//------------------------------// // Episode 50: Battle for Chrysalis Hive // Story: The Drake Six // by JNKing //------------------------------// Within the Changeling hive, the impact of fists on a scaled body rang out, fighting against the muffled screams of protest from one of the Hive’s prisoners.  Astral hung limply in changeling goo, forced into a kneeling position. Cuts and bruises rapidly faded thanks to green changeling magic shrouding him, though every time one cut sealed or a bruise healed, Shade was quick to reopen them or recolor Astral’s body in black and blue.  “That’s it,” Shade growled as he punched Astral’s jaw. “Keep healing him, drones.” He turned briefly to two changelings with lit horns. “I don’t need him passing out or dying yet.”  He delivered a haymaker to Astral’s ribcage, cracking a rib and eliciting another scream from nearby. Aurora hung in changeling goo as well, kneeling like Astral, but with goo covering her mouth. Her eyes, however, were free to lock on her beaten lover, tears streaming down her face as she tried desperately to shriek through her gag.  “SHMMMMMM!” Aurora shriekd through her gag. “STMMM! MMMM!”  One of the changelings glanced at her with a bored expression. He sighed. “I really wish Lord Shade would get to her. Let us get some love energy?” “Yeah,” the second changeling agreed, briefly halting their healing spells. “Pain and fear are alright, but there’s a literal buffet of that in the throne room. Which we’re missing out on.”  “The Queen said he was going to help us,” the first one added. “The question right now is when.”  Shade gave them a brief glare, having heard their every word, before glancing down at his work. With the healing spells having stopped, Astral was sporting a swollen left eye, a bleeding nose, and a split lip that was bleeding down his chin. Yet he still stared up at Shade in defiance and anger.  Shade sighed. “Now, Astral, You and I both know that you have had this coming. Repeatedly, you and your friends have gotten in my way multiple times. But the one that I hate the most is you.” His eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered to a growl. “You not only got to learn from Bahamut… but you also got the most beautiful dragoness in the world.” He turned his gaze over to Aurora, who flinched at the amount of lust in his eyes. “But… now that we’re all here, I guess that I could do something I’ve wanted to do for years.” Panic entered Astral’s eyes. He struggled fitfully against his bonds as Shade walked over to Aurora, the changelings perking up with fang-baring grins.  “Don’t you dare, Shade!” Astral shouted. “If you do, I am gonna-”  “Shut up!” He was interrupted when one of the Changelings punched him in the stomach hard, causing him to cough up blood. The other watched eagerly as  Shade pulled off Aurora’s gag.  “That doesn’t suit you, my dear.” He threw the gag off to the side. “Now where were we? Oh yes. Now I remember.” He placed a claw on Aurora’s chin and made her look him in the eyes.  She knew what was about to happen, but with the goo keeping her from using her powers, she couldn’t stop what was coming. She could only shut her eyes and grimace in disgust as Shade locked her lips with his.  Astral could only stare. He felt as if time was slowing, every second ticking sadistically slow as he watched Shade hungrily kiss his girlfriend against her will.  Something snapped inside him, and he lowered his head, covering it in shadow. The changelings barely noticed, gasping and quivering in delight as Shade’s corruptive love oozed off his and Aurora’s bodies, the changelings drinking it in like ambrosia from the gods.  After what felt like an eternity, Shade finally came up for air, sighing as he held Aurora’s head close to his chest.  “That is just a taste of what I have planned,” He promised Aurora. “I have so many ideas on how to pleasure you.” He took a moment to smirk smugly at Astral. “By the time I’m done, she’ll forget you ever existed.”   “And we will feast like kings every day,” one of the changelings groaned in ecstasy, licking his lips as the last bits of love energy vanished down his gullet.  “Oh man, that would be a dream come true.” The other one said with a dreamy look. Shade smirked and released Aurora, turning to the changelings to give them more orders. But before he could speak, a change fell over the room.  The changelings were the first to sense it, turning to Astral with confusion that quickly turned to fear.  Shade raised an eyebrow and followed their gaze, only for his own eyes to widen in horror.  Astral’s spines, which usually look like a small flame, were billowing up, their color changing into a blood red inferno from Tartarus rather than a usual flame. His horns were covered in the same looking fire instead of the usual aura that came from his normal spells.  And as he looked up, his eyes were replaced by the a fire that ironically chilled Shade to the bone.  It was the fire of righteous fury; the mark of a warrior who was done holding back. With a guttural roar, Astral ripped himself free of the goo holding him down. His action sent a burst of flames, throwing Shade and the changelings back and melting the goo holding Aurora.   Aurora looked at Astral once she was free and saw how he seemed to have bulked up a little from just the power that was flowing off of him. Glancing briefly at Shade, she ducked behind Astral, just in case he did something crazy. Astral briefly looked back at Aurora, a kind smile breaking through the righteous fury. As she smiled and nodded back, Astral turned his attention back to Shade, his smile fading into a glare.  “Shade Fang,” Astral growled. “You have attempted to take over two different dragon nations and aided an enemy of them. I will give you one last chance to surrender.” Shade snapped out of his stupor. “S-Surrender?!” He laughed. “I would never surrender to a mere guardian!”  Astral’s eyes narrowed. His throat illuminated with fiery light. “I am no longer a guardian. I AM A WARRIOR!!”  What came from his mouth wasn’t fire, but a beam of light.  Shade barely dodged the blast.  The changelings were not so lucky.  ## Back outside, Spike, Phoenix, Starlight, Trixie, Thorax and Discord glared at Chrysalis Hive.  “Well, this is rather unfair,” Discord grumped. “I finally get 1% of my power back, and I can’t even get to where I want to go?”  “I don’t think it’s just because of your power limits,” Thorax said. “Chrysalis’ throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way changelings soak up love. It’s how she keeps the hive safe.”  “So it sounds like we need to get to that throne and destroy it,” Phoenix noted.  “That’s a terrible plan,” Discord complained. “How are we even supposed to get into the Hive?”  Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from a point near the hive’s structure. Though they saw some of the magical energy get drained away, the attack was far too powerful to dissipate all at once.  And even as it faded, it still leaved a large divot in the ground, and a massive hole in the side of the hive.  Faintly, the group saw two changelings flattened by the blast. Both still breathed, but only one of them was awake.  “Oh, man, it burns,” the awake changeling groaned. “Why did I have to be awake to feel this pain? I CAN’T FEEL MY RETINAS!” Spike smirked. “There’s one way.”  ## The group picked their way past the beaten changelings and into the hive. Discord grumping and groaning all the while.  “Oh, this is so much further than anywhere in Ponyville,” Discord complained. “How do any of you manage not being able to disappear and reappear when traveling long distances like this?”  “I definitely miss you being able to disappear,” Trixie grumped.  “Give Discord a break,” Starlight said. “It’s not easy not having magic.”  “Means you have to think outside the box a little,” Spike noted with a grin, though his grin faded as he noticed who the hole in the Hive led to. “Astral?”  Astral was back to normal but was down on one knee, panting from the exertion of his attack. Aurora held him, whispering gently to him, before both noticed the group.  “Spike, wait a minute!” Phoenix said, tugging him back. “This is Chrysalis Hive. How do we know…”  “Not another step before you prove you are who you are.” Aurora said as she formed Icicles that pointed at the group ready to fire if they were a threat. Phoenix formed her own cannon. “That’s goes double for you,” she said. Spike, however, raised a hand, his eyes not straying from Astral’s. “The night before we left the Dragon Kingdom,” he said. “After Shade was beaten for the first time… there was someone named ‘Ignitus.’ Do you remember who that was?”  Aurora and Astral glanced at each other, struggling to remember, before Aurora gasped, her face turning red. “Isn’t that one of the two dragons Night Fire…?” She blushed. “...Spent the night with?”  Spike grinned and rushed forward, almost tackling Astral into a hug before noticing his injured state. “I was worried you were gone for good,” Spike admitted.  Astral rubbed the top of the younger dragon’s head. “I’m fine, actually,” he replied. “If you’re looking for the rest of your friends, they’ll be in the throne room, due to all the love they receive.” Thorax shivered. “Right where we need to go.”  Phoenix grimaced. “That sounds almost too convenient.”  “Yeah,” Spike muttered, glaring up into the Hive. “It does.”  ## The group was only partially aware of it.  But not far from where Spike had been staring, Shade staggered through the hive.  “That power…” he muttered. “I-I thought it was just a legend…”  He was shaken out of his thoughts as several changelings descended to meet with him. “What did you do down there?” one of them demanded. “Something nearly shook the Hive off its foundations!”  “Was it from you and that dragoness?” another changeling asked. “If so, where’s the love energy? The way the Hive was shaking, you should have enough love to feed us for years!”  “No, you fool!” Shade snarled, smacking the changeling that spoke. “My enemy has gotten loose and helped some wannabe heroes enter the hive! You must warn your queen!”  The changelings gasped, before a more powerful voice echoed.  “Heroes, you say?” Queen Chrysalis came out of the shadows, her eyes green and curious. “We’ve captured all the heroes. Who could possibly still stand against us?”  ## Spike sighed, turning to Astral. “We need to get to the throne room.”  Thorax nodded. “The throne is the key. We break it, we may just be able to free everyone.”  Astral nodded. Okay. You six should go on ahead. Aurora and I will keep the changelings distracted.”  “You sure?” Spike said. “In your state…?” “He’ll be fine,” Aurora replied. “You promise us you’ll be careful too. These bugs will try to trick you.” Spike smiled. “I promise.”  With one final smile shared between them, Spike turned to his group. “Alright,” Spike said. “Let’s get to that throne room.” “Wait,” Starlight added. “If we get separated, it might make sense to have a way to make sure we are who we say we are.” She paused. “Er, without having to use… ‘personal’ information.” She chanced a glance at Aurora, who blushed as she remembered Ignitus.  “Oh!” Discord yipped in glee. “How about a secret code! Like, if I say ‘we are’, you say ‘doomed’! Or, you say ‘rescue’ and I say…” he flailed his arms while making what sounded like the call of a dying goat.  Trixie and Phoenix glanced at each other. “How about if one of us says ‘klutzy’, the other says ‘draconequus.’”  “Works for me,” Starlight siad.  “I’ll definitely remember it,” Thorax added.  Phoenix nodded. “I like it.”  Astral gave a thumbs up. “It is rather memorable,” Aurora noted. Spike pat Discord’s back. “Looks like we got a vote. ‘Klutzy draconequus.’”  Discord glared at them. “You are all horrible!”  ## Unfortunately, Chrysalis was watching from the shadows. Her face split into a grin.  “Oh, my dear spirit of chaos,” she whispered, slinking back into the shadows. “You have no idea.”  ## Together, the group made their way up into the Hive. Winding their way through twisting, whirling tunnels, Spike felt almost like they were on the world's slowest roller coaster.  “Okay,” Trixie admitted to Thorax, “I’m definitely glad you came. I don’t think we’d be able to find our way without you.”  “You definitely wouldn’t,” Thorax said. “A Changeling Hive shifts and changes, like we do. We’re the only ones who can navigate it. It’s total chaos to non-changelings.” “Well, at least it’s decent chaos,” Discord grumbled. “I don’t know if I’d call it ‘total.’”  Trixie glowered at him. “You know, for a Lord of Chaos, you sure seem to spend a lot more time whining than you do… doing whatever Lords of Chaos are supposed to do.”  Discord huffed. “That’s because I’m on parole. Once I get all my powers back, I’ll be able to rip the very fabric of reality. While you!” He pointed at Trixie, “Will still be nothing more than a self-absorbed, below-average illusionist!”  “SELF-ABSORBED!” Trixie boomed, before Phoenix snapped her muzzle shut.  “Are you trying to draw every hostile changeling to us?” Phoenix hissed.  “Guys-guys!” Spike said, pushing them apart. “I get it; this is stressful. But we have to stick together.”  Starlight huffed. “Right. Stick together with the dragon who’s wanted me dead for weeks.”  Spike seethed, ready to light into her. But he forced himself to take a breath. “Yes,” he admitted. “I’ve been hard on you, Starlight. Because I was scared you were going to take advantage of Twilight’s kindness and hurt my friends.” He looked at her. “But right now, you have the opportunity to prove me wrong. To help me save them.”  “And how am I supposed to do that?” Starlight asked, wiping away tears. “I don’t know if my magic can stand up to Chrysalis’ throne. And…” she looked down. “And I’m afraid.” She sobbed. “I’ve always been afraid.”  Phoenix and Trixie moved to comfort Starlight… only to pause in shock as Spike hugged her.  “I’ve been afraid too,” Spike whispered to her.  “We all have been,” Phoenix said, standing next to him. “But it’s not the absence of fear that sparks courage. It’s having fear and not letting it control you.”  Spike smiled. “We can do this,” he said, looking to the others. “We’re going to save the others.”  Trixie managed a grin and even Discord smiled softly. Thorax, however, had his attention down the tunnel. And his eyes were widening in horror.  “Guys,” he warned. “Changeling patrol. Coming this way!”  Spike was instantly up, holding Starlight. “Where do we go, Thorax?” he demanded.  Thorax’s head whipped from side to side before he pointed down a side tunnel. “That way!” he said.  “Move!” Spike barked. The group lunged for the side tunnel, but just before they could duck out of sight, the changelings arrived.  Hissing, they unleashed blasts of magic, hitting the top of the tunnel and causing it to collapse.  Acting fast, Spike threw Starlight to the group, before a chunk of rock fell between him and his friends, blocking him off. “Spike!” Phoenix screamed.  “Keep going!” Spike yelled. “I’ll, uh… I’ll…” He wanted to say, ‘I’ll find another way around,’ but Thorax’s words burned in his mind. ‘Only changelings can navigate this hive.’  Spike had no idea how to navigate the Hive. There was no way he could get back to his friends in time.  And he didn’t have time to say anything else. Behind him, he heard the hissing laughter of the changeling patrol. Far too many for him to take on alone. Especially with him nervous about giving in to anger.  He sighed, turning back to the changelings and cracking his neck and knuckles.  But, almost like the changelings knew what he was planning, the dust settled… and revealed an army of Twilights.  “Spike!” Twilight cried, her voice so full of relief. “Thank Celestia. I promise, I’m the real Twilight. I was just fleeing from these horrible changelings when…” “Don’t listen to her,” another Twilight said. “I’m the real Twilight!”  “No, I am!” another yelled.  “I am!”  “I am!”  “I AM!”  “ENOUGH!” Spike boomed, fire forcing the changelings back. “I’ve read enough books to know what you guys are doing! I know none of you are the real Twilight.”  One of the Twilights smirked. “How can you be sure, ‘Spikey-Wikey’?”  Spike paled. “H-How? S-She doesn’t call me that!” “Rarity does,” another one noted.  “Oh, but you’re not using personal information anymore, are you?” another Twilight noted. “No, you’ve got a code now. What was it?”  “Klutzy draconequus,” several Twilights chanted in glee.  Spike’s face fell as Twilight’s laughter - now sounding more malicious and cruel than she had ever been - filled the air.  They knew their code. They knew their personal information.  As the laughing Twilights closed in around him, Spike began to truly feel fear.  “How are we supposed to beat this?!”  ## His group ironically arrived around the same time the changelings brought Spike.  Bound and gagged in goo, Spike was hoisted up next to several cocoons. Spike’s heart throbbed as he found Diamondback, Jackknife and Swift, all tightly webbed up like flies in a spider’s web. Not far from them, the Mane Five similarly bound, while Twilight, Star Wing, Celestia, Luna, Cadence and even little baby Flurry Heart were all sealed away in emerald green cocoons.  Below him, Chrysalis lounged on her throne, Shade Fang by her side. The Queen watched with a grin as Discord, Thorax, Trixie, Starlight and Phoenix arrived.  Phoenix’s eyes instantly went to Spike. “Guys!” she yelled, almost making a run for them, before several changelings came out, hissing and forcing her back to her group.  “Well-well-well,” Chrysalis mused. “What a brave group of ‘heroes.’” She glanced between all of them. “The Lord of Chaos, the bearer of the Alicorn Amulet, the Master of Starswirl’s Time Spell, The Scourge of the Diamond Dogs… and my own beloved son. Home at last.”  Thorax shivered under her gaze before Phoenix stood before him.  “From what he’s said,” she noted. “This place wasn’t a home.” She looked up at Spike. “Release them!”  “Why?” Chrysalis asked. “So they can rule over you again? Beat you down and oppress what made you all special?” She looked to Discord. “They stole your power, Discord. Turned you into a servant for their needs.”  Discord chuckled. “And you honestly think you can hang them up like flies and tell me you won’t do the same thing to me? Darling, that sort of setup is even more obvious than whatever you used to trap our brave and fearless leader up there.”  Spike grimaced and growled in his bindings.  “Mmph mm!” Jackknife cussed beneath his gag.  Chrysalis, however, merely grinned. “It’s true,” she admitted. “Normally, I’d have just captured you and held you up here with the rest of them.” She exchanged a glance with Shade. “Unfortunately… I need allies.”  Shade avoided her piercing gaze. “Our… plan to use Night Fire as a hostage to get the dragons on our side kinda backfired. She’s now scrambling the best fighters to come attack us.”  Chrysalis glared at him as he spoke - as if she expected him to have played some part in alerting the dragons - but she turned her attention back to the group. “Equestria was easy to take,” Chrysalis admitted. “But the dragons are not as soft as our pony friends.” Chrysalis gazed at her changelings. “My sons and daughters cannot face them alone. They need allies. Everyone we can get.” She turned briefly to the back of her throne, where Spike could see an ominously glowing rune pulsating with darkness.  Trixie huffed. “And why should we help you when you took our home?”  “Because I can reward you,” Chrysalis replied. “All of you.” She turned to Discord. “You want your power? It will be yours.” She indicated Fluttershy. “You want your pegasus pet. She will be yours to do with as you please.” She looked at Trixie. “You want glory? To be the most powerful unicorn on Equestria? You will have that as well.” She looked at Starlight. “You want revenge?” She indicated Spike. “This dragon will be yours to torment as he tormented you.”  Discord, Trixie and Starlight all stepped back, exchanging uncertain glances with each other.  “Guys, don’t,” Phoenix insisted. “She’s playing us.”  “You want your power back?” Chrysalis asked Phoenix. “You will have it. The Diamond Dogs will rightly fear you again.”  Phoenix blinked. “I…” she mumbled.  “Phoenix,” Thorax stammered, but Chrysalis had turned her attention to him.  “Thorax…” her voice lowered. “My beloved son.” She gazed at him like a mother would to a child. “You want to come home? You want to be accepted again?” She offered her hooves to him. “You will have that. Please. Come home, my son.”  Thorax gazed at her… and tears traced his features. He reached a hoof out to her.  Spike wriggled in his bindings, wanting to scream at them to snap out of it. Fluttershy was tearing up, locking eyes with a doubtful Discord and shaking her head.  “The most… powerful…” Trixie mumbled.  However, Spike soon found himself trapped in Starlight’s gaze. There was pain in her eyes. Uncertainty.  Spike could only stare back at her. Wondering what she wanted. Would she want revenge on him? For all the times he had been suspicious of her. Yelling at her? Attacking her?  But as Starlight gazed at him, she shut her eyes, let out a breath, and looked to Thorax.  “Thorax,” she said gently. “I get that she’s your mother, on top of your queen.” She looked at Chrysalis. “But what she offers… isn’t what any of us want.” Discord grimaced. “You have to admit, it’s tempting.”  “Of course it is!” Chrysalis barked. “Why would you side with the ones who have oppressed you? Who have humiliated and beaten you? What have they done to deserve anything other than your scorn?”  Thorax, however, looked up at Spike. And Spike saw a strange glow shrouding him.  “They… showed me how to share love,” he whispered, turning to Chrysalis. “They showed me a way to gain love that you never considered.”  Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”  Thorax glowed brighter, his form producing tendrils of light that snaked out, wrapping gently around his group. And around Spike and Swift. As they did so, they also reached out to his changeling siblings. The changelings gasped.  “T-The hunger…” one of them whispered.  “It’s fading!” another said in excitement.  “I-It can’t be,” Chrysalis stammered, standing as she watched her changelings feed. “W-What are you doing?!”  “We don’t need to steal love,” Thorax said, looking around at his fellow changelings. “We don’t have to live in the shadows, fearing rejection and hate.”  The changelings looked amongst each other, hope glowing in their eyes.  “DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!” Chrysalis boomed, her motherly persona shattering as she rose off her throne. “I AM YOUR QUEEN! I KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR US!”  Starlight stepped up, fire in her eyes. “A real leader doesn’t force her subjects to deny what they can be or who they are! She celebrates what makes them unique and listens when one of them finds a better way!”  “YOU WANT TO SEE A REAL LEADER?!” Chrysalis screamed, before rushing for Starlight and Thorax. “NO!” Spike screamed through his gag.  But Discord and Trixie were faster. Trixie hurled a smoke bomb, blinding Chrysalis as she reared back in agony. At the same time, Discord snapped his fingers, producing a small spark before hurling it at the throne.  Though it was only 1% of his power, Spike’s heart soared as the throne shattered like glass.  Discord smirked. “Not bad, Chrysalis,” he noted. “You made me use 1% of my power!”  Phoenix paused. “Uh, Discord, isn’t that ‘all’ you can…?” “Don’t ruin the reference!” Discord snapped, as Thorax rose into the air, bathed in the glow of his love, rising to match Chrysalis as she staggered in the air. “Kill him,” she muttered, turning to her subjects. “KILL HIM!”  The changelings backed up. “B-But, my Queen,” one of them protested, hanging onto Thorax’s love line like it was a life line. “He’s…” “KILL HIM OR YOU’RE NEXT!” Chrysalis shrieked.  Thorax’s love turned red. “DON’T THREATEN MY SIBLINGS!” he boomed, not driven by fury, but by love.  Chrysalis raged in frustration and lunged for Thorax again. “THORAX, NO!” one changeling screamed, lunging to intercept Chrysalis.  But before the changelings could start fighting among themselves, Thorax bathed them all in a brilliant red flash.  ## When Spike recovered, he found his bindings gone. Everyone had been freed: the Drake Six, the Mane Six and the Princesses all stood in a crater open to the sky - all that remained of Chrysalis throne room.  “F-Fluttershy?” Discord’s voice whispered, before the draconequus stepped closer.  “Guys?” Phoenix whimpered.  There was no hesitation: Fluttershy ran into Discord’s arms, the two sobbing in relief as they hugged each other, while Spike, Jackknife, Swift, Diamondback and even Star Wing all dog-piled Phoenix in a bear hug.  “Oh-ho-ho, well done Phoenix,” Diamondback sobbed in relief. “You did it! You saved us!”  “W-Well…” Phoenix gasped. “I didn’t do it alone.”  She looked over to Starlight, who stood with Trixie as Twilight ran up to her.  “Starlight,” she said. “You…” she looked around. “What happened.”  Starlight looked to Thorax, who had changed: he now stood as tall as Chrysalis, his carapace now shimmering in shades of green and orange. Similarly, the changelings he had shared his love with all stood in brighter colors.  “We defeated Chrysalis,” Starlight said. “With the power of friendship and love.”  Spike extricated himself from his friends and stepped closer to Starlight. “More than that,” he said. “You saved my friends. My family…” He shook his head before lowering in a bow. “This is a debt I can never repay.”  Starlight gave him a sad smile before hugging him. “It was the least I could do,” she replied.  Their happy moment was briefly interrupted, as Chrysalis clawed her way out of the rubble with a hiss.  The Drake Six rose, ready to fight, but Starlight waved them off, approaching Chrysalis even as she hissed and backed away like a cornered cat.  “Chrysalis,” Starlight said gently. “When Twilight and her friends defeated me, I chose to run away and seek revenge. You don’t have to. You can be the leader your subjects need.”  For a moment, Chrysalis pondered her words. Her hoof almost reached out…  …Only to smack Starlight’s hoof away.  “There is no revenge you can ever conceive of,” Chrysalis snarled. “That will come close to what I will exact on you one day, Starlight Glimmer!”  She turned and tried to flee. But as Swift leaped to pursue, Discord snapped his fingers, and a straitjacket formed over Chrysalis, tying her down and allowing Swift to grab her.  “I don’t think so, dearie,” Discord noted. “In fact, I think that Tartarus is due for a remodel. I have some wonderful ideas to make sure you don’t cause more mischief.” He paused and looked to the princesses. “Assuming you’re fine with it.”  Celestia chuckled. “It’s a wonderful idea, Discord. One that may count as your next good deed.”  Discord hummed, intrigued. “So, between capturing Chrysalis and remodeling Tartarus, would you say I’m on Good Deed Number 103?”  Fluttershy laughed and hugged him.  Thorax, however, sighed. “Well, if Chrysalis can’t lead… someone’s going to need to take over in her stead.” The changeling who had defended Thorax gasped. “That’s right! The Dragon Lands! They were going to attack us!”  Star Wing shifted into Night Fire. “I’m on it!” she said, taking to the sky.  “Star Wing,” Luna called. “Be sure to ask Ember for a summit. Tell her that a new changeling leader has taken over, and that we will be discussing how to improve our relationships in the future.”  Night Fire saluted before flying off into the distance. Thorax shivered nervously, but Celestia rested a hoof on his shoulder.  “Do not fear, my friend,” she said. “For the moment, we will leave the Changeling Kingdom to the changelings.”  Thorax smiled. “I appreciate that,” he said. “Though, I wouldn’t mind some advice from time to time.”  As Starlight, Trixie, Discord and Thorax chuckled and bantered among themselves, Phoenix rejoined her friends, watching them with a grin.  “Looks like Starlight proved she was alright in the end,” Phoenix mused.  “Starlight, Trixie, Discord,” Spike nodded. “Never thought I’d be okay with owing my life to them.” He looked to Thorax. “And Thorax… he showed me how I don’t need to use fury for every solution. Sometimes… love can truly be more powerful than anger.”  For a moment, the group nodded. Then Jackknife.  “Welp, who’s up for drinks?” Jackknife asked.  “Oh, my goodness, yes!” Swift stammered.  “The refreshments in this kingdom SO need an upgrade,” Diamondback agreed.  And so, the Drake Six went off to celebrate, chuckling and bantering with each other as before.  However, Astral looked around with a concerned look. “Did anyone see Shade after that big explosion of love?”  Aurora gasped. “Yeah. It’s like he vanished into thin air.”  Swift paused. “Is it too much to hope that the blast vaporized him or something.”  Jackknife sighed. “As nice as that would be, I don’t imagine we’re that lucky, dude.”  ## Far away from the changeling kingdom, Shade staggered away, the pulsating rune under his arm.  “Blasted bug,” Shade grumbled, wrapping himself tighter in his cloak due to the cold. “I knew her ego would be her downfall.” He looked at the rune, which covered a curved, red horn. “Let’s see if you can do better, ‘your highness.’”