With a flash of fiery green light, the unicorn stallion materialized before promptly crashing to the cold floor.
“Ugh, what happened?” Shining Armor, groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. His dark blue mane and white coat were disheveled from his time with Cadance. They had just gotten to the good part when he had been interrupted by that green light.
It had just begun to dawn upon him just who was responsible for this when a polite cough interrupted his thinking. The Crystal Duke whipped his head around towards the source. There upon a golden throne sat a large white alicorn who was staring at him in surprise.
“I’m surprised to see you this time of night, Shining Armor,” said Princess Celestia, Diarch of the Sun. “We were not expecting your rather….abrupt arrival.”
A sly grin tugged at the corners of the Princess’s mouth. “Normally, I’d request you to stand to attention, but it looks like you are already on top of things, Duke Shining Armor.”
The stallion’s mind reeled as he realized where he was: The Royal Throne room of Canterlot. Desperate, his eyes flicked back and forth looking for the horrified faces of the easily offended elite of Canterlot. The last thing he needed were for his mum and dad to be in attendance to see their son in this state.
Thankfully, fate smiled upon Shining. The only ponies in attendance were the Princess and her two guards at the base of the throne. Though the two could have been statues, Shining knew the two grey unicorns were dying of laughter on the inside.
His heart sank as he knew it wouldn’t be long before a new story about their Captain would circulate through the guard barracks. It was only a matter of time before it got out.
The Princess’s soothing voice helped ease his fears if nothing else.
“Come now, Captain. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I felt the magic, so I know it wasn’t your own. Be at ease.”
Before he could say anything, a bright flash of warm golden light flooded the throne room. Once it faded, the unicorn stallion was no where to be seen, Celestia’s magic whisking him back to the Crystal Empire.
As soon as he was gone, Princess Celestia let out a rather inelegant snort before burst into laughter. It didn’t take long for her guards to join in. After the laughter died down, Celestia couldn’t help but wonder just where the heck Luna had gone off to that Celestia needed to fill her place, unaware of the large blue compound eyes watching her from the shadows of the ceiling.
****
Princess Luna was finding it hard to maintain a dignified manner in the presence of her newest ally as she fought down a fit of giggles through sheer force of will.
Queen Chrysalis wasn’t fooled however. Her people knew acting better than any fool pony alive or dead and even now she could hear the hitch in the blue alicorn’s voice. It had been worth the look on Luna’s face, showing her what the drone in Canterlot had seen. The Lunar Princess’s jaw had literally dropped open as she watched events unfold.
“Thou art even worse than my sister, Chrysalis! Celestia wouldn’t dare embarrass a pony like that!” Luna scolded.
The Queen merely chuckled. “It wasn’t that bad. My original plan was to throw him into there during a live audience with the nobility! Imagine the scandal!” At this the Queen threw a hole-riddled hoof over her brow in an overly dramatic manner.
Luna shook her head slowly. “So this is what you meant about exacting vengeance. Instead of out right attacking ponies, you intend….. to pull pranks?”
The changeling nodded her head, “Indeed. It may seem as if it’s below me, but everyone has his or her own priorities. Before we can sit down and discuss trade policies and routes, I want to…no….need to even the score.”
Luna opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.
“If it’s about the invasion, then before you ask, no. That doesn’t count. I have little remorse about that. It was necessary for our survival as a species which in turn helps your little ponies.”
“Surely, you jest!” Princess Luna exclaimed, her dark blue wings flexing open in surprise. “While I’m for the cooperation of our species, what is it you changelings do for us ponies?”
Queen Chrysalis simply gave her a fang filled smile. “I’m so glad you asked, my dear. As it turns out, our northern stronghold is in the middle of a skirmish with some old friends of your precious ponies. Allow me to show you.”
Luna merely nodded her consent before letting her eyes met the Queen’s large, green eyes which promptly lit up with a ghostly fire.
----
Abruptly, Luna felt the wind against her face. Not the hot, gritty wind of the Badlands, but the deathly cold wind of the northern reaches that seemed to slap the warm from her bones as it whistled through the holes in her wings and legs. This odd sensation brought the Princess up short until she remembered she was seeing these events live through a changeling courtesy of their queen.
The changeling stronghold wasn’t much to look at, the changelings eschewing traditional fortifications in favor of having their fortress being as undetectable as they were. Unless one was a changeling, it looked just like the rest of the snow capped mountains.
As Luna’s host looked around, the Princess noted a rather disturbingly large blizzard hanging over the mountain range. Before she could break the connection to ask the Queen about it, her sharp ears caught a faint sound on the wind. Distant and echoing, it still carried a note of anger. The sound chilled the Princess more than the wind could.
Then they came. Pouring out of the blizzard like an invisible wave. Had a pony witnessed this, they’d have only noted a few minor distortions in the air, the menacing foe a wraith upon the wind.
However, to the compound eyes of the changeling warriors, the malevolent spirits were as clear as day. With the slight equine cast to their otherwise ghostly body, a pony would have to be daft not to recognize a windigo, the evil air spirits of legend that fed off hatred.
The changeling host started flapping their wings with a droning buzz that filled the region. As one, they took to the sky, engaging the windigos in a deadly aerial ballet.
In the past, almost every kind of magic known to pony kind failed against the spirits, many times making the windigos even stronger. Now, the magic of the changelings slashed through the air, searing them as fire would for most beings.
In actuality, the deadly dance took only moments as the changelings swept the windigos from the sky with little effort. Breaking up into wings, they proceeded to hunt down any stragglers they could find.
----
Princess Luna sat frozen on the spire of the changeling citadel, her eyes wide and ears laid back as if still hearing the haunting cries of pain.
A curious drone waved a hole-covered hoof waved in front of her face, backing up as the Princess snapped back to reality.
“I had thought the Windigos long extinct.” She murmured.
Chrysalis gave her an insufferably cheery smile, making sure to show off her fangs. “Nope! Quite alive! Good thing too, it gives my soldiers something to fight against so they can hone their abilities.”
The alicorn groaned. “What is the purpose of revealing this to me?”
The changeling looked thoughtful for a moment. “To show you that ponies need us as much as we need them.”
“The power of friendship wards Equestria from the windigos, Chrysalis. You’ll need a stronger argument than that!” Luna scoffed.
A moment of silence reigned. Finally the Princess looked over at the monarch. That same smile graced the Queen’s face, causing the pony’s stomach to plummet. “What is it you aren’t telling me?”
“The power of friendchip and love is strong, there is no doubt, but imagine having to use it over and over and over again. Can you imagine the toll it would take on your ponies to permanently keep the windigoes out? My warriors have fought them, I’ve fought them, and my ancestors have fought them. Windigos are incredibly tenacious beings with a one-track mind. The power of love may cast them out temporarily, but it’s no more permanent than when it cast us out. If my ancestor’s hadn’t been on the trail of the ponies and intercepted the weakened windigos, they would have returned and torn those new bonds apart.”
Luna gave the Queen an imperious look. “While this does explain what the changelings do for ponies. Somewhat. It won’t erase the invasion from their minds. Whatever you justification, you took a little too much enjoyment in assaulting my sister and claiming power.”
Chrysalis simply gave her a coy look. “You of all ponies should know how….intoxicating power can be. Plus I’ll admit. I was a little drunk at the time.”
Luna merely arched an eyebrow.
“Okay, okay! I was really drunk! I’d forgotten that true love is an intoxicant to us changelings.”
The now flustered Queen looked away quickly, truly hoping that the Lunar Princess couldn’t see her blushing. In the dark. Through a black exoskeleton. She glanced over at the now smug pony. No such luck.
“That explains why my niece was staggering around whenever I saw her.” Luna mused.
“That is beside the point.” Chrysalis said quickly, looking away again trying her best to hide her blush with her mane. “As soon as my vengeance is slaked, I will be in communication.”
“And who will be your targets, might I ask?”
At this, seven changelings drones rushed up to their queen, taking the appearance of each of the Elements of Harmony with the last turning into a small purple dragon. Chrysalis herself was no longer present, her spot on the roof now occupied by a regal white alicorn.
“Each of these ponies and the dragon will be my targets. In no real order mind you.” Said ‘Celestia’ in a familiar motherly voice.
A small tremor in Luna’s voice betrayed her agitation. “And just why do you need to get vengeance on my sister? As I recall, you gave her horn a pretty serious burn. It took over an hour to buff the worst of it off!”
“Think of it as a pre-emptive ego check. She’s getting the peace she wants so badly, but I’m not going to let her off the hook so easily.”
Princess Luna barely felt something loop around her neck before the Queen pulled her into a half-hug. “Oh, don’t tell me you haven’t wanted to get her back for a few pranks. Soap in your soup? Waking up on the ceiling? Not to mention that ‘holier than thou’ disposition? That’s my job!”
Luna let out a nervous laugh “Those were probably to get back at me for the paint incident.”
Chrysalis let out a harsh braying laugh, completely at odds with her appearance as Princess Celestia, her hug tightening a bit. “You mean after you painted her to look like Nightmare Moon in her slumber? I heard she woke up to you punching her in the flank, yelling obscenities at ‘Nightmare.’”
It was the dark princess’s turn to blush. “Drinking may have been involved.”
The changeling still disguised as Fluttershy interrupted the conversation. “My queen, we all still have duties to perform.” It rasped out, not having bothered disguising it’s voice.
The two royals nodded. A flash of green flame surrounded Queen Chrysalis before she spoke, extending a chitin-covered hoof. “Well, my little princess, have we an accord? Peace with the Changeling Nation after I take care of a few…..Mmmm….details?”
Princess Luna made a show of thinking, tapping a silver clad hoof to her chin thoughtfully, before reaching for the Queen’s hoof. “Yes, on the condition that you tone down the pranks. What you did to Shining Armor and Princess Cadance is too much and too personal. Some of the Elements are far too sensitive to deal with that kind of embarrassment.”
The Queen’s face darkened a bit, her eyes narrowing. She was taken by surprise when Princess Luna grasped her hoof firm and hard. “As for my sister,” she continued. “Make it one she’ll remember”
“Deal.”
With that the two shook, large grins on both their faces.