I watched Celestia skid across the floor, unconsious with the tip of her horn blackened from Chrysalis' attack.
'Come on...what should I do? What can I do?' I wondered, my eyes flipping back and forth between Chrysalis and the other ponies.
You screwed up when you decided to attack them, Chrysalis.
I groaned in frustration as Chrysalis finished her monologue, looking back to the ragged princess and Shining Armor.
"What are you doing? No! NO!" Chrysalis shrieked, a bright pink dome of energy sparking between Cadence and Armor's horns.
The dome blew back all the changelings, which included myself a few short seconds later, as a result, I was thrown against a wall of the palace, fairly certain the stonework would soon collapse. I groaned as I held a hand to my head, the-
Hand?
I swore to myself as I realized I had been reverted back to my normal form, the remaining ponies looking on with horror, disgust, shock, and surprise.
Twilight...Twilight though, she and her friends were just...staring...their minds totally blank from the shock they'd just been dealt.
I numbly felt myself falling, and I hit the ground with a low *thud*. I watched bleary-eyed as they stared at me, still in horror and fear as the royal guard was called.
I could only cry as I felt myself being lifted and chained, my life practically ending right then and there. I could only think of how life for Mirror, Alicia, and myself was going to take a turn for the worse...
X X X X X X X
I felt myself come to as my headache subsided, finding myself resting on the cold stone floor of a cell below Canterlot.
"Oh no..." I groaned, rolling onto my back.
Yep, guards standing outside the cell and everything...it's official...I'm a prisoner...
In retrospect, I'm glad I sent Alicia and Mirror home...
I felt tears gather as I realized I might not see them again...
'And I haven't even done anything wrong!'
I tried to stand, and promptly bashed my head against the ceiling.
"Ow! Sonofa-"
One of the guards rapped harshly on the bars of the cell.
"Quiet in there!" he shouted.
I grumbled to myself as I sat up again, which wound up with me basically crouching while sitting on the floor. It was also the only way for me to be comfortable without having to lay on the cot.
'Back in the cell...should have seen this one coming...'
And I had to go and try and play hero, that's how I wound up in this mess...I should've just gone home with Mirror and Alicia when I had the chance.
I heard the sound of hoofsteps against the floor, I saw the guards bow, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as the door to the cell opened, allowing the princess of the night herself access. Her horn flashed, and she spoke.
"I'm sorry...I'm so very, very sorry..." she said quietly.
"Luna...what are you sorry for?"
"If I hadn't requested you come to Canterlot, you would not be trapped here..."
"It's...it's fine Luna...it was just a fluke thing...besides, what about them?" I asked, motioning to the guards.
"I placed a silencing spell on this room, along with the others"
"What do you mean, 'the others'?"
"Please understand, our little ponies are in a state of fear, my sister and myself included..."
"Luna-"
"...aspects have to be taken into consideration..."
"Luna...for crying out loud...please just tell me..." I sighed.
"Yes, um, we've placed a number of spells on this cell to prevent your...escape..."
"Ah, and, uh, how long am I gonna be here?"
"Until your trial..."
"What!?!" I shouted "I didn't do anything! You know that!"
Luna flinched, her ears flicking backwards.
"...sorry..." I muttered.
"Understandable" Luna replied.
"So...could you do me a favor?" I asked.
"That would depend on what it is"
"Could you...keep an eye on things in Ponyville for me? I mean, somepony's going to have to look after things with my kids and the hive...y'know...in case things..."
"We can, though hear Us out, if thee truly did not do a thing, then thou should be on thy way soon"
"Yeah...I guess you've got a point...but...just in case?"
"We will attend to it"
"Thank you..."
"Think nothing of it"
The Night Princess left, her hooves clopping against the stonework as she left the cell.
I shivered as I lay back on the cot, my body still feeling drained from the hit it took from the Royal couple's shield.
'Well...things can't get any worse...right?'
X X X X X X X
I gulped as I was prodded forward by the guards, my hands restrained by some sort of magic handcuffs (hoofcuffs, maybe?).
'Apparently, things can get alot worse...'
Not only did I have to appear in front of Luna and Celestia for the trial, but I had to appear before a jury as well.
Whoopee...
The guard to my left nicked the back of my leg with his spear, motioning me forward into the throne room.
"Forward" he commanded.
I complied, stepping through the large doors, and into the court itself.
As soon as I did, there was an absolute uproar- ponies were throwing out insults and some other things that shouldn't be repeated in the presence of children.
Celestia and Luna were, naturally, the judges in this little catastrophe. Celestia stamped her hoof, effectively silencing the crowd. She motioned to a unicorn stallion off to the side, he cleared his throat, and held up a scroll in his magic, and began to read from it.
"We are here today in the matter of Morphasi Hive v. Canterlot: the king of said hive, sitting before us today, stands charged with assistance in the plot of overthrowing Princesses Celestia and Luna, breaking and entering, attempted treason, and living in
Equestria illegally"
'Yeah, I'm pretty sure they made up that last one...'
"King Morphasi, how do you plead?" Celestia asked, her face a stone mask.
"Not guilty"
The courtroom once again went into a frenzy, Celestia stamped her hoof, demanding silence from the crowd.
"You may take the stand" she said to me.
I nodded, and stood, my imposing height making some of the surrounding ponies skittish.
I took a seat next to the princesses as a stallion in a suit and tie stepped forward.
"You're name is Morphasi, correct?" he asked.
"Sam is fine" I responded.
"Sam, how would you describe the attack on Canterlot just a few short weeks ago?"
"Well...I'd say the actions made by the Queen of that hive were stupid and rash"
"I find it interesting, that you, are a king and she is a queen- you rule that hive together, do you not?"
"No, I'm not married, I rule my hive alone"
"Are you saying, that there is in fact, another changeling hive hiding somewhere in Equestria?"
"..."
"Might I remind you, that you are under oath?"
"Yes...it's true..." I said, gritting my teeth.
A number of ponies gasped.
"And, as I believe the queen explained, changelings feed on love, correct?"
"Yes, we also feed on-"
"Just answer the question, please"
'This guy isn't giving me a break, is he?'
"Yes..."
"Now, how do you go about collecting love?"
"O-objection" my lawyer stated meekly "h-he's leading the witness..."
"Overruled" Celestia answered.
"We absorb emotions to gather them for food, which sustains us"
"Yes, but, how do you go about this? There's little we know about changelings"
"We don't cocoon ponies, or really replace them, we just disguised ourselves as ordinary ponies, and collected the positive emotions"
"Deceit is in your nature, correct?"
"Objection..." my lawyer squeaked, earning glares from a few surrounding ponies "he's l-leading the witness"
"Sustained" Celestia replied.
'Finally!'
"Back to my previous question, you stated there was another hive here in Equestria, would you be willing to divulge that information?"
"No"
"Objection, witness is witholding information valuable to the future safety of Equestria"
"Sustained"
'No getting out of it now...'
"Ponyville..."
There was, once again, a collective gasp as Twilight and her friends stared at me in shock, save Fluttershy.
"Might I ask, what you've done with the real Silent Night?" he asked.
"Silent Night never existed" I replied "he's just a pony I made up"
"Changelings are, by nature, deceitful, as I have stated before- so, how can we be sure you're telling us the truth?"
"What is this? Look, I didn't do anything! You've got me! Even if I was lying, what purpose would it serve? I was only trying to stop Chrysalis from-"
I clamped my hand over my mouth as I realized I had quite possibly just made one of the worst mistakes I could have made.
"So, you do know the queen- and pray tell, what was it that you were attempting to prevent her from doing?"
"I was trying to stop the attack..."
"I see, and don't you think this would've been vital information to us?"
"Wait a damn minute here, you're saying, that if I'd come forward, and told you that Princess Cadence had been replaced with a shape-shifter, and a queen, no less, you would've believed me?"
"...no more questions..." he said, stepping away from the stand.
'Whew...'
"Thank you" Celestia said before turning to me.
"You may step down"
I did, and walked back to my table.
My lawyer stepped forward as she prepared her case, very nervously, I might add.
'Have mercy...'
X X X X X X X
"Sister...are you sure about this?" I heard Celestia ask, two sets of hooves clopping through the dungeons.
"Quite" Luna replied, her horn glowing as the two entered my cell.
"What do you two want?" I sighed, trying my best to not sound harsh.
The trial's been murder on me, hours and hours of sitting through ponies arguing with each other (albeit, rather one-sided).
"We wish to perform a spell, one that will allow us to view your memories in hopes of putting all of this behind us"
"Is that so?"
"Verily, we do not wish to kindle bad relations with another hive that has not attacked us"
'Why didn't you think of that before you tossed me in here?'
Of course, I knew the answer, it just ticked me off...
"Fine...just do it and get it over with..." I grumbled.
Luna charged her horn, and touched it to mine- seconds later, everything faded to black.
I found myself awakening, Celestia and Luna by my side.
"May I?" Celestia asked.
"Be my guest" I said sarcastically.
A few images suddenly appeared before us, most likely because of Luna's glowing horn.
The images were of Elaine and I just before the event that started all of this- the car accident.
Both of their eyes were wide, their mouths open in shock.
"I guess I've got a bit of explaining to do, huh?"
"Y...yes...I believe you do..."
"This is planet Earth, I was fully human just before-"
The images in front of us began to play like a movie, and showed the car accident, I flinched as I saw Elaine fly through the windshield.
"What was that?" Luna asked, pointing at Elaine.
"Not what, who" I replied "and she's my special somepony..."