Dear Princess Celestia
It's been hard. I never thought I would be on the front lines of war. Activity has been low, but there's always this feeling that things are going to go wrong. It's still hard for some ponies in Ponyville to accept that we're fighting alongside changelings.
And yet they have the courage worthy of rivaling many in the royal guard. Speaking of which, the detachment you sent us to has been rather friendly towards us. Even though we're commanding changelings, these troops trust us. Fluttershy has been happy about that most of all. Rarity still has some skepticism towards the effectiveness of changelings in battle, as they've never been tested yet.
But I have faith in their abilities. They wouldn't have become warriors if none of them possessed the capability. I know they will succeed in what we're planning to do. Shining Armor's trying to come up with a plan to drive the invasion force out. But I don't know when he'll finish.
The tent flap opening sent a cool night breeze into the tent that ruffled the flames on the candles, and Twilight looked up from the table where she was composing her note.
“I've figured it out, Twily!” Shining Armor closed the tent flap with his magic. “I know how to use your changeling army in battle without risking their lives!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. She had been pondering how to do that as well, but even she could come up with nothing. What was Shining Armor planning?
The white unicorn levitated Twilight's letter off the table, showing the rarely-used map of southwestern Equestria beneath. It consisted of a small arid desert surrounding a small pocket of lush, green wilderness. It looked like the desert in the shape of the letter D, and in the center was the pocket of jungle.
“Here's what I'm thinking. You take your changelings in a column, undisguised, and travel past Chrysalis's camp up north. Make it look like we're carrying supplies to our armies in Applewood.”
“Undisguised?” Twilight asked.
“I know how Chrysalis thinks,” Shining Armor slyly said. “Possessing my mind before my wedding gave me an unintentional understanding of her. When she sees you, and more importantly, the changelings you’re commanding, she'll pursue you. But,” he said, tapping a spot on the map. “I will follow behind her with the Royal Guard and surprise her here. Which will force her to turn and fight.”
Twilight got it. “A decoy! We're going to draw her out so we can hit her hard!”
“Exactly!” Shining Armor said. “Your changelings will defeat the enemy without even raising a sword.”
In the middle of the plan's fruition, Twilight suddenly fell upon an issue that severely discouraged her. It was like a light switch had been turned off.
“But Chrysalis's army can march fast,” Twilight pointed out. “If they catch us-”
“I know,” Shining said. “But no plan is without risk. This is the risk now. You need to keep a good pace, Twilight. Keep the changeling volunteers out of reach.” He leaned forward intently. “And let me put an end to Queen Chrysalis.”
“This wouldn't have anything to do with any personal bias, would it?” Twilight asked.
Shining Armor's face darkened. “She almost took my wife away from me forever,” he breathed. “She has to be put down for good. Who better to do it than me?”
“You need to keep track of the bigger picture,” Twilight said reassuringly. “Chrysalis is probably equally happy to see you again on the battlefield. She's been preparing for years now.”
“So have I,” Shining Armor affirmed.
Twilight could see the fire in his eyes, and was actually confused as to how the table had not caught flames from its intensity. “When that happens, Shining,” she said, almost pleadingly, “please be careful.”
“I’m going to be triumphant,” Shining Armor answered. “For you, and for myself, and for Cadence.”
“This is a good plan,” Twilight said, standing up from where she was on her chair. “I will not let you down!”
Shining Armor clasped Twilight's hoof with his own. “Then good luck.” He let go and flipped a lock of Twilight's ragged mane. “And get some rest. You'll need it.”
And he turned and exited the tent.
Twilight felt worry ferment at the back of her mind. Not just for her brother, but also for the changelings under her command. The plan was a good plan, but only if each part came together just right.
The lavender alicorn used her violet magic to levitate the letter to Celestia back onto the table. Dipping a quill back into her ink pot, she started to write again.
I suppose I'd have to tell you about the changeling volunteers themselves. To make sure we're in good hooves, you know?
You know that they're the direct children of the people of Thorax, who, after the invasion of Canterlot, swore that they would never fight or drain love again. So--and I learned this from the volunteers myself--they buried their swords and spears deep in the earth and refused to obey Chrysalis. They changed into the more glorious versions of themselves that we know and fled out of the country.
But Chrysalis sent out her guard to where Thorax and his followers were hiding in the wilderness. Rather than fighting back and break their promise, they stood there and allowed themselves to be killed. When they saw this, the guard felt ashamed of killing their fellow people and decided to join Thorax. But as a result, most of my volunteers grew up without fathers.
But their mothers taught them instead. They told them to have faith in friendship, and to look to you for guidance. And if their morals told them their path was wrong, they were more than welcome to return to the changeling kingdom instead of the peaceful path. It was their mothers who molded them into the strong people they are now.
When they sought sanctuary, and you granted them a place to live in Ponyville, I became very interested in the changeling culture. I spent a lot of my time in their nearby settlement after my ascension to alicornhood, and there I learned a lot about them and why they had dissented.
When Chrysalis invaded just a few months ago to get revenge against them, my mind was troubled because of these dissenters. They were just trying to live the laws of friendship, but they were persecuted because of it. Not only that, they had no way to fight back because of their pacifist promise. If we failed to protect them, their extinction was going to be our fault.
But as my heart was in despair as to these thoughts, my friends came to me with good news: a thousand of their children were prepared to offer their lives to defend their new home. This they were free to do; they hadn't entered into their father’s covenant yet.
I hope I can protect them.
A drop of water plopped onto the letter. Twilight realized it had come from her eye. She wiped her face and continued to write.
I've grown to love them so much! They're so fascinating and friendly, and I've gotten close to them as if each of them was my own son. But stronger ponies than them have fled from what we're about to face.
The tent flap rustled again, and in came a small dragon, innocent-looking and small.
“The sun's up, Twilight,” the dragon reported. “And Shining Armor's already given instructions. We're ready to march.”
Twilight fixed her number one helper with a determined look and rolled up the scroll. “Send this. I'll be out in a moment.”
Spike the dragon blew a tongue of green flame from his lips, and the letter turned to ash and flew away.
Twilight turned to her armor in the corner of the tent. It was light blue and pink to contrast her lavender coat, and was meticulously arranged on a stand.
She went over and drew the sword that accompanied it. Purple in the hilt, with a starburst as a crossguard, and a meter in length of sharp steel, Twilight admired how perfectly she could wield it.
Her reflection caught in the blade.
“If all goes well,” she murmured, “I won't need you.”
The sun was hot and heavy. Beads of sweat dripped down each of their faces in rivulets. There was barely enough green vegetation to make it bearable, but it was still arid and grassy.
Twilight was the one that led the column across the dry dirt of the badlands. Behind her was each of her five friends, each commanding two hundred troops of their own behind them. The columns of changeling troops came in four rows of fifty.
The reformed changelings themselves resembled colorful moose mixed with bugs, with antlers atop a massive, sturdy chitin colored green, purple, turquoise, pink, orange, and yellow. Their eyes were constellations of light, bedazzling any who looked for too long. Each was armed with a spear and a short sword. They plodded along unwearyingly, searching for their objective: the enemy camp.
After hours of marching north, the group spotted the main enemy camp: a collection of tall black tents reaching for the sky like a collection of black, spiky fingers. It rested on a cliff overlooking the endless arid lands below. Though it was miles away, Twilight felt a chill come and make her shiver. Her knees knocked together, her pores stood on end. Twilight knew the power of this dangerous queen, and she was determined not to expose her children to it.
“There it is!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pointing. “Now remember, guys, make it conspicuous. We're hauling supplies to Applewood to guard against an attack from that direction. Got it?”
The changelings she was commanding nodded their agreement. Then they proceeded to lug along their supply wagons in a very obvious manner. It involved a lot of groaning and sarcastic remarks made by the young volunteers, made to be heard by any overhearing spies.
Twilight heard many of such words. “Oh, I sure do hope that the changelings don't report us carrying these big supply wagons, don't you, Mandy?” “Oh, you're sooo right. If Chrysalis catches us lugging these things, she'll probably have to destroy them! What are we going to do then?” “I sure hope we're talking quietly! I wouldn't want any changelings to hear about our plans to reinforce Applewood's defenses! If they found out, we'd be in sooo much trouble!”
Twilight could not help but laugh at their antics. They were just kids, after all. And besides, they were serving a purpose, and doing it cheerfully.
Nevertheless, Twilight did not relax until Chrysalis's camp was far behind the last troop hours later.
“You think we were conspicuous enough?” Pinkie Pie enthusiastically asked, turning around to address her troops.
“I don't like being conspicuous,” Fluttershy whispered.
“Well, I could certainly do without having Chrysalis's creepy eyes on the back of my skull,” Rarity asserted, flipping a curl of her lavish mane. “Soldiers!”
“MA'AM!” came the shouted reply behind her.
“When we set up our camp, each of us is taking a bath in whatever water is available. Goodness, having a dried-out mane is so inconvenient, wouldn't you say?”
“I can't say, ma'am,” came the lone reply. “We don't have manes.”
Rarity's face flushed a sudden scarlet. “Ah. Well, um, I still would like each of you to bathe.”
“No promises!” came another young voice.
“Yeah, it'll take some coaxing for this guy.”
“Oh, hush! I was joking!”
“Everything's a joke for you, isn't it?”
“My life's been a joke from the very beginning!”
“You said it, not me.”
“Hey, WAIT A MINUTE!”
Twilight laughed out loud again. “Great job today, everyone!” she called to her sons. “Chrysalis is bound to hear about us now. If not, we're given a free pass to Applewood. Either way, we win!”
There was a bout of chuckling and whoops at that statement.
“Rest up for the moment. It'll be night in a few hours, so do what you need to now.” She broke into a huge grin. “And for any brave ones, if you want to hit on the female recruits, go ahead and try!”
“Okay, mom!” came several exasperated responses. “Glad to obey!”
“And female recruits, you have the right to hit them if they get too close!”
The cheering this time now mostly came from the two hundred fifty female recruits.
“Dinner's at 7:00. Applejack's division is responsible for cooking tonight. Lights out at 10:00. I'll need volunteers for lookout duty tonight.”
Dozens of hooves shot into the air. Twilight selected the ones she wanted, and, after conferring with the captains of fifty on their troops, left the camp to do as she would.
The troops under Pinkie Pie's command and the ones under Rainbow Dash's command were the ones who stayed up the latest. They were energetic, rowdy, and played very physical games with each other until the light of day forbade it.
The ones under Fluttershy's command all quietly ate their dinner and went to bed as soon as it got dark. Applejack's troops ate and ate and ate, and did the chores around the camp before lounging around watching the others chase each other around. Rarity's troops separated and did their own private thing--reading, writing in their journals, sewing idle stitches together, and gossiping.
Twilight's role in all this was to go through the camp and inquire as to the state of each soldier she came across. Feeling personally responsible for their health, Twilight took it upon herself to look after her “children.” And each of the troops she came across treated her as a mother. Maybe bossy, maybe overbearing, but knowing she had their best interests at heart. Each of them were intensely loyal to her to the degree that some of them had began to even call her mom instead of commander or ma'am. Twilight had no problem with this.
Of course, each of her friends were like aunts tailored to each of the troop's needs. Twilight had methodically separated the troops that way, being the organizer she was. Shy or soft troops, for example, were put into either Fluttershy's or Rainbow Dash's platoons at random, to either offset their capabilities or to maximize production.
As the moon rose and the fires of the camp dotted the land below the starry sky, Twilight watched the camp from her tent on the outskirts. Remorseful, but hopeful for the future, she only let one thought worry her.
Shining Armor...please, I hope you know what you're doing!
“Soon…” A peal of maniacal laughter echoed in the musty dungeon cell as a dark figure moved out of the shadows. She was tall, jagged, lanky, black, disgusting. A spike of hard flesh shot out of her round head to act as a magic horn, and her sickly green mane hung in ragged strands over her eye. Her laughing mouth showed sharp, curved fangs capable of poisoning a rhino. Queen Chrysalis took an inhale. “Every last changeling traitor...will be killed!”
She smiled sweetly at the prisoner held in foul green muck on the walls of her dungeon. “You might as well obey me. Perhaps...I will show you...mercy.”
The prisoner, a Royal Guardspony, heaved as he gave his response. “Celestia's mercy is good enough for me!”
Chrysalis tsked softly and stepped closer. “Your idealistic foolishness is both admirable...and condemnable. Now I will say this only once.” She leaned in close to his face and flicked out her forked tongue to tickle his nose. “If I set you free, you will convince Shining Armor to surrender. Am I clear?”
The Guardspony headbutted her.
Chrysalis snarled. She felt something warm and slimy trickle down her upper lip. When it rolled into her mouth, she could taste her own blood, green and vile.
The changeling queen pressed her holed hoof to the throat of the prisoner. “Then have your wish. I am a merciful queen.”
She drew a long black sword from her hip with her other hoof and raised it above her head.
“My queen!”
Chrysalis whirled around before she was about to strike. A changeling courier was there, panting heavily.
“Speak!” she ordered irately.
“Our spies came back with bad news. A small band of enemy troops passed close to our camp earlier in the day,” he responded fearfully. “They're marching north to the city of Applewood!”
“So.” Chrysalis let go of her prisoner in disgust. “Shining Armor thinks he can sneak supplies past me, does he?” She sheathed her long black sword and marched over to her courtier. She towered over him; the queen was always taller than her subjects. “How many soldiers were in the supply train?”
“One thousand, my queen.”
Chrysalis frowned. Only a thousand troops to guard a supply train? Something wasn't right. “Are they seasoned soldiers?” She smiled. “Or a ragged bunch of peasants?”
“They were enemy changelings, my queen.”
“Thorax's breed?” she asked in surprise. Without warning she burst into laughter.
“And they were youths at that, my queen. No more than teenagers!”
Chrysalis stopped her laughing fit enough to take a deep breath. “Well, at least this'll be good practice for my soldiers, eh?” She lit up as she laid a hoof on the courier's shoulder. “In fact, the one who kills the most of them will be promoted to a captain!”
“NO!” came the prisoner on the wall. He struggled against his restraints. “Please! Have mercy on them!”
Chrysalis drew her sword again and slowly walked over to the unfortunate guard. “I thought Celestia's mercy was enough for you.”
The sun rose slowly. The rays struck the tops of the tents first and slowly painted the earth yellow as it ascended.
The reformed changelings were already up and awake; each of them knew of the risk imposed by the inevitable pursuit of Chrysalis. They milled around the camp, putting their things away, cooking a hurried breakfast of oatmeal, pacing up and down on the arid grassland. They were gossiping, chatting, quietly sitting, playing with the hard, dry grass, muttering to themselves irately.
One of the soldiers yelled to a circling Rainbow Dash, “Hey! Dash! They coming yet?”
“Not yet!” Rainbow yelled back. She sped up higher into the air and settled on a small cloud; clouds were sparse and small.
When the sun was fully up and the grass stood straight and dry, the entire army was waiting impatiently for the signal to be given.
“Dash!” yelled a few of them. “Hey, are they coming yet? They gotta be coming now! They had plenty of time to see us!”
“Not yet!” Rainbow Dash bellowed back down.
“Where's Twilight? I'm bored!”
“Twilight's discussing with the commanders!” Rainbow yelled down. “Be patient, okay? Yeesh!”
At the crest of a rocky cliff overlooking the camp below, Twilight was speaking. Her blue and pink armor gleamed and sparkled as much as the blade of her sword. Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were listening intently, in color-coordinated armor of their own.
“When Chrysalis begins to move, we'll start off with a slow march. Give ‘em a bit of time to be in pursuit. When they show signs of overtaking us, we'll begin the real march.” She drifted her eyes over to Applejack. “How're your troops, Applejack?”
“Ready ta run their heels off, Twi!”
“Pinkie?”
“Their spirits are higher than a party balloon, Twilight! We're going to be okey-dokey-lokey!”
“Rarity?”
“They're ready to move when we give the order.”
“Fluttershy?”
“Um...the same as her. Oh, I'm just so scared! What if the queen overtakes us? We're sitting ducks out here!”
“Twilight!”
“That's Rainbow Dash!” Twilight recognized, and turned to see the prismatic pegasus rocket towards her in bright silver armor that caught every speckle of light and threw it into the eyes.
“Twilight!” Rainbow yelled when she was close enough, pointing into the distance. “She's coming! Chrysalis is coming!”
Twilight squinted. Off to the south, a cloud of smoke and dust rose into the air for miles. The dark speckles on the ground were very nearly indistinguishable.
There had to be thousands. At least ten thousand changeling troops had vomited out of the main camp and were marching their way, as small in the distance as the sands of the sea.
Twilight ignited her horn and focused on her own troops below. With a pop, she disappeared.
She appeared amidst the troops, who scrambled back to allow her room. Seeing her face through her nose guard, they all instantly knew what was going to happen.
“Fall in!” Twilight ordered. “Quarter march!”