A FEW MONTHS LATER...
“A new student?” Staghorn asked. His foals, just now home from another day at school, nodded in excitement.
It had now been some time since the reservoir incident, and things were beginning to return to normal. Staghorn found himself interested in the news his children had after the humdrum of everyday activity.
Silkworm smiled. “Yeah, Daddy! She’s real nice! Her name’s Nyx! We didn’t get a chance to talk to her, but she’s really smart! She told the class she was Miss Twilight’s half-cousin or something!”
That’s odd, Staghorn thought. Mother said Twilight’s parents didn’t have any brothers or sisters.
He shrugged. Twilight was allowed to keep secrets, and who was he to judge? So long as his kids were making friends, what could go wrong?
…
Months passed, and soon it was summer. Changeling and pony relations continued to grow less unsure, and more trusting. The Princesses had met with the other Great Changeling Swarm leaders. It had been… Interesting.
…
TWO MONTHS AGO… CANTERLOT…
As always, the first to arrive had been Queen Ovi. She had traveled from the area near Appleoosa where she had made her home. Her pink shell gleamed in the sunlight, and she smiled a good-natured smile, ignoring the guards watching her every move.
The second to arrive was King Refractor, of the Manehattan Swarm, a proud blue-shelled stallion in a fedora (with the design of a crown sewn on) and a pinstripe suit. He looked about, wary should anypony attempt to “whack” him off when he had no weapons.
Then there came Locust, of the Los Pegasus Swarm. She looked like a slightly smaller version of Chrysalis, save for her Emerald green shell. She was the youngest of the rulers, yet she cast an imperious glare about the throne room, as though thinking how much better it would look under her supervision.
Finally, there came Hornet, Staghorn and Hope’s father and Chrysalis’s ex-husband. He was the official “leader” of the changelings who were not part of any swarm, his shell a deep brown, as all outcasts and loners had. He nodded to Chrysalis as he passed her, a sort of calm understanding in his eyes. Chrysalis returned the nod.
The leaders stood in a semicircle before the Princesses, looking at the alicorns with varying degrees of respect.
Celestia looked over them.
"Is this all?"
Chrysalis shook her head. "Ambrosia, Myxine, Miasma and Myrrh are occupied, and Calliphora is currently outside the country."
Celestia nodded. "Very well."
The meeting could begin.
*
“NO! I will not move my Swarm further out from the city! We have worked too hard to establish ourselves there!”
Refractor held up his hoof. “My dear Locust, we have come here on this, the anniversary of my eldest daughter’s wedding, and I would remind you that we are guests of her allies.”
Locust hung her head, glaring at the older changeling
The Don of the Manehattan Swarm looked to Celestia. “Now, Princess, perhaps we can come to a compromise.” He took a breath. “We have read the treaty, and you have my full support over it, but we must discuss the particulars.”
An Earth pony scribe named Pen Stroke opened his mouth in protest, but he was silenced when Celestia merely flicked an ear in his direction.
“Particulars such as…?”
The atmosphere could not have been more fitting of a black and white mafia picture unless there was a trombone playing in the background.
“You send a letter to me, asking me to come to a place I do not know, to meet a pair of rulers who I have no quarrel with. Tell me this. My swarm has lived comfortably running the Alicorn Inn at the center of Manehattan. We take only what we need, and use the bits we collect to make sure our guests are as comfortable as possible. Why now must we leave on the part of the foolishness of my eldest daughter?”
There was a clamor. Discussions were heated, and eventually, it was decided that the Swarms already established in the area they called their home would not be forced to move, but in exchange, must follow all other parts of the treaty.
The Don had nodded, and after approval from his daughter, High Queen Chrysalis, the rest signed the treaty.
*
PRESENT DAY…
Staghorn smiled as he remembered the meeting. He had been present, watching from the sidelines. It had been… awkward seeing his father again after fifteen years. Shrugging off the feeling, his mind turned to another topic that had been irritating him.
Staghorn had still somehow not met Nyx face-to-face, though he had seen her in the school play she and her class had performed. She was a pretty good little actress, and she had looked so much like Nightmare Moon…
…no, that was crazy, she couldn’t be Nightmare Moon. There had been a distinct love for Twilight emanating from her. The real Nightmare Moon would not have had those feelings. It was impossible. Besides, she couldn’t be any older than his kids.
It was night now, and he was traveling home in his unicorn form. He looked up at the moon…
The mare stared back down at him.
Stag’s eyes widened, and he began running as fast as he could.
…
BA-WOOOOOOOOO!
The changeling’s siren was being blown. This in itself was unusual, as the siren had not made a noise for the past fifty years.
Those changelings who had not within hearing distance of the siren needed to only look up to the night sky to see enough reason to fly to the castle, the Mare on the Moon looking down upon them.
All who lived away from the castle flew from their homes, back to their original home. Soon, several hundred changelings had gathered in the courtyard. Chrysalis looked over them.
“My faithful subjects, I am sure you have noticed the shadow on the moon. I will not lie to you; I received a message from an anonymous source earlier. Nightmare Moon has returned and overthrown the princesses. As such, we shall enact Plan 338.”
Some of the collected changelings gasped. Plan 338? That defense had not been used in over 500 years, long before any of them were even born. The Queen must feel as though they were in serious danger.
Double stepped forward. The soldiers saluted as their High-General came to a stop in front of them.
“Well? You heard the queen, Move! Alpha Squadron, you take the first quadrant, Beta, you take the second, Gamma, Delta, you continue in that order, now MOVE OUT!!!”
The eighty-odd changelings making up the four squads took to the air and began to bombard the castle with a powerful spell.
Within twenty minutes, the castle was invisible, as if it had never existed.
…
From the Everfree, two pairs of red eyes watched as the changelings made their castle vanish.
“Shall we attack now, your majesty?”
“No. the monsters in the forest will grow restless in time. When they attack, we attack.”
The eyes flashed turquoise, and then vanished.