//------------------------------// // The Swarm of Canterlot // Story: Little Choices // by Skijarama //------------------------------// Princess Celestia frowned in thought atop her throne in Canterlot Castle, taking what time she had before petitioners were to start being ushered in for the morning session to ponder the last few weeks. She closed her eyes and took a heavy breath when her thoughts led to Rainbow Dash. Despite knowing that Luna was doing everything she could to help her through the Dream Realm at this very moment, Celestia still couldn’t help a sense of guilt over Rainbow’s condition. I should have been there for her more, she thought to herself. I saw she was still shaken by what Discord did… why didn’t I suspect she was trying to bury the worst of it under her bravado? “Princess Celestia?” Raven asked tentatively from beside the throne, a small frown appearing on her muzzle. “Are you feeling alright?” Celestia nodded slowly and opened her eyes while looking at her assistant. “Yes, Raven. I’m fine. I’ll be ready to begin court shortly,” she assured the white mare with a warm smile before leaning back a little. “Very well. It’s a pretty short docket today, so-” Raven’s words were cut off as the doors to the throne room were abruptly thrown open and two members of the royal guard came cantering in. Celestia leaned forward and looked at the guards intently. “Is something wrong?” she asked simply as the two dropped into deep bows. She gestured with a hoof for them to rise. “Not exactly, your highness,” one of them said before he stood to attention. “But a messenger from Saddle Arabia has arrived at the castle gates requesting an audience. She’s alone, but she says it’s urgent.” “Saddle Arabia…?” Celestia thought aloud, glancing at Raven for a moment. “Was she able to provide some manner of identification? Who is she?” “She has provided valid credentials; she is a servant of the King and Queen of Saddle Arabia. She says her name is Ill Daisy.” “How strange… I don’t recognize the name,” Celestia mused, a hoof on her chin. “Did she elaborate on what was so urgent?” “I’m afraid not, your highness,” The other guard added while too standing at attention. “But she seemed… frazzled. Almost paranoid. She was looking over her shoulder a lot and spoke in a jittery whisper. Something has her shaken. Horribly.” Celestia’s brow furrowed before she nodded. “Send her in, then. Raven, notify the petitioners that court is to be delayed until this matter is resolved. I’ll not sit idly by while a messenger from one of Equestria’s friends is coming to us for aid,” she ordered firmly. Raven bowed deeply before cantering along with the guards out the large doors of the throne room. As they left, Celestia took a long breath and went into deep thought. Saddle Arabia had not had very much direct contact with Equestria in recent years. Outside of caravans coming to the border for trade and the occasional group of tourists, the other kingdom opted to stick to itself most of the time, despite being on friendly terms with Equestria. Thanks to said caravans, even if details were scarce, there was usually a generally good sense of what was going on in the other nation. What could have happened that would make the King and Queen send a trusted servant to Equestria before anypony else even heard rumors? Celestia only had a minute or so to ponder this before the doors to the throne room swung open again. The two guards were there along with the mare from Saddle Arabia. As was the norm for the other country, she was a horse that stood almost as tall as Celestia did. Her light purple coat was ungroomed and her long, purple mane and tail were messy and frazzled. Her eyes darted frantically at the shadows with every step she took, and there was a very clear tremble in her entire body. “Ill Daisy, was it?” Celestia greeted while rising from her throne and trotting down to meet the horse in the middle of the enormous room. “I bid you welcome to Canterlot; although I must admit, your arrival is extremely unexpected.” Ill nodded shakily, putting on a small, almost relieved smile. “Oh, m-my apologies for any inconvenience, your majesty. But the king and queen don’t think this can wait.” Celestia smiled warmly and put a hoof on Daisy’s shoulder. “It’s going to be fine, Daisy,” she said reassuringly before looking to her guards. “Leave us,” she said to them simply. The guards looked at each other uneasily, then nodded before slowly backing out of the throne room and closing the doors behind them. “Thank you,” Daisy seemed to relax slightly now that they were alone. “You’re welcome. I can see you’re unsettled. Now, what’s been happening in Saddle Arabia that would have you sent to me so swiftly?” Celestia asked while taking a step to the side. “It’s… hard to explain, but…” Ill Daisy began, looking down at the floor anxiously. “The King and Queen… they…” There was a tremor in the floor. Small, subtle, but noticeable. The chandeliers on the roof swayed in place slightly and some dust was shaken off of them. Daisy went silent and Celestia looked up in confusion. “What was that?” Celestia asked, her brow furrowing in thought. Another tremor came, this one stronger. The stained glass windows that lined the throne room rattled in their frames and, just beyond, a green glow became visible. Celestia turned and cantered for the windows, peering out into the city below. Her eyes widened. There were green fires in the city, spreading rapidly with black smoke starting to pour from the buildings. Several buildings, mostly governmental structures, had their roofs caved in and were also being lit ablaze. In the streets wherever there were large groups of ponies, Celestia could see dozens, if not hundreds, of her subjects consumed with sudden swirls of similarly putrid green fire. When the flames swirled away, the creatures that stood in place of her beloved little ponies were enough to make her cringe in disgust. They were… attacking. Ponies were being tackled and pinned, unable to react to how suddenly everything had started happening. “I would advise you to surrender, your majesty,” the voice of Ill Daisy spoke, her words no longer shaking or afraid. Celestia’s blood ran cold and she slowly turned to face the only other creature in the room. Daisy’s eyes were emitting a green glow exactly like the glow of the fires outside. “It would make things so much easier on you and your precious ponies.” “What is the meaning of this? GUARDS!” Celestia shouted, her wings snapping open and her horn flaring to life with golden magic. The doors to the throne room were hurled open and the two guards from before, along with at least eight others, came galloping in, already having drawing their weapons. In short order, Daisy was surrounded, spear tips pointing at her and the ten guards in the room scowling angrily. She didn’t lose her small smirk whatsoever or even look impressed. She barely even acknowledged the guards surrounding her with a fang-filled grin. Fangs… “Who are you?” Celestia demanded, taking another step forward. “And why are you here?” The green glow in the horse’s eyes flared up and a twisted, distorted laugh rumbled from deep in her throat. It then evolved into hysterical cackles as green fire exploded across her body, burning away the visage of a horse of Saddle Arabia. In its place was an equine creature that stood at Celestia’s height. It was covered in black chitin, it’s acidic green eyes glowed with hunger, a reptilian slit pupil dilating in anticipation. Two sharp fangs jutted down from her upper lip. A long, dark teal mane hung over her shoulders and face, ragged and messy. A tail of similar colors brushed against the ground as if the creature was impatient. A long and crooked horn rose out of its head and insectile wings buzzed eagerly upon her back. The creature grinned widely. “I am Queen Chrysalis, and I am here for you and your ponies, Celestia,” she cooed before licking her fangs hungrily. “Oh, I can already taste the love you have for all of them… this is going to be delicious.” “Take her!” Celestia snapped angrily, readying her horn to fire a shot of magic if she needed to. She was not expecting five of the guards to turn towards her and lunge with their spears. Biting back a shout of shock, Celestia was barely able to rise into the air with a flap of her wings. She looked on in confusion as all ten of the guards in the room began to look at each other suspiciously, turning their spears on each other. “What is the meaning of this?!” “I could tell you,” Chrysalis hummed in amusement, looking at the confused group of guards before her wings began to lift her into the air to be even with Celestia. She locked eyes with the Solar Princess and grinned. “But where’s the fun in that?” “Why are you doing this?!” Celestia demanded again, her horn glowing again. “What do you creatures stand to gain? Or is this mere bloodlust?” “Oh, nothing so barbaric,” Chrysalis chortled before her eyes glowed again. “You ponies have something we need, and we will take it from you one way or another. I say again, princess Celestia,” Chrysalis’ horn ignited with green magic. “Surrender. Or this is going to hurt everypony far more than either of us would like.” “No,” Celestia snarled back, her eyes gaining a slight glow to them as well. “I will defend my little ponies to the very end from any and all evils that would threaten them. I will never surrender to you, insect!” “How rude,” Chrysalis snorted mockingly, her eyes narrowing. “And if there is one thing I know about insects…” Celestia continued while the light on her horn morphed into a bright orange fire. Chrysalis tensed and braced herself. “It’s that they are helpless without their queen!” Princess Luna was snapped out of the Dream Realm and back into her bedroom when the entire castle shook. Startled and confused, she rose from her sitting position and back to her hooves while looking for the source of the disruption. Looking to her left she saw the green glows of the fire in the city, as well as the remnants of an explosion of golden magic and orange fire. The door to her room swung open, revealing Squall Dreamer on the other side looking about ready to panic. “Princess Luna, the city is under attack!” “I can see that,” Luna replied through grit teeth. “What are we up against?” “I don’t know!” Squall replied, cantering forwards. “All I know is that guards are just spontaneously turning into these things out in the halls! It’s absolute chaos!” As if on cue, one of the black chitinous equines came barreling through the open door, teeth bared. It snapped its fangs at Squall, who in turn scrambled back and away from it. It narrowed it’s glowing purple eyes, hissed and lunged for Luna. “BEGONE!” Luna bellowed, her eyes glowing white with power as she unleashed a shockwave of concussion magic from her horn. The creature was hurled back out through the open door and into one of many small pedestals, each one holding an exquisitely carved bust of a horse’s head. The pedastal wobbled and fell to the side, the bust crashing to the ground heavily. Luna turned to look out of her bedroom window again. “That light… my sister is fighting! I have to get to her!” “I’ll go with you.” Squall said simply, giving a sharp nod. Luna turned to the window and shoved it open with her magic. She spread her wings and took a step forward, preparing to fly out and join the fray. She never got the chance to. The horse head bust that had fallen out in the hall lit up with green magic, flew forward and struck her in the back of the head, shattering from the force of the impact. Luna crumpled to the floor with little more than a gasp of shock, well and truly unconscious. Squall sighed, a putrid green glow fading from his forehead before he was consumed by green fire. From that fire, Thorax emerged, looking down onto the Princess he had just taken down with regret burning in his blue eyes. “Ugh… nice job, Thorax,” Pharynx commented while slowly dragging himself back into the room. “Get her into a pod, quickly.” “What about you?” Thorax asked, already letting the green slime drip out of his fangs. Pharynx grinned before a swirl of green fire whipped around him. When the flames vanished, a perfect copy of Princess Luna, albeit bruised and battered looking, stood in his place. “I am going to go help our queen,” Pharynx said in Luna’s voice before trotting out of the bedroom window and lifting into the air with a mighty flap of his wings. Thorax watched him go, then lowered his head to the real Princess Luna to encase her in the slime falling from his fangs. “I’m sorry…” he whispered.