It has been a week since my agents began looking for evidence to the traitor, and the army was currently a few miles out from the Crystal Empire, and myself, Fleur, Silver, the princesses, Chrysalis, and the rest of the command staff were in an insulated tent. "I am certain all of you know why we are here," I said to the assembled group. In addition to those I named, there is Redheart and two stallions. One is named Shadow Striker- a unicorn wearing heavy armor, and is the leader of the Guerrilla ops. The other is Specter- a pegasus wearing scout armor, who is my second in command for my battalion but also the lead logistics officer. "If you don't, I shall say it: there is a traitor in our midst."

"How?" Specter asked. "I thought that wave you did cleansed any and all mind fuckery."

I nodded. "It does," I confirmed. "But it does nothing to those who would agree without it," I said. "That is why any red collars are either sent back to the main hive, or are offered something to help us without alerting the enemy. But that is besides the point," I said as I brought my hand up above the table we were around, revealing documents not burned by dragon fire. "These here are troop movements for the main host, as well as locations of changeling infiltrators, and only a few have access to it, myself included."

"And no, he is not the spy, for you all wondering," Fleur said. "I did a lie detection spell on him earlier as he answered questions, as well as Silver, and Chrysalis me. We are clear."

"So, then, who is it?" Striker asked.

"Before we get there, I want to build dramatics and make you all guess. I'm an asshole like that," I said. "You see, one of my sources reports letters being sent toward Canterlot via dragon flame transmission, an easy spell to learn if you know what to do, and all here do. However, the color is much different for whoever uses it. That is why, when Spike the Dragon did so, it was green, because his flame was green. The flames my spies have reported are yellow. However, they also detected traces of an unknown magic, only that it was one recently deactivated."

"And this has to do with it how?" Chrysalis said.

"Simple," I said as I flung the documents onto the table, revealing them to be unwritten letters, with Celestia's signature at the bottom. "The spell used was a mind control one used by Celestia to ensure her sisters slash lovers did not know of this. Every letter has details found only in the troop deployment records and such."

"But that's impossible!" Celestia screamed. "Why would I do that when I want to free my subjects?"

"I do not know," I said as I nodded to Fleur, who lit her horn, a blue aura appearing around Celestia's neck before a red collar did. "You tell me, traitor. I will give you this one chance: surrender, and be sent back to the Hive to be Gunne's fucktoy, which a red like you will most certainly enjoy, or fight and die, potentially killing others." Under my helmet smiled. So far, so good. And Shadow agrees with that small grin. Even better.

A few seconds passed, with those with horns lighting them, Nightmare and Luna doing so apprehensively, before Celestia sighed. "I do not know what flase information has been fed to you, Mau'ual," she said. "But if it will protect my- no, your subjects as they trust you more than I- subjects, I will surrender, even though I am innocent."

I nodded. "I had hoped for that. Luna, Nightmare, take her to the Carriage cells," I said. "I will come tomorrow night. If you tell me why you remain loyal to Dainn, I may go easy on you." Celestia remained silent for a time before she nodded, and was led out by her sisters.

"And with that, what do we do with the Empire?" Shadow asked. "The battle plan hinged on every alicorn, including the whorse, being involved. Without that, we may as well be switched."

"Leave that to me," I said. "Anywho, that is it. I shall see you all tomorrow night," I said before leaving. Once outside I turned right, and encountered a changeling.

"Continue?" she asked.

"Yes," I reply. "They do not suspect," I said, to which she nodded before going invisible. "This is why I enjoy strategy games," I muttered to myself. "You play smart and tactical, and you can fuck over the enemy without them knowing until they're bleeding."

That night-3rd person-carriage cells

Celestia, wearing only a bra and panties, sat in a cell alone, a magic nullifies on her horn and non-painful wing binders to prevent her from flying up, turning herself upside down, and dropping on her head. Her legs were tucked in, head in her knees and arms wrapped around her legs as she sobbed at th efact she was considered a traitor.

She had been like this for the past two hours when she heard hoofsteps outside and a voice say, "The Valus wanted me to interrogate her, and it done in private," to those guarding her.

There wasn't a reply, but a few seconds later, two bodies could be heard hitting the ground just before the shutter on the cell door opened, and Celestia, her eyes bloodshot, looked to see Shadow Striker. "What do you want?" she asked. "Want to make me prove I'm a traitor by giving you a lap dance? That isn't going to happen."

"Oh, I know," Shadow said, the smirk evident in his voice. "After all, how can you be guilty when you weren't even awake?" Before Celestia could express her confusion, Shadow's horn glowed a dark yellow, and the same aura was around Celestia's head. "Now, when you awaken, you will be a red collared slut who is loyal to Dainn because he gave you the best fuck in your life and under him, you no longer had to deal with nobles unless they fucked you, and enjoyed being under them for once. Am I understood?"

"Yes, master," Celestia said in a monotone voice.

"And if you so much as think of trying to say no to this upon waking, the entire camp knows of "your" betrayal, and will gladly kill you if given a chance."

"All but one," a deeper voice said from the shadows before Mau'ual walked out from the shadows. "Did you honestly think I was that stupid?" he asked. "If Celestia was a traitor, I would know, as I am in contact with Harmony herself, and she can see inside the heads of those who have her powers, and the alicorns fit. Even if not, why would Celestia betray us when she was hit by the pulse and scanned by the changelings when she first reached the Hive." He chuckled. "Of course, you wouldn't know that, would you, agent Blossomforth."

Shadow snarled. "So, you know."

"What do you think?" Mau'ual replied. "It was clever, I admit, using a mare's name for you, but an idiot would see it only as that," he said. "Oh, and that spell you're using? It isn't Caribou magic that Silver's forces taught or you accidentally found. It's changeling magic. That book you found three days ago? Planted by my agents, and you are using it when I know no pony knows how to use changeling magic. The fact you can? Well, you just screwed the pooch." He then snapped, and ten changeling mares, each with a bow drawn and an arrow pointed at the unicorn traitor, became visible. "I set a trap, and you fell for it."

Shadow chuckled. "Well, if you think you have my entire plan figured out, why not explain it," he said with a confident smile.

"Gladly," the Valus replied. "Your plan was to use mind control on the Princesses to report to whoever your handler is while being invisible yourself to avoid being seen while you guided Celestia's hand to write your report. That way, any who would find evidence would assume Celestia was the agent." The smirk vanished. "Kill him. I need nothing from him."

The changeling females nodded, and, using magic to ensure he couldn't move, let loose their arrows, making him a pincushion. Once he fell dead, Mau'ual said to them, "None must know of what happened. If any ask, Celestia was able to remove the nullifier ring and kill him as she escaped and knocked out her two guard. If Chrysalis asks, tell her it is something of my plans."

"Sir," they ten said quietly before vanishing.

With that, the Cabal went over to Celestia's makeshift cell, and opened the door with a key from his belt and, channeling his power from Harmony, snapped his fingers, removing the spell over the solar alicorn, who shook her head before looking at him. "Mau'ual? What are you doing here?"

"Killing the one who was controlling you and freeing you," he replied. "Harmony, she needs armor, or something a little more modest."

A second later, light armor was on Celestia's body. "I don't see how this helps," she said.

"Simple," the Valus replied. "Harmony says we will need allies, and she wants you to help find them, both in this dimension and others. Where I am her champion, you will be her avatar, and she already has a few dimensions in mind for you. Trust me, this is the only way you won't be crucified by those here."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yes. If you worry about being here for the battle, Harmony says temporal fracture will work. Meaning time will flow at a different speed in those dimensions than here, so you need not worry."

Celestia was silent for a time. "If it'll help," she said, nodding.

The nod was returned. "Then I will see you at a later date," Mau'ual said before Celestia vanished in a flash of light.

Mau'ual inhaled before saying. "And so thus doth hell begin."

Author's Notes:

How I love flipping expectations. Seriously, I wanted you all to think it was Celestia.