****

Shit, I don’t really care where I was, it was near my home though.

Ari

I had an inkling to how marathoners felt then. Perhaps it was the nearly overwhelming state of constant of pain, born from both exhaustion and injuries that they pushed through. Or it could have been the presence of an annoyingly pain free companion for the final sprint, trot, of the race. But I believed it was the breath of fresh air that entered my heart as I saw the bow of my airship peek out from behind a hill of a mountain at me that cemented the conclusion.

Home!

“Ari,” I could hear the question rising in said companion’s voice before her muzzle finished moving, it was the normal for the hours and hours we had been trotting.

“Zecora,” I interrupted, not taking my eyes off the curves of the shiny bow, “This is,” a ragged breath out interrupted my sentence, air, sweet air, “My home.” For now I silently added. Looking at the behemoth of technology I couldn’t help but feel that it was fragile.

Your herd is, my mind whispered in response, they don’t know you, not all of you.

My new recurring dread snuck up on me then, reminding me that this whole mission sucked. I tried to push past it though. The ship, home was right there after all. I had to show the princesses the disaster the continent was in and then I could tackle the numerous other issues.

The white metal and wood grew sharper and brighter the longer I looked at it. And soon I found myself frozen to the grassy patch before it. My body had taken over with it’s priority list that it had been shoving in my consciousness for hours. What could one second of weakness hurt? The air was clear and the anticipation was enough to keep me on my hooves.

Air. I couldn’t argue with that desire, then flying, I wish I could argue against that then…Sleep, shower? No I had…Fuck. Blue eyes looked to me as the head panned, looking between my home and me.

So with shaking muscles, a pounding head, and new adrenaline racing around, I faced her.

“Ari, are we-.”

Swallowing the thick mucus that had built up during our hurried time together I took the lead, “Look, Zecora,” another thick gulp and I shifted my weight to try and alleviate the dull pain that had jumped to a sharp spike. It didn’t help. “I can’t just let you up there without some promises from you.” My brain is going to need a jump start after this, should have asked this sooner. Waiting a moment to breathe in, I between at the ship and the Zebrican spy. She knew about invasion Chrissy had launched months ago, might even have a prejudice against them after living in Equestria. It was hard to say what she would do.

“Promises,” a hard look entered her eyes, tail going still. “I blew my entire cover to help you!” Her tone never rose above a whisper in the dawn. “Hasn’t that been proof enough that I support ‘re-educating’,” her forehooves came up and bobbed in the air then, “Equestria’s royalty," Her hooves slammed down on the grassy terrain, "That I want your change to stay!”

Letting a deep breath shake its way out of me I tried to square up. Pushing back my weary withers as blue met blue, “Yes, but I need everybeing on my ship to be safe as well.”

“The zebras and Bente-.”

“Not just them.” I had her attention again. “My herd as well.” I had only briefly mentioned them, mostly as an instinctive knee jerk reaction. She had suggested that I wished to…Breed…The sisters after they had seen the truth. And while I didn’t think they were hard on the eyes, I knew I couldn’t bring myself to, well, do them. A fact that Zecora had taken with more than a little shock, my herd was just a convenient excuse, a reminder of why not to. Spiting the god was up there but not the number one reason anymore.

She waited for a second, probably thinking over everything she had learned so far. Until she came to a conclusion that didn’t surprise me for one that labeled themselves as a spy, “Why would I harm your mares? While I found your vehemence on not being with the royal sisters surprising I didn’t mean that I wanted you to be with them.” Zecora seemed to consider her next words, “The papers just seemed to suggest, in the wake of the population crisis, and obvious state of your species that you had come forward then to-.”

“No,” I gritted my teeth, holding back my volume, my pain. “I don’t and wouldn’t.” Taking a deep breath I continued, “I met two wonderful, misunderstood mares in my journey though. And I need your assurance that no matter what you think of them you will not move to harm them.” I stepped into her bubble, “Not even if your instincts tell you to.”

Although my back demanded I get it over with I watched her patiently. Striped fur scrunched up and ears splayed as her mind worked overtime, a tongue darted out to lick her lips and her eyes watched the ship with a new apprehension. “Will they hurt me?” ‘They’ was spoken more like ‘it’ in tone.

Pausing over the question I frowned, ‘no’ was the automatic answer I wanted to give but I didn’t trust that. They had grown firmer in their methods, mare challenges mainly, and the hormones might start soon. Another topic to question them on. Yet, looking at the mare before me I didn’t notice any affection her gaze, she hadn’t pressed into me on the way here, and had even insisted we maintain the logically fast pace to the ship. This zebra mare shouldn’t be a problem that way.

“Do you like me?” Her ears splayed as she considered the answer now, perhaps trying to figure out what was the best answer. “You are perfectly safe if you don’t interfere with our mission, show affection for me, or loyalty to the princesses.”

“What?”

I tried to chuckle over my deep breathing, it didn’t sound pretty, “My marefriends are very possessive and I am new to the culture.” At her blank stare I continued, “I gave the wrong signals to some mares by accident before. But don’t worry, I was told the difference after.” I winced at the end, pain arching again. And the memory of Ayodele pinned to the floor. I didn’t want that to happen again.

“Oh…,” she looked between me and the ship again, just as a ray of pink broke through the dawn gloom. “You don’t have to worry about that.” A dry throated chuckle followed, “I promise I won’t attack or interfere with your process.”

Pink was mixed with a yellowy orange as I felt my muscles collapse; I hadn’t realized I was so tense till then. She seemed honest, my instincts were in agreement as well.

A smile slowly broke free and I sat back, letting the princesses’ slide over my saddle bags and off my haunches. “Good,” my back quivered and I closed my eyes at the freeing sensation. “Good," breath deeply, "Now can you balance?” I cracked an eye as I stood tall.

She slowly nodded as I started stretching my back. My wings extended slowly seconds later. Pain may have been traveling through me, across my face, but a feeling of relief was growing.

One more flight and I can rest.

“W-wow,” escaped in a whisper beside me.

An experimental flap had me wincing; my eyes clenched shut at the muscles protest, the prickles along the nerves I hadn't acknowledged all night. I might only have one flight left in them.

Turning to the only conscious mare I gave a smile, slightly crooked in the pain. “Yah and I am about ready for bed so can you hop on?” Zecora’s muzzle started to open, her eyes looking between her laden saddle bags and my back, the latter was twitching with muscle spasms that I couldn’t help. They were tensing at the thought of more weight. At least she was small, smaller. “This morning please!” I frowned at myself, my lack of patience, “I would love to surprise my mares with a good morning kiss.” And I said I would be back sooner, much sooner.

“Are you well to do that?” Caution leaked into her voice as I huffed.

“Yes,” I backed up over the princesses nudging them into place, “Now if would kindly hop on I will fly up, you can find yourself a bunk with everybeing else, and I can rest.” Exhaling I continued, wings outstretched, and forearms grasped around the barrels of my cargo, “Please.”

Thankfully she didn’t need any more convincing, taking a clinking hop onto my back with athleticism that I shouldn’t have been shocked at with her occupation.

It was the weight shocked me. I felt every extra pound as a pinching of my nerves, an internal scream from my body.

Down! Down! Get down

Adrenaline pumped through me seconds’ later, home, my wings rose and the hooves shook on my back, just one more flap. Dropping my wings and pushing up with my legs I felt pain everywhere, briefly, but the air cooled it. Rushing by me the light and sound faded until I was forced to pump them. Slowing down before me was the polished ivory hull of the airship, the railing still a good twenty feet above me. If I didn’t have the extra weights on me and in my forelegs I would have made it.

Fuck.

Another flap had a cramp forming, seizing up my left wing just as the yellow glow grew to illuminate the shaded deck. Falling I could only grunt. Fuck. The deck was sturdy at least, my pillows soft and furry.

We still made a loud thump. The clinking of glass bottles and feminine equine squeal moved from above me to my side as I pressed my eyes closed.

“N-not,” a big gasp in, “My,” in and out this time, “Best landing,” a snort and clink beside me confirmed it.

Seconds grew longer as I let my body relax, my grip loosening as I focused on slowing my breathing. It wouldn’t do to-.

“Ari,” the familiar voice reached me as I cracked an eye open from my sprawled position. “ARI!” Clip clopping filled my ears, my nostrils flaring as the hint of burnt cinnamon hit me. Water lilies followed soon after, just in time for a smooth muzzle to jam themselves into my mane.

Hoof steps were everywhere.

Letting my eyes drift shut again I smiled, “Hey Chrissy,” another smooth muzzle went into my neck, “Lyric.” This was wonderful. “Sorry,” my nose found a spicy mane, “I ran into,” Cinnamon, “Some trouble.” My body just went limp, relief finding my mind and body in that moment.

“A changeling?!” Zecora’s loud voice hushed the deck.

My wings weren’t able to manage the rise I wanted so I settled for propping up my head on Lyric’s neck, pushing her closer. Our new companion was looking like I had said something along the lines of ‘I love Blueblood’. “Yes.” My heart started to pump harder again, “I trust you remember your promise?”

Ayodele and Ayomide were looking at the new zebra in confusion. Actually, Chrissy and Lyric looked perplexed as well.

The Thestral looked horrified…At me…Right.

Standing on shaking legs I positioned myself above the princesses and between the chained guard and my prisoners, his boss, bosses. Another problem, taking a narrowed gaze and deep breathe to assess the deck I cleared my throat. “Look,” Chrissy caught my eye from where she had tucked herself under my wing, “This has been a long day and night. Zecora here helped me escape the country, blew her- ,” I froze, suppressing a groan as I counted the bodies. “-cover.” Bente was absent. “Is Bente still resting?” I didn’t want to repeat all of this in five minutes when we woke her with the addition of Zecora.

“Bente,” Lyric and Chrissy queried at once. Looking back from a wide eyed Zecora to me.

Zecora looked at little…Alarmed? Her ears went even further back, her wide eyed glance swiftly passing over us. Her mind was practically broadcasting its thoughts. The battered Alicorn standing over two unconscious Alicorns with a changeling and hybrid pressed in…Two zebras on the side with one chained Thestral for dessert…Bente be damned, that sleepy hen was the least of my problems. From my knowledge of spies she trusted me loosely at best, understandable, really, I had no proof. I trusted her mainly on the grounds that she wouldn’t be supporting the enslavement of her species, but…

No getting paranoid. Not everybeing is out to get you, this is not a trap. She blew her cover for you!

We had made it this far.

My breathing slowed down a little but I didn’t move from atop the mares. Turning more of my body to the Zecora I flicked my tail in pain, “Yes,” my eyes found my marefriends. And looking between there panned heads I didn’t feel so good. “That gryphon hen that followed us? She’s an ambassador-,” Zecora was edging back now, “-and should have arrived here earlier this afternoon. She warned me of the ‘eyes everywhere’.” That seemed to halt Zecora but had everybeing else confused.

“Ari,” Chrissy’s hesitant tone had me tensing, my worry slowly building, “We haven’t seen any visitors since your arrival.”At that both mares pressed into me, their breathing buffeting my stiffening fur.

“Fuck.”

The one word statement was enough to tell the deck what I meant.

Silence pervaded the area as I felt the pain arching again. That is until Lyric took the lead, rising from under my neck, “Perhaps we should move into the dining room?” No being moved, all eyes going between me and Zecora.

I didn’t know what those potions did. Changelings didn’t seem to be her favorite subject either; no zebra had reacted quite so bad.

Chrissy stepped slowly away from me, facing the new mare. Her wing buzzed lightly as I stared after her. “We don’t bite,” my own wings started twitching as my instincts screamed to move in front of her, “Unless you choose to bite.” The zebra didn’t move but the Ayo’s began moving towards Moonlit Echo, herding the tense stallion to the open door.

He was moving very slowly, eyes glued to the princesses.

A mind numbing attempt by my starving stomach to eat itself settled it. “Questions will be answered,” her attention was on me now as I took a step closer, “I know you risked a lot but I am risking just as much.” Warmth touched my flanks, smooth and soothing. “My only family possible is here, wanted,” Chrissy looked away, “Persecuted,” Lyric averted her gaze as Zecora considered her, “And newly freed.” Yes, although Ayodele wanted more I considered them friends, new ones, but appreciated. I didn’t have a way home, looking back wasn’t something I did; I didn’t feel I could sanely do that. Convenient having the world end, huh god? “Please Zecora, listen to us, talk with us, and try to understand why we had to do what we have done.” Silence and narrowed blue eyes looked back. “Either way I will bring you home, safely.”

“Kusubiri,” the Ayo’s paused in the doorway looking at the hurrying zebra in confusion, “Kuzungumza na mimi. Ni Mzuri?!”

“Nini,”Ayomide said in a confused tone.

Her cousin was just as confused, “Hu?”

Zecora repeated the last bit of her sentence, “Ni. Mzuri?!”

And that started one of the most rapid exchanges of Zebrican I had heard so far. I could only watch with my mares as the zebra’s ears flicked to and fro with every question. It definitely sounded like a lot of questions.

One problem sort of solved.

But I had to transport the two dead weights still.

****

Princess Celestia

The fur rose slowly along my back as I realized I couldn’t see anything. My chest ached in tandem with the length of my too tense wings. Smells were oddly distant and spicy for the most part as I sucked in a big breath. Spicy? The latter part wasn’t too worrying actually, odd really. But the musk of spice was a balm to the slowly rising alarm. My eyes still wouldn’t open, in fact my chest was heavier the more I tried, rising higher only with a great deal of focus.

Something was off…

And it was more than the sensations I felt, or rather didn’t feel. My fur felt thick and muted, unfamiliar, it was almost like my skin was numb. Trying to pivot my ears didn’t garner anything either. Sounds weren’t even there, just a faint thrumming in the background, and that was most likely my own heart beat. The culmination of the lack of input was the sense of direction I had prized in life disappearing. I couldn’t make up from down. My thoughts started swimming in nonsensical circles the longer I tried, inner guide torn between alarm and laid back calmness.

What happened?

My chest started to heave against whatever I was on. I couldn’t tell still, my bed hopefully, but that hope was very low…My senses were in chaos. I couldn’t even feel the deep warmth inside-

I could have screamed as I pushed harder against the weight on my barrel.

As if in slow motion my mind had caught its own observation. I could only mutely question it. Chaos?! The conclusion came faster than any other sense that had left in me, crystal clear. Discord…

Then…Dear Faust no! My plea caught in my throat as it refused to work, dry and stiff in the face of the overwhelming darkness. Why he did this didn’t matter then or even how he had accomplished it from the garden. I had to act.

So I struggled harder to awaken, to move, anything more at that point.

Lift!

My body ignored me. MOVE! Now! The demands didn’t work, my mind was scattered and subdued all at once. I was only able to see shifting in the dark of my eyelids as my limbs remained immobile. My eyelids only managed to flicker in the beating of my demands, once, briefly, causing a millimeter of change in the form of a new grayness in the bottom of my view. No, not gray, it was a moving shadow, a shadow that seemed to hang over my body, dark and large. It's far points almost forming an equine shape in my peripheral, but I couldn’t focus my eyes to see if that was real or merely a candle's effect. Still, no matter how much I willed them to contract or relax nothing happened. That was apparently the limits to my ability then.

Why?

My heart sped up. I was trapped, immobile, and…I took deep breath. The sweet chocolate scent of the Draconequus was absent.

No. And just as fickle as the male my heart slowed a little, ignoring my fear. This isn’t Discord’s work. He would want me to know it was him. The lack of sensory input came to me next…This had to be just a dream, a poorly constructed one, but concerning none the less. Now I have to wake up, I have talk to Luna about her new pranks. Perhaps…No, Nightmare Moon is long banished. She wouldn’t put me in a nightmare.

I focused on my aetheratic channels next, trying to line up my thoughts…Where-.

The darkness just shifted slightly as I realized I still couldn’t find the blazing sound or even the blinding color of the sun in me. It wasn’t my imagination. Only a pale yellow line appeared in my mind, almost gray and nonexistent as it trailed inwards to my core. My discomfort grew. Dreams didn’t take magic, even those affected by dream magic. My body didn’t let me pinpoint why it was so small though, my focus was fading away just as soon as I realized I couldn’t move anything else to check my horn. I still had my horn...Right?

Tarturus, they, whoever wouldn’t break my horn?!

My hooves couldn’t reach it, couldn't budge…And my body grew heavier as something constricted around my barrel with the attempt. Fighting it only made my lungs scream for air. But, I had to see, had to feel-…

…

….

I didn’t remember fading away. But I realized I must have. Squinting under a heavy weight cinching my wings and barrel, my lungs themselves it felt like, I frowned as I came to the conclusion that I didn’t remember much at all. Except the reason I was even conscious, the sweet smell in the air that called to me. I smelled apples, with a pleasant spice under laying the cloying scent. Yet, the first scent my attention, it was an all consuming smell, apples, food. I would sell my magic for a lick. Except…Why did I feel this weak and hungry? My sluggish body answered for me in a loud room shaking growl.

Oops.

I must have ignored dinner after meeting with…Dinner…The word tingled at my mind as I tried to make heads or tails of it, but not for long. The fruit’s call held my attention as a low whistle of air brought more to my nose, a slightly old and musty hint in its scent. But it was the unmistakable scent of apples and irresistible to me.

Again my mind tried to dig deeper, my inner guide demanded I pay attention to more.

I didn’t have apples for breakfast; I had to- Wait -raise the sun!

My eyelids were too heavy to lift all the way, yet I managed to get them to half mast. The blurry sign of light perking my struggling body, it was not the artificial light of magic either. I would recognize the shifting light of the sun anywhere…

That took all of a second to hit me. My window was moving? The castle didn’t move!

With an urgent whinny my mask broke and I was rocketing forward to see the light closer, my focus still blurry, only to find my muzzle kissing smoothed wood planks seconds later. My rump hoisted rather awkwardly in the air as I slowly blinked, the weight lifting off of them as the new awareness filled me.

There were no apples.

No, more importantly, the heavy weights that felt to be all over me held me in place. They were new and unexplained. My body felt almost as heavy as when I was a foal, difficult to coordinate, why my foalhood as a reference to the sensation I couldn’t quite recall in the haze. But, I knew it was familiar and very unnatural at the same time. Just as I knew my marble floor and solar themed area rug were supposed to be under me if I had fallen out of bed. The soft surface I had been on wasn’t my bed though; it was too low to the ground. There were no wood floors in the castle.

Where was I?

A small table and cushion came into focus as I craned my head to look behind me.

Shuffling my muzzle forward again I frowned and blinked, rather slowly still. That didn’t help, nothing had any logos or brands…Glancing left and right I quickly realized I was in a room. A room that was appeared to be moving, the clouds were passing by at a fast pace. And not a soul was in sight.

Perfect, I could escape; find out who is behind this…ponynapping…and better yet how I got here.

There was the table behind me, which appeared much longer than I had originally thought as I could see it stretching from one end of the narrow room to the other. There was just ten feet of clear floor between the opposing doors of the room. Both doors appeared to have neither locks nor any signs to point out their contents, even a language to clue me in on what faction took action. In fact, as my heart tried to pump harder, to care more about why I was here, I noticed two more doors before me. Why can’t I focus? They were closed just like the others but appeared different, perhaps narrower. I was struggling to focus as the urge to stand grew, my rump held uncomfortably in the air.

Why was I in a…dining room?

Looking back I didn’t know.

The thought and energy sluggishly formed in my head. My magic seemed too far away to grasp. I have to remain calm…And find some food, calmly, with the decorum expected of a princess. Sucking in a deep breath I tried to school my face. What did I remember last? That might explain why could hardly move, both energy wise and physically. It almost felt like I was bound, my legs certainly weren’t able to separate themselves from each other, and my wings felt pinched somehow.

Yesterday’s morning came in clear as a bell, the exchange short with my sister. The day court had gone on in a monotony of menial requests and petitions that bored me more than they should have. Until he showed up, I would remember the first stallion of my kind I had seen in millennia forever. I found my nostrils flaring to take in Ari’s intoxicating scent as I remembered his awkward gait and hesitant look around. His words were vague, yet powerful. He knew of the mirror, the honorary prince had been present for part of it, and…My thoughts swirled a little around how we had left. I didn’t remember saying goodbye.

Had someone or something attacked us?

A large gap in the meeting was growing in my mind. I didn’t remember setting the sun either. The sun should have set already…

“Csleshtia,” a small and muffled exclamation had me looking around from my spot on the floor. I wasn’t alone? A blush was soon rising as I realized how I looked sprawled forward. Possibly in the same room as a drunk if the slurring was an indication. However, that just raised more questions. A drunk Equuis speaking female was here.

Where?

My reply was just as eloquent, “Wshat?” What was wrong with me?

“Whst- Csleshtia?!”

I looked back in confusion, my eyes squinting at the light peeking through the windows behind me.

She started again, “Cslest?”

The plea was lost on me as I recognized the voice then to be my sister’s voice. She was nearby, and not much better than me by the sounds of it. But more important than those facts was the fact that my eyes connected with the sight of my bound hooves. An off white cloth of sorts was crisscrossed between them and up to my barrel, preventing me from separating both my front and hind hooves as well as raising my wings. Whoever had me, us, wanted us to stay still.

It didn’t take long for me to find my sister as her body soon rose from across the table behind me.

Yet, when we looked at each other I couldn’t find my previous embarrassment anymore, only worry and fear as my wits came back to me. Not only was I bound, I was…inhibited in the worst way. Stiffening behind me was my pink tail; the weight on my neck I now realized was my mane lying limp and matching as well if my eyes were seeing things correctly.

Pink! No, no, no, this can’t be happening.

Luna had a long…Inhibitor…On her horn, which was the most likely cause of the flashbacks I was having from her mane. And I had to presume she was bound similarly to myself from the awkward way she was slouched forward.

With a sharp hop around I saw that to be correct. A cloth was criss crossed between her hooves and barrel. Lulu’s eye were watering as she watched me.

“Lsuna?” My mouth seemed to move better as we looked each other over. “Ls-,” I coughed and smacked my lips, “-Luunna?” Satisfied that I said one word clearly I threw my rump back, sitting similarly to my little sister. “Whas-,” again I slowed it down, “Whaaat-.”

A squeak caught my question in my muzzle.

Behind us, peeking out the right narrow door was a muzzle. And even more worrying to my mind was the stripes on it. A zebra? Why was a zebra here? Where were we? Why?!

Discord might have made more sense then. Nothing was clicking in my sluggish mind.

“Ayo-,” the voice from the room she was exiting halted, the speaker having pushed open the door from behind the first speaker and made eye contact with us. Another Zebra mare, the only difference being the lack of mane on this mare, and another shadow came up behind that one, also striped of course. Beyond that the room was too shadowed to tell.

But masculine whimpers came from far in the room.

Who else do they have? Wait, where is Ari? We never said good bye-. A small masculine whimper halted my thoughts as I couldn’t understand why the zebras would take us.

Gulping at the scene I took the matter into my own hooves, “Whos arse you,” I cringed at my disobeying mouth. Starting slower, “Why,” good, “are,” she seemed to grow calm as I continued, “We here?” Somewhere that was either in the middle of a gale storm or on an airship, either situation provided me no leads on what zebra or zebra aligned being could be behind this.

She, the one missing her mane, pushed the first zebra back into the room. “Watch him, very closely.” The whimpers stopped.

No, what have they done to Ari?!

Luna attempted to get her attention, “Wshat duo mean?”

But she was ignored just the same as I was. “I will wake him,” the other, timid ‘Ayo’ turned away, “Don’t worry; they won’t kill me or anything when this is on the line.”

“Mimi si…Naweza kufanya hivyo.”

Lulu game me a confused look, having not mastered the Zebrican tongue yet. But I frowned, keeping the knowledge to myself. It wasn’t time to let the…Helpers…Of our captor know our linguistic weaknesses; Instead of replying to anypony I shook my head at her opening muzzle. We would meet our newest adversary soon.

****

Equestria – Crystal Kingdom border

????? ??????

The sun had set and rose once already of their own accord. Their progress had been painstakingly slow and uncertain without the princesses, almost as slow as my progress actually. Despite flying all night and most of the morning I was no faster than a lame donkey. Sure, the dim, early hours allowed for less ponies noticing me. But that was on days without our princesses being ponynapped.

Pegasi were stationed everywhere. Unicorns were erecting wards like never before…And everypony knew.

I, of course, hid from them. How was I to know who was a changeling? Ari had fooled the city guard; he had fooled the princesses themselves. The changelings had found ways around our protocols obviously.

All of that made the upcoming border even harder to cross.

Before me was a rising wall of pink magic, not being casted live I hoped. Rumor had it the royals up north had sunk quite a fortune in upgrading the kingdom, funding the enchantment trade and research department of both their own kingdom and Equestria. This was with the promise of use of the enchantments.

Dear Faust I didn’t blame them. I only wished we had done more. Not only had my entire squadron and I been caught unaware but the princesses themselves had failed to notice the change…twice now!

My ears folded back as I saw the border office before me, below me, and saw the crowd at it. Already the word must have spread.

Everypony was outside the smallish crystalline train station, watching the struggling sun that had been rising to its home above us for well over half an hour. How long it could maintain that was uncertain, hopefully long enough for Princess Luna and Celestia to escape.

“Halt,” a pink stallion rose to the air to greet me. His spear was raised to my dismay.

I complied though, searching his glittering opal like eyes with a racing heart. No splash of green raced across the pupil like I had heard but maybe they had fixed that flaw in their magic. Maybe it was just a signal to other changelings? Our tufted ears were more flexible than pony ears after all.

Silver armor glittering he stared back at me, trying to read my eyes as he gave my sweaty body a once over as well. “Well, state your business Thestral!”

“Official business with Princess Cadence,” I held back the urge to cower as the crystal pony looked harder at me. But I held my ground, a few facts holding me there. The crystal kingdom had been preparing for a counter wave of changelings and that they hadn’t been out of stasis during the invasion. They couldn’t have any spies in the ranks. I just hoped it was enough.

My reply had him giving the tail twitch twice. Two more guards rose, one a topaz mare and the other an azure stallion.

“Name?” I tucked the hoof with the key in. “Name,” he repeated.

Their spears shifting told me enough, “Officer Night Glider.” All three exchanged a raised eyebrow. “Allow me to pass,” they watched me closer, “Please,” I couldn’t see past the pink barrier but I squinted at it briefly, very aware of the power they held. “I have information that will affect the security of-.”

“We heard.” The mare spoke up, ignoring the jab of her wide eyed guard mate. “That news was delivered straight to the castle and then to us just half an hour ago. Let them know we are aware and-.” A jab from the pink stallion’s spear shut her muzzle quicker than a cake in the dining hall with the princesses.

“Excuse trainee Glittering Shard’s break of protocol.” My nod had him continuing. “We were not told to expect an officer, much less one of the Night Guard...,” he watched the slowly moving orb to our right with a frown, “In the daytime.”

Buck.

I shifted the key as I considered the options. This key and news, the truth, not whatever fallacy the imposter prince had sent over had said, it had to be known. Just telling the guards here, on the border stretch would be suicide for me; I felt it had to be. Yet I also knew they were suspicious of me, my actions made no sense when they could receive news via the emergency FCS system started up, only running between the Crystal Kingdom and Equestria so far, it was rather new, from Saddle Arabia no less. Bless Luna for her ideas.

“Well?” The head guard of the trio prompted me out of my thoughts.

Right, I needed to give enough information to get me on the shuttle to the kingdom.

Sparing the thought of the magic ridden and frozen wasteland beyond the barrier I straightened my expression. Ears forward, “New, confidential information has been discovered; news that even the prince would not want to risk transportation through the FCS. It is to be delivered by wing and hoof with as much secrecy as possible.” I had all of their attention now. “I was never here.”

Especially if a day guard arrives.

They exchanged a quick glance, the stallion before me frowning harder, “Stay still.” And I did, the tip of his spear was pushing under my muzzle, involuntarily raising my chin as my veins retreated. They all held my gaze as I gulped under the scrutiny.

“Under moon and star I pledge my loyalty-,” I started to recite my vow quietly as my nerves mounted, I counted down slowly, “-to Princess Luna-,” but I didn’t break contact.

“Quiet.”

I continued the private oath in my head.

This was to be expected. I could understand waking up to a hostile enemy having invaded without your knowledge. Crystal ponies were even more insecure than my squad mates I believed, now knew for sure if this was a sign. I mean, a magical sleep spanning centuries is hard to recovery from.

Seconds dripped onward as the sun continued to bath us in a warm glow. This continued on till he snorted and relaxed his tail slightly. “Sorry Officer, I’m not used to seeing Thestrals still and after the news this morning…” He cleared his throat as he pointed a wing to the platform below us. I followed after him. “We are just a little worried somepo-some being- is going to come after our princess.” We touched down and I transferred the key as quickly as I could in the rustle of four sets wings retracting. Hopefully they wouldn’t question the key. “It was odd enough when the existence of the new Alicorn was reported, too convenient we thought.” We all nodded and made our sounds of agreement, a large breath escaping me as I realized I was safe, well, among a changeling free guard.

“Guess it shouldn’t have surprised us when he turned out to be a flawed jewel.” Glittering Shard spoke up a relaxed grin turning her lips up, “Nothing is that good.”

She must have doubted the legitimacy of the claim as well.

Eyeing the path in the crowd to the empty shuttle car ahead I shifted my legs and responded to the now eager faces I found looking at me. “He appeared to be an Alicorn at least.” My wording wasn’t lost on the officer before me.

“But to believe the words of two ponies,” I nodded, frowning as I recalled the lack of follow up in the papers with the only witnesses. “With only a letter between them as the words of the new stallion,” again we shared a long look, “I mean, it just feels foalish to consider now!”

“It must be hard being the only mares left,” I put out there. Watching as their eyes turned away.

Exactly my feeling on the matter, it was crushing to think of it like that. Echo had been the first pony to bring that up with me and it stuck with me. The only ones left, with no hope for foals, at least not natural born foals. The newest princess was an artificial Alicorn, the only one in history, and was raised by both Celestia and her biological parents. A shared motherhood, it couldn’t possibly have been the same.

The shuttle called to me, the key cold in my grip.

Coughing had my eyes going to the glittering eyes of Officer Kunzite, the sparkle being more than the crystalline nature of his being. “Well, I suppose you had better deliver the news.” My heart lurched a little as the words were spoken, the relaxation I had gained in their presence draining away as I was brought back to ‘Blueblood’s’ words. ‘Ponies of that caliber don’t just die of natural causes, at least not all at once.’

“Yes, I should.”

With that we parted ways. The inhibitor key and I safely bundled up in the shuttle and whistled down the line to the Crystal Kingdom.

The sights were little to none. White snow upon white snow whipping by as the magic pushed through even the strongest gale. But that was probably for the best, my nerves couldn’t handle too much.

I just hope I am not too late.