“Alright Celestia, sell me the idea of unleashing a chaos god. Considering the fact that I was responsible for the last time, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt; he has his uses.”
Celestia chuckled, “I was expecting a more hostile reaction. Thank you for at least having an open mind.”
“Do not think you have a clear pasture to graze on, sister,” Luna grumbled. “I for one believe your idea is meritless. Faust knows things were bad enough last time Discord was unleashed- and the threat of the Umbrum still looms on the horizon, do we really want to risk the safety of Equestria while there’s already a sword hanging above our heads?”
Cadance quietly sipped her tea, her eyes darting between the three of us as we argued.
“Conversely,” Celestia countered, “I could argue that we cannot risk not reforming the draconequus. With a snap of his fingers, armies can be reduced to… You remember.”
“I remember,” Luna echoed, “which is why I must stand against this.”
I cut in, “So Celestia, do you have any particular reason to think that this scheme of yours has a chance of working?”
Celestia poured me a cup of tea, which I accepted with a smile and put down on a saucer the moment she turned away.
“As my sister has told you numerous times, the Elements tend to have a mind of their own,” Celestia said. “The bearers can use their will to… suggest to the Elements what course of action is preferred. When we used the Elements on Discord the first time, we wanted to stop him forever. To seal away the hurt he was causing and cauterize the wound across Equus. The second time, the bearers had the same aspiration. But what if we turned the Elements to less…. permanent means? Every time we have purged a Nightmare–”
“So, twice,” I interrupted.
“– the victim has been left in a state of weakness. Our powers were diminished. If we can… drain Discord’s mana pool in a similar manner, we may create the opportunity to speak to him. Truly speak. His aloofness would be hard pressed to find purchase when he cannot even hover or change the color of his fur.”
Celestia fortified her tea with some spiced rum, leaving me and Luna to share a look of disbelief.
“I remain unconvinced,” Luna said simply.
“I… It’s a big risk, Celestia,” I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. “Last time he was free- when I set him free, he stripped me of everything with a snap of his fingers. Everything. I was quite literally as powerless and fragile as a pillow. What if using the Elements on him just… sets him free? I don’t– I don’t want to be turned into a stuffed animal again, Celestia.”
“It’s a risk,” she admitted. “No small one at that. We are discussing unleashing the greatest danger to Equus since… horsefeathers, there is no greater threat than Discord. Even King Sombra might not stack up to the draconequus’s ferocity and capacity for destruction. But we can give Discord something he never had before: a chance.”
Luna snorted, “I distinctly recall asking him to end his reign of terror before we sealed him away.”
Celestia grunted, tapping a stirring spoon against the side of her tea cup as she thought.
“... That we did. But I believe this plan has more of a chance of success. If we humble him, truly humble him, then he will have no choice but to hear our words. No veneer of entertainment and power to hide behind. No new horizon to turn to- new town to terrorize.”
‘I can’t imagine what living during his reign was like. Never knowing if your town would become the subject of an insane god’s curiosity for the evening. Strike that, I definitely know what it’s like. It’s like being tossed into a washing machine and left to tumble.’
“Cadance,” I broke the silence, “what’s your opinion?”
The young alicorn looked up from her seat, setting down a newspaper as she considered my question.
“I share your fears, Phasma. But I’ve learned to face my fears, to show a brave face and raise my shield against them. You helped no small part in that, though not in the way friends would help each other.”
I raised an eyebrow, remembering meeting her while she was hacking apart a dummy of myself.
“It’s scary,” Cadance continued, “but together, we stand to gain so much. Give peace a chance, I say.”
“Make peace with the god of chaos?” Luna all-but-snarled. “You are young, dear Cadance. You didn’t see the world under his reign. The grotesque horrors, the end of civilizations, the sheer madness of it all. What happened during the Gala was but a taste of the poisoned meal his freedom will offer.”
Celestia sighed, “Sister. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me Discord standing with us won’t save lives. Tell me that he doesn’t deserve a chance.”
Luna paused, “... I don’t like it.”
“I know you don’t,” Celestia acknowledged. “But you see the merits in my idea, do you not?”
Luna made to answer, paused, then looked at me.
“... There is too much at stake. I say nay.”
“I vote yes,” Cadance shrugged.
“... Phasma?” Celestia asked. “You seem to be the deciding vote. Do we free the most dangerous creature to walk the planet, or do we risk losing more lives?”
Frowning, I tapped the arm of the chair I was sitting in. It was an extravagant thing, more expensive than anything I had ever parked my ass in during my previous life. I imagined all the time that went into making it. The cutting of the tree, the carving of the wood, the harvesting of the fabric’s material and stuffing, the stitching by hoof, the lacquering, the bartering and trading of the chair till it landed here in some random sitting room in the richest palace in the world.
Then I thought about how quickly all of those hundreds of hours of effort could vanish if someone came close with a match.
“Things are too fragile right now,” I said at last. “The changelings and ponies are already at each other’s throats. While an outside threat might unite us, well, we’ve already got one of those. Another day, perhaps. Or… maybe we can keep him in our back pocket.”
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Mutually assured destruction,” I mused. “If we can somehow arrange for Discord to break free should we fail to stop King Sombra, maybe he can end the Nightmares himself. Sure, the world would be plunged into a second age of chaos, but life will continue, won’t it? In time, new heroes or heroines can end his madness.”
The princesses shared a look, Luna nodding while Celestia frowned.
“I like that idea better,” Luna said.
“Of course you do,” Celestia mumbled.
“Burn the garden to let new life spring up,” Cadance nodded. “I can… understand that. How we can accomplish that is another matter entirely, however.”
Celestia set her cup down in its saucer, “Then it’s decided. We shall free Discord at a later date, when we can focus entirely on him. We will arrange for him to break free should all of us fall while defending Equus against the coming darkness.”
“On that note, Phasma and I have discovered something urgent,” Luna announced. “Something you should know.”
I detailed our findings from earlier. Princess Procho’s whereabouts, what she said over the Weave. As Celestia ruminated over our findings, Cadance raised a few questions.
“She didn’t hear you, Phasma?”
“No. But she was talking about me.”
“How So?”
I nodded to Luna, “We’ve got the conversation written down. The half I heard, at least. She mentioned a changeling king. Not many of those, I reckon.”
“May I see the written transcript?” Cadance asked.
“Of course,” Luna nodded, producing it and levitating it over. “We have started recording any findings alongside what Phasma can remember of his previous conversations and overheard snippets. Our progress on learning Soulmancy from the ground up is progressing remarkably well, though we still have much to learn. Practical applications of our knowledge seem to be… limited for now, but I am of the belief that should we obtain the other half of Princess Procho’s soul, we may be able to successfully reunite them and heal her.”
“This is good,” Celestia mused into her tea. “Who knows what our next step will be after healing her soul, but the act itself is important. Harmonious. Or whatever, I’ve never done anything like this before.”
I tapped my hoof on the armrest again, rubbing my chin in thought.
“Bit for your thoughts?” Luna asked, leaning towards me.
“What?”
“What are you thinking, Phasma?”
I shrugged, “I’m thinking of striking a deal with the devil.”
“Which one? They seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days.”
“The one that we’re going to hear the witnesses for in an hour,” I said. “Chrysalis. We’ll need to tell her about this. It’s her daughter.”
“About that,” Celestia put her drink down and looked at me. “I don’t want either of you to contact her during the course of this trial. None of us Princesses, Kings, or even the Princes of the Fifth Hive should be communicating with her. Tampering with the trial, security risk, call it what you will, but I want all of us to take a step back from Chrysalis.”
I grunted, “You don’t have to sell me on the idea of not being in the same room as her for longer than I have to. You’ll get the news to her?”
Celestia nodded, “I’ll have an intermediary deliver the news.”
“Candlewick,” Cadance mumbled, looking up from the Soulmancy journal, and we all looked at her. “Princess Procho calls the other participant a pompous candlewick. Sound familiar, auntie?”
Celestia’s eyebrows shot up, “She is rather picky with the company she keeps. I’m happy to hear Philomena is okay- she’s been gone for longer than she ever has before. This is indeed good news!”
“Philomena. Your phoenix?” I asked, recalling the name.
The sun princess smiled, “My phoenix. She vanished sometime during or after your invasion of Canterlot. She’s gone on little sojourns before, so I wasn’t too worried. But as the months dragged on, I was beginning to fear something had happened to her…”
“Apparently she decided to take a vacation to Griffonia while Canterlot was burning,” Cadance mused, returning to our journal. “And has taken an interest in Princess Procho.”
“I don’t follow,” I said, frowning. “Procho was talking to a phoenix? What makes you so sure? Last I checked, phoenixes can’t talk.”
“Won’t talk,” Celestia corrected. “They can talk to a select few. Don’t ask me what the criteria is to understand or earn the chance to hear their words, I haven’t a clue. But this is her. I know it. I feel it.”
Cadance giggled, “Also Celestia called Philomena a pompous candlewick in public four centuries ago and the nickname stuck.”
“She burned my favorite dress because I refused to let her eat the Mayor of Canterlot’s dog!” Celestia groaned, pouring rum directly into her tea. “I mean honestly, did she really believe I would ever let her?!”
“Is it possible that Procho learned this nickname?” Luna asked me.
I shrugged, “I didn’t- but my training lasted all of half a year. Now, as much as I’d love to stick around, I need to go meet with the First Fang before the trial picks up.”
Celestia glanced at a grandfather clock in the corner of the room, “In an hour?”
“They’re holding a meeting that I’m already late for,” I said, rising from my seat. “I need to tell them about Procho, and catch up on what I’ve missed today.”
“Then we better hurry,” Luna said, rising.
“Luna, you don’t need to keep following me like a shadow.”
“That’s what I thought last time,” Luna said quietly. “Our foes are sending assassins after you. Assassins! In Equestria! You are not leaving my line of sight till that scum-sucking bastard responsible is in chains!”
I sighed, ears pinned back in embarrassment as we had this argument in front of Celestia and Cadance.
“... Fine. Whatever. I guess you’ll also just have to sit through me holding court tonight, too.”
“Indeed I will. You better have a chair for me right next to yours.”
I smiled, “I’m sure the boys can find a bar stool or something for you.”
“The tribunal calls Captain Ironshod of the New Horseleans Guard to the stand to testify against Chrysalis.”
There was a quiet murmur that passed through the gathered ponies. While the trial was open to the public, that did not mean it was open to the public per se. Celestia was quite content with her choice of hoof-picked ponies. No chance for Division-P to infiltrate her own court, no sir. Every last pony was some sort of castle staff or vetted, background-checked government contractor who had absolutely no ties to the renegade murderers tarnishing her name.
And if that wasn’t enough, the thirty or so guards around, amongst, and between the civilians and the court itself was a second deterrent against any suspicious activities, the thick invisible magic shielding was a third, and Celestia would have liked to think that common decency was a fourth deterrent.
But she had let go of such foalish notions long ago.
The old captain took to the stand, acting as tired and fragile as he looked.
‘What are you sighing about, Ironshod? You’re not the one who will be sitting through four weeks of witness testimony, evidence examination, and worst of all: sobriety.’
“Please introduce yourself,” Cadance instructed the Captain.
“I am Captain Ironshod, I am in charge of the city guard for New Horseleans.”
Cadance nodded, “Do you know why you are here today?”
Celestia tuned out the line of inquiry, shunting it to the back of her mind. She was paying attention in only the barest sense, and would be able to recall what was being said while in actuality she was thinking and focusing on other things. It was a finely honed skill that saved her sanity from a terrifying amount of hours listening to nobles over the centuries.
She glanced to her side past Luna and at Phasma. The King was looking nervous. Not outwardly– he had been trained not to show such emotions by the mare on trial, but Celestia saw the signs. A twitch of the tail, flick of the ear, and light tapping of a hoof on the arm of his throne.
‘The former-human was the one who personally took apart this town, I imagine he has a lot of things to be nervous of. But I’ve already spoken with Ironshod myself weeks ago; there’s nothing that’s about to be revealed that the princesses and I don’t already know, nor anything that he should be afraid of being said aloud.’
The changelings’ break-neck paced invasion of Equestria had started out terrifyingly efficient. The southern towns and cities had been scouted out, isolated, and drained at such a rapid pace that Daybreaker was still trying to study how it was done months after the cordon had been set up around the Badlands. To this day, Celestia was still scratching her head at some of the finer points.
‘This is not how I imagined this year going down. Invasions, Nightmares and possessions, crimes against sapient races, murder, torture, assassins… What has become of my kingdom? What kind of rot was festering beneath the veneer of calmness that led to this insanity?’
Celestia nodded slowly. Ironshod was describing the suddenness of the attack on his once-peaceful town.
‘The hatred and hot-bloodedness that Division-P instilled couldn’t have sprung up overnight. Not even Daybreaker had enough time and influence to pull together such a tapestry of vileness. Where did this all come from? How did it start? How did it grow? Was it a lack of vigilance on my part? Did I miss the signs? Did I aid the growth of this malignant cancer at the heart of my life’s work? I’ve been rather distracted- but how could I not? My sister was due to return and I had several proteges to train…’
The corner of her lips tugged upwards towards a smile before Celestia smothered the motion. Cadance was leading the questioning of the witness. The alicorn was doing an excellent job of using Ironshod to paint a picture of what had gone down in the first large settlement taken by Chrysalis’s ordered invasion.
‘Cadance… You grew up so quickly. You’re making a fine Princess, dear. No matter what life throws at you, I know you now have the strength, knowledge, and friends to get you through it. Together, we’ll all guide this kingdom through the night. Or should I say kingdoms, plural? Though they are small, Vallachia and the Fifth Hive are not to be discounted.’
Throughout the questioning of Captain Ironshod, Chrysalis remained silent. The former-despot was sitting behind her little podium, watching the inquiry with a neutral expression.
“I think that will be enough for now,” Cadance said, clearing her throat. “All agreed? Chrysalis, you may question the witness yourself now.”
The changeling shook her head, “I see no need.”
‘... Chrysalis knows how a trial works, right? I could have sworn I got somepony to explain it all to her.’
Shining Armor stared down Sulfur Drip and Katydid.
“This isn’t the news I wanted,” Shining sighed, shaking his head and glancing out the stained glass window.
The blurred figures of ponies and changelings in the training yard outside faded into each other through the colorful glass. Through the depiction of a guard at his sentry post, they all looked the same to Shining.
“Would you rather we lie?” Katydid asked.
“No,” Shining said to the changeling captain. “But we’re supposed to have progress to show for all our hard work. How long have the soldiers been working together? How long ago did you arrive in Canterlot, Sulfur Drip?”
The thestral shrugged, “Two months or so.”
“And yet you tell me that the three tribes, the thestrals, and the changelings are at each other’s necks? Is this just a few bad actors, or is this endemic? Katydid?”
“I can’t tell,” Katydid admitted. “With so many ponies so close together, it gets hard to pick out specifics. I’ve been too busy working with the Chaplains of Oestridae to police our own ranks to police yours, Captain Shining Armor. Need I remind you, there’s plenty of drones within the Swarm who would love to repay the pain Division-P inflicted upon us, heedless of who they repay that pain to. The Red Right Hoof may be taking up the majority of our combined drills, but anything involving the other Legions takes a lot of oversight and coordination with the Chaplains.”
“There’s hatred in the hearts of both armies,” Sulfur summarized. “I’ve been working hard with the rest of my fellow warriors to bridge the gap and undo the damage being done, but there’s only so many of us. Not to mention those bloody newspapers are aflame with vampony rumors and gossip. It is like flying into a gale! Your warriors are quick to imbibe in nonsense, Shining.”
“Yes, well, there’s ten thousand Royal Guards in Canterlot alone,” Shining said. “With a lot of ponies, you’re going to get a lot of different kinds of mares and stallions. The changelings and thestrals are present in relatively few numbers. You can select the best and most level-headed to represent your tribes.” Shining sighed, rubbing his temples. “Are we at least making progress? Are we farther along than where we started?”
“Of course,” Sulfur Drip said immediately. “By all accounts, the changelings and ponies ought to still be at each other’s throats. We’ve made a lot of progress, but it’s being undone rather quickly.”
“Undone?” Shining asked. “What do you mean?”
Sulfur flicked a wing in irritation, “The trial. What else could I mean? That is putting more stress on everypony than anything else. The warriors who have had horrible pasts with the other species have been moved away from our joint forces, but everypony’s eyes are on this royal affair.”
Shining shrugged, “We can’t exactly call that off. And making it private is above our paygrade.”
“If we cannot take the trial away from our warriors’ ears, then we must take our warriors away from this trial,” Sulfur announced. “We shall conduct hunt games away from Canterlot!”
“... That could work,” Katydid said, scratching his chin. “Good idea, Lieutenant Sulfur. War games away from the city might help things calm down. Especially with everyone shoulder to shoulder in the tunnels. Errr, mud?”
Shining sighed, “It is a good idea, but there’s a rather large problem. There’s a lot of Royal Guards that would have to be moved out of Canterlot for this. Let’s… Let’s get the process started. I’ll see what I can do about getting my ponies out as quickly as possible, but it’ll take a few days to get everything in place.”
“I will find a suitable location,” Sulfur Drip added. “Somewhere nearby with enough room for all of us and locations for mock-battles and drills. There’s enough nearby wilderness for that not to be a problem.”
“I will work with Lieutenant Sulfur to prepare the area,” Katydid announced. “Together, we should have our impromptu training grounds ready in short order. That way, you can focus on mobilizing your soldiers, Captain Shining.”
Shining smiled, “I would appreciate that. Just don’t go tearing out somepony’s garden, or cutting down trees in some national forest.”
Luna propped her head on a hoof.
This was the fourth day in a row of testimonies against the changelings and Chrysalis. Pony soldiers and civilians spoke of their experience at the hooves of their new insectoid allies, and Luna was worrying that having this open to the public wasn’t such a good idea.
But Celestia had reassured her that keeping things secret was worse. The ponies deserved the truth, no matter how painful it was. But so far, everything that had been spoken of could be levied against Phasma and the rest of the changelings as much as it could be blamed on Chrysalis.
At least Phasma had conveniently stayed out of the worst of the fighting and podding. Like a specter of death, he had observed and oversaw the destruction of the pony kingdom from an aloof distance. Still, that was not a very good thing to be associated with someling who was supposed to be Equestria’s newest and closest ally.
Luna had been apprised of Cadance’s plan for the trial. Phasma had been informed, too. The three judges had planned on interviewing all the ponies first to establish the facts of the Invasion of Equestria, then move onto the second invasion, then Chrysalis’s reign of terror within the Fourth Hive. The plan was to slowly push Chrysalis’s involvement more and more into the spotlight, ending with her specific actions as a ruler.
Unfortunately, that meant that during the first part of the trial, things did not look good for the changelings.
“What happened next, Fancy Pants?” Coxa asked.
The stallion shuddered, “I couldn’t move. The spell they hit me with left me like a shaken martini! I was dragged into the streets and picked up by a pair of changelings. They… I saw them dragging other ponies out into the streets. The Jets’ home was burning. The skies were burning! Ponies I knew for decades were being dragged through the mud- just like me!”
The unicorn paused, hyperventilating.
“Do you need a minute?” Cadance asked.
“N-no,” Fancy said, clearing his throat. “It’s just… Everything we knew was turned over that day. Canterlot- no, Equestria went from being unassailable to conquered in a single night. Nothing made sense. Nopony knew anything. Nopony could fight back. I had no idea if ponies were still alive or not– if I would still be alive in a few minutes.”
“What happened next?” Elder Vigilance asked.
“I… don’t know. I mean, what happened next is I passed out. Or feinted. I, uh, I’m not a medical pony, so I don’t know the difference.”
“When did you wake up?” Cadance asked him.
Fancy shrugged, “Hours later, I think? It was a Royal Guard that woke me up, pulling me free from some… thing. It was like an egg. I was brought to other ponies, all equally afraid and disheveled as I was, and we… waited. The Royal Guard were still securing the city, making sure no changelings were lurking around.”
“That’s all for now, Fancy Pants,” Elder Vigilance said, dismissing him.
‘Let this be the last witness we need for the invasion,’ Luna sighed internally, glancing around the room.
“The tribunal dismisses Sir Fancy Pants,” Cadance announced, pausing to look at Chrysalis. “Unless you have any questions for him?”
“Nope!” Chrysalis said with a wide smile. “I’m sure every word he said was true!”
A murmur went through the crowd of gathered ponies, like the whispering of a gale.
‘So much for proving her innocence.’
Cadance, Coxa, and Vigilance shared a glance before Cadance shrugged and moved on.
“In that case, the tribunal will call up it’s next wit–”
“Actually,” Chrysalis interrupted, “I would like to call up my own witness.”
Coxa sighed, “We had already asked if you–”
Chrysalis cut him off, “You’ve called up… what, twenty witnesses so far? Thirty?”
“Thirteen,” Vigilance replied in a bored tone.
“I think it’s only fair that I get at least one of my own!” Chrysalis insisted. “This is supposed to be a fair trial, right?”
A magical bubble appeared around the three judges. From her spot behind them, Luna couldn’t read their lips, but it wasn’t a tough guess as to what they would decide.
‘At last, the dragoness sheds the moss growing on her and unfurls her wings. You have a lot of lost ground to make up for, Chrysalis.’
The bubble vanished and Cadance spoke for the rest, “We have decided to grant your request. You may select a witness to–”
“I want them to speak now,” Chrysalis interrupted. “Right now.”
“It takes time–” Coxa began.
“I call King Phasmatodea of the Fifth Hive to the stand,” Chrysalis proclaimed.
The gathered ponies’ heads all snapped to the seated king, while Luna cursed inwardly.
‘That miserable wretch! She dare try to provoke him, after we provided her with news of her own daughter?!’
“That is not up to you, Chrysalis,” Coxa growled. “All witnesses are given time to prepare themselves. You cannot dictate when they take the stand, if they agree to at all.”
Luna read Phasma’s face. A twitch of the cheek here, a furrowing of an eyebrow for a split-second there– he was mad, and so was Luna. This was not the plan. Phasma was to testify against Chrysalis towards the end of the trial, the crown jewel in her damnation. His words are to be the coup de grace that ends her tyranny once and for all. For him to testify merely a third of the way through the trial was–
“As it is woven, so it shall be,” Phasma’s voice rang out, cutting through the noise of the room like a claymore through wool. “I will take the stand.”
Luna leapt to her hooves at once. On my right, Thorax cast a silencing bubbling around the dais, shrouding the royals in privacy.
“Phasma!” Luna hissed. “You do not need to give in to any political theater your mother is playing at! We are in complete control here, to speak out of turn could jeopardize the tribunal’s case against Chrysalis!”
“Yeah Phas, you really should think about this before rising to her bait,” Thorax said. “I mean really, what do you gain from saying yes?”
I slowly rose from my throne and stared Chrysalis down. She looked up at me with a smug, innocent look.
Everything was leading up to this moment. I had bested Chrysalis on the battlefield after tasting a bitter defeat by her hooves. I had thrown my lot in with the drones, broken millennia-long traditions, and changed the course of changeling history now and forever. From my very first act of defiance against Chrysalis, everything was building to this crescendo.
I had bested Chrysalis. Now, it was time to prove to everyone– ponies and changelings alike– that there was nothing Chrysalis could say or do to justify her actions.
‘I told you to fight for your innocence. I told you to try to prove that your cause had merit. Instead, you want to take me down with you?!’
“If she wants to drag me through the mud, after everything I’ve said to her,” I growled, “then she’s going to have to hit me with her best shot. If you come after the king, you’d better not miss.”
Before Thorax or Luna could say anything more, I cast the ponies’ version of the teleport spell, emerging at the witness stand below and to the side of the raised dais. My crown, enchanted as it was, shifted on my head and required some adjustment as I sat down in the booth. My Red Right Hoof guards scrambled to reform around me, placing themselves between me, the cordoned off crowd to my right, and Chrysalis standing by her podium in front of me.
She was still smiling.
‘Oestridae. My soldiers and officers, my friends, and everyone else who suffered and died due to her tyranny: I shall be the first to damn her. I have led the way. I have granted others strength to stand and voice opposition to her oppression. I have ended her bloodshed for all of you. But this? This is for me.’
I looked over my shoulder to Cadance, Coxa, and Vigilance, “As I was the first to stand against her, let my voice be the first to damn her. I will prove for once and for all that Chrysalis, former queen of the Fourth Hive, is an evil failure of a tyrant. As it is woven, so it shall be.” I faced Chrysalis, spitting the last words, “Read. Me. In.”