"The battle between the West and the East was growing more fierce day by day. On the battleground during a furious skirmish, the soldier Draco of the Western castle Garou thinks of Maria, whom he left in his homeland..."

Safe in the darkness atop the unilluminated tower, Rarity allowed herself an eye roll. The Canterlot Theatre performed this play every year, and despite the circumstances surrounding this one, she had to keep herself from scoffing at the messenger's predictably hammy narration. The high society silver spoon playing Draco this year wasn't much better, if she allowed herself honesty in the security of her mind. His lines pining for the woman taken away by the opposing army were loud and bombastic, but she supposed she could cut him slack for that; after all, Draco had never struck her as a particularly graceful or romantic character to begin with. No, what really miffed her about this actor was his wardrobe; Draco traditionally wore red with green, likely an attempt to bring a christmas feel to a play that really had nothing to do with christmas other than the month it was performed in, and yet the charlatan decides to wear purple and yellow. She could practically taste the unpleasantness of that clash. Why was it allowed?

Her partly obscured eyebrows shifted as the spotlight shone on the shoddily constructed tower she stood on, changing her unmistakably ticked fumes into a lover's lamenting scowl.

"My beloved, are you going to a distant place? And we just pledged eternal love... Through sad times and hard times, I'll think of that shooting star as you. Do I have to exchange vows with one I don't love? What shall I do? I'm waiting for your words..."

Yech. What kind of emotional speech was that? She could've sworn her lines had changed from the moment she first looked at them. Probably Eyebrow down there's attempts at making his character seem more desirable for Maria. She could vomit.

She shoved the feeling down as she gracefully glided down the steps of her makeshift castle tower, going over the plan behind the play as she moved through the motions she had practiced for weeks;

Stealthily replace Cadence in the role of Maria without telling the public, using a dress and mask to hide my identity- check, wait for the airshi- Was Ralse wearing the red and green? That's such a trivial change, I hate it. Regardless! Perform until the end, when an airship will dock outside. I'll be invited on by Prince Blueblo- What is that poor girl doing? She's got the dance all wrong. Did the director forget to give her a choreographer? No no no, mustn't be distracted... Changeling! There will be a changeling on the airship, disguised as Blueblood, inviting me to the castle for an afterparty... Probably more courteous than the real one, to be frank... regardless, get picked up, get flown to the hi- What's that?

Something was moving in the rafters above. She squinted through her mask's narrow eyeholes, struggling to identify the dark, pointy silhouette carefully maneuvering over wooden planks above as a messenger behind her announced the arrival of Draco's army invading the castle. The figure above was dark, mysterious, carefully calculating every step it took as-

The figure was suddenly a lot less mysterious as it's last step gave out and he began tumbling down, just as Draco's character burst in through the door. Wood splinters crashed to the ground under it as it was ceremoniously thrown into the limelight, collapsing down on top of Draco and revealing what was very clearly a changeling drone. Rarity's brain went into overdrive as he lifted his head, apparently equally as stunned. The two stared at each other for what seemed like some time, occasionally casting quick glances to Draco's body, before the drone finally reached a conclusion, bathing itself in blue fire and taking on the face of the unconscious actor beneath him. Rarity pursed her lips, before dramatically lifting him out of the rubble, throwing her forelegs around him.

"Draco!" she recited, giving him a death out of the audiences view. "I had believed in this day!" Rarity silently gestured with a hindleg to Ralse's actor, and he shakily continued.

"M...Maria is meant to be my queen!"

Though it may cost me my life, I refuse to let her go! Rarity fiercely mouthed at the drone, struggling to follow, or at least seeming to- his eyes weren't giving away what he looked at.

"I... No!' The drone decided on.

"Then we duel! My love for her is greater than any man alive's!"

"I feel much the same!"

The two unsurely approached each other, Ralse drawing his prop sword with a wing. The drone scanned the stage for one of his own, growing more panicked by the minute. Neither made a move, instead yelling out lines and what the drone best thought the lines might be.

"The gloves are off, clash your sword!"

"Fight me or you're gay!"

"Have at thee, villain!"

"I did your mom last night!"

Still nobody moved, while the Impresario desperately tried to keep action moving from the choir booth.

"Neither retreated even a single step in their fierce battle, but the match came down to luck; the badly wounded Draco unleashed a final thrust that pierced Ralse's heart!"

The drone nervously poked out with his hoof, barely brushing against a spot on Ralse's chest. Ralse, to his credit, did an impressive job of toppling.

"Argh! I have lost, Draco! Don't let Maria go!'

"I... no, I won't!

Rarity threw herself onto the Drone, dramatically wrapping around his neck and serenading to the audience/

"And I thank you, the one I love, for my feelings may have swayed, but oh so gently, and so kindly, you answered me!"

"Neat!"

Scattered applause sounded from the audience, and a confused janitor was pushed onto stage, inspecting the crater and body sitting in it. Rarity and the drone took a quick bow before hurriedly rushing off to stage left, leaving a confused Ralse behind them. As soon as they were out of sight, Rarity sighed, rubbing her muzzle and leaning against a wall.

"Um... Princess Cadence-"

"Yes, yes, let's get to the airship."

"Of course ma'am."