//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: The Sixth Alicorn // by ShadeNightingale //------------------------------// Chapter Two. Princess Celestia landed on the main balcony of the Crystal Palace, the seat of power for the Crystal Empire. She heard her Sister touch down behind her. They were met by three semi-translucent Crystal ponies, a courtier and two guards. The courtier bowed low. “Your Highnesses. We are pleased to see you in our Empire once again.” “We came after we received your letter,” Princess Luna said, in a stentorian voice. Luna was a blue alicorn, with an ethereal mane like the night sky. She wore barding, which consisted of blue-silver shoes and a black peytral, along with a tiara that was also black. Her cutie mark was a black splotch with a white crescent moon over it. Princess Celestia smiled. “And we received your update on the way. Where is he now?” “He is in the dining hall right now, with the other Princesses, the Prince Consort, Sunburst the wizard, as well as Princess Twilight’s personal student. And of course, Sir Spike the Brave and Glorious.” The courtier smiled wryly. “But perhaps we should add “Befriender of Changelings” to the title!” “Indeed,” said Luna, smirking. “We can discuss adding that to his official title later. In the meantime, you will take us to them!” The courtier beckoned to the guards, who turned and opened the doors. He led the two Princesses down the pastel purple-and-pink crystal corridors. The palace reminded Celestia of a polished geode. Its ceilings were high and vaulted, with blue crystal skylights that allowed more illumination in. There were many vaulted windows, each divided from each other by blue-green crystal half-pillars. The floors were of blue polished stone, with intricate design work that focused around hearts. At last they arrived at a pair of blue ornate doors. The courtier turned to the Sisters. “If the Princesses may remain here, I shall go in to announce you.” Princess Celestia nodded. “Of course.” The courtier bowed again before opening the doors and disappearing inside. His voice was heavily muffled behind the thick doors. “The Princesses of Canterlot have arrived!” There was some further murmuring, but Celestia heard a familiar mare’s voice say, “Show them in!” The courtier returned. “I may now present you!” The Sisters smiled at one another. The extreme formality amused them greatly. “Present us, then!” said Luna. The courtier turned and walked back to the room, the Sisters following closely behind him. Upon entering the room, the courtier announced: “Presenting the Princesses of Canterlot, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” Celestia glanced around. The dining room of the Crystal Palace, like its halls, was illuminated with many alternating windows and blue skylights. The centerpiece of the room was a great round table made of solid oak, laid out for late-afternoon tea. The chairs surrounding the table were also oak, with red-velvet cushions for support. Several creatures occupied those chairs, most of them ponies. There was the ruler of the Crystal Empire: Princess Cadance, a pink alicorn with a goldenrod, violet, and pink mane; Princess Twilight Sparkle, who had elevated into an alicorn in the time since her abduction; and Prince Consort Shining Armor, a white unicorn with a blue-and-white mane—Cadance’s husband, and Twilight’s brother. Shining held a pink-white alicorn foal—Princess Flurry Heart, his daughter by Cadance. In addition to the royals, there also sat a pink unicorn with a purple-and-pink mane. This was Twilight’s personal student, Starlight Glimmer. Next to her sat a yellow-orange unicorn with a flame-colored mane and beard. He was wearing blue wizarding robes and thick glasses. His name was Sunburst, an advisor for the Crystal Court. From what Celestia could ascertain, he and Starlight were childhood friends. But it was the other two creatures at the table that caught Celestia’s attention. One was Spike, a purple dragon youth with green slit-eyes. Next to him sat the guest of honor: a teal-eyed Changeling drone. His name was Thorax. Princess Cadance stood up. “Aunties! I’m so happy to see you!” She rushed to Princess Celestia and the two mares nuzzled. “It is wonderful to see you too, Cadance,” Celestia replied warmly. She turned to Shining Armor. “And it's great to see you, Prince Shining.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thorax shift anxiously. “You too, Princess Celestia,” said Shining Armor. In his forehooves, Flurry Heart burbled. Celestia smiled at Flurry Heart. “And how is my favorite great-niece today?” “Yes, who’s happy to see Great Aunty Luna?” cooed Luna, warmly. Flurry Heart babbled and giggled. “Princess Celestia,” said Twilight. Her pupils were shrunken and her teeth were clenched. “How great to see you! Boy, do we have a funny story to tell you!” She laughed nervously while her left ear twitched. Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes and shook her head, bemused. Celestia decided to intervene before Twilight had another of her infamous panic attacks. “Spike, are you going to introduce us to your new friend?” Spike straightened up quickly. “O, right.” He cleared his throat, and in a very formal voice said, “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna: this is Thorax, my new friend!” Thorax sunk down, his ears wilting. “Um, hello. Your Highnesses,” he said quietly. His voice was pleading, as though he thought he needed permission to speak. “Hello, Thorax,” said Celestia warmly. “It is nice to meet you!” “Indeed!” affirmed Luna boisterously. Thorax’s ears perked up. “O! Well, thanks! It…It’s good to meet you too!” Celestia’s smile broadened. She was reminded of some of her younger students when they presented themselves to her for the first time. The Sisters seated themselves next to Thorax, Celestia sitting the closest to the drone. Thorax looked at her anxiously. “You—you’re not upset by my presence? Like, at all?” “Of course not!” said Luna sweetly. “Not at all,” said Celestia. Then she added, “This isn’t the first time we have hosted Changelings.” She regretted saying it at once. Every-pony in the room gasped in astonishment. Except Thorax, who became very quiet. “What?” exclaimed Twilight. “You mean, you’ve had Changelings in your court before?” “Yes,” replied Celestia. Her voice was wistful. “Only a few, though.” “How come we’ve never heard of this before?” asked Shining Armor. Celestia’s gaze darkened. “They did not stick around very long.” “Really?” asked Twilight, confused. “Did they go somewhere else?” “No,” Thorax said, in a clear voice that took every-pony by surprise. “The Queen had all of the defectors killed.” There was a collective gasp. “She had them killed?” repeated Twilight, mortified. “That…that’s horrible!” “That’s in keeping with Queen Chrysalis,” said Celestia gravely. “She does not like defectors.” “The Queen does not like it when she is disobeyed,” Thorax said, monotonously. He was staring into space. “She deals harshly with any-pony who does not obey her. Once, she nearly beat a drone to death for going against her orders.” “She did what?” Princess Cadance gasped. “What could he possibly have done to justify such a cruel punishment?” “He tried learning to read,” said Thorax. “The Queen does not like it when her subjects read. It is not allowed.” His voice sounded dull and empty. Twilight was shocked. “She doesn’t let you read!” she exclaimed. “And she beat one of her own subjects just for trying to learn?” “Just for that,” repeated Thorax. “The Queen will be very angry when she discovers I have abandoned her. If I return, she will have me killed. I just hope she doesn’t take it out on my brother.” “Brother?” asked Starlight Glimmer, confused. “I’m sorry, but I thought all the Changelings were siblings? And Queen Chrysalis was…well, she is the Queen…and you’re all bug-ponies…so I thought…” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Thorax’s face. For a moment, Celestia thought Starlight had said something very offensive. And then Thorax laughed. It was not a cheerful kind of laugh; it sounded bitter and hollow. “You think we’re like actual insects?” he chuckled. “No, we have family units, but we keep our eggs in the same nursery. It’s supposed to be a kind of communal thing, but every-ling knows their birth parents and siblings.” “So, Changelings do get married?” asked Princess Cadance curiously. Thorax shrugged. “We pair up. There is no ceremony. But we have to receive permission from The Queen to do so. Sometimes she will match us up herself to enhance a particular trait. And she is always present for every hatching. But she doesn’t have any children of her own.” And then he added, “Well, except for Princess Nightmare Moon, but she’s adopted, so I don’t know if that counts.” The room became very quiet. Celestia and Luna straightened in their chairs. Thorax realized he had said something wrong. He shrank into his seat. “Well, that’s fascinating to learn,” said Twilight. Then what Thorax had said landed and her eyes widened. “Wait, what?” Spike chuckled nervously. “That’s a pretty good joke, Thorax!” Starlight grimaced. “Uh, Spike? I don’t think Thorax was joking.” “No,” said Princess Celestia. She looked at Thorax intently. “He isn’t.” Princess Luna frowned. “You are confused, friend Thorax. I was Nightmare Moon. A thousand years ago, I became envious of my Sister, and transformed into Nightmare Moon because of that envy.” She nodded at Twilight. “But Princess Twilight and her friends used the Elements of Harmony to restore my right mind. That involved stripping away the faux-personality that was Nightmare Moon. She does not exist anymore, except as a costume for Nightmare Night.” “Yeah, I know all about that stuff,” replied Thorax. “But there is also the filly Nightmare Moon that The Queen found in the Everfree Forest.” Celestia gasped. Luna furrowed her brow at Celestia. “Sister! Do you know what he’s talking about?” “I just might,” said Celestia, dazed. Memories of a dark spell cast on a stormy night came back to her: Twilight Sparkle’s head shoved in a sack; Cultists wearing black robes; and a black unicorn in silver barding. “It can’t be! I stopped it!” “Stopped what?” demanded Luna. “Yeah, what?” asked Twilight anxiously. Celestia ignored them. “Thorax, do you remember when this was?” Thorax thought for a moment. “It was about eighteen moons ago, I think. I know that because the Queen had me—” He froze, his eyes staring straight ahead. His expression changed to one of absolute horror. Celestia glanced worriedly at Luna, who looked completely baffled. “Thorax?” Spike asked, cautiously. “Are you alright?” Thorax came back to himself. “It was eighteen moons ago.” Celestia pressed him. “And this was in the Everfree Forest?” “Yes.” “And you were with Queen Chrysalis when she found this…filly?” “No, but my brother and I were with her when a blast of magical energy caught her attention. We went to the epicenter of the burst and found a kind of magical circle”—Twilight gasped— "And then The Queen sent us away. She returned to The Hive several hours later with Princess Nightmare in tow.” “Princess Nightmare?” repeated Luna, stunned. Celestia arched a brow. “Queen Chrysalis sent you and your brother away?” Thorax wilted. “Yes.” Celestia could guess why Chrysalis did that. But she did not wish to discuss it now, not with other ponies present. If Chrysalis did what Celestia believed she had done, bringing it out publicly could very well cause Thorax’s new friends to turn on him. Celestia never forgot a pony. She knew one of her soldiers had not returned home that night… She turned her attention to a very dazed Princess Twilight. “I think you remember the night in question, Twilight?” “The Cult,” whispered Twilight. “I forgot about them.” “How do you forget getting foal-napped by an evil cult?” demanded Spike. “Foal-napped? Wh-What do you mean?” asked Shining Armor, aghast. “Evil Cult?” asked Luna, bewildered. “What Cult? Sister, what is going on?” “Wait, you mean you don’t know?” asked Twilight, looking between the Sisters in confusion. “Princess Celestia didn’t tell you?” “Tell me what?” shouted Luna. Princess Cadance rapped several times on the table. “I think an explanation is in order,” she said calmly. She looked at Celestia. “Auntie, will you tell us what happened that night? Then Thorax can finish his story.” “Yes, please?” Shining said, gaping at Twilight in shock. “Very well,” said Princess Celestia. “As I recall, that specific evening fell on the Spring Equinox, which as every-pony knows is a date of great magical significance. I received an urgent message from Spike, informing me that Twilight Sparkle had been abducted by ponies wearing black robes.” Every-pony but Celestia, Twilight, and Spike gasped aloud. “…And that he thought they had fled into the Everfree Forest,” continued Celestia. “My response was to gather a contingent of soldiers and pursue them. While flying over the forest we were attracted by a magical burst, which I little doubt was the same burst that attracted Queen Chrysalis to the area. When we arrived, we discovered dozens of ponies in black robes gathered in a circle. They were performing some sort of ritualistic spell with a wooden basin on a metal pedestal. The apparent leader of this Cult was a black unicorn stallion who wore armor fashioned after that of Nightmare Moon.” Luna gasped. “And Twilight?” asked Shining, anxiously. Celestia grimaced. “Twilight was on the ground, with a deep cut on her leg and her head stuffed into a sack.” “What?” shouted every-pony, Shining’s voice the loudest. “But, why?” asked Starlight incredulously. “They used her blood in the spell,” said Celestia. “And you never mentioned this to any-pony, Twilight?” cried Shining, horrified. “Yeah, I’ve never heard you talk about this before,” said Starlight. Twilight’s ears wilted. “I…kind of forgot about it.” “You forgot?” It was Thorax who spoke this time, awed. “Bad ponies kidnapped you for a necromantic ritual and you forgot all about it?” “Well, I was anxious about it for a couple of weeks,” admitted Twilight sheepishly. “But then Pinkie Pie duplicated herself with the Mirror Pond, and we had to sort out which Pinkie was the real one. Then Chrysalis kidnapped some foals from Ponyville, and my friends had to go out and rescue them from her. Then we reformed Discord, I became a Princess, Discord’s chaos vines attacked, Lord Tirek blew up my library, and then we got the Cutie Map—” “Which pointed you to my village,” said Starlight. She placed her foreleg on the table and leaned against her hoof. “Was all that stuff I did just another day for you?” Twilight grinned nervously. “Yeah, kind of. I guess after all that, getting foal-napped by Cultists sounds kind of tame.” She turned to Shining Armor. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it, I didn’t want you to worry! And,” she added, “I kinda thought Princess Celestia told you about it already.” “She didn’t say anything to me!” exclaimed Shining Armor, looking between Twilight and Princess Celestia, dumbfounded. Flurry Heart looked up at him, sensing something was wrong. She gurgled and nuzzled into her father’s chest sympathetically. “She did not deem to inform any-pony,” grumbled Luna, glaring at Celestia ruefully. “So, obviously you were able to save Twilight from this Cult,” Cadance said. “I take it you were the reason the spell appeared to have failed?” “Yes,” replied Celestia quickly. She avoided eye contact with Luna as she continued her story. “I struck the spell at its epicenter and destroyed what appeared to be a black mass of magic. The Cult immediately dispersed. I attended to Twilight while my soldiers went after the Cultists.” She inhaled deeply. “We were only able to secure half of them.” “Only half?” asked Shining Armor, startled. “Did you catch the rest of them?” Celestia stared at the table. “No. Even after all this time, we have not been able to locate the rest of the Cult.” Twilight’s pupils shrank. Starlight and Sunburst gasped. Luna looked angry. Even Cadance was startled. “You mean they’re still out there?” Cadance asked, aghast. “Even after all this time?” “Yes.” “Including the black unicorn?” “Yes. I don’t believe that was his true color; he was certainly dyed. Black isn’t a common color among ponies.” Luna harrumphed. “A pity, Sister. Perhaps you may have fared better if you had asked some-pony for help.” Celestia kept her gaze fixed on the table. “Yes, that may be,” she said quietly. Princess Cadance cut in again. “But you never found anything to make you think the spell had actually done something?” “None at all,” said Celestia. “Not until Thorax mentioned that Queen Chrysalis found a filly that looked like Nightmare Moon.” “But that simply cannot be!” shouted Luna. Every-pony jumped as she went into the Royal Canterlot voice. “I was Nightmare Moon! Me! There can simply be no way she exists as her own pony!” Thorax, who had shrunk back further when Luna started shouting, meekly suggested, “Perhaps I should just show you?” His body erupted into blue flames. When they dissipated, Thorax was gone, and in his place sat a very deep midnight-blue alicorn filly with a violet mane and cyan serpentine eyes. “She looks like this,” said Thorax, in a voice like a glass harp. The room became very still. Every-pony stared transfixed at the exotic-looking filly before them. Then, almost in unison, nearly every-pony broke into wide grins and said, “Daaaaaaaw!” “That’s Nightmare Moon?” Starlight giggled. “She looks like a big kitten!” “Look at her mane!” laughed Cadance. “It's the same color as Rarity's!” “She’s…she’s an actual alicorn filly!” said Sunburst. “Fascinating! That means there are two alicorn fillies in Equestria! Six alicorns all together!” Luna stared at the filly-Thorax with her mouth agape. “They really did it,” she said finally. “They took that part of me and made…made that. Made her. I can’t believe…I can’t…” She looked around the table. “This can’t happen!” “But it has happened,” said Celestia, stunned. Her worst fears had been realized: Nightmare Moon was back as her own pony. As young as she appeared, there was no mistaking her. She was a beautiful child, with strong, sharp features and high cheekbones that hinted of a greater beauty once she matured. Yet there was still something about her appearance that was more than unsettling, even after factoring in her teal slit-eyes. Her muscles were more toned than a child of her apparent age should be. Her wings, while not yet fully developed, were scalloped and vaguely resembled those of a bat. And around her neck hung an ornate silver peytral, with a round, black gem stuck in the center. Celestia took it to be onyx at first, but then Thorax-as-Nightmare-Moon shifted in the light and she saw that it was polished wood. Black wood? Odd. But what disturbed Celestia the most was the child’s mane-style: it was brushed straight, with a long bang that hung over her left eye. “How could this have happened,” asked Princess Twilight. “I don’t understand how a spell to resurrect Nightmare Moon could result in a filly!” Sunburst took off his spectacles and polished them with his robe. “I can’t make a committed opinion without studying the spell itself,” he said, returning his spectacles to his face. “But from what I can gather, it sounds like the Cult tried to create a new body for Nightmare Moon. Obviously, you can’t just make up a body from nothing. So, they must have attempted to create a new body for her by generating a kind of magical embryo and then age her up. That would explain what the black mass was. My guess is that they gave enough magic to advance her to a young filly, but Princess Celestia interrupted them before they could finish the spell properly.” “But how?” sputtered Luna. “They would have needed some kind of base to start from. How could they hope to resurrect Nightmare Moon without any involvement from me?” “With Nightmare Moon’s scraps,” said Celestia. “From whose scraps?” Luna demanded. Celestia heaved yet another sigh. “After Twilight and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon, scraps of her remaining magic were left behind. I was curious about them, so I left them with Spell Nexus for further study.” “I remember,” said Twilight thoughtfully. “There were bits of armor lying around after we freed Princess Luna.” “You gave the scraps to this Spell Nexus?” Starlight asked. “Who’s that?” Twilight and Sunburst gasped. “You’ve never heard of Spell Nexus?” Twilight cried incredulously. “He runs Princess Celestia’s school!” “Spell Nexus is a genius,” said Sunburst reverently. “I have everything he’s ever written! His contribution to magical ritual theory is astronomical!” “Ok, ok, sorry I don’t know whose who in the magical research field,” replied Starlight, rolling her eyes. “But if the scraps were given to Spell Nexus for study, how did this crazy Nightmare Moon cult get a hold of them?” “They stole them from Nexus,” replied Celestia. Her voice held a tremor. “After they broke in and beat him.” “They beat him?” demanded Luna furiously. “You mean to say that a crazed Cult ran wild about Equestria, beating ponies in their homes…kidnapping mares…performing evil necromantic rituals…and you never bothered to me about any of it?” Celestia stared at the grains on the table. “Yes.” Princess Luna fumed. Every-pony looked anxiously at each other. This conversation had turned ugly very quickly. Sunburst, in a rare bout of social sensitivity, decided to cut in. “Alright, they used those scraps as a base, and combined it with Princess Twilight’s blood,” Sunburst mused. “With other ingredients, no doubt. And then they were successful in re-making Nightmare Moon, at least as a filly. Whoever designed that spell must have been a genius!” “An insane genius,” grumbled Starlight. “That’s just what we need.” “We’ll deal with that later,” said Cadance. “What I want to know is how this filly Nightmare Moon could have formed with no-pony the wiser. Thorax, where exactly did Queen Chrysalis find her?” Thorax, who had resumed his normal appearance, shifted nervously. Celestia did not blame him. The poor Changeling had not expected an interrogation. “I don’t know. The Queen returned to the Hive several hours later with The Princess already in tow. But I did see a lot of hawthorn twigs tangled in her mane. And since no-pony saw her form up, I guess she materialized in a hawthorn bush?” Every-pony flinched. “Ow, “said Starlight. “Just ow.” “I bet that hacked her off,” said Spike. “All that effort to bring her back, and she ends up as a filly in a thorn bush.” “I’m sure it did,” agreed Luna. Something like savage satisfaction glinted in her eyes. “She did look pretty upset when The Queen presented her to us,” said Thorax thoughtfully. “She cried several times throughout the assembly.” Celestia looked up, startled. “Do you know why?” Thorax shrugged. “Some of the other Changelings didn’t like it when The Queen decided to make her our Princess, and they made that clear. That upset her. And then she got upset again when The Queen asked for her name and she couldn’t remember it.” Celestia blinked. “She didn’t remember her name?” “No. The Queen made a show of coming up with a name for her, and then she named her Nightmare Moon.” “Seriously?” said Spike. “Queen Chrysalis could have given her a new name, and all she did was name her Nightmare Moon anyway? Lame.” “And how did she react to this name?” Luna asked. She sounded as though she were trying to keep her voice even. “She didn’t know who it was.” The knot that had been growing in Celestia’s belly loosened. “That name meant nothing to her?" Thorax shook his head. “It didn’t look like it.” “But she did not object to receiving that name?” asked Luna sharply. “No, your Highness. The Queen only told her that Nightmare Moon was a great warrior who fought against Princess Celestia.” Every-pony in the chamber chuckled darkly and shook their heads. Even Luna seemed amused. “That…is one way of putting it.” “I guess its sort of true,” said Starlight, tilting her head. “If you squint really hard and ignore all the facts!” Celestia asked, “Did she have any kind of reaction when my name was mentioned?” “No, your Highness. She didn’t recognize your name at all when The Queen mentioned you. She also didn’t know what Changelings were, and she didn’t react when The Queen mentioned the Elements of Harmony to her.” “But she knew how to speak.” “Yes, Your Highness. Simply, though. About what you would expect from a young filly.” Celestia leaned forward. “Do you know if she has ever recalled anything since that time?” “I’m not sure. I don’t think so.” Celestia leaned back into her chair, relieved. “Thank you, Thorax. This is the best news I’ve had since this conversation started.” “It is?” asked Twilight, confused. “How?” “Memories provide a sense of self,” said Celestia. “If she has no memory of ever being Nightmare Moon, then she is functionally a blank slate.” “In that case, she really is only a child,” said Luna, guiltily. “Just a child,” smiled Celestia. “New to the world, having no ideas about it, vulnerable to the elements or any-pony who should find her.” Her smile vanished. “And Queen Chrysalis has had her. For eighteen moons.” Every-pony froze as the implications fell on them. “That poor child,” whispered Cadance, horrified. “I cannot imagine what sort of upbringing Chrysalis is providing,” said Luna. “Friend Thorax, how has the filly fared under your Queen’s…care?” She spoke the last word distastefully. Thorax sunk into his chair. “I can’t really say, your Highness. The Queen keeps her mostly in her chambers, and takes her out of the Hive in the late evenings. Sometimes she makes appearances at court, but The Queen doesn’t let any of the other Changeling’s interact with her much. She won’t even let her play with the other nymphs.” He added, “The Queen moved me to the night shift, so I don’t see either of them very much. Which is how I was able to escape from her.” “Morning shift?” asked Twilight, puzzled. “Why did that keep you from seeing them?” Thorax looked at her oddly. “Because the morning is when Princess Nightmare goes to sleep.” It took a moment for Twilight to catch on. Her eyes widened. “O. Right, she’s a night pony.” “That explains why I have never encountered her in the dream realm,” mused Luna. “Eighteen moons with the Queen,” Celestia muttered. A horrible realization had dawned on her. “Thorax, I presume you remember when we had the Changelings imprisoned?” Thorax swallowed. “Yes, your Highness. I…I was in there.” Celestia flinched internally but continued on. “We…had your people for over a full moon cycle before you all were able to escape our custody.” She purposefully did not look at Princess Twilight, who had buried her face in her hooves. “That was staged fifteen moons ago—” Twilight’s head shot up, her eyes widening in shock— “But you have just said Chrysalis found this filly eighteen moons ago. Where was she during your people’s incarceration?” “In the fortress, with us,” replied Thorax. Every-pony gasped, but Thorax continued on. “The Queen had her in a different room when Princess Twilight and her friends came to save the fillies. The Queen made the Princess take the form of a young Changeling whenever any-pony came to check on us. And when she ordered us into hibernation, she had the Princess transform and sleep with her in The Queen’s own cocoon. And after The Queen knocked out Princess Twilight and escaped, she had The Princess ride her while still disguised.” “We had Nightmare Moon in our custody for a whole moon and no-pony was the wiser?” gasped Luna. “I can’t believe it!” cried Twilight. “I had no idea!” “You guys had the Changelings incarcerated?” asked Starlight, bewildered. “Queen Chrysalis knocked out Twilight? What the hay happened?” “O, right, you don’t know…” said Twilight. “It happened when the Secretariat Comet came around.” Starlight nodded. “I remember that.” “I watched it!” exclaimed Sunburst. “It only happens once every three thousand years! All magical creatures felt their power burst when it came around!” “That’s what Queen Chrysalis was counting on,” said Twilight. “A few days prior, she sent some of her minions to Ponyville and abducted three village fillies: The Cutie Mark Crusaders.” “Those three?” exclaimed Starlight. Every-pony in Ponyville knew about the Cutie Mark Crusaders—their escapades were the stuff of village lore. “Why would she want them?” “It was so my friends and I would have a reason to journey to her fortress. She replaced many of the villagers with her soldiers, and cocooned them up at City Hall. My friends and I freed every-pony, but Queen Chrysalis sent us a message, telling us that she had kidnapped the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She threatened to do terrible things to them if we did not go to her within three days. “We set off on a three-day journey filled with monsters and all sorts of tribulations before we finally confronted Queen Chrysalis. The meteor made her powerful, but it also boosted my magic as well. We were able to defeat her, and locked Chrysalis and her subjects into the fortress. Princess Celestia had it turned into a prison.” Starlight was incredulous. “And you never saw even a hint that Queen Chrysalis was keeping an alicorn filly hidden in there?” Twilight shivered. “There was a lot of freaky stuff in that castle! No-pony wanted to go exploring.” “I get that,” said Starlight, smiling. “So, you had the Changelings locked up. How did they escape?” Twilight blushed. Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Okay Twilight, what did you do?” “Me? Whatever do you mean?” Twilight asked nervously. “You have that look,” said Starlight, smirking. “The one you always get whenever you do something really embarrassing.” Twilight laughed nervously and swallowed. “Well, a few weeks after the Changelings were imprisoned, I elevated and got these.” She spread her wings out. “I became a Princess, and took on a lot of new responsibilities. One of them included going to the Changeling prison, to make sure their sentence was being carried out correctly.” “Sentence?” Starlight asked. “How long were you planning on holding them?” “A thousand years,” replied Celestia. Starlight glimmer chuckled. “Wow, you’re sure into those thousand-year sentences, aren’t you?” Celestia smiled sadly. “I don’t like to issue them, especially on an entire sapient race. But I have a duty to keep my little ponies safe from threats. And Queen Chrysalis can stand to serve a thousand years in prison—she’s been hurting creatures of all kinds for at least that long.” “Yeah, we discussed a few of those,” said Twilight wearily. “The sacking of Timbucktu…her siege on Trot…we even learned how she escaped from that volcano Princess Celestia sealed her in after the Trot fiasco.” Twilight swallowed hard. “She seemed really talkative. So, I asked her about where she and the other Changelings had come from. She acted like she was interested in talking about it, but then she asked about a book Rainbow Dash brought along.” “Daring Do, I take it?” asked Starlight. Twilight grimaced. “Yeah. The newest edition.” Starlight grimaced back. “Ok, I think I see where this is going. She asked if she could read it, didn’t she?” Twilight sank back into her chair. “Yes.” “And of course, you couldn’t say no to some-pony wanting to read a book.” Twilight closed her eyes tightly. “No, I couldn’t. I tried to stick it through the door-flap, but it didn’t fit. So…I opened the door.” Sunburst was incredulous. “You opened the door to a prison containing a crazed war-pony just to give her a Daring Do book?” Twilight slumped down. “It sounds really bad when you say it like that. But when we arrived, she looked malnourished and utterly dejected. I felt sorry for her. I thought she was too weak to be a threat, so I didn’t think popping in to leave a book there would be a problem.” “But it was a problem, right?” Starlight asked. She was leaning on her hoof again. “So, was that actually Queen Chrysalis you were talking to, or was it a decoy?” Twilight’s mouth hung open. “Uh, yeah. It was another Changeling posing as her. How did you know?” Starlight nodded knowingly. “Well, it was kind of obvious. This is the Changelings we’re talking about. Tricking ponies is kind of what they do. No offense, Thorax.” “No, its true,” said Thorax, bitterly. “That is what we’re best known for.” Starlight looked at him pityingly before turning her attention back to Twilight. “Alright, “Chrysalis” was just an imposter. Where was the actual Queen?” “Right over the door. As soon as I came in, she slammed it behind me.” Starlight’s pupils shrank. “She locked you in with herself? Sweet Celestia, what did she do to you?” Twilight shivered. “She…she grabbed me. Then she offered to tell me her real origins. But then, she laughed and told me she “was born this way.”” Twilight exhaled sharply. “Then, she slammed me against the wall.” Starlight’s jaw dropped. So did Shining’s. Even Cadance looked horrified. “You mean, she assaulted you?” Cadance exclaimed. “I knew you accidently released the Changelings—I didn’t know she threw you against the wall!” “Queen Chrysalis is an extremely dangerous mare,” said Celestia wearily. “You are extremely fortunate the guards opened the door when they did—I don’t even want to think what she might have done to you if they had waited.” “The door opened,” said Starlight thoughtfully. “Which was her real objective the whole time, right? And when it did, they all came spilling out?” “Yeah,” said Twilight bitterly. “It was awful! But not as awful as having to explain it to Princess Celestia.” “That’s water under the bridge now, Twilight,” Celestia said gently. “I’m just glad she didn’t seriously hurt you.” Now it was her former protégé who was studying the table. “It was still a huge mistake, and I’m sorry. And,” Twilight added bitterly. “Chrysalis didn’t even tell me anything about the origins of the Changelings. I would love to know that!” Starlight brightened. “Well, we can find out right now! We have Thorax here—perhaps we could ask him?” Every-pony turned to Thorax. “Well, Thorax?” Twilight asked, her former shame replaced by academic enthusiasm. “We would love to find out more about your people! Do you know where you all came from originally?” Thorax looked sad. “I’m sorry. I—I don’t know where we’re from.” Twilight’s face fell. “You don’t know? But doesn’t Chrys—I mean, doesn’t your Queen mention it at all? You said she doesn’t let you read. Isn’t there an oral history? Something like that?” “We don’t really have a history,” said Thorax, frowning. “I mean, we do, but no-pony really knows what it is. No-pony but The Queen. And she changes the stories so often that no-pony is really sure what happened. All we know is that The Queen is The Queen, and she has always been the Queen.” Shining Armor was astonished. “She hides your history from you? Thorax nodded. “I think so. She is always cryptic about where we came from. And what she does reveal is never consistent. History is whatever she says it is, and she becomes very angry when any-pony questions her version of events. And it’s hard to contradict her, since she claims to be immortal. I don’t know if that’s really true, but the oldest members of our Hive remember her being the Queen for as long as they can remember.” He glanced at Celestia. “She boasts of our, uh, victory in Timbucktu, over a thousand years ago. Do you know if that is really true?” Celestia nodded. “Yes, she really did sack that city. It was the first encounter any-pony had with the Changelings, and the ponies of Timbucktu were not prepared for either their ferocity or their shape-shifting ability. But the leader of the swarm was most definitely Chrysalis. She declared herself a “Queen” after she stole King Orion’s crown.” She said no more. The full horror of the Changeling assault on Timbucktu had shocked Celestia then, and disturbed her even now. There had been very few survivors… Starlight was dumbfounded. “You mean she just lies about everything?” “I think so,” Thorax replied grimly. “To be honest, we don’t know very much about The Queen ourselves. We know she is a great schemer, a furious warrior, and a powerful spellcaster—and is constantly angry. That is about all we really know about her. Sometimes she leaves the Hive for long lengths of time. She goes alone. No-pony can say what she does when she is away.” Celestia nodded thoughtfully. Chrysalis was trying to present herself as a powerful, mythical figure to her subjects. Why she would want that was something Princess Celestia could not understand: she hated being aloof with any-pony. “Queen Chrysalis lies to and abuses her own people,” said Twilight, flabbergasted. Her eyes had become very wide, and her left ear twitched again. “And now she has this Nightmare Moon foal under her control.” She shook her head in dismay. “This is terrible! Chrysalis must be doing terrible things to that little filly!” Celestia arched her brow. She wondered if Twilight had really understood the implications. This new Nightmare Moon filly, while only a foal, was still an alicorn. The usefulness this child offered Chrysalis was not something she would risk with mindless cruelty. “Do you think so?” asked Starlight, wide-eyed. “I mean, I know some ponies call her “The Scourge of the Sun”, but is she really as bad as the histories say? You know,” she added with a nervous laugh. “Aside from beating up her own subjects for reading?” “No,” said Celestia quietly. “She is much worse.” “See?” said Twilight. “Who knows what awful things she’s doing to that child!” “Are you sure about that?” asked Shining Armor, with a glance towards Princess Celestia. “She must be!” Twilight insisted. She pointed at Thorax. “I mean, look at him! He’s one of the nicest beings I’ve ever met, and look how horribly Chrysalis has treated him! How she’s treated her own subjects! And then there was what happened to the Cutie Mark Crusaders when Chrysalis foal-napped them—they had nightmares about her for weeks!” Twilight turned to Celestia. “There must be something we can do!” Princess Celestia shook her head. “I’m sorry, Twilight. There is nothing I can do at the moment. We have very little information about Changeling defenses or this filly. In any case, invading other nations is not something Equestria does. Even if we disapprove of their rulers.” “You would have a hard time regardless,” said Thorax softly. “The Queen’s throne works as a kind of magical nullifier, so you wouldn’t be able to use any magic in our fortress. Only those she keys into the throne can use it.” His voice sounded hollow. He stared intently at the table. Flurry Heart yawned. “I think its time we put Flurry to bed,” said Cadance. She smiled at Thorax. “She’s had a big day: she made a new friend!” Thorax nodded, smiling weakly back but keeping his eyes on the table. “Perhaps Thorax would like to see more of the castle? Then we can show him to our guest suite.” “That sounds like a great idea!” Twilight exclaimed. “There’s lots of fascinating history in the Crystal Palace!” “You know, I don’t believe I’ve seen that much of the Palace myself,” said Starlight. “Me neither,” said Sunburst. “I guess I’ll come too,” said Spike. “I’d be delighted to show all of you!” said Cadance. She rose as Shining handed Flurry Heart over to her. “Just a moment,” said Celestia gravely. “This business with Nightmare Moon should stay in this room.” “More secrets, Sister?” growled Luna. “I should think you would be quite through with them.” “Is it a security concern?” asked Shining Armor. “Yes,” said Celestia. “First of all, I fear news of Nightmare Moon’s return, even as a young filly, may cause a panic. Ponies tend to be very jumpy about possible danger.” “Yeah, we’ve noticed,” said Spike, smirking at Twilight. “But there is another reason,” said Celestia. “The Cult.” “The one you did not tell me about?” asked Luna, coldly. “The one you have yet to capture entirely?” “Yes,” said Princess Celestia. “They are still out there. Including the leader. I do not wish for those still on the loose to be aware of her existence. They have already shown themselves to be both cunning and powerful. The last thing any-pony needs right now are the Cultists either starting a war with the Changelings, or attempting to make some kind of deal with Queen Chrysalis.” “No-pony at all?” asked Twilight incredulously. “What about my friends?” “You should tell the other Bearers as well, so that they may be aware of Nightmare Moon’s re-emergence. But only them.” Princess Celestia leaned back into her chair. “I know this is a hard thing I ask of you. But until we catch the Cultists, I think it safest that the knowledge of the filly be kept secret.” “We understand,” said Twilight. “We promise not to tell any-pony.” “Thank you,” said Princess Celestia. She smiled. “Have fun exploring the castle.” They stood up and filed out of the room. Only Shining, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna remained at the table. Shining leaned back in his chair. He looked ashamed. “Is…everything alright, Prince Shining Armor?” Celestia asked. “I called him a thing,” Shining replied, shame-facedly. “When Thorax finally revealed himself. I told Spike to “get away from that thing.”” He burst out furiously, “I had no idea Queen Chrysalis treated her subjects like that!” Celestia nodded gravely. “I know. I’ve always pitied the Changelings.” “You do?” asked Shining, surprised. “All of them? Even Chrysalis?” Celestia’s face hardened. “Not her. Queen Chrysalis is an evil, vicious creature. She has committed unspeakable crimes, all the while claiming that she only wants to feed her subjects. The plight of her people has never justified the atrocities she commits.” She softened. “But I pity her subjects. She is all they have known.” “Thorax sounded as though Chrysalis was going to kill him from afar, just for talking to us!” Shining said, angrily. “All I know is that I wouldn’t want any of the Crystal ponies talking about myself or Cadance like that! I think I would die inside!” “I am glad to hear that,” said Celestia warmly. “It speaks well of you.” “All that said, that bit about Nightmare Moon coming back as a filly is really worrisome,” mused Shining. “I get she lost her memory, but she’s still an alicorn. Remember how powerful Flurry Heart turned out to be? I bet Chrysalis is keeping that child just so she can weaponize her magic!” “That’s my belief as well,” said Princess Celestia. “I just hope we can find a way to save that child before Chrysalis uses her to further her own evil.” She glanced at the sky. “I think it’s time the sun was set.” “Yes, past time,” said Luna. Her voice was like ice. Shining Armor looked between them anxiously. “Right, I should probably go see how that tour is doing.” He left hurriedly. Celestia began to speak. “Sister, I—” But Luna brushed right past and strode through the doors without even looking at her sister. Celestia bristled. Luna was angrier than she had been in a long time. This was going to need some fixing. Celestia stood up and walked after her. It was dusk. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stepped out onto the main balcony of the Crystal Palace. Neither one said a word. They made their way to the edge of the balcony, where the setting sun was visible. Princess Celestia’s horn glowed and the sun sank below the horizon. Princess Luna lit her own horn and raised the moon into the sky. The Sister’s watched the night sky for some time. Below them, the markets of the Crystal Empire closed down as crystal ponies concluded their business. Finally, Luna broke the silence. “Sister—when were you going to tell me?” Celestia kept her gaze locked onto the moon. “I don’t think I was,” she said. “I…I did not tell you then because I thought it would upset you. And then so many things happened afterword. Discord’s reform. Twilight’s ascension. The Changeling breakout. Terik’s rampage. Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer reforming.” She glanced at Princess Luna. “The Tantabus Incident.” Luna’s ears wilted. “You are never going to let that go, are you Sister?” “I never said I had not,” said Celestia quickly. “I just want you to understand why I never said anything. I never heard another word from the Cult. That spell did not appear to have worked—but we know now that was not the case.” “It is unfathomable!” Luna said furiously. “There is an incarnation of Nightmare Moon running about, and none of us were ever the wiser! For a year and a half!” Celestia nodded. “Yes, the Changeling Queen has been very careful to conceal her from us. Now we know why the Changelings have been so quiet lately. Have you noticed any interference with the moon?” she added suddenly. Luna shook her head. “No, have you had any problems?” “No. Either she isn’t able to impact celestial bodies yet, or Chrysalis has been stopping her.” Luna inhaled sharply. “Yet?” she asked anxiously. “That’s right,” Celestia replied. “If she doesn’t possess that ability now, I think it is likely that she will develop it in the future.” “And then she will try to bring about the night eternal,” Luna finished glumly. “Not necessarily.” Luna was surprised. “You believe she couldn’t?” “O, she could—but why would she? You heard Thorax’s report; she did not sound as though she remembered anything about herself. Therefore, she has no reason to want to. And I doubt Queen Chrysalis would encourage the “Night Eternal”—she is wicked, but not stupid.” Princess Luna mouthed an “o.” Princess Celestia added, “Did you notice her cutie mark?” “Cutie Mark?” asked Luna, confused. “I didn’t see a—O!” Her eyes widened. “She didn’t have one! In that case, does that mean she is her own pony?” Celestia nodded. “That is what I believe. Of course, this is speculation; it would be more instructive if we could examine her ourselves.” She sighed deeply. “Chrysalis complicates things.” Luna grimaced. “From what I have been told about this Changeling Queen, I doubt she took that child in out of the goodness of her heart.” “Chrysalis doesn’t have a heart,” said Celestia. “That’s what troubles me the most. A young alicorn can be very dangerous, as we have seen with little Flurry Heart, but she can be kept in hoof with proper guidance. Chrysalis is everything but. Even a week would be devastating for the foal’s development—I shudder to think what damage a year-and-a-half has wrought!” “That poor child,” said Luna. “Is there really nothing we can do for her?” Celestia shook her head. “No, not at this time. As I told Twilight, we cannot go and fetch her ourselves—Chrysalis has that nullifier throne, remember. Even our power would falter before it. Add to that, the Changelings are capable warriors who never fight fair. And then there is Chrysalis herself, who is one of the most vicious creatures I have ever faced. She is a skilled hoof-to-hoof combatant, and that’s on top of her magical abilities, which are formidable even without draining love.” “I have heard only a little about Queen Chrysalis,” repeated Luna sadly. “And what little I have heard is beyond shocking. I am sorry you had to face her alone all these centuries, on account of my selfishness.” Celestia turned and, to Luna’s surprise, pulled her into an embrace with her wings. “No Luna, I’m the one who should be sorry! I’m sorry I didn’t make you feel better all those years ago, when you felt as though no-pony cared! I’m sorry that I hid all of these things from you, when you deserved to know the truth!” “O, Sister,” said Luna. They held each other for a long moment, before Luna asked, “What happens now?” “There isn’t a lot we can do right now,” said Celestia sadly. “Not for the Nightmare foal, anyway. It depends on Chrysalis now. All we can do is wait for her to make a mistake of some sort, and perhaps get to the filly in that way.” She paused. “However, there are other things we can do. Tomorrow morning, I shall send a letter to Bastion Yorsets.” “Bastion Yorsets?” asked Luna. “The magicologist?” “The same. While we know now what the spell ultimately accomplished, I would like to find out more about it. We don’t know the precise extent of this new alicorn’s power, so I want to put a team together to study her. In the meantime, you and I can do what we can about this Nightmare Moon cult.” “You don’t have to worry, Sister,” Luna said. “Wherever this cult is hiding, we shall seek them out. Together.” The Sisters embraced again. “I need to go,” said Celestia, after they had parted. “I need to ask Thorax about several particulars from that night, and I should like to ask him privately.” Luna arched a brow. “About what?” “That night, I left a guard detail behind whilst I took Twilight back to her library. They left their post due to the storm—but one went missing. From the timeline I can guess what happened to him…but I need to be sure.” Her face was grim. “He had a wife and two foals who need answers.” “I see,” said Luna, her eyes widening. “Shall I offer assistance?” “No, I can manage,” said Celestia. “I don’t want him to feel too intimated to speak openly.” She made for the door. “But I will let you know what he says.” She went inside the palace. Princess Luna remained on the balcony to overlook her night. She had much to think about. Princess Celestia had stayed at the Crystal Palace many times before. She knew exactly which suite she needed to go to. She came in through the single window door, which led out to its own balcony. She could hear voices coming down the hall: “…so, you may be our guest for this evening, and many more to come!” Princess Cadance was saying. “You may stay here for now.” “Thank you so much, all of you! You have all been so kind to me! I…I just don’t know what to say!” That was Thorax. “You don’t have to say a thing, Thorax!” Spike said. “We’d love to talk with you more tomorrow!” Twilight exclaimed. “But for now, try to get some rest,” said Cadance. “Have a good night!” The other ponies and Spike bid him goodnight as well. “Goodnight!” exclaimed Thorax. The door opened. Thorax walked in and closed the door behind him. He looked around the magnificently furnished room in awe. “Good evening, Thorax.” Thorax jumped. Celestia stood behind him. “Your Highness! I—I did not see you there!” Thorax sputtered. “Am I in the wrong room?” “No, Thorax,” said Celestia kindly. “I merely wish to speak with you for a moment.” “O,” said Thorax. He looked anxious again. Rulers typically did not come into a subject’s bedroom to idly chat. “There’s no need to be alarmed,” Celestia continued. “But I want to ask you a couple of questions about the night your former ruler brought the alicorn filly to your hive.” Thorax was stunned, but kept his composure. “Ok, your Highness. What did you want to know?” “You mentioned in your story that you had accompanied the Changeling Queen to the forest that night.” “Yes?” Thorax asked, confused. Celestia sighed. “When I took Princess Twilight home after stopping the ritual, I left behind a small contingent of guards. However, they left the area due to severe weather. Save one.” Thorax’s eyes widened. Celestia nodded. “You do know whom I mean. Go ahead and tell me. It will be alright.” And it would be. Celestia guessed what had happened as soon as she had learned that Chrysalis had been in the forest that night. Thorax was shaking. “The Queen killed him!” Celestia grimaced. “I thought so. Do you know how?” “S-She drained him of his love. And then she…she…” Thorax swallowed hard. “Twisted his head around.” Celestia shut her eyes for a long moment. Even after a thousand years of rule, and a thousand years of fighting the Changelings, the violent death of any of her little ponies still hurt her. But it was not the worst thing Queen Chrysalis had ever done. “And what became of the body?” Celestia asked gently. Thorax was tense, but it seemed like a lot of his initial fear had dissipated. Perhaps he realized he was not telling Celestia anything she had not already guessed. But she sensed something was off here…like there was something Thorax was trying to keep to himself. “The Queen had…she had him baked into a pie.” “I see,” Celestia said, grimly. She knew Chrysalis ate her victims after draining them of all of their love. This was standard procedure for Chrysalis, a convenient way to dispose of the bodies. Given the state drained ponies lived in, it might even be considered a mercy. And yet it never ceased to horrify Celestia, even after all of these years. Thorax was still shaking. Something about Thorax’s careful choice of words stood out to Celestia. A horrible suspicion crept into her mind. “She made you and your brother take the body back to the Hive,” Celestia said slowly. Thorax swallowed hard. “Yes, Your Highness,” he squeaked. He was trembling even more. Celestia remembered the way he had gone peculiar earlier in the dining room, staring off into space as though re-living some private horror. Celestia took a guess. “…She had you prepare the pie, didn’t she?” Thorax stared wide-eyed at Celestia for a long moment. And then he burst into tears. “Yes! She thought I was spineless, so she made me take the body back to the Hive, and ordered me to butcher the poor pony into a pie! I had to go and chop…and chop…and…” He broke off and started sobbing, hard. “Spineless?” growled Celestia, suddenly angry. “She actually called you that? To your face?” “Yes,” Thorax sniffed. “Our Queen never liked me very much at all. She did stuff like that all the time to me, and to other drones she felt weren’t tough enough.” Thorax threw himself on the ground. “I am sorry! I know you will not forgive me, so kill me swiftly!” Celestia was stunned. “I have no intention of doing any such thing!” she exclaimed. “Please, stand up. I know this is difficult for you, but I am not angry with you. If I sounded upset, it’s only because I am angry with your Queen.” She reached out and held up Thorax’s chin with her wing. He inhaled sharply, but Celestia smiled at him. “Its alright, Thorax. I don’t consider this to be your fault,” she said. “So, you were forced to bake the guard into pies?” Thorax still wept, but continued his story. “Yes, Your Highness. After I finished the pies, I took some out for the Queen. She tried it, she let Princess Nightmare have some, and then she told the rest of the Hive to help themselves. But I did not have any of it, I swear!” Celestia blinked. “What?” “I said, some of the other members of my Hive had some of that pie. But I didn’t have any of it! I—” “Not that,” interrupted Celestia. “Did you say Nightmare Moon had some of this pie?” “O. Yeah, she did.” Celestia felt nauseated. “Surely that made her sick?” “No, it didn’t. She actually liked it! The Queen even let her have seconds!” Celestia gasped. “Was…was she fed any more meat after this?” “Yeah, she eats it often.” “Often,” repeated Celestia, dazed. “Yes, Your Highness. The Queen even takes the Princess hunting in the evenings.” “Hunting?” cried Celestia. “For meat?” “Yes,” said Thorax, nervously. He probably thought she sounded crazy, asking such an asinine question. What else would a meat-eater hunt for? Celestia made a succession of sounds that tried to become words but failed to do so. Eventually, she was able to sputter out a complete sentence: “Is—is she successful?” “Yes,” said Thorax, carefully. “From what I have heard, anyway. I was moved to working days, and the Princess doesn’t typically get up until late afternoon.” “What does she bring back?” Celestia asked anxiously. Something like understanding came into the Changeling’s eyes. “She hasn’t brought pony back, I know that.” The knot in Celestia’s belly loosened. “She hasn’t?” No, Your Highness. She hunts a lot of other animals though. Usually, its whatever they happen across; The Badlands don’t have much to offer her. Small mammals, birds, frogs…I think they’ve caught wild boar on occasion. Sometimes she will just eat the meat raw, out in the wilderness. I can’t say what animals those might have been.” “Has—has she hunted any sapient creatures?” asked Celestia. Thorax’s ears wilted. “I know The Queen fed The Princess Love-cats while we occupied their territory. And The Queen slew a cow once and used its hide to make a leather coat for The Princess.” “Leather?” Celestia repeated, shocked. She had never heard that word before, but it sounded like something out of a horror novel. Thorax nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. But I haven’t heard of The Princess hunting anything sapient herself.” Yet. Thorax did not say it, but it hung in the air. Celestia could see what Chrysalis was doing. She was getting her “daughter” acclimated to killing. It may not be ponies she was hunting, but Celestia suspected it would be in the filly’s near future. “And none of this has made her ill?” Celestia asked again. “No. She looked alright to me, whenever I saw her with The Queen. Which was not often, because she’s typically closeted in the Queen’s chambers.” “And what does she do in there?” Celestia asked. “I don’t really know. I think The Queen is teaching her magic. And how to read,” Thorax added, bitterly. Celestia was starting to suffer a panic attack, and calmed herself with the breathing exercises she had taught Cadance. This was getting worse and worse. But she decided to ask Thorax the question she had been pondering all evening. “One last question, Thorax. Please bear with me. Can you tell me how Princess Nightmare is taking to her surroundings? Is she…happy? Happy with Chrysalis?” Thorax gave Celestia a pitying look. In spite of her growing horror, Celestia found herself taking a strong liking to Thorax. He seemed to intuit exactly what Celestia was thinking but not saying. Due to having to serve under Chrysalis, no doubt; her violent mood swings were legendary. “I-I think she loves her. She calls The Queen “Mommy,” and sounds happy to call her that.” Celestia shut her eyes, and held them shut for a long moment. When she opened them, she said, “Thank you for telling me these things, Thorax. I have nothing else left to ask you.” Thorax bowed his head. “I understand. I will leave in the morning.” Celestia raised a brow, confused. “Leave? Whatever for?” “Because of that guard! I mean, I did…I helped…I…” Celestia laid a wing on his shoulder. “You mean, what Chrysalis forced you to do. All that is going into the official report is that the guard in question was murdered by Chrysalis. I don’t need to tell you that this is not the first time I have had to record that. I have an entire filing cabinet dedicated to her criminal record.” “You mean you aren’t mad?” asked Thorax incredulously. “Not with you,” said Celestia darkly. “Chrysalis ordered that butchery, and so I lay the blame on her. You have done no true wrong in my eyes.” Thorax’s eyes filled with tears again. Celestia smiled at him. “I am glad to have you amongst us, Thorax. I really am. I know that you have not led an easy life, and I know that choosing to leave your Hive behind was a difficult choice. But I am happy that you came to us, and I hope that one day, the rest of your people will learn to share love as well.” Thorax sobbed, and Celestia pulled the changeling into an embrace with her wings. He cried for a long while. Finally, his crying began to subside, and Celestia let go of him. “I think I should like to talk with you in the morning…about more pleasant topics than what we discussed tonight.” Thorax sniffed but smiled broadly. “I—I think I’d like that!” Celestia smiled warmly. “Very well, then. I shall see you at breakfast. Have a good night, Thorax. I think you will enjoy your stay among ponies.” “Thank you!” And on this happier note, Celestia left the room. Princess Celestia went into the guest suite she shared with Luna. She was waiting. “They killed him, didn’t they?” Celestia nodded grimly. “Yes. Chrysalis killed him herself.” She added, casually: “And then she had Thorax bake his body into a pie for her.” Luna gasped. “What? That’s insane! No wonder Thorax fled from her!” “He’s terrified of her,” agreed Celestia. She made her away across the room and seated herself at the writing desk. She tried to light a candle several times—her magic was flickering—and shakily picked up a goose feather, the tip of which she formed into a nib. “He speaks as though he expects her to slay him in the night for his perceived betrayal.” “That is awful, Sister!” Luna shouted angrily. “How could she be cruel to one of her own subjects?” “She realized he was not a soldier.” “That is no reason to abuse him so!” “I quite agree,” Celestia replied. “Prince Shining was absolutely right: it is a terrible thing for any subject to live in fear of their ruler. I have always dreaded the notion that any of our little ponies might feel the same about us.” “Indeed,” said Luna. “I saw how he talked about Chrysalis at dinner. He acted like she was some sort of god who would smite him for daring to talk out of turn. I pity her subjects. And this new alicorn filly.” Celestia felt her stomach drop. She was still recovering from the shock. Nightmare Moon hunted for meat! Celestia could understand the Changelings eating meat, they were predators after all. Its why they had fangs. But Nightmare Moon was a pony! Ponies were not supposed to eat meat! The very notion of carnivory made ponies feel ill. Even eating eggs was considered controversial. It was why the old Nightmare Night fable was spooky. Celestia had never cared for Nightmare Night that much—too many unpleasant memories. And besides, the real Nightmare Moon had never been as unpleasant as the one depicted in the stories. She was baffled how the foal-eater absurdity became a part of the lore. It had taken the Changeling Queen no time at all to weaponize the filly she had found. The first thing Chrysalis did with the little filly she found tangled up in a thorn bush was to feed her pony meat. Celestia could see at once what Chrysalis was up to: she was getting the filly accustomed to killing, and did so by encouraging her to see other animals as food. Celestia had noted that the animals Thorax had mentioned were growing in complexity. First, small woodland animals, reptiles, and amphibians; then, larger prey, like wild pigs. Celestia knew Chrysalis: she’d be teaching Nightmare Moon to hunt goats and sheep soon, and then move on up animals like cows and deer. Finally, Nightmare Moon would be taught to go after the most interesting game of all: pony. The thought of this horrified Celestia so much, that she found it impossible to even articulate it. She was silent for a long moment. “I know, Luna,” said Celestia at last. “I feel sorry for her too.” Please, she thought desperately. Ask me if she had the pie. I want to tell you, but I can’t bear to even suggest it. Its horror beyond horrors. Ask me! But Luna mistook her silence. “This is upsetting you, isn’t it, Sister?” said Luna sympathetically. “The thought of all the horrible things Chrysalis is doing to that child upsets me as well.” She walked up to Celestia and embraced her. Celestia embraced her back. “You know, it’s funny,” said Luna, when they had parted. “I should be a lot more upset that Nightmare Moon is back. But when Thorax changed into her and I saw her little face, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. It’s like I wanted to reach out and save her, tell her everything was going to be alright, that the mean old Changeling Queen will not hurt her anymore.” She giggled. “I think Princess Twilight felt the exact same way!” And if you knew what she ate? Celestia thought. Would you be as willing to help her, if you knew? Either of you? But Celestia smiled and nodded. “Yes, I know exactly what you mean.” Luna beamed. “I knew you would understand, Sister! Fear not! I thought about what you said earlier, and I believe you are right. Chrysalis is such an impatient creature; I have no doubt she will make a mistake soon. If we are fortunate, perhaps we shall be able to use that error to rescue that child from her vile clutches!” “We can only hope, Sister.” Luna glanced at the clock. “I think most ponies are asleep now. I shall go about my duties. Will you be going to bed soon?” “No, I have a few letters I need to write.” “Very well, then. Until the morrow, dear Sister!” Luna left the room, the door closing behind her. Celestia hung her head, ashamed. Chrysalis was teaching Nightmare Moon to hunt and eat meat. That was such a simple thing to say! But Celestia could not say it. And Luna had named the reason. Celestia had seen that sweet little face, and had felt the same as Luna. The idea of that sweet, little face, with the big eyes like a kitten, butchering up helpless animals and eating their flesh made her stomach curdle. How? How could Queen Chrysalis take in a child and pose as her mother, all the while manipulating her into becoming a weapon? If Thorax was to be believed, the child had come to love Chrysalis. Celestia knew there was no way Chrysalis saw her as anything more than a useful pawn. But the child called her “Mommy.” More than anything, she wanted to rescue the filly. She might be Nightmare Moon re-born, and a flesh-eater at that, but she was still just a child in a very bad environment. But Luna had been right about one other thing. There were other ponies who needed to be helped. Celestia could do nothing for little Nightmare Moon right now. So, she would have to focus on the ponies she could help. Celestia dipped her pen into the inkwell. She had a widow with two foals to write to.