> That Which was Lost
>  by LadyRFC
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Strange Scroll
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   The grass on the ground always looked softer in the air. But it only took Twilight a few crashes to realize it wasn’t nearly so soft when one plows into it from the sky. 
“Come on, Twilight! My grandmare can fly faster than you!”
Twilight got up slowly, her hooves shaking a bit. She spit out a tuff of grass that had smeared itself into her mouth. Normally grass tasted just fine. But the dirt and rocks mixed in with it were another matter entirely. 
“Rainbow, I can’t go any faster. I told you that already!” Twilight knew her voice was dangerously close to a wine, must unfitting to royalty, but she couldn’t help it. “If I go any faster, I’ll just end up crashing faster!”
Rainbow Dash landed a few feet from her, one eye brow raised. “The reason you keep crashing is because you’re flying too slow. You have to reach a certain speed to stay airborne. And trust me,” she lectured, brushing some dirt off of Twilight’s face, “if Fluttershy can manage such a casual speed, you can do it for sure.”
Twilight stretched her new wings experimentally. “But Fluttershy has had her wings her whole life! I’ve only had mine for a few weeks.”
“A few weeks is all you need to fly,” Rainbow responded with a matter-of-fact tone. At Twilight’s desperate look she exclaimed, “You flew just fine after the coronation!”
Twilight sighed and looked back at her wings wearily. “To be honest, I’m still not sure how I did that…”
“Exactly!” Rainbow flew straight up a few feet and smiled back down at her friend. “Flying is something you do. Not something you think about.”
“That sounds kinda dangerous, if you ask me.”
Twilight spun around at the familiar voice and gave the small dragon a smile. “Spike! What are you doing out here? I thought you were helping Princess Luna with the archives.”
“Yeah,” Spike murmured as Rainbow landed next to the kingdom’s newest princess, “about that…”

Twilight had to admit that her slight apprehension over Princess Celestia’s sudden call only increased upon her arrival in the throne room. All of her friends were already there, aside from Rainbow Dash who flew at her side and immediately broke the whispering conversation between Celestia and her sister, Luna. 
“What’s going on?” Rainbow flew over to where Fluttershy was hovering above the others and lowered her voice a bit, “We’re not in another ‘kingdom is at stake’ deal, are we?”
“Oh,” Fluttershy murmured, nearly too quiet for Twilight to hear, “I don’t know.”
“We were all told to come here cause Spike and Princess Luna found somethin’…” Applejack paused, looking for the right word, “odd.”
As Twilight turned her confused eyes towards her, Celestia nodded and Luna stepped forward.
“Spike and I have been working on some of the archives in preparation for the research teams from Saddle Arabia, who plan to work alongside our own teams for an important excavation coming up. But during our cleaning of one back room,” Luna’s horn glowed faintly and a very old scroll floated forward, gently unrolling on the floor before Twilight, “we found this.”
Twilight stepped forward and peered down at the yellowed parchment. It was cluttered with column after column of strange characters. Some looked like shapes. Like boxes and trees and numbers, but it was made up of a combination of sharp lines and fluid curves. Twilight found it quite beautiful, but also found it impossible to read.
“This is from… the far east?” Twilight looked up at the princesses, embarrassed she was unable to detect anything else.
“Yes,” Celestia replied with a small nod. “Luna and I have been to the great nation beyond the desert before, but traveling there is difficult and takes a great deal of time. Thus our counties have rarely interacted and we have not had dealings with them for many hundreds of years.”
Twilight tried to ignore the scratching of a thought upon her mind when Celestia mentioned the hundreds of years. Her wings felt heavy enough on her back. She really didn’t want to add to that weight just yet. 
“I can read… some of it,” Luna said slowly, walking up to the scroll herself and looked down at it. “But that only made this scroll’s presence even stranger.”
“Sooo, what’s it say?” Rainbow’s voice asked close to Twilight’s ear. The new alicorn started a bit from her staring match with the scroll and saw that her friends had all gathered around it as well. 
Luna exchanged a glance with her sister before answering. “It mentions the return of the darklings.”
“The what now?” Applejack asked, head tilted. 
“They are creatures linked with prosperity for the eastern empire,” Luna locked eyes with Twilight. “Creatures that feed off of love.”
Twilight thought she said it first but to everypony's surprise it was Fluttershy's terrified voice that broke the stunned silence.
"Changlings!" As every eye focused on her, she quickly put her hooves in front of her mouth and drifted back towards the ground. 
"That is what we fear," Celestia agreed, her tone grim.
"But wait," Twilight forced out, "my brother and Cadence forced them out with their magic."
Celestia walked over towards the large windows to one side of the room. They looked out towards the seemingly endless desert separating them from the far eastern nations. 
"They were forced out of this kingdom, but that does not been they were destroyed," she paused, one front hoof raised as if uncertain. Her eyes narrowed and she set her hoof down softly. Sighing she turned towards Twilight and her friends. "Normally this wouldn't be taken too seriously. However, we have had a few strange stories coming from a few small towns around the desert's borders."
Raindow flew up and punched imaginary enemies in the air with her front hooves. "Do you need us to kick some changling butt, Princess?"
Celestia gave a small smile, but it was shadowed. "No, Rainbow Dash. I'm afraid it's not that simple."
"We already sent two investigation teams when the reports first came in," Luna informed, walking over to stand by her sister. "But the earth ponies and unicorns came back with extreme exhaustion sickness. A few are still in the hospital recovering."
"But doesn't that just prove that the changlings are there?" Rarity asked, a worried look in her eyes. 
Celestia shook her head, her mane swaying slightly. "The effects were quite different from that experienced when the changlings attacked us. The unicorns were the most affected. Their magic was unaccessible for some time and none of them remember exactly what happened. Although we now have some theories thanks to Discord."
"Discord?" Rainbow's voice mirrored Twilight's unease at the mention of the strange creature. Then a thought occurred to her.
"He wasn't there..."
"Who wasn't there?" Pinkie shouted out. She grabbed Fluttershy, who was till on the ground. "Oooo, was it Fluttershy?"
"Um, Pinkie? I'm a she..." Fluttershy whispered.
"What?!" Pinkie looked right into Fluttershy's eyes and then burst into a fit of laughter. "Oh, yeah. Of course you are! Silly me."
"I meant Discord," Twilight explained looking up at the princesses. "He wasn't at my coronation, was he?"
"That's because he's already at the desert's border," Celestia answered calmly. "And I'm sending you and your friends to help him," her eyes clouded, "before he becomes more ill than he's gotten already."

> Midnight Visit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “I thought you left last night!”
Twilight paused in her packing as Cadence slowly walked into her room, her hooves making a light clicking noise against the marble floor. 
“I sent Shining Armor ahead of me. The Empire can spare me another day or so…” Her eyes roamed the room. Over the large cream colored bed covered in all the quills and paper Twilight was taking and lingering a bit on Spike’s failing attempts to stuff too many references books into another suitcase on the floor.
“Um, Spike?” Twilight tilted her head towards the hall. “Could you get me one of those large maps for our trip? There should be one we can borrow somewhere. Ours only covers Equestria…” 
As Spike scurried off through the doorway, Twilight turned her attention back to Cadence.
“I heard you were being sent to the border of the great desert…” the Crystal Empire’s princess began.
Twilight sighed and returned to systematically corking various ink wells and setting them in the suitcase on the bed. “Yes. Discord is already there and being affected by whatever it is that’s been draining all the other investigation teams of their energy.”
“And their magic,” Cadence added, her voice quiet. 
Twilight paused and looked over at her old foul-sitter’s worried eyes. She gave a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” her smile dropped and her voice became grim. “But we can’t risk another invasion of changlings. And with those teams coming in from Saddle Arabia, the princesses can’t leave Canterlot.”
Cadence frowned, her eyes drifting towards a window, the parted curtains revealing a starlit sky. “I could…” 
Twilight set the last blank scroll inside the suitcase and shut it. “You have to return to your own kingdom. I’m the only one without an official duty. I’m the only one that can be spared.”At her last words, Twilight’s eyes caught her own reflection in the shining metal of the suitcase’s handle. The wings still looked strange to her. She moved them slightly, as if believing they were a separate entity. But, as all the times she had gone through this experiment before, they moved as she willed them to.
“Does it still feel strange to you?”
Cadence’s soft voice floated around Twilight and snapped her out of her uneasy thoughts. Blinking, she turned her attention away from her closed suitcase and towards the one Spike had been messing with on the floor. Her gold crown and decorative hoof guards sparkled among the old books and spiky quills. 
“I guess I should wear them all the time to get used to them, shouldn’t I?” she said, her voice sounding weak even to her.
“You know what I’m talking about,” Cadence said, her voice holding a hint of a warning.
Twilight felt one of her wings twitch and that strange feeling, the one she had gotten the first morning she had woken up in her new form, that feeling of panic, returned. 
“It’s not that I don’t feel like it should have happened. I know it was meant to, somehow.” Her head dropped a bit as she searched for the words. “I just…” she looked back at Cadence and let out a breath. “When I was little, I always thought that being an alicorn was just what princesses were. That the two just went hoof in hoof. I didn’t consider how that… changed things…” An image of her brother flashed in her mind and immediately Twilight looked away. She couldn’t ask. She thought that putting her fear into words might give it power. As if hearing it might make it real. And she didn’t want it to be real.
“If you’re worried about age,” Cadence’s voice cut through the silence, “don’t.”
“Pardon?” Twilight’s eyes met the other alicorn’s in surprise. 
Cadence smiled, this time without the worry. “Princess Celestia and her sister Luna are… exceptions.”
Twilight stood very still for a few moments before slowly stating, “So I won’t live to see my friends di-“ Twilight stopped herself, but Cadence’s sad look showed she well understood.
“Throughout history, only Celestia and Luna have defied the progress of time… So far as we know. Many think it has to due with the nature of their magic.”
Twilight tilted her head in thought. “Because Celestia raises the sun and Luna is in charge of the moon?”
Cadence nodded, though a bit absently, her eyes far away. “Yes. It takes a lot of magic to do such things and some believe that same magic keeps them alive longer than anypony else.”
A dark thought drifted past Twilight and she heard her own voice saying, as if from a distance, “My element is magic itself… What does that make me?”
Twilight blinked to find Cadence standing right in front of her and felt the older mare’s mane brush her cheek as she gave her young friend a hug. 
“I don’t know what kind of alicon you are, Twilight,” Cadence admitted softly. “But I do know who you are. You are a strong lady who fits the role of a princess more than you know.”
“Cadence…” Twilight closed her eyes as the fears around her heart melted away and she breathed out easier, her back feeling a bit lighter than before. 
As the princess of the Crystal Empire stepped back, Twilight saw a reassuring and playful smile on her face. 
“Though, for the record, I still don’t like the idea of you running off so soon after your coronation to hunt changlings…”
“Oh, it’s not all that bad. The others are coming with me.” Twilight lifted her head up and smiled broadly. “Together, we’re invincible!”
“Exactly!”
Both mares turned at the sound of the voice to see Spike waltzing into the room, his claws enthusiastically raised in the air. As a result, the map he had been holding promptly unraveled and dropped to the floor. It showed not only Equestria, but also a great many lands bordering it. Including the desert. Which seemed to dwarf Equestria itself in size.
“That,” Twilight muttered, her eyes fixed on the desert, “looks a whole lot bigger than I remember…”

> Concerns and Old Ink
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Oh, I hope Discord is alright…” 
Fluttershy’s soft murmur went unnoticed by Twilight, who was staring out at the quickly moving scenery outside the train window and thinking about the uncertain looks exchanged between Celestia and her sister before they departed. The princess had apologized for being unable to be of much help in briefing them on the Eastern nation. In the end, all they had been able to give her was an older book written by the palace scribe at the time of their last visit nearly five hundred years ago. Despite Twilight’s assurances that she could well read the older text, claiming her experiences reading Star Swirl the Bearded’s work as experience, the new alicorn looked down at the faded leather book wearily. 
“He’ll be fine,” she heard Rainbow carelessly respond a few seats behind her. “He’s a draconequus. I don’t think he'd die from a simple cold.”
“Cold?” Fluttershy’s tone bumped up a notch with worry. “Oh, do you think he has one? I- I don’t think I brought a warm bottle…”
At the sound of somepony, likely Fluttershy, rummaging through luggage, Twilight sighed and turned her head to face the two pegasuses behind her. 
“We’re not sure what he has, Fluttershy,” seeing the mare’s panicked face, Twilight quickly pushed on, “But I’m sure it isn’t too bad. From all the reports we’ve gotten, it seems the worst the desert can do is make you very, very tired.”
“And take away yer magic,” Applejack added, walking between the colorful seats to Twilight’s side, her face just as worried as Fluttershy’s. She looked right at her alicorn friend. “Twilight, are you sure you’ll be alright? Ah mean…” her eyes glanced at Twilight’s cutie mark, “magic is your special gift, after all. What might this place do to you?”
“Applejack is right, dear,” Rarity chimed in, walking up to them. “We have no idea exactly what’s going on with this place. It…” Rarity put one of her hooves on Twilight’s shoulder, careful not to hit her wings, “It might be too dangerous for you to leave the station…”
Twilight’s eyes darted amongst her friends to see them all sharing Rarity’s concerned expression. Even Pinkie Pie looked unusually grave, though she also looked a bit silly as she still had the fake mustache on her face that she’d been using earlier in an attempt to calm down Fluttershy. 
Twilight gave them a reassuring smile and carefully took Rarity’s hoof off her shoulder. “It’s alright, girls. I’ll be just fine. The effects of the desert seems to only get serious after a great deal of exposure,” her eyes narrowed in determination, but her smile remained. “And I plan on having this issue resolved as soon as possible.”
“Aaaaaand,” Pinkie’s voice cried out loudly as she bounced from atop one seat’s headrest to the next, “you have us! We’ll keep anything bad from ever happening to you. Together we can do anything!”
The worry in everyone’s faces seem to dissipate as if blown away by a breeze and Twilight was relieved to find that many began smiling again, though Rarity still looked a bit concerned under her blinking eyes. 
“Pinkie’s right,” Rainbow said, using her wings to hover above the wooden flooring of the train car. “Twilight is Equestria’s newest princess,” she shot her friend a look of pride that made Twilight blush, “and we’re her guards.” She slammed down to the floor and gave a snort of power, “Nothing gets past us. Magic or no magic!”
Twilight sighed, though it was a content one this time. “No, Rainbow, I told you. You’re all my friends. I don’t need guards.”
The world went dark for a second as Applejack’s hat was placed on her head and dropped over her eyes. The earth pony smiled warmly at her. 
“We’re yer friends and yer… uh,” her nose wrinkled in thought.
“Entourage,” Rarity supplied.
“Yeah,” Applejack nodded, “that.”
Twilight raised a hoof and prodded the hat up to smile at her friends. It was then she realized she had heard nothing from Spike and she turned to look to the seat next to her. The small dragon had the leather book open and was staring at it intensely.
“Spike?” she asked cautiously. “What is it?”
The dragon didn’t answer at first. When he finally did, his large eyes looking up at the mare who had raised him, his voice was a mere whisper. 
“Dragons.”
Twilight’s eyes grew large and she quickly levitated the book in front of her. Black, red and gold colored dragons bordered the sides of the yellowing pages. It was beautiful art. Each stroke was of a varying thickness, but the lines remained precise. The red eyes of the lizard-like creatures seemed to stare up at her. She looked at the small scrolling text and frowned. It was quite old, the sentence structure confused and the grammar slightly off. And as she attempted to read she quickly found it to be far more tiring than the spells from Star Swirl she’d worked on in the past. Spells had a pattern, a flow of language. Once a pony got used to them, filling in blanks and translating the meaning was fairly easy. But text that could be talking about anything at all was another matter entirely. It didn’t help that some of the ink was faded. Thankfully, Twilight had a fix for that. 
Thinking of the spell needed, Twilight’s eyes squinted at the book before her, stealing herself to release the power for the spell. But the pages before her shifted, or the focus of her eyes did. Regardless, Twilight immediately lost concentration and the book fell. 
“Are you alright, dear?” Rarity asked.
Twilight shook her head as Spike spoke up, his voice louder now, “What’s it say about dragons?”
“I’m not sure,” Twilight levitated the book off the floor and the sight of the crystal clear font made her eyes widen in surprise. “I… I’m not… sure,” she repeated slowly, her mind racing. No power had left her for the spell. At least no power seemed to. 
“Can’t you read it, Twilight?” Spike’s voice was near a whine, but before she could answer him, his claw gently grabbed her wing and instead of talking, her head snapped around to stare once more at the strange items attached to her back. That’s when she remembered. She was an alicorn now. Even her use of magic was different. The pulling of the train car as it came to its final stop matched the feeling in her stomach. 
Nothing was what it once was. Her life had changed and she still didn’t even understand how much.
“You may now disembark,” called out the train conductor loudly from the front of the car. "This is as far as our train goes. The last eastern town of Equestria.” 

> Draconiquus Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “I’m sorry, Spike. It’s going to take a bit of work,” Twilight managed to reply as the train’s doors were unlocked and the few passengers within were allowed to disembark. 
Although the sad look on Spike’s face was one Twilight hated to see, what caught her eye as she glanced at the window demanded more of her current attention. Hurrying off the train, the small dragon clutching the book and scurrying after her, Twilight looked around for the figure she had seen. Sure enough, as the fog from the train settled, Discord stood before them.
“Why, if it isn’t Twilight herself! Oh, sorry. It’s Princess Twilight now, isn’t it?”
The strange creature, who was a blend of just about every other creature imaginable, smiled. Under any other circumstances, the grin would have caused Twilight concern, but things with Discord had changed greatly and now she was just happy to see the draconiquus standing, almost as if nothing was wrong. Almost. Something about the way his shoulders were drooped lower than usual concerned her.
“Yes, she is a princess and you should show some respect!” Rainbow flew over the creature’s head and instantly the shoulders were back in a defiant stance. The smile curving his mouth into a "u" shape seemed more lively as well. 
“Is that a fact?” he teased, clearly egging the pegasus on. 	
Rainbow took the bait. “Yes, it is! And you’re about to regret forgetting, mister!” The filly took off towards a grayish cloud high in the sky.
Twilight shook her head with a smile as Fluttershy flew low towards the creature and immediately began her cooing comments about how relieved she was that he seemed alright.
“Oh, yes,” he assured her, his tone more gentle with the shy filly, “I’m just fine Fluttershy. I am a draconiquus, you know.”
“Oh, I know,” Fluttershy murmured, “I was just so worried after hearing about what happened to the other research parties and-“
“Eat rain, Discord!” Rainbow’s cry broke through Fluttershy’s small voice like a sledge hammer through tissue paper.
But just as the pegasus began to jump on the grey cloud she had pulled down over them and get it to rain, Discord made an umbrella appear in his hand, protecting him and his first friend from the sudden downpour. 
That’s when Twilight knew for sure something was off.
“Rainbow, stop,” she commanded. The filly immediate stood still on the cloud and the rain ceased. Turning to Discord she asked, “Are you sure you’re alright? The princess said-“
“Yes, yes,” Discord interrupted, getting a glare from Rainbow, “But I’m just fine. Really.”
Before Twilight could ask further however, he shot a quick glance at Fluttershy and Twilight understood. Nodding she said, “Alright then. Perhaps we should head towards the desert’s edge now?” She looked back towards the luggage that was being unloaded and mentally thanked Rarity for being rather predictable in this area. “Uh, girls? Rarity might need help with her luggage…”
As the other fillies grumbled and began assisting the unicorn in organizing and distributing her large amount of luggage between them, Spike being the only one to remain smiling during the activity, Twilight walked beside Discord.
“Your magic has been affected,” she commented, her voice low so as not to be overheard.
Discord looked surprised for an instant and then shrugged. “I should have known you’d pick up on that.” Sighing, he made the completely normal and functioning umbrella disappear. 
“Wasn’t too hard,” Twilight breathed out, feeling a bit drained herself after the long train ride. “Normally you’d call out some umbrella that’s inside out or just wire or something else that makes no practical sense.”
“That’s what I tried to do.”
“So the desert is messing up your magic? I thought it drained magic.”
Discord gave another shrug. “I’m not a pony, Twilight. I’m a draconiquus. Though there is one symptom I do share with previous cases." His eye lids dropped halfway and immediately Twilight knew that the slump of his shoulders had not been a mistake on her part. “I’m exhausted. Using magic that’s… logical,” he shuddered at the word, “is very tiring. Really, you have no idea.” 
Twilight gave a small smile at the creature’s attempt at lightening the mood. But before she could comment on it, the other girls trotted up to them, each carrying at least one purple and white bag.
“We’re all ready to go now, Twilight,” Applejack announced.
“Would have been done faster if somepony hadn’t packed so much,” Rainbow muttered just loud enough for Rarity to hear.
The unicorn blinked slowly while snapping back, “This coming from a pony who didn’t even think to bring a hat to protect herself from the sun.”
“Oh,” Fluttershy spoke up timidly, “I forgot my hat too…”
“That’s alright, darling,” Rarity cooed, popping open the large luggage case that Spike was struggling to carry. Hats flooded the wooden flooring of the station. “I brought a few extra. Just in case.”
“OH NO!”
At Pinkie’s gasp everpony turned towards their energetic friend who wore an expression of horror. 
“I forgot to pack balloons!” She dropped the purple handbag and dug into the pink saddlebag on her right side before diving into the left with no success. “Of all the things that could happen, this-“
At Rarity’s sour look, Pinkie stopped and grinned.
“Alright, girls. Let’s get going,” Twilight looked back up at Discord, “and we can exchange what we know along the way.”
Discord shrugged rather helplessly. “Not much to tell.” He gave the new princess a knowing look. “Besides what you know, nothing has happened.”
As the group began to walk down the station steps and across town, Discord informed them that his own patrols had turned up no changlings, or even any sign that they had been there recently at all.
“Where did those reported sightings come from then?” Rarity asked casually, holding aloft only one small bag with her magic. 
“Yeah. How do we know it wasn’t just somepony seein’ things?” Applejack put in.
Discord gave another shrug. “The teams before me had spoken to the three ponies who had supposedly seen the creatures. Most of the changlings seemed to have been in the air. No sightings on the ground.”
“That would explain the lack of tracks,” Twilight muttered.
“The reports say they went back towards the desert again, however. And there have been no reports of ponies injured,” Discord continued, glancing over at Twilight.
The princess caught on quickly. “Which doesn’t follow. Why get close enough to be seen and then leave without,” she flinched before finishing her sentence, “feeding?”
“And,” Rarity cut in, “if they can change to look like anypony, why risk flying around in their own forms?”
“You think it’s a trap?” Rainbow jumped in, flying closer to her alicorn friend.
Twilight frowned. “It’s too soon to decide on that, but it certainly feels like a trap.”
“In any case,” Discord summed up, “our current issue is this desert area and what it does to anypony that gets too close to it.”
“How far is the effect radius?” Twilight asked in an official tone.
Although a few of her friends shot her odd looks, Discord answered quickly. “From what I can tell it doesn’t have much of one. Maybe a few feet away… You pretty much need to be standing on the desert dirt for it to do anything. Pretty boring, if you ask me.”
“And for long periods of time, right?” Fluttershy added hopefully. 
Discord nodded. “There’s no outward sign anything is happening though. Nothing obvious, anyway.”
“That’d explain why so many teams didn’t even know what was happening until it was too late,” Twilight concluded. “How long has this gone on?”
Discord shrugged helplessly again, and the alicorn noticed how his shoulders were sagging once more and his eyes blinked slower than before.
“No pony has much reason to go out there, I recon,” Applejack put in as the small city began to dissipate and before them the grass grew thinner.
“So we have no idea how long this desert’s been deadly?” Rarity asked.
“Deadly?!” Fluttershy stopped her hovering flight, cold with fear.
Twilight sighed. “It’s not deadly, Rarity.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie agreed, bouncing around Fluttershy with her fake mustache back in place. “Ponies just get really, really, really, really sleepy. Like at a slumber party when you stay up too late talking about the best way to eat a cupcake!”
While the other ponies rolled their eyes, Fluttershy asked innocently, “What is the best way?”
Pinkie Pie smiled broadly and produced a large cupcake from her saddlebag, setting it on the ground in front of her.
“Like this!” She then slammed her face into it, splattering frosting all over the stony ground.
Twilight smiled as the tense feeling began to leave the group. But Discord's voice broke her happier thoughts.
“It starts there.”
Twilight ripped her eyes away from her friends and turned around to face the place Discord was pointing at. Before her all vegetation died out and a great expanse of sand stretched out as far as her eyes could see. It there was an end to the desert, it wasn't one anypony could see easily. 
"Great..."


> A Troublesome Desert
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   It really didn’t look dangerous. And from where she stood, Twilight felt nothing unusual. Eying the desert expanse before her wearily, Twilight stepped forward. Nothing. 
She looked up at Discord, who was not moving. She stepped forward again, her front hooves only a few feet from the start of the sand. Still nothing. 
Sighing, she walked all the way onto the sand. She looked back at Discord, about to ask how long the affects took, but she didn’t get the chance. A shock when through her body and immediately her legs began to feel heavy. Unable to keep her balance, Twilight’s legs buckled under her. But when her underside touched the sand the effect only became worse. She heard shouting behind her and two arms, each different from each other, scooped her up and ran her away from the sand, setting her down onto the cool stones nearby. 
Blinking wearily, and feeling as if her energy had been sucked out of her, she gazed up at her worried friends and an exhausted Discord. 
“I told you that there desert would do funny things to our Twilight,” Applejack moaned. 
“Oh no. Are you alright, dear?” Rarity looked over her friend’s form with concern.
“Look, Twilight, look!” Pinkie pushed her face in front of Twilight and wiggled her mustached nose back and forth.
The alicorn gave her friends a small smile. “I’m… okay. It just caught me off guard.” She slowly arose. Her legs felt tingly, but thankfully it seemed the damage wasn’t permanent. She was already feeling energy return to her. She wondered if that was a benefit of being an alicorn.
“How dare that desert hurt one of our princesses!” Rainbow raced over towards the sand and began stomping all over it yelling, “I don’t have magic! Bring it on! Come on!”
“Rainbow, no! Get back here before…” Twilight trailed off as her friend continued to stomp on the sand undisturbed. 
Finally satisfied with her work, Rainbow turned around and walked towards her friends.  
“That… didn’t hurt you?” Rarity exclaimed.
Rainbow tilted her head to one side. “Not really.”
“But it probably would over time,” Twilight warned. “It probably affected me so quickly because I’m an alicorn.”
“And you’re talent is magic,” Fluttershy added.
“Actually…” Discord spoke up, bringing all attention to him. His shoulders were obviously slumped in exhaustion now and his eyes drooped. “Actually, she should have at least felt something. The affects don’t come for some time. A number of hours. But she should at least sense something is wrong with the sand. Many ponies explained a slight tingling feeling.”
Rainbow looked confused. “Tingling?” She walked back over to the sand and stood still on it, head to one side in concentration. She looked back at her friends. “I don’t feel anything!”
Twilight frowned. “Discord? Were there any pegasus in the parties sent before you?”
Discord mimicked her frown. “Not that I know of. Mostly unicorns and earth ponies…”
“You think pegasi don’t get hurt by it?” Applejack asked, staring at her blue coated friend.
“Only one way to find out,” Rainbow called back. She then sat down right where she stood.
Twilight hated to see her friends put themselves in harm's way, but considering the reaction she had received, she was in no position to argue. So they sat. And waited.

Twilight felt refreshed after her brief rest, though one look at a sleeping Discord showed her that it would take longer for him to recover. Fluttershy was resting by his side, her eyes still slightly open, shifting their gaze between the old foe to her right and her winged friend in the desert sand. Twilight looked over at the blue pegasis.
“How’re you doing, Rainbow Dash?” she called.
“Fine,” came the answer, though it sounded a bit slow.
Twilight frowned. “Are you tired?”
“No,” the filly answered, “just bored out of my mind.”
The alicorn looked around her resting friends. “Where’s Pinkie? Wasn’t she playing word games with you?”
“She went into town to get me something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Applejack got up slowly and stretched out her legs one by one. “We should all get somethin’ to fill our bellies. Been long enough, hasn’t it?”
Twilight nodded, eying the setting sun. “I’d say so. It doesn’t seem like anything has happened to Rainbow. I wonder…” 
“I’m not one for naps, but that wasn’t half bad.”
Twilight turned to see Discord sitting up and stretching his arms in front of him. He then stretched his two wings individually. An idea began to form in Twilight's mind.
“Discord?” Twilight’s mind filled with memories of her first encounter with the draconiquus.
“Hm?” He faced the alicon slowly, still sleepy.
“Back when we met you, when you hid the elements of harmony and we went through that maze at the palace… You took our wings and horns, forbidding us to use magic. But it’s possible to use magic without horns.”
Discord put one finger to his chin in thought. “True, it is. Though quiet rare.”
“Then,” Twilight got up, her legs steady once again, “can you… track magic?”
Discord’s eyes lit up at the unusual question. “I see… You reason that because I can disrupt magic, I must first be able to find it… Interesting theory…”
“Theory?” Rainbow had walked over, relieved from her testing duty. She sat down on the stones and gave Discord a weird look. “Don’t you even know what you can and can’t do?”
Discord smirked at the pegasus. “Do you know all the possible tricks and stunts you can do?”
Rainbow blushed. “Well, um…”
“If you can track magic,” Twilight turned towards Discord, “I want you to track mine when I touch the sand.”
“But Twilight,” Rarity protested, “that sand hurt you!”
“I know,” Twilight assured her. “But if this ground is pulling magic from ponies, I want to know where it’s going.”
“Who said it’s going anywhere?” Rainbow asked doubtfully.
“Well, for one thing, this desert hasn’t always done this. And also,” Twilight looked down at her hooves, remembering her first attempts at magic, some of them having gone out of control, “magic doesn’t just disappear. It has to be used. It moves when called upon. If the ground is sucking it out of ponies it has to be going somewhere.”
“You think somepony is doing this… on purpose?” Fluttershy asked timidly.
Twilight looked grim, but didn’t answer directly. Instead she began walking towards the sand again, her legs already feeling tingly at the mere thought of repeating her actions of a few hours past. She heard Discord walk behind her.
“Ready?” she asked, not turning her eyes away from her path.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose,” he answered.
Twilight took a breath and stepped onto the sand.

> An Idea
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Did you… get it?”
Twilight could barely feel her mouth move to her words as the sky, now full of stars, snapped back into place above her. She tried to sit up and found that she was lying on her side on the stones nearby and that her entire left side had gone numb with sleep.
She heard a chorus of her friends around her murmur their relief at her revival and a sharp, but clearly concerned, request from Rarity to “never attempt something so dangerous again.” Twilight decided it best to not acknowledge that one. She knew it would end up as a broken promise in the end. Instead she focused her attention on the draconiquus looming over them, his eyes more exhausted than ever before.
“Don’t worry,” he assured her, his voice a hint slower than usual. “I got it. It’s just a vague direction, mind you.”
“It’ll be enough,” Twilight assured him, rising up on shaky hooves and stomping a few times in an attempt to wake up her sleeping half. She cringed at the stinging feeling racing across her coat, but kept at. She looked up at Discord. “You should stay here and re-“ she paused for half a beat as the draconiquus glanced at Fluttershy, “and remain on the lookout for any changlings.” She gave him a smile. “The desert is big, after all. Some might still be wondering around and we don’t want this town to get invaded.”
Discord’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded. “I suppose if Princess Twilight Sparkle wishes it I must comply.”
“You’re not thinking of going out there, are you?” Rarity’s tone was high again.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Twilight. Ah mean that desert hit you real hard this time,” Applejack added.
“I think I know how to fix that,” Twilight mused, looking in Rainbow’s direction. 
“But we can’t all fly, dear,” Rarity reminded her friend and blushing slightly from the sudden memory of her butterfly wings.
“Hey, yeah!” Pinkie interrupted, pushing forward, her mustache still clinging to her nose. Twilight wondered how long it planned to hang on. “When do I get wings and start flying?!”
Nearly every pony looked horrified at the idea of Pinkie with wings, while Discord gave a smile of amusement that concerned Twilight. 
“Uh, well, that’s not quite what I meant,” the alicorn explained, drawing the conversation, and hopefully Discord’s attention, into safer waters. “The sand didn’t seem to affect Rainbow when she was walking on it.”
“Well,” Fluttershy murmured, “we are pegasus so…” Her eyes grew wide as she stopped herself, realizing what Twilight was implying.
“Why, of course!” Rarity spoke up, coming to the same conclusion. “It’s not just that pegaus have wings. They also have special hooves for walking on clouds!”
“That’s right,” Twilight confirmed. “And considering that the sand had no affect on them, it must mean that whatever is sucking up power around here must be unable to draw anything out of hooves that can walk on clouds.”
“And somepony here,” Applejack continued, eying her friend with a smile, “knows of a spell that can let us non-flyin’ ponies imitate them fancy pegasus stompers.”
“Is that the plan then?” Rainbow asked, excitement replacing her earlier worry. “Sweet! We can finally get back at those changling jerks!”
“Rainbow,” Twilight warned, “we don’t know for sure that they’re behind it. And besides, we still need to test my theory.”
“I’ll do it,” Rarity immediately offered.
Before Twilight could reply to the offer, Pinkie began jumping up and down around them. “Oh, oh, pick me! I’ll do it! I’ve got more energy than I know what to do with!”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Applejack muttered under her breath.
“Thanks, Pinkie. And Rarity.”
“You’re gonna test it on both of them?” Rainbow asked, shocked.
Twilight looked between the two test subjects, feeling a bit uneasy. “I don’t have much of a choice. I need to make sure it’s going to work for unicorns and earth ponies.”
“What about you, Twilight?” Applejack asked quietly.
The alicorn gave her friend a grin she didn’t entirely feel. “I’ll just have to take my chances.” At the worried looks returning to her companions’ faces she hurried to add, “But I can always fly if this doesn’t work out.”
“Um… excuse me, but…”
Twilight turned towards Fluttershy’s small voice, wondering how long the shy pony had been trying to talk.
Poking a yellow hoof into the ground she asked, “What about Spike?”
“Sp-“ Twilight immediately looked around  in the dim moonlight for the small dragon. “Where is he?!”
“Here,” Discord answered, standing from his sitting position and uncurling his tail from something. There on the stony ground was the dragon in question, tucked into a ball and sleeping away. 
Twilight relaxed, being briefly reminded of the time he had wondered off as an infant. She had thought she had become less protective over the years. Quickly she dismissed it as simply due to the fact that he was still a baby dragon. Technically.
"He can ride on my back," Twilight answered softly.
“That there,” Applejack said with a smile as she walked up to Twilight’s side and stared down at Spike, “may just be a sign that we should get some rest for now and resume our plans in the mornin’.”
As murmurs of agreement rose from her friends, Twilight turned to Discord. 
“Alright then. Discord, what hotel are you staying at? Can you lead us there?”
The draconiquus blinked. “You’re already there.”
Twilight blinked back. “Huh?”
Discord grinned and waved his lion’s paw around them. “Right here. This has been my home as of late!”
Twilight groaned, wondering if Discord’s exhaustion was entirely the desert’s fault after all.
“Oh, oh! Pick me, pick me!”
Twilight rubbed at her eyes with one hoof. “Yes, Pinkie?”
The pink pony stopped pouncing with a grin. “When I got some food for Rainbow Dash, I saw an inn. They’re having a homemade donut contest next week. Donuts!” She began bouncing again, making Twilight feel even more exhausted.
“So, what?” Discord scoffed, once more sitting down on the stones, his arms crossed. “No amount of fried breading makes up for their obvious lack of taste in abstract decorating.”
Twilight’s hoof fell to the ground. “Wait. Are you saying you are staying in a hotel?”
“No,” he corrected with disdain, “I was.” He pouted. “And they kicked me out.”
“What a shocker,” Rainbow muttered.
“Let me guess,” Twilight ventured. “You tried to show them how to redecorate the inn.”
Discord raised his mismatched arms in disgust. “You’d think turning the staircase into dimensional portal was a crime the way they went on about it!”
“A portal?!” Rainbow’s voice held a hint of curiosity and awe.
Twilight couldn’t help being impressed by Discord’s magical ability as well. Portals were no simple feat.
“It was beautiful!” the draconiquus exclaimed, his eyes lit up, the exhaustion pushed back for the moment. “A large blue box with glass windows and everything! Some of my finest work.”
Twilight sighed. “Please tell me you put it back the way it was.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes. Don’t worry, princess.” He gave her a crocked grin. “I’m being… good.”
“Good,” Twilight sighed again, using her magic to lightly lift up the sleeping Spike and set him on her back. “Well, girls, let’s get going. We’re going to need the rest for tomorrow.”

> Small Acts of Kindness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Anything?”
“Nothing at all,” Rarity replied, smiling a little.
“It’s sand!” Pinkie cry out, jumping around in the glistening desert soil. 
Twilight was always amazed at how little made that pony happy. She was also surprised at how easily her spell had worked out. Even though it was still early morning and they had little time to test it, so far it appeared not to hinder her friends in the slightest.
“Well, we’ll still have to try it for a few hours to be sure…” she murmured to herself.
“Come on, Twilight! Come on in! The sand is great!”
Twilight eyed Pinkie swimming through the sand wearily, but couldn’t help a small smile. She took a few steps closer to the sand herself, wondering if the spell would work for her as well. After all, she could already walk on clouds, so perhaps the spell added something else…
Flinching in pain, Twilight immediately retreated. 
“Didn’t work, hon?” Applejack asked, walking across the sand to her friend who was panting on the pebbles nearby. 
Twilight shook her head and took a breath. “No.” The frustration she was beginning to feel tainted her voice. “I don’t get it. Why is it doing this? And why does it hit me the hardest?”
“Your talent is magic, right?” Rainbow landed next to her. 
The alicorn sighed. “Yeah,” she stretched her wings and glanced back at them, “and I bet being an alicorn doesn’t help matters…”
“Are you going to fly then?” Fluttershy asked cautiously, landing beside Rainbow. 
“I don’t have much of a choice,” Twilight answered with another sigh.
“Are you sure you can, dear?” Rarity asked, concern clear in her tone as she walked up to them. “You’ve only had your wings for a few weeks, after all.”
Twilight caught sight of Discord’s still sleeping form under a tree closer to the town’s edge. He had been too exhausted to join them. She turned back to look at the desert and her eyes became slits of determination. “I’m gonna have to.”
“But wouldn’t it be better to stay here, dear?” Rarity asked again. 
“Yeah, you could stay here,” Applejack added, “and we can go and report back to ya when we-“
Twilight stomped her forehoof on the ground in frustration. “No!”
At the wide eyes of her friends she closed her eyes to calm herself down somewhat. “No, sorry,” she looked around at them all. “I know you each mean well, and I’m happy you all care for me. But I need to do this. This isn’t just any investigation. We’ll be visiting another nation and talking to them. I was sent to represent Equestria. If I back out now just because it’s a little dangerous, what will this other country think of us?”
At the still worried expression on her friends’ faces she added softly, “Don’t you all trust me to take care of myself?”
“Why, of course we do, sugarcube,” Applejack assured her.
“We know you can get through anything!” Rainbow added, flying into the fly with a grin.
“Even when no one else believes you. Like when the changlings attacked Canterlot and you stood up to them no matter what! And you got Cadence out of the labyrinth and everything!” Pinkie cried out happily with a little bounce.
“We trust you, Twilight,” Fluttershy nearly whispered with a smile.
Rarity put one hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “We know you can do anything you set your mind to, dear. We’re just don’t want you to force yourself to do something dangerous on your own. We’re your friends and we’re all here to help you.”
Twilight relaxed. For an instant she had worried that they were treating her differently because of her new status. That was something she didn’t want to ever happen. But she knew better now.
“Thanks, you guys,” she looked around at them with a warm smile.
“Are you done?”
Twilight turned around to find Discord stretching out his differing arms and yawning. 
“A bit early for this kind of thing, isn’t it?” he gave another yawn, his eyes blinking out of sync. 
“Oh,” Fluttershy flew up to eye level with the daconiquus. "Are you feeling any better?”
He gave her a smile. “Why, yes, much better now, Fluttershy.”
“Donuts!”
Twilight turned towards town again to see Spike waddling at a rapid speed towards them, a large pink box held by both his claws above his head.
“Just in time, Spike,” Applejack called out with a grin. “We’re gonna need all the energy we can get!”
The box was opened and everypony took out their favorite kind. 
“What is that?” Rarity asked, a slightly disgusted tone in her voice. 
She was staring down at one of the most confused donuts Twilight had ever seen. It was a mixture of pink and purple icing and orange sprinkles on top, shaped roughly like an apple fritter and looked half burnt on one side.
“Oh!” Spike looked up from gobbling his own jelly filled donut, strawberry jam covering his mouth. “That’s for Discord. I thought he might like it cause it’s so…. chaotic.”
Discord gently lifted up the donut in one hand, an expression of awe and surprise on his face. “You got this for me?”
Spike shrugged. “Well, yeah. Didn’t think I’d forget to get you one too, did you?” He sniffed in a manner that would have been dignified if not for the jam and powdered sugar on his chin. “I’ve been Twilight’s number one assistant for years. I never forget anything!”
“Anything?” Twilight teased, giving her assistant a look.
Spike blushed. “Ok, ok, so I forget to pack a fourth quill now and again. It only happened once, geez.”
Twilight smiled and looked up at Discord, who looked like he might cry as he continued to gaze at his donut. It was hard to believe that not too long ago the creature standing before her was terrorizing all of Equestria. But Fluttershy had made a point that was as clear as day and still rang true. Small acts of kindness and friendship can go a long way. They can change everything.
“You know," she said softly to her old foe, “donuts are for eating.”
The daconiquus blinked and then gave a smile. “Oh, yes. Of course!” He then took one small bite and his smile grew. He glanced over at Spike. “Thank you, Spike.”
“Don’t mention it,” the dragon replied, continuing to lick his claws clean of his morning treat. 
Twilight felt pride swell inside her. The baby dragon had grown so much. She turned back towards the sands, feeling far less dread than ever before. In fact, the sands didn’t look threatening at all. If the creature of chaos and disunity had turned around out of kindness and friendship, anything was possible. And nothing was really worth being afraid of.
“You might get tired flying so much,” Discord said, walking to her side and gulping down the last of his donut. 
“Yeah, but I’ve got to try,” Twilight answered, her eyes glued to the desert. 
Discord sighed. “I guess I have no choice then. You’ll just hurt yourself otherwise.” 
The creature snapped his fingers and a small wooden cart appeared before them. It was just big enough to carry one pony comfortably. 
Twilight looked up at Discord with gratitude. “Thank you, Discord!”
The draconiquus wasn’t smiling. He was glaring at the cart. “Darn desert. It’s not funny at all.”
Twilight decided it best not to ask what he had originally intended it to look like. 


> A Guest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Twilight?”
Sighing, the alicorn stopped in midair and peered down at the unicorn who was currently riding on the cart with some supplies. “Yes, Rarity?”
“Are we-“
“Are we there yet?! Are we, are we, are we?!” Pinkie interrupted. But from her constant bouncing, it was clear that she didn’t really care one way or another. 
“No, we’re not there yet. It’s only been a few hours. It’ll take around three days to cross the entire desert.” Twilight flinched and looked back at her wings which were aching considerably. 
“Three days?!” Rarity was one of the only ponies Twilight knew who could make a duration of time sound downright scandalous.
Applejack stopped, the cart stopping with her. She looked back at her cargo with a frown. “We’d be makin’ batter time if ah had less to be pullin’. Besides, that cart is for Twilight when she gets tired.”
“Which she probably is right now,” Rainbow added, flying to Twilight’s side.
Twilight shook her head with a forced smile. “I’m fine. A bit longer and I’ll rest.”
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy murmured, flying higher off the ground to be heard by the alicorn, Spike clinging to her mane. "It's almost been a whole day..."
“Yes, I’m sure,” Twilight answered. She shot the small dragon a more natural smile. “You doing okay, Spike?”
“Yeah, but you should rest now, Twilight.” At the determined look overtaking his caregiver’s face, he hurried to explain. “I mean, your wings are still pretty new and all.”
“Spike’s right,” Rainbow agreed, much to Twilight’s surprise.
“I thought you said I needed to get in more endurance training,” the alicorn reminded her friend. 
Rainbow didn’t return Twilight’s small smile. “Overworking muscles will only set you back. Especially when those muscles are being used for the first time since… well, ever.”
“Twilight!”
Sighing, the alicorn looked down again to see Rarity standing by the cart and waving. 
“Guess I have no-“ Twilight’s eyes had looked back up to Rainbow but a flicker of movement in the vast blue sky behind the pegasus halted her words. “What’s that?”
“What?” Rainbow followed Twilight’s line of sight.
The racing spot grew closer and it wasn’t long before they realized what they were looking at. Another pegasus. And a very confused one at that as he stopped in midair a few yards from Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
He had a jet black mane and tail and a cream colored coat. What looked to be leather-like armor covered his chest and flank, hiding his cutie mark. Twilight felt that he looked different from many other stallions she knew, but was unable to figure out why until she got a good look at his eyes. They were extremely dark brown and far more, well, shaped. In fact, his whole frame was shaped a bit differently than most stallions. He seemed more streamlined, as if he was built for speed and agility rather than brute strength. 
“Hey!”
Rainbow’s voice made Twilight blink and she then realized that as much as she had been staring at the new arrival, he had been staring right back at her with equal amazement. Almost reluctantly, he turned his dark eyes onto the blue pegasus. 
“Just who are you?” The suspicion in her friend’s voice made Twilight cringe. 
It didn’t seem to make a good impression on their new guest either. “That,” he replied, his voice quieter than Twilight had expected, “is a question I should ask of you. Especially as you have crossed over into the realm of our Emperor.”
“Oh, yeah?” Rainbow’s eye brow rose along with her tone. She waved her hooves around. “Well last time I checked, this place belonged to nopony.”
The dark haired pegasus tilted his head. “Then you must have checked wrong.”
“What!“
“Rainbow!” Twilight flew next to her friend, stopping the speed-loving pegasus from rushing the new comer. She eyed him wearily, her wings feeling heavier by the second. “I trust that you’re from the Eastern Kingdom?”
Their guest’s eyes seemed to flex in irritation, but his face remained calm. “If by that you mean that my country lays in the eastern direction, than yes. But it does have a name. It is called Sheon. I ask you to remember it.”
Before Rainbow could bite back a smart mouthed remark, Twilight put her hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. “I will. And I was hoping on speaking to those in your country about something… Would you mind dropping to the ground to finish our conversation?”
His eyes darted towards the ground and the small forms of her companions below who were gathered together, watching them closely. 
"I assure you that we mean you no harm,” Twilight soothed. 
His eyes darted back towards her and glanced over her horn and wings. “Nor I, you.” His eyes hardened as he began to descend. “So long as I’m not given reason to.”

It took all of two seconds after landing for her friends to begin bombarding her with questions. 
“Is he from that country we’re goin’ to?”
“I’ve never seen an outfit quite like that! Is that normal wear for them?”
“Does he like cupcakes? Should we welcome him?! Does he welcome us?! I’ve never been welcomed before!”
“I hope he’s friendly… Is he friendly? He’s not dangerous, is he?”
Twilight sighed. “I don’t know to everything. All I know is that he’s from a place called Sheon, which is probably the place we’re supposed to get to, but I need to talk to him to find out and,” she laid down on the cart bed, trying not to hit the few bags of food that were stuffed in the corners, “I’m tired.”
Twilight closed her eyes for a second, feeling all the tension in her wings slowly begin to fade. Small claws poked into her coat. 
“Are you okay, Twilight? Did you fly too long?” Spike asked.
“Spike! Don’t be climbin’ all over her like that," Applejack scolded. "She’s tired."
Twilight cracked open one eye. “He’s fine, Applejack. He doesn’t weigh much.” She looked over at their guest who stood not far from them, his eyes fixed on her. 
No, not just on her. On Spike. 
Twilight opened both eyes to look back at him. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”
His eyes did not move away from the baby dragon. “Indeed we do.”

> Concerning Modesty 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “My name is Silverline,” the dark maned pegasus began. 
“As in,” Fluttershy murmured from the side, “the silver lining in a cloud?”
Silverline tilted his head in curiosity. “I suppose a cloud might appear to have a silver ‘lining’ - as you call it - on occasion. However, my name was given to me in the hope that I would prove quick in the sky. And while I will not say I am the fastest in Sheon, I am the quickest of my platoon.”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “Platoon?”	
Silverline stood straighter, his stance now clearly militaristic. “Thirteenth platoon of our great Emperor, advanced team.”
Twilight’s stomach dipped sharply. She hadn’t thought she might bump into a military unit so soon. His sleek form also threw her off considerably. Most of the ponies in Equestria’s army were more stockily built. And even with her own brother in the royal guard, Twilight struggled when talking to solders. 
“Uh,” she attempted, her throat feeling dry, “n-nice to meet you, Silverline. My name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. I’m a representative of the Equestria royal family here on diplomatic business.”
The stallion eyed her wings and horn, coming to rest on Spike who still rode her shoulders. “You are a member of the royal family yourself, I take it.”
Twilight blushed slightly, still uncomfortable with her status. “Y-yes. Yes, I am. I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle, sister-in-law to Princess Cadence and student of Celestia.”
The stallion set his front hooves firmly on the ground before him and rocked his body backward and down in a very low and formal bow. When he righted himself, he gave a more formal greeting of his own. “My welcome to you, Princess. May your life be full of joy and your reign be prosperous.” Tilting his head again he murmured, “Celestia… I believe I have heard tell of your ruler. Though long has it been since she has seen our court.”
Twilight nodded, still embarrassed by her rank, but relieved to have the first of the formalities over. “Indeed it has. Over three hundred years, from what I know.”
Silverline bowed his head briefly before stretching out his wings, which Twilight could now see were a bit longer than the wings of other pegasus she knew, even her own. “You shall need an escort to our capitol then. I shall guide you myself, Princess.” He glanced over her and her friends and his eyes seemed to twitch slightly as if stung. “However - I beg your pardon Princess - but I ask that you cover your… fates…”
At first everypony’s face was one of confusion until Rarity nodded towards the covering on Silverline’s flank. “You mean cover our cutie marks?”
At the mention of their talents, many of her friends turned to the side and looked down at their “fates.” 
Silverline blushed and turned his eyes away. “Yes, lady. Your fates are not to be shown to just anypony…”
Rainbow’s face screwed up. “Hey! What’s wrong with our cutie marks?”
Silverline continued to hide his face under his dark mane. “There is nothing wrong with them. They are special.”
“Why,” Applejack muttered in confusion, “of course they are! But why cover em?”
Twilight had been regarding their “escort” with narrowed eyes, but now a spark lit them. “I think I get it…” She said slowly, drawing everypony’s attention. “It’s not that they’re bad or anything. It’s that they’re too special. You call them ‘fates.’ That implies that not only is a pony’s talent involved in the mark, but also their… future?”
Silverline looked up at Twilight with a small smile. “Yes, Princess. That is what we believe. And one’s future is not the business of everypony. It is private.”
Twilight returned his tiny smile, once again relieved at having overcome the first cultural obstacle. She was sure, however, that it would not be the last. Turning to Rarity she asked softly, “I know we’re kinda stranded out here, but could you manage to fix up what materials we have to cover our ‘fates?’”
Rarity’s face looked concerned at first, but soon her magic was pulling out the few clothing numbers that had been brought, nearly all of them her own. “I’ll have to destroy a few outfits…” she turned kind eyes onto her friend, “but I think I can manage.” Turing to the others she commanded, “Applejack? Rainbow Dash? You two shall model for me. Come.”
Rainbow immediately flew out of reach. “What?! Why do I have to that?”
Rarity blinked, unimpressed. “Because I need to have a model with wings and Twilight shall be busy talking to the young gentleman over there.”
“Why can’t Fluttershy do it?” the blue pegasus asked in desperation. 
Rarity rolled her eyes as if the question was too simplistic to deserve an answer. “Because she has to help me with the sewing. I’ll be doing it all by hoof since I don’t have a machine. Unless,” she gave Rainbow a dark smile, “you wish to try your hoof at stitching?”
Rainbow slowly sank back down to the ground. “No,” she sighed. 
“Oh, oh, oh! What about me?!” Pinkie asked, bouncing up and down. 
Rarity’s magic levitated a large umbrella over towards the energetic pony. “You must make sure Twilight stays in the shade, dear. She needs rest away from the sun.”
Pinkie grabbed the umbrella in her mouth and happily jumped onto the side of the wagon, not tipping it in the slightest, a gift of hers Twilight always wondered about. 
With the shade now cooling her tired wings and shielding her eyes, Twilight gave a soft thank you to her friend and turned her attention onto Silverline once more. She found that the stallion was once again glancing curiously at Spike.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she spoke, “I didn’t really introduce everypony, did I?” She went through the names of her dear friends, indicating which with a nod of her head. “And this,” she moved her shoulders slightly, bumping up the creature on her back, “is Spike.”
“He’s a dragon,” Silverline observed bluntly. Recalling his position he hastily added, “your highness.”
“You don’t have to use special titles out here,” Twilight corrected with another blush. She then gave Spike a smile. “And, yes, he is.” She looked over at Silverline. “I know dragons are rare and often terrifying creatures, but Spike is quite different. He’s intelligent, brave and the best assistant a pony could ask for.” She exchanged proud smiles with Spike.
Silverline tilted his head. “Fear not, Princess. I have no worries over your dragon. I know him to be tame.”
Twilight felt Spike stiffen, her own eyes shooting towards the stallion. “Wait… how do you know that?”
Blinking slowly he replied, “Because he has no wings.”

> Dragon Breeding and Darklings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “But,” Spike stuttered, “I’m only a baby dragon! My wings will grow eventually…. right?”
As much as Twilight wished to comfort her companion with an affirmative, she had to admit that she didn’t know. Giving Silverline a concerned look she asked, “Are there other dragons in… Sheon… without wings?”
The stallion nodded. “Yes, Princess. It is a common side effect of tamed dragons.”
“Tamed?” Spike repeated, his tone strange, as if the word tasted odd in his mouth.
Twilight couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the choice of wording either. “When you say ‘tame,’ what do you mean? Where do you find these ‘tame’ dragons?”
“They are kept in a large pasture and breeding farm near the palace. Only a select few of the unicorn class are allowed to train them. From a hatchling to an adult, they are raised to guard and escort the royal family. They are symbols of our nation’s nobility.”
“Breeding farm?” The words felt cold and dead on Twilight’s lips. She noticed, in the back of her mind, that the soft sounds of her friends working off to the side had stopped. 
“Yes,” Silverline continued, not noticing the odd expression on Twilight’s face. “Although, only one family has actually breeded thus far. It was a recent break through. Until recently, only abandoned eggs have been hatched there.”
Twilight blinked, more aware at the turn in the explanation, although Spike’s tense silence told her that he was far from at ease.  “Abandoned eggs? You mean, dragons just… leave them? Do you know why?”
Silverline tilted his head. “I am no dragon keeper, but I believe they are abandoned when the parents can sense that the hatchling within will not have wings. It is a genetic flaw. Our kind retrieve these eggs and raise them ourselves. Although, the event is rare and thus tamed dragons are few in number, even after hundreds of years of raising practices.”
“A flaw?” Spike’s small, nearly broken, voice made Twilight’s chest ache. 
This time Silverline caught on. His eyes growing large for a moment in realization, he hurried to explain, his voice quiet. “A flaw to the other dragons. From their point of view, a hatchling that can never fly is one that will fall behind easily and thus prone to an early death. Living with only those that fly when you cannot is a dangerous position, is it not?”
There was an awkward silence and eventually the soft sounds of Rarity’s last minute sewing project continued.
“I realize that you might not know this, but…” Twilight glanced back nervously at Spike. “Raising dragons is really unheard of in Equestria. Spike was given to me as an egg in Canterlot. So far as I know, a dragon egg has never been found there before or since and I have no idea where it came from.”
Silverline gazed at Spike with apologetic eyes. “You are right in saying I know little of such matters, Princess Twilight. Those that might know would be the dragon keepers. However,” his eyes turned to Twilight and narrowed, “it wouldn’t be unreasonable to theorize that it might have been smuggled out of Sheon.”
Twilight’s own eyes also narrowed in thought. “Is that common?”
Silverline shook his head, his black mane waving in a soft, though hot, breeze. “Simply finding a discarded egg is rare enough. Smuggling one out of the pastures would be extremely difficult, although not impossible. The more pressing question would be: why?”
Twilight’s brow wrinkled in concentration. She brought up her head as an idea hit her. “Couldn’t the egg have been abandoned and found within Equestria? Oh, sorry,” she blushed, “you wouldn’t know that either.”
Silverline gave her a small smile. “True, I wouldn't know, but I agree to the possibility. Although,” he rose an eyebrow in question, “does Equestria have any dragon egg laying grounds?”
Twilight sighed, frustrated yet again by their lack of dragon knowledge. “To be honest, I don’t know one way or another. My nation largely stays out of the way of dragons.”
“So we know almost nothing about what I am,” Spike spoke, his voice startling the alicorn. 
Worried for her friend, Twilight turned an attempted smile back at him. “You’re my number one assistant, Spike. Isn’t that enough?”
There was a pause and Spike then smiled back, finally relaxing, the tension in the air dissipating. “Yeah. More than enough.” 
Twilight’s small smile turned into a grin and she felt Spike’s small arms wrap around her neck in a hug. Looking back at Silverline, Twilight noticed that his eyes were soft looking at the warm scene before him, but also curious. She once more wondered just what kind of relationships ponies had with dragons in Sheon. But recalling the country they were heading towards brought a few other issues to mind.
Frowning, Twilight carefully informed, “Actually, Silverline, we have a reason for our sudden… visit. I’m not sure how much you’d know about this either, but you’ve already told us a lot so…” She took a shaky breath, hoping she wouldn’t offend anypony by her next words. “We’re out here because of an alarming… text.”
At Silverline’s attentive gaze, she rushed on. “It was about Sheon, though it’s so old that few of our ponies can read it any more. Anyway, it talks about… Darklings.”
Recognition, and a bit of surprise, flickered over Silverline’s face. “It’s a wonder you know of them. They are legendary even among our own ponies.”
Twilight’s face increased in worry. “That’s just the thing. We don’t know about them. At least…” she shifted uncomfortably, “not the same way you seem to…”
“They are bringers of good,” Silverline spoke slowly, catching Twilight’s caution. But when he saw her tense at the word “good,” he stopped, his eyes narrowing once more. “Perhaps you should go first, Princess. I have a feeling our stories differ considerably.”

> Contradictions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight often thought herself to be above grudge holding. But her slightly shaky hooves after retelling the tale of the changling invasion of Canterlot said otherwise. 
“After my brother and Cadence expelled them from the city, we didn’t hear of them again… Until recently, anyway.” She looked closely at her listener, but his face remained calm. She could easily tell he was paying close attention from the serious glint in his eyes, but no other emotion crossed his face. “There were some sightings of what may have been a changling at the nearby village we just came from. And when we came across an old text claiming a return of these… darklings, we thought it best to investigate.”
Silverline was silent a moment, blinking slowly, before speaking. “I fully admit that your experience with these creatures does indeed clash quite horribly with our own, however…”
“Howweweh?” Pinkie attempted to shadow, the umbrella handle in his mouth as she rummaged through her shoulder bags for more candy to munch on.
“From your descriptions, I can’t see any way to deny them as a different creature from our darklings.”
“So, they are the same,” Applejack muttered as she walked up to the cart, her flank covered in deep green fabric with tan accents that draped to the ground like a cape. “Shoot. Ah was hopin’ it was somethin’ else.”
Putting her amazement for Rarity’s genius aside –as the unicorn was still busy with the other ponies’ outfits to be spoken to at the moment- Twilight let out a sigh. “I was hoping that too, but…” Looking imploringly at Silverline she asked, “Can you please tell us your own side? About these darklings and why they are… good?”
“Yeah!” Rainbow called over, struggling with a piece of fabric that had caught on one wing. “How does that work?”
“Rainbow, stay still!” Rarity chided, using her magic to right the fabric so that her wing could break through a specially cut hole. “Honestly, you pegasus just can’t stay still for a minute!”
Silverline kept his eyes away from the still “dressing” females and instead focused on a point above Twilight’s head. “Most of what I know is what has been passed down to me in story form, although there is enough proof for much of it within our oldest records.” 
Taking one last breath, he plunged in, eyes closed in memory. “During the beginning of our nation, back when our own wondered this vast desert, homeless and weary, our first emperor, the Emperor of Fortune, stood on a rock and prayed for our survival. He prayed that help might come. That it might bring us to a land where water flowed and our own would find rest.” 
His eyes opened. “That’s when they first appeared to us. Dark forms, riddled with holes. A creature that should not have the means to fly, to live, yet does. A contradiction of logic.”
Twilight’s back stiffened.
“Are you alright, Twilight?” Spike whispered.
The alicorn nodded, unable to answer. Logic was something she felt she couldn't be attributed to her current condition either. Born a unicorn to be magically made into an alicorn later… No. Logic did not fit her at all. She allowed a ghost of a smile when she reckoned to herself that raising a baby dragon wasn’t exactly normal either.
Silverline continued, unaware of the princess’s pondering. “They led us to the land we have now. Deep streams and valleys. Paradise hidden in a desert. They assisted us in building homes and taught us to be weary of the dragon grounds that were in the mountains around us. They were our allies. Our… friends…”
“Wait a minute!” Rainbow strutted over to the wagon, her own flack covered in light blue and silver. “That doesn’t make any sense! The changlings feed off of love!”
Silverline blinked slowly at the interruption, a sign Twilight was beginning to connect with a lack of comprehension for a given reaction. “Yes, they do. What is the problem?”
Twilight shook her head, unsurprised, as her friends gave the stallion gaping expressions. 
“Uuuh, sugarcube… Ah don’t think yer on the same page with us…” Applejack murmured.
Silverline’s eyebrows knit in plain confusion this time. “What’s a ‘sugarcube’?”
Applejack blushed as Twilight jumped in. “Please continue your story, Silverline.”
The stallion gave an unsure nod and picked up again. “The darklings did indeed need love, but our people had it in such supply that we easily provided what they needed of that. We lived side by side-“
“A symbiotic relationship,” Twilight breathed, her mind swirling with possibilities, oblivious that the stallion was being interrupted once again.
Silverline nodded again, this time firmly. “Yes. We needed each other and so we lived with one another for some time. We gave them love and they gave us the tools to survive this harsh land. We lived and fought side by side for decades…” His jaw set and an angry glint lit his eyes, the first Twilight had seen of the emotion on his face. “Until the emperor who shall never be named came to power.” 
At the strange looks given him, he explained. “This emperor did many shameful things… Even enslaving some of our own, creating harsh class systems.” He hung his head slightly. “To this day some of that system remains, though it controls lives less and slavery,” his eyes hardened, “is no more.”
Sighing, he rose his head. “So ashamed of him are we, that we have erased his names from our records. No longer will his name have power.”
“What’d he do to the chan- I mean, darklings?” Fluttershy asked softly.
Twilight nearly jumped at the mere’s voice. The shy pegasus had managed to sneak up to the cart without notice, her flank covered in spring green and pale pink.
For a few moments Silverline was silent. When he spoke his voice was distant. “He killed them.”

> Purge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight felt a bit sick, as if the world around her, the endless sand, the clear blue sky and scorching sun, had tilted. But it wasn’t from the heat.
“Killed them?” Her voice sounded odd in the silence of the moment, her friends all around her. Rarity had been measuring Pinkie’s waist and now stood near the cart with wide eyes, her magic hovering the measuring tape inches from Pinkie.
Silverline closed his eyes in shame. “Yes… It was a… massacre. The darklings didn’t expect an attack and we… we gave them no warning. Only a small group survived and fled into the desert.” He opened his eyes and they were remorseful. “Our own have never seen the darklings since.”
There was silence for a few moments before Rainbow Dash hopped uncomfortably in her new outfit and gave Silverline a frustrated look. “Um, not to be rude or anything, but… are you sure the ‘darklings’ were good? You sure they didn’t, like, attack first or something? I mean, they feed off love.”
Silverline tilted his head, causing Twilight’s shoulders to slump. “Quite sure. Why would they have hurt those that freely gave them food? And why would we deny them what we had so much of?”  
At Rainbow’s temporary inability to answer, Rarity stepped forward. “Oh, well, it’s quite… generous of you to give them what they need…” She batted her eyelashes, searching for the right words. “It’s just…”
“Don’t they drain ya of all ya have and such? That’s the impression we got of the whole thang,” Applejack supplied, much to the unicorn’s relief.
A spark of understanding lit Silverline’s eyes. “Not to my knowledge. So far as I was told, their feeding didn’t affect ponies at all. Not when it was freely given, anyway.” He pondered for a second before adding, “I suppose a forced love might hurt… It is hard to say. In any case, I cannot give you facts. My apologies.” He inclined his head into a dip.
Twilight held up one hoof, her face still troubled. “Please don’t worry about it. It seems as if this whole thing was a whole lot more complicated than we originally thought.”
Rainbow flew up to Twilight’s face, her eyes flashing. “They imprisoned Cadence, almost tricked your brother into marrying their queen and nearly destroyed Canterlot! What’s so complicated about that?”
“Rainbow,” Applejack warned, “keep your high hat on. We know next to nothin’ about this whole thang.” 
“Indeed,” Rarity  added, her voice slow as she began to measure Pinkie again. “If this old emperor was really that bad… Well, that might explain a few things.”
“Explain?” Rainbow nearly yelled. “What’s to explain?!”
“Rainbow, please,” Twilight begged. As Rainbow’s wings slowed, Twilight sighed. “Yes, what they did to Canterlot, let alone to my brother,” a flash of anger crossed her face, but was soon hidden again, “will never be okay. It was horrible. It was wrong. Nothing will change that.” She looked over at Silverline, calmly watching her, his form sticking out against the course grains of sand surrounding them. “But we came out here to investigate… To try to understand.” She turned her eyes around to look at her friends. She gave them a small smile. “And sometimes understanding isn’t easy… or simple.”
“But we have to try!” Pinkie finished, making everypony jump slightly in surprise. The earth pony was no longer holding the umbrella and was instead standing, perfectly balanced, on the cart’s edge next to Twilight, Rarity’s measuring tape draped across her shoulders.
“I want to try to understand, too,” Fluttershy murmured, her eyes downcast. “I think… maybe… they had reasons for what they did…” At Rainbow’s snarl, she crouched down. “Maybe?”
“Ah don’t like this…” Applejack muttered. “But Ah can’t see why we can’t at least try.” She cast a glance at the blue pegasus above her. “Rainbow?”
Sighing, she glided down to the sand. “Fine,” she shot Silverline a look. “But don’t expect me to like them or anything.”
“Rarity?” Twilight asked, looking to the side.
The unicorn’s eyes were squinted as she worked to finish the stitching on Pinkie’s garment. 
Twilight turned a grin towards Silverline. “I’m sure she agrees. Now, you said you could give us an escort?”
Silverline straightened again. “Yes, lady.” Eying her cart he added, “Although it might be faster if we leave this… transport behind. I can have some soldiers come back and take it back to the city later.”
Twilight tensed up again at the suggestion, but Spike spoke before she could. “But Twilight can’t fly right now. She’s too tired.”
Silverline tilted his head. “She may walk… There is no need for running. It is still a good day or two until we reach the city gates.”
“She can’t walk either,” Rainbow snapped.
“It’s 'cause of the sand, sugarcube,” Applejack explained.
“I guess it doesn’t affect you because you’re a pegasus,” Fluttershy whispered. 
“The sand?” Silverline didn’t bother tilting his head, his eyebrows told all. 
Pinkie Pie jumped down from the cart’s side, her flank now covered by light pink cloth with light blue accents. “The sand’s been sucking up everypony’s power!” She glanced at Silverline’s wings. “Except for pegasususes.” 
“Sucking up power?” Silverline’s eyes lit up in remembrance. “Maybe the tower…”
“Tower?” Twilight shadowed. “Do you know what’s causing the desert to do this?”
Silverline blinked, looking back at her. He blushed slightly. “The real reason I am out here, your highness, was to check on one of our towers. They are placed in various places throughout the desert to keep track of those that cross into our country. We thought one of our furthest towers came down. The power levels were fluctuating rapidly. We assumed it must be dying… I was sent to check.”
“Are these towers powered by magic?” Twilight ventured.
Silverline nodded. “Yes, lady.” He paused. “Although, I’m not sure about the spell going wrong and causing the desert to… affect other ponies. I’ve never heard of such a reaction before and we’ve been using this system for many years. However,” he turned slightly west, “it is not outside the realm of possibility.”
Twilight stood, a bit shakily at first, as Rarity began measuring her. “Could we come with you to check on this tower?” She gave the pegasus a disarming smile. “Magic is a specialty of mine…”
For a moment Silverline looked as if he would refuse them, torn between his duties as a soldier and those of an escort for visiting royalty. In the end, diplomacy won out.
“Very well, my lady. As soon as your entourage is ready, follow me.”

> Deeper Suspicions 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight’s wings were still sore by the time they reached this mysterious “tower” of Silverline’s. Even so, she managed to keep herself airborne long enough to join the pegasus as soon as the small stone contraption was visible. 
It was small for a tower, only about as tall as Celestia and once she hovered closer she realized that the slight sparkle of light she had seen glint off it came not from the stones, but from between them. In every crevice shone the glimmer of crystal. 
“Are they magic?” Spike whispered in her ear, shifting on her back slightly. 
Twilight gave a slightly stronger flap of her wings to keep herself stabilized. “I’m not sure,” she answered him. Rising her voice she called out to Silverline, “Do you know what’s wrong with it?”
The pegasus was examining the left side of the tower, his mouth set in a line. “I’m not sure. But… it doesn’t seem to be damaged.”
“What exactly are we looking for again?” Rarity asked from the cart, still neck deep in making Twilight’s covering, which she insisted had to be far more intricate than their own. Twilight wondered if she was honestly listening for an answer, or if she just wanted to make everypony else think she was paying attention when she clearly wasn't.
“Well… damage. Any damage. Of which I currently see none…” Silverline answered, his voice distracted as he walked slowly around the contraption. But it was whole. No cracks or dents or cave ins. 
“Then maybe it’s working just fine,” Rainbow concluded flippantly.
Silverline shook his head, his eyes still focused on the object before him. “If it was working, it would be giving off a slight glow of magic.” He looked up at her, “It also would have detected your presence nearby.”
“Sooo…” Twilight flew closer, slowly circling the tower herself, “it’s just… not working?”
Silverline sighed and sat down. “I was afraid this might happen. It seems as if I’ll have to report this as I can’t fix it myself. Magic has always been a mystery to me. Most of it, anyway.”  
“Oh, me too!” Pinkie jumped in, hopping around the tower gleefully. “Twilight is always doing cool things with her magic that I could never ever ever ever do! She’s all like bam and things are all like sawamer and it’s really cool!”
Silverline gave Pinkie and overwhelmed look. 	
“I suppose you couldn’t tell me what spell they use on it, could you?” Twilight asked.
Silverline shook his head. 
“That there is a shame,” Applejack commented. “Twilight here probably could have fixed it right up for you herself.”
“Yeah,” Spike added, “Twilight is the best magic user in all of Equestria!”
Twilight blushed. “I’m sure I’m not the best in the whole kingdom or anything…” she said, eying the tower and reaching out a hoof towards it absentmindedly.
It was hard for Twilight to process what happened next. Sound seemed to become silence and everything turned white. A sting of pain was what started it, but it grew in intensity so fast that feeling became just as meaningless as sound. It felt like her body was free falling, then floating. 
Then the white turned to black and distant murmured were heard as the silence began to pull back, like the drapes that would cover Rarity’s latest creations in her boutique.... The boutique in Ponyville. That seemed far away. Almost as if it was some other life. Time seemed stretched. The boutique must have been deserted now, she thought. Or maybe it was gone… Like everything else…

“Twilight?”
Feeling was gradually returning. She felt Spike’s small claws gently poking her coat as he shook her. Although it was more of a rocking motion than a shake. She also felt the coarseness of sand beneath her. 
Sand.
Twilight’s eyes shot open in panic and she tried to force herself up.
“Twilight!” The chorus of voices broke over her, but Spike’s hands, though small, kept her from rising too far.
“Take it easy, Twilight,” the small dragon warned.
It was then that she realized that no power was being taken from her. That the sand didn’t hurt.
“What… what happened?” she asked, her voice sounding strained.
Silverline stepped forward, though she could have sworn he limped slightly doing so. “I’m afraid the tower injured you. Or tried to.” He bowed his head to her. “I take full responsibility.”
Twilight’s eyes glanced past him towards the tower. Or what used to be a tower. All that was left was smashed rubble.
“Rainbow did that one,” Applejack explained. 
“When you touched the tower,” Fluttershy nearly whispered, causing a jolt to run through Twilight as being made aware that the mare was so close to her, “it lit up and… you fell." She gave a tiny smile. "I caught Spike”
“Oh, oh, OH!” Pinkie Pie jumped in again, pushing her face forward next to Fluttershy. “And then Silverline went all woooooosh! And he caught you! Well, sort of. He kinda crashed with you on top of him. But then he cried, ‘It’s the tower!’ and then Rainbow Dash was all like woooooosh! And she was all like kabooom! And she crashed right into the tower and then,” she took a breath and sat down with a grin, “you woke up.”
Twilight looked around for Rainbow and saw her on the edge of the gathering, giving her a shaky grin. “Oh my gosh, Rainbow, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” the pegasus replied, “I’ve crashed through a pile of rocks before…” 
“And it was awesome!” Spike exclaimed with wide eyes and a large grin, not noticing Rainbow’s flinch.
“Thank you,” Twilight said, sincerity dripping off every syllable. She looked back at Silverline. “And... I’m so sorry about your tower.”
Silverline stiffened, as if this was the last reply he had expected. His eyes gazed at her in confusion, back and legs straight. “It was our tower that hurt you. It is thus my responsibility…” he glanced wearily over at the rumble and then back at her. “You are an ambassador. It is my duty to ensure your safe arrival to my country.”
“Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack soothed in the silence that Twilight couldn’t fill. “It’s not like ya knew it was gonna happen." She paused and then squinted one eye. “Ya didn’t, did ya?”
Silverline looked uncomfortable and shifted his footing, causing a flinch as he moved on his now bad left forehoof. “I did not expect any harm to come to anypony. However…” he looked at the rubble. “No mistaken spell could have pulled magic from another pony like that.” He blushed slightly and looked away. “Not that I know much about magic in the first place…”
Twilight frowned. “You think that thing was doing all of this… intentionally…” It wasn’t a question and Silverline’s eyes confirmed that he was indeed thinking along those lines.
Then his eyes hardened. “Rest assured, Princess. If any foul play is involved, there will be an investigation.” Relaxing slightly, he continued. “But we can do nothing more out here. I suggest we rest and continue our travels tomorrow. All that needs doing must be done in Sheon.”


> City in the Valley
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   It was far more impressive, far larger and more adorned, than she had ever imagined. After flying for an entire day and night through the sandy desert and over rocky terrain, they were now in a valley. Two cliffs of dark desert rock shot up from either side, parallel at first but soon widening into a bowl shape. A very big bowl. Water flowed in a fast river towards the large walled city and plants clung to it. Ferns and flowers and fruit trees even Applejack had never seen lined the river, leading towards the gray ivory covered walls of Sheon. 
From her position in the air, Twilight could see the buildings behind the walls. Roofs colored red, jade green and even gold, the tops circular and pointed, decorated with intricate designs, as if every building was a small tower. 
“There’s the patrol,” Silverline stated, shocking Twilight out of her staring. “Right on time.”
Following the white pegasus’ gaze, Twilight saw a group of flyers over the clouds. They dropped at a sickening speed, their wings pined to their sides, before coming out of the dive at the same altitude as Twilight and her escort. The princess knew right away that she could never outrun these pegasus. Even if her wings weren’t brand new, the tightness of their formation made it very clear that this was a highly trained military unit. 
About five pegasus total stopped before them, all with their flanks covered by black material. Twilight glanced back at her own flank to be sure it was in place and relaxed upon seeing not her cutie mark, but the deep blue color of a night sky trimmed with silver stars. She was still in awe of how Rarity had managed it.
“Commander Silverline,” one pegasus spoke, not moving from the group, his posture, even in flight, stiff. “Welcome back,” he eyed Twilight, “You have brought… company?”
“Embassetors,” Silverline corrected. “They come from Equestria and it seems a recent event there has caused quite a stir.”
The first pegasus, his blue spiky hair reminding her of those left behind in Ponyville, was about to say something, likely a greeting, when another pegasus flew up right between their groups and stopped.
“They have a dragon!”
“He’s not dangerous!” Twilight hurried to say at the sight of their panicked expressions, although she had to admit to herself that her soothing words were not one hundred percent accurate. 
“He’s not one of ours,” Silverline added, undisturbed by their reaction. “He was raised in Equestria it seems.”
Although it appeared as if more than a few of the soldiers had further questions, none dared to voice them. Thankfully the silence was soon broken by Rainbow Dash, who was supposed to be assisting in dragging Fluttershy away from the new plants and animals down below.
“Rainbow!” Twilight flinched at her cry and lowered her voice to normal levels. “Rainbow, these are… uh…”
“The thirtieth platoon of our great Emperor,” the blue haired pegasus supplied. 
Twilight glanced at Silverline and he nodded. “This is my platoon.” He looked over the other pegasus and announced, “This is Princess Twilight Sparkle and her escorts, advance scout Rainbow Dash,” he nodded towards the blue pegasus, and then pointed below with one hoof, “animal expert Fluttershy, seamstress Rarity, advisor Applejack , and… uh…” his eyes glanced at the bouncing pink pony down below.
“Moral expert Pinkie Pie,” Twilight cut in for him.
Silverline exchanged a grateful glance with her and she smiled. 
“Fall in behind us,” Silverline ordered his troops. “We need to meet with his highness, the Emperor.”
The troops before them seemed uncomfortable. “With all due respect, commander… That might not be a simple matter… at the moment.”
At one raised eyebrow the blue haired leader of the pegasus soldiers rushed to explain. “It’s the princess…” At Twilight’s raised eyebrow he paled and hurried on, “I mean, our princess, Princess Lilly. She… She’s gone.”
“Gone?” Silverline’s tone sounded dangerous.
“Yes, sir, she was kidnapped. At least, we think she was.”
“I would hope one of his highness’ best units has more information than that.”
The soldier blushed, but he stood his ground. “It was all the information the royal guards gave us.”
Silverline’s harsh expression turned to one of confusion. “Royal guards? What have they to do with a military job?”
“That’s just it, sir. We were denied this case. The Emperor himself has limited access to just the Guard. We are not even permitted in the palace.”
“Not after Flamer told them off,” one of the other pegasus mumbled, getting a glare from the blue haired one.
Silverline gave him a measured look. “We’ll discuss your… negotiation tactics at a later date, Blue Flame. For now, we must escort these ambassadors. They may deny access to military units, but doing so to a diplomat is,” he stumbled over a word that was likely derogatory, a rare show of frustration clouding his face for an instant, and settled to say, “unwise. Fall in.”
With only the barest hint of a pause, the pegasus flew behind their leader into a formation. 
“Princess Twilight,” Silverline glanced down.
The alicorn nodded. “I’ll lead by ground with my… escort,” her lips twitched into a small smile at how ridiculous it sounded to call her friends her “escort.”
Silverline shouted a formation Twilight had never heard of before as she began to head downward. 

“Fluttershy, stop! Darling, you’re ruining your train!”
Twilight flinched at Rarity’s panicked voice and quickly trotted over the ground towards the cries, the cart abounded on the road. She nearly stumbled over her own hooves, having flown for some time that day. The early morning light glared off the river before her and once she cleared a few trees in her immediate path, she saw what was making her friend panic. Fluttershy was wading in the river water, eying some multicolored flogs on some stones nearby. 
“There’s just no talkin’ to that one when she gets like that,” Applejack muttered from one side.
“How’s Silverline?” Pinkie asked, not bouncing for once, though balanced on a tree branch above Twilight much like a tightrope walker. 
“He’s fine,” Twilight hurried to answer, “but we need to get moving now.”
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow shouted, flying over the shy pony, “Let’s move!”
“Oh,” Fluttershy glanced at the rainbow colored trail her friend left overhead before looking back at the frogs. “Just a minute, I want to talk to them a bit-“
“Fluttershy,” Twilight called. She did not raise her voice too high, but she kept it firm. “You can talk to the animals here later. Right now, we have a job to do,” her voice softened and she gave her friend a smile, “I can’t go before the Emperor without my animal expert, can I?”
“Well, actually” the shy pony drawled, avoiding eye contact, “I wouldn’t mind if-“
“After all, she’d miss seeing all the creatures inside the palace.”
Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide and in a flash she was at Twilight’s side, Rarity hurrying over to check her hem. “Coming!”

> Stare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   It was one thing to walk through an awestruck crowd at her coronation. There had been music and spotlights and more balloons than Twilight had thought existed In Equestria. Plus the crowd had been cheering. Somehow being stared at really wasn’t as bad when ponies were also cheering. It was horrible when they were quiet. 
“Ah’ve seen graveyards with more cheer than this here town,” Applejack muttered under her breath. 
“I did fine though,” Rarity whispered frantically, looking on her lavender train and glancing at her friends to be sure theirs were on correctly. “More than fine! They’re my best work, wh-“
“They’re wonderful, Rarity,” Twilight whispered back, cutting the unicorn’s panic attack short. “I’m sure it’s just that these people don’t get many visitors. Remember, we’re the first group to come here in around five hundred years.”
“Yeah, well,” Rainbow flew just over them and she shivered, “it’s creepy.”
Even Pinkie seemed daunted, her bounces not going quite so high and her smile looking a touch nervous. Twilight really couldn’t blame them. It was creepy. Everypony they passed by as they marched through the city stopped what they were doing, be it selling bread, gardening, or leaning forward to kiss their special somepony. They all stopped and stared and said nothing. Not a word. 
Twilight cast up a glance to see Silverline and his group still flying a few feet above them. Their formation didn’t waver. Perhaps this was normal. Sighing, she looked ahead again, trying to think about anything other than the stares… The stares? Twilight looked around behind her. 
“Where’s Flutter-“ Her whisper died on her lips as she saw, trailing on the left side of the group, Fluttershy. She was not shaking, not timid in stance nor even the faintest bit nervous. In fact, she was grinning as Spike expertly diverted her attention to every creature he spotted as he sat on her back.
“Look at that bird!” He pointed with one sharp claw and Fluttershy’s eyes sparkled. 
“Oh, wow. I’ve never seen that one before!”
“It has a…” Spike squinted up at the bird sitting on the roof far above them, “red beak?” 
“And white under its black wings!”
Twilight caught Spike’s eye for a second and she mouthed, “thank you.” He smiled and continued his observations with the shy pegasus.
Of course, the stares got worse when the dragon passed by, their elegant eyes growing wide. Twilight looked ahead and let out a breath slowly, barely keeping her hoof from rising up and moving in the horizontal movement Cadence had taught her. She focused on the buildings instead. On the deep red walls of a home, its roof recently cleaned brown thatch; on the gorgeous jade green glass wind chime handing from a store front, its soft tinkling sound soothing; on how the path she walked on contained stones that once had very intricate drawings carved into them that were now faded by the passage of time, the sides being less trod on and thus having the clearest engravings of dragons, unicorns, pegasus and all manner of birds and river fish. A very small smile began to touch her lips and she continued to focus on the sights around them, including the cliffs far above the city. It was like being at the bottom of a very large bowl. It was amazing.
“Diamonds and sapphires,” Rarity  breathed in sudden awe, causing Twilight to swing her head forward again. 
Before them was a large gate. Unlike the main city gate that was solid stone, this gate was made of shaped metal. Yet it still sported the same design as the stone ones did. Two lithe dragons, the bodies curved out to form a large circle as they seemed to chase one another’s tail. But their faces were not those of playmates. Their eyes had been carved into the stone deep, making them look harsh and dark. Here at the metal gates they were gems. Large red gems that seemed to glare down on them. In both cases the dragons had no wings. 
“Silverline?” Twilight called as softly as she could, wondering if it was loud enough.
To her relief, the pegasus dropped down a bit, nodding for his unit to stay where they were. Although they were not too far up, Twilight wondered how he had heard her so easily. Unless he had been watching her closely. The alicorn wasn’t sure what she thought of that idea. 
“Yes, Princess Twilight?”
She faced forward again, knowing others might be straining to listen. “Are the dragon… uh, their place-“
“Dragon breeding grounds?” he supplied, making the princess flinch.
“Are they near here?” she asked, eying the gate they were quickly approaching. She frowned wondering how much further they were. Every step made it taller and her entire mission that much more awkward. 
He shook his head, even though she wasn’t looking up to see it. “It’s on the other side of the palace. You can’t even see it from where we are.”
“So it’s up against those there cliffs,” Applejack stated, eying the dark brown rock that rose up all around them. 
Silverline nodded again, though nopony saw it, and began to land, those above him dropping down slowly. 
They were nearly at the gates now and Twilight caught her first sight of the palace guards. They were unicorns with deep red flank coverings, the edges embellished with back thread weaving itself in an intricate vine design that turned into dragons and back into vines so often and delicately that it was dizzying to look at. Twilight frowned suddenly and looked up. The entire military was pegasus, so far as she knew. She looked to the sides. The ponies she saw there were earth ponies. And the palace guards were clearly unicorns. For some reason this put Twilight on edge. She felt like a piece or two was missing and she cursed herself for as yet being unable to read the book on this place’s culture.
The guards stepped forward when her group halted, Silverline and his subordinates in front. “The palace is off limits to you and your team, Silverline.”
The pegasus gave him a smothering glance and them casually looked at the gates, tracing the shapes woven into the metal as if what he was about to say was hardly important. “Even if I’m escorting royalty from Equestria?”
The guards shifted around uncomfortably, eying Twilight and her friends. She could practically feel their nervousness from where she stood. 
“Very well. They shall be announced. What is her name?”
The alicorn spoke up for herself before anyone else could, stepping forward beside Silverline, head high. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. Fourth princess of Equestria, sister-in-law to Princess Cadence. I request an audience with your emperor on a matter of grave importance and national security.”

> The Emperor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight was still impressed, and slightly concerned, with how quickly things got done when she used her full title. As soon as her speech ended, they were rushed through the gates and hurried through what appeared to be a rose garden with breathless speed, giving Fluttershy barley a second in which to exclaim, “What a beautiful butterfly!” They then walked through an ordinate gazebo that was big enough to hold every pony in Ponyville. Twilight had just enough time to see the dragons carved into the stone floor, before they reached another garden. This one was varied with so many plants that the alicorn easily lost count. Small pebble paths branched out from their larger stone one, weaving through the cherry trees, lilies and even a few fountains and ponds. As they neared a stream with a quaint wooden bridge curved over it, the guards escorting them turned around.
“Please wait here, your highness. We will come for you when the Emperor calls for you.” Before any protest could be made, they were gone.
“When he calls for us?” Rainbow recounted with obvious distaste. “Who does he think he is?”
“Our emperor,” Silverline replied dryly, landing lightly next to Twilight. She couldn’t help but envy those landings of his. They were silent, unlike hers.
“We came over with no invitation,” Twilight reminded her friends. “We have to expect a few delays. Especially if what we heard earlier is true…” She looked over at Silverline, who was carefully scanning around the garden.
He caught her look. “My platoon is well trained. If the princess is still on the grounds, I have little doubt they will find her.”
Twilight blinked and looked around them. Silverline’s platoon was missing. She smiled. “They’re pretty good.”
Silverline kept his own sly smile barely hidden. “I like to think they do their jobs well enough.” He frowned, looking around again. “Still… it’s unusual for them to keep guests here in the garden. They should have taken you to the inner audience chamber to wait…”
“You’re thinkin’ there’s somethin’ they don’t want ya seein’,” Applejack whispered on Twilight’s other side. 
Silverline nodded. “Highly likely. This whole thing is odd, to say the least.”
“Fluttershy!”
Twilight looked over at Rarity’s hiss and saw the shy pegasus heading for the pond and cooing at a tall white bird poised on a nearby tree. Rainbow exchanged exasperated looked with the alicorn before heading overhead to help.
“Is there anything I should know about this missing princess?” Twilight asked, returning her attention to Silverline.
The pegasus shifted his position, not looking at her. He seemed to be having a hard time deciding just how much to tell her. “She had some… interesting views on things…”
“You think this is all planned by her own father?” Twilight asked, shocked by the idea. Her own father was kind, though often busy. She was beginning to wonder about this “great emperor.”
“Nothing.”
Twilight looked up to see Blue Flame having above them, his comrades flying low back to the group.
“That was fast,” Twilight murmured.
Blue Flame landed next to his commander with a smirk. “We’re the fastest pegasus around.” At Silverline’s glance he straightened, the smirk slipping from his face. “No sign of her highness.”
“But there were signs,” a grey pagasus landed next to Blue Flame, “of a struggle near the lily pond. The one she liked the best.”
“What kind of struggle?” he asked.
The grey pegasus shrugged. “Magic, so far as I can tell. There were a few burn marks, pretty fresh ones, too.”
Before the conversation could go one any further, the royal guards reappeared. Silverline exchanged a glance with Twilight. That was far too fast. Twilight felt her stomach flop as they began to follow the silent guards. 

The throne room was not as massive as Twilight had anticipated. It was actually smaller than the throne room in Canterlot. Then again, the décor was far darker, with deep red and gold dominating the space. Six columns, three on each side of the room, held up the dark wood roof with a long golden path leading straight ahead to the throne area. Only one pony stood there, a unicorn with a black coat and white mane streaked with light grey. His mane fell long, almost reaching his golden clad hooves. 
“Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria!” Somepony announced as they trotted in, Twilight’s stomach a tight ball.
“And why,” boomed a deep voice from the unicorn near the throne, “is Silverline here? His platoon is no longer needed on these grounds.”
“With all due respect, your highness,” Silverline called out, stepping forward and bowing very low, his nose nearly touching the floor. “I am escorting this diplomatic train to ensure they receive the fullest hospitality of our great nation.”
The unicorn, who was quite obviously the emperor, seemed to sneer down on the pegasus, but he then turned his attention away towards Twilight. “Your nation has been most silent, Twilight Sparkle. I heard nothing of this venture. I hope you have not been too inconvenienced by our lack of preparation.” He inclined his head towards her slightly and Twilight quickly mimicked the pose.
“Not at all, your highness. In fact,” she nodded towards Silverline, “your soldiers have been wonderfully helpful to our mission. Commander Silverline escorted us safely across the desert and, if not for his assistance, we might very well have gotten lost.”
The unicorn cast a quick glance at his subordinate. “I am glad you are pleased, Twilight Sparkle. But I fear your arrival is at a most inopportune time.”
Twilight inclined her head again. “I heard that your daughter seems to be missing,” she gazed at his eyes, but saw no visible emotion there. Not doubt, nor worry or guilt. “My condolences. I hope you find her quickly and she returns in good heath.”
The emperor nodded. “Worry not for us, Twilight Sparkle. Our best dragons are already leading a search for my daughter.”
“The dragons are searching?” Spike hurried to the front, leaving Fluttershy’s side in his excitement and causing a stir among the guards in the room.
“Spike!” Twilight hissed low, forcing the dragon to halt and return to her side immediately. She had noted how the guards had stepped forward and she didn’t like it.
“You have a dragon,” the emperor commented, his voice fluid and only mildly interested. But his eyes looked over Spike sharply.
“Yes,” Twilight said carefully, “Spike was given to me as an egg. So far as we know, it was found in Equestria and, well, I was the only unicorn able to awaken it…”
The Emperor’s gaze shot towards the alicorn. “You can awaken dragon eggs? How… interesting. We have only one unicorn capable of this here. It is a very rare talent.”
Twilight normally would have blushed, but instead she felt a bit cold. She took a breath, her lungs filling with an incense so strong she nearly choked. “Thank you, your highness, but I’m not so sure it wasn’t simply a mistake on my part. I’ve only done it once and I’m not entirely sure how I managed it. I was quite young.”
Twilight couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw a sparkle light the unicorn’s eyes. It made her feel cold.
“All the better,” he drawled, blinking slowly. 
Eager to get off the topic of dragons and her own abilities, Twilight announced, “We came here out of concern, your highness. We have reason to believe that changlings may be in the area… They caused us quite a bit of trouble, and damage, recently and were banished. We fear they may be appearing again around here.”
“Changlings?” he echoed, his voice showing the most curiosity thus far.
“Yes,” Twilight said. “But we are now aware that you call them by another name. You call them darklings.”
At that one word it was if Twilight had lit a fire. The Emperor’s eyes snapped to life and he stomped one hoof loudly, the clang echoing through the room. 
“Escort them out,” he commanded. 
Guards surrounded the group. Twilight cast a glance to Silverline, but his face held just as much confusion as her own.
“Hey!” Rainbow called out angrily as magic forced her to the ground. “What’s your deal?!”
“Please,” Twilight called out to the emperor, “I did not mean to offend you, I just-“
“I shall protect my own on my own,” the emperor snapped, his eyes nearly wild. “I’ll have nopony interfere with our dealings.”
“Dealings?” Twilight whispered. Her eyes widened and she raised her voice. “You’ve seen them?”
The emperor looked at her as if she were an unwanted bug. “We have made a deal, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Your nation, your Equestria, will stay out of it. It is none of your concern.”
Twilight felt like she was missing more than a few pages. She felt like she had skipped an entire book. “What deal?” she called.
The emperor paid her call no mind, turning his back on her as the guards pushed them out of the room. Twilight’s last “please” was only met by the loud bang of the double doors and answered by the guards waiting outside for them.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle? Your lodging is prepared. You are to come with us.”

> Into the Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   "I thought we agreed no more late night pacing,” Spike muttered, slumped against the headrest on the bed. 
Twilight continued her trot, barely registering her own movements. “I’m not pacing, I’m thinking,” she defended herself.  However, she soon forced herself to stop for an instant, casting a look around her room. 
It was rather large and the doors slide open right into a wide porch overlooking gorgeous garden. They had been taken away from the palace, but this place might have been a palace all on its own for how many flowers and art and extravagant rugs were inside. All was in a deep blue and gold, from the walls and roof tiles, to the small wind chimes that hung from the low eaves outside the doors. The room itself contained a bed big enough for nearly all of her friends to share, although each had been given her own room for sleeping. The rugs were deep and soft and though the ceilings were low, they were decorated with beautiful murals of pegasus and dragons dancing in the sky. Once or twice, Twilight had thought she’d seen a changling up there, but it had only been a very dark coated pony and she eventually let her head drop from gazing upward, her neck beginning to feel sore.
“Where are they?” she muttered, though her breathing remained calm as it took in the scent of the flowers drifting in the night air through the open door. 
“They should be back soon enough,” Silverline’s voice echoed from just outside her door, left there while the rest of his unit escorted her friends around the village. Twilight had been unable to go as she was handed an unholy amount of paperwork to complete. She had no doubt it was to keep her busy, not for any real use. She was sick of writing down the reason for her visit on every political form imaginable. 
Sighing, she walked over and lay down next to him on the wooden porch. “You were sent to guard me, weren’t you?”
Silverline smiled slightly. “It was that or go back to patrolling. Although I have little doubt,” his eyes shot around them, gazing over the roof top, “my team is just as watched as you right now.”
Twilight sighed, setting her head down on her hooves and shooting a glare at the stacked papers sitting all over the floor in the room. “Why did it have to be this complicated?”
The stallion looked at her with a curious expression. 
Smiling slightly, she explained, “I’ve only become royalty… recently. Actually,” she glanced back her closed wings, “I’ve only become an alicorn recently.”
Silverline blinked. “I’m afraid I don’t understand…”
“You aren’t the only one,” Twilight sighed.
“Hey,” Spike exclaimed, climbing up on Twilgiht’s back and poking her wings. “You need help again?” He pulled one wing back a bit and the alicorn was ashamed to see that more than a few feathers were out of place. 
“Spike!” She snapped, blushing and getting up in such a hurry that the dragon tumbled off of her, tangling in her glittering train. 
Silverline fought to hide and smile, but he got up and began walking into the garden. “I should give you more privacy, your highness. My apologies. I shall be in the garden if you require my services.”
As he walked off, Spike managed to distance himself from Twilight’s dress and sputter, “Sorry, Twilight. I didn’t-“
“It’s fine,” she sighed, trying to get her blush to leave her cheeks. She pulled out a wing and looked it over. It was a mess underneath. She closed it, eying it for mistakes. Thankfully, it looked fine. Twilight had been disturbed by the idea of her wings being such a wreck on her first meeting with the emperor. Not that she felt it made that much of a difference. The emperor was afraid she, not to mention his own army, would mess something up. Something important. She doubted her appearance would have changed anything one way or another. 
Even so, she sat down and extended her wing, smiling softly as Spike walked up and started the meticulous process of moving her feather back into place. She vaguely hoped that Rainbow and the others would still be gone for a bit longer. The last time the pegasus had caught Spike helping her with her wings she had received a lecture on the importance of good grooming habits for pegasus. Even Fluttershy had joined in, both of them insisting she spend the next few hours practicing grooming her own wings. The result had been her wings being worse than before and her neck obtaining a painful strain. She didn’t like avoiding a task she knew she had to get used to, but the stress of the day was more than she could handle.
As Spike’s small claws worked, Twilight felt her eyelids begin to drop. Being preened was rather relaxing and the alicorn fought back a yawn. She blinked and gazed up at the stars, moon and the dark shape racing across the sky.
“What?!” Twilight jolted up, breaking away from Spike’s work. 
“Hey!” he called. He followed her gaze. "Is that a pegasus?"
At first Twilight thought her eyes had played a trick on her. But it was there again. A small black shape fading in and out in the sky. She squinted. Stars glittered through the form.
“No, not through their body,” Twilight whispered to herself, recognizing the slightly twisted form she was seeing. “It’s a changling,” she announced firmly, opening her wings wide. “I’m going after it. Stay here and wait for the girls.”
And just like that she took off, the shock of what she was sure she saw giving her the energy to push herself through the chill night air. She heard a shout behind her, likely Spike calling after her. She also knew Silverline would probably follow her as soon as he found out she had taken off. Thus she hardly worried when the dark form lead her to a heavy forested area heading towards the west side of the valley, the city beginning to fade behind her. She didn’t even worry when she matched its change in altitude, entering the vegetation and dodging branches as she flew.
She only began to worry when she lost sight of her “guide” and she heard not a sound around her. No birds, no frogs, nothing. Even the Everfree Forest had more life. A lot more. It was far too quiet here.
A twig snapped behind her and Twilight swung around to see glowing eyes watching her from the shadow of the trees.
“You,” a voice hissed out, “why are you here?”

> Fate of the Unexpected
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight had never felt her body grow so still before. Even when the Elements of Harmony had turned their powers on her unexpectedly, she hadn’t grown this tense. She had relaxed. Accepted whatever fate was handing her. 
This was different. She had expected to run into something in the dark of the forest. The quiet. The shadows. She knew something would come for her. But her expectation materializing before her was so much worse that not knowing at all. 
“I…” Twilight felt breathless and had to force air into her lungs. It hurt to breathe. “Who are you?”
The dark figure was silent for a long while, as if thinking if it should answer. Twilight was torn between a desire to flee and a strong urge to know who she was speaking to. In the end, her frozen legs decided the latter would have to do.
Two more twigs snapped and the creature moved forward, a small sliver of starlight glittering against a deep green coat and an ivory white mane. A long, semi-translucent black cloth covered her flank, just dark enough to hide her cutie mark. Her slender eyes blinked. She was an alicorn and immediately Twilight knew who she was looking at.
“Princess?”
The green alicorn was about to speak when the shadows surrounding them bulged and crawled. They skittered down tree trunks, through emerald bushes and across the moss and dead leaf along the ground. Their eyes glowed. An all too familiar hissing sound filled the air.
“Stop!” The soft voice was firm and held barely a hint of fear. 
The darkness obeyed. It became still once again. The hissing turned to silence. It waited.
The green alicorn took a breath that shuddered. “She was probably looking for me… She means no harm…” Her eyes danced towards Twilight. They were the deepest blue she had ever seen. So deep it was nearly as black as the shadows around her. They begged Twilight to agree with her.
Swallowing in a poor attempt to moisten her dry throat, Twilight announced stronger than she felt, “I was looking for,” her mind stumbled over the truth and her voice faltered for an instant, the silence swarming in. “For… clues.” She could not bring herself to lie. The eyes watching her were too heavy. “I mean nopony any harm.”
“Nopony?” one of the shadows in the grass hissed.
“What if,” the bush asked.
“We aren’t,” the tree continued.
“Ponies?” the shadow to the nearest the green princess finished.
Twilight swallowed again. It was no use. “What are you?”
She knew before the star lit up their thin bodies. Before their eyes blinked into hers and she heard their wings buzz like those of a wasp. She heard teeth snapping and she knew she had to fly. She stretched out her wings. They were heavy. Far too heavy.
She looked to her sides to see a sickly green fluid holding them down, her muscles far too drained to fight against the added weight. It began to dry, a cracking sound popping in her ears. Adrenaline shot through her veins. Her mind raced for a spell. One fluttered across her mind and, before she could form it completely, a sharp purple glow snapped around her. 
She blinked. 
The princess blinked.
The changlings surrounding her blinked.
Nothing. It had done nothing. She realized too late that the spell had been one that reverses a changling’s transformation. But none were transformed now. They smiled at her. She stepped back to think. She needed time to think of a better spell. To remember something, anything. To stop her thoughts from running too fast. 
She tripped, her left wing’s new weight throwing her frightfully off balance. She felt a stab of pain as she hit the ground. She heard a shout.
“Don’t hurt her! Please!”
The princess was trying to reach her, but was held back by the changlings. They were corralling her away. 
A spell fluttered in her mind. A shield! Twilight grabbed the thought and with one breath the weight on her wings, the feeling of the small hooves digging into her sides and the hot breath of the changlings left her. 
The many shadows fell to the ground a few feet from her, pushed back by her magic. Twilight struggled to stand, her left wing feeling horribly bent. Tears stung her eyes. She looked at the other alicorn and was about to speak when a loud crash resounded right between them, a mess of white and black lay in a mangled mess. A shadow crawled pitifully away from it, limping and whimpering. 
“Silverline?” Twilight gasped. She forced herself forward.
The pegasus was a mess of scrapes and red marks very likely to become painful bruises by morning. His eyes flickered open. He gave her a small smile.
“Found you.”
The shadows were creeping forward again. Twilight took a panicked breath and brought up her shield again. The shadows stopped, eying the purple tinted bubble before them. 
“That’s handy,” Silverline commended, his voice ragged. He shifted around, attempting to get up. His wings opened unharmed, but his right foreleg buckled as soon as he applied his weight to it. 
Twilight moved to help him, her left wing useless at her side. “I’m so sorry I ran off. This is all my fault. I’ll…” her mind raced. “I’ll transport us back.”
“You can teleport us that far?” he asked in awe, his eyes remaining locked on the green ones watching them. 
Twilight bit her lower lip. “I…” Her eyes shot towards him with worry. “How far are we?”
He gave her a sad look, already seeing where this was headed. “Far. A few miles.”
Twilight’s heart sank. “I can’t…”
“Have you recently tried?” He was looking at her horn and wings. 
She looked back at him for a moment, took a breath, closed her eyes and thought of the spell. Of where she wished to be. Of the room with the papers and the windchime’s soft sounds. 
Nothing. She was exhausted. 
A slamming noise snapped her eyes open. The changlings were done watching them. They were ramming their bodies into her shield. It was a spell she had never perfected. Unlike her brother, Twilight rarely ever had need of such a spell. Hers wouldn’t last for long. 
“Stop, please,” the soft voice pleaded, almost lost behind the shadows.
Silverline’s eyes grew wide. “She’s here?!”
Before Twilight could answer, another voice sliced through the darkness.
“That is enough!”
The shadows stepped away, like a puddle of black ink running down a tilted canvas. A tall figure landed, its green eyes wide upon seeing Twilight.
“Chrysalis!”
The surprise left her eyes and a deep green magic hit Twilight’s shield head on. It crumbled. The shadows moved. The stars disappeared.  

> Catacombs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight could feel the cave before her eyes could see it. She felt the cool, wet stone and heard the dripping water far into the depths. She smelt the musty odor of stale air and stagnate water. 
With a cough she forced herself up, her eyes blinking rapidly. 
“I’m so, so sorry. But they won’t hurt you. Really they won’t.”
Twilight’s eyes shot around her for the source of the voice. The cave she was in was small, but it was obviously connected to more than a few other caves and passageways, if the echoes were any indicator. The green coated princess of Sheon was standing in the doorway, a light green film between them, making even the whites of her eyes seem ghoulish. 
“You’re the princess who went missing,” Twilight stated, looking around the room again. There was nothing in it but rocks and the cold. “Where’s Silverline?”
The alicorn looked behind her and then back. “He’s… safe. They put him in another room. They’re tending to him.”
“Tending?” Panic flooded her, slamming into her chest like a wall. She saw her brother’s dead eyes. She ran up to the wall, her eyes wild. “They can’t! Don’t let them!”
The princess blinked, confused. “They… they’re healing his wounds…”
It was Twilight’s turn to be confused. “But they’re the ones that hurt him…”
The princess shook her head rapidly. “Oh, no. He attacked Statin first. Poor Statin was only trying to get away. They ended up falling and getting hurt crashing through the trees.”
“Statin?” 
The slender eyes blinked again, her head beginning to tilt. She looked like Silverline. “Yes. The small darkling that crashed with Silverline.”
“They have names?” Twilight flinched at the accusing tone in her voice. A part of her hated what she had just implied.
“Of course,” the princess replied, her tone sounding off, as if she was beginning to feel offended herself. 
Twilight looked back at her wings. Her left was wrapped up in the green substance she had seen before, except this time it was fully hardened.
“Your wing was fractured. They healed the main breaks, but the muscles were strained badly. You can’t move it for a few hours.”
Twilight looked back at the princess. “Did you do this?”
She smiled. It was peaceful. All at once Twilight knew she was no captive. It hit the bottom of her stomach like a rock. 
“No. Sally did. She’s good with any injury. She makes potions, too. Oh,” she blinked, her smile replaced with concern. “Are you hungry?” Before Twilight could answer, she turned away. “I’ll get you something!”
“Wait! Why are you here?” Twilight’s call echoed off the walls, meeting air.
For a few moments there was nothing but silence. Twilight tried to think of a spell, but couldn’t. Her body and mind were exhausted. She slumped to the floor, pressing her cheek against the cold stone. The sound of dripping water and the darkness pressed against her and filled her with dread. She sighed, trying not to cry. She had failed. In everything. She didn’t know where she was, she had insulted the emperor, she had gotten Silverline and herself injured and she could already see Spike pacing back in her room, worried and desperate. 
A loud pop rang into her ears, snapping her eyes open again, tears drying in an instant.
“Well, this is unexpected.”
Twilight stared open mouthed at the large creature standing before her. 
He blinked.
She blinked.
He smiled. “Twilight Sparkle? Oh, I’m sorry. Princess Twilight. I always forget. No offense meant, my dear.”
“Di-Discord?” 
Sure enough, the daconiquus was standing there in the semidarkness, looking down upon her with a highly amused expression on his face.
“How… How did you get here?” she stumbled, attempting to get up, her legs unsteady.
He chuckled. “Well, that’s easy. After the desert stopped being such a pain, I simply wished I could see what kinds of fun you might be having and zoom! I was off!” He tilted his head. “Isn’t that how everypony gets around?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course not,” she chided, though her voice held no venom. She had never felt so grateful to see such a dangerous creature before. She smiled. “But thank you for coming Discord.”
The draconiquus blinked in surprise and he looked away. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not here to do everything you say. I was just curious.” He looked back at her. “But I didn’t think you’d be in a cave.” He eyed the green magic in the doorway. “A strange cave, at that.”
“It’s Queen Chrysalis. She’s here and Silverline is somewhere in here and so is the princess and-“
“Woah, there,” Discord lifted up his hands in surrender, though his eyes glowed in excitement. “Sounds like you’ve been busy these last few days. But first things first.” A pair of dark rimmed glasses appeared on his face and he adjusted them dramatically. “I trust you discovered the desert’s trick and stopped it, yes?”
“Oh, well, that wasn’t me, actually,” Twilight admitted with a light blush. 
Discord blinked through the frames. “Oh? Then who?” He grinned. “Was it Fluttershy? She tends to notice things before anypony else.”
Twilight couldn’t help smiling at the pride in the draconiquus’ voice when speaking of his first friend. “Rainbow Dash was actually the one to break the magic tower causing  all those problems.”
His eyes dropped along with his shoulders. “Seriously? Great.” He gave an exaggerated sigh, the glasses disappearing, and gave Twilight a sideways glance. “I suppose I should do something to thank her.”
“Not picking a fight with her would be nice.”
The creature blinked and put his paw to his chest in shock. “Me? Pick a fight?” 
Twilight gave him a look.
“Alright, fine,” he admitted. “I’ll be nice. But no guarantees on how she treats me.”
Twilight grinned. “Fair enough. Now,” she glared over at the green magic wall. “Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

> Shields
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Indeed," Discord's voice bounced over the walls, the tone casual.
Twilight blinked. Waited. Then turned around.
“Uh, could you… uh, get us to where Silverline is?”
Discord blinked back. “Who?”
“Silverline. The pegasus that’s been helping us. He’s part of the Sheon army. He’s injured somewhere in these catacombs. We have to find him before we can return to the others. Please teleport us to him.”
Discord sputtered a laugh, throwing his head back, before he caught the dangerous look glinting in Twilight’s eye. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just… It doesn’t work that way.”
The alicorn stared at him. “But… But you teleported here.”
Sighing, the draconiquus held up his hands. “I wanted to see what you were up to. I can’t want to check in on somepony I’ve never met before, now can I?”
Twilight gaped up at him, her heart sinking. Then she realized something. “Wait a minute… You mean you just wish or want something enough and… your magic works it out?” It was sounding eerily close to what had been happening with her magic lately.
Discord gave her an odd look. “Well, of course! How did you think I was doing my magic?” At her expression, he asked in a confused tone, “How do you use magic then?” 
“How I always have. With spells.” Her eyes narrowed. “You ate some. Remember?” The feeling of her books being mishandled was one thing. Knowing bits of them were eaten… Twilight still suffered from the occasional nightmare.
“Oh, yeah, that did happen, didn’t it?” Discord murmured idly, trying to ignore the dangerous look that was quickly returning to Twilight’s face. “Sooo, you have to memorize spells, do you? Sounds boring.”
“Discord.” The tone was low and deadly.
“Alright, alright,” he surrendered with a sigh. “So what books do you need?”
“Uh,” Twilight hadn’t expected this, having been so fixated on the page eating that she forgot that the draconiquus could transport spells from her own library. Her mind fumbled for titles and spell names. Finally she murmured, “All You Need to Know About Shields and Jelly Making Spells.”
Discord gave her an odd look. “Jelly Making-“
“Don’t ask,” Twilight bit out, having used up more than her fare share of study time a few years ago on that very question. As it turned out, the author just really loved jelly and had kept some recipes nearby her own magic research. Which ended up in her manuscript and getting printed when the publishers didn’t separate them. Strangely enough, it was a Canterlot best seller.
Discord gave her a smile, shrugged, and snapped his fingers. A pale yellow covered book popped out of the air over his outstretched paw.
Twilgiht eagerly grabbed it with her magic. “Oh, Discord, thank you!”
The draconiquiss shrugged again. “It was easy, don’t mention it.” But the alicorn caught a very small smile of pride on his lips.
She flipped through some pages until she found what she was looking for. A spell that could counter against a shield. She licked her lips and filled her lungs with air, carefully murmuring the unfamiliar phrases under her breath. It was long and by the time she was done, her fatigue and grown considerably, her legs beginning to feel rubbery. Thankfully, it had done its job. It had pushed against the green wall until it collapsed in on itself, leaving the passageway clear. 

The floating candles Discord made to hover around them and provide light forced the shadows around them to shift and dart. More than once Twilight had made Discord snuff out the lights, both frozen in the dark, the alicorn straining to hear anything, any sound besides her own breathing. But all she ever heard were the gentle drips of water echoing throughout the passages and Discord’s impatience. It hummed nearly as loud as her heartbeats. 
“Okay, we can move again,” she relented for what seemed like the hundredth time. It had really only been about four thus far.
The candles lit up around them, the change in lighting making the alicorn squint for a moment or two.
“Must you be so panicky?” Discord griped dramatically. Seeing her face he quickly added, “princess.”
Twilight sighed, flinching at how her small breath echoed and magnified in the enclosed space. Even the click of her hooves against the stone felt impossibly loud. “You can’t teleport us to Silverline, I’m not leaving without him and I’m far too exhausted to go looking for a fight.”
Even with the ease her new form seemed to give towards magic, learning a brand new spell still strained her. That coupled with the painfully long day was enough to make her eye lids droop and she shook her head more than once in an effort to clear it from drifting into a half dream. 
“Be on the lookout for other shielded rooms,” she whispered, her mouth feeling heavy. 
Discord sniffed behind her. “I can fight, too,” he muttered to himself, just loud enough for her to hear him. 
Twilight tried not to think too hard on what might happen if she had to rely on Discord’s abilities in a fight. He’d probably turn all the changlings into frogs or small clown ponies on stilts. She actually feared far more for the changlings than for herself. As powerful as changlings were, she doubted they had ever come across anypony like Discord, who actually wasn’t even a pony at all, but a draconiquus. She wondered if they could even change into his form. She hoped not.
Twilight frowned in thought. Now that the idea was in her mind, she realized that the creature behind her was the only example of a draconiquus she knew. Briefly she wondered if they were all like Discord. She nearly dismissed that notion straight away, as such a reality would surely have ended the world by now if it were true. But then another idea came to her. Her steps slowed. Were there other draconiquus at all? She’d never even heard of any. Anywhere. Not even rumors. 
“Twilight,” Discord whispered loudly, snapping the alicorn back to the present.
She glanced back at him, noticing the candles around them had dimmed, and saw him pointing in front of them. She faced forward and squinted into the darkness. She smiled. A faint green glow was radiating off a far right hand wall up ahead. It was another shield.
Looking both ways, Twilight trotted towards the light eagerly. But she stopped short and backed up as soon as they come to the shielded opening and her eyes glanced what was inside. 
Silverline was laying on the floor, seemingly unconscious, a tall dark figure standing before him. 
“Who was that?” Discord whispered into the alicorn’s ear, having been pushed hastily back by her sudden retreat.
Twilight swallowed. “Somepony I never wanted to see again. Chrysalis, queen of the changlings.”

> A Strange Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Changling?” Discord echoed, making Twilight flinch. 
She waved a hoof back at him to signal silence, her ears pricked forward for the voices beyond. 
“Make sure he stays still,” Chrysalis’ icy voice carried in the stale air. 
The reverberation off the cave walls only made the tone that much worse, heightening the tightness of Twilight’s stomach at the flood of memories. Suddenly she felt as if the shadows were moving and she looked around hastily. Discord was missing.
“Discord?!” she hissed, turning around completely and peering into the darkness. There was no answer. 
“Who are you?!”
Twilight groaned and turned back around, rushing towards the green shield. She instinctively knew why the changling queen’s voice had risen in alarm. 
“Discord!” she cried, partly in concern and partly in reprimand. 
The green film gone, all that faced her was a grinning dragoniquus, a startled and confused changling queen and Silverline, whose eyes remained closed and appeared to be under some kind of fever from the sweat on his coat. A smaller changling was at his side, a role of gauze in its mouth. 
“I’ve never seen a changling before,” Discord began, breaking the ice in his usual flamboyant tone. “I heard a great deal about them and was told to look out for one, but,” he sighed dramatically, “I never actually got to see one.”
“Alright, fine, you saw. Now let’s get ou- Wait.” Twilight blinked. “You transported in here.”
Although it wasn’t a question, Discord treated it with a smile and a cheerful, “yes.”
Twilight’s left eye twitched. “You could always do this?”
“Yes.”
The alicorn could hear her eaten spells screaming for vengeance from the draconiquus’ stomach. “But you didn’t earlier. You just watched as I struggled with a brand new spell and-“
“Oooooh,” Discord sputtered a laugh and rolled his eyes. “So that’s what this is about. Why, you can hardly blame me for that. You didn’t think to ask.”
Twilight had rarely seen so much red before and would have acted on it had not a very unwanted voice broken her train of thought.
“What is this?”
Chrysalis was looking back and forth between her newest arrivals, her eyes constantly drawn to the tallest of them. She looked as if she wished to say more, to demand answers, but it was clear that she had no words to use at the moment.
Discord snapped, a top hat appearing in one hand and a monocle covering one of his eyes. “Greetings, Chrysalis of the changling court.” He bowed elegantly, top hat in hand. “I am Discord, a humble draconiquus who is just as curious about you and you are of me, I’d imagine. And this,” he straightened with a flourish, setting the hat on his head and gesturing back, “is my sidekick, Twilight Sparkle.” He put one hand to his mouth and lowered his voice as if to share a secret with the queen. “She’s rather new.”  
Chrysalis’ mouth hung open a second, a rare moment of speechlessness. But the instant passed, her green eyes hardened and, with a scrapping noise echoing in the room, she planted her hooves to either side in a fighting stance. Her horn began to glow a bright green, her teeth on edge. 
“You dare to-“
  Pop.
Discord had snapped and his top hat immediately appeared on the queen’s head, covering her horn and putting a stop to whatever magic she had been preparing. 
“What is this?!” she sputtered in a rage, the rim of the hat covering her eyes, for it was far too big on her.
Discord, of course, began to laugh. “Oh, it’s just-” 
Chrysalis attempted to walk, or run –it was hard to tell- and immediately got her legs tangled and fell, the hat still blinding her. 
“Precious!” Discord roared. 
Twilight sighed, feeling sorry for the struggling changling. As much trouble as she had caused the alicorn, the panic in her movements was a sad sight to see. 
“Chrysalis? I’ll have Discord take the hat off, but you need to promise not to try anything.” Twilight straightened up, despite the scream of her overtired muscles. “I’m an alicorn now and will fight you if I have to.”
At Chrysalis’ still body laying on the floor, her legs spiraled out and her subtle nod, Twilight looked over at Discord. 
The draconiquus sighed and began shining his monocle with a handkerchief. “Very well.”
With a snap, the hat disappeared, leaving the changling queen blinking several times. The cave was quiet for a moment or two.
“I don’t think,” Chrysalis commented dryly, her eyes on Discord as she slowly got up, “it’s you I need worry about, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Discord may not look like it, but he works for Celestia now,” Twilight announced with authority, catching Discord flinch out of the corner of her eye. “Attacking us will make him your enemy as well.”
“As well?” Chrysalis echoed, one eye brow raised. “Us? Are we then a dreaded ‘them?’” She sneered. “What a fair and loving princess you’ve become.”
Twilight blinked, feeling as if she had jumped into the middle of a chapter without having read the first part. 
Chrysalis didn’t wait for a response. She turned her hard gaze towards Discord. “Works for the pony princess ‘now?’ Meaning you didn’t before. Turned good, did you?”
Discord gave a smile that looked oddly serious. “No, I turned my powers to good. I myself am neither good nor bad. I am simply Discord, your highness.”
The changling blinked at her title, unused to hearing it from anypony but her own subjects. Her gaze lost its force. 
“A draconiquus,” her eyes looked the tall creature up and down, not surprised by the inconsistencies presented, but rather curious of them. “Interesting. I’ve never met one of your kind before. Not in all my hundreds of years.”
“Nor I, you,” Discord said, his smile bright again. “We must have just been on different sides of the globe.”
“Possibly,” the queen admitted, sitting down calmly. 
Twilight was on the verge of saying something, her eyes continuously wondering towards Silverline’s silent form, when the princess rushed in, murmuring something about looking for food. 
She stopped cold, eyes roaming over all those gathered around the changling queen. “Oh. Did I interrupt… something?”

> What One Believes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Princess-” Twilight began, panicked and desperate to control the situation.
“-Lilly” the alicorn supplied with a shy smile.
“Princess Lilly,” Twilight ran between her and Chrysalis, “we have to retrieve Silverline and leave immediately!”
She heard a snort from behind her, likely from the changling queen. 
The princess only looked concerned. “Oh, but,” she bit her lip and looked over towards Silverline's unconscious form, “he's not well enough. The queen hasn't finished healing him yet.”
“Healing?” Twilight looked as if she'd turned a page in a book too fast and had forgotten the last sentence she'd read. “No, no, princess you don't understand. These creatures don't heal anyone. They-”
“Enjoy wrapping ponies up like mummies?” Discord supplied joyously, poking the prone Silverline, whose front leg and one wing was half wrapped. “How fun!”
Twilight bit her own lip. “Uh... well...” 
The princess walked towards Twilight slowly, a motherly look on her face. “It's alright, they don't mean harm. Really.”
Twilight's eye twitched. Discord's shoulders hunched and he muttered a small “uh oh,” under his breath.
“No harm? They mean no harm?” The alicorn's voice began to rise. “They attacked Canterlot! Destroyed its shield, wrecked my brother's wedding, put his wife-to-be in the underground catacombs and tried to eat everypony! How is that not meaning any harm?!”
The princess' face had a mixture of confusion and slight amusement. “Oh, but they don't eat ponies, you know. They only feed off of love. That's all.”
“That's all?!” Twilight's screech echoed off the cavern walls.
“Well,” the princess smiled shyly. “Yes. It doesn't even hurt. See,” she stood straight, “I'm just fine, aren't I, Miss-”
“Twilight,” the alicorn muttered, lost in racing thoughts within her mind. “Twilight Sparkle. From Equestria....” Forget turning pages. She was in an entirely different book.
A loud sigh echoed from behind her. She turned to see Chrysalis standing from her sitting position, a small shadow darting about at her hooves. It was a very young changling, not much more than a baby. “It was not my hunger I was focused on, Twilight Sparkle,” the queen began, picking the child up carefully in her mouth and walking a few paces towards the alicorn. She gently set the small changling down.  Rising to her full height, her glare proud, she stated firmly, “I am their queen.”
Twilight's eyes shifted down. The tiny form looked up at Twilight from the cold ground, its large eyes shinning. It waddled closer to her and nuzzled her leg. Twilight's whole body tensed, afraid of the creature's tiny fangs, yet unsure how to get away without hitting the small thing. But there was no prick. No biting. Only a soft, slightly tingling feeling. The small changling gave a soft giggle, perked up and began to prance around her hooves playfully. 
“It...” Twilight's voice was slow and felt far away. “It didn't hurt. Just... tingled.”
Chrysalis nodded. “You are an alicorn now. Perhaps you are more sensitive. Most ponies feel nothing at all.”
The princess giggled. “It kinda tickled when one first fed from me.”
“Oh, how cute!” Discord exclaimed loudly, drawing all eyes towards him. He had successfully scooped up two other changlings, another baby and the one who had apparently been binding Silverline's wounds, a bit of wrapping still hanging from its mouth. The baby cooed happily and the older changling looked a bit surprised, the wrapping dropping from its now open mouth. Discord let out a laugh at Chrysalis' worried look and turned towards Twilight. 
“Why, Twilight!” He exclaimed with glee. “It does tickle!” He then let the two changling down from his arms, the baby bouncing up and down quite happily. The older changling rushed over towards its queen. 
“Your highness! It's so strange! His love is sour and sweet all at once.”
The queen relaxed and gave the draconiquuis a bemused smile. “Really? Interesting.”
“Care to try, your highness?” Discord offered, his arms open comically in her direction. 
“I am fine. Thank you,” Chrysalis declined with a slight nod.
“Hasn't it been awhile,” the princess asked carefully, “since you last fed, your highness?”
Chrysalis blinked slowly, watching over the small shadow dancing around Discord, the one that had been near Twilight joining its kin. “The little ones need it more. I can last longer than they.” She looked over at the princess. “Besides, you have grown tired. Your smile is slower to arrive.”
The princess blinked, mouth open. “No, I...” Seeing Chrysalis' firm expression, she bowed her head slightly. “Perhaps a little.”
Chrysalis turned towards Twilight. “That, Princess Twilight, is the only ill effect we give. A drowsiness and perhaps a melancholy feeling. Of course, one would need to feed a great many before that were to happen. And I'm afraid Princess Lilly has been our only source for some days now.”
“If that was all,” Twilight started slowly, eyes full of confusion as they gazed over at the small creatures weaving between Discord's legs, “why didn't you just talk to us? Why did you hurt Cadence? Deceive my brother? Why-”
“Belief,” Chrysalis cut her off sharply. Her shoulders lowering as if in resignation, she explained, “So many times have I tried that path. So many decades since we were listened to. But our form,” she held up a leg, holes specked throughout, “leads many to believe ill of us far before our mouths utter a single word.” 
She glanced over at Twilight and gave a toothy grin, her sharp fangs glinting sharply. “What would you believe of us, from our looks, Princess?”
Twilight dropped her eyes. “But,” she could not get rid of her anger. Twilight still felt keenly the smart and the pain caused by the changling queen. The lost look on Cadence's face, her brother drained of his magic. “But it's just as unfair for you to assume I'd judge you before giving me a chance.” She rose her face, eyes firm. “You should have given me a chance. You should.”
Chrysalis eyed Twilight for some time before nodding and turning away. “I too wonder what might have been, Princess. But a wonder cannot change the past.”
A changling came in, likely in its teen years from its height. “Your highness! More ponies have shown up. They are at our doorstep.”
Chrysalis turned her eyes from the messenger to Twilight.
“Allow me to see them,” Twilight asked. She then added softly, “your highness.”
“I should,” Chrysalis gave a small smile, “shouldn't I?”
> Communication
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Now, are y'all sure they'd be around here?” Applejack's voice seemed hollow in the dense forest. It was mid-day and there was still no sure sign of either Twilight or Silverline. 

Blue Flame dropped lower towards the ground. “Due to the Princess' disappearance, we have quite a few sentries flying around. All eye witness accounts claimed Princess Twilight and her escort came this way.” A ring of pride was weaved in his tone, as if the idea of their information being off was insulting. 

Rainbow smirked and dropped down beside him. “And how'd you manage to get that information? By slamming into somepony's side like you did to that innkeeper downtown?”

“Um,” Fluttershy murmured far too quiet for anypony to hear as she stood near a nearby tree.

Blue Flame blushed and snapped, “That was an accident! Besides, you were the one that flew through that street bizarre too fast and scattered all the goods there. If you weren't a guest of the emperor-”

“I think this one knows where they are,” the shy pony whispered, catching Rarity’s attention.

“Or you'd what?” Rainbow asked, still oblivious to Fluttershy's voice. Her tone wasn't as friendly as before, her wings automatically rising her a bit higher in the air. 

“Excuse me-” Fluttershy tried again, crouching towards the ground as Pinkie Pie bounced over to her.

“Heeeeeey everypony!” The pink earth pony announced loud enough to break into the pegasus' argument. “Fluttershy has something to saaaaay!!”

All eyes finally turned towards Fluttershy, making her crouch even closer to the ground, her ears down. 

“Oh, um, well, it's not a big deal really,” she murmured, looking away.

Rarity rolled her eyes and put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. “Oh, go on, dear. It's no trouble. Now what'd you find out?” 

Fluttershy perked up slightly and looked up into the tree. A bright blue bird chirped down at her. “Oh. It's just this little one thinks he knows what happened to Twilight and Silverline. He – What's that?” Her ears pricked forward as the bird hopped down a few branches, chattering rapidly. “Oh? Oh!” she turned surprised eyes towards the others. “He says Princess Lilly was there, too!”

“Really?” Everypony spoke at once.

“Where is the princess?” Blue Flame asked, coming closer with excitement. 

Fluttershy dropped her head a bit, still intimidated by this new acquaintance of hers. “Oh, um, well, that's the bad news.”

“Ah don't like the sound of that,” Applejack said with a worried frown. “What happened to em?”

Fluttershy's blue eyes looked up, her head still tilted down. “He said a whole group of darklings -”

“Changlings,” Rainbow corrected bitterly under her breath.

“- took them away to some caves nearby.”

Rainbow grinned devilishly and shot up higher into the sky, hoof pumped upward. “Then let's bust in there and save em!”

“Oh, well, I don't think that's necessary... I'm sure they're fine,” Fluttershy whimpered, nearly flat against the ground. “Twilight is so strong now, after all and -”

Rarity placed her hoof once more on Fluttershy's back. “Fluttershy, darling, we can't just abandon Twilight, now can we?”

Fluttershy sighed and then looked up and smiled at her friend. “No. No we can't.”

Rarity gave her a grin. “Of course not!” She took her hoof off and walked over towards the group, Fluttershy following. “Besides, just think of how filthy those caves must be! It's not place for a proper princess.”

Blue Flame hovered near the unicorn. “Um, Lady Rarity, I hate to ask it of you again, but could you inform my comrades once of our current status?”

Rarity became slightly stiff, but she nodded politely and concentrated on the spell she had been given by one of the palace unicorns before they had split into groups to find Twilight and Silverline. Magic in general wasn't Rarity's forte and she found the spell quite difficult, taking far more energy then she was used to. But this place was large and logic sided with communication being a must.

She focused into the haze around her mind, forcing all the thoughts tumbling around away for a brief instant. “Lady Solace? We might have found our princess and yours. We're headed towards some caves in this area.”

There was a slight buzz as the mental connection she held with the other unicorn shifted. Rarity flinched. 

“I know of them, Lady Rarity,” the calm voice of Solace answered her. “We shall head towards your position. Preceded at your own discretion.”

The buzz resumed and Rarity quickly let the spell fade, her thoughts slipping back into her mind, filling the white space with a comfortable hum. She let out a long breath and opened her eyes, not recalling when she had closed them. 

Blue Flame was still there, a concerned look on his face that bled into relief as soon as Rarity looked over at him and told of Solace's message. “Thank you.”

Rarity shrugged. “Twas nothing,” she called lightly over her shoulder as she hurried to join the others who were waiting impatiently nearby. But she couldn't help feeling a bit of pride at having learned and used a difficult – at least for her – spell without Twilight's help. She knew she'd never master general magic, let alone the complex magic Twilight often used. But having at least one spell outside of fashion was oddly exhilarating. Like having a secret weapon tucked safely at one's flank, ready to be used whenever the need arose.  

“Alright!” Rainbow cried in glee as her wings began to flap faster, “Let's go kick some changling butt!”

As all the ponies charged forward, following Blue Flame towards a denser part of the forest, Fluttershy once more paused and hurried back towards the blue bird in the tree. 

“Um, I have a friend, back in the city. I think he's at the palace. He's a small dragon. Purple and green colored. Please let him know what you told me.” 

The bird chipped an affirmative and rushed off as Fluttershy muttered to herself worriedly, heading back towards her group at a trot. “I hope he's okay. I wonder what the emperor wanted to see him for...”
> Dragon Rights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   The blue messenger Fluttershy sent off in search of a small dragon had quite a hard time finding its target. A brief flyby of the dragon breeding grounds revealed no such creature. The ones there were often too old or the wrong color entirely. Instead, the recipient was nervously pacing in a circle in one of the many palace gardens. 

It wasn't until the bird flew by the dragon to get his attention and perched on a nearby bush that it realized it might have a hard time communicating its message to the creature.

Chirping loudly, it flew towards the ground and carefully began to etch into the dirt between some white flowers the shape of the alicorn it had seen recently. 

“Oh! Twilight? You've seen Twilight?” the dragon asked excitedly. 

The bird nodded and scratched out another pony with wings, but then picked up a small pebble and poked holes in the drawing.

The dragon gasped. “A changling?!”

The bird spit out the pebble and nodded again. 

“Twilight's been captured?!” The dragon looked panicked before blinking and looking back at the bird, a light flashing in its reptilian eyes. “Did Fluttershy send you?”

The bird chipped as it nodded happily. 

The dragon's shoulders slumped in relief. “Good. They know where she is. They'll save her,” he murmured to himself, looking over the palace in the direction the bird had flown from. “I just wish I was there instead of here...”

The dragon began to pace once again and the bird simply shrugged and pecked at the ground hopefully for any food.

Spike was uncomfortable enough in the strange place without his constant companion, and practically mother figure, Twilight right next to him. But being summoned suddenly by the emperor was worse than waiting around at their room. Much worse.

The sound of gravel being pushed down by hooves nearly made Spike jump straight up in the air, his nerves were so tight. Instead he turned around as calmly as he could to stare right into the emperor of Sheon's cold eyes. 

The tall unicorn smiled, his teeth shining. “You are called Spike, are you not?”

“Uh,” Spike stammered, “Yes! I mean, I am, your highness.” He gave a quick bow, his craws folded together to keep them steady. 

The emperor's smile grew wider and he dismissed the two guards at his sides with a shake of his head. Looking back at Spike, he moved forward a few steps until he was only a foot away from the small dragon. 

“I have quite a few questions for you, Spike. If you don't mind.” 

Spike may have been just as new to politics as Twilight, but he knew a command when he heard one. And this was defiantly a required exercise. Even so, he tried to wiggle his way out of it.

“Oh, uh, sure, your highness, but, uh,” he tried to bounce from his heels to his toes and back again in a casual manner, but found it hard to do so while speaking and thus promptly stopped. “I'm afraid I'm just Twi – Princess Twilight's assistant. I can't speak for Equestria myself, so I'm not all that useful, your highness. But she should be back soon and I'll be sure to let her know you want to talk to her!” 

Spike bowed low and in the same instant attempted to rush past the emperor towards the pathway out of the garden. Two guards were blocking his path instantly. 

“Woah,” he gasped, a sinking feeling in his stomach as he heard a deep laugh behind him.

“No, no, my friend. You misunderstand me.”

Spike slowly turned to the unicorn ruler, his muscles tense. 

“You see,” the emperor explained slowly, “I wish to speak to you, Spike. I have many questions for you and only you can answer them.”

“Oh, really? Huh. That's weird,” Spike murmured, looking around him for an exit. “People rarely have questions for me. I mean, I don't know all that much after all. Nothing at all compared to Twilight. She knows everything. Always reading books and studying and -”

The emperor's deep laugh, a bit rougher and more harsh than before, cut the dragon off. “Ah, but you know things Princess Twilight doesn't. The things I wish to know.”

“Oh? What's that?” Spike asked, swallowing and completely forgetting to add a proper “your highness” to his question. 

“Why, questions about you, of course,” the unicorn replied, his smile giving Spike flashbacks to a particularly nasty unicorn ruler who enslaved an entire kingdom of ponies. The dragon did not want to relive that experience.

“Oh, is that all?” He bluffed with a shrug, praying the ruler didn't ask anything he didn't know.

The emperor tilted his head. “It is a great deal to me.” His eyes grazed over the small dragon's form. “And so, firstly, how old are you?”

Spike let out a breath in relief, even giving a small smile. “I'm about six years old now. Almost seven!”

The emperor's eyes squinted at him. “Very interesting. And your wings? Have they begun to come in?”

His relief had come too soon. Spike's claws began to sweat and he wondered in the back of his mind if this was how Twilight had felt about magic kindergarten. He made a note to himself never to tease her about overreacting to those memories ever again. 

“Uh, well, I'm sure they'll be coming in... soon!” He grinned.

One of the unicorn's eyes ticked. “Truly,” he murmured, a question left in the form of a flat statement. “And what of your parents? Are they back in Equestria?”

“Probably,” Spike answered truthfully, immediately regretting his phrasing as the emperor's eyes widened slightly. 

“Probably?” the male pony echoed. “Do you not know where they are?”

Spike shifted from foot to foot. He hated lying and without any proof that the emperor was an actual bad guy, he knew he was tasked with being the best representative in Twilight's place as he could. 

“Well, actually, I... I was hatched by Twilight.” At the shocked expression on the emperor's face, Spike blushed and quickly explained further, even taking a few steps closer to the intimidating unicorn. “See, my egg was all that was found. Though, nopony remembers where it was found. Twilight was the one who made my egg hatch with her magic back when she was entering magic school.”

The emperor's eyes returned to their original size, a smug look slowly spreading over them as he began to pace away from the dragon. “Truly. Well, that is quite a feet. Our own dragon caretakers spend many years learning to do such a thing... Some never do.” 

The sick feeling in his stomach was back and Spike was desperate to leave, hopping from foot to foot again. “Well, Twilight's really special. She's super good with magic. It's her special talent you know and  -” Spike stopped as the emperor's cold eyes and sadistic grin turned upon him. The dragon's eyes grew wide, realizing with a panic that he had revealed far too much.

“Very interesting indeed,” the unicorn nodded for the guards behind Spike to come closer. “You have told me a great deal.”

“Oh, uh,” Spike waited for the guards to pass him so he could get by, but they stopped mere inches from his nose, stiff and at command. “Well, uh, can I leave now? Your highness?”

The emperor looked at Spike for a moment before turning his gaze towards the guards. “Where is Princess Twilight now?”

“She is still missing, your highness,” one of the guards reported, his face showing no emotion. “Two search parties, including her companions, have been sent out in a search.”

“And she has been gone since last night?” The emperor asked.

“Yes, your highness,” came the formal answer.

The emperor turned his dark eyes onto Spike. “Take the dragon to the breeding grounds.”

Spike's mouth dropped open and terror wrapped around his throat. “Wait, you can't do that!” He tried to stand tall, despite a sudden pull of unicorn magic from the guards tugging on his scales. “I'm a representative of the Equestria!”

The emperor let out a loud, brutal laugh. “You are a dragon,” he sneered. “Dragons hold no citizen rights here.”

Spike's mind raced. “But – but I'm Twilight's dragon! Yeah, that's right. I'm her's. So you can't just take me.”

The unicorn took a few steps closer to the dragon once again. “Your Princess Twilight has not returned, has she?” He smirked at Spike's hopeless expression. “She has abandoned you. I shall be taking over in her stead. You belong to my empire now.”

He turned his back towards Spike, the dragon struggling in the magical grasp of his new captors. “Bring him to the breeding grounds. In the infant barns, with the other wingless newborns,” he ordered. 

As the dragon was lead away screaming, a flutter of bright blue flashed overhead, a small bird following the guards to watch over the small creature's fate. 
> Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight could hear her friends long before she saw them.

“Oh, come on, Twilight,” Discord whispered in her ear excitedly. “Just one little prank?”

Twilight sighed. “Only after we reveal that we're alright. They're too high strung right now. And you know how Rainbow gets when she's high strung.” 

Discord wrinkled his odd shaped nose and crossed his arms with a pout. “Oh, fine. But remember how good I've been lately when we report back to Celestia. You owe me, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I what?!” Twilight's head shot around to face him, ready to ask him what kind of insubordination she was going to have to cover, but the draconiquus was long gone.

Twilight let her head drop as she sighed, exhaustion filling her every limb. “Great.”

She crocked her head to one side, listening closely for the loud whispers to draw nearer, not being able to hold back a smile at the sounds of their voices. She didn't want to jump out and give them all heart attacks, so she instead called out to them from the shadows of the cave tunnel.

“Girls?”

All sound stopped for a second. Then pandemonium broke out. 

“Twilight?!” “It sounded like Twilight!” “Wait! It's a trap!” “TWILIIIIIGHT! ARE YOU A CHANGLING QUEEN NOW?!”

Twilight held back a laugh and began walking towards them, forcing her horn to cast a light about her. Even that small spell was a drain and her light flickered more than once. She warmed the color to make it more friendly until her friends came into view. Rarity was casting about her own light and Twilight was more than willing to allow her to continue the honor. 

Before she could speak, however, Rainbow Dash flew up to her and asked cautiously, “How do we know you're the real Twilight?”

With a sly look, the alicorn answered, “Who else would know about you banging your hooves on my door at two in the morning, asking if I had the latest Daring Do volume and then crying yourself to sleep next to me when I informed you that you'd caught up to the most recent published issue?”

Rainbow blushed a deep shade of red. 

“You... read?” Blue Flame asked with an odd look on his face, staring at the embarrassed pegasus. 

After fumbling for words for a moment, Rainbow puffed out her chest and said proudly, “Yeah, I read. Books are awesome! You can go anywhere. Do anything. Even if it's impossible!” She cracked one eye open and gave him a hauty look. “What kind of books do you read?”

Now it was Blue Flame's turn to blush. 

Twilight only shook her head as her friends quickly gathered around her and began their round of hugging and cooing and concerned questions as to her well being.

“Really, everypony, I'm just fine,” she assured them for what seemed like the hundredth time, pressing her cheek against Rarity's affectionately in an attempt to wipe away her worry lines.

“Well, that's good. But how'd you escape them changlings?” Applejack asked, with a confused look.

“And where's Princess Lily?” Blue Flamed asked anxiously.

Twilight held up a hoof and everypony became silent. 

“I didn't escape. Not really. I didn't need to. They've been... taking care of us.”

Rarity put a hood on Twilight's forehead. “Are you alright, dear?”

Twilight laughed, though it sounded weak, even to her. “I'm a bit tired, but sane. I think. They're not what we thought. And the Princess isn't either.” At Blue Flame's odd look, she quickly added, “She's also safe and she's been negotiating with the darklings here. It isn't what it seems. Silverline is here, too.”

Twilight turned her back and began to walk further into the caves, back the way she had come. After a short pause, she heard the familiar hoofbeats of her friends following her.

“Ah just don't get it, Twilight,” Applejack admitted, walking up beside her. “Fluttershy said you were captured by those critters. That doesn't say much bout good intentions.”

“Oh, no!” Fluttershy come up to Twilight's other side, a worried look on her face. “I never said that! I only said the darklings took them away.”

Applejack blinked, more confused than ever. “But you said that was... 'bad news.'”

Fluttershy smiled kindly. “Oh, that was because it meant we had to come in these scary caves, that's all. AHHH!” Fluttershy bolted forward at a gallop, her face wreathed in terror. 

“It's just me, dear,” Rarity cooed, forcing the light on her horn to glow brighter. 

Fluttershy stopped, waiting for them to catch up, a shaky smile on her face. “O-oh. I-I knew t-that.”

“Twilight?” Rainbow flew just over the alicorn's head. “You kept saying that all this wasn't what we thought. So... what is it?”

“This -” a loud voice stopped them all cold, bright light flaring up all around them, making their eyes water. “- is theeeeeeeeeee LOVE SHACK!”

Twilight forced her eyes to squint open enough to look around, recognizing that voice all too well. “Discord!”

The cavern they had just entered had been transformed by the draconiquus into a party room. Disco balls hung from the ceiling, bright spotlights were placed everywhere, the rough cave walls were lined with food tables and groups of changlings milled around with wide eyes. They apparently had no idea what was going on either. 

“Love shack! Baby, love shack!” Discord sang out, moon walking in the middle of the cave ballroom. “Come on, everypony! Time to cut a rug!” Immediately a large embroidered rug and giant scissors appeared in his hands and he began to take the phrase literally. 

Twilight was about to bark out another warning when Fluttershy zipped past them all and wrapped her hooves around the draconiquus fondly. 

“Discord! Oh, I'm so glad you've come here, too!”

The chaos expert grinned happily and returned the hug, the mutilated rug disappearing and the overly bright lights dimming to a more pleasant level. 

“He's here, too?” Rainbow asked with a displeased tone.

Blue Flame stepped forward, his brow creased. “Where's the princess? Where's Silverline?”

“Right here,” a calm male voice answered. 

All eyes turned to see four figures entering the room, all ones that admittedly looked quite odd next to one another. Chrysalis, the changling queen, Princess Lily of Sheon and Silverline, leaning heavily on his changling healer. 

Silence dominated the room for a moment. Princess Lily looked over at the changling queen and they exchanged a nod. 

Looking over her collection of subjects and their newest guests, Chrysalis announced, “Welcome, everypony. Welcome to our conference of peace. Welcome... to the threshold of a new age.”
> Unique
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “They're soooooo cuddly!” Pinkie Pie snorted with laughter as she played with five small changings. They run about her hooves and hid under her cape and around small stalagmites dotted around the cavern. 

Rarity let out a sigh, sitting down beside Twilight's sleeping form. It had taken less time than she had expected to get the alicorn princess to rest. Both of them, actually. Lily was also fast asleep, leaving the newest arrivals to deal with their old prejudices on their own. But as weary as she still was towards the changings, Rarity was still doing far better than Rainbow, who was sitting stiffly by Silverline and Blue Flame to Rarity's left side. 

“I mean, I guess the food is nice and all,” the blue pegasus admitted, poking a plate of hay fries in front of her, “but come on! We can't just be friends with these guys. They wrecked Canterlot! For all we know this food is poisoned or something!”

Blue Flame's eyes grew large and he swallowed his mouthful of food with a pained look on his face, eying his plate with suspicion. 

Silverline sighed and looked over his tightly wrapped side. It was a maze of bandages and a strange, hardened green substance. “They have no reason to kill us. They feed off of love, remember? Dead ponies don't love. They rot.”

Blue Flame looked a bit green now and pushed away his plate with one hoof. 

“I guess,” Rainbow muttered, still unconvinced as she watched Applejack introduce herself to a changling.

“Uh, h-hi. Mah name's Applejack,” the earth pony gave a brave smile.

“I am called Sally. I'm one of our Queen's healers.” The changling gave a friendly grin in return. An unfortunate move as the lights in the cave glinted off its fangs.

“Oh, uh, n-nice to meet you then!” Applejack rushed, backing away quickly and sitting down between Rainbow and Rarity without taking her eyes off the dark creature. “They ain't all that nice lookin', are they?” she whispered over at her winged friend who gave a nod in agreement. 

Rarity looked the changlings over. Most of them were milling about away from the ponies. With Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and the every popular Discord being exceptions, of course. In fact, the group of wondering changlings that was beginning to form around them was growing. 

The changlings were indeed intimidating. Their coats, if it was actually a coat, were pitch black. At least, they looked to be the same shade of black at first. As Rarity squinted in the odd lighting she realized that they were actually different shades of either black or very dark blues and greens. So dark that they appeared black. 

She blinked in surprised and looked again. Their bodies had holes in them, but looking at them in a calm manor she often applied to dressmaking, their bodies were actually quite... graceful. Like living works of modern art. Their eyes were different from one another just as their coats were, with small variances in shade and shape. And their wings! Delicate and of the most beautiful gauze like film, shimmery and soft. Slowly Rarity began to pick them out from one another.

She closed her eyes for a rest, forced herself up and headed towards the group, Discord's head the only thing showing above the black ring of bodies. 

“Gather around every changling! Look and seeeeee-” Discord was holding out a card in one hand. With a twist of his wrist, it disappeared and was replaced with a small bunny. A small familiar bunny.

“Angel!” Fluttershy cried out, grabbing onto the small creature. “But how did you get here?”

“Magic, my dear,” Discorn explained, a top hat appearing in his hands. “Magic. Now please place the bunny in the hat.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy complied with a worried look. “Where will he go? Will he be ok?”

“He'll disappear!” the draconiquus announced loudly. Before Fluttershy could panic, however, he leaned near her and whispered, “I'll just teleport him on home. He'll be just fine.”

With Fluttershy smiling again, but still apprehensive, Discord waved a hand over the hat, tapping Angel's head down again when it tried to pop up, and spoke a line or two of pure gibberish. When he showed the changlings the hat's innards, it was quite empty once again. 

Rarity shook her head with a grin as the changlings bust into joyful talk. This kind of magic was beyond simple for most unicorns who attended magic schools. For a draconiquus it was akin to walking through a park. Minimal effort was an understatement. 

The unicorn looked over at a changling staring at her. It was Sally, the healer again. She was shorter than some of the other females, with wide eyes and elegantly slender legs. 

Rarity smiled, ignoring the small glints of the creature's fangs. “Hello, dear. Sally, was it? I'm Rarity.”

Sally smiled, but attempted to keep her fangs hidden in the process, a pitiful act that made Rarity flinch inside. “Oh, you can tell which one I am? Most ponies say we look the same.”

The gracious unicorn smiled wider. “I'll admit that I used to think so, too. But now that I've seen more of you up close... Well, you're quite different from each other, aren't you? Take yourself, for example. You have full eyes and a tiny frame. Just like a pixie!”

The changling tilted its head. “Pixie?”

“Small fairy creatures. They're tiny, but very pretty,” Rarity explained.

The changling smiled fully now, forgetting about the effect her fangs gave. “You think I'm pretty?”

Rarity looked into Sally's eyes. They were blue, like all the others, but the exact hue and size was unique to her. It was like a fragment of sky. The kind of sky one sees right after a light rain, when the sun has burst forth and glints off the water droplets clinging to each blade of grass. 

“Yes,” Rarity answered honestly with a soft smile. “Yes, I do.”

Sally walked up to Rarity's side and gave her a small hug. “Thank you, Rarity.” When she moved back, the unicorn noticed that the creature's fangs seemed not quite as sharp as before. Though perhaps it was only her perception. 

“Where's our queen?”

Rarity turned away from Sally to see an out of breath changling standing awkwardly in the center of the room. He was taller than Sally, with thicker wings, stocky shoulders and a worried expression. 

“Where is Queen Chrysalis?” he asked again.

“What's wrong?” Silverline asked from across the room, forcing himself to get up with a flinch.

The changling looked around in vain once more before admitting with dread, “We're surrounded by a small army. And one of their unicorns is using magic to block our main entrance. We're being buried alive!”


> Blitz
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Spike looked around his new home. It was extremely large, almost as big as the throne room in the Canterlot castle. But it wasn't nearly as fancy. No, it was nothing more than an overly large barn. Hay, golden and fresh, was strewn all over the floor and in great piles in individual stalls to the right and left. Windows brought in the bright afternoon sun and a gentle breeze.

“At least they keep it clean in here,” the dragon mumbled to himself, trying to gather his courage. Taking a deep breath he billowed, “Hello? Is anypony else in here?”

“Pony? Why would you ask for them?”

Spike swung around to see two yellow eyes peering out from the shadows of a nearby stall. 

“Woah!” Spike took a few steps back. “Uh, well, uh... just... W-who are you?”

The eyes blinked and then slowly moved forward. It was a dragon, not much older than Spike, with gray scales and copper toned spikes. He stopped, on all four legs, staring just as hard at Spike. They both stood like that for some time, speechless and suspicious. Until, at last, the gray dragon broke the silence.

“You're new.” It was a statement rather than a question. And Spike couldn't refute it.

“Uh, yeah, kinda,” he looked over his new “roommate.” “Have you been here long?”

The gray dragon gave a snort, teeth glinting in the bright light. “Whole life, like everydragon else.” He eyed Spike. “But what about you? I don't remember you in the hatchery...”

“Oh,” Spike shrugged and looked around again, “that's cause I wasn't born here. I was born in Canterlot.”

“Where's that?”

Spike brought his eyes back to the gray dragon. “In Equestria. Oh, and my name's Spike, by the way.”

“Blitz,” the gray dragon replied distractedly. “Equestria? Where's that? Beyond the great mountains?”

Spike shook his head. “Nah, it's across the desert.”

Blitz' eyes grew wide. “You came all the way across that on your mother's back?”

Spike flinched. “Uh, no. I walked.”

“All the way?” a small voice asked from behind Blitz.

“Shhh!” Blitz muttered behind him in an irritated fashion. 

“But I wanna meet Spike, too,” the small voice protested. 

Two more small yellow eyes appeared and moved forward. It was another, slightly smaller dragon, with darker gray scales that were nearly black and opal colored spikes that dazzled the eyes. It cautiously moved to Blitz' side and looked over Spike curiously.

“This is my sister, Serendipity,” Blitz introduced dryly. He turned towards his sister and whispered quickly, “You should have waited until I said it was okay.”

She wrinkled her nose up at him and looked back at Spike. “What's Equestria like?”

“It's pretty cool. There are donut shops and trains and boutiques and gems!” 

The two siblings' both stared with rapped attention, eyes wide, heads trust forward. 

“Are... are ponies there?” Serendipity asked, a worried look on her face. 

“Of course!” Spike answered happily. 

But the reaction he got for his answer wasn't what he expected. Both siblings looked horrified and then disappointed.

Confused, Spike went on. “My best friends are ponies. Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack.”

Blitz' nose was wrinkled in disgust. “How can ponies be your friends?”

Spike didn't like the tone in his new friend’s voice and he straightened his back as he replied, “Easy. They teach me all kinds of stuff. And they listen to me when I'm worried, cheer me up when I'm sad, help me out when I'm in trouble and,” he took a breath, eyes a bit wet as his current situation began to finally sink in, “love me no matter what.”

Now both dragon siblings looked confused. 

“They,” Serendipity asked shyly, “they don't use you? They don't keep you in a cage?”

“A cage?” Spike asked, forgetting his loneliness for a moment as he focused on the conversation at hand. “Why would they put me in a cage?”

Blitz stood up straight, though he remained, like his sister, on all fours. “That's what ponies here do. They keep us in line. And when we get older, move us to different areas for training. We're used here for transportation for the royal family and for war.”

Spike's eyes grew large. “For war? What war?”

Blitz' eyes drew over towards one tall window near the peeked ceiling. Mountains showed in the distance, fog covering the tops. “Over the mountains... You didn't know?”

Spike shook his head. “Equestria is the other way so... We barely knew anything about this place!”

Suddenly Blitz cried out in pain and dropped to his stomach on the hay covered floor, his nostrils flaring in deep breaths, Serendipity hovering over him with sad eyes.

Spike rushed over. “What is it? What's wrong? Are you sick?”

Blitz' back arched up in a spasm and that's when Spike noticed two odd bumps near the dragon's shoulder blades. 

“Y-you're growing wings!” Spike stared opened mouthed in both amazement and horror. He had always dreamed of having wings of his own, but he had never stopped to think about how that would happen. Now he was beginning to figure it out. 

“Don't tell them!” Serendipity suddenly requested, her eyes big and pleading.

Spike tilted his head. “Tell who?”

“The caregivers,” Blitz answered through gritted teeth. “If they find out... I'll be moved. And I... don't want to leave my... sister.”

Spike was about to answer that he wouldn't tell when a loud chirp sounded and a blue flash rushed past his head. He looked about to see the same blue bird as before perch onto a nearby stall gate.  

“You!” Spike looked between the bird and Blitz. His eyes hardened. Rushing over towards the bird's side he asked quickly, “Do you know how to get back to Fluttershy?”

The bird tilted its head and then nodded. 

Spike smiled. “Good. I want you to let her know that I need a bit of help and I have two new friends,” he looked over at the two dragons for a second, “who are coming with me.”

The bird nodded again and then flew back out the window with its message. Spike sighed, walked back over towards Serendipity and Blitz, who was just getting up again. 

“I won't tell the caregivers anything, but hopefully that won't even matter soon,” he announced to them with a grin. 

Blitz gave Spike an unsure look. “What is that bird going to do? Its just a bird.”

Spike shook his head. “Oh, no. That's a bird with connections.” He clicked his craws together in a devilish fashion. “Very powerful connections...”

The two dragons just stared at him. Spike sighed, dropped his claws and sat down on the floor.

“Okay then. Maybe you should tell me about this place a bit. I'm afraid I'm not all that knowledgeable about dragons...”
> Under Orders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “That's probably the other team!” Blue Flame exclaimed, hopping up. “I had forgotten all about them!”

“There was another team?” Silverline asked.

“Oh dear,” Rarity said, “I forgot to tell them we were safe. That unicorn outside must be Lady Solace.”

“They are... friends?” The changling sentry asked, his tone uncertain. 

“Mostly,” Blue Flame answered quickly. “Rarity, could you -”

Rarity's face went blank as her horn glowed. She frowned, her horn dimming and going out. She shook her head wearily. “She's concentrating too much on what she's doing. I can't reach her.”

Silverline moved towards the tunnel that lead to the main entrance. “Then we do this the old fashioned way...”

“Woah there!” Rainbow shot up. “You should keep resting. That wing and your leg are only going to get worse if you start running around, trust me. We'll take care of this," she looked over at the male pegasus next to her "Won't we, Blue Flame?”

The deep blue pegasus looked from Rainbow to Silverline. “Oh, uh, yeah. Sure.”

“But where is our queen?” The sentry looked torn and confused, many of the other changlings shifting from hoof to hoof with him, as if connected by some unseen force.

“What do you need her for?” Rainbow asked, hovering in the musty cavern air. 

Rarity flinched at Rainbow's tone, but thankfully the changlings didn't seem to notice.

“Our queen leads us,” the sentry said in a tone that implied that everypony should know such a simple fact. “And she alone can use magic among us.”

Rarity blinked and looked around. It was true. No other changlings had horns, which was often the main source of anypony's magic ability. 

“But you can transform into other ponies, can't you?” she asked Sally. “Isn't that magic?”

Sally tilted her head in confusion. “That is to transform. Not magic.”

“Soooo,” Applejack got up, looking around, “none of y'all can do any magic?”

“Only those chosen as queen have the power,” a tall changling near the front answered. 

“Chosen?” Rarity asked. “Do you vote?”

Numerous changlings murmured together at that. Sally only shook her head. “We don't know what 'vote' means. The Hive Effect chooses our new queen when the current queen is no more. Then the chosen undergoes a permanent transformation into the new queen.”

“The... Hive Effect?” Fluttershy asked, flying down to the ground among the changlings. She had already gotten rather comfortable in their presence, making Rarity wonder if they qualified as “animals” or “pets” in the shy pegasus' mind.

“It connects us all,” another changling answered.

“You can read each other's minds?!” Pinkie cried out, hopping around Sally. “Cool! Do me, do me!”

The changling shook her head. “It's not like that. We sometimes hear echos. Emotions of our own kind. Nothing too concrete. But it can help us interact with each other and act as one in times of great trouble or in battle.”

There was silence for a second before Rainbow began making her way towards the entrance. “Well, that's cool and all, but we gotta stop that unicorn from burying us alive. Come on, Blue Flame!”

The pegasus bowed towards his still wounded commander and rushed after Rainbow, the changlings staring at them as they left. Applejack looked down at the two alicorns who were still fast asleep. Then she looked over at Rarity and the two shared a nod and followed the pegasus'.

“Fluttershy!” Rarity called behind her as she left, “Be a dear and look after Twilight. Pikie Pie!”

“Coming, Captain Rarity!” The pink earth pony cried out in glee, wearing an army helmet that came from heaven knows where."For helmet emergencies," she answered Rarity's unspoken question. 

Fluttershy watched her friends go with worry. “There shouldn't be trouble, right?” she asked Discord, looking up at him with big eyes.

The draconiquus shrugged. “If they really are your allies.” He watched Fluttershy for a moment before adding, “But just in case, I think I'll take a peek as well.”

The yellow pegasus smiled and gave him a hug before he snapped his fingers and appeared right outside the caves, high enough in the air to avoid being seen easily.

There was indeed a group of ponies outside the cave's main enterance. Most of them appeared to be pegasus soldiers, dressed in leather armor. But one was a unicorn, regally dressed in a flowing cloak of deep crimson with a long main and tail the color of gray slate. She was very calmly closing up the entrance with rocks and was nearly done, only a small portion at the top remained unfilled. 

Discord frowned. Something was rather odd here, even to the chaos loving draconiquus. He floated down towards the ground behind them, too silent for anypony to notice.

“Why, hello there!” he greeted them suddenly.

About half the pegasus nearly jumped out of their armor. The other half, including the unicorn - Lady Solace, was it? - simply turned towards him, trying to hide their shock at not only being surprised by a potential enemy, but also at seeing their first draconiquus. 


“I don't mean to interrupt your work, really I don't. It's just I was wondering as to the why behind it all. Seems rather strange to wall up a cave, that's all.”

“What are you?” one of the pegasus asked in horror.

Discord smiled and gave an elegant bow. “Why, I am Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony! Or at least I was. Now I'm only about eighty percent chaos, fifteen percent friendship and five percent... well, we shouldn't talk about that percent. It's not the most pleasant, after all.”

Solance walked over calmly. “We're under orders to keep the enemy within these caves from reaching the capitol.”

Discord tilted his head. “Orders, huh?” He squinted. “Even if that means trapping your first search party inside, too?”

The group was silent for a moment before Solace answered darkly, “The only ones inside these caves are enemies.”

“I suppose your 'all powerful emperor' told you that?” Discord asked mockingly, using air quotes for good measure. 

The unicorn's calm demeanor vanished into a snarl. “Our Great Emperor speaks absolute truth. To question him is to question truth. These caves will be sealed and all those within shall be made silent for the safety of truth.”

Discord smirked. “Oh, really?” He snapped his fingers and the blocked entrance was instantly cleared, revealing some very serious ponies that had just heard everything they needed to know.

“Sense when - ” Applejack sneered.

“ - does truth - “ Rainbow continued.

“ - need protecting?” Blue Flame finished.

Discord snapped again to make some popcorn appear in his arm. “I do believe,” he tossed some puffy kernels into his mouth, “this shall be quite entertaining.” 
> The Bonded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Fluttershy?” Sally slowly walked closer to the shy pegasus so as not to scare her. “Perhaps you should also get some rest?”

Fluttershy stopped her pacing at looked at the changling with a lost look.

“Discord is with them,” Sally reminded her with a soft voice. “And we're already looking for our queen. And she can defeat any foe.”

The pegasus smiled faintly. She thought about the defeat of Chrysalis in Canterlot, but wisely kept such thoughts to herself. No good ever came of insulting the most cherished and loved ruler of a culture without good cause. And even then the pony knew the virtue of knowing when to keep one's mouth shut.

“Oh, no. I'm fine. Really,” she looked around her idly. “Maybe I should help you look for her?”

Sally shook her head and walked over to where Silverline was resting, very gently prodding his bandage to make sure it was tight enough. He gave her a brave smile before laying his head back down on top of his hooves.

“I shall know if we find her.”

Fluttershy perked up, her ears snapping forward. “Oh! Through your... Hive Effect?” 

Sally gave her a smile. “You remember what I said earlier? Yes. I won't know where she is or anything too specific, but I'll likely feel a rush of relief when she's found.”

“Not all that,” Silverline yawned, his eyelids drooping, “useful for a conversation, is it?”

Sally tilted her head. “I have always had the Hive Effect, so I'm not sure just how useful it is...” Her head straightened. “But sometimes I can change my manner of speech to ease another's feelings of anxiety or excitement or sorrow. I suppose if I couldn't sense another's feelings, it would be harder to communicate with them.”

“Can you sense our feelings?” Fluttershy asked, coming closer. 

The changling shook her small head. “You are not part of the Hive.” She paused a moment in thought before adding, “Although, legends of before... Back when we lived side by side with ponies... They say there was a bit of a connection. Like a fainter version of the Hive Effect.”

Silverline forced himself into a more aware state of mind, despite his weariness. “Is that a side effect from feeding off of us?”

Sally sat down. “I'm not sure, but I don't think its that simple. After all, Princess Lily has been feeding us for some time now and I don't think any special connections with the Hive have been made. Of course, it might just take a very long time...”

Fluttershy sat beside the changling, forgetting her worry as she focused on the information she was getting from this brand new creature. She loved learning about other animals and trying to understand them. The mere idea that a peace might soon exist between ponies and changlings made her not only happy, but excited. 

“Do you know anything else about this 'time before?'” she asked.

Sally thought for a moment, eyes unfocused on the far wall. “Well, there was the Bonding.”

Silverline yawned again, forcing out a muffled, “Bahdeng?”

The changling nodded. “I think that was when a new changling came of age, around its tenth year, and it was pared with a pony around the same age as its principal Giver.”

“Giver,” Fluttershy echoed. “Oh! You mean the one that feeds you?”

Sally nodded. “Traditionally they were then raised very close together, often joining entire families of ponies and changlings into close networks. It's probably because of this constant and close proximity that the Hive Effect began to also work on ponies, too.”

Silverline closed his eyes, unable to fight their leaded weight any longer. “That makes sense... If you're raised with a changling, it'd probably have an effect sooner or later.”

Fluttershy looked down in thought. “That would, in turn, bring everypony closer as a community,” she looked up again at Sally, “wouldn't it?”

Sally shook her head sadly. “I don't know. I'm too young to remember those days... Only our Queen has such a long lifespan. She might remember.” Sally's voice held a hollow sound, like a lonely drop of water falling into a small pool in a deserted cavern. 

Fluttershy wished to ask about Chrysalis, about how she became their current queen, about what happened to the last one. But something held her back. Sally's stance was suddenly distant, as if the changling had pulled into herself for protection. The pegasus laid her head down on her front hooves and closed her eyes, respecting the healer's wish for distance.

“Ah!”

The sound jarred Fluttershy's eyes open again. “What is it?” she asked Sally.

The changling gave her a grin, the distance gone. “She's been found.”

“Oh, that's good,” Fluttershy said, looking over at the fast asleep Silverline. “Is she headed here?”

“Probably,” Sally answered, getting up. She tilted her head, as if listening to a faint sound. “Then again, she might be headed outside...”

“Oh, dear!” Fluttershy got up and started to prance in place, worried about her friends again. “S-should I go out there, too? Should I help out?”

Sally sat down again after a stretch. “There's no need. You can just sit here with me. Our queen will take care of it. She said there would be peace, didn't she?”

The pegasus slowly sat down again. “I... yes. Yes, she did.”

The changling grinned. “Then there will be. She has no intention of letting anything bad happen to your princess or our own, now.” She looked over at both alicorns as they continued their deep sleeps. 

Fluttershy smiled. “Does this mean... we're all friends now?”

Sally looked surprised at that question, as if the thought had never occurred to her. “Hm. Well, I suppose we are...” She slowly smiled. “If that makes you happy.”

Fluttershy suddenly shot into the air, hovering with her small wings. “Oh, it does! It does!”

“Then we are friends,” Sally confirmed.

Just then a loud crash echoed throughout the cavern, throwing all the changlings into a panic and rudely awakening the sleeping ponies.  

“Wa- what happened?” Twilight asked, the ground beneath them all trembling. 

A huge cloud of dust and smoke washed into the cave from the tunnel leading outside. The same tunnel the other ponies had taken to speak with the second search team. 

“Oh, dear!” Fluttershy moaned. 

Twilight looked around quickly before settling her eyes on her shy friend. “Discord. Where's Discord?”

Fluttershy whimpered and looked at the dust clogged tunnel.

“Oh, no,” Twilight mumbled. She had a feeling her recent rest wasn't going to be enough for this. 
> Against the Party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “What is going on here, Solace?”

Blue Flame was standing between the new arrivals and the second search team, trying to buy Rarity time. It had happened so fast only the unicorn reacted, but her magical hold on the boulders Solace had sent their way was pure instinct and it took all her concentration to just keep them in the air, to say nothing of setting the heavy rocks down safely. 

Solace sneered at them. “You are traitors and shall be dealt with as such.”

Rainbow flew over by Blue Flame. “First off, we haven't done anything wrong and secondly,” she took a deep breath before rising her voice, “we aren't even a part of your silly nation so we've betrayed nopony!”

Solace's chin quivered, but before anything more could be said she sent another valley of rocks swirling around them. 

“Rarity?” Blue Flame looked behind him to see with horror that the unicorn was just setting down the first boulders and looked about ready to collapse. He bit out some unknown word that didn't sound like anything polite.

Rainbow glared through the rock streaked wind at the smirking Solace. Even at top speed the pegasus knew she wouldn't make it safely through that dangerous wall. Closing her eyes with a groan she screamed at the top of her voice, “Discord!”

With a pop the Draconiquus appeared in the eye of the boulder storm with them. He looked around with a pleasant smile. “Yes, Rainbow Dash?”

She gestured around her. “Get rid of this – this magic wall!”

Discord's jaw dropped and he put a hand to his chest dramatically. “Why, Rainbow, is that any way to ask a friend to do something for you?”

Gritting her teeth, Rainbow added, “Please.”

The draconiquus sighed and gave her a critical eye. “Hm, well it's not that great, but I'll take it. It's a big step for you, after all.”

He then turned towards the wind and snapped. All wind ceased and the rocks tumbled to the ground harmlessly. Solace stared in shock for a second before her horn began to glow again. With a sigh of boredom, Discord snapped again and an oversized top hat appeared once more and covered the pony's entire head. 

Discord burst out laughing as the pegasus surrounded their unicorn leader and tired, without success, to remove the hat. 

Rainbow came closer to them, assuming a commanding pose. “Listen, Solace. I'll have Disocrd remove the hat, but no more attacking us, got it?”

The hat bobbed up and down in a sad manner. Rainbow looked over at Discord. He shrugged and snapped, the hat disappearing as quickly as it came. Solace's mane was messed up and her mouth was set in a firm line. 

“Alright then,” Rainbow tried to get closer, but the pegasus guards came between her and Solace. The blue speed-lover snarled at them and glared through their wings at the robed unicorn. “You got orders to get rid of us, didn't you Solace?”

The unicorn was silent.

Blue Flame walked over towards Rainbow. “The Emperor ordered it, right? But why?”

The unicorn remained silent. 

Rainbow turned towards the male pegasus in frustration. “What's going on?”

Blue Flame shook his head. “I'm not sure...”

“Perhaps I can aid you in seeking an explanation.”

All eyes rose to see the changling queen slowly descending from the sky, the nervous sentry that had been worried about her at her side. She looked over the many rocks all about, Rarity panting for air with Pinkie trying desperately to make her smile using a wide variety of mustaches, Applejack looking bewildered and the two blue hued pegasus' tense forms. She frowned as she turned her eyes back towards the second “search” party. 

“Let me take a guess,” she murmured darkly, slowing walking towards them. “Your emperor thinks we're some kind of evil infestation. And you were about to provide the cure, weren't you?”

Before she could get too close to Solace the pegasus on her team bravely shot towards the changling queen. Chrysalis' horn glowed a bright neon green and immediately a thick green ooze clung to their wings, dropping each towards the ground. She then continued walking forward calmly, her gait slow and deliberate. 

Solace looked absolutely terrified and as soon as the changling queen got too close, she attempted to make a run for it. 

With zap, Chrysalis transported herself right in front of the runaway. She looked down at her with a toothy grin, Solace's eyes growing wide.

“I believe,” the queen whispered, “you have made a mess of this cave entrance. That was rude of you. You should clean up before you leave.”

Solace was silent a moment before letting a blood curdling scream. Chrysalis flinched away, giving Solance the chance she needed. Like a lightning bolt she was gone, headed for the city at top speed. Her pegasus guards just watched her leave in shock. 

Blue Flame took his chance before they had time to think too much.

“Fall in!” the pegasus commanded. 

The guards looked at him in slight confusion, but automatically fell into a line. 

Blue Flame began to walk casually up and down their line as the sentry changling went to his queen and asked if he should pursue Solace.

The queen shook her head, keeping careful watch over the newest arrivals' line. “The emperor will find this all out eventually. Conflict is not something it seems we can avoid at this point. We knew this was coming.”

“Listen up!” Blue Flame commanded, stopping with a firm stance before the line of pegasus. “Princess Lily has decided to begin negotiations with this darkling hive. Our job is to protect and care for her highness.” He glared at the line. “Is that a problem for any of you?”

The whole line shook their heads furiously. 

Blue Flame released them from his glare. “Good. Now fall into position behind me. We're returning to our post beside the princess.”

The deep blue pegasus exchanged a wink with Rainbow before leading the troops back through the tunnel. Just as all the others began to slowly file in behind them, a bright blue flash whipped by them all, straight into the cavern. 

“Was that,” Applejack murmured, repositioning Rarity's leg on her shoulders so as to better support her friend, “a bird?”
> Never Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “So, you actually behaved yourself?”

Twilight was giving Discord a critical, not to say suspicious, eye. She was still next to Lily, although both were wide awake and tense. Seeing new arrivals walking in calmly behind Blue Flame in military fashion only relaxed her slightly. She still felt she was in over her head. Far in over her head. 

Discord gave her a winning smile, his arms held out as if to embrace the world. “Why of course, my dear Princess Twilight! What ever made you think I wouldn't?”

“Beats me,” Rainbow muttered with a roll of her eyes.

“Now Rainbow Dash,” Discord popped right in front of her, bating his eyelashes. “You know very well that I was very polite and did everything you asked, now didn't I?”

Rainbow wrinkled her nose, but admitted that, yes, he had performed reasonably well.

Discord sniffed. “Well! Such ingratitude. I don't fathom why I ever help you ponies in the first place.”

Fluttershy floated over to him and place a hoof on his shoulder. “Because we're your friends and you care about us?”

Discord softened a bit and patted the pegasus on the head. “I guess,” he sighed.

“The situation is worse than we feared, though," Chrysalis spoke to Princess Lily. “Your father is dead set against us. If he was willing to kill even you -”

“But maybe he didn't know I was in here!” Lily interrupted desperately. 

Chrysalis's eyes were oddly soft, but she didn't answer. Lily already knew. She didn't have to be told. She laid down and buried her face into her front hooves. The cave became quiet and the small platoon of pegasus looked quite uncomfortable and lost with their princess so distressed. 

Chrysalis caught Twilight's eyes and motioned for her to follow. The alicorn nodded and waved her friends back from following her. It was high time they had a plan and Twilight wished to iron it out well before the others knew of it.

Chrysalis lead the princess down another side tunnel. Her horn glowed, casting an eery greenish hue on the rocks around them. She stopped after only a few minutes and turned to face Twilight.

“Negotiation is impossible, isn't it?” Twilight asked.

The changling queen sighed. “I thought as much long ago. True, Princess Lily gave me hope. But it's not enough.” She frowned. “And I was always worried about that unicorn ruler.”

“I feel like I only know half of everything,” Twilight commented. “How did you meet Lily? What do you know about the emperor here?”

Chrysalis looked up at the ceiling curiously as she explained briefly, “We were staying well outside the city here, feeding off farmers secretly for weeks. Somepony must have seen one of us, thought we were ghosts and that's when strange stories spread. The princess came to investigate the area and ran into Sally, who was gathering some herbs to leave at one of the houses. The pony inside was sick.”

The queen looked down again and shrugged. “Princess Lily is curious. And naive of danger. She opened dialog with us, even agreeing to stay with us to feed the young ones.” She sighed. “She did try to talk to her father the emperor. But he was as many others are. Harsh and arrogant. He claimed the kingdom had no need of us now that the power of the dragons was in their control.”

“Power of the dragons?” Twilight had forgotten about that dark element of the empire. Her mind shot back to Spike, alone in the city and likely very worried. She needed to get back to him. 

“I'm not very clear on that myself, Twilight,” the queen admitted. “They were not around back when our ancestors were a part of the empire. They must have been brought over in the hundreds of years since.”

“It sounds like they're used as part of the military...” Twilight murmured. 

Chrysalis nodded. “That's the conclusion I arrived at and the princess confirmed it. Apparently this father of hers has declared war on the nation beyond the mountains and has already begun a few choice battles there. His biggest weapon being these dragons he claims to have tamed.”

“But,” Twilight felt lost again, “I would think he'd welcome your group in because he'd have even more power, wouldn't he?”

Chrysalis was silent for awhile. “Princess Twilight?”

“Yes?”

The queen's voice was oddly soft, as if speaking to a small child. “What emotion comes with war?” 

Twilight flinched. “Oh.”

Chrysalis nodded, the light off her horn flickering over the walls, shadows in the rocks dancing. “We can fight. You have seen us do so. But only when we must. Either to protect or...”

“Conquer?” Twilight ventured. Before the queen could speak she quickly said, “I can't imagine what it was like. So many of your own starving. Counting on you to save them. With nopony even willing to listen to you.” She took a deep breath before finishing. “But I can't allow you to try that again. To do what you did to Canterlot. No matter how bad this emperor is, we have to try. We have to try and talk.”

Chrysalis gave another sigh and then smiled. “I had a feeling you'd say that. Although, in my current state, I don't think I could do that again even if I wanted to. The initial energy I needed to do what I did was rather massive even before I fed from your brother.”

At Twilight's finch, she added, “My feeding didn't give him any side effects. That was a spell. A dizzying spell, to lower the sheild. It was all pointless if I was the only one to be fed.”

“I know,” Twilgiht said, though her body felt impossibly tense. Her mind kept wanting to return to that time, trying to relive it, the images ripping her current calm slowly. “I just -”

“Twilight!”

Alicorn and changling queen looked down the way they had come to see Sally leading a worried Fluttershy through the darkness, a bright blue bird clinging to her pink hair in terror.

“What's a bird doing in here?” Twilight asked, one eye brow raised.

“Oh,” Fluttershy gasped when they finally reached them. She took a gulp of air. “He... he got lost in the tunnels for a bit... but that's not... important...”

“Lost?” Twilight eyed the scared bird. It looked like it was about to have a breakdown. “Why'd he come in here?”

“That's what... I'm trying... to tell you...” the pegasus gasped. 

“Alright then. Why?”

Fluttershy looked up, finally catching her breath, her eyes big. “He says the emperor's taken Spike captive!”
> Strategy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Alright, everypony just shut up!”

Twilight's sudden, and rather unexpected, command hushed the garble of talk inside the cavern instantly. She looked around at the silent changlings and ponies before taking a calmer breath.

“That's better.” She looked to her side, where Fluttershy stood, eyes sad and face downcast, the bird still clinging to her hair for dear life. “I'm sure you've all heard the news. Spike, my dragon companion and close friend,” she explained for the sake of the changlings, “has been taken captive by the Sheon emperor.” 

She looked over at the changling queen at her other side and took another breath before facing the crowd. “We were hoping to figure out some way of opening negotiations again. Perhaps forcing an audience if we absolutely had to -”

“No way!” Rainbow raced up into the cold cavern air. “They just tried to kill us! And they have Spike! We have to fight back!”

Another wave of angry voices swept over the crowd of ponies, even Rarity, tired as she was, let out a desperate, “We can't let them harm our little Spike!” Twilight noticed the strange glances of the changlings and the flinch on the queen's face. 

“Hold it!” She cried out, nearly taking to the air herself, but held back by something. She looked at her wings and saw they were still held down by that strange greenish substance. She gave a flinch herself. She had forgotten she was even injured. This was going to be harder than she thought.

“Alright, look,” she announced in a loud voice, “I know how you all feel. I really do. I... I raised Spike. I more than anypony,” she felt her voice wavering, her eyes watering and immediately stopped to take another gulp of air, closing her eyes for a moment. The cavern remained still. She forced her eyes open again. “We can't give in to anger. We'll do something we regret. We need to go about this as peacefully as we can.”

“And how are we gonna do that?” Applejack asked with a confused look. “Ah don't wanna rain on your rodeo, Twiahlight, but they ain't gonna just hand him over if we ask nicely.”

The alicorn shook her head. “I know that, but we can't just go in there attacking everything that moves.”

“Why not?” Rainbow demanded. “They started it!”

“And who is 'they?'” Chrysalis asked with a  raised brow. “The soldiers are following orders. As you can see,” she nodded her head towards Blue Flame and his new recruits, “once they are told a bit more and have a choice, they are willing to listen to reason.”

“And it's not just the military,” Twilight agreed, “it's the civilians, palace guards, really anypony other than the emperor, and probably Solace, are unknown in their alliance. We have no idea exactly who is truly dangerous and who is simply following orders. We could hurt a lot of innocents if we just rush in there with our magic.” 

There was a somber silence for a second before Twilight asked Princess Lily softly, even when she knew what the answer might be, “Is there any way you can convince your father to speak with us?”

The alicorn looked sadly at Twilight, her eyes focusing and unfocusing in thought. “I- I'm not sure.” she hung her head. “He's so stubborn. He believes he has to conquer this other nation. That the dragons are a gift from the heavens and that he alone has divine power over them. Even if I could talk to him...”

Twilight sighed. “I understand.” She thought for a moment. “Princess Lily?”

The alicorn rose her head. 

“What would happen if it was proven that the dragons aren't just controlled by him?” she asked slowly.

Lily blinked and tilted her head. “B-but they are. They do anything he says. They're trained to. They follow nopony else. Even the trainers can do only so much.”

“That doesn't sound right,” Fluttershy murmured. “Dragons are huge and scary and they do anything they wish!”

Lily shook her head slowly. “Wild dragons, perhaps, but the ones here are perfectly tamed. They don't even have minds of their own.”

“But what if we could change that?” Twilight asked again, thinking of Spike's occasionally mischievous, but often kind and very unique, personality. 

“Is that even possible?” the princess asked.

Twilight smirked. “It's worth a try!” She looked over at Discord, who had been oddly silent this whole time, a strange contemplating expression on his disproportioned face. “Discord!” The draconiquus looked over at her blankly. “Can you transport us all to where Spike is?”

The chaos master's eyes grew large and he looked around quickly. “Well, I'd hope where he is is spacious enough!”

Twilight walked forward with a nod, looking over the crowd. “Point taken. What about a small group? Saaaay, three ponies and two changlings?”

Discord rubbed at his chin and then leaned down to whisper into a nearby changling's ear, “Can I borrow you for a second?”

The small creature nodded curiously and Discord snapped. The changling disappeared from his spot near the draconiquus and appeared over by its queen, looking around in a panicked manner.

Discord nodded to himself. “Yes, I can manage that...” His face became playful again. “But I'd much prefer a more interesting job.”

“Oh, that's not all I want you to do,” Twilight grinned. Looking over at her friends she called over Silverline. “You and Fluttershy are coming with me and Chrysalis to the dragon grounds. We're going to remind them they have their own voice in this world.”

Fluttershy immediately hunkered down towards the floor, her eyes wide. “B-but d-d-dragons!”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight breathed, trying to remain calm, “I know they're scary to you... But you heard what Princess Lily said, right? These dragons have been stripped of their freedom. They're being used and controlled as weapons! Are you just going to sit back and watch?”

Something snapped inside of Fluttershy and she shot up instantly from the cold ground into the chill air, eyes focused. “No!”

Silverline didn't look convinced. “Wouldn't it be better for the princess to accompany you? She knows more about the dragon grounds and,” he looked at his bandaged wing and leg, “I'm not going to be very helpful to anypony like this.”

Twilight shook her head. “You have other qualities I'll need.” At his questioning look she answered, “Such as your calm logic and warrior's heart.” They exchanged smiles as Twilight turned to face the crowd again. “I need the princess here.” Raising her voice she addressed them all again. “Pikie Pie!”

The energetic ponie jumped up and down excitedly. 

“You'll be rushing through the city, letting as many ponies know as you can that the Princess Lily has made a peace with the long awaited darkling tribe, returned to bring fortune to Sheon's citizens. Tell them to join her and the darkling tribe in a celebration of this momentous occasion in the forest clearing right outside the caves.”

Pinkie nearly burst with happiness. “Peace party!!!”  

“Rarity!”

The unicorn looked up from her place laying down on the ground, Sally by her side, trying to make her new friend comfortable.

“I know you're tied, but could you help the princess, changlings and Discord to organize this peace celebration? It needs to look, safe, happy and , most of all, peaceful.”

The unicorn gave her friend a brave smile, though it cast over towards Discord with a worried look. “I'll... I'll do my best!”

Twilight returned her smile and then turned towards the others. “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Blue Flame! You will provide security for the Princess' celebration. I've no doubt Pinkie's announcements will attract some hostile forces. Remember! Don't hurt anypony. Just keep anypony who wants to cause trouble away from the event. Discord? You'll be rushing around quite a bit. I need you to not only assist Rarity, but also keep anypony from getting injured if any military attacks become too aggressive."

The draconiquus looked curious about the idea, not giving the usual sarcastic remarks. He merely nodded. Twilight made a note to question about his odd behaver later. 

She took one more breath "We have to make this whole thing look wonderful and peaceful and completely accepted by the royal house. That way, by the time the emperor can act against us, we'll have the hearts of all his kingdom on our side. Hopefully.” 

She took a breath and looked over at Chrysalis. “You'll be coming with me along with one other changling. Your transformation abilities might be critical to us not being found out if there are patrols or caretakers where Spike is.” She pressed her lips before asking softly, “If you agree to all this, that is?”

The changling queen was silent for a moment before breaking into a grin. “Remind me never to play any strategy games with you, Twilight Sparkle. I fear it wouldn't turn out well for me.”
> In Position
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Discord?”

The draconiquus sighed dramatically. “Let me guess. To the left?”

“If you please,” Rarity cooed as sweetly as she could from her relaxed position on the grass. 

Discord rolled his eyes, but obliged, moving the large, sparkling blue awning towards the left, centering it in the middle of the field. 

Rarity hadn't felt all that confident when she was assigned this job alongside Discord, but the draconiquus was far more docile than she had expected. Or that she remembered. She glazed at the strange creature as he bent down to listen to one of the changlings at his feet. 

It's true that Discord had changed in surprising ways due to Fluttershy's friendship. But his old, chaos loving self was still the dominate side of him. She was surprised he'd been trusted to be posted on the border at all, given how much trouble he'd caused concerning those seeds... Rarity shook her head and focused on Princess Lily's question as to the food. Discord's choice was still a bit too odd, but she wasn't sure what dishes were preferred in the late evening. 

“Oh, the more savory the better, with a rich desert would be best, I think,” she answered the princess. The alicorn smiled bravely and trotted over to Discord. 

“Ponies change... I suppose draconiquus' must as well...” she murmured to herself as she watched Discord consider the princess' request and snap his fingers to change the food for, what must have seemed to him, to be the hundredth time. Yet she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something rather important. He looked almost... distracted. 

“Discord?”

Twilight was leading her group towards him, looking around with a smile. “Wow. You've really been hard at work, haven't you?”

The once plain green field had been transformed into an inviting evening event, with more food tables than Twilight had ever seen and dark, sparkling blue fabric draping overhead in cross crossing glory. It was elegant and surprisingly sophisticated for something thrown together only an hour or so before. Not to mention that the dark color combinations complemented the changlings' eyes, making them seem to belong there just as much as the ponies. 

“You have no idea,” Discord whined. He leaned down closer to her. “They've made me change the food thirteen times!”

Twilight gave him a genuine smile. “Now you know what my coronation was like. Don't worry though, you're almost done with this part. Hang in there.”

He gave another sigh as Twilight looked around again. “How long has Pinkie been out in the city?”

Rarity nodded towards the forest. “About an hour...” She suddenly gasped. “Discord!”

“What now?” he grumbled. 

“The forest! How will the guests get through the dark forest?” Rarity nearly got up, she was so panicked. Sally was immediately at her side, pushing her back down. 

“Don't worry, Rarity,” the changling soothed. “Some of us can go through the forest and leave glowing rocks from some of the inner caves. We'll make a path for them.”

Rarity finally relaxed. “Oh. Alright. Everything's fine then.”

Discord mimicked a forlorn look at Twilight. “I can't take much more of this Twilight. I really can't.” A large watch appeared on his wrist as he checked his pulse. “It's bad for my health!”

The alicorn gave a chuckle. “Well how about you switch gears for a bit?” She looked around at Silverline, Fluttershy, Chrysalis and her squadron leader, Sprint, whom Twilight recognized as the sentry guard she'd seen with the queen earlier. “I think we're all ready now to go to where Spike is.” She gave the draconiquus a searching look. “So long as we don't end up inside a wall.”

Discord patted her on the head. “My dear Twilight. What ever gave you that idea?”

She raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply. 

Discord removed his hand and sniffed. “Well!”

“Discord.”

“Alright, alright,” he threw up his hands in surrender and prepared to snap his fingers. “Ready everypony? I don't stop the ride once it starts.”

They each nodded and a loud snap filled their ears before the world shifted. 

–---------

“See anything?” Rainbow called down to Applejack and the few changlings that were with her.

“Uh, not really. Darn fog is getting' worse, too,” the earth pony called back. 

Not able to see the fog well from her position with the other pegasus in the clear late afternoon sky, she shot down for a look. Sure enough, a light vapor was wrapping its way through the trees and bushes. 

“It's not that bad,” she commented lightly as she neared her friend. 

“Not that bad?” Applejack echoed with a raised voice. “You weather ponies really ought to know better. This is likely to turn real bad, real fast. And how are we supposed to have a safe, fun, peaceful event when all anypony can see are formless shadows in the fog stalking their every move?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Ah, you worry too much, AJ. It'll burn off.”

“Burn off, huh?” The apple expert tipped her hat up and gave her winged friend a raised eyebrow. “Burned off bah what, exactly? It'll be sundown soon. And that's another thang. How are we supposed ta keep this event all safe-like when it's dark out?”

The pegasus shrugged. “It's supposed to be a full moon tonight? And we shouldn't even need it. The event should kick off in a few minutes. By sun down, everypony will be friends and the emperor will surrender.”

“Just like that, huh?” The earth pony shook her head. “Ah don't know, Rainbow. Ah'm not so sure this whole thang is going to work out that well.”

“You. Worry. Too. Much,” Rainbow repeated with emphasis. She smirked and began to fly up. “Gotta check on the others! Good luck!”

Applejack watched her friend disappear into the golden tinted clouds. She sighed, putting her head down and looking around. A few changlings were nearby, eyes watching her for any orders. She suppressed a shiver. Vampire bats were one thing. At least they were small. These things could eat her alive if they wanted. 

“Uh... You see anything..." -their blue eyes glittered int eh shadows of the trees- "odd?”

They shook their heads. One, who had introduced herself as Silvia, came forward, body in a rigid military pose. “Should we create a pentameter?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.” Applejack gave them a confident nod as they seemed to vanish into the greenery. Her nod used up nearly all the confidence she had. 
"Please don't take too long, Twiahlight. Ah can't take much more of this."
> Baby Dragons
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight blinked rapidly and looked around. She appeared to be in a very large barn. The late afternoon light seemed to set the golden hay ablaze it was so bright.

“Twilight!”

Before she even registered the voice, small, familiar claws were clinging to her legs. She smiled and looked down.

“Spike! Thank goodness.” 

Two large eyes looked up at her full of joy. Just as suddenly, they filled with terror at something behind her. “Twilight?!

“Calm down, Spike,” she soothed, looking back to see Chrysalis and her commander standing very still not far behind her. “They aren't bad guys anymore. They're on our side.”

“Did they tell you that?” Spike asked viciously. His eyes grew wide and he stepped away from her quickly. “How do I know you're -”

Twilight's eyelids lowered halfway in a bored expression. “Ketchup doesn't look like blood, Spike. To say nothing of that fake mouse toy.”

Spike blushed and ran forward to embrace her legs again. He looked around at everypony better and spotted Fluttershy and Silverline. “You got my message!”

Fluttershy came close to him and smiled. “Why of course we did! Although,” her face showed worry again, “poor Mr. Bluebird was pretty traumatized...” 

Spike didn't answer her, his eyes were shifting between Silverline's injuries and Twilight's own strangely bound wings.

“What happened to you guys?”

Twilight shook her head. “Long story, Spike. But we don't have much time. We need to wake up the dragons here.”

“Wake up...” Spike looked as if something had slapped him and he immediately ran off into one of the many stalls to the left. Faint whispers were heard. 

Spike rushed back again and waved his claws towards himself. “Come on out,” he called towards the stall. “They're the friends I told you about. They won't,” he cast a nervous glance in Chrysalis' direction, “hurt you.” 

Small scratching sounds came from the stall and slowly two young dragons, one only slightly bigger than Spike, walked out on all fours. They had big eyes that looked at the ponies with caution and a hint of fear. Both were gray and obviously still babies.

Fluttershy switched from cowering behind her friend to rushing over towards the tiny dragons. Which, naturally, caused the older one to step in front and let out a vicious hiss. Spike stepped in quickly, claws raised. 

“They're not too fond of... uh, ponies.” He turned back towards them. “Fluttershy would never ever hurt anypony – er, anydragon. She's really, really kind and gentle and usually pretty shy. Except when it comes to animals and baby dragons, that is.”

Spike turned back towards his pony friends slowly. “Uh, guys? This is Blitz and his little sister, Serendipity!”

Fluttershy got down on her belly, looking as innocent as possible. “It's so very nice to meet you two!”

Spike waved a claw around. “And this is Silverline, he lives around here, Twilight Sparkle, my mentor and a princess! And that's,” he gulped looking at the changling queen and her helper, “Queen Chrysalis... a changling. And her uh, her friend.”

The smaller changling stepped forward and bowed slightly. “I am called Sprint. Commander of the Swarm.”

“Oh, uh,” Spike nodded, forcing a smile as he walked over towards Twilight again. “That's... nice.” Dropping his voice low, he asked Twilight, “Did you have to bring them? It's hard enough to get Blitz to trust ponies!”

“I'm sorry, Spike,” Twilight apologized gently, “but we might need their help. We have to get all the dragons to listen to somepony other than the emperor and for that we need to sneak around and -”

“Woah, woah, wait!” Spike backed up, his voice back to normal so everypony could hear. Even Fluttershy turned from her adoring glances towards the still nervous baby dragons to look back at them.

“You mean, talking to the other dragons?” Spike looked a bit panicked at the thought. 

“Oh, well,” Fluttershy got up slowly, looking as nervous as the other dragons, “maybe we don't need to after all, I mean,” she perked up and looked affectionately over at the two siblings again, “we can just talk to these little precious things, can't we?”

Chrysalis stepped forward and crocked her head to one side. “Although that might be easier, they certainly don't look like weapons to me.”

Blitz' eyes blazed. “I knew it! You ponies just want to use us for war, don't you?”

Fluttershy bent down on her two front hooves in a pleading position. “Oh, no, we'd never do that!”

The changling queen raised an eyebrow. “But your emperor plans to. And if we want to convince him that his greatest power won't be working for him after all, we'll need to have the older and more dangerous dragons agree to either not follow his orders to follow somepony else's for awhile.”

Blitz now looked confused, although suspicion still hung inside his eyes. “You're... stopping the Great One?”

Chrysalis snorted at the title.

Twilight walked forward slowly, shaking her head. “I'm not sure if that's the right term for him. He's kept you in captivity for a long time.” She sat down next to Fluttershy on the ground, a non-threatening position, she hoped. “You see, Queen Chrysalis and her kind want a home, too. He won't listen and has even done some pretty bad stuff lately. We need to stop him from hurting anypony else, even those ponies beyond the mountains we've never met. But to do that,” she smiled, “we need your help, Blitz. You too, Serendipity.”

Both dragons began to relax slightly. Serendipity even began to walk towards them, but the sharp sound of her brother's voice stopped her. 

“How do we know you're not lying?”

Twilight stared at his focused eyes for a moment before looking over at her number one assistant. “Do you trust Spike?” They both blinked as she turned to look back at them. “Do you think Spike would be friends with ponies that lie?”

For awhile he was silent. Then he muttered, “Dragons aren't friends with ponies at all.” But he didn't stop his sister from cautiously walking over towards Fluttershy, who delightfully lowered her head so the small dragon could poke her soft mane with her small claw. 

“Will you help us then?” Twilight asked Blitz. 

The dragon sighed and walked over towards her, nodding. “Sure, but I'm not sure it's going to do any good. The battle dragons are kept at the mountain base nearby. They won't hurt you unless ordered, but that's not going to be the problem...”

“What's going to be the problem?” Fluttershy asked with a tremor in her voice, Serendipity now climbing all over her back playfully. 

Blitz looked sad. “They've forgotten how to speak...”
> Timber
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Twilight had seen large dragons before and on more than one occasion. But these felt so very different from the ones she was used to seeing. The one that caused all that smoke to blacken the skies and the ones living on the volcano all had bright, lustrous scales. These lumbering creatures, did not.

“They're so... gray...” Fluttershy murmured sadly as they finally got close enough towards the rocky mountain base to see the large creatures laying and lazily sharpening their claws below. 

Blitz sniffed in an offended manner, causing Fluttershy to immediately make hurried apologies. “No, no, I didn't mean it like that, honest!”

“I've seen dragons before,” Chrysalis commented with a raised brow. “I know what she means. These creatures are a shadow of what they are meant to be.”

They were bronze, copper, even gold scaled, but just as the changling queen had noted, they had no shine to their scales. They were washed out colors, earthy hued. They dragged their feet when they walked, hung their large heads and sighed puffs of smoke that looked as weak as Fluttershy felt. Or rather what she had felt before. As she watched them blink slowly, life's spark dulled to a barely glowing ember within them, she realized she was walking forward. She realized she wasn't afraid at all. 

“Fluttershy!” Twilight hissed fearfully, looking around the deep valley for signs of anypony else. She couldn't see any, but she had no doubt somepony was around there somewhere.

She motioned for the others to follow and then picked her way as quietly as possible after Fluttershy. She expected the dragons to realize they were coming and make a move any second, fiery breath on their backs. But to her surprise, they only blinked at them and looked away unimpressed, some even felling back to asleep. 

Fluttershy had stopped in the midst of them, looking around curiously and with a calm Twilight had never seen her wear around any dragons besides Spike and his new friends. 

Twilight slowed until she came up next to her. It was one thing to be around a bunch of adolescent dragons in a costume. It was quite another to be surrounded by adults that didn't even notice your presence. Each one was massive, varying in size from an Ursa minor to the same size Spike was after his bizarre, not to mention terrifying, transformation due to greed. But the largest by far was a very deep brown toned dragon, with scares crossing his scales in deep and shallow groves, making rivers and streams in his scaly skin. His head alone was so large it blocked the entire base of the mountain, one of his eyes, if they were open, would have been triple the size of Celestia herself. 

“He's...” Fluttershy breathed.

“Huge,” Twilight finished, just as Chrysalis said, “As old as I am.”

Everypony looked at her. Sprint didn't seem fazed at the comment and continued looking around with a curious eye. 

“Chysalis, maybe this isn't the right time to ask, but... how old are you?”

The changling queen gave a toothy grin. “How old is your Princess Celestia?”

“Uh,” Twilight tilted her head, at a loss. She knew, of course, that the princess was very old. She's been around for over a thousand years, after all. But she was rather hazy on just how old.

Chrysalis smirked. “Well, when you figure that one out, add an easy thousand more.” 

She faced forward and began walking towards the biggest dragon. Twilight looked over to see that Blitz, his sister and Spike were already by it. The alicorn looked over at Fluttershy and was about to ask her if she felt up to getting closer, when Silverline rushed to her side, dropping his voice.

“Two caretakers and one trainer, headed over from the barns area.”

Twilight rushed over towards Chrysalis, flinching as the quicker sound of her hooves stirred a few reptilian eyes to open. 

“I can guess,” the queen said before the princess could speak. “You need some kind of a distraction?”

Twilight nodded. “Three ponies, coming from the barns.”

Chrysalis looked over at Sprint. “We'll handle this.” She gave Twilight a pointed look. “Just be quick. We're running out of daylight as it is.”

As the queen and her Swarm commander rushed off, with a quietness Twilight couldn't help but envy, she realized how dark the orange in the sky was becoming. She motioned to the others, watching with satisfaction as Fluttershy only paused for a moment before following Silverline down the incline. 

“Do you know, uh,” Twilight realized as she began to ask Blitz the question that she had no idea how to tell if a dragon was male or female. “Do you know this dragon, Blitz?”

The gray baby gave a shallow grin. “Everydragon knows ol' Timber. He's the oldest dragon around. The first one that ever came into this valley. All of us descend from him.” He looked at the scared scales sadly. “From him and Star Gaze. But she... she died.”

Fluttershy reached her head forward and nuzzled the small dragon on the shoulder comfortingly. Blitz looked at her in surprise. Comfort from ponies wasn't something he was used to. 

“Has he forgotten how to talk, too?” Twilight asked, looking him over. They were close enough to touch his snout with their hooves, but he remained asleep.

Blitz looked up at the top of the old dragon's spiky head. “I'm not sure. I've never heard him talk before, but... But I think he used to. Back when he was wild.”

“Alright then,” Twilight murmured, taking a shaky breath. “Uh... Timber?” No response. She looked over at Blitz. “How do we wake him up?”

Blitz tilted his head. “I've never seen him wake up for anything unless the Great One wakes him with the whistle.”

“The... whistle?” She asked, with a raised brow.

Fluttershy looked over the dragon. “It would make sense... But the tone would need to be very specific...”

A sharp whistle came from Silverline, aimed right at Timber. Many of the dragons woke up and looked at them curiously. Some even half rose from their positions. But Timber didn't move.

“That's the loudest I have,” the pegasus soldier admitted with a frown, looking over his shoulder towards where the changlings had disappeared on their distraction mission. “Maybe it's not loud enough.”

“No,” Fluttershy murmured, as if lost in thought with herself. Her head was tilted as she continued gazing at the dragon. She walked closer, towards one of his large eyelids. “It's not the volume... It's the pitch.”

She took a deep breath and then the strangest tone came from the yellow pegasus. A deep, low whistle that Twilight had never heard before. 

Nothing.

“It was a good try, Fluttershy,” Twilight comforted, walking over towards her friend. 

But she was only halfway to her before she stopped cold. 

The eyelids were shifting, restless. 

“I think,” Silverline called to them, “you two should move back.”
> Stand Off
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Can you tell if it's going well?” 

Sally looked over at Rarity, who was managing to stand up for the sake of the princess' speech that was due to start any minute now. Pinkie Pie had done well. The lawn was full of ponies, even unicorns from the palace and a few off duty pegasus were in attendance. They had been filtering in slowly for the past half hour, casting weary and nervous glances towards the changlings that stayed back near the princess and the caves so as not to further intimidate their guests. Princess Lily stood on a raised platform, waiting for a small signal from the changling next to her to signal the speech’s beginning. 

“I assume you mean if I can tell my kind are doing well with their other tasks?” Sally asked.

Rarity nodded, too tense now at the event's opening to speak much. If even one scary thing were to happen now they would lose everything.

Sally shook her head. “I can tell you only generally what they're feeling. The group helping the security is... rushed? It seems we've been spotted.”

“Really?” The unicorn squeaked, looking over at her. 

Sally smiled thinly. “My kind are quite agile. They can handle themselves fine, even in the dark.”

“Oh,” Rarity produced a rather shaky smile of her own, “of course.”

Sally tilted her head. “As for Sprint and our queen... Hm. Tension. They might have been found out as well.”

Rarity used every bit of her self control to not begin pacing right there in front of the stage. Now was not the time for nervous action.

“Discord!” she hissed. 

A small pop sounded near her and a most bizarre looking changling, his features lopsided and with only one fang overhanging his lip instead of two, walked up to her side. 

“What now?”

Rarity blinked, still not used to the odd disguise. It was odd enough for her to find changlings somewhat normal now. She really couldn't re-categorize Discord into the 'tried and true' drawer so quickly. 

“Sally says both parties are under some stress. Can't you -”

“Stress?” Discord echoed with a snort. “You wanna know about stress? Try to keep all of this running and defend our backside with a complete anti-magic shield!”

Sally matched Rarity's frown. “Magic shield?”

Discord rolled his blue changling eyes dramatically. “Of course! What do you think the unicorn army's been up to? They hoped to bust in here while your friends were guarding our front.”

Rarity groaned softly, closing her eyes. She really hadn't expected it to get this bad this fast.

“But your shield is holding?” Sally asked, surprisingly calm. 

Discord gave her an offended look. “As if I could be bested by mere ponies! Of course it's holding up. I'm a draconiquus, not some half-wit just graduated from magic school.”

“How long can you hold it though?” Rarity asked, casing her gaze about the gathering crowd. It was nearly time. 

Discord was silent for half a beat. “If they keep up the same kinds of attacks they been up to for the past fifteen minutes... I'll last an hour. Maybe.”

Rarity looked at him with large eyes. “That's -”

Discord backed up a few steps, eyes glazed over. “Curses.” Immediately he popped away again.

The unicorn exchanged a worried look with Sally. 

“How much time do we need for this?” Sally asked.

Rarity watched the changling beside the princess nod sharply, Lily taking a few steps closer towards the crowd on her platform. 

“More than we have.”

–------------

“Woah!”

Rainbow ducked quickly, reversing her wings' trust to back up. A black blur rushed past her, knocking the wind out of the guard that was gunning for her. She watched the changling check to see if the guard landed safely before it rushed off towards Blue Flame's position. With no clear enemy in sight for the moment, she headed towards ground, praying they hadn't thought to send any unicorns in this direction yet.

It took her a few moments, but eventually she spotted Applejack kicking back rocks towards some stocky earth pony sentries, holding them back and even causing a few to give up and return towards the city. 

“Need any help?” Rainbow asked. 

Applejack paused mid-barrage, sweat dripping off her brow. “You think... I can't... handle it?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow as her friend gulped in air rapidly.

Applejack managed a bashful smile. “Uh, yeah, that'd... be much... appreciated.”

Smiling, the blue pegasus raced towards the earth ponies at full speed, rushing by them so fast they were pulled after her in the air current, tumbling around on the ground. She circled back towards her friend who was still catching her breath.

“How... is it up... there?” she gasped.

Rainbow tried to shrug, but her wings were already beginning to sting, so she refrained. “Not as bad as it could be.”

Applejack sighed, finally breathing a bit slower. “Meaning it's just as bad as it is down here.” She caught sight of one of the changlings nearby, scaring off another pegasus guard who was flying low to avoid Blue Flame and his soldiers. 

“Ah was worried about them at first,” she admitted, looking sideways at her friend. 

Rainbow gave a sigh of her own. “Yeah. They're pretty good in the air, too. I guess they aren't all that bad.”

“If this here plan succeeds -”

“When it succeeds,” Rainbow corrected.

Applejack rolled her eyes, but smiled. “When it succeeds, Ah think Ah'll introduce myself to the ones that're helpin' me out now. And thank em.”

Rainbow shrugged and flinched. “I guess I'll do the same. Maybe. If I have time.”

They both looked up as a thump echoed down from the burnt orange sky. Another round of pegasus were trying to get in. No doubt a few from the first waves had recovered and joined the backup as well. 

“Back to work,” Rainbow sighed. She looked at her friend squarely. “Are you alright down here?”

Applejack looked around her at the moving shadows dashing here and there. “Ah think they've got me well covered. For now. But Twilight's gotta hurry. We can't keep this up forever.”

Rainbow nodded grimly before shooting back up, her wings screaming for a rest. 
> Boon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “I will ask you again,” the unicorn repeated like a skipping record, “what is your name and sector?”

Chrysalis smiled through her pony disguise. Her subordinate and herself had rightfully chosen the cover of unicorns, but as they didn't really know of any specific ones that worked with dragons they couldn't just blend in. 

“Look,” the hidden queen moaned in a pitiful manner, “we're new here, were worked all day and now you don't believe me when I give you my name? I told you! My name's Florescent and my friend here is FreeFall. Can we go home now? I'm tired.”

The three unicorns did not budge, nor did their faces show either disbelief or acceptance. “Your name is not in the list of names for the caregivers. Please state your real name.”

Chrysalis' eye twitched. “I. Just. Did!” 

Suddenly a loud whistle broke across the field, rising up from the dragon valley. It was if the blank masks covering the unicorns' faces had been ripped off by an invisible hand. 

“They are intruders! Capture them and-”

Chrysalis closed her eyes and zapped them with a bright green light. All of them became encased in a green gelatin like substance. The speaker of the three, clearly a leader type, attempted to free herself with a magic blast from her horn. The magic frizzled out instantly. 

Chrysalis smirked, changing back into her normal form for a breather. “I wouldn't try that again, if I were you. You'll only wear yourselves out. The Cradle is magic resistant.”

She looked over at Sprint and nodded, transforming herself to look like the unicorn she had just addressed. Sprint took the form of another of the unicorns. 

She poked at the green glob prison with a hoof. “We can't hide this now, so we'll have to get inventive if more show up.”

A strange low whistle echoed over the grass, making Chrysalis flinch. “Do they have to be that loud? They'll bring out the entire palace at this rate.”

A few seconds later, the ground began to shake, and a very loud, very unmistakable roar filled the air. 

Sprint looked back in the direction of the dragons, his eyes wide through long pony lashes. Chrysalis let a low, sharp sound escape her throat. There was no way anypony was going to overlook that.

–---------

“Get down!” Twilight called out as she and Fluttershy hunkered close to the rocky earth as Timber let out a screech so loud their hearing almost went out. The dragon shifted his legs again, the ground shaking in excitement or fear, depending on how optimistic one was about the whole situation. 

Then Timber yawned, eyes blinking slowly, not quite awake. He glanced down at them and laid down again, head resting on the ground, eyes staring at them. After the quaking stopped, there was only the loud sound of the dragons breathing and the heat radiating from his body.

Twilight blinked, remembering what Blitz had told her. She would need to speak first.

“Um, Mr. Timber? Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle.” She wondered if she should mention being a princess, but discarded the idea. Somehow it didn't seem to mean much when a reptilian was staring at you with bright yellow eyes the size of one of Applejack's trees. 

"I'm, uh, I'm trying to help my friends. You see, some of them are changlings. This country knows them as darklings," she wondered if there was a flicker of recognition in that large eye or if she was only imagining things, "and they want to become allies with this nation. Princess Lily has already negotiated and made an agreement. But the emperor has tried to harm us, is currently using you all to harm the country beyond the mountains," Timber now rose his head slightly, obviously paying close attention now, "and so we need you to stop following orders from the Great One."

Timber blinked once, slowly, and then arose towards a standing form. 

"Is that all you want?"

The voice that echoed out from the giant dragon's toothy mouth was deep, like an ocean and wide like a field. Twilight and Fluttershy blinked in surprise and Blitz nearly jumped, his sister sharing his grin. 

"You can talk," Blitz shouted up in awe. 

"Of course," Timber's deep rumbling voice answered. "But nodragon has tried to talk to me in a very long time."

He looked down at Twilight. "What you ask is simple, but we need good reason. We have followed and protected this young nation for a long time, as payment."

"Payment?" Fluttershy asked, rising in the sky with his wings, no longer scared thanks to the old dragon's calm voice.

Timber tilted his large head. "The Great One, who is not the current Great One, saved us when we were very sick. As such, we offered a boon. He asked for protection for his entire tribe and his decedents. We agreed. We have stayed and protected, doing as we are asked."

"So," Twilight asked slowly, "you're still clinging to a promise to a long dead emperor?"

Timber's head snapped upright. It was the quickest action the dragon had made and the speed put all the ponies on edge. "He is not dead. The great One still exists. He still gives orders."

Silverline walked forward. "His legend continues in his descendants, yes. But the current emperor is not one in spirit with the Great One who Built. This emperor wishes to conquer other lands. How is this protecting Sheon?"

Timber tilted his head again, seeming calm once more. "They are dangerous and attack our own first."

"Did the emperor tell you that?" Fluttershy asked, her voice soft.

Timber blinked again, his eyes clouding over. "You mean to say we have been lied to."

Twilight wasn't sure about that situation and she looked over towards Silverline, who was focused on the dragon. 

"Yes," Silverline admitted, holding the yellow reptilian eyes with his own. "You've been deceived. The lands over the mountains have no quarrel with us. You are being used as weapons."  
> Explosion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Any over here, Rainbow?”

Blue Flame flew up next to her, his shoulders moving up and down with his rapid breathing. Rainbow could understand. She had passed the point of feeling much pain anymore and now her whole body just felt like lead. 

“No... Been... quiet.”

Blue Flame looked around. “What about Applejack?”

Without giving a guess, Rainbow started to descend, knowing she wouldn't be taking to the sky again. Not in her condition. Blue Flame followed her for lack of anything better to do.

Applejack was standing with a perplexed look on the ground, a changling talking with her. She glanced up at them. 

“Ah don't get it. They've been quiet for too long. You?”

Rainbow touched down, that strange feeling of being weightlessness suddenly meeting solid ground hitting her and flipping her stomach inside out. She only got this kind of nausea after flying beyond her limit, something that apparently didn't happen often enough. As she fell to the ground panting, she made a mental note to push her practice a bit farther after she got home. 

"Nothing,” Blue Flame admitted, nearly falling to the ground himself, but managing to lower himself with a touch more grace, although still on very shaky legs. He looked around with a  concerned look. “This isn't right. I can't believe we actually won that...”

“We beat tons of them!” Rainbow bragged proudly.

“Yeah,” Applejack agreed, although her voice did hold an echo of doubt.

Blue Flame looked at them both, his eyes dark. “But they've got to know how exhausted we are by now. Only a small force at this point would win. We've got nothing left.”

Applejack looked like she was about to say otherwise, but one glance at her usually energetic friend snuffed out that idea. It was true. Any attack now would crush them effortlessly. She looked over at the tired changling beside her. 

“How are y'all farin'?”

The changling shook its head. “We too need rest. Though, we will keep fighting, if needed.”

Blue Flame gave it a shaky smile. “We hope it won't come to that. We'd never last long even if we tried to keep it up.”

“We have Discord though, right? He can take care of it if something happens.” Rainbow asked, looking around slowly again. 

The changling shifted from hole-riddled hoof to hoof. 

“What is it?” Applejack asked, wearily. 

“We have not heard from him for quite some time,” it admitted sheepishly. “The last we were told was that he was fending off the unicorns to the rear of the caves.”

“So that's where the magic users were!” Rainbow exclaimed. 

Blue Flame frowned. “I'm not too familiar with draconiquus magic, but all creatures have their limits. We simply do not have the ability to keep this up indefinitely.”

Rainbow managed to look offended despite her exhaustion. “We don't have to! Soon Twilight will get the dragons to change sides and -”

“We can't assume that,” Blue Flame interrupted, his brow creased.

Rainbow snorted rudely. “And I don't underestimate my friends!”

“Whoa there!” Applejack ran between them. She gave her long time friend a pointed look. “And we shouldn't overestimate our friends neither. It's a lot o' pressure and not fair to Twiahliaht.”

“But she can do it!” Rainbow insisted, too prideful to let it go.

“Ah'm not sayin' you don't think that or that it's impossible. It just...” she looked down to avoid the persecuting look in Rainbow's eyes, “stuff happens that not everypony counts on, that's all.”

Blue Flame blushed and looked away. “I wasn't accusing Princess Twilight of not being able, Rainbow Dash. It is only that the dragons are unpredictable. To say nothing of the emperor...” his eyes became unfocused for a moment as his situation, one in which he was now against the ruler he was sworn to serve, singed him. He looked at her again, blinking and very lightly blushing. “I meant no offense. I believe in Silverline as much as you believe in Twilight. But I also know that he is injured and only one pony. All of us have limits. To think they do not...” He stopped, eyes unfocusing again as a new idea came to him. 

“What is it?” Rainbow asked, keeping her voice neutral, hoping the entire argument would just drop and she could avoid any more hits towards her pride. 

He looked at them and then glanced down at the ground. “Sorry. I just realized that was what I was doing until not too long ago. Believing our ruler was above anypony else, was fundamentally different. But he's not. He has more responsibility, but he's still just... a pony.”

“That's right,” Applejack murmured, “He can't keep this up forever either. He's gotta be runnin' low on soldiers by now. Maybe we really are in the clear.”

It was then that a very loud pop and large rushing noise echoed over their heads, like a large explosion had forced air over their heads at high speed. 

“What in the wild world was that?!” Applejack asked.

“It came from the direction of the caves!” Blue Flame exclaimed.

“Discord!” Rainbow tried to get up, attempted to lift her wings. They were immensely heavy, far too heavy to lift and in the end she only collapsed back onto the grass. 

“If he is in trouble,” Applejack mused, “there's nothing we can do now.”

Two changlings flew overhead, likely to lend aid, but they flew slowly and their wings seemed to shake violently every few flaps.

“What happens now?” Blue Flame asked quietly after a tense silence, the burnt red of the sky turning into a purple glow. “Wasn't the point of all this to keep the peace conference peaceful? If we failed...”

Suddenly multiple lights filled the nearly twilight sky. Large pops sounding off with every explosion of color. 

Rainbow laughed, as multiple fireworks exploded in the purple air. Red, blue and brilliant greens. She wasn't sure why she was laughing. She was too tired to care. Blue Flame smiled and laid his head down. Applejack's eyes remained on the sky, she wasn't smiling. Instead she simply stared, too tired for worry, but too weary to hope.

“Night,” Applejack murmured, “is a comin'. And this one's gonna be a long one, I recon.”
> Solace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Where are they?”

Solace ducked to the side as fast as she could, but it wasn't fast enough. The shattered vase struck her left back leg with vengeful force. 

She flinched, but tried to regain her bowing form immediately, least she be accused of insubordination and killed. Legs shaking, she answered loudly, “My apologies, your highness. Your daughter has not yet been apprehended and the visiting princess -”

“Spy!” The emperor spat out at her, eyes flashing. 

Solace didn't answer that. She knew better. She focused her eyes on the portrait behind the emperor instead. On Emperor Ero before the madness. And on Serenity before her death. The unicorns were so happy in that portrait. The empress has just come in from the festival, the golden lilies from a street vendor still in her dark mane. Solace could still remember where she was. With Princess Lily, both foals playing in the pond. The emperor insisted his bride sit for the portrait with him. She argued half-heartedly and then sat, in the coming twilight, a soft smile on her face beside her husband. Such happy years. Too happy. That's why the gods had taken Serenity in child birth. That's why the emperor went mad. That's why Lily moved away from her father out of cowardice when he needed her the most. 

That must have been why. Why Solace wasn't his daughter instead.

“I want them dead,” the emperor raved, pacing before his bed, eyes nearly rolling back in his head. 

On impulse, Solace rose slightly, meaning to calm him down. A tossed plate hitting her side made her resume her bowed position, forcing down tears. Crying before royalty was never allowed. Not even during joy and especially not during any kind of sorrow.

“You will find them, Solace,” he commanded, walking near her slowly. “You will destroy them and their dangerous rebellion.” He lowered his tone, swinging once again from raving to soft. “If you don't, so many will die. You know that, don't you? We can't let any more die.” 

He looked back at the portrait himself now, eyes sad. “We can't,” he whispered, making Solace break all over again. 

“I shall do as you will,” she answered, her voice wet with unshed tears. 

She began to back out of the chamber, still in a bowing position, when she was suddenly thrown out of the room and against the far wall, the air knocking out of her lungs and her vision blurring between black, red and a mixture of shades she couldn't even identify. 

As she lay gasping for air on the ground, she dimly saw the emperor move towards her, his face still kind. 

“No, no. You should rest, now, little Solace. Rest. I shall do this. I and the dragons. We shall kill them all.” 

Solace thought of Lily for a moment. Or was it only the wet feeling by her head that drew her mind to that pond in the garden again? She wasn't sure. 

It was chill, but not cold. Lily wasn't laughing. She was nearly crying. She'd been denied going to the festival with her mother because she was a young princess. 

“I hate being a princess,” Lily complained. She'd looked through her damp bangs at her servant friend. Her only friend. “I wish I was an orphan, like you.”

Solace's eyes rolled up, her consciousness fading. The gods really must hate her.

“Yes, you shall rest.”

–----------------

Chrysalis kicked back into another guard, the armor plating he wore biting into her sore hooves. Sprint was hovering in the air with a guard tucked in his hooves, tilting upside down and spinning rapidly. He released his dizzy companion onto the ground before returning to his queen's side. 

Their disguises had only bought them a few minutes and now they were tired and against more than they could handle without possible casualties. Chrysalis looked around at the coming guards. Far too many to encase in the Cradle at once. 

“We're moving back,” she warned her Swarm commander.

He nodded and quickly followed her flying retreat back towards the dragons. 

“What if they need more time?” he asked worriedly.

“Too bad,” Chrysalis answered shortly. 

The hill before them slanted down and both Changlings stopped cold at the sight of the wall of dragons standing behind Twilight Sparkle and her group.

“Chrysalis!” The alicorn called out. “Behind us now!”

Putting on a burst of speed, the changling queen and her underling rushed past them and collapsed onto the grass before the feet of the dragons. 

“You might want to close your, um, ears,” Fluttershy warned softly, flying over towards them. 

The queen almost didn't hear what the pony said, but once she heard the large intake of breath from the dragons standing over them she understood. She placed her hooves over her ears as best she could, knowing a bit of sound would still filter in.

Just as the soldiers rounded the top of the hills the dragons let loose with deafening roars. The noise shook the ground, rattling the queen's bones together, forcing her to clinch her jaw together tightly.

All the soldiers immediately dropped to the ground, be it from terror or necessity, Chrysalis couldn't say. After what seemed like an eternity, but what was really only a few seconds, the dragons stopped. The silence after the sound was almost as painful.

Twilight and her friends lowered their hooves and turned to face the dragons. 

“Thank you,” Twilight said, her voice a mere croak from her weakened hearing. 

The largest dragon nodded slowly and then looked up towards the darkening sky. “Thank you,” his deep voice echoed over their minds, “for reminding us that the past is not eternal.”

Twilight smiled, Chrysalis and Sprint slowly rising up on their shaky legs. That's when the first pops sounded off, too distant for their weak ears to hear, but bright enough to draw everypony's eyes. 

“Discord made fireworks!” Fluttershy exclaimed happily, her eyes bright. “They're so pretty!”

“That's not a fireworks show,” Twilight murmured with wide eyes as an especially bright red firework spread into a large blossom, “that's the distress signal!”
> Last Stand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “How long can we have them mingle out there?” Rarity asked in a hoarse voice, calling towards the changling running ahead of her.

Their hooves echoed loudly in the caves, bouncing off the dark, wet rocks and slicing through the ink colored air. 

“As long as we can!” Sally called back, pulling her head down to allow for greater speed. More than once she had wished in her life that she could produce magic herself. When her mother has caring for her ailing father who slowly died of infection. When the children began to die of hunger in the wilderness before they reached Canterlot. 

She clinched her teeth and pulled even further ahead of the unicorn following her. She didn't want to see what she had to see, and yet she couldn't bare waiting any longer. The explosion of bright, dangerous red in the sky had said all to her. 

“Sally! Wait!”

The wind in the caves was so cold against her tight skin. She breathed heavily as she pulled out of the light Rarity cast from her horn, plunging herself into the darkness ahead, eyes refocusing, shifting the world from a crisp picture, to the hazy fog of changling night vision. Deep blues and stone gray becoming a ghastly pale green, wavy and blurred. Or perhaps that was from the tears. 

“I can't do this.”

Sally didn't want to hear those words again. She didn't want to wait and watch her friends die. She didn't want to fight either. All she wanted was to see those around her live. She wanted was to never again see that look on her queen's face. To hear her queen's voice shake. 

“Sally.”

“Discord is fine!” she screamed into the caves, unsure if she was calling back towards Rarity out of the darkness or trying to keep herself from falling into memory. Into madness.

“Sally. She won't move. I've tried to wake her up. She won't wake up, Sally.”

“He's not dead,” Sally screamed out, finally seeing a blur of bright green up ahead. The back of the caves. 

“I can't do this, Sally. I can't watch more die. I can't.”

“Discord!” Sally broke into the twilight of the evening, the first stars glinting overhead, the crescent moon on the rise, her eyes readjusting.

The ground was torn, ripped and ragged. Rocks were strewn all over the small field and large vines tangled and chocked the passage towards the forest beyond. Many held ponies, unicorns drenched in sweat from constant magic casting, eyes glaring at the gasping creature in the middle of it all.

Discord stood, or barely stood, hands outstretched, back hunched, head tilted down, his eyes blood shot and his knees shaking. Beside him, struggling to stand, were a handful of changlings, many from what was left of the Swarm guards. One didn't even move. 

Sally rushed over, nosing each changling in turn, using the empathy within her to instinctively know where the most pain coiled inside them. She only relaxed slightly when she found the still changling to only be unconscious. She looked up at Discord.

The draconiquus managed to look over and give her a shaky grin, but soon his head snapped forward as one of the unicorns managed to rip a vine in two and make for the caves. He snapped a finger in her direction and soon her legs were caught by an up-shooting root and her horn covered by a tight hat. 

“I'm afraid even I can't keep up such things forever,” he admitted, turning back to Sally. He tried another small smile. “Shields and such were never my strong point anyway, you know. I'm rather out of my element here.”

Rarity finally came out of the caves, her mane wild, legs strained from the run and gasping in the cold evening air. She eyes fluttered over them all and fixed on the unicorns just as two move broke free of Discord's power. 

With a strange scream of rage, her horn glowed a deep purple and the ripped vines on the ground shot towards the free unicorns and once more embraced them, whole and unbroken. 

She opened her eyes again and ran towards Discord. “We can retreat back into the caves. They'll have only a small entrance. It will be easier to defend.”

Sally stared, surprised at the level of command in her new friend’s voice. But she could not help speaking against her.

“We can't,” she blurted, “the youngest of our hive are in the inner caves. If we lead them any closer and fight within, it might trigger a cave in. We can't risk that. We must fight them here.”

Rarity's face showed a struggle, but she didn't argue. She looked towards the wiggling unicorn magicians from the empire. “Have we tried talking them down?”

Discord sniffed, his arms wavering in the air from exhaustion. “Be my guest. But they don't seem to want to talk.”

Rarity walked in front of the draconiquus and stood as tall as she could. Taking a breath, she rose her voice to be clearly heard. “We have the blessing and leadership of Princess Lily and Princess Twilight Sparkle of the Equestrian kingdom. Why do you wish to war with your own and Equestria?”

The unicorns did not answer, but they did grow very still. For some time there was quiet. No more sounds of struggling. 

Then it came to their ears. 

A loud sound, marching through the forest behind them. The sound of many hooves, iron clad. 

“Sally,” the changling on her left nuzzled the healer. “Run. Please. Take the hachlings. Fly.”

She looked down into the eyes of her brotheren. She saw her queen's eyes reflected there. Her queen's defeated eyes. 

“I,” she blinked rapidly, refusing to cry, “I can't.”

He looked off into the forest, the noise near deafening levels now, Discord falling to his knees. 

“What should we do?” he asked, his voice blending into her memories, fading into the queen's quivering voice.

“Sally, what should I do?”

The first earth pony, clad in silver armor, broke the line of trees. The first of many.

“Fight,” she whispered, her battle lost, water dripping from her chin towards the dirt.

“I'm so tired, Sally.”

Sally swallowed the salt of her tears. “I know,” she answered, the line of soldiers now rushing towards them, Discord's hold on the unicorns breaking as he dropped towards the ground, Rarity screaming out, her horn glowing. 

“But we can't sleep. It isn't our fate. It can't be our fate. Not yet.” Sally opened up her small wings. “Not yet,”
> Overhead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Oh you have got to be kidding me!”

Rainbow was standing on shaky legs beside Applejack, both staring into the early night's foggy air, the clear sound of armor clad hooves echoing throughout the forest. 

“Ah had a bad feeling,” Applejack muttered under her breath. She looked around at their forces. It was worse than she had imagined. Nopony could stand without shaking and the changlings were clearly gasping for air, pushed beyond their limits and starving besides. 

“We're done, aren't we?” Blue Flame asked softly, his tone showing that the idea wasn't a shock or disappointment but only a fact. A cold, unchangeable fact. 

“No!” Rainbow cried, straining her neck forward as shadows appeared in the fog. “We can do this! We can!”

“Rainbow, Ah know you're stubborn. Ah am too,” Applejack sat down, her hind legs screaming simply from standing for as little time as she had, “but we can't push any harder. We tried our best, sugarcube. We can't do anymore without somepony getting hurt.”

“No,” Rainbow spat out, clinching her teeth to remain standing. 

“Rainbow, Applejack is right,” Blue Flame urged, “we can't risk anypony getting hurt. Both my princess and yours wouldn't approve.”

The fog began to slip over the shadows, revealing silver armor plated ponies, many earth ponies, but a few were pegasus. All appeared healthy and fit. This was the real army. The army that had waited for them to exhaust themselves before they marched in. 

“Twilight,” Rainbow ground her teeth together to keep from crying in frustration, “Twilight wouldn't give up. She'd fight!”

Before Applejack or Blue Flame could respond, a changling that had been struggling next to Rainbow finally managed to rise itself onto its small, twig-like legs. It blinked and looked at the blue, rainbow-maned pegasus. 

“I'll fight with you, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow looked into the crystal clear blue eyes and couldn't help asking, “What's your name?”

“Marina.”

The pegaus blinked, smiled slowly and looked ahead at the long line of troops headed straight for them at a calm and measured pace. 

“I'll be proud to fight alongside you, Marina.”

Applejack bowed her head, hiding a smile. “Ah guess Ah can't argue now, can Ah?”

Blue Flame snorted lightly and looked ahead. “Not much of a soldier if I couldn't fight till the end myself. I'd hate for new comers to show me up.”

Applejack looked up towards the troops, her face grim. Their talk was just that: talk. She well recalled her body's warning signs back when she had foolishly taken on too much work at Sweet Apple Acres. The over tight muscles, damp skin, inability to catch one's breath, the blurred vision. And no pony was in much better shape. In their current state, even taking out a few of the enemy would do little. The numbers marching towards them, from the sound alone, were overwhelming. 

She clinched her jaw and snorted, moving her head down to prepare to charge, pushing all other thoughts away, focusing on one soldier. She watched the moonlight glint off his armor, she stared at the plating shifting as he marched. She eyed a break in the armor at the front hoof, timed his pace to where the gap was largest. 

A few more seconds.

“NOW!” Rainbow cried, rushing at what was meant to be a full gallop, but what appeared to be more of a trot. 

The changlings and Blue Flame followed, recklessly charging. Applejack forced her legs into motion, feeling her bones creak under the unwanted motion, her own frame screaming in instant pain. She was one step more away from her intended target, his head lowering at her approach, when her left back leg stiffened and froze, stuck straight and useless. Unbalanced, she fell to the ground, flinching. She felt a metal encased hoof fall into her side, the cold surface freezing her sweat drenched skin. It pressed into her. She screamed out.

Had her scream ever seemed so loud before? It was deafening. And it was more of a roar than a cry. A big, deep, loud reptilian roar.

The pressure in her side lifted. Applejack's eyes snapped open and her gaze fall on the soldier over her, whose face was fixed on something high above them all in the starry sky, a look of disbelief and horror on his face. 

She followed his gaze and gasped. The stars above winked in and out of existence, blocked from their sight by large winged beasts. To see them fly by day was amazing enough, but never had Applejack dreamed she would see a large group of dragons flying by night. 

Another dragon's cry ripped through the cold night air, jarring every pony on the ground. The seemingly relentless army froze and then, one by one, began to drop towards the ground, hiding their faces. 

“Sacred movement,” a voice whispered in awe. 

Applejack looked over to see Blue Flame crouched down towards the ground, nearly bowing his head to hide it, as his kin had done, but too enraptured to finish the pose, his dark eyes locked onto the masses flying overhead. 

For a moment Applejack thought she saw a much smaller shape. A familiar one, with a purple coat and mane, flying with the dragons. But she couldn't be sure. The group moved past them and began descending towards where Princess Lily and the gathering civilians were. Gradually the sky began to clear, the stars once more staring down on them.

There was an awkward silence, the soldiers slowly lifting their heads to look up into the clear sky. Applejack locked eyes with the soldier standing over her and waited. He looked conflicted. They all did. Unnerved by the odd appearance, the soldiers began to back up and regroup, muttering low to one another. 

“Blue Flame?” Applejack hissed.

“I don't know,” he whispered in her direction, slowly getting up himself and heading towards her to assist the earth pony. “This has never happened before. They think maybe the emperor sent them, but it seems like overkill to send the whole dragon clan. Something is very wrong.”

“To them maybe,” Rainbow added from Applejack's other side, surprising the pony as she helped her to stand. The pegasus grinned. “But good for us! Twilight got through to them!”

Applejack tried to smile back at Rainbow, but faltered. “Maybe. But we gotta get back to make sure.”

“Retreating would be rather wise,” a changling behind them said slowly, its eyes locked on their enemy which was nearly done reforming its ranks. 

“Wise and difficult,” Applejack muttered as her side shivered in a painful spasm. She then felt something under her and was shocked when a changling stood underneath her, lifting her off the ground on its back. 

“I am called Lostress. Hold tight.”

Applejack decided then and there that Rarity was right. They had beautiful eyes. Wonderfully, beautiful and strong blue eyes.
> Peace Talks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Princess Twilight!”

Lily ran up towards the alicorn as she landed, Spike gripping her mane hard from the shaky flight. Although she looked a bit rushed, the alicorn princess seemed unharmed and even calm. Lily may have looked more composed, but Rarity and Sally had been gone too long. 

“I'm fine,” Twilight urged in a low voice before Lily could ask the numerous questions nearly leaping from the tip of her tongue. Rising her tone as loud of she could, she addressed the wide-eyed crowd.

“Forgive my tardiness, everypony. I as escorting one more group to our peace talks. A group that, until now, was little represented.”

She looked up, drawing all eyes upward towards the distant shadows darkening the starry skies. Slowly they became larger as they dropped in altitude. Soon it became apparent what they were. Immediately murmurs and gasps filled the forest air and many of the civilians of Sheon began to bow, hiding their heads between their front hooves. 

There was hardly enough room for all the dragons on the ground, so more than a few smaller dragons began to drape themselves over the large rocks near the caves, careful not to land over the entrance. The larger, heavier dragons moved themselves carefully through the beginnings of the dense trees of the forest, pushing them this way and that to accommodate. 

“What's Timber gonna do?” Spike asked Twilight in a hoarse whisper, bug-eyed.

The alicorn flinched and watched as the largest of all the dragons began to descend. As it was, there truly was no room for him. A gentle wave of deep laughter washed over the crowd. 

“I know I am late, but perhaps a few of you might clear me a bit of space? I am not as small as I once was.”

Frightened and shocked eyes turned towards the hovering dragon, finally leaving the safety of the dark ground. 

“They talk?” Somepony exclaimed in amazement.

Soon the crowd was sizzling with chatter as the entire back of the crowd bunched towards the caves, opening up space for the dragon to land. He did so carefully, yet even so, his weight rocked the earth, causing some in the crowd to lose their footing and stumble onto the grass. 

“You brought them here,” Lily whispered to herself in awe, eyes wide as she watched Timber shift around in the small spot, sitting upright so as to take up as little room as possible. “You really did it!”

“This should be the finally shove,” Chrysalis murmured, walking up to Lily's other side and nodding towards the dragons. 

The Sheon princess nodded numbly. “My father,” she whispered, “he's not... coming... is he?”

“I don't know,” Twilight answered honestly. “We scared off a bunch of guards before flying over, so they definitely know the dragons are gone now. But I have no idea if we were followed.” Her brow furled. “Where's Discord? His fireworks are what brought us back here in a rush.”

Lily looked worried again in an instant, her mouth pulled into a frown and her eyes dropping. “They are behind the caves. I think... I think we were being attacked from behind.”

“Behind and in front?” Twilight asked a bit too loudly. A few eyes flickered over. She smiled gracefully and whispered, “how long have you guys been surrounded?”

Lily's eyes grew large. “Surrounded?” She hissed in a panic.

Twilight flinched and looked over at Chrysalis, who nodded. “I'll take the front. I can't match magic today. Can you manage the back?”

Before Twilight could reply, Princess Lily broke in, her face worried. “Wait, I should go. I've done nothing but stay here with the crowd. Rarity and Sally left to help Discord awhile ago and haven't returned. I have to help them. Please.”

Twilight bit her lip, indecisive. “We can't all suddenly leave here...”

Chrysalis was eying the crowd curiously. “Perhaps you can,” she murmured. She looked down at Spike. “You are one of them, yes?”

“W-what?” Spike gazed up at the changling queen nervously, still unsure of her. 

“You're a dragon?” She asked again, patiently. 

“Oh,” he nodded quickly, “yes, I am... Why?”

The queen looked at the two alicorn princesses. “You two look to our front and back. I'll handle this crowd with this small dragon as my aid.” She waved a hole-riddled hoof in Spike's direction. “After all, this peace talk has lately been missing voices from two groups. We'll buy you time.”

Twilight looked over at Lily. “Can you-”

“I can handle our magic users. I know how they work,” she replied confidently, her chin set.

Twilight smiled. “Then I've got our front.” Turning towards the crowd with a smile, the alicorn thought fast and announced loudly, “As we gather our last few guests, Chrysalis, queen of the,” she paused for half a beat as she recalled their regional name, “darklings and Timber, leader of the Sheon dragon clan shall speak to you of their plans for peace with your nation and with all of Equestria.”

She backed up, Lily matching her, both princesses spread their wings and simultaneously took to the sky, spinning around one another artfully for the sake of the crowd before splitting up to go their separate ways. 

A murmur began stirring the crowd again, but Chrysalis properly silenced it by walking towards the head of the small platform and gazing over them all with an air of authority. 

“Ponies, fellow changlings and dragon-kind. I welcome you personally to our peace conference, the first in many centuries and, I pray, not the last.” 

Timber held his spiky head high and bowed it down gracefully, despite his size. “Indeed,” his voice rumbled, “we have been silent long ourselves, cut off from you all.” He rose his head again and took a deep breath, the sharp sound of the intake filling the field. “But your world has changed as our kind slept. And as you have changed, so much we. Change is not to be feared nor avoided. But change, the best change, should be encouraged and embraced.” He smiled down at Chrysalis, an odd look for a fierce dragon. “And what better change can be made than that of friendship?”

The changling queen bowed her head and looked over the crowd. “A new era of friendship and prosperity between all races, tribes and ponies. Where there is no judgment on differences, nor condemnation from past fear.”

She looked over and nodded towards Spike, who walked up to her side and waved at the crowd with a shaky smile. 

“Young Spike,” Timber bellowed with a grin, “has lived alongside pony kind for his whole life. Safely and in good health. I long for the day when our youth shall stand by your own,” he looked over the crowd and then looked towards the queen. “And yours as well, your highness.”

As the queen smiled and bowed her head, Spike looked into the forest, forcing himself not to shift his weight from claw to claw in worry. The day had felt long, but this night felt like an eternity. 
> Princess Lily
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “No really, this is no way to ask for directions,” Discord complained, his voice echoing in the bubble he found himself and his companions in.

The soft glow of the sphere tinted everything on the outside a light orange hue. Rarity gawked at the shade, but was too tired to make any comments besides a weak, “Far too much red.” Sally hung her head, the Swarm guards around her collapsing in exhaustion. 

The unicorns outside smirked at them, keeping the stream of magic encasing their foes strong. Slowly they began to walk around them, the forces marching behind heading for the caves.

“But if you insist on asking for directions,” Discord called out over their stomping hooves, “I suppose I must aid you in not losing yourselves in that labyrinth of a cave. Wouldn't want you to get lost and lose precious time, after all.”

The unicorns raised eyebrows, but the marching troops did not even slacken their pace. Discord clicked his tongue in disapproval and crossed his mismatched arms, trying to ignore the sting of not only being ignored, but also of losing. 

“Discord,” Rarity looked up at him pitifully, “do you know what spells could break this...” she waved a hoof at the bubble surrounding them, “thing?”

The disconiquus shrugged. “That's Twilight's specialty. I never use spells myself. To dry and sticky.”

“How can it be both dry and sticky?” one of the changlings asked, trying to ignore the depression and fear creeping into his lungs. 

“I didn't know spells could be dry or sticky,” another murmured, head resting on its front legs. It looked up at Sally, whose eyes were fixed on the troops nearly at the cave's back entrance.

Discord sniffed, but didn't make any answer. Rarity looked back over her shoulder and watched, her heart dropping to her hooves, as the soldiers began to filter into the caves. She wanted to say something, anything, to ease the tension, but no words came. Instead she let out a squeak as Discord bumped into her.  

“Oh, sorry dear. It seems our prospects are shrinking,” he explained with an unusual frown on his face.

She looked around as the changlings began to bump into them as well. The sphere was getting smaller. 

Looking out at the unicorns, she saw they had their eyes closed, horns glowing as they encased their shield spell and began to bind it tighter and tighter, shrinking the amount of space it occupied.

“They're going to crush us!” Rarity gasped in horror. She rapidly thought of every spell she could, but unlike Twilight, she had few committed to memory and even less mastered. None of them were anywhere close to teleportation. 

“Discord?!” she cried out desperately, moving from hoof to hoof in place as her companions crowded ever closer.

Before the draconiquus could reply, however, some disturbance near the caves caused the unicorns to break their concentration and shoot their eyes back. The shrinking of the bubble stopped abruptly. 

Rarity looked back again to see the troops that had been filing into the caves appearing to back out and away from them. Squinting her eyes to see through the orange haze around her, she tried to spot the cause but it was some moments before the troops backed far enough away fro her to clearly see the figure in the cave entrance.

“Princess Lily?”  

Sally turned to look behind her, the defeat in her eyes slowly fading, a small smile beginning to touch her lips.

The alicorn princess looked around at the troops and unicorns with a strong authoritative air, her head held high, her chin set, her eyes hard. 

“Fall back,” she commanded. Gone was the more timid voice she had back in the cave. The princess who didn't seem to know her own father, the one that wanted to help, but wasn't sure how. This was a pony who fully intended to be listened to. And obeyed.

At first the troops simply stared at her in a mixture of surprise and confusion. While they had indeed known the princess was among the traitors, it was quite another matter to actually see her in the flesh. Especially as she now was commanding them and, as she was technically still their princess, they weren't entirely sure whether or not they should follow her orders. 

“Now,” Princess Lily enforced in the calmest, deadliest near whispers the ponies had ever heard. 

The troops closest to the princess immediately began to back off, the further soldiers being pushed back by their comrades before they could even make up their own minds about the matter. A ripple of bodies and armor clanked backwards, clearing the space between the alicorn and the unicorn's shield bubble.

Princess Lily looked over her friends' predicament and frowned at their unicorn captors. “Release them,” she ordered, her back straight, her eyes fierce. 

But the unicorns were not as simple minded as their army counterparts. They sneered at her and then, to everypony's amazement, turned their backs to her. 

The princess blinked in brief shock before her teeth ground together in distaste and her eyes narrowed into slits. 

“Release them now or be displaced,” she warned, her voice once again barely above a whisper. 

The unicorns did not reply, but one turned towards her and made a very ill planned attack, shooting a blast of energy at the princess' feet. 

Lily did not move. The blast burned the grass to the right of her hooves. She blinked at it, turned her glaring eye upon her attacker and immediately her horn lit up a brilliant, shimmering jade green. Her attacker was thrown to the side, bouncing along the ground into a heap. The other unicorns stared after her, shocked at being attacked by the princess. 

The alicorn looked at the shield, sniffed and her horn glowed again. Thousands of cracks formed along the curved surface of the bubble, shattering the shield and freeing its occupants in seconds. Rarity and her friends took large gulps of fresh air happily. 

Before the unicorns could even think of a retaliation, they became encased in small green bubbles of their own, courtesy of their very own princess. 

With a small smile, the alicorn and her freed companions turned their eyes onto the troops. 

“Sit!” Lily commanded loudly. 

Immediately the entire army sat down on the grass and waited, still and attentive. 

A very loud splattering sound erupted in the air, coming from far beyond the caves, causing everypony to jerk their heads towards the sky. 

“Now that,” Discord exclaimed, his eyebrows high, a huge grin rippling over his face, “was Twilight. Seems she used a spell that turns grass into sticky goo. Oh, I’m so proud of her! I just knew she could make some wonderful chaos if she only put her mind to it.” 
> One Spell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “They ain't after us yet. We should get some rest.”

Applejack relaxed slightly when the changling carrying her, Lostress, slowed down. They were far out of sight from the armored army from Sheon, but they were still only halfway towards the event gathering. 

“If the dragons are there,” Rainbow panted, slowing her pace beside her friends, “everything should be fine, shouldn't it?”

Blue Flame turned around and walked slowly backwards, keeping up with the others, his ears pricked forward towards the army. He was frowning.

“I think they've started moving again, abit slower this time...” he warned, squinting his eyes against the fog in vain.

“We can't stop then,” Lostress hissed, beginning to pick up its pace once again. 

Applejack bit her lip. She didn't like having to ask for help, but what she hated even more was completely depending on somepony else. She felt, not for the first time, that she was a burden, wondered how much she weighed, made a note to eat healthier and avoid so much cake at Pinkie Pie's next party and generally felt bad about herself. 

She flinched as Lostress nearly stumbled over a root poking up from the dark, vapor filled ground. She felt so useless. She had been injured over something so small and pathetic. She hadn't been hit. She's gone down due to a muscle strain. It was embarrassing.

Squeezing her eyes shut against the horrible feeling in her stomach, she buried her face against the back of the changling's neck, expecting a mane to be there and realizing too late there wasn't. This changling lacked any kind of mane, its coat extremely glossy and smooth. It was actually far more slick than a pony's coat. As she pulled her head up a bit with a blush, she wondered if the difference accounted for their speed. They seemed faster on land and in the air than the average pony. Having a slicker coat would probably aid them in such a feat. 

Lostress continued its quick trot, seeming not to notice Applejack's movements. There was still so little ponies even knew about changlings. And what little they had thought they'd known was obviously untrue. They weren't monsters. They weren't evil. 

Even if they did have fangs that reminded her of those spooky vampire fruit bats back home. 

“Hey isn't that -” Rainbow's eyes were focused on the sky, but before she could finish her sentence a loud clatter broke over the forest behind them. 

Blue Flame picked up his pace, turning around to face the front. “They picked it up. They must figure we'll warn our own ahead or regroup.”

“I thought that's what we were doing,” Marina called out ahead. She was in front of the group, picking her way through the foliage, trying to make as straight a path as possible, the proper trail lost to the fog.

“They're gonna catch up,” Blue Flame called. He looked back over his shoulder. Rainbow Dash had stopped cold, still looking into the sky. “Come on, Rainbow. They're gaining.”

The pegaus looked at him with a grin. “I think we'll be just fine.”

Before any questions were asked, a familiar frame landed right next to her. Purple coat and mane looking nearly black in the darkness of the forest, Twilight turned to look at them with a mixture of concern and relief. 

Everypony finally stopped forcing themselves forward, their legs beginning to shake once again at the stop. 

“I'm so glad you're all okay,” Twilight began. Her small smile faded when her eyes caught Applejack's form draped over a changling's back. She rushed over, concern winning out. “Applejack! What happened? Are you alright? Do you need a healer?”

The earth pony put on a brave smile. “Ah'm just fine, Twiahlaht.” She shook her head a bit as her words slurred over from exhaustion. “Just really tired and a bit strained. But Ah'm fine. Lostress is taken good care of me.”

The changling under her grinned good naturally, even though it was clear that it'd need rest quite soon.

Twilight shook her head as she looked them all over. “You all need rest. Lay down.”

“Twilight, uh,” Rainbow trotted over towards them, “we're still being followed.”

The alicorn raised an eyebrow and turned back around, noticing for the first time the sound coming closer with every second that passed. Her eyes narrowed. “That won't be necessary. I'll be stopping them right here.”

She trotted between her friends and a new line of dense tree cover, waiting. 

“Princess Twilight, forgive my disbelief,” Blue Flame risked, avoiding Rainbow Dash's eye, “but what are you planning to do? There's an entire army headed our way!”

“Not the whole thing,” Twilight answered as she sat down calmly, the misty fog wrapping around her and sending a light chill down her spine. “The unicorn units are at our back. Princess Lily is dealing with them. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the army is back there too.”

“Even so,” Marina spoke, her voice sounding soft, like a small wind in the night air, “there is a great number headed here. Surely you do not have the power to fight each one.” The changling's eyes grew. “Do you?”

Rainbow sniffed. “Twilight can do anything! She's a princess, after all.”

Twilight looked over her shoulder with an odd look. “Thanks for the confidence, Rainbow, but I can't do everything.” She looked forward again, a determined look on her face. “But I can change just enough to make it too difficult for them to get much farther. It should only require one spell, too. I can manage that.”

“What spell?” Blue Flame asked, curious as to what could stop an entire army in one move. The sound at this point was deafening. They were very close.

“If any are unicorns, it won't work on them. But I'm sure there aren't any in this group,” she answered vaguely. Even the clink of the separate armor could be heard now.

The fog finally pulled its icy hands away from the soldiers marching through. Some of the first few in line stumbled in their march upon seeing Twilight. But they set their jaws and kept marching towards her. 

Twilight's horn began to glow a bright purple. The stomping of hooves soon turned to only the clanking of armor as the units began to squirm and struggle furiously to move their hooves. Looking closer, they realized the ground they had been walking on, covered in green grass, had been transformed. The grass was now a thick, sticky green substance making it impossible to walk on, let alone march through. 

As Twilight walked over towards her friends with a grin, Blue Flame couldn't help giving a whistle of amazement. 

“One spell,” he whispered.

Rainbow beamed. “Told ya.”
> Lead Them Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Twilight!” 

A round of loud applause broke over the crowd as the alicorn drifted down onto the speaking platform, Spike hugging her legs in relief. She looked over the crowd to see her friends safely skirting around the edge, heading towards the caves for a well earned rest.  

Lowering her voice as she went to stand by Chrysalis she asked, “How is Princess Lily?”

Before the changling queen could answer, the princess in question also drifted down among them, barely a hair in her mane displaced. She gave Twilight and Chrysalis a sweet smile. Keeping her own voice love, she informed Twilight that Rarity and Discord were recovering in the caves with Sally attending to them all.

Looking over at Chrysalis, she added, “Some of the troops had started to file inside the caves.” At the changling queen's tense and worried look, the princess hurried to say, “I circled round and entered the caves from the side and pushed them all back out. The hatchlings are safe.”

The queen relaxed again and gave Lily a small smile. “Thank you,” she said, her voice deep with genuine gratitude. 

Twilight felt at peace for the moment, but knew this all needed to end. Keeping up appearances had been far harder and more dangerous than expected. It was time to end the festivities and lead the ponies back to the city, away from the armies immobilized in two separate parts of the forest.  

Walking up to the edge of the platform, she addressed the crowd. “I came here from Equestria to investigate some strange sightings at our borders,” she looked over at the queen and princess behind her with a smile. “But I'm happy to say, we have done more than answer a few questions about the lands beyond the desert with our visit.” She let her eyes flow over the crowd, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasus, changlings and dragons staring back at her. “We've made new friends. Friends we can learn from, laugh with and love for generations to come.” She let her gaze linger on individual ponies throughout the crowd, pulling them in. “Thank you. Each one of you for coming. We all look forward to many more years of peace and friendship with you all.”

She took a few steps back and bowed her head briefly to a loud round of hoof stomping and cheers. A loud boom drew all eyes upward again, a sick feeling coiling in twilight's stomach. But it was only more fireworks all the colors of the rainbow. Except for red. Twilight smiled and finally relaxed her shoulders. 

Princess Lily then announced that the event was officially over and changlings would kindly escort ponies back to the city. 

“Due to the fog that has rolled in,” she improvised, “you will be taking a different route than when you arrived and will entire the city from the east side.” She gave them a brilliant smile. “Do not worry. Our own darkling clan will be guiding you safely the whole way.”

Over the next few minutes the ponies began to filter away, like sand dropping through an hour glass. The changlings that had no fighting experience and had kept an eye on the crowds instead, lead the ponies home, creating a new path through the fog laden forest headed east. The dragons stayed where they were, not seeming to mind where they would stay for the night. 

“I am concerned about my father,” Princess Lily admitted as the two alicorns and changling queen waited for the last of the crowd to leave. “But rushing towards the palace right now would be rather foolish.”

Chrysalis nodded. “We are all far too tired to do anything else for the moment. Our main objectives,” she glanced over at Timber, who was just settling his head down in the now open field for a nap, “have been completed.” She glanced around at the dark woods uneasily. “I don't suppose you can encase something as big as the caves in a shield, Twilight?”

The alicorn tilted her head, gazing at the large caves. “I'm not sure. I've never made a shield that big before.” She sighed. “My brother is the expert in those. I never really learned.”

“For now,” Lily broke in, “we all should see to the injured and do what we can.” She walked over towards the front of the stand again, the crowd of ponies completely gone, with only the dragons left to laze about on the grass. “Will you be comfortable here for the night?”

Timber gave her a sleepy grin. “Oh yes,” his voice rumbled, “quite fine. Thank you, princess. Now you and your friends should also rest.”

Giving him a bow, Lily turned around and joined the changling queen and Equestrian princess in entering the caves.

–-----

“I am just sooooo proud of you, Twilight!” Discord squealed as soon as the alicorn was within his sight. 

The draconiquus was laying down with Fluttershy hovering worriedly between him and the various changlings and pegasus that had been injured. Sally flitted here and there, seeming to know where an injury was before being told, a roll of gauze ever in her jaws. The cavern floor, once light gayly by Discord's party lights, now seemed dulled out and tired from all the exhausted creatures littered across it. Applejack and Rainbow were already fast asleep, with the yawning from Blue Flame signally that he would be joining them in dreamland soon. 

Twilight smiled, stifling a yawn of her own. She walked over towards Discord and reached out to pat him on the head with her hoof. “You did an amazing job, Discord. I'm proud of you.”

The draconiquus blushed, speechless for a moment. “Oh, well. It's – it's no big deal really.”He leaded his head back down on the ground, his eyes catching side of Spike behind her. He smiled faintly. “Good, the little dragon is fine then.”

Twilight was confused for a moment before a light went off in her mind. “Were you...” she recalled Spike's kind gesture towards Discord back at the border and his reaction to the news of Spike's kidnapping, “worried about Spike?”

The draconiquus blinked a few times before breaking out of his sleepy trance. “What? Of course, not!” He gave her an offended sniff. “A powerful draconiquus like me, worried about anypony? You must be joking.”

Twilight only shook her head and looked around again. Rarity was just walking in with various rolls of bandages hovering over her head thanks to her magic. She looked about ready to collapse. A changling rushed over to her and quickly took the rolls, another leading her towards her friends for rest. She caught Twilight's eyes and smiled.

“I'm glad you're safe,” she said, laying down and yawning, too tired to say anything more.

As she quickly began to fall asleep, Twilight answered back softly, “I'm glad you are, too.” 

For a few moments there was quiet. Everypony was falling asleep, too tired to even think about the next day and any challenges that still awaited them. The silence felt strange after so much chaos. Twilight frowned. It was far too quiet. 

Her eyes grew wide as she looked around frantically. “Where's pinkie Pie?” she asked, perhaps a bit louder than she had originally intended.

Nopony answered, many of her friends already asleep. Fluttershy alone came to her side, a worried look on her face.  

“I lost track of her awhile ago during the speeches...” she murmured softly, hovering in the air and looking around quickly for the pink powerhouse pony.

“Are you looking for somepony?” a voice hissed.

Twilight spun around to come face to face with Pinkie Pie. 

“Ah!” Twilight stepped back, surprised, causing her friend to giggle softly. 

“It's just me, silly,” Pikie reprimanded lightly. “I just got back.” She began to bounce over towards her sleeping friends. 

“Where were you?” Twilight hissed, feeling silly for nearly panicking. 

Pinkie gave her a grin. “Helping with the Night Night Committee. Duh!”

“The,” Fluttershy tilted her head, confused, “Night Night Committee?”

“Yep!” Pinkie answered with a bounce. “That was me,” she zipped over towards two small changlings that were probably around Applebloom's age, “and Suzy and Kail! We told everypony to have sweet dreams as they went back home and thanked them again for a lovely evening.”

Twilight couldn't help but give a small laugh before collapsing near Discord. Letting out a sigh, she looked over at him and simply said, “I need to make a sheild large enough to protect this whole cave system. Ideas?”

Discord cracked one eye open at her. “Why cover the whole thing? Just make a spell that shields only the cave openings.”

“Make a spell?” She gave him a hopeless look. “You make it sound so easy.”

Discord closed his eye, resuming his rest. “You're a princess now, Twilight. I'm sure a smart pony like you can manage.”

Twilight let out a breath, wrinkling her nose. She wasn't a fan of the pressure her status brought, but she had to admit that new spells came to her rather easily these days. All she had to do was think about what she wanted. Usually. 

“Shields are such a pain to use though,” she muttered to herself as she closed her eyes and closed all the cave entrances in a purple haze. 

As she watched her friends, new and old, slip into a deep sleep, her own eyes drooping, she used every calming trick in the book to force herself not to worry about tomorrow. 

“Politics are a pain, too,” she sighed into the darkness. 
> Back in the City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   It was her stomach's rude growling that woke up Twilight. She tried to ignore the feeling, still sleepy eyed from the long night. But after being awoken she couldn't help but hear the sounds around her. It seemed many of her friends were already awake and chattering softly with changings and one another. After a few more moments of resistance, she finally opened her eyes.

As she had thought, many ponies and changlings were now awake, some standing together, other still laying on the floor or sitting, talking to those around them amidst an occasional yawn. Even Discord was up and about, his back towards Twilight as he listened attentively some something Fluttershy was telling him across the room. 

Letting out a large yawn of her own, Twilight stretched out her hooves in front of her and slowly stood up. A small weight to her side rolled over as she did so. She looked back down to see that Spike had curled up next to her. She smiled as his eyes blinked rapidly as he awoke. 

“Sorry to wake you, Spike,” she said, her voice a tad cracked from her rest and dry mouth. 

The small dragon yawned and began his own stretching, looking around lazily. “This is so...” his eyes grazed over the changlings scattered about before looking up at Twilight, “weird.”

Twilight chuckled softly. “Yes, I guess it'll feel weird for quite some time.” Her eyes lingered on some hatchlings running around Disocrd with Fluttershy scooping one up for a hug. “But we can't just push away what we don't understand just because it's easier.”

“So,” he tilted his head, “what's gonna happen now?”

Twilight stretched out her back legs one at a time. “Well,” she began, “we need to go to the city and the palace and deal with the emperor.” She frowned. “He should see our point of view now, with his weapons taken from him.”

“What about his army though?” the dragon asked, clutching his claws together in worry.

Twilight shook her head. “They should be right were they were last night.” She watched as Discord snapped and various tables full of food appeared, many of the awake ponies trotting over to them happily. “If they were smart, they slept too. Though probably not as comfortably as we did.”

“A rock floor is comfortable?” Spike asked as he put one claw on his back and straightened it until it cracked lightly. 

She gave him a giggle and headed for the tables herself, her stomach unable to stay quite any longer. “Better than a field of goo or being stuck in a shield bubble.”

“Did princess Lily but all the army back there in bubbles?” Spike asked, amazed.

Twilight paused, looking back at him with a thoughtful frown. “Come to think of it...” Spotting Princess Lily near Rarity at one table, she trotted over quickly.

“Good morning, Twilight,” Rarity greeted her happily.

“Yes, good morning, Princess Twilight,” Lily echoed.

“Good morning,” she greeted them back in a rush. “Princess Lily? What happened to the bulk of those soldiers you went up against last night? Are they still there?”

The alicorn shook her head lightly. “Oh no. I sent them home.”

“Sent them... home?” Twilight repeated, feeling a bit uneasy. 

The princess smiled at her, oblivious. “Why, yes. I told them to run on home and go to bed.”

“Then they've reported to the emperor and are probably waiting for us,” Twilight concluded, her shoulders sagging. “They might have also let some bad rumors fly about us to the rest of the town.”

Lily didn't seem overly concerned. She even shrugged. “But we did nothing wrong. We didn't hurt anypony, after all. And they,” she looked down, her eyes growing sad, “had orders to destroy us.” She looked up again, smiling once more. “I'm sure they will understand we are peaceful when they know that.”

“It's that 'when they know' that bothers me,” Twilight sighed, giving the changling that kindly pushed a plate full of fresh fruit in front of her on the table a grateful smile. Frowning over at her friends once again she continued, “The longer we rest here, the more ugly those rumors can become.” She took a bite of fruit salad, her stomach finally silencing. 

Swallowing she asked, “Has anypony been outside to see the dragons?”

Everypony shook their heads. Rarity gave a small laugh, “Why, I don't think we can. Your shields still cover all the doorways, Twilight.”

“Oh!” Twilight blushed and concentrated on her spell, allowing it to dissipate into the air. “There,” she opened her eyes and resumed eating, picking up her pace as she was eager to see to their newest friends. 

–-------

Pinkie Pie hopped up and down in front of them, joyfully leading the way towards the city. Although Sally and Fluttershy had stayed behind to care for some of the other ponies and changlings that still felt ill after the day before, most of Twilight's friends were with her. Even Discord was tagging alone.

“I've never seen the city, but I keep hearing about it,” he had pouted. "Why do you ponies get to have all the fun?"

After a few more complaints, and Fluttershy's insistence that he get some calming outside air into his lungs anyway, Twilight permitted him to join them. But she couldn't help wondering how much longer his good behavior was going to last. He was well overdue for trouble making. 

The dragons had stayed behind as well, finding they rather liked the green grass they were laying on. And so they had left the large lizards happily sunning themselves in the field. It had been quite a sight to see the giant Timber rolled on his back, legs curled against his belly, a huge smile on his face. It made Twilight wonder about all her own misconception on dragons. It seems they enjoyed other sunning places besides just volcanoes and rocky mountains.

After a few more minutes of a walk, the east side of the city revealed itself, right in the late morning sunlight. Twilihgt half expected forces from the palace to be waiting for them. But there were no armored ponies there, only civilians that let out a cheer upon their arrival. 

“Welcome home, Princess Lily!”

She smiled at them and lead the way, Pinkie bouncing around her and nearly everypony else, delighting the townsfolk who seemed fond of the inviter and good nighter of the previous evening's events.

Once more Twilight and her friends walked down the main street towards the palace, only this time Twilight had to keep her eye on Discord.

“Twilight! Look at this!” Discord had coiled himself around a decorative pillar, pointing eagerly towards the detail along the top which looked oddly like himself. “My reputation proceeds me!”

Twilight gave him a smile, but doubted he was right. She found it more believable that he was simply part of some old fairy tale and any truth about draconiquus had been lost hundreds of years ago. She felt Spike's claws softly grab ahold of her mane as she took a turn and realized that Spike and Discord had quite a bit in common. Both of them were mysteries towards pony-kind. She wondered if Discord, like Spike, felt lonely from time to time. She smiled to herself when she remembered how he treated Fluttershy. He probably was lonely. Lonely enough to know he never wanted to be friendless again.  

All the way down the street Twilight expected some kind of resistance to them. But there was none. Nopony stopped them. Only cheers and happy greetings were heard. By the time they reached the palace gates, the alicorn princess knew something was wrong. An earth pony cloacked in the robe of a servant was waiting there. As soon as she saw Princess Lily she ran up to her and bowed down, her head between her front hooves. 

“What's happened?” Princess lily asked, now concerned herself. 

“It's your father, highness,” the pony answered, looking up with terrified eyes, “he's raving throughout the palace and nopony can stop him!”
> Ero
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “Don't worry. Don't cry. I'm sure she's out playing. You know how she likes the outside. She loves the garden ponds and the birds, you know. She's always been like that, my dearest.”

Lily stood very very still, aware of her new friends behind her, but refusing to look back at them. Her eyes were fixated on her father, who stood in the center of the throne room, his wide eyes fixed upward, pupils dilated and mane disheveled. She knew who he was raving to. The some pony he always raved to since Lily could remember. When she was alive it had been jokingly. In death it was violent and made her feel like an outcast even with her own family.

She calmly waited until his mad gaze floated over towards her. 

“You're back!” He walked towards her slowly, a large grin on his face. “Serenity, do not worry me like that again. You know how worried I get.”

Lily didn't move. She hated being mistaken for her mother. It hadn't happened much when she was younger, but after her last growth spurt, it had started. Off and on her father would mistake her for Empress Serenity, her own mother. She felt pity for a long while, but it was exhausting. And it was lonely. 

“I am Lily, father,” she corrected calmly. “Your daughter.”

The emperor stopped. He gazed at her for an uncomfortable length of time and then began walking away, his eyes glazed over. 

“I have to find Solace. She's been gone so long,” he murmured. “Ah, but she'd be in the garden. Yes, she likes the ponds there, remember, dear?”

Lily frowned. This was the first time he had ever mentioned Solace in one of his moods. She looked over at the servant at her side, the one they had met out by the gates. She raised an eyebrow in question.

The servant bit her lip nervously. “Solace is in her room,” she answered in a whisper. “She was injured badly, your highness.” Her eyes darted between the emperor, who was wondering towards a side door leading towards the gardens, and her princess. “His highness.... he...”

Lily squeezed her eyes shut for a second and took a deep breath. As her eyes opened she quickly made her way towards her father, coming between him and the door he was slowly headed towards. 

He smiled at her again. “You are coming with me? It is nice out now, my dear.”

Lily did not smile back. Her horn glowed and a soft green haze covered him in a protective bubble. He tilted his head, not seeming to understand his situation in the least. But before he could even consider using his own magic to get out, his daughter then used a sleeping spell, putting her father into a deep snooze. 

Turning towards the servant, and trying to ignore the shocked expressions on her friends' faces, she requested simply, “Bring me to Solace.”

–------

As the servant lead the way down a long hall towards the servants' dorms on the other side of the palace, Lily explained the situation as best she could to her new friends. 

“Ever since my mother, Empress Serenity, passed away when I was small, my father's senses have not always been with him. He often mistakes me for my mother. He can be violent in this state.” She bit her lip. “He's never actually physically harmed anypony with his magic, though. That's... new.”

“So he just liked sending dragons to do his dirty work?” Rainbow asked bluntly.

“Rainbow!” Twilight instantly scolded harshly.

Lily shook her head sadly. “No,” she breathed, her voice a bit shaky, “it's fine Twilight. She's right.” She looked ahead with a grim look. “My father has started a war with a nation that wasn't hostile before. I've little doubt they are by now.” She shut her eyes again for a moment. “But actually inflicting physical pain himself is not something he's done before.”

The servant stopped in front of a door and opened it for them to pass through, the room beyond holding  countless beds for countless servants. 

“It means he's gotten worse...”

The servant lead them down a line of beds until they reached one that was occupied. Solace lay there, her head tightly wrapped in bandages. She looked near sleep, but was too uncomfortable to actually succumb and rest. She glanced over at them when they came near. 

“I'm sorry,” Princess lily whispered, eyes downcast.

For awhile Solace said nothing, then, as if having finally gained either the strength or the words, she spoke. “No. No, Lily. I.... I shouldn't have. I was angry. I wanted to hurt you. For abandoning us. For abandoning him. I...”

Lily didn't look up at first. Then, taking a breath, she forced her eyes to meet her old friend's. “I did give up. I was tired. So I left. And I... I didn't even consider you.” She dropped her eyes again. “I didn't think of any of you. Of what it was like for you.”

“And what it's like for him?” Solace asked, her voice dry and cracked. 

Lily couldn't answer that. She didn't want to. Sympathizing with her father seemed to only solidify the chains she felt already encased her legs, imprisoning her in her own home. She didn't want to.

Solace looked away and closed her eyes. “I nearly killed you, Lily. I don't expect any forgiveness.”

Princess Lily shook her head. “I don't agree with you. But I know why you did what you did. And I do forgive you for it.”

There was an awkward silence, with Solace unable to speak, before the servant made a sign to the princess and she nodded. 

“I'll leave you to get some rest now.” She began to walk back the way she came with her friends when she looked over her shoulder at the injured unicorn. “He was wondering where you were earlier.”

Solace didn't answer, but as her princess left she thought she caught the unicorn's shoulders shaking and a very soft, fragile sound drifting in the still air of the servants quarts. But whether the tears were from happiness or sorrow, she couldn't tell. 
> Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “What happens now?”

Spike was sitting on a soft cushion next to Twilight, munching on some smooth jade stones. The rest of the company sat around a very long table, all eating a variety of fresh fruits, aside from the changlings, who didn't need such things and Discord, who insisted on transforming his meals into stranger items, such as canned air and piles of papers scribbled with stories the draconiquus joyfully termed as “fimfiction” which he then read and eat at his leisure amidst random bouts of sniffling giggles. 

Princess Lily nodded thanks to the servant that set a bowl of bright greens before her before turning her attention towards the baby dragon and taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

“As my father now is... to dangerous to himself and others, I'll be taking over as Empress of Sheon. Until his recovery.” Her tone concerning her father's possible healing was dulled out, as if she knew from the start that such a change in him was nearly impossible. Swallowing and giving Spike a smile, she continued, “I won't be leaving him again. Or Solace. Even though things are hard, they won't get any better if I run away. And,” she closed her eyes for a second, relaxing into her new acknowledgment, “they need me here. I can't avoid things just because they are hard. Especially when ponies I love need me.”

Twilight forced a smile of her own. Self-sacrifice was something she had learned late in her life, but nearly everyday in this strange country she was learning it anew. It was a terrifying and difficult path. Yet it was one that she could not avoid as a princess. It was also one that, if traveled well, could improve and save many lives. Thinking only of oneself was no longer an option for Twilight. Nor was it ever one for Lily or Chrysalis. 

“The dragons are free to live where they please and do as they wish,” Princess Lily assured Spike. “Within reason, of course.”

Spike perked up and sat up on his knees to look over the table better. “So Blitz and Serendipity will be free too? They won't be separated?”

“Everypony – oh, pardon me. Everydragon,” the princess replied, “shall be as free as you and I. Well, perhaps as free as you are, in any case.”

Spike smiled and shoveled another handful of jade in his mouth happily. 

“There's just one thing I don't get,” Rainbow said across the table with a raised eyebrow. 

“One thing?” Rarity echoed, her own perfectly arched brow mimicking her friend's.

Rainbow looked over at Lily at the table's head. “What about the desert? One of the reasons we started investigating was because the desert was soaking up magic!”

Silverline spoke up near Twilight, adding in the information, “We discovered that one of our own sentry towers had been the cause.”

Lily's mouth pulled down into a frown of thought. “How odd...” Suddenly a flash of recognition lit her face and she paled. “Oh, do forgive us.”

“What is it, Lily?” Twilight asked, more curious than ever about the tower, which she had to bashfully admit she had forgotten about until Rainbow's statement. 

The princess sighed. “That would have been for the Lacromos.”

“The lacro-what now?” Applejack asked tilting her head.

The princess gave her a weak smile. “Lacromos. They are glass spheres that can contain and store large amounts of magical energy. My father had been saving them up, trying to find ways of using them in his war... He never could find a way to apply the energy however. It was a fairly recent project. I only found out about it a few weeks ago,” she looked down briefly. “It was one of the reasons I ran from the palace and stayed with Queen Chrysalis and her darklings. I knew how serious he was becoming and it frightened me.” 

Her eyebrows drew together in concern at a new thought. “Now that I think of it, I personally have no idea how to dispose of them. They must have something in them by now.”

“I'd imagine so,” Rarity exclaimed. “Poor Twilight was nearly sucked dry by that awful thing!”

The princess turned a tortured gaze onto the Equestrian representative. “Oh, Twilight, I'm so, so sorry! I was hoping no ponies would be crossing the desert at all, leaving father's plans to fail. I -”

Twilight held up a hood and shook her head. “Please don't worry about. I'm fine and there's no way you could have known we were even coming. Besides,” she put down her hoof and looked down at her food, “you weren't in a position to do much to stop him.”

Lily looked conflicted, biting her lip. “Sometimes I think I could have,” she admitted. “Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had stood up to him sooner. If I had at least tried to stop him, instead of running away and pretending it wasn't my problem.”

“We all have past mistakes we regret,” Chrysalis spoke up, surprising everypony with her voice. “But all we can do now if move forward and use what we have learned to better ourselves and our future.” Although she did not look over at Twilight, the alicorn could feel the depth of the queen's meaning. 

There was silence for a moment before Sheon's new Empress asked Twilight, “What of you, princess? I trust you will at least stay with us long enough to get a proper rest?”

Twilight smiled slowly, finally beginning to realize that they had won. That the tension was over, the fighting over and peace actually possible. She looked over at Chrysalis, Sprint sitting next to her. Both still. 

“Yes, I think we will. But not for too long. We have so much to report," she tried to ignore the gagging motion discord made at the mention of "reports." Continuing with a smile she said, "To say nothing of new alliances being set into motion.”

Lily returned her smile. “I very much look forward to our countries finally getting to know one another. To be a part of this world and not just focused on ourselves.”

Twilight suddenly felt the pricks of some very familiar small claws. She looked down at Spike, who was touching her shoulder lightly. He looked at a loss.

“Spike? What's wrong?” She frowned, her eyes turning to slits. “Did you overeat again?”

Blushing the dragons stammered, “N- no! That's not it.” He looked down, took a breath and looked back up at her. “I want to stay here, Twilight.”

For a few tense moments, Twilight felt like gravity had been reversed, her innards seeming to fly upwards. 

“What?”

Spike looked panicked and waved his claws around. “Oh, I don't mean forever! Just...” he looked down again, his claws clasped in front of him. “I want to know more about myself. About.. dragons.” He gave her a shaky smile. “Nice dragons, like the ones here.”

Twilight sighed, relaxing her stooped shoulders and allowing her small smile to return. “Are you sure you'll be fine here, Spike?”

The dragon looked around the table at Princess Lily, Silverline, Blue Flame, even at the changlings, before gazing up into his own caregiver's eyes and nodding. “Yeah. There's some stuff I just have to know. And once I do, I'll come back to be your number one assistant.” He beamed up at her, though it was bittersweet.

She nodded, patted his head, already feeling the separation and not liking it. But she knew better than to deny him the right to know, the right to explore and discover. “I understand Spike.” 

She then got up and looked around the room with a sense of pride, only flinching slightly as Discord stuffed another few sheets of “fimfiction” into his mouth, all eyes on her.

“Now if you'll all excuse me,” she bowed her head slightly with a grin, a bit forced from worry, but overall content, “I have a letter to write.”
> A Letter Home (epilogue) 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   “It's a work in progress,” Lily said as she walked Twilight outside, where her friends stood waiting for her. The cart they had used to get there wasn't really needed anymore, the desert now safe to walk on, and so each pony had a small pack on their backs. Even Discord was carrying a sack. Twilight decided against asking what might be inside. The world was better off not knowing. 

“It'll take years for everypony to get used to things,” she agreed with a nod, stopping and turning to look at the new Empress. “But you can do this. And you won't be alone.”

Lily gave a brave smile, looking back at the gates where Silverline, Solace and Queen Chrysalis stood waiting. “I know. I just,” she faltered and looked down for a moment. “Sometimes I wish it was easier. He doesn't even see me, Twilight.”

The Equestrian princess was silent, her eyes sympathetic though she couldn't fully understand what the other alicorn must have felt. The former Emperor Ero was still stuck in a strange world all his own. Even after awakening for the sleep his daughter had put upon him, he still called Lily by her mother's name. Twilight tried to imagine what it would be like if one of her own parents began to forget her. To mix her up with somepony else. It was terrifying thought. 

Taking a step forward to place her forehead against Lily's for a second, she repeated softly, “You are not alone.”

Lily smiled and nodded, pushing away her fears of the future and focusing on the present. “Your queen expects your return?”

Twilight chuckled. “Oh, she's not queen. She's a princess.” She laughed again at Lily's confused look. “To be honest,” Twilight admitted, “I'm not sure why, but that's just how it is.”

Lily shook her head, still smiling. “Well, perhaps one day I might ask your Princess Celestia why myself.”

“I hope so,” Twilight said wholeheartedly. She looked down at the feeling of claws encircling her legs. “Spike.”

The baby dragon looked up at her with watering eyes. “Twilight,” was all he managed to choke out before he jumped up and wrapped his small arms around her neck.

“Oh, Spike,” Twilight murmured, her own eyes watering. “I'm so very proud of you. I know that if anypony can give a full and true report on dragons, it's you,” she leaned down for his feet to touch ground and stepped back to look at him. “My number one assistant.”

He gave her a tearful grin. 

She cast one last look towards the gate and gave a wave towards ponies she felt she would miss. Silverline walked towards them halfway, Spike running to meet him. He looked over at Twilight and stood straight. 

“I'll take good care of him, Princess.”

Twilight grinned, forcing her tears to leave. “He might end up taking care of you. You never know!”

–------------

Dear Princess Celestia,

I not sure where to start except to say that first impressions are so very often... wrong. 
When I left you, I was convinced Queen Chrysalis was just, well, evil. I thought all changlings were. Since coming to Sheon, I've realized that we really don't know anything about them and most of what we thought we knew was wrong. It's a very long story, but I assure you that changlings can indeed coexist with ponies. In fact, I'm convinced now that they were built to have symbiotic relationships with all ponies and, perhaps, many other creatures. Although they wish to make peace with us as well, they are joining into the Sheon Empire, where Princess Lily is now the current ruler, and thus will be staying here for some time before making any visits to Equestria. 
I won't lie, princess. I still feel anger towards Queen Chrysalis for all the things she did. But now that I understand why, I can't say for sure I might not have done something similar were I wearing her horseshoes. Since becoming a princess, I've realized that self-sacrifice is not only expected, but necessary. So many depend on you. In some cases, for their very lives! That thought is terrifying to me. How could I possibly live up to keeping everypony safe and happy all the time? If I had been alone, I don't think I could. I would have failed my mission. In fact, I wouldn't even be a princess in the first place. My friends, including the new ones I've made here, be they pony, changling or dragon -I suppose Discord can be thrown in too- have not only helped me to protect those I wish to protect, but also to see others I had judged as evil in a different light.
It's so easy to judge somepony based on what you think you know about them. But we shouldn't do that. We have no idea what they've been through or where they're going. I'm sure some ponies judge me. In fact, I know they do. I've heard some ponies say I don't deserve to be a princess. That I wasn't born as one. And, well, I wasn't. And I don't know if I really deserve much of anything either. But no matter what others think of me, I am what I am now, come what may. I'm not what they think I am and they might never come to know me if they allow their judgments to stop them. 
I shudder to think what my life might have been like if I had assumed that my first impressions of my friends were all there was to them. That Pinkie Pie couldn't even look newcomers in the eye, that Rainbow Dash was too lazy to get a simple job done right away, that Rarity only cared about looks and nothing else, that Applejack was a simple farmer without any brains, and that Fluttershy couldn't function around anypony. I would have missed out on who they really are. The wonderful, fun, and caring friends I know them all to be.

Anyway, I'll be headed back to see you with the full story soon, princess. Spike will be staying here with one of Sheon's commanders, Silverline, so as to learn more about his kind from the dragons here (there are dragons living here, too, princess!). I'm sad he's not going to be with me for awhile, but I know he needs this time for himself. And Equestria desperately needs to know more about dragons. We know so little! 
Queen Chrysalis would like to send her deepest apologies and plans to visit us formally in the future. For now, she and her own are staying here and Sheon is slowly getting used to them and their ways. It will take many years for the prejudices to leave. Both for Sheon and for our own country. But I can't wait to see all the amazing things that will come of us knowing them not as enemies, but as friends. 

Your faithful student friend, 
Twilight Sparkle

PS – I don't suppose you would know how to safely dispose of large containers of magic, would you? Or perhaps if there are any books on that subject?