"As far as I'm concerned, all they took was an art piece." huffed Rainbow Dash.
Everyone was gathered together in the throne room and had just finished listening to Star Dusk and Twilight enumerating all that had occurred to them in the past two days.
"And the fact they got control of Hero's body doesn't bother you in the slightest?" asked AppleJack, cocking her eyebrow.
"He's got a new body already! A cool one that can turn into anything!"
"There are limitations to the shapeshifting like everything else, Dash." corrected Star Dusk.
<<That's not the problem in the first place...>> said Sparkling Gauntlet ominously.
<<Hush now.>> scolded Star Dusk.
Princess Celestia sat back down on her throne and put her hand to her forehead.
"Sister," Princess Luna spoke up, "We cannot allow the changelings to do what they will with Star Dusk's body. Regardless of its ability to release Discord."
Princess Celestia did not look up, looking even more pensive.
Twilight spoke up, "I agree with Princess Luna. Star Dusk's body can still be used as a weapon against Equestria."
"Has anyone ever come back from becoming.... um.... well.... that?" asked Fluttershy asked gently.
"No," replied Star Dusk walking over to a window to look outside, "But this control has never happened with the person's conciousness outside of the body. There may still be a way to recover it."
<<Not without open battle though...>>
<<Hush.>>
The silence was palpable with everyone looking for some sure ray of hope in the situation.
Star Dusk finally spoke, "I could go and try and take my body back myself. They probably expect all out war for this, one man will throw them off."
"Woah, whoa! One does not simply walk into changeling territory!" said Pinkie, speaking up for the first time.
"Pinkie's right," chimed in Rarity, "It would be a fool's errand to go on your own."
"I can't rightly take you all with me now can I? They'll need the elements of harmony in order to free Discord."
"Then we will go with you." said Princess Celestia standing up with Princess Luna nodding in agreement.
"Absolutely not!" he replied harshly, "It's much too dangerous for you two."
"Star Dusk, you yourself told Sparky that we had grown. We can handle ourselves." countered Princess Celestia.
"No, out of the question."
Princess Luna's frustration already reached its peak,
"Star Dusk, consider this a direct order from your Princess!" she boomed, "You shall take us along with you for safety."
Silence fell as Star Dusk lowered his head. Twilight felt the apprehension and fear flowing in from Star Dusk. There was no way he would fight a direct order. Everyone waited for what seemed like a eternity until Star Dusk responded quietly,
"I refuse..."
Both sisters were taken aback. "Excuse me?" asked Princess Celestia.
"I refuse." he repeated a bit louder.
"Did you misunderstand? This was not a request." added Princess Luna.
"I understand entirely, your highness. I still refuse." he replied standing his ground.
Everyone stood dumbfounded. This was a different man from the one they found entrapped in the statue.
Princess Celestia drew a breath before speaking, "Then you shall be banned from leaving the castle. If you are certain it is that dangerous for anyone to follow you, then it must be much to dangerous for you to go on your own."
Princess Celestia took her seat again, looking resolute in her decision. "We will reconvene tomorrow to see if we can come up with something more feasible or if Star Dusk changes his mind."
"It may be too late for any brainstorming by tomorrow." he muttered turning once more to the window.
Princess Celestia looked at the six ladies, trying to look as benevolent under the extreme pressure put on her.
"Please, will you excuse us a moment ladies?" she asked sweetly, "I believe Star Dusk wishes to say some more on the matter in private."
<<Of course, shift all of the blame on to me. Makes complete sense that way.>> he shot back internally.
Do you want us to stay? asked Twilight worriedly.
<<We got this princess. We're no strangers to interrogation, if it goes that far.>> informed Sparkling Gauntlet.
<<They won't do anything that rash.... But keep your mind clear. If I need you, I'll 'broadcast' the conversation so you can listen in.>> added Star Dusk.
If you're sure.
"Of course, Princess. Just let us know when you need us." Twilight answered for the six.
The others slowly followed suit as she walked out of the throne room.
"Twilight, why are we walking out on him like that?" asked Rainbow confused.
"We're not walking out on him, we're giving him space to argue his point." she corrected, taking a seat on a bench in the common area outside the throne room.
"But you cannot seriously be supporting him going on such a dangerous mission himself?" asked Rarity.
"Hold on there Rarity. You can't possibly think he can't handle it. He's Hero after all." pointed out AppleJack.
"B-But, if it's as... dangerous as he said it would be, then why would he want to go on his own?" asked Fluttershy.
"Because he's awesome. Besides, he's got the changeling's body. He could sneak in on his own without so much as a second look at him."
The girls bickered and offered competing points slowly growing in volume until Twilight couldn't concentrate anymore.
"GIRLS!" she yelled over their din, garnering their attention once more
"Right now I am going to support him, even if I disagree with him." she continued calmly.
"How can you do that?" asked Rainbow Dash, "I mean, if you disagree wouldn't that mean that you can't support their choice?"
"I can't accept his choice. That doesn't mean I can't respect his decision and be an emotional support for him."
"Okay, now ya lost me..." said AppleJack with a raised eyebrow
Twilight sighed, "How would you all feel if I disagreed with you on something and left you standing on your own?"
The young women looked at each other a bit worriedly.
"You would feel like you didn't have a leg to stand on, right? Now, if he asks my opinion on the matter I will fight his decision. But so long as he's resolute, I won't do anything to stop him." she finished, closing her eyes to relax again.
I hope I never have to fight your decisions... she thought.
Before sunrise the next morning, Twilight went to meet Star Dusk to see what had happened in the throne room. He had not contacted her for support or help and, save for some scant emotions of frustration, it seemed like he cut himself off completely from her.
She ran straight to his room that still had a standing guard, set there by the princesses to make sure he did not leave.
"Good morning gentlemen." she greeted the soldiers.
"Good morning miss Sparkle." they answered.
"I assume you are just here to keep him in and not others out, right?"
They chuckled, "Of course you can enter. He's been quiet all night after getting a late night visit from Princess Luna."
"Oh, the Princess came to speak to him? What about?"
"You know we wouldn't ask her her business unless our orders explicitly asked for it."
Twilight smiled, "I see, alright then."
She opened the door and saw him tossing and turning in his sleep, completely covered in his blanket. She chuckled to herself before approaching the bed.
"You feeling any better?" she asked sweetly.
The body stopped moving but made no move to remove the covers.
"I know they probably were hard on you yesterday," she began reaching to pull down the covers, "but that's only because they... care... about...."
The revealed figure was not Star Dusk. It was Princess Luna, magically bound to look like a sleeping body and bound to the bed to keep her from getting out of bed.
Twilight quickly released her with the help of the magi guards posted at the door.
"What happened Princess?" she asked worriedly.
"Star Dusk... he left. I came to try and convince him once more to take some form of assistance but... you see the result."
"But your highness, we saw you leaving the room!" exclaimed the guard.
"Changeling." said Twilight simply.
"Yes, he used his acquired ability to change shape with out magic to impersonate me on the way out." said Luna standing up before doubling over and holding her head.
"Are you okay your highness?" asked the guards, just barely catching her.
"Yes... Yes... I just need a moment." She said regaining her composure. "That didn't work..."
"Princess Luna?" asked Twilight worriedly.
"I am fine Twilight Sparkle. Let us go see my sister and inform her of the news."
"Then we follow him." said Princess Celestia once she heard the news.
The other elements of harmony had joined Twilight and heard the whole story as well.
"But, wouldn't that undermine Star Dusk's plans?" asked Rarity, "I mean, if the elements of harmony go then the possibility that Discord is freed is high."
"When Star Dusk decided not to heed our wishes, he forfeited the right to whatever plan he was making." said Luna seriously.
"Correct me if I'm wrong Princess, but it sounds as though a freed Discord is an acceptable outcome to save Star Dusk." positied Twilight.
"That's right Twilight. You have only scratched the surface of our relationship to Star Dusk." said Princess Celestia confidently.
"We would go to the ends of Tartarus and back in order to save him" added Luna.
The six girls looked at each other worriedly.
"Are we seriously going to go through with this?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"We're already half way through changeling territory and now you ask that?" whispered Rarity incredulously.
The girls had been following their monarchs for two days now. Once they had crossed the boarder they carefully made their way in using cover to avoid detection by patrols. Princess Celestia was the one tracking Star Dusk using a spell she had apparently cast that created a physical beacon that she could sense.
"Well, the closer we get to where Hero is, the more it worries me."
"I hear ya," chimed in AppleJack quietly, "This is gonna get real hairy real fast."
"Like Rarity said, it's a bit too late to worry about that. All we can do at this point is back them up." Twilight pointed out.
"Silence." said Luna wincing a bit as she crouched down next to Princess Celestia at the edge of a clearing.
There was no cover anywhere in the clearing and the other side of the clearing was black.
"No telling what's between us and the other side of the area." said Princess Celestia.
"How far are we from Star Dusk, Sister?" asked Luna.
She concentrated and looked surprised when she received the result.
"He's here, somewhere. We're moving forward, keep your eyes open."
The all moved forward slowly as to not attract attention. The full clearing slowly came into view, there was a group of figures at the far end.
Suddenly the area was flooded with light and the air filled with high pitched squeals and cackles with one loud laugh over the din.
As their eyes adjusted to the bright light, they saw a whole battalion of husks and changelings with Queen Chrysalis at the rear. Next to her were the body of Star Dusk looking dead eyed and the body of Sparkling Gauntlet, in her changeling form, locked in a cage.
"Well, well, well. And here I thought I would have to be closer to your lands before I made my demands to the beloved Princesses of Equestria." Chrysalis said assuredly.
"Give them back!" yelled Rainbow Dash, only held back from charging by AppleJack grabbing her tanktop.
"Only if my... requests... are met." Chrysalis hissed, her minons laughing with her.
"What is it you want?" asked Princess Celestia.
"Release Discord and surrender your kingdom."
"You must be joking." said Rarity incredulously.
"Do you know what I hold in my control?" Chrysalis said, her confidence growing, "Both pieces to the missing link." Gesturing to the two prisoners.
"Missing link? To what?" asked Pinkie Pie.
"The missing link to the royal family."
"We already know that. He was always a close family friend to the Princesses." Twilight shot back.
Chrysalis and her army laughed once more, "Then you know nothing! The link to your dear princesses is much closer than that."
Chrysalis finally moved forward, the body of Star Dusk following in suit.
"You see, the royal family had a big secret. One that was even hidden from their poor little daughters..." she continued tauntingly stopping at the front of her battalion, "To Queen Aether and King Elysian were born such beautiful children"
"Get to the point!" yelled AppleJack, only just able to control herself.
"Two beautiful daughters," she continued undaunted by the threat slowly putting her hand on Star Dusk's shoulder, "and one handsome son."
Everyone was dumb founded. Princess Celestia looked as surprised as everyone else and Luna was holding her head seemingly trying to remember.
"That's impossible!" yelled Sparkling Gauntlet.
Chrysalis whirled around to her imprisoned subject, "You were the one to inform me! How do you not-"
Chrysalis blinked a moment then rushed up to the cage, grabbing Sparkling Gauntlet by the throat and casting a spell that melted away the magical disguise she apparently wore revealing Princess Luna.
"Okay then, it seemed like that one worked." said Luna bringing her head up, walking to the front of the group and shapeshifting to Star Dusk's shape.
"Now... What was that about having both pieces?"