//------------------------------// // Infestation // Story: Keeper of the Crystal Heart // by Cerulean Voice //------------------------------// "We need to alert the city, Levitatus," Celestia commanded. "Who knows how many there are, or how deeply they've infiltrated the city for that matter?" As she flew along the halls of the castle, she followed Honesty's lead. The Element wasn't burning quite so painfully, but the small ache in her right foreleg told her the changelings' goal was far from completed. They would have likely shape-shifted into other ponies, ready once again to prey on the love of their unsuspecting families. The king galloped after her, shaking his head at the situation. Where did these creatures come from? How could this happen? And where's my wife? It was bad enough that he'd been unknowingly—but not unwillingly—used to energise the very creature he was now on the hunt for; the fact that his wife had been impersonated also told him that she would be likely held captive. Or worse... No, Portia's all right. She has to be. As for Platinum, he had ordered her to stay in her room and not let anypony enter, save for either himself or Celestia. Even then, she would still need to listen for the password set by them: Luna. "I'd love to help you more, Celestia, but I don't possess the same mystical power that you seem to. How will I be able to tell if anypony I run into myself is real or an impersonator?" Levitatus asked. "Of course, it would be better if we could spread out and widen the search, but I simply won't be able to tell who's lying to me and who's telling the truth." Celestia turned to the king, pondering their situation. He's right. We're limited to hunting down one at a time. What if there's too many of them? "I agree, our situation is far from ideal. It is true that we can only search for one impostor at a time but at least with you by my side, we should be able to overpower any changeling we come across. Do you know any defensive spells?" "Certainly, Celestia." Levitatus lit his horn and raised his chin. "In my early days as king—furthermore, during the winter just gone—I had to be able to protect myself and my family from any potential uprisings. There were a few who believed that I should be able to conjure up some all-powerful spell to banish the cold and the snow. They were angry at the whole fiasco, and refused to believe that my lack of action was due to my inability to change the situation, not my personal choice. I tried all I could to make the lives of my subjects comfortable—" "I am sure you did, brother. I have no doubt there," Celestia said. "Besides, Honesty would have told me if you were lying." She gave the king a wink. "Once we rid ourselves of this plague, I'll announce my sister and I's return and swear our fealty to you. I'm sure you will make a grand leader for the rest of your days, however long they last." Celestia beamed at Levitatus, until Honestly inflicted a particularly painful burn through her leg. "Ow! I wish it didn't have to hurt so much. Never mind, we have a changeling to neutralise." Together they fled toward the western tower. As Celestia made to burst through the tower door a moment later, she found her progress impeded by an emerald force-field. She only managed to halt herself before impact due to the bright flash that the door produced as she rounded the end of the spiral corridor. "Whoa! We'd better be careful, Levitatus. I have no idea what that force-field could do to us if we touch it. Any ideas?" The king side-stepped around Celestia and magically probed it with the barest touch. The force-field pulsed, daring him to try it again. "I think we've found our target, Celestia." Levitatus lit his horn again. "Stand back." Concentrating hard, he activated a levitation spell that loosed a section of bricks from the tower wall. "Now, fly around the tower and tell me if there's a force-field shielding the window too. There may very well not be—Unitopia is a unicorn-exclusive city after all." Celestia nodded and slipped outside through the broken wall, sidling along the tower on silent wings. Wrapping herself in a chameleon-like cloak, Celestia peered through the narrow rectangle. A middle-aged mare sat on a bench opposite a disturbed bookcase, covered in the same green substance as the king and his daughter had been. A familiar-looking stallion was with her, reading a book entitled Defensive Magic: Protect Your Family. Celestia suppressed a gasp even as she tested the apparently unguarded window. Retreating through the new tower "door," Celestia relayed the information to Levitatus. At the description of the white, curvy, curly-haired mare, her brother's gaze lit up—only for it to pale as she went on to describe the stallion in the room. "W-well at least my wife isn't chained up in a dungeon somewhere, or worse. But I have to save her! Was the window guarded?" Celestia shook her head, much to Levitatus' delight. "Let's get in there, then. I'll fly in on your back, blow out the wall and take that usurper down! It might sound like a crazy plan, but we have the element of surprise after all." "Actually, we only have Honesty, Generosity and Loy—" "I didn't mean literal Elements, Celestia. It's just an expression." The king brought a hoof to his head. "Come on, let's take this monster down. I swear by the moon in the sky that I will protect my kingdom!" * * * * * Mulberry breathed a sigh of relief. The day had been strenuous; the sun had burned hotter than normal, and with the lack of spring rain, there was still a shortage of water. The pegasi had not yet returned. Gosh, it'll be awful nice just to turn in for the night. Retreating to her home from the sapling fields, she smelled far more Earthy than usual, the soil clumped on her coat mixing with the scent of the various plants she'd been tending. As she approached her door, Mulberry spied a shape emerging from the gloom over the nearest hill. Curious, she tried to make it out, then realised what it was. With a gasp, Mulberry galloped up to her cousin and stopped short before the surprised mare. "Valencia, what are you doing back from your holiday already? You've been gone all of a day and a half!" Valencia squirmed a little, then explained. "Well, I got to the falls just fine and everything. It really was beautiful. Trust me, I had a wonderful time relaxing there. Y'all were right, it was just what I needed. But I couldn't stop thinking about the farm, so I had my bit of relaxation and started back again this morning. Please don't be mad, I can't help that I was thinking of you lot working while I was snoozing in the mist, curled up with berries and herbs surrounding me. Oh, speaking of which—" Valencia withdrew some seeds from her saddlebag "—look what I found. New fruits!" Mulberry examined the seeds, then Valencia. She certainly looks like she enjoyed herself. Maybe I should cut her some slack. A grin spread over her face while she hugged her cousin. "I'm glad you enjoyed your trip, however short it was. Now let's get you home. You can tell me all about the falls and how the pegasi did their thing." As Mulberry broke off the embrace, an odd sensation tickled her. It seemed like she could feel how much she loved Valencia. Wow, I guess I missed her more than I thought. * * * * * "All right, team—one final push! Altogether now!" Hurricane commanded his followers as the reservoir rounded next to the cloud production facility. Panting from the effort, the centurions pushed as one, a final time. At last, the reservoir was in position. A great cheer echoed throughout the city as every pegasus celebrated their monumental accomplishment. "Well done, everypony!" Hurricane bellowed. "Be proud all, be very proud. Equestria shall have a shortage of water no longer! Everypony fly home and get some well-deserved rest—we'll be making clouds first thing, come sunrise." Hurricane stared around as he finished his dismissal and laughed a little to himself. Most everypony had already headed home, desperate for sleep with the coming of moonlight. Ha, I can't say I blame them. I'm pretty beat myself. But, to business. My Queen... the time has come. * * * * * Cumulus fluttered back down to his own home, intending to check on his brother. Poor colt. He's just so exhausted. Maybe bringing him along wasn't the best plan after all. Cirrus rested in bed, still and sore as if he'd crash-landed from a great height, which—Cumulus reminded himself—he already did once. A doctor had called in to visit already. Lucky I flew ahead and booked him first. I doubt Cirrus is the only one needing attention. Landing on home's doorstep, Cumulus walked inside to be greeted by his parents. As he entered, he met their gazes. His mother wore one of relief, while his father adorned a depressed one. "Hello, Mother, Father. How are you two?" In a moment, Cirrus found himself in the clutching embrace of his mother. "I'm glad you're safe, Cumulus. We were worried that this mission might have taken a toll on you." Dewdrop released her eldest, her expression changing to one of worry. "But I still don't understand why Cirrus had to go. He's in terrible shape right now. Doctor Feathercross is seeing to him in his room. I've never seen him look so beat. What made you think it was a good idea to take him along on this jaunt anyway?" Cumulus found it hard to look Dewdrop in the eye. "Er, well I thought it would be a good bonding experience for both of us. We planned it all out accordingly, those of us on the main team. Even with our calculations of cloud weight versus horse power, we should have had a much easier time. I guess we underestimated the density that the final product would have. Still, there's no real reason why it should have exhausted Cirrus like it has, even for one his age." Cumulus' eyes then left his mother, to meet his father's gaze. "Dad, sorry about all this. I just—" "There's no explanation necessary, Cumulus, you've already said your part." Blaze sighed. "I know you think you were doing him a favour, trying to give him life experience and toughen him up a bit. But you have yet to accept that Cirrus is still a young colt. You can't push him beyond his own physical limits and expect him to come out fine and dandy. Look, what's done is done, let's just take extra care of him. He needs his rest, and to not be pushed quite so hard. Give him a break for a while, yeah?" Cumulus nodded to Blaze. "Yes, Father. I promised him before we returned that I'd be easier on him after this anyway. Don't worry, I won't over-exert him, I swear." Discussion over, Cumulus trotted past his parents into his brother's room, where Doctor Feathercross was in the final stages of his examination. "Thanks for coming, Doctor. How's he doing?" The doctor raised his head at the new arrival. "Ah, Cumulus. I'm glad you came to me when you did. Your brother is suffering from the worst case of exhaustion I've ever seen. In fact, I'm confident in declaring that he's lucky to still be with us. I can't explain why, but Cirrus has an incredibly weak bone structure. Most pegasi have a very strong skeletal system to compensate for any crash-landing or impacts with other solid things like trees. Your brother's bones, however, are abnormally hollow. I've never seen such a brittle skeleton. One hard knock and his bones could snap like twigs. I also can't guarantee the integrity of his wings. It'll be a while before he flies again pain-free." Feathercross finished packing up his instruments and lent a concerned eye to Cumulus. "Personally, I recommend a week's bed rest. Also, no strenuous activities for at least a month. He has a fair amount of internal bruising that will only give him grief if he tries too hard. What I will advise for him is to be very easy-going for the next few weeks, and for him to know that he has his family's support. It's amazing what love can do to speed one's recovery." Leaving Cumulus alone with Cirrus, the doctor wandered back into the living room to inform his parents of his diagnosis. Cumulus sat down next to Cirrus' bed and placed a hoof on his head. "Sorry I pushed you too hard, bro. I never knew you had such weak bones." But I don't get it. You've never shown any sign of weakness like this before. You've always been exceptionally strong for your age, that's why I've been training you already. As he willed his brother to recover, Cumulus felt a strange sensation in his heart. Like he could feel the love leaving and entering Cirrus' own. Cirrus opened his eyes and leaned in closer to Cumulus. "Oh hey, Cume. Look, I'm sorry about not helping more than I did. I just never thought it would be so hard—" He made to sit up, but Cumulus held him down. "Hey, what's up? I'm not a cripple you know." "Sorry, bro—doctor's orders. You're to stay in bed for a week. Not negotiable." Cumulus continued to feel that odd sensation in his heart as his parents joined him. Cirrus' eyes brightened at the sight of his parents. "Hi, Mum. Hi, Dad. Don't stress about me, I'll be fine now that you're all here." Indeed, Cirrus was already showing signs of recovery as the collective concern and love for him pooled in his heart. "Buuut, I guess I have to listen to orders. I'll stay in bed if I have to." Cumulus, Blaze and Dewdrop looked at each other, then back to him. "We're just glad to hear you'll be okay, sweetie," Dewdrop said. "I'll bring you in some soup and then I want you resting, young colt." She departed the bedroom, Blaze and Cumulus following her out. "Hey, Mum—" Dewdrop turned back to Cirrus "—could you make my soup with extra love, please?" Dewdrop smiled. "Of course, dear. Extra love it is." * * * * * Boom! "Your Element was right again, Celestia. The changeling is right here!" Levitatus jumped off Celestia's back and ambushed 'himself,' even as Celestia flew in through the new 'door' in the tower. The changeling looked around for an escape but his reflexes were far too slow. Levitatus enveloped his doppelganger in a shielded prison, rage coursing through his body. "Be thankful that your pain doesn't now exceed the pain you've caused my guardian with your deception!" he hissed. Celestia set to work freeing and calming the hysterical queen. "Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Portia cowered. "No, stay away from me! I mean it—my husband will have your head if you touch a single strand of my mane!" The alicorn rose an eyebrow and smiled down at the mare. She could tell that the queen still possessed great beauty and grace in her age, however given her state she look quite disheveled. "I promise I am not here to harm you, Your Majesty. On the contrary, I am here to save you. Your king is here as well." Celestia pointed to the real Levitatus, who'd placed a sleep spell on the hapless changeling. Now that it was asleep, it had reverted to its previous form. Emitting a small cry, Portia examined it, then looked to her real husband. "You see?" Celestia continued, "this creature is your enemy, not I. I am here to aid you. There are others like it roaming the castle already and if we don't stop them soon, they'll have overrun the kingdom. Nopony will even suspect a thing as they have all of their love drained." Still breathing rapidly, Portia trotted over to Levitatus and nuzzled him. "Oh, dear, I was so worried about you. I followed who I thought was you up here when you started talking about defensive spells. I couldn't understand why you'd need to read about them so suddenly, when you already know the books by heart. Then..." The king put his hooves around his wife and held her. "Never mind, dearest. There was no way you could have known. But, to business!" Levitatus pointed to the alicorn before him. "Portia, meet your newest guardian, saviour and sister-in-law: Celestia!" He ended the introduction, allowing Portia to give Celestia another once-over and absorb the information. "S-sister-in-law?" she spluttered. "What do you mean? I've never seen her before!" Celestia chuckled. "I promise I will explain everything later. For now, we have a potential nest of changelings to find and a kingdom to protect!" As she finished speaking, Honestly burned once again. "And now we have another lead! Let us go, before it has a chance to power up!" * * * * * All in position? Ready. Everypony is weakened from their exhaustive journey. Cloudsdale is ripe for the picking. What about the ground? No problems here. Nopony suspects a thing. The homesteads are as good as ours. Very good. How about the city? Anything to report? My partner got careless and didn't shield himself thoroughly enough. He's now in the custody of the king, who also has some form of powerful winged unicorn helping him. Send reinforcements or I'll be overcome soon enough. All right. I suppose this is our moment, if we're going to seize the city. Shall we proceed, My Queen? The changeling leader's nod was "felt" throughout the hivemind. Yes, we strike now. Hard and fast. Those of you in the city, find a unicorn, subdue it and take its form. By the time the king and this new 'paladin' discover our roots, we'll already be in place. They won't be able to take all of our combined strength. Go forth, my children—the time to feed is upon us!