Princess and Queen: A New Era

by Prismfire Productions

Welcome to the new age

Flurry Heart woke from her pleasant dreamscape feeling like her head was being split apart with a battle axe. Every beat of her heart pulsed and coursed through her skull, acting like tsunamis of pain that only made the headache worse.

It had been a wild night, with Twilight eventually abandoning her notes and making things more fun by suggesting new things to try. In hindsight, Flurry was glad she took the suggestions. Each new 'experiment' made love pour like Neighagra Falls between herself and Chrysalis, Twilight reaping the flavorful reward as a result.

“Isn't that adorable,” Flurry giggled, amazed at how fast Twilight has been willing to join in, much to Chrysalis’ disdain, and was able to fulfill a few fantasies before passing out for the night. Reaching over and nipping them on the ear, her two bed mates slowly woke up.”Good morning you two, sleep well?”

“Can I sleep for a bit longer?” Chrysalis grumbled, blinking away the sand from her eyes. Shifting in place, she was surprised to find Twilight snuggled up under her wing, but after a night of exertion she couldn't blame her former enemy a bit. “Or can Luna put the moon back in the sky at least?”

“No dear, today is a special day, our first day as the official leaders of the Crystal Empire.” Flurry's tone was heavy, like one knowing they were about to go into an unwinnable battle. “Trust me, I don't feel like getting out of bed either, but we got no choice in the matter.”

“Still feels like a dream love,” Chrysalis said, gently nuzzling into the crease of Flurry’s neck. The small trickle of love slowly eased away both their hangovers, her grumpy mood from earlier completely gone. “So much has happened so quick, and now I'm your consort and going to help lead the very place I tried so hard to take over. It just feels weird to me you know?”

“About as weird as a rabbit and duck being friends,” Flurry said, getting out of bed with a smile on her face. “Now come on love, it’s time to get up.”

“Time to get up…” Flurry repeated the words, them tasting like a fine chocolate wine on the tip of her tongue as she went into the hallway, singing a tune based off her mood.

*ahem*

The polite cough caught Flurry’s attention. Turning towards it, she realized that she had the full Spire staff, as well as Twilight and Chrysalis, behind her and that she had caused each of them to join in on her song. A wave of embarrassment swept over her like a wildfire, a blush forming as a maid stepped forward.

“Good morning indeed, Your Highness,” The maid, a crystal unicorn by the name of Minute Maid, said as she stepped forward and bowed. “But due to that little routine, we are now behind schedule in getting the Spire ready for the celebration.”

“I am sorry, didn't realize that I would have that much effect with my singing.” Flurry’s apology was well recepted, the staff returning to their duties save for Minute Maid. “I will do my best to keep it to a minimum, or if I am alone. So what celebration is there? I thought we had that yesterday.”

“No, Your Highness, that was for Princess Cadance,” Minute Maid said, rising out her bow. “It is also Crystal Empire tradition for a celebration to occur on the first full day of new leadership, something that has been done since it was founded.”

“Oh,” Flurry said, a more confused look crossing her face. “I wish I had been told about that, when is it going to take place?”

“You mean to tell me that you grew up here, and never paid attention to any customs?” A snobby Crystal Elite, appropriately named Smoky Quartz for the ominous feeling of dread he gave to those around him, scoffed. “Some fine Princess you are, and I can see that your rule is already off to a rocky start. Princess Cadance’ should have known better than to let her greenhorn daughter take over.”

“It is by that same custom that you are trying to criticize Flurry on that shows why she is on the throne,” Chrysalis said, her tone turning sour and causing the workers to gulp as she stared down Smoky. “Yes, she has a lot of things that need improvement, no ruler including myself is perfect after all, but she will learn in time. She has shown that she can fully led a hive by herself, so no doubt Flurry will come to be seen as a capable ruler.”

“Besides,” Flurry’s tone didn't mask her aggravation, which she felt more of than anything. “I didn't want to be mommy's little princess or daddy's little warrior, I wanted a life for myself. Destiny led me to this, and Destiny is what will carry me forward. I was deemed Imperial Princess shortly after mine and my mother's mock battle, so my hive is still under Geneighva protection. In time, after me and Chrysalis adjust, we will start building a new hive, but until then they are to be treated fairly as POWs. So forgive me for not knowing, or paying attention, but know that I know I will bump up my morning schedule to accommodate.”

“Not only that Flurry,” Twilight said, awake enough from the little sing along that she was able to focus. “You did say there was to be a full meet and greet later today as well, so the staff most likely will have to pull double duty.”

“Then I should be getting ready myself, in the meantime I'm organizing some drones to help get everything in place to take the load off.” Flurry said, looking at her’s and Twilight's mangled coats and Chrysalis streaked chitin then back to the maid. “Just one more question, why is your name Minute Maid?”

“Because I complete my tasks in a minute or less, it is a nickname but I like it better than my birth one.” Minute Maid’s shiver made it clear that she wasn't going to talk about it, even if pressed. “I am also known to make the best lemonade on staff, if you want some, just let me know.”

“I will,” Flurry said, patting Minute’s head before lowering her hoof back to the floor. “You're dismissed and can return to your duties.”

Minute gave another quick bow then left, leaving the three leaders to themselves in the middle of the hallway, an awkward silence falling between them at last night’s activities being displayed on each of their bodies and the fact the whole staff saw it. Twilight was the first to move, taking off down the hall towards the bathroom with Flurry and Chrysalis hot on her flank, each reacting on pure instinct that they forgot they could teleport.

“Age before beauty you two,” Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder as she neared her destination. “I have been a ruler of Equestria longer than you both have.”

“You just called yourself ugly auntie!” Flurry giggled, her horn flaring to life as she caused Twilight to trip. “Besides, I'm stronger than you are so I go first. I'm the prettiest mare here and the alpha mare as was agreed on last night.”

“That may be so love,” Chrysalis said, brushing a wing down Flurry's back, the AliQueen losing her balance from the sudden pleasure. “But I am the oldest, and unlike you two I don't have fur so my shower will be the shortest, especially since I no longer have any holes anywhere on my body.”

“Then what did Flurry thrust into last night Chrysalis?” Twilight smirked, gliding back to the front as they banked around a corner. “Illusion spell?”

Chrysalis didn't respond.

“Aunt Twilight…” Flurry's tone was as cold as the snow outside the Empire, causing the Princess of Friendship to gulp. “That was a bit too low of a cheap shot, even by your standards.”

“At least it is not as low as you're-” Twilight's sentence was cut short, followed shortly by rolling in a tangled ball of limbs and wings before finally coming to a stop. A groan from the bottom of the pile alerted the others as to who they had run into, and to their surprise it was Shining Armor.

“Umm… hi Dad,” Flurry said, a quick tug painfully revealing that they were, in fact, stuck like a cat in a yarn ball. “What are you doing here?”

“Your mom forgot some of her mane and coat supplies, and I came to get them.” Shining said, his attempt to work free earning a yelp from Twilight, who was stuck between his stomach and Chrysalis’ neck. “Although, I must ask… Who or what is poking my leg at the moment?”

It was hard to see due to how they were tangled, but Chrysalis could make out a piece of pink flesh laying flat against Shining’s leg. Taking into account each of their respective coat colors, and the fact Flurry had not remembered to remove the spell she had put in place the previous night, Chrysalis saw it as a chance to get even for making Twilight watch their little love making session.

“Looks like it is something pink, that's all I can make out,” Chrysalis grinned, a snicker forming in her throat. “So it is definitely one of Flurry's body parts.”

“Flurry of my Heart, think you can wiggle it so it isn't so flushed against me?” Shining asked, clearly uncomfortable as Chrysalis’ snicker built up. “Your leg is so close I can feel your heartbeat through it and my coat.”

“Wait…” Flurry's eyes slowly widened in horror, realizing that due to the way they were positioned, there was no physical way that it could have been her leg. “Oh buck!”

Deactivating the spell was like releasing a spring, the now-vacant space giving and allowing each of them to free themselves with the extra room that was available. Once free, Flurry teleported away and the sound of a pony being soaked in an ice bath echoed through the halls shortly after.

“Well that settles who showers first…” Chrysalis mused, turning to look at her confused father-in-law. “Do I really need to explain, or do you have a pretty good idea as to what was poking your leg?”

“Now I do,” Shining chuckled, causing Twilight and Chrysalis to raise their eyebrows. “Trust me, Cady is into some really kinky stuff, stuff that would even make you burn in embarrassment Chryssy. When you get the chance, ask Luna about her 'Gleaming pet'. Considering what you three did last night, I got to ask, who stuffed you better?”

The amount of mirth, in addition to the sly grin, coming from Shining was something that Chrysalis had not expected. She had always imagined him as a stoic stallion who was just a geek at heart, nothing more. Even during her impersonation of Cadance he had not been so blunt and straightforward, and although she would never admit it she was severely creeped out.

“Is that really something you wish to discuss in public, with your daughter-in-law, and in front your sister?” Chrysalis was cornered in a no-win situation. She knew it, Shining knew it, Twilight knew it, and it angered her that they both knew that she knew. “That was the past Shining Armor, lets all move on from that point in our lives and move forward as a family. Has Cady realized she is now a grandmother to roughly 1500 drones?”

“Not yet,” Shining's answer was a whisper, as if he was just realizing that himself. “But I'm sure that once she does then she will do her best to spoil them.”

“You need to shower Shiny,” Twilight said, wrinkling her nose. “How do you think Cadance will react to you heading back to Ponyville smelling like you made a side stop in the Ruby District?”

“I will explain what happened Twily, a key part to a successful relationship is keeping no secrets.” Shining said, gathering the things that had spread out all over the hallway. “But there is one question I want to be answered, why didn't any of us think to undo ourselves with our magic?”

“I tried, but it didn't work,” Twilight said, lowering her head in shame. “I think the mix of us panicking and our horns being in close proximity acted like a neutralizing field, that or Discord is hiding somewhere and was playing a joke.”

“A rather cruel one,” The bite on Shining's tone alerted Twilight to just how angry he was, an anger that tasted like charcoal to Chrysalis. All further conversation on the topic was dropped when Flurry returned and Shining teleported back to Ponyville.

“I needed that cold shower,” Flurry shuddered, her mane and tail shimmering like silk and her coat glistening like crystal. “I really hope that this is not an indicator of how today is going to go. Shower is available, so how about you two take one together to save time? It isn't like the two of you haven't seen each other's parts before.”

“If we do things might get lewd…” Twilight blush deepened on every word, her brain losing an argument with her mouth as she continued. “Last night was the first time I felt… loved, if you catch my drift.”

“Twily, you mean to tell me that, because of me, Chryssy took your virginity?” When Twilight nodded, Flurry's mood plummeted, now regretting dragging her into Chrysalis’ punishment. “Oh dear…”

“No wonder you were so tight…” Chrysalis muttered, a pinwheel of emotions running through her head. “I'm sorry, but you know I'm Flurry's mare, and what happened can be written off as a one time thing.”

Heartbreak and Jealousy.

The tsunami coming from Twilight was strong, having enough force that both Chrysalis and Flurry nearly recoiled. A true loving couple didn't need words to have a conversation, sometimes just a look and body language was all that was needed. What Twilight was stuffing them with was a potent mixture to a changeling, manageable in small doses but potentially lethal in high doses or prolonged exposure.

Chrysalis, however, got the double whammy. Not only did she have to deal with Twilight's emotional cocktail, but also her wife's, and she could see the guilt written all over the halfling’s muzzle as the purple princess sulked off with her tail off to the side.

“Twilight wait!” Chrysalis' sudden outburst knocked both Flurry and Twilight back to reality, and caused the Princess of Friendship to drop into a bow out of instinct. “You came to us yesterday asking for trade relations with your kingdom correct?”

“Yeah…” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, a warm feeling deep in her stomach building at what she hoped Chrysalis was getting at. “Why?”

“Do you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship,” Chrysalis began, a smile forming on her muzzle as she spoke. “Agree to enter trade relations with the Crystal Empire in order to receive changeling resin in exchange for swearing yourself over to me?”

“Chryssy dear, that isn't how things wor-”

“Deal!” Happiness and unfiltered joy banished the dark tide, giving Twilight a slight glow from a changeling’s perspective. “I, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, agree to the terms of the trade. To everypony else, and my allies, I will be their princess and protector, but to you I am your property to do as you wish.”

“In case you both forgot, I'm the alpha,” Flurry's point significantly dampered Twilight's bountiful joy, and earned Chrysalis a sideways glance. “To matters of the hive my word is law, to the Empire I am a fair ruler. Chryssy is my wife, and my Royal Consort. By swearing yourself to her, you also swear your life to me, for life. Only way out will be by either your death, or mine and Chryssy’s, so think wisely before making your choice.”

“I swear myself to you mistress,” Twilight softly replied, kissing Flurry's hooves. “My life is now yours and my owner's.”

“I have one last stipulation,” Flurry didn't break eye contact with Twilight, mainly due to her forcing her aunt to look her in the face by using her magic. “Should you find somepony you want to settle down with, go and be with them. Me and Chryssy will even help play matchmaker for you.”

“Thank you mistress,” Twilight said, the words rolling naturally off her tongue. “May my owner and I shower together?”

“Go on,” Flurry said, releasing her magic as Twilight got off the floor. “I will be waiting for you two in the library. I'm hoping to find something for you to read to us before things get too busy, and I will have breakfast waiting by the time you get there.”

The trio parted, with Flurry making due on her promise by making a side stop in the kitchen to have the staff make a light breakfast to be sent to the library. The library was large, by the Empire’s standards anyway, and held everything from a copy of Cadance's wedding speech to the few remaining tomes from the original days of the Crystal Empire. After sending off last minute invitations to the other Queen's, each including a personal apology as for why it was so sudden, she picked a random tome off the shelf and examined it.

“I think one of these will do nicely,” Flurry said, gently holding the fragile text in her magic and setting it on the table. The cover was worn featureless, and with how delicate the pages looked she knew that Twilight's expert touch would be better than hers when it came to reading it. She had no idea what was marked in the tome, and couldn't wait to find out as the breakfast cart was wheeled in with Chrysalis and Twilight in tow.

“Perfect timing,” Flurry said, the other two mares taking their seats as the plates were served. “I know your thirst for ancient history auntie, this should help sate it. I have no clue what is in this tome, so it will be a learning experience for all of us.”

Twilight’s eyes practically lit up like 1000w light bulbs, the chance of learning new knowledge attracting her full attention. She had the nickname “book horse" for a very good reason, a reason even the purple alicorn acknowledged if the subject got brought up.

“This is an unusual tome,” Twilight said, gently flipping the pages while using a translation spell to convert the text to modern Ponish. “Most of this stuff is dealing with alchemy, an art that has been forbidden for millennia.”

“Why would an alchemy book be archived?” Flurry and Chrysalis both had the same question, but it was the older changeling who spoke first. “You would think Cadance, or somepony for that matter, would catch something this dangerous by now.”

“Archived texts are to be handled only by curators, a princess, or an expert mage.” Twilight said, her frown and amount of worry deepening with every page she flipped. “I am or have been all three of those things, and no offense to mistress, but where she has me beat in raw power I have her beat in control and technique. You ponynapping Cadance, dealing with two invasions, Sombra, the Storm King debaticle, and rebuilding in between she probably had no time.”

“I do see your point however,” Twilight continued. “These are very dangerous spells, ones that I wouldn't dare trusting Starlight with. Girls… these spells can revive the dead.”

“Then burn that book!” Chrysalis exclaimed, earning a deadly growl from Twilight as the alicorn clutched the book close to her chest. “I know how you feel about that, but do you really want that to fall into the wrong hooves?”

“Do you want to risk freeing a magic which we have no idea how to contain?” Twilight's counter argument was a good one, one that Chrysalis could not refute. “Such books often have wards to prevent such accidents from occuring, and it will take me time to pick them apart. Once I do, then the book can be disposed of, but I will not be the one to do it.”

“Yes you will be the one Twilight,” Flurry said, staring down the alicorn. “Otherwise, you would be disobeying both your owner and mistress, and believe me when I say you won't enjoy the punishment.”

Flurry Heart hid a smile at feeling Twilight's conflict, she knew that her aunt had acted rashly in her choice, and was going to make sure she learned her lesson. “So pet, what are you going to do?”

“I-I'll burn the book,” Twilight's tone, and posture, both took on a defeated front. “But only after I finish this cover to cover, deal?”

“Deal pet,” Flurry's tone was silk to Twilight's ears, her whole body feeling as if she was taking a lava bath in the magma chamber of an erupting volcano. Flurry noticed, a small smirk forming at seeing how far she could push her aunt. She had no intentions of keeping her, but knew she couldn't speak on Chrysalis’ behalf despite being the alpha, she had standards after all. “Although, I think that Twilight is a name for a pony, not a pet, don't you agree?”

Flurry's question stopped Chrysalis from sipping her tea and Twilight from reading, the alicorn's ears standing straight up. “I suppose so mistress, however, each of my friends have given their pets regular names… Rainbow naming her's Tank for example.”

“True, true,” Flurry said, getting up and moving behind Twilight, nipping the tuft of the princess's neck. “But since you are a bookhorse, I suppose a different kind of name is due. So tell me pet, how many different genres of books are there here on Eques?”

“There are exactly 413 main genres, and a couple thousand more subgenres and crossgenre references,” Twilight beamed, taking great pride in her knowledge. “Why do you ask?”

“Then from this point forward that is your name to me,” Flurry scratched her fangs along the crease in Twilight's neck, the alicorn practically squirming for pleasure release. “You are not Princess Twilight Sparkle, you are 413, loyal pet to Queen Flurry Heart and will address me as so or as 'my Queen’. You have no control or say so in my actions regarding you, and refusal will be met with swift punishment.”

”413… A special name for a good pet!” A majority of Twilight's brain did the waltz in glee, the tiny piece that didn't slowly losing its hold on her thoughts. “I will do my best to obey you mistress, but I ask for time and patience for me to dispose of this item, as I said don't want to risk any incidents.”

“I'm going to let that slide this time,” Flurry said, channeling power into her horn. “Although, I think I should at least give you a small taste of what will happen if you do not obey on the spot.”

Flurry let loose her spell, her magic coursing through Twilight's body and targeting the alicorn's most sensitive muscles and nerves. Twilight moaned, but when she went to move her forehooves to get the edge off, she was shocked to find that she couldn't.

“This will be your obedience training 413,” Flurry said, powering down her magic and allowing the flustered ball of purple fluff to sump against the table heavily panting. “Duration will be determined based on severity of the discipline needed.”

“U-understood mistress,” Twilight droned, slowly coming off her hormones high. “I will obey you, like a good pet should.”

“Flurry my dear, I just thought of something else about 413,” Chrysalis’ acknowledgment caused Twilight to pivot her head, looking from her mistress to her owner as Flurry raised an eyebrow. “Pets are walked, do you have any ideas as to how we are to walk our pet in public should we chose to?”

“Hmm…” Flurry mused the question, choosing to go with something that would seem scandalous as she grinned. “I suppose a crystal collar, carved with my cutie mark on the front with 413 in the middle. The band satin black, with emeralds, rose quartz, and amethysts embedded in it with runes that would prevent her from using magic or flight. The leash matching the collar of course, and would only allow her to get five feet from us in any direction.”

“Then, there is what she will be wearing if she misbehaves,” Flurry's tone was a purr to Twilight, the alicorn imagining herself being walked by her niece like the piece of property she was as her mistress continued. “A solid gold bridle and tack, complete with muzzle, bit, blinders, and reins. Each with the same runed gemstones, her wings binded to her sides, and her tail having a docklink that would keep her tail flagged at all times, and acting as a vibrator.”

Lust.

Lust poured off of Twilight like a tsunami, threatening to engulf the two emotion- sensitive beings in the room, and only got worse as Flurry continued to describe just how low she would be treated. The married couple glanced at each other, and with a silent nod both shot a spell into Twilight's brain.

“Ow!” Twilight flinched, but pain was soon replaced by confusion. Everything, every thought was crystal clear to her, and she felt no lust or heat coming from her core. “Hey, what kind of spell was that?”

“A different take on my mind control magic, but in reverse,” Chrysalis explained, refilling her cup as she did so. “Instead of forcing someone to think a certain way, like I did to your brother, it is made to clear one's thoughts by increasing their focus with a mental calm.”

“You were giving off a lot of lust with my collar and bridle descriptions Auntie,” Flurry said, nuzing the smaller mare. “Now that you can clearly think, are you sure that you want to be our pet, with me as your mistress?”

“I need it Flurry, more than you or anypony knows,” Twilight sighed, her ears flattening while drooping her wings to her sides. “Before you were born, and I was the Princess of Friendship, I was an introvert that only wanted one thing… to be fully engrossed in my studies for Celestia.”

“I was a young unicorn then, with no friends and had the same daily cycle. I would see about Spike, then spend the rest of the day and most of the night studying, nothing in between. Everything changed that fateful day when Celestia sent me to Ponyville, and as they say the rest is recorded history.”

“The Friendship Journal,” Flurry said, earning a nod from Twilight at the answer. “So what does that have to do with wanting to be our pet?”

“Everything Flurry,” Twilight said, her tone withered by the battles of life hard fought. “Since the Elements of Harmony choose me and my friends, we have battled foes year after year, season after season, week after week, and sometimes on a daily basis. It is tiring, it is exhausting, and it will continue to be so until the end of our days. A part of me, that introvert who wanted to be left alone, never died but due to my new duties I had to bury it in my brain.”

“So… is this some sort of fetish?” Chrysalis asked, looking to the pony that had been her enemy for so long with a neutral mask. “You had no valid reason to agree to the trade, especially with the terms I set and considering our own past encounters.”

“That is where you are wrong Chrysalis,” Twilight said, catching the changeling with her guard down. “You did something only a very few individuals had ever managed to do, you proved me wrong. When Cadance first told me of the two of you being together, I had my doubts, and wanted to come and take Flurry back. However, I was talked out of it in a closed door meeting with Luna, and seeing as how things now are she was right in holding me back.”

“Discord proved me wrong by redeeming himself, now him and Fluttershy are happily married. You proved me wrong by showing you can be kind and caring. There is one case, a little filly from the first Friendship School class, that proved me wrong in a bad way. Then there is Starlight, who not only redeemed herself, but also surpassed my standards and is now the head of the Crystal Heart Foundation.”

“The Crystal Heart Foundation?” Flurry asked, tilting her head slightly. “What is that?”

“A group of high level unicorn mages who, when united, hold enough skill to be a backup to any loss of love to the Crystal Heart.” Twilight said, her tone softening with a sigh. “Unfortunately, the fact the Heart shattered rendered them useless when Cadance's nearly died.”

“That's horrible,” Chrysalis, too stunned to drink, said as she sat down her teacup. “I would have thought some backup power supply would be in place, but what is the point if the Heart is gone? I think we are straying from the topic at hoof though, why do you need us in control of you?”

“Take that up with the Foundation, as ruler I'm sure you'll have an audience with them,” Twilight said, her stance once again going soft. “As for me, how can I help everypony if I can't help myself? I have tried numerous things to take that edge off, but you two do it perfectly. I feel the best I've had in years, and you two are my nieces so I know you'll properly pamper and treat me well.”

“That makes a lot of sense when put in that perspective,” Flurry said her eyes glancing between the clock and the book. “So, how about you get to reading like we originally planned 413?”

The switch in Twilight's brain was instant, flipping through without a word looking for something not dangerous to read outloud. At first, it seemed pointless, the pages being filled with nothing but diagrams and spells that were increasingly dangerous. However, just before the book was done, Twilight found what looked like an angrily written log note.

The city of Cystalia…

The heart and soul of the vast Crystal Empire, full of good vibes and cheer thanks to Princess Amore and the Crystal Heart, where love is plentiful…

NO! IT'S ALL LIES!

That backstabbing, two-timing whorse, chose that commoner Sombra over me! I've known her all my life, yet she chose him when we both confessed our feelings. He has nothing-not even the barest hints of a reputation and his influence extends to what he expels at an outhouse! I could have made her life easier! Nopony would have been able to stop us with the research in this journal, research I have gathered since graduation. She says it is unsafe, that it is immoral, that is downright black magic to be able to command the dead on a whim. SHE. IS. WRONG!

Oh the possibilities such magic can cause, it can be a glorious revolution to benefit the Empire. All would have been respectful, all will have been fearful, but she chose to those that aside for a stallion she claimed 'saw her ideals’.

I got a glorious revenge scheme in mind, and the first wheels have already been put in motion. Already, several of my own creation, a being I have named the Windego, are feeding on the ponies at the outer settlements of the Crystal Empire. Several have fallen, buried beneath a blanket of snow and ice… and it is only a matter of time before it reaches Crystalia…

All three mares looked at each other, frozen in horror. No where in recorded history had an actual account of how the Windegos came to be had been found, but it now sat right in front of them. With great reluctantance, Twilight turned the next page, finding a second entry.

That didn't go according to plan…

The Windegos are far greater than I could have ever imagined, that I am grateful to Celestia that actually worked. The entire Empire, minus Crystalia, is now buried in an eternal winter, many have died but their deaths will only but justified by the death of Amore!

She got damn lucky, the first few waves of Windegos were able to weaken her forces, but not destroy the Heart, and that is where things went south for me. Using a spell, and the power of love in a way I never thought possible, Amore and Sombra amplified the love flowing through the Heart and repelled my creations. That saved the city, but didn't reverse the winter, so now a shield has been put in place to keep the cold out and allow daily life to continue… with mourning for the lives lost.

I must go now, there is a bounty out on the head of the culprit, and although I have managed to keep a low profile I'm afraid that my time is short. Already I'm being followed, every movement sca-

THEY'RE HERE!

The bloody joke called the Crystal Guard is here at my doorstep, so I must go. I'm going to hide this in the last place they'll think to look, and hopefully I'll get off with a slap on the fetlock. Then again, I can feel Sombra slowly changing… darkness closing in…

Twilight slammed the book shut, not being able to read anymore. Her nerves were shot, her mind and heartbeat racing like a Derby, and a cold shot of fear settled into the room like a concrete blanket.

“I-I say we go get ready…” Chrysalis gulped, trying to calm her nerves. “Put the book back until tonight, then we will go to Ponyville and have a meeting with Cadance, Shining, the Element Bearers, Celestia, and Luna… You know, just in case.”

Twilight and Flurry couldn't agree more, stashing the book away then bolting out the door as if they had got struck by the Rainbow Special, an ominous feeling weighing on their minds as they headed for the throne room.

Far away, at the edge between the Badlands and the Crystal Empire, a lone changeling was digging in a cave. The drone, nicknamed by the hive as “Grumpy”, loved to do nothing but complain about everything. That included not only the source of love that was helping to fuel his tunneling spell, but also about the current leaders.

“Stupid, stupid pony,” Grumpy muttered, tossing aside yet another boulder that meat seconds ago had been an obstacle. “Why couldn't things remain as they were? Yes, I was starving, but at least Chrysalis wasn't soft as she is now. Why couldn't they just go back to being enemies?!”

It was at that moment Grumpy misjudged the timing of his swing, the pickax being held in his magic violently hitting the side of the wall instead of in front of him. A deep vibration began in the walls, resulting in Grumpy having to run to escape the falling debris. The dust settled, and much to his surprise a corridor had been exposed.

“And buck this job to Tartarus with a hand basket!” Grumpy fumed, eventually using his horn as a light as he headed down the mysterious passageway. The further he got, the colder and heavier the air felt, clinging to his chitin like morning dew on the grass. The tunnel eventually smoothed back level, opening to a vast chamber with what could only be described as a fossilized metallic ice cream canister in the middle surrounded by luminescent purple and black vines.

“You there,” A kind, gentle voice, a mare's called out from in the room. It was weak, but still was understandable. “Can you please get me out of this container? I was experimenting one of my dad's inventions and got stuck in here. Could you be a dear and open the door? It can't open from the inside I'm afraid, and I'll be running out of air soon.”

-Run, tell the queens!-

Every part of his mind told him to bolt out of there, his fin and wings both standing on end and ridged as a razor blade. This gave him something else to complain about, and despite his internal screaming he made his way over to the container, putting his hoof on the front of it.

“Thank you,” The voice said, giggling as soon as the hoof touched the smooth, runed metal. “That's all that I need to get out, and thank you for your foolish sacrifice.”

“What do y-”

Grumpy's question was cut short, a violent flame pouring into his mind and threatening to short-circuit his brain. The fire left his connection to the hivemind alone, which set off no warning to any other drone or the queens, so he was quite literally bucked as his body began to change.

The chitin remained mostly the same, but with deep violet rune lines spread along it, stretching his body into a more slimmer shape. A deadening crunch as heard, and felt, as his gender forcibly flipped, and his wings becoming more delicate and becoming a pure black shadow.

“Finally,” The now-free mare said, and after a short feel of how to work changeling magic was back looking like Grumpy. “I'm free! Amore and Sombra we're fools thinking they could kill a wise,I masterful necromancer like me, and as soon as I get my book this age is doomed. Soon, nopony will be able to stop me, and I will be able to claim my rightful place as Imperial Queen!”