"I know these are trying times, but we have to hold together!" Cassius called. His voice echoed off the cavern's rough granite walls.
The others ignored him. As they swarmed around in a frenzy, the luminous fungus that clung to the ceiling made their chitinous hides shine like drops of mercury. Those who lacked the presence of mind to fly galloped in zigzags across the floor.
Having a radius the length of several city blocks, to use a pony measurement, the auditorium was the largest chamber in the hive. The fading light toward the edges gave Cassius the feeling of standing on one of the surface world's endless deserts. The far-off ceiling was like a turquoise sky interwoven with wispy black clouds, but with the entire hive crammed in under it, the lack of collisions was a small miracle.
"Nothing good will come of panic and indecision. If you want to live, you'll listen to what I have to say!"
Had the others heard Cassius, they gave no sign.
Cassius sighed.
Chrysalis never had trouble getting the others' attention. Cassius didn't want to acknowledge the painful truth that he'd never see her again, no one did, but after the collective consciousness splintered apart, there was no doubt in anyone's mind. Not that he could confirm that. She'd told him to take care of the others if she didn't come back from Canterlot, but he couldn't do that unless they sat still long enough to hear him out. He forced down the lump in his throat and tried again, "Be still, dammit!"
Cassius's voice boomed through the auditorium and the tunnels beyond. Numerous pairs of changelings plowed into each other, though the majority remained airborne. Those on the ground stopped in their tracks and looked to the raised mound at the center of the room where the noise had come from. Each set of wide, glassy eyes twisted the dagger in his heart.
"I know Chrysalis, our beloved queen, seems to have left us when we need her the most, but I'll tell you this: we may not share the same thoughts anymore, but we're still changelings! Nothing is ever going to change that. If we stick together, like we always have, we're bound to come out of this for the better."
The others remained tense, but Cassius had their attention.
Before he could continue, a youthful, feminine voice rang out from the darkness. "You seem eager to forget that Mother has always been there for us. She may be gone, but neither you nor any other will ever replace her."
It sounded familiar, but Cassius couldn't put a face to it. "Step forth, Sister. Let us see eye to eye."
As the crowd parted, a lone changeling stepped into the light. She was a slender thing, about a head taller than the others.
Cassius sized her up. His gaze traced her long legs before meeting her eyes.
The changeling had been crying, that much was certain, but the glare she gave him told another story. Ponies had myriad expressions for their emotions, but such things were alien to see juxtaposed on an undisguised changeling.
Cassius realized he'd been staring and looked aside. "Aurelia, I'm glad you could join us."
"Cassius," Aurelia said.
Chrysalis wasn't known for playing favorites, but for some reason Cassius could scarcely fathom, she'd made an exception for Aurelia. Chrysalis had even given her a name. When not in character, most changelings referred to each other as "Brother" or "Sister." To be fair, he had a name too, but Chrysalis gave it to him for a specific reason: the others needed to know what to call their new leader.
"Mother might not have told you," Cassius said, "but she gave me a job before she left. 'If worse comes to worst,' she said, 'I want you to care for the others until they're ready to care for themselves.'"
Aurelia stepped onto the mound. Her muzzle was barely a hoof's length away. "She did tell me, actually. Do you know what else she told me?"
Cassius felt a blush coming on and turned away. If she saw, she'd never let him live it down. "What?"
"She told me you wouldn't have a clue what she was talking about and I would have to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."
"Those were her exact words."
Aurelia began circling Cassius as if he were prey. "More or less."
Cassius took a deep breath and turned to face her. "Why should I believe you?"
Aurelia put her foreleg over his withers and made a sweeping gesture to the others before turning to him with a winning smile that brandished her petite fangs. "Why should your brothers and sisters believe you?"
Something else pierced Cassius's heart. "Because I have a plan."
"All right, I'll humor you." Aurelia winked. "What's this plan of yours?"
Cassius forced his most confident grin. "We're going to war."
Aurelia half smirked but said nothing.
"No objections, then?"
Aurelia stepped back. "Wait, you're being serious?"
"Completely."
Aurelia laughed.
Revenge was the clearest, most rational desire to ever cross Cassius's mind of his own volition, and she was laughing. "Is there something funny about my plan?"
"What isn't funny about your plan?"
Cassius turned, walked to the opposite end of the mound, and studied the cold, rocky soil beneath his eroded hooves. He needed a drink, but that was a luxury he couldn't afford. The others needed direction, and he wasn't about to let Aurelia stop him from giving it to them. When he spoke, his eyes stayed fixed to the ground. "I thought you were here to help."
"I'm helping."
Cassius turned his head to stare at Aurelia. "How?"
Aurelia smiled innocently. "By telling you that your plan is stupid."
"What makes you say that?"
"Nothing. That's why your plan is stupid."
Cassius turned the rest of his body. His brow furrowed. "I don't follow."
"There's nothing making me say or do anything, nor is there anything making our brothers and sisters follow you to the grave."
Cassius gave the others an apologetic look; he'd almost forgotten they were there. "There's nothing making them listen to you, either."
"Why don't we ask them?"
"My thoughts exactly." Cassius looked around the room, making eye contact with each changeling he saw.
Some were shifting their posture; others were flitting their wings.
Whether their actions were signs of anxiety, impatience, or both, Cassius couldn't tell. "What do you say, my brothers and sisters?" he asked. "Will you follow me into glorious battle against the pony hordes to avenge the loss of our beloved queen?"
Aurelia started cracking up and leaned on him for support.
Cassius closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and imagined a dragon swooping down from the sky to carry her away as he willed his face to display all the fake confidence he could muster. "Or will you listen to this harlot, forsaking your duty to kin and country in favor of whatever absurdity she has in mind?"
The others erupted into a cacophony of chanting that echoed throughout the auditorium. "We want justice! We want war!"
Cassius flashed his prominent fangs as he beamed at Aurelia. "Well, Aurelia, I believe the hive has spoken."
Aurelia sighed and shook her head but made no further objection. Right or wrong, she had no business telling the others what to do. She only hoped they would realize their mistake in the weeks to come.
***
The six mares that bore the Elements of Harmony were seldom recognized outside their hometown of Ponyville. Most ponies were too busy worrying about where their next meal would come from to care about the mares who'd saved Equestria from both Nightmare Moon and Discord. That changed when the changelings invaded during a royal wedding, sparking the first armed conflict in almost a thousand years.
Once again, Equestria needed hope. For this reason, a private carriage flanked by a squadron of pegasus pony guards had just touched down in front of Canterlot Castle. The carriage had been flying all night; the morning sun was taking its first glimpse over the horizon.
A unicorn mare was the first to step off. She squinted, surveying the area for anything suspicious. Finding nothing, she set off toward the castle.
A young dragon lurched after her. Struggling to balance the tower of books that obstructed his vision, he tripped. The books raining down around him drove his face into the polished marble walkway.
The unicorn frowned. Her horn radiated purple magic as she dragged him to his feet. "Come on, Spike. We don't have time for this!"
"Why did we have to bring all these books, anyway?" Spike asked, pulling an open encyclopedia of mythical creatures off his head and massaging his snout. "Last I checked, the castle was home to the largest library in Equestria. I don't think much has changed in the past two years."
The unicorn smiled broadly and glanced at the books. "Yeah, about that. You see—"
"Twilight, look out!" Spike pointed a claw behind her.
Twilight spun around. Her ears drooped and her irises shrunk as she took in the image of an earth pony stallion charging toward her.
A shimmer appeared around the stallion's forehead and spread across his body, revealing the crooked horn and sneering visage of a changeling. The changeling roared in a twisted mockery of the Royal Canterlot Voice, "For the hive!"
Twilight's mind screamed, "Run!"
The changeling was faster.
Twilight hit the cold stone path with a crunch. Pain shot through her side as a pair of hooves rolled her onto her back and pinned her legs to the ground. She was too stunned to resist. She saw the guards springing into action. They were too late. Staring pleadingly into the changeling's expressionless eyes, she whimpered.
The changeling lowered his head to the base of her neck, bared his dripping fangs, and sunk them into the soft flesh beneath her lavender coat. Blood flowed from the puncture wounds.
Twilight tried to cry out, but his venom made her body go limp. The world faded away.
***
"So this is what death feels like," Twilight said. "Shouldn't there be a light I'm supposed to follow, or maybe a reaper pony to guide me to the afterlife?"
Looking around, she sighed. There was nothing but blackness. "Maybe I'm in hell."
She sniffed the air, expecting more nothingness. Instead, a distinct smell reached her nostrils—cleaning chemicals. "At least it's not the fire and brimstone variety."
Her hearing started to return. The quiet hum of fluorescent lights came with it, though the darkness remained absolute. "Maybe hell is a hospital waiting room."
"Giggle at the ghostly," as Pinkie would say.
Twilight tried to laugh, but any mirth she felt vanished at the thought of her friends: Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. Twilight would never see them again. She'd never see anypony again.
"Oh Celestia." All the times she'd been inconsiderate or neglectful, all the times she'd been hurtful, came flooding back. The onslaught was more than she could bear.
She didn't have to; a stallion's voice pierced the void, "I have to see her. She's my sister, for Celestia's sake!"
Tired and raspy as the voice was, Twilight would recognize it even in the darkest depths of Tartarus. She hoped she'd never have to.
"I don't care if you're the Princesses' nephew, Sir. Ms. Sparkle needs her rest," another voice said. It was probably a nurse's, but it echoed as if a second voice was buried underneath.
"Unless you want me to take that thermometer and—"
"Shining," Twilight whispered, "is that you?" She lay on her side in a cushioned hospital bed, motionless save for the quiver of her lips. A cotton blanket covered her to the base of her neck, which was wrapped in blood-soaked gauze. A silk blindfold shielded her eyes from the light.
Shining rushed to her side and pulled off the blindfold.
To her credit, the nurse didn't press the issue.
"I'm here, Twilie," Shining said.
Twilight clamped her eyes shut at the sudden glare of artificial light. When she opened them, the first thing that came into focus was her big brother standing by her side.
Shining's alabaster coat and electric-blue mane were obscured by the gold-trimmed-purple plate armor that marked Shining as the Captain of Celestia's Royal Guard. His eyes watered as he laid his neck over hers in a warm, gentle embrace. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me," he said. "I promise you nothing like this will ever happen again."
Twilight pulled away to look at him, eyebrow arched. "What do you mean?"
"There's no time to explain; I'm already behind schedule. The doctor said you'd be fine, but I had to see for myself before I left." Shining brushed her pink-striped-indigo mane and smiled. "Maybe we can spend some quality time together once this is over." He turned and started toward the door.
"You can't even tell me where you're going?"
Shining stopped. When he turned to face her, he didn't look at her so much as stare right through her. "I'm going to put an end to this."
Shivering like an ice cube was melting down her spine, Twilight wondered what he saw. It couldn't have been good if his determined frown was any indication.
"The changelings took my wife, and now they've tried to take you." Shining's voice became low and threatening. "They've attacked us in our own capital twice, Twilight. They won't get a third chance." Shining left without waiting for a response.
Though her eyes stung, Twilight refused to cry, electing to stare at the wall instead. "I have to be strong," she muttered. "This is just a minor setback. Equestria needs me; Celestia needs me. I don't know what she expects, but I'm not about to abandon a friend in need. A little blood loss isn't going to keep Twilight Sparkle down." She tried to stand, but her balance was off and she fell back into the bed. "Metaphorically speaking."
Other thoughts came and went as she studied the floral wallpaper. Spike's scaly arms wrapping around her withers interrupted her brooding, accompanied by a cry of, "Twilight, you're okay!"
Twilight turned her head to return the hug and winced.
Spike let go quicker than she would have liked. "Sorry," he said. "I should have figured the wound would still be raw, but I was so worried... That changeling tried to kill you right in front of me. I thought..."
Twilight put her foreleg around his shoulders and held him close. More pain lanced through her, but she hid it. She knew what to expect this time. This was neither the time nor the place for honesty—even Applejack would have to agree. "Shh... I'll be fine. The doctor said so. Besides, the pain isn't even that bad."
When Twilight looked up, she saw the regal figure of Princess Celestia standing in the doorway. "Oh! Forgive me, Princess. I hope you haven't been waiting long."
Celestia must have come in with Spike. The flowing aurora of her mane looked dimmer than usual, but she wore the practiced, unreadable expression of a seasoned diplomat. "No, Twilight. If anything, I should be asking your forgiveness. You wouldn't be laying in a hospital bed if I hadn't called you here." She shook her head. "I only hope Shining Armor knows what he's doing."
Twilight had been caressing the row of green spines that ran along Spike's back, but Celestia's last few words made her pause. "I spoke with him before you two arrived. He said he would make sure the changelings never attacked us again, but he wouldn't tell me how."
"I gave him an assignment." Celestia searched Twilight's eyes. "Promise me you won't think any less of your brother after hearing what I'm about to tell you. If you blame anyone, blame me."
"Why? What's he going to do?"
"Promise me."
Twilight searched Celestia's face for answers. None were forthcoming. "Okay... I promise."
Celestia walked to the hospital window. It was a stark contrast to the stained glass that adorned the public parts of the castle, but thanks to the ever-vigilant pegasus ponies' efforts to keep the sky clear, the view more than made up for the lack of artistry.
She kept her expression neutral as she took in the scenery. Her sun was setting in the west. Ponyville, Cloudsdale, and several other major cities dotted the landscape, but her focus was further south. The jagged orange peaks and canyons of the Badlands, where the dragons would rest during their next migration, cut up the horizon, marking the edge of her territory.
According to her scouts, the hive lay somewhere within an impenetrable fog that brushed midway up the other side of the mountain range and covered everything as far as the eye could see in a gray abyss. Magical scans of the area showed a marshy wasteland filled with alien vegetation and rocky outcrops but no sign of the changelings. Sending an army would be like pitting a three-legged cat against an invisible diamond dog, but a single soldier might be able to find an entrance and sneak in undetected. She hated playing with ponies' lives.
She took a long, deep breath. When she spoke, she didn't make eye contact. "After the changeling attacked you, the guards took him into custody. Shining Armor presided over the interrogation. He discovered that the changelings are no longer under the control of their queen, Chrysalis."
Her expression faltered, but whatever broke through vanished a second later. "They've elected a Legate, Cassius, to lead their offensive. When pressed as to why this change took place, the changeling answered by bashing his carapace into the cell door. By the time a nurse could be called, he had already bled to death."
Twilight tried to push the image to the back of her mind and look at the situation logically, but she couldn't help wondering if Shining got any blood on his hooves. "I don't see how Shining could be at fault. He couldn't have known the changeling would kill himself."
"When he came to me to present his findings, he proposed an expedition into changeling territory. He wanted a writ for the assassination of Legate Cassius. I gave it to him."
"What the hell, Princess?" Twilight wanted to shout, but the scratchiness in her throat wouldn't let her.
Celestia kept her distance as she turned to look Twilight in the eye. "'All's fair in love and war,' as the saying goes."
"Are you that heartless, or did the thought of negotiation never cross your mind?" Spike asked.
Celestia cringed. His words cut deeper than he knew. The millenniums she spent as Equestria's monarch had prepared her for moments like this, but she was tired of hiding behind her stoic facade. She wanted to wrap her wings around Twilight and tell her everything was going to be all right, but it wouldn't. Not for a long time. "Please don't call me that, Spike. I only try to do what's best for my subjects. The time for diplomacy ended when Chrysalis invaded my city during a royal wedding, foalnapped my niece, and tried to steal Equestria out from under my hooves."
"You let yourself be captured when you could have squashed her like a bug," Twilight said, "but now you're trying to justify sending my brother off to murder somepony you've never met."
Celestia went pale, though her milky coat made the effect nigh unnoticeable
"Why?"
"You have no business asking me a question like that, nor do you have any business telling me how to run my country." Celestia began toward the door. Letting her emotions go unchecked had made them hard to reign in. She felt childish for ending the argument like this, but she knew Twilight was in no condition to follow.
"What about Princess Luna? Doesn't she have any say in this?"
Celestia was halfway out the door when she stopped and looked over her shoulder. The one eye that wasn't obscured by her mane began to glisten. "I haven't talked to her about it, but my sister knows as well as I do that doing the right thing isn't always possible." Tears matted the fur running down her cheek, but she kept her gaze fixed on Twilight. "Don't think for a minute that I don't wish I could go back and do things differently. Sometimes being a ruler means making sacrifices. I can't always follow my heart."
Twilight was speechless. In all the years they'd known each other, she'd never seen Celestia cry. Celestia even treated Luna's banishment with academic stoicism. Granted, that was a thousand years ago.
"Why don't you just call off the attack?" Spike asked.
Celestia took a moment to compose herself. "I'm done talking about this. I had hoped to put the two of you to work at the Office of Wartime Intelligence, but I should have known better than to expect the bearer of an Element of Harmony to understand what needs to be done." Her voice took on an echo of its usual compassion. "I'll arrange for a carriage to take you back to Ponyville when you're ready to be released from the hospital, as well as a regiment of royal guards to supplement your local militia. Whether or not Shining Armor is successful, I refuse to see you harmed because of this senseless conflict."
Twilight watched the last wisp of Celestia's tail disappear around the door frame before glancing at Spike, who was staring into space as if deep in thought.
Sensing Twilight's gaze, Spike looked back.
"I suppose now you're going to abandon me too," Twilight said.
Spike wrapped his arms around her.
Twilight laid her head over his shoulder and watched through half-lidded eyes as the cotton bedding became saturated with saline fluid. Exhaustion soon claimed her and she fell into a fitful sleep.
The setting sun cast long shadows on the far wall. Luna's moon would soon grace the sky, but for the moment there was just enough light to see by.
Spike pressed his claw against Twilight's ribs and waited for her slow, shallow breathing to steady before carefully pulling himself out of her grip.
"I'm not abandoning you. I just need to set things right," he whispered into Twilight's ear. "They may not think we can do what needs to be done, but there's one thing I can do that they can't."
Rifling through the storage cabinets, he found the things he would need with ease. He popped the bottle of ink open with his teeth, dipped the quill, and began scratching words onto the parchment.
"Dear Legate Cassius:" he wrote. "I've recently been made aware that a writ for your assassination has been granted to one Shining Armor, a unicorn stallion in service to Princess Celestia. I only hope this letter will give you enough forewarning to take whatever precautions you deem necessary."
Twilight groaned.
Spike's eyes darted to the bed. Seeing that she was just turning over in her sleep, Spike released the breath he held and hastily finished the note. "I'm telling you this to show that not all of us here in Equestria have given up on the possibility of diplomacy. I hope that by working together, we can put an end to this conflict with as few casualties as possible."
He looked over his handiwork. Smiling, he signed it off, opened the window, and sent the letter to its destination in a puff of sparkling green fire. He didn't know where the letter would end up, nor did he need to. So long as he knew who the intended recipient was, his innate dragon magic would take it to him.
Now that the deed was done, he curled up against Twilight's side for some much needed rest.
Once his peaceful snoring filled the room, the nurse from earlier poked her head in. Her horn glowed faint green as she blanketed him in a field of levitation magic. With a wistful sigh, she let her disguise slip away to reveal her charcoal-black exoskeleton. Spreading her insectoid wings, she took off through the open window and disappeared into the night sky.