//------------------------------// // The Generals' Game Part 3 // Story: Smoke and Mirrors: Through Changeling Eyes // by TeaPartyCannon //------------------------------// “So, you all had it too, then?” Carbon asked. He had gathered a group of six changelings in the deeper parts of Sweet Apple Acres’ orchards for a quick meeting due to a bizarre dream they had all shared during the night. The changelings all nodded their heads. “Yeah, every changeling in Ponyville did.” Morph answered, “It’s weird. I mean, we normally share the same dream anyway, so that’s nothing strange, but I didn’t recognize anything in that dream. A beautiful valley? Butterfly ponies? That weird chimera?” “Wasn’t that Discord?” A changeling spoke up. All eyes turned to her, and she shrunk beneath their gazes. “I-I read about him in a book, and he escaped a little while ago, didn’t he? Queen Chrysalis even saw him during that.” “Yes, but she doesn’t talk about that anymore, Copy. Still, it’s strange that we’d all have a dream about someone like Discord. And what about those other things? None of this makes any sense.” Morph moaned. "…So, every changeling in Ponyville had that dream, right?” Carbon suddenly asked. Morph looked at him in confusion. “Maybe I’ll be able to get in contact with Ditto now.” “That mutant?” Morph asked, “That’d be surprising, considering how weak her magic and connection is for a changeling.” “Maybe, but I’m going to try anyway. She lives with the Element of Magic; she could be useful in the invasion.” Carbon said. Despite his worries about Double, he had decided to continue with his current course. He focused on Ditto’s signature, trying to get through and connect with her weak magic spark. “Ditto? Ditto?” "…It's me, Ditto." The mental voice came. Carbon smiled in triumph. Despite how weak the voice was, he had succeeded in making contact at last. “Ah, Ditto! It's been a long time,” Carbon said, "It's General Carbon. I need to inform you of a few things; namely, an invasion of Ponyville. Many changelings are stationed here, searching for all the stranded ones. We’ll begin in less than a month’s time." His words were brief and informal, but he needed to get his message across quickly; he didn’t know how long this weak link with Ditto would last. “General Carbon?” Ditto thought back, “There are other changelings in Ponyville?” "Yes, there are many. Some are in bad condition; you’re friends with the scouting drone, Mirror, right? Her horn was broken off on landing, and others may be just as injured.” Carbon said. "If you want to find me, I'll disguised as an orange earth pony mare. I’m sure you can figure out who." "But, wait, what about Queen Chrysalis?" Ditto asked. Carbon frowned, his mental voice solemn. “She is dead.” “What?” Ditto asked, stunned. Her weak connection suddenly cut out, and Carbon sighed in annoyance. “Mutants…” He muttered, “Hard to believe Queen Chrysalis saw potential in her to bring her along in the invasion of Canterlot. She’s just a nursing drone; hardly fit for combat.” “Wasn't High-General Double a nursing drone as well?” Copy asked. A glare from Carbon kept the changeling from speaking any further about the subject. “By the way, what happened with Golden Harvest?” Carbon asked Morph, “You said she was gone by the time you came to find her?” “Yeah, just disappeared.” Morph confirmed, “You don’t think she just ran away, do you?” “It’s hard to say, but we can’t do anything about it anymore.” Carbon muttered, “Let’s hope she doesn’t cause any more trouble for us. Speaking of trouble, I’d advise staying away from Mirror.” “Because of her empathy sickness?” Copy asked. “She was a total wreck when she got back to the party,” Morph said, “I hope it’s not contagious.” “Regardless, stay away from her. She’s too far gone; I wouldn't be surprised if she turned traitor on us during the invasion.” Carbon warned, “Anyway, meeting dismissed. If you have any more to say, use the swarm’s link to do so.” The changelings nodded and dispersed, Morph joining up with Carbon as they walked back to Ponyville, talking about plans for the invasion along the way. They reached the end of their conversation by the time Ponyville’s streets came into view. “So you understand, right?” Carbon asked, “I’m trusting you to make sure every changeling is in their proper spots when I give the command to attack.” “Just leave it to me, sir.” Morph said. “By the way, how are you going to put that mutant to use? She’s barely strong enough to maintain a mental link, let alone fight.” “I figure she’ll be more useful for intel and lulling the Element of Magic into a false state of security.” Carbon answered, “Speaking of which, I should probably get back in contact with her to tell her more about that…” Concentrating, Carbon searched for the weak, flickering spark that signaled Ditto’s connection to the swarm. Latching onto it, he opened it up and prepared himself to make his presence known. “I want to tell her about the invasion, but General Carbon will be so angry with me if I do! Maybe I’ll just hide under a rock while it’s going on-” The general froze, listening as Ditto continued to speak about the invasion to another changeling; Mirror, judging by the erratic aura. Sensing his shock, Morph tuned in on the conversation, her eyes widening as well. The two listened in stunned silence. After hearing the close call with Ditto almost revealing Carbon’s pony identity, the angered general cut off the connection swiftly, making sure that Ditto would feel the shock from it. Carbon turned to Morph, eyes narrowed. “It appears the mutant is a traitor. Sick with empathy, no doubt. She’s useless to us now.” “So, what are we going to do?” Morph asked, looking somewhat scared. Of course; two changelings were now infected with empathy sickness. For all they knew, it could be contagious after all. “I trust you can get rid of her soon.” Carbon answered, “We can’t risk her exposing our plan too early.” “Of course, General. Just leave it to me!” Morph said, saluting. She turned and ran into an empty alley, a quick flash of green emanating from it as an orange pegasus flew off into the air. Carbon watched her fly off and sighed. “So much trouble…” --- Carbon suppressed a growl of annoyance as he stood behind Applejack’s apple stand in the crowded marketplace. He had had plans to aid in the preparations for the invasion that day, and earlier he had intended to check in on the apple cellar to make sure no one had found the cocooned pony within. Apple Bloom, however, had insisted he let her accompany him on the day’s work, so he had no choice but to go with her to maintain his cover. And so Carbon found himself selling apple products to any pony who wanted them while he tried to instruct his soldiers on their tasks through their mental link. “So, that’s your plan to get rid of her, then?” Carbon asked Morph through the link, watching Apple Bloom run off into the crowd. He had finally managed to get the little filly to leave him alone and give him some time with his soldiers. Hypnosis magic was so convenient. “Yep, that’s it.” Morph’s mental voice responded, “Pretty lucky that she happened to get caught on camera like that, huh?” “Lucky indeed,” Carbon agreed, “So, you’re already delivered the photos to the guards, then? They don’t suspect anything?” “Not a thing.” Morph confirmed, “It should only be a matter of time before she’s caught and-” A scream of terror and several angry shouts drew Carbon’s attention away from his subordinate. Peering through the crowd that was quickly gathering, he saw a black unicorn huddled in fear before two guardsponies. The unicorn’s eyes opened wide, revealing themselves to be a solid purple beneath. Right on time, Carbon observed casually, a malicious smile crossing his face at Ditto’s plight. Now the little traitor will get what she deserves. “Wait, don’t hurt her!” A voice shouted, and Carbon turned to see a familiar pegasus leap in front of the cowering mutant. Tch, Mirror! Carbon growled mentally, What in the name of the Queen does she think she’s doing? “You can’t hurt her! I won’t let you!” Carbon watched as Mirror desperately tried to plead with the guards to spare Ditto’s life. The attempt was quickly going south, however, as the guards grew suspicious of the disguised changeling as well. The confused murmurs of the changelings watching the scene reverberated through his mind. “Tell me she’s not going to…” Morph began, but cut herself off when Mirror’s eyes flashed green and she proclaimed her identity as a changeling for all of Ponyville to hear. “…She is.” Carbon paid his subordinate no mind as the two guards began striking out against the rogue changeling. He saw Ditto disappear in a flash of green light, and the general let out a hiss of frustration. “Morph, go after her.” “Roger that, sir.” Morph saluted. In the few moments it had taken Carbon to issue his order, the fight between Mirror and the guards reached its end. A blast of magic from one guard’s horn knocked her out of the sky, and the stallion quickly pinned the downed changeling. From the corner of his eye, Carbon saw a few disguised changelings in the crowd make a move to help her. “Remain where you are. She may be our sister, but remember that she has sided with the ponies.” Carbon commanded, “She must pay for her actions.” The changelings halted their movement, but a few uncertain mental voices still reached the general. Carbon turned back to Mirror and the guard above her, whose spear was raised in preparation for stabbing through her. Carbon narrowed his eyes. “This is the fate of all traitors.” he thought with finality. “Grimoire, Spell Tome, what are you doing?! Stop!” A female voice shouted, and Carbon whipped his head around to see Twilight Sparkle racing toward the scene. “Ugh, enough with the interruptions! What is she here for?!” Carbon shouted mentally as the unicorn proceeded to argue with the guards to spare Mirror’s life. “S-Sir, I’ve found Ditto!” Morph announced, “It took me a little while to locate her after she teleported, but she’s just outside the market. She must have told Twilight what’s going on!” Carbon clenched his teeth in anger, silently wishing he had fangs to bare at the moment. “Figures. That mutant is going to ruin everything!” “Sir, what if that unicorn knows about the invasion?” Morph asked, “Changeling paranoia is high enough as it is! We’ll never be able to properly organize our plans if she reveals them!” “Calm down, Morph!” Carbon growled. He watched as Mirror, now aided by the Elements of Kindness and Laughter, fought back against the two guards. “They won’t get the chance to do anything. We’ll begin the invasion here!” Cries of shock and surprise assaulted Carbon’s mind at his declaration. “Now, sir?!” Morph asked. “We’ll proceed on my orders. Take this moment now to prepare yourselves!” Carbon instructed, “Spread the word! I want changelings spread throughout Ponyville to attack everywhere at once!” “As you command, General!” Morph saluted, and the thoughts of several other changelings echoed her. Carbon focused on the large purple shield created by Twilight behind which she, Mirror, and the two other Elements hid. He watched and waited as the traitorous changeling and her friends turned and ran through the crowd out toward the edge of Ponyville. Once they were out of sight, Carbon chuckled softly, a smirk crossing his face. “I had hoped for a little more time,” He said to himself, “No matter, though. At least we don’t have to deal with those two empathy-stricken foals anymore. Serves them right, those traitors.” The general’s eyes flashed green and his smirk grew into a malevolent smile. Raising a hoof to his head, he gave his orders to the swarm. “This is General Carbon, addressing all able-bodied changelings in the Ponyville area. It appears we’ve been found out. Begin the invasion.” And with that one command, the dam broke. “You heard the general! Move!” Morph’s voice created a chain reaction of activity and excitement through the link in the back of Carbon’s mind. The general leapt up on top of the apple stand and mentally addressed the changelings in the market even as he felt the changelings on the edges of Ponyville transforming and launching their attack. “All changelings in the market area, wait for my signal to attack.” Carbon ordered, his eyes on the angry unicorn hiding behind her magic shield. Focusing, he could feel her anger reach a breaking point under the two guard’s relentless assault. “That…is…ENOUGH!” Twilight shouted, her eyes flaring open. Recognizing the signs of a coming influx of magic, Carbon quickly leapt down from the stand and hid beneath it. “Brace yourselves!” Carbon mentally shouted in the instant before Twilight’s shield exploded outward, knocking every pony nearby off their hooves. The cart in front of Carbon rocked from the force, and several apples toppled off. A few landed on the general’s head, and the angered changeling stood up and rubbed at the spot beneath his hat as he peered out behind the stand. “Everypony, just listen to me! For goodness’ sake, you’re acting like foals having a tantrum!” Twilight yelled, her shield gone. “Now, I am going to say what I’ve been trying to say and you are all going to be quiet and listen! Is that understood?!” The crowd, both ponies and changelings, nodded meekly, and Carbon resisted the urge to chuckle at the scene. As Twilight continued to speak, he slid back behind the stand and, quickly and quietly, returned back to his changeling form. His horn glowed green as he crept up on top of the apple stand, unnoticed by the unicorn. “Everypony, we are all in grave danger!” Twilight said, “There is going to be an invasion, right here in Ponyville! There are a number of changelings among us, disguised as normal ponies, and while this will alert them to having been discovered, it is imperative that the ponies here are made aware of this threat so that we aren't-” Carbon didn't give her the chance to finish as he fired a strong blast of magic at the unicorn, sending her crashing into a cherry stand. Smiling smugly, he gloated, “I believe you were going to say, ‘caught off guard’?” The general raised a hoof into the air and closed his eyes. “Now.” The changeling in the crowd took the cue, reverting back to their natural forms and stirring up a panic among the real ponies as they took to the air and began attacking. Carbon jumped down from the cart and took Applejack’s form once more as he slowly trotted up Twilight, who was recovering from his attack. “A lovely sight, isn’t it?” Carbon asked, scanning the scene of total mayhem and destruction. He let his eyes flash green as he looked back at Twilight, and the unicorn responded with a venomous glare. “Queen Chrysalis, I presume?” She asked, voice full of hate. Carbon’s grin fell away. “Queen Chrysalis? Not quite, but I’m the closest we've got to her at the moment. The name is General Carbon; it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Twilight continued to glare at him as she took a battle stance. She looked him up and down with an analytical gaze. “So you’re the leader of this invasion, then?” Carbon just smirked at her aggressive display. “You could say that. With Queen Chrysalis gone, there’s quite a power struggle amongst the changelings, and this invasion is key to proving my strength.” “Gone? What do you mean, gone?” Twilight asked, anger giving way to confusion. Carbon frowned and narrowed his eyes. “That’s not something you need to know about. All that matters now is that Ponyville will fall to the swarm, and the remaining ponies in this pitiful town don’t have the power to stop it.” “Your plan will never work!” Twilight growled, “Princess Celestia will catch word of this and stop you!” Carbon rolled his eyes at the unicorn’s naivety. “Oh, I've prepared for that. You ponies fall so easily for the hostage situation, and even your precious princess will have to back down once she sees how many ponies we have at our mercy.” He broke again into a gloating grin, “Especially when we have one of your Elements of Harmony, as well!” Twilight was silent for several seconds as she seemed to contemplate his words. “So what are you going to do now, then? Kill me?” She asked, her horn glowing threateningly. The General just laughed at her words. “There’s hardly need for that. A dead pony can’t love after all, and besides, without the rest of the Elements of Harmony, you’re hardly a threat to us. If I recall correctly, you’re missing three…” Sensing Twilight’s growing frustration, Carbon turned and deliberately walked away slowly, one eye trained on her for any sign of attack. “I believe we've both got more important things to do now, anyways. I’ve got to make sure a certain treacherous changeling is out of the way for good…” He thought of Mirror, who despite lacking magic was a much bigger threat than Ditto, “…and you've got your friends to worry about.” Carbon nodded to his left where Rarity was lying on the ground several meters away, her hooves held to the sides of her head and an agonized expression on her face while her cousin Sparkler stood protectively over her. He briefly questioned the odd sight, but quickly shrugged it off. It wasn't important right now. With a burst of flame and the flash of a newly-revealed horn, Carbon left the chaotic scene, reappearing on the edge of the Everfree Forest. “She’ll probably have gone this way…” Carbon mused, looking between the dark forest and the cottage a short distance away. “Do you need any help, General?” Morph asked, checking in on him while she gave orders to the changelings in Ponyville. “No, I can handle this on my own.” Carbon replied as he flew over to the door of Fluttershy’s cottage. His horn glowed and blasted the door open, startling the animals inside with his sudden entrance. Carbon trotted inside and looked around the dark cottage, noticing right away that there was no pony or changeling presence within. “The Everfree Forest it is, then.” Carbon muttered. A carrot suddenly hit the side of his head, and the general rubbed at the spot as he turned to see a white rabbit glaring up at him. Deciding he wasn't in the mood to deal with this, Carbon used his magic to forcefully grab the rabbit. The bunny struggled in his telekinetic grip, and Carbon chuckled menacingly. “Don’t think I’m going to waste my time with a nuisance like you, rabbit.” Carbon growled, chucking the creature at the wall and watching as it fell down, unconscious from the impact. He shook his head in annoyance as he left of the cottage. “Animals, the bane of any changeling’s existence…” Teleporting over to the Everfree Forest’s entrance, Carbon flew through the dark woods, keeping to the path as he went. After all, if they did go this way, I doubt they would have just ran into the forest without a plan. Wasn't there a zebra who lived here? “Yeah, Zecora. She lives in the forest, not too far from where you are right now.” A changeling, who Carbon recognized as Copy, confirmed. The general pushed down the surge of anger that rose from her interrupting his thoughts. “Yes, thank you, Copy. I’ll go find this Zecora then, and if the traitor isn't there, then I will return to aid you all in the invasion. General Carbon out.” Carbon thought back, indicating that he wished to be left alone for now. Flying through the quiet, peaceful forest, Carbon found he had little to do but reflect on the situation. “All this trouble for one treacherous changelings. It’s a shame she had to lose her horn, otherwise we could have resolved this matter much more easily. Well, at least she’ll be easier to deal with once I do find her.” If I find her… Carbon pushed the nagging thought from his mind as he continued on through the forest. After a mere five minutes of quick flying, he finally spotted something that looked to be someone’s home. It wasn't hard to spot, being built into a gnarled tree with exotic masks and bottles decorating the outside, and when Carbon trotted closer to the hut, he could hear the sound of voices from inside. Listening closely, he heard, to his surprise, a soft voice singing what sounded like his Queen’s lullaby. Hearing the somber tune, the general smiled at having his theory on Mirror’s location proven correct after all. Carbon quickly decided that practicing some subtlety might do him some good this time instead of breaking in the door like he had at the cottage. Shifting his form back to Applejack’s, he knocked harshly on the hut’s door. A bit of muffled arguing came from within the hut before the high-pitched voice of Pinkie Pie called out, “Who is it?” “Pinkie, is that you? It’s me, Applejack.” Carbon answered, being careful to emulate the earth pony’s accent. “Open up, will ya? Ah need ta talk with ya.” “…Okie dokie, Loki!” Pinkie replied after a moment’s silence. She opened the door and bounced away, allowing the disguised changeling to follow in after her. Inside, Carbon saw Fluttershy and a zebra he assumed to be Zecora, but Mirror was nowhere in sight. “Applejack, for what reasons have you come?” Zecora asked, sounding skeptical. “Does it concern what these three are running from?” Is she… rhyming? Carbon kept his expression neutral and pushed the thought aside for now. “Pretty much. Ya’ll caused a pretty big commotion back there. Lots of ponies are pretty mad about it, ya know.” “We didn't mean to cause trouble. We were just protecting a friend.” Fluttershy said quietly. Carbon could feel the anxiety practically rolling off the pegasus. Carbon chose to ignore her and quickly scanned the hut for the absent Mirror, realizing that he was going to have to get rid of the two Elements now and go search for her. He smiled and nodded at the two ponies, then let his eyes glow a dangerous green and his smile turn dark as he prepared to return to his true form. “I know you didn't mean it, but you still have to pay…” His transformation was interrupted when a dark pink blur came out of nowhere and crashed into him. The two flew straight into a wall, disturbing the decorations mounted above them. Carbon shook his head and opened his eyes to see a darker, straight-haired version of Pinkie wreathed in chaotic green flames glaring down at him. “Get away from them! I won’t let you hurt them!” Mirror shouted, eyes bright with fury. Carbon stared up in shock for a moment longer before returning a glare of his own. Rearing his hind legs, he delivered a solid kick into Mirror’s stomach, launching the traitor off and allowing him to get back on his hooves. He advanced toward the winded changeling, intent of finishing her off while she was down, but stopped when he saw Zecora throw something out of the corner of his eyes. Turning, the general was engulfed in a cloud of green powder, and he squeezed his eyes shut and coughed as it got in his eyes and mouth. What kind of attack is this? Angered by the cheap trick, Carbon prepared to turn his fury on the zebra when an itching, burning pain began to spread across his body. He opened his eyes and gave an involuntary shout of pain and horror as he found his coat engulfed in smoke and green flames. The fire spread until it covered him completely, and Carbon cried out as his natural magic turned against him. He collapsed, and laid on the ground burning for several agonizing seconds until, finally, the flames and pain died away. Carbon laid panting for several more seconds until he opened his eyes and realized he was back in his natural changeling form. What… what did she…? A gasp reached his ears, and Carbon looked up to see Mirror pressed up against a wall, eyes wide with shock. “General Carbon!” Carbon let out a low hiss as he stood up to glare at the traitorous changeling. Mirror returned the glare after a moment and leapt between him and the other three occupants of the room. The protective display disgusted him. “Standing against your own general, Mirror? It would seem your empathy sickness has completely consumed you, after all.” Mirror visibly flinched at the insult, but quickly composed herself and maintained her defiant stance. “I…I don’t care if my feelings are the result of some disease! They’re still my friends, and I’m going to protect them!” As to be expected… Carbon closed his eyes and sighed. “Of course. Such a disappointment. It can’t be helped, though, and besides, the last thing the swarm needs is a disloyal soldier.” Another flinch. “I’m not disloyal!” Mirror yelled, “I just know there has to be a better way to get the swarm what it needs than through an invasion!” “Um, excuse me…” Both changelings turned their heads towards the timid pegasus that had spoken. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but if you’ve been Applejack all this time, then where’s the real Applejack?” Carbon opened his eyes and quietly regarded the pegasus. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about her. She’s perfectly safe. She’s confined within one of our holding chrysalises, just like all the other ponies we’ve replaced, and none of them have been hurt…yet.” “Yet?” Fluttershy repeated fearfully. Mirror growled threateningly at General Carbon. “You lied to me about your pony disguise, didn't you? You made it look like you had replaced Doctor Whooves, when you had really been replacing Applejack this whole time!” Carbon waved a hoof dismissively. “Guilty as charged. If I had shown you who I was really masquerading as, you would have told your new pony friends right away. Changelings with empathy sickness can’t be trusted.” He couldn't resist a smug grin as he finished his explanation, “It’s why I arranged for dear Ditto to be discovered.” This seemed to strike a nerve. Mirror stared at him, mouth agape and left eye twitching. “…What?” Carbon rolled his eyes at the sheer naivety the young changeling displayed. “What, you haven’t figured it out by now? Ditto has empathy sickness. She’s grown attached to the Element of Magic, and she’s no good to the swarm now. She would have just been a liability during the invasion, so I arranged for her to be revealed to the guards. It was quite simple, really; she brought it upon herself by not being more careful when she went out that night. All it took was to have one of my soldiers steal the photos that some colt took of her and to deliver them to the guards.” “…You did it? You’re the reason Ditto was discovered?” Mirror asked, her voice rising in volume. “You’re the reason I had to reveal myself to protect her?!” “You have no one to blame for your misfortune but yourself.” Carbon rebuked. The treacherous changeling had no right to try and claim the moral high ground! “You chose to protect her and reveal yourself. Though I must say, you doing that worked out in our favor. No pony is going to trust you now.” “Monster!” Carbon barely had time to be surprised at the speed in which Mirror crossed the distance between them and slammed into him, sending them both crashing through the door and out into the Everfree Forest. “ You've ruined everything!” Mirror screeched, pushing and pinning him against a tree. Carbon opened his eyes and blasted the mad changeling into a tree opposite them with his magic. The blow was sufficient to revert her to her changeling form, and before she could recover, Carbon brought his hooves down hard on top of her wings, pinning her. “G-General Carbon!” Carbon heard Morph’s frantic voice call out to him. “Do not worry about me; focus on the invasion. I can handle this myself.” Carbon instructed her. He turned to glare down at the struggling changeling under him. “I told you, you brought this on yourself. If you hadn't tried to defend her, this wouldn't have happened.” “Ditto’s a part of the swarm! I couldn't abandon her!” Mirror shouted. “She’s a mutant! She’s weak! And her empathy sickness has only made her weaker!” Carbon shouted back, infuriated by her blind loyalty. “It’s done the same to you, too! Changelings can’t care for ponies, it’s unnatural!” “What’s wrong with empathy sickness? If it was that bad, wouldn't every changeling know about it by now?” Mirror asked, “What’s wrong with being able to feel love towards ponies?” Carbon hissed softly, recalling a certain changeling far too similar to the one before him. “Empathy leads to disloyalty. Just look at High-General Double.” Haunted by memories, Carbon didn't notice his hold on Mirror had loosened until the changeling suddenly bucked upward, knocking him off and allowing her to take to the air. She turned back around to stare at him, a respectable distance between the two. “What do you mean?” She asked, cocking her head quizzically. “You don’t know this either? I know you’re a young changeling, but could you be any more ignorant?” Carbon asked rhetorically. Granted, most drones didn't know about Double’s condition, but the traitor didn't need to know that. “High-General Double has had empathy sickness ever since she was a hatchling!” “W-What?” Mirror asked, her surprise obvious. “Queen Chrysalis preferred it to be kept a secret, but it’s not hard to figure it out.” Carbon said, “A freak teleporting accident as a hatchling lead to the High-General getting amnesia and being taken in by a pony family in Canterlot, where she bonded with a unicorn filly. When Queen Chrysalis came to retrieve her and wiped the family’s memories of her, poor Double went mad trying to convince the Queen to return them to the little unicorn. The only reason she even became High-General in the first place was to gain the Queen’s favor.” The general soon felt a few jolts of shock through his link to the swarm from changelings who weren't aware of Double’s history. “Yes, it’s true. High-General Double’s in love with a pony. You didn't think she was just quirky for no good reason, did you?” Carbon resisted the urge to facehoof when a few answered in the affirmative. Ignorants… “…What does it matter?” Mirror asked, “High-General Double is a great leader and she does everything she can for the swarm! She’s a little weird, but she’s not crazy!” “She cares more for one pony than she does for the entire swarm.” Carbon responded, “In the wake of Queen Chrysalis’s disappearance, she is unfit to command the hive.” “And you are?” Mirror challenged, earning an angry hiss from the general. “Yes, I am.” Buzzing his wings, Carbon shot into the air after Mirror, who swerved out of the way and took off into the forest. He flew in pursuit of the fleeing changeling, keeping a steady pace with her as they wound through the trees. Soon though, Carbon found it difficult to keep up with the smaller, more lithe changeling as she weaved through the trees in an attempt to lose him. Quickly realizing he would never catch her at this rate, Carbon made use of the one thing he had and she didn't: magic. The general fired off blast after blast from his horn, and the distance between them quickly closed as Mirror was forced to focus more on dodging than flying. Carbon was just about certain he had her when the changeling suddenly shot up into the trees above. Carbon stopped abruptly and tried to pick her out through the dense cover of leaves, but he saw no sign of the dark shape. A sudden rustling from behind was his only warning before Mirror crashed into him, pinning his wings and sending both changelings falling down to the forest floor below. Recovering from the crash, Carbon opened his eyes. He swore his heart nearly stopped when he found himself facing several bright blue flowers. Realizing he was surrounded by them, Carbon looked up and saw Mirror still perched on top of him, smirking triumphantly. “Poison Joke? Are you insane?!” Carbon yelled, instantly recognizing the troublesome blue plant. “Of course I am. I have empathy sickness, remember?” Mirror said sarcastically, still grinning. Carbon hissed at the sarcastic retort. He suddenly pushed off the ground, easily knocking Mirror off and into the Poison Joke as well. Flying upward, he turned and glared towards the changeling. “Ugh, I don’t have time to deal with you anymore. I have an invasion to command and complete before the spores take effect.” Carbon said, quickly regaining his collected demeanor. Mirror’s smile fell. “Invasion? You mean it’s already started?” Carbon nodded, frowning. “Much earlier than I would have liked, but yes, the invasion of Ponyville has begun. You have your friend Ditto to thank for that; that empathy-stricken foal just couldn't keep quiet about it when she ran into the Element of Magic again. I’ll have to punish her for that later.” “Don’t you dare harm her!” Mirror yelled at him. “And what are you going to do about it? You’re just a simple drone. You can’t do anything on your own, and I’m done with you. Goodbye, Mirror Match.” Carbon said, venomously emphasizing her pony name. He ended the conversation by teleporting off in a burst of flame, leaving the forest and reappearing on the outskirts of Ponyville. “Are you okay, sir?” Carbon looked up to see Morph flying up to him, concern clear on her face. Carbon snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’ll be fine. Let’s just get this over with quickly so I can get some changelings working on the Poison Joke cure.” Morph nodded, but did not look fully convinced. “Right, of course, sir.” Together the two returned to Ponyville, where Carbon fully immersed himself in directing the invasion, hoping to forget about the trouble he had with Mirror. Sadly, the universe didn't want to comply with his wishes today, as scarcely fifteen minutes later, a frantic changeling mentally cried out for him. “G-General Carbon! The traitor Mirror is back! She- AHH!” The cry was abruptly cut off, and Carbon winced at the mental backlash from the violent cut. Carbon did not want to deal with Mirror after the Poison Joke incident, but as the leading general, it was his duty to deal with threats to his soldiers. Recalling where the changeling had called from, Carbon flew off, quickly coming to an area of Ponyville where a white pegasus stood amongst a crowd of unconscious changelings. Taking advantage of her back being turned to him, Carbon fired off a blast of magic and nailed the disguised changeling with a clean hit. Mirror cried out in pain, but quickly recovered and turned to face him, eyes narrowed in determination. “Still trying to stop us? When are you going to learn that you’re just a drone, and that you can’t do anything on your own?” Carbon growled as he landed. “But that’s just it, sir. I’m not alone.” Mirror responded, steeling herself for battle. “We’ll see about that. You still don’t have any hope of being able to defeat me. A mere soldier stands no chance against a general.” Carbon said, rearing up onto his hind legs with his horn glowing for attack. “Probably not, but I can still try.” With that, Mirror spread her wings and flew into the air, shooting towards General Carbon as he fired a burst of green fire straight at her. His attention was completely focused on the changeling; he wasn't going to allow what happened in the Everfree Forest to happen here. She had caught him off guard here, but he was ready for her this time. One drone was not going to be an issue this time. --- How in the name of Queen Chrysalis did one drone manage to become such a big issue?! In the span of half an hour, the rogue changeling Mirror had headbutted Carbon with a broken horn, bucked him into the air with an earth pony’s strength, blasted him with unstable magic from said broken horn, and most frustratingly of all, had triggered the Poison Joke’s effects early and reverted him back into a weak hatchling. Granted, she had helped to return him to normal, but that was just because her own transformation abilities had gone so out of control that she had to make the cure if she didn’t want to keep looking like a draconequus. But thankfully, that whole humiliating experience was finally at an end. Looking down at the changeling with a broken horn and a newly-broken wing beneath his hooves, Carbon readied himself to finish the traitor off once and for all. “Well, this has been fun. You've certainly put up more of a fight than I expected from a mere soldier, but I have an invasion to command and it’s time you were taken care of! Any last words?” Carbon hissed, smiling cruelly. Mirror narrowed her eyes and directed her most hate-filled glare at the general. “Go choke on my hate!” she hissed, venom lacing her every word. Carbon recoiled slightly, startled by the harsh changeling curse. Did she really want him to…? His smile fell and he glared down at her, his horn glowing and ready to strike. “You contemptuous little-!” He never finished, because at that moment a clothed hoof struck the side of his head with near-blinding speed, knocking him off the younger changeling. The general crashed down on the ground, the sudden hit succeeding in dislodging his helmet and sending it skidding away from him. Already tired out by his fight with Mirror, Carbon found himself struggling to recover from the unexpected hit. What was that? The general got his answer when he got back to his hooves and saw Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, wearing a strange caped suit. He didn't bother to retrieve his helmet as he prepared himself for battle once more, but the sudden growth of the buzzing noise around them and Morph’s panicked shout stopped him cold. “General Carbon! We have a big problem! The rest of the swarm is here!” “Indeed they are, dear Morph,” A new, horrifyingly familiar voice cut in, “Ooh, you’re in trouble now!” No, it can’t be her! Not now! Frozen in horror, Carbon turned to see a pink unicorn standing a short distance away from him. Carbon didn't even need to see the flames surrounding her to know who she was; her smug smile and pose told him everything he needed to know. “What’s wrong, General?” Double asked, mental voice feigning ignorance. “What happened to all the confidence you had leading this invasion earlier? “Double!” Carbon hissed, making sure she could feel every ounce of his rage. “What are you doing here?!” “Oh, General, you should know better than to think you could keep something like this a secret from me!” Double responded, “Though, you always were short-sighted and arrogant like that. It’s probably why Queen Chrysalis chose me as High-General over you!” “As if you don’t have the same flaws!” Carbon shot back, “You were only chosen because you’re a magic prodigy; your empathy sickness should have made you instantly unqualified for the position of High-General!” Double rolled her eyes and smirked. “My empathy sickness is not a flaw, General. I know what’s best for the swarm, and let me be the first to tell you that an ill-planned invasion of Ponyville with only a fraction of the swarm involved is not one of those things.” Carbon fumed silently at Double’s words. Now that her part of swarm was fighting against his, the chances of the invasion succeeded had dropped immensely. He hadn't her to mobilize so quickly; he had planned for the invasion to be over by the time she came, especially since it had been launched earlier than intended. “Aw, don’t feel bad now.” Double said, her smile once again light and cheerful. “Look on the bright side; this will go down in history as the first ever changeling civil war! With us at the head of each side! We’ll be famous! Or infamous, depending on how this goes, I suppose.” The sudden change in topic just served to confound and frustrate Carbon further. The High-General’s attention shifted from him to Mirror as she stepped forward to answer the changeling’s question. Both Mirror and Fluttershy stared at Double in shock. No doubt surprised by her resemblance to the Element of Magic… Carbon thought bitterly. Double, on the other hoof, found their astonishment amusing. “Oh, don’t mind me, I was just having a friendly chat with the general when I heard your question and decided to jump right in! Isn't that right, General?” Carbon refused to say anything, opting only to hiss softly and glare at High-General with a mix of scorn and caution. Double was a variable even he couldn't hope to predict; now that she was part of the equation, he could only guess as to what would happen next. “General Carbon, what do we do now?” Morph’s fearful mental voice asked. Carbon silently weighed their options and let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. We can’t surrender, that’s for certain, but our chances of victory are low unless I can defeat Double myself. Our only options at this point are to keep fighting.” “Are you sure?” Morph asked. “Yes, I’m sure. I’ll handle Double. Just continue with the invasion.” Carbon said solemnly. He felt just as uncertain in their chances of victory as his subordinate did, but there was no turning back at this point. It’s truly do or die, now… High-General Double, back in her changeling form and having successfully convinced Mirror and Fluttershy to leave, turned her full attention back to General Carbon. “So courteous of you to wait for us to finish our conversation, General.” Carbon ignored the statement. “Where’s that old doll you’re always carrying around?” Double frowned, but after a brief moment the ragged plush popped into existence beside her. “Right here. I wanted to keep him out of danger, but since you’re so eager to see him…besides, he’s feeling restless; we both want to see our friends again so much! Isn't that right, Mr. Smartypants?” Carbon hissed in disgust at her affectionate yet creepy attitude toward the doll. “You’re absolutely insane!” Double grinned mischievously, pulling her doll away. “Ah ah ah! Is that any way to talk to not only your superior, but a prodigy amongst changelings? Or do I need to prove my power to you again…” At her words, he general’s anger suddenly disappeared, replaced with paralyzing fear. “You wouldn't! Not with so many changelings nearby!” Even Double wasn’t that reckless with the lives of her soldiers, was she? “Oh, but I would!” Double laughed, shifting back into her unicorn form. “Besides, you brought it on yourself! If you hadn't started this invasion, I wouldn't have a reason to do this!” A maniacal smile adorning her face, Double’s horn glowed with a dangerous light. She began quietly whispering to herself. “I wish, I wish, for this I wish…” Hearing her dreaded chant, and fearing for his brothers and sisters, Carbon sent out a desperate message to every changeling nearby, both under his command and not. “General Carbon to all changelings within the immediate area: get out of range, now!” “Dodge this, General! Feel the power of my Starlight Rain!” Double shouted, laughing madly as she fired a single green spark into the sky. Carbon watched as the spark reached a high point and exploded, a green ring expanding from it as ten fireballs rained down like shooting stars. Buzzing his wings, Carbon spun and swerved to get out of the way as four came down around him, one after another, leaving large, smoking craters where they hit. The general was thankful that five of the fireballs had completely missed him, saving him from further narrow brushes with death. A panicked cry for help suddenly reached his ears, and Carbon turned to see an injured changeling staring up at a star shooting down toward him. Without thinking, General Carbon teleported right next to the changeling and knocked him away. He barely had time to summon a magic shield before the fireball came crashing down on top of him. The shield shattered, and Carbon was engulfed in the green flames of Double’s spell. He managed to remain standing, though, and the pain and smoke soon faded away, revealing Double’s surprised stare. “You saved that soldier, nearly at the cost of your own life. You actually care about them, General?” Double asked, and Carbon could tell that she was genuinely shocked at his show of compassion. Carbon glared at her, offended by her astonished tone. If there was one thing he prided himself in as a general, it was his loyalty to the swarm. “Of course. No matter what, I’m still a general, and it’s my duty to protect my soldiers when I can. A weaker changeling wouldn't have survived that attack.” “…You’re a good general, Carbon.” Double admitted. Carbon was surprised by her compliment, but he focused himself as Double’s eyes became wild and her voice increased in volume. “It’s just such a shame you had to go and pull this. Now you’re destined to lose everything!” The High-General dissolved into loud, excited laughter while Carbon steeled himself for another attack, now far more cautious than before. “I’ll show you who the stronger of us is, General!” Double shouted, reverting back to her true form. “Let me show you exactly why I’m the High-General of the Changelings!” Carbon’s horn immediately began glowing with power, but before either could launch an attack, a earsplitting boom and flash of light disrupted the two high-ranking changelings. Both looked up to see a lighting-laced rainbow ring bursting outward across the sky. Carbon stared at the sight, momentarily frozen in awe of the beautiful, but no doubt dangerous spectacle. “A Sonic Rainboom!” Double laughed, buzzing her wings in excitement, the battle seemingly forgotten. “ I've always wanted to see one of these in person, but they wouldn't let me leave the hive to see the last three! Ha ha, finally! This is so-!” Breaking from his trance, Carbon took advantage of her distraction to launch a powerful bolt at the High-General and send her smashing through the closed window of a house. He fired another beam through the building, cutting its support and collapsing it on top of the changeling. The light from his horn died down as he watched for movement beneath the rubble. A soft green glow from beneath the wreckage was his only warning before the pile exploded outward. Double hovered above it, her shell battered and her armor dented, and Carbon smiled at having successfully hurt her. Instead of focusing on him, however, Double held up her Mr. Smartypants doll and inspected it for damages, smiling when she found none. Carbon was genuinely stunned by her skewed priorities. Satisfied, though, Double then cast a minor healing spell to remove the worst of her own injuries and turned to face General Carbon. “Now are you ready to actually battle?” Carbon asked rhetorically, ready for an attack. “Battle?” Double asked, touching the ground and letting out a brief giggle. “This is no battle, General! The word ‘battle’ implies you stand a chance of defeating me, however small.” Her voice quickly turned vicious. “You have no chance!” The High-General suddenly fired a large beam of magic from her horn, and Carbon returned the attack a moment later. The two identical beams collided in a burst of light and fought for dominance as their owners poured all of their power into them, though neither was gaining any advantage over the other. After a few minutes spent at a stalemate, Double began laughing to herself. “May I ask what’s so funny?” Carbon growled, being careful not to let his concentration waver or his attack falter. “You may.” Double responded, “It’s just, I remember all the times you called me a traitor for wanting to be with her again, but given that your actions here are a direct violation of the law of Queen Chrysalis, that actually makes you the traitor! Isn't that funny?” Carbon didn't answer, but Double didn't seem bothered by the lack of a response. She broke into a malicious smile. “And since you’re a traitor to the swarm, I’m now fully authorized to do this!” What? Stunned, Carbon realized too late what she was about to do. Double raised her hoof and sent out a command to her swarm. “Get him.” A soul-piercing shriek suddenly sounded in Carbon’s mind. The general buckled, his concentration breaking completely as thousands of angry mental voices from his brothers and sisters assaulted him at once. He barely had time to scream before his beam faltered and Double’s own magic broke through to strike him at full force. The wail in his head was abruptly cut off as Carbon’s limp body flew through the air to hit the ground. He came sliding to a halt and didn't move. Barely conscious, Carbon slowly opened his eyes to see Double standing over him. The little changeling gently ran a hoof along his head. Carbon felt a rush of indignation at her touch, but his body hurt too much for him to make the effort to move away. “I really must thank you for this, General.” Double told him, “You invasion provided me with the perfect way to get rid of you without losing the Queen’s favor. If I had tried to get rid of you any other way, I would have been the one labeled a traitor instead, and I would have lost my position, if I wasn't executed outright.” Too tired to even think, Carbon didn't reply, so Double continued speaking. “That was clever of you, though, putting up that spell to keep the thoughts of your invasion force separated from the rest of the swarm. If I hadn't already known about your plans from the start, we wouldn't have found out until after it was over.” That got through to his pain-addled mind. Carbon stared up at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend what she was saying. “That’s right, General, your plan was doomed from the very start! I knew all along, and everything has gone according to plan! Now all that’s left is to finish things up…” Double levitated Carbon’s discarded helmet and placed it on his head. His confused look at the kind action earned a smile from the changeling. “Trust me, you’re going to need that.” Green fire engulfed her as she returned to her Twilight Wish form. “You know, up until this morning, I was willing to forgive your transgressions and simply have you demoted to soldier rank. But then you attacked Twilight. Blasted her into a cherry stand, hurt her. She’s my friend, even if she doesn't remember me, and I won’t forgive that! So now, you have to die.” The High-General backed away and began her quiet chant. “I wish, I wish, for this I wish…” As she spoke, her horn glowed and fired a magic spark into the air that burst into twenty smaller fireballs. Double’s Starlight Rain fell down on the town, smoke and fire filling the air as they crashed down on the houses and shops nearby. And amongst the fire, Carbon laid there, utterly defeated. Dimly, the general hoped that she really would kill him here; at least then he wouldn't have to deal with the burning shame of his crushed pride and the realization that all his work and ambition had been for naught… The general gave one last look at the star falling toward him and at Double’s smiling face before he calmly closed his eyes. The star crashed down, and everything fell silent. --- General Carbon sat silently in a cell deep within the hive, legs bound by heavy chains. He raised a hoof to the stump where his horn used to be, recalling the painful memory of an enraged and very much alive Queen Chrysalis destroying it. Double had not been so merciful as to kill him with her attack, and the general had later woken up in the Ponyville square in the presence of his queen. He was not altogether certain of how he felt seeing her before him; relieved at her being alive and well, no doubt, but also frightened and ashamed of her anger and disapproval. His queen’s punishment had been the final nail the coffin of his ambitions, and the general had been forced to fully realize that his invasion had been foolish and destructive to all involved. Carbon shuddered and curled into an even tighter ball than he had already been in. The memories were painful to recall, broken remnants of his pride and honor. A shadow, illuminated by the light of the green flames nearby, broke him out of his thoughts, and Carbon looked up to see his guard and hatchlinghood friend standing before him. Match stared down at him, his eyes holding disappointment that stung deeper than any anger. The guard stood there silently for a long time, his gaze fixed on the disgraced general. “…Why did you do it?” Carbon stared back at him, confused by the question. “Why did I do what?” “Everything.” Match replied, “The invasion, disobeying Queen Chrysalis’s orders, dividing the hive against Double… just, why?” Of course, that was the answer he had been expecting. Carbon bowed his head and thought about his own answer for a long while before he finally spoke. “…I had to prove I was better than her.” “A better what?” Match asked, louder this time compared to his previous soft tone. “A better leader. I needed to prove I was better for the swarm than her.” Carbon answered. Match stood on his hind legs and placed his forehooves against the bars of the cell. “You are better than her.” Carbon lifted his head and stared up in disbelief. “What?” “Don’t you get it, Carbon?” Match asked, “You are better than Double. Maybe you’re not better than her in magic or in strategizing, but you’re better than her in different things, things that matter!” Carbon continued to stare at him, not grasping what he was saying. Match gave an exasperated sigh before continuing. “Look, Double is miserable, okay? She may not look like it, but she is. She’s a misfit because of her empathy sickness, and the only changeling who seems to genuinely want to be her friend is Photo. But Double doesn't care about that; all she cares about is that pony, and everything she does is for that pony. She didn't become High-General because it was her life’s ambition or anything like that; she did it because it was a step on her way to getting back to that pony. She spent her entire life chasing after a past that was taken from her, and because of that she never learned to actually enjoy and be happy with what she currently has! That’s what makes her miserable!” Slack-jawed astonishment filled Carbon’s mind at his friend’s insightfulness. “But-!” “I’m not done yet!” Match interrupted, “But you, you were different! You had friends; me, Morph, even General Portrait! And you had goals! You became a general because it was something that you wanted! I… I remember the days before you became a general, when we would both just work our hardest and do our best for the swarm, and after the day’s work we would party into the night and just have fun!” Match dropped back down onto four hooves and spoke again in a quieter, sadder tone. “But we don’t do that anymore, do we? You've let your desire to beat Double run your life and make everything into a huge competition! Can’t you see what your obsession has done? Why couldn't you have just backed down? You had the position of general; a position given to six out of thousands of changelings! Why couldn't you have just been happy with that? Why did you it reach this point?” “Because of pride, dear Match, something I doubt you fully understand.” Both changelings looked up to see Double flying in from the prison chamber’s entrance high above, a chessboard enveloped in her magic beside her. She landed and smiled at Match. “You’re a clever one, aren't you, figuring all that out?” Double said, “But you were wrong about one thing: my past isn't lost to me. It’s right within my grasp, and I’m going to get it back.” She turned to look at Carbon, still speaking to Match. “Now, if you would, I’d like for you to leave. The general and I need to have a little chat together.” “But I-!” Match began. “That wasn't a suggestion.” Double interjected forcefully. “Leave now.” Giving the High-General a suspicious glare, Match turned and flew out of the cavern. Once he was gone, Double set the chessboard down on the ground before the cell, within Carbon’s reach. “Let’s play a game, General. Or should I be saying ex-general, now?” She giggled softly and moved a piece, prompting Carbon to follow with a move of his own. Carbon examined the changeling carefully. She shouldn't have seemed threatening in any way. She was tiny compared to him, barely larger than a grown hatchling, with only her jutting helmet making her seem bigger than she really was. Her large blue eyes and bright, childish smile should have made her seem even younger and more innocent. Granted, that was the appearance she put on, and it seemed to fool mostly everyone, but Carbon knew better. Looking up at Double’s triumphant grin at seeing him defeated and chained before her, Carbon realized something. He had always known it since the day their “game” began, but he could only now find the words that, though so simple, fully described how he felt. He hated her. It was as simple as that. He hated everything about her. He hated how she hid her true thoughts like a pony instead of a changeling, he hated how she smiled and giggled at her own jokes that only she understood the meaning of, he hated how she was always one step ahead of him in everything throughout their entire lives. Double must have been able to feel the anger radiating off of him, because her cheerful smile morphed into a look of false concern. “Is there something wrong, General?” She asked in that sickly sweet tone of hers. “Are you mad at me? I don’t see why; I won our game fair and square after all…” “Fair and square?!” Carbon repeated loudly, his hate giving him the strength to speak out against her. “ You've never played fair at anything! You didn't deserve to win, and you don’t deserve to be talking to me from the other side of those bars!” Double looked at him quizzically, then looked back down at the chessboard. Without saying a word, she pushed a pawn diagonally to take one of Carbon’s own pawns. “Oh really? Then what, pray tell, do I deserve, then?” “Nothing!” Carbon spat, “All you are is a selfish, spoiled brat who thinks that, just because you’re a magical prodigy and you have the Queen’s favor, that you’re entitled to whatever you want!” Double’s eyes slowly narrowed, and Carbon could feel the indignation roll off of her. “ I've worked hard for my position, General,” She said in a low voice, “ I've had to work to maintain my favor with Queen Chrysalis, and I've made enormous sacrifices to get to where I am now. Do not think otherwise.” Carbon scoffed and lifted a hoof to move one of his knights and remove the pawn Double had just moved. “Sacrifices, right. But always for you and your foalhood friend, never for the swarm.” “I care for the swarm!” Double growled, shocking Carbon with the intensity of her anger. “Do not for a moment think that I do not love my brothers and sisters here! Believe me, I would not have become High-General if I did not genuinely care for them.” “Maybe, but you’ll always care for that unicorn more.” Carbon retorted, not believing her for a moment. Double’s anger slowly receded, and she settled back down, moving one of her pieces on the board once more. “I can be loyal to both the swarm and to my friend, General. They need not be mutually exclusive. But, I guess that’s your problem, isn't it?” The confusion was clear in Carbon’s gaze. Double chuckled at some realization that only she saw as funny. “You’re too set in your ways, General, too caught up in your hatred of the ponies and the griffins and every other creature out there. You’re too convinced that we changelings are the victims, and that because of that, we are rightfully entitled to take what we want by whatever means from our oppressors with no hope or thought of reconciliation. And because of that, you just keep pushing forward without stopping to think that there might be a better way than your way.” Double paused her explanation for a moment, putting on that sweet smile that he hated so much. “But that’s to be expected, isn't it? After all, you’re getting old, and the old are always so stubborn!” Carbon was caught off guard by the rude comment. “O-Old?! You’re only a few years younger than I am!” Double laughed at his sputtered response. “Details, details! My point is, you’re too inflexible. You’re convinced that your own way is right, and that every other way is wrong. But you’re the one who’s wrong. There can be peace with the ponies; there can be friendship, there can even be… well, I think you know what I mean! You felt the rainbow, the harmony, didn't you? That harmony is the ultimate proof that your view of the world… is wrong! Simply wrong, General!” Carbon chose not to say anything, to not point out any hypocrisy he could surely find in her words, and the chamber fell silent as the two focused on their game. Eventually, Double stood up and looked toward the cavern entrance. “I have to go now. We have to prepare for your trial. It might be the last time we see each other, after all!” Double turned to leave, but before she could fly off, Carbon spoke up. “It will never last, you know. Ponies and changelings are too different; this peace will fall apart sooner or later.” Double turned to him, a thoughtful look on her face. “We’ll see, won’t we? I doubt you’ll live to see it, though.” With that, Double let out an echoing laugh and took off, and Carbon stared after her until the buzzing of her wings could no longer be heard. He looked down at the chessboard she had left behind. Her own white pieces were arranged in such a way that no matter where he moved his black king, he was trapped; a checkmate. She had never bothered to announce it. Carbon curled up and closed his eyes once more. He hated Double for so many things, but if there was one thing he hated her for more than anything else, it was that he hated her for being right. Carbon lifted his head groggily, emerging from the collective dreamscape of the swarm and into the waking world. Only the barely-flickering flames lining the walls lit up the room, and he looked around for the source of the noise that had awoken him. He soon found it in the form of a changeling standing at the edge of his chamber entrance. Even without her armor, he recognized her instantly. “General Portrait?” Carbon called, staring at the synthetic changeling. He shook the sleep from his eyes and focused on her. “Is something wrong? It’s the middle of the night.” Portrait stared back at him, uncertainty in her eyes. She met his gaze only for a few moments before diverting it to the ground. Her thoughts were blocked off, shrouded in a fog of magic. As expected of a synthetic changeling, he supposed. “…Well? Are you going to say anything?” Carbon asked again when Portrait failed to respond, “If not, please return to your chamber. You’ll need your rest.” …It’s nothing,” Portrait muttered, turning away from him. Carbon could feel the torrent of emotions whirling within the other general, but over what, he couldn't even begin to guess. She turned her back on him and prepped her wings for flight, but before she could begin, she looked back at him. Her eyes shown with regret and sadness that was all but incomprehensible to him. “…Just, don’t let your ambitions control your life, Carbon. Don’t let them become obsessions. Please keep that in mind.” And then she was gone, the buzzing of her wings still echoing in the chamber. Carbon stared at the spot where she used to be, mulling over the words that made just as little sense as the emotions she had given off. “It doesn't matter now. I’ll figure it out later.” The general shook his head and settled back down, drifting off to sleep moments later. The trial had come and gone, heavily weighed against the general’s actions by the changelings he had wronged in the invasion. Carbon stood in chains, a drone stationed on either side of him, before Queen Chrysalis in the hive’s court chamber. The room rarely saw use due to Chrysalis’s tight rein on the swarm’s actions, and as such, the trial held for him today was a very big event. Every changeling capable of attending was seated in the stands, staring down at him with a variety of expressions ranging from wonder to disgust to pity. Though he couldn't hear their thoughts, Carbon was still painfully aware of the emotions they directed toward him. Queen Chrysalis glared down at him, face stern but unreadable. Double sat to her right, the changeling practically buzzing with excitement and anticipation. To the Queen’s left, Portrait stared down toward the ground, not looking at anyone in particular, but every once in a while she would direct her dejected gaze to Carbon for a brief second before looking away yet again. Carbon could even spot Mirror and Ditto in the crowd, Mirror standing protectively beside the mutant and glaring at the disgraced general with unhidden anger. Morph was not present; as Carbon’s right-hoof changeling in the invasion, she would be tried after his own trial ended. The crowd of changelings suddenly fell silent, and Carbon looked back up to Chrysalis, who held a hoof up for silence. She set her hoof down and began to speak. “Sentry drone #137, formerly General Carbon,” Chrysalis said, voice strong but impartial, “We have heard both sides of the story concerning the ill-planned invasion of Ponyville, and have decided that, as the leader of this treasonous endeavor, judgment must be passed upon you for your crimes against the Changeling Swarm. At long last, the swarm has come to an agreement.” Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, the smallest flame of anger sparking within. “As Queen of the Changelings, I, Queen Chrysalis, hereby declare you to be…” Carbon closed his eyes as Queen Chrysalis gave her sentence and sealed his fate. In the resulting uproar, the former general thought he could hear High-General Double’s haunting laugh echoing in his mind. “I win, General…”