//------------------------------// // Chapter 41 // Story: A New Dragon in the Crystal Empire // by Vedues //------------------------------// Talon looked around the IHQ. It was abandoned except for her and Steel Mind, their code translator. Crystal and Tornado were off training with the rest of Squad Four, and Heart was in another Council meeting. Perfect. The Hurricanes would execute anyone they caught betraying the Alliance, and Talon wasn’t going to risk the lives of her friends by getting them involved in this. “Any response from our spy in Everfree Village?” Steel Mind shook his head. “They haven’t checked in for a week, and all the changelings in the area say they have no idea why.” He arched an eyebrow. “Their responses were a little too uniform, if you ask me.” Talon would have kept Steel Mind out of this as well, but she needed a wyrm to operate the sending stones that their spies used. That, and the Hurricanes couldn’t overhear a suspicious conversation if it was in emotional speech. “You think the changelings are behind it?” Steel Mind nodded. “The spy reported seeing a changeling a few days after he dropped off that first message to Princess Twilight Sparkle.” “And Princess Twilight never responded or acted like she even got our messages.” Talon sat down and rubbed her head with one wing. “Okay, so the changelings are probably interfering with our attempts to peacefully contact Equestria. The question is why. What could they possibly get by forcing us to keep up a fight that we can’t win?” -_-_-_-_-_- Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the changelings, the destroyer of countless towns and cities throughout Equestrian history, who had nearly overthrown Canterlot, who had even defeated Celestia in single combat, was currently standing in the Canterlot throne room. Against all military protocols, there wasn’t a single guard in the room to keep an eye on her. In fact, most of the castle had been emptied. Celestia wasn’t going to risk innocent casualties. The only individuals here were herself, Luna, and the changeling queen. Chrysalis’s dark carapace stood out in stark contrast to the multitude of colors pouring in through the stained-glass windows to her left. The thick red carpet beneath her hooves only made the holes in her legs stand out more clearly. Even the changeling queen’s gossamer mane, hanging in a tangled mess off the side of her neck, clashed with the neat and orderly atmosphere of the throne room. Yet in spite of it all, Chrysalis stood proudly, even smiling a little, which revealed a row of sharp teeth. Celestia studied the creature in front of her, searching for any sign of trickery or deceit, but she could find none. Even scanning the changeling queen’s emotions and surface thoughts revealed nothing but complete honesty. At last, Celestia spoke, “I have only two questions, Chrysalis. First, why are you offering to betray the Alliance, especially to Equestria, a nation that you hate? Second,” she lit her horn and leveled it at the queen, “why shouldn’t I destroy you here and now for all the pain you have caused my subjects over the centuries?” Chrysalis smirked. “My changelings have information that would lead to the deaths of millions of your ponies if they delivered it to the Alliance, which they will, unless I return to them by noon.” “You base coward,” Luna growled. “I prefer to think of it as strategically minded,” Chrysalis replied smugly. “Incidentally, I’m betraying the Dragon Alliance for the same reason. You two have been slowly crushing them to death ever since you captured Yol Toor. Their numbers are dwindling along with their supplies. Meanwhile, your army is safe in the Crystal Empire with nothing to do but watch farmers replenish your food stores.” Any hint of amusement faded away, and Chrysalis gave Celestia a very serious look. “The Dragon Alliance is going to lose this war, but you know that they won’t surrender quietly. They’ll drag this out as long as they can, killing countless ponies in the process.” That smug smile returned. “My betrayal will cut that time short, preventing battles and saving lives. I’m even offering the location and identity of every Alliance spy, and details on all of the battle strategies that they have discussed since Yol Toor’s capture. Finally, I’ll withhold that vital piece of information from the Alliance, information that might even let them defeat Equestria.” “And what vital information would that be?” Celestia asked. “Where you’re holding Yol Toor, of course.” Chrysalis’s expression became serious. “We searched every inch of Equestria and confirmed that he isn’t there, every inch except for the dungeons of Canterlot.” Celestia carefully maintained her calm facade. “What if you missed something?” Chrysalis shrugged. “That message will still bring every dragon in the Alliance crashing down at your door. Isn’t preventing that worth the little I ask in return?” “A full pardon for every changeling is hardly a small thing to ask,” Luna said. “I thought ponies were all about second chances and living together in harmony,” Chrysalis returned. “Changelings can hardly live in peace with you if we’re imprisoned on sight, now can we?” Celestia remained silent as she reflected on the issue. She didn’t doubt that Chrysalis would gladly betray her closest friends if she thought it would benefit her in some way. Betraying the weaker side in a war in order to gain favor with the stronger side was a deplorable tactic, of course, and Celestia hated to play a part in such a thing, but she couldn’t risk the safety of her subjects. Unfortunately, allowing changelings to roam free across Equestria had the potential to be just as damaging as an army of dragons, which made the decision all the more tricky. “I believe I have a solution,” Celestia said at last. “If every changeling will go into hibernation in a secure area-” “In a cell, you mean,” Chrysalis said. Celestia nodded. “Yes, in a cell. One hundred changeling will be awakened and set free every year, with you as the last. They will receive funding for their material needs until they can find work of their own, and it will give Equestria time to adapt to your kind and establish a method to allow you to feed.” Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed. “Are you really stupid enough to think I would agree to that?” “If you wish a more favorable solution,” Luna said, “all of your changelings could go free, but you would be required to remain within this castle for the span of one year.” “You can both stop,” Chrysalis said, looking annoyed. “I’m not going to change my terms. You can pardon every changeling, including me, and I’ll have the Alliance’s information network disabled by sundown, or you can let millions of your subjects die.” She turned toward the door and called over her shoulder, “Oh, and this offer expires as soon as I leave the room.” Then she took a very deliberate step. Biting down her frustration and anger, Celestia turned to Luna. The younger alicorn was glaring daggers at Chrysalis’s back. “I understand that we cannot, but I would dearly like to kill that abomination,” she whispered. Chrysalis took another step, giving no sign that she had heard. “Luna,” Celestia whispered, “can you enter the dreams of changelings?” “I have by accident on a number of occasions,” Luna replied. Another step. “Do you believe you could find out what she’s planning?” Luna turned and met her sister’s gaze. “I can guarantee nothing, but yes, I believe I can.” Celestia nodded. “Thank you, Sister.” Then in a louder voice she said, “Wait, Chrysalis.” The changeling queen stopped and looked back at the two alicorns. “Yes?” “You will have your freedom, and your subjects will too. However, I must insist that the majority of you remain in Canterlot for the time being. Our foremost scientists and mages all live here, and we will need their help to find a method that will allow changelings to feed without harming ponies.” Chrysalis laughed. “That, Celestia, has already been taken care of. The Alliance was kind enough to provide us with staffs that can drain targets of their magic from a distance. At a reasonably low setting, your precious ponies won’t suffer any lasting damage.” “Then allow us to at least provide you with lodgings and volunteers,” Celestia said. “There is an empty barracks near Canterlot Castle that could hold all of your subjects, and I will send out word immediately, asking for volunteers who will allow you to absorb some of their magic.” She put on her best motherly smile and let her heart radiate emotions of love and compassion. “We should also organize a grand celebration in your honor to commemorate the dawn of a new era of friendship between changelings and ponies.” For a moment, Chrysalis made no move, then a grin worked its way across her muzzle. “Make it official.” Fighting down the urge to sigh, Celestia spread her wings and intoned, “I hereby proclaim that every changeling shall be given a full pardon for all their past offenses against Equestria and granted full rights and citizenship. All this, on the condition that you, Chrysalis, hold true to your promise and provide us with the battle plans and captive spies of the Dragon Alliance, as well as withholding from the Alliance any information that it could possibly use to harm Equestria or its subjects.” Chrysalis’s smug grin made Celestia want to throttle her. “Very well, I’ll tell my changelings to start rounding up Alliance spies, but we’ll show up for your little party, and we’ll take that barracks for our new business venture. I assume it’s still legal to run a brothel?” Celestia barely contained a sigh. “Yes, it is.” “Ah good.” Chrysalis gave both her and Luna an amused smile. “I can only imagine how much some ponies would pay to bed an alicorn princess, even knowing that she’s a changeling in disguise. I’m sure you two will be among our most frequent requests.” With a wicked cackle, Chrysalis turned and left. The resounding silence of her departure was broken when Luna asked, “Which one of us do you suppose will be requested more often?” At least there were no guards around to witness as Celestia facehoofed. -_-_-_-_-_- Several hours later, Luna had returned to the Crystal Empire and Celestia was finishing the first draft of a general pardon for all changelings. She still had trouble believing that she was going to let Chrysalis and her brood get away with all of the things they had done, but the safety of Equestria’s citizens had to come first. With any luck, they might even be able to win over some changelings to the Equestrian way of life, or at least get Chrysalis so focused on the economic success of her new ‘business’ that she forgot to carry out whatever plan she was concocting. Celestia put the scroll aside and rose to her hooves. Her office was actually a simple room with white walls and a plush red carpet, decorated only by a few pictures of her closest friend and family. Most of the room was taken up by a desk so large that it doubled as a table for smaller meetings. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway beyond, where the Royal Scheduling Adviser waited. “Kibitz, what’s next for today?” The cream-colored old unicorn consulted the official schedule as he fell into step beside her. “You have another meeting with Yol Toor. The mayor of Phillydelphia had to postpone her appointment, so you will have a free hour after that.” “I would like to spend it with Flurry Heart,” Celestia said. She would need some time with her adorable grandniece to help her unwind after dealing with both Chrysalis and Yol Toor. “Very good.” Kibitz made a note on the schedule. “After your free hour, there is a graduation ceremony at the Royal Guard Training Academy that you should attend, and then you will be free for the rest of the day.” “That’s wonderful to hear.” Celestia didn’t try to hide the relief in her voice. She picked up the pace a bit so that she could get to her free evening faster. It only took a few minutes to make their way into the caves beneath Canterlot Castle, and from there to the dungeon. Until Yol Toor, no one had been held down here in centuries, but it was still one of the most secure areas in Equestria. The tunnels had all been reinforced by Starswirl himself, and the cells had been specially designed to hold creatures of immense power. “Thank you for accompanying me, Kibitz,” Celestia said when they reached the door to the first cell. “I will return soon.” “Of course, Princess.” Kibitz took his usual spot next to the door. Inside, Celestia found ten of her most capable guards standing watch over Yol Toor, five of them facing outwards for potential threats, and five of them facing inwards, in case their captive tried anything. Not that there was much he could do. Instead of bars, the entire front of the cell was covered in a thick layer of glass that was many times more durable than steel. It was also more than one hundred times as rare and extremely difficult to forge. Food and water were delivered through a small compartment in the bottom corner. It had two doors, one to the inside and one to the outside, but only one could be opened at a time, and they couldn’t be closed if any living creature was inside the compartment. The cell was airtight as well, with special enchantments to keep the air fresh and to allow those inside the cell and those outside of it to hear each other. Yol Toor himself stared back at his guards with an expression of calm neutrality. The cell constantly siphoned off his magic in order to strengthen its walls, which had taken much of the luster out of his gray scales, but his golden eyes were as sharp as ever. “Leave us,” Celestia ordered. The guards did so without complaint. They knew to expect it by now. As soon as they were alone, Yol Toor’s mask of calmness slipped away, replaced by worry and concern. “Has there been more bloodshed since we spoke last?” It was the same question that he always asked when she came to see him. Celestia nodded regretfully. “Yesterday. Luna and I attacked the Shattered Mountain Canyon again, although we only collapsed one cave this time.” She closed the distance between them and sat down opposite Yol Toor. They were about the same height while he was in his thinking form, letting them look each other in the eyes. “We also had Cadance and Shining Armor with us, to overload more anti-magic circles before they could be completed.” The drake lord never got angry at her for these admissions, nor did he issue threats. Instead, the concern on his face grew as he asked, “Are my daughters still alive?” “They are,” Celestia promised. “They fought bravely to defend their allies. One of Qo Peyt’s legs was broken by Luna, but they are both alive.” Yol Toor closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. “And Silver Tail?” “We didn’t see him, but we have no reason to think that he is dead.” From there, Yol Toor went down a long list of his friends and descendants, asking one by one if they were still alive. Even though Celestia knew that it would have been faster for her to simply tell him which dragons had been killed, she never interrupted this little ritual. Part of it was that she admired the idea of a leader who knew the names and faces of each of his followers. Mostly, however, she just wanted to delay admitting that she had killed another dragon. Eventually, Yol Toor reached the name that Celestia had been dreading, “… And Stone Sky? A gray-blue drake with head spikes of the same color. His scales take on the appearance of polished marble during battle.” Celestia bowed her head, which was all the response Yol Toor needed. “I see.” The ancient drake’s heart seemed to break just a little, as it always did when he received this kind of news. “… He will be missed.” Normally they would both be silent for a few moments, but today, Celestia found herself unable to stand the guilt and frustration that were eating away at her. “Yol Toor.” She paused as soon as the words left her mouth, unsure what to say next. “… I’m sorry.” The alicorn shook her head. Offering something as feeble as an apology wouldn’t bring his dead family members back. “I wish I could have prevented this war, but I don’t have the authority to order ponies off of their land. I simply can’t give the Alliance what it wants.” Yol Toor looked up at her with regretful eyes. “I know, Celestia.” His gaze held firm but there was compassion in it too. “Perhaps negotiations could have prevented it, but we were both blind to that option. I hated and feared ponies for much of my life, a trait that was passed on to my followers. Now they are paying the price for my failure as a leader.” Silence fell upon the two, broken only by the rhythmic pattern of their breathing. It was Celestia that finally spoke, “What was Stone Sky like?” Yol Toor frowned. “Why do you ask?” “Perhaps we both need a reminder sometimes that we aren’t fighting an army of faceless monsters, but living, breathing individuals, just like us.” Celestia smiled weakly. “I know that I don’t deserve to ask anything of you, and I would understand if you would rather not speak to me right now.” Yol Toor stared intently at her for a moment, then he curled into a loose ball on the floor of his cell, with his head facing her. “Stone Sky was my fourth generation descendant and a loving husband and father. I have never met another dragon that enjoyed climbing as much as he did. One day, when he was still too young to fly, he fell onto my back while I was resting in the middle of a cavern. When his parents weren’t looking, he had scaled the cavern walls and started making his way upside down across the ceiling.” A nostalgic smile touched Yol Toor’s features. “That was how he eventually earned his true name …” Celestia sat down to listen, letting the drake’s voice take her back to a simpler time. -_-_-_-_-_- Fluttershy was knitting peacefully in her bedroom when Discord appeared in front of her. He was still less than half of his original size, about as big as a normal pony, but that didn’t seem to be upsetting him today. In fact, he was rolling around in the air and laughing. “Oh, Fluttershy,” he wiped tears from his eyes, “you have to go look at your kitchen. I haven’t seen anything this funny in years!” “Oh dear,” Fluttershy whispered. “Is Sweetie here for her cooking lesson already? I didn’t hear Mother come back with her.” Discord shook his head. “This is even better. Go look!” She took another long drink of water before pushing herself up to her hooves. It was a little hard to move around these days, thanks to her rounded belly and constant fatigue, but at least the restlessness had ended a while ago. The stench of burning plastic hit Fluttershy as soon as she opened her door, prompting her to hurry down the stairs as quickly as she could. What she saw in the kitchen made her gasp and look around in awe. A thick layer of mashed potatoes and strawberry jam covered the counter. The blender had been placed on the stove for some reason and melted nearly beyond recognition. Below it, the oven door hung by a single hinge, and it looked like something brown had exploded within the device. There was even a large dent in the cupboard opposite the oven. Meanwhile, the floor was covered in a mixture of flour and water. Sitting in the middle of it all, Zeph scratched the back of his neck with one paw. “Oh, hi there. I may have accidentally brought a slice of bread to life, but the good news is I think it’s friendly.” “I don’t understand,” Fluttershy whispered over the sound of Discord’s laughter. “I thought you were just making yourself a sandwich.” Zeph chuckled nervously. “I was.” Eventually Fluttershy snapped out of her stupor enough to start cleaning things up. Zeph helped, and thankfully his cleaning skills were much better than his cooking ones. Even Discord agreed to lend a helping paw. “Zeph,” Fluttershy said as they worked, “um, how much cooking experience do you have?” The kumiho chuckled nervously. “Uh, none? I can’t even walk down the street in Kumiho Village without getting showered with food and gifts, so I never bothered to learn.” “And I hope you never do,” Discord said with a grin. “I haven’t felt that much chaos since Pinkie’s last party. Keep cooking like this, and I’ll be able to warp up to Cliff and the Crystal Empire soon.” Zeph finished scraping potatoes and jam off the counter and into the trash can. “Won’t he be home by the end of next week anyway? So he can be here for the birth?” “Yes.” Fluttershy grinned. Cliff had been given permission to come home for a week, starting a week from Friday, and she was scheduled to give birth the Tuesday after that. A shiver of excitement went through her as she realized that she was exactly two weeks away from becoming a mother. “I can’t wait to see Cliff with our daughter.” As if reacting to her thoughts, Miracle kicked. Fluttershy grinned and massaged her stomach with one hoof. “I think Miracle is excited to meet her daddy too.” “Don’t worry,” Discord laid a hand on her shoulder, “she’ll get over that as soon as she spends some time with him.” She chuckled. “Discord, be nice.” The front door opened and Silver Lining walked in, followed by all four Crusaders. Silver Lining’s eyes narrowed as she looked at the mess. “Discord, what did you do?” “Zeph had some trouble in the kitchen.” Fluttershy picked up what had once been a blender, and threw it away. It left a ring of hardened plastic on the stove’s cooking element. She would have to deal with that later. Scootaloo whistled. “He must be an even worse cook that Sweetie.” Sweetie blushed and looked away. “I’ve been getting better …” Silver Lining’s wing came down over the young unicorn’s shoulders. “Yes you are, but it seems we should delay your next cooking lesson until this mess is cleaned up.” Whisper picked up a broom and joined the cleaning effort without a word. Fluttershy gave her a hug. “Thank you, Sister.” She smiled back. “Y-you’re welcome.” Apple Bloom joined them in the kitchen as well, but instead of cleaning, she made her way to the fridge and looked inside. “I’ll see if I can throw together a lunch for everyone.” A little while later, they were all sitting in the family nest as they ate a lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. “Maybe you should join in Sweetie’s lessons,” Apple Bloom said, pointing at Zeph. “At least get you to the point that you aren’t a danger to others in the kitchen.” “Apple Bloom,” Silver Lining said firmly, “you should consult with me before you offer my help to someone.” “Oh,” Apple Bloom’s ears pressed back, “sorry.” “I learn better on my own anyway,” Zeph said. It was fascinating to watch all the things he could do with his tails. One of them was holding a bowl of soup in front of him, and two more each had half of a sandwich, bringing them up to his face whenever he wanted to take a bite or a sip. “I’ll be going up to the Crystal Empire as soon as Miracle is born, though, so I wouldn’t have a lot of time to practice.” Sweetie’s expression fell a little. “Do you really have to go?” Zeph nodded. “The warriors of Kumiho Village are up there, putting themselves in danger to protect those in need. What kind of guardian spirit would I be if I didn’t join them as soon as I could?” “You could always become a chaos spirit instead,” Discord said. He was holding his own head in one hand with a bowl of soup in his other one. “Life’s so much more fun when it’s your job to break the rules.” “That reminds me,” Apple Bloom said. “Is there such a thing as a helper spirit?” Discord tilted his head back with one hand and poured soup into his mouth with the other. “Not that I’ve seen. Although they sound positively boring, so I’m not sure why you’d want to know.” “Well a buncha stuff’s been getting done around the farm lately, and neither AJ or me remembers doing any of it.” Apple Bloom looked down at her soup and frowned. “Like this morning, the pumpkin patch had been weeded and the last of the corn boxes had been planted, and it wasn’t like that when we went to bed.” “Weird.” Scootaloo rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Maybe Sweet Apple Acres is haunted or something.” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Well if the ghosts of Ma and Pa decided to get up and do some farm work, you’d think they’d at least have the decency to drop by the house and say hi.” “M-maybe they’re af-fraid of scaring you,” Whisper said. Apple Bloom laughed. “Whisper, I’m saying that it isn’t ghosts. There’s no such thing.” At that moment, Angel came running in through the pet door with a slice of white bread in hot pursuit. Fluttershy was so shocked that she didn’t respond until Angel jumped onto her shoulder, grabbed her spoon, and leaped back at the bread slice, brandishing the spoon like a battleaxe. The bread slice got knocked backwards by the assault and then ran out the pet door, releasing small yips of pain. Silver Lining and the Crusaders turned to Discord, who shrugged. “Thanks, girls, but I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for this one.” The hand holding his head motioned to Zeph. “I guess it wasn’t friendly after all,” Zeph said. “Anyway, Apple Bloom, there actually are lingering spirits, but most of them move on after a year or two, and they’re generally harmless.” “Not all of them,” Discord said quietly. Something about his tone sent a chill down Fluttershy’s spine. “What do you mean?” She motioned Angel over and lowered her soup so that he could have some. Discord put his head back on his shoulders, his expression unusually serious. “Every living thing creates at least a small amount of chaos, that’s just the nature of life. However, locked up in Tartarus, Celestia has a handful of creatures that destroy chaos instead.” His voice got deeper as he said, “Whatever those thing are, they certainly aren’t alive.” Silver Lining nodded. “The Requiem Guard from the Great Minotaur War. A mere ten of them held off the Equestrian Army for eleven years, slaughtering anypony that dared venture into their tunnels.” Sweetie started to shiver. “Can we talk about something else, please?” “Of course.” Discord poured the rest of his soup into his mouth, followed by the bowl, which crunched loudly as he chewed. “I was thinking of starting an Ogres and Oubliettes group. Do any of you want to join?” “I will,” Apple Bloom said. “I used to play with Big Mac sometimes.” Now that the conversation was back on more pleasant things, Fluttershy felt her mood lifting. Soon Cliff would get to come home, and just a few days after that, they would be welcoming their daughter into the world. She didn’t think that there could be a happier thought in the world than that.