Promoting a Pawn
Sweetie Belle rolled out of bed and hit the floor with a delicate click, glancing out of the window over the courtyard below her. She had been given lodging in the main keep, in a section reserved for returned operatives. Her room had all the amenities one could expect from a castle, with its own fireplace, a chair and small bookshelf, a wardrobe for clothing, and other touches added to make it feel more like a home. She straightened her hair and tied it into a tight bun as she recalled Twilight’s conversation with her the other night. She had been told everything, from Twilight’s original plan to recruit her, to the decision made to send Scootaloo to meet her, to the scramble that had ensued when she was taken by Dawn Division. Twilight had given her an early copy of the events leading up to her rebellion, bound into a leather binding and embossed with a simple six pointed star on the front. In addition to this, she was also given an updated dossier, one including information on the Bearers and their families. Sweetie Belle had been saddened and more than a little surprised to see her friend Applebloom’s name listed, along with her new posting in the Regular Army.
She spent some time looking through the files, setting aside those of friends and family and turning to those of her teammates. She had been informed that they would all be receiving the same files, detailing their strengths and weaknesses before they began training. She had to admit, Twilight had picked an impressive team. Night Light had a list of commendations and successful missions as long as her arm, and had performed in an exemplary fashion throughout his career. Scootaloo had rightly earned her fame, and was certified in four different martial arts as well as evasion and escape.
The Changeling, Glimmer, was an unusual case. Though Changelings normally only had the ability to mimic other ponies, apparently Glimmer was enough of a magical genius that she had created her own form, one that was found nowhere else in Equestria. She had been under the personal tutelage of Twilight herself, and showed promise in several different fields of the arcane. She was a personal aide to the leader of the rebellion herself, and was showing the mind of an excellent analyst and strategist. Sweetie Belle realized she was likely to be the planner in their party.
The Earth mare, Birchwood, was a different sort altogether. She had been one of the first new recruits in the Rebellion, seeking work and gainful employment outside of the small village she had grown up in. She was a master smith, responsible for the designs of several weapons used by the Ever Free ponies and some specialty pieces used by agents and warriors in the organization. She was not combat certified, but Sweetie Belle knew that with her musculature that she would have no problems ending a fight with anypony foolish enough to cross her.
She was often seen in the company of the next member of her team, the Gryphon Mahtaram. Mahtaram az Durmasagarti was indeed the eighteenth in line for the throne of the Durmasagarti Brood, being the daughter of King Durmasagarti by his fourth wife. Sweetie Belle knew that Gryphons raised young and married in a communal setting, but was unsure of the details. She read further. An accomplished warrior who had chosen to specialize in the bow and crossbow, she commanded respect among her peers, and commanded her own flight of Gryphons at the young age of ninety-seven years old. Seeing as there was no way she would be invited to any sort of party, Sweetie placed her in the role of support as a most likely option. Ideally, she wouldn’t have to use her bow for anything, but there was always the possibility of something going wrong, and she would be good to have in a fight.
Sweetie Belle realized that the only weak link in their party was herself. She had no experience, no training, and no idea what her strengths were besides a propensity for illusion magic. She sighed and set the files to one side. Twilight had said she would be meeting with her teacher this morning, and she didn’t want to keep her waiting. Checking herself in the mirror once more, she trotted to the door and placed one hoof on it, pulling it open. A jet of emerald magic slammed into her chest, knocking her backward and driving the air from her. Sweetie Belle slammed into the wall behind her, and looked up through blurry eyes at the figure that started walking towards her with a strange, limping gait.
Its mane hug in tatters around its shoulders, and its horn was long and jagged, tapering to a deadly point. Black, gleaming chitin covered its body entirely, even lining the delicate holes in its hooves. A pair of wings was folded at the back, gossamer gleaming in the early morning sun. Sweetie Belle’s eyes traveled up and up again, from the floor to the horribly familiar face of the Changeling in front of her.
“Hello, Sweetie Belle.” Chrysalis said, her multi-timbred voice cold and amused. “I’m here to begin your training.” Her horn lit up again, and Sweetie felt the world spin underneath her as they teleported from the castle, landing in a nearby field by the edge of the Everfree forest. The Changeling Queen smiled pleasantly at her. “I am the one Twilight Sparkle has appointed to lead your training in the mornings. In the afternoons you will be working with your teammates. We will meet every morning at this location as the sun rises. Failure to do so on your part will result in…punishment.”
Sweetie Belle struggled to her hooves. “I don’t understand. What are you training me to do?”
“Everything, dear child. Hide, fight, survive on your own, and much more. I will teach you how to blend into a crowd, how to convince a pony to give up all of their secrets without them even realizing they’ve done it. I’ll show you how to use a knife, a strangling thong, a thousand poisons found in every dwelling across Equestria if necessary. You aren’t a spy, Sweetie Belle. Twilight has given you to me to be so much more than that. You are going to be a provocateur, an infiltration artist. I’ve seen your raw talent. You have potential, but you lack training.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “What’s my first instruction?”
Chrysalis smiled. “I am allowing you five minutes to get ahead of me, into the woods. Avoid me until noon. If I can find you, I will attempt to kill you. This will be the easiest day of training you have with me. Tomorrow, the hunt begins at sunup. So come prepared or come early. Any questions?”
Sweetie Belle bolted for the forest, streaking through the trees so quickly that the Changeling Queen had hardly realized she was gone. Chrysalis chuckled. “She learns quickly. I’m going to enjoy this.”
Sweetie Belle staggered into the main hallway of the keep at half past noon, covered in cuts, bruises, and tree sap. Chrysalis had found her no less than ten times, and Sweetie Belle had gotten away just barely for nine of them. The Changeling Queen had attempted to blast her into smithereens with magic, throw her into a swamp of some description, stab her with a knife, strangle her with a vine, and beat her to death with her hooves, as well as other, more imaginative things. Sweetie Belle had only just escaped by dint of luck, speed, and the willingness to fight dirty. In the last hour, the Changeling Queen had trapped her hooves in the dirt and lectured her on what she had been doing wrong. Her movements were predictable, she had a tendency to try and hide instead of running, and she left a trail that a blind bear could follow. The Changeling Queen had then told her how to improve herself. Double back, lay ambushes, and use the terrain to her advantage. Sweetie Belle had soaked up the information like a sponge, forcing the Queen to expound more and more on her topics, and they had ended the day on a strangely positive note. That is, until the Changeling Queen had attempted to stab her once again, forcing Sweetie Belle to tear her hooves from the ground and roll to one side before taking a shot at her. She had been most perturbed to find the Changeling gone, leaving her to fend for herself in the middle of the forest.
It was in this manner, tired, injured, and in no mood for others, that she was quietly alerted by a member of the palace staff that she was late for her rendezvous with the other members of her team. Cursing in a manner that would make her sister’s ears bleed, she sprinted towards the small audience chamber that they had appropriated for their training, bursting through the doors exactly thirty seven minutes later than she should have.
Four pairs of eyes tracked her as she entered, skidding to a stop as she took her surroundings in. The room was an exact replica of the Ever Free headquarters’ training floor. A large mat dominated the floor, and a rack of weapons stood to one side, the selection ranging from staffs and cudgels to bows, spears, and swords. A blackboard stood to one side, carefully cleaned. A table stood nearby, upon which rested a jug containing water and a few cups. The members of her team were sitting on the practice pad in a circle, looking at her expectantly.
Sweetie Belle gave an embarrassed grin. “Sorry I’m late, I got a bit lost.” she said, joining the circle.
Birchwood laughed. “You’ve got all the markings of one who got lost in the forest. Is that tree sap?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “I’ve been training.”
Scootaloo’s nose wrinkled. “Training? With who?”
Glimmer cut in. “My Queen Chrysalis has agreed to undertake the role of a teacher to Sweetie Belle.” She eyed her appraisingly. “You are still alive, which means that you must have acquitted yourself well. Congratulations.”
Sweetie Belle sunk into a kneeling position, eager to take a brief moment of rest. “Thank you. Is she always so…abrasive?”
The Changeling laughed. “Our Queen is cruel and ruthless, but we love her just the same. She does what she thinks best for our race, and has led us with wisdom and grace in most everything. You only know her as a warrior Queen, but to us she is a beloved mother and monarch.”
Mahtaram spoke quietly, the Gryphic accent in her voice clear. “She leads by example. In hard times, she requires a sterner rule, and you follow her in that regard.”
Glimmer nodded. “We are no mindless drones, but if our Queen requires us to be warlike, then warlike we become. But due to the generosity of your leader, we can live in relative peace and security. Indeed, ponies in the Ever Free treat us more kindly than we had ever hoped. And should she prove herself triumphant, we may live among you as equals, not scavengers and parasites.”
Sweetie Belle ventured a more sensitive question. “Was she recently injured? I noticed her limping.”
“The one you call Cadance did that to her, when she was flung out of the castle by the force of her magic, and us along with her. I was one of those few who tumbled through the air with her, and as we plummeted towards the Everfree Forest, she reached out to as many of us as she could, and cushioned us all with magic. So many of us did she save that she had no power to spare for herself. She will bear that limp until she is able to rear one of her daughters to replace her.”
“What happens then?” Scootaloo asked.
Glimmer was silent, necessitating Mahtaram’s intervention in the conversation. “She will select a Changeling whom she trusts implicitly, one she believes is the best replacement for herself. Generally, they will be young, not yet mature. This one will be quietly taken aside one day, and the Queen will force her to kill her, causing a transfer of magic and a metamorphosis that lasts several days.”
Glimmer’s voice was saddened. “She has already selected her replacement, and told her that she will not cause her to Transcend until the end of the conflict.”
The oblivious Pegasus plowed ahead. “Who? Do I know them?”
Sweetie Belle sighed. “Scootaloo, sometimes you’re really dense, you know?”
Her friend’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, wow. Ok. Um. Sorry.”
Glimmer smiled. “Consider the transgression forgotten. Now, let us turn to the plan we have been given to follow.”
The group nodded in assent. Glimmer continued. “Now, the plan is as follows. Four of us, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Night Light, and myself will be attending the Gala under alternate identities, perpetuated by Sweetie Belle. Shahzaneh Mahtaram will be providing support from the roof of the Archives, located across a walkway from the Castle itself. It affords the most coverage of the structure, and is an excellent spot for concealment. That will be our entrance. The cell itself is located far underneath the Castle, through a secret passage located in Celestia’s chambers. At midnight, we will enter the tunnel, searching for the magical signature of the wards. Once we break in to free Princess Luna, Celestia will be notified by magic, a set of wards located around the passage into the chamber. The Palace will be put on lockdown.”
“So how do we get out?” Scootaloo enquired.
Glimmer walked to the board, drawing a quick sketch of the mountain Canterlot was on, as well as a quick sketch of the castle and the rail line from the city itself.
“The group of operatives sent into the city yesterday, in preparation to lay low until the appointed date, were a demolitions crew. They will listen for the stroke of midnight, and when they hear the sound, they will detonate magical charges along the Rounds, destroying it. Guards will be split in two directions. When they split, we will be headed out of the city. We will not go up as Celestia expects, but down into the caverns beneath the mountain, exiting through an aqueduct entrance. Birchwood will be waiting for us there with transportation, a small airship, smuggled to the city and stored in the tunnels that will carry us back to the Everfree. Once Luna is exposed to the midnight moon on the Solstice, her power will return, slowly at first but exponentially as we go.”
“How will we get into Celestia’s quarters?” Sweetie Belle asked wiping blood out of her eye calmly.
Glimmer sighed and tossed her a rag, which she held over her eye gratefully. “The operative who got us this information will let two of us in. The other two will stay behind and monitor the situation from the ballroom. Sweetie Belle, you will have to go along with the other pony, likely Night Light. Once we hear that you two are headed through the tunnels, Scootaloo and I will evacuate the palace with the rest of the guests, slipping into the tunnels through a conveniently located service entrance to the sewers a mere block from the palace. Odds are good we will beat you to the airship, and we shall have it waiting for you when you arrive. The entire journey, start to finish, will be less than fifteen minutes if everything goes to plan.”
Mahtaram stood, following the Gryphic custom of standing when speaking. “Who is the contact?”
Glimmer shook her head. “I do not know. Somepony high up, and trusted by Celestia. Aside from that, I have not the slightest idea.”
“They must be in a place where their hooves are tied. Else I wouldn’t have been recruited.” Sweetie Belle said musingly. Who could that pony be? And how close were they, actually, to the Princess?
Celestia sighed as she felt hooves run through her mane, massaging soap gently into her scalp. There were few ponies she trusted with the task, but this was one of them.
“Am I doing well, Highness?” a voice asked.
Celestia stifled a groan of pleasure. “Yes, Silver Lily. That’s excellent.”
Silver Lily smiled to herself. “I am glad, Princess. If you need anything else, you have only to ask. I am here to serve.”
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Following this fabulous story from a long time. AND FIRST POST.
I´m midly surprised Twilight agreed with Chryssy´s "training hell" if it was letality involved. I am not sure how much morals Twilight retains from her previous life, but at least she should spare Sweetie Bell until her "sacrifice" for the Black Queen.
And I seriously hope the team is already prepared for the moment when, inevitably, the plan goes to waste.
So...I have been seeing this a bit, and thought..."what the hell, dood" and gave it a read finally...
Badass Twilight, leading a rebellion against Celestia? Betrayed by all those she once called kin?
THE PRINNIES OF THE NETHERWORLD WOULD GLADLY SERVE LADY SPARKLE, DOOD
But then, the battle would be won too easy considering the power of your average Disgaea character, dood.
I feel that it would be a sin to not dislike this and fav it, dood.
1762367
Ah, a new reader. Welcome to this fine, twisted world! I suggest reading the prequel if you haven't already. Otherwise, make sure you're tucked in nicely, because this is gonna be one hell of a ride!
Oh one last thing. Be careful of who you ally yourself too. The ponies here...are not who they used to be.
awesome chapter, i wonder where all the comments are, there are usually so many.
we got to see chrissy
and she's training sweetie belle
Heh, what a time for it to cut off.
Found this in feature box yesterday with nothing else to read, so tore the previous part apart and I've just finished getting up to date with this one. You have me well and truly hooked dear author.
1769855
Wait...this got featured?
I´m really curious about Scootaloo´s backstory and how she and Rainbow Dash see now each other (I actually envision a younger, more canon RD giving her "squirt" an inspiring speech about pursuing freedom and dreams and never allowing anypony to stop her way, a lesson Scoots took by heart even after Dash abandoned everything to become Celestia´s loyal dog). Sadly, I don´t believe Rainbow sees her once nº1 fan as anything else but another Everfree scum to crush under her hooves. Mmmm, i´m already tasting the drama
mother fucking silver lily
Silver Lily was in the first story and going by the general feel of this story and how it goes along, I get the horrible feeling she's going to double cross the EF.
I love this story so much, really. I do.
It's utterly amazing.
Once a Cutie Mark Crusader...
Codewords for 'The author ran out of ideas'.
So, wait CHRYSALIS is training Sweetie Belle?The insect who failed to fool Twilight Sparkle?
So the first thing to spring to mind was how the fuck did the Canterlot Wedding get interrupted in this verse? Cadance is Celestia's tool, and while that does make a good counter to the "Kidnap the Alicorn of Love, cocoon her, PROFIT" argument, Cadance got stuck in the caverns. Cadance and Celestia have a telepathic link. So how...?
I'm assuming it was all to plan, though to what end I have absolutely NO idea, but Chrysalis wasn't informed of how it would end for her. Does explain why she'd be pissed off.