//------------------------------// // Invitations // Story: Peace at Last? // by Prince_Staghorn //------------------------------// CANTERLOT… Three captains of the Royal Guard kept an eye on their “guest,” a pegasus mare with a grey coat, a red mane, two crossed swords for a cutie mark, and a green necklace. She had introduced herself as High-General Double, royal consort to the changeling prince, and had come to Canterlot wishing to see the troops. She had filled out the proper paperwork, and was now stuck with three of the best soldiers in Equestria. Barricade, the captain of the Pegasus Guard, (and, ironically, Fluttershy’s mom) had to concede that these changelings might not be so bad. After all, if her daughter had managed to make friends with one… The giant yellow-and-pink pegasus mare turned to her companions. “She seems alright,” she whispered. Night Shade, the noctral captain of the Night Guard, flicked a bat-like ear. “Perhaps,” she said slowly. “But we cannot forget that ‘alright’ or not, these changelings still attacked Canterlot. Harbinger, what are your thoughts on the subject?” The Earth Pony captain smiled. “Need I remind you of how we reacted when you thestrals and night unicorns came out of hiding?” He smiled wryly. Night Shade blushed. When Princess Luna had returned, hundreds of noctrals and nocticorns had come down from their mountain homes to serve the Night Princess. It had taken the “normal” ponies a while to get used to them. She adjusted her sunglasses. “Be that as it may, my fellow followers of the Night Princess did not attempt to take over Equestria.” “That was not the original plan.” The three captains looked at the changeling/pegasus, who was looking at the troops training in the courtyard. “The Queen was actually invited. She and Cadence are old friends. However, our queen fell prey to Emotion Sickness.” “Emotion Sickness?” Barricade asked. “Are you serious?” “Quite. You see, we changelings subsist on a steady diet of the same food as you ponies, mixed with various positive emotions. However, feeding on one specific positive emotion alone causes a psychological reaction known as ‘Emotion Sickness,’ which causes symptoms similar to megalomania. The queen feeding on Shining Armor’s pure love was a simple mistake which messed with her brain, causing temporary insanity, similar to what you might experience from smoking Dragon Weed or drinking Manticore Cactus juice for a prolonged period of time.” Night Shade cocked her head, lowering her sunglasses and raising an eyebrow. “So she was high on power?” Double looked back at the batpony. “I think ‘drunk’ may be a better word, but yes.” She looked back over the troops. “Captain Barricade, forgive me if I’m mistaken, but should those two troops be lazing around like that?” Barricade looked at the two pegasi Double had pointed out. They had hidden themselves behind a castle rampart, and appeared to be looking at a magazine of some sort. Barricade spread her massive wingspan, and took off. A few seconds later, the pegasi soldiers and the magazine were deposited in front of the captains and the High-General. Double looked at the magazine cover. Her face flushed a bright red, and the offending text burst into green flames. Barricade turned to her fellow captains. “So how should we deal with them this time?” Harbinger smiled. “I think we should let the High-General decide,” he said, looking at Double. Double considered. “Is this their first offense?” Barricade snorted. “Hardly. I’ve caught these two doing the same thing three times!” “May I hazard a guess that they are too valuable to be court-marshaled?” “Unfortunately.” “Thirty weeks’ worth of labor, perhaps sorting the tomes in the library, or maybe cleaning the streets every night. Something menial and far below the task of a soldier.” Barricade smiled. “Couldn’t have put it better myself.” At that moment, a purple balloon wafted in on the breeze. Upon bumping into Double’s forehead, it burst into a cloud of confetti and a single card. Double picked it up with her magic and read. IT’S A PARTY!!! FOOD! GAMES! FUN! COME TO THE CHANGELING’S CASTLE TONIGHT AT 5:00! Night Shade looked over the card. “Well, it’s about time. I was wondering when you guys would get your Welcome Party.” Double looked over the card again. “Welcome Party?” As the three captains explained, nopony noticed the blue unicorn stallion who stopped to sneer at the stained-glass picture of Celestia. "Soon," he said. "Soon Equestria shall have its rightful ruler." ... PONYVILLE… Twilight eyed the changeling prince in her library. “Drunk on love? Are you serious?” Staghorn smiled. “Yes. And now that I’ve explained this fully and succeeded in having you listen, I believe an ‘I’m sorry for my mother brainwashing your brother’ gift is in order.” He took a carefully wrapped present out of his saddlebag and gave it to Twilight. Twilight cautiously opened it. It was a book labeled A History of the Changelings. She looked over it. It was very thick, but looked relatively new. “It’s a revised copy, re-written to include the invasion attempt and the signing of the peace treaty,” Stag explained. Twilight looked at the changeling. “Um… Thank you.” At that moment, a balloon with a small green reptile attached to it came through the door. Staghorn instantly took notice. “My word! An actual Pygmy Emerald Alligator! There are only 50 thousand of these reptiles left in the wild! Interesting fact is that these things don’t get their teeth until… why does it have a card in its mouth?” Twilight took the card from Gummy’s mouth and looked over it. “What is it?” Stag asked. Twilight looked up. For the first time in seven weeks, she smiled at a changeling. “It’s an invitation to your welcome party.” ... Octavia was struggling. She had an important meeting in a week with her Uncle Fancy Pants in Canterlot, and before she actually could go, she needed to practice her table manners. “Hey ‘Tavi! What’s up!?!” Octavia nearly jumped out of her seat. “Darn it, Vinyl! Can’t you see that I’m trying to prepare for meeting our uncle?” Vinyl looked at the table set. “Dinner plate with salad or soup bowl on it goes in the middle, salad, dinner, and dessert forks on the left side in that order. Knife and small soup spoons go on the right side. Bread plate with butter knife on top left of dinner plate, followed by water, wine, and liquor glasses in that order. Napkin placement depends on your preference.” Octavia looked at her cousin. “Y at-il un problème?” Vinyl asked in perfect Chevallan. Octavia almost said something, when a balloon came in through the window, somehow did a triple loop-de-loop, and popped, depositing a card. Vinyl picked it up. VINYL!!! OCTI!!! WE NEED MUSIC!!! IT’S TWO PARTIES!!! PLEASE COME! IT’S AT THE CHANGELING’S CASTLE!!! Signed, Pinkie Pie. The two musicians looked at each other. They dashed to their rooms, Vinyl to grab her records and equipment, Octavia to get her cello and to call the rest of her ensemble. ... A grey earth pony mare with a red mane and three flowers for a cutie mark looked at the card. She looked up at the pony she shared her home with, a green earth pony mare with a shamrock cutie mark. “What do you think, Three Leaf?” Three Leaf considered. “Well, I guess we could go. I mean, we’ve been living here since before the wedding. Maybe we could at least drop in on the party.” Mitta nodded, and then sneezed, briefly turning into a desiccated red pony corpse with a black mane and glowing yellow eyes. She put her disguise back together quickly. “Careful, Mitta,” a voice said. Mitta looked up to see the ghost of a grey earth pony mare with a blonde mane and a magnifying glass cutie mark. “You know Applebloom’s family and her sister’s friends are the only ones who know about yours and Three Leaf’s ‘condition,’ and you know why you can’t go back to Sunny Town if you get discovered,” Ruby finished. “Are you suggesting we don’t go?” Three Leaf asked. “No, just that you be really careful.” The two zombies nodded and rushed off to get some last-minute dresses. ... THE CHANGELING CASTLE… Seven changelings sat in a semicircle overlooking the arena in the building labeled 死のアリーナ: Shi no arīna, the Arena of Death (Originally it was called Settō yori mo haruka ni akka shi, shinkokuna hanzai de yūzai to sorera o ōkina kemono to tatakawa sa rete iru basho- literally, “place in which those found guilty of serious crimes much worse than thievery are pitted against a large beast.”) Six of the changelings wore dark robes. The seventh changeling in the middle was raised on a pedestal, mostly due to the fact that he was less a changeling, and more of a changeling skull with rubies for eyes. This was Staghorn’s Great-Grandfather, Thromnombular the Lich. He looked to the other members of the council, and then looked down at the armored changeling in the arena. He opened his jaws and spoke in a deep voice. “Carbon, former captain of the guard, you have by your own admition been sentenced as guilty of the crime of high treason against our Queen and my beloved granddaughter. As such, you shall be sentenced to fight for your life. Take up your sword.” Carbon took up the sword. He looked up at the skull and sneered. Thromnombular screeched. “RELEASE BLACK AZOG!” A door opened, and a blood-chilling screech was heard. Carbon never stood a chance, and his screams echoed through the arena. In a balcony across from the jury, Chrysalis watched with cold indifference. * “I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did against the beast,” Chrysalis commented to the hovering skull that was her grandfather. “Indeed, he truly was a warrior. It is too bad he preferred to die rather than serve you. Still, when one does try to cut off his Queen’s head, what else can be done?” A balloon flew through the air, depositing itself in front of the pair and popping, releasing a card. Chrysalis picked it up and read it. “ ‘All guests come to the main foyer, and from there you can go to the fancy party or the par-tay?’” She walked to the palace and opened the door. She gasped.