//------------------------------//
// 10 A Rift in Time 
// Story: Alternate Beginnings: Year Five 
// by Doug Graves 
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Doug glances around; where is everything? The whole landscape is white. He looks down as the bright light fades: he is watching a copy of himself. Not a poorly executed impersonation, like what happened with Queen Chrysalis, but exactly like the real thing. The spectral Doug moves an arm forward, passing through himself. But this one is wearing a long, transparent robe. Complete with images dancing along the sleeves. The Doug in front of him holds an arm up, noting the band around his wrist. Doug moves inside himself to get a better look; somehow, he is able to follow exactly what he is watching. On closer inspection, it is a watch, complete with time and date. July 3rd? But that is... hmm, what was the last thing he remembers? Something in March? He glances again; it even has the year, 1002. So, five years in the future. Is he dead? Or this is an extraordinarily detailed dream. A vision of the future?

They watch one of the images: it starts off in a first person perspective, walking down a hallway. He grunts at the uncomfortable feeling, willing himself to pull back and stop moving. The image responds, pulling back to follow the bigger of two unicorns. She is large, a dark charcoal coat, nearly black, with a flowing blue mane. The medium sized pony is an off-white with a meticulously styled blue mane. They nod to the two guards that are standing outside a doorway. Doug tries to turn to the side, the image following his mental command to look outside the window. He sees a long way away, perfectly detailed. There are buildings, a large white tower, then nothing except for a forest and a small town a vast distance away. Doug realizes as he spots a certain farmhouse; he is in Canterlot! And he can see Ponyville, and that would make the room that he is in... hmm, he isn't sure.

Doug turns back, the two guards opening the door to the room. Both unicorns walk inside, seeing Princess Cadance and her fiance, Shining Armor, chatting at a table, plates from their evening meal empty with a quarter full glass of wine, if the bottle next to them is any indication. A short nod in greeting, and the white unicorn speaks, "Good evening, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I trust you are doing well?"

"Oh, thank you, Sir Fancy Pants, good evening to you as well. And, who is this charming young mare?" Princess Cadance's eyes flash as she continues, "Hmm, not for you, but a suitor for one of your colts? My, my, a tad early, is it not?" She gives the stallion a sly smirk and a quick wink.

Fancy Pants smiles, a wink in return, "Oh, I find it is never too early to plan a wedding, Princess. I suspect you are hard at work yourself!"

Shining Armor chuckles, "Oh, you should have seen her yesterday. The bridesmares, their dresses, it will be so nice when the seamstress from Ponyville comes by to help with that." He sighs, raising a hoof to his forehead, "I know we still have a week, but the wait is starting to get to her!"

Princess Cadance smiles, poking a hoof at her fiance, "No, Shiny, I'm pretty sure that is all you, the one getting their mane in a twist."

Fancy Pants smiles, "Oh, well, I can see you two are very busy. I just wanted you to ask Miss Chris à Liss here a few questions, find out her interests, you know the sort. I will be waiting outside; thank you again, Princess, especially with the short notice."

"Oh, of course! It isn't a problem at all!" Princess Cadance beams, looking over the tall unicorn, her smile never wavering as she gazes into the teal eyes.

Shining Armor gets up, "Well, I'll leave you two to your thing. Good night, Cady, Miss Liss."

"Good night, love." Princess Cadance shares a brief kiss with Shining Armor as the two male unicorns leave the room. Princess Cadance's smile disappears while the unicorn's horn flares, a thin bubble surrounding the two. Princess Cadance calmly states, "Silence?"

"Yes," comes the neutral reply. "Also a teleportation inhibitor, if you couldn't tell."

Princess Cadance slowly nods, "I suppose you have decided to start, then."

"Ah, I suspected somepony was scrying on us, when Celestia came. I'm glad to see you and Celestia kept your word. And it would behoove you to go willingly, Cadance. Maybe if you do I'll leave your precious Shiny's love for you alone; well, after I'm done with him, of course. I would hate for you to call off the wedding and break up with him in some sort of overly dramatic fashion."

Princess Cadance glares, "You know, if I stopped you now, your whole plan would be ruined, and you would lose everything you tried to gain."

"I am aware." The unicorn sneers, morphing into Queen Chrysalis' changeling form. "Would you like to try?" Princess Cadance sighs, shaking her head, watching the changeling in front of her transform into a copy of herself. The new alicorn admires her body, "Mm, delicious; maybe I should sample a little of Shiny now. Do you think he prefers the standard position?" Chrysalis notes the look of horror on the real Cadance's face, "Oh? Is something wrong? Something I should know?" She slides a little closer, a sharp look in her eye, "Maybe if you cooperate I might allow him to mount you first on our wedding night. And if you don't, he might never mount a mare at all."

Princess Cadance hangs her head, "Just know, I have promised Shining Armor to wait until our wedding night. He will immediately suspect if you attempt anything."

Queen Chrysalis nods, "Mm, that will make it a little harder, but there are less carnal ways to control a stallion. I will be back to talk later, but I must do this first."

Princess Cadance kneels as a green bubble surrounds her, the alicorn sinking into the floor. Queen Chrysalis, now the only alicorn in the room, pulls out a letter. She steps outside, Fancy Pants looking at her curiously. She says, "I'm sorry, Fancy, but I do not think it will work out between her and any of your colts, not at this time." 

The stallion sighs, "Oh, and I had such high hopes for her, she certainly was very spirited. Thank you for your time, Princess."

The alicorn shuts the door with a curt nod, moving to Shining's bedroom. "Shiny?" she tentatively calls, the door opening. "This letter came, from one of the guards."

Shining Armor pulls the letter from her magic, his eyes bugging out as he says, "An invasion?" He goes back, engrossed in the letter as a brief burst of magic comes from Queen Chrysalis' horn, his eyes briefly flaring green as he holds a hoof to his head, wincing in pain. He shares a quick kiss with the alicorn, rushing outside and saying to the guards, "Come, we must inform Princess Celestia immediately!"

Doug looks away from his sleeves. This feels incredibly real, as if he is standing there, unacknowledged the entire time. He pushes the sleeves around; wow, he can even rewind, watch multiple images at one time, and zoom to a certain extent. He watches as the hour hand on the watch begins rapidly spinning, eventually slowing down. He watches a few images flash by. The first, his herd helping the 'alicorn' prepare her wedding. The second, Princess Celestia engaging in a heated argument with the undisguised changeling queen over long, formal looking pieces of paper. Then, a dull night of Princess Luna watching the night sky. The images fade, the watch again ticking normally.

July 10th, Second Year of the Two Sisters, 1002 Domina Solaria

Doug stands straight and tall, hands clasped in front, elegant in the suit Rarity tailored. Long, flowing, nearly transparent white robes over black pants and a dark shirt, a cyan tie with an orange swirl around his neck. He, the bridesmares, Princess Celestia, the rest of the guests; all are waiting for the the bridal procession to commence. Doug glances down, hiding his grimace as he discreetly watches several of the enchanted surfaces from his spot near Shining Armor. Nopony else could see what is playing on his sleeves; well, except for Celestia. She and Queen Chrysalis each picked several vantage points, a few others at his request, and he is essentially scrying on all of them. He can even see himself, standing opposite Rainbow Dash. 

So far, things have been proceeding quite calmly, at least on the surface. Chrysalis had roughed up Cadance maybe a little more than necessary during one of their interrogation sessions; nothing illegal, unfortunately, just enough to make the alicorn a bit perturbed. Twilight had come so close to figuring it out and exposing the impostor, but ultimately captured. So far, Chrysalis has an advantage, but Twilight still has the chance to bring it back.

One picture, bobbing up and down as the changeling flies, getting closer and closer to the large pink bubble on the side of the mountain. Canterlot, protected by Shining Armor's shield spell, soon to be put to the test by the invading changeling army, numbering just under eight hundred strong. Queen Chrysalis had left many of her integrators in place in other cities, insurance in case she only won one of the two challenges.

Another image, this time tracking Twilight; Doug had requested the camera when Queen Chrysalis' spell banished her underneath the castle, the Queen none to happy about having to comply. Not that Doug could really do anything, shadowed by a changeling disguised as his assistant. He watches a modestly pregnant Twilight blasting the mirrored crystal that surrounds her, revealing a disheveled and bruised Princess Cadance. The alicorn flinches, cowering and shouting, "No! Wait! Please, don't hurt me! Twilight, it's me! Please, you have to believe me! I've been imprisoned like you. The Cadance who brought you down here was an impostor!"

Twilight shakes her head, a mad glint in her eyes as her horn flares, "A likely story!"

Princess Cadance shudders, slowly getting to her hooves and starting a little dance, "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves..."

"...and do a little shake." Twilight smiles at Princess Cadance, "You remember me!"

"Of course I do. How could I forget the filly I love to sit for the most?" Princess Cadance smiles at Twilight, looking at her belly and giving a knowing smile.

Twilight looks around the room, trying to find a way out of their crystal prison. "We have to get out of here. We have to stop her!"

On another surface, a pink alicorn sits in her borrowed room, softly singing to herself. "This day is going to be perfect!" she smiles, looking at herself in the mirror. "The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small." Her wedding dress fits her form perfectly, her hair immaculately styled, "Everypony will gather 'round, say I look lovely in my gown," a few ponnequinns bowing as her pink eyes glint green, "What they don't know is that I have fooled them all!"

Twilight and Princess Cadance continue to gallop underneath Canterlot, desperately trying to find a way out of the mines. At the wedding, Queen Chrysalis - still disguised as Princess Cadance - practically dances up the aisle, humming to herself. As she gets close to the dais she sings out, "Finally the moment has arrived!" She winks at Doug, who purses his lips and nods. One - zero. Chrysalis continuing, "For me! To be one lucky bride!" giggling as she sings, looking over at Shining Armor, "Mine! All mine!"

--One disrupted wedding, the shield breaks as Queen Chrysalis is revealed, an attempt to fight through a swarm of changelings to get the Elements of Harmony, and back to the Royal Wedding, still in progress--

Princess Celestia is defeated, strung up in a green cocoon. Princess Cadance, the real Cadance, is standing two body lengths from her fiance, hooves encased in green goo, Spike idly standing close by. Shining Armor is standing on the raised dias, his eyes unfocused. Doug is calmly standing at one of the open windows, watching the battle for the city as changelings swoop around. The guests and the rest of the wedding party, minus the bridesmares, have been corralled by changelings, kept huddled in a corner. Queen Chrysalis is standing in the middle of the room, glancing at the double doors and busy coordinating her invasion.

Queen Chrysalis goes over to Doug, laughing to herself. "Oh, please; it is over. You can't possibly imagine that anything is going to change. I have won!" She raises her hoof, motioning outside to the growing destruction, "What more could possibly happen? You like seeing them suffer?" Queen Chrysalis laughs again, turning back to the center of the room to regard the pink alicorn.

Princess Cadance tries to stomp her hoof as she angrily says, "You won't get away with this! Twilight and her friends will-" The doors to the throne room slam open, a group of changelings ushering the Element Bearers inside. Princess Cadance's face falls; she would have crumpled to the floor in defeat if her hooves weren't locked in place.

Queen Chrysalis laughs, "You were saying?" She grins, pacing around the middle of the room, "You do realize the reception's been cancelled, don't you?" She slowly walks over to the windows where Doug is standing, the two surveying the chaos below. Changelings have rounded up many of the royal guards, encasing their hooves and wings and horns in goo. A few pockets of resistance are still holding out, but the changelings are slowly surrounding the ponies, many surrendering as they become vastly outnumbered. Queen Chrysalis announces, "Go! Fe-"

Another high pitched laugh comes from the changeling Queen as Doug begins clapping, signalling the end. She softly sings to herself, "This day has been just perfect..." as a stomp of frustration comes from the cocoon containing Princess Celestia. The green goo melts away as the alicorn gracefully falls from the pod, landing on her hooves. Doug checks his watch as he looks at Princess Celestia, "Any more tricks up your sleeve? Otherwise I'm calling it."

Princess Celestia shakes her head as Princess Cadance shouts, "Wait! I'm sure I could get to Shining Armor, and... and... break him free of Chrysalis' control! And our love for each other would power his shield spell, and expel all the changelings from Canterlot! Winning the battle!"

Doug looks over, "Okay, that probably would work, because magic obeys the stupidest rules here sometimes, but look around you. You're covered in goop, can't move. Shining is standing next to you, mind controlled. Twilight and the rest of the Element Bearers, same thing; captured by a swarm of changelings, and lucky they aren't covered in goop. I think Queen Chrysalis is just trying to curry favor with me, because they totally should be restrained, especially Twilight's horn, and Rarity's as well. Can't trust unicorns to stay put. You have a horde of changelings around you, including Queen Chrysalis who is currently so high on love she 'beat' Princess Celestia." Doug turns to Celestia, "Nice fight, by the way, really sold it with the effects on your horn."

Queen Chrysalis glares at Celestia, "Yes, it was so good I thought you were going back on your word." She mimics Doug, clapping her hooves together, "Bravo."

Many of the ponies glance around, murmuring among themselves. Doug moves back, motioning towards the changeling army, "The only way your solution could possibly work is if Chrysalis just, like, sent the rest of her army to go help with those pockets of resistance, which they are clearly winning, then sung a song to give somepony enough time to break you free, and then got off on watching you buck Shiny in order to get the love to him. Princess Celestia, I'm sorry, but full victory for Queen Chrysalis."

"But, Twilight was able to uncover her identity! And then broke herself and Cadance out of prison in order to warn the rest of us before the invasion started!" Princess Celestia looks between Doug and Queen Chrysalis, "Surely that counts for something!"

"Hmm," Doug stalls, looking at Queen Chrysalis. The changeling returns his look with a forced neutral expression, barely quenching her rage, if this pathetic creature tries to deny what is rightfully hers. Doug looks at Twilight, "Did you know, before the rehearsal, that the pony you thought was Princess Cadance was Queen Chrysalis?"

Twilight glances over at Applejack before shaking her head, "I suspected she was an impostor, or using some sort of trick to get Shiny to have fallen in love with her. But I didn't know how, exactly, she had done it or what, precisely, she was. Or who. I can't believe I wasn't able to convince any of my friends of that! Although, what I really want to know is, what is all this? What are you doing? Why did Princess Celestia throw the fight? Why are we standing around here like a bunch of foals while there is a war going on outside!"

Doug's eyes widen, "Oh yeah, forgot about that. Princess Celestia, going to have to get back to you on that, but the invasion had already started when Twilight broke out of the mines. They weren't attacking the shield yet, but they were in the airspace, waiting for the signal. I'm going to have to rule against you, but I'll give both of them a minor concession for the prison break. Still victory for Queen Chrysalis. If you don't mind, I would tell the troops to stand down."

Applejack walks over to Twilight, "Sorry, Twi. We should've listened to you," as Twilight shakes her head.

Princess Celestia gives a heavy sigh, "Very well." She teleports to the balcony of her chambers, her voice thundering, "Royal Guards! A Ceasefire Has Been Negotiated With The Changelings! Stand Down!"

Queen Chrysalis appears next to Princess Celestia, bellowing, "Changelings! Drones! Squad Alpha To The Castle! All Other Squads, Regroup In Canterlot Airspace!"

Across the city confused guards and militia look to each other as the changelings take flight. They look back and forth at each other before galloping to the ponies bound by goo or chains, attempting to free the now unguarded prisoners. Dozens of changelings fly away from Princess Luna's tower, the door to which had remained closed throughout the fight. An irate Princess Luna, mane askew, looks out from a window of her tower to see the chaos, gasping at the changelings both going in and heading out of the castle. Princess Celestia teleports into the throne room moments before Princess Luna and Queen Chrysalis return, both appearing at the center of the room.

Princess Luna twirls, leveling her horn at Queen Chrysalis. Both begin charging their horns, Chrysalis for a shield and Luna for a dull blue beam of light. The two collide, the bolt of light ricocheting to the ceiling before Princess Celestia throws a shield around both of them, bellowing, "STOP!"

Princess Luna turns, glaring at Princess Celestia, "Explain yourself, traitor!"

Rainbow Dash takes flight, a few changelings moving closer to her, "Yeah! And you too, Doug, how could betray us all like this?"

As the Elements gear up for round two, Princess Celestia bellows again in the Royal Canterlot Voice, "STAND DOWN, EVERYPONY!!" The changelings drop to the floor, backing away from the Elements while Rainbow slowly lowers, rubbing her ears. "Now, in a moment my other captain will be here, and I will be able to explain this the once. In the mean time, please, wait patiently."

Rainbow Dash and Applejack glare at the surrounding changelings while Fluttershy cowers. Pinkie Pie seems oblivious, while Twilight seems to be more curious than anything. Rarity slowly gathers the dresses that everypony had hastily taken off, making sure they are still intact, a hint of a smile at the lack of destruction. Princess Luna stares at Princess Celestia, watching for any sign of a trick or mind control. Queen Chrysalis' horn shimmers, the goop on Princess Cadance's hooves disappearing.

Doug says, "Since we seem to have a moment; Queen Chrysalis, for being discovered early by Twilight: you will answer, truthfully and to the best of your ability, any questions that she has, for three hours a week, with an extra twenty hours distributed whenever she likes. Scheduled, as I am sure Twilight will not fail to do; if the topic allows you may designate another changeling to take your place, as long as the answers are to Twilight's satisfaction. For failing to contain your prisoner, Princess Cadance: you are to release her fiance, Shining Armor, from your mind control. She will have her wedding with Shining Armor, and neither you nor any changeling may sire with him until after Cadance's first is born, or until you have both of their permission."

Queen Chrysalis glares at Doug, "You must know how much I wanted to take him for myself, human." She mockingly bows to Princess Celestia, "But, as a show of good faith, I accept your judgement, though by right I should need to relinquish nothing." Twilight squeals in joy as Queen Chrysalis' horn lights, a green glow flashes over Shining Armor's eyes before he shakes his head. Princess Cadance moves next to him, quickly consoling him as he looks around, bewilderment in his eyes.

Captain Spitfire enters the throne room, glaring at the changelings around the walls. She walks up to Princess Celestia, ripping the patch off of her jacket, "If this is your idea of a joke, Princess, consider this my resignation." She throws the insignia at Princess Celestia's hoof, spinning to walk out of the throne room.

"Denied, Captain. Return to your post." The patch levitates into the air, affixing itself to Captain Spitfire's jacket. Princess Celestia motions towards Rainbow Dash, the cyan pegasus briefly losing her glare as the Wonderbolt marches next to her, an unreadable expression on the yellow pegasus.

Princess Celestia announces in a loud voice, "I know everypony is curious why we are here, standing with a bunch of changelings." Princess Luna begins to say something but Princess Celestia forestalls it by continuing, "You all have a lot of questions, but they will wait until the end. The short version of the story is I made a wager with Queen Chrysalis in order to prevent an all out war. At the time, she had infiltrators distributed among many of the cities and towns of Equestria. I swore to not reveal her presence, or to participate in the fight against her."

Doug steps forward, "The proposed and accepted contest was as such: Queen Chrysalis had to infiltrate and impersonate one pony. She chose Princess Cadance. At the start of her infiltration she had to give the city one week's warning that a threat was made against the area; she chose Canterlot, and the notice was received and acted upon. She had two objectives: first, to remain undetected during the week before the invasion and capture any pony that found out; the second to capture the city. If Queen Chrysalis managed both, then she would join the Princesses as ruler. I, Doug, of Herd Apple, was chosen as a neutral referee, allowed access to scrying spells and both sides, to decide if there were any infractions and determine penalties. The deal was made before Princess Luna returned; as part of the deal, Princess Celestia was unable to provide her with the details. If Luna was told, then she would have been required to sit out the invasion as well."

Princess Celestia nods, "Both Queen Chrysalis and I would have brought any allegations of misconduct to Doug, but there was no need, until the end. Now, does anypony have any questions? Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

"Princess!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, "Why didn't you exterminate the changelings when you had the chance?"

Princess Celestia gives Rainbow Dash a sad look, "Are you so quick to decide who lives and who dies, Rainbow Dash? I can give you the chance to make that choice." A dark blue dagger materializes out of magic, levitated in front of Rainbow Dash; the mare cautiously takes the dagger with her hoof. A sorrowful Princess Celestia says, "As long as you hold that dagger, then you are free to kill any changeling you wish. However, be aware that they are under the same condition with regards to you."

Rainbow looks at the dagger in her hoof, then at the twenty changelings surrounding her. Queen Chrysalis is charging her horn with a sneer, many of the other changelings turning green as they look ready to charge. Rainbow hastily drops the dagger, quickly backing away. Princess Celestia looks around, glancing at Princess Luna, "Anypony else wish to try?" The blue alicorn briefly shakes her head, "No?" The dagger dissipates into dust, "And neither do I. Now you know why, Rainbow Dash. I did not want to risk the lives of anypony, or even anyling. Maybe I could have gotten two, or three, or even all of them, then or in this room. Then what? At what cost? Could I have managed to get the rest of them, spread over Equestria, hidden as deeply as they were? What about when they are under no such restriction, and can play as if anypony in this room, neigh, anypony in Equestria is holding a dagger? What chance would your foal, Scootaloo, have against one of them?"

Rainbow Dash blanches, the blood draining from her face as her eyes going to the three flower fillies huddled in a corner, one of them piping up, "I'm not a foal!"

The immediate retort comes, "Yeah, you're a chicken."

Princess Celestia smiles as the trio bickers, moving towards the cyan mare and nuzzling her, "And that is how I feel about all of my little ponies." She turns, walking back to the center of the room, silence coming over the room, "Any other questions?"

Applejack moves forward, "So, what happens now? You said Queen Chrysalis is joining you as a ruler?"

Queen Chrysalis nods, "Celestia has agreed to acquiesce to my demands; in return, I will help govern, and I have agreed to treat your precious ponies as... equals. For the most part, things will continue as normal, with a few major changes. First, a campaign of aggressive expansion within our own borders. I will wait and see if a decree is needed, but I would like to see a... healthy uptake in the number of foals born. I'm thinking a third of each herd pregnant, every year. Single mares over a certain age will be under a similar requirement." She smiles as she looks over, "I can see Herd Apple is already in compliance."

Heads turn to look, confirming that both Twilight and Fluttershy are pregnant. Queen Chrysalis continues, "As well, each herd will be assigned one or more changelings, depending on the size of the herd. The goal I will start with is one changeling per six members, excluding foals and fillies age five and under. We will see how much love each changeling is able to... passively absorb, and what the effects of more active draining are, how much can be safely taken. I wouldn't want anypony injured, of course."

Applejack pipes up, "And Ah assume you need help with the, heh, making of more changelings?" Twilight moves forward, whispering to Applejack who then appends, "Though maybe Ah should have asked first, what exactly is a changeling?"

Queen Chrysalis nods, "Yes, each stallion will be required to service any changeling assigned to his herd. To answer your second question, we are able to take on the form of many creatures, gaining their innate abilities. We feed on emotions, specifically love. Drawing love energy from ponies is neither painful nor debilitating, as long as it is done correctly, and your love for others should only be impacted a small amount; not enough by itself to form a rift in a relationship. New changelings born are either changelings or ponies. If the dam spends the entire time transformed, it will be a pony. A changeling can transform once while pregnant, back to their natural form, though it is quite draining; the foal will then be a changeling. Or, if they join as a changeling, the foal will be a changeling. In both cases, lain as an egg. The new changelings, when they come of age, will be assigned to other herds, because I know you ponies have a problem with such things."

Queen Chrysalis turns, addressing the gathered guests, slowly turning to each pony in attendance, "Now, with the large increase in the population, we will need infrastructure. Lots and lots of new buildings, towns. I'm thinking more cloud cities, large farms, suburbs next to grounded cities like Manehatten. All over Equestria, and we'll need them built fast. I'll rely on your expertise for that, and you will soon have a versatile army of changelings to assist in this endeavor."

Queen Chrysalis paces back and forth before stopping in front of Princess Luna. The blue alicorn looks up at Queen Chrysalis, a neutral glare on her face. Queen Chrysalis states, "Now that you know my plan, Luna, do you oppose me?" She turns, looking at the gathered ponies, focusing on Twilight and Cadance, "Do any of you oppose this?"

Princess Luna states, "Equestria has lived peacefully for more than a thousand years, Chrysalis. Are you so willing to disrupt that balance just to increase your power?"

"Not just my power, but the power of ponies everywhere! And, should the other races agree, then all of the races of Equus! All creatures, united under our benevolent gaze. If they choose to oppose that, then they shall be... persuaded otherwise."

Princess Luna looks at Princess Celestia, both alicorns giving neutral looks. Princess Luna stares at Queen Chrysalis, "I do not care for the forced subjugation of any race. If we are able to come to an understanding on that, then very well. I will not oppose you, Chrysalis."

Queen Chrysalis turns and glares, "That's Queen Chrysalis."

"And here I thought we were equals."

The changeling queen strides over, "Do not make me teach you your place, Luna." The alicorn gazes back, daring the changeling with her eyes. A smirk slowly comes over Queen Chrysalis' face before she turns, looking at the crowd, "Anything else?"

Doug says, "One of the original concerns was a panic among the populace, about whether they could trust their neighbors to be who they say they are. Will you require your infiltrators to expose themselves, and what punishment will you have for changelings abusing their power for personal gain?"

Queen Chrysalis turns, glaring at Doug, "You dare accuse me of impersonating another for personal gain?"

Doug looks pointedly at Shining Armor before saying, "If you have already ordered your changelings to not do such a thing, then I withdraw the question."

"My changelings follow my decrees. And they will be my decrees, human, not yours." Queen Chrysalis paces back and forth, "Do you think I should command them to reveal themselves?"

Doug shrugs, "You are the changeling expert, not me. But if you are asking for my opinion, I would say yes, after we announce the change in management."

Princess Celestia shakes her head, "You rule by yourself for a thousand years, and then boom, new princess! Two years later, boom, new princess! Two years later, boom, new queen! They probably think it's old hat by now; they'll just be expecting another new ruler two years from now."

Queen Chrysalis snorts and turns to the alicorns, "Now; you three princesses have an announcement to make. I want a list of all the herds, sorted by city and with their likely reaction to a changeling being assigned to their herd. I will spread my existing changelings as wide as possible, randomly selected among the herds that would not be opposed at this time. Unless there are volunteers, but I somehow doubt that."

Princess Celestia nods, "I'll assign a pony or two to that, should be done by morning tomorrow. The announcement should be ready for distribution by tonight."

Applejack slaps a hoof to her face as Doug announces, "Herd Apple volunteers."

Queen Chrysalis rolls her eyes and nods, "Very well. Any other questions?" The gathered ponies look back and forth, nothing else coming forth. "Oh, and one last thing." She looks at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, "Since you two are both single, and Princess Cadance is out of the running, I expect a foal from each of you every other year."

Princess Luna exclaims, "What?" as Princess Celestia calls, "Dibs on first!"

Luna gives Celestia a dumbfounded stare as Doug turns to Princess Celestia, the human saying, "Did you seriously lose to Queen Chrysalis just to get a foal out of me?"

Princess Celestia's eyes nervously shift back and forth, "Maybe."

The scene suddenly shifts back to white, Doug finding himself alone again. What was that? A portent of the future? Or a fevered imagining of the possibilities? What if he had stalled longer, then would Cadance's plan have worked?