Ponyville, Golden Oaks Library
“Pinkie, stop it. Now.”
“All I’m saying is that if we build a giant fly zapper we could easily beat the Empress!”
The four ponies and one dragon had recently received a scroll from Princess Celestia saying she had received word from the Equestrian Hive. She was vague on the details, but she had mentioned that Shining Armor and the others had all but confirmed the one behind everything was a changeling previously thought to be a mere legend.
Spike groaned. “One, she’s not a fly. Two, no it wouldn’t; she’s an ancient being equally powered to the princesses and with an army behind her. Three, how would you even go about doing that? Actually, forget I asked. I don’t want to know.”
Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Puh-leaze. You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first. Besides, we’ve done this kind of shtick before.”
“Ancient evils coming back does seem to be our thing,” Rainbow Dash commented. “Though the fly zapper might be a bit farfetched.”
“And if Rainbow Dash thinks something is farfetched, it’s farfetched,” Applejack jabbed.
“Hey!”
Pinkie Pie huffed in annoyance. “OK, it was just an idea. Yeesh.”
“We could just have Fluttershy use the stare,” Rainbow casually suggested.
“Oh, um… I really don’t like using that unless I, you know, have to,” Fluttershy stated.
“And a world-ending force doesn’t count?”
“Well, she is hurting innocent changelings, and that does make me a little mad…” Fluttershy sighed “Point taken.”
“There’s little point in making plans like this,” Spike rebuffed. “I gathered you to tell you what the Princess said, nothing more.”
“But we know who is behind it now!” Rainbow Dash pressed.
“So what? How do any of you plan on getting to her?”
Silence gave him the answer he already knew was coming.
“I thought as much. Really, this changes nothing.”
“Reluctantly, I agree with Spike,” Applejack stated. “We can’t go in like a blind dog in an apple orchard, it ain’t at all practical.”
“Thank you, Applejack,” Spike said to the apple farmer. “You know I like it as much as the rest. But the last thing Equestria needs is the rest of the Element Bearers captured or dead. Without Twilight you can’t really do anything.”
“We were always at our best together,” Fluttershy pointed out. “All six of us girls.”
“Well, you’re a dragon,” Rainbows stated, pointing at Spike. “Can’t you do something?”
“Maybe, with a good plan of action. I don’t have that.”
“So we’re stuck waiting, again?”
“Keep talking like that and the trouble will come to us,” Applejack dryly stated.
“I’m sure the Princess will make up a plan now she knows what she’s up against,” Spike said, though his hope appeared to be a little strained. “She has to.”
An urgent knock on the door caught their attention, all of the library’s occupants whirling around to face it. After a few shared glances, Applejack moved forwards to open the doorway. On the doorstep was a rather nervous looking grey Pegasus with a bag full of mail around her neck.
“Uh, h-hi Applejack!” Derpy greeted half-heartedly. “I’m not, uh, interrupting or anything?”
“Uh, no. Not at all,” Applejack assured. “Girl, ya’ll look like a mess. What’s up?”
“Uh, I was just on my rounds and, well, I saw some changelings come walking on into town,” she explained.
Canterlot Castle
Celestia read the brief message that Prince Shining Armor had sent her for the hundredth time. Anything to pass the time while waiting for them to arrive back in the capital. She and her sister were in the war room once more, but only they. They had both been silent since the letter had arrived and a second been sent to Spike, contemplating the revelation.
“The Empress…” Luna finally spoke, humming to herself. “Did they not give any good amount of detail? You still haven’t let me read it.”
Celestia said nothing, simply passing over the parchment to her little sister.
Princess Celestia
The Equestrian Hive is compromised, survivors have been found. All changelings, no ponies alive. Confirmed, mastermind is so-called ‘Empress of the Changelings’. Ancient legend come to life. Returning to Canterlot, will explain more on arrival.
Prince Shining Armor
“Ah, it is indeed brief,” Luna commented. “How does a Changeling Queen get the title of ‘Empress’? I have never heard of that until now.”
Celestia snorted. “Self-appointed I would imagine. Arrogant and vain, along with a deep superiority complex.”
“She could be a naturally higher form of changeling we have yet to encounter,” Luna theorised.
“She could just as easily be another queen with a bit of dark magic behind her.”
“We won’t know unless we make her acquaintance,” Luna pointed out. “But her mind must be advanced, or at the very least the part of her mind controlling the hive. No one Changeling Queen could normally take on each and every single hive into their mind, according to Twilight at least.”
“You are correct, sister. Twilight researched it extensively, along with anything else she could get her hooves on in the early days.”
“I am aware of her… hobbies,” Luna remarked. “She must have known of this legend.”
“I imagined she did, she may have even suspected,” Celestia agreed. “We’ll have to ask the changelings Shining Armor recovered. If she was relegated to legend something must have stopped her all that time ago.”
“An elder sister perhaps?” Luna joked.
“Don’t,” Celestia scolded. “Not now.”
“If I can joke on my own mistakes, you too can afford at least a chuckle, Tia.”
Celestia didn’t answer, instead just moving on. “Either way, if the legend details how she was defeated we could repeat the process. Maybe even improve upon it and finish the Empress forever.
“Not looking for a peaceful solution?”
“No.”
“You have always been an optimist, Celestia. This is most unlike you.”
“Maybe you just haven’t seen everything about me.”
“I have, in your dreams,” Luna rebuffed. “I’ve seen some of your fears, your nightmares. You fear the fire in you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly who I’m talking about,” Luna stressed. “If you need to talk-”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You haven’t been fine since you lost Twilight.”
“I haven’t lost her yet!” Celestia snapped.
“But the pain is still so very real,” Luna argued. “And I worry for you.”
“Darkness is your burden, Luna. Not mine.”
Luna flinched, hurt evident on her face. “It’s not the darkness you should fear, but your own light.”
“Must you press this constantly!?”
“I will keep pressing until you get what I’m trying to tell you through your stupid, stubborn and abnormally thick skull!”
Celestia huffed. “Why must little sisters be so irritating?”
“Why must big sisters be so resistant to help from the younger?”
“I’m just tired of having this conversation, Luna. When this is over and Twilight is back then we can talk for as long as you wish about this. But until then, just stop.”
Luna was about to retort, but she was interrupted by an expected arrival.
Mere Minutes Earlier
“Never met the Princess in person before,” Façade commented, as he and the others walked down the castle hallways. “This should be interesting.”
“Just be... careful. Princess Celestia really hasn’t been in a great mood as of late,” Shining Armor warned.
“Who can blame her?” Façade stated. “Their bond must be the worst kept secret in all of Equestria.”
“I wouldn’t call it a secret,” Vladimir added in. “Private. But not secret.”
Façade shrugged. “Still, I get it.”
“We all do,” Broad Sword said. “I’d go mad if it was Valiant.”
“Valiant?”
“My son.”
Façade nodded in understanding. “I see. I didn’t know you were a parent.”
“We just met,” Broad Sword pointed out.
“Point well taken.”
“It’d be the same if it was Iuvenes,” Carduus spoke up. “Being a parent comes with many responsibilities and feelings.”
“There isn’t a family more complicated than ours,” Shining muttered. “Not that I’ve met at least. Alicorns, changelings, even a dragon. Twilight’s biological great aunt tried to invade Equestria for Celestia’s sake!”
“I am aware. Though I wasn’t in attendance, I was just fifteen after all.”
“You’re twenty-three?”
“Yeah. Joined the guard the moment I turned eighteen. It was my brother who kinda inspired that career choice.”
“He was in the guard too?” Shining asked.
“Yeah. Mother and father both work in agriculture. They’re… with the Empress right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Shining Armor said kindly. “Brother too?”
“No. He died at Ponyville.”
“Oh.”
“This whole thing sucks,” Iuvenes moaned.
“You can say that again, kid.”
“How have you been, Shining Armor?” Carduus enquired. “You’ve heard us go on about the hive mind being torn away and all that, but what about you? She is your sister.”
“I’m holding. If I can get her back, I have something to strive for.”
“What about your parents?” Panacea asked.
“My mother got drunk with Celestia,” Shining remarked. “They had fun, according to Princess Luna.”
“I thought you said Celestia wasn’t holding up great?”
“She isn’t. It’s gotten worse since then.”
“Oh. And your father?”
“He hasn’t spoken with me too much. I can imagine it’s more of the same, though. If a bit more on the inside than out.”
“Being strong for Velvet, I would imagine,” Vladimir stated.
“It’s what I’d do,” Façade added in.
Vladimir rolled his eyes. “Good for you. You trying to be the model guard?”
“I wish. I can’t shapeshift worth a shit.”
“So… you’re a changeling that can’t change?”
Façade blushed a little. “Er… not very well, no. I guard a doorway usually, not much else.”
“Speaking of…” Shining Armor said, nodding towards the two guards outside the war room they were approaching. “We’re here.”
The two Solar Guards saluted as the group approached, the Prince setting them at ease a moment later. Shining enquired as to whether or not the princesses were inside, though apparently his wife had yet to turn up. Thanking the two, he opened the doorway up and led his entourage inside. He immediately noted he seemed to be interrupting yet another argument, but chose not to comment upon it.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” he greeted.
“Prince Shining Armor,” Luna greeted, through it was painfully obvious she had run out of patience. “Please, all of you, come in.”
The ponies took seats around the table as told, the changelings hesitated momentarily before also doing as requested. Celestia and Luna held Façade in an inquisitive eye, never having met that particular changeling previously, unlike the others. Once all were sat, Luna spoke again.
“Former Captain Carduus of the changeling Royal Guard, isn’t it?” Luna inquired, getting a nod of confirmation. “It has been a long time.”
“Eight years, not since all that business with Crudelis,” Carduus said back. “You know my family?”
“Vaguely, but yes,” Luna replied. “Panacea and… Iuvenes?”
“That’s us,” Iuvenes chirped up casually. “I was a squirt back then, though.”
“Iuvenes!” Panacea scolded her daughter’s casual tone towards the Princess of Equestria.
“It’s fine,” Luna assured. “We want you to feel comfortable after everything you’ve been through.”
“But I do not remember you,” Celestia finally spoke up, gesturing towards the drone in red armour.
“My name is Façade. I was a part of Twilight Sparkle’s hive only briefly.”
“Red is the colour of Queen Draco. My condolences.”
“I never knew the Queen personally,” Façade stated. “But thank you.”
“Not just for the Queen, but all the others you must have lost to this ‘Empress’. Very few of her drones still have free will.”
“All changelings are in the same boat now, your highness. And some ponies,” he stated sympathetically, it obviously being directed more towards the Princess of the Sun.”
“We were hoping to hear more about this Empress,” Celestia said. “Her weaknesses?”
Carduus and Façade shared a glance, the former speaking up. “I’m afraid the legend doesn’t go into all that much detail.”
“I would still very much like to hear it.”
“Don’t forget about me,” Cadance stated, making her arrival known. “Sorry I’m late, had to shake some clingy nobles.
Cadance moved to sit down next to her husband, giving the unicorn a light nuzzle as she did so. Shining, in turn, nuzzled back.
“Are you alright?” she asked him.
“Fine, nothing bad stuck around at the hive. Just these four, and a whole lot of ghosts. Metaphorically speaking, of course.”
“Good to see you two are still on speaking terms,” Vladimir quipped.
“Just a bit of pent up frustration,” Cadance assured. “Water under the bridge, as they say.”
“Does that mean I can come off the couch now?” Shining joked, earning a deadpan glance from his wife.
“If you would please concentrate,” Celestia interrupted, her frustration painfully apparent. “The legend. Now.”
The ponies and changelings all shared looks of concern, but didn’t argue with the Princess. Carduus and Façade took the lead, each taking turns to explain parts of the story and even how some of it had changed down the years. Façade, in the latter aspect, seemed surprisingly knowledgeable.
“I see…” Celestia sighed when they were finished, the legends weren’t as detailed as she hoped they would be. “So let me get this straight. She existed before even my mother’s time, and once ruled a large Empire before recorded history. She was then defeated by another unknown Changeling Queen who went on to establish the Queen’s Council.”
“Pretty much,” Carduus confirmed. “Obviously this queen also buried her regalia far north, the one Queen Draco found.”
“And Twilight took it home.”
“It appeared to be dead at the time. But… it’s possible the regalia was still manipulating her, or…”
“Or what?”
“Apparently, there were reports fed to me that the Queen was almost placed under this Empress’ control by Draco.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Broad Sword stated. “When we got there though, Draco had already… ended it.”
“Yes, well… It’s possible she might have been partially successful, that the Empress herself already had just enough of a presence in the hive mind to post ‘suggestions’ to Twilight.”
“I had thought as much,” Celestia remarked. “If only I had sooner…”
Then, a green flash caught their attention as a scroll impacted the table with a light thud. All eyes moved towards the scroll, and several of them could easily recognise who it must have been from.
“A letter from Spike?” Carduus enquired.
Celestia wasted no time in picking up the scroll and opening it up, reading the contents allowed.
“Princess Celestia, several changelings from our home have turned up, seeking shelter.”
“More survivors!” Panacea exclaimed. “We weren’t the only ones.”
“There’s more,” Celestia silenced the changeling mare, continuing to read afterwards. “But they’re scared. They say that they only just made it out, and now they are being pursued. On top of that, one of the weather patrols hasn’t reported in, and nopony can find them. It can’t be a coincidence, I think their pursuers are close...”
Celestia finished off by reading out the signature at the bottom, and then silence claimed the table. The news was grave. More survivors should have been cause for a small amount of joy, but if they were pursued then they all knew that could only mean one thing.
“Deploy a contingent of EUP to Ponyville at once!” Celestia commanded the captains. “Ponyville is about to be attacked.”