//------------------------------// // Establishment - Part 3 // Story: Saving Equestria // by Damaged //------------------------------// Twilight yawned, despite her best efforts and normally indefatigable love for law and books, it had been a long and trying day. "Sorry Chryssi, could you repeat that again?" Her brain was having a lot of trouble latching on to the newest concern of her new friend. Friend? Wait, she just overthrew Equestria, can she be a friend and a dictator? The question in her mind floated a moment before the door burst in. "Twily!" Shining tried to gallop into the room but tripped over his own hooves and fell in a giggling heap, hugging a cushion. "Uh… Twily? You are softer and more squishy than normal." Two alicorns, a unicorn, and a changeling queen watched one of the most impressive military minds reduced to a dribbling, huggy pile of cuddle-pony. "Ignore him, please. He lost a bet with one of Chryssi's drones." Cadance closed the door behind her. "I am here to officially inform everypony that it is night time and you are all going to bed. Auntie, I don't care how chipper and excited you look, please lower the sun… and assuming Princess Luna doesn't, raise the moon." Chrysalis reached a hoof out and gently poked Shining's shoulder, only prompting the stallion to cuddle the big cushion tighter. "He shouldn't take too long to get it out of his system." She smiled, unable to avoid the love radiating from him. "Tasty though." Stretching, Celestia climbed to her hooves and arched her back. "I'll get the sun, but I think we can leave the moon to Luna tonight, to see if she will do it." Her heart was split over this. It could be just what Lulu needs to jolt her back from the state Nightmare Moon's removal had left her in. She looked out the window at the sun and, with a heave of her magic, sent the orb of life down below the horizon. "Twilight, Princess Cadance is right, I… I didn't want to say anything earlier, but it has been a big day for everypony." Spike began gathering up scrolls and parchment, carefully sorting them into order. Watching the baby dragon, Chrysalis was delighted by how well Twilight had taken to instituting a new system of government. "We still have the sections of the Princess of Balance's duties to define." She looked at Twilight and saw her blank look at the title that nopony knew. "That is you, Twilight. You will be able to challenge my orders, and I need that. I will not always be right, nopony can be." "Do you mean that?" Celestia blinked at the pronouncement. This changeling is nothing like the others we had encountered—okay, she did invade—where was that hunger for absolute power? Cadance cut in on the challenge from Princess to Queen. "Has she actually lied yet?" Her question drew everyponies' attention—except Shining, who was snuggling two cushions now. "Well? Twilight, Celestia, I have known Chryssi for quite some time; she is as honest a pony as I know." "Now I definitely need to sleep." Celestia waved off the question with an air that was both dismissive and acknowledged that she didn't have a good answer for it. "If anything needs my attention, talk to either of the other two princesses. Or our Queen." A thousand years… no, more. Celestia inhaled deeply as she left the room. I can relax my guard. "Well, she didn't admit it. But did you notice how relaxed Auntie looked when she left?" Cadance was still blinking at the door. "I wish Princess Luna had stayed, I would love to ask her about her sister." ~~~~~+++++~~~~~ The news of the "takeover" spread almost as fast as the darkness of night. In Ponyville a train with just one carriage dumped a pile of newspapers on the platform and raced off into the moonless evening. Princess Luna plucked out one of the papers, which was just a two page broadsheet with the details of the wedding. Pictures of the couple, of one of them revealed to be a "changeling," and of the continuing wedding abounded. Even as the creature that called itself Queen Chrysalis helped Princess Celestia up, the blushing couple demanded the wedding continue. There was some question about proceeding when night seemed to come early, but it faded just as quick. Princess Luna has not been available to comment. The last word we have received from the Canterlot Castle is that tomorrow will be business as usual, that these changelings are indeed citizens of Equestria now and that—and this is the strange one, fillies and gentlecolts—"We are to extend them every possible welcome and allow them to go about their business." This reporter for one will be spending his time next morning at the castle, demanding answers. —Scoop Story "They are moving fast, Your Highness." Rarity was reading another of the papers. "Will you be raising the moon tonight?" The question startled Luna, she lifted her head and looked up. "No, there is something I need to do, something dangerous. Raising the moon will leave me a little weaker, and Equestria cannot afford that now. She turned, folding the paper back up. Stepping down from the platform, she began to make her way to the library. "I will need to prepare, rest well tonight." "Yes, Princess Luna." Rarity watched the alicorn leave and turned to gaze at the twinkling lights of Canterlot in the distance. "Twilight, I hope you are safe." Luna curled up on the smallish bed. Stretching her neck out she slowly closed her eyes and stepped into the dreamscape of her own mind. Of course it was there. "You weak little filly, you couldn't stop them this time, either." Nightmare Moon stood over Luna, miles tall and impossibly huge. It was the Tantabus of course. "Why don't you just fly back, curl up and let the changeling queen that took your sister have you too? It is all you are good for." No matter how big it seemed in her dream, Luna knew it was a small monster, she made it after all. "Begone this night, I have work." She stepped from her own dream and felt around town. Ponies slept, some well, some ill-at-ease. She did what she could without going into any dreams. I can't afford to touch them, if there is just one dreamling here they would call in their brethren—I would be lost before I even started. "What are you doing? Come back little filly!" The Tantabus pushed and railed at Luna's own dream, trying to break free and follow her. But it wasn't quite strong enough to break her wards. Luna set her sights on a particular dreamer. "All the risk, but it has to be taken. Maybe the queen ignored Twilight Sparkle in favor of controlling Tia directly." The unicorn's dream was distinct and Luna sped toward it, covering the gap between Ponyville and Canterlot as if it were nothing. She slipped into the dream-world of Twilight Sparkle, and smiled. Twilight was in heaven. There was the biggest library of all time around her, she had a special little pile of cushions and books lay all around her. Presently, she was reading over the law notes they had been working on before bed, notes that she could recall clearly only because they had been her entire focus for the evening. She was surprised, then, when a new book floated down from her shelves and landed beside her. "That's strange…" She reached out a hoof, feeling the cover as slightly cool, and opened it. It was a story about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, apparently from a long time ago. Once, a long time ago, two sisters ruled over all ponykind. They were kind, and loving, and cared for everypony. But one day they met a new pony, who seemed very nice. There was an illustration of what had to be Celestia dancing about with another pony. Twilight blinked at it, unsure when she even turned the page, but apparently dreams didn't care about such things. But all was not as it seemed. While the new pony danced and played with one of the sisters, she whispered things into her mind, slowly making her think that the new pony was not just better than her sister, but better than herself. Again the page turned, now Twilight could see what were clearly changelings, attacking ponies, capturing them, all while Celestia watched. The pony was revealed as a changeling queen, a creature that cares for just one thing, food. Its hive spread among the ponies, turning them into nothing more than food, degrading them and denying them the ability to even control their own emotions. The library around Twilight changed as the story went on. It grew chill where it had been comfortable warmth, dark where it had been light. There was a soft hiss and when Twilight turned, she saw a group of changelings spraying something over a pony. She tried to get up, to solve the situation, but couldn't move as the pony was encased in a squishy pod. Again and again Twilight saw the scene play out, and every time once the pony was in the pod their terrified looks turned to a forced smile. The changelings fed. "This isn't right… the changelings are nice. Chryssi isn't a bad pony!" Twilight tried to fight the nightmare, to shake free of its grip; but even as she did it closed in tighter. A group of changelings approached her, one opened its mouth to spray a green goop at her from its fangs. "I am sorry Twilight Sparkle, but you need to see this, to feel it." Luna spoke quietly, but didn't expect the unicorn to actually hear her. "Princess Luna?" Even as the goop was covering Twilight, she bucked and shook free. It stuck to her in clumps. "Princess! What is all this? Please help me fight the nightmare!" "Twilight Sparkle, this is the only warning I dare give to you." Luna clopped her hoof down sharply, increasing the power of the nightmare around Twilight. "You have to believe how badly you are being deceived!" The green slime got thicker around Twilight, she felt the changelings spraying more of it at her. She saw Luna in the distance through the green wall of her prison. Then the pain of changelings feeding on her ripped through her body. Waking from her nightmare, Twilight heard screaming so loud she thought the glass in the windows would shatter. Jerking left and right, she saw that it was still full dark out and, a moment later, her door was broken open. Two changelings stood with a halo of light coming in around them. It was like in the nightmare and Twilight heard the screaming grow louder. "Your Highness! What is wrong?" The words from the changeling broke the scream off in Twilight's throat and she started trembling. The nightmare had felt so real, so nasty and bad that she trembled. Closing her eyes, Twilight felt tears leaking from her eyes, but it was the legs that wrapped her in a hug that surprised her more. Snapping her eyes open, Twilight realized that one of the changelings had moved in and hugged her. "Please relax, Your Highness. It was just a bad dream." Soft Clack had left her fellow guard when she saw the only danger was a terrified mare. "It can't hurt you." Twilight was caught. The dream still inspired some negative reactions to the changelings, but there was something to be said for being comforted after such an ordeal. "T-T-Thank you…" Bit by bit the horror subsided, giving way to the measuring and meticulous mind of Twilight Sparkle. "It was Luna, she… she wanted me to see a story about changelings." "Mom has told us that we are… were, not well loved." Soft didn't let up her hug of what her brain was insisting was a nymph who needed more hugs. "Do you want to tell me the story? A problem shared is a problem halved." "I… I would like that." Words of wisdom were still wise, no matter who said them. Twilight calmed herself down, her mind wandering back to the bad dream. "It started in my normal dream, in the best library ever." A smile curved the unicorn's lips, it was impossible to even think about that place without feeling her heart lift. So many books… wait, keep focused. Twilight continued, "Then another book floated down and opened. It talked of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna before… okay, it must have been a long time ago, before Princess Luna was banished. Changelings attacked them, a queen…" Twilight trailed off. Can changelings do that? Some sort of mind control? Would I notice if they were? Would… I should just ask. She took a deep breath. "Can changeling queens mind control ponies?" Soft Clack blinked a few times and lowered her snout. "Mom said she would never do it, that she hates the idea of it… but she can." "Is there a way to tell if a pony is under mind control? Am I under Chrysalis' control?" Twilight's nervous mania started to rise. "How do we know if everypony in Canterlot is under her control?" She was shouting, at least, as much of a shout as Twilight even built up. The hug tightened and Twilight heard the changeling giggle. "What?" "If you were under mom's mind control, would she—being clever as she is—let you even be able to think that you were?" Soft saw the moment when Twilight's panic slipped and broke. "I… you… but…" That is so right, though. If Chryssi was controlling me, I don't think she would leave any chance of knowing. So I mustn't be. Twilight relaxed a little again, trying to remember the nightmare—felt it slipping away in the odd comfort she was being afforded. "She showed me ponies being captured in goo, bound up into pods. Do you use pods? I haven't seen any…" "We can make pods." Soft sighed a little. "They are not nice, they make ponies remember all the happy times they have had so that changelings can feed easier." "Do you use them?" Twilight needed to know, had to know. "Do you rip the love out of ponies trapped in pods?" "Rip? Wait, slow down. Queen Chrysalis declared we would not use pods, ever. Ponies are just far too happy to need them anyway. And 'ripping love out'?" Soft Clack gave a sad little chirping click of her wings. "A changeling learns how to feed safely, love drinking doesn't have to hurt. I can show you, if you like?" The offer surprised Twilight, enough that the nightmare faded more. This could make an interesting experiment. She smiled, banishing the emotions that had been ripping her mood down into the gutter. "I would like that, but we are going to need some-" Twilight stopped, feeling a slight tingle. "That is feeding. I couldn't do it before because you were too afraid." Soft explained the process. "A good 'ling skims the excess love off the top, not needing to 'rip' anything. Oh…" Her blue eyes flashed a little brighter, feeling an odd kind of love in the mare, but a powerful one. "I need to measure this!" Twilight flared her horn, casting detection and analysis spells and focused them either on the changeling or herself. "I… I can't measure anything… oh! Uh, my name is Twilight Sparkle, you can call me Twilight." It was a little odd to be getting a hug from a pony she didn't know. She is a pony, changelings are, just very odd kinds of one; and I will prove it! "I am Soft Clack, pleased to meet you, Princ-" Soft cut herself off and blushed green. "I mean, Twilight."