//------------------------------//
// 68 - Court 
// Story: Gladiator 
// by Not_A_Hat 
//------------------------------//

"No, Bit. I can shave myself. Just let me borrow 'your' razor."
 
"Hmm." She looked up, the silver blade clasped firmly.
 
"Please!" I begged. "Seriously. Or I'll grow a beard."
 
"Well," she reluctantly passed me the razor, "if you insist."
 
"I do." I idly spun the blade. Suddenly, I realized Bit had been mirroring me, and stopped. I walked over to the vanity, where my shaving kit was laid out, and started making a lather. Bit sat on the end of the bed and watched.
 
"Sir…"
 
"Yes?"
 
"Have I changed too much?" Her voice was very small.
 
"No, Bit, I don't think so." I contemplated the question for a moment. "You're more… emotive. Not a lot, but some. Your sense of humor is stronger, although still sharp and subtle. And you're more… self-possessed, I think." I shot her a sharp glance. "All of those are good things."
 
"Good."
 
"So, what's the plan for today?" I wiped my face.
 
"Hmm?"
 
"Are we just following Squarewave? Are we doing something crazy?"
 
"Huh? Am I still in charge?" Bit raised a hesitant eyebrow.
 
"I don't see why not." I shrugged. "You never resigned."
 
"Oh." She frowned. "Hum. Well. I think… we’ll head for Squarewave's address and improvise. Maybe this time, you and I should aim for Chrysalis. Bodkin's bound to be wary of you after yesterday."
 
"Could work." I shrugged. "Artemis and Twilight versus Bodkin seems doable. Um." I wiped my face. "Will you ask me to link with you?"
 
"Would that bother you?"
 
"I'm… not sure." I frowned. "Is it safe?"
 
"I'm not sure, either." She grimaced. "As a hatchling, mother moved my fixation for the Hivemind to you. Normally, that's not a problem, because… well, most fosters can't do anything resembling a mind-link." She sighed. "That sort of mental magic is exactly what new agents need isolation from. The Hivemind subsumes and sometimes kills minds that are self-aware. You were wise enough to hold back. Now I'm a fledgling Queen in my own right, we have the opposite problem. Can I share? I'm much more powerful than you, magically. All my instincts about the Hivemind have moved from 'serve' to 'control'." She rubbed her eyes, and for a moment, tension lined her face. “I have no idea what would happen if I overpowered you. If it continued any length of time… you could be seriously hurt.”
 
"Responsible."
 
"Huh?"
 
"Another change in you. You're responsible." I sat beside her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's hard, but rewarding. Keep practicing; you'll be good at it."
 
"Thanks."
 
"Is this real flannel?" I pinched the collar of her robe.
 
"Not really." She shrugged. "I don't know flannel. This is a cotton-analogue designed to be fuzzy and warm. I made it myself. I can create nearly any natural fiber, so… instant wardrobe."
 
"Huh. Neat. Be careful around Rarity." I smirked.
 
"Pff." Bit grinned back. "Best. Idea. Ever."
 
"Yeah." I sighed. "About the link. I'd be willing to try, but… maybe we should get a spotter?"
 
"That might work." She stared at me a moment. "But first, I'll need my razor back."
 
"Of course, your Majesty."
 



 
"Alright." The four of us were in Luna's private gym, or, as she insisted, studio. I turned to Twilight. "Bit and I are going to try linking. If it lasts longer than, say, ten seconds, hit me with this." I held out my vibroblade.
 
"Your lightsaber?" She gave me a dubious look. "That doesn't sound safe."
 
"You'd be right, if it was a lightsaber." I pushed a little energy into the blade. "But since it's sound, it will only cut hard or brittle things."
 
"Like a dentist drill?" Twilight hesitantly accepted the weapon. "Don't bones count?"
 
"I lowered the power, and it's my own magic. It’ll just disrupt my internal energy." I waved a hand through the blade to demonstrate. It felt like running an electric razor over my palm, but left no mark. "A good stab should scramble the link. Lyra uses a similar attack. I might get a headache, but… do it."
 
"Hmm." Luna inspected the thrumming green blade. "You never gave me a breakdown on this weapon."
 
"Later." I turned back to Bit. "Are we doing this?"
 
"Why did you call me that?" She crossed her arms.
 
"Huh?"
 
"Before. Your Majesty. Why?"
 
"Um." I scratched my head, trying to understand.
 
"I'm not your Queen."
 
"Oh." Suddenly, it clicked. I mentally kicked myself; no matter how much Bit had matured, she wasn't done adjusting and growing. "It was a joke, Bitterbloom."
 
"Oh." She looked down.
 
"It's just, you were ordering me around. And levying taxes. If it really bothers you, I won't do it again."
 
"The address isn't wrong, though." Luna interjected. "You are always 'Your Majesty'. If he'd said 'My liege' - " She cut off, as both of us glared at her.
 
"I know how you feel," Twilight said. "Some ponies insist on calling me Princess, but I don't want to be treated differently. Like that?"
 
Bit nodded.
 
"Anyways, I'll watch my words." I smiled. "Good enough?"
 
"Good enough." Bit smiled back. "Then, let's try. If it fails, we have a little time."
 
"Alright." I drew in a deep breath, and readied my power. I held my wand out, and she raised a hesitant hand.
 
Zzap!
 
The link formed, but it felt strange. It seemed to writhe in my grip. I strove to hold control, to pull power like I'd practiced with Twilight, but it was too much.
 
Whirling. Weightless. I felt a sudden vertigo as my vision faded.
 
A moment later, Twilight stabbed me in the chest. It felt like red-hot peppermint.
 
"Ow." I slumped to the floor. Bit was standing shocked, hands clasped to her mouth. "What happened? That felt strange."
 
"I… I'm not sure." Bit gulped. "I think I pulled too hard? I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"
 
"It's okay." I shakily forced myself back to my feet. "No harm done, right?"
 
"Fascinating." Twilight passed my sword back, and turned to Luna. "Did you get that as well?" Luna shook her head, slowly.
 
"My scans were a jumble." She shrugged. "What did you see?"
 
"B-but it was so clear! And simple!" Twilight gasped. "How—"

"Twilight." I coughed. "If she said she got jumbles, that's what she got."
 
"B-But!" Twilight paused, and stopped. "Right, yes, okay. But there were these intricate little knots, and they, they…" Her eyes crossed. "Shoot!"
 
"What?"
 
"I don't know what they were! But it was crazy!"
 
"Hmm." Luna eyed her speculatively. "Interesting."
 
"Thoughts?" I reset my sword and clipped it to my belt.
 
"Maybe you can see more because of your talent?" Luna gestured to Twilight's cutie mark. "And perhaps because of your ascension?"
 
"M-Maybe." Twilight frowned. "I need to write this down!" She whipped out a notebook and started scribbling.
 
"So," I turned to Bit, "are we trying again?"
 
My assistant wordlessly shook her head.
 
"I'll be okay, you know. No harm done."
 
"Not today." Bit still looked shaken.
 
"Was it like the Hivemind?" I asked gently.
 
"I…I'm not sure." She looked down, refusing to meet my eyes. "Each Queen experiences the Hivemind differently. And I won't create my own for years yet. I'm not done becoming myself."
 
"Aww, and here I thought you were all grown up." I gave her a gentle hug, and she relaxed a little. "At least my little Bitterbloom isn't running off to get married."
 
"Mmmm." She nodded. "Changelings are more built than born, anyways."
 
"Really?" Twilight zipped over, notebook ready. "Could you elaborate on that?"
 
"Um." I gently pushed her back. "Maybe we should worry more about getting ready for our fight? And thinking about what we'll do if it's not actually a fight."
 
"Oh." She returned to reality with a frown. "Boring."
 
"But necessary," I said. "Let's do some planning."
 



 
"We all know the plan?" Bit looked at each of us, and we nodded. "Such as it is?"
 
It was a simple plan. We were heading for Squarewave’s address, hoping for something interesting. The Guard had been searching since yesterday, but found nothing. If we made contact, Bit and I would face Chrysalis while Artemis and Twilight attacked Bodkin. They'd taken time to prepare a few surprises.
 
"Head out, hang around, look for trouble?" I blithely suggested.
 
"You make us sound like teenage delinquents." Artemis frowned.
 
"Still, he's pretty much right." Twilight shrugged.
 
We walked quietly for a moment. Twilight moved up next to Bit, while Artemis drew me back for a quiet word.
 
"Bit's afraid she'll lose you.”
 
"Hmm?" I looked up. "Yeah, maybe."
 
"No maybe about it." Artemis sighed. "She's inherited a lot of things, including power, and a new view of the world. Did she sleep at your feet last night?"
 
"Yeah." I frowned, puzzled. "How did you know?"
 
"Remember her question about you leaving?"
 
"Yeah." I nodded. "It was understandable, but I’m not running off. Hay, I’m not even searching for a way home right now."
 
"But you still call it home." Artemis shot me a telling glance.
 
I digested that for a few moments.
 
"Yeah." I sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do."
 
"This isn’t just conjecture, Wes. I've always monitored Bit's dreams, such as they were."
 
"Really?"
 
"Yes. Partly to check Tezeca’s claims about her. Heh." She shook her head slowly. "That… well. At first she didn't dream much. After her inheritance, that changed. Sometimes she relived her past lives. Sometimes she slept peacefully. Once, she had a nightmare."
 
"Are you sure you should tell me this?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Oh."
 
"It wasn't much. She was just living in Ponyville. Alone. She woke up alone. She ate breakfast alone. She spent the day alone." Artemis sighed. "When I showed up, she nearly cried."
 
"Ooof."
 
"She told me, that day she'd realized just how little anypony actually needed her."
 
"But… that's not what friends are about." I shot Artemis a puzzled glance.
 
"How well does Bit understand friendship?"
 
"Meh." I sighed. "Okay, I'm beginning to grasp your point."
 
"Are you?" She looked into the distance. "You told her you needed her because she needed you. Now… she's a Queen. She's growing into a force to be reckoned with. Given time, she could challenge the power of a small country. She realized she has no actual claim on your loyalty. Nothing concrete."
 
"So... since she doesn't 'need' me, she's afraid I'd abandon her?" I rubbed my head. "That’s… a little silly."
 
"And your feelings think clearly?"

"Fine, fine." I blew out a sigh. "Okay. Yeah. Okay. She needs something to hang onto, huh? She’s… nearly family. I'd never ditch her. Maybe saying that would be enough?"
 
"Maybe." Artemis' glare forced me a step back. "But whatever you do, Wes, mean it. Being half-hearted will only make things worse."
 
"Sure, sure." I raised my hands defensively. "To quote a good friend, 'I'm always serious.' Now, weren't we supposed to run into trouble around here?"
 
"Yeah, but— HEADS!" Artemis yelled and threw Twilight and I forward. "Maybe trouble will find us first!"
 
"Mine!" Bit snarled, as Chrysalis scythed in low, wings thrumming in the crowded street. The wards started flickering. "Spread out, look for Bodkin!"
 
Twilight threw a wing over Artemis, and they vanished. We'd upgraded our kit; we all had ward authorization tokens and communicators.
 
"Right." My sword flickered to life. "Let's do this."
 
We'd talked about Chrysalis’ character and actions. She begged our help, but had no qualms about attacking. She was either playing a deep game, or Sombra had a tight hold on her.
 
We were betting on the latter.
 
Chrysalis spun in mid-air, landing with a crash. Surprise swept her face as I dashed forward.
 
She was out of my league. Of course she was.
 
But I was used to that. Nearly every opponent I'd faced was out of my league. I survived because I planned ahead, thought outside the box, and asked for backup.
 
Chrysalis and I traded frantic blows. I couldn't tell if she was holding back or honestly couldn’t measure my capabilities. I made the best of it, pushing hard and feinting. My sword flared, and I bent it around her guard. I'd have landed a telling blow, but a hole opened in her leg, and the blade lanced harmlessly through.
 
"No fair!" I yelled. Her return threw me across the street. Bit stepped up and took my place. "Woah."
 
Now, that was a fight.
 
I watched as they whirled into a churning storm of violence. It was shocking and amazing, from a technical perspective. It was also strangely... predictable?
 
"Bit? What are you..." As I watched, I started automatically analyzing my aide's fighting style. I'd been surprised at her trouble using Tezeca's instincts, but now I really saw her fight, the problem was blindingly obvious.
 
She might have all sorts of new information, but she was still really bad at improvising.
 
"How did Artemis not spot this?" Did my experience with Bit make that much of a difference?
 
Maybe.

I watched as she sprang into the air, planning for a dive, I could tell.
 
Sure enough, a moment later she flashed down with a flick of her wings. I saw genuine surprise on Chrysalis’ face. Would Artemis have caught that?
 
No idea.
 
Still, hanging back was pointless for me. We had a plan, and I needed to act. This made things easier.
 
She's going long-range.
 
Bit dashed backwards, turning a lazy flip in mid-air and making a three-point landing. Her free arm reshaped into a barrel, and a spray of bullets spattered the pavement. Chrysalis dodged and moved in to retaliate, but I stepped between them.
 
My sword pushed her back. Artemis could have done better, but I just needed a moment.
 
"How are they holding you?" As she dodged, I threw an earpiece. Puzzlement, shock, comprehension, and gratitude flashed across her face. She snagged it, and I bailed. I flicked over to its separate channel; no point letting her hear our chatter. A moment’s silence convinced me she wasn’t talking. Dang. "If you're afraid to speak, change your mane color."
 
Her hair went flaming red as she dodged Bit's riposte.
 
"Okay, fair enough. If your hair is blue, that's a no. If it's red, that's a yes. Understand?" Her hair went green for a second, before returning to red. She understood.
 
I flattened myself against the wall, and tried to think. This was going to be tricky. I was playing twenty-questions with a rather distracted hostage.
 
"Are you unable to talk because Sombra is listening?"
 
Her hair went... purple?
 
"You're uncertain?"
 
Red. Huh. Quick thinking.
 
"Okay. You're not sure just how powerful he is."
 
Red.
 
"Fair enough. You're not talking because you're afraid he might be able to listen, but you're not sure."
 
Red.
 
"Okay. You want our help. But Sombra's got a hold on you, and we can't help without knowing what it is. Did you have a plan for this?"
 
Blue. Dang.
 
"Well." I thought for a moment. Bit picked Chrysalis up and tossed her across the street. Chrysalis morphed to absorb the blow, and pivoted around a lamppost for a return strike. "Do you know where Bodkin is? Is he with you?"
 
Blue twice. No help there. I wanted desperately to ask how and why she found us here, but I held back.
 
"Did he send you?" The best I could do.
 
Red. I clicked my comm over to the party band.
 
"Watch out, flygirls. It's looking more like a trap."
 
"Roger copy," Twilight returned. "But we knew that going in, right?"
 
"Right." Artemis was blasé.
 
"Just letting you know. Over and out." I clicked back to Chrysalis. She was trying to pin Bit to the wall with three-foot spikes. Bit was throwing them back, nearly faster than I could follow. My secretary rocked.
 
"Chrysalis. I'm going to make some guesses here." My mind was churning with possibilities. "You're afraid of speaking. Sombra's using a spell to threaten you."
 
Red.
 
"It's designed to ensure your loyalty. Bodkin can control it."
 
Red.
 
"Will it auto-activate?"
 
Purple. My question distracted her enough for Bit to land a telling blow. Shreds of wing-lace fluttered around me. I smirked.
 
"You're unsure. Okay. Does the spell have a physical focus?" Bespelling a powerful Queen would be much easier with an artifact.
 
Red.
 
"Now we're getting somewhere. If we destroy the focus, will the spell break?"
 
Red. Purple. Red.
 
"You think so, but you're not sure. Hmm." I tried scanning her, and got a headful of roaring static for my efforts. They were throwing entirely too much power for me to get a decent read.
 
"Have you purposefully avoided hostages?" I'd been thinking about this for a while, and one of the best reasons I could think of for their actions was simply laying low. "Are you trying to not draw attention?" They seemed to be trying for stealth.
 
Red.
 
"Hmm." I mused for a moment, as Bit blurred into impossible speed. Chrysalis countered with planes of force. "If we move the fight to somewhere more populated, can you justify toning it down? I can maybe help, but I need to be closer. If you fight less furiously I could face you, take a stab at it." That wasn't quite true; I really wanted Bit free for scanning, but no need to tip my hand.
 
Red.

I clicked over to the party channel.
 
"—ound him! Twilight, move in!"
 
I listened for a moment. It sounded like Twilight and Artemis had found Bodkin. A shower of gravel jerked my attention back.
 
"Bit, we need to move the fight. If we move somewhere more populated, she can tone things down without alerting Sombra. Proceed carefully. Watch her."
 
"Yes, sir." Bit nodded once, before dashing away. Chrysalis pursued with a scowl. I jogged after.
 
Sure enough, as they moved Chrysalis pressed less and less. Ponies ran screaming from the brawl, although the two were restraining themselves. Eventually, they were mostly using physical attacks. They didn't stop shapeshifting, though. Watching Bit melt away from punches was impressive.
 
"Tag." I stepped between them, timing it perfectly. Bit stepped away, and I swung my sword. Chrysalis' eyes widened as I nearly took her foreleg off.
 
"Of course this is a serious fight." I smiled. "Besides, I owe you something." I threw in a feint and a stepped past her guard, breaking her defense with an unexpected palm strike. My hand connected with her chin and she spun, trying to absorb the force. The blow still destabilized her.
 
"That was for Tezeca." I took vicious advantage of the opening I'd created, and lay three stripes across her side. "And that's for Twilight, Cadence, and Shining." I nearly, nearly clipped her wings. "I'll let Bit get her own."
 
She scowled, and her mane flickered blue. Right; we had serious business here.
 
"Scan her, Bit!" Hopefully, if I fought, the magic interference would be much lower.
 
"Yes sir! Keep moving!"
 
"Alright." I nodded, and kicked Chrysalis through a wall.
 
The next few minutes were completely filled with grueling close combat. I was fast, and my technique was much, much better, but Chrysalis countered with unconquerable energy and her cheat-like shapeshifting. Grabs were useless; she would literally flow out of my grasp. Kicks and punches could be dodged, even against momentum, by impossible bends and shifting gaps. I was beginning to wonder if I could even hold my own, hampered though she was. If I had Artemis to draw on… but wishing was useless.
 
We moved down the street, progressing in dashes and throws. Bit flitted around above, the zip of her wings distinctive against the distant background panic.
 
"Got anything?" I was really starting to wish we had an easier way to do this.
 
"Maybe." Her inflection was flat across my comm. "I'm picking up non-changeling magic from inside her. Her shapeshifting is making pinpointing it very difficult. Tone things down more."
 
"I'll do my best." I spun in mid-air, tumbling towards a glass display window. I pulsed my magic, blasting the pane inwards. I landed in a skid, glass fragments crunching under my boots. Once again, I thanked Rarity.
 
Chrysalis hurtled after, eager to press her advantage. She wasn't striking for critical points. Although we were seriously fighting, we'd mutually avoided killing intent.
 
It still hurt, though.
 
I dashed towards the back of the shop. It was the sort that linked to an indoor arcade, the precursor of a shopping mall. Maybe I could hamper her even more, with a more enclosed space. If Sombra was serious about avoiding Celestia's ire until he was ready, he would give strict orders to prevent civilian casualties. We'd already tested that to some extent, but she also wanted my help. I needed her to hold back. She needed an excuse.
 
I burst through the back door. Strangely, the interior space wasn't bright, airy, and speckled with casual shoppers.
 
Instead, it was closed tight and lit with floods. A contrast in stark light and harsh shadow.
 
I gaped for a moment, taking in the tableau. Dozens of ponies, arranged in rough ranks, ringed the lit area. Simple masks and nondescript clothes rendered them casually anonymous.
 
They were watching a fight.
 
I barely remembered to dodge as Chrysalis whipped past me. She faltered as well, also shocked. The fighters in the floodlight paused, looking our way. The ponies in the audience turned to see, mumbling and muttering.
 
"Who?" A voice rumbled out of the darkness. A steel-blue earth pony with an ashy mane marched into the spotlight. She had no mask, and was wearing only a set of brutally plain horseshoes. "Who interrupts my court?" Her cutie mark was a flaming hammer.
 
Hold up… Steel-blue? Masks? Fighting? Secrecy? I knew this one. We'd stumbled on the Canterlot Underground! Secret Unicorn Martial Society. Lyra's training ground. Or as I liked to think of it, magical-miniature-horse fight-club.
 
"I'm… Skywalker, Harmonix disciple. You're Lahar?"
 
"Of course." The mare glared at me, and looked to Chrysalis. "Harmonix disciple. And a challenger. Hmm."
 
A rumble went through the crowd at that. Jedi Lyra was still remembered here.
 
"Throw them out!" a voice yelled.
 
"Feel free." Lahar rolled her eyes slightly. "If you're up to it, Sweet Mask." The rumble died.
 
I tensed, as Lahar studied us. We'd tumbled out of the street, into an entirely new arena. This was somepony whose skills Lyra treated with absolute respect. I had no illusions about facing her. I'd be in even more trouble if she decided to take out Chrysalis. Whether or not she succeeded, I'd struggled to get into this setup. She could ruin everything, if she felt so inclined. Chrysalis caught my tension, and held back; she couldn't let it seem she was surrendering, but this situation was odd enough that inaction might be excusable.
 
"Harmonix disciple!" Lahar repeated, this time with a rumble. "You're a member, by inheritance. It's your first night here, and you’ve brought a challenger. Show us what you've got!" And with that, she turned back to the stands.
 
"Are you serious?" The smaller of the two fighters currently in the ring gave an indignant yell. "You're just letting this… whatever, and some changeling take over our fight?"
 
"You're welcome to stop them." I couldn't see Lahar in the dark, but her words were dry as chalk.
 
"Maybe we will." The two turned towards us.
 
I shared a wry glance with Chrysalis, who smirked slightly. These jokers couldn't even tell how outmatched they were. She ignored them completely, and dove for me.
 
I casually dodged, letting her slide past. One of the duelists struck at her. She barely acknowledged the blow, as I tried to follow up. The other fighter tried for me. I nearly laughed at his sluggish kick.
 
"Is this the best the Underground can bring, Lahar?" I smirked into the darkness. "Harmonix would laugh at these foals."
 
"They don’t have your… experience, Skywalker. Why don't you show us how it's done?"
 
"Heh." I grinned at Chrysalis. "Shall we give them a show?" She shrugged slightly, and we…
 
Took it down a gear.
 
I sent a graceful kick at her. She swayed smoothly out of the way. I choreographed a follow up, and she carefully returned the blow. I absorbed her momentum with a flashy spin. The audience fell silent.
 
I struck with my sword. She deflected with a wing. She stabbed with her horn. I dodged by a hair's breadth. We traded grins as the crowd began calling bets.
 
I turned a handspring. She formed a sword. I did a few aerial moves, just for fun. She started mimicking my swordwork. I returned with what I remembered of her kicks. The watching ponies started to cheer.
 
It was a silly, flashy performance. I telegraphed my moves; she pretended they hurt. She took the obvious shots; I purposefully soaked them up. We were careful to stay in the ring.
 
We danced around the duelists, who stood with slack jaws. I had no idea how good they were, but if they couldn't tell we were faking…
 
Lahar could. She was laughing uproariously.
 
I turned a lazy flip in mid-air, and threw her a salute. She flashed a white grin in the darkness. I half-heard Bit's wings in the rafters.
 
"Wes." Her voice came through my earpiece. "I've started to decypher what I'm sensing. Chrysalis has a sliver of crystal embedded in her. It must be bonded to her nervous system somehow, since it moves independent of her shapeshifting."
 
"Implants? Monitoring implants? No wonder she's afraid of saying anything. Sombra is an ass."
 
"Racism is wrong, sir. Donkeys can be very pleasant."
 
"Um, right. Any suggestions?"
 
"It's crystal. It ought to resonate."
 
"Hmm." I dodged a kick by a hair's breadth. Half the audience groaned; the other half cheered. "Alright. Let's give that a try." I pushed a pulse through my sword, but blurred the blade. It belched power, puffing a cloud of shimmering magic at Chrysalis. She waved it away in annoyance, but I felt something respond.
 
"Oh." I tuned my blade towards that frequency, and tried again. "Yeah, I'm feeling it." Chrysalis' eyes narrowed, and she clapped a hoof to her neck. "Woah!" I nearly couldn’t dodge her suddenly serious strike.

"Okay. Looks like I hit a nerve." I fell into a real stance, and we kicked it up three gears.
 
The crowd fell silent, as we traded suddenly blurring blows. The two duelists stepped back, fear apparent on their faces. They could tell they were out of their league now.
 
Once again, I was outmatched.
 
"Chrysalis! What are you doing?" I yelled, unable to steal a moment to re-set my comm.
 
"You lied," The Queen hissed. "Are you simply baiting me to drop my guard? I know there's no love lost between me and the Royal Sisters, but I hoped I could trust you."
 
I frowned. That… made a surprising amount of sense, actually. Chrysalis lived in a bug-eat-bug world. I'd been suspicious of her motivation more than once. The idea she might return that… I should have seen it coming. Well, I had everything I needed. I could help her now; whether she wanted it or not.
 
"Bit! Lahar! I need her still for a moment!" When in doubt, call for backup.
 
I'd barely finished yelling, when something whiplashed past me. I thought it was Bit, but a flash of steel-blue disabused that.
 
"Woah." I barely had time to gasp before Lahar's strike landed. I couldn't even tell what she'd done, but it was enough; the Queen stumbled, and for a second, I had my opening.
 
I dove for her, the color of my sword deepening from grass-green to deep forest. Her eyes widened as I slashed, and fear and shock were writ large on her face. I would have laughed, if I had time.
 
My blade plunged deep into her neck, and the crystal shattered. I could feel it dissolve beneath her chitin.
 
A puff of magic floated towards the ceiling. Lahar covered my retreat, as the Queen reflexively to countered. Shock changed to amazement as she realized she wasn't actually decapitated.
 
"You… what?" She felt at her neck and stumbled, suddenly losing coordination.
 
"Should be good." I shrugged. "I broke Sombra's toy." She fell to her knees. “Blasting the artifact might have temporary side-effects, though. It was near your brain." She groaned, and slumped to the ground.
 
"Good job, sir." Bit dropped in, and the crowd gasped again.
 
"Very impressive." Lahar smiled at us. She leaned in close. "This court wasn't as boring as I expected." Her voice dropped a few registers. "But you'd better check on my sister, Wes. I'll clean up here."
 
"Huh?" I barely had time to register surprise. "Wait, you're Princess—" I cut off, as my comm burst to life.
 
"Wes, Bit, we need backup! Get here now! We're at—" Krsssssssh…
 
I grimaced as the comm cut out.
 
This was going to be another exhausting day.