//------------------------------// // 48 - The Royal Sisters // Story: Change: Queen of The Hive // by tom117z //------------------------------// Canterlot Broad Sword stood atop one of the walls surrounding the royal castle, looking out over the city spanning lower down the mountain. With everything that had been happening to Equestria as of late, the more morbid side of his brain would have been forgiven for imagining an unstoppable changeling swarm tearing away the surface beneath the city and watching the capital of Equestria tumble down into the land below. That was definitely low down on his list of ways to go out. Falling down a mountain among countless debris and fellow corpses, with next to no chance of ever being found and identified for burial. What would be the point? He’d already be buried, and he doubted that the Empress gave a shit. The Captain of the Solar Guard gave a huff, using a hoof to rub some of the weariness from his eyes. He scolded that morbid part of his brain, deciding that he would be of better use imagining the brighter scenarios that could occur. He liked to think those scenarios were the more likely ones, but once again the morbid side of his brain spoke out in protest, this time with some half-hearted assistance from the logical side too. Broad Sword sighed. He was alone on that particular part of the battlements, just having dismissed a couple of young guardsponies to their duties. Had he ever been that young? He supposed he had. Too bad he gave up that part of himself so soon to take on a no-nonsense type, at least until a trip to a secret terrorist lair taught him to enjoy what fleeting life he had. In line with that, he had to wonder how things might have been different if he hadn’t made himself such an easy impersonation for Serpens. What if he had stopped the infiltrator before he left his mark on Queen Twilight Sparkle? In truth he didn’t think about it all that much, being that it was ancient history by that point. But times like the one in which he found himself were perfect condition for prodding old wounds, however unpleasant. What if he had stopped Serpens before things got underway? Would Crudelis have murdered Queen Vespula? And how would that have affected things going forwards? Longshot. Draco. Chrysalis. All those ponies and changelings who had fallen victim to the congoing conflict resultant from that one event setting all things into motion. Would they have died? But then again, would he have changed anything at all? It wasn’t like he could spy on alternate timelines at will, and such questions were things he would never have the answer to. “So there’s no point thinking about it,” he muttered to himself, preparing to depart to battlements and move onto his many other outstanding duties. “There you are,” Scarlet Snow stated as she finished her climb up the steps, their eight year old colt trotting alongside her. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” “I’m on duty, there’s only so many places I’m going to be,” he replied. “What’s the matter?” “We’ve barely spoken to each other since the night before last, I’ve heard about Manehatten and everywhere else. Hay, who hasn’t by now? And as the Captain of the Solar Guard I can scarcely imagine how much pressure you’re under.” “I’m handling it. It’s part of the job,” he stated. “And I’m sorry we haven’t spoken lately, but with everything that’s going on…” Scarlet held up a hoof. “I never said I blamed you or anything. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” “Yeah, but Mum’s been kinda sad since yesterday…” Valiant sheepishly spoke up. “I see…” Broad Sword gave another sigh, he already knew why that would specifically be. “You still had friends stationed at Fort Hurricane, right? I suppose they didn’t make it.” “One or two did,” she responded. “But… yeah, the rest didn’t make it. Ponies I knew since basic training, gone in a moment…” Broad Sword gave his wife a comforting nuzzle. “Are you going to be ok?” “I will be,” she assured her husband. “I was EUP, remember? Handling loss isn’t just something the guard are trained for.” “You’re not in the EUP anymore,” he pointed out. She sighed, looking out over the battlements just as Broad Sword had been a few minutes prior. “Some things never leave you. For better or worse.” “Are you alright?” Valiant asked both of his parents. “I don’t like it when you’re sad.” Both his parents shot him a smile, Broad Sword patting his son on the head. “Eh, we’ll be fine. Your mother and I are a tough bunch, which just makes you all the stronger.” Valiant protested at the head patting, but puffed up with pride at the comment. “Yeah! I’ll be the toughest guard ever!” Scarlet chuckled. “Just don’t forget some finesse to go along with that toughness.” “Fin… what?” Valiant asked. “It means that being a guard isn’t always about pure muscle,” she explained, shooting her husband a wry smile. “Which, many years ago, is why I was the once rescuing your father and not the other way around.” “You and countless others, including Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis,” he deadpanned in response. “And I remember you came away with a broken leg, AND on top of that I saved Vladimir.” Scarlet snorted. “Like a broken leg was going to stop me. They had to force me to get medical care.” “So much for your brains over muscle argument,” he remarked with amusement. Scarlet puffed up her cheeks. “I was full of adrenaline! I didn’t even realise it was broken!” “Uhh, is this a bad time?” Façade asked, an amused Carduus limping alongside him. “No, not at all,” Broad Sword denied. “Just a friendly debate, nothing much.” “I heard the part about broken legs and adrenalin,” Carduus commented. “But I can trump that. I have a crippled body and I wager I’d still beat you in a fight, Broad Sword.” Broad Sword responded with a deadpan look. “Right. I’m sure you could…” “Anyway…” Façade interrupted, apparently eager to move the conversation onwards. “You’re Princess sent us to get you. We’re all wanted in the war room.” “All of us?” Broad Sword questioned with a frown, and with no small amount of dread. “What’s happened now?” “Your Princess is a mare of a mission, that’s what,” Façade responded. “She seems to have the idea that she can take out the Empress pretty soon.” “…Huh?” “Yeah. Your Element Bearers came back to the city with Queen Twilight’s dragon assistant, Spike. Now the Princess wants to talk tactics, and Carduus here is going to tell them exactly where to find the hive.” “Rendering their perception filter useless,” Carduus added in. “And with the majority of the swarm here, there may not be so many held back, I’d hope.” “You’d ‘hope’?” “Yeah, well… we’ll need a lot of that,” Carduus responded. “We still need to collect Vladimir. Come on.” Broad Sword nodded, and then turned to his family. “Sorry, Princess’ orders. But we’ll talk more tonight.” “Ever the busy stallion,” she commented in return, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Go on, don’t let me keep you.” After finishing up his farewells, Broad Sword fell into step beside the two changelings who had come to collect him. Vladimir also fell into step not so long after that, Broad Sword having known where to quickly find him, and so they all then headed up to the war room as requested. “Do you really think that you could make it up to the hive?” Shining Armor asked worriedly. “That is not in question, and we know many spells to keep us concealed against the land on which we travel,” Celestia answered. “Both in the day…” “…And during the night,” Luna finished up. “And with the swarm occupied, it should make things all the easier. Worry not, Prince Armor, our journey to the hive will be swift and precise.” When the meeting had begun, the Princess had adjusted the projected map to the region of the world where she knew the hive was roughly located. It had been a simple matter for Carduus to then point out the exact location, and the Princess had even allowed him to create a small little representation of the hive on said map. “I still feel like I and some guards should accompany you,” Shining complained. “It’s best to keep the group as small as possible,” Celestia rebutted. “And no offence, but the Empress would kill any such guards with the utmost ease.” Shining grumbled at that, but didn’t argue further. “So shall that leave Shining in charge in the meantime? Surely not Prince Blueblood…” Cadance enquired. “Neither,” Celestia responded. “I trust it won’t be any trouble, niece?” Cadance’s eyes narrowed. “I’m an alicorn too. I may not be a thousand years old, but I’m not unfamiliar with my magic.” “And Equestria needs a princess should we fall,” Celestia argued back. “No, you’re more so needed here. And you can help spread the word that we’re simply going to another city to help boost morale there. I’ll leave the details to you.” “What about taking a changeling as a guide at least?” Broad Sword suggested. “It would help you prevent getting lost,” Vladimir agreed. “Our sense of direction is not so impaired,” Celestia rebuked. “Carduus is not in a condition to make such a dangerous journey. Young Façade hasn’t got the same experience, and on top of that any and all changelings are highly susceptible to the Empress’ hive mind assimilation.” “It’s too dangerous,” Carduus summed up. “So what are the rest of us meant to do in the meantime?” Façade enquired. “Much the same, I would imagine,” Luna replied. “You do not need us to direct your lives. That responsibility is in your own hooves, and always has been.” “You’ve never directed my life, I’m not your subject,” Façade pointed out. “I just want to help if I can. Carduus is the same way.” “Agreed. But if I got into a fight, Panacea will never let me hear the end of it,” Carduus stated. “Nor the Queen for that matter. They both hate it when I ‘overexert’ my battered body.” “Having a wife of my own, I can somewhat sympathise,” Broad Sword jokingly remarked. “Don’t you agree with them,” Cadance warned Shining Armor, spotting her own husbands smirk. “But back on topic, I’m still not sure I like staying behind.” “Equestria need you, Cadance,” Celestia stressed. “This is important, please.” Cadance didn’t respond for a moment, but then gave out a relenting sigh. “Fine. But you owe me, auntie.” “I’ll bear that in mind,” Celestia said. “We shall depart the first thing in the morning, the moment I raise the sun into the sky. Once we reach the hive we shall incapacitate the hopefully small vanguard there, nonlethally given what our success would mean, and then confront the Empress.” “My shadow form should help with incapacity the guards,” Luna added in. “It’s a good thing that Nightmare Night has allowed me to stay in practice with that spell.” “The Empress should fear the coming Nightmare of the Moon,” Vladimir muttered under his breath. “The Empress is powerful, but so are we,” Celestia stated. “I suppose we shall all be tested in the days to come. We shall make haste, and with any luck return with Twilight and the rest of her kind freed to make their own decision and carry out their own lives once more.” “Once last thing,” Vladimir spoke up. “For Hurricane and Ponyville were both morale shattering losses. Victories at Las Pegasus and Vanhoover, and the ongoing work to hunt down the remnants of those attack forces, have helped. But with Manehatten’s brutality, things are at their lowest.” “Your point?” Luna asked her Captain of the Guard. “All of these attacks seemed geared towards destroying morale, don’t you think?” “She’s trying to break the spirits of you ponies,” Façade said in agreement. “Even with that business with Queen Crudelis and some of these other threats you people have faced over the past however many years, war is still a largely foreign concept for the majority of the populace.” “An astute observation,” Celestia complimented the changeling. “A populace without resistance would be far simpler to add into the Empress’ coming empire. Resistance would be most troubling for her.” “If we were to surrender today, you can bet your tail ponies would resist nationwide,” Shining Armor protested. “We’re hardly beaten.” “No, we’re not,” Luna agreed. “But that is the Empress’ intent.” “Logically, the next step would be Canterlot,” Carduus pointed out. “Take out the capital, have it tumble off the mountain for all Equestria to see. And with it, take out all three princesses and leave Equestria without its leaders. The EUP would be in chaos, ponies would flee left right and centre. In a way, it’s no different to a changeling having their hive connection suddenly severed.” Canterlot falling from the mountain. For Broad Sword, he couldn’t help but think back to his thoughts from earlier. “The Element Bearers are here too. If they were also killed here, the message would be that no matter where one runs, the swarm will always catch up to you in the end.” “It wouldn’t necessarily be overnight, but it would mark Equestria’s end,” Vladimir finished. “Another reason to end this as soon as possible,” Celestia stated. “But the city isn’t undefended. Shining Armor, the moment this meeting is concluded you are to raise your shield around the city until the crisis is done. Cadance can help you maintain it.” Shining Armor nodded. “I can do that.” “We’re already running extra drills, we can defend the city should it come to it,” Broad Sword said. “To the very end.” Luna frowned darkly. “Then let us hope the end is in our favour.” It was a sight they had seen before, but not for a very long time. The wedding of Princess Cadance and the then Captain Shining Armor was a long ago memory, but there nonetheless. That event had introduced the changelings to the world, and so things had come around full circle. All eyes looked up at the castle as an impossibly bright bolt of magenta magic pierced up into the skies above Canterlot. From that bolt of magic a barrier began to form, a massive sphere of pure energy that soon encompassed the whole city. Already fearful ponies became even more so, the shield signifying the very real threat of attack. And so Canterlot was completely covered in Shining Armor’s shield spell, ready for the worst. The Royal Sisters prepared to do what needed to be done for the sake of all their little ponies.