Staying awake was proving to be difficult. I felt more drained than I ever had before, and while I knew I wasn’t in mortal danger, the weakness was startling and I didn't really feel comfortable falling asleep until I was examined. As a filly, I'd once fallen into a magical coma for two days from overuse of magic, and it wasn't something I wanted to go through again.
“I said hoof her over!”
“And I told you that Twilight entrusted her well-being to me. I will deliver her to Celestia and no other.”
Fortunately, the constant bickering between my pegasus friend and the queen was doing a good job of staving off unconsciousness as we made our way back up through the changeling tunnels.
Entering the main cavern, I had to blink several times at the bright light that now illuminated the place. Clearly more of Celestia's work; the light seemed more natural than artificial. Commands were being shouted from one end of the cavern to the other, but it didn’t appear that anypony was fighting. What few changelings I could see appeared lost and confused as they were rounded up and restrained.
Rainbow paused amidst her bickering with Chrysalis to look around the cavern. “Jeez, how are we gonna deal with all of ‘em? There's at least twice the number you have. We gonna take them prisoner too?”
“And then some,” agreed Chrysalis, continuing her soft, steady pace. I appreciated how careful she was being to make sure I wasn't jostled too much. “Azure was likely assisting Crimson in rebuilding her hive after the losses she suffered.”
“Where are we gonna put 'em all?”
No one seemed to have an answer for her, and I was glad this was yet another decision I was going to be leaving in Celestia's hooves, although I couldn't help but wonder what happened to changelings deprived of a queen.
Stepping into the sunlight, Celestia's command tent soon came into focus. Just outside, Azure was under heavy binding and in stasis, surrounded by guards, while the all-encompassing shield had around a hundred fewer changelings around it. As Luna and our party of fillies, colts, and Wonderbolts approached, the powerful one-way barrier slowly began to dissipate.
Working my head up off of Chrysalis' back, I mumbled into her ear. “How was the fight between Celestia and Azure?”
“The most apt description I could give you would be 'hilariously one-sided,'” said Chrysalis with a small smile. “Although it's unclear which of the queens was drawing more power from the shared hive near the end.”
At least the whole thing was over and done with. There were already a host of new problems to look forward to once word of this got out. Even though Chrysalis had played an essential part in this operation, the actions of Crimson and Azure were likely to counter her earned goodwill, and Chrysalis didn't have the greatest reputation to begin with.
One of the pegasi pushed aside the tent flap as we approached, and even before I could see my teacher and mentor, I could feel the warm embrace of her magic lifting me from Chrysalis' back and checking over my vitals.
“It's nothing serious,” I mumbled, but Celestia simply continued her observations, her magic taking the edge off of my fatigue.
“Food, water, and rest,” she said finally. Her horn glowed and the water vapor in the air coalesced into a cloud. A quick Cloudwalking spell later, and I was being set upon it. Tempting as it was to drift off then and there, my desire to know how things had turned out kept me awake.
“Captain Spitfire, any casualty reports?”
“None on our side, ma'am. A few dozen deceased changelings so far, most of them from magical exhaustion.”
“And those remaining?”
“Preliminary reports number them around five hundred.”
Celestia closed her eyes and thought for a minute before turning to Chrysalis. “Will they act without the direction of their queen?”
Chrysalis scoffed. “Not with the control freak approach they took to commanding their hives.”
The princess considered things for a moment longer. “The magic division en route will take over the shields and relieve your changelings. I'll have Luna oversee things here and ensure that none of them starve while I negotiate with their leaders,” she said finally. “Do you have anything to add, Chrysalis?”
“Just be sure to have a backup plan in mind if they don't want to negotiate.”
“Princess, there was one other thing we found,” cut in Spitfire, presenting a rectangular object wrapped in cloth. Celestia took it and carefully unwrapped it with her magic.
“A book?” It certainly looked like one, albeit one that was crudely bound and weathered from the passage of time. Carefully opening the cover, she peered at the text. “I'm not familiar with this script. Twilight?”
Blinking sleep from my eyes, I took a look at the page. It was an incomprehensible mess of characters and symbols that I...wait, hold on. “There are Equestrian symbols here. Really old ones,” I said, gesturing with my hoof toward a few I recognized. “And this is Zebrecian if I'm not mistaken...Gryphonic characters too...there must be over a dozen languages in here, but they're not really put together in any sort of coherency, at least none that I can see.”
The silence that followed was finally broken by Rainbow. “So what, is it like, changeling writing?”
I blinked, somewhat dumbfounded at the idea. “Chrysalis?” I asked curiously.
For once, the Changeling Queen looked just as lost as I was. “I...I don't know,” she said finally. “As far as I’ve known, we've always just adapted to the language and culture of those we feed from.”
Except that wasn't completely true, as I quickly realized. Changelings did have their own culture. Why wouldn't they have their own written language? But then why was Chrysalis so surprised to see it?
Celestia apparently had a similar line of thought. Gently grabbing it with her golden aura, the book was carefully re-wrapped. “Captain Spitfire, please take your squad and perform a thorough investigation of the hive once the unicorn squad is here to assist. Rest assured, Chrysalis, I'll be asking Azure about this in detail.”
Chrysalis simply nodded, lost in thought, and my own muddled musings weren't doing much better. How did changelings feel about art? If their minds were linked, did an entire hive contribute to its creation? And who would it be for? The entire scope of the question was already further adding to my fatigue.
Unsurprisingly, it was Celestia who noticed first, a familiar spell starting to form as she looked in my direction. “Wait! I can last a bit longer!” I fibbed.
“Twilight, I promise I will keep you informed, but you are exhausted, both physically and magically. Do I need to remind you of what can happen to your body in the most extreme cases?”
I flinched, slightly. She was using her teacher voice on me. I managed to mumble out a quiet ‘No’ as I rested back down on the cloud.
“Good. Now rest, Twilight. There will be time to talk later.” There was a flash of gold and then the soft embrace of sleep.
---
Celestia's warm smile faded into a small frown as she examined her sleeping student. “Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus in question snapped to attention. “Please take two others from your squad and airlift Twilight back to Canterlot Hospital.”
Rainbow looked horrified. “What? Princess, don't tell me-”
“No, Rainbow Dash, but I do not want to take any chances. Make haste, but be as gentle as you can.”
With a nod, the pegasus saluted. Less than a minute later, she and two other Wonderbolts had constructed a harness and had taken off, leaving Celestia and Chrysalis behind.
“You were very close to-”
“I know!” snapped the Changeling Queen, her voice cracking slightly. “I know. I wasn't even trying, she just...gave it to me! I was the one who had to cut her off!”
A tense silence followed the outburst. Celestia's expression didn't change. “How do you feel right now?”
“Like I could take on Crimson ten times over,” admitted Chrysalis a bit sourly, as if daring Celestia to say something about the true power of love and friendship. It was even more infuriating when she implied all that needed to be said with a small, knowing smile, replacing her previous frown.
Once she was sure the moment had passed, Chrysalis sighed. “So what happens now? If I know anything about these foals, all of Ponyville is going to know what happened here before the week is out, and once Ponyville knows, the rest of Equestria will follow.”
“That will be entirely up to you,” said Celestia firmly, “Nothing has changed since I last spoke with you about this, and that includes my desire for mutual cooperation.”
Chrysalis hesitated slightly before speaking again. “But...so soon after this has been resolved?”
“You can choose to either look at these events as an opportunity to ride the wave of goodwill that will surely come from this, or you can wait for a more opportune time and simply hope any negative feelings fade from memory.”
The Changeling Queen couldn't help but smirk. “When you put things in those terms, it doesn't seem like much of a choice at all. I suppose you already have an ideal time and place?”
“Naturally.”
“Anypony ever say you'd make a good changeling queen?”
“Oh, I much prefer Princess. You should try out the title yourself sometime.”
Chrysalis' smile slowly faded with another sigh. “This is going to be a pain in the flank, isn’t it?”
“There will certainly be fear and mistrust, at first. Perhaps even more than usual considering your nature and abilities. Progress will come slowly, but ultimately it will be in your favor. I have seen this scenario played out countless times across many generations.”
The Changeling Queen reflected on her words, allowing a small chuckle as she felt Celestia's sincerity. “Alright, but I have one condition.”
---
My head was pounding. Painfully. For several dozen seconds it felt like a miniature Applejack was doing her best to buck my skull in. Thankfully, the intense pain eventually faded. Unfortunately, the greater aches were quickly being replaced by several smaller ones. All four of my legs were sore, my eyes hurt from the light coming through the window, and my magical reserves were still recovering.
What little I could sense told me that my return to consciousness had just activated an alert spell, and I closed my eyes just in time to avoid the blinding gold light of Celestia's teleport. Blinking the spots from my eyes, I smiled at the princess as she began to run a diagnostic over me. “Eighteen hours?” I guessed.
“Nineteen. Just a bit longer and you might have slipped into a coma.” Her tone wasn't accusing or judgmental, but I could sense her disappointment mixed with concern.
“I'm sorry,” I murmured softly. “It was the best choice from a list of really bad options.” And that included the option of saving myself and leaving the fillies and colts to their fate.
Celestia sighed but her smile didn't waver. “I suppose it was foolish of me to think you'd give anything less for them. You'll be happy to know that they're all doing quite well, so just this once I'll spare you the lecture. I'm sure you have this one memorized already, yes?”
I winced slightly. While not quite to this extreme, I had magically exhausted myself as a filly in an effort to impress Celestia, and again when I had first been learning how to teleport. “Yes princess, I do,” I mumbled.
“Then I shall not dwell on it,” said Celestia, the glow from her horn fading as she finished her examination. “However, there is one thing that can't be put off. The changeling prisoner you interrogated.”
I shuddered softly, feeling like a windigo had just passed over my bed. Everything beyond the interrogation had happened so quickly that it'd been easy to push it to the back of my mind, avoiding it by focusing on the problems directly in front of me. Now, however, the crisis had passed, and since I was going to be in this bed for at least the next day, there was plenty of time to think.
Celestia couldn't ignore this either. Sure, there were plenty of excuses I could make. Some were even convincing; it had been a desperate situation, it had technically been Chrysalis' prisoner, it had been an accident. However, when Celestia finally asked, “Do you have anything to say?” I remained silent and shook my head.
“Well then, I hereby sentence you to repeat Magic Kindergarten.”
My head jerked up. “What?!” I was met with Celestia's playful smile. “That wasn't funny, princess,” I grumbled.
“Twilight,” I shifted slightly as I felt the alicorn's wing gently wrap around me, “There isn't a thing I could possibly do to you that would be worse than what you're doing to yourself right now. I will not punish you, but there is a penance that I believe you could serve.”
“Name it,” I said almost immediately.
Celestia paused for a moment, almost as if she were making sure, but my determined expression didn't waver. “I wish to place you in charge of a new branch of magical research and development focusing on mental magics.”
My mind screeched to a halt. “What?”
“If nothing else, these incidents have shown me that this is an area of magic that we can no longer afford to neglect. It is a dangerous field, rife with the potential for abuse. You've experienced its power and are well aware of the dangers. I can think of nopony else I could trust with this.”
Even as my mind tried to conjure up counter-arguments, I knew she was right. I was all too aware of the extent to which magic like this could be abused, but there was a lot of good that could come from it too. After all, if I could break somepony's mind, why shouldn't I be able to fix it? What if there were magical means of helping ponies overcome mental disabilities and trauma? Could the benefits outweigh the potential danger?
“I'm obviously not going to demand that you decide immediately,” assured Celestia, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I feel guilty enough as is springing this on you right after you've woken up. I'd simply like you to think about it.”
I hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh. “It's okay, Princess, I understand. I'll consider it.”
Her wing tightened briefly around me before she got off the bed. “In the meantime, I hope you enjoy your hero's welcome.”
There was a slam as the door to my room suddenly burst open.
“Twilight!”
Several distinct voices reached my ears and suddenly the princess-sized bed was filled with my friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Just past the pile of colorful ponies (and one dragon) stood Chrysalis, clearly too dignified to participate in the pony pileup (and having managed to avoid getting dragged in, unlike Rarity), but I was able to share a nod with her before my vision was filled with a very excited and very huggy Pinkie Pie. Just out of the corner of my eye I could see Celestia making a graceful exit from the room, also giving the Changeling Queen a nod on her way out.
Things were far from over. There were at least three other elders left to deal with, but for now I was happy to enjoy this small victory.
---
Canterlot was a very big castle with more secret passages and hidden rooms than even the most dedicated cleaning staff could hope to remember. Some of them had been created by Starswirl. Others had been added on as the castle staff expanded based on the changing times and the needs for governance over a growing population.
This particular room hadn't seen use in well over a hundred years, and while Celestia would have liked to keep it that way, there simply had been no other alternative. Nodding to the guard on duty, she descended the stairs into the Royal Canterlot Dungeon.
For the moment, it housed only two prisoners, both under a myriad of powerful barriers and restraints, many of which Celestia had a hoof in making. While she might not have known the specifics of the changeling’s magic and abilities, there was little that could get around the brute force bindings of an alicorn.
Sliding the metal gate aside and stepping through the shields, the princess began to slowly release the numerous restraints from Azure, even as the changeling continued to glare at her. The last binding to be removed was the golden thread around her muzzle.
“You have my apologies for the accommodations. We've never had a prisoner quite like yourself, so we had to take every precaution we could.” Even with the addition of the rug and the bed, the cell was a pretty dismal one.
The prisoner moved slowly at first, shifting her holed legs and gently rubbing her muzzle. “What did you do with my hive?” she asked finally.
“They're still within their homes in the Badlands, currently under the guard of my soldiers.”
“How can I believe that?”
“Please do not play games with me, Azure. Between the two of us, you are the least qualified to doubt the other’s word.”
The Elder gave a soft snort but ceded the point. “What do you want?”
“A good question. Perhaps I could have your actual name rather than your title,” said Celestia with a small smile.
Azure gave her a slightly surprised look but quickly turned her head away. “I gave up my name when I joined the Elders.”
“In an effort to preserve your race, as I understand it. Do you feel that their efforts have been fruitful?”
The changeling let out a scoff. “Sentence me and be done with it. Unlike that flea Chrysalis I know where my loyalties lie, and I'd sooner go to Tartarus than turn my back on my own kind!”
Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Your dedication is admirable but your acting could use some work. You do not wish to die for your cause any more than I wish to kill you for it.”
Azure said nothing but Celestia didn't need spoken confirmation. Her body language already said enough. “Things are changing for your race, Azure. Chrysalis has started something that cannot be stopped, and your only choice is to either embrace the coming changes or be swept aside in their wake.”
Azure remained silent but Celestia wasn't expecting a reply. “That said, as much as I would like your cooperation, you have neither earned nor sought my trust. Thus, I will give you the same choice I gave to Elder Crimson. Remain imprisoned until a time when it is safe to release you, or take the Mark of the Sun.”
Azure turned her gaze toward the alicorn princess. “And that is?”
“A rather unpleasant option, to say the least. It is a brand of sorts, one that must be taken willingly. You will be marked by my sun, and while you bear it, I will always know where you are. Additionally, with a quick application of my magic, I may choose to incinerate you.”
The former Changeling Queen let her ultimatum sink in. “And you wonder why the changelings fear you.”
“Part of the price of the brand is knowing exactly what freedoms you are sacrificing,” said Celestia.
“It's not an appealing choice either way.”
“You gave up your right to the more appealing choices when you kidnapped my ponies.”
Shakily, Azure got to her hooves to look Celestia directly in the eye. “What of my changelings? What happens to them?”
“If you choose to stay imprisoned, I will speak with Chrysalis about assimilating them into her hive.”
“What? You would give control of my hive to that-”
“You are stalling, Azure,” interrupted Celestia. “There is no third option to negotiate for, just a single choice in front of you.”
The Elder glared at the alicorn, briefly baring her fangs, but Celestia was unmoved. Trembling slightly with anxiety, Azure opened her suddenly dry mouth and made her choice.
---
Three days later...
It was as Derpy was delivering yet another stack of portfolios that I realized I was going to need an actual lab that wasn't just some haphazard workstation set up in the basement of the library. The first thing I'd done as the leader of this project was to send a request to Celestia for possible helpers, and she had come through with dozens of candidates.
Unicorns only made up a small percentage. Many were teachers and professors. Others were skilled secretaries and note-takers. Still others were adepts in the fields of Earth and Pegasus magic. None of them were from the magical R&D branch. It was clear that Celestia wanted to carefully limit how much exposure this magic received.
Pushing aside one stack that had been sorted into rejections and maybes, my eyes turned to a second stack. This one was from Chrysalis, detailing the changelings who had volunteered to be a part of this endeavor. Dusk’s name was among them, though Chrysalis seemed irritated by that fact
Letting out a sigh, I pushed the paperwork away and glanced out the window to where a construction project was taking place: the very first changeling embassy. Celestia had originally pushed for it to be in Canterlot, but Chrysalis had insisted on Ponyville, and with the goodwill she had earned from her part in saving the schoolchildren, the town had quickly come around to the idea.
While I was grateful for the smooth transition, part of me had to wonder just how relaxed Ponyville was that they could so easily write off a changeling invasion.
“Moron, idiot, colossal idiot, fool, sadist, and idiot.” The dulcet voice drew me out of my thoughts and my eyes turned toward Chrysalis, who was rifling through the files I had sorted and throwing several into the rejection pile.
“Should I even ask how you came to these conclusions?” I grumbled, resisting the urge to put them back into order with my magic.
The Changeling Queen smirked. “Your princess gave me leave to perform background checks on all of the applicants. I must say, Celestia's internal information network could use some updating. Or perhaps a complete overhaul.”
I sighed, but knew better than to argue the point with her. “We're running out of ponies, Chrysalis. Have any of them met your approval?”
The queen stared directly into my eyes. “Only one so far.”
The double entendre wasn't lost on me and I couldn't help but feel a bit flustered. “I can't do this job on my own, Chrysalis.”
Slightly irritated, the queen pulled out a folder from the stack and put it down in front of me. Glancing at the name I looked back at her in surprise. “You know this is Celestia's personal secretary, right?”
“If Celestia considers her competent, she should at least meet my lowest expectations.”
Flicking the folder into the previously empty 'accepted' tray, I gave Chrysalis a flat look. “Great, that's one whole pony. Now what about researchers, lab assistants, magic users, and security?”
Chrysalis returned my look with an equally blank one, ignoring my sarcasm. “Well, as for that last bit, take this one and anypony she recommends.”
I caught the folder with my magic as Chrysalis tossed it to me, my eyes widening as I read the name at the top. “Rainbow Dash?”
---
“I didn't even know you were interested,” I said an hour later to the rainbow-maned pegasus, her records spread out in front of me, though I hardly needed to look at them. For some reason that I couldn't put my hoof on, Dash seemed edgy, almost nervous, as she sat on the other side of my desk. “I mean, this is probably going to cut into your work as a weather-”
“They'll get on fine without me.”
I blinked, uncertain what to make of her short, sharp tone. “Well, obviously there isn't anypony I'd trust more than you with security, but are you really sure you want me eating up so much of your free time?”
“Twi, do you want me on or not?” Her tone was clearly irritated now.
“Well of course-”
“Then hire me!”
I hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright, I'll send a message to Celestia and you can help pick out the rest of the security detail.”
Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Twi, you're not going to regret it.”
I nodded, certain she was right. “Now that you're on for sure, will you tell me why?”
The pegasus' face bore a look of discomfort once again. “Not here. Can you use that Cloud-Walking spell?”
I sighed, but quickly applied the spell and gave Rainbow a nod. In the next second I was suddenly out of the library and soaring through the sky, Rainbow's legs wrapped securely around me. Powerful wing beats took us high above Ponyville, and within seconds I was being set down on a large, fluffy cloud.
Outside in the clear sky, Rainbow seemed a lot less uncomfortable, but there was still a hint of nervousness surrounding her. “Look, Twi...do I really need to spell this out for you?”
I blinked, my train of thought slightly derailed. “Rainbow, I don't know-”
“Ugh, just be quiet for a minute, egghead!” My mouth snapped shut in surprise. “This is hard enough as it is.” Taking a breath, the pegasus finally spoke what was on her mind. “I like you, alright? Like...a lot.”
Part of me, a desperately hopeful part, had hoped this was coming. As if a wave were washing over my mind, the signs were adding up, one by one. Small hints, larger hints, friendly contact that seemed almost too friendly looking back...and yet my mind seemed desperate to find ways to excuse my blatant oversight and obliviousness.
“R...really? But when I was Fluttershy-”
“I lied, okay? I don't tell her all my secrets and the one I had my eye on was you!”
I could feel my cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment. I wasn't sure what to say, but fortunately Rainbow Dash had plenty to let out. “Look, I'm sorry I'm springing this on you all at once. I thought I'd have more time, see if you were interested, test things out a bit, but now...”
She tried to find the words to finish her sentence, but I knew what she was implying even as she fumbled. My colossal screw up had happened, the changelings had happened, and above all else, Chrysalis had happened, and while I had completely misread Rainbow’s actions, the Changeling Queen's intent was impossible to misinterpret. Did Rainbow feel threatened by her? Should she be? I didn't have an answer to that.
The pegasus sighed, looking both relieved at getting the confession off her chest and nervous at what my response would be. “Rainbow Dash, I...” I hesitated, realizing I'd spoken before my thoughts had formed in an effort to fill the silence.
“You need time to think, right?” I nodded, mutely. “Need to make a checklist of my pros and cons?”
The small joke made me giggle unexpectedly. “Rainbow, I don't make lists for everything.”
“Liar, you're making a mental checklist right now.”
“Am not!”
“Twi, I can see your eyes moving from side to side like you're reading.”
“What? Really?”
“Oh yeah, it's a dead giveaway every time.”
I groaned in embarrassment, but at the same time I was glad the tension had been relieved somewhat. “Rainbow...I'm not completely certain...I mean...I really do like you, but...”
“You need more data?” said Rainbow with a grin. Blushing, I gave a short nod. “Lemme at least give you some help with that.” My mind caught up with her doublespeak a moment too late. She was in front of me now, inches away, her mouth slowly moving towards mine...and then our lips met.
---
Minutes later, I was still walking around in a slight daze. Normally I would have teleported, but right now I couldn't trust my concentration. Rainbow had been good. Very good. Gentle, but firm. Quick, yet sensual. While Chrysalis had been controlling and fierce, Rainbow had sought to draw me into the kiss before playfully taking control.
Automatically, I pushed open the door to the library, barely even acknowledging the Changeling Queen as I slumped down on one of the chairs.
“Finally worked up the nerve, did she?”
My mouth opened, the question almost escaping me before I realized who I was talking to. “Was it that obvious to you as well?”
Chrysalis scoffed. “Even if I couldn't sense her obvious emotions, any half-observant pony could have picked up on the signs. Why else do you think I picked her for your security detail? Her affection for you was already a point in her favor, even putting aside her status as the Bearer of Loyalty.”
Well, when she put it that way, I was a bit ashamed I hadn't considered her sooner. Perhaps I had subconsciously passed over her because she never really advertised the skills she’d learned from the Wonderbolts.
“It's going to make things a bit difficult for me but I'm willing to make the sacrifice,” said Chrysalis with an over-dramatic sigh. “Still, I'm not afraid of competition.”
I blinked twice and realized that my mind had stumbled again before glaring at Chrysalis. “You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?” I accused.
“I did say your embarrassment was a rather tasty snack, didn't I?”
Growling, I jumped to my hooves and stormed up the stairs, intent on taking a nap and sorting out this mess later. I didn't notice Chrysalis' teleport until she was suddenly in front of me, forcing me to stop short to avoid running into her.
“I hope you aren't dismissing my playful and flirtatious tone as insincere,” said Chrysalis, suddenly serious.
“What? No! I just-”
“Just thought I was trying to keep you off guard? Maybe. But that's not all. Not anymore.”
Dozens of contingencies flew through my mind. Teleportation, telekinesis, personal shield...but my mind froze as Chrysalis approached. There was no poison this time, just the soft smooth feeling of her body against mine, a holed hoof around my neck, and her playful tongue inviting me into a warm kiss. It was sweet, pleasant, and the opposite of everything I had expected from her. A soft moan bubbled up from my mouth and Chrysalis swallowed it eagerly.
After what seemed like a small age, Chrysalis finally pulled away, giving my muzzle one final lick with her long tongue. “I believe I've made myself clear, yes?”
With a start, I realized she hadn’t even siphoned off any of my emotions. She had kissed me for the simple pleasure of the act, and I could only sit there as my self-consciousness reached critical levels. I needed room and time to think, and my mind finally seized upon a plan.
---
Celestia smiled as she read over the letter and looked at the small package that had been sent along with it, feeling as though she could breathe easy again. “She has come through, as expected,” said the white alicorn, pushing the box toward her sister. Luna withdrew a curiously shaped amulet with a crystal-clear gem set in the center.
“Odd, I don't sense much magic from it,” said Luna curiously. “What is it supposed to do?”
Celestia chuckled and gave Luna the note as well. “Level the playing field, at least a little bit. Tell me, which of our captives do you find more agreeable?”
Luna looked thoughtful as she finished the letter. “I'd prefer to cut the crimson one loose if there's something to be gained from it. She seems intent on starving herself no matter what we offer her.”
“My thoughts exactly, dear sister. Let's pay her a visit, shall we? I believe we have sufficient motivation for her now.”
Far below the dining room of the two sisters, the Crimson Elder’s head perked up slightly as she heard the bars slide back, shifting uncomfortably in her bindings, many of which had been acquired from her previous escape attempt when she'd found there was much more protecting the cells than just mere walls. Her expression barely changed when she saw who it was. “More questions? I thought I made my position clear.”
Celestia simply smiled and looked toward her sister. “Well?”
“Ten meters, just like she said.” The changeling’s eyes followed their gaze to an amulet being worn around the Lunar Princess' neck, set with a crystal-clear gem that was glowing faintly. “I can even feel a slight tug on my magic pointing me toward her.”
“A remarkably simple and elegant solution,” said Celestia with a nod. “We appreciate your assistance, Crimson.”
“What sort of game are you playing, princess?” she snapped, practically snarling out the last word.
“No games, Crimson.” With a bright flash of a golden light, she suddenly found her bindings removed and her body unrestrained. “You are welcome to leave whenever you wish, and you're free to take this as a souvenir.”
Grasped gently in Luna's magic, the softly glowing amulet floated toward the Elder and rested beside her. “And this is?”
“An efficient, non-intrusive, easy to use, and inexpensive method of detecting changelings,” explained Celestia calmly. “We've already produced several dozen of them, so giving one away won't be an issue. I wouldn't recommend trying to tamper with it, though, they can be a bit fragile.”
The changeling stared at the amulet, a small tremor of fear starting to spread through her body. There was no doubt in her mind that Celestia was telling the truth, even before she checked her emotions and found only sincerity. “What do you want from me?”
“Nothing unreasonable, I assure you,” said Celestia kindly. “I simply wish for a chance to speak with Queen Aurum.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “How...?”
“Not every changeling is willing to starve themselves for the cause.”
The Elder swallowed and shook her head. “She'll never meet with you.”
“Really? That is a shame. Then can you pass along a message for me?”
Celestia waited for a response, but Crimson was unresponsive. Letting out a sigh of resignation, she began to speak. “If Queen Aurum does not want to meet with me and refuses any and all diplomatic solutions, then I shall be forced to take drastic measures to ensure no further harm comes to my ponies. I'm very sure that Equestria's allies will be keen on detecting changelings within their midst, and I'll be more than happy to supply them with all of the amulets they need to do so.”
The Elder was momentarily speechless. She wanted to feel angry, but all she could muster was a sort of grim resignation. “You intend to starve us out?”
“No, Crimson, I intend to negotiate. I shall have a guard detail along shortly to escort you out. Do take care.”
The slam of the bars closing behind the two sisters made her flinch, her eyes fixated on the glowing amulet. Finally she cursed, snatching it with her magic and placing it around her neck.
---
Rainbow whistled softly as she flew a slow circle around the bright purple shield that had completely encased the library. “Man, and I thought the monster shield Shiny put around Canterlot was powerful.”
It didn't take long for Rainbow's keen eyes to spot the black and green figure of Chrysalis just outside the perimeter, and even less time for her to put two and two together. Landing next to Chrysalis, the pegasus opened with a glare and an accusatory tone. “What did you do?”
Chrysalis gave her a cheeky smile. “The same thing you did, but with a lot more elegance.”
Rainbow took to the sky, flying right up close to the Changeling Queen's face, though unlike most ponies she'd done this to, Chrysalis didn't budge an inch. “What's your game, huh? Why are you suddenly so interested in her?”
“Because she's the first pony who’s ever given a damn about my race. Yesterday, when she finally devised her detection method, do you know the first thing she did?”
Surprised, Rainbow drew back slightly and shook her head. “She came to me first and told me everything. Showed me how her method worked and asked if it was okay to send to Princess Celestia. She was worried about how it would impact me and my kin, even over the need for security.”
Rainbow Dash slumped to the ground, her wings folding at her sides. “You're serious about this, aren't you?”
Chrysalis nodded, her gaze turning back toward the shield. “Very.”
Dash let out a sigh, but her eyes quickly hardened. “There's no way I'm going to lose her to you,” she said finally before storming off...or at least she attempted to, before a sudden magical force pulled her back by the tail.
“Rainbow, wait a moment...please.”
The pegasus bit back her retort and instead gave the Changeling Queen a look that asked 'Well?'
“If you don't mind my asking, why do you like her?”
Rainbow hesitated before looking around almost conspiratorially to see if anypony else was listening. “It's...because she pushes me. Other ponies are always intimidated by my abilities or try to push me down to push themselves up, but you know what Twi did? She was so excited about my Sonic Rainboom that she worked with me for days on end just to see how far I could push myself. She studied Pegasus magic for my sake even though she'll never be able to use it herself.”
There was a long moment of silence as the two of them simply stared at the vibrant shield in front of them. Unlike most shields, this was solidly opaque. “Rainbow, have you ever been part of a love triangle before?” asked Chrysalis finally.
The pegasus slowly shook her head. “Never.”
“Neither have I, but through the memories of my hive, I've seen it played out dozens upon dozens of times. Very few end well for anypony involved.”
“So you're saying that one of us should give up?”
“Would you?”
“As if!”
“Then no. I am proposing the opposite, rather.”
Rainbow stared at the changeling, mouth agape. “Wait...you're not seriously saying-”
“I am,” said Chrysalis, completely serious.
“But...Twilight-”
“Might be more open to the idea than you think, especially considering the alternatives.”
It was still hard for Rainbow to believe that she was being serious about this, even as she continued to speak in a level tone, not even a hint of playfulness in her voice. “You know, we're not exactly friends. What makes you think this has a snowball’s chance in Tartarus of working?”
To her surprise, Chrysalis smiled at her. “Well, I think that's one thing we could try and change. I have it on good authority that this ‘friendship’ thing is worth trying out, and changelings are quite adept at handling group dynamics.”
Rainbow opened her mouth and closed it again. Was there any harm in refusing? Even putting aside all the triangle stuff, getting to know the changeling she was going to be guarding was probably a good idea, right?
“Can you even eat normal pony food, or would you prefer to just suck the waitress dry?”
Chrysalis chuckled lightly. “Why yes, Rainbow, I'd love to go somewhere and eat. Did you have a place in mind?”
“Yeah, I guess...but just so we're clear, I'm only doing this for Twilight's sake!”
“Of course. I'll try not to enjoy myself too much.”
“I'm already starting to regret this. I don't suppose you’ll be paying anything, will you?”
Chrysalis’ chuckle was her only response.
---
I desperately wanted to cast a Clairaudience spell. The shield I'd put around the library was probably one of the best I'd ever made, but while I could see out and look at my head of security and future research partner talking, I couldn't listen through the shield without breaking it.
“Those two are up to something,” I grumbled, but I could only speculate at this point as I watched the two of them fly off together. Well, at least things hadn't come to blows.
“Spike, do you ever get one of those feelings that something significant just occurred but you're not really sure what it is?” I asked as my assistant entered the study.
“No, and unless you want to do your own shopping, you should lower the shield,” he grumbled with obvious irritation.
“Oh...sorry, Spike,” I said sheepishly, slowly letting the magic filter away until the shield was gone.
Things were moving quickly now, almost too quickly for me to keep up. Two months ago, Chrysalis' presence would have caused a panic in Ponyville, but now she could openly fly through the place with an Element of Harmony at her side. Two weeks ago, we would have likely attacked any changelings on sight, but now at least one faction were our allies.
Now all I had to worry about was whatever Rainbow and Chrysalis were planning, and for some reason, it felt like it was going to be a lot more effective than any of Azure or Crimson's plans.