//------------------------------// // The Summit: Part One // Story: Babel // by BaeroRemedy //------------------------------// A lone train chugged through the southwestern reaches of Equestria at a breakneck pace. It passed all of the dead trees, abandoned homes and now dead rail stations without worry or stopping. It was the only train on the tracks and the chugging of its engine was the only sound in the early morning air. On a normal day, Equestria’s railways would be bustling with activity. That was not the case anymore, though. Trains were only used for official government business and the commuter rail lines had been consumed by the state and were now used to transport guards and food to where they needed to go. If you were a normal pony and needed to get across the country, you either needed to walk or you didn’t need to get there at all. Now Princess Luna was taking the fastest train they had into the wastes where she would meet with King Thorax and Dragon Lord Ember to hash out some kind of alliance or treaty between the nations. She wished it was anypony but herself, but she knew she was the only alicorn that was in any kind of shape to handle diplomatic talks. In the land of the emotionally devastated, the eternally depressed were rulers. “Ember is nice when you get to know her.” Spike said assuringly. The young dragon had not awoken that long ago and had decided now was the time to give Luna her briefing on his friends. “She’s a bit…hot headed though.” “She is a dragon.” Luna offered. “Besides yourself, We have never met a dragon that could be described as ‘cool’ in temperament.” She had to think back to the dragon ‘diplomat’ who had been used to force the dragons into these talks. Fire-breathing barbarians with no culture and no true civilization. “We will try not to provoke her.” “No, you want to provoke her! At least a little.” Spike flipped through some of his papers, all written in his expert penmanship, and pulled one out. “Dragons respond to challenge! You need to push her a little to show that you actually mean business, that you’re worthy to be in the same room. Just don’t go overboard and you should be fine. As long as she’s not breathing fire, then you haven’t gone too far.” He handed the piece of paper to the alicorn, who took it and studied it. It was a simple report from Twilight Sparkle about her limited experience in the dragon lands that confirmed what Spike had said. “So be forceful but not combative?” Luna asked and received a quick nod in response. “A fine line, but one that Our hooves should be able to walk.” She handed the piece of paper back to Spike. “Are there any topics We should avoid?” “Just…try not to bring up the previous Dragon Lord.” Ah yes, her father. Wise not to insinuate some kind of nepotism. Even Luna knew that dragons were more of a meritocracy and to say otherwise would go poorly. “And when I told you to challenge her, don’t challenge her honor. Don’t call her names or try to say she doesn’t belong. You want to…um…” He was having a hard time putting words to what he wanted to say. “I assume you mean to challenge her physically.” Princess Luna offered and received another nod. “Without it devolving into a fight, of course. So I can lean into threat displays when need be: spread out my wings, light up my horn. She will appreciate intimidation.” “Yes!” Spike snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “Sorry, Princess. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night…trains aren’t great for it.” “Fear not, Spike. We are in the same situation.” Well, not the exact same. Luna had not been able to sleep because she was used to being up all night and what little rest she had achieved while the moon was in the sky was fitful. “It is very difficult to get on the right schedule for these sorts of things.” “Right, probably a lot harder for you.” Spike rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. “Um…anyway, there’s a problem with the threats and stuff Ember responds to. Thorax is pretty much the complete opposite. They can get along fine and even have some fun, but what works on her won’t work on him.” “Changelings are something We have very little experience with.” Luna frowned. There was that time they kidnapped her and put her into one of their pods. Besides that, she was not present for Cadenza and Shining Armor’s wedding. Nor had she done any diplomatic work with King Thorax when he ascended. “What can we expect of them?” “Well Thorax just wants to be nice and he wants to be helpful. He’s not really all that complicated.” Spike put down his stack of papers and rested his tail on them. “Just be sincere. Be yourself. Don’t try to hide anything because they can feel it. They’re like super empaths and can taste feelings.” “Oh wonderful.” Luna sighed. Thankfully she was a pony that wore her heart on her proverbial sleeve, so that would not be a problem. She was honest, bluntly so. For this, that would either be the usual detriment it always presented itself as or perhaps it might be a boon for the first time in her long life. “You’ll be fine! I have-” Spike suddenly stopped and his cheeks puffed out. He let out a belch and a burst of green flame followed. As the fire dissipated, a scroll appeared in the middle of the air. The little dragon reached out and snagged it. “Uh…it’s for you.” He offered the princess the scroll. “You may read it to Us, Spike.” “Alright.” Spike cracked the wax seal and unfurled the scroll. “Dear Sister, I have received correspondence from Princess Cadance that she will be joining you for these talks with King Thorax and Dragon Lord Ember.” Both Spike and Luna’s eyes went wide as he read. “While this is not something we planned for, it is something we can work with. Princess Cadance has strong ties to King Thorax and the Crystal Empire has something we can use to bargain with the dragons: gems. I implore you to please work with Cadance. I know this is frustrating. She sprung this on me as well. I wish you well on this mission. Celestia.” “She could have at least told us before.” Luna grumbled and crossed her front hooves in front of her chest. “We could have traveled there together and strategized.” She took a deep breath and tried to center herself. “At least We will not be the only princess representing Equestria. That is a comfort.” It was a cold comfort if anything. How long had it been since anypony had even seen Cadenza? Shortly after The Event ended, and even then ‘seen’ was a very strong word. Luna never saw her adoptive niece after what happened in Ponyville, the only ponies to do so had been limited to Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Shining Armor. The stories she had heard of Cadenza’s appearance did worry Luna, though. She had heard troubling things and worried just how that would affect the younger alicorn’s abilities. “Cadance wouldn’t do this if she didn’t think she could help.” Spike didn’t sound confident in that, but he was sincere at the least. “And it’ll be good to see her again.” “Hmm.” Luna looked out the window and watched the dead foliage pass as the train sped along the tracks. The pain of seeing her country in such a state was deep and widespread. They had not done enough, not yet. Even stretching every available resource to their limits, the most they had been able to do is sustain a level of misery that was at the very least livable. There had been very few improvements in living conditions, if any at all, since the government had regained control. This summit was a shred of hope they could make things better. If they could get changelings, even just a few hundred, to come to Equestria then that would alleviate some stresses on their overworked and stressed populace. “Shining Armor talks about her sometimes.” Spike continued as he twiddled his claws. “Not a lot, though. Any time he’s requested to go see her, she’s turned him down. Apparently she doesn’t want to be seen by anypony, not even her staff in the Empire.” “Then Shining Armor has lied to Us.” Luna turned back to her traveling companion. “He has said that he belongs here and that Equestria needs him, that is why he has not ventured back to the Empire.” “Well of course he would tell you that. You’re a princess, his boss. He doesn’t want you worrying about him or Cadance with everything else going on.” Spike spoke with such simple wisdom that it often made Luna feel inadequate. He was much better at figuring out things in a social context than she was, which was not a ringing endorsement of the princess as a diplomat. “Still, we are family. We should know each others’ troubles.” Luna turned her eyes back to the window and looked to her sister’s sun which hung low in the sky. “We learned the hard way that it is better to say something than to let it dwell in darkness.” “Well then consider this an opportunity, then!” Spike sat up straight in his seat and smiled wide. “You can talk with Cadance and ask how she is, just you and her! It’ll be a good chance to just have some good family time!” “Hmm. You are right, Spike.” Luna nodded and returned the smile, albeit not as enthusiastically. “You are wise beyond your years and a worthy companion to have on this quest.” Before he could respond, Luna stood up and suppressed a yawn. “If you’ll excuse Us, I believe a nap is in order. Come and wake Us should we reach the last stop.” The railroad would terminate far before the hive and they would have to take chariots the rest of the way. It would be much easier to sleep now on a slightly bumpy train than on a tight and turbulent chariot. —- By the time the Equestrians were in sight of the Changeling hive, the sun was just beginning to set. The arid wind of the wastes washed over Luna and Spike as they sat in the back of a chariot that was diligently pulled by a team of pegasi guards. They had spoken a little more after she had woken up from her nap, but it had been much of the same. He had finished detailing things he knew about Thorax and Ember and she had made sure she intuited it all correctly. Now it was almost time to put it into action. The massive craggy stone pillar that was the hive of the reformed bugs stood out in the desolate land. The sun was behind it now, silhouetting it in a way that let Luna see all of the little specks that flitted about around the outside of it. There had to be thousands of changelings just moving outside of the structure. There was no telling how many were inside. It conjured images of the sky above Canterlot the day of the royal wedding. They had saturated the sky, practically blocked out the sun, that had only been a fraction of their numbers it seemed. If these creatures truly wanted to then, with the right leader, they could’ve taken Canterlot if not all of Equestria. Well, as long as they got to the alicorns first. Now here an alicorn was to strike a deal and extend an olive branch to the would-be conquerors. Well, what was diplomacy other than conquering by other means? The pen was mightier than the sword, but often was much heavier for the wielder. It also shed much less blood. Luna would take this path rather than a violent one any day of the week. She had seen enough violence in her life. Before they reached the base of the hive, Luna had to bid the chariot to stop so she could raise the moon. As she did so she could feel thousands of eyes on her, all of them in awe at seeing an alicorn move one of the heavenly bodies. When her duty had been done, they continued on their way. Once the chariot touched down at the base of the towering structure, Luna and Spike disembarked and were met with a small gathering. King Thorax was at the lead, of course, with his brother Pharynx by his side. Their height matched Luna’s own and almost made them feel like equals in the alicorn’s eyes. There were a few armored changeling guards around them. Thankfully there was no big fanfare or announcement of her arrival. She could be grateful for that. “Your Majesty.” Luna gave a short bow to King Thorax and offered him a slight smile, one she didn’t force. “Thank you for hosting this summit at your hive. We’re sorry to inconvenience you with this visit, but We are afraid that Equestria is not quite ready to host such things yet.” “It’s our pleasure, Princess Luna.” Thorax bowed only his head and beamed. “I know that our simple home may not be what you’re used to, but we’re determined to make this stay and summit as comfortable as possible for all involved!” “I’m sure your efforts will be more than enough, King Thorax.” Luna was never good at this dance of pleasantries. She had four left hooves when it came to social interactions and went off of a predetermined script in her head. Thankfully Thorax had been following the script as well. “Good!” He motioned towards the hive and an entrance that looked to be hastily dug out from the rock rather recently. “Shall we?” Luna nodded and began to walk towards that entrance with Thorax by her side. “Oh and of course hello to you too, Spike! Great to see you again!” “You too, Thorax!” Spike chimed in. “I’m happy everybug here is safe! Hopefully it wasn’t too bad for you during…all of that.” “It was certainly easier than it was in Equestria.” Thorax said with a sigh and a shake of his head. Luna had to take a short step to the side to avoid his antlers as they swung with his head. “I’ve heard bits and pieces of what it was like there and I’ll gladly take our hardships over yours.” He stammered and looked at Luna. “W-which of course was a tragedy. Forgive me, I didn’t mean to make light of it, Princess.” “You’re fine, King Thorax.” Luna waved him off with a hoof. “If I had the choice I would’ve taken your situation as well. Do not feel bad about wanting the better of the two for your subjects. It is what we are meant to do as rulers.” “Right.” The interior of the hive was much more vibrant than the exterior. While the latter was bare craggy stone, the interior felt and looked like something you would find in a cave deep in the forest. Water seemingly poured from the walls and fed into streams that crisscrossed the bottom floor. Moss and other greenery clung to the walls and natural vines flowered with bioluminescent flowers that kept everything visible. There were walkways above that stretched from one side of the hive to the other and there were holes that dotted the walls, some accessible by hoof and some not, all of them had a changeling either exiting or entering it constantly. “This is magnificent.” Luna stood in awe as she looked up. It seemed to go on forever, getting narrower as it went up. This central chamber probably went all the way up. It was unlike anything she had seen before in her life. It was also noticeably humid in the building, like a rainforest. It felt as though she would begin to sweat at a moment’s notice. “Well thank you.” Thorax smiled and puffed his lime green chest out. “We did our best to make it more visually exciting after Starlight beat Chrysalis. I think we did pretty okay!” “It looks great, Thorax!” Spike came alongside his friend and tapped a claw on his chitin. “Now, do we have a room or…?” The dragon let out a long yawn. “Sorry, it’s just been a long day and we’re going to be busy tomorrow…” “Ah, yeah. Of course!” Thorax smiled and put a hoof on Spike’s head. “You two have been traveling all day and here I am talking your ears off! Silly me! Sorry!” He turned to Lord Commander Pharynx. “Can you show Spike to his room, please? I need to have a few words with Princess Luna and then I’ll show her to her room.” “Of course, Your Majesty.” Pharynx answered in a gravelly tone and began to trot away from the group. “Grubs, leave the king alone. He has business to attend to.” That was all it took for the rest of the guards to disperse into the greater ether of the hive. Luna lost track of them as transformation spells took hold of their forms and made the armor melt away in an instant. “This way.” Thorax never dropped his smile as he led the alicorn to a side room. It didn’t look to be anything in particular, at least not to Luna. It has a small pool of water in it and some rocks covered in moss, but that was it. “Now, it’s no problem at all and I welcome the inclusion, but why is Princess Cadance here?” “She’s already here?” Luna blurted out in surprise. She put her hoof to her face and took a deep breath. “Apologies. We were just made aware of this arrangement on Our way here and were under the assumption that she would not be here until after We arrived. If this is a problem then she will sit out of the talks.” “No no, it’s no problem!” Thorax shook his head and gave a sympathetic smile. “Like I said, I welcome her inclusion.” The king sat down on one of the rocks and wiped his head with a hoof. “My brother was convinced this was some sort of intimidation tactic by you.” He sat up a bit straighter and tried to mimic his brother’s much more textured voice. “‘They know how much she scares the living daylights out of us. It’s why they sent her first, to soften us up.’” “What?” Luna’s jaw dropped and she shook her head. “No, of course not. We did not even know you felt such a way towards Cadenza. If We had, then she would not be here right now. We assure you of that.” Luna was fuming on the inside. This little stunt made her and Equestria look like bullies, like common brutes. She had half a mind to go find Cadance and tell her to leave right now. Intimidation tactics were unbecoming of them. “Princess Luna, it’s okay. Really. Princess Cadance will be fine here, we just weren’t expecting her.” Thorax was calm and his voice was level in an attempt to soothe her. “It caused a minor…panic around the hive but we handled it.” He paused for a moment. “Can I ask what’s with the mask, though?” “The mask?” “Princess Cadance. She’s wearing a mask.” “She is?” Luna had heard nothing of that. Not from Spike or Shining Armor or even Celestia. “We are not sure. We will definitely have to figure it out, but We have a suspicion…” Luna gestured to herself, most notably her now-leathery wings and the fangs that protruded from her mouth. “Some of us have not fully accepted the realities of our current situations and Cadenza is most likely one of them.” “Mmm.” The king of the changelings nodded and looked into the nearby pool. “If I was the princess of love and became monstrous then I guess I could see how that would impact my mood.” Luna could only nod. “Well I’ll leave you to it, then. I’m sure you have princess duties to attend to, afterall.” “One more thing, is Dragon Lord Ember here?” Luna had to ask. She needed to try to soften up the dragon before negotiations, or try to get Spike to do it.Either way, things needed to get moving sooner rather than later. “No. She’ll be here in the morning.” Thorax got to his hooves and followed Luna towards the door. “While I’m grateful to see her again, the less time she’s around the better. She doesn’t…do well in crowds.” “Ah worried about toasted bugs, hmm?” That earned a full-throated laugh from the changeling king. “Oh, it is good to know that Our wit has not left us yet. Well We will take Our leave now, King Thorax. We thank you once more for your hospitality.” Luna left the room and got some directions from a nearby undisguised guard towards Cadenza’s room. It was up a couple of ‘floors’ and actually had a door, unlike most of the other entrances in the place. There was also a haphazard depiction of Cadenza’s cutie mark on the door. Luna nodded at the two crystal unicorn guards that stood by the door. One of them lit their horns and cast a detection spell on her, which detected nothing of course. They then opened the door for her. “Cadenza, it is Luna.” She announced firmly as she entered the dwelling. While the walls were made of stone, the decorations looked far more Equestrian than anything. There were carpets of white and gold, expensive looking wardrobes, and even a sofa that looked straight out of Canterlot. Obviously the changelings had done their research and went through a lot of trouble to make their guests comfortable.There was an opening in one of the walls with a curtain in it, Luna assumed that was the bedroom. “Oh, Auntie Luna!” Cadenza’s voice came from behind the curtain. It sounded just as chipper and light as always. It wasn’t until the other alicorn emerged did Luna note the disconnect between the tone and the mare’s appearance. “Hello!” The first thing anypony would notice about Cadenza’s appearance now would be the white porcelain mask that covered her face. Her eyes, lower jaw and nostrils were visible behind the covering but nothing else. Her coat looked normal though, there was no trace of the viscera colored coat she had sported while turned. Nor could Luna see fangs lurking in her mouth even as her fellow princess smiled. So why the mask? “Yes, hello Cadenza.” The two mares embraced and Luna made sure to give her younger counterpart a firm squeeze. It felt like she was eating well. Her wings seemed intact. There was a scar along her left side, but it was mostly hidden by regrown fur. When the hug finally broke, Luna gave Cadenza a quizzical and worried look. “May I ask about the mask?” “Oh, this.” Cadance gave a laugh and touched the new adornment with a hoof. “It’s just…well, it makes me feel comfortable.” The smile Cadenza put on was false. Luna did not need a changeling’s powers to see that. “Please, take it off.” Luna spoke plainly but with authority. “We wish to look upon your face, dear niece.” “Luna, I don’t-” “We are family, are we not?” Luna cut Cadenza off and raised a hoof to stop a counter-interruption. “I am standing here before you with my flaws on display. I do not see why you cannot do the same for me.” Cadenza looked down at her hooves and Luna could see tears begin to form in her eyes. Luna was not moved by the display, though. She now wanted to know what it was that Cadance was hiding and why she was so keen on keeping it from everypony. “I don’t want anypony to see me like this.” Was the small and terrified answer Luna received. “Do you think We wish for anypony to see us like this?” Luna asked, her tone matching Cadenza’s. “We look like a monster, Cadenza. When We look in the mirror, it is Nightmare Moon staring back. Do you not think that hurts?” Luna bit her tongue to stop more venomous words from falling from her mouth. “We-I can be trusted. More than anypony else. I know your pain and you can trust me with it, Cadenza.” “Okay.” Cadenza spoke softly and nodded. “Just…I’m trusting you.” Luna did not feel good about the way she had accomplished that. She was sure that if she was a more patient and understanding pony, if she was more like Celestia, she would’ve been able to coax Cadenza from her shell. This was the brute force approach, a sledgehammer to an emotionally fragile mare and it had of course worked. Cadenza’s horn lit up and took the mask in its grasp. Luna saw the telltale flash of enchantments give way as the mask became disconnected from the alicorn’s face. Most likely it was some sort of ward to keep anypony but Cadenza from removing it. There was also an enchantment that had disguised parts of the mare’s appearance that had been through the holes of the mask. It was immediately made clear why she preferred to wear the mask. Almost the entire right side of Cadenza’s face was deeply scarred with what looked like a burn. Even her right eye was almost completely shut from the injuries. Her top lip on that side was mostly gone and her teeth were on full display, at least the ones still around. Yes, Luna could see why Cadenza chose the mask. “Have the doctors in the Crystal Empire not been able to help?” It was the first thing that came to Luna’s mind and she practically blurted it out. “We have recovered many of the top surgeons in Equestria and you know that they are at your service should you need them.” Cadance only nodded and returned the mask to her face. “They’re doing their best, Auntie Luna.” Cadenza whispered and trotted over to the sofa, where she sat down and let out a sigh. “It’s why I have this-” she motioned to the featureless porcelain thing that was once again covering her scarred features. “-it’s enchanted to help me heal and get me back to something that's normal. It’s just going to take…a long time.” “Well if you would like a second opinion, Equestria is always at your disposal.” Luna wanted to be there for her niece in her time of trouble. Emotionally, she never felt quite good enough for that sort of thing. When it came to resources, she was more than able to help. There was silence between the two regents. Luna joined Cadenza on the sofa and rested a hoof on her flank. In lieu of any of the right words, she assumed that physical contact and understanding would be enough. “It’s part of the reason I’m here.” Cadenza broke the silence. “I want to talk to Thorax about their magic. I’ve heard that they have some ways to heal changelings and I’m hoping we might be able to adapt it to ponies.” That was admirable. Maybe they could even use such things to help regular Equestrians get back to normal. “Also…the changeling that did this to me is here.” “Have you come here for revenge?” “No.” Cadenza shook her head. “At least, that wasn’t the plan. I just…I want to talk to them.” She brought her hoof, free of adornments, up to her face. “I want to apologize to them…and I guess I’m hoping I can get one back.” “A noble pursuit…” Luna stopped herself from grinding her teeth as she began to think. “I will work with King Thorax to see if we can locate this changeling. Then we can have a meeting with them. There are some things that need to be discussed…” When she received a look from Cadance she decided that clarification was needed. “They are the one living soul from Ponyvill that We were not able to speak with after the fact. We need to make sure that certain things remain secret.” “Ah, of course.” The two alicorns chatted for a bit longer. They started on the status of the two kingdoms, both quite dismal but the Crystal Empire was in much better shape than Equestria in terms of viable population. Naturally things shifted towards the royals who resided inside of the Royale Hotel in Manehattan, and it was shortly into that conversation when both mares clammed up. Cadenza did not want to talk much about Shining Armor and Luna did not want to mention anything about Twilight Sparkle’s current mental state. So they reached a natural stalemate of talking about Celestia, which quickly went nowhere. “I suppose I should retire.” Luna said as she stood. “The dream realm needs to be tended to and then I need some rest before tomorrow.” “Of course, Auntie Luna.” Cadenza stood with her and the two alicorns embraced once more. Both made sure to give the other a firm squeeze and they let the hug linger for a bit. The contact felt nice. It wasn’t something either of them had experienced since before The Event at that point. It was a small oasis in the desert of misery they were currently lost in. They separated and Luna rested a hoof on Cadenza’s mask, right where her cheek would be. They exchanged sad smiles and parted ways. Luna left the room and took a deep breath then let it out in a long protracted sigh. “Everything hurts…” Luna lamented to herself quietly. “Your majesty.” The rough voice of King Thorax’s brother made Luna jump. She had expected the two guards in front of the door, but not the rather tall imposing changeling. “Ah, sorry to startle you.” “No, it is fine.” Luna ruffled her wings and flattened them against her sides. The tiara on her head was also straightened by her magic and she drew herself up to her full height. “What is it, Lord Commander?” “I was just going to show you to your room personally, Princess.” Pharynx bowed his head and then stepped to the side. “The Hive can be confusing for outsiders.” “Ah, well then We thank you for your assistance.” Princess Luna nodded. “Lead the way.” It took her by surprise when Pharynx’s shell split and his thin translucent wings spread out. She followed his lead and spread her own wings out and took off once he did. Luna’s room was several ‘levels’ above Cadenza’s and had a similar looking door with her cutie mark on it. Two members of her night guard were on duty, spears in their hooves and stalwart looks on their faces. Luna gave them a nod and one of them opened the door for her. “May I join you for a moment, Your Majesty?” Lord Commander Pharynx asked. It was yet another thing the ascended changeling did that caught her off guard. From his unusual color, to his voice, and now this. It seemed like he was the most surprising bug in the hive. “For what, if I may ask?” “It is about security tomorrow. Simple stuff.” Pharynx waved off her obvious concern. “I just want to make sure everyone is on the same hoof for tomorrow. We have three very different cultures gathering here and I want to avoid anything sour developing.” “Ah, of course.” Luna nodded and headed inside, beckoning Pharynx to follow. Her room was very similar to Cadenza’s, except it was decorated in blues and silvers as opposed to white and gold. It reminded her a bit of her tower back in Canterlot where she would spend her nights studying the stars. The stone walls added to that familiar feeling, as did the high window that let her beautiful moonlight flow into the room. Luna took up residence on the couch, while Pharynx stood opposite of it. Changelings were inscrutable things. Their thick shell made reading their faces an art more than a science and their mastery of others emotions always gave them the upper hoof. Luna could tell nothing from his face. It was as if it was chiseled from oddly colored stone with two violet gems for eyes that stared at her unfeelingly. “You may begin.” Luna instructed. “First, let me apologize.” Pharynx began, still staring right at her as he spoke. “This isn’t about security, this is about the Changeling position on negotiations.” Luna sat up straighter and her wings bristled once more. “The deception…well, old habits die hard, Your Majesty. You of all ponies must understand.” “Did King Thorax send you?” The last thing that Luna wanted to do was have some under the table deal. While she was not keen on involving the dragons or Cadenza in the proceedings, they were well past the point of not including them at all. “No, I’m acting independently of my brother.” “Then We suggest you leave.” Luna stood up and puffed out her chest. She glared at the changeling as if she expected his stony facade to wilt beneath her gaze. It did not, though. What she wanted to avoid more than going around the dragons was going around King Thorax himself. “We will enter formal negotiations with King Thorax and the Changeling Hive tomorrow, not a moment sooner and not with someone who is not an official negotiator.” “This isn’t a negotiation, Luna.” His voice fell, somehow getting deeper and more serious. “If you think you can intimidate a princess of Equestria, then you will be sorely disappointed.” Luna took a step forward, her powerful hoof striking the ground hard enough to leave a crack in the stone beneath it. Her horn flared to life with a powerful blue aura and she leveled it right at the changeling. “We do not take threats lightly.” “My brother will ask something of you tomorrow. It will be something you will want to decline and haggle over.” Pharynx continued as if he did not have an alicorn threatening him with deadly force. He was just as calm and cool as ever. “You won’t. You will accept the terms as they are laid out initially and you will not push back on one single facet of them.” “Why would We do that?” “If you don’t, then the world will know that it was Twilight Sparkle who caused The Event.” Luna froze. Her magic faltered and she looked at him with a mix of shock and horror. How did he figure that out? The changeling from Ponyville, surely they had not revealed that information. Were there spies in the Royale Hotel? Or perhaps a changeling had replaced one of her guards or even Spike himself. It filled her in an unquenchable rage. The feeling of getting duped, of getting the wool pulled so thoroughly over her eyes, it left her with a mix of anger, disappointment, and boiling frustration in her gut. “Calm down.” Pharynx instructed. “As long as you accept our terms, which I assure you are completely fair and reasonable, I won’t tell a soul.” “If King Thorax were to find out what you have done here, would he approve?” That was her other avenue, go tell his boss on him. It was either that or squash him like the bug he was right here and now, leave him as but a stain on the stone for someone else to scrub out. Accepting this blackmail was not one of her options. “Most certainly, not.” Pharynx said with a shrug. “He would apologize and do his best to amend the deal to be more favorable to Equestria and reprimand me in some ineffectual way, I’m sure.” Then, for the first time, Pharynx grinned. “It would be too late, though. The story would already be out there. The masses would know that it was a princess of Equestria who caused all of that death, all of that destruction and mayhem. They would know that Twilight Sparkle was responsible and the whole world would be calling for her head.” He took a step closer to Luna. “You could go tell him. You could kill me right now. You could do anything but accept this deal and it wouldn’t matter. It would be out there. So you have two options. Take the deal, or prepare to sacrifice your sister’s protege to the mob that will inevitably end up on your doorstep. Your choice, Luna.” Luna could not tell if he was bluffing, but could she take the chance? If he wasn’t, then this would be everywhere. Sure, the government would deny it but how long would Twilight be able to deny it? How long would her weighty and guilty conscience be able to hold up under scrutiny from the ponies of Equestria and the world at large? Eventually something would give. Princess Luna gritted her teeth and nodded silently. She had no other choice. The pen of diplomacy was pressed firmly against her neck and anything more than complete acceptance would leave her blood mixed with the ink as it spilled across the land.