Crystal Love opened her eyes as the sound of wings came closer. A set of white hooves in golden horseshoes landed in her field of vision. The changeling turned her head to look at Princess Celestia; the alicorn didn’t even notice that Crystal’s illusion was no longer in effect, leaving the changeling in her normal, noticeably smaller form.
Maybe the Princess was just too busy with the attack she was charging in her horn.
"Where are the other changelings?" the Princess asked with barely restrained rage.
Crystal thought back to her family. If nothing went wrong, Shining Armor's spell should have only dispelled the illusions, leaving the real changelings unharmed since they didn't actually pose a threat to the city.
"What does it matter?" she snarled. "I'm their Queen. Without me, there won't be no changeling hive."
"Good." Celestia gave her a last icy glare before pointing her brightly glowing horn at Crystal.
~~~~~
The house was a little away from the center of Canterlot. The sign at the front showed the words “Works’ Office”, a renowned little business that was known for distributing workforce to stores, shops and business all over Canterlot, for all the odd jobs they couldn’t hire full-time employees for.
Around the building, in the back, was another business, so to speak. All kinds of ponies went in and out of the bar, but only ponies who were on the list. Nopony else knew what was so special about the place, and quite a few upper-class ponies who had tried to find out found themselves more or less politely shoved back out by a pegasus who could wrestle even the burliest earth pony bodyguards to the ground in a matter of seconds.
On this evening, the bar was full of ponies; everypony who was on the list had come, despite the wedding celebrations taking place not far away at the palace. Earth ponies mingled with pegasi and unicorns, drinking and chatting, some more cheerful than others.
“You’re looking glum, chum.” A slightly inebriated pegasus stallion with a mug of cider sat down at the bar next to the earth pony, who was staring at his own drink. He put a hoof around the earth pony’s shoulder. “Come on! We are all sad about what happened to her, but that doesn’t mean that we should spend the first night of our new life trying to drown our sorrows.”
The earth pony sighed. “Do you always have to be this cheerful, Clean Cut?”
“I don’t know about me, but you have to.” Clean Cut nudged the other stallion. “You’re practically the head of this group, Works. A good chunk of us are working for you, and everypony else owes you for one thing or another. You of all ponies need to show them that we can go on with her lives.”
Works turned around, leaning against the bar with his back. “How are you suddenly the voice of reason?” He laughed. “My life must really be going downhill.”
“That’s the spirit!” Clean Cut grinned and bumped his shoulder. Then he turned his attention to the rest of the room and put a hoof to his mouth.
The sharp whistle made everypony stop their conversations and turn their attention to him. He waited another moment, then announced, “There’s something we haven’t done yet and I think it’s high time that we do it. And since Works here is too much of a grown-up to start, everything hangs on me. As always.”
The other ponies watched in anticipation as he slowly raised his mug high into the air.
~~~~~
The next time Crystal woke up she was already being carried through the prison. Wherever it was, she doubted that they were still in Equestria. It seemed to reach deep into the ground, and apparently they intended to keep her on the last level of it. Crystal didn’t struggle as they threw her into the cell and locked the doors. She was in too much pain to do much, anyways.
“Three cheers for Crystal Love, who brought about the end of the changeling hive!”
Green ichor was showing through the cracks in her shell, some of it dripping to the ground, and she had large, black scorch marks where Celestia’s attack had hit her.
“Hip hip hooray!”
She was trapped in an unknown place, possibly left to die in her prison cell.
“Hip hip hooray!”
Her ear twitched and she raised her head a little. She looked around her cell curiously, despite the pain it was causing her.
“Hip hip hooray!”
Crystal Love let her head fall back to the ground again, a content smile on her face. She wasn’t going to die here. She just had to be patient and bide her time.
She had a hunch about that.