//------------------------------// // A Capital Idea, Princess - Part 1 // Story: The King of Love Bugs // by NavelColt //------------------------------// The polished stone of Canterlot's streets branched out like great veins. Extravagant buildings framed them all, lining up together in a stream that seemed endless from within. Crammed in between was a throng of ponies, mostly aristocratic unicorns with dazzling outfits, their snouts inclined and their nostrils flared. For Thorax, it was a sight seen from a modest distance. The wide girth surrounding him was both maintained and obvious. He watched as ponies passed by, and met their fleeting, uncertain glances. Hooves hurried from him upon growing too close for comfort. Hushed whispers fell on his folded ears. Thorax swallowed. His eyes shifted to his charge, dutifully following him. Although surrounded by foul faces, the changelings' attention had long since been harnessed by Canterlot's splendor. The half-dozen drones trotted along with springs in their steps, their eyes darting from feature to feature. The capital’s elegance was a modern marvel compared to their homely hive. "Everyling still doing alright?" asked Thorax. "If any of you guys want to wait with those nice guard ponies we met by the gate while I look for Twilight, that's fine." "We're not nymphs, Papa Thorax. You don't need to dote on us," scoffed Xenica. "We’re capable adults who can look after ourselves." "Do you not hear this, Thorax?" asked Apidae. "Do you not feel it? I know you worry about us, but you don’t have to now. We're enjoying the city, just like you wanted." Hope sprouted in Thorax's face until it wilted once more under the weight of negativity surrounding them. "I'm glad you guys are enjoying the sights. I just thought it might be better for us to find somewhere less...crowded, and enjoy the city from there. Somewhere quiet and safe, maybe? Where I can find all of you once I fetch Twilight?" He tapped the tips of his hooves together. His sheepish grin was given frowns, especially from a certain purple changeling. "Is Princess Twilight not giving us a city tour? We shouldn't explore too much, or we'll leave her nothing to show us," said Xenica. "Besides, I don't think it's too crowded here. The ponies here are quite generous in giving us plenty of personal space." "Xenny, I think they're avoiding us," hissed Apidae. She and Xenica glanced at Thorax, who before the crowd's judgemental eyes, looked like a timid nymph without a parent's legs to hide behind. "That's what Thorax is upset about, I think. You know how allergic he is to confrontation." "Oh. Sorry, the only other time I've been around non-crystal ponies was on a railbus, and they all behaved this way, too." "We'll stay by your side, Thorax," Apidae encouraged, fluttering along the alpha's side. "No sense in splitting up only to come back together later. Besides, I don't think Princess Twilight would want us to run around looking for her, do you? Don't you think she'd want us to take everything in at our own pace? Let's just focus on enjoying ourselves right now." Thorax gave her a gentle smile. He patted the changeling atop her head and garnished a grin in return. "As usual, you're right, Apidae," said Thorax. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't let myself get so flustered by our initial response. I knew what it was going to be. Change comes with time and we're here to help make that happen. How about this? The castle looks to be right around the corner, so let's make our way there. I know you guys wanted to see the castle, right?" A few yips and cheers answered him. "Thorax, if you want to make the ponies more friendly, let's just cuddle and show them that we're nice, now," suggested Calor, trotting up from behind and wrapping hooves about Thorax's flank. "Most of these ponies look like they could use hugs themselves." "Forever my optimist," Thorax chuckled, his teal aura plucking the changeling from his hindquarters. "I don't think now's the best time for that, Calor. We'd just get in somepony's way. We should keep moving and get off of these streets. Twilight told me the castle grounds have tons of fresh grass and plants—huge, lush gardens, in fact. If nothing else, it should be easier for her to spot us there." As the imposing castle drew nearer, the hustle and bustle filling his senses grew dull. Immaculate stone paths ruled over by high society were left behind in favor of sprawling grass, perfectly edged hedges and impressive stone sculptures. By now, the group’s excitement had dulled too, but not their sense of wonder. Adoring sighs and gasps soothed Thorax’s ears, each aimed at various plants, statues, fountains, and other decorative features of the Canterlot Gardens. Thorax blinked, and he lost them. The changelings had gone off in a variety of directions to explore. "How much water is even in this statue's bucket?" Thorax first spotted Cimex, a lime changeling with amber eyes, crawling like a spider along the underside of a cobblestone bucket held by a nameless, bipedal pony. Upon reaching the endless froth of water springing from its opening, his tongue extended eagerly. "Look how happy these are!" chimed Apidae, a short way past the fountain. She hovered around a narrow statue featuring young foals stacked upon each other in play. "I don't think I've seen any ponies this happy before. What do you think, Thorax?" Thorax sighed contently and sat down in a sea of grass. He could hear the sounds of Calor and Xenica running around the sizable labyrinth close by. Meanwhile, the remainder of his party indecisively flew about overhead, pointing out far-away statues not visible from the ground. The alpha hummed to himself, taking in the tranquility. The soft rustling of leaves and grass harmonized with the shrill chirps of his drones, all becoming muffled and far away in his lulled state. But the changelings were never truly far. A signal pulsed like heat in his chest, and it told Thorax all he needed to know. Their glee, their adoration; he could feel it all. A thought graced his mind and brought him pause. It was not a sad thought, yet it drew a tear. It was not a tangible thought, yet it brought him joy. It was the way the changelings explored the garden with a nymph-like enthusiasm, the way they so readily greeted this historical landmark with such fascination. It was a subtle scene, but entirely alien to the last time he’d set hoof in this city, under such different circumstances. Thorax sniffed away his sentimentalities. Somehow, someway, he knew they'd be okay. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'THERE ARE NO GUARDS ACCOMPANYING THEM'!? IS THIS A JOKE!? DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOAL!?" The voice rippled like distant thunder, bringing every changeling equal alarm. All heads turned towards the castle's southernmost structure, a spiraling tower tucked behind the rest of the castle's bulk. The sudden silence only begged for a second outburst, and so not a changeling spoke. Sure enough, the outrage continued, albeit far more contained to whatever chamber it came from. "Do not waste both of our time with your excuses, lieutenant! Just go and find them! Please!" More silence. The changelings cast nervous glances at one another, and Thorax stood. "I wonder who that was," murmured Xenica. "Wouldn't want to be that lieutenant pony right about now, though." "I don't know who was yelling, but I bet you it was about us," said Apidae, trotting ahead of the pack to get a closer look. She trotted right up to a sealed, golden gate separating the gardens from the castle's immediate courtyards. Lucious, creeping vines wound up and down the shimmering bars, camouflaging even the lock and handle from view. Apidae craned her neck and peered through the foliage. "Well, what do you see, Dae?" asked Calor. "The tower has a balcony and a door. I think the balcony is open, but there's nopony on it right now." "Just fly over, Apidae," Cimex chided, buzzing his wings in preparation for flight. "Please stay here, guys," Thorax ordered gently, trotting up to the gate himself. "Whoever is up there sounds pretty agitated, and they certainly don't need half a dozen changelings peeking in on them." "You're going then, Thorax?" inquired Calor. "Do you have any idea who that was?" With barely a hum, Thorax ascended the wall and came to rest atop it. He examined the area with a sweep of his head and then turned back to his posse. He smiled almost connivingly. "Well, to my knowledge, there are only four ponies who can talk to guards like that. I like to think I know at least three of them pretty well, and that voice didn't belong to any of them. That narrows it down quite a bit, don't you think?" Thorax hopped down to the other side, and six pairs of expectant orbs watched him through the gate. "For goodness sake, shall I don clown shoes too if I'm to run this circus any further today?" Equestria's lunar princess walked about the royal lounge, enveloping various objects in a deep blue aura and commanding them to follow her as she went. Fabrics, half-finished tapestries, sewing needles, pincushions, and all the like swirled in chaos above her head. Luna sighed, and the levitated mass seemed to sag in the air and sigh with her. What a shamble this had become. Discord, the dog himself, would be proud of Celestia's hoofwork today. Once again, her dear sister was out in the light of her sun, tending to the populace's needs with the new museum's final touches. And once again, she was here, left to wonder how in Equestria she was to get any of the castle's decor finished when the guard ponies could scarcely even do their job. Now she had loose changelings to contend with. The thought tensed her, but not from fear of vampiric bugs praying upon the populace. Quite the opposite, in fact. Though admittedly adorable, King Thorax and his entourage came off as rather meek to her during the award ceremony. Luna huffed. The stuck-up aristocrats of Canterlot were hardly a brawling bunch, but give them enough incentive, and the vampony mobs of 937 B.B. could very well rear their ugly heads once more. She refused to see the changelings chased from Canterlot on her watch. She then had another thought, and her eyes narrowed. Where was Twilight Sparkle in all of this? Had she not been asked to appear in Canterlot before the king's arrival? Was she held up? If so, by what? What if that thing turned out to be some new problem to throw atop the already burning pile? The lounge doors thundered open, and Luna trotted out, a cape of fabric trailing behind her. "Somepony would do well to fetch me a cider." Thorax groaned in disappointment when the room's far doors closed promptly upon his inspection. "Well, who is it, Thorax?" He daintily landed upon the half-moon balcony, ignoring the impatient calls of his spectators. He raised a hoof, only to retract it again. He grimaced. Snooping around the castle uninvited would surely garnish more harm than good, right? True, he was a guest, but as of yet, he hadn’t even met with his hosts. All the same, that mane was unmistakable. Perhaps the moon princess knew where Twilight was, or at the very least, could give them some guidance on which place might be best to wait for her. Thorax took off and returned to his pack. The aged gate had grown a series of multicolored hooves, gripping its bars as tight as the vines. "Change of plans, everyling," Thorax announced. "I'm pretty sure that was Princess Luna. I just missed her, so let's head around the front of the castle and greet her there. She might know where Twilight is, plus it'll be good to let her know we're here." His words were a lit match to the drones' excitement. They pranced and stamped their hooves in a brief display before sieging the wall and clamoring around Thorax. He quickly found himself being guided along, with two pairs of hooves pushing his flank from behind, and two more beckoned him to move faster from the front. Cimex put all of his teeth on display. "Or she'll give us a tour of the castle! Thorax, ask her to give us a tour of the royal pony castle!" "Ooh, yeah, Thorax!" chimed Calor and Xenica simultaneously. Like forest sprites, they buzzed around the alpha's head while gripping their own heads, as if they might explode from such a suggestion. "I don't want to impose on her if she's busy, guys," said Thorax. "I'm sure she has a lot going on. Please remember, there's a new attraction opening in the city today. I wouldn't be surprised if she has responsibilities relating to that. We have to be mindful that we're not her only priority." Such humdrum only inspired eye rolls and teasing from the others. "Your Majesty, I know you wished not to be disturbed, but the consultation line has grown upset, and-" A sudden silence. Cyan irises snapped to attention, and a mouth curled. A guard pegasus was struggling against a river of fabric. It slithered around the walls, its endless shades of blue and indigo begging to be called upon. But now an ugly white and gold palette stained the mosaic. Luna frowned. Regurgitated from his silky fate, the guard pony hit the floor with a crash. "Look, 'Sure Point', was it?" Sure Point pressed his cheek to the floor in what little he could accomplish from a nod. Luna sighed and returned to her fabric. "The consultation line can make do with waiting a bit longer. I set aside three hours this morning to deal with the whims and wishes of the populace already. Right now, I have greater concerns. The changeling convoy has already arrived in the city, and heaven knows where they're at, in part thanks to your fool of a superior. To make matters worse, my sister is detained at the museum site, and Princess Twilight remains missing in action." Luna started pacing. "I will lead the search for the changelings myself if I have to, but I am on the brink of finishing the castle's decor in celebration of their visit. I have but one tapestry left to select; the most important one of all, destined for the royal dining room's walls. I know this seems trivial, but the castle must be ready for tonight. Following their city tour with Princess Twilight and their museum visit with my sister, the changelings will be our guests of honor here at the castle, where we'll be hosting a private dinner for King Thorax and his company. Do you follow, Sure Point?" "Yes, Your Majesty. But I-" "I take solace in the fact that the changelings are within the city's walls and are thus out of any true danger. All the same, the very reason for their visit is linked to their continual work, snuffing out the stigma surrounding their species. Our city is perhaps the greatest concentration of that stigma. Warranted? Perhaps, but now, horrifically outdated." "Your Highness, I actually came to report that-" "That the aristocracy's impatience puts foals to shame, yes, I know." Luna had finally selected a brilliant Somnambulan blue. With a life of its own, it soared from its sibling fabrics and flew about the princess in a series of concealing turns before coming to a standstill by her side. "Let them know that I have finished my tasks and that, once the changelings have been located, I may be able to entertain them a bit before tonight's dinner." "That's just it, Your Highness!" Sure Point blurted, getting to his hooves at last. "The consultation line is upset, but it isn't over the continued wait. In fact, they've proven to be rather patient today, what with knowledge of the museum's opening." "It's...what? Explain yourself. What has the line to grumble and fuss over, then?" "It's the changelings, ma’am! They just appeared out of nowhere. King Thorax and half a dozen of his kin. They politely joined the line to see you by the front door, but things have begun to...turn ugly. N-no physical harm has come to them, of course. We would not allow it. But stopping words is a different matter. I had to inform you at once." Luna’s irises sharpened to an edge, and her teeth unearthed in a spark of anger. The aerial pond of tapestries fell in an instant, and by the time they touched the floor, the pair had left the room. "Take me to them!" she growled. "Do you have no tact, changeling? Returning to a city so ravaged by your kind not once, but twice?" Adrenaline raced through him, but Thorax was frozen. Standing before his charge, he faced each new battering with unflinching resolve. But as daggers continued to pierce said resolve, beads of sweat erupted from his brow. Every so often, his watchful eye searched behind him. The drones seemed just as unsure of the situation as him, rooted to their spots and giving each other timid glances. A platinum mare with vibrant teal hair had stepped forward. She scoffed at the guard pegasus standing by the changelings, returning his scowl before once again casting her flippant anger upon Thorax. "I have a cousin, merely ten years old, he is. Care to wager how many visits to the therapist it took for him to cope with the trauma brought upon him from being encased in slime? The nightmares of hissing changeling faces that he still swears to see from his closet once a moon?" "You can't judge us based on what happened when Queen Chrysalis was in power!" Thorax felt his heart leap. He and other drones turned to see his group's meekest changeling join Thorax at his side. It was a light grey drone, barely an adult as of the past summer, named Clyepus. "You have no idea what it was like! There was never any food, any warmth, or any friendship! And if you complained or stepped out of line, you were banished or worse!" "Better traitors than monsters. Why not revolt?" a stallion from the crowd insisted. "One lunatic dictator against hundreds of rebelling soldiers? Please! If you were so miserable, then why was she allowed to rule for so long? Part of you must have enjoyed preying upon ponies." "Chrysalis's methods were all we knew before Thorax!" The familiar azure shell of Calor had too stepped forward, but he held a look unlike anything Thorax had yet seen from him. One that Thorax found unnerving, coming from him. "Thorax?" The platinum mare spat the name as if it’d tasted bad. Again, she attempted to advance, but the guard's wings flared in a warning. "And what have you to say on the matter, Thorax? Let your drones do your work for you, do you? Sounds awfully similar to the old queen, if you ask me." "Don't you dare compare Thorax to Chrysalis! He is nothing like her!" The rest of his pack joined Calor in an instant before Thorax could breathe. They created a wall of bodies in front of their king, their gossamer wings flared and their heads lowered. A hushed silence befell the clearing for a long, tense moment. "Look at you. You still act the same, even now," the mare said insipidly. "All that's changed is your colors and your willingness to speak instead of hiss. The princesses may trust you, but there is no looking back, not for those of us who suffered the brunt of your invasions. Once an undesirable, always an undesirable." "Choose your words carefully, aristocrat, or you risk falling to the likes of a mere hypocrite." The world froze, and the resulting chill sapped heat from every temper until only a cold sweat remained. All eyes looked towards the castle's front door, and there stood a scowl to chase all evils to the ends of Equestria. With rigid form and an unblinking expression, Princess Luna stepped down the castle steps with purpose. "P-princess Luna, you're here-" "Tell me what you see before you," Luna said flatly, cornering the mare in the middle of the square. "Do you see a princess? A leader who holds only the best interests of her subjects in her mind and her heart?" The platinum mare forced a hideous smile, wrought with growing unease. "Why, of course, Your Majesty. Why would we ever expect anything less of-" "How curious it is, then, that you neglect to remember a time when your princess sought to starve out the sun and rule over her subjects with an iron hoof. Neglect to recall that an ‘undesirable’ such as she was chained to the moon for a millennium for her lust of conquest, but was still bestowed the gift of a second chance, ultimately growing into the princess you now see before you because of it." "I...I didn't mean to-" "You meant every word. Now, are your feelings completely unfounded? Do I not feel for those of us who suffered greatly from the changeling attacks under the former queen? Don't be foolish. Even today, I draw guilt for not being within the city on that day, for not being able to help protect ponies like yourself, like your cousin, like my own sister, from harm." The crowd fidgeted. Luna's look did not soften. "But dare you to stand again before a creature trying so hard to change and throw dirt in their eyes, know that we will have fiercer words. The changelings venture far from their home today with nothing but earnestness to forge a bond with ponies that the former queen was too selfish to even attempt. Until you have a new reason to doubt them, you would do well to respect them." Luna then visited each face around her. Each one met her piercing gaze with retreating hoofsteps. In a matter of moments, the palace's modest, empty courtyard sat before the princess, while marveled eyes praised her from behind. "Sorry about that, King Thorax," Luna said, turning to offer a tone and smile far warmer than what had just transpired. She walked forward, and the two monarchs met personally for the first time. "I must apologize on our lieutenant's behalf as well, seeing as he's probably still out there, searching for you. It pains me to think that if we'd simply escorted you, as intended, none of this would have happened." With a heavy sigh, Thorax closed his eyes, and a newfound wave of pleasant tingling filled him from hoof to horn. He needn't even turn to know that his changelings' attitudes had rebounded, also, no worse for wear. He reflected Luna's smile. "You know, for better or worse, I was sort of expecting something like this to happen from the get-go," he admitted with a weak chuckle. "I'm just thankful you came along when you did. Lingering prejudices aside, we were looking for you." Luna's brows rose. "You were looking for me? Whatever for?" "We kind of heard you from the castle's garden a little bit ago. We wound up there because we were looking for a nice, relaxing place to wait for Twilight. We also thought you might know where she is." "At least we accomplished the first part, right?" Apidae interjected, giving a courteous bow to the blue alicorn upon her notice. "We haven't found Princess Twilight yet, but we've never seen gardens like yours, Your Majesty! It was a pleasure to explore them." "I love the statues that shoot water!" Cimex added, taking to the air. "I bet you could solve Equestria's water shortages with magic statues like that one!" Luna laughed. A hearty, genuine laugh that dispelled the last of her rigid composure. "Well, I'm not so sure about that, oh colorful one, but I am glad that you all found your way to the palace." With a flick of her eyes, she commanded her guards to return inside. "And I wish I could be of more help, but if you cannot locate Twilight, that makes two of us. Let's head inside for now, shall we? Dear sister's sun is particularly oppressive today. You didn't hear this from me, but I believe it's to encourage traffic for the new, fully air-conditioned museum."