The sun hung low in the sky, bathing Canterlot in its orange glow as Silver Skies approached the end of the great hall. As he drew near, a pair of castle guards stepped up to him and blocked his path. Silver stopped and eyed them with slight suspicion.
“Sir Skies, we have been instructed to inform you as soon as you arrived that her highness, Princess Celestia, is waiting for you in her chambers,” said the left guard.
Silver nodded, keeping his gaze fixed to the stallion’s eyes. He eyed the guard for a long moment before sighing. The unicorn diplomat stepped right into the gold-armored, white unicorn’s face and glared disapprovingly into his eyes. “I hope a mere guard, such as yourself, is aware of what might happen if the wrong pony learns of your little fib. I will not press the issue, but trying to lie to me is not in your best interest. Do not let it happen again, unless you desire unemployment and an unfavorable smudge on your record,” he said in a low tone.
The guard gulped, but stood his ground on trembling legs, an act that gained him slight favor in Silver’s eyes. Silver backed away slowly and gave the other guard a glance that silently promised a similar fate to the accomplice. He then lit up his horn. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a few important tasks to finish. Do try to conduct your duties in a more professional manner. Good day.”
Silver Skies vanished from the hall, reappearing with a muffled pop out in the royal gardens. There were a few swift gasps, as a few guards were made aware of his presence, the sounds of their armor clinking as they stiffened. “Oh, Silver Skies,” came Celestia’s warm voice, “what a pleasant surprise.”
Silver turned around to face her and bowed respectfully. “My apologies. I hope I am not interrupting anything.”
The sun princess smiled kindly and shook her head. “Not at all. I was just settling for a small tea break. There were a few things that took up a little more of my time this afternoon. Would you care to join me?” she asked.
Silver Skies lifted his head and offered a small smile in response. “That would be most pleasant, but I must decline. Instead, I would like to ask you for a portion of your time when you are available. There are a few things I would like to discuss.”
Celestia nodded slowly and looked to her guards. “Would you kindly give Silver Skies and I some time alone,” she said calmly to them. With crisp salutes, the four guards departed so that they were out of range of hearing.
“Now,” Celestia said, “what is on your mind?”
Silver Skies casually glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before he spoke. “I have just returned from a rather informative session with Queen Chrysalis, your majesty. However… what I’ve come to learn is not as pleasant as I had hoped it would be,” he said somberly.
Celestia levitated a pot of tea and slowly poured some of the steaming liquid into her cup. “I see…” she said softly. “How bad is it?”
Silver sighed gently. “The Changelings are in danger of extinction,” he answered.
Celestia paused and looked right into Silver’s eyes, a look of remorse slowly trying to filter through her grim frown. “Are you certain of this?” she asked softly.
Silver’s eyes closed and he sighed through his nose. “I wish I wasn’t…” he replied. “According to their predictions, the entire race will cease to exist in just a few generations. This fate also applies to the other group of Changelings, the ones led by Thorax – whom I’d like to meet in the very near future.”
Celestia finished pouring her tea, but refrained from lifting the cup, simply staring into the rising steam from it. She quietly thought about Silver’s words for a few long moments. Then she let out a soft sigh and she looked into his eye. “This is grave news, Silver Skies. What else do you have to report?” she said sadly.
Silver Skies nodded gently and stepped closer to his princess. “Aside from that, the rest is fairly good news. I’ve managed to learn quite a lot about their culture. They really are a lot like us, only they have a more disciplined military and are capable of feeding off of our emotions as well as consuming organic materials – specifically mosses, fungi, and fruits. They also developed a way to contain emotional energies within mid-grade quartz crystals,” he said with slight enthusiasm.
His expression then turned more subdued and he cast his gaze to the ground. “I also learned that they have an odd effect on my mental state…”
Celestia’s ears perked up at that. “In what way?” she asked, curious.
“It took me some time to pinpoint the source, but I eventually discovered that there is a pheromone that they secrete,” Silver said calmly. “The pheromone stimulates emotional responses, resulting in stronger feelings, which provides more emotions for them to feed off of. I’m not sure if they are aware of it, but I found it interesting that I was experiencing a broader range of emotion while in their Hive.”
Silver Skies paused for a moment and thought about something, his eye trailing up to blankly stare at the sky. “Now that I think about it… it seems the effect wore off about five minutes after I left their presence. But, I believe I’ve drifted a little off of my original subject,” he said and redirected his attention back to Celestia. “Your highness, I was able to reach a proper conclusion with Queen Chrysalis, regarding the peace treaty.”
Celestia noticed the gleam in Silver’s eye and she let a warmer smile spread over her face. “I take it things finally went well?” she asked.
Silver Skies nodded and gave a small smile in turn, which faded as his emotions chose that moment to reset. “Yes,” he replied neutrally, “she has agreed to be more forthcoming, which resulted in her finally telling me everything I needed to know. I believe we can begin open negotiation and take the next steps toward an alliance with Chrysalis and her Changelings.”
Celestia’s smile widened at the good news. “That is most wonderful news, Silver Skies. Will Queen Chrysalis be attending the negotiations in person?”
Silver shook his head. “Not yet. She still feels that a meeting with you is too soon. Instead, she will be selecting one of her best Changelings as the representative of her Hive. I will be bringing the representative here at your earliest convenience after I finish with a few important matters, which should be taken care of in a few days,” he said and his ear flicked as he heard something approaching.
Silver turned his head to see a passing patrol. Celestia noticed this and quirked her brow, but remained silent. They both waited patiently until they were sure the guards had moved out of earshot before Celestia broke the silence. “I take it you had a reason to be suspicious of those guards?”
“Yes,” Silver said calmly, “because two of the guards in the entrance hall tried to deceive me. They told me you were waiting in your chambers. As we both can attest, that was not a true testament. The only way they would have been mistaken would be if the location enchantments of their armor were in need of repair, but I know for a fact that their gear was in pristine condition.”
Celestia nodded with a sigh. “With your sight, I have no doubts that you are correct. It pains me to think that they would be so unfaithful to their oaths.”
Silver Skies shook his head gently. “Do not think that they are doing it out of disloyalty. There is a reason why they are following a certain General’s orders. If I had to guess, I’d assume foul play or blackmail. Still, I do not fault them,” he said and turned his sights back to the princess. “In any case, I’ve taken up enough of your time. I shall take my leave and get back to work on providing aid for Chrysalis’ Hive. However, I would like to request a few things before I leave.”
Celestia nodded. “I will provide anything I can. What do you need?”
“I need to know how to contact Thorax, I’ll need to set up a meeting with a few of our best magic researchers, and I will require a copy of your schedule for the next week,” Silver reciprocated calmly. “I can handle the rest, but it would be very helpful if you could help with those few things.”
Celestia pondered for a moment as a small smile played on her lips. Then she gave a slow nod. “I will make sure to get you what you need. How soon would you require them to be done?” she asked warmly.
Silver Skies smiled and bowed respectfully. “As soon as you are able, but I do not wish for you to rush the matter. I simply need to make a schedule and plan out a method for helping to save Chrysalis’ Changelings.”
Celestia nodded. “Very well, Silver Skies. I will inform you when I have gathered what you have requested. Was there anything else you needed?” she said and brought her teacup up to sip from it.
Silver Skies shook his head and lit up his horn. “No, your highness. I have asked enough of you. I can handle the rest of what I need, for the moment. Enjoy the rest of your tea break,” he said kindly and teleported from the garden.
Celestia sipped from her cup once more and she silently thought about a few things. The quiet calm of the royal garden let her ponder in peace.
~~***~~
Meanwhile, back in the Changeling Hive, Chrysalis had settled in her personal chambers. The room, unlike the rest of her personal places, was a nice and cozy size of small. It was decorated with a single bookshelf, two ornate nightstands on either side of the large bed of heavenly soft Changeling slime, and a tall dresser that held a few items of formal clothing for when she felt the need to dress up.
The Queen made her way straight to her bed. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, she plopped herself down on her side, thoroughly enjoying the way the slime supported her body. Chrysalis sighed contentedly. Then the serene calm was shattered as a chitinous hoof knocked on the outside of her chamber door. She grumbled under her breath and sat up in a more presentable position. “Enter,” she commanded.
The royal, engraved slime door opened up slowly to reveal the form of Tender. Chrysalis’ mood quickly slipped from acting as Queen and a warm smile spread over her. “Ah, Tender, do come in.”
Tender smiled in kind and slowly made her way into the room. Chrysalis shut the door behind her, which was a relief for the elder Changeling. She soon made it to the side of Chrysalis’ bed and she bowed her head. A hole-ridden black hoof gently touched the underside of her face and lifted her to look up at her Queen.
“There will be none of that, Tender,” Chrysalis said softly, “not in private. Did you come to speak with me about something, my dear friend?”
Tender smiled and gently nuzzled the hoof that still tenderly rested against her chin. “I came to speak with you, yes. It has to do with that young unicorn from earlier,” she replied in her creaky, yet cute old voice.
Chrysalis sighed gently. “Of course, you of all would have noticed it through the Hivemind,” Chrysalis said and then put on a more regal expression. “Don’t think too much into it, I was simply having a little fun with him. He has managed to appeal to my sense of amusement.”
Tender smiled and giggled lightly. “Oh, of that I have no doubt. I could feel the emotions playing between the two of you. It was quite fun to ‘see’ how you picked on him during that little outing.”
“I had a feeling you enjoyed that,” Chrysalis replied with a smirk.
“Oh very much so. But…” Tender said and gently pushed Chrysalis’ hoof down, “there is something that I must discuss with you about him. He is very powerful, Chrysalis. He may even possess more magical potential than you when you were at your strongest.”
Chrysalis stiffened at that. “Are you certain of this?” she asked her friend.
Tender nodded once and narrowed her cloudy blue eyes. “There was no way for any of you to notice it, not with your eyes. With my blindness, I see things through the Hive-mind… but there was something coming from him that even I could see in the endless darkness. I felt it, saw it, and could almost taste it… a great power that seemed to drift out of his eye. It was beautiful and terrifying.”
Chrysalis steeled her gaze and braced herself. “Show me,” she said.
Tender nodded once more and opened her mind to her Queen and friend. Images flowed freely into Chrysalis’ mind. She watched as she and Silver Skies entered the War Room, only to see Tender’s Hive-sight vanish and be replaced with complete endless blackness. The exception… was the small flame of power, a deep purple tipped with licks of royal blue, which seemed to be forever burning. The flames drifted from an eye… an eye filled with eternal anguish.
Chrysalis pulled herself out of Tender’s consciousness. Her heart ached for some reason and she could feel sweat all over her. She jumped slightly when something brushed against her hoof, only to notice that her friend had placed a hoof on her out of concern. “Calm yourself, Chrysalis, you are affecting the Hive-mind,” Tender cooed softly.
Chrysalis took several deep breaths, eventually bringing her heart and mind back under control. She looked to Tender, who held a small pained smile on her face. “That… is what you saw?” she asked of her old friend.
Tender nodded. “Yes. He has found a way to mask it, but there is great power there. But what could have made you feel so fearful of that?” she asked.
Chrysalis shook her head slowly. “I… I do not know. Seeing something… there was something deeper within his gaze that… it triggered something within myself. But I can’t place a hoof on what.”
Tender nodded slowly and sighed softly. “I see… my apologies. I did not know what I saw would have such an effect. Forgive me, Chrysalis.”
Chrysalis looked to her friend and smiled softly as she brought a hoof around her dear friend. “There is nothing for me to forgive you for – you did nothing wrong. It simply made me aware of something that I need to look into, is all. But if you don’t mind… I think it is time I rested. It has been a long day,” she said with a bored expression, one filled with a lack of giving a buck about anything more today.
Tender stifled a giggle and gently rubbed her hoof along Chrysalis’. “I understand. One last thing, before I leave; have you decided on how you will handle the rest of the negotiations with the peace treaty?” she asked.
Chrysalis sighed and let a small smirk play across her lips. “I wish I could send you. You are the best when it comes to holding that serene look even in the face of something like that. Sadly, you are needed here… if only to be my confidant and friend, which I must apologize for,” she teased.
Tender giggled and gave a soft playful swat to Chrysalis’ shoulder.
Chrysalis smiled in response, if only for a moment, before she though more seriously about the question her friend brought forth. “Hmm… if I had to pick anybuggy else… I would most likely go with Antennae. She could gather more intimate details about them while she takes part in the negotiations.”
Tender shook her head. “Antennae is good at intelligence gathering, but she is not suited for diplomacy. Might I make a slight suggestion?” she said coyly.
Chrysalis gave her friend a pointed look. “So that’s why you came here. Tell me who your pick would be – this should prove quite interesting.”
Tender smiled and looked to the side, pretending to consider something. “Why not send Winds?”
Chrysalis’ jaw opened to speak… but she was actually shocked to hear that name be mentioned. “You can’t be serious. She’s only capable of shape shifting! She has no other talents what so ever! Why would you suggest her?” she asked.
Tender simply smiled. “Maybe because she’s the only one of your daughters that I would trust with this big of a task,” she answered.
Chrysalis brought a hoof up to rub her chin, as she thought about the idea further. Her logic stated that it was a stupid idea to send that Changeling out on such an important mission. But her heart told her to listen to her wise friend. She sighed and looked to Tender with slight suspicion. “I suppose I’ll allow it. Which one of us should tell her? For that matter, when should we tell her?”
Tender provided a knowing smile and slowly turned to leave the room. “Leave that to me, Chrysalis,” she said as she made her way to the door.
Chrysalis opened the door for her friend, which rewarded her with a kind smile from Tender. Tender paused, just outside the door, and looked over her shoulder. “One more thing I would like to add, before I leave. Do not fear that unicorn stallion. Both his head and his heart are in good places,” she said warmly. “Also… do try not to fall for him,” she teased before walking away.
Chrysalis simply sat on her bed with her mouth slightly agape. Then a wicked little grin took over her features. “Oh…? Would you, perhaps be a little jealous of him, my old friend?” she asked of the empty room. Then her grin fell into a small frown. “Tch, that means she feels that there might be something to him that would catch my eye. A foolish idea. I find him entertaining and nothing more… well… ungh, forget it!” she declared and slumped back down onto her bed.
“I’ll put more thought into it when I actually care to think about it. Sleep sounds much better,” Chrysalis said quietly as she let her body relax. Sleep soon took her into the realm of dreams… where she saw the faces of happy days gone by.