"PUTTING FLASH'S LOVE LIFE ASIDE FOR THE MOMENT, I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO THE MORE SERIOUS MATTER OF DISCORD'S PAST TRANSGRESSIONS. NAMELY HOW, WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS, THIS CITY, THE VERY HEART OF PONY SOCIETY, HAS BEEN INVADED NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE."

"Oh no, Sir," Flash corrected. "It's actually been attacked four times."

"...WHAT THE FLAPJACK? DID YOU THINK TO JUST LET THAT POINT SLIP, DISCORD?"

The draconequus raised his paws defensively. "Hey! Don't look to me this time, skeleton! I just caused two of those occupations!" He paused, then grimaced as he looked to the side. "Okay, that sounded less guilty in my head."

Flash shook his head to that, then looked to the king once more. "He's right Sir. Heck, he wasn't even responsible for the first attack the city faced. That honour goes to the Changelings."

"WHAT IN THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD OF EQUESTRIA IS A CHANGELING?"

Flash shrugged. "An insectoid, pony-like race who feast upon the energies caused by feelings of love. We don't exactly have a clear understanding of their origins. And even at the time they attacked we didn't even know they existed. So as you can imagine, it was quite a shock to be introduced to them that way."

"I'LL SAY. AND MORE TO THE POINT HOW DID THEY SUCCEED IN THEIR EFFORTS?"

"An infiltration," Flash explained. "As you've probably guessed from the name, they're shapeshifters. With that power, their leader, Queen Chrysalis, managed to get into Canterlot and replace Cadance, once of the alicorn princesses. Afterwards she manipulated Cadance's then-fiancé, Captain Shining Armour, who was largely responsible for the city's defence. At their sham of a wedding the shield was broken and the swarm attacked."

"A WHOLESALE INVASION. WERE YOU INVOLVED IN THE FIGHTING?"

Flash's expression was a serious one, clearly thinking back to that dark time. "I did. In fact I'd just been officially inducted into the Guard that very day. I wasn't attending the wedding of course, veterans only and all that, but I was down in the barracks trying out my new uniform. Before I knew what was going on, these weird bugs came bursting in and trying to get us all rounded up." The stallion smiled. "Thankfully, I wasn't totally helpless..." He looked down to his hoof. "Managed to give one of them a good shiner before I was overwhelmed."

"GOOD LAD. I HOPE THERE WEREN'T TOO MANY CASUALTIES IN THE REST OF THE CITY?"

Flash shook his head. "None, thankfully. There was certainly a lot of ponies captured and held prisoner by the invaders, but no harm was done, thanks to the Captain."

"OH? HE WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THE QUEEN'S INFLUENCE THEN?"

"Yes, but not without the help of his beloved. Cadance had been freed thanks to Twilight Sparkle, and together their love was able to reignite the shield and repel the invaders."

"HOLD UP. THESE CREATURES, WHO FEED UPON LOVE, WERE DRIVEN OUT BY A MAGIC THAT WAS FUELLED...BY LOVE?"

Flash paused, glanced to Discord, then fumbled his words a bit before answering. "Well...yes?"

"...HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?"

"With respect, Sir, I stopped trying to figure out how magic makes sense a long time ago."

"Probably for the best, given the limited capacity of non-magical folk to understand such powers," Discord remarked with a grin, taking delight in Flash's look of annoyance afterwards.

"I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WAS THE LAST EQUESTRIA HAD TO DO WITH THEM," Solaris added, getting the conversation back on track.

Flash sighed. "Afraid not, Sir. There was another attempt at infiltration and conquest, but it was several years later. But, as before, Chrysalis was defeated and Equestria was saved from her evil plans."

Discord puffed out his chest somewhat. "With a little help from yours truly and his sidekicks." He saw Flash giving him some side-eye, causing him to roll his own eyes. "Okay, fine, one of you ponies led and I followed. Happy?"

Flash didn't answer him, instead just smirking briefly over his minor victory over the chaos spirit before getting back to the ancient alicorn. "After that second victory, however, there came real change for their people."

"APPROPRIATE, GIVEN THAT THEYR'E CALLED CHANGELINGS AND ALL."

"One of their number, Thorax, had actually befriended us ponies some time prior to the second plot. And through him, other Changelings were convinced to turn against the ways of Chrysalis, thus leading to a radical transformation of both them and their entire society. Chrysalis was deposed, replaced as leader by Thorax, and the Changelings became our good friends afterwards."

"FROM BITTER ENEMIES TO CLOSE ALLIES? THAT'S SOME SURPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL WISHFUL THINKING RIGHT THERE."

"Believe it, old friend," Discord interrupted. "Like me, they turned over a new leaf. Thankfully, I never took on a whole new colour scheme when I defected. Ugh, so garish."

"I dunno, I think the new look suits them," Flash countered.

"Pfft! You ponies always do. All that bright colour obsession you always have."

Before Flash could respond, Solaris spoke. "AND THE QUEEN? WHAT OF HER?"

Flash said nothing for a time, looking deep in thought and even looking back to Discord for a moment. The latter regained his look of guilt, not meeting Flash's gaze, and soon enough the guard finally spoke. "She continued to cause problems, even banding together with other defeated villains. But in the end, thanks in no small part to her former subjects coming to our aid against her, she was vanquished for a third time, along with her allies. Now, she stands as a statue, just as Discord once was, and I doubt we'll see her troubling us again in our lifetime."

"GLAD TO HEAR IT. THE LAST THING I NEED IS TO HEAR THAT MY PEOPLE ARE UNDER SEIGE FROM A HORDE OF HUNGRY BUGS."

Flash smiled. "Agreed. And I must say the Changeling Empire has been a staunch friend to us since their turn."

"EMPIRE? SO THIS THORAX STYLES HIMSELF AS AN EMPEROR?"

"No, Sir. As a king, like yourself."

"...THEN IT'S A CHANGELING KINGDOM THEN, NOT AN EMPIRE. IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE A NEW AND IMPROVED NATION BY OUR SIDE THEN THE LEAST THEY CAN DO IS GET THE PROPER NAMING CONVENTIONS. WE SHOULD SEND SOMEPONY UP THERE TO CORRECT THEM."

"That...might cause some diplomatic issues, Sir."

"IF THEY COMPLAIN, JUST REMIND THEM THAT WE NEVER OCCUPIED THEIR CAPITAL. THAT'LL SHUT THEM UP."

"You're...not really one for letting things be, are you, Sir?"

"DON'T SASS ME, KID. ONLY ONE OF US IS IMMORTAL."

"Message received loud and clear, Sir."

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