//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Meeting of the foreign dignitaries. // Story: Colonel Hooves and the Empire of Crystal // by KarmaSentinal //------------------------------// “I can’t believe you’ll even suggest something like that Cadence! It’s too soon to be…” “To be what Shining? Trusting our friends again?” “Idol is a changeling! All this time he’s been a changeling and I never knew or suspected he was one.” “Yet that never stopped the two of you from being friends as it? Buck, the two of you have played that Spider game for years, and that sure as my aunt’s name didn’t seem like faking it. Is it so hard to believe Idol might have genuinely enjoyed playing it because he enjoyed it?” This had become a typical argument between the Royal Couple for the past few weeks once when Idol’s secret was exposed with Cadence desperately trying to keep things in order. Rightly so, her husband had felt betrayed by the revelation that his best friend of a decade was a changeling, but what truly angered him the most was Idol felt the need to not share that tidbit of information. It didn’t matter that he might have not been able to, but Shining didn’t want to hear it because in his eyes their friendship might have been an elaborate lie to help Chrysalis seize control of Equestria.  Shining Armor didn’t actually believe this was what actually happened, but he realistically couldn’t dismiss the possibility either. He saw it as getting lied to by a merchant, and still doing business with them knowing what they had done before hoof. Idol was different, yet he couldn’t forgive him either.  The couple did agree these arguments were expected in a marriage, and would treat them as milestones of their relationship when given the chance. Still being proper adults, they felt it inappropriate for Flurry Heart (and Cersus) to see them arguing in this manner, and gathered an escort to shofar them around for the next couple hours. This is when Cersus felt an itch being scratched she didn’t know needed scratching ordering her escorts to take her for snow cones, the place didn’t matter as it meant getting them away from the castle.  Unstoppable Force was chosen without doubt, and as a show of respect and appreciation for his ‘first command’ was allowed to pick his fellow two escorts- Morning Star, and Harts Fire. Surprised by the selection, but willing for a change of pace the three guards and two fillies departed for a quick stroll around the city… “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for taking me with you! My assignment was boring with a capital B buddy, and because I’m a nice pony, I’ll spare you the details of the incredible boredom inflicted upon myself.” “I left my home for this?” Unstoppable Force had his two little charges sitting upon his back while his companion escorts flanked each side of him trying to keep the locals from getting too close to the young heirs, yet his Arabian heritage meant his height negated the pony shield surrounding them. He was thankful for Flurry Heart seemingly enjoying the many swarming ponies cooing, or making funny faces as they walked through the Crystal Plaza, but Redshock was the complete opposite as the attention directed toward them made her cower further into the Royal Purple robes their highnesses graciously provided for the young foals. “Step back citizen!” The shorter unicorn demanded as a group of tourists and citizens that had the audacity to move in front of their path to snap a photo. This was backed with a show of igniting her horn with its striking red hue in a display the young corporal found intriguing given his lack of formal training.  “You heard the mare! Respect the space of the heiress and her guards!” the large pegasus shouted. His loud, almost coltish voice and dark coat colors were already a steep contrast among the brightly colored Crystal ponies earning him more ‘respect’ as they fearfully backed away.  Between the two working over time, the small party managed to exit the plaza for one of the smaller main streets; disregarding the small herd of curious ponies still following from a safe distance, the five ponies were left relatively alone as they proceed down the street that would eventually lead to a smaller shopping area where the primary candy store is located. The very same one Unstoppable and Cersus had visited that night of the Wendigo attack, mostly due its close proximity to the castle, thus allowing the group enough time to secure some treats, and walk back. More than enough time for the Royal Couple to finish their argument and make up. Simple.  “It’s different, Unstoppable. Different to be doing guard work for once, and not that ‘training’ they insist is practical. Honestly, I wondered if coming to the Crystal Empire was the right move for myself, and while some days I do question it others lean me toward answering yes.” “Hey! It's wonderful to hear Star, and I couldn’t agree more. This place is great!” Harts Fire inserted himself into the conversation, his trot turning more of a prance as he enjoyed the stares for one reason or another.  “It is great for the common pony if you have no other aspirations than to shine brightly at some corner. We’re meant for grander tasks than to simply wait around for orders, which is why I left Equestria, for the guard had grown too lax in their training.” The unicorn ranted as she herself began relaxing as the crowd from earlier lingered behind, and all travelers in front gave them a wide berth having seen them prior.  The Arabian unicorn used the opportunity to check on his charges, who were still upon his back in different states of excitement with the young lady still hiding within her cloak. The new heiress sat next to her foalsitter giggling madly as she tried flapping her oversized wings in the special pegasi onesie, a piece of clothing he found ingenious as it restricted the movement of a pegasus foal’s wings to prevent premature flight.  Lady Cersus kept her head down, but he felt her grip on his neck tighten in response.  “Is that why you insist on training till exhaustion everyday Morning Star? Now I get trying to stay in peak physical shape like myself, but listen here sweet flanks when I advise you to give it a break.”  “What was that private!?” The unicorn growled as she whipped her head around so fast her locks nearly smacked Unstoppable on his neck. “I said you need to relax and quit being so high strung, else your flanks will cave in on themselves from the stress.” The pegasus causally waved the glare off as his near prance fell into step with his fellow guards.  “WHY YOU…” “Knock it off, please. We’re in public representing our lords, and have to act accordingly.” “Look at you go Unstoppable! You’re really growing into that rank when I thought you couldn’t grow any taller. Talk among the unit is you got that promotion because of your closeness to our little charge here, but obviously they were wrong.” “Watch your tone private!” “Please stop, especially you Harts! I chose you because of your talent and not your mouth. We’re supposed to take the young ones to the candy store, and come back, nothing more nothing less.” His harshness was brushed off by the pegasus.  “Of course it was my skill, and I would’ve been hurt if it was anything else!” Unstoppable sighed as he began questioning his choice picking his fellow escorts. Truth be told he chose these two not only for their skill, but the selfish reasoning they were the closest to actual friends the Arabian had. This feeling of comradery stemmed from Harts and himself joining during the recruitment drive nearly 6 months back while Morning Star was a transfer that slowly merged into their lives because of reasons she won’t disclose. Truthfully, it was her commitment to training that bumped their careers if Unstoppable could admit, for of their peers they were the most physically capable to perform some of the more recent happenings within the Empire.  Their banter was nothing else, but that, and so the three guards continued their pace toward the candy store that had done especially well for itself since the Empire’s return by being the first to offer imported candies. The shopkeep will be ill prepared for the massive unicorn's return, and maybe even distraught to see his accompanying guards and their two charges, for he would now be under review if he should make a scene in front of actual royalty.  “Please come down from there princess! I really don’t want his highness to throw me off the balcony if you fall!”  Harts Fire pleaded with the giggling alicorn foal who had somehow slipped out of her special onesie allowing her to fly freely within the candy store. Currently trying to capture the rogue alicorn was Harts, Unstoppable, and the store owner while Morning Star waited by the door to keep back the excited crowd- Cersus waited in the corner still wrapped in her purple cloak.  The disguised nymph had taken the chance to leap off her guard’s back once Flurry got free (which she had nothing to do with) , deciding to stay out of their way as they dealt with the crazy foal. Cersus figured she could coax the young alicorn into coming down if she tried since the foal never left her alone whenever she foalsit, but didn’t feel like interfering at the moment as her mind was preoccupied. The candy store had been her suggestion for the destination early this morning , and not because she had a craving for sweets- she had a plan.  Cersus might have left the hive early, but her training and time spent around Idol and Topaz had taught the nymph a plethora of skills unneeded till now when she felt sompony nearby. Celestia forbid she tell Idol or Topaz with her two caretakers busy with their own work even if they would drop everything to assist; she was thankful for parents/caretakers like them, but this was a changeling matter that needed addressing before telling Idol if at all. It was at the toy store during that huge snow storm some three weeks back when everypony was running from the clouds when Cersus first felt the other changeling. Even more so when all of them were huddled next to the Crystal Heart, that pressure in the back of head kept telling her to welcome the ling  for some reason. Yet she bit her tongue remembering not only Idol’s fears, but a few of her own encounters with rogue lings in the past several years that really shook her perception of other changelings. “This one felt different for some reason, just like Idol.” she thought, ignoring how the ponies cried in alarm as Flurry Heart casted a spell that brought little candies to life.  The young nymph wasn’t paying attention as she wondered how she could give her guards the slip to seek out this changeling that felt different then the other exiles or the ones from the hive. Of course she was nervous(not scared) about seeking this changeling out, but something was telling her to find the rogue drone… “GET DOWN!” She looked up as Unstoppable dropped to the floor as the young princess’s horn came alive, and with complete disregard fired the powerful magic toward the front of the store. Morning Star threw up a shield that barely held, but redirected the beam toward one of the walls causing it to go up in smoke, sending all the candy and shelf fixtures flying through the air like fireworks during the Summer Sun Celebration.  This was the moment she needed as Morning Star left her post by the door to join her fellow guards in an attempt to capture the giggling foal, and not waiting around, Cersus quickly slipped through the door and in between the panicked hooves of fleeing ponies. Here the disguised nymph had the bright idea of removing her robe so she could see better, not even considering pulling the hood back, and thus promptly discarded the expensive robe on the ground as she followed a group of ponies up the road toward the toy store. Cersus knew one of those two ponies was a changeling because she felt her mind brush against theirs during that awful storm, but the brief interaction was enough to learn much of this exile’s motives for being here besides the love that literally clung to the air. “It was over here…” She told herself as the distance between herself and escorts grew further apart.    Nopony even batted an eye toward the red and green pegasus foal as she weaved through another dense herd of Equestrian ponies, an increasingly common sight as the months ticked by for the incentives to move to the fair city were tempting. Or so she heard Topaz telling Nana Vivi while she was here. Maybe the changeling thought so as well?  Her excitement kept pace with her fears as the familiarity of the roads increased, meaning she was drawing nearer and nearer to that toy store, and the eventual meeting with the strange exile. Normally, she would resist meeting any changeling other than Idol, but as she noted before she had somehow brushed against this one’s mind, and suddenly knew there was no hive waiting for it. That was a huge relief for the disguised nymph who would have told Idol and Topaz the moment she got away after that storm, but she was terrified at the time, and somehow felt he wouldn’t harm her like certain other lings.  Eventually the nymph’s internal monologuing distorted enough time to make its passing near instantaneous in her eyes, and nearly welted in front of the door as the full weight of the plan began pressuring her back with its many potential failures. This might have continued for much longer but the nymph began recalling the brave Daring Do, and her father/guardian Idol, and how they might have acted in this exact situation. The fear was brushed aside as a penetrating wave of courage found her once more, and with a determination lit in her eyes, Cersus strolled forward and opened the door.  “OK! Is this the right house?” Cersus asked herself as she approached her eight door in this area looking for this pony who of all the times in the world had to be off for the day. The kind store owner did provide her with his address, but failed to tell the disguised nymph exactly where he lived, meaning she had to knock on every door asking for the pony who worked at the toy store. Half of the doors were silent while the other half revealed creatures she hadn’t really seen before moving to the Crystal Empire- Griffions, Deer, and a large pony that claimed to be a mustang.  Neither of these strange creatures knew of ‘the pony that worked at the toy store’, but the deer did know of a pony that matched her description leading her to the door she currently stood in front of.  She hadn’t knocked yet, and that was because she was coming up with questions to ask and not because she was nervous.  Here she was seeking out another exile which was the one major rules Idol and Topaz had warned her not to do, but Cersus had come of age so to speak creating this false sense of understanding that wasn’t there. Her one saving grace was the nymph had grown abilities to counteract this lack of experience by the development of a new Hive Link, a proto version of a Hive Mind.  This Hive Link was what brushed against the mysterious changeling, and allowed Cersus a glimpse into their personality ultimately leading the nymph to the conclusion he/she was approachable.   “Alright come on Cersus, you can do this.” She told herself, looked left and then right before knocking on the door.  There was no answer initially, but she waited with her ear pressed to the door trying to hear for any movement. Listening for any stray noise that could suggest there was a pony occupying the room turned belly up very quickly; she peeled herself off the door with a huff, and looked both ways once again to see if she was alone before closing her eyes to attempt something only she was keenly aware of. So secretive of this new found ability was the nymph, she hadn’t even broached the topic let alone suggested she could perform it to Topaz or Idol in the chance they grounded her yet again.  The moment she closed her eyes to concentrate was the moment she felt the tingling sensation in the back of her mind, and this feeling creeped further into every crevice of her little head before it leaped off her subconscious into the wide world around her. Cersus felt her little muscles starting to twitch from the strain of the act when she found the who she was looking for and as before brushed against his resting conscious.  The effect was instantaneous for the sleeping ling woke with a great start, and threw off Cersus’ concentration forcing her to collapse onto the ground with a small thud. She didn’t even get a chance to wonder what happened when the panicked hoofsteps of a pony rushed toward the door, locks and chains were removed… “Who are you!?” A pearl pink unicorn exclaimed more out of fear than surprise, making the nymph clam up for that brief second as her own fears came front and center.  “I..I..uh..” “They followed you didn’t they!” The pony was panicking and was already closing the door when Cersus found herself.  “I’M AN EXILE TOO!” The world was still as the pony froze in mid slam, paused, and then the door creaked open once again to expose the startled pony barely unable to keep the green of his eyes contained. It was almost surreal to see another changeling that wasn't Idol a few hoofsteps away, and by Harmony Cersus could see his true self underneath the unicorn disguise shimmering in and out. “Just like the comics.”  She thought, remembering some of the line art one of her friend’s dad had of the Power Ponies. The disguised changeling’s form would ‘shift’ in and out of the pink unicorn in front of her, and yet not once did he reveal himself, but she could see it! “An exile.. A nymph all the way up here?” The changeling whispered not caring if the nymph heard him, and it wasn’t how he spoke that un-nerved Cersus the most, but how she’d heard it.  “Hello?” Cersus asked, and watched as the changeling in the doorway stiffen in response. “Can you hear me?” “How are you doing that?”  He replied back, but said nothing as his wide eyes focused on the nymph that had picked herself off the floor and shrugged. “I don’t really know other than I can do it now, but don’t tell my folks alright? I’m Cersus.” The changeling was too in shock, and mistook that admittance as a sort of joke to allow the nymph to blend in as a foal among ponies, but that was his only guess for even he himself was new to this world of survival. He had hoped to never see another one of his kind, especially this far from Equestria only to be discovered by a nymph capable of using the hive mind… “I’m Thorax…” “Well it's nice to meet you Thorax!” Cersus extended her hoof, and when the changeling failed to respond, fluttered her wings in a way that would announce her irritation to other changelings. ”It’s a pony thing. You’re supposed to extend your hoof out to meet mine and we shake. I’m Cersus.” He didn’t question the gesture as the nymph seemed to know what she was doing, and his own exposure to ponies had forced him to question many things about everything he had been thought to believe before the horrid invasion. Here and now he felt himself wanting to take the nymph into his hooves to tell her it would be alright, but her demonstration of power made this thought pure folly for this Cersus had abilities he’d only thought the Queen capable of.  “Thorax. I’m Thorax.” This time mimicking the nymph's motion who shook the hoof with much eagerness. "Nice to meet you pony I've never met before!" He was about to ask what she meant when Cersus placed a wing over her mouth. "In case somepony is listening." Hearing it over the Hive Mind, Thorax nodded and reluctantly invited the filly into his apartment as he was unsure what else to do. In his days with the hive he'd never knew mother had anymore foals then the two of them, but now he wondered if there could be more then one hive as offered the young royal a place to sit. “The crown will fully compensate your business for any, and all damages sustained during this outing sir. Please account for everything damaged before submitting the list to the Assay Office, as soon as possible.” “Thanks…” The old store owner looked up the large Arabian Unicorn, and then to his ruined store of broken glass and candies he had spent days preparing, now crushed, or burnt upon the floor. Unstoppable felt for the pony, but his other side wanted to smile as the pony who’d wronged him had finally gotten what he deserved. He would never openly admit this, and so continued on as professionally as possible when Harts Fire shattered that little moment.  “Hey, I can’t find Colonel's filly.”  Immediately the store felt constricting, as if the pressure had suddenly risen so high it had expelled all of the air from his lungs leaving the massive pony unable to breath. In his stunned, and frightened silence Morning Star rose up to take command, ordering the pegasus to make a scan on the outside while she did so on the ground leaving the re-bundled Flurry Heart in the care of the Arabian who felt more like napping on his back after that exciting morning.  Unstoppable was still processing Hart’s statement when the two came rushing back in with Morning Star leading. He didn’t hear what they were saying as his attention was drawn to the dirty robe Lady Redshock had been wearing not even an hour prior, and it was enough to send his mind racing with possibilities to explain the fate of the missing filly before shaking them away and took command once more.  “Harts Fire, take the heiress back to the castle, and report this to their Highnesses. Morning Star and I will immediately begin searching for the missing foal.” The urgency was understood and the three departed.