Celestia felt her phantom body searing with pain. The last-second teleport must have been a close call.

She opened one eye, subconsciously feeling her slitted pupils widening in the dark. She stumbled upright, her new form much closer to her true one. Blinking a few times to clear the tired fog from her eyes, she stretched out her wings.

After relaxing properly, she realized that the fog wasn't in her head. It was all around her. Confused, she lifted her chin, drawing a deep breath through her nose.

A burning sensation quickly stung her nose and whatever she had for lungs, sending her into a coughing fit. The Changeling half of her seemed much more used to this - Do Changelings live near harmful chemicals? - and it was over quickly.

"What?" Celestia whispered softly, her voice echoing strangely in the - what seemed to be - smoke. "What's going on?"

She started flapping her wings, the ashes around her swirling eerily and slowly disappearing. She was on a wide plateau of stone, riddled with holes. The ground sloped up on all sides, a ring of rock hanging deep shadows across half of the area. There were holes in the rim, though, matching the rounded ones on the ground. They looked too... too similar to be natural. All were about half of her size.

Something stirred in Cocoon and Shimmer's mixed memories. Vague ideals of comfort, of belonging, time spent with family...

...it was the Changeling hive.

With a scrutinizing look, she quickly found the hoofprints scattered in the settled dust, the hundreds of hooves running down into the tunnels, the panicked scratches heading back out. The crater was coated in burns and small patches of sparkles, a common residue from different magic signatures merging.

She was barely breathing as she neared one of the tunnels. Cocoon's home - even Shimmer's, for a while - completely destroyed. Some memory reminded her how distanced they were from pony settlement, how many acres of untamed wilds lay between this place and Ponyville.

The monstrosity that Celestia resided in dipped its' muzzle to the ground, mane and tail billowing softly in the slight breeze. It closed its' eyes, exhaling a lungful of air into the ash.

"I will avenge you. We will be free... forever."

Celestia moved through the rhythmic motions of her mornings, not really focusing on any of them, noticing Luna was checking up on her via her enchanted mirror. She remembered how Chrysalis had used this mirror, a final facet of her scheme. To be honest, Celestia's mind was not on the tasks at hoof. Because of this, it was not really a surprise when Luna pointed out that what was in her mouth was actually a foaming mane-brush and the toothbrush was jammed halfway down her neck.

"Sister, you seem odd today. Are you alright?"

Celestia looked up at the mirror, smiling weakly. "Just had a nightma- bad dream."

Luna rolled her eyes. "You are allowed to speak as the ponies do, sister. I am not the NIghtmare anymore."

"Thank you." She muttered, pulling the stubborn brush out of her mane. "What's on the schedule for today?"

"The Griffon dignitaries."

"Oh, horsefeathers!" Celestia slammed a hoof down, accidentally knocking over a small jar of water. The spill lapped at her hooves as she snorted.

"You realize that 'horsefeathers' partially refers to us and the Pegasi, correct?"

"So it does, Luna." Celestia growled. "What are we discussing?"

"It has been changed slightly - it is now on the topic of holding the Royal Honeymoon in Equestria."

"Oh, because we've shown a lot of prowess when it comes to weddings lately." Celestia retorted, levitating the spill up into the drain.

Luna frowned slightly. "Is that what you've been so concerned about? I assure you that our ponies still respect us in full, and that the neighboring kingdoms see us no differently."

"Not our reputation." Celestia pressed a cold cloth to her face, trying to remove the bags under her eyes.

"Is it about the package Queen Chrysalis sent you?" Luna's voice steeled, her eyes narrowing to mere slits.

"No." Celestia hastily replied, pushing her mane back and placing her crown to hold it back. "It was just a letter."

Luna's attitude changed quickly. "May I read it?"

"Later." Celestia replied, a bit calmer. "I have it under magical seal, being a royal document. I'll give it to you tonight, when we turn the skies." She stepped into each of her shoes and slipped her chestplate on. "Good day, Luna."

The Night Princess smiled and yawned. "Good day, Celestia."

The mirror's surface restored back to its' silver sheen. Celestia looked back at the reflection; the tired, old mare, who had seen millions of lives come and go, the mare who was a goddess with a mortal heart. She sighed, looking away from the mirror.

Something compelled her to stop, her head partially turned, her eyes flicking back to her image. She lifted a hoof back out of its regalia, running it down the inside of her cheek. Her fur lay bare to skin along a small section of her body. Somehow, it didn't feel like skin.

She sidestepped closer, pinpointing the tiny space.

How strange. It looked almost like...

...armor.

"Welcome to Canterlot."

"Greetingss, Princessss Celesstia of Equesstria." The Griffon Prince dipped his head, the Griffon equivalent of a bow. "Where sshall we ssit, my queen?"

The slimmer Griffon beside him shot to attention, having been examining the stained glass windows in the corridor. She scanned the table set out. "Um... wherever you wish, my Prince."

Celestia took quick notice of the awkward tension and pulled out two chairs at the center with her magic. "How about here?" She offered gently.

"Yess, that will do." The Griffon's dark black plumage flattened, along with his similarly dark tabby hindquarters. As he prowled forward, he seemed to emit an air of majesty and pride, his green eyes glinting eerily as he surveyed the chamber. There was a niche cut into the side of his beak, and she could hear it whistling gently as he breathed. "Gwen!" He barked.

The Princess spun around, once again having been admiring the intricate glasswork. Of course, Celestia remembered, Griffons cannot make such detailed work with their claws alone. She was a completely different pattern from her Prince; her feathers shone a golden-brown, and her feline half was a similar color, but marked with the black rings of a leopard. "At once, my Prince!" She scampered to his side, back claws skidding on the stone.

Celestia followed at a much more leisurely pace, making sure to arrive at her seat once they were already comfortable. She knew using even that simple telekinesis had put the Prince on edge, for obvious reasons. She mentally chided herself, although she was still trying to figure out how she was going to eat comfortably.

As she sat down, her wings opened slightly; it was half for comfort, as she needed them to balance better when sitting, and half to show the Prince she had no weapons hidden underneath. Gwen smiled softly and did the same, leaning back against the plush of the chair. Gruff hadn't shifted from his upright-board posture, and his wings remained tightly folded against his side.

Celestia tapped the table with a hoof, the small noise dismissing the guards positioned at the door. Once the three dignitaries were alone, Gruff seemed to relax, finally settling down.

Griffons had a much more solitary lifestyle, only really staying with mates and young. The only reason they even had rulers was to prevent full-fledged war. They rarely traveled with guards or troops, either, which affirmed Celestia's suspicions about the tension.

There was silence around the table as none of them spoke or moved to eat. Gwen was the first to break the silence, blinking her wide blue eyes. "My Prince?"

He nodded, but did not turn to look at her.

"I... I think it would be difficult for Princess Celestia to enjoy her meal if she cannot lift her utensils."

His beak betrayed his heavy sigh, filling the air with a shrill squeal. "Princessss, you may usse your magic." The frown on his beak enforced the borders of the words to simply her meal. She nodded, noting that the niche was also the source of his mild lisp.

She lifted her goblet slowly, unconsciously prompting Gwen to do the same. Celestia smiled. "To your marriage."

"To our marriage." Gwen replied, clinking the rims of their glasses together. Once again, Gruff didn't move to take part.