Thorn helped the groaning changeling to its feet.

All six of them.

The changeling shook its head and stumbled, having lost some of its finer motor control from years of being controlled like a puppet. “Ack, my head feels like it was in a vice.” The changeling stopped for a moment, looking down and around as it, no, he made sense of his surroundings.

“I… I’m me.” He said, tentatively testing his hooves. He looked to the changeling just in front of him. “Am I dead?”

Thorn placed a hoof on the changelings shoulder. “On the contrary, my friend, you are alive once again.”

Thorn pointed to the rest of the battlefield, scattered with the fallen, yes, but also dotted with newly freed changelings, being helped by Blackreach changelings and Vangar townspeople alike as they felt their way back into their own bodies.

There wasn’t quite as much happiness as one might expect in the scene. Instead, the air was filled with surprise and wonderment from the changelings that had been under Nexus’ control. Several questions floated around, coming from what few freed changelings weren’t simply looking around, marveling at even the most boring and dull things around them, if only for the novelty of being able to do so.

In a prime example of this, the ant-changeling Thorn had just helped picked up a rock, examining it thoroughly.

Using telekinesis, Thorn took the rock away from the changeling, using it to point towards a gathering of some of the battle’s survivors. Several small campfires had sprung up, a few even with small amounts of food cooking over them. “I believe you may find that to be a bit more exciting than a simple stone.” Thorn said, though he offered the stone back to the changeling anyway.

The changeling set the stone on the ground, a smile on his face as he went to join a small group of changelings that was heading towards the larger crowd.

Turning, Thorn buzzed his wings, taking off and flying towards where Nexus had been defeated.

The changeling sovereign was impaled upon a two-handed sword that had had its blade driven through him and into the ground.

As he landed, Thorn took note of the gray earth pony nearby.

Eclipse was being tended to by a pegasus doctor from Vangar, as well as a basic changeling from Blackreach. He had suffered a major energy drain during his last few rounds with Sovereign Nexus.

Finnis, the one who had actually dealt the killing blow and finished the sovereign off, had vanished soon afterword. Aranna had been less than happy about the news when she realized he had gone missing.

The changeling doctor turned to Thorn, said something to the pegasus and began trotting his way.

She took a breath before speaking. “I used a few spells to double-check, and it seems he’s suffering from extreme magical depletion, something I thought only unicorns and changelings could get. From what I can tell, it’s chaos magic, which would explain his abilities, but still…”

“Hm?” Thorn turned to the doctor, frowning. He had already known about Eclipse’s chaos magic, but he allowed the doctor to explain it anyway. However, she seemed troubled. “Is something the matter?”

“Well, he had more than one font of mana inside him. In fact, he had three. I ran a few tests, and these other two fonts aren’t quite like any magic I’ve ever seen. At least, outside of certain diluted unicorn magic.” The doctor swallowed. “The mana depletion seems to stem from his chaos mana font and one of the two secondary fonts, with the third about halfway depleted, but nothing near what could cause magical depletion.” She cleared her throat, her voice lowering to a whisper. “Permission to speak freely, Captain?”

“You are not a member of the perimeter guard.” Thorn noted. “Why would you need permission?”

The doctor swallowed the lump in her throat. “I checked that two tailed changeling as well. Her name was Witch?”

“Yes.” Thorn confirmed.

“She had a secondary font of mana as well, alongside her changeling magic. It was similar, if not exactly the same as, the third font I mentioned in Eclipse. Sir, this is something I’ve never heard of before. Multiple magical fonts could, in theory, occur naturally, but the varying natures of the fonts make it very unlikely that that is the case. Plus, Eclipse has three fonts, all of different magical wavelengths and all in an earth pony, of all species! It simply isn’t statistically possible.”

Thorn took the information in. He wasn’t too technical on the hows and whys of magic or the innumerable theories surrounding it, but even he understood that the Doctor’s findings were significant.

“Very good, Doctor.” He said, nodding. “Never mention these findings to another soul.”

“W-what!? But, Captain, this could break limits we had never known existed! Eclipse is an Equestrian, so if we could set up a pact to freely exchange knowledge, I could use their findings on magic, coupled with our own knowledge and these new findings, to perform--”

“--Miracles and advances the likes of which have not been seen in millennia.” Thorn finished for her. “I know. I did not say abandon this, Doctor. I may not be your superior, but I still request that you hold off telling any others about this. Not your colleagues, not your loved ones. I will ask Eclipse about this and, failing that, will attempt to confront the Equestrian princesses themselves. When I send word back, all I know will follow, as will permission to actively resume this study.”

“But, Sir!” She said, panicking. “If Eclipse refuses to answer, what makes you think that the princesses, who need I remind you are thousands of years old, will respond to… your… questions?”

Thorn waved away the fact that she began to trail off as she finished, but as he was going to answer he heard a voice from behind.

“Oh, I’m sure he will find a way.”

Turning, Thorn faced a large, white equine, her mane billowing in a non-existent breeze. Several squadrons of golden-clad guards were there as well, but all of them had begun assisting the efforts of several Vangar guards, who were gathering the deceased and injured, as well as waking any living changelings who had been knocked out by Nexus’ defeat.

Celestia walked around the pair of changelings, heading towards Eclipse, who had just dropped a cup of water the pegasus doctor had given him. Just as she was about to scold Eclipse, the pegasus realized who he was looking at and quickly bowed, though she also took the opportunity to begin edging herself away.

“This is the second time in as many assignments that you have caused full-scale warfare, Eclipse.” The princess said, frowning.

Eclipse crossed his forehooves over his chest. “This time, it wasn’t my fault. The armies got together while I was under mind control, so I can’t be blamed.”

Thorn reeled. Eclipse was talking to the most powerful being in several hundred miles, if not the entire world, yet he was acting completely normal. Half-expecting the pony to burst into flames, Thorn almost fell over when he saw Princess Celestia smile.

“Indeed. That would explain the oddities Luna encountered the last time she tried to enter your dreams.”

Eclipse chuckled. He deflated a bit, turning solemn and losing some of his joking demeanor.

“It’s, ah, coming back. Memories of time spent in that hive mind.”

Celestia questioningly raised an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t under Nexus’ control.” Eclipse explained. “There was some sort of other group with plans of their own. Fateweaver was with them.”

“The buffalo from your Appleloosan report?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what’s going on with all of that, Princess, so don’t ask. Anyway, my point is, if I can start to remember my time in that hive mind, what about all of them?” he gestured to the masses of changelings nearby, some of which were buzzing through the air or testing their magical abilities.

“I don’t know.” Celestia answered. “But if these changelings are truly friendly, my sister and I will do all we can to help them. “Oh, and Feather Duster sends a message.”

Eclipse blinked, surprise evident at the thought of his marefriend. “Is something wrong? I didn’t miss a holiday, did I?”

The princess leaned down, eyes narrowing as she grinned conspiratorially. “She said that if you don’t come back, she’ll drag you back out of tartarus and throw you to Cerberus as a chew toy.”

Eclipse visibly paled, his pupils turning into pinpricks.

“Her words, not mine.” Celestia chuckled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me; I need to speak with whomever is in charge. The sooner, the better, so adequate supplies and rations can be spread to the survivors.”

“Wait!”

Celestia, Thorn and Eclipse turned to find a six-legged changeling running towards Thorn at full speed. The ant dug his hooves into the ground, bringing himself to a sliding stop. It was the same changeling Thorn had helped some time earlier.

“I-I remember!” The changeling cried between breaths. “There - There are other hives. They, they probably don’t know what happened, but after Nexus--”

“Calm yourself.” Thorn ordered, raising a hoof. “Speak slowly.”

The changeling nodded, taking a moment to gather his senses. “Nexus had his hivemind split up. I remember where some of the other hives are at. I … “he paused, mouth opening and closing as he searched for the right words. “I remember where they are. But those hives aren’t permanent settlements. They can’t keep changelings alive for long. If -- if we can get to them before they disperse--“

Thorn frowned, already thinking. “Very well.” He turned to the Equestrian Princess. “If you could forgive me for delaying your efforts, I will need to speak with my matriarch. Afterwards, however, you could have your meeting with her and any others you require.”

Celestia smiled. “I would be most thankful.”

Thorn took to the skies, scanning for his matriarch. Celestia followed soon after, leaving Eclipse alone as the remaining few around him dispersed, including the Pegasus and changeling doctors, who were even chatting and comparing medical knowledge.

He sighed, leaning back onto a rock. “Well, that’s one way to end a day.”

An odd squelching sound drew his attention.

Looking up, Eclipse saw that the body of Nexus was laying on the ground and that Finnis’ sword had been removed.

Looking around, Eclipse found no sign of the griffin. Sitting back down, he crossed his forelegs with a huff. “First Fateweaver and now him. Not to mention that changeling. How many more of these people am I going to run into?”

Celestia nodded and thanked the changeling matriarch. To be honest, with a title like matriarch, Celestia had expected someone older.

“Eclipse said the same thing, Princess.” Matriarch Nightwhisper chuckled, smiling kindly.

Celestia nodded. “He has a tendency to speak his mind. I can recall the names of several Canterlot nobles who have him on a sort of blacklist. Needless to say, I usually drag him out of his room when there is a party at the palace for that very reason.”

Nightwhisper nodded. “Should Thorn decide to go with you, please treat him well. He’s been a loyal guard for years to my hive, and a personal friend.”

“It will be as if he is among family.” Celestia promised, turning to leave the scene.

Outside, Thorn and a griffin Celestia had learned was named Aranna were arguing with an armored Pegasus. Eclipse was standing nearby.

Cyclone had inadvertently wound up as the leader for Vangar when Finnis had fled and Aranna showed no signs of taking the reins. He was less than pleased about it.

“What is going on here?” Celestia asked, leaning down to whisper in Eclipse’s ear.

“Politics.”

“Ah.”

The two watched the trio hash it out, Aranna and Thorn arguing that the griffin had a right to refuse leadership and Cyclone arguing that Vangar needed someone to take command. Half of his argument was filled with reasons as to why he couldn’t do it himself. Eclipse thought the pegasus simply didn’t like the idea of being the one to negotiate with the Princess, though he wouldn’t admit how intimidated he was.

Whatever the case, they at least kept it civil. At least, no biting was involved.

It took several minutes, but Cyclone eventually conceded the point, turning to find Celestia already waiting. Turning to give one last look at Eclipse, and point a hoof skyward, the princess turned to leave and negotiate with the pegasus guard. Celestia had begun with the hope of opening Vangar as a more open and less isolated neighbor, mostly for trade. After Matriarch Nightwhisper broached the idea of her hive becoming a protectorate of Equestria, even to the point of being bound by the nation's laws -- a deal so in Equestria's favor that Celestia had almost thought it was a joke -- she had slightly higher hopes than when she had come to aid the town.

Turning his gaze to where Celestia had pointed, Eclipse was surprised to find that a dusty brown Pegasus attached to a combination chariot and hot-air balloon -- the old one had been thrown away. This new one was one whole piece, rather than being held together by spit and happy thoughts -- flying nearby.

“Howdy!” Dust Demon said, touching down a few yards away from Eclipse.

Eclipse gestured to the vehicle Dust Demon was pulling. “What the hell is this?” He asked, shocked.

“Pretty, ain’t she? The Princesses gave it to us. Said we’d be working together for the next assignment, some time from now.” The pegasus nodded to Thorn and Aranna. “They’d be coming too, along with Sagebrush.” Dust Demon grinned. “Guess we’ve got some downtime till then, right?”

Eclipse scratched one of his ears, watching as Thorn and Aranna took in the odd vehicle that was the successor to the pile of (s)crap he and several others had used in Appleloosa.

“I find it very fortunate to have been born with wings.” Thorn muttered dryly.

Aranna tugged at her breastplate like one would an uncomfortable shirt. Clearly, she had similar thoughts.

Dust Demon pawed the ground with a forehoof. “Heh. Don’t be too scared, now. You did get picked up by the most outright crazy stallion I’ve ever seen.”

“Excuse me?” Eclipse shot back. “I’m more mentally stable than you!”

“He’s also a big, fat liar.” Dust Demon grinned, punching Eclipse in the shoulder. “Anyway, you heard bout the big event?”

“What event?” Eclipse asked, genuinely at a loss as to what Dust Demon was referring to.

“The coronation!” Dust Demon excitedly said. “I understand that you’ve been kinda busy,” He looked around at the battlefield around him, still being cleaned up. “,but a unicorn called Twilight Sparkle just earned herself a pair of wings.” The pegasus flapped his wings, emphasizing his statement. “Before our next big mission, the princesses’ll want us to attend the ceremony. Heck, maybe we’ll get to meet the new Princess, too!”

Eclipse opened his mouth to speak, but closed it immediately after. After thinking it over for several seconds, he raised a hoof and began again. “I need to talk with Discord. He has internet access.”

Eclipse jumped into the chariot-balloon Dust Demon was still harnessed to. “When do we leave?”

Dust Demon frowned. “Whenever you’re ready, I guess.” He turned back to Aranna and Thorn. “What in tarnation is an internet?”

“I believe it to be some sort of series of tubes.”

Aranna simply shrugged, going along with Thorn's answer for lack of a better one.