into my drones, I can simply abandon this tainted body, as I have all the others.”

Polybia lingered a little while, waiting for the inevitable retort. Be it prophesying her doom or foretelling of her imminent defeat, Polybia had heard it all. Yet this time, Grogar remained passive.

Mild curiosity at his silent treatment slipped into anger at being ignored before Polybia quickly felt paranoid. The longer Grogar refrained from speaking, the more worried Polybia became. Perhaps I took too much power this time and it’s actually warping my mind. A cold sweat took hold. I have to dole out this magic quickly before whatever he’s planning can be acted upon.

With a dismissive huff, Polybia moved to leave Grogar’s new cell. “Feeding time will be in four hours. Do try to not expire before then,” she added condescendingly. “I still have need of you.”

Failing to get a rise out of him, Polybia departed in silence.

Grogar remained impassive, save for his involuntary shaking. She took so much of my power that life is clawing its way back into these bones. She had better allow me to feed soon. Thoughts of his suppressed incubus nature reverting itself fueled his anger.

Silence reigned for the next couple of hours, with little more than the occasional dripping of water and occasional fidget from Grogar’s two guards ever breaking the false peace that had claimed the prison.

Even with such little to do, Grogar was not idle within his waxy cage. With what little strength he had, he reached out for his stolen power. He quickly realized it, and by extension Polybia, was extremely distant now. She must have portaled away. Polybia must have realized how I was able to strike her last time.

Not to be dissuaded, he still had some old tricks to try out, though for a being of his age, every trick was old. Yet before he could put any of those plans into motion, the faint sound of hoofsteps caught his ear. However, Polybia had dropped him to the floor in such a way that he could not see the exit.

“While I know we only met just recently, Grogar,” said a familiar echoing voice with a playful purr. “Seeing you like this all the time is not doing wonders for your reputation.”

Grogar drew his gravely reply out to sound unimpressed. “If I cared for my reputation on this plane, I would have made sure my coat was groomed, Chrysalis.”

Even in his crippled state, Grogar sensed a hoof approach to roll him over, yet stop just before touching it. Instead, Chrysalis’ puppet walked around Grogar’s pod so they could speak face to face. Grogar quickly noticed a sour musk wafting off of the drone that came into view that grew much more intense with every vibration of the puppet’s wings.

“It’s amazing how sloppy Polybia has gotten within the past several hours.” Chrysalis revealed a fang-filled smirk. “You wouldn’t be poisoning my dear old friend Polybia would you?”

The comment made Grogar pause longer than he would have liked. She was definitely sloppy today. No, not sloppy. More like she was having difficulty focusing. Strange. My influence on her shouldn’t be affecting her that way. Keeping the revelation to himself, Grogar shifted topics. “I hardly need to try, given the nature of fel magic. I assume you tracked the portal she used to bring me here.”

“A trivial effort, really,” Chrysalis flaunted as she answered. After stroking her own ego, Chrysalis buzzed her puppet’s wings, causing the musk to become even heavier, before she bent down to get a better look at Grogar’s missing horn. “You know, I couldn’t help but to be intrigued by your desire to become a royal changeling.”

“I mentioned that, yes,” Grogar stated without giving anything away.

Chrysalis turned away from the horn and looked nervously behind Grogar, undoubtedly towards the incapacitated guards. “I’ve not the time to go into the details, but I might be able to accommodate your goals.” She finally got a rise out of him. “You sign a contract of servitude to me, and I’ll get you a royal body.”

To his credit, Grogar took a few moments to think it over. Chrysalis didn’t need to say that he had little time to contemplate the offer. “I will only sign a written contract of that nature, and only after I inspect it personally. I tell you now that I will never sign a contract with indefinite terms.”

“Not good enough,” Chrysalis hissed quietly. She made her drone buzz it’s wings rapidly, filling the air with the potent musk to the point where Grogar was starting to miss the stench of the undead. “If I free you without a signed contract, there’s nothing stopping you from fleeing.”

The necromancer leered at Chrysalis with a toothy humorless grin. “I don’t need you to get what I want. Sooner or later, my efforts will bear fruit, and I will take what is mine. I only humor you to see if you can give me a worthy offer, not to negotiate terms on the fly.”

“And I will not be responsible for unleashing a living embodiment of sin upon the world with a royal changeling’s body,” Chrysalis countered harshly. “Not unless you are bound to me!”

“Embodiment of sin? Me? You give me far too much credit, as I only personify one of them.” As much as he was enjoying himself, any excuse to shorten Polybia’s hold over him was a welcome change, causing Grogar’s mirth to fade a little. “Tell you what, Queen Chrysalis. I can give a verbal agreement that when this business with Polybia is over, I will negotiate a contract with you at your leisure, within a reasonable timeframe, of course.”

“...I can agree to that much,” Chrysalis said after giving it what little thought she could spare. She lit her horn up and saturated it with magic before taking a hoof to it and snapping it off at the base. “Eat this horn so that we can stay in contact.”

While his face revealed nothing, Grogar inwardly smirked at Chrysalis’ mistake. She’s giving me a way out without even realizing it. “Very well.” He opened his mouth impossibly wide, revealing the row upon row of needle like teeth that led to a pitch black hole.

Chrysalis shrugged off the oddity of it. I’ve created weirder drones than that. With an almost casual toss, the severed horn fell into Grogar’s maw where he promptly devoured it. “It will take time to complete the connection, Grogar, so you will hear from me when it is complete.”

“I await with unbound enthusiasm,” he deadpanned.

“Yes, I know how liberating freedom can be,” Chrysalis teased, having taken his comment lightly. “Now that this puppet’s no longer needed…” Chrysalis stepped back towards the far wall. Grogar watched as within moments the drone’s chitin started to rupture and break. The heavy stench of sulfur and ozone filled the air as the puppet collapsed in a heap. Scant seconds passed before the puppet was broken down into little more than a oozing puddle that sank into the very rock itself, taking any chance of possessing it along with it. The chemical release also broke up the heavy musk, clearing the air to smell more akin to a latrine.

These queens have more intelligence than I realized. Killing the body removed any chance of jumping to the puppet’s body upon death… These queens are nothing like the typical mortals trying to bargain for power. Then again… most of those mortals rarely have the wisdom and intelligence of those passed middle age.

Still, even the best of my rivals back home can let the wrong clause slip through a contract, Grogar mused with humor creeping its way onto his face.

Back in her hive’s throne room, Chrysalis sat in silence as she mulled over her next course of action. Binding Grogar to a heavily partitioned section of her hive mind had been trivial to complete, but Chrysalis wanted time to plan her next encounter with the fabled necromancer. If I had known Polybia was only going to use a single portal, I’d have waited a few days before speaking with him.

Chrysalis’ meditation on her next move didn’t last long before her sister, Jstrul piped in. “Are you sure this is wise, sister?” Chrysalis, who had been thinking with her eyes closed, graced her blind sister with a simple look out of habit. “With the Equestrians adding their presence to this war, dealing with Grogar like this could turn both Equestria and the Soft Sisters against us.”

“Grogar is on the inside, dear sister,” Chrysalis started placatingly. She even went so far as to give her sister the briefest of nuzzles. “Albeit in a limited fashion. Any information he can give us will be invaluable.”

Jstrul stiffened at the affectionate touch. Centuries upbringing railed against it. Had the sign of affection been done via a drone proxy, there would be no issue, but the embrace from Chrysalis directly was highly uncomfortable. “Please, keep that… pony-rearing to the children.”

“A bad yet necessary habit,” Chrysalis said apologetically, as she turned away. It took a few brief moments for both sisters to recollect themselves. “Our daughters need such treatment to be of use.”

“I - I know.” All of Jstrul’s instincts screamed at her to mark Chrysalis as going soft, so she had to beat that feeling down through sheer willpower alone. The fact that supreme embarrassment wafted off her sister made it easier for Jstrul to brush it off. “What are we going to do about Grogar in the end when he comes looking to collect.”

The obvious answers of turning him over to the Equestrians for destruction or to sequester him away to allow him to possess a new royal egg jumped to the forefront of Chrysalis’ mind. Try as she might, she couldn’t bring herself to decide. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, sister.”

Back in Ponyville, an undisguised Roseluck was doing some much needed housework. Yet her mind was only half focused on the dishes she was washing. With Scootaloo off in the Equestrian Navy, the house had fallen quiet with just Rose and Lucky around.

With the pots and pans cleared away, Rose turned to head up to the bedroom, only to stop in nostalgic recollection. She missed seeing the red and gold crusader cape Scootaloo always left on the table instead of the coatrack, the omnipresence of tree sap that always managed to escape her notice for days, and the occasional fits of laughter when Scootaloo’s friends slept over.

Sighing, Roseluck walked over to the kitchen table where Scootaloo’s latest letter sat open. As a running joke, the paper had a few splotches of tree sap stuck along the edges, courtesy of Scootaloo herself. With a wistful smile, Rose read a few lines. Pride filled her chest at how strong, independent, and loving her adopted daughter had turn out.

Maybe we should adopt again. I’m sure my little gumdrop would love a brother or sister.

Roseluck lovingly folded the letter and started to take it to a cabinet in the den when a knock rapped on the door. Rose poked her head out into the main hallway towards the front door. With it being dark out, she couldn’t see if the visitor was trying to show themselves through one of the side windows.

Even with the leadership of the PCE publicly denouncing their own actions, Roseluck couldn’t shake off her mild paranoia ever since she started living openly about her changeling heritage. She trotted over to the door, and peered through the peephole to behold a plain looking grey earth mare with a dirty brown mane. The mare had an impatient look, but didn’t appear threatening to Roseluck.

A second knock made the anxious changeling jump at undoing the deadbolts, but she kept the two chain locks in place. She cracked the door open as far as the chains would allow and peered through the slit. “Hello?”

The grey mare showed little emotion outside of mild surprise at Roseluck’s glowing blue eyes, clearly meaning she wasn’t disguised. “You are the one called Roseluck, correct?”

“Y-yes?” Roseluck tried to sound friendly, but the late night visit by a stranger brought her natural paranoia to the forefront.

“I must speak with your queen-mother. It is of the utmost urgency.”

Roseluck narrowed her eyes in suspicion. All of Rose’s queens were careful whenever they puppeted a drone in public so that the common pony had no idea that ability even existed. “Begging your pardon, Miss…”

“Creed,” the mare replied with a curt yet not overly harsh tone.

Even so, Roseluck was getting weary of her visitor. “If it is so important, why not go to the hive itself? She should be there,” Rose offered friendly enough.

“That I cannot do,” Creed replied with mounting impatience. She had to collect herself to speak calmly. “I need to speak with your queen, and I know she can speak through you.”

Roseluck’s paranoia jumped three fold at that, yet her gut reaction to summon the local drone soldiers was cut short when a sickly green spire of light appeared above Creed’s forehead. The light was shaped exactly like a horn where no horn was present. Within a few seconds, a round object was summoned and dropped into Creed’s awaiting hoof. From there she presented it to Roseluck.

Though she had been a love collector all her life, even Roseluck knew exactly what it was: the Stone of Parley. It took Roseluck all of two seconds to go through the very short list of queens who would ever want to speak with with Cadista. And with that realization, Roseluck’s anger and fear took over. “You must be Kreesus,” Rose spat as if it was the most vile word she knew. “My queen wants nothing to do you!”

Kreesus had expected this, and tried to imagine Roseluck as a royal rather than a disobedient drone. “I have invoked Parley, whether your queen is willing to speak to me or not is irrelevant.”

Roseluck ground her teeth at the law, causing her fangs to cut her a little. “Fine.” Rose looked out behind the disguised puppet and saw a few late night ponies going for the growing night life in Ponyville. “Get inside before anypony sees you. I have to wake my husband about this before I tell my queen.” Rose undid the chains and bruskly ushered the puppet inside.

Not wanting to give Kreesus any chance to turn violent by making her wait, Roseluck raced upstairs to her bedroom and found Lucky just leaving the shower. He instantly noticed Roseluck’s anger marred face and cringed. “Whatever I did, it wasn’t my fault.”

“For once, I believe you,” Roseluck snorted, trying to hold onto her anger. She cantered inside to keep her hate-filled tone from carrying down to the living room where she left Kreesus’ puppet. “You won’t believe who just knocked on our door!”

“Judging by the look on your face, I’d say my brother,” Lucky replied honestly.

“I wish,” Roseluck seethed. “It’s that bitch, Kreesus.”

“The Kreesus?!” Lucky half freaked.

“The same,” said a highly impatient voice from the door. Both Rose and Lucky turned to find Kreesus’ puppet had dropped the disguise, and looked decidedly unhappy. The more time wasted here, the more time Twilight or Rainbow can find out and stop all this before I can speak with Cadista. “Can we move this along?”

“If it’ll get you out of my house, then so be it,” Rose spat hatefully. “I’ll relay your request to my queen.”

Kreesus stayed by the door as she pondered about Roseluck’s behavior. I thought I understood Cadista’s brood. Her drones were always rather professional towards me, largely because of Cadista herself. If Twilight spoke true, and Cadista forgave me, then why is her drone so hostile?

“What do you think you’re doing going behind my back?!” yelled a familiar raspy voice, jarring Kreesus from her thoughts. Instead of Cadista’s vibrant blue eyes, Kreesus was met by Rainbow Dash’s magenta eyes instead. “Get out of Rose’s house, now!”

Kreesus actually jumped in shock. “R-Rainbow Dash!? But I ask-”

“I’m her queen now!” Rainbow Dash whisper-shouted to keep from waking Ponyville.

I knew Cadista had given up her crown, but she went so far as to relinquish her place in the hive mind too!? Though she was able to hide it by removing motor control to the puppet, Kreesus was absolutely stunned and horrified by the revelation. She slumped in her throne, utterly appalled at what she had reduced her old friend to.

By the time Kreesus thought to refocus on her puppet, Rainbow Dash had shoved Roseluck’s face into Kreesus’ puppet’s own. “What’s with the silence huh? Am I not good enough for you to acknowledge as an equal without Twilight around, is that it!?” Rainbow raged with flying spittle smacking the puppet in the eye.

“No, no…” Kreesus said weakly as flashes of good memories with a strong and proud Queen Cadista raced past her mind’s eye. “Please, I - if Cadista doesn’t want to speak then I’ll leave.”

Rainbow Dash was disgusted by the brief glimpses of sorrow that kept breaking through the surface of Kreesus’ eyes. She would have thrown Kreesus out of the house, alliance be damned, but some small part of her wanted to know just what Cadista thought of it. Rainbow snorted at the request and backed up. “You want to talk to her? Fine, but mark my words. I will have your head if Cadista asks for it.”

Kreesus gave a shaky, yet regal nod. She stood there with frayed nerves as Rainbow Dash spoke mentally with Cadista.

Lucky was about as lost as he possibly could be. While he knew about puppeting, he had never seen his wife possessed before. I hope she’ll still be her old self once the queens are done. Another part of his mind latched onto a rumor he’d heard in passing when Rose had been speaking with a few purple drones a while back. Hey wait a minute… this whole puppeting thing makes drones go crazy for some loving. She might be up for some angry sex when all this is over. I know I’d need some if I had a bunch of pissed off royals in my head.

Oblivious to her husband, Roseluck’s eyes shifted to sky blue as Cadista assumed control. The former queen fixed Kreesus with a regally neutral scowl, but her eyes almost betrayed the pain she kept locked away. “Hello, Kreesus,” she said in that achingly familiar voice.

Muscles twitched anxiously in Kreesus’ jaw, and she couldn’t stop herself from flipping her tail in agitation. “Hello, Cadista. I - I see you…”

“Have done well for myself?” Cadista replied calmly, though the words should have been bitter. Instead Cadista remained unwaveringly stoic. “About as well as can be expected.”

“I heard that you forgave me,” Kreesus said too quickly. Cadista’s words flooded her with extreme embarrassment, but she was too old to let that render her speechless. “Is it true?”

Cadista was silent for a moment before turning to Lucky. “Dear, I know this is your home, but could you excuse us?”

Hearing a different voice out of Rose is damn scary. “Changeling matters, got it.” Lucky snapped a hasty, yet sloppy, salute before squeezing past Kreesus’ puppet to busy himself in the kitchen.

Cadista waited until Lucky left the stairs to continue with a weary thread in her voice. “It has taken me a long time, Kreesus. My home, most of my children, centuries of work. All of it is a molten ruin now. Were it not for Twilight and Rainbow Dash,” Cadista didn’t bother hiding her mounting grief. “I would rather have joined my hive in destruction.

“Yet I know now that I share an equal amount of the blame for Stripped Gear’s destruction.” Cadista mentally chastised both Roseluck and Rainbow Dash who yelled against it. Kreesus hated where Cadista was going with this, but Cadista spoke first. “I should have offered you the secret to making a love-producing heir. I knew full well the monumental achievement I had made, and was proud of it.”

<As you should be,> Rainbow said heatedly, not seeing why Cadista was sharing the blame. Roseluck mirrored Rainbow’s sentiment, yet all Cadista did was tell them to wait.

“Are you seriously taking the blame for my actions?!” Kreesus asked with deep shock.

“Aren’t I responsible, though?” Cadista rebuked with sudden shame and inward anger. “I did the impossible! I created a changeling strain that could produce love. All those centuries of being mocked and ridiculed for giving my drone intelligence and self-identity, for Yumia and I going against all logic by developing cold metal technology instead of advancing my biology.”

Even now, with her royal blood all but gone, Cadista couldn’t fight the overwhelming pride she had in her life’s work, and let that pain filled pride shine in her voice. “And for chasing that impossible dream of love creation. Honesty is one of the highly regarded Equestrian values, is it not?” Cadista broached the rhetorical question to not just Kreesus, but to Rainbow and Roseluck as well. Rainbow Dash was starting to get worried, and patched Twilight into the conversation (after she had physically walked into the room where Rainbow was) in some hope she could make sense of this where Rainbow couldn’t.

“So why not let it all on the table, hmm? I was, and still am, profoundly proud of Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, both as my daughters, and as living vindications that all my work, all those years of public ridicule, were not for nothing!

“So where Twilight or Rainbow Dash might have shared this secret with you, old friend, I - I,” Cadista’s rant faltered as her soul was crushed all over again by her loss. Tears started drenching both Roseluck and Cadista’s real face. “I didn’t. I would have, if you had come to me first. But no. I wanted to bask in my achievement. Dare I say it, some part of me wanted to see you beg if only a little. For you to apologize for all the mockery, light though it was compared to the others.”

Having no Day of Grief for herself, Kreesus had no buffer for the tidal wave of misery and regret that was flooding her. “Don’t - don’t you dare say another word!” Kreesus practically shouted, shattering Cadista’s rant. “You do not control my hoof! I destroyed your hive, yo - your everything…”

Centuries of friendship flashed before both Cadista and Kreesus’ mind. Countless talks, dinners, and even shared battlefields taunted them with what they had once shared. Friendship.

While they hid most of it from their puppets, both of them wept chest-wracking sobs. Neither of them could stand the sight of the other, but couldn’t bring themselves to leave.

Twilight Sparkle was at a loss for words. She didn’t have many memories with Kreesus, but she had originally thought of her as a trusted ally. Mother… I wish I knew how to help you. Twilight’s helplessness dredged up the last thing Twilight wanted on her mind: Twilight Velvet. Twilight couldn’t stop herself from wishing she was in Cadista’s place with Velvet begging for a chance at reconciliation as Kreesus was.

Ignorant of her sister’s spiking sorrow, Rainbow Dash’s smoldering anger at Kreesus barely let up, even after hearing Cadistia’s reasonings. However, she wasn’t going to stand idly by. I can’t believe I’m about to do this. With Cadista so paralysed by renewed grief, it was trivial for her to take back motor control of Roseluck. <Rose, I’m sorry in advance.>

While Roseluck shared her mother’s grief, she let Rainbow do as she wished with her. So, Rainbow slowly walked over and gave Kreesus’ puppet a strong hug. Cadistia barely realized what happened before Rainbow gave her control again. Both she and Kreesus’ cries faltered at the embrace.

Twilight was so stunned by the hug, she was thrown out of her wishful daydream and nearly broke contact with Roseluck to stare at Rainbow in disbelief.

It took Kreesus and Cadista a few brief moments to realize what had happened before Cadista left her pride to the wind and gave Kreesus a crushing embrace. Kreesus in turn was at a total loss as to how to act. Centuries of staying aloof from others, going whole centuries without physical contact with another queen, only fed her ignorance. However, some long forgotten part of her subconscious drove her to return the embrace.

Neither Kreesus nor Cadista could find the right words. I don’t want my last years on this Earth to be without you my old friend, Cadista thought. Yet even without her crown, she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.

I let my pride destroy my one true ally and friend. I swear I’ll make it right, Kreesus desperately wished she had the courage to say.

Not wanting to witness anything more private, Rainbow Dash narrowed her focus on the connection, allowing Cadista to stay within Roseluck, but eliminating Rainbow’s awareness of the room. The act had also knocked Twilight from witnessing anything further.

As much as she wanted to keep her mother company, Twilight was compelled to reach out to Rainbow before she could leave the little nook they had occupied at the stern side of the Long Shot’s command tower during the whole ordeal. “Sister, wait a minute.” Rainbow begrudgingly stopped before taking to the air, she didn’t turn around to face Twilight, however. “I’m glad you did what you did back there.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Twilight,” Rainbow replied heatedly. Twilight was taken aback while Rainbow faced her with fire in her eyes. Her scowl had not improved at all. “If granny wants to make peace with that traitor, then that’s her business. I don’t care what excuses granny makes for her, Kreesus was still the one who destroyed Stripped Gear.”

“I know what you’re saying, sister, I really do.” Twilight used Rainbow’s hesitation to come over and lean against her affectionately. “I know where she’s coming from, though, and in some small way, I - I envy mother for this.”

Rainbow Dash arched an eyebrow at that, with her scowl deepening. “This ought to be rich. Last I checked,” Rainbow started ranting, “granny lost her hive, gave up her royal blood, any ability to have more children, and gave up her crown. How could you be envious of that?!” Rainbow steamed while stomping her hoof on the loud metal floor.

The act turned a few heads from the drones on spotting detail, although all Twilight did was fall intensely quiet, both physically and within the hive mind. Even her emotional aura became unreadable. “Because for all she’s done… I still hope Velvet will do the same one day.”

“Twilight,” Rainbow called out with with her anger ebbing a little as her sister walked away. “You’ve got to let her go. She certainly did with you.”

Twilight charged her horn for a teleport to her quarters while looking at her sister with a forlorn frown and drooped ears. “Would you?” Not wanting to let the drones see her cry, Twilight teleported to her chambers, leaving Rainbow Dash alone and fuming.

Damn it all. I can’t see why Twi and granny try so hard. Traitors betrayed you once, and they’ll do it again. They’re not worth the heartache. Opting to leave Twilight alone, Rainbow Dash departed for the pilot briefing room to give orders for the next mission.

Well over an hour later in Roseluck’s bedroom, Kreesus and Cadista had slowly managed to recollect themselves, and eventually released their embrace. Their faces were stained with tears and their noses drenched in runny liquid, but for the first time in years, Kreesus felt lighter than ever before. How little did she realize her actions at Stripped Gear had weighed upon her.

Cadista had an even harder time reigning in her emotions, though it was for reasons Kreesus didn’t suspect. In truth, Cadista had to wrestle with herself to keep an emotionally open aura masking her deeper longing desires of retribution against Kreesus. It would take more than an age to forgive you Kreesus, but my daughters depend on you for now. Making sure her emotional mask was in place, Cadista gave the object of her ire a friendly yet weak smile. “I have missed our dinners together.”

“They were happier days,” Kreesus added with a more genuine grin. “We must do so again…” Her breath caught in her throat. “I - I can’t say how badly I utterly ruined everything we had, Cadista. I will do all in my power to keep your daughters alive through the war, as if they were my own.” Cadista was caught off guard by the heated steel with which Kreesus put into every word. “I swear it!”

“Thank you, old friend.” Cadista heaved a shuddering sigh as she finished wrapping her true emotions up into a little box in the back of her mind. “I believe we’ve taken enough of my daughter’s time. I’ll await those shared dinners after Polybia and Grogar are dealt with.”

Kreesus felt her heart warm at the prospect with a renewed fire she hadn’t had in years. “A sound idea.” Kreesus made for the window and opened it to leave, yet she stopped before climbing out and turned back to her renewed friend with a mournful yet happy smile. “Farewell, Cadista.”

With that, Kreesus’ puppet jumped out of the window and flew away. Cadista sighed again. “Thank you, Roseluck, I shall send you some compensation to make up for such a trying night.”

“It was an honor to serve you, my queen,” Roseluck said purposefully instead of the more fitting moniker of mother.

Cadista briefly thought about correcting her, yet a part of her felt renewed purpose and satisfaction at being called a queen, even if it was for the last time. With wordless thanks, Cadista departed Roseluck with Rainbow’s mental bridge falling away along with her.

Roseluck felt her strength give out and slumped heavily onto the carpet. She laid there, with only the rise and fall of her chest giving any movement for a couple of minutes before Lucky poked his head through the door. He spotted his wife on the floor, and quickly swept his eyes over the room for any possible threats before rushing over to her side.

He carefully rolled her over and pulled her head off the floor. She gave a relieved smile to see the lack of distress on her tired face. “Hey, everything go okay?”

Roseluck sagged into his strong forelegs, while wrestling with how she was supposed to feel. An unintended side effect of Rainbow’s mental bridge was that Roseluck heard all of Cadista’s inner thoughts. Including her deception. Slowly, Roseluck summoned the strength to pull herself up to hug Lucky. “Yeah, nothing some sleep couldn’t fix.”

If he was honest with himself, Lucky felt a little confused at how physically calm Roseluck was. Shouldn’t she be trying to jump my bones after playing host to the queen? Sensing she was exhausted, Lucky deftly slid Roseluck onto his back so he could drop her off at the bed. Ah well, at least she’s in a good mood.

After depositing her on the bed, Lucky didn’t like how bedraggled Roseluck was looking. “You should take the day off tomorrow, go to the spa or something.”

Roseluck yawned sleepily and wiggled into the sheets. “That sounds nice. I love you, dear.” Roseluck only scantily heard Lucky’s reply while pride filled her as her thoughts returned to Cadista. Your secret is safe with me, my queen. With Lucky snuggling against her, and giving his love, Roseluck quickly drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes:
What is Grogar's true plan? Does he just want some non-demonic ice cream for once? Are door to door salesdrones the real reason Polybia went mad? Will Pinkie succeed in her plan to become the next contestant on the Price is Right? Will Fluttershy find the long lost secret of Big Mac's past?
Find out sometime in the ever changing future of the Reformation!!!

20: Showing One's Hand... or Hoof

Unlike the fetid wildlands below, the skies above the changeling jungle were almost peaceful. Provided you either went unnoticed or were too frightening for aerial predators.

One such group of predators soared high just above the dense cloud layer. Rusty Spring led the rest of Viper Squadron along, deep in the southern reaches of the jungle, near the heart of Polybia’s bloated territory. Above the clouds, the midday sun burned hot, cooking the pilots and their fighters. In between the ten aircraft of Viper Squadron were a dozen additional biplanes of a jury-rigged design lugging incendiary bombs.

Rusty Spring checked his watch while Twilight lightly watched through the eyes of her pilots, allowing them to retain full control over themselves. With nothing akin to radar to guide them, and the use of heavy cloud cover, Twilight had to resort to letting Rainbow Dash calculate both direction and distance to the target.

A few hours into the flight, she gave the word. <It is time, Warrant Officer. Begin the bombing run.>

<Aye, my queen.>

Rusty Spring signaled the rest of the pilots before banking sharply to the left. The rest of the aircraft joined as one. Greasy Piston howled in excitement as she whipped past the dense clouds.

Down below in a craggy valley rested a dense patch of multicolored crops with the solid green of the jungle above it. Twilight drew every pilot’s attention to the northern side of the valley where it met with a small clearing. There, a gathering of drones was packing foodstuffs together. <Chrysalis’ scouts say the crops will be harvested soon. Burn as much of the valley as possible in addition to the storage area.>

<At once, my queen,> the seventeen pilots replied as one.

Rusty split off the main group with five other biplanes right behind her in a wedge formation while Greasy Piston and the rest of the squadron went for the storage area. <Be ready for the counterattack, boys,> Greasy advised with a mad hatter grin.

Diving nearly straight down, Greasy unloaded a fusillade of fire on the hundreds of bundled crops. The enchanted ammunition caught fire upon impact as both crops and drones burst into flames.

Rusty Spring was just as successful with the valley suffering a string of small fires that threatened to spread wildly. Strangely, the expected anti-air defense was sluggish to start. While the worker drones acted on instinct and fled the devastation, the cadre of warriors started to use spellfire against the aircraft only after they had finished their strafing run.

But it was too little too late, upon finishing their strafing run, the pilots skimmed the treeline to escape retribution before fleeing back to the clouds.

Chrysalis and Kreesus watched over the valley farm through their scouts’ eyes, having directed Twilight towards the target. Both queens were puzzled by the lackluster response from Polybia. They kept their eyes on the growing fires while their real bodies sat within a mocking recreation of an equestrian theater hall hall that Chrysalis had assembled deep within Kreesus’ mountain hive. A cadre of quasi, former ponies and griffins, were reenacting a current popular equestrian play, She Lights my Candle.

While Chrysalis still kept a large portion of her mind focused on the plethora of drones scattered throughout the jungle, she always seemed to find time for some enjoyment in life. Occasionally without causing suffering or at least mild irritation in the process.

Sitting beside her, if only out of curiosity for the play, Kreesus was highly distracted by the aftermath of the air raid. “Strange,” Kreesus mused with cautious worry, “it’s not like Polybia to be so lethargic to act.”

Chrysalis cackled at the morose failure of the play’s protagonist before giving Kreesus, and a local scout of her own, any real attention. “Clearly the years of dark magic and war are starting to take their toll on her.”

Kreesus watched through her scout as the real threat of the biplanes’ attack revealed itself in the form of bull sized howlers that constantly prowled the grounds of the farm. With the temperament of a rabid manticore, packed with several bladed limbs and curiously enraged by fire, the beasts would prove devastating. The dozens of howlers, normally beguiled into protecting the farm by the scent of the crops, were now shaken from that control with the fire whipping them into a frothy vengeance as the blaze quickly overpowered the hypnotic smell. The beasts started trampling the crops, slashing at them with animalistic rage, and slaughtering the drones and warriors alike with wild abandon.

“As much as I would like to believe that,” Kreesus replied with a touch of irritability, “This is too much all at once. Just yesterday she reacted nearly instantly to our attack.”

The comment caused Chrysalis’ grin to falter. “It could be that Grogar is giving her more trouble than usual. An overconfident fool like Polybia could have easily made a mistake.” She certainly doesn’t make it too difficult for me to visit that wretched goat.

Chrysalis’ scout pressed itself low to the branches to avoid getting spotted and watched the fight between Polybia and the howlers. She took primal delight in watching Polybia’s misfortune unfold, grinning wickedly all the while. “Perhaps we’ve been giving Polybia too much credit. We should strike deeper into her territory and end this war quickly before she can recover from whatever malady has befallen her, or let Grogar escape.”

Kreesus’ scout remained at at the edges of the valley, and kept an eye on the farm as well to make sure it would get destroyed completely. “I don’t like it. This farm was too big to just throw away with sloppy defense. We can’t rule out that this might be a feint or outright deception. Something you live by more than is healthy, I think.”

Chrysalis cackled with a fang-filled smirk, and idly watched through her scout as the terrain before it took a steep decline towards a large flat area of moonlit jungle. “Come now, Kreesus, we’re all allies here. Our fates are bound together in this war.”

Kreesus was pleased to see the howlers were still coming in droves, and would soon leave the area a charred ruin. With her real body, she cast a knowing scowl at Chrysalis. “And that would do nothing to stop you from turning on me as soon as Polybia’s final death.”

“Such are the risks of the jungle,” was all Chrysalis said in snide response.

Kreesus boiled at Chrysalis’ taunting, yet she decided to sit on that rising fury lest she make a second colossal mistake. Were it not for Polybia, I’d have killed you long ago.

Any further vengeful thinking were put on hold after Kreesus saw something rather strange through the eyes of her scout. Far, far to the south just above the rolling treeline of the jungle was a massive writhing black cloud the likes of which set Kreesus’ scales in a chill. The cloud was easily a mile wide, deep enough that the scout couldn’t see through it to the other side, and tall enough to give the distinct impression of a stormfront.

The sheer size of it made Kreesus briefly wonder if Lukia parasites had infested the scout’s eyes. The cloud was simply too large, too absurd to contemplate the very idea that the cloud could be a swarm of drones. And yet her instincts rebelled against her rational thinking.

“Chrysalis, stop flaunting your false superiority and turn your gaze south. Do you see what I see?”

As much as Chrysalis wanted to irritate Kreesus even further, her victim’s shaken tone made her skip any taunting and complied. It took Chrysalis’ scout a minute or two to safely extract itself from the area near the inferno of the farm to find a chance to get above the treeline. It didn’t take her long to wish she hadn’t. The moving black mass was simply too large to miss despite its distance. “It, it can’t be what I think it is,” Chrysalis huffed dismissively at her snap shock at the sight of the cloud. “Polybia expects us to have spies in her land. This is nothing more than a ploy to hide something else.”

Kreesus was slow to dismiss the notion. While her scout’s vision was designed to pierce illusions, that range was measured in meters, not miles. “If this is an illusion, it is a costly one. There is no ley line anywhere near the farm, the sheer magic cost must be staggering.”

Chrysalis nervously chewed on her inner cheek as she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the chilling cloud of drones. “...It has to be a trick,” she said at length with a definitive tone. “Silandrus was the best of us in terms of mass control, and even in her prime could only control three hundred thousand, not the…” Chrysalis did a quick estimate on the cloud. “Million or so drone swarm she wishes us to see. Besides, I refuse to believe she could have laid so many eggs so quickly, or held them in reserve for this long.”

Kreesus watched carefully as the mass of drones split in four with the biggest section flying straight for her mountain hive. “We don’t know what sort of dark magic she could have been holding in reserve. In case you forgot, Chrysalis, the lot of us have been on the back hoof thanks to her for a year now. She had no reason to play her cards fully… until now anyway.”

Chrysalis tried to get at least some part of her mind refocused on the play, but no matter how much logic she threw at the impossibility of a million-strong swarm, she couldn’t shake the undercurrent of fear it caused. With a mental command, she ordered the play actors to abandon the performance for the time being. “You can investigate this farce if you like, but I will find out Polybia’s true aim.”

Passing her caution on to Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, Kreesus’ scout started moving south to get close enough to the approaching swarm to confirm her suspicions. “Waste your time if you like. Perhaps you’ll discover her plan to expand her She-Mare collection.”

Pear Butter stood before the mirror in one of the servant quarters of Sparkle Manor. It was a modest bedroom with a window offering a good view of the colorful rear gardens. She was primping herself to play her part, and allowing her disguise to drop for the moment to rest her already stressed magic. Just think of the filly, old girl, she’s why you’re here, not because that bit - She tried to force the word out, but her thoughts rebelled against her. My queen commanded it.

She couldn’t stop a depressed sigh from escaping. She didn’t want to get used to being half a changeling or having Polybia be able to end her life with but a thought.

Shoring up her resolve and restoring her disguise, Pear Butter was about to return to her duties when something akin to a rope snapping hammered her mind. She reeled at the headache, groaning in pain and slumping against the wall while cradling her head. By the winds of Elysia, what was that!?

It took her several long moments to recover from the shock of such a psychic blow. She started hyperventilating at the sudden sense of emptiness. She noisily knocked a chair over and fell to the floor and curled up involuntarily. Yet as terrified as she was, she couldn’t consciously understand why. It was that realization that blunted her sudden fear, allowing her to stop shaking. She waited a bit longer, when she felt nothing physically off, she expected it might be some punishment from Polybia for some slight. However, no answer was forthcoming. Why did Ah freak out? My queen wouldn’t randomly punish me would she? Did she hear what Ah was about to call her?

Pear Butter quickly donned her disguise and waited for the expected reprimand. An ‘oops’ sorry Ah didn’t mean to do that would be nice.

As the time of her shift was coming, Pear lost patience and meekly tried to communicate with Polybia. <My queen? Did Ah error in some way?>

The clock on the wall ticked away with no answer. Ah hope Ah’m actually doin’ this right. <My queen? Are you there?>

The clock chimed without even a nonverbal blurb from Polybia, Stopwatch, or even Paint Brush. Not that they’ve talked over the mind before, but something happened!

Checking the mirror one last time to make sure her disguise was spotless, Pear left the bedroom behind to make her way to the dining area where Stellar Drift was scheduled to end dinner. If it weren’t for that Twilight Sparkle, Ah keep hearin’ about, Ah’d think that keep’n a foal on a schedule wouldn’t ever work.

Pear Butter passed through halls and down stairs, half going over the planned activities with Stellar and the other on the mysterious absence of Polybia.

Twilight Sparkle was in semi-meditation as she communed with several shipmasters and logistics officers of the very long and vulnerable supply chain. She opted out of making a Linkscape this time for a simpler voice only communication. <Fleece Coat, have you had any issues with Polybia’s raids against you?>

<No, my queen, It’s been strangely quiet thus far. Although I think the additional presence of the Equestrian flotilla might be keeping Polybia at bay for now.>

<Good, proceed to the mountain hive at best speed, shipmaster.>

Twilight’s attention shifted to a stubborn naval officer of her brood, Captain Rourke, now in command of the Steamrunner. A feat made easy by injured captain not needing to be too physically active to do her job. Sadly, that also led to having a personal nurse constantly hovering around her just in case she collapsed. <Captain, how long until your convoy arrives?>

That puts them over the gorge at the edge of Equestria. <Proceed with caution, Rourke, don’t rely on our allies entirely for your security.>

Rourke couldn’t stop Twilight from picking up a fearful twinge in her voice. <Of course, my queen. I’ll redouble the watch.>

A mental ping forced Twilight’s awareness to return to her body where Rainbow Dash was caught somewhere between being panicked and failing composure. “We’ve got a potentially seriously huge problem, Sis.” It took but a glance at Rainbow’s emotional aura for Twilight to climb off her couch as Rainbow approached. With both queens being in Twilight’s quarters aboard the Long Shot, they didn’t need to worry about the prying eyes of their ‘allies’.

“Kreesus just spotted a freak’n insane number of Poly’s drones rising up from the south.” Rainbow levitated over a few moderately well done, if hasty, paintings of what Kreesus’ scout saw. “Something close to a million strong!”

“A m-million?” Twilight sputtered in disbelief, only for Rainbow to, for some aweful reason, nod in return. “A million!?”

“You’re taking it better than I did,” Rainbow remarked with a dower frown.

“That can’t be right!” Twilight protested with a wave of her hoof. “It’s impossible for a single queen to control that many drones. I don’t think even we could handle such a Link load, even with our children needing no real oversight!”

“Yeah well, she found a way.” Rainbow nodded her head at the porthole and the mountain beyond it. “Sticky Spit thinks it’s a distraction. As much as I would love to believe that delusion, I’m not taking any chances. I’m ordering the kids to stay within the ship.” Twilight was still reeling from the very notion of a single queen commanding such a swarm of mindless drones to truly acknowledge her sister’s comments. “With the four of us here, Poly’s going to hit us here to try and end it quick.”

Twilight’s mind kicked back into gear as Rainbow started bouncing various ideas in her head about how to counter such an overwhelming force. “Wait. Are you sure Kreesus is right about this? Shouldn’t we at least wait for her to verify this?”

“I am, I am,” Rainbow assured her with an absent wave of a wing, “but I gotta plan for both. Sticky might be right, and fleeing could make us walk into a trap. Kreesus’ hive is defensible, but against a million? Not a chance.”

Twilight tried to think of a plan, even with her sister being the better military strategist. Several ideas blazed past her, each one discarded as quickly as they came until one thing stuck in her mind. “Wait… wait a minute...” She turned to Rainbow Dash who was already giving new orders to the ship to prepare to flee just in case. “Momma always said the other queens prefered inhabiting ley lines. Did Kreesus ever tell you whether or not this place has one?”

Rainbow Dash was puzzled by the question with the mention of ley lines bringing her back to the Battle of Rookhaven. “What would it matter if there was? Gethar had a whole nexus point to himself and he couldn’t stop a single warship and a battalion of drones. Even if our kids are the best on the planet.”

She always finds time to boast, Twilight inwardly chuckled despite the looming threat of Polybia’s legion. “First off, I believe we got away with a lot thanks to Gethar having no idea how to properly damage a steel warship. Second, he came across as somepony who was narrowly focused in his magical experience. Ancient magic isn’t as grand as most storytellers like to make it out to be. Aside from alchemy of course, arcane spellwork was quite primitive compared to the spellcraft we have today.”

Scary how easily she slips into lecture mode when it comes to magic. Wanting to avoid a school lesson due to Polybia, Rainbow conceded. “Fine, I’ll take your word for it. But that aside, that traitor never told me about any ley line below her hive. Beside, if she did have one wouldn’t you know already?”

To that, Twilight frowned a little. “Kreesus actually has two hives. The one in the lowlands during ‘peace time’, which is the only one I’ve ever been to, and here. She never had a reason to tell me, nor I to ask.”

“Well if you think a ley line could help, then by all means, go ask her about it. I for one am going to see what I can salvage out of this campaign if this million legion is legit.”

Probably best that I do it instead of you anyhow. Twilight nodded and mentally searched for the closest child to one of Kreesus’ drones. “Right. I’ll let you know shortly.”

Hours had passed for Pear Butter with nary a word from Polybia. With Night Light and Azure Skies gone for a social engagement to reveal their adopted daughter to more of Canterlot’s elite, Pear Butter was more or less left to her own devices. There was still at least an hour and a half before the family of the house was expected to return. With this in mind, Pear timidly approached the family butler, Pranceston in the grand entry hall.

Pranceston was meticulously dusting one of the decorative vases along the staircase when Pear walked up and politely cleared her throat. “Mister Pranceston, sir. Ah’ve finished cleanin’ Miss Stellar’s bedroom and playroom. Is there anythin’ else for me to do?”

The immaculately groomed stallion in a perpetually sharp tuxedo turned away from his work to fix Pear with an appraising stoic expression. “Have you prepared her bathing supplies? At this hour the master will undoubtedly want her in bed straight away.”

Pear bowed respectfully. “Yes, of course. The filly’s playfulness permitting, Ah’ll have’r ta bed promptly.”

Pear was still new to the job, and with only Polybia’s hair trigger temper to go on, Pear initially feared she might have taken too much of a liberty by passing future blame onto Stellar Drift not wanting to cooperate. Yet all the old stallion did was nod with understanding, catching Pear’s worried grimace. “Adopted or not, it seems all of the Sparkle children have that fiery spirit about them. And the family wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Very well. In the meantime, you may take this time to do as you wish, within reason. I highly suggest you relax while you can.”

Pear blinked in surprise at the offer. “Ah thought Ah would take the role of a normal house maid when my foalsitting wasn’t currently in need.”

Pranceston shook his head and returned to his dusting. “Your employment contract clearly states you are a foalsitter, not a house maid. If Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor are any indication, you will learn to treasure your free-time while you can.”

Rather than feel slightly terrified at the warning, Pear Butter felt a maternal instinct she didn’t know she had flood her. “Ah think Ah can manage a feisty youngin, sir.”

“We’ll see, Miss Butter. Just know that I’ll be watching both you and Miss Drift closely.”

The front door opened, an earth pony guard sticking his head in cut off Pear’s reply. “Mister Pranceston. There’s a stallion at the gate wanting to speak with a Miss Pear Butter. Said his name was Paint Brush.”

Pranceston turned first towards the guard then to Pear. “You know of him, Miss Butter?”

Why in the world would he risk coming here!? Could it have something to do with that incident earlier? Not entirely shaking off the surprise in front of Pranceston, Pear nodded. “Y-yes Ah do. He’s an old friend a’ mine. Probably just here ta congratulate me on gett’n the job, or ask for a date,” she added at the last minute. “Probably both.”

Pranceston studied her for a moment, narrowing his gaze just enough for her to notice before letting his suspicions fall away. “Very well. It is your break time after all. Just remember to return before the master returns. Master Night Light hasn’t given you leave for the whole night.”

With a quick thanks and a nod, Pear raced past the guard with as much tact as she could muster. From the door she saw Paint Brush waiting for her near the closed gate where two more private security guards were standing watch.

Pear made her way to the gate to find Paint Brush visibly appear calm, but that annoyingly persistent empathy of hers could feel the cold blue aura of his fear. It didn't help matters that he wasn't even using a special disguise, outside of merely looking like a normal unicorn.

Pear Butter was quick to flash a smile at the guards. "Thank you sirs, he's my date tonight.”

Paint Brush was caught mildly off-balance by the sudden cover story, but quickly rolled with it. “Heyya, GG, you good to go?” He asked as the guards opened the gate to allow Pear Butter to pass through.

“You know Ah am. Ya know how Ah love going to Doughnut Joe's with you.” Pear gave Paint Brush an affectionate nuzzle before leading him away and waving goodbye at the guards.

After seeing the casual act had appeased the guards, both quasi quickly made their way out of earshot near one of the other aristocratic manor exterior walls. However, Paint Brush started nearing a full gallop instead of slowing to talk. “Alright, PB, what’s goin’ on?”

Paint Brush let his calm demeanor fall away into one of near panic. “Ah -Ah don’t think we can talk here, Ah better take you to Stopwatch’s place.”

Not wanting to risk any possible eavesdroppers, Pear Butter remained silent for the entire run to the brothel Stopwatch lived above.

The Madame of the establishment paid them no mind as the pair raced through to the loft apartment. There Paint Brush revealed Stopwatch in a small green cocoon surrounded by a collection of hastily assembled take out boxes still loaded with half-eaten food.

“The queen was saying to watch over her for a week or something and that Stop was some kind of plan B. And then she just cut us off from her!”

So that’s what that was. Pear’s rebellious heart soared at the news with her barely managing to hide a massive grin that threatened to betray her. Yes, Yes! Ah’m free of that bitch! Oh that felt good! If we’re free, then maybe Ah have a real chance at getting PB to abandon the queen too!

The gears churned in Pear’s head at how to do just that. She briefly watched Paint Brush inspect the cocoon for any imperfections. “Did she tell us what we should do besides that? We can’t leave her cocoon here.”

Paint Brush gave her a quick nod, yet returned his attention to Stopwatch. “We might be able to take her to my new apartment. It’s just down the road.” He spotted an area where the wax was thin, so he tried to smooth it out as best he could.

“Ah can’t do it now. Night Light and Stellar Drift should be back home in half an hour, and everypony thinks we're on a date.”

“Ah can't move her by myself,” he protested hotly, to Pear’s mild surprise. “We owe it to our queen to act on good faith of her trust.”

“Good faith? Good faith!?” Without Polybia’s connection, Pear Butter was finally able to speak her mind at Paint Brush. “Oh rut her good faith!” she spat venomously while jabbing Paint Brush with a hoof. He stumbled back in utter shock at the hatred in her eyes. “The only thing she deserves is a good stone prison, Discord style.”

“You can’t mean that!” Paint Brush held a hoof up in a placating gesture. “The queen hasn’t abandoned us, she’s trustin’ us ta watch over the princess.”

Even though the geas threatened to smother her anger at the mention of the child, it did nothing concerning Polybia herself. Yet despite that, Paint Brush only succeed in making her angrier. “Th’ youngin ain’t done nothing wrong, but ‘er mother is a different story. Ah say we get rid’a Stopwatch and live our lives on our terms. S’ only fair since our queen stole our old lives in the first place.”

This time, Paint Brush pushed himself into her Pear’s face and matched her anger. “We don’t know what our lives’re like back then! For all we know, we coulda been criminals, or maybe suicidal.”

“Or we coulda been the happiest ponies ever!” Pear rebuked just as harshly.

“Do ya ever think for a moment and think that maybe, just maybe we mighta’ wanted her ta take us?”

At that, Pear visibly hesitated, but not for the reasons Paint assumed. Ah need him on my side. But fer that Ah need proof, one way for another. “Alright, fine. How ‘bout this.”

Pear pushed away and slowly walked over to a nearby wall to think. “Ah’ll play it your way, but only until Ah find somepony who can tell us what we were really like back then.”

With his lack of his old life’s memories, Paint Brush cooled off to speak a little more evenly. “Sounds fair. Go on back to the Sparkles then, but come by mah place later so we can move Stopwatch. No matter what happens, Ah ain’t letting any harm come to her, at least not until she wakes up.” He started gently taking the cocoon up in his untrained telekinesis to hide her in the bedroom.

Pear was about to leave when something occurred to her, making her turn back towards the cocoon. “Wait a tick. Didn’t Stopwatch always say if she were disconnected from the queen that she’d die?”

At that, Paint Brush could only shrug in ignorance. “She said that, yeah. Ah guess the pod’s there ta keep her alive.”

Working with no more information than he was, Pear let the thought go. “See you later tonight then.” And Ah have a certain lead to follow up on Miss Apple Bloom’s sister, or should Ah say, Applejack.

Only a few hours after the raid on Polybia’s farm, Kreesus herself flew towards the Long Shot. The carrier was a hornet’s nest of activity with the next fighter squadron nearly ready to sortie. Flightdeck crewmembers ran to and fro in an organized chaos that Kreesus was all too familiar with. Upon landing, she got a cold reception from the nearest crew members with most deliberately ignoring her, with especially hostile glares from the blue drones.

I trust Rainbow Dash will change her tune by the end of this war. Kreesus outwardly ignored the hostile glares. “Tell your queens that I was right. Polybia’s million is real, and they will be here within a day.”

Within moments, Rainbow Dash and Twilight teleported from the bridge and onto the flight deck near Kreesus. Being the militant queen, Rainbow spoke up first. As much as she hated Kreesus, even she could see now was not the time for it. “Then I suggest we force her to split up and use hit and run tactics to whittle her down. A force that large is too unwieldy.”

“I actually have a different strategy in mind,” Kreesus replied in a knowing tone. “We hold Polybia’s attention and her might here. By doing that, you can strike her primary hive located on the southern shores of the jungle.”

“You want to make a stand here? Against a million?” Twilight asked with only one logical thing in mind: the ley line. “How?” Twilight gave Kreesus a questioning look. “Polybia has to have eyes everywhere. There’s no way she could be caught off guard, and there’s no chance the carrier could slip away unnoticed.”

“Not your carrier, no. She undoubtedly knows that Equestria is sending a fleet, but we can use that fleet’s size to our advantage.”

Rainbow scowled, but not necessarily at Kreesus. “Split her attention and forces between here and the fleet?”

Kreesus shook her head at the question. “That is only part of it. But I suggest we go a little further than that.”

Rainbow arched an inquisitive eyebrow first at Twilight, who shared the gesture, before both turned back towards Kreesus. “Alright, what exactly do you have in mind?” they asked in unison.

Author's Notes:
Will Pear Butter go goth with her new freedom? Will Polybia get so exasperated and just slouch on the couch and roll her eyes at PB? How exactly did Pinkie know the bird is the word? Why are they called airships if they don't ship air? Is there such a thing as too much dakka? When will lings get around to evolving overlords, I mean, come on guys. It's time.
You know what else it's time for? Well if your guess was answers to these questions you'd be wrong. BUT you may or may not get some answers next time on. The. Reformation!!!!

20.5: Meet the Troops

Hushed voices murmured amongst themselves as Captain Rourke finished her presentation on the chalkboard. The briefing room was filled with over a dozen Equestrian captains from the various ships in the fleet along with Princess Luna as acting admiral. Rourke stood at the head of the briefing room with her eyes dancing between Cadista and Luna at the inquiries she knew were coming. “Any questions?” she directed at everyone.

Princess Luna bore a sour face, complete with an intense scowl, one she had been wearing since half way through the briefing. It was a look shared by many in the room, outside of Cadista. “I don’t like the idea of the Steamrunner going off alone like this. You said it yourself, the new cloaking field isn’t perfect.”

Cadista felt personal betrayal resurge towards Kreesus at the mention of her once plentiful crystals. “We’ve had an issue with our admittedly limited production capability. We couldn’t have known for sure if the ship’s size would become an issue with the cloaking field. We had to abridge the shakedown cruise after all.”

“One can hardly blame you for that, Regent Cadista,” Luna said with an almost reluctant tone at such a lowly title for her. “What if the weather changes and the skies turn clear?”

“No plan is perfect, your highness,” Cadista replied with a polite yet firm tone. “Yet it is the best one we have. Polybia’s swarm is simply too large compared to our own to spread it out enough to have a traditional campaign. Not to mention that Chrysalis’ scouts have detected a near constant stream of new drones coming from the southern hive.”

“I don’t like basing our plan of attack on a traitor and the intelligence of a duplicitous queen,” one of the more senior pony officers called out. Cadista and Rourke’s eyes fell upon the bulldozer of an earth pony with the name Spear Point on his uniform. “I am no stranger to suicide missions, both running and ordering them, but the risk of detection is far too great.”

“I firmly stand by my queens, Admiral,” Rourke replied with steel matching Cadista. “Time is of the essence. I fear with Equestria starting to turn more of its industry and marepower towards the war effort, Polybia, in her mental instability, might unleash something truly devastating.”

It amazes me how far Twilight and Rainbow Dash have come as rulers to abide such a terrible risk. Luna tsked at the whole thing, but wasn’t about to argue further. I can’t imagine what they are going through giving such an order to their own children. “If this is going to work, we need to maximize our chances. I’m going with you.”

Rourke was stunned, along with a few of the pony officers. The others, Cadista included, fully expected it out of Luna. “Your company will be much appreciated, your highness.”

Those ponies who were not expecting it started clamoring about her safety with a pegasus commander being heard by all. “It’s dangerous enough for you being in the vanguard as it is, Princess. Surely-”

“I am not here as just a symbol, Commander Flash,” Luna rebuked harshly, cowing the officer back into his seat. Luna took to her hooves and made it a point to stare at each officer in the eyes, to convey what her words could not. “I am here to lend my strength to our friends and allies. My strength does not lay in commanding ships and cunning naval maneuvers.” She turned to the pony admiral. “I would be deferring to you far too often if I remained here.” She resumed her attention on the rest of the crowd. “My place on the battlefield is in the thick of it with the common soldier, and that is where I shall be.

“I will be trusting all of you to play to your strengths as well, for it is through that, that we shall find victory over Polybia and Grogar.”

A brief silence amidst the officers revealed that they knew she brooked no further argument. Shortly, a pale yellow pegasus mare in a skin tight blue uniform stood up. “Then let me and a squad of my best Wonderbolts accompany you.”

“Very well, Captain Sky Flurry, but only the best. Polybia will be suspicious if all of your fliers are absent from patrols.”

Rourke spoke out before any more volunteers could come forward to stand with the princess. “The Steamrunner is already above maximum capacity in our troop quarters. We can only take on a hoofful more.”

The announcement brought about many scowls and hard, yet professional glowers. Luna decided to let the officers brood on their own time. “Flurry, you depart within the hour. The rest of you, get a rotation drawn up for our magi. We have a rogue queen to kill.”

Shortly thereafter, the fleet of seventeen Equestrian warships and the Steamrunner entered a massive cloud bank a few miles south of the ruins of Stripped Gear. Once the fleet was obscured, the Steamrunner broke away while magi on the remaining ships fabricated an enormous doppelganger of the changeling cruiser in its place.

The Steamrunner extended several crystal bound arms around the hull before shimmering into obscurity. However, it was all too easy for the pony observers to spot the rippling air and roiling cloud at the ship’s passage.

The Equestrian admiral puffed heavily on his cigar as worry threatened to compromise his ability to command. I pray those imperfections are unnoticeable at a distance.

Princess Luna was quick to depart the queen’s quarters she was given (in the absence of Twilight and Rainbow Dash), and set out to inspect the troops as it were. Escorting the princess through the halls were two drones being puppeted by their queens.

Twilight was beside herself with worry while Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but to admire the princess’ commitment. “I hope you like my room,” Rainbow said with slight amusement. “Not the best accommodations I admit, but…”

With a thin smile on a hard face, Luna hummed at her. “It is spartan, cramped, and to the point,” she said with an approving tone. “Although I suspect the large bed is put to more use than sleeping, given its owner.”

All Rainbow did in response was to shrug shamelessly. “What can I say, I enjoy my royal duty.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. I swear, sometimes I wonder whether Rainbow influenced Aegis or the other way around. “My apologies, Princess. I was the one who ordered the shipwrights to minimize our quarters so we could accommodate more marines.”

“Nonsense,” Luna declared sternly, catching Twilight off guard. “The last time I was in a real war, I slept in a tent along with every other soldier. It gave me the clarity I feel many generals and… admirals these days forget. I only allowed myself a larger tent for the war table, and nothing else.”

“Hear, hear,” Rainbow Dash cheered. “Makes the luxury of home all the better I say.”

The group was passing through the midline of the ship, closing in on the barracks. The conversation had lapsed enough for Luna to change topics. “How fares your side of battle?”

“Badly,” Twilight stated flatly, sapping the joy out of her sister. “Polybia sent twenty thousand after us. We’ve been able to keep our distance, but it will be difficult to spare a squadron to assist in Kreesus’ defense.”

Not that she shouldn’t be left to rot, Rainbow fumed heatedly to herself. “I’m not worried about that traitor. She’s using the ley line under her hive to conjure up a heavy mana storm around the peak and harden the mountain stone itself. Polybia will have to fight the storm and climb rather than fly. She can hold out indefinitely.”

“It’s why she’s lasted this long in the war, even though she’s been surrounded by enemies for centuries.”

A Jevruun Vrunningee passing along the ceiling brought Luna’s focus on where they were, and the warriors she wanted to see for herself. Especially that bunch of terrorists.

It was not long before Luna and the two queens passed through the final bulkhead and into the forward most part of the marines’ quarters. Luna found herself in the same chamber that Aegis had fought the PCE, only now it was prepared to carry the host of marines within. The large open space in the center had been closed off by removable flooring to allow more bunks and lights. The bunks were two a piece, with enough room for each marine’s equipment.

The marines themselves were standing at attention by their beds, awaiting inspection. The narrow confines made it difficult for each marine to stand in a line while giving the royals enough space to move through, so only half of their number were present.

The closest marine, a lieutenant if Luna guessed correctly clicked his hooves at the royals’ entry. “Royalty on deck!”

All conversation both physical and over the Link died in an instant with every marine snapping to attention. Rainbow Dash took immense pride, smiling broadly, at the display of military bearing. While Twilight would have liked to avoid physical conflict, she too was impressed by the professionalism of her children.

Luna remained stoic however, falling into old habits she had half expected to be forgotten. After quietly nodding to the changeling officer, she walked deliberately slow down the narrow path to do a proper inspection. Good. There’s none of that softness I’ve seen all too prevalent in the Equestrian naval staff.

The first few dozen marines Luna, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash observed were all changelings wearing their drab blue or purple uniforms. Each drone wore the opposite color of their fur. A statement of unity perhaps? Luna mused inquisitively.

Held aloft in their magic was each marine’s weapon of choice, ranging from short swords and shields, to a specially designed short barreled carbine with gas-based flame throwers being just as common. The latter being without fuel at the moment.

Luna’s focus however quickly shifted to the spattering of sphinxes interspersed throughout the rows upon rows of changelings. Both queens quickly picked up on the curious look upon Luna’s face, but wordlessly decided to ask her about it later.

However their patience was not needed when Luna came upon a grecian tom with an NCO rank upon his shoulder. “Yelger Vonbukin… You’re one of the Psykera who’ve joined the PR navy I’ve heard whispers about.”

“It is an honor to serve the sister-queens, your highness,” he said with professional pride.

Luna revealed nothing through her calm mask. “How far does that honor go, I wonder.”

Without a second’s hesitation he replied, “I would march on Gilandrus City itself, if asked.”

Luna only hummed at the statement, keeping her own council. “Let us hope it never comes to that.”

“I concur,” Twilight replied evenly as she followed after Luna. Rainbow Dash lingered behind just long enough to convey her approval with a curt nod towards the NCO.

The inspection proceeded at a careful pace. With the Steamrunner now off on its own, and no signs of Polybia, the trio of royals wanted to be sure there were no possible snares. Save for one.

Located in the far stern-port side section of the barrack, and guarded by other marines, was a large group of former PCE ponies who were more than willing to keep to themselves. “I’m surprised they’re even allowed to remain armed on your ship.”

“They wouldn’t be if they hadn’t submitted to a geas,” Twilight Sparkle replied sourly, and loudly enough for the closest PCE to overhear.

Unlike the marines, some of the PCE ponies had lost any sort of discipline that may once have had. Clothes, weapons, and kit were strewn about as if it were a child’s dirty room. The closest PCE pony, a unicorn mare with a scar across her snout perked an ear at the insult. She and several others quickly spotted Luna but ignored the two drones. She quickly bowed and barked at the others to do the same.

“Your highness, Regiment Commander Sea Breeze at your service. I half expected our little penance regiment would be forgotten once we left Equestria.”

Luna briefly glanced at the puppets, and noticed their eyes were back to that of normal drones. They still do not want others to know of that ability do they? Playing ignorant of the queens’ presence, Luna focused entirely on the former PCE. “Believe me when I say this: the crowns will not forget what you have done. Both past… and present.

“If any of you wish to journey to the Elysian Fields when your time on this plane ends, then act out of honor and penance. Not just so some of you can escape prison and execution.”

“You need not fear our sincerity, your highness,” Sea Breeze proclaimed.

In disjointed unity, the rest of the PCE came to some semblance of attention. “We offer our lives for the preservation of Equestria and the princesses!”

Twilight, Rainbow, and just about every other changeling who heard the declaration internally scoffed or jeered that them. They’re only here because they’ll finally get a chance to kill changelings with the princesses’ blessing, Rainbow growled to herself.

Luna quickly picked up on the growing friction surrounding her. I hope this idea of yours doesn’t backfire on us all, Tia. “I trust all of you, both pony and changeling alike, to keep the peace. There is an enemy to direct such energies toward.”

Twilight mentally prodded her sister. <She’s right about that. Plus I don’t want you abusing the geas keeping them complacent.>

<I’m not about to stoop to their level, Twilight,> Rainbow hissed back, grumbling that it needed to be said at all. <But they’re going in the meatgrinder first. Let that be their penitence.>

Rainbow Dash withdrew from her puppet while casting her focus on the air battle that would soon resume in earnest. This unfortunately forced the poor drone to race away to find some privacy from the ponies and sphinxes before the after effects became uncontrollable.

Twilight bid Luna goodbye for the time being, but only departed her puppet after the drone was away from public. What strange bedfellows we’ve accumulated. That geas doesn’t stop them from fleeing. I hope they don’t flee at the first sign of what actually hostile changelings are like.

While the fate of the Streamrunner and its crew weighed heavily upon her, Twilight’s mind couldn’t shake a troubling conundrum. Everypony is so fixated on the numbers Polybia is showing, but where exactly did she get them all from?

With the focus of her mind back in her body, Twilight sat back in her throne on the carrier’s bridge, pondering the mystery. Yet there was one person who did have an inkling.

Back on the Streamrunner, Cadista was also lost in thought upon her bunk. She was fortunate enough to have a personal, albeit tiny, room. Dearly wishing she had even a lone piece of charcoal and a canvas, instead she poured through her oldest memories. Memories almost as ancient as her race itself, and as dark as the abyss Polybia had perched herself so precariously upon.

The numbers simply don’t add up. It’s too many drones for one queen, and as far as Chrysalis’ intelligence says, only a tenth of those drones are undead. The old, best long forgotten aspect of every living queen today doggedly refused to leave Cadista’s mind. Could we have been fighting nothing but enhanced drones made to look like Polybia? If the dark magic of Grogar has been rotting her mind for the better part of four years… No. Cadista shot up into a sitting position to grab the glass of water nearby.

She chugged the entire glass in one go, her mind reeling at the prospect. Could she have really gone to such lengths as to- Cadista shuddered heavily at the dark thought. The memory was old, far too old for her to get any real context on it, save that it was heavily tainted with disgust, heresy, and unbound contempt. Once you eliminate the impossible, the only thing left, no matter how inconceivable… is the truth.

Polybia must have awakened the Sa'rook Shol'va within her real body.

Author's Notes:
It's an aside chapter, not a real one, i know, i know. Dunks under a thrown tomato. But i figured, hey, might as well keep this separate so action battle super special transformation sequence Zoltron won't be interrupted by random exposition on how he's powered through the dragon chaos emeralds of Antioch. In other news, Pinkie Pie has recently invented Super Cake™. This cake is designed to hold your taste buds ransom while taking them out to a nice dinner and a movie while blasting them with chew 5² gum.
Until next time!

21: A Deal Once Struck...

Towering over the summit of the mountain, Kreesus stood at the focal point of the ley line that ran under her hive. The storm that raged above her deafened those below with the constant clap of thunder. Hurricane force winds roared along the edges of the peak with raw lightning tearing at anything the wind didn’t blow away.

And yet Polybia’s swarm was as relentless as a machine. The drones’ wall walking abilities gave them the strength needed to force their way up, only to be met by Kreesus’ defenders. Polybia’s climbers were cut down with laughable ease by the numerous spine firing drones nestled all along the edges of the peak, with some in stone towers, giving perfect fields of fire on every approach.

The scant few that survived the deluge of lightning and spines clashed with the thick armored drones that sported sharpened claws and dagger-like legs that rent Polybia’s meager survivors asunder.

With Kreesus’ link to the ley line, she also enchanted the very mountain itself to be impenetrable to tunneling, leaving the summit the only point of attack.

Yet the week long siege was taking its toll on the hive. Blindly fired spells from below rained death of its own upon her ranks. Blackened and festering tumors sprang up from the impacts, killing drones within seconds, or seeping into the rock itself. Previously, a full squad of Rainbow’s marines had been stationed on the summit to lend their talents with holy magic to directly combat Polybia’s necrotic assault. However, Polybia had, by either sheer luck or skillful assassination, eliminated the entire squad by the third day. With the the squad dead, and the Long Shot being directly assaulted as well, nothing but a few biplanes could be spared to aid in Kreesus’ defense.

With the marines gone, the tainted magic was relentlessly creeping up the summit, even up the sheer cliffs protecting the ranged drones above.

That very same corruption was now seeping into the spire that channeled Kreesus’ ley line. Upon the fifth day of the siege, the spire of old stone and wax that stretched thin and tall along the northern edge was now a jet black edifice with motes of sickly purple pulsating within cracks that were widening each moment.

As much as she wanted to, Kreesus couldn’t use her holy magic since the ley lines were incapable of channeling such power.

Without even reaching her platform, the toxic magic was poisoning the ley energies she wielded. With five days of no rest and only honey to sustain her, Kreesus was starting to make mistakes. The hurricane force winds slowly faded, the lightning struck increasingly at random, and worst of all, her defenders had been forced back away from their fortifications. The rotting corruption decayed any who stood upon the ground. Even Fluffy itself was being corralled towards the center of the summit.

Its massive hide, while earlier enchanted with holy protection, was already pockmarked with necrotic lesions, yet still it fought with the same ferocity as its smaller kin. Its enormous legs swept the troublesome gnats away, its contours gave other drones protected firing positions. However, its wings had already been burned away in the first few days, leaving the living airship grounded.

It was an hour til dusk on the fifth day of the siege when Polybia’s drones had clawed enough of a foothold on the summit to start exploiting the corrupted soil. Well over three hundred throats started chanting a hymn that clawed at Kreesus’ mind. The clawing became a slash within moments, before evolving into an outright verbal spike in her brain as the vile symphony pierced the wind as if it were a calm day.

Starting from the land nearest the ring of Polybia’s drones, the corruption that had sunk into the ground all week now erupted in necrotic mana. Kreesus watched in horror as all that was left of the fertile summit quickly burned away by the blackish purple magic as it swept over her remaining troops and scorched Fluffy from end to end.

Her panic redoubled as the erupting corruption raced up the spire. Damn you, Polybia!

Left with no choice, Kreesus lept away from the top of the spire as the explosive energies reacted to the ley lines. Upon hitting her channeling platform, the entire spire exploded in a shower of stone and dark magic. The storm above dissipated in one final gush of air that rippled from the center, with enough force to throw dozens of drones off the mountain, ripping their wings to tatters in the process.

Kreesus did not escape the fallout of the exploding spire, and was sent hurtling towards the desecrated ground. Yet before she could splat onto the rock, several of her drones combined their magic to telekinetically arrest her fall so that she could start flying again under her own power.

There was no thanks to her saviors, and none was expected. It seems the corruption hasn’t penetrated very far. I should be safe underground until I can reach my portal chamber.

She had scarcely reoriented herself towards the nearest entryway when a deep mechanical buzz joined that of changeling beating wings. She looked towards the lip of the summit to see three full squadrons of biplanes roar into the airspace above, raining flak and small holy-infused bombs all across the poison choked battlefield.

The footholds Polybia had secured were blasted away with the holy bombs giving Kreesus’ scant few remaining surface defenders small patches of consecrated ground to make one final stand. Explosions rattled the summit as Kreesus made a beeline straight for the nearest cavernous entrance, sending shards of rock and bits of drones raining upon her. It didn’t take her long to reach the relative safety of the entrance into the deeper hive. But before descending into the depths, she felt her gaze drawn back towards Fluffy.

The living airship was still fighting with the ferocity of a cornered animal, yet it was never meant to walk. So it lay there like a living hill, with Polybia’s undead horde seeking to tear it down, one scale at a time. With his thick iron-like scales, the biplanes were free to fire on the of ghoulified mass that was trying to claw their way into Fluffy’s much softer interior. However, with Kreesus’ more mobile defenders being pushed back to the hive entryways, Polybia was able to focus her counterattacks towards the biplanes and bringing Fluffy down. As searing bolts of mana started filling the skies, the aircraft started being torn from the skies, one by one.

Several of Polybia’s drones combined their efforts to fire larger burrowing spells into Fluffy’s scales, threatening to pierce through to its vital organs.

Kreesus ordered the other entryways to be collapsed. Before abandoning the Summit and Fluffy, Kreesus glared hatefully at the nearest living drone of Polybia. She flared her horn and latched onto the hapless puppet and pulled it from the sky while a different spell sliced it’s horn off at the base. Kreesus brought the helpless drone before her and shook it violently. “You honorless filth! Mark my words, Polybia, I’ll pay you back a thousand fold for what you’ve done to me!”

Polybia didn’t bother taking too much control over the puppet, and simply spoke through it. “You had your chance to cast your vote to cancel my rogue status. You brought this on yourself.”

“I would never forsake my honor by siding with you!” Kreesus threw the drone against the stone wall of the entrance, heedless of the air war above her growing ever more desperate.

The puppet chuckled, uncaring about spurting up blood in the process. “Your idea of honor already cost you your friendship with Cadista, and any chance of having a loving daughter.” Kreesus bristled with rage, and started strangling the smirking puppet. With a final breath, Polybia poured on the contempt like rain. “Now it will cost you your hive and your future.”

Kreesus’ rage overtook her and she snapped the puppet’s neck, and hurled it as far as she could before it could explode in a necrotic bomb. The future of our race is everything. And I’ll rest that future in Twilight and Rainbow’s hooves.

With the rest of Polybia’s forces running the gauntlet of aircraft fire to reach Kreesus, she left the corpse behind and ordered the entrance to be collapsed. The act would only buy her time. With the ley line spire destroyed, the ribbon of the world’s magic sank back down into the depths of the earth, and far out of Kreesus’ reach. And with it, the enchantment upon the mountain side that kept it too hard for Polybia to burrow through. Within moments of the enchantment dying away, the tens of thousands of drones Polybia still had on the mountain side started worming their way in.

It was dusk on the sixth day when the siege ended. High up the lonely mountain, an entire wing of bi-planes made a pass over a blackened mountain summit. With Polybia’s swarm withdrawing en masse from the area, the Long Shot had moved in close and now loomed a few kilometers to the north while half of it’s remaining fighters scouted out the battlefield.

Through the eyes of their pilots, Twilight and Rainbow Dash saw a mountainside blanketed in drones, undead or otherwise, that had been torn asunder. Giant cracks in the ancient stone crisscrossed throughout the summit along with thousands of new tunnels threatening to bring the whole mountain down. Alongside the drones were several biplanes that had joined them in death. Those pilots had long since fallen silent in the Link.

As the first scout plane passed over the lip of the summit and into the farmland, what lay beyond was more of the same: blackened, smokey ruins. Honey pot drones, large individuals with abdomens bloated full of honey to feed the defenders, were dead to the last, having been too ponderous to be evacuated effectively once the front line broke down. Their golden honey now burnt into useless char. The crops and the very soil had been poisoned heavily by dark magic, leaving what plants that had survived to start growing tumors and malformations. Well over a dozen more wrecked aircraft added to the thousands of dead.

Towering over them all was Fluffy who was somehow still alive, but only just. Every crack, every injury, and entryway into the living airship sported blackish purple signs of necrotic decay. The leviathan's breathing was loud and labored, and it didn’t help that the shattered remains of a biplane was lodged in one of it’s many throats. The aircraft's burning fuel only worsening Fluffy's miserable state.

Yet the most disturbing thing to both the queens and pilots, was how quiet it was. Neither Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash had been spared the darker elements of a battle’s aftermath, from the tutelage of Celestia and Spitfire, respectively. Aside from the slow wind, a few smoldering fires, and Fluffy’s wheezing there was no sound. No moaning or screaming of the wounded and dying, only the silence of the grave.

Twilight sat on her throne aboard the carrier’s bridge, the tension in the air was palpable. The thought of so much death, even if they were drones with no individual will, weighed heavily upon the entire crew. “Do you think Kreesus is still alive? Her liaison went feral so…”

Rainbow Dash’s scowl was pressed into a thin line, and dragged out her response. “I feel obligated to hope she is. We saw several of those undead Silence Behemoths trying to climb up the side.” Twilight gave her something between a scowl and a sigh, but otherwise remained silent.

What I wouldn’t give for peacetime again. Steeling herself, Twilight refocused on the ruined battlefield.

Every last one of the carrier’s fifty marines stepped forward, but Rainbow Dash stepped in to only allow half their number to go. After amending Twilight’s order, Rainbow leaned across her throne to speak with her sister. “We can’t risk everypony in that deathtrap. Why else would Poly leave Fluffy still breathing?”

With her mind fully drawn back to the matters at hand, Twilight nodded in agreement. “Good point. Polybia’s withdraw might not have been total. Less rot for us to clean up later on.

“I hope you don’t plan on us sticking around for long, Twi. We rescue Kreesus, then we’re gone. Assuming she’s still alive.”

With the biplanes forming a perimeter around the mountain, the single squad of magi started working on channeling the purifying light of the Silver City upon the worst of the necrotic corruption.

Two teams of marines, weapons held at the ready, found two of Fluffy’s normal entry points. The locations were little more than large sphincters that had been torn apart with blood and ichor oozing slowly onto the rocky ground. Rainbow Dash watched closely through the team-leader’s eyes while Twilight took a more diluted view by watching through all the marines at once.

Fluffy’s resting place was atop a broken stone watch tower in the middle of what used to be a corn field. The structure had once housed a cadre of spine flinging drones, but was now little more than crushed rock and lifeless husks. The farming fields were a festering mass of plants being slowly mutated by the dense dark magic. Worst yet, a heavy nauseating miasma was starting to pool along the ground, and was slowly rising in areas where the wind was slow. If left unchecked, the mountain could end up spilling the corruption down into the jungle below. <We need to find the Traitor, so let’s make this quick,> Rainbow ordered as the troopers came in for a landing near Fluffy. <There’s no telling how long it’ll take before that corn starts spewing poison clouds or something. I want Cleaner Team Theta burning out those crops.>

With the point-drones levitating a pair of steel shields in front of them, they led the rest of their squads up a mound of rock and broken flesh to reach the entryways.

Yet before Rainbow’s group could step hoof into Fluffy, a small stone shot out in a slow, lazy arc. Thinking faster than the marines, Rainbow quickly puppeted the flamethrower trooper, who was directly behind the shieldbearer, and held the stone in the air while Twilight, through the rest of the drones’ horns, snapped off a quick counterspell to disarm the expected mana bomb.

However, nothing happened. No spell fired from the stone for the counterspell to disarm. The marines clumped up to watch for any hostile drones to pop up from hiding places, but again, nothing revealed itself.

With no threat presenting itself, Rainbow brought the stone before her puppet’s eyes. “A Stone of Parley?”

“I didn’t want you killing my messenger on sight,” called a familiar voice from the darkened depths of Fluffy. The changelings of Phoenix Roost bristled at Polybia’s voice, and only readied for a fight even more when a single tan drone stepped out in front of Rainbow’s group. The drone had pieces missing in it’s chitin along with a fractured horn, but by the color of it’s exposed flesh, it was clear that this drone was not among the undead.

Rainbow promptly assumed full control of her puppet with Twilight taking the shieldbearer. “Why shouldn’t we? You don’t get to call parley anymore!”

“Maybe not, but I at least, still honor it.”

Twilight drew herself up into a proud stance that smacked of insult, one of the few times she let the Canterlot noble in her show through. “Just like you ‘honored’ the sanctity of the last summit?”

“We’ve all done things we regret.” Polybia ignored the threatening glares to gaze upon the corrupted ground she had wrought. “I’m sure Kreesus could attest to that.”

Rainbow Dash leveled her squad leader's flamethrower, aiming it right at the head of Polybia’s puppet. “You’ve got ten seconds before I melt your face off!”

“Well I suppose I should start off by telling you, you’re safe from me while you’re on this mountain.”

This should be good, Twilight mused humorlessly as she placed a hoof in front of Rainbow’s awaiting flamethrower. “And why should we believe you?”

Rainbow shot Twilight a cold glare with her real body, but didn’t let it show through her puppet. Twilight knew her well enough to speak before Rainbow could challenge her. “There’s no point in attacking a single drone. Let’s see what info we can get out of her.”

Satisfied with that, Rainbow nodded with her real body, and lowered her puppet’s flamethrower. She still regarded Polybia’s puppet with harsh bitterness. “Don’t tell me you’re getting second thoughts on this whole war.”

“My victory is already guaranteed, Queen Dash. Your warship is hobbled with so many of its flying machines destroyed.” Rainbow moved to argue, only for Polybia to continue uncaringly. “Kreesus is dead by my hoof, you can check the Parley Stone if you don’t take my word for it.” Twilight and Rainbow hesitated and took a look at the stone more closely. Aside from it being a sphere engraved by the symbol of parley, there was nothing else of note.

<Um, Twi, were we supposed to personalize those things?>

<Mom never told me to,> Twilight replied with equal confusion.

“...and I will soon descend upon Chrysalis’ hives as well,” Polybia rattled off like she was a salesman. “I would prefer to leave you alive, and avoid antagonizing Equestria.”

Twilight gave her a slightly troubled look. Has she become so unhinged that she’s detached from reality? “You are aware that an Equestrian fleet will be here within the hour.”

“This dark magic may be clouding my thoughts, but I am not so addled yet as to miss that,” Polybia countered with a flash of annoyance. However, a flash of her daughter living in the Sparkle house soared to the forefront of her mind. “But none of them have died yet,” she said with brief flash of wavering emotion, “and I would prefer to keep it that way.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed harshly at her. “Why do you care about others all of a sudden?” She waved a hoof at the desecrated ground. “You seem plenty willing to poison everything around you.”

“You think I want to use dark magic?!” Polybia roared at Rainbow, bringing the blue queen up short out of surprise more than intimidation. “I was losing this war, horribly in the first year and a half. It was either use that magic or die, don’t you dare tell me you’d have chosen differently.”

“Don’t act like you know me!” Rainbow snapped back heatedly. However, Twilight placed a restraining hoof across Rainbow chest. “I’d rather die than kill the very land I call home!” With her patience gone, Rainbow started to squeeze the flamethrower’s trigger, only for Twilight to telekinetically push the weapon off target.

<Hold on, there’s still more information we can get out of her.> Rainbow’s inner soldier warred with her need to smack some sense into Polybia.

With her sister mollified, Twilight addressed Polybia with wary caution. “You made a deal with Grogar. He’s the source of your new power is he not?”

“A deal?!” Polybia belted off a disturbingly unhinged laugh that echoed through the dying land. Twilight saw the barely checked madness behind Polybia’s eyes, while all Rainbow Dash beheld was a mad mare. “What kind of fool do you think I am? I’ve enslaved that demon and robbed him of his magic.”

Twilight saw an opening and jumped for it. “He’s a being of untold age and power, Polybia. He must be manipulating you through that magic-”

“You think I don’t know that?” Polybia barked with none of the hidden madness showing through now. Brackish purple mana churned around the puppet’s horn, worsening the horrid miasma to be almost overpowering to the senses. “He may be old, but he was still foolish to think my will was as feeble as some short-lived mortal, so I got the better of him.

“As for his magic, for all the military success it’s given me, it has cost me my place in the Silver City.” Polybia’s eyes narrowed to thin slits. “But once I defeat Chrysalis, you two will be the only ones left to correct that.”

“Is that a threat?” Rainbow demanded while powering her horn with the odd mixture of silver and gold light of her holy magic. In the back of her mind, she remembered Sectovaria, but decided to let Polybia assume she was dead.

Polybia’s puppet seemed to detach from her motor control by adopting a completely unemotional standing posture. The dark magic swirling around it’s horn died away. It took her a few moments to speak again, and this time her tone was much calmer. “No, Queen Rainbow Dash, it’s a peace offering.”

“Peace?” Twilight couldn’t stop herself from raising an eyebrow at that one. “As tempting as that is, the Laws of the Summit are crystal clear. Any queen declared rogue must be hunted down and killed by the other queens. I would think anyone as well versed in the old dogma as you are would know that.”

“Unless of course, you, the Prime Matriarchs, nullify my rogue status.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled derisively to spite Polybia. “As if we’d ever do that. You’re so hopped up on dark mojo you broke The law. If I got busted in Bolt School for getting hammered, you can bet your tail I’m not going to listen to any excuses about dark magic.”

“And what if I gave you Grogar to do with as you will? Without the need to fight for him.” Polybia countered sternly as if it was a trump card. “That’s the main reason why you and Equestria are here, after all.” Polybia leered at Rainbow Dash. “Is hunting me down really worth the lives of your children? Or the mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters in the Equestrian fleet, what about them?”

Twilight’s hackles rose with a fiery sneer marring her face. “Then they would have died protecting the world from Grogar and his influence. They would be welcomed into the Silver City or Elysian Fields as heroes. For someone who has fed on ponies for centuries, you act as if you know nothing about them.”

Rainbow Dash shot Twilight an approving look while Polybia reclaimed motor control over the puppet and rubbed the frill on the back of it’s neck, speaking in a haunted tone. “Quite the contrary, Queen Twilight Sparkle, I know them better than you do.” Both Twilight and Rainbow scoffed dismissively, not that the act dissuaded Polybia from continuing. “Let me enlighten you about ponies, Queens Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. As far as the world is concerned, they are a friendly, intelligent, loved-filled people, but only so long as their little perfectly ordered world remains intact. Once that world is shattered, two kinds of ponies emerge: the skittish cowards, and the aberrations.

“Those ponies that strangely lack that prey-like tendency to run and hide, but will instead fight the cause of that shattering with every fiber of their being. Those that will wade ears deep through a lava dog that threatened a comrade, uncaring about the lethal burns he received.” The puppet made a show of looking behind Twilight and Rainbow, drawing their eyes as well to reveal the leading edges of the Equestrian Navy were close enough to be seen. “And now a legion of such ponies is on my very doorstep.

“Sure, I have enough drones and magic to obliterate Chrysalis, you, and potentially the ponies’ fleet, even with Luna leading the charge. However, my mind is not so addled yet to be so foolish to think I could take on the rest of those aberrations your ‘peaceful’ allies harbor.”

Twilight Sparkle mulled over the admission, while Rainbow took a few seconds to put the dots together. Hey, she better not be calling me an aberration!

Twilight spoke up before Rainbow could rattle off a colorful barb. “Tell you what, Polybia,” Twilight began sternly, “you stop marching on Chrysalis right now, and deliver Grogar to us here. That will give the princesses reason to pull the fleet back before things get even worse for you.”

“If you win this war with Chrysalis,” Twilight continued, only to have Rainbow Dash sharply cross a leg in front of Twilight, silencing her.

“No.” She gave Twilight an ironclad glare that demanded agreement. “As much as Chrysalis is a grade A moldy salad tosser, I won’t abandon her like this. No freak’n way!” Twilight didn’t have it in her to argue, but Rainbow was wise enough to know that Grogar was still the bigger threat, and turned to address Polybia while lowering her hoof. “You give us Grogar, and we’ll call off the Equestrian fleet, and make sure they don’t call for vengeance should you somehow bring us down. Not that I see that happening.”

Polybia took a step back and turned away to think. Hmm. With what forces I still have, I should be able to eliminate Chrysalis in a matter of weeks. After that, it would be child’s play to subdue that paltry airship of theirs and force a surrender without needing to kill them. Yes… That will do perfectly. Hiding the massive grin behind the passive face of her puppet, Polybia dipped her head in respect. “I can accept that. I will require two weeks to deliver him to you here.”

“Two weeks?” both other queens cried in unison. “Why would it take you that long?”

Polybia felt mildly disturbed by Twilight and Rainbow speaking in one voice, but shrugged it off. “Grogar has made numerous attempts to take control or escape, so I have placed multiple layers of wards and protections around him. It will take time to dismantle them safely and… prepare him for transport. I will not risk letting him break free.”

This time, Rainbow Dash spoke alone. “Fine, sure. You stay away from Sticky Spit until then, and we’ll hang around the mountain until you do. But know that we’ll be watching, Poly.”

“I would expect nothing less. I will leave this puppet with you should we need to speak further.” Polybia didn’t bother hiding her profound relief. “I-I, I thank you two.”

Her queenly pride couldn’t allow her to lose face any further, so she departed her puppet in a hurry. Upon seeing the puppet’s eyes return to their normal solid blue, Twilight quickly cast a holding spell on it, just in case. <Sargeant, get our ‘guest’ somewhere secure and away from anything sensitive. I’ll need to bring this new development up with Luna.>

Rainbow Dash waited for the drones to comply and drag off the compliant puppet before pulling her sister aside. <You really think we can trust her with this?>

Twilight’s jaw was set in stone as she planned on what to do next, and how to broach the conversation with Luna. <Not really. She may have acted sincere, but she’s gone nuts. Buuut, as long as she pulls back from her march on Chrissy, I’ll give her a chance. At the very least it will give the Steamrunner enough time to get into position.>

Rainbow was slow to nod in agreement. <Sounds about right. We’re in no position to chase her down with the planes right now anyway.> She gave a brief snorting laugh. <Ol Sticky Spit won’t like it.>

Twilight was silent for a moment as she drew her gaze upon one of the razed grain silos. She felt like she was being watched, but couldn’t narrow the location down. However, she suspected she knew exactly who owned those eyes. “Maybe not. But she knows the ponies are mostly here for Grogar.”

Perched upon the broken ruin of a grain silo, one of Chrysalis’ spies had used some subtle magic to listen in on the entire conversation. Her jaw was set in a permanent scowl, watching as Twilight and Rainbow’s forces took custody of Polybia’s puppet. The rest moved to start cleansing the land. You always did have a card to play, Polybia. Well this is one time you’ve played the wrong hand.

Chrysalis left the scout to remain hidden while her mind returned to her body. She was seated upon her ebony stone throne with her remaining sister, Jstrul, sitting on a large pillow nearby. A single drone was standing before her, parroting everything Chrysalis’ scout had just heard. “Tell me this is just a ploy, sister,” Jstrul half pleaded. “Do you really think Equestria would just abandon Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash?”

Chrysalis was silent upon her throne, taking a long drag of some tea to organize her thoughts. She placed the cup back onto a tray a servant drone was carrying. “Sister, what you just heard was guile from the one source you’d never think to look. We’ll have to move quickly to intercept Grogar before the transfer.”

Jstrul tsked and grabbed her seeing-eye drone to prop herself up. “Guile? They just threw away the ponies’ support!” she growled bitterly. “Face it sister, with them gone, we don’t have the numbers anymore to stand against Polybia, ancient goat demon or not! And that so called ‘carrier’ and a single troop transport ship could never tip the balance.”

The chamber fell silent as Chrysalis weighed her options, bleak though they were. I still can’t believe she crushed Kreesus so quickly. The Mountain lasted for a year the last time anyone dared to lay siege against it. Aside from a non-crippled Stripped Gear, that place was the strongest fortress hive I’ve ever seen.

If only the fall were a ruse though. The drones that Kreesus had left in her second hive were already breaking down into a feral mess by the time I thought to check on it. So either she’s really dead, or she’s selling the ruse at terrible cost.

“Are you listening to me?” Jstrul barked as she hobbled towards her sister. Chrysalis gave her a warning glare, but Jstrul would not be deterred. “We should take advantage of the breathing room their little pact gave us and flee while we still can.”

“Sister…” Chrysalis had a nearby drone gently caressed her sister’s jaw with the patience of saint. Some small part of her though, wished she could perform the comforting act personally. “This is not a foolishness on Rainbow’s part, as strange as it may sound, but a gift of time. Time I will not waste by abandoning the last hive we have left. If Twilight and Rainbow clearly want us to sabotage Polybia like Kreesus did with Stripped Gear, then I’m more than happy to oblige.” It’s a shame that Polybia wasn’t the one who sabotaged Stripped Gear, the irony would be just too exquisite. Chrysalis gave a forlorn sigh at the lost opportunity.

Jstrul didn’t want to let go of her suspicion on her sister’s words alone. Too much was at stake. Not only for themselves, but for the love producing daughters they still possessed. “Let’s say you’re right, and you manage to break Grogar out of Polybia's grasp. How do you intend to control him?”

Jstrul stood a little straighter now that her sister was doing more than waiting and watching. Chrysalis eventually pulled away from her sister to lounge on her ebony throne. “Fear not, dear sister, I have my ways.”

Hours later, the Equestrian fleet linked up with the Long Shot along the northern face of the mountain ruins. With Luna aboard the Steamrunner, it fell to the top two senior pony officers to represent the fleet: Commander Flash, and Admiral Steel Wing. The two of them and Cadista had been summoned aboard the carrier to be briefed on the deal Twilight and Rainbow had struck with Polybia. The room was actually the same place the pilots were typically briefed on operations, so the ponies were a bit tickled by the school desks and blackboard that still detailed the airsupport of Kreesus’ hive. Not that they dared let it show.

Cadistia had been broodingly silent during the entire briefing while Admiral Steel, a pegasus stallion with a large burn scar on his face, voiced his sour opinion. “With respect, your highnesses, this sounds like an excuse for Polybia to buy time so that she can reorganize her forces to attack Chrysalis or us.”

“That thought occurred to me as well,” Rainbow Dash commented. “So I chatted with Little Miss Necromancer afterwards. She knows that if she moves her forces from their current positions the deal is off. Worst case, she gets a few dozen more drones to hatch, kinda minor all things considered.”

Rainbow’s mildly dismissive comment drew Cadista out of her silence. She gave the two ponies a dour look. “Gentlecolts, I have a changeling matter to bring up with the queens. Could you step out for a minute?”

Commander Flash studied Cadista’s face for a moment, trying to glean the reason for the request. “If this is something to do with the battle to come, we should all be present.”

Rainbow shared an inquisitive glance with Twilight before addressing the officers. “If it relates to the battle, guys, I’ll share it with you afterwards. Is that fair, Granny?”

“If you feel the need to, that will be your prerogative.” Cadista tilted her head at Rainbow.

At least they have the manners to not have a silent conversation with us in the same room. Admiral Steel smoothed his uniform with a few swipes of his hooves and made for the door. “If you must have your privacy, then I won’t stand in your way.”

“Nor I,” Commander Flash said at length and followed after him, but stopped at the door to cast a wary eye at Cadista. However he said nothing further and closed the metal door.

Satisfied they were alone, Twilight started erasing the blackboard to occupy herself. “What’s wrong, mother?”

Cadista collected her thoughts before speaking in the most serious tone she was capable of. “I believe Polybia has wakened the Sa'rook Shol'va within herself.” She fully expected the questioning looks from the royal sisters, and pressed on without missing a beat. “Twilight, are you familiar with termite queens?”

“Ah - somewhat. I researched them a little because they curiously mimic us a bit. Why?”

“Sa'rook Shol'va is the old name for a queen awakening more of our insectoid nature and allowing herself to develop a massive egg sack many times her original size. Thus allowing her to lay hundreds of eggs daily.”

The sisters’ eyes went wide as dinner plates with Rainbow sputtering a clumsy response. “Hhhundreds!? Geeez, I love laying eggs as much as the next queen, but that’s just nuts.”

Rainbow’s claim gave Twilight’s brain time to contemplate. “That would explain some things. But why are the other queens not doing the same thing? Four years of war should have taken a serious toll on all of them.”

“Because it is viewed as a terrible dishonor to inflict upon yourself,” Cadista stated firmly with a stamp of her hoof, just to make sure neither Twilight nor Rainbow Dash got any funny ideas. “Admittedly, I have only a vague memory of the practice, probably something my previous self left behind. For the past week, I’ve had dozens of my children comb the old tomes we managed to salvage from the destruction of my hive. The Sa'rook Shol'va is told to be a long and involved process to get started, but more importantly it is irreversible and is profoundly abhorrent to behold. You slowly become nothing more than a massive worm as your body is consumed by the unquenchable need to lay more and more eggs.

“Eventually, you lose yourself entirely, until there is nothing left of your mind save a barely intelligent egg factory.”

Rainbow shuddered in disgust at the mere thought of it. Ugh, no way I could ever give up being able to fly, or think for that matter. A thought struck Rainbow out of her revolted musings. “Hey, wait. If you become a non-thinking worm, then how come Poly is still - eh - mostly intelligent?”

“That I can not say for certain,” Cadista replied with no small amount of fear. “The journal my children found that information in is potentially as old as my past life. Polybia may have found a way to keep her mind from falling apart.”

Twilight had to force the mental image of Aegis doing that to herself out of her mind before it got stuck there. “If you’re right, that means Polybia was never at the Summit to begin with. Let alone ever fighting with her real body.”

“And her crimes continue to mount,” Cadista replied with a dark tone that hammered the consequences home for the sisters. “I fear offering Polybia amnesty will prove to bite us in the end.”

“But we practically gave our word,” Twilight shot back with more defensiveness than she meant to. “Yes Polybia being rogue is a major problem, but Grogar is the root of all of this. I don’t want to have to fight Polybia who would feel like she’s been backed into a corner while intoxicated by necrotic magic.”

The room went quiet as the trio mulled over their predicament. That was until Rainbow came up with an idea that felt like sour milk in her brain. “I hate to say this, but what about Chrysalis? You think she understood what we wanted?”

Twilight didn’t even bother trying to hide the self-deprecating half-chuckle. “I think so, yes. I’m only worried that she might seize Grogar for herself.”

Cadista was quick to recall what Twilight filled her in on an hour ago. “That’s the trick, I’m afraid. Any move on our part prior to Chrysalis’ own could be seen by Polybia as us reneging on our deal.”

Rainbow Dash felt like hitting something, and the wooden back of the nearest chair was looking very punchable. “See, this is why I hate wheeling and dealing.”

Twilight gave a long sigh and flopped down on one of the drone sized chairs. “...As much as Chrysalis loves to vex us, she hasn’t really done anything to harm us ever since the wedding invasion.”

“That we know of,” Rainbow reminded her with clear bitterness. “But even so, Poly’s already proven she’s unstable, and you can’t fix crazy like that.”

“Then we wait,” Cadista said with a grumbling sigh. “And see what kind of stunt Chrysalis pulls.”

Deep within a dank dimly lit cavern, Kreesus slowly cracked her eyes open. The potent mixture of a powerful sleep spell and toxins started to abate. Her drowsy mind was slow to recognize the neck-deep thick sludge. The stench of rotten eggs and decay hit her next, drawing her rapidly awake.

Her first act was to try and climb out of the sludge, but found her legs were bound together by what felt like wax and her horn was slathered in wax as well, keeping her from even casting a light spell to see.

Even so, changelings had naturally strong night vision, and she was able to make out several drones standing along the edge of the pool with more latched onto the walls and stalactites above. Each of them started buzzing their wings upon seeing she was awake, clearing out the rotten smell in the room for a strangely pleasant, almost hypnotically calming smell akin to a flower garden fresh from a light spring rain.

Kreesus’ thoughts started to haze over as she started falling asleep again until a realization snapped her out of it. NO! This smell! Why do I remember it? Mother. Yes. Mother made me remember it as that unholy taboo!

The name of the taboo escaped her, only the smell and unequal disgust far beyond what she thought she was capable of feeling came with it. She renewed her struggles, struggling in vain against her bindings and the thick sludge.

One of the drones stopped vibrating its wings as Polybia’s eyes replaced its original solid blue. She looked down at Kreesus with mild intrigue. “Strange. You shouldn’t be able to awaken at this phase.”

“This is wrong, Polybia!” Kreesus spat, surprising Polybia that she didn’t start at the ‘what’s happening’ phase of the conversation. “Inflicting this on another queen is almost as equal a crime as breaking the sanctity of the Summit!”

Polybia’s puppet furrowed its brow and leaned down to be more face to face. “Why does everyone keep saying that? Is it simply because it’s happening to you? Do you even know what it is?”

Kreesus ignored the question and spat a wad of salve in the puppet’s right eye. “Then I’m not the first one. How many others have you done this too?”

Polybia casually wiped away the salve as if she was tired of the routine. “You’ll be number six if that makes you feel special. Don’t try getting word out via some drone. I made sure to sever you completely from any of them.”

“Six!?” Kreesus’ fury started to actually punch through Polybia’s indifference. “You - you” Kreesus was so blinded by mounting indignation that should couldn’t think of a suitably scathing retortsomething scathing. “I hope when you try to enter the Silver City, the First Mother herself will be ready to slam the gates in your face!”

“The First Mother?” Polybia cried with sudden amusement. She cackled madly, giving in to the madness for almost a minute before thrusting the puppet’s face into Kreesus’ snout. “My use of necro magic aside, the First Mother would practically be there to throw the gates open for me!”

Polybia let Kreesus have a moment to think before pulling away from the trapped queen. “See, for all of Queen Twilight’s faults and lackluster view on the true First Mother, she does get one thing right: she pays attention to history.” Polybia flourished by placing a hoof on her chest. “Granted I don’t as much as I should, but I at least know the Sa'rook Shol'va was a great honor the First Mother employed on her allies.”

“Have you truly lost the last shred of your sanity!?” Kreesus’ voice cracked with boiling rage. “If it’s such a great honor, then do it to yourself!”

Polybia thought about that for a few moments before vigorously shaking her head. “No, no, that’s not how it works. It is only honorable to have it gifted to you, not to do it to yourself. Yes… that’s right.” She stood up with a troubled furrowed brow. “That has to be right. Of course it is…”

Polybia kept blankly repeating the same self-reassurances as the puppet dragged its hooves as it made its way out of the cavern. Kreesus screamed more damnations and incriminations at the withdrawing puppet, but if Polybia could hear her, she made no reaction. All that mattered in Polybia’s mind was that she was clearly in the right. That she was still just in the eyes of the First Mother. She had to be. Clearly the others were mistaken, the facts had been lost to time. Yes, that must be the case.

It was no longer self-reassurance, but a simple statement of fact, as if it had always been that way.

Author's Notes:
Editor Boldish 42: I Like Fluffy
Editor: A Bitter Pill: Vote Fluffy for best Airship in the comments!
Will Chrysalis' plan for dominating the world with pie succeed? Can Poly Pocket's pet Grogar toy line pass the board of directors? Can Queen Twiliwhily find the secret ingredient to Slurm before Kreesus is lost forever!? Should Rainbow Dash alchemy her way into having rainbow colored blood? Ya know... for science.
Find out next time on. The. REFORMATION*!!!!!

Disclaimer: The author and affiliated parties hold no obligation to answer any of these questions nor have any future questions make a lick of sense.

22: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Polybia’s biggest hive was by all accounts the most vulnerable, to the right tool. With the war paused for the time being, Polybia’s drones filled the skies and blanketed the ground. Her hundreds of thousands of eyes and ears were peeled for the one person Polybia expected to make a move: Chrysalis.

All throughout the deep tunnels beneath the jungle, Polybia had hundreds of drones listening for the sounds of digging. Too bad for her, the internal security was all focused on Grogar as Polybia herself carefully undid the wards keeping his power more or less in check.

Nestled within the massive prison, and close to the lowest point in the hive, hundreds of pods containing the civilized world’s worst criminals remained perpetually asleep in their pods. The room was dark, save for a scant few green glowing lichens and a drone or two keeping an eye on the rows upon rows of pods. The occupants of three of the newest set of pods began to stir. Within minutes, the light of magic lived for but a moment before dimming again. Yet the act of carving a section of the pod away was a success.

A unicorn mare, a scarred sphinx tom, and a crystal pony stallion dropped out of the pods. Green flames licked over them to reveal them to be Chrysalis’ changelings. Using a sound dampening spell, she gave the three spies a few precious moments to clear their lungs of the goo. Poor, poor, Polybia. You really should do more thorough inspections of your acquisitions.

When the trio of spies recovered enough strength, Chrysalis had one of their number snare the two caretakers in a very mild charm. Just strong enough to keep the two of them believing the three broken pods were normal, hardly worth informing Polybia about, yet soft enough to escape Polybia’s attention.

The other two spies ate as much of the pod goo as they could without getting bloated. It was a vile, tongue coating, yet nutritious meal. Something the infiltrators would not likely have access to again. Lastly, they fed vigorously upon the love of several captives, just to top things off.

Once they had their fill, the two drones took on the tan colored guise of the common drone among Polybia’s hive. I’ll have to time my distraction carefully. As addled as that harlot is, it won’t do to make a mistake.

As the two spies made their way to the tunnels, the dull sound of constant hoof beats on stone and soil echoed through the cylindrical passageway. Now, with Polybia so focused on Grogar and keeping the jungle from eating away at her swarm, this shouldn’t be too difficult.

High above that very hive, the Steamrunner lingered patiently in the night sky. The same could not be said for its crew. Upon the bridge, Captain Rorke managed to keep herself occupied by listening in on the hive mind and delegating mundane tasks of keeping the marines ready to deploy. Princess Luna however, was not so lucky. With no word on when or even if Chrysalis would strike, she couldn’t even bring herself to enter the dreamscape for an hour, lest she miss the critical window of action.

Presently, the princess was stepping onto the bridge right as the night shift was taking over. Rorke was about to step off and retire to her captain's quarters, which was little more than a small room directly adjacent to the lower level of the two-deck bridge.

Unlike the Deception and Long Shot before it, the Steamrunner had much more sophisticated fire control systems and a magic map that could display the marines’ location for the non-queens. Unfortunately, that also made the bridge’s lower level quite large, rivaling the carrier’s conning tower in size.

It was at the lower entryway in which Luna entered the command room. She found the primary changeling ground general, Commander Placeholder quietly speaking with Captain Sky Flurry of the Wonderbolts. Sky Flurry had bags under his eyes; his normally keen gaze reddened from subsisting on coffee for too long. The changeling commander fared little better. Captain Sky Flurry was perusing his notes and the placement of Polybia’s known forces on the map, while Placeholder was in the middle of leaving.

Both officers quickly bowed before Luna who was quick to wave off such formalities. “Bowing in the field is unnecessary, even if we are safe inside this ship.” The officers gave polite acknowledgement, allowing Luna to continue uninterrupted. “Any word from your queens?” she directed at Placeholder.

Placeholder gave a sympathetic head shake. “Only to keep watching for any signs that Grogar might be on the loose, or if chaos in general breaks out.”

Luna was no stranger to the old military adage of “hurry up and wait”. That still didn’t make the waiting part any less annoying. Not that she risked letting that show on her face. “Very well. Unless Chrysalis was somehow waiting for this exact opportunity, I believe we have a couple of days at the very least before said ‘general chaos’ occurs. Have the troops and gun crews rest while we can.

“Even if Polybia managed to somehow see us through the cloak, we can honestly say we’re keeping watch.”

“I will pass the word along, your highness,” Placeholder replied with a respectful nod.

Commander Flash inwardly grumbled at what he felt he needed to ask. “Princess, I hesitate to broach this idea, but what about the Discord option?”

Despite her usual collected manner, Luna couldn’t stop herself from staring at him for a moment out of stunned shock. Thankfully, she recovered quickly enough before embarrassment set in, only to take on a tone of pure mockery at the idea by giving a shuttering humorless laugh. “Let’s get one thing clear. He is not an option.” Luna was mentally brought back to a lengthy discussion with Cadence and Celestia. “After that debacle with Terek, that serpentine menace is lucky he’s not a statue again. Calling him in to do anything is just asking for the plan to fail. The last thing we need is another ancient being giving him a new reason to renege upon his supposed ‘reformation’.”

Placeholder inwardly chuckled at Luna’s fuming, though he dared not show it. "I have to agree. Best to leave him placated in the capable hooves of Dame Fluttershy.”

Commander Flash bowed in acknowledgement even as Luna kept muttering Discord’s name as a curse. "Of course, I simply believe in exploring all the options. Even the strange ones.”

Sneaking through Polybia’s hive was not overly difficult, but the sheer size of it made the effort time consuming. After a day of keeping a low profile, Chrysalis had completed a workable map of the hive. The prison, where her spies had emerged from, was in an isolated chamber on the far northern side that had only one tunnel leading to and from it. Beyond that, the primary drone cluster for those not currently needed served as one of many travel hubs.

Chrysalis found almost everything else to be typical of a hive, for the technologically challenged broods at least. Nothing was centralized. Drone sleeping chambers, food stores, not even the hatchery was in a single location. One thing was clear however, there were by far too many eggs in all of the separate hatcheries for any one queen to produce.

The other thing she had noticed were dozens of drones were crafting long sweeping runes all throughout the tunnels. Oddly, each drone was painting the runes by hoof rather than telekinesis. Must be the runes Little Mad Mare is planning to use to keep Grogar in check during the move.

With a sneer on her lips, Chrysalis carefully walked her puppet past one group of painters and dipped her hoof into the paint bucket. Acting as if the puppet was moving with the common track in the tunnel, she painted occasional errors into the arrays at what she surmised to be critical points.

That should put a wrinkle in things.

Chrysalis repeated this sabotage with all three spies, once she had finished covertly cleaning up the evidence of her method of entry. However, she was not here for sabotage, no, she was here to enact sweet delicious revenge for the death of her sister. Ruining the wards was just a bonus. Her efforts eventually brought one of her spies to a rather strange discovery. Along one of the thoroughfare was a small branching tunnel barely large enough for a drone to fit through with a wall of green wax blocking the path several meters inside.

With only passing drones running on autopilot nearby, and none of them being guards, Chrysalis slipped her spy into the tunnel with ease. Once out of sight, she probed for alarm wards with her magic with a feather’s touch to avoid notice. She found the expected alarm here and there, a few on the wax itself, along with an unexpected one embedded in the stone walls of the chamber beyond.

Yet above it all, there was a deep sensation of wrongness held just beyond the waxy barrier. It was as if sticky oil started to cling to her mana, causing even a queen’s mind to become sluggish and as cold as the frozen north. Chrysalis pulled her magic back as fast as the dark magic within allowed her. Once fully retracted, the sense of wrong evaporated. How interesting… That’s not the kind of ward Poly uses at all. Could it be something new to keep Grogar in check?

Chrysalis took several moments to ponder on her discovery. Her eyes narrowed with concern. She’s learning, I’ll give her that. I think I’ll need to make a distraction before enacting this little jailbreak.

With a bit more probing of the alarm spells, Chrysalis noticed something else about the wards, yet it was elusive, refusing to allow her to realize the exact nature of the protective spell. Could it be a forced teleportation trap? No, she’s never shown any skill with that. Unless she stole such an enchanted item from Equestria. How does one so addled keep thinking strategically?

Opting to leave the spy there, since none of the passing drones so much as glanced at the entry passage, Chrysalis turned her attention to the other two spies to find a usable diversion.

Meanwhile at Kreesus’ ruined mountain hive, Twilight Sparkle hovered over the smoldering wreckage of one of her biplanes that had crashed into Fluffy. With her sister awaiting back on the carrier to deal with the tender supply vessel that was arriving, Twilight was left to oversee the cleansing of dark magic. Yet she was hardly one to be content on overwatch during times like this, and was using her magic to remove the wreckage from Fluffy as delicately as she could.

While necessary, the task was ultimately a dull and tedious one. The corruption of the land and mountain crops was caught early so there was little here that could become a threat to them. As dangerous as it was, the corruption upon the jungle below was up until recently, partially held in check by the other queens. None of them could spare the time or resources for a full cleansing of each battlefield, so a scorched earth tactic had been adopted in Polybia’s wake. Now large stretches of the jungle were left as little more than blackened scars upon the land, rather than breeding grounds for necrotic-tainted abominations.

As for Twilight, she couldn’t help but to be torn about Fluffy. On one side, the living airship was the very symbol of the traitor queen, and she should feel nothing wrong for what had to be done. The leviathan was too heavily tainted to heal, and too alien for them to even try without the corruption spreading deep into its tissues. And yet she had spent many a night within the venerable creature, learning about the different hives, and was a marvelous place to learn more about alchemy. A place where she once had another queen as a friend and mentor.

Now though, Fluffy’s life hung by a thread, and there was nothing she could do but hope her children could help it pull through.

Aiming to distract herself she looked down to one of the purple medics weaving a basic mending spell over a gash. The medic was a bit more petite than her sisters, and wore the equestrian style white uniform.

The medic nearly jumped out of her skin at being directly addressed. Triage’s spell fizzled with a noticeable zap back on her horn. <Ah - um - No, my queen.> The gash in front of her widened to a full meter long, back where she started. <It’s like the flesh just doesn’t want to knit together again.>

What little hope Twilight had for Fluffy died on those words. There’s nothing else for it then. That’s the first signs of somepony turning undead. <You might as will pull back, Triage. You're not gonna do anymore good with that.>

A cold sweat ran down Twilight’s face at the prospect of an airship sized zombie with her children still searching within Fluffy. <Intel, please tell me you’ve at least seen a sign of Kreesus, dead or alive.>

Down within the damp fetidly hot innards of Fluffy, Intel was leading a small search party of three. With its life ebbing away, Fluffy’s interior was pitch black, save for the squad’s flashlights. <Not yet, Momma. But there’s something weird going on down here.>

“Look there it is again!” a voice called out to Intel’s left. She first turned to Thunderfury who was in turn pointing at… what could only be called a sphincter, opening up while the one behind them and a third to the right closed.

“I’m telling you, it’s gotta be Kreesus trying to direct us to her!” he half cheered. His surging good mood was not so much at the prospect of finding Kreesus alive, but in having an excuse to leave the damp slimy muck that was pooling in much of Fluffy’s passageways. It didn’t help that the muck was starting to ripen due to the spreading necrotic corruption. What made the situation even worse was the fact that many of the pools were deep enough to start soaking into their leg holes.

Ferrum remained outwardly silent about the whole affair, as he kept his sword at the ready. I really hope this slime isn’t flammable. “I still say that traitor would have contacted us verbally at least if she were still alive.”

Twilight Sparkle heard their grumblings through Intel’s ears, and ultimately shared her revulsion of the goo. I might have to redouble decontamination procedures when they get back. <I’ll leave it up to your discretion, Intel.>

A shivering wave of disgust rattled through Intel before she steeled her resolve. <We’ll keep going, my queen,> She used her magic to snag a soiled cloth from around her neck and tried to find a clean corner to wipe the sweat off her brow. “Come on you two, quit whining and let’s see just how much further this rabbit hole goes.”

Sloshing through the flooded passageways, Intel and her two squadmates dragged themselves through a wide path. With Fluffy so weak, the inner walls were starting to sag, held up only by bone.

The curved passage went on for a dozen meters, with any branching path being closed off by Fluffy itself. Finally, they arrived in a room not much taller than the passageway itself. Some of the fleshy walls had lost their color while other bits were already rotting. Yet the centerpiece of the chamber was quickly illuminated by the trio’s flashlights. With two thin sheathing slabs of muscle pulling away, the flashlights revealed a oblong grey object that easily dwarfed a minotaur.

Intel and the others, along with Twilight who was still watching through their eyes, were initially puzzled by the thing. “Is this what’s so important?” Ferrum half groaned. “I thought we were being lead to Kreesus.”

<Maybe you were,> Twilight replied as Thunderfury moved in to touch the thing. <We don’t know the extent of Kreesus’ alchemical prowess. This might be a rejuvenation pod or something along similar lines to that.>

“Or a giant egg,” Thunderfury pointed out.

Twilight subconsciously tensed at the mental image of having to pass an egg of that size. <I… I highly doubt it. As far as I know, no other hive has anypony but the queen laying eggs.>

Intel circled the monstrous thing and found a collection of muscles between the ‘egg’ and a large sphincter on the wall that could easily accommodate it. She noticed the slime from the other passageways was being pumped out by some lethargic organs on the sticky floor. Movement on the wall brought her attention back up to the sphincter which was trying to open, but could only manage to get halfway open. Curiosity struck her, and Intel shined her flashlight through the new hole to see it go on for several meters into darkness. However, more of the slime and obvious tears in the fleshy walls told Intel all she needed to know.

“If I didn't know better, I’d say Fluffy wants us to get this thing out of here, but it needs our help.”

“You mean Kreesus is telling us through Fluffy, right?” Thunderfury queried. “I mean, this thing’s supposed to have the intelligence of a brick.”

Ferrum propped himself up and did a probing tap on the egg. The shell, if that’s what it even was, was thick enough to not sound hollow. <What should we do, my queen?>

Twilight was silent for a few moments, just long enough for the drones to notice.

Intel gave the obvious exit canal for the ‘egg’ a wary look as it repeatedly tried and failed to open wide enough to allow its passage. “You think Kreesus might actually be in there?”

Ferrum hefted his sword and took one long look at the egg canal. “Whelp, then it looks like we’re going to have to get a bit creative.”

If there was one thing Polybia had learned from Chrysalis’ constant infiltration, it was the art of the wallflower. The tunnels and branching rooms outwardly looked the same. There were never any guards to give away a tempting target for her trio of spies, and no one location that the hive spanning anti-magic wards were centered on.

It looks like I might have to get a bit more reckless to find-

“Mark my words, Polybia!” a familiar feminine voice cried out in unbridled rage, “if I don’t kill you, Grogar will!”

Chrysalis’ spy stopped walking and turned an ear towards an unassuming tunnel. Now that she looked at it, she noticed it was one of the few places that had no wards present. Or, at least, ones she could see with the naked eye. Was that Kreesus? Why would Polybia have bothered to capture her?

With only the passing drones to give Chrysalis no heed, she nevertheless crept slowly forward.

“Your mastery over self-alchemy is more impressive than I thought.” Chrysalis immediately identified the voice as Polybia’s. “I simply must make you an advisor once the process has advanced far enough.”

“You want my advice!?” Kreesus spat venomously. “Go hang yourself, preferably over a nest of Thunderbats.”

“Come now, Kreesus. Such crass behavior is unbecoming of a queen, especially one as honored as you.”

By now, Chrysalis had crept her way in to see what was going on, only to be hit by a wall of stench the likes of which she had never smelt on this earth. She had to cut off her sense of smell before her puppet started to gag and give itself away.

Once under control again, she spied that Kreesus was submerged in a green glowing pool up to her chin. One of Polybia’s puppets was knelt down in front of the pool with several wax bowls filled with more of the same liquid. Must be testing them for some new torture technique. I should take notes.

“I can wait until your mind is more pliable.” The puppet dipped another bowl into the pool before standing. It took three full bowls into its magic and prepared to leave. Had it not been for Polybia turning back towards Kreesus one last time, she might have spotted Chrysalis’ spy scurrying back into the main thoroughfare. “Instead of wasting time fighting it, try to imagine how beautiful you will become in just a few short months.”

Polybia departed the room with Kreesus giving a wordless cry of impotent rage. The puppet missed the spy entirely thanks to Chrysalis clinging to the ceiling. Chrysalis watched her go before slipping into Kreesus’ prison. She had the foresight to weave a low power sonic dampening field around the room. As she expected, Kreesus immediately started screaming at the spy, assuming Polybia was back to torment her some more. Chrysalis was quick to drop her disguise, silencing Kreesus who at the same time realized her shouting had been a silent one.

With Kreesus calmed down, Chrysalis released the field. “Why hello there, Kreesus. Are you taking one of those… oh what do the ponies call it? A spa bath?”

“How did you get - nevermind.” Kreesus struggled feebly in her restraints. “You have to get me out of this pool, now!”

“I don’t have to do anything, my dear Kreesus.” Chrysalis walked around the pool, and noticed there was a second exit with a much brighter light pouring out from it, along with the sound of hoof falls and buzzings wings. Assuming it was just another main tunnel, she didn’t let that distract her from Kreesus. “I am here to rid ourselves of that dogmatic zealot. Removing you from your little pond would arouse suspicion far too early. I’m sure you can keep your head above water for another day or so.”

“This is more than some petty torture,” Kreesus whisper-shouted with a hiss. “That monster is trying to awaken my Sa'rook Shol'va!”

If anything, Chrysalis gazed down at her with mounting disinterest. “Should I care for whatever that is?” She turned away to inspect both exits to make sure Polybia wasn’t returning.

“How do you not know what Sa'rook Shol'va is!?”

Chrysalis didn’t respond right away, mostly out of a habit for posturing than anything else. That gave her time for her eyes to be drawn to the other exit where she began moving towards. “Are you honestly going to pull a Twilight Sparkle on me? I don’t have time for your guessing games, so tell me now or you can just stay put until Polybia gets a wakeup call.”

Even in her position, Kreesus noticed where Chrysalis’ puppet was headed. “You want to know what’s in that room? That is Sa'rook Shol'va!”

Curiosity finally overcame caution, drawing Chrysalis towards the other room. “Quite the dramatic one aren’t you? But who am I to judge about drama,” she said with short chuckle to spite Kreesus with humor.

When Kreesus said nothing, hoping the lack of distractions would prod Chrysalis to leave. The tactic only served to amuse Chrysalis further. “Tell you what, my -” She made a show of snorting disdainfully. “My pungent ally. I’ll do this much for you.” Taking a second look at the bone dampening ring on Kreesus’ horn, Chrysalis undid the paltry wards keeping it in place, causing the bone to go brittle, crumbling into dust that fell into the pool. “There, now don’t say I’ve never done anything for you.” Chrysalis sneered at Kreesus who begrudgingly thanked her and got to work removing her restraints. “By the time I ‘go loud’ you should be able to free yourself. Try to not get captured again.”

With Kreesus firmly in her debt, Chrysalis returned her attention to the second exit. Slinking forward, she poked her head out to see she was actually situated high along the ceiling of a vast deep chamber.

It was well lit, allowing her an almost bird’s eye view of five elephant sized worm things roughly twenty five meters below. There was a choreography of drones moving to and fro between the five large worm-like things she couldn’t quite make out right away. Most of the drones were transporting either food, waste, or astonishing to Chrysalis, eggs. That alone was enough to ring alarm bells. It was like a machine, every other moment at least one egg was laid only for it to be carted off immediately.

She also noticed several drones seeming to be resting upon the worms themselves in an almost trance-like state. Yet it wasn’t until she made out a queen’s face on one of them that true horror gripped Chrysalis’ heart. “Vel’chu.” The word dredged up an age old horror Chrysalis scarcely believed existed anymore. “T-those are Vel’chu!” This is vile. How could she fall so far?

She was moments from turning back towards Kreesus when a terrible thought occurred to her. Polybia’s eliminated six queens now, including Kreesus. Could she have-?!

Fear surged through her as Chrysalis looked at each Vel’chu in turn until she saw the only green one in the mix. Through the constantly passing drones, Chrysalis saw Yeelindrus’ head at the front. Her entire body up to her neck had been consumed by the changes wrought upon her. Only two withering forelegs were all that remained of her body. Yeelindrus was awake, but docile, seemingly content to eat and drink with a vacant expression.

No. She wouldn’t. She wouldn’t dare to that to her! Forgetting Kreesus entirely, Chrysalis flew down to her sister’s head, weaving a quick charm over the three drones stuffing her face with royal jelly. With the charm in place, she kicked the trio away and cupped her sister’s face with her forelegs. “Yee, Yee, speak to me, please!” Chrysalis tried gently slapping her sister’s cheek, and was rewarded by Yeelindrus simply trying, and failing, to push her away with weak legs to try and get back at the food. The drones however were stuck on a mental loop, spooning forth a swab of jelly into empty air repeatedly waiting for it to be eaten. “Yeelindrus!”

Chrysalis’ panic alerted Jstrul, who had had walked into her sister’s throne room with some food. With a barely acknowledged request, Chrysalis had a waiting drone dictate what was happening in excruciating detail, right down to the fate of their sister.

“She can’t hear you,” said a voice as haughty and superior as even the worst Canterlot noble. Chrysalis whirled around to see Polybia controlling five caretaker drones and two guards. “She saw the light not too long ago, and fully embraced the honor of being one of the Sa'rook Shol'va.”

Chrysalis and Jstrul were utterly dumbstruck by rage. Their sister, her sister was not even granted the painful death Chrysalis thought she had received. No, she had been turned into an abomination, something far worse. Chrysalis shook violently, both her real body and that of her puppets. Her magic rippled up and down her horn as her anger boiled the air around her. Polybia continued speaking as if she didn’t notice. Jstrul lost all sense of decorum and screamed so loud she burned her throat.

“I knew you’d find a way in, how could you not?” Polybia huffed almost as she were the one who should be indigent. “After all, that’s all you can do. You’re barely adequate on the battlefield, so here you are, a failure once more.”

It was only now that Polybia deigned to acknowledge the promise of murder in Chrysalis’ face. “Honestly you should be thanking me for what I’ve helped Little Yee Yee become-”

Polybia’s puppet suddenly found a spike of mana impaling its neck, courtesy of Chrysalis. Polybia took over the caretaker next to the dead one, and continued speaking even as the old puppet was keeling over, completely uncaring about it nor the spy’s smoking horn. “But I’m not blind to how the rest of you seem to be a bit… Repulsed-”

That caretaker became wreathed in flame as Chrysalis burned it to ash within seconds. Polybia’s eyes appeared on a third caretaker. “This is rather unlike you, Chrysalis. No taunting words? No quips? I’m rather disappointed. Perhaps Jstrul might be able to come up with a coherent word or two.”

Something loud cracked inside of Chrysalis’ spy. “I won’t let my sister live like this. Better she die here than-”

“Than live as my “slave”,” Polybia interrupted with a snort of dismissal. “If anything she was a guest of honor.” As if to mock her, Polybia shrugged uncaringly. “Go ahead and kill them all if you must. Your sister and the others have served their purpose. I suppose you’re saving me the trouble of shuffling them off to their places of honor in the Silver City.” Parts of Chrysalis’ spy was starting to balloon out as it forced the volatile concoction within to build to critical mass. “I already have more than enough drones and eggs in reserve to crush both you and your sister, and scurry Twilight’s little ship back home, forcing her to revoke my rogue status.”

The thorax on the spy was bulging out in all directions, straining the chitin closer and closer to the breaking point. Yet Chrysalis’ hateful sneer shifted to one of cold retribution. “If there’s anything I’m going to regret, Polybia it’s that I won’t be the one to rip your soul into so many mangled pieces that not even Tartarus will have anything to burn for all eternity.”

“Glad to see you’ve accepted your inevitable defeat,” Polybia stated factually.

It was getting difficult for the spy to speak as its lungs were getting crushed by the expanding reaction. “Oh no. My regret is that I probably won’t get to see Grogar do that for me.” Polybia’s smug expression didn’t waver. “After all, I’m sure he has much more experience with punishing the damned.”

A shadow of concern crossed Polybia’s features scant seconds before the spy finally burst. Once the putrid orange fluid was exposed to air, the entire chamber erupted in an inferno. Yeelindrus was consumed by the explosion in an instant. The other queens burned away within moments, barely any time to feel the scorching pain. All of the drones and eggs in the chamber were all caught in the flames, and were gone in seconds.

The shockwave blasted its way through the dozen exit tunnels, roasting everything for only a scant few meters. The initial blast was just enough to rock Kreesus’ prison with orange fire licking at the edges of the room, with a rush of searing air along with it. By now however, she had broken her shackles and barely dove for the dirt as the wash of heat roared in.

Kreesus’ mane was singed to the roots, but her scales protected her from the worst of the burns. Once the shockwaves had passed, and she brushed off some dust that had been shaken loose from the ceiling, Kreesus took stock of herself. She patted herself down with her hooves, and used her internal alchemy to check for any changes the pool might have wrought.

Desperation surged through her frantic search for any sign of it, but she didn’t get far before drones rushed into the room to fight the fires. Kreesus quickly noticed these drones were not puppets and was quick to leverage her psionic power to sever them from Polybia and bend them to her will.

“Never thought I’d have to restart a hive with someone else’s drones.” But first I have to get out of here before Polybia can figure out what just happened. Throwing on a disguise of a drone, a ruse made feeble by her much larger size, Kreesus enacted a rather hasty plan of escape. A plan that mostly revolved around the drones themselves carrying her around. Resisting the changes and the pool itself had sapped her of so much muscle strength that her brief burst of adrenaline from the fire was already petering out.

She slumped against the rocky ground, unable to get her hooves under her. Thankfully, her magic was still strong. With a drone pulling her onto its back, she directed her new royal guard onward. Ugh, chitin is so uncivilized.

Practically on the other side of the hive, the spy in front of what she believed to be Grogar’s prison had been joined by the third infiltrator. The pair had followed Chrysalis’ instructions on lining the inner walls with a barrier spell. The pair had barely finished when Chrysalis all but shoved her consciousness into the first spy, leaving the other to power the barrier. She glared at the prison wall with all her fury and charged her horn. Pulling deeply on the spy’s mana reserves, she ignored the alarm spells and fired a drilling torrent of magic. Nothing ran through Chrysalis’ mind save the raw hatred of being forced to kill her own sister. She bit her real lips, heedlessly shredding them with her teeth. In her private chamber, her magic ran rampant, cracking her prized ebony throne. Sharing Chrysalis’ demand for vengeance, Jstrul paced the throne room, absolutely furious she didn’t have a spy in the area, forcing her to seek retribution vicariously through her elder sister.

For the spy itself. As expected, noisy screeching alarms started blasting out of the prison, forcing Chrysalis to dim her ability to hear from the spy. The expected teleporter trap however, didn’t spring, allowing Chrysalis to focus more magic on pushing through the wall of wax.

She made it through in half a minute and leapt inside the lightless chamber beyond. Even for a changelings’ night vision, the room was impossibly dark, forcing Chrysalis to light it herself. Yet the room remained much darker than her light spell should have made it.

What could only be called a source of literal darkness pulled her eyes towards a single object wrapped in tarnished silver chains. It was a steel necklace that would hang low on a queen with bells the size of half a hoof attached along every part except where the necklace would rest on the back of the neck. In the back of her mind, she realized this was the source of wrongness in the room. “Bells!?” Chrysalis roared in blind fury. She cast her gaze around the rest of the cramped room to find no Grogar, no other exit, no nothing.

Jstrul stopped her pacing to cast her sister an angry glower. “Bells? Didn’t Queen Twilight’s little paper on Grogar say something about bells?”

Chrysalis’ cunning mind started churning again as she quickly recalled the report. “...Yes, yes it did! Good catch, sister.” Polybia’s guards were slowed in reaching the reliquary thanks to Chrysalis’ final infiltrator’s barrier, she had time to study the chains. They were blessed by holy magic from the Silver City, a fact that forced bitter laughter out of the sisters.

“I wonder if those chains would burn her on contact now,” Jstrul hissed. “But chains like that are weak to a proper hit.”

Taking her sister’s advice, Chrysalis had the spy turn about and bucked the lock keeping the chain in place. Scant moments later, the barrier to the reliquary was shattered by the combined weight of Polybia’s drones outside.

Chrysalis quickly yanked off the chains around the bells. With the restraining silver no longer in place, the bells pulsed with power and started to warp and fold in on itself. Seeing the distortion for a form of teleportation, Chrysalis’ last spy physically grabbed the bells and curled in over them and was dragged into the miniature portal along with them.

The bells and the spy materialized in front of the looming form of Grogar in a room barely forty meters below and thirty meters to the south of the breeding chamber. He was bound in wax with runed strips of silver inlaid paper and suspended off the ground by tethers to the walls and ceiling. A dozen changeling guards with silver arms and armor surrounded the demonic goat and were caught off guard by the appearance of the bells hovering a foot off the ground, and the completely mangled remains of a single black chitin drone. Grogar’s eyes went wide at the sudden appearance of his bells and a corpse he knew belonged to Chrysalis’ brood, but mentally recovered before Polybia could react. His eyes pulsed with red magic, causing a single bell to toll. The sound was gut jarringly deep, impossibly deep for such a small bell. The souls of the guards were pulled out of their bodies, appearing as pitifully small motes of silver light and were drained into the bells.

“Well then, I suppose negotiations are about to resume.” With another pulse from his red eyes, the bells rang again, the sound shattered his waxy cocoon like a heavy boot through thin ice. He rolled out of the the alcove and took to his hooves. The bells gently flew over to drape themselves over his neck. “Now then, where are you?”

Under normal circumstances, he would have to hunt for Polybia the hard way, cutting his way through the entire hive one room at a time. However, Polybia was marked by his magic. With his demonic sight, she glowed like the sun among the empty blackness of space. “Ahh, there you are.”

With a resonating ring of his bells, the earth itself was cracked and ruined as he forced the rock of his prison apart. The new hole was forty meters long, and aimed directly towards Polybia.

Author's Notes:
Previous chapter title: One Super Mega Double Ultra Unquantifiably PISSED Queen with Cheese... and a diet coke.
Will Commander Placeholder ever get righteous vengeance on that lazy ass caretaker that named him? Does he even care anymore? Will Grogar finally get his chance to express his love for Polybia? Can Polybia escape his lewd advances!? Will Kreesus form a love triangle?!!?
The answer to these questions will be revealed.... Right now!

Well she got regulated to egg shell cleanup duty, probably not, totally, not likely, and oh my NO!

23: A Deal With the Devil

Grogar emerged into one of the countless tunnels that ran throughout Polybia’s hive at the edge of his new tear in the earth. The luminescent fungus used for lighting these dark passageways cast heavy shadows across the scattered rubble and a few broken bodies in all directions.

For the moment, he was alone in the tunnel, though the sound of hundreds of heavy hooves echoed throughout both ends of his current passageway. His newfound freedom was not as exhilarating as one might think. The past few weeks had seen him remain in that tightly bound prison without any food.

Though his undead body felt no fatigue in the traditional sense, his bodily energy was by no means at its peak. Grogar leaned heavily on the side of a boulder, trying to marshal his power out of the bells. So Polybia only sought to contain the bells rather than drain them. A wise precaution… at the time.

The oncoming swarm started to rattle the loose stones on the floor, causing a few to bounce down the hole he had created. There’s no point in wasting energy to run.

With Polybia still glowing like the sun to his eyes, Grogar saw that the northern end of the tunnel was a more or less direct route towards her for the time being, and started marching forward. That is until he took note of the runes and wards painted on the walls. To anyone else, they would have been nothing more than a passing curiosity, but not to him. His eyes narrowed while a humorless smirk cleaved his muzzle. “It appears my efforts have born fruit.”

Scanning the complex diagram of runes, sigils, and markings, Grogar used the blood from a nearby crushed drone to make some alterations. He didn’t get very far when he saw a squad of silver armored drones round a corner and close in to confront him with gleaming spears at the ready. “I’d ask you to come quietly Grogar,” Polybia chided behind her puppets, “but I don’t need you alive anymore.”

Without any further preamble, Polybia’s drones charged in the attack. Grogar’s thin humorless grin remained as he finished applying one last addition to the wall-wards, and poured all the power he could spare into it.

With lightning speed, black magic surged along the lines of the wards that coated the majority of the hive’s tunnels from the deepest bowels right up to three of the entryways to the outside. The cacophony of thousands of leg sized spikes crashing all throughout the hive rolled through the stone like ripping fabric it was so fast. All of the magic Polybia had poured into the wards was now being directed to cutting down thousands of drones, from warriors to workers, and even dozens of eggs that were still in transit.

Kreesus herself barely escaped certain death from the countless arcane spikes by having her stolen drones throw her into the hatchery right before they were cut down to the last. Polybia only had the briefest moment of shock cross her puppets’ faces when the wave of magic washed over them. A blackish purple spike impaled the puppet’s skull, with more of them killing the rest of the puppets behind him. Not only that, but numerous locations along the wards exploded in toxic clouds of black magic.

Grogar’s limbs threatened to fail him at such a release of energy, but he would rectify that soon. The spikes from the wards lasted only an instant, just long enough to work. The closest warrior to Grogar had been only a scant few feet away when it died, its weapon clattering down the hole Grogar had carved earlier.

Amazing how similar a ward against necrotic magic is to a spike wall trap. Those explosions shouldn’t have happened though… Grogar took a moment to admire his handiwork, wrought through Polybia herself. The incorrect rune placements, slightly askew sigils, and his personal favorite, a sort of ‘backdoor’ trigger that only he knew how to both see and activate. She’s so focused on how my magic impaired her judgement, that she can’t see the subtlety of it all.

The act, coupled with his forced starvation over the past few weeks, gnawed at him like a ravenous beast. The scent of so much freed blood called out to his demonic nature, drawing his gaze to the pile of corpses. His mouth watered at the sight of it. “A pity I don’t have time to cook.”

Far above the hive, the Steamrunner lingered among the clouds. The steel cruiser’s lower deck gun turrets tracked random passing drones to pass the time. Luna idly watched the pair of fire control gunners, allowing herself a moment of distraction by the marvelous idea of a centrally directed fire control system thanks to an ingenious use of mirrors, lenses, and gearing, over the individually hoof-aimed and fired cannons of mainstay Equestrian ships.

With no word from Twilight or Rainbow Dash, and nothing of note occurring in the hive below, some of the tension of the crew had started to degrade into boredom. A fact that not even Luna could escape. Though not through lack of trying. Be it through an unhealthy amount of coffee, short power naps, and even the occasional jaunt in the dreamscape, the threat of Grogar always lurked at the back of her mind, keeping her grounded in the here and now.

Such was her curse.

And there she might have languished for days upon weeks, drifting in that nebulous period of time were it not for one of the command consoles starting to flash red with a high pitched alarm bell starting to ring. Luna shot to her hooves while the nearest changeling operator threw himself into the chair in front of the console.

He was quick to slap a lever down to silence the ringing, and started scrutinizing the wall encompassing readouts spreading from eye level to the ceiling. Luna was at his side shortly thereafter, and noticed dozens of the usually idle needles in the gauges were pushing wildly in the wrong direction. The operator pressed a series of buttons and a different lever, causing all of the gauges’ needles to return to their original location.

I should have asked what these were for. Luna’s silence was cut short by the operator’s worried face morphing between panic and dumbstruck confusion. “What’s going on, Gearbox?”

The purple drone squeaked with spiking worry at just now noticing that Luna was practically right on top of him. “T-the - ah - spell detectors, your highness. T-the things we use to make sure no pony’s trying to sneakily cast spells against us just registered a massive wave of dark energy from below. Apparently the hit was brief or we’d still be picking up a reading.”

“How massive are we talking about?” Luna pressed, her face inches from Gearbox's own.

“I-if the r-readings were accurate…” He did the math in his head, “enough to flatten a village and then some.”

“Report this to Twilight immediately,” she barked with enough iron to jumpstart Gearbox. “And get Captain Placeholder to ready the troops!”

Grogar finished consuming his grisly meal with an alacrity that boarded on the edge of madness. At least for a mortal. He proceeded to use a fiery spell to cleanse the filth off of him, blackening the ground around him in the process. Now that that’s been taken care of. Fully expecting Polybia to be hightailing it out of the place, Grogar cast his gaze back to her last known location, only to be dismayed that she was exactly where he left her. Strange. I didn’t think my magic had given her delusions of grandeur to the point where she’d stay where I can reach her.

A trap no doubt.

Grogar empowered his one remaining horn, concentrating his renewed vigor into a spear of pulsating dark magic in front of him, and aimed directly at Polybia. This time the very rock in front of the charging spear started to deform and pull away as if the spear was offensive to the very earth. Growling with demonic fury, Grogar’s right foreleg took on a blackish purple sheen. With one smooth motion speaking of centuries of practice, he grabbed the hilt of the spear. The magic in his foreleg coated the mystical weapon, causing it to thrum with power. “Let’s see if you’re playing games with me.”

With a yelling heave, Grogar threw the spear straight at the wall. The rock and earth vaporized in an instant, with the spear blasting all the way through to the surface, and sailing well in sight of the Steamrunner’s crew. The new gaping hole was seven feet wide, and just barely passed by Polybia and her throne, giving Grogar a brief moment to look upon her before she scurried out of sight. Good, you survived. I wouldn’t want to end this too quickly.

Not even waiting for the surrounding stone to stop hissing from the intense heat, Grogar started performing leaping bounds to make his way up the new, and decidedly more direct, path to his former captor.

He cleared the first few meters upwards without trouble. Yet as he landed inside what remained of a storehouse, a dozen drones, all bearing Polybia’s eyes, started flinging spells and charged him with blade-like limbs. Grogar was prepared for resistance, and erected a purplish black shield, warding him from the worst of the magic. Without so much as a word towards Polybia, he rang his bells, warping the air itself with their magic. His casual, almost uncaring expression morphed between surprise and concern when the drones’ souls were not ripped from their bodies.

The momentary surprise cost him his other horn as the closest bladed drone easily carved through his energy shield. With renewed anger, his eyes burned like hot coals as he slammed his left forehoof into the offending drone, and used telekinesis to ram his severed horn into the drone’s chest.

Grogar didn’t get a moment’s respite as the spell firing drones now assailed him with a barrage of mana bolts that sapped him of power with every strike. Bringing his energy barrier back up, Grogar telekinetically retrieved his horn, and then threw his severed horn like a throwing axe at the next melee drone now that he was protected again. “Do you honestly think you will best me this time, Polybia?” he asked the next melee drone with a finality of expected victory. “You should take this time to flee, while you can.”

The third melee drone feinted a charge, and instead pulled back at the last second and swatted Grogar’s flying horn with a heavy parry of its bladed forelegs. “My salvation to this rogue curse lies in you, demon,” she spat venomously. “Dead or alive, you’re coming with me.”

As she spoke, a cascade of more warrior drones crawled into the storeroom, pelting Grogar with an increasing fuselage of magic while more and more melee drones threatened to cut away at his shields with laughable ease. “You overestimate yourself, old goat.” Grogar was forced back several meters and down a little into the hole he had torn through the hive.

Grogar found a ledge behind him, and jumped over to buy himself a few precious seconds as the drones methodically pursued him. With his back to the wall, he cast a wave of dark magic out like a balloon passing over everyone in the room. Polybia quickly weaved a shield spell for each drone present, causing the spell to seemingly pass right by. When Polybia detected no harm was done, she dropped the shields to glare at Grogar with contempt. “You are powerful, Grogar, but I will not let you have a moment to unleash that power again.”

Much to Polybia’s paranoia, Grogar responded by dropping his shield and giving a slow mirthless gravelly chuckle. “Oh but Polybia, you already have.”

Before Polybia could react, the two drones Grogar had killed snapped into action, slicing the next two closest drones straight to the heart. By the time Polybia realized what was happening, the fresh undead withdrew their bladed limbs to attack the next closest victims. The two they had just murdered didn’t even start falling to the floor before they too started attacking their former siblings with both blade and spell.

Polybia’s control over the room broke down even further when Grogar capitalized on the initial confusion to rush the nearest drone and bite down on its jugular, and tore the flesh away to effect a quick kill.

Polybia scoffed and had the drones closest to the undead hold the rest back while the spellslingers readied to cut them down with ease. Yet before the first spell was fired, every last one of the hundreds of drones killed by the spikes throughout the hive rose up and began killing anyone in their path.

Seven crawled up into the storeroom from the hole Grogar had made earlier, and assaulted those pressing down on Grogar with tooth and blade. More poured out from the other entrances, severing any reinforcements and cutting a swath through Polybia’s warriors. So many more came rushing in that the bodies were starting to clog the room.

With no immediate threat pressuring him, Grogar began weaving a new spell by ringing his bells in a haunting melody. All the living drones were stunned where they stood, completely immobilized by the music, the undead however, were not.

With no resistance against them, the undead methodically killed each drone they came across in the most efficient manner to keep the body more or less intact. For barely a moment after each killing blow, the slain dead heeded Grogar’s dirge of the restless grave. Within minutes, all thirty eight drones in the storeroom were under Grogar’s command, along with the hundreds scattered throughout the hive.

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash were flying at speed towards the bow of the Long Shot’s flightdeck, ready to unleash a verbal beatdown on Polybia’s envoy. The biting wind of the mountain threatened to drown them out every so often, but neither queen was willing to let Polybia have a look inside of the carrier.

The skies around them were turning dark from the stormclouds several teams of pegasi were forming to help wash away the unholy taint the battle had left behind. Nearly half of the fleet’s crew and marines had to partake in the herculean effort to bless enough storm clouds with holy power. In its dying hours, the rain gave Fluffy some measure of comfort as it waited for the end.

In addition to keeping Polybia away from sensitive information, the edge of the flight deck provided a panoramic view of the corrupted land, giving both queens a constant reminder of the danger Polybia, and by extension, Grogar represented.

As soon as Rainbow Dash got within arm’s length, she shoved her muzzle right into the face of Polybia’s puppet with murder in her eyes. Twilight loomed over the drone with equal indignation. “You worthless dishonorable amalgamation of chunky worm-riddled pus!” Rainbow growled with spittle flying, and a drop or two of salve. “You said you could handle moving Grogar! So why is it your hive is lighting up like a necromancer’s fireworks show!?”

“What are you?” Polybia had to take a moment to pull her thoughts together. “H-how do you know anything of what’s going on in my hive?” Polybia shot back, trying to gain ground.

Twilight moved in to be adjacent to her sister in bearing down on the puppet. “Did you honestly think we would be stupid enough to not keep tabs on your progress?” the sisters asked spitefully in unison. “How we know is irrelevant!”

Realizing she wasn’t going to be able to lie about it, Polybia switched gears. “I’ve kept him contained for close to half a decade. If you want to blame someone for him breaking containment, it was Chrysalis. She’s the one at fault here!”

Twilight and Rainbow shared a glance with Rainbow flashing far more irritation. “We can deal with Chrysalis later,” Rainbow stated sharply.

“Right now, I am not going to let your pride allow him a chance to disappear into the jungles.” Twilight backed off a bit, and in passing, nudged her sister to do the same.

Polybia shook off the unsettling nature of two queens speaking in perfect unison, and growled right back at them. “I will handle this! Our agreement still stands, Grand Matriarchs. Allowing you to do my job for me would render it void.” Polybia did everything in her power to keep a growing edge of terror from creeping into her voice. At this rate, that damned goat will cost me most of the drones in the hive, and any egg reserves he comes across.

The very real prospect of losing to a combined might of Chrysalis, the Long Shot, and this new mystery security leak, Polybia was not about to let the deal slip through her figurative fingers. “I still have two weeks to deliver him.”

Rainbow scoffed with a flourish of her tail at the notion. A mental nudge from Twilight and a few silent words made Rainbow Dash’s train of thought switch tracks. “You’ve two options, Poly Pocket, so you listen and you listen good.” Rainbow punctuated her statement by jabbing the puppet with a hoof.

Twilight spoke without missing a beat. “You can either die by Grogar’s hoof and have your soul be his personal plaything, or you can let us go in there, and take him ourselves.”

Polybia smacked Rainbow’s hoof away, growling through her teeth. “Only to be killed by you and your allies? Not a chance!” She looked Rainbow dead in the eye, occasionally shifting to cast a withering glare at Twilight. “I can’t stop you from breaking your word on interfering, but you will always know that you’re word will never be worth the time it’d take to listen to it.”

Polybia barked one last time before either queen could rebuke her. “Now, I have a goat to catch, you’ll hear of my success by day’s end.”

Twilight’s gaze went unfocused as she mulled over her options. Rainbow Dash on the other hand kicked the air out of frustration. “How can anyone been so stubborn and stupid!?”

“I bet you could have answered that yourself a couple of decades ago,” Twilight commented with some dry humor. Rainbow glowered at her unwanted teasing, not that it was necessary for Twilight to remain on track. “Stubbornness or not. We can’t let Grogar escape.”

“Right,” Rainbow was sluggish to let the scowl fall, so it instead shifted towards nobody in particular. “I’ll get the Steamrunner’s troops to deploy to the surface of the hive. All Poly has to do is get him above ground so we can take it from there.”

Twilight nodded approvingly. “Good idea. I’ll have Rorke create a portal trap on the ship so he can’t slip away.”

Rainbow stood relatively still as she sent off a slew of orders across the hive mind. “Will that work on demon portals?”

Twilight gave a curt nod. “That demonologist’s price was rather agreeable to that bit of knowledge. Grogar’s not going anywhere.”

Controlling undead was not like running a hive mind. There was no real communication between the necromancer and individual undead, no complete loyalty that pushed into the realm of divine worship. Instead it was more of a passive awareness passed down to the master, and a domination of will. The latter of which was generally easy given the simple minds and weak wills of the typical undead.

So it was, that Grogar plowed through the hive with ease, for each felled drone only added to his growing army. At least that was the idea. Grogar was roughly halfway up his path towards the throne room when the flanks of his army stopped heeding his commands.

For the first few minutes of climbing, he dismissed it as Polybia ambushing his new troops, as expected. Only... Polybia had not moved from her original location. Before he could ponder on the oddity, his scattered undead forces were assaulted en masse all throughout the tunnels. An entire collection of undead drones vanished from his control in one fell swoop, while others winked out of his consciousness in rapid succession.

Not that he cared for the losses, only in how it was happening. I don’t sense any real presence of holy magic, and Polybia would have to be in close proximity to forcibly take control of my thralls…

Is she actually capable of stealing them through puppets? The prospect sent a kernel of doubt in his assumed victory. I haven’t lived this long by being arrogant.

Grogar’s path led him straight into a football field sized hatchery that was strangely quiet. Aside from the jagged hole in the floor, from which Grogar and his rotting entourage were emerging from, and the gaping hole in the ceiling that was spilling forth a sliver of sunlight, the hatchery was still. Half of the wall to wall alcoves were empty, others near the hole had been burst open, half-formed drones laid on the floor dead or dying.

Yet there was no sound of the living scurrying away, no noise of eggs being spirited away, not one hoofstep or wingbeat to be heard. “Are you so uncaring of your brood that you would think to ambush me here?” he announced loudly with a touch of magic to make sure it carried throughout the hatchery.

He waited as long as he was able for a sign. Grogar couldn’t make out anything as his undead started piling up rocks and wax to allow their master to continue up to the ceiling hole. Given the rapid nature of their turn to undeath, the vast majority of the drones’ wings were flaking away into dust, leaving climbing the only option he could think of.

As for himself, Grogar’s demonic eyes swept the hatchery for threats. While Polybia’s location was painfully obvious, the rest of the hive and its denizens were by no means free of his mark. And therein lied the problem, with everything marked, it was impossible to identify individual threats.

He was about to start empowering a wide sweeping spell when he spotted something out of place. In a pile of broken and leaking maturation pods was a pocket of air devoid of his magic. if she thinks she can strike me with my back turned again, I will have to educate her on such folly.

Fearing he’d be too vulnerable casting a larger spell, Grogar opted to lash out with a quick ice spell that sent a blizzard of sharp hail upon the pile of broken pods. The frozen daggers sunk into the pile, producing the shattering sound of breaking chitin rather than embedding themselves in wax.

With a calculating slight frown, Grogar watched as three drones dropped their disguises and slumped to the floor in death. A much larger figure desperately heaved itself out of the pile, and away from Grogar.

The necromancer lifted a single eyebrow at apparently finding a different queen than the one he was hunting. He spotted one of the jagged icicles had buried itself deep into her left thigh, keeping her from doing little more than stumble forward and give muffled cries of pain.

With a curt jerk of his head, two undead departed the rest and grabbed the struggling queen, heedless of her struggles to escape. “Well well, the famous Red Queen,” Grogar grumbled with his gravely voice. “To hear Polybia boast, you should be her docile slave by now.”

No queen was gifted with powerful physical strength, which wasn’t helped at all by Kreesus’ current muscle weakness. Nevertheless, she constantly tested her two jailers with jerking motions to try and free herself, no matter what little good it would do. “Just get it over with, necromancer! I’d rather not have two prolonged deaths in a single week.”

He ignored her final request and skirted around her before yanking the icicle out her thigh with a single mighty pull of telekinesis. “Your fate will be of your own making, Red Queen.”

Kreesus hissed in a mixture of pain and relief at the ice’s removal, only to cringe in disgust as she watched Grogar lick the ice clean of her blood. Grogar tasted the sins upon her blood with a hum of curiosity. “Profound betrayal marked with mutual reconciliation, more or less. I can't remember the last time I tasted that.” Even stranger that her culture almost mandated her actions.

When Kreesus said nothing, waiting for the end, Grogar had her jailers release her. Not expecting that, Kreesus face planted the ground with the undead drones shambling off to guard an entrance Grogar spotted while sampling Kreesus’ sins. “You are free to leave, assuming you don’t get in my way.”

Kreesus rubbed her pained snout. “J-just like that!?” Kreesus inwardly chastised herself to looking a gifthorse in the mouth, yet she hesitated to flee. As much of a threat he was, Grogar was currently less so than the waves of hostile drones and undead outside the hatchery. The sound of fighting was already echoing from the multiple entrances along the entire north face.

Grogar ignored her, and instead focused on trying to glean some reason as to why nearly all of his soldiers outside of the immediately area were already down to less than a tenth of their original numbers. These queens are solitary creatures as far as intelligence is concerned, so why does it feel like I’m surrounded by multiple necromancers?

It seems I will have to reinforce the minds of those I still control to keep them in line. Taking his severed horn into his right foreleg, Grogar channeled his power through it and into the various zombified drones around him. These things are already little more than flesh golems, but I always keep an ace in the hole.

Outwardly, Grogar didn’t look like he was concentrating all that much, simply holding his horn as waves of dark magic flowed outward and into the undead.

After letting her hammering heart calm down a notch, Kreesus tried to make herself as small as possible and out of Grogar’s sight. Don’t know, nor do I care why he’s not killing me, I just have to get out here.

Her first thought were the exits, however Grogar was already sending undead to guard them, or was pulling more of his scattered forces in. Okay, so that’s not an option. Knowing that Grogar was bound to leave soon with the rocks piling up in short order, the idea of staying here for Polybia’s swarm to come up behind him was not appealing either. Without an escort to protect me, I’d never be able to commandeer a drone if Polybia is directly puppeting it. ...Which only leaves one choice doesn’t it?

Steeling herself, Kreesus stepped towards Grogar who was testing the new ramp’s stability with a few undead going on ahead of him. “If you aren’t going to kill me, can I at least follow you outside? I don’t exactly have an escort anymore.” She glanced at the pile of dead drones where she had been hiding.

“... Well aren’t you the brave one,” Grogar said at length while turning to stare at her with uncaring eyes. “Or perhaps foolish if Polybia’s precedence is common among you royals. As I said, don’t get-” He paused as an idea crept into his head, making him reevaluate the royal changeling standing shakily before him. “Perhaps you can be of use to me after all.”

I should have just played dead. Kreesus took a step back as several undead began to circle her.

“How about we broker a deal, Red Queen. I will ensure you survive the day, and you provide me a new body. A royal changeling body to be precise.” Kreesus’ eyes dialated to the point where Grogar was amused by the idea of them popping out of their sockets. “We can work out the details later.” Kreesus’ pride kept her from backpedaling any further, but her conscience screamed to not make any deal.

“I think I’ll take my chances alone, thank you.” Kreesus turned to leave, only for the undead to block her escape.

Grogar took a step forward, stomping a hoof loudly enough to grab her attention. “The last queen I made this request towards ended up capturing me and turned me into a font of power.” Kreesus trembled at the sight of the amassing undead forming behind Grogar. “Clearly if you are not willing to cooperate, then I must assume you will stand in my way.”

“I - I,” Kreesus stammered with her backed into a corner. “I can’t. I don’t have a hive anymore, Polybia destroyed it.”

“You’re still alive though, and from what I hear, you can give rise to a new hive all by yourself.” Grogar moved in to lord over Kreesus, using his natural demonic aura to intimidate her. “How about I sweeten the deal. You get me my new body, and I will protect you from the jungle until you can support yourself.”

That brought Kreesus up short, allowing her heart to stop trying to hammer its way out of her chest. She fixed him with a quizzical look. “You’re desperate for this, aren’t you? Why?”

Grogar’s attention briefly shifted to one of the south entrances where the sound of detonating spells shook the ground, causing dust and loose stones to start falling from the ceiling. “We can speak of my reasons at a later time.” With a flash of his eyes and a single high pitched chime of his bells, an open scroll burst into being wreathed in hellfire. “By signing this contract, you and I will come to an agreement on the means by which you will give me this new body in exchange for my protection. Nice and simple.” One particular explosion sent pebbles and dust roaring out of one the southern exits. “I suggest you come to a decision quickly.”

A hollow ring of fire materialized on the contract in the shape of a hoof with the word ‘signature’ emblazoned above it.

All it took was the angry buzzing of drones closing in on the hatchery and the silent threat of murder from Grogar to make Kreesus’ decision for her. “Not much of a choice is there? Very well,” she said while trying to strike up some dignity. “A proper queen always keeps her word.” Besides, it’s just an agreement to come to an agreement, I can work this in my favor if Queen Twilight Sparkle or Rainbow Dash just so happens to kill Grogar before we have a chance.

Her escape plan already formulating, Kreesus pressed her hoof on the signature circle. Upon removing the hoof, a seal formed over the spot and the whole document burst into flames.

“The contract is sealed,” Grogar stated with a heavy sense of finality. “Now stay close and keep your head down.”

Kreesus couldn’t shake the feeling some minor thing had been left attached to the bottom of her hoof, but an inspection revealed nothing. It must be my imagination. Quick to avoid personal danger, Kreesus obeyed and made her way to the now completed rockpile up to the ceiling.

As Grogar was climbing the first steps, the guards on the southern entrance growled a challenge at a foe in the tunnel beyond and charged in. A moment later, a mighty thwack of bone on breaking chitin heralded one of the undead being sent flying back into the hatchery with the other undead being silenced a moment later.

I won’t get far if my back is exposed. With that in mind, Grogar opted to stand his ground and had his remaining spare undead form a defensive ring in front of him.

A massive bipedal form ducked its way into the hatchery. Kreesus immediately identified it as a minotaur, but only a mockery of one. The minotaur’s bull horns were gone, replaced by a crooked changeling horn instead. The bull’s pupil-less eyes were solid blue and much of its massive frame had patches of chitin and swaths of missing fur. Finally, its muscle bound arms had holes starting to form all over both of them.

The minotaur shouldered a massive warhammer made of bone and chitin that was caked in ichor and bits of meat. The minotaur made no immediate threatening move, only to step forward enough for a growing number of undead and living drones to file in behind him. “The great and powerful Grogar,” the minotaur grumbled with disdain. “I’ve been wanting to kill you ever since my queen brought you in.” He brought his warhammer into both hands and dug into the dirt with a hoof. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally punish you for what you’ve done to her.”

“A quasi!?” Kreesus half asked/shouted. “Is Polybia so desperate she’d let you actually fight?”

The quasi-minotaur snorted derisively while not breaking his gaze on Grogar. “Is the answer not self-evident enough for you?”

Kreesus took a brief moment to actually think about the situation with Grogar. Yeah… okay, fair point. Not that she’d dare admit that aloud.

Grogar sensed a great deal of necromantic magic swirling within the minotaur, yet oddly enough, none of it was bound to Grogar. He must be the cause of my dwindling army. He’d make a fine servant. “If you wait the other necromancer should be here any second.”

As if he’d been waiting for that cue, the eastern most entrance exploded in a cloud of dark magic and a storm of dust and flying ichor from the broken pods. Kreesus had enough magical strength to shield herself in holy magic before the blast wave hit her while Gorgar stood there and endured it like an admiral.

A second pressure wave cleared the dust for the most part, revealing a griffon flanked by drones, both alive and undead. At least that’s what Kreesus and Grogar assumed it to be at first. A second look revealed that the newcomer only had the head and flared wings of a griffin while everything else about him from his legs and body looked no different than a drone. “I hope I’m not too late.”

“Not at all, Talon,” the minotaur snarked. “You get to see me take credit for his head,” minotaur grinned while gesturing his warhammer towards Grogar.

Grogar ignored their boasting and casually brushed some dust off his chest. “Since I know you can hear me, Polybia,” he calmly yelled at the minotaur. “I’d like you to meet some old friends of ours.”

The proclamation gave the quasi pause as Grogar focused his power inward while his bells started ringing a song so haunting that it gave everyone, Kreesus, the quasi, and Polybia visions of what each of their personal hells looked like. Suddenly, all the bells chimed in unison as silvery spirits poured out of Grogar’s mouth. Several dozen split off and took the shape of various species ranging from ponies to sphinxes and every race who had a known civilization.

“You didn’t honestly think I consumed those prisoners entirely did you?” Grogar looked up to the dozens of spirits above him. “The ambient dark magic saturating this hive of yours has given them renewed strength, as it has for me as well.” He rang a single bell which forced all the ghosts to focus on him and him alone. “Slaughter my enemies this day, and you shall have your freedom. But you leave Polybia to me!”

The ghosts started cackling at the proposal, a haunting humorless mirth that spoke of madness that suppressed a sane mind screaming for the embrace of death. Both quasi took a step back at the soul-chilling sound as the ghosts seemed to fade in and out of sight. “Weeeee ooobey.”

24: The Noose Tightens

Here is a Christmas gift to all my readers in the form of a chapter. Enjoy!

There was a strange detached moment of calm in the ruined hatchery right after Grogar’s wailing spirits cackled with unnerving glee. The quasi minotaur and griffin instinctively tightened their grip on their warhammer and twin blades respectively. Polybia sweated with mounting terror from behind what scant few living puppets she had left in the area. Although she still had enough wits to search for and prepare a few spells for combating spirits.

Her mounting panic wasn’t helped by Grogar’s impassive, almost uncaring expression. “If you have even a shred of free will left, I suggest you save yourself. Polybia is the only soul I demand… presently at least.”

Commander Talon banged his blades together in a long-forgotten salute. “I would throw my very soul into your worst hells for my queen. Honor demands no less.”

“Honor.” Grogar rolled the word around in his mind, allowing the warriors around him a bit more time to contemplate their fate. “What a strange thing to hear from a being that is controlled so deeply by another.” Grogar stealthily used the time to apply his own enchantment on the eager spirits that bobbed and weaved around him. “If I recall, Commander Talon your culture sees such lack of self-determination to be the gravest dishonor ever conceived.”

“You think we were forced into this life?” Split Horn scoffed scornfully. “I was but a mewling runt when my queen found me. I was no general, no brave warrior, but a failure who was disowned by his own family.”

“As was I,” the Talon barked in shared admiration. “We belong to her and the Silver City!”

Even in her precarious position, Kreesus could not help but belt off a dismissive huff. “A quasi in the Silver City? Oh what lies you’ve spun in their heads, Polybia. I’d wager those are false memories too.”

That’s stalled them long enough. With a flash of magic from his eyes, Grogar placed a sonic barrier around Kreesus, signalling the spirits to begin an ear shattering banshee wail. The howling was so loud, so piercing, that even the observers aboard the Steamrunner felt some unnerving ringing in their ears.

At the epicenter of it all, Grogar stood unmoved, as if he was wholly unaffected. You can always count on the hubris of others.

The unholy wail heralded the spirits surging forward into the off-balanced quasi. Polybia fired off a slew of mana bolts from the various living drones and even the quasi’ own horns. The spells shredded most of the howling ghosts, but she wasn’t quick enough to stop four of them from sinking into her champions’ bodies.

Both quasi spasmed and crumpled, buying Grogar enough time to force his will upon the local undead now that their proxy masters were incapacitated. “The game was fun, Polybia, almost a pity you are still such a novice.”

Without a local necromancer to keep control, all of the undead in the vicinity fell under Grogar’s dominating will. Even though Polybia was quick to both realize this and act to cut down some of the undead with both spell and blade, Grogar was no slouch. His undead turned on the living with equal ferocity, but far more in number.

Before more than a dozen drones could be killed in and around the hatchery, Polybia pulled back to regroup, leaving Grogar to focus on the two quasi. “Tell me, Queen Kreesus, why do you disregard these two?”

Kreesus was hesitant to join Grogar as he walked over to the two quasi writhing on the floor as the spirits performed their terrible work. She shadowed him to keep Grogar between her and the shuddering victims. “Quasi are a necessary evil. A queen can’t possibly personally know every facet of running a hive in modern times, so we… borrow or get volunteers to lend expertise that we lack. Normally farmers or the disgraced general if we’re lucky enough. Gives our swarms more unpredictability. Yet having them fight directly like this is both wasteful and undermines your singular voice in the hive mind.”

Grogar gave the explanation a bit of thought, long enough to come to a stop in front of Split Horn. “Such narrow mindedness. I’ve seen countless upstart necromancers fall into the same trap.” Kreesus scowled behind him, but ultimately didn’t want to test Grogar’s patience, and remained silent. Grogar slapped the minotaur to wake him up. “Split Horn. Whom do you serve?”

The voice that left Split Horn was initially not his own, but a collection of the ghosts that possessed him. “I am yours to command, my queen.”

If Grogar was affected by the title, he didn’t show it. “Good, you will personally guard Queen Kreesus with your life.”

Split Horn gave a sharp nod. “It will be done.”

Kreesus on the other hand, was not so unphased by the title. “Isn’t it a bit early to be called a queen?” Assuming you even get the chance at rebirth.

Grogar said nothing in reply right away. Instead he waited until the spirits left the minotaur’s body, much smaller and mostly transparent. They circled his head, whispering things Kreesus couldn’t make out. Eventually, Grogar nodded. “I consider your service concluded. Pass on to whatever afterlife awaits you.”

The moment those words left his lips, a tear in reality appeared in midair in front of Grogar and Kreesus. Hands of black oil burst out and latched onto each of the spirits who started to wail in fear and panic. The hands dragged the spirits into the tear that sealed itself up once the last ghost had been claimed.

Kreesus backpedaled away from the scene, and clutched a hoof against her racing heart. “W-what was that!?”

“The Reapers. They tend to take on the appearance of whatever afterlife awaits a roaming spirit.” Grogar turned to fix Kreesus with a cold stare. “They had already damned themselves. Pay them no mind.” He started moving over to the griffin, intent on repeating the event with Talon. “As for your earlier question, apparently there’s a deep-rooted death geas placed on these - quasi - I believe you called them. They have to serve her or die. The spirits couldn't get rid of it, so they simply introduced a cognitive switch where they see Polybia when they look at me, and the real Polybia will appear as some unknown queen. With the spirits severing the psychic bond, they’re as good as mine.”

Only a geas? Polybia has become far too sloppy with quasi. More of Grogar’s influence perhaps? Staying quiet for a moment, Kreesus waited it out until Grogar repeated the process with Talon, bringing both quasi into his service.

It was only when Grogar had gathered a dozen or so undead, along with the two quasi, for his march further up the ram-made tunnel that Kreesus spoke up with some measure of dignity. She wasn’t sure if he had a title so forwent trying to guess one. “Grogar, if at all possible, could you try to capture some living drones? It would make rebuilding my hive easier, along with getting you that new body that much sooner.”

“I will make no promises,” Grogar stated flatly before giving Kreesus a studious look behind smoldering red eyes. “Polyba may look like she’s falling back, but I expect a trap, and I-” Grogar paused and slowly turned his gaze to the nearest quasi. “Talon, why hasn’t the local queen fled her throne room?”

Talon stared blankly forward as his mind tried to reconcile what just happened, but the spirits' magic was filling in enough blanks to put him at ease. Slowly, he addressed Grogar, who he saw and believed to be his queen. “I do not know. She didn’t feel the need to share that information when we were spying on her. Perhaps it is pride or hubris that roots her hoof.”

Grogar cast his gaze towards Split Horn who delivered much the same answer. Which eventually pulled his attention back towards Kreesus. “As I said, a trap. Now stay safe, it’d be in your best interest to keep a stray necrotic poison from rendering you barren.”

Luna stood on the deck of the cloaked Steamrunner resplendent in her armor. It was silver plated steel etched with enough holy runes to be a shrine in of itself. The same could be said of the two pony honor guard standing beside her, though maybe not quite so intricate.

By now, the sun was just over the horizon, leaving Luna anxious about the timing for her to raise the moon. Luna’s gaze slipping between the deceptively quiet hive below and the sun slipping further below the horizon. Yet above it all, she hated the waiting when her quarry was right below her. I will not let that demon run free because of some stupidly rigid honor code.

Her mind made up, Luna turned to address the single liaison drone that was kept with her aides. The young changeling was barely seven months into adulthood, and had been beaming with optimism to serve, only to end up a train wreck of nerves after being placed in liaison duty with The Princess of the Night. “Corporal, tell my soldiers to execute Paperclip, and have Rolled Scroll inform my sister that she’ll have to be the one to raise the moon tonight.”

Luna’s honor guard were not the ever-stoic palace guards, so they were much more willing to show their of support for the command. The changeling mare however, gulped worriedly. “B-begging your pardon, Princess Luna, but we’re under orders to wait for word.”

Luna stepped in close, muzzle to muzzle. “You are under those orders. Not me. Now relay those messages immediately.”

The corporal inched backwards and snapped a hasty bow. “Yes, princess, right away.”

“Oh, and no need to inform your queens until after we leave,” Luna added quickly. “Wouldn’t want a diplomatic incident to sour things between us.” Not that it would, but the corporal doesn’t need to know that. Luna stood a little straighter as purpose and haste filled her every vein and nerve. “Captains!” Her honor guard stiffened at attention. “Get ready to move, we’ve got a necromancer to catch.”

Down below in the main barracks of the Steamrunner, Regiment Commander Sea Breeze of the PCE penal regiment presided over her ill disciplined mob. She was a pale green unicorn with a curly forest green mane. The eighty strong group had an assortment of weapons with no real consistency, ranging from daggers to bows to rune-encrusted great axes. Their armor was just as bad, save for one bit of uniformity. Each of them had a death-switch enchantment that would bless their corpse upon death to deny Grogar another body to add to his army.

Presently, the band of felons were watching two of their number sparring with daggers. Sea Breeze watched on, and had no desire to stop them, even if someone ended up dead. The nearby changeling MPs were unwilling to stop two PCE trying to kill each other.

The crowd was hooting and jeering the two combatants on as the earth stallion and pegasus mare took swings at each other. Both already sported several cuts, but they were too shallow to cause either one of them to stop.

“Come on, slice him!” one pony jeered.

“Cut her wing off!” roared another.

The duelists sliced away at each other, the mare getting a nick on her cheek while the stallion had a new scar on his snout. Sea Breeze remained quiet through the fight, though she silently cheered the stallion on. The rapid heavy booted hooffalls from further astern drew her eyes towards a pair of Night Guard moving towards them with haste. She gave a loud whistle at the rest of the former PCE, centered on the two brawlers. “Knock it off, we got company!”

The penal regiment broke the fight up and shuffled back to their respective bunks by the time the two bat pony guards arrived. The leader of the two, a black stallion bedecked in his full armor, addressed Sea Breeze with a harsh and gruff tone. “Line them up, I’m here to edit your geas.”

Sea Breeze turned to her troops’ general direction. “You heard’em lads get your asses ready to move!” She turned back to the bat pony. “That’s why we’re here right? The queens finally got off their moral high ground and are letting us loose?”

“All you need to know,” the bat pony replied with a harsh voice, “is that you’re finally going to get your wish for sanctioned changeling killing.”

A loud cheer erupted from those PCE who overheard the news and either spread it further down the line or nearly jumped out of their skin trying to get their weapons together. Then, one by one, each of them were met by one of the Luna Guards wielding a Moonstone recently blessed by Luna to give them the magical equivalent of the power of attorney. Sea Breeze waited until all of her soldiers had been seen by the guards before coming up to the theseral stallion. “So you’re really letting us off the leash? Certain death at the tip of the spear, I wager.”

The captain waved the Moonstone in front of Sea Breeze, allowing the stone to whisper in Luna’s own words, rewriting the geas. As for the guard himself, he grunted irritably at her. “You knew full well this was likely a one-way trip for you.”

Sea Breeze inhaled deeply as she felt the geas slacken in her mind. She glanced at the nearest changelings, who were watching the ponies with mixed levels of confusion. The block on her mind that kept her from so much as thinking about weaving a spell at one of the changelings in the barracks now had a few moments’ delay. A delay that Sea Breeze caught whiff of, but not the actual cause. A wicked toothy grin cleaved her muzzle. “So we’re to fight soon?”

“You’re to fight now,” the bat pony stated bluntly. “Have your ground-pounders loaded in the shuttles with pegasus and thestral support. You get to run amok all you want, but try to focus your efforts on capturing Grogar alive.”

Sea Breeze’s initial good cheer at being taken off the leash was completely blunted by the order. “The princess plans on experimenting on him, I take it?”

The reason wasn’t classified knowledge, and the guard ultimately assumed it would ensure Sea Breeze’s cooperation to tell her. “Hardly. A necromancer of that skill undoubtedly has what the princess calls a phylactery. If we destroy his body first, he’ll just reform somewhere else, and we might never catch him.”

Satisfied with that answer, Sea Breeze grinned with an evil glint in her eye. “Makes sense. Shall we go play?”

Shortly after the PCEs’ geas were modified and towards the bow of the Steamrunner, the land-bound members of the PCE penal brigade were in the middle of boarding the shuttles. The well-lit hangar dominated the top side of the bow, and stretched close to the keel, making the use of heavy deck guns this far forward impossible.

Currently, Luna was standing on one of the flanking catwalks overlooking the three bus-sized shuttles with two of the changeling pilots. Both of which were being puppeted by their respective mothers. “Luna,” Twilight started while glancing at the PCE marching into the shuttles, “I’m obligated to tell you to stop.” All three of them could tell by her tone, that Twilight had no intention on actually doing anything about this little theft. “So… stop stealing our shuttles, I mean it,” she said with not one drop of seriousness.

Rainbow Dash smoothly finished Twilight’s thought. “And that we’re honor-bound to not intervene until Grogar is either delivered to us, or he manages to escape Poly Pocket’s hive.”

Luna gave both of them a sly roguish look. “Well, I will make note of your protests. Now hypothetically, where would a shipwright place the controls to open the bay doors?”

“Hypothetically?” Twilight pointed at a small overwatch house at the back of the hangar. “They probably would place it in there.”

“Seventh lever from the left,” Rainbow Dash added with a bemused smile, “should have a red knob.”

“I thank you for those hypothetical answers,” Luna said graciously with an appreciative nod and smile. Yet before she could take off, Twilight held a hoof out for her to wait. A pensive frown crossed her puppet’s face, while a self-deprecating scowl marred Rainbow’s own.

“All spy games aside, you know this is the limit of what we can allow before breaking our word. We won’t be able to send reinforcements or even use the deck guns unless we have evidence Polybia can no longer uphold her end of the deal.”

Luna huffed in amusement and cast her gaze up to the ceiling in remembrance of days long forgotten. “I know full well how hoof-tieing honor and politics can be. For all my sister loves to believe otherwise, politics is simply war of a different nature.” Luna cast a knowing smirk. “It pays to have friends who can act when you cannot.” Her voice grew cold, her face stony. “You got us here and put this blood war on hold by sticking your neck out. It’s time I did the same.”

“It feels weird saying this to you of all ponies,” Rainbow Dash jittered with a heavily worried grimace. “But be careful down there. If even half the horror stories about-”

Luna waved off any further talk. “Trust me, I will. But I must make haste. I will see you soon.” Luna barely waited for the two queens to acknowledge that fact before flying over the hangar watchhouse. The instant the bay doors started opening, the winged members of the PCE jumped down with abandon, leaving the shuttles just about unguarded.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash watched the shuttles take off, loaded down with members of the PCE with wonderbolts acting as pilots. Rainbow Dash looked down towards the PCE vanguard. Twilight waved at the Lunar Guard as they followed after the PCE. “Good luck storming the hive!”

“Think they’ll survive?” Rainbow Dash asked while pointing at the PCE.

“It’d take a miracle,” Twilight replied with a mix of hope and glumness.

Things were actually going rather smoothly for Grogar now. With Split Horn and Talon spearheading the march up the hole towards Polybia. The pair of quasi easily dispatched several ambushes with laughable ease due to Polybia being extremely sloppy in their execution.

The latest of which had several suicide drones disguised as rocks, waiting for Grogar to walk past before detonating in magefire. However, Talon had been the one to create that tactic and saw the signs the moment they walked past the ambush tunnel, and advised Grogar dispatch them from a safe distance with a few choice spells.

Presently, the group was walking past that very same failed ambush with Kreesus kicking a rock over to get a better look at one of the exploded drones. “Just how much did Polybia - er - your former master rely on you two for battle?”

Talon was scanning the tunnel ahead. With the throne room now within spitting distance, he was more careful than ever. Kreesus’ comment caused him to waver, as if something wasn’t quite right. Grogar caught wind of the weakening charm, and thrust his hoof forward, pouring magic into the griffin to strengthen his hold on him. Talon shook his head as the reinforced charm took hold. “She directed overall combat, as fitting for a queen, but Split Horn over there came up with tactical planning while I focused on broader, strategic warfare.”

Troubled thoughts crossed Kreesus’ already worried mind. Polybia must be more broken than I thought if she threw two generals at Grogar. Part of her wished she had done the same with her quasi during the siege, if only to buy more time for a proper escape.

Split Horn pulled back from the edge of the tunnel and knelt before Grogar. “The queen is pulling her drones back. She’s exposed the last stretch to the throne room.”

“Perhaps she wishes to bargain,” Kreesus ventured. “I mean, it’s painfully obvious that it’s a trap, but it’s still possible.”

Grogar mentally commanded a group of eight zombified drones to march straight into the throne room while giving orders for the rest of his army to encircle the chamber via the surrounding tunnels, along with clogging the one he made earlier. “I have not come this far to be denied. We will spring her trap, then… Then I will get what I came for.”

Kreesus couldn’t help but to shudder at the barest hint of a grin on the ram’s face. She purposely faced away from the necromancer, and waited until both he and his army were on the move before she approached the throne room.

The long hole Grogar had blasted meant that the necromancer was climbing out of the floor and into a large dimly lit chamber. Talon and Split Horn flanked him, along with the eight zombies fanned out in front. The chamber was little more than polished rock with some iconography of the original First Mother painted everywhere. Polybia sat upon a massive four meter tall throne that was shaped like an egg-chair with more images of the First Mother. However, what dominated the room was the huge soccer goal-sized organic mass hanging from the ceiling that had a dozen tendrils feeding into Polybia’s spine and the back of her head. A few living drones gently tended to the mass, both keeping it clean and feeding it with a diminished stock of greens nearby. Lastly, Polybia’s eyes were clouded and blind, her chitin was pockmarked and cracking. Some of her chitin was missing all together, revealing pale white flesh that was covered in black sores.

While the two quasi were greatly disturbed by the pinkish pulsating mass hanging on the ceiling, so much so that they nearly dropped their weapons out of revulsion and mild horror. Grogar was completely unfazed. Far worse things existed in Tartarus. Kreesus shared the quasi’ sentiment, but was far more vocal about it after poking her head out of the hole.

“By the First Mother! What have you done to yourself!?”

Polybia’s absent gaze drifted towards Kreesus’ direction. “Ahh, good. Kreesus, stay there while I dispatch my guest.” Kreesus was too paralyzed by Polybia’s appearance to do otherwise. “Now, Grogar, I’ll give you this one chance to return to your prison.”

Grogar sized her up, glancing around the organic mass Polybia was bound to. After a few moments, his first answer was interrupted by the sense that the undead he had sent into the upper tunnels were being cut down in rapid succession. What was more, there was the distant taste of holy magic at work, purging a large swath of his festering magic from the upper hive, but was impossible to tell more at such a distance. “I think we both know what my answer would be.”

Without further warning, Grogar’s eyes brightened with an unholy red as he latched onto Polybia’s soul, an act made far easier thanks to her being saturated in his magic. Yet before he could rip it from her body, Polybia lashed out with an invisible psionic lash so powerful it carved a long gash into the floor towards Grogar. The necromancer was slow to react, thanks to not noticing the attack until it was carving a groove into the floor. He jumped to the side, but still took a glancing blow.

The glancing hit was enough to completely shave off a full inch of flesh off Grogar’s right side side, carving into his ribs and thigh. Brackish black liquid oozed out more like tar than actual blood. As ever, Grogar’s face remained impassive as he studied her in a new light.

A distraction, both in his minions going silent, and heavy use of holy magic from closer above pulled his attention away for a bare moment. That was all Polybia needed to strike again, this time with two lashes that rippled the air above Grogar, with another going low, completely separating him from all four hooves.

Grogar fell on the ground in a heap, leaving Polybia with an easy target to send a smaller lash, striking his face and blinding him. “Go, now!” he ordered the undead and quasi.

Split Horn and Talon surged forward by his command, with the eight undead racing ahead of them. Polybia first acted to latch onto the minds of her former generals in an attempt to revert their loyalty and hold them in place.

As for the zombies, Polybia formed a ribbon of caustic magic and let the undead walk right into it, cutting themselves to pieces and scattering along the floor. With the undead rendered a non-issue, and Grogar blinded, she focused on her former generals.

“Whatever he did to you, know that I will take you back into the fold, one way or another.” Polybia’s voice resonated in both the physical world and echoed in everyone’s mind. She leveraged all of her amplified power into discovering how it happened in the first place, after all, she didn’t want to damage them.

She found it quickly enough, bringing a dark grin to her ashen face. “A simple perception swap? Elegant in it’s simplicity, but easily correctable.” She gave Grogar a glance, just to be sure, only to find his eyes were back to normal. What?

Those very eyes flashed brilliantly crimson, heralding a torrent of dark magic. Polybia retaliated with an angled arcane barrier. The dark magic hit the barrier dead on, but much of it’s force was deflected, being sent towards the left of Polybia, burning a massive hole into the ceiling between them. Boulders and dust caved in, forcing Polybia to strengthen the ceiling above her.

The cave in was narrow enough that Grogar and Kreesus were in no immediate threat, allowing him to weave a knitting spell to get his hooves reattached. A pity I can't do that with my horns.

The cave-in also distracted Polybia enough to release her hold on the quasi, which gave them time to retreat towards their new master and help him back on his hooves. “My queen,” Split Horn said with horrified worry, “I have never seen another royal with that much psionic power. We can’t win here. We must flee and rebuild the swarm, or at least lay siege from outside of her throne room.”

In contemplating retreat, Grogar reached out to his undead army, only to find not one single zombie existed above them. “Something tells me, it won’t have to be us that lay seige.”

“You can’t best me here demon!” Polybia chided as she summoned more of her augmented mental powers to shove the dust and debris aside so she had a clear view of the necromancer.

The moment the dust settled, two earth ponies and three pegasi dropped down with a thump. Kreesus, who had already only been sticking her head out to watch, quickly ducked back out of sight. Grogar had been expecting something was headed their way, and used the dust to mask his presence, casting a spell for him and the two quasi to appear as large rocks. So it was that when the quintet of ponies took stock of their new surroundings, the only person they saw was a stunned Polybia perched upon her throne. One of the pegasi jabbed a bladed hoof at the queen. “Lookie there, fellas! We got the ugliest bug queen that could ever exist!”

One of the earth ponies took one look at Polybia, and grabbed a signal horn around his neck. “Kill her for the princesses!”

As the four other ponies charged in, the leader blew three long deep notes on his horn. The call broke Polybia out of her shock, prompting her to mold new ribbons of psionic power. She cut down the one pegasus who had a crossbow with one ribbon, and cleaved the charging earth ponies straight down the center. Polybia immediately tried to raise them as undead, but moments after the ponies died, their light armor exploded in holy magic. Not large enough to threaten Polybia, but enough that the corpses were completely untouchable by necrotic magic.

Failing to secure new warriors, she grasped the minds of the last two pegasi and used brute force to dominate their minds, quickly burning through their unprepared minds to serve her. Her attention finally returned to the last ponies as he sounded a second tri-note call, heralding the arrival of ten more ponies from above. Each of them were bloodied either with normal blood, or the coagulated mess that flowed through the undead.

“Looks like we got ourselves the motherload, boys!” cried one of the new arrivals. “A hundred bits to whoever takes her head!”

Several ponies fired off crossbow bolts faster than Polybia could swat them out of the air. Two struck the massive organic thing behind her, making Polybia give off an ear flattening shriek of pain. Summoning up as much psionic power as she could spare, Polybia erected a reflective barrier. Every arrow and mana bolt bounced back as if it were rubber, with the charging ponies suffering the same thing when they got too close.

The effort however, gave Polybia only enough strength for a single caustic ribbon, but she couldn’t render it invisible anymore.

Kreesus used the fight to sneak over to Grogar’s rocky disguise. “Grogar!” she hissed over the fighting, “you can’t defeat that kind of psionic power with just magic.”

Grogar watched Polybia and waited for her focus to fully shift to the mounting number of ponies. Once his moment came, he dragged himself and the two quasi over to the hole so he had space to think. “I don’t understand. You queens’ psionic power is supposed to be tied up into maintaining a hive mind, not direct combat.”

“Did you get those lies from your old jailer?” Kreesus chided, getting a dark glower from Grogar in return. She decided to lighten her tone, just to be safe. “Traditionally we avoid using psionics for combat because outside of the hivemind, we normally don’t have this kind of power. It doesn’t help that we stole the magic disciplines from the unicorns, and we never train for psionic warfare. But pound for pound, psionics will always pierce straight through magic.”

“I take it none of you have ever used something like that amplifier Polybia’s attached to?” Grogar asked almost rhetorically. He watched as several more ponies were cut down, yet they were constantly replaced by more fanatics. All them were eager to claim the queen’s head.

Kreesus shuddered at the abhorrent thought. “Never. Our mobility is sacred. If I could relive the siege of my hive, I still wouldn’t have used an amplifier like that. Not even to win a war.”

Grogar grunted uncaringly of her reasonings, and gestured with a hoof at the PCE. “Who ever these ponies are, they’re a complication I could do without.” He reached out with his magic, trying to test the waters on raising the dead, only for the blessed corpses to rebuff even the slightest touch. “And they came prepared to fight necromancy.” If only I had a week and the resources of my stronghold, I could circumvent that kind of protection. Not that it’d be worth it at that point. He addressed the quasi and jabbed a hoof at one of the nearby tunnels that looked like it circled the throne room. “We need to get behind her to destroy that psi amplifier. It shouldn’t be a problem to take her soul and escape these ponies after that.”

Before the quasi could acknowledge and obey the order, Kreesus’ horn lit up and pulled the quasi back. “We can’t do that! Polybia’s swarm is still out there. If you kill her now, they’ll go feral and scatter throughout the jungle.”

“I fail to see how that is a problem for us,” Grogar replied coldly. “You have no hive anymore, so you can relocate far from here without issue.”

“B-but the jungle is my home.”

“Then get a new one.” Grogar’s gaze grew so frosty it put a chill in Kreesus’ spine. “I don’t know where those ponies came from, but I am not going to risk staying in the jungles where they are already looking for me.”

Kreesus was not to be cowed so easily and stood her ground. “For you, yes, but those must be the ponies that Twilight Sparkle brought into the campaign. Can you not simply hide away from them? If you are so determined to have your revenge on that harlot, then let the ponies kill her, and drag her soul to you from afar.

“It’s not like I can betray you when I’ve already signed your contract.” Just to come to an agreement, nothing more.

Grogar knew he didn’t have time to think about it long. A glance at the battle showed that the ponies had wised up to Polybia’s defense and were spreading out and using spells and earth pony might to break the walls around the throne. It would only be a matter of time before the psionic enhancer would fall from the ceiling, and potentially be destroyed in the process. “I must have the soul of a queen for my plans. Hers would be best, but I can still do with yours.”

Grogar’s statement froze Kreesus’ blood as the demonic necromancer summoned the contract in a burst of brimstone. Only now, below her signature, was a large blank spot that started filling with words as Grogar spoke. “By agreeing to this amendment, you will assist in claiming the soul of the rogue queen Polybia when she dies this day. Failure to do so will forfeit your own.”

“W-what do I get in return?”

Grogar faked a smirk. “That I will leave your soul unmarked and I’ll even throw in a bonus to show you how to keep it purified of necrotic or demonic taint, should you ever need such skill in the future.” His eyes glowed as a new signature circle appeared in a flash of flame. “Just so you know, the stipulation of us coming into agreement on my new body doesn’t require you to remain intact. So, do we have a bargin?”

“I am really starting to hate your little contracts.” Kreesus glanced in Polybia’s direction, seeing now that a few heavily armored bat ponies had joined in.

“Hate them all you like,” Grogar rebutted sternly while pushing the contract forward. “I have been toyed with long enough, and I will not be denied any longer. Don’t force me to do something you’ll regret.”

Kreesus and the others ducked as a spell shock wave passed over them from the fighting. The presence of so many ponies emboldened her to a height she’d probably regret later. Kreesus slapped away the contract, only for her hoof to pass through the ethereal document. She took it in stride and glared at Grogar. “You need to stop with this damn contract malarky. If you are so hell bent on getting her soul for whatever revenge you have planned, then fine by me. After what she did to the other queens, she deserves every iota of pain you’ll give her.

“But you’re just going to have to operate on a level of trust, and just tell me what I have to do to get that soul for you.”

Thorn placed one of his swords somewhat near Kreesus’ throat as a warning while his master replied flatly. “I have no reason to trust anyone outside of a contract. You either sign, or I look for a more readily available queen soul.” Grogar waved a sign into the air with a hoof, and gently tugged on Kreesus’ soul. Not a lot, just enough to demonstrate her situation. Even so, the light pull caused pins and needles to tingle all over her body. “As I’ve said, I can still force you to create my new body in either case. But I would rather keep our relationship… cordial.”

“Cordial indeed,” Kreesus snapped heatedly as she slapped her hoof against the signature circle.

“I’m glad we have an understanding.” Again, Grogar faked a smile, and detached one of the bells from his necklace. “When they inevitably kill Polybia, be sure this bell is within ten meters of her at the moment of death. This will also keep her from escaping into one of those ressurection pools.”

Kreesus snatched the bell up with her magic, and instantly regretted it. The bell was freezing cold in her magic, enough so that it chilled her breath. “A word of warning,” he said as Kreesus stood up. “As her soul is being dragged into the bell, it will be visible for all to see, so I suggest you get in close to minimize that, or at least sell a good lie. Don’t worry about getting the bell back to me, I will handle that.”

You know, Grogar, at some point you are going to be weak in your new body. Keep this up marionette game and you won’t even have time to open new eyes before I slit your throat. Keeping the thought to herself, Kreesus studied the battle unfolding while Grogar slipped back down into the depths of the hive. Just need to find an opening to go in there. Grogar’s incessant need for revenge aside, I can’t just let the ponies kill her with that swarm still out there.

The armored newcomers tangoed with Polybia’s calm strikes. Any time a unicorn tried to fire off a non-directed spell to circumvent the repulsion barrier, Polybia was quick to freeze their mind; dropping them dead or into a coma on the spot. As for the rest of the ponies, Polybia was pacing herself trying to cut them down with a ribbon or two. She had collapsed the tunnels surrounding the throne, leaving the hole in the ceiling as the only avenue of attack.

Just need to stall them until my swarm returns, Polybia mused more to reassure herself than anything else. Just stall. I’ve got enough food for a week. Should be more than enough no matter what they throw at me.

Polybia empowered her psionic ribbon and lanced it right at a bat pony hiding behind a boulder. She completely ignored the dozen crossbow bolts and failed charges, focusing on a single target at a time. The boulder was cleaved in two, but the pony had ducked at the last instant, only to leave himself flat footed and unable to flee quickly.

With a trivial flick, the ribbon danced to whip the pony and end his life. At the final moment, something new cut the invisible psionic ribbon right at the leading edge, causing much of the ribbon to disperse. The attack on her ribbon left her perplexed. How? They do not possess the power to stop my attack-

A new dark figure slammed down on the floor, cratering the ground. Intangible hair blowing on ethereal wind, and gleaming silver armor that started shining brightly in the presence of so much dark magic, and a psionic presence that disturbed Polybia to her core had arrived. Princess Luna scanned the corpses of over a dozen ponies littered around the throne room and up to Polybia’s revolting form. “I half expected Grogar to be the cause of so much death in so confined a place.

“You have much to answer for, Polybia.” Luna turned her gaze towards the surviving ponies. "Watch my back in case Grogar attacks."

Polybia huffed dismissively as the ponies made room for Luna's expected fight. “Princess Luna. I should have expected Twilight Sparkle would have made sure she’d have a back door to our agreement. I only acted in self-defense,” Polybia challenged with more spite than she intended as she swept a hoof over the dead. “As for what crimes I’ve committed, none of them were directed at Equestria.”

“Oh but you have,” Luna rebuked bitterly. “Rogue Queen Polybia, I hereby accuse you of tainting massive stretches of wilderness with necrotic taint with no means or intent on correcting it before scarring the land. It would take generations to purify the jungles of what you’ve done. That alone is grounds enough to execute you where you stand.”

Polybia’s ire exploded in rage with her slamming her hooves down on her throne, cracking the stone. “Don’t project your unwanted morality on the queendoms! This is a war between us! Apparently your kind seems to have forgotten how destructive war can be.”

Luna’s horn glowed with blinding silver light while the rest of the room was cast in darkness as sunlight stopped spilling forth from the hole in the ceiling. “That destruction is exactly why we’ve come to stop it here and now.”

“An admirable, noble goal from your point of view I’m sure,” Polybia sneered while marshalling her psionic power for an attack. “But not even the power of an alicorn can touch me here. Your magic is worthless against my mind!”

Polybia hesitated her strike when a shaft of pure moonlight struck down the hole and encompassed Luna. The princess’ eyes glowed with restrained power and she cast that gaze upon her foe. “I may not have the raw magical prowess of my sister, or the finesse of Twilight Sparkle, but so many people seem to forget that I am the Dreamer.”

With the fury of the moon behind her, an inky dark shroud wrapped around Luna, causing her to fade a little from reality. Jumping into a low hover, strings of the same inky magic formed from her six limbs and horn. The strings flew forward until they were outside the moonbeam and ripped a blindingly bright white hole into the dream realm. From there, the Tantabus, a dark amorphous being roughly in the shape of an alicorn and made to look like a starry night, emerged into the material plane. Polybia recoiled at the manifestation of raw psionics given physical form. Luna’s strings attached themselves to the corresponding points on the Tantabus’ body. Luna’s flapping wings caused those two strings to shimmer invitingly.

Luna’s voice took on a reverb that chilled the hearts of both queens and humbled the PCE. “Are ribbons the best you can muster? Even with all your age, you are but a child in a battle such as this, Polybia. I’ll give you this one chance to surrender with some…” Luna wrinkled her nose in disgust at the organic brain thing Polybia had attached herself to. “Dignity.”

Polybia eyed the weaving puppet strings like a hawk, a mad hatter grin cleaving her muzzle. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline the offer. But I must say, very impressive, Luna the Dreamer. You might even defeat me, I admit, but think of this before you do.” Using her magic, Polybia created a hologram of her remaining swarm, still numbering over half a million, that was flying straight towards the hive. “Should you strike me down, all of the drones there will be under the control of the quasi necromancers. I made those quasi capable of being independent of me so that they could still inflict damage to my enemies should Grogar ever take me.

“And now I just gave them a new set of orders. Should you kill or sever my connection to them, all of them will instead head straight for Equestria. They’ll spread the necrotic taint all over your country if you don’t leave.” Polybia couldn’t see any reaction out of Luna from beneath her cloak, but she assumed the alicorn’s hesitation as a good sign. “So I suggest you and your little band return to whatever ship delivered you here and not return.”

Through knowledge given from Twilight, Luna knew that mindless drones went feral, but she knew nothing about quasi. See, Tia? This is what you get when you always tell me to offer a chance for surrender first. Shoving her irritation towards Celestia aside, Luna mulled over how to balance matters in her favor.

“I don’t have all day, Princess, I have a necromancer to capture,” Polybia chided.

It was at that moment when a voice sprang into Luna’s mind with a psionic signature she recognized, but it had an oily aftertaste of muffled magic she couldn’t pinpoint. Princess Luna, I am Queen Kreesus, I was taken by Polybia, but the chaos Grogar caused has allowed me to escape. I am taking cover inside of the holes behind you. A more accurate word would have been hiding, but even Kreesus still had her dignity.

As for Luna, she cooly stopped herself from reacting to the voice. I thought you could only talk within the hive mind.

As if sensing the question, Kreesus explained herself. Please do not waste your time trying to talk back. I can only talk to you briefly and I can’t hear anything you say. But, if you can incapacitate Polybia, I can take over her swarm long enough to tell it to destroy itself. I just need you to give me an opening to get in close.

In her hiding place, Kreesus slumped to the ground, winded badly and gulping air at a long breathless pace. “I think she heard me,” she told Grogar between breaths as a migraine was catching up to her. Projecting like that without a hive mind connection was a bad idea if it didn’t work.

Grogar pulled his amplifying black magic out of Kreesus’ body, taking care to make sure he was completely thorough in its extraction. “This had better work, for your sake.”

Luna grinned inwardly at the hidden ally, and decided to seize the opportunity. “You’re bluffing, fallen queen! No pony can hold a whole country hostage under my watch.” Without giving Polybia a chance to rebuke, the Tanabus surged forward on the attack.

Author's Notes:
HA! the gift ends in a cliffhanger!! How's that for some coal in your stocking?!

25: The Trapdoor Falls Away

The Tantabus surged towards Polybia, expanding out into a blanketing shroud. Polybia dispelled her psionic ribbon in favor of empowering her barrier. She caught the Tantabus fully, and tried to enclose the Tantabus inside a ball. The instant Polybia’s counter attack severed the last puppet string, the living manifestation of dreams stopped resisting being crushed. Polybia’s confusion was dismissed several seconds later when a jagged white tear in reality opened near Luna’s moonbeam with the Tantabus stepping out once again.

Polybia conjured up three ribbons, and primed herself for Luna to strike out again. Luna didn’t keep her waiting. She matched Polybia’s defense by splitting the Tantabus into three smaller versions, each with two puppet strings attached. Fool. You think you can best a changeling in a battle of numbers!?

Luna tried scattering the Tantabus puppets in all directions, trying to slip one inside Polybia’s guard. The assault along the floor was cut short after Luna attempted to block an incoming ribbon, and the small Tantabus intercepted it, only for the tip of the ribbon to dance past ad cut the puppet lines. That Tantabus dissipated into thin air. At the same time, Polybia directed two more ribbons at the flanking Tantabus. However, Luna didn’t have the ability to split her focus as a queen did, and couldn’t react in time to save those puppet strings.

The last Tantabus sailed above them all. Polybia smirked in satisfaction as all four ribbons converged on the creature, shredding the final Tantabus like so much cloth. Polybia drew her attention back to Luna right as the moonbeam flashed. Again, a tear opened to allow the Tantabus to walk through with strings attached. Only now, Luna was more cautious, and had the Tantabus prowl in front of her, baiting Polybia to make the first move.

In this moment of respite, Polybia realized Luna had yet to say a word since the fight started. Chancing a brief glance at the collection of other ponies still present, Polybia noticed they were too busy guarding the exits, and Kreesus who apparently had surrendered herself to the ponies. How kind of them to save me the effort of trying to find her. Maybe I should leave those ponies alive to hunt down Grogar after all. I can use Luna as leverage against the Sisters.

Movement from the Tantabus and Luna pulled Polybia back to the present. The holy radiance of the moonbeam quintupled in its brilliance as if a doorway into the heart of the Silver City itself had been thrown open. The holiness of such light scarred what was left of Polybia’s deadened eyes watching the impossible: the moonbeam was moving towards her.

Luna landed on the ground while remaining dead center of the beam. The Tantabus however, remained in the air, seeming to desire to ward its master. Luna took a step forward, and the beam moved with her. The corrupted earth of the hive between Luna and the moon above split apart to make way.

Polybia lashed out with her ribbons. The Tantabus kicked two away and cast a psionic bolt that severed a third, but the fourth one struck true, cleaving Luna in half from her left shoulder to her right thigh. Polybia hissed in surprise victory upon seeing open air between the two severed halves. “A shame holy magic is even worse than arcane at protecting one from psionics, Princess.”

Luna’s two halves didn’t fall to the ground, nor did the moonbeam falter in the slightest, making Polybia hesitate in turning her attention towards the ponies in the distance. Yet the Tantabus seemed to die however, instead of dissipating, the creature keeled forward and hit the ground so hard it burst into a large shallow pool of star dust that started to drain away from Luna.

With that threat gone, Polybia refocused on Luna. Strangely, no blood was spilled, and instead, Luna became incorporeal and wisp-like. Soon her body reformed entirely into a floating sphere of the night sky. Polybia readied a second attack, and waited as Luna reformed back into her normal pony self.

The instant she was whole again, Luna found herself surrounded by all four ribbons. She only had a split second for the shock to register on her face before two ribbons bound her legs, the third wrapped around her torso to bind her wings, and the fourth grasped her horn. Then a torrent of pain rocketed through every nerve of Luna’s body, causing her to scream behind clenched teeth. Her moonbeam flickered wildly before dimming to a mere fraction.

The ponies that remained in the throne room, mostly Lunar Guard, were quick to realize the danger their princess was in and charged to aid her. Polybia pulled Luna away from the guard and sent a quick repulsion spell to break their charge. “Back off, ponies, or your princess will die here and now!”

While the PCE stopped dead in their tracks, the Lunar Guard kept going with blades drawn. It was only when Polybia squeezed Luna enough to get her to cry out that the guards finally halted. “There. Now, one of you, go back to that ship and tell-” Polybia’s demands cut short when she felt a vengeful presence directly behind her throne.

She pulled herself away, and risked dividing her power further to make a fifth ribbon, but there was nothing. Only her drones and the organic amplifier. Using the eyes of those drones to verify that no one or no-thing was hiding there, she returned her attention towards Luna who had passed out. The alicorn’s psionic shroud faded, leaving only her damaged armor, and unconscious form remaining. Seems like whatever distraction she planned activated too late.

“So much for the venerable Dreamer.” She turned to address the reluctant ponies. “What are you waiting for? Go, now!”

In the waking world, Luna easily pulled herself out of the unbecoming position Polybia’s ribbons had placed her in and dismissed the moonbeam, allowing the lighting to return to its dark shadows. Her armor was ruined by the cut, but it would have to do for now. She looked up to see the Tantabus had reformed behind Polyia with eight tendrils latched onto the queen’s head and spine while a dozen more were connected to the drones tending to the massive brain.

Luna’s Guard Captain rushed forward and gave her an inspection once over, an act made easier by the bat pony’s naturally strong night vision. “Princess Luna, are you alright?”

A few bones popped and cracked as Luna resumed a fully corporeal form again. “It takes a bit more than that to do me any lasting harm, Captain Silver. I’ll be fine.” Captain Silver barked orders at the rest of them to resume guarding the exits. Luna took the moment to finish recomposing herself before adding, “and have Kreesus brought before me.”

“As you wish, your highness.” Silver bowed curtly before moving off to do as commanded personally.

That took more out of me than I wanted. I can only hope I can somehow extract some information about Grogar out of Polybia before she realizes what happened to her.

Luna sighed out some of the stress as the PCE brought out the extinguished torches they had originally brought with them. By the time Kreesus had been brought forward, the torches cast the throne room into usable light. The scaly queen had burn marks from spellfire, and quite a few lacerations with one particularly bloody one running across her neck and a second on her chest. She was also sporting a black eye and a limping rear leg. Lastly, and probably the most noticeable to Luna, was the murderous spiteful glare she was giving everyone around her, particularly the two PCE guards that prodded her forward with their spears. “Princess Luna, I must protest this horribly disrespectful treatment of what I thought to be an ally. I am aware of your group of terrorists not being the most friendly to my kind, but this!” she waved a hoof at her wounds while focusing on her neck and chest cuts. “This is absurd.”

“Then you should count yourself lucky they showed such restraint,” Luna commented testily towards the two PCE, including Sea Breeze, who only looked chastised because it was expected of them. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you, though. The geas on the non-guard only keeps them from willfully attacking those of Twilight’s bloodline.”

Luna turned fully away from Polybia to study Kreesus and her injuries with a critical eye. “Sea Breeze, get a medic over here pronto.” After the snappy response and the two PCE members departing and being replaced by three members of the Lunar Guard, the dark alicorn fixed kreesus with a pensive look. “Rather convenient that you show up like this. From what I understand, Polybia was already fighting someone when the horn sounded, and I can think of only one other person she’d be engaged with.”

Kreesus freaked a little and backpedaled only to bump against a testy guard. “I know it sounds convenient, but I am who I say I am. You can test me with holy magic if you insist.”

“I do.” A dash of paranoia skirted Luna’s mind. I haven’t met a demon yet that could stand within the Light of the Moon and survive, even if they are possessing a mortal… But I shouldn’t use its full power in any event or I’d banish him back to his phylactery. “Guards, prepare yourself should this prove a ruse.”

Kreesus stood firm, not wanting to give the guard any satisfaction in seeing her squirm. Luna tapped into her powers and cracked open the door to the Silver City, bathing everyone around her. Kreesus’ eyes seemed to come alive with new vibrancy, her scales shone from beneath the dirt, and she breathed easier. However, there was a singular dark point hidden in Kreesus’ hair that rebuffed the light. That alone set Luna on edge, but she decided to play it smooth. “So. Do you happen to know where Grogar ran off to?”

Kreesus glanced back from where she came, but couldn’t see much outside of the bright moonlight. “Probably hiding as a rock somewhere in here.” She turned back to Luna who flashed momentary surprise. “I hate to admit it in front of present company, but I had to exploit him to keep Polybia from capturing me again.”

Feeling secure in her holy light, Luna jerked a nod at the guards. “Leave us.” The two guards knew her true meaning and simply turned about face while Luna cast a small zone of privacy. She gave Kreesus a hard glare while subtly intensifying the power of the moonbeam. “One does not simply exploit a being as ancient and powerful as Grogar. What deal did you strike with him?”

Kreesus was acutely aware of her precarious position, and had no loyalty towards Grogar in any event. She cast her eyes down with nagging fear eating away at her. “Grogar wants me to give him a new body in exchange for his protection.” She reached into her hair with a hoof and dragged out the bell. The object was completely encased in a shell of dark magic, shielding it from Luna’s holy magic. “And he wants Polybia’s soul taken by this upon her death. If I don’t deliver both, he will take mine in its stead.”

Out of everything, Luna half expected Grogar’s desire for Polybia’s soul. Undoubtedly for some measure of vengeance, I’m sure. “A new body? Did he say what for?”

“Not directly,” Kreesus admitted, thankful that Luna wasn’t decrying her out of hand. “Technically I’ve only agreed to come to an arrangement for said body. We weren’t exactly in a good place to hammer out a well written contract after all.”

Luna considered the facts she knew. Interesting. Keeping Kreesus close will ensure that Grogar will be forced to show himself. Just what game is he playing at though? “He is sworn to protect you?” Kreesus nodded. “Interesting… I’ll deal with that in a bit.” Luna canceled the privacy spell and the moonbeam. “Come. The sooner we get rid of Polybia’s swarm, the sooner we can focus on Grogar.”

Kreesus returned the bell to her mane and joined Luna in flying up towards Polybia. The fallen queen looked even more diseased up close. Her chitin was crumbling to dust around several patches of blackened necrotic skin. Her milky white eyes stared blankly ahead as though she was focused on distant control. She sat in stark contrast to the fleshy yet still healthy colored brain that was fused to her head and spine. Up close, the Tantabus appeared to be a creature of haunting nightmare to Kreesus, like a parasite that was feeding upon Polybia. It was a fate that pulled upon a deep seated primal fear in Kreesus, that of not only becoming a hideous parody of herself, but assuredly being rendered barren. Grogar’s influence must be great indeed if she’s not willing to commit suicide because of that.

“The Tantabus is good,” Luna began as she appraised the waking dream Polybia was trapped in. “But I am not going to risk Polybia becoming wise to what happened. Do what you need to do, and quickly. We’ll discuss the matter with Polybia’s soul afterwards.”

Kreesus gave Luna a slack jawed stunned expression before shaking herself to focus. “Very well.” While hovering in place, Kreesus placed her forehooves on either side of Polybia’s skull. The feel of the flaking chitin sent a shiver of revulsion through her spine. Then she started easing her control over Polybia’s hive mind, slowly supplanting her as its master. A task made easy since she no longer had any drones of her own to divide her focus anymore.

“Will this take long?” Luna inquired while glancing nervously at Polybia twitching her face. “She might sever the connection entirely if she figures out what’s happening.”

“I don’t know,” Kreesus snapped testily at being distracted. “I’ve never actually done this before. It’s not exactly common to capture a queen with a still intact hive.”

That’s encouraging. Luna decided to leave Kreesus to her work for the moment and noticed Sea Breeze had showed up with more than her fair share of injuries and coated with ichor and blood. She also had a bad limp on her left front leg. She and the Guard Captain finished speaking with each other, allowing him to break off to meet with Luna.

“Your Majesty, reports say our penal brigade has finished combing the upper tunnels, and are sweeping their way down. Most of the drones were already dead upon arrival, much to Sea Breeze’s irritation.”

Luna huffed and glanced at the badly wounded mare. “Seems she underestimated what few she did find. Have her and any other casualties taken back to the Steamrunner for treatment. Felons or not, they’re still my subjects.”

“As you wish, princess.” Captain Silver was about to fly off when Luna tugged him back with a bit of magic. “And tell the rest of the Guard and a squad of Wonderbolts to deploy in the tunnels immediately surrounding the throne room.” Luna spied a look at Kreesus who was entirely engrossed on Polybia if the sweat on her brow was any indication. “I have a feeling I can draw Grogar out of hiding. Oh, and before I forget, tell Twilight and Rainbow that Polybia is incapacitated, that should annul their deal.”

“I’ll let them know immediately, your highness.”

Luna watched the guard leave for a moment before returning her attention to the Tantabus and Kreesus. Given that Kreesus had yet to voice any complaints about the Tantabus, Luna assumed she could keep it in place. “Any progress?”

“...There I suppl-” Kreesus’ eyes went wide with horror and she scrabbled away from Polybia and fell out of the air. She started jumping at sounds Luna couldn’t hear, tossing her head back and forth. “What? How? This - This is wrong. She’s totally mad!”

Luna flew down to give Kreesus some comfort, but stopped short after remembering that queens didn’t like to be touched, well, the ones without fur anyway. “What happened!?”

“The voices! So many voices all at once!” Every fiber of Kreesus’ being wanted to sever the hive mind then and there. Her speech started to waver and dip and rise in pitch as she struggled to resist that hard-wired instinct to sever or at least forcibly silence the voices of the quasi. “It -it feels like hundreds, no thousands of quasi! How can she live like this!?”

If there was one thing Luna secretly enjoyed, it was knocking sense into people. So it was with no small amount of pleasure that Luna thwacked Kreesus upside the head with a wing. “Get ahold of yourself!”

Kreesus blinked and held the side of her muzzle that had been bruised. How dare she slap me! Biting her dignity, Kreesus used the pain as a focus center. “The voices are too strong, Princess, and far too numerous. I don’t think they’d obey me if I told them to kill each other.”

Luna rubbed her chin as she thought over the issue. Kreesus was too busy trying to ignore the tidal wave of noise over the hive mind. Without Polybia’s amplifier and experience to understand them, the best Kreesus could do was drown it out until all that was left was nothing but static like an out of tune radio.

“Is there anything you can do?” Luna asked after drawing a blank on a new plan and was about ready to go with her original idea.

Kreesus bit down a scathing retort, if only so she could sever the link with so many intelligent mind just a few seconds quicker. “I could - I think I can at least tell them where to attack at least. Change what Polybia’s final target should be if she is killed. Anything else might cause them to become suspicious.” In truth, Kreesus was grasping at straws trying to justify her importance, and was unsure if it would work at all.

“That’s something at least…” Luna didn’t need to think for long, for there were only two forces that could stand a chance at defeating such a force with minimal collateral damage. “See if you can split the swarm in two. Chrysalis said her defenses could withstand a hundred thousand last I heard, so send that many to her. Spin a lie if you have to.”

“And what of the rest of them?” Kreesus asked rhetorically. She knew what Luna was going to say, but felt the words had to escape the alicorn’s lips first.

“...Send them against the fleet still holding around your mountain hive.” Luna answered with a haunted grimace. “They’ll be the ones who can end this.”

Nodding slowly, Kreesus started to formulate how exactly she was going to order hundreds of thousands of intelligent minds. Her current saving grace as to why she wasn’t getting overloaded with so many connections was that she was keeping a very hooves off approach to command at the moment. Trying to puppet anything right now could kill me, and I am not plugging myself into that amplifier. She looked up at the massive brain and shivered at the sight of it. It’ll just have to be a general announcement. Maybe say this amplifier brain is killing me so they don’t question it.

The very idea of anyone in her hive mind questioning her disturbed Kreesus to her core, which wasn’t helped by the noise. Unlike the Link between Twilight and family, there was no love, no light hearted joy, none of the familiarity that bonded that hive mind together. Here there was only fanatical devotion to one queen, along with hatred and anger spurred on by the lies Polybia had told her quasi to make them even more vindictive in combat. All of it made the Link miserably painful to her. So much so that she didn’t even notice Grogar’s bell fall out of her mane and jiggled and bounced on the ground.

Luna, who had been communing with the Tantabus, heard the bell drop and roll over to rest against the throne. Though it was no longer masked by its shield against her holy moonlight, Luna knew what it was. Outwardly, the bell looked old and rusted, like it had been left to the elements for ages. What perhaps unnerved her most was that she could see no reflected light from the slits in the bell, just plain darkness.

Luna’s horn brightened with silver light with intent to destroy the unholy object. Yet before any spell could fly, a deep voice akin to crunching gravel danced from ear to ear. “Now, now, let’s not do anything rash.”

The hairs of the back of Luna’s neck raised up, and she whirled around to wing-slap Grogar away, only to find no one there. She cast her gaze around looking for the source. With Polybia still locked within the Tantabus’ dream and Kreesus becoming increasingly comatose to the outside world, Luna had no illusions as to who was speaking to her.

“Show yourself, Grogar!” Luna pulled away from the throne to give her space to fight. Her horn burned with holy fire.

“I am not here to fight you, Princess Luna, daughter of Lūn and Sweva the Dreamer.” Luna’s eyes bulged at the mention of her origin. “I am here for the same thing they were given.”

Luna was caught flat-footed by the barely noticeable sorrow in his otherwise neutral tone. “Which is…?”

“To have a new life.” Luna followed Grogar’s voice and found the hornless demon standing not ten meters away from her towards the center of the chamber. “To wash myself of my current existence.”

“You expect me to believe that?” Luna retorted as she fell into a loose combat stance. She lit her horn in holy silver, but Grogar remained impassive. She searched his eyes for truth, but the solid red glow made reading him nigh impossible.

“What I expect is an individual of your… aged wisdom to hear me out before trying to cast me back down to Tartarus,” Grogar stated dryly. “Things would go much smoother that way for both of us.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Luna saw Captain Silver pressing himself against one of the exits. He nodded to her, signaling he was waiting for her signal. With her position of power more secure, Luna felt a touch more accommodating. “The old stories say you are a pony who gave up their soul to become a powerful demon and now you lord over a section of Tartarus. Why would someone like you give that up?”

Grogar felt nothing, but managed to fake a snort of contempt. “Rule? No one rules in Tartarus. There is no real civilization, no laws outside of contracts. It is a realm completely devoted to the survival of the fittest. I ‘rule’ simply by the fact that no one dares move against me anymore.”

“Is it not still a life you chose willingly?” Luna countered, not really buying it. I at least have to buy time for Kreesus to give Polybia’s swarm new orders before things get messy.

“Partially,” Grogar admitted freely. “I lived in a time, in a culture whose people’s faith was one that had no afterlife. We existed and then we died, our mind and spirit decayed to be recycled like our bodies. A complete loss of self. I chose demonhood to escape that fate. Only to my everlasting disgust, I was turned not into a pride demon as I had expected, but a succubus instead. I became a slave to unslakable lust until I was summoned by chance into a necromancer’s service. To my fortune, he was wanting to create a demon-lich hybrid. I won’t bore you with anymore of my life story, save for the fact that while undeath has freed me from the shackles of my succubus nature, I feel little. No joy, no satisfaction, only hate, anger. Having a second life as a royal changeling would rectify that particular irritant.”

The holy glow on Luna’s horn disappeared, but her suspicion remained strong. Her piercing gaze still couldn’t get a read on him. “If you wanted a normal life again so badly, why not just possess a mortal? I’m sure someone of your age and power could pass unnoticed.”

I doubt the Dreamer is so ignorant as to actually believe that. Grogar knew from the start this would be a hard sell. “That could never work. The moment I inhabit a living body, I would revert back to a nymphomaniac. I would rather face oblivion than return to that existence.” It was tiny, but some small part of Luna started to think he was being genuine. “That is why I need Polybia’s soul; to purge myself of demonic essence.”

“I’d be lying if I said I was not intrigued,” Luna stated carefully. “But why a royal changeling?”

“Hedging my bets,” Grogar replied with a slight head tilt. “Not only do queens live a very long time, but they also possess rebirthing techniques. My old mortality was the chief reason I willingly became a demon.”

Part of Luna couldn’t help but to agree with him on that point. She was aware she was not so humble that she would gladly accept reincarnation into a comparatively short lived pony either. But there’s no way I can trust a demon. He’d betray us the instant he thinks he can get a better deal from some other- Wait. A deal, eh? Luna fixed Grogar with a calculating stare. “You demons are bound by whatever contract you sign, is that fair to say?”

The idea of a contract had only partially crossed Grogar’s mind, yet he was surprised Luna voiced it first. He nodded. “Unlike mortals, we can not willingly break a contract.”

“If that is your true reason for all of this, then sign a contract over it. You agree to give up all your power and purge yourself of demonic influence, and in return, we don’t destroy the egg you’d put the fragments of your soul into. Deal?” Luna added, fully expecting a trick.

“I would prefer a fully defined ‘we’, and some other bits and pieces, but I find the general idea of that contract agreeable.” Grogar waved a hoof, causing a blank piece of parchment to materialize in a flash of hellfire. “I’ll write up a nice and proper contract, and you can spend all the time you like to read it.”

Before Luna could respond, several purple and blue changelings dropped in from above, and surrounded Grogar. “Hope we’re not late to the party,” The leading purple changeling called out with a mix of fear and bravado at seeing Grogar. Half their number readied flamethrowers while Grogar carefully moved into a combat stance while watching Luna for her next act.

If we struck now, I’d wager Grogar would simply destroy his own body to flee back to his phylactery. He’d probably get his new body out of our sight, leaving us with nothing. But… Luna used her magic to push the barrel of the flamethrowers up and off target. “Hold your fire!” As one, the changelings first gave each other, and then Luna incredulous looks of disbelief. “We have a chance to end this with less bloodshed.”

Captain Silver and his squad remained behind cover just to be sure, while the platoon leader of the changelings lowered his rifle. “He’s surrendering?”

“In a matter of speaking,” Luna replied cryptically. The arrival of the changelings prompted Luna to grin at her good fortune. “You,” she pointed at a random blue changeling, send a message to Ambassador Rolled Scroll to have my best lawyers ready to read and amend a contract.”

When the drones lowered their weapons, Grogar ignored them and started to pen the contract. This one would not be a hasty and simple agreement, but one to ensure his chosen future. It was only after he wrote the first line that he remembered something important. “Princess Luna. I still require Polybia’s soul in particular. Shall I slay her or you?”

Luna glanced at the rotting queen upon her throne. The Tantabus still trapping her inside a dream world where everything was coming up Polybia. While Luna was aware of her crimes, the thought of allowing a demon to toy with her soul was too much. She gave Grogar a stony glare. “Polybia is to be tried by the laws of the queendoms. Not you.”

Mortals never fail to be squeamish. Hmm, some Immortals too I suppose. Grogar put the parchment down to level an uncaring look at Luna. “It is by those very laws that Polybia has already damned herself, or have you forgotten she was declared rouge by the other queens?

“She is going to Tartarus to become a demon’s plaything no matter what happens now. You can choose to waste her soul on that, or you can let me take what is mine and put her to use in the ritual to excise my demonic nature.”

A troubled grimace marred Luna’s face. Even the changelings pointedly removed themselves from ear shot and Captain Silver inwardly already forgave Luna. “I should mention, Princess,” Grogar added just to add in more weight to his argument, “that if you act to stop me, I would instead take Kreesus’ soul in place of Polybia’s. As per our contract.”

Dark thoughts troubled Luna over the issue, and she saw no good answer now that Kreesus was at risk. With the scaly queen still completely distracted by directing the massive swarm towards the fleet, she was unaware that Luna held her fate in her hooves.

“Captains!” she barked loudly. “Get everypony back to the ship, we’re done here.” Luna stared at Grogar with mild hostility as the troops vacated the primencies. Once it was down to the two queens, one demon, and a dirty feeling Princess, Luna exhaled. “Fine. Take her.”

Author's Notes:
After that Christmas gift cliffhanger, I had to get this chapter out double time. Just so you guys don't mistake me for the Grinch.
Would have gotten it out yesterday but a tornado came through the neighborhood and made off with my power and internet. Huzza smartphones eh?
As for Polybia's death. I'll write that in when I can use my computer again.

26: Things To Come

A few hours later, Luna, Grogar, Kreesus, and the surviving ponies had boarded the Steamrunner, with the ship steaming to the northwest. Presently, Luna was sitting in her quarters, watching the early night sky pass her by via a small porthole barely larger than her head.

She was using one of the royal cabins, which still barely granted her more than two body lengths of room to stretch, yet she did not mind the cramped feeling. With the ship running hard, the omnipresent rumble of the engines thrummed through her hooves while the chopping sound of heavy propeller blades completed the ambient din of the heavy Octavia engines.

There was a gentle knock on the closed steel hatch to which Luna yelled, “enter!”

The door let out a metallic groan as it yawned open to reveal Captain Silver. He bowed briefly before speaking. “Your majesty, the ship is moving at full steam to link back up with the fleet, but I doubt we’ll get there before the main host of Polybia’s swarm hits them.”

Luna wasn’t all that surprised by the news. Polybia’s hive had been quite a distance away, more so than the swarm was to Kreesus’ mountain stronghold. “We did our part at least,” she said after a few moments of thought. “What about Kreesus and Grogar?”

“We’d like to hear that as well,” two familiar voices in perfect unison called out before Silver could answer. Luna looked beyond Silver to find a purple and sky blue drone with their queens’ eyes. “When we heard Grogar was onboard, we expected a corpse.”

Luna took a long deep breath to center herself while Silver stepped to the side to allow the puppets to step forward and properly join the conversation. “I thought you’d have gotten your answer from one of your children.”

This time it was Rainbow Dash alone who responded. “We got the gist of what happened, yeah, about him allegedly hating his life.”

“We wanted to hear your take on it,” Twilight said while trying to keep the judgement out of her tone. “Do you believe him, or is he trying to set some kind of trap?”

“That would depend entirely on the contract he is writing up,” Luna replied with mirrored concern. “I have four of my best paladins watching him closely. But given that your brood hasn’t sounded an alarm, I’d imagine he’s still in his cell penning that contract of his.

“He’s giving up his power, although I am going to have him wait until a team of lawyers back in Canterlot can inspect it word for word.”

“As good a plan as any,” Rainbow Dash offered, making her support for Luna known. “You want us to relay anything to Canterlot about Grogar?”

“I’ve given it some thought,” Luna began as she rolled her stiff shoulders. “We say nothing for now. If Grogar is being honest and goes through with the ritual to purge himself, then we can say he’s dead and the threat was averted. If we tell the public that Grogar’s no longer a threat, but then he betrays us, we’ll have an even bigger crisis on our hooves than if we keep them in the dark a bit longer. I for one, would like to avoid getting that particular egg on my face.”

Rainbow snorted, “you mean aside from the egg we’d get for letting him escape in the first place.”

I wonder if these changelings even eat eggs, Silver mused randomly after feeling left out of the conversation. Would that be like minotaurs eating veal?

“Quite right,” Luna sighed heavily. “So how goes your preparation for the coming storm?”

“Preparation she asked,” Rainbow Dash snorted with amusement. “We’re fighting the swarm as we speak.”

Silver and Luna furrowed their brows while Luna blinked at the blue puppet. “I don’t understand. Kreesus said the swarm was at least a day and a half’s march from the fleet.”

“We surmised the same thing from our scouts,” Twilight replied with more tact than her sister, shooting Rainbow an admonishing glance in the process. “But credit where credit is due, the Long Shot and our gunship carrier Breadbasket have quite the capacity for force projection.”

High above the jungle, flitting between the heavy cloud cover was the full complement of twenty five fighters and twelve bombers of the Long Shot. They were little more than earlier and larger models of the fighters that had little in terms of maneuverability, but had been over engineered enough to have the engine power and structural integrity to carry ten bombs. And by bomb, they meant explosive naval shells with wooden fins hot glued to the outside. After all, it’s not like the Steamrunner was using them at the moment. Nevertheless, the jury-rigging worked in trial runs. Most of the time at least.

The new moon above had cast everything in near darkness, but upon hearing of the attack, Luna adjusted the moon’s position to make it full and bright. Viper Squadron Leader Rusty Spring snatched a few coffee beans, losing a few due to the wind of the open canopy and shoved them in his mouth to stay awake and alert. With the new light of the moon, he glanced around at the squadrons arrayed behind him. Each were in a mirrored tight wedge formations of five biplanes each. It was a popular tactic among pegasi but one that always sat wrong with him when it came to the war machines.

<Hey, boss, it looks like a living carpet down there!> Greasy Piston called out to him as her fighter gently climbed up through the cloud layer. <But I saw several massive ant drones easily the size of aunty’s ego. Looks like they’re carrying a rut ton of food and stuff.>

Rusty shot back with a bemused head shake. <Leave the ants to the gunships. We’re just here to cause a ruckus and do a whatever damage we can.>

Greasy Piston and several other scouts relayed their findings to Rainbow Dash whose primary eyes and ears puppet was standing in the cloaked Breadbasket while the four gunships were detaching from the mothership and were even now, getting into position to support the strikecraft.

The picture that the scouts painted for Rainbow Dash was a confusing one. The large swarm had actually set up camp. That is to say, the drones were breaking up the trees for firewood and digging small little burrows for one person each. Via the scout’s spyglasses, she saw it was the quasi directing the efforts. Those poor bastards, Rainbow mused with a mix of pity and no small amount of spite towards Polybia for what she did to the throng of ponies, griffins, minotaurs, and just about every other sapient species Rainbow knew about had been converted into quasi of various stages of transformation.

The one thing that confused Rainbow most of all though, was that the scores of undead, both drone and raised animals alike, seemed to be gathering together in large clusters and were inactive. They look like they’d just be standing in formation, except the blue glow in their eyes is missing.

Rainbow Dash was forced to admit that her knowledge of necromancy was limited, and sadly so was Twilight’s. A student of magic she may be, but necromancy had never been a desirable focus of hers. Well, maybe even undead get tired or their energies get depleted.

I would think it was a trap if Kreesus hadn’t been adamant that the swarm would be on low alert for early fighting.

One by one, the squadron leaders reported they were ready to strike, leaving Rainbow Dash to give the order. Well, no matter if it’s a trap or not, better to spring it now than to let them do it near the fleet. With a feral grin, Rainbow dramatically swiped the air with her puppet’s hoof. <Operation Doom Boom is a go!>

As one, the bombers started releasing their payloads in a long straight run. Greasy Piston had a feral grin as she watched the scores of three hundred pound bombs rain down. Not all of them detonated, but enough did to satisfy her. Greasy dipped the nose of her fighter below the cloud layer to watch the coming destruction.

The dark silhouettes of the rows upon rows of bombs all but disappeared in the gloom, but the whistling noise of their fall was unmistakable to the pilots. The same could not be said for the swarm on the ground, for the whistling bombs sounded like nothing that any of the quasi had ever heard before. No native danger of the jungle made such a noise, so many of them only readied themselves in a combat stance or simply stared up in confusion, tracking the noise as it plummeted. Their queen had been adamant that the enemy ships were still too far away before she cut contact, and the more strategic minded quasi’ scouts had reported the same. So none of them expected what happened.

The wind scattered the bombs into a wide area, forming a shallow carpet. The small tide of bombs hit the ground with explosive fury, ripping up trees and all the loose soil alike. Entire columns of undead were blasted apart thanks to them never diving for cover. The earth shook as quasi were scattered in disarray with several being cut down by shrapnel. The living drones were in a complete panic, barely kept from scattering into the wild by the quasi who had loose control over them. Some drones simply stood there, incapable of action without orders, others were jarred into clumping together for protection. The more military minded quasi were the only ones to think to dive for cover soon after the bombs struck, and giving orders for others to do the same. The rest prayed to their dead queen to save them.

Ultimately, the bombs did little damage to the sheer enormity of the swarm, but the shock value was the real prize.

Rusty Spring saw the chaos of the panicked quasi illuminated by the scores of small fires. There were already signs of cohesion starting to return, worker drones were beginning to put out the fires, and necromancers were already beginning to resurrect the dead. Larger more specialized drones were taking up defensive positions, but none of it was in any workable shape by the time the altimeter on Rusty’s dashboard told him his aircraft was nearly within firing range. The fighters had been descending quietly by cutting power to their noisy forward propellers while dimming the output of the Octavia engines. Those engines were only loud when enough power was given to maintain or raise altitude. The effect had concealed their approach entirely thanks to the chaos caused from the light bombing run.

In near unison, the fighters slammed on the prop engines to give them forward speed, and stopped lowing power to the Octavia engines to stabilize their altitude. The sudden roar of dozens of engines gave the swarm only enough time to turn their heads before the twenty five fighters fired off a salvo of ten flak rounds each at the biggest clusters of hostiles the pilots could see between the light of the fires and scattered rays of moonlight. Even as dozens of necromancers and the living alike were being cut down, several of the anti-air drones that Polybia had fielded in the ruins of Stripped Gear were starting to fire back. Thin green lances of caustic magic chased after the swarming aircraft as they climbed up to give time for their flak cannons to rearm before diving down again for a strafing run. However, the majority of shots when wide since none of the drones had the mental capability of leading the target.

Greasy Piston hooted and hollered as she came down on one such anti-air drone and emptied her guns on the one story tall drones, ripping its carapace to shreds and leaving it in a heap. “That’ll learn ya!”

By now, the trio of gunships had peaked below the cloud layer and were adding more thunderous punishment towards the massive ant-like drones. With the anti-air drones so focused on the nimble fighters, the gunships went unmolested, raining constant fire on any concentration of force they could identify.

Rusty Spring found a juicy target of his own. A group of necromancers were creating flying monstrosities out of the ruined corpses the fighters and bombers had made. Rusty fired into the center of the rituals, ripping many of the necromancers to pieces, but many of them weathered the attack with seeming trivial ease. Rusty’s jaw went slack as he saw one minotaur necromancer’s arm cut off at the elbow, yet he remained standing with his remaining arm pouring magic into a new flier. No blood. They already have liches!? <My queen!> he all but yelled at Rainbow Dash, <Some of the quasi are liches.>

Rainbow Dash watched the battle through the eyes of every pilot and gunner with only the gunship commanders giving her a more strategic view. The liches were a new wrinkle on the battlefield. She watched one aircraft start choking on fire with the pilot bailing out and making a mad sprint to try and reach the gunships. The anti-air fire was becoming more coordinated as the shock was replaced with determined and stiff resistance. It was also through her pilots that she saw their ammunition was depleting and fast. <All craft, return to the carrier. We’ve done enough for now.>

With the gunships giving cover and cutting down more anti-air drones, the fighters scattered to the four winds, finding it easier and safer to flee the combat zone before gaining altitude. The gunships withdrew after they drew enough attention and fire away from the fighters.

Between briefly chasing after the fighters and pulling their attention to the gunships, the lone downed pilot went unnoticed in her desperate climb to the clouds, and from there to the Breadbasket.

The swarm gave token fire at the retreating aircraft, but largely stayed in camp. The move proved smart as dozens of predators, insect swarms, and even a tatzlwurm converged on the scene, intent on feasting on the fresh bodies.

The denizens of the jungle were all too happy to reap their own bloody swath of the exposed army. Many more undead and living alike were cut down or dragged away to be eaten before the quasi once again brought order to the swarm. By then, the squadrons and gunships were long gone, barely perceivable black specks in the distant gloom.

The rising sun was just starting to peak over the horizon as the squadrons neared the Long Shot. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle stood on the balcony of the Long Shot’s conning tower. The carrier was idling at the center of the Equestrian fleet that was stationed adjacent to the ruins of Kreesus’ hive. The steel carrier stood in stark contrast to the balloon-using wooden airships of the Equestrians.

Even through the Link, both queens could sense the pilots’ fatigue after such a long flight. Most of them were being propped up by coffee beans and some minor puppeting here and there. Twilight Sparkle and her sister stood on the balcony outside the bridge looking down upon the flight deck. Even as the first planes came to a shaky landing, crews were on the move to pull them down into the hanger so other craft could land.

“They did pretty well for themselves don’t you think?” Twilight offered with pride for her children as plain as day. “We’ve never done such a long sortie before.”

“Not with strike craft no,” Rainbow Dash admitted with a long sigh. “Just wish these things had better staying power. We had a perfect surprise attack and we lost a biplane after barely five minutes.”

“The pilot survived at least,” Twilight replied with a faint smile. “But don’t I think the real prize here was the damage we inflicted.”

Rainbow Dash shot Twilight an amused eye and snort. “Fair enough. Since Poly Pocket is out of the picture, the swarm’s practically just a mob at this point. I don’t think the quasi, poor bastards, are cut out to control dumb drones properly.”

“A mob that’s still dangerous,” Twilight amended with a haunted frown. She kept her gaze upon the pilots below. The strain on both bug and machine had been evident as many pilots had to be carried off by the flight deck crew. “I can only hope our pilots have enough time to rest before the swarm arrives.”

There was an unsaid sentiment that passed between them. A pain felt by many of history’s greatest commanders. It hit Rainbow especially hard now that the pilots had returned safely and she couldn’t hold it off. <These planes can be… really effective, fine I’ll give them that. But I just wish they weren’t so flimsy. Ambush or not, we got stupid lucky none of the kids died this time.>

“We’ll get better over time, Sis,” Twilight reassured Rainbow while laying a hoof on her withers. “How about when we get back, I’ll review the entire flight deck operations procedures.” Twilight glanced down and cringed at how many of the crew-drones were in a state of barely organized chaos. Medical drones racing to newly landed aircraft had to duck and weave around taxi drones pulling the aircraft into the hangars. Engineers were getting in the way of others while both groups tried to do their jobs, causing some minor shouting of agitation.

“Apparently we have a lot of work to do on just general operations.” Yet another item on the long list of things to do, Twilight thought gleefully as she already planned out her next checklist with stars in her eyes. She couldn’t stop herself from giving off a squeal of delight.

“Oh no you don’t,” Rainbow countered, “that’s my job.” She was at first taken aback by Twilight’s eyes tearing up and a stuck out pouting lip, and turned away so she couldn’t be moved by it. Yet she couldn’t escape since Twilight poured her wordless plea over the hive mind to the point where it felt like a tidal wave. “Ugh, okay, fine. You can proofread if you want.”

Twilight bounced on her hooves and clapped with a gleeful smile. “You won’t regret it!”

The conversation fell silent when they noticed Chrysalis’ comatose puppet, which had been sitting inactive on one edge of the flight deck, suddenly spring to life and looked around before locking eyes with Rainbow Dash. There was a seething rage that burned behind the puppet’s reptilian eyes. “I think someone pissed in Sticky Spit’s coffee this morning.”

The black chitin clad puppet bolted for the queens, causing Intel and Thunderfury who had been lounging nearby to snap to action. Thunderfury’s shields interposed themselves between the puppet and his queens so fast Chrysalis smacked into them, giving Intel enough time to wrap a foreleg around the puppet’s throat while pressing the barrel of her pistol against the puppet’s temple.

Chrysalis ignored the drones and glared at the two mildly startled queens from behind the shields. “Tell me that damned abomination is dead! Did you make her suffer?!”

“I assume you mean Polybia,” Twilight replied flatly while gesturing for the queens’ guard to let the puppet go. Thunderfury was slow to comply, suspicion weighing heavily upon him, yet he relented and returned to his perch. Intel was quicker on the uptake, holstering her pistol and letting the puppet go. She too flew back to be on top of the control tower, but kept an eye on the puppet

“Don’t play games with me!” Chrysalis spat with bits of sticky salve flying in her rage. She completely ignored the two drones’ actions. “Is she dead or not?!”

“Yeah, you could call it that,” Rainbow grunted with displeasure at the former queen’s fate, earned or not.

The puppet perched itself on the far end of the balcony as a minor show of respect, but it was mostly so the guards would not interfere again. “How was it done? I want details!” Her rage cooled only enough to keep from losing control. While the royal sisters remained outwardly calm, they were a bit disturbed by how much hate Chrysalis was openly broadcasting.

“... Grogar has her,” Twilight said at length with a bitter taste in her mouth. “In order to get him to surrender peacefully, we let him take Polybia’s soul.”

The puppet’s demeanor shifted almost instantly. Gone was the raw hatred with a malevolent spiteful grin marring its face. “Is that sooo? I must know what he plans to do with it. I assume she will be his plaything for all eternity for all she inflicted upon him.” Her evil grin widened from ear to ear. “I bet someone of his… talents can be quite creative.”

“I don’t think he’ll be keeping her soul for long,” Rainbow volunteered with a suspicious tone. The grin faltered on the puppet’s face, slowly being replaced by shock while the two sisters exchanged a few words before Rainbow addressed her once more. “No point in hiding it from you, since you’d just find out later anyway." Not to mention telling you might keep you from doing something stupid. “Grogar is going to dump all of his demon mojo into her soul, turning Polybia into a nympho succubus, and then throwing her down into Tartarus.”

“So she’ll be denied the Silver City for all eternity?” Chrysalis turned away, only looking at the aircraft below by chance. “I suppose that is an acceptable fate, if barely for her crimes.”

Twilight hummed in contemplation. “I know Polybia is directly responsible for your younger sister’s death, but-”

“Did Kreesus say nothing of her time there?!” Chrysalis interrupted harshly. The puppet jumped into the air with renewed anger in its eyes.”She can’t possibly be trying to shield Polybia’s memory!”

“She hasn’t said much of anything,” Rainbow Dash barked back, growing irritated with Chrysalis’ attitude.

“Kreesus looked and sounded like she was greatly disturbed by what she experienced,” Twilight added with heavy concern, trying to sound defensive for Kreesus. “But she wouldn’t speak of it, and I wasn’t exactly keen on pressing the matter.”

Given what she knew, Chrysalis was willing to make an exception to her ‘show no weakness’ judgmentalism, and let it slide. Rainbow Dash however, was getting irritated by Chrysalis’ snapping at them with every breath. “So what big bad did Polly Pocket do this time?”

Chrysalis initially wanted to keep her mouth shut to protect the memory of her sister, as weak as it was in Twilight and Rainbow’s eyes. However, that was not the only idea in her head. If I tell them, they might let me get some direct measure of vengeance or at least mock Polybia one last time. “Vel’chu.” Chrysalis saw no sign of recognition in the other queens’ eyes. She couldn’t help but to both understand and still be further angered by the ignorance. “Polybia committed the one act as vile and dishonorable as violating the sanctity of the Summit. She… She,” Chrysalis cursed herself for this display of weakness.

“She… perverted not only my sister, but several other queens into becoming Vel’chu. A state where a queen’s body is completely taken over by her egg sack, bloating to the size of one of those smaller airships of yours.”

That put an immediate halt to Rainbow’s good mood, disturbing the sisters’ so deeply that Twilight took a step back while Rainbow did her best to only look horrified. “Vel’chu? That sounds disturbingly like that Sa'rook Shol'va Granny was talking about doesn’t it?” Rainbow directed at her sister.

“That it does,” Twilight shuddered. Hearing such a fate was possible was bad enough, but the very idea that it had happened to multiple queens caused her bile to rise.

“Sa'rook Shol'va… That was what Kreesus called it,” Chrysalis growled harshly.

Twilight did her best to keep a sympathetic diplomatic tone. “For what it’s worth, you have our deepest sympathy for what happened to Yeelindrus. It would seem Polybia has more than earned her fate after all.”

Now that the others understood her rage, Chrysalis was content enough that she could get her wish of one last meeting with Polybia. But first she had to win them over to the idea. “I - I must thank you then. Given her crimes,” Chrysalis added with no small amount of ire, “I demand to see what’s left of Polybia before she is cast down to Tartarus. I want her to know who it was that sealed her fate by freeing Grogar in the first place.”

Twilight only needed to share a brief word with Rainbow to come to an agreement. “Grogar said his ritual will need to take place in two weeks at midnight. Provided he can do it in the first place, we’ll get him to let you speak to her, but to speak only. Your sister Jstrul can come too if she agrees to the same terms.”

“On one condition,” Rainbow added heatedly. “You, Kreesus and every other queen, assuming there are any others beyond the four of us, have to stop this civil war. I think between all of you and Polybia, you’ve killed enough queens for a lifetime or two.” Better to let her think Sectovaria is dead for the time being.

Any other time, Chrysalis would have toyed with some bargaining, but today… today she was out of sorts enough to forget how to wheel and deal any further. Instead her brain power was focused on formulating some choice words as to what she would say to Polybia. “By my honor as queen, my sister and I will only speak with that disgrace of a changeling.”

One might think that changeling airships would not have a serious brig. Maybe a holding cell for drunk shore-leave sailors to sober up in, but generally crime was gravely deterred by the very idea of earning the queens’ wrath. And you’d be right, but only because non-changelings citizens had yet to be truly considered for crew-membership during ship design.

So it was that Grogar was sitting in the corner of a sober tank with a makeshift lock consisting of a length of chain and a foot locker padlock. No less than four pony paladins stood with their weapons at the ready for the slightest wrong move from the hornless undead ram. Every slight jingle from the bells on his neck set the paladins on edge as he set about the painfully careful task of carving runes on each of the bells with the tip of a severed horn. He didn’t mind the jailers. They were expected when dealing with others, demons or not.

Logically, he knew he should feel absolutely giddy at his plans finally about to bear fruit. Vindication at besting Polybia in the end, and probably no small amount of pleasure at inflicting upon a damned soul, the same curse he had been marred with all those uncounted ages ago. And yet he felt nothing but satisfied rage. The dead flesh that allowed his continued existence did nothing more than that… could do no more than that. It will soon be over. I will be free, and you Polybia, you will shoulder my curse. Who knows, perhaps you’ll enjoy it after a few decades like so many other new succubi.

The bell he was carving was none other than Polybia’s prison. Her once silver soul had long since gained multiple stripes of an angry red. A permanent mark of the demonic taint she had taken on over the past years. Grogar could see the soul flailing madly within its prison, seeking for some crack to escape, but the magic of the bell might as well be a mountain standing against a gentle breeze. “So, Polybia, did you see this as your fate when you crossed me?”

Grogar could hear the former queen scream wordless rage against her cage, her mind already slipping without the necrosis checking the demonic influence on her mind. Some part of Grogar wanted to smirk at his captive, but he had no emotion to tie the act to. Only what the emotional response should have been. For an age, that had been acceptable, but lately…

With no real source of banter from Polybia, Grogar resumed his work on carving the runes. In the end, I suppose it doesn’t really matter anymore if these unlikely allies follow through with the contract or not. I have the keystone to my resurrection, he mused darkly as he eyed his handiwork. The runes burned like hot coals and were hot to the touch. If not now, then I can always find a new way to enter an unborn queen. For their sake, let’s hope it doesn't have to come to that.

Author's Notes:
I'll be ending the book within the next chapter or 2 since it has run on for so long. But fear not, i do plan to have a more heavily slice of life sequel in mind. No real big bad or world ending crisis in the works as it will focus on side things like the psykera, Velvet, Lyra, Aegis and Blitz' new hive, and of course, the rest of the mane 6. Not necessarily in that order. But that sequel will be the last book for Queen Twilight.

27: One Last Gasp

The evening was coming to an end as the sun was just barely over the horizon. Rusty Spring chewed on a few coffee beans trying to chase away the fatigue of last night’s endurance flight as he and his squadron idled on the deck of the Long Shot. He lazily traced a hoof along one of the holes in his blue furry leg to pass the time.

The gentle yet pervasive hum of a dozen aircraft waiting for take off at a moment’s notice drowned out all other sound, not that it bothered him all that much, though he wasn’t as enthralled by it like younger drones such as Greasy Piston.

Said purple mare was in the fighter adjacent to his own, and had her back legs propped up on the side of the open cockpit with her eyes closed as she relished the drone of so many engines. Part of him couldn’t help but to be a tad jealous of her breed. Like so many other pilots she was far more resistant to hearing loss and was genetically predisposed to find the guttural noise of the propeller engines exciting one minute and utterly relaxing the next. As for Rusty though, he had a persistent ringing in his ears that the last medical checkup had informed him was the beginnings of long term hearing loss, the first nail in the coffin of his combat piloting career. Might just take up that instructor position momma offered after we finally get out of this miserable jungle.

His musings were interrupted by a mental ping that drew his attention to the left of his biplane and towards a sister. She had several covered bowls of food in her magic which were twice the size of a hoof. <Here you go, team leader, a carrot filled pillberry soup just the way you like it.>

A smile crossed his face as he took the offered soup bowl and spoon into his magic while sitting up to eat. <Thanks. Any word from the queens?>

The serving drone couldn’t spare the time to hover face to face with Rusty, but she could still chat even as she flew away. <You’d know more than I would, wouldn’t you?>

Rusty took the cover off the soup and spat his coffee seeds into it, and blew on the thin soup to cool it off. <Never know how the grapevine will travel, but it was worth a shot. Thanks anyway.>

Rusty drank quietly as he witnessed Greasy Piston get jarred out of her nap by the waitress. With no word from his queen-mother Rainbow Dash, he took a moment to drain the bowl, trying to ignore the bland flavor.

He was halfway through his soup when Rainbow Dash’s voice boomed over the Link for the pilots. <The swarm’s incoming, all pilots action stations!>

Cursing the timing, Rusty choked down the rest of the soup, knowing he still had at least a bit longer to eat. <Alright Viper Squad, you know the plan. We stay back and screen the fleet.>

The engines of gathered fighters roared to life while the waitress frantically zipped back and forth trying to collect the bowls as the pilots tossed them out of the aircraft. Rusty Spring braced himself mentally, three, two, one…

<Woo hoo! Let’s kick these guys to the curb!> Greasy Piston hollered as her biplane was the first to grumble into the air and speed away.

Rusty grumbled at her, but knew she wouldn’t go too crazy and refrained from reprimanding her. <Viper Squad, let’s move out!>

Aside from Greasy Piston, Rusty led the rest of the squad up and over the side of the carrier. The Long Shot had concealed itself inside a pegasus-made cloud, so upon breaking through, Rusty spotted the fleet just north of the mountain hive. It had arrayed itself into a flat wall facing the oncoming swarm.

The swarm itself looked like an indistinct black cloud that had a thick carpet that trampled the jungle as it moved. Unlike the time Rusty had seen the swarm move with elegance and cohesion during the siege, now it moved far more erratically, but details were next to impossible to make out.

Rusty Spring caught up to Greasy Piston who allowed herself to slip back into formation. With the fighters on the move, Rainbow Dash watched it all through the pilots’ eyes along with three bombers who were regulated to bird’s eye overwatch above the incoming action. <Wasp group, cover the left flank, Hawk group, I need you on the right. Vipers, you get the center. May the Light of the Silver City guide our aim.>

Standing upon the troop deck of the Celestia’s Light, flagship of the fleet, Intel, Thunderfury, and Ferrum checked their weapons alongside a full contingent of unicorns. At the same time Rainbow Dash scrambled the fighters, the intercom thundered, rattling as the male officer barked the order, “hostiles sighted, all hooves to their stations!”

Heavy pulleys and ropes groaned as earth ponies turned the cranks that lowered several twenty foot wide and one pony tall sections of wall which then flipped out to serve as platforms that the unicorns stepped out onto. Intel and her two squadmates joined them on one such platform, finding themselves one platform back from the front most section. The front had a larger plank with a trio of large cannon crewed by four earth ponies each. She appraised the cannons quite poorly compared to the designs of the Phoenix Roost navy. Momma should have relented and sold the plans of our naval guns to them, but too late for that now.

Intel watched the ponies work to prepare themselves while Ferrum and Counterspell checked over the extra flamethrower tanks she had latched to her back. The ponies moved with more purpose and professionalism than she expected. Their gear was uniformly secure and each one radiated confidence in their place and the battle to come.

With the changeling Queens’ Guard and marines thinly scattered throughout the fleet, this was the first time any of the ponies around Intel had ever seen the changelings in full kit let alone their flamethrowers. A unicorn stallion with officer emblems on his chain armor paced the length of the unicorn squad, speaking in an upbeat authoritarian voice. “Rejoice in the victory Princess Luna has delivered us. By her hoof, the unifying mind and will controlling our enemy is dead!”

The unicorns snap-stepped in salute while banging the butt of their staves on the floor. “Glory to the Sun and Moon!” they yelled, causing the other squads within earshot to echo the call up and down the length of the flagship.

The officer nodded curtly. “Today we’re not fighting a battle, but pest control. The brain of this beast may be dead, but the throng arrayed against us still writhes. We here today get a special treat. A rare chance in history that will likely never be seen again in our lifetimes. The spellwork will be exhausting, but…” the officer stopped pacing right in the middle of the formation. “Oh so worth it.”

“Huzzah!” the ponies cried as one.

The four Queens’ Guard had watched the display with mounting respect. The four had seen and participated in such pep talks before, so they weren’t moved all that much. With the talk over, Intel spoke up. “I have to say, I’m too used to seeing Royal Guards. They don’t seem as… animated as you lot.”

The squad of unicorns made a series of condescending gestures and remarks about the Guard while the officer seemed to speak for the group. “No offense to the…” he cleared his throat, “honorable RG, but we didn’t join the Equestrian navy to be glorified police officers and living statues."

Ferrum laughed and sheathed his sword. “Glad I’m not the only one who thinks that.” He stuck his hoof out to shake, “Ferrum Altair, close quarters expert for First Squad QG.”

The officer readily shook his hoof. “Second Lieutenant Brimstone of the Royal Navy. Did I hear you correctly about being First Squad? We’ve heard a lot about you back on the Line.”

“You have?” Intel asked genuinely. “Squad Leader Intel ‘La ‘Gence, by the way.”

Brimstone was momentarily confused. I thought Captain Intel was a stallion. “Oh yes. Wouldn’t have believed a damn word of what you found above the Line if I hadn’t witnessed all the plant ponies and bat ponies coming back with you.” Brimstone's chuckling cut short after spotting Intel’s flamethrower. The stories surrounding the changelings’ signature weapon were gruesome and exaggerated beyond measure by the rumor mill working its magic for years. “I don’t suppose you’ll remember that we’re on a wooden ship if the enemy somehow manages to close the distance.”

Any response Intel might have had was halted by the sound of cannon fire and the propeller engines churning in reverse. Intel watched the fleet’s first volley of artillery seem to all but evaporate into the sheer mass of the swarm. “Let’s save this conversation for later, shall we?”

Brimstone cleared his throat and nodded. “You’re right of course.” He turned towards his soldiers. “Get ready for the call, stallions!”

Being the one with only a sword and pistol, Ferrum decided to be less forward focused at the moment and eyed his squad. He found Thunderfury wearing a stupid grin and bouncing on his hooves like a little filly. <What’s got you so worked up?>

Thunderfury squashed Ferrum in a crushing hug. <We’re famous! Isn’t that not the coolest thing ever!? We should totally start bragging about that next time we’re on leave outside the hive!>

Ferrum smirked at the idea. <Sounds like a good plan to me. All the mares, maybe some guys, and plenty of free drinks.>

For her part, Intel ignored her cohorts and focused on the cannon. She followed one cannon ball in particular, Intel witnessed the giant projectile impale two drones and one quasi griffin before losing sight of it. The living wall of death surrounding the fallen quasi halted in mid air, forcing those behind them to fly around, but most smacked right into the now panicking drones, causing a snowballing effect of creating a hole in the swarm.

Intel made a mental note of that and prepared herself for the rest of the now pockmarked swarm’s arrival. The next line to open fire was the trio of gunships stationed at the top of the formation with their single long range flak cannons. Intel wasn’t too uplifted by the puffs of smoke and increasing number of dead hostiles as there were always more to fill the gaps. She did however, notice another chunk of the swarm go feral as the controlling quasi was slain, further disrupting the charge.

“Platoon, stand ready for Bose Pattern!” Brimstone barked above the roar of the engines and growing buzz of the swarm. A small team of pegasi and earth ponies from behind Intel ran forward and presented a simple copper staff with a pointed gem on top to each unicorn. Counterspell couldn’t help but to scoff at it them while keeping his far more intricate and personalized staff leaning against his shoulder. <Intel, promise me if I ever use a standard issue staff, that you’ll tell me I should just go and quit the Guard.>

Intel rolled her eyes at him, all the while keeping an eye on the unicorns that were charging a spell with the staves starting to glow white hot. <Something tells me you might change your mind in a second.>

The quartet of drones saw the three nearest ships in the formation also had rows of white magic form along their hull. Brimstone barked an order, “all magi, advance to Bose stage two!”

While they couldn’t see it on their own ship, the Intel’s squad saw the rows of white light being pulled towards the pointed bow of each ship where a single unicorn with a single golden staff focused all the energy into a massive elephant sized ball of refined power.

Each of these master sorcerers unleashed the built up magic on their own accord, heaving the spells forward even as the cannon and gunships continued chattering. Intel and even Counterspell watched on in impressed surprise as the arcane spheres burned a path through the rapidly encroaching enemy. The swarm was sluggish to move out of the way, suffering from the lack of central command and control.

After penetrating deep into the swarm, the spells exploded in a flash of colors mirroring that of the unicorns that aided in casting it. Thousands of drones, living and undead alike, were incinerated with many more on the ground perishing as the dead rained down upon them. The shock of over three dozen prismatic explosions did what Intel thought she’d never see in a changeling swarm: it gave pause.

When a queen would have been heedless of the losses or at least able to come up with a counter-strategy, the living quasi could not. The living portion of the swarm, almost to the last, halted in their tracks. Only the undead and their lich masters kept marching forward, but most of their number were ground-bound. Worse still, the distance between the two forces was simply too great, leaving the ponies plenty of time to act uninterrupted.

Thunderfury whistled in amazement at the destruction while Ferrum was barely able to keep his jaw off the floor. <Now that’s one spicy meatball!> Thunderfury cheered approvingly and pumped a hoof at the spectacle. <Speaking of which, I could really go for some right now.>

Counterspell noticed that there was audible hissing coming from the magi, in particular, their staves which were bending and deformed by the sheer amount of heat the casting produced. The ponies discarded the ruined staves by throwing them overboard. It was an act that seemed almost too much for the unicorns who, almost to a mare, collapsed on the platforms with ragged breath.

“Move!” barked a mare from behind the Queens’ Guard, who barely pulled themselves into a tight cluster to allow a team of earth ponies to pick up the mana drained unicorns while a fresh second squad of unicorns took their place. <Why do I get the feeling we’re only here to watch?> Ferrum remarked to his squad, eliciting a nod out of Counterspell.

<We’re a backup plan,> Intel countered evenly. <You saw those unicorns, the ponies can’t keep this up for very long.>

Intel tightened her magical grip on the flamethrower. The throng of drones wavered, but only for a few moments until the quasi leaders recovered. <They won’t need to. This battle was over before it even started.>

Ferrum wasn’t so convinced as he witnessed the swarm once again on the move. Thunderfury shared the sentiment, and was only momentarily distracted by the unicorns renewing the spellwork, the ships glowing with lines of power once again. <You sure, boss?>

“Just watch,” Intel half-commanded as the new spell slowly reached crescendo. This time, the massive bose orbs had a shell of white light that barely contained a core of fluctuating black mass, twisting and turning in on itself in a uniform fashion.

Counterspell stared wide eyed at the spherical death that grew in front of every single one of the twenty pony airships. He instinctively took a step back from the bow of Celestia’s Light with terror in his eyes. <T-that’s gravity magic! They’re crazy for using this much of it!>

The hairs on the back of the squad’s collective necks raised on end as they felt gravity’s pull was no longer just straight down, but now ever so slightly towards the bow of the ship. With a stomach flipping lurch, the bose spheres were launched towards the swarm with half of the spells aimed at the enemy on the ground.

As expected, the majority of the thinned swarm was wise enough to veer out of the path of the spheres all the way down to the ground, only this time, as the sphere’s passed, there was no explosion. Far from the stabilization efforts of the master magi that unleashed them, the white shell of the bose spheres weakened and cracked until the gravity spell won out. Upon the shells breaking down, the spheres pulled everything towards it with forty times normal gravity.

Drone, undead, rock, or tree, nothing was spared as matter was pulled into the singularities. Some undead were ripped apart as conflicting gravity wells competed for prey. The fliers were almost completely ripped from the skies, while others on the ground tried desperately to hold on as the singularities passed overhead. Those who failed to hang on were pulled in and crushed under the their own weight and that of all the bodies, rock, and trees that came with them.

Wind kicked up around the fleet, rocking the ships. The earth beneath the singularities cracked and groaned under the strain. The entire swarm, even the undead, was forced to halt, lest they be swept up into the sky and crushed.

Thunderfury felt a chill run up his spine at the devastation. Even the fleet was forced to turn about and push full throttle away from the singularities. The very wood around the changelings creaked and groaned under the gravimetric strain, with distance being the only thing saving the fleet from a crushed fate. <Ponies have had this power all along?! Just what in blazes made the other races think they even stood a chance?>

Counterspell had to shake himself out of the stupor, and latched onto Thunderfury’s question to get his train of thought moving again. <This is a rare event, TF. It won’t happen again.>

Ferrum looked at Counterspell with disbelief, only to find Intel was more stern than stunned by the devastation that could remold the very terrain. <Well, yeah. This is probably why Equestria hasn’t been to war in ages.>

Intel interjected with a knowing tone. Even as he wrapped his legs around one of the supports, he watched the spells in awe. <The minotaurs are masters of nullifying magic. Siege spells like this would never touch them, or worse explode in the ponies’ faces. Griffins haven’t fielded a traditional army since antiquity, and yet have always given Celestia pause as a legitimate threat if they were given cause for war… Well, according to mother anyway.

<The ponies can only get away with this today because those quasi are only barely able to think for themselves after Polybia’s death. They’re moving the swarm like a big blob with absolutely zero tactical maneuvering without Polybia to guide them. This,> Intel said while waving at the singularities ravaging the last vestiges of the swarm, <is just a slaughter.>

<Is that a problem?> Counterspell argued, ignoring the sour looks he was getting. <Strange that the liches would just let themselves be torn apart like this.>

The squad moved out of the way for the earth ponies to pull the exhausted magi off the platforms around the same time the gravity spells were winding down. By the time the platforms were clear, and no reinforcements forthcoming, the changelings noted that the clumps of rock at the center of each singularity were plummeting back to the Earth, kicking up huge clouds of dust in the process. The fleet stopped it’s slow reverse thrust to stand idle. Teams of pegasi were pouring out of the ships via the platforms and were starting to make their way to the huge dust clouds. The fighter squadrons were sent ahead of them, leaving the airships’ cannon to fall silent.

With dust obscuring everything, Intel had a moment to ponder Counterspell’s last words. She looked at him with confusion. <Why would the liches be any different? They were all quasi to begin with.>

Counterspell shrugged and lazily watched the formations of pegasi carefully approach the devastated stretch of jungle. Since neither queen commanded them to join the attack, he was content to let his guard down. <Well it’s just something Granny Caddy was talking about a few months ago. She was saying that the quasi’s intelligence was directly tied to their link to the queen. If there’s no queen most end up dead or close to brainless after a week or so. But that weakness is tied directly to their biology. So that shouldn’t affect an undead lich… right?>

Intel’s blood ran cold, with her stare at him going momentarily blank. Counterspell started to sweat at the fear in her eyes. “I reeeally don’t like it when you make that face.”

Rusty Spring and his squadron were taking it slow into the hanging cloud of dust that was still whirling around in the aftermath of the gravity spells. Animalistic cries of pain echoed loudly enough to be heard over his engines, but it was impossible to pin any exact location down. The pegasi gave each fighter and their propellers a wide berth as some of them acted to clear the dust away. <Keep your eyes peeled, Vipers, and switch to solid slug munitions. I don’t want any flak hitting allies.>

He received a round of acknowledgements, and decided to dip just barely below the cloud layer. Yet his search for targets got interrupted by Rainbow Dash all but yelling in his mind. <Attention, all pilots! Keep a sharp eye out for the undead. Be ready to introduce the-> Anything Rainbow Dash said after that was drowned out by ear splitting psionic screams. Nearly all of the pegasi managed to stay airborne thanks to their discipline and holy-enchanted leather armor. Pain lanced through Rusty Spring for only a few moments before it all but vanished as Rainbow Dash diluted that pain throughout the entire hive mind, with Twilight doing the same for her children.

He barely had a moment to thank her when the ghostly pale yellow head of a yak emerged from the airframe in front of him. The specter’s mouth was open far wider than a living yak could ever do, with ten rows of needle teeth lining the gums, and solid black eyes piercing through to his soul. <B-Banshees!>

Rusty pulled the control stick to the left and jammed the throttle. The yak took a swipe at him, catching Rusty in the foreleg, causing the entire limb to go limp and numb. Terror struck the pilot as he saw the banshee’s hoof yank out a part of his soul before distance forced its grip to slip. His jaw trembled at the silvery ethereal foreleg of his soul dangle outside of his body. It took a long moment, but he finally summoned enough wits to try and control it. If that’s my soul, then maybe I can force move it.

Through an act only possible because that piece of soul was still attached to the rest of him, Rusty Spring ignored descending into the cloud of dust as the silvery segment of his soul sank back into his leg, restoring feeling and control over it.

Having a moment to gather his wits, Rusty pulled above the cloud layer to find the pegasi had been thinned, either by falling out of the air from the strain of the psionic screaming still resounding through the air, or the banshees ripping their souls out from any chink in their blessed armor. Rusty didn’t need to hear the order his queen was yelling in his head to know what to do.

Leave it to Aunty Twilight to think of a ghost counter. Rusty pushed the throttle of his propeller engine as high as it would go while pulling a lever next to the Octavia controls. Three tubes full of the blue glowing fuel drained out and was replaced by a thin golden fluid. The pressure gauges sank into the red, and all of the lift provided by the Octavia engine cut out all at once, leaving only the propeller and the wings to keep the aircraft aloft.

The Octavia engine coughed and sputtered, with the tail of the fighter dipping every so often as Rusty fought to keep control. The normally invisible Octavia field became thinly visible as a golden bubble thirty feet out. Rusty spotted a squad of pegasi trying to fend off a trio of banshees almost directly in his path. “Here goes nothing!”

Fighting the controls of an aircraft that was begging to plummet out of the sky, Rusty roared past the pegasi with his altered Octavia field passing through them. The banshees were either punted off of the ponies, or were completely incinerated by the holy magic.

Rusty couldn’t risk looking over his shoulder to see if the pegasi were recovering. The droning buzz of a falling biplane was all the warning Rusty had to a fighter dropping out of the sky right in his path. He banked hard to the right, only catching a glimpse of the soul drained pilot hanging limply in the cockpit.

He spotted a large concentration of pegasi easily a hundred strong who were barely resisting the paralyzing effects of the banshees’ wail, and were fighting the specters off with wing and bladed hoof alike. “I hope you know to stay put!” Rusty yelled against the wind as he flew under the pegasi, running the field right through fifty banshees. Those spirits that weren’t ripped apart were weakened enough for the pegasi to finish the job.

<You still alive, boss guy?> Rusty ground his teeth at the smug voice of Greasy Piston. His wingmate raced down from above and leveled out on his left side. <Thought that ghostly had you for sure.>

<Cut the wax and take out those banshees, the more we take out, the quieter those wails will get!> Rusty barked back as he manhandled his fighter towards the nearest banshee he saw.

Greasy Piston waggled her wings and sprinted off to a different target. <Not as fun as shooting though!>

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash sat in the bridge of the Long Shot on the twin thrones, their attention spread out through all of the pilot’s eyes. Each queen let the pilots do most of the thinking and action, but directed them towards targets when individual pilots couldn’t find one on their own.

“You really think ghosts are all they have left?” Rainbow asked with genuine curiosity. “There can’t be much of anything left after those gravity bombs.”

“A safe bet with a swarm that used to be just under a million strong is to assume so.” Twilight Sparkle scowled at the state of the battle. It was going too well. Sure we lost a good number of pegasi and a few pilots to the banshees, but where is the rest of the enemy?

“Squashed I’d imagine,” Rainbow hazarded back. “You saw how they just clumped back up together after the first mega spells. We’re not talking about geniuses here.” All she got out of Twilight was a huffy pout, earning an exasperated glare out of Rainbow. “How about we leave getting a better idea on who’s left down there until after we clear out the ghosts and the dust first.”

Not being directly linked to the pilots like her mother, Intel squinted her eyes trying to watch the fighting, but the aircraft were the only things that didn’t look like black dots.

Ferrum gave a bored huff, but otherwise said nothing as he oiled the action of his pistol. With nothing to do, and the enemy distracted by the pegasi and aircraft, Counterspell busied himself with studying the aftereffects of the mega spells on the local mana currents. Thunderfury had given up on personally seeing any action and laid on his back and stared up at the intercom awaiting the all clear signal that was sure to come in the next few hours. “We have wings too, why can’t we get out there and fight?”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Ferrum snarked. He held the gun close to his eye and scrutinized what he suspected was a bit of dirt inside a spring. “Just let the ponies be the ones to bleed for once and be happy. The princesses are hell bent on taking this one for the team.”

Talk died down as the squad waited for something to happen. They didn’t have to wait long.

The quartet were jarred out of their lethargy by a quick series of explosions and a raw mana wave that rocked the flagship. “What in Tartarus was that!?” Ferrum yelled.

“That mana wave came from below us!” Counterspell was the first to race to the platform and jumped overboard to get a better look.

He was soon joined by not only the rest of his squad, but several reserve pegasi and other drones stationed on the pony ships. Three warships were engulfed in emerald fire with two of them being completely broken in half amidship while the third’s balloon had burst with the ship plummeting to the jungle below.

The bottom row of ships were panicking to break formation to put some distance between the stricken ships. Intel and the others saw a thick green mist spreading across the ground with three long snakish monsters rising out of the miasma. They glowed with a deep dark green that painted the landscape around them.

“What in blazes are those!?” Thunderfury cried out even as one of the monsters bellowed a challenge with another coiling up before shooting forward and firing a beam as thick as a truck at the nearest undamaged ship.

Chaos roared over the local hive mind with both queens trying to get a clear picture, giving Intel a few moments to digest what she was seeing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say those are grossly oversized tatzlwurms.”

“Since when did tatzlwurms get death beams!?” Thunderfury shot back with his twin shields held close to hide his face. “I can’t block spells of that magnitude!”

Ferrum witnessed pegasi racing to face this new threat while the fleet was breaking formation piecemeal as word spread slowly through the ranks. “We can figure that out later, let’s lay some smack down!” With that said, Ferrum turned into a steep dive straight down.

“Just don’t get hit by that gnarly beam!” Thunderfury roared after him, howling in sheer delight at getting to fight.

Not needing to wait for her queens to give orders, Intel chased after her squadmates with Counterspell falling in place behind her.

The squad found themselves in the middle of a platoon of pegasi swarming down to give the rest of the fleet time to reposition. Yet the tatzlwurms were not idle and fired their beams at three more ships. The recovered unicorns brought up a shield around two of the ships, with the third getting its balloon destroyed. Those shields buckled and broke within seconds, allowing the beams to rot and burn away at their victims in a spectacular explosion once the engine fuel detonated.

Ferrum’s charge faltered after seeing several pegasi ahead of him being cut down by invisible forces. “What the?” He scanned for any trace of spellwork cutting the pegasi down, and noticed blurs that seemed to meld with the backdrop of the glowing green cloud that continued to grow at the base of the tatzlwurms.

While confusion raged through the alliance fliers, Rainbow Dash saw what it was after seeing it through the eyes of her children. <Gimme your horns, kids, these guys are being cheeky.>

With Twilight acting in tandem with her sister, the forty eight purple and blue changelings charged their horns and launched a wave of energy down towards the cloud. Dozens of hostile drones were unmasked right in the midst of the pegasi. To their credit, the pegasi were quick witted enough to start cutting down the uncoordinated chitin bound changelings. Yet among their numbers were a dozen liches that upon being revealed, immediately started weaving spells to cut down anyone they could see.

Ferrum was more than eager to slice his way straight towards a griffin quasi lich with Thunderfury staying close. The lich saw them coming, snarling a grin and thrust both claws at them. Her claws glowed a sickly blackish purple before a lance of magic rocketed towards Ferrum.

<Duck back!> Thunderfury yell at Ferrum, prompting his squadmate to pull back on the speed, allowing Thunderfury to take the front. Both shields took on a violet sheen and took the beam head on. Thunderfury used both his telekinesis and forelegs to hold the shields in place, straining under the force of the blast. Ferrum ducked to the left and flashed his sword to catch the attention of the lich.

Assuming Thunderfury had been incinerated, the lich changed the beam’s direction, only to give Thunderfury the opening he needed. With a series of internal gearwork clicking into a different configuration, the shields took all the absorbed magic and blasted it back in a massively wide cone.

The effect blinded the lich, causing its attack to sputter out, giving Ferrum the opening he needed to swing in and decapitate the undead griffin. The corpse burned to ash as the magic keeping it together now ripped it apart.

Intel and Counterspell were not too far away, facing down a bat pony lich who had a jagged black horn that bubbled with black magic. Counterspell was hovering in place, his horn a beacon of silver holy light as he kept the bat quasi from unleashing his necrotic power. Intel was burning a path through the undead minions the lich kept pulling from other areas of the battle to keep Intel and her flamethrower away from him.

Twilight briefly spoke to Counterspell before commandeering his horn. His comparatively blunt and clumsy approach to blocking the lich’s magic was refined into a scalpel by Twilight. She noticed how hard the lich was trying to strong arm his way through Counterspell’s efforts, and corked the lich’s magic right at the base of the horn with a fraction of the effort. The built up dark magic around the rest of the horn went out of control and started dissolving the undead bone and tissue, eating the lich alive from the top down.

Intel whistled to her squadmates over the Link to focus their attention. <We have to punch through to the center tatzlwurm! Form up on me!>

She was not the only one to have that idea. Even as the others gathered around Intel, she saw several squads of pegasi and siblings alike were making a beeline straight to the center tatzlwurm.

The squad got close enough to see the giant beast had discoloration before it turned its attention skyward and opened its four jawed mouth as wide as it could.

<Get clear!> Twilight commanded over the Link.

Every last furry drone in the area scattered to the four winds, and yelled the warning to the pegasi. Intel and the others kept together and sprinted to the west, but the tatzlwurm struck first. Instead of a focused beam, a wide cone of caustic magic wreathed the entire dog fight and threatened to burn gossamer and feathered wings alike.

Thunderfury felt his wings stinging badly and freaked out when he saw the holes in them growing larger. “Wha - wha- that’s hot! Put me out, put me out!!”

Intel waved at her bothers to get in close. <Group up! TF, delta maneuver!>

Thunderfury braked into a halt and angled his shields downward towards the tatzlwurm. The rest of the squad piled up above him with barely a hair’s breadth of spare room from the torrent of magic.

As if the Silver City itself had blessed those shields, the magical tidal wave failed to break through, and curved around the shields like a rock against a river. Thunderfury hissed in effort to keep the shields angled properly. “Frack frack frack! I don’t know if my babies can hold this forever!”

Ferrum glanced around the green-tinted skies around him, watching pegasi, bat ponies, liches, and hostile drones alike being torn from the skies as their wings were the first to burn away. Those who fell, became green fireballs as they were reduced to charcoal. “Uhhh, it better or we’re toast.”

About that time, Rainbow Dash slipped into her son’s eyes while Twilight borrowed her three children. <Hey, Intel,> Rainbow spoke hastily. <Guys, I got in touch with the fleet shipmasters, they’re not going to risk the super spells this close to the fleet, so they’re going to focus on the two side tatzlwurms with normal weapons. That means you four get the honor of taking out the middle one.>

Intel shared an incredulous look with her squadmates, save Thunderfury who was too focused on keeping his shields in place. <You mean the one currently breathing a river of fire at us?!>

Twilight jumped in with her reassuring knowing voice.

Out of all of them, Counterspell was the most nervous of all, and not all of the sweat on his brow was from the river of fire. “I am really starting to question this plan, and I haven’t even heard it yet.”

Rainbow Dash grumbled before shaking the irritation away. <Alright look. As soon as the worm thing stops acting like a dragon, you four need to drop like you got your wings burned off.> The squad started leaning towards Counterspell’s sentiment. <The new wave of tangos that’ll pop out of the ground should ignore you. That way, you can get close to that dragon wannabe and bust him up.> Now the squad was leaning so far into Counterspell’s thinking that Rainbow could feel it over the Link. <Don’t worry, the fighters are being recalled to back you up.>

Without giving them any time to think it over, the tatzlwurm halted its attack, revealing the clear blue sky once again. <Go, go, go!> Rainbow shouted, causing the squad to instinctively stop flapping their wings, making them drop like stones.

Thunderfury’s instincts screamed at him to take control of his tumbling fall, but his queen was counting on him to do his part. So he decided to scream in bloody terror on the way down. “I really hate this plaaaaan!”

Wind whipped at Intel’s hair and the flamethrower’s hoses, forcing her to activate the safety and hug the nozzle close to her underbelly. <Aunty, if I die from this, I’m going to do some creative things with a woopie cushion to you in the Silver City!>

<If you die, I’ll let you get away with it for a year, then the prank war is on,> Rainbow snarked back. Only to get a deathly admonishing glare from Twilight. <Not that you will, cause my plans are foolproof.>

Counterspell hugged his staff in tight, hoping it wouldn’t slip away. He watched as scores of hostile black-chitin drones swarmed out of the green mists and prepared a shield spell.

At first, some of the closer hostile drones flying to intercept the ponies that evaded the tatzlwurm’s attack veered off to intercept Intel’s squad. Yet upon a few liches emerging from the cloud and seeing them in freefall, they diverted the drones back to the main assault.

Seeing that it was indeed working, Rainbow and Twilight directed their surviving marines to the flanks to make sure Intel’s squad got as little interference as possible. Intel was starting to get sick to her stomach while flipping head over heels on the way down. Why did I let TF talk me into eating a second helping of pancakes?

Feeling Twilight’s presence slide into her mind, Intel felt her horn power a spell that tingled all over her skin moments before the world went green as the squad fell into the cloud. Pins and needles blanketed her skin, causing the spell to flare, reducing the irritation of the cloud and making it feel like she was breathing through thin cloth.

<Hang on everypony, you might feel a bit of a lurch,> Twilight warned as a second spell washed over the squad, suddenly causing gravity to turn on its head, and sapping their momentum. They slowed down just enough that by the time they hit the ground, all four of them ended up rolling along a slant in the broken earth.

Being on point, Thunderfury rolled the farthest, using his shields to protect his horn and the other to save his wings. When he at last came to a stop, he took a moment to see if there was any pain. Upon feeling nothing worse than some scrapes and bruises, Thunderfury jumped up on all fours and cheered. “Woot! I wanna do that again!” in that moment, he finally took note of where he was.

Thunderfury stood right in the middle of a ritual circle that had been badly disrupted by him sliding across half of the diagram written in ash. But more importantly to his immediate concerns were six astonished quasi with their horns still aglow with the spell they had been casting.

“Uhh…” It took him a moment before an idea cropped up in his head. His initial excitement and adrenaline gave out just enough for him to feel the onset of nausea from rolling head over heels for so long. As a result, instead of a winning swing of the hoof, he ended up stumbling in a dizzy mess. “You have summoned the Great and Mighty Thunderfury! What is your bidding?”

A minotaur bull snorted angrily and kicked at the dirt. “We weren’t summoning moronic drones.”

Thunderfury’s stomach was already at the end of its rope, but between his theatrics and the stench of death leaking through the protection spell the last straw snapped. He puked his breakfast all over the the other end of the ritual circle, ruining the diagram even further. Thankfully the act quelled his nausea enough for him to function. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his uniform and waved a hoof at the minotaur. “Well that would explain the nausea. You guys have crappy aim you know that?”

“Kill that idiot!” A female sphinx commanded even as she gathered a globe of dark magic in a hand and threw it at Thunderfury.

“Whoa now!” Thunderfury took one shield, adjusted the arcane wing it projected, and used it to rebound the globe towards a minotaur which proceeded to burn a basketball sized hole straight through the bull’s chest. The telltale roar of a flamethrower not too far away broke everyone else out of their stupor, causing the sphinx to throw a second globe of mana at Thunderfury.

With the thrill of combat widening his grin, Thunderfury used the same shield to bounce the second globe at a charging earth pony quasi and using the other to parry a clawing attack of a griffin. He bucked a pegasus lich sneaking up behind him, breaking the head off it's rotted neck.

“Eww, grooooss!” Thunderfury rolled away from a caustic mana whip and clocked a sphinx tom across the jaw, and jumped up and over the tom right as a third globe cratered the ground he had been standing on. “Girl, you really suck at dodgeball don’t you?”

With a laugh, Thunderfury switched the arcane wing on his shields, and rammed one into the quasi he just jumped over and threw the other at the sphinx flinging spells at him. The second shield sailed at breakneck speed at the jane, but she nimbly side stepped the teardrop shaped shield.

“Ah, you show promise for dodgeball after all, good!” Thunderfury congratulated, even as he had to use the other shield to bounce another globe, only to not have a readily available target to try and aim it at. Wish I figured out how to do a proper reflect.

“You can’t keep that up forever!” the jane challenged completely oblivious of the thrown shield speeding its way back to its grinning owner.

“Won’t have to,” he said with a winning grin, giving the jane pause right as the returning shield beaned her right in the back of the head. Thunderfury threw a foreleg up and caught the shield right by the strap and spun around in the air to bleed the momentum off the shield, hooting in excitement all the while. “Wowzers, we need to do this more often!”

The noise of a heavy fireball exploding some distance behind him, made Thunderfury turn around to witness the smoking remains of an earth pony quasi fly out of the mist and land in a crumpled heap two feet away. “There you are, TF,” Counterspell announced as he got close enough to be seen through the mist. His magestaff still glowing from use, “You see where the others went?”

“I heard the boss’s flammer-” as if on cue, the signature breathing noise of a flamethrower came from the direction of the great worm near the point where it stood out of the ground. “That’s gotta be Intel, lezz go!”

Nodding in agreement, Counterspell let his squadmate lead the way up a huge mound of broken earth and stone right up to the base of the worm. Upon getting close enough, the pair saw Intel and Ferrum standing near the gargantuan worm with a dozen burnt or cut apart corpses.

Ferrum flicked his sword to clean some of the sticky ichor off the blade. <Good you’re all in place,> Twilight praised with her pride and love flooding the squad. <Now, CS, I need you to be my conduit while the rest of you protect him as we work.>

A round of acknowledgements rang out as everyone got into place. They were not a moment too soon as scores of undead zombies started flooding up the mounds while a pair of liches joined in. Counterspell tried to ignore the fighting breaking out behind him as he took three vials of ether from his belt and downed each of the bitter potions one by one. The surge of power raced throughout his veins like fire. Such power would have overwhelmed him into a comatose state were it not for Twilight’s semi-puppeting effort. Together, they lifted his staff head to press against the worm. With all the excess power being funneled into the staff, the ruby gem that crowned the staff glowed like the sun.

Counterspell witnessed the spell start to carve through the flesh of the worm, eliciting an ear shaking shriek of pain as necrotized blackened flesh was exposed with thick crude oil like blood seeping out. The worm writhed and squirmed as the spell dug deeper into its body, cutting and blasting first a beach ball sized hole that rapidly expanded to that of a small car.

Counterspell had to sidestep and eventually fly above chunks of rotten masses of worm that sloughed off and dropped to the ground that reeked like rotten meat left out in the desert sun. By the time the growing wound was the size of a small apartment, the worm finally broke free of the liches controlling it and tried to kill the squad by slamming down on top of them.

Yet Rainbow Dash knew it was going to try that the moment it shifted its mass. <Get out, hurry!>

Each of them dropped their fight and fled to the east, with the liches getting just as panicked by the countless tonnes of tatzlwurm crashing down on them. Intel’s squad evaded the smack down that was powerful enough to clear the center of the cloud away, revealing dozens of ritual circles that were summoning dead bodies as soon as they were made on the battlefield and brought back to unlife to fight against their former comrades.

Upon finding a moment to catch their breath, Intel’s squad found themselves over two dozen meters away from the edge of the worm after the rust of air had shoved them back. <We’re not done yet, kids,> Rainbow Dash stated with pride fully coloring her tone. “You need to hit the other side so it stays down.”

The squad had stirred up the hornet’s nest as dozens of hostile drones surged towards them, flesh golems crawled out of the wounds inflicted upon the downed worm that struggled to lift itself back up.

A series of magic concussion waves ran through everyone, drawing eyes to the northern tatzlwurm. The fleet was not in any planned formation, but that wasn’t stopping the magi and cannon from peppering the leviathan with spell and solid shot alike. The beast tried to breathe a renewed attack, but the two Phoenix Roost gunships waited for it to open it’s mouth before firing two fifty-seven millimeter slugs of hot death down its throat. It wasn’t enough to kill the enraged wurm, but it kept the monster from bringing down more ships.

The third and last tatzlwurm was in the middle of ripping another warship apart, an act that caught Ferrum’s attention. <Look, that frigate jumped in the way of the attack. That worm is going after Celestia’s Light!”

Twilight came to the same conclusion and issued a command that had Rainbow’s unsaid approval. <The center wurm’s out of action for now, get over there and stop that thing from destroying the flagship.> Both queens saw the thickening skies of more hostile drones that were still crawling out of the massive tunnels the worms had created. <We’ll give you some cover to get in close.>

Intel mentally sent Thunderfury a flight plan to which he happily took point with his trusty blue and purple shields at the front. <Come on you bugs, you wanna live forever!?> Not waiting for an answer, Thunderfury sprinted away shout-singing, “Yo way yo!”

The song pulled the rest of the tiring squad up with new energy as Intel chased after him, giving a shout-sing of her own “Yo way yo!”

Ferrum and Counterspell were not far behind and joined in, “Vaiyo A-Rah Jevruun Vrunningee!”

The four kept singing even as they prepared to clash with the cloud of hissing drones barring their way, only for them all to be distracted by the noise of a dozen growling engines. The four Queens’ Guard pulled into a compact formation with Twilight using their horns to weave a powerful barrier.

The instant the barrier was in place, Rainbow Dash gave the pilots a single command tinted with all the glee she could muster. <Give’em the ol Razzle Dazzle!>

Flak exploded everywhere around the four Queens’ Guard. Most drones were simply torn apart by the rain of shrapnel while others simply disappeared in a puff of smoke after taking a direct hit.

Moments later, the fighters roared past Intel’s squad with a particularly uppity mare pilot waving both a foreleg and her airplane’s wings at them before pulling the aircraft off to chase down more targets. Numerous aircraft strafed what few ritual circles they could find under the gloom of the cloud. Each one that was disrupted thinned the blanketing miasma, thus clearing the air for more to be discovered and destroyed.

Rainbow Dash projected a new path in Thunderfury’s mind while speaking to the whole group. <They’ve opened a corridor for you, move out!>

<Aye, my queen!> all four replied back.

Even with the fighter support, Intel’s squad was too far away from the third Tatzlwurm to stop it from opening its great jaws again to cut down Celestia’s Light. Several aircraft peeled off to pester and distract the mammoth beast, but their flak cannons didn’t even tickle its armored hide or inner mouth.

Ferrum jabbed intel on the flank and pointed up at the flagship. “Those don’t look like normal mana bolts.”

Sure enough, the distant flagship spewed three dozen large multicolored energy rockets that raced straight down towards the tatzlwurm. What baffled Intel most of all was that each rocket had a pegasus escort that kept pace with its pair.

Her team admittedly had difficulty watching where they were going, and keeping an eye on the technicolored rockets all the way up until they both reached the tatzlwurm when the biplanes pulled away.

Each rocket exploded on the worm or the ground around it to reveal a unicorn of all things. Those that hit the side of the worm or on top of unstable ground had the pegasus escort swoop in to save the wingless ponies from falling.

With both other tatzlwurms either down for the count or under heavy suppressing fire, the remaining undead and the scant few living chitin drones left rallied around the last wurm.

Multiple pegasi were shot down by a lich before they could catch their unicorn, with one such event happening right in front of the squad. “Holy - I got you!” Intel cried as she rushed over and half-caught half-cushioned that unicorn’s fall.

The two tumbled and rolled the last ten feet of the fall before coming to a stop. Her squadmates engaged the throng of quasi and undead around them, allowing Intel and the unicorn to untangle themselves. Intel had ended up on the bottom after her flamer tanks caught against the trunk of a broken tree, allowing the pony to climb off first and offer her a hoof to stand back up. “By the light of the sun, I didn’t think to run into you again.”

Intel coughed up a leaf that had lodged itself inside her cheek and took his hoof. “Lieutenant Brimstone? How crazy do you ground pounders have to be to jump off that high?”

He laughed it off used his magic to pull off the twigs and leaves that clung to both of them. “Not too much I hope. We learned that rocket trick from the first Invasion of Canterlot. Never thought I’d use it in combat though.”

A deafening roar brought all eyes up to the head of the great beast as it opened its maw to bring down Celestia’s Light. Dark greenish black magic pooled in its mouth, but two shells from the gunships slammed dead center into the mass. The beam went wide, grazing a blackening hit on the flagship and causing the monstrosity to shriek in hate. The delay was costly though, as another pony warship was cut down by the third tatzlwurm.

<Everyone,> Rainbow Dash called out to all of the changelings attacking the tatzlwurm near Intel, <That was the last shot the gunships have, and it’s going to take too long to rearm them. I need every mage at the base of that worm and everyone else covering them pronto! Tell the ponies our plan!>

Intel and just about every changeling near a pony relayed the plan. Brimstone cringed at the sight of flesh golems peeling themselves out of the main body of the tatzlwurm. The misshapen faceless pony-shaped golems stumbled upon heavy legs as if not properly formed. “Well my fair captain, I’m ready when you are.”

The wink and a smile he gave her might have made another mare blush, but after living with Aegis for so long, it only tickled her fancy. Never been with a soldier pony before. “Then let’s get to it.” <CS, you’re up!>

Intel took point this time and roasted a trio of shambling flesh golems while Thunderfury and Ferrum tangled with a few of their own. Brimstone grabbed the last two in Counterspell’s path with his telekinesis and flung them at two quasi crawling out of a hole inside the tatzlwurm.

“So that’s how so many of these freaks snuck up under us!” Brimstone growled out of effort. He fired off a mana bolt while Counterspell got into position and downed his last three ether potions.

Intel turned to Brimstone and pointed at the hole he had just thrown the quasi at. “Cover me with a barrier, I’m going to smoke them out.” <Ferrum, TF, get our backs!>

Brimstone had little issue taking orders from someone higher up the food chain, even if Intel was of an entirely different command. “On it!” The two scrambled up the rough broken terrain, flying or jumping over downed trees and shattered underbrush.

Intel got up to the tunnel just in time to witness a quasi minotaur physically shove his way past the limp drones blocking the path. “Aegis sends her regards!” Intel challenged as she doused the minotaur and the crowded monsters behind it with a torrent of burning oil. Intel was wholly unfazed by the screams of unbridled pain as so many beings were cooked alive. Brimstone tried to ignore it as he zapped several more flesh golems peeling themselves off the side of the worm.

A wave of muscle movement under the giant worm’s rotten skin drew both of their eyes up towards the mouth as it opened once more at Celestia’s Light. Intel took a moment to look at Counterspell and the other magi. Their spells were only just now starting to eat away at the undead mass, but not fast enough to stop the beast.

As if sensing her fears, Thunderfury flew over to Intel’s side. “I don’t think we’re going to make it!”

Greasy Piston zeroed in on a pair of liches raining down hellfire upon the north side of the ponies surrounding the great worm and pressed her trigger with glee. Yet she was rewarded with nothing more than loud clicking from her cannons. “No, no! Why did I have to run out of boom booms now!?”

<All craft,> Rusty Spring called out, <return to the carrier for rearmament!>

Gritting her teeth, Greasy pulled out only to notice the great beast was still pooling a renewed beam in its open mouth. <Boss, that thing’s going to cream the flagship! Can’t we do something?”

<negative,> Rusty shot back with his best command voice. <Unless you can cast a big enough spell to stop that thing, then pull out, that’s an order!>

Greasy was only moments into her climb that an idea smacked her like a sledgehammer. <Boss, permission to use a big battering ram instead.>

<You’re not serious…> Off in the distance, Rusty saw Greasy’s aircraft turn towards the tatzlwurm and went full throttle. <Damn it, Greasy! Permission granted, but only so long as you don’t die so I can punch you later!>

Greasy Piston pulled back up just enough to get over the lip of the worm’s jaws before powering into a dive straight into it’s mouth. The controls rattled in her hoof, loosened badly from the countless pockmarks of damage her aircraft had absorbed. “Fly my boy, fly and make momma proud.> Greasy first kissed her left hoof and then placed that spot onto the dashboard.

Believing she was close enough to not miss, Greasy pulled herself out of the cockpit and jumped out. Using her momentum and wings, Greasy Piston barely cleared the gap between two jaws right as her fighter slammed into its mouth. The explosion broke off one of the wurm’s flailing tentacles which smacked Greasy across the back of the head and ripped away at her wings.

Knocked senseless she free fell out of the sky, but the great worm had been stalled once again. Several pegasi had seen what happened and broke away to catch her. The act left them exposed with many getting cut down by drone and lich alike. Were it not for the unicorns exploiting the distraction to counterattack, none of them would have reached Greasy Piston in time, let alone avoid the falling tentacle easily the size of a redwood tree.

The behemoth never had a chance to recover as the spells Twilight was channeling through her children came together and cut the tatzlwurm in two. Its massive upper body groaned and heaved as it toppled over like a freshly cut tree.

Everyone, alliance and swarm alike, ran to clear the falling tower of beast. Its crash into the ground was joined by its last triplet who finally succumbed to the punishment the remnants of the fleet was raining upon it. That tatzlwurm crumpled in on itself and collapsed to the ground, its undeath extinguished. A cheer rang out from the alliance members who rallied to cut down the dwindling numbers of the swarm and deliver the deathblow to the center worm, ending the battle at last.

With the undead tatzlwurms slain and the crushed swarm broken and dying on the blackened battleground, the alliance breathed a sigh of relief.

Intel led the small platoon of surviving Queens’ Guard and Marines in a joint effort with the ponies of the Royal Navy to sweep the ruined landscape looking and putting down any survivors they found. They culled the undead without conscience. Zombies and ghouls were killed a second time on sight, while a few liches had managed to get caught under rubble or were scrambling to put together one last ditch defense inside the tunnels. Those living drones that survived had either scattered into the jungle when the controlling quasi had been killed, or fought on like cornered animals.

With the equestrian fleet staying in the area to purge the necrotic taint out of the land, and to try to locate and identify the bodies of fallen naval crewponies, the navy would have to remain in the jungle for some time.

Presently, the Long Shot started its long trip back to Phoenix Roost once the Steamrunner linked back up to the fleet. The two warships brought as many wounded or dead as their hulls could carry.

Without a battle to oversee and their children returning home, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash sat in a two-seat sofa in one of the rec lounges. Over the first several days of the return trip, it had taken some effort to get the dead and injured organized. Both queens were currently gazing up at the ceiling and the sky beyond. It was starting to become a sort of ritual of theirs after a day of mourning. “It could have gone so much worse if Sticky Spit and Luna had screwed up,” Rainbow said absently for the twentieth time in the past week. “Poly would have creamed us with that swarm.”

Twilight hummed pleasantly, taking the time to enjoy her sister’s proximity. “We should throw Luna a parade when we get back. If you can believe Kreesus’ recount, Grogar was no match for Polybia in single combat, so it was all up to her to save us.”

Rainbow pulled herself off the couch, nearly causing her sister to fall down in the process. She stretched and popped some joints and looked around the empty rec room silently wishing some of their kids were off duty. “Speaking of that goat, any news on that contract of his?”

“Let’s find out.” Twilight sat back up in a pout at losing her warm backrest. She opened the conversation to Rainbow Dash. <Rolled Scroll, how’s that contract coming?>

The androgynous and cheery tone of her ambassador glided its way into her mind. <My most exalted queen, I received word not two hours ago that Luna’s lawyers have combed over every square inch of the contract, tickled every word and fondled every verb->

Fondled? Twilight shuddered. Don’t ask, just don’t ask.

Rolled Scroll rattled on unabated. <And jousted every term. I dare say if Grogar actually signs this then he is putting an awful lot of trust in us.>

<You’re saying Grogar is on the level with us?> Twilight asked in disbelief. <Why would he give up so much power?>

Twilight could almost sense her ambassador genuflecting. <A pleasure as always, my illustrious queen.>

Rainbow Dash chuckled at Rolled Scroll’s antics. “I gotta ask, sis, what did you put in RS’s incubator fluid to make him turn out like that?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and stepped towards the exit. “Not a clue.”

The pair barely made it out of the door before running into Kreesus who was being tailed by two changeling escorts. The elder queen appeared dignified, but her wavering purple emotional aura painted a much more panicked picture. She was sweating profusely, and couldn’t quite hide a nervous tick in her right eye. “Ahh, there you are,” she gave a shallow bow out of respect. “I must speak with you.”

Twilight gave her a worried frown while Rainbow smoldered a scowl. “Should we step aside for privacy?” Twilight inquired, ignoring Rainbow’s snort of disapproval.

Twilight gave Rainbow a mental kick, but outwardly remained diplomatic to Kreesus. For her part, Kreesus was able to calm down a bit to get her sweating under control. “That won’t be needed,” Kreesus glanced briefly at the two sky blue guards behind her. “Anything I tell you will undoubtedly filter down to your brood and I care not one iota if a non-changeling hears of this.” She took a moment to compose herself. “If you were headed somewhere, we can speak on the move.”

“Sounds fair,” Twilight took the lead with Rainbow Dash making it a point to trail after Kreesus while giving her ‘the look’. “We were headed over to Grogar’s cell. Turns out Luna’s lawyers think the contract Gorgar wrote is on the level, if a bit disturbing about having your soul as collateral if his egg is destroyed or is killed as a child.”

“How convenient,” Kreesus stated as emotionlessly as possible. “I was just about to ask if you could order those paladins aside so I could speak with him.”

<Sounds like we can bake two cakes with one oven if you ask me,> Rainbow snarked as the group found the stairwell down to the lower decks. There was a minor announcement from Twilight to the crew to stay clear of the royals so their larger size wouldn’t cause traffic congestion in the narrow passageways.

<Psh, whatever.>

Kreesus could sniff out a Link conversation when she saw one, but decided to hold her tongue on it. Rainbow Dash isn’t one for letting go of a grudge is she. “So there is no reason for you to deny him his request?” she asked with a hopefully even tone.

“Nothing from his end at least,” Twilight answered cryptically.

Grogar’s cell came into view with the four paladins keeping a tireless vigil. The four of them gave the royals a glance before returning their hard gaze back to the undead ram. Only the closest paladin kept his focus on the queens. “Sir Gleaming Shield, at your service, your majesties. What brings you here?”

“Well met, Sir Gleaming Shield,” Twilight greeted with a grateful smile. She noticed in the corner of her eye that Grogar was sitting quietly next to a leather-bound book. The necromancer had been scribbling away with a green quill, but paused upon the royals’ entry. “Word has it that Grogar’s contract is exactly as advertised. But I need to speak with him one last time before we go any further.”

The paladin scowled deeply with the lines of that frown visible from under his helmet. “If I may be so bold, your highnesses, trusting a demon is never wise. Contract or no.”

Rainbow Dash stepped up, pushing her way past Kreesus who was more than happy to stay as far away from Grogar as possible. “Believe me, pally, we know.”

With a curt nod, the paladin stepped aside, and gestured with his weapon for the rest of his four-pony team to stay by the two exits. Kreesus gave some short excuse to stay with the paladins, leaving Twilight and Rainbow Dash to approach.

Twilight kept a firm yet pleasant disposition, while Rainbow Dash leaned against the door frame of the drunk tank looking as if there was no real danger. Seeing this, Grogar closed his tome which proceeded to fold in on itself as if the very air was devouring the sacrilegious book. “Writing a do-it-yourself necromancy guide for your new life I take it?”

“Not for myself,” the hornless ram stated with his usual flat and emotionless tone. “I have other debts to pay with the knowledge contained within, and I am… putting my affairs in order, I believe is the modern term. And no, I will not be keeping this book or any other like it.”

Twilight and Rainbow Dash shared a look that betrayed some measure of reassurance. Twilight did her best to choose her next words carefully to get the most information out of him. “That is something that’s been troubling me about your efforts. The contract states you’re also not keeping any written form of knowledge, be it magical or the power structure or Tartarus. I can understand you needing to purge yourself of memories, but why not keep your written knowledge?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow butted in with her usual raspy voice, “that’s gotta be worth some bank to you at least.”

Grogar had to fake needing to sigh, for in truth he couldn’t feel exasperation towards them or anyone. “Because I want nothing to tempt my reborn self to ever follow back down the path I’m leaving behind.” He directed his gaze at Kreesus, speaking loudly enough for her to hear. “Given Kreesus’ weakened state, what with having no drone workforce anymore, I don’t want her to have the temptation to use dark magic as a crutch. Such acts would mar my future… childhood.”

“I see,” Twilight stated flatly, keeping her face unreadable. “In light of the agreeable terms of the contract, it will be signed the day of the ritual in one week’s time. But until that time, you will be kept under close watch.”

Grogar bowed his head, forcing a fake toothless smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

At the mention of actually signing the contract, Kreesus gulped down the lump in her throat. “Ah, Queen Twilight Sparkle, may I have a word with you outside?”

Twilight glanced at Kreesus questioningly, even as the scaly queen was inching for the door. “Very well. We’re done here anyway.”

“Hey, you speak to her, you talk to me too,” Rainbow Dash called out as she followed her sister out into the hallway. Grogar hummed contemplatively at Kreesus’ hasty exit, take care you don’t convince them to do anything foolish. With nothing else to do, he waved a burning rune in the air. A small black portal materialized and coughed the book up along with the ink and quill. Grogar returned to his work while the paladins scrutinized him with righteous glares.

Outside in the well lit hallway, Kreesus was nonplussed by Rainbow involving herself, but still only spoke directly to Twilight once the hatch was shut behind them. “So you’re seriously going through with this whole rebirth the demon idea?”

“It’s mostly you, isn’t it?” Rainbow countered with a flick of her head to get her long mane out of her eyes. “Last I checked, you signed that contract, not us.”

“Yes- but-“ Kreesus was inches from dropping the dignified act for one of desperation. “I don’t have any drones except for those two quasi Grogar absconded with, and might I add that I might have to put them down due to how deep their dark magic corruption is. At least I have Fluffy’s egg, for which I am eternally thankful that you rescued, but that only compounds the issue. I can’t support a princess’ egg, let alone after she hatches.”

“Then why did you agree to it?” Rainbow demanded, knowing it would get a rise out of Kreesus.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Kreesus hissed defiantly. “It was either that, be killed by Polybia, possibly turned into a zombie for him, or be mutated into one of those horrific egg worms. And before you sass me again, Queen Rainbow Dash, do try to remember I sacrificed everything to buy the Steamrunner enough time to get to Polybia’s hive. My drones, the one princess I had left, and even my life!”

“Oh yeah, I remember a similar story with a place called Stripped Gear, ever heard of it?” Rainbow snarled back, shoving her face into Kreesus’ muzzle. “Save your martyr stories for somepony who gives a rut.”

“Alright that’s enough!” Twilight pushed the other queens away from each other, imposing herself in between. “Rainbow, you and I both know that if Grogar decides to call Kreesus out on this, he’ll take her soul and then run off to find a new body some other way.”

Rainbow Dash growled and let Twilight shove her back. ‘Why don’t you just say it, Kreesus, you want us to raise Kid Gar.”

Kreesus’ vindictive anger wilted, and sighed slowly. “…Yes. I can only place myself at your mercy.”

Twilight gave her a sidelong smirk. “I was honestly wondering how long it would take before you asked.” Kreesus blinked at Twilight, and glanced at Rainbow who only huffed at her and averted her gaze. “We were not ignoring your situation, Kreesus, and we’ve already come to a consensus about the issue.”

“Y-you have?” Kreesus asked with hope coloring her voice.

“Tsk, isn’t it obvious?” Rainbow fumed while making a show of rolling her eyes. “And before you ask, Grogar’s going into one of my eggs. Loyalty runs in my blood, and if we’re having to raise a former demon lich as one our own, I want every card in play to keep him on our side.”

Kreesus breathed a sigh of relief and stood a little straighter, her demeanor warming considerable. “For what it’s worth to you, I thank you, Queen Rainbow Dash. No doubt you’ll be successful.”

“Yeah, yeah, suck up all you want. I’m done here.” Rainbow didn’t trust herself in Kreesus’ presence any further and stormed off.

Twilight let her go and turned to Kreesus. “We can give you some food and love crystals to get you back on your hooves. But I strongly suggest not staying for long. Rainbow Dash’s animosity for you is going to filter down to her half of the hive and beyond.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.” With her near future no longer looking so bleak, Kreesus gave one final thanks and excused herself.

Left alone Twilight witnessed the crew reappear, numerous drones passing through the corridor now that the royal roadblock had moved on. Well, I better go inform Chrysalis’ puppet that she can taunt Polybia now. Better to let her vent this way than give her cause to hold a grudge against us for refusing her.

Author's Notes:
Will RD name Grogar 2.0 after a famous vampire movie? Will Kreesus ever tell Fluffy junior how she truly feels? Will Sticky Spit spit sticky spit on Polybia's ghost? Has Scoots rediscovered the love of the sea? Will Ranger General Polybia ever take vengence on the Death Knight that wronged her so? Or was it a necromancer? Honestly, they all run together to me.
Don't forget to drop writer food in the form of comments. they are ever so tasty and spicy.

28: The Age of Twidash Has Begun

Chrysalis materialized within a dark expanse illuminated by a dim red glow in front of her. She took stock of herself by looking at an upraised foreleg. Instead of a slightly glossy black shine, her carapace was silver and partially transparent. “Such a shame my time here is so limited.”

She put her leg down as her sister, Jstrul materialized beside her. Here though, the green queen still had her eyes. She too gave herself a once over with Chrysalis waiting a moment before cantering forward towards the red light. “Come, sister, our time is precious.”

“It has been a long time coming,” Jstrul replied with no lack of dark glee.

The black expanse seemed unending as the pair closed in on the red glow. However, Chrysalis spotted distant faint reflections of the red light. So this prison is a giant sphere, or we’ve been shrunk down. Best not dwell on it.

Focusing ahead, a structure started to come into focus as if a camera lens was correcting itself. Black stone provided a base for steel beams and rattling chains that formed an enclosure. Fiery red and orange runes were placed sporadically on everything. The last thing to come into focus was the guest of honor: Polybia.

The two sisters stopped in their tracks once the object of their hatred came fully into view. Polybia was mostly silver, but had streaks of blood red coursing through her. In addition to the steel chains binding her struggling form were silver chains weighed down by ebony black locks. Although neither queen was all that familiar with demonic magic, let alone Grogar’s signature, the second set of chains that wrapped around Polybia’s fetlocks and wings gave both of them a vindictive smirk.

As for Polybia herself, she was pulling hard on the chains gripping her left foreleg, the one facing away from her visitors, in a vain effort to free herself. That allowed the sisters to walk almost right up to her before Polybia noticed she was no longer alone.

“Well isn’t this a fitting end,” Chrysalis sneered, jarring Polybia out of her efforts. “The self-proclaimed most sanctimonious of us all will be reduced to a succubus, a slave of lust willing to debase yourself at a moment’s notice.” Polybia tried to spit a glob of salve in her face, but none was forthcoming in this realm.

“A pity we won’t be able to see just how low you can sink in the process,” Jstrul said mockingly without even acknowledging Polybia’s wordless reply. She walked up and struck Polybia across the chin. The impact stung, but only produced a breathy groan out of Polybia. Even so, the strike produced a satisfied grin on Jstrul’s hard face.

“Is that the best you have?” The red streaks in Polybia flared, dancing around behind her eyes in a tight bundle. “Come on, Jstrul you can hit me better than that.” She turned to give Chrysalis a ‘come hither’ look. “You can join in too.”

Chrysalis scowled deeply and shoved her way in between Jstrul and Polybia, “Are you really broken that quickly?” While her power here was gravely limited and did not come easily, Chrysalis managed to summon a bit of holy magic from the Silver City and shot it in Polybia’s face. The red tangle writhed in pain before fleeing to her extremities.

The look on Polybia’s face went from sultry to shocked before settling on a hate filled snarl. “What are you doing here you miserable pus filled kelja?!”

Now that she had Polybia’s undivided attention, Chrysalis circled in front of her, purring at the sight of Polybia’s situation. “Just thought I’d see you off to Tartarus with my best wishes.”

Jstrul grabbed Polybia’s face with both hooves and shoved her muzzle in her face. “We get to have front row seats to your final damnation. Yeelindrus sends her regards.”

Polybia had enough freedom to at least wrench her head out of Jstrul’s grip and snapped at one of the hooves, forcing Jstrul to pull back. “I did them all a favor and gave them honor they’d never hope to reach otherwise.”

Chrysalis originally was going to snap at her, but then realized there was a madness in Polybia’s eyes that was much deeper than it had been in the hive, and by far more than what the mad queen possessed the last time she saw her before Grogar’s capture. Polybia continued ranting like a frothing lunatic, the red streaks worming around in her spirit flaring like fires ripping through dry grass. Her wild eyes were overly wide with an insanity that could only truly manifest in this spirit prison.

Not that Jstrul let that dissuade her from venting her heartache and rage against Polybia. At each slung insult, every excuse, and the last condemnation only disturbed her further. Polybia’s words were spewing forth so rapidly now that it was becoming unintelligible. Jstrul was unwilling to listen to a second longer of it and screamed wordless vengeance and pummeled Polybia’s face in with a barrage of flying hooves. Had it been the physical world, Polybia’s head would have been reduced to a red smear. Yet in this prison, no real harm was possible, allowing Polybia to rattle on her tirade of nonsensical venom, only serving to infuriate Jstrul even further.

Slowly, the red streaks returned to coil behind Polybia’s eyes, causing her hate filled growls to shift into one of pained pleasure. Every beating produced an excited moan, every kick was rewarded with a heated sigh, and Polybia drank in Jstrul’s cries of rage as if it were a song for her basest lust.

At that point, Chrysalis tried to pull her sister off Polybia with a telekinetic shove, only to have her magic fizzle. Assuming it was the prison’s doing, Chrysalis resorted to physically pulling her sister back. Jstrul whirled around at the restraint, ready to kick Chrysalis away for interfering. “Enough, sister! Look at her,” Chrysalis commanded, forcing Jstrul to refocus on who she had been hitting. Polybia was writhing in pleasure in her chains. She was pulling on her leg bands to cause herself pain, only to fawn over the bondage like a masochist. “You’re only pleasuring her at this point.”

Polybia started cat calling Jstrul, begging her to keep hitting her over and over, eliciting a shudder of disgust out of the sisters. The revelation did little to give Jstrul any measure of peace. “Does demonic influence really taint one so deeply with so little?”

“...It would seem so. Either that, or she just gave in after being so thoroughly trounced by Luna.”

“Or the prison itself,” Jstrul added with anger laced pain. She kicked at the ground, wishing there was a rock to punt.

“Perhaps. In either case, we’re wasting our time here.”

“…She cheated us,” Jstrul fumed as she walked away from Polybia so the future succubus queen’s catcalling would be out of earshot. Chrysalis followed soon after, and was soon taking the lead back towards the entry point. “She’s given into her corruption just so we can’t pry some vengeance out of her for our sister.”

“In her state, I wouldn’t think it impossible now that she no longer has undeath to keep it in check.”

Keeping her exterior rigidly stoic, Chrysalis walked back to the entry point with her sister in tow. No words passed between them. Jstrul seethed, vibrating her wings irritably yet silently since there was no actual air. Polybia’s sultry smutty grin taunted her mind’s eye. As for Chrysalis, Polybia frightened her more than anything else. She sarificed everything… everything to win, and just look at her now. More troubling fears sprouted up like weeds. Could that have been me, if I had found Grogar first? Dozens of close calls and near death experiences during the course of the war jumbled their way past her mind. Polybia used to be among the best of us. Admittedly the most devoted to the First Mother of us all.

Ultimately there was only one fate she could truthfully see her following had Grogar landed in her lap first. She turned back towards Polybia, and for the briefest of moments, saw herself locked in those chains. She stopped frozen in her tracks, and blinked her eyes hard. When she opened them, it was Polybia in those chains. Yet that instant was enough to send her heart hammering in her chest. At that moment, a far more grim fate danced across her mind. That she was not alone in that prison, but her sisters too. All three either locked in this cage or victorious in the war yet driven insane by the cocktail of undead and demonic power.

Would I have damned my sisters? Turned on them if they didn’t fall in line? What if they-

“Sister?” Jstrul called while briefly jostling Chrysalis’ shoulder. “Are you coming or not?” Chrysalis jolted back to the present and recoiled from her sister’s touch, catching a flash of a necrotic lich with burning demonic eyes as her sister. Jstrul took the recoil in stride, but was giving Chrysalis a concerned frown. “Forgive me, but our magic doesn’t work very well in here so I had to touch you directly. Are you alright?”

Shaking herself out of it, Chrysalis saw her sister was normal again. With a wave of her hoof she dismissed the apology. “Well enough,” Chrysalis replied with a tone that brooked no investigation.

She composed herself and spoke evenly. “Just giving Polybia one last look to see if it was all an act,” Chrysalis lied smoothly. She marched forward to the exit, passing her sister by in the process.

Jstrul knew her sister enough to know a lie when she heard one, but was unwilling to call her on it.

Upon arriving, the black floor opened up on them. They fell through the hole and suddenly snapped awake in their bodies inside Chrysalis’ throne room. The two queens needed a moment to gather their wits.

“Just as well my focus is out of that puppet,” Jstrul fumed now that she was blind again. “I’ll leave speaking with those Equestrians to you while I handle local matters.”

Chrysalis was actually going to suggest something similar. This works out nicely. I’d rather her not eavesdropping on me. “I’ll leave you to it then. I will be along later after I finish things with them.” She watched Jstrul leave the room, guided by a pair of attending seeing-eye drones. There’s more going on with Polybia than simple madness. There just has to be! A queen of her age should have resisted better than that. It doesn’t make sense otherwise. Chrysalis knew she was grasping at straws, but her shaken pride goaded her along this line of thought.

Casting her consciousness across thousands of miles, Chrysalis slid back inside her puppet at the Equestrian border. The land she left her puppet at was a one hundred foot island nestled in the middle of a vastly larger lake. It was close to a break in the Macintosh Mountains where northern rivers fed the lake, and the lake fed smaller rivers going into the southern jungle. A pair of changeling shuttles were parked right above the water with ropes staked into the grass covered ground. The vehicles were providing the only real source of illumination via four floodlights. The moon was full and the stars seemed impossibly dim for being so far away from civilization.

Twilight, Rainbow, Luna, and a few pony paladins stood near the shuttles muttering to themselves, their conversation lost to the gentle lapping of flowing water and the hum of the array. Chrysalis and Jstrul’s puppets were standing inside a blood red demonic array that had dashes of black that ran the length and breadth of the pattern that dominated the island. It was a squarish pattern that had sigils of power floating in midair that seemed to taunt Chrysalis to delve into their secrets.

For now, with little power flowing through it, the array was, in essence, idling. Grogar stood in the center of the array with the bell containing Polybia’s prison floating ten feet above him. Standing in stark contrast to the rest of the demonic array, was a patch of golden light off to the side where a single blue egg would be placed upon a white blanket when midnight arrived.

Chrysalis turned to her sister’s former puppet. She hasn’t ordered this thing back yet? “Drone, go home.”

Without a word or gesture of acknowledgement, the green drone immediately took to the air and flew south. Its ultimate fate of returning alive was of no concern to her. Upon seeing the puppets moving once again, Grogar halted his efforts in perfecting the minute details of the array to address Chrysalis. “I take it you’ve had your fill.”

Chrysalis glanced at the Equestrians. They were watching both Grogar and her puppet, but none of them were within earshot thanks to the ambient noise. “Hardly.” She turned back towards Grogar who watched her passively. “I am no expert on matters of soul magic, but something about Polybia felt…” Chrysalis fidgeted with her real forelegs trying to phrase it properly. “Incomplete. Like she wasn’t all there.”

Grogar grunted in approval. “So you noticed that did you? Most wouldn’t.” Quickly assuming what her follow up question would be, he continued. “What you likely saw was an old scar upon her spirit. My guess is right around the time she decided to steal my power. It has healed poorly.”

“Taking in your magic is that damaging?” Chrysalis asked with a growing concern that she should be much more thorough in cleansing the lands of necrotic taint, just to be on the safe side.

“Not in that respect.” Grogar waved a hoof in the air, forming a new sigil. “Something or someone ripped a large piece out of her soul sometime after I was captured. Probably a month or so ago at the very least.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes out of interest. “And that loss weakened her resolve or sanity, I take it?”

“Someone’s personality is shaped equally by brain and soul alike.”

“She did it to herself, didn’t she?” Chrysalis stated as if there was no question. “That means she is still alive somewhere else.”

“Possibly.” Grogar finished the sigil which floated away to take its place. “The fragment was torn away by a poor novice. The fragment could not survive on its own; it would need a host body and soul to latch on to. Not even a phylactery could sustain it after that kind of haphazard surgery.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re being quite generous with information.”

Ever without emotion, Grogar forced a shrug of indifference. “And what use would keeping that knowledge serve me when I am mere moments away from being reborn?”

“Point taken.” Chrysalis fumed, but let the slight go. “But who would she trust with a fragment of her soul? She didn’t exactly have any real allies-“ Just then, a flash of numerous quasi soared through Chrysalis’ mind. No… She wouldn’t actually do that, would she? Sure she was desperate back then but-

A coy grin found its way on Chrysalis’ muzzle. “I must thank you for this information. For what it’s worth to you, I’ll consider this a favor towards your new self.”

“I would…” was all he would say. Grogar turned away to finish his work, wordlessly dismissing Chrysalis. “Not that I’ll remember,” he deadpanned. The last comment actually made Chrysalis turn around and give him a puzzling look.

“And here I thought you lacked a sense of humor.”

He lowered his gaze to a section of the array, and started weaving a hoof over it to fix an error that he missed earlier. “Faking one is easy enough, I’ve found.”

Chrysalis hummed approvingly, yet before she could fly away, Grogar gestured for her to wait with a hoof. “Now that I think about it… The scar on Polybia’s spirit is jagged and deep. Likely created in haste.”

Chrysalis hesitated to respond for a moment. “Are you saying it wasn’t self-inflicted?”

“Maybe yes, maybe no.” Grogar studied the array with utmost care, and found a sigil was slightly out of place. “I’ve not the time nor inclination to find out since it does not interfere with my plan. The only thing I am sure of is that the fragment was never restored to her spirit.”

“Is that a fact?…” Chrysalis trailed off. She gave the necromancer time to work as she mulled over the information. “It seems you have given me something to distract myself with. For that, I thank you.” When Grogar only gave a curt nod in reply, Chrysalis had the puppet fly away before departing its mind. After I stabilize the hive and my daughters, I’ll get to have some entertainment in this little hunt.

The hour approached midnight when a dark inky black portal appeared in front of the array. Everyone’s eyes turned to see not a demon, but an earth pony with drab grey coloration from his eyes to his fur. His form was mostly covered in a flowy royal red cloak that spoke of immense wealth. With a toothy grin he gave a flourishing wave towards the undead ram. “Grogar, my longtime friend and ally, you’re looking a little worse for wear.” The newcomer made a point of looking up at the lich’s missing horns.

“Schadenfreude,” Grogar growled lowly. “I should have your head after the information you gave Polybia.”

With a chuckle, Schadenfreude stepped away from the closing portal to briefly survey the diagram. “It all worked out in the end, did it not?” He turned back to Grogar, “That’s why I’m standing here after all.”

With a flat scowl, Grogar stomped on the ground and pulled the tome out of the ground. “It’s all here. Now do your part.”

Blood red magic formed around an invisible horn on Schadenfreude’s head. He plucked the book away from Grogar and slid it inside his cloak without checking it. “Then this is goodbye. I will miss our long talks over coffee.”

Grogar said nothing further and stood at the center of the array patiently. Schadenfreude pulled a hoof up to his face to read the changeling-made wrist watch he had, indicating it was a minute to midnight. Both demonologist and demon looked to Rainbow Dash who was on time. She placed a single blue egg on the sanctified ground without a word and moved away from the array.

Satisfied everything was lining up, Grogar nodded to Schadenfreude. “I suppose I will miss them too. I will say that you were the only one worthy of any worthwhile conversation.”

“Perhaps we will again someday,” Schadenfreude smirked as he summoned his magic, only to get a warning glare from Grogar. “Provided your new self seeks me out first of course.” More or less satisfied, Grogar said nothing further.

Upon the stroke of midnight, Schadenfreude had enough power gathered and slammed his hooves into the edge of the array. Dark magic surged throughout the lines and sigils. Grogar pulled one last thing out of the ground: his phylactery. With a hoof glowing in demonic magic, he held the thing close to his face and whispered words of power into the decanter shaped phylactery. With the words spoken, he smashed the phylactery with his other hoof, shattering it like brittle glass.

A fully dark red mass of soul popped out and sank into Grogar’s body. “Now, Fel-weaver!”

Schadenfreude flared his magic, causing tentacles of black mana to burst forth from the sigils. Each sigil bore two tentacles, one latched onto Grogar while the other adhered itself to the bell. The tentacles pulled taut and started pulling away at Grogar’s soul. He quickly collapsed to the ground as pain seared every dead vein and artery. Scrap by horrendous scrap, the demonic taint of his soul was ripped away and sank into the prison bell.

The changelings and ponies watched in morbid fascination. Twilight was trying to understand the spell she was witnessing while Rainbow Dash could only now start believing Grogar was honest. Luna and the paladins remained unmoving though.

<You think painkillers would even work here?> Rainbow queried only half seriously.

<I’d be stunned if it did,> Twilight replied absently. She was too engrossed in the spell to do more. The array was aggressive and thorough, ripping away whole chunks of demonic essence at a time like a butcher. One particularly bright piece of red soul fragments tried to cling back into Grogar, yet that only made the tentacle grow thicker and beefier to redouble its efforts. With a meaty thwack that sent a wave of nausea across the group, the piece of demon soul was snapped off and deposited into the bell. <This is insane. I know he warned us he’d not survive outside of a new body, but I’m beginning to believe he won’t survive period!>

After a long and grueling half hour, the last scraps of red taint were dredged from Grogar’s limp form. Luna barely caught the sight of dead milky eyes when the red glow burned out. The bell by contrast was a beacon of demonic energy, radiating power like an angry sun.

Without missing a beat, Schadenfreude ripped at the ground under his hooves and heaved it at Grogar’s body. The impact broke the tentacles away. Stepping up to his old friend, Schadenfreude took a porcelain bowl and acted as if he was going to scoop ice cream out of Grogar’s body. The bowl passed through him as if he wasn’t real. Yet what he scooped out was very real: a soul. It was a tiny thing, barely enough to hold itself together outside of a vessel. Yet that would not last long if a new one wasn’t found soon. “So this is what you’ve reduced yourself to. A few motes of light.”

With the bowl carefully kept upright, Schadenfreude walked over to the egg. He had to squint to keep the gentle golden light from blinding him. Refraining from using any magic of his own, Schadenfreude picked up the egg and carefully laid it to rest inside the bowl. He placed it back down into the patch of holy ground and backed off towards the center of the array. From there he thrust a hoof towards the bell. The object raced towards him and vanished inside his cloak. With his task complete, he pulled some herbs out of his cloak and threw them across the ground. The traces of demonic magic in the array were sucked into the herbs until there was little more than dried flaking blood on the ground. Once he was satisfied, he departed the array to join the witnesses.

He bowed at the royalty before speaking. “Your highnesses, the deed is done. Give it a minute or two and what’s left of Grogar will be fused with the egg.”

Luna gestured at the paladins who moved to start purging the remains of the demonic array and sanctifying the island. Just in case. “Did he survive the process?”

“Oh yes, I was quite meticulous.” Schadenfreude flicked a grin and a spark in his eyes. “Any flicker of demon essence thin enough to escape me will soon be expunged by the patch of holy dirt back there.”

“Very well,” Luna suppressed a sigh. “You may take your leave.”

“As you wish, Princess. But I have to ask,” Schadenfreude added right as he bowed out of respect. He faced Rainbow Dash in particular. “I’m very curious about what you will do with that egg. From what I understand, none of you are bound by any contract to keep it alive… aside from that Kreesus character I’ve heard so much about.”

Twilight shared a brief conversation with her sister over the Link before addressing the demonologist. “Information like that doesn’t come for free.”

Schadenfreude belted out a hearty laugh that did little to provoke humor in the others around him. “Good to see you are a mare of understanding. How about I consider it a small favor? As far as I’m concerned, Grogar is dead, so any of his enemies will be told the same thing should they come asking.”

Satisfied with his answer, Rainbow Dash heaved a heavy sigh and looked at her distant egg. Uncertainty creased her brow, trepidation formed a slight frown, and no small amount of fear held her tongue for a few moments. “I think we’re going to leave the egg in stasis for a bit. Can’t do it for more than a week or she’ll end up with birth defects, but that should buy us time to get her a counterpart before hatching.”

“And think of a new name,” Twilight added cryptically. Along with putting the egg into a royal incubator, she mused to herself, not willing to offer that information.

“I see,” Schadenfreude replied with a little disappointment. “Well, this is when I must bid you adieu. I have work to do and a schedule to keep.” He bowed once more as the ground beneath him became inky black in a circle around him. Everyone shifted away a couple of steps as the grinning demonologist sank into the portal. “I do enjoy our little chats. Don’t be a stranger, your highnesses.”

As quickly as it had appeared, the black portal closed behind him. A whiff of black magic danced upon the wind before being extinguished by Luna. “If it is all the same to you, I’m up for going home.”

In the middle of Canterlot, Pear Butter and Paintbrush were in a panic. The room above the brothel was dimmed, save for the fading sunlight peeking from behind the curtains. Stopwatch was still in a cocoon under the bed. Paintbrush was holding onto a shaking water mug trying to get his thoughts straight while Pear was pacing back and forth speaking rapidly and couldn’t stop her tail and wings from twitching on their own accord.

“What are we going to do!? If Night Light takes the princess to Ponyville that means Twilight Sparkle is going to discover what she is!” Pear stopped pacing as it was not helping the pounding migraine causing the spots in her eyes to worsen.

“W-well what do you want me to do about it!?” Paint Brush cried in frustration. “Ah don’t know anything about disguise magic, Ah just do it!” He tried to stomp his hoof, only for him to lose his balance and topple over.

Pear Butter was sluggish to try and help him back up as she struggled to maintain balance with her tail acting erratically. He managed to get up without her. “What is wrong with us?” he groaned through clenched teeth as as spike of pain lanced through his already bad migraine.

For a few moments, Pear Butter felt her thoughts grind to a halt and stood there in a sort of limbo before the world started moving again. Her thoughts turned to anger, “I bet it was our oh so beloved queen!” She cast a spiteful eye at the cocoon. “She wanted us to die after we secured the princess’ safety. We’re loose ends.”

“Ah don’t believe that,” Paint Brush growled while giving her a stink eye of his own. “We’re her guardians, remember?”

“We’re not needed anymore,” Pear countered heatedly. “She has the Sparkle family now!”

“And what if something happens to them before she’s grown?” Paint Brush shot back defensively.

“Well why don’t we let Stopwatch settle the matter?” Pear jabbed a hoof at the cocoon with gritted teeth. “Oh wait, she’s safe and sound in her little shell until we end up dying. The princess only needs one outsider for protection and it won’t be us!”

“Y-you’re wrong!” Paint Brush cried with mounting desperation at his failing body. “She - she needs us…”

Both quasi sank to a sitting position as fatigue drained away at them. Pear Butter could do little outside of cursing Polybia’s name. As if to mock her, a loud crack resounded from the cocoon. Both quasi turned to see a jagged horn briefly poke out of the waxy shell followed by a hoof. “Well now here wakes up our replacement.”

“Maybe she can help us,” Paint Brush replied with forced optimism. Both of them summoned the strength to walk over and lend feeble aid to free Stopwatch of her cocoon.

She was in the middle of hacking up cocoon fluid as the others plopped back down and short of breath. Paint Brush sighed in overt relief while Pear Butter was far more distrusting. “Finally you’re awake. I half expected ta have ta move yur egg before somepony came look’n,” he said with a chuckle.

Pear Butter studied Stopwatch for any changes, and was confused when she saw no noticeable changes from a standard drone. “Any idea why you were in there to begin with?” she started, not wanting to tip her hoof just yet. That filly would be better off without SW watching over. Ah think I can still kill her with what magic Ah have left.

Stopwatch finished clearing her lungs and gulped air down while holding up a hoof to stop any more questions. She finally opened her eyes to reveal the normal blue glow was gone, with normal round pupils staring back at the two quasi. “The queen’s last will was to give us independence.” Her breathing started to normalize, allowing her to stumble onto the bed to recover. “At least that was the last thing I think she told me before forcing me into a cocoon.”

In a mechanical, almost preprogrammed in her movement, Stopwatch climbed to her hooves and tapped the side of her horn on both quasi’s foreheads. Neither of them had the wits to question or stop her. It was like a switch being flipped, the two quasi felt strength returning to their bodies, the migraines let up and the pain was receding. Pear Butter took the first deep breath she had all day. It was invigorating how nice it felt.

Paint Brush’s hope and good cheer surged right along side his recovering health. He pounded his chest and relished the pow that was restored to him. “Like an ox!” He tipped his painter’s hat at Stopwatch. “Thank ye kindly for that.” He shot a smug look at Pear Butter who pointedly avoided his gaze.

As soon as it had happened, Stopwatch’s personality reactivated and she blinked away the stupor she found herself in. “W-what just happened?” With her thoughts returning, she could hear two voices in her head, one male, the other female. Their words were as quiet as a whisper and were unintelligible. Bewilderment struck home as she knew what those voices meant, It’s Pear and Paint’s voices! But that would mean-

By contrast, neither quasi could hear any voice inside their head except for their own. With Paint Brush lording over Pear Butter with a mountain of smug satisfaction, the mare pouted in silence, freeing Paintbrush up to speak with Stopwatch. “Much obliged, ma’am. Ah knew the queen wouldn’t abandon us. She used you to reconnect us to her, I take it.”

“No… you’re only connected to me.” That put a halt to both quasi’s mood. “Our queen is - is dead.” The enormity of what she just said struck Stopwatch like a freight train. Her whole life, her world, her existence had been for her queen. And now Polybia was gone. Feared as she might have been, the hole in Stopwatch’s heart made her clam up. Tears flooded her eyes, her lips quivered terribly, and her wings vibrated in a pallor hum. It was all she could do to keep from wailing her heartache in front of the two quasi. “P-please, leave me. I need to be alone.”

The realization that she was now truly without a queen nearly sent Stopwatch over the emotional edge. It was only the quasi’s presence that made her keep some measure of composure. Paint Brush couldn’t help but to get caught up in mutual grief, but Pear Butter felt nothing but satisfaction in the news that all of them were freed from Polybia’s influence once and for all. “You can grieve all you need later. Right now the princess is in danger.”

Had Pear given any other reason for her curt, if hollow-ringing sympathetic tone, Stopwatch would have screamed at her to leave. So instead, she allowed her voice to be colored by shaky emotion. “How?”

Pear Butter’s own fully sized insectoid wings buzzed irritably. “Word has it that Grogar’s been killed and that Twilight is set to return to Phoenix Roost within the hour. Right as I was goin’ off the clock for the night, I saw Night Light was packing a suitcase, and planning on takin’ the princess to meet her new sister. He’s only waiting for Azure Sky to get off work to take the next train together. Which means-“ Pear Butter lifted up a hoof to glance at her wristwatch. “Just to make thin’s worse, he’s insistin’ that Ah meet with Queen Twilight herself. Saying ‘she’ll want to know who Stellar’s foalsitter is’. Ah’ve got two hours before I’m expected back at the manor.”

Paint Brush leaned on the situation like a crutch to keep himself emotionally steady. “We think Twilight or at least one of the other changelings might see past PB and the princess’ disguise and discover what they truly are.”

It took Stopwatch a moment to remember casting the original disguise spell on the princess. “But the queen specially crafted it to be subtle enough to fool someone of Twilight Sparkle’s caliber.”

Paint Brush shook his head. “Last Ah checked, that spell was only meant for a foal that Twilight might have seen in passin’, not remain close to her for hours or days on end as a family member. Ah ain’t will’n to risk that.”

“And Ah don’t think Ah could fool her either,” Pear added with heavy concern of her own. “What with bein’ the foalsitter ‘n all. She’d splat me like a bug and then might double check on the princess.”

The risk to the princess gave Stopwatch enough motivation to swallow her grief, but not all that effectively. “I’m just an infiltrator posing as a prostitute,” she hissed in a sorrowful rage, “what would I know about-“ Stopwatch blinked as information she never had before raced across her mind in flashes. Details on changeling magic, quasi creation, and many others that were far above her pay grade.

The pain of having so much information so quickly was mitigated by integrating it into the molting phase. “I - wait. I think I can help with that.” Mitigated or not, the new information was in a jumble that nauseated her to sift through. “G-give me one of those necklaces on the desk over there.”

Paint Brush was quick to do as requested while Pear Butter grew suspicious of the sudden seemingly unrelated request. She decided to keep her peace due to curiosity and being in a hurry. Once Paint Brush handed over a cheap gold colored necklace, Stopwatch’s horn lit up with a shaky green light. The necklace started to shine in a mirrored green light, and it took over ten minutes for the enchantment to solidify. At the end, Stopwatch was shuddering from both her emotional control fraying at the edges, and the spellwork being heavily taxing. “There. That, that should keep her disguise from being sniffed out. Put it on her for ten minutes and it should last a few days. I’ll have to make a more permanent one later.”

“Will it work for me too?” Pear asked with lessened hostility while accepting the jewelry. “Ah’m probably goin’ ta have to follow the family down to Ponyville.”

“It should, I think. Just keep the necklace on you at all times.” Stopwatch laid down on the bed and covered her head with the pillow. “Can you two leave me alone now? I really need to be-” she didn’t finish as the emotional warble in her voice threatened to break out into a full out sob. When neither farmer didn’t jump to leave, she curled up into a fetal position. “Just get out of here!”

Paintbrush was quick to tug Pear Butter’s foreleg and try to gently direct her to the door. “Sure thin’, Stop. You just get yourself sorted out, and we’ll take care of the princess.”

Two days after Grogar’s ritual, Phoenix Roost was abuzz with the return of their queens. As the Long Shot pulled into dock, Twilight and Rainbow waved at the changelings crowding every square inch of the dockyard and many more in the air. The flight deck had every available crewmember standing at attention. Luna received equal praise from her perch atop the Steamrunner as it pulled into an adjacent dock, although it was largely from the resident imperial thestrals over the changelings. Mostly because the changelings were too busy going after their mothers first.

As soon as the docking clamps secured the carrier in place, the civilian changelings swarmed over the ship to bear hug their reunited siblings. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were spared the brunt of the swarm only because they were glomped by Aegis and Blitz respectively before anyone else could reach them. Aegis was covered in eight nymphs clinging to her mane and tail.

Aegis full on knocked Twilight down in her mad rush to be first and all but choked her with a crushing bear hug. “You’re finally back! I missed you so freak’n much you like, can’t believe!”

“Maybe, but I can imagine,” Twilight giggled as she hugged Aegis right back. The nymphs swarmed over both purple queens, giggling and laughing the whole time. Twilight pulled her head away from Aegis’ side to look at one of the nymphs trying to grab onto her snout. It took her a brief moment to realize the nymph was not linked directly to her, but to Aegis instead. “These wouldn’t happen to be grandkids now would they?” Twilight snatched the nymph up and let it join in the hug on the floor with many others trying to join in. Many of them had clumsy hands grabbing and pulling on hair and fur alike.

“That they would!” Aegis squealed with unbridled glee and pride. Aegis climbed off of Twilight and scooped up as many nymphs as she could hold in her arms and nuzzled all of them, making the kids giggle madly. Aegis relished the unique flavor of a child’s love for their mother that was only ever matched by Twilight’s love for her. It was enough to bring Aegis to tears. <Thank you for letting me become a queen.>

<And a fine queen you have become, my dear.> Twilight didn’t need her empathy to see how utterly content Aegis was, for she was all too familiar with that particular feeling.

By now, quite the number of drones had reached them and started dog piling into a massive hug of purple, all but pushing Aegis out of the way to squash their queen.

Aegis had to gingerly pull the remaining nymphs out from under the pile with her magic. “Guuys! Watch the nymphs!”

Barely ten feet away, Rainbow Dash and Blitz were being squashed in a dog pile of their own that was getting rather cramped thanks to the wall and railing of the Long Shot’s balcony. However much she wanted to bask in the love of her brood, Rainbow Dash kept her tone somber. <Everyone, let’s back up and have a celebration later this week.>

The tone of her announcement caused all of the jubilant changelings to take a step back. Blitz and the other royals stayed on the balcony while the others took to the air. Rainbow Dash sent word down to the crew of both ships. <While we may have had our Day of Mourning on the way back, the ships are carrying the remains of both changeling and pony alike. Let’s see the ponies safely returned to Equestria before we start our victory party.>

The finality and dour tone of the command sent most of the drones away while others helped the crew remove the coffins. Content to leave that effort in Rainbow’s hooves, Twilight waved Blitz to come over and join both her and Aegis. “I hope you two have been good while we’ve been gone.”

“I’ve managed to keep Miss Burnanator here in check,” she deadpanned getting an eye roll out of Aegis. “But I’ve been working on some big projects.” Blitz hopped up onto her back legs and shifted her front hooves into hands to start counting off points with each finger. “I requisitioned Engineering Team Fowler to start working on a larger deforestation machine to make clearing land for Tradewinds quicker, I got together with a few prominent business ponies and surveyors to see how we can get water based shipping along the rivers started almost as soon as the hive is ready for manufacturing, and then there-“

Aegis stood up and leaned heavily onto Blitz, interrupting her and distracting her with the nymphs playing at their hooves. “Long story short, we haven’t been sitting on our duffs twiddling our thumbs.”

“Twiddling your thumbs?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s a sphinx saying,” Blitz explained while waggling her thumbs to draw Twilight’s attention to them. “It means what you think it means.”

“Ah. Well, okay. At any rate, I look forward to going over everything with you both. Now that this nasty business in the jungle is calming down, we can focus on breaking ground for Tradewinds.”

Twilight was about to elaborate on that when a call came in. <My queen, pardon me for the intrusion, but I have some news for you.>

Twilight made a cutting gesture at Aegis and Blitz to let them know she was distracted. It also gave her time to place the voice as one of the guards she had tactfully stationed at her father’s manor in Canterlot. The guard had a muffled giggle in his voice as if he was trying to conceal a secret. <Something wrong?>

<Not at all, my queen. But Granddad has a family announcement that he wanted to tell you in person,> he stressed heavily. <He wanted to take a train to Ponyville, but canceled when I told him your pony friends were visiting Rarity who is in town at the moment.>

Twilight projected her humored bemusement over the link. <And what pray tell does he want to show me?>

The guard tried to clamp his mind shut to keep her from sifting through the memories, not that he could stop her, only delay her for a few minutes. <Uh uh! Big secret, and I promised I wouldn’t tell. Just get over here, you’ll love it.>

Twilight couldn’t help but to give off a snorting snicker. <Well I certainly can’t say no to that now can I? Let him know I’ll take the Steamrunner over shortly.> That’ll keep Luna from having to take a carriage back to the castle.

<Sis, Move the pony coffins to the Steamrunner, I’m needed at Canterlot.> Twilight went on to tell Rainbow the short version of her conversation with the guard.

<That’s cool, just bring back some curry from Little Griffinstone. I’m getting a craving something fierce!>

<You got it.> Twilight refocused on the two freshly minted full queens in front of her. “Sorry, girls, it looks like I’m needed at Canterlot for a bit. We’ll go over the details of your plan in a Linkscape, deal?”

Blitz nodded with a surge of giddiness. “That’s perfect! I’ll be able to better visualize all the plans!” She was quick to thrust her face into Aegis’ own. “You’re coming with me. We need a quiet place to start forming the Linkscape.”

“Why me? It’s your plans.”

Blitz pecked a kiss on Aegis’ snout. “Because, silly, just because you’re military that doesn’t mean you get to pass on civic planning. Now let’s tally ho!”

With a cheer, Blitz leapt into the air to fly to her favorite quiet place: the library. “Gauuh, you always do this!” Aegis gathered up all her nymphs and had the perfect excuse to make a detour to the nursery.

That left Twilight standing there alone after Rainbow flew off to personally oversee the care of the coffins. Now what exactly would daddy be able to keep secret? A warm yet highly intrigued smile crossed her lips. I do love a good mystery.

It was only now that the jubilant crowds cleared away after Rainbow’s announcement had time to filter through when Twilight noticed Cadista standing on the flight deck near the conning tower.

Movement further astern drew Twilight’s attention to Thunderfury and Rasua chatting away. Refocusing on her mother, Twilight floated down to greet her. “I have to say, momma, I don’t know how you survived down south for so long.”

“A stiff upper lip, and no small amount of grit.” Cadista gave a stiff hug due to the public setting and ended it quickly. “I’m glad you took my advice in physically removing yourselves from combat. I fear it was a lesson your daughter had to learn firsthoof.”

Ah, she means that skirmish from the Steamrunner’s maiden voyage. “It was eye opening for Rainbow in particular, not that she’ll admit it.”

“Admission is not required, only taking the lesson to heart.” Cadista nodded her head towards the distant lights of Ponyville and took to the air. “Given my… retirement, I wanted to attend a spa in Ponyville. Would you care to join me tomorrow after things settle down?”

“I’d love to, but my father wants me to personally come up to Canterlot right away.”

Cadista tilted her head and paused in her flight. Since she hadn’t gone far, Twilight simply walked over instead of flying up. “Judging by your tone, it doesn’t sound disastrous.”

“I certainly don’t think so,” Twilight replied with a thinly veiled smirk. “Given how my father talked Hidden Blade, the guard I assigned to him, into keeping me in the dark, I’d wager it is rather good news.”

Cadista brushed the underside of her chin with her eyes going out of focus as she thought. “That mare, Azure Sky, was it? You think it might have something to do with her then?”

“Oh I have no doubt she’s involved. A little fast for a marriage proposal though,” Twilight commented with mounting interest in the exact news.

“Well, whatever the case may be, I look forward from hearing about it from you later. We can share the news over one of those mud baths I’ve heard so much about.”

Twilight had the mental image of Cadista laying in a mud bath with oversized cucumber slices and started snickering behind a hoof. All the while having the spa twins filing her hooves and horn. she said over the Link since she couldn’t trust her voice at the moment.

No amount of polite hiding behind a hoof could stop Cadista from reading Twilight’s emotional aura, but it was the thought that counted. As such, Cadista took a more inquisitive than offended posure. “You can’t see me… How did she put it? ‘put a whole new luster in my coat’?”

“I took you for more of a sauna person myself,” Twilight chuckled and tried to wave off her growing laughter.

“Yes, well a few lifetimes of work and rulership, some respite in these twilight years is called for. Don’t you think?”

Twilight Sparkle’s good mood fell rapidly, but she kept it buoyed for Cadista’s sake. “I certainly believe so.”

It was midafternoon when Twilight glided down in front of the Sparkle Manor. There was a ceremony scheduled to honor the fallen ponies in the next two days, so she arrived alone at the gates. Standing at the marble colored guard shack behind the gate was a unicorn royal guard stallion in a private security uniform. However, it was his holstered pistol and jubilant emotional aura that gave him away as one of Twilight’s sons in disguise.

“Queen Twilight Sparkle, good to see you again!” he said cheerfully as the false-unicorn pressed a button to slide the gate open. “Word has it the war went poorly for the Royal Navy. Went worse for the baddies.”

Without needing to turn around, Twilight could sense several nobles walking along the streets, with many well within earshot. Playing her part, Twilight nodded in gratitude. “It could have been better, yes. But at least the worst part is over.”

“Glad to hear it.” The guard swept a hoof towards the manor. “The master is expecting you.”

“So I hear,” Twilight quipped with an intrigued grin.

It was not long before Twilight made her way past the yard and knocked on the front door. After a minute or so, the large mahogany doors yawned open to reveal an old brown earth stallion who had a growing number of grey hairs in his mane and several more on his face. “Mister Pranceston,” Twilight said with a friendly grin, “have I ever told you that you age well?”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, young miss,” he sighed like a tired old stallion. “You cannot know how stressed your father gets every time you go off to fight some threat to the world.” He waved her inside, allowing Twilight to cross the threshold. “I’m barely an inch from convincing him to take up yoga lessons.”

The idea caused Twilight to halt a step. “Not a bad idea, Mister Pranceston, I could use a destresser often enough myself. Where’s daddy and this surprise he has for me?”

“In the lounge with Miss Azure Skies.”

Twilight put two and two together and replied in a sing song voice, “Looks like somepony’s getting marrrried!”

She trotted off towards the lounge leaving Pranceston behind her. She never had a chance to witness the mild grin he allowed himself. Truly a worthy sight lost to the history books.

The bright hallways were awash with natural light. Twilight cantered through the halls to find the lounge doors wide open. At the end of her travel, she stopped at the last corner at the unmistakable sound of a foal squealing with laughter. Taking the final steps, Twilight emerged into the lounge to find quite the fascinating discovery waiting for her.

Her father was lying on the floor with a little purplish blue giggling filly in a diaper balanced on his hooves as the aging stallion bounced her up and down like a pogo stick. Azure Sky was sitting close by ready to catch the filly in her magic if Night Light slipped.

“Ready? One, two, three!” Night Light yelled before he thrust all four legs up, sending the squealing filly three feet into the air, laughing maniacally all the while. She flailed her little legs and flipped around. Azure Sky caught her in her magic and spun her back around and placed the filly back on Night Light’s hooves for another round.

The filly babbled in her happy high pitched voice, squirming for him to do it again.

“Hello, everypony,” Twilight announced as she walked in. Night Light cradled the happily giggling filly in his magic before depositing her on his back. “Who’s this little ball of fun?” Twilight cooed as she strutted inside with bounce in her step. With no care to play the part of the regal mother, Twilight indulged herself in a little childishness. “Is she your daughter, Azure Sky?”

“I can’t claim that honor,” Azure Skies replied with a friendly wave of her hoof.

With a ‘here goes nothing’ forcibly wide smile, Night Light trotted up to meet Twilight halfway. “I adopted her just two weeks ago.” Twilight’s eyes dilated as far as they could go, making Night Light try to hurry his next words out. “And being the family mare you are, I figured you’d want to adopt little Stellar Drift here as a new little sister.”

He presented the dark furred and bright amber eyed filly up to Twilight’s face. Stellar Drift’s giggle died away into a state of stark awe as the little faux-unicorn was utterly mesmerized by Twilight’s reptilian eyes. Stellar was completely silent as she drank in the sight of the comparatively massive queen’s face.

Twilight was too busy getting so caught up in cuteness-induced diabetes to realize how peculiar the filly’s behavior was. “Awww, she’s adorable!” With the practice of thousands of nymphs beforehand, Twilight gracefully snatched the little filly out of the air and cradled her in a hoof. “You weren’t having empty nest problems were you, daddy? All you had to do was ask and I’d have sent some nymphs over to live with you.”

The dotting and cooing from Twilight, who was already producing minute bits of love for Stellar Drift caused the filly to snap back to the present and start babbling and clinging on her new older sister with an enthusiasm that surpassed the clinginess Night Light expected of her.

Night Light sighed in relief at how quickly Twilight and Stellar were talking to each other. You old fool, worrying like that. Thinking Twilly would actually get mad at having more family. “Wellll, I know you would,” Night chuckled as Azure Sky slipped in for a light hug on him. “But my grandkids grow up a bit too fast if you ask me. Although. Truth be told, I wasn’t planning on adoption originally.” Twilight twisted both ears his way to show she was listening even as she blew on Stellar’s belly. “But poor Lady Ginger Slice suffered a horrible miscarriage recently.”

Both Azure Sky and Twilight’s good humor died in an instant as he continued the tale. “Her husband wanted to have a friendly get together to cheer her up as it usually would, but Ginger got into the wine a bit too early.”

“I have to give her credit,” Azure Sky added in while Night Light took a breath. “She’s not the worst drunk I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’d be any better in her shoes at a time like that.”

“How terrible,” Twilight offered morosely. Mother of thousands that she was, the occasional failed egg happened on from time to time. “Please give her my condolences.”

Night Light bowed his head with a thin smile. “She’ll appreciate that I’m sure. As for the get together, Ginger took a turn for the worse when little Stellar here,” he said while caressing the filly’s cheek. The dark maned foal cooed softly. “Appeared on the manor’s doorstep with a note effectively saying the foal’s mother couldn’t support her any more.”

Azure Sky shook her head at the memory of it all. “Ginger snapped like a dried twig in a drought. She started carrying on accusing changelings of poisoning her unborn child and trying to push Stellar Drift as a replacement.” The middle aged unicorn mare placed a light kiss on Night’s cheek. “Not your brood of course, but the other queens out there. Ginger lost her faculties enough to the point where she told us all to cast the pony imposter to the street. That’s when your father stepped up and claimed the filly as his own.”

“Admittedly after we did the appropriate scans to make sure she was in fact a unicorn,” Night commented with a wave of a hoof. “Otherwise we’d have passed her along to you sooner.”

Twilight’s ears flattened out of sympathy. “In that case I wonder if condolences might be taken the wrong way coming from me.” The tale made Twilight look at Stellar Drift in a new light. “Are you a changeling, little one?” Twilight asked in baby talk, producing even more squealing out of the rambunctious little unicorn. Twilight placed Stellar Drift on her back, to which the filly proceeded to run up into Twilight’s mane and nestled into the hair. “Well let me see if you are.”

“Just be careful with her, Twilly,” Night Light cautioned. “The doctor at the get-together warned us that anti-disguise magic could be very harmful to children.”

That was the first Twilight had ever heard of that being an issue, and forced her to give pause to what she was about to do. “That’s right… All unmasking spells are based off the one I used during the Invasion of Canterlot, and it did cause those changelings to become highly disoriented. Probably in more pain than I cared to notice at the time.”

Azure Sky hummed in dour agreement. “The doctor tried his hardest to remind everypony of that.” She gave Stellar Drift a concerned frown. “The poor dear started crying from the pain after Lady Ginger got too aggressive with her spellwork. Took ten minutes to calm her down after we stopped Ginger.”

Night Light placed a hoof on Azure’s shoulder with a silent frown that begged her to not speak ill of others. Not that it worked. Twilight hummed in contemplation after pointedly removing her attention from the couple’s silent argument, and refocused on Stellar Drift. The purplish blue furred filly had wrapped herself in Twilight’s mane and was taking a nap. Her little chest rising and falling only served to make Twilight’s heart melt like chocolate on a blistering summer day. Yet more importantly to her, she could feel the filly’s love radiating out like a little sun lamp. Amazing. We’ve only just met and she loves me that quickly? And here I thought only nymphs did that. But then again… if Pinkie Pie and my other friends have shown me anything, it's that pony foals can come in all shapes and sizes.

The line of thought gave Twilight enough incentive to scan the filly ever so gently. The spell couldn’t unmask anything, but she was looking for any subtle telltale signs of disguise magic that would give her away. A charm here, discrete suggestion, tactile force fields that felt like fur, and a myriad of other small cogs that went into a disguise. However, due to Stellar’s age, Twilight checked herself by using only passive observation rather than direct scanning. A minute or so of searching revealed many leaking strands of mana. Well that at least is normal for unicorn foals before they learn mana control. All the disguises I’ve seen so far make it a point to avoid leaking of any kind. Nothing feels like changeling magic, just normal pony magic. Above it all though, it was the free flowing love gave Twilight more information, but not quite enough to silence her nagging inquisitiveness. She gave one last check to sense any psionic activity from the foal, but felt nothing beyond what was normal for foals.

Now I’m just being paranoid. I’m not going to turn into my mother over an innocent foal. Especially one as sweet as this one. Sighing deeply to purge herself of that dark thought, Twilight imagined she was restarting her mind like she would an engine and made sure to shift the transmission far away from suspicion. “I wouldn’t worry so much, daddy.”

She turned to the side and carefully laid down on her belly so they could see Stellar Drift sleeping. “As far as I can tell, Little Stellar here is a cute as a button unicorn.”

Night Light had a fatherly grin cleave his face as he knelt down to nuzzle her adopted daughter. “Well there’s a stamp of approval you can bank on.” Stellar Drift fidgeted in her sleep at her father’s touch before circling deeper into Twilight’s mane. “I think Aegis has competition for your number one fan.”

Giggling bubbled out among the group with Twilight wondering what sort of person her new sister would turn out to be. An archmage, a researcher, or maybe even an engineer if I can spark that fire in her. “You have to let me bring her down to PR some time.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Azure Sky agreed with a giddy smile. “Oh how I’ve been wanting to visit that city of yours for months, but work and life always kept me too busy to go.”

“Well first she needs to visit the pediatrician,” Night Light cautioned before either mare could get too excited. “We don’t know what her original parents could give her or if she might have some childhood disease we don’t know about yet. Not to mention she needs her immunization shots. So until the appointment this coming Saturday, she’s better off staying here for now.”

Twilight was about to offer the services of one of her hive’s doctors, but she held her tongue. No, I should let daddy take care of things. He knows a thing or two about raising a good kid, she mused with no small amount of pride in her pony family. “Alright, daddy, you win. Just let me know when you want to travel down. I have got to see Stellar’s face when she rides an airship for the first time.” She could already picture the look of abject wonder on the filly’s face. Oh I am going to spoil the ever living daylights out of you! Visions of books, engineering schematics, scientific journals, math equations upon miles of chalk boards, and magic study all danced inside her head. Those daydreams found Twilight teaching Stellar Drift all she knew and a filly eager to consume vast quantities of knowledge so large that the royal archives would be but a pittance. Oh I can’t wait!!

Outside in the hallway and looking into the lounge, Pear Butter was sweating bullets at the sight of Twilight Sparkle. She was nervously grinding her teeth with her ears splayed flat. Okay, so it worked for the princess. But Ah’m an adult. She ain’t goin’ ta have such reservations probin’ me willy nilly.

Pear Butter started backing away. Like they always say, ‘discretion is the better part of valor.’ With that, Pear Butter turned around to make herself scarce when Murphy’s Law came knocking.

“There you are, Miss Pear Butter, come here!” Night Light called out before she could slip out of sight. “You have to meet my eldest daughter.”

Giving the biggest scared grin that could possibly fit on a pony’s mouth, Pear Butter turned about face. “Be right there!” she sing songed.

Trying to force her faux-grin into a more normal appearance, Pear Butter at least managed to canter forward without raising some eyebrows. As she approached, Twilight stood up to her full height with Stellar Drift snug as a bug on her back. “H-hello your majesty. As - uh - as ya might’ve heard, Ah’m Pear Butter. Ah’ll be little Stellar’s foalsitter.”

Twilight quickly caught on to Pear’s intensely nervous aura, and gave a sidelong smile while offering a hoof. “No need to be so formal, especially since you’re practically family. Call me whatever you like.”

“Ah thank ya,” Pear replied with venting relief that she wasn’t under a magical microscope yet. “B-but Ah…”

“-don’t deal with royalty very often?” Twilight offered with a knowing smirk. Pear Butter clamped her mouth shut and nodded briskly, and shook the offered hoof as delicately as she could for fear of causing insult. Twilight let go of the shake so she could giggle politely behind the same hoof. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Miss Butter. I assume my father’s already cleared you,” she asked while turning towards Night Light. “When the old stallion nodded, it was all Twilight needed to see. At that, Twilight could sense Pear’s emotional aura shift to express gratitude and hope that the trembling mare hid behind a curtain of uncertain fear. “Your accent though-” Twilight started, jarring Pear out of a mental stupor, “I’ve heard that a lot from the Apple family. You wouldn’t happen to be related by chance, would you?”

“The Apples?” Pear half-asked. “Ah’ve heard of them, but not much else Ah’m afraid.”

Twilight hummed casually to keep the tension low. As far as I know, the Apples have family in just about every town that sports that kind of accent. I suppose it’s possible she’s from some other town… “So what brought you to Canterlot?”

Pear Butter’s teeth started chittering. “Ahh, well, ya see, Ah needed a new place to live. Living out in the boonies wasn’t sitten with me anymore.” Pear started to gain a little more confidence in her half-truth. “So mah momma told me Canterlot was the place ta be.”

That produced an interested eyebrow lift out of Twilight and she scrunched her mouth to one side. “That reminds me a lot about how my friend Applejack got her cutie mark-” The instant the name ‘Applejack’ left her lips, Pear Butter went stock still as if the world was stretching out into infinity.

Twilight noticed the mare went comatose almost immediately. Yet before she could press another question, Night Light stepped forward and placed a hoof on his daughter’s shoulder, an act he had to rear up to accomplish. “Let’s not grill the mare on the spot, Twilly, that’s hardly good manners.”

The use of the words ‘grill’’ and ‘hardly good manners’ set off alarm bells in Twilight’s head. He said the same thing when I used to ask Pranceston about his time before being our butler. Seeing that inquiring further without getting to know Pear Butter further would only upset both her and Night Light, Twilight waved her hoof. “My apologies. Sometimes I get too inquisitive for my own good.” I can always ask later.

Seeing that Twilight understood his meaning, Night light watched Pear Butter visibly calm down with a few deep breaths. “Why don’t the five of us go out for dinner? Get to know each other in a better setting?”

Staying a whole dinner right next to the one mare that could unmask me with a thought!? Pear Butter gulped hard and let off a shaky laugh. “Sounds great, Ah was just about to suggest gettin’ the little filly some dinner any how.”

Azure Sky stepped past the group at a slow canter. “Then it’s settled. I could die for some curry right now.”

Twilight snickered at being reminded of her sister. “You wouldn’t be the only one.”

Right as Twilight turned around to discuss details about selecting a restaurant, Pear Butter gingerly sidestepped so she would slip back into Twilight’s peripheral vision. “Begging your pardon, your highness, but when we’re there, could you tell me more about this Applejack friend a’ yours? Ah feel like it’s familiar, but Ah can’t place it.”

“I would be happy to,” Twilight replied with a friendly tone. And that might let me find out more about my sister’s foalsitter.

High up in the wintery peaks of northern Equestria, a solitary gothic styled structure clung to the mountain side. Snow caked everything, save for the windows. By all appearances, the hundred meter long facility looked at peace, with only a few chimneys giving any constant clue that life stirred within.

A heavy metal door overseeing a somewhat narrow plaza groaned open. A single unicorn mare stood at the lip of the doorway. Despite the frigid climate, she wore only threadbare boots. Her hooves trembled from more than just the cold. The morning light spilling over the feral clouds casting shafts of light that illuminated the catwalk leading towards an open air train station.

Those light shafts seemed to beckon to the off-white furred mare, calling her away from this place. With a nervous first step, Velvet Sparkle left Arkmare Asylum and walked back into the world. Held tightly in her magic and against her chest was an oak scroll case. Once fully outside, a gust of wind tore through the air, threatening to snatch the case from her, yet Velvet redoubled her grip with a terrified zeal. When the wind died down again, she blinked away the frost on her face and finally took the yawning landscape below in for the first time. Winter was harsh, yet stunningly beautiful with untouched snow as far as the eye could see. A single plume of smoke revealed the existence of a train headed up the side of the mountain.

“Glad to see you take your first steps back into the light,” sad an elderly yet strong voice behind her. Velvet turn back to see her savior: Doctor Arvatus. The grecian sphinx had a heavy winter coat wrapped snuggly around him. “You should really put on a coat.”

Velvet gave a thread thin smile, yet her sullen face bore a deep scar of forlornness. “No thank you, doctor. I need to feel this cold unfiltered. This is but a fraction of what I did to Twill-” Velvet stopped herself with a hitch. I don’t have the right to use that pet name anymore. Blinking back frozen tears, Velvet shivered where she stood. “Of what I did to Twilight for so long.”

Even with her reasoning, it went against Arvatus’ honor to stand idle. “Be that as it may,” He pulled the spare jacket she had forsaken off his back and presented it to her. “But penance comes in many forms. Try to at least keep yourself from catching a cold.”

Velvet’s gaze lowered out of guilt. A guilt that she had locked away behind madness and mental gymnastics. “I - I’ll put it on once I get on the train. Would that be acceptable?”

Giving a half smile, Arvatus nodded in wordless response. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’ve crested the hill, Velvet Sparkle. The worst is over for you.”

Velvet wanted to look south towards Equestria, but the mountain was in the way, so she had to pretend the panoramic permafrost plains in front of her was the right direction. “I have to face my family, my princesses, and the public. How is that not harder?”

Since Velvet was reluctant to take the coat and coin pouch, Arvatus padded over and draped them over her snow covered back. “Because we are always our own worst enemies. I can not say the path before you will be a smooth one, if anything it will be rougher than you can imagine.” He patted the jacket just to make sure it wouldn’t slide off. “But I believe in you, Miss Velvet.” She shared a look with him, searching for comfort in his old eyes to which he was glad to share. “You can do what you need to do, once you set your mind to it.”

I can at least try. The train whistle howled over the wind, signaling it was nearly at the station. Velvet breathed deeply and let off a long shuddering sigh. “Twilight, my dear,” she said for the world to hear, “I may never redeem myself in your eyes, but I will try until my last breath.”

Steeling herself and feeling a burst of warmth against the snow, Twilight Velvet stormed across the catwalk towards the train. She ignored the cold, fought the wind trying to blow her off the catwalk, and more or less kept the ice from making her slip.

Staying near the warm promise of the door, Arvatus watched her leave with hope bringing a tear to his craggy eyes. “Oh Great and Welcoming Queen Twilight Sparkle,” his whispered almost in prayer, “This humble servant wishes you well, and I hope my efforts will bring you comfort, or at least some… closure.”

Author's Notes:
And so ends the reformation and the great culling. Who's up for some chinese?
As stated previously, there is at least 1 more sequel left, but it will be SoL without any planned BBEG or disasters of cliche size. And have no fear, i did not forget Lyra, i am simply saving her for the sequel.
Until next time, have a good one!
P.S. The chapter title is a reference to something outside of the fandom. super bonus points to anyone who figures it out. I may give a hint later It is an admittedly very obscure reference. I wanted to use Grogar's new name instead of Twidash, but my editor convinced me it wouldn't fit currently.

1: Rebirthday

2: Changeling Politics 101

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3: So Much for Solidarity

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4: Four Queens, Rogue High

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5: The Demonologist

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6: Contingency

7: The Wheels in Motion

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8: The Home Front

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9: Not at All According to Plan

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10: Needs More Twilight Sparkle

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11: Wounded Mind

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12: The Last Night in Safe Harbor

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13: Skirmish Above the Ruins

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14: Of Heroines and Reality

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Hives: The Next Generation (bonus)

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15: Mission Impossaling

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Bonus: Paper Medium for the Purpose of Literary Preservation and Distribution

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16: Of Queens and Predictably Clever Equestrians

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17: Battle and Proto-Queens Don't Mix

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18: Turbulent Wind

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19: Fighting One's Pride

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20: Showing One's Hand... or Hoof

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20.5: Meet the Troops

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21: A Deal Once Struck...

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22: For Whom the Bell Tolls

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23: A Deal With the Devil

24: The Noose Tightens

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25: The Trapdoor Falls Away

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26: Things To Come

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27: One Last Gasp

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28: The Age of Twidash Has Begun

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