After getting a decent amount of sleep, Solaris was busy looking over the map, his eyes glued on location where his final test is held. While planning out how he was going to get there, Trill, Pinkie, the young CMC, excluding Apple Seed, and the alicorn met up at Sugarcube Corner for breakfast. They ate in silence, the young fillies and colt still upset from the horrible news yesterday.

He looked up at his cousins, seeing the worried looks on their faces as they ate. After Apple Seed blew up on him after realizing his mother had been dead for the last couple weeks, Solaris was afraid the others were going to put in their few bits on how horrible he was. But after yesterday, when the group huddled around him for comfort, it didn't seem like it on the outside, but his anxiety made him fear what they were thinking on the inside.

"...So..." Solaris got their attention, unsure of what he should say. "...Uhh...You guys doing alright?" He was met with awkward silence, making him even more nervous. "...I mean, after hearing...you know...I..." Sighing, he gave up, not helping matters with the young ponies. "I'm making this worse..."

"At least you're not rambling like a pointless lecture on something nopony cares about," Trill commented, earning a glare from the alicorn. "I mean, I love chocolate, and he began telling me about the history of Hearts and Hooves Day. Where does that even fit in with my guilty pleasure?"

That got a little laugh out of the foals, though Solaris wasn't amused.

"I don't give a lecture on everything," he said.

"Equestria was founded by the legendary Bigfoot, where ponies worshiped his gigantic feet, which smelled like oatmeal raisins and gave good luck if anypony licked his smelly toes!" Solaris's eye twitched, but he wasn't going to fall for the disguised mare's game, which only made the CMC laugh more, mostly at Trill's illogical historic tale. "Then, after it rained gallons upon gallons of maple syrup, the entire world was flooded in sticky tree sap, until the unicorns decided to create the biggest pancake in the world, absorbing all of the syrup and turning it into a giant castle, which then turned to stone after nopony ate the edible building for a thousand years."

Solaris's face grew more red with each illiterate detail Trill described. He grew too frustrated and snapped after she held some pancakes in front of him, making a crude tepee out of three of the warm, fluffy flapjacks.

"Equestria was founded by the three pony tribes thousands of years ago before the princesses even came into power!" Solaris shouted, slapping the pancakes away from him as he began to rant, getting closer and closer in Trill's face with each detail. "The three tribes, separated by their own races, feuded with each other, causing spiritual equines called Windigos to bring an everlasting blizzard that threatened to destroy the land they lived in! Each of the tribes' leaders, along with their associates, sought out better land away from the snowstorms, only to meet up with the rival tribes and began fighting again, trapping them in a cave where their fighting only got worse! The leaders freeze from the Windigos' feeding off their hatred, and their associates saved them and the land by befriending each other, creating a flame in the shape of a heart that drove the spirits away, thus creating the holiday Hearths Warming and the leaders combining their tribes together, and founding Equestria!

"And the castle was first built where the Everfree Forest grows today, built in the honor of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna turning Discord to stone and appointing the alicorn sisters as their rulers! There's no such thing as a creature called 'Bigfoot', it can't rain maple syrup unless Discord was actually involved, but he was a statue, and nopony can make a pancake the size of the world! Learn to read about major historic events instead of making up nonsensical babble that can poison youthful minds and make them ignorant to their history and livelihood!"

Solaris panted heavily, finishing his angry rant as his snout was pressed firmly against Trill's. She was smirking as he calmed himself down, the fillies and colt nearly ready to burst out laughing, proving the changeling's point at his little peeve. Pinkie and the Cakes were staring at Solaris after hearing him randomly yelling, and with all their eyes on him, he blushed heavily, slowly sinking back in his seat.

"See? He even gets annoyed if I butcher useless history." Solaris grumbled and the foals all fell out of their seats, laughing at the alicorn's embarrassment. While they were too busy laughing and the adults got back to their conversation, Trill gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "I'm just messing with you. Learn to laugh a little at a made up story."

"...I take my studies seriously, including history..." Solaris muttered.

Though he didn't show it, he was glad to see his cousins' young minds steered away from the loss of their mothers, excluding Cherry. It would be better to have them see him off with a smile, but without Apple Seed with the others, it wouldn't be the same. And if they do travel to Solaris's final trial, they'll have to avoid the trains for the time being, no telling if Lucifer was told that he was still alive.

After eating breakfast and gathering the supplies they needed, they arrived at the east exit to Ponyville, the direction where the wastelands laid miles away from the peaceful town. While Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh were there to see the small group off, Apple Seed was nowhere to be seen. It would be for the best if the colt still hated him, even if Solaris really wanted to try to make him feel better. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came along as well, though the pegasus didn't seem to get much sleep from the bags under her eyes.

While Pinkie said good-bye to the adults, telling them of her possible fate once they reach the last location of Solaris's tests last night, Solaris said his good-byes to the young CMC.

"Well, wish me luck, guys," Solaris said.

"I don't think you'll need it, Solly," Prism said. "When you meet that jerk king of ours after this last test of yours, kick him in the plot for me."

"I'll try." Prism looked up at him, her eyes darting around to her friends in nervousness.

She quickly hugged his foreleg, then let go, pretending nothing happened. Solaris shook his head from Prism trying to hide her sensitive side, pulling the filly in a hug, which she eventually accepted. After she pulled away, Butterscotch walked up to him and hugged his foreleg tightly.

"Please end this war soon. None of the animals don't like the fighting," the pegasus colt said.

"It'll end soon. Count on it." He rubbed Butterscotch's head, the colt letting him go as Gemstone was up next.

"Promise us you'll come back when it's over?" the unicorn filly asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Solaris said as he did the motions of the Pinkie Promise.

She smiled, ushering him with her hoof to lean closer. The alicorn blushed as he was given a kiss on the cheek by the filly, followed by her hooves wrapped tightly around his neck as she nuzzled him. He looked at Trill, giving him a look saying she told him so, and she was right about Gemstone harboring a small crush on him. Solaris nuzzled her back, the filly letting go and joining the two pegasi. When he looked at Cherry, she was smiling, but her eyes showed sadness.

She walked up to him and wrapped her hooves tightly around him, Solaris hugging her back. "I'll throw you the biggest party I can make when you win."

"I would like that very much, Cherry." Cherry let go after nearly a minute of them hugging in silence. He looked down at his surrogate cousins, wishing Apple Seed could see him off, but didn't want to cause a fight. "Can you guys tell Apple Seed I'll make everything better once this is over...and that I'm sorry?"

"Yeah. We'll tell him," Prism said while the others nodded.

After saying good-bye, Pinkie and Cherry sharing one last moment together, Solaris, his remaining aunt, and his disguised changeling marefriend set off to the wastelands. From the town up to their destination, it would take them a few days to reach the area on hoof, but it was safer than taking any form of transportation for the time being.

After a long day of walking, traversing through fields and forests, the sun had already set and the moon high in the sky. They set up camp in a nearby forest, kept hidden from any Shadow Knights that might wind up marching along the path to search for them or other members of the Resistance. Solaris wondered if Gale and Gilda were alright, but he didn't need to worry too much, being more experienced in combat. Gale could single-handedly destroy an infantry group of a hundred soldiers on his own and not get a single scratch on him.

While Pinkie and Trill were asleep, Solaris was still wide awake, looking into the campfire he had set up, its green glow lighting the area around him. Not feeling tired, he decided to rummage through his saddlebags to find something that could preoccupy him that was not his dirty magazine he stupidly brought along. While digging around, he pulled out an envelope, something he knew he didn't pack. On the front, it said "Please Read", with drawings in crayon of him and the CMC with different colored balloons decorated around them. Curious, he opened it and pulled out a letter, reading it to himself.

Hi, Solly. I'm sure you know who gave you this letter, but I wanted to make sure you know what I wanted to say, but couldn't in front of the others.

I just want you to know that none of us will ever hate you. Apple Seed is upset, but he doesn't mean anything he said or did to you. What happened to their moms were just accidents. And...I know I'm going to lose my mommy too. But I won't blame you at all, even if you couldn't try.

You're hurting just as much as we are, maybe even more, and we understand. All our moms are heroes, having saved Equestria several times before we were born. They were in so much danger in the past, all their luck had to run out sometime...And mommy's is coming soon, unfortunately.

It'll be hard for all of us, but I'll do everything I can to do what mommy does best: make ponies smile when they really need it. Please be strong, even if it hurts. We're all here for you, even your changeling marefriend of yours. Gemmy's not gonna like it when she finds out that other mare is your lover, and you might have a little marefriend competition when she turns into an adult. Cat fights! Rawr! Hee hee.

Don't lose yourself in the sadness, and try to look forward to your happiness. We'll all cheer you on, even Apple Seed.

Lots of hugs,

Cherry Pie

P.S.: If you're wondering how I know everything I wasn't supposed to know, I read the previous pages of the story, though mommy left out some of the darker parts for my sake.

P.P.S.: You know the drill. Don't question mine or mommy's ways.

After reading Cherry's letter, Solaris couldn't help but smile. Of course, he knew never to question Pinkie Pie, or Cherry. She would always find some way to make him grin or laugh, and her heartfelt words were enough of a reassurance to him and his fears on their thoughts. He gently put the letter back in the envelope, placing it back in his bags.

"I shouldn't have worried after all. I think I'll need a long vacation once this is all over, just unwind, relax, and enjoy myself." He looked up at the sky, the stars gleaming down from above along with the full moon, his smile turning upside down as he sighed. "I just hope Apple Seed can forgive me..."

He eventually fell to sleep, his conscience slightly cleared thanks to Cherry's youthful wisdom. Unknown to him, in the cover of the foliage, there were a couple pairs of blue eyes staring at the campsite, watching them as they slept in the warmth of the fire.

For the next few days, the group of three continued on their way without any trouble, finally reaching the border of the wastelands. The land was barren of any vegetation, with small mountains spread out across the land, each one about as tall as a city's average sized apartment buildings. They continued walking along the dead earth, Solaris leading Pinkie and Trill as he looked at the map.

"Hmm...This place seems...familiar," Trill said, looking around at the different mountains in the distance.

"Have you been here before?" Pinkie asked.

"I think so..." The changeling princess froze, sensing something around them, and it was something familiar. Worried, she quickly walked next to Solaris, looking at the map. "Uhh, Solly? Are we getting closer to where your last test thing is at?"

"Well, if my calculations are correct on our location right now..." Solaris looked around, his eyes resting on a larger mountain a half mile away from where they were standing. "I think it's over at that mountain over there."

"...Oh no..." Trill said, her gaze fixated on the mountain. "It's there?"

"Yes...why?" Solaris asked, starting to get worried at his marefriend's sudden anxiousness.

"...That's my hive..." she said.

"What?" Suddenly, Pinkie was knocked unconscious by a blast of green magic, falling to the ground. "Aunt Pinkie!?"

Solaris didn't react in time as another beam shot at him, sending him into unconsciousness as well. From behind boulders or discarding their camouflage with their transformative magic, dozens of changelings rushed toward them, many covering Trill in a defensive stance while the others made sure Pinkie and Solaris were knocked out.

"You two, alert the queen and tell her the princess is safe," one of the changelings said, being the commander of the large group. The two he commanded saluted as they flew off to the mountain to bring the news to their queen. "Princess Trill, your mother is absolutely furious. You better have a good reason for cutting yourself off from the hive mind aside from the thousands of thoughts from your subjects."

"What are you going to do to them?" Trill asked the leader as the remaining changelings coated the unconscious ponies with their magic ooze, one of them making sure to nullify Solaris's horn to keep him from using his magic to escape.

"They're going to be held prisoner. Maybe we can get a decent meal out of these two," he said.

"Oh no you don't! Not my coltfriend and his aunt!" Trill ordered, making the soldiers look at the princess in shock.

"...What?" the leader asked, unsure if he heard the young royal's words right.

"You heard me. That alicorn is my lover, which you knocked out." Trill began receiving distasteful hisses from the experienced soldier changelings.

"You have a lot of explaining to do once we escort you back to her royal highness." Trill had no choice as she was forced along, Solaris and Pinkie carried off by two of the strongest in the group.

"So does mom..." she uttered under her breath.

Solaris groaned, feeling his head spin as he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed after waking to full consciousness was that he wasn't outside. It looked like he was inside of a cavern, the room he was in dimmed in a fluorescent green glow that came from magical gems embedded in the walls. There was a cell door made of earth that was his only means of leaving, two changeling guards standing at attention on the others side.

There was no sign of Pinkie or Trill, the former in another cell in what he believed was the hive and the latter elsewhere. He felt a sticky substance on his horn, green ooze hardened around his appendage and sealing his magic with its magical properties. Along with the lack of magic, his armor was taken from him as well.

"Well, at least they're smart enough to render me helpless...if I had a blunt or sharp weapon." Solaris approached the earthly cell door, testing its strength, catching the attention of the guards. They glared at him with blue eyes, their figures far different than Trill's. Where she had hair and seemed to look like a normal pony, and where they had similar features, their horns were smaller and curved upward. "Hey, where did you put my armor?"

"Silence, prisoner," one of the guards said. "We're ordered to keep you held here until the queen allows you her presence."

"And you have the nerve to corrupt our princess," the other guard said, hissing angrily. "Our future queen, falling for a pony. We'll make sure you're punished harshly for putting those thoughts in her head."

"Where is Trill?" Solaris asked, backing away as a spear was thrust through the cell.

"Keep quiet!" They turned back into position, unaware of the growing anger on the alicorn's face.

"...Fine. If you won't tell me-" Solaris set his hooves aflame, the sudden heat catching the changelings' attention. Before they were able to stop him, the teen slammed through the cell, knocking it and the guards, rendering them unconscious. -"I'll find her myself."

Using his fire, he burnt off the magical binding ooze from his horn, freeing his ability to use magic. While looking around the dungeon of the hive, Solaris managed to find his armor laying nearby, quickly putting them back on while being alert for more guards, knowing somepony was going to check on the noise. He looked through each of the cells, but found no sign of Pinkie Pie, hoping she was alright and navigated his way around the caverns.

Solaris had no clue where he was going. While avoiding patrolling changelings, at least a hundred guards, he either kept reaching a dead end or wound up in the same hallway.

"Ok, I should have stayed in the cell like a good prisoner. I am completely lost." Solaris walked down another similar looking corridor, freezing at the entrance as he had made a wrong turn. There were hundreds of changelings, in a larger room compared to the others he walked past, all of them looking in his direction in silence. "...Uhh, wrong turn?"

"The prisoner's escaping! Get him!" The changelings lunged at him while Solaris quickly fled back down the corridor to find the right exit.

No matter which way he went, there were more changelings waiting for him, whether they were soldiers or workers, however he believed the hive's social status is determined, they were one step ahead of him. Even if it seemed like they were easy to knock out, Solaris knew he was vastly outnumbered and they would overwhelm him if he lost too much stamina. He managed to escape the never-ending maze of corridors and found stairs leading up, running out into a much open area.

He gasped as he saw how massive the hive was compared to the dungeons he was constantly running around in. There was a lot of space, where many changelings were seen flying around to different locations in the hive, young and old. Along the walls were caverns that either led to individual homes or passages outside of the massive cavern. And in the center of the space was what looked like a castle made out of the mountain, where the royals of the colony reside.

"There he is!" Solaris snapped out of his awe, remembering he was escaping and flew off to the castle. "He's trying to reach the queen! Stop him!"

Soon, many changelings began chasing after him, the echoing sound of buzzing growing louder as they were gaining on him. Solaris rammed through a blockade of guards, trying to stop him from entering the castle, quickly flying through each room to find Trill, if she was being held inside.

"Why the hay is there no map that can help me when I need it most!?" Quickly flying into a room, he hid inside as he heard the buzzing hoard chasing after him go down the hallway. Staying quiet for a moment longer, not hearing them come back, he breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped the highly dangerous mob. "That was close."

When he got a better look at the room he wound up in, his eyes widened as he saw it was filled with eggs in gallons of the same green ooze that was on his horn. Solaris figured he might have entered a sort of storage room to incubate changeling eggs until they hatched. Unfortunately, today was hatching day as he heard the sound of several eggs cracking in the goop, tiny hooves and heads breaking out of the shells and squirming out of the gelatinous secretion.

As the hatchlings escaped from the goop, he heard them making little insect noises, some of them licking off the ooze on their bodies. In a weird way, Solaris found them to be really cute, not as gross as Trill described the process to be. They all opened their eyes, looking up at the alicorn, having no clue if they would imprint him as their father. He hoped that wasn't the case.

"...Uhh, hiya, little guys..." Their little blue eyes just kept staring at him, some of them tilting their heads, trying to examine what he might be. After a few minutes of awkward silence, they all screeched and lunged at him, sending the alicorn stumbling out of the room with about a dozen changeling babies swarming him. "AHH! Hey, get off! I don't want to hurt you-OW! Hey, my ear is not a chew toy!"

Their tiny wings buzzed around him as they began to nip him wherever they latched onto him. Solaris had no clue if they were playing or they were attacking, but he didn't want to hurt any of them.

"He's got the new hatchlings!" Solaris managed to pry one off his muzzle, noticing the same mob chasing him earlier having come back. "Let go of them, prisoner!"

They began to get closer, and he couldn't fly off without getting the changeling foals hurt. Looking at the one he was currently holding onto, he winced as he was about to do something he was going to hate himself for. "Sorry, little buddy." Clutching the foal with one hoof, he held out his other hoof, lighting it on fire. The flames scared the infants as they scattered away from him, terrifying the one he was holding hostage as he brought his hoof closer. "Don't any of you move, or the hatchling gets incinerated!"

The group stopped where they were, none of them daring to move while some of them picked up the frightened hatchlings. As much as his family had despised the changelings for being heartless, love-sucking monsters, it was a big difference seeing them fearing the safety of their young. They even seemed afraid of him being able to control fire by his own will, and not by his horn. It broke the teen's heart to hear the foal he was holding captive whimper in fright, but he needed to find Pinkie and Trill, and if he had to scare a baby changeling to death to keep from getting caught, he had no choice.

"Don't hurt her." Solaris looked at the infant, surprised and horrified to know it was a filly he was holding up when the changelings all seemed to look alike. "We'll do whatever you wish. Just don't harm the little one."

"...I-I...I'm looking for somepony you're holding captive, and I'm searching for your princess," Solaris said, keeping his composure while trying not to let go of the trembling infant out of sympathy. "The pony is a pink earth pony, her mane is similar in color and really poofy, like a cloud, or cotton candy. Is she here in your hive?"

"She's being held in a containment pod, to absorb the love energy she has inside of her," one of them answered, being one of the hive's guards. "We can't let you see the princess, by the queen's orders. We will free the mare, but we will not give you the queen's daughter."

"...Then take me to your queen," Solaris demanded.

"B-But-" the guard reached out, only to stop when Solaris held the flame closer to the infant. "No! Don't kill my daughter! Please! We'll do anything!"

Solaris's breath caught in his throat as he heard the guard. He looked at the changeling filly, seeing her reaching out to him in fear. He thought that the incubation room he ran into was meant for royal eggs laid by the queen, but seeing all the newborns having fled into what appeared to be their parents' hooves, he was wrong. He wasn't really going to harm the changeling, but knowing that this was actually one of the drones' children nearly shattered his heart. They thought he would actually kill a baby, and Solaris would never do such a thing to anything that was just recently born.

He moved his hoof away, keeping it lit as he looked at the terrified father. "...Take me to your queen, release my aunt, and I will let your daughter go. Understand?"

"Yes. Of course. I'll show you to the throne room...I'll escort the queen once I take you there." The other changelings made a path, staying as far as they could from Solaris as he hovered past them so he wouldn't hurt the hatchling.

As he followed the guard down the halls, some of the guards flew off to bring Pinkie Pie to him, giving into his demands for the foal's life. He was finally lead to the throne room doors, the guard opening the wooden doors, allowing the alicorn inside. It wasn't as big as the throne room in the Crystal Empire, but Solaris could see the throne, crafted out of obsidian, on the other side of the room. Standing in the center of the room, he waited patiently as the guard stood near the doorway, greatly worried for his daughter's safety. He began making chirping noises to try and calm her down, the teen wishing he could let the baby go sooner rather than after completing his hostage negotiations.

Ten minutes later, the soldiers carried a large green cocoon created from solidified ooze, with Pinkie Pie resting inside. The father stabbed through it with his horn, slicing it open and letting the unconscious mare slide out onto the floor. She began coughing heavily, hacking up the disgusting liquid she had inhaled while inside of her prison.

"Ugh...That was not good gelatin..." Pinkie got up, breathing fresh air, spotting Solaris with the baby changeling in his hoof. "Solly? What's going on?...Did I miss something?"

"Aunt Pinkie, just get over here. We're not exactly safe." She looked behind her, now noticing the large group of changelings watching them. She shakily walked over to Solaris, her body still recovering from whatever effects the cocoon had on her while stealing her energy. "Now, bring the queen to me, and I'll give you my word."

The father nodded, quickly running off to find the queen while the others watched to make sure he didn't do anything. Pinkie put two and two together, gasping in shock at what Solaris was doing.

"Are you seriously holding a baby hostage? What is wrong with you!?" Pinkie exclaimed.

"I didn't want to do this," Solaris said, looking down at the trembling infant, feeling like a monster for terrifying her like this. "I was trying to find you and Trill, and I was being chased."

"You could have just fought them. You have power that could have rivaled Applejack's bucking strength," Pinkie retorted.

"There's a thousand of them, and they would have gotten me once I got tired." Pinkie was about to speak, but Solaris beat her before she could even ask. "And yes, there were exactly one thousand changelings chasing me. I counted."

"Who dares to interrupt me while I was in the middle of something important!?" Solaris and Pinkie froze as they heard what sounded like the hive's queen. The changelings stepped aside and bowed as she walked past them, revealing herself to the alicorn and earth pony. Solaris was now in the presence of the queen, Chrysalis, Trill's mother. She was twice as tall as he was, her horn longer and sharper, and the strange thing to him was that she could have actually passed as Trill's older sister. Chrysalis spotted the frightened hatchling in his grasp, leering at him. "...How dare you hold a youngling hostage, just to summon me from an important matter?"

"I had no choice," Solaris said.

"...Let her go..." He did so, extinguishing his hoof and gently lowering the changeling infant down. The instant he let go, the foal skittered to her father, quickly held tightly in his embrace as he comforted her. "Now that you have my attention, what is it you want?"

"I want to see Trill," Solaris said, getting a frustrated snort from the queen.

"I will not permit you to see my daughter," Chrysalis said. "For the past few hours since bringing her back, she kept talking nonsense about you and her in a romantic relationship." She gagged, the thought of falling in love sickening to her. "Whatever you did to her, I suggest you fix your spell on her before I have to deal with you myself."

"It's true, though," Solaris said. "I didn't do anything to her. We both love each other unconditionally. No manipulation, no spells, real love." That made many of the changelings hiss in disgust, even Chrysalis looked like she was going to be sick. "I was told by your daughter that falling in love with another species was considered taboo for changelings, yet there's no reason why that is. Do you know, your highness?"

"It is a rule known by every changeling for thousands of years, since our existence!" she yelled. "We changelings consume love, and to obtain it, we either disguise ourselves as our victim's lover, close friend, or relative, consuming their energy from under their noses, or through drastic measures, absorbing their love from magical containment pods. We don't FEEL love, we eat it!

"Trill keeps telling me she was able to consume as much as she wanted from you and never go hungry again. She knows better than to ever fall for somepony and become their prey, especially to you." Chrysalis pointed at him, glaring more intensely. "Whatever you did to make her think these heinous thoughts, you will pay for corrupting her."

"I didn't do anything to her!" Solaris said, marching closer to the ignorant queen. "Trill has been traveling with me and my family around Equestria, searching out the locations of my trials to defeat Lucifer!" Her eyes widened as he mentioned the unicorn tyrant. "I've gone through a lot of pain, losing my family one by one after each test I passed, and she's been there for me! If I never met her in the Everfree Forest, then I would have wound up lost and eventually killed. If she never came with me, I would have been constantly berating myself for failing to protect my family from their deaths, and I still do even after she told me they were all just mere coincidences!

"Without her in my life, I would have lost the will to keep going and complete what I was set to accomplish; saving Equestria, including your hive, from Lucifer's wrath!" Solaris hovered in the air as he was inches away from Chrysalis, setting his hooves on fire and surprising the changelings watching them. "Trill told me you're all suffering because Lucifer continuously instills fear in everypony in the kingdom, making it difficult for you to even feed your subjects and yourself. I grew to love your daughter every day, even with her constantly annoying me. I needed her in my life to help me avoid constantly suffering in psychological torment from having my family dying left and right.

"I admitted my feelings for her, and I saw her as a pony." The queen's jaw dropped slightly as he heard Solaris's words. "I didn't see her as a monster, or a freak, or a love-stealing succubus. To me, from being around her, changelings are just ponies who look different, and live a different lifestyle than other creatures. I got to learn about what you all are, what you all favor, and how you all have been living all your lives. I was interested in what Trill was, and I fell in love with her because she was there for me when I was lost. I admitted my feelings to her when she told me that she wasn't what I called her on our day together in the Crystal Empire; beautiful.

"I kissed her, and she kissed me. We both felt a spark, meaning we were meant to be together, and we both discovered something about our love. She was able to feed off of my love to her, without exhausting me of energy and causing me to become lethargic. She absorbed my love, and there were no repercussions for me." The changelings soon muttered, unsure if they should believe the alicorn or not. Chrysalis was utterly speechless, never leaving her gaze off the teen. "If you bring Trill down here and we prove it to you and everypony that it does work, we might be able to work out a deal once Lucifer has been dealt with. If you won't, then I won't hesitate to fight through you all to leave with her."

The whole room was silent, but Solaris meant what he said if Chrysalis won't listen to him. A moment later, the changeling queen began to laugh, confusing the alicorn.

"Really? You find us interesting, after being subjected to prejudice by Equestria by our appearance?" Chrysalis's wings buzzed, hovering up to Solaris's level as she smirked at him. "Tell me. What exactly is it about us that you see in me interests you? Is it my insect-like body, hard as a shell and not as squishy as your own skin? The holes in our legs and wings? Or maybe it's the fangs I show when I open my mouth? Please, give me some insight on what you find on me makes me seem normal compared to you! I am DYING to find out!"

Solaris ignored her sarcasm as she pointed out what she saw on her as flaws. "...You're a living being. Sentient, strategical, intelligent, incredible transformation magic for recon. Your whole hive works as a colony, you as its leader and able to communicate with each other through the 'hive mind', as Trill called it. It's like sharing the same brain, and you're able to act far more quickly than any other army. And even if you find yourself as an insect, you're also equines. You're a different race of pony to me, only with different magic compared to a unicorn's. I can see you all as equals, just misunderstood by the world because of your appearance and not who you are on the inside."

The room was silent again as the queen and alicorn looked at each other. Pinkie wondered if there was going to be a fight between the two, but eventually, Chrysalis slowly hovered back down to the ground, Solaris soon after, dismissing his fire.

"...One of you bring my daughter down to the throne room." Solaris grinned as he saw one of the guards leave the massive audience outside, the queen finally giving him a chance. "Wipe that dumb smile off your face. I only want to see if what you say about your theory is indeed true. It does not mean I will automatically like you, or accept you as a...friend." Chrysalis gagged at the word. "By the way, that pointless little speech you made on what you find interesting in us, I was being rhetorical."

Solaris rolled his eyes, knowing either way, he was going to voice his opinion on the changelings to her. A moment later, the guard came back as Trill nudged her way through the crowd.

"So, now I'm finally allowed out of my room, mom? What do you-?" Trill saw Solaris, immediately lighting up and flew straight into the alicorn. "Oh thank goodness! I thought my mom was gonna turn you into a meal."

"Well, I wasn't put in a disgusting cocoon made of slime when I woke up." Chrysalis cleared her throat, breaking their reunion as she gestured with her hoof to the alicorn to get on with his proof. He smirked, unable to wait and see the expressions on their faces once they see what happens. "Say, Trill, you hungry?"

"...A little. Are we gonna...?" Trill asked, knowing exactly what he had in mind.

"Oh yeah. But before we show your mom she's been wrong, I want to make sure we get a picture of her expression," he said.

"Ooh! I have a camera!" Pinkie rummaged through her hair, pulling out a camera, aiming it until it was zoomed in on Chrysalis's face. "Okie dokie! Ready!"

Solaris chuckled, turning back to face his marefriend. The lovers leaned closer until their lips met, kissing each other passionately, Trill's horn glowing brightly at the love he gave her. The instant her horn sparked to life, every changeling could feel a powerful wave of the love energy radiate from them, making them all salivate in hunger. Chrysalis felt it too, her jaw dropping at the incredible amount of love that was being absorbed by her daughter, staring in disbelief as the teens kissed. She didn't even notice the flash come from Pinkie's camera, a photo sliding out that held the captured moment.

The pink mare shook the picture, showing the shocked image of Chrysalis, her eye slightly twitched. "That's gonna be a keeper!"

The couple slowly pulled away, Trill licking her lips from her "meal" as they nuzzled each other. When they looked at the shocked changelings, they proved to the queen and thousands of witnesses that what they thought was taboo was actually a blessing.

"See, mom? I told you." Trill stuck out her tongue at her mother, pressing closer to Solaris and nuzzled his neck.

"...Impossible..." That was all Chrysalis could say, still shocked at how much love was given and how wrong she was.

After the hive had calmed down from the events that had occurred a couple hours ago, Solaris and Pinkie were treated as guests, despite Chrysalis still disliking how wrong she was with their beliefs. She looked at her daughter, still smirking, as the princess sat next to Solaris.

"Shut it, Trill," she said.

"I didn't say anything, mom." She kissed Solaris on the cheek, only further teasing her mother, along with a few of the guards.

"I get it! Just stop before I have to separate you two!" Chrysalis shouted, growing annoyed at her daughter's constant bothering.

Now that the two ponies weren't treated as prisoners, they were given their saddlebags back. Solaris was busy looking at the map, having no clue where they were inside of the changeling hive.

"Queen Chrysalis, do you think you can give me some information on where my final test is located in this region?" he asked. "As I stated earlier, I have to complete five trials in order to defeat Lucifer. Each trial I complete, I gain a new piece of armor that strengthens me. The problem was, when your troops ambushed us, I have no clue where we actually are unless I go outside and check the constellations."

"...Yeah, mom," Trill said accusingly. "Where exactly is Solaris's last test? Hmm?" The queen was silent, staring at Solaris. "Are you going to tell him, or should I help my coltfriend find the answer after realizing WHERE exactly his last test is?"

"Trill, why are you sounding hostile?" Solaris asked.

"Think, Solly. Remember how I reacted when we saw that mountain you pointed at, where your last trial was supposed to be?" Solaris tried to think back when that happened, which was mere moments before they were attacked. His eyes widened, looking at Chrysalis, who still kept her neutral expression, finally piecing together where it was. "Exactly. Your last test was here in my home, and apparently, I had no idea about it until I looked at your map closely." Trill glared at her mother. "So, mom, care to explain why you were going to give Solaris his final test, and why you didn't tell me about it all this time?"

The changeling queen stared at her daughter, remaining silent. She soon stood up and approached Trill, smacking her upside the head.

"For one, I didn't tell you because it was kept confidential until this savior I was told to look for came around. That, and your curious nature would have tried to find it and ruin the test before he would even arrive." The princess rubbed her head, leering at her mother. "And I'm not giving him his 'test'."

"Why not?" Solaris asked. "If I don't pass your test-"

"It is not something I had planned for you," Chrysalis interrupted. "Twilight Sparkle, having been turned into an alicorn almost two years after my invasion plan was ruined by her, actually came to me, and gave me a box that held 'Equestria's savior's' final piece."

"My mother came to you after knowing what you did to my aunt and uncle's wedding?" Solaris asked.

"Mother? What are you-!?" Chrysalis froze, getting a closer look at the alicorn teen. Her eyes widened, only to slap her forehead with her hoof, groaning in annoyance. "You have got to be kidding me...You are Twilight Sparkle's son, and our hero? We're doomed..."

"...What exactly happened?" Solaris questioned, wanting to know what had occurred between his and his lover's mothers.

She sat back down in her seat, rubbing her temples as the memory brought her irritation. "I wish a lot. But if you wish to know, I'll tell you..."

Chrysalis sat on her throne, busy plotting another invasion attempt in Equestria, though with security in discovering her subjects growing more with each day after the last couple years, their species will end up starving to death if nothing happens soon. Her mind was drawing a blank, growling in frustration. She was interrupted from her future ploys when one of her soldiers entered the throne room, bowing to her as he reached the throne.

"My queen," he said. "We have a little problem."

"What is it? I have no time for anything pointless you have to report." Chrysalis sighed, rubbing her head. "Don't tell me; you found a gopher wandering around the hive. Let it eat the worms in here!"

"...No, your majesty. A pony wishes to see you." That brought the queen's attention, knowing somepony was daft enough to enter her domain. "And...it is somepony you know. Princess...Twilight Sparkle."

"...What? Why is she here?" Chrysalis asked. "Is it just her?" The guard nodded. "...What is it she wants? Does she wish to give away our hive and eradicate us?"

"She requested an audience only with you. She wouldn't explain what it is about." The queen sighed, having no clue what Twilight wanted to do while risking her own life in her enemy's home.

"...Fine. I'll humor her. Bring her to the throne." The soldier bowed, heading back to the entrance of their hive to allow the princess access. A moment later, the doors opened, Twilight Sparkle slowly making her way up to the queen. Chrysalis raised a brow, finding the newly ascended mare with a large belly, and she was able to sense another presence with the alicorn; an unborn foal growing inside of her. As soon as the doors closed, the queen got up from her throne and slowly approached her enemy. "Well, well, well. Somepony must have gotten knocked up. I never expected you, a shut in who's a prodigal genius, would actually get pregnant. Who's the unlucky stallion?"

"I'll just take that as a greeting, Chrysalis," Twilight said, sitting down as she panted a little. "I never expected your hive to be this big. And if you want to know, yes, I am actually pregnant. Another couple months before my son is born. How I got pregnant..." The mare sighed, trying to remember what happened. "I got overly stressed this whole year, planning everything for the upcoming danger that's soon to come in a few months. Pinkie decided to throw a party to help ease my stress, and I really needed something to get my mind off of many sleepless nights. I didn't realize I went into my heat cycle after I had gotten drunk from whatever Pinkie added in the punch, or maybe it was Rainbow Dash. The next morning, I woke up in my home, my body sore with a powerful hangover, and a few days later, I showed symptoms of pregnancy. So, as you predicted, I got knocked up, and I have no clue who it was that impregnated me."

Chrysalis just stared at Twilight as she explained her pregnancy, mostly being sarcastic and got too much information. "...How charming..."

"I'm not going to waste much of your time, but I need you to do something for the fate of Equestria," Twilight said.

"Excuse me?" Chrysalis questioned. "'Do something for the fate of Equestria?' How about you tell me why first before talking about your personal life!?"

Twilight sighed, her vision still haunting her ever since she first experienced the gruesome nightmare. "...I have no idea when it'll happen, but I know it's going to come true soon. I think in another few months, somepony with dark magic by the name of Lucifer, a student of Celestia's from a thousand years ago, will awaken. He will end up ruling Equestria, after killing Celestia, Luna, my friends...and me." She looked down at her belly, gently rubbing it, feeling Solaris's hoof lightly kick against her womb to touch hers. "...Lucifer will stop at nothing if he goes on a murderous rampage. And if he defeats us...then nopony would survive under his rule, especially you and your hive."

"...You have got to be kidding me," Chrysalis said, not believing the soon-to-be mother. "And you know this will happen?"

"Yes...I've been having the same premonition every day for the past year, all involving the same unicorn, the same state my friends, the princesses, and I are killed, every single time I dream." Twilight tried to calm her breathing, fearing the day she would die, not wanting to agitate her foal resting inside her. "But at the end, there was an alicorn stallion, dressed in golden armor, and he was able to defeat the blood-crazed unicorn and free Equestria from his tyranny. I don't know if he would be wearing the armor when he reveals himself, but I planned ahead, having each of his pieces enchanted to give him the strength he'll need to stop Lucifer."

Using her magic, Twilight materialized a golden chest, which was sealed tightly. She rested it down in front of Chrysalis, still not believing the alicorn's story.

"What is this? A bribe?" She reached out to try to open the chest, but Twilight quickly set her hooves on the top of the chest.

"NO! Don't open it!" Twilight shouted. "Inside this chest is the stallion's final test. Each trial he faces, he has to prove to the ones I sought out to prove his skills: resolve, strategy, endurance, power, and willpower. This chest holds his last test, which is more dangerous than anything he would face before coming here. If anypony else opens this before he does, then his test will be wasted."

"What is in there?" Chrysalis asked, growing more curious.

"...Along with his final piece...Something he must confront to fully prove himself..." Twilight slowly got off the chest, controlling her breathing after Chrysalis almost ruined what was inside. "The stallion who will seek your hive is a white alicorn, his mane and tail bright gold. Only he can open this when the time comes. Please, keep this safe, and welcome him into your home."

"And why should I believe you?" the queen questioned, unsure if this was some kind of trick to lower her guard.

"Chrysalis, please. I'm begging you," Twilight said, growing more scared. "If Celestia, Luna, and myself can't stop Lucifer, then there is no possible hope for anyone in the world to stop him. You don't do this for me. Do this for the safety and longevity of your subjects. I know we should be considered enemies, but I'm willing to look past your invasion a couple years ago if it means you'll agree to keep this chest safe and closed until he arrives at your door."

The changeling queen looked back down at the chest, then back at Twilight's terrified face. She was legitimately afraid of what she had seen, and was scared of her fate that was nothing but constant nightmares, at least in Chrysalis's thoughts. Sighing, she gave in, only to humor the alicorn.

"Fine then. I'll hold onto your little box and wait for this alicorn stallion, a first to even hear a male alicorn to exist." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "What will agreeing to do this for you benefit me?"

"The lives of everypony in the world. And don't worry, Chrysalis, I will only leave the location of your hive only to the alicorn, along with where his other four tests' locations are. Pinkie Promise." Twilight went through the motions of the patented Pinkie Promise, intending to keep the hive a secret.

Twilight soon left and began making her way back home, not wanting to risk teleporting and hurt her unborn son, Chrysalis commanding her soldiers to leave the alicorn be as she exited. Looking back at the box, she held it up, shaking it around to try and hear what's actually inside.

"There's nothing inside..." She huffed, heading to her bedchambers, placing the chest under her bed. "Maybe she was giving me some kind of test. Hmph. And of all ponies, why me to come to and keep her precious little box safe?" Her thoughts soon began to drift off to what this heroic alicorn will look like, imagining him as a muscular, hardened warrior, who was also suave when it came to the opposite sex. "He better be handsome."

"A few months later, my scouts had come back after gaining any reconnaissance they could get in Canterlot," Chrysalis continued telling her tale. "I was surprised to hear them explain everything, scared out of their minds, your mother's premonition had com true. I finally took her warning seriously, and kept the chest hidden underneath the hive, far deeper than our dungeons. We were already suffering from lack of food, and now we're almost at a breaking point where the only way we can feed is through war. But, Lucifer's magic was stronger than anything I've ever seen, practically invincible and more deadly than an Ursa Major woken up from hibernation."

"...So, did you let me travel out in Equestria on my own to find Solly...and bring him back when I did find him?" Trill asked, still confused as to why she was sent off.

"No, Trill, you were old enough to hunt for yourself and wanted to give you a little freedom, and out of my mane," Chrysalis said. "It was merely coincidental you ran into him...and unexpected to know about...that..."

"Our love?" Solaris finished what the queen detested saying.

"Yes..." she groaned. "I still can't believe this is happening..."

"Well, can you show me where you have my last test? I want to get this over with and stop Lucifer as soon as possible," Solaris said, ready to take on whatever his final trial had in store.

"...Fine. Follow me." Chrysalis lead the way with Solaris, Trill, and Pinkie following the queen. "Sparkle, whatever you had planned, it better work," she uttered under her breath as they walked down the corridors of her castle.