Princess Luna had not slept at all last night, no matter how much she knew she needed to. Not even her duties to the realm of dreams had been able to coax her away from pacing a rut in the floor of her room. At first she had been set on trying to figure a way out of this. She thought about getting Spike to send a letter back to Celestia, but the last thing her sister needed was one more catastrophe on her plate. Worse, if this news and threat got back to Twilight Sparkle then it was likely that she would try to get ahead of it by revealing the truth herself. Equestria did not need that.
Instead Luna would shoulder this burden by herself. She would handle whatever deal Thorax presented her with and try to make the best of it. She would have to come up with some reason why she accepted it and did not haggle when she got back, but that was doable. There was a slim chance that she could meet with Thorax in private afterwards and get him to roll back some of the deal if it proved to be too hard to swallow. That would take some doing, but if there was one bug in this whole rotten hive that could be bent to her will, it was most likely King Thorax.
The big question was if she should tell Cadenza or not. The younger alicorn had trusted Luna with the secret of her appearance, so perhaps Luna could trust her with this. But there was the possibility of her leaking it to Shining Armor, who would then leak it to either Celestia or Twilight Sparkle. There was no easy way out of this, not without taking the arrow to her own chest and dealing with the fallout later.
Whatever they wanted had to be better than a princess’ head on a pike, right?
If it was some territory along the border, then fine. Equestria wasn’t using all of its land at the moment and the dense forest that composed the borderlands between Equestria and the wastes of the hives were not used anyway. If it was some sort of resource such as money, then they could manage that as well. Currently Equestria did not have new bits being printed but they could figure something out on that front. Now, the big worry was what if they wanted ponies in exchange for the changelings they needed? Could Luna give them ponies to drain of love?
Luna groaned and her stomach did yet another flip. A queasiness had pervaded her body since Lord Commander Pharynx had left her chambers. It was still there and growing by the minute. If she had eaten anything in the last…how long had it been since she had eaten? Weeks at this point, surely. Good thing it wasn’t something she needed to do, but still. If she had eaten anything at a recent point in time, then it would have come up by now.
She had lowered the moon at the appropriate time, at which point the sun had been brought to the horizon. She wished that she had the serenity and grace of her sister’s sun instead of the cold indifference of the moon. Maybe then she could illuminate some path forward unseen by her. As of now, much like with most of her life, Luna was lost in the dark with only the fire of frustration and determination to guide her way.
If only she could be more like Celestia…
“Auntie Luna?” The soft voice was accompanied by a knock at the door. Luna did not respond, instead she reached out with her magic and opened the door for her niece. “Good morning!” The younger alicorn called out cheerfully as she trotted into the room with two mugs held aloft in her magical grasp. “Now, this was not easy to get a hold of, it cost me a leg or two, but I figured you would need it.”
“Hmm?” Luna took one of the mugs for herself and was immediately enraptured by the thick aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Her muzzle became buried in the mug and she took deep breaths of the scent. That alone was enough to get her brain firing on a different level. She didn’t even need to take a drink. “Where in the world did you get this?”
“Well the crystal ponies are, understandably, a little paranoid.” Cadenza strode across the room and took up residence on Luna’s sofa. She lifted her mask enough so that she could put the mug to her lips and took a long drink of the steaming hot liquid inside. “So a lot of them have taken to stockpiling things in case Sombra returns or the crystal heart fails. All it took was a little haggling with one of them to get their coffee reserves. It was worth it, though.”
“Thank you, Cadenza. We appreciate the effort.” Luna sat beside the other mare and took a long and slow drink from her own mug. A shiver went through her body as the liquid trickled down her throat. She let out a long sigh after it had all gone down. “Oh that was sorely needed…”
“I assumed that would be the case.” Cadenza responded with a chuckle. “Between your duties at night and the nerves that I’m sure are affecting us all, I figured that you wouldn’t have slept last night.” She paused for a moment to take another sip of her coffee. “Will you be alright to handle the negotiations today? I’m sure that we can talk with King Thorax about delaying them until this evening to let you get some rest.”
“No no.” Luna waved off Cadenza’s suggestion with a hoof and took another quick pull from her mug. “Sleep will not grace Us with its presence until this is done with.” Even then, Luna was worried she would not be able to rest. It all depended on what exactly she was going to have to accept. “Let us just get it over with. Lack of sleep will not prevent Us from doing Our duty to Equestria. You can rest assured of that, Cadenza.” After all, how much energy would it take to say yes to the changelings? As for the dragons, well tired and grumpy might play into what they respond to.
“Are you sure? It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“We will be fine, Cadenza.” Luna closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and threw back the rest of the coffee in her mug all at once. “I assume there will be some sort of breakfast this morning.”
“Yes, King Thorax did say something about that.” Cadenza followed her elder’s lead and guzzled the rest of the drink down. “Which is good, because I am starving. Aren’t you?”
“No.” Luna got to her hooves and set her mug on the arm of the sofa. “I do not have the time or energy to be hungry. There is much to do.” She retrieved her vestments from a table in the corner of the room and put them on. Then brought her horseshoes over and slipped them on. “Now come along, Cadenza. We must go and be good guests for our host.”
The two princesses did not say a word as they left Luna’s room. They stayed by each other's side but elected not to speak. Luna was too consumed with her own thoughts and the haze of worry around the upcoming ordeal to even engage in idle chit chat. Even if, by some miracle, she was able to push all of that away then she would be too worried about all of the possible eyes and ears around them at any given time. The image of the two guards disappearing into the greater swarm resurfaced in her mind.
They were directed by undisguised guards towards something that approximated a dining area. It was most likely another room of some sort, a communal room for the hive, that had been co-opted and turned into a dining area for this event. The table was more of an amalgamation of other tables that had been molded into a large circle. A tablecloth that looked to be several similar looking ones stitched together laid atop it. All in all, it looked like a poor imitation of a proper dining room.
Some of the chairs around the table were filled. King Thorax and Lord Commander Pharynx were there, at what could ostensibly be called the ‘head’ of the table, and Dragon Lord Ember sat across from them with Spike by her side. Luna directed Cadance to a spot equidistant between the two groups, and that’s where the two princesses sat.
“Finally!” Ember threw up her claws and let out a groan. “I was beginning to think you two were going to keep us waiting all day.”
Luna had never seen the Dragon Lord before. She had, of course, heard reports from Spike and Twilight Sparkle of what she looked like. However, first appearances had left the princess of the night thoroughly unimpressed. Ember was short, at least a full head shorter than either of the alicorns. The horns that came off of her head framed her long face and reminded Luna of an old helmet worn by earth pony warriors. Her blue scales were rough and unpolished and traces of soot stained her soft underbelly. She looked diminutive, frail, and filthy.
“Apologies.” Luna started with a nod towards Ember and Thorax. “We were not made aware that breakfast was being prepared nor that it was ready.” She gave her best apologetic smile and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It had not been designed for a pony or size or with her wingspan in mind.
“No, I’m pretty sure we told Princess Cadance about it.” Pharynx interjected with narrowed eyes. “I know I did.”
“Ah, right.” Luna placed her hoof on the bridge of her nose and admonished herself silently. “I apologize. My speech is still stuck in a time long past and in a language not spoken. When I say ‘We’, what I usually mean is ‘me’. It can be rather confusing, so I will do my best to drop it in present company.”
“Just say you talk funny.” Ember grumbled and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Now where’s the food? My stomach is killing me.”
“Right!” King Thorax stood up and stamped a hoof on the table. “Now let me apologize in advance, but we tried our best to duplicate some dishes from your homelands. Changelings aren’t used to actually…cooking, so we did our best. Just…sorry in case we got things a little too wrong. Bring it out!”
The meal itself was nothing special. Spike had some gems, Ember some roasted meat that earned disgusted looks from the Equestrians, while Cadenza and Luna had plates that she supposed were meant to be salads but were truthfully just bowls full of vegetables. It was an effort at least. She had been hoping for something a bit more filling. Thorax and Pharynx had something that looked like slime to everyone else in the room, but they seemed to enjoy it.
Luna found Cadenza mildly fascinating. Beside the fact that she managed to eat around the mask that was magically attached to her face, there was the fact that she was an alicorn that felt the need to eat. She wondered how that must feel, what must the gnawing sensation of hunger do to a pony with that amount of power. That, of course, led her train of thought to the progeny of Cadenza and Shining Armor. Flurry Heart was born an alicorn, so was she like Celestia and herself or would she be more akin to her mother and Twilight Sparkle? Would she even be immortal? Were Cadenza and Twilight Sparkle immortal?
“Princess Luna?” A hoof poked the princess in the ribs and jostled her from her thoughts.
“Hmm?” Luna blinked and looked around. King Thorax was looking right at her expectantly. This happened more often than she would like to admit during meals. She would just zone out and become lost in the sea of idle nonsense her brain brought to the surface.
“He asked how you liked the food.” Cadenza whispered.
“Ah, thank you.” Luna whispered back and then gave a polite smile to the changeling monarch. “It was delicious, Your Majesty. Thank you. You can never go wrong with the classics.” Luna had been expecting something fancier, but then again what did the Changelings know of Equestrian cuisine? What did Equestrians know of it at the moment?
“Yeah, pretty good.” Ember sat back in her chair with her feet up on the table. She used one of her claws to pick bits of charred meat from her sharp teeth and flick them away. “So are we going to get to the deal making now?”
“Well not here-”
“Why not?” Ember cut off Thorax and sat up in her chair. “There’s a big table and we’re all here. What else do we need?” The dragon lord looked around the room and gestured at the table and then everyone else. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can all go home and deal with our own disasters.”
“Well, I had my office moved around to accommodate this.” Thorax lamented with a little sigh. “I figured it’s more private and away from potential prying eyes. But if you want to do it here and the princesses agree, I guess we can.” Then all eyes fell on the two alicorns.
“I am not opposed.” Luna said with a shrug. “Cadenza?”
“While I am sure your office would be very cozy, King Thorax, I have to agree with Dragon Lord Ember. We all have crises at home to attend to and we’ve definitely dallied enough already.” Even though it was not visible beneath the mask, the smile was easily heard in Cadenza’s voice. Luna was grateful to have the younger and more personable princess by her side in these moments. “Your hospitality is noted and very appreciated, but we must remember what world we’re currently living in.”
“Perhaps in another time or another world-” Luna picked up on the trail Cadenza had blazed and followed. “-this could’ve been a grander affair with much more pomp and circumstance, sadly this is not that time or world.” She straightened up in her chair and pushed her half-empty plate away. “The citizens of our realms are suffering, to sit here and have idle talks and enjoy peace and full bellies would be a disservice to what they are going through. We must honor their struggles by resolving these talks swiftly and with respect for one another and the creatures we are responsible for.”
“Alright.” Thorax nodded, but frowned slightly. Luna felt bad for helping torpedo his plans, but Ember and Cadenza raised valid points. “I guess...I guess we should start with detailing the status of our nations?” That received nods from everyone. “Who wants to go first?” Naturally, all of the eyes fell on Luna as Equestria was without a doubt going to be the longest.
“I am afraid that I did not bring my notes with me.” Luna responded with a sigh. She had not expected to be holding the meeting now, or else she would have brought them down. “They are with my luggage, which-”
“I have copies, Princess!” Spike spoke up and waved a ream of papers above his head. “I didn’t know when we would be doing this, so…” The little dragon hopped down from his seat and hurried over to Luna’s spot at the table. A satchel was attached to him and filled with more papers, all looked categorized nicely and separated with color coded tabs that surely only he knew. Spike deposited the papers and took a seat beside her.
“Ah, thank you dear Spike.” Luna smiled and patted the young dragon on the head. “You make a wonderful assistant. I appreciate you immensely.”
“You’re welcome!” Spike beamed with pride at the praise and puffed out his chest a little.
Luna’s gaze fell back on the ream of papers in front of her. It held everything about Equestria’s post-Event situation. Everything. All of the statistics and problems. Every crisis typed out in perfect mechanical font. They had decided to present the whole and unpleasant truth to their allies, even if it made their position weaker. They were friends, and friends were supposed to be honest.
Luna hoped it made her fellow negotiators take pity on Equestria.
“As you all know, Equestria was the epicenter of The Event.” She took a deep breath and read off of the page. Even as she did, she could feel the eyes of the others on her. Their gazes burrowed into her and a nervous sweat began to manifest on her brow. Public speaking was not her forte, nor were meetings with other ponies generally. She was a mare of action, not of words.
“One-third of Equestria’s population has been declared missing or dead since the conclusion of The Event.” Luna continued nonetheless. “Those are preliminary and optimistic numbers. We are hoping to do a proper census within the next year, but the capability to do that remains in question. Two of Equestria’s top three most populous cities were wiped off of the map: Canterlot and Cloudsdale.” Saying the names of the cities made Luna’s stomach turn and tie itself into knots. They had been destroyed by her and Celestia. So many ponies had died because they had turned. They had inflicted more pain on Equestria than they had ever prevented. More than one thousand years of goodwill on Celestia’s part had been soured in just one month. “Canterlot’s population was a majority unicorn, so they are alive but displaced. Cloudsdale was entirely a pegasus city and…” Luna licked her lips and tried to swallow, but the tightness in her throat wouldn’t allow her. “...and we estimate less than twenty percent of its population survived.”
Luna shook her head and put down the paper. A hoof rested on her back and rubbed between her wings in soft slow circles. Cadenza had the touch of a mother, one who knew how to properly comfort somepony in pain. It took everything Luna had not to break down. With every ounce of emotional strength she thought she had built over her time back, she pressed on.
“The pegasus population is considered critically endangered. Pre-Event population numbered around two-hundred and fifty thousand, Post-Event is estimated to be around one-hundred thousand. The earth pony population is similarly in danger of collapse, with Pre-Event numbers known to be four-hundred and seventy-five thousand at the last census and now…” Luna had to stop herself again as she felt her voice crack. “...and now it is estimated to be two-hundred thousand or less…the unicorn population remains largely unchanged. Three-hundred and fifty-thousand Pre-Event and three-hundred thousand now.”
“Queens above…” Thorax had a look of disgust on his face, like some curdled morsel had laid itself on his tongue. “I…I didn’t realize it was that bad. I thought…well, I don’t know what I thought.”
“Yeah you ponies did a number on yourselves.” Even Ember had a sympathetic look, even if a mild scowl never left her scaly features.
“Do you want me to take over, Auntie Luna?” Cadenza whispered into her ear while continuing to pat and rub her back.
“No.” Luna shook her head. “I have to do this.”
“While the unicorns are the bulk of our population, there are numerous problems with implementing their labor in sectors where it is most needed.” Luna continued, her eyes scanning the black and white page. She simply picked the words up off of it and set them down with all effort put towards not understanding what they meant in the interim. “Understandably, a large portion of the surviving earth pony and pegasus populations do not wish to work with the unicorns. Animosity is high and violence between the three tribes is at an all-time high. There are large portions of the unicorn population that are also not fit to return to organized labor. The transformation process has left some unicorns….impaired, either physically or mentally.”
“That explains the wings and fangs, then.” Ember kicked back in her chair again and put her feet on the table. “Don’t get me wrong, they look great on you. I’m just not used to ponies actually looking scary.”
“Mmm.” Luna did her best to ignore Ember and provided only a non-commital noise before returning her gaze to the paper. “These problems with labor have culminated in dangerous famine conditions in Equestria’s cities where the bulk of the unicorn population have been moved to. With earth ponies largely unwilling to cooperate with unicorns and farming being a talent not natural to unicorns, Equestria is reaching a tipping point. Food, violence, and a population on the verge of complete collapse will culminate in our destruction without help.” Luna put down the papers and looked around to the other creatures that surrounded the table. “We are not accustomed to asking for help from others. For a very long time Equestria has been a proud and self-sufficient country. Now, in our hour of greatest need, we are turning to you and asking for your cooperation.”
When she was done, Luna slumped back in her chair. Every word had hurt as it came out. They had stung her throat and scraped against her tongue. Now her mouth was dry, her eyes watering, and her throat raw. She wanted to cry, needed to cry, yet she could not. Not yet. There was still more pain to come, and she knew that thanks to Pharynx’s threats last night.
“We will of course help you, Princess Luna.” Thorax forced himself to smile, even through the grimace that wanted to take over his face. “How, is something we can discuss once Princess Cadance, Ember, and myself have done our sharing.” He then nodded at the regent of the Crystal Empire. “Princess Cadance, you can go next.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Cadaenza responded with a nod and a smile in her voice. “The Crystal Empire of course had casualties. While unicorns aren’t native to the Empire, we had a significant number of transplants from Equestria. Most of them were scholars, and of course…myself and my husband.” Luna heard a deep sigh reverberate through Cadenza’s chest. “We lost about ten percent of our population, around five thousand ponies. We were lucky that the homes in the Empire were not easily destroyed, and I was lured away from the Empire before I could do too much damage.”
Luna blinked. Were there no crystal unicorns? Were they all earth ponies? How had she never noticed that before. Now that she thought back on it, when she had gone there with Celestia to see the newborn Flurry Heart, there had indeed only been earth ponies that were actual crystal ponies. Only transplants from Equestria had featured either wings or a horn, or both. Odd.
“Our food production is largely the same from pre-Event levels, but not enough to help support Equestria.” Cadenza went on, the same chipper tone in her words as she spoke. “And of course a growing number of ponies want us to be isolated from Equestria. They are small, but the idea is gaining steam. Rest assured, I will not let this happen.” Cadenza’s hoof pressed reassuringly against Luna’s back.
“Right guess I’m up next.” Ember picked up less than a second after Cadenza finished speaking. She reached beneath the table and produced a large purple staff with a magnificent ruby at its center. It was placed on the table with a hefty thunk. “I don’t know numbers. Dragons don’t like being counted. What I do know is that none of those unicorns got into the dragon lands, but that didn’t stop a lot of dumb dragons from going into Equestria looking for a challenge. Not a lot of them came back. I don’t know, maybe a hundred.” There was a sadness in Ember’s voice as much as she tried to disguise it with aloof carelessness. Pride was still there, so was the care of a leader. It was different from what Luna was used to, but it was present.
“Uh…there’s not a lot of dragons.” Ember’s tone softened a little. “We like to fight and it takes a long time for us to mature and it takes even longer for our eggs to incubate. It keeps our numbers small, which is probably a good thing for the rest of the world…” Ember reached out and gripped the staff in her claws. Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed it as tight as she could. Luna saw sadness creep into the edges of the Dragon Lord’s features, but it was quickly subsumed by anger. “Our eggs need magic to grow and to hatch. The magic of the world, the leyline that runs right under the dragon lands, they need it. It takes decades for dragon eggs to hatch and ‘The Event’-” Ember used her claws to make air quotes as she spoke the term. “-killed a whole generation of dragons off.” Smoke began to pour from Ember’s nostrils as she spoke. “We tried everything to salvage them, to keep them alive, and none of it worked. Mothers had to watch as their healthy eggs, some close to hatching, became useless.”
There was silence in the room. Every death was horrible, all of them were senseless, but something about this struck a nerve. Children in Equestria had perished as well, as had pregnant mares, but those were all to vicious attacks. They had been violent and loud and sudden. What Ember had described was slow and quiet. A trainwreck that none of them were able to stop or look away from. It was not their fault and they could not fight back. There were no enemies to fight and nothing action could solve. To a dragon that might as well have been a death sentence.
“What do you need?” Luna was ready to help. Whatever the dragons needed, it was most likely not material in nature. Ember had mentioned nothing about food or the material conditions of her subjects.
“Magic.” Ember answered simply. “We lost an entire generation. We need, I don’t know, spells or something to help us make up for that lost time.” Ember pinched the bridge of her nose between two claws and closed her eyes. “And…I hate to say this, but we need to stop being dragons for a while.”
“What do you mean?” Cadenza asked as she leaned forward in her chair.
“All we do is hurt each other, kill each other.” Ember grabbed her staff and hoisted in the air. “This only has so much power, they’ll listen to whoever has it without question but I can’t overrule nature.” She set the heavy staff back down on the table. “I need someone who knows dragons and who can help knock-put some sense into them.” Her eyes fell on the dragon sitting next to Luna. “I need Spike.”
“What?” All three of the Equestrian delegates asked in unison.
“He’s a dragon and he’s spent his whole life in Equestria learning about your harmony or whatever.” Ember explained with a dissatisfied scowl on her face. “I can’t ask to have ponies come to the dragon lands and give us lectures. They wouldn’t listen to you. I need someone who knows dragons, who’s at least earned a little respect, and who can help spread your values.”
“Well I cannot promise you that.” While Luna could see the value in Spike’s experience and knowledge, she could not make anyone do something they did not want to. They did not deal in slavery in Equestria. “When I am back home I will gather our scholars and mages to put together a package of spells or potions to help with your breeding problem. I will promise you that. But if Spike wishes to aid you in your efforts, then that will be his decision to make alone and not something that can be brokered between states.”
“I’ll…think about it.” Spike answered sheepishly. Luna looked to the young dragon and found him wringing his claws and his head down. There was genuine pain on his face as the two sides of his beings wrestled for his compassion and his kindness. Luna took a page out of Cadenza’s book and placed a hoof on his back.
“Everypony back home will support you no matter what you choose, Spike.” She tried to reassure him, but doubted it had much effect. Spike gave her a half-hearted smile and a nod in response.
“And of course, if the dragon lands need any food such as gems then the Crystal Empire will be happy to help with that.” Cadenza added on with a smile and a nod. “I’m sure a little extra food might help motivate some of the dragons to get along.”
All in all, Ember had been a lot easier to deal with than Spike had implied. Desperation had softened her temperament and dampened the fire of the mighty Dragon Lord. Luna could be happy with that. It made her job easier. Though the burden it placed on Spike might not make the ease worth it. Part of Luna had been hoping for a fight, for a chance to let loose and yell at Ember.
“Now I believe we have something to offer you, Princess Luna.” Thorax interjected with a smile and tap of his hoof on the table. That made the knot in Luna’s stomach return and for her blood to run cold. Pharynx’s threat now loomed over her head like a terrible sword, ready to drop unless she agreed to whatever it was the Changeling king was about to propose.
“I am listening.” Luna attempted to distance herself from the situation. Maintaining her composure and not giving the game away was now paramount. She leaned forward and leveled a cool and calm gaze at her Changeling counterpart.
“Equestria needs bodies.” Thorax began with a nervous smile. His wings buzzed beneath his shell and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “You said it yourself, you don’t have enough ponies who can work to feed your cities. We can give that to you.”
“What’s the catch?” It was thankfully Ember who voiced her skepticism first. “They need a lot of ‘bodies’ to fix their problems. I don’t doubt that there are enough changelings to pick up some of the slack, but you wouldn’t give that away.” She narrowed her eyes. “So what’s the price?”
“I am suggesting a union between our two kingdoms.” Thorax offered. “We share a border, so why not just do away with it and become one kingdom instead?” There was silence in the room for a few seconds as Thorax looked around at the slightly confused diplomats. “Of course the changelings would need one of their own to follow…”
“...no…” Luna whispered under her breath as the reality of what exactly Thorax was suggesting landed on her shoulders. Surely he could not be serious. That would be ludicrous…and she had to decide whether could reject it or not.
“Will you just spit it out!” Ember groaned and threw her head back. “No one likes you dancing around whatever it is you want. Just be honest.”
“A marriage.” Thorax blurted out. “Purely political, of course! It will join Equestria and the Changelings, make my subjects your subjects. But it’s not…” He stammered and searched for words. “I…uh…it’s not something that would be…” Whatever it was Thorax wanted to say, he couldn’t find the right words no matter how hard he tried.
Luna closed her eyes. This was what Pharynx had demanded she not haggle with. Yes, she could see how in a world where she was not subjected to blackmail how she would get out of this. Most likely she could talk Thorax down to simply being a vassal of Equestria and allowing his citizens to move freely between the two nations just like the Crystal Empire. In fact, Luna was confident that she could do that. Especially with Cadenza by her side, it would be a walk in the park.
This was a clear power grab. Certainly not by Thorax, as Luna was not sure he had enough of a spine for those kind of aspirations. No doubt these were the dreams and ideas of Pharynx. The conniving Lord Commander of the changelings had played his hoof perfectly and had played Luna just as well.
“What?” Cadenza asked. “You…want to become…king of Equestria? That’s absurd.”
“No no, of course not!” Thorax stood from his chair and shook his head vehemently. “I would never dream of usurping any of the power that the princesses have over Equestria! This is simply to…pursue closer ties between our nations. I’d still have say over what happens to my changelings, but Equestria would still be yours. Not mine.”
“Then why do it at all?” Ember was the one to continue the interrogation. “What do you get out of this if you’re giving Equestria all of your bugs and get none of the power?”
“Think about it-” Pharynx pushed his brother back into his seat. “-every other country on the planet is decimated and Equestria is suffering greatly, yet they’ll still be at the top of the food chain.” The upstart second-in-command raised his chin proudly and glared at Ember as he spoke. “Why? They control the sun and moon. As long as they have that power, they’ll always be the center of the political universe.”
“And we want to be part of it.” Thorax stepped up and finished the sentiment. He wasn’t as fiery, though. His voice was quiet, contemplative, and there was a longing in his voice. “No one has ever taken us seriously, even before we changed. We’ve only been seen as a threat or an infestation, even now. The only way we’ll be seen as anything else is if somepony else helps uplift us. Now is the perfect time to change what creatures think of when they hear the word ‘changeling.’”
“Yes, you want them to think ‘powerful’. For the first time in the entire meeting, a dose of something other than cheerfulness entered Cadenza’s words. It was either disappointment or anger, or perhaps a mix. If Luna could see beneath the mask, she imagined there would be a sneer on the pink princess’ face. “You want them to think of you and the ponies by your side.”
“No, I want them to think ‘important’!” Thorax pleaded with the two mares as he extended a hoof towards them. “I want them to see a changeling and go ‘There are those important creatures who deserve respect and admiration!’”
“And love?” The words fell like acid from Cadenza’s mouth. Thorax visibly flinched as the two little words stabbed him in whatever changelings had in place of a heart. He wilted from the two ponies and shrank into his chair.
“It’s…it’s not like that.” Thorax retorted quietly. He shook his head and took a deep breath. “Look at this hive…just…compare the outside with the inside.” Luna did as she was asked and thought about the arid wasteland beyond the walls and compared that with the lush and humid interior. “We don’t belong out here. This isn’t where we’re supposed to be. For the longest time, we were here because this is the only place where someone wasn’t. This is the one place we wouldn’t be chased from.”
“To be fair, you were love-draining parasites before this big…change.” Ember had picked up her staff at some point and had the tip pointed right at Thorax. “I don’t think you can blame anyone for chasing you guys out when you were kidnapping them and draining them of their love. You were monsters.”
“We’re not that anymore.” Thorax pleaded. “We just need a chance to prove it! We just need our time in the sun to show everyone what we can be!”
“Well, not all of you are like that anymore…” Luna muttered under her breath as she shot daggers at Pharynx.
“We need a chance, as equals!” Thorax continued as he stood up once more and began to walk around the table towards the alicorn. “We’re useful and strong and kind and…and we can be just as good as Equestrians. I know it.” He shook his head as he approached the two princesses. “But we’ll never get a fair shake, not as long as we’re still seen as monsters.”
“Fine.” Luna didn’t want to hear the sob story anymore. If he kept going, then there was a good chance her will and common sense would fail and she would reject his proposal outright. There was no need to drag this on any longer. “We accept your deal, Thorax.”
“Auntie Luna!” Cadenza sat aghast and stared at the elder alicorn. “You…you should at least consult Princess Celestia before-”
“-I will worry about my sister, Cadenza.” Luna silenced her subordinate royal with a raised hoof. “I have been given full authority to negotiate on Equestria’s behalf without having my decisions second guessed or approved.” She leaned over and lowered her voice. “You will have to trust Us, this is for the best.”
“Okay…but we’re going to talk about this later.”
“This is…unexpected.” Thorax stopped in place about three-quarters of the way towards Luna and Cadenza, maybe three feet or so away, and blinked in surprise. “I was…well, I don’t know what I was expecting. Not this?” He shook his head and replaced his quizzical expression with a much too enthusiastic smile “Excellent! We can talk about which princess it will be at a later-”
“It will be me, Thorax.” Luna cut him off as well. She would not subject Celestia or Twilight Sparkle to this indignity, she could not. They were not capable of handling such a thing at the moment and there was doubt they ever would be. Luna would bear the brunt of this terrible and narcissistic deal.
For the good of Equestria.