//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: Darkened Armor // Story: Changeling Mine // by Futile Task //------------------------------// Cadance made her way slowly back to the palace of the Crystal Empire, part of her relieved to be home…but another part of her dreading what was soon to come. She knew when she got home, she would have to tell Shining Armor that his baby sister Twilight Sparkle was pregnant with a changeling queen, and she knew once she did that he would fly into a rage. Ever since the events of the wedding, Shining Armor had become obsessed with the hunting and extermination of the changeling race, using methods which she knew would get him punished severely back in Equestria…but she had turned a blind eye to it all. She knew why she had done it of course, for she had felt the same sting Shining had, if only to a smaller degree. After all, they had left her to rot in a cave below Canterlot, and had tried to steal her soon to be husband and use him to get into Equestria to feed. But now…now she knew about what she herself had done to Chrysalis, and now knew her race was close to dying due in part to Shining’s efforts. What was worse, she would soon have to confront him about it all now, for with the changelings becoming a protected species…Shining could possibly end up in trouble with the crown. So distracted had she been with her thoughts, she didn’t even notice the fact that she had made it into the palace, but when she did, she simply shook her head and made it strait for Shining’s office. But as she walked, she spotted one of the crystal ponies talking with one another, and she thought about what Luna had said. “Changelings and Crystal Ponies share a symbiotic relationship,” Luna had said, but Cadance was still unsure, but she knew her answers were on hoof. She walked over to the ponies, giggling a bit as they bowed, before sitting down so that she could speak. “Hello my little ponies, would you mind answering some questions for me?” The two ponies nodded, “thank you. I…I have heard an interesting rumor surrounding your race and the changelings, one I would like to get cleared up right away…if possible.” Both the ponies visibly got wary, but one of them nodded, “Wha…what is this rumor that you heard my lady?” “I heard that you and the changelings share a symbiotic relationship between one another, and that you are the reason changelings did not turn on normal ponies before your disappearance over a thousand years ago, and I want to know if this is true or not.” “…it…it is true,” said one of them, keeping his eyes averted from her as he spoke. “I see, and I take it by the way you are averting your eyes you know that the changelings have come back to Equestria.” “Your highness it wasn’t their…” Cadance shook her head, keeping the young mare from speaking as she herself spoke up. “I know what you want to say, but I am still having a hard time accepting that fact, especially seeing as how I have to try and convince my husband of the same thing.” The faces of the two ponies in front of her immediately darkened; which made her concerned as she spoke once again. “My ponies; whatever is the matter?” “It’s…” started one of them, “…it’s nothing against you your highness, but the guards have been spreading some rather…frightening rumors about your husband concerning our…our cousins….” “Cousins,” asked Cadance in shock. The crystal pony nodded, “It’s how we prefer to think of them, for our races coexisted with one another long before the three tribes appeared in Equestria, and we were deeply saddened to find out that they not only had gone feral in our absence, but are now nearly extinct…mostly because you turned a blind eye to what your husband did to them.” Cadance wanted to argue, but in the end she sighed, nodding her head in shame. “I know that now, which is why I want you to tell the captain of the crystal guard to send a group of his best troops to Ponyville to guard Twilight’s new castle, for I have a feeling when I tell Shining the changelings are being kept in Ponyville, he will try and attack them.” “The changelings are in Ponyville,” asked the mare, looking extremely hopeful. “Yes they are, and they need to be protected, so please, get this word to the guard, and tell them to hurry.” The two ponies nodded, then took off down the hall, Cadance standing there for a long while before turning and resuming her walk toward her husband’s office, her heart heavy and her mind full of dread for what was to come. Cadance reached Shining’s office after what seemed like forever, knocking on the door and walking in when she was invited in, her husband getting up from his desk and coming over to hug her, only to back away after a little bit and staring into her eyes. “Cady what’s wrong, you look like you have the wait of the world on your shoulders?” Cadance sighed, “Sh…Shiny, I have something I need to tell you…something that concerns Twilight.” Shining’s demeanor immediately shifted, “wha…what do you mean, there hasn’t been another attack has there?” Cadance shook her head, before indicating they should sit down, getting comfortable with Shining before speaking again. “No Shiny there has not been another attack, and hopefully there won’t be another one for a long while. The reason I say it concerns Twilight is…well…she is pregnant…” Shining looked at her in shock for a moment, then his face split into a wide grin, “really, she’s pregnant?” When Cadance nodded, Shining started hopping up and down in a circle around her, yelling the word yes repeatedly as he moved about, till finally stopping and turning toward his wife. “This is great news Cady, my little sister is going be a mom! Ok, I need to know, who is the father, is it somepony I know?” Cadance gulped, “y…yes, it…it is somepony you know, though not in a good way…” Shining’s face immediately fell, “wha…what do you mean, who is the father?” “…Ch…Chrysalis is the father…” Immediately the room seemed to grow cold, and Shining’s eyes disappeared as a shadow fell over them, till he finally breathed out one word, “What?” Cadance gulped again, “She…she came to Canterlot yesterday, to tell us that she had…had accidentally gotten Twilight pregnant with a changeling queen, which she asked Twilight to continue carrying…which she agreed to…” “No…I won’t believe this, Twilight would never agree to help that monster, she tried to turn us into slaves.” “Only because they were starving, and that’s only because they have been without the love of the crystal empire for the last thousand years.” Shining looked shocked, but before he could respond Cadance pressed on. “Shining, I know you are not going to want to believe this, but Luna explained to me crystal ponies and the changelings are symbiotically linked together, which is why the changelings started going feral after the crystal empire vanished a thousand years ago?” “That’s a load of minotaur shit and you know it Cadance, the crystal ponies could never help them, never…” “Then tell me this Shiny,” said Cadance, “what is woven into the light which comes from the crystal empire?” “What…Candace that has nothing to do with…” “It has everything to do with this,” snapped Cadance, “now I’m asking you Prince Shining Armor of the house Evening Star to tell me what magic is woven into the light of the crystal empire!” Shining looked frightened, for he had rarely seen his wife this angry before, even concerning topics related to the changelings. But after a moment’s pause, he finally found his voice, and was able to speak, if only in a whisper. “It’s…its love; the magic woven into the light is the magic of love.” “Correct,” said Cadance, “and what pray tell do changelings feed on?” “…L…love…” Cadance nodded, “Yes Shining, love. Shining, I know you feel wronged by them and…” “Wronged by them,” shot shining, getting up and beginning to pace as his wife watched. “Of course I feel wronged, they attacked us Cadance. No matter if they were starving or not, they still chose to attack our nation and used me and you to get in close, and they still need to pay for it.” “And they will pay for it Shining, but the right way, not with bloodshed.” “What are you…?” “Don’t,” snapped Cadance, her face growing dark as she turned her face away from her husband. “I have turned a blind eye to what you have been doing because I was angry to Shining, but I can’t any more, especially in light of what your sister sent me.” When Shining gave her a puzzled look, she pulled a scroll out from her neck guard, handing it to him and waiting as he read. As his eyes scanned over each word, Cadance could see him growing angrier and angrier, till finally he looked up with barely contained rage. “I don’t believe this, I don’t bucking believe this…Twily, my LSBFF has used her position as princess to not only make the changelings a protected species, but she also used it to pardon Chrysalis of all her crimes, saying that due to losing her ability to breed and the fact that she came willing to sufferer punishment for her people means that she herself has suffered enough!” “Shining…” “…And it gets worse! She has taken the changelings into her own palace, and plans on moving Chrysalis into the palace on a later date; this has to be some sort of…” “ENOUGH!” The shock that crashed over Shining was like none he had ever experienced, for he had never seen his wife this angry before. Oh sure they had fought, and she had of course yelled a few times, but she had never, ever, used the royal canterlot voice on him, so it was with stunned silence that he sat before her as she started speaking again. “Look Shining Armor, I know you are angry at them, I was to for a time. And I also know what you have been doing behind my back when it comes to the changelings, but I can no longer do that because of this. So I am putting my hoof down, I forbid you from visiting Twilight’s new palace until I deem you safe enough to be around the changelings.” “WHAT!” “You heard me,” said Cadance, but Shining could tell she wasn’t finished. “Furthermore, you are to call back all the troops you have been using to hunt down the changelings so that they can be disbanded, I will not have ponies who would willingly kill foals…” “Those weren’t foals Cadence they were…” “SILENCE!” Cadance roared again, causing Shining to cower as she calmed down to speak again. “As I was saying, I will not allow such ponies to server in the crystal guard, nor any guard for that matter. And Finally, once they are disbanded, they are to report to Canterlot for disciplinary hearings in regards to what they have done, as ordered by Princess Twilight Sparkle.” “……and what of me, what am I to do after all this?” “I have already told you,” said Cadance, you are to keep yourself away from the Castle of Friendship until I deem you safe enough to be around the changelings. It could have been worse, but lucky for you your sister decided to be lenient, and pardoned you for your involvement in these incidents.” Shining stood there for a long moment, all of what Cadance circling in around in his head, till he got stuck on one sentence in particular. “Twily is being lenient…no, she would never be lenient in matters like this, not when it comes to enforcing rules. What if…what if she is being lenient because everypony but her has been brainwashed by Chrysalis, and she needs me to save her!” Shining smiled then, nodding to Cadance before speaking. “I understand Cady…and I’ll go now and recall my troops, which shouldn’t be long.” Cadance looked surprised at first, and then sighed in relief, nuzzling her husband as she spoke to him. “Good, I’ll see you at dinner then, love you Shiny.” “Love you to Cady,” said shining pleasantly, watching her go till the doors closed behind her, and then teleporting to where the leader of his raiders was living, causing the stallion to jump from his chair as he appeared. “Your highness, what are you…” “Shh,” said Shining, quickly moving around the room as he cast several silencing and sound proofing spells, before stopping in front of the commander and giving him a serious look. “Ok I have to be quick, the changelings have managed a sneak attack on Equestria and have somehow managed to brainwash the princesses into believing they want peace.” The commander’s eyes widened, but Shining signaled that he should not speak. “Look I know, I didn’t think they could pull this off either, but there is hope. Twilight has managed to keep from getting brainwashed, but she is being held captive by changelings in her own palace, which means we have to assume that the elements and probably many of the citizens of Ponyville are under their spell as well.” “What do you need me to do,” asked the commander, looking hopeful. “I need you to gather the raiders and meet me at the edge of the empire, then were going to commander a train and make our way to Ponyville as soon as possible.” “But my lord; wont that put some civilians in danger.” “This is war Steel Shank,” said Shining harshly, “and besides, any train that is heading for Ponyville is probably sending ponies there so they can be used as food, so we will be doing them a favor in the long run. Now get moving; we haven’t a moment to lose!” The commander saluted and then left, leaving shining to exit the room teleport, one thought rushing through his mind as he appeared in his room in the barracks. “I’m coming for you Twily!”