The mood of the room was somber. No one spoke. They barely even looked at each other, each one lost in their own thoughts. Occasionally they would try to distract themselves - Kyle would close his eyes to meditate, Twilight would examine Greed’s Crystal, Rarity would leaf through a magazine. They all tried to ignore the feeling in the room.
But Kyle’s eyes would open every time he sat down to meditate, unable to properly clear his mind. Twilight would wind up just staring absently at the gem as it floated in front of her. Rarity had looked through each magazine no less than a dozen times, never settling on one for more than a minute before moving on to the next one.
The others were taking it even worse. Fluttershy was curled up in a corner, as she had been for the past hour. Occasionally, Kyle could hear a small sniffle coming from her. Rainbow Dash was asleep, but every so often she would let out a small whimper, her tail thrashing wildly. Scootaloo was curled up next to her, but kept getting up and pacing around the room, unable to sit still. Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen - the normally hyperactive mare had trudged out of the room long ago, her mane deflated to long, thin strands that fell limply over her face.
Kyle opened his eyes as he tried, and failed, to meditate once more. He glanced around the room, taking in the sight of his friends stewing in their discomfort. They all felt it. The dark thoughts that ate away at the back of their minds. The horrible, sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs.
Failure.
The Crystal Heart had been lost, stolen by Chrysalis and whisked away to Hive Regali in the Badlands. The Crystal Empire, likewise, had been lost. Without the Heart to shield the city, it had been subjected to the unmitigated fury of the blizzard, forcing the remaining defenders to flee. Despite their best efforts, despite the intervention of the Alliance - despite everything - they had failed.
The news wasn’t entirely bad. Kyle took a grim pleasure in hearing that early estimates listed Changeling casualties at close to fifteen thousand, compared to the forty-nine dead Ponies and eleven dead Azerothians. According to numerous reports, many of the Changeling fatalities had been at the hooves of other Changelings, lost in their bloodlust. Kyle’s own injuries, and those of Scootaloo at the claws of the Sha of Greed, had been quickly treated by the medics of the Alliance army, getting both of them on their feet within an hour of being admitted to the medical bay. And of course, the Sha of Greed had been slain and imprisoned in its crystal.
But such facts were little comfort. The remaining Changelings had fled soon after the Sha of Greed was destroyed, leaving the defenders stranded in the city. The Windigos and the two remaining Sha had likewise retreated, likely troubled by Greed’s downfall. The defenders had made their way back to the castle to find out that their efforts had all been for naught - the Heart was gone, and the city lost. With heavy hearts, the Princesses had re-opened the portal to Canterlot, and the city had been abandoned to the elements.
And not all of them had gotten out as easily as Kyle had. Rainbow Dash’s left wing was bandaged up, having pulled a muscle while wrestling with a Changeling. Applejack was still in the North wing of Canterlot Castle, which had been converted into a makeshift medical bay for the numerous injuries sustained during the battle. Kyle and their friends were in a small room just outside the northern wing, waiting on news from the medics.
As if on cue, the door to the room slowly opened. Everyone’s heads snapped upwards as two figures entered the room - A light-grey Unicorn stallion, and a Worgen female clothed in flowing leather robes that identified her as a Druid.
“You are here waiting on the one called Applejack correct?” The Worgen asked, her voice rough and grating.
“Yes,” Twilight replied, pushing herself to her hooves. “Is she alright? How is she?”
“As you know, she was slashed across the chest,” The Unicorn replied. “The cut was long, but thankfully not very deep. With Rosia’s help,” he continued, nodding towards the Worgen, “We were able to get the wound closed and stave off any infections.” He turned his head towards Rosia. “I’m still amazed at how effectively you all can heal injuries like this,” he told her.
“And I’m still amazed at this,” Rosia replied, motioning towards the light switch. “Light whenever you want with the flip of a switch? No candle needed? We need something like that back home.”
“Um… Excuse me?”
Both heads turned back towards Twilight. “Oh right. Miss Applejack will be out in just a few minutes,” The Unicorn replied. “We’ve got to get back to work. There’s still a lot of injured Ponies in there,”
As the Unicorn and the Worgen closed the door behind them, Twilight let out a great sigh. “Well, at least Applejack’s alright,” she murmured. “When I heard she was hurt… I kind of panicked for a minute.”
“I think we all did,” Rarity agreed, setting aside an issue of Cosmology Monthly. She pushed herself to her hooves and stretched. “As it is, I think we got out of that fight fairly well. Don’t you think, Kyle?” she asked, turning her head towards him.
Kyle looked up at her, his expression neutral. “If by ‘fairly well’, you mean losing the city and the Heart,” he replied coldly.
Rarity blinked, stunned by Kyle’s words. He glanced back over at her and closed his eyes, sighing. “Sorry,” he murmured. “It’s just… it’s bad. Really bad,”
“Of course it’s bad, darling,” Rarity replied, sitting down next to him. “Yes, the Changelings got the Crystal Heart. But surely we’ll get it back.”
“I’m more worried about what the Sha want with it.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I was interrogating that Changeling the other day,” Kyle began, “it referred to the Crystal Heart as the ‘Toy of the Usurpers’. On Azeroth, the Old Gods and their servants would mention usurpers as well. These are the Titans - The creatures that formed and shaped the cosmos, creating order from the chaos of the Twisting Nether. On Azeroth, long ago they battled the Old Gods and overthrew them - hence the name usurper.”
“And the ‘toy of the usurpers’...” Twilight murmured. “A tool created by these Titans?”
“Exactly,” Kyle nodded. “A Titan Artifact. We’ve discovered a few Titan Artifacts on Azeroth as well, and they were all very, very powerful. And undiscriminating. They were simply tools to be used, not discerning good from evil. If the Sha have their claws on such an object…”
“They could use its power for themselves,” Twilight finished. Her eyes grew wide, and she began trotting in place. “Oh this is bad, very bad…”
“Indeed it is.”
Kyle turned his head towards the door once more. Standing in the doorway was Celestia, still adorned in her battle armor. In the hallway behind her, Kyle could just make out King Varian behind Celestia’s billowing mane. Her expression was neutral as usual, but Kyle could see the tension in her shoulders as she looked at him.
“Come with me, Mr. Slater. And you too, young one,” Celestia added, turning her gaze towards Scootaloo.
The pair exchanged a quick glance before moving forward. Celestia stepped aside to allow them to pass before closing the door behind them. Varian watched as they stepped into the hallways, his usual frown upon his face. Beside Varian was Luna, also still wearing her armor. She didn’t even attempt to conceal her concern - her tail lashed back and forth wildly, and her eyes darted between Kyle and Scootaloo.
Without a word, Celestia turned and walked away down the corridor. Varian and Luna moved to follow her, with Luna casting another backwards glance. Kyle nudged Scootaloo, who flicked him with her tail before they too fell into step behind the leaders.
The five wandered through the halls of the castle, not speaking, not looking at each other. Varian and the Princesses, too, were obviously feeling the burden of defeat Luna’s head kept moving this way and that, and her wings kept fluttering open before snapping back shut. Meanwhile, Varian’s movements were stiff and tense, and Kyle could see his hand occasionally jerking towards his sword.
After walking for a few minutes, Celestia finally turned off of the hallway and stepped through a set of double doors. As Kyle stepped in, his memory kicked in. This was the same room that he and Luna had traveled through in order to reach the summit of the leaders of Equus. The room was once again vacant, but Celestia did not move towards the balcony. Instead, she sat at one of the chairs, with Luna sitting next to her. Varian sat opposite the two Princesses, and motioned for Kyle to sit at the head of the table, between the three. Kyle drew up a chair for Scootlaoo, and the two sat down as well.
“Before we get to the main purpose of this meeting, I have a question for you, Mr. Slater,” Celestia began, looking directly at Kyle. “I am not angry, nor disappointed. Only curious. Why did you allow Scootaloo to stay in the Crystal Empire during the battle, rather than send her home? I know that you told her of the portal, but did not tell her to take it.”
Kyle glanced over at Scootaloo before turning back to Celestia. “Would she have listened?” he asked. “While she is many things, a good listener is not one of them. Scootaloo tends to make her own decisions, whether someone tells her to do something or not. Something we may need to work on,” he added, glancing over at Scootaloo again.
“She has made a lot of progress in her training, and easily held her own in the battle. She’s the reason I’m still alive. Otherwise the Sha would have killed me. Scootaloo may be a bit… headstrong… But I believe she knows her limits fairly well by now. I trust her judgement on whether or not she can handle a particular battle.”
Celestia closed her eyes and nodded slowly. “Very well. We shall speak no further on the matter,” she murmured, looking across the table at Varian. Kyle, meanwhile, nudged Scootaloo again. She extended her wing and nudged him back with a small grin.
“Now, on to more pressing matters,” Celestia continued. “Unfortunately, the Changelings have indeed obtained the Crystal Heart. As you have already guessed, Mr. Slater, the Crystal Heart is indeed a Titan Artifact, left behind when this world was first formed.”
“Obviously, we intend to get it back,” Luna said. “But by now, it is likely deep in the heart of Hive Regali, the seat of Chrysalis’ Empire. The Changelings suffered heavy losses, but they still have the strength to defend their home. A direct assault might be successful, but at a terrible cost.”
“Which is why we’re not going to try a direct assault. Not as our primary way of getting to Chrysalis.”
The doors to the room were flung open, causing Kyle to jump out of his seat. Varian’s head whipped towards the door as well. As he saw who was on the other side, his face contorted into a scowl. He too stood up, drawing Shalamayne and pointing it at the figure. It was a Changeling Queen, almost identical to Chrysalis. However, unlike the Queens loyal to Chrysalis, this one had no Sha energy radiating from her body.
“Queen Yxia. Impeccable timing,” Celestia remarked. She glanced over at Varian and frowned. “Please, lower your weapon. Queen Yxia is an ally of ours in this war.”
“She’s one of them,” Varian spat, glaring at Celestia. “How do you know she’s not working with the rest?”
Yxia glanced over at Varian, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. “Chrysalis killed my father and destroyed my Hive. I’ve no love for her.”
Varian’s snarl vanished, replaced with another expression. Surprise, regret… his eyes went dull for a moment, clearly lost in thought. He shook his head and lowered Shalamayne, sheathing it once more. “Then I suppose you’ve a right to be here,” he murmured, glancing distrustfully at her. “But I’ve got my eyes on you, Changeling.”
“And I have mine on you, your highness,” Yxia smirked before turning her attention to Kyle. “It has been a while, Mr. Slater,” she said warmly, moving to sit next to Celestia. “I hope you have been well.”
“As well as you can be when you’re fighting against the end of the world,” Kyle replied, his posture already more relaxed. He took his seat as Yxia took hers.
“Princess Celestia informs me that the time has come,” Yxia began. “Chrysalis’s army was significantly weakened by the battle of the Crystal Empire. Now is the opportune time to strike, and end her reign of terror. You already know, however, that a direct assault pressing into the heart of Hive Regali is little short of suicide. Fighting the entire empire on their home ground…”
“Indeed,” Luna interjected. “Thus, we believe the best option is a covert operation. A small group of elite fighters, sent to assassinate the Empress. Queen Yxia has agreed to aid us in moving through the secret tunnels that will lead us straight to the Empress’s chambers.” Yxia nodded in agreement. “That would bypass the defenses.”
“However, if the Changelings realized their Empress was in danger, they would quickly come to her aid. Therefore, we will, at the same time, attempt to draw as many Changelings away from the Hive as we can. We will begin to amass an army capable of holding against the Changelings for a time. When we are ready, we will strike at Hive Regali and allow this elite group to enter the throne room and eliminate Chrysalis.”
Kyle rubbed his chin. “There’s a problem there, though. Well, multiple problems, but the one I’m thinking about is this. The Changelings and the Sha have the Crystal heart. They have a Titan Artifact. What’s to stop them from unleashing it upon the army that would march on the Hive?”
“The Crystal Heart is not a weapon of destruction, Mr. Slater,” Luna replied. “Believe me, we have examined it countless times over the millennia. Its properties are all to do with protection, healing, empowerment… it provides beneficial blessings for oneself, rather than destruction upon one's enemies. Only one time has it ever been used in an offensive way - the destruction of King Sombra, a Unicorn who long ago forsook his sense of good and evil for power. In the end, he became corrupted by his power, and his evil took over. The Heart, when used against him, first destroyed his physical body, and then his spirit a thousand years later.”
“Another Old God?” Kyle asked.
“Nay. He was a Unicorn. A particularly evil and powerful one, but mortal nonetheless. His destruction, as I said, was the only time the Heart was used for such a purpose, and only because his evil was so great.”
“Then what do the Sha want with it…” Kyle murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. “Surely their evil would draw a similar response from the Heart…”
“It is a mystery,” Yxia agreed. “But whatever their plan is, I doubt it is ready yet. If it were, they would have unleashed it by now. Either they’re still missing a piece to the puzzle, or they require time to put their plan into actions.”
“Time we won’t give them,” Luna added. She turned her gaze to Varian once more. “Of course, we cannot do it alone,” she said. “Any aid you could lend us would be greatly appreciated.”
“I’ve already told you,” Varian scowled, “I cannot afford to get my people involved in another war. I only intervened in the Crystal Empire because we had the troops on-hand, and adventurers to back them up. We’re already spread thin as it is, fighting on two separate worlds in two separate timelines. As much as I want to aid your world, I must put the needs of the Alliance first.”
“May I?” Kyle asked suddenly. Every head turned towards him as he glanced around the table. “With all due respect sir… I believe that the Alliance could spare the troops. Just as we have spared the troops to aid in the battle today.”
“Sergeant, we have already lost eleven lives to this war,” Varian replied. “A war that, honestly, we should have stayed as far away from as possible. And the endeavor that the Princesses propose would require easily three times the men we committed today, for a much longer time.”
“But do we honestly still need troops in Shattrath City?” Kyle countered. “In the city ruled by the Naaru, do they really need our help? Especially with the Aldor there. And the Scryers, I suppose.”
“Even so, that is still not nearly enough.”
“What about Dalaran?” Kyle asked, feeling his impatience rising. “It’s still up in Northrend, well away from any active Horde settlements, flying high in the sky. With Lady Jaina there to protect it -”
“After the incident with the Sunreavers? No. Dalaran requires as many troops as we can keep there.”
Kyle growled under his breath, racking his mind. “Honor Hold? Valiance Keep? Certainly there can’t be much action there with Illidan and Arthas dead. How about -”
“Sergeant. We simply cannot commit to this war.”
“Well sir, I’m sticking around no matter what,” Kyle snapped, losing his patience. “I said it before, I’ll say it again. Honorable men help those in need. I know that there are enough troops stationed in remote places. Places where there hasn’t been a major clash with the Horde in years.”
“You have emotionally invested yourself into the fate of these Ponies,” Varian growled. “Your judgement is slanted and biased.”
“And yours is not?”
Varian’s eyes turned towards the new voice that had spoken up. Scootaloo had placed her front hooves on the table, staring the King defiantly in the eye. “You’re emotionally invested in your own war. Your judgement is slanted and biased as well. Imagine the tables were flipped, and you were the one asking us for help. Would you not see if there was any way to get some kind of aid?”
“But the tables are not turned,” Varian retorted. “You are asking for my help. And I would give it if I could. But I must look out for the wellbeing of my people above all else.”
“But you-”
“Enough,” Celestia spoke up for the first time since Yxia had entered the room. “I understand that you are the leader of Stormwind and the Alliance Army, but I also understand that each member race of the Alliance is led by their own leaders. Surely they should have a say in this matter as well, as the decision will affect them all.”
Varian’s frown deepened. Silence fell upon the room as he closed his eyes. Kyle glanced down at Scootaloo and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.
Finally, Varian sighed. “Very well,” he said quietly. “I shall call for a meeting of the leaders of the Alliance. If you come with me back to Azeroth, we will likely be able to convene within two days. You can present your case to them there.”
“Thank you,” Celestia smiled once more. She turned her head towards Kyle and Scootaloo. “If it is agreeable, I would like for you two to accompany us as well.”
“I’m afraid that may not be an option,” Varian interrupted as Kyle began to speak. “Grand Master Hight has already learned of your survival, Sergeant. Like us, the Master Monks on the Peak of Serenity had thought you dead. He has requested for you to return to the Peak of Serenity as soon as you can.”
Kyle blinked, then nodded. “Okay. No problem,” he said, forcing his voice to remain even. Considering his excitement and nervousness, it was a considerable effort. The Grand Master of the Peak of Serenity had requested him personally. It was considered a great honor to meet with him individually.
What could the Grand Master want? Kyle’s mind began to flash through the different options. Had they learned about Scootlaoo? Had they figured out Kyle was training her without their permission? Or was it something simpler? Did they just want to make sure he was alright? But then why would the Grand Master himself request him?
No matter what they wanted, Kyle knew that he would answer the call without hesitation. He glanced down at Scootaloo, who was looking back and forth between the gathered leaders and Kyle. “And I’ll introduce her as well,” he thought to himself. “No sense in trying to keep a lie going.”
Luna frowned slightly at Kyle, but neither Princess said anything. Yxia, likewise, remained silent. Silence again descended upon the room..
Finally, Celestia spoke up once more. “It sounds like we have a schedule to meet,” she said, standing up. Luna and Yxia followed her lead. “We must prepare for our journey to Azeroth. And you, Mr Slater…”
Celestia glanced over at Kyle once more. “You must prepare to meet your people again.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chrysalis was fuming. Never had she felt rage such as this before. That little cretin had dared to shoot her! Her, the Grand Empress of the Changeling Empire! Just the thought of that squat little ball of stupidity made her blood boil. A wicked smile crossed her face as she remembered the feeling as she impaled him on her horn, felt his spine snap as she ran him through, felt his blood running through her mane. The memory was… delicious.
Her grin dissolved into a hiss, and she glared down towards her injured hoof. Next to it lay another Changeling, along with various bottles, rags, and bandages. “Be careful!” she snapped
The Changeling nodded quickly. “My apologies, Empress,” he replied, his voice laced with tension. “The wound must be sanitized, or you will risk infection. I have just finished this. Now, with your permission, I will apply this.” He motioned towards a bottle with his hoof. “It will greatly speed the recovery process. Afterwards, I shall bandage your injury and be finished.”
“Get on with it, then,” Chrysalis growled, laying her head down once more. She watched as the Changeling picked up and uncorked to bottle, pouring a considerable amount of a thick, viscous liquid onto his hoof. She tensed up as he brought his hoof to her bullet wound, and hissed as the substance burned against her exposed flesh. The pain quickly died, however, and the dull throbbing in her hoof died as well. The Changeling then picked up the roll of bandages and began to wrap them tightly around her hoof. Chrysalis sighed and closed her eyes, reflecting on recent events.
The attack on the Crystal Empire had been a disastrous success. Though the city had fallen, her Changelings had suffered horribly. For every four Changelings that had accompanied her to battle, only one had returned. The Defenders had succeeded in opening a portal to the world that that damned Monk had come from. His people had surprised her forces, and obliterated their chances for a quick, painless victory. Instead, it had dragged out in a half-day-long engagement, with her Changelings dying by the thousands.
Several Hive Queens loyal to her had also fallen, leaving their Changelings dazed and confused - easy targets for the defenders. The few Changelings from those Hives that had survived were now aimlessly wandering through the halls of Hive Regali, still stunned by the loss of their Queens and their commanding voices. And to top it all off, the Sha of Greed had been destroyed. Now, only Treachery and Hatred remained.
“And for what?” She snarled to herself. “Some stupid hunk of Crystal!” The Sha were, even now, examining the relic, doing who-knows-what with it. Like she cared. Unless it would help them destroy Celestia and Luna and overthrow Equestria, she didn’t give a damn what that thing was for.
It would not comfort the Changelings who had lost everything to that battle.
“I am finished, Empress,” The Changeling announced, dragging Chrysalis back to reality. She looked down at her hoof, now tightly wrapped in bandages. She flexed her foreleg, making sure that she still had all of her degrees of movement available. “Is there anything else my Empress requires?” The Changeling asked.
“No. You may return to tending to the other wounded,” Chrysalis replied, her tone much softer than before. The Changeling bowed before galloping away, pushing the double doors to the throne room open and running out into the rest of the Hive.
Chrysalis sighed and closed her eyes once more. There was no doubt in her mind what she wanted. She wanted revenge on those that had humiliated her in Canterlot. She wanted revenge on those that had caused her Changelings so much suffering this day. Of this there was no doubt. But she also wanted her Changelings to not starve. She wanted them to feed and be full, to flourish and prosper as they should.
And while the Changelings had hungered a bit in the recent past, it was nothing compared to the hunger she felt from them now. With the infiltrators in Equestria being exposed and captured daily, their supply of love was running dry. Only a few of the best had managed to remain undercover in Appleoosa, Baltimare, and the like - None remained in the large cities like Canterlot and Manehatten, where most of their love had previously come from. The unyielding efforts of these few remaining infiltrators was all that kept the Empire from starvation.
And, as Chrysalis couldn’t help but realize, their troubles had started as soon as she had allied with the Sha.
A cold chill crept over the room, and Chrysalis barely kept a frown off of her face. Speak of Tartarus and it shall appear - The Sha were approaching. She pushed herself to her hooves and moved over towards the throne, sitting upon it. She watched as the double doors at the far end of the hall swung open, and the two terribly familiar beings entered the room, their legs clacking loudly against the hard amber floor.
“Empress,” Treachery hissed softly as it approached, stopping at the base of the stairs leading to the throne. Even though its legs stood lower than Chrysalis’s, it still towered over her, the top of its head nearly brushing the ceiling. “We thank you for your aid in obtaining this,” it continued, pulling the Crystal Heart out from behind its back. The artifact lay dormant in Treachery’s claws. “With this, our victory is at hand.”
“It had better be,” Chrysalis growled. “We lost much to get that thing, Treachery. It had better be worth every drop of blood my Changelings lost.”
“A hundred times over,” Hatred hissed. “We only now are missing one final piece of the puzzle. Or should I say, four missing pieces.”
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “The dead Sha,” she guessed.
“Very good,” Hatred said. “For our plans to be complete, we require the power of all six Sha to be present. Once that has happened, and the Crystal Heart sufficiently twisted, all of Equus will fall. And you and your Changelings will be rewarded for your services beyond your wildest dreams.”
“But first, we must obtain those Crystals that our brethren are imprisoned within,” Treachery continued. “This is a task we appoint to you.”
“After what just happened in the Crystal Empire?” Chrysalis snarled. “Are you out of your minds? My Changelings cannot attack Canterlot! We’d be massacred!”
“I speak not of an attack, but an infiltration.”
“And what good would that do us?” Chrysalis spat. “Canterlot is on high alert for Changelings! Every infiltrator in there has been captured or killed! It’s nothing short of suicide to -”
“And that is why they will not expect it,” Treachery interrupted. “Especially so soon after the battle. They will be tending to their own wounded, making their own plans. There will be confusion as they try to establish some sense of normalcy for the Ponies who lost their homes in the Crystal Empire. Confusion that would be perfect for an experienced infiltrator to exploit.”
“If you cannot do this, then our efforts have been for naught,” Hatred added. “Your Changelings’ sacrifices will have meant nothing. And your chance for revenge will be gone forever.”
Chrysalis took a sharp breath. Yes. Her revenge. Celestia. Luna. Cadence. Shining Armor. Those damned element-bearers. The Monk and his apprentice. All would fall before her.
But only if she kept pushing for victory.
“I will dispatch my best infiltrators,” she announced, pushing herself off of the throne. “Maybe the ones from Appleoosa or Baltimare…” she continued to murmur to herself as she walked down the steps. The Sha watched her as she walked over to a door on the left-side of the room, leading to the Imperial quarters. She opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind her.
Hatred chuckled darkly. “She is an easy one to manipulate,” it hissed. “She still truly believes it is her love for her Changelings that drives her, when instead it is her hatred for her enemies.”
“How long do you think it will take for the fallen pieces to be recovered?” Treachery asked.
“Given her previous record?” Hatred hissed. “Three or four days. Two, if she sends those infiltrators tonight.”
“Not long enough,” Treachery growled. It glanced down at the Crystal Heart, still clutched firmly in its claws. “The usurpers’ toy has proven difficult to break. It may take a week or more for us to finally twist it.”
“We have as much time as we need,” Hatred hissed in reply. “If the Ponies and their new allies do attempt to retrieve it, it will be a simple matter to manipulate Chrysalis into sending her Changelings to the slaughter once more. Even if they cannot win, they can buy us as much time as we need.”
“And then, they will all know the true meaning of fear.”