//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: An Unlikely Alliance // Story: Doctor Hooves: An Unusual Filly // by Anime PJ //------------------------------// "Is everypony alright back there?" Celestia shouted back to the other ponies. They had been travelling for at least six hours since leaving the Crystal Empire (or rather the area it used to be in) and everyone except for the two Alicorn princesses were exhausted. "With all due respect your majesty," one of the guards sighed "I think you two would fare better teleporting now that you have the Elements of Harmony." Luna turned to face them "We simply refuse to leave our faithful subjects behind." she yelled. They were really far behind the princesses. Celestia and Luna stopped and waited for the ponies behind them to catch up, it had been a long day but it was nothing the two princesses couldn't handle. They were more worried about their followers. Doctor Hooves dawdled at the back of the group, I'm too old for this rubbish he thought to himself, he almost wished that he'd just left Cheerilee and Big Mac to tell the others in Ponyville. Then again, if he'd done that then the guards with Celestia and Luna now would never have survived the trek through the Everfree Forest. He sighed, only now seeing how unavoidable the situation had been from the very beginning. "Maybe we should rest for a while." Celestia said. It sounded like a suggestion but they knew they had no choice in the matter either way. They also knew that if it had been a choice they probably would have chosen to rest anyway. They all sat down, some tried going to sleep while the others just sat, there were no trees in sight so it wasn't like they could make a fire. They were just sat there quietly, no one tried to speak up, they were all quite worried about what exactly had happened to the Crystal Ponies after the empire vanished. It was troubling, they could only wonder what he did to Luna. Four of them knew, the time travellers knew how this had to go and it was upsetting. The unease in the air only made the silence that much more unsettling, they could faintly hear rustling in the grass over to the left of them. They dismissed it as just being the wind and sat there relaxing. Then they heard a voice. "Heh... hello," the voice said. It was the voice of a mare as far as they could tell, when they turned to it they saw that they were right. She was completely blonde, a heart for a cutie mark, other than that nothing to out of the ordinary. "Who are you?" Luna asked gently. "Please..." the blonde mare whimpered "my family are in trouble." They could see she was on the verge of tears, they felt sorry for her. "Where are they?" Celestia asked, her tone a soft one. "I... I'll take you there." the blonde mare said, brightening up a little "Please follow me." They followed her through the grassy fields, the grass brushing up against their stomachs as they walked. It had never occurred to them that she might have avoided telling them her name for some other reason other than her fear. If any of them were stood in front or next to her they would be able to see quite clearly that all of the sadness and fear had left her eyes. They came across a rather unusual patch of land after a while, one that the blonde mare simply wondered into. The thing that made this area so unusual is that it was the first area with trees they had seen in the entire field, what was even more unusual was that the trees in the area were in a perfect circle. Almost like some sort of hiding place. There was rustling in both the trees and the grass as they entered but they once again dismissed it as being nothing but the blowing of the wind. They entered into the circle of trees with mild curiosity, why had the trees grown in such an unusual pattern? And, once they entered another question formed in all of their heads. Where were this mares family? This clearing was completely empty. "Where are this family of yours?" Celestia asked, if she raised her voice any higher it would have sounded more like a demand. The blonde mare giggled "They are all around you princess. Can you not see them?" her voice had changed. It was not so sweet and innocent sounding anymore but then again, it wasn't exactly threatening either. She began to transform, she began to grow taller until she was on level with the princesses. Her eyes became green, her coat became black and her mane and tale became blue. She grew a pair of fangs and a horn, a twisted, hole covered horn, she grew wings as well, insect like with sharp tips and also full of holes. Holes developed in her legs, her cutie mark vanished and a small black crown with small blue orbs on the top appeared on her head. All that was left was the tall, slender figure of the queen of the Changelings. Queen Chrysalis. Remembering what she had said before they all looked around and saw Changelings coming out of the long grass and climbing down from the trees. The small creatures were pitch black with green eyes, small horns and small fangs. The travellers had set out to help a mare in need and had been deceived by the queen of the Changelings herself and now that had been surrounded by her children. They stood, waiting for the inevitable attack which they would need to fight off, when no attack came they looked curiously over at Chrysalis who was smiling. Not a happy smile, a smile that was put on only so that she looked confident, they could tell she wasn't enjoying whatever she was doing. "Down to business then, oh ignore them they're just my security." she said "I wish to help you." The idea of what she just said baffled everyone, especially the princesses, they had opposed Chrysalis at every twist and turn so far and now she said that she wanted to help them. Chrysalis saw the shock on their expressions and smiled wider "Indeed it was unexpected for me as well, I had never expected that I might one day offer help to our dinner but here we are." "Why?" Princess Celestia asked, confused. "Discord's cruelty has left the land of Equestria full of fear and hate, there's hardly any love around anymore for us to feast upon so he's not only ruining your people. He's starving mine. And while we're on the subject please note that the alliance I propose today is not a permanent one princesses, my people need to feed just like any other species. We will begin to feast once more when all of the love returns." Celestia thought this over, as much as she hated to admit it Chrysalis had a point. Discord was a common enemy. "Your offer is not unreasonable." she said. "Sister what are you doing? You know what the Changelings are like, they'll betray us the first chance they get." "Only if you provoke us to." Chrysalis proclaimed, still smirking. Celestia ignored the comment and spoke to Luna "They are not wrong Luna, Discord is a common enemy to both of our peoples. And even if he wasn't we need all of the help we can get to make it past his army." Luna sighed "Very well, not that I can ever dissuade you anyway sister." she huffed. Celestia turned back to Chrysalis "Very well, we accept your proposal of an alliance. Are your people ready to march to Canterlot?" Chrysalis nodded, waving her head to the left to indicate to her children that they were moving out. The group left with Changelings in tow to get back to Canterlot and end Discord's rule for good.