Something foul stirs in Canterlot. As a royal wedding approaches, not all is as it seems, and an invasion is in the works. As Queen Chrysalis moves to put her plan to action, even darker things brew just beyond the horizon...
Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen, has been fighting a bloody, stalemated war against a desperate rebellion that has pushed her sights to conquest abroad. Her sights have fallen on Equestria and she has schemed for months to execute a swift and decisive strike in Canterlot, which would leave Equestria leaderless and too disorganized to defend itself. She and her Changelings would feed off of the ponies of Equestria to gain power and finally crush that rebellion. Were she to succeed, it could mean the end of Equestria, and the rise of a new world order under the rule of a desperate tyrant. Were she to succeed, even darker events would lie ahead.
This is a story that begins as an alternate universe rewrite of "A Canterlot Wedding" in which Chrysalis's plan is completely revised to fit her deceptive nature, and it progresses to dealing with the aftermath of a successful invasion. Inspired by Dr Wolf's YouTube video "Rewriting A Canterlot Wedding."
Proofreading and minor editing by my good friend Cursory Note!
Changelings skittered about the stone halls, brightly lit with daylight from the windows, or from orange crystal sconces. The rolling hills, lush and green, held a serenity to accompany the small waves of the lake nearby, or the gentle rushing of the rivers that fed into it or away from it. The fortress stood tall, surrounded by unclaimed plains and forests, bordering the Griffon Kingdom.
One Changeling seemed in a peculiar rush, dashing through the halls with a single destination in mind: Grand Façade's office chamber. After one last corner, he saw the double doors of his destination, green banners on either side with the emblem of three concentric circles with a single, diagonal line bisecting all three. His heart was beating like a war drum and his breathing was uneasy, yet his hurried rush was not the cause. After a moment, he entered the room, not a thought to bother with knocking.
“Grand Façade, I bring news from our agents in the Hive,” he announced in the strange Changeling language.
“Ah, Quick Wit,” Grand Façade responded, standing on the balcony. He was abnormal for a Changeling, standing taller than most with larger, green wings and a matching tail, longer than average. He turned to face the messenger with strangely green eyes. “Speak.”
“The Tyrant Queen is mobilizing her forces. She is preparing for war.”
“She is always prepared for war,” he refuted, approaching his desk.
“You know her forces move discretely, in the shadows. This mobilization is massive and blatant. Cross Examination believes that it is an invasion force.”
Grand Façade gave an incredulous look. “What evidence does she offer?”
Quick Wit drew several parcels from the bags strapped across his back and to his sides. He placed several packages on the ground and unscrolled several maps across Façade's desk. One depicted the Changeling Hive, the rest depicted individual regions of the nation. Arrows were drawn across all of them in varying colors with a simple legend roughly scrawled on another piece of papyrus: red for air forces; black for ground forces; and purple for agents of the Shadow's Wings, Chyraslis's elite special task forces. There were dozens of arrows across each regional map, with nearly seventy across the national map.
“Her agents have also intercepted many messages. She provided a transcript.” Quick removed another scroll and Façade's jade-hued magic enveloped the message.
Several minutes passed while the rebel commander looked through the recorded letters. Finally, he lifted his gaze, returning it the courier. “This is troubling. I want to see Perfect Guise.”
“Of course, sir,” he bowed his head and rushed from the chambers.
After some time, the door opened again. “You sent for me?” Perfect Guise announced, Quick Wit following immediately after. Perfect Guise was taller than the courier, though still shorter than Grand Façade.
“Yes,” Façade answered, sitting behind his desk. “I received some troubling information.” He motioned to papers in front of him.
Guise scanned over the maps quickly, putting the pieces together nearly instantly. “Where has she set her sights?”
“Equestria.”
Guise looked his superior. “Shall I begin preparations?”
Façade ran a tired, stressed hoof down the surprisingly soft ridge on the back of his neck. After a moment, he put his forelimbs back on the desk and rose his head, his expression stern and grim. “Yes.” Quick Wit and Perfect Guise both bowed their heads and left to set the plan in motion. Once the door closed, Façade stood and returned to the balcony. “Forgive me, Celestia,” he muttered in Equine, as if the royal Alicorn could hear him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A dark blue Unicorn stallion with a well-kept white and gray mane trotted calmly throughout the Canterlot Library. His violet eyes looked for the study room he was supposed to be at. He was on the second floor of the main hall, which connected the several wings of the building.
“Quiet Deceit, where are you?” an echoey “voice” demanded in a language that wasn't, sent through some telepathic means.
“My apologies, Your Ladyship,” he replied through the same tethers of thought. “I was... delayed by one of my pesky classmates. These school Unicorns were not the best choice for our disguises.”
“Do not give me excuses. None of these ponies pay any mind to the University students. We blend in perfectly.”
“Of course, my queen.”
“Good. Now, are you nearby?”
“Yes, I see the study room now.” He rounded the corner and approached the sound-proofed chamber. Placing a hoof on the door, it was opened for him by one of his colleagues.
“You're late,” a violet Unicorn mare with blue and purple hair and gray eyes whispered.
“I know,” Quiet Deceit replied, closing and locking the door behind him. The blinds were drawn, but he placed his books down and opened to random pages by habit.
“Now, are there any questions as to why I called this meeting?” asked a tall, black Unicorn mare with a blue and green mane and tail, both flowing and slightly frazzled. Her green eyes seemed to pierce through the disguises of the Changelings around her. Her voice was abrasive, though not unpleasant, and she was speaking in the that strange Changeling language. “No? Good. It may be approaching the time for us to change disguises. A week-long amnesia is nothing unusual at these magical universities. We should release our guises tomorrow, after finding more.... appropriate positions.”
A white stallion, again a Unicorn, with a unkempt orange mane and a short, equally messy tail to match, leaned forward onto the table. “With all due respect, My Lady, this process is moving very slowly.”
“Do not be impatient, Transient Doubt. I understand that you are eager, but impatience leads to mistakes, and we do not have the luxury to absorb a mistake or a failure.” Chrysalis, in her disguise, sat tall and took a calming breath. “But you will not have to wait for much longer. A couple is to be wed within two weeks, and they will prove grand targets.”
“The guard captain?” Duplicity, the violet mare-disguise insect, asked. “What could be so special about him?”
Chrysalis chuckled. “Once the first battalion strikes Port Gallop and draws away Celestia, the Guard Captain and Luna will be the only defenders of any consideration, and even Luna needs her sleep.”
“And the captain of the night guard?”
“Miss Dusk will prove easily dispatched. The guard captains are not my concern. The reason I chose Sir Shining Armor is his wife-to-be, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”
All four of the Changelings looked confused. “I understand that she is an Alicorn, Your Ladyship,” Quiet Deceit began, “but I do not understand why she is of importance.”
Chrysalis chuckled. “I suppose you wouldn't. The nature of Alicorns, while no secret, is not so commonly known. Alicorns are made, not born, when a pony masters some concept of worth. Celestia and Luna have full comprehension of the Day and Night. They understand the sun and moon and their relation and the balance that they must maintain, and they are powerful enough to move those objects and keep the cycle themselves. It historically took five or six strong Unicorn magi to change day to night or night to day. Mi Amore Cadenza – "Cadance," as she prefers – has mastered one such concept and earned her horn: love.”
“An Alicorn of love? So she understands emotions as a... tangible force?”
“The same force that sustains us,” Transient Doubt said.
“Precisely,” Chrysalis announced. “She understands it and how it works and how emotional connections form and function better than most Changelings do. If I could but touch upon her love, I could gain enough power, enough strength, to defeat either of the Sisters. We just need them separated, which is why I sent word to Grand Perjury yesterday. The attack should occur within the week. That is when I shall supplant Shining Armor and steal Princess Cadenza's emotion.”
Nearly all of the insects were smiling unnervingly, save one that had been quiet near the back: a stallion-disguised Changeling by the name – or rather the translated name – of Clever Substitution. His disguise was a tall stallion, again a Unicorn, with a solid-gray coat, a black and white mane and tail both cut short and slightly curled, and slate-gray eyes. “What of the Abandoned?” he asked.
Chrysalis scoffed, a look of anger across her face. “If Grand Façade believes he can stop us, he is a fool. Let his couriers track and scan our messages, let his agents watch our movements, let his saboteurs destroy our siege weapons. He cannot stop us. This bloody rebellion has gone on long enough." Her tone shifted dramatically, from authoritative confidence to a solemn resignation. "Too many have died. He cannot afford to lose many more, and I cannot stand to watch our casualties rise. Once Equestria is conquered, we can feed off of all the emotions we want with no end of citizens. The husks we drain will bolster our forces. Façade, once he catches wind, and I suspect he already has, will see the coming storm and prepare. He will be too late.” Chrysalis shook away her solemn look, but her voice still held the distant sadness of a monarch who has had to watch her kingdom suffer. “This war will end soon enough. And then we can truly begin to heal.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun was shining in Ponyville and fields surrounding the small town. Butterflies fluttered about, birds were singing in the distance, and Twilight and her friends were enjoying a picnic in the field just outside of town.
“It is simply gorgeous out,” Rarity stated with her usual inflections. The white Unicorn mare was in a hoofmade sunhat of her own design. “I can't imagine a more perfect day for a picnic. This is was a wonderful suggestion, Fluttershy.”
“It sure was, Sugarcube,” Applejack added before taking a bite of a daisy sandwich.
“I thought it would be nice for all of us to get together, and spring is just such a lovely time of the year,” Fluttershy softly replied.
After a moment, Spike called out in the distance, “Hey, guys! I'm here!” Surely enough, the dragon strolled up to the group, an envelope and a scroll in his claws. “Sorry I'm late.”
“Oh, don't you fret none,” Applejack responded.
“Before I forget, some letters came in the mail for you, Twilight.”
“And this couldn't wait until after the picnic?” Twilight asked.
“I would have left it at home, but they have the royal seal.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And they came in the mail?”
“Yeah, one of them.” He held out the letters as Twilight's magical grip surrounded them.
She opened the letters and began to read one of them aloud: “Dear Twilight,
I'm sorry it's taken so long for me write you in Ponyville, but I've been unusually busy lately. I know it doesn't excuse my lack of communication with my amazing little sister.
How have you been in Ponyville? I've heard some good things about the town, but that's not the reason I'm writing this. I'm not sure how other ponies deliver this news, so I'll just say it. Or write it. You were always more clever with words than I was.
Cadance and I are engaged. The wedding's in a week and a half, on the seventeenth. I should have told you sooner, but like I said, things have been busy here. I wanted to let you know beforehoof. Princess Celestia recommended that I ask you and your friends to help organize the wedding. She told me and Cadance about your friends' different skills and I would be honored if you and your friends would help. I'm looking forward to hearing your reply.
Love,
Shining Armor”
Pinkie Pie began bouncing around the group with glee. “Oooo, a wedding! I love weddings, there's always romance and cake and dancing and with this one, we get to help out, so it's gonna be even more fun!”
“Princess Celestia... recommended us?” Rarity said, giddy and slightly shocked. “For assisting with a Canterlot wedding?”
“Oh, this is the same Shining Armor from those pictures in the library, isn't it?” Rainbow Dash began, making the connection.
“Yeah. We were always pretty close, even for siblings.”
“It's kinda odd that he's only telling you this now.”
Twilight simply shrugged. “He's the captain of the royal guard, so he's bound to be busy. Besides, it's not really surprising. He and Cadance have been dating since I was a filly.”
“So, you know this Cadance well?” Rarity asked, having since recomposed herself.
“She was my old foalsitter, and she's as academically minded as I am. We got along like the best of friends.”
“That's certainly good. I feel honored that your brother and his fiancée have asked us to assist with the wedding.”
“I wonder what they'll ask us to help with?” Fluttershy wondered aloud.
Twilight unscrolled the second letter and read again: “Dear Twilight,
I am sure you are as excited as I am about Shining Armor and Cadance's wedding. I will be presiding over the ceremony, and as I expect you already aware, I have recommended that you and your friends help with the preparations of this wonderful occasion. While the details are ultimately up to the couple, I have recommended to Cadance what aspects you and your friends would be best at, and she agreed with the suggestions. Fluttershy, you and your songbird choir will provide the music.”
“Oh my, what an honor!” Fluttershy remarked.
“Pinkie Pie, I can think of no one more qualified than you to host the reception.”
“Hip hip, hooray!” an ecstatic Pinkie Pie announced. “Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception.”
“Well, color me pleased as punch!”
“Rainbow Dash, I would very much appreciate it if you could perform a sonic rainboom as the bride and groom complete their 'I do''s.”
“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“Rarity, you will be responsible for designing the dresses for the bride and her bridesmaids.”
“Design dresses? For the weddings? Oh, I, ah, oh I certainly am honored.”
“Good job not fainting,” Rainbow Dash joked, much to Rarity's annoyance.
“And as for you, Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all: Making sure that everything goes as planned. See you all very soon.
Yours,
Princess Celestia”
Twilight set the letters down with a smile on her face. “Well, that answers that question. We have some time to clear our schedules. Let's try to be ready to leave by the end of the week.”
A pair of gradient blue eyes with white pupils scanned across several maps of a coastal city and its surrounding areas, arrows scrawled across them to plan out the movements of ships and infantry. The Changeling looked up from the table in a large room underneath the helm of a naval ship. The window was wide, and she could see most of the deck. It was an ambiguous design, used by privateers for years and impossible to trace to any specific navy. It was part of a group of five identical ships, large for a privateer group but far from unheard of.
“Mimic, signal the crew to assume their disguises,” she announced in her native tongue.
“Of course, Ma'am Perjury.” The Changeling skittered out of the room and onto the deck.
Grand Perjury looked back to the maps with a stony expression and a grim, almost remorseful look in her eyes. “Seems a waste. Diversion and invasion are such messy things.”
“Seems an odd thing for an assassin to say,” a Changeling announced from behind.
“Silence, Delusion. I am not in the mood for your games.”
“You are never in the mood for games,” he remarked in his usual attempts to be cleverly snide.
Perjury looked up from her table and walked toward the Changeling until they were standing mere centimeters apart. “There is a reason for it,” Perjury muttered with cold eyes and a grim tone. “I have seen and done things that would haunt your nightmares. There are things that I have done that keep me up at night. There are horrors in these secret wars that a politician like you could only shudder at the thought of. Do not test my patience.”
They stood still for a few moments, eye-to-eye, until Delusion finally stepped back. “Just get your job done.”
Perjury stood and stared with condescending eyes for a moment longer. Finally, she turned back to the table. “Then go back to your hole and let me work. I need to plan to minimize civilian deaths.”
“Who cares about these... ponies? Let them die.”
Perjury gritted her teeth and placed a hoof on the grip of the pistol at her side. “I could say the same about nosy politicians,” she replied in a venomous voice. “Do not give me a reason.”
Delusion's eyes opened wide with anger, but he knew better than to tempt Perjury. In the end, he begrudgingly left the room.
Perjury sighed as she let her forelimb fall away from the pistol's grip. A circle of green fire surrounded her, replacing her black mass with that of a white and orange griffon.
The mass of a port city with stony, curving architecture appeared on the horizon. Perjury stood on the deck of the ship surrounded by Changelings disguised as griffons or ponies. A Pegasus appeared from over the skies and began descending toward Perjury's vessel. She had a jade green coat with a flowing, windblown cerulean mane, a matching tail and turquoise eyes.
“Ma'am Perjury, the ground forces are hidden in the forest. They await your signal.”
“Of course,” Perjury announced, emotionless.
She took flight and circled the group of ships twice before landing where she was before. As the ships drew ever closer to Port Gallop, they broke away from each other, spreading out through the harbor. Finally, the ships were in range, three kilometers from the docks. Perjury, now on the slightly raised middle section of the upper deck, stood next to a “gun” pointed vertical. She summoned a flame from her claws and lit the cannon fuse. A moment later and the gun shot a red flare high into the sky. For a moment, it floated at its peak before it burst with a deafening boom, a horizontal volley of much smaller flares shooting out like the spokes of a wheel. After mere seconds, a cannon fired with a murderous roar and the side of a dock warehouse exploded into smoke and rubble.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“And you believe the Princesses will agree to this?” Perfect Guise asked, sitting in front of Façade's desk. He had decided to speak to Façade away from the other generals.
“It does not matter either way,” Grand Façade replied. “If they do not concede, the bulk of our agents will remain underground and work anonymously. If Celestia can determine our agents' identities, then she will locate Chrysalis's agents just as swiftly once they arrive.”
“What if Chrysalis takes a more direct approach?”
“Then our job will have already been done.”
Guise sighed, exhausted, and placed a tired hoof on his forehead. “So what is our goal, exactly?”
“Prevent the conquest of Equestria. Ideally, Chrysalis will make Equestria an enemy and we can turn this invasion into a drawn-out war. If she must fend against the Princesses and their armies, we may have the chance to end our own war.”
Guise shook his head. “I don't like this, Façade.”
Façade's eyes were half closed and distant. “Do you believe I want to force Equestria into a war?” he asked, though his voice was still calm, if weary. “The ponies of Equestria are optimistic and kind, good-hearted. I do not wish war on them. But times are desperate. The casualties of this war for both factions are too high. This has gone on long enough, and I will do whatever it takes to bring an end.”
The room was quiet for a time. Both of the Changelings let the words hang in the air.
“Desperate times and desperate measures. Sometimes I forget what I myself have already done,” Guise finally said, breaking the silence. “My apologies for bringing up this topic again.”
Façade sighed. “Sometimes I need to hear it for myself. There is nothing to apologize for, Guise. You remember that is why I have the open door policy, correct?”
As if on cue, a Changeling burst into the room. She was smaller than Quick Wit and had a darker exoskeletal hide. “Sir,” she panted, out of breath, “I bring a message from Elaborate Deception.”
“What is it, Inspection?”
Careful Inspection, still trying to catch her breath, steadied herself. “Port Gallop is under siege. Five naval vessels and a medium battalion of infantry. Too well organized for sea raiders.”
“Slow down,” Guise said, trying to calm Inspection down. “Catch your breath and tell us exactly what Deception said.”
Her panting slowed. “I still have him. I could connect-”
“Do it,” Façade interrupted.
Inspection closed her eyes and her horn began to glow, amplifying her telepathy. “Deception,” she thought, “I have Grand Façade here.”
“Sir?” the Changeling in Equestria asked in an urgent “voice.”
“Deception, I need you to tell me exactly what is happening.”
“Just a few minutes ago, a flare shot from a navy ship. There were five ships of a privateer design: a three-level weather deck with surface artillery and a cannon deck, three gaff-rigged masts and a lot of staysails. It looks like a cross between an Equestrian schooner and a Griffon light frigate.”
“I know the design.”
“All five ships have long-range artillery – riffled cannons, if I had to guess – and they're using explosive shells. Just after the flare and the first few shots, a battalion of soldiers poured out of the forest, pulling artillery along with them. They're trying to lock the citizens in. Or keep reinforcements out, I'm not sure which. It's too well organized to be privateers and I feel immense surges of telepathic activity.”
“You think this is Chrysalis's doing?”
“If I had to guess, sir, yes. I don't know what she's planning, but-” It was quiet for a few moments. “Dammit, these volleys are relentless. I can't remain here for much longer. I have to help get these ponies to safety.”
“Very well. Be careful and help however you can.”
“Yes, sir,” Deception replied, uneasy but eager to help. “I will contact Inspection once things are quiet.”
“Good luck.”
The glow from Inspection's horn faded and she relaxed her body, nearly collapsing. Even for her, acting as a conduit for long-range telepathy was difficult and immensely draining.
“Take a breath, Inspection,” Guise said. Façade paid no attention and instead turned to the balcony.
“Thank you, sir,” she weakly responded.
“Rest until you can make another telepathic link, Inspection, then return here,” Façade said. “We need to contact Sub Rosa and have her warn the Princesses of Chrysalis's plot.”
“Of course.” She walked out of the room at a slow pace as she recovered.
“Chrysalis is moving more quickly than we anticipated.”
Twenty minutes passed and Inspection once more entered Façade's office, Façade and Guise waiting for her. “I will need a rough idea of where Sub Rosa is,” she said.
Grand Façade placed his hoof on a map of Equestria, pointing to a town in the foothills of the Foal Mountains. “She coordinates a small network of agents in Central Equestria from Colton.”
Inspection closed her eyes and began to concentrate. “Sub Rosa,” she thought. “Sub Rosa, this is Careful Inspection, can you hear me?”
There was a moment of silence until another mind responded. “Inspection? This had better be important.”
“I am contacting you at Grand Façade's request. I'm going to amplify this connection.”
Another quiet moment passed. “Put him through.”
“Of course.” With that, Inspection's horn flickered to life, amplifying her telepathy once more.
“Sub Rosa, can you hear me?” Grand Façade began.
“Yes, sir. What do you need?”
“Port Gallop has come under attack by Chrysalis's forces. I believe it is a diversion, a trap. Cross Examination has reason to believe that Chrysalis has been planning an invasion of Equestria and I fear this might be her first move to put that plan into action. I need you, or one of your agents, to warn the Princesses in Canterlot.”
“O-of course, sir. Is there any specific message?”
“Port Gallop is under siege and Chrysalis has orchestrated it. In her desperation in this civil war, she turns to pour resources into gaining power elsewhere. I give this warning in both of our interests.”
“Okay, I got it. I'll send my quickest courier.”
“Good luck, Rosa.”
“Thank you, sir. Best of luck on your end.”
Inspection's horn faded once more and Guise put his foreleg up to steady her. She rubbed her temples for a moment before shaking away the feeling and opening her eyes. “Will there... be any thing else, sir?”
“No, that will be all. Take a rest.”
“Thank you, sir.” She stumbled slowly out of the room.
“Poor girl,” Guise mused. “Tough as a Minotaur, if you'll excuse the Equestrian proverb, but she can't keep pushing herself. She's barely an adult.”
“One of our youngest. And one of our brightest.” The room was quiet again until Façade put a hoof on Guise's shoulder. “We'll end this war soon.”
Guise nodded, though he had trouble believing that any end was in sight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The throne room was quiet. The open court was often filled to the brim with politicians or citizens, but it was late in the afternoon and the court was nearly closed. Princess Celestia merely enjoyed the quiet. The doors opened and a well-dressed Pegasus entered. His suit suggested he was a steward, his coat was dark blue. His black mane was well kempt and his light brown eyes were set behind gray, wire frame glasses.
“Princess Celestia,” he announced, kneeling, “a Changeling messenger has just arrived. He claims to bring news of dire importance.”
Celestia's eyes reveal her concern. It had been years since she had heard from Chrysalis and the only Changelings in the court of late were those seeking asylum from the civil war. “Send him in.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” The Pegasus steward, Etiquette Scroll, rose and left, reappearing a few moments later with a Changeling following closely.
“Princess Celestia,” he said, bowing. All he had were courier bags strapped to his sides.
“You said you had something important?”
The Changeling rose. “This morning, Port Gallop was attacked.”
Celestia's eyes opened wide. “I suppose you have proof of this.”
The Changeling reached into one of his bags and retrieved a letter sealed with the Abandoned emblem. “A letter, signed by Sub Rosa of the Abandoned rebellion.”
A sunset-hued aura enveloped the letter as Celestia called it to her hooves. The envelope was simple, but surely enough, a green seal of the Abandoned's emblem held it shut. She took a moment to steady herself before popping open the seal and removing the letter. To Her Majesty, Princess Celestia,
Port Gallop is under siege and Chrysalis has orchestrated it. In her desperation in this civil war, she turns to pour resources into gaining power elsewhere. I give this warning in both of our interests.
This is the message Grand Façade has instructed me to give you. We have reason to believe that this is the first part of an invasion. As Chrysalis grows desperate, she has turned to desperate means. Her methods are becoming more brutal in rooting out insurrection. The leaders of the Abandoned believe she will try to steal Equestrian emotions to break this stalemate. I regret to say that we may have endangered Equestria. ~Sub Rosa, Captain of the Third Agent Company of the Abandoned Rebellion
Celestia refused to look up. She knew what expression she had. It took everything to hold in her fury and her concern. Finally, she took a deep breath. “Etiquette, the court is closed for today. Courier, what's your name?”
“Mind Games, Your Majesty, of the Freedom's Elite.”
“Mind Games, please stay for a while.” The Changeling bowed his head in agreement. She looked to Etiquette again, but before she could speak, one of the palace nurses trotted in in a rush. “What is it?”
“Some of the guards just brought a Pegasus to the infirmary,” she said with a small hint of concern hidden behind professionalism. “They said he landed at the palace gates and collapsed, mumbling about an attack. He was injured. It looks like he was near an explosion. I'm surprised he managed to fly anywhere.”
Celestia looked horrified. “Did he say anything to you?”
The nurse tried to hide her growing concern, but the princess's worry made it difficult. “He told me that he needed to speak with you.”
Celestia stood up. “Mind Games, Etiquette, come with me.”
“Of course,” Mind Games and Etiquette responded in near unison.
The nurse simply nodded and began to lead the way. It took a few minutes, and the group traveled in silence, but eventually they reached the palace infirmary. The nurse opened the door. “Right through here, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Nurse Summer. Mind Games, Etiquette, wait out here.” With that, she entered the room.
There were two other nurses, a mare and a stallion, tending the three occupants of the room. The doctor, a caramel Earth pony mare with a brown mane and blue eyes, stood next to a black Pegasus with a white mane and slate gray eyes.
“Oh, Princess Celestia, thank you for coming,” she said.
“Of course, Doctor Pond.”
The Pegasus looked over. “Your Majesty,” he muttered with what strength he had. “Port Gallop is under attack.”
Worry returned to Celestia's face. “Could you please give me any details?”
He tried to swallow a lump forming in his throat. “I-I still see the fires... Cannonade ringing out, explosions following every shot... The city's burning...” He was having trouble speaking and his eyes were watery. “Volleys of gunfire, ponies... screaming. The horrors... The wall I was... I was hiding behind crumbled in a blast and I remember pain... Terrible pain... My commander was dead... I was still in a better shape to fly than... They told me to run, to get help, to get the Royal Guard. The E.U.P. Outpost is in ruins... The city...”
Celestia gently placed a hoof on his shoulder, careful not to put any pressure on an injury. “You can stop. You've done well, you can rest now.”
Tears had already welled up in his eyes and every breath was burdened. He could hardly respond.
“We'll take care of him, Princess,” Doctor Pond said.
With two claims, it was impossible to deny. Equestria was under attack. The news was hard to swallow from an Abandoned messenger and even harder from a citizen of the besieged city. She couldn't speak. She could only look to the doctor and nod before leaving. She closed the door quietly. “Etiquette, I want the guard captains and Generals Cloverhoof, Highflier, and Armet in the conference room as soon as possible.”
“And Princess Luna?” Etiquette asked.
“I'll get my sister. Mind Games, I want to speak with Sub Rosa, if possible. I have things to discuss with the Abandoned, if this is, in fact, Chrysalis's doing.”
“I could request it now. I'm a long-range telepath.”
“Ask her. Give me her answer either before the meeting, if possible, or immediately after. In the second case, I'll send for you. Stay in the palace.”
Mind Games nodded. “As you wish, Princess.”
Celestia turned and trotted off swiftly. With Port Gallop under attack, and Chrysalis possibly responsible, every second was precious. Every moment brought a bit more anxiety to Celestia's mind. “I can't think of that,” she muttered to herself, trying to refocus herself. She trotted through the corridors of the palace until she came to Luna's private quarters. A sunset-hued aura emanated from her horn, an identical glow on the doorknobs, though she hesitated. She so hated to disturb Luna, especially while she slept. Her nocturnal responsibilities were as comprehensive and as important as Celestia's diurnal duties. But this was important. This was an issue that required the attention of both princesses. With any luck, Cadance would be left out. Though wise far beyond her years, the young Alicorn was still a novice, still learning. It would already disrupt her wedding, she didn't need to be involved further. With a sigh, Celestia opened the doors quietly, though she knew it made no difference whether the doors themselves or her own voice woke Luna.
Surely enough, the bedchamber was void of all light, save what now entered though the ajar doors. Several sheets covered a slumbering giant of a mare, rising and falling with each breath. Luna's crown rested on a sablewood writing desk. Celestia felt as though she should simply close the doors and wait to for Luna to wake at her normal time. But she couldn't. She knew that she couldn't.
“Luna,” she said. The sleeping Alicorn gave no response. Luna was a heavy sleeper. Celestia walked a bit closer to the bed. “Luna,” she announced again, more loudly than the first. No response. Celestia's horn sparked to life as the princess rose her front right hoof. She stamped it down and announced with a voice that shook the room, magically amplified, “Luna!”
Luna, startled by the sudden, rude awakening, rolled and jumped out of her bed in an instant, conjuring a sword that, like her mane, was a sliver of night itself. She looked to Celestia and lowered her sword, running a hoof through her bedraggled mane as it began to flow like water again. “Dammit, Celestia,” she muttered, her heart racing and her breathing heavy. A nightly aura ensnared the curtains as Luna pulled them aside. There were a few hours of daylight left. “You had better have a good reason, Sister.”
“Port Gallop has been attacked and ponies are dying.”
The princesses trotted down the corridors toward the conference room, both more than a bit anxious. Neither said a word. Floating next to Celestia was a jade green crystal affixed to a thick metal base, the entire thing engulfed in a sunset aura. Around the last bend, Etiquette and Mind Games stood outside of the room.
“I'll be in in a minute,” Celestia said to Luna. “I have some things to discuss with Mind Games.”
“Be quick, Sister. I want to begin as soon as possible.”
“I will.” Luna entered the conference room and Celestia stopped in front of the duo. “I've already filled Luna in. Are the guard captains here?”
“Both of them were very quick to respond, Princess. They took the news very seriously.”
“And the generals?”
“All but Highflier are already in the conference room. Highflier insisted that he finish his report before he attended. He claims to have been 'finishing up.'”
Celestia just shook her head and sighed, understandably frustrated with the Pegasus general. “He has ten minutes before I march over there myself.” She took a breath and then turned to Mind Games. “What did she say?”
“She's agreed on the condition that nothing she says will be used against her or the Abandoned.”
“Done. Everything we discuss will be off the record and of the utmost secrecy. I want you in the meeting so we can speak with Sub Rosa immediately.”
Mind Games looked a bit incredulous. “With all due respect, Princess, it's difficult enough to connect short-range telepaths with long-range, but with ponies-”
“It won't be difficult. This crystal acts as an artificial telepathic medium.” She brought the crystal closer to the Changeling courier.
His expression shifted to one of interest mixed with slight confusion. “I've never heard of something like that.”
“I assume Chrysalis wants to keep them a secret. They're similar to crystal balls, but they're difficult to make and some of the materials are... rare, to say the least. I still need a telepath to make the initial connection.”
Mind Games stared at the crystal intently. “I'm honored to be included.”
Etiquette hid his skepticism and merely opened the door for the two. The conference room was plain, lacking in decorations. The oak table was similarly basic, as were the chairs around it. Luna sat on one side, Night Guard Captain Tenebrous Dusk – a Pegasus with a coat nearly the same shade as Luna's – sitting on her right and an empty seat on her left. Beyond that sat Shining Armor, a tired and worried look in his eyes. On the other side of the table sat a turquoise Unicorn mare with a graying lavender mane. She wore a white service uniform with an insignia on her left shoulder denoting her rank as a senior general. On her right was an empty seat. The chair after was occupied by a rust colored Earth stallion in a similar uniform with an identical insignia, his mane equal parts brown and gray with age. Both were highly decorated.
“Princess, are you sure it's wise to have a Changeling here?” the Unicorn general, Daisy Cloverhoof, asked, casting a glance to Mind Games.
Celestia took her seat in between Luna and Shining Armor. “Yes,” she replied, placing the crystal in the middle of the table. "I trust him."
"Then so do I," Cloverhoof stated as Mind Games sat on a the far side of the table, next to Shining Armor.
“Why can't Highflier ever be on time?” Tenebrous Dusk muttered in annoyance after running an exhausted hoof through her black, bedraggled mane. In spite of the biting edge in her voice, her midnight blue eyes revealed more worry than anger.
The Earth pony general, Quartz Armet, sat tall, his hazel eyes calm. “Be patient, Miss Dusk. Highflier just hates leaving things unfinished. Drives him crazy.”
“I say we start without him,” Cloverhoof remarked. The only look in her light green eyes was irritation.
“You need to learn some patience, Daisy.”
“And you need to learn to urgency! If Equestria's been attacked, we can't have generals telling the Princesses that they have to wait, just to satisfy some obsessive compulsion.”
“Y'know, you're really starting to-”
“Quiet, both of you!” Luna declared, her face austere. The room fell quiet and the generals turned away from each other. “You are acting like foals.”
They were both silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Quartz, I'm just..."
"Yeah, I get it. I'm sorry, too."
Tenebrous just shifted her wings and resettled into her seat. “I don't suppose we could get Etiquette to run us some coffee, could we?”
After a moment, Luna stood up and left, returning shortly after.
“Thank you, My Lady.”
Luna didn't reply, but she glanced at the guard captain in acknowledgment.
Finally, the door opened and a Pegasus strolled in casually. He was had a gray coat with a brown mane – an occasional gray streak from the stress of the job rather than from age – that was cut short. He wore a blue service uniform, the insignia was slightly different, and he was not as decorated as either of his associates. Following immediately after was Etiquette with a member of the kitchen staff, each carrying a tray with kettle of coffee and several cups.
“It took you long enough, Highflier,” General Cloverhoof remarked.
“I said that I was nearly finished,” he retorted, taking his seat in between the other two generals.
Celestia cleared her throat. “Before we start, Mind Games, if you would make the connection. Place your hoof on the base and pour any amount of magic into the crystal.” The Changeling did so, and both Celestia and Luna lowered their heads, magic forming around their horns. In a sudden burst, beams of magic shot from both of their horns, converging on the crystal. After a moment, their magic subsided and they both raised their heads. “Sub Rosa?” Celestia asked.
“Hello?” a voice emanating from the crystal asked. “Who is this?”
“Princess Celestia.”
“Y-your Highness, forgive me, but how are you doing that? I didn't think anyone other than Changelings were capable of telepathy.”
“I have a crystal apparatus here that acts like a telepathic medium. It's an old technology, I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of it.”
There was a moment of silence as the Changeling agent tried to collect her thoughts. “So I suppose you're having that meeting now?”
“Yes. I'm here with Princess Luna, the guard captains, and the three highest-ranking generals in Canterlot. Mind Games is also here.”
“Alright, where do we begin?”
“The attack,” Luna announced. “We need whatever details that you could provide.”
“I have your word that nothing will be used against the Abandoned?”
“You have my word,” Celestia said.
There was silence from the crystal for a few moments, Sub Rosa organizing her thoughts. “I was in contact with an agent in Port Gallop. We have eyes everywhere, but only to counter Chrysalis's influences beyond the Hive. Our agent in Port Gallop described five ships: a cross between an Equestrian schooner and a Griffon frigate. The design is popular among privateers and pirates. He said that a flare shot from one of the ships and a volley of cannon fire followed. A few battalions of soldiers poured out of the forest and surrounded the city on land.”
“Why would they surround the city?” Shining Armor asked.
“I don't know. Maybe to keep civilians in, maybe to eliminate any help that arrived. Grand Façade and his inner circle believe Chrysalis is-”
“We don't have any evidence that is Chrysalis,” Highflier interrupted.
“Five ships, all heavily armed, and a brigade of soldiers! Does that sound like privateers?”
“It could.”
“Sub Rosa is right, Highflier, and you know it!” Tenebrous exclaimed. “You're blind in your arrogance.”
Highflier leaned in, his hooves clasped and obscuring the lower portion of his face. “You're just a guard captain. You shouldn't even be here.”
“That's enough, Highflier,” Luna began, defending mare next to her. “If you disagree with Tenebrous's presence, you may leave.”
The room was silent for a moment. “I apologize for that, Sub Rosa,” Celestia announced. “What were you saying?”
“Façade's inner circle believes that Chrysalis planned this attack to lure at least one of the princesses and a portion of guards and soldiers away from Canterlot.”
“A trap,” Cloverhoof concluded.
“That's why that Pegasus from earlier managed to escape,” Mind Games said. “They let him escape. They needed a messenger.”
“By the scale of her recent mobilization,” Sub Rosa continued, “Examination assumes that she is – or was – preparing an invasion force. Chrysalis is cunning. She knows that either of the princesses are more than a match for her. Attacking Canterlot while both of you are present would be tantamount to suicide.”
“So she would separate the princesses and do what?” Armet wondered. “Lose to one instead of both?”
“Not likely. Façade believes Chrysalis is targeting Equestrian emotions.”
“How so?” Cloverhoof asked.
She paused for a moment. “Changelings 'feed' off of emotions. We need it. Certain organic materials can... 'store' the manifestation of these emotions and allow Changelings to feed at will until the reserve is gone. That's been the Hive's main supply of emotions since the Morning of Tragedy over fifty years ago.”
“Changelings normally take emotions passively to supplement regular food,” Mind Games added. “We don't need a lot of it, especially if the emotions are strong. Love, friendship, passion and other so-called 'positive' emotions are more potent than negative ones, at least for us. It has something to do with our physiology.”
“There's a caveat,” Sub Rosa continued. “We can steal emotions in large quantities, at great risk to the victim. Small amounts result in headaches, nausea, confusion. Large amounts can... destroy minds. Leave the victims without freewill or identity. Just mindless husks, slaves to the thief's will. Parasitism, we call it, and Chrysalis outlawed it long ago, but she suspended the ban just before the Abandoned were formed. It's still taboo, but...”
“If you can get all you need passively, why steal in the first place?” Armet asked.
“Power. Small amounts of parasitism can replace food entirely, and any excess beyond that goes from sustenance to magical and even physical strength. There are some psychological changes, too. Cognitive functions increase, memory improves, and so on. It's... addictive. Maddening, if sustained, almost irreversibly so.”
Luna and Celestia exchanged knowing looks. They both knew this already, but the reminder was still... unwelcome. “You believe that Chrysalis is hiding and stealing emotions?” Luna asked. “That she is seeking to become more powerful?”
“That's the only reason she would target Equestria. She wants to break the stalemate in this civil war, even if it means attacking neutral nation.”
“It doesn't make sense,” Highflier mocked. “Only a fool starts one war to end another. It would break the stalemate by weakening her own forces.”
“Not if you strike quickly and crush your opponent entirely, before they can defend themselves,” Luna said with a troubled voice, painful memories hitting her like a bad dream. “I should know.”
Celestia put a hoof her younger sister's shoulder. “That's in the past.” She looked back to the group. “Chrysalis prefers to strike fast and remain hidden. She fights wars in the shadows, if she can, and not the open conflicts most generals prepare for. If she can't she turns to maneuver warfare. Strike in the least expected spot, trade logistical support for sowing chaos behind enemy lines. I believe this is Chrysalis, and if she's already in Equestria, we need to find her.”
“What do you propose, Princess?” Sub Rosa asked.
“I know you're in Equestria, Sub Rosa. There's no way Mind Games could have reached Canterlot so quickly otherwise. I need your help. Whatever agents you have, I need them to look for any signs of Chrysalis's presence. Generals Highflier and Armet will help you in that matter.”
Highflier's eyes opened wide and he stood up, leaning onto the table. “B-but Princess-”
“No arguments.”
The general begrudgingly sat down, irritated by the idea of following the orders of Changeling freedom fighter, no matter the circumstance.
“Sub Rosa, is there any place where they could be that would help coordinate the search?”
She hesitated. “Colton. I'm in Colton.”
“That's fine. From now until this crisis is resolved, the search for Chrysalis will be directed from Colton. Highflier, Armet, you will need to relocate there for now.”
“Of course,” Armet replied.
“Fine,” Highflier responded, still a bit sore.
“Princess, what about Port Gallop?” Shining Armor asked.
“It's a trap,” Sub Rosa reiterated before Celestia could respond. “The best thing to do would be to ignore it, as terrible as it sounds.”
Tenebrous slammed her hooves onto the table and leaned toward the crystal, gritting her teeth in rage. “Ponies are dying. We can't just leave them to their fates!”
Cloverhoof shifted her front hooves and leaned in slightly. “If I may make a suggestion, I won't be able to deploy a brigade from the Reserves for at least thirty hours. But – and correct me if I'm wrong, Guard Captains – isn't the Royal Guard ready to respond to any crisis surrounding Canterlot in full force with a twelve hour notice?”
“Sooner. I see what you're getting at,” Shining Armor said. “We could have a brigade of the Royal Guard in Port Gallop by tomorrow afternoon, possibly sooner.”
“The Royal Guard is paramilitary, and the First and Second Battalions have combat experience,” Tenebrous announced. “They're as well-trained and as capable, if not more experienced, than the E.U.P. Reserves.”
“Alright then” Celestia concluded. “I will lead-”
“No, Sister,” Luna interrupted. The two stared at each other for a moment, both with knowing eyes that conveyed every thought between them, Luna's intent clear. At least to Celestia.
“War has changed, Luna. Swords and arrows have long been outdated. You're not familiar enough with the advancements to-"
"Yes, I am, Sister," Luna stated, adamant. "Do you forget my aptitude? That I am a quick student? Rifles and cannons, grenades and bombs, supplemented by Unicorn war magics are the norm in conflict, are they not?"
Celestia, trying in vain to hide a horrified look of concern and worry, leaned in. "Luna... Why warfare? Of all the things to learn, why war?”
Luna closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When she next spoke, it was with a soft voice, although not quite a whisper. "I wish I knew. But if any good may come of Nightmare Moon, it will be in using that... knowledge of warfare to break the siege.” She returned her gaze to the group and spoke up. “Guard Captain Dusk and I will lead three battalions of the Royal Guard and a company of my personal guard to Port Gallop. We will take whatever artillery we may need.”
“Half of Canterlot's defenses?” Sub Rosa asked. “I feel that I need to advise against that.”
“You would have us ignore the pleas of our citizens when they cry for aid? Is that not a reason you fight against your own queen?”
Sub Rosa fell silent. In her hideout miles away, her shoulders dropped and she looked down with a tired, almost sad, resignation. “I see your point.”
"Actually, I might be able to solve that," Cloverhoof mentioned. "I might not be able to help Port Gallop immediately, but I could supplement the Guard here with the Reserves before deploying further assistance to Port Gallop. Reinforce Canterlot and put the Reserves on Defensive Alert."
“Very well,” Celestia announced. “We'll need the Reserves to be ready to respond to any additional attacks. For now, the First, Second, and Fourth Royal Battalions go to Port Gallop. If the siege continues, I want an entire division ready to deploy, as soon as they can. If an armed response can't deal with these assailants, than perhaps a show of force might force Chrysalis to concede before makes her next play. The best of luck, Little Sister.” She said the last sentence with a tone of sadness and the understanding that she was sending her own sister to war.
The last slivers of sunlight peaked up from the horizon, while the first of the moon glimmered from behind the mountains. A day's end, for tomorrow would bring bloody battle.
“Be careful, Little Sister.” Celestia was worried, and her voice showed it.
Luna sighed. “I will, Sister. I simply hope that this may be resolved quickly.”
The Alicorn Sisters stood on the ramparts of Canterlot's outer wall. It was early, about six thirty in the morning, and the day was still dim. The battalions, at this point unified into a moderate brigade, were boarding an armored train with artillery loaded onto the cargo cars. In spite of the heavy load, the new dual electromagic engines would allow the brigade to arrive in Port Gallop by noon, or slightly after. Six Pegasi scouts and a large weather team were preparing in the field just outside of Canterlot's main gates. If they were walking into a trap, they would at least have warning.
“Princess Luna,” Tenebrous announced, “the troops have boarded the train and the scouts are ready to begin.”
“Very well. Tell the conductor to depart and then return to the scouts. I want you to remain close until we reach Port Gallop.”
“Yes, My Lady.” Tenebrous bowed her head and took flight.
Luna sighed, holding her head low. She was understandably hesitant. Celestia pulled Luna into a hug and for a long moment, they merely stood there, neither willing to break the embrace. Finally, as she caught a glimpse of Tenebrous as she returned, Luna pulled away.
“I... should not delay further.”
“Good luck, Luna.”
“And to you, Sister.” She looked back at Celestia will sullen eyes and stared for a long moment before taking flight to meet Tenebrous. The two mares swooped down to the scouts.
Celestia turned and began to fly back to the palace. There were still preparations to make. She landed on a platform built off of the palace ramparts, a flight of stairs on either side that spiraled a quarter turn away from the wall into a grassy training yard for the Royal Guard. Shining Armor stood on the platform and overlooked several officers as they trained the newer guardsponies. Cadance was next to him.
“Is there any way I can help?” Cadance asked.
Celestia wasn't quick to respond. She needed all the help she could get to counter Chrysalis, but Cadance didn't need to be involved. At first, she thought to tell her to just focus on her wedding and to help Shining Armor deal with whatever stress came. At last, she could only sigh, her eyes heavy. “Just keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior. Chrysalis is smart, and nothing if not careful. If she's in Canterlot already, we need to find her before she chooses to reveal herself. She'll likely try to remain hidden until she makes a decisive strike. If she's confident enough to confront any of us directly, we may be too late.”
Cadance's eyes glimmered with determination. She was eager to make herself useful, to help, to prove that she's worthy of being a princess of Equestria. “I'll keep my eyes open.”
“Thank you, Cadance.” She turned her gaze to the guard captain. “Shining Armor, are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Cast it.”
Shining Armor nodded before stepping away from the group. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes. A brilliant rose aura enveloped his horn as his magic poured into a singular point at its tip. In a sudden flash of light, a beam of rose-hued mana surged from his horn and shot into the sky high above Canterlot. The beam reached a terminal peak and spread outward, raining down in a large arc to form a solid, magical wall that engulfed the entire city and a small chunk of the mountain. A low, telltale hum thundered from the bubble and the beam from Shining Armor's horn cut off. The humming died down, but it was still present, as was a faint glow about Shining Armor, much like the ever-present aura surrounding Celestia or Luna. Shining Armor opened his eyes and took another deep breath, rubbing his temples. Conjuring a small ward was easy for him. It was his talent, after all. But the larger the radius, the more energy it took, and the more difficult it became to maintain for any duration. Shining Armor was quite possible the only Unicorn in several generations capable of a shield this size. He and Celestia would have to alternate every few days. Otherwise Shining Armor risked physical injury and burnout, which would render him magicless for a time.
Cadance placed a hoof on her fiancé's shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Shining Armor steadied himself. “Yeah. Yeah, I should be fine. No headaches yet, so that's a good sign.”
“They'll start soon enough,” Celestia said bluntly. It wasn't the time or the place to be subtle. “When you feel the strain of the spell is becoming too much – and you will – tell me. Then I can continue the spell for several days, but you'll have to take over again. I can barely maintain the City Aegis myself.”
“Of course, Princess.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Celestia notice guards filing into the courtyard. Shining Armor had called for an assembly to bring the uninformed up to speed and explain the shift change. “I should be going. I have some business to attend to. And you should let him work, Cadance. Besides, don't you have your own preparations to make?”
Cadance looked a bit incredulous. “Shouldn't we postpone the wedding? I mean, with everything going on, Shining Armor needs to focus, and the wedding would just distract him.”
Celestia turned and smiled at her adopted niece. “No. This has already disrupted your wedding enough. I'll be maintaining the shield during the ceremonies so Shining Armor can enjoy it. You two deserve that much, at least. Besides, don't you have a young mare you used to foalsit coming into town for the big day?”
Cadance chuckled and gave a small smile. “It will be nice to see Twilight again.” She turned and looked over at the guards for a moment. “I should let you work. I'll see you when you finish your shift.” She gave him a quick kiss on his check and trotted off through the gate.
“Thank you, Princess,” Shining Armor said, truly thankful for Celestia's promise and reassurance.
“It's no trouble. I have things that I need to attend to. Good luck, Shining Armor.” Celestia gave one final smile and jumped into the air, soaring around the palace until she reached one of the balconies of the fourth floor. Etiquette and General Cloverhoof were waiting for her.
“Good morning, Princess,” Cloverhoof said, a smile on her aged face.
“And to you, Daisy. When will the additional brigade be ready?”
“The day after tomorrow. They'll report to Shining Armor first thing in the morning, the day after tomorrow.”
“What about the rest of the corps?”
“On alert, preparing. They'll be ready to respond to any additional attacks just as soon.”
Celestia visibly relaxed, though she still wore a stern, stoic expression. “Good. I can only hope they won't be needed.”
“You and me both.” They were silent for a moment that felt far longer than it was. “Is there anything else?”
“You're informing the other generals, correct?”
“Yes, Princess. I'll be sending messengers to the rest of the E.U.P. Command throughout the next few days. I'll have them fully briefed on the situation.”
“The Abandoned are our allies and they're to be trusted. Make sure that they know that. Beyond that, I have nothing else for you. I'll send if something comes up.”
“Of course.” She bowed her head with a smile and left quickly.
Etiquette was clearly tired, but he had no intention of letting that slow him down. “Generals Armet and Highflier are preparing to leave for Colton. Highflier still has reservations about putting his trust in the Abandoned.”
“That is not his decision. Maybe it's because I know Façade, but I find no reason to dismiss the Abandoned's warnings or refuse their help.”
At first, the urge to ask why Façade began this civil war came over Etiquette, but it wasn't his place to ask. His only concern was Princess Celestia and whatever task she assigned to him. “On another note, there is press meeting at one o'clock this afternoon.”
Celestia's stoic expression faded, and in its stead was the weary face of an ancient diarch. She couldn't keep a strong face any more. The night was restless for her and the morning had already been long enough to fill the day. She let her exhaustion show until she noticed the fatigue in Etiquette's eyes. “Why don't you take tomorrow off, Etiquette?”
“Are you certain, Princess?”
“You hardly give yourself time to breathe. You deserve a rest. I still need your help today, but I promise I can handle everything tomorrow.”
He still stood tall and proper and bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Princess,” he said humbly.
Celestia smiled. “I'll be in my study preparing for the press conference if anything comes up.”
“Of course, Princess.” He bowed his head once more and left.
Celestia turned to the horizon. For a few moments more, she reflected. The Alicorn Sisters had faced crises in the past, but this was the first Luna would face since her restoration. The memories were still fresh, though half drowned from whatever madness she had steeped in for a thousand years. “Letting her go was a mistake,” Celestia muttered. “She should have had more time to recover.” For a long moment, she stared off at the landscape opposite the sunrise, stars barely visible in the dark morning blue. It was an eerily calm moment. She lowered her head, eyes closed, with one final sigh before she pulled herself away from the balcony.
As hours passed, Princess Celestia sat at the writing desk in her study. She was looking over her statements and notes, but some thought, some question, kept repeating itself in her mind. “What happened?” she wondered. “What happened all those years ago to change Chrysalis so much? She's always been hot headed, even when we were just children, but now... What changed?” She just couldn't shake the thought. One bell chimed from the grandfather clock against the far wall. With a sigh, she stood up. She was as prepared as she could be, but it didn't help the feeling in her stomach.
She trotted down the halls of the palace and toward a large conference room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Your Ladyship?” Duplicity requested in silent telepathy, striding down the hall with Chrysalis, both disguised as patrols.
“Yes, Duplicity?” Chrysalis did not look at her subordinate, but instead continued onward as a patrol, as though nothing were amiss.
“The barrier... I have never heard of a 'city aegis' before. I did not believe ward spells could be sustained at such a... grand scale.”
“Yes, even small barriers take impressive skill to conjure and even a few seconds are straining... Perhaps I have underestimated the Guard Captains.” They stilled their thoughts as she and Duplicity rounded a corner, expecting another patrol. Everypony was working double shifts until the E.U.P. reinforcements arrived. Just as expected, two more guards passed them by, stopping them.
“Tragedy at Eclipse,” the leader of the other patrol stated.
“Eclipse fell at Dawn,” Chrysalis responded.
The leader simply nodded and the patrol continued on.
Chrysalis and Duplicity started their path again. Chrysalis didn't “speak” again for a short time. “Odd, to use such a passphrase. I expected increased security measures, but something so archaic... Celestia does not believe I remember...”
“I assume it has some meaning to her?”
It took a moment for Chrysalis to reply. “One thousand years, Luna was exiled. It all began with an eclipse that lasted the bloodiest three weeks in Equestrian history.” Chrysalis's thoughts stilled for a moment. The memories still seemed recent. After a short time, she changed the subject. “Shining Armor is certainly more skillful than I anticipated. Even in peacetime, Celestia is no fool, nor are her guards.” She stifled a slight, reminiscent laugh. “She has hardly changed...” She accidentally muttered it aloud. Her was off, almost... remorseful.
“If you're going to replace the Guard Captain, are you certain you can maintain that shield?”
“I can cast it if I can learn the spell itself. I suppose that Celestia will take charge in holding it for a time. Likely during the wedding. That is, if she is still as sentimental as once she was. Yet we must not step recklessly. The mortal dance of politics and warfare is not for the ungainly.”
“Still, we are fortunate that Luna left with Guard Captain Dusk.”
“It was not the Guard Captain that I worried about. Still, if Shining Armor can maintain such a spell, I shudder at the thought of a power that Guard Captain Dusk may yet hold secret. And perhaps it is fortunate that Luna left instead of Celestia. In times old, Luna held the power to see others' hearts in a way few could. If she regained that ability after her exile...” She trailed off, lost in a thought that Duplicity could only guess at.
Duplicity simply let the conversation end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight couldn't stop smiling as she gleefully trotted around, packing the last of her bags. They'd be there for at least a week, likely more, and she wanted to be prepared for everything. She even had everything packed for Owloysius, who was currently sleeping on one of his perches. Spike simply shook his head when he saw the three duffel bags in middle of the bedroom.
“Don't you think you're overdoing it a little, Twilight?”
Twilight simply gave him her usual “what do you mean 'over-prepared'” look.
Spike responded by raising an eyebrow. “What exactly have you packed?”
Twilight laughed nervously. “A seven-volume encyclopedia of wedding preparations and its accompanying trivia guides, five notebooks, seventeen packs of index cards, blank blueprints, my travel toiletries, and some light reading material?” She smiled awkwardly, trying to cover up the realization that she got carried away.
“Light?”
“The entire Ballad of Magic and Steel series...”
“All nine books? Aren't they, like, three-thousand pages each?”
Twilight sighed. “Yeah. I'll reevaluate and repack.”
“You realize-”
“Yes, yes, yes, we're leaving tomorrow morning, I know. Are you packed?”
Spike smiled proudly. “As a matter of fact, yes, I'm fully-”
“Did you remember your spare toothbrush and toothpaste?”
“They're next to a travel case on the sink, I'll throw them in my backpack after breakfast tomorrow.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Don't forget this time.”
“One time! It was one time on a camping trip I didn't even know we- You're joking.”
Twilight giggled. “Guilty as charged.”
Spike chuckled and shook his head. “Need any help repacking?”
“No, no, I should be able to narrow it down to just one duffel bag and my saddlebags.”
“Alright. If you need help, just ask-”
“RING RING!!!” Pinkie Pie called from the front door.
Twilight walked out onto the balcony. “Uh, Pinkie, the doorbell is working.”
The ever-energetic mass of pink and curls was hopping up and down, staring right at Twilight with a huge smile. “Oh, but I couldn't wait so I decided to just, I mean, it's a royal wedding in Canterlot and we're leaving tomorrow, I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so excited! There will be balloons and cake and dancing and music, not to mention CAKE!”
Twilight laughed as she rolled her eyes. “I know, Pinkie. Come on in, I'll boil some water for-” Before Twilight could finish, Pinkie Pie had already traversed the entirety of the library and was standing next to her. “-tea.”
“Whatcha lookin' at?”
“Where you were.”
“Oh, I know, I was just down there!”
Twilight giggled again. “Alright. So, tea.” Twilight trotted out of the room and down the stairs, Spike and Pinkie in tow. A lavender aura emanated from her horn as she entered the kitchen. She pulled a kettle from the cupboard and some boxes of various teas and spices from a separate cabinet. “Which would you like”
“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...” Pinkie thought for a long moment, contorting her body at odd angles. Finally, she spun around, her body completely normal again. Well, relative to Pinkie. “Jasmine! Ooo, no, green tea! No, black tea- OH! I KNOW, I KNOW! Can we make it chai?!”
“Your sure?”
“Abso-sweetness-lutely!”
Twilight smiled and opened three of the boxes, returning the rest to the cabinet. “You know chai is more spiced than sweet, right?”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow in an oddly serious look. “Twilight, did you forget I put hot sauce on my cupcakes?”
“Point taken, chai it is. Is it okay if I mix in some-” The doorbell chimed and cut Twilight off. “Spike, could you get that?”
“Sure thing.” He quickly left the kitchen to attend to the guest.
“So, what were you going to mix in?” Pinkie asked.
“Oh, right. Cloves and cinnamon, is that alright with you?”
“Ooo, of course it's okay, I love cinnamon, it's just the best!”
Rarity entered the kitchen, Spike following behind her with a sparkle in his eye. “Hello, girls.”
“Oh, hey Rarity,” Twilight said, retrieving her pestle and mortar. “I'm making some chai tea, would like some?”
“Oh, that would be just marvelous, Twilight. Thank you.”
“RARITY, HOW EXCITED ARE YOU?!” Pinkie Pie was once again bouncing around the room.
“Quite excited. Why, I do say I'm absolutely ecstatic about the whole occasion. I mean, it's not often that I get to design the wedding dress of a princess. I don't care how little notice we had, I'll ensure that it's the best dress I've ever made.”
Twilight smiled, grinding the cinnamon and cloves into a fine powder. “I'm sure Cadance wanted to ask us sooner, but she's just been busy. After all, when she was my foalsitter, she was still attending Canterlot Academy with my brother.”
“So, how long exactly have you known Princess Cadance?”
Twilight mixed the ground spices and put some tea leaves into the kettle. “Let's see, I didn't have my cutie mark when she started, and I didn't start studying the prerequisites for the test until after Shining Armor graduated.” She put the kettle on the wood burning stove and lit a fire, placing a few logs in the stove. “He enlisted in the E.U.P. about when I started working on basic entropy spells. He was transferred at Princess Celestia's request to the Royal Guard and taken under the previous day captain's wing, at which point I was told when the exam was scheduled for... Geez, I couldn't have been more than three or four years old when we first met, and we became friends almost instantly, so maybe fourteen years? It should be fifteen this summer, I think.”
Rarity chuckled. “And you told us you didn't have any friends.”
“I said many. My brother and Cadance were my best friends. I sometimes spent time with Moondancer, Lyra before she moved here, and a few others, but I'd mostly sit in the background and read.”
"Silly, you do that now!” Pinkie said.
“She hasn't really changed much, now that I think about it,” Spike added.
“You were still an egg during most of that,” Twilight retorted.
“Yeah, but I spent a lot of time with Moondancer, and she told me about that stuff. I mean, not that I had a crush on her or anything.” He laughed nervously, turning his gaze away from Rarity. “No, we were just friends.”
Twilight just rolled her eyes with a slight smile, deciding to save Spike the embarrassment. “So, how's the packing going, Rarity?”
“Oh, marvelously. I've packed everything I could possibly need, as well as all of the supplies I should need for the dress.”
Twilight shook her head. “You shouldn't need to bring supplies. Princess Celestia sent me a letter a last night offering us full access to the palace storehouse.”
“Oh, I wouldn't want to raid the storehouse for simple materials. But, then again, the fabrics in the palace must be exquisite.” She rub her chin with a hoof, imagining what she could do with such luxurious materials. “Oh, I suppose we'll see when we get there. There's no harm in bringing my own materials just in case, right?”
“You can never be over-prepared!” Pinkie shouted, pulling her party cannon out of what Spike, Rarity, and Twilight could only assume was thin air. “Case and point, PARTY CANNON!”
“Where do you keep- Never mind.” Twilight looked back to Rarity as Spike leaned dangerously close to the barrel of the party cannon. “Just try to avoid bringing more than four luggage bags and your saddlebags, okay? There's only so much room on the train, and Spike can only carry so much.”
"Oh, it's all right, Twilight," Spike answered. "I don't mi-" BOOM! The party cannon fired off, filling the room with balloons, confetti, party favors, and other miscellania. Spike was now safely tucked into a cupboard, densely-packed confetti around him and covering all but his eyes. "I'm okay..."
"That's certainly good to hear," Rarity said, pulling Spike out telekinetically. "Alright, Twilight. I promise I won't bring more than necessary.” The kettle began to whistle, and Rarity grabbed some cups and saucers from the cupboard next to the Spike landed in. “We were meeting at the train station, correct?"
"Yes," Twilight said, pulling up another chair. She poured tea for everypony. "Cheers, everypony!"
"Cheers," the three replied, clinking cups together.