//------------------------------//
// 9: Meetings 
// Story: My Little Pony: Prime 
// by Brony Tom 
//------------------------------//

Part 9

        Quietly, Ditzy Doo slipped out the front door of her small home on the outskirts of Ponyville, her blonde mane waving gently in a light breeze. She looked around at the familiar houses and ponies, taking a deep breath. The air was filled with the pleasant aroma of flowers, courtesy of Roseluck's garden next door. The morning sun was already starting to get quite bright and Ditzy felt its warming gaze on her coat.
        Today is going to be a great day, she thought. With a little extra springiness in her haphazard gait, the mailmare took off for the post office. Ditzy wobbled gaily through the air, smiling and tittering like a schoolfilly. Today really is going to be great, I can tell already.
        The thought was distracting enough that she didn't feel any time pass at all as she hovered to work. When the post office finally came into view, Ditzy alighted rather clumsily; after tripping on her own hooves, she tumbled head over hoof through the rear door marked “Employees Only.” The inside of the post office was a bit dimmer than usual, but Ditzy didn't let that or her fall get her down.
        “Ditzy! You're late!” called a voice from the mail sorting room. The voice was her boss', and it was angry.
        “Sorry, I was-” began Ditzy.
        “There's no excuse for being late six days in a row!” her boss interrupted her. He appeared out of the sorting room, his brown muzzle rough with graying stubble. He glanced at Ditzy, and seeing her smile begin to falter, he sighed and growled. “You know what, just take your mail and go. I'm not even mad anymore.”
        Ditzy watched him go, his black baseball cap lying askew on his unkempt mane. She was usually scolded a bit more for things like this. Something was up if her boss was just letting her go. She poked her head into the sorting room, where her boss was lying face-down on the mail desk.
        “What's wrong? Anything I can do to help?” Ditzy asked.
        “No. There is nothing-” the stallion paused for a moment. “Actually, yes, there is something you can do to help me, Ditzy. You can deliver your mail. That would be incredibly helpful.”
        Ditzy nodded, getting the feeling that her boss just wanted her out of there. She trotted over to where her mailbag hung from a rack on the far wall. Interestingly enough, hers wasn't the only mailbag still there; hanging next to hers was Raindrops' bag.
        I guess that's why the boss was so grumpy, thought Ditzy, slinging her dusty brown bag over her shoulders. Raindrops is usually the one who sorts the mail, and if she isn't here today, he must have had to do it.
        The mailmare slipped out the door and examined the mail that she was to deliver today. Where usually there was a decently large stack, today there were only a hoof-full of letters. There wasn't even a package! Normally there was a package or two.
        This must just be a slow day for mail, Ditzy thought. Well, I guess I'll be finished extra early, then.
        Ditzy pulled the first letter off of the pile. After a few seconds of examining it, she deciphered its intended recipient as Zecora. The letter itself seemed a little battered, as though it had been tossed about and scrunched up almost violently. Ditzy cocked her head curiously as she examined it, taking to the air as she did so.
        Now that she was once again in the air, her bubbly high spirits came back with a vengeance. She flew a lackadaisical route towards the Everfree Forest, zigging and zagging across Ponyville. She felt good enough that she pulled into a steep climb for a loop-de-loop, only to lose her orientation halfway through. Ditzy let out a yelp as she fell into an uncontrolled spiral, and before she could stabilize herself she landed in the stinging embrace of a tree's branches. She tumbled down, bouncing off of tree limbs along the way, until finally landing with a whump on something relatively soft and red. Ditzy thought she heard a crack as well.
        “Ah! My back!” groaned the red pony.
        “Oops, my bad,” mumbled Ditzy. She rolled off of the other pony. The two of them were in the Ponyville Public Park, the tree Ditzy had fallen into casting a large, cool shadow.
        “I'll say,” grumbled the colt. “I can't just be alone for a bit, can I? First it was that pink pony, and now you. Are you going to try and throw me a party too?”
        “Oh, no, I just lost control in the middle of my mail route. I'm sorry about that.”
        “Smooth moves- wait a sec, I recognize you,” said the red pony. “Your name's, like, Derpy or something, right? Is it because of the eyes?”
        Ditzy frowned, her heart sinking.
        “Yeah, muffin remembers you too. You were with Rainbow Dash the other day. Muffin's name is Ditzy Doo, not Derpy.”
        “Oh. Well, I was close. Whatever, can you just go, Der- Ditzy? I need some time to myself.” The red pony turned away from Ditzy, and as an afterthought, he added in a quiet mutter “I'm still not sure how I got roped into this team thing.”
        The mailmare humphed and took off again, heading for the dark forest in the distance.
        I wonder what his deal is? Ditzy thought. It's like he has something to prove to everypony he meets. She shook her head to clear the negativity out of it. Today was going to be a good day, despite getting off to a to a rocky start.
        As the air cooled around her, Ditzy could tell that she had entered the Everfree. It was perpetually dim and chilly, even on the path which the mailmare now followed. The overgrown, unkempt trees blotted out the sun's light, except for what few gaps existed in the dense canopy. Little rays of violently bright light seared through these openings, giving the forest a queer, almost hazy atmosphere.
        She continued unabashed, already acclimated to the eerie air of the forest. Ditzy passed a field of Poison Joke, taking care not to get near any flowers. Finally, the mailmare spotted Zecora's home between the trees in the distance. Feeling her energy rise a bit, Ditzy landed and cantered quickly to her friend's hut, but stopped in her tracks at the edge of the clearing which contained the zebra's home.
        There was something not right here. Ditzy could feel it in the air; there was a strange thickness, like the air was suddenly stuffy. The gray mare edged her way towards the hut in the center, keeping her senses alert for any signs of trouble. She quietly eased the door open and slunk in silently.
        Inside the house, nothing seemed drastically different from the last time she'd seen it. Things were in order, there weren't any papers lying about, except for one-
        Ditzy's attention caught on the lonely scrap of paper. She trotted over and picked it up. The mare scrunched her eyes up to read it.

        There is something dangerous in the forest;
        It's power is beginning to grow in earnest.
        I go out now to seek its source
        And warn nearby ponies of its force.
        If I do not return from this errand,
        Gather my notes in my nightstand
        And put them to good use, I pray.
        Fight this force. Fall not in its sway.

        Ditzy's stomach began knotting itself nervously as she read, the stagnant air around her starting to feel claustrophobic, oppressively close. She hurried over to the nightstand and opened the only drawer, in which a small pile of papers lay. On top was the previous letter that Ditzy had delivered. She frowned.
        Well, Zecora’s out for a bit, and I might have come in while she's gone. I don't know if I should take these... Ditzy looked around once more, running a hoof through her mane. It's just- something doesn't seem right about this.
        Outside, Ditzy heard a soft, almost imperceptible rush of air as something flew past the hut's door. The hair at the base of her neck stood up, and she felt a sudden, intense unease in the little home. Ditzy scooped up the papers from the drawer and picked up a quill from the top of the nightstand, which she used to scribble a note on the reverse side of Zecora's note.

        Zecora,
                Sorry if you were just out, but I picked up your papers that you mentioned in the note. I hope you're not mad. I hope you read this.
        -Ditzy

        The mailmare hastily stashed the note in the drawer, not even bothering to close it before she scampered out of the little hut. Outside, she froze; hovering around the edges of the clearing was some kind of bloated, floating creature. It was roughly spherical, except for the bottom half, which was flat with four sharp-looking prong-type protrusions. It's body was semi-transparent, and bluish, and looked to be made of jelly. At her exit from the hut, the thing turned to face her.
        'Face her' wasn't the appropriate word; the creature didn't really have a face. More than anything, Ditzy got the impression that the thing wasn't intelligent enough to tell that it didn't have a face. The two stood stock still, looking the other up and down, trying to get a decisive advantage over the other.
        A few intense moments passed. Ditzy felt her bravado fading; she had no idea what this creature was, and the fact that Zecora had left a creepy note left her with a bad feeling about this encounter. In a last-ditch effort, the mailmare smirked and began trotting away, hoping to bluff the creature into leaving her alone.
        To her amazement, she left the clearing without any sort of action by the creature. Breathing a quiet, relieved sigh, Ditzy took to the air, flying right up through the canopy cover. She took a deep breath of the open air, relaxing. She sailed back towards Ponyville, her mailbag slightly heavier now than when she'd departed.
        So, wait, Ditzy thought, if Zecora is, erm, not coming back for now, what do I do? I mean, I could tell the mayor and get a search party together, but that would mean leaving my job for later, and that would make the boss more frustrated. But what if Zecora needs help?  Or what if she doesn’t? I mean, I would think that she's more important than delivering some mail-
        “Ditzy! Just the pony I was looking for!” called a familiar voice.
        Shocked out of her thoughts, the mailmare lost track of her wing function and tumbled out of the sky. Instead of landing on a rough surface like she'd expect, Ditzy was met with a soft, cushy impact. She looked up and saw a brown stallion grinning.
        “I've wanted to use that now for a long while. Thanks for the test run, Miss Doo!” Even as he spoke, the stallion was folding up the foam pad she'd landed on into some kind of contraption.
        “Um, you're welcome, Doctor,” replied Ditzy, uncertain, “but I actually have to-”
        “Ditzy, I told you that you could just call me Clockwork, no need for such formalities as 'doctor'.  Anyway, like I was saying, I need you to help me test out another of my devices. This one is the most cutting-edge design I've ever made!” He turned and trotted back into the building behind him, a small, unassuming house built of sturdy oak and painted a soft white color.
        Ditzy lagged behind, glancing back occasionally out of uncertainty. She went through the door after him.
        “Clockwork, wait a moment, here. I just got back-”
        “What's that, Ditzy? I can't hear you from back here!” The stallion appeared out of a back room, a few electrodes attached to his temple. “Now, come on, then! We've got work to do. For science!”
        “But Doctor-”
        Ditzy was silenced as some kind of breastplate was forced over her head and slid down her neck. It adjusted to fit the shape of her chest, until it was only distinguishable from her coat by its brighter, silver color. In the center was a small aperture, like some small object was meant to be fitted there.
        “Alright, Ditzy, now I'm going to fit the repository gem-”
        “Doctor!” shouted the gray mare, her frustration getting the best of her.
        “Yes, Miss Doo, what is it? No need to shout.”
        “Zecora wasn't in her hut when I went to deliver her a letter, and she left a note that said she might be in trouble, then I met some kind of creature outside her home and I felt like it might try and eat me. We need to go find Zecora and make sure she's alright.”
        Some of the wind dropped out of Doctor Hooves' sails as he listened to Ditzy speak. When she was done, he was quiet for a moment.
        “Well, I suppose a search party needs to be gathered. This will be quite the test run, won't it?”

-----

        “Alright, Barding, we're here. Can you watch the door for a second?”
        “Affirmative, Private Shoehorn.”
        “Barding, I told you, you don't have to be so formal when there isn't a ranking officer around.”
        “But protocol-”
        “Just stay here, alright?”
        “Fine.”
        Private Shoehorn nudged open the door to the room, where he found several unicorn medics finishing off the barrage of healing spells they'd prescribed for the patient. In the middle of the group was a hospital bed with a battered and drained, if otherwise healthy, Twilight Sparkle. Nopony noticed his entry until the last spell was complete and one of the medics happened to look his way.
        “Ah! Hello, sir, we didn't notice you come in.”
        “It's just as well that way, ma'am. I only had a message to deliver to Ms. Sparkle. It's from her brother.”
        “You've got something from Shining Armor?” Twilight asked, excited and surprised.
        “I do. It's right here.” The private produced a scroll from his bags and offered it to Twilight, who eagerly grasped it with telekinesis. Smiling, the soldier nodded respectfully to the hospital staff and exited the room.
        Shoehorn sighed inwardly when he saw Barding staring intently at the door.
        “I swear, you are doing this to mess with me. Nopony is really that dumb.”
        “I'm just doing what you asked, Private Shoehorn.” Barding's face was the epitome of innocence.
        “Just- Just go. I don't care where you go, but preferably somewhere far, far away from where I am.”
        “Can't do that; orders are to escort the Princess. Speaking of which-”
        “Oh, ponyfeathers, you're right! We might be late! Come on, Barding, we have to get to the meeting spot!”
        The pair dashed off through the town towards the Everfree Forest.


-----

        Applejack galloped as quickly as she could towards the farmhouse, a concerned frown etched into her face. She passed rows of trees that had already been bucked, with the occasional row that still needed to be harvested.
        I sure hope Puzzle is alright, thought the farmer. As much of a nuisance as she can be, I wouldn't wish harm on her in a hundred years. She paused in her thoughts. Okay, maybe not in fifty years.
        Applejack blasted through the gate of the plain white fence around the house and galloped the last short distance to the door. She tore the door open, about to call for Big Mac; seeing Puzzle inside with a good deal of crumbs surrounding her spot at the kitchen table made her stop in her tracks.
        Puzzle jumped out of her chair upon Applejack's explosive entrance. She hacked and coughed, having inhaled sharply while still eating an apple tart. Applejack cantered over and gave a swift, hard tap to the gray mare's back, which elicited a final, sharp wheeze from Puzzle.
        “Holy Luna, boss, are you trying to kill me?” demanded the unicorn. She rubbed a hoof on the bandages over her throat, soothing the lingering stinging of almost choking coupled with the burns that were still fresh.
        “What the hay are ya doin'?” Applejack gave her employee a hard stare. “I thought ya were in serious trouble out there!”
        “I was.” Puzzle returned the farmer's glare, and Applejack noticed for the first time that Puzzle wasn't wearing her sunglasses. Applejack sighed.
        “Alright, then, what happened?”
        “So, I was just kind of sitting there when all of a sudden...”


        Puzzle lay quietly underneath one of the apple trees, unable to take a nap like she'd wanted. Part of the reason was that blasted blue stuff that covered a sizable patch of ground and trees nearby. She kept glancing over at the splotchy ground, frowning each time. No position she arranged her body in was comfortable, either, which made her want to just stand up and walk around.
        Finally giving in to the urge, Puzzle lifted herself off of the ground, stretching her legs. She glanced at the nearby patch of corrupted ground again. The mare shook her head and sighed, and began pacing back and forth between the rows of apple trees. The mid-morning air was already hot and stifling, making her movements sluggish and leaden.
        “This place is crazy.” The unicorn kicked a hoof on the ground, leaving a small scuff mark in the dry earth. “I can't just settle into a nice, quiet little town, can I?”
        “If by settling here a quiet life you seek,
        A mistake you're making, any day of the week.”
        Puzzle started and gave a little cry at the sudden voice of another pony. She whipped her head around until she saw the source of the words, a zebra that was trotting closer. From what Puzzle could see, the zebra looked a little winded, like she'd been galloping for a little too long.
        “Yeah, I get the impression. What do you want?”
        “I come bearing you a grave warning
        Of foul creatures in the air this morning.
        See you here-”
        “Whoa, hold on. What's with the rhyming?”
        The zebra glared at Puzzle, who simply shrugged.
        “Ahem. See you here this stuff made of blue?
        It's a poison, it's spreading, and it's coming towards you.
        To kill, however, this toxin prefers not,
        Corrupting its victims on the spot,
        Wracking their bodies with hideous mutations,
        And their minds with equal transformations.
        Vicious do its victims wax-”
        “Yeah, yeah, so what am I supposed to do about it? If it's as bad as you claim, then how can I be expected to stop it?”
        “Just go, you irksome mare.
        I need to get you out of my hair.
        I have serious business to attend to,
        Which may be offensive to a mare like you.”
        Puzzle scowled at the zebra's condescending tone.
        “Oh yeah? Well, how about-” The unicorn paused mid-speech, focusing her gaze on something in the distance behind the zebra. “Hey, what's that?” she accompanied the question with a gesture at a speck amongst the trees.
        The zebra rolled her eyes and turned to look, only to gasp in horror when she saw the floating, moving dot.
        “They've followed me here,” breathed the zebra. “For Ponyville I fear.”
        “What, what is it?” asked Puzzle. Bravado filled her voice as she trotted past the zebra and towards the thing. She felt a hoof holding her back, and looked to see the zebra giving her a steely glare.
        “With these creatures you must not trifle,
        Your life-force will their ferocity stifle.
        Go, we must, before-”
        There was a rasping, screeching cry, and the zebra dove against Puzzle, knocking her to the ground. Puzzle felt a cool rush of air as something raced past her; she realized that it would have hit her had not the zebra tackled her.
        The unicorn rolled over onto her stomach, her instincts trying to take over. She forced them down, instead allowing her training to kick in. Puzzle whirled her head about, taking stock of the situation. Around the pair hovered several of the blob-like creatures, at least a dozen, all of them too close for comfort.  Each one had four sharp-looking spikes on their bottom half, almost like mandibles.
        “Where did they come from?” hissed Puzzle.
        “I don't know,” replied the zebra. “I have a plan, though.”
        “Alright, cool, I've got a better one. It's called 'Tell me how these things like to fight.'” Puzzle backed up a bit, the zebra now behind her so that they stood back-to-back. Around them, the creatures circled, hungry.
        “They used to be parasprites, from what I have seen,
        Which means that to swarm they are especially keen.
        They prefer to rush prey from all directions,
        To spear you with their lethal projections.”
        “Alright, they like to charge us in swarms. You could've just said that. Whatever, here's what we've got to do: duck and weave, don't move in a predictable pattern. We need to break out of the ring they've put us in. If we split up, there will be fewer of them in one place and it'll be easier to evade their charges.”
        “Do you have a plan to escape this surrounding?” whispered the zebra. “I find that part to be most confounding.” Around them, the ex-parasprites tightened their circle, moving closer and closer to the pair.
        “I can throw up a bubble shield when they charge at us, that should let us slip out while they're distracted. I can't hold it, though, so you need to move when they hit.” Puzzle growled at one of the creatures that darted in a bit closer.
        “Agreed,” said the zebra.
        Puzzle smirked.
        “You didn't rhyme that time.”
        In an instant, a dark green sphere appeared around the two of them and the parasprite-things screeched and rushed in for the kill. Instead of bouncing off, as Puzzle had planned, they stuck to the energy field. The gray mare in question gasped, feeling a sudden weight in her chest. The little buggers were leeching the energy out of her already under-powered shield spell, and that energy was her energy. She felt faint, like she might collapse at any second.
        Puzzle growled, her energy shield shrinking. She struggled to maintain the bubble, when she felt a sharp kick from behind. The force broke her concentration and the shield shattered, and Puzzle flew a little ways forward. The parasprite-things lurched inward at the sudden loss of resistance, closing the final short distance separating pony and monster. One of the creatures happened to be in Puzzle's path, and in the course of her forward movement it latched onto her face.
        She yelped as the thing's pincers closed around her, feeling the pressure on the sides of her head tighten. Out of instinct, Puzzle whipped her head to the side; the creature slid off of her, clutching her sunglasses in its grasp. She ran, not looking back, her fight-or-flight response taking over.
        Not knowing too well where she was going, Puzzle finally stopped when she was fully certain that there was no living thing within a half-mile of her, aside from apple trees and maybe small insects. She looked around for any sign of the farmhouse or the barn, but seeing as she was in a bit of a valley, there wasn't much to be seen, so the mare cantered quickly and quietly up the nearest slope.
        The going was easy, and soon Puzzle stood at the height of the little hill. She looked about her, and through the apple trees she caught glimpses of more hills and more orchard lands. At last, she saw a flash of red and white paint in the distance. Sighing with relief, Puzzle set off at a quick pace towards the farmhouse.
        Trotting through the orchards was rather menial, and Puzzle found her blood heating up. She frowned at the rows and rows and rows of apple trees. There was almost perfect silence, broken only by the occasional birdsong or hum of insects. The mare hastened her pace, glancing around uneasily, keeping a sharp eye out for slight motions amongst the not-so-gloomy orchard.
        “Why does it always have to be farmland?” muttered the unicorn. “So darn bright and cheery.”
        She continued, until finally the farmhouse appeared in her field of vision. She trotted up to the white fence around the yard and hopped over, still alert for anything out of the ordinary. When a splash of red appeared from the opposite side of the house, Puzzle reflexively sank into a low, defensive stance; upon realizing it was just Applejack's brother, Big Something-Or-Other, she relaxed her posture.
        “Hey, big guy!” When the big red pony glanced her way, she waved him over. He shrugged and trotted in her direction. “There was some trouble down in the orchards.  Some kind of creatures attacked me and this zebra that showed up.  I barely escaped, I don’t know what happened to her.  The attack was right near that patch of blue stuff.”
        The stallion took what felt like a thousand years to think about what she'd said before he finally replied.
        “Well, first off, my name's Big Macintosh.” He paused for another few seconds. “I reckon ya can call me Big Mac, though. From what ya told me, it's probably too dangerous to go out there alone. Ya'll are gonna hold down the fort here, I'll go round up AJ and some others to help deal with the problem. Apple Bloom should be off at school around now, but if ya happen to see her, make sure nothin' happens to her.”
        “Alright, I can do that.”


        “And then you showed up.” Puzzle swallowed the last of the apple tart she'd been chewing. She spoke in a flippant, nonchalant manner, but Applejack could see in her eyes the glint of uncertainty, of fear.
        “And ya went through all this in that short amount of time?” The orange pony opened various cupboards as she spoke, gesturing to the sizable amount of empty spots amongst the packed pantries.
        “It's a comfort thing, okay?” snapped the unicorn. “I like to eat when- when I get kind of nervous.” She looked away, trying to keep up a stoic appearance despite the no-doubt shameful admission.
        Applejack sighed, and trotted over to her employee. She put a hoof around Puzzle's shoulder, feeling the gray pony stiffen as she did so.
        “Relax, sugarcube. I ain't gonna make fun o' ya'll for bein' scared or anythin'.  Boy howdy, I’m a little scared myself right now. Whatever it is that's buggin' ya, just let it out. I'm listenin', I won't judge ya or nothin'.”
        Neither spoke for a few moments.
        “That's the sappiest thing I've heard since Hearth's Warming Eve.”

-----

        “Privates, you're late!”
        Shoehorn and Barding winced as the lieutenant called their names. They trotted over to him, 'guilty' written all over their faces. The lieutenant glared at them, and Shoehorn could've sworn he saw a few lightning bolts shoot out of the officer's eyes. The lieutenant opened his mouth to speak when another voice interrupted.
        “Lieutenant, what is going on here?” Princess Celestia asked.
        “These two were late for the appointed meeting time by 63 seconds, Princess. I was just about to tell them off.”
        “You do realize that I was late by 71.4 seconds, right, Lieutenant? Will I be told off as well?” The officer stammered a bit, and Celestia grinned. “Punctuality is a virtue, but it can be taken to extremes. I think these two will be just fine without any scolding. Today, at least.” She looked at the two soldiers in question, two privates. “What are your names, soldiers?”
        Both snapped to attention.
        “Private Shoehorn!”
        “Private Barding, your majesty!”
        “I see. Come along, you two. I would like for you to be my personal guards for this meeting.”
        Shoehorn looked at Barding, and found Barding glancing his way as well. Both had nervous looks in their eyes.


-----

        The mare wasn't sure how long she'd been lying there, curled up in the fetal position. She didn't really care. All around her was the chill of the Phazon, its fire coursing through her veins; or rather, what was left of her veins. She was only vaguely aware of her body, and the changes it was undergoing.
        Then, all at once, the nourishing cocoon around her erupted, spewing her limp form out of the pool. Her body hung in the air, as if by strings, while she began to get her bearings. Not much improved; her vision was almost entirely clouded over, and her other senses were mostly numb. Her mind slogged through even the basic task of processing what little sensory input it received.
        W-what is... happening... to me?
        Shhhh, came the whispers, the blue, entangling vapors of thought, Don't think, Trixie. There is only us. We can make your revenge a reality. We can destroy those who mocked you.
        I- I never wanted to... to destroy anypony... I j-just wanted-
        A dark specter appeared in her thoughts, a pony wearing a cape and wizard's hat. The pony was comprised half of shadows, half of Phazon. Images flashed through her mind, hideous, laughing pony monstrosities, all laughing at her, scorning her, conspiring against her. In her mind she was on a stage, and spread out before her was an audience of pony-things, ridiculing her, throwing things.
        N-no... Stop m-mocking me...
        Trixie threw up her hooves, as though to shield herself from the ponies arrayed against her. Dark Trixie put a comforting paw around Trixie, as though compassionate. Trixie turned back to the whispers, to her darker imposter, a desperate, pleading look in her eyes.
        M-make it s-stop... please...
        Trixie felt herself floating, her mind separate from her body. She was tired, and instinctively she curled into a tight ball. Faintly she could see her hooves, now more like the paws of a diamond dog, with sharp, short claws splitting out of the normal hoof bones. The mare focused lazily on the claws of her left forehoof, and they clenched into a loose fist. She felt clawed appendages patting her gently, lulling her deeper and deeper into nothingness.
        There came a sensation of being enveloped; Trixie felt the blue energy coalescing around her, inviting her to indulge in rest, in darkness. The last sensation of sight to grace her mind was of a thin membrane encasing her, and how glassy the world looked from inside it. Particularly her shadowy self.
        Go, servants. Creep softly, corrupt slowly. Strike when the time is right.

-----

        “Psst! Hey, Barding!”
        “What? What do you want, Private Shoehorn?”
        “I thought I told you- gah, never mind. What the hay is going on? How did we end up as Princess Celestia's bodyguards?”
        “Privates? I thought I said I wanted you in front, not lagging behind.”
        The tone of Celestia's voice made Shoehorn shudder and look over at Barding, who appeared to have the same apprehensive reaction.
        “Yes, Princess,” said both guards simultaneously.  They moved to take point in the contingent of guards.
        The group came upon a canyon, and beyond that they could see the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.  A few small, black dots buzzed around the castle.
        “I see the changelings have already arrived,” said the Princess, gazing ponderously at the specks.  She absently checked the rope bridge for safety.  Satisfied, she gestured for the group to continue.  “When we arrive, I want you all to be courteous, despite whatever impressions you may already have of them.  If you want to speak with any of them, make sure you do so in the spirit of hospitality; they are our guests, after all.”
        Shoehorn, Barding, and each other guard nodded silently, some with particularly grim looks in their eyes.
        Celestia’s entourage approached the castle, the level of changeling activity now plainly evident as being unusually high; the castle was like a cake left out in the rain, attracting flies to swarm all around it.  The insectile changeling soldiers flew maneuvers around the castle like it was a military base, and even had a garrison posted at the gate.
        “I don’t like this, Princess,” Private Shoehorn whispered.
        “It is a little odd for so many to be present at a simple diplomatic function.  Still, I can handle the threat that these soldiers may pose, so we are not in very much danger.”  Celestia glimpsed the brief flash of doubt in Shoehorn’s eyes, and grinned ever so slightly.  “You’re thinking of the incident during the captain’s wedding, I know.  I have to let you ponies take care of yourselves sometimes, don’t I?”  The Princess made it clear with her expression that no reply was expected, nor was it desired.
        The contingent of ponies arrived at the gate to the castle, where a squad of changelings stood.  One stepped forward to address Celestia and her escort.
        “Princess Celestia, you are expected.  The Queen is waiting for you in the throne room.  Only two guards are permitted to accompany you past this point.”
        “I don’t recall when it was that Chrysalis became steward of this castle.  How, then, does she set these rules upon us?” the white alicorn said, calm challenge in her voice.  “However, in the spirit of goodwill, I will agree to these terms.  Shoehorn, Barding, you will accompany me.”  She turned to the rest of her guards, who stood with every muscle of their body tense and incredibly uncomfortable expressions on their faces.  “To you all, I want you to embody the harmony that you swore to protect.  Take no hostile action save that of defending yourselves if the need should arise.”
        Celestia wheeled about and strode confidently into the castle, with the two privates at her sides.  The changelings at the gate parted to make way for her.
        Shoehorn shot a discrete look at Barding, excitement and confusion and fear all radiating out of him.  Barding glanced back, not faring much better.


-----

        This day has been awful, Ditzy Doo thought. She absently kicked at a stick lying discarded on the ground. She missed, her hoof instead scuffing the ground just short of its intended target. Growling, the pegasus stomped furiously on the stick, snapping it clean in two. Ditzy kept plodding along through the wide open fields surrounding Ponyville, her head down, grumbling incoherently.
        Everypony's been so grumpy today. First it was the boss, then that guy in the park, and now Big Mac and Doctor Hooves? I mean, I guess I could understand if there was something creepy going on at your farm, in Big Mac's case, but... that still doesn't make it right to be so brusque.  Does it?
        Ditzy heard the sounds of somepony landing in the tall grass nearby, followed by the soft sound of approaching hoofsteps and the rustling of blades of grass.
        “You look as though you could use some cheer,” said the new pony. Ditzy didn't bother to look up to see who it was.
        “Yeah, I could.” Ditzy tried to keep from snapping at the newcomer; that would be rude.
        “Perhaps explaining the cause of your distress will help you to feel better.”
        “I guess.” The wall-eyed pegasus paused a moment to gather her thoughts. “It's just that everypony I've met today seems to be extra rude. After a day of being treated negatively, I kind of got frustrated. It's hard to be upbeat when nopony else is. And then you throw in my friend's disappearance, and a pony gets to feeling pretty lousy.”
        “You say your friend has disappeared? Are you going to search for her?”
        “Yeah, I'm on my way to Sweet Apple Acres now. That's where she was last seen, apparently. I was going with Doctor Hooves, but then he got all angry because he forgot something or other back in his laboratory and rushed off to take care of it. And there's Big Mac, he was all stressed trying to get a decent search party together. And then there was this other pony I met in the park, and he was all in a tizzy about some problem he had. It's like everypony has just lost their manners, you know?”
        “Hm, I do know a bit about what you speak of.” The tone of the other pony's voice became incredibly bitter, so much so that Ditzy forgot her own troubles and looked up. She gasped, then tried to bow, but her hooves seemed to have a will of their own, and she tripped. In fact, not only did she trip, but her fall was so spectacular that she ended up knocking into the other pony and knocking their legs out from underneath them as well. Both ponies ended up in a tangled heap, although Ditzy was quick to attempt to extricate herself from the mess.
        “Oh dear, Muffin is so sorry, Muffin can f-fix this-”
        “No, thou needst not trouble thyself, we shall remedy it-”
        “Muffin really is sorry, Princess, Muffin had no idea-”
        “Truly, dear pony, thou hast incited no anger in us-” Princess Luna paused mid-sentence, looking intently at Ditzy Doo. “Hold on a moment. Did you just start referring to yourself as 'muffin'?”
        “And did you just start speaking in Middle Equestrian?”
        Both mares were silent as they finally, calmly separated themselves and stood up.
        “Hm.” Both mares spoke simultaneously, then began giggling.
        “I like you, Princess Luna.”
        “And I you, Ms...?”
        “Ditzy Doo, at your service.”
        “Miss Doo, you are a charming mare. Now, what can I do for you this fine day?”
        “You? Doing something for me? B-but that's-”
        “Please, I want to be helpful. It makes me feel better, especially when I'm frustrated. There's nothing to pick up one's spirits better than service to others, I've learned. So, what do you need, Ms Doo?”
        “Um, well... I am on my way to go look for my friend. Maybe you could help me search?”
        Luna smiled.
        “It would be an honor. Pray tell, what is your friend like?”
        “Zecora is a zebra, and she lives in the Everfree Forest. She does a lot of potion-brewing, and occasionally comes to Ponyville for ingredients.”
        “Hm... A zebra, you say? Intriguing. No matter, though, let me just find her very quickly.”
        The Night Princess closed her eyes and began concentrating, her horn glowing with a bright blue light. Ditzy watched her, and watched, and watched some more. Suddenly Luna gasped, startling Ditzy and almost causing her to fall back. The blue glow around the Princess' horn vanished in a flash, and the midnight alicorn opened her eyes with a start. She looked at Ditzy, and a grave dread began churning in the mailmare's stomach.
        “I fear greatly for the safety of your friend. She is somewhere in the forest, and I dare say she may have encountered a cockatrice. It appears that she's been turned to stone.”
        Ditzy frowned, unsure what to think. Princess Luna picked up on her companion's uncertainty and continued.
        “There should be little problem in returning her to normal once we find her, all we need to do is find the cockatrice that used its gaze on her and convince it to return her to flesh. This will be a walk in the park.”
        “Ah! Ditzy! There you are!” called a male voice. The two mares turned to look, and saw a brown stallion galloping towards them. He had behind him a wagon that made a terrible, obnoxious clanking sound each time he took a step, filled as it was with metal. The stallion slowed down as he caught up to them, breathing heavily. “Sorry about running off all in a huff like that, I was really beside myself for going almost halfway and not remembering to bring the control module. How silly of me! And I say, what a pleasure it is to meet you, Princess Luna.” He bowed his head rather quickly. “So, Ditzy, would you mind at all if I-”
        “Peace, little pony,” Luna interrupted. Her eyebrows were raised in a bemused fashion. “I assume you are Doctor Clockwork Hooves, then? Ditzy mentioned you had forgotten something.”
        “Yes, Princess, I am Doctor Hooves.” He kept quiet, as though chastened.
        “I see. Well, I have scryed the location of Zecora, your friend, and she is somewhere in the Everfree Forest, not too far from the apple farm nearby. I suggest we make haste to find her.”
        “Very well, your highness.” All three of the ponies accelerated to a quick canter, although Doctor Hooves soon began to lag behind. When the other two slowed down to match his pace, he shook his head. “No, go on ahead.” He took a moment to breathe deeply. “I'm a little out of shape.”
        “Hm. I would have us slow down for you, if not your friend's life hung on the line. Should we fail to find the cockatrice that petrified her, she may not recover,” Luna said.
        “A- a cockatrice, you say? I wonder... Princess, are you familiar with the nature of a pony's innate magical energy?” The Doctor spoke with barely a pause between breaths. “Oh, what am I thinking, of course you are. Well, my most recent area of study has dealt with harnessing that natural energy through the use of technology, and I believe, given the circumstances, I could perhaps de-petrify her with my PED here.”
        He received only a confused look from Ditzy and a suspicious one from the Princess. A few beads of sweat began to crop up across his forehead under the scrutiny from the darker mare.
        “Pardon me, I use acronyms often. PED is short for 'Pony-Energized Device.' It's a machine powered by a pony's energy. I hope to use it to restore Zecora's normal body by channeling her natural magic. Assuming, of course, that zebras have natural magic; I've never studied them, but I would think-”
        “Hold, Doctor.” Princess Luna stared at the now-quivering brown stallion.
        “Yes, Princess?” He blushed a bit as his voice cracked out of anxiety.
        “Your device utilizes a pony's energy? I require a demonstration at once. I must see...” Luna's voice trailed off, as though she were only speaking to herself.
        Doctor Hooves paused a moment, surprised at the request; it was only after a stern glare from the midnight mare that he began scrambling around in his wagon for the PED. After a few panicky moments he pulled out the armor-like device and slipped it over his head, where it deformed and contorted until it was a perfect fit for his chest. He pulled out a smooth, rounded topaz from the wagon as well, then turned back to Princess Luna.
        “It's designed to be inactive until a gem is placed into the focusing chamber. I made it to safeguard against accidental activation as well as to protect against power surges and fluctuations. The crystal itself functions as an energy buffer, absorbing excess-”
        “Doctor!”
        “-sorry, sorry. Here we go, then.” The stallion fit the yellow gem into the gap, where it began to glow. He shuddered, his muscles spasming slightly out of his control. A few moments passed like this, until the Doctor shook his head to clear it. He looked back and forth between Ditzy and the Princess, finally settling on Luna, whose eyes were wide in shock.
        “Doctor, I must speak with you after our business here is done. This machine is far more than you had ever intended it to be.” The Night Princess turned and began walking again through the last stretch of fields before Sweet Apple Acres. “You are forbidden from activating the device except in the gravest of circumstances. We will discuss things in more detail later.” Luna raised her voice dramatically to speak over his sputtering protests.
        The only sound was the soft rhythm of hooves on the dirt and the rustling of grass. After a pause, the Doctor spoke up.
        “Can you at least tell me why I can't further the goals of science?”
        “Don't play word games with me, Doctor. But, I suppose if you really must know, then I will answer you with a question: Are you familiar with the term 'Ascension' as it refers to magic theory?”
        “I've seen it mentioned in a few of the books I've read, but I can't say that I know what it is.”
        “Good. Then the matter is settled.”
        “We're here,” said Ditzy, her voice a little too enthusiastic.
        “Excellent. We shall meet with those already present and inform them of what we know.” Princess Luna trotted off towards the farm house to find anypony that might be present.
        Doctor Hooves leaned over towards Ditzy and muttered something in her ear.
        “Is it just me, or is she extremely uptight about something?”
        “Please, Clockwork, don't start trouble with the Princess. All I want to do right now is find Zecora and make sure she's not a permanent statue. I don't want any more arguing to get in the way of that!” Ditzy snapped. She blinked, surprised at the vehemence in her own voice. “M-muffin is sorry, Doctor Hooves. Muffin just doesn't know what went wrong today.”

-----

        “Ah, Princess Celestia,” the Queen said, her voice echoing with an eerie after-effect.  “You’re finally here.”
        The white alicorn, along with her two guards, entered the throne room, a large and worn room with crumbling stone walls.  The ceiling rose high above them, once-grand arches curving over the room in a distinctly medieval fashion.  Any remnants of furnishing had been removed, leaving the weathered stone naked and bare.  The sole exception to this was a large, round table that had been placed on the slightly raised level where the two thrones used to stand.  Aside from the three ponies and one changeling, the great throne room was empty and silent.
        The Princess trotted up the few stairs to the table and took a seat on the cold stone across from the changeling queen.
        “Indeed I am, Queen.  It warms my heart to see you in more friendly circumstances.”
        The changeling was quiet for a moment before laughing.
        “Yes, I suppose the same goes for you as well, Celestia.”
        “How are you getting along, Chrysalis?”
        “Oh, you know, just scrounging around the Badlands for what little scraps of love to feed off of, trying to rebuild the Hive, the usual.  And you?”
        “Things have been peaceful for some time now, aside from a recent bit of trouble.”
        “Of course, of course.  How could I have thought otherwise?”
        “Chrysalis, my offer will always stand.”
        “No thank you, your Highness, I will not trade away the legacy of my people for your empty ‘negotiations’.”
        “Very well.  You know why I am here?”
        “I do.”
        “Is that all?  No clarification, no explanation, just a simple acknowledgement?”
        “Why should I?  You always seem to know everything anyway, Celestia.  You really must teach me how to be such a puppeteer someday.”  There was a cruel glint in the changeling’s draconic eyes, like a surgeon drunk with power operating on some poor patient.
        “Enough.”  The Princess’ voice was harsh, more so than it needed to be.  “We are here to discuss your placement of troops on the border between Equestria and the Badlands.”
        Chrysalis seemed genuinely surprised.
        “Come again?”
        “Don’t play dumb with me, Queen.  I know that you’ve moved a good deal of soldiers to the Las Pegasus area.”
        “You’re accusing me of breaking our treaty?  I knew you had harsh words in store for me the moment you called this meeting, but this is too far, Princess.”  Chrysalis’ voice was almost a snarl.
        Celestia blinked, surprised both at the sudden ferocity of the Queen and at her statement.
        “Chrysalis, I didn’t call this meeting.  You did.”
        “Sure, sure, now you tell me that I’m the one who wanted you to come and scold me for something I haven’t done, despite the fact that you wanted me to come here to re-negotiate our treaty.  Why did I even bother with this?”
        The white alicorn got a suspicious look in her eyes.
        “I never wanted to re-negotiate the treaty.  I’ve been as fair as I can about that entire series of events.”
        “Ha!  Fair?  Please, don’t stand on your soap-box, Celestia.  I’d hate to have to withstand a goodie-horse-shoes monologue from the Princess of Equestria.”


        Shoehorn watched the two leaders become more and more petty in their arguing.  He looked helplessly at Barding, although this time the other was far too engrossed in watching the verbal sparring match to notice.  He looked around the room, trying to keep a modicum of professionalism on the job.  While he was inspecting some broken stained-glass windows, a sudden unease settled in his stomach.  He frowned, looking around hastily for any signs of trouble aside from the two monarchs.
        At last, he realized why he was nervous.  There was a supremely faint, metallic odor in the air, like a mix of blood and machine oil.  His mind blanked for a moment as he considered all of the possible implications to the scent, as well as his method of response.  Perhaps lacking distinctly in tact, he spoke up in a moderate tone of voice so that all in the room would hear.
        “Does anypony else smell that?”
        His timing was impeccable, exactly in the space between Chrysalis’ insult and Celestia’s retort.  The room fell silent as the grave as everypony lifted their muzzles and sniffed at the air.
        The changeling Queen’s eyes widened and she whisked a hoof over her nose and mouth.
        “Hold your breath!” she hissed.  “That’s a sleeping gas!”
        The three ponies were quick to obey.
        “We need to leave the castle at once,” the Queen said, starting off towards the nearest exit.  “There’s somepony that wants us both out of the picture, Princess.”
        “Chrysalis, I know a faster way out.  This way,” said Celestia.  
She cantered towards the wall behind the table, and tapped her horn against the cracked stonework.  A part of the wall slid back, revealing a secret passage.  The white alicorn strode quickly, if warily, into the hallway, which was only two or three hooves taller than she was, and wide enough to barely squeeze two ponies side-by-side.  
The Princess was stopped by the sound of two fleshy thumps.  She turned around and saw her two guards lying sprawled on the ground, almost perfectly still.  Celestia turned a fiery gaze on the changeling.
“Sleeping!” the Queen muttered.  “Pick them up and go!”
Celestia whisked the two privates onto her back with magic and set off galloping down the secret hall, Chrysalis hot on her hooves.  The group went down a short flight of stairs, then around a large round hall and finally left through a similarly concealed stone door.  Once outside, both rulers let out great breaths, heaving and panting.  The white alicorn levitated her guards off of her back and laid them gently on the ground.
Strangely enough, the Princess didn’t feel completely awake, nor fully healthy.  She glared sharply at the changeling queen, demanding an explanation by her silence.
“Alright,” said Chrysalis, still breathing heavily, “that gas is a sleeping agent.  It’s incredibly potent, I created the recipe myself.  It’s nearly odorless, and the smallest concentration is enough to put normal ponies out for hours.  The part that’s most dangerous, though, is that while you’re affected by it, all of your body’s defenses are neutralized, even magical ones.  I designed it specifically for... use on... alicorns.  It was a long time ago, I promise!  I never planned to use it on you.”
“I’m sure you weren’t going to.  But that begs the question: where could it have come from?”
“That’s the million-bit question, isn’t it?” Chrysalis said, a wheezing laugh erupting from her lungs.  “I suspect one of my generals got a little too ambitious.  Although, I must say, any changeling that managed to pull off a stunt like this definitely deserves a promotion.”
“You’re saying we’ve been set up?” Celestia asked, incredulous.
“I am suggesting that, yes.  I know of three changelings who would be capable of it- besides myself, of course.”  The Queen flashed a devious grin at the white alicorn.  “As for your guards, though, I suppose I should offer to escort you back to the gates in their place.  It’s the least I can do to make up for that little incident.”
“Very well.  How long do you expect these two will be unconscious?”
“Oh, based on the dosage they got, I’d estimate somewhere around two or three days.  Give or take twelve hours.”
“And us?  How have we been affected?”
“Well, you’ll probably be suffering from a bout of nausea for a few hours, because of your reduced immunities.  You and I both will be exhausted for another ten minutes or so.  That should be it.”
“I see.  You’ve been most helpful, Chrysalis.  I won’t forget this when we next meet.”
“You don’t want me to escort you, then?”
“No, I believe I shall be fine going alone.  I do appreciate the offer, though.  Farewell, Queen.”
“And you as well, Princess.”
The changeling spread her wings and buzzed away, no doubt to root out the schemer in her ranks.
Celestia snorted, then teleported to where the rest of her guards were.  They jumped in shock and leaped to battle positions when they saw Shoehorn and Barding on Celestia’s back, not moving.  She held up a hoof to stop them.
“These two are merely out cold.  We’re leaving.”
“But- but Princess-” sputtered the lieutenant.
“Let us be rid of this place.  Chrysalis is up to something, and I don’t want to be around to see it come to fruition.”

-----

        Queen Chrysalis watched as the contingent of pathetic royal guards trotted away from her castle.  She frowned and turned away from the window she stood at.
        “My Queen, how did the discussions go?” asked her assistant, kneeling before her.
        “Celestia is on to our plan.  She knows I was bluffing about the supposed attempt on the two of us.”  Chrysalis pulled out a small vial that had been hidden on her person; it was only one-third full, it’s remaining contents traces of blue, glowing ooze.  “That is not particularly important, though.  Our primary mission was a resounding success.”